Miss Estela

Long time, no post! Back with a haul!

2012-05-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

My sincerest apologies for not updating this blog at all through this year. I've been super busy graduating high school, finishing up exams, and turning in job applications. Some super exciting things have happened in my life since January and I can't wait to share it with you guys in the coming months :)

I thought it'd be fitting to include a haul that I recently bought a few days ago as I'm getting back into the groove of posting more frequently. I won a 20 dollar gift card towards Target from my school and I decided to pick up some beauty essentials. Now onto the products -

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in Shades 120 & 125:
This is a second repurchase for me. I don't necessarily like the lasting power of this foundation but I do love mixing this with my longer lasting foundations (like Mac's Prolong Wear and Revlon's Colorstay foundations) to thin it out and make application easier. Also they are great for short-term wear. I decided to get one a shade darker for the summer and to mix with my lighter foundations!

Maybelline Modern Metallic Quads in Enchanted Forest & Chai Latte:
These palettes have gotten tons of hype over the blog world and on youtube and I decided to pick up a few. I swatched some of these colors and I'm not impressed with Enchanted Forest - a more detailed review will be coming up soon with swatches. I do really love Chai Latte

Maybelline Define a Brow Pencil in Light Brown:
LOVE LOVE LOVE this so far. The brush on the end is pretty much useless but I love this product. As many of you know, I have a small bald spot on my eyebrow and I'm constantly looking for new brow products to help cover it up and I really like this so far. The actual product is so thin, creating hair like lines that make application easy and the best part is that it's retractable! The color is pretty good, I wish it was a tad less warm though but it's not a major downfall. I recommend this, a more in dept review will also be coming up.

Elf Blush Brush:
Since I loved the power and the complexion brushes from Elf's 3 dollar line I figured I'd include the blush brush. It's pretty small in comparison to the complexion brush. I have yet to try this out so I will do an in dept review of the Elf brushes I own in the future!

Elf Copper Glitter Liner:
Only 1 dollar so I figured why not! It actually surprised me how much I love this. If you are looking for a glitter liner, check out Elf's dollar line for some. I love popping glitter in my inner corners! I will probably buy more colors :)

Surprised on how many Maybelline products I managed to purchase! I look forward to reviewing the new products later on. Thanks for reading! Comment below if you have any questions and I'll be sure to get back at you.

Naked2: Review & Swatches (Dupes from Naked included!)

2012-01-22T21:06:00.001-05:00

I will finally be reviewing the much anticipated Naked 2 palette. I have the original as well so I'll be comparing them both together. This retails for $50 and comes with 12 full-size shadows as well as a double ended synthetic brush and a little deluxe sample of their lip gloss in Naked. Swatches, individual shade reviews, and dupes all down below! :)

The palettes are basically the same length and width but have very different packaging. The original came with a dark brown velvet fabric while the new one comes in a tin like plastic cover. I prefer the new packaging as it is less prone to wear and dust (just take a look at mine - yikes!) My Naked palette came with a double ended liner (I got this around November 2010 - they later had production problems and had to switch to the karma brush). Naked 2 comes with a double ended brush (pain to store..) one side is a blending and the other side is a flat shader brush. I'm not going to use these for eyeshadows (I find synthetic blending brushes hard to blend out shadows.. just a personal preference) but this brush will be great for concealing!

Another thing to note is the Naked 2 palette is more lid friendly - it features lighter shades compared to the Naked 1. Here are some swatches:

Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper

Foxy: Matte yellowed beige. This type of shade almost disappears in my skin and it's also the slightest bit powdery. This in combination with Bootycall create a nice highlight for the brow bone.
Half Baked: A true gold color with a shimmery finish. This is the only repeat from the original... It's a great color but I wish it wasn't included in this palette. This is perfect for a warm lid look!
Bootycall: This is a warm version of Virgin from the original. This is a great inner corner highlight, a great brown bone highlight, and also a great shade for an all over lid look. I prefer this over Virgin on my skin tone! This is exclusive to this palette.
Chopper: Very orange-toned copper color with silver sparkles, one of the more unique shades of the palette. It feels a little crumbly (much like Sidecar from the original) to the touch but it's a nice finish, just a little more fall out prone than the other shades.

Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

Tease: A mauvey brown matte perfect for the crease. This is also a color unlike anything in my collection. Mine came pigmented though I know other beauty bloggers have had no luck with this shade. This is also exclusive to the palette.
Snakebite: This is a bronzed color, a little lighter than Darkhorse but darker than Smog and has a bit of golden in it. Super pigmented great for both the lid and crease. Also exclusive to this palette.
Suspect: A light golden color, this is great for the lid. It's a very light color but pigmented. The finish is shimmery as well.
Pistol: A warm grey color - it's so hard to describe. This shade is very unique and does not have dupes from the original and it is also a palette exclusive!

Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Verve: Very shimmery light grey color, great for an inner crease highlight. This is not an exclusive shade but I do not own the Rollergirl palette so this is a new shade and unlike any in my collection! Very pigmented and smooth like the other shadows.
YDK: Coppery brown color with a shimmery finish - has the same feel and look to Sidecar a little less warm. These are both very close colors though. It's also a little less warm then Toasted.
Busted: Kind of a bit of a plummy brown - a little like Hustle from the original but Busted is darker. This is both a great lid and crease color, and one of the darkest shimmery shade in the palette. This is also exclusive to the palette.
Blackout: Matte black shade, perfect for liner, a smokey eye, or just darkening up a look. This makes the palette so versatile!

ON TO THE DUPES!

Bootycall, Virgin

Snakebite, Smog, Darkhorse, Smog + Darkhorse combined

Chopper, Toasted

Busted, Hustle

And of course the obvious Half Baked, Half Baked but I didn't both taking a photo of that!

Overall worth the price tag and a great addition to my collection. If it were between Naked 1 and Naked 2 I would pick the original. I do think Naked 2 is more daytime friendly than the original, but both are nice to have. I don't find the dupes to be that significant and I still see the palette as being unique.

The shadows are so pigmented and smooth, the only downside is when I look at it it's a bit difficult to come up with a look - the order of the shadows makes it a bit difficult. LOL. I'm just nit picking there. I hope you've found this review helpful and if you have any questions feel free to leave me a message! Also if you have any ideas for looks post them below! :)

Price: $50

Where Can I Buy: Sephora, Ulta, and at Urban Decay

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Physician's Formula in Blushing Berry: Review & Swatches!

2011-12-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

I own quite a fair amount of these mosaic like blushes so I figured I do individual reviews for each. I feel like Physician's Formula is high in drugstore quality but many times overlooked because of the outdated packaging or because of the high priced (in terms of drugstore pricing). Anyway I bought this blush around the summer and the color is absolutely gorgeous - it's this nice berry color when swirled together.

The packaging flips open and on the bottom there is a blush brush and a mirror included. The brush is scratchy so I don't recommend using it. It is a bit bulky and not cute looking!

Close up shot of the different multi-colored parts of the blush.

Swatches of all the different parts in direct sunlight - the farthest one on the right is the blush swirled together!

Overall I really like this blush - it stays on pretty decent and the color isn't like one that I have in my collection. It's not the cutest of packaging but I do recommend checking it out!

Price: Around $11

Where Can I Buy: Drugstores, Ulta, or Online!

Overal Rating: 8.5/10

Do you own any Physician's Formula blushes?

- A.

Retro Liner Look

2011-12-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

I'm finally back for good! My last high school finals have passed and now I have some free time to focus on my blog. I really wish I could pull this type of look on an everyday basis! Click below for more photos, products, and maybe a few pictures of my little cutie :3

For this look I mostly used the Naked palette, I wanted something that would be light but enhance my crease. I also used some white liner and falsies to open up my eyes, plus it's a personal pet peeve of mine when i see liner that goes above the lashes to the point where you can't see them - haha, I don't think that even made sense. But blah. These are the Ardell Whispies, I'm terrible at lashes so apologies if it looks a bit odd.

