Enter to Win: Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Contour and Bronzing Powder Instagram Giveaway

I can't believe that it's already fall. Yes, it is my favorite season - the cooler weather; the darker makeup; the thoughts of being able to layer my clothes and throw on some booties - the possibilities are endless. So I figured now was a good time to give away one of my favorite bronzing compacts the Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Contour and Bronzing Powder in color 05 Moyen - Brunettes.

The Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Contour and Bronzing Powder has four matte shades that you can use for bronzing and contouring. Normally, I would use a compact that was fully one shade but I have a hard time as a woman of color finding a good bronzer that doesn't run red on my skin tone and the Guerlain bronzers are a god send. With that said, we all know their bronzers can be a bit pricey to purchase especially when I change shade throughout the winter/summer. So I found the 4 seasons Terracotta bronzer which is a great deal for me because it was only $76 on Sephora, I was able to use a coupon and it gives me 4 shades to choose from throughout the year. 

Knowing how hard it was for me to find a high end bronzer, I wanted to hook two of you up with your very own in color 05 Moyen - Brunettes (I ordered three when I purchased - yes, I stick by my statement of my favorites become your favorites). Now onto the Instagram giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

It’s time to giveaway this high end Guerlain prize to two lucky Instagram followers! The prize includes:

• Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Contour and Bronzing Powder in color 05 Moyen - Brunettes ($76)

1. You must follow @candycoatedclosets on Instagram.

2. In the comments on this Instagram photo, tag three friends so they can learn about all of the fun we have on here.

3. You can enter up to 5 times with a new set of tagged friends in each comment.

That’s it!

Contest runs from Thursday, September 22, 2016 and ends Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at 11:59pm est. Two winners will be randomly chosen from those who commented (not those tagged within the comments) and announced within 48 hours of the contest ending.

No giveaway/spam profiles & profile must be set to public by the end of the contest so we can ensure that you are following @candycoatedclosets. Open internationally; 18+, to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

Make sure that you click on the links above if you want to learn more about this amazing product from the giveaway!

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Colourpop Fall Edit 2016 Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches & Photos – Times Square, Viper, Love Bug, Wolfie

First, I'm shooting all of these photos (and possible video if I upload with the new camera so let me know what you guys think). When Colourpop Cosmetics launched their Fall Edit 1 collection, they included a promo to receive 4 free shade if you ordered over a certain amount: Times Square, Viper, Love Bug and Notion (swatched in this previous post). Of course, I received them all (yes, I shop too much) so here's a look at Times Square, Viper, Love Bug and Wolfie that I received in my last order.

• Times Square ($6) – Ultra Matte Lip
• Viper ($6) – Ultra Matte Lip
• Love Bug ($6) – Everyday is Valentine's Day when you wear this rich Terracota in an ultra matte Lip
• Wolfie ($6) – Leave ‘em howling in this rich rosy pink ultra glossy lip with a flash of gold on top in a Metallic finish

Here is a lip swatch of Viper for you. Let me know what other colors you guys want to see swatched on the lips. 

Viper topped with Wolfie

Here is a lip swatch of Love Bug. While it is a beautiful color, please remember that this is an Ultra Matte liquid lip and it is very drying! 

Also, check out my Instagram for quick video tutorials on how I created the look with Love Bug!

Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Trio - Quick Review, Swatches & Photos

Urban Decay released an illuminating palette that contains three shades of Urban Decay’s Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for Face and Body in the shades Pyrite (gold champagne), Oasis (marbled frosted taupe) and Twilight (iridescent pink).

The limited edition palette which retails for $36 includes the three shades in 0.08 oz/ 2.36 mL and a double ended brush to apply them with.

I was able to swatch and play with these during the Sephora holiday preview but sadly, I have nothing positive to say about these. I mean...the packaging is pretty?

Ok maybe I was exaggerating by saying I had nothing positive to say. Pyrite, the gold champagne on the left and Twilight, the iridescent pink on the right did look pretty on my skin tone. They are just very chunky and glittery so I would personally use this on my body as opposed to my face.

