NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Review, Swatches & Photos – Crème Brulée, Cannelle, Macadamia, Chestnut, Amande, Hazelnut, Cafe, Cacao & Dark Coffee

NARS Cosmetics recently launched 6 new shades to their Radiant Creamy Concealer line. Crème Brulée, Cannelle, Macadamia, Chestnut, Hazelnut and Dark Coffee ($29 each). This is my go-to concealer for covering up my dark circles without it creasing on me so I wanted to make sure that you had swatches of the new shade as quickly as possible.

Crème Brulée - Fair with a light pink undertone Cannelle - Light with a peachy undertone Macadamia - Medium with a peachy undertone Chestnut - Medium with a pink undertone Hazelnut - Medium Dark with a warm red undertone Dark Coffee - Dark brown with an olive undertone

Also, while I was at it, I rounded up some swatches of the 5 darkest shades for give women of color a better comparison.

Mariah Carey X MAC Cosmetics Collaboration - First Sneak Peek & Photos

Please visit the updated blog post with the official prices, photos and swatches from MAC Artist here http://bit.ly/MariahxMAC. Update from Vogue France: Original article, source and photos: http://bit.ly/2e8cdz0

Glitter, gold, butterflies ... Mariah Carey binds MAC time to a range of exclusive Christmas, in perfect harmony with its image. At the heart of this collaboration, where the glam world, even a bit of bling the singer mixes in the Christmas spirit: nude shades, beige tones, browns and bronzes, available in lipsticks, blushes at eye and lip gloss. The festive lipstick "All I want"  in the shade " champagne iridescent" is perfect to celebrate the holidays in style and slip into the skin of a diva.

It's Everything Eyeshadow Palette, Mariah Carey x MAC,  exclusive online,  $48 USD

Blending Brush Mariah Carey x MAC, exclusive online, $57 USD.

Brush eye Mariah Carey x MAC, exclusive online, $33 USD

Powder Extra Dimension Skinfinish, My Mini, hot iridescent gold, Mariah Carey x MAC $38 USD

Lip Pencil pro Longwear, So dramatic, intense brown, Mariah Carey x MAC $19 USD

X MAC Lipglass Mariah Carey, Butterfly Bling, pink iridescent bronze, exclusive online, $23 USD

Powder blush, You've got my feeling, light pink candy, exclusive online, $26 USD

Update 10/13/2016 at 5:45pm EST: 📷@MariahTrends on Instagram

If you're a collector of MAC Cosmetics limited edition packaging then brace yourself. It seems that we have the first look at her upcoming collaboration (rumored to launch this December 2016).

Queenofshademc shared the above photo on Instagram and of course it has the beauty community going crazy and rightfully so - the compact is beautiful.

The release date, names and prices is still to be determined but we will update you once we hear anything. But for now....are you excited?

Misha Collection SS17 Runway Show NYFW Recap

There's a sense of delight when you give into opulence and the Misha Collection SS17 Runway Show was a testament to that. The luxury Australian fashion label, led by Creative Director and designer Michelle Aznavorian, made its New York Fashion Week debut with its opening and closing walk done by the superstar Jourdan Dunn.

The Misha Collection SS17 oozes opulence, extravagant glamour, luxury and mystery. The collection was inspired by fashion icons of Studio 54 gone by evoking feelings of elegance and supplication. With references to classic vintage shapes from the seventies and eighties, the seductive mood is enhanced by breathtaking new textures, custom lace, ostrich feather, silk Devoré and pony leather are intertwined with a monochromatic colour palette splashed with leopard print and daring red. 

Click on the photos to see a bigger slideshow.

I loved how the designer was able to incorporate hints of elegance and sophistication into the spirit of Studio 54. Now for the makeup - one of our favorite beauty brands - Stila Cosmetics was responsible for creating the luxe and lust beauty look for the runway. Check out these photos of Sarah Lucero of Stila working her magic on Jourdan Dunn.

You can see all the looks from their NYFW debut on their new Runway page here and you can watch SS17 runway show from start to finish below.

[wpvideo yiQSjtPo]

Saw anything that you liked? Well I did because I immediately ran home with my gift bag and i had to figure out which meals I was cutting out so I that could afford that red wool coat. :-) Luckily, there was a surprise in the gift bag.

