Elf Haul & Review

Hello everyone hope you all had a great weekend!

May is my birthday month, so naturally I thought makeup would be the best gift to myself. I went on a little makeup spree, the first of which was Elf Cosmetics. I was watching a video on YouTube and the youtuber was doing a haul on a recent online Elf order she did. I was curious so I checked out the Elf website and there was a lot of stuff that my local Target does not carry and it just so happened that they were having $1.98 shipping, so I had to pick up some stuff! 

First off...

Turks & Caicos

This blush and bronzer duo. I've seen this duo mentioned on a Tumbler blog as a perfect blush and bronzer for dark skin girls. I just didn't realize how how dark it was.

The bronzer is very dark with a red undertone. I am shade NC44 in MAC and for me, this is too dark to use as bronzer and contour. It is very pigmented and you need a very light hand to apply.  In the pan it also looks like it has a lot of glitter but most of it seems to wear off when you break through the first layer. 

The blush like the bronzer looks very glittery in the pan but once you break through the first layer the majority wears off. It applies nicely. For my skin tone this provides a very natural flush of pink with a nice glow. They don't have the best staying power but for the price they're great. I definitely prefer  the blush over the bronzer. 

Next, was another blush...

Rich Rose

I love me some blush, you will soon come to know. This was the darkest of the baked blushes on the website. In person this blush is not as dark or as pigmented as I would like. In the picture above the color is a bit darker than it really is. This really reminds me of Warm Soul by MAC. It just gives you a nice natural glow. 

Next off, are these baked shadows...

I was most excited about these baked eyeshadows. I had purchased one from my local Target a while ago in the color Bark and I loved it! I loved it so much I decided to try some other colors out, but when I went back to Target they didn't sell them anymore. So I was glad when I found these online. I picked up the colors burnt plum, chocolate dreams, bronzed beauty, and toasted.  These little guys apply and blend so easily and have great color payoff.

Toasted

This one is a beautiful champagny-pink shadow. Perfect for a wash of color on the lid. Love!

Bronzed Beauty

Out of all the ones I got, this one was not one of my favorites. In the pan it looks like a beautiful golden bronze color, but once you apply on the lid it just loses all pigmentation. If you are looking for just a wash of color than this would be okay, but if you want more color payoff I would definitely apply some sort of base underneath. 

Burnt Plum

A beautiful plum color shadow with a great color payoff. Love it!

Chocolate Dreams

A gorgeous deep chocolate brown. My only con with this one is the packaging. It doesn't snap shut like the others, but I can move past it. 

Next, I have a smudge pot...

Brownie Points

This little smudge pot claims to be a long-lasting cream shadow and I would agree. However if you are like me and have very oily eyelids you would still need to prime your lids before applying. The shadow itself is very creamy and blends nicely. The color payoff is nice too, it is a very deep bronze. One thing I noticed while swatching this, is that it stains so I would recommend using a primer prior to use. Another con is the packaging. The pot is plastic and I worry the product might dry too easily. Overall nice product. 

Lastly...

Makeup Lock & Seal

This product promises to increase  the intensity of your makeup colors and lock it on. It claims you can use it to coat eyeliner, shadow, lipstick, blush, and brow colors. I have a problem with eyeliners staying put because I have oily lids, so when I saw this I jumped on it. It definitely makes your shadows more intense. As far as locking in makeup I'm still on the fence. I love the effect of tightlining but I don't do it because it just ends up under my eyes. This helped out a bit. I still noticed some fall down but it definitely held on longer than when I didn't use the Lock & Seal. I am still working with this product so maybe an update to come later. 

Has anyone tried any of these products what were your thought on them? I apologize if this was a long post, but I just wanted to give you the best review I can give.I hope you enjoyed it and I'll talk to everyone soon! 

Prom Makeup

It's that time of the year again, Prom season! This past Saturday I worked with two girls, one of them wanted drama and glamour. While the other wanted a more natural look. The theme of their prom was The Great Gatsby.

Veronica really wanted to channel the look of the 20's.  She wanted a dramatic and defined eye with a bold lip. I love this look and it was very fitting. I especially love the lip color, it was just the perfect shade of red. The list of products I used will be down below. 

Base

Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer

L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher

Covergirl True Blend Foundation 

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW15 and NW40

Primer is a must on a special occasion such as prom. It helps even out skin's texture and imperfections and helps last longer. I decided to use the Make Up Forever HD Primer because she has normal skin and just wanted to really prep her skin for photos. For foundation you want to go for something that is long lasting and no SPF if there is going to be flash photography. For her concealer I used a mixture of NW15 and NW40 under her eyes, I didn't need to do a lot of of concealing, the foundation really covered any imperfection she had. 

Face

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation

NYX Matte Bronzer in MBB05 Deep Tan

MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

To set her foundation I decided to use Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation to just give her a bit more extra coverage while still keeping the skin looking natural. I used NYX's Matte Bronzer to warm up her complexion a bit and give her a bit a contour. For her blush I decided to use MAC's Warm Soul to give her a bit of color and glow while still keeping it very natural since her eyes and lips the focus of the look. 

Brows

Bobbie Brown Eye Shadow in Ombre a Paupieres

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear

She has pretty full brows, so I just filled in any sparseness she had and used a clear gel to set them.

