Quick and Simple Smokey Eye and A New Favorite Nude Lip Combo | FOTD

A simple and quick makeup look I’ve been doing lately with very few products and a couple of newly discovered favorites. I love a good, quick smokey eye, preferably with less products that I don’t have to worry about cleaning up after. For the base, I used my new favorite, lightweight Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow in Dore, NARS’ Creamy Radiant Concealer in Ginger for spots and under eyes and NARS’ Velvet Loose Powder in Eden to set. I did not bother too much about using a full coverage base and plan to do that all through summer. 

I kept the eyes simple, soft and smudgy by using Giorgio Armani’s Eye Tint in Senso all over the lid, blended and sheered out the edges. Smudged the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero along the upper and lower lash line and used the same for the waterline. Curled my lashes using my trusty Dior Backstage Eyelash Curler and applied two coats of the BUXOM Lash Domination Mascara. For the cheeks, I used a sheer wash of Burberry’s Blossom Blush, which I’m now using after quite a bit of a break.

For my lips, I used a new favorite combo I’m currently obsessed with. It creates a custom nude lip that is exactly the color of my skin tone, but doesn’t wash me out at the same time. It is super low key and pairs well with a smokey or neutral eye. I used a good swipe of the Bite Beauty Buter Cream Lipstick in Cream, which is a creamy nude beige, topped off with a dab of the BUXOM Lip Polish in Megan, which is a nude beige with gold shimmer. The BUXOM gloss adds a nice dimension and gloss to the Bite Lipstick and evens out any uneven pigmentation without the concealer lip look. 

Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks Review, Photos & Swatches

I’ve been testing out the new Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks ($28; sephora.com) for a while now. I did swatch them briefly a while back, but din’t test the formula out until recently, so here are my thoughts with swatches of seven gorgeous shades from the range!

The 'hand cut' bullet featured in these lipsticks ensures that the creamy lipstick core stays, sans the waxy part. I loved the super creamy formula and how hydrating these feel on my ever dry lips. They are a tad more creamy than Bite’s Luminous Cream Lipsticks, but surprisingly don’t move around as much. I did find the application directly from the tube to be a bit tricky since it is easy to go outside the lips, and a lip brush is needed to clean around the edges. Not a problem for me since the formula more than makes up for this and keeps my lips soft and supple even after the color fades, which is after about 2-3 hours. My most worn has been the color “Cream” which has been my go to nude of late, paired with a nude gloss on top. While I find Marzipan and Moka a bit dark against my skin tone , both look fabulous as a sheer wash, especially when paired with a shimmery gloss on top.

These lipsticks have the same scent that most Bite Beauty Lip products have and the packaging is neat - magnetic, petite and matte. Bite also did a great job with the different variations of nude, and gorgeous rosy browns like Hazelnut and Rosewood that would flatter just about any skin tone. Overall, I love them - the lipsticks are buttery smooth, pigmented and depending on the shape of your lips, you might still need a lip brush for neater application, but the formula is something I absolutely love.

Wearing the Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipstick in Heather

Have you tried any of the Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks yet?

*Press Samples

beautyblender micro.mini

The new beautyblender micro.mini ($17.95 for a 2-pack; sephora.com) is a miniature version of the cult favorite beautyblender makeup sponge that canbe used wet for flawless makeup application. The bright green sponge is quite tiny and  good for quick touchups and spot concealing where you’d find the regular beautyblender a little too big.

The micro.mini has the same density and softness as the regular beautyblender and is fairly easy to clean after use. If you are looking at using this for foundation application for the face, you may be disappointed with the small size, but it is a very good size for the under eye area, spot concealing blemishes and for me, discoloration and pigmentation around the mouth area. At times when I can’t be bothered with using and cleaning the regular beauty blender, I reach out to this for smaller tasks that just need a bit of dabbing and setting here and there. I do wish Sephora sold them as singles though, instead of the two packs and priced them lower that way. Overall, it all depends on the kind of task you use this one for - use it for something like foundation and contour for the face, you’ll be disappointed, but it is quite the perfect tool for spot concealing blemishes and under eye concealer, especially since the dampness helps sheer thicker products out a little and makes them look a bit less cakey.