 

So our gift bag included a cute keychain and notebook from the Misha Collection, a Stay All Day Matte'ificent lipstick in the shade Jolie from Makeup Partner Stila Cosmetics, a volumizing conditioning spray from Hair Partner René Furterer and a $100 gift card to the Misha Collection! And as usual, I have an extra bag for one of you!

I want to be sure to bring as much of New York Fashion Week to you as I can so here is your chance to enter to win everything pictured in the gift bag photos.

Blog giveaway (One winner) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me which piece from this collection is your favorite. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Sunday, September 18^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST (my birthday woot woot). I will choose one subscriber at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum Fragrance Review and Giveaway

Have you ever really listened to someone as they raved about their signature scent? I couldn't quite understand the enamor with finding one scent that truly captured everything about myself; one fragrance that captured that personality, my love, my bubbliness or my passion in a bottle? There was absolutely no way. But then, Yves Saint Laurent launched Black Opium and well...I found my holy grail fragrance.I was first introduced to this fragrance in October 2015 and it has taken over my life since then - seriously, I think I gave everyone this fragrance for the holidays and I probably will again this year with the re-release of it as Black Opium Wild (the same fragrance in a limited edition wild leopard print bottle).The NotesTop: Pink Pepper and Orange Blossom Heart: Pear, Jasmine and Rich Coffee Base: Sensual Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar, Musk and Sandalwood

The Packaging Black Opium is packaged in a textured glass bottle and covered in glitter that sparkles when the light catches it. In the middle, sits a glass opening with the YSL logo and Black Opium signature. It was designed as a rock'n'roll interpretation (and flanker) to the classic 2010 Opium which is much more spicier.The Bottom Line This is a fragrance that is meant for floral and coffee lovers. Personally, I don't like to drink coffee but I love the aroma of it. Whenever I smell someone brewing it - especially the french vanilla flavored beans - I am in heaven and that's what Black Opium is to me.

Because of the mix of Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar and Musk, it makes it a heavier fragrance which is perfect to take you through the Fall and Winter. Availability Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum is available in 1.0 oz, 1.6 oz and 3 oz bottles at Sephora, Ulta, Saks and Nordstrom from $68 - $115. But by now you guys should know that my favorites become your favorites. I'm going to be hooking 2 of you up with your own bottle of Black Orchid with a giveaway!

Blog giveaway (Two winners) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection (hey you can even tell me your favorite coffee flavor - I'm looking for new ones to smell :). Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Monday, September 12^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose two subscribers at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date. The Instagram winners will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (Two winners) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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The Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Palette by Mario Is Coming In October 2016

It's official. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Master palette by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is coming in October 2016. It is a limited edition eyeshadow palette that looks to be more neutral and cool-toned.

During his official announcement of the palette, Mario instagrammed his excitement and stated that “all of the shades are named after the most influential women and places in my life. These women and places have all been very significant in my life and career.” 

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ6TrNigpx7/?taken-by=makeupbymario[/embed]

The palette includes 12 shades and an eyeshadow brush. The shades are (finishes to be announced):

• Hollywood
• NYC
• Kim
• Muse
• Marina
• Claudia
• Lula
• Isabel
• Violeta
• 5th Ave
• Bronx
• Paris

It will retail for $45 (no pro discount available) and will be available online at Anastasia Beverly Hills on September 29th, October 4th online at Sephora, Ulta and Macy's and in-stores on October 15th. Again, it is limited edition. Here are additional swatches taken from Norvina's Instagram page.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ62pQ5DDQL/[/embed]

 Now that we're finally seeing the palette up close, are you interested in it?

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DKNY Summer 2013 Donna Karan Fragrance Twitter Giveaway

We're nearing the end of summer and I think I'm more excited than I should be! For starters, it's officially Virgo season (September 18th, woot woot) and the weather is finally going to calm down so I can step outside without feeling like I walked right into the Sahara Desert. So how about a quick Twitter giveaway while I clear out some more products?DKNY New York Summer (Edition 2013) for women is a luxury fragrance that possesses a blend of raspberry, lily of the valley, cyclamen, orange flower, musk. DKNY New York Summer (Edition 2013) for men is a fruity casual fragrance that features a blend of grapefruit, white pepper, yuzu, geranium and seawater.

