Make Me Blushhh

LOTD With Dior Lacey Beauty Pearl Glow Palette

2010-03-18T05:19:00.004-04:00

It's about time that I used my Dior limited edition Pearl Glow palette from the Lacy Beauty Spring collection. I can't believe I left it sitting in the drawer for so long without touching it! Here's a day time light smoky look with the palette...

I only used three shades from the palette for the look, surely I'll be trying out more color combinations the next few days. Maybe a girly pink and purple look?

What's On My Face?

Eve Pearl Dual HD Foundation in Fair
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer in Light
Dior Limited Edition Pearl Glow Palette #059
MAC eyeshadow in Carbon as liner
Face Atelier Ultra Blush in Pink Satin
Givenchy Pop Gloss in Pep's Pink
Shisem Lashes XN

XOXO, M

MAC Give Me Liberty Of London Mini Haul & Blue India Swatch + Review

2010-03-17T16:50:00.001-04:00

I'm fairly convinced that this recent collection from MAC was released more for the packaging than for the actual products. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of cosmetic goodness going on but the main focus is the stunning intricate vintage print that decorates the cases and boxes. Even if you had no intention of purchasing anything it's likely that you'll end up getting something for decorative purposes (the fact that you can use it is a bonus).

My mini haul consisted of Blue India nail lacquer and Blooming Lovely (Amplified) lipstick

I originally wanted a lipstick from the collection for the gorgeous tube but the limited edition Blooming Lovely turned out rather attractive when I tried it on at the store. Score for me!

Blue India is a very unique shade I can't say that I've seen anything quite like it. The formula is good, smooth and non streaky. I'm very much in love with the color despite the fact that it looks more like a fall/winter color. Double score for me!

I have on two coats here with top coat, please disregard the mess

Anything in particular stand out to you from this collection?

Happy St.Patty's Day!

XOXO, M

Haul de Visee

2010-03-16T23:16:00.005-04:00

I couldn't resist the newest Visee Glam Nude Eyes palettes and ordered N-2 (Girly Nude), N-3 (Glam Nude) and N-5 (Handsome Nude, errrr not sure why they named it so) from iMomoko. So far I've only tried N-5 so the review and swatches will come later.

I ordered some things for fun too :) the Noble Cosme hair bump (channeling Jersey Shore) and the warming eye patch/mask

Samples from iMomoko, I'm excited about the L'egere hand cream :)

My shopping run continues with the VISEE holiday Glam Hunt Eyes Duras Ambient G-6 (Beige Brown) from Adam Beauty. I was thrilled to see it in stock as it is a limited edition palette and it's just too pretty to pass up.

Yay for internet retail therapy sessions!

XOXO, M

Flat Iron Experts Discount

2010-03-16T03:25:00.003-04:00

FlatironExperts.com is offering a 5% discount to my readers, use coupon code MONA5 at checkout. They carry a wide range of flat and curling irons as well as hair treatment products on their website.

XOXO, M

MAC Viva Glam VII Lady Gaga Lipstick

2010-03-15T16:54:00.004-04:00

I recently made my very first MAC Viva Glam lipstick purchase! I'm not sure what took me so long considering that they're for a good cause (every penny from the Viva Glam series goes toward the MAC Aids Fund). Better late than never right?

I usually stay clear of lustre lipsticks but this one is decently pigmented. The color isn't the most original but still very pretty. What I really love about this one is the neat signature packaging on both the box and the lipstick tube.

The verdict? I like it! It's a very wearable shade for fair to light skin individuals and has a cute appeal to it.

XOXO, M

OPI Designer Series in Classic, Swatches & Review

2010-03-12T03:52:00.006-05:00

OPI DS in Classic is simply beautiful, the holographic glitter gives off a mesmerizing kaleidoscope effect. I can stare at this polish in awe for hours, it's just that pretty. The lacquer applies very smooth and evenly, I have on two coats plus top coat. If you don't have this then you need it! No, seriously, you need it immediately.

Glittery deliciousness!

XOXO, M

A Day At The International Beauty Show NY

2010-03-10T11:01:00.007-05:00

I spent this past Sunday working the Eve Pearl booth at the International Beauty Show (IBS) New York, it was my very first time working a trade show and while it was hectic I loved every minute of it!

The gateway to beauty!

