Makeup Wars ~ Our Favorite Waterproof Makeup featuring Make Up For Ever Aqua Summer 2013!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Brooke

For this installment of Makeup Wars we dug through our stashes of awesome to pull out Our Favorite Waterproof Makeup products.

Obviously, there is going to be a lot to choose from. Most lines carry at the very least a waterproof mascara. But there is one brand that is, IMO, above all in the waterproof-never-budging-off-of-your-face-ever category – Make Up For Ever.

Make Up For Ever has the best line of waterproof products, bar none. They don’t smudge, migrate or even really remove very easily! For Summer 2013 they have some new additions to the Aqua Rouge Family and I have four of the pieces here to share with you today. They’ll be your new fun-in-the-sun must haves!

Starting off with the eye, there are three new Aqua Creams and two new Aqua Eyes.

The Aqua Creams ($23.00) make great bases or even stand alone colors that won’t crease or smudge. The new shades are #52 Pearly Green Lagoon, #54 Pearly Mauve and the one above #53 Pearly Pastel Green. This one in particular makes an excellent base or to brighten up the inner corners of the eye.

The Aqua Eyes ($19.00) should be a go-to for anyone who doesn’t want their liner to migrate or fade throughout the day. Two new shades are available for Summer in #25L Matte Brown and the one featured here in #52L Pearly Green Lagoon.

Below I used the #53 Aqua Cream as a base for the look and lined with the #52L Aqua Eyes. The shadows are from the Aqualillies for Tarte Palette.

For the new lip products they’re introducing two new Aqua Lips and five new Aqua Rouge.

The Aqua Lip ($19.00) make great liners to prep the lip to hold color. They feel a little dry going on, but they’re not going anywhere. The new shades are #19C Pomegranate Pink and the one shown in this post #20C Baby Pink.

Below I have #20C on my lips with nothing underneath and nothing on top.

The Aqua Rouge ($24.00) have literally been the only lip product that does not go anywhere. You can wash your face as normal and only get a slight fading. I scrub with makeup remover and still have a stain from these babies. Five vibrant new shades are out for Summer in #19 Pomegranate Pink, #20 Baby Pink, #17 Bright Coral, #18 Coral and the one featured here in #16 Fuchsia.

Below I’m wearing #16 with the gloss on top.

I also wore this lip in this Instagram Photo (follow me woooo!)

The new Summer 2013 products from Make Up For Ever will be available beginning in May at Sephora and Make Up For Ever Boutiques.

What are your favorite Waterproof Makeup products? Be sure to check out what the other Makeup Wars bloggers have shared as their faves out of all of us, you’re sure to find something that will be a must have!

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Makeup Wars – Favorite Face Mask featuring Reviva Labs Light Skin Peel!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

This week, the beautiful bloggers of Makeup Wars are showing off our favorite face masks! I definitely have a couple of favorites, but I decided to share with you one that I’ve loved for a few years and is very affordable.

If you’ve been a longgggg time reader of Blushing Noir (I’m talkin’ back in my blogspot days!), you’ve seen me review this face mask before. The Reviva Labs Light Skin Peel ($20.00) is my go-to mask when I want to remove dead skin cells from my face and look radiant. The mask is not harsh at all, but will leave your skin a little flushed looking (this will fade) and the smell isn’t all that lovely, but darned if it doesn’t work like no other (obviously, I’ve been a fan since 2011).

You need very little product to coat your entire face and the pot will last you many months. Smooth it on, allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes and then wipe it off. You can use a dry towel, but I use a wet one… that’s probably bad but my OCD’s don’t allow for the dry towel option lol

For the price you absolutely can’t beat it, especially since it’s all natural and works for all skin types, no matter what your age.

Normally I pop it on in the shower and then lather up with some Reviva Labs Seaweed Soap ($4.00, also shown above) but for the sake of an embarrassing photo op I did it out of the warm spray.

If you’re not too terrified of the mugshot you’ve seen here, definitely check out what the other Makeup Wars bloggers came up with! I’m dying to see their faves. I always leave these things with a mile long shopping list lol

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Makeup Wars ~ Favorite Cream Shadow Featuring Bobbi Brown FOREST Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Swatches & Review

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Brooke

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For this Makeup Wars we’re showcasing our favorite shadows that are creamy, meaning in a pot or a stick or tube…. basically anything not powder! (FYI, if you follow along on these Makeup Wars posts, the last one was an April Fool’s joke… not sure if everyone got a chance to go back and check the update lol)

Last month I shared my first purchase from a new line of products from Bobbi Brown, the Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Sand Dune. Because this particular cream shadow is available in 8 shades, I knew I had to pick up one or two more! The next one I grabbed, of course, was the deep green shade of Forest.

