Tag: bronzer

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

I’m pretty sure Hourglass Ambient Powders hit the beauty blogger / beauty editor world with an epic splash (don’t miss the review here). A little beauty blogger meet-up this last September in New York City (hi, Maree!) actually consisted of about 15 minutes of love for this revolutionary face powder / highlighter / bronzer / blush. I think we all issued a collective gasp when hourglass announced they were releasing a limited edition palette with two shades of their ambient powder along with a new limited edition Incandescent Light.

LORAC PRO To Go Eye/Cheek Palette

I snagged this little gem in a gift bag at NYFW and never could imagine how much I would come to cherish my LORAC PRO To Go Eye/Cheek Palette! While I had my eye on the LORAC Pro Palette for months, I actually am more thrilled with this travel friendly and nimble version.

Not only does it have everything you need for loads of looks. The LORAC PRO To Go Eye/Cheek does it well. Powders are finely milled, blendable, natural-looking and long-lasting. Plus the packaging is well made. The sturdy exterior solidly closes via magnet. The included brushes, one small eyeshadow and one eyeliner/brow, are high quality albeit a little short.

On the eye side, there are two rows of three shadows – one matte and one shimmer. The base shades are generously sized. A matte black works perfectly as a liner. And the darker brown works well on my brows. On the cheek side, three wearable shades are nicely spaced with large wells of pigment. The coral has a little bit of shimmer. Pink is decidedly cooler and on the matte side. And the bronzer is perfect for contouring with its matte finish and rich pigment.

Specifically designed by Lorac Creator Carol Shaw to keep celebrity clients looking fabulous, I love this for regular folks just like us. It is an amazing value at $38. Available at Sephora.

Mai Couture Highlighter and Blush Papiers

Trolling the beauty section of Neiman Marcus not long ago, I came across these little delicate papers. I thought they were oil blotting papers, but in actuality they were that and much much more. Mai Couture has been in the back of my mind ever since. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when I got a chance to try out some of their latest launches. They have some new shades and sets for the fall beyond their basic foundation and oil-blotting offerings. I’ve been testing them out and am so impressed by their unique approach and travel-friendly packaging.

Crystal Cove Highlighter Papier is a new shade of highlighter and my new favorite way to amp up the glow on the go. You can even use it on the body – perfect for on your shins and collar bones pre-cocktail event. Just lightly press the colored side of the paper to desired areas (I like cheekbones, chins, cupid’s bow, nose and brows). The formula comes off surprisingly evenly and each sheet tears easily and cleanly.

Studio City and Montecito Blush Papier work in a similar way. At first I was concerned about the precision required for blush. But using your hands opposite the colored side of the paper gives the perfect, smudgy (in a good way) rosiness. I love how it layers with the highlighting papers and the formula is paraben and talc free. The Studio City shade is my favorite – radiant without too much drama. Apply using a semi-circular motion on your apples. There is plenty of pigment on each sheet should you want to double up for more depth.

Like A Diamond Trio Pack is a brilliant collection, perfect for a long trip or a girl constantly on the go. Can you imagine bronzer, highlighter and blush all in a little credit card sized package? This pack contains:

Highlighter in “Crystal Cove”
Blush in “Sunset Blvd.”
Blush in “Studio City”

One sheet is enough for a single application so you get 20 days of makeup out of this collection. Start with a mattifying bronzer, follow with a blush around the apples of your cheeks and then highlight as desired. I feel like this just screams honeymoon or European vacation. A similar product, Mai Couture Glow-geous Trio, has been on my wish list at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom for ages.

Mai Couture’s retailers include Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Beauty.com. Fall launches should be available around October at these retailers but you can find them now at MaiCouture.com.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Summer Favorites From Jouer Cosmetics

Oh how I’ve had a love affair with Jouer. Way back in the early days of the blog – almost two and a half years ago – I sung the praises of Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint thanks to an intro by Birchbox. I was hooked and quickly added The Weekender Collection and the Mini Tinted Lip Enhancers Kit to my collection. I’m so glad to have this classic and modern cosmetics line back on the blog today with some of my favorites from their summer collection.

First up, Jouer Mattifying Powder Bronzer, is the perfect matte bronze for contouring. The formula leaves a smooth and blended matte finish while never looking cakey or dry. The formula contains Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract and Aloe Vera to help improve skin’s texture while you wear it.

My summer lip of choice these days is a lipstick/balm blend: Jouer Lip Sheers. I love that the formula contains SPF 15 to keep me protected. And this balm has an unusually high level of hydration. My lips get just the touch of color I crave in the summer, not to mention are adequately moisturized without looking flaky. My favorite shades are Antigua (Sheer Honey Peach with very little rosiness) and Maui (a pinkier nude).

bareMinerals The Power Neutrals

I’m going to apologize in advance for my enthusiasm and euphoria because this new collection from bareMinerals has me quite excited. I’m a huge fan of neutrals – it is how I wear my makeup every day. And this five piece collection captured neutrals in the most perfect and modern way.

