Hong Kong Essentials

Now, I know many of you may not be traveling to Hong Kong in the near future, but I wanted to show you the staples of my makeup bag while I was there. Hong Kong's weather is very much like the southern United States in the summer---hot and very humid (think 85 degrees F and up, and up to 90% humidity daily). In fact, the weather is like any tropical region as well-- including Hawaii, so if you are hitting up a humid spot this summer, this just might come in handy!

Above are the very bare bones of what I brought ( I brought more, but these were the workhorses) mixed in with some of my kitschy finds!

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin ($18): I received this free with an Ulta order (you can pretty much get this free at Ulta all the time) and a few spritzes made my hair look awesome, even with the crappy hotel blow dryer and the crazy humidity.

2. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Apricot ($4.99): This perfect peachy color and thin tube meant I could stick this in a pocket and I never looked overdone during the daytime of crazy touristy things!

3. Benefit Gimme Brown in Light/Medium ($22): A no fuss tinted brow gel that kept me polished for nice dinners out but never smudged or ran, even when I was 'glistening'.

4. bareMinerals Ready blush in The French Kiss ($22): Great staying power and a universally flattering color!

5. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream ($35): A larger review of this will be up soon, but this kept me looking gorgeous (and people complimented my skin) even when it started pouring with monsoon-status rains.

6. NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner ($5.99): Has officially made holy grail status as a black liner for me, especially since it withstood extreme humidity for up to 15 hours straight.

7. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Grapefruit ($7.50): With SPF 25 and a cheery scent, it wasn't so hard to perk up from the jet lag with this.

8. NYX Matte Blotting Paper ($3.99): Blotting papers are a must in weather like Hong Kong's, and these are my favorite!

What are your favorite hot and humid weather products?
Oh, and more photos!

Above is my favorite pastel-colored building, the Stanley beach, and the entire city at night from the tallest point!

Ipsy March 2014 Glam Bag: Destination Beauty

It is the middle of the month and that means it is  'Ipsy Glam Bag Review Time'!

March's theme is 'Destination Beauty' and the bag came with 4 deluxe and full-sized products for $10, as always. Some people were hardcore complaining that we only got 4 products instead of 5, but this was one of the best bags yet! No complaints here! What I got: Deluxe sample of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in the shade Get Ready ($8): Pretty rose color, lovely vanilla smell, feels great on lips. Full-sized NYX 'Love in Rio' eyeshadow trio in 'Bikini Bottom' ($6): A neutral trio, light color pay-off but very wearable colors. Deluxe sample of Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer ($9): A new product from Pixi. Glowy and has Vitamins A, E, & C. Full-sized Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue ($24): Water-proof and paraben free stunning blue felt tip liner! Total value: $47!!
And lets not forget the gorgeous bag! The print was done by artist Klari Reis!

Above are some swatches. 'Get Ready' is gorgeous and pigmented, and the Indigo Blue liner is so precise! The Flawless Beauty Primer has a hint of color, but it is negligible on the skin and face and just creates a dewy look. 'Bikini Bottom' makes me smile, just because of the name (calling my fellow Spongebob fans!) but the pink and beige give little payoff. They are great blending colors though!

Here is a pan shot of Love in Rio 'Bikini Bottom'. Excuse the cuticle line on my mani...its being going strong for over a week (Color is A-England 'Jane Eyre' if you were curious).

And here are the tips of the blue liner and the lipstick. Overall I am so happy with this month's Ipsy bag. A great value and items I will use!

And so...because the second I received the bag and saw the shade of the moxie lipstick was 'Get Ready'...I haven't been able to get this song out of my head...

The Temptations 'Get Ready' covered by one of my favorite bands, Molotov Jukebox. Enjoy! I can already feel summer...its 90 degrees here!
And if you are looking to join Ipsy....click here!

The Fair Foundation Files: Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Dim the Lights

Hey Pandas!
"The Fair Foundation Files" will be a mini-series going on in the next few weeks because I have recently picked up a handful of foundations specifically for my fair skin and skin needs. I know this won't be the most helpful for all my readers because not everyone has this skin tone and I am aware of that, but I also know for many it can be a problem to find a very light foundation shade. At the very least, I hope my comments on the formula of the foundations are helpful, and you can choose your own shade.
See my first post to learn more about my skin and needs/wants!

There has been some buzz about this new foundation that just launched from the bareMinerals line Buxom. I recently got a sample of this and was eager to try it out.
This is Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation in the shade Dim the Lights.

