IMATS 2013 Haul

Hey dolls! I know I am a bit late in posting my IMATS Haul but right after my mini vacay to Pasadena I have been working non stop! I had the best time at IMATS this year and it was really amazing getting to see everyone, meet new people, visit the different brands and admire all of the talented makeup artists & special fx artists all under one roof! If you have an IMATS Haul blog post or YouTube video please leave your links in the comments below. I would love to watch them all!

Let's begin!

Velour Lashes - I have been wanting to try these lashes for the longest time. The price was definitely holding me back. I was extremely happy to see Velour Lashes at IMATS and to find out that their lashes were on sale! I was immediately attracted to this style which is called "Oops! Naughty Me" I love how they looked layered and they are longer in the middle. I usually wear a winged liner and I love having more volume in the center of my lids. They feel so luxe and look very natural. 

Lit Cosmetics - You all know how much I love glitter right? Lit Cosmetics has the best glitter out there. I love that you get to chose the cut size of the glitter. I usually get size 2 and 3. From left to right I got Peacock, Hot Chocolate & Twisted Sistah. I can not wait to incorporate these glitter into my looks. I have a difficult time photographing glitter so if any of my fellow Beauty Bloggers have any tips I would greatly appreciate that.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - OCC was packed. I was pretty bummed because I wanted to try out their concealers but it was really hard to get a chance to grab any testers. I knew that I wanted these two lip tars in Vintage and Hoochie. Both of these lip tars are must haves for your collection. I can see myself wearing Vintage everyday. It is the perfect deep red. Hoochie is lighter than Belladonna and is more on the magenta side. Love them both!

Sugarpill - We may sometimes think to ourselves, "Why don't I own this already?" and that is exactly how I feel about Goldilux Loose Eyeshadow from Sugarpill. I would see this color featured in so many gorgeous looks. I really have no idea what took me so long to get it but I am so happy that I am finally a proud owner of Goldilux! Let me tell you, Sugarpill had this AMAZING palette for sale that featured all of their eyeshadows rolled up into this mega palette. I was so close to buying it but since I already own the Burning Heart palette I just couldn't do it. When that palette does hit the Sugarpill website I may consider it again.

Lime Crime - So many items that I wanted to get! Let's start off with her newly reformulated and repackaged Eyeshadow Helper. I loved the original primer but the concept of needing a spatula to scoop out the primer every time was a bit time consuming. I love that it is in a tube now. I have already used this primer and it works just like the original! Next on the list was Poisonberry lipstick. This lipstick is beyond. When I run out which I probably will because I feel like wearing it every day I will definitely buy back ups. Drum roll please...Velvetines!!! I can not even begin to describe how awesome this product truly is. I bought Red Velvet and Suedeberry. They look like a gloss but in reality they are like a matte lipstick. They are not dry whatsoever. I wore Red Velvet out and by the end of the night it was just as vibrant as it was when I first applied it. This is my honest feedback. I always prep my lips with lip balm but there are some matte lipsticks out there that even with my lip balm tend to get dried out and make my lips feel tight. I do not get that feeling with the Velvetines. The bad news is that they are currently sold out on the Lime Crime website but they will be back in stock in March. Lime Crime also hinted about adding more colors to their lineup. I can't even.

Not Pictured - Sadly, there were a few products that I did not get a chance to photograph up close. (a.k.a I forgot) I also got Model In A Bottle setting spray, Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush, Sigma F05 Small Contour Brush, Ardell Wispies which also came with a free large makeup case.

Review - Benefit Cosmetics Perk-Up Artist

Hello!! Today I will be reviewing Perk Up Artist from Benefit Cosmetics. It is a trio of different color correctors and comes with a travel sized double-ended brush.

Official Description - This portable complexion correcting kit has everything you need to correct, cover, and brighten. Disguise redness and discoloration with the creamy yellow neutralizer. Hide dark circles, imperfections, and blemishes with the beige concealer. And turn tired eyes into big, bright peepers with a perky pink shade.

I tried wearing this product alone and on top of my normal everyday concealer which is Stay Don't Stray from Benefit Cosmetics. I naturally have dark under eye circles and I usually conceal them with my concealer. My concealer definitely gets the job done for me but if I don't use any foundation it looks a bit weird with just the concealer. I wanted to see if the Perk Up Artist would help correct my under eye circles without the need to add foundation on top.

It has a creamy consistency and the product was quite sheer. I had to build it up a bit to notice any corrections. I started off with Cover and in the picture below you will see that it did help correct some of the darkness. That was after about 3-4 layers. I think this product would be great for those that need light coverage. I went in with Brighten after to see if it would give me that pop of brightness but it then took more layering to notice anything. 

