makeupbytess

| SKIN |

2012-02-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

I had another opportunity to work with the talented photographer, Patrick Lacsina.

Here are photos Patrick took of me working hard and doin' my thaaaang ...

This is my "focused" face lol

Contouring the model's collarbone

Below are the final photos. I love how it all turned out!

Model | Feras {PUSH}
Hair & Make-up | Tess Lopez
Stylist | Rudy Lee
Photographer | Patrick Lacsina

Is it Spring yet??

2012-02-07T18:51:00.001-05:00

Mother Nature is teasing us with days of warm weather when we should be in the coldest part of winter right now.

I'm not complaining though. It's just a bit of a tease because their have been a few days lately where I would be leaving my office, with the sun still shining and the warm air hitting my face while breathing in the fragrance of cookies (I work near a cookie factory! nom nom nom) and have a HUGE smile on my face. I would probably skip to my car if I wasn't shy, but then I'd look craaaazy! LOL

This was not the case today. Although the sun was still out when I left work (yay!), it was a typical winter day ---- freeeezing cold (and I didn't smell any cookies! lol).

I spoke too soon. I thought Spring was coming sooner than later.

From a draining day at work, my day brightened up when I came home to a package. What was in it? Some of L'Oreal's Spring 2012 products! [happy dance]

This is just as good as warm weather in winter!

I already got a taste of their products when I attended their Le Wow Festive Party at the end of 2011 where they had different stations to showcase their new products. We were able to test the products and ask questions to the L'Oreal team themselves. It was a wonderful night and it ended off well with a gift bag of some of the new products (with one of my favs --- Colour Riche Le Balm in Rose Elixir!!).

In the package I received today it included some of the products we did not get to try in our gift bag:

YouthCode Foaming Cleanser (Retail Price $12.99)

YouthCode Serum - Dark Spot Corrector and Illuminator (Retal Price - I will find out)

Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer (Retail Price $16.99)

Colour Riche Le Balm in Pink Satin -- Yay! My collection is growing! (Retail Price $9.99)

Magic Lumi Concealer (Retail Price $12.99)

Magic Smooth Souffle Blush (Retail Price $15.99)

I am super excited to try ALL of these products, especially the Magic Lumi Concealer as I was just about to go on a hunt for a new concealer!

Anyway, I'll probably be tweeting about these products as I use them. You can follow me on Twitter: @makeupbytess to see what I think!

Ciao for now!

Miss Teen Canada World Pageant [Provincials]

2012-02-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, January 29th 2012, I had the opportunity to be one of the make-up artists for the Miss Teen Canada World Pageant.

It was such a great experience to see what goes on behind the scenes of a pageant.
From dress rehearsals to make-up to hair, back to rehearsing, etc., it was a long but exciting day for them. For most girls, it was their first time being in a pageant.

Here are the before and after photos of the contestants I put make-up on:

Jordy A.

Heather D.

Sasha A.


Elle B. (Finalist - Miss Teen Halton Region - World)


Francesca M. (Finalist - Miss Teen Southern Ontario - World)

Christina L. (Finalist - Miss Teen GTA - World)

Congratulations to all the finalists!

www.missteencanadaworld.com

Say HELLO To Moisturized Lips!

2012-01-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

Not sure where you are in this world, but where I am, it is currently -15 deg/Celsius! It is ffffffreezing!
With cold weather comes dry, chapped lips and you all know how much we love DRY, CHAPPED LIPS!! :S

Even if you aren't dealing with cold, winter weather right now, I'm sure you'll still love this product ...

EOS lip balm

(www.evolutionofsmooth.com)

EOS lip balm stands for Evolution Of Smooth. This product, made in the United States, is paraben and petrolatum free. EOS is 100% natural and 95% organic. It contains shea butter, vitamin E, and jojoba oil to make your lips smooth, supple and most importantly moisturized for a long period of time.

When I first heard about EOS, I thought it was oddly shaped — a ball/sphere? I initially thought it was too big, would take up more room in my purse, etc. But since I've purchased it, I have found no problems with its size and shape. Plus, it's easier for me to spot in my disorganized purse than a typical lip balm that is a stick/tube. The actual quality of the product stumps its shape for me.

I love how once applied, your lips don't feel like they have a thick film over them (like some other lip balms do). Your lips still feel like YOUR LIPS. It gives a matte look which makes it look like there isn't any product on your lips and keeps it looking soft and moisturized.

EOS comes in different flavours. I purchased Summer Fruit and Sweet Mint — these were the only ones available at the Wal-mart I went to. Not a huge fan of the Summer Fruit but the Sweet Mint is (sniiiffff, sigh) aaaamazing! Keep in mind, only one of their flavours contain SPF which is Lemon Drop. Currently EOS comes in the following flavours:

(credit: www.evolutionofsmooth.com)

This .25 oz (7 grams) of moisturizing goodness retails for $3.98 each (CAD) at Wal-mart.


L to R: Sweet Mint and Summer Fruit

The sphere has a little indentation to comfortably rest your thumb on as you open and apply the lip balm.

This is not your typical tube-shaped lip balm, but it works.

I usually have three lip balms readily available for me — one by my bed to apply in the morning and before I go to bed, one in my purse, and one at my office desk. So I need one more EOS flavour to add to my collection. Any suggestions??

Guess What I Have!!?

2012-01-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

... New BUSINESS CARDS!! Yay!

I got them made by Jukeboxprint.

It's exactly what I wanted — simple, sophisticated, and different.

I am very pleased with the quality of the cards! It's double-sided and 16 pt thick card stock. Plus, there is no freying at the edges! I've dealt with three other companies in the past and experienced freying and bad ink quality. So I'm really happy with this outcome.

As you can see in the photos, the background text has a shiny finish which is called SPOT UV.
I fell in love with SPOT UV printing when I did the make-up for Nicole, Founder & Creative Director for THEIT Bags. She had SPOT UV on her business cards and it looked AWESOME!
I like how the SPOT UV is subtle and it's more visible depending on the angle you are looking at it. I wanted this feature to be the main focus of my design.

Nicole highly recommended Jukeboxprint and sent me a referral email so I can get $10 off my order. I waited until they had a sale on the quality of cards I wanted and then placed my order!

For those of you who are interested, Jukeboxprint is having a sale right now until January 30, 2012 —
1000 supergloss business cards for $15!!! It'll be 14 pt thick card stock and double-sided!

Click here to get the referral code to receive $10 off your purchase! (It will lead to their website but when you create an account and place an order, the referral code should automatically be populated in the promo code field.) Enjoy!

I ordered so many business cards to last me a lifetime! HAHA

Anyone wanna help me hand them out? Who wants one? LOL :P

Oh, btw ...

I'm currently working on my new website for my portfolio.

It's still under construction but will be finished soon!

I'll keep y'all posted!

COMING SOON: First Canadian-Made BB Cream!

2012-01-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

BB Cream has been the talk of the cyber-world for a while now amongst make-up artists and beauty-lovers alike.

For those of you who haven't heard of it yet, BB Cream apparently works wonders for your skin. {I say apparently because I have yet to try it for myself! :) }

No, BB doesn't stand for Blackberry (in this case lol)! :P
It stands for Blemish Balm (or Blemish Base, Beauty Balm -- there are quite a few different meanings).

First developed by a dermatologist in Germany, BB Cream was created to treat and soothe the skin of laser-surgery patients as well as to help cover-up scars and blemishes. It then made its way to Asia where many Asian celebrities have been using this product to achieve flawless looking skin — this is how the BB cream craze skyrocketed.

