Chanel - Misty Soft, Stunning

This picture is a really weird angle. I was trying to take a close up of the lipstick but ended up getting most of my face and it turned out to be the best of the bunch. I will post a few more later but my skin looks good in this one, so up it goes! This was for a night on the town with some other couple friends of ours. My eye makeup was actually darker which is why I went for a nudie lip. I used the Chanel Misty Soft duo, the darkest color on my lid and the next lighter over top and blended up into the crease. I used Urban Decay 24/7 in Oil Slick to line on top and the darker shadow to line the bottom. Mascara is Faux Cils by Chantecaille. Blush... I can't remember what I used, a dior one from my palette. I'll include the palette pic and point out which one. Lips is Chanel Rouge Coco in Stunning. Again, pic washed some of the intensity but it is not much more loud than this.

And here is my hair.  I wanted to do something different than usual and still wear it up because it is hot (Have I mentioned how flipping hot it is?!?).  First thing my little sister said was "WOW, LOOK AT ALL THE GRAY!!!"  To which I say "SUCK IT!"  I did touch up my roots the following evening, though.  Leave it to family to keep you humble when you're feeling just a little too good about yourself.  :)

Dragulous Weekend Look

Last weekend was the National Entertainer of the Year competition.  It's like a Miss America pageant for queens.  It's amazing.  I will throw in a couple of pictures from that weekend.  So, I wanted to do something a little fabulous and Amy Winehouse had just passed away so I decided on wings.  For me, this was a pretty dramatic look (unless I'm just sitting around the house then I will paint myself to hell and back) but it was still fairly tame and pretty. 

The weather is ridiculously hot so I also had to keep that in mind when doing my makeup because no matter what kind of base or setting products I use, I WILL look like a hot mess within a few hours if I overdo it.  What I'm saying is, I had to try to get the pop I wanted while keeping it fairly minimal. 

I kept it simple on my face with just Diorskin Forever Compact foundation.  Did I mention that I'm tan now?  Like... NC30ish tan?!?  I know I don't look it in these photos but from further back, I guess I do.  Yeah, I was a 010 in the compact foundation, now 030 is too light but I haven't felt like buying more foundation yet.  Anyway, back to my face.  I used the blush from Chantecaille Sylvia's Personal Palette.  On my lips, I used Tarte Lip Stain in Amused.  That's it.

Here are my eye pics.  (Oh yeah, I'm very blonde at the moment too.  I made a few changes while I was away.)  :)  I'll list what I used after the pics.

All I used on my eyes was the Vendome palette from Guerlain as far as shadows go.  I used the top (lightest) color on my browbone,  on my lid I used the color below it and in the crease I used the color on the bottom.  Then I used Urban Decay's 24/7 eye liner in Oil slick and lined my upper eyelids.  I followed that up with the gorgeous blue from this palette and my smudge brush.  I swept that across and then smudged a bit into my lower lashline.  Mascara was Dior Extase immediately followed by Dior Iconic.  Brows were done with the Diorshow Brow Stylist.  The eyes took me maybe fifteen minutes.

And.....

Somewhere out there, there is a picture of me doing some sort of ninja pose using my middle (favorite) fingers and bending over in front of this awesome bitch.  If I ever get a copy, maybe I'll post.  Let's say it was the last pic of the evening and I was feeling no pain.  But my makeup held up!  Ha.

Dior Five Golds Holiday 2010 Quint - Swatches and EOTD

I thought this quint would be really nasty on me.  I'm still not sure how I feel about it.  I fell in love with the two bronzy/gold colors.  I'm always up for silver.  But the black shadow & the champagne one?  Meh.  The champagne one's texture leaves much to be desires.  It's kind of hard and just yucky.

I thought that these colors would be way too warm for me, but I tested it in the store and those bronzes made my blue eyes jump right out of my face.  Maybe I'm having a bad day today, maybe the lighting in the store was more flattering, maybe I'm a nutjob.... whatever the reason, it just doesn't look as good as it did the other night.

If you don't have quadrillions of silvers and bronzes already, then it may be a nice choice for you.  If you (like most of us) already have colors in these color families that you love, I'd skip this one.  It's not bad, it's just not very special or great.

I wasn't planning on taking full face pics, but I couldn't get an up close pic that was true to color, so I had to include a pic of my ugly mug (sans lipstick).  The color is very true in that one.

Products Used:
Laura Mercier Silk Creme
MUFE Full Cover mixed with Dior Skinflash Pen in Gold (under eyes)
Guerlain Meteorites Voyage in Poudre d'Or (LOVE)
NARS Douceur Blush
Dior Five Golds (Champagne, 2 bronzes)
MAC Chamomile on browbone
MAC Petro Blue Pearlglide
Bare Escentuals Buxom Mascara
YSL Brow Pencil #4

Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes EOTD

I actually did this on Monday and never got around to posting it. I have pink eye now and can't play with makeup so figured I'd just post an old one for the blog.

UD Eden PP

BB Nude Beach on Lid

BB Nude Spice in Crease

BB Espresso in Outer V & lower lashline

MAC Chamomile on browbone

Chanel Gris Stylo

BE Buxom Mascara

Diorshow Brow Styler

Chanteaille Les Muses (aka Ethereal Eyes) EOTD

I'm going to call this one - When Bad Things Happen to Good Makeup...

