FOTD: Fendi SS 2011 Inspired Bright Lips

Not surprisingly, bright lips are in again this Spring/ Summer season and I had to put my spin on the look using some very affordable but fabulous products. It's a super simple, yet very polished look that when done right, suits almost everybody. This is my interpretation:


I kept the eyes quite simple using a shimmery warm gold cream eyeshadow and a sparkly brown from my Sleek Chaos palette to emphasize the lashline (it seems however that I must have forgotten to blend it properly afterwards ;). I put a fair coating of mascara on, added a hint of blush... and painted that bright pink coral on my lips!


Products used:
Face:
Smashbox Photo Finish Light Foundation Primer
Coastal Scents Honey Light Flawless Finish mineral foundation
Inglot Perfect Concealer stick in green
MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW20
Stila Cheek Color in 'Hint'
Eyes:
Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in 'Slippin 'n Dippin'
Sleek i-Divine palette in 'Chaos'
Maybelline Full 'N Soft mascara in Very Black
Lips:
Wet'n'Wild Silk Finish lipstick in 'Hot Paris Pink'


I will follow up this post with my recommendations for brightly colored lip products ranging from the boldest hues to some more toned-down options, all from very affordable brands. There's also going to be another swatch of the Wet'n'Wild lippie in slightly different lighting conditions, so stay tuned! Do you do bright lipstick for Spring and Summer?

3 Neutral Blushes for Pale Skins

I can still remember the times when blush was one product completely absent from my make-up routine; as a person struggling with a lot of redness on my face I used to not understand the point of using a blusher - make-up should hide the 'rosiness' and surely not add to it, right? In fact, I have a lot of girl friends firmly believing in this train of thought who make faces at the sheer sight of a blush pan.


Well, they are (and I was) wrong. Using a high coverage base to hide all areas of redness results in a flat, uninteresting complexion. What's more, us pale girls start to look like we've just seen a ghost: pasty, sickly, exhausted. While on some areas of the face such as nose, chin or between the brows redness is certainly uncalled for, rosy cheeks are a must in avoiding the dead look.

However, if you're super pale like me, saturated blush shades require an extremely light hand and still can sometimes be too much. With this in mind, I've decided to show you some neutral options perfect for everyday wear to office or school.


These blushes are (clockwise from the top): No7 Natural Blush in 'Soft Damson', Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in 'Lillium' and Stila Cheek Color in 'Hint'.


In the skin swatches you can see that Stila 'Lillium' is a very neutral pink with a touch of brown, Stila 'Hint' is more like a brownish peach with a bit of pink, while No7 'Soft Damson' is simply a pure neutral pink leaning neither too cool or too warm. All of these blushers are matte or slightly satin finish. I think all three would work on pale skin no matter the undertone (FYI, mine is pink). In terms of texture and pigmentation, the cream formula of 'Lillium' is surprisingly pigmented, smooth and easily blendable; 'Hint' is very soft, quite sheer and a bit powdery (my least favorite formula of the bunch) while 'Soft Damson' is beautifully soft, smooth and pigmented.

Cheek swatches:

No7 Natural Blush in 'Soft Damson' - somewhat less vibrant than the color my cheeks turn in the cold, but very close.

Stila Convertible Color in 'Lillium': doesn't it look fresh and lovely?

Stila Cheek Color in 'Hint': a hint of natural tan that would compliment well the more dramatic, colorful looks. It requires a couple layers to show up well on the skin, but the advantage of this is that it lasts the whole day without fading.

What is your favorite blush for just a hint of color?

Rocaille of the Day: Rainy Weather

Despite the fact that it's already April, the weather has decided to ignore the sun and warmth traditionally associated with spring time and greet us with rain and cold instead (or, as a non-native Washingtonian, I'm just being picky). Anyways, this is what happened one lovely Saturday:

Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather...