Eve pearl had a great booth setup, complete with banners, a mini red carpet, projectors and of course makeup. Just because I worked the booth doesn't mean I have to love it but I do! The Eve Pearl team is fantastic, they're seriously some of the nicest people I've ever met

Temptu was there with their airbrushing goods

Train cases in all shapes and sizes

The OPI booth was pure madness, I heard the Alice in Wonderland collection was sold out within 30 minutes of the booth opening.

I didn't have too much time to wander around but definitely did some lacquer shopping...

Trade shows are geared towards beauty professionals and they do offer pro discounts. They had great bundle pricings, OPI lacquers were 6 for $24 and Essie polishes were 6 for $20.

I picked up Classic from the DS series, Bling Dynasty, You Don't Know Jacques!, The "It" Color, Panda-monium Pink, and You Don't Know Jacques! from the Suede series

OPI Start to Finish

Yumeko introduced me to the OPI Avoplex on the go cuticle oil and I love love loves it!

My Essie haul consisted of Mink Muffs, Chinchilly, Lilacism, Neo Whimsical, Loophole and Tart Deco

till next time~

XOXO, M

New York Fashion Week Recap Part II

2010-03-06T07:50:00.001-05:00

Fashion Week is a lot of work with very little play, I did manage to squeeze in some fun time at the booths, shows, and backstage.

Some of my colleagues and I working very very hard

I met some really great people and amazing photographers that kept me sane

One of the photographers passed out after a long day of shooting

During one of my breaks I signed up for a free hair styling session at the TRESemme booth

I was so grateful to have discovered this, my hair was looking un-fantastic that day

I had my hair done by celebrity hair stylist Marco Guglielmino who was really personable and informative. I asked for soft big curls and he did it in less than 20 mins! In case you're wondering which hot iron he was using, its the 1" Hot Tools curler. Marco has his own private salon located in Soho, New York, have a look at his site MarcoNYC.com for more info

I was really happy with how my hair turned out :) not sure why my co-worker looks petrified

Chambord had a chocolate fountain in their booth!

Being a chocoholic I was all over this one, you can pick between marshmallows and pretzels to enjoy your chocolate with

mmmmmmhhhhh delishhh choc0late!

The Tent within the tents

The Tadashi Shoji show about to start

Front row at Tadashi Shoji, Sherri Shepard from The View, J Alexander, and Adrienne Bailon

checking out the dress

A pretty lace number

I was in love with this ruffly dress!

Tadashi Shoji

Snippets from the show from my iPhone, excuse the quality:

Luca Luca show about to start

You have to love runway finales

This is still a beauty blog so here are some of the beauty related goodies from Fashion Week

Beauty Society gift from the Leanne Marshall show

Goods from the Maybelline booth

Vevant had Skyn Iceland cleansers in their pouches

TREsemme dry shampoo plus regular shampoo/conditioner packets

I have some backstage and makeup pics coming up next!

XOXO, M

New York Fashion Week Recap Part I

2010-03-01T13:55:00.008-05:00

New York Fashion Week left me feeling exhausted and sick. I finally managed to pull myself together to run through all the pictures for posting over the weekend. Working Fashion week was definitely a unique experience, its something that you have to reflect upon when its all over as there's just so much going on during the 8-day event. These are just the first batch of images, I'll be posting the rest throughout the week!

Rise and shine! Approaching the tents at Bryant Park

Badge and info packet

The lobby/waiting area/lounge/booths area

It gets incredibly packed as the day goes on, people lining up for shows, reporters, fashionistas, photographers, editors, ummm basically everyone

The Media Lounge is where my magic happens

How we work in the media room, speed edit a bazillion runway images/video footage

Coffee was my best friend, at least five cups a day

The lobby area was surrounded by booths featuring services, treats, and of course advertisement. Don't let the computers at the Vevant booth fool you, there's an amazing 10-minute shoulder massage area behind it

My favorite was the nail booth that was only around for 3 days. I loved the manicurist, she shaped up my chipped nails in a jiffy and painted it with Maybelline's Express Finish polish

Maybelline's Express Finish quick dry polish in Denim Dash, a very pretty metallic navy blue

The polish has a nice shiny finish and dries super fast, too bad it also chips quickly (after about a day or so)

Maybelline was the official beauty sponsor for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and had their new products on display. They also gave away a different item every day of the event

The new Eye Studio quads

For V.I.Ps/celebrities there's the super chic W Lounge located inside the Tents area. There's complimentary champagne, desserts, and a beauty station for quick hair and makeup fixes.