Now, BB Cream has made its way to our side of the world! Sold in specialty stores in the United States, BB Cream will soon be easily available to all you Canadians at a drugstore near you.

MARCELLE will be introducing the first Canadian-made BB Cream available in-stores on

February 6, 2012!

Retails for $22.95 (45 mL)

There are different BB Creams out in the market right now some have skin whitening attributes, anti-aging properties, SPF protection, etc. The skin whitening and brightening attribute is more popular in the Asian market as they find lighter skin is more beautiful and relates to success. However, in Canada and the US, skin whitening isn't as important as skin treatment. So you'll find BB Creams will have more anti-aging and SPF properties.

What benefits does the Marcelle BB Cream have?

It's a moisturizer, foundation, and primer in one!!

Here is some information from the press release I received for Marcelle's BB Cream:

Perfect for any age and suitable for all skin types
Comes in two shades but has self-adjusting pigments that transform and adapt to your skin tone.
Oil-free and paraben free
Perfume free
Non-comedogenic and hypo-allergenic

8-IN-1 Multi-Benefits

minimizes the appearance of imperfections and pores
evens out skin tone
provides an excellent make-up base and replaces primers
matifies skin and controls shine
offers immediate and long-term hydrating benefits
soothes and calms skin
protects from premature aging and environmental stresses
promotes skin regeneration

For those of you who are interested in ingredients, the KEY ingredients are:

Hyaluronic Acid: improves skin elasticity, hydrates skin, and helps minimize wrinkles
Auaxyl: moisturizes and helps correct imperfections
Glycerine: hydrates
Vitamin E: anti-oxidant to protect skin
Aloe Vera: soothes and hydrates
Green Tea & Camomile: stimulates, reinvigorates and soothes skin
Soft Focus Powders: light-reflecting, enhance complexion

This is a multi-use product:

You can wear it alone for a quick and easy morning application since it can act as a moisturizer, primer and foundation
You can wear it over your moisturizer as a foundation
You can wear it under your current foundation as a primer to get an even better coverage

I know most of you are pretty excited for this launch! For those of you who can't wait, you can get your hands on Marcelle's BB Cream even earlier than February 6th!

Marcelle's BB Cream is available to order online www.shop.marcelle.com starting on January 16, 2012! It will be $22.95 with FREE shipping if you spend over $25 before taxes.

Thanks Marcelle, for sending me the test product! I can't wait to try it!

Have you tried BB cream before?

2012 Beauty List

2012-01-05T18:56:00.001-05:00

In 2011, I think I was pretty good with my beauty product purchases — my make-up envelope of receipts were not as THICK as previous years, which means I did good! Plus, I believe almost all my purchases were on sale or discounted meaning the total amount spent must be way less in comparison to the past. (Must pat myself on theee back.)

Now that it's a new year, I'm looking to stay on track with budgeting and hopefully do even better than last year. To help me with that, I figured I should make a 2012 Beauty Purchase List so I don't go off the tracks with my buys.

I'm not the beauty lover who needs (aka wants) to buy or try everything and anything new on the market. I'm very selective on my purchases and am willing to spend more money on certain items, such as on foundation than on lipsticks, etc. I also love a great deal, so if I'm willing to wait until products go on sale.

Here are a few products I've been wanting to try for a while now, which I may purchase this year:

1. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Photo credit: www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

I am definitely a cat-eye kinda gal! For years I've been going back and forth with MAC's Blacktrack Fluidline and MUFE's Aquablack Cream Shadow. Love these two products, but one liner that also tops the charts is the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. I've been meaning to try this water-resistant, smudge-proof liner for years now, so if Sephora has any of their deals (20% off or $15-$20 off deal) or if I go to the U.S., I think I may cross this off the must-purchase list!

2. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Photo credit: http://www.dermalogica.com

I've been using the St. Yves Gentle exfoliator, which I've heard mixed reviews about. I've used their new formulation which now have tinier granules that make it more gentle on the skin, so I don't have much to complain about. But I've heard great things about this Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. It's different than the typical exfoliator — it's powder. Apparently, you are supposed to mix it with your wet hands to create a creamy paste and apply it onto your skin resulting in a smooth, bright, soft layer. I still have to look into the price, but all I know is that it's waaaaaay more than the St. Yves exfoliator! (This means, I'll have to cut down on my bubble tea consumption haha)

3. INGLOT Eye Shadows


10 Square Eye Shadow


Rainbow Eye Shadows (in many colours)

Photo credit: http://inglotcosmetics.com

I've seen these eye shadows on so many blogs and YouTube make-up tutorials. They seem to be very pigmented and have a good range of colours! There is no Inglot in my city and I'm not one to buy items online so the next time I go to Montreal or the U.S., I'm going straight to INGLOT!

That's pretty much it for my 2012 list! Short, I know!! :D

Okaay...there is one last product.

The product below, I'm a little iffy on purchasing (I know most of you might think I'm crazy because this product is like the 'talk of the town' right now!)

4. Urban Decay's Naked2 Palette

Photo credit: www.urbandecay.com

I love Urban Decay's eye shadows. They are very pigmented! As much as I'd like to jump on the Naked or Naked2 bandwagon, I'm a little hesitant on this purchase because of the price and the amount of matte shadows there are — only three in the Naked2 palette (even less in the Naked palette). Plus, I already have a few of those eye shadow colours from another palette. So to be quite honest, I would rather purchase the INGLOT eye shadows if I had to choose.

The products above are the first to pop up in my mind when I quickly think of products I would like to try. So I think my 2012 list is pretty good because it's limited! But who knows, it'll probably grow throughout the year. :S

My list is to be continued ...

So, what's on your list?

Btw...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How was your holidays?

Mine was filled with family, friends, and lots of food ... which you could probably tell with my tired eyes and chubby cheeks! HAHA

This is "tired" me with only 3 hrs of sleep ...

Wishing you a year of good health, happiness, inspiration & love! :)

It's a new year ... so let's do the things we love, try things we've never tried before, and surround yourself with with positive & motivating people!

xoxo TESS

Yummy Christmas Nails

2011-12-24T19:51:00.003-05:00

I know this sounds weird, but everytime I look at my pinky nail, I just want to eat it! lol
Why you ask? Well here's a photo:

It just looks like a yummy, minty candy cane!

Colours used:
China Glaze - China Rouge
L'Oreal - French Tip White

How'd I do it?

I used the "water-marble method".
To be honest with you ... it took many tries to get the pattern that I wanted.
That's why my pinky finger is stained with red! HAHA

I've seen videos on YouTube on it for a few years now and decided to finally give it a try for Christmas. The concept sounds simple:

Put room temperature water in a container (big enough to fit your finger in it).
Paint all your nails the base colour you desire.
Choose your desired nail polish colours to create the marble pattern.
Drop each colour in the water in the order you prefer - it will look like a bull's eye.
Take a toothpick to swirl and create the pattern you want.
Quickly choose the area of the pattern you like and dip your nail into it.
Blow the water to dry the rest of the nail polish around your finger.
Take a toothpick to quickly stir up the dried polish from the water.
Remove your finger and voila, the pattern has now transferred on to your nail.

Sounds easy right?

Well, there are few things you will have to consider:

Nail polish will not only go on your nail but on your skin. In videos, I've seen some people tape around each nail before starting. I have also seen some people use lotion around their nail. I used the lotion method because I needed the tape for gift-wrapping! HAHA
It doesn't really work if you have old nail polish that has thickened. The nail polish doesn't spread as fast in the water. This results in the nail polish drying TOO fast in the water and you are unable to make any patterns. I had to add a bit of my nail polish thinner to thin out my old polish.


