Earthy Eyes with a Pop of Teal!

Hey guys! Today I'm posting a video tutorial of this earthy, brown with a pop of color look I did using my Nuance palettes. Hope you enjoy! (Skip to 1:18 for tutorial.)

Products Used:
Laura Mercier Secret Concealer - 3
MAC MSF Natural - Medium Plus
Nuance Eye Quad - Smokey
Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara- Black
Stila Blockbuster Palette - peachy blush
Nuance Lip Quad - Warm

Tools Used:
Stila Brush #30
Sonia Kashuk Travel Brush
MAC 217 Brush
ecoTools Powder Brush

All for now! How do you incorporate color into your look?
Love, Val

Nuance Salma Hayek Launch, Reviews + Swatches

This month, a new brand of makeup is launching to CVS drugstores! Nuance, by Salma Hayek, is inspired by the subtleties, or nuances, of beauty. From what I've seen, it features earth tones and a variety of finishes. In addition, the line does not test on animals!

I have two quads: a lip quad in "warm," and an eye quad in "smokey." 

Eye Quad

Shades: "Cool Charcoal," a shimmery black-based green; "Warm Smoke," a satin taupe; "Pearl Teal,"a shimmery almost-teal; and "Silver Mist," a pinky-cream.

Packaging: Interesting! A black plastic bulb that opens into a "flower." Comes with a detachable smudge brush in the center. (There is a lot of empty space in the center; therefore, the item is not as compact as it could be.)

Pigmentation: All of the shades have nice pigmentation and smooth texture; my one gripe is that Silver Mist swatches a bit unevenly. 

Lasting Power: Unfortunately, the shadows fade quickly. Use with eyeshadow primer for a full day's wear.

Pearl Teal, Warm Smoke, Cool Charcoal, Silver Mist

Lip Quad

Shades: "Red Hot," a berry red; "Mauve Berry," a muted beige/pink; "Sheer Champagne," a sheer pink with gold shimmer, and "Plum Shimmer," a muted rose with shimmer.

Packaging: Same as the eye quad, but with a lip brush. 

Pigmentation: All are comparable to lipsticks; Red Hot is most pigmented, Mauve Berry and Plum Shimmer are close, and Sheer Champagne is, yes, sheer.

Lasting Power: The shine will fade soon, but the color lasts nicely as a stain throughout the day.

Plum Shimmer, Sheer Champagne, Red Hot, Mauve Berry

Price: I'm not sure of the particular prices of these items, but I do know that the line ranges from $7.99 to $19.99. 

Overall: Worth a shot if you're looking to try a new brand! The quality is great and the products are well thought out. 

All for now! Will you be trying Nuance?

Love, Val

I got these items for free; they were passed out at BlogHer. I am in no way affiliated with or sponsored by CVS or Nuance.

Back To School Makeup!

     It's that time of year again! Time to decide on your own back-to-school look. Will you reinvent your style? Try all the new trends? Stick with the classics? While you work on your perfect first-day outfit, I've already figured out a makeup look that will flatter anyone on their first day!
    It's a simple look designed to bring out your natural beauty. It features very little on the skin, with naturally pink cheeks, big and lifted eyes, and glossy coral lips. As a bonus, all the makeup is from the drugstore. Let's get started! (You may also check out my video tutorial here.)

1) For your base makeup, take time to evaluate what makeup you actually need. As an example, my skin has a few blemished areas and dark undereye circles, but other than that is relatively clear. Thus, I used concealer in those areas and left the rest bare. I even used a little extra on the lids as an eyeshadow primer. Revlon ColorStay Blemish Concealer - Light/Medium

2) Begin by giving your eyes some shine and dewiness with a shimmery cream shadow. elf Shadow/Liner Stick - Basic/Brown

3) Next, define the eyes with a brown liner. Apply accross the upper lashline, gradually getting thicker toward the end, and finish with a "kitten" wing. This will lift the eyes, making them appear large and bright. Apply some halfway through the lower lashline as well. elf Shadow/Liner Stick - Basic/Brown

4) Optionally set the shadows and boost color by applying powder shadows (in colors that match) directly on top of the creams. Revlon ColorStay Quad - Coffee Bean

4) Finish off the eyes with curled lashes and mascara. Revlon Grow Lusicous Mascara - Black

5) Keep the cheeks simple and natural by applying a blush that mimics your own natural flush. To do this, check the color of your cheeks after exercising. elf Studio Blush - Tickled Pink

6) Finish off with a glossy lip. There's a shade of coral for everyone! Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss - Coral Reef

Done!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and have a great day!
Love, Val

July Faves: Simple + Sweet!

