NATURACTOR FOUNDATION

NATURACTOR FOUNDATION 

It is important to note that there are some people who commented that this foundation tend to cake on them. I noticed that the only part of my face where it tends to be cakey is on my undereyes circles. Why? Because I have serious case of wrinkles there. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. 

I noticed that whenever I over-apply this product on my undereye circles, it tends to be cakey. Nevertheless, it works very well on the rest of my face. Trust me, I tried using this with my fingers, wet sponge or flat foundation, but this foundation still manage to give me the most beautiful and natural looking foundation finish.

For those who are having trouble preventing this foundation from caking, one advice I could give you is to prep your skin well. I used to have a really bad skin and any foundation tend to appear cakey on my skin. The key is to focus on skin care. Use moisturizer every day. I never skipped moisturizer. I always make sure to moisturize my face before putting any kind of makeup. 

If you’re suffering from bad skin and you notice that most foundation cakes on you. Better start using moisturizer and/or primer as base. This will create a barrier between your skin and your makeup. Also, this will help your foundation glides smoothly on your skin.

Choosing the right shade of foundation will also help any foundation appear more natural than mask-like makeup. This can be tricky at first. You can always research your shades thru google. Again, if you’re NC30 in Mac, choose shade 151 in Naturactor. Never hesitate to ask the seller your shades.

Bottomline: The texture is Heavenly! The texture is very creamy and it goes smoothly on face. It feels light on skin and yet provides a good amount of coverage. It has creme to powder finish.  

QUICK TIP: This is best applied using your fingers because the heat of your fingers will help the product to warm up a little for easy blending. Also, I noticed that the product adhere more on my skin if I applied this with a wet sponge. I also tested this out using a flat foundation brush and it works amazingly too. Use whatever works for you.

Most natural looking: Using fingers
For more coverage: use wet sponge or flat foundation brush. Make sure to dab the product well on your skin. Do not use too much layer on your entire face. 

For more questions: Go to naturactorfoundation.com.

ELF Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows

ELF Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows

Hey everyone!

Hope you're having a good day! This morning on Beauty Broadcast Live I mentioned these eyeshadows from ELF, but the webcam never does swatches justice- so I wanted to blog about them so you can really see what I'm talking about! :) These "Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows" are part of ELF's studio line, and cost $3 apiece on ELF's website. There are a total of 7 shades available. They have a very unusual texture- which the website describes as "whipped gel". The product feels very lightweight- almost spongy to the touch. Texture-wise, they kind of remind me of Maybelline's Dream Bouncy blushes only a little lighter & more like a mousse.  

The shades I have are Soiree (a pinky-mauve), Gala (shimmery brown), and Party (black with silver sparkle).  

Here are the swatches for Soiree, Gala, and Party. As you can see, these are really sparkly products, and they swatch with the full color you'd expect from a cream product. Normally I'd use a cream product as a base for a powder, but these shades have such a dazzling sparkle, I actually prefer to use them to top off different looks. I just tap my finger into the product and it leaves a very pretty effect on the center of the lids. While I very much agree with the word "Lustrous" in the name of this product, the "Long-lasting" claim is pretty questionable. I don't have any problem with the staying power when I lightly tap these onto an existing eye-look (keep in mind, I'm not using LOTS of product with that method), but I do experience creasing if I wear them alone. They don't set to be completely smudge-free, and I feel like the glitter can easily transfer upon contact. 

Bottom Line- if you're looking for a pretty way to top off a special occasion look, these are gorgeous! If you plan to use them alone, you may notice some fading, creasing, or glitter transfer. They're not as long wearing as other cream shadows like Maybelline Color Tattoos, or Milani & Jordana shadow sticks. If you look at these as an employee in the office... these shadows aren't the workhorse of the group, but they will hang out and look pretty!  

Watch Emily on QVC's Behind the Beauty!

Watch Emily on QVC's Behind the Beauty!

I'm am SO EXCITED to tell you about an incredible project I'm taking part in later this week! If you're a fan of beauty, chances are you've heard about QVC's annual Customer Choice Beauty Awards. Well... I'm going to have a role in the awards show this year! I'll be appearing on air and online throughout the show-- keep reading for the details! 

