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?

e.l.f. Studio Golden Bronzer

Hey everyone! 

I'm alive! I've been spending every single one of my minutes with my sister hence the inactivity on my blog. She returned to Turkey on Wednesday and shortly after that I got a ridicilous cold. Today I have finally found some strength to get up from the bed and be a productive person/blogger! :) Hello new followers! 

If you're make-up obsessed and happen to be at Target, you know you cannot leave that store without checking out aisle with elf products! I don't own many elf products but I hear a lot of good things about them. I have been happily using their liquid concealer/highlighter duo as well as the blush/bronzer duo. But I was in the mood for trying a new e.l.f. product and that's when this bronzer caught my eye. 

Just for the record I did not need a new bronzer. I am currently going back and forth between, Benefit Hoola, e.l.f. bronzer/blush duo, Sephora blush me twice's bronzer side etc. But the $3 price tag of this bronzer just will not let you go, believe me! It's so affordable that you automatically think "Ah it's only 3 bucks, who will that hurt??" Good technique there e.l.f.! :)

Golden Brozner consists of four gorgeous shades. Top left is copper, top right is light peach, bottom left is off white/champagne, bottom right is taupe. They are all shimmery and quite pigmented. I love that they are not too powdery and they have almost no fall-out during application.

L- Natural Light R-Flash

P.S.: This product currently holds the "most difficult product to take photos of"! Wow, I cannot even believe how many photos I took of it before deciding on these two.

I do like this product but it just doesn't work as a bronzer on my skin tone. I would categorize it more as a highlighter than anything else. My sister also purchased this "bronzer", she's NC20 in MAC/Desert Beige in Estee Lauder Double Wear and she loves using it as a bronzer. So if you're anything like her and are looking for a bronzer, then you're in luck! :) It does give me a healthy, subtle glow and I gotta love it for that! I think it's a good drugstore product, especially for those of us who don't want to spend a fortune on a highlighter/bronzer. It just wasn't what I was expecting it to be, a bronzer.

What do you think about Golden Bronzer?

 Here is a collage of some of the photos from our trip, we did spend a day in Toronto hence the photo of CN Tower. (I know a day in any city isn't enough, will definitely return! :))
I ♥ Canada, I wish I could be visiting as often as I used to back when I lived in Seattle!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! ♥

Bits & Pieces

Just sharing with you guys bits and pieces of goods I collected in the last few weeks.

First up, we have this Sonia Kashuk eye make-up remover...I have been using my H2O & olive oil mixture as my eye makeup remover for a long time. Since I have just run out of my mixture, I thought I would try an actual product just for the sake of trying something new. I have no clue how it will perform as this is my first time using a non-makeup Sonia Kashuk product. (I do love her eye shadows though!) Hopefully it'll be a great alternative to that of Neutrogena because I simply despise the oily residue it leaves on my eyes.

I had been wanting to get a Clarisonic cleansing system for a long time! I just recently caved and picked it up. I haven't been using it long enough to tell you how I am liking it so far but I will do a separate and more detailed review on it when the time comes.

 I was in dire need of new brushes for bronzer and MSF application. I was previously using a really old (in fact so old using it to this day should be illegal!) The Body Shop brush for applying my MSF and a not-so-old-but-not-that-great-and-now-a-little-too-scratchy-for-my-face Avon brush for bronzer. Simply put, these new brushes were a total need and not a want at all. Besides my little elf concealer brush, this will be my first time using a "real" elf brush.

The complexion brush feels soooo soft, I love it! I feel like this is just made better than the bronzing brush (perhaps because it's from the "Studio" line?) and it will not shed, or at least not as much as the bronzing one. Bronzing brush is soft too but not as much the complexion brush and right now I feel like it'll shed so much that it won't have any hairs left. We'll see!

I actually vowed that I will be staying away from Bella Bamba because...I mean another pink blush, really?! But I just couldn't help it. It's just very pretty and girly, smells like flowers and/or candy, I love the new and improved box with its little mirror inside.

Nothing big here, just my 123958th container of my favorite facial scrub. After I run out of my last tube, I always say to myself that I want to try a new scrub and I just always find myself going back for more of this green tea scrub, I don't know what it is! It seems to work for me, I love the smell, the feeling on my face afterward.

Rose D'oro is only one of the 9 colors in Milani's baked blush/bronzer range. It's gorgeous and looks like it will be perfect for achieving a sun-kissed look.

