USA Haul Part 2-Sephora: NARS Illuminator

They are finally out! The NARS Illuminators are OUT! I've been waiting for them and I finally have ONE and only one I shall have.

They retail for $29.00 in Sephora and NARS website(good thing they are way way cheaper than the multiples). NARS came out with four familiar shades- Orgasm, Super Orgasm, Laguna, and Copacabana.

> Orgasm- similar to its blush counterpart, it is peachy pink with gold reflects.

> Super Orgasm- similar to Orgasm, but chunkier gold reflects

> Laguna- similar to Laguna bronzer. Perfect for that all over sun kissed glow for summer.

> Copacabana- similar to the Copacabana multiple. The perfect highlighter with a pearly shine

What are these Illuminators for?

> This is what NARS say: "NARS Illuminators light the skin from whithin. A collection of light-reflecting liquids that glide on to refresh and enhance the complexion to create a shimmering incandescence. "

> You can either use these illuminators as highlighters or mix it in with your foundation.

So..

Guess what I got..well it's Copacabana of course! I was thinking if I should get two, but I had to control myself and only choose one. There was only ONE Copacabana left and it had to be mine. Orgasm and Laguna are a hit too because there were only two to three tubes left.

hand swatch of NARS Copacabana- WARNING: You ONLY NEED HALF OF A PEA SIZE. The product is SUPER pigmented!

Yeap! Thats too much product on my hand

and..here's Copacabana blended...Shimmery in a good way.

I can't review this product yet because I just bought it, but I will try them on maybe next week and post an in depth review. I bet you will find video reviews on Youtube or try googling "NARS Illuminators Review".

Did you purchase any NARS Illuminator? What is your shade of choice?

Thanks for reading and have an awesome Wednesday!

-Kim

USA Haul Part 1- (Lipsticks: Wet n' Wild, Loreal,and Revlon)

Hows your week so far? Ecerything good?

I went for a 3 day vacation in Seattle which is about 3 hours drive from Vancouver. I went with my family and thankfully it is a bit warmer there compared to Vancouver. I told myself that I should TRY to MINIMIZE my spending,but look what happened!? LOOK!

I ended up with seven lipsticks...

> Revlon Cherry Ice- A wearable Red with a hint of pink/coral. This is a good dupe for MAC Viva Glam Cyndi, but lighter and pinker.
> Revlon Cherris in the Snow- Bright magenta red. Think MAC Impassioned, but more wearable.
> Wet n' Wild 900B- Nude peach
> Wet n' Wild 903C- Nude with slight peachy orange undertones.
> Wet n' Wild 901 B- A very Wearable pink. Think MAC Angel but a little bit brighter.
> Wet n' Wild 909D-A wearble reddish coral, perfect for spring/summer.
> Loreal British Red- Classic red.

I'll start off with the Revlons and the Loreal lippies

I went looking for this revlon lipstick everywhere in Canada, but couldn't find it. I finally found Revlon Cherries in the Snow at Target.

Hand swatch: Loreal British Red-350 (Love the name!), Revlon Cherry Ice-012, and Revlon Cherries in the Snow-440 (I finally have you!)

and then the Wet n' Wilds...

Let me tell you a "short" story about why I bought these lipsticks. I saw Temptalia's tempting lip swatch of Wet n' Wild 909D on her blog and I got sucked it. These lipsticks cost $2.99 and they had a promotion Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price at Fred Meyers. WHAT A DEAL right?

These lipsticks are super creamy just like MAC's cremesheens and they are pigmented as well. When I first swatched them on my hand, they felt hard and a bit dry, but when I applied them on my lips when I got back to my hotel, they were super creamy and they glided on my lips like butter. If you ask me about their packaging, I would say they look cheap, but for the price, they are worth it. So for the WnW lipsticks, I only paid less than $10!

so anyways..heres some photos

hand swatch:Wet n' Wild 900B, 903C, 901B, 909D

I have lip swatches of Wet n' Wild 909D and 900B

Photo above: 909D

Photo above: 900B

Final thoughts: I'm ready for spring/summer and I'm very happy with all of these lipsticks I bought. I finally found Revlon Cherries in the Snow. I would suggest trying the Wet n' Wild

lipsticks.

