April Favorites

My Favorite Things In April

April has come and gone and it proved to be a great month for me! I got a lot of things done and got to see some amazing things last month. Kind of sad to see it go but happy for what’s next to come. Here are some of my favorite things in April. I just couldn’t get enough of these last month.

Face Products
Nars Tinted Moisturizer- I wore this daily, day and night, and took it everywhere. Such a nice tinted moisturizer. See my review here

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand- A nice edition to my personal collection. See my review here

Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder- I love this because it’s really fine and it doesn’t leave a white cast. It blends beautifully.

Lip Products
Mac Heroine Lipstick & Lip liner- So Sad these were limited(freaking Mac). I missed the initial launch date because I was in Ensenada on Vacation and I was so bummed but I accepted the fact that Mac is dumb with these L/E shades and chalked it up as a loss. LUCKILY, my pro store restocked on these for an event and I was able to get them. It was meant to be! It really is a lovely and original shade. I thought the Lip liner was a dupe for Mac Magenta but it’s really not. You can see the difference; Heroine lip liner is more purple.

Wearing Mac Heroine Lipstick and liner

Illamasqua Eurydice Lipstick- Loving this lipstick. It’s so bright and eye catching and I love the name! All my Greek mythology geeks know who she is. Pictures can be seen here

Eye Products
Mac Brazenly Eyeshadow- I loved this metallic purple eye shadow! See pictures here

Nars And God Created the Woman Palette- Pictures and review can be seen here

Lorac Front of the Line Pro Liquid Liner- Love, love this liner. It’s so easy and smooth. see my review and pictures here

Activities

I went to Ensenada with friends for a much needed, super fun and relaxing ladies weekend. It was a nice getaway filled with laughs,, drinking, cooking, wine tasting, delicious street food and more drinking. Here are a few pictures. If you’d like to see more I have tons of pictures on my instagram! Check em out! lady_d_makeup

Winery in Ensenada

My Beautiful Girls

La Bufadora

I went to a few Mac Pro social events; One was the pre launch of the Baking Beauties and Extra Dimension party that was super fun. And the second was an installation for celebrity Makeup Artist Val Garland. Such beautiful work! More photos on my instagram.

Mac Baking Beauties Event

Val Garland Installation

Movies
Haven’t gone to the theaters much in a while and when I did, I saw crappy movies. But I have been watching Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion on cable all month. I have seen this movie numerous times but lately just couldn’t get enough of it! It’s a classic with great 80′s tunes and a sincere message about the bonds of friendship. It doesn’t matter who invented post-its or who’s the Mary. LOL

What were some of your favorite things In April?

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss Temper

Illamasqua Lipgloss

Temper swatch

This is my first Lip gloss From Illamasqua and I just want to rave about how much I LOVE this lipgloss. I’m not really a gloss fan because I love a strong lip and glosses are…glosses. And I don’t particularly like sticky gloss. I am getting better and dealing with my pickiness and wearing a lot mire gloss these days. But I digress.

I love this gloss because like the name states, it is intense. Super intense! It can be sheer or built up to be fully opaque. And it applies evenly. The texture and the feel of the gloss is really nice and not thick or sticky. The scent is really nice too! I think it smells like fruit? Something sweet. All I know is that I want to eat it. And I love that it has the brush applicator. I prefer the brush over the doe foot applicators.

Temper Is described as a tangerine orange but It looks more like a gorgeous shade of red orange. It reminds me a bit of Wonder by Nars but this is 10 times more vibrant and in your face.The more I apply the redder it looks. When I first applied it, it looked more red than orange. But as the day went on, it turned more orange. It held up about 5 hours, through drinking water, before I noticed fading. Even then the color was the still nice, like an orange stain. And I find this gloss to be really moisturizing to my lips. When I take this off my lips feel nice and soft!

I am definitely hooked on these lipglosses. I already have my list of the ones I want!

Have you tried Lipgloss from Illamasqua?

Illamasqua Cream Blush Brazen

How Gorgeous is this?!

I am such a huge fan of Illamasqua’s cream blush. It’s such a shame that Sephora doesn’t carry all of them. They have some beautiful shades on the Illamasqua site. And it’s a damn shame they don’t have a store in the US! Get on that Illamasqua!!

Brazen is a gorgeous red. It looks scary but I’ve never been one to be scared of a little color. I only need a dab of this to get a nice, natural flush. It looks so natural! When I, and most medium to darker skinned beauties with red in their skin, blush (yes we do blush), or exercise we turn red…not pink. Although I do love a nice pick blush, this looks so natural on darker skin. It looks gorgeous!
The blush blends beautifully and it isn’t sticky or oily. It doesn’t add oil to the skin or make it look oily but it leaves the skin dewy and healthy looking. I just dab one dot of this on my cheeks with my fingers and blend either with my fingers or a buffing blush. First use I made the mistake of applying too much(I looked like I had a bad sunburn-LOL) and I just diffused the color with some powder. And because its a cream, it can be worn in the lips in a pinch or if you’re traveling. I love multitasking products!! I wore this all day with minimal fading by the time I washed my face.