Taking forever to drop in the water because it's too thick

The white polish is so thick that it didn't even spread into a bigger circle in the water

YOU MUST BE QUICK! The nail polish dries fast. So before dropping the different nail polishes in the water, unscrew all the lids first so you can work quick.
When dipping your nail in, dip your finger all the way in, don't stay close to the surface of the water. I found a couple of times I did that and the colours meshed into one with no swirly pattern.
I'm not sure if the container you fill with water must be glass or not, but I just used a plastic container.

As my main fallback was the old polish, it was a bit more difficult for me to get the desired look. It took more than twenty tries until I was happy with what I got. My intention was to do all my nails but it just came to the point where I was too tired, so I just did my two pinky nails and then painted the rest of my nails red. HAHAHA I also decided to use CLEAR nail polish instead of white polish for the marble effect since I already painted the base of my nail white. It worked out much better since it wasn't too thick which resulted in the cool marble effect on my pinky nail.

LOL, this is my reaction when it didn't work! haha

I will attempt this water-marble nail art again but with newer nail polish and see what I come up with. The next time I try it, I'll show photos for step-by-step instruction.

Have you tried this cool marble effect before? What was your experience like?

Hope you are enjoying your holidays! =)

For the love of NAILS

2011-12-22T13:54:00.003-05:00

When I was in 6th grade, I had a floral Kaboodle FULL of nail polishes (Revlon and Wet 'n Wild). I remember taking it with me to my long drive to Delaware to visit family one long weekend and my parents asked me why I needed to bring that entire thing around. I just couldn't part with it. I thought, "What if I get bored and want to do my nails?". Yup, I was only 11 years old.

From stripes to polka dots, I was pretty creative with my nails. I was obsessed with Disney characters at the time and some days would even paint Mickey and Minnie Mouse on my nails.

Seventeen years later, I'm still obsessed with nail polish, but a few things have changed:

I have branched out to different brands (China Glaze, OPI, American Apparel, NYX, Sally Hansen, Joe Fresh, etc.);
I no longer have a kaboodle-full of polishes, but a big container from the dollar store; and

Part of my nail polish collection

Throughout the years, I have become a bit more reserved with my nails, but am now slowly branching out into being creative again.

Me doing my sister's nails

The other day, my little cousin. Danielle, tweeted a photo of nail art her and her friends did during their holiday party. I was beyond impressed. I knew my cousin was very artistic and creative, but seeing these nails just made me so amazed and to be quite honest, inspired again! So I had to share!

Here is their wonderful nail art creation:

Top row (left to right): Lena-China Porcelain, Marianne-Arizona Tea
Middle Row (left to right): Danielle (hi, cousin! :D) -left hand, right hand/hello kitty inspired~cutesy

Great job, ladies!

Thanks Danielle for sharing the photo!

Glitz & Glam New Year's Nails

2011-12-20T18:13:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but there is something about glitter that just screams out the "HOLIDAYS" for me.

Here is my nail look that would look great for New Year's!

L-R: NYX Cafe Au Lait, Gold Sparkle, Sephora by OPI Blue Grotto

So this look was completely experimental!

I initially intended to paint my nails with only Cafe Au Lait but I thought it looked a bit plain against my skin. So I decided to jazz it up a bit by adding the Gold Sparkle. It was my first time using the two nail polishes so I wasn't sure how pigmented they were. I ended up liking Gold Sparkle so much that I added a second coat. Pretty much to the point where you couldn't really see the initial colour of Cafe Au Lait seeping through the glitter. I didn't want my nails to be all glitter so I decided to add a solid colour to the mix. Since I haven't used Blue Grotto in a long time, I figured I would just use that. Plus, I always liked gold and blue as a combo. [That's what's great about experimenting, you just never know how it will turn out at the end!]

A simple design of just a slant is almost mistake-proof. So I went with that. I started to do it freehand but for some nails it wasn't as straight as I wanted it to be. So to clean-up and straighten my line, I took the french tip stickers (you can use reg. tape) and just taped it to my nail with the desired angle (the base colour is dry, of course).

Next time I think I'll stick to using the french tip stickers or tape to begin with. It would've saved me so much more time! :P

Anyway, this is the finally result. I LOVE IT!!

What is your New Year's nails going to look like?
Let me know if you try this! :)

Happy Holidays!

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME! {NOW CLOSED}

2011-12-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

Yup, you read that correctly! Tess is having her first giveaway! I'm super excited because who doesn't love make-up and who doesn't love it even more when it's FREEEEE!

This giveaway is to thank all my current readers and welcome the new ones. I know I've been quite busy and haven't had a chance to blog as frequently as I want. But you guys have still stuck around and I'm thankful for that.

It was hard for me to decide what my first giveaway would be, I thought to myself, what do I enjoy doing the most when it comes to applying make-up? Of course ... it's the eyes!!

So with that being said, my giveaway is "All About the Eyes" (over $100 value).

What will you win? None other than products from one of my favourite brands, L'Oreal Paris Canada!

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadows (9 colours) {See Review and make-up look I did}
Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner (carbon black): "The glide and intensity of a liquid, the precision of a pencil"
Voluminous Million Lashes mascara (black): With its formula, brush and 'Clean Sweep Wiping System' the right amount of formula is deposited on the brush to reduce clumps and volumize the lashes.

www.lorealparis.ca

So do you want sexy, sultry eyes?

To enter my giveaway (value over $100), it's super easy. Just follow the rules below and VOILA you have just entered my first giveaway contest! It only takes a couple of minutes.

What a great way to start the new year with some new make-up!!! :)

*Giveaway contest ends Dec. 30th at 11:59 pm [EST].
Must be a 18 yrs and older resident of Canada or the United States only.

To be eligible, you must follow ALL the requirements. Each requirement is one entry each, but all must be completed to win. Please read the instructions carefully.

You must leave a comment on this blog post telling us, "What kind of posts or videos would you like to see or learn from MakeUpByTess?" and leave your email or twitter name to be contacted in case you win.
You must follow @makeupbytess on Twitter.
You must subscribe to MakeUpByTess' blog with Google Friend Connect (located on the right-side of page).
Like MakeUpByTess on Facebook.

OPTIONAL: Once the requirements have been done, you have a chance for two for extra entries.

Tweet about the giveaway with the following tweet: "I entered @makeupbytess' "All About Eyes" giveaway! Enter for your chance to win! http://bit.ly/v0aRHe #sultryeyesmu"- this can be done once per day for extra entries! :)
Subscribe to MakeUpByTess' YouTube channel.

For your entries to qualify, you must enter through RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering

GOOD LUCK! :)

Thank you L'Oreal Paris and Cowan & Company.

L'Oreal's Le Couleur Infallible Eye Shadows

2011-12-15T20:40:00.000-05:00

"Only four weeks after launching in Summer 2011, La Couleur Infallible eye shadow became the #1 selling eye shadow in Canada!"

Claims:

Intense pigmented colour

Velvety texture

Lasts 24 hours

Crease-proof

Waterproof

What is Tess' take on these eye shadows?
I initially had the chance to try these eye shadows at the Luminato Event. I had the opportunity to get my make-up done by, none other than, Eddie Malter (Official Make-up Artist of L’Oreal Paris in Canada) and he used two colours on me which looked absolutely gorgeous! Click here for my Luminato post.

