Becky's November Favorites 2010

I just want to share my favorite makeup and skin care products for this month of November. I've discovered  new loves and I included some old favorites that never fails. Here they are ^_^



The combination of the wonderful trio of NYX eye base in skin tone, Mac Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in medium deep and Urban Decay Primer Potion is my ultimate favorite eye base that keeps my eye shadows from creasing. Were talking about 8 hours of staying power. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. Apply a small amount of the NYX eye base on the lids, brush any powder on top and finish it with the Urban Decay Primer. Crease free!!!



Wet N Wild creme lip liner in Willow. What's not to love? It's creamy, pigmented, the perfect nude for medium skin tone and it's only 99cents! 




Yes to Carrots lip butter in Melon. I raved about this lip balm on a previous review. I still love it and I use it everyday. I keep it in my purse for an easy reach whenever I need to moisturize my lips. It also smells delicious. Click here for my review.

Palladio baked blush in Choc-au-lait. It's a beautiful copper/bronzey shade with gold shimmers. It give my cheeks a nice sheen without making it look oily. Read more about it on their website.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk hand creme. This is a new love. It's rich and thick texture really moisturizes my hands for a long time. I also love the sweet almond jelly scent..so yummy! You can get this at your local drugstore.


 Yes to Cucumbers facial wipes. Love this stuff. I actually bought my 3rd pack last week. I also raved about these wipes on a previous review. It gently removes my face makeup and it has a fresh and clean cucumber scent that you will surely love...mmmm! You can purchase it at your local drugstore and click here for my review.



Cellnique Intensive Hydrating gel and Skin Action Sebum gel.These were sent to me my the company for a possible review. I'm thankful for the opportunity to try these products because they're seriously amazing! I will have a formal review on these products very soon.


Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. What are your favorites this month? Hopefully you can share them.





   

Victorias Secret Fashion Show 2010 Makeup Tutorial

Its that time of year again! This year the makeup was defined by a wide wash of bronze in the crease and light, yellowy soft gold defining the lower lash line framed with long and wispy lashes. All finished with a pop of berry color on the lips and of course, lots of bronzer. :)


Products Used:
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
MAC So Ceylon Mineralized Skinfinish
MAC eye shadow in Vapour
MAC eye shadow in Cork
NARS Albatross highlighting powder
MAC eye kohl in Fascinating
Urban Decay eye shadow in Half Baked
Revlon Grow Luscious mascara
MAC #2 Lashes
Josie Maran lipliner in Blush
MAC lipstick in Dubonnet
MAC Dazzleglass in Moth to Flame

Photo Credit: Getty Images, Stephen Lovekin / 2010 Getty Images

Hair Trend: Big Bouncy Curls

On the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar India, Freida Pinto dressed up a pale pink dress with thick, lush curls. If hot rollers feel like too much effort, simply wrap freshly blown-out strands around 2-inch rollers. Once the hair has fully cooled, remove the curlers and brush through to keep the spirals from looking too-perfect.

Rec: Velcro Curlers

Cute Christmas Earrings

Yesterday after work, I found these super cute Christmas earrings at the Fashion District in Downtown L.A. Initially, my plan was to only get some of my favorite street food, the over stuffed Quesadillas at this one spot because I was mad craving them, ( Besides the famous bacon wrapped hotdogs, you really gotta try the stuffed Quesadillas) but I ended up walking around and checking out my favorite accessories place too. I might as well right? lol

I found these earrings at a random clothing store where everything was $1.99 on 16th and Los Angeles pl. It's not the best clothing store to shop because it was a bit messy and they had a lot of funky looking outdated clothes but they did have some really cute Christmas accessories like broaches, necklaces and earrings for only $1 each! I could have bought all of the Christmas earrings because I was so excited. They were all cute with bright and festive colors but I had to stop myself since there's no way I'm really going to wear some of them. I didn't think I could sport a huge dangling bright green Christmas trees on my ears lol. So I limited myself to 5-6 and only picked out the ones I could see myself wearing ^_^

Red and silver bow earrings with sleigh bells. They really make noise..so cute!



Red and white clip earrings that remind me of a candy cane.



Kim Rogers dangling  candy cane earrings. I'm not sure where you can find this brand but I found some being sold online. They have clothes, shoes and accessories.



I love these silver and gold snowman earrings!


Dangling snow flakes earrings with tiny rhinestones.



