Look: Soft Coral for Spring

The weather in Houston has been brag-worthy. I can't believe I'm saying that :D. Every spring I'm so looking forward to rock coral/orange lips. It's different from the universal flirty pinks and brings lively and happy vibes to my outfit. To balance this feminine theme, I usually wear strips, leopard prints or jeans. Hope you're enjoying your weekend no matter how the weather is at your place. 

P/S: I didn't forget about my Special Ideas FOTD post. The first two looks are coppery eye and bright pink lips and bronze eyes and vampy lips . The third look, silvery taupe and nude pink lips is on its way. Promise. xo 

Makeup Worn

Face

Burberry Luminous Sheer Foundation Trench 6 (review of Trench 5)

YSL Touche Eclat No 8

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Afterglow

Tom Ford Blush in Flush

Eye

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso

Nars Pro-prime eye primer

Tom Ford Eyecolor quad in Golden Mink (all but the yellow glitter)

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara

Lip

Guerlain Rouge G Orange Euphorique (Limited Edition) 

Look: Special Occasion FOTD - Vampy Lips with Tom Ford Beauty

Hello lovelies, here is another look that I put together for my upcoming formal party. I'm wearing a dark teal dress and want something to contrast it. 

After twitting about my ideas, my blogger friends voted for 3 looks a) copper eye and bright pink lips; b) bronze eyes and dark lips; c) silvery taupe eyes and nude pink lips. Today's look features dark vampy lips. I decided to use Tom Ford Black Orchid at its maximum seductive dose :D. As usual, please scroll down for full makeup breakdown. 

So ladies and gentlemen, do you think this is a better idea for my teal dress? 

Trying to look seductive. I need to venture out of my comfort zone with posing. When reviewing all of my pictures, I felt my neck hurt :))

Me, holding a tissue to blot my lips :) Cute eh? ;;) 

Makeup Worn

Face

Burberry Sheer Glow Trench  6 (Trench 5 review is here)

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2

Tom Ford Blush Lovelust (to be reviewed)

YSL Touche Eclat 8

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Eye

Rimmel Spicy Bronze

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor Espresso

Dior Beige Massai (Ivory and Rusty)

Tom Form Golden Mink (Coral glitter) (to be reviewed)

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Espresso

Lip

Tom Ford Lipstick Black Orchid (4 layers)

Look: Special Occasion FOTD- Coppery Eyes and Bright Pink

The type of makeup I sport frequently tend to be very wearable. So when a formal occasion comes up, I feel a bit nervous about my makeup choices. I still want to look like myself (hence no dramatic eyeliner) and play up one feature on my face. I'm wearing a dark teal dress and also want something to contrast it.

After twitting about my ideas, my blogger friends voted for 3 looks a) copper eye and bright pink lips; b) bronze eyes and dark lips; c) silvery taupe eyes and nude pink lips. Today's look focuses on the bright pink lips. You can find the full makeup breakdown at the end of the post. 

How do you think this against a dark teal dress? 

Strong bright lighting washes off the warmth in my skin :( I don't have to worry about this during the party but this pictures don't show the correct of the coloring

Slightly warmer lighting

Makeup Worn

Face

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation 108

YSL Touche Eclat 08

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow

Bourjois Blush le Cendre de Rose Brune (to be reviewed)

Eyes

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor Espresso

Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Cognac Sable

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Lips

YSL Rouge Couture Fuchsia 27 

Look: Blushing pink with Tom Ford Narcissist

Ever since Tom Ford Narcissist blush became a staple in my makeup collection, I've wanted to do a natural look with it. It's a vibrant blue-based red pink that can make anybody look like a clown with just one swipe. But it is that blue and red undertones that match those colors on my skin (and many others' I believe). So I can create a healthy blushing cheeks at ease. 