We've been debating whether to head outside for a good hour, since the sun was shining sporadically through the clouds but the forecast predicted downpour. And when we finally found ourselves outdoors in the beautifully blooming Bellevue Botanical Garden, rain first drip-dripped its way down from the heavy clouds to our slight annoyance, and then slushed full force behind our collars making us dash madly for the car.

Dress: Zara
Jacket: Zara
Boots (non waterproof!): Ecco
Purse: H&M
Scarf: Tally Weijl
Belt: H&M
Body suit: Forever21
Tights: ?

I love this dress and have worn it on numerous occasions, even though it has a tendency to slide upwards in the back and emphasize panty lines, as witnessed in the first photo. I wish we had Zara somewhere around here! On a different note, the weather has me seriously pondering a purchase of rubber boots. As a yet another side note, I've posted the first photo specifically for Kajal Couture - I might be a wrinkly old lady in the future but I sure smile a lot :)

How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Are you all wearing pretty Spring dresses and sandals or raincoats and umbrellas?

Top 3 Pastel Nail Polishes for Spring

Yes, it's time to dig out those pastels again from the back of your drawer! I do like pastel colors for Spring a lot, and while they can be tricky to incorporate into an everyday make-up look, I think on the nails these fresh milky shades look good on nearly everybody.


After a lot of thinking, I've picked the following three shades to show you: Essie 'Splash of Grenadine' from Resort Collection for Summer 2010, ChinaGlaze 'Lemon Fizz' from the 'Up and Away' for Spring 2010 and again Essie 'Van D'Go' from Art of Spring 2010 Collection. Yes, all of these are last year's, but 1) the trends haven't changed that much since last year, 2) you can get them for a lot cheaper online than the current collections.



Splash of Grenadine is a light pink purple, which almost looks a bit Barbie doll on me but is just short of being tacky. Probably the most girly shade in my collection. This is 2 coats with a layer of top coat, no problems during application. I like Essie's brush a lot for my nails, it's skinny enough to get near the cuticle on the sides and allows for more precision.


Lemon Fizz is a gorgeous cool pastel yellow - much cooler and whiter than an actual lemon. It pops out a lot against my pale pinkish skin. This was a bit harder to apply with 3 coats, but still very decent for such a light shade.


Van D'Go is a very light milky peach/ salmon pink. It almost looks very mod on me; it's bright, but not to the point of being the centre of attention. The shade also feels very romantic and feminine and would look gorgeous paired with a flowery top and grey flowy scarf, which I accidentally have in my Spring wardrobe. I've read some very bad reviews on the formula; my bottle however must be a good one, since I only needed 2 coats and haven't noticed any patchiness or streaking. Overall, my absolute favorite of the bunch.

What are your favorite pastel polishes for the Spring?

Review: Michael Todd Crème Glacé lipgloss in Natural

I've already mentioned the Michael Todd Crème Glacé lipgloss in this haul, but decided it deserved its own post with swatches; especially that I haven't seen many reviews on these in the blogosphere, so this might actually be useful to somebody for a change.


What is it?
This Michael Todd favorite has the coverage of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss that adds sensual glow and a flawless texture. Our Creme Glace wears beautifully at night and protects during the day with SPF 15. (from Michael Todd's website) The gloss retails at $17 and comes in 27 shades.

What I like about it:
- I like how comfortable the gloss feels on the lips: non sticky, incredibly smooth, non drying. It glides over any little crevices and leaves my lips looking moist and plump. The shimmers are just perfect: non gritty, not too frosty, just catching the light in all the right ways. It has a rather average wear time, but I don't mind reapplying.
- The smell!!! I've already mentioned in my previous post how much I love it: it's deliciously reminiscent of vanilla strawberry ice cream.
- I find the simple and sleek design of the tube very appealing.
- I like the tongue-in-the-cheek name that ties in with the scent.


What I dislike about it:
- 'the coverage of a lipstick'? Really? I find it to be rather sheer, it lends just a hint of color to my pigmented lips, nothing more than that.
- Unfortunately, the beautiful packaging has a rather serious flaw: not enough product finds its way on the wand, but there's plenty gathering at the top, near the 'handle', as you can see in the first photo. Maybe it's just my tube, maybe it's not.
- It does seem quite pricey to me; there are some incredible glosses out there available for much less.


