It's probably the wrong season for such a bright FOTD but....

...It's cold as penguin snot here in Connecticut! The sun slipped behind a cloud weeks ago and hasn't been seen since so I was desperate for a pick me up.


Face
SkinPrep FX (This primer is something else! A full review to come soon)
Cover FX creme in B35
NARS blush in Outlaw (it really is there in real life lol.)
Pure Luxe Silica Powder


Eyes
MAC Pharoah paint pot (shadow base)
MAC Fresh Green Mix MES duo- the light green side(inner 1/3)
MAC Spiritualize pigment (middle of lid)
MAC Cool Heat (Outer V, crease and liner on upper lid)
MAC MSF in Deep Dark ( to blended from crease to brow)
NARS Albatross (highlight)
Sephora Flashy Liner in Flash Blue (lower liner)
Maybelline Full & Soft mascara


Lips
A nameless LORAC light pink gloss with Viva Glam VI lightly swiped over it.

That's what I needed! I feel sunnier already!

B.B.

Great Minds Think Alike!

Today's post was originally going to be a StS post featuring the wonderful new Zoya polish, Zara. But lil sis Brittany Bee from Clumps of Mascara was all over that. Isn't it a beautimous color? It is everything that I wanted MAC Trax eyeshadow to be. Trax looks very very similar in the pan but the gold shimmer isn't as pronounced once it hits the lid. BOOO! I was so stuck on the gorgeousness of Zara that I decided to do a FOTD in it's honor. I apologize in advance for the lack of the breakdown. It all just kind of came together as I was getting ready for a parent-teacher conference for Boy Brown. The pics are also a few hours old so meh...


This is my Zara mani.



And this is what I changed it to. lol!




Excuse the mess. These pics are pre clean up. It's a little something that I frankend up. It's pretty funky. A little darker than I wanted it to be but I think it turned out nice. A blurple with holo shimmer and multisized glitter... Not something that you come across everyday!

B.B.

A little while back I received requests to review Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer and to do a FOTD with a NARS blush. I figured I would kill two birds with one stone.

I am a whole hearted believer in foundation primers. A good one can totally change how well makeup applies, settles and ultimately looks through out the day. You can think of primer like spacke for your face. It should decrease the apperance of surface flaws essentially gining you a smooth canvas to apply your foundation. Notice I said decrease and not obliterate. Primer will not make the scars from a run with an ice pick disappear. It's just makeup not miracle juice.

This is with primer and foundation only. WTH is going on with the fro is beyond me.

Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer is a solid primer over all. It does everything a good primer should do. I was surprised that I liked it because the last silicone based gel primer I tried was not my friend. A greasy face and a nasty breakout was all I was left with at the end of the day. After wearing it for a full 1o hours there was still blush on my cheeks which is impressive . I had to blot around the 5th of 6th hour but this is par for the course for me. My face wasn't a crisco reserve with 3 hours. The were no more blemishes than I started with when I washed my face in the evening.

The most disappointing thing about RBNSP is the fact that it doesn't seem to do anything for the pores in my t-zone. They were still just as visible as before I put it on. It is also scented. Citrus and evergreen-y if that makes any sense.

Final verdict
Cost- 12.99 for 1 oz
Would I buy it?- Yes
Who is it for? Someone one looking for a good, inexpensive primer. I would be hesitant if you have a history with breakouts using silicone based primers.

On to the goodness that is NARS blush! NARS has one of the best blush formulas in the business. Crazy pigmented and long lasting.

I can't front... I was like blush smush until I purchased my first NARS blush. It was Crazed and I was fully prepared to take it back. The whole concept of blush was so foriegn to me that I *gasp* wouldn't even wear most of the time. That all came to a screeching halt the first time I wore Crazed. It applied like a dream using my MAC 187 brush. Using a traditional blush brush had me on straight clown mode. The pigmentation is not something to be played with. At. All.

NARS blush blends like no one's business and never looks powdery or flakey. It doesn't kling to cheek fuzz or settle in pores making them like bigger. They really are perfection in a pressed powder form!