Dangling snowman earrings. They're pretty small and not too obvious that they're snowman. I guess I can wear this year round right? l ^_^



I wished everyone had access to the Fashion District so you can see the cool stuff I find. It really is an awesome place to find great bargains. Heck I should start selling these $1 accessories...jk



"You look for stars. You look for the makeup artist who can have long lasting careers and who could be headliners." -Clive Davis



 

Get to Know: Kiss My Face

I've long thought of Kiss My Face as being a crunchy, hippie personal care company.  After all, it was founded by two vegetarians who were on a mission to find healthy body care products.  Kiss My Face is committed to using natural, organic ingredients to create their cruelty-free products.  Because I've dismissed Kiss My Face as a sort of hippie-dippy company, I never really tried their products.

Silly me!  Kiss My Face has some really good products...and their eco-friendly, cruelty free stance is a huge plus.  Be on the lookout for their new line of skin care products in the start of the new year (available in January at Whole Foods).  Their Potent and Pure Organic Face Care line is worth a look.  It includes:

• Clean for a Day, $15: a creamy face cleaner that is soap-free and non-drying.  
• Startup, $15: an exfoliating cleanser that contains natural fruit alpha hydroxy acids for gentle exfoliation.
• Brightening Day Creme, $23: a cream that includes SPF to help protect from the sun's damaging rays.
• Night Creme, $23: a cream that provides extra moisturizing power along with detoxificaiton.
• Underage, $21: a "mega-moist" blend of organic botanicals and vitamins that will smooth lines and nourish skin.

Kiss My Face is a great brand to get to know if you're concerned about organic ingredients, animal testing, etc.  Their new skin care line will leave your face looking good and your conscious clean!  Check it out at Whole Foods in January.

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Long Lashes Undermining Your Mascara?

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hi Mario!

First and foremost, I'm an epic fan of your work! The advice you give is extremely helpful. So, I was hoping that you could help me out with one particular struggle I have with applying makeup. I have a problem with mascara. My makeup looks hot when I leave the house but 2 hours later I get mascara smudges right below my eyebrows! I don’t know what to do. I have tried every single brand of mascara you can possibly think of! When I go to MAC or any counter they say to use a good primer and this and that and they sell it to me. I use it and still get the smudges. What do you recommend? Or am I stuck with my super long eyelashes and carrying my 224 brush everywhere I go?

Thanks!
Amanda

Hi Amanda,

Thanks so much. The mascara smudges right below your brows are a result of oily eyelids. I’m sure there are a lot of women reading this and wishing they had your "issue," LOL.  As the day progresses, your eyelids begin to produce more oils and your lashes are smudging on the lid because oils break down and melt makeup. I say you stick with your preferred waterproof mascara and try applying a mattyfying cream to your T-zone and also to the area around the brows. I like Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel by Peter Thomas Roth.  Follow with a dab of oil-free concealer or foundation and then seal the deal with a translucent setting powder. Instead of using a brush to apply the powder, use a damp sponge and press it onto the skin. Sweep away the access powder with a clean blending brush. Try Luminous Translucent Loose Powder by Motives Cosmetics. This technique will help with creating a barrier between oily skin and mascara. If your skin and mascara are both dry to the touch, there will be no more mess!  

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

- Comparison View - E.l.f (regular & mineral) and Urban Decay Primers -

Hey, girls, how are you today? :P I know I'm sad that winter came, as the weather rea-hee-ly sucks! :D

Anyways, today I wanted to talk to you about the difference between the Elf primers, the regular one and the mineral one, as I got a couple of questions regarding this matter, on my email. So I wanted to clear some of them out by showing you my overview of the products and how they have worked for me...

~ Sitting on my Princess and the Frog cushion :D ~

This is how they look like, you can see them in the picture from up above. The slimmer one at the lower end is the regular primer (or eyelid primer) from the essentials line, and the normal tube is the mineral eyeshadow primer. I don't have the original packaging of either one of them, but this is how they look like in their original wrappers:

You actually tend to believe that the mineral one has more product inside, when it's actually the opposite. Of course, there's no noticeable difference, as the Eyelid Primer has 0.17 fl.oz (5 ml) and the Mineral Eyeshadow primer has 0.15 fl.oz (4,5 ml).

The wands look exactly the same and they have the exact same scent, I would say extremely similar to the Urban Decay Primer Potion. The colors differ a little, though, as the normal one is lighter than the mineral primer. Again, not a very big difference.

Even so, I was able to see the color difference when applied to the lid. While the mineral one disappears at blending, leaving a smooth, hydrated lid behind, the normal one tends to act like a sheer concealer, making your lids more uniform, creating a powdery finish. The eyeshadow pigmentation does not seem to be different or changed when applied over any of them.

