MILANI ROSE POWDER BRUSH

Welcome back and it's mid-week hooray!

Today we are going to look at the Milani rose blushes, but first let me start by saying a few years back I was never into blusher. It was unheard of to see me wearing it ever. I always thought that perhaps it gave that clown appearance, so I often steered clear of it. Flash forward to now and I have come to really enjoy it now that I have found one that works best for me, but that did not come without trial and error. I have used many including high-end, cream, shimmer, wet, you name it.

I first started with a lower end blush which was New York Colour. I found the colour was ok, quite chalky and a little too gentle in terms of pigmentation. I started hearing about Milani products from watching YouTube and so I ventured to find some. The first few I bought were the baked blushes which were so pretty in the package I bought several. However as I was using them I was noticing that because they have shimmer they were strongly emphasising the damaged, scarred skin in my cheek area from previously dealing with severe acne. Even, though Luminoso was considered a cult favourite in this line I wasn't  into it for long even though it is an amazing colour. So here I sat with these multiple baked blushes that felt useless to me and my skin type. So now what? Then I thought ok! now I remember why I never used blusher in the first place and I thought I would just go back to not using it at all. Then Milani released some limited edition blushes which are the rose powder blush. I saw them and firstly thought wow what a gorgeous idea of the blush looking like a rose bloom, I wanted them just for that reason. Then I started reading reviews, watching YouTube and seeing swatches and I thought well they are matte so maybe I should give these a try. I bought the three colours I found available to me and when I received them I gravitated to one particular shade which is 01 Romantic Rose. I knew as soon as I saw the blusher in person that this was going to be my perfect colour, and I am happy to say it is. I have not worn the other two yet because I just can't stop reaching for Romantic Rose.

So, sometimes it can take months or in my case dozens of blushes and two full years to discover what was right for me. Be patient with makeup as it takes the time to curate the perfect collection of go-to items that work for daily life. However, once you do you will be happier with your buying choices and will know you're looking great each day you walk out that door.

01 ROMANTIC ROSE 
EDITORS #1 PICK 

A gorgeous nude mauve/pink blush that just creates that perfect contrast on the cheeks without looking artificial. My all-time favourite blush ever. Pantone colour match to 5005 C

05 CORAL COVE
As the name suggests a bright summer poppin' coral shade that has a strong tropical orange tone to it. This blush can really pack a punch, so apply with a gentle hand. Pantone colour match to 171 M

The colour in the pan did not translate as orange in the photo as it is in person

08 TEA ROSE
Tea Rose is more pink on the skin depending on your skin tone, but it is quite a peachy pink in the pan. Pantone colour match to 673 C

I find this formula really easy to work with also it blends out really well, and no streaks or harsh lines. I like Romantic Rose because it's such a forgiving colour especially if you have damaged skin in the cheek area. I find using the Make Up For Ever 156 brush to apply this blush is a perfect marriage.

YOU GET A SUPER GENEROUS 17G FOR $8 CAD

All three shades originally came out over the past couple of years as part of limited edition collections. It seems Milani narrowed it down to these three shades being worthy of coming out in the permanent collection at the end of 2014. I was able to get the rose blushes through Well.ca, the link is in the side bar or visit the Milani website. 

WHICH BLUSH DO YOU PREFER THE BAKED BLUSHES OR THE MATTE ROSE FORMULA?

I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY :)

NO BUY NOVEMBER PART2 EYE PRODUCTS

Hi all,


 Continuing on with the "No Buy November" this is week 2 which is focusing on eye products. I will try to make my round up quick as I have quite a few items that I wanted to share. For those that know me well enough I am obsessed with eye shadows and eye makeup in general next to lip products. I believe we truly speak with our eyes first, so it's important to emphasis that feature.

So here we go.

First up is one of the quads from Sedona Lace's "Babe collection."  I won the entire collection a few months back and I still am as impressed now as I was the day I got them. If you have never given these shadows a try, it is a must. Also they come in a clever compact that allows you to pop each colour out to customize a quad to your liking for work and/or travel, also a perfect size mirror in every compact.

Each quad has a girl's name and this is Suzanne

 

You can get all 5 quads for $49.95 or if you have a favourite they can be purchased for $12.95 each.

