Makeup by Gaby

A couple weeks ago, I finally caved and picked up my first BB, or Blemish Balm, cream.  For those of you who are not familiar with BB creams, they are basically your “all-in-one” makeup product for your face.  Most BB creams advertise as having healing properties and are pretty much your moisturizer, primer, sunblock, and foundation, but more on that later.  BB creams have been popular in Asia and have just recently made their debut here in the States.

What I love about BB creams is that they are very…efficient.  I really can’t think of another word that can describe it any better.  There’s a high SPF in most of them so I know that my face is protected from the sun and it’s also a tinted moisturizer for the days where I just want light coverage.  The Too Faced BB cream in particular says that it has a broad spectrum SPF 20 sunscreen in it.  This means that it protects against UVA and UVB rays which is important since skin cancer is becoming more and more prevalent these days.  BB creams provide light coverage which can be a problem for you ladies who like a more full coverage foundation, but if you really want to use a BB cream, I would suggest using it as more of a moisturizer and primer and putting your normal foundation on top of it.  One thing that I am totally amazing by this BB cream is that it’s actually fading some of my scars away.  I had an unfortunate break out a few weeks ago which left a few marks around my temples (I know, I know, never pick your blemishes but old habits die hard!) and I have been using concealer practically every day to hide the dark marks.  After using Too Faced’s BB cream though, I noticed after a few weeks that the scars started to look way way lighter.  Of course, they’re still there, but they’re a lot lighter than they were and it usually takes a while for scars to fade on me.  I think this has to do with the skin brightening properties that a lot of BB creams advertise having.  I thought it was a total lie made for marketing purposes but holy cow it actually worked!  I really love how this feels on my skin and it sinks into my skin really fast so I avoid that awkward oily feeling I sometimes get from other moisturizers.  It makes me skin look nice and dewey too which is perfect for the warm months.

One thing I do wish was different with this BB cream and most BB creams in general, is the skin tone range that is offered.  Most BB creams are very very light, and people with darker skin tones may have trouble finding one that will match their skin.  Too Faced offers four different shades: Vanilla Glow, Creme Glow, Nude Glow, and Beach Glow.  I am somewhere between the third and fourth shade (for reference I fluctuate between NC37-NC40 at MAC).  I’ve been using the fourth shade only though since summer is coming up and I’m almost certain I’m going to get a tan.  If you find that BB creams are too light for you, I would suggest just applying a very sheer layer of it and then putting powder foundation in your shade on top of it to set it.  This seems to have worked for most people.

I think I might start a series of reviews just on all the new BB creams that have been coming out–let me know if you guys are interested in that!

Oh, oh! I almost forgot.  I picked mine up at Sephora for $32.00.  I know, it’s a little pricey, but I really don’t use much product so I think it should last me anywhere from six to nine months.

Have a great week everyone!

In celebration of Earth Day, Sephora is hosting an Origins trade-in event!  For today only, bring in an empty cosmetics container to any of Sephora’s store so that it can be recycled and in return, they will give you either a full sized Origins Starting Over moisturizer or A Perfect World moisturizer.  I’ve used A Perfect World moisturizer before and it’s amazing!  I have used it before applying my makeup in the morning and it really smoothed out my skin and kept it hydrated throughout the day.

So what are you waiting for?! Go celebrate Earth Day!

It’s Chic Week at Sephora! Up until April 5th, Sephora is offering 15% off online and in stores.  It’s the perfect time to stock up on products for the new season!  You have to be a Beauty Insider for this discount but don’t worry, it’s free.  You can sign up online here and shop away. I am definitely thinking of picking up some stuff…it’s just trying to figure out what I actually need that’s the problem since 15% off is pretty good considering the makeup at Sephora is never on sale.

Happy shopping everyone!

Hey guys!