Since I've mentioned the Urban Decay primer, I will do a comparison with this one also. 

Of course, everyone is aware of the popularity of the UD potion, but I will add that after applying eyeshadow over all three primers, I discovered there is no big difference between the intensity, maybe just a little bit more intense on the Urban Decay side. 

As far as creasing is concerned, for my slightly oily lids, the regular Elf primer is not very good. It depends on the eyeshadows too, but for me, it does crease after a few hours. Instead, I would highly recommend the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer as a dupe for the UD Potion, in every way!

And since I received some questions about the "Sin" primer from U D, I will talk about this one also.

Actually, as I have said in a previous post about my current favorite makeup items (here), this is a product that I highly recommend to anyone with oily lids, whose makeup needs to last more than 8 hours. And trust me, it really does its job!

The wand is bent, just like for the normal one, but this one has a very shimmery, golden/champagne finish. When added to the lid, you have to be careful to blend it out immediately, as it tends to dry very fast. This is perfect for transforming any matte e/s into a shimmery one, but it can be worn on itself on the eyes, as a shimmery eyeshadow. And it does last on your eyes the entire day!

~ Swatch made on the back of the hand ~

~ Blended on the back of my hand ~

~ With some matte colors from the 120 palette, on top ~

Overall, I have to say that for their price, the Elf primers do their job really well, even though I do like the mineral one better and I recommend it to anyone, as well as the "Sin" from Urban Decay, to the ones who haven't tried it yet.

Disclaimer: I received these products for free, it's true, but I have won them all in different contests and makeup giveaways or been gifted to me, so my opinion is not at all biased, as I am not getting paid to review them. This is all my honest opinion and overview after having tried them for a longer period of time.

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by!

XoxO,

~ alexandrazeres@yahoo.com ~

Felix Rey Friends & Family

As a special gift to friends, family and fans, enjoy 20% off of your entire purchase made on felixrey.com from now until Friday, December 3, 2010. Simply enter the code CYBER20 at check out.

TEMPTU Friends & Family Deal

Take 25% off purchases at temptu.com, now through December 4, 2010. Enter FLAWLESS25 at checkout to redeem.

Cyber Monday Savings at Tarte Cosmetics

Take 30% off regular merchandise and 15% off limited-edition holiday items at tarte.com. Orders of $25 and up receive free shipping and a free charcoal emphasEYES pencil! Enter code CYBERMON at checkout. Valid only today, 11/29/10.

Gayatri Oberoi's Beauty Secrets (Vogue India)

I feel beautiful when: I have my husband and happy children around me.

Beauty must-haves: Moisturizer and sunscreen. I use Neutrogena Helioplex Ultra Sheer Sunblock SPF 55 and Origins Youthopia Moisturizer.

One thing I just can’t do without is: My eyelash curler.

‘Get glamorous’ tip Smoky eyes: Eyeliner or kohl pencil under your eyes—smudged slightly for a smoky effect—and a hint of lip gloss will make you feel instantly glamorous.

Vanity bag essentials: For lips I like a natural look, I don’t wear dramatic colors. I love Clinique Lipsticks in Perfect Beige and Blushing Nude. For my face, I use M.A.C Studio Fix. I also use a M.A.C Eye Kohl for my eyes in a brown or black, and a pink or peach blush by Bobbi Brown or M.A.C And my eyelash curler!

Day and night looks: For the day, I put on M.A.C Studio Fix and pink or peach lipstick. I prefer a very simple, ‘no make-up’ look—no eyeshadow, just a brown eye pencil. At night, I like to go a little darker on my eyes. I’ll use an eyeliner or kohl pencil and maybe a glossy lipstick. If I’m wearing a really plain outfit, I’ll do smoky eyes, or if I’m wearing something more traditional I’ll apply some eyeshadow and make my eyes more defined.  

Beauty rituals: I keep my face clean at all times and I get facials once a month. The best rule to follow is, the less you do to your face the better—I just clean and wash it. I use Origins Never A Dull Moment brightening cleanser and foaming face wash. And I use their Origins Youthopia Moisturizer in the day and Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Cream at night. Sleep is most important, if I don’t get enough sleep it shows on my face.

Home recipe: I’ve grown up putting besan on my face, which is why I’m probably reaping the benefits now at an older age. My mother gave me a mixture of besan, turmeric and malai for eight to10 years,a nd that’s one ritual that I followed religiously. I don’t do it anymore though, now it’s more important to eat well and have healthy living habits.

