July Favourites

This month it was a little hard to come up with a list of favourites. I tend to be a creature of habit, so when I went to pick things out, I found I was picking a lot of the same favourites from my June post. Showing you the exact same products from last month would have been boring, so I dug through my things and was able to come up with some new favourites for the month of July.  I vow to stop with the same old routine and start using new things so I have some fresh material for August. Here are my July favourites:

BRUSHES

1) Gotta B' Urban Bronzer Brush
I got this brush a couple of months ago from a sale bin at my local Winners (similar to TJ Maxx). It was really cheap so I decided to give it a try. I absolutely love it! It is perfect for using with my Chanel Tan de Soleil cream bronzer. It picks up the perfect amount of product and evenly buffs it into my face. I looked up the company online, but can't seem to find anything about them or where to buy more of them. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and if you happen to come across this brush in a sale
bin, definitely pick it up!!!

FACE

1) L'Oreal Touche Magique Anti-Fatigue and Illuminating Concealer
This concealer comes in a pencil like form. It has a small brush at the top and a cap on the bottom that you can twist for more product. I originally bought this product because I thought it looked similar to (and was probably a knockoff of) the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat concealer. I have never tried the YSL concealer, so I can't really compare the two, but I can say this concealer really works. I have tried several different products and concealers for camouflaging my dark under-eye circles but none have worked as well as this. My only complaint with this concealer is that the numbering system is confusing and the only way to really tell what colour is best for you is to try it out in the store. If you are like me and don't want to pay the high prices for products like the YSL Touch Eclat, you definitely need to check this out. 


2)M.A.C Mineralized Skinfinish in "Perfect Topping"
I always hear people talk about the "famous" mineralized skinfinishes like "Stereo Rose" and "Petticoat", but until I received it as a free gift at a M.A.C warehouse sale, I had never heard of "Perfect Topping". At first glance, it doesn't look very nice. It's light beige with dark brown and purple veins running through it, but when swatched it is a gorgeous shade of light shimmering peach. Because of the recent trend towards coral blushes, "Perfect Topping" acts as a nice highlighter with just a tiny bit of colour and is the perfect topping for any summer cheek (I couldn't resist).

EYES

1) M.A.C Pigment in "Melon"
Melon is by far my favourite pigment made by M.A.C. Depending on what angle you look at it, Melon can look gold, orange, pink or a combination of them all. Since orange is a complimentary colour to blue, this colour looks especially nice on those of us who have blue eyes. My favourite thing about "Melon" pigment is that it is so versatile. Not only can this pigment be used as an eyeshadow, it also looks amazing as a blush, and when added to clear lipgloss, it is lovely on the lips.


2) M.A.C Paint Pot in "Painterly"
I know everyone is thinking "BORING" right now, but 'Painterly' is truly a favourite and something I wear everyday. Before I found out about eyeshadow primers, my eyeshadow would slip off my eyes within minutes. People used to act surprised when I told them I wore eyemakeup because they never saw it. Every morning I use a combination of "Painterly" and Urban Decay's "Primer Potion" (extra insurance). By the end of the day, although I have lost all of my other makeup, my eyeshadow is still sitting perfectly in place the way I put it on that morning. As a true test to this primer's strength, my sister went swimming in the lake the other day, underwater and all and when she came back up from the beach, my friend said to her "How is your eyemakeup still on?". If that isn't enough proof for you, I don't know what is. If you don't have a M.A.C. paintpot, go out and get one immediately. 

LIPS

1) Mac Lipstick in "Vegas Volt"
I love bright lipstick, the brighter the better and Vegas Volt lipstick does not disappoint in the bright department. Vegas Volt is a coral-orange colour (the website describes it as a "full colour coral"), and, because it is one of M.A.C's amplified lipsticks, goes on extremely opaque and is super creamy. Because this colour is so bright, I prefer to wear it with a more neutral eye and toned down cheek. The only downfall with this colour is its tendency to bleed outside the lip line and therefore should be worn with a lipliner. 'Vegas Volt' is part of M.A.C's permanent collection so if you love bright lipstick and don't already have it, go check it out. 


