Top 5 Bronzers

Back in the day my answer to "what is one makeup item you'd like to have with you if you were stranded on a deserted island" was always mascara. It's funny that in a matter of couple years that answer has changed to...bronzer! I feel like bronzer is the magic product that can make almost anyone healthier and younger. I don't sport a full face of makeup everyday but bronzer is just a must-have in my book!

Eskiden "issiz bir adaya dusseniz yaniniza alacaginiz tek makyaj urunu ne olurdu" sorusuna cevabim hep maskara olmustur. Ama bu cevap birkac sene icinde bronzlastiriciya donustu. Bronzlastirici bana gore hemen hemen herkesin daha saglikli ve dinc gorunmesini saglayabilen mucizevi bir urun. Hergun ful makyaj yapmasam bile, bronzlastirici olmazsa olmazim.

My very first bronzer, which isn't photographed here, was NARS Casino. I bought it when I was in high school and took care of it as if it was my child. Considering my age, it was anything but affordable. I used it like crazy over its lifespan of 2 years. Then I hit pan on it and it naturally shattered into pieces. Since then I have experimented with bronzers from many different brands (even though I reminisce about Casino from time to time, I think I will just have to repurchase it after all these years) but here are the 5 I have been the happiest with.

Ilk bronzlastircim NARS Casino idi. Lisedeyken aldigim ve cocugum gibi baktigim Casino yasimi ve o zamanlari dusunursek bana epey pahaliya patlamisti. 2 senelik hayatinda bu bronzlastiriciyi deli gibi kullandim diyebilirim. Sonra malesef dibi gorundu ve haliyle paramparca oldu. Bu hikayede boyle bitti. O zamandan bircok markanin bronzlastiricisini kullandim ama asagidaki 5liden sasmam!

Benefit Hoola (11.0g/0.40oz - $28)

Matte, blends very easily, buildable, no mirror, cardboard packaging isn't my favorite

Mat, dagitimi kolay, kat kat surulebilir, ayna yok, karton kutuda olusu pek etkileyeci degil

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel (30g/1oz - $48)

Creamy, mousse-like texture, long-lasting, bulky, pricey, very luxurious packaging

Kopuksu/kremsi yapida, kaliciligi uzun, iri, fiyati tuzlu, kutusu oldukca luks

elf Blush and Bronzing Duo Blushed/Bronzed (8g/.028oz - $3)

Slightly shimmery, very affordable, compact/mirror, can easily double up as a blush (I love using it as a blush)

Hafif pariltili, fiyati uygun, kompakt ve aynali, ayni zamanda allik olarak kullanilabilir (ben sahsen allik olarak cok seviyorum)

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (10g/.35oz - $29)

Matte, smells like chocolate (!!!), long-lasting, buildable

Mat, cikolata kokulu, kaliciligi uzun, istenilen yogunluk icin rahatlikla kat kat surulebilir

theBalm Bahama Mama (7.08g/.25oz - $19)
Matte, smooth, has a mirror, light enough to take along, easily blends

Mat, yumusak, aynali, yaninizda tasimak icin ideal hafiflikte, dagitimi kolay

L-R: Soleil Tan de Chanel, Benefit Hoola, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, theBalm Bahama Mama, elf Duo

What are your favorite bronzers?

Sizin favori bronzlastiricilariniz neler?

Current Favorites

I have been very into drugstore products lately and I feel like whatever I buy, I love! So I wanted to share a few of my favorites along with an old favorite which I have recently rediscovered while shopping my stash!

Son zamanlarda drugstore urunlerine takmis durumdayim, ne alirsam alayim cok seviyorum. O yuzden bugun ki postumu su siralardaki favorilerim uzerine. Arada birkac tanede gecen gun makyaj koleksiyonumda cikmis oldugum mini gezintiden yeniden kesfettigim urunde var.

Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream Medium/Deep

Let me start out by saying that I am 99% positive that anybody with acne-prone or oily skin will be disappointed by this BB cream. I have normal skin and I have to say I absolutely love this product! It's not quite as runny as a tinted moisturizer and not as thick as a foundation. It's somewhere right in between and comes with SPF 20! It makes my skin look amazing without even needing to use powder to set. It's been my go-to face makeup as of late and I couldn't be happier. Full review coming soon!

Oncelikle sunu belirteyim, akneye egilimli ya da yagli bir cilde sahipseniz bu urun sizi hayal kirikligina ugratabilir. Benim cildim normal oldugu icin bu BB krem bana gore enfes bir urun. Yapisi ne renkli nemlendirici kadar sivi ne de normal fondoten kadar yogun, ikisinin tam ortasinda diyebilirim. Ayrica icinde SPF 20 olmasida benim icin bir arti. Cildimde mucize yaratan ve kullanimi cok kolay olan bu urunu pudra ile sabitlememe gerek bile yok. Full review yakinda!

L'oreal Magic Lumi

I have never used a product like Lumi but I am glad I am doing so now. It's a highlighter/primer that is supposed to give the face a glow. I wear it all over my face, layered under the BB cream and I look like I naturally have youthful (ok well maybe it's because I'm not that old to begin with!), healthy and glowy skin. I will also have a complete review on this soon!

Hayatimda hic Magic Lumi gibi bir urun kullanmadim ama kesfettigim icin cok mutluyum. Aydinlatici/baz olan Magic Lumi'nin gorevi yuze parlaklik vermek. Ben son zamanlarda yukarida bahsettigim BB kremle beraber kullaniyorum. Sonuc, dogal, dinc ve pariltili bir cilt! En kisa zamanda Magic Lumi hakkinda da yazacagim.

MAC Highlight Powder in Crew

I have been reaching for Crew quite a bit because I love the light peachy pink glow it provides. I have nothing quite like it in my collection. It's easily one of my favorite highlighters this summer!

Hafif piriltili seftali, pembe karisimi Crew son gunlerdeki favori aydinlaticilarimdan biri. Sanirim ona benzer baska bir aydinlaticim olmadigi icin bende yeri ayri.

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Pink Sapphire

Pink Sapphire is my second eyeshadow from L'oreal's Infallible line, needless to say first one was Brozed Taupe. On my currently NC30-35 complexion it looks like a light coppery-pink color. I can see myself using this versatile shade all year around. It looks amazing with Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Midnight Brown blended into crease.

L'oreal Infallible'dan ikinci farim olan Pink Sapphire (ilki tabiki de Bronzed Taupe idi) bana once daha cok pembe altin gibi geldi. Kutuya bakinca aslinda daha cok pembe duran bu far benim su an ki NC30-35 cildimde acik bakirla pembe altin karisimi gibi duruyor. Butun sene boyunca kullanilabilecek bir renk oldugunu dusunuyorum. Son zamanlarda goz cukurunda Burberry'nin Midnight Brown'la kullanmak favorim.

NYX Blush in Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of my first NYX blushes I have recently got to experiment with. It's such a unique coral/orange shade and I am proud to say I have no dupes of it in my collection! I am not surprised to see a great color pay off in Cinnamon as NYX products in general are great at that.

Cinnamon NYX'ten denedigim ilk iki alliktan biri. Kendine ozgu bir rengi olan Cinnamon mercanla turuncu karisimi. Koleksiyonumda ona benzeyen baska bir allik bulamadim. NYX urunleri genel olarak pigment bakimindan cok basarili oldugu icin Cinnamon'in basarisina hic sasirmadim ;)

Too Faced Romantic Eye

How did I ever forget about this amazing palette? I have purchased it last year the day it shelves at Ulta. Shamefully, I have not showed it much love since then. It has the perfect summer eyeshadow colors along with a few darker shades. All the shades are quite pigmented, but that's nothing to be surprised about we're talking about Too Faced here! :) My favorites are Soulmates, Cut the Cake and Ever After. 

