001 my world according to my phone

taking a page out of the rockstar diaries and sharing what i have been up to (somehow it always ends up involving food...) thru my phone pictures.






grilled chicken & tiki bar with my sister/cousins :: local gyros. delish :: snacker BLT and garden tomato :: trying the local brewery for the first time.

i hope all of you are having a great weekend!

002 vain rambling

it's vain rambling time...posts dedicated to me rambling on about a few beauty products i feel like talking about all in one post so i dont have to do many little posts individually for each product. what do i have to share this edition?

milani baked blush in berry amore
i actually bought this blush in california (at target...didnt know milani was at target!) and i shamefully neglected it once i got back from my trip. i recently dug it up and have started using it very frequently.

it is a really lovely shade...even though the name and veining in the product suggests a berry shade...it shows up as more of a glowing bronzed rose on my face. i think i like this shade the most out of all the shades i do have since i can wear this shade on it's own. the others i have (i blogged about them HERE) i find i end up pairing them with other blushes either to tone down the sparkle or to add more depth/color. this color i can apply and i get color AND a not overdone highlight.

milani blush in mai tai
another product i bought and neglected. i gotta hand it to milani, they make some great products for the value. everything i have tried so far has been excellent. this blush is no exception, the color is beautiful...a matte pinkish coral color. not to mention the pigmentation is great, i dont have to work hard to make this show up on my face, which i love.

swatches:
mai tai on left, berry amore on right. if you want to see how berry amore looks on me, check out my FOTD post HERE.

mac e/s in hocus pocus and parisian skies
these shadows are a part of mac's blogger's obsession collection. i havent had a chance to use parisian skies yet, but i have used hocus pocus countless times. i really love the shade, a nice dark gunmetal grey with silver sparkles. i used this on a bridesmaid for the wedding i was in and i have used it on myself in various looks. it is probably dupable and not a complete must-have but i definitely dont regret my purchase.

swatches:
hocus pocus on left, parisian skies on right. parisian skies is a nice dusty blue with a blue sheen to it. it is quite pretty, i would imagine i would wear a blue/grey smokey look with it.

nars blush in crazed
this color is discontinued, which is the main reason why i bought it off of allcosmeticswholesale.com. it is a beautiful deep raspberry color with sparkles. i have heard this shade is similar to nars outlaw blush. so that means i dont need outlaw...right?!? who am i kidding...i want the whole line up of nars blushes. moot point.

swatch:
nars crazed. as you can see, once swatched/worn the sparkles just translate into a nice sheen. no hot glittery mess. if you wanted to see how it looks on me, check out my post HERE.

essie polish in splash of grenadine
last but not least, i have a nail polish to talk about. what kind of rambling would this be without me talking about nail polish. this color is nice, a purpley pink hybrid cream. it reminds me of some kind of spring flower for some reason. no problems with the formula on this one, i did 3 coats but could have easily gotten away with 2.

that is all for this edition...what are your vain rambling products? any recent little purchases/discoveries? do tell :)

must try: mac paint pots

i thought i'd start a series of "must tries"...items i think are star items within a brand overall. i feel within any brand it is rare to find that all the products they offer are worth buying. i will go through what i think is worth checking out within a brand and why i think so. hopefully this will help those that are new to a brand or just new to a certain product! i will kick off with mac paint pots.

paint pots are basically cream eyeshadows or bases. they also can be used as a primer for the lids, if your lids arent extremely oily. the consistency is thin yet opaque. the formula is very blendable, it doesnt dry too quickly so you have time to spread the color onto your lids. they come in many permanent and LE shades. i currently own 6, 5 of which are permanent colors.

painterly
probably one of the most popular shades since it acts as a blank canvas and makes colors show up better. it is a creamy matte light beige. this is probably my most used shade as well as my oldest.

depending on your skin tone, you could choose this color or soft ochre. painterly i would say is for fairer and the more cool toned. soft ochre is more yellow and for the warm toned.

indianwood
this is a warm metallic bronze. this was also one of my first paint pots. i wore this a lot on it's own when i first got into makeup because it was such an easy shade to wear.

sometimes this shade is a little TOO bronze to wear by itself though so i like to pair it with tempting or, even better, sumptuous olive. if you have indianwood and sumptuous olive...please layer them together...pretty please? it's so lovely together.

