AVON Lip Palette!

For you lipgloss loving ladies, and you gals who don't want to shell out too much money on the MAC lipgloss collections, then this palette might be for you!

It's only $3.99! Here at: AVON.COM

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Product Review: MAC Basic Brush Set

Overall: 2 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Price: 2 out of 5

Ok, ok, before I am put onto the stake, let me plea my case. I had high hopes for the brush sets, and high hopes as in this-is-my-first-MAC-brush-set-it's-gonna-be-the-bomb brush set. But unfortunately, I was actually very disappointed with it. Despite the adorable tweed clutch that encases the brushes, I was shocked how cheaply made these brushes were! It was A LOT lighter than I thought (the handle and overall feel), the 129 brush (the big powder brush) was scratchy on my face, and seriously it felt like the bristles of cheap brushes you would buy at Kmart. No joke. It's also made in China (not that everything made in China is cheap), but comparative to the full sized brushes which are made in Japan.

Like my sis Stephie mentioned in her video comparison of the brush sets and the full-sized brushes, the way they are made is completely different to the full-sized ones, and I could not agree more. I own several full-sized MAC brushes along with other brushes (Sonia Kushuk, EoB, Sephora), and even the Target brushes I got were a lot better to me than the brush sets.

Now keep in mind that I am only speaking for the BASIC brush set that I bought, the eye and face sets may be different, and I know to each his own, but me PERSONALLY, I did not enjoy these brushes as much as I wish I could have. The angled brush (# 266) was hard! It was so rough on my eye I felt I was applying my eyeshadow with sandpaper! So for price, I think if you are willing to already pay $48, might as well get a GOOD brush.

So along with reader Alma, I too will perhaps sadly return my brush set and save my money and use it for the Stylistics brush set that is coming out next month, and see if that fares better. (I really hope it does!), the clutch on that is gorgeous as well, a sleek black clutch veiled with black and white pearls.

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Product Review: MAC 180 Buffer Brush!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars!
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Price: 3 out of 5 stars

Like I have been saying in my previous posts, I have been really eye-ing this brush EVERYTIME I go into the MAC store. The sole reason I didn't buy it earlier was the price ($42 for those without a discount), AND because purchasing this would make it my 6th (or 7th) buffer brush. The difference? This is probably the LAST buffer brush I will ever need because it does the job; has the softest, and I mean SOFTEST bristles in town! I could swear they are soft like feathers! The handle is built so that you can stand up your brush if need be, it has a fairly good sized flat top head perfect for buffering my mineral foundation. I would buy so many brushes from mineral companies only to toss them out because they were made out of animal hair which eventually would smell as well as shed! The only brushes I really truly liked were from Lumiere Cosmetics, however they too did not have any decent sized flat tops...

The packaging is pretty flimsy, comes in a thin plastic tube with a cover, but who really cares since you'll just be too excited and take it out anyway haha...

But I am loving my MAC 180 brush! I love it so much I want to hold it when I sleep (ok, maybe not) but darn close to it! I used it this morning and gosh I just wanted to keep using it because it was so soft! It gave such good coverage and I love how the bristles were of a cream color so that I can see exactly how much foundation I am picking up. (I know some of you hate some of the MAC brushes with the white bristles because they get dirty, or there are some of you that do not want to use it period for that reason!) But this brush is worth every penny, it will last you a long time, and hence I consider to be a good investment, especially since it's a face brush.

I have to say, overall, this is my favorite brush! ;)

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FOTD- Using MAC Holiday Cool Eyes Palette

Here is the FOTD I did yesterday using the COOL EYES Palette. I took a full face pic and then accidently deleted it, and by the time I took it all off and was getting ready to bed, so if I do it again i'll be sure to post one up! :( Sorry ladies...

Doing the FOTD made me realize how just LOOKING at it made me really want the cool eye palette when I pre-ordered it, but actually USING the colors, it's NOT my favorite palette. I guess I say this because I wouldn't really use the colors in this palette for everyday use (i.e. work), "trophy pink" is tad bit too bright for my taste, and "modern heir" is similar to either Stars N' Rockets or Creme De Violet. Also, I have makeupforever eyeshadow in a pink AND purple, hence I can re-create this look just using those 2, and let's not leave out the Violet pigment which can also add to it.