Have you tried the beautyblender micro.mini?

*Press Sample

DIOR Rouge Dior Brilliant in Victoire 808

Dior’s new Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care ($35; dior.com) is a new launch that comes in 14 very wearable shades that wear like a lip balm-gloss with the nourishing properties of a lip oil. Rouge Brilliant is a slightly thicker gloss, not as dense as the Fluid Sticks, but not as light and smooth as the Addict Glosses. 

I picked up Victoire, a bright peachy orange with a hint of shimmer. Victoire looks super bright in the tube, but sheers out to a warm peachy orange on my lips. The texture is moderately sticky and not too heavy. It is a good summer gloss that has enough pigment to be worn alone and looks fabulous layered over corals, nudes and peaches. There’s a light floral scent that doesn’t bother me much and like any other gloss, the lasting power is about 2-3 hours. The applicator is interesting and helps with less wastage of product, but the application could be a little tricky initially. As of now, I do not see any other unique, must have shades in the range, but the formula is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of the lightweight, moisturizing formula that Dior lip products generally have.

Have you tried any of the Rouge Dior Brilliant Glosses yet?

Jimmy Choo Exotic Eau de Toilette | Spring 2015 Limited Edition

Jimmy Choo’s Exotic ($90 for 3.3 fl oz; shop.nordstrom.com) is a vibrantly packaged, spring/summer version of the classic Jimmy Choo fragrance. Exotic is definitely more of a fall/winter scent and if you’ve tried the classic Jimmy Choo EDP, you’ll know what I mean. The notes include Blackcurrent Sorbet, Pink Grapefruit, Passion Flower, Tiger Orchid, Raspberry and Patchouli.

Exotic is quite heavy on the Patchouli, and a great pick for cooler evenings. The bottle is very similar to the original Jimmy Choo, this time in green, with a summery vibe. The dry down brings out the Patchouli and a little bit of the smokiness tempered with a hint of sweetness from the Raspberry. Although an Eau de Toilette, it still is a really strong scent that lingers on for hours together and doesn’t fade much at all after the dry down. I would reach out for it more when the weather isn’t too warm and when I want a bolder, stronger perfume that I don’t have to worry about having to fade away mid day! Exotic is now available as a limited-edition fragrance at Nordstrom and Macy's. 

Have you tried Exotic by Jimmy Choo?

*Press Sample

Own Beauty Renew Exfoliating Facial Scrub

Own Beauty is a skincare brand that features quality skincare with natural ingredients at great prices. I’ve tried a couple of their products in the past and have been pleased with the ones I’ve tried so far. The new Renew line is a range targeted at dull skin and the Exfoliating Facial Scrub ($10; Target Stores and Whole Foods Stores) is the first step of the Renew regime that features Gingiko Extract, White Tea and Amla. 

I don’t use very many physical scrubs that regularly, but I found this one to be very gentle, polishing and deep cleansing without stripping skin. The texture is a bit odd initially and a tad difficult to spread, but gets better when you add a little bit of water and massage it in. The exfoliating beads aren’t too big or scratchy, so I found it quite gentle on my sensitive/dry skin. It washes off clean and leaves skin super glowy and extremely soft. There's a mild, medicinal scent to the product that dissipates once washed off.  I did not see much of a difference with blackheads or whiteheads, but it sure does get rid of dullness, flakiness and any sort of oily residue, while polishing skin. Overall, if you don’t mind physical scrubs, do give this very affordable one by Own a try - it is more like an exfoliating face wash that is very refreshing to use once you’ve gotten all your makeup off. 

*Press Sample

Vincent Longo Chiara Flush Stick in Ardensa

Vincent Longo’s Chiara Flush Stick ($34; vincentlongo.com) is a blush/subtle highlight duo that comes in a convenient stick form. Ardensa is a bright orange coral creme, with a shimmery apricot core. 

