Today is my birthday (ahh!) and I thought I would share with you the birthday dinner makeup look I wore this weekend.
I kept everything pretty low key and went out to a delishhhh dinner – but ya know – any excuse to glam it up, i’ll take it!
I loveee this look. I think it is simple enough for really any occasion, but the red lips really bring some drama and fun. Follow me on my new Instagram page to get more day to day looks and product details – @little.miss.melis :).
This past weekend I was looking at the Giorgio Armani “Eyes to Kill” shadows and really debating trying them – HOWEVER, I heard that the L’Oreal Infallible shadows were essentially dupes – so I thought I would give those a try first! I had also been hearing good things about Girlactik and wanted to take a look at the range. They sell Girlactik at some Rite Aid stores. While I was at Rite Aid I also picked up a couple other things – check it out below:
Next up for subscription week I thought we should talk about Ipsy. Similar to Birchbox, Ipsy is a $10 monthly subscription box that comes with 5 beauty samples (sometimes full sized items too!). Ipsy is also super cute because each month comes with a little reusable makeup pouch. The main difference that I have seen between the two is that Birchbox seems to be catered more toward “Beauty” overall – I get a lot more skincare & haircare products from them, whereas Ipsy is typically more makeup.
This past weekend my sister and I went to the Taylor Swift concert and omg it was amazing! The crowd was insane and everybody was having a blast.
We threw on a couple of cutesy summer outfits and I obviously had to do a red lip! Overall it was a great night full of singing, dancing, and very sore feet.
I can’t believe July is already over! Here are some of the products I have been LOVING this month. With the heat I have been sticking to minimal makeup while going for that dewy, glowy look.
July 2015 Favorites
July 2015 Favorites – As pictured above (Left to Right, Top to Bottom)
Stila – Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush – Water Lily:
I got the shade water lily which is the perfect peachy pink sheer wash of color. I was a little scared at first as I am not used to liquid / gel blushes but this blends out super easily and provides the perfect amount of color.
Stila – Water Lily (blended out)
Too Faced – HangoverRx Replenishing Face Primer:
This primer is my holy grail. I have dry skin and this works perfectly. It makes my face feel hydrated and keeps my makeup on all day. I will be repurchasing this over and over and over.
Chanel – Soleil Tan de Chanel:
I think this bronzer is perfect for summer. It is extremely warm and gives my face the perfect hint of JLo. I apply it with a large stipple brush in the places I would normally contour and it instantly warms my face up. I love throwing this over minimal makeup to give my face dimension. I also love that a little product goes a long way which is a plus given how pricey it is.
This Limited Edition highlight has been my favorite! I love applying a little bit of this on the high points of my cheeks. It is the perfect champagne highlight that can be used for a natural glow or an intense disco ball look.
Champagne Pop – on the top
Cover Fx Custom Cover Drops – N30:
I love these drops. I have been using them a lot with different moisturizers and even adding them into bb creams – like with my other favorite the Maybelline Dream Pure BB. They are essentially drops of pure pigment which is perfect for adding a hint more coverage to anything!
Maybelline – Fit Me Concealer – Light (10) and Medium (25):
I have been loving these concealers as a way to brighten my under eyes (w/ light) or cover any blemishes / trouble spots (w/ medium). It is so lightweight and blends out really smoothly. I think it is a great everyday concealer that provides a good amount of coverage without looking cakey or settling into any fine lines.
Maybelline – Dream Pure BB – Light/Medium:
I think this BB is great. I was actually really surprised with the amount of coverage it provides. It is really smooth and lightweight on the skin but evens out my skintone really well. I also love that it has 2% Salicylic Acid – so on days where I feel like my skin needs a day off or some acne help this is my go to.
Clinique – Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer + Rouge Intense + Base – Nude Pop:
I think this color is perfect for a “no makeup makeup look.” It is moisturizing and feels almost like a chapstick when applied. It has a lot of pigmentation and is the perfect everyday nude pink color.
Clinique Pop – Nude Pop
Loreal – Telescopic Mascara – Carbon Black:
This mascara is one of my new favorites. I know i’ve raved about it before, but it really is the only mascara that keeps my lashes curled all day. My only con to this is that it is more lengthening than volumizing. If I could mix the Too Faced – Better than Sex formula with this one it would be my perfect mascara ever!