2) M.A.C's 'Ola Mango' Lipglass
I got a small tube of this lipgloss in last year's Holiday lipglass collection. This orange with gold flecks lipgloss is medium coverage (not opaque, but not too sheer) and looks amazing over any of the orange, coral or peach lipsticks M.A.C has recently released in their collections. One thing I love about M.A.C lip products, including 'Ola Mango', is their smell. I don't know how many of you have ever smelled them, but they have the lightest scent of vanilla. The only problem is M.A.C doesn't carry this colour in their permanent collection, so I have to use it sparingly and hope they re-release it some time soon. 

BODY

1) Philosophy's 'Pineapple Coconut' Shower Gel & Bubble Bath
All I can say about this product is "YUM!". This pina colada scented body wash smells like summer. Just make sure you don't drink it. I bought a bottle of this a few weeks ago and have been using it ever since. If you use it with a loofah, a little goes a long,long way.  Philosophy is a really cool company and all of their products contain cute little sayings (or philosophies) on their labels. This product's label says "There's many ways to quench your thirst for happiness. Mother Nature recommends a little pineapple in the coconut to make you feel better. Whatever your remedy may be, mix it together and drink it all up." 


2) Lush's Sultana of Soap
In the past, I have used and loved a lot of Lush soaps, including 'Rock Star', "The Godmother", and "Sexy Peel". When I found 'Sultana of Soap', however, I knew I would be a life long user. The best way I have to describe the scent of this soap is, clean (the website says it smells like nougat and fresh fruit, but I like my description better). This soap is super creamy and has a really cool layer of apricots and raisins which is good for gentle exfoliation. The thing I like best about this soap is that the scent is light and not overpowering, but lasts the whole day. I can always smell when my sister has used her sultana soap and I always get compliments from others when I use mine. If you haven't tried this soap before, ask for a sample at your local lush. You will fall in love. 

Perfect Topping, Melon Pigment, Vegas Volt, Ola Mango

Let me know what some of your July favourites are. 


Just a reminder my giveaway ends on Wednesday, if you haven't already entered, scroll down. 


Thanks
Alicia






  

Lemonade For Your Face

Do you want to get rid of acne, age spots, fake tanner, blackheads or uneven skin tone? If you said yes to any of the above mentioned skin problems, then I have the solution for you. Just make some Lemonade!

A couple of months ago I watched a youtube video made by one of my favourite beauty gurus, makeup artist Kandee Johnson. In the video she explained how she uses lemons and sugar to exfoliate her face. Lemons which contain both alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid help to remove dead skin cells from your face (like a gentler, less expensive chemical peel), while sugar gets down deep into your pores to remove dirt and help soften your skin.

The recipe is simple, take a cotton pad and soak it in lemon juice (fresh lemons are better but you can use concentrated lemon juice if you want). Then take about a teaspoon of granulated sugar and add it on top of the same cotton pad. Take the pad and begin to scrub away all of the bacteria, concentrating on problem areas. When finished rinse with warm water. 

I have been using this natural exfoliator for a couple of months and I can honestly say it helps. My pores no longer feel congested or plugged up with dirt, and I don't have flakes of skin sitting on my face. I use it at least once a week, but it is gentle enough to use everyday if you want. 

I have put the video at the bottom of this post as Kandee explains more thoroughly how the exfoliator works and, how and when to use it. 

Let me know if you have tried this before or plan to try it in the future.

100 Thank Yous

Today I hit 100 subscribers. I just wanted to thank everyone who has subscribed. I can't tell you how much I love blogging, and having people who read and comment on my posts is amazing. 


I am still currently running my 50 subscriber giveaway and already have a prize and plans for a 500 subscriber giveaway. I also have a bunch of smaller giveaways planned to show my appreciation to all of my subscribers.


Thank you!!!
Alicia

USA Haul

This weekend, my sister and I, got the chance to go shopping in the States. We went to this really nice mall in Michigan called Partridge Creek. It's an outdoor, dog friendly mall. It has a fireplace, a kids play area, fountains to run around in, wireless internet access, live music and, of course, lots of stores to shop in.

The first stop we made was at Ulta. I knew they had their NYX lipsticks on sale for $2.51 and planned on getting a bunch of them. Unfortunately, the colours they had were either too similar to ones I already own or just didn't look very good on me. In the end, I didn't get any lipsticks. I did, however, find a couple of other NYX products I really liked. The first is a 10 colour eyeshadow palette called 'Secret World'. It is one of the NYX Runway Collection palettes and the colours are gorgeous shades of green, brown and orange. This palette is perfect for fall. I also got a tube of NYX's clear gloss. I love this gloss because it is not sticky, but still gives a nice sheen to the lips. I like to use this gloss by combining it with loose M.A.C pigments to create customized lip colours.


