NYC Blushable Creme Sticks

Hey chicas!

Happy hump day! This is more of a rave than a review, well a little bit of both! Ever since I saw these 'blushable sticks' on YT, I have wanted them or more like craved them! I initially thought they only came in two colors. How would I have known that there are more? I have been to numerous Walgreens, CVS and Target throughout the entire Chicagoland and couldn't find a single one. I was getting frustrated (I know, getting frustrated because you can't find a blush is insane, but I am crazy when it comes to make up and even crazier when I can't find something I want! lol) and I even tweeted about it. Then my lovely friend who you may know as Obsessed.Makup.Addict came to my rescue and got them for me in 5 different shades! She was able to find them all the way in Canada and I couldn't find a single one here.Then a week after I received her package, I go to Ulta and see that they started getting them! So if you're after these babies, you better go check out your local Ulta. They will more than likely have them.

Plaza Pink

I believe Plaza Pink was the most raved about in beauty blogosphere and I don't blame anyone for doing so. It really is gorgeous. I would describe the color as nude pink/coral. I usually wear it alone but if I want a more vibrant color then I layer it under a powder blush such as Benefit Coralista, MAC Dainty and Elf Candid Coral.

Big Apple Blush

This shade is pink but to be more specific I would say it's dusty rose type of color. I personally don't wear this layered with anything else. It's beautiful as it is.

South St. Shell

Don't let the container fool you, as you can see the actual color is not even close to the color of the tube! It's a darker peach/nude color. This blush looks great if you have gone smokey on the eyes and nude on lips. Definitely a favorite for nighttime looks.


Mauvin' Uptown

Bronzey mauve. I don't really wear this in full force (like it is in my swatch above) as I don't want to look like a clown. This color is good for when you're tanned and you want a glow on your face and a tad of color.

Urban Spice

Gold/bronze with shimmer. If you want to draw attention to cheek bones then this is a great tool to achieve that. It's great for highlighting. In addition to using it on cheek bones, I do a quick sweep of this down my nose. This can also easily be used as a nighttime bronzer, just make sure you use a brush ;) I wouldn't use it as a daytime bronzer as it is shimmery.

My thoughts and notes...

Considering the price you pay for these blushes, you get quite a bit of product, great color pay off and pigmentation in one sweep. Because of their creamy consistency, application and blending these are a breeze. While they do end up being sheer after blending, they are pretty buildable to your liking. I personally don't like sheer blushes that much, if I don't see some color on my cheek then what's the point of wearing it in the first place? (But that's just me) When it comes to finish, they are neither matte nor shimmery, so you get the best of both worlds and for that reason they give off a healthy and dewy glow to your cheeks! They are not sticky or greasy after drying, in fact they are pretty light after application. It takes about half a minute for them to dry, keep in mind they are creamy so you don't have to rush to blend them in. On my combination skin, I do have drier cheeks, they last a long time and even longer if I set them with powder blushes. These have quickly become my favorites. They are of very good quality being from the drugstore. I wish they came in more colors/shades though. I am sure they would have attracted  more people if they had a bigger color selection. As far as I know there are a total of 6 colors, the one I don't have is called Berry Newyorker. They also had two other LE shades called, Pink Flash and Wild Berry.

Maybelline Eye Studio™ Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow in Give Me Gold

Hey lovelies!

I had been seeing these quads for quite sometime but always passed them because I wasn't sure how they'll turn out in terms of pigmentation. I am still a bit iffy about buying eye shadows from the drugstore because I know there is good and there is -really- bad. I just randomly remembered about them and did some research online. I was surprised to see how pigmented colors looked swatched so I wanted to get a quad myself. So here is the one I picked up in "Give Me Gold". There are 12 quads of variety of colors in this collection and can most likely be found at any drugstore.They retail for $9.99. Of course, always watch out for BOGO deals!

The compact seemed relatively small to me. Not that, that's a bad thing. Sometimes having a smaller product really helps as that makes it more portable. All the colors, at least in this quad in question, are very pigmented and soft to touch. They smoothly glide on skin. First three shadows are metallic and they do have quite a bit of shimmer. The brown color is more matte but it still has some shimmer/glitter in it. The third color reminded me a lot of Baked eyeshadow by Urban Decay. I think it could be a good dupe for Baked. Looks like I don't really have a dupe in my collection for the other three though, so I did good I think! I hate buying dupes, but sometimes it's just inevitable...

