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Thursday, April 29, 2010

20 Days of Tinted Moisturizers: Day 6


Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

First of all, I tried this in shade light.  I am fortunate enough that my grandma, the only other person in my family who is even remotely interested in beauty, is close to the same color as me.  She is a strong devotee of Smashbox, so I tried this while I was visiting her.

The packaging is fine, black and basic.  It has a flip top lip that it can stand up on.  It does have a small window to show the color of the TM inside, a definite plus for me.   I did use a moisturizer under this.  However, she does live in the desert which seems to suck all the moisture out of my skin.  The consistency is nice and creamy.  It is very easy to dispense just enough product.  It was very easy to spread, I used my fingers.   Coverage was decent.  I still needed some concealer.  It wasn't too glowy, which is nice since my skin can get a bit oily.  It lastly nicely, for a TM.  I never expect a tinted moisturizer to last all day.  They just aren't made for that. 

Excellent product and at $30 it is certainly not breaking the bank, at least not for me.  The tube is pretty big, 1.7 oz.  There are 5 shades that cover a nice range. 

Overall:  Great product.  I think it can work for all but the extremely oily. 

Monday, April 26, 2010

20 Days of Tinted Moisturizers: Day 5


Chanel Hydramax + Active Teinte 

Chanel only has 3 colors in their tinted moisturizer: sand, sunlit and bronzelit.  I would just like to say, shame on you Chanel.  Seriously, not one of these colors was even close to being my color and I'm not even that pale.  I got a sample in sand, but I looked soo orangey  when I applied it.  Apparently Chanel thinks either everyone that wears TM is quite tan or wants to look like an oompa loompa.

On a more positive note, this stuff smelled divine.  It was definitely a pleasure to put on as it has a nice moose texture that is quite hydrating.  It gives a very nice dewy glow.  Lasting power was decent. 

Overall, I would recommend this to darker skin tones that want a nice glow, maybe Mac NC30 and darker.  It really was a nice product if only they had more colors. 


Disclaimer: I got a sample of this from Nordstrom.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Chanel Glossimer in Spark


I am such a sucker with anything shot through with gold.  If it has gold shimmer, chances are I will be smitten at first swatch.  Spark is no different.  It is a beautiful raspberry color with lots of gold shimmer.  I am a lover of anything Chanel, but glossimers really are top notch glosses.  They are not too sticky, just enough to last a little while on the lips.  I do not expect lipglosses to last super long, so I do not judge them too harshly in that category.  Spark was my very first glossimer, and with it, began a sure to be lifelong love affair.  The color suits me whether I am tanned in the summer or pale in the winter.  It manages to warm up my face and make me look very alive.


I have instilled upon it the much coveted title of Holy Grail (HG) item.  In fact, this is my second tube, which is saying alot for a lipgloss fanatic such as myself.  It pairs perfectly with my Nars Christina lipstick (and yes, I did buy it because it bears the same name as myself).

I was unable to get a swatch photo that was color accurate, so, since I did not want to post an inaccurate photo, I just left it out.  I do believe Lina of The Beauty Look Book has a pretty good swatch if you would like to pop over there and take a look. 

I think Spark would work for all but the very cool in tone.  It works nicely with a subtle smoked eye for nighttime or a toned down face during the day.  



Disclaimer:  I bought this lipgloss with my own money.  

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Aveda Hand Relief


image from aveda.com

I got this sample a little while ago for turning in some water bottle caps.  For those of you who aren't aware, Aveda recycles plastic caps and turns them into shampoo caps.  Some recycling places won't recycle the caps because they are too hard to break down, so I think this is a wonderful practice and gladly support it.  

I just started using this little sample as my hands have been extra dry from dealing with all kinds of papers.  Who knew paper could suck so much moisture out of skin anyways?  

