Milan Rouge

ELF Cosmetics Deal!

2011-04-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Just dropping in to share a really good deal with you all. Total Beauty has partnered with ELF cosmetics to bring all us beauty lovers a great deal on their products.

Right now (and for approximately 1 day, 14 hours and some change left), you can purchase a $10 ELF Cosmetics online gift card and receive $25 worth of ELF products. Total savings of $15 which is a great deal! If you are interested and for more details on terms and conditions, please visit: Total Beauty.

Stay tuned for more deals and savings like these!

Hope all is well.

M.

Product Review! Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nailpolish Strips (Minx Alternative)

2011-02-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

Today I want to give my full review of Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish strips. These strips are very much like celebrity favorite Minx nails. Same idea, same concept...but....cheaper.

I've actually had Minx nails done once and did a full review on those. You can check that HERE to compare and contrast.

Read on to see how these measured up!

The Claim:

Real Nail Polish strips, lasts up to 10 days, No dry time, peel and apply, remove with nail polish remover.

The Truth:

These babies are GREAT!! I've been singing their praises since I applied them (and mind you I've gotten so many compliments from friends and total strangers who love them). They are super easy to apply and easy to remove. The best thing about these though...they are GOOD quality and they last a loooooong time. At the time of this review, I'm on Day 10 of wear and there is only minimal chipping. I can still go a few more days, but I'm ready for a change. Before we get to the pics let's talk application...

Application Tips:

Each package comes with 16 strips. Each box is designed to give you one full application for 10 fingers (or 10 toes). You have 8 different sizes to choose from, which makes it easy for you to find a size that fits each finger on each hand.
Find your size for each finger (if you find that you can't find a "perfect" match for a nail, go the size larger. Once you apply you can remove the excess strip around your nail to get a perfect fit.
Important: Clean each nail thoroughly and wipe down with acetone (I used pure acetone to wipe my nails off.). These things don't mix well with oil so you want to make sure you have all oil REMOVED before applying the strips.
I definitely think you can follow the easy step instructions for applying these and you will be fine. That's basically what I did, however, I added in a step or two because I wanted to get the best application as possible. These are very much like Minx strips (which I've had done) and I know that when they are warmed, they stretch and bend a bit better...almost like they melt onto the nail. So I decided to warm each strip a bit.
Caution: If you decide to warm them like I did, please be careful not to overheat them. Also, be careful once you stretch and apply them over your nail after warming...they will tear easily if you aren't careful. I actually have a small tear in my pinkie nail from stretching on application (not sure if you can see on the photos below...the girl flower design is very forgiving with mistakes..which is why I opted not to fix the mistake. You can't really tell unless you look closely lol). So just be mindful of that before you follow me on this path (LOL!).
I used a blow dryer to heat each strip (warm setting on high. or hot setting on low). Once I peeled the strip from the backing, I positioned it a few inches from the blow dryer heat for a few seconds MAX.
I then applied the strip to my nail starting at the base of my cuticle and stretching it down the entire nail, pressing it firmly as I stretched (this is why you don't want to overheat the strip because it can tear on application if its too soft).
I wrapped the strip over my nail tip and then used the included filing stick to remove the excess (basically it peels it away).
Once the strip was on the nail I used my finger to press it down a bit more all over...making sure there were no bubbles or creases.
I repeated this for each nail.
Once they were all done, I applied a thin coat of Out the Door quick dry topcoat to each nail. Now, you don't have to do this as the nail strips already have a gloss shine to them. But I wanted a bit more oomph. And I wanted to seal the nails a bit more. Did I mention that I'm sometimes anal? :-)

Pics: I chose the Girl Flower design which was the most similar to the Flower Power Minx I got before (for comparison). I loved them! They are really fun and unique and I got so many compliments on them. Folks couldn't believe they were Sally Hansen strips and I did them myself!

Day 1 after application:

On Day 10:

As you can see there's a couple chips here and there at the tips of my nails but that's about it. No lifting. And you can see my nail "new growth" near my cuticle (the mini "tear" on my pinkie was there from the beginning. As I mentioned earlier).

Pros:

Top pro is definitely the longevity you get with these. If you are a nail fanatic, I think our biggest gripes are polishes that chip too quickly. These last 10+ days like the claim!
Quick and easy to apply! No drying time
Cost is great! About $10.99! When you compare that to a Minx application which can run you from $40-$60 (I paid $65 a year ago for my Minx manicure..and it lasted 4 days.)...this is a great deal.
Lots of styles and designs to choose from.
Can be used on your fingers or toes
Easy to remove
If you're not really into having designs on all your fingers, you can just do one nail which would also give you a lot of options for using one pack over time. ;-)

Cons:

The really cute designs are hard to find! Check your local CVS and Walgreens

Recommendation:

I'm a huge fan! I would definitely suggest you try these if you like fun and different colors and designs and/or if you're a nail fanatic like myself. It's something different to add to your nail collection and it will give you a break from regular nail polish. Also, these are great if you want to "spice" up your nails for a special event.

Overall Score: 5 out of 5

Have you tried these? Let me know what you think!

Later, beauties!

Say Hello To My Little Friends! My Go-To Makeup Brushes...

2011-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties,

I actually had to do a search and see if I had done a post like this before and lo and behold...I hadn't! So without further ado I wanted to introduce you all to my favorite every-day, go-to brushes in my collection. These are the brushes that get the most "action"...the ones I reach for over and over again and out of all the brushes I own...these are the ones I wouldn't be able to live without.

I made sure to get them all cleaned up (I use regular baby shampoo to deep clean them) for company! :-D Check them out...

Now as you can see most of my favorites are MAC brushes. This is not to mean that there aren't any other really good brushes/brush companies out there. When I was building my collection, MAC was my primary resource for brushes and honestly...they make GOOD ones. I think every beauty should eventually invest in really good brushes. They will last you a lifetime (if you take good care of them) and they will help with your overall application skills and "looks". If you are just starting out with makeup...check the post I did HERE on selecting good brushes that won't break the bank. ;)

Okay let's meet each one individually...

Crown Brush Italian Badger Chisel Deluxe Powder

This brush is pure love. Its so big and fluffy and EXTRA soft. I use this to apply my finishing/translucent powder all over my face. It picks up just enough product and distributes it evenly all over.

Sephora Professional Platinum Stippling Brush

I use this mainly to apply my blush to the apples of my cheeks. It also works great with liquid foundation but I haven't used it much for that since I got my beauty blender sponge.

MAC #109 Small Contour Brush

I love this brush! Its just so freakin cute to me! LOL...I use this whenever I'm contouring my cheeks (which I actually don't do often) AND I use this to sweep and swirl highlight powder in select areas of my face (which is why its a part of this group...cuz I do that often lol). Its compact enough to concentrate on specific areas of the face.

MAC #227 Large Fluff Brush

I love this jumbo sized fluff brush. Its super dense and I use it mainly to apply loose powder in specific areas of my face (for example after I've dabbed on concealer in an area...I will dip this brush in loose powder and blend the concealer).

MAC #224 Tapered Blending Brush

Every beauty needs a really good all over eye blending brush. This would be it for me. Blending is key ladies! Learn it, live it, love it. :=D

MAC #226 Small Tapered Blending Brush

I actually couldn't find this one on the MAC website and then it dawned on me that this was probably a limited edition launched brush. I'm sure they will re-launch it at some point but I'm still gonna share it with you just in case you want to add this to your "wish list" or if you want to keep your eye out for something similar from another company. Its a tightly tapered blending brush. Like the baby to the #224 above. I LOVE this for applying and blending color into my outer-v. Its very small so it helps me get precision in that area.

MAC #222 Tapered Blending Brush

Have you seen a pattern here yet? LOL. Blending brushes are MUY IMPORTANTE! So much so that whenever I do an eye look I use about 3-4 blending brushes. They have varying levels of precision which I love. This one is a longer narrow blending brush. This is the ONE brush I always use to apply and blend color into my crease.

MAC #217 Blending Brush

This blending brush is a lot more fluffy than the others. I use this one to "complete" my look. I'll do an all over "sweep and swirl" with this brush to make sure i've blended all areas well. Its light and does the job without "mussing" things up. :-D

MAC #239 Eye Shader Brush

I'd say this brush is definitely the leader of the "pack". I use this one to pack color onto my lid. I actually need to go purchase another so I can have 2 when doing an eye with more than two colors. Its soft yet dense and firm...it picks up color VERY WELL. Me loves!

MAC #242 Shader Brush

This brush can be used to apply powders, paint pots (cream products), concealer, etc. I use it mainly to spot apply concealer on my face and sometimes I use it to apply cream eyeshadow base when my finger won't do ;)

MAC #266 Small Angle Brush

I use this angle brush to apply my upper lid liner using a gel or cream. ;)

EcoTools Eye Shading Brush

I got this for like 4-5 bucks at CVS. I use this brush to apply my brow highlight color. Its really good for both powder and cream or emollient products. I like that its VERY firm which helps me "dab" and blend color precisely under my eyebrows.

TIP! Many times, brushes will have more than one function/purpose. It's always a good idea to play around with them to discover how they work best. If you have a brush that is "supposed" to be for your eyes but it looks like it would work GREAT for adding a dab of concealer here or a dust of powder there on your face...do it! If it turns out well...you've discovered a new use for that brush. ;-)

Alright beauties, that's it! If you're currently building your brush collection, I hope this helps you. If you're a veteran at this...let me know what some of your favorites are! :-)

TTYL!

M.

Product Review! Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer

2011-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties,

Today I want to review a lip primer I've been trying out lately...Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer. I am a certified fan of the Too Faced Shadow Insurance and I use it to prime my lids whenever I wear shadow or liner. I've never tried a lip primer before so read on to see if I think this item is a beauty routine essential!

The Claim:

"Keep your lip color locked in place with Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer. This creamy lip treatment keeps lipstick and lip gloss perfectly on your lips where it belongs. Your lip color won't feather or transfer. Ideal for those who want to lock in their lip color and prevent fading, bleeding, and creasing." from apothica.com

The Truth:

I would say MOST of that is true. I applied a thin layer to top and bottom lip using the doe-foot applicator. It only takes a few seconds to dry to a virtually invisible, yet matte finish. I will say that the "finish" is very smooth. It seems to "fill in" the natural wrinkles in your lips which ultimately helps prevent your lipstick/gloss from creasing. The "look" is almost the same as if you put a dab of concealer or liquid foundation on your lips (but a bit drier). It did seem to give me "extra protection" from gloss bleeding below my lip line and with the "matte nude" finish it helped my lip colors POP a bit more. I didn't notice any extra longevity or "fade protection" as mentioned in the claim. My lipstick and gloss had the same "lip life" as before. LOL.

Pros:

Smooth, matte-nude finish
Helps keep gloss from running
Easy to apply with "lipgloss"-like applicator
Dries down quickly
Helps "prep" lips for liner/lipstick/gloss application
Helps keep lip products from creasing into natural lip folds

Cons:

Pricey (about $19)
Once the product dries...its VERY dry...almost TOO dry.
Doesn't necessarily prolong the staying power of lip products
Because it is drying, it tends to "crumble" your lip liner a bit upon application and it can "tug" your lips when you apply liner as well.

Recommendation:

Meh. It's kinda one of those things that's a NICE to have but not necessarily a NEED to have. I didn't get amazing results which would make me encourage you to go out and add this to your routine. I find that I use this lip primer mostly during the week in the mornings. My work face routine is pretty simple. I put moisturizer on my face, dab a bit of face primer on to cut shine and that's about it. The lip primer helps in this case because my lips can be oily after I apply my moisturizer and adding lip liner to oily lips can be ineffective. So I'll dab some of this on and then add my lip products. I'll use until I run out but probably won't repurchase.

Score: 2 out of 5

If you would like to purchase, check out apothica.com! They have a wide range of beauty products from various companies (Too Faced Cosmetics included) and you can get it for about .20cents cheaper. ;-)

Have you tried this? Let me know what you think!

Mary Kay LOVE! Face of the Day/New Hair pics

2011-02-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

So I've been meaning to play with some Mary Kay goodies for some time now and I finally got around to it. Just wanted to stop in and share my latest face of the day.

By now you probably all know that I love purple. Its my absolute favorite color and I can honestly say I have MANY purple shadows in my makeup stash. BUT, oddly enough...most of my favorites are matte in color (I really dig a good matte shadow)....I have VERY few shimmer purple shadows and I certainly didn't have a favorite purple shimmer until now.

Introducing Mary Kay Mineral eyeshadow in Sweet Plum. Check it out!

It's a very pretty deep plum color with shimmer. Color payoff is great, application is very smooth.

I've also been loving this Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss in Pink Diamonds....

Its been my go-to Pink gloss for a few months now. Its light, smooth and flattering on brown beauties. Also has subtle shimmer.

Alright so now that you've met the major players...check out the look I did

Product Rundown -MAC unless otherwise stated. (Eyes, Lips and Cheeks...the Face is my usual stuff):

Eyes:
-TFSI
-Painterly p/p
-MK Mineral e/s in Sweet Plum (lid)
-Brown Down e/s (crease)
-Quarry e/s (brow highlight)
-Wet n Wild Color icon palette (2 dark purple shades on left in outer v...see pic below...grab this palette if you see it at the drugstore! I was so impressed with the color payoff!)

