I have been MIA because my little sister just got married on Saturday! It was such an exciting weekend and an emotional one at that (waterproof mascara anyone?). I was honored with the job to be her Matron of Honor. It was also a Halloween theme so we could dress up. I added accessories such as a boa, flapper headband, and rhinestone mask for the reception. It was so fun!

One of the fun things about a wedding is the makeup of course! I did my own for the occasion. Below, I gathered a list of the products and attached a few photos of the look. It is what I would call a natural evening look.

You may not know but for a wedding or any special occasion where photos will be taken, the more makeup usually the better. What may look like too much to you in the mirror could be perfect under the camera lenses and lights. A helpful hint is that SPF is not necessarily a good thing with photography as the SPF reflects the flash the same it would the sun and can wash you out on camera. Shimmer and glitter is not always a good thing either. They can also reflect light back at the camera and accentuate imperfections. I still like a soft shimmer to give my skin some glow since it is dry.







The products I used for the wedding:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation - 3.5

Nyx HD Concealer - Porcelain - used for concealing and highlighting

Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk - used as an eyeshadow primer

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner - Intense Black - waterproof liner and super black! 

Mac Eye Kohl - Fascinating - used as an inner rim liner to brighten and "open" the eyes

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Eyeshadow - Vintage Black Gold  - used over the other shadows to add some shimmer and dimension 

Mac Blush - Harmony & Taupe Shape - I used both of these for contouring. 

Benefit Bronzer - Hoola  - contouring

Nars Eyeshadow - Lhasa - also used for contour on the cheek bones (it has a great shadow color)

Lorac Neutralizer - after primer to reduce redness on my fair skin 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Limited Edition palette - highlighting

Mac Natural Radiance Primer

Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder - Light - finishing powder with illuminating qualities for a glow

Mac Monster's Bride Palette 

Anastasia Brow Liner - Dark Brown

Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss - Facade (a grey pink) - this is one of my favorite glosses it has an almost brown tone to it and is very opaque 

The drugstore is full of beauty steals and yes some not so great things but the gems you can find are so worth the testing you must do. I have been asked to do some posts on drugstore makeup. Below are some of my favorite drugstore items. This list is always growing so when I discover more great products u will post about them.

Foundation:

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation - has to be one of my favorite foundations ever made! It has the most beautiful glow finish, moisturizing, and makes my skin look better when I don't have anything on my face. I feel like it is skincare and foundation in one which I love.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation - has similar skincare benefits to L'Oreal's True Match Lumi

Revlon Photoready Airbrush Foundation - this is a favorite when I get a spray tan. It has great coverage and has some sparkle too which I love.


Eyeshadow:

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow - amber rush, bronzed taupe, smoldering plum 

Maybelline Color Tattoo - pomegranate punk, tough as taupe, bad to the bronze, bold gold

Wet n Wild Palettes - comfort zone (as in my previous post), greed,  and they come out with limited edition palettes too that are all usually just as pigmented.


Mascara:

Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions Mascara - very black

Covergirl Lashperfection Mascara - very black

Maybelline Falsies Drama Mascara - black drama

L'Oreal Shocking Extensions Mascara - carbon black (this is even more fabulous paired with Dior lash primer!)

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara - carbon black


Lipstick / Gloss:

Revlon Lipstick - mink, siren, cherries in the snow, matte nude attitude, fire & ice, black cherry

Bonnebell Lipgloss - cappuccino (a great neutral brown nude gloss)





Some special offers from Elf below! Elf is also a very affordable cosmetic brand that has some great products. They can be found at Target, Harmon's Discount, and of course their website...

all swatched with no primer and a single swipe

"I learned early on how different types of light can truly flatter the complexion. Growing up, my mother had pink light bulbs in all of the lamps throughout the house. She loved pink light because it was the softest and most flattering, and she always wanted to look good. I used this concept of lighting in Ambient Light Powder." - Carisa Janes, Hourglass Founder

Ms. Janes, these powders are gorgeous and I love the story behind them.  I love powder and anything that will help me glow so I was so happy to add these to my collection. They retail at $45 a pop which I do find to be a bit much even for how great they are. You can find them at Sephora.com.

I found these powders by watching one of Jaclyn Hill's videos on Youtube a few weeks ago. It all started with Diffused Light, a pale warm yellow with a slight pearl sheen. I thought this one would be perfect for neutralizing some redness that occurs on my pale skin and I was right. It also doesn't turn too yellow on my skin and leave a strange cast either. With my skin tone I am in the middle of pink and yellow so it is hard sometimes finding the right undertones in products. This powder worked wonderfully for a subtle fix.