• This boasts light to medium coverage and broad spectrum SPF 30.
• Dim the Lights is described as a "warm yellow shade for light skin tones"
• Honestly, the fairest shade Fair Game would probably suit me better, but samples only came in a few shades. I have neutral undertones but this was still a decent match.
• The price is $34 and this is formulated with tamarind, Vitamin C, and marine algae extracts to give skin 8 hours of moisturized wear.

As you can see, it pulls a bit yellow on my skin. bareMinerals suggests using only a pearl size amount, like what you see above, but I used about 7 times that to see any coverage.

The dewy, slightly yellow patch in the picture above is the foundation blended into my skin. This is a dewy finish formula.

This is about a third of my tiny sample tube on my face, and I was still a bit red on my nose and it did not cover my acne on my chin. 

But I can't complain much, as it is specifically stated this gives light to medium coverage. Emphasis on LIGHT. It was easy breezy to wear, didn't oxidize, lasted about 7 hours, so overall, pretty close to the claim, and moisturized my skin. My chin and nose got a bit oily throughout the day, but blotting or powder takes care of that.

Likes: 

• The SPF!
• I love the Buxom/bareMinerals brand and trust it won't break me out (and it didn't)
• The added moisture
• The dewy glow

Dislikes: 

• I still felt uncomfortable with the coverage
• Felt it was a bit too yellow on my skin

Overall: I like this to an awesome tinted moisturizer with SPF, not really a foundation. Maybe almost like a U.S. CC Cream for me. Not much coverage but great skincare benefits, moisture, and a dewy glow. This will be a nice foundation for the weekends, but it is a bit too much moisture and not enough coverage for school and work. But if you have dehydrated skin and not many blemishes, give this a go!

The Fair Foundation Files: bareMinerals Original in Fair

Hey Pandas!
"The Fair Foundation Files" will be a mini-series going on in the next few weeks because I have recently picked up a handful of foundations specifically for my fair skin and skin needs. I know this won't be the most helpful for all my readers because not everyone has this skin tone and I am aware of that, but I also know for many it can be a problem to find a very light foundation shade. At the very least, I hope my comments on the formula of the foundations are helpful, and you can choose your own shade.
Let me preface this series by describing my skin and my needs.
My Skin: 

• Used to be very oily, but now is only oily mid-day on my t-zone. Cheeks, chin, forehead are very dry. 
• I have fairly sensitive skin (sensitive to lots of fragrance) and my pores clog easily.
• I suffer from monthly breakouts but am currently dealing with some minor acne scarring on my cheeks.
• My skin is very very fair. It used to be darker, with yellower undertones, but I have found lately that my undertones are more neutral.

My Needs/Wants:

• I want medium to full coverage foundation.
• I want a foundation that won't break me out.
• It needs to last through my hectic days.
• It should have SPF.
• It needs to not oxidize.
• It needs to be a very close match to my coloring.

Now that we have that out of the way, I want to introduce you to the first contender: bareMinerals Original SPF 15 in Fair.
I used to wear Fairly Light not long ago, but recently found it a bit too yellow for my skin. I have used all versions of bareMinerals (original, matte, and pressed). I decided to try the original formula again because the matte broke me out and the pressed did the same thing but was $2 more.
This foundation is $27 and comes with .28oz of product (I apply A LOT for full coverage, so it lasts me about 2 1/2 months). It also has an SPF 15 which is an added benefit and is good for the skin.
Active Ingredients: Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.6%, Zinc Oxide 21%. Inactive Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, Iron Oxides, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide.

Fair is the lightest shade offered and is very, very light with slight pinkish undertones. This is touted to last 8 hours.

I like the newer sliding lid so you can twist it to cover the sifting holes and save from spills. If you are familiar with bareMinerals at all, the typical way to apply is to dip a face brush in the minerals, swirl in the cap, tap the excess off, and buff onto face.

But since I want full coverage, I dip a kabuki brush directly into the minerals and then buff on my face. This gives fully coverage and in my opinion, is less wasteful of product if you were to tap off the excess.

This is a swatch on my hand, and as you can see, it is a few shades lighter than my skin tone here. It has a luminous finish and is incredibly forgiving and buildable.

Please forgive this picture--- but I am ONLY wearing bareMinerals foundation in Fair. No eyebrows, no mascara, no lippies, no concealer except for bringing the powder up under my eyes. Hopefully you can get a feel for how this covers and my skin tone.