-Feline kohl power (lower lid liner)
-Blacktrack (upper lid liner)
-Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

Lips:

-Too Faced Lip Insurance (review of this later this week!)
-NYX l/l in Deep Purple
-MK Nourishine Lip Gloss in Pink Diamonds

Cheeks:

-Mehron Cheek Cream (Berry...I think...the name rubbed off lol)
-Vintage Grape Blush Ombre

That's it! I'm a huge fan of this MK mineral shadow and Nourishine gloss. These are definitely up for "repurchase" and I'll be checking the other colors out as well. The prices are great too! The e/s will run you about $6.50 and the gloss is $13. My sister Ms. Danielle Love is my go-to Mary Kay consultant and she has been great with introducing me to certain products she knows I'll love. I definitely don't discriminate. I'm a fan of good products! ;-)

If you would like to purchase I highly suggest hitting her MK site HERE. She also has a blog Pink With Love. Check it out!

Let me know what you think!

As you can already see from the pics above, I went back to my jet black hair. Being a brownish/reddish babe was fun for a while but I just...feel best with black. LOL. Check some updated hair pics below....

Also, just a quick note of my blog domain change. www.milanrouge.blogspot.com is now www.milanrougebeauty.com ! Please note the change. You will automatically be redirected from the blogspot address to this new one but just in case you wanted to update your own links. ;)

Bye babes!

M.

Model Keyshia Dior To Launch Lipstick Line: Secret Kisses

2011-01-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

I recently learned that Model Keyshia Dior will be launching a line of colorful lipsticks called Secret Kisses. Some of you ladies may be familiar with Keyshia, some of you may not. She's done several magazine spreads, however, I was first "introduced" to her in the Timbaland/Drake video 'Say Something'...she was Timbaland's love interest/girl. If you're not familiar you can check the video here:

Very pretty girl. Digging her whole look and makeup game is on point including the lipsticks. So I'm actually not super surprised she's launching her own line of colorful lippies. Keyshia Dior has been known to rock what some would deem "unusual" lipstick colors...green, white, electric blue. The crazy thing is that she rocks them WELL. Check the pics:

Some of these lip looks I would definitely consider editorial/photo shoot makeup appropriate only. However, I have a HIGH level of respect for any woman who can rock the "unusual" with style and confidence. It definitely works for her whether its on a photo shoot or at a regular industry party.

Secret Kisses lipsticks are currently available for Pre-Order HERE. They will run you about $14.99 each but you can get 3 for $40. The electric blue color (Electricity) will run you about $3 extra. The lipsticks are set to arrive around mid-February (Valentine's Day weekend). She definitely has some interesting colors as well as some pretty wearable shades. Check them out!

Would you beauties rock any of these colors? Let me know!

Take care and Happy New Year!!

:)

M.

The BEST Blackest Black Eyeliner Pencil is BACK! MAC Feline Relaunches!

2010-12-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

I'd be a bad Beauty Blogging Buddy if I failed to let you know that MAC Feline (limited edition) kohl power pencil has once again relaunched and is currently on sale at MAC right now!

I've had several people comment, email, text/bbm or @ me on Twitter over time asking for recommendations on black pencil eyeliner. I always tell them my hands down favorite pencil for my lower lash line/water line is MAC Feline but I often have to recommend a back up because Feline is a limited edition pencil and is often not available during the time of the year when I'm asked for recs. So beauties...go get it NOW.

If you're a fan of MAC Smolder pencil or the Stila kajal liner in black...you will LOVE this. It tops both, in my opinion. It is THEE blackest black pencil I've seen. Its very soft without being messy or too smudgy. The staying power is great. Very intense. LOVE!

Almost all of the Face of the Days (FOTD) that I've ever done on this site include MAC Feline. So. Run...don't walk...don't pass Go...to your nearest MAC store/counter/online and grab this. I'd actually suggest getting a back-up if you're able because once that pencil is gone you're gonna be sad when it's not immediately available for repurchase (trust me, I KNOW). ;)

I gotta give it to MAC, they do a good job of relaunching this pencil at least once or twice a year, yet they haven't made it a part of their permanent collection. SMH. Gotta love this whole marketing strategy thing.

This pencil relaunched on Dec. 26th as a part of MAC's Cham Pale collection and is $14.50.

Take care!

M.

Holiday Hair and My Favorite Hair Tools!

2010-12-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

So last weekend I went to my first holiday party of the season and I wanted to do something a lil different with my short hurr (translation: hair). So I decided to break out some of my favorite hair care tools and get to work! I wanted a cute crop of curlies so that's what I went for.

Check it out!

Ok. So here are the products I used to achieve my curlies, create shine and bounce and finally to hold that for the night. LOL

Hot Tools Ceramic Tourmaline Curling Iron-3/4" (for creating defined curls and waves) I sectioned my hair off into tiny portions and curled each one. Once it was all curled I went through with my fingers and "combed" and fluffed to my desire.

CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray-heat protector spray for my hair. I spray this on each section before curling/flat ironing. I don't use it every time but when I'm doing a style that require a lot of heat, I will.

Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Edge Control-for smoothing edges. I love this stuff because it smells really good, its clean, it smooths down edges without being greasy/oily or leaving a residue.

Vonte Silk Effects Holding Spray-to hold the curlies. I don't usually like/use holding spray at all but for styles like this I wanted something that would keep my curls looking defined and fresh all night. Someone left this in my bathroom and I've had it for a while so I went for it. It worked great, my style lasted all night and the hold wasn't hard or "crunchy".

Nothing completes a style like a dab of shine serum for a glossy finish...

Biosilk Silk Therapy-a little bit goes a long way. I put a dab in my hand, rubbed my palms together and ran my hands through my hair a few times. Done.

That's it, beauties! Let me know what some of your favorite hair care products are.

Take care.

M.

Holiday Sparkle: Face of the Day

2010-12-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties,

So the holidays are in full swing now and I wanted to drop in and show you a "holiday look" i'm considering for one of the many parties I'm supposed to attend this season. I think the holidays are a great time to add more sparkle to your look whether it be in your eyeshadow or gloss. Here I did both. BUT my camera doesn't pick up the sparkle in the eyeshadow much at all (there are a few shots you can see some of it...lol...work with me people).

I do think grown women need to be...careful...when it comes to glitter shadow (or any such obvious sparkly things on the face...rhinestones as well :-/). It can easily have you looking quite ridiculous if you over do it (see pics of Phaedra-RHOA). Usually when I want some sparkle I'll go for a shadow that's more "shimmer" than "glittery". But for the holidays I take it up a notch by opting for shadows with finely milled glitter that gives you just enough sparkle to make it interesting without looking like (*insert teen girl that can pull off glitter bomb makeup here*) :D

Tip! When applying eyeshadow with sparkle make sure you do your "face" last so you can clean up any fall-out from the shadow application without messing the rest of your face up. Also, it is a good idea to apply an ample amount of loose powder under each eye before applying your sparkle shadow. The loose powder will "catch" the fall out and then when you're done with the eye you can sweep the loose powder and fall out away with your brush. Viola! All clear.

On a recent trip to Sephora (I feel like I say this a lot..."on a recent trip to....*somewhere I have no business being* lol) Urban Decay Stardust e/s in Diamond Dog caught my attention. So I grabbed it. Its the perfect example of what I was describing above....check it out:

This is a taupy brown shadow with silver sparkle/glitter. FINELY milled glitter. Its super pretty. And it doesn't apply like a glitter bomb to the eye (although I do wish my pics would have picked up SOME of the sparkle more...cuz its there...trust ya girl!)

I also added a sparkle gloss to this look. Here is the Tarte gloss I selected from the holiday gloss kit I wrote about HERE.

pretty huh? I loves it.

So here's the look I did...I cropped and zoomed in on the eye so you can see more of the sparkle.

Just enough sparkle and glitter to light up your face without looking crazy. Certain types of light will pick up the sparkle in your shadow and make it "pop" really pretty.

Product Run Down (MAC unless otherwise stated):

Face:
-Model Co. Face Base Skin Primer
-Studio Sculpt Concealer NC50
-Studio Fix Fluid NC50 (select areas...applied with Beauty Blender sponge)
-MSF Dark

Eyes:
-TFSI
-Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadow Cream in Silver Leaf (lid base)
-Quite Natural Paint Pot (crease and brow bone base)
-Urban Decay Stardust e/s in Diamond Dog (lid)
-Brown Down e/s (crease)
-Brown Script e/s (crease)
-Carbon e/s (outer v and lower lid to "smoke out" liner)
-Studio Finish Concealer NW40 (brow highlight)
-Mary Kay Cream Highlighter (brow highlight)
-Feline Kohl power (lower lid liner)
-Blacktrack fluidline (upper lid liner)
-L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara (loves it)

Cheeks:
-Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base
-MSF Deep Dark

Lips:
-Cork lipliner
-Tarte lipgloss (see above)

So let me know what you think, beauties! And definitely try a sparkly shadow for the holidays if you haven't already ;)

Take care.

M.

Great Holiday Gifts for Beauty Girls!

2010-12-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties,

I wanted to stop in and highlight some of the great beauty kits I've been seeing here and there that I think would make wonderful gifts for makeup/beauty lovers!

So last week I received a $15 off coupon from Sephora so I went browsing over the weekend to check the latest and greatest. Now, I really need another lip gloss like I need a hole in my head but guess what?
That's exactly what I ended up getting with my coupon.....

Good As Gold Lipgloss Collection: $29

Yes. FIFTEEN new glosses! Really, Milan??! I know. I know.

Anyway, this kit is great. The glosses are beautiful (swatches below) and what girl doesn't need great wearable mini lip glosses that fit easily into small holiday clutch purses??? Right? This was my justification.

Lipgloss colors include bubblegum pink, vivid pink, true pink, warm berry, deep raspberry, nude, brown sugar, soft peach, coral, whisper pink, apricot, apple red, mauve, tawny brown, deep plum.

They are all formulated WITHOUT:
-Parabens
-Sulfates
-Synthetic Fragrances
-Synthetic Dyes
-Petrochemicals
-Phthalates

These babies are smooth and soft and they have a great fresh hint of berry scent to them as well as good color payoff. Sweet! They contain Jojoba seed oil and Tarte's signature T5 Super fruit complex which is a blend of: goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. Trust me your lips will love these. :-D

Here are swatches...unfortunately the names of the glosses are not on the tubes and I removed them from the box before I noted which was which...sorry!

I think this is the perfect holiday gift for any lip gloss lover! Even if they...like...have a ton of glosses already. O_O

Here are some other holiday/makeup kits that I'm digging as well:

Sephora by OPI 18 Piece Mini Nail Colour Set: $48

As a certified nail polish fanatic this kit had me at 'Hello'. Guaranteed to excite any beauty girl looking to ramp up her nail polish stash without breaking the bank. This contains 18 beautiful shades ranging from natural to edgy.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume III: $54

I am a huge fan of Urban Decay shadows. They apply like a dream, blend well and the colors are FAB. You really can't go wrong here. I saw this kit in store and it is SUPER nice. This kit contains 16 eyeshadows, two 24/7 Glide on Pencils (which are wonderful) and a Mini Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The pop-up artful/NY scene is also a nice touch. I love these Book of Shadows kits that UD puts out every year because they are a great way to gather a lot of shadows without paying a hefty price tag for just one. And most of you beauties know that rarely do you EVER finish even a full sized eyeshadow so these kits are pretty perfect for getting more bang for your buck. ;)

I would be remiss if I didn't add in some blush kits that I've been eyeing. I think these are great for adding wearable blushes to your collection and the price is right. The Triumph blush kit is great for a more subtle/warm glow while the Hark the Herald Face kit is great for a nice rosy pink flush. :D

MAC Tartan Tale Triumph Blush Face Kit: $38.00

*pic from Beauty Crazed

This kit contains:
Melba - soft coral peach (powder blush)
Peachtwist - golden peach (sheertone shimmer)
Smooth Harmony - neutral mid tan (beauty powder)

*pic from Beauty Crazed

This kit contains:
Dame - blue/pink (powder blush)
Plum Foolery - dusty plum (sheertone shimmer)
Oh So Fair - pale pink (beauty powder)

Okay beauties, let me know if there are any holiday kits/sets that you have your eye on. There's so much out there to choose from! Happy Holidays.

M.

Jewel Green Eyes & New Hair! FOTD

2010-11-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

It's been SUCH a long time! Life has been hectic but I hope that you all are doing well. :D

I wanted to stop in and show you my latest face of the day and introduce you to my new "look".

Anyone that really knows me knows how much I adore purple. It is my favorite color hands down...but my second favorite would have to be green. I am having such a grand love affair with greens! Especially jewel green....it looks really great on brown skinned girls. So check me out!

Okay so here's the Product Rundown (MAC unless otherwise stated)....I also posted some additional hair pics at the bottom. ;)

Face:
-Studio Fix Fluid in NC50 (applied with a Beauty Blender Sponge in select areas)
-MSF in Dark
-Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Cajun (Venomous Villains collection) dusted lightly

Eyes:
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI)
-Painterly Paint Pot (applied to the lid only)
-Jewel green e/s from my 120 palette
-Carbon e/s
-NARS Albatross for browbone highlight
-Feline kohl power (lower lid)
-Blacktrack fluidline (upper lid)
-Haute and Naughty Lash (Naughty side...one of MAC's newest mascaras. I like!)

