Problems with Comments...

For some reason, I'm not able to publish your comments. I reported it to Blogger and it seems it is an issue many bloggers are experiencing.  Just wanted you guys to know I have read your comments but we'll have to wait a bit for them to be published.

Gracias! 


ETA 11/30: Everything seems to be working fine now. But for some reason, although I hit the "publish" button for some comments they are not showing up.  I don't understand.

Look: MAC Sketch+Hepcat+Beauty Marked

I sported this look during daytime and liked it. You know I really like purple on my eyes and Sketch (burgundy with red shimmer) is one of the best and most versatiles MAC eyeshadows there is.

On my eyes, I used Hepcat all over the lid up to the crease but added Sketch on top of it, just in the eyelids.  Hepcat and Sketch were also applied on the lower lash line. I then applied Beauty Marked on the top lash line and outer part of lower lash line (applied more heavily in the corners with a the Sephora Brand Professionnel Smudge Brush #14 --great brush!). Shroom was applied as a highlighter under the brows.  I also used L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black and MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud.

I used MAC's Brit Wit Blushcreme on the cheeks with True Beauty BP on top.  Laura Mercier's Stardust Loose Powder was applied on the top part of the cheeks, temple and above my eyebrows to highlight.  Can't remember what I used on my lips...I've been so forgetful lately.  If I don't write what I use right away for my looks, it will be forgotten in less than 1 min.  Oh well...  I think it looks like L'oreal's Cashmere lipstick.

=D

 

**NO FLASH PICS**
(I added UD 24/7 E/L in Zero)

Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday!


Hasta luego chicas y chicos!



¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Tagged! 15 blogs I frequently read

I was tagged by Sadeeh at the BeautySpot Blog as one of the blogs she reads frequently.  Thanks for your comments and support girl! I like this tag, it is an opportunity for me to discover other beauty/entertainment blogs as well.

First, the rules of this tag:

- To accept this award: Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award with his or her blog link.

- Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

- Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award 

I'm not sure if this tag is only about beauty blogs, but anyway, these next blogs are the ones I hit frequently. I just love blogs that provide entertainment news as well as beauty tips/tutorials/looks/reviews.

The blogs I frequently visit are:

Oh no they didn't!  -- This blog is like a summary of all celebrities/movie/tv/soap blogs out there. The good, the bad and the ugly.

PhotoshopDisasters -- Love it! You get to see really bad but funny photoshopped pics.

KarlaSugar -- THE place to go to get your swatches fix.  This girl is amazing. I even asked her once for a foundation swatch and she did it in no time. Awesome.

TiffanyD -- She does her eye makeup in such a beautiful and exquisite way.  She also does lots of tutorials and explain every step quite well.

The Girly Show -- I love Jude so much. She is an amazing artist! Very daring, colorful looks.  And she is so nice!  I specially like that we have similar complexions and brown eyes. Yes, she is an inspiration for me.

My Makeup Reviews (Jojoba) -- Excellent reviews and high quality pics! She is a beautiful lady that also does wonderful and very tasteful looks.

Happy Face, Happy Wallet --  T is a beautiful lady (and a busy mom) who makes me laugh many times with her experiments and pictures.  She likes to stay on budget, so she provides great reviews in many kind of products.  Check her out.

BeautySpot -- Ah, the wonderful lady who tagged me.  Saadeh provides these color combinations in her eye makeup, combos that I wouldn't have thought of and go perfectly with her exotic complexion.  Good source of inspiration.  A fellow mechanical engineer that loves makeup, what more can I say!

Reve-Noir --  I first knew Shayla, alongside Saadeh and Jude, through the Temptalia Forum.  Gorgeous lady with beautiful brown eyes.  Beautiful makeup looks.  From what I've read in her blog, she's a professional with so many talents.  Oh, stop by her blog and search for rainbow cheesecake or cupcakes...sweet!

GossMakeupArtist -- Wow. A beautiful man with beautiful hands for makeup.  So much talent. This guy is so cool and has this soft voice...yeah, come on, don't tell me you haven't think how handsome he is...lol.  Seriously, watch his reviews and tutorials. Excellent MA.

Maquillame Lily! -- A beautiful latina that also does reviews and great makeup, looking sexy while staying on budget.  Very simpática (nice).

Nouveau Cheap (Reccesionista) -- Need the 411 about drugstore products or other great sales? Look no more. The Reccesionista will guide you, she always have the latest info.  Excellent lady.

A Brilliant Brunette (Jackeline) -- Another inspiration for me. I mean, Jackeline simply does her makeup beautifully and her blending ability is amazing. She simply makes every color combo work.

MissChievous -- Who doesn't know about Julia? I first was a fan of her videos in YouTube and now her blog is simply amazing. Just go there to read or watch everything about makeup.