That said, it's still my current favorite and I tote it around everywhere with me - the shade looks great on top of every lipstick I might be wearing on the day. Have you tried Michael Todd's cosmetics? What are your impressions?

Rocaille Raves: Shiseido Eyelash Curler

It took me forever to finally take the plunge and splurge $19 on this bad boy... And I'm so so glad I have it in my possession now, also thanks to the amazingly detailed review comparison by Citrine and delicate nudging from Suka and Spice on our swatching trip to Sephora.


What is it?
A redesigned Eyelash Curler that firmly catches each lash at the root and leaves them beautifully lifted and curled. With just one squeeze, you will instantly glamour-eyes your lashes with this new and improved curler from Shiseido. The broad curve curls lashes from the inner to the outer corner and the edge-free design prevents pinching. (from Sephora website)

What I like about it:
- It works. Simple as that. Mind you, I have naturally a bit of a curl to my lashes, but this is another story. The curler hugs beautifully the curve of my lash line, gripping every single hair, and curls without pinching. My lashes look lifted and my mascara goes on easier coating all my lashes evenly. The curl does drop a little during the day, but it might also have something to do with the mascara I'm using (a dying tube of Maybelline Full 'N Soft). Just take a look:


- I really like blackened silver color of it, I think it looks simple and elegant!
- The spring is rather powerful so that you don't have to squeeze very hard
- The rubber pad feels nice and squishy... Citrine really does explain it a lot better.
- The handle is comfortable to use
- It comes with one replacement rubber pad, and additional ones can be purchased for $6
- I think currently it's more widely available than the Shu Uemura curler and it's a tiny bit cheaper

What I dislike about it:
- Hmmm... That's a tough one! Maybe it could cost a bit less? Or the fact that it curls my lashes so well that it makes it difficult to put mascara on my lashes without smearing it under my browbone (yes, my lashes touch my browbone when I look up... not because they're that long, I just have rather small lid space)? I don't know. It's simply fantastic.

If you're still unsure whether a more expensive eyelash curler is worth the money compared to a cheaper one, here's the proof:


Can you see the difference between the curve of the silver no-name curler and the Shiseido? That's what makes it work so damn well. Maybe you can find a cheaper curler that does the same thing - in which case I congratulate you - but I love my Shiseido. Now and forever.

What is your favorite eyelash curler?

FOTD: Etro SS 2011 Inspired Lilac

It's April already! What's a better way to celebrate than posting a fun Spring look for you, lovelies!

Today's FOTD has been inspired by the Etro SS 2011 collection look, which I came by browsing a men's style magazine while Mr was getting a haircut. As soon as I saw it, I knew I'd have to recreate it in the safety of my make-up station...


I love the juxtaposition of cool vibrant purple on the eyes and warm soft peach of the lips and cheeks. It's a super simple look and I think also quite wearable; if you're afraid of going all out, just choose a more muted shade of purple and/or limit the color to the lid. I didn't have a lip shade to match the one used on the catwalk, so I just tried to use the closest one I had.

Products used:
Face
Coastal Scents Honey Light Flawless Finish mineral foundation
MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW20
Wet 'n Wild Ultimate Minerals bronzer in 'Amber Glow'
Eyes
Annabelle 'So Foxy' eyeshadow lightly through the brows
a mixture of purple and matte white eyeshadows from Coastal Scents 76 Eyeshadow & Blush palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliner Pencil in 'Ransom' (swatches and review here)
Maybelline Full 'N Soft mascara in Very Black (review with close-ups here)
Benefit Eye Bright on the waterline
Lips
GOSH Velvet Touch lipstick in 'Darling'
Barry M Lip Paint in 147 'Peachy Pink'
e.l.f. Hypershine gloss in 'Flirty' (lip swatch here)

What is your favorite way of wearing lilac on the face?