Cheeks:
-Eversun Beauty Powder blush

Lips:
-Cork lipliner
-Rimmel Purple Passion liner
-Blooming Lovely l/s (limited edition)
-Revlon Gloss in Lilac
-NYX Megashine gloss in Purple Reign

Additional hair pics!

Let me know what you think! Thx! :D

Have a good day, beauties!

M.

Lippman Collection Happy Birthday Nails!

2010-09-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Just dropping in to show you my Happy Birthday Nails! I wore this over the weekend for an Avant Garde bday party. I actually purchased this polish back in June for MY real birthday (and I wore it then too). I love it! Its colorful, unique and very blingy!

Face of the Day: Dramatic Minted Lavender

2010-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Just wanted to stop in and show you a dramatic lavender/purple and mint look I did using Bobbi Brown's Mint eyeshadow (which I love).

Check it out!

Product Run Down (MAC unless otherwise stated)

Face

*the usual stuff/check my previous face of the days* ;)

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (primer)

Chartru paint (base)

Bobbi Brown Mint Eyeshadow

Violet pigment (applied wet with Fix +)

Medusas Makeup Purple Rain eyedust (applied wet with Fix +)

Makeup Forever #9 e/s

Seedy Pearl e/s (highlight color)

Crystal e/s (highlight color)

Beauty Marked e/s (deeping crease/outer v)

Feline kohl power (lower lid)

Blacktrack fluidline (upper lid)

Lashblast Fushion Mascara

Cheeks

NYX Terracotta Tan Bronzing Powder

Lips

Rimmel Purple Passion pencil liner

Blooming Lovely l/s (limited edition)

Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in Lilac

Let me know what you think!

Fall Nails! BB Couture Infamous Lovers

2010-09-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

So summer is pretty much over and soon (if not already) the weather will be getting cooler and Fall will officially be here. For me, Labor Day weekend marks the end of my summer and my bright, summer mani/pedis. I start transitioning to Fall/Winter darks and neutrals. So I'm really excited to show you some lovely shades from BB Couture that I think you may want to add to your collection.

I am a firm believer that just because spring/summer is over doesn't mean you have to ditch color, shimmer and sparkle in your nail polish. BB Couture has done a great job of infusing all three into Fall/Winter wearable shades. Check them out!

Juliet-muted pink rose w/slight silver sparkle. The silver sparkle is very subtle but can be seen in the bottle and on the nails in sunlight. I love this color! Its neutral and pretty without being boring.

Pocahontas-grayish taupe w/silver sparkle. I think every fall I look for a gray taupe to add to my collection. This will be my go-to this season.

Bonnie-deep jewel green with green sparkle. This one had me at 'hello'. I am a sucker for a pretty green polish and this one reminds me of pretty Christmas trees and lights. Definite holiday color. I love it.

Cleopatra-green/blue teal with blue shimmer. Very pretty unique blue.

Carla-blackened purple shimmer. This one applies waay darker than it looks in the bottle. Looks black at first glance on the nails but it is a pretty deep purple shimmer. Love!

Eve-brownish green w/green sparkle

Natural Light Eve.

Let me know what you think! These polishes are $9.95 and can be purchased HERE. They are all great quality, applied effortlessly and each were opaque with just one coat (I did two for good measure though).

**This post contains products sent from the company for review consideration. Please read my full disclosure policy located HERE.**

Pretty Girl Swag Face of the Day!

2010-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

I finally got around to doing a look with the Milani Desert Suedes eyeshadow palette that I've had for a while (shown right). The palette is all peachy/salmon pink with lush forest greens. I wasn't sure how this would work on me but I actually liked the way it turned out.

Check it out...(my silly camera settings are making the colors flash brighter and more whited out than they actually are. Arrgh. Need a new one)

Product Run Down (MAC unless otherwise stated)

Face

MSF Dark

MSF Deep Dark

Eve Pearl Concealer Tan/Dark

NC50 Studio Sculpt Concealer

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Painterly Paint Pot (base)

Milani Desert Suedes e/s palette

Bubblegum pink e/s (from 120 palette)

Blacktrack Fluidline (upper lid)

Milani Green Glamour eye liner pencil (lower lid)

Lash Blast Fusion Mascara

Cheeks

Bobbi Brown sheer color cheek tint (Sheer Pink)

Splash Pink Eternity powder blush

Lips

NYX Dolly Pink lipliner

Petite Indulgence Cremesheen glass

Baby Sparks dazzleglass

Let me know what you think. ;)

MAC (Disney) Venomous Villains Collection! September 2010

2010-08-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

Source: LA Times

Hey Beauties,

As you may know...it's been a long while since a MAC collection really caught my attention and made me feel feelings. Good feelings. I know many beauty blogs already give you loads of info on every new MAC collection complete with promo photos so I've made it a point not to saturate these beauty blogging streets with stuff i'm sure you've seen elsewhere many times. I will however run info on entire collections I like and think you should pay attention to! LOL. Luckily for you, this doesn't happen very often in spite of the number of collections that launch weekly. Now don't get me wrong, there's some nice stuff out there and I do get excited about many many things but usually there's only 1 or 2 items that I'm really feeling and in those cases I'll go ahead and get them (or...sometimes not lol) and I'll do my best to give you a review on those items only.

But today. Today I'm bringing you info and promo pics for an entire MAC collection that I am simply overjoyed and excited for: Disney Venomous Villains Collection launching September 30th in the US!

This collection speaks to the big kid side of me as well as the makeup loving woman that I am! I've known about this collection for a while and saw some preliminary promo pics for it a couple months ago but recently some fellow Beauty Bloggers got the chance to get first-hand looks at some of the products and they've shared some great promo shots with the beauty community. I drooled. So I want you to drool (or not...lemme know!). Check out the collection! (pic heavy)

Pictures from Temptalia (check her site for additional promo photos on this collection)

The Villains (Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, The Evil Queen, Dr Facilier)

Color Story: from Specktra

Cruella

Lipstick
Innocence, Beware! - light yellow pink (Cremesheen)
Heartless- Cherry Red (Amplified)

Lipglass
Wicked Ways- Light nude with gold pearl
Devilishly Stylish- Deep fuchsia with pink pearl

Eyeshadow
De-vil- rich copper (VP)
Sweet joy (repromote)- creamy pale gold (Frost)
Carbon

Rapidblack Eye Liner
Beauty Powder
Her own devices -cool nude

Powder Blush
Darkly my dear- mid-tone brown plum (Matte)

Evil Queen

Lipstick
Toxic Tale- Bright coral (Satin)
Sinister- soft brown plum (lustre)

Lipglass
Strange Potion- soft coral pink
Hot house- Deep raspberry with pink pearl

Eyeshadow
Her Alter Image- Light violet (VP)
Vainglorious- Bronze burgundy (Frost)
Vile Violet- Deep blue purple (Matte)

Penultimate Brow Universal
Beauty Powder
Oh so fair -mid-tone pink with gold pearl

Powder Blush
Bite of an apple- soft coral pink (Matte)

Maleficent
Lipstick
Violetta (Repromote)- Violet Purple (Amplified)
Dark Deed- Burgundy plum (Amplified)

Lipglass
Revenge is sweet- light yellow purple
Wrong spell- Deep plum with pink purple

Mineralize Eyeshadow
My Dark Magic- Deep pink with pink pearl/ Deep plum with purple pearl
She who Dares- Deep navy with blue pearl/ Deep forest green with lime pearl

Beauty Powder
Briar Rose- Soft violet pink with pearl

Nail Lacquer
Bad Fairy- Red with multichanging pigments
Formidable!- Teal green with pink pigment
Mean & Green- Purple with teal pigment

Dr. Facilier
Lipgelee
Resort Life (repromote)- off white with pink pearl

Greasepaint
Slick black- true carbon black
French Quarter- Black green with multi colour pearl

Pigment
Melon- bright golden peach
Brash and Bold- bright magenta
Push the Edge- deep bright purple with pearl

Magically Cool Liquid Powder
Truth and Light- sheer shimmer reflects silver and pink
Cajun- Sheer bronze reflects gold

Mirror
I'm so vain - Round special decoration compact mirror

Nail Polishes!

Lipsticks!

Bite of An Apple Blush

Vainglorious eyeshadow (I love this name! LOL! X-clan, anyone?)

Cajun Magically Cool Liquid Powder

Push the Edge pigment

She Who Dares Mineralize eyeshadow

Whew! Ok. That's only SOME of the promo pics. Check the links I referenced above for most/all collection photos that have been released. There are some truly yummy things in every Villain collection. I think I'm actually most excited about Dr. Facilier and The Evil Queen's color story. I pretty much want everything though. My bank account is shivering.

I also appreciate that one of the Villains is from the most recent Disney animated film featuring the very first black Princess (Tiana; The Princess and the Frog). Kudos!

Has anything caught your eye? What are your must haves? Or, will you be skipping this collection altogether?

Holla at ya girl!

Product Review! Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara

2010-08-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Today I want to review Covergirl's newest addition to their successful Lashblast Mascara line: Lashblast Fusion. I am a fan of the original Lashblast and also Lashblast Luxe (same original formula with slight shimmer added) but admittedly not so much a fan of the Lashblast Length mascara. Read on to see how the Fusion mascara adds up!

The Claim:
"Use lashblast to get a blast of volume PLUS incredible length! It's the perfect fusion of lashblast's super-volumizng brush and buildable fiber-stretch lengthening formula that work together for dense, long-looking lashes!" from the packaging

The Truth:
Kudos! I think this Fusion mascara is the perfect marriage of volume and length! It gives the boost and volume that made the Original Lashblast mascara so popular along with great length to make eyeslashes POP. If you're looking for a mascara that does a great job at both volume and length...this is it. *thumbs up*

Pros:

Provides great length and volume
Affordable (about $7-$8 at your local drugstore)
Brush is easy to work with
Doesn't flake
2 coats is enough to do the job
No clumping
Cute purple tube! (my fav color)

Cons:

Can't think of any!

Recommendation: This will definitely become a mascara staple of mine. Right along with Lashblast Original and L'Oreal Voluminous. I usually go for volume boosting mascaras because I prefer thicker, fanned lashes as opposed to length if I must choose one. Now, I don't have to choose...I can get both with Fusion mascara! I would definitely recommend you try this. I think Covergirl got it right this time in terms of the lengthening aspect. I'm a fan.

Score: 5 out of 5

Have you tried this? What do you think? Let me know.

M.

Product Review! Model Co. Face Base Skin Primer

2010-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Today I want to review a face primer I've recently started using: Model Co. Face Base Skin Primer. Now if you read my blog regularly you already know that my go to Face Primer is Monistat Chaffing Gel. And I use it pretty much in every face of the day I do. So let's see how this product measures up....

The Claim: "Face Base is a hydrating skin primer that visibly improves the look and texture of the skin by smoothing out fine lines and pores. It creates an even, flawless base for make-up and keeps foundation on for up to 10 hours. Face Base's oil-free, long-lasting, silky formula is suitable for all skin types. Enriched with nourishing vitamins C & E, Face Base's clear formula glides on to give you the perfect second skin. This unique, moisturizing primer protects the skin against drying and seasonal conditions whilst re-hydrating the delicate facial area and leaving it feeling smooth and velvety." from packaging.

The Truth:
I agree! This stuff is great. I love the way it feels...smooth, soft, silky, velvety but NOT greasy. I love that is moisturizes without being oily or making you look like a "shine ball" and it creates a smooth, even, flawless finish to your skin. You can wear it alone or use before you apply makeup/powder. I've heard great things about this before trying and I can definitely see why people love it. It does a great job of creating a smooth primed canvas for your makeup. HOWEVER, with all that being said...I think the cost of this product is high (for me and my needs) and you can achieve the same effect with a cheaper alternative....

Pros:

Smooth silky finish to your face
Evens out skin texture
Non-greasy
Light formula
Easy to find (available at Sephora and Beauty 360-CVS)
Contains nourishing vitamins that are good for skin (a definite plus!)
Helps keep makeup fresh and lasting all day
Moisturizing....one of the Model Co. tips is that it can be used as a silky lip moisturizer. Works great for this!
Leaves skin feeling extremely soft

Cons:

The price...this will cost you $34 o_O
Although this does exactly what it is supposed to do as a face base/primer...you can achieve the same "look and feel" using Monistat Chaffing Gel which will cost you about $8 at your local drugstore.

Recommendation:

I actually received this during a giveaway at a beauty event so I did not pay $34, I probably would have never tried this otherwise. Now. It is a wonderful face base/primer and for all my true beauty junkies out there, you may want to give it a try if you wear foundation on a regular and are looking for something like this. I know a lot of high end face primers are usually around the range of $30 or so. Smashbox makes some great primers and they will run you about $36-$42. I personally don't wear foundation much at all but I do love the look and feel that a good face primer gives me. So I use Monistat Chaffing Gel for that reason. This works just as great for me for waaaay less. So if you're like me I'd say you can skip this and go for the cheaper alternative. I checked the ingredients on both the Monistat Chaffing Gel and this and they both have the most active ingredient Dimethicone. ;)

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Let me know if you've tried this. What are your thoughts?

Have a great day, beauties!