Ardensa is very pigmented, has amazing color payoff in one swipe and is super easy to blend. The color is a bright coral that can be sheered out. I found the best way to apply this, is by using a synthetic brush  - just brush on a couple of swipes to the cheeks and blend away with a brush. The shimmery core has very finely milled shimmer that blends with the product and adds a bit of glow. The texture is easy to blend and would last much longer when layered underneath a powder bush, but since I have dry skin, I prefer it on its own. The packaging is nice, but the blush does feel a bit wobbly, so its one to keep in mind if you plan to toss it into your bag. That apart, it is a quick and easy product for the cheeks that adds a lovely, natural looking flush.

*Press Sample

Two Fabulous Haircare Products To Try This Spring From Living Proof and Phyto

I’ve been trying out these two new haircare products from Living Proof and Phyto and absolutely love them both. One is a pre-wash sort of treatment that works to nourish and add shine to hair overnight and the other is a post wash hair serum/oil that controls frizziness and adds light moisture.

The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector ($28; sephora.com) is one that is to be applied onto hair (dry or damp) generously and left on overnight. It can be washed off in the morning or just styled as usual. I found the texture to be in between that of a thick cream and a lotion, easy to work with, so I use about 2-3 pumps, smoothen onto dry hair the night before I plan to wash my hair. It absorbs quickly and I haven’t seen any sort of residue on my pillow so far. Hair feels super easy to wash out the next day, super smooth without any need for a conditioner. I also like how manageable it looked for the next couple of washes without much need for a styling product. Living Proof does state that one application’s benefits lasts upto 5 washes, so once or twice a week is probably good unless you wash your hair everyday. Night Cap has the typical scent that most Living Proof Products have and completely dissipates once washed. It is silicone-free and  a fabulous product to try this time of year, especially if you have fine hair that gets really frizzy.

The Phyto Huile Soyeuse Lightweight Hydrating Oil ($40; sephora.com) is a post-wash, lightweight oil that I use before styling. The product feels like a super light, runny lotion that detangles and protects hair from heat. It does have an odd scent though, quite light and doesn't linger on, so not a big deal. Huile Soyeuse is silicone-free and does not weight hair down too much. It does soften hair really well and makes it easier to style without using too much heat. The glass bottle it comes in is quite heavy though, which is one too keep in mind if you are as clumsy as I am. The product itself is really nice to tackle frizziness and has the benefits of an oil without the heavy feel.

*Press Sample

Burberry Kisses Lipsticks in Rose Blush No.89 & Coral Pink No.65

Burberry's Kisses Lipsticks ($33; us.burberry.com) are a new launch this Spring, the formula described as buildable, moisturizing and lightweight. I got to try out a couple of shades from the new 28 lip color range & here are my quick thoughts with some photos & swatches.

The Kisses Lipstick formula is somewhat between the Burberry Lip Covers (which now seem to have been discontinued) and the Lip Mists. It is not too sheer, or very glossy as the fabulous Lip Mist, but the texture is buildable and starts off with medium color payoff. I tried out Coral Pink, which is a bright orange-coral with a hint of pink and Rose Blush, a gorgeous dusty rose with a hint of plum. Coral Pink goes on quite sheer, but the color can be built up to a good intensity to look like it does in the tube. Rose Blush is a little more pigmented and one swipe is all I needed to cover any uneven pigmentation on my lips and add a natural rosy wash of color. 

Both colors I tried were fragrance-free, which to me is the best part, since Burberry lipsticks had the strongest fragrance that used to linger on forever. The formula wore a good 3-4 hours on me and left behind a natural looking stain. I do wish they were both a little more glossy in finish though - they aren’t matte by any means, but they can look a little flat after a couple of hours once the shine wears off. I did find the formula to be quite hydrating and not heavy or cakey - it doesn’t add in any extra moisture, but doesn’t dry out lips either. The packaging is like everything else from Burberry - weighty, beautiful and closes with a magnetic snap. Overall, the Kisses Lipsticks are a good one to try out if you don’t like very full coverage, heavy lip colors, especially this time of the year. The formula is buildable in a nice way and the colors are all very wearable, just like everything else from Burberry is.

Burberry Kisses Lipsticks in Coral Pink & Rose Blush

Burberry Kisses Lipsticks in Coral Pink, Rose Blush Swatches

Wearing the Burberry Kisses Lipstick in Rose Blush

*Press Samples