Monday, February 20, 2012

Mac Viva Glam Nicki lipstick swatches

I've been eyeing this lipstick ever since i saw the preview on temptalia. A few days ago, I went to the Mac store to pick this baby up. Here is some pictures of the lipsticks if you haven't had a chance to see it yet




here is a swatch (with flash) on how it looks. It's quite bright. You can tone it down with a lipgloss, or just apply with a light hand.



This is how it looks on. It's a very pretty summer shade. I'm super excited to wear it when the warm weather rolls around.



The proceeds from the sale of this lipstick goes towards the HIV/AID funds. It's forgivable to splurge on these :)

Friday, February 17, 2012

Mac Lipsticks -Limited Edition Haul/ Swatches

hi all!

i've been going a little crazy with Mac lipsticks over the past year. I want to share some of the newer ones that i've acquired. They are wayy tooo addicting! These are all limited edition with the exception of Creme Cup. I've swatch creme cup, because it's been my favourite this year, so i thought it does deserve to have one minute of fame.

so here we are:
left to right: Quick Sizzle, Watch Me Shimmer, Quite Cute, A Perfect Day, Playing Koi, Creme Cup(non limited edition)


Quick Sizzle i from the MAC Shop Cook collection - the finish is Matte. It does stain the lips, so be cautious of this if you intend on wearing it

Watch Me Shimmer is also from the MAC Shop Cook collection - the finish is amplified. It's a gorgeous bright coral with a little bit more orange then i like, however i imagine this would look amazing in the summer

Quite Cute is from the Quite Cute collection - a cremesheen finish- which is a cook town light lavender. It's very pale, and cool. It can easily make you look sick applied alone. It looks intimating, but i imagine it would look amazing on those with very fair skin. I'm still experimenting on combining this lipstick with other lipgloss and lip liner, so when i find that perfect combination i'll be back to post about it.

A Perfect Day is from the Naturally Collection - amplified finish - It's creamy and highly pigmented. It initially reminded me of Creme de Nude, but i swatched them side by side, and realized that Cream de Nude is much lighter. For a photo comparison, scroll down.

Playing Koi is also from the Quite Cute Collection - it's a satin finish - it's very nude. I didn't realize how hard it was to pull off this lipstick so i haven't been using it. I think it'd look best with people who are very fair, and that doesn't have very pigmented lips. I imagine this would look amazing with Mac Florabundance.

The similarities;


So here is Creme D Nude compared to A Perfect Day. On the right is A Perfect Day. Creme D Nude is more sheer, and glossy.


While i was taking the photos, I realized that Quick Sizzle reminded me of another lipstick that i've recently acquired and that is, "A Snow Orchid." So i decided to swatch them side by side and realized that they are very similar! They are like dupes! The major difference between the two would be that, Snow Orchid has a little bit of a shimmer that reflect blue undertone, whereas "Quick Sizzle" is completely matte and true bright red/pink. I love both, maybe that's why i unconsciously bought both without realizing their similarity.

So here is the swatch side by side with natural light.
(left to right) Quick sizzle, A Snow Orchid


& here are the rest of the swatches:

natural lighting


Lastly, i wanted to leave one picture of how Quick Sizzle looks on! It's been a while since i've taken pictures with my camera for blogging, it all felt so...strange. haha


Hope you enjoyed this post, and thank you for dropping by ;)

EOTD: Pastel Green

This an eye look i did 3 years ago that never got posted. I only did the eyes. I forgot i ever did an eye look like this. I'm thinking of re-doing this look sometime soon.

Looks like it would look amazing for St.Patty days. Green is also one of my favourite colours!



I used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX Pearl as a base
Gleam e/s mid eye
Shimmermoss e/s mid eye
Aquadisiac e/s mid eye
One off e/s crease
Strike a Pose e/s crease
Nyx Lashes
Black Track Fluid Line

Quo Face Contour Brush & Costal Scent IB106

I started this review, let's see..2 YEARS AGO, but i never ended up posting it, because i didn't end up finishing it. Today just happens to be the day that i go back into my blog history to find all the "draft" posts that have never been published. My goal today seem to be either delete them, or just finish them and post it! hhaa. So these are brushes that i've bought 2 years ago.

Quo is a brand carried by Shoppers Drug Mart (a Canadian Drug store). It might be difficult to find for you guys in the States. The price ranges from $15-50. They have recently "re-packaged" their products to have a black handle and black bristles. The quality is completely different & so is the price. It looks a lot more professional. I love the new brushes, but they are quite expensive.