Sorry I’ve been away for so long, school has decided to catch up with me and I caught the flu a few weeks ago so everything has just been backed up and I’ve finally found some room to breathe a little bit.  I’m back now though and I’ve got a lot of stuff to show you guys in the upcoming weeks (has anyone else noticed how amazing drug store products are right now?)! Right now though, I just wanted to share with you all that the Urban Decay Friends and Family sale is going on from now until March 10th.  I believe it applies to all of their products except the Naked 2 palette so be sure to take advantage of the sale, especially since spring is coming up which means new makeup styles.  It’s time to put away all that winter makeup for hibernation and bring back the neons and bright colors!  Happy shopping everyone!

After sitting in bed all day trying to get rid of this flu, I figured I had to share this with you guys because it’s always been such a controversial issue.  The FDA recently did a study on the amount of lead in lipstick and came up with a list of 400 different lipsticks with on the market that have traces of lead found in them.  The FDA states that this doesn’t pose any kind of health concern but I know that there are people who are worried about this (especially if you are pregnant) so I’m going to post a link where you can find the entire list of lipsticks that contain lead.  Here are the top ten lipsticks that contained the most lead.

1. Maybelline’s Color Sensation in Pink Petal. (Lead content: 7.19 ppm)

2. L’Oreal Colour Riche in Volcanic. (Lead content: 7.00 ppm)

3. NARS Semi-Matte in Red Lizard. (Lead content: 4.93 ppm)

4. Cover Girl Queen Collection Vibrant Hues Color in Ruby Remix (Lead content: 4.92 ppm)

5. NARS Semi-Matte in Funny Face. (Lead content: 4.89 ppm)

6. L’Oreal Colour Rich in Tickled Pink. (Lead content: 4.45 ppm)

7. L’Oreal Intensely Moisturizing Lipcolor in Heroic. (Lead content: 4.41 ppm)

8. Cover Girl Continuous Color in Warm Brick. (Lead content: 4.28 ppm)

9. Maybelline Color Sensational in Mauve Me. (Lead content: 4.23 ppm)

10. Stargazer lipstick in shade “c.” (Lead content: 4.12 ppm)

*ppm = parts per million

You can find the entire list here.

Real Techniques is a beauty brand that sells makeup brushes that was created by Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo.  I saw these brushes at Ulta and decided to by the Core Collection and Starter Set.  The Core Collection contains 4 different face brushes and the Starter Set has 5 different eye brushes and both go for about 18 dollars.  I am very pleased with the quality of these brushes, especially for the price.  The bristles are very full and dense and are made from synthetic fibers.  The brushes hold up very well during washings and I haven’t seen much shedding at all.  What I like about these brushes are that they dry extremely fast, especially for being synthetic.   After playing with these for a couple of weeks I can finally give you a run down of what I use each brush for.  :)

Lol you can see me in the reflection!

The Core Collection: This collection come with four different face brushes including the detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing  brush, and contour brush.

The detailer brush: This brush is supposed to be used with concealers but it’s a little small for my taste.  What I really like using this brush for is for lip products.  It gives me great precision which is something I look for when I’m using brushes to work with lipsticks and lip glosses.

The pointed foundation brush: This brush is also smaller than most foundation brushes but it does an amazing job of really smoothing out foundation.  The pointed shape allows me to really cover every part of my face and makes it easier to put foundation underneath my eyes and around my mouth (which is something I’ve always had a problem with with standard foundation brushes.

The buffing brush: I use this brush for an assortment of things.  I use this to buff out my foundation and to set my foundation with powder.  It also works nicely with mineralized foundation, as it really packs the product on and buffs it out smoothly.  Using this brush to buff out my foundation keeps my foundation from looking streaky and it gives my foundation an amazing finish.

The contour brush:  This brush is pretty much an all in one brush for my cheek products.  I can use this to apply blush, contour my face, and also highlight my cheek bones as well.  I really wish that this brush was sold on it’s own because I would buy a few of these to keep in my kit.  I especially love this for contouring because it really gets into the hollows of my cheek bones and keeps me from using too much bronzer which avoids the whole “dirty” look.