Oh, it's not *horrible* but I didn't do this palette justice. Note to self: Stop trying to line your waterline. You know it never works on you.

That said, all I used was the palette. I used the black shadow to line. Chantecaille Les Muses (aka Ethereal Eyes) is one of the best palettes I've had the good fortune to diddle. Every color is perfect, they work together, they're very well pigmented and they are sooooooo soft. Would you laugh if I told you I did today's makeup with my fingers? I didn't intend to wear makeup but started playing with Les Muses and next thing I knew, I had a full face of makeup on including lipgloss. Anyway, because I was too lazy to deal with brushes today, I did use my fingers and the little eyeliner brush included in the palette for the lining.

Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara

My first impression of this mascara was "meh".... it wasn't bad I just didn't see how it could possibly be worthy of the name "Faux Cils."  Well, I went to take an EOTD pic and gasped when I saw what my lashes looked like.  Sometimes it's good to take a look from a different perspective, lol. 

Highlights:

• It hasn't flaked or smudged on me.
• It holds a curl extremely well.
• It is a really nice, lush black.
• The brush is nice, not super huge and not tiny either.  It's not one of those plastic brushes.
• It's not a super wet formula so it doesn't take forever to dry.
• That's pretty much all I can think of to say about mascara.

Final  Word:  Not worth the dough in my opinion.  It's a nice mascara but it's not life changing.  If you have some extra money to throw down for a new mascara, consider something else.  Diorshow Extase or YSL Faux Cils would be my choice.

Guerlain Place Vendome EOTD

I used the palette exclusively for this. No other products, except mascara. :)

Guerlain Rue de Passy EOTD

Guerlain 29 Rue de Sevres EOTD (Take 2)

I apologize that the coloring is a little off. I didn't move when I took the pics but somehow the lighting is different. The upper right and lower left show the aqua the truest.

For this one I used the aqua color on the lid, the medium taupe in crease and the dark taupe in outer crease. I used the eyeliner included in the palette on top & bottom. On the bottom I smudged some of the aqua into the lashline. Highlight color is R&R Veil. Mascara is Dior Extase.

I really cannot express how much I love this palette. It's pretty much the perfect cool neutral palette. Can't wait to check out Rue de Passy.

Dior Misty Mauve EOTD

I love this quint. I can't wait till the weather gets cooler so I can have more fun with it. :)

In this one I used the 3 darkest colors from the quint, the icy pink on the inner corners, R&R Veil on browbone, Stila Smudgestick (the blue one, can't remember the name right now), Dior Extase Mascara & YSL Brow Pencil #4.

NARS Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo EOT

I like this one quite a bit better than Rajasthan. I think this one suits my coloring better.

USED:

NARS Eye Base

NARS Tzarine Duo

R&R Veil on Browbone (I use this almost every day)

UD Mildew 24/7 liner

Dior Extase Mascara

YSL Brow Pencil #4

NARS Rajasthan + R&R Veil & Spy EOTD

ELDW light R&R Kinky Blush Ballz Eyes: R&R Veil & Spy NARS Rajasthan (lighter color) UD24/7 Whisky Dior extase mascara YSL Brow Pencil #4 Chante Anais Lip Chic

Guerlain 29 Rue de Sevres Palette EOTD

While I love Guerlain, I generally don't care for their eyeshadows. Every quad I've ever had has been a disappointment. Chalky, poor pigmentation and you really have to DIG to get any color onto your brush. So, I wasn't sure what to expect with this - I kept my expectations low while really hoping that I'd be surprised. SURPRISE!!! I love this. The textures are very soft and buttery. Color payoff is excellent. I even used the liner (and brush) included in this palette. Not one color is a dud. So, without further adieu, here's an EOTD using Rue de Sevres. The entire eye is done in the palette, except the waterline which is Stila Topaz Kajal.

NARS Rajasthan EOTD & Swatches

I like it. I don't love it. It's just ok. I have Tzarine on the way and am hoping that one suits me better. For this I used: Lid: Left side of duo Crease: Lancome Erika F Outer V: Right side of duo Browbone: R&R Veil Upper Lashline: MAC Wolf Pearlglide Lower Lashline: Right side of duo Waterline: MAC Wolf Mascara: Dior Extase Brows: Ignore them, I tried to make them look thicker than they are (experimenting) and it didn't turn out well. Anyway, YSL Brow Pencil #4

UD Naked Palette EOTD - Virgin, Sin, Toasted, Hustle, Gunmetal

Meh, I'm not liking this at all. It's just too much for me. But, it was fun playing with the palette and my thoughts on the palette haven't changed. Just poor application on my part. For me, 6 eyeshadows are just too much to try and use in one look... but dammit, I had to try as many as I could, lol. Virgin all over lid Sin on the bottom part of the lid, toward the lashline Toasted in the crease Hustle to define the crease a bit and the outer V Gunmetal along lower lashline R&R Veil on Browbone UD Zero 24/7 pencil to line top and waterline. Mary Kay Lash Lengthening Mascara YSL #4 brow pencil & Anastasia Brow Duo in Ash Blonde

