tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12-hour Lipstick (in 5 colors)

By Gladys in Lips Makeup, tarte 0 Comment
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I hesitated to write about these lipsticks because they are only sold at tarte website and you can’t go into a store and try it (I’ve never seen a tarte store before). I bought all five of mine on Sephora but these lipsticks disappear and re-appear all the time there, so last time I checked they didn’t sell Glamazon. Anyway, I have them in five colors and really like them, so I want to share why.

This lipstick costs $16 and is advertised as a 12-hour performance lipstick. I have to say it’s one of the most long-wearing lipsticks I’ve had. It does truly stay on your lips for hours even if you eat and drink. Unlike lip stains, it’s very creamy. It’s creamiest when you just applied it and then, in five minutes or so, it dries out. tarte says the moisturizing effect of the lipstick is due to Amazonian clay. I have no idea how true that information is (sounds romantic though) but the lipstick does feel pretty good on my lips. It doesn’t have any sparkle and practically no shine but it does provide solid, even color. Also, the color doesn’t look unnatural (Kat Von D’s liquid lipstick problem) and doesn’t fade for a long time.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (Limited Edition)

By Gladys in Face Makeup, Hourglass 0 Comment
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This blush palette is my first purchase from Hourglass. I thought it would be a good introduction to the brand. This is a limited edition, so it won’t be around forever but two of these blush shades are sold individually. Incandescent Electra (cool peach) is the limited edition shade and is only offered as a part of the palette.

This palette is pretty pricey — $58 – as everything by Hourglass. However, considering that each blush individually is $35, the palette is a good deal.

The case is sleek and sturdy. My only problem is how it opens: to open it, you have to hold it with both hands and pull the upper part really hard. When I have long nails, it becomes especially challenging.

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Bobbi Brown Silky Matte Blush in Slopes 17

By Gladys in Bobbi Brown, Face Makeup 0 Comment
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I like blushes – they help you achieve fresh and healthy look with very little effort. Of course, it’s important not to overdo your makeup with blush but with a bit of practice blush can become a vital and easy part of your normal makeup routine. There are blushes for every occasion and today I’ll talk about my favorite everyday blush – Bobbi Brown Silky Matte Blush.

I have been looking for a matte blush in nude pink. Bobbi Brown hit the spot. The case is small and sleek – convenient for travel. It opens and closes easily (unlike Hourglass, for example). Basically, it’s an ideal compact blush. Apparently, you can also assemble it into palettes that are sold separately but I am happy using it individually. This blush is pricey — $27.

I got this blush in color Slopes 17 – “flushed pink”. It’s mild matte pink which gives you natural, healthy blush. It’s a powder blush so you need to apply it with a brush – I use MUFE angled blush brush – it works well for me. One of the best things about this blush is that it doesn’t have any shimmer. Don’t get me wrong, I love shimmer but during the day I don’t want it, especially in winter when my whole makeup is more toned-down than usually. This shade should complement pretty much every complexion – it’s very neutral.

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Dior ‘Diorific – Golden Shock’ Lipstick in 005 Daring Shock and 007 Passion Shock

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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Lipsticks in Dior’s Diorific line are stunning this year. Gold is in right now (and has been for a while), and a lot of fashion gurus employ gold motive in one way or another. However, not many were able to introduce the richness and beauty of gold with such chic and taste as Dior.

The Diorific line this year includes a variety of products: from lipsticks to nail polish. Today I will only talk about lipsticks. I am in total love with them. I haven’t bought any other Diorific products because the reviews on some of them were not positive (golden powder) and moreover, I wasn’t interested in the highlights of the collection: nail polishes and powder with shimmer. I really liked the limited edition eye shadows but by the time I wanted to buy them they were gone. 🙁 Oh well.

There are two types of lipsticks in the Diorific line 2014. The first one is called simply ‘Diorific’ and the second one is ‘Diorific – Golden Shock.’ ‘Diorific’ is an array of rich festive shades with long-lasting matte finish. ‘Diorific – Golden Shock’ is a set of 6 two-tone lipsticks. One tone is matte finish, and another one is the same shade with gold shimmer added. I haven’t bought any Diorifics yet although I am planning to, but I have two Golden Shock lipsticks.

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MAKE UP FOR EVER Ever Lasting Liners Set (Aqua Eye)

By Gladys in Eye Makeup, MAKE UP FOR EVER 0 Comment
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I have recently fallen in love with MUFE products: they are reasonably priced and are of great quality. The purchase of the eyeliners set was especially awesome because it was an absolute steal: I got 6 eyeliners (3 regular sizes and 3 minis) at at amazing price of $27 and couldn’t be happier with it. Unfortunately, this set is now out of stock (I understand it was a holiday promo) but you can still buy eyeliners individually at Sephora. They are called MUFE Aqua Eyes and cost $19 each (you get now why I was excited about $27 for a set!).