Eyes

Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer

Maybelline 24 hr Color Tattoo Metal in 70 Barely Branded

MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown

Lorac Pro Palette

  -Taup

  -Sable

  -Espresso

  -Light Bronze

  -Champagne

  -Cream

  -Black

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black 

Ardell Individual Lashes in Flare Short and Flare Medium Black 

Veronica came to me with this look in mind. I did my interpretation of the look and I felt that the Lorac Pro Palette would help achieve this look. It has all the colors you could need and the perfect colors for this look. 

Lips

Caylin Tinted Lip Balm in 09 Velvet Rose

This was Veronica's own lipstick. She had been searching for the perfect shade of red lipstick and this is what she found. I have to admit I love this color. It is a great ox blood red that is very flattering to her skin-tone.

This young lady came to me not knowing exactly what she wanted. She doesn't wear makeup everyday so she knew she didn't want something too bold. I decided to do this natural look with a pop of color to compliment her dress. The list of products I used will be down below. 

Base

Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer

L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 330 Natural Tan 

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW15 and NW40

Like I said before primer is a must to help even out skin's texture and longevity of the makeup. I decided to use the Make Up Forever HD Primer because she has great skin and I just wanted to really prep her skin for photos. For foundation I just wanted to even out her skin, she had some discoloration. Other than the discoloration she has practically flawless skin. For her concealer I used a mixture of NW15 and NW40 under her eyes, I didn't need to do a lot of of concealing, the foundation really evened out out the discoloration. 

Face
MAC Prep+Prime CC Colour Correcting Compact in Adjust
NYX Matte Bronzer in MBB05 Deep Tan
MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Joy

Her foundation set a tad light so I used MAC's color correcting compact to help adjust the color. Then I used NYX's matte bronzer to add warmth to her face. I really love this bronzer it is soft and easy to blend and it warms up the face just right. Then to add a touch of color and glow I chose MAC's Love Joy, one of my favorite blushes.

Brows

Bobbie Brown Eye Shadow in Ombre a Paupieres

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear

She has very light and sparse brows so to fill them in and still keep them natural I used Bobbie Brown eyeshadow in Ombre a Paupieres. I love this powder for brows because its a nice neutral brownie-grey that is perfect for girls with dark brown hair without making them look too harsh. To set the brows I used a clear brow gel.

Eyes
Lorac Behund The Scenes Eye Primer
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 617 Iced Mocha
MAC Eyshadow in Soft Brown
MAC Eye Shadow Quad in Bare My Soul (Temperature Rising Collection)
Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black and Brown
Ardell Individual Lashes
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black

I decided to use this quad because I wanted to keep her look natural but I was mostly inspired by the beautiful deep green which was the color of her dress. She didn't want a lot of color so I used Romantico (light taupe bronze), Friendly (deep bronze chocolate), and Bare My Soul (frosted gold) as the main focus on the lid and inner corner highlight. For a pop of color and to incorporate the color of her dress I used When in Rio (deep green with copper pearl) on the waterline. As eye liner I mixed black and brown because black would be too harsh but because it's prom I still wanted more definition than just a simple brown liner. To open up her eyes more and still keeping it looking natural I used individual lashes. I love this look. I especially loved the pop of green on the water line, it really brightened and complemented her eyes. 

Lips
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Naked
L'Oreal Collective Privee by JLo  in 370 Jennifer's Nude
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked 

Once again I was just trying to keep the whole look natural, I did nude lip on her. 

And finally on both girls I used Urban Decays All-Nighter Setting Spray to set the makeup so it stays put all night. I love both of these looks they're so different but both equally beautiful. I hope you love it too!

Quinceañera

This past weekend I did makeup for a quinceañera, which basically is a hispanic sweet 16. I did makeup for both the birthday girl and her mother. I kept their makeup closer on the natural side, nothing too dramatic. For a list of the products I used scroll down. 

ON THE MOTHER:

Base 
Korres Mattifying Primer
L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in color 220 natural beige and 330 natural tan 
MAC Select Cover-UP Concealer in NW15 and NW40 

Eyes
Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer
Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Eggplant
MAC eyeshadow in Satin Taupe
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom
NYX Matte Bronzer in Deep Tan
MAC eyeshadow in Brulé
Maybellin Eyestudio Gel Liner in Brown and Blackest Black
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black waterproof
Ardell Lashes in Natural (sorry I can't remember the number)

Face
Rimmel Stay Matt Pressed Powder
NYX Matt Bronzer in Deep Tan
MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Joy

Brows
Bobbie Brown eyeshadow in Ombre a Paupieres
Maybellin Great Lash Clear Mascara

Lips
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Naked
L'Oreal Collection Privee by JLo in 370 Jennifer's Nude

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

ON THE QUINCEANERA:

Base

Korres Mattifying Primer

L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in the color 330 natural tan and 370 toast

MAC Select Cover-UP Concealer in NW15 and NW40

Face

Rimmel Stay Matt Pressed Powder

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

NYX Matt Bronzer in Deep Tan 

MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Joy

Eyes
Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in 002 Bulletproof Beige
Urban Decay Naked Palette
   -Buck
   -Half Baked
   -Smog
   -Dark Horse
MAC eyeshadow in Mystery
MAC eyeshadow in Handwritten
MAC eyeshadow in Brulé
Maybellin Eyestudio Gel Liner in Brown and Blackest Black
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black waterproof
Ardell Lashes in Natural (sorry I can't remember the number)

Brows

Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Brunette/Dark Brown

Maybellin Great Lash Clear Mascara

Lips

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Naked

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked (I'm not sure but this product may be discontinued)

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray to set the makeup! 

Thanks, I hope you all like it!