Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Pinkbox Makeup Officially on Twitter!

I've noticed alot of my fellow beauty blogger have been adding a twitter account lately and i thought the idea was super cool! I used to have a twitter account as well, but well.. i never really used it much. But the idea of having it for my blog seemed very interesting as i can update you all with any SALES, COUPONS and DEALS that i come across! So if you have a twitter account, click and follow me! If you're a fellow beauty blogger, let me know your twitter account and i will follow you as well! :D



And just an update on my giveaway! Currently there are 53 unique bloggers who have entered giving a total of 130 entries! (yes, im a nerdy business student who updates and spreadsheets all entries :p) Thank you so much to everyone who has entered! You're probably just in it for the goods, but i really appreciate all of you who are genuinely following me for my posts. I will do my best to provide better material and i really  hope that you will all enjoy my future posts! If you havent entered already, click and enter now!

As you may already know, i've been having some problems with Intense Debate on my blog so there may be instances when you get re-directed to my old commenting system. Dont worry, i still receive all your lovely comments! For those who already entered in my giveaway through intense debates, i already recorded all your entries so there is no need to re-enter or worry! Please bear with me as I try to fix this problem. I promise it will be fixed soon!

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Make up and boys' Giveaway Redo

Hi ladies :) how was your day? I finished writing an intense final exam today and felt pretty good about :) Unfortuantely, i am now cramming for a final tomorrow that is worth 50% of my grade! eeek.. :(

anyways, Vi is redoing her giveaway because she started a brand new blog :) if you entered previously, you must re-enter in order to still have a chance to win! If you havent entered, well then what are you waiting for? enter for a chance to win some amazing NARS products! :D Visit her here. good luck everyone!
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More NYX !! I'm LOVING These Mosaic Powders

Are you guys tired of NYX products yet? I sure hope not because i have one more post after this which will feature the NYX Round lipstick swatches :) Anyways, here are the mosaic powders i picked up: Highlighter and Dare

NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlighter and Dare

I tried swatching Dare separately (each of the 5 colours) but to be honest, they all looked the same anyways so here is the the swatch of the whole compact mixed:

NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlight

Not sure if you guys remember, but i previously bought Revlon's Mineral Finishing Powder in Brighten and found that not only was it a beautiful highlighter, and looks very similar to a MAC MSF! Anyways, back on track! I swatched NYX and thought it was similar to Revlon's Brighten, so i decided to compare the two of these highlighters..

Left to Right
NYX Mosaic Powder in Dare, Revlon Mineral Finishing Powder in Brighten

Results: These are both beautiful highlighters but are different. NYX's dare is a matte highlighter.. this would be great for brightening up areas under brows or inner corners of the eyes. It would also be good for days when you want to keep shimmer off your face :) On the other hand, Revlon's Brighten is a beautiful shimmery white. It is lighter than NYX and doesnt have as good of a pigmentation, but is gorgeous on cheeks because it gives a really subtle but pretty shine/glow.

NYX Mosaic Powder in Dare
Refer to compact for colours

NYX Mosaic Powder in Dare: All colours mixed

Highlight: Matte white colour, perfect for brightening up areas under the brow, inner corners of eyes, above cheeks and on the bridge of the nose. Although i do prefer a shimmery color to highlight my cheeks, i think i'd prefer this on my eyes, especially if im doing a matte look. Also, using a matte highlighter on browbones and inner corners gives a more natural feel than the shimmer.

Dare: The picture doesnt do this much justice.. but it is a really pretty shimmer color. Id have to describe it as a peachy bronzy colour with little hints of pink. When applied on the cheeks, it gives a really nice colour. I cant really explain it... so heres a picture :P

NYX Highlight and Dare

Final Verdict: These are both very pretty! I love them both equally and i think when used together, they are absolutely gorgeous! I think these two will be my go-to-blush & highlighter this summer :D (maybe the revlon highlighter too sometimes). What do you girls think?
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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Achieve the Perfect Inner Glow w/ NYX Cream Blushes!

Morning ladies! I have a few more days until my final exams and then SUMMER WILL BE HERE! Woohoo! :D to be honest, i have always used powder blushes. I have combination oily skin so i always stayed away from cream blushes.. until now :) So to pre-start my summer, i am super happy to have these two little cream blushes in my makeup collection : NYX Rouge Cream Blushes in Glow and Boho Chic.

