Face of the Week: Sun-kissed in December

It may be December in one day, but that doesn't mean you have to completely ditch the tropical beachy look that you've been hanging onto throughout fall.  You can be a bronzed sun-kissed babe in the middle of December.  Here's how I got my look:

1.) First I applied Mac's Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Cajun ($29.5- MAC & fine dept stores). This liquid powder has a quite unique texture. It truly does feel cool on the skin, like a liquid, when you apply but dries as a powder.  I'm not a fan of heavy product on the face, but I like this because it feels light on the skin (like you can't even feel that you're wearing it).  (Cajun is a bronzy color)  I applied this with an Eco Tools Bamboo Powder Brush ($7.99-Walgreens & various drugstores- super super soft & easy to blend).  I applied this to my cheeks, forehead, chin & lightly down the nose). (I recommend that you apply this after concealer to even everything out and make everything look more natural).

2.) Then, I started on the eyes.  I applied Smashbox eyeshadow in Flamingo, a coraly-peachy pink, ($16 Smashbox, Sephora) below the crease in my eyelid & blended out with my fingers.  Next I applied CQ Duetto eye (shadow side only) in 04, which is a cool mint green color.  This adds nice shimmer.  Lastly, I lined my waterline (bottom lash line) with Too Faced Starry Eyed Liquid Liner in Mad Mad Love ($17.50 Sephora, Too Faced).  (This shade is a pale glittering pink. I received mine in a mini liner kit from ebay that i scored for around $11.) 

3.)  Next, I applied (LIGHTLY) Nars Powder Blush ($26) in Taj Mahal (an EXTREMELY pigmented shimmering orange shade- perfect for darker skintones) to my cheeks.  This is very very pigmented, so make sure you gently swipe your brush (I used my Eco Tools powder brush) just one time and rub excess product off on the side of the compact before applying.  )This shade can easily be overdone if you have a light-to medium skintone.)  I recommend using a kabuki brush if you have one which does a better job of blending the color out.   This shade adds a nice sun-kissed glow to the cheeks.

4.) Lastly, I applied Bobbi Brown Crystal Lipgloss ($17, Bobbi Brown, Sephora, Fine Dept Stores).  I like this gloss because it makes lips looks so glossy that you can actually see a reflection in them! (These pictures do it no justice.)  Any clear gloss will suffice for this look.  (I happened to received the sample size of this gloss free from Sephora and did not retail price for it.  I'm not sure if Sephora still has these samples, but Allcosmeticswholesale.com carries sample sizes of this gloss for a small fee.) I suggest a natural colored lip or clear gloss for this look to make it look most natural.

                                         (notice the subtile shimmer on the bottom lash line)

& There you go- Now you look like you've been sitting on the beach soaking up the sun!  This look can easily brighten up your face during these cold and dreary winter months.  To complete this look, you can try just wearing your hair in natural waves/curls or a messy ponytail for the laid back beach babe look.  (All I did was comb and scrunch my freshly washed hair with Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel (various prices & sizes- Sephora & Ouidad resellers.  This gel works wonders on my natural curly hair & also on my toddler's very coarse hair.  I bought this stuff for her, but I often find myself "stealing" some for my own hair. :P )

(*NOTE*- The products that I used are just a guide.  They are SUGGESTIONS, mainly for the shades that make this look.  You don't have to use the exact same brands of products that I used.  You can easily find these same shades in other brands at your local super center, drugstore, or beauty store.)