groundwork
i would say this is my favorite paint pot. the color is a matte neutral greyed brown. i love this because it is an effortless shade. this shade is the easiest shade to wear. many times i have just plopped this on my lid, added mascara and headed out the door.

if you are just beginning in makeup, i would really recommend this shade. it is effortlessly pretty. it also works great as a base for soft smokey brown looks.

vintage selection
my only LE shade. this came out with the champale collection. it is a pinky pearly champagne. this is the most shimmery shade i have. it could also be used as a highlighter if you wished.

this pairs really well with naked lunch by mac. or urban decays sin. if you like shimmery, you would like this shade.

quite natural
this is a matte dark brown. this is a great base for more intense brown smokey eyes. i recently got this so i havent used it too much.

when i have used this shade it was pretty intensely pigmented. so much that it was a bit harder to spread the color. i would say this is the hardest shade for me to work with.

contructivist
this is a metallic plummy brown with very fine red sparkles. i really like this shade. it isnt too shimmery so it smooths out on the lid as a dark brown with a sheen.

i like to layer this shade with shimmery browns or golds. it really adds depth to whatever color i layer on top.

swatches:
from left to right: painterly, indianwood, groundwork, vintage selection, quite natural, contructivist

overall i really recommend these. the formula is great, i dont get any creasing with these (my lids are slightly more oily than normal, but nothing too crazy), and the colors are very neutral. the only downside to these(if you love color) is there arent too many colorful shades in the permanent range. it isnt a downside to me because i love me some neutrals.

what paint pots do you have/love/want? right now im pretty content on what shades i have. rubenesque is popular but it leans a little too orangey for my liking. bare study is also popular but it is way too sheer on me (my sister has this one). i havent had a chance to try out any of MUF or benefits cream shadows so i cant compare! let me know if you like those more than mac's...id love to try them all out.

FOTD: a blonde's tarnished gold

in my last post i did about swapping, i talked about how i would show you guys how i wear mac's blonde's gold pigment. it really isnt anything fancy but the reason i wanted to show you the look is because i incorporated some purple eyeliner in the look and it really compliments this pigment. plus for you brown eyed girls out there, purple realy pulls out the brown in eyes.






face:
neutrogena healthy skin liquid makeup
mac MSFN med dark
bonnebell glimmer bronzer
cargo med bronzer
milani baked blush in berry amore

eyes:
mac constructivist pp
mac blonde's gold pigment
mac brun e/s in outer v and smudge in upper lash line
l'oreal extra intense liquid pencil liner in plum in waterline
lancome hypnose mascara

lips:
mac hue lipstick
mac like venus dazzleglass

i really have been loving this pigment. it gives a nice tarnished gold eye which i think looks much prettier than your standard shiny gold. i especially have been loving different colors in my lower lash line. it is pretty but very subtle, just my style. this makes me want to try out different liners, like prunella and powersurge by mac.

what do you guys think of blonde's gold pigment? how would you wear it?

bobbi brown pot rouge: revamped

if you have been following my blog you already know that i am a big fan of bobbi brown's pot rouges. so far they are my favorite cream blushes. the consistency and longevity of the product is excellent and it comes in 9 different shades. since i recently picked up a discontinued shade, pink raspberry, off allcosmeticswholesale.com AND because my fellow blogger Delyteful Speaks was curious about them, i decided to do a revamped updated post on the ones i own.

powder pink
this is a very natural shade. it gives me a very natural pinky flush to the face. i would describe it as a fleshy petal pink. if you like super natural colors, this is the one to pick. it is very effortless to wear.

calypso coral
this is a pink based salmon coral color. on me it gives a nice peachy pink glow. i think of summer with this shade. if you prefer peachier corals rather than pink, i would go to cabo coral instead, that leans more peach/orange.

blushed rose
this is my favorite shade out the ones i have. it is a very blah color in the pan, but it really flatters my skin tone. i would describe it as a browned muted pink. browned pinks usually look the best on me because it adds color while making me look tan. i usually reach for this shade for special occasions or nights out when i want to layer cream and powder blushes for staying power.

pink raspberry
this color reminds me of exactly what the name suggests...pink raspberry. it is a nice dewy pink. i havent had the chance to wear this yet...but it swatches beautifully...

