Author: Carina

bareminerals degrees of dazzling

One Week bareMinerals Degrees of Dazzling: 7 Looks

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I haven’t quite been able to keep up with my One Week series, mostly because I’ve been enjoying rotating my old and new products. I figured that I had to get around to using some of my sets and palettes that I haven’t been touching eventually. Here are a couple of looks that I came up with using my bareMinerals Degrees of Dazzling set (reviewed here). This came out last Christmas/holiday, so I don’t know if this is annoying that I’m posting about it. I don’t know, I pretty much believe that you can recreate most looks with whatever you have. (Which is probably a bit weird coming from a self-confessed hoarder, but you must admit that I do have a point.) Ahem. I picked this “palette” to work with because I wanted to explore and play a bit more with colors, and my goal is to use at least 3/4 or 15 of the 20 shades in this collection. Unlike my previous One Week series posts, I chose to go the full week and …

Sample Stash Sunday: Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set

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I was going to publish this post next Sunday, but I figured it might be useful for people who wanted to get this set during the Sephora VIB sale this week. OK, so I was eyeing Lovecraft from the new Kat Von D Studded Kiss range, but when I was about to buy it, I spotted a minis set with 9 shades that included Lovecraft, so I thought I’d give it a go. The Studded Kiss Lipstick range wasn’t really met with the best reviews—basically failing at their “an innovative lipstick that coats lips with bold color,10-hour wear, and luxe comfort” claims—so I’m not sure what possessed me to get this, but $39 for nine shades didn’t seem like a bad deal to me. Here’s how much product you get when you extend the bullet: The selection of shades is pretty decent, representing quite a good amount of shades of the range. From left to right: Countess (matte hot orange red), Agatha (matte pale peach nude), Adora (metallic golden red), Sexer (iridescent fluorescent pink), Wonderchilde …

Nailing it with Navy

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My relationship with nail polish oscillates so much between love and hate, we could probably star in a romcom. My small hands (short fingers!) with miniscule nails and nail polish are often a match made somewhere nasty. Call me babyfingers—ewwww. After much trial and error though, I figured out that a) I am not very adventurous when it comes to nail polish shades, b) but I won’t stand by a suckiness in formula, and c) the Seche Vite top coat is a godsend. It is the turning point in my love-hate tale that finally turns it into a romance.

Quickie: Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette in Precious Gems

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Sonia Kashuk was one of the drugstore brands I was most looking forward to trying when I went to the States. Unfortunately, none of the items I wanted to try out—except for the cream bronzer, which I decided I didn’t need more of—were in stock at the places I went to… so I picked this palette up instead, thinking it was a good move to stray away from my usual neutrals. Unfortunately (again), the Sonia Kashuk Precious Gems Eye Palette is not the best representation of the brand. The six-pan palette features jewel tones, of which the green was best performing, imparting color without much effort. I can’t say the same for the others. For the swatches below, I kind of mangled the palette and applied them on my arm really heavily. My palette now resembles an ice cube tray of colorful molten lava. Swatched, L-R: Green, Blue, Red, Gold, Purple, Brown — these aren’t the color names, FYI.

October Favorites

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I often add a space in my calendar to put in a “monthly favorites,” though I don’t always have “enough” products to show that would warrant an entire post. This is especially true for the month of October, most of which I spent in a different country. I do have a couple of skin favorites and mainstays that are similar to that of the last favorites post I did, but I hope you guys don’t mind if I also share some recent finds that I have been loving lately. One Love Organics Brand New Day Scrub & Masque This powder is to be mixed with water (to act as a scrub) or Greek yogurt/honey (to use as a mask). When I remember to use this—just about twice a week—my skin feels so refreshed and clean after. This will definitely be a mainstay in my routine. I just wish it were a bit easier for me to get. La Roche-Posay Redermic R and Redermic R Eyes This range is an anti-aging treatment that contains retinol, which …

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

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After hastily swatching the palette—running on a 5-minute before meeting back up with everyone deadline!—I went directly to the counter, patiently waiting to pay for this beauty. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette features 3 Ambient Lighting Blushes, one of which is limited edition and only available in this palette. I have big love for the Ambient Lighting range by Hourglass, so picking this up was kind of a no-brainer. I resisted getting any of the blushes when they first came out, stubbornly insisting that they were nothing special and I could live without them. And then I caved and my best friend had to be my mule. I picked Diffused Heat and was blown away because it was just so stunning. The Ambient Lighting Blushes have pigment marbled into the famed Ambient Lighting Powders, aimed to create a “seamless, soft-focus, and multidimensional color.”

Ellis Faas - Identity Revealed

Identity Revealed: a filmed triptych by Ellis Faas

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Earlier this week, I received an email about a new venture by Ellis Faas—a short film. I’ve always been intrigued by her, as she is one of the most successful makeup artists in the industry. Her line is also brilliant, and she began as a photographer. Last Thursday, the former queen of the Netherlands Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix opened a new exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk (which is an old church) in Amsterdam: “Magical Africa – Masks and Sculptures from Ivory Coast. The Artists Revealed”. For this exhibition, the curators commissioned a film by makeup artist/photographer/filmmaker Ellis Faas, asking Ellis to draw inspiration from the traditional masks from Ivory Coast. “Since ancient times, humans have been using masks – in order to express power and authority; to feel self-confident; to stand out or to hide behind; to not be recognised and disappear into the masses. Not only by traditional masks, but also by disguising and ornamental elements such as clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. But can one truly change one’s identity, or is it …