Bu guzelim paleti bunca zaman nasil unutmus olabilirim hayret ettim! Gecen sene Ulta'da ilk ciktigi gun aldigim Romantic Eye'a malesef bu zamana kadar pek ilgi gosterdigim soylenemez. Yaz icin sahane renkleri olan bu palette ayni zamanda birkac koyu renkte bulunuyor. Too Faced'in her zamanki kalitesi Romantic Eye'da da mevcut. Benim en sevdigim renkler Soulmates, Cut the Cake ve Ever After.


Have you tried any of these products?
Bu urunlerden denedikleriniz var mi?

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

During a makeup chat on Twitter, the lovely Holly at ellamarie84.blogspot.com has mentioned that Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil is her favorite bronzer ever! I have not even heard of this product until she told me about it and I thought eh it's probably just another bronzer. That was until I saw her next tweet saying it smells just like chocolate! I don't know about you but chocolate is definitely one of my many weaknesses in this life! So I knew this chocolate bronzer was eventually going to be mine!

Just like all Too Faced products, this bronzer also comes in cute packaging. The light pink box and the Hershey kiss-looking chocolate picture right on top are just adorable! The bronzer weighs .35oz/10g and retails for $28.

Yes, it's true. This bronzer really does contain cocoa and smells just like a good ol' bar of chocolate! I give it a whiff every now and then yummm...

The texture of the bronzer is velvety smooth. This is a matte bronzer and I'd describe the color as a light chocolate brown. It doesn't look muddy or orange on skin at all. I like its rich yet natural finish on my face. I've been using bronzers for just contouring these days and I think Chocolate Soleil does a fantastic job contouring as it's matte. If your nose is sensitive to smells don't worry because the chocolate scent isn't overwhelming and once applied the scent goes away.

Not like you can tell, but I am wearing my Chocolate Soleil bronzer in above photo :D

L- Chocolate Soleil R- Benefit Hoola

I thought I'd do a comparison of Chocolate Soleil to the famous Benefit Hoola as I know a lot of people own it. When I first opened Chocolate Soleil, I immediately thought wow this looks a lot like Hoola! As you can see from my swatches they are quite similar. Hoola looks just a tad more lighter and has an orange tint to it. Chocolate Soleil is a bit more pigmented. Hoola also retails for $28 but weighs .40oz/11.0g and comes in a cardboard box while Chocolate Soleil is in a compact with a mirror.

This sort of turned into a Chocolate Soleil vs. Hoola post so I'll finish it off by announcing the winner.

*drum roll*

Chocolate Soleil!!! Why? Because for $28 I get an actual compact of a beautiful, matte bronzer that leaves my face looking like it was naturally tanned. Its darker tone makes a difference on my face and helps me look more tanned than Hoola. I can actually take it along with me and use its mirror for touch ups during the day. It does seem to last longer than Hoola throughout the day. Lastly it smells like chocolate and I love that. It's like having a chocolate without all the calories! :D Hoola isn't a bad bronzer by any means but it shows up lighter on my complexion when compared to how Chocolate Soleil wears. It doesn't have as long of a staying power as Chocolate Soleil. I don't like the box packaging, I cannot take it with me because it is bulky and it doesn't have a mirror.

Have you tried Chocolate Soleil? What is your favorite powder bronzer?

Sephora 500-Point Perk - Eye Love Too Faced Palette

Hey everyone!

I was just at Sephora yesterday to buy a giftcard for a friend's birthday and while at check out I was informed that I am at 500+ points and was asked if I'd like any of the (the lady shows the boring choices) products. I had been thinking of redeeming my points for quite some time but whenever I was checking out (or pretending just to see what the perks are! lol) at Sephora's website, there were nothing but blah products. I mean for 500 points, it'd better be something that's totally worth it!

Then seeing my shrug, the SA shows me this little beauty and I thought "now we're talking"! Thank you lovely lady at Sephora! :) If you guys are planning to use your points, I say definitely hunt this baby down! Especially if you're a Too Faced lover like I am, or simply wish to try out some of their eye shadows before committing to a the full size product, your wish has been granted!