Have you tried any cream blushers from Illamasqua?

Beauty!

Wearing Brazen

My Favorite Highlighters

My Favorite Highlighters

I am obsessed with highlighters. A good highlighter will make the skin look healthy and fresh. It’s supposed to brighten the face. It shouldn’t look fake or extra shimmery. The particles are meant to reflect light to make you glow, not make you look glittery. As you can see all highlighters are not the same. There are different textures from powder to creams, different finishes from sheen to glittery, and different shades from the lightest pink to the darkest bronze. I like powder and more gel or liquid consistencies.  Here are my favorite highlighters that I use often.

Nars Albatross- A white gold Highlight; perfect for all skin tones

Mac Semi-Precious Pearl MSF- If Mac ever re-promotes this, I would get it! It’s gorgeous pearl but its not too pale or cool because of the warm tones in the center. Nice on fair to medium skin, it might look a bit ashy on darker skin tones if too much of the pearl is used.

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold- Review here

Mac Brunette MSF-Another Limited edition by Mac, it’s a golden pink shade; Great for all skin tones. If it’s re-promoted get on it!

Inglot Face and Body Illuminator #62- Review here

What’s your favorite highlighter?

L-R Smashbox Halo, Mac Semi-Precious Pearl MSF, Nars Albatross, Mac Brunette MSF

Illamasqua Eurydice Lipstick

 

Illamasqua Eurydice Lipstick

Hotness!

Such a beautiful shade!  So great for Spring and Summer. It’s a bright fuchsia pink in a matte finish. I’m not exactly a fan of matte finishes mostly because they are a bit drying for me and I like my lipsticks to just glide on. Also I don’t like how they emphasize the lines on my lips. I guess I should just exfoliate my lips more often and I won’t have this issue. Anyway, this lipstick went on really dry, however I didn’t find this drying to my lips.  It felt a bit more creamy once it was applied and as it warmed up on my lips. Because it is matte it wore on me all day because it hugged the lips and did not budge. Even after me eating lunch and drinking water, I was left with a pink stain. You definitely need to exfoliate your lips before this but I Love this! I might have to get more Illamasqua Lipsticks!

Have you tried any lipsticks from Illamasqua?

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist + My Jurlique experience

I went to the Jurlique Spa in Santa Monica for a facial because I got a great deal on a facial and I have been experiencing some congestion on my skin and as a result getting some dark spots. I Like to get a facial every 6 months, at least, just as an upkeep and a deep clean. Clear and healthy skin is important. So first off my esthetician, Niecha, was amazing! She really knew her stuff and she really gave me probably the best facial experience ever, and I have gotten a lot of facials.

I have never tried this brand because I like my current skin routine, Lush has brought me through some trying times with my skin and I love them and had no intentions on changing up. This time after my facial, for the first time probably ever, I was wowed by how my skin looked. I could actually see my skin glowing. And ny aln looked brighter. Usually after a facial my skin looks fine but it’s a bit red and a bit swollen because of some extractions or whatever. But not this time. It was amazing. I got a skin brightening facial, where everything used was from their Purely Bright Line.
SO I bought a few items that I felt would help my skin with the dark spots and what I especially liked. I don’t ever buy anything after a facial even when they try to upsell because they are professionals and they know how to make you look good.

The rosewater mist is one thing I bought because I liked how it felt moisturizing without that oily feel. I have rosewater but it feels a bit slippery or oily, not overly so but I can feel it so I only use it when my skin is really dry or dull looking. The Jurlique rosewater mist doesn’t feel oily at all but still does a great job at hydrating the skin. It is suitable for ALL skin types. I absolutely love this stuff and it comes in two sizes(one good for traveling and a slightly bigger one that’s good for home) and I love using this to set my makeup. It gives such an amazing healthy glow.
Jurlique pride themselves on having all natural products, which I love! And their products smell so good and potent. During my facial I was lying there and inhaling every product used and all I could say was, ‘this smells so good!’

From the site about the Rosewater Mist
A daily hydrating mist featuring the relaxing scent of rose that restores and hydrates the complexion and is ideal for normal/combination skin types
The Benefits:
∙Balancing mist to restore and hydrate.
∙Leaves skin feeling refreshed, balanced and soothed.
∙Provides natural antioxidant protection.

The Ingredients:
∙Marshmallow and Glycerin help prevent moisture loss and intensely hydrate and soften the skin.
∙Rose and Aloe Vera soften, soothe and calm the skin.
∙Grapefruit Seed provides antioxidant protection.