Have a lovely week everyone and thank you for reading.

-Kim

MAC 109 & 116 brush (review & comparison)

Hi again,

Since I did include these MAC brushes in my February Favorites post, might as well do an in depth review of MAC 109 and MAC 116 brushes and couple of people requested me to compare these two brushes as well.

I do not have a lot of MAC brushes in my collection,and I know that it will grow pretty soon. I currently own- MAC 182, 109, 116, 217, 222, 219, and 239. Im happy with what I have, but(there will always be a but!) I want MAC 129, 242, and 134 in the future :D

okay enough with the lusting over MAC brushes

So here they are MAC 109 small contour Brush(top)- $32 in the US and $38.50 in Canada. This is a very small, soft brush that I find very useful for buffing in cream and powder products. If you go on Youtube and type in "Favorite brushes" or even "Favorite MAC Brushes" this specific brush will for sure come out. The only downside for this brush is that it SHEDS!

I use this brush for: foundation, blush, contour, and highlight.

What does MAC say about this brush: Use on the face to apply, blen, or contour powder products. Softly rounded dome tip delivers just enough color, smoothly blends contour into into the face.

For foundation: this brush works incredibly with any liquid foundation. You can find turotials on how to use this brush with a liquid foundation on Youtube. If you use this brush to apply your favorite liquid foundation it will give you a flaeless, full coverage look and it does use up lesser products compared to a MAC 187 stippling brush. The only problem with using this brsh to apply foundation is that it will take you a lng time to get your desired look. I tried using this twice and it took me literally 5-8 minutes.

For blush: I use this brush for blushes and this brush won't not give you a hard time when it comes to applying your blush. The brush is tiny and it is very compact that it gets the right amount of blush(don't forget to tap your brush before applying your blush).

For contour: I also use this brush to contour my cheekbones, just to give me that thinner looking face. I think this might be the best conour brush out there if you ask me. I use a light hand when applying bronzer on my cheekbones.

For highlight: Honestly, I don't use this brush for highlight that often, but I tried it maybe three times. You guys know that I use MAC Stobe Liquid Lotion as a highlight and I just use my fingers and then use 109 to biff in the Strobe Liquid Lotion.

Do I recommend this brush: YES! definitely YES!

Okay, done with 109 let's go on with MAC 116 brush shall we?

MAC 116 Brush(left) $32 in the US and $38.50 in Canada .This is a very compact blush brush which can also be used for highlight. I specifically just use this brush for blush and blush alone.

I use this brush for: Blush

What does MAC say about this brush: tapered for shading and highlighting cheeks and face with blush. The bristles on the brush are soft and form a full, rounded shape

For blush: It does pick up a good amount of colour and deposits it on your cheek nicely and flawlessly. If you are looking for a blush brush definitely give this a try.

For Highlight: Since it is tapered, you can use this to apply your highlighter. Just use the very tip of the brush and you are good to go.

Do I recommend this brush: Yes! if you are looking for a blush brush alone, but if you are looking for a versatile brush then I suggest go with 109.

________________________________________________

conclusion: MAC 109 is smaller, dome shape and good for blush, contour, foundation and highlight. MAC 116 brush is good for blush application and it is larger than the 109, but smaller than a MAC 126. SO, who won? They both work in different ways, so it is hard to choose.

I hope this review/comparison post helped you, if you are confused and if you are planning to purchase a MAC brush in the future.

Have a happy weekend :)

-Kim

Monthly Favorites: February

How's your Friday so far? Mine has been great, but it will be a cold and rainy weekend here in Vancouver(what's new anyways?). Just a little bit more patience and spring is here, so let's just wait and hope for a good and warm(not wet) spring season.


so..


