Fresh Face After ThanksGiving Day!

Such a wonderful day yesterday. Very relaxing. I spent the evening with my family eating turkey, "arroz con gandules", "guineitos en escabeche" and potato salad.  My sister-in-law and her mom are excellent chefs. Of course, we started our meal giving thanks and ended it with a cup of cofee, lol.

Anyway, today I had to get back to work. I never thought I'd feel so happy going to work the day after Thanksgiving.  I'm so happy and thankful that I have a job.

In the last few months I've felt my skin getting better and better everyday. My skincare routine has worked pretty good (thanks to Marie Louise Cosmetics, Olay, Neutrogena and Sweet Almond Oil among others).  So today I wanted a simple neutral but glowy look, great for work and if I have the time, for going shopping. XD You know me, I love glowy and dewy neutral looks. Of course, it needed to be easy and able to withstand humidity and sweat as always.

I'm loving the new L'oreal foundation so much --Visibly Lift Serum Absolute Makeup SPF 17.  I use 154-Sun Beige. To me it is similar to the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation. Both these foundations are great on my combo skin (oily t-zone, normal to dry cheeks).  I guess I'll do an update soon on drugstores foundations I love because these two are amazing.

My Clinique bronzer does have some shimmer, the perfect amount of it without me looking like the guy from Twilight when the sun hits him. That bronzer, combined with my MAC blush gave my skin a beautiful glow and highlight in the right places.

++Click for enlarged pictures++

FACE

*BORGHESE Prima Viso Face Primer

*L'OREAL Visibly Lift Serum Absolute Makeup SPF 17 in #154-Sun Beige --applied with the Sigma F80 brush--perfect for this foundation!

*MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in #10 --I used my fingers to applied it softly under my eyes and the plane of the cheeks where I have dark brown uneven areas.

*MAC Prep+Prime Finishing Powder (love love love it) --pressed onto my skin with the ELF Studio Powder Blush

*CLINIQUE True Bronze Pressed Powder in Sunkissed --I used my Sigma F25 brush to apply it all over my face; it give a beautiful glow to my skin that lasts for more than 4hrs.

*MAC Powder Blush in Sunbasque

EYES

MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in #10 as base

LORAC Persuasion E/S all over my eyelids up to the brows --applied with MAC 227 brush (a big, full and firm brush)

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

MAYBELLINE Volum' Express the Falsies Waterproof Mascara in Very Black (I'm so surprised by how good this product is --considering its low ratings at MUA and beauty blogs; I have been using it everyday for at least a month)

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips (Discontinued---boo!)

MAC Tendertone in Deep Sigh (LE)

Have a lovely weekend!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Your Beauty CliffsNotes

Your Beauty CliffsNotes

These easy, trusty tips will have you covered day and night all through fall.

This is a TotalBeauty.com beauty tips article Here are some autumn skin care suggestions as well as seasonal day and night makeup looks. Read cheat sheet

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

I'm really thankful for my family, friends, health, my job, this blog... I consider myself blessed.  I get to blog about one of my passions --makeup--, how cool is that? :D I make a point on remembering to give thanks to God everyday. Sometimes it's hard to remember, so many things to do. But He knows how I feel.

Now having all these blessings carry some responsability, right?  I do think we need to share and give to others, whatever the cause is. Our church, the homeless, kids in need... there are definitely many things we can do to help. 

Have a lovely day today and always.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Image: PHOTOBUCKET.COM (click)

Giorgio Armani F&F Sale =)

LOL, I just found this in my Inbox:

Yes! I've been waiting for this sale for quite some time now.  But I find funny I saw this just as I came home from the Mall...from MAC and Sephora...not good for my wallet. XD.

I'm planning on buying one of the GA foundations, maybe the Lasting Silk.  Can't overdo it though, I need to save to buy some new clothes. Seriously, I'm need a change from my everyday t-shirt and jeans for work.

Are you planning on taking advantage of the GA F&F sale?

UPDATE:  I ordered the Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20, can't wait to try it. =)

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

TotalBeauty.com: Flat Iron Your Hair Like an Expert

Flat Iron Your Hair Like an Expert

These tips will have your hair looking smoother and straighter than ever.

This is a TotalBeauty.com Straight hair article Pro celeb hairstylist, Amita Moticka, shares her secrets for styling the hair of some of your favorite starlets. Read tips

Bronzers! Stila, NARS and Clinique -- Swatches + Comparison

Last April I bought my first bronzers: the Warm and Golden Bronzers from the ELF Studio line--and before that, I had bought the Studio Contouring Blush&Bronzing Powder which I really (& still) like. 

Since then, I've developed an intense attraction for bronzers, I just would love to try all of them. Why the attraction? Like many other things in the makeup world, they were something I didn't use (or knew how to). That was one of the reasons I started to look for bronzers, the other was simply practical: they are an option for when my foundation is a shade too light for my skin--they darken my skin, give it a beautiful glow and/ or more definition to my cheeks.