NYX Rouge Cream Blushes in Boho Chic and Glow
Opps, sorrry, i switched the order from here on :P

Pretty pretty right? They look amazing in the compacts, but thats not it. They were so so so creamy and soft! One little dab and look at that pigmentation. Gorgeous isnt it? :)

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow and Boho Chic

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow
Swatched with flash and then Blended

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow
Swatched without flash and then Blended

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in  Boho Chic
Boho Chic swatched with flash and then Blended

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow and Boho Chic
Boho Chic swatched without flash and then Blended


Okay so i lied a bit, the pigmentation seemed to be intense but when blended, it is actually very soft and sheer. I actually dont mind though, because:

a) this is great for summer as it gives an inner glow
(we dont want heavy red cheeks!)

b) this is great for layering and building up on
(for days where you do want that bright flush)

c) and finally, this is perfect for using as a base for powder blushes so that you get beautiful cheeks that last all day long

Glow: Gorgeous matte pink
This one is super pretty! When blended out, it gives a really nice warm flush of colour to your face. (just make sure you dont overapply at first or else you'll look like a clown!) Start with small dabs and work with layers until you get the achieved colour.

Boho Chic: Light, shimmery cool toned peachy pink
I love this one as well. haha the main difference (other than colour) is the shimmers. As you can see from the picture above, it gives such a pretty light glow. I would most likely use this lightly on the upper areas of my cheek so that i can use it as a base for my highlighter. Also, it can help blend the highlighter and blush colours together so there is no harsh lines :) This would also look really good if applied a bit stronger on the apples of your cheek for that light pink glow.

Final Verdict: I loveeeee these! They are super creamy and soft (maybe its just the weather over here...) and are easy to apply. Just dab on the apples of your cheeks and blend outwards with your fingers. Or if you want, using a blush brush (tongue twister! i dare you to say it 5 times super fast!) get a bit on the tips of the bristles and gentle pat on and blend outwards.

Have any of you girls tried this? Do you prefer cream or powder blushes?  Let me know! :)

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Friday, June 25, 2010

Simple DIY Lipstick & Gloss Holder

I have to admit.. im weird lol. i LOVE to be organized and make simple diy projects, BUT im also a tad on the lazy side and dont feel like putting in too much effort. Anyone else like me? well heres a quick and simple DIY project to organize your lipsticks and lipglosses. granted, you guys probably already have better organizers then this, but for those who have a couple empty boxes laying around (i admit, i keep all most of my boxes/packaging ><), give this a try :)

-note- i realized i missed taking pictures on some of the steps... so i re-did it with a different cream box. apart from the two different boxes, everything else should be fine :)


Ingredients:
One empty box (try to find one with similar lengths and widths)
        I used two boxes, one held an eye cream and one, a face cream
One pair of scissors
Some tape
Some wrapping paper or scrapbook paper (optional)
Your lipglosses/sticks to organize
10-15 minutes of your time


Step 1: Cut top flaps off
Open the lid of the box. You should have something similar to the picture shown. Taking a pair of scissors, cut all of these flaps off along the dotted lines.

Step 2: Cut slits in each of the flaps
Proceed to cut the biggest flap in half. (refer to yellow line in picture above). Then, cut slits into each of the four pieces. Make sure the slits are only 3/4 up and try to keep them as similar as possible. (Tip: Eyeball out the slits for one side of the flap first, then put both flaps together and cut to make sure they are the same distance apart.) If you really want to, you can use a ruler and measure, but im just going to keep it simple since im lazy :)

Step 3: Put flaps together by interlinking the slits
Taking one of the longer flaps, interlink it with a shorter flap. Do the same for all four until you end up with something similar to this. Its okay if its messy, The idea behind this is to have something to hold your lipstick/glosses up straight so that even if you take one out, the others will not fall over. Of course, if you want to make this look better, you can take your time measuring and adjust this until it is straight.

Step 4: Place frame into box
As simple as that, just put it in!

If you choose to stop at this point... this is what your finished product should look like:

However, you can choose to continue and decorate your holder! i am choosing to take some leftover wrapping paper to decorate. You could use anything you want really! Stickers, glitter glues, Jewels, ribbon, etc etc be creative!

