MAC Must-Haves: Samoa Silk Eyeshadow

With Pantone declaring Tangerine Tango as THE color for Spring, it's no wonder we have been seeing orange on the runways, in the stores, and on the makeup shelves. If you aren't quite ready to take the plunge with bright orange eyeshadow, you may want to try out my latest addiction: MAC's Samoa Silk Eyeshadow.

Samoa Silk is a veluxe finish shadow and is described by MAC as a polynesian peach. It isn't bright and doesn't have any shimmer in it, so it is very versatile. It can be used in the crease or on the lid, and the peachiness factor is just perfect. 

Swatch of Samoa Silk in daylight

Swatch of Samoa Silk w/ flash

Lately I have been wearing this all over the lid, with a darker peach or soft tan in the crease, and black liner. The peachiness really awakens the eyes and adds a touch of warmth, which is perfect for spring. Here I am wearing Samoa Silk on the lid, Soft Brown in the crease, and a touch of mascara.

This is a must have for me because I love neutrals, especially warm neutrals. This would be especially flattering for those with blue eyes because peach/orange opposes blue (color wheel theory) so the peachiness brings out the blue in blue eyes. This shade would also be great for mature women because the brightness of the peach counteracts the grey, sallow tones surrounding mature eyes.

What peach/orange shades are you rockin' this Spring?

Blending Shadows

There are some shadows that I can always rely on to help with blending...these are what I like to call blending shadows. I use these shades to blend harsh edges, to create a gradient for smokey looks when going from a dark color on the lid to a light color on the browbone, and correcting mistakes. Sure, I use these for other purposes too, like on the lid or in the crease, but I use them most for blending and bringing a look together.

Top: Orb, Wedge

Middle: Soft Brown, Texture

Bottom: Cork, Espresso

Yes, all of these shades are from MAC. I really believe that MAC does the best neutrals. They have a HUGE range of shades, finishes, and tones. 

L-R: Orb, Wedge, Soft Brown, Texture, Cork, & Espresso

I know what you are thinking, these all look very warm. Perhaps, but bringing warmth to the eyes really brightens the eye area. Plus, my philosophy is like that of Bobbi Brown: all skin tones naturally have warm tones in them, so warm colors are very complementary.

My absolute favorite for myself is Texture. This shade works wonders for medium-dark skin tones and also looks great on mature skin (especially auntie types). I highly recommend all these shades, whether or not you use them for blending.

Do you use and love any of these? What is your favorite blending shadow?

A Sue Devitt Face of the Day with Product Reviews and Swatches

A few months ago I wrote about my love for the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Kenya, and I was fortunate enough to recently receive the olive green color Bangalore, along with a few other Sue Devitt goodies:

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Bangalore

Just like with Kenya, the Bangalore shadow pencil is opaque enough that it can be used as a liner or shadow, and is a quick and easy way to add some color to the eyes. The Eye Intensifier Pencils are creamy, easy to blend, and when used with a primer they last all day. 

Sue Devitt Gel-to-Powder Blush in Marion Reef

This is definitely my favorite product of the bunch. I mentioned it in last month's favorites, and this is a standout product. When you touch the blush it feels like a creamy gel and is soft and very easy to blend. When you start blending it on the cheek it starts to settle in to a powder but without being ashy or cakey. This property really allows the product to look natural on the skin and it lasts all day. The product itself is very pigmented and can be sheered out or layered for more intense color. I usually layer powder blushes on top of cream blushes but I don't have to with this one. I also like that the packaging is very slim and has a mirror....perfect for traveling.

Sue Devitt Lip Enhancing Gloss in Golden Triangle and Costa Del Sol

According to the Sue Devitt Website, these glosses contain Marine Filling Spheres that are supposed to "smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and work in tandem with Peptides that promote collagen production." All four shades are sheer and give the lips a smooth, full appearance. Personally, these are nice, but nothing special. I like that the gloss formula is non-sticky and the brush applicator holds a lot of product so the bristles don't splay like some brush applicators do. I didn't notice any plumping effect or anything extraordinary. On my lips, this gloss lasted only 2ish hours. I also think the tube is a little hefty compared to most gloss tubes, and considering how sleek the blush packaging is, this is not sleek at all.

L-R: Kenya shadow, Kenya blended, Marion Reef blush, Marion Reef blended, Costa Del Sol gloss, and Golden Triangle gloss

Here are snaps of the shadow, blush, and Costa Del Sol gloss in action:

Bangalore Eye Intensifier Pencil with no primer

Bangalore Eye Intensifier Pencil 7 hours later

You can see how badly the Eye Intensifier Pencil creased when worn by itself. When used over a primer this shadow lasts all day without fading or creasing. 

Overall, I really like the Eye Intensifier Pencils and the Gel-to-Powder Blush. The glosses are meh. I have only seen Sue Devitt cosmetics in-person at Macys, but they might be available at other retailers too. You can also purchase them online on the Sue Devitt Website, which is currently offering a free Eye Intensifier Pencil in Golden Triangle, an exotic jungle green, with any $25 purchase. 

