Scents of Summer 2011

I enjoy the way a scent can instantly transport you somewhere, evoke a memory, make you feel different.  This here is a quick compilation of scents that I have collected, that invoke that feeling of summer...sun, warmth, and bronze skin.

 

From left:

1. Ed Hardy Ed Hardy Woman

     2.  Escada Marine Groove

     3.  Escada Taj Sunset

     4.  Eau de Vie Pina Colada  (no longer found at Sephora)

     5.  Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower

All of these scents are very much in the sweet, gourmand, citrus family.  I sometimes switch to a heavier scent such as Gucci Rush during the evening or night, but these are usually my go to's.  What are your favorite summer scents?

Meet my main gal pal!

Meet my kitty Radar!  She is basically my partner in crime.  She is quite the beauty geek as well.  I have caught this lovely little lady rolling around in my blushes on more than one occasion.  She loves to smell makeup brushes, and makeup in general!  She prefers dark eye and lip colors, some neutrals, but LOVES bright blushes!

She loves to groom.  Her coat is uber shiny.  I wonder if its the food we give her, or if she is secretly using my Frederic Fekkai glossing mist! :)  She is sensitive, but can rock bold looks with all the confidence of the world.  She is my best friend!

Maybelline The Falsies - Review

So here we are...

The Falsies

The reason for my quickie post!  I have to say, I am rather surprised to hear that this has mascara has detractors too.

You can find this mascara at any mass retailer or Ulta, usually between $5 - $7 USD.  This comes in both waterproof, regular, washable and black drama.  The Falsies is from the Volum Express line that Maybelline does.

At first, like with many of the drug store mascaras I have used, the formula is very wet!  I grew accostomed to it being that way, and used a kitchen paper towel to dry off the wand a bit in preparation for use.  This is temporary, the product dries out like all mascaras, and it is way easier to use.

The best and possibly worst part of this mascara is the brush...

brush closeup

The head of the brush is shaped like a half moon.  It is also extremely flexible.  At first, I found this rather odd, as I felt unstable putting this on my lashes.  I like to use the brush curve side down first, to coat lashes and coax them into a curl.  Then I like to use it curve side up to lengthen and thicken.  I think that the flexibility of the brush adds to the drama this mascara creates.  Once you get the hang of it, you will really see the difference in your lashes.  Best of all, I love how inky Black the formula is.

Product in motion : Maybelline The Falsies

Guys and gals...

There is nothing I love more than a great drugstore find.  Sure, there are the cult classics we all know and may use, such as Coty Airspun Powder.  But I love finding newer products that I feel will stand the test of time.  That for me is Maybelline The Falsies Mascara.

This product comes in two versions, Washable and Black Drama, both regular and waterproof formulas.

I will have a more in depth review with more pictures later.  But I wanted to show you why I love this mascara!!!

Maybelline The Falsies (e/s CG Indigo)

Just wanted to let everyone know...yeah, this stuff is that good :)

Just a thought...v.1.0

So, I recently got a gym membership.  Yeah, I actually have one.  I have been struggling to change certain habits for quite some time now.  These past two weeks has seen a change in eating and in how active I am.  This all pertains to how I am with makeup/beauty...how I carry myself.  I was scared to post pix of myself for tutorials cause I thought..."wow, look how large my face looks!".  But I have come to the realization that will be a good thing.  I am looking at it as a way to chart progress. 

Thanks for letting me ramble.  Tomorrow we will be back with our regularly scheduled blog.  :)

Another blogger's contest - Beauties in Bloom

Hey everyone!  If you haven't heard, there is a pretty and awesome blogger who goes by beautiesinbloom!  She is super cute and always has the most amazing posts!  She is currently having a contest...

Why don't you stop by her page to find out?  http://beautiesinbloom.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway-100-followers.html

Good Luck!  And make sure to friend her if you have Google Friend...you are going to want to subscribe to her posts...trust me! :)

A fellow bloggers contest!

If you have not checked out Makeup Diary, then go now!  She is super cute, and has really awesome posts!

She is running a contest right now that I think you will dig!  Find it at http://www.makeupdiary.org/2011/06/makeup-diarys-huge250-follower-giveaway.html

Beautylish!

Hey everyone!

I now have a beautylish profile.  You can find me at beautylish.com/dvinerevelation.

Beautylish is a site totally dedicated to us gals and guys who love beauty and everything that has to do with it!  Maybe I'll see you there?

