March Beauty Favorites

I'm a little late, but better late than never. Here are my March beauty favorites.

I'll start with face products.

The Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel is a beautiful subtle cream bronzer.  I've been using it all month long and what I love about it is that it's so natural-looking and easy to blend.  This will not settle into fine lines nor will it turn orange.  This bronzer scores bonus points because of how long this product lasts.  I've had it for close to 10 months now and it looks like I haven't touched it.  This is definitely worth every cent I paid.

Next up is the Becca blush in the color Gypsy.  This is a cool-tone baby pink, which is extremely pigmented and, in my opinion, pairs perfectly with so many Spring-inspired makeup looks.

Now for the eyeshadows:

This is the Bobbi Brown shadow in the color Champagne Quartz.  This is just one of those colors that is so universal in the sense that it can be paired with just about any other shade and will look absolutely gorgeous.

Another shadow I've been obsessed with this past month is the color Fawn M664 by MAKEUP FOREVER.  I've been pairing Fawn with Champage Quartz all month long and I love the color combination.

For some added fun and sparkle, I've been using the MAKEUP FOREVER shadow in the color Taupe Platinum D562.  This color has been my go-to all month for a smoky evening makeup look.

For lips, I have been loving the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in the color Melted Peony.  To me, it's the perfect pastel pink shade.

Last, but definitely not least, is the Gerard  Cosmetics lipgloss in the color Rose Hill. This picture just does not do this color justice.  I'm person, it is such a beautiful rose shade and the pigment is so intense that no other lip products are needed to achieve high pigmentation.  In general, Gerard Cosmetics lip glosses are all highly pigmented, feel very moisturizing on the lips without that sticky sensation, and last long on the lips.

Pretty Pink Lips for Spring

Spring is officially here, although where I live feels like Spring decided to skip and go straight to Summer.

One of my favorite looks for lips during Spring is pink; I go back to it every year when the weather starts warming up.

My go to products lately for the perfect pink lips:

1. Line the lips with a nude Lipliner.  The one I used is Nude Beige by Burberry.  Any true nude will work.

2.  Fill the lips with a rosey shade.  I used Melted Peony by Too Faced, which is a dusty rose color and very pigmented. 

3. Finish off with a light layer of a sheer rosey gloss.  The one I used is the color 553 Princess by Dior.

And this is the final result.  I really love this lip combination.

Beauty Oils: Friend or Foe?

After a short absence, I'm very excited to be back talking about beauty.  For the past few months, I've been branching out on skincare products and trying them myself.

Products I have really been loving lately are beauty oils.  Believe me when I say that any skin type can use them including those with oily skin.  As I've mentioned before, I have combination skin that tends to be on the drier side during the cold weather and quite oily during the hot weather.  Based on my experience and, of course, research I've done, I have come to the conclusion that beauty oils are very much a friend.

Some benefits:

1. For oily skin, you can combat oil with oil, making your skin less oily.

2. Oils nourish the skin, delaying signs of aging

3. Gives the skin such a glowy, radiant look and feel

4.  Will not settle into pores

My favorites are definitely the Josie Maran Argan Oil, Tarte Maracuja Oil, and the Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil.

I usually use the Tarte oil at night underneath my usual moisturizer and in the morning, my skin is baby soft.  This oil is a bit thick but I find that my skin easily absorbs it, even when it's oily.  

From time to time, I'll also use the Josie Maran oil at night only because it is also a thick oil and I saw that my makeup wore off super quick with this oil underneath.  Now, Josie Maran does have this oil in a light formulation, which I am yet to try.

During the day, I use the Boscia oil as it is thin enough to provide the right amount of moisture without compromising your makeup.  Plus, I love the scent.  Just to be clear though, this oil does not contain fragrance.

I also did give an oil by Fresh a try.  It is the Seaberry Face Oil, but I found that my skin did not take well to it, perhaps because this one does contain fragrance.  Other than that, the oil by Fresh is another awesome choice.

After months of using these oils, my skin has been so much softer, smoother, dark spots are brightening, and my makeup goes on so smoothly.  I would definitely recommend giving them a try.  Sephora has so many to choose from, depending on your skin's specific needs.

Quick Tip Tuesday

Lately I've been hearing more and more about the red lipstick trick for hiding under eye circles.  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain.  Apparently, one of the most effective ways to conceal dark under eye circles is to apply a red lipstick.  But, does it work?

So, I went on a research hunt and trying many different ways to apply the lipstick to see how well it works.  This is what I came up with:

First, choose a red lipstick that has some orange undertones in it.  You do not want to use a cool-tone red, trust me!

Second, the application technique can vary, but I found the best way for me personally.

The play-by-play:

1.  With a clean face, I started with a facial primer, making sure to get it on the under eye area.

2. Using a large fluffy concealer brush (I used the Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer brush) I applied the red lipstick.  I ran the brush through the lipstick, then applied it to my undereye.  Do not apply the lipstick from the bullet directly onto your undereye.  This will make it too intense and much harder to blend.  The brush will give you a softer application.

3.  I then applied my foundation and my usual lightweight undereye concealer as I would normally.

When applied properly, this is a pretty good trick.  I definitely saw a difference in the appearance of my pretty dark undereye circles.

