Sunday, December 23, 2012

Lana Del Rey Speed Drawing


Just a random drawing. I haven't drawn in so long. So glad to be back home :)

Beautista on Kouturekiss!

Im so happy to announce that I'm officially a beautista on Kouturekiss! I suggest every beauty lover to subscribe and stay tuned for beauty tips and tricks. http://kouturekiss.com/ http://kouturekiss.com/u/minzakhan

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Winter Blushes!



Winter is just around the corner, December 21st to be exact, and the holiday season is a great time to experiment with fun new colors in blushes to bring more life to your pretty face. Personally, I prefer powder blushes for the fall and winter and go for a more dewy finish with cream blushes towards summer. I’ve picked out the top four blushes that I reach for most during the wintertime. All these blushes are cool toned and range from 30 dollars to as low as 3 dollars.

Try avoiding harsh dark blushes on the apples of your cheeks, this will only weigh your face down and make you look older. You want to try to go with a natural flush and use a light shades like Cargo’s Blu-Ray Blush/Highlighter in “Pink” to brighten up the face. Don’t be fooled by the color in the pan, it actually comes out a bit darker on skin. This blush has a bit of shimmer but is not overpowering and reflects softly, giving the appearance of naturally glowing and youthful skin. I applied this blush with my Elf completion brush to the apples of my cheeks, taking it up to my cheekbones for a nice wash of color and subtle highlight.

Another light pink shade is from a mineral brand online called Sweet Face Minerals called “Sweet Cheeks”. This is basically the slightly warmer, loose powder version of the Cargo blush in “Pink”. You can get this in its original 20 gram jar from their online store, but the one I have is the 5 gram jar from their starter kit, which by the way would make an awesome holiday gift. Like the Cargo blush, I like to apply this to the apples of my cheeks and blend it up to my cheekbones and a little touch to the nose. This neutral light pink blush goes on flawlessly and gives it that perfect wintertime flush. Light blushes go great with a dark winter lip shades like reds and plums. Don’t go overboard and avoid going heavy on both cheeks and lips.

Fuchsia Fusion is a raspberry toned pink with sparkle, not shimmer, but chunky sparkle. Not to fear though, the sparkle won’t show up on your face which is great. I like to apply this near my cheek bones and in the hollows of my cheeks like a bronzer since it’s a darker shade. For a 3 dollar blush, the color payoff is great, similar to that of “Angelika” blush by Nars. With great pigmentation, price, and Nars-like packaging, this is hands down the best buy of the season.

Mac- Breath of Plum
Mac’s sheertone blush in Breath of Plum has been my go-to blush this fall and will carry into this winter. The formula is so smooth and finely mild. Although it looks darker in the pan, it goes on much lighter and has buildable color. I go lighter on the apples of my cheeks and blend out to my cheekbones where I build up the color. This plum shade is not too light or too dark and gives the perfect soft and sophisticated plum winter look.

 Look forward to every day to try out something new this winter and don’t be shy to experiment with new shades and looks. With Christmas and New Year parties on the way, don’t forget to blush it up this holiday season!

Sweet Face Minerals blush in "Sweet Cheeks"

Top picture in natural lighting, bottom picture taken with flash. Left to Right: Cargo blush in "pink", Sweet Face Minerals blush in "Sweet Cheeks", Elf blush in "Fuchsia Fusion", Mac sheertone blush in "Breath of Plum"

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Deep Plum Runway Lips For Less

Wine lip trend- Burberry Fall 2012
I've been on a hunt for the perfect fall plum lip color. Now I purposely stay away from dramatic colors and stick to natural mauve and  neutrals for a day-to-day look, however I realized I was playing safe with the purples I do have. Colvergirl's Divine Divine is probably as dramatic as my purples get.

So then the hunt began, finding a deep flattering plum that wasn't too glossy. I don't mind if the formula is too matte because that's an easy fix with some chapstick. I don't mind lipsticks that stain either because even if it rubs off during the day, I wont need to touch up since there will be a light wash of color still there.

I heard and read reviews on Alabama by NYX, a deep red berry shade and I fell in love! Too bad the drugstores nearby didn't have NYX products but Urban Outfitters had some shades in NYX matte lipsticks including Summer Breeze and True Red. Neither of them were appealing. Summer Breeze was too bright and made my skin look dull and dirty and True Red is a beautiful shade but was a bit too bold for the look I was going for and too close to NYX's Amsterdam Soft Matte Lip Cream which I have.

I haven't gotten anything from CVS besides stuff I need for the house all semester but one day walking through the aisles in CVS a NYC product caught my eye! A perfect deep plum shade with no shimmer and only $1.99 (NYC- 320 Mahogany). The angles came out and starting singing....yup this ones a winner.