Tress Talk: I try and oil my hair with coconut or extra virgin olive oil once every couple of weeks. I really enjoy the L’Oreal hair spa treatments because they really moisturize and hydrate your hair. If I’m not going out, I won’t blow dry my hair, I’ll just let it be.

Fitness regime: I work out three times a week with Zareen Watson. Her work outs work best for me.  Each session is for around 60 to 80 minutes comprising of a mix of cardio and toning.

Heaven scent: White Linen by Estée Lauder for the day, and Hermès Kelly Caleche at night.

Beauty icons: Madonna. I think she looks beautiful.  Beauty philosophy If a person is happy from within, that is reflected on the face and the body and in the mind. Happiness gives you a very unique beauty, it’s real beauty.  

Holiday destination: My husband and I love Paris in the winters and skiing in St Moritz. In summer, it’s Italy.

Spa favorites: I love a deep tissue massage. The best spa treatments have been at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritus, and One & Only Reethi Rah Spa in the Maldives.

Favourite designers: Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Roberto Cavalli, Marchesa and Valentino. I like Chanel for accessories and Christain Louboutin for shoes.

Get to Know: Napoleon Perdis

Note: I'll start getting holiday posts soon enough...this week I'm going to introduce you to some brands!

Like you, I am always on the lookout for new beauty products and companies to try out.  Lately, I've been seeing fun looking products from Napoleon Perdis at my local Ulta and I was lucky enough to get some samples from the company to try out.

A little background first: Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics comes from Australia and the company bears the name of a self-taught makeup from Sydney who's come to LA to work his magic.  Napoleon believes that applying makeup should not be difficult--his goal is to demystify the process and to transform runway and red carpet looks to reality. Nice goal!  Napoleon further believes that makeup should enhance your natural look--not alter the real you.

The Napoleon Perdis line includes everything you need to get a full face of makeup.  Here are three of my faves:

• Palette Patrol, $15: This is a great product to introduce yourself to NP...and I personally love a good palette!  This one includes three eyeshadows, three lipglosses, a bronzer, brush, and mini-applicator inside a mirrored box.  The shades are ideal for daytime and the compact packaging is great for us gals on the go!
• Eyebrow Pencil, $18: A brow pencil is a beauty essential, but it's one that's easy to overlook.  I like the NP brow pencil because it has a great texture.  It's easy to use (a light touch is all you need) and it really fills in thin areas in a snap.  A finished brow makes a look that much better, and a good brow pencil like this can really do the trick!
• Auto-Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer, $39: This is a bit pricey, but most good primers seem to put a dent in your wallet!  A little goes a long way, so a tube should last you a while.  This is a lightweight primer that glides on effortlessly.  It helps to even out both skin tone and surface, making foundation application easier and better.  This is one of NP's top selling products for a reason!

Napoleon Perdis products are available at Ulta, online, and at Target (where they have a nice line of NP body products I have yet to try out).

LOOK: Midnight Blue and Gold Holiday makeup

 It's all about shimmers, glitters and everything fun this Holiday season! I will be doing a series of Holiday makeup using fun and festive colors. This Midnight Blue and Gold makeup look will be my first one. It was requested by one my viewers on youtube. She requested a look that wasn't too Christmas-y but still pretty and festive enough to be worn on any Holiday event. I did a shimmery dark blue with gold on the inner corners of the eyes which gives a nice highlight with  peach cheeks and nude lips. It's dramatic, pretty and perfect for any night time occasion. I hope you guys like it!

My gosh, I love this top but it makes me look boobless!!! haha ^_^

 

I used all NYX cosmetics eye shadows. It was love at first swatch with Frosted Ocean. It was just the prettiest dark blue e/s with lots of shimmers!
Frosted Ocean, Blondie, Yellow Marigold, Highlight

Makeup

eyes:

-NYX eye base in skintone
-Mac Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in medium deep
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-NYX e/s in Brown
-NYX e/s in Frosted Ocean
-NYX e/s in Blondie
-NYX e/s in Yellow Marigold
-NYX Dolle Eye mascara in black
-Sonia Kashuk gel liner in black
-Select flase lashes


face:
-Revlon Color Stay foundation in Golden Caramel
-Almay Line Smoothing concealer in medium
-Dermablend  Setting Powder

cheeks:

-Avon Smooth Minerals in Hearty Peach
-Milani Mosaic bronzer in Afterglow

lips:

-Yes To Carrots lip butter in Melon
-Wet and Wild lip liner in Willow
-Rimmel London Moisture Renew lipstick in Spotlight Beige










Watch my video tutorial on how I did this look ^_^





    














"No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly" -Oscar Wilde