After all of the layering it did look like my normal concealer but less heavy. I was pretty excited because even without foundation it looked like I did not have any dark circles. I decided to wear it out for the entire day. After a few hours I noticed creasing, which could of been in large part due to the fact that I had many layers on, and it faded revealing a lot of the dark circles. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out. 

I am not going to give up on this product. I will still use it around red areas that I get around my face like around my nose. It definitely won't help with any red blemishes I get around my forehead but I will use it on areas that can use light coverage.

» Price -  $30.00

» Availability - Benefit Cosmetics

» Overall Rating - Light coverage color correcting trio. Recommended for those that do not need full coverage. Goes on sheer and when layered it caused creasing. Comes in a convenient travel friendly compact. I would not give it high ratings nor low ratings. Average.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored review. Although I did not pay for the product I was not asked to promote or do a review on it. These are my honest opinions.

MAC Strength & Aprés Chic Swatches

Hey everyone! I wanted to share with you all some pics and swatches of a few things that I picked up from MAC Cosmetics newest collections. I bought two lipsticks from their Strength Collection and one MSF from their Aprés Chic collection. 

I am in love with the two lipsticks that I got from Strength. The lipsticks launched early online so I was able to place an order right when it came up. Strong Woman is described as a bright violet. The second I put this lipstick I fell in love. It is a gorgeous violet color that has me so excited to wear it out. This is one that I am regretting not getting a few backups of. Party Parrot is described as a bright red-pink and it is a strong vibrant color. I was super bummed that I missed this lipstick when it launched with a previous MAC collection. It is definitely a statement lip and has just the right amount of red and pink. 

The Mineralize Skin Finish that I bought from Aprés Chic was Stereo Rose. I love MSF and Stereo Rose was definitely one that I needed for my MSF collection. Stereo Rose is described as coral with golden/bronze shimmering nuances. I love coral blushes but this one is a perfect mix of coral and gold. 

Stereo Rose

Party Parrot

Strong Woman

Influenster Cosmo VoxBox Review

Hey everyone! I wanted to share with you my new Cosmo VoxBox that I received from Influenster! The site is now invite only so please let me know if you are interested in getting an invite so I can send you one! Here are the goodies that were in my Cosmo VoxBox.

FriXion by Pilot Pen
» Price - $4.58 for a 3-pack / $11.00 for 8-pack
» Description - Do you want to be mistake free? Now you can be with FriXion by Pilot Pen. FriXion writes unbelievably smoothly, in expressive gel ink colors, and erases completely with its rubber tip. You have to try it to believe it! FriXion is the newest innovation from Pilot, the #1 seller of gel ink pens in America. So, with FriXion....who's perfect now?
» My Review - This reminded me of grade school when there were pens out with magical erasers. I remember ripping a hole through my paper trying to erase the pen marks. This pen wrote nice and smoothly. It has a nice fine tip that does not release too much ink. Now on to the erasing part, while it did erase it what I wrote it did not erase it completely. I guess it depends how dark you write. Perhaps if I were to write a bit more softly the writings would erase completely. The price point isn't so bad. I would definitely recommend these pens to those that are required to write in pen but tend to make that occasional error that needs slight erasing.

Forever Red Eau de Parfume Exclusively at Bath & Body Works
» Price - $10.00 for .25 fl oz / 7mL / $44.50 for Full Size
» Description - A Touch of red is pure magic! Bath & Body Works introduces you to their new, most luxurious fragrance ever, as you lavishly spray on a passionate blend of pomegranate & red osmanthus with a sexy surprise of vanilla rum, for a forever enchanting way to fragrance. Even will be commenting on how great you smell.
» My Review - The description of the scent is spot on! Starts off smelling like pomegranate and continues to work it's way through the other notes. It was not bad but it definitely has a strong staying power that may not be that great for those that can get nauseated easily. I sprayed it once and that was enough to leave a statement. Fragrances are a bit hard to review because from what I have come to understand we all have different opinions on what smells good. It doesn't smell bad but it is definitely not something I would go out of my way to buy.

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape
» Price - $2.79
» Description - The decadently rich and creamy milk chocolate in Sea Salt Escape is combined with bursts of sea salt and roasted almonds delivering an epicurean chocolate experience. Experience a moment of timeless pleasure with all natural Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate. Is your mouth watering too?
» My Review - So delicious. I love mixing chocolate with salty foods. It tastes so good. This chocolate bar is not overpowered with the Sea Salt at all. It has just the right amount of salt that you can slightly taste it. It was delicious with every bite. The almonds also provided a great crunch.