A few weeks later, I had the opportunity to test out more of the eye shadows and I saw many beauty bloggers writing posts about it. It was pretty much unanimous – we absolutely loved them!

So, what's great about these eye shadows?

It’s like a cross between a loose pgiment eye shadow and a cream eye shadow. It is finely milled and it seems as if it has a bit of moisture to keep it in its place. When you open the container, the product is densely packed. It’s not super loose and messy like other pigments. Once applied, there is only a tiny bit of fall-out. It literally feels like it melts to the touch with such a pigmented colour and pearlescent/shimmery sheen. After hours of wear, the eye shadow still looks fresh with no creasing or visible signs of fading.

See how densely packed it is?

TIPS:

Dampen eye shadow brush to intensify the colour or to apply as an eye liner
To reduce chance of fall-out apply with a patting motion
Apply eye shadow first before your foundation so you can clean off any fall-out
If you are wearing lip stick/lip gloss, apply a tiny bit of eye shadow in the centre of your lips to give the illusion of fuller lips

I wore these eye shadows to the L’Oreal's Holiday Cocktail Event the other day. I applied the make-up earlier on in the day (2 pm) and didn’t take it off until midnight. By the end of the night, I inspected my make-up and it was still flawless (I’ll try to remember to take a photo next time). There was no creasing, fall-out, or fading. This was only 10 hours of wear compared to the 24 hours they claimed. (I don’t know if I’d ever wear make-up for 24 hours! Lol). I was extremely impressed with the long-lasting power. My eyelids have been quite oily lately (even after I wear a primer) and I was afraid you would see creasing by the end of the night. But there were no crease lines in sight! :)

Colours used: 013 BURNING BLACK, 015 FLASHBACK SILVER, 005 PURPLE OBSESSION

Eddie Malter commented on my make-up that night and said he really loved it! (Thanks, Eddie. That means a lot! :D). To be quite honest, I was so tempted to leave it on and just wear it the next day because I was so impressed! (But I can never sleep with make-up on so I ended up taking it off.)

I keep going back and forth to loving shimmery eye shadows vs. matte eye shadows. The past year, I’ve been into matte eye shadows, but I think the L’Oreal Infallible eye shadows just made me fall back in love with shimmer.

BUT – for all you MATTE fans, L’Oreal has now come out with L’Oreal Infallible MATTE eye shadows!! YAAYYYY!!! I can’t wait to try them! In-stores now are only three colours, but a black matte eye shadow will be coming out in February 2012!

Here are the colours I had the chance to test:

Top row (L-R): 002 HOURGLASS BEIGE, 001 TIME RESIST WHITE, 004 FOREVER PINK, 009 PERMANENT KAKI, 015 FLASHBACK SILVER

Bottom row (L-R): 006 ALL NIGHT BLUE, 007 UNLIMITED SKY, 005 PURPLE OBSESSION, 013 BURNING BLACK
*Note: I heard in other countries (i.e., Europe, the colour of the names are different but the numbers are the same).

There are many more colours out now, so check 'em out at your local drugstore! :)


This is just with one swipe! See how pigmented it is?

What are Tess' favourites out of the collection?

I love these three colours - 006 ALL NIGHT BLUE, 005 PURPLE OBSESSION, and 013 BURNING BLACK. They each look awesome as a smokey-eye look! Just dampen the brush and you get an even better colour pay-off!

So, does Tess think it lives up to what it claims?

Review:

Intense pigmented colour ☑

Velvety texture ☑

Lasts 24 hours (well, I know it lasts for 10 hrs!) ☑

Crease-proof ☑

Water-proof ☑

I highly recommend these eye shadows. It's such an amazing quality for a really affordable price (retail value: $10.99). Give it a try and let us know how you like 'em!

Limited Edition: Pari Beauty Holiday Palettes (Review to come)

2011-12-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I received two Pari Beauty *Limited Edition* Holiday Palettes to review ...
Tricks of the Trade Palette & the Black Tie Palette.

{LEFT: Tricks of the Trade palette RIGHT: Black Tie palette}

www.paribeauty.com

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of joining some Toronto beauty bloggers to attend a Pari Beauty event. They talked about their products currently on the market as well as the reveal of their new holiday palettes. We got to see these palettes first hand, swatch some of the products and see a live demo.

Some products stood out more than others for me that day (ahem...ahem...their bronzer which is included in the Tricks of the Trade palette!! :D), but you can't really get a feel for it unless you actually try it on yourself. I'm really excited to test these babies out!

This morning, I tried three eye shadow colours and the highlighter (bronzer duo) from the Tricks of the Trade palette. First impression? Pretty pigmented! Way more than I expected!

My heart melted when I opened the Black Tie palette. It was as if I saw it for the first time. I'm diggin' the neutral colours in this palette. Can't wait to try them!

Stay tuned for a full review. :)

Exciting News!

Exclusive to my readers: Discounted promotional offer until December 30^th

If you are interested in purchasing any of these limited edition Holiday palettes, Pari Beauty is offering a 15% off discount exclusive to all my readers (not valid in-store)!

Tricks of the Trade Palette

Reg Price: $38.25 CAD

Disc. Price: $31.50 CAD

Retail Value: $150 CAD

includes:
8 highly pigmented eyeshadows
2 ultra gloss lip colours
2 silky soft blushers
1 full size Precious Glow illuminating and intensifying eye primer
1 Duo Mineral Highlighter Bronzer (New)
1 Double ended make-up brush
mirror
card to explain how to use the kit

Black Tie Full Face Kit

Reg Price: $69 CAD

Disc. Price: $58.65 CAD

Retail Value: $200 CAD

includes:
10 neutral and smoky eye shades
1 full size high shine lipgloss
holiday edition bronzer/contour powder
1 illuminating face highlighter
mirror and applicators
card to explain how to use the kit

This would be the perfect time to give this new Canadian cosmetics company, Pari Beauty, a try if you haven't yet or better yet, be generous and give it as a gift this holiday season!

Send me an e-mail if you are interested in purchasing this palette or have any questions.
Please include your name, palette name, quantity, shipping address, phone number, and e-mail address.

Remember, this discounted is only exclusive to my readers from this website and not valid in-stores.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

2011-12-13T23:32:00.003-05:00

We have 12 more days until Christmas and to get into the holiday spirit, I decided to paint my nails this lovely shimmery green!

It's nice to 're-visit' my nail polishes! I bought this China Glaze polish a while ago and when I put it on my nails the other day, I fell in love with it all over again! :)

. Fashion Shoot .

2011-11-29T19:45:00.001-05:00

Photographer: Patrick Lacsina (patricklacsina.com)
Hair & Make-up: Tess Lopez
Styling: Kenisha Paranso
Styling Assistance: Yvonne Lin

Models Left to Right (first photo):

Kris - Push
Adam -Next
Francis - Sutherland Models
Ben - Sutherland Models

THEIT Bag - The "IT" Bag

2011-11-27T18:34:00.013-05:00

Are you a photo lover like me? Do you like to capture life's moments — your vacation, your baby's first steps or even the simple things in life such as the delicious meal you are about to eat? Are you a beauty or fashion blogger who loves to take photos of products you've purchased, events you've attended or your make-up/outfit of the day?

If you said yes, to any of these questions, then girl, will you enjoy what I have in store for you!

Keep reading! :)

I have both a DSLR and a point & shoot camera.
You probably agree that a DSLR camera has better photo quality hands down! But there are days where I just don't want to lug around that big, heavy thing with me! So I just resort to my point & shoot camera or most often than not, my iPhone camera and just sacrifice the quality.