The Starter Set: This set comes with five different eye brushes: the base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, pixel-point eyeliner brush, and brow brush.

The base shadow brush: I enjoy using this brush with cream products.  It applies primers on smoothly and also blends out cream shadows evenly.  I like that I can apply and blend with this brush and reminds me of the MAC 217 brush for that purpose.  Since it is a synthetic brush, you won’t have to worry about cream products damaging the bristles.

The deluxe crease brush: In all honesty, I don’t use this brush for my eyes at all.  This is actually my favorite concealer brush.  The dome shape of the brush really helps buff out the concealer so my skin doesn’t look cakey and the size of the brush is perfect.  It’s big enough to quickly cover up problem areas but small enough to really get in and conceal tiny blemishes.  I know I totally just contradicted myself there but believe me, this brush is amazing.  This is another one that I wish was sold on it’s own because you know I would be getting a couple more if I could.

The accent brush: I love using this brush to smudge out eyeliner and eyeshadow.  It makes the perfect smokey eye and really blends out the color smoothly.  It’s also small enough to apply and smoke out color on the bottom lash line which is something I’m always looking for.  I also use this to highlight my brow bone whenever I am using a highlight color.

The pixel-point eyeliner brush:  I have a love/hate relationship with this brush.  It creates gorgeous lines when I want really dramatic eyeliner but this brush is too big to create fine lines.  If you’re someone that doesn’t like too much eyeliner, I would avoid using this brush, but it does a fantastic job if you really want that dramatic look.

The brow brush: This is your standard angled brush.  It’s nice to use to fill in your brows but I wouldn’t try to use it to put eyeliner on, it’s way too thick.  This brush picks up a lot of product so I don’t have to constantly go back to my brow powder, which is nice.

Well there you go, you guys!  I hope this helped out.  These really are great brushes for the price.  I bought these at Ulta and keep a lookout because sometimes they’re on sale for buy one, get one 50% off.

Next up on MAC’s upcoming spring collection releases is the Perfectly Finished Collection which comes out on February 16th.  I’m pretty interested in this one because I absolutely love their mineralized skin finish, so I’m hoping this mineral line will be just as good as the MSFs.  The mineralized foundation is actually just being rereleased in a new container but the mineralized concealer is new and what I’m probably going to end up picking up.

“Look what’s happening in Mineralize!  Our outstandingly popular MAC Mineralize Foundation/Loose gets a new look and with the 188 duo fibre brush sets out to create its famous naturally radiant finish.  For those who have a spot, a blemish, a dark circle to hide, there’s new Mineralize Concealer.  Goes on smoothly, discreetly, with a touch of moisture.  Shade palettes go from light to dark.  Formulas meet the needs of all ages, all races,all sexes.  You’ll find these two a great match!”

Mineralize Concealer $19.00

• NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW40, NW45, NW50, NC15, NC20, NC30, NC35, NC42, NC45, NC50

• Extra Light, Light, Light Plus, Medium, Medium Plus, Medium Dark, Medium Deep, Dark, Dark Deep

188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush $34.00

MAC is finally beginning to release their spring collections and first up is going to be Shop MAC, Cook MAC.  This is going to be released on February 9th in North American stores and in March at international locations.  This looks like a super cute and fun collection which is perfect for spring.  The colors are bright and bold, and the collection looks to be a pretty decent size.  I’m already eyeing a the glosses and cream blushes so I’m definitely going to have to visit MAC when this collection comes out!

“Try and Buy a delicious, delovely, delectable, divine, degorgeous, de-with-it, degroovy assortment of Eye Shadow x 4 in wearable brights perfect for Spring. Treat yourself to Lipstick in heavenly hues, mouthwateringly Kissable Lipcolour and Cremeblend Blush. This Spring, shop ‘til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary.  Whether it’s detergent or diamonds, produce or Prada, everyone loves to shop, shop, shop!”