Then I decided to order Ethereal Light (a opal cool white shade) and Dim Light (a neutral peach). They did not disappoint either! Ethereal Light is supposed to be a great brightener for paler skin tones and I have to agree it leaves a bright finish over my foundation. Dim light is great for warming up my skin with neutral peach tones.

Finally, I saw the limited edition holiday palette on Sephora and had to have it plus I decided Mood Light would be a great addition as well. :) Can you tell I am obsessed? I just received these two today so I have not played with them too much but Mood Light looks like it will be a pretty blush color. It has a mix of rosy pink and lavender. The limited edition palette has Dim Light (which I already own). Incandescent Light is the middle shade and is a new addition to the collection. It is so pretty! It is a little similar to Ethereal Light but Incandescent has much more radiance where Ethereal is more pearl. Incandescent has a radiance on the pink side as you can see in the swatches below. The final shade in the palette is Radiant Light which is a permanent shade but one that I did not own yet on its own. I am excited to try this one out for a different take on bronzer so we will see how that goes. From the swatch I think it will be really nice for adding color year round without being too dark. Another idea for the more color packed shades is to use them as an eyeshadow.

For those of you who like your powders on the matte side I don't think you will like Radiant Light or Incandescent Light as they have the most radiance (or soft sparkle) out of the collection.

I have yet to try the last one in the permanent collection, Luminous Light (a champagne pearl) but I have a feeling I will be either adding it to a Christmas List or splurging again soon. ;)

Ethereal Light

Diffused Light

Dim Light

Mood Light

These can be used as highlighters, blushes, or an overall face powder. I like to use them all over my face because I love a glow and I'm not afraid of the "sparkle". But don't get scared, there is no glitter here, just radiance. They remind me of one of those old vanity mirrors my grandmother has with the different light settings. I always loved seeing how I looked in the outdoor light, indoor light, office light, etc. so this was an exciting find for me. I hope you can try at least one of these out. I think the majority of them can be used on all skin tones with the exception of Ethereal and Diffused Light because I feel that on a deep skin tone they will be too light and come out chalky.

Limited Edition Holiday Palette - Dim Light, Incandescent Light, & Radiant Light

indoor / sunlight - Diffused, Dim, Ethereal, Mood, Incandescent, & Radiant

natural bright indoor sunlight

This season deep seductive lips are in. I love a sexy dark lip. Since fall is just starting and winter comes on so fast I decided to do a post on a group of great fall and winter lip colors from the drugstore and high end brands. I have included some limited edition shades but sometimes you can find them on Ebay or All Cosmetics Wholesale.

Brown, burgundy, taupe, purple, oxblood... all those with a dark twist is what we are talking about ladies.

Here is a list of great lipsticks, liners, and glosses so you can get your vamp on...






Red / Burgundy:
*Mac Dubonnet
*Mac Viva Glam I (they also have a gloss now!)
*Mac Nightmoth lipliner (can be worn with anything from a bright pinup red to black)
*Mac Diva
Nars Vendanges
Bite Tannin
Rimmel Kate Moss #107
Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick Glam
Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick Misfit
Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick Rosary
Limecrime Lipstick Glamour 101 


Brown:
*Mac Riri Nude (Limited Edition, what I am wearing in the photo to the left)
*Mac Taupe
*Mac Chestnut
*Mac Photo
*Mac Double Shot
*Mac Retro
*Mac Paramount
*Mac Stone lipliner (love this on its own with a lip balm on top, swoon!)
*Mac Exclusive Event (Limited Edition)
OCC Liptar Sybil (the ultimate opaque brown)
Revlon Cocoa Craving
Revlon Chocoliscious
L'Oreal Spice                                                              

Purple / Plum:


Black:
*Mac Black Knight (Limited Edition)
*Mac Grey Friday (Limited Edition from Black Friday 2012)
Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #50
Make Up For Ever Lab Shine lip gloss Black gloss #M0 chrome onyx
Rimmel Black lip gloss
Lipstick Queen Black Tie Optional (like a stocking for your lips, so gorgeous)
NYX Black lip liner
Ardency Inn Punker Semi Goth lipgloss  (sheer black)
Limecrime Lipstick Styletto


*Mac Lipsticks can be found here

Fall is here and winter is on its way... having dry skin I love a dewy finish and need that extra moisture this time of year especially. I find that a lot of beauty gurus on YouTube or on other beauty blogs have oily skin. I am always on the search for blogs with people who have dry skin like me and can help give me ideas. If you have any suggestions please let me know! I do follow Jaclyn Hill, she is great and has me out buying things all the time that she reviews (including a few of the foundations below).