That weekend, Ulta had a sale on their own line of cosmetics, and all of their eyeshadows and blushes were on sale for $3. I ended up purchasing two blushes and one eyeshadow. The eyeshadow is called 'Sunburst' and is a shimmery golden pink. Both of the blushes are matte. 'Karma' is a light peachy-coral while 'Afternoon Delight' is a matte baby pink.


Finally I picked up two Essie nail polishes I have been looking for. The first, 'Van D' Go' is a beautiful baby pink with a hint of coral. It is creamy and extremely opaque which I love. The second, 'Haute As Hello', is similar to 'Van de Go' but is brighter and has more orange tones.

Our next stop was the Bobbi Brown counter in Nordstrom. I had purchased a Bobbi Creamy Concealer earlier in the year and it is almost gone, so I wanted to get a back up for when it runs out. I love this concealer because it is so creamy and blends so well into the skin. The concealer is marketed as a product to help reduce under eye circles, but  because it is yellow in tone, it is perfect for covering blemishes and other red areas on the face.


I have heard a lot about Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge in the colour Calypso Coral, a creamy coral colour that can be used on both the lips and cheeks. Of course, being a huge fan of both coral and cream blushes I had to get it. It looks amazing on the cheek, but so far I don't like the way it looks on my lips. My sister and I joke that it looks like I just ate a can of Zoodles and forgot to wipe my face.

One of the things I wanted to do in the States was to go to Victoria Secret to take a look at their eyeshadow in the colour 'Private Beach'. Two of my favourite youtube beauty gurus (Michelle1218 and LisaLisaD1) always rave about this shadow. When I first tested it on my hand in the store, I wasn't sure I really liked it. I decided to leave it on my hand and walk around the mall and see what it looked like in more natural light.


Once outside, I fell in love with the colour. Its is a shimmery shade of mauve, but depending on the angle you look at it, it can also look grey or brown. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I imagine it will look beautiful in the crease with a matte light brown shadow such as M.A.C's 'Malt' or 'Mulch'.

My final stop at that mall was Sephora. I have been wanting a tinted moisturizer for some time now because I find foundation to be too heavy in the summer, but I'm also too self conscious to go without makeup. I got several different samples from Sephora a few weeks ago, and finally decided on Korres's Watermelon Tinted Moisturizer. This tinted moisturizer contains all natural ingredients, has an SPF of 30 and is Oil Free (all great for my acne prone skin). It comes in 3 colours, light, medium and dark, and has  fairly good coverage.


Sephora had a value pack containing this tinted moisturizer, Korres's Vitamin E Face Primer and Korres's Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder. It was only $2 more than the tinted moisturizer alone, so I obviously had to buy it.

Finally, and most excitingly, I was able to get my hands on 4 Urban Decay 'Naked Palettes' at the Sephora store in JC Penny (at a different mall). They were the last 4 palettes the store had and the women who worked there said they weren't even able to get any of the palettes on the shelf because they sold out so fast. For those who don't know, the Naked Palette has 12 neutral eyeshadows, 2 eyeliner pencils and one small container of Urban Decay's famous eyeshadow primer, 'Primer Potion'. This palette is highly sought after and even though it retails for $44 USD, it is already on sale on ebay for over $100.


Why did I get four you might ask yourself? Well, one is for a friend, one is for my sister and one is for YOU! I decided I wanted to get one to use for a giveaway once I reach 500 subscribers (hopefully I reach that).


I have yet to use most of these products, so I can't give a full review on them yet, but I will definitely be doing a review on the Naked Palette and hopefully some of the other items as well. Let me know if there is a particular item you would like me to review.


Here are swatches of all of the eye shadows, blushes and bronzer except for the Naked palette which I will swatch in an upcoming post.

Van D' Go

Haute As Hello

Sunburst, Karma, Afternoon Delight

Private Beach, Calypso Coral,  Korres Bronzer

Top Row of Secret World

Bottom Row of Secret World

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and enter my M.A.C giveaway contest.


Thanks
Alicia

Experimental Makeup #4

Sorry I haven't written a post in a couple of days, but my weekend was busy busy busy. I went to the States on Saturday, so hopefully I will get a haul post up in the next day or two.
The rest of the weekend was spent at my cottage with my sister, Krista, giving me the opportunity to do another experimental makeup look on her. This time I decided to try out a look I saw in a magazine awhile ago. The look is fun and fresh and has a pop of colour on the eyes.

