NAKED

The Urban Decay NAKED 2 Palette is a newer product that I received as a gift from a girlfriend of mine. I've been playing around with this palette quite a bit and am starting to enjoy the many looks you can create with it. The palette can go from a natural day look, to something more extravagant and sparkly. Urban Decay has a wide range of products and has created the two NAKED palettes. Both will be looked at and discussed briefly:

1) NAKED- This palette includes more browns and neutrals, but focuses more on bronzes. For the most part it is a very safe palette, and includes three slightly different shades.  It's easy to use and includes a brush and mirror.  The packaging for this is a suede cover, which I'm not really a fan of because it gets dirty so quickly. Colors included in this palette from left to right are: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, and Gun Metal.

2) NAKED 2-  This palette is what I have discovered recently and really enjoy! First off, the packaging is in a new tin casing, which makes it easier to clean and damage-proof.  I don't know about you guys, but my makeup deals with a lot of torture through traveling, and due to work. The range of bronze, golds, and browns are quite shimmer, adding an extra oomph. The palette definitely adds sparkle to many looks, but only includes three matte colors, which is a little disappointing.

For my skin tone, I find this palette is great, because it includes darker colors, and goes into gray tones. The colors listed from left to right are: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, Ydk, Busted, and Blackout.  My favorite shades on this palette are Chopper (sparkly copperish/bronze color), Tease (matte grayish/brownish), and Blackout- you can never go wrong with a matte black.
The pigment of both palettes is fairly decent and does add that color that's needed. In the images below, I've used two colors from the NAKED 2 Palette- Tease and Busted. I'm not a fan of the brush and have used my own. Initially I spread Tease all over the lid and then added Busted into the outer corners of my eyes. Busted was used in V-shape, working from the the outer corner into the crease of the eyelid. It's a pretty simple day look, with added depth.

Definitely a good buy and worth the $60 in store! Check it out at Sephora or look online at the links posted above.

Makeup Bag

For the most part, my daily look is pretty plain jane. Although I am a makeup artist, I think it's important to let your skin breath. Don't get me wrong, there are numerous days when I have to be decked up like a Christmas tree, due to work and events.  So here I am sharing, what's in my daily makeup bag.  These are the many products and things I throw on to look like this- I know it's not the prettiest picture but I'm going for the simple and natural look.

 

What's on my face?

1)  NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona and Dior HydraAction Skin Tint (tinted moisturizer) in shade 4, with SPF 20. I mix a little of both products together to get a light coverage on my skin. 

2) For concealer, I have my Lise Watier Concealer wheel, using mostly the Ivory, and Yellow Beige colors for under my eyes. Also mentioned in Concealing Imperfections.

3) Sometimes I do wear a pressed powder, but not always. I use NARS Pressed Powder in Mountain.

4) Using an angled brush, I usually fill in my eyebrows with a MAC eyeshadow called Swiss Chocolate. My eyebrows are sparse and not thick at all- not your typical brown girl issue.

5) Moving on to my eyes, I tend to use MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, with an angled brush. I tend to line the top lash line, going from thin to thicker (inner eye to outer). 

6) Next is the mascara. I go through mascara like no other. One of my favorite products. For myself, I use either Covergirl Lashblast Volume in Very Black, or Lancome Hypnose in Black.

7) NARS Bronzer in Casino is used for contouring from the bottom of the ear towards the corner of the lip. I'll talk about applying bronzer and how to use it for contouring in later posts.

8) Last but not least, NARS Blush in Deep Throat. Love the subtle pink shade that is applied to the apples of the cheeks. I don't necessarily use a lot of blush everyday. I tend to put more on for shindigs and what not. 

Basically that's it! I know, I have a lot of NARS products, but you need to remember that I work for the company and I love their products! Remember that I have a lot of makeup and have tried numerous brands. These are just some items that I use on a daily basis. 

Next up- how to create a smoky eye! Keep checking for new posts! What's in your makeup bag? Any products you swear by?

What the heck is BB Cream?

I don't know about all of you gals, but I've been seeing numerous commercials about BB Cream.  What is this miracle worker? I've been doing some research, and have looked at numerous products. My attempt now is to buy a BB Cream and write my own review.

What the heck is a BB Cream?

Well from what I've discovered, it's basically a moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, serum, and foundation all in one. How come I didn't discover this sooner? I have no idea. BB Cream stands for 'beauty balm' or 'blemish balm', as it works in so many ways. Created by a German dermatologist, Dr. Christine Schrammek-Drusio, this product was meant for patients that had undergone cosmetic work. It was developed to protect and lightly camouflage a patient's skin.

How do you use it?

You put it on just like any other moisturizer. Apply sparingly.

Where did this all begin?

From what I've found, many women have been using it across Asia, and in the past year it's come into America. It's the best kept deepest darkest secret by the East.

What's the coverage like?

It ranges from being a light coverage, like a tinted moisturizer, to what may seem like a medium coverage foundation. This totally depends on the brand or product you use.

What's in it?

Abyssine, a naturally-derived survival molecule, shields and soothes skin. Hydroxyprolisilane promotes skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines. Beta-Glucan provides essential moisture and protects against environmental damage.

I'll be testing out the  Boscia BB Cream, available at Sephora for $38. This is a oil-free, paraben-free, nourishing BB Cream. I've chosen this particular cream to test out, because it has less man-made chemicals than the others. It is also supposed to be super hydrating, which should work for my skin type. This particular cream also has a SPF of 27.


Let me know if you've used a BB Cream and what your reviews are about this particular product hitting the market. Numerous other brands, such as Estee Lauder, Garnier, Marcelle, Clinique, Maybelline, and MAC have all created a BB Cream. Some brands are not yet available in Canada, but continue to come out this year. Just wait- everyone will have this product! I will definitely be doing a follow- up review for this particular BB Cream in the near future.