May Favorites

We're 3 days into June, so no more procrastinating on my part. It's time to showcase the things I enjoyed in May.

  

 

Only a few makeup products this month, as it has been getting hotter and I prefer wearing less products on my face (it will sweat off anyway if I do...gross but true). First up is the Laura Mercier Secret Camoflauge Concealer. I picked up this cult favorite during the Sephora VIB sale and have been loving it ever since. With two different tones of yellow and neutral/slightly pink, I can mix them to get my perfect shade. It is one of those products with a learning curve however; it is very dry at first so you must warm it up (I use a hairdryer). I find this works even on blemishes, and the formula lasts all day. My shade is SC-3.

Sorry it's a little rough looking!

The next thing I loved last month was the NYX lipliner in Natural. I never used to enjoy lipliners (honestly they remind me of my sisters in the 90s with the brown lip outlines...*shudders*) but this one is really nice to give slight definition. Next is another drugstore favorite, the Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Intense Olive. A long unnecessary name but not the worst I've heard. These eyeliners are nothing short of amazing. They are creamy, extremely pigmented and give you time to smudge out but then set for hours. I especially love this dark olive shimmery shade on my brown eyes. Oh and they retail for $5.95. Last makeup product is the Nars Illuminator in Orgasm. I got this as a Sephora 100 point perk a long time ago and just started using it this spring. This is a really nice subtle highlighting liquid. It has a pink base with gold shimmer and somehow looks really natural for a dewy summer face.

Swatches L - R: Prestige Intense Olive, NYX Natural, Nars Orgasm

I saved my favorite favorites for last...skincare!

On the left is the Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid-Lotion Suncreen SPF 30. Like most consumers, facial sunscreen leaves me feeling greasy and smelly - but not this one. It has a very viscous texture, making it easy to blend in. The "break-out free" claim is true too, at least for me. This is impressive as most sunscreens do break out my sensitive acne-prone skin. I've enjoyed Neutrogena as an overall brand for years, so this is another thumps up from me. In the middle looking very puny in comparison is Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse oil. I did a whole post dedicated to this so I will link it here if you're interested. Lastly we have an old summer staple for me, Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer in Medium to Tan. Every year I wonder if another brand will knock Jergens off their gradual tan throne. This stuff just...works. Gives a gradual tan, moisturizes well and doesn't smell too bad. What more could you want? I use the medium to tan version because the lighter one comes off orangey on me (the worst type of self tan result).

What have you been loving lately? I hope everyone in the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying the start of summer (sorry Australians).

The Trials and Tribulations of Naked Lunch

Long time no blog = bad self. Haven't really been sticking to my blogging resolutions unfortunately! I could whine and moan about being a no-life-having college student but fortunately for both of us, I finished spring semester a little over a week ago so I have more time to post now!

Back to the topic at hand. If you've never heard of MAC's Naked Lunch eyeshadow, you must live under a rock that lacks wifi. One of the brand's most famous shades, it was one of the first MAC products I ever bought. Unfortunately, I did not see eye to eye with everyone else's raves.

Naked Lunch: the criminal in question

The pan of Naked Lunch I have is without a doubt one of the hardest eyeshadow to work with in my collection. It has poor payoff, is pretty sheer and usually creases on me, even with a primer underneath.

So, like any other lazy consumer, I let it go untouched in my palette for over a year. In this divorce period, I actually found not only a dupe, but a better version...found in a Wet n Wild trio that retails for $2.99. Yeah...

Top: Wet n Wild "Eyelid" from the Walking on Eggshells trio / Bottom: Naked Lunch

Voila the proof above. Don't get me wrong, MAC is one of my favorite brands, especially for eyeshadow. Hence why I was very let down by ol' Naked Lunch. Nonetheless, I am determined to finish Naked Lunch...for the past few months I've found a great way to do so.

 

Using a small powder brush, I have been applying the shadow as a cheekbone/nose/cupid's bow highlight. Being a pearly, pink shade, it works quite well. I don't find it too stark and think it could work on a variety of skintones.

So that is how I intend to finish up Naked Lunch...I hate wasting things I spent money on so I always try to experiment with other uses. Just because something is marketed as a certain product doesn't mean you can't try it in a different way!

I hope this post was helpful to anyone else that got stuck with a bad pan of Naked Lunch. Definitely check out the Wet n Wild trio if you want a similar shade too! I should really write a quality control letter to MAC while I'm at it...

MAC Bronze

The majority of my MAC eyeshadow collection is housed in a 12 pan palette, but I do have a few pots lying around. I decided to showcase a few of my favorites.

