LOTD-Plumberry

Blush: MAC Gingerly

Eyes: MAC Star violet e/s on inner lid

MAC Hepcat e/s on middle and outer third

MAC Sketch e/s on outer v and crease

blend color: MAC Tet-a-Tint e/s

highlight: MAC Ricepaper e/s

Eyeliner: liquid black UD perversion

Mascara: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Excess

Lips: lipliner- Creamliner (pink treat)

lipstick- Guerlain Bee

 lipgloss-YSL Golden Fuschia

Solid Gold! (YSL Golden Gloss)

OOOOOHHHH-WEEE!!!! These babies are pretty!  At first I was skeptical about Yves Saint Laurent's Golden Glosses because I thought they were all gimmick.  They boast  a "high shine lip gloss with real 24-carat-gold flecks" and a "mirror-effect."  But I can say for certain: they were NOT all talk!  Not only do these go on smoothly, but they don't leave my lips dry.  On average, they last about 4-6 hours, which is pretty good for a gloss.  They have an incredibly high shine factor, but don't give that "oily-gloss" look.  And you really do see the tiny flecks of gold on your lips (but you don't feel them at all!).  I purchased #4 and #31 from Sephora.com for $30 each.  I will DEFINITELY be adding more to my collection soon.  

Top: #4 Golden Fushcia (*NEW)
Bottom: #31 Golden Toffee 

#31 Golden Toffee 

#4 Golden Fushcia 

Bare lips

#31 Golden Toffee 

#4 Golden Fushcia (this actually looks a little more "berry-like" in real life'")

"Magically Cool-icious" (MAC's Magically Cool Liquid Powder)

Magically Cool Liquid Powder-Honey Rose

Soooo…I skipped the "Magically Cool Liquid Powder" from MAC when it first came out in the Venomous Villains collection because the MUA said it was "just a gimmick."  Seriously, I didn't even swatch it!

But this time around, I guess I was just in the mood to buy something so I tried out the new color they have, "Honey Rose."  It can be used as a highlighter or an all-over powder.  According to the MAC website:

"You've longed for it and now it's captured: M·A·C Magically Cool Liquid Powder. This feather-light silky powder goes on with the refreshing impact of an ocean mist. What's more, this magical melange contains just enough optical blurring via its light-diffusing pigments to 
render skin's surface into line-softened, natural luminosity. How magical is that?"


So how does it measure up to its claims?

-"impact of an ocean mist": Absolutely!  When using a soft, duo-fiber brush to dust it lightly across your skin, it really feels like a wet spray from an ocean wave! (seriously, you'll have to keep looking at it to reassure  yourself that it's NOT water! LOL)
-"line-softened, natural luminosity": I definitely agree that it has a blurring effect that makes the imperfections in your skin fade away.

In addition, the effect lasts (for me, about 8 hours today!)…now THAT alone makes it worth it for me!

It is moderately priced at $29.50 (pretty normal for MAC specialty blush/powders).

Bottom line: it does what it says and it feels good doing it!

Before using the powder (please excuse my "end of the day" skin! LOL)

With a quick sweep of the powder

"Roll" OUT!

I travel a lot for work, so I was trying to come up with a way to keep my brushes spread out but NOT lose them.  I "googled" all day long and couldn't find a container to suit my needs...that's how THIS idea was born:

This has been a life-saver for me.  I don't risk losing my brushes and, just as importantly, I can actually SEE all of them so they get more usage.

Items needed to create the roll:

-any bamboo-style dinner mat with enough space to weave the elastic (I bought several of them from Bed Bath & Beyond for $2) 

-elastic (purchased from a craft store)

*I have been asked if I would consider making some for people who would like to purchase them.  I would be willing to do so.  Please leave a comment if you'd be interested.  Or you can e-mail me at mykindapretty@gmail.com and we can discuss the terms.*

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense…NEW COLORS COMING SOON!

As you know, I've fallen completely in love with the Armani Eyes to Kill Intense shadows (previously reviewed here).  Imagine my delight when I came across a picture of two colors I had never seen yet...

#1 Blast of Blue

#3 Purpura

 …Then imagine my dismay when I learned that they weren't available in the states yet.  I checked with Armani and this is the response I got:

"May 2, 2011

Thank you for visiting Giorgio Armani Beauty on the Web.

Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eye Shadows Summer Collection 2011 includes the limited edition shades you mentioned in your email. We anticipate they will be available in July 2011.  

We look forward to your next visit to our website or seeing you at a Giorgio Armani Beauty counter."

So…unfortunately we have to wait 'til July!   THESE ARE AVAILABLE NOW ON THE GA WEBSITE HERE.

Bare-ing it all!

My venture into the world of Bare Minerals has been pretty underwhelming at times:(  The mineralized foundation just didn't seem to suit my skin color AT ALL.  But THEN! I walked into Sephora one day and saw a MUA with the most GORGEOUS golden eyes (well, eyeSHADOW, to be exact).  I mean, seriously, the gold was rich and radiant…there are tiny micro-shimmers that reflect light like nobody's business!  So, clearly I had to pick it up, right?  I also fell in love with a gorgeous lavender.  This might be the beginning of a new collection…


For $13 bucks each, these are also pretty affordable.  (And over a base, they last just as long as the typical MAC shadow)

True Gold

The Glitterati!

I was reorganizing my makeup collection (again) and "rediscovered" a long-forgotten treasure: my MAC Reflects glitters! When I first discovered these, I had absolutely NO idea how to make them work. Remember what it was like working with glitter as a kid? When you went home, you had glitter specks on your hands, in your hair, in your ears…EVERYWHERE! Well, without the right tools, the MAC Reflects glitters are no different. BUT if you're fortunate to find great MUAs at the MAC store, you will learn how to work the magical power held within these tiny little jars. The key ingredient: MAC Water-Based Mixing Medium! It can only be purchased at a MAC PRO store (or over the phone).

The cool thing about the Reflects glitters is that they are very finely ground. They're not chunky glitter pieces that are designed to wreak havoc on your corneas. The important thing, though, is to make sure you're using a mixing medium of some sort (there are recipes online that call for glycerin and water as a substitute to the MAC version). Below is my collection, a sample look, and swatches (the best I could do, considering that I was taking pictures of glitter--it REFLECTS like crazy! Bad for pictures, but good for real-life looks:) )

l to r: Reflects Transparent Pink, Reflects Gold, Reflects Pearl,

Reflects Blue, Reflects Transparent Teal

l to r: Reflects Transparent Pink, Reflects Gold, Reflects Pearl,

Reflects Blue, Reflects Transparent Teal

(alternate flash setting)

l to r: Reflects Antique Gold, Ref Purple Duo, Reflects Turquatic,

Reflects Rust, Reflects Copper, Reflects Very Pink, Reflects Bronze

l to r: Reflects Antique Gold, Ref Purple Duo, Reflects Turquatic,

Reflects Rust, Reflects Copper, Reflects Bronze, Reflects Very Pink

(alternate flash setting)

Today's "Look" using Reflects Very Pink (applied with Mixing Medium on top of a light lavender eyeshadow (MUFE) )