Nail Polish Obsession

These are the nail polishes that I have acquired just this month! This obsession has to stop pretty soon. I have always used Opi, Essie for nail polishes and they are pretty good I thought. Not until I tried a Chanel. I have to say its one of the best of the best! The color is very pigmented, and the application is amazing. Smooth and most of the time, one coat is sufficient. I have never seen any polish that can look as good with just one coat. I read somewhere that they just improved their formulation last year.

Lets start with the Chanel nail polishes.  The black pearl is one of those colors that they always have, its a classic and it is like no other. Bluish gray with some tint of green, like a black pearl. The Taboo is from the Fall 2013 collection, the color is fantastic, its a deep purple with some gold glitter. I dont think the pictures do the justice, maybe these blogs do better than me, here is one, and here is another.  The Tapage is from the Spring 2014 collection and its a very bright color, a cross between an orange and a red. Perfect for springtime.

I have also been reading from several blogs about the new gel top coats which is supposed to make your nails last longer. I wanted to try this so I got it as well.

Lets talk about the Dior Nail Polishes. The Destin is from the Winter 2013 collection and Perle Spring 2014. The brushes from the Dior nail polishes are pretty wide (more pics to come) and pretty much one stroke can do the job. Destin was a popular color, as well as Galaxie (Similar to taboo) but they were sold out already.  Pearle is a very light almost clear coat ,but the shimmer is pretty nice. I just wanted to try another color that is not so pigmented. I read on The beauty Look Book you can apply it on top of other nail polish colors as well.

Another set I acquired during the holidays is the Julep glitter gift set.

Dont they all look amazing?

2014 Wishlist...

Currently, I am obsessed with any makeup from Chanel, Dior, and YSL. I am so lured by the nice packaging and rave reviews on the blogs. Here are some items on my wishlist, I missed some of these in 2013 so hopefully I can still get it.

1) Chanel Joues Contraste in Accent or Rose Bronze.

2) Chanel spring 2014 colors, Tapage

3) This is a gorgeous palette. called Flower Crush Eye Palette. Not sure if I can get myself to buy it but its good to be wishful. Its from the Spring 2014 collection. 

2013 Loves...

Here are some of my favorite makeup acquisitions in 2013:

Chanel lift foundation, it provides a bit more coverage than the popular Vita Lumiere line.  Its also a little pricier ($65 vs $55) but i felt it was better coverage and it had some anti aging formula for wrinkles.  Before this, I was using Bobby Brown BB Cream, and also tried the liquid foundation by Makeup Forever...this is definitely a step up in price and quality in my opinion. 

I also tried my first Chanel nail polish, I have to say i am very impressed with the color and the shine...not sure if i can go back to using Essie now!

Naked 3 Palette, it came out around November 2013. I jumped on it immediately when they announced that most of their colors were rose which is what i was missing in my collection:

Laura Mercier Caviar stick, in Amethyst. Its basically an eyeshadow on a stick and its very very smooth. I didn't think I would like this as much as I do, and I seem to reach for it more than the naked palette nowadays because its so easy to apply. Definitely worth checking out the other colors!

Current Obsessions

Happy New Year to ya'll pretties out there. 2013 sneaked right pass in an blink of an eye and here we are in 2014!

I am starting this year with a post on my current obsessions. I got a lot of beauty stuff for Christmas...all my friends must think I'm really vain..and I'd like to share some of the things that I've obtained and tried.

Let's begin!

My number one obsession at the moment is the Jo Malone Red Rose cologne. I don't own this cologne, yet, but I have about 8 sample vials of it courtesy of a really nice Nordy SA. I find myself sticking my head into my shirt all-day-long to sniff how wonderful this scent is. This scent makes you feel like you're in the middle of the rose garden all day and it's just wonderful.  Go sniff it..

Every girl need a little bit of Chanel in their life and currently I'm really liking the Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation it has great coverage and feels light on the skin and doesn't oxidize so much that it changes color mid-day. It's medium coverage and I don't feel I need to touch up during the day either. A little oil blot here and there will do.

Glowing skins are what we love and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder can help you! I have these in Diffused Light and Dim Light. It gives your skin a healthy glow when you turn and accentuates your face dimensions. The powder is not shinny reflective Disco Ball type .... like some of the powder I've tried in the past.. ahem, Dior .. but it's like upping your voltage so you GLOWS! Good stuff, I'd tell ya.