LORAC'S Hot off the Red Carpet kit! Summer 2011

Hola!  It is so dreary outside, so rainy, windy and gray!  So I thought that I would add in a bit of summer by showing you guys the LORAC Hot off the Red Carpet kit that came out as part of the Summer 2011 collection.  Go to post 5/27/2011 (small haul) to see what the package looks like.  Inside there are 4 products and a small chain mesh Gold clutch.

Hot Off The Red Carpet Collection:
Multiplex Lipgloss in 3D
TANtalize Me Baked Bronzer
Tease me e/s duo
Tempt me e/s duo

Hot off the Red Carpet - LORAC

 Starting from the Bronzer, TANtalize me is a very golden bronze.  The veining I got in mine is beautiful.  This is great for just a touch of bronze, but can be built up for massive definition!  The colors contained are a very dark bronze, a mid tone bronze, and a light gold.  The gold is more a champagne gold, and does not lean pink.

Tempt Me duo is half deep bronze, half gold beige.  These are INCREDIBLY RICH and BUTTERY shadows.  The deep bronze is definitely a deep chocolate with a lot of bronze to it.  This makes a very sexy smokey summery eye.  The gold beige has an unbelievable sheen to it.  I do not like this as a highlight because of the grade of shimmer, but adore it in the inner corner of the eye and to use under my eye for a reverse highlight.

Tease Me is half aqua marine, half rich gold.  The gold side is definitely a very orangey gold.  If anyone ever picked up the Stila Charmed palette that came out about 2-3 years ago, the gold in that is similar.  It's gorgeous as an all over wash.  The aqua marine side is pretty.  This is definitely a shadow wash in pan.  It is not as heavily pigmented as the other shadows.  It blends to a very light, seafoamy green/blue.

Multiplex Lipgloss in 3D is beyond words.  Word of advice, if you do not like large glitters in your gloss, look the other way!!! This is chock full of pretty huge glitters, but the base that they are held in is amazing.  It is a light bronze/gold base with pink and gold glitters that are duo chrome and reflect pink.

With flash

In florescent lighting

Here are swatches for the kit.  The shadows were done without a base.  They tend to pop a lot more over a sticky base.

This was a steal at $36.00 USD purchased at Sephora inside JCPenny.  I think you can also find this on the LORAC site and Ulta as well. 

Enjoy!

Laura Gellar Blush / Blush n Brighten

Blush....

I was fortunate to have received a full size Laura Gellar Blush n Brighten blush in Apricot Berry in this months Birchbox which I have reviewed here.  Again, to subscribe to this samples program, go to birchbox.com.

Laura Gellar blush n brighten in apricot berry

This is a baked blush that contains a myriad of colors and highlighters.  You can either use this all swirled together, or focus on the lighter spots for highlight.  The colors this contains are  a very light  baby pink, a dark plum, a midtone red berry, and dark and light apricot/peach colors.

Blush under different lighting

This is a very soft blush, and extremely pigmented.  I find that using a duo fiber brush best to place and blend this product.  I have to admit, I felt like a newb using this blush, as the first few times I used it, I was a bit heavy handed and did not have a feel for blending this out.  Once all the colors are blended, it really is true to name of Apricot Berry.  It does offer a nice sheen once blended, not glittery at all.  

I love that this can be worn either sheer or super pigmented.  I found that this gave me really contoured cheeks, and it is just an amazing color.  You get a huge baked pan of this.  This retails at $29.50 USD.

I shall see you guys later on this rainy Michigan afternoon! :)

June Birchbox 2011

Hello!

I have just received my June Birchbox and would like to share with you what goodies I got!  For those who may not know, Birchbox is a monthly samples subscription, in which you pay a monthly fee and they send you a box of goodies.  When you go to birchbox.com, you fill out a questionnaire like what kind of hair do you have, skin issues, do you like to receive foil packets for samples, etc.  They say they try to customize it to fit your needs.  I have had this service for 4 months now, and it is definitely hit and miss.

I really LOVED this month.  Here is what I got:

Birchbox packaging

package contents

 This Birchbox contained:

1. Laura Gellar Baked Blush N Brighten in Apricot Berry (full size)
2. Kate Spade Twirl perfume (sample)
3. Dr. Dennis Gross EZ4U Facial Towelettes (2 foil samples)
4. Pangea Organics Toner for Normal/Oily skin (w/spray attachment)
5. Amika Obliphica Oil Treatment (small glass bottle)

I am really looking forward to this toner, and am already working on a post for the blush itself, which is GORGEOUS!  

Bobbi Brown Downtown Palette

Hey there! 

I am really into ordering off of QVC.  It is so addicting.  On one such occasion, I had purchased the Bobbi Brown 6 piece downtown collection.  In this collection, was the downtown palette.