What the Sephora website says about the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick:

What it is:
A long-lasting, waterproof eye shadow that glides on easy like a stroke of genius.

What it does:
Shade, define, smoke up, and highlight your eyes with this do-it-all eye shadow formula. It glides onto your lids tug-free and is completely waterproof, so it can play as rough as you do. Choose from subtle to eye-popping shades that last for up to eight hours without creasing, flaking, or fading.

Forest (cool, emerald green) is actually a very smokey and deep blackened green… which I would normally describe as “forest” so the name, IMO, is quite fitting! This is perfection to wear alone as a shadow or as a base to make a really sexy, green smoked look.

Just like the others I’ve tried, Forest had a nice, soft glide during application and was easy to blend out with my finger. It held shadows rather well, only showing very minor creasing at the end of the day. That’s a big deal for me, because normally these long-wear sticks don’t hold and I need a secondary primer under it like Urban Decay Primer Potion.

With this particular shade, if you’re going to wear it alone, looks better when placed on the eye rather than blended out to maintain the pigment and beauty of the shade. If you plan on putting shadows over top, blending will still be the best choice.

Blended:

Not blended:

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks retail for $28.00 each and are available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and bobbibrown.com.

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see how the other bloggers favorite trends! What WILL we think of next?!

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Makeup Wars – Showcasing Our Favorite Spring Beauty Trends (aka April Fool’s!)

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Brooke

For this Makeup Wars we’re exploring the whimsical wonderment of Spring trends! For 2013, one of my favorite trends is ending your eye liner with symbols.

If you have a steady hand, I recommend using a liquid or gel liner, they just stay on skin so much better. A quick tip is to do slight dashes and make the shape of your symbol and then just trace. However, if you’re still getting the hang of it, pencils are certainly okay and definitely the way to go!

Above, I’ve used one of my favorites, a heart! Feel the love! I almost went with the infinity symbol, which I was thinking of getting tattooed on the underside of my wrist, infused with my kids names… what do you guys think?

To get this look, just start your liner at the very outer tip of the top lashes and create your shape. Bring down the liner and end underneath the lower lashes, leaving space for some shadow. The shadows used in this look are all from the Le Metier de Beaute Melange Palette charcoal black on the lid, silver right above the upper and right below the lower lashes, gold in the crease and blended up. The liners used are NARS Carpates & Atlantic and the mascara is MAC Plushlash.

A HUGE plus to this look is that it also hides signs of aging! Crows feet be gone!

You can also rock this trend on your lips at the outer corners of the mouth, but I can’t get the symbol to stay straight when I go to frowning vs smiling… any tips for perfecting that?

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see how the other bloggers favorite trends! What WILL we think of next?!

(APRIL FOOLS! Though, I do like that this hides crows feet, and that’s no joke lol)

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Makeup Wars: How We Spa at Home!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

A lot of times when we think “spa” we don’t think about doing anything at home. Who wants to try to relax and still have to do all the work? Luckily, there are products out there that do the work for you or at least require very minimal effort. For 90% of my at home spa-ing I reach for LUSH because the products are innovative, always smell amazing and don’t make my sensitive skin itch.

For my most recent at home spa experience I used some new products from LUSH – Avobath, Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo and Sugar Scrub.

Avobath ($6.35) is a bath bomb, which means you just drop it into the tub and let the ball melt and fizz into the water, turning it green. This particular bath bomb smells amazing with its lemongrass scent, making it unbelievably relaxing. When you get out of the tub your skin will feel soft and smooth.

Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo ($9.95 for 3.3 fl. oz. – size shown) is beer shampoo. No, that is not a typo. I’m not ridiculously fond of the scent straight out of the bottle, but it smells good on the hair and makes it super soft and silky.

Sugar Scrub ($6.25) smells amazing (it better since it’s made with sugar and powdered ginger!) and is invigorating to the skin while not being too harsh (go lightly, you don’t need to scrub!). It’s probably better to break off pieces to take into the shower or tub with you. I made the mistake of taking the whole thing in and it fell apart after I got the whole thing wet.

Pick up any of these LUSH items (and MORE!) at your local LUSH retailer (find US locations here) or online at lushusa.com.

What are some of your favorite ways to spa at home?

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see how the other bloggers pamper and relax at home! What WILL we think of next?!