♥

Here's the low-down: Thursday night from 9pm to midnight Eastern, you can tune-in to the beauty awards on QVC-- but this year QVC is trying something new in addition to the live awards on tv... they're doing a webcast throughout the show called "Behind the Beauty", and I'll be hosting it! I'll be sitting down with the award winners (some of the biggest names in beauty!) after their presentations to talk about their inspirations, new projects, and all sorts of things! I want to dig deep and find out more about the people heading up the world's biggest beauty brands- this is going to be SO FUN! I would LOVE to have your input-- what kinds of questions should I ask the beauty award winners? Let me know in the comments section! You'll also be able to tweet your questions throughout the show! :) 

Here's the schedule for Thursday night:

• 9pm EST: Customer Choice Beauty Awards Begins on QVC - I'll also be on QVC (on TV) at this time, introducing Behind the Beauty!
• 9:30 to 11:30pm EST: Behind the Beauty webcast! I'll spend 2 full hours (LIVE) with the leaders in the beauty industry! Check QVC.com at this time for the link to the webcast! If I get a specific link sometime this week, I'll insert it here. 
• Midnight EST: I'll be back on QVC (on TV) at the end of the beauty awards to wrap up with the host! 

 Here's a pic from my first visit to QVC when we shot the Fall into Beauty videos! Can't wait to go back for the Customer Choice Beauty Awards, which I typically watch every year at home on the couch! :) Now I'll actually be in QVC's studio chatting with the people I've watched for years! Unbelievable. Can you tell I'm excited?! Any tips to keep me from being too star-struck? I hope you'll tune in for the on-air show to see who wins the awards, as well as the webcast for the inside scoop! :) It's going to be an unforgettable night! 

♥

One more thing: 

Just thought I should pass this along- in case you're interested in owning EVERY WINNING PRODUCT from each of the 37 categories in the Customer Choice Beauty Awards! QVC is hosting a sweepstakes called Pin It Pretty where one lucky winner will get that incredible prize. I know there are a lot of Pinterest ladies out there! Click here for all the details on how to enter (it's super easy) and GOOD LUCK! :) 

Wet n Wild "In The Spotlight" Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes

Wet n Wild "In The Spotlight" Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a good weekend! It seems like every time I turn around, I'm talking about a new limited edition collection from Wet n Wild! The company recently sent me the "In the Spotlight" holiday collection of Color Icon eyeshadow palettes known as Eyeshadow Medleys. I haven't seen these out in my area drugstores yet, but I wanted to go ahead and share this post with you, so you can know what to expect! 

This is what the in-store display looks like. Each palette is $4.99- the same price as the regular Color Icon 8-pan palettes. Like those palettes, these include a dual-ended applicator with a sponge tip and brush, and they do contain 8 different colors. There are three distinct finishes in each of these palettes... the top shadows are super frosty, the middle section ranges from a pearly to satin finish, and the bottom shades are matte. While the matte shades in all of these palettes seem consistent with the quality of the matte shadows in the regular Color Icon line, the other shades seem a bit more hit & miss. I'll sort it out for you in the pictures below (and you can enlarge any of these pictures to get a closer look!) Also, these swatches were done without using a primer. 

A Great Glistener

This palettes combines neutrals and blues in several different finishes. While the top shades give off a lot of sparkle and shimmer- very little color actually shows up. They become more buildable and vibrant when used on top of a primer or base, but alone they are just kind of all over the place and flakey. The middle section includes several shades that have a little bit of shimmer- but aren't overly metallic. The blues look so much alike- one is just slightly deeper than the other- and then you have a mid-toned bronzy brown. I love the inclusion of a matte black and brown at the bottom- wonderful basics, and they are so richly pigmented! Overall, it's probably the most neutral kit of the three. 

No Neutral Ground

Quite a bit of color variety in this palette! The top row of shimmery shades has better color payoff than the first palette. With all of these palettes, I feel like the middle row of shades pretty good, but not AMAZING and soft/buttery like the regular Color Icon palettes. The purple is a bit sheer, but I do enjoy the gold and green. And the deep brown and forest green matte shadows at the bottom are great. Just for the overall color variety and quality of the shadows- this is my pick of the three! I'm going to have fun creating some green looks with this.  