To enter, all you need to do is follow me on Twitter, RT my pinned tweet and you’re entered to win! 18+ or older to participate. This is only open to U.S. residents (sorry babes).

See you there and remember – we have tons of giveaways across all of the social media platforms so check around!

The New Tarteist Pro Custom Magnetic Palette - Limited Edition Wild Animal Print

Finally, Tarte Cosmetics has released their new Tarteist Pro Custom Magnetic Palette ($17). It's an empty, refillable magnetic palette that you can use to customize your makeup wardrobe (basically a Z-Palette customized with Tarte's style in a limited edition Wild Animal Print).

Here are a few photos of the inside so you can see the huge mirror. I also depoted 2 of the new metallic eyeshadows from Tarte. 

And here is a shot of Tarte filling the palette with their blushes, eyeshadows and kiss creams.

Would it be crazy of me to purchase a second one? What do you think of this customizable palette?

It is available now at tarte.com ($17).

How to Make Your Shiny Nail Polish Matte with OPI Nail Lacquer and Matte Top Coat

A Monday is never complete without a look a #ManiMonday feature. Today, I wanted to show you how you can refresh a manicure using OPI's Matte Top Coat ($10).

Press the play button below to watch a quick clip of me using the matte top coat to transform my nails that were done with OPI Miami Beat Nail Lacquer.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/8yRrR5Flrv/[/embed]

And for a look at the final results.

The matte topcoat is the perfect addition to your fall wardrobe. I've had this one bottle for about a year and it has held up nicely. The rings shown are from Charlotte Russe.  

-Affiliate Links-

Rihanna’s Lipstick Color at the 2016 MTV VMAs – Cherry Blossom and Raine Fever by Coloured Raine Cosmetics

By now, you’ve figured out every single outfit that Rihanna wore to the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards but while the world was consumed with her pale pink sporty ensemble from Hood By Air and her gold grommet belted gown from Alexandre Vauthier, I was obsessing over what lipstick shades she was wearing and how I could find them? Luckily, I didn't need to look far...

Image from www.mtv.co.uk

Rihanna opened the show with her hair slicked back in a pony tail and wearing head-to-toe pale pink with hints of red in her sporty, corseted outfit.  Her deep red lipstick is what pulled everything together for me and according to the team over at Coloured Raine Cosmetics, she is wearing Cherry Blossom, a deep blue based red matte liquid lipstick that only costs $17.

Image from www.mtv.com

Rihanna's final look was the gold grommet belted gown from Alexandre Vauthier - a elegant gown to close the show and accept her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. She chose to pair the gold hue and dramatic styling with the dark purple lipstick Raine Fever from Coloured Raine - again, available for $17.

So it's easy to say here are the shades, go ahead and buy them so you can be one step closer to living your life like the Bad Girl herself but will the colors look the same on you? Are they comfortable? Are they worth the money? Luckily, I already had both of these shades in my lipstick collection and I can attest to the fact they are long-wearing, comfortable and true to color (especially on women of color).

Here I am wearing Raine Fever (left) and Cherry Blossom (right).

You can read a more in-depth review with more photos of these shades in my previous Coloured Raine Cosmetics feature here. And make sure you check out the Coloured Raine team celebrating the lipstick shade features on their Instagram below.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BJrHldgAGGC/[/embed]

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BJrbstogmXk/[/embed]

Paco Rabanne Olympéa - A Scent Fit for the Gods - Fragrance Review and Giveaway

Rose Gold. I mean...there is a reason that I am obsessed with this color. Just look at Paco Rabanne's Olympéa Eau de Parfum.Beautiful right? The second that I saw the images hit the internet I knew...this was going to be one of those bottles that I collect and showcase in my glam room. From the dusty rose gold to the glistening rose pink and even the warmer copper blend, the packaging is absolutely stunning.The concept for Olympéa is based on the idea of a modern Greek goddess that evokes strength, dynamism and conquests. The bottle is shaped like a laurel crown and adorned with a jeweled cap. It is the female counterpart to the masculine Paco Rabanne Eau de Toilette Invictus, which was inspired by the athletic spirit, competition and victory. When I finally conquered my lust for the bottle, I sprayed it on my wrists for the first time and dare I say it but with that one spritz, I felt like a goddess of love and beauty. Move over Aphrodite!