I prefer to apply bronzers on cheeks, forehead, nose and chin.  For contouring, I use dark blushes like MAC Blunt or Emote blushes.

++CLICK ON ALL PICS FOR ENLARGED VERSIONS++

NARS LAGUNA BRONZER -- Beautiful bronzer, brownish with gold specs. Gives my NC37 skin just a pretty, healthy glow.

CLINIQUE TRUE BRONZE PRESSED POWDER BRONZER in SUNKISSED -- Described by Clinique as a Pink Bronze, I like the texture and it is not as shimmery as I would have thought. I use it more on my cheeks as it is kinda pink and could make me look orange if applied all over the face.  Oh, I think the brush is really nice, very very soft. But to me it works more for contouring than for applying bronzer all over the face.

STILA SUN BRONZING POWDER in SHADE 02 -- A "sheer warm matte bronzer", it is, well, matte... but it does have just the smallest amount of shimmer, not much really.  I like the color and that it is matte but I find it a bit chalky.  Guess it's okay for contouring.  Not bad, I'm just not crazy about it.

The 3 of them side by side and on swatched in the back of my arms (maybe NC30 skin?):

IMHO, the best one of these three is the LAGUNA bronzer, the brownish shade goes well with my NC37 skin.  I suggest checking the CASINO shade if you have NC40 or darker skin, specially if you are using it for contouring.

The other day I bought a Wet N Wild bronzer, I think it's frome the new Color Icon line. It's really pretty, I'll post swatches as soon as I can.

L8R!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

TotalBeauty.com: Find Your Eye Makeup Soul Mate

Hmmm... I got Kelly Choi. Had to google her, LOL. ^__^

And I have to say I agree: love her makeup!

IMAGE: OK Magazine

Find Your Eye Makeup Soul Mate

Take this quiz to find the perfect makeup to accent your unique eye shape

This is a TotalBeauty.com eye makeup article Makeup artist Molly Stern shares her expertise to help you find the best makeup for your eye shape, plus which products to wear and not to wear. Take quiz

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Smokey eyes: Two looks with the same eyeshadow

Hey there, long time no posting, lol.

I did these looks using the same eyeshadow for both of them--Elizabeth Arden's Color Intrigue E/S in Urban. This is a grayish black shade, perfect for when I don't want an In-Your-Face-Super-Intense black smokey eye look.

**ALL PICS ARE CLICK-ABLE**

I did the first look for work this past week. Honestly, it is the most makeup I've wear for this job.  I don't know, it was one of those days I just wanted to look a bit different from my everyday neutral, work-appropriate looks. I wanted smokey eyes, but just located the eyeshadow in the eyelids to not overdo it. No eyeliner, just mascara. I just used the MAC 217 brush to apply the eyeshadow. Love its blending properties.

FACE

MAC Prep+Prime SPF 50

L'OREAL Visibly Lift Serum Absolute Makeup in 154-Sun Beige mixed with MAC Face&Body in C4

MUFE Full Coverage Concealer #10 in top of cheeks (to cover my dark spots)

MAYBELLINE Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium 2-2.5

ELF Studio Blush in Candid Coral

EYES

MAC Paint Pot in Blackground as base

ELIZABETH ARDEN Color Intrigue Eye Shadow in Urban

REVLON PhotoReady Translucent Powder as a wash from lashes to browbone

MAYBELLINE Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara in Very Black -- Love this!

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips

Sorry, can't remember what l/s I used

I used the same EA e/s in this next look, just added a MAC's Vanilla and Shroom E/S.  In this case, I wanted a more dramatic look so I applied a thick line of e/s in the lower lashline and topped it with MAC Smolder E/L. I used the MAC 217 on eyelids and the 231 to place the e/s on the lower lashline and smudge with the 239.

Oh, today I used my Stila foundation (mixed with the L'oreal one --btw, really good stuff) because my skin felt dry. This foundation is very shimmery and has mineral oil in it, so if you don't like the dewy look and have oily skin--stay away from it.  Lately, I like to mix it with other matte foundations (like I use my MAC Strobe Liquid) to have more of a moisturized look on my skin. But never alone, I try to avoid products with mineral oil on my face.

FACE

BORGHESE Prima Viso Face Primer -- So moisturizing! One of my faves

L'OREAL Visibly Lift Serum Absolute Makeup in 154-Sun Beige mixed with a few drops of Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation in 60 watts

MUFE Full Coverage Concealer #10 in top of cheeks (to cover my dark spots) 

MAYBELLINE Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium 2-2.5

NARS Laguna Bronzer -- applied all over for a more tanned look

MAC Powder Blush in Ambering Rose

EYES

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly as base

ELIZABETH ARDEN Color Intrigue Eye Shadow in Urban

MAC E/S in Vanilla (browbone) and Shroom (inner eye area)

MAC Smolder E/L

MAYBELLINE Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips

L'OREAL Color Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss in 825-Caramel Creme

You know, it felt really nice to play with makeup again. I've been so busy these past weeks that today I felt like a little kid playing with her most beloved toys. 

Have a lovely week!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!