On Krista's eyes I started with a white base (NYX jumbo pencil in 'Milk'). I then combined M.A.C's 'Hypnotique' and Annabelle's 'Nymphette' eyeshadows (both light turquoise) and applied them to the entire lid stopping slightly above the crease. In the magazine picture, the model has a light white shade in the corner of her eyes, so I used Urban Decay's "White Rabbit" eyeshadow and placed it in the inner corner of each eye. Placing a lighter colour in the corner of the eye helps the eye to appear larger and more awake. For the crease I used a turquoise pigment (M.A.C's 'Mutiny'), and used a large fluffy brush to blend the colours together. To add some definition to the outer corner of Krista's eyes, I used Urban Decay's 'Alice' eyeshadow (a dark turquoise). As a highlight I used Nars "Albatross" blush and applied it just beneath the brown bone. In the picture, the model's eyebrows have a red tint to them so I used M.A.C's 'Haux' a brown-red eyeshadow to fill in her brows. 

In the picture, the model doesn't have much on her face, and the little bit of blush she does have is blended just below her cheekbones, rather than on the apples of her cheeks. In keeping with this look, I used a little bit of Chanel's 'Tan de Soleil' to add some colour to Krista's face and then combined two light pink blushes (M.A.C's 'Pink Swoon' and 'Cute'), and placed them just beneath the cheek bone. Finally, to highlight just above the cheekbones, I used NARS's blush in 'Albatross',

When doing such a bold eye, it is important to keep the lips fairly neutral, so that the two features are not fighting for attention. In the picture, the model's lips have a subtle iridescent peach glow so I wanted to keep Krista's lips light and shimmery. I achieved this look by using NYX's lipstick in "Iris" on the entire lip. 

One tip I would recommend when doing a look like this, is to do your eyes before putting on any foundation or concealer. These colours, especially the pigment, tend to have a lot of fallout that lands underneath the eye.


Let me know what you think of the look. Would you ever try this look on yourself/others? Do you like wearing blue eyeshadow or is it too bright? 


Don't forget to enter my M.A.C giveaway if your haven't already done so.


Thanks
Alicia

Beauty Quote of the Week # 5

"The difference between pretty and beautiful is - pretty is temporal - whereas beautiful is eternal"

Beauty Bargain

This is just a quick little post to show you the amazing bargain I found today. I was so excited about it, I had to share. I was out shopping at Winners (similar to TJ Maxx) looking for Essie's Van D' Go nailpolish (which I can't seem to find). Winners has recently started to carry several makeup lines including E.L.F cosmetics. E.L.F is a brand known for their extremely cheap prices, including their line of $1.00 products. While I was looking through piles of discounted makeup I happened to find an E.L.F studio brush belt for $4.99!! Obviously I had to buy two. I have wanted a brush belt for quite some time now but wasn't willing to pay M.A.C prices. 

This belt has 21 slots for makeup brushes (although you can certainly double up in some spots),as well as 4 large pockets to hold sponges, eyelash curlers, etc. It's made of a smooth plastic material that makes for easy washing. The belt is adjustable and could fit anyone from a size 2 to a size 22+. 

I always feel so disorganized when I do makeup because I'm constantly searching for where I put different brushes, so I can't wait to start using the belt. I'm off to my cottage with my sister and friend this weekend, so hopefully I'll get a chance to use it and be able to post some more experimental makeup looks. 

Let me know about your last beauty bargain and don't forget to enter my M.A.C giveaway before August 4th.

Thanks

Alicia

M.A.C Giveaway (Contest)

Its contest time!!!

This year, I have been lucky enough to attend two M.A.C warehouse sales.  As a part of the sale, M.A.C sells 'charity packs' that contain 4 to 5 M.A.C products at a discounted price. The proceeds of these packs go to  various Cancer and A.I.D.S charities. For my 50 subscriber contest I have put together a package containing various products from different charity packs and put them into a little M.A.C makeup bag. The makeup bag contains the following:

* M.A.C "Et Tu Bouquet?" eyeshadow

* M.A.C "Bitter" eyeshadow

* M.A.C. "Lustrewhite" lustreglass

* M.A.C "Naked Frost" lipglass

* M.A.C "Pret-a-Papier" lipglass

* M.A.C Impeccable Brow Pencil in "Taupe"

I have seen several contests where people have asked subscribers to post a link to their contest in order to gain more entries. I don't think it is fair in this case, because I know several of my subscribers don't have their own blogs. However, if you do like this blog and would like to direct your followers to enter my contest, it would be very much appreciated.  

