Viewing entries tagged
beauty blogger

CHROMATIC FANATIC

NYX recently came out with a new Duo Chromatic Illuminating Powder just in time for festival season! These shades are for fun or editorial looks and not for your everyday glow. The formula feels gel-like, no big chunks of glitter, and best of all gives a fun gorgeous glow! My obvious favorite shades are Snow Rose & Twilight Tint which have the coolest Duo Chrome effect out of all five shades. The orange shade is Synthetica and for some reason the most pigmented. I’m really digging it for my eyes but not so much my face. Crushed Bloom is the bronze shade and the only shade I would say that is the most natural or wearable, especially for the summer!

Lastly we have Lavender Steel which would have honestly been one of my favorites because it’s gorgeous but this color doesn’t really look good on my skin tone so I just won’t be picking this one up as much as the rest. Overall I recommend picking these up if you’re looking for fun highlighters. The packaging is cute and simple, contains 6 grams of product which is not bad at all for just $8. For a more blinding glow, I recommend trying these over their Away We Glow Liquid Highlighters!

http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/duo-chromatic-illuminating-powder/NYX_415.html?cgid=whats-new

APRIL BEAUTY SHOWERS

 

Holy Moly!

Have you seen this month’s Boxycharm? Once I opened mine up, I immediately gravitated towards the 3-Piece beauty sponge set by PÜR Cosmetics. I can’t remember the last time I tried any sponge that wasn’t a Beauty Blender so I was excited to put something new to the test. I tried all 3 to see if they had anything different about them but they were all the same and I’m glad since I really enjoyed using them. They are a LOT denser then a Beauty Blender and have a smoother surface which I really enjoyed. The heavy sponge gives off a very cooling effect when dabbing it against your face and best of all, it applies my makeup fabulously.

Then we also got Rodeo Drive Highlighter by Ofra Cosmetics! Like, WHAT?! I never tried any of their highlighters before but had heard amazing things about them and now I see why. First of all, I’ve never known such good formula before and it took this highlighter for me to see that. I still love all my other highlighters for the shades and the glow but this is the smoothest one for an airbrushed look. Best of all, it also happens to smell super expensive, just like if it were Chanel or YSL.

We have another HAIRGURT product in the same scent as the last, Strawberry Banana. This time it’s a shampoo instead of a hair mask, which btw, I didn’t really end up liking. However,  I feel like this is going to be different & I can imagine it now. I’m not sure how I feel about the scent yet, it’s sweet and I don’t hate it but it's also not my favorite.

Next we have a Lipgloss by Cargo Cosmetics in the shade Umbria which is a shimmery bronze gold color. I didn’t want to open it and swatch it because I already knew I was giving that product away. I don’t really use that shade often so I rather give this one away to someone who will enjoy this gloss that I’m sure is amazing.

Lastly, we received this 16 Color Pro Concealer Palette by Measurable Difference. The formula is very creamy with light coverage. This palette will suit more medium to deep skin tones and includes some correcting shades for blue undertones. I’ve only swatched a few shades but haven’t really tested it out on my face yet to give a better review. Overall I’m very pleased with this month’s box and was put on to a few new things!

 

Total value of these products, $117.

By Miryam | NYC Makeup Tonight Instructor

NO LOVE FOR THIS DOVE

 I like to switch up my shampoo and conditioner very often and have used Dove Daily Moisture in the past and have never had any issue. However, this time I had a different experience. The smell was amazing of course & it created lots of suds for me just the way I like it, but I quickly realized that my scalp was beginning to get irritated after the second time using it. I’m not sure if I developed an allergy to the formula (which apparently is common) or if something in their formula has changed but aside from an irritated scalp, it left my dry hair feeling so heavy and flat; it felt and looked like I hadn’t washed my hair in a few days!

I found myself washing my hair more often then I normally would. I didn’t have any issues with the conditioner however so I continued to use that until I finished the whole bottle. The conditioner did it’s job, smelled great but was nothing out of this world. I had purchased the pair in a large size, so now I’m stuck with this huge worthless shampoo that I feel bad throwing away, even though I hate it. 

In Control

 

The moment I tested out the NYX Total Control Drop Foundation, I knew I had to have it. It’s super lightweight almost like water and the coverage can be anything you want it to be! Anything from sheer to FULL coverage, you’re in control. As a make-up artist, I always tell people that I either don’t do my make-up or I go all in and prefer my full coverage.