Sometimes being lazy and opting for a lightweight, small camera size vs. photo quality isn't such a great idea. Especially if you are travelling on vacation. After many weeks of contemplating whether I should bring my DSLR on my trip to Europe, I reluctantly decided to leave it at home.

Why, you ask? Although my Lowepro Slingshot camera bag is very comfortable and practical, I must admit, it doesn't look fashionable! It just wouldn't have looked good with my trendy outfits walking down the streets of Paris, Venice, Barcelona, etc. Also, I felt like this bag just screams, "Tourist!" and I didn't want to be called out like that.

Back in October I was contacted by Nicole, Founder & Creative Director of THEIT bags. She is being featured in a media book called, CRAVE Toronto The Urban Gal's Manifesto for its second edition — a book which features successful and inspiring female entrepreneurs in Toronto. She said what drew me to her was not only my talent, but my passion to follow my dreams and my eagerness to inspire others. (I liked her already! :P)

She contacted me to inquire on my make-up rates for her photo appearing in the CRAVE Toronto media book as well as my rates for her THEIT bag's upcoming lookbook. I happily gave her my rates and couldn't wait to work with her.

I actually heard about her THEIT bag from a mutual friend of ours last year when the THEIT bags were launched. As being an aspiring photographer, I thought her bags were the greatest idea ever ... a fashionable & trendy camera bag — the "IT" bag!

Pronounced as one word – "THEIT" bag – is a modern, chic camera bag used to capture life's moments in style. Why didn't I think about this bag before I went on my trip? It would've been the perfect thing to carry my DSLR in without being afraid that it clashes with my outfits as well as ensuring it's protected!

www.lovetheit.com

This high quality, water-resistant bag has a detachable chained strap to wear as a cross-over or on your shoulder. With adjustable and removable compartments to insert and organize your camera body, flash, lens, batteries, etc., this purse is padded to protect the gear inside. There is even a compartment for your Ipad or tablet. On days where you don't want to bring your camera, you can remove the inserts (if you'd like) and just use this bag as a regular purse! How awesome is that?!

So last week, I finally had the opportunity to meet and work with the beautiful and intelligent face behind this THEIT brand. Nicole, a previous flight attendant who had the same dilemma as moi — wanted to capture life's moments and travel with style while having peace of mind that your camera is safe. This is what inspired her to create the THEIT bag.

Below is her before and after photo for the CRAVE Toronto photo shoot.

Photographer credit: Maria Lalla (@Maria_Lalla)

http://marialalla.com

Featured in the second edition of CRAVE Toronto (@CRAVEtoronto) will be launched at the beginning of 2012!

http://thecravecompany.com/toronto

I hope this bag sparked your interest and won your heart the way it did with me! :P

I highly recommend this bag to all aspiring photographers, beauty & fashion bloggers, and simply, just the every day woman.

This would be a great item to add to your Christmas wish list!

Tell your boyfriend, husband, mom, dad, etc! :P

THEIT bags is having a CYBER MADNESS deal for three days only!!

** Not valid with any other offers or discounts and on previous purchases.

www.lovetheit.com

Follow @THEITbags on Twitter for more details to come!

Happy Snapping! :)

Marcelle & Annabelle's Beauty Premier Event

2011-11-26T21:55:00.005-05:00

Last week I attended a Spring 2012 launch event hosted by the well-known Canadian cosmetic brands — Marcelle and Annabelle Cosmetics.

This trendy cocktail party was held at the Rooftop Lounge of the Thompson Hotel to show us a sneak peek of their new products launching next Spring 2012. We also had the opportunity to mix and mingle with the people working behind the Marcelle and Annabelle products! :)

What a gorgeous view of the city on the rooftop

The dress code was "urban chic" which caused an exciting stir amongst some of us Toronto Beauty Bloggers on Twitter!

"Omg, what am I going to wear?"

"Got my outfit for the #BeautyPremier!"

"What are you going to wear!?"

It was the most anticipated launch party I have attended thus far and I must say it definitely exceeded my expectations!

Not only did they serve hor d'oeuvres on a platter, but they served make-up too! I was very impressed ... and excited! I mean, who else does that? :P

Another thing that impressed me was their lipgloss lab! We got to create our own lipglosses which was a such a fun experience!

How did it work?

There was a gloss colour wheel on display and each colour had a letter. We were to choose 4-6 colours and hand the colour combo to the 'lipgloss chemists' and wish for the best! (You don't understand how nervous I was for the outcome! I was afraid my colour choices would look like mud. lol)

The three glosses on the bottom right (photo above) are my creation! lol

The gloss on the far left is actually created by spelling out my name: T E S S
(Thanks to Jill (http://jillojello.com) for that idea!

Are you curious to see what Annabelle and Marcelle have in store for us for Spring 2012?

Here's a sneak peek:

Marcelle - Xtension Plus Mascara (lengthening)

Marcelle - BB Cream (the craze right now!)

Marcelle Gene Youth Skincare - Eye cream, Day cream and Night cream

Marcelle - Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover

Annabelle - The Big Show Lipglosses (12 shades)

Already in stores:

Annabelle Smudge Paints (beauty lover favourite)

Annabelle - Glitterama Eyeliner (8 colours)

[Sorry, I don't have a photo :S]

There were so many beauty bloggers and make-up artists at this event. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces!

Left to right:

Fiona (Fiona Man), Tess, and Donna Marie (MakeupByDonnaMarie)

Left to right:

Abigail (wellrounded.me), Olivia (TheCheapGirl), Elaine (TOBeautyReviews), Farah (FacesByFarah), and Tess

Tess and Donna Marie (MakeupByDonnaMarie)

Donna Marie (MakeupByDonnaMarie), Lisa Marie (Beauty Crazed), and Fiona (Fiona Man)

The photo above is of me with the lovely Isabel, Social Media and PR Director of Marcelle and Annabelle

Doesn't she look stunning?

Hair & make-up done by MakeupByDonnaMarie!

(I also did Isabel's hair and make-up for her sister-in-law's wedding when she was in Toronto. Check it out here!)

Well ... don't mind if I do!

One last take before heading off for the night! lol

On our way out we got a swag bag! :)

Unfortunately, the bag I received didn't have all the new products launching. :(

But at least I get to try their new lipgloss and mascara and the other products in the bag! :D

Thanks Isabel, Marcelle and Annabelle for hosting this wonderful event!

You probably noticed from our tweets that night, that all the Toronto Beauty Bloggers had an amazing time!

www.marcellecosmetics.com

www.annabelle.com/blog

2011 IMATS Experience + Haul

2011-11-25T00:53:00.006-05:00

IMATS is an annual weekend event that all make-up artists and beauty enthusiasts cannot wait for. Weeks before the event, beauty lovers are writing their lists and checking it twice and beauty bloggers share informative tips on how to have a great IMATS experience!

Not only is IMATS great for their amazing deals and discounted cosmetics, it is also a wonderful place to network — seeing beauty bloggers and meeting fellow make-up artists both beginners and experts who have been in the industry for many years! Bringing your business cards is a must as you never know what kind of opportunity can arise after speaking to someone.

Attending classes are a definite plus for this event. Expert make-up artists, such as, Eve Pearl, Koren Zander, Kevin James Bennett, etc. teach the tricks of the trade and it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a pro, you will always learn something new!

This year IMATS was held on November 11th & 12th. This was my third year attending IMATS and as each experience has been different, it's always inspiring!