I can't really decide whether I like the smell or not.  I think it smells kind of like orange and ginger.  Aveda doesn't state what it is supposed to smell like, so we are going off my amateur nose here.  The texture is nice and light.  It soaks in really fast and doesn't leave an oily residue.  It contains both vitamin A and vitamin E, which is definitely a plus.  

Would I buy a full size?  I'm not quite sure.  While it was a very nice hand cream, I'm just not sold on the smell and I don't think it was moisturizing enough for what I need at this time.  

If you like orange and ginger, and you don't have extremely dry hands like me, Aveda Hand Relief is probably the cream for you.  Plus, you'll feel great for supporting a company that supports many excellent causes.  

This product can be purchased here.  Note: this is an affiliate link.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer


Photo Courtesy of Clarins.com

I'm not really a primer person now that my skin is no longer oily.  I am just too lazy to do that extra step.  To top it off, I have never really found that they did all that much for my foundation application and wear.  However, being the avid beauty lover that I am, I still try them.  

I got a sample of this Clarins primer as a gift with purchase.  I decided that it was finally time to try it out.  I applied it with my fingers, just a small amount and rubbed it in really well.  First of all, this stuff is really silicone-y.  It felt kind of weird on my face.  However, I have heard all kinds of raves, so I proceeded.  First, I tried it with tinted moisturizer.  Yuck.  The tinted moisturizer just kind of sat on my face looking all gross.  I wiped that off and tried it again with my YSL foundation.  That was a little better, but I still found it hard to spread the foundation and make it look even.  

Here is a photo of a blob on my hand, for reference:


I don't think this primer really did much of anything for me.  However, on further research, I found that it is advertised for wrinkles and fine lines, none of which I have at this point in my life.  Maybe those who do would like it better.  Just for the record, I did not find it to have much of any smell.  I also did not find it to break me out in any way, which is always appreciated.  


Sunday, April 11, 2010

Bye Bye Shu

As I'm sure many of you have heard, Shu Uemura is being pulled from US markets.  As i did not own any Shu, I rushed to Nordstroms to at least pick up the famed eyelash curler. 


I used it for the first time today and it seems quite nice.  It didn't pinch at all.  However, I still am le suck at curling my lashes.  I also wanted the much touted cleansing oil, but I'm not sure how much face will feel about that decision. 


I decided just to get the minis.  The sales associate, who was awesome by the way(very rare if you ask me), recommended the anti-oxidant formula for me.  I told her I did not really have oily skin, though it is breakout prone.  I haven't tried this yet but expect a review sooner or later. 

Lastly, I picked up an eyeshadow duo from the spring collection. 


The one I got is glint blue.  It includes brown liquid eyeshadow:

which looks more taupey if you ask me...

and blue loose eyeshadow powder:


which is definitely blue. 

I haven't used them yet, but I did swatch them to show the colors. 


As you can see, brown is a metallicy taupe and blue is a shimmery light blue that borders on being glittery. 

The wonderful sales associate also included some samples of deepsea hydrability moisturizing cream as well as a little GWP that included an even minier A/O cleansing oil and a lipgloss.


Here is a swatch for ya:


Its a nice mauvy pink with lots of shimmer.  I think I will like this color alot. 

For the record, the sales associate said that Nordstroms will be carrying Shu for 5 more months as of the beginning of April.  She also said that you will still be able to purchase Shu through Shuuemura.com after it is pulled.  Good news for Shu lovers, me thinks. 

Disclaimer:  My wonderful mother purchased these products for me and I love her to death for it.  She also has a Shu curler, but hers is gold! 

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Nails of the Day: Essie Short Shorts topped with OPI That's All Bright With Me


Brights are notoriously hard to photograph.  It is bright pink with yellowy-gold sparkles from the OPI. 


The Essie formula was actually awesome.  This is 3 coats but only because it is a jelly and I wanted it to be more opaque.  I only used one coat of the OPI. 


Disclaimer:  I swapped for the Essie and I bought the OPI. 