Hey all! It feels like I haven't blogged in forever! ...But really, it's only been a week. I was at camp, but I'm so glad to be back and share my July favorites!

July was a month of little/no makeup for me, because my skin has been giving me problems and I wanted to let it clear up.
Sephora Eyelash Curler: I've been too lazy to deal with eye makeup remover, so instead of mascara I just curl my lashes! This gives the best curl without pulling or snagging.
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: I'm just about out of my Revlon concealer, so I picked up a replacement at MAC. This has medium/full coverage, and awesome lasting power, as well as a convenient pump. I wear NC35, and I like to dab a bit under the eyes daily; for nights, I'll apply some on blemishes too.
Burt's Bees Tiger Lily Tinted Lip Balm: This is a lovely, sheer, nonwaxy lip balm with a pleasant scent. Tiger Lily is a peachy, natural lip color and very sheer; it just lightens up my natural shade. I've been wearing it daily!
MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot: For a bit of sparkle on the eyes, I like to apply this lovely warm peached gold cream shadow as a wash across the lids. It's quite sheer, so it's perfect for a subtle look or as a base!
That's all I've been loving! What are your faves right now?
Love, Val

Winner! Fresh Giveaway

Well, it's that time again! Congratulations to....

Sadi!

Sadi, I've sent an email requesting your address. If I don't recieve a response in one week I will have to choose a new winner.

Please congratulate the winner, and if you didn't win, don't worry! I love doing giveaways and will have plenty more soon. :)

Love, Val

4 Minute Makeup!

I don't know if many of you know this but I actually have a YouTube channel! I've only done a few videos, but nonetheless - it's been fun. I thought I'd share one with you today. It's a tutorial for makeup in four minutes! (And as you can tell, I'm still pretty awkward in these. Ha. That's why blogs are great!)

How To:

1) Apply a mineral foundation all over the skin for a little bit of coverage. Using a smaller brush, pinpoint more of the mineral foundation to the areas ou need it - specifically, under the eyes and on blemishes. (GloMinerals loose base, ecoTools powder brush, Stila brush #30)

2) Liven up the cheeks with a blush! I used a cream stick blush for quickness, applied to the back of the apples and blended out with fingers. (NYC blushable cream stick - Big Apple Blush)

3) Get your face an all-over dewy glow with liquid highlighter! I applied to the tops of the cheekbones and all over the eyelids, as an eyeshadow. (elf Shimmering Facial Whip - Lilac Petal)

4) Curl the lashes and apply mascara, as always! (Sephora Lash Curler, Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara)

5) Finish off with tinted lip balm on the lips! (Wet N Wild lip balm in 104)

Hope this helped! Any requests, video or blog?

Love, Val

EOTD: Neutrals, Shimmer, Winged Liner

I absolutely love playing around with makeup to find new neutral combinations, and this was one I particularly liked so I thought I'd share!

primer
MAC Painterly Paint Pot

shadow
lid + inner corner: Physicians Formula Sunset Strip - 2nd shade down, a frosted pink/beige
crease/lower lash line: Urban Decay Smog - bronzey brown with satin finish
outer v: MAC Satin Taupe - grey/plum/brown with satin finish
blending out the crease: Clinique "No Show Taupes" Duo - darker, a matte medium neutral brown

liner
upper lash line and wing: Stila "stay all day" Waterproof Liquid Liner
tightline, between upper lashes: elf Cream Eyeliner - black

mascara

Revlon Grow Luscious - black

All for now! Would you like more EOTD posts?
Love, Val