MAC Temperature Rising Collection 2013

I have watched so many You tube Videos where people showed their Mac Temperature rising goodies.

I walked past the Mac store in Gateway Mall Umhlanga Rocks and they had a display outside the store where makeovers where being done using products from the collection.

So if you are in the vicinity of a Mac store, go and check it out and let me know what you think of the collection.

   

Essence 2013 Oz The Great and Powerful Collection

I always wait in anticipation to see what Essence next collection will be.  Just like lots of people can't wait for Mac's new collections.  Its no secret that I like Essence as a brand.  

From the picture of the collection below I only picked up two things: The Highlighter Powder and the Cream blush.

The reason I picked up the Highlighter Powder was because the last highligher Essence released from the Twilight range was awesome and has become my everyday HG highlighter.  This powder has a good look to it (the embossing on the powder).  Makes me not want to mess the embossing.  Anyhoo, its a very smooth powder and I can actually use it as a setting powder instead as sadly there is no highlighting effect as all. 

The cream blush I have not used yet.  I guess I am scared because I have never tried a cream bush before and I want to experiments on the best way to apply it and not look like a clown.  Not sure if I am going to keep it or pass it onto a friend but I love the shade.

Here are swatches of the Cracked nail polishes;

 V.l.n.r 02 Winds of Change, 01 Master of Illusion

More swatches from the collection:

V.l.n.r. Cream Blush 01 Beware the wicked witch, Lipbalm 01 Glinda the good, Eyepencil 01 Fragile but feisty, Eyeshadow 01 Goodness

All pictures where taken from google.

Cant wait for the next Essence collection.

XOXO

Revlon Photoready Review & Shade Matching Chart

Hi There

About two years ago I received a sample of Revlon Photoready foundation in a magazine and I tried it out.  I quiet liked it.  Last year I was offered a makeover at a Revlon counter and the makeup artist used this foundation on me.  I read lots of reviews where people said that it had glitter chunks in it and makes their face look like disco ball..  Well that does not show on me and I have received compliments while wearing it. I use it alone on most days as I love the finish of it on my skin. It is also a great mixing foundation  to mix with another foundations that is too thick and cakey.  It seems to balance it out and gives a nice finish to the skin. I was sad when I tried to pump some out last week and realized there was none left and that I used up the whole bottle.  

I am in between an NC25 and N30.  I am currently using 008 Golden Beige, but now that we are in winter, I can definitely try a shade lighter in Photoready as well as in Colorstay.  I have mixed my Photoready with Colorstay when I need more coverage with very good results.  I have also mixed it with Clarins Everlasting Foundation.  I use it alone when I do not need full on coverage which is most days.  It has decent staying power and looks nice after being set with a powder.  It gives my skin a healthy look and evens out my skin-tone with no cakiness whatsoever. It is also build-able from a medium coverage to a fuller medium coverage, if that makes any sense. Best of all, it comes with a nice pump!  I will definitely repurchase.

Below is a Revlon  Photoready Shade Maching Chart created by Miss Wan ( http://fashionismycrush.blogspot.com/2010/01/revlon-photoready-foundation-shade.html )  She is a Youtube Guru who I follow religiously.  Her online name is fashionismycrush.  The shade matching chart was created by her after she did her research.  Please follow the link above to her blogpost to see how she collated the data for the chart.  Also, if you subscribe to her You tube channel, you will not be sorry.  It also helps that she is wears the same shade / tones as me.

Bear in mind where you fall in terms of your own MAC shade. For example, you may be in the lighter or darker end of the spectrum in NC35. Some tips on using the chart above:
- This chart was created as a guide, please use it as a reference point.
- Your undertone (either pink or yellow) will play a major role in shade determination.
- The Revlon Photoready shades do NOT correspond to the Revlon Colorstay shades.
- 006 Medium Beige is darker than 008 Golden Beige.
- NC20 & NW20 are overwhelmingly 003 Shell.
- There is a alternate pattern as the shade numbers increase moving from pink to yellow, pink to yellow.
- 006 & 008 can be mixed to create shades NC30 - NC37.
- Some shades (very light/very dark) may not be available in your area.
- Word on the street is darker shades such as Caramel & Mocha are available.
- Always feel free to mix shades to create your perfect shade.