Topless and Barefoot is part of Essie's new Spring collection called "A French Affair". I had just received my quarterly Ulta certificate and chose to get a free nail polish with it. I was originally planning to get a nail polish from OPI's Texas collection but absolutely nothing grabbed my attention, at all! So I decided to go with Topless & Barefoot. It's a pastel nude in creme finish.

 Since receiving a Bath & Body Works mailer the other day, I had been dying to try out their new scent Carried Away. Finally yesterday I had the chance to check it out! I tested it on my hand and walked around int the store a good 15 minutes sniffing...everything! The scent was still there, going pretty strong. I decided to buy it because I just loved its sweet, flirty, summery scent. I came home an hour later, washed hands with soap, the scent still lingered on. On my skin, its staying power is just amazing. Quick glance on the back of the tube; ... "a whimsical blend of lush raspberries, white jasmine and whipped vanilla inspired by the way love sweeps you off your feet". Oh yeah, it's definitely comparable to love tee heee!

 I just ran out of my beloved Neutrogena hand cream and when I saw these on a shelf at my local Walgreens I knew I had to try it! I love EOS lip balms so I thought I'll probably and hopefully love their hand creams as well. First impression...it smells delish (if you like the cucumber scent that is), very moisturizing, creamy texture.

What have you all been hauling lately? Did you buy any of these products?

Need to Conceal

I used to never really use concealers until I started blogging. I thought what for, I'm young, I don't have dark circles etc. Turns out you don't have to fall into either category to use concealers or at least this is what I believe. Using them can immediately make tired eyes look more awake and just make skin smoother over all when foundation alone is not enough. After I started blogging, I became such a devoted concealer-er that I even use different concealers for different areas on my face! Here are some of my favorites that I can never be without :)

   Benefit Erase Paste (No 2 Medium)

This is my oldest concealer which I thought was awesome until I discovered MAC's Studio Fix Concealer which I will get to in a second. I used to use Erase Paste for pretty much everything from brightening up my under eye area to cover up blemishes to my nose area. However after a while, I began seeing it settle in the fine lines I have on under my eyes even after setting with powder, which didn't look too pretty. I then started using it on blemishes but it wasn't such a great color match. There are only 3 shades of the Erase Paste and this was the closest to my skin color. I use Erase Paste down the sides of my nose because of all the 3 I have, it does the best job concealing there. I have realized MAC Studio Finish concealer makes my pores near my nose appear larger so I resort to Erase Paste which only conceals :)

    e.l.f. Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter (Glow/Light)

I bought this elf concealer on a whim at Target before having tried any elf product, ever! Pretty bold purchase from a brand you've never used before huh? The fact that it was more liquid than I thought it would be kind of scared me in the beginning. Later I realized I just needed two little dots to have full coverage, so little goes a loooooong way! Don't be fooled by it's $3 price tag because it's just as amazing as high-end concealers if not better! In this case,we can apply the 'it's not the quantity, it's the quality' theory! It is perfect for my under eye concealing needs though I don't have that much to conceal. It really smooths out the fine lines without settling in them and creates such a flawless look. The concealer side alone does a good job brightening this area. However I also like to dab a bit of the highlighter side for optimum results. I did pick this concealer up in a shade lighter (Glow/Light) than my skin tone to achieve an obviously lighter look under my eyes. Therefore I can't really use it on other areas on my face because it would be just too light.

    MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NW 30)

MAC has done it again! I'm sure I'm one of the last people to use this concealer and I can't believe I have not tried it sooner. While at my local MAC one day, I had a make-up artist apply some on my face just to see what it's all about. She applied it right under my eyes and it was all good but after coming home I saw my under eye lines looking worse than they did before having this concealer applied. It has unfortunately creased! I knew it just wasn't going to work in this area. So now I use it on my skin discolorations, pimples and anything I want to conceal on the rest of my face. If the zit isn't a huge one, this concealer will make it almost invisible. If it's a huge one above the surface, obviously there is nothing that can be done about that, good luck to me! As I have mentioned above, it also does make my pores on the sides of my nose appear larger than they are, so it's a no-no for sides of my nose!

Hard to believe I'm using all these different shades of concealers!

For Erase Paste and MAC concealers I use my little elf brush you can see in the top photo. For elf concealer I just use my ring finger to blend it in.

I'm happy with all of my concealers! They all seem to do a fantastic job in their own little ways. I have yet to find a concealer that combines all three of them and does everything, does it even exist? I did try the Amazing concealer to see if it lived up to all the hype, and for me it didn't!

Do you use a concealer? If so, what's your favorite one?

Hello Glitter!