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Makeup Wars – Emerald Look Featuring L’Oreal The Temptress’ Gaze Quad, The Muse’s Attitude Nail Polish and Tarte Emerald Skinny SmolderEYES

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Brooke

For this weeks Makeup Wars the gals have decided to take on the Pantone 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald and show our favorite way to wear it. This is such a fun one for me personally, because Emerald is my favorite jewel-toned shade. And this post also comes to you just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! Get your green on!

Below are the items I’m featuring in my post, a few fabulous items from Tarte and L’Oreal!

I love to wear my emerald as a pop of color on an otherwise neutral eye. A great palette to start this process is the Project Runway Limited Edition Studio Secrets Pressed Eyeshadow Quad in 216 Temptress’ Gaze by L’Oreal ($8.99 at Ulta).

This quad has three shades (a bronze, golden copper, and a deep, matte brown) that make it easy to create a bold, yet lovely neutral eye with a fourth shade in green to mix it up.

But, I like to mix it up even MORE by adding in a true emerald hued eye liner. My favorite for this is the Tarte Skinny SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Emerald ($19.00 at Sephora & Ulta). This liner will not budge once it sets and it lines smoothly on the lid as well as on the waterline. There is no skipping, and it’s so soft all you need is one stroke for perfection.

Clearly, swatching and looking at product is fun, but the REALLY fun part is showing off the eye look!

For this EOTD I started out with my primer of choice, Urban Decay Primer Potion. Taking the L’Oreal Temptress’ Gaze Quad I applied the Bronze shade all over the eye lid except for at the inner corners where I applied the golden copper. The green shade is in the crease and blended up, and then I also blended a bit more of the golden copper over that. The deep brown shade was used to deepen the outer V. I lined top and bottom with the Tarte Skinny SmolderEYES in Emerald and then smudged more of the green shadow underneath that. The mascara used is Neutrogena Healthy Volume.

And, for kicks, an emerald nail look with L’Oreal The Muse’s Attitude Nail Color ($5.99 at Ulta)! I believe this polish as well as the quad shown are limited edition. Three coats of polish were used in the photo below.

How do you wear Emerald?

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see how the other bloggers incorporate the color of the year into their looks! What WILL we think of next?!

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Makeup Wars: Beauty Blogger Travel

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Brooke

Oh, you over-pack shoes? As a Beauty Blogger I over-pack makeup. When it comes to being sensible for travel in terms of fashion, I have it down. I actually lay out all of my outfits ahead of time so that I have only what I need. Everything I want to take is removed from my closet and throughout the 48 hours before my trip I remove things that aren’t must-haves. So, why can’t I do this with beauty?

I will tell you why. Because all beauty is a must-have to me! What if I NEED it?! Of course, my HG’s come along always, but depending on what you are traveling to and what events are taking place, you may need some other special items.

For this Makeup Wars, we’re taking you into our travel beauty bags to show you what we like to bring with us when we go out of town, on vacation or on any sort of trip (business or pleasure!).

So, this is probably a little bit more than what I’d actually end up taking, but I didn’t really choose an event to base this off of. I grabbed up my must haves. My absolute I’m-not-leaving-my-life-behind-for-an-airplane-without-you.

For the face, I absolutely bring the Miracle Skin Transformer Skin and Treat & Conceal, as well as Make Up For Ever Pro Finish (because it’s like a powder and foundation in one), Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector and finally the Le Metier de Beaute Blush Kaleidoscope because it’s everything cheeky in one!

The eye makeup is where I can tend to go really overboard. Luckily items like the Urban Decay Naked Palette (versions one and two) make for excellent travel companions! Another palette that is a must have and can be worn for multiple types of events is the Le Metier de Beaute Penelope Kaleidoscope. The liners you see below are the Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eye Pencil in Champagne (an excellent base for all shadows!), MAC Orpheus & Mystery Kohl Power, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 23L to wake up (I also like 24L when I’m going for a natural look) and for a more dramatic look I’ll use NARS Carpates on the top lid. For mascara I would grab the Neutrogena Healthy Volume (because it’s currently the mascara I’m cheating on MAC Plushlash with), and to cap it off the MAC Clear Brow Set for eyes and Dior DiorShow Brow Styler. Of course, we can’t forget the eye primer – I tend to reach for Urban Decay Primer Potion the most.

For lips, I like to use Le Metier de Beaute because the brand is known for how well the products layer and wear. San Tropez Colour Core Moisture Stain Lipstick makes for the perfect base to layer on a shade to match any outfit. Three glosses from the same line that I would take along with me are Two Lips Lip Creme, Mums the Word Lip Creme and Red Velvet Lip Creme. For those times that you don’t want to worry about reapplication of ANY kind, Make Up For Ever #8 Aqua Rouge is a must have. My lip liner of choice is always MAC Subculture, because it’s the closest to my lip pigment. Urban Decay Ozone is also a great choice when you’re wearing deep colors that might bleed.

