Shia:Benefit "How to look your best at everything" Review

Happy 2014! It's a new year and that means trying new things, especially new products! I decided I wanted a new foundation and something that will give my complexion a nice flawless look. I heard a few good things about Benefit's porefessional and wanted to give it a try, it's supposedly does the trick with smoothing away the pores and I could use a few smoothing away all the while looking and feeling natural for an every day look.

Went into Sephora with an open mind and browse through the benefit aisle, and spotted this adorable complexion kit complete with a porefessional primer, a foundation, two concealer and a setting powder for the price of one porefessional primer so I thought it was a better deal. Since I have never tried any of these product I went the safe route instead of purchasing the full sizes for a higher price.

The packaging is super cute, it opens up like a book and inside are the products all lined up perfectly, including some helpful and cute tips and tricks. The porefessional primer is amazing, it's easy to apply, doesn't leave any oily residue and really does smooth away those pores. The foundation was also very smooth and lightweight, it looked really natural and gave my complexion a glow. However, the concealers and powder was a bit too dark for me while the foundation was easier to work with, I am light but I figure the light shades would be too fair for me. Wrong. But overall I really like the porefessional primer and the foundation, I would definitely repurchase the full size and use it well.

Wore it for a concert and had it on for at least ten hours straight while waiting in the cold and also while dancing and sweating the night away inside the concert and it remain intact. A little really does go a long way, only con with this set is that there are only three shades, light, medium and dark, which never really works out with so many different ranges of skin tones and such. Love it nevertheless! Purchased at Sephora for $30.

Nancy: Favorite products of 2013.

Hi all! The year is now coming to an end! And a new year is about to begin. I want to share my favorite products or the products I've been using this year. Most of the products I've used are still the same but there are many different ones that I've tried and really liked. Lets start!

1. Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser

• $26.00 at Sephora

I haven't used this product for that long yet but I feel like it's really helping out my complexion. I just wanted to try out a new cleanser that wasn't from the drugstore. I've used a lot of drugstore products and I was getting tired of reusing the same ones. I heard good reviews on this cleanser and wanted to try it out. When I first started using it I've noticed that my face was breaking out more than I wanted. I didn't like that very much. But as I continued using it, I saw that it was also clearing my face at the same time. I'm going to continue using this product and hopefully see some good results.

2.  Napoleon Perdis Foundation Stick

• $39.00 from Sephora

This is quite pricey for a foundation stick. I wanted to try a new foundation that would stay on the whole day and has good coverage. I didn't want it to be too heavy either. I had to ask someone working there for some advice because I really didn't know which foundation was close to my personal preference. She recommended this one. I've never heard of this brand and was quite hesitant to try it out. But I really liked foundation sticks in general because they are very good at covering up blemishes. I bought it and loved it! It does a great job at covering and was lightweight as well. The only downside to this was the smell. I'm not too fond of the smell but I can't blame it since it contains spf. I might not purchase it only because of that, But overall, great foundation if you want good coverage.

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel

• $22.00 from Ulta

This is great for eyebrows. It enhances your eyebrows and makes it look darker and bolder. Definitely recommended! 

4. Em Cosmetic Intensive Waterliner in Black Night

• Emcosmetics site for $20.00 

I've heard a lot of good reviews on this waterliner. I've always been a fan of Michelle Phan so I really wanted to try it. I got a really good deal on this during black friday. I have to say that it's not really any different from other eyeliners. It still smears and it doesn't really stay on my waterliner. It is quite intense so it's still a good eyeliner. 

5. Em cosmetic Creamy Color Matte Lipstick in Wine Stain

• Emcosmetic site for $16.50

I must say this has become one of my favorite lipstick this year. It is up there with my Kat Moss lipstick. It really is a creamy matte lipstick. It's matte but doesn't dry out my lips. I love the color too. Awesome invention Michelle Phan! 

6. Smashbox Wondervision Eye Set

• Ulta for $24.00

This kit comes with the eyeshadow palette, eyeliner, and mascara. Great deal for only $24.00! It was originally $32.00. The color for the palette was really nice and was what caught my eyes in the first place. Very eye catching. I must say this was a great investment!

7. Lorac Pro To Go Palette

• Ulta for $38.00

Last but not least, the Lorac Pro To Go eye and cheek palette. I adore this palette. It is the perfect travel size palette. It has eyeshadows and blushes all together. The perfect combination. I really like the color and has been using it frequently. Another great investment!  