I want to help out you girls who have similar needs and want a glowing complexion. A good start before one of these foundations is a great exfoliator, moisturizer, and don't forget the SPF ladies! You will be seeing a post on exfoliating, moisturizing, and my favorites in the near future.

A list of foundations and powders I recommend for a dewy glow...

L'Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup - medium - full coverage

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup - medium coverage & similar to Nars Sheer Glow

L'Oreal Paris Translucide Naturally Luminous Loose Powder - light - medium coverage powder

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation - medium - full coverage

NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder - white crystal powder, an HD, pore refining, soft focus finish

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation spf 19 - light but buildable coverage

Mac Face & Body Foundation  - light but buildable coverage

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural  - powder form, light but buildable coverage

I am always adding to my foundation arsenal so as I find new foundations I will work on reviewing them for you. If there is a particular one above that you would like more information on please let me know and I can give a more detailed review with photos.

                 

What I am about to introduce is a fantastic fall palette from Kat Von D called Ladybird. It is stunning. The pigmentation is great (I swatched on my arm with no primer). If you are on the market for something other than nudes and a seriously rich color palette then I would most definitely check this out. It retails at $36 at Sephora.

Sephora - Ladybird Palette by Kat Von D

Miss Kat hit it out of the park this time. I have three of her other palettes which all have great pigmentation and colors. I do think this is my favorite besides the Saint palette which is also a great neutral set and cheaper than Urban Decays Naked palettes.

Here is look #1 of my Halloween series, a Leopard Lady.

Feeling dangerous lately? Mac's Lady Danger lipstick is the perfect accessory! First off, I love the name. Second, It is the first Mac red that I bought which lead me to have 78 of their lipsticks in total, and counting. I even have a backup!




It is a gorgeous opaque mix of red and orange with a creamy matte texture. It has an almost bright coral tone to it but is most definitely a red lipstick.

I love matte lipsticks but I know that some can be drying. This one however has never given me any issues with that.

I highly recommend this shade. It brings such a brilliant pop to the face no matter your skin tone when worn with a simple cat eye. You can even throw a gloss on top if you're feeling extra snazzy.

So by my name I think it is pretty obvious I love my Marilyn Monroe. I have always loved old hollywood and there has always been this obsession with it ever since I was little. So of course, after reading books on Marilyn, blogs on classic Hollywood actresses, and research like crazy, I finally found some beauty "secrets" of what those gorgeous ladies used.




Erno Laszlo is a high end skin care brand that has been around since 1939 when Mr. Laszlo opened his institute in Manhattan. His collection is classic. Not only have people such as Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn been devotees to his line but it is popular among many across the world.

After reading that Ms. Monroe used his products regularly, I had to try it. Now, to get the whole set is pretty pricey but in my opinion it does last and it does do a great job. I also find the process to be pampering and relaxing due to the splashing technique that is part of what makes this line so famous.

Plus the packaging is gorgeous!

Here is an example of a few of Marilyn's products:



http://www.ernolaszlo.com/

October is the start of my favorite time of the year, the holiday season. I love sweaters, hot chocolate, rich lipstick, and cuddling on a chilly night. I especially love to play dress up! 

That's right Halloween is just 29 days away and I am already thinking of all the options I have makeup wise. That means Halloween makeup blog posts! (brace yourselves!) 

This morning I was lucky enough to grab a few pieces of the Rick Baker collection from Mac Cosmetics. The promo images were absolutely amazing. I am especially intrigued by his monster bride look, seen below in a face chart found on mac's website.  


I was able to grab the Mac Face & Body Foundation in White, the Spider Queen palette, and the Monster Bride Palette. I cannot wait to swatch and play! The Monster Bride palette is I believe all permanent shades but I just could not resist, especially since I was missing a few of these shades from my collection.


As for other Halloween products I do still need to make a Harmon's Discount trip to check out the Wet N' Wild section. I've heard they have some amazing lashes out this season! 

So what are you all conspiring to be for Halloween this year? 

Does anyone have any requests for makeup looks for my future posts this month?

www.maccosmetics.com