Have you tried this Brand? Do Tell!

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand- Gold

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand Gold

This product is really nice. The formula is really nice and it’s almost like a gel feel; not exactly a cream, definitely not a liquid. It gives a really subtle highlight to the face(I love it on my cheeks). It’s not super shimmery and it gives a nice iridescence. The gold shade is really beautiful and super universal because it’s not dark or warm toned but it’s not too light because of the gold base. Even on the darkest or fairest skin this would give a nice glow or sheen. This comes in one other shade, pearl, which I think is more suited for fair to medium skin tones.

it feels really nice on the skin. It’s not greasy or oily and it doesn’t add oily to my skin. It doesn’t make my oily skin look or feel extra oily because even though it goes on creamy, it dries to like a powered finish. This brightens up the skin and complexion beautifully. It’s a natural glow that makes the skin look healthy. I highly recommend this as a great, solid highlighter.

I am not, however, a fan of the packaging. It is easy to travel with; you can drop it in your purse and go but there’s a click button on the bottom that distributes the product and if you accidentally push it, the it comes out from the brush. I am also on the fence about this brush applicator. It’s cool  and different and makes it really nice for quick application but it’s not really sanitary, especially for a makeup artist. You would have to apply it to a clean palette then apply to the client. And you can’t see how much product you have inside.

What do you think?

I Am Woman

I created this look using the Nars palette, And God Created the Woman. Love love love this palette. The shadows are so soft and pigmented. I like this look for a date night, subtle but eye catching. Hope you like it!

I used:
Alhambra on the lid and under the brow
Kalahari in the crease
Coconut Grove lightly to define the crease
Lise Waiter Feline Liquid Liner HD upper lash line
Urban decay Bourbon Eye Pencil on lower lash line
Kiss I-envy lashes
Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg

Mac Brazenly Eyeshadow- Look and Event Photots

Mac Brazenly Eyeshadow

I picked this new eyeshadow from Mac’s nudes and metallics collection that launched with the baking beauties, extra dimension collections. Mac just puts way too much stuff out at once and it drives me nuts!!  And I wasn’t exactly impressed with Baking Beauties or Extra Dimension. Anyhow, I went to the Baking Beauties pre launch party a week ago and I wanted a couple other shades from the nudes collection but they sold out before I could checkout and then I was over it when it launched last Thursday.

Did you pick up anything from any of these launches?

A couple of pictures from the party.

Check put my instagram and Facebook pages for more cool photos of the event:

Mac Baking Beauties Pre Launch Party

Super Classy- Like only Mac knows how! Cheers!

But I did get my hands on this eyeshadow shade, Brazenly, which is a beautiful, vibrant plum shade. I immediately fell in love with this. There’s some sheen, not a lot of glitter which I like in my shadows. The Nudes and Metallics stuff was quite nice, some were dupable(I forgot the names but Coppering and Cranberry were easy dupes for 2 shadow shades).

In this look I paired Brazenly eyeshadow with Coppering and I really liked how it came together. On my cheeks I broke out my Mac Amazon Princess. I forgot how much I love that blush!

Mac Brazenly with Mac Coppering Eyeshadow

It was a easy look I did for another MAC pro event featuring work from celebrity makeup artist Val Garland.
Here are some pictures. Check out my instagram and facebook pages to see more pictures. It was a beautiful, creative, and inspiring installation of work!

Instagram- lady_d_makeup

Facebook info on the side bar.

Ciao for now!

Installation of Makeup artist Val Garland

Simple yet Bold and Eye catching

Nars And God Created the Woman palette

Nars Eyeshadow Palette

Eyeshadow Palette

I love a good range of neutral eyeshadows so when I saw this Limited Edition palette in Sephora and knew I had to have it. I didn’t get it right away because I have been trying to cut back on makeup buying but then I became obsessed with this palette. All I could think about was getting this palette Can you see why? It’s so lovely!  I’ve never tired Nars eyeshadows so I thought this set would be perfect for me. You get 6 shades of neutrals(2 mattes, 2 with shimmer and two with sheen), a mini brush and a mini smudgeproof primer; Not bad for $59, in my opinion. The eye shades are Alhambra, Bellisima, Kalahari, Galapagos, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing. I bought it primarily for Galapagos and Coconut Grove but I love all the shades in the palette.

L-R Alhambra, Bellisima, Kalahari, Galapagos, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing

I love how compact this is. It’s so easy to travel with this; it fits perfectly in my travel bag when I’m going light and I can create easy looks for the day or evening.

I have only seen this at Sephora. It’s not on the Nars site so I think it’s a Sephora exclusive. It’s still available if you want a good solid eye palette. The shades are super pigmented and smooth. No dryness with these babies.

What’s your favorite Eyeshadow palette?