March Madness Picks

Okay so I know I'm late but why the heck not do a March faves? I'm still in March mostly from being trapped in the hospital for a while but am now ready to finish April strong lol. Okay so I'm just going to post the pics and my opinion of the product and the details on where to buy and the price range. Alrighty lets begin:

So this right here is my BABY, the Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation! I have very oily skin and this repels the oil and well as gives a natural look that is unreal. Its is very creamy, blendable and also can be built for a fuller coverage. My color in this is #178 Chestnut and is priced at $40.00 that I purchased at Sephora in the store but can be bought also online at sephora.com.

This is my next greatest accomplishment in life : ). I have so many single eye shadows and was needed to create more space in my case as well as me wanting to do the back to Mac program because I am a RECYCOHOLIC. I bought this at the MAC store in the mall, which is the only place you can buy them and online, as well as a few single eye shadows that I have been wanting. And I LOVE IT! This is so unique and compact and I refuse to buy a Z palette because the are so ugly and uncoordinated to me. But I am on a quest now to get more palettes and Fill Er Up!

So my next fave is the EOS, Evolution of Smooth lip balms, that I am obsessed with and currently trying to buy all the remaining flavors ( just got sweet mint, I only need the tangerine). They are the softest lip balms ever and I have one everywhere my purse, bathroom, locker at work, and car. They have the creamiest texture and last all day long, even after eating a meal ; ) But these are something you definitely don't want to miss out on. They are $3.49 and can be found at ULTA, CVS, or Walgreens.

Now these are the Wet N Wild blushes that I had heard about on YouTube and had to buy after seeing them on several skin toned people. These blushes are Sooo soft and blendable that people will think you have the most beautiful Rosacea lmao. I have been wearing these all month and will have to go buy a backup because I may hit pan soon and just in case the never come back. I never knew Wet N Wild had such good quality or was it because they didn't and decided to step up there game, huh? But this is a must have and is comparable to some Nars blushes I have but are only $2.99 at any grocery store or Walgreens and CVS.

So I got these brushes months ago and have been using these particular Sigma brushes, the HD brushes, non-stop. They are the best and are comparable to MAC brushes which I have a new love for. They are also very affordable compared to most brand name brushes and always deliver. They blend well and leave a flawless airbrushed look on the skin that not many brushes can deliver. Don't miss out on these go to sigmabeauty.com today and pick up the trio for $42 or separately purchase them.

Here is another Wet N Wild product that I am in love with also, the Pride and Greed palette. I purchased these from the grocery store for $4.99 and they are so pigmented and wearable. They have a good lasting and staying power as well as the colors being true. I have no complaints with these palettes and I cant wait to stock up on more.

Now this lipstick is the YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in Praline Delight at a costly $34. I had heard so much about this lipstick that I had to try it on at the store but shortly after that I threw it in my basket. They are so creamy and silky and this is the PURRFECT nude for my skin tone. It blends well with my lip line and leave me looking KISSABLY SMOOTH! One thing about this that does tick me off is that because it is so creamy it will wear off easily. You can also purchase this at Sephora or sephora.com.

Now this is the Viva Glam II lipstick and this has to be my second favorite nude. It matches my skin tone fairly with the help of my lip liner but I could not pass on something by Lady Gaga. It costs me $14.50 and was well worth it. Now the texture is a little drier than what I like but I can make it work. I feel the same way though about the lip glass Viva Glam II. Anyways go and support my girl Lady Gaga : )

Now this has to be one of my favorite makeup companies now because of their creamy and soft eye shadows that they have, and all of them are like that. This is the Romance palette by Too Faced that I purchased at Ulta for $35.00 and is worth every penny. I also went back to buy the Neutral palette after buying this. They are everything that you would look for in an eyeshadow and they have such a high quality look to them and blend without the effort of blending. I love these colors and they are so true. Nothing else needs to be said, GO GET THIS PALETTE!

Now this is last because it barely made the list, but because I have been using the crap out of it since I bought it and it only natural to use this on my cheeks like we need our feet to walk. Anyways this is the Physician Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush. (i know too many names right?) it cost me a whopping! $9.99 but is well worth it. It makes me look like I'm blushing without looking like I'm wearing blush. It seems like a natural light pinky pink without being noticeable like BLUSH! But this is that soft girly sweet blush and achieves that on any skin tone.