Anywas, let's move on to the review:

Here is the Quo: Face Coutour Brush You guys might compare this to the Mac 168. I don't have this brush from Mac, so i can't do a comparison, but i will do a comparison to a similar brushes.



here is a close up picture




General Comments

-The brush is quite soft. As reference, its not as soft as the Mac 130, but softer then the Mac 109.
- the brush is full and fluffy, but in my opinion can be a little more dense
- it's a good size for most cheeks
- the brush and handle is sturdy
- affordable
- doesn't not smell, shed, or leak dye when washed.
- brush bristles dries nicely. It keeps it's shape.

The Cons:
- picks up colours, but does not deposit enough onto skin.
- ability to blend is okay. For light applications it works fine. However for more defined, contouring this brush may not be what you are looking for.

Overall:

- it's a nice, affordable, quality brush. It's perfect for those who are just getting started with make up. Although it doesn't deposit as much colour as it should, i still never felt the need to buy a MAC brush for this.


So now, i'm gonna compare it to the Coastal Scent IB106 Angle Brush

This is the brushes side by side: you can see that the Coastal Scent one is shorter. Good for travelling


here is a side by side mug shot. You can see that the Quo brush is slightly longer. and the Coastal Scent brush is slightly more "flared" out at the top and the edges are rounded off. Other than that, the brushes look very similar from this shot.


it might be difficult to see, but the Coastal Scent(C.S) brush is more flat, and wide across the top, while the Quo brush is more domed shaped towards the top. This is the biggest difference. The C.S brush also has a more defined angled cut


with this picture, you can see the difference a little more. The C.S brush is wider.


General Comments

- This Costal Scent blush was one of the few very first face brushes that i've gotten. I still use it occasionally from time to time when i need a heavier application.

- it does well as picking up and depositing the full amount of products.
- it will work well for contouring, however like the Quo, takes a little bit more time when it comes to blending.
- the bristles are not as soft as quo on my face. You can kind of feel the brittle ends. It is noticeable.
- what i like about this brush is the flat end for application.
- doesn't not smell, shed, or leak dye when washed.
- brush bristles dries nicely. It keeps it's shape.

Overall: this brush is also nice to start out with. I like the size of it, because you can carry it around in the purse. However, i have't been using it that much, mainly because i find it harder to blend with. It's definitely very affordable.

YAY! i finally finish my review for these brushes! i hope it was of some help, thanks for readingg~~

Plum/Brownish/Nude Based lipstick SWATCH

I've actually wrote this post a year ago, but i never ended up posting it, because i wanted to do lip swatches. THe sad part is that i never got to it. I still didn't get to it, but i didn't want to throw this post into the trash, so i decided to post it anyways!

These are some lipsticks that I've acquired. They are more plum/brownish based lipsticks that i would wear in the Fall. When i wore them in the summer, i thought it looked awkward. I then realized that it's more suitable for the winter. I just decided to swatch the nude colours as well.

i just felt like swatching Mac Chatterbox too, because i just recently got it. Doesn't seem to work well with my skin tone. I love the colour itself, but it doesn't suit me. I think it may work better with people who have darker skin tone/tan


Mac Syrup, NYX Thalia, Mac Madly Creative, NYX Circe, Nars Belle De Jour, Mac Chatterbox

Thursday, February 16, 2012

FOTD: Valentine Day 2012

Hi everyone!

it's been a long time i know. I've been soo lazy to blog, but today i was motivated by a friend - so i thought i do a quick blog. I'll try to blog more frequently, because there is SOO much that i want to share with you guys!

Anyways, I know valentines has passed, but i still wanted to re-create my eye makeup for valentine day this year. That, and because i haven't uploaded a eye make up in a while! It's quiet simple. I didn't use that many product. There isn't that many pictures, because i'm still trying to get use to mac. I'm still a newbie when it comes to MAC computers! lol

What i used




Urban decay eyeshadow in hustle (crease) and sidecar (inner lid)
Mac Fuchsia pigment (middle lid)
Stila Waterproof liquid eyeliner
Nars Deep Throat blush
Mac Bubblegum lipstick

Here is a close up of the eye shot:




full look with be update another day ;) when i have time to recreate the full look!

I hope your valentines was amazing! Thanks for viewing!