Finally I had the chance to do my February favorites and I'm really excited to share them with you. Nothing too exciting tho, but I think I never done a monthly favorites post before, so say hello to my first monthly favorite blog post for the month of February.

I know I'm 4 days late, but better late than never right?


So let's get straight to the point here.


1. Revlon Soft Nude- is your typical nude lipstick that goes on smoothly and it is very moisturizing as well. I don't really use lipgloss these days, but I apply my MAC TLC in Petting Pink before I apply this lipstick and on top of it too.


2. NARS Nepal eyeshadow- if you have MAC All That Glitters or MAC Naked Lunch, Nepal is very similar to them. I use this all over my lid and apply MAC Shroom or Urban Decay Virgin as a inner corner highlight and I'm good to go. I've been using this boring eye combo for the whole month of January and February.


3. Korres Vitamin Face Primer- at first, I wasn't really impress with this Korres face primer, but I decided to give it a second try and finally, I fell in love with it. I'm almost done and I will purchase a new one very soon. If you are the type of person who uses a face primer before applying your foundation, give this a try.


4. MAC 182 kabuki brush- the best kabuki brush hands down! The MAC 181 does the same job, but it is smaller and cuter compared to this(This 182 is 181's mom). I use this to buff in my blush and whenever I use a MSF. I can't say anything bad about this brush(oh! I know- EXPENSIVE! $50 + YIKES!)


5. MAC Natural Skinfinish in light medium- I use this as a finishing powder. I first apply my primer, foundation, concealer and then get a big fluffy face brush and sweep this Natural Skin Finish all over my face and it does gives me a nice glow.


6. MAC 116 brush- I use this to apply my blush and it id a good blush brush, but I do prefer MAC 109. I will do an in depth comparison of this brush and MAC 109 because couple of people requested me to do that. SO your wish is my command. :)


7. MAC 109 brush- Best contour brush, blush brush, bronzer brush, and highlighting brush. I think I can live with this brush alone.


8. MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion- I did a review of MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion here, so check it out if you are interested with it. I use this as a highlight on my cheek bones, nose bridge and brow bones.


9. Benefit Hoola bronzer- do I even need to explain this famous bronzer because there are millions of reviews about this Benefit product. Im happy to say that they are ALL right. This bronzer is matte and does not give me a muddy looking face. DO I prefer this over Laguna? I think about 70% maybe just because Laguna is a bit too orange for me, but I did use Laguna for a year and a half. I bought Hoola because I ran out of Laguna and that's what everyone recommended to me.

and...


My "necessary" products
- What I mean about "nessary" products are the products that never change in my makeup routine, such as my moisturizers, concealer, eyeliner, liquid eyeliner, foundation and eye primer.


> Cetaphil
> MAC Face and Body mixed with NARS Sheer Glow
> MAC Stuido Finish concealer in NW20 ad YSL Touche Eclat in #8
> MAC Superslick Liquid liner in On the Hunt
> MAC Powerpoint Kohl liner in Graphblack
> MAC Paintpots, Painterly and topped with Bare Study

What are your Fabruary favorite beauty products?

Have a good weekend :)

Kim

Finished!

Let's get straight to the point.

I've used up 3 products from my ever growing make-up stash and I'm actually glad about it. Do you guys feel the same way tho? Like if you hit pan a products you just feel happy that you finally finished it? It's either you are happy because you know your product was loved or maybe because you can just purchase a new one.

Okay enough blabbing and let us go with what this post is about shall we?

So, here are the products I've used up so far:

- NARS Laguna Bronzer
- Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
- MAC Angel lipstick

Photos:

okay, I know this is the duo of Orgasm and Laguna, but I did it guys! I finished Laguna after a year and a half of using it almost everyday.

NARS Laguna- What can I say about this bronzer? It gives a subtle sheen to the face and it's a pretty good bronzer for paler skin people like me.

MAC Angel- Kim Kardashian's favorite lipstick, I love this lipstick, and it's the perfect everyday lipstick I've ever used. I will be purchasing this again pretty soon.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper- This is my second and I've been using it everyday, but I will not purchase a third tattoo liner because I've found MAC Superslick Liquid Liner and I love it. So goodbye Kat Von D, you've been great.