What's a way to make you Bright-ed eyes instantly? Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sugar Frost will do the trick. I got this after Sassymama told me how she liked her Amethyst so I thought, why not?...and picked it up in Sugar Frost and Rose Gold. I swipe this on my lower lashes and have gotten compliments both days that I wore it to work after only 6 hours sleep. So for the tired eyes this is instant picker upper..better then caffeine!

I'm a nail glitter freak and always love to have my nails sparkles like a Disco Ball. I got the Sephora Formula X The 22 nail set. This set is nice since it have some of the nice everyday colors plus some crazy colors but what's best is it include some of the prettiest glitter top coats! You are able to mix and match all the colors with topcoats and the possibilities are, not quiet endless, but long enough to keep your nails entertained for quite a while. The formula goes on smooth and doesn't streak which is what I love to most since I'm not very good at controlling my left hand and most of the time my nails on my right hand end up very messy. But the FormulaX is very easy to paint and the color on your hand is what it shown on the bottle. So if you like nail lacquers try the formula-X!

Sigma brush holder

My current night routine

 Lately my skin has been sooo dry. Mostly due to pregnancy hormones and the weather. This is my current skin care routine. It seems that it has been helping calm my skin irritation down and adding tons of moisture to my skin. (Better than my last pregnancy!)

I first apply the vitamin C whitening solution that was referred to me by Clara. Then I apply the La Mer cream and mix a few drops of the Josie Maran Argan Oil. It helps to make the consistency less thick as the LaMer cream is pretty thick. Then i finish with an eye cream. Occassionally I put on the Lancome Genefique serum sample but I have not found that to be helpful at all.

New Sigma brushes!

I have been watching makeup tutorials lately and all i hear is these sigma brushes. I finally took the plunge after obsessing about it for months and got them as  they were highly recommended! I love them...! They are soft and very full....can't wait to try them.

F80: Flat kabuki. The famous brush for applying foundation of all kind: cream, powder and liquid and its supposed to be a pretty airbrushed finish.

F84: Angled kabuki is another favorite of many to apply foundation in harder to reach corners. Also can be used for bronzers and blush.

F30: Large powder brush. I wanted a better minieral foundation brush and this is lovely. Large and fluffy!

This is the F80 kabuki next to my old favorite sonia kashuk flat kabuki.

Sephora haul from vib sale!

There was a 20% off sale from sephora for VIB members. This happens only once a year. How could I miss the chance to stock up! My favorites were the dior compact makeup kit and the laira mercier eye palette. Love!

Moisturizing Cleansers

I need a moisturizing cleanser since my skin is quite dry from the pregnancy. I have been using the cleanse and tone from Nuskin, and I was happy with it, but I found something else that was a bit less expensive and both foam, and comes in pumps.  Nuskin Cleanse & tone, $38.

There is not much of a lather, but its gentle.

Fion, $20 at Takashima, or sasa.com. Made in Japan.

There is more lather, and its very soft. I will keep trying both products until I am out but so far I like this one better.

Eyeliner

I am an eyeliner kinda girl, and used many many different brands including Stila, Kat Von D, Dior, etc. My favorites always goes back to Japanese brands. My current favorite is this one and I got it from Takashima, i have it in both black and brown. Its high moisture, very sharp or thick, waterproof, and dries quick.

Argan Oil by Josie Maran

So i have been wanting to try this oil, from Sephora. I have dry skin in certain spots and so they had a sample size for $19 so I decided to try it. Its pretty nice, it moisturizes my skin and easy to put on and not oily feeling after. But, it doesn't do anything except moisturize, so i am not sure if i will repurchase for full size.

Eyeshadow for Work

So I got this new palette to wear for work. Its has all matte color, and I like it so far, very mellow colors.For the most part, i only use 2-3 colors, the middle 3. For smokey eyes, I can use the black. its really, really pigmented...

Dior Eyeshadow

I got this for my bday and I really love it. Never tried the dior eyeshadows before (expensive at $59!) but they are really shimmery without being too heavy.  The texture is light, and color is highly shimmery. The resulting color is quite flattering/natural and colors to me, specially when I didn't apply too much.