I opted for natural sheer foundation (Burberry), pink lips (Tom Ford Indian Rose) and eye makeup (Edward Bess Mirage and Intimate) to balance out the strong cheeks. I myself think this look is a bit overly sweet, especially that white button-up shirt. When reviewing the photos, I thought I looked like trying too hard to be 17 again ;;). Anyway, next time a  little black dress should solve the issue.    

How do you like the soft pink theme of this look? Please scroll down for the makeup products I used. 

 Posed under direct sunlight, hence that look :D. Can you see the glow on my cheeks? The more I wear Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate (#2), the more I love it!

 Another shot to show you the satin finish of Edward Bess eyeshadows in Mirage and Intimate 

and the glow, yes of course :)

Make up breakdown

Face

Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation Trench 5

YSL Touche Eclat No 8

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC 3

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2 (highlighter only)

Tom Ford Blush Narcissist

Eye

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow Mirage and Intimate

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor Espresso

Lips

Tom Ford Lipstick Indian Rose

Look: Casual Red Lips

I sported casual red lips through out the summer and forgot to do a post about it:D. Laura Mercier Cherrywood has subtle satin finish that dries almost matte. People immediately picked up this color and complimented every time I wore it. I'm overwhelmed and puzzled! It isn't my very favorite. I want a deeper red but this brown-based red is really easy to work with. 

Anyway, I much prefer red lips paired with casual outfit for an outing to special occasions. Hope you like it. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Joanne xx

Face

Givenchy Mat Radiant Foundation

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Doll Face

Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow

YSL Touche Eclat #8

Eyes

Burberry Taupe Brown Eyeshadow for brows and outter Vs

Urban Decay Primer Potion

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Liquid Diamond 

Bobbi Brown Gel liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kil Stretch mascara

Lips

Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick in Cherrywood

Look: Neutral and Hot Pink

Houston rises and shines at 93F today. The fall equinox has just came and technically we're in the middle of the fall. I'm sort of panicking as time flies by so fast and in a few months is Christmas. In the fare well of the summer, I thought I post this neutral look with a pop of pink.

Since the lips take the center stage, I kept the eye makeup neutral and sheen coupled with glowy cheeks. Everything is subtle and understated so that the lip can shine. Chanel Glossimer in Pink Teaser is a gorgeous bright pink that stays put and moisturizes my lips. It's also very wearable, and frankly you can wear this type of pink year round.

Please pardon my brows! In my own fashion, I forgot to do the brows that day :D. I hope you all had an awesome summer! xx

Face

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

YSL Touch Eclat 

Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

Eye

Dior 5-color eyeshadow Rosy Tan

Bobbi Brown Long wear Gel Liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara

Lip

Chanel Glossimier Pink Teaser (limited edition)

Look: Go Berry Chic with Edward Bess

Have you ever dressed up your face and stayed home? I have, many times, shamelessly! It did take my husband some time to immune with my fun outfits or wild makeup test run when he got home. As awkward as it sounds, those makeup trials really help a big deal when I'm in hurry. I can just pull out whatever look I have tried before without thinking. Anyway, in one of those days, I wore Edward Bess Berry Chic palette to create a understated flirty look and to test out L'Oreal Full Definition mascara.

I created this look using everything in the palette except for the plummy lipgloss. The highlighter has dries out a bit yet still produces seamless glow for my cheeks. Other products included Bobbi Brown gel liner in Espresso, Burberry Taupe Brown eyeshadow for the brows, Clarin Ever Matte Foundation and Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder.

Edward Bess Berry Chic palette was released last fall together with Back to Basics.  You can find them now on Sephora.com (and selected Sephora stores), EdwardBess.com, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman (in store and online). They are retailed at $75.

Do you think this hair style enhance the "innocent" look? I thought so :D

A close-up to show you the winged eyeliner and the L'Oreal mascara that is supposed to give me length, volume and lash separation. How do you rate this mascara?

