Pupa Folk Waves Eye Shadow

I had never heard of Pupa Milano before, and was quite interested in it when I came across a small display of it. I bought their Folk Waves eye shadow in 01 which ended up being copper. I paid about 8 dollars for the shadow, which is kind of a lot in my book. This being the case, I got my hopes up. Luckily, I was not disappointed. I liked the packaging that the shadow came in; it felt solid in my hand, and I could clearly see the eye shadow through the window in the top. The product felt silky on my lids, and glided on without looking patchy. It was only moderately pigmented, however it was buildable, and I achieved a rather strong copper look on my lids. The best part of the shadow is that I didn't get a single crease all day. If I cam find any more Pupa Milano products, I will certainly check them out.

Two Quick Ways to Make Lipstick Stay On

I've never been a fan of the lip liner trick (filling in lips with liner before applying lipstick) for a number of reasons. Not only is it time-consuming, but it would also mean buying numerous liners to match my various shades of lipstick.
I devised a couple of ways to keep my lipstick looking fresh all day. What I do is, when applying my foundation, I apply it to my lips, as well. It acts as a base to which the lipstick can adhere to. After applying all of my makeup, I mist my entire face with my makeup setting spray. This way, there is something above,and below the lipstick to keep it in place.

L'Oreal Metallique Foil Eye Color Crayon

I happened upon L'Oreal's Metallique FoilEye Color Crayon in a shop the other day, and decided to try it out. I got it in gold, and I have very mixed feelings about it. While the size (tiny) is both cute and portable, it doesn't pack much of a punch. I hoped that the shadow was highly pigmented and maybe even reflective, however it was lightly pigmented, but buildable. After putting it on for a while, a got a nice gold color. What I really liked was that I didn't need to use my fingers, or any brushes or applicators. I don't know if I would buy it again.

Vacation Makeup Bag

I was packing for my vacation this afternoon, and I thought I would share the contents of my bag.
I brought my Physicians Formula eye shadow palettes in "Nude" and "Smoky," my Rimmel Glam'Eyes liquid liner, E.L.F.'s translucent powder as well as their eyelid primer, a lipstick for night (Sonia Kashuk lipstick in "Violetta,") as well as a day option (L'Oreal Colour Riche in "Fiery Veil,") a lip and cheek stain (Revlon baby stick), a pot of rose salve, my go-to mascara (L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess,) and my three most-used brushes.
Try not to bring anything too valuable, or anything that would be hard to replace.

Perfect Nude Eye

This is one of my favorite easy eye looks; I usually wear my makeup like this to work. I used my Physicians Formula nude eye palette, but any similar shades should work.
Here's what you do:
Prime eyelids liberally
Apply cream-colored shade all over lid
Put peach shade from tear duct to about halfway across the lid. Keep peach shade confined to below crease.
Apply dark brown to outer half of eyelid, let it go slightly above the crease. Also apply as liner under the eye. Make sure to connect shadow and liner via the outer corner of eye.
Supplement with black liquid liner on top, if desired.
Apply moderate amount of mascara.

Hard Candy Eye Def Glitter Eye Shadow

I wanted to come up with an edgier way to do my eye makeup, so I picked up Hard Candy's Eye Def glitter eye shadow in hopes up finding something gritty but glam. Turns out I did! I got it in shade 331, a dark greenish brown. The product was moderately pigmented, and not too thick. It takes a dew swipes to get the product on your eye lid evenly, but once you do and it dries, it's glittery, fabulous, and budge-proof. I don't know if I'll buy any more, but that's just because I wanted this shade in particular.

Flower Beauty Kiss Stick

I was quite skeptical of the new makeup line by Drew Barrymore, and do you blame me? Celebrity-made makeup and perfume usually isn't my cup of tea. However, I decided to try out Flower Beauty's Kiss Stick. The packaging was pretty cute, I liked the touch of gold and how obvious it was what color you were getting. I got the lipstick in "Get to the Poinsettia," a cute poppy shade. The lipstick went on okay, it wasn't very smooth, or very pigmented. The product settled into the lines of my lips a little bit, but it felt okay on my skin. The lipstick stayed on okay and didn't get patchy, however it wasn't impressive. I am entirely on the fence about this product...

Water-Friendly Makeup

Water-proof makeup is great and all, but it's not suitable for the beach, the water park, or the pool party. Here's what I do to look nice even in the wettest occasion:
Apply concealor where necessary
Use rose salve on lips, cheekbones, and eyelids
Curl lashes with heated eyelash curler (if you don't have one, blast your regular eye lash curler with a blow dryer)
The result is dewy lips and cheekbones, and subtle-yet-noticeable lids and lashes. And when you get wet, you don't look like a ruined oil painting.

Rimmel ScandalEyes Lycra Flex Mascara

As many times as I've sworn off Rimmel mascaras, I couldn't help but buy their ScandalEyes Lycra Flex Mascara. Amd it ended up being a good decision! The tube itself was pretty big, but even then, I didn't expect the brush to be as big as it is. It's HUGE. Megabrush ended up being a good thing; I got amazing volume and definition in just a few swipes! The mascara held its effect through the whole, humid day, and I got numerous compliments on my lashes. This is definitely one of my new favorite mascaras.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Foundation

I have officially found my new go-to foundation! It's Revlon's ColorStay Whipped Foundation. Naturally, I wondered if they had a shade pale enough for me. Fortunately they did! It cost like 14 dollars, which is really a lot for drugstore makeup, but it was worth it. It basically looks like thick cream, but doesn't go on too thick or cake. It gave me a lot of coverage, which I really liked. After applying the product all over my face, my skin was shine-free and smooth. It stayed on all day without settling into any fine lines. I will definitely buy this product when I run out!

