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I got this idea from Carolina Bella over at In My Shoes who got it from Emily at Beauty Broadcast. I definitely have some of my "best of" to share for 2009, so without further ado, here they are:
Best Liquid Foundation:
I don't use liquid, so I can't comment on this one, sorry ladies! (I promise I'll try one soon)...BUT my fave powder foundation is my HOLY GRAIL wouldtotallydiewithoutit MAC StudioFix Powder (I wear C3, for reference)
Best Bronzer:
NARS Laguna- I can't rave enough about this one- it gives the perfect color, the perfect glow and the packaging is great too. I love that this bronzer works on a lot of different skin tones, and that although it has a slight shimmer to it, it isn't detectable on the skin.
Best Blush:
Bobbi Brown blush in "peony" is my most-used at the moment. It is a bright pink that gives cheeks a super-healthy looking flush
Best Concealer:
MAC Studio Finish Concealer (the one in the pot.) If you need concealer, please please please go out and buy this one. I've used it for so many years, and I've never strayed because the coverage is SO incredible. Ladies with skin redness or acne- this is the concealer for you!
Overall Favorite Eye Shadow Brand:
MAC- my fave colors are: satin taupe, retrospeck, honesty and brun
Honorable Mention: Urban Decay and Too Faced
Best Single Product Eyeshadow:
Urban Decay "Midnight Cowboy Rides Again"- this sparkly gold/platinum eyeshadow isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love it.
Best Eyeliner:
MAC Fluidline Gel Liners (I use "dipdown" and "blacktrack")
Best Mascara:
DiorShow Black Waterproof
L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof (drugstore)
Best Lip Gloss:
There are so many to list here...I don't always wear actual colored gloss, but when I do here are my faves- MAC Dazzleglass in "Baby Sparks" and MAC Dazzleglass Creme in "My Favorite Pink"
Best Lipstick:
I really don't wear lipstick that often, but when I do I use MAC's "Colorcrafted" or NARS' "Roman Holiday"...I like PINK...anything pink!
Outstanding Brush:
The Sigma Brush Kit (entire set)- I love their SS150 powder brush
Best Packaging:
NARS and MAC
Best Hair Product:
I know I just started using this (literally today) but I can already tell I absolutely love Pureology's "Nanoworks" shampoo. I also really love Garnier XXL thickening mousse.
MVP (Most Valuable Product):
Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin- I've tried many formulas over the years (cetaphil and clinique, to name a few) and this is the best, non greasy, not irritating moisturizer. I apply it in the morning after washing my face.
Runners up: La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector and Proactiv's Refining Mask
What are YOUR Best of 2009 products? Rave about your faves in the comments below! To my fellow bloggers- I TAG you all to do this post! <3
xoxo,
Veronika.
Ladies, I am so excited about so many things right now that I wanted to share them all in one post!
1. There is a new website here in Houston called Culture Map. It is an online "mapazine" featuring all things Houston- the best places to eat and shop, along with society and events coverage, fashion and beauty, etc. The sleek new site just went up today, and I was lucky enough to contribute to a fashion column/blog on the site. Click here to read my first article. I am just so honored to be a part of such an amazing new venture. If you live in Houston, I encourage you to visit this incredible new site (oh, and you won't want to miss Shelby Hodge's coverage on Culture Map!)
2. I recieved my Sigma brush set last week (I got all 12 brushes) and I do plan to review them in full later on...but I do have to absolutely rave about two of the brushes (OK, maybe three) right this very second! I'll start with the foundation brush. OMG. I never knew a large foundation brush could create such flawless skin- but here's the kicker- I use it to apply my concealer on larger areas of my face. Instead of using the smaller brush that's actually meant for concealer, I use the foundation brush to lightly apply MAC Studio Finish concealer (the kind that comes in the pot) over spots like my forhead, sides of the nose, under eyes and my chin, if my skin is uneven there. Hello Holy Grail brush. I just can't stop singing its praises!
Next, the concealer brush. Soft, perfect for smaller areas of coverage (like a blemish, for example). I love love love this brush. I actually LOVE concealer because of both of these brushes. They smooth the product out so wonderfully, it really creates a flawless finish.
Finally the powder brush, the SS150, is what I use to apply my MAC Studio Fix powder (C3, for anyone who would like to know). I am almost at the bottom of my powder right now, so I want to write more about how the brush applies the product- but I'm going to wait until I've been able to use it with a full powder compact before I comment. What I can say in my preliminary use of it, is that is applies a perfect light coat of powder and it is soft soft soft. It makes my old powder brush feel like a brillo pad in comparison.
3. My Outfit of the Day! We had a potential new client meeting so I wanted to wear something nice but not stuffy. I went to my wonderful, tried and true Club Monaco dress. I'll admit it...it cost more than I'd usually spend on a dress (about 189$...and I have it in white too *gasp!*) however, this dress is so timeless and will be worn for years (and years and years). The sweater in the outfit is the same as my last OOTD- from New York & Co.
Here it is with the sweater:
and without:
Tights: Hue (2/$20 at Macy's); Shoes: Jessica Simpson (about $59 at DSW); Belt: Club Monaco (about $89).
4. I had one of my lovely readers recently ask me to post about bronzers. I can't even imagine my life (or my skin) without bronzer. Thank goodness someone invented it and created a whole new way for us paler girls to achieve glowing, bronzed skin, year-round! (without the icky repreccussions of tanning beds, ew!) So, here is my advice about bronzers. The only two bronzers I have ever considered to be Holy Grail worth are NARS Laguna Bronzer and Benefit's Hoola Bronzer. Though I no longer use the Hoola, our love affair was postively glowing while it lasted. I use my Sigma SS150 large, fluffy powder brush to apply my NARS bronzer. I start on my nose, then sweep the color near my forhead/hairline area, then on my cheeks, and finally on my chin and jawbone (I know that seems like a lot, but it is such a light wash of color and when you apply it strategically over points where the sun would naturally hit your face, I promise it looks natural and pretty).
