MAC Magnetic Nude Collection - Mineralize Skin Finishes - Superb & Fairly Precious

Hi everyone! I'm here with a SUPER exciting blog post. It's on the MAC Magnetic Nude MSFs in Superb (repromote) and Fairly Precious. Not going to lie, when I saw the email from Nordstrom saying they had it on sale I jumped out of my bed and bought these haha. I didn't want to wait but I've had horrible luck with highly anticipated collections from MAC (I'm looking at you Rihanna...). So I wanted to post pictures and swatches as soon as I got off of work. Hope you enjoy!!

Temptalia says "described as a “soft peachy nude.” It’s a champagne beige with a little hint of rosiness and a champagne metallic sheen." Safe to say, it's just gorgeous!! :)

Superb MSF

Close up of Superb MSF

Superb - Warm toned lighting

Superb - Florescent/"day light" lighting

 Temptalia says "it is described as a “peach with dimensional pearly green.” It’s a light-medium, peach (that leans a little orange) with a warm undertone and a frosted sheen." Personally I don't see any green haha. It seems to me it's a peach color with a smidge of orange. 

Fairly Precious MSF

Close up of Fairly Precious MSF

Warm toned lighting - Fairly Precious MSF

Florescent/"day light" lighting - Fair Precious MSF

SUPERB VS FAIRLY PRECIOUS - swatch side by side (Left: Fairly Precious ~ Right: Superb) on both pictures.

Review: UM THESE ARE AMAZING. Need I say more? haha. They feel super soft and super blendable so if you don't want an obvious or noticeable highlight, you can blend them out and it will leave your skin with the most beautiful sheen. I'm glad I picked both of these up, I was half worried they would be similar or that I couldn't get away with having both haha but they are different enough that they worth it (for me at least ;) ). 

I recommend calling any MAC or MAC counter to see if they have hold items for you (or make an appointment for the "release party") as they will be released in stores December 26th, 2013. This is a collection that people will run out to pick up the MSFs so get to it ;). I ordered mine from Nordstrom so check their website to order if they have items available. This is a fairly big collection (which MAC collection isn't.... -_-) so there is a lot to choose from if they have it in stock. 

These MSFs retail for $30 USD. So they are pricey but they are huge and you get a ton of product. 

Did you pick anything up from the collection? If so, do tell in the comments :) Or if you have any questions, feel free to ask them down below!

Hope you enjoyed my post on the MAC MSFs from the new Magnetic Nude collection and hope you are having a lovely holiday season with your loved ones and friends <3.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger - Review and Swatch

Hey everyone, how are ya doin'? I'm good myself. It's been weird adjusting to normal people life (#postgradproblems haha). But I'm here to share my thoughts on the much loved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

I picked this up during the Sephora VIB sale early November and I've had a chance to try it out and I can say that I truly love this product. I used this all over my face as "foundation" and to spot conceal. It's not my favorite for under the eye, because I like a more highlighted effect for under the eyes, and this Ginger shade matches my face almost perfectly.  ~ I have picked up the lighter shades in Custard and Honey so I'll see which one I like more for under the eye. ~

I dot this concealer all over my face, more where I need it, and I spray my Real Techniques Expert Face brush with the Urban Decay All Nighter spray. Doing that really helps blend out and spread the product all over my face. I have to say, it's a nice every day kind of coverage "foundation".

Coverage: it's pretty full coverage (if applied for under the eyes; the coverage is more sheer as described above). It covers up imperfections really nicely and it blends out like buttah. It's medium but buildable to full coverage if you really need it.

Here are pictures of the product and a swatch straight from the wand and blended out :)

Swatch: Swiped from applicator // Blended out 

This packaging is just...gorgeous!

This product has a doe-foot applicator which is really nice for application under the eyes and all over the face

Close up of the bottom of the product

Overall, I'm really happy with this product. I might even like it more than my MAC Pro Longwear concealer (shhh, don't tell anyone ;) ).  Especially since this feels more creamy, as the name implies haha. :)

Have you used/tried this concealer? What are your thoughts?

Talk to you soon,
Bianca

Sephora Formula X - Love Chemistry

Hey everyone,
Sorry I have been absent for a while now. I have been caught up with my graduation ceremony that happened this past weekend (WOOHOO!) and my very last finals (booo -_-).