swatches:
from left to right: powder pink, calypso coral, blushed rose, pink raspberry.

i still really recommend these to try out if you havent tried any. they retail for 24USD. they can also be used on the lips, which i havent explored because i dont like wearing lipstick all that often on my lips. i have heard it is drying on the lips so tread carefully. on the cheek they wear beautifully; they blend easily, arent greasy, and last pretty long. the next few colors i want to try are velvet plum, chocolate cherry, and milk chocolate.

have you tried bobbi browns pot rouges? any favorites or colors you want to try out?

swap craze

lately i have been going a little swap crazy. if you dont know what swapping is, see THIS link. i have been trying to get my hands on limited edition products, but i refuse to pay the outrageous ebay prices, hence why i turned to swapping. on to the products:

blonde's gold pigment
this came out with mac' overrich collection. i believe this is a PRO item though. it is a nice neutral base with just the right amount of shimmer. it is definitely a white gold metallic, but on the eye it is a metallic dirty blonde color.

mac mercenary varnish
this came out with the style warriors collection. i havent worn this yet, but the color in the bottle is GORGEOUS. it looks like a metallic burnt gold. i cant wait to try it out.

mac club e/s
i have been dying to get this e/s for a long time but i havent felt like placing an order online. i prefer to buy mac's blushes and e/s in the pan because it is cheaper and easier to store in palette form. club is so unique, a dark brown base with teal duo-chrome. i plan on using a black base with this to bring out the duo-chrome.

mac blush in salsa rose
this is a PRO item, but i also have been wanting this for a long time. i am actually not a huge fan of mac blushes just because i feel their pigmentation isnt up to par and the colors are very blah. but some colors, like salsa rose, are the exception. this is very pigmented and extremely gorgeous in the pan. the color reminds me of tropical punch.

swatches:
from left to right: salsa rose, club, blonde's gold. salsa rose is a red based pink. i tried to capture club's blueish green duochrome the best i could here but you can definitely see the brown base of it swatched. the swatch of blonde's gold here is pretty accurate.

i havent used any of the products much besides blonde's gold. i really love pairing it with aubergine eyeliner! it really brings out the brown in my eyes. i will post a look i did with blonde's gold soon...

do you guys swap? i think it is a really fun way to get new products without spending too much money at all. plus it helps you get rid of products you let sit and gather dust anyway. it is a win/win deal.

wedding belles

i have been MIA lately...but i promise i have a good reason! i recently was a bridesmaid for my best friend's wedding!

i thought i'd share a few pictures (big thanks to my sister who snapped pictures for me with my camera!) since the scenery was beautiful AND because i did all the makeup for the bride, mother of the bride, two bridesmaids, and myself! i had no plans or any ideas ahead of time on what i was going to do so i just picked what i thought fit them personally right at the moment they sat down and hoped for the best. luckily everyone raved how much they loved how they looked! phew!
i also did my own hair for the wedding. it was my first time doing any kind of fancy updo and i think it turned out ok. not exactly how i envisioned what i wanted but not too horrible either.
more details of the back. i just curled sections, twisted the curls and pinned to the side. i added little blossoms from a floral branch from walmart.
dusting some nars albatross all over for that soft glow!
myself and two of my best friends/other bridesmaids. these ladies did their own makeup! i didnt touch them ha.
closer look at makeup. i didnt go too crazy...since we were wearing purple i decided to rock some plummy eyes and raspberry cheeks.

face:
neutrogena healthy skin foundation
mac msfn med dark
bonnebell glimmer bronzer
nars laguna bronzer
nars crazed blush
mac ccb in hush
nars albatross

eyes:
mac pp quite natural
UD toasted and hustle
loreal lineur intense
mac feline
lancome hypnose drama mascara

lips:
mac hue
revlon pink whisper gloss
estee lauder impulsive coral gloss

the rest of the bridesmaids! our styles are all very different so i had to take that into account when doing makeup. one girl preferred intense cool shades for e/s and another wanted a very shimmery natural look.
the dinner...roast beef, red skinned potatoes, sesame chicken, green beans w bacon, rolls and salad. yum!
the whole bridal party! it was such a beautiful wedding and the weather couldnt have been more perfect...i wish all the best to the lovely couple!