PRESENT FROM MY FRIEND

A friend of mine, who is a bag designer, gave me this as a gift. She posted a page from InStyle featuring here bag design & I flipped over it. I was telling her how beautiful it was, & she actually sent it me. I LOVE IT!!! XOXO Look at this color, love, love. The bag is from Melie Bianco.

It flips open & has a polka dot material inside. How cute!
I can't wait to use. Date night will be exciting, just using this bag. I even got a nail color that matches the bag.

Is that wrong, to match your nails to your bag? I sure hope not.

MAYBELLINE SENSATIONAL - NEARLY THERE 205

Happy Monday everyone! I had a busy weekend & I am hoping for a good week(positive thoughts).

I bought another one of the Color Sensational lipsticks in Nearly There #205. I really like my first one & a bogo was going on. I bought another Maybelline 24 hr. foundation. I will review it, but I'm trying to use different ways of application to see what's best, but I like it.

This is the lightest color in the nudes & it's perfect for me. I don't have to use a liner. I put it on like Chapstick. The lipsticks are moisturizing, not drying. The smell on the pink one is better, but this isn't so bad. So before you buy smell the lipstick.

It's shiny & glittery, but doesn't feel like a gloss.

Here it is on my lips, no liner. It looks almost like Nars Orgasm blush.

Have you tried the new Color Sensational? What do you think of there staying power?

How was your weekend? Any makeup hauls?

MAC TRIP KIT- FROM LONDON WITH LOVE

So my hubby, or Suga Daddy as I call him, just got back from London, & he bought me this Mac gift. It's called Mac Trip, & it's from the duty free at Heathrow. It came with 2 fluid lines, 209se, & a zip case.

This is the box, so pretty.

The fluid lines are in Dipdown(L) & Macroviolet(R).
I love the brown because I don't own a brown fluidline, but the Macroviolet is my fave. Besides a liner, I think I'll use this as a shadow. It's the perfect purple.
The case is a patent leather white w/black stripes. This is like the red one from the Holiday collection. I use my red one & put my camera in. The red is easy to find. There's a little pocket in there also. I usually have my debit card & licence there for quick access. Now I'll use this one, & it's easy to clean too.
This was so sweet of him. he picked it out because he said it was only offered at duty free, & he knew I wouldn't have it. It may simple to us, but for some guys that's a process to figure out what we don't have. Love you Baby!!

For those who live in London, he said how wonderful it is, and the food & beer were amazing. I am jealous, but I won't tell him.

Have you heard of these? Are there more like this out there?

What's your fave surprise present?

JIMMY CHOO SHOES

I was shopping at Nordstroms and these Jimmy Choo's blew me away. I have no where to wear them & at $645 I think you should wear them a lot. It's one of those moments when you fall in love with something you won't or can't have.

What is the thing that has taken your breath away recently?

SMASHBOX HD FOUNDATION, CONCEALER, PHOTO FINSH PRIMER, & HALO POWDER- REVIEW

STORE: ULTA

COST$39-49 FOR THE KIT

PROS:

LIGHT COVERAGE

GOOD FOR DRY SKIN

HD FORMULA

HALO POWDER IS SMOOTH & MOISTURIZING

CONS:

PHOTO FINISH PRIMER TOO OILY

HD FOUNDATION IS WAY TOO LIGHT

CONCEALER IS SEE THROUGH/NO COVERAGE

NO STAYING POWER

HALO POWDER IS SO MESSY

I keep saying this, but this time I mean it. This will be the last Smashbox product I buy. I bought this in a kit, HD Kit, and I should have taken it back the very first time I tried it.

The HD foundation & concealer have NO coverage, none. I tried building it up, & I had the same results, no coverage. The concealer brightened my under eye circles, not conceal them. I bought the Smashbox primer before, & returned it. It is so oily that I couldn't even put the product on top of it. it was like an oil slick. I already have oily skin, & this made it worse. Within 1/2 an hour it looked like nothing was on my face.