ColourPop – Super Shock Shadow – Lovely:
This shade is soooo pretty. It is a metallic soft gold shade that really brings light to your eyes. The colourpop formula is so unique and one of my favorites for shimmery shades. The mousey texture allows the shimmer to really pop on your eyes and I find that they stay all day. I love pairing this with a darker color in the crease or outer v. You can intensify it for a dramatic night look or even just put it all over the lid during the day.
ColourPop – Lovely
That’s all for my monthly favorites this time around! Let me know what your favorites have been :).
As you may have seen in my recent Nordstrom Anniversary Sale post, I purchased the Nars “Blame it on Nars” cheek palette. I, of course, wanted to use it right away. I figured a casual Friday night out was the perfect time to try it out!
Check out the look I came up with below:
Pop of Pink Summer Look
I used the following products for this look and think it came out great!
Products Used – details below
Face:
Maybelline Dream Pure BB – light/medium (I mixed this with a couple of the FX Custom Cover Drops)
Cover FX Custom Cover Drops – N30
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit – Vanilla set my under eye area and Fawn for a light contour
Nars “Blame it on Nars” – Day Dream
Becca – Champagne Pop
Eyes:
Not sure why the lips look so orange in this light – but the true shade is shown in the first pic 🙂
Too Faced – Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette
– Butter Pecan all over the lid
– Bon Bon smoked out from the middle of my lid to the outer corner
– Caramel in the outer corner as well
– Truffled in the crease blended with Mousse
– Peanut Butter smoked out in the crease for a hint of warmth
Mac Fluidline Gel Eyeliner
Loreal Telescopic Eyeliner – mixed with Greater than MDM Flow mascara
I just opened up my shipment of Nars goodies and couldn’t wait to show you! I splurged on the Nars “True Nars” lip pencil set and the “Blame it on Nars” Cheek Palette. These are both exclusive to Nordstrom and I just couldn’t resist that packaging. Sooo Pretty!
Nars “True Nars” Lip Pencil Set and the Nars “Blame it on Nars” Cheek Palette
The Nars “True Nars” lip pencil set includes three lip pencils and a even comes with a pencil sharpener. The set includes two satin shades and one velvet matte shade. The two satin shades are Yu, a “shocking pink” and Luxembourg a “vivid watermelon pink.” The velvet matte shade is Provocative Red a “limited edition fuchsia red.”
Nars “True Nars” Lip Pencil SetSwatches (top to bottom): Yu, Luxembourg , Provocative Red
These shades are all so pretty! My personal favorite is the Luxembourg shade – it’s the perfect pop of color to brighten up any everyday look this summer! The Provocative Red will be perfect as we transition into fall or even for a more sultry night look and that velvet matte formula is my favorite! Plus – that case – I mean… so sturdy and looks adorable on my vanity.
Nars “Blame it on Nars” Cheek Palette
The second Nars product I bought is the “Blame it on Nars” cheek palette. I mainly bought this for the packaging and the mini Nars “Ita” Kabuki brush that it came with, but the blush colors really make this palette worth the money.
The palette comes with four shades – two blushes, one highlight, and one bronzer. It also comes with the travel sized Nars “Ita” Kabuki brush!
Swatches (from top to bottom): Casino, Satellite of Love, New Attitude, Day Dream
The palette has the perfect mix of colors for any everyday look. It comes with Casino, a dark brown bronzer with golden shimmer, Satellite of Love, a sparkling gold sand color blush/highlight, New Attitude, a satin matte cherry blossom pink, and finally Day Dream, a medium coral pink.
I love the Nars blush formula and think Day Dream may become a new staple in my collection! You can shop for these products and even more at Nordstrom or online now! The anniversary sale is going on through July 19th so go check out the deals now before they’re gone!
If you are shopping online don’t forget to use Ebates and get 6% cash back! Sign up for ebates here – you can get cash back almost every time you shop online! So worth it and there is no catch!
Sephora Haul – Becca, Too Faced, Stila including the Becca & Jaclyn Hill colab – Champagne Pop!
I did a little damage at Sephora when I found out that Champagne Pop was coming! I had to have it and went online as soon as it was available. While I was online, I also decided to grab a couple other things that had been on my wishlist.