I feel this is a nice match for my skin tone, even though it is the lightest foundation I own. Definitely looks better on my than Fairly Light, but is a smidge too pinky.

Likes:

• Is breathable and I know it won't irritate my skin.
• Fragrance free.
• Easy and quick to apply- very forgiving.
• Gives skin a dewy glow.

Dislikes:

• A bit too fair/pinky
• Lasts only about 6 hours, not 8, before it starts to fade.
• Powder is hard to mix with cream blushes, etc.
• Does not cover my acne scars fully.

I'm torn on this, but overall, I would suggest it for someone with very good skin already and who wants to keep it that way. This foundation is my old standby and I know it won't disappoint. Be prepared to blot midday, even if you have drier skin like mine. I have definitely found my weekend foundation for when i want a low-maintenance look--but it didn't quite hit all my criteria.

Join me next time for more on my foundation search!

I Want To Look Like: Narcissa Malfoy

Hey everyone!I honestly couldn't be more excited for this post. It is going to be a long one, and picture heavy, but hopefully really fun! The 'I Want To Look Like' series will be ongoing, and is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I will be getting inspiration from characters in movies/tv shows/actors/ads/etc, and of course...any suggestions you have! Each post will include the original look, and a look modified for daytime wear. I will also include all the products used, and there will be posts on my two other blogs, Miss Molotov and Impressionist Nails to help round out the look.Let's get started!

For my inaugural post, I chose Narcissa Malfoy. Being a huge Harry Potter fan (and nerd in general), she is someone I have always loved. Her style progresses throughout the films (sadly mentioned next to no times in the books), from very classic and stuffy to darker and more natural. These looks aren't a complete copy of her makeup, but are inspired by her.

I also had a ton of fun with photoshop and being a geek with this in general. It was fun trying to get that 'Malfoy' attitude while posing. I don't have half-blonde hair though, but we will have to make do. And Helen McCrory is flawless.Both of my looks started with the same base products:

1: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: Used as a base/primer on eyes.

2. Clinique Even Better Foundation in Alabastor: My base of choice right now.

3. Cocoa Star Too Faced Shadow from the Natural at Night Palette: Used to fill in brows. Heavy in the first look and lighter in the secocnd.

4. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair: Under eye

5. NYX Liquid Black Liner: A larger wing on the first look, and simpler on the second.

6. Benefit They're Real Mascara

Here is the first look---full on Narcissa glam.

For the full look, I used the products below:

1. bareMinerals loose shadow in Treasured Terri: Foiled and used on whole eye.

2. NYX single eye shadow in Exotic Green: used in crease

3. Mally Ever Color Automatic Eyeliner in Fierce Forest: used on bottom lash line.

4. Essence Renesmee Red blush: No longer available, but any red blush will do.

5. Essence Bella's Secret: for highlight.

6. NYX Retractable Waterproof liner in Red: line lips

7. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb: Fill in lips with the perfect Narcissa-red.

8. bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie gloss in Game Changer: a dab on the middle of the lower lip.

This look was so fun to do, but now, let's lighten it up for everyday wear!

For the softer version, I used the following products:

1. Clinique All About Shadow Quad in On Safari: used the cream as highlight, olive on the whole lid, and forest green on the crease.

2. Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino: a little on the cheeks gives a strong blush and highlight.

3. Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Ultra Green: on lower lash line.

4. NYX Butter Lip Balm in Red Velvet.

I had fun playing with all of my green shadows, and a ton of fun doing this in general!

For Narcissa inspired nail polishes...click HERE.

For Malfoy-worthy accessories...click HERE.

Hope you enjoyed! If you have someone you would like me to do a feature on for the next volume of "I Want To Look Like..." tell me in the comments!

xx

I Want To Look Like: Narcissa Malfoy

Hey everyone! I honestly couldn't be more excited for this post. It is going to be a long one, and picture heavy, but hopefully really fun! The 'I Want To Look Like' series will be ongoing, and is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I will be getting inspiration from characters in movies/tv shows/actors/ads/etc, and of course...any suggestions you have! Each post will include the original look, and a look modified for daytime wear. I will also include all the products used, and there will be posts on my two other blogs, Miss Molotov and Impressionist Nails to help round out the look. Let's get started!