“Ladle on an extra helping of foodie fun with an appetizing assortment temptingly tasty Tendertones, nearly black Fluidlines, Studio Careblend/Pressed powder, Opulash Mascara, two Brushes and nosh-worthy Nail Lacquers in fun, bright shades sure to satiate even the most discriminating of glamorous gourmands. COOK M·A·C has Spring 2012’s no-carb, no-calorie recipe for kooky, kitschy, kitchen kouture in savoury shades for Eyes, Lips and Nails.”

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Lipstick $14.50

• Innocence, Beware! Light yellow pink (cremesheen)
• Naughty Sauté Bright pepto pink (cremesheen)
• Watch Me Simmer Bright pink-orange (amplified)
• Quick Sizzle Bright pink (matte)
• Dish It Up Berry pink (lustre)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Cremeblend Blush $20

• Optimistic Orange (Bright coral)
• Florida (Bright coral)
• Restores Dazzle! (Rich plum)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Kissable Lipcolour $19

• Flaunting It (Grey mauve)
• So Vain (Muted dirty coral
• Scan-delicious (Blue fuchsia)
• Woo Me (Light pinky nude)
• Enchantée (Light blue pink)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Eyeshadow Quad $38
Shop & Drop

• Hypnotizing Frosted greyed mauve (frost)
• Sugar Snack Light pink (matte)
• Power Boosted Violet (veluxe pearl)
• Shop & Drop Deep blue (satin)

Call Me Bubbles

• Light tan (satin)
• Fresh Daily Orange (frost)
• Brash Frosty reddish copper (veluxe pearl)
• Full of Flavour Coral (matte)’

Colour Added

• Laundry Daze Light yellow (satin)
• Colour Added Bright yellow (veluxe pearl)
• Self-Serve Deep grey (satin)
• Pre-Packaged Muted turquoise (veluxe pearl)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Studio Careblend/Pressed $23

• Medium Soft creamy beige
• Dark Deep caramel

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Fluidline $15

• Midnight Snack (Soft black)
• Wholesome (Blackened brown)
• Added Goodness (Blackened mauve)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Opulash Mascara $15

• Bad, Bad, Black Black

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Tendertone Lip Balm SPF 12 $15

• Hush, Hush (Sheer gold with yellow gold pearl)
• Purring (Sheer tangerine with pearl)
• Hot ‘n’ Saucy (Soft cherry red)
• Tread Gently (Soft lime green with yellow pearl)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Nail Lacquer $16

• Al Fredo Bright acid green (creme)
• Salad Dressed Midtone dirty aqua (creme)
• Kid Orange Coral (creme)

MAC Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook Brushes

• 211 Pointed Liner $18
• 129SH Powder/Blush $34

As you can see, there are a ton of different products that are coming out with this collection! Is there anything catching your eye? Let me know!

During my vacation in Vegas, I managed to buy a few beauty products…even though I told myself I was going to try and not buy any makeup on this trip.  I couldn’t help it though! Justin and I went outlet shopping on our way back home and there just happened to be a Cosmetic Company Store there.  If you’ve never heard of the place, it is basically Estee Lauder’s cosmetic outlet.  Estee Lauder is known for their own makeup line, but they also own Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and MAC to name a few.  The Cosmetic Company Store stocks makeup from previous seasons at discount prices.  If you missed a collection that came out a while ago or are looking for a good deal, this is the place to go.  I only picked up some MAC products this time around but luckily there is a Cosmetic Company Store nearby at the Block of Orange so I’ll definitely be making a trip out again. I believe it’s located in the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet if any of you want to take a look for yourselves.  I was really surprised with the selection they had.  I would have stayed in the store longer to look at other brands but I didn’t want to keep Justin waiting for me too long…I think he waited outside for like 45 minutes.  Sorry babe!

Anyway these stores are mostly located in outlet malls so if you’re ever doing any outlet shopping make sure to stop by and see if they have anything good! I love going to this place because I might be able to find a product I missed out on from a previous line.  When I went to the one at the Primm Outlets a few weeks ago, the MAC section carried products back as far as the Disney Villains collection which was over a year ago, if I remember correctly.  There were also a few products from the Fashion Flower collection which was released last spring and the Jeanius line which was released this past March.

