Welcome the Year of the Dragon with MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit and Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque.

January 23, 2012 | 44 Responses

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond

We’ve all heard about the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD foundation from beauty junkies all over the world. It has made a permanent home in many a girl’s foundation arsenal. Many makeup artists have it in their professional kit. Now I am here to tell you that, well, I believe in the hype. I adore this foundation.

I guessed my shade to be #128 Almond using MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Shade Finder, and I am glad to say that it is a great match. For reference, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona is also a good match for my skin at the moment.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond — Swatches

The MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit ($89) really does make a difference with the performance of this foundation. The HD primer smooths out fine lines and big pores to prep the skin. I like that it doesn’t have that heavy silicone-y feel of other primers I’ve tried in the past. The foundation itself has a beautiful skin-like, semi-matte finish. It does an amazing job covering up any redness and evening out my skin tone, allowing me to walk around with really good looking skin. It doesn’t cover up everything; I have dark bumps on my upper lip area that I have developed from waxing (!!!) and they are still visible in my after photo. To finish off the base, the powder creates an angelic soft-focus effect to the skin. What’s not to like, eh? By the way, I took a photo with flash and the white powder was nowhere to be seen.

Here’s a before and after shot. In the before I wore brow powder, mascara and lipstick (absolute necessities for this kind of thing). That’s it. I did not wear under-eye concealer in either photos, which to be honest, I am really regretting. Anywho.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond — Before and After (click to enlarge)

On its own, I like the foundation applied with a brush instead of my fingers. With the latter method, I find myself using more product. I do have one problem with the foundation though: who the heck came out with the numbering system? It is totally all over the place and definitely needs work. May I suggest breaking them up into undertones, i.e., pink #1, #2, #3, yellows, olives, and so on?

Oh yeah, for those who are celebrating, Happy Lunar New Year! Of course, I had to use the new year — the Year of the Dragon — as an excuse to pull out the amazing Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon ($42). In my opinion, it’s totally worth the kidney I sold to buy it. Why do I always get in some sort of trouble when I buy Chanel?

Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon — Swatch

Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon

Along with a little kitten eye flick (YSL Shocking liquid liner) and a little blush (Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed), my Year of the Dragon look is complete! Oh, and the rumours are true: the size of my smile is directly proportional to how much I love a lipstick. Can you tell I love Dragon?

Have a great week, pretties!

P.S. If you fancy being a model, don’t forget to enter the MAKE UP FOR EVER open casting call.

Disclosure: Product was provided by manufacturer for editorial consideration only. For more information, see my Editorial and Advertising Policy.

Avoid Eye Makeupocalypse with Mary Kay Creme Eye Colors.

February 19, 2011 | 22 Responses

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make•u•poc•a•lyp•tic |mākəˈpäkəliptik|
adjective
describing the complete destruction of a makeup look, usually due to a product that fails to deliver on its promises: yes, girlfriend, the amount of grease mixed in with your eye makeup has reached makeupocalyptic proportions.

Fact: my eyelids are a greasy mess without a spectacular base. I’ve tried probably the two most popular eye primers in existence — Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance. They work well, but my recent experience has been… hmm, how shall I put it… a disaster. These primers don’t last me an entire workday anymore. That’s just not okay in my books!

Mary Kay Creme Eye Colors (clockwise from top left): Beach Blonde, Pale Blush, Apricot Twist, Iced Cocoa, Glacier Gray

Lately I’ve been using Mary Kay Creme Eye Colors ($16) as my eyeshadow bases. These are very sheer, coloured eyeshadow primers that boost colour and finish of eyeshadows layered on top of them. They also work as standalone eyeshadows.

Beach Blonde is a shimmery champagne.
Pale Blush is a matte pale cool pink.
Apricot Twist is a shimmery orange gold.
Iced Cocoa is a shimmery copper bronze.
Glacier Gray is a shimmery pewter.

Swatches of Beach Blonde, Pale Blush, Apricot Twist, Iced Cocoa, Glacier Gray

Do you love the uber popular MAC Paint Pots? I swear, these are just like MAC Paint Pots. They apply evenly as a cream, and dry down to a silky smooth finish of a powder. They are quite sheer, but as shown in the swatches above, they can get pretty opaque after 2 or 3 layers. In terms of value, you will get 0.26g per dollar with Mary Kay, and 0.25g per dollar with MAC. So Mary Kay provides better value, but it’s not a big difference.

My eye makeup with layered over Creme Eye Colors lasts about 8 hours, with just a little bit of creasing on the inner corners of my eyes. To put that into perspective, Urban Decay Primer Potion keeps my makeup perfect for 5 hours, and total makeupocalypse happens around hour number 6. However, if you have very oily lids, do not expect these to keep you grease-free for a 10 to 12 hour day. Again, maquillageddon. Ooh, another new word!

The Creme Colors are housed in light, tightly sealed plastic pots, which make them really easy to travel with. I’ve really been enjoying these a lot, and they’ve become a staple in my makeup bag for sure. They’re brand spankin’ new, and I just wish they’d come up with more punchy colours for the warmer months. Bright turquoise or vibrant purple, anyone?

I’m Always On the Hunt for Good Eye Primers!

Do you have a favourite eye primer? I’m currently testing out Laura Mercier and LORAC samples that I brought home from Sephora. They’re not too bad so far. I’d love to hear what’s working for you, and what was a total fail.

Disclosure: The products mentioned were sent by the manufacturer for consideration only.

IMATS Toronto 2010: The Beauty Spree.

November 7, 2010 | 12 Responses

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I have so many photos from IMATS that I have to break them up into three posts. This first installation is my collective haul over the two days.

From FACE atelier:
Ultra Foundation in #6 Honey (my shade), $36
Ultra Foundation in #8 Caramel (smaller “Pro” size, for my sister Liza), $26
Lip Glaze in Prim Rose, $19

From Alcone:
Beauty Blender Sponge, $15

From Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics:
Lip Tar in Memento, $10
Lip Tar in Demure, $10

From Crown Brush:
2 x pink Lip Brushes — one for each OCC Lip Tar , $2.50 each
Italian Badger Angle Blush Brush IB106, $8.50
Large Pointed Powder Brush, $19

From Royal & Langnickel:
Silk Pro Complexion C185 Brush, $10

From Nigel Beauty Emporium:
Z-Palette, $20
(Contents not included! )

From Embryolisse:
Lait-Creme Concentre 30 ml, $10
Lotion Micellaire (Rinse-free Makeup Remover), $25

This year I went for quality — not quantity like last year’s haul — and I am very excited to play with my new goodies. When I get my vanity reorganized, I will have some lip swatches for you, and of course reviews! Anything in particular here you would like me to review? Oh, and did you attend IMATS Toronto? Share your haul in the comments!

Stay Tuned for More!

Can’t get enough of IMATS? Stay tuned for more photos, my experience this year, as well as tips and tricks from Kevin James Bennett’s workshop on complexion!