Products used:

Naked Palette (Mix of Buck and Naked on the crease, Virgin as the highlight and near the tear duct)
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips (I used a mix of the lighter shades on my lid)
NYX's eyeliner in 'White'
Sephora Cream Liner in Black (the creamiest liner ever, it came in a huge palette I got last Christmas and it still hasn't dried up - I love!)
Black Matte Shadow from WnW (to set the liner)
Ardel Whispies
Loreal Voluminious Mascara in Black

More photos!

Again love love love the liner, I tried to make it as precise as I could!

Loook at this cute puppy:

Cute little fohawk!

at my side - blogging!

Have a great Christmas and a happy New Year from Sparky and I. And as always thank you so much for reading!

Best Drugstore Eye Makeup Remover: Sonia K's 'Remove'

2011-11-29T20:13:00.001-05:00

Let me introduce you to my favorite HG eye makeup remover! Okay so a while back ago I hauled a few things from Target (this being one of them!) - and now after testing it out for months I can safely say that this is my favorite eye makeup remover ever. This remover is two layers (like the Lancome's bifacial) so you have to shake the contents to make it work :)

I own a few samples from Lancome's eye makeup remover, and though I love that one I don't love the price as much, and I can say that this Sonia K is almost exactly like it. I put this on a cotton pad and just hold the pad on my eye for about 10 or more seconds and I find that most of my makeup is removed! Minimal tugging... I love this!

Pros:

- Affordable (I got this for under 10 dollars)

- 4.75 oz of product

- Removes even waterproof mascara

- Doesn't sting my eyes

Cons:

- I hate the packaging. I don't like how wide the opening is, I wish it was a little more narrow to make it easier to apply it on a cotton pad. Also I already spilled 3/4th of the bottle QQ

This is A+ for me :)

Below are some more photos including the ingredients list and the opening:

What's your favorite eye makeup remover? :)

Bright Eyes Using Wet N Wild's I Heart Matte Palette

2011-10-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm always so curious as to how Wet N Wild chooses its shade selections, so for this look I followed their instructions and only used the left side of the palette. I really liked how it turned out surprisingly, and for some reason the purple looks lighter in these photos than in person. I added some false lashes and lined my eyes in white because it reminded me of a Barbie or a Nicki Minaj type look! I also dragged the blue from the crease onto the outer half of the lash line and then combined it with the purple definer shade at the tearduct.
Products used:

UDPP
Wet N Wild's I <3 Matte Palette (all the shades on the left hand side)
NYX's White Eyeliner
Physician's Formula Purple Liner (as a base for the definer shade)
Elf's Natural False Lashes

I wish I could rock this in public without getting any looks! Ahh... maybe on Halloween I will! I have several other more school appropriate looks coming up as well as some other colorful looks from this palette.. even if its so not fall appropriate!

I Heart Matte 8-Pan Palette by Wet N Wild (Swatches & Dupes)

2011-10-23T16:33:00.001-04:00

Wet n Wild recently came out with a new 8-pan palette featuring all matte shadows. It's a Walgreens exclusive along with some holographic nail polishes and some baked shadows! I'm not quite sure if it's limited edition or not though. This palette, like the other 8-pan palettes retail for $4.99.

I was excited when I purchased it because the colors seemed unique but now as I compared them to other palettes in my Wet N Wild collection, all but 2 are unique to this palette. Whether that's a deal breaker or not its up to you... but I would have appreciated more different colors. The two that are unique, the bright blue and the blue based purple, are both amazing colors on their own and for 5 dollars, it isn't bad!

I have included some swatches below as well as some dupes:

All were pigmented and smooth, but like many Wet N Wild shadows it was a little powdery. The black was nice as well. The purple was so nice but it lacked a bit in the application. The blue was striking yet came with a bit of shimmer - but its matte enough to be called a matte.

Some dupes below:

If you own the Pride 6-Pan Palette by Wet N Wild you would see that two of the shades are dupes. The white browbone color and the seafoam green eyelid shades. The left swatches are from this palette and the right from Pride. I understand the white browbone, but they could have added a little variety in the eyelid shade.