As for brushes, it’s easy to stay minimal because you can take brush cleanser in a travel bottle and wash them every night. The brushes that I have to have with me are always the Sigma F80, and MAC Brushes 168, 239, 219, 272 and 226.

There you have it! I stuck with just makeup for this post, but in terms of skin care I learned my lesson the hard way when I went to Disney World in April, so now I stick with my usual skin care from Murad as well as my frizz-free hair care from Living Proof. My fragrance of choice is Chanel Chance and I tend to try and get sample vials of that, especially if I’m on an airplane. I’ll also take whatever nail polish I’m wearing on my tips and toes as well as a top coat just in case. To see some of these things, check out a previous Makeup Wars that we did based off of our HG’s!

What are your must have travel items, beauty or otherwise?

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see what the other bloggers take with them when they travel! What WILL we think of next?!

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Makeup Wars – Valentine’s Day Look Featuring the DIOR Cherie Bow Palette Swatches, Review & FOTD

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Brooke

Love is in the air!!!! This week on Makeup Wars we’ve decided to pull ourselves together and show off our favorite Valentine’s Day look.

At first I wanted to do something sexier and with a red lip. But then I’m like… that’s not what I would wear out on a Valentine’s Day date! Something more me is a classy look of greys and pinks. Who does grey and pink better than Dior Beauty with the launch of their Spring 2013 Cherie Bow Collection?

For this FOTD I want to do a soft ‘in love’ look and feature the Dior Cherie Bow Palette ($80.00). The pretty enamel case is also perfect to carry around for touch ups, and even looks like a small clutch!

Being Dior, the shadows are soft and easy to apply and blend. The soft pink gloss is very sheer and has a subtle shimmer. I didn’t use it in the completed look, because the eye was so soft I wanted a bit “more” for my Valentine’s Day Look. Below is a swatch of the Dior gloss from the Cherie Bow Palette alone on my lips:

The gloss feels amazing on the lips, and I love how they put a metal cover over the top so that you’re not getting shadow dust into the product. Normally I’m skeeved out by palettes with gloss, but I’m always okay with Dior’s because they keep them separated. Now, onto the look!

To replicate my Valentine’s Day FOTD you’ll need the following:

Miracle Skin Transformer Face
Paula’s Choice Foundation Resist Instant Smoothing Anti-Aging Foundation
Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation
MAC Taupe Shape Blush (to contour)
MAC Poised Blush
Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush (to highlight)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Dior Cherie Bow Palette (using the included liner brush I lined the top lid with the deep grey liner. I then put the light grey shade all over the lid and the dark grey shade in the crease and outer V, as well as slightly below the lower lash line. The light pink shade was used at the inner corner of the eye and to highlight.)
Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara
Dior DiorShow Brow Styler
MAC Clear Brow Set
Chanel Rose Pearl Rouge Double Intensité Ultra Wear Lip Color

For more information on the Dior Cherie Bow Palette, please see the Official Press Release.

You can pick up the Dior Cherie Bow Palette at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and dior.com.

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see what the other ladies have as their faves! What WILL we think of next?!

To view the whole line-up of Makeup Wars click here for the blog category!

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Makeup Wars ~ Things We Repurchase Over and Over and Over…. and Over!

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Brooke

Bloggers review A LOT of products. And by a lot, I mean a freaking LOT. While you sit there and read your favorite blogs searching for your new favorite products, have you ever wondered what that bloggers holy grail (HG) items are?

This installment of Makeup Wars is going to answer that for you! We’ve gathered up all of our favorite products, the ones we buy over and over, and are going to share them with you.

I’ve broken down my faves into a few sets, since there are a lot of products. As I was going through my stash I was actually surprised to see how much love I have for a lot of core items. As you review all of the collections and new products day after day, you do loose sight of the stuff you reach for on a daily basis.

Some nail loves that get me through major swatch fests and also the random full mani! From left to right – who doesn’t own some Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat? I also love this set of three from butter London: Cuticle Oil, Flawless Basecoat and the Quick Topcoat.

Below are some face loves! The Miracle Skin Transformer is a new love, but I will never be without it. I have never been a fan of any sort of primer for the face, but this stuff is on a whole other level. The Lancome Dual Finish Powder has been in my stash since I was 16 years old. You know something is HG if it carried you though high school and beyond! Speaking of high school, another HG from way back when is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I actually used to use the lotion, but now the gel seems more of a fit for my skin.

