Beauty Find & Share: Cosmopolitan (May 2011 issue)

I'm usually not an avid Cosmo reader, as it's mainly full of sex and boy talk, but this month's magazine had some interesting beauty tips here and there.  Here's one I thought would be useful and tried out myself - really works on a budget or a little break from the name brand products in your vanity.

Excerpt from Cosmopolitan - May 2011 issue
From the section Shameless Beauty Tricks
Kitchen Skin Fix (page 118) (I couldn't find a link to this article online so I'll word-for-word it below)
Whip up a spa quality scrub for nearly nothing. Just mix a half dollar-size dollop of face or body wash with a tablespoon of baking soda. Massage onto skin, rinse, then marvel at your gorgeous skin.

I chose to use Barista Bath and Body B3 Triple Shot Shower Gel with my baking soda - loved it and the coffee scent really perked me up for the day!

Eye Shadows: Loose, Pressed, Cream

Loose Powder Eye Shadows

These shadows are great for a multitude of uses.  Besides being used as eye shadows, they can be used as blushes, body shimmers, contours, highlights, bronzers, added to clear nail polish for custom colors, mixed with other loose shadows to create custom shades, and my favorite use - moistened with water or a mixing medium for a shadow base or liner.  You do have to be careful though when applying these shadows, because they are loose, loose particles or fall out will most likely occur.  To minimize fall out, use a pressing motion when applying the products.

Pressed Powder Eye Shadows

These are your typical forms of eyeshadow.  Pressed in a tin pan, these shadows should have less fall out (particles dropping onto your face from application to the eye), but differing between brands, some shadows are packed tighter than others.  These can be used as eye shadows, blush, contour, highlight, bronzer and even body shimmer.  Sometimes these shadows are covered with an over spray of shimmer or glitter that is not actually in the pressed shadow - it's a pretty embellishment cosmetic companies do sometimes on limited edition or themed products.

Cream Eye Shadows

These shadows can come in a pan form, stick form or in a tiny pot/jar.  These shadows are easily multi purpose; you can use them as eyeshadow, eye liner, shadow base, blush, contour, highlight and sometimes as a lip color (depending on the formulation of the cream shadow).  Some cream shadows are more of a waxy consistency, and these tend to crease after a while - if creasing is not your style then an eye primer should be used prior to the cream shadow, and a powder should be added on top to set the cream.  For cream shadows that do not crease, these are great for on the go makeup or even low maintenance makeup - you just apply, blend and go.

Simple Pop O' Color Tutorial using Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box

A week or so ago I posted a quick going-out look that I wore on a day where I only had 5-10mins to do my makeup.

Here's the post from that day (list of products/colors used included): Simple Pop O' Color using Urban Decay Show Pony Palette

I received so many comments and messages to do a tutorial on this look, so I hope you all enjoy it and try it out - it's fast and fun and can be changed around to use any of your favorite pop colors :)

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF20 Illuminating

I received a .5 fl oz sample of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF20 Illuminating back during the holiday online shopping I did in 2010.  At first I was not happy with this product because I had hoped I could just wear it on it's own like a normal tinted moisturizer.  But after going on their website and realizing this is the illuminating line, and it's formulated to attract light to the skin I quickly began to LOVE this product!

Excerpt from Laura Mercier website:
Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer is a lightweight, buildable sheer foundation formula that delivers a youthful, radiant finish, while protecting skin from the damaging rays of the sun with SPF 20 protection.

• Skin-friendly formula contains a unique Dewy Complex that is proven to keep the skin moisturized and better equipped to combat external aggressors and irritants
• Layer with other foundations for a custom blend and radiant finish
• Long-wearing formula stays colour true and even
• Mix 50% Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer into your foundation for SPF protection
• For an instant boost - press Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer onto the high points of the cheekbones over any foundation formula
• Non-comedogenic

- This product is very light weight, almost like a facial lotion kind of consistency.  Because it is so light, you only need a pea size amount to cover your entire face.  This is an illuminating product, so there is a subtle shimmer to it - and yes, if you have wrinkles or large pores the shimmers will magnify those crevices because it is attracting light to those areas.  To avoid highlighting the wrong areas, do not apply this to any problem spots.  I suggest using this on the smoothest areas of your face - forehead, cheekbones, nose bridge, brow bone... pretty much anywhere that has a smooth surface will be illuminated and therefore flattering your features more.

- Because this product is light weight, it is also buildable.  You can either wear this underneath your foundation to create a lit-from-within look or you can dab this on top of your foundation for a highlighter effect.

- If you have healthy skin and don't need extra coverage but want a healthy glow, apply a thin layer of this moisturizer, then powder your skin with a setting powder or sunscreen powder.  This will highlight your features while still looking natural.  I like to wear this combination mostly on weekends for a break from the full-face routine during the week.

I honestly recommend this product to people looking for a sheer liquid highlighter or a sheer illuminating moisturizer - you can find many creative ways to use this product, and for the retail price of $42.00 for 1.7 fl oz, this will last a long time.  My little .5 fl oz sample is maybe half empty and I've been using it on/off for the past 4-5 months.