From the neutral side we see more dupes. From the Vanity 6-Pan Palette we see two dupes. The dark red toned brown are dupes as well as the browbone skintone color... Brulee, which is one of their coloricon colors. From the Greed 6-Pan Palette the colors are the same as well. Once again the left side swatches are from the I Heart Matte Palette and the right are from different palettes.

I just wish Wet n Wild would come out with some not-so-warm neutrals. A little variety couldn't hurt. But if you don't own many of the 6-Pan Palettes than this would be an excellent edition to your makeup collection. Wet N Wild eyeshadows continue to be my favorite matte drugstore shadows.

I'm actually going to do an eye look based on how Wet N Wild places these colors because I always find it amusing how they arrange them! My favorite shade would either be that bright blue or the purple color, it looks similar to the infamous MUFE shadow! :) Anyway I'm going to have fun with this palette and hopefully post on a more consistent manner. If you have any questions please feel free to leave comments! Thanks for reading!

Possible Look for Senior Pictures??

2011-10-01T22:40:00.001-04:00

This is the long overdo makeup look that I first posted on my tumblr! Ahh senior photos are in less than 24 hours and I still don't have a clue as to what to wear or have on my face! So this is just one of the options I've created. Minus the false lashes, I don't think I want to go that dramatic for my photos.
Items used:

UDPP
NYX Jumbo pencil in Bronze
Mirabella pigment in Bronze - all over lid
Naked Palette - Buck on the crease, Hustle over it
Wet n Wild's Vanity Palette - the Burgundy shadow that's matte (used to deepen the outer V)
NYC palette in Union Square - the purple shadow on the outer v to add a pop of color
Maybelline's Gel Liner in Blacket Black
Ardell Luvies Lashes

Since I didn't go to high up on the crease I find this very wearable for everyday. I want to keep my face natural for the most part! Now I just have to practice smiling without looking sarcastic (harder said than done!)

What do you usually wear for photo ops! Or your senior photos specifically!

Affordable Fall Eyes feat. NYC!

2011-09-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

So as you probably may know, fall is just up the corner and I couldn't be any happier. Not because of the changing trees (or palm trees rather) but because this means the temperatures are going to be below 80 soon and I can return to wearing cardigans daily :D

I was again inspired to do another fall look, and also because I've had a mini obsession with redish-pruples this week. Isn't that color gorg though - I die. This is a very warm tone purple look, pretty much suitable for any eye color - especially brown eyes! And this look also incorporates a cheap, drugstore palette - NYC's IndividualEyes in 938 Union Square. You can check out a review and swatches here:

I used the base that comes with the set, it actually works decently - it makes my shadows last over 6 or so hours before starting to crease and fade a bit. I used the purple color all over the lid, then added the medium brown shadow to my crease. The skin tone color served as a highlight as well as a shadow to blend out the harsh lines. Finish off my gel liner in black, sweep the purple under the eyes, and top it off with mascara and black kohl on the lower lashline!

I have a ton of other eye looks to post.. they will all be dark smokey looks for the most part because I am experimenting with shadows and I want to create that perfect senior photos look. Ahh I'm so nervous -______- What did you guys wear for your senior pictures?

FALL EYES FEAT. DUO CHROME

2011-09-10T18:41:00.000-04:00

I'm kinda obsessed with this duo chrome shadow from the Wet n Wild "Comfort Zone" palette, it's the definer shade. I pack this on to my lid with a flat shader brush and then blend it above the crease with a blending brush. Then I take a liner brush and just go in with the definer shade once again. The camera doesn't pick up the redish tint and teal duo chrome - amazingness.

I don't own Club e/s by Mac but just by looking at swatches online I can tell that these are both pretty similar. Also a dupe for Mac's Blue Brown pigment, Urban Decay's Lounge, and Too Faced's Label Whore. Here's a closeup of the ELF Natural Lashes, so not natural but I love them!

What do you guys think? I'm hoping to collect more duochrome shades because they're just so much fun to work with.. Do you own any or recommend any? Thanks for reading :)

FALL LUSTS: SHOES

2011-09-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

Gold Lita by Jeffrey Campbell || Red Velvet by Charlotte Olympia || Bow Wedge Sandals by Thomas Wlyde || Llola Combat

First off, I'm not a fashion blogger - but I just love making wishlists for the new season. Maybe one day I can afford to have all of these shoes, but for now my no job income is really depressing. But if I did have over a thousand to kill I'd be all over these shoes in a heart beat. Let's begin!