For my inaugural post, I chose Narcissa Malfoy. Being a huge Harry Potter fan (and nerd in general), she is someone I have always loved. Her style progresses throughout the films (sadly mentioned next to no times in the books), from very classic and stuffy to darker and more natural. These looks aren't a complete copy of her makeup, but are inspired by her.

I also had a ton of fun with photoshop and being a geek with this in general. It was fun trying to get that 'Malfoy' attitude while posing. I don't have half-blonde hair though, but we will have to make do. And Helen McCrory is flawless. Both of my looks started with the same base products:

1: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: Used as a base/primer on eyes.

2. Clinique Even Better Foundation in Alabastor: My base of choice right now.

3. Cocoa Star Too Faced Shadow from the Natural at Night Palette: Used to fill in brows. Heavy in the first look and lighter in the secocnd.

4. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair: Under eye

5. NYX Liquid Black Liner: A larger wing on the first look, and simpler on the second.

6. Benefit They're Real Mascara

Here is the first look---full on Narcissa glam.

For the full look, I used the products below:

1. bareMinerals loose shadow in Treasured Terri: Foiled and used on whole eye.

2. NYX single eye shadow in Exotic Green: used in crease

3. Mally Ever Color Automatic Eyeliner in Fierce Forest: used on bottom lash line.

4. Essence Renesmee Red blush: No longer available, but any red blush will do.

5. Essence Bella's Secret: for highlight.

6. NYX Retractable Waterproof liner in Red: line lips

7. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb: Fill in lips with the perfect Narcissa-red.

8. bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie gloss in Game Changer: a dab on the middle of the lower lip.

This look was so fun to do, but now, let's lighten it up for everyday wear!

For the softer version, I used the following products:

1. Clinique All About Shadow Quad in On Safari: used the cream as highlight, olive on the whole lid, and forest green on the crease.

2. Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino: a little on the cheeks gives a strong blush and highlight.

3. Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Ultra Green: on lower lash line.

4. NYX Butter Lip Balm in Red Velvet.

I had fun playing with all of my green shadows, and a ton of fun doing this in general!

For Narcissa inspired nail polishes...click HERE.

For Malfoy-worthy accessories...click HERE.

Hope you enjoyed! If you have someone you would like me to do a feature on for the next volume of "I Want To Look Like..." tell me in the comments!

xx

bareMinerals Glamour Now

Let me preface this by saying that parts of this kit aren't available...but I love this set so much, that I want to introduce you to some of these products if you haven't tried them before!the bareMinerals Glamour Now set is a gorgeous kit that retailed for $61 and a new iteration of this will be available on QVC in the coming months (with different colors).

I love the rose gold packaging, which is so in right now...but the products really steal the show here.First off...I can't rave enough about the Marvelous Moxie formula lip gloss. They taste like Andes mints! If you do not know what those are...please find them and eat a whole bag, okay?Plus, the staying power is amazing. Dazzler, included in this set, is not currently available, but Party Starter is a really close alternative!

This is a sheer peach with lots of sparkle; it doesn't come off as immature, but rather plumps up lips. 

I love the bareMinerals Ready 4.0 palettes, and the one included here is called The Main Event.

Celebrate is a matte cream, but not much pigmentation.

Ball Gown is a pretty rose gold and is super buttery.

Cheers is a gilded grey with a bit of olive. Really unique!

Stiletto is a show stopper. A shimmery reddened plum.

There was also a really cool double-sided liner with a brown pencil and a black felt tip, called Smoke and Define, which makes lining your eyes really easy. I hope this comes out as part of the permanent line!

A full size Lash Domination was also included. I have not previously tried this. The brush is almost helix-like and very big. The formula is very black, but to me, its just an average mascara.

There are three face colors in this set, which I loved. One is a Ready Luminizer called The Magic Moment, which is very close in color to the Ready Luminizer Duo bareMinerals has in their permanent line.

I love this rose gold color and the luminosity of it! Totally in love!

The other two face colors are the loose powder formula bareMinerals became famous for.

Brightening Pearl is a Mineral Veil and Glamour is a traditional blush. Both are very pretty. I love the highlighting Mineral Veil and the staying power of the blushes...these colors aren't available but I highly recommend the formula. They are just sheer enough so you never look overdone.

I used to be a full-fledged bareMinerals girl but then I got bored and moved onto other things. With kits like these, the brand has recaptured my attention!

Here's a look I created with everything in the kit!

My recommendations? Pick up a Ready 4.0 shadow palette, they are all so pretty! And definitely pick yourself up a Marvelous Moxie gloss!