Alright these are my best product pics from March Madness and hopefully you could see the good that I see in these products as well and not only these but to explore because there are many product out there that have not been discovered yet. SO keep going out there and not just buy these but try samples, purchase new items, and it they aren't up to par return them bad boys! LOL : P



Love,

Shan

Smooth Operator: EOS

So I had heard about a new lip balm on the market from you tube and I was like whatever I'm not a lip balm type of girl. I'm strictly a lip gloss/ lip glass girl. So I was in Walgreen's one day and saw this and was like "oh okay" I may have to try one because the packaging is sooo cute and the ingredients are high quality. So I started off with the Summer Fruit flavor just to try it out and to also claim that I tried this cool lip balm. And now you see I have collected all but 1 now ( Sweet Mint in an upcoming haul but missing the Medicated Tangerine).

I love these lip balms soo much that I am going to buy these for gifts and others to try because word of mouth or gift by hand is the best way to try something. They are so creamy and soft and have a long lasting stay of softness and silkiness that you can wear these all day without having to even think about reapplying gloss because of it wearing off. And the applicator is the best ever, a round ball of balm that you just rub on your lips as you please and VOILA!


Pros: It is the best lip balm that is easily accessible in convenient stores.
         They offer 5 different flavors that are actually tasty
         The cutest packaging for a lip balm EVER
         Small enough to carry around but big enough to not lose

Cons: A little more costly than other lip balms but not much and is so worth it
          Not sure about you but I would not share this bad boy (GERMS)
          You're going to want to buy them all

Go out and get them and not just one to try because I get a different feel from the different flavors ( I have Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Sweet Mint, and Lemon Drop). Even more flavors and the lip balm sticks are available online. These are available at CVS, Walgreen's, ULTA, and evolutionofsmooth.com and at a cost of $3.29 + tax it couldn't hurt to buy them all. They feel silky like those YSL lip glosses but have a way better lasting power. I cant say anything better but Let's roll that beautiful lip balm footage!

With Love,

Shannon

Under Construction

 So Ive been really enjoying taking pictures of my hauls and posting and writing but recently, maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago my father was suddenly hospitalized for about 2 weeks and that has kept me out of the loop. I have still been buying things and taking pictures and reviewing the items. It has still been hard for me to focus on doing this but even harder to get back on track with daily activities such as exercising, shopping, web searches on products, and even sleeping good enough to be well rested at work for the day. I have also been working like crazy at my job but I cant complain because more money is always good. Im still working on pictures and trying to get good pics of swatches to post to go along with the hauls. So lets get back to blogging.

Love Always,

Shannon

Sigma Brushes: Make me Blush and HD

So I received my Sigma brushes about a month ago and this was the first time that I had ever tried their name brand of brushes. I purchased their HD set of facial brushes as well as the Make me Blush set that had pink bar handles as well as the pink carrying case. Down below I have each of the pics of the brushes and their descriptions. Then afterwords I will have my final review on their brushes. Lets get started:

           Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles

      Specially designed to generate an 'airbrushed' finish when used to apply liquid foundation. It can also be used to apply blush, highlight shades and loose pigments. Blend of synthetic and natural bristles.

                The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles.

 Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles.

 The rounded, tapered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetics bristles.

 Flat shape is ideal for application of cream formulas and eye shadow primers. It also works great with loose eye shadows or pigments. Can be used to apply color all over the lid or precisely on the lash line. Natural bristles.

 Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.

 Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles.

 Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles.

 An extra-fine tipped synthetic fiber brush that delivers a precise, firm, even stroke to line the eyes. Synthetic bristles.

 Angled, tapered, flat top. Ideal to apply highlight shades underneath the eyebrow and on the inner corners. It can also be used for a precise application or darker shades on the crease area. Natural bristles.

 Essential for the application of gel or cream liners on the upper and lower lash line. This brush is also excellent for filling out the eyebrows. Synthetic bristles.