**This look took me about 8-10 minutes**

Holidays

It's officially Holiday Shopping Season!!! Thanksgiving is next Thursday already, and the day after Thanksgiving sparks the countdown for the Holidays. With Black Friday & Cyber Monday steals and deals around the corner, many of us are making our Christmas lists (wish lists & shopping lists) and planning to do some heavy duty shopping over the next few weeks. Personally, our Bon Ton opens at around 3am on Black Friday....I'd rather be in bed sleeping than camping out at the mall!! Hopefully, there are some good deals on the internet so they we can all shop from the convenience of our own homes (in my case, my comfy bed with my laptop!). So far, I have a few things picked out for the little one. It'll be her 2nd Christmas. I don't believe in overdoing things.  The more they get, the more they expect each year to follow. (Bills are more important than a roomful of gifts people!!)  I don't want to take away from the real meaning of Christmas either.  I do understand though where it is fun for people to stay up all night and go shopping at the crack of dawn. It's tradition for some families to camp out at stores after Thanksgiving dinner, so that they will be the first in the line for the Holiday deals. This tradition has gone on for years and years, and I don't see it changing anytime soon.

So....what are your thoughts on Black Friday?? Will you be shopping at home on Cyber Monday?  Are the deals worth the crazy, fighting crowds and tiredness?? Will you be camping out at the crack of dawn to shop or are you one of the unlucky ones who has to be at work at the crack of dawn on Black Friday?  What's on your shopping lists for the Holidays & what would you like in your stockings? ;)

Blush Swatches

Blush Swatches Left To Right:

Tarte Cheek Stain "TEN", Nars Super Orgasm, Nars Taj Mahal, Stila Gladiola

Swatch: Stila Convertible Color Gladiola

                                              Swatch: Tarte Cheek Stain (Mini) "Tipsy"

These 5 blushes all compliment medium to dark skintones nicely. Nars blushes have amazing pigmentation. A little goes a long way, and I feel that Nars blushes are well worth the $26 dollar price tag. They will last a long time because like I mentioned above, a LITTLE goes a LONG Way. It's easy to over do Taj Mahal especially if you tend to apply with a heavy hand like myself. With my Mac Blush (My Highland Honey - Holiday 2010 Collection), I have to apply with a heavy hand for it to even show up on my skin. My Nars blushes I need a very light hand or it will be easily overdone! Kabuki brushes are great for blending these blushes out. I personally use my Ecotools Bamboo Blush Brush ($6.99 Walgreens), but I will be purchasing a kabuki soon as I tend to overdue it if I use more than one tap of Nars. Overall, Nars Blushes are an A+ in my book. You only need one tap and make sure you blow your brush off before applying (light to medium-tan skin). Darker skin tones (may need more than one tap): Nars blushes have amazing pigmentation that will show up nice on women of color! Highly recommend taking a look at the selection from Nars. I really like Super Orgasm (like the famous Nars Orgasm but with Glitter which you can blow off your brush before applying, if you don't want glitter on your face. I feel Super O is more pigmented (atleast on my skintone) than the famous "Orgasm" blush and Taj Mahal (shimmering orange) is a very true orange that has excellent pigment. (All shades of women of color should try an orange blush.  NYX makes a dupe for Taj Mahal, and their brand is very affordable.)  I've seen great reviews on Torrid (which I would like to get someday based on the reviews) which is a shimmering coral, luster (shimmering peach, recommend this for light-light/medium skintones or darker tones with a highlighting effect),Taj Mahal (great reviews espec from women of color), and Exhibit A (great reviews as well espec for women of color. It's a bright red shade.)  Tarte Cheek stains are nice and easy to use. Ten is bright pink and has a very smooth texture. Nice for dry skin. It's creamier than the original gel based Tarte Cheek Stains. Tipsy is a peachy pink gel based stain. It adds just the perfect shimmer (for the "intoxicating glow).  Tipsy is nice for all skintones and is Great for the holidays. Stila Convertible Color in Gladiola is so beautiful. I bought it without getting to see a swatch. It looks very orange in the pan but goes on the skin a perfect peachy/apricot color without the pink (which is exactly what I wanted). The creamy texture is nice for dry skin, and you can use it on your lips as well. I've heard great things about Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera (sheer peachy pink), although I never tried it. It seems like it would be flattering on most skintones (based off of the reviews that I've read).

The blushes pictured above are my top 5 Blush Pics for November (2010).  They are universally flattering colors, and the textures are these are all great.