Disclaimer: The products in this post were provided by PR for consideration. As always, my thoughts and review reflect my honest opinions. 

MAC Must-Haves: Ricepaper Eyeshadow

Just about everyone in the blogging world has confessed their love for MAC Ricepaper, so I figured it's time for me to share why I think it is a must-have.

Mine is almost used up, an indication that I use this a LOT. The color is a peachy beige color with a frost finish. MAC describes this shade as a "peachy gold with shimmer," but on the skin it is not shimmery at all.

I use this mostly as a highlight and inner corner shadow. On light-medium skin tones this also works as a lid shadow, as I am wearing it here:

This reason this is such a popular shade is that it just works. The peachiness allows the color to blend in with the skin and is not look stark like a lot of white-based shadows. This is a must-have for all skin tones and is one of my everyday staples. 

MAC Shop Cook Collection - Haul and Look

Hey Dolls! I haven't been interested in the recent MAC collections, but I did pick up a couple things from the recent Shop Cook collection: Call Me Bubbles Eyeshadow Quad and Added Goodness Fluidline Eye Liner.

L-R: Call Me Bubbles, Fresh Daily, Full of Flavour, Brash shadows; Added Goodness liner

The shadows are super pigmented and I especially love Brash, which is a veluxe pearl texture (my favorite). These shades are perfect for spring and summer. I have so many Indian outfits in these shades so I am excited to wear them with my sarees and lehengas...perhaps even a look like the following:

In this look I am wearing Call Me Bubbles and Fresh Daily on the lid, with a mix of Brash and Bronze (not from the quad) in the crease. I used a similar gradient on the lower lashline. I lined the top lid with Added Goodness Fluidline and used Black Funk pencil on my waterline.

What do you think? Did you pick up anything from the Shop Cook collection?

January 2012 Favorites

Yes, I know I am not the first to say this, but can you believe January is already over? Where does the time go?

Anyhoo, here are the products I kept reaching for in January:

1. Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate - These two shades work so well together making it easy to create a contoured eye. Both shadows are smooth, easy to blend, long lasting over primer, and very pigmented. I have really been loving Laura Mercier's color products lately and will be featuring more of my fave products in the coming weeks.

Swatch of Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate

2. MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning - This is from the Naturally collection and although I normally don't go for mineralize blushes, this one is amazing. It is extremely pigmented so I use a light hand and a skunk brush (I prefer MAC's 188) so that I can have good control of how much color I apply. I think this is gorgeous on all skin tones, but due to pigmentation, it is best suited for medium-dark skin tones. All 3 blushes from the Naturally collection are super smooth, finely milled, and have a natural sheen to them that is not sparkly or matte. Ever since I got this one I have been using it almost everyday.

Swatch of MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning

3. Hana Shine Shield Serum - I originally reviewed this here, and I liked it, but I have really been loving it the past few months. After washing my hair I apply a few drops of Moroccan Oil to damp hair, then blowdry and flatiron. Due to the winter static and dry weather, I have been having a lot of flyaways so after straightening my hair I rub a drop or two of this serum between my palms and smooth it over the top of my head. It works really well to control the flyaways, but it also adds softness and shine without adding any greasiness. Don't you love re-discovering good products you already have?

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt - I confessed my love for this here and honestly, I haven't been using any other liners. This is darker than basic brown, but not as harsh as black, and it just works. I use it day and night and with all sorts of shadow combinations (or with no shadow). This pencil is just amazing and judging by how much I use and sharpen this, I better find another pencil just like it soon, cuz this is going to run out and it is not permanent....le sigh.

Swatch of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt 

What products have you been loving?

How to Prevent Eyeshadow Fallout

Ladies, you know how frustrating eyeshadow fallout can be. You finish your eye makeup only to look down at your cheeks to find traces of eyeshadow just sitting there glaring at you. And most often than not, this happens to me on days when I do my foundation first then my eye makeup, AND I am running late for an event.

Hopefully, these next few tips will help prevent that nasty fallout in the future:

1. Do your eye makeup first, then do your face makeup. That way, if you have to clean up any fallout, you can do so on clean skin and won't have to rub off and reapply foundation, concealer, poweder, etc.

2. When using brushes to apply eye makeup, swirl your brush in the shadow, then tap the handle against your hand to let the loose, excess product fall off the brush on your hand instead of on your face. I do this with almost all powder products (blush, powder, etc.) so that excess product does clump in one are of the skin or fall all over the place.

Brush right after swiping in shadow

Tapping brush on back of hand

Brush after tapping - all excess shadow has fallen off

3. Try using your finger to apply eyeshadow. When picking up product with your finger, excess product will not adhere to your finger, so you don't have to worry about that product falling out on your face. Of course, ALWAYS use your ring finger, as it is the most delicate on your skin, and ALWAYS wash your hands before and after.

Finger swiped in shadow

4. Try using a shadow shield. I picked these up at Sephora a few months ago, but I think similar products are available at other retailers as well. They work pretty well, but are somewhat annoying because there is an adhesive part on one side of the shadow shield and it is annoying to peel off. Plus, this can get pretty expensive if you use them everyday, but might be worth it when doing bright eye makeup or super heavy shadowing.