You must be a subscriber to enter the contest. One entry per person, please. To enter leave a comment below telling me what kinds of posts you would like to see me do in the future. Also please leave your email address so that I am able to contact the winner. The contest will end Wednesday August 4th. I will use random.org to generate a winner.

If for some reason you are having problems subscribing, please email me at funnyfacebeauty@gmail.com and I will see what I can do to help you figure it out. 

Thanks so much for subscribing. It is so thrilling to have already reached over 50 subscribers. 

Goodluck!

Alicia

Bobbi Brown Brush Scam

About a month ago I decided I wanted to get a new set of brushes for doing makeup on others. I have a lot of my own brushes, but I figured it was more sanitary and less confusing to get a set that I wouldn't personally use. I looked on ebay and found a seller that was selling a 24 pc Bobbi Brown set of brushes. I have one Bobbi Brown concealer brush and really like it so I thought this set would be perfect. I was a little skeptical about the price (I won the bid at $46 USD), so I wrote the seller and asked if they were authentic. She wrote back and said they were 100% authentic (as her page already said). I also checked her feedback comments and saw no complaints from other buyers. I went ahead and bought them.


Today my brushes finally arrived. I was so excited to open the package and check them out, but as soon as I saw them, had a sinking feeling in my stomache. I knew right away that they were not authentic. They looked nothing like the concealer brush I bought from the Bobbi Brown counter. They are made of cheap wood and have clearly been stamped with a Bobbi Brown logo. The authentic brush is wood (not the same colour) but has a plastic protective coating. There was no numbers or names on any of the brushes I received, where as my concealer brush says "concealer, 6868". 


In my excitement of ordering the brushes I failed to do research about people selling fake brushes, but now that I have looked online I have found many blogs where people have reported the same problems.  I also looked at the seller's feedback information again and in the last few days others have commented saying they were lied to and these brushes are clearly fake. One thing I have learned from taking makeup artistry classes is that brushes make all the difference and I really want good quality brushes to use on clients. 


I have ordered other things from ebay and, until now, have always been happy with what I received. I have contacted the seller and told them that if this doesn't get resolved immediately I will be reporting them to ebay. I'm not sure what happens from there. As a warning to all, steer clear of this ebay seller http://myworld.ebay.ca/fashiononline.21cn/.


I guess the moral of the story is, if it looks too good to be true it probably is.  Make sure you do research before you buy anything on ebay. I know there are plenty of honest people who sell authentic items on ebay, but I don't think I will be ordering anything else anytime soon. 


Let me know if this has ever happened to you and if you were able to resolve the situation. Comment Below.


Alicia




*** Update this morning I woke up to find that the seller had sent me an email. She apologized, returned my money (fully including shipping) and told me to keep the brushes so I didn't have to pay for shipping back. I am still upset that they weren't authentic, but I feel she handled the matter very professionally.***

Giveaway Update

I am excited to say that I hit 51 subscribers yesterday. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed. Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about my promise of a 50 subscribers M.A.C giveaway contest. Just figuring out the rules, etc. Look for the giveaway to be posted, along with pictures of the prizes, in the next couple of days. Remember you must be a subscriber to win, so if you haven't already subscribed please do.


Thanks again
Alicia

Beauty Quote of the Week # 4

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye"

-Miss Piggy

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Mascara

Last week my Mom's good childhood friend Marlene came down for a visit. Marlene is extremely involved in the Toronto Fashion Industry having owned her own boutique and helping to run several charity fashion events. Being a regular on the fashion scene, Marlene is lucky enough to receive gift bags at a lot of the events she goes to. Lucky for me, Marlene knows I love makeup and brought me a bunch cosmetic products she received in some of her giftbags. Thanks Marlene!

One of these products I recieved was Elizabeth Arden's "Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment" mascara. Elizabeth Arden claims that this mascara gives lashes a longer, fuller, younger and more vibrant look. The mascara contains Ceramide and Vitamins A, C and E to help "reinforce and restore lashes'" natural protective barrier and Kervasis to condition the lashes and help "strengthen and fortify them".