Friday, April 9, 2010

20 Days of Tinted Moisturizers: Day 4


Bobbi Brown spf15 Tinted Moisturizer

This is my favorite one so far!!


image courtesy of bobbibrowncosmetics.com 

I got the color is light to medium and it gives me just the right amount of color.  This tm comes 8 well spaced out shades, which means there are no giant gaps between the shades.  The consistency is pretty thin and liquidy but not hard to work with in the least.  It blends in really easily with just my finger! 


This shade does have quite a bit of yellow in it.  Here it is a little more sheered out.


The coverage is light to medium.  It is slightly glowy but not too much in the least.  I like that it has spf, allowing me to skip sunscreen.  I do set this with powder in my t-zone, which tends to be oilier.  It does have an herbal scent which kind of reminds me of Dermalogica skincare.  It is recommended for Normal to dry skin types but my normal to combo skintype did just fine with it. 


Disclaimer:  I got a sample of this from Nordstroms. 

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Chanel Aqualumiere Lipstick in Positano

I have always wanted to travel to Italy.  For starters, I am part Italian.  I also love food.  I don't think I would travel somewhere that had bad food.  I am even taking Italian classes in college, which turned out to be wayy harder than I thought.  All this obsession with Italy has me loving all things that have Italian names.  It will definitely sway me to purchase something if it has an italian name (or something beachy but that is another story).  Last semester, my italian professor told our class that she thinks the most beautiful part of Italy is the Amalfi coast, so naturally, I now want to go there.



Enter my makeover at a recent Chanel event in Nordstroms.  I liked the lipstick.  It was a pretty pinky nude, and I did need a new nude lippie.  Well, when I found out it was called Positano I was sold for sure.  For those who don't know, Positano is a town in Amalfi.  It was like fate.


I really like that this has spf 15.  I like to spf my lips and have yet to find a good balm with spf.  I also really like the texture of this.  Its really nice and smooth.  Its moisturizing, but not as moisturizing as my Armani lipstick.  However, it is better than my YSL and Guerlain lipsticks.


It looks a little anemic there but it is a nice pinky beige color. It does not impart any shimmer on my lips, but in light, I can kind of see tiny shimmers in it.



Disclaimer:  I purchased this product with my own money.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

20 Days of Tinted Moisturizers: Day 3


Erno Laszlo Tinted Treatment spf 15

First, I would like to discuss color choices.  There are 6 different choices which is pretty darn good for tinted moisturizers.  However, like the Aveda, most of the colors lay on the darker end of the spectrum.  I fall in between fair and light, which seems to be a pretty huge leap.  I got a sample of light because with TMs I would rather be a little darker than a little lighter.


It is actually darker and peachier than it appears in the picture(well so is my skin for that matter :P). 


Here it is spread around.  See, its at least a shade too dark for me.  It is really really nice and glowy. 

The texture is somewhat like a gel.  Its feels wonderful and blends nicely.  I apply it with my fingers for the most part.  I like that it has spf15.  Erno Laszlo claims that this protects from free radical and sun damage.  I can't really attest to that because I didn't use it long enough, but I do like the sound of that. 

This TM is really nice and glowy.  It really brightened up my whole complexion.  For those of you looking for a glow without shimmer, this product is definitely for you.  As for moisturizing, I actually prefer to use this without a moisturizer underneath because otherwise I think it is a bit much. 

Overall, while I have not yet decided whether this is the TM for me, I am really impressed by this and am looking to try other products from Erno Laszlos line. 

Disclaimer:  I got a sample of this from Nordstroms

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

March Favorites

Sorry this has come so late but I finally have my camera back and with full battery! yay!  Here are 10 things I used alot in march. 

1. Zoya Remove+: Removes polish super fast and has good stuff in it for your nails. 


2. Green nail polish!:  Of course, since St. Patricks day is in march, I was rocking the green nails for quite some time.  Here are some greens I really like. 