The Ever Lasting Liners Set consists of 6 eyeliners in following colors:

Matte Black 0L – black, full size

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Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Minis – Lipstick Duo — Nude rose/light brown nude

By Gladys in Bite Beauty, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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Bite Beauty made a special limited holiday edition — a Mix N’ Mingle Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo. This is a two-in-one lipstick – it opens from both sides and on each side there is a different lipstick. I have heard a lot about Bite but before this lipstick had only bought their lip color palette once (it was 3 years ago and I never really used it).

This lipstick costs $12. Pretty cheap. It’s very small (in Sephora pictures it seemed larger) – and each lipstick is just 0.05 oz. The case is well made – classic Bite matte grey, and is good for travel and for carrying in your purse.

I got this lipstick in nude rose (fig) and light brown nude (date) combination. The description on Sephora says that colors are “festive”, however, I think that this particular combination is everything but festive. Both colors are way too light and subtle. “Date” color is very light brown nude and is practically invisible on my lips. Pigmentation is practically non-existent. It also doesn’t have any shine or sparkle. However, it’s creamy and moisturizing which is good. I would call this lipstick a tinted balm – because, in my opinion, it’s what it truly is. It also doesn’t have any flavor but it does have a taste — which is unpleasant and synthetic.

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Dior Diorskin Nude Compact (in Cameo 22)

By Gladys in Dior, Face Makeup 1 Comment
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A compact powder is a must-have for me. I never use compact powder when do my full makeup but have to have it in the purse for touch-ups during the day.

Diorskin Nude Compact comes in a pretty stainless-steel-and-glass-like case. It’s nice to carry around and it has a separate space for a sponge which I appreciate a lot. I never liked compacts with the sponge right on top of the actual powder. This compact is quite expensive — $50 but it should last for a long while (considering I use it for touch-ups only), so it’s not too bad. It also has a nice, large enough mirror.

Nude Compact comes in 10 colors. I use Cameo 22, which is perfect for my light medium (Asian, with yellow undertones) skin. First I wanted to get Medium Beige 30 bit it was way too dark for me.

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Dior Rouge Dior Couture Colour Voluptuous Care Lipstick (in 743 Rouge Zinnia)

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 1 Comment
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The search of a perfect winter red has been epic. I have a medium skin with yellow undertones and most reds don’t work with it. Usually I just avoid the Christmas red obsession altogether and wear my nude pink lipsticks but this year I decided that I do need an awesome red in my life. After a lot of research, I decided to go with Guerlain (I love their lip products) but both Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s failed me miserably: out of 6-7 existing Guerlain classic red shades they only carried 1 or 2 at the store. And, naturally, those two reds they had didn’t work for me at all.

Then I went to take a look at Dior’s reds. I have a very long relationship with Dior (I bought my very first high-end makeup from them), and love their lipsticks just a bit less than Guerlain’s.

Dior Rouge Voluptuous Care Lipstick line provides a wide range of full-coverage lip colors with satin finish and moisturizing effect. It costs $35 before tax. Rouge Zinnia, in my opinion, is the only truly red shade in this collection. From my experience, Dior usually concentrates on pinks and nudes of all shades (2014 Winter Collection is an exception).

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Benefit Cosmetics High Beam

By Gladys in Benefit Cosmetics, Face Makeup 1 Comment
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Benefit High Beam is a new favorite of my everyday makeup routine. It is an amazing liquid highlighter which is extremely easy to apply and that helps you look refreshed and glowing with no effort.

High Beam seems pricey — $26 for a small bottle (0.45 oz.). However, I think it is an amazing deal because you need to use just a little bit of it to create a perfect look.

The bottle is glass which is a nice touch and has a small brush applicator. The packaging is of good quality – you can easily take it with you for vacation and not worry if it will spill or break. The only thing I am not happy with is the brush applicator. It is a bit too thick for highlighting purposes, so I don’t use it. I apply High Beam with my fingertips – that way application is much easier, less messy and I use less product

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Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner (in 20 Espresso)

By Gladys in Chanel, Eye Makeup 0 Comment
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Before I bought this eyeliner, I was never a fan of ones – they all seemed to require too much skill and precision. However, Chanel eyeliner literally changed my life in terms of makeup routine – it made it so much easier and faster.

The purchase of this eyeliner was rather spontaneous: I was buying something else at Nordstrom and saw this beautiful product, thought about it for like two minutes and decided I wanted it. When it arrived and I tried it, I couldn’t be happier. I got it in limited 20 Espresso color (hurry, it won’t last long), which is very rich, dark brown. I like that there is no undertones in it like, for example, in Dior Crayon Eyeliner in brown: it’s, as claimed, pure espresso. This color works perfectly with my medium skin and brown eyes.

Before I talk about application, let me tell you about the product itself. This eyeliner is sleek and elegant – it will fit easily in any cosmetic bag. It looks more like a 19th century lady pencil rather an eyeliner – very feminine. It is super easy to use – you open it, twist it to the right – the color comes out, twist it to the left – the color comes in. On the other end of the pencil there is an awesome surprise which I didn’t know about until I read the description: a built-in sharpener which you can detach! Now, ladies, isn’t that amazing? I’ve always had problems with remembering to put my sharpener in the cosmetic bag and I don’t have to remember anymore.

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