The products that are available are definitely hit or miss, so I like to stop by one of the stores once in a while to see if they put out anything new.  It doesn’t hurt that the products are cheaper than retail price!

To find a Cosmetic Company Store near you: http://www.mallseeker.com/cosmeticscompanystore.aspx

Here’s what I bought!

MAC Mineralize Blush in Sakura–Limited Edition in the Quite Cute Collection
Originally $23.00, one sale for $16.25

Is this not the cutest blush you’ve ever seen?! What I love about this is that you can use it three different ways–you can use each color of the blush on it’s own and you can mix them together to get an entirely different color!

MAC Bronzing Powder in Refined Deeper Bronze–Discontinued
Originally $23.00, on sale for $16.25

I absolutely loved this bronzer when I swatched it in the store.  It’s very warm, so it avoids that dirty look you can get when working with bronzers.

MAC Beauty Powder in Alpha Girl–Limited Edition in the Fashion Flower Collection
Originally $23.00, on sale for $16.25

Ahh the iconic Alpha Girl.  This has been released before in 2008, and when I was in the store it was the last one in stock so you know I had to get it! It’s a very pretty peachy pink color that can work either as a blush or highlight depending on your skin tone.

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Porcelain Pink–Limited Edition in the MAC Fall Colour Collection
Originally $28.00, on sale for $19.75

I loved how this looked on my skin too.  I’m going to be using this as a highlight, it’s a lovely pinkish gold color that I think will look great in the spring.

Hoped this helped you guys, and hopefully you can make it out to a Cosmetic Company Store near you!

While on my hunt for that perfect tube of mascara, I managed to stumble across MAC’s Opulash mascara.  The mascara is described as, “a saturated intense black with extra-volumization, expansion and curl delivered dramatically with [the] most bodacious brush yet”.  It separates my lashes nicely and gives me a good amount of length and curl, but as far as thickening and volumizing, I’ve found mascaras that do a much better job.  I normally gravitate towards mascaras that thicken and volumize, so you can probably tell that I’m kind of indifferent about this one.  Don’t get me wrong, it does a great job at what it does so if you’re looking to for a mascara that creates long, wispy lashes then this is for you.

The massive mascara wand! It’s definitely “bodacious”, as MAC described it.

However, there are a few things that I wish were different about this Opulash.  First, the brush is ridiculous.  I thought that the CoverGirl Lashblast mascara wand was huge and if that’s the case, then the Opulash wand is on steroids.  I can see how this can cause a problem with people who have smaller eyes, because the brush is so large that it can easily transfer onto the lid of your eye.  Also, it can get difficult to apply mascara on the inner lashes since you don’t get much precision with this brush.  It took some time for me to get used to, but I still have to be really careful applying this mascara. The formula is drier than most mascaras I’ve used which doesn’t cause too much of a problem but you’ll have to work fast if you like applying multiple coats to prevent any clumping.  Since the formula is drier, I would suggest people with shorter and thinner lashes to use this since it’ll adhere to lashes better, but still the mascara brush is so large that it can cause some problems with shorter lashes.  Also, I would have liked the formula to be a lot darker.  Again, this can appeal to some people since the lighter color gives a more natural look, but I love love love love love having dramatic lashes without having to put on falsies, so a super dark formula is a must for me.  Apparently, another formula of this mascara was released so I may have to try that one out since from the description it seems to be what I look for in a mascara.

Sorry in advance for the scary eye pictures…I wanted to show you guys the before and after of my lashes to see how well the mascara worked!

Haha I really need to do my eyebrows.

And well, there you have it!  This mascara is great for an everyday mascara, and to be honest it’s been growing on me.  Now that I’ve gotten the hang of using such a gigantor brush, I really like how my lashes look with this mascara. Hope this helped you guys!