Review: MAC "Double Dare" Cremesheen Glass



For me, lip gloss is usually a hit or miss. Some come out too sticky and others either smell or taste horrible. I was shopping at MAC one day for my normal Studio Fix foundation and decided to take a look at their lip glosses. I explained to the artist that I wanted something to make my lips appear pinker (they're a bit darker) and she recommended this Cremesheen Glass in "Double Dare."

The Cremesheen line is more on the opaque side but does go on sheer if you wear a little bit. I actually love this color so much that I'm already on my second tube. Two dabs of this on top of matte lipstick make all the difference. If this is too much for you, try their Tinted Lipglass. It's cheaper and comes in more colors.

You can view the Cremesheen line here or the Tinted Lipglass line here.

 

 

 

Review: MAC "Flat Out Fabulous" Lipstick

 

It's officially summer, so I decided to hop into MAC and get this bright plum lipstick called "Flat Out Fabulous." This retro matte finish will stay put all day. The only downside to this is how drying it feels (don't want that cracked lip look). To combat this, the makeup artist put a dab of the tinted lipglass called "Rebel" in the middle. She also wanted a little more definition and used the lipliner "Currant." Below is a swatch with my outfit deets.

 

 

 

 

 

Outfit Deets

Shirt - Marshalls (similar style here)

Skirt - Marshalls (similar style here)

Necklace - J.Crew (similat style here)

Impromptu Trip to MAC

While shopping the streets of Soho this past weekend, my bestie and I decided to pop into the MAC store. She was looking for the perfect nude lip to match her skin tone and as a woman of color, this could be a severe hit or miss. After looking at a few colors, we were approached by an artist who asked if we needed any help. We said yes and before you knew it, we walked out of there with not only the perfect nude lipstick for both of us, but also what foundation to use and how to get the best smokey eye.

I know these pictures have a glare but this was the end result of my impromptu makeup lesson. She used the following products on me:

FACE
Prep + Prime Natural Radiance in Radiant Pink
Pro Longwear Compact Foundation in NC50
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark Deepest
Powder Blush in Ambering Rose

EYEBROWS
Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Brown Ebony
Studio Conceal and Correct Palette in Dark (she used NC 45 on the bottom & nc50 on the top)

EYES
Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark Deepest (in crease)

LIPS
Lip pencil in Cork
Lipstick in Cherish
Tinted Lipglass in Viva Glam V

Of course, I bought all three lip products, the foundation and brow set. As a disclaimer, the Pro Longwear foundation comes out really light and a bit on the ashy side. I noticed this looked two shades lighter than the NC 50 Studio Fix Fluid I usually wear. With that said, you HAVE to use a darker powder to set it.

I was amazed by the smokey eye she did! After putting the kohl eye pencil all over my lid, she buffed it out and put the skinfinish in my crease. That took at most 60 seconds. It is amazing what little tricks you can learn from people who truly know their craft.

Have you had a similar makeup experience? What are your favorite MAC products?

Awesome Beauty Products under $10

Image: beautyismyduty.com

 

I'm all about scoring cheap beauty products. Sometimes they work a lot better than expensive brands. Not sure what to buy? Here are a few of my favorites under $10:

Pigmented Blushes

  When you don't feel like wearing bright lipstick, opt for a highly pigmented blush. Just remember that a little goes a longggg way because too much will have you looking like a ragdoll!  Below is a list of my favorites:

Trial & Error: Mascara Edition

When it comes to cosmetics, you don't always have to spend an arm and a leg for quality. Some people say a Maybelline mascara is better than one from MAC. The down side to this is trial and error. You end up spending a good amount of money to find out what works best for you. Then, people label you as a product junkie (smh). One store that often eliminates this problem is Sephora. You can get a sample of anything from liquid foundation to perfume. This time, I will focus on our lovely eye friend, mascara.  Here are my thoughts on a few wands I've tried within the last year:

Marc Jacobs Launches Beauty Line

This past Friday, fashion designer Marc Jacobs launched Marc Jacobs Beauty, a cosmetics line full of goodies for your face, eyes, lips and even nails. I got my hands on a sample of the “Highliner” eye crayon pencil (thanks to Sephora!) in Blacquer. I have to say this waterproof product goes on really smooth and works well if you want to smudge it out. His line can be found at Sephora and some Marc Jacobs Stores. You can view some of the collection here: http://www.sephora.com/marc-jacobs-beauty

* R.I.P Talia Joy *

I came across Talia's YouTube page about a year ago and immediately fell in love. Not just with her makeup tutorials but her attitude. Here is a girl, that battled cancer day in and day out and no matter the circumstance, she always had a smile on her face! That right there is the definition of strength. I'm sure their were days when she felt weak but she always remained positive. And that has touched me in ways I can't even explain! I pray for her family as they are grieving during this time and may this little angel of joy, Talia,  rest in peace.