For this FOTD I used NARS Dolce Vita blush. I really could go on and on about this blush but I will riegn in my inner NARS stan. Lol. I used DV on my lips and I eyes as well. Hey... If you're gonna do it, do it big. That's my motto.


Here's a pic of the products used. The only thing not pictured is my foundation, Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer.

Publish Post

B.B.

Fall Leaves Inspired FOTD

One of my favorite things about living in Connecticut is the landscape. It is simply breath taking. You don't have to be a tree hugger to be rendered speechless by the lush, green hills of the summer or the crystal-like twinkling of the ice covered trees in the dead of winter. Every fall, I am treated to the colorful fashion show the hills put on. The leaves have just began changing color so a shocking golden yellow will pop in the midst of a sea of green . It's gorgeous!

The fall leaves inspired this FOTD. I was going for something the stood out but was still subtle. That's why I used Gold Mode as opposed to a darker gold. I am going to lunch with Mr. Brown and we can't have his employees thinking he's married to a woman of ill repute. LOL!

Item used:
MUFE Mat Velvet Foundation
MAC Paint Pots in Indianwood and Artifact
MAC Pigment in Gold Mode
MAC e/s in Coppering and I *think* Cranberry
Maybelline Full & Soft Mascara
Jordana eyeliner in Green Gables on waterline... Really, it's there. Lol!
NARS Taj Mahal Blush
MAC Slimshine in Mousse (This in my new boyfriend! Perfect MLBB)


So yeah... Pay no attention the triflin-ness that is the brows... I'm lazy.

B.B.

Just Thought I'd Share

I know that I don't do FOTDs very often but I just just thought I'd share what I did today. I used Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ tropical palette as the shadow base. Love this thing!

There are a few tutorials on Youtube reviewing it. One of my favorite Tubers, Juderivera uses them all the time.

Here ya go!


I forgot to take a pic of the mascara. I used Shesiedo mascara base and Rimmel Eye Magnifier Exact Definition. Feeling kinda meh about the Rimmel.

B.B.

Sensual Skin Indeed!

The Sensual Skin Enhancer (SSE) by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty (KAB) is a like a mythical beast. At least for me it was... While there are some true believers out there it had never crossed my path so I was still pretty skeptical. KAB makes some pretty high falootin promises also.
Taken from the KAB site:

A multi-tasking formula for creating a gorgeous, flawless complexion.
• Mimics the appearance of healthy, radiant skin
• May be used as a spot foundation, concealer, all-over foundation and more
• Silky, hydrating formula with honey and jojoba oil
• Creates a smooth, radiant finish

With the promises like that I half expected fairy dust to fly out of the jar when it's opened.
All foundations make similar promises but there are few instances when I actually expect it to make good on them. But I'll tell ya what... For $45 bucks it had better do all this OR do the laundry and come with bacon.

I was expecting a bit more from the ingredient list though.

Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Polybutene, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Polyethylene, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Calcium Carbonate, Dextrin Palmitate, Honey, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Beeswax, Butylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Talc, Triethylhexanoin, Methylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum). May Contain (+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77491).

I was surprised to see mineral oil as the first ingredient. Along with the fairy dust I was also expecting baby tears and unicorn essence. I was quite disappointed to find them both missing. I was also very worried that my skin would stage a revolt for trying this stuff.

I have been wearing it for almost a week now and I am quite smitten. It its a bit tricky to get right though. There is a fine line between a natural finish and a mask. SSE wallows without shame all over this line. It's the most pigmented foundation that I have ever got my hands on. The instructions say to "apply sparingly (a pin sized amount)". They aren't too far off. This is foundation is so versatile that it can easily go form light (just all a bit of moisturizer) to as heavy as you want. Though with full coverage I would definitely recommend contouring to counter the mask-esquesness (it is so a word, lol).

You definitely want to be sure that you use a primer. At the very least I would say be very well moisturized. I recently started on Retin-A (I really need to do a post on this stuff. It's the bee's knees.) and my skin is drier than usual. I tried this initially on bare skin and blending was a chore to say the least.

After trying different brushes, I have settled with on the 187. Other foundation brushes work just as well for blending. The long white bristles of the 187 allowed me to pick a very small amount of product and still be able to dot it on my face. I tried using a concealer brush but I kept getting too much on the brush.