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess

I decided to scope out L'Oreal's new mascara earlier this week, and didn't expect to love it. However, I have found my new favorite mascara! The applicator looks really basic, but it actually catches every lash, and delivers volume, length, and definition. It held its effect throughout the day without flaking, and I got a ton of compliments on my lush lashes. I will be buying this mascara for a long, long time.

Revlon Color Burst Lip Gloss

I bought Revlon's Color Burst lip gloss the other day, and kind of had my hopes up. The tube had a pretty lattice pattern on the handle, and the color, a bright red, looked really appealing. And I wasn't let down! The shade I got was "Fire," the reddest option of the product. It went on smoothly and was highly pigmented. The interesting thing about it was that it felt like a gloss, but looked like a glossy lipstick, and had the staying power of a stain. And it didn't dry out my lips! I really have no negative thoughts about this product; its definitely my new favorite.

Mary Kay Lipstick

I ordered Mary Kay's lipstick in "Red," wondering if I would like. I did, but not as much as I had hoped. While the lipstick was a gorgeous deep red, it settled into the lines of my lips. And even though the lipstick stayed on all day, it dried out my lips really badly. However, I can almost forgive it; it had a fabulous velvet finish. I don't think I would buy it again though.

Matching Your Eyes to Your Nails

Matching your lips or nails to your outfit is way overdone. Why not try matching your nails to your eyes? It's one of my favorite ways to pull a look together. Here's some ideas!
Greens: Ulta Extreme Wear gel eyeliner in "Dublin," OPI Nail Lacquer in "Skip the Gift Wrap"
Golds: Maybelline Color Tattoo eye shadow in "Bold Gold," Maybelline Color Show Holographic nail polish in "Alluring Rose"
Blues: Rimmel ScandalEyes eye shadow stick in "Blamed Blue," China Glaze nail polish in "Dorothy Who?"

So is this something you would ever try?

Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick

I bought Maybelline's new foundation offering, their Fit Me Shine-Free foundation stick. Naturally, I had to get it in the palest shade, which actually was perfect for my skin tone. I like that it was a powder foundation encased in cream; it gave the product a very unique texture. It blended into my skin well, and kept me mattified all day! I would definitely recommend this product.

Almay Color+Care Lip Gloss

I picked up Almay's Color+Care lip gloss in "Apple" a few days ago, out of morbid curiosity. I usually dislike natural makeup products, but could this one be different? The answer is... Yes. While I didn't love the lip gloss, it gave me a nice flush of color and shine, and stayed on pretty well. And I must admit, it did smooth out my lips, even once the product was long gone. However, I would have liked for it to have felt less heavy on my lips. This one product will not banish my bias against natural cosmetics. However, I may well buy more Color+Care in the near future.

Nanak's Skin Repair Salve

I bought Nanak's Skin Repair Salve on Amazon the other day, after reading numerous articles raving about it's powerful skin repairing qualities. I must say, it is a great product! I even forgive it for being in a pot; the balm worked wonders on my lips! The salve goes on clear and unscented, soaking in after about thirty minutes. It leaves you with smooth, hydrated skin. I will definitely buy this product again.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments

I was really excited to try Maybelline's new Color Tattoo Pure Pigments, and was a little disappointed. While the colors were great, especially "Black Mystery," the product was the worst-creasing shadow I have used. Ever. I mean, I get that loose pigments can be like that, but they only lasted about an hour WITH PRIMER. I might try mixing them with liquid primer to force them to work, but I definitely won't be buying any more.

Maybelline Master Smoky

I bought pretty much all of the new Maybelline products, including the new Master Smoky. Igor it in "Smoldering Violet," a dark purple shade. I put it on the next morning, and really liked it. The liner itself was thick enough to go on in just a few swipes, and the chubby sponge helped me blend it to perfection. I got a pretty decent one-shade smoky eye out of it, and it stayed on really well throughout the day. This is a great thing to have; mine now lives in my purse. I can't wait to get more shades!

Get the Look: Subtle Glam for Day

For days when nude is too boring and smoky is too fancy, I go for something simple but glitzy. Here's what you do:
Pluck your eyebrows, apply primer.
Put on shimmery champagne-colored eye shadow. Don't be afraid to really pile it on!
Put on a medium-thickness swipe of black liquid liner above upper lashes. Make liner slightly thicker at outer corners of eyes.
Curl eyelashes, coat lashes with mascara. Don't forget the lower lashes!
There you have it! The look is very subtle when your eyes are open, but the glitter makes an appearance when you blink! What do you think; are you going to give it a shot?

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro

Maybelline's got a new collection of Baby Lips out for the summer, and I couldn't resist picking one up. I bought Maybelline's Baby Lips Electro in "Berry Bomb," a plum-tinted lip balm. I put it on later, and kinda liked it! The balm gave me a light flush of purple, like the swatch below. The balm felt good going on, and soaked in after about an hour, leaving my lips a bit softer. It was pretty standard as far as Baby Lips goes.