L-R: Color Club Wild Child, Misa The Grass is Greener on my Side, China Glaze Watermelon Rind, Rimmel Camouflage

3. Armani Lipstick Mania #28: Pretty, shimmery my lips but better shade. Its kind of a mauvy pink.  The formula is wonderful and moisturizing on my dry lips. 


Here is a swatch on my wrist:

4. Jaqua pink buttercream lipgloss: Yes, this smells like frosting, AND its a beautiful peachy pink gloss with gold shimmer.  Love this stuff.


5. Awake Eye Tint Stardom in Champagne:  Its a goldish champagne liquid shadow, perfect for those lazy days.  I don't think Awake is around anymore, at least not in the US but please let me know if you know otherwise.


6. Armani Sheer Bronzer #1:  This stuff is very subtle and doesn't pull orange at all.  Its really great for those paler days.  I am not sure it will work for me when I am tanner though. 


7. Fresh Memoirs of a Geisha palette:  I am in love with this palette, as you can see by how used it is.  It includes Premier Rose Satin Luster which is a highlighter, Portrait of a Lady Blush cream, and Desire Gloss Absolute.  Everything works really well for me and has great formulas.  This palette is no longer available.


8. Awake Invention Light Focus powder in Porcelain:  Well, I'm not really porcelain, but neither is this powder.  Its really finely milled and just melts into my skin, no powdery look what so ever.  I am going to be really sad when I run out of this stuff.  Although, it is getting a little too light for me now that I am getting tanner.



9. Loreal Hip Kohl in Gold:  This is supposed to be a knockoff of the Guerlain kohls and I really like it alot.  I'm not sure how it compares to Guerlains as I have never had them. 


10. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lipshine in Frosty peppermint:  I have stocked up on these as they were limited edition.  They just add a soft shimmer and intense shine too lips while providing tons of moisture.  Those lipglosses are seriously a godsend. 


What were your favorite products for March? 

Disclaimer:  All products featured were purchased by me. 

NOTD: Color Club Ride a Bike

As summer is approaching (well it feels like summer is already here where I am), I like more bright colors on my nails, corals, blues, you get the drift.  Ride a Bike is a really nice bright coral cream with the wonderful Color Club formula. 

This color is from an older collection but I'm sure you can still find it online. 

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Saturday Ramblings:It Rains in Spain...or The Bay Area

I decided to start a new thing: me rambling about whatever I want on Saturdays.  I started my blog because I needed somewhere to write and so this is where I can do it. 

The week I am back home in the Bay Area for Easter(hence the picture of my dog Halo). When I left school, it was beautiful shorts weather, 80's and wonderful.  Of course, as soon as I get home, it rains.  I am starting to think that maybe the Bay Area doesn't like me, and that it's crying every time I get back.  I even went to SF and it rained then too. Boo.

 On Thursday night, I went to see Wicked in the city with my mother.  It was a really good show and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is on the fence.  The night ended up really well minus a small experience with a creepy guy on BART.

In other news, I have officially broken out in hives.  I didn't bring back a body lotion because I figured my mother has tons.  Bad idea for someone with uber sensitive skin like me.  I broke out in said hives from Lubriderm!! And you would think Lubriderm of all lotions would be pretty gentle.  Apparently not as evidenced by the large welt looking things gracing my skin. 

I finally have my camera back (yay!!).  However, it is completely dead(not so yay).  Picture taking will resume when I get back and have a chance to charge it.  At least now it is back in my clutches and not fighting off potential disasters in my parents house(like "getting lost" which seems to happen alot here). 

I am hoping to get to the mall today as I have been dying to go shopping lately.  I have seen tons of things in the new issue of In Style that I really want to check out.  Not to mention, I want to see all the new makeup collections in person.  O and apparently I get Vogue now... I have no recollection of subscribing to it(i'm not much of a Vogue person), but it says I have a subscription until next year.  Okkk...  Has this ever happened to anyone else? 

Anyways, I hope everyones weekends are going fabulously coloring eggs and such.