I want to transform myself

Green eyes, grey, blue and hazel, it feels like the future with all the "enhancements" that we can do to ourselves. It's not like I hate myself, I want to change it up occasionally.  I watch people like Michelle Phan or Promise Phan (they are in-laws) and they practically can do magic with makeup.

I noticed though, that it looks great in photos and film but crazy in person.  The amount of makeup they use!  I would like to be that good one day. 

Awesome 1000 views!!!

WooHoo!  Thank you so much my blogreaties!  I made it to a thousand views! -  Heres to a thousand more.  Let's make this a fun makeup outlet.  I want to hear from you.  I have so many ideas in my head and I hope to put them all in this blog.  Currently I am working on videos but so not ready for the YouTube scene yet.  Those videos I hope to have them exclusively on my blog.  Stay Turned.  And from the bottom of my heart,  thank you so much.  So far this experience has been such a light in my mundane life.  MUAH!

Palette Series: TheBalm Jovi Palette

Palette Series: The Balm Jovi Palette ($39.50 USD)

Palettes, palettes, I love me some palettes. I think I have posted before but I love having everything in one. I want to have my entire face beautiful and find everything in one palette. Yea, I know blogreaties that doesn't quite exist. Yet can you tell me what palettes come close to it? Ha, that a hard one huh? Well welcome to my new Palette Series. I am going to go into my major collection of makeup palettes and test what works and how much one can get done with the ammount of products offered. What else is needed to get a complete look? It is travel Friendly? Stay tuned for my palette series and tell me what you think.

TheBalm is one of my most favorite makeup brands.  I love their sleek carboard packaging and cute designs.  To me its a bit difficult to find this brand in a store.  Many say that they get TheBalm at TJ Max or Marshalls,  I have never been that lucky.  The stores in my area are usually picked through as if it's a swap meet.  But all of my products from TheBalm have been strictly online purchases from Hautelook or thebalm website itself (www.thebalm.com)

This palette has everything you need to take center-stage! It features 12 shadows that are sure to top the charts. All of these shadows can be used wet or dry—so “live and wet/dry”…it’s up to you! The head-lining highlighter and blush are sure to set the stage. Sync up your look with “Milly” and “Vanilly”, the two included lip and cheek creams. Balm Jovi is compact and portable, yet it has everything you need to take on tour! - taken from thebalm.com

Percentage of FACE it covers:	40%
Face (Foundation) - NO	Blush - YES	Eyeshadows(3) - YES
Concealer - NO	Bronzer/ Contour - NO	Eyeliner - YES
Setting powder - NO	Highligter - YES	Mascara - NO
Lipstick/Lipgloss - YES

This palette is perfect for the blank canvas of the face.  The eyshadows offer such a great combination of eyelooks.  Their lip cream on this palette is dry but stains the lips well for the color to stay.  The eyeshadows are separated in three - metalics - nuetrals - and "alternative" colors.  (the names are so cute!)  They are a bit powdery but so pigmented.

Travel Friendly? - YES	Can you double up on products? - YES
Does it include application tools? - NO	Mirror? - YES
Do you need additional application tools? - YES	Factors of uniqueness: tons of eyeshadows unique colors
Still need to bring: Foundation/ Concealer setting powder/ botter mascara

I smudged Alice Copper on the out half of my eye and blended Alegro on the outside and inner side of eye.  lined my lower lash line with this awesome blue shadow The strokes.  Finally put "iron maid-in" in the inner corners.  Blended lined and falsed up the lashes.  Applied "Don't You Want Me" on the cheeks and highlighted with solid gold.  Used vanilly on the lips and added a toch of solid gold to the lower lip to make that pop.

This palette is one of my faves.  i have so much makeup that I think I can fall in love many times with this palette as if it was new.  I always said that this palette is perfect for the girly makeup music lover.  It's thin enough to slip in a purse.  but since its made of a hard cardboard you may get some crushed corners thus possible ruining your eyeshows.  but you can double up if you are in a pitch for products.  I do suggest to keep an eye out when TheBalm is on sale online, like Hautelook you can get this at a descent price.  But pick one up it's a cute addition.