My favorite products to pair with this illuminating moisturizer:
ELF Studio High Definition Powder
Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder
NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna
MAC MSF Natural in Medium Dark

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12, Creamy Lip Color, Lip Color

The main perk of being signed up with a cosmetic company - birthday celebration coupons!  I really enjoy Bobbi Brown products, but I had never tried their lip colors.  Since I'm on a lipstick obsession kick, I decided to take a chance on these $22 lip colors!  Whew!  That's a lot of money for a lipstick!

I bought one shade from their 3 main lip lines; Rich Lip Color SPF 12, Creamy Lip Color, Lip Color
Here's the excerpts from the website on each line:

Rich Lip Color SPF 12
Bright, get-noticed color. Introducing Rich Lip Color SPF 12. Lightweight, yet intense, Bobbi’s latest formula combines pigments with a clear base to deliver pure, crisp color with just one swipe. Plus, it’s creamy and moisturizing, so lips feel as good as they look. Available in 13 beautifully wearable shades.
My Thoughts: This lip color goes on EXTREMELY easy - it's absolutely amazing!  I think this one is my favorite out of the 3 lip colors because it's smooth, moisturizing and I don't feel the need to apply a gloss or lip conditioner because it doesn't dry out my lips.  The lip color is so pigmented that after you remove it, there's a bit of a tint to the lips - which I love!  After hours of wearing this color, when it began to fade it was still very pigmented and still moisturizing.  I love the shades in this line because they are so potent and gorgeous - I've been trending bright lips lately and this line has me contemplating buying another lip color at full price!

Creamy Lip Color
Creamy Lip color combines rich color with comfortable, long-lasting wear and a soft, creamy shine. With emollient shea butter and plant-derived skin conditioners, this amazing formula glides on smooth, wears all day, and leaves lips soft and moisturized.
My Thoughts: This lip color applies smoothly and lasts all day long - I opted for a nude shade (which I never do) because if I want a long lasting color - it should be a color that goes with every look.  When I first applied this lip color I actually said aloud "OH EM GEE!"  It's luxuriously smooth to apply and the conditioning sensation you get on first application, lasts most of the day.  I only had to reapply in the evening after eating because my lips felt a bit dry - to my surprise I unknowingly grabbed this lip color rather than my chap stick.  The shades in this line are definitely more neutral and daily wearable - this will be one of the lipsticks in my purse's makeup bag.

Lip Color
Bobbi’s original formula treats lips to rich color with a soft-matte finish. Infused with Vitamins E and C as well as Beeswax, it also moisturizes and comforts lips.
My Thoughts: Okay, so this lip color completely shocked me!  It applies pretty dry, like a usual matte lipstick does, but once you press your lips together the formulation is quite smooth and moisturizing.  I haven't even worn a gloss over this because it's conditioning enough to not need help.  I love matte lipsticks, and anyone who loves mattes too should definitely try this out.  To be honest, I prefer this matte lip color over my MAC matte lip colors.  The shade range in this line is fantastic!  There's nudes, neutral pinks, red, browns, pretty much a color for everyone.  The pigmentation is outstanding as well - almost a mix between a matte lipstick and a tinted lip conditioner.  I have even worn this sheered out by using my finger to apply and the color comes off as a pigmented stain effect.

 Now for the HAUL portion of this blog!  Here's the shades I chose:

Rich Lip Color in Cosmic Raspberry, Creamy Lip Color in Pink Buff, Lip Color in Vintage Red

Rich Lip Color in Cosmic Raspberry, Creamy Lip Color in Pink Buff, Lip Color in Vintage Red

And here are some swatches of how they look worn on NW25 skin:

Rich Lip Color in Cosmic Raspberry

Creamy Lip Color in Pink Buff

Lip Color in Vintage Red

Night Out - Correna's Birthday!

Friday night I dolled up and went out to meet some friends at a bar in San Leandro (CA) for our friend, Correna's Birthday.
I decided to rock my bright pink lips with a neutral winged eye and some flirty lashes:

MAC Retro Speck on the lid, MAC Soft Brown in the crease, ELF liquid liner, Some random asian lashes

My friends, Antonay and Fatima, let me share their fabulous makeup with you all:

Antonay

Fatima

CND The Look - Flesh Forward Spring/Summer 2011

Have you been following the latest spring/summer fashion trends... for nails?  CND aka Creative Nail Design is sharing their spring/summer nail trends:

Flesh Forward

Subtle tones of a summer skinny-dip suggest the new take on natural. The fashion trend where this new neutral really grooves is a deluxe remembering of the 70’s, a bit like riding the Marrakech Express through Beverly Hills with a stop at Barney’s. The once-folksy prairie skirt and poncho get an upgrade to first-class in sheer, modern fabrications, punctuated with avant-garde accessories inspired by visits to exotic souks, Paris flea markets and granny’s attic.