(above)a not so appealing swatch.

There you go...three down for me!

I will be doing my February Favorites tomorrow. So watch out for that if you're interested

Happy 1st of March fellas :)

-Kim

Review: Life Essentials Nail Polish Remover Dip

I was skeptical at first because I've never used a nail polish remover dip ever before, but everytime I go and purchase a bottle of Sally Hansen's nail polish remover I spot these guys sitting there staring at me and saying that I should try them out.


and of course, I gave in and I will review it for you.


Introducing Life Essentials Nail Polish Remover Dip


If anyone isn't familiar with what this is, it is basically a giant sponge dipped and soaked with nail polish remover.


They also have scented nail polish dips, but I chose the one without, but I heard the scented ones are better.

Let me say this first...

I change my nail polish every 2-3 days, so that means I constantly use nail polish remover and which results to... DRY and BRITTLE nails and hands. I spend about 10 minutes to remove my polish, as in nothing left. I'm sick and tired of spending so much time removing my nail polish, so I went to Shoppers Drugmart(Canada only) and found this. I saw some makeup gurus rave/rant about nail polish remover dips. There were mixed reviews, so I went ahead and purchase this so I can try it myself.

What I think about this Life nail polish remover dip:

PROs:
> Available everywhere- I'm not pretty sure if this specific brand is available in the U.S and UK, but I'm pretty sure Sally hansen makes one too.

> Removes nail polish QUICKER!- Directions: Dip fingers and twist it inside for about 10 seconds, remove, then dip it again for another 10 seconds and the polish should be gone. Don't forget to WASH YOUR HANDS afterwards.

> Not expensive at all- $4.99

> You will save cotton balls- I use about 5-8 cotton balls everytime I remove my nail polish. What a waste!

> Acetone-free- means more gentle and less drying

CONs:

> The smell is too strong- more concentrated smell compared to a bottle of nail polish remover

> The sponge will get dirty(*obviously) after about 5 uses, but don't worry it still works great!

I took some photos of the sponge after about 4-5 uses

Well..will you look at that.

Conclusion: Im converted! I recommend trying this dippies out if you are interested. I will be purchasing this again, but I think I will go with the scented ones this time.

Will you guys try this? or will you stick with a bottle of nail polish remover?

How's the first day of March? I hope you guys are well and have a happy day!

-Kim

How to pull off nude lips

Happy March everyone. Spring is almost HERE!

I got loads of emails asking me how I can pull off nude lips knowing that I am PALE. Pale meaning I'm an NW 25 and I get paler during the fall/winter season(which is right now).

Trust me, it is very easy to wear nude lipsticks even if you have a fair skin.

Remember me posting the Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick post? Well I got lots of comments saying that they can't pull of the lipstick because it is too pale for them, etc. I disagree, you just need to do a little mix and match and everything will be fine. Don't be scared with nude lipstick, you just need to be creative and find another lipstick that can be partnered with the nude lippie.

So here we go..

I used these three lip products:

from left to right:
> Viva Glam Gaga 2 (nude beige)
> Viva Glam Gaga (pink with slight lilac tones)
> MAC TLC in Petting Pink

Here's a photo of Viva Glam Gaga 2(nude) alone, so let's turn this nude into more wearable lips
What you need to have:
1. A nude lipstick
2. A lipstick of your choice(red, pink, coral, orange, brown, etc)
3. A Lipbalm
4. Napkin

Steps:
1. Apply your lipbalm- I used my MAC TLC in Petting Pink
2. Apply your nude lipstick- MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2(nude)
3. Take a napkin and dab it onto your lips without wiping everything off.
4. Finally, apply your second lipstick of choice by just dabbing it or do tiny strokes- MAC Viva Glam Gaga(pink)

So here is the result:

What do you think? is it more wearable?

Make sure you guys have fun and try to mix n' match lipsticks.

Have fun!

-Kim