Eye Love Too Faced kit includes 2 eye shadows from each of the permanent Too Faced palettes (Natural Eye, Naked Eye, Smoky Eye and Romantic Eye). As an added bonus, in the kit there is miniature Too Faced Shadow Insurance as well. You also still get the same Too Faced guides like you'd in a regular palette, except this time they are not in card form, but right under the lid. :)

In the palette:

Heaven & Push up - Natural Eye (click here for my review & swatches)

Silver Spoon & Smolder - Smoky Eye

Satin Sheets & Like A Virgin - Naked Eye

Honeymoon & Ever After - Romantic Eye (click here for my review & swatches)

 I love that this palette is a lot less bulky compared to regular Too Faced palettes which makes it easier to tote around. I think it will be my go-to palette for get-aways as it has every color I would want while I am away for a couple of days.

I think this is the most wonderful 500 point perk product I have seen thus far! It was totally worth my 500 points! I am super happy that Sephora and Too Faced teamed up for this lovely product. I hope Sephora continues to bring out more amazing 500 point perk products, wouldn't we just love to see more! :)

What do you think about Eye Love Too Faced?

I hope everyone (that celebrates) is having a wonderful Easter with their families, have a lovely Sunday! ♥

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer

 

I have always wanted to try Too Faced's Shadow Insurance primer because there are a lot of people who prefer it to Urban Decay's famous primer potion. I had to see what it's all about! Who would have thought that I will win Rai's give-away and this product will be part of it?? Well I did, it was actually the first (and hopefully not the last!) give-away I won, yay me! 

First of all, I would prefer this to Urban Decay's original packaging any day! Shadow Insurance comes in a tube, which you can squeeze to the last drop. We all know the huge UDPP packaging dilemma.While the genie bottle is an adorable idea, it's just not economical because a lot of product gets stuck in it and as consumers we do not get our money's worth! Thankfully Urban Decay got the hint and improved their packaging.

Unlike UDPP, Shadow Insurance comes with a tip applicator, sorry no doe-foot applicator here. I do like the doe-foot applicator, but since I only use it for application and not for blending purposes, lack of it in Shadow Insurance isn't such a heartbreak for me.

Urban Decay Primer Potion (L) Too Faced Shadow Insurance (R)

I find Shadow Insurance to be much creamier than UDPP, however I heard people complaining about the texture of their UDPP, some complained it was thicker while others' were much more runny. Due to its creamier texture, Shadow Insurance blends like a dream and gives you more time to work with it. Both products weigh the same at .35 oz. and they both cost $18. I also feel that Shadow Insurance is fairly better at keeping glittery eye-shadows in place (meaning less fall-out) than UDPP. While there are many things I like about Shadow Insurance, I have found that it does crease in certain conditions (humidity) and in my case it lasts shorter than UDPP. I have worn UDPP in long days and nights, to special events, in hot climates and did not experience any creasing whatsoever. Shadow Insurance begins performing great, no shifting of eye shadows in the first 5-6 hours but then it all of a sudden creases. In conclusion, I like UDPP better in terms of staying power and its anti-creasing capabilities and I will continue to use it until something better (if any!) comes along!

What are your thoughts on Shadow Insurance? What is your favorite eye-shadow primer?

Too Faced Romantic Eye

I have been loving me a lot of Too Faced lately! It's great to branch out and try brands that I don't usually use too many products of. Too Faced is, or I should say, was one of those brands that I always loved but just didn't own much of. As soon as I found out they are coming out with a new eye palette, I knew it had to be mine! I wasn't planning on buying it this soon, but while at Ulta the other day, one swatch of all the colors and I was sold!

Packaging is to die for! I love the floral details, it's so cute, feminine and spring-y! It's the same as all the other Too Faced eye palettes, except Romantic Eye does not have the little drawer that houses a small brush. Honestly, I can't say I am that sad about it. The cardboard packaging is bulky as it is and there is no need to make it bulkier by adding a drawer with a brush that most of us will not use anyway.