Venus
» Price - $3.50 - $4.50 per month for blade refills
» Description - The Fall Cosmo VoxBox contains not one, but two Venus products! Since any Venus blade refill fits any Venus razor handle, we're giving you two to mix-and-match!
» » Gillette Venus Embrace - Venus Embrace blade refills provide an ultra close shave with five blades that hug curves to get virtually every hair. Available in 4- and 8- count packages.
» » Venus & Olay Razor - Venus & Olay blade refills feature Olay Moisture Bars that contain skin conditioners to help lock in moisture and with every smoothing stroke, Venus' five blades provide an ultra-close shave. Available in 3-count packages.
» My Review - I was so excited to see Venus products in my Cosmo VoxBox. I fell in love with the previous Venus product that I received in my other VoxBox so I knew these were going to be another hit! I reviewed the Venus & Olay one in my previous Influenster post so please check out my review on that one. The razors provide a superb shave and I did not have any cuts. My legs felt extremely smooth afterwards.  It was able to bend easily when it went past on my knees. I love these razors and will continue to buy the refills.

Disclaimer: Influenster sent these products for free with the purpose of reviewing.

Let's mix OCC Lip Tars!

It is no secret that Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars are on my Top 3 Beauty Products of all time. A highly pigmented and long lasting lip product that can create endless amounts of amazing looks. Not only can you wear these colors alone but you can also mix them and create your own custom color. The combinations are endless and I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite mixtures that I have tried. 

Have you tried mixing your lip tars to create a new shade? Please post a link to your look in the comments.

» Price -  $16.00

» Availability - OCC Makeup, LeCosmetique, Sephora

My Beauty Firsts

Hey loves! I thought this would be a fun post to talk about our beauty firsts. I found this tag on Seonaid's Blog, Beauty and Baggage.

What is your earliest beauty memory?

I would always love when my Mom would let me browse all of the different products and gadgets from her makeup bag. I remember being amazed with her collection of false lashes. I would ask her why she needed falsies and how did she put them on. From feeling all of her different makeup brushes to being scared watching her curl her lashes. My mother was definitely my beauty inspiration.

What was your first beauty purchase?

It was a N.Y.C clear lip gloss that had a Strawberry taste to it. I wore that gloss everyday and thought I looked so dolled up when I would go to school.

What was your first beauty disaster?

Where to begin? It all started with my over tweezed brows. I was so excited that I was finally allowed to groom my brows and I think I took it a step too far. I was borderline pencil thin brows. I also remember taking a trip to Sephora with my best friend and purchasing the Lip Venom to plump my lips. Now my lips are already a full size to begin with but I decided to layer on the lip venom and walked into a full classroom with lips that were reminiscent to Goldie Hawn's character in The First Wives Club.

Who was your first beauty crush?

Definitely The Spice Girls. Particularly Victoria Beckham a.k.a Posh Spice. She always had a dark smoky eye look and dark lips. Loved her whole look. All of them had beautiful makeup in their music videos and in concert. I loved all of their looks.

What was your first brand crush?

MAC Cosmetics. I would always pass by MAC at the makeup counters and admire all of the vibrant eyeshadows. I remember seeing a Viva Glam ad featuring RuPaul, who is my absolute favorite person ever, and I would admire all of the makeup. During the Salsabelle collection I remember swatching an eyeshadow called "Parrot" and it was a beautiful blue color. I told myself I was going to go back and buy that color before I knew about their limited edition collections. When I returned to buy it and it wasn't there I spent the longest time swatching all of the different shades and fell in love with Electric Eel eyeshadow. After that purchase the rest is history!

What is your longest standing beauty love?

Once again it has to be MAC Cosmetics. After my first purchase from MAC I became addicted. From joining livejournal communities, collecting the various postcards from the collections, attending MAC classes, attempting to visit all of the Pro stores (So far I have visited San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas Pro Stores), to just enjoying their products. I was not just a collector I was wearing their products and loving them! I still do love all of their products although I feel that some of their current collections don't have the same spark as their older ones. My second brand would have to be Urban Decay. I have been buying their Primer Potion for many years now and loving their eye shadows. 

I tag all of my fellow Beauty Bloggers to do this awesome tag! Please leave your link if you decide to do the tag so I can read all of your answers!

Review - Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush

Official Description - Discover the secret to the smoothest finish possible with this unique round brush that precisely conceals dark circles, redness, and all other imperfections in one gesture. The short, synthetic bristles allow you to buff and blend from light to heavy, and achieve perfect, even coverage across your face.