Currently there are several mascaras and lash treatments on the market that claim to help lashes grow longer and stronger.  I have never personally tried any so I am excited to give this new one a try. I have taken a picture of my lashes with mascara before beginning to use this treatment and will post an update once a month for 4 months to see if there is any difference and if this mascara does what it claims it can. Here's to hoping for longer lashes.

Let me know if you have ever tried this mascara or any other lash extending treatments and how they worked for you. 

Funny Face of the Day (FFOTD)

Face:

*Korres "Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer" in light sand 

*M.A.C "Mineralized Skinfinish Natural" in light-medium 
*L'Oreal "Visible Lift" concealer in light 
*Chanel "Tan de Soleil" cream bronzer. 


Eyes: 
*M.A.C "Naked Lunch" eyeshadow
*Dior "Dior Show Iconic" mascara in black.


Cheeks:
*M.A.C "Joie de Vivre" blush creme
*M.A.C "Stereo Rose" mineralized skinfinish.


Lips: 
*NYX cosmetics lip pencil in "Fuschia"
*M.A.C "Impassioned" lipstick. 

Products I Regret Buying

I decided to write a post about the products I regret buying. I can definitely say I was excited to buy all of the products below. Unfortunately, for me, they did not stand up to their reputations. Hopefully this post will give you some good information before you go ahead and purchase some of them. 

Tarte's Bottoms Up Lower Lash Mascara
This mascara, with its tiny brush, is supposed to reach and coat your bottom lashes more easily than a regular sized mascara brush. The official Tarte website describes this product as follows:


"We've paired a long-wearing, flake-free formula with a precision tapered brush that allows you to target the tiniest of lashes and wide-set bristles that separate and evenly coat. The ergonomic component ensures easy application for perfectly defined bottom lashes"


Having always had trouble putting mascara on my bottom lashes, I thought that this would be the perfect product for me. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be true. I have tried this product several times and have always had the same bad results. The formulation of the mascara is very flakey and leaves several large clumps on your bottom lashes. The brush comes out of the tube with too much product on it that the excess mascara needs to be wiped on a tissue before you can begin applying it. Finally, the size of the wand makes it difficult to apply the mascara to your bottom lashes with precision. Personally, I find it much easier to apply mascara to the bottom lashes with a regular sized brush. 

Living Proof "Frizz" Shampoo and Conditioner
I was so excited when I first found out this line was coming to Sephora. I have extremely thick hair which, depending on the weather, can be quite frizzy. This company claimed that they had a new technology to fight frizz. I watched videos on their website showing how this new technology worked. It looked like a dream product. The offical Living Proof website claims:


"No Frizz features PolyflouroEster - the first new anti-frizz technology in 30 years to effectively block humidity for beautifully soft, silky, frizz-free hair. Terrific for highly processed or colored hair"


I was so dissapointed when I first used these products. I found absolutely no difference in my hair's frizziness. In fact, I found that my hair was more difficult to control after using these products. I have used almost the entire bottle of both the shampoo and the conditioner and I still see no difference. In fact, I find that the John Frieda frizz products I have been using before Sephora started carrying this new line work much better to control frizz. For me, it was definitely a waste of money. 

Makeup Forever "HD Microperfecting Primer"
I originally looked at this primer because of its colour. Having problems with acne, I sometimes have to deal with red patches on my face. I had tried several different primers (one also green), and they all seemed to make me breakout. When a sales woman at Sephora told me this HD primer would not break me out and would help with my redness, I thought it would be perfect. The Sephora website explains this product as follows:


"HD Microperfecting Primer deeply nourishes, moisturizes and softens the skin, creating a glowing effect. It creates a protective layer on the skin allowing foundation to glide on easily and last longer"


Although the sales woman told me this primer would not make me break out, within a couple of days of using it I had a big breakout. I now believe I am allergic to silicone, which many primers contain. I am less disappointed about the breakouts as I am about the effects the green colour had on my redness. I found that the primer was hard to blend into the skin. It left a green film on my skin that when mixed with foundation left my skin looking muddy, not glowing. I do have to say that I have since given the primer to my mom, and I believe she likes it and finds it helps conceal the redness of her face. 

