Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation and Pressed Powder│Review & Swatches

 
Revlon's newest liquid foundation Nearly Naked Makeup ($.7.49) has gained popularity due to its comparison to high end foundations such as Nars Sheer Glow Foundation and Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation. The foundation comes in 14 shades, I chose 150 Nude, a medium warm peach tone. I use the ColorStay foundation in the shade 200 Nude, which is more yellow based and matches my skin perfectly. The Nearly Naked foundation has SPF 20 and claims to give a light to medium coverage with a very lightweight feel. The application goes on very smoothly and sheer but still evens out the skin tone and covers minor imperfections, although it doesn't cover up blemishes. It gives a very natural satin finish without being dewy. I always set it with pressed/loose powder because of my skin type (normal- combination) but it still looks healthy and natural. The consistency is very thin therefore I recommend being extremely careful when dispensing the foundation into your hand or brush as it doesn't come with a pump. I apply one layer of foundation with the Real Tecniques Expert Face Brush for medium coverage and sometimes with the Real Tecniques Buffing Brush for a lighter coverage. The foundation is buildable to medium-full coverage but if you need more coverage on certain areas I advise applying concealer instead. 
 
The shades definitely change between formulas, I chose the closest match to my current foundation and is very different. As I mentioned before, the ColorStay 200 Nude shade is yellow toned and the Nearly Naked 150 Nude is peachy toned. Both of these foundations aren't comparable because both have very different claims and finishes. Nevertheless, both formulas are very nice and have worked out well for me.

The Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder ($.7.49) is a creamy, lightweight powder and it comes in 6 shades. They look very dark so I chose 020 Light and it matches quite well. If you have very fair skin, try this shade before purchasing. The result is a matte finish and light coverage. I wouldn't use the powder on it's own, only to set the foundation. The packaging is very sleek for both products, quite different from the regular Revlon packaging because is white. The bottle is made out of thick glass with a twist off white cap (and no pump!) and the compact is white plastic with a decent size mirror and comes with a little disposable sponge.

If you're looking for light to medium coverage then this foundation is perfect for you but if you're looking for a full coverage foundation I'd say the ColorStay range would be a better choice.
Have you tried this foundation/ powder? What's your take on the Nearly Naked name?
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DIY: Rainbow Pasta│Recipe in 5 Easy Steps

 
What's better than plain pasta you ask? Colourful rainbow pasta, of course! I'm a big pasta eater (oh no, carbs...) and I know a lot of types. I bet you've seen black pasta, tricolor pasta, but... have you seen bright, in your face colourful pasta? I wanted to try this as soon as I knew there was a super easy way to do it. You can use any kind of pasta, for this tutorial I used spaghetti but I think fusilli or farfalle would look pretty good too! You will also need a few Ziplock bags, plain water and liquid food colouring.
Step 1 - Cook your pasta following the package instructions. You can add onions/ garlic and salt for flavour. Step 2 - While your pasta is cooking, prepare your Ziplock bags of food colouring adding 15-20 drops and 2 tablespoons of plain water to each bag. I used 3 colours (yellow, red and blue). Step 3 - Once your pasta is done, drain it and run cold water over it.
 
Step 4 - Separate your pasta in equal parts into the Ziplock bags of the mixture of liquid food colouring and water. Then seal the bags and mix the pasta with the food colouring until your get a bold colour. Let it sit for about a minute.

Step 5 - Return each bag to the strainer, one by one. Give the pasta another cold water rinse, and then transfer the pasta into a bowl to combine the colours. And then serve!
 
Voilá! Rainbow pasta done. You can add your favourite topping or sauce. I like to add a bit of mozzarella cheese on top :) Eating pasta has never been this fun! 

Will you be making your own rainbow pasta?
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Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Royal│Swatches

 
Even thogh I love the ColorStay formula from Revlon, I couldn't find a bright blue. I saw the colour Midnight but it was too smoky for what I was looking for. So instead I picked Royal, from the Top Speed range. I only had one polish with this formula and thought it was just ok. The formula is too runny and not thick, so I need like 3 coats to make the colour go opaque, with the ColorStay formula I only need 2. But Royal is such a pretty shade, a bright royal blue with a glossy finish. Would also look great as an accent nail since the shade is bright. Though in some lights it tends to look darker, in the sunlight it looks super bright! The Top Speed formula is not my cup of tea, but it still works and has different shades from other formulas by Revlon. 