 

Next is Avon's eyeshadow primer which only came in light beige and a medium beige, but it seems this product is no longer available in the U.S and in Canada is only available in light beige:/. However the product does an excellent job covering any darkness, redness or lines and veins within the eyelid area. I have heard this compared on YouTube to Urban Decay's shadow primer, but I can't say if it holds true as I don't own any UD products at this time. I own both Avon shades and the darker one is for the summer months when I am tanned.

You get 3.5g for $8

 

 

 

Next on my list is Hard Candy Glamoflauge which is a heavy duty concealer and I have been using this for about a year, but took a little break to test out other waters. I find because it is quite thick you need very little and its not the best to wear in the summer. However it does provide excellent coverage. Its very inexpensive at about $5 a tube and you get tons of product that will last you for a very long time.

 

 

 

Revlon colorstay liquid eye pen (BLACKEST BLACK) is one of the best liquid eyeliners I have used, especially if your a girl who loves your winged look. Also this does not move, it stays in place till the moment you go to remove it at days end. You can also do a fine line or a very thick bold line.

 

This product glides on fairly nice with little to no drag and can be purchased for about $9

 

One of my fave jumbo type eye pencils is from Rimmel, which is the ScandalEyes eye pencil stick in the insanely pigmented colour 005 TEMPTING TURQUOISE. This definitely makes any eyes stand out and works well with my brown eyes because brown and blue are very complimentary to one another.

 

 

 

Another amazing product is from PAUL & JOE which is their dual ended eye and lip gloss, but the focus for the moment is on the eye gloss portion. Yes you read it right "eye gloss" comes in a tube with a sponge tip applicator and applied to the lid and seems pretty wet. However it dries very quick and the finish is so beautiful, feminine and leaves a soft pink foil look to the eye and really makes them wow worthy. I have been asked many times what I have on my eyes every time I wear this product. I was sent this from PR back in the early summer, but would surely hand over the $34 if I ran out, however this was a limited edition item, so I guess I am out of luck.

 

I tried to find the name of the colour on the tube and there is nothing on it, however I have reviewed this item before, so feel free to check out my previous post.

 

Next two items are both from Maybelline and that is the Color Tattoo 24Hr eyeshadow, but this is the Limited Edition "Waves of White" which I had quite the time tracking down back in the summer. Ah no less I did get it and it is amazing. This is white that has a reflex of colour depending on the light, it can go from a blue to a pink to purple. I have seen this used over top of black eye shadow and it is pretty mind blowing the results, especially if you love all out dramatic eyes.

 

 

to further my obsession with light catching eyeshadow and/or pigments the next item is the Color Tattoo pure pigment in BARELY BRAZEN. As soon as these pigments released I purchased 8 of the 11 colours and to me this one is a sure favourite. It is a stunning pink/rose gold colour that catches the light beautifully and really amps up any eye look or can be used for incredible accents on top of the brow bone or in the corner of the eye to create that glow and lightness.

 

 

and I thought I would save the unsung hero for last. I truly believe that this palette released by Sephora + Pantone Universe did not get nearly enough recognition as it should have. This is truly a diamond in the rough. This amazing palette is called the "Precious Metals" and offers up a staggering 35 shadows and a giant mirror to boot. The packing is equally beautiful and very slim and can be slipped into an overnight bag with endless possibilities. I did not swatch any of these but you can also check out a previous review I did on this palette as well. Here are a couple of shots of the palette in all its splendor. Sephora and Pantone have been bringing out some amazing collab projects and I highly recommend checking out what ever they release for the Holiday2013-14 because I am sure it will be worth every penny.

 

The two colours shown here are L2R: Muted Clay & Dusty Pink

 

Lots of colour options under one lid and I luckly caught this baby on Mother's Day week end on clearance at Sephora for $30 (SCORE)

 

One last eye item, I thought I would mention a brush. I have had this brush forever and It was part of a set. I have no idea who makes it or even where I got the set from, but it has been a long long time favorite for blending out my shadows and I will be said when "Old Faithful" finally kicks the bucket.

 

 

Thank you all for reading this very long blog post on favourite eye products I have rediscovered hanging around in my forever growing stash.

 

HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING IN YOUR STASH LATELY THAT YOUR EXCITED AGAIN TO BE USING THAT ARE EYE PRODUCTS???