Product Review: Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Gel

2010-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Today I want to review a product I purchased a little over a month ago on a trip to Vegas: Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Gel. I've been a fan of UD De-Slick Mattifying Powder in the past and have used it to control mid-day oilies. I am a certified oily-faced gal (this used to bother me but I've learned to embrace and appreciate it the older I get...helps with wrinkles lol) so I always carry some sort of "touch-up" tool in my purse. I've been curious to see how the gel form of this would work. So I grabbed it up at Sephora to try it out. Read on to see how it measured up...

The Claim:

"A lightweight gel that keeps skin matte and oil free.
De-Slick in a Tube provides oil control and oil-absorbing action in an easy-to-use formula. The gel is completely color-neutral, so it works great on naked skin, under foundation, or over makeup. It's formulated to help tighten your pores for a youthful, shine-free finish. It's a great compact-free alternative to stay shine-free day or night"
from sephora.com

The Truth:
Hmmm. I do believe MOST of that is true. It does a really good job of cutting shine, HOWEVER, in my opinion it doesn't work as well UNDER your makeup. I've tried it both under my makeup/powder and in the middle of the day over my face to cut shine and I absolutely positively think the greatness of this product lies in the touch ups, not necessarily under makeup to prevent shine throughout the day. I noticed that when I used it on my bare skin and then put my bronzer powder, MSF powder or blush over it...I was just as oily as I would be if I had used nothing. No good! BUT, when I used my regular Monistat chaffing gel primer and then put my powder/blush/etc. and used the De-Slick gel throughout the day for shine touch up...it worked like a gem!

Pros:

Easy to use; the tube is great for squeezing out just a little bit of product
One of the BEST mid-day touch up mattifiers I own
Disappears when rubbed in
Creates a natural, yet matte finish
Won't disturb makeup if you apply over it
Small enough to fit in your makeup bag or throw in your purse on the go
lightweight, sheer formula
Better than continuously piling on blot powder over sweat/oil shine which can get cakey after a while

Cons:

It's expensive! $28
If you don't rub it in well it WILL leave a white residue so be sure you've blended it well
Doesn't work well UNDER your makeup...the ability to cut shine if you are an oily girl won't be as effective this way
If you use under your makeup or powder it will be hard to blend over...the formula dries down quickly and is not extremely smooth once dry

Recommendation: If you are looking for an all over, under makeup primer/mattifier...skip! But if you are looking for an alternative to blot powder/papers for midday touch ups...try this!

Overall Score: 4 out of 5

What do you think, beauties? Have you tried this?

I'm Vexed!: MAC Favorite-Face of the Day...

2010-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

vexed

adj.

1. Irritated, distressed, or annoyed

2. Much discussed or debated

Hey Beauties! I know, I know. I feel like that WACK boyfriend that does you wrong and then comes crawling back bearing gifts and excuses. The great news is that I'm here and I AM bearing gifts (a brand spankin new Face of the Day) and there is much more where that comes from! :D I have posts lined up out the wazoo! I am sorry for being gone so long but I have yet to figure out how to sit on my butt doing makeup all day and blogging about it WHILE still paying all my bills. So when duty calls...I must answer...and prioritize. For the past month or so I've been grinding, handling business, taking on a second job, turning 30, enjoying the start of my summer and hanging out with friends and family in my free time. Whew!

I have MISSED my blog though! And I've missed interacting with you! All I can do is thank you for being patient, checking in and continuing to follow even in my absence. So if you were VEXED in my absence...fret no longer! ;-) Am I forgiven yet? I hope so....

I must say this past month and a half I haven't really done a LICK of makeup. The best I could muster on a good day was some gloss, mascara and lower lid liner (I didn't even bother with upper liner...too much time too much concentration I didn't have lol!). So I was really anxious to get back to it...and a little nervous that all my "skills" would be gone!

Anyway, here we go...today's face of the day is based on one of my all-time favorite MAC shadows...Vex. It's a beautiful greenish, brownish, duo-chrome frost shadow that is extremely unique!

It seriously is a must have for your collection. Check it out!

In the pan: It really is hard to capture on camera but this is the best shot I have.

Here's the look I did (pic heavy; I took both artificial and natural light pics)....

Product RunDown (MAC unless otherwise stated)

Face:

Model Co. Face Base Skin Primer (review of this coming soon!)

Studio Sculpt Concealer NC50

Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer Tan/Dark

MSF Dark (to blend concealer)

MSF Deep Dark (to blend concealer)

Maybelline Mineral Power Bronzer Liquid Drops

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer

Pixi Jade Creme liner (lid base under Vex...pic below)

Vex e/s

Hepcat e/s

Magenta matte e/s from Sleek Palette in Acid

Black matte e/s from Sleek Palette in Acid

Brown Down e/s (to blend Vex and Hepcat/Magenta e/s)

Feline Kohl power (lower lid/waterline)

Stila Smudge Pot in black (upper lid)

Mary Kay cream highlighter (brow highlight...see pic below. Love this stuff! More later...)

Cross-Cultural e/s (to fill brows)

Anastasia brow gel

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

Cheeks:

Maybelline Mineral Power Bronzer liquid drops

Mary Kay cream highlighter

Lips:

Cork lipliner

High Tea lipstick

Sinful Colors Extra Shiny Gloss in Wink

Dazzleglass in Funtabulous

Summer Face Tip! Ditch the heavy powders and foundation and go bare! Use pretty light textured bronzers and highlighters to accentuate areas of your face such as your brow bones and cheek bones. Do a light dusting of bronzer over face area for a natural, healthy glow. This looks great if you've gotten summer sun already and have a good bronzey skin color going. ;)

Okay that's it! Let me know what you think! Also, I've been REALLY REALLY out of the makeup loop and I know several collections have launched recently so let me know if you've purchased anything new that you love! Help a sista out! What's hot now? =)

Take care, beauties!

Clumps of Mascara Turns 3! Giveaways Galore!

2010-06-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I just wanted to check in to wish my girl Brittany over at Clumps of Mascara a very happy and successful three year anniversary! 'Ms. Clumps' has been an amazing beauty blogging sister to me, a beautiful friend and a great resource! I'm so happy to know her and I'm very proud of all that she has accomplished.

So with that being said, my girl always does it big and she's giving away beauty items GALORE over on her site in celebration of Clumps' anniversary. All you have to do is run over to her site to find out how to win. You have until now through June 12th to get entered for all the wonderful goodies! Ready....set....GO! Good luck!

Happy Anniversary, B! Love ya. ;)

Milan

Attention LA Beauties! Beauty Blog Meet & Greet Event...

2010-05-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies!

My girl Krissy over at 'Addicted to All Things Pretty' and I will be co-hosting a beauty blog meet and greet for our Los Angeles based readers!

Come join us for a good meal, networking, tips & technique sharing and a product swap at the end of the evening! Should be a lot of fun and we'd love to see ya!

Click HERE for more details and to register for the event.

Take care, beauties!

*Yes I stuck a random Foxy Barbie doll pic here...just cuz she's fab and she thinks you should come join us on the 11th as well. ;)*

Milan

FOTD: Bright, Sunset Eye with Sleek Makeup Acid Palette

2010-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Today, I want to show you a look I did using my newly acquired Sleek Makeup Palette in Acid. SleekMakeup is an affordable cosmetic line based in London, UK. They are currently found in SuperDrug stores in the UK and other countries and are pretty popular there. They recently launched their online website and started shipping to the U.S. so a while ago I went ahead and ordered the eyeshadow palette in Acid.

The colors in the Acid palette are bright and vibrant but really pretty. Check it out!

As I was looking at the palette it dawned on me that a really bright, vibrant sunset colored eye would be nice to do. So....that's what I went for. I used 7 out of the 12 colors (every color in the top row EXCEPT the two blues...and I used the purple, hot pink and black in the bottom row)

Check it out!

Product Run Down (MAC unless otherwise stated):

Face:

-Monistat Chaffing Gel (primer)

-Studio Sculpt Concealer NC50

-MSF Dark

-Physician's Formula Translucent Powder

Eyes:

-Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer

-Painterly Paint Pot (base)

-NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (base)

-7 eyeshadows from Acid palette (hot orange, hot pink, magenta, purple, black, white, bright yellow)

-Quarry e/s

-Geso e/s

-Feline kohl power (water line)

-Stila Smudge Pot in black (upper lid; tight line)

-L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

Cheeks:

-Ripe Peach Blush Ombre

Lips:

-Cork lipliner

-High Tea lipstick

-Partial to Pink Cremesheen Glass

-Baby Sparks Dazzleglass

Thaaaaat's it! I did this look when I was at home...hanging. I really liked how it came out so I'll keep this one in mind for the future when I want something bright and fun when I go out somewhere.

I definitely used the "pat, don't sweep" method of applying colors for this look. I would say the orange and the yellow were the hardest to work with as they were a bit chalky. I had to really pat/pack the orange on and be sure not to sweep and blend it away (I even wet my brush a bit with Fix+ and applied). The rest of the colors I used were great...color payoff was excellent and blending was easy. ;)

Let me know what you think!

You can purchase Sleek Makeup palettes on their website (link above). They will run about $10 and with international shipping (to US) I ended up paying about $25.

Have a good day, beauties.

KleanColor Nail Lacquer Love!

2010-05-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Happy Monday. I hope you all had a wonderful and restful weekend. Today, I want to talk nailpolish...again. Specifically KleanColor Nail Lacquer. I found these at a neighborhood beauty supply for about $2 and I love them. Not only do they have a beautiful array of colors but the formula is great and the ones I have go on smooth and opaque with just one coat.
(From L-R Mango, True Purple, Neon Lime, Neon Aqua and Green Grass).

I encourage you to look for these next time you are in your local mom and pop beauty supply store. ;)

Here is a manicure I did over the weekend using Neon Aqua...please excuse the blurry pic (this one was taken from my BB)

I wanted to add some ummph to the manicure so I put a coat of my new favor Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear polish 'In The Spotlight' on top. This is a clear polish with shiny confetti pieces in it.....

And just to give you an idea of why I love SH 'In The Spotlight' so much...here's a quick shot of a couple of my nails gleaming in the sunlight....LOVE! Very blingly, ladies!

So many fun things you can do with this topcoat so if you like this type of look....put that one on your list as well. ;)

Have you all tried KleanColor Nail Lacquer? Do you like? Let me know....

Have a great day, beauties!

M.

Beauty Storage! My Hello Kitty Pencil Case

2010-05-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

So...I love Hello Kitty. Always have. And I don't plan to let her go just because I'm "grown". So I found this cute metal red pencil case with classic Hello Kitty on it and I grabbed it up. But I'm no longer in grade school and I definitely have no use for a case to carry various pens and pencils around but when I eye-balled it I had another idea in mind.....

Yup! I can put my full-size brushes I use for eye and face looks in here and throw this in my purse when I need them on the go!

Yes, yes. I own plenty of "travel sized" brushes and I actually have a few in my makeup case that I always carry in my purse...but I must admit...I never do a full-face or an eye-look with those brushes. They are JUST for touch ups. But there are times when I have a few functions to go to in a day and if I leave in the morning, I may not put any makeup on my face...however, later in the evening, I may do a look before I go out and this "brush carry case" is ideal for those times. I can take my favorite full-sized brushes along with me so I can do my makeup later in the day! The tin is long enough for them to fit but small and compact enough for me to tote this in my bag/purse. I love.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil

2010-05-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I wanted to let you know about another option for removing makeup that I actually really dig. MAC Cleanse Off Oil is the answer to removing makeup from skin that is prone to chaffing and irritation after repeated makeup applications and wipe removal. I have this type of skin. If I apply makeup (especially eye makeup) more than 3 days in a row and use wipes to remove it (no matter how gentle) thw rubbing starts to irritate my skin. It becomes slightly red and mildly chaffed which is always a signal that my skin has had enough.

We must all remember that our skin is delicate but as much as I try to gently rub to remove my makeup...my skin is just THAT type. So instead of using wipes each time (especially if I'm doing a look for the blog or swatching colors and then removing them immediately) I will opt for MAC Cleanse Off Oil sometimes.

It is a light (mineral-oil free) oil that is gentle and has a pleasant smell. A couple squirts is usually enough to saturate my face and I use a circular motions with my fingers to massage the oil in. My makeup immediately starts to come off and once you apply a bit of water, it creates a light foam. The great thing about this is that it is an OIL and you can use your fingers which means sore, chaffed skin is not becoming more irritated by harsh rubbing. All you have to do is rinse and then follow with your regular facial cleanser and skincare routine from there.

"Gently massage over face to dissolve makeup. Rinse off thoroughly. Follow with usual cleanser if needed. Mineral-oil free."

You may want to add this to your stash if you experience the same eye/face irritation that I do after using makeup wipes too often. ;) Or if you simply want a great oil makeup remover for touch ups...easy to use with q-tips for quick fixes!

MAC Cleanse Off Oil is $22 and can be purchased at any MAC counter or freestanding store or online at maccosmetics.com

M.

Prismatic Pearls: Friday Face of the Day!

2010-05-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Happy Friday! I haven't done a Face of the Day (FOTD) in a while so here ya go! I decided to use my Black Radiance Prismatic Pearls e/s quad (grabbed this at CVS a few months ago) for this one. I've had this for a while but hadn't used it yet. Check it out!