We have the same instructional cards in this palette just like the other Faced palettes. There are three of them; Day, Classic and Fashion. I don't really use the cards, but they are a nice touch and if you need some inspiration, well, there you have it! )

Romantic Eye features a mix of nine shimmery and matte shades. Colors have a very buttery soft texure, go on super smooth and all of them have great pigmentation. I haven't experienced fall-out from any colors like I did with "Nude Beach" in Too Faced Natural Eye palette. None of the colors have glittery textures so nothing to worry about! Too Faced eye shadows never disappointed me thus far! I love the names of colors in this palette; as you can tell, the theme is bridal and wedding-like.

How would I describe these shades?

Soulmates - Shimmer - Pale cream

I Do - Matte - Taupe

Un-veil - Matte - Black

Kiss the Bride - Matte - Pale/Baby Pink

Cut the Cake - Shimmer - Lavender

First Dance - Matte - Deep Purple

Bouquet Toss - Matte - Pale Yellow

Honeymoon - Shimmer - Green/Gold

Ever After - Shimmer - Brown/Bronze

I am already in love with Romantic Eye and so glad that I decided to bring it with me on my trip! My most favorite shades are Cut the Cake and Honeymoon because I don't have anything like them in my collection :)

What do you guys think about Romantic Eye?

"Two Faced"

I hope I don't get dirty looks for saying this but I think I love this Too Faced palette a bit more than my Naked palette. I had been insanely looking for the Naked palette and was absolutely obsessed with it once I was able to get my hands on it but then I rediscovered my Natural Eye palette! I guess that makes me TWO FACED?? I am actually pretty new to Too Faced as I have only used their Lash Injection mascara and Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder. I had always adored their cute packaging and a great selection of products at Sephora so I decided to give this palette a go and I am so impressed!

The palette comes housed in a sleeve which you see on the left. It includes a total of nine eye-shadows which are a mix of matte, shimmery and super-shimmery/glittery. There is a little pull-put drawer which holds a double-ended applicator brush which I don't think was such a necessity. However, I bet you anything there would be upset consumers if Too Faced didn't include this drawer. Hard to please everyone! I personally do not ever really use these applicators.

I love these how-to cards that are tucked under the palette's lid. I think this is a great product for someone who is just starting out with make-up so they can utilize these cards to create beautiful looks. Of course you can get creative and use the eye shadows however you like, there are no limitations in make-up!

Flash

No Flash

I believe Too Faced eye shadows are the softest eye shadows I have ever touched. They really feel like velvet! Because of their super smooth and buttery texture, they apply like a dream and blend very easily! Pigmentation is amazing with the exception of Nude Beach due to it's super chunky glittery texture. With this color there will be fall-out so it must be applied using caution. Nude Beach goes really well layered on top of matte eye shadows, in other words, you can go from day-to-night really easily with it! As I do with any eye-shadow application, I use my Urban Decay Primer Potion as my base under these eye-shadows and I have not experienced any creasing whatsoever. I have semi-oily eyelids, I guess just as much as an average person's, I'm happy to say that they last all day on my lids!

Natural Sunlight

 
DAY

Heaven - Matte/Cream
Velvet Revolver - Matte/Soft taupe (similar to MAC Omega)
Sexpresso - Matte/Dark Brown

CLASSIC
Silk Teddy - Shimmery/Pink-champagne
Push-up - Shimmery/Gold brown
Erotica - Shimmery/Plummy Taupe

FASHION
Nude Beach - Glittery/Champagne
Honey Pot -Shimmery Gold
Cocoa Puff - Shimmery/Chocolate Brown with gold flecks

I am so happy that I bought this palette! I have been so blinded by Urban Decay's Naked palette that I had totally forgot about Natural Eye. It's great that I rediscovered it and loving it more often these days! If you're interested, it retails for $35 at Sephora, Ulta & Toofaced.com.

Do you own Natural Eye? What do you think about Too Faced products?

Went Shopping...In My Stash!

Just like any other make-up addict, I have an unnecessary amount of make-up and unfortunately I cannot stop it from growing. It sounds like and probably is insanity to keep purchasing make-up while I already have more than I will ever need. I 'sort of' came back to my senses and decided to shop my stash to see what I can use up, so I will at least feel a bit better. I hate when I have to throw stuff out because they got old. So here are some of my unloved products that will be getting love from me starting...now!