Its not large but very cute

There's even a DJ booth inside with a mini W logo

They had the prettiest cupcake!

Stay tuned for more!

XOXO, M

The Pit at New York Fashion Week Fall 2010

2010-02-17T02:37:00.009-05:00

Ever wondered what the camera and video section is like at a fashion show? Check out the pit at the end of the runway! Its cramped and can get violent, photographers/videographers show up hours ahead to reserve a good spot and access is not always guaranteed. This was taken at the Luca Luca show this past Sunday.

A snippet of it from my iphone:

I still haven't had the chance to run through my fashion week pictures but promise to dedicate at least one detailed post on it later.

Miss you lovelies!

XOXO, M

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Update

2010-02-12T18:58:00.003-05:00

Its only the second day of Fashion Week and I'm already exhausted. The lack of sleep and time to eat is catching up to me FAST. Here's a snapshot of me and my gorgeous co-worker at one of the booth, they had free manicures! I miss beauty blogging and wish you all a great weekend!

XOXO, M

A Quick Hello, Pre Fashion Week Images

2010-02-10T02:16:00.008-05:00

I'm still in the final stages of planning out Fashion Week for work which explains why I've been MIA from blogging. I promise to be back soon with goodies! For the time being here are some behind the scenes pre Fashion Week preparation images from the project I'm involved at work featuring luxury label Ports 1861

Preliminary ideas and sketches in a scrapbook, I love the artistry invovled

Like Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City I'm a total shoe gal and just had to snap a quick pic of these pumps!

The cover of the invitation

Model fitting!

In case you're wondering, New York Fashion Week starts this Thursday, February 11th!

XOXO, M

China Glaze Cleopatra: Golden Goodness

2010-02-05T01:38:00.003-05:00

China Glaze Cleopatra nail lacquer is a yellow gold with rainbow glitter on clear base. The smaller multi-colored glitter isn't as noticeable but does give you that extra kick of shimmer. You can use it as a topper or wear it alone. I'm really liking this polish right now, it matches my skin tone well.

I passed by Bryant Park today and took a quick picture of the tents coming up for Fashion Week. The event is s less than a week away! Aside from the celebrities, models, editors, I heard that select members or perhaps the entire cast of Jersey Shore may attend. Oh dear...

XOXO, M

Smoky Party Look with Sally Girl Baked Shadows, Swatches, Review

2010-02-04T02:42:00.008-05:00

Whaddaya know, a smoky purple party look. I gravitate toward purples, sue me. The eye makeup was done with Sally Girl baked eyeshadows (only $0.99 each), I got them up to try when I picked up the mini lacquers.

The Sally Girl baked eyeshadows comes in 12 shades and can be applied dry or wet or as liners. I picked up Grey Purple, Gold, Gunmetal Grey, and Dark Purple, not the most creative names but easy to identify. The pigmentation is so-so when applied dry but really shines when applied wet. The shadows have good staying power, I noticed only minor creasing after a few hours. The texture isn't the softest but they do blend easily. They are very fragile, expect them to break/crack if you ever drop them. Overall, for $0.99 they're definitely worth trying.

Swatched dry left to right: Gold, Dark Purple, Grey Purple, Gunmetal Grey

Swatched wet left to right: Gold, Dark Purple, Grey Purple, Gunmetal Grey

*Note that gold isn't really gold, more like a champagne highlighter shade and very lovely in my opinion!

The smoky party look with no flash

Now with flash, the smoky-ness shows up better no?

The eyes are easy to do, I have Dark Purple all over lid, Grey Purple in outer V, Gold as inner corner highlight, and Gunmetal Grey as liner and smoked out into the purple on the lid.

What else is on my face?

- Guerlain Meteorites Light Diffusing Primer

- Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation #02

- Guerlain Blush 4 Eclats Sculpting Blush #04

- Revlon Beyond Natural Gloss in Rose

- K-Palette black liquid liner

- Shisem lashes in XN

Guess what? I started Bikram Yoga aka Hot Yoga this week. For those of you unfamiliar, Bikram Yoga runs for 90 minutes, incorporating 26 postures and 2 breathing exercise, and practiced in a room heated to 105°F. Finding a good exercise routine is one of my new year resolutions so fingers crossed on this one!

