Journey to 100 Empties!!! 1-5

*All Items In This Post Purchased by The Passenger Element*

I have to admit...seeing empties posts is enjoyable!  Once I took stock of the mass of products I had accumulated, there was even a bigger thrill in getting to the point where I was pairing down, using and enjoying the products I had.  Here is my first entry into empty land...

#1 - BIORE Self Heating One Minute Mask - I'm a huge fan of anything mask for the skin...lotions, potions and every notion under the sun.  This mask is easy to use and what I love the most about it is that you can feel the heat and feel it working.  I just wish there were more packets in the container.  You get 4 single use packets for between $6-7 dollars.  Not exactly exorbitant, but its drugstore, give us a few more.

#2 - MEIJER (store brand) Strengthening Nail Polish Remover - just your run of the mill polish remover.  Did not dry my perpetually ragged cuticles any further, so that was a plus.

#3 - E.L.F Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets - 50 blotter sheets.  One dollar.  They work.  Enough said.

#4 - BATH AND BODY WORKS Mad About You shower gel - Foamy, rinses clean, does not add much in the way of moisture, but you do feel clean!  Contains notes of Black Current, Vanilla, Peony and Strawberry.

#5 - MAC Zoom Lash mascara - A holy grail in my book. Lengthening, thickening, and black as all hell.  Gives structure to my lashes, but never hard enough to consider them "crispy".  Never experienced any flaking, smearing, smudging.  This starts as a pretty wet formula, or at least the 2 tubes I have had were, so I let them dry out a bit and they become the perfect consistency.

What are you guys currently emptying?

Product in Motion - MAC Zoom Lash mascara

Hey there!

This is a quickie post on a mascara that is becoming one of my all-time favorites!  MAC's Zoom Lash mascara...

I will blog more about this later.  But man oh man...this mascara is quite the product.  It was love at first swipe!

Blogger Contest! POLABERRY's BEAUTY BLOG!

Hey there guys and gals...

The wonderful POLABERRY is having a contest where you can win a MAC blush!

Go HERE! for all of the details and entry information.

Aside from her rad contest, show her some love.  She is suuuuuper cute and very talented!

Product in Motion - Urban Decay Lounge eyeshadow

This has been one of my go to's for what seems like the last month.  I find it to be an awesome fall color, and is especially gorgeous for night time looks.  Urban Decay's Lounge e/s...

This combo here, which is UD Lounge e/s with MAC's Push the Edge pigment lining the bottom lashes is such a pretty, slightly smoky eye. The duochrome effect of Lounge is so unique!  Full story later...

July Favorites 2011

Hello guys and gals!  GAH!  I feel like I have been away for too long...and I have.  I know this is beating a dead horse, but it has been sooo hot!!!  To top it all off, I live an apartment where the AC likes to blow a fuse every week...ugh!

Enough of that, let us get on to favorites.  This month, with the heat being what it was, I noticed a change in what I usually I use.  I started using a new gel liner (clinique), got my hair cut from it being down to my butt to just above my shoulders(ahhhh), and made my routine quick and summer easy.

I have broken my favorites down to eyes, face,lips and brushes.

Face:

FACE - July Favs

FACE:

• Benefit Cha Cha tint (double duty on lips this summer as well)
• Smashbox Face and Body highlighter in Allure
• Stila Sun powder bronzer in shade 02
• MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Eversun
• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Pore Perfecting (light despite being thicker formula)
• MUFE HD powder
• Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

Lips - July Favs

LIPS:

• Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Wallflower
• Soap & Glory Mighty Mouth Exfoliator/Balm
• Maybelline Colorsensation Pop balm in Fruit Punch 130 LE (I wish more people liked these, I love the balm formula and the color it deposits).
• NYX ip liner in Bloom (fuchsia)
• Softlips lip balm
• Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Intriguing (a gorgeous matte Fuchsia...I cannot stop using this!)
• Dior Lip glow
• Revlon SuperLustrous Lip Balm in Peach Crystal LE
• Tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm and Stain in Donutella