I have been wanting the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer for a long time now but couldn’t make the commitment. I have heard great things about the little black book of bronzers and thought it would be a nice way to add a variety of products to my collection without spending an arm and a leg on all of them!
Too Faced – Little Black Book of Bronzers
In addition to the bronzers, I bought a couple new blush products. With it being summertime now, I have been loving peachy coral blushes and really wanted to try out the new stila watercolor blushes. I got the shade Water Lily. I also wanted to try out one of the Becca beach tints – I think this is perfect for summer as it can be used on the lips and cheeks for a quick splash of color. Great for a “no makeup” makeup day! I also bought a couple of the sephora eye masks (as seen in the original photo). I bought the Ginseng – Toning and Revitalizing, the Lingzhi – Anti Aging and Smoothing, and the Rose – Ultra Moisturizing and Brightening ones. I have been trying to take better care of my skin lately and figured why not try these!
Becca Beach Tint in Grapefruit, Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in the Water Lily, and free deluxe sample of the D&G Light Blue perfume
Last and most definitely not least, I got the Becca shimmering skin perfector colab with Jaclyn Hill – Champagne Pop. It is incredible. I own Opal as well and was on the fence about getting moonstone as I thought it was just a hint to light for me. As soon as I saw Champagne Pop I knew it would be the perfect shade and matched the dream shade I had in my mind. I would have prob bought it regardless just because I love Jaclyn Hill – but I can easily say this is my new favorite highlight. Note – if you are on the fence about this product it is limited edition so keep that in mind <3.
Champagne Pop! Becca shimmering skin perfector colab with Jaclyn Hill!
I created the look below using Champagne Pop, the little black book of bronzers and the Stila watercolor blush in Water Lily. This look is a very toned down/minimalist application of the products as I tried them out before going to work. I will try and upload a #highlightonfleek version this weekend to my instagram!
Update – after trying out this blush I am SO IMPRESSED. I was a little scared at first because it’s literally a liquid but the way it applies so evenly and smoothly with a sheer wash of color is sooooo pretty. Debating buying another one!
So I totally forgot to take a pic of this look before leaving the house – Sorry for the iphone Car Selfie!
Other Products Used:
Face:
Too Faced – Hangover RX Primer
Bobbi Brown – Skin Foundation (color Warm Sand)
Maybelline – Fit me Concealor in Light
Chanel – Tan de Soleil
Hourglass – Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood light
Eyes:
Too Faced Semi Sweet Palette – Colors: Bon Bon and Butter Pecan on the lid with Peanut Butter and Truffled in the crease
Loreal Telescopic Mascara
Brows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills – Brow Wiz (omg, I ran out of this today – so sad – need to go buy another one!! and maybe a backup while im at it :p )
Details of this look (as depicted – listed below from Top to Bottom, Left to Right):
Hourglass- Ambient Blush: Mood Exposure:
I love this blush! It’s such a unique color that adds a beautiful flush perfect for any occasion. Looking at it in the pan it looks purple – but once applied to your cheeks it adds just the right amount of pink to make your skin look naturally healthy. I know Hourglass products are rather pricey but the way that they lay so naturally and make your skin look airbrushed makes them worth every penny.
This product has totally changed up my routine this summer. I was skeptical about buying this – especially as it is not cheap! I decided one day to take the plunge and haven’t looked back. My personal favorite way to use this product is to mix it with my primer. I find applying a pump of product before my foundation gives my skin such a natural looking glow it is perfect for summer.
Chanel – Soleil Tan de Chanel – Bronzing Makeup Base:
I don’t know how I did my makeup before purchasing this product. It is truly amazing and worth every penny. Not only does it look great on a vanity (I mean, look at that packaging), but also it adds such a beautiful touch of radiance to the skin. I was a little worried this shade would be too bronze / orangey on my skin – but the formula allows the color to be as sheer or built up as desired. My favorite way to apply this is with a large stipple brush applied to the areas I would normally contour. I think adding this on top of a tinted moisturizer with a touch of mascara and a lip gloss makes for the perfect “no makeup makeup” look.