XOXO, M

Sally's Mini Lacquer So Disco Revisited

2010-02-03T02:09:00.004-05:00

I'm hooked on this mini Sally lacquer in So Disco. Ever since using it for my gradation nails I seem to want to layer it on top of everything. That being said, I do still appreciate it on its own.

holographic glitter goodness

I thought I'd show you all my gradation nail FAIL, this is what happens when you lose patience and furiously dab on glitter polish in one spot. I have So Disco over MAC Airy Light here and the glitter looks way too concentrated on one spot.

What's your recent nail addiction?

XOXO, M

Guerlain Whitening Skin Care Range

2010-02-02T02:36:00.004-05:00

Guerlain launched its whitening line in Asia in early 2009. Whitening products are incredibly popular in the region, so its no surprise that the brand is adding new items to the range including a limited edition Meteorites Powder Pearl.

I wish the products were available states-side as I'd love to see what the primer and the limited edition Meteorites Powder are like. Does anything interest you?

XOXO, M

Light Smoky Brown LOTD

2010-01-31T22:01:00.006-05:00

I can't seem to decide on a Lunasol Spring 2010 eyeshadow palette! Instead, I used the orange gradation palette from the previous year's Spring line for a light smoky brown look.

What's On My Face?

Guerlain Meteorites Light Diffusing Primer
Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation #02
Lunasol Orange Gradation Eyeshadow Palette
MAC MSF in Redhead as blush
K-Palette Black Liquid Eyeliner
Revlon Beyond Natural Lip Gloss in Rose
Shisem Lashes XN

The Revlon Beyond Natural lip glosses are growing on me! why is it that its always the good stuff that gets discontinued?

I've mentioned MAC MSF in Redhead many times and its one of my favorite natural blush plus highlight combo.

A subtle smoky eye to make it more day time and work approriate

In other news, I'll be doing Fashion Week coverage work and is equally excited and loaded with work. If you're going to the shows do let me know!

XOXO, M

Shu Uemura Mascara Basic + Makeup Up For Ever Smoky Lash = Longer Fuller Lashes

2010-01-28T04:12:00.008-05:00

I may never find a single mascara that can do everything, hold curls, separate lashes, lengthen, volumnize, and non clumpy. But I think I found the perfect combo in Shu Uemura Mascara Basic and Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash. I layer them on top of each other and they work out great!

Here are my lashes with two layers of Shu Uemura Mascara Basic. This is my all time favorite mascara! It separates lashes, holds curls extremely well, slightly lengthening, non clumpling but sadly it doesn't volumnize. With my skimpy lashes, I need all the volume I can get!

Here are my lashes after a layer of Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara on top of the Shu Uemura Basic. The Smoky Lash mascara can really add volume, you can read my full review on it here.

What do you think? Do you layer two different mascaras to achieve the perfect balance?

XOXO, M

Glittery Gradation Nail Attempt

2010-01-27T02:29:00.006-05:00

This is my very first attempt at glitter gradation nails. It turned out to be much easier than I had originally thought, my unsteady hands actually pulled through. I used 3 layers of a purple polish and 3 layers of glitter polish. The key is waiting for the first glitter layer to dry before putting on more to prevent the glitter from the first layer from moving around. The drying process did take very long without a nail dryer.

I did the nails mostly because I wanted to try out these mini Sally Girl nail lacquers from Sally's Beauty Supply. The polishes are .18oz for $1 which is very affordable. The size is small but I think its great for personal use! Honestly, I'll never be able to use up a regular sized bottle on my own. The quality is good for the price and there's a wide range of colors for you to choose from. I got the top coat and So Disco, the holographic glitter polish used for my gradation nails.

The purple polish is from Japan, a gift from the lovely Kay of Bihada Diaries, I don't know which brand it is as the font on the bottom is about the size of a grain of salt but if you can identify the brand the shade is #51.

XOXO, M

Kose Esprique Precious Holiday 2010 Set

2010-01-26T03:02:00.008-05:00

You must be wondering what took me so long to post this one, after all, I did get this Esprique Precious Holiday set around Christmas time. I somehow misplaced the set and when I rediscovered it, it was like Christmas all over again! Enough about my stupidity and onto the swatches and review!

