New Additions to MAC Studio Fix Line

Are you a fan of the MAC Studio Fix line?

I’ve been using MAC Studio Fix in NW20 for years, so my makeup antenna perked up when I heard about two additions to this line:

• MAC Studio Fix Perfecting Powder
• MAC Studio Fix Perfecting Stick

MAC Studio Fix Perfecting Powder

The perfecting powder is a finely refined loose powder with a matte finish. It provides full coverage (in 9 shades) with a light formula that lasts for hours without feeling drying.

You can use this powder to reduce the appearance of pores, set your foundation without disturbing color, or control oil.

To use the perfecting powder, just apply all over your face using a brush. For more coverage, try using MAC’s Luxury Powder Puff.

MAC Studio Fix Perfecting Stick

Who doesn’t love a chubby stick?

Blushes for All Occasions

What are the latest ways to wear blush? It depends on your makeup look.

For example, if you’re going for a natural look, you may want to apply a pop of pink blush for a hint of rosy cheeks.

When it comes to blush, one size does not fit all. So, here are a few of my favourite blushes that I wear for different occasions.

H&M Pure Radiant Powder Blusher

Wow, this blush was quite a find! It’s a soft, sheer powder that leaves a rosy, healthy-looking glow. I apply the Pale Pink shade when I want my cheeks to have minimal color but a just flushed appearance.

MAC Mineralize Blush

This sheer blush with baked minerals is my every day blush. I can’t give enough love to the Dainty shade because it’s amazing.  It brightens your face and works whether you want to match pink or peach-based lip and eye makeup.

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush

If you’re looking for a bit of drama, a super easy way to get there is with the Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush. This trio palette is a baked, heart-shaped blush with dimensional color. Whether I apply one shade to a certain area or swirl the colors together, the baked color formula is always good for creating a buildable finish.

Stila Convertible Color

Smart Illumination: NYX Strobe of Genius

If you weren’t born with it, one way to capture the “glowy” skin look is with an illuminating palette that helps to create depth and dimension with light.

The Strobe of Genius palette from NYX Cosmetics comes with seven versatile shades to master the art of strobing (or highlighting).

Even though the palette looks like an explosion of shimmer, the shades are surprisingly soft and flattering without leaving a heavy finish.

The palette contains cool and warm tones that go beyond basic white and pink, including:

• Top Row: Gold, champagne, lilac, rose gold (cool)
• Bottom Row: Copper, bronze, ivory (warm)

If you’re keen on strobing through the fall, this could be your go to kit with so many possibilities (plus you can use the shades as eye shadow, bronzer, or blush).

Beauty to Go: PÜR Cosmetics Best Sellers Kit

Good morning beauties!

When it comes to a smooth and long-lasting finish, PÜR Cosmetics is one of the best mineral makeup foundations out there.

One way to try out this mineral makeup is by picking up one of their get-the-look kits, like the recently launched 5-piece PÜR Best Sellers Kit.

This kit contains these five must-haves from PÜR Cosmetics:

• 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation with skincare ingredients (like encapsulated retinol to improve skin texture)

• Prep & Perfect Correcting Primer to minimize the look of pores

• Mineral Glow Powder with golden undertones for a sun-kissed glow

• Big Look Mascara to lengthen, thicken, curl, and hydrate lashes

• Chisel makeup brush for circular application of the powder

There’s a good reason why this mineral makeup is called 4-in-1. PÜR mineral makeup is a concealer, foundation, SPF, and finishing powder all in one. On top of that, this lightweight mineral powder is paraben and BPA-free.

Eye Contouring All-in-One: Benefit Cosmetics Big Beautiful Eyes

Since it’s #ThrowbackThursday, I thought I’d cover one of my favorite eye shadow palettes.

Like all beauty bloggers, I have a few eye shadow palettes 🙂. However, I always take out Benefit’s Beautiful Big Eyes from my crowded makeup drawer for special occasions.

As matter of fact, I’ve bought this palette a few times because it’s so good at helping to contour and define the eye area.

The Big Beautiful Eyes kit contains:

• Boi-ing Concealer (one shade suits most)
• Alabaster pink eye shadow (soft pink shimmer shade for highlighting or applying as a base all over the eye area)
• Cocoa shimmer eye shadow (soft brown shimmer for contouring)
• Rich chocolate eye shadow (deep brown for lining and defining)

Benefit has also included a decent mini concealer brush and a double-ended contour/liner brush, plus step-by-step application instructions.

Overall, the shadows are long-lasting and suit any skin tone.

Tip: If you prefer lining your eyes with a pencil, apply the liner side of the double-ended brush with the rich chocolate eye shadow to seal your eye liner.

Lash Drama: Annabelle Cosmetics Mascara Collection

Good morning beauties!