The highlight of my IMATS experience this year is having the privilege of being Koren’s (EnkoreMakeup) model during his “Power of Colour” class. I was super excited (and nervous). He has been a true inspiration to me for a few years now and being on stage with him was such an honour.

Photo courtesy of Elaine (TOBeautyReviews)

Photo courtesy of Ruth

As mentioned in my video, I spent less than my budget this year! WOOHOO!

Here is what I purchased:

Feathered hair accessories at the Crystal Works booth

These were only $4 each!

Disposable rubber wands ($3.50 each) and lip brushes ($3 each) at Nigel Beauty Emporium

Parian Spirit brush cleaner from Alcone ($12.50 each)

Thanks Fiona (Fiona Man's channel) for getting these bottles for me and for your awesome product wars review!

NYX Nail polish ($2 each)

Left to right:

Gold Sparkle, Desert Rose, Cafe Au Lait

NYX Nail Art polish ($1 each)

Left to right:

Silver, Gold, Black Glitter

NYX Sharpener ($4)

Can you believe I didn’t purchase any make-up? I could not believe it either! But I didn’t really need anything!

GRAND TOTAL: $63!!

Budget: $150!

SUCCESS!

Shout-outs to:

IMATS and Make-up Artist Magazine (@MakeupArtistmag) for another wonderful year.

Koren (EnkoreMakeup) – Thanks for asking me to be your model and doing a fantastic job on the make-up and class.

Elessa (Pursebuzz) - We didn’t get to do my hair tutorial! Maybe next time!?

Toronto Beauty Bloggers (www.torontobeautybloggers.com)– Great seeing most of you ladies! It was truly a better IMATS experience knowing more people in the industry.

Ruthie – Thanks for joining me for another year of IMATS! You are an amazing shopping partner. Thanks for taking the photos and video of Koren’s class too.

‘Til next year … Happy Savings for the next IMATS!

hmmm ...

maybe next time I'll do IMATS LA or Vancouver or NYC!!!

hmmmm ...

Sneak Peek: Lise Watier's New Skincare Line

2011-11-23T20:31:00.010-05:00

In the beginning of November, I was invited to attend the launch event for Lise Watier’s new Anti-Aging skincare line — Age Control Supreme to stop the clock.

This new skin care line will be in stores on January 2012, but here ... you'll get a sneak peek! Yay!

This event was held at the clean, white, modern venue — Andrew Richard Designs in Downtown, Toronto.

When I arrived, they began their presentation on the ingredients and the benefits of these new products.

Crystal Day Elixir

15 ml

$45 CAD

serum with micro diamond flex used during the day

results: moisturizes and tightens skin

La Creme (Day and Night)

50 ml

$78 CAD

rich cream (no spf)

results: improved firmness & visibility;

skin appears more plump & smooth

Black Night Elixir

15 ml

$45 CAD

serum with micro diamond flex used at night

serum is black but disappears instantly once applied

results: moisturizes & revitalizes skin overnight

Are you curious to know how this anti-aging skin care line is different from all the rest?

Well, they have a secret ingredient – Labrador tea extract – shhhh!

Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) leaves found in Canada's boreal forest

For hundreds of years, Labrador tea was used to treat burns, chapped skin and skin inflammation. After five years of research, Lise Watier and researchers from Universie du Quebec at Chicoutimi teamed up to develop these anti-aging products. Respecting the environment, these leaves are picked by hand.

During the event, they had delicious hors d'oeuvres and served tea ... actual Labrador tea!

It was very yummy!

Labrador Tea (aka Ledum tea)

I also saw some fellow beauty bloggers — Farah (FacesByFarah), Joyce (SparklyPlayground), and finally had a chance to meet the wonderful, Lisa Marie (BeautyCrazed).

Left to right:
Joyce (SparklyPlayground), Farah (FacesByFarah), Tess, and Rachel (PR for Lise Watier)
*photo courtesy of Joyce (SparklyPlayground)

After the presentation, we had the opportunity to mingle and speak to the Lise Watier team who contributed to this new anti-aging line. It was very informative as we were able to go straight to the source when asking questions and testing out the products.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Lise Watier herself. She is such an alluring woman who is so beautiful and down-to-earth.

Left to right:
Tess, Joyce (SparklyPlayground), Lise Water
*photo courtesy of Joyce (SparklyPlayground)

Do you want to know what Lise Watier's beauty secret is to staying beautiful?
Check out Joyce’s YouTube video (01b0o) of her interview with Lise Watier.
(I was the one filming the interview! lol)

Lise Watier is truly inspiring.

On our way out there were tasty Ledum tea cookies and a swag bag for each of us to take home.

Deeee-lish!

Guess what was in my swag bag!? Or shall I say swag BOX!?

I was pretty excited to take home the new products! Even a bag of the Ledum tea leaves!
I know I already have a baby face (ahh chubby cheeks & genes), but I still can’t wait to try these products out.
Although I don’t have any signs of anti-aging (yet), it’s still a great preventative product line!
Hmmm ... or maybe I'll be nice and just give it to my mom to try!

Thanks Lise Watier and Rachel for inviting me to this informative event!

Remember, the new anti-aging line launches in January 2012.
Check it out at a store near you!
www.lisewatier.com

Oh btw, if you want a great concealer and contouring palette, try Lise Watier's colour wheel palette.
It definitely works wonders!
Check out my post & video with Mila Victoria to see for yourself! :)
Workshop with Mila Victoria

Thanks for reading!

WIN a Pari Beauty Gift Basket at IMATS Toronto

2011-11-10T22:30:00.007-05:00

Do you love giveaways?
Will you be attending IMATS Toronto this weekend?

If you said "YES" to both of these questions, then you may have a chance to win a wonderful Pari Beauty gift basket valued at over $180! *Happy Dance*

Here are the details:

Pari Beauty is excited to announce an exclusive sweepstake ONLY for those attending the IMATS in Toronto on Nov 12th and 13th!

Enter for your chance to win a gift basket valued at over $180!!

Prize

A kit of Pari Beauty cosmetics and skin care products including:

1 Limited Edition Color Cubes High Pigment Mineral Powders

1 Five Eyeshadow Palette

1 Limited Edition Makeup Bag

1 Black Tie Collection

1 Precious Glow

1 Thickening and Lengthening Mascara

1 Lip Shine Lipgloss

1 Transforming Eye Gel

Total retail value of prize: $180.00+

Here's how it works:

Simply "Like" the Pari Beauty Facebook Fan Page and go to the sweepstake link on the left hand side of the Pari Beauty Facebook page to enter and view contest details and gift.

On Nov 12th and 13th you MUST check in with Pari Beauty (Booth #113 - previously noted #107) to complete a ballot for your name to be entered into the draw. We will be giving a gift basket away on both Sat Nov 12th and Sun Nov 13th. Winners will be announced at the end of each day and will be posted on Pari Beauty's Facebook page!

Contest ends on Friday Nov 11th at 11:59 pm EST.

www.paribeauty.com

Good luck and see you all at IMATS!

It's Make-over Time!

2011-11-06T16:45:00.004-05:00

So after a couple of years of having the same look, I thought I would give my blog a mini make-over.
My blog was beginning to look a bit old school (through my eyes, anyway) and I thought I would change its style and make it a bit more modern. I noticed what is in style today in the blogging world is a clean and simple look.