Don't get me wrong, the colors in this palette are drop dead gorgeous right when you open it, even when you swatch them; but it's a bit TOO colorful in the sense that I won't use it as much, as I see myself only carrying the smokey eyes palette in my purse. I might just go back and get the warm eyes palette too!

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FOTD- Using MAC Holiday Smokey Eyes Palette

*Special thanks* to sugababy77 who wrote me such a sweet email! She said to just keep doing videos and to not worry about making mistakes, etc because we are all here to learn makeup and no one is perfect, she made a really good point. I am STILL hesitant about videos, but at least I am comfortable making a fool out of myself haha. Thanks again! I will try and get over my "video fear"...lol

Sorry gals I was in a hurry last night in doing my makeup, it was my best friends birthday dinner so I came home from a long day at work and did it super fast. It's actually pretty similar to the Smoke Signals Quads, except in ONE palette, in case any of you are wondering. It seriously has remnants of "gentle fumes" and "smoking eyes".

I will also do a FOTD on the cool eyes palette (for you ladies who asked).

My eyes are always red, no I don't smoke out haha, my eyes hate this weather right now in Cali, and with the air quality from the fires (I am near Malibu), it's making my allergies act up!

What I used:

FACE:
- Philosophy Primer "On a Clear Day"
- Madminerals foundation in Light Medium (a tad bit light on me)
- Bronzer (unknown brand)
- Cheeks: MAC Blush in "Dame", Everyday Minerals in "Waffle Cone", MAC Tectonic as highlight

EYES:
- MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly"
- Antiquitease Mineralized Eyeshadow in "Silversmith"
- Royal Assets Palette in Smokey Eyes
- Indelible Gel Eyeliner in "Black Out"
- Dior Show Mascara

Lips:
- A beautiful pink color from the LA Girl Palette













I love the LA Girl Lip Palette!


And I am really loving Everyday Minerals blushes! Waffle cone is my favorite!

I had to do a googly face :)

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Happy Birthday Mommy!

Just wanted to wish my mom a happy birthday!

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Finally got my Heirlooms Basic Brush Set and Palettes!

I know, I know, some of you were waiting for me to post, but I got sidetracked! The BF wanted to go eat dinner, then we ended up going to Wal-Mart and Borders, soOoooo now I am here uploading and trying to post at the same time! So bare with me...

Here are my pics! I bought the basic brush set and the cool and smokey eyes palette. Surprisingly there are quite a few colors you can pass up on if you are already a MAC addict and have some of the permanent eyeshadows as some of these colors are the same if not similar.

What I liked: Like I have mentioned before, I am a sucker for cute packaging, no joke. So naturally, I just love the cute clutch the brushes came in, I would never use it, but it's super cute! I may end up giving it to my sister, but keeping the brushes! The brushes are great as well, this is actually my first brush set from MAC as I end up buying the full sized ones, but I love these brushes because they make great travel brushes! I bought the BASIC BRUSH set which has a face powder brush, an angled eyeshadow brush, #239 brush which is like a fluffy eyeshadow brush great for applying pigments wet or dry, a lip brush, and #219 brush which is a pointed soft tip liner or crease brush. The eye palettes cases are absolutely gorgeous! I love the whole silver crown ornament theme they have going, and it's just super sexy! I love the HUGE mirrors it comes with! The colors also are beautiful! I haven't really played with them yet, so let me play with them and i'll post a more detailed review!

What I didn't like: I didn't like the hinges on the palettes that connect the mirror to it, they are very fragile and they don't hold up the mirror AT ALL, and that's on BOTH of my palettes, so you basically have to hold it open rather than just opening it and it just stays there.

I am actually looking forward to perhaps the finery bags and the curiositease collection, simply because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pigments! I love them more than the eyeshadows because they are more vibrant and last all day for me, so I am definitely shelling out for those!

The BASIC BRUSH SET:




The cute little cardboard box...


The palette itself:

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Reader Question: How to do makeup for film or TV?

Q: Hi! I have a question concerning on how to do my own makeup for a short film in which i will make an appearance for my work. I will be the main focus on this. Since I will be doing my own makeup I would like some tips and how to's on what exactly to do different for this occasion.

I have dark brown hair with honey highlites; an oval face; light olive skin; brown eyes. My skin has an oily inverted t-zone area and medium sized pores on my nose. I am going to be wearing a suit that is either navy blue or dark grey. I do wear makeup everyday but I know you need to do it differently for film. Any suggestions?