I have done a look the other day using all the colors from this quad and have not experienced any smudging or disappearance. I think the staying power is really good! Like many eye shadows, there was a bit of a fall out but you can be sure that none of them are so powdery they don't stick to your eye lid. I will definitely go back and check out the other quads. Color pay off is just amazing, they are of great quality and are reasonably priced.

PS: Ulta has some promotions going on starting 7/4 and Maybelline (along with Revlon and Rimmel) will be BOGO 50% off. How do I know? I just received their flier thing in the mail :)

If you girls have this quad in other colors let me know what you think of it! I'm really thinking to go back and get more :)

Coral Craze

Hey ladies!

Today I have this post of "corals" because coral is a color that never fails during summer months and I really love it! I don't really follow trends and I don't care if it's is in or out, in my book it's always in! :) Plus I think coral looks good on any skin, eye or hair color. Don't let some of product names below fool you, I think most companies lack creativity when it comes to naming products...So, here we go!

MAC Lipstick in Vegas Volt 

I admit, it is a bit of a shocking color but don't be scared of it, it's very buildable. You can adjust how much color you want easily. If you want a coral-ish color but don't want it in full effect, you can always dab a bit of concealer (or MAC's Myth l/s if you have it) over or under it to tone it down a little. 

RIMMEL Lipstick in Nostalgia

As you can see in the swatches below Nostalgia is more pink/coral and Vegas Volt is more orange/coral. I wear this lipstick by itself because it's just gorgeous and doesn't need anything else.

NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink 

Color of this creme stick is debatable. I'm sure many

see it as pink (and there's nothing wrong with that) but to me it's coral with a hint of pink :) By applying Pink Plaza under Candid Coral you will get a more true coral color, pretty close to Pink Plaza's container color. (I'm actually holding Plaza Pink in my hand on the swatch picture below)

MAC Paintpot in Coral Crepe

Can be worn over, under or next to many different eye shadows, or just by itself. Call me obsessed because that's what I am when it comes to this. I seriously want to use this everyday. :) I should have bought a back up of it!

Revlon Super Lusturous Lipgloss in Coral Reef 
 Many people are praising this lip gloss lately and I don't blame them. Revlon did it again! If you want exaggerated coral lips, then use this over Vegas Volt. If you prefer a more toned down color, use it over Myth, concealer or Revlon's Soft Nude (this is my fave combo). You can always use it by itself and still achieve a beautiful color, it has quite the pigmentation.

 MAC Eyeshadow in Paradisco

Almost identical to Coral Crepe, just that this is in eyeshadow form. Looks beautiful paired with earthy toned eyeshadows.

Revlon Nailpolishes in Make Mine Mango, Electric Pink & Tropical Temptations

3 different shades of coral. I am quite impressed with the ease of application and staying power of Revlon nail polishes. They are definitely worth the $.

YSL Rouge Volupte #13 Peach Passion 

This is sort of like the Tropical Temptation nail polish (above right) in lipstick form. Smooth application and lots of pigmentation. Definitely a summer favorite :)
 

Benefit Coralista

 Coralista is one of my favorite blushes of all time. It's a very versatile and girly-chic color that looks good on many skin tones. It looks beautiful on it's own but if you want a more vibrant color, try it over NYC's Pink Plaza blush stick (as a base). Not only will it create a pop of color, but it will also help Coralista last much longer on your skin.

Collective Haul: MAC, Ulta, CVS, Target, Coastal Scents

Hey girlies!
Just wanted to share with you a collection of stuff I hauled within the past month or so

MAC Paintpot in Coral Crepe 

I've already done a look using this and I absolutely love it! I'm so happy I purchased it, it's really gorgeous. If you like corals and wear them often, I say get this before it's gone! ( I really can't stop talking about this, sorry if it's annoying, I promise you will only have to see it twice more then I'll shut up about it lol)

MAC Eye Shadow in Paradisco

I had been eying this eyeshadow for a very long time but every time I went to MAC, I walked out with another color. Finally I pulled myself together and purchased it, it's so pretty and looks beautiful layered over Coral Crepe.