The mineral oil hasn't been a problem. I figure it's because you're only using this much. This jar is easily going to last for at least year. It feels very light on the skin. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's wieghtless but it's no hearvier than MAC Studio Fix Fluid or Revlon Colorstay. It does indeed look rather natural on the skin. If your looking for a matte finish though, than this isn't for you. The finish is somewhere between dewy and matte, depending on your skin type and primer used. I used it with Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 sunscreen and was more matte than when I used MAC Prep+ Prime Face Protect SPF 50 or Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (which is one dang good primer). A good dusting with a rice powder or a silica powder gets closer to matte but still allows some natural glow. I can't pull of a totally matte finish so I was really digging this.

Overall, this is a solid product. It wears well and actually looks after it has sat on the skin a while. I can't really complain about the price because this stuff is going to last until the day before forever. Is this HG? Ummm... The jury is still out. I ordered shade #14 and the undertones are a bit too red for me so I am waiting on #13 to come in the mail. From what I've read around the web, most people have had to mix too or three shades of SSE to get a match. This is where I have a prblem... I am used to having to mix shades to get a match. That's not an issue when we're talking drugstore prices. At $45 a pop though, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around this. If I do end up keeping both it's because I have truly acheived foundation nirvana and search has come to an end. Yeah right... I make me laugh! Lol!

On a professional note... SSE is the truth ruth! A workhorse of a product that photgraphs well and plays nice with other makeup. I haven't been able to find any info regarding a pro discount anywhere. It would be nice to have a few key shades in you kit though so you can mix shades for your needs.

It's a small jar. That is HIP cream liner, SSE and a MAC e/s.



The nekkid truth. I told ya'll hyperpigmentation is the debil!
All you need is just a wee bit.

I just stippled it on my cheeks and chin. I've learned that if it doens't need coverage than just leave it alone. SSE blends out like a dream.

Ta da!
The finished FOTD.




Products used:
Face- Clarins Perfect Touch Prime, SSE X14, NAR Taj Mahal, Maybelline Retro Rouge
Eyes- TFSI, About Face Cometics Over Coiffed, Tattered and Torn, The Golden Rule (pictures don't these colors justice! you gotta get on these ladies), some random mascara that I picked up.
Lips- Revlon Colorstay Sheer Coral

Let me know what you think ladies. HG material? To darn expensive to even consider it HG (yeah... I ain't even mad. $45 is shoe money)?

B.B.

Eyebrow Madness and HIP Sculpted FOTD

Happy Hump Day!

It's finally Wednesday and I am thankful for it. Today I decided to play mediator between my feuding eyebrows. They are not the same shape and I am not talented enough to groom them into conformity. That's what waxing is for right? Well, for years that's what I did until and unfortunate burn about 6 months ago. Oh! You can only imagine how upset I was. I had to take some deep breaths and count to 10. Whoosah.... I haven't mustered the courage to go that route again. I have just been cleaning them up enough to ensure that I had two distinct brows.

Enough was enough. Today I whipped out the stencils and got to plucking.

This is what I started with.


I used the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk to color in the stencil.


Anything hairs that wasn't white I plucked. I forgot to take a pic of the brows after plucking but before filling in. The show must go on. On to the FOTD! lol.



Face- A bunch of different mmu foundations that I mixed in a jar.

Eyes-
MAC Artifact PP as base
HIP Metallic Shadow Duo in Sculpted
MAC Vanilla to highlight
Ardell Lashes - Luckies
Maybelline Full and Soft Mascara
Brows filled in NYC Browser powder

Lips-
Rimmel Vinyl Jelly l/l in Tasty
MAC Li' Hot Pepper lipglass

I have been a big fan of HIP duos since they came out. The love affair continues with the new metallic duos!

So what do you think? How did I do on the brows. I think went a little heavy on the filling in part but all in all I am pleased. They still don't match exactly but at least I don't look like Groucho Marx any more.



Scuse the parched mini fro ya'll. I will be busting out the plastic baggie and the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask tonight! LOL!

Be bold and beautificated!

B.B.