Lights, Camera, Attraction

If those top three shadows aren't cotton candy colors, I don't know what is! They're really shimmery/powdery and much like the shimmers in the "A Great Glistener" palette, the color doesn't pop much. As I've said, a primer will help the situation, but even then, it's kind of hard to distinguish the different colors. In the middle row, the blue is nice, but I was pretty disappointed by the pink and especially the purple. So very sheer compared to the Wet n Wild shadows I'm used to. And once again, the matte shadows are nice! You're getting a deep blue and a deep blue-ish purple color.

♥

So if you've read the whole post, you can pretty much see where I stand with these! I don't think they're must haves, and if I were to rank them in order of favorites, I'd say No Neutral Ground is the best, followed by A Great Glistener and then Lights, Camera, Attraction. I truly think No Neutral Ground is pretty and a fun collection of colors. I will say- I've made VERY cheap shadows work in the past by layering them on top of primers/bases-- it really makes a difference. But I'm holding these to the standard of Wet n Wild's regular line of shadows- so that's where my critique is coming from. I feel like whenever Wet n Wild comes out with new shadows I compare them to what I know and love! Have you seen or tried these palettes yet? What did you think about them? 

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

What's up everyone?

I wanted to do one of those fun beauty blog tags, and ran across the Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag on Beautyholics Anonymous (what a great name for a blog, right?)... I thought it sounded pretty entertaining! I also thought I looked like a major procrastinator in the pic above, so I figured that needed to be included. Here are my answers (along with some visual aids), and if you're a beauty blogger, I encourage you to do this tag on your own blog! 

♥

1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?
See how my buddy Kalee is blow-drying her hair? I hardly ever do that! I really dislike blow-drying my hair, and I've actually arranged my lifestyle so I don't have to do it often. I almost always wash my hair at night, put my hair in one of my half-dozen Turbie Twists so it can start absorbing a lot of the moisture, and then take it off and let my hair air-dry the rest of the way overnight. The next morning, if the hair is damp or if there are any kinks I need to work out before styling, I'll hit it with the blow dryer for maybe 30 seconds (max)- and then I'm good. Maybe it's because I have long hair, maybe it's because I don't own a super awesome blow dryer... but I try to avoid the task if at all possible. And Lord knows I'm not bringing out a round brush to further complicate the situation!

Jewel-Toned Eyeshadows for Fall!

Jewel-Toned Eyeshadows for Fall!

Hello friends!

This time of year I love working jewel-tones into my eye looks. I think it's a way to incorporate color that's deep and rich, not necessarily over-the-top and wild. I looked through my collection for some of the palettes that I thought did a nice job of working-in beautiful tones like amethyst, sapphire, ruby, emerald, amber... and the list goes on! So here are the palettes and swatches, and keep in mind- you can click the pictures to enlarge them. 

Sonia Kashuk Jewel of an Eye - Eye Couture Shadow Palette ($19.99, Target)

Sonia Kashuk has some great 12-color eye palettes, and this limited edition Jewel of an Eye kit is no exception! Big thanks to my girl KristinGehm for sending this to me! I think SK does an awesome job with her shimmery shadows. Not that I don't like Eye on Neutral matte, but I think the buttery feel of this palette and Eye on Neutral shimmer is above and beyond a LOT of the shadows out there (drugstore and high end!) I especially love the purples and coppery/red shades in this palette, but I think all of the colors have equally nice texture. It doesn't take a lot to get the intensity you want on your eyes, and they're so easy to blend. I know it's a fall release, but shades like this can really be beautiful year-round! One small complaint is that there's no light neutral shade that's light enough to be used as a highlight on my skin. And of course, if you want any matte shades, you'll have to bring in something else. 