 Ulta

Urban Decay Face Case 

Was totally an unplanned purchase, it just caught my eye while I was passing by the checkout counters. Colors were just too gorgeous and price was very reasonable. ($14.00) Not just that but it also came with a full-size eyeshadow in Flipside. I can never say no to free! FYI: Flipside is VERY similar to MAC's Shimmermoss eyeshadow, just a tad more turquoise-ish than Shimmermoss, but I think they would make good dupes of each other.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Flipside

NYC Lip Sliders Lip Balm in Sugar Kiss

I love to wear this lip balm over nude/pink lipsticks. This lipbalm has crazy amount of shine, it's ridicilous! I also love how it smells, like cotton candy!

Revlon Nail Polishes

Grape Icy (smells just like grapes when dry, I must admit it made me nauseous at times lol) Electric Pink,  Make Mine Mango and Tropical Temptation

Gorgeous summer colors!!! They were buy 2 get 1 free at Ulta on 6/19.

CVS

Rimmel Lipstick in Nostalgia

I believe this is a new shade as I've never seen it before. It's a coral/hot pink shade and it screams summer! Pretty creamy and moisturizing.  

Target

Elf Blush in Candid Coral 

& 

All over Color Stick in Golden Peach

I was so happy to walk in to one of my two Targets and unexpectedly see Elf products! I had been dying to try them but was not willing to pay crazy amounts of money for shipping. Especially when their products are so cheap! I don't know how I managed to get only these but I did. I'm very happy with my Elf stuff. Over all color stick is a great highlighter and I love the coral blush!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin

The word "mousse" was what made me buy this blush, really. I've never used a blush in this form so I thought why not? It has such a smooth and velvety texture and the color is very pretty. I don't think it shows up that well on my skin though. Perhaps I should have gotten a darker shade? I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this. 

Coastal Scents 88 Palette

Can you believe I just got this? I certainly can't. Love love love this palette. It's really everything I imagined it would be. Love all the colors and endless combination possibilities it has to offer! You all know what it looks like, but here is a picture anyway! :)

FOTD: Color me Coral

Hey girlies!

I don't know about you but I loveeeee corals, especially in summer time! I've been using lots of coral stuff lately so I thought I'd show you a look! I've recently got my hands on the gorgeous Coral Crepe Paint Pot which came out with the Pret-a-Papier collection, a while ago. I initially gave this collection a pass but I couldn't get over how pretty Coral Crepe was, so I got it before it was gone forever (or til the next time it's promoted). I've also "rediscovered" the beautiful Vegas Volt lipstick that I ignored for a long time and I even figured out a different way to use it which I'm sure was already figured out by someone else!

Products used...

Face:
Benefit Erase Paste under eyes, around nose
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation
Physician's Formula Solar Powder Bronzer
Elf Blush in Candid Coral
MAC Fix+

Eyes:
UDPP
MAC Coral Crepe Paint Pot as base
CS 88 Palette Color 1 right on top of Coral Crepe, Color 2 on inner third of lid, Color 3 inner corners, Color 4 brow bone, Color 5 used to blend Club & Print
MAC e/s in Club on crease
MAC e/s in Print right above Club
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner on upper lash line
MAC e/s in Carbon smudged on lower lash line
UD 24/7 liner in Zero in waterline
L'oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips:
EOS lipbalm (not that it matters :))
MAC l/s in Vegas Volt
Benefit Erase Paste dabbed on top,you can use any concealer really

PS: I think my next post will be about my favorite coral products! :)

Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Tinted Moisturizer

I've always had a good experience with Physician's Formula products, in fact I've been happily using their bronzers for years. I sort of bought this tinted moisturizer on a whim recently, I wasn't really in the market for one. Two things helped me make my decision buying this much easier (besides the fact that it's Physician's Formula) SPF 50 in big letters and the save $4.99 coupon attached to the box. I am kind of ashamed to say this but I feel like I take my skin for granted, knowing that I should use some kind of protection I still don't! I was actually thinking of getting an all over sun screen for but then I saw this. During summer months, I am not really fond of wearing foundation especially in the day time and especially in Chicago where humidity skyrockets to unbelievable highs. Until now my summer face routine was basically, application of MSFN, bronzer and blush. I have always read and heard about tinted moisturizers but never tried one. Without further blabbing, here is my experience with my first ever tinted moisturizer!