I hope everybody is having a great week!

xoxo

Joanne

Look: Peachy Pink with Burberry Beauty

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend. Mine really just revolves around grocery shopping, cleaning up, gardening and finishing whatever left from work. Nothing exciting. My photos on the recent Burberry goodies still need editing and touch-ups. In the meantime, here is a look with Burberry eyeshadows in Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, Taupe Brown, and lip cover in Devon Sunset. 

Five hours later....

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation

YSL Touche Eclat

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

Dior Bronze Harmonie de Blush Rose Brazilia

The Body Shop Brow and Liner kit 

Burberry Sheer eyeshadows in Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, Taupe Brown

Bobbi Brown Long-wear gel liner in Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara

Burberry Lip Cover in Devon Sunset 

I'm in love with Devon Sunset lipstick. It has Belle de Jour vibe of the 60s but not as pale and peachy. When first applied, it's more chalky and peachy. After about an hour, it becomes a natural medium pink on my lips. I never own any lipstick like this. Love!

Burberry Pale Barley, Midnight Brown and Taupe Brown are my current favorite eyeshadow combo. They're not at all sheer as the name suggests. Very chic, elegant and wearable! 

Review: Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale Fall 2012

Chanel Joues Contraste Rose Initiale ($43 for 0.21 oz) is the new blush of the Fall 2012. Good news is it's added to the permanent line. You might already seen the 987654321 reviews of Rose Initiale by now. It tells you how popular Rose Initiale has become. For very good reasons.

When I first saw the pictures of Rose Initiale, I thought it'd be just another peachy pink blush I already owned. But no, I don't have anything this sophisticated. And the baked formula is actually buttery smooth, not at all how I pictured it in my mind. 

Chanel Rose Initiale is a muted peachy pink, not really pink nor peach. I feel like it has the equal mix of both. When worn, Rose Initiale looks very natural, just like a pink rosy flush on the cheek. Very nuance, very muted yet pinky and peachy. It doesn't lean cool nor warm, which makes it universally flattering on all skintone. It's one of those classic blush that you don't have to think hard of what it will match. It goes with almost every look from natural to dramatic. It's sheer but buildable for intensity. I used two layers on the apple of my cheeks for the look below.

The subtle golden shimmer brightens up my cheeks with a very soft sheen. So don't let the shimmer worry you if you more prone to matte blushes.

Heavy swatch  (natural light)

 Heavy swatch (direct sunlight)

What sold me completely though is the staying powder. I was running errands and 5 hours later, Rose Initiale sill looked fresh. It only started fading after 8 hours. Love it so much! Blushes generally don't last over 4 hours on me so I was thrilled. 

Like other Joues Contraste, Rose Initiale is infused with light rose scent elegantly though. I prefer fragrance-free products but this is actually quite pleasant. It comes with a large mirror and a decent brush. 

Bottom line. Totally in love! Rose Initiale is a great natural blush that flatters all skintones. Easy to wear and easy to use. Thinning my wallet for a $43 blush definitely consumes lots of thoughts. For me, it's totally worth it.

Have you tried Rose Initiale? How do you like it? What do you pair with it?

Here's a look with Rose Initiale (photo taken at hour 5)

Makeup breakdown

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation in 108

YSL Touche Eclat in 08

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight

Chanel Joues Contrase in Rose Initiale

Dior 5-color eyeshadow Beige Massai (all 5 shades!)

Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Liner in Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara 

The Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit (dark brown/black)

YSL Rouge Couture in  Fushia

Look: Meet Jessica - Part 2 Sultry chic

It's finally Friday! 

Before I get caught up with all the boxes in our garage, I thought I'd post the second make-over look for my friend Jessica. The first look focused on keeping everything natural. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in Pulp Fiction immediately popped up in my mind even before I did a test makeup with her. The pictures didn't do its justice! I wanted to create a shimmery silver eyes pair with natural pink lips and cheeks. All photos were taken by my friend Doan and edited by me :). 