Make Up For Ever – Artist Palette Volume 2 – Artistic:
I bought this palette mainly because I didn’t own any Make Up For Ever eyeshadows and I really wanted to try them. I thought this would be a nice addition to my collection as it has a couple more “unusual” shades. I’ll be honest and say that at first I was not impressed by this palette. I found that the shadows swatched really well and felt super buttery but just didn’t look great on my eyes. I tried applying them with different brushes and even adding fix + to my brushes before application and nothing seemed to make them look as good as they do in the pan. THEN – one day I was in a hurry and slapped them on with my finger and everything changed. They looked amazing. I have been obsessed. I literally have worn these shadows every day for the past month.
Hourglass – Ambient Lighting Powder – Mood Light:
I use this powder once I am done applying my makeup as a finishing powder. I LOVE the way it makes my skin look and I think this particular shade is perfect as a finishing powder. I know technically they are all “finishing powders” rather than highlights, but I find my luminous light powder to be much better suited as a highlight. If you are looking to get airbrushed naturally beautiful skin, this is the powder for you!
Make Up For Ever – Pro Bronze Fusion – Natural Matte Sand:
I very recently bought this bronzer and to be honest, I am really unimpressed. I do want to give it a couple more tries but I find that it reallllly lacks pigmentation. I like setting my Soleil Tan de Chanel with a bronzing powder and thought this would be great as I had heard amazing things. I don’t know, for the price tag I was expecting more. I may end up returning it to Sephora, but do want to try out a couple different brushes and application techniques first in case I am just missing something.
Mac – Fix + – Limited Edition Lavender Scent:
I really like Fix + and I know it is a staple in a lot of collections. I primarily use it as a way to amp up shadows or blushes by spritzing my brushes with it before applying. When I saw they came out with limited edition scents I knew I wanted to try one and this lavender scent is incredible. I actually now started using it as a setting spray as well because of how relaxing and just happy the scent is. If you can get your hands on one of the (I think 5) scents they just came out with you should!
Ugh, they really need a new name for this product, although if I had to name it myself it makes perfect sense. This concealer really is a completely weightless yet full coverage concealer. On days where I am particularly tired or in need of a more dramatic under eye brightening I use this product and every time I am impressed. I do set the concealer to prevent it from creasing but I find that it lasts all day and looks natural on your skin while providing great coverage for dark circles. I tend to go a shade lighter than my foundation to really brighten up and highlight the undereye area.
Marc Jacobs – New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel – Understudy 114:
I bought this lipstick because I fell in love with the packaging, I certainly am happy I did! This color – Understudy (114) is an amazing everyday natural terracotta pink. It is the perfect pop of color to go with any look and the formula of the lipstick is extremely creamy and nourishing.
It Cosmetics – Your Skin but Better CC Cream:
I use this CC Cream when I know I am going to be in the sun all day. It wears really nicely and it has 50 SPF which is perfect for my fair skin. The CC cream itself goes on similar to a sunscreen in texture and it has amazing coverage. It is packed with anti-aging and hydrating properties so really does the duty of a moisturizer and foundation in one product. Because of its formula I typically set this with a powder as it can be a little wet looking on the skin at first.
Bobbi Brown – Shimmer Brick – Pink Quartz:
I love the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks – I think they are great multi purpose products . I use mine as a highlight and it gives the most perfect glow to my cheek bones. I also use this as an eyeshadow or an inner eye highlight to open up my eyes. I love when products can be multi-use!
Loreal – Telescopic Mascara – Carbon Black:
I just recently bought this mascara after I had heard such good things about it – because ya know, I needed another mascara to go along with the 4 others I have open at the moment….. I was very skeptical because I have been LOVING my Too Faced – Better than Sex Mascara and I really didn’t think this one could top it. While I don’t know that it is better than the Too Faced one, I do think it is equally as good at what it does. This mascara is reallllllly lengthening and the wand is so unique. I find that I am able to literally comb my lashes one by one and apply just the right amount of mascara to get my desired look. The most amazing thing that I found with this mascara however is the INCREDIBLE curl power it has! I have very flat straight lashes and even eyelash curlers cannot keep them curled for more than an hour. This mascara had me looking like I was wearing false lashes all day. It was insane and ultimately what immediately turned this into one of my favorites. This paired with the Better than Sex mascara are the perfect combination of length and volume.
My Make Up of the Day
I hope you guys liked this post – if you have any questions about any of the products mentioned let me know!
LittleMissMelis 