5. I couldn't end this post without discussing VB's new hair-DO! Love, love love it! It is so soft and pretty...maybe Kate Gosselin took a nod from Posh's new do, because in her interview last night on TLC, famous mommy Kate had a much softer look to her popular coiff, and I quite liked it.
Here are some photos of the beautiful VB showing off her new hair. I won't even get into her outfit, because I could go on and on about her style...she takes risks, but she knows how to dress down too. I have her book "That Extra Half an Inch" and I recommend it to anyone who wants a glimpse into her thoughts and advice on fashion and beauty.
Look at that stare...so fierce! and the shoes...oh the shoes (*sigh*)
I realize this entry was completely and totally all over the place, so if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. I also want to take a moment to thank everyone for entering the 100 subscribers contest! I can't wait to give the prize away, and I am crossing my fingers for all of you!
Hope you all have a wonderful evening (or day, whenever you read this!)
xoxo,
Veronika.
I realized that I completely disregarded discussing the products I used for the "September wedding" look, so this is a follow up post to the post below, because a beauty blog isn't a beauty blog without a breakdown of the makeup and hair that polished off the entire look.
Makeup:
Face:
MAC studio finish concealer (the one in the pot)
MAC Studio Fix powder in C3
NARS "Laguna" Bronzer
LORAC blush in "Desire"
Eyes:
MAC eyeshadows in "Retrospeck"(on the lid) and "Satin Taupe" (crease)
MAC pigment on inner corner of each eye (layered over Anastasia highlighting pencil in "Sand")
MAC Fludiline Gel Liner in "Blacktrack" on the top and "Dipdown" on bottom
Bonne Bell eyeliner in "Black Ink" on waterline
DiorShow waterproof mascara, with CG LashBlash mascara layered over it
Anastasia brow pencil in "brunette" to fill in brows
Lips:
MAC Dazzleglass in "Baby Sparks" layered over Sephora #15 lipgloss (a gorgeous, perfect pink)
Hair:
To style my hair, I washed with volumizing shampoo, applied Garnier Fructis XXL volume thickening mousse to my roots, and Morrocanoil (love) on my ends. I blowdried with a round brush (just the top and crown- I let the underneat part dry naturally) and put velcro rollers in to set the shape of my hair and give lasting volume. I ended up sleeping in the rollers (hard to picture, but not uncomfortable at all).
I woke up, gently removed the rollers and applied my makeup. Then I used my 1" CHI ceramic flatiron to make soft waves in my hair (away from the face). I decided to wear extensions for this occasion and used a 1 1/2 inch curling iron to curl the extensions. This gave the hair pretty good texture since the two types of curls were a bit different.
I complete the look with some soft-hold hairspray and a clip-in hair flower on the side of my hair.
xoxo,
Veronika.
Blush is my "can't leave the house without it" product. When I sweep some gorgeous pink blush on my cheeks, I immediately feel fresh, glowing and awake.
As you can imagine from the title of my blog, I absolutely love and adore blush. But not all blushes are created equal- which is why I'd like to share some of my best blush finds. Not surprisingly, my top picks are all bright pink hues- I find they give the best results in terms of warming up the skin and creating that "glow from within."
My Holy Grail blush is Desire, by LORAC. Yes, it looks shockingly pink in the pot, I know. However, with the proper application technique on just the apples of the cheeks, it offers what many other blushes don't- a gorgeous sheer pink wash of color with a very subtle highlight to it that creates that coveted "glow" that we all desire, no pun intended. It can be purchased at Sephora for $19. It is also the blush featured in the LORAC Blush/Bronzer Duo in "Hot Flash." My love for this blush runs so deep, that I even had my makeup artist use it on my cheeks on my wedding day. I guess you can say I consider it to be my "signature blush."
A more recent blush love affair is with MAC's "Well Dressed." Described as an immaculate pink satin, this blush is the perfect blush for someone who doesn't typically wear blush. The soft pink works beautifully over bronzer or on it's own, and is buildable. I personally wear it over my NARS Laguna Bronzer (another HG!) just on the apples of my cheeks. I use this blush almost daily, and typically reach for Desire for special events and nights out, because it photographs beautifully.
Then, there's NARS Orgasm blush, a classic and very well-know and loved product amongst beauty bloggers. This warm peachy/pink works well on a lot of skintones, which explains its popularity. I don't use Orgasm as much as my other blushes, but I particularly enjoy wearing this blush in the summertime when I've got a great tan going on (I'll blog all about self tanners in an upcoming blog.)
A recent purchase and pleasant surprise was MAC's "Porcelain Pink" Mineralize SkinFinish. It is a gorgeous shimmery (not glittery, thank goodness) mineral powder that works as a highlighter and as a blush for the evening. I like to use it in the evening to highlight cheekbones, and during the day to brighten the inner corners of my eyes. It is not an "everyday" product, but gorgeous nonetheless.
Other blush favorites are MAC's "Fleur Power" and "Pink Swoon."
Blushes currently on my shopping list are "Desire" by NARS (which appears to be a more matte version of LORAC's), MAC's "DollyMix" and Benefit's "Corralista."
What are your favorite blushes? Leave me a comment and let me know!