Here's the quad:

Here's the look I did using all four colors in the quad....(pic heavy)

Product Run-Down (MAC unless otherwise stated)

Face:

-Monistat Chaffing Gel (face primer)

-Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer Duo in Tan/Dark

-Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC50

-MSF Deep Dark

-MSF Dark

-Physician's Formula Translucent Powder

-Fix+

Eyes:

-Too Face Shadow Insurance Primer

-NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (base)

-Black Radiance Prismatic Pearls Quad (Bottom copper on the lid; Deep purple in outer crease and outer-V; mid-tone shimmer pink in crease, gold to highlight)

-Carbon e/s (outer v only; to add dimension)

-Feline kohl power (lower liner)

-Stila Smudge pot in black (upper lid liner)

-L'oreal Voluminous mascara

-Cross-Cultural e/s (brow fill)

-Anastasia brow gel

Cheeks:

-Mehron Cheek Cream (the name rubbed off so here's a pic of it)

Lips:

-Currant l/l

-Up the Amp l/s (beautiful amplified lavendar cream)

-Sweet Strawberry l/g (Limited Edition; Hello Kitty launch)

Sooo that's it! Let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend, beauties! =)

Product Love! Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes

2010-04-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

The new love of my life are these handy Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes. Short story: Say YES to these. The end.

LOL...just kidding I'll give you a little more to work with!

Why do I love them?
Well for one they have a very pleasant calming scent. Fresh and clean with just a HINT of natural cucumber smell.

They are designed not only to remove makeup but also to cleanse and nourish your skin. I think this is absolutely the perfect answer to "on the go" face cleansing. Instead of hauling around various face cleaning products...try this! You can use these and skip the extra cleansing step and just apply moisturizer after. I also love that it doesn't leave a wet/slick or even an oily feel to your skin after use.

They are also biodegradable (Yaay for our Earth!) and 98.7% natural. =)

How do I incorporate these into my routine?

So I have a set morning and night skincare routine that works for me. I try not to upset that too much because well...my skin likes what it likes! And if its not broke...you know the rest. But one of the things I usually do at night before my skincare routine is a complete removal of any makeup I may have on. I've been using Neutrogena makeup remover wipes for this pretty consistently and Garnier Nutrisse wipes at times as well. So i've put these in my 'makeup remover' wipe rotation for that purpose...and even though I don't HAVE to follow with a cleanse routine (because these wipes do it all)...I still do. Because I'm just paranoid like that at night. Don't be judging me. ;)

BUT, the cleansing and nourishing properties come in handy for a mid-day skin refresher (which I often do before and after swatching make-up or doing a "look" for the blog, etc). I am also good for a face cleanse when it gets really hot in the summer and I've been in the sun for an extended period of time. I can't wait to tote these wipes in my bag for relief on THOSE days.

For all my ladies who get it in at the gym preparing that 'summer bod'...this would be ideal for you as well. A wipe down, no rinse and you're good to go. Fresh-faced an all!

They contain cucumber (of course..DUH!) to soothe and soften, Aloe Vera to hydrate, Green Tea to protect and Dead Sea minerals to exfoliate. Sounds like a wonderful spa experience to me and I can say first hand that your skin feels CLEAN and refreshed after use.

I'm a fan of pretty much everything I've tried so far from the 'Yes To...' line. Kudos!!

Have a great day, beauties!

M.

Summer Is Approaching: Tips for Maintaining Great Looking Underarms!

2010-04-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

So last week I was in the shower doing my usual ritual and I got an idea for a great post to share with you. But before I could write it, I got an email from SPA Week with several pointers and tips on the same subject I was thinking about...so...I'm going to pair my tips with theirs and hopefully you'll find some of this helpful. =)

Let's talk arm pits ladies. Yes...pits. Spring is here and summer is swiftly approaching so I want to make sure you all have some great tips for maintaining great looking underarms. They need TLC too!

Most of us tend to opt for nice sleeveless dresses, top and blouses in the summer which means we are usually doing day-to-day armpit grooming (I hope so!). So here are some tips for keeping your armpits soft, smooth, bump and blemish free from Dove spokesperson Dr. Debra Luftman (with a few of my own suggestions thrown in for good measure at the end) =)

1. When I exfoliate I use my Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash or Carol's Daughter Jamaican Punch sea salt scrub and I concentrate on my under arms and then rinse before shaving. This helps smooth away dead skin cells as well as remove any deodorant that you may have on which can prevent you from getting a close shave or a good lather with your shave gel.

2. I tend to save shaving in the shower as one of the last things I do. This way I give my skin and pores a chance to open up so I can get a closer shave. ;) Also, if you exfoliate and wash for several minutes prior to shaving it will also help the shave cream/gel you use lather well and form a nice barrier to protect your skin. ;)

3. My razor of choice is a 5-blade...Gilette Venus Embrace. =) and I usually shave with Skintimate shave gel.

4. After showering, I pat my underarms dry (no harsh rubbing....treat your skin with care!) and I MOISTURIZE. A lot of women forget to moisturize the skin under their arms!

5. I then apply anti-perspirant/deodorant...I use Degree Ultra Clear (currently using the new Red Satin scent). I let it sit for a few minutes and then I pat away any excess deodorant (if there is any). Leaving deodorant just sitting under your arms is not only unattractive but it can be TOO drying and can contribute to irritation and discoloration. ;)

All done and you're good to go! Stay pretty this summer, beauties! =)

M.

Restoring my HIP Teal Cream Liner

2010-04-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I recently grabbed my HIP teal cream liner to use it and when I opened the jar it looked like this...

Um...yuck, right? It was dry and crumbly and almost unusable. But, beauties, I LOOOOOVE this color! So I wasn't prepared to let it go without a fight.

So I asked for some suggestions on what I should do to restore it to a usable consistency on Twitter and I got a number of responses. I decided to go with my first mind so here's what I did...

I grabbed a small spatula (shown here). You can get these from Sally Beauty (great for mixing glosses and other cream products...if you wanna get creative with it) ;)

Using the spatula I started stirring and mixing the cream liner to break up the crumbly consistency and smooth out some of the product that had dried and hardened (the product towards the bottom of the jar is usually a tad creamier if it hasn't dried out all the way)....(pic below)

Once I got it smoother I added in drops of Mixing Medium...I first started out with 2 drops and then added 2 more here and there (finally totaling about 6 drops) as I stirred (add mixing medium to your discretion...it really just depends on how dry the product has gotten)
Here's the MAC Mixing Medium I used....make sure you use a water-based mixing medium (NOT an alcohol based one). You can also make your own mixing medium at home by mixing 1 part glycerin with 3 parts water.

So here's the final restored cream liner after stirring and adding in drops of mixing medium...

Here's a swatch of it on my hand and a pic of what it looks like on. I love!

Have you experienced drying with these cream liners? If so, what have you done to restore them?

Have a great day, beauties!

M.

Product Review: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer

2010-04-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties! TGIF!!!

So I'm FINALLY getting around to reviewing Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer (TFSI) here on the blog. For the longest I have been a certified Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP) girl and when I find something that I like and it WORKS, I tend to stick with it. Therefore, although the TFSI is certainly not new...it has been the "new" primer in my stash. In an effort to give an honest and thorough review here on the blog, I've actually held my initial thoughts and continued to use it for a few months now (you may have seen it often in the product run-down in my FOTDs).

So read on to see how TFSI measures up and if I love it as much or more than my faithful UDPP.....

The Claim: "An eyeshadow primer guaranteed to go the distance. Your full coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oil slicked and hard-to-blend eyeshadow accidents. Our silicone based eyeshadow primer transforms any eyeshadow into perfectly blendable, color-drenched, intensified version of itself, then locks it down perfectly until you take it off. Shadow insurance can be used with powder or cream eye products." from sephora.com

The Truth:
I can FINALLY say that this stuff is great. And it works well to keep my shadows in tact and creaseless for hours on end. I have VERY oily lids so whenever I wear eyeshadow a primer is a MUST. With this, my eyeshadows stayed bright and vibrant...smooth and without creasing all day. At first I admit I wasn't a fan. The first SEVERAL times I used it...the product came out runny. This threw me off...like there was oil mixing with the silicone substance but I was getting more "oily stuff" than product. However, I would apply it and my shadows wouldn't crease but I couldn't be sure how they would do over a long day/night so I reserved my opinion. Now, the product comes out "normal" when I apply...I love the tube and the fact that I can squeeze out just a tiny bit to apply with my fingers (I DEFINITELY like the way this is packaged versus the genie bottle of UDPP).

I tested this several times over the past couple of months most notably at the Jay-Z concert I went to a while ago. I did a really bright/vibrant purple eye and it lasted the entire evening/night with me dancing and jammin to Jay-Z (hardcore fan) and when I got home my shadow still looked just as good when I applied. Sold! I ran out of UDPP a while ago and purposely didn't purchase more so I could give this a try and I'm glad I did. I definitely think it stands up to UDPP and works just as well. You can't go wrong with either one, beauties. I'm now a fan of both.

Pros:

Smooth and easy to apply and blend
Keeps eyeshadows smooth and crease-less all day/night
Great for oily lid gals!
$1 cheaper than UDPP and works just as well
Easy to find at Sephora
Eyeshadows still apply well and blend well over the TFSI
LOVE the tube packaging (easier to get ALLL product out as opposed to the UDPP genie bottle)
A little goes a LONG way

Cons:

Make sure you shake the tube and try to "mix" it as much as possible before use
Not sure it makes shadows more intense as the claim but def makes them last

Recommendation: If you were on the fence about this or unsure if it matches UDPP...it does! So try it. I think either one is great to have in your makeup stash. ;)

Overall Score: 4 out of 5

Face of the Day: Little Pop of Color

2010-04-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I feel like it's been a long time! I've missed you. I was battling a horrible cold last week so I had to take a break, rest up and get well. But I'm feeling much better now and I couldn't wait to get back to blogging. =)

Today, I want to show you a face of the day using just a hint of bright color. Shout out to my sisters Lamide (my Meems) and Reecie for the inspiration. We were chatting on twitter about bright shadow and I suggested they try a neutral eye look with just a pop of bright color in the outer V. So I decided to do a look like this and post it here on the blog so you guys can see exactly what I'm talking about.

I know how intimidating bright eyeshadow can be sometimes. Especially if you're just starting to get into eyeshadow and makeup, its probably the one thing you will shy away from the longest (I know I did). BUT, I also know how drawn to the pretty vibrant colors a girl can be and for my darker beauties, bright colors really are our friend. They show up well and, if done right, look great on us!

So..if you are not ready to do a full bright color eye-look or if that's just not you OR if you just want something more subtle for the day and/or work...try a look like this:

Check it out!

Okay excuse all the pics but I tried to get some from various angles and close-ups of the eye so you can really see the 'outer v' color.

As you can see the green shadow here is really vibrant but I don't think this overall look is intimidating at all. This is a great way to use color in your every day look without going overboard or doing too much.

Just a couple of helpful tips:

1. Choose neutral eyeshadow shades that complement your skin tone well and won't compete too much with the vibrant eyeshadow color of your choice.

2. If you have trouble applying precise color to your outer v...try drawing an outline first! Yes...that's right. I actually did that for this look here using my MAC 219 Pencil Brush Starting on the top outer part of my crease I dipped my 219 brush in the green shadow I was using and I drew in a "sideways V" on the outer portion of each eye. I then used my regular eyeshadow brush to pat color to fill in the outer v and then blended the harsh edges using a swirly motion with my blending brush (don't overblend! You want the color to still pop! If you blend too much and the color sheers down just pat a bit more on top and leave it!). I did drag and blend the color a weeeee bit into my crease because....well...that's just what I prefer for my eyes. LOL. When my entire eye look was done I used my 219 pencil brush again and lined the outer bottom portion of my lid and basically "connected" it with my 'outer v'. You can see this really well in pics #2 and #3 above. ;)

Alright Product Run-Down (MAC unless otherwise stated):

Face:
-Studio Sculpt concealer in NC50
-Eve Pearl dual salmon concealer in Tan/Dark (this stuff is GREAT for undereyes!)
-MSF Dark

Eyes:
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance (i'm finally loving this stuff)
-Kid e/s (all over lid and eye/brow area)
-Bright Landscape Green matte shadow from my 120 palette
-Brown Down e/s (above crease/below brow highlight)
-Ricepaper e/s (brow highlight)
-Cross-Cultural e/s (brow fill)
-Anastasia brow gel
-Feline kohl power liner (waterline)
-Stila smudge pot in black (upper lid)
-Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara

Cheeks:
-Warm Blend MSF
-Gingerly sheertone blush on top of Warm Blend

Lips:
-Cork l/l
-Maybelline ColorSensational l/s in Toffee Tango
-Lipglass in She's A Star on top (MAC limited edition)

So let me know what you think, beauties!

Have a great day!

M.

Do It Yourself: Sephora Style Makeup Brush Holders

2010-04-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

So I mentioned yesterday about the state of my bathroom counter as it pertains to the makeup and beauty items that clutter it. LOL. No, I won't be posting my clutter just yet but as I was looking around yesterday I zeroed in on the way my brushes are stored...basically because I love it...so I wanted to show you.

