Gorgeous must-haves for the season

Lipstick: Dolce Vita lipstick by NARS
Stunning lipstick that is natural yet if layered on can give you more color for your lips. Particularly good for everyday usage

Lip stain: Indian Red by NARS
The formulation of this lip stain/gloss feels like silk on your lips. The color is a very deep red and very festive for the season that is all the rage. Red lips is very easy to put on and match yet very elegant and "put together"

Eyeshadow duo: Cordura by NARS
A combination of shimmering rich brown pair with a shimmering dark brown make this also a festive combination yet on the subtler note. You can also use this all year round. Would make a very pretty smokey eye. (I must pick this one up at the store the next time I find myself at Sephora - almost did but was too distracted by all the discounted sets and make up. hah!)

Powder: HD Microfinish Powder by Make up forever
100% talc free and feels like silk. Very finely granulated and works great as a setting powder for that flawless finish.

The list continues with YSL's Touche Eclat, Stila's convertible color in Peony, Benefit's Dallas blush, etc.

Holiday season is here!

Ok, I'm super excited with all the new holiday make up sets they are coming out with. I stopped by Sephora today and picked up a 10 sephora brand gloss set for $28! 10 glosses for a fraction of the price. Love it. I also picked up a glitter teal eyeliner. Fabulous.
There are a few things of note that are good deals - the Stila lip glaze set for $28, Smashbox eye shadow and brush collection for $59, Stila Eyes & shine smudge pot trio for $32, Make up forever aqua eyes collection for $35.

Hint: My birthday is coming up so if you're feeling generous and want to send me something. I have my gift registry on the Sephora.com website. hehehe....

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On-the-go

I've been really busy lately and running around is making me look harried and worn out. Not the best impression when it comes to auditioning. I've just gotten back round to attending dance auditions after a two year hiatus of really working hard on the craft of choreography and teaching. Anyways, this blog isn't about my dancing, its about beauty products. I was just scrounging around Sephora.com and found that Bare Minerals came out with a compact travel-friendly mineral veil. Perfect! I'm going to have to purchase this at some point. I love mineral veil b/c it doesn't clog pores and helps reduce the redness on my face. How ironic that I don't like to wear make up on a daily basis - especially when I'm dancing 4-6 hours a day. I am just making sure that my face is cleaned at the end of the day so I don't break out.
This product is a Sephora exclusive (so the website says), it comes in a handy aluminum case with a brush already attached to it. Part of the draw to this product is the fact that very little mess is involved and can fit in a gym bag, handbag, purse, etc. for touch-ups anytime during the day. When I use regular mineral veil, I have to carefully open it over my sink counter, swirl, tap, and buff. Sometimes if I'm in a rush (as I find myself more often than not), product is spilled everywhere and I spend more time cleaning up the mess than getting ready which makes me late.
I have to agree with a lot of people though, regular mineral veil are geared towards fairer skin types despite the hype that its supposed to be invisible and sheer. There is a more "tan" version of mineral veil that works well for darker skin tones. Unfortunately, I don't think they have a portable carrying case for it yet.
If you find yourself at a Sephora or a Bare Minerals store, check out the product for yourself on your skin and decide whether you like it or not. Thats what I'm going to do.

Smokey gray is in your eyes

Smokey gray shadows are all the rage this fall. Stila makes wonderful eyeshadows and what a perfect set of their dark slate kajal eyeliner (which I own and love for myself) plus a set of three shadows to take the guesswork out of choosing colors. You have the highlight color, the base lid color, and the darker grey color.

1. Apply the highlight color as a base from lash to brow bone - emphasis right under the brows.
2. Use the lighter grey color as your base lid color. Just apply it on the lid to the crease.
3. Starting from the outer corner of the eyes, use the dark grey color as a crease color.
4. Using a smudge brush, dip the dark grey color and loosely line the upper lash line with the dark color and diffuse the color in an upwards motion towards the crease.
5. Line your top and bottom lash lines with the kajal eye liner.
6. Taking a q-tip smudge the bottom eye liner to finish the smokey eye look.