I love Jeffrey Campbell Litas, but when I found out they came in gold glitter I just had to have them in my Lusts list.I love the style and the height these shoes give you, I hope to at least own a pair in my lifetime. These retail for $160 if they're ever not sold out..

Another pair that I'm really loving are these Charlotte Olympia Red Velvet wedges... these have a freaking cat on them and look at the heel! I'm in love with that deep red wine color for the fall, and I love ankle strap shoes with a fair of super skinny dark wash jeans. These retail for a little over $700.

I'm normally not a huge, huge fan of combat boots, but I just thought these Betsy Johnson ones were just lovely. I LOVE the leopard print, as well as the ruffly back to it, adds a nice feminine touch to the otherwise not feminine boots. These retail for $130 and come in other color options as well.

The final shoes are these bow wedges by Thomas Wlyde. The cute bows with the gold accents are to die for.. and these will practically go with everything. I love the straps on these too. These retail for around $625.

So what are some things you're lusting for the fall season?

Experimenting with Falsies!

2011-08-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

Sephora palette, Elf Natural Lashes, several Rimmel shadows

I couldn't get the corner right - yikes!

Crappy photo, but look at how long these are!

So after I randomly bought two lashes from ELF Cosmetics, I decided to finally experiment with them. Now trust me, the eye look in itself took 5 minutes - but the lash application took like 10 minutes on one eye. :O

I do need to use Duo Lash Glue, but for now the ELF glue will just have to do. I really feel like this is appropriate for prom, homecoming, or any night out... I'm really loving blue smokey eyes!

HUGE Giveaway Alert!

2011-08-24T22:27:00.000-04:00

J.C is hosting a fabulous and HUGE giveaway on her blog that includes the U.D. 15th Anniversary palette (which I have been personally lusting over for weeks!), and assortment of other products from theBalm, Benefit, Makeup Forever, etc! Be sure to follow her blog and view the rules before entering! She also has second and third prizes that are mac giftcards! So be sure to check it out: http://www.makeupdiary.org/2011/08/makeup-diarys-huge-just-because-thank.html

Good luck!

Trend: Color Blocking on the Eyes

2011-08-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

Tara Tarantino's 'Tokyo Hardcore' on the lid

This is certainly a trend for the brave, but a trend that's both bright and fun. You might have seen this trend rocking the spring fashion shows on clothes, but now it's rocking on the eyes after celebrities like Katy Perry have been seen rocking two different shades on the eyes. It's great to go with complimentary colors, like green and purple, or maybe even orange and blue.

Tara Tarantino's 'Victorian Punk' on the lid

What do you guys think of this trend? Is it hit or miss? Comment below! :)

Benefit Stay Put Set

2011-08-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

Front side packaging

A couple weeks ago I finally managed to buy this little set from Benefit that incluses a mini 'Stay Don't Stray' primer, a mini 'Erase Paste' concealer, and a mini creaseless shadow in 'Rsvp.' And the best part besides the oh-so cute packaging is that it's only ten dollars. The concealer will last you forever and a year, well at least for me because you need the tinest amount and being a concealer-holic I can totally reassure you that this covers a lot. The primer is great as well, but I'm trying to not use it up because it's so tiny! It also works as a concealer primer. The creaseless shadow is really nice as well.

Back side

The packaging is so adorable, they're tiny!

Comes in 02 medium, salmon toned (great for undereyes!)

RSVP - a great neutral sparkly base/shadow

Swatches!

This was overall a great buy if you're new to Benefit products, I'm hoping Benefit comes out with more of these mini packs!

2011-08-14T20:39:00.000-04:00

I've joined blogspot! I've decided after all this time that I should have a blog instead of just my luuux, where I can get feedback and I can post personal things too. I still have my tumblr - but I felt that my blog here will allow me to make full posts easier but also allow me to write life related posts. Follow me if you'd like :)