Now that shade in the middle - Oasis (the marbled frosted taupe) - just...no UD. This was a major fail on their part because I couldn't even get it to swatch decently. It is too chunky, chalky and fell apart every time I tried to pick the product up on my hand or brush.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this palette at all. Save your money for a better holiday item. If you have to have a holiday highlighting/illuminating palette, I would look into the Laura Mercier Fall In Love Face Illuminator Collection.

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Stila Star Light, Star Bright Highlighting Palette - Quick Review, Swatches & Photos

Star Light, Star Bright First star I see tonight - How I wish Stila Cosmetics got this highlighting palette right. The Stila Star Light, Star Bright Highlighting Palette is a new, limited edition trio of highlighters that was released for the holidays. It includes three radiance-enhancing highlighters with an ultra-smooth formula that was designed to melt into your skin. It is $39 USD and contains 3 x 0.5 oz/ 14.78 mL of product. The shades are transcendence (opalescent pink), Kitten (shimmering nude pink) and Bronze (sunkissed radiance).

The brand says that the formula was created with “ultra-fine, light diffusing particles” that will melt into your skin and give you a natural-looking glow...and that's where I think the problem is.

At first touch, these are some of the softest highlighters I have ever felt. So smooth, creamy and buttery that I wanted to just stand there and rub my finger in it all day. When it comes to swatching or wearing it, it gets a big F from me. The colors are pretty but there was hardly any pigmentation to it for it to show up properly on my skin tone. Below there are swatches taken in store.

When trying to apply this with a brush...well just don't. Please don't. If you want to take the chance, I recommend applying it with your fingers first and then blending it out with a beauty blender. Let me know if this works for you or what you thought about it.

This is available exclusively at Sephora.com and in-stores for $39 USD.

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Versace Eros Pour Femme Fragrance Review & Twitter Giveaway

I was first introduced to Versace Eros Pour Femme during the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Consumer Choice Awards.

It's a powerful floral fragrance with hints of citrus that has notes of Sicilian lemon, Calabrian bergamot, pomegranate accords, lemon, sambac jasmine absolute, jasmine infusion, peony, sandalwood, ambrox, musk and various cedars. When I first smelled it, I immediately noticed the ethereal floral scent that was inspired by the enchanting Greek mythology.

The bottle is designed with gold mythological codes of the classic Versace design - the embossed Medusa and Greek key engraving around the perimeter of the bottle is what truly makes this packaging.

So I wasn't sure how many of you had the opportunity to try Eros Pour Femme yet so I figured why not do a quick giveaway on it for our Twitter community?

To enter, all you need to do is follow me on Twitter, RT my pinned tweet and you’re entered to win! Make sure you tag a friend so they can enter too. 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!

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Michael Kors Collection Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection Re-See Recap

Only Michael Kors could make me want to go home, walk to my closet, grab everything in it and immediately start packing it away to start fresh. Even as I'm typing this, I'm side eyeing my closet and fighting the urge clear it out to make room for nautical and floral explosion that is the Michael Kors Collection Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection. I attended the Re-See event on Wednesday at his studios on 42nd street to get a closer look at the collection.

You can see all the looks from their NYFW runway show here. And in keeping with our follow-me-to-fashion-week, I decided to dip into the fragrance collection to showcase (and giveaway) Glam Jasmine - an eau de parfum that focuses on a bouquet explosion of its namesake flower; Egyptian jasmine, jasmine sambac and jasmine petals. It's a warm and sexy fragrance with sparkling citrus notes and woody cedar mixed with black currant, jasmine, sandalwood,white flowers and cassis.

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 Wednesday, September 21^st, 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.

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

The ESSENCE Street Style Block Party - A Roundup of the Best in Hair, Beauty & Fashion

Last Saturday, I visited the ESSENCE 3rd Annual Street Style Block Party at DUMBO Archway in Brooklyn NY. If you're looking for one place to visit during New York Fashion Week to find some inspirational and edgy street style or head-turning hairstyles then this is the place you want to be.

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?

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.  

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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]

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-

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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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.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lMQ45SJiEs/V7IWwb3yw8I/AAAAAAAAEVg/e0Pg_gxaFHo_Mf9JlPcwZOrWyhbz9chTgCEw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-15%2Bat%2B3.10.01%2BPM.png

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.