I think we all know by now that glittery nail polishes are one of the current nail trends these days. I have seen especially chunky gold and silver ones from nearly all brands! I was never really a fan of glittery nail polishes until this year! Some of you who follow me on Twitter may know, not too long ago I spotted elf's holiday collection which basically consists of ready-to-gift stuff. Though everything looked very attractive I skipped. Recently while at my local supermarket I couldn't resist going to the aisle where they had elf stuff just for the heck of it! To my surprise they still had quite a bit of boxes left. So I picked up this box of nail polish trio which screams holidays! 

While I was experimenting with these nail polishes, a light bulb lit in my head. About a week ago, I picked up this Revlon nail polish in Powder Puff, fully aware that it's in Matte Suede finish. Now, when I think of nail polish, I think gloss, shine...something to make nails gorgeous! I knew what I was getting when purchasing this nail polish. I was going to try and make it work by applying top coat. It does look very pretty with top coat on. The color itself has that pearly blueness to it but I would definitely not wear it just by itself. 

So I did...

Revlon Powder Puff + e.l.f. Golden Goddess ( Twinkle on pinky!)

I applied 2 coats of Powder Puff to my nails and then 2 coats of elf's Golden Goddess. I have found that 2 coats of each still doesn't result in glossy nails so I topped them off with a top coat. I love the outcome! I realize 5 coats of any nail polish is a bit too much, surprisingly it took much less to dry than I expected though!

I also tried Powder Puff with elf's Twinkle (on my pinkie) which is also very pretty! The only difference between the two is that Golden Goddess has bigger round glitters and Twinkle has smaller ones. The third color in the trio is called Cranberry. I honestly didn't think it would be anything special but I love this color as well! It is a cranberry color with tiny red glitters in it! My favorite of all 3 is obviously the gold one! I can't imagine the number of possibilities using these nail polishes with others! Both the gold and silver ones can be used over maaaaaany different colors. This was a great and a very reasonably priced purchase. I paid around $4 for them on sale! ;) 

Do you guys like holiday and/or sparkly, glittery nail polishes?

Things I Heart These Days...

Happy Monday everyone! As promised on yesterday's post here's my cosmetics version of my recent loves!

Bronzer as Blush

I'm really into bronzed cheeks these days. I still love my peaches and pinks on the apples but lately I find myself reaching for the bronzer side of my Elf blush and bronzer duo. I've actually been looking for a blush which will give me this color but haven't been able to find one. So I started using this bronzer in stead and I'm pretty happy with it.

elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

No Eyeliner!

I love black eyeliner and really thought I could not live without it. Well, looks like I can! I feel like sometimes black eyeliner makes me look older than I actually am. I also feel like it looks too over the top on me during the daytime. So these days I am reaching more for my Print eye-shadow and using it to line my upper lash line, I then go ahead and smudge the heck out of it! It creates such a soft and sultry look which can easily be worn during the day.

Bronze cheeks!

Grain on lid, Sable on crease, Print smudged on upper and lower lash-line

Grain

Grain was one of my first MAC eye-shadows. (Print was the first, can never forget!) I've just recently started using it daily. I've rediscovered Grain while I was in Turkey where I mostly opted for neutral colors due to the scorching hot weather. It's in satin finish and it's a shimmery beige color with some gold to it.  I use it all over my lid in almost all of my looks these days as it pairs perfectly with any crease color.

MAC 227 Large Fluff Brush

I am absolutely in love with this brush! I do have quite a bit of lid space and on the days when I am not doing detailed looks, which I normally don't, I use this brush. Applying lid color with 227 is a breeze. Because it's has more and thicker bristles, it's so easy to pick up product and accurately place it on your lid. I also love that it helps building the eyeshadow much easier. I really feel like it was made for my eyelids. I think this is one brush I never want to be without!

 Neutral/Dark Nail Polishes

I am not really one of those people who wears only neutrals in fall/winter however this is all I feel like lately. I think fall and it's gloominess are getting to me! Here are the nail polishes I go back and forth between...

Revlon Gray Suede - Taupe-y beige

O.P.I. Lincoln Park After Midnight - Blackened deep plum with micro-glitter

O.P.I. Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow - Dark, blackened forest green

O.P.I Visions of Sugarplum - Deep purple with iridescent flecks
Sephora by O.P.I. On Stage - Smokey grayish purple

Rimmel Steel Grey - Mauve-y gray

Essie Material Girl - Deep burgundy

Essie Playa Del Platinum - Pale cement

What are your favorite make-up/beauty related things to do lately?

E.l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter

Hey ladies!