1/2 false lashes

A mainstay in my kit are false eyelashes that look natural. My favorite kinds are 1/2 lashes strategically placed on the outer corner of the lash line. Asian brides especially love 1/2 lashes because it gives a little more drama without overdoing the look. I also love to use 1/2 lashes for a party/special event look to add a little drama without having to use a lot of eye make up. The concern with false lashes have always been "how do I put on false lashes?" All you need is a good lash glue (don't use the one from the case), I like the MAC adhesive glue and a pair of tweezers. Apply the adhesive onto the lashes and wait about a minute for it to dry a bit so its not so wet. Using the tweezers to pick up the lashes, place them from above the lash line. Pat with your middle finger or ring finger to let it stick naturally. Tip: try not to do sudden blinking, its best to keep your eyes still until the glue fully dries. If you can't find 1/2 lashes, another option I do is get natural looking lashes (you can trim the lashes while its still in the case if the lashes are too long for you) and cut it in 1/2. Voila! You have two pairs of 1/2 lashes now! False lashes take a little getting used to so I recommend playing around with a cheap drugstore brand first if you plan on wearing lashes on your big day to get used to the idea of false lashes.

The Make up show

I will write about something quite uncharacteristic of this blog but very relevant. I spent last Sunday at the annual Make up Show in NYC hosted by The Powder Group at the Metropolitan Pavillion in Chelsea. A lot of the recognizable brands were there such as MAC, Too Faced, Stila, Shu Uemura, Becca, Make up Forever, Allison Raffaele, Smashbox as well as pro brands such as OCD cosmetics, Temptu, Boaz Stein, Kett Cosmetics, and a number of private label companies that were obviously selling high quality pro make up for a fraction of the price if there was a brand to the product.
I went to the convention last year and had loads of fun and spent way too much money. This year, I wanted to do it differently by coming in with cash and a check list of things that I needed for my kit.
Among the things I purchased were a few eye shadow brushes, Mist fix by Make up forever, Convertible lip/cheek color in Peony and a duo of Lillium and Gerbera from Stila, Smashbox Photo finish lipstick in Exquisite, Eye glitter in Xantho by Becca, Allison Raffaele Concealer, Cinema Secrets Brush cleaner, Airbrush cleaner by Kett Cosmetics, and a subscription to On Make up magazine.
Things to look out for next for my kit is a portable airbrush machine that is battery operated so I can travel abroad with it without having to worry about the different voltage.

A new make up line

Ck Calvin Klein came out with an entirely new make up line. How Fabulous! Surprisingly the prices for their products are fairly inexpensive and the colors of their glosses are very pretty and wearable. I visited the Sephora on 34th st and picked up a peachy gloss from this line. This is what is written about the line on the Sephora page.

"An innovative fusion of fashion and beauty, the collection reflects a wardrobe, with signature elements enhanced by accessories and trends. Modern concepts of color and texture begin on the runway, then translate to the face. Fabrics are reinterpreted—black cashmere becomes a smudge of eye liner, slick patent a sexy lip gloss. A line of individualized shades designed to create the look of the season. "

Anyways, onto the gloss. It was $13! It comes in a tubular/squarish casing and when you open the cap all you have to do is a little squeeze and the gloss comes out. The angle the plastic casing is shaped in a way you can apply the gloss without getting your fingers messy. I personally like to use my fingers to apply gloss and tap it onto my lips lightly to give it a shiny pout. So check out this make up line!


Calvin Klein lip plumper

Nude Skin

Right before the holidays, I stopped into Barneys and discovered this UK skincare line that is all-natural and soothing for the skin, especially in harsh weather climates. I was about to go on a long distance flight and go to a place where it was tropical climates and my skin was going to take a beating from the dry cold windy air of NY to the recycled air on the plane to humidity and heat from Singapore. I was in the market for a new facial scrub so I picked up the facial scrub offered by Nude Skincare because the granules were so tiny and it didn't seem harsh on the skin at all. Exfoliators are tough to purchase because you have to make sure it won't strip your skin of natural oils but rather the dead skin cell build up on the surface of your skin. I do have to say that this little jar is awesome. My skin feels soft and looks radiant after using this product. I use it about twice a week or more when I've been rolling around alot in the dance studio. Another great product I tried of the Nude line is the hydrating water. Its a nice spritzer to keep in your purse/office drawer as a little perk-me-up in the middle of the day. Keeps your skin moisturized and dewy, you can even put it on with make up on! Its apparently their best-seller. Definitely check out this skincare line.

UPDATE: Check out Nude Skincare's latest exfoliator. Detox Brightening Fizzy Powder