MakeupGeek -- Marlena is an amazing MA and I love her energy and how happy she is on her tutorials. You can truly see she loves what she does.  Great tutorials about foundation, eye makeup looks, contouring, etc...You can find many info on her blog.

Temptalia -- This blog is like a basic tool for makeup bloggers. I mean, Christine provides the 411 on all the latest collections, reviews, swatches, tutorials.  The forum is just an amazing comunity, I just love it.  I really like that no matter how huge her website has become and how much she has to study, Christine not only writes her articles but she also keeps comunicating with her readers constantly. A real nice lady.

A little more than 15 blogs.   I always keep updating my blog roll, I change it so you can get to see and visit different bloggers I love.  

Well, that's all for now!  C'mon, share your frequent reads with all of us.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

REVIEW+Swatches: L'oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

Ok, this has to be said. I really hate mascara ads in which cosmetics companies show models that are obviously wearing false eye lashes or in which the pictures have been photoshopped to show abundant and extra long lashes.  Isn't that false adverstising? The ad for this mascara is no different. Come on people!

 Anyway, I wanted to try this mascara very badly since I'm a fan of L'oreal Mascaras and fan of big mascara wands. LOL. This one looked promising.

NAME:  L'OREAL Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

SHADE: Blackest Black

PRICE:  $7-$8 USD

CATEGORY:  Drugstore

DESCRIPTION:  L'OREAL claims this mascara "is made with hydro-collagen that enhances the thickness of your lashes up to 12x without any clumping. Its patented brush is 50% bigger so it builds incredible volume fast in just one sweep".  Okay.

SO?:  I have mixed feeling about this mascara. I bought this months ago and used it at least once or twice a week (I have not been using much makeup lately. Shocking, I know.) I got it on sale.

The brush is indeed huge and applies the product quite well. I like to feel how a mascara wand grabs my lashes.  I don't know about 12x lash enhancement (I'm not able to measure my lashes, lol) but they do look larger. But bear in mind I do have naturally curled and fairly long lashes.

On one hand, yes, it will give you bigger lashes, maybe not in just one sweep, but two.  More than that and it will clump.  At first I thought "...Ugh..." but after trying it for a second time, adding a little product at a time...wow. I really liked it. The formula is very thick and it will dry pretty quickly.  For some reason the mascara wand leaves more product at the end on each individual lash ¿? I loved how it gave my lashes that "false eyelashes look".  I did had to comb my lashes with my Tweezerman I LASH Comb to separate them.  After doing that, the results are in my opinion amazing.

What don't I like about it? It does smudges pretty fast (less than 4 hrs maybe?), but I do live in a high heat/high humidity environment.  You have to work with it pretty quickly or it will start to dry.  Also, my tube is around three months old and I feel the formula is already dry inside the tube (mind you, I do keep my makeup in a very fresh environment).  =/  

My biggest concern it that for some reason, my eyes get a bit irritated if I sweat much when using this.  I don't know. I tried it alone (no other eye makeup) to see if it was the mascara and it was indeed.  Sorry, I don't know  what ingredient may be causing this. I do have read reviews about this mascara and that issue has been mentioned. I hope the waterproof version doesn't cause this same problem.

Oh, I don't get the "collagen" part, I mean, it is listed almost at the ends of the mascara ingredients (maybe the qty that is needed for it to work is not much? IDK).

So I hope you see why I have mixed feelings. I like it but I don't love it. Not a total disappointment, I would like to try the waterproof version but let's say I won't be running to get asap.  That's no biggie for me, there are so many mascaras out there, lol.  I'm guessing I will be using this when I know I'll be out for a few hours preferably in an air-conditioned environment and want people looking at my lashes, hahaha.

RATING:  3.5/5 (I love how it make my lashes look, so great; but the dry tube in less than 3 months and that bit of irritation just doesn't do it for me).

ETA (Sept. 2010): I got the WP version of this mascara and I love it. It doesn't irritate my eyes (maybe because I don't use it everyday) but I love love the 'false eyelashes look'. Yes, it can clump a bit but I use my Tweezerman I-Lash Comb to remove excess product. It's more like it provides so much volume. Wow. Up one point! -- 4.5/5

Here are a few pics of it.  I'm also adding pics of natural look I did around 2 months ago using this mascara.

OH, OH, almost forgot--->  Nouveau Cheap did an excellent review on this mascara  Read it HERE.

You be the judge. 

 

 

 

FACE

Borghese Prima Viso Face Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation -- 3W1 Tawny

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer -- Medium

MAC Mineralize Blush -- Merrily

MAC Blot Powder, Loose -- Medium Dark

EYES

TFSI

MAC Paint Pot -- Soft Ochre

L'oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara -- Blackest Black with L'oreal Lash Out Waterproof Mascara (in Black) on top of it

MAC Eyebrow Pencil -- Stud

LIPS

Honest to God, I can't remember...Sorry!  But it was something reddish.