Bobbi Brown Downtown Palette

This neutral palette contains 5 shadows ranging from shimmery to matte.  It also comes with a double ended brush, one end is a fluffy/blending side, the other is synthetic and looks like a concealer brush.  The shadows from left to right are:
Ivory - off white, matte
Heather Lilac - metallic, very sheer, very subtle lilac
Bronze - shimmer wash, nice soft bronze with a gold like sheen
Heather - matte, purple taupe
Black Plum - shimmer wash, darkened purple with gold shimmers

Downtown Palette colors

Ivory takes a while to build up.  It is soft and has a bit of fallout
Heather Lilac takes the longest to build up.  Surface of this shadow is odd, as if I had used this wet when I never have.  You get more shimmer than actual color with this one.
Bronze is soft and easy to work with.  Shimmery without being overload, I like this to smoke out dark bases.
Heather is a smokey, purplish taupe that is flat matte.  I find this to be a great crease color without trying too hard.  I also like it for outer V application. 
Black Plum is pigmented, but needs a bit of work to blend.  The shimmer stayed within the shadow, which was nice.  Use a really good base with this...I have found this to skip on some bases.

Swatches over Stila Prime Pot in Taffy

All in all, I like this palette.  I find it hard to find a palette that I like everything it has to offer.  This is one of my to go to's in the fall/winter, or for office looks.  If you would like to see this palette and the other products that came in the kit, please visit qvc.com and enter "bobbi brown" in the search.  This retails on the site for $102.00 USD. 


I hope everyone had a great weekend and wonderful Father's Day!

Just a small something...

Hey guys...been kinda down and not feeling well.  Suffering from toothaches is never a good time.  Am working on new blog posts and should have something up by tomorrow. 

Summer Lips featuring Tokidoki and Urban Decay

Hola!  Here's a quick post about what my favorite summer lip colors have been.  I have not worn much outside of this combo, and am loving it!

L - Tokidoki Gelato Balm in Donutella / R - Urban Decay's Lipstick in 5150

 

 

 

The duo above is Tokidoki's Gelato Lip Balm Stain in Donutella, which is a Peach color with a Melon flavor.  I have seen this retail for $9.00 USD.  I picked this balm up earlier this year, and am very happy I did.  This is a true balm, that gives a slight shine to lips.  The color of this is a sheer peachy melon color.  I find that it moisturizes quite nicely.  The biggest surprise is the nice stain it leaves behind once the product wears away.  It really does give a nice stain to the lips. 

Gelato Balm Stain in DONUTELLA

There are no huge chunks of glitter or shimmer in this, which is a huge plus.  The balm stick has broken once, but I have repaired it using the freezer method, and have had no trouble since.  The packaging does not feel too sturdy, but I have had no accidents with this opening in my pocket or my purse.  The cap has the cutest Tokidoki characters on it.

Urban Decay's lipstick in 5150 is not only a summer favorite, but also a stash discovery I made a few weeks ago.  This was something I had in my stash that I had not touched for a long time.  I almost felt like slapping myself for not touching this earlier.

Urban Decay's 5150 lipstick

The color of this lipstick is a red coral, with a bit of pink/orange to it.  It is the perfect summer color.  It does contain glitters in it that are gold, but it does not make the formulation seem too gritty.  When the lipstick wears away, you notice the glitter a lot more.  The packaging for this is very heavy, metal tube, with a decently thick plastic covering.  The lipstick itself has "urban decay" printed into it, sooo cute, which may be why I did not use it as much before.  In the summer, I can tan really dark, and this color never looks bad on me.  I have also seen it on lighter ladies, and it still looks wonderful and juicy.  Once applied, it does have some shine.  This formulation is also scented, though it is not too annoying.  I have seen this retail for $22.00 USD.

Donutella / 5150

5150 / Donutella

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Stash Discovery 6/13/2011 Sugar Round the Clock Palette

I know many of you have been in my shoes.  You lem a product, you buy it, you use it, and then, sometimes, it goes into storage.  This happens to a lot of my shadow palettes.  One such product I found the other day was Sugar's 'Round the Clock palette in DAY JOB.

Sugar Round the Clock day job palette

This palette is chock full of neutrals.  There was a sister palette that was for night and was full of brights, but I was unable to get one before they became discontinued.  The palette above has eight shadows, ranging in color and texture.  They have a bit of fallout, but I did find it to be overkill.  All of the colors were easy to blend.  The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th  were the shadows I found to be the most buttery and easy to pick up and use.  The packaging has no color names or numbers.