The top half is my bare skin, & the bottom is 2 coats of foundation. No difference at all.
This is the only part of the kit I liked, the Halo powder. This is a travel size in light. The powder does feel smooth & hydrating, but little coverage on its own & too much with the foundation. I am going to try this in the next couple of months again because it's a little too light. Beware, you are in for a big mess because when you shave the powder you never get all of it & this is what happens.
Conclusion: I do not like any of these products or I have to say any other Smashbox I have tried. They feel too cheap & they're not. I wouldn't even say to go out & get this powder. I think it's $56 alone. My La Femme mineral powder from Sally's is so much better.

What are your thoughts on Smashbox? Am I missing out on something? Should I try something else?

LA GIRLS NAIL POLISH @ FOREVER 21

I have been loving all my LA Girls products. Forever 21 has brought in Nail Polish now. They come in beautiful colors and are only $2.80. I bought these 2 for a test run. This is just 2 coats. I was worried at first because the first coat was so thin, but after the second coat I was in love. I didn't use a top coat to see if they would chip, but they lasted 4 days w/ no top coat. The brush on these is really good too. It's thick, not flimsy or narrow.

I also bought this beautiful green/teal one. Look how pretty the girls. This is a color for fall trends that I saw on Mac. I think it's a great price for the polish & the colors are vibrant.

Have you tried any L.A. Girls products? What do you think of them?

What's your favorite Nail color?

FOREVER 21 HAUL

Since I haven't been excited about makeup, this is what I've been doing: shopping. I picked up a few things at Forever 21. I think I mostly buy tops because I'm either in jeans or a dress for everyday. Everything was under $19.

These are the colors for fall pink & purples. I love them both. I thought this was too cute. It may look a bit summery, but in Cali, I think are summer ends in November.

I love this top because you could dress it down or up. On cold days I could add a sweater. This was $13 & a color i don't usually wear, but I bought it because I wanted to do a green eye look. It looks so good on with a long gold necklace & it's so soft.
Next I'm hauling for some boots.

What are you looking to buy this fall?

MAYBELLINE SUPER STAY 24HR.& COLOR SENSATIONAL HAUL

I have been reading some great reviews on the @4 hr. foundation and new lippies, so I went out to give them a try.

Foundation: Nude

Colorsensational: 005 Pink Sand

I have used the foundation the last couple of days & it really stays put. Its rich & creamy & glides on. It feels more creamy than the Colorstay with just as much coverage. I'll have to wear it longer & let you know how I really feel.

This is the swatch of the Pink Sand lipstick. The colors are really pigmented, smell good, & stick to the lips. i think these are really nice.
Have you tried the 24hr. foundation yet? What are your thoughts?

What is your fave drugstore brand makeup?

TOP 10 DRUGSTORE PRODUCTS

I love this tag. It's been all over YT these past 2 weeks & I love watching them. Here are my top 10 that I use all the time.

This is my new self tanner. It's an Aveeno dial up self tanner. I put it on & I wake up with beautiful tanned even color. This is also a 24 hour moisturizing cream & leaves my skin soft.

Next are my Essence of Beauty brushes & my Eco tools brush, which is my newest drugstore find. These work GREAT! They're soft & put color on evenly. I don't recommend the travel Essence of beauty brushes. They break & the quality is cheap.

Revlon matte lippies. I always go back to these. They are in Nude Attitude & Pink Pout. I use them alone or together. They're pigmented & last.
I know I have talked about this a ton, but I LOVE IT! Felt tip liner in black. At walgreens $1.99. My HG was the Revlon 12hr. Colorstay, but this is better.

This color is beautiful. It's 12hr. Colorstay in Sable. It's super soft, like starflash, & pigmented. It's a great dupe for Mac Glamour Check(which is bottom swatch)

I still use the HIP gel liners. I have been using the eggplant not only for a liner, but as a base. These colors stay put. When they get dry I add a little of my eye drops to it.
I have to do a whole post on these. Maybelline single shadows. These are the best drugstore eye shadows. They are so rich & smooth. That swatch is only one swipe. I love the quads also. They are just as good. Can you tell I use them.

