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!

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!