I currently have the Mac prep & prime already; studio fix powder, studio fix mist spray, studio fix liquid, Benefit's some kind a gorgeous foundation faker; Benefit's Georgia peach powder. These are my choices for foundations and powders. I am willing to buy something else if need be. I have heard about Smashbox cosmetics being good for Film but don't want to buy some if I don't have to already.

Any suggestions and how-tos would be greatly appreciated.

~Rose
_________________________________________________________________________________

A: Hi Rose!

Thank you for your email as well as providing me with a lot of info, it helps a lot!

Makeup for TV needs a little more attention than your everyday makeup because if it's going to be in a studio, the studio lights can wash you out and make you look pale. Also, rule of thumb is to avoid red lipstick, lipgloss, and shimmers, as these are distracting and take away from your face. You want to make sure you use a really good concealer to cover any dark circles, blemishes, fine lines, etc as this appears more on camera and film than in person. If you have oily skin, or oily areas on your face, try using a mattifying cream that takes away the shine (try Lauren Hutton's Matte Moisturizer), or apply your foundation and dab translucent power all over or for touch ups to take away the shine (I like Laura Mercier's translucent brightening powder, Sephora), OR you can use a light bronzer to give you a bit of color, gently sweeping it across your forehead, cheeks, top of the nose ,and chin, whereever the sun hits you.

Keep your makeup simple but looking fresh, since you are wearing either navy blue or dark grey, neutral colors will even complement your outfit (and because you have honey highlights it will definitely bring out your face), earthy tones such as taupes or browns, or you can just use a light grey or medium gray eyeshadow on your outer V (outer corner of your lid) to make your eyes "pop" and just use a light taupe or bone color on your lid, then use a shimmery light color like MAC's eyeshadow in "Shroom" or "Ricepaper" to highlight your browbone. The matte eyeshadows from MAC are also great for your look, copperplate is an awesome neutral color. The trick is to just contour your eye, w/o overdoing it, line the bottom of your eyes with a soft dark brown or a gray to make your eyes stand out. Black might be TOO much and overpowering. I assume you are gorgeous anyway so you don't even need a lot of makeup!

Since you have light olive skin, a peach or brownish peach blush would look awesome on you! Also, keep your lips a nice soft color, like a light soft pink, medium pink, or a rose color. Neutral lipsticks don't work as this will make you look pale because it doesn't really show up on camera, so you want some color on your face, but not too much. Just add a bit more translucent powder or a powder you already have to those areas where you are oily to avoid shine.

Hope that helps!

Vanessa

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MAC Collection: Metal X- Released November 21st

Here are some preview images of the MAC Collection, Metal-X which is being released November 21st, they are CREAM eyeshadows and as you can see they are gorgeous colors! These images are also from Risser that were posted on the Specktra Blog, I personally am not a fan of cream eyeshadows as they tend to slide off of me, but I have high expectations about this collection, I am hoping they are like the paint pots in the sense that the staying power is awesome!

These 9 shades are ALL LIMITED EDITION.


I am eyeing: pure ore, goldspice, virgin silver, fusion gold, metalblu, and 6th sin.



WITHOUT FLASH:





WITH FLASH:





This photo is from cathystyle98, who I believe is on Specktra.

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Video (Tutorial Request)- How to naturally shade in your eyebrows

I rarely do video tutorials because I hate hearing and seeing myself actually talk and move haha, and I can only imagine how YOU gals would feel! LOL, but I thought it would be easier to show this request via video rather than pictures.

This was a request by reader Christina who currently uses a mineral eyeshadow to shade in her eyebrows and wants to know other ways she can shade in her eyebrows using a pencil or another easier way rather than toting a mineral eyeshadow around which can get a bit messy. Sephora #206 is a good pencil if you gals use pencils on your eyebrows, but I LOVE the NYC eyebrow kit which comes with wax to help your eyebrow hairs stay in place, as well as being cheap! At only $3 a pop!

Please forgive me for I say "um" a lot in the video because I was really nervous! Also my nose is still a bit swollen (still bruised inside), don't ask why, lol.

I also forgot to add at the end, that if you happen to shade in your eyebrows TOO dark, take your brush that has a little foundation on it (I use leftover foundation on the brush from when I applied it to my face), and just gently brush it over your eyebrows to "soften" and lighten the color a bit. :)

Hope you gals enjoy, if you wish that I never make another video, that makes 2 of us! LOL.

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