The best way to describe this fragrance is to understand the unique fusion between a sensual salted vanilla accord and refreshing floral notes that highlight jasmine, ginger lily, citrus, woody and vanilla. On me, I find that it settles into nice white floral vanilla scent with a hint of sea salt that lasts about 7 hours before I need to reapply. 

And given that you guys know that I am completely obsessed with this color, this review would not be complete without giving you a chance to win a bottle for yourself.

Blog giveaway (One winner) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Tuesday, August 30^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose one subscriber at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date. The Instagram winner will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (One winner) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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MAC Cosmetics Taraji P. Henson Collaboration

Empire star Taraji P. Henson has joined forces with MAC Cosmetics for an upcoming collaboration that is set to launch this September 6th online and September 8th in select MAC stores.TARAJI P. HENSON HAS WON THE WORLD OVER WITH HER FEARLESS PERFORMANCES, POWERHOUSE CONFIDENCE, AND CHARISMATIC SPARK. FROM HER FLAWLESS SKIN TO THE QUINTESSENTIAL NUDE LIP AND PERFECTLY DEFINED NOIR EYE, HER NAMESAKE M·A·C COLLECTION IS AS FIERCE AS TARAJI HERSELF.

The collection includes:

• LIPSTICK Strip Me Down deep tone beige (matte) SRP: $17.00 US/$21.00 CAD
• MINERALIZE SKINFINISH NATURAL Taraji Glow reddish brown SRP: $33.00 US/$38.00 CAD
• MINERALIZE SKINFINISH Highlight The Truth soft bronze coral with golden shimmer SRP: $33.00 US/$38.00 CAD
• HAUTE & NAUGHTY TOO BLACK LASH black SRP: $23.00 US/$28.00 CAD
• PENULTIMATE EYE LINER Rapidblack true black SRP: $21.00 US/$24.00 CAD
• BRUSH 187 Duo Fibre Face SRP: $42.00 US/$51.00 CAD

Swatches from top to bottom: Strip Me Down lipstick (matte), Taraji Glow mineralized skinfinish natural, Highlight The Truth mineralized skinfinish. Photo by victoriouslogan.

-Press Release-

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish - Take Me to Thread Swatch and Wear Test

It's been a while since I did a #ManiMonday blog post and it was largely due to the fact that I haven't tried a new color or formula for my nails that I really wanted to share until now. A few weeks ago, I stopped by Walgreens to check in on the new arrivals for Fall and I stumbled upon Take Me to Thread from the Essie Gel Couture line.The Gel Couture line of nail polish is a fairly new two-step formula that promises to give you up to 14 days of luxurious wear - while maintaining the color and shine with an instant gel-like manicure that does not require a UV lamp. Naturally, I scoffed at that. I never get more than 2-3 days of non-chipped polish on my natural nails but then again I haven't used gel polish because I didn't want to use a UV lamp and weaken my natural nails or expose my skin to that type of light source directly.

Needless to say I was intrigued to test out Essie's new line and the colors looked beautiful in the store so why not?

First, you want to start off with a fresh set of nails. Remove any residue of previous nail polish or base - you do not need to use a base coat with this line. Next, you can apply the gel couture color that you like - however, before I apply anything to my nails, I make sure to moisturize my hands, nails and cuticles with Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.This cream is instrumental to keeping my hands and nails healthy and strong (yes, before you ask, I am working on filming a guide on how to grow natural and healthy nails lol).

