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 :)

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

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!

Haul - Bubbi/Quo Brushes, Lancome Cleanser, Clinique Real Foundation, Makeupforever concealer, Mac Fall Colour Collection for Fall 2011

hey all ~

it's a gloomy Sunday afternoon, and I'm in the mood for some blogging. Here are some products that I've been using and would like to share with you all. It's not a lot considering how long I have not blogged!


My newly acquired Bubbi brushes. I happen to stumble on Bubbi's video featuring her newly launched brushes. I was interested in trying the foundation brush, but i also decided to pick up a powder brush as well.

Here is how they look: The powder brush and the flawless HD brush

When I first got them, I was surprised by the size of these brushes. They are almost like travel size brushes. I was really looking forward to using the "flawless HD brush" but I was highly disappointed by the size of it. Aside from that, I find myself falling in love with the flawless HD brush by the day. It works beautifully around the area of my nose, and around my eyes. What differentiates this brush from the stippling brush is its density and ability to buff out the foundation. I highly recommend using this brush with a thick-formula liquid foundation (these tend to be the full coverage foundations). It works beautifully with my Estee Lauder Double wear liquid foundation.

As for the powder brush, I like how soft it is, but aside from that it's just another regular powder brush to me. Overall, they are easy to clean synthetic brushes. The craftsmanship is not top quality, but okay and the design is adorable. You can find these brushes on Bubbi's Shop. They are highly affordable, and i received them within 2 weeks.



It must be the month for brushes, because here is another pair of brushes I managed to snatch up. These are the newly re-modeled Quo Professional brushes, available only in Canada. You can only find them at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Here I have the blush and crease brush. The blush retails for $35CAD and crease brush retails for $25CAD. I am incredible impressed by the makeover Quo has given these brushes. If you re-call the old Quo brushes, these are completely an upgrade! I read online that they are real hair, and this could explain why these brushes are super soft. They don't shed after washing and they stay in shape.



What i like about both brush is the size. The blush brush works perfect as a highlighter (especially Mac mineralizes powder). It blends beautifully as a blush brush as well. It picks up power well, however I find it doesn't deposit enough on the face. It's as if the brush holds onto the powder more then it should.

As for the crease brush, it does amazing at picking up and depositing the eyeshadow. What i adore most about this brush is the size. It's perfect for people with smaller crease/eyes. I don't think Mac has a comparable crease brush size.

Also, the material of the handle is identical to NAR's packaging. You are able to firmly hold the brush, however it does get dirty coming into contact with powder. Nothing a little water can't clean up though.

Here is a picture of them. I just used it yesterday. The blush brush is typically less dense then most blush brushes in my opinion.


Next here, i have the Clinique Perfectly Real Make-up Foundation. I recently acquired this and I am still testing it out. I love my Estee Lauder foundation however, i am always open to trying new foundation. After about a week of using the foundation I can say that it is definitely light coverage. The formula looks thick, but it's very blend-able. I've also noticed that there are tiny shimmers in the foundation, which i'm not sure if i like it. Once applied your skin feels like silk, however i find this foundation not long lasting, and it has a tendency to slip off your face. I feel the need to powder when i use this foundation, because it doesn't dry matte, hence i can easily get it onto my clothes..etc.



despite this, it does give off a nice glowly finish. You will need concealer if you have acne, blemishes. This foundation would be perfect for those who have minor discoloration, uneven skin tone, dry to combination skin.

It looks thick, but it blends like heaven, and the coverage is light to sheer. If you compare this to makeupforever HD foundation, this one is light coverage.


I never knew that makeupforever had a concealer like this until I was browsing the stand at Sephora. I love the the silicone tip applicator on this concealer. You twist the end of the stick to get the concealer to come out of the applicator, and none of the product gets wasted! You can apply it directly to your under eyess. The coverage is medium and the blend-ability is amazing as expected from makeupforever. However, i find it to slip off my face as well after a few hours even with powder. Not long lasting, as I seem to experience with most makeupforever products.


i use this concealer strictly for my under eyes. It doesn't settle into find lines, and it's buildable.


Recently I've grown fond of perfume. I have them, but i don't regularly use them, because sometimes i feel like it's a waste for everyday. I happen to be at Bath and Body one day, and every time i go there, i fall in love with the wonderful scent in the store. A sales associate introduced me to this fragrance and told me that it's their number 1 seller. I tried it and instantly fell in love. If you are looking for an affordable perfume that you can spray everyday, i'd recommend this one. It's incredible!

I'm not good at describing scent so here is a description i got off their website:
Paris Amour, a dreamy blend of French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne, inspired by a romantic stroll through the streets of Paris.
Top: Sparkling Mandarin, Petite Strawberry, Cassis, Pink Champagne, Apple Blossom, Dewy Freesia
Middle: Luscious Peach, Jasmine Petals, French Tulip, Water Lily, Frangipani
Dry: French Vanilla, Coconut Milk, Amber Wood, Sandalwood, Creamy Musk


Now as for skincare, i have been using Clinqiue Even better -It's designed to get rid of blemishes and scaring. I have yet to see results, but i do see that it does cause my skin to dry up a little. I will update you more on this when I see results

As for the cleanser, i'm really starting to love it. It's a foam type cleanser (no surprise there). I find it very gentle and it doesn't strip away my skin's moisture, instead, it nourishes. My skin is left feeling clean, but not irritated, instead very comfortable. I LOVE my LAneige Professional makeup cleanser, but i find it to start drying up my skin now that it's winter. Instead this Lancome one has been very pleasant to use during the cold weather. This is a sample size, I think i may purchase the full size once i am done with it. It smells very nice as well. I'm starting to like Lancome products!