I got this idea from Sephora and a while ago I saw other beauty bloggers hooking it up as well so I did mine the same way. If you've ever been to Sephora and checked out the makeup brush selection you may have noticed that they store the makeup brushes in clear glass jars with rock crystals at the bottom to basically "hold" the brushes upright. Its very sleek and pretty and...well...SMART! =) It's also really easy to recreate these jars to store your own makeup brushes at home...all you need is a Michael's (or other such arts and crafts supply store) and a little creativity!

So I did mine almost identical to Sephora's with clear glass jars and clear crystals (all purchased at Michael's). You can definitely spice it up a bit with different color glass jars and/or various crystal colors (you can do all one color or mix). Be creative!

These sit on my bathroom counter which gives me easy access and reach to my brushes at all times. Actually I think I should go get one more jar and more crystals because the middle jar is a tad bit "crowded". LOL

So how do you store your brushes at home, beauties? Let me know!

Have a great day. ;)

M.

My Full Sephora Diamond Train Case!

2010-03-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties! Happy Hump Day to ya!

So back in December I purchased my very first train case from Sephora. The diamond train case in a beautiful red color. I posted pics of the train case and the "empty" inside (check those HERE). Several people asked me to post pics of the case once I filled it with goodies so here you go! (don't judge me, people)

Here's the train case closed

Open top portion

Open middle portion with sides expanded

Open close-up...palettes in the bottom removed....excuse the clutter I sometimes just throw stuff in the bottom when I'm in a rush =(

Okay so this isn't nearly all my makeup products that I own but a lot of what's in here is stuff that I either recently used, plan to use soon, or use daily. I have found that it is a lot easier to keep my daily staples in here so that I'm not rummaging through my other plastic containers to find stuff. I MAY post pics of my bathroom counter soon because I do have a makeup vanity (which houses a lot of my lipsticks and glosses) and another makeup tray with "other staples" sitting on the counter. Plus my "sephora style" brush jars w/crystal rocks.

I love my train case though. And when it's full it is HEAVY so it sits nice and quietly on my bedroom floor. I will haul it to the bathroom when I'm doing a complete makeup look so I don't have to go back and forth but usually I just leave it in the bedroom, grab what I need for my "morning routine" and that's it. It is very spacious and has removable dividers, keys for the locks and a shoulder strap.

So that's it! Do you beauties have a train case? If so, what do you store in it? Do you only use it for traveling?

Have a great day!

M.

Face of the Day: Sunset Bronze Look!

2010-03-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I'm trying to make a concerted effort to practice my makeup application skills and post more Face of the Day looks here on The Rouge. It really helps me learn and I encourage you all to practice, practice practice on yourselves!

So I did this look yesterday using some of my Milani shadows as well as NYX Jumbo eye pencil in French Fries as a base.

Check out some of the products I used....

NYX French Fries (used as a base) metallic bronze color

Milani shadows (l-r Golden Bronze, Sun Goddes, Sheer Sand, Flare)

Splash powder blush in Expresso (top brown color)

Here's the look I did....

Product Run-Down:

Face:

-Monistat Chaffing Gel

-Physicians Formula translucent powder (for shinies)

Eyes:

-Too Faced Shadow Insurance

-NYX Jumbo eye pencil in French Fries (all over lid and upper eye area as base)

-Milani Flare e/s (inner 3rd of eye and lower lash line)

-Milani Sun Goddess e/s (middle 3rd of eye and mid-outer lower lash line)

-Milani Golden Bronze e/s (outer 3rd of eye)

-MAC Brown Down (crease)

-Milani Sheer Sand (brow highlight)

-MAC Feline kohl power (lower lash line)

-Stila Smudge pot in black (upper lash line)

-Lashblast Length mascara (meh! not a fan just grabbed it cuz it was close)

-MAC Cross-Cultural e/s (brow fill)

Cheeks:

-Splash cosmetics powder blush in Expresso (my Cocoa puff cheeks shade...luv it!)

Lips:

-MAC Cork l/l

-MAC Chelsea lipstick

*I think French Fries NYX Jumbo pencil is a beautiful bronze color for brown beauties. I'll definitely be using it as a base a lot this summer. ;)

Let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful day, beauties!

Product Review: Kimble Hair Care Systems Shine Serum

2010-03-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Today I want to review Kimble Shine Serum from the new line of hair care products launched by celebrity hair stylist Kimberly Kimble. Ms. Kimble's clientale includes Kerry Washington, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce and many others. I had been hearing buzz about her up and coming hair care line and was really excited to try the products. So read on to see how this Shine Serum measures up!

The Claim:

For Dull Hair and Frizzed Hair....A luminous finishing gloss, Shine Serum's oil-free formula adds brilliance to hair without the grease. A moisture barrier is formed around the hair shaft for all day smoothness and silkiness. Controls fly-aways. From product information sheet.

The Truth:

The product information was really speaking my language. Just a quick background on my hair....while I appreciate glossy shine, I have to be very careful about the oils and products I use to achieve shine because my hair is naturally oily. This means that whatever products I put in my hair, I have to be sure they are lightweight and non-greasy/oily so it won't weigh my hair down or make my hair stiff and flat. I LOVE bouncy, moveable hair! So after reading the product information for Kimble Shine Serum I was excited to try because of the oil-free/non-greasy claim and the promise of glossy shine.

I've been using Kimble Shine Serum for about two weeks now and I am hooked. I absolutely love it and the claim is true. It smells REALLY great and I was really impressed with its ability to create a glossy shine without being greasy or weighing down my curls. A little goes a LONG way. I usually just use one small drop/pump in my palm once every couple days or so usually after I unwrap my hair I'll fluff, apply a small drop of the serum in my palm...rub it through my hair and finger comb....fluff again and go. I did exactly that this morning and here's a couple shots of my hair so you can see the shine...

Pros:

Oil-free
Lightweight and non-greasy
Wonderful smell
High gloss shine
A little goes a long way
Smooths and moisturizes
Affordable for a high end hair care system ($11.99)
Pump dispenser gives you control over how much product you use
Kimble Hair Care system products can be found at your local Target stores or online at Target.com (easy!)

Cons:

N/A (honetly can't think of one)

Recommendation: If you are looking for a really great shine serum that won't weigh your hair down....try this! It has become a staple in my hair care routine. =)

Overall Score: 5 out of 5

*Kimble Hair Care System includes MANY other hair care products for all types/styles of hair. Please check out the full product list HERE then head to your nearest Target store to buy! ;)

Take care, Beauties!

**A product sample was provided for review consideration. Please check my full disclosure policy HERE.

Photos used from target.com and kimblehaircare.com

Friday Brights w/ NYX Milk! This post is Rated R....

2010-03-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties! Happy Friday!

I'm just going to start this post off by saying that if you are a beauty who LOVES bright eyeshadow or if you LOVE for your eyeshadow to POP...please find your nearest NYX retailer and grab the Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in Milk. Like...now. This white creamy pencil used as a base to your eyeshadows will make you a very happy girl. I wouldn't lie to ya!

I just recently added this to my makeup stash and I finally decided to test it out by doing a bright eye-look. I love bright shadows and I marvel at them on other people...but oddly enough I don't do them very often on myself. This is probably for a few reasons including the fact that I barely wear makeup to work and wouldn't do bright shadow there anyway and on the weekend I'm not much better. LOL. But TODAY....TODAY we have a bright look and I actually dig this.

So it took me a WHILE to figure out what shadows to use for this bright eye. I finally settled on my NARS eyeshadow duo Rated R. I've had this for...a few years now. It was actually the very first NARS product I purchased (for some reason I was just drawn to the pretty cobalt blue and sparkly lime green), however, I have never (until now) used it. Shame! I have waaay too many things like this in my stash that I have yet to get around to using. Which probably means I shouldn't buy anything else right? Yeah.

So check out the NARS Rated R duo!

Here's the look I did using NYX Milk as a base (all over the lid and eye/brow area)...

Product Rundown (MAC unless otherwise stated):

Face:

-Monistat Chaffing Gel (face primer)

-Studio Sculpt Concealer NC50

-Studio Finish Concealer NW40

-MSF Dark

-Physicians Formula Translucent Powder

-Fix+ spray

Eyes:

-Too Faced Shadow Insurance (primer)

-NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in Milk (base...dabbed all over eye area and blended w/finger)

-NARS Rated R eyeshadow duo

-Studio Sculpt Concealer NW40 (brow highlight)

-Feline kohl power (lower eyeliner)

-Stila Smudge Pot in black (upper lid liner)

-Cross-Cultural e/s (brow fill)

-Anastasia brow gel

-Covergirl Lashblast Length mascara (lower lashes only)

-L'Oreal Voluminous mascara (top lashes)

Cheeks:

-NYX Powder Blush in Copper

Lips:

-Cork l/l

-High Tea l/s

-Comet Blue Dazzleglass (LE)

The NYX Milk gets it POPPIN'....it will literally take your shadows to another level! Use it in moderation...I literally dabbed it over various areas of my eye and blended it out all over from there.

Grab one up! They will run you about $3 each over at Cherry Culture. ;) I also grabbed French Fries (a beatiful bronze color) and Purple jumbo eye pencil. I plan to use those soon in other looks!

What do you think? Do you use Milk as a base?

Have a FAB weekend, beauties! I'm hitting the Jay-Z concert tonight! Whoo Hoo! Ciao!

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Contest! Vote for Amina!

2010-03-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I wanted to stop in real quick to let you know that my girl Amina is currently ranked #4 in Bobbi Brown's Pretty Powerful contest. Please PLEASE PLEASE go to the site and vote for her as many times as you can. We want to be sure to push her to the top 3! She is such a lovely person with a beautiful spirit and her testimony really IS pretty powerful! We definitely want to see her advance to the next round! There are less than 2 days left so hurrrrry and vote! =)

Good luck, Amina! Us beauty gals are all pulling for you! ;)

Check her blog here: Coup de Coeur

Vote here:

Pretty Powerful

Sponsored by Bobbi Brown

Monica 'Everything To Me' Inspired Smokey Eye!

2010-03-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

So I think last week sometime I tweeted about how much I LOVED Monica's Dark Gunmetal Smokey eye from her 'Everything To Me' video and I said I was going to try to "recreate" the look for myself. Soooo I did! Here's the look from the video on the right. The reason that I love this smoky eye so much is that its SUPER polished and the blackened silver shadow is beautiful! As I examined the eye (yes....I examine from every angle possible if I can...lol) I noticed that the brown shadow right below the brow bone (blended on top of the dark shadow) works wonders to pull the look together and give the dark eye balance. I really think this is the type of smoky eye that's easy to execute and even beginner makeup beauties can recreate with minimal effort. So here are some pics of my look (the flash is making the dark shadow look...less dark...lol) along with a run-down of the products used and a few notes here and there...Enjoy!

This last pic just cracks me up...I'm SO NOT gangsta! Ya'll know I'm not well. Deuces though! =)

The Product Run-Down (MAC unless otherwise stated)

Face:
-Monistat Chaffing Gel (face primer)
-Studio Sculpt Foundation NC50 (select areas; applied with a Beauty Blender sponge)
-Studio Sculpt Concealer NC50
-Studio Finish Concealer NW40 (under eyes and brow highlight)
-MSF (Mineralize Skinfinish) in Dark
-Physician's Formula Translucent powder (lightly dusted)
-Fix + spray

Eyes:
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance (primer)
-Blackground Paint Pot (base)
-Carbon e/s (deep matte black)
-Black Tied e/s (deep black w/silver sparkles)
-Bobbi Brown gunmetal e/s (deep silver/gray)
-Sparkly dark gray e/s from MAC applied wet (umm...didn't write the name but I know it was in one of my smoky eye quads from MAC; probably limited edition but it looks just like Black Tied but its gray)...I'll get the name later
-120 palette dark metallic pewter e/s applied wet (the shadows in this palette are not named or numbered...sorry!)
-Embark e/s (matte chocolate brown; blended above dark shadow)
-Brown Down e/s (matte medium brown; blended above dark shadow)
-Tete A Tint (matte caramel color; brow highlight used over NW40 concealer for emphasis)
-Cross-Cultural e/s (eyebrow fill)
-Anastasia brow gel
-Feline kohl power (line lower lid)
-L'oreal Voluminous mascara

Cheeks:
-MSF Deep Dark

Lips:
-Cork lipliner
-Fresh Brew lipstick
-Mad Cap lipglass

Okay a few tips for this look and ANY dark smoky eye really....

1. DO the eyes FIRST! Before you do the rest of your face...PLEASE do your eyes. You WILL have eyeshadow fall-out and with the dark colors, once you do, its harder to remove that from your face without disturbing the rest of your makeup. When I did this look I did my eyes first and after I finished my eyes I cleaned my face up and cleaned around the perimeter of my eyes (to prevent that raccoon look) with a makeup wipe. Now if you have your foundation/powder/concealer done....you won't be able to do that, right? Right.

2. Blend! Blending is your friend! Which is why its important to have good blending brushes (I used MAC's 222, 224, and 226 LE ). I'm looking at these pics and I blended alright but definitely could have been better. I really wanted you guys to see how the dark brown shadow above the crease and blended with the black really makes this look standout (which is one of the first things I noticed about Monica's eye). I would definitely suggest using a "transitional color" such as this when doing a deep dark black smoky eye because it will give you more dimension. Or, if you want, you can always do a deep dark black on the lid and blend with a lighter gray color into the crease to create a "gradient"...again...dimension.