I’ve long been a fan of the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow formula packed with minerals, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine, and cucumber to improve the look of your eye area while you wear color – genius! But it is with this eight shade palette that I’ve really fallen. The balance between matte and shimmer is just about perfect. The matte green, Moneymaker, is a surprising new favorite with lots of pigment. And the peachy shimmer top left, Boss Lady, is the perfect brow bone highlighter. I’ve been blending and mixing it up with all shades and have found so much variety in looks!

The READY Color Boost The Adrenaline Rush is also packed with nourishing ingredients to make for a flawless wear. I’ve been swirling all three colors together for a subtle flush. You can use a smaller brush if you’d like to use the shades for contouring, but I prefer the natural blending of a brush swirl. Lara had another fabulous idea – use this palette on your eyes!

I’ve been wearing Marvelous Moxie Lipstick In Take Charge kind of like a lip balm – it is that easy to wear and amazing nourishing. The Nude Rose color gives just enough color while still finishing with that creamy satin. A moisture-loaded complex is keeping my “always dry lips” looking better with every wear. And vitamin A, C and E provide that oh so important in the summer antioxidant defense.

While I love Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Game Changer for my on air segments, Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Super Power is the one I am turning to for every day. The soft peachy nude has just enough shine with a super smooth finish and minty fragrance. Naturally-derived Shea, Avocado and Murumuru butters help to deeply hydrate. PS – it looks amazing over Marvelous Moxie Lipstick In Take Charge.

I keep grabbing for my Lash Domination 10-In-1 Volumizing Mascara. While I have lots of voluminizing mascaras in my arsenal, I love the way this wand has unique spiraled bristles that curve around the wand, covering each lash at all angles with color. It is easy to use and doesn’t take a lot of maneuvering to get great and even coverage. I’ve been locking in the mascara with Locked & Coated Waterproof Lash Topcoat, making it slightly harder to remove. But I’ll take it with its super powered lasting ability even during long days at the pool. What a brilliant idea! Mascara topcoat!

Honestly, all five items in this collection are on my list of winners for the season. If I had to pick one, I’d go for the eyeshadow. While it looks similar to Urban Decay NAKED2, I like the slightly more adventurous shades. Plus, the size is a little more nimble for me. If you are a nude lip fan, don’t miss this Marvelous Moxie duo.

Available at bareMinerals.com, Sephora, and Nordstrom

Favorite Summer Finds From The Drugstore

Beauty doesn’t have to be budget busting! Here are some favorite things I’ve found either in the drugstore aisles over the past couple of weeks.

gud, a line of natural products from Burt’s Bees has long been a favorite. I love natural products at such a great price point. One thing they do particularly well is Natural Body Wash in Vanilla Flame and Ruby Red Groovy. I am huge lover of vanilla scents and this one is balanced and not too sweet. I also love rotating in Ruby Red Groovy with its zesty and energizing notes of grapefruit and mandarin. The formulas are packed with hydrating Sunflower Seed Oil, Black Walnut Leaf Extract and Raspberry Leaf extract. Not tested on animals.

I adore spray sunscreens (just remember to heavily cover the area you need to protect). The newest from Coppertone is perfect for those “so hot you can’t get out of the pool for more than two minutes” kind of days. Coppertone Wet ‘n Clear Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 45 has great a great SPF factor and cuts through water while also being water resistant, making it perfect to apply to wet skin. I also love that it doesn’t leave a white cast – it is perfectly clear.

I picked up the CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss on a whim and they are literally one of my new most favorite things. Always a sucker for something fruit (a la lip smackers), these guys have a great flavor. I selected up Watermelon Splash and Guave Splash on a recent CVS trip (right now, CVS has CoverGirl buy 1, get one 50% off). But not only is the flavor great… but the actually lip balm is a winner. Not too sticky but packed with shine. It also conditions with botanical ingredients.

Always searching for a multi-tasker, I was smitten with the IMAN Bronzing Powder in Afterglow. This trio can be worn as a bronzer or a blush. I’ve found when I mix all three colors it is a dark and rosy bronzer. It is pretty dramatic on my medium toned skin, but I love it for when I really want to bronze it up. And it would be stunning on those with darker skin tones. It has a sheer and radiant finish.

The Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener is all over magazines lately and I just had to get my paws on one of em. I always wear black eyeliner, but with the casual summer days and nights, I wanted something a little more playful. I was so tempted to go with Blue Nile, but to bring out my green in my eyes, I selected Purple Reign. The light end works great on my lower water line to brighten eyes. And the regal gives my hazel eyes a sparkle. The pencil is soft and applies easily and I get a day of wear time out of the liner.