Quick Facts:

SPF 50

Lightweight

Natural finish and coverage

Paraben-free 

Long-wearing

Water-resistant

This tinted moisturizer is from Physician's Formula's "Healthy Wear" collection.This line also includes, power foundation and pressed bronzer, both with SPF 50. There are 4 different shades; Ivory-Fair, Fair-Light, Light-Natural, Natural-Tan. I picked up Natural-Tan (I wear NC40 for reference) because Light-Natural would most likely be too light for my skin tone considering I am even darker during summer. It comes in this cute orange and pink bottle with a pump. Gotta love the pump! My first impression was "wow reminds me a lot of my Revlon PhotoReady foundation"! They do have similarities so chances are if you like PR, you will like this tinted moisturizer vice versa. I figured with this product, I need about a pump for my entire face. It is very light weight and has a creamy consistency.

I have been wearing this daily since I bought it and my skin feels like it's got nothing on it and I love that! It blends easily with finger tips. It has a faint smell to it though it is fragrance free. I would say that it provides medium coverage and dries to a semi-sheer and natural-looking finish, so let's not expect it to cover all of our imperfections. Basically when it dries, it looks just like Photo Ready, in my opinion.

Based on my experience, this moisturizer has pretty good resistance towards humidity. I haven't felt like it's melting off my face like I do with my foundations, and that's a plus for me! I will continue using this throughout summer because it protects with SPF 50, is paraben-free, feels super light and looks natural! What else can I ask for?? I believe you can find this product in your local drugstore/market. I purchased mine from Jewel-Osco with the instant $4.99 coupon (regular retail price is $14.99) I am not sure if they have this offer in other stores though, worth a try if you've been looking for a tinted moisturizer! Honestly, there is nothing I don't like about this product, it's everything I would look for in a tinted moisturizer, yay! One thing I can totally hear people complain about is, and you are totally right, that there are only 4 shades. Hopefully Physician's Formula will bring out more shades to suit many more skin tones!

Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Liquid Tint - Poppy

Hello lovelies!

Long time no blog! Hope everyone's well! I've been...not so well as I've been unbelievably sick for over a week :( Previously I was busy running around for a friend's bachelorette party and bridal shower and as soon as we finished with both, I got sick! Literally as soon as I walked in my house from the weekend's festivities, my throat started hurting and you know the rest...stuffy head, nose, sore and itchy throat, sucks! I did save a lot of money during this time of course but I broke my "financial silence" by hitting up Target the other day and "Poppy" caught my eye.

I am not sure if it's a new product or I have just not seen it all this time! I always wanted to try Benefit's cheek stains but they are a bit pricey ($28/.42oz). I think this was a great alternative to the pricier ones just to test if I like cheek stains. For the most part I prefer powder cheek colors/blushes on myself but I still try non-powder ones every now and then. One of the first things that attracted me about this product, other than it's gorgeous color, was that it had a pump! I also thought the packaging was simple but cute.

Formula is liquid and light. I have made the mistake of doing a full pump of it and that was just way too much, you really need about half pump for both cheeks. Trial+Error=Lesson :) It dries to a sheer finish with just the right amount of color and gives a really nice glow to cheeks! I find it really easy to blend and it does not mess up foundation. I personally just use my fingers to blend, but using a brush will also do the trick. It does have a sweet/floral and pleasant scent to it, very summery! I love the fact that it's not sticky! Staying power of this tint is pretty good. I have used it over my foundation and bronzer and haven't noticed any smudging or disappearance for hours. In the bottle the color looks like a bright (and maybe scary for some) coral but when applied and dried like in the picture below, I think it looks more pink/rosy.