M.A.C's matte nailpolish in "Studded"
I was really excited when this nailpolish came out with the "Riveting" collection at M.A.C. I had never owned a matte nail polish and thought that this metallic looking polish would be ther perfect choice for my first one. I asked my mom to paint my nails the night I bought it. Unfortunately, my first reaction to my newly painted nails was "Eww!". I did not like the way they looked at all. Partly, I think I just don't like the look of matte nail polishes, but I also think that this particular colour makes the nails look dirty. The flecks of glitter might look nice in the bottle, but gives the nails a chunky texture. 

Benefit's "Boi-ing" Concealer
I bought this concealer after having my makeup done by a Benefit representative at my local drugstore. My face looked really smooth and well covered after she did my makeup,so I was sold when the rep suggested I buy the boi-ing concealer. The official Benefit website says the following about the concealer:


"This industrial strength conealer camouflages dark circles, shadows and discoloration for a seamless, natural-looking finish without creasing or fading. You name it, boi-ing helps hide it"


Personally I don't find that this concealer camouflages or hides problem areas any better than the other concealers I have used. I find that this concealer is extremely dry and therefore hard to spread on my face. I believe that dry concealers tend to enhance problem areas, especially acne. They cling to flaky skin and sit on top of bumps, drawing attention to areas you would rather hide.  
My other problem with this concealer is that it only comes in 3 colours (light, medium and dark). With only three colours to choose from, it is hard to perfectly match your skintone. The Benefit representative suggested that I buy the medium colour (02). I find that this colour is a little dark for my face and as everyone knows when it comes to concealing an area, you want the concealer colour to be a little bit lighter than the skin, definitely not darker. 


Obviously everyone has their own opinion on what products they love or hate. In my opinion I wish I hadn't wasted my money on these products, but I'm sure some of you can't live without them.


Let me know if you have every tried any of the products mentioned and what you do or don't like about them.  

Congratulations

In my "Thank You!!" post on July 9th, I mentioned that the 30th person to subscribe to my blog would win a M.A.C lustreglass in "Lustrewhite". I am excited to announce that I got my 30th subscriber earlier today. So, the winner of the lustreglass is Peach23. Please email me your address at funnyfacebeauty@gmail.com and I will send it off in the mail.
Thanks to everyone who has subscribed and don't forget I will be having a M.A.C giveaway real soon.

Experimenting with Makeup # 3

Today my sisters' friend Hailey came over to have her makeup done. She is going to a wedding on Saturday and we decided to do a trial run to figure out what look she wants for the wedding. Hailey doesn't usually wear a lot of makeup so I wanted to keep her makeup light but still give her a fun feminine look. Hailey's dress for the wedding is pink, so we decided to use pinks and purples for her makeup.

For Hailey's eyes I started with a M.A.C. paintpot in "Painterly" as an eyeshadow primer. This ensures that Hailey's eyeshadow will stay on all night even in humid weather. I then combined 2 light pink eyeshadows (M.A.C's "Et tu Bouqet" and "Solar White) and one light purple eyeshadow (M.A.C's "Of Summer") and swept them over her entire lid. I then used a damp eyeshadow brush to apply a  shimmering pink pigment (M.A.C's "Helium") on top of the 3 shadows already used. In Hailey's crease I used 2 darker purple shadows (M.A.C's "Stomp" and "Vibrant Grape") to create some definition. Finally I used a wet eyeliner brush and M.A.C's "Stars and Rockets" (a pink and purple duo-chrome eyeshadow) to create a thick line along Hailey's top lash line.

I wanted to play up Hailey's naturally tanned skin, so I used Chanel's "Tan de Soleil" cream bronzer and buffed it into the entire face. For Hailey's cheeks, I used two vibrant pink blushes (M.A.C's "Whim" and "Pink Swoon") and applied them with a light hand for a fresh summery look. Finally, to create a natural glow on Hailey's cheekbones, I used M.A.C's "Blonde" mineralized skinfinish ( a light shimmering pink).

To finish of the entire look, I wanted Hailey's lips to be light pink and glossy. I applied M.A.C's Viva Glam lipstick in "Lady Gaga" to her lips followed by an iridescent pink lipgloss (M.A.C's "Icescape" lipglass).

Hailey and I were both happy with the final look. It is fun and perfect for an outdoor summer wedding. I will be doing the same look on Hailey this Saturday before the wedding, so I will try to get a picture of the final look including hair and outfit. I also have to thank Hailey for letting me do her makeup and for letting me post these pictures on my blog.


Let me know what you think of the look. Also if you have an ideas or requests for upcoming posts, please let me know, I am always looking for new ideas.