I bought this holiday set from iMomoko and its still currently available, see here. The set comes with 4 shaded blush, blush case, blush brush, mini liquid eyeshadow, mini lip gloss, and mini nail lacquer.

Left to right: Glamorous Glossy Eyes (a shimmery white liquid eyeshadow), Dress on Glossy Rouge (a clear lip gloss with lots of pink shimmer)

nail polish swtach

The star of the set is the blusher and it comes with a beautiful mirrored compact plus a very soft brush. The brush fits into the case so you can bring it around

The blush has lovely detailing on top

Its a light blush with pink and peach tones, a highlighter shade, and a contour shade. The texture is soft and smootn

I'm so glad that I was able to find this set after thinking it was lost. The items included are versatile and not limited to holiday season wear. I love how beautiful the blush shades are and the cute little compact doesn't hurt either. Two thumbs up for this set!

XOXO, M

Cargo Blusher in Sunset Beach and LOTD

2010-01-24T04:45:00.004-05:00

Sephora is discontinuing Cargo Cosmetics from their stores so I took advantage of the discount and snagged a blush in Sunset Beach at half the price ($13). The four shades in the pan works well with each other, you can use them separately or combine them

I used a fan brush to apply the blusher and it adds just the right amount of color and glow to my cheeks. The texture is silky, easy to blend, and you can definitely build up the color. If you can still find this at your local Sephora I highly recommend it!

In case you're wondering what makeup I'm wearing...

Neutrals on the eye with Benefit Creaseless Cream in Honey Bunny all over lid and MAC Satin Taupe on outer corner up to the crease. Eye lined with K=Palette liquid liner, smudged with MAC Carbon, and used MAC Phloof! as bottom inner corner highlighter.

Eve Pearl Lip Gloss Combo in Baby Doll/Honey Bunny, I actually have the two shades layered on top of one another

What are your weekend adventures? Its been crazy busy on my end so I'm using this weekend to rest up and see some friends for brunch and FOOTBALL!

Jill Stuart Spring Summer 2010 Makeup Bags

2010-01-21T23:03:00.003-05:00

Jill Stuart is coming out with a limited edition makeup bag as part of their Spring Summer 2010 release. The pouch is surprisingly not as princess-y as some of their makeup packaging but its still girly with all the pink. The dimensions are H13cm×W21cm×D7cm and its priced at around $40 USD.

Now for something a bit random

I'm showing some Peyton Manning love :)

XOXO, M

Silk'n Sensepil 15% Valentine Special

2010-01-21T23:02:00.001-05:00

Silk'n is currently offering a 15% discount on their SensEpil unit on their website. The discount has already been applied to the product so no code necessary.

XOXO, M

Dior Spring 2010 Lacy Beauty Review and Swatches

2010-01-20T12:31:00.005-05:00

Dior created Lacy Beauty for the love of lace and gorgeous it is. I remember falling in love with the promo pictures but the products looked even better in person.

The Pearl Glow palette (limited edition) has 5 pearly shimmery shades that are super smooth and pigmented

Left to right: Swatched in left to right top row, second row, and center shade last

The Coquette palette isn't as shimmery/shiny but it has a subtle sheen that's lovely and sophisticated

Left to right: Swatched in left to right top row, second row, and center shade lastThe shade in the center is a glittery pale shade, the glitter does not stick well.

The two palettes work well with each other, so if you get both you can mix and match them.

Here they are swatched together

The duo blusher is soft with build-able pigmentation

A very nice light peachy coral with some glow

The lighter blusher (limited edition) which really is a highlighter was too light to swatch but the compact that holds it is GORGEOUS.

I love this collection as the quality is top notch and colors are all gorgeous and wearable. The lace accent design is stunning, too bad it comes off as you use it. If I had to pick only one item I'd go with one of the quints.

XOXO, M

Paul & Joe Alice In Wonderland Updated Pictures

2010-01-20T00:51:00.002-05:00

Paul & Joe never misses a beat when it comes to cute designs and its no different for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland Disney collaboration.

Limited edition lippies and blotting paper with container, even the blotting paper itself is decorated with a cute print. The pouch is a gift with purchase and I want it the most!

XOXO, M

source