I had been on the market searching for a concealer for my under eye area. I love my Benefit Erase Paste and think it does a wonderful job in other areas of my face that need concealing. However it does cake up and crease under my eyes and we all know that just isn't a pretty sight. After stalking my Benefit lady at my local Ulta a few times about Boi-ing, I went ahead and purchased it. Then one of my friends said I should try this concealer by elf. So I did! She saved me $15 but also if she didn't tell me about this, I would have probably never thought of buying it :) Yay for good friends!

The packaging is nice for a brand that sells their products for very low prices. I like the matte and frosty kind of look. It really does look better than some of the high-end products out there.

As you can see, the product is double ended and comes with doe foot applicators which make application easier.

The shade I got is Light/Glow. I know it may sound crazy as my skin color is nothing close to fair or light, so why did I get it in this shade? Well, first of all this concealer comes in 3 shades; Fair, Light, Medium. I would definitely not be able to work Fair because it would be way too light and more than likely not conceal like I would want it to. Medium would definitely conceal but I was afraid that it would be pretty close to my skin tone. I really wanted to achieve an obviously lighter under eye area than my normal color, so that's why I went with Light.

Here is how they look blended (Highlighter on left, Concealer on right).

So let's talk about the performance...I have these 2 really fine lines starting close to the inner corners of my under eye area and ending up half way across. I wouldn't say I have bags or anything major to conceal. But of course if I can do something about my flaws, why not? I have found that this concealer does a pretty good job filling those fine lines and creating a smoother and softer look. It is liquid but it takes only a few seconds to blend and it dries to a nice, matte and non-sticky finish. After concealing I go back in with the highlighter end and dab a couple dots. After blending in the highlighter, I get a more awake look. I don't use the highlighter everyday like I do with the concealer. I think highlighter is great if you had little sleep the night before and it totally shows the next day or if you'll be taking pictures as it draws more attention to the eye area. My under eye area doesn't get as oily as other parts of my face such as t-zone or eyelids. However, I did experience creasing with concealers such as Erase Paste. I think that was due to the fact that Erase Paste is a paste like the name says and elf's concealer isn't. So now I know to stay away from concealers that are in solid or paste form for my under eye area. It may also be because elf concealer dries much faster than the Erase paste. I will definitely repurchase this product, it's a total steal with it's $3 price tag!

What is your favorite concealer for the under eye area, if you use one? If not, lucky you!!! :)
Hope everyone has a great week!

E.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

Hey lovelies!

I know for many of you, Elf has been there for a long time. For me, however, it's pretty new. My Target recently started carrying this brand so I just had the pleasure to try it out few months ago. You may think, but there is their website. I confess, I am a cheapo when it comes to shipping costs, that's all I'll tell you :p Here is one of my most recent finds from Elf...

Both the packaging and the colors are somewhat similar to the NARS Orgasm/Laguna duo. (which I no longer have :/ )

Comparison to the Orgasm/Laguna Duo..

- Elf packaging is a bit cheaper as it is plastic, NARS packaging is more sleek and has that rubbery feel 

- Elf blush is a more pink-er/red-er, more pigmented and a bit more powdery and chalkier than Orgasm

- Orgasm is more on the peachy-pink side, more sheer and seems to be more shimmery than Elf

- Laguna is a slightly lighter and sheerer than the elf bronzer

- Elf duo; $3 and NARS duo; $39

Both pictures are of the elf duo, just taken in different lighting. 

I know that a lot of people think "NARS obviously makes their products with better ingredients" hence the more expensive products. I don't think that's the case at all. Ingredients for the NARS duo include just about the same ones in the Elf duo. NARS ingredients also include parabens and Elf ones surprisingly don't. Keep in mind when purchasing high end products, we are paying for the name as well!

Back to the Elf duo...I think this is a great product at a very reasonable price. It does exactly what it says and the quality of both the blush and bronzer is just amazing. They are both very pigmented and last all day on my face. One thing I am not too crazy about is that the blush is a bit too powdery for my liking. When I dip my brush in the blush pan, the blush gets so powdery it lands all over the place in and out of the compact. However, it's not that big of a deal since the product really delivers. I am definitely a devoted bronzer user so I need my contouring color and blush to show up over my bronzer and they both do a great job and show up beautifully layered over my bronzer. I personally don't like to use the bronzer color as a bronzer but for contouring purposes. Application and blending are a breeze and both colors while pigmented can be built up. This is definitely a product I'll repurchase and I recommend it to anyone who has been wanting somewhat similar colors to NARS Orgasm/Laguna but don't want to shell out a fortune for it. Though the colors are not exact dupes of each other, I think this is a great alternative.