MAC Bronze eyeshadow

In the swatch, Bronze to my eye looks like a true bronze gold shade; not too warm nor too cool. It definitely has a brown base with some orange thrown in.

On the eye, Bronze's orange undertones do shine through more, however this is most noticeable at this time for year for my paler skintone. Personally, I would wear Bronze all year round, but I am sure it looks especially stunning in summer when I am darker.

An oldie but a goodie, I am happy to have Bronze in my collection. Although there are most certainly dupes on the market, it's one of those shades that I love against my brown eyes, and definitely consider a staple. When I want a more toned down version, this looks great diffused in the crease and/or outer corner with something complimentary like Patina on the lid.

Are there any shades that you always come back to? I'd love to know more suggestions for spring/summer which is slowly but surely approaching. x

My Winter Base: Skin79 Super + VIP Gold BB Cream

Ah the wintertime foundation debacle. Every year I try to find a base that a) is moisturizing b) has just enough (light to medium) coverage and c) actually matches my skin at its lightest. Fortunately last year, I found something that ticked all 3 needs.

I would categorize 2012 as the year of the BB cream in the US; they exploded over American markets. The only "American" BB cream I have tried is the Garnier one...and I hated it. It was greasy and made my skin look orange. I realized that if I wanted to try this BB cream craze, I'd have to get the real deal.

After some extensive research, I decided to try out the Skin 79 line. They are hugely popular in Asia, as well as in the States with some bloggers/vloggers. This VIP Gold variety is supposed to for drier, 

mature (hate that term) skin types. I have dry, combination acne-prone sensitive skin for reference.

 

As you can tell, this BB cream does a good job at covering redness and evening skin tone. I still need concealer to cover blemishes. Currently I am about a NW/NC 20 in MAC terms, and this matches me quite well. Like most Asian BB creams, it comes out grey tinted, but don't be afraid - it oxidizes on your skin after about 5 minutes to match. Unfortunately I don't think anyone NW/NC 30 or darker could make this BB cream work. It leaves a satin/dewy finish, which I love however it could not work for oily skin types (in this case, I know Skin 79 does another version in a pink container better suited for that). I love this base for low key days, which are most of mine as I am a student. It contains SPF 25 and has flashback, so I would not recommend it for photography. I usually wear a higher coverage foundation for those occasions anyway so this doesn't bother me. SPF in makeup is great, but not a vital component to me as SPF wears off after a few hours and must be reapplied (which I never do with makeup). In regards to longevity, I find it pretty long lasting at ~8 hours. After that point, it begins to look patchy. As my skin is drier in winter, I do not set it with powder however I have tried and it looks fine but has little effect on its longevity.

Pros

+ build able coverage (light to medium)

+ satin/dewy finish

+ is moisturizing

+ good match for paler skin tones

+ blends in easily

+ SPF 25

+ lasts ~8 hours

Cons

+ only one shade/won't work for medium to dark skin tones

+ may not work for oiler skin types

Final Verdict

Overall, I really love this BB cream. It works really well for my skin in the winter, and is perfect for lower coverage days. I bought mine for $15 USD from a reputable Amazon seller, Pink Gelee. Fast & free shipping plus free samples...I read a lot of reviews before buying and am happy to say I echo the great service. However you can find Asian BB creams like Skin79's offerings at Pretty & Cute as well.

Do you own any BB creams? I want to try the Dr. Jart ones next I think.I feel myself transforming from  a foundation junkie turned BB cream addict...

Update + Nars Sheer Glow first impressions

Hello there blog, long time no talk!

I am a full-time student, so I tend to get wrapped up in studying and work to blog regularly...I've been neglecting my little corner of the internet! I do feel bad about that, but I am a self proclaimed "lurker"...I've still been reading my favorite blogs to stay in the loop. I hope those on Thanksgiving break like myself are enjoying it! I finally have a chunk of time to devote to blogging :)

With my extra time, aside from reading, eating, and sleeping, I finally got the opportunity to go to Sephora. Then this happened...

 

In my defense, I have a gift card (burning a hole in my pocket). I've long been interested in trying out Nars Sheer Glow (left) and the makeup artist decided I should try the Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + (right) too, despite my explanation that I have dry skin and prefer dewy foundations in winter. I was told that Circe de Soleil performers use it as it is water/sweat proof. My fun fact of the day...she was persistent, I will give her that.

Wearing the Nars. Excuse my wet hair

Face:

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

NYC Sunny bronzer

Nars blush in Sin

I purposely didn't use any concealer to really test it out. It has a nice finish, and feels weightless on my skin. I would say it is medium coverage at best, but slightly buildable. I wouldn't build it up to full coverage however; I think it would creep into cakey territory there. All in all, I really love it but will continue to test so long as my sample lasts. A bonus is you don't need much foundation for a full face's worth. It has a very liquidy texture (aka gets messy though!).