Next, I applied two coats of Take Me to Thread and allowed each coat to dry for about 3 minutes before applying another one. The final step - step 2 - is to seal in the color with the gel couture top coat for flawless gel-like shine.The brush is a bit wider and more tapered than the normal Essie polishes which allows for more coverage and an easier application. Now on to the point of this review; to see if the polish really stands up to its promise of a 14-day wear. So far, I've had this on for 3.5 days. I have done everything normal in my routine: thoroughly washed my hair, washed dishes, showered, cleaned, applied many many products to my natural hair, fussed around at work, styled some photoshoots - everything that I would normally do and nothing has chipped away.With Day 3, you can start to see some of the scratches starting to form from just the daily wear and tear but I am beyond impressed with the coverage from this two step system. I will come back and update you everyday up until day 14 so you can see the results but so far - it is a must have!

Overall: Don't the photos speak for themselves? There are 42 colors available and each gel couture polish and the top coat retails for $11.50. You can pick it up at Ricky's NYC, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, CVS, Duane Reade or Essie.com. It might look a bit pricey at first, but think about the amount of wear you will get out of one manicure. #WorthIt

Giorgio Armani Beauty Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20 Twitter Giveaway

Ok, could that title be any longer? Well I am a wicked word master so probably but you get the point. :-D I asked you guys on the 'gram how you wanted some of the other giveaways to go and the popular vote was to spread it out throughout the rest of my social media channels and in smaller portions so more of you have a chance to win. I'm all about spreading love so that's what we're going to do!

Today, I decided to dip into the makeup goodie stash and I pulled out the Giorgio Armani Beauty Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20 in shade 5.5.  This foundation is described as an infallible, long-wearing matte satin foundation with SPF 20 sun protection. It was inspired by gabardine fabric, which is strong, durable, and made to withstand harsh conditions, this revolutionary new water-based foundation was designed to stand up to extreme backstage conditions. The formula features micro-fil high tech silk technology to provide 14-hour medium satin matte coverage that never smudges. This product is an Allure Best Medium Coverage Foundation Award Winner. It is suitable for normal to oily skin.

Now that we talked about the details, here's how to enter (please remember that this is shade specific - it comes in shade 5.5 - I received a PR package and clearly I'm not this light sooooo :-p). To enter, all you need to do is follow me on Twitter, RT my tweet and you're entered to win!

See you there and remember - we have tons of giveaways across all of the social media platforms so check it up!

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Coming This Fall: 'Empire' is Launching A New Fragrance Collection

Empire fans, you knew this was coming. Following on the heels of their beauty collections with CoverGirl and Deborah Lippmann, Fox's hit show is launching its own fragrance collection that is designed for men and women. 

Lyon's Truth, the sexy Eau de Parfum for women, is a floral blend of Bulgarian rose, vanilla orchid, tonka bean, sandalwood and violet blossom mixed with blackberry and velvet plum. Lyon's Legacy, the sophisticated cologne for men, mixes bergamot, geranium, lemon water, and lavender with bottom notes of warm amber, vanilla suede, and tobacco leaf. 

Both fragrances will be available online on mid September and at Macy's during the holiday season.

Urban Decay Announces the Release of An All-New Naked Palette and It's All Matte!

Once again, Urban Decay has the beauty community going crazy. This time it's over the news of their new Naked Ultimate Basics Matte Eyeshadow Palette.According to Urban Decay co-founder Wende Zomnir, this latest collection was prompted by popular demand - meaning the social media mavens have gotten their way!

This is the going to be the seventh palette in the Naked collection, but the first one to offer an all-matte series of shades. It will include 12 all-new matte-tastic shades, including one demi-matte shade that some can use for highlighting.

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The palette will be available on September 18th (ekk, my birthday!) so we have a little bit of time to save up for it.

What do you guys think? It's this a new must have for you? Let me know in the comments!

Tom Ford Black Orchid Fragrance Review + Surprise Giveaway

It's the scent that started it all. Tom Ford's Black Orchid debuted in 2006, making it the first fragrance from the designer.

It is a statement fragrance that is described as an oriental chypre - a rich and spicy woody fragrance. It has top notes of French jasmine, black truffle, black currant, ylang-ylang and effervescent citrus. The heart notes hold the spicy floral punch of Tom Ford's black orchid which lead to the woody base noes of dark chocolate, amber, vetiver, vanilla, balsam, patchouli and sandalwood.

