Long time no post. So I figured I’d post some fall inspired makeup looks. If you’re interested in product lists, click here to read after the jump!

Modern Pewter

Please excuse the bangs, I didn't realize they were in the way until I went to upload the pictures.

Eyeshadow Base: Maybelline Color Tattoo Nude Compliment 90

Lid: MAC Modern Pewter Extra Dimension eyeshadow

Crease: Jane Clay

Outer V: Jane Willow

Winged Liner: Bobbi Brown Black Mauve Shimmer Ink

Waterline: MAC Graphblack Technakohl liner

Mascara: Too Faced Lash Injection (not really in love with this, but am going to keep testing it out)

Tanaya: 22nd Birthday Look

I just wanted to share another look I was able to do for a friend on her 22nd birthday. Although her birthday was in the summer time, I still think it would be a fantastic holiday look to rock with a black or red dress :) Tanaya is one of my best friends and has a phenomenal tan skin tone and amazing cheekbones. Hope you all enjoy!

Empties: November 2013

I've managed to accumulate a good number of empties (used up products) so I figured I would share my thoughts before I send them to their respective recycling, trash and Back to MAC futures.

Let's start off with skincare items:

I used up a travel size bottle of the Bioderma (though I have used up a large size before as well) and a Kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado. The verdict on both of these is that I won't be repurchasing them. Say what?! How can I not want to repurchase a cult favorite like Bioderma? The problem is that while I find it removes my face makeup extremely well, it irritates my eyes like CRAZY if I try to use it to remove my mascara and eyeliner. I've given this a truly thorough test because I suffered the same experience all the way through my large size and travel size. As for the Kiehl's eye treatment, there's nothing wrong with it, but I also don't feel like it did anything special. I don't think it particularly hydrated my under eyes and there are other eye creams I prefer to it. If you don't have an eye cream you like, it wouldn't hurt to give this a try to see how it works for you.

Moving onto haircare:

Am I the only person who takes forever and a day to use up hair products? One of the only things I actually go through semi-frequently is dry shampoo because I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. All the other days, I use dry shampoo. I received the New York Streets dry shampoo in a Beauty Army box a while back and was thrilled when I got it. I won't be repurchasing this, but it is a decent dry shampoo. I didn't find it to leave a white cast in my black hair (upon initial spray yes, but a little massaging and there's no trace of it). The reason I won't be buying it again is that I found that if I tried to use it on third day hair, it did absolutely nothing. If you wash your hair every other day, this could still be a great option for you.

And now onto the makeup! Let's start with the face:

I know, that's a lot of MAC. But, let me explain why. Over the summer I always end up interning in the hottest and most humid places. And what I have found over time is that there is really only one foundation and primer combination that truly withstands 100F+ heat and 40% humidity, and that is the MAC Prep and Prime Face Protect  and MAC Studio Fix Fluid. I LOVE the primer, it's incredible and controls oil while packing a 50 SPF punch. Studio Fix isn't my favorite foundation, but it is the only one that can survive long days in the heat and for that reason alone it will be a go-to for the summer for years to come. As for the MAC Matchmaster foundation, I despise it and certainly won't be repurchasing. The color is much too orange (odd since it's supposed to be a neutral foundation) and completely breaks down in my t-zone even in the winter time. Fix + is MAC's setting spray and I like having this around because it can eliminate any extra powder you dust on and save you from looking too cakey. So, yes to repurchasing MAC Prep and Prime Face Protect, Studio Fix Fluid and Fix+. No to MAC Matchmaster foundation.

And lastly, the eye makeup products!

Mascaras and eyeliners, the eye products I go through the most. I know mascaras are kind of boring as an empty, but I do have some strong opinions about the ones I tested. Starting from the left with Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear mascara. This mascara has a teeny tiny brush and is great for the bottom lashes. I enjoyed it because it was smudge-proof and truly long wearing, however I am undecided about whether I would buy this with my own money (the one I have I got as a sample). Moving on over, we have the Chanel Imitable Intense mascara which I also received as a sample. This mascara is pretty much complete garbage and does nothing special for your lashes. If you are looking for a very subtle "I barely applied anything" eyelash look, then maybe you will like it. I personally really like my mascaras to be volumizing and this just did not make the cut. Lastly, we come to the amazing YSL Babydoll mascara. Oh my goodness, what this does to your lashes. This is probably the very best mascara I have ever tried, which pains me because the price tag on it is sort of insane. I got this sample for free and am unsure whether I will take the splurge and purchase...maybe when Sephora has a 20% sale again in the future. If you want perfectly lengthened and volumized lashes that look out of this world, this is the mascara to pick up. Lastly, my wonderful Jordana liquid eyeliner in brown. This is actually the first liquid eyeliner I have had in brown, and I was so sad when I finished it. At a crazy amazing price point, this liner lasts a long time and is inky dark. The pen point felt tip makes it a breeze to apply. I will definitely be repurchasing this in the future. 