3. Pat DON'T Sweep! This goes for any color that you want to POP or stand-out...use a good brush (I used MAC's 239..this is my fav brush for packing on lid color...it's firm and picks up e/s well)...pack your brush with shadow (I tend to blow off any excess to help with fall-out) and then pat, pat, pat onto the lid (no sweeping motion). Using a sweeping motion will essentially blend your eyeshadow out and away...lol. So with this look I packed each color on my lid using this method. Reserve the sweeping motion (or swirly circle motion) for crease colors and blending above the lid. ;)

That's it! Let me know what you think in the comments. =)

I'm so happy today is my Friday. Have a good day, beauties!

M.

Hidden Gems: Neighborhood Beauty Supply Discoveries!

2010-03-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I recently discovered a few GEMS at my local beauty supply stores and I wanted to share those with you. Special shout out to my SG Amisha, who gave me the heads up on searching local neighborhood (mom & pop) beauty supply stores for hidden cosmetic gems. She was SO right! I popped into one closest to my house just on a whim and I discovered an entire display of Sinful Color cosmetic glosses and blushes (ummm! Two of my FAVORITE beauty items!). Score!

Check out the Sinful Blush display (sorry so fuzzy...took this with the BB):

Here are the goodies I grabbed from Beauty Supply #1:

Sinful Blush in 'Sinful Dust' (shimmery golden orange) and glosses in Tempting (brown natural) and Miserable (sparkly clear/gray)

Its been a while since I did a Milan's Rouge post so here we go! Sinful Dust is a really pretty sparkly peachy golden orange (that's a mouthful huh?). PERFECT summer shade for cheeks. I tend to go for more shimmery natural shades in the spring and summer because they look stunning in the sunlight.

Sunlight

Indoor light

See? Light and subtle like a sunkissed tan. Loves it.

I'm also wearing the Miserable gloss in these pics (no liner). I can't remember the exact price of these items but I believe they ranged from $2.99 to $3.99. Sweeeet! Check your local beauty supply...if you have no luck there Cherry Culture sells Sinful cosmetics as well. ;)

At Beauty Supply #2 I was able to grab 5 Splash Cosmetics duo blushes/highlighters for....*drumroll* $.99cents each! Check them out....they are purrrrty!

More Rouge posts to come...I really don't need like anymore blushes...like ever ever. =)

Have any of you found hidden gems in your local beauty supply stores? Lemme know!

Have a great day beauties!

M.

Nail Week! China Glaze Spring 2010 Up & Away Collection

2010-03-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties! Happy Friday! We all made it another week.

I must say I've been really enjoying Nail Week and I saved some of the best swatches for last. Before we get into all that I just want to thank you all for stopping in, checking my posts, commenting and giving your input. Its really helped ME a lot and I have a few things I've added to my ever-growing list of "things to get". So thank you! My wallet doesn't like you much though. =)

Now on to my swatches. China Glaze's Up & Away Collection is the best Spring collection I've seen so far. I really think they nailed it. 12 creme polishes in various "spring time" shades ranging from pretty pastels to bold brights. I mean...DUH! Its perfect for Spring and it didn't leave me wondering "okay...what were they really going for with THOSE colors??!" as I sometimes do when I see a collection.

Anyway, I loved it so much I grabbed up 6 out of the 12 shades and I love them! Check it out...

Peachy Keen (creme pastel peach)

Re-Fresh Mint (pastel mint creme)

Flyin High (midtone blue creme)

Heli-Yum (bright magenta pink creme...LOVE IT)

Grape Pop (pure bright purple creme...another love. Best purple polish)

Four Leaf Clover (bright green creme...another hard one to photograph. Its actually darker and brighter)

This collection also has a pastel pink, lavendar, yellow and a bright yellow among others. Check it out! There's something for everyone.

How are you liking this collection? Did you snatch any of these colors up? Any favs? Let me know!!

Have a great weekend, beauties. =)

M.

Nail Week! No Chip, High Gloss, Fortifying Top Coats...

2010-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Okay let's talk top coats...aside from the quick drying ones we discussed yesterday.

When I go for a top coat the main thing I'm looking for is high shine and a no chip formula. I can honestly admit that I have yet to find a "holy grail" top coat that I just go to all the time. I have and use/have tried many. Here are a few that stand out to me for various reasons...

1. Gena Healthy Hoof Lacquer "The Secret of Horse Trainers"...

Ok. I'll start here. I added that tag line up top because it makes me laugh. Hard. Every time. Because I remember exactly when I brought this (I was transitioning out of acrylics and needed a good top coat that protects). I saw this in Sally's and I thought "Horse hoofs??! Oh this must be great because a horse HOOF can kill ya!" I'm silly. Anyway, as I was going through my stash of topcoats recently I found this again and although I haven't used it recently, it was great for me during that time. So if you have severely weak, damaged nails and need a good top coat that provides high gloss, UV protection and protein treatment, try this. Or even if your nails are in great condition...you may want to try. Horse trainers use it...I mean, nuff said. =)

2. Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color (Clear)

I used the clear as a top coat often because of the strength and no chip properties. I think it does a pretty good job of prolonging my manicures. I'll do a thin layer of this and then finish with a fast drying top coat and i'm done!

3. Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps (Clear)

This is another one that comes in many colors but I use the clear as a top coat. Its good stuff. I think the name sucked me in because i'm always looking to toughen my nails up.

Honorable Mention to: Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Fortifying Base and Top Coat which I mentioned the other day. Its the newest top coat in my stash and I'm still trying it out to see how well it works. ;)

I'm also noticing that I give Sally Hansen a lot of my dangone money. LOL =)

You know the drill...let me know what some of your favorite no chip, high shine, strengthening top coats are!

Have a good day.

Nail Week! Sinful Love....

2010-03-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

I know you've "heard" me mention it time and time again but I pretty much ADORE Sinful Colors nail polish which is sold at Walgreen's for about $1.99 per bottle! Not only do I love the price but the color selection is to DIE for. They really do a good job of creating beautiful, in-season, "fashion forward" shades for the budget conscious beauty. I have several Sinful colors in my polish stash and recently added a few more "Spring-like" colors so check them out!

First up is Forget Now (pretty sparkly hot pink)...the formula was great. Not too thick or thin. 2 coats.)

Mint Apple (Pastel Blue-Mint color...this was my fav out of the bunch although the consistency is a lil thick but evens out; 2 coats)

Show Me The Way (Beautiful Forest Green shimmer: thin consistency; I applied 3 thin coats)

Rise & Shine (Bright Turquoise, thick consistency but evens out; 2 coats)...this color is FIYAH but it was SOOO hard to capture on my camera. I prob could have gotten it in the sunlight but I swatched this last and my sun was gone. It really is a BRIGHT BRIGHT turquoise color. I'm posting 3 photos to show you how diff it photographs depending on the light. I think the first one is prob the closest to actual color but even though it IS bright...the actual color is a little deeper and more "turquoisey" than any of these photos show. I'll photograph again another time in bright sunlight and see if that works.

Looks like 3 different colors huh? Nope! Same one. Its beautiful though. I love it. =)

So beauties have you tried Sinful Colors polish? What do you think? What are some of your favorites?

They also sell Sinful Colors (they have makeup too) polish on Cherry Culture. ;)

M.

Nail Week! My Favorite Quick Dry Top Coats...

2010-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties,

Most of us have all been there...we hook up a BEAUTIFUL, perfect manicure only to nick it, or smudge it up 30 minutes later because we have THINGS to do and we THINK our nails are dry. This used to happen to me almost EVERY time I did my nails and it was horribly frustrating. To the point where I hardly ever polished my nails (this was looong ago! lol). But when I started building my polish collection I set out on a mission to actually USE the polish I was buying and use it often which meant I started doing my own nails at least once a week.

In comes the Quick Dry Top Coat to my nail routine. I really can't live without it because it allows me to do my nails often without the muss and fuss of smudged nails because I refuse to wait 30 minutes to an hour for my nails to be COMPLETELY dry. Life passes quickly! I can be done with 4 to 5 things in those 30-60 minutes! Who has time for all that? I didn't.

So I started off using...

1. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat:

I actually blogged about this one a while ago HERE . And although it DOES get the job done and I DO still love it...I had to look for another great quick dry top coat because I noticed that with every bottle of Seche DFTC I got...once I got down to about 1/4 of the bottle left...the formula becomes really thick and goopy and hard to manage and spread on the nail. So I found myself literally chucking bottles of this after it reached near the end because application became difficult. That's wasting money to me so I went hunting for another great alternative where the formula would stay consistent....

2. INM-Out The Door Fast Drying Top Coat:

So I scooped up Out The Door while I was in Sally's and I must say it really gets the job done. Nails are completely dry and ready to go in under a couple minutes (maybe faster...I just chill extra for good measure). The shine may not be as brilliant as Seche Vite but its up there and I'm pleased with this alternative. I haven't gotten down towards the end of my bottle of this though so I can't really speak on how thick or goopy it may/may not become. However, I know a lot of my beauties out there use this or have tried it so maybe you can let me know if the formula stays consistent to the very end of the bottle?

So those are my two picks for a quick dry top coat.

I'm interested to learn what you ladies use so let me know! Should I try something else next time? I'm open to it. =)

Take care, beauties.

Nail Week! Happy 1st Birthday to The Rouge aaaand St. Patty's Day Greens!

2010-03-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Can you believe that ONE year ago today I started this here blog? Yeah I can hardly believe it either. So with that being said...Happy One Year Blog Anniversary to...The Rouge! Its been a crazy ride with many ups and downs and a couple thoughtful reflections from time to time on whether I would or wouldn't keep the blog going...but when it was all said and done, I pressed on and I'm glad I did each time. I love this blog and I've heard from at least a couple of you that...you love it too! So thank you everyone for making this experience great each and every time I post. *Smooches*!

Now let's talk about Nail Week. So I went out last night and got home late which meant 1. I was too ~~tipsy~~ sleepy to do any color swatches and 2. Even if I wasn't too "sleepy" I had NO sunlight to get a decent pic with anyway soooooo...because of that (excuses! lol) and in honor of St. Patrick's Day today...I'm gonna post a throwback pic of my "back then" budding green Nail Polish stash (I've since added more to the green collection) and a pic of an old green manicure I did sometime last year that I loved. And a pic of my absolute FAVORITE green in my stash.

So enjoy and don't judge me...I'm barely keeping my eyes open at work today! ;)

My greens!

My Orly Mint Mojito Manicure! :heart:

My absolute favorite green...Sinful Colors San Francisco ($1.99 at Walgreens...holla!) =)

So tell me beauties...what are some of your favorite green nail polishes? Do you have many greens in your "stash"?

Happy Hump Day to ya!

M.

Nail Week! Cuticle Balms and Oils...

2010-03-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Rolling right along with Nail Week...let's discuss cuticle balms and oils!

I don't know about you but my cuticles tend to get VERY dry (especially in the winter). I am constantly lathering them with balm and oil to keep them moisturized. Here's a short list of my favorites!

1. Boots Cuticle Oil:

I love this stuff. Its light and smells like Rose oil. I also love the old-fashioned style bottle with the glass dropper so you can easily regulate how much you use. Just a drop on each nail is all that's needed really.

2. California Mango Mend Skin, Cuticle and Nail Balm:

This stuff smells like that hair "gel" Let's Jam that folks used to wear back in the day. LOL. Kinda like a sweet strawberry scent. I don't mind it for my cuticles and this stuff really gets the job done. I usually put this on my hands at night before bed (after my shower) and it really helps to keep my cuticles and hands smooth.

3. Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme:

Another favorite. What I love most about this is the fresh lemon scent and the non-greasy feel it leaves. After application it just feels like a soft, silky film on your hands and nails. It really helps with dryness and cracking around the nails. I'm a Burt's Bees fan. All natural too.

So tell me, beauties...what are some of your favorite go-to cuticle oils, cremes or balms?

Take care.

Nail Week! Lavender and Periwinkle Love...

2010-03-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

With Spring almost here I felt it was a good time to add some lavender pastels to my nail collection. I believe these two China Glaze polishes launched back in 2008 with the Operation Color Collection. I loved them when they launched but never purchased. I just recently grabbed them when I was hauling some polishes from 8ty8Beauty

Check them out!

To the left is Agent Lavender and to the right is Secret Periwinkle.

Check them out on me...

Agent Lavender

Secret Periwinkle

I'm pleased. They are both really pretty Spring-like colors and I can see myself rocking them well into the Summer.

What do you think? Do you own these? What are some of your favorite Lavender or Periwinkle nail polishes?

Have a great day, beauties!

M.

Nail Week! Bases and Strengtheners...

2010-03-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Alright let's talk nail bases and strengtheners. I must say this winter has been unkind to my nails. I was doing really GREAT for a good while and then mid-January hit and...let's just say me and my nails have been at odds ever since. And when my nails aren't acting right..I can be spiteful and neglect them on the polish tip too so I hadn't even really been wearing polish on my nails either (my bad).

On a recent trip to Mammoth Snow Mountain I pretty much lost every single nail I had. LOL. Wait...don't laugh. It was a combination of the harsh freezing temperatures, plus me lugging equipment and bags in a snowstorm and basically being "tough" on them. They pretty much all broke or split which meant I had to cut them down. I tend to keep my nails trimmed neat and not too long anyway. I have long nail beds so EXTRA long nails look crazy on my fingers. But this...saddened me. So I hit my stash to see what bases and strengtheners I had that worked well for me in the past. Here we go!