December Beauty Favorites

Throughout the month of December, I noticed using some products far more than anything else I own.  I tend to go through phases where I prefer certain colors over others.  This time, I gravitated much more towards the warmer colors.

Here are some of the beauty products I used the most:

Starting with lip products, the lip liner I wore non-stop throughout December was the NARS Velvet Lip Liner in the color El Agua:

Yes, this is a cooler tone of pinky purple, however, I added another product on top.

On top of El Agua I added NARS PureMatte Lipstick in the color Tonkin.  These two combined made a warm pinky purplish caramel color (well, I did my best trying to describe the color).  I just absolutely love the NARS Velvet Lip Liners because they literally last all day on the lips.

Next is the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in the color Shame.  I wore this throughout the holidays and was the perfect alternative to the traditional red.

An eyeshadow duo that was quite popular for me as an everyday look was this duo from BareMinerals in the color The 15 Minutes, which contains a pale pink called Page Six and a beautiful warm reddish brown called Most Requested (this picture does not do this color justice, in reality it is very pigmented with a slight shimmer).

Next up is an eyeshadow by Anastasia in the color Bengal.  I wore this on its own and received plenty of compliments.  This color is such a beautiful warm peachy brown with a very subtle hint of sparkle.

For evening looks, I used this Makeup Forever eyeshadow in M928, which is such a gorgeous matte eggplant color.  What I love about this color is that you can use with browns, pinks, purples, blacks (and I'm sure a few other color combinations) and this color just adds that perfect pop of color to your eyes.

Last, but not least, is this Bobbi Brown cream cheek product in the color Calypso Coral.  Corals I tend to use much more in the Spring and Summer, but I was on a warm kick this December.

Look Glowy this Winter

With Winter in full speed, I truly love to take advantage of my highlighting products.  The areas of the face commonly highlighted are the center of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, Cupid's bow, the center of the chin, and of course, the cheek bones.  When these areas are highlighted properly, the skin looks so healthy, glowy (I don't think that's even a word, but we'll make it work), and awake.

There are a number of products that can be used to achieve this glowy skin.  I've even used eye shadows as highlighters.  Below are some of my favorites:

From left to right: Bobbi Brown Rose, Bobbi Brown Sandstone, Becca Rose Gold, Becca Opal, and Burberry Golden Radiance.

Here are the swatches:

Bobbi Brown Rose - this is a very subtle rosy shimmer with a slight hint of gold sparkle

Bobbi Brown Sandstone - this is more of a beige-gold shimmer that is more intense than Rose and looks beautiful on all skin tones

Burberry Golden Radiance - this color is actually a bit darker than it shows up in the picture above and is less shimmery than the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks.  This color is somewhat of a bronze shade that works better on darker skin tones.  My only complaint is that the fragrance on this product is strong and lingers for a long time.

Becca Opal - this color has a more yellow base and the shimmer is quite intense and so beautiful.  Again, this one will compliment all skin tones.

Becca Rose Gold - the name says it all.  This color is such a gorgeous rose gold that will looks amazing on all skin tones.

Last but certainly not least is a cream product.  This one is Giorgio Armani Fluid  Sheer in the color 2.  This is a very pale golden shimmery highlight that looks great on its own or can be applied under a powder highlight for a more dramatic effect.  This highlight is just absolutely gorgeous.  This one is quite pricey but worth every penny because a little goes a long way, which will last a very long time. I use mine almost everyday, I've had it for close to a year now, and it's still going strong.

Happy New Year!

Favorite Bold Lip Products

There's no question that bold lips have definitely been in trend.  I have put together some of my favorite products for achieving the perfect bold lip.

Here are the swatches:

Chanel Rivoli - this color is more of a berry red shade perfect for the holidays as an alternative to the traditional red lip. Chanel products never seem to dissappint me.  This lipstick is a glossy finish, has great color payoff, and is very moisturizing.  This is such a beautiful shade and I really think it compliments every skin color.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in the color Liv - this color is a very deep blackened purple and it is absolutely beautiful.  These lipsticks by NARS are super creamy, pigmented, and long-lasting on the lips.  They have a satin finish.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame - this color is a dark berry color deeper than Chanel Rivoli, which is also beautiful for the holidays.  I find these lipsticks to have amazing color payoff and lasts long on the lips. The finish is a creamy sheen.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Scarlet - this is a very dark rich red color with a matte finish and what I love about this brand is that they do not use synthetic ingredients.  Even though they are matte finish, I was surprised about how moisturizing these pencils are.

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Vampira (left) and Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Vampira (right) - both of these colors are very deep burgundy shades and are matte finish.  Both are just gorgeous colors.  My favorite of the two definitely is the liquid lipstick.  The color payoff is just amazing and lasts all day, literally, on the lips.  Once this product is on, it's not going anywhere, whether you eat, drink, it stays put until you decide to take it off!

These are lip liners.  The one on the left is the NARS Velvet Lipliner in Lanikai, which is a reddened burgundy shade.  The one on the right is the Burberry Lip pencil in Oxblood which is more of a berry red.  Both have great color payoff.  However, I much prefer using the NARS pencil as is lasts much longer on the lips.  I wore one of these pencils to an office party and at the end of the day, it was still there!!

Happy holidays!