Skincare Routine

After years and years of acne, seeing dermatologists and trying various over the counter products, I finally found what works best for my skin. Clinique's 3-Step Skincare system! They offer a wide array of products for different skin types. My skin is combination oily so I use the following products from the type 3 line:

Step 1: Cleanse
Facial Bar Soap with Dish (Oily Skin Formula)- This also comes in a liquid but the bar lasts so much longer.


Step 2: Exfoliate
Clarifying Lotion 3- This one is for "Combination Oily" skin.

Step 3: Moisturize
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel- This comes in a gel AND lotion. The lotion is for people that have very dry to dry skin.

LUSH Store Review

I was on my way to the beauty supply store and out of the corner of my eye I saw Lush! I've heard so many good things about this store so I had to stop in. I was immediately greeted by someone that asked me if I was looking for anything special. I was hardly even listening to her because the aroma of soaps and such was tantalizing. They have so many different kinds of soaps, exfoliators, toners, etc laid out for you to smell and try! So back to the story...I told her I was looking for an exfoliator because this cold weather has dried out my face. You can't have flawless makeup during the day with crackly and flaky skin! So she recommended "Angels on Bare Skin." They had it laid out in a small kind of petri dish. So I picked it up to smell and it has a lavender type of scent. Now whats cool is that they can try it on your hand directly in the store. She brought out a metal bowl with water and got to work. This was great because my skin is kind of sensitive. Within minutes, if it starts to itch, it's not happening. After she washed it off, I waited a bit and no itching. So I proceeded to ask her what sizes do they come in and she said we actually weigh it by the ounce. Now this is also a plus because it's not like hair products. You never really know what your getting till you try it. So for $8.29 I got 0.16 oz.  If you have time during the holiday season definitely stop by a Lush store.  You can get a wide variety of gifts at decent prices. Check out their website here!

Their bags are funny, "Is their life after Lush?"

Holiday Palettes @ Sephora

Every year Sephora comes out with an array of different makeup palettes for you gift givers out there. Over the years I've realized some of these products are a lot better then others. So this past weekend, I was helping my best bud find a good palette that was more bang for her buck. After trying out a bunch, these are the ones I highly recommend.

Items I want to try....

There are a few products out there on the market that I've been dying to try. Let me know what you think if you have any of these items.

China Glaze "Zombie Zest"

Since we're approaching the fall I wanted to try out something different. So out with the pink and in with the......gold??

2review: MAC Matte Lipstick: "Russian Red"

Review: Elasta QP Curl Wax

Summer Heat Tips

Gotta love the summer! Here are some tips to help you stay cool and collected :)

2Review: Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

Summer Makeup Routine

Since it's summer I want my makeup to feel as light as possible so these are the products that I currently use:

Makeup Brushes I Luv!

When I first started getting into makeup, I didn’t know where to start. There are so many different companies so at times it’s hard to tell who has the best products. So with that said in comes trial and error. Amongst my friends I’m known as the guinea pig so I love testing out new things!  Luckily, after attending various makeup shows and obtaining pro discounts I was able to do this without spending a lot of money. Listed below are a few of my favs:

Makeup in 5 minutes

Lately,

I've been experimenting w/ different kinds of make-up. I've finally come up w/ a group of products that complete my "5 minute face".

Primer- Don't get me wrong Smashbox Photo Primer is good but dang...at $36?? For some reason I just can't buy it because I know there is another product out there just as good. After watching random makeup and hair videos I came across people using Monistat chaffing gel as a primer. So at $6 I didn't mind buying it lol. And, now I'm glad I did because I use it all the time. It works just as good.

Mascara- I use Smashbox Eyelash Primer & Lancome Hypnose mascara. I'm currently looking for a new mascara cause that Lancome is expensive (yea yea call me cheap lol). I just tried it because my friend was raving about it and at the time I didn't wear mascara much. I'm thinking of just trying a regular Maybelline mascara to see how it works.

Powder- I use MAC NW45.

Lip Balm- LOVE Rosebud in Strawberry. Hands down. My lips get very dry, especially during the winter.Carmex, Vaseline, Soft lips, I done tried it all.

And they don't work. So I'll be sticking w/ the Rosebud.

Concealer- Stila Perfecting Concealer. This product is on the expensive side BUT I hardly use any because my dark spots

are fading away. So this will last me a good while.

Blush- Tarte Cheek Stain. I love how rich the color is when you apply it. It was $30 and yes that is crazy expensive but it will last you

a long time. I'm also in the process of finding an orangey blush. I def want to try something like that now for the winter.

How I apply everything

1) Put a pea size amount (not even, about half of that) of the Monistat chaffing gel on my face. I let that sit for about 3 minutes.

2) I then dab on concealer where I need it.

3) Then take a large powder brush and apply the MAC Studio fix all over my face in a swirling motion.

4) I apply the smashbox primer to my upper lashes (I don't wear it or mascara on the bottom).

5) I then immediately apply the Lancome mascara. I only do one coat on each.

6) I use my finger and apply the Tarte Cheek Stain to just the apples of my cheeks.

And that's my 5 minute face!