1. CND Toughen Up: This pretty much has been getting me through since that Mammoth debacle. I've been wearing this CONSISTENTLY since then with just a coat of clear on top. It has really helped speed up the "growth" process and strengthen my nails. My left hand is doing SUPERB...my right hand is chugging along nicely as well. Hey do you guys have one hand of nails that grows faster and longer than the other? I do. Its my left. I write with my left. I wonder if there's a connection....

2. Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier: This stuff is GREAT! Its almost like a salon-style gel overlay but really easy and do-it yourself at home. It instantly makes nails harder and protected while they grow out. Be careful though...this stuff is TOUGH. And to prove it, I can now no longer open my bottle. Sadness. I guess some got around the top when I closed it long time ago and now...that sucka will NOT open. I've tried dang near everything short of breaking the bottle. Any suggestions?

3. Sally Hansen Miracle Cure for Severe Problem Nails: I think the name pretty much says it all. And at times...my nails are a problem. LOL. This helps with peeling/splitting nails by strengthening them and sealing the layers of the nails to prevent that problem. Use as a base coat and reapply every few days. ;)

4. Orly Calcium Shield: Helps prevent breaking and chipping. This stuff is great as a base coat.

5. Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat: I reviewed this HERE some time ago. Nuff said. Luvs it! Turned lots of folks on to it and they love it as well. When my nails are in better shape this is pretty much my go-to base.

6. Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Fortifying Base and Top Coat: Infuses nails with vitamins and moisture. I've picked this up recently and have only used it once or twice but I got it for the vitamins AND moisture which my nails seem to be lacking in this weather. So I'll report back more later but so far so good. ;)

So ladies...what are some of you favorite nail bases and strengtheners? What has/hasn't worked for you?

Let a sista know!

=)
M.

Nail Week! Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

2010-03-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Beauties!

Happy Monday! It's time to kick-off Nail Week here at The Rouge...I'm super excited (although dragging a bit with this time change..arggh!) =)

On a recent trip to Walgreen's I scooped up two of the new Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure colors: Commander in Chic and Plum Luck.

So here's the cool thing about these polishes...it literally boasts 5 complete steps of a manicure in one polish:

-Base Coast, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Color & Top Coat

Umm...sign me up! Stat!

I must say that the colors are beautiful...I am deeply in love with the two colors I snagged and there are many more to choose from. The formula is great and the finish is high glossy shine (no additional topcoat needed here folks!).

So i'm basically loving everything about these EXCEPT...the brush. I meant to actually get a pic of the brush because the shape is kinda flat and tapered slant-wise. I felt like it hindered application for me. The flatness of the brush and then the uneven slant made getting an EVEN consistent application across the board...very difficult. I also noticed that the brush picks up LOADS of polish...after I got the hang of application I was able to coat 3 nails in a row without dipping back in the polish. And that was after I had dipped once AND wiped off excess. YOWSA! lol

First up....Commander in Chic (taupey-gray) =)

Next up...Plum Luck (deep purple plum) =)

Please excuse my nubby index finger...we've had some trying times these past few weeks. That is another topic for another post...which will be immediately following this one today. LOL. So stay tuned for that.

Anyway, I really appreciate this "one-stop" polish and definitely plan to add more to my collection soon. They will run you about $7.99 each at your local drugstore. Check them out!

Dupe Alert!
Okay so on the same trip to Walgreens...after I grabbed up my Commander in Chic...I noticed Rimmels Steel Gray which looked eerily similar and is also about $4 cheaper. So I scooped that one too basically because I feel like a girl can never have too many taupey-gray nailpolish colors. I mean...I'm just saying!

Check them out side by side...sisters. =)

Here's a quick snapshot of Rimmel Steel Gray....not bad at all. Although Commander in Chic looks a smidge lighter in the bottle photo above...its actually slightly darker and a little more gray and less taupey than Rimmel Steel Gray. They are both beautiful colors though and I'm happy to have them. *swoon*

So what do you think? Have you tried these? Do you plan to? If you've tried them...what do you think about that that brush??! O_O LOL

Have a great day, beauties!

Load it, Cock It, Aim and Shoot! Nail Week Is Coming....

2010-03-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

Spring is almost here and the newest additions to my nailpolish stash have alll arrived and they are ready for business! Which means next week will officially be Nail Week here at The Rouge! =)

We'll be talking all things nails from the best base and strengtheners to which quick dry top coats get the job done. There will be color swatches galore along with manicure tips, cuticle maintenance products, design tools and did I mention SWATCHES?!!

So stay tuned...and get ready. ;)

Have a great weekend!

M.

Product Love: New Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Fuchsia!

2010-03-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

Happy Friday! Let's all pop-lock and drop it......no? Just me? Allllrighty! Well I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed, non-stressful week anyway. =)

So, the other day I was on my girl Kia's site over at Yummy411 and she posted a look using Revlon's new ColorBurst lipstick in Fuchsia (check out the look she did. Dope!). I was literally....droooling over that color. No lie. So much so that I hit my local Walgreen's on the way home and grabbed it.

Here it is...bright, creamy...hot pink! (Don't be scurred ya'll)

I couldn't wait to try it on myself (ya'll know how much I dig a bright lippie!). Check it out on ya girl....

(Excuse the tired, bare-face...these were taken after a loooong day of work. Womp. lol)

I LOVE it! The pictures really don't do it justice...this one is BRIGHT. ALMOST as bright as my MAC Girl About Town that I posted HERE.

I actually muted this color a bit by applying MAC's Currant lipliner with it which is a dark beet color. Had I used MAC's Magenta pencil (which is what I usually use with Girl About Town), it probably would have popped more.

The formula on these ColorBurst lipsticks is great. Really smooth and creamy and I could have sworn it left a sugary sweet taste on my lips after it was gone (which wasn't bad...just caught me offguard). The staying power is great as well. I put it on when I got home, wore it around the house, cooked my dinner, ate and there was STILL some left after all that! Great.

So if you're interested in trying these, check your local drugstores or where ever Revlon products are sold. There are many colors to choose from and they will run you about $8.99 each.

Ciao, beauties!

M.

March Madness! 20% of at Cherry Culture

2010-03-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

You know how much I love me some Cherry Culture. Right now until Monday, March 15th they are offering 20% off all items.

Use code MMM2010 at checkout!

Happy Shopping!

I think I'm going to snag an NYX jumbo pencil in Milk to use as an eyeshadow base. I heard that thing gets it POPPIN'! Literally. ;)

M.

MAC Favorite Series! Natural Look....

2010-03-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

I'm back with another MAC Favorite Series full of some of the products I adore from the permanent line. This time, I want to show you guys my favorite/signature "neutral/natural" look using mostly MAC products from the permanent line.

This is a look that I would probably do every single day if I wore a "look" every single day (I really can't find the time in the morning). LOL. Its simple and easy to do and I love the MAC products used to achieve this. The key to a great natural look is really playing up and enhancing the natural features of your face. These MAC favorites of mine work wonderfully for brown beauties and are staples in my stash......here we go (another pic heavy post)!

First up...my Quite Natural paint pot...

I love this as a base to my natural shadows. Its a chocolate color that works well with my skintone and when blended...creates a nice smooth natural base.

Next...MAC Tete A Tint (left) and Brown Script (right) matte2 shadows...

These are my favorite shadows for creating an effortless natural eye. I love these colors...beautiful earth tones that complement my complexion well. I am a fan of matte shadows period but MAC's matte2 are some of the best out there. They are finely milled and blend really well.

Mineralize Skinfinish in Dark....

My go-to mineralize powder. Beautiful, lightweight finish. If you haven't tried these...PLEASE DO! They are great and give your skin an even flawless look.

Studio Finish Concealer in NW40...

I usually use this to conceal my dark undereye circles and also as a natural brow highlight. Its creamy and the coverage is great.

Sheertone Powder Blush in Peaches....

As you can see, I've hit pan on this one. I love it. Its a beautiful, VERY natural peach color. I recommend getting this if you are beginning with blush or are afraid of it. It will give you a nice, non-scary hint of color. I tend to go for Peaches when i'm pulling together any natural look and I don't want my cheeks to compete or stand out much but I want a little oomph.

A great nude lip...Cork l/l, Fresh Brew l/s with Mad Cap l/g

This combo creates a really pretty, brown-beauty flattering nude lip. These are all staples in my stash and great items to get from the permanent line. ;)

Okay now here's the look I usually do using all these products and a few others...check it out!

Okay here's the rundown of the look: *MAC unless otherwise stated*

Face:
-Monistat Chaffing Gel (face primer)
-MSF in Dark
-Studiofinish Concealer in NW40 (undereye)

Cheeks:
-Sheertone blush in Peaches

Eyes:
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance (eyeshadow primer)
-Quite Natural Paint Pot (e/s base)
-Tete-A-Tint shadow (lid)
-Brown Script shadow (crease)
-Cross-Cultural shadow (eyebrow fill)
-Studio finish concealer NW40 (brow highlight)
-Anastasia clear brow gel
-Feline kohl power (line lower lid)
-Stila smudge pot in black (line upper lid)
-L'oreal Voluminous mascara
-Fix+

Lips:
-Cork lipliner
-Fresh Brew lipstick
-Mad Cap lipglass

You can find all the products I highlighted above on MAC's website, any MAC counter or freestanding store.

Let me know what you think! What are some of your favorite MAC items for creating your "natural" look?

Have a great day!

M.

I Was Given the Sunshine Award! I'm Tagging 12 Bloggers....

2010-03-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

Long time, huh? I know, I know. Life gets busy at times but I shall always return! =)

I wanted to pop in real quick to let you know that I was recently given The Sunshine Award for blogs that inspire by two lovely ladies Kim of MakeupbyKimPorter and Khalia of GlamourandLove! Please take the time out to check their blogs because I'm sure you will find that they will inspire you as well. Thanks so much ladies!

I'm supposed to tag 12 blogs that inspire me, however, I truly have soooo many but let's see....

1. Soundtrack of My Life

2. Cuz I Said So

3. Yummy 411

4. FabDiva20
5. ThisThatBeauty
6. ClumpsofMascara
7. SilverLips Beauty
8. Addicted to All Things Pretty
9. The Groovy Black Chick
10. Pumps and Gloss
11. Coup de Coeur
12. So Many Words, So Little Time

These ladies all have great blogs that inspire me so I'm handing them the Sunshine Award as well!

I think you should all take the time to check them out when you have a moment. Thanks so much to all my readers who support me, comment and share love. Means the world....

Take care,

Milan

Product Review! Neutrogena's Intensive Moisture Wrap Body Treatment Lotion

2010-02-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties! Happy Friday!

As you can see, I'm back. =)

Today I'll be reviewing a body lotion my sister, Ieesha, sent me a message about last week. She told me it was a must try and suggested I review for the blog. Soooo...I did!

Read on to find out what I thought of this body treatment.....

The Claim:
"Neutrogena Intensive Moisture Wrap Body Treatment delivers clinical strength to relieve extremely dry skin, especially during the wintertime. This concentrated formula contains a unique glycerin-rich complex that instantly wraps skin in comforting moisture and penetrates to heal even the driest skin from both the inside and out. Intensely moisturizing, yet comfortable for daytime use." from neutrogena.com

The Truth:
Hands down this is my new holy grail body lotion. My sissy was right...I LOVE! I actually don't have extremely dry skin...so if your skin is rather "normal", I'm sure you will still find this is for you! I LOVE that it's light but REALLY gets the job done. My skin felt soft, moisturized and silky afterwards. A little goes a LONG way and with this, you're not wasting minute after minute of your time rubbing it in. It blends like a dream without much effort. The after-feel is not greasy AT ALL but smooth and hydrated. =)

Pros:

Moisturizes like a dream
Non-greasy
Fragrance or fragrance-free versions
Light
Blends into skin well (without much effort)
Keeps skin moisturized throughout the day
Leaves skin feeling smooth and silky
Clinical strength
Dermatologist recommended

Cons:

As drugstore lotions/body moisturizers go its a little on the expensive side ($10.99) for a 10.5 fl oz bottle.

Recommendation: Before trying this I didn't really have a "staple" body lotion. I rotated between various brands depending on what was on sale, what gave me the most bang for my buck and what would keep me "non-ashy". LOL. But now I can say I have a staple! I'll be buying this over and over again. Anytime I can get smooth, moisturized skin without all the fuss and hassle of a thick, creamy lotion AND I don't feel greasy after? I'm sold. Try it, beauties! ;)

Overall Score: 4.75 out of 5

You can find this at your local CVS or any major drugstore that sells Neutrogena products.

Have a great weekend!

M.

Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer WINNER!

2010-02-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

As promised I am dropping in to announce the winner of the Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer. Drumroll please.............

Congratulations to Carol (cdziuba)!

Please check your email for further details and information. =)

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway. Stay tuned for more fabulous giveaways in the future. I have much more to share with you. ;)

M.

Don't Forget to Enter the Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer Giveaway!

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Beauties!

Just checking in real quick to remind you that the Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer Giveaway is ending soon!! Don't miss out!

You have until midnight on Wednesday, Feb. 17th (PST) to enter to win!

You can view the details and enter the giveaway HERE.

Ciao!

M.