MAC Cosmetics - Proenza Schouler - Sunset Beach blush

I remember when I first saw the promo pics of this collection from (ChicProfile) a few weeks or months back and the first thing that sold me was the packaging. It was definitely unique to MAC by doing something like this.

The first and only thing I knew I had to have were the ombre blushes; one being more pink and the other more peachy.

I know MAC has done ombre blushes before but I'm so glad more were brought out. Since it is limited edition, I suggest picking them up if you can. I don't think you will have much luck from now finding them at CCOs (Estee Lauder brands in an outlet store).

I will say... it's a little over priced. It was $30 for this blush when normally they range from like $17-23 (approximately). You are paying for the snazzy packaging and the Proenza Schouler name. I get a couple of bucks but almost $10? Pfft... I didn't like it.

...though it didn't stop me from buying -_- ...

The compact for this blush is heavy duty for sure. I can say that I prefer the packaging to the original blush packaging because it is heavy, has a magnetic closure, and seems safe for travel.

When you open it up... it looks stunning! I'm a huge fan of ombre effects like this in blushes or other kinds of face powders. They become multipurpose instantly.

To me, this blush was pigmented and not dry feeling at all. I swatched it on my finger and was impressed with the pay off. Especially since I did not read any reviews before buying, I was impressed as first glance.

In the swatch picture above, the top swatch is of the top half of the blush, second swatch is of the very bottom of the blush, and the last one is of the whole blush mixed together.

It's more of a dark pink...kind of magenta? A really pretty color that suits light or dark complexions because you can use a light hand or go more intense; use only the top half or the bottom half; or whatever you prefer.

I'm really glad I picked it up on whim. I didn't want to risk it being sold out haha.

Hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them down below in the comment sections.

So, did you pick up anything from the Proenza Schouler collection from MAC or did you skip on it?

Talk to you all soon!
Bianca

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation in #6

Hello everyone, how are you all doing? TGIF right?! (Even though when I publish to my blog it will already be Saturday haha).

I'm here to talk to you about a new foundation I purchased today. I did not buy this on a whim or without testing it out for a little bit. I actually picked up a sample of the Smashbox Liquid Halo foundation when I was in Sephora about a week or so ago and it was amazing! It is very natural looking on the skin (I will post a FOTD post on my Instagram and later update this post when I take the picture). I made a little sample pot last me about a week which is awesome. Depends on the coverage you want, it goes from a sheer/medium to a solid medium, which is what I prefer.

So lets get into the deets :)

*I wear shade 6 which is a warm medium beige for medium complexions.

*Provides a fresh, luminous finish (agree with this! but looks so natural)

*SPF 15 (woohoo!)

*Oil Free

*$42 for 1 fl. oz.

*Link to Sephora's website: Smashbox Liquid Halo foundation

When I opened the box, a little sample packet of their most popular face primer was packed into the box with the foundation. It was a cute little surprise :)

It is a glass bottle so it will be prone to breaking if you drop it. It is heavy so I'm going to assume that a fall from any height could break it :o. When you hold it in your hand though, it feels nice and luxurious.

Close up of the bottle from the bottom plus my shade number.

It comes with a pump! I forgot to take off the cap haha but it does come with a pump which is like 50 bonus points for them. I feel like EVERY foundation should have a pump but for some reason...some brands don't have pumps, don't sell pumps, or make it so you have to buy a pump if you want it >:| .

I did a little swatch for you on the underside of my arm so that's why it looks darker than my actual skin tone. I think this shade in particular, due to it's sheerness, can be used to bronze up the face without it making you look like Snooki or an oompa loompa :P / :). You can see that there is no red or too much yellow; it could give you a nice natural tan look.

Here is the back of the box in case you were interested. 

Alright folks, I'll update you soon on this foundation with a pic on my Instagram (link to that on the homepage of my blog) and I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this foundation. 

If you are curious about this foundation, get color matched and ask for a sample. There are 10 shades in this particular line of Smashbox foundations :). 

Talk to you soon,

Bianca

UPDATE: http://instagram.com/p/llEOKqn1qQ/ <- head on over to my instagram and see my face improve with this foundation. :)

NARS Matte Multiples! - Advice, Ramblings, and are they worth it?

Hi everyone!

I just came home from Sephora after doing a little damage at Sephora and Nordstrom and I wanted to talk to you about the NEW NARS Matte Multiples that have been released recently.

I picked up one of the ones that were released in Exumas (but I'm not going to lie, I wanted ALL of them!) which I will review tomorrow! :) Soo keep a look out for that!!

So I wanted to write up a post on the advice given to me by the NARS artists that came into my Sephora today. Which today was a good day to go since I got to play with all the multiples and had a couple tested on me.

I'll try to keep this short and sweet :)

Price: $39 for 0.26 oz

1. You can use them wet or dry.
--wet meaning you can apply some of your hand and when place a few drops of water onto where you applied the multiple and it sheers it out and gives a dewier appearance if desired.
--dry: it goes on INCREDIBLY pigmented and smooth. Keep in mind that it is easy to go overboard with the product. A little definitely goes a lot way.