 

Till we meet again

 

STAY BEAUTIFUL XO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEPHORA+ PANTONE METALLICS PALETTE, OPI, SPARITUAL NAIL POLISH

So today's products are items I purchased as part of my Mother's Day shopping spree.

I went in to Sephora with the intent on purchasing the Sephora MoonBaked palette called IN THE NUDE.

However you can plan all you want you know when you set foot in a store like Sephora that goes right out the window. I do still plan to purchase this at a later time because the colours are beautiful and the colour payoff is amazing. I tried it out in the store and to me even though its a fairly small palette it's well worth $31.
There are two other palettes in this line called "In the Night" and "In the dark" which are also extremely nice but a lot richer darker tones, but I may have to sneak those into my purchase as well.

So moving on the sales girl decided to show me a palette that was on sale. I would have never noticed it based on it's placement on the sales floor, but I am glad she pointed it out. This palette is beyond awesome it is Sephora's collaboration with Pantone Universe and its called  PRECIOUS METALS SHADOW PALETTE. This palette includes 35 eye shadow shades inspired by Pantone’s 2013 Plus Series Metallic Book which is on sale on the Pantone site for $79. This special edition palette was released for Holiday 2012.

From left: Chestnut, Rawhide, Brushed Nickel & Purple Gumdrop

If you want a great starting point for a neutral palette this would be it. There is a lot to choose from and a good range of finishes for every taste. The packaging is sleek and about the size of a ipad. Every colour has it's own name unlike previous releases from Sephora which were only number's. There is a list of the colours on the bottom of the palette as well as on the back of the box it comes in. Three things I really like about the palette packaging is the brushed bronze lid which no finger prints show on it, it magnetically closes and has a huge mirror the same size as the palette itself. It's like a portable makeup station on the go.

I swatched a few of the colours so you can all see the incredible colour payoff. The colours apply velvety smooth and seem to be very buildable and blendable and that's all pluses in my books.

The other thing that is a bonus is knowing that this palette was manufactured here in Canada so I am confident quality control is at its best.
Amazingly I got this palette which again offers up 35 gorgeous colours for $33 that's a total of 41.67g of eyeshadow goodness.

I also purchased two nail polishes the first is Sephora by Opi and the colour is called S-AGE IS JUST A NUMBER this colour is duochrome and a appears green and flashes gold in the light. This reminds me a lot of the new Revlon Chroma Chameleon polishes in the colour "Gold."However  I love opi and the great colours they offer so I prefer to stick with what I love. 15ml/.5fl oz for $12.00

The other polish is by SpaRitual and its a stunning rose gold shimmer called SUN SALUTATION. Now that summer is close at hand I am in full gear for buying golds, bronze, copper and anything else that makes for a total golden glow.

Also as per the Sephora's website these are the multi benefits to using SpaRitual polishes as well

"SpaRitual lacquers are vegan and free of toluene, fomaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and DBP. SpaRitual does not test on animals or use animal by-products in any formulations."

So that being said I don't mind paying $12.50 for a harmless product. There are 30 colours on Sephora's website for this line, however there are only about 10 to choose from at the location I went to. SpaRitual doesn't have a huge range but what they do offer is a feast for the eye's and nails and I look forward to trying more from them. To me they offer the ultimate in sexy for nails.

I have really fallen in love with bright orange this year and this next item is part of Sephora's private label it's one of their Ultra Shine glosses in the colour GOLDEN EMBRACE.

This is actually my first time purchasing from the Sephora line and I have to admit I am pretty impressed, they have a lot under their belt in terms of product and color range. There quality seems very good and on par with other brands and there packaging is quality. This lip gloss tube is a very solid acrylic with a simple but pleasing design element. I love that you can get a good clear view of the product in the tube and there is no guessing game. The applicator is a flexible flat tip and gives fast full coverage.

There is .118fl oz/3.5ml of product and the regular price in this line is $18 Cad, but I scored this one for $3.

Sephora is by far one of my favorite stores and the staff are very helpful.

They also offer a points program which is a delight for regular makeup shoppers. They also have one of the most extensive perfume/cologne lines I have ever seen under one roof.

Stop by a Sephora near you or shop on line now at

www.sephora.com/ca

Once again thanks for reading and come by often to MakeUp'Asylum

STAY BEAUTIFUL