FOTD from last weekend - Estee Lauder Double Wear

I'm going to make a confession right now and just get it out of the way. I haven't been wearing makeup this summer. Unless I'm going out in the evening with an adult (or several) I just don't bother. I went to VA to visit my sister a couple of weeks ago and forgot to pack foundation. I wasn't concerned at first but with the climate change, of course my face went nuts and broke out so I needed something to cover everything up and even it out. I was in this little store called Peeble's which was close to the hotel. They had TWO makeup counters... Clinique & Estee Lauder. I was desperate, I would have to make one foundation from either of these places work. First choice probably would have been Clinique but the SA was with another customer and my hubby was in the car with 3 kiddos so I was in a hurry. Next stop, Estee Lauder. I looked at a few of the foundations and finally just let her pick one for me. I didn't care. She made me a sample of Double Wear (in Fresco) and Double Wear Light (can't remember the shade). I was so happy I didn't have to buy a foundation that I wouldn't like - she hooked me up and I had enough to get me through the vacation. I liked it so much, that I stopped by that store again on my way out of town and bought a bottle of the Double Wear. I wanted to make sure she got my commission. OK, so this is probably not one I'd want to wear all the time but it is perfect for humid, hot weather when your skin is far from perfect. It really does last all day. It is full coverage but somehow doesn't look masky on me. It smells kind of funky (like paint, actually) but it's not overwhelming. I can't remember everything I had on but do remember this: EL Double Wear Foundation in Fresco Guerlain Meteorites in 01 R&R Blush in Spank Guerlain Pomme du Desir lipgloss YSL Brow Pencil #4 R&R Veil on browbone I *think* the rest of the eyes are the Dior Misty Mauve quint but I can't remember. You can't really tell anyway since I have my glasses on. :)

Rock & Republic Nailed & Tempting Eye

R&R are my new favorite eyeshadows. I only have these 2 and I just got them but I absolutely love them. They are like Chantecaille on steroids. They have the same silky, finely milled texture as Chante but with the pigmented punch of ... I don't know, honestly. I can't think of anything to compare them to. Also used in this eye is Urban Decay 24/7 in Oil Slick. I picked this up over the weekend, swatched it in store on my hand and fell in love. Unfortunately, it doesn't look anything on the eye like it does on the hand. The glitter/shimmer doesn't show up at all on me but somehow ended up in my eye within about 30 seconds. It looks sort of matte like shoe polish. I just don't care for it at all. I think this may be the first 24/7 that I've not been thrilled with. For highlight, I used Chanel Star. My brow looks a little funky and that's because I've been very carefully drawing on the outer 1/3 (the tails). Long story. Hope they grow back soon, though because I'm fairly happy with the shape of the brow other than that, lol.

Dolce & Gabbana Champagne Quad

It's been a while. I've been wanting to check out D&G cosmetics pretty much since it came out. I don't have any counters near me, so I was hesitant to drop that kind of money on something that I couldn't test first. Recently, Saks sent me some mystery money and I decided what better time to finally try the e/s I'd been wanting. It arrived quickly and was packaged exceptionally. The packaging is very luxe. I was a bit dismayed at the amount of product. I'm afraid that I'll be hitting pan on this one in no time. The shadows are softer than anything I've ever felt. Softer than Stila, Shu and Lorac by a mile. They're pretty well pigmented, especially the 2 dark colors. I haven't actually used the black but the chocolate brown looks matte in the pan but somehow shows a gorgeous shimmer when applied. The taupe color is the winner in this quad though. I applied it on my lid in the pic, the choc brown in the crease and the white on the browbone. Unfortunately my camera just does not pick up subtle nuances of color and texture. It is on the plummy end of the taupe spectrum. Bottom line, if you have some extra bucks to drop, definitely check this one out. Especially if you're a palette whore like I am.

Dior Iridescent Leather

Used:

Dior IL

UD Bourbon 24/7 to line

BE Buxom Mascara

Anastasia Brow Pen topped with Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde

Other - Laura Mercier Plum Radiance Blush, Diorskin Nude Concealer (this is really good stuff) and Chanel Teint Naturel Foundation

Dior Smokey Light, Diorskin Nude Concealer, Anastasia Brow Pen

I really love this new brow pen. It does such an amazing job. If you saw my brows without it, you would not believe it.

I am also really loving the new Dior concealer. So, 2 wins on my sephora F&F order, lol.

I used:

UDPP

Dior Smokey Light Mini Quint - 2 taupey colors & the highlight shade

Laura Mercier Black Gold Kohl to line top & bottom

BE Buxom Mascara

Diorskin Nude Concealer - Shade 1

DuWop Mango Blushbooster

Foundation is Armani Luminous Silk Foundation #2

Oh, and I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture or not but my eyelashes have actually grown. I've been using castor oil for about a month. I don't apply it religiously, just when I remember and they have definitely grown and are fuller. I noticed it the other day when I was curling my lashes that my lashes now peek up over the top of my curler. They didn't used to do that. :)