Face

Korres Matifying Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

Eye

Guerlain 6-Ecrin Eyeshadow Palette in Place Vendome (dark grey for the brows and define the crease)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow in Pulp Fiction
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Bobbi Brown Party Extreme Mascara

Lip

Chanel Rouge Allure in Exquisite

This picture has nothing to do with her makeup. I simply adore the V-neck line in the back! 

I hope you enjoy the mini make-over with Jessica. Have great weekend!

Joanne

Look: Meet Jessica - Part 1 Natural Nude

I'm so excited to share my mini make-over of my friend Jessica. She was very kind to bring her own makeup bag. I ended using her Estee Lauder Foundation. 

Jessica also loves makeup though not as addictive as I do. When you talk to her, you can feel her positive and calming energy. I really love her natural coloring so I decided to keep her make up as nude as possible. I used peach and plummy brown to define her eyes and keep the rest of the makeup soft and nude. Photos taken by my friend Doan and edited by me :)

Face
Korres Matifying Primer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

Eye
Boots No. 7 Mineral Perfection Eyeshadow Trio in Topaz
Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

Lip
Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lipgloss in Beach

Hope you enjoy meeting Jessica! Have a great month of August!

Look: Meet Doan - Part 2 Modern glamour

I'd like to share the second look I did for my friend Doan. Again, I want to keep the makeup simple like the first look, focus on her lips this time to bring out the modern glamour inside. 

The center of this look is her full red lips. To keep the look modern, I skipped lipliner and lip gloss. I applied three thin layer of Laura Mercier Cherrywood with a lip brush (blotted between layers) on top of EOS lip balm. I used Guerlain Place Vendome's golden taupe on the entire lids, then define her eyes with the highlighter shade and the dark shade in the palette. To finish the look, I applied a thin line of Urban Decay 24/7 Zero following her lash line, no wing out. 

Close-up


In action...

Face

Chanel Mat Lumiere 4.0 Beige

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

YSL Touche Eclat 08

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

Guerlain Ecrin 6-color eyeshadow in Place Vendome 

Dior Show Extase mascara

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero

Lip
Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick in Cherrywood

I hope you enjoy Doan's lovely spirit as much as I do.

Joanne

Look: Meet Doan - Part 1 Young and Fresh

I'm so excited to introduce my friend Doan. She loves sport, food, traveling and photography, which is why she's helping me out with my make-over series. She's naturally gorgeous, fresh and dynamic, and very photogenic. So I opted to focus on her skin and brows and keep the makeup simple and understated. 

For the everyday look, I wanted glowy cheeks and soft pink lips. I also used plum eyeshadows to enhance her brown eyes and a silvery mauve (of the same quint) to brighten up the lower lashlines. 

Here is her gorgeous smile....

A close up

Photo by Doan (she was posing "innocent" for this particular look :))

Face
Chanel Mat Lumiere 4.0 Beige
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal
NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Stylish Move (all shades but the pearl white)
Dior Show Extase mascara
Guerlain Ecrin 6-color eyeshadow in Place Vendome (the dark grey to define the brows)

Lip
Edward Bess Berry Chic pink gloss in the palette

Next time, we'll see her in a different style. I hope you enjoy this mini make-over. Thanks so much for reading!

Quick look

My friends and I had a girl's makeup/hangout the other day. I can't wait to share the looks I did on my friends. A special thank you to Doan and Jessica for their incredible patience. Also, I thought I'd post a picture of the look I wore that day. It's my husband's favorite and mine too, simple, easy and natural for everyday.

Photo by Doan

Face
Clarins Ever Matte Foundation 108
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder for T-zone
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight
Dior Bronzer in Aurora (as blush)

Eye
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Beige Massai (all shades except the rusty color)
Bobbi Brown long-wear gel eyeliner in Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara (sample)
Shu Uemura eyelash curler

Lip
Dolce & Gabbana shine lipstick in Soiree

Have a great week!