All right, well that ended up being kind of long. I might end up doing more frequent empties posts rather than waiting to accumulate so many since I want to share my thoughts on each product. What do you think?

You Know It's Fall When...

You look in your makeup collection and decide to rock a monochromatic burgundy look.

Used all of my favorite red wine products: Chanel Ebouli cream eyeshadow, CK One Apology lipstick, MAC Pop Mode lipglass and Sephora cream blush in Golden Spice. LOVE!

Summer Splurge!

Haul: Mac & Estee Lauder

I finally got a chance to venture over to a real mall this weekend, and while my main purpose for going was to focus on a few new wardrobe pieces for spring I obviously couldn’t help myself from taking a quick peek around the makeup counters.

When wandering through the MAC store, I came across the pigments section (0.26 oz, $21) and remembered that I’d seen some positive reviews for Tan pigment. I started out swatching it and quickly understood why it was so popular. It’s a perfect everyday shade with a bit of oomph because the pigment finish is bolder than your regular eyeshadow. I plan on using this both as an eyeshadow, and maybe even as a highlight during the summer when I want a golden glow. Of course, I couldn’t stop myself from swatching a few others while I was there and of the others I tried out, Rose pigment was the one that stood out. If you’re familiar with Expensive Pink which is a regular eyeshadow, Rose pigment is similar in its pink-gold duochrome but its a much darker and bolder pink. I will probably use this mainly as an eyeshadow, but it would be lovely as a blush, and even as a gloss for the lips. I also really liked Pink Bronze pigment but decided to pass on it, and I’m really having buyers remorse now for leaving it behind. Ah well, something for next time!





On my way exiting the mall, I went through Macy’s and the Estee Lauder counter just called out to me. I don’t have many products from Estee Lauder but the ones that I do are absolutely divine. I think this brand is usually associated with older women, and I don’t really understand why. The sales rep who was helping me out was lovely, and we got to chatting. Turns out her day job is actually being an accountant and she does makeup counter work on the weekends and a few nights a week just because she loves makeup. Not going to lie, this actually sounds pretty great to me and maybe I’ll have to look into doing something similar once I get done with graduate school. Anyways, I ended up picking out the Desert Heat eyeshadow palette (0.27 oz, $48). I’ve been trying to refine my purchases to things I will actually wear, so instead of picking out something bright blue because it’s gorgeous in the container, I try to get things I know will be easy to wear. Desert Heat is perfect because its all neutrals along with a smokey olive green. Plus the palette has two matte shades which is great. I find a lot of higher end palettes (Lancome, Dior, Chanel, etc) are just all frosty shades and I  would never use more than one color at a time from them. Which makes having a palette sort of pointless.



Sadly it seems like the weekend is already coming to an end. Time to get to those last minute chores…

Photos of Swatches Below

Sensational Blushes for Spring @>--;--

Springtime always gets me in the mood for pretty cheeks. To me, blush adds a healthy, happy, and youthful glow. This is particularly true for the light and bright blushes I like to wear this time of year.

Powder Blushes




1. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes (Achiote, Tipsy, Exposed): the texture on these is finely milled and very soft with a matte finish ($25, 0.2oz). These blushes are quite easy to build up if you have a darker skin tone, and don’t look cakey. Achiote was the first Tarte blush I ever tried, and I love the brown toned medium pink color. Tipsy is PERFECT for the spring and summer. If you’re scared of the orange in this, try Blissful for a similar but tamer look. Exposed is really a year round essential blush. This is my go-to when I look at my face and am not sure what will work. Exposed always goes with everything!



2. Benefit Dandelion ($28, 0.25oz): This is a lovely light pink with just a hint of shimmer. If you like to avoid playing up your cheeks, this is a great one to own. This color in particular really adds youthfulness to the face.



3. Sleek Coral ($5.99, 0.27oz): Exactly what the name says, a perfect coral. This would be a slightly tamer version of Tipsy with a greater emphasis on the pink, rather than the orange. This blush requires some layering as the powder is a little bit stiff so you don’t pick up much with one swipe.