P.S.: I'm planning to have a little basket/box to keep out in the open which will hold these products, so I will actually use them! :)

Smashbox Lipgloss in Sweet

I remember the day I purchased this lip gloss at Ulta. It was part of the Wicked Lovely collection which came out in Fall of 2008. So that was exactly 2 years ago! Why do I never use it? I have no idea. I'd describe this color as a nude apricot. It's such a pretty and versatile lip-gloss that goes perfect over lipsticks such as MAC's Shy Girl (which is one of my faves)!

Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder

I actually did not buy this bronzer but I got it with my Ulta quarterly certificate, so basically it was free. I don't know if that has anything to do with me neglecting this lovely product. I personally prefer matte bronzers over shimmery ones. Pink Leopard has quite a bit of shimmer in it so I will most likely not use it all over my face but as a highlighter on cheek bones and down my nose etc.

Jesse's Girl Bejeweled Eye Shadow Quad - 432A-4

I bought this quad shortly after falling in love with it on one of Julieg713's videos on YouTube. Colors in this quad are just gorgeous and crazy pigmented. For the price, this quad is of superb quality! They are also very suitable for the season. Looks like fall to me!

Jesse's Girl Eye Dust in Cafe Au Lait

I purchased this eye dust along with the quad I mentioned above. I did use it quite a bit but then it somehow got pushed way back into my eye shadow drawer. I would describe the color as a shimmery peachy/champagne/tan. It is very gorgeous and looks amazing with it all over the lid and a dark crease color like dark plums and grays..

Have you guys rediscovered any unused products in your make-up collection?

Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder

The other day I went to check my mail like I do daily and what do I see? A catalog from Ulta, with a certificate on it yesssssss! I thought it was one of those $3.50 off a $10 purchase but nope it was the certificate that you receive every few months and you get to pick a free product based on how much you spent in the past few months. They change the award products quite frequently so I didn't know what I was going to pick until I looked up Level 5 (yeah I hit level 5, uh oh blame it on the holidays, shall we?!) and the corresponding products. They had some salon services, which I didn't need/want and a few other things which didn't attract me. But then I saw this Too Faced Bronzer in the list and decided to get it and I did. This is only one of the very few products I own by Too Faced. I used the Lash Injection mascara which I absolutely hated (I know there are a lot of fans of it out there) so sort of steered away from Too Faced altogether. I am happy to say that I love this bronzer. Could it be the Leopard-ness? Possibly.

Here is what I think about...

Packaging: Do I even need to say anything?? It's so cute, just look at it. But besides being cute, it's also sophisticated. It has this little pink fabric loop on the front that you pull to open. You open it and ta da you see yourself because it has a mirror and under it it says " You look absolutely purrrfect!" What a confidence booster!

Product: Has a leopard pattern with bronze, pink and brown colors. It's pigmented and comes off as champagne-y color as you can see on my hand. It is quite shimmery so if you're one of those people who don't like shimmer on their face, then this product may not be for you. I say give it a try at Ulta or Sephora before purchasing it. I tried it on my face (forgot to take a picture, but promise I will do a look using it!) and touched up on my forehead, nose and chin, you know where sun would hit naturally and it gave my face a healthy flush and looked very pretty Obviously you can adjust the amount that goes on your face so you don't look like a disco ball :)

Note: I got this for free since I used an award certificate. Current retail price is $28.00.

I think this could be a great everyday bronzer and perfect for summer. My everyday bronzer (Physician's Formula Solar Power SPF20 Bronzer, see it in picture above compared to Too Faced one) is matte and sometimes it's nice to have a little shimmer, I think I will alternate between them. This bronzer seriously reminds me of All That Glitters e/s by MAC and I will probably end up using it as an eyeshadow too (It'll be a good dupe for it, almost) I love products that can be used more than one way!

Have you guys used this bronzer? What do you think about it?