Step 5: Make tape loops and place one of each side of the box

Step 6: Wrap it up!
Taking any coloured paper, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper.. whatever you want!, trace and cut out the length of the box. (Tip: Cut out an extra inch or two so you can use it as a starting point and hide it underneath) Secure with tape!

Once again, If you choose to stop at this point... this is what your finished product should look like:


However, Im going to continue. Since the inside of my wrapping paper is a bright pink, i'm going to use my leftovers to add a rim onto my holder.


Step 7: Rim your holder
Cut long strips of your paper and wrap it around your holder. I chose to bend my strips in half so that i had half inside the box and half outside. Secure all sides with tape.

Final step: add your lipsticks/glosses and enjoy!

i have yet to fully organize my lipsticks/glosses.. hence the empty container :) but, we're
Finally Finished!

I hope you guys enjoyed this. I know its kind of messy and not very well put together, but it was super simple to make and took me about 10-15 minutes. Plus, i have a bad habit of keeping my old boxes so this was a good way to make use of them :D You can of course experiement with different kinds of boxes, although i think the square ones are the easiest. If you do plan on using a different size, you may need extra construction paper to make your own frame :) Just measure and cut slits. If any of you have tried this in the past or are thinking of doing so, let me know! i would love to see your holders and what you came up with :)
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

MAC MSF Drugstore Dupe?

Okay girls, i have to admit... other than a liquid foundation, a studio fix powder & a 190 brush (all bought for me by my wonderful mom years ago).. im a MAC Virgin. there i said it.. anyone else care to join me?

I have only started REALLY getting into all this makeup obsession recently, but i think i'm catching on fairly quickly! Unfortuanetly.. i've never really stepped on the MAC bandwagon. Call me loser, noob, weirdo or whatever... i just never liked how i had to stay caught up in all the newest collections just so that i can purchase the products i want. If im just a bit slower than the rest of the makeup addicts, i miss out on my product which will then become LE and who knows when and how much i need to spend to buy it again.

Of course, being now in my fourth year at university (with a STUPID STUPID STUPID increase in tuition costs next year), and with only a part time job.. im pretty tight on money :( So.. ive learned to make my way through with drugstore products, sometimes allowing myself to splurge just a little bit more!
 

Anyways.. im sure you guys already caught news of MAC's newest collection: In the Groove? Well... they are re-promoting some of their gorgeous MSF.. one look at Stereo Rose and Petticoat and i was DONE. I wanted to go out and buy it right away!! I was so sad later to find out that these would cost me $33.50 CAD EACH... for a blush and a highlighter. total coming to $67 not including tax... are you kidding me? luckily, i was at superstore one day grabbing some snacks and came upon this: Revlon's Colorstay Mineral Finishing Powder in Brighten



Swatched :)




Compared to MAC MSF in Petticoat...
(picture taken from flickr.com)




Seriously, its pretty close right? (although this swatches with less pink tones) I was super happy to find this! The price however, is a bit steep for a drugstore brand (this costing me $13.99 CAD for 0.31 Oz / 8.79 g), but compared to the MAC price of $33.50? Im happy :) Also, i know many of you mightve heard of NYC's Chrome Face Glows... they were supposed to a MAC MSF dupe as well but i didnt know until now and of course, they're all gone :(...

Anyways, i am currently using it as a highlight color on the upper areas of my cheek. This product applies fairly subtle though, so what i do is take my kabuki brush (ecotools) and swirl it a couple of times in the pan until it picks up a fair amount of product. then, i sweep it over my cheeks and slightly along the bridge of my nose. I have also thought about using this as an overall face powder.. but with all that shimmer, i'm a bit scared to try :( will update you guys if i do try it out and we'll see how that goes :)


UPDATE: thank you to winnie (eleventh0fapril) who has nicely told me that this seems to be closer to Porcelain pink! Sorry for any confusion, i seriously dont know much about the mac msfs, but this is a swatch i found from google images, i will link the picture back to the owner's site.

Final Verdict: Hello Revlon, Goodbye MAC

I think I have satisfied my craving for MSF. This gives me the perfect highlight and blends beautifully. Of course, i cant compare to the MAC product since i have never tried it, (im assuming MAC will be more pigmented, more finely milled etc) but oh w/e,dont pop my bubble! im loving this :) especially looking at it.. hahaha so pretty!



