Look: Special Occasion FOTD - Silvery Taupe Eyes Nude Pink

Back in January, I was brainstorming a look for an evening special event. 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; and c) silvery taupe eyes and nude pink lips. 

Guess which look I sported for the event? I picked this one! I though it contrasted my teal dress subtly and still added a bit of drama to the look :D. And to be honest, I simply love everything about this look and decided to go with my instinct.The high shimmery silvery taupe against nude pink lips. I love my glowy cheeks (thank you thank you Edward Bess!) that seamlessly changes from a highlighter to blush. Love Tom Ford blush in Savage for this look! It ties all color and texture together. 

Since the eyes are rather intense, I kept the skin very natural. On that day I used Burberry Sheer Luminous Trench 6 (review of Trench 5 is here). I replaced it with Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation Natural for this post while testing the sucker. It's phenomenal for my skin!! Reviews of Tom Ford items used in this post are on their way. I finished the write-up yet don't want to overwhelm you guys with my opinionated rambles ;;)

As usual, please scroll down for full makeup breakdown. 

I look funny but this picture shows the makeup the best

Look breakdown

Face

Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation 05 Natural (reviewed on the way)

YSL Touche Eclat 08

Laura Mercier Setting Powder

Laure Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-3

Tom Ford Cheek Color Savage (reviewed on the way)

Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow

Eyes

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill #4 Pulp Fiction

Dior 5-color eyeshadow Beige Massai (deep brown, ivory, peach)

Bobbi Brown Long-wearing Gel Liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Exquisite

Tom Ford Lip Gloss Rose Crush (reviewed soon)

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: 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!

Summer beauty essentials

Happy Monday everyone! While typing this line, I can't believe I'm feeling happy on Monday. A mental note to mention this at my yoga class.

As we're rolling half way through Houston hot summer, I thought it'd be fun to share some of my must-have beauty products in the summer.

Kiehl's Super Fluid SPF 50+; Kiehl's Avocado Eyecream; Tom's natural deodorant 

Clarins Ever Matte Skin Balancing Foundation (review is coming soon); Dior Healthy Glow Powder in Aurora

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight and Afterglow Irreplaceable!!

Bobbi Brown Long wear Gel eyeliner in Espresso; Giorgio Armani Eyesto Kill Pulp Fuction #4

Dolce and Gabbana Shine Lipstick in Soiree; Guerlain Rouge G Serie Noir Orange Euphorique

Blue nail polishes

And this adorable Paul and Joe makeup bag (a gift with purchase last summer)

What products do you swear by for the summer? 

Hope everyone's having a great summer. 

Joanne

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!

Lately

I literally stayed away from beauty blog through out the months of April and May. My life has been hectic like hell and I lost my inspiration to blog. But all the beauty purchases I made since January were all huge success. I love every single one of them. So I decided to share a brief overview of these goodies and will do a more in-depth description later on.

First and foremost, I finally found THE foundation that I desperately wanted for years ever since my love affair with makeup began. Yes, nearly 10 years. Clarins Ever Matte Skin Balancing Foundation. Smooth with extra finely milled texture. Matte without being dull. Stay on all day (no setting powder needed). Natural like second skin. Doesn't turn orange half day through. Weightless. Cover well and buildable. I found my right shade. Affordable. Smell refreshing. Smart packaging that works well for traveling. I don't think it's the perfect match for everybody but it should work well on loads of skintone and type. I can no longer come back to my Chanel Matte Lumiere or Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. Totally in love!

Other awesome discoveries were Dior 5-color eyeshadow quint in Beige Massai and Chanel 4-color quint in Kaska Beige. Both are universally flattering neutrals with beautiful pop of colors. Beige Massai, in particular, has everything I love about the best of Dior 5-color quints. And Chanel Kaska Beige is simply a-must. Hands down. Sadly, Dior Beige Massai was discontinued (yes, I checked with Dior). So I had to raid ebay's beauty department and grabbed two (of course).

I've also been using Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Espresso Ink non-stop since March. YSL Touch Eclat is my new under eye concealer. Edward Bess Compact Rouge in Love Affair (seriously, every girl needs this) is my every day blush and will be until the fall comes.

Some other happy procurements include
YSL Rouge Couture in 27
Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Gloss in Beach
Makeup Forever HD Blush in No. 6
L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe
Maybeline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe
Clinique Black Honey
Becca Shimmer Skin Perfectors in Pearl and Opal, both of which aren't new to my collection but I waited until I got a good use of them to write reviews.