How to Press Loose Pigments

Hello!!! Yes, it has been way too long since I have posted. Life has been crazy between work, holiday parties, holiday planning, family events, and trying to spend quality time with the hubby.

Ok, I admit, I also spent quite a few nights watching sappy Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. What can I say? I love them! I love the holidays and I love romantic comedy movies, so it's the best of both worlds!

Anyhow, I recently did an experiment in pressing a loose pigment in to an empty shadow pan. I had heard about this being done and I wanted to try it for myself. I used regular rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol 70%), the pigment, an empty shadow pan (this was an old MAC shadow I finished so I cleaned out the pan), a spatula (a toothpick is a good substitute), and a paper towel on the surface.

Step 1: Pour a little bit of the pigment in to the shadow pan.

Step 2: Pour a small amount of the alcohol into the cap of the alcohol bottle, and then pour from the cap in to the shadow pan. Mix the pigment powder and the alcohol with the spatula.

Step 3: I accidentally poured too much alcohol in the pan so I ended up taking a small piece of paper towel and dipped the corner in to the pan to absorb some of the alcohol.

November Favorites

My favorites during November revolved around the fact that winter is here and my skin is drier than the desert. I can finish a tube of moisturizer faster than I can finish a Starbucks holiday drink...and you know I love my gingerbread lattes (and caramel brule....my new fave).

1. Lush Sweet Lips - I use a plethora of face scrubs to exfoliate my skin, but when it comes to my lips I rely on this old fave. It makes my lips super soft and tastes like chocolate! I recently found out from a Lush rep that you can actually lick this stuff off your lips! It is all natural so it can be consumed....though I wouldn't just scoop it out and eat it.

2. Make Up For Ever HD Blush in shade 7 - Again, due to the dry winter air I am trying to use creamier products on my face. This MUFE cream blush blends easily in the skin, lasts all day, and doesn't clog or settle in my pores, and it looks very natural. I can build it up for intense color or layer a powder blush on top. My initial review and swatch are here.

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Action

Hello! How are ya? I know it has been awhile since I last posted. I was traveling and spending time with my family for Thanksgiving. How was your Thanksgiving? Did you go Black Friday shopping?

In a recent post I reviewed Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier Pencil in the shade Kenya. A few readers requested that I show a full face shot so here it is:

In this photo I am wearing Kenya all over the lid and smudged in the crease. I also smudged the pencil in to my lower lash line to add a bit of definition. I am not wearing any other eye product except for mascara. Here is a full face breakdown:

A New Staple in My Makeup Bag - Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier Pencil

I have an affinity for pencil products, lip stick pencils, gloss pencils, shadow pencils...basically anything that is pencil-like and easy to travel with. So when I received a Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil and read that it is a long-lasting, waterproof pencil that can be used both as a liner and as a shadow, I was excited to review it for you.

This pencil is neat because one side is the actual product and the other is a smudger, that is actually decent quality...meaning, I wouldn't mind using it on my eyes. Sometimes the smudger that is attached to liners can be so stiff that I prefer using a separate brush to smudge the color.

I tried out the shade Kenya, which is a gorgeous bronzy, dark brown. Unfortunately, when I first tried applying the product to my eye, the tip broke off.

Two Cream Shadows Perfect for the Holidays: Bobbi Brown Beach Bronze and Galaxy

It's beginning to feel like the Holidays and that makes me sooo excited! I love the spirit in the air, the decorations, holiday parties, not to mention all the delicious sweet and savory foods that are a part of this season. The holidays are usually associated with sparkly gold and silver makeup looks, and I wanted to share two of my favorite cream shadows that follow suit: Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Cream Shadows in Beach Bronze and Galaxy:

Ok, so Beach Bronze isn't gold, but I think it is an easier shade to work with than gold, and is perfect for the holidays and year round.

L-R: Beach Bronze and Galaxy

These cream shadows are so easy to work with and they really are long-wearing. I went through a phase when the only shadow I was wearing was Beach Bronze on the lid and nothing else. Both shadows are pigmented, but can be blended for a more sheer look. I usually wear these on their own, but they also make good bases in lieu of a primer.

5 Must-Have MAC Shadows for Every Skin Tone

If I could only have 5 MAC shadows for the rest of my life, I would choose the following 5:

L-R: Expensive Pink, Texture, Sable, Bronze, Embark

These 5 shades suit every skin tone and I will tell you why:

Habanera with the Hubby, Nars Habanera That Is

I haven't been feeling too creative in the makeup department recently, so when I knew I was going out on a dinner date with the hubby, I reached to the bottom of my makeup stash to pull out some non-neutral fun: Nars Habanera eyeshadow duo:



I love how pigmented these shadows are and the minty shade gives a bit of flair to a classic grey. When swatched, the glitter in the grey shade is not so visible, and although there is some glitter, there is no fallout.

Nars Habanera Swatch with Flash

Nars Habanera Swatch without Flash

This is the look I created for my dinner date: