My Warm Weather Checklist

See what beauty items I plan on utilizing this spring and summer!

Part One

Part Two

Let me know what items are your warm weather favorites! Leave a comment :D

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Explore Modeling - Votre Vu Editorial: Kimberly Trombly

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Explore Modeling - Votre Vu Editorial: Kimberly Trombly

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Smashbox BB Cream Video

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Sephora + Pantone Universe Tangerine Tango

I spent a few hours writing an *awesome* post and somehow I deleted it. I'm not over that yet, it was a lot of work. So here are the pictures and a short summary of the new gloss set in the limited edition Pantone collection from Sephora. I hope you enjoy it!

From left to right: Opal, Vivid

Bottom: Luminous

Main Points

• Price Point : $20
• Shades range from sheer to opaque.
• Three have glitter -- Vivid has none and is the most opaque in the group
• They are scented with what I can only describe as baby food bananas -- a scent that has made me gag for years. It does not last very long and I can handle it.
• The wands are flat and tapered for better application and remind me of those in the Rimmel Stay Glossy glosses. I find them quite easy to use.
• They are not extremely long wearing, but three have just enough tackiness to keep them from sliding around. Glaze is more on the thin, greasy side.
• They are neither drying nor moisturizing.
• Will work for many skin tones; although I'm not sure about very olive skin tones, especially Vivid.
• I like the packaging of the glosses; I think the white lid is very cute and summery!
• The external packaging of everything in the collection is very luxurious and makes you feel like you're buying extremely "high end" stuff :) I feel that some of it is "wasteful," but it's definitely fun! I plan to keep my glosses in the box it came with.
• Overall, I love the colors and think they are a spring and summer staple for me. If you don't own any bright reddish-orange glosses, this is a great way to get a variety of different looks at an affordable price. I only wish Glaze was not so sheer, but makes a very wearable look for daytime.

I got a goody bag full of deluxe samples: Boscia BB cream, Escada solid perfume, Makeup Forever Smoky Lash (which I quite like), Sephora brand mascara, and a couple other items...

GLAZE

A ultra-sheer peach tint with a lot of mico glitters. On the thin, greasy side.

OPAL

A subtle orange tint with hot pink glitter that is not very noticeable on the lips.

VIVID

The most opaque shade in the bunch,has no glitter. It packs a punch. Some may find it too high maintenance. I think it's gorgeous!

LUMINOUS

My favorite in the set! Holds the same brightness as Vivid, but contains golden shimmers to give it a more multidimensional, glowy look.

Let me know what you think of these, or anything else from the collection!

 

Too Faced Summer Eye Palette

 

I've had the new Too Faced Summer Eye Palette for almost a week and have been loving the fun looks I've come up with. It is part of the Summer 2012 collection, which also brings the new Milk Chocolate Bronzer, Royal Oil, and Candlelight Glow Duo. This palette is currently only available online (toofaced & dermstore), but is said to be hitting stores like Sephora and Ulta early to mid April. It has a pricepoint of $36 USD. This palette is designed in the same traditional Too Faced fashion -- in the cute, compact, magnetic cardboard box with 9 shadows and three look cards (Day, Classic, Fashion). The palette is divided into three rows of three shadows, labeled as Day, Classic and Fashion to coincide with the look cards. This palette is limited edition.

 

Brighter shades of pink, orange and coral seem to be all the rage this year for spring and summer. This palette includes 8 shimmery to glittery shadows, and one matte shadow. The most glitter-infused of the colors are highlight color, Sunbeam, and two browns, Cocoa Beach and Chocolate Sun.

 

I find that the glitter in Chocolate Sun makes the shadow seem more on the powdery side. It is not as smooth and buttery as some of the other shadows in the palette. My favorite colors are Plumeria, Coral Crush, and Sugar Sand. These three colors make a very flirty look, perfect for a warm spring day paired with your favorite pink lipstick.

 

The teal blue shade Mermaid, reminiscent of the ocean, is NOT an over-the-top bright blue. The shade houses darker blue shimmers which can almost make the shade appear to have blackish tones. It is a very wearable blue -- not as bright as I was expecting, however, and may be disappointing for those looking for a bright shade of teal.

 

I have found that Sunbeam and Peach Fuzz are very light and look non-existent on my skin. They make for a pretty shimmery highlight but will not provide an opaque color. Some may find sunbeam too glittery for their tastes and find the glitter fallout to be too prevalent. All the shades except for Toasted Coconut have noticeable gold shimmers to large glitter particles in them. Gold is perfect for warm weather and can look beautiful on a multitude of skin tones. in my opinion, this is what sets this palette apart from other palettes that have the same colors (such as the new ELF warm and cool palettes to Coastal Scents palettes). The shades are easily dupable in my opinion, but the golden shimmers are what gives these a special and unique look.