In search for... . .

make up forever chromatic mix

I saw this product in the latest Allure magazine and it for sure struck my curiousity.  Liquid pigments that help change the tones of your makeup.  Information that I read from other state that it specifically helps in changing you foundation.  Six basic colors to modify your color.  HOLY CRAP where have you been my entire life.  You know how much this product would help the makeup community?  We no longer have to guess or RETURN foundations that are great on the skin but horrible on color.  This is help create you own customized color!  YAY

White - To lighten
Yellow - add yellow undertone
Blue - to help maximize original color with blue -ish undertone.
Red - add red undertone
Brown -  Minimize original color
Black - To darken

According to the Make up Forever website these retail for 14 dollars each.  I want yellow, red and white.  Yet where are they?  Sephora doesn't have it.  Even the  Make Up Forever site doesn't offer any stores nearby that carry them.  I will keep my eye on ebay or any obscure site that might offer them.  Wish me luck!

Palette Series: BH Cosmetics Forever Nude

 

Palette Name:  BH Cosmetics Forever Nude Palette ($21.95 USD)

 

Palettes, palettes,  I love me some palettes.  I think I have posted before but I love having everything in one.  I want to have my entire face beautiful and find everything in one palette.  Yea,  I know blogreaties that doesn't quite exist.  Yet can you tell me what palettes come close to it?  Ha,  that a hard one huh?  Well welcome to my new Palette Series.  I am going to go into my major collection of makeup palettes and test what works and how much one can get done with the ammount of products offered.  What else is needed to get a complete look?  It is travel Friendly?  Stay tuned for my palette series and tell me what you think.

 

BH Cosmetics Forever Nude Palette - I bought this palette along with another one ( to be feature later) which were on sale i think 2 for twenty dollars.  BH Cosmetics is still a fairly new brand in my collection.  I was very impressed with the Judy Time Palette so I thought I would try some their other palettes.

 

The BH Cosmetics Forever Nude Eyeshadow, Blush and Lip Color Palette features 6 deluxe size eyeshadows in shimmer, satin and matte finishes along with 2 silky blushes and 2 creamy shades of lip color.

 

 

Percentage of FACE it covers:	50%
Face (Foundation) - NO	Blush - YES	Eyeshadows(3) - YES
Concealer - NO	Bronzer/ Contour - YES	Eyeliner - NO
Setting powder - NO	Highligter - YES	Mascara - NO
Lipstick/Lipgloss - YES

The BHCosmetics Forever Nude palette can cover at least 50% of my face.  I still need the appropriate face makeup but a 50% rating fetches well in my book.  The topper is the matte cream color in the middle.  With outstanding pigmentation this can double as both a base color for the eyeshadow and a face highlighter.  BH doesn't count it as an eyeshadow because the palette already offers 6 great  eyeshadow colors.  Personally these are not the typical shades I see for a nuetral palette.  There are two brown satin shimmer shades but in the corner you see the darkest color which i am still trying to figure out if it's brown, purple or burgundy all wrapped together.  That is my favorite shade.

Travel Friendly? - YES	Can you double up on products? YES
Does it include application tools? - NO	Mirror? - YES
Do you need additional application tools? YES
Still need to bring: Foundation/Concealer - powder - eyeliner - mascara	Factors of uniqueness:  hard plastic case - good blend of nuetrals - large mirror.

The palette is very travel friendly.  The palette is encased in a hard plastic that will survive checked luggage, carry on or slip it in purse for everyday use.  The mirror is perfect to serve as your lone mirror if you are in a pinch and will remain upright once open great for travel.    You will still need your normal arsenal of tools for this palette along with face makeup.  Finally any travel size lip, liner and mascara would pair perfectly with the pallete shades to have this as your only palette to take with you.

Lorac 3d Liquid Lustre ON SALE

 

ON SALE!  On the Lorac website.  Argh I want these! (loraccosmetics.com)

FYI I just checked and they are SOLD OUT.  I just got the email. So check back frequently blogreaties because you know they will replenish!!

