Cumulative HAUL :)

While I haven't been blogging lately, I have still been buying! Here's some pics and swatches of what I've picked up recently...

Read on for more pics and swatches!!!

Blog SALE Preview...

So, I've been doing a little... summer?... cleaning and finally went through my makeup. There are so many great products that I just don't use, and it's a shame! I'll be having a blog sale in a few days and just wanted to give you all a little preview!

Blog sale

Blog sale, CHANEL Poudre Universelle Libre

It will be U.S. and Paypal only. (sorry!) You can also expect some extra goodies along with any purchase =)

Xx-

Bethany

Quick MUFE HAUL and Review!!

This haul is long LONG overdue! I have been using the foundation and primer for a month already (talk about being a terrible blogger!) but now I can give you a good review on how I like them :) Here we go...

MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Velvet + Mattifying Foundation in #35 "Vanilla"... I really liked this foundation when I first started using it. It goes on smoothly, covers all of my pigmentation problems, and leaves a nice natural finish. However, the longevity of wear is not the best. It's not one of those foundations that just starts wearing off either, it actually separates on my face! The hotter I am during the day (and when I sweat), the faster this happens. Depending on what I'm doing the foundation will last around 8 hours on my normal/combo skin before it starts turning a bit wonky. Though this is clearly not my ideal foundation I will continue using it until it's gone, either mixed with something else or for short periods of time.

left to right: MUFE Mat Velvet + in #35 "Vanilla", Full Cover Concealer in #3 "Light Beige", Diamond Shadow in #303 "Diamond Pink", Aqua Cream in #4 "Snow"

MUFE Full Cover Concealer in #3 "Light Beige"... Love this concealer. L. O. V. E. Seriously. I have some pretty hardcore dark circles, and this not only covers them but stays on all day! I have shade #3 Light Beige, and it's pretty darn light. I'm thinking I need to get the next shade darker for the summer.. I'd say NW20 and up definitely need a darker shade than this one! However, if you are into that "Kardashian" look then this may be the shade for you! ;) Anyway, this is an amazing concealer. It's waterproof and will definitely be what I wear this month for my wedding!!

MUFE Diamond Shadow in #303 "Diamond Pink"... I have been wanting a pink inner-eye highlight and this is most definitely it. You can see in the swatch that it has a beautiful sheen and sparkle, but doesn't have any fallout.

MUFE Aqua Cream in #4 "Snow"... I'm a huge fan of MUFE Aqua Creams. They stay on alllllll day until you take it off with makeup remover. I usually have a problem with my inner highlight wearing off, but with this as a base I don't have to worry about that!


So what have you guys been loving lately? It's been forever since I have read posts!!

Xx-

Bethany

BEST Purchase EVER!!!

I don't know about you, but if I can't see my makeup, I don't use it. This especially applies to my NARS eye shadows. A while back I de-potted them and put them in an empty MAC palette I had.... That didn't work. I STILL couldn't see the shadows and always forgot about them!!! So I finally paid the $20 and bought a Z Palette =)    BEST. PURCHASE. EVER.

After it came in the mail I immediately bought 2 more. Check it!

Z Palette

'TOP 11 of 2011'... to LIVE FOR ...

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give a mini review and description of all my favorite/most used products of 2011.. hope you enjoy!!

TOP 11 of 2011

'A little Sephora Haulage'...

Moving day is finally here! As I mentioned before, the boyfriend and I are moving states, AGAIN. As a result I will be without internet for a while :( So I leave you now with some Sephora goodies!

I decided it was about time to make a little dent in my Sephora Wish List =) Not to mention I have been out of my HG cuticle cream for quite a while now, so it was needed!

Sephora Haul

Read on for the breakdown!

'MUFE Haul & MAC Impassioned DUPE!!'

MAKE UP FOR EVER is one of those brands that continually impresses me! I have yet to try out a MUFE product that doesn't exceed my expectations.




MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Lip Liner in 15C

MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 15C... I have been needing a versatile pink lip liner for ages! A while back I purchased the fuschia version of this waterproof pencil (16C) and was so impressed I decided to try another shade.... let me tell you.... this shade is freakin amazing..... seriously =)  It's sort of a rosy pink, but seems to take on whatever undertone you pair it with. I have tried it with everything from MAC's Impassioned to Shy Girl, and it just works! Not to mention the stuff doesn't budge and lasts on your lips forever.  If you are in the market for a pink lip liner then I totally suggest this one!!!!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in 37

MUFE Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in 37... When I pulled this lippie out of the package I thought, hmmm, Impassioned much?? haha Swatching them side-by-side they are nearly identical!



left to right: MAC "Impassioned", MUFE 37, MUFE Aqua Lip 15C

In person they look much more similar than in the pic! Both are also much more vibrant (as lots of you probably know from having the Impassioned lippie), though the lip liner is pretty true to color.

Shade aside, there are some small differences between the two. The formula of the MUFE lippie (we will just call it 37) is not quite as creamy as Impassioned, but still feels rather moisturizing. That makes me wonder if 37 would last longer on the lips than Impassioned...? I haven't had a chance to test it out yet, but I'll let you know! One advantage I see of 37 is that it seems to glide over the lines in my lips more than Impassioned. It just looks a bit smoother on the lips.

Unless you have money to burn I'd say stick with Impassioned! However, I will definitely purchase more MUFE lipsticks, providing the colors are unique!!


Have you tried out any MUFE lippies??

Xx-

Bethany

'Small Illamasqua, MUFE, Sephora HAUL'

I placed 2 different orders on Sephora.com recently, and the first one just arrived! I really couldn't be more thrilled with what I purchased =)

First up...


Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Lover"

 Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Lover"... I have been lusting over this blusher for months! The color is a very vibrant apricot. As with the other Illamasqua blushers I have tried, Lover is extremely pigmented! (I highly recommend using a duo fibre brush when using this product) Illamasqua just continues to impress me!



left to right: Illamasqua "Lover" blended out, "Lover" swatch

Next up...

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner #14... This is by far the most exciting product I have purchased recently =) I will insert a swatch now because I can't wait for you to see the color!!

How freakin gorgeous is that?!?! #14 is a black with mulitcolor sparkles, as you can see. The Aqua Liners are waterproof and DO NOT budge once they dry. Simply amazing! MUFE also has a pretty massive color range of these liners, but #14 stood out the most to me as being something special and a product that I will no doubt get tons of use out of. 

Photo from Temptalia.com. You can also find great swatches of all shades on her site!!

Lastly...

Sephora by OPI "Traffic-Stopper Copper"

Yep that's right, I broke my nailpolish ban. Oops =) But I made it 1 out of the 2 months!

Sephora by OPI in "Traffic-Stopper Copper"...  I love glitter polishes that have different size sparkles in them. Traffic-Stopper Copper has a clear base with fine and chunky bright copper glitter.

I have seen several people do manicures with glitter polish where the base is one color, then a different color glitter is added on top with it concentrated on the tip of the nail and fading up toward the cuticle. Do you know what I'm talking about?? I'm thinking of trying it out with this polish on top of maybe a light blue.... I'll post a NOTD with it, unless it is a total fail which is completely possible! haha

Have any of you tried the Aqua liners?? I'm in love!!!

Xx-

Bethany

'Make Up For Ever FLASH Palette'

I pretty much spend an insane amount of money on makeup products =) It's a sickness that I am more than happy to have. Even for me, spending $95 on (technically) a single makeup item was tough! But it's probably the smartest purchase I have made in a long time...

MUFE 12 Flash Color Case... This palette contains 12 vibrant, opaque shades. The colors include: metallic gold, coral, turquoise, fuschia, yellow, dark brown, metallic silver, white, red, blue, leaf green, and black. You may have to brush up on your color theory, but you can create almost any color or shade you could think of by mixing a variety of these together. You can use this on the eyes, cheeks, lips, just about anywhere!!

I love the MUFE Aqua Cream that I purchased a while back, so I added a few more colors to my wishlist... I realized that if I just bought 3 more colors of the singles, that I would have spent more than just shelling out for the palette! 

So far I am loving all of the colors. The consistency is very creamy which makes them super easy to blend and sheer down if desired. Every single color is very highly pigmented and a little will go a long way! 