So there is my first impression of my first truly high end foundation! I've only ever tried Clinique foundations before and of course drugstore. I am a little wary as the Nars retails for $42USD so it's an investment, but having a great base makes everything else look better in my humble opinion!

If you noticed Sin in the lineup, I will be doing a post soon on it as well as a shadow. Those were birthday treats from October. This post looks like such a Nars binge...which doesn't sound that bad?

xx Lindsay

Lust List #1

I thought I'd start a mega original series depicting current things/trends I'm lusting after...the Internet really takes window shopping to a whole new level. What a great world we live in.

1. Red-Orange nail polish.

Enter Essie Geranium, pictured below. I've been told that Fifth Avenue is another great shade. I've seen both next to each other in person and could not tell the difference though. Either way, I went through a good 19 years hating red nail polish, but after discovering reddy-orange shades, I've become a satisfied convert. Oh, and I'm 20.

   [Image Source]

2. These Zara heels every fashion blogger seems to own. 

Ok, if I am being perfectly honest with myself, I am lusting after nearly all of Zara's stock at the moment. I largely blame the British YouTubers I watch (see: Vivianna) for showcasing their amazing finds this season! Seriously though, Zara has impressed me in 2012. Fast international shipping too! Always a plus. Being on the taller end of the spectrum (I'm 5ft7), I can't see myself actually wearing these, however one day I will grow up and embrace my stature dans talons!

[Image Source]

3. Floral blouses (this one is from HM). 

Loving these types of shirts for summer! Which is quite strange because I definitely lean towards more of a neutral, even utilitarian style overall...hmm describing your own style is not easy. I plan on doing OOTD's on here, so hopefully pictures will speak louder! Let's hope I am good and don't show my typical black on grey, grey on black self.

 [Image Source]

4. Above Knuckle Rings. 

Trend-wise, I'm late on this one but I've been eyeing these silver rings from Fashionology for almost a year now! Need to bite the bullet and order a couple, even though I think they're slightly overpriced. The quality seems lovely however; my dozens of tarnished Forever 21 rings are hanging their heads in shame tsk tsk.

  [Image Source]

That's all for now! Let me know if you enjoy the Lust List concept...I'd love to hear what you're lusting after at the moment x

xx Linds

Back with a Small Collective Makeup Haul!

Long time, no post! I'm starting a bad blogger habit, aren't I? Although I may not have any readership to refer to, I am mad at myself for being a procrastinator! I thought I would blog about a few makeup bits I've picked up over the past few weeks.

First up is the smallest MAC haul anyone has probably ever blogged about...I am the type of shopper where I buy things here and there.

L: MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush  R: MAC Espresso

My favorite blush by MAC, probably of all time, is Melba. A matte peachy-pink, I love Melba because it doesn't impart any unwanted shimmer or emphasis my pores. Blushes that add that type of dimension to the face are amongst my favorites. However, I have tried out some lovely shimmery blushes this year, and have been wanting Warm Soul mineralize blush for what seems like forever. I have to give it to this blush...it imparts a "glow" that looks especially beautiful when I have a bit of a tan.

I also picked up Espresso, a matte medium brown (so thrilling). Currently am trying to fill the gaps in my neutral palette...this is a must-have that I was missing.

Complimentary awkward swatches

Thanks to G. over at Nouveau Cheap, I was pleased to hear that CVS was having a big clearance makeup sale. Today I popped in to check it out, and came out with three items, all 50% off! Not too shabby indeed.

Top: Maybelline Age Rewind Protector Finishing Powder in Nude
Bottom: L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Color Chrome Eyeliners in Black Shock & Violet

Biggest makeup complaint: overly long product names. See above. Do they really need to crame that much marketing onto one thin pencil?

Advertising aside, these eyeliners are creamy and quite pigmented, the black more so than the purple but both still great. They also set quickly on me, which is a must because I mostly use eyeliner to line my upper waterline and/or line my lid.

The powder I picked up because A) It was 50% off...duh B) MakeupbyTiffanyD recently raved about this powder in her Drugstore Favorites video C) Tiffany's advice = the unofficial makeup gospel...I'm a fan. I picked this up in Nude, the second lightest shade available. I am around NW20-25 for reference! It may take me some time to try this out as I have been having a love affair with my Laura Mercier Mineral Powder...maybe I will take us public with a review? Bonne idee je pense.

C'est fini! Short, sweet, yet rambley. I have clearly have blogging skills. Hope everyone is enjoying summer so far!

xx Linds