I think this tint is great for those days when the sun is scorching (i.e. NOW!) and you just don't want pounds of make-up melting off your face but still want to look your best! I think it may also be a great base underneath your powder blush to get a better color pay-off, I have yet to try this. This product comes in total of 3 colors, the other two are called Peony and Rose; names are almost identical to Benefit cheek stains, hmm interesting! They are $9.99 (.57oz) and so far I'm loving cheek stains! If you want to try cheek stains, give this a try and if you don't like it at least you haven't spent a fortune :)

Beautiful Blogger Award

I totally forgot that I got this award from Obsessed Makeup Addict ages ago and now Naz just gave me another one of these and so I remembered! Thanks girls!!

Here are 7 interesting things about moi!

1. I don't know if this is interesting OR crazy but I refuse to leave the house without make-up. Call me insecure, I won't do it! I must at least have bronzer or mascara on :))

2. I used to be beyond terrified of dogs up until a year ago (I'd take a different route if I saw a dog coming towards me, I swear!) and now I cannot imagine life without my puppy Muffin!

3. I'm Turkish and my husband is NOT. lol He's Romanian.

4. People who constantly misspell annoy me, there is a difference between "ones" and "once" ugh! But the worst is when people write/type "should of" when it's really "should have"! No offense, I came to the U.S. and learned English, so can YOU! ;)

5. I love yogurt. No really, I eat yogurt with everything and I must eat it at least once a day. I prefer the plain and non-fat kind.

6. I am obsessed with nail polish (if you can't tell already!), I change my nail polish every other day, if not everyday.

7. When we go out to restaurants etc, and I'm asked for my name for the wait-list I usually just say another name (depends on my mood, sometimes I say Abby or Mary or whoever I wanna be that day haha) because I am just sick of the whole "ohhh what a different name, what's your nationality, can you say something in your language??" talk. No I can't say something in my language, I just want a freakin' table! :)

7 gorgeous bloggers I nominate for this award are:

Kate Gene

NYCSh0paholic

 

Celia

Glam Morena

Chloe - The Hollywood Heels

Ann - The Real Deal Reviews

Amira- Amira Beauty Blog

May Favorites

Hola chicas!

Is it just me or is this year flying by?? I can't believe it's already the middle of the year but I'm happy because it's summer and the weather is - usually - beautiful! Without further ado here is what I loved in the month of May!

EOS Lip balm - I had been seeing this adorable lip balm all over the place and finally took a chance to try it out. I actually thought "what on earth is so special about this thing" while buying it. And now it's my favorite lip balm! I'm surprised because I never thought I'd find anything better than my Burt's Bees one. Formula of this lip balm is just amazing, it's super moisturizing and makes lips feel oh so smooth. I've been using this right before I apply my lipstick, works out great! I think this lip balm may be the solution to our flaked out lips due to dry/matte lipsticks! I have it in summerfruit and it smells very fresh, think a sweet and fruity scent nothing overwhelming though. I also love the fact that it's formulated without parabens! yay!

St. Ives Green Tea Scrub - I've been using this scrub for quite some time now and I am so happy with it. I was unfortunate to have a few breakouts here and there (Hello stress!) this month. Thankfully this scrub works like a charm and helps decently clear nasty breakouts, in addition to my Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask. They are perfect together! I use this scrub almost everyday, I think it's gentle enough to use daily.

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation - Made a come back in my life this month. I had stopped using it ever since I purchased Color Stay. I randomly thought of using it a few weeks back and had forgotten how amazing this foundation was, shame on me! Has been my go to foundation in May and I love it!

Wet n Wild ColorIcon Palettes - I almost have the entire collection, just missing one of the palettes :) The colors in these palettes are very beautiful, pretty pigmented, they blend easily and stay on all day! Love'em!

MAC Peaches Blush - If you've seen my comparison of Peaches to Illamasqua's Lover blush then you know they could definitely be dupes of each other. That's what it looks like if you look at them swatched on my hand. However, they do look different on my face. It's hard to explain! This month has been a pretty peachy for me as most of the colors I used are from the peach familia!

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Soft Nude - I just can't get over this lipstick. I don't even need to say much about it. It's the perfect nude lipstick. Other nudes got nothing on this baby!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef  - My current go to lip gloss. Pigmentation of this lip gloss is unbelievable. The color is a vibrant coral that looks beautiful by itself or applied over Soft Nude (and I'm sure many other lipsticks). Formulation is not sticky at all which is a plus for me!

What couldn't you girls get enough of in May??