So I thought I might hop on and post about the much raved about Formula X nail polishes from Sephora. I recently ordered one of the glitter/"Sparklers" polishes that I simply could not pass up. It is described as a champagne and pink metallic base with gold micro glitters and pink glitter. It gives it the slight appearance of looking like a rose gold polish. It's stunning to simply look at.

Swatch courtesy of the Swatch Board on Sephora.com

My own pictures :)

You have to keep in mind that since this is glitter polish that it is a son of B to take off haha. But it's gorgeous! So worth it...? Probably :P

Have you purchased any of the Formula X polishes? If so, which are your faves? And if not, what's on your wishist? I'm definitely intrigued by this line and it's gorgeous to look at in person because the display is huuuuge. My wallet is not going to like this if I seriously fall in love with this line, especially with so many unique shades in the range. :D

xo,
Bianca

Sephora VIB Haul & Mac and Chanel Goodies

Hi everyone!! I thought I would share with you what I got from the Sephora VIB Sale that happened a week or so ago. I was slow in posting this because the shipping time took a longer than usual since UPS does not process or ship anything over the weekend :\. Anyways, I wanted to show you what I got in hopes that it inspires you to look into the items, ask for them for the holiday season, or pick them up if you can (since a lot was sold out during the sale, hopefully it gets restocked!)

Dior Addict Lip Glow

 I have heard so many good things about this lip balm. It has technologies that help the balm turn into the "perfect shade of pink" for your lips. It's a pricey lip balm but I have been wanting to try it for years and finally bit the bullet. :)

Makeup Forever HD Foundation in 128 Almond

 Finally a foundation that is my EXACT match. This foundation is medium coverage and a dream to apply. Definitely one to look into since the shade range in Makeup Forever foundations have a huge range. And you can get samples from Sephora ;). I knew my shade because I did the Color IQ thing (which is so awesome btw!!) and I got matched to 128 Almond.

Laura Mercier Artist Eye Palette (Sephora Exclusive and maybe sold out...)

 Ok...who ISN'T talking about this palette right now? This palette is perfect for the holidays I think. You can create a wide variety of looks with this one palette and it's a good size for travel. This is my first Laura Mercier eye product and I can say that I'm so impressed with the quality and blendability of these shadows. :)

Benefit Cosmetics Love Fest set

This set is one heck of a deal. I mainly wanted it for the Porefessional but how can you not get this set for an extra $6. The Porefessional is $30 on its own but for $36 you get a full size They're Real Mascara, Deluxe Size of Sun Beam, and Deluxe size of the Coralista lipgloss. Plus the tin it all comes with is super cute! :D

NARS blush in Realm of the Senses

Oh...this blush is GORGEOUS!! And crazy pigmented, the first time I applied it...I went a little overboard haha. So a little goes a veryyyy long way. It was love at first application, it's such a flattering shade for my skin tone. :)
~
Also, I wanted to share what I got from Nordstrom. I need to restock on my MAC Cleanse Off Oil and get a darker shade of the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NC35). And some Chanel items I have had my eye on for a while :)

Cleanse Off Oil // Pro Longwear Concealer

I swear by this Cleanse Off Oil to remove my makeup. This is actually my third bottle of this stuff. It takes off even the thoughest of waterproof mascaras. It's the best! As far as the concealer goes, it's some heavy duty stuff. I got the darker shade for the rest of my face for spot concealing and to add that 'longwear' technolgy to my not-so long wearing foundations :)

Chanel Cream Blush in Presage

 What more can I say? haha. The beauty of this blush speaks for itself. It's gorgeous on the skin and blends like a dream on your cheeks. Definitely worth a look if you are on the market for high end blushes.

Chanel Le Brilliant Glossimer duo

This was also something I could NOT pass up. This is a Nordstrom exclusive set for the Chanel Glossimer lipglosses. The colors are so gorgeous and it comes with a makeup bag! I could not wait much longer to get this. I have this fear of waiting on holiday items haha because I feel like they will sell out quickly :O.

Well that's it haha. I know it's a LOT but it was an early grad present from myself and my mom :). It's justified... ;). Did you pick anything up from the VIB sale or any makeup purchases in general!? Let me know in the comments below. Also, any recommendations for makeup products to try...I would love to hear from you! :D

xo,
Bianca

Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 - Swatches and Review

Hi again, I'm here with you again with a review on the Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 eyeliner set that is on sale for the holidays. It retails for $59 at Sephora.Com , UrbanDecay.com , and anywhere else that helps Urban Decay products. It's a pretty good deal if you think about it, each of these pencils retails individually for $19 plus the Grindhouse pencil sharpener. So... $19 x 8 = $152 plus $10 for the sharpener... that's approx. $100 savings :O and you can probably get it cheaper if you took advantage of the Friends and Family sales happening this holiday season.

