Makeup Withdrawal

Chanel Rose Temptation JC (And Why I Can't Wait For Fall)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I have a new love in my life, and her name is Rose Temptation. She's a beautiful dark, dusky rose blusher that's elegant and understated, modest instead of flashy and bright. Demure she may be, but she has a touch of shimmer (barely visible on my cheeks) and very much embodies autumn. Unlike her other Chanel sisters, Pink Explosion and Plum Attraction (though the name may suggest a muted dark color) were a bit bright on my face and seemed to emphasize my surface redness. Not to speak ill of Pink Explosion, but the rumors are true- she was quite glittery in appearance (that whore!).

Now, some have said that Rose's European background (these fall collection blushes were baked like the European line) must mean that she's unpigmented and her texture is lacking, but I must say she's certainly pigmented enough for me! I have to use a very light hand and a skunk brush and be very careful to not over do it to get a perfect natural flush. She wears like a champ, too. However, one thing that Rose might not tell you on the first date is that she's actually quite brown! No, don't let that scare you away, she makes for the most perfect, natural flush that gives me the "Makeup? Who, me?" look instead of the ruddy "I've just been running a marathon and now I'm sweaty and kinda gross" look.

Aye, what a beauty! As I promised, no visible shimmer!

At $42, she may be too high maintenance for some, but she's perfect for me and definitely worth every penny!
Are you getting creeped out by my love for this blush? Are you picturing me kissing the velvet pouch this blush comes in and wanting to back away in horror? Ok, I'll stop. But really, I do love this blush and I'd highly recommend everyone to stop by their Chanel counter and take a glance at the beautiful fall line.

Other fall lines that have my undies in a twist:

Urban Decay Naked Palette
stock image from urbandecay.com

Urban Decay- Please tell me that you've seen this gorgeous, gorgeous neutral palette. I (and probably everyone else in the world) have been hoping that UD would come out with a nice 'safe' palette and here it is.
Guerlain- Super luxurious palettes in this upcoming season, the makeup is a piece of art in itself. Check out Makeup4All to see release pictures here. (I promise, it's worth clicking. Be careful, you might wet yourself in the glory)
NARS- No info released yet, but the line is debuting on July 15th on their site! I have butterflies in my tummy just waiting in anticipation.

So what do you think about fall and my new beau, Rose Temptation?

Rose Temptation was purchased by me, for my own use. Other items shown/mentioned are for commenting purposes only.

Good Bye, MAC Fix+

Monday, July 5, 2010

MAC Fix+, 3.4oz for $18

I used to love Fix+. I've used it every time I've applied foundation for the last... oh jeez, I don't even know. I talked about its uses in an early post, if you recall. A bottle lasts me about 6 months, so at $18 a bottle it is actually one of the cheaper skincare items that I used. Well, I ran out of the stuff two weeks ago, but didn't get around to buying a new bottle. Instead, I decided to add some rosewater to the empty Fix+ bottle and found a great dupe. Application wise, I can't tell the difference between the two at all. It doesn't feel any different on my skin, it's as effective at keeping my foundation from caking and refreshes my makeup just as well. Basically, what I'm saying is that heck, I was very wrong and that to me Fix+ is now just an expensive bottle of scented water.
Sure, there are vitamins and oils and such, but have they really effected my skin in any way? Nope, don't think so. While some people like the scent of this liquid, I personally don't really care for it.

Heritage Products Rosewater,
8oz for around $5

Some homemade versions of Fix+ call for glycerin, but I found that unless your skin is excessively dry it probably won't be necessary in addition to the rosewater. But if your skin is dry, Heritage Products (the brand that makes the rosewater that I buy at Whole Foods) actually does make a rosewater glycerin spray for about $5.

All products shown were purchased by me, for my own use.

4th of July Nails: Watermelon Dipped in BBQ Sauce

Saturday, July 3, 2010

You thought I was joking, didn't you? Nope. Here's my hot pink nail with a dark maroon 'sauce' dripping off of it. I didn't do seeds because.... well, that's just not my thing.
The pink is NYC Magenta Flash and the sauce is OPI Mrs O'Leary's BBQ. 2 coats each.
Happy 4th of July, Americans! And to the rest of the world, happy uh... normal day of the year.

Products mentioned were purchased by me and given to me for my own use.

Awesome Things to Do With NYX Pearl Manias (pt 2) (Taupe!)

Friday, July 2, 2010

The other day I talked about NYX Ultra Pearl Manias (here) and hinted at a wonderful world of do-it-yourself that involved them. Today, I reveal the amazing beautiful taupe that I dubbed 'Franken-Taupe'. Ok, in the picture it says, 'Frankens-Taupe', but that just doesn't roll off the tongue well.

Remember this FOTD? That's me, with the
taupe!

I feel like the following pictures say it all! The recipe is simple, 1 part Mocha Pearl mixed with 1 part Silver Pearl. Easy, peasy.

Click any image to enlarge!

So that's the secret to this beautiful, almost metallic taupe. It's so much prettier in real life, honest- pictures don't do it justice!

Items shown were given to me as gifts, for my own use.

China Glaze Wireless Holographic Top Coat

Thursday, July 1, 2010

After my first holographic nail polish a couple weeks ago, I've been eager to get my hands on more. When I spotted this interesting topcoat at a beauty supply store last week, I had high expectations! China Glaze Wireless Holographic Top Coat. Come on, it has holographic in its name. Ergo, it has to be awesome, right?

Well, kinda.
First off, the formula isn't densely populated with the 'holographic' particles. When you look at the bottle, it just looks like a top coat with micro silver glitter, that are slightly, for a lack of a better word, rainbow-y. With one or two coats, the effect isn't super eye catching- in fact, I think only the wearer will be able to truly appreciate it. You could do 3+ coats... but at that point it'll just be thick and gloopy with polish. It does dry pretty quickly though, as a top coat.

Indoors, no flash

Still, that's not a completely bad thing. It doesn't look altogether bad as just a micro glitter coat, which is what it looks like indoors without a good light source.

Before- thumb to pinky, 2 coats: Wet'n'Wild Black Creme, Sally
Hansen Dazzling, Orly Mirror Mirror, Brucci Gianna's "Rockin"
Blue, NYC Magenta Flash

Outdoors, its another story. You can definitely see that sparkly 3D effect that distinguishes holographic polishes from the rest of the herd.

2 coats of Wireless Holographic Top Coat

Close up- a little sloppy, I know!

The darker the polish, the more the holo sparkles stand out. I found that it only looks really good with creme colors, with shimmery polishes that are metallic or pearly, it just looks like a big hot mess. Check out my pointer finger to see what I mean. My favorite color to pair it up with is a light grey, though the 3D look is more subtle I find that the silvery tones to complement the grey in a very sophisticated way. On bare nails, a couple coats doesn't look bad either, it adds visual interest.

So while I don't regret buying this polish, I certainly can't say that it's as spectacular as I had hoped to be. At about $7 though, it's not a bad top coat to add some subtle glam to creme colors.

Products shown were purchased by me for my own use.