Loving This Look - Tantalizing Eyes

Lately I've been obsessing over purples and cranberry colors. I think it's a combination of Fall and the Halloween spirit in the air. But then I saw these ridiculously cool flowers called Fritillaria and have been obsessed. For one, they have this really amazing checkerboard like pattern on the petals. Yes, that's legit. It looks straight up out of a Tim Burton film or something. Aside from that, I just loved the dramatic eggplant color that they had. Some even had this cranberry reddish purple color as well. And from that stemmed this look. A deep tantalizing purple/aubergine makeup look. I started with M.A.C's Plum Dressing (A reddish purple color) on the base of the eyelid. Focusing the color in the inner and center part of the lower lid. I also applied a small amount to the inner part of my lower lash line. I then took M.A.C's Nocturnelle (love that name!) and placed the color in a sideways 'V' shape at the outer corner of the lid and then took a fluffy blending brush to blend it into Plum Dressing as well as to soften any harsh lines around the edges. And of course, used it along the outer 1/3 of the lower lash line. I then took a little bit of Blackberry which is a deep matte smokey purple and applied it to the outer edge of my eyes along the top and bottom lash line just to give it some definition. To finish it all off, I applied NARS Via Veneto to the inner rim of the eye which always makes the eyes pop in a sexy sultry way. And you can't forget mascara! Armani Eyes to Kill in black is perfect for full lashes that won't get lost in the deep colors of the shadows. Moving onto the face, I skipped blush and just used the Dior Bronzer to warm up the complexion. Using a large powder brush, I dusted it lightly on the top of the forehead, cheeks and a small amount just under the lip to give it that pouty look. And finally, my favorite nude pink lipstick, Estee Lauder's Crystal Baby, went onto the lips. It's a beautiful creamy nude pink that is perfect for all complexions. I always have difficulty finding good nude type colors for my lips as they are naturally a deep mauve/berry color and this color is just perfect! I'm loving this look for Fall/Autumn. It would be perfect for an evening out.

Talk soon. Kisses, J

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Contouring v. Bronzing

So.... my cousin has been asking me to show her how to contour for months now. And because I'm awesome, here it is! I thought I'd combine it with how to bronze your face as well. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to get confused with the difference between bronzing and contouring. Probably because many people use bronzers to contour and so it all gets a little mixed up. I'm going to try to take you through the difference between the two, what products you can use and how to place the product in the right spot. Here we go!

Contouring is all about creating dimension to your face. It's literally using color to shade your face and give the appearance of shadows. When something is darker/shadowed, it will appear to recede. You can use this illusion to make it seem as though your face is slimmer, more chiseled, etc, etc. Although you can use some similar products to bronze your face, this is a completely different concept. Bronzing up the face is all about looking like you've been in the sun. As though you've been sun-kissed and you're all bronzy and glowy like a Victoria's Secret model. Hopefully that clears up a few things. Let's get into products and the nitty gritty. Contouring up first!

What's in my Make up Bag - Current Favorites

One of my favorite things is seeing what people keep in their makeup bags (so nosey!). But, if it's in your makeup bag, it more than likely means you're truly enjoying the product. Mine is constantly changing, but this is a snapshot of what I'm loving at the moment. I'm always in a rush to get to work on time so for everyday I need products that work great and are super fast/easy to apply. With the exception of bronzer, I can pretty much get everything on without having to ever pull out a makeup brush (yay for fingers). Here's everything I've been using lately to create a simple, pretty, everyday summer look.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Medium: I'm not the biggest fan of M.A.C face products, but I have to say they really got it right here. I've been using this powder off and on for about 8 years. It's the most natural looking powder. Doesn't look cakey and is great for touch ups.

Garnier BB Cream - Light/Medium: This BB Cream honestly rivals higher end ones. It has a light coverage and blends into the skin effortlessly. Also helps you look radiant and the hyaluronic acid in it is great for keeping you hydrated all day long. 

Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder - Sunlight: This is my favorite bronzing powder ever and it has gorgeous packaging! I held off buying this because I kept telling myself "you don't need another bronzer". I'm so glad I didn't listen because this one is different. It does as the name says, it gives a 'Healthy Glow'. I use it in the shade 'Sunlight', but they also have a darker option in 'Sunset'.

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy - 09 Cool Guava: This is a sheer tinted lip balm. I've been using the Cool Guava shade which is a light baby pink with a slight hint of shimmer running through it. To be honest, my favorite thing about this is the packaging. The silver and gold casing with the YSL logo around the center band. Beautiful. I love whipping this out of my bag for touch ups. I feel so fancy! (If you don't want to splurge, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balms or Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whispers are similar in concept and feel.)

LORAC PRO To Go - Review

I can't tell you how often I find myself packing a bag whether it be for one night or one week. Honestly, it's all the same when it comes to packing your makeup. If you want a full face, you'll need eye shadows, liner, blushes and so on and on. I end up with more cosmetics than clothes! That's why I'm always looking for things that will give variety in a compact way. So, when I spotted the LORAC Pro To Go Palette, I knew it was the sort of thing I'd want to give a try and glad I did.

I've used this palette a few times now and it's so wonderful. The palette folds out like an accordion so you can have it all the way open displaying the mirror, shadows and blushes all at once (as photographed in the above image on left). Or, you can flip one side open at a time which is easier to maneuver if you don't have surface space. As you can see, the top portion has a mirror. Very practical for being on the go. The next section has six eye shadows, then below those are two blushes and one bronzer.

The quality of these powders are amazing. If you've ever tried LORAC shadows, you'll know what I mean. Highly pigmented (you can sheer them out though if you want it more subtle), easily blendable and velvety smooth. Because they are so soft and pigmented, I do suggest tapping off your brush before applying so you don't get drop down on your face. Another great thing about the formula is that the shadows can be used both wet or dry. So, if you want a more intense pigment, just dampen your brush before dipping into the shadows. I personally love this because I like to use the black as an eyeliner and using it wet gives me a crisper, deeper and cleaner line.

I've swatched all the colors below (dry swatches - no flash). That is just showing the color with one swipe. No building up necessary to get to that intensity. For the eye shadows, the top three are shimmery. I think Chai is my favorite. It's a beautiful intense shimmery golden brown. The bottom three  eye shadows are more matte (although Shell and Cafe have a slight very fine glitter running through them). The coral blush is shimmery while the pink blush and the bronzer are both matte. All beautiful colors and diverse enough to give you multiple day or night looks. Loving it.

If you travel often and like to have versatile easy makeup, I would highly recommend this. It's really just the kind of thing that takes out all the guess work. Without having to think twice, you can just toss this into your bag with foundation & mascara and you're good to go. I had the LORAC Pro Palette and love it so I knew the To Go version wouldn't disappoint. (BTW - if you haven't checked out LORAC Pro Palette, you should. It's got a combo of half shimmers and half mattes, has a good variety of color for many looks, has great pigmentation and is really thin in size). I believe the LORAC Pro To Go palette is exclusive to Sephora, so you can check it out there. The price is also reasonable at $38 for what it includes. Nice!

Talk soon.