I hope this post has been helpful. Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have tried this foundation.  I know hat some people tend to love it and some people tend to dislike it.  Different strokes for different folks! lol

XOXO

MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Revlon Colorstay Foundation Color Chart

In all my years of wearing foundation, I had never tried Revlon Colorstay foundation.  Now I know, that If I know my shade in Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, I can google my corresponding shade in Revlon or any other brand I want to try out.  I also stumbled upon a Revlon Colorstay and Mac Studio Fix Fluid shade matching chart which helps tremendously.

Mac SFF foundation is expensive and Revlon is said to be a cheaper alternative, I hope the chart below will help in choosing the correct shade.  Please not that this color chart does NOT apply to Revlon's PhotoReady Foundation!

I found this chart on google and has been posted on a quite a few sites.

Revlon Colorstay vs MAC Studio Fix Fluid - Colour Chart:-

Ivory: NW15/NC15 (lightest shade of the ranges)
Buff: NC20 (best match for fair NCs)
Sand Beige: NC20-25 (with somewhat neutral undertones)
Nude: NC25 (with peachy undertones, definitely not for pinks or true goldens)
Natural Beige: NW20 (tends to run pink)
Medium Beige: NC27 (between Sand Beige & Golden Beige)
Fresh Beige: NW25 (with pinky undertones)
Golden Beige NC30 (with yellow/olive undertones)
Warm Golden: NW30/NC30 (with somewhat neutral undertones)
True Beige: NW30 (with pinky undertones - for Fresh Beige in Summer)
Natural Tan: NC40/NC42 (more neutral than Golden Caramel)
Early Tan: NW35 (with somewhat peach undertones)
Rich Tan: NW35 (with pinkish undertones)
Golden Caramel: NC40/NC42 (more golden than Natural Tan)
Toast: NW43/NC45 (with neutral undertones)
Rich Ginger: NW45 (very peachy-pink)
Caramel: NC45
Cappucino: NC50 (slightly more peach than Caramel)
Mahogany: NW50/NC55 (the darkest of NWs, but not extremely peachy)
Mocha: NW55 (seems to be very cool toned)

This chart has been useful in helping my friends find a match in Revlon Colorstay once they know their Mac shades.  Also when I am at the drugstore and want to try a new foundation and there are no testers around or any Sales Assistants to help, I usually grab a bottle of Revlon Colorstay in Golden Beige (NC30) and use the colour in the bottle to match (use as a guide) against the foundation I am trying to get a match in.

Stay well.
XOXO

Choose Foundations Using The MAC Cosmetics Shade Guide

From experience I can tell you that finding the correct foundation shade can be difficult.  I have, in the past, ended up with the wrong foundation shade or wrong undertone.
After lots of research, last year I found out that I can choose the correct foundation and undertone just by knowing my MAC foundation shade.  There are a few websites or blogs that explain this as well.
I am NC30 in MAC terms.  This is my shade most of the year, I do tend to get slightly lighter in winter.
So I am going to try my best to explain what I have learnt just by knowing my MAC shade.

When getting color-matched at MAC, you could be told that you are one of the following :
C, NC, N, NW, and W.

Shade C  =  "Cool"
Match for : Yellow-Golden Olive Skin (warm undertone)

Shade NC  = "“Neutral Cool”
Match for  :  Golden Beige Skin  (Warm undertone)

Shade N  = “Neutral”
Match for : Beige Skin  (Mix between pink and yellow)

Shade NW =  “Neutral Warm”
Match for : Pink Beige Skin  (Cool undertone)

Shade  W  = “Warm”
Match for :  Pinkish Skin  (Cool undertone)

The number that follows the letter(s) denotes the depth of the shade. The higher the number, the deeper the color. For instance NW55 is a match for very dark pinkish beige skin, whereas NC20 would be a match for somewhat lighter, golden beige skin.

The problem that people have when understanding MAC shades is that MAC name their shades opposite to their meanings.   So this is what you need to remember:
NC is for a warm / yellow undertones yet NC stands for Neutral Cool.
NC = Not Cool --> therefore it is warm (yellow undertone)
NW is for cool / pink undertones yet NW stands for Neutral Warm.
NW = Not Warm --> therefore it is for cool (pink undertones)
Similarly C is for warm / yellow skin-tones and W is for cool / pink skin-tones.