Old look:

I have added a few new features:

Reviews page - Still under construction
Testimonials - Clients share their experience with me
Websites - I have shared a link to my other blogs: StyleCentsByTess and CapturedIn365
Youtube - Yikes! I know I haven't made a video in a really long time. But since I've added the YouTube link to the menu header, hopefully this will motivate me into filming more!
Facebook Fan Page - Many of you have been asking me if I have a Facebook page for MakeupByTess. After years of resisting, I have decided to create one. Please feel free to check it out and 'Like' the page! :)

I'm really happy with the result and hopefully my readers are too!
This make-over wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. PHEW! Thank goodness!
I will still be experimenting and adding new things as we go along.
But feel free to visit as often as you like and PLEASE subscribe to my blog by e-mail or friend connect! (ahem ... on the right lol)

If you have any suggestions or like the new look, feel free to comment below.

Thanks & Enjoy!

xoxo
Tess

Client Experiences ...

2011-11-06T16:15:00.015-05:00

Maritess (Tess) did a SPECTACULAR job on my wedding day! She was on time and very thorough. She really knows how to go the extra mile to help make your day stress-free. She was a joy to be around and my make up held the entire night! No touch ups were required, not even my lip colour. I recommend Tess to all the ladies who want to LOOK AND FEEL gorgeous on their wedding day (or any other day for that matter)! Looking forward to seeing you on TV, Maritess!

- Pearl G.

Tess did my make-up for me on my wedding day last year. She did such and excellent job, and the make-up lasted well into the night. She used top quality products, and also was so receptive to what I wanted. On what is a very stressful day for any bride she took the stress away for what all women care about most, looking the best you’ve ever looked. She showed up at my house early and even called ahead of time to let us know she was on her way. I can’t recommend her enough. Not only is she exceptional at what she does, but she’s also an amazing person. And I can’t thank her enough.

- Jaicel Aquino

Tess is an amazing person to work and create with. Her focus and creativity makes it easy for one to appreciate her talents and dedication to her craft. As much as she is a good friend to me, she has also been an inspiration; and I always look forward to our future projects.

- Juanito Christopher
(Photographer)

"Having worked with many individuals in this industry, Tess is a definite stand-out. Her passion for what she does clearly translates to her beautiful work, her professionalism, and her desire to go the extra mile. Truly one of the best, most easy-going artists out there!"

- Patrick Lacsina
(Photographer)

Words cannot fully describe how Maritess made my vintage wedding theme come true. Her vision and professionalism with picking specific colours for each bridesmaid was amazing. At first, my bridesmaids were hesitant to wear red lipstick on my wedding day but Maritess picked the perfect red for each bridesmaid. My girls loved their lip colour so much that they were on the hunt to buy the lipstick for themselves. Looking back at my wedding photos, I realized how perfect my makeup looked even in black and white photos. Thank you Maritess for your creativity, imagination, and professionalism. You definitely made my vintage wedding a memorable one!

- Kim Manuntag

From prom to my 18^th debut, Tess has done an amazing job! I also got her to do my cousin’s debut, and her work always turns out beautifully done. With such passion, talents and creativity each experience is always a different one. Not only will she just do our make-up, she’ll share tips that we can take and use for future references. She takes that extra step to make sure everything and everyone looks their best. She will get you glowing with radiance, making you look and feel gorgeous inside and out.

Maria (Tess) and I worked together for two and a half years and in that time I was always so impressed not only with her own make up, but also the make up I had seen her do for brides to be. So naturally when it was my big day, she was the only person I wanted to turn me into a beautiful bride. I could not have been happier with how it all turned out! Maria (Tess) made me, my bridesmaids and my mom all look gorgeous, and was able to take our completely inarticulate ideas and come up with something that looked incredible. She made great suggestions and we all looked and felt beautiful without looking over the top. I cannot recommend her services enough!

- Jaime Prichard

Did you enjoy working with Tess? Are there any suggestions you would like to make?

If you would like to share your experience with Tess, feel free to send an e-mail to makeupbytess[at]gmail.com and we'll post your experience here. Thanks!

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MUFE Flash Palette

2011-11-05T23:29:00.000-04:00

As many of you beauty bloggers/lovers know, IMATS Toronto is coming up in one week! (Yay!)

A few of you have been asking about the Make-up Forever Flash Palette and buying it at IMATS would be the perfect time to get it! Make-up Forever will be offering a discount of 40% off their products — an offer that you cannot pass up!

I mentioned on Twitter that I have the palette and purchased it back during IMATS Toronto 2009 (blog post here). Buying the MUFE Flash Palette was at the top of my IMATS 2009 list as I heard many great things about it and it's a must have in a make-up artist's kit!

Prior to purchasing the MUFE Flash Palette, I was considering similar palettes from other brands such as, Ben Nye's Lumiere palette and Kryolan Supra Colour palette. I walked around IMATS swatching and comparing prices, but the MUFE Flash Palette was the definite winner! It was way more pigmented than the rest.

IMATS TIP:

Take a note book with you so you can record prices, swatch products, and write little notes to compare products. This will help you narrow products down if it's hard for you to decide!

I mentioned on Twitter that there are certain colours that you cannot use on the eyes and lips. If you look at the back of the palette, it mentions which colours.

As you may notice, it says, "In the USA". But what about if you purchased it outside of the US? Does that mean they use different ingredients in the US? I was reading blog posts about this and people's assumptions were that maybe it's because it dyes the skin. However, rather than assuming, I thought I should just ask the source — I emailed Make-up Forever.

Make-up Forever replied back to me in a timely manner (which I really appreciated) and this is what they have to say:

"Due to strict regulations in the US, certain product colours have specific usage guidelines that must be communicated to the US customer. The same regulations are not mandatory for the Canadian consumers. We welcome you to pass along either the US recommended product usage or to share with your readers how you like to use the product. The formulation for the Color Flash Palette is the same in both the US and Canada."

So what I gather from this is that the palettes sold in Canada, USA, and any other countries have the same ingredients and formulation. It's just in the US they have regulations that are more strict which means they may have to state in their packaging which colours should not be used on certain parts of the face. It is probably because these colours will most likely temporarily stain your skin. But I guess it's really up to you and use it at your own discretion.

I have swatched the colours below so you can see how pigmented the product is (left). I tried to wipe off the product with a no-name wipe and you can see that after a few rubs, some of the colours are still visible. But please keep in mind that I used a no-name wipe and not make-up remover to try to remove the product from my arm.

Top Row (Left to Right): Gold, Coral (Do not apply near the eyes), Turquoise, Fuchsia (Do not apply near the eyes), Yellow, Brown

Bottom Row (Left to Right): Silver (Do not apply on lips), White (Do not apply on lips), Red (Do not apply near the eyes), Bright Blue (Do not apply on lips), Leaf Green, Black

Even though the packaging of the MUFE Flash Palette states which colours should not be used near the eyes and on the lips, I wouldn't let it discourage you from purchasing this bright and pigmented palette. There are other products out there that temporarily stain the skin as well but they don't state that. So this isn't really any different in that sense.

This palette can be used for various things — eye shadow, eye shadow base, lipstick, blush, foundation, concealer, etc. It's also easy to mix colours to make your desired colour of choice! But please remember to set the product with a powder to keep it in place. I find without powder it can get a bit oily and move around.

I love using this palette for creatives! Here are a few photos of where I used some of the colours:

Getting into the Halloween Spirit

2011-10-31T21:04:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone?

So this year I got into the Halloween spirit. I don't normally dress-up because I just don't like to spend my money on costumes. But this year, I was able to wear two different costumes by using things that I already have at home. It was fun!

Costume #1 - Nerd Alert!