I'm very excited to continue to share and learn more about makeup. I hope you are doing well.

Joanne

Bobbi Brown Friends and Family Sale 20% - April 16-18

Cover Look Week 02.13.2012

Laura Mercier's Lingerie Collection immediately caught my attention among all spring collections this year. The promo picture of this year wonders quite far from the soft feminine that dominated Laura Mercier seasonal makeup in a few years past. It's just different from Laura Mercier I got so used to with, in a good way. Sultry dreamy eye coupled with glossy peach lips screams summer rather than spring to me. Still, the peach and pink bring the springy feelings to the look.

Focus. Violet tinted chocolate brown eye shadow. Glossy peach lips.

My take

Base. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 5.75 and Giorgio Armani Micro-Fil Setting Powder No. 2 (both are not pictured here).

Eye.

Option 1
Plum and peal white in Dior Stylish Move and the rich chocolate brown in Dior Rosy Tan.

Option 2
Edward Bess Berry Chic.

Option 3
A more shimmery/chrome version of the look can be achieved using Chanel Vanites.

Comparing the three options

Cheek. Paul and Joe Cheek color 12

Lips.

Option 1
Bobbi Brown Rich Lipcolor Sweet Nectar SPF 12
Guerlain Rouge G Orange Euphorique (LE)

Option 2
Paul and Joe Moon Shadow Lipstick topped by Paul and Joe Sailor's Delight.

Did you get Laura Mercier Lingerie Collection? What will be your take on the promo look?

Review: Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Gloss Naked Plum

Naked Plum, I must say, is a very pleasant surprise. Even though I immediately fell in love with the delicate pink pearl while playing with it at the counter, the intense shimmer concerned me a bit. So once again, If it were not because of Sephora Friends and Family,  I wouldn't splurge on a sparking lipgloss. I'm glad I did.

Naked Plum, together with the rest of Bobbi Brown high shimmer glosses is a great (and clever) addition to the brand. They sure remains loyal to Bobbi's spirit - simple, wearable, and flattering. Yet, they break through that subtle sometimes flat color spectrum and delivers a more fun and glamorous Bobbi's beauty.

Naked Plum ($23 for 0.24 oz) is a mauve brown with pink pearl shimmer; thanks to this color combination it's such a subtle wearable shade yet still offers a glamorous pop of glitter and color.  It looks great on my warm tone skin and flatters that cool-toned sale associate at Bobbi Brown counter.

Texture-wise, Naked Plum is non sticky, which is very comparable to Chanel Glossimer ($28.5 for 0.19 oz) in this regard. It stays on for at least 4 hours. For this quality-quantity-price combo, I would go back to Bobbi Brown more often than to Chanel.

This blur picture captured the subtle pink shimmer of Naked Plum

Recommendation. A holiday party, definitely yes. A fun night out, hell yes. A special occasion that aims to capture the attention of a specific person of interest, possibly yes if kisses aren't involved. A working day, nope, IMO. 

Beauty routine updated with Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful 2.0

Recently, I've been obsessed with Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful makeup-overs. It's so fun to browse through her "get the look" catalog. I've learned many simple yet effective tricks to achieve a myself-but-better looks. I especially love how Bobbi picks out the most prominent feature of the face and enhances it. Most of the time, she uses only one or two single eyeshadows as wash of color. No defining the outer V or the creases. Elegant. Natural. Polish.

Since I *love* to observe and sum things up, here are a few steps I pledge to add to my makeup routine.

#1. Erase dark circle and even out the skin with concealer. No more excuses on skipping concealer.  Flawless complexion makes you look at least 5 years younger.

#2. Eyeliner changes the whole look. I've learned about this long before I heard of Bobbi Brown. But her manipulation on eyelining really urges me to play up my eyeliners more regularly.

#3. Never skip the brows. Rarely do I fill my brows. I'm totally cool with my natural thick brows. After witnessing the magic of a well-defined brows, I'll add brow grooming to my to-do list.

#4. Apply bronzer for healthy look skin. I never use bronzer as a bronzer (weird phrase) but a blush. This needs to be rectified too.

#5. Everyone needs a bit of pink, either on lips or cheeks. Countless times did I flip over Bobbi's Pretty Powerful look book and see her applied a pink lipstick/lipgloss/blush on all skin tones and ages. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

By the way, several makeup-overs should grace magazine covers                                    
(Sources: www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com)

Have you visited Pretty Powerful 2.0 home page? You might find useful tips for yourself and very likely your friends and family.