There are definitely cheaper alternatives out there as far as color palettes go, but I just wanted the MUFE one! It's also really great that MUFE included a sparkly gold and silver to the mix =) Blending them with any of the other colors instantly creates a gorgeous sparkly shimmery formula.

Do you ever mix your cream pigments to make a unique shade/color?? Have you tried this product? Let me know below!

Xx-

Bethany

'Illamasqua and MUFE Hauling'

Once again, more of my Illamasqua obsession as well as a MUFE Aqua Cream. Let's just dive in!!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in "Lies" ($24 at Sephora)

Cream Blusher in "Lies"... This is a product often used by Tanya Burr in makeup tutorials on her youtube channel, pixi2woo. I have found her recommendations to be quite good, so I wanted to give it a try!
I like the consistency and formulation of this cream blusher. When swatching it, it feels quite slick. In comparison to a MAC creme blush (which feels thicker and more tacky) the Illamasqua cream blusher is very easy to apply to the face and blend out. However, I'm not sure if this has an effect on the lasting-power!
The color of "Lies" when swatched is much lighter than it looks in the pan. It has a very high sheen on the silvery side, so I wouldn't recommend it if you have very oily skin. It acts more as a highlighting blush. I think the color is a bit too pink to use on the cheek bones up to the temple, but it is gorgeous when blended away from the apple of your cheek! With this you really don't need a highlighter.
*I have noticed that "Lies" is no longer available on the Sephora website, so you may have to go directly to the Illamasqua site if you want to purchase it.


left to right: MUFE Aqua Cream in #14, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in "Furore", Illamasqua Cream Blusher in "Lies"



Illamasqua Pure Pigment in "Furore"... This pigment was a bit of an impluse purchase.. I initially thought I was going to get "Ore" pigment, which I've heard great things about, but at the last minute decided to get a lighter more summery shade. On the website this pigment is described as a peach champagne shimmer. Obviously photos of the colors online are never quite accurate, but because of how pink the photo looked I was expecting much more peach in the pigment.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #14... Wayne Goss does a lot of reviews over MUFE products on his youtube channel gossmakeupartist.. I'm sort of obsessed with his videos!! With summer coming up I thought it was the perfect time to purchase an Aqua Cream and see how it stands up to the heat, literally! I can't wait to use this as a base for my dark shadows, and alone for a wash of color. #14 is a gorgeous dark brown with a very red undertone. LOVE IT!



bottom to top: MUFE Aqua Cream #14, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in "Furore", Illamasqua Cream Blusher in "Lies"


Have you tried any of these products??

Xx-

Bethany

'Online Sephora shopping' AGAIN!! uhoh =)

Hi my name is Bethany, and I'm an addict. It's becoming a problem......well...... maybe just a problem for my wallet =)

I just received a little package in the mail from Sephora. Here's what I picked up!

My "local" Sephora is about 2 hours away, so I order from their online store quite a lot. On orders of $50+ you get free shipping so of course I had to make my purchase over $50! But the main reason I wanted to place an order was for.....

MUFE Aqua Lip in 16C... This is such a bright vivid fuschia pink color! I have a few of the MUFE Aqua Eye Liner pencils and like them a lot, so I decided to try a Aqua Lip pencil to see how long the wear is. I find that my Estee Lauder Dbl Wear Lip Pencil lasts for quite a bit longer. But MUFE has such a great color range that I will definitely be purchasing more colors! =)

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Chased"... It is described as a "lilac pink". I don't really find that I see much lilac in the coloring. In the swatch below the lilac stands out more, but in person both of the swatches (the lip liner as well as the blush) are quite a bit brighter and more pink. This blush is SO pigmented! I really think it would suit most skin tones, cool or warm, light to dark. I really think this shade would be amazing on dark skin tones! However, I haven't actually tried it on dark skin, but I recommend to go try it!



Left to right: MUFE Aqua Lip in 16C, Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Chased" swatched then blended out

 I also purchased a mitt to apply my St. Tropez Self-Tanner, and the St. Tropez Tan Remover. I have yet to try either of these.



Have you used any of these products? I'm especially interested to hear if you have tried the St. Tropez Tan Remover!

Xx-

Bethany



*MAC Chanel Dior MUFE* Makeup HAUL!

