Top M.A.C Shadows

I must be some kind of crazy. I just love eyeshadows. I want every one of them in every single color I can get it in. The obsession started with M.A.C eyeshadows. I remember in high school, distinctly buying Trax, Phloof! and Beauty Marked. Those were my firsts and I've been collecting ever since. I was lucky enough to be start my makeup collection with M.A.C which is a great brand with a huge range of products. I have since grown to love so many other makeup brands for a lot of things, but I continuously go back to my M.A.C eyeshadows even after all these years. The quality is excellent. Highly pigmented, smooth and easily blendable. Everything you want in an eyeshadow, really. They also last well on my eyelids. I never have issues with the color fading or anything. If you're unfamiliar with M.A.C, here's a little summary. They have a large range of eyeshadow colors from neutrals to primary colors and electric greens. The brand was created for to specifically meet the needs of makeup artists. So, the color range is extensive, the packaging is basic and practical. And you get great quality for a reasonable price. Not cheap, but not too expensive either. You also have the option to buy the shadows in a single package (as shown above) or you can get them without the casing where it is just the eyeshadow in the pan with a magnet on the back. You can then take those eyeshadows and pop them into palettes (which M.A.C sells). They come in different sizes - four, twelve, etc. I used to buy the shadows in the individual cases, but now I just buy them in the pans and I pop them into palettes. It's just easier and takes up less space in my collection. I have somewhere between 60-75 shades. I know. It's ridiculously excessive. I definitely have my favorites though and I wanted to share those with you today. I gathered my top 20 here with swatches and all. I do have a few that are "I would cry if you ever got discontinued" shades within that 20 that I'll note as we go along. Let's jump in…

My Favorite Red Lipsticks

I've never been much of a lipstick wearer. Like ever. But, when I do decide to get all fancied up, I love a red lip. It's classic, it's chic and it's bold with sophistication. No one can deny the power of a red lip. So, of course, I've collected a few over the years and these are by far, my absolute favorites!

Favorites - October

Hey everyone. OK, I know this is late. Like really late. But better late than never, right?! October was a month of new favorite and some old favorites coming back around. I'd say, let's not fuss much with an intro and just jump right into what I have been obsessed with in October. Click through for my thoughts on each….

Let's Get Inspired! - Gold Trend

So, unless you've been under a rock, you'll know that Fashion week happened a few weeks ago and I've been loving looking through all the makeup looks going down the runways. Of course these are Spring 2014 trends, but seeing all the gold on the runways totally has me wanting it NOW! The Dior show had amazing gold looks. I love pulling inspiration images and seeing a vibe all in one place. I could probably make inspiration boards/collages all day long. OK, back to what I was saying. What was I saying? Oh, yes. Gold is obviously trending for spring, but I kind of think that gold and metallics in general are perfection all year round. It's so bold, but in a cool and oddly subtle way. It definitely makes a statement, but not in the way cobalt blue eyeshadow does. You catch my drift? Yeah. So, I'm totally obsessed with metallics and golds all the time. I do think that the way you translate it might vary throughout the year. Not all golds are created equal. During the Fall/Autumn seasons, I love the darker and dirtier golds. The antiqued looking gold that isn't super bright is the way to go.

I pulled a few of my personal favorite picks that I think are great to wear this season. M.A.C's Old Gold pigment (if you're unfamiliar with pigments, they are just loose powder shadows with intense pigmentation) is a beautiful antiqued looking gold. It almost has a slight greenish undertone to it which keeps it looking a little patina'd and more Fall appropriate. It would be beautiful just on it's own as a wash across the eyelids. And if you read my last post, you'll already know that I'm obsessing over the Lancome Artliners. They are just brilliant and so easy to use. They released a gold color and I'm so in love. I can't get enough of gold liners. I think it's so chic to use a gold liner on bare eyelids with just mascara. My other love is gold nails. Illamasqua's Swinger nail varnish is a really good one. It's got a really good glitter in it that fully coats the nails. What's perfect about this for Fall is that it has a bit of a dirty silvery gold mixed in with a classic gold which gives it a little edge. 

Those are definitely the golds I'll be reaching for this season. What about you? What sort of golds do you like in the Fall? Or what other things are inspiring you from the runway?

On a side note, I wanted to mention a few things. I'm currently on a business trip in North Carolina. I really enjoying it here. Everyone is so friendly and sweet. Ah, and the trees. I love all the big old trees. You don't get that so much in LA around the city. I am, however, sad that the leaves haven't really started to change color. I was really hoping to be here just in time to see the bright reds, oranges and yellows. Oh well. Anyways, with all that being said, I am still trying to upload a few more posts this week, but bear with me as I try to figure out wifi (since it's only working on my bathroom counter...wth). I have also noticed a few more followers coming around this week and I really appreciate it. I don't think it will ever get old to see people coming to visit my little blog. Always puts a smile on my face. Thanks all! Hope to see you soon!!

xoxo. Kisses, J

Inspiration images from Garance Dore, Honestly WTF and Pinterest

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!

Summer Night Out Look

My favorite part of going out is getting ready to go out. I swear that's half the fun! I put together a look for a summer night with shimmery gold eyes, peach flushed cheeks and a fun bold coral lip. I've walked through everything step by step below if anyone wants to recreate it.

Face

I started out with applying the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. A primer is really helpful when going out so that your foundation with last longer (through walking, dancing or whatever else you get yourself into!). Second, I applied NARS Sheer Glow Foundation using clean fingertips. I find this foundation gives excellent medium to full coverage, but has a very thin, light consistency so it doesn't look or feel heavy. It has a beautiful satin finish to keep you looking glowing and gorgeous. If you need any concealer, now is the time to apply whichever one works best for you. And lastly, I dusted on a small amount of the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent. I think this is essential for oily/combination skin, but also helpful to powder at least the T-zone for anyone when you're going to be out. It'll make your skin appear velvety in photographs!

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.)