Hey loves! I am going to give you a review on what I like to call my magic Photoshop wand also known as the Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57. I am obsessed with this brush. I use it on all of my clients and on myself. I am a big fan on Sephora's newly revamped Pro Brushes. They have a longer handle for easy application and are super soft. They are also numbered and labeled what they are used for which makes it easier for those of us that aren't quite sure what is the right brush for that certain application.

Before using this brush I used to use a flat foundation brush or even my fingers to apply my under eye concealer. I noticed with the brush I would sometimes get a streaky look. I don't like using my fingers to touch my face at all but when I used to use it for concealer I noticed that I would get crease lines on the tiny lines under my eyes. This brush works well with all types of concealers such as liquid, cream and powder.

Stay tuned to see an upcoming concealer tutorial on my YouTube Channel MakeupByShannyn to see this brush in action!

» Price -  $24.00

» Availability - Sephora

» Overall Rating - A must have brush in your collection. A concealer brush that allows for a flawless application and natural finished look.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored review. Although I did not pay for the product I was not asked to promote or do a review on it. These are my honest opinions.

MAC Taste Temptation Lipsticks

Hey everyone! I wanted to post some swatches of the two lipsticks I got from the MAC Taste Temptation Collection. Macy*s was having an early preview event during Black Friday. I picked up two of the mattene lipsticks, Seductive Intent and Night Blooming. Both of these colors are absolutely gorgeous. Seductive Intent has to be my favorite because this color is perfect for Winter!

MAC Taste Temptation will be sold online on December 6 and in-stores on December 13.

Seductive Intent

Night Blooming

OCC Heroine Lip Tar Swatches & Review

Hi everyone! I am super excited to post some lip swatches of a majority of the brand spanking new lip tars from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I purchased 4 out of the 6 new lip tars from LeCosmetique.com. The two lip tars that I did not get were Psycho and Marion. Reason being was that I felt like I had colors quite similar to those colors. I might just cave in the future and purchase them but for now I will use my close dupes!

The new lip tars come from OCC's Heroine Collection for their Fall/Winter Campaign. Along with the new lip tars the Heroine collection features new colour concentrate, creme concentrate, cosmetic glitter, and their ever so glamorous nail lacquers. I love this whole collection! I definitely recommend that you all give it a look!

Black Dahlia Blackest Blackened Red - This is my favorite lip tar out of the new collection. It is a dark red that would stunning on all skin tones. It looks almost black in the tube but once applied it lightens up to this deep red. You need to blend it a few times with your lip brush to even out the color. I would also suggest using a lip liner or a reverse lip liner. It did feather a tad bit around my cupid's bow but I did not use any lip liner.

Lydia Dark Room Plum - I was beyond excited to see that they named this lip tar after Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice. This color seems the most daytime wearable out the bunch. It is more on the pink side than plum in my opinion but is still beautiful. It would go great with any makeup look.

Starling Deeply Rusted Auburn - This one reminds me of fall/winter. I think of Halloween & Thanksgiving. I don't have a color quite like this one. It had a bit of a more watery texture. I don't know if I got a bad one but it still had awesome color pay off! 

Sybil Midnight Brownout - Sybil is a deep gorgeous brown. This color was opaque and did not feather. It is definitely a statement lip which makes it that much more awesome. I can not wait to pair this with an intense liner look. Definitely a great deep, dark color for fall!

LeCosmetique is also having a special sale this weekend! If you have been eyeing these lip tars I definitely think you should take advantage of their coupon codes:

Save $5 on your purchase of $25 or more (Coupon Code Oct5)

Save $10 on your purchase of $50 or more (Coupon Code Oct10)

Save $20 on your purchase of $100 or more (Coupon Code Oct20)

Coupon Valid Through Monday October 8, 2012

Face of The Day - Who's That Chick?

Hey everyone. It's been a while! I have just been getting back into the groove of things with my new job and planning Zoe's 2nd Birthday party. I feel extremely blessed with all of the new amazing opportunities I have been given. I am excited for Halloween and I have already completed one look! I can't wait to post it. I will start posting the looks in the beginning of October! Super excited. Can't wait to decorate our place with spooky decor.

Today's look was inspired by Rihanna's fun and gorgeous makeup from the "Who's That Chick?" Day version music video. Her makeup was so vibrant and electric. I softened up the cheeks a tad bit. I loved wearing this look out!

Face
Make Up Forever HD Foundation N125
Benefit Stay Don't Stray
MAC Peaches Blush
MAC Petticoat MSF
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil
MAC Chrome Yellow Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Buck Eyeshadow
Lime Crime Aquataenia Palette
Wet'N'Wild h2o Proof Liquid Liner
Ardell Wispies
Lips
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm
MAC Impassioned Lipstick