2. Like the name says, it has multiple uses.
--you can use it as a lip product
--or you can use it as a blush
--the artist told me that she did not recommend them for the eyes since they are sticky and can crease if you use a lot. But if you wanted you use it on your eyes, she would recommend the bronzier shades!
--They blend out like BUTTAH on the skin. Whether it be wet or dry. Sooo easy to work with :)

3. There are 3 bronzer/contour shades.
-Altai, Vientiane, and Cappadoce
--She told me that Altai is closest to NARS Laguna bronzer. So if you love Laguna, check out Altai!
--Vientiane is closest to Casino Bronzer from NARS. So if you are of a medium to tan to deeper skintones that this is a great bronzer and contour shade!
--Cappadoce is aimed for those with deeper skin tones and/or can be used for an intense contour :)

4. You do get less product for the same price as the other multiples from NARS
--The artist told me that the original multiples are more sheer in application and you end up using a lot to try to get an opaque application
--With the MATTE Multiples, you do not need a lot and can last you a long time. Again, a little goes a long way...so it might be worth the price. Depends if it's in your budget or not.

5. Availability:
--Sephora has it in store and online!
--Nordstrom said they would release them during their Trend Event so check your local Nordstrom to see if they have it or when it will be released. If you wait for the Trend Event, there is a Gift With Purchase! :) Check online as well.
--NARS.com <- obvii haha

So the million dollar question, DO YOU NEED IT and IS IT WORTH IT?

--It depends on you and whether you want to venture into the cream product world.

-It doesn't bother me that I paid $39 because it is soooo pigmented and multi-purpose...it's worth it to me. And the fact that I have never used or owned a Multiple before.

-You should consider that these products are creams, they are pigmented, blendable, and it's NARS. The price is relatively reasonable considering that it's NARS. It could be more expensive...

If you are not ready to take the plunge on a NARS multiple, there are other options (like the FitMe foundation sticks by Maybelline) for contouring purposes. :)


So are you picking up any of the new multiples?! Which ones do you have your eyes on?

I definitely want to pick up Laos, Vientiane, and Siam (I shouldn't want them but I do!!). Maybe during the Friends and Family sale :)

Talk to you all soon!!
Bianca

Hourglass Cosmetics - Ambient Lighting Blush - Luminous Flush and Diffused Heat - Swatches

Hey everyone! I have something new and exciting to share with you all. If you follow beauty Instagrammers, you will know of the new Hourglass Cosmetics blushes infused with their very popular Ambient Lighting powders. These Powders were released last week; first on the Hourglass website and out of nowhere, it was being sold on Sephora to VIBs and VIB Rouges. I ordered mine on Sephora and received them today :D!

I'm so so soooo excited about this line. The powders look stunning and the packaging is just to die for (figuratively haha). I kind of want them all... but I must resist... *lies to self*. I do plan to pick up two more though but I'll be checking up swatches on Temptalia for the other two ;).

Personally, I own one single Ambient Lighting powder and the limited edition palette that came out during the holidays. I do not own many Hourglass product but that will definitely change soon! (Many things have been added to my wishlist ;)). I love what I own and I cannot wait to try more.

In this post, I'll have pictures of the box, outside packaging of the compact, and images of the powders. I love the marbleized "pattern" of the blush. Makes every one unique.

 Can Hourglass make their products any more gorgeous?! Seriously... They are so beautiful.

Luminous Flush

Diffused Heat

*drooling* - this is why I want to collect all 6...but I must resist the temptation!! haha

Here are the swatches of the two blushes:

I tried to capture the blushes in three different angles, which is why the lighting is a little off in every square. It's funny to see these photographed and having them look similar haha. The left one is Luminous Flush and the right one is Diffused Heat.

Luminous Flush - I think that the blush color is very slightly cool toned but the Luminous Light powder that is mixed in warms it up a lot. In the swatch, it's more of a pink-y shade. I think this is a great winter to spring transition blush.

Diffused Heat - literally love at first sight. This was one I knew I HAD to have in my collection. It's more vibrant than Luminous Light. And Hourglass describes it as a "vibrant poppy" so it's a fitting description. This shade will be perfect for Spring and Summer, without a doubt. I can see this one being a best seller or a shade that's sold out a lot.

First impression: they are SO smooth and build-able. The swatches on my arm are two "layers", this comes to show that they are build-able in opacity and do not skip or apply splotchy. I love them so far and the quality from swatching on my arm makes me love them even more.

So, have you or will you be picking up some of these blushes? If so, what shades?

Since these are a new range of blushes...what is your currently favorite formula and brand for blushes?

I'd love to know what you think in the comments.

I hope I covered everything. I wanted to get this posted as soon as possible so if I missed anything, definitely feel free to leave a comment or question :)

Have a good night/day,
Bianca xo

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.