I went to sephora to see all the other colors and they are all so preeee-ty! Dont you just want to try one right now? or add this to your holiday wish list ? :D

Eyeshadow Tutorial

So I have been playing with my naked 2 palette everyday and I am bored with the same look so I googled to look for some tutorials.

 like these look that look somwhat natural and decent to go to work with:

http://makeupbykailanmarie.blogspot.com/2012/05/tutorial-easy-bronze-eyes-ft-naked-2.html

http://makeupbykailanmarie.blogspot.com/2012/03/neutral-eyes-using-naked-2-palette.html

Superior Whitening Serum

I have never used such an effective whitening product. This serum gives you immediate visible results. I started using White Secrets about 2 months ago and this is something that i will keep as my long term whitening product.

The serum has a capsule on top with Vitamin C powder and you activate the Vitamin C when you first open the bottle by pushing the powder down and mixing it with the serum. Once the serum is activiated it must be stored in the fridge and the serum must be used in 10 days. First use of the serum I see my face brightens overnight. I use it both in my morning and night routine after my toner. It's very easy to use and after leaving it in the fridge it gives a great refreshing feel becuase it's cold and feels so good on the face.

Immediate brightening and whitening is apparent during the first ten days. With the 2nd bottle, dark pigmentation will resurface but do not panic, that's just the serum breaking down the pigmentations and with continued use it will work its magic and whitens.  I had a dark spot after Caleb's birth and now, I don't. My freckles seem to have lighten and the overall skin tone have evened out and it does help hydrates the skin. I use it spot treatments on my scars and dark spots and I am very happy with the product.

Mineral Powder

I think my search is over for the perfect foundation.....ok for the moment... I have tried many form of foundations and being a true lazy self that I am I usually opt for the cream compact but in recent years I have switched to mineral powder since they're supposedly better for the skin. I had this mineral powder in my make up drawer but somehow when I tried it after the purchase I must not have liked it and that's probably why it's neglected. I've actually forgotten about it until the other day I thought my matt BE was too matt and dull looking I searched around in my drawer and found it......Laura Mercier Mineral Powder with SPF 15.

I have no idea how long I had this - probably under the 2 years make-up shelve life so I put it on. After I buffed it on with my face brush, I was in awe on how good the coverage was with it feeling so light and how it sits on the skin perfectly. I don't even feel it, it's that light. It has a little shimmer to it which I didn't like because it can be mistaken as oil. Loved the feel and the coverage but didn't like the shimmer so what did I do? The next day I tapped a little bit of my BE mineral powder into the LM mineral powder and VIOLA!! My perfect foundation!!! Great coverage, enough to even out skin tone and hide my freckles yet it's light and feel like my skin could breath.

The con - when i run out I will need to buy 2 products instead of one.

Pop Eyeshadow

I went into Ulta one evening and the sales lady kept telling me how great this new product is, brand new from England. I liked the packaging so I decided to try it. (This is before I got the urban decay naked palette). Anyhow, it was good, but not great. The colors turned out a bit lighter than I expected, but good for a light natural look to go to work, but not for like going out in the evening, because you would not see anything if you applied this.

Cleanser

I bought this to try it out since its has been out for a while and people rave about this product. I thought it was pretty good actually. I expected to be a foam cleanser but to my surprise, it was more gel like. I like it so far and it has rosewater smell. This small bottle was $15. I will keep using this for now. :)

Magnolia Enzyme Exfoliator

I got this from my beautician (Monnie) a few months ago.  She recommended this exfoliator because it is made of fruit enzymes to get rid of dead skin cells. It was about $50 but the results are pretty good so far. I feel really clean after and its not abrasive at all..you pump a quarter size and rub until white particles come out and rinse off.

Make up Forever

I tried the primer and the foundation because of the rave reviews. Sorry to say but the primer is so so, and in fact, it has an interesting smell, a cross between synthetic chemicals and perfume. I think that the tint is a nice touch, it covers imperfections a bit better than the non tinted ones. But still, I can't get over the smell. So I will be returning this. As far as the foundation goes, I really wanted to love it.  Its not that bad, it has good coverage, and its pretty silky smooth. But I still like the results I get from mineral powder so I will just stick to that.