As for blistex - this is a lip treatment for cracked, dried up lips. I love it, because my lips are very dry in the winter!


This is from the Fall collection by Mac. What i got here is the Snow Orchid lipstick. It's a very bright fuchsia shade. The lipgloss is C-Thru A90 and it's a sheer nude gloss. The mineralized skinfinish is called Lightscapade
and i got that to use as a highlighter.

Here is a close up of the swatches. I use the Quo blush brush to apply the mineralized skinfinish and i find it to be the perfect combination, because it doesn't deposit too much product on my skin. And lipgloss pairs well with nude lipsticks like Mac Creme De Nude, and the lipstick is a bold statement. Looks amazing with simple makeup.


I hope you enjoyed my post. It's nice to be back blogging and taking my mind off school. I'm really hoping to update more, but i don't think i'll have the time until Christmas. Until then, take care and thank you for dropping by

;)

P.S i used my phone camera to take these pictures, because my camera battery was dead. The quality isn't too shabby eh? hehe

My Natural Makeup Routine

After taking a very long break from blogspot, I've realized that there is a post that i never ended up posting. Since i have not blogged in a long time, i decided to post this. Hope you enjoy!

For natural looking makeup, these are a few of the things i like to emphasize: 1)brows: define them, lightly pencil in, or use powder. A full set of brows frame the face. 2)eyes: - natural full or semi lashes; I don't have big eyes, so i like to make them appear larger than they really are. - highlighting your lids (i used mac bare study paint pot) draws light into them. - "tight linning" by using eyeliner to give the appearance of fuller lash line 3) cheeks: - cream blushes gives off a natural glow compared to powder blushes. A soft pink never fails. 4) lips: i like to stick with semi lustre to matte finishes. A colour that doesn't scream attention but just enough to make you lips look kissable. I like warm tone pinks or corals. 5) face: depending on the season. I like to use a tinted foundation in the winter, that is hydrating to protect me from the cold weather. In the summer, I love my estee lauder for the long lasting power!

Here is my natural makeup routine and some of the products that I use.For eyes: define a lash - mac bare study paint pot - mac naked lunch eyeshadow - mac taupe brow pencil - black pencil eyeliner (not pictured)depending on your comfort zone, use false lashes -Here i used : revlon lashes



For Cheeks: Mac LadyBlush Creme blush - Costal Scent blush brush - Mac Fix +



For lips: Mac florabundance - Nars Belle De Jour



swatches of the products used:

(left to right) Mac bare study, Mac naked lunch, Mac Ladyblush cream blush - nars belle de jour, Mac Florabunance



& here is my final look: simple + clean.



now i must go back to my studying....

:(

My Summer Essential Makeup

Here are a few products that i have been constantly using to fight the humid, hot weather.

Face

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation:
I'm in the shade Desert Beige


I will consider doing a full review on this foundation in the future. For now, I will give a brief summary about my experience with this foundation. It's staying power is amazing, and the best out of all the foundations that i have used. I can depend on this foundation to last a good 6 hours, without slipping off my face. It also keeps the oil at bay ( no need for powder touch ups). I absolutely love this foundation for that. The only downfall I can point out is that the formula can be a bit drying, and lack that "natural, glowing finish" that you would get from a foundation like MakeupForever (which has more oil content), but I guess this is a trade off (to have a long lasting foundation). Also it does not come in a pump!!!

I have seen that there are a lot of mix feelings about this foundation. I actually like this foundation, so i will try to do a in depth review on it.

Cheeks

Mac Surf Baby collection - Lush light Bronze Studio Careblend/Blend

I'm not sure why they call this a Studio Careblend. I've never heard of that, but it's basically a good contouring, bronzing product to me. I just got it a few weeks ago, and I really adore it. I think the shade works wonders against my pale skin tone. It's just perfect. I don't own anything like this, so I really like it because i was searching for a product like this for the summer.


I use the Mac 138 or Quo Angled brush to apply this


on the left, i applied it solely on my cheeks lightly. On the right, i applied more then usual and used the excess on the rest of my face. Definitely look a lot darker!

Eyes

Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study

I like to apply this all over the lid. Simple, quick, and the best solution to brightening my eyes & making it appear larger. It lasts all day as well!

Lips

NYX Dolly Wink lip liner & Mac Creme Cup lipstick. Using a lip liner before using the lipstick will prolong the longevity of the lipstick

In the summer i love to wear bright lipsticks! The dolly wink lipliner is a super cool tone pink. I wore Creme Cup over it to give it some warmth. lol



hope you enjoyed! take caree . & thanks for reading