This is my HG foundation. Revlon Colorstay. It's long lasting, & doesn't transfer. It's my fave for over 10 yrs.
The Maybelline mineral blushes, I think have the most staying power. I put it on & it's on ALL day. I love this color Classic Mauve ll. I think it lasts longer than the Mac. Finally my Milani fool proof, always looks pretty in Sweet Rose, Mai Tai is also just as nice.
I Tag all of you because I love reading these so much!

Next I'm trying the Maybelline 24hr. foundation & Moistureware Lippi's.

What are you going to try next?

EASIEST SMOKEY EYE- 5 PRODUCTS & 5 MINUTES

I used 5 products for this look:

1. Mac Painterly up to the brow, it's also my brow highlight color(also love Soft Ochre for double duty)

2.Mac Glamour Check on the lid (you can also use: Mac Antiqued, Revlon Sable, Darkest brown 88 palette)

3. Mac Mythology in the crease & also used it to blend out the brown

4. Liquid liner

5. MUFE Smokey Lash Mascara

That's it 5 products in 5 minutes. You can really use any color on the lid & Mythology in the crease. Mythology really softens the edges of lighter & darker colors. Pretty & effortless.

What's your timie saving trick?

NARS FALL TREND

I was looking at the Fall trends in Vogue and came across Marc Jacobs runway collection. Guess who did the makeup? Francois Nars!! He did 65 different looks on 65 different models.

Take a look here: http://www.narscosmetics.com/marc_jacobs_Fall-09.aspx

What I found most interesting is that he returned to do the show after an almost 10 year hiatus! He's been doing all his business from an island off the coast of Bora Bora. The colors of islands does remind me of all the beautiful Nars colors of blush and shadows!

The looks are over the top, my opinion only. The colors, however, are beautiful and rich.

His tip was to start with black on the lids and then add color. He said it pops and makes the color"chic". He says, "You want to play with the makeup. Makeup is an accessory-that is the message."

Oh, I do love Nars. I swatch everything every time I pass them by.

What's you favorite Nars product and color?

REMEMBERING 9/11

Today we honor and remember all the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, sons, daughters, friends & loved ones lost.

God bless them and all their loved ones and families.

I'm sure we all remember where we were on that day and even in those minutes. I'll never forget that day. My children were young, but even they remember. The days we spent wondering how this could happen & why this happened.

A LOOK AT FASHION: BLACK LIPS

Yes this is the new "IN" for the season. Up until now I have loved all the purples, pinks, & mauves I've seen, but this, I just can't do.

Mac new collection is ALL black, from the eye shadow to the lipstick. Chanel is launching a very deep black/purple lip. Smashbox has their own Cranberry black. All I see is pale faces & black lips.

YSL & Estee Lauder already have their black Lip glosses in black. I have actually swatched them, & they are not completely black on the lip. If you get a chance & your walking by a counter swatch one.

Do we remember Madonna's Vamp & Very Vamp by Chanel? I remember waiting for mine on back order. If only I had a picture of me & my almost black lips. I wore it though, it could not have looked good because I'm sure I paired it with my pale fall Michigan skin.

This may be the trend I won't be following this year. Ladies if you want to tr the black lip, Halloween stores are open now as well as the drugstores with $2 black lipsticks in the costume section.

What do you think of all these black lips? Do you follow trends or are you the trendsetter?

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MAC PRODUCT YOU BOUGHT?

I always park by Macy's when I'm at the mall, and passed Mac so many times. I was a novice at makeup application, it made me afraid to even look over the Mac products. I started watching YT videos & it was a lot of Mac talk.

I got the courage to go in & look around. I was at a loss. I wanted everything, but didn't know what to get. After 20 minutes a beautiful MUA came by & asked if I needed help. I was going to say "No", but then I looked at her lips & fell in love.

"What are you wearing on your lips?"

She said, " Blankety!"

I bought & repurchased again & again, I love it!

This was my first Mac purchase & this is where our Love Affair began!!!

What's your first Mac story & first Mac product?

SOME FOOD & LOTS OF LOVE

I stepped out with my hubby this past weekend. We ate dinner with the girls & just decided to go out for a date! We weren't hungry, but we wanted something to munch on.

we shared this yummy calamari. It was so delish. My hubby's favorite.