Diplomatic Darks

Summer doesn’t have to mean pastels and baby doll
frocks—there is, thankfully, a dark and sophisticated side
to the season. Newer than the solid-black nail: gorgeously
deep gem-tones infused with black, including Dark Ruby,
Inkwell and Oilslick. These lustrous, nearly-noir shades are
the perfect foil to summer fashions sizzling with shocking
shades of hot pink, fuchsia, magenta and glittering
burlesque brights.

Jason Wu

Womanly wiles, modern yet eternal, embodied in the first collaboration between CND and designer Jason Wu.
Five perennial must-haves (four subtly provocative Colours, one neutral texture Effect), named for five iconic women. Just one question: who is this Miss Wu we keep hearing about?



Get "The Look" of the season with the CND Perfectly Bare set (available at listed retail stores)
Spring/Summer 2011 Collection
Colour - Perfectly Bare #578
Effect - Perfectly Bare Shimmer #579

The Look - Perfectly Bare

Perfectly Bare, Perfectly Bare Shimmer

CND's limited edition duo of perfectly bare colour, a peachy skin-toned creme colour and perfectly bare shimmer, a gossamer veiled effect creates an iced cameo manicure
Features/Benefits:
- 3-free - no toluene, formaldehyde, or DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate)
- Rich and creamy, two-coat, fast drying formula My Thoughts: it dries as quick as if I had applied a fast-dry polish on top; in less than a minute the first coat dried and was ready for a second coat. 
- Ergonomically designed bottle with rubberized cap for no slip-grip and easy opening
- State-of-the-art brush with clear, triangular-shaped nylon bristles for flawless application My Thoughts: the brush truly is amazing and I wish all polishes had these brushes - the shape of it literally makes applying the polishes easier and quicker.  I found that I don't have to maneuver the brush in awkward angles to cover the curvature of my nails; plus the bristles don't spread out as wide as others, which prevents less boos-boos (polish getting on the skin around the nail beds).

CND The Look Book Spring/Summer 2011

Take a peek at our Colour & Effects and how they rocked the runways of some of the world’s top fashion designers.
(Look Book Spring/Summer 2011 Video)

*Product(s) were received for trial/review; these are my honest opinions

Zoya Dove

I was so excited to try out my new FREE sample size Zoya nail polish in the color Dove that I got in my April Birchbox this week!  I think it's so pretty and so "ME" :)
I can totally see myself using up this whole little bottle and buying a full size replacement!
Base Coat: CND Sticky Base Coat
Top Coat: CND Super Shiny Top Coat

Spring/Summer 2011 NewBeauty TestTube

This week I received my New Beauty magazine along with their Spa Finder magazine and a Test Tube full of 12 beauty product samples.  New Beauty is a fantastic magazine full of all things beauty from skincare/makeup tips to health/beauty tips to top doctors/spas.  It's about 200 pages of very useful (non-selling) beauty related information and inspirations.
I first found out about the test tube sample goodies from Pammy Blogs Beauty (link to that post here) and once I saw her post I was so excited because I had been looking for months for a magazine to subscribe to that would offer useful beauty information and photos to help keep me inspired, plus this program sent you samples too!  Which I completely LOVE!

Here's some info on the TestTube Program:
Throughout the year, TestTube™ subscribers will receive four different exciting boxes filled with deluxe samples of the latest and best beauty products. The value of the samples you’ll receive will always significantly exceed the subscription price. You will be charged $29.95 (plus $8.95 for shipping and handling) as each new TestTube™ is sent to you. 

Here's the samples I received:

Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer (normal to dry skin)
Morrocanoil Luminous Hairspray
Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body and Crease Release
Boost-It! by Luminess Air Instant Complexion Inhancer
Kerstin Florian Correcting Oil-Free Daily Defense SPF50
Lashfood Non-Peptide, Natural Eyebrow Conditioner
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser
Lumene Vitamin C+ Radiant Day Cream & Radiant Beauty Drops
Dr. Defense Glow Younger Self Tanning Glove
Clean Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Cream
Beauty Society Success Perfume

PLUS I received a $20 gift card for SpaLook

I'm very happy with my New Beauty magazine and even more excited about trying out these samples.  If you're like me and love reading and learning about beauty and health, then you might want to look into New Beauty, even if you don't want to do the Test Tube program, it's an absolutely amazing magazine that has fulfilled my learning and inspiring needs.

ELF Day & Night Palette

I bought the ELF Essentials Day to Night Collection which includes an eyelid primer, lengthening and defining mascara, eyeliner pencil and an eyeshadow palette in Day & Night.  I love the ELF palettes, and when I was randomly browsing their website I noticed the palette in this collection is a special palette because it's not listed in their regular lineup (which it should be!).  This palette is true to it's name, I have worn this palette a few times and even did a day look, which I darkened up for a night look.  The collection costs only $5.00 and I definitely recommend checking it out.

TOP ROW: soft peachy white, light peach shimmer, peach shimmer
BOTTOM ROW: light pink glittery/shimmer, brown burgundy, glittery/shimmer black

Here's a day look I've created:

Here's a night look I've created:

 This palette is absolutely fun to play around with and mix up the combination of colors.