Last week though I had a cold, like all of New York did, so my skin wasn’t looking lively. I decided to try a tiny bit of this foundation for a rare sheer coverage just to make me look healthy again and was literally in shock at how natural I looked. Up until then I was using this foundation for full coverage only and was still obsessed. Now I can say this is the only foundation I would also ever wear on it’s own without setting, without concealer, without blush, without anything else. The price point for this foundation is reasonable at $14 and there are 24 shades available which is amazing! I was able to get my hands on most shades so I’ve also added this to my kit to share with my clients. NYX does recommend using this with the Total Control Drop Foundation Brush but really any good buffing brush will do the job just as effectively. 

By Miryam | NYC Makeup Tonight Instructor

Get In The Glow

Anastasia Beverly Hills X Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

Anastasia Beverly Hills is always killing it with their Glow Kits and their latest one, a collaboration with YouTuber Nicole Guerriero, has no doubt seen massive success. All 6 shades feel inspired by Unicorns and all things Rose Gold. This limited edition palette is diverse with a color for every skin tone, perfect to have in your kit! Most shades are wearable, with the exception of Forever Lit & Daydream which are the more unconventional shades. Forever Lit was the most fun to wear because of it’s lavender reflections! For a beautiful more wearable glow, I've been super obsessed with layering Kitty Kat with either Forever Young or Glo Getter on my complexion.


http://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/glow-kit-nicole-guerriero/ABH01-18162.html

 

By Miryam | NYC Makeup Tonight Instructor

 

 

Doctor's Orders

This post is exactly why I love Boxycharm so much! One of the items included in my last box was the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator which retails for $79! This was perfect timing since I was actually in need of a new exfoliator and I LOVE trying out new skincare. The directions say to use no more then once or twice a week, and I found that for my skin, once a week is enough. I used it as both a soft cleanser and a rough one, depending on the pressure you’re applying as you scrub your face, which I thought was awesome. This exfoliant removes of all my dead skin cells leaving my skin feeling flawless without repercussion. Afterwards, I do recommend moisturizing to bring that back into the skin. The price and amount of product is worth it for a little luxurious skin investment.

https://www.drbrandtskincare.com/products/dr-brandt-microdermabrasion

By Miryam | NYC Makeup Tonight Instructor

THIS BITES! IN A GOOD WAY....

An unexpected package arrived at my door step this summer and I was ECSTATIC because it’s my first time receiving something from none other then Bite Beauty! I received 6 out of 18 of the new Multistick shades. The creator, Susanne Langmuir, developed these Multisticks based on an old fashion tradition of repurposing lipsticks as blush and on slight occasions even as eye shadows. All 18 shades are basically the typical blush and lipstick colors popular among every single skin tone there is out there. For eye shadow, they’re perfect to create fall looks and some editorial looks if you’re a makeup artist. I can tell you now that these are already in my kit because the colors are all super versatile to help me create natural and high fashion makeup. As lipstick, it has the perfect full coverage with a satin finish that looks matte. On the cheeks and eyes it blends out very sheer and natural WITHOUT creasing all day! It is truly weightless just as they claim, as if you’re simply adding color to your face without adding an extra layer. They’re available for purchase on www.sephora.com and retail for $24.

Swatches shown above. Left to Right: Blondie, Cashew, Cerise, Cocoa, Gelato & Macaroon

Swirl & Sparkle

Kudos to our LA Instructor Greta who collaborated with one of our fabulous Make-Up Tonight sponsors, Swirl & Sparkle, on this gorgeous Limited Edition Brush Cleaner! The molded design was just too fancy and gorgeous that it was hard to actually bring myself to use it. I wanted everything to stay perfect! It has a fresh melon scent to it that is subtle and not overbearing at all. It’s 4oz, making it 3oz more then that of Beauty Blender which also offers a solid brush cleaner as well. The best part is those beautiful gems that become more exposed with every use. Not only are they pretty but it also creates a grit that better helps clean your brushes. On the inside of the lid there are 3 bigger gems for when you are rinsing which works really well although I don’t think they’ll stay on for a long time but I’m really hoping they do! All in all, it was definitely worth the wait. It was the most fun to use, the most practical and definitely did the job while keeping my bristles soft. A must for every makeup lover!

By Miryam | NYC Makeup Tonight Instructor