Sigmax HD Synthetic Face Brushes

                                              High Definition Synthetic Brushes: Face Edition

The F82 Round Top Kabuki brush simplifies precise makeup application under the eyes and around the nose. This brush is also perfect for achieving flawless coverage using liquid and powder products. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

The F84 Angled Top Kabuki brush is the perfect brush for precise, yet blended application for products on the cheeks. It seamlessly applies cream, powder and liquid products. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

The F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush is perfect for applying and blending liquid, cream, and powder products onto the skin. The flat surface allows perfect buffing with flawless results. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

My Final Recommendations:

I was really excited about receiving these brushes and the total purchase of all of these together were $136.25. I love the color of my brushes and the fact that I have the basic tools I need to make flawless application as well as those very informative pamphlets that I received for both sets of brushes. They are overall very soft and apply great but the Make me Blush set seems to shed quite a bit which upsets me because I washed the before use to help with that and every time I use them some start shedding. The quality is still good for the price and I would greatly recommend the Sigmax brushes to professionals as well as fashionistas. I also would recommend the other brushes because they are good quality I just hate to have to deal with the shedding all the time but overall they are worth the money . And with this purchased I also received a tapered blending brush in their travel size that came because of the over $30 purchase. And I will do another blog about how I use these brushes and how I maintain and wash mine as well. See ya laters : ) 

CCO: MAC haul

Ever since I found out about a local CCO in my neighboring areas I have been crazy about buying MAC cosmetics. I normally go here and buy the majority of my MAC products because the price is unbelieveable. I am now really into fixing up my whole makeup collection and learning the best ways "for me" to apply and do makeup. I bought a few things specifically because I am loving the way purples complement my complexion. Here we go!

This palette is called In The Gallery with a price of $24.50 and these colors are very pigmented and they are soft and some mauvy purples which will make a perfect smokey eye. I like the fact that it is a day to night compact with lighter colors as well as a deeper mauvy color to kick it up a notch lol : P






This color is called Violet Trance with a price tag of $10.25 and is a very strong electric purple and caught my eye right of the bat. Now this color looks nothing like the color in person at all but I guess this will have to do until I swatch. It was so vibrant and rich in color that I couldnt leave without this baby. It was more powerful than was I went looking for but I think I could blend this baby really good and tone it up or down.

This hot pink barbie lipglass color is called True Babe and was $10.25 and I didnt plan on getting this one but when I tried it on me and my sister were like "get it gurl" lol and I felt like I could really pull this one off. It has such a nice creamy texture to it and the color doesnt overpower my feature and I think this one is a GO.

Now this baby is a beauty and I had been looking at it since I first found out about this CCO and I finally broke down and bought it. This is the MAC 183 is a flat buffer brush that was a whopping $28.00 but was well worth it. It feels amazing and I feel it will get the job done for giving me a nice buffed, finished HD kinda look. The bristles are really soft and dense enough to put in some work. This is actually my first MAC brush and hopefully not my last but I am getting ready to order some Sigma brushes lol.

Now I promise to not come back a year later like I did lol but Im settled now and I promise to give you the hauls that were missed on here really soon, a years worth lol. I will also do looks on these products as well as reviews. See ya later and it feels good to be back : )

A Proper Introduction

Hi everyone! I want to start of with a proper introduction for those who may come across my blog. I first want to let everyone know the purpose for me having this blog as well as what to look forward to. I have a love for beauty and not only for me but to help encourage others to find their beauty within and without. I have a strong passion for nail polish, makeup, hair styles, skin care, as well as products. I am a major product junkie and I love trying new things and spreading the word like wildfire. I also have a passion for people in general, I love to know what people are thinking and how I could help in any way. I am hoping I could be that ray of light for others in finding themselves as I had to do a while back. In this blog I will be sharing with you the lastest fashions of nail polish (as well as my collection), makeup, hair styles, skin care, products, as well as some constructive advice. I want to be the go to site to look for items to stay updated as well as new ways to enhance people's beauty.

I am also very personal and I have nothing to hide from anyone. To start my name is Shannon and I am a full time college student. I am a senior and will be graduating in Fall '10 with an Associate's in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor's Degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management. I am going to open my own restaurant not too long from graduating and I plan on expanding throughout the states. I love meeting new people as well as learning new things as well which is why I always try to stay open to meeting new people. I am very excited about beginning this blog and I would love to get feed back about some good topics, information that may interest others, or just plain good advice that would be good to know. Well without further adieu I hope you enjoy what I have in store for you!

Love,
Miss Shannon