Only bad thing? Limited colours :( Revlon only has this out in 3 shades: Brighten, Suntan Matte and Sunkiss. i really really wished they had a pink toned one, but they dont.. So maybe i will break away from my MAC virginity and purchase Stereo Rose when it comes out in July :D !! What do you girls think? I know some of you own some MSFs! ;)

Latest update - So i totally broke down and purchased both Petticoat and Stereo Rose.. will need to update with swatches of these compared to Revlon's but i totally am in love with MAC MSFs! Petticoat and Stereo Rose both make absolutely gorgeous blushes while Revlon's make a good highlighter :) However, i do have to admit that MAC is definately much more pigmented :) See swatches of both  MAC MSF here!
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Gold EOTD W/ Double Wing Eyeliner

One more week till school is done and summer officially starts! :D i cant wait!! Anyways, while i was taking a break from schoolwork, i played around with some bronzes and golds and this is the look i came up with :) You cant really see from the pictures, but i had a lighter shimmery color on the inner corners. I also took this chance to try out a simple version of the double wing eyeliner! :D and i definately LOVE it! What do you think? 

No flash

No flash
hahaha excuse that one eyelash that just wont curl :(

Close up of the double wing eyeliner with closed eyes

With flash
..kind of washed out the eyeliner :( but can you see the shimmery gold?


And.... because i am a four-eyes as well... Here is what it looks like for all those who wear glasses :) I think im going to start wearing the double wing eyeliner on those glasses days, because i find that my glasses really washes out all my makeup and this really helps to add some intensity :) The double wing kind of lengthens and adds onto your existing lashes so it actually turns out pretty good! Of course, if you want it to be more dramatic, just extend that liner! :)

Products Used: on eyes
BareMinerals Glimmer Pigment in True Gold
Too Faced Eyeshadow Duo in Totally Toasted
Annabelle Kohl Liner in White
Avon Glimmersticks in Blackest Black
Covergirl Lashblast Volume 

on face
Missha BB Cream in #23
TheBalm Concealer in Light/Medium
Paula Dorf Cheek Color in Merengue


product swatches without flash

Product Swatches with flash

Weird.. for some reason i ended up using some of my few non-drugstore products. Dont worry drugstore-girls, i will be posting up lots of EOTD using drugstore only products :) Also, you can easily re-create this look with other brands and products of your choice. Mainly look for three shades: a light shimmery one, a bronze colour and of course, a gold. (see above swatches for reference) Once i finish writing my final exams, i will have much more time to experiment so i will hopefully be posting more EOTD!

one more thing...
I wanted to give you guys a brief update on my giveaway! - if you havent joined already, what are you waiting for! being a follower already earns you one entry :) - So far, 30 different lovely readers have joined, with all entries totalling up to 77. (you can have up to SIX entries!) I would really like to thank all my followers, both new and old, for reading my little blog :) and i am really enjoying reading all your suggestions for future posts! I will do my best to meet everyone's need, but if theres something you want to see posted on, dont be afraid to let me know! :D
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Monday, June 21, 2010

My Cherry Culture Haul !!

OMG i came home tonight and guess what was on my table?!?! My cherry culture order! :D I was soo super excited for this to come! Definately the biggest cheerer-upper for me this week since I am FINALLY on my last week of spring lectures.. anddd.. i have two final exams coming up very soon, so i'm in "study-mode" :( Not being able to go shopping (not even window shopping!) is making me very sad so this definately made my day :) On to what i ordered!


My Cherry Culture Haul,
mainly NYX products (since we dont have that in Calgary) and two nail products

The box i came home to (yay!) and the products safely wrapped up!

Left to Right:
NYX Round lipsticks in Thalia, Tea Rose, Fig, Watermelon, Ceto

Left to Right
NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Boho Chic and Glow

Left to Right
NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlight and Dare

NYX Long Pencil Lip in Natural

L.A. Colors Art Deco in White & Color Craze in Magnetic
(for some reason the camera couldnt capture magnetic properly, its actually a bright coral pink! will post better pictures and swatches later!)

I will swatch these soon so dont worry! Of course, if theres a specific product shown above that you would like me to swatch earlier, let me know in the comments! Did you girls pick up anything from Cherry Culture during their memorial day sale? If you did, let me know what you got! If not, they do have a sale going on right now: 25% off all L.A. Colors items! Use code LAC25, lasts until the 25th :) Happy hauling and let me know what you get!
xAgnes

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