Thursday, October 25, 2012

NOTD: Revlon 'Hazy' Nail Polish

Here is my first 'NOTD' or 'Nail of the Day'. Today I am wearing Revlon's 'Hazy' nail polish from their Top Speed line.



With Flash

I used Orly's Calcium Shield as a base which is amazing for preventing nail polish staining on your nails. As for a top coat, I used Seche Vite which I believe can be purchased at Sephora but I am not completely sure. Anyhow, I love Seche Vite because it gives almost a gel-like finish and adds beautiful shine to my nails.


Natural Lighting

 'Hazy' is a cream-finish heather grey- simple and chic. I love this color for the autumn because it is exceptionally easy to match clothes with and compliments all skin tones- whether your summer tan has faded or you are still rocking a bronze glow.



Hope you enjoyed this short and sweet post and stay tuned for more!
Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

MAC Love Thing Blush Review + Swatches


Today I am going to be doing a review on my all-time favorite autumn blush: MAC Mineralized blush in Love Thing.


Love Thing is a classic raspberry shade with golden shimmer. Especially during autumn when the climate is dryer, this blush provides a slight sheen to your cheeks that gives the illusion of dewier, glowing skin. This blush has extremely good pigmentation, which is a positive and a negative. The good thing about this is that it will last you a life time, but the bad thing is that you have to be super duper careful with it.

Left to Right: Blended with Real Techniques blush brush, heavy swatch

MAC blushes generally are long-wearing, and I am happy to say this is not an exception. The texture is very smooth and applies very evenly. My favorite brush to apply this with is the Real Techniques by Sarah Chapman blush brush from their travel kit.


*Blush Application Tip: Applying blush from your cheekbone and diagonally upwards towards you hairline not only gives the illusion of a slimmer and lifted face, but is a great way to compliment your bronzer.

This blush retails for USD $23.50 or HKD $195 and can be purchased at all MAC counters and/or stores. I highly recommend this blush and am surprised it is not one of MAC's best-sellers.

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox





Tuesday, October 23, 2012

NYC Sunny Bronzer Review + Swatches


Today I am going to be doing a review on the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny. This bronzer has been a very popular product for the passed couple of months. So when I went back to the US in the beginning of October and saw it on the countless shelves of heavenly drugstore makeup, I had to submit to the hype.


This bronzer has a matte finish, which I have always preferred for face products. It is also a shade that is close to perfect for my skin color( My MAC MSF shade is Medium Dark). In other words, those who have medium skin tones, this bronzer is great for a natural sculpted look. For more fair skin tones, this may be slightly dark but you could always use a lighter hand when using it.


The pigmentation of this bronzer is not the best, but definitely great for its' price. The texture of it is quite smooth, but not as smooth and silky as my beloved Hoola bronzer from Benefit. However, it could be very well compared to some department store bronzers. The formulation, on the other hand, is chalky by the tiniest bit, but the chalkiness is barely noticeable once applied on your face. Sunny's wear is amazing and stays in for 8 hours through and through each hectic school day I wear it. It will fade a little, but it is still visible.



This bronzer retails for USD $3 and can be purchased in drugstores such as Walmart and CVS. Overall, this is a great bronzer and I would recommend this product to anyone who is on a tight budget or is on the hunt for an inexpensive bronzer that is 'high-end-worthy'.

Thank you for your time!




Arielle xox

Monday, October 15, 2012

NYX Milan Round Lipstick Swatch + Review!

          Today I am going to be reviewing my favorite lipstick! This lipstick is from NYX and it is one of their round lipsticks in the shade Milan.
             
                     



                              
                                                           Swatch in natural lighting.



Milan on the lips in natural lighting.


            The color, pigmentation, and overall formulation of this lipstick is utterly to die for. This is my perfect everyday lipstick shade because it is like a 'my lips but better' shade. It has a little bit of a berry-mauve hint to it too which makes it extra lovely for autumn. The pigmentation is wonderful and it applies very creamily and has a glorious sheen to it too. This lipstick shade is amazing for everyday use and suitable for, actually, all seasons.

  In addition, the packaging is simple and easy with a label of the color on the top of the cap. 


        
         As for wear, it is not the best, lasting only up to 2-3 hours before fading. This I believe is due to the super moisturizing and creamy formula. But even so, it will leave a stained effect on your lips. Anyways, this is one of the only lipsticks that do not dry my extremely sensitive lips out. Thus, I would rather have to reapply a really moisturizing lipstick a few times a day rather than have a lipstick that dries and cracks my lips. 


             These lipsticks retail for $4 and can be purchased at ULTA or NYX Cosmetics' online website. Overall, I highly recommend these lipsticks to anyone who is on the hunt for an affordable and moisturizing lipstick line with an endless range of colors.

Thank you for your time!

Arielle xox