These all are my new favorites for 2013! I can't wait for 2014 and see what other great products I can try out for the new year! As for now, see you all again in my next post soon! Have a Happy New Year! :)

Shia: Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polishes

Happy December! Wow! It's December already! My last post was months ago so I decided to update with some new nail polishes that I recently purchased. These are scented nail polishes that Revlon has smartly brought to us this season. I love the concept, scented nails are so in! The packaging is also a plus, they took the perfume concept and turned the nail polishes into perfume bottles with the cute rounded top. I decided to pick dark colors for the winter season and went with a dark violet(Wild Violets) and wine maroon(Bordeaux). The purple is a really dark violet, almost black with a hint of purple and tiny gold flecks. While the wine color is a matte deep dark red. So when you first open the bottle you are going to smell the usual strong nail polish smell but once you start applying and it dried on your nails you can really smell the sweet scent of each polish. The violet one smells like well violet and the wine one smells like a bouquet of flowers.

I can't stop smelling my nails because the scent is strong in a good way. However, the scent is not long lasting, the first few minutes the scent is strong, but after an hour or so it started to fade, keep that in mind. The consistency of the nail polishes are good, not too light or heavy, one coat would do but I like to intensify the color using two coats. It's a must try, super cute, it works and affordable. Originally $5.99 at Ulta but with my rewards card I was able to get $1 off each. Sorry for the horrible job painting my nails, I've never been a patient person when it comes to painting my nails, hence my short nails, I'm far too busy and impatient to keep my nails long and fancy. Have a great winter and keep warm!

Shia: Berry, Purple Fall Lip Colors

Hello Hello! It's been a long time since either one of us posted so I bring to you my top three favorite Berry, Purple lip colors that will look great for the upcoming Fall and Winter seasons! Purple can be a hard color to wear on the lips but all you have to do is find the right color for your skin tone, most make up line will suggest which color is best for specific skin tone so don't worry about finding the wrong color. For fair skin-choose a pink undertone like a berry pink color, for medium skin-go with a magenta or mauve undertone and for dark skin-deep purple will look the best. However, any shades of purple will work for any skin tone as long as you have the confidence to embrace it, so embrace it!

From left to right: Revlon "Berry Haute" has a pink undertone while Maybelline Color sensations "Deepest Cherry" is a deep purple and MAC "Party Line" is a creme sheen color with a hint of sparkle to really enhance to lips. 

Don't be afraid to rock a bold berry or purple lip this Fall and Winter to make a beauty statement, it gives off a edgy and sophisticated vibe that will surely turn a couple of heads. Pair it with a nice matte complexion with a swipe of mascara for a cool runway look so the lips will be the center of attention. 

Here I am wearing Maybelline's "Deep Cherry" it's not too dark so don't let the color in the tube scare you away! Have fun trying new lip colors this Fall and I will see you in my next post! :-D

Shia: Bobbi Brown Corrector Review

Happy summer! I've been neglecting our blog so today I decided to jump back on and do a quick post. Today I'm reviewing Bobbi Brown corrector for the under eyes, I bought this a few months ago and I have a love and hate relationship with it. First of all, what is it? So this corrector comes in a peach or pink undertone based to hide dark circles which is what I have. It is said to use under your yellow based concealer for a better coverage. It also comes in many different peach an pink undertone shades so there are a lot of options to chose from. I chose light peach because I feel like peach goes more with light to dark skin while pink is for those ivory and fair girls. Now for my review, it's really creamy and goes on smoothly but for me it creases into my fine lines easily even with powder over it. It is said to use under a concealer but I find it to be too thick and usually just use it alone over my foundation which works better for me. I find that it does hide my dark circles if I use it over my foundation but that's it, it doesn't work alone or under my usual eye concealer. But overall I like how long lasting it is and natural it looks on after using it over my foundation. But for $23 I would not repurchase it again just because of the creasing into my fine lines and not being able to use it alone which I would like on days when I don't want to wear foundation. Here is the link to where you can find it if you are interested-------> http://www.sephora.com/corrector-P270555?skuId=1317692

A little goes a long way, I like that it comes with a tiny mirror too but it's really useless, it's about the size of a quarter! Don't let the peach color scare you, a peach or yellow undertone is said to hide very dark circles such as mines and it will match to your skin color making it look natural. Happy reading! :)

Nancy: Bold Lipsticks + other products I have been loving!

I don't know why but I've been into bolder lipsticks lately and since Summer is coming up I really wanna show it off! Red lipsticks has always been more of my comfort zone but I've been expanding into more bright colors.

-Drew Barrymore's Flower Lipsticks-

I only have one of  the lipstick and it's the one that Drew Barrymore has on in the picture. It is one beautiful color. Not only is the color beautiful, the lipstick as you can see on her lips is sheer but still has that bright color that stands out. And of course it stays on for the whole day.  The whole Flower line has such cute packaging which makes it a little tempting. I will definitely be trying more products from this line.