Eyes - July Favs

EYES:

• MUFE 12 color Flash Palette (amazing for cheeks and as eye bases)
• Smashbox eye shadow single in Nude
• Smashbox Waterproof shadow liner in Ideal Eyes
• Stila Prime Pot in Taffy (nice under shadows, but really nice on its own, so pigmented for a base)
• MACPRO Pigment in Steel Blue
• MAC Pigment in Spiritualize LE
• Clinique Brush on Liner in True Black
• WnW Color Icon single in Nutty
• LORAC Behind the Scenes primer 
• Benefit Instant Brow
• LORAC Special Effects Mascara

BRUSHES:

• Smashbox #33 smudger/precision 
• Sonia Kashuk small tapered face
• Revlon All over shadow 
• Sonia Kashuk small duo fiber 
• Bobbi Brown ultra fine eye liner
• Stila double ended 
• Smashbox #28 shadow
• Ecotools flat concealer

Alright guys, let me know if anyone has any questions about the aforementioned products.  I also am working on a hair care product favorites post...this new haircut has me using all different sorts of stuff.  Hope everyone is staying cool!

Small Haul 7/16/2011 (MAC)

MAC HAUL!

This haul consists of Eversun Beauty Powder blush in the Style Warriors packaging, Rust Reflects (old style packaging), Follow your Fancy and New Fixation pigments (new style jars) that come out with the Stylishly Yours collection.

Eversun Beauty Powder Blush

This is sooo beautiful.  And it wears like a dream on the skin.  It is totally an HG for me!

swatches / no flash

swatches/w flash

Swatches are as follow: MAC Eversun blush, from lt to rt - Rust reflects, Follow your Fancy, New Fixation.  All swatches, except blush, were done over Paula Dorf Eye Primer.

Enjoy! :)

June Favorites 2011

Happy Wednesday!  It is so bloody hot out.  Thought I would cool down by staying inside in the AC and letting you all know what my June Favorites are...

 The rundown:

• LORAC TANtalize Me baked bronzer (so beautiful)
• Smashbox Face and Body Highlighter in Allure (glowy x1000)
• LORAC Caribbean Heat Bronzer (great trio of shades)
• MAC Melon Pigment (need I say more?)
• Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion in Brightening(very light)
• Smashbox O Gloss (the cutest pink stain)
• Sonia Kashuk Showstoppers eye shadow quad (beautiful,glittery, creamy colors)
• Maybelline The Falsies in Blackest Black ( total drugstore HG)
• Revlon Just Bitten lip stains in Gothic and Flame (these have taken over for summer lips)
• Stila Mineral Matte eye shadow in Nanda Devi (perfect for brows)
• Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer (so perfect for under eyes and cheek h/l)
• LORAC TANtalizer mini bronzer (been using as a peachy, gold eye shadow, its to die for)
• Smashbox eye shadow single in Nude (the perfect neutral)
• Tarina Tarantino eye dream hypershadow in Victorian Punk (drools for purple)
• Smashbox shadow liner brush # 30
• Crown Precision Detail brush #C431
• Maybelline Moisture Extreme lip liner in # 95 Nude
• Sonia Kashuk Flat Top brush

What have all of you been digging on?

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!

A small CCO Haul

I hope everyone's weekend went well! I went back home to spend some time with my Mom, which was too short, but her birthday is in two weeks, and I shall be back. I was fortunate enough to stop by Michigan City and the CCO at Lighthouse Place. I was able to score the Alakazam Chocolate eye kit from MAC from the Magic, Mirth, and Mischief collection.

In that same trip, I also acquired Pink Copper, Spiritualized and Fuschia pigments. My intentions were to pick up some more Bobbi Brown products and even head to the Bare Escentuals store for brushes and blushes, but ran out of time. I will have swatches of these products up later. Did anyone haul this weekend?

- DC