MAC foundations like Studio fix Fluid are labeled with NC or NW coloring,  while foundation like Mac Face & Body is labeled C or N.  Matchmaster foundation follows a different numbering system.

Lots of people do not know their shade or undertone.  So even if you want to buy another foundation from another brand, it would be worth your while getting colour matched at a MAC counter first because then you will know your shade and undertone.  I always google a foundation shade against my MAC shade before I buy a foundation from a different brand. Eg.  in the search engine I would type "Revlon Colorstay Mac NC 30"  The results will come up as "008 Golden Beige".  I have bought a few foundations from other brands with the correct undertone and shade by using this method.  I also know which lines do not carry warm / yellow undertone foundations so that I know to stay away from them.

I hope that you found this useful like I did.  Please leave any questions you may have in the comments section below.

Thank you for reading
XOXO.

New Essence Products & BB Cream Review

All pictures where taken from google.

I must say that for a very affordable brand, Essence is really stepping up to the plate.

Look at how cute those makeup sponges are!  Those sponges in other brands are a bit pricey.

I saw every product in store except for the sponges, they must be arriving soon.

I did not pick up the either of the powders as I have the Catrice Loose Prime and Fine Powder as well as the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder which are going to last for a while.

I did pick up the Essence Match 2 Cover Concealer as I am almost out of my HG Elizabeth Arden Maximum Coverage Concealer which I absolutely adore and have purchased twice.  The Elizabeth Arden once is pricey considering it gets finished very quickly.  So I was hoping to try an affordable alternative.

The back of the packaging states :-

"Cream Concealer - high coverage of skin imperfections and dark circles. 2 shades to perfectly match your skin-tone"

So the idea is to mix the two in order to find the correct tone for you. I only purchased it a day ago and have not really used it on my skin or under eyes.  I did test it on my hand when I got home.  It's a little drier than I would like it to be, so It would be good for my blemishes but hopefully not too dry for my under-eye which is where I need concealer daily.  I think I may just need to warm the product between my fingers first then apply to the eye area.  My fingers are crossed that this works for me.

The Essence all-in-one BB Creams come in 3 shades : 01 Universal, 02 Natural & 03 Medium.

Universal has a yellow undertone and suites my Mac NC30 skin-tone well.

Natural has a Neutral undertone for fair skin-tones, suitable for pink undertones as well in my opinion.

Medium looks like it has a yellow undertone as well and is slightly darker than the first two shades

It has SPF30, is fragrance and oil free, dermatologist tested.  This was the reason I picked this up as my skin is super sensitive. I did wear this today and set it with mineral powder, so far so good. 

Other products being launched from Essence in 2013 are:-

Stay Matte Lip Cream

Velvet Rose (01)
Smooth Berry (02)
Soft Nude (03)
Silky Red (04)

3D Eyeshadow

Irresistble Green (01)
Irresistble Purrple (02)
Irresistble First Love (03)
Irresistble Caramel Cream (04)
Irresistble Blue Sky (05)
Irresistble Mermaid Kiss (06)
Irresistble Smokey Eye (07)
Irresistble Vanilla Latte (08)
Irresistble Chocolates (09)

Stays No Matter What Waterpoof Eye Pencil (In-store. I can kick myself for not picking this up)

Schwarz
Braun
Grau

Stays No Matter What Waterproof Eyeliner (in Store. I fail at putting these on my eyes, my hands are not steady. I always admire it on everyone else)

I ♥ Punk Jumbo Eyeliner Pen (In store)

Stays No Matter What 24h Waterproof Volume Mascara (in Store)

All Eyes on Me Waterproof Multi-Effect Mascara (In Store)

Maximum Length Mascara (in Store)

I ♥ Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara (in Store.  I love this mascara and have done a review already)

Gel Tint (Not in store yet.  I am dying to try these.  Hopefully as good as the pricey and highly raved about YSL ones and the L'oreal ones)

Deep Red (02)
Flashy Apricot (03)
Hot Red (01)
Pink Exposed (04)

There are lots more products coming out as per their website like lashes and lash glue and lots more colours from their nail polish line, bronzers, nail art etc.  The list goes on.