If you’re looking for some lash drama this fall, Annabelle Cosmetics (a Canadian drugstore brand) has just launched a collection of mascara to create a wow effect and take your lashes into the stratosphere.

With all the different variations that these mascaras offer (around $10 each), it’s easy to get this fall’s big lash look.

Here’s a quick review of the Annabelle Cosmetics mascara collection (starting in the upper left corner in the photo).

Lash Launcher Mascara

For extra length and definition, the Lash Launcher mascara has a dual length brush. Use the longer row on the brush to separate lashes and get more definition. Use the row with the shorter bristles for bottom lashes or to catch lashes that are harder to reach (like outer lashes).

The lengthening formula in this mascara works well, and doesn’t clump or flake.

Supernova Mascara

The all-in-one Supernova mascara has a combing conical brush that lets you grab each lash for length, definition, and volume. It lifts lashes up from the roots to get a curling effect (it worked nicely on my outer lashes).

Tip: Rather than pumping the wand in and out of the bottle and drying out the mascara faster, Annabelle recommends gently twisting the wand back and forth in a circular motion.

Blast Off Mascara

The Blast Off mascara has a curved brushes that lifts lashes up at the roots for a curling effect. To enhance the curl, the formula is designed to lengthen and lift lashes. This mascara is best for lashes that already have a bit of a curl rather than straight lashes.

To use this mascara, Annabelle recommends positioning the wand so that the brush spoons the curve of your lashes. Start from the root, then sweep the wand upward, guiding the shape of the lash as you go. You can get even more definition and fullness, if you wiggle the brush from side to side.

Trend Alert: Dark Lips for Fall

 

Hello beauties!

Have you been wondering what the new makeup trends are this fall season?

Dark lips dominated the Fall 2016 runway shows earlier this year, so it’s not surprising that darker lips are trending right now as an early fall favorite.

If you’ve started the dark lips party earlier in the year, the good news is you can take this trend right into the fall and winter.

Here are a few dark lip shades to get you started (starting in the upper left corner of the photo).

Maybelline New York Lip Studio Color Jolt

The Lip Studio Color Jolt is a shiny lip paint that packs a powerful pop of color with eight times more pigment than a traditional gloss in every drop.

You can build the creamy, long-lasting color for more vibrancy or customize your own look. The shade in the photo is called Berry Naughty, a deep blue red, which is a classic for fall.

NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream

The Cosmic Metals Lip Cream is a creamy smooth gloss with a glistening metallic finish. The Asteroid Aura shade is an “out of this world” magenta with silver shimmer.

Annabelle Twist Up Metallic Retractable Lipstick Crayon

The Twist Up Metallic Lipstick Crayon has a creamy texture that hydrates and smoothes for an anti-drying effect (yes!).

If you like a true red with a touch of sparkles, the Heartbreaker shade is for you.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick

The Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick is a waterproof liquid lipstick with a velvety matte finish.

The Sandstorm shade is a trendy brownish nude that Elle magazine listed as a dupe for the Dolce K shade in the Kylie Jenner Lip Kit.

Maybelline New York Color Sensational The Loaded Bolds

The Loaded Bolds lipstick features a hyper-pigmented formula that provides goth-inspired depth with a single stroke courtesy of non-drying Kaolin clay base.

The Midnight Merlot shade is a dark burgundy with cool undertones. Drink up!

Which dark lipstick will you be wearing this fall?

Quick Tips for Wearing Dark Lipstick

Budget Beauty Essentials: e.l.f. Cosmetics

Hello beauties!

Have you tried e.l.f. cosmetics yet?

I know there are a lot of e.l.f. fans out there. Count me in because this drugstore brand definitely proves that you don’t have to spend megabucks for high-quality beauty products. I also love the e.l.f. mission which is “to make luxurious beauty accessible for all women to play beautifully.”

If you love palettes and primers, here are two budget beauty essentials that you have to check out. With so many choices at low prices, this beauty brand is definitely going to test your inner makeup junkie will power.

e.l.f. Contour Palette

This no-fuss contour compact comes with a good-sized mirror and four pigmented colors designed for contouring, shading, sculpting, brightening, and highlighting:

• The first shade is an off-white color for highlighting that blends well and provides just a touch of shimmer.
• The second shade (next to the highlighter) is a brightening shade you can also use to cover imperfections.
• The third shade is a medium bronze for contouring in your favorite areas.
• The fourth shade is a deeper bronze (with no orange tones) for drama or darker skin tones.

TIP: Since the pans are smaller in this contour palette, use a smaller contouring brush to avoid picking up other colors.

What’s also clever about this palette is that the pans in the palette are removable. Turn the palette over and you can pop out the shades and mix and match them with shades from other e.l.f. palettes.

e.l.f. Mineral Infused Primer

I love primers and the price (under $10) is right for e.l.f.’s Mineral Infused Primer.