-Revlon Super Lustrious Lipstick-

 

 I have to say that orange is definitely out of my comfort  zone. But when I saw this color I didn't even hesitate and grabbed it off the rack. And I must say that I don't regret doing that at all. This color is a bright orange but not so neon that it has that pop of color. It goes perfectly for Spring/Summer.

-Kate Moss's Rimmel London's Lipstick Collection-

 Two Word. LOOOOOOOVE IT! Yes, I'm in love with the Lipstick. I got it in Rogue. It smells good. It looks nice. It's inexpensive. It's bold. It's sheer. It stays on. You can get it at any drugstore. I have nothing else to say but that I love it!

-Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids-

I've always been into Maybelline's Lipsticks but I've just recently been into their vivids. I have bought two lipsticks. One in Shocking Coral and one in Wild Rose. Both are very neon and pink. It definitely gives a pop of color. Perfect Lipsticks for Spring/Summer. 

-Maybelline's Master Duo Liquid Liner-

So I finally found the perfect eyeliner! I love this liquid eyeliner because it's easy to apply, dries fast, lasts the whole day, inexpensive, and I can find it at any drugstore. When I first saw the brush, I thought that it was going to be hard to apply but I found out that it was much easier to apply. You can go thick or thin and it still goes on smoothly. Two thumbs up for affordable and awesome liquid liners!

-Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind: Eraser Darkspot Treatment + Corrector-

That is one long name! But that's besides the point. The point is, this is one good concealer. It hides dark spots and dark circles really well. Not too sure about the treatment because I have just tried this product not too long ago. And yes, at my age I have no wrinkles but there is nothing better than to prevent it at an early age. Definitely worth it's price at any drugstore!

-Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder-

 

Laura, Laura, Laura, why did you have to make such good loose setting powder? Yes, I have never been a fan of powder just because I feel like it's too heavy on the face after applying foundation, concealer, etc. But I found this powder to be very light weight and perfect for a matte look. It's translucent too so anyone with different skin color can use it. It a bit more expensive but I think it's totally worth it.

Nancy: Drugstore Products That Didn't Work For Me.

Hey all! I'm back after a long time! But I'm back with a new post! This post is about products that I didn't really like. As much as I love make-up, there are make-up that are not meant for everyone.

- Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer.

So one day I was on a rampage trying to find a face primer. I wanted a primer that was going to help my make-up stay on the whole day. And this primer caught my eyes because it said on the tube that it was a 5in1 results. It's supposed to smoothes, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies, and protects the face. Well, I guess it didn't really do that for me. It just made my face super oily and my make-up literally smears at the end of the day. As much as I love the smell of it, I can't take the oiliness that it does to my face.

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-Cover Girl lashblastluxe Mascara.  

This was my first mascara. I wasn't really into mascara because I feel like it didn't really make a difference when I applied it. It was pretty cheap and since I was inexperienced in the mascara department I decided to try it out. The bristles was too hard and I didn't really like that. Even when I curled my eyelashes I still didn't see a difference. Some people may get different results but this one just wasn't for me.

-Revlon PhotoReady Concealer.

I've used this concealer for sooooo long and I don't even know why I did. This was a good concealer...for people that DOES NOT have major bags or dark circles. At least for me. I have major bags and dark circles and I need major coverage. This helped a little for me but it didn't really cover it fully like I wanted.

- L'oreal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner.

 I was so sad when my favorite eyeliner was remade. They added a smudger at the end of the eyeliner and I use it for about 3 weeks and I already had to buy a new one. I felt like it wasn't worth its price anymore so I wanted to invest in a new eyeliner. I've always wanted to try this one so I decided to give it a go. But sadly, it was a no no for me. It smeared so badly that after one time I had to give it up. Love how it was easy to apply but sort of disappointed about the results.

-Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick.

 I want to say that this lipstick  wasn't as great as I thought when I first  saw it. I was excited to try this lipstick out. I've been into lipsticks a lot lately and I wanted to try this one out because the color was sooooo pretty. The color was gorgeous but the only reason I don't really like this lipstick is because it made my lips sooo sticky. This was the only reason I docked points.


And this is the end of my list. I talked about these products from experienced. These are all my own personal feelings about these products so don't take my words for it. Some of these products might be your favorites so I don't want to say it's bad so don't buy it. Try it out and see if it works for you. So for now thanks for reading and I will post another soon. Hopefully ;) Adieu!