Photo Credit: Temptalia.com

Here are the swatches and more pictures:

Roach, Twice Baked, Crave, Perversion

Deep End, Mars, Ultraviolet, Tornado

Review: 

These are really great liners, especially the bright liners. So incredibly creamy and pigmented. You really cannot go wrong with UD liners. I will say that Roach is on the lighter/sheer side so it's nice as a light liner or a nice brown base for other brown eyeshadows. But other than that, the quality is amazing and a set for those that are not afraid to wear color. If you don't want the set because of the brighter ones, check out the Black Market set of the travel sized UD liners. 

All of these do apply smoothly and there is no tugging at the lash line and the waterline. They wear for many hours (not exactly 24 hours but who wears makeup for over 24 hours anyways? haha). The good thing is that you can use them for liner or for eyeshadow bases. So they are multi-use if you decide to use them that way. 

I have been using these pencils since I bought them and I love them! I recommend this line to people because they are such high quality and the color selection is out of this world. 

My faves from this set are: Mars (ugh...too beautiful for words), Ultraviolet (OMG, that is all.), Twice Baked and Perversion as every day staples for your makeup routine :)

Have you purchased this set? If so, what are you thoughts? Or are you considering getting this set? Let me know your thoughts down below! :)

Have a great day/night,

Bianca

Maybelline Baby Lips - Dr Rescue Lip Balm in Soothing Sorbet

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my thoughts about the new (or relatively new) lip balms from the Maybelline Baby Lips line. These are the Dr. Rescue Medicated Lip Balms, which is medicated to help hydrate your lips, help heal cold sores if you have any, and provide a sheer amount of tint.

The one I picked up a few days ago was the Soothing Sorbet shade.

Here is the swatch of the Lip Balm (on the back of my hand):

Top to Bottom: 1 Swipe, 2 swipes, several swipes.

You can see in the swatch that it takes quite a bit of layering to get some amount of pigmentation. Also, something worth noting is that there is a scent to them of Menthol. That's a part of the medicated aspect of it, but the smell does go away after a couple of minutes. 

Pros:

• Very hydrating, I felt after first application that my lips were not as chapped and dry
• Comes in six shades
• Lives up to its claims on hydration and healing your lips
• They are sheer, depends on what you are looking for though...
• Comes in sealed packaging so you know that no one messed with it or touched it

Cons:

• It has a menthol smell (but it does not linger on your lips)
• They were really sheer 
• As people that carry around an unnecessary amount of lip products... we will probably lose our lip balms haha :P

Have you tried any of the other shades from this Dr. Rescue line? What are your opinions on them or do you prefer another brand for hydrating lip balms? :)

Thanks for reading,

Bianca

A little something about me...

Hi everyone,

Thanks for visiting my blog! I created this blog because I wanted to share my love and my ever-growing knowledge of beauty products. I am constantly online trying to find reviews on certain things or find swatches of products and sometimes they are not what I want. Sometimes the swatches or pictures do not look good and it is simply not helpful at all. That's why I wanted to make a blog, it gives me a platform to share pictures, reviews, and helpful advice about beauty products that maybe others have not talked about as well as giving you a different point of view.

I am not a makeup artist or not licensed. I am self taught and I have to thank all of the YouTube videos I've watched and practicing my technique. I fell in love with makeup and beauty products, in general, the summer after I finished high school (2009) and it's been a passion and hobby ever since. One of the first people I watched on YouTube was Kandee Johnson (I'm sure most, if not all of you, know who she is) and she helped my love for makeup grow. I have learned so many tips and tricks from a ton of YouTubers over the years and that's how I know what I know.

Personal deets: I'm a college student that will graduate this December. I am getting my degree in Management and Operations with an HR and Economics emphasis. I am an avid sports fan, especially football. Football has my heart :). I have many interests ranging from a wide spectrum, I'm not your average girl haha. I'm happy staying in and having a Netflix date to going out to catch up with friends to watching all sorts of YouTube videos.

So here is a little snippet into the kind of person I am, if you have any questions feel free to comment down below and I'd be happy to answer. I'm looking forward to blogging more and more in the coming days :)

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