Have you tried the Top Speed Formula?
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Friday Love: Zara Home Glassware + Weekly Nails

 
Happy Friday! I finally found some pretty brush holders! Before I kept them literally everywhere and it was a mess. I now separated them into the bigger and smaller/thinner brushes. I've seen other bloggers using table trays and cake stands to store makeup, so I figured why not use these tumblers to store my brushes? There are so many to chose from at Zara Home! And since I love flower patterns and patterns in general I picked these two. They're around $5.00 each and sold separately. ZH also sells sets. Now my brushes are in one place and my dressing table looks much more organized!  
 
About two or three weeks ago I bought the famous Seche Vite topcoat, so I've been trying it out and experimenting. I must say, by far is the best topcoat I've used. It leaves such a glossy finish and makes nail polish last forever! This week I used a glittery nail using Revlon ColorStay in Stilleto, L.A Girl Glitter Addict and my beloved Seche Vite Top Coat. 

How do you store your brushes? What do you think about Seche Vite?
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Colourful Wednesdays│St. Patrick's Green

 
Hey everyone! This look is inspired by the shamrock, a three-leaved plant that was worn along with green ribbons in celebration of St. Patrick's Day in the 17th century. I used pigments and pressed eyeshadow to create this look. I know sometimes using loose pigments can be a little tricky and they can fall off and make a mess, but all you really need is precise application and a good eyeshadow primer. I use Urban Decay Primer Potion and Benefit Stay Don't Stray. To blend in 3 shades is fairly easy to do, all you need is practice and patience. I used bright shades in light, medium and dark to create depth, all in shades of green. On my waterline I used the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Stephanie, a smoky lilac shade to make my eyes appear brighter and awake. For the rest of my face I did a simple look, applying peach blush, pink highlighter and nude lips. 

Products used: Eyes Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original Mac Pigment Color Powder in Teal Modern Basic Pigment in g140 Say it's Green Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Loaded (Smoked Palette) Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Freestyle Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Kinky Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Stephanie Maybelline One by One Mascara Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner Face Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Cream Nars Blush in Luster Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in 04 Dejavous Lips Mac Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Bare Again

What is your favourite shade of green?
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Lime Crime Opaque Lipstick in Mint to Be│Review & Swatches

 
I'm pretty excited about this post :)  I've been lusting after Lime Crime lipsticks for a while. And now, the shades I wanted to try are finally in stock! A few of the lipsticks are "seasonal shades" and others are permanent. But most of the time, the lipsticks are sold out!  Mint to Be ($.15.99) is a pastel green shade with a truly opaque finish, I only needed one coat to get full coverage and after a few hours I could definitely see the stain it left behind. The lipsticks are lightly vanilla scented, is not super strong so it's very pleasant to wear. The formula is creamy and not drying at all. It lasts about 3-4 hours on my lips, I didn't need the help of a lip liner to get a bold, even colour but is very important to exfoliate and hydrate the lips before applying this lipstick. The packaging stands out because is customized and is not a regular black tube. Is decorated with holographic unicorns, which I find very original and lovely to look at. The size of the tube is a bit chunkier than most lipstick tubes (i.e. Mac lipsticks). I like that Lime Crime brand is vegan and cruelty-free, is something I support and wish all brands had that. I'm really happy with the performance of this lipstick and I'm looking forward to try more shades! :)

Have you tried Lime Crime lipsticks? What's your favourite shade?

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Clinique Even Better SPF 15 Foundation│Review

 
Clinique Even Better Foundation ($.27.00) is a medium to full coverage creamy foundation enriched with minerals that treat uneven skin tone. I used both Even Better Serum and Moisturizer in the last few months so I decided I'd try the foundation as well. Fortunately my skin tone and freckles have diminished. The foundation is quite thick and has good coverage, is recommended for dry combination-combination oily skin types. The formula is oil free and I find it comfortable to wear, though it seems quite thick it doesn't look like a mask, it hides blemishes and imperfections without clogging my pores. The bottle is quite convenient as it has a squeeze-like dispenser and you get as little or as much as you like without making a mess. It's SPF 15 to prevent sun damage and premature aging. I like using my Real Tecniques Expert Face Brush to apply this foundation, though I have to blend it really well because I was mismatched and this shade is too dark for my complexion (07 vanilla - for moderately fair skin tones with gold undertones). Still, I make it work with a little blending and translucent powder. If you have a lighter skin tone, I recommend double-checking the shade at the counter so you avoid getting a wrong shade. 