I am so happy to have a brand like Essence that keeps up to date with the trends of high end brands at an affordable price.

Have you picked up any of the Essence stuff lately?  Please let us know in the comments below if the products whee a hit or miss.

Thanks for reading

XOXO

Homemade eyemakeup remover

Hi all

I wanted to share my easy, effective and cost saving homemade eye-makeup remover which consists of only two ingredients - rose water and olive oil.

I had previously received travel sizes of an Estee Lauder and an Elizabeth Arden eye-makeup remover in  gift with purchase boxes.  The Elizabeth Arden one in particular was half liquid and half oil.  It looked like mineral oil but I did not want to make one with mineral oil (baby oil) . After these two where finished I continued using  the Like Silk eye-makeup remover which I received in a Glambox last year.  It was wonderful at first but started burning my eyes when I started using it again.
So I decided to make my own and I love it. I used the empty Elizabeth Arden travel size bottle to store my homemade eye-makeup remover.  I used Rosewater purchased from.Gorimas R3.99 for 200 ml and Olive Oil from Dischem from the medical isle 50ml, I think it was less than R25.

The recipe consists of half Rosewater and half Olive oil.  I ended up.putting a tad bit more rosewater than olive oil (on purpose) and this ratio worked for me.

Both these ingredients are soothing and moisturise the eye area while removing every drop of waterproof eye-makeup I may have on my eye. To use I shake up the mixture well then use a.cotton pad to dispense the mixture on.  I then hold the cotton pad over my eye for a few seconds which melts the eye-makeup. Then I wipe the eye area to remove the eye-makeup.  Its quick and easy and I don't have to.rub and tug at the gentle eye area.

I.don't think I will waste money on eye-makeup removers with harsh ingredients ever again.

Thanks.for reading.
Xoxo

Review : Revlon 24 Hours Gentle Cleansing Milk

I purchased this product months back and have since finished the bottle. It was purchased from Dischem for about R54 for a 400ml bottle. The bottle is very big so it was cheap for the quantity that you get.  The L"oreal one is about R90 or much less product so this was value for money.  The packaging looks expensive and comes with a lovely pump. It says that it is suitable for all.skin types.

The texture of this product is more of a cleansing lotion instead of a cleansing milk.
Cleansing milks work better in my experience and opinion. So it looked and worked like a cleansing lotion, which was just okay.  I also was not fond of the slight "relaxer" smell it had.  But the smell disappeared once I wiped it off my face two minutes later.

When you pump it out the bottle it dispenses a cream coloured lotion which I apply to my face. I then take three tissues (doubled on top of each other) then wipe off.  I then follow with a cleansing wipe (Clicks brand).

My opinions:-
  I was initially happy to find an affordable cleansing milk, which are generally more expensive and effective than cleansing lotions. Cleansing milks remove makeup off your skin way better.  But this was not a milk as it says on the bottle, rather it is a lotion.
I did not enjoy the smell.
I loved the packaging, and the quantity you get at the affordable price I paid.

I still want to try Revlon's other cleansing milk called - Eterna 27+ Softening Cleansing Milk.
Since I finished this cleansing milk, I am using the Victorian Garden Cleansing Cream that I received in a swap from a friend. It works better. I.see more makeup.come off onto my tissue and I use less of the product.  I will do a review on this at a later stage.

Xoxo

April 2013 Favorites

Hi

Here are the items that I enjoyed using during April: 2013-

- Palladio Herbal Blush BL90 Pink Frost
- BeChic Bronzer CBZ01 Sunkiss
- Nyx Matte Smokey Look One Night in Morocco Palette
- Homemade Eyemakeup Remover
- African Extracts Rooibos Refreshing Toner
- Essence Sun Club Oil.Control Blotting Papers
- Essence I LoveStage Eyeshadow Base
- Rimmel Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara
- 2True Voluptulash mascaras (for bottom lashes)
- Charlie Revlon Shine Divine Lipcolour in 003 Mochacinno

XOXO