 

Swatched over Benetint's Stay don't Stray

 I never got into Urban Decay's Naked Palette, but I like to think that this is kinda like it :).  The shadows did not take much to build up.  Again, some where soft and created some fallout.  Others, I definitely had two to three layers of shadow to get some nice intensity.  This was a palette I purchased at Marshall's when you could still find good makeup there.  At least in my area, stores like Marshall's and TJ MAXXX haven't carried makeup in a while.  I believe I only paid about $5.00 USD for this palette.  It really is a bummer that this line was discontinued.  I know it may have seemed a bit juvenile, but they did have some wonderful products.

What has been your latest stash discovery?

Cha Cha tint Swatch/Review!

Hey there!  Finally, after way too long of a wait, I have some swatches/pix of Benefit's Cha Cha Tint.  This tint can be found exclusively on hsn.com for 29.00 USD.  I have heard that this will be released at other stores later on this year.

Benetint Cha Cha Tint

 The consistency of this tint is more like Posie Tint and less like Benetint.  Cha Cha is thicker and more viscous than Benetint.  Its creamy and opaque.  Like Benetint, it has a pretty quick dry down time, so working quickly is highly suggested.  This can be used on both lips and cheeks.  Benefit describes this as a mango colored tint.  I do find that this is quite orange and, when layered, can turn almost orange-red (at least on my skin tone).

T - Cha Cha blended / B - Cha Cha swipe

I find that on cheeks, this gives an incredible flush.  I love that it leaves the tiniest touch of sheen on the skin.  On lips, this milky color gives a bright pop of mango/orange.  I have built this up on lips to be a very orange-red.  The wear on lips varies depending on what you eat/drink, but it lasted throughout most drinks and meals, leaving the slightest tint.

All of you Benefit tint users are well aware of the dry down time.  I stress to work quickly with these.  I  have found that I wait just one second to much, and end up with a streak or a few dots on my cheek. :)   I have been obsessed with this tint since I received it a few months ago.  I have yet to make a dent in the bottle.  A very tropical flush...you almost want to eat it!

Swatch and packaging

What are some of your favorite summer multi-use products?

Update

Hello all.  Am working on some blog posts now.  Just wanted to stop in and say hello to everyone first.  Was a long day and it turned into an even longer night.  Trying to relax now with some wine.  I had a major stash discovery and cannot wait to share it with you.  Good night!

Skincare - What's working!

Hey there! 

For those that know me, skincare is a HUGE part of who I am.  I grew up with brothers and sisters who went through awkward phases with acne, and I was spared that experience.  From an early age, my mother instilled in me the desire and want to always take good care of my skin.  And because of that, I am extremely fortunate in the fact that I have been able to maintain decent skin.

Current Skincare

 

 

 What's working:

1.  face wash - Philosophy Purity Made Simple.  A basic, non-foaming, moisturizing wash that really does a heavy duty job of cleaning your skin, ridding you of makeup, without stripping it.

2.  face cream - Garnier Gel Cream Moisturizer.  An extremely light moisturizer that is a gel consistency ( I hate that they used the word cream.  The only thing that comes close to a gel cream came from one of the spa series products that Bath and Body works did).  Once again, lightweight, but really softens, and never feels heavy under makeup.  Absorbs quickly.  Have not noticed that it affects my primers or foundations, whether they be powder or liquid.

3.  eye cream - Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee Eye and Lip Cream.  Lightweight, emollient, lightly scented, so subtle that I do not think anyone would mind.  Keeps my under eye area very hydrated.  Concealer just glides over this stuff!

4.  face treatment - Mario Badescu's Buffering lotion.  I am not prone to breakouts.  Whenever I do get something, I put my buffering lotion on, and its usually gone by next day.  This is like the holy grail of quick fixes.  It can dry you out if you overuse it, or put it on areas that do not need the treatment.

5.  night treatment - Decleor Ylang Ylang Purifying Night Balm.  I usually just use a regular night cream, of if I am lazy, the day cream I used.  If I find that I am dry, or broken out, uneven texture to my skin, or suffering from patchiness, I use this balm.  It is VERY thick and VERY emollient.  But this product is amazing.  The balm can feel (scary word coming up) greasy at first, but once it melts into your skin, the smell of the ylang ylang relaxes you, and the true rewards comes when you wake up.  Anytime great aunt flo is here, or the weather changes affect my skin, I reach for this.  Extremely pricey, but well worth it. 

What's working for you guys and gals?

MAC - pigment swatches / review

So, a few posts ago, I mentioned that I had stopped at the CCO (cosmetics company outlet) and that I picked up two pigments.  They are the newer style jars, and I got them for $13.50 each.  The colors I picked up were Brash and Bold and Push the Edge.  They came out with MAC's Makeup Art Cosmetics collection in 2009.