As opposed to the brighter and more feminine Velvet Orchid, Black Orchid is a classically dark fragrance that basks itself in luxury. Honestly, it took me a long time to come around to Black Orchid because of its smoldering spicy notes. I tend to favor more fruity and floral notes - more on the sweeter side - and Black Orchid definitely took me on a new adventure with its earthy dry down so for me, this is more of my fall/winter scent because it is so deep.

As usual, the packaging is amazing and I hate that I can never do it justice in the photos. The fragrance is packaged in a fluted black glass bottle with a gold engraved metal plate and gold ribbon around the neck. And here's a fun fact for you - one of the colognes that Michael Jackson was known to love is our very own Black Orchid by Tom Ford.

It is available here in 1.0oz, 1.7oz and 3.4oz but just like with Velvet Orchid, I want to help one of you start (or finish) your Orchid collection with a giveaway!

Blog giveaway (Two winners) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Monday, August 22^nd, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose two subscribers at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date. The Instagram winner will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (One winner) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation - Review and Swatches of 13 out of 20 Shades

MAKE UP FOR EVER has released their new Water Blend Foundation - a new and reformulated version of their popular Face & Body Foundation.

MUFE reformulated the foundation to "combine the comfort of a sheer foundation with the performance that pro makeup artists demand in the new Water Blend Foundation. The buildable, lightweight formula delivers a flawless and dewy finish with a beautiful, even complexion. Available in 20 shades, Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation is the reformulation of pro makeup artist’s favorite Face & Body Foundation, delivering the same results with an upgraded formula." The new results include:

• Hydrating: 80% of the formula is purified water infused with vitamin B5 to provide hydration and improve skin elasticity.
• Waterproof & Transfer-proof: Coated micro-fine pigments improve payoff and skin affinity with guaranteed waterproof and transfer-proof coverage.
• Easy to apply: The unique, water-gel texture feels smooth and light, even when it dries to a resistant finish for flawless, all-day wear.

I first got to check these out early in April during the Makeup Show New York. As an ambassador to the show, I was able to get the sneak peek and behind the scenes on the foundation from the MUFE team and lead artist Nicholas Lujan. You can watch his mini demonstration and see live swatches of the shades here (I highly recommend watching this completely through as Nicholas gives some amazing talk through on the new foundation and some makeup artistry tips).

[embed]https://youtu.be/x3eMTilDE_A[/embed]

Nicholas says you can use Water Blend as a primer but also as foundation on your face and body. It's a light, transparent, buildable coverage that leaves the skin looking like skin. You can apply it with your fingers, a brush, a sponge or with an airbrush tool and you can manipulate the coverage depending on the tool that you use. Personally, I prefer to apply mines with my fingers. Just make sure that you let it fully dry before you add on additional layers.

Here are swatches of the 13 shades that I was able to get my hands on at the show. In the name - the Y stands for yellow undertones and the R stands for red undertones.

From left to right: R370, Y445, Y505, R520, R540

From left to right: R210, R240, Y325, R300, Y245

From left to right: R250, Y305, Y405

Overall thoughts: For reference, I wear shade Y455 (a more blended out swatch is posted below) and I absolutely love this foundation. Like I said, it is 80% water based so it gives me a very light weight coverage with a very natural looking look and dewy finish. I've been wearing this all throughout the summer for events and bbq's that require me to look a little bit more done up but without putting makeup on.

If you have severe hyperpigmentation, acne scars or serious break outs, this may not be the best foundation for you to use right now because the coverage just isn't there for that (or to be applied over layers of color correctors and concealers). As mentioned earlier, it has a gel like formula so you want to try using a denser brush or your fingers - try to stay away from using a beauty blender because I found it to just absorb the foundation on me (beauty blenders suck up water and this is 80% water).Comparison: Yes, for the same price, you can get the Ultra HD foundation which provides fuller coverage, however, I do recommend having a bottle of this in your shade for those extremely hot days when nobody has time for a melting face. This also make a great transitioning foundation for a younger teenager who is just starting out with makeup.

Purchase: The MAKE UP FOR EVER Water Blend Foundation retails for $43 is already available on Makeupforever.com, Sephora.com and in Sephora stores.

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Thank you to The Makeup Show, the Make Up For Ever Team and Nicholas Lujan for allowing me to film his segment.