I surprisingly didn't get a THING that was on my makeup wish list! Not because I don't still want them, but because I simply didn't have the time to look for them! It happens when you shop with other people...sigh.. However, I still found some kick ass stuff :)

First stop, MAC..


 Cream Color Base in "Shell".... This is a great product to use underneath your highlight powder to help it last alllll day. Shell is a great neutral pinky-nude color that I plan on wearing when I get a nice summer tan going!

Lustering Lipstick



(left: one coat, right: a few coats)

Lustre Lipstick in "Lustering".... In the tube this looks like a pretty bold pink. However, because it is a lustre it comes out rather sheer on the lips. The color can also be built up if you apply a few coats. If you are new to lipsticks lustres are super easy to wear, they feel like lip balm!!

And Sephora...

Dior Addict High Shine Lipcolor in "Flamenco Red".... This is another lipstick that feels more like a balm or gloss. My picture isn't capturing the true red color, it looks much brighter in person! Super moisturizing as well which is a huge plus in my book!
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in "23L".... I bought this waterproof eyeliner pencil to replace the MAC chromographic pencil (NC15/NW20 I think) that I used to use on my lower waterline to cut out redness and make my eyes look bigger and brighter. I am hoping this will last longer than the MAC pencil since this one is waterproof.. Fingers crossed!!

MUFE Aqua Eyes in 23L
Dior Lipstick: left applied once, right applied a few times


Nordstrom's



 Chanel Glossimer in #144 "Rose Dilemma".... What can I say, a perfect light pink gloss. Nice and neutral :) Swatched below.
Aaaand Victoria's Secret...

Victoria's Secret Sparkling Lipstick in "Lime Light".... Ok, so I have never really looked at VS makeup, and I am SUPER impressed!! This is my new favorite lipstick!! Awesome sparkly pink/rosy color that would look great on almost any skin tone. Seriously check them out!!!!! Swatched below with...
VS Luminous Mineral Eye Shadow in "Bubbly".... My search for a gorgeous warmer toned inner-eye highlight is over. As always my pictures are terrible and simply don't do it justice, but this is a great color that I know I will get tons of use out of!

Left to right: Chanel #144, VS "Lime Light" lipstick, VS "Bubbly" eye shadow

I may not have purchased what I initially went in looking for, but I love all my finds!! On my next trip to the mall I am definitely going to check out the VS makeup some more.. =)

What have you been hauling lately??? Comment below!

Makeup Wish List! to LIVE FOR...

One good thing about now living in MN is that I am only a "hop, skip and a jump" away from the Mall of America :) This weekend my friend Samantha, from back home, is coming to visit! Of course I am taking her to the mall and I've been thinking over my wish list of makeup products that I want to check out while we are there. Here are a few:

 YSL lip gloss.. I have lusted over these glosses for as long as I can remember. However, I made up my mind that if I find an absolutely gorgeous color, I am buying it. End of story. ;)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation.. I am simply in love with my Vichy Dermablend Foundation at the moment. Really there is no reason for me to even try anything else. Buuuut somehow I can not make myself stop! I have heard great things about Double Wear and this weekend I am going to grab a sample and see for myself what all the hype is about!

Bobbi Brown lipstick.. There are so many new gorgeous shades out from Bobbi Brown. I have never tried their lip products but I am on a lipstick kick right now, so I want to check them out. No idea what shade, but I am getting one!

Estee Lauder Wild Violet Collection Lipstick/Lipgloss.. Like I said, I have been obsessed with lipsticks and trying different brands lately. I saw a video review on a blog recently and I am totally sold on the darkest shade of lipstick!

 Make Up For Ever Uplight Luminizer.. All of my favorite highlighters are powder (as you can clearly tell from my last post) and I am really interested in checking out some cream products. GossMakeupArtist made a video on youtube.com a while back before they were actually released. That video planted the idea in my head that I simply MUST pick one of these up the next time I go to Sephora, if they have them!

Last but not least..CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine Lipsticks.. Ok. So speaking of lipsticks, there is no way I can NOT get one of the new Shine lipsticks. Uhhhhg I die, seriously. lol

What is on your makeup wish list?!