Overall, I am enjoying this palette and see myself using it a lot this spring and summer. I do not typically enjoy dealing with glittery shadows because of the fallout, but have found that even though there is some glitter fallout with most of these shadows, their appearance is not too noticeable and can be covered with foundation or concealer. With that being said, those who would rather have more satin and matte shadows with no shimmer will not like this palette. I feel that this palette can provide a multitude of looks, from light and airy to bold and bright, and even a warm brown smokey look. It covers a lot of bases. I only wish the Peach Fuzz and and Sunbeam were more pigmented as they can not really be used alone as a standalone lid color in my opinion.

If you're not yet in the mood for spring, this palette will surely get you there!

TOO FACED COLOR DESCRIPTIONS

• Sugar Sand - shimmery dusty rose
• Peach Fuzz - shimmery golden peach
• Sunbeam - pale gold shimmer
• Plumeria - vivid pink
• Coral Crush - coral pink shimmer
• Mermaid - muted teal
• Cocoa Beach - plum brown shimmer
• Chocolate Sun - shimmery rich brown
• Toasted Coconut - matte caramel

Trend: Neon & Nudes

So a trend that is said to be a big hit this spring is neon & nudes. This can be done either by doing nude eyes and a bright lip, or its reverse, bright eyes and nude lips. I'm not big on trends -- I just do what I feel looks best for me and what fits my personality. I have done nude/bronzey eyes and bright lips A LOT! It is my go to look. But lately I have been obsessed with orange lips! My most recent orange lip find is Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate, # 12 lipstick. It's an orange red shade that is bright enough to be that pop of color and make a sassy statement, but neutral enough that it can be worn to work,school,interview, etc. See the look I created in this video! :) I hope that you enjoy it & create your own NEUTRAL & SASSY looks :D

Top 11 Best & Worst of 2011

Here are the links to my favorite and least favorite beauty products of 2011. 2011 was a year of discover for me! I bought a lot of products. I started buying A LOT over the summer and stocked up on cheap products, especially from ELF. I've realized there are definitely cheap products that are awesome and high end products that aren't so great! But there are also things that you "get what you pay for." For me, its truly just hit and miss. I love to experiment with new products, but in 2012, it's going to be quality over quantity. In 2011, I wanted my makeup collection to grow, but what's the point in having a lot of products if they are crappy and you don't use them. There is no sense in that.

Hopefully these videos will give you some insight into some products worth trying and some that belong in the trash can!

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Looks I have done recently -- I never seem to do the same look twice because I have no method to my madness. I grab a brush and a palette and randomly choose what I'm going to do. I've always been like that. I'm not one to look up tutorials on how to do a look because I'd rather create my own.

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Sigma: First of Many...

I had not heard about Sigma until I started watching all the makeup gurus. The makeup brush line is definitely a favorite of theirs, but I was skeptical because of the Sigma affiliate program. Being an affiliate can bring in some income, and it seems like all the Sigma users ARE affiliates. I was, however, interested in getting a good brush to apply my foundation. The Sigmax brushes looked like a good start. I wanted the F82 which is a smaller rounded-top kabuki. Sigma had the F82 and F84 (the angle-top kabuki) bundled together for $24, a savings of $8. I had been holding out for a while, but finally gave in because I also wanted to order the Dry n Shape so that I could efficiently clean all my brushes. I figured I might as well combine the shipping and go ahead and try the brushes. And...I'm SOOOOOO glad that I did! I am in love with the F82. It puts on foundation like nothing I have ever tried before. It is super dense yet manages to not be stiff. It speeds up the process tremendously because it is buffing while blending. I do not think I will ever go back to a traditional foundation brush, sponge or fingers ever again. As for the angled kabuki, it is a little dense for putting on blush in my opinion. I do like it for highlighting as it is a great shape for the cheekbones! I cannot wait to use my Dry n Shape -- I just need to find the perfect technique for cleaning brushes. (Fill me in if you know...)

As Sigma always does, I believe, I received a free gift for spending over $30 -- the tapered blending brush. It is a little prickly but it does a good job. It reminds me of my coastal scents blending brush, but it's not as fluffy. I think I still prefer the CS blending brush over the Sigma.

Now that I have stepped into the Sigma pond...I want more brushes! I was hesitant, because some things are not worth the raves, but in this case, they are. I do still love my EcoTools and select ELF brushes -- but "you can never have enough brushes" as my hubby just said -- and he is encouraging me to buy more. Maybe I should take him up on the offer...or just step into the Pixiwoo Real Techniques pond next... <3 :)

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