This set is just a group of toiletry type items that I always need at my disposal. From left to right – MAC Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover, MAC Brush Cleanser, Murad Clarifying Cleanser, Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream and for my fragrance, Chanel Chance.

For the final set I’ve compiled makeup items. Some I’ve used for over 15 years, and others are a bit more new to the scene.

Dior Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm. The shade of this will be different for everyone to create your perfect lip color. It only hits off of the natural pigment in your lips, so you can apply on the go and without a mirror and feel confident that you don’t look like a clown!
MAC Grain Eye Shadow. It’s a satin finish and just my go-to happy day perfect highlight shade. The ONLY eye shadow I’ve ever hit pan on and had to re-buy!
MAC Plushlash Mascara. Okay, so I cheat on this mascara quite a bit. I always come back to it. I have a different favorite for more dramatic lashes (Chanel Le Volume), but the Plushlash is the one I use every day without fail. (Though, confession, I’ve been currently cheating on it again with Neutrogena Healthy Volume!)
Dior DiorShow Brow Set. This was introduced to me during a Dior event a few years ago by the ever awesome Brandon. It’s universal and will adjust to the perfect shade. No matter what my hair color, I can always count on this product!
Urban Decay Primer Potion. It’s just really one of the few that works for me. I love a few others but they’re more expensive. Either way, I always go back to UDPP.
Le Metier de Beaute Dualtastic Eye Pencil in Champagne. I actually bought this as an eye liner, but it looked a little much. However, it’s the PERFECT base for every one of their Kaleidoscope Eye Kits. I tend to reach for it quite a bit, so I always have a back-up on hand.
MAC Subculture Lip Pencil. This was one of the very first items I ever bought from MAC. I remember it was recommended to me along with Prrr Lipglass back when it was made famous by Paris Hilton and her show, The Simple Life.
MAC Clear Brow Set. I’ve used this for years. It doesn’t look clear in the pic because I use it every day and my foundations and powders have gotten in there.
MAC Liners in Orpheus Kohl Power, Teddy Eye Kohl and Powersurge Eye Kohl. Orpheus is an LE item, but seems to be released again once or twice a year. Every time it is, I buy one. Teddy has been an item in my arsenal for about 10 years. Powersurge is an antiqued gold that can take an eye look you might not be too happy with and amp it up. This one also makes me appear more awake.
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 24L. There isn’t a product in the world that will make your eyes pop more than this liner. When I’m exhausted I always reach for this shade to look more awake. I’m exhausted a lot, so there is always a back-up of this shade on hand.
Urban Decay 24-7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stray Dog. When this launched with the 15 yr Anniversary Set I was dying. It was the taupe pencil I’d been looking for my whole life. I promptly jumped on eBay to buy a back-up.

See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! I’m really excited to see what the other ladies have as their faves! What WILL we think of next?!

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Makeup Wars – My Festive Holiday Face

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Brooke

This week the beautiful ladies of Makeup Wars are getting ready for the holidays.

For this particular festive holiday face I went for something a bit more neutral and left my hair a little more flamboyant than usual. This is a look that I would go for as I go to general holiday friends and family type parties, rather than just a bold look that I’d use for a more “party like a rock star night out”.

I started out by prepping my face with Miracle Skin Transformer (full review to come) and then applying 3LAB Perfect BB Cream. I lightly patted on my HG powder, which is the Lancome Dual Finish Powder. I kept my blush neutral as well with the Chanel SABLE ROSE Soleil Tan de Chanel Luminous Bronzing Powder.

For my eyes I began by priming with UDPP. For the shadows, I reached for one of my favorite go-to palettes of the season, the Midnight Hour Eye Shadow Palette which Sephora released as part of the Cinderella Reigning Beauties Collection. The top liner is the NARS Atlantic Eyeliner Stylo and the bottom is the NARS Rue Saint-Honoré Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner. The mascara is simply a few coats of MAC Plushlash. For the brows I used the Dior DiorShow Universal Brow Pencil and MAC Clear Brow Set.

On my lips, I started by defining around the line with MAC Subculture Lip Pencil. Which is just my go-to pencil that almost matches my lip shade. I put Dior Saint Tropez Addict Extreme Lipstick over top.

To amp the look up a bit you could switch out the lip for the ever classic red.

Makeup Wars looks forward to seeing you in 2013!!!! See what the other participants in this installment of Makeup Wars came up with! What WILL we think of next?!