Costume #2 - Unzipping my true self

I was inspired a few years ago by Petrilude's tutorial on the "unzipped face chart" from MAC 2006

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's Time to Give your Skin a Treat

2011-10-30T01:37:00.002-04:00

Is it the air?
The water?
My diet?
Or is it just my unwelcoming, monthly friend ready for its visit (TMI? lol)?

These were the questions running through my mind as I was applying the minimal make-up products I brought on my trip.

Last month I was breaking out a lot and it couldn’t happen at a better time.

This all happened whilst I was on a three-week vacation. When I’m on vacation, I take a whole lot of photos to capture our every moment. Now, looking back at these photos, you see either a ginourmous pimple on my forehead or on my chin. Other than looking back at the beautiful scenery, the pimple is the first thing my eyes draw attention to. If the pimple was not present, you see the scar it left behind as a parting gift. :s

With that being said, last week, I thought it was about time to pay a little visit to fresh.beautiful: the skin studio in Toronto to give my skin the attention it needs. I booked an appointment with the lovely owner, Stephanie. This has been my second time coming to the studio and I knew what to expect — clean skin as soft as a baby's bottom, minimal appearance of pores and blackheads, and skin that looks even more flawless with foundation on.

I got the Preserve + Nurture treatment which is non-invasive and involves a crystal microdermabrasion and cold laser therapy. These two treatments combined help remove the dead skin and reveal a brighter, healthier new layer. My skin always feels, smells, and looks nice when I walk out of this studio. Stephanie recommends not to wear make-up for the rest of the day and to be honest, I didn't even wear make-up the day after either. I wanted to get the full effect. My skin looked and felt great!


Cold Laser Therapy & Crystal Microdermabrasion

Canister #1 White Crystals // Canister #2 Dirty Crystals

[In the above photo, you will see stripes in the 'dirty' crystal canister. Each stripe represents a past client — mine being on the top, of course. The crystals pass through from the clean white crystal canister to the second canister. Depending on how dirty your skin is, it can come out as being black, grey, speckled grey, clumpy, spread-out, etc. Stephanie opened the canister to analyze my 'stripe' for me because I was curious and she said it was speckled grey, meaning it wasn't bright white nor dark black. So I'll take that as my skin not being too dirty! lol Woohoo!]

I e-mailed Stephanie a few questions which she happily answered. Hopefully you find this information helpful!

Tell us about your Preserve + Nurture treatment? How is it different from most facials?

Preserve+Nurture is more therapy for the skin than a facial. It's specific treatments for the skin that helps to stimulate and "jumpstart" cellular processes above and beneath it's surface to not only have your skin look great, but work at its optimal best. It's differs because it's non-invasive, there is no trauma to the skin, and yet, you still receive a good cleaning and an intense hydration. It also differs because 99% of my clientele are still able to leave my studio and go about their day. There is no downtime. You will not look like you had your face peeled raw. Instead, you will just have a healthy flush.

Why is it important to get a facial?

Just like you maintain your hair everyday, wash your clothing every week, or give your car an oil change every few months, every now and then, they just need a good maintenance check by a professional (your hairdresser, your alterationist or drycleaner, your mechanic). Even if you take great care of your skin and exfoliate regularly, there is build-up or dirt, grime, and oil floating deep beneath the skin that you just can seem to get rid off. In addition, as you age your skin does not repair itself as quickly as it used to or produce as much collagen. A preserve+nurture treatment can definitely help in that department.

How often can you get a facial?

Well, it doesn't hurt to try and get in to see a professional once a month. If not for your skin, for your mind - it's a great way to treat yourself and relax. But, I appreciate that a budget is a budget. I tell all my clientele that it is all about how they feel about their skin! If they have some major issues that they would like to address and our cold laser treatment can help them if they invest in an aggressive treatment schedule, then I will be seeing them every 10 to 14 days. If they have some minor issues they want to keep at bay, every 4 to 5 weeks. If it's just about routine maintenance and they want to have a good cleaning but need to stay on top of their budget, then try to schedule something every 7 to 8 weeks, or, once a season.

How can you take care of your skin in between facial appointments?

Don't fix what isn't broken. If you have a skincare routine that suits you already and doesn't cause you to breakout - or better yet, minimizes what breakout you already have - don't change it. But you can add to it. I always tell my clients to invest in a gentle exfoliator to use once a week. And don't forget the holy must of musts - Sunscreen.

What if you can't afford a facial? How can people take good care of their skin?

Again, exfoliate and protect. Removing the outermost layer of skin regularly will keep you looking fresh-faced. Protecting with sunscreen will fight against sun damage - a huge player in the signs of aging. There is also ways to keep your skin looking great through proper diet ... but you'd need a whole other blog post to tackle that!

What is the difference between men's skin vs. women's skin? Can men get facials too?

Yes! men can get facials. Obviously, there are the more visible differences between men and women and their skin. Men's skin is thicker, sometimes a little more rough BUT the two sexes share all the same problems from blackheads, large pores and oily skin. Even sensitivity. However I believe that the difference between men's skin to women's skin, is not really different between women to women.

When we first met and I asked you how you got to where you are now, I was inspired by your story. What inspired you to start your own business (BlushPretty and fresh.beautiful: the skin studio)?

I would have to say that my family inspired me most. And the fear that I would never watch my children grow up. I liked working in law, but it wasn't easy. Long hours, office politics, bitchy people (and I'm not talking about the women) ... while I liked and adored my immediate boss at my last firm, I really couldn't take it any longer. I had already established BP on the side and just thought to myself ... I have nothing to lose. So I went for it ... it meant being able to wake up and have breakfast with my son and volunteering at his school for the book program that year. It meant being able to be home to attempt making a decent dinner for my husband. It meant having a second child 5 years after the first. It also meant that I got to be in charge of what I wanted my life to be like!

Do you have any advice for people who want to pursue their dream (ahem, myself and many others lol), but are afraid to make the move?

Well, my first piece: don't be afraid. I mean, what's the point? Are you afraid someone will say no - cause I'm sure you've received plenty of "no's" in your lifetime - what's a few more? Are you afraid you won't be able to bring in enough to pay the bills? Well, you have your health, your mind and your drive still. You may have left your job to try and pursue something big, but no one said you can never go back. You can always go back. Are you afraid that once you get there the dream won't be as great as you thought? Well, remember what they say, the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side ... 10 to 1 the dream you're living is AWESOME and you just don't see it because you are always dreaming bigger - that's what got you there in the first place!

My second piece: Don't over-think it. Business planning is one thing ... but don't over-think it. Have a grasp on what you want to do, what you need to do to get there, and one or two main goals to achieve. Set a deadline date to review and assess. Then jump!

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Thank you, Stephanie for the information and wonderful advice!

I highly recommend this treatment to anyone. It would be a great gift to add to your wish list for Christmas or give as a gift to a friend or family member. Better yet, it's nice to treat yourself once in a while ... you deserve it! ;)

For more information or to book an appoinment, visit their website:

fresh.beautiful: the studio

Stephanie also holds affordable and very imformative Blush Pretty Workshops in her studio. Her 2011 November schedule is now up, check it out:

Blush Pretty Workshops

"Your skin is a very important part of your body, don't neglect it. Give it the love it deserves!"

makeupbytess

| SKIN |

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Top row (left to right): Lena-China Porcelain, Marianne-Arizona Tea
Middle Row (left to right): Danielle (hi, cousin! :D) -left hand, right hand/hello kitty inspired~cutesy