Have you tried this foundation? 

Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel in Marmalade│Swatches

 
I love Revlon nail polishes, the formula is great and tends to last for at least a week without topcoat, I always wear Seche Vite topcoat so it lasts longer and doesn't chip as fast. This shade is called Marmalade, a lovely tangerine orange creme with a pink base. I use 2 coats + topcoat.  This reminds me of 2012 colour of the year, and I think I'll be wearing this a lot this summer.

What are you wearing on your nails today?
ps. thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. It is now closed and I'll announce the winner tomorrow! :)

Friday Love: Miniature Perfumes

 
I'm a collector of many things: postcards, business cards, maps, coins, mini perfume bottles! It all started with my grandfather. He worked at a tower control at the airport and had access to all the duty free stuff, he brought my grandma and my mom miniature perfume bottles whenever he had the chance. And then my mom, whose job requires her to travel a lot, always brought me and my siblings perfumes (normal an mini). My love for fragrances has grown since then. I've collected about 10 travel sets in the past 2 years. Most of the bottles are just exactly as the original size bottles, the majority of the fragrances are Eau de Toilette and some include Eau de Parfum. None of which I own come with a spray but I don't use them regularly, so that's not a problem. I keep them in their boxes to preserve the quality of the bottles, the packaging for each is very nice too, some come with individual boxes. 
 
Mini travel sets are a perfect way to try new fragrances, make a perfect gift and it's super fun to collect them! A friend of mine told me that the scent would fade if I didn't use them right after, fortunately that hasn't happened. I might use them one day and fill them with water after, but I still don't know. Depending on the brand, prices for the sets may vary from $35-60. I'm still on the hunt for some Dior and Chanel mini bottles, I hope I can get them soon :) The best place to shop for these are duty free at airports, though I know Sephora also sells travel size pens perfumes and mini bottles. Though I'm not a big fan of the pen shape, these are great to throw in your handbag.

Regular perfume vs. miniature / Carolina Herrera CH 100ml and 8ml

Brands from left to right: Carolina Herrera, Givenchy, Escada, Moschino, Lancome, Versace and J del Pozo

What items do you collect?

February 2013 Glossybox│USA

 
Glossybox ($.21.00) theme for february was International Style, inspired by fashion weeks all over the world. The box included brands I've never heard/seen before, excluding Bvlgari. I wasn't too impressed with the nail wraps, they seem very cheap and I won't be wearing them any time soon. As for the rest of the products I liked the scent of the soap, the shimmering powder and the lipgloss. Though I would have loved to see something Valentine's related, the box is nice. I noticed in every box there's always a stand up brand and a few indie ones, I wish all boxes were like the August 2012 box, so many goodies & well-known brands! February's GlossyMag was the biggest issue they've had, it included places to go in different countries, quite interesting.
 
In my box: Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc Soap 50g/ 1.76 oz - Full Size 5.3 oz $30.00 Evologie eSystem Duo Pack Instensive Blemish Serum & Stay Clear Cream  5ml/0.17 fl oz - Full size 5ml $15.00 Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder 1.75g - Full size 0.6 oz $.15.00 LiSi Color Glaze Lipgloss in 06 6th Sense 8.8 g/0.31 oz - Full Size $.7.00 Nail Rock Nail Wraps in Union Jack Gold and Blak - Full Size $.8.00
 

Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder and LiSi Color Glaze Lipgloss in 6th Sense.

What are your thoughts on February's Glossybox?

Colourful Wednesdays│Spring Pastels

 
Hey everyone! Every other wednesday I'll be posting makeup looks :) This one is inspired by spring. I used fucsia, lavender, lime green and sky blue (though it doesn't show on the picture above.) This makeup look is really easy to do, all you need is a good makeup primer and your favourite pastel shades. It's not over the top so you can wear it out. For the lips I mixed a Revlon lipstain and a Mac lipgloss to create this pretty shade. I hope you like it and let me know which makeup look you'd like to see next! 

Products used: Modern Basic 88 Eyeshadow Palette Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eyeliner in Black L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black Mac Select Cover Up Concealer in NW25 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Darling Mac Dazzleglass Creme in Demure