Rimmel Stay Matte

Oily?!  Yeah Me Too!  I am still trying to get the right combination of products to combact my oily t-zone.  Enter Rimmel's New Stay Matte Collection.

 

Missing in my collection is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder.  I figured that I have enough powder that I can skip this.  I picked up the foundation from CVS and the display had a dollar off coupon, so I got the foundation for less than five bucks!  Woohoo!  As for the primer, (Like I really need more!)  I picked up from Walgreens and that retailed for $6.99.  The claim is that the products are lightweight and will control shine.  I hope that it will last and cover,  believe me I am skeptical.

 

DEFINITION - Matte: A color, paint or surface that is flat and void of shine.

 

As usual I started off with a clean face and moisturized.  The moisturizer I used is another product that I am trying out that claims to also minimize shine that I will have a post on at a later time.  Hey anything to help.  The primer is lighter and smoother than their Fix and Perfect Pro Primer which I do like but the Pro feels a bit greasy but not the matte,  I was impressed.  The foundation I picked up before the primer,  thinking all the matte foundations are the same.  Yet i started thinking about it.  The drugstore doesn't offer much in matte foundations.  I have the maybelline dream matte mousse but I couldn't think of any others.  Comment below if you can think of more drugstore. 

 

Anywho,  when I first used the foundation, my first initial impression was that I didn't like it.  I applied the products with my fingers and blended it out with my beauty blender.  I think the foundation was so light that the beauty blender stippled the color right off.  Now with the addition of the primer my results have changed.  I applied the primer, concentrating the product on my t-zone and waited a few minutes to help dry and set.

 

 

The top left picture is me with primer the top right is with the foundation.  I applied the foundation with once again fingers THIS time I spread it with a flat top brush and that did the trick.  I think this was because i didn't add any water with a sponge and/or the foundation clings well to the primer.  The results were much better,  with better coverage.  I did apply concealer to my undereyes and blemishes.  I did mix a little bit of the foundation with the concealer to helpwith the color.  I set the makeup with a transluscent powder (lower left picture)  and I finished it with bronzer and blush.

 

For the next few hours I took pics throughout the day to check the progress of the makeup.  Additional notes need to be mentioned. This was done on Sunday which I did go out to a few places but did not eat or blew my nose. I didn't blot before during OR after this makeup.  I am notorious to touch my face for some reason (Yes I know bad for the face and makeup).  Finally I swear I did not touch up the pictures and I did not to touch up my face with products. 

 

The pictures with me holding up the cell phone is me logging in the time that has past.

 

11:38am was the first picture with fresh makeup and heading off to start my day.  All products set and blurred out my pores and imperfections.

1:00pm  I was in my friends car on a cool but sunny day.  i did feel a little bit of my makeup trying to melt.

2:04pm.  took this Outside did not notice a shiny t-zone but makeup did not look as fresh and perfect from before.  Eye makeup a bit blurred pores coming through makeup but no oil slick.

4:10pm.  Took the last picture before I got into the Superbowl game, that day.  I did notice my makeup wearing off but it settle into a natural finish that was not oily but a dewy finish. 

 

Total of 4 hours and 32 minutes past since the initial application.  Honestly that is not bad for no touch ups, or blotting and no additional products like a mattiffying spray.  I do reccommend this product if you are like me and have oily combination skin. I think I got better results with the corresponding primer.   The mattifying effect is not long lasting but it never claimed to be. I am still unsure whether having this particular primer helped mattify more or any mattifying primer will do.  The color selection sucks.  Yet Rimmel usually doesn't offer anything darker than a dark medium.  My true test is a full day of work.  But application alone can take a few more minutes/hours to add to the routine that I know I don't always have the time for. 

 

 So I reccommend not only the foundation but  to use the primer with it.  With proper application and with additional products in your arsenal like blotting sheets, touch up compact and matiffying setting spray you can get minimal shine on you face.  The new Rimmel Stay Matte line is a great addition to the brand and I hope that it stays to be a part of it's regular products. I will happily add these to my regular daily face "go to" products for its crazy affordability and availability.