NOTE: I took these pics after a super hot day where I was on a field trip with my kids and Oh-My-God did I felt dehydrated.  My face looks dry but the makeup was pretty much intact...I love ELDW.  =D

Well, talk to you later guys. Leave your comments.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Quick Fixes for Perfect Eyebrows

These expert tricks will help get you gorgeous arches at home

Few things can transform our faces more than eyebrows. It's critical not to overpluck, or pluck them into a bad shape. Doing your own brows can be a little intimidating at first, but with these tips from brow expert Kristie Streicher, from the Warren Tricomi Salons in Los Angeles and New York, you'll be a master plucker in no time. See tips

LOOK: Taupe Smoky Eye look w/ LORAC Reverie e/s

Yes, I love Taupe shades. Love them. What can I do.

For this look I used "Reverie" on the lids and lower lash line, a bit of "Joy" on the crease and "Persuasion" as a highlighter.

**AS ALWAYS, CLICK ON EACH PIC FOR ENLARGED VERSIONS**

 

 

 

**NO FLASH**

 

FACE

CLINIQUE Pore Minimizer Refining Lotion + Pore Minimizing T-Zone Shine Control Gel (I have to apply these products to prime my skin everytime I use Maybelline's Superstay Foundation)

MAYBELLINE Superstay 24HR Makeup (Natural Tan mixed with Classic Beige)

MAC Dollymix Blush with Shy Beauty BP on top

LAURA MERCIER Star Dust Loose Powder as highlighter

MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark

A spray of fresh water just so the makeup doesn't look too powdery

EYES

ESTEE LAUDER Eye-Fix primer (again, not a favorite but good for everyday use)

MAC Painterly PP

LORAC E/S in Reverie, Joy and Persuasion

URBAN DECAY 24/7 E/L in Zero

MAYBELLINE Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in Glam Black

LIPS

Lipbalm
L'OREAL Cashmere L/S

MAC Hello Kitty L/G in Nice Kitty

Hope you like it. If you have any question, leave a comment or send me an email.  =)

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

LORAC EYESHADOWS & LIPSTICKS: QUICK REVIEW AND SWATCHES

Back in October I received my LORAC order from Hautelook.com. I bought 4 eye shadows and 3 lipsticks for a grand total of USD $39.95 ($5 each product plus $4.95 std shipping).  Yeah, apparently I saved $94.  That's pretty good in my book.  You can also get these products with VIP discount at the LORAC website.

EYE SHADOWS

Let's talk eye shadows first.  The ones I got sell for $17 (regular price). I bought Mesmerize, Joy, Persuasion and Reverie. Super lovely.

 "This unique, long-lasting, non-irritating gentle formula is infused with soothing botanicals such as Calendula and Cornflower. Shade, shadow and define with this versatile range of color that can be used wet or dry to create any  Red Carpet look you desire."

I don't know about Calendula or Cornflower but I agree with the non-irritating part. I have a few eye shadows (including some MAC/depends on the finish) that indeed do that and it's not nice.  I can use these shadows and not feel my eyes all itchy. They are very soft and velvety --even the ones with shimmer-- and have great pigmentation. They look great wet or dry.  Try them wet first as a base and then apply them dry and they will last for hours.

The only thing I don't like? I don't know if I will pay $17 for them. A bit pricier than other great eye shadows.  The selection of colors is decent.  If you can get them on sale, go for it.

MESMERIZE--Peach w/ Gold Shimmer

(similar to MAC's Evening Aura)

JOY--Pink w/ Gold Shimmer

 

PERSUASION--Creamy beige with sheen

(similar to MAC's Shroom)

REVERIE--Espresso with shimmer

(Amazing Taupe shade)

Swatches of the e/s (dry)

LIPSTICKS

Wow, these babies are very moisturizing. I swatched them without applying lipbalm first (something I do most of the times). My lips look and feel amazing.  The cream formula provides more coverage; the sheer one just provide a hint of color, giving the lips a very healthy appearance. 

I got the following shades: Pure Poetry, Charity and Rita. Regular price is $19 but the sale price was $5.  Again, these can also be found in the VIP section at the LORAC website.

Pure Poetry and Charity turned out to be very similar between them (yeah, it sucks, they look almost identical on my lips). Pure Poetry just has a bit of shimmer.  They are both excellent nude colors, like a pink-ish brown.  Rita is...mmm..a light pink-coral color.  If I wish for the color to show more on my lips, I need to use a lip pencil of a nude or similar shade.  But I just like the color it provides alone.

I think they are a bit pricey, but only because in my mind I'm comparing them with the Maybelline Moisture Extreme L/S. You can easily find dupes of these LORAC shades in the Maybelline brand.

Anyway, excellent product.

 

 

 

Well, hope this post is helpful to some of you.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!