The Sweet Sparkle of Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush - Fragrance Review and Giveaway

-Raises right hand- I'll admit it. I have an addiction for collecting pretty fragrance bottles...but I told you this back in December when we first talked about the launch of the new limited edition blush flankers from the Marc Jacobs Daisy line. My favorite of the new flankers...Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush.

You see, I've built a relationship with Daisy Dream that has developed quite nicely over the years. When the original Daisy Dream fragrance first launched in 2014, I was drawn to it as it boasted its fresh and fruity, wispy floral notes. In the summer of 2015, Daisy Dream forever was released as an Eau de Parfum enhanced floral and fruity explosion. And now...I'm here to introduce you to it's sparkling little sister - Daisy Dream Blush.

Encased in this gorgeous, pretty-in-pink bottle, Daisy Dream Blush is an Eau de Toilette with an airy bed of lush floral notes that are blended together to create a sweet, feminine sparkle. It is filled with accords of pear and violet leaves as its top notes, followed by heart notes of water lily, rose and honeysuckle that is rounded up with base notes of clean musk, bergamot, freesia and vetiver.

And now you know it's coming...something this beautiful is, of course, limited edition so grab a bottle as soon as you can. It retails for $78 (1.7oz) / $90 (50mL) for a limited time at Sephora and Ulta.

But I'm ready to hook a few lucky subscribers up with their very own bottle of Daisy Dream Blush with a giveaway here and on Instagram!

Blog giveaway (Two winners) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note - Don't worry if you don't see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Sunday, August 14^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose two subscribers at random from those who commented on this post. The Instagram winner will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (One winner) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Trio For $24 ($72 Value)

Yes, you read the title correctly. Last week, Bite Beauty offered an insane deal on their Luminous Crème Lipsticks on Sephora.com: a trio set in Nude and Bold that offers a three of their bestselling cream lipsticks for the price of one. Normally, one full sized lipstick from this line would cost $24 but Bite was liquidating their remaining Luminous Cremes (which have been discontinued) and each full sized trio set came out to the price of one lipstick. 

The sets were available in two color families:

• Nude - Musk, Retsina, Fig
• Bold - Zivoli, Tannin, Mulberry

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry  

These lipsticks are incredibly soft and creamy. Here are swatches of each set taken in my studio (LED daylights).

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry

 And because you know I'm a sucker for a deep red, I had to try out Tannin. It is such a soft lipstick that lasts about 3-5 hours on the lips (depending on what you eat/drink).

What do you think? Were you able to snag any of these trio sets?

Milani Cosmetics Amore Mattallics Liquid Lip Crème Review & Swatches - Matterialistic, Mattely in Love, Automattic Touch, Raving Matte

Paint your pout with gilded glamour. Milani Cosmetics recently launched 8 limited edition shades of new metallic matte liquid lip crèmes and I picked up 4 of them to review: Matterialistic, Mattely in Love, Automattic Touch and Raving Matte.

Bold and richly pigmented, these metallic liquid lip colors shine with a soft luster and dry to a smooth matte finish—without drying out your lips. Waterproof and kiss-approved, each Amore Mattallics Lip Crиme delivers up to 16 hours of wear. You can remove them with an oil-based product ( try Micellar water or baby oil).

If you're lucky enough to find these in store (CVS, Rite-Aid, Duane Reade etc) then you're luck as -- because you can probably use an in-store coupon or BOGO! They sold out so fast in my neighborhoods but luckily all of the colors are still available online. Here is a live look at the 4 colors I got in action. (Y'all know I have to give you those live swatches in different lighting).

[embed]https://youtu.be/ktbQpPDH9Vk[/embed]

Matterialistic

 

Mattely in Love

Automattic Touch

Raving Matte

And before we leave, I just wanted to show you the doe foot applicator in comparison to Colourpop's applicator for their metallic liquid lipsticks.

We talked about this on Instagram earlier, but for Colourpop's metallics ($6 for 0.10oz) vs Milani's metallics ($8.99 for 0.17oz)...please spend the extra $3 and try Milani's. I couldn't be anymore real with you when I say this but Milani's formula, applicator and wear are far superior.