Maybelline Eye Studio Autumn Dream Quad ($7, Drug/Discount Stores)

LOVE this quad! In fact, I have a tutorial coming this Friday that I'm SO excited about using this! I realize it's limited edition so it may be hard to come by, but if you can round-up some similar shades, you can totally get the look. Anyway- I love the color combos in here. The purple is SO gorgeous, as well as the jade green. The navy doesn't show up super blue on my eyes, but it's great to have that deep color to create shadows/contrast. I find the lightest shade to be extremely shimmery, but it's fun to layer with the other colors to achieve different looks. There's nothing matte in this quad, but in my tutorial you'll see how I use this (and only this) to create a pretty fun look! 

Cover Girl Queen Collection Quad in Brass n Sass ($5, Drug/Discount Stores)

If your drugstore has the Cover Girl Queen collection and you haven't tried the eyeshadows... what are you waiting for?! It doesn't matter what your skin tone is- these shadows have very impressive pigmentation (thanks to my friend David for giving me the heads up on that!) The deep blue is just stunning and the bit of shimmer really makes the color pop. The other shades have more of a satin finish. They're all so smooth and really apply nicely. I believe there are some nice singles in the Queen line as well! 

Coastal Scents Fall Festival Palette ($12.95, CoastalScents.com)

Here's another palette that I'm busting out for fall! This kit contains 12 Hot Pots, which are the same size as MAC eyeshadows. I love the selection of neutrals, as well as a few fun pops of color in the middle row. You get a really nice quality matte cream color in the top left, and the black in the lower corner has a bit of sparkle if you look closely, but it's never detectable on the eyes. That cranberry shade on the bottom row is just the bomb. Another fun palette of this size from Coastal Scents is the Forever Natural palette, and the GO Palettes (especially the ones in Moscow and London) contain some beautiful jewel tones as well! And if you want to test absolutely every Hot Pot that Coastal Scents makes, get the 252 Ultimate palette... there's actually map showing how each shade corresponds to the Hot Pots that are sold individually- so if you fall in love with a particular color, you can get a backup! So cool!

♥

Do you like wearing jewel-toned eyeshadows? Any favorite palettes or singles that I should know about? Thanks for stopping by my blog! :) 

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Review

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Review

 Hello everyone!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! :) I've been wanting to share my review on the Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains for a long time... the problem (if you want to call it that), is that they truly do stain the lips, so I wasn't sure how I was going to show them on my lips- one shade after the other. Would it distort the colors somehow? Well, I decided I'd give it a try today to see how it would work, and I do feel like these colors are so intensely pigmented, they really do show up true to color, even if there's a little remaining stain on the lips. FYI- while I had already purchased two of these, this collection as a whole was sent to me by Jordana, along with the 12 Hour Made to last jumbo sticks and liners, which I've already reviewed. 

These are available for $2.99 each at Walgreens, and are said to be a "moisturizing balm infused with a light-weight stain." These are retractable sticks that twist up from the bottom- you don't have to sharpen them. They are a very similar format to many other jumbo sticks on the market, and they especially remind me of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I'm a fan of those- I love the color selection and I think the brighter/deeper shades are very long lasting. Formula-wise, I find Jordana's Twist & Shine to feel a bit more moisturizing, and therefore they show up on the lips with more shine. These build up to very rich, full color on the lips so easily, and most seem to leave behind a stain that's very true to the original color as it was first applied. I've gotten through entire days wearing these, and while the shine did fade, I still had plenty of color left on the lips. I'll clarify my thoughts on the shades in a minute- but as a whole- at about half the price of Revlon's Balm Stains, I think these are quite a steal and definitely worth a look next time you're at Walgreens! 

 Left to right: Nude Chic, Terra Crave, Sweet Pink, Honey Love, Candied Coral, Tropical Frenzy, Rock n Rouge, and Cranberry Crush. 

The sticks are swatched here in the same order that they're shown above. The first shade, Nude Chic, actually has some fine glitter in it. It's the one shade that I don't feel is staining my lips- instead, the color wears off and just that silvery glitter is left behind. If you look very closely at Terra Crave (the second shade), there's a bit of shimmer but nothing too major. All of the other shades are just creamy colors, and I feel like every shade but Nude Chic does leave behind a stain once the shine wears away. I wanted to show these on my lips side-by-side so you could more easily compare the colors...