Liquid/Cream Blush



1. Mac Something Special Cremeblend Blush ($21, 0.19 oz): Oh what to say about this blush. If I could only pick one blush to have for all of spring and summer, this would most definitely be my pick. It starts out as a cream and sets with a powder finish and is super flattering on tan skintones. It just looks super fresh and light, partially due to the color, and also because its a cream. I highly recommend checking this out :) (Apologies for the brush hairs, as you can see this one is well loved)



2. Benefit Cha Cha Tint ($30, 0.42 oz): This is the perfect mango tangerine color, and it has the added bonus of working both as a blush and a lip stain. It has a very creamy consistency (think nail polish) and is very easy to blend out. I definitely recommend starting out with just a few dots and working that into the skin and then slowly building up. It’s pretty easy to go overboard with this, and then you’re stuck because it stains.



That wraps up my favorite spring blushes. I’m always on the lookout for other colors so let me know which shades you like to rock!

Swatches Pictured Below

How To: Contour and Highlight

One of the trickier aspects of face makeup, at least for me when I was first learning, was how to contour and highlight. I struggled with correct placement as well as under-blending and over-blending. So, I’m going to share my tips, tricks and tools to demonstrate how I like to contour and highlight. I don’t do this everyday, but it’s great to know how to do for pictures or special events. I’ll be using my BFF Ajay as a model example. No worries women, contouring and highlighting placement are exactly the same on both men and women, it’s all about enhancing your natural face shape! :)

Let’s begin with the items you will need/I like to use:

• Foundation in your shade, foundation or concealer a shade or two lighter than your skin, foundation a shade or two darker than your skin or a bronzer of your choice (Here I’ve used Graftobian foundations from my neutral undertone palette)
• Iridescent highlight that suits your skin tone (On Ajay I’ve used Benefit Sunbeam, but if you are cool toned try Benefit Highbeam instead)
• Makeup setting spray (I’ve used Mac Fix +)
• Dense synthetic foundation brush (I really like the Sigma Round Kabuki F82, Urban Decay Optical Blurring brush is another good option)

Start out bare naked faced, like so:



Next, apply your foundation shade all over your face, blending down into your neck and up into your hairline. Then, locate your cheekbones. Use your fingers to feel from your under eye moving down, until you reach a bone that is sticking out, that will be it. Now, locate the hollows of your cheeks by creating a fishy face and lining up your brush from your pouty lips up to your ear.

Now the important part, where to place the lighter and darker shades. Start by taking your highlight shade and place unblended lines (start with less product then repeat if necessary) across the center of your forehead, down the bridge of the nose, across the cheekbones, the center of your chin, and in the space between the hollow of your cheeks and your jawline. Blend each portion starting in the center and fade out slowly. Use a light hand and move the brush in small circles, it will do all the work for you. Focus on blending the highlight seamlessly into your original foundation shade at the edges. The reason I like to put down a shade matching my skin is that it’s easier to blend 2 shades down, rather than 4 shades down (which is the difference between your highlight and contour).

Next, create a stripe with your contour color in the hollow of your cheek, focusing the product in the center of the hollow. Follow the side of your face up along the hairline. You’ll basically make a C-shape with your contour stripes. Make another set of stripes, with less product than in the hollows along the jawline. Just like before, focus on blending out the edges using light circular motions. Bring the top of the cheek hollow contour up at a diagonal to connect with the hairline, making a slight triangle. Blend the base of the cheek hollow contour until you get a nice gradation to your skin tone  For your nose, just take some bronzer on your finger and lightly pat it on the edges of the bridge. Alternatively, a fluffy brush is also good for a subtle application.

For those of you who are more visual, I’ve created a diagram on Ajay here:



If you have trouble blending, try different kinds of products. I personally find that creams are easier to blend than liquids because they don’t set as quickly. If you use a liquid foundation, consider spritzing your brush with some water to prolong the time you have to blend the colors together. A dense brush will help you buff the products into your skin and allow for seamless blending. If you apply too much product at any point, just go back with your original foundation color and pat in a little bit over top to lessen the effect. Alternatively, if your big brush makes your bronzer fade away, go back with a small fluffy brush and add more product in the center of your contour.

Once you’ve got that done, just apply the iridescent highlight along your cheekbones and down the center of your nose and spritz your face with the setting spray as a final touch.

Wha-la! Transformed facial structure and glowing radiant skin.



Isn’t he handsome?