Brash and Bold (L) / Push the Edge (R)

These are extremely bright pigments, especially Brash and Bold.  Here is another shot...

Brash and Bold is a reddened Fuchsia with a pearlescent sheen.  It was super easy to work with.  I like this as a bold lid color with a winged black liner and tons of mascara.

Push the Edge I found I had to work a bit with.  It is slightly chalky, but once you get the hang of it, works well on its own, and plays well with others.  I have found this excellent to smoke out looks with.

 

Swatches above over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk, swatches below over TFSI

I found both of these pigments a joy to work with.  Brash and Bold did not stain my eyelids, as I even tried this without primer.  The wear of these is nice as well.  I find that I can use BnB wet well, but have not had success with using Push the Edge wet.  I also did not find that they stained any of the brushes I used with them.  A bargain at $13.50 each.  Am very happy I now have these in my arsenal!

(please note, my camera is not the best around, it is what I have around at the moment.  I apologize for not having more higher quality swatches.  For any high quality MAC swatches, I suggest www.temptalia.com)

Thanks for stopping by!

May Favorites!

Hey guys and gals!  Here is the best of the best for the month of May.  Some of these products I use all the time, others I have just started obsessing about in May.  

Just a few things to obsess about :)

May Favorites:

1. Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray - This stuff locks your makeup DOWN!  No joke!

2.  LORAC Tantalize Me Baked Bronzer - bronze/gold, ultimate cheek sheen

3.  Fresh SUGAR Rose lip treatment - Def in my top 3 favorite lip balms

4.  Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash in Extra Black - Fake lashes in a tube.  Amazing formulation.

5.  L'Oreal MagicSmooth Souffle in 530 Sun Beige - Major coverage for something so light and airy

6.  Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #15 - The most summer friendly shadows!!!

7.  Anastasia Brow Powder duo in Brunette/Dark Brown - I have yet to find something better.  HG!

8.  Tokidoki Gelato lip balm stain in Donutella - coral, moisturizing, and leaves a stain like no other

9.  MAC pigment in Rich Life - Dark espresso brown with silver reflects.  Easy to blend, amazing for smokey eyes

10.  Tarte Amazonian 12 hour blush in Tipsy - This is an orange creamsicle on my cheeks.  Pictures do not do this blush justice

11.  LORAC eyeshadow in Cappuccino - the most adorable, teddy brown neutral

12.  Benefit boxed powder in Dallas - plummy, glowy color for my cheeks.  Contours well!

13.  Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Medium Beige - I keep coming back to this.  Great opacity, blendibility, and good color range

14.  Urban Decay Lip Junkie gloss in Wallflower - cools, plumps and the prettiest nude

15.  Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel eyeliner in 27 Caviar Ink - Smooth and inky

16.  Wet N Wild Color Icon shadow single in Brulee - HG highlight

17.  Make Up For Ever #55N large Duo Fiber brush - For cheek color, highlight, it cannot be beat!

Rainy Day Project 1

Hello!

We have had some pretty crummy weather here this past month.  A ton of rain.  But I am not going to complain.  Instead, I used my time inside for a project I had been thinking about. 

To your left is my to-go kit! I am one who is always on the move, changing purses, taking things out, putting things in.  It gets a bit much when your purse starts weighting 100 lbs or more! HA!  I wanted to make this to throw in my purse, gym bag, over night bag, etc.  For a face, it has everything I need for a quickie makeover.  Of course, the way this is made is not suited to everyone, but it is what works for me.  Let us get on with telling you what's in the kit!

Homemade To Go Kit

Kit contents:

Clean & Clean oil blotting sheets
Smashbox O-Glow blush
Stila Plumping Lip Glaze in Citrus Mint
Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy perfume vial
Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes sample tube
Too Faced Shadow Insurance mini
Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Medium Beige (travel size)
L'Oreal HIP Cream shadow paints in Nervy (817) and Steely (909)
Rimmel Lip Bloomer lip stain/gloss in 500 Killer Kiss
2 cotton swabs
Sonia Kashuk brushes - liner, crease, and all over shadow from mini kit
hair elastic
House in Too Faced mini leopard bag

I can use this for a clean daytime look, or smoke out the HIP paint in Steely and give myself a very glamorous eye.  This does not have everything, I know.  There are always staples I carry in my regular makeup bag.  This is also a good way of rotating products in your stash, or a good time to raid your samples stash!

Do any of you have an awesome rainy day idea like this?  Would love to hear your thoughts!