Smashbox Cosmetics Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver's Seat – Swatches, Review, Photos & Video

Smashbox Cosmetics Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver's Seat - It's described as a warm pink (kind of coral on me). Smashbox describes this as an eight-hour wear, liquid-matte lipstick with a featherweight, comfortable formula that stays put and keeps color looking as fresh and flawless as the first swipe. First thing first, the applicator for these liquid lipstick are by far the best on the market. The pointed tip is almost fool proof with how easy it makes it to get precise application. As for the formula - it is amazingly comfortable on the lips - like one of those creamy mattes that don't dry out your lips. It dries quickly and didn't transfer during my kiss test. I did have to build up the color as it applied a bit uneven upon the first swipe.

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Have you tried the formula yet? What colors do you want me to swatch next?

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Black Cherry Lip Gloss – Swatches, Photos, Video & Review

Anastasia Beverly Hills Black Cherry Lip Gloss is a creamy deep plum gloss that is designed to give your lips an intense pout. For $16, you get 4.5 grams of product which is almost 16oz. It's a very creamy formula that doesn't apply tacky or sticky but still leaves your lips with a super shine - a glass like finish. ou can wear it alone or pair it with a lipstick for an extra pop.

Here is a live look at me applying it.

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Cupid's bow highlight - OPV Highlighter in Glam-O-Rous $27.00

Versace Eros Pour Femme, Verssace Pour Homme & Michael Kors Glam Jasmine Fragrance Prize Pack (Twitter) Giveaway

Surprise! I told my twitter fam yesterday so they were already prepared for this! I have one full set fragrance set for one of you! The set includes:

Versace Eros Pour Femme

Versace Pour Homme

Michael Kors Glam Jasmine 

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 your friends so they can enter too. 18+ or older to participate. Open internationally.

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

Kami Cosmetics Liquid Matte Smooch Swatches & Photos - Wanted & Blue

If you remember - or if you're a new reader here Kami Cosmetics is a luxury beauty brand that has been designed for the sophisticated and chic woman in every skin tone. The best thing about this brand is it is owned by woman of color with the kindest heart. You can find out more about the brand in my first review here. I was recently sent some more of their products to test out and I couldn't be happier to share some photos of the liquid matte smooch line.

 

This liquid lipstick formula is one of the best that I have tried. It's very pigmented for how light-weight it is on the lips. You really only need one swatch to get a true color payoff (see below) but if you want to apply two coats to build it up, touch up wear after a long day or even do an ombre lip then these are the liquid lipsticks you want to try.

Here, I wanted you guys to see what Wanted and Blue looked like on my lips. Let me know which other colors you want lip swatches of.

Available: Online at Kami Cosmetics for $18 each.

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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.

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?

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.” 

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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.

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 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.

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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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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

A Walk Through Central Park South by Bond No. 9 Fragrance Review

Summer - it's the most yearned for and most anticipated time of the year, am I right? As a native New Yorker, it really is all that we have to hold onto to get us through the unbearable winds of winter. For some, the seemingly never-ending sunshine and breezy air marks the beginning of a new shopping season, an occasion to store away the heavy layers of clothes and lighten your wardrobe with airy maxi dresses and flashback aviators. For me, I tend to want to just run outside and get lost in the wanderlust of the sights and smells of the city. There's nothing else in the world like going down to Central Park and experiencing an olfactory explosion from the newly bloomed flowers or getting little water droplets splashed on your face from the Bethesda Fountain. That's where Bond No. 9 got its fragrance inspiration for Central Park South - the world's most super-elegant city street with the world's most sumptuous greenery at its doorstep.Bond No. 9 Central Park South is a fresh and floral fragrance that features top notes of grapefruit flower and blackcurrant buds. It has seductive heart notes of jasmine and lily of the valley that blend into the base notes of classic wood. It's really a playground for the senses if you're looking for a fresh update to your floral fragrance wardrobe.  One of the things that I love about undressing this bottle is the use of accessories. You can wear the decorative neck piece as a bracelet - when fashion meets fragrance ;-).

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