Another favorite is the Caesar salad they have. It's so fresh. The dressing is made from scratch & the lettuce leaves are crispy. I didn't eat the anchovie, hubby loved it though. It looked way too huge. Looked like a sardine to me!
What did you over the weekend?

ULTA HAUL

I did manage to go to Ulta this week. I really wanted to try the Complexion Kit because it is HD & I wanted to try the Halo powder. There's a coupon online that expires on September 5, 2009.

I really didn't get many things from the wish list because they were out of stock of so many things. Ulta is not my favorite.

I have the Kit in Light 3. I have tried it. It is a light to medium coverage kit. So I'm not too crazy about any of it. I'll do a review.

I did find the Eco brush I wanted, but ALL the Revlon brushes were gone. Why don't they stock up when they have a major coupon out. The Aveeno is a new self tanner with Dial up color. This thing makes you Dark overnight & lasts for days.
Finally, Thalia lippie, which I have been looking for. I love the color, but the smell is killing me. It smells like rose air freshener. My other round lippies by Nyx don't smell like this. Do any of yours?

My final thoughts are about Ulta. Every time I go there, they all look too busy to help you or ignore you. I once returned a primer & asked but "why" 10x's. The girl matched me with a foundation 3 shades darker & I told her I think I'm this color she said "Oh, ya you're right."

What are your thoughts on Ulta?

AUGUST FAVORITES

This month I focused less on the eyes & more on the lips. I mostly wore the bronzed or smokey eye with a winged liner.

Mac Lipstick Style Warriors collection in Sunsational. This color takes is a frosty lt. brown. It takes on the color of the lip liner. I used it with both brown & pink liner.

The 2 liners I always have are Honey dip(browns) by Jordana & Beige(really pink) by Nyx
Honey Nectar Mac luster glass. This is so beautiful, just worn on its own.
Creme D' Nude made its way back on the faves this month. I love the cremesheen, but they are so soft I kill them.
NYX jumbo Pencil in Dark brown for base & lid color. I just smooth it on.
I love this blush. Fad-Dabulous mineral blush. It has the hint of gold & just perks up the cheeks & face. It's great for the summer look.
That's it. I had no real major makeup hauls this month. These are things I have been digging out from the stash.

What are your faves? What is your latest product you dug out?

FOREVER 21 JEWELRY HAUL + something extra

I have been back to school shopping with the girls this past week & have picked up a couple of goodies along the way! The fall clothes are starting to come in & it's getting exciting. Purples & soft shades of pinks are huge.

I always find little cute nail art decals or paints at checkout. So don't forget to look around the registers. I want to do some nail designs, so I thought these Art Deco paints would be great. They were $1.80 & so was the blush. The blush is so pretty. It reminds me of a beauty powder blush by Mac. It brightens w/out the disco glitter. They had it in 3 shades, I am going back. What a great deal.

I can not say enough about the beautiful & more importantly great prices of their jewelry, belts, & scarves. Everything I got was under $5.80. I can take a simple white or black tee & make it look great! I call my clothes mommy gear chic, & F@! helps me get there. This bracelet was $3.80. It's a cuff & the gold looks great w/my fake tan, haha! I have a leaf necklace I bought there a while ago that would look good together.

The black bracelet with the silver studs will make any simple shirt dressy & fun. I have been seeing shirts, purses, & jeans with the studs for fall. I love the bangles. The noise makes me happy, weird I know.

I have a couple of other hauls coming up. This summer has been slow with the hauls. I guess I was too busy & really wasn't that inspired by the collections.

I did go to Ulta & picked up some things, which I will post. Not too much from the wish list though.

So are you ready for fall? What's your fave fall color in clothes & makeup?

ULTA 20% OFF ENTIRE ORDER + WISHLIST

Ulta is having a 20% entire purchase sale. Go to the website for coupon code or printable coupon.

I have made a "what I think I'll buy list". This may change after they tell me what you can buy & can't w/the 20%.

Smashbox Complexion Perfect Kit- I've been wanting to try the Halo powder

Eco brushes

Revlon brushes

Physican's Formula Shimmer Brick

Makeup Mirror

Coverblend concealer

Stila Lip trio

What's on your wish list? Anything from Ulta?