I came home and tried it on and I loved it but it was a bit glossy for my taste. I simply pad it down with a Kleenex and it looked great. The next time I went back to CVS had restocked their lipstains, one of them being a deep plum shade (their darkest lipstain) called 499 Forever Mine Wine for. I tried it on at home and my first impression was wow...this is dark! I also noticed that since this is a dark shade it settled into the cracks of my lips and emphasized the dryness.

A tip to making this work, apply a thin layer of chapstick, not too much or else the stain wont absorb into your lips. Apply the stain on your lower lip and rub lips together to transfer the color. Most makeup artists like to line the lips before filling them in, I feel this stain is too dark for that and would leave you with an ugly dark rim all day, so concentrate the stain in the middle and use the NYC Mahogany lipstick to line the lips, moisturize, and leave a smooth dark runway style finish.


Lip Stain with NYC Mahogany lipstick


NYC- Forever Mine Wine Lip stain alone. Focused on the middle of the lips before applying NYC lipstick over it

UP NEXT: Maybelline eyeshadow singles perfect for fall and winter (225S Made For Mocha, 260S Copper Craze

Monday, May 7, 2012

Physicians Formula Baked Collection Wet/Dry Eye Shadow and Physicians Formula Concealer 101 Concealer Duo

All right so free stuff!!! As I mentioned in my previous blog,  I've been  busy with  finals and I'm excited to share the new stuff I got for FREE by my beauty club rewards card on my CVS card. Lets start with the bad. First of all to start off, I never use concealer for anything so I may not  be the best person for his review. Having said that, the few times I ever thought I have needed it, a high coverage foundation did the job. But when I  was getting stuff at CVS I was like hey why not just give it a try. The packaging is convenient and small to carry around for touch ups. The Physicians Formula Concealer 101 Concealer Duo has two shades; one for under eye and one for discolorations. It comes with a little brush which isn't so bad. I actually do tend to use it. The feel is really dry though so you'll really have to rub it well with your fingers to warm it up. Here's a tip on how to apply it: Use your fingers because the heat from your fingers will help it melt down a bit and apply better. After you pat it into the areas that need some cover age like under eye circles or discoloration, simply use a foundation to blend it out. You don't want to be those girls whos eye areas are significantly whiter than the rest of their face. Makeup shouldn't be obvious. Personally I think it does well with cancelling out the blue tones under your eyes with the yellow but it's not something that I find essential to your daily make up routine.
I was soooo impressed with this eyeshadow trio! I've been looking for a dupe for Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Wet Dry Shadow in Gold Rush and I found it! The middle cream shade is just like it. Trust me I've tried so many colors that are similar to it and this one comes the closest. I think The trio in Baked Sands would look great on any skin tone. It's a neutral and flattering shade that can be worn dry for a natural look for wet for a more intense look. Love love love this, and will defiantly be repurchasing this soon!

Physicians Formula Concealer 101 Concealer Duo

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Gone studying for finals. Will be back soon! So excited about the free stuff I got from CVS with my beauty club rewards. Coming soon! :)
Heck yes! Free stuff!



Friday, April 6, 2012

Yes Yes Yes To Carrots


Get naturally glowing/youthful skin and be a force of beauty without makeup! I cant stress enough how important it is to moisturize your skin daily, especially after you wash or exfoliate your skin (which you should do once a week at the most) also use something with sunblock or SPF to prevent sun damage, but I'm very much guilty of leaving that step out unless its burning hot out. So I've tried many moisturizers and some tend to be too thick, some too thin, some drying. The drying ones were obviously the oil free Neutrogena ones that prevent breakouts and such and I don't really need that. I just need a daily moisturizer without benzoyl peroxide that absorbs quick and leaves my skin perfectly moisturized without being greasy. FOUND IT! It's a night cream from the the Yes To Carrots line called C Through The Night. Been using for the past two years because its just so awesome! I have to admit, the catchy brand name did draw me in when I saw this at Walgreens (its also available at Target) and I just thought it was worth a try considering its organic. Brace yourself, common skin care products contain Benzoyl Peroxide and Methylisothiazolinone and hair care products contain Mureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfates, which cause premature aging of the skin, nerve disorders, excessive dryness and other damages. So although its made of all natural ingredients, not all products that say their"organic" are true. If you can’t pronounce half of the chemicals listed on the ingredients portion, don’t use it on your body. Yes organix products do tend to be on the pricier side in drugstores ($14.99)but its so worth it! We have to take care of ourselves.

It claims to be made from natural Dead Sea salts and is completely paraben phthalate, and SLS free. Yes to Carrots has a wide variety of products including shampoos, exfoliating masks, a light day cream with SPF (which is always a plus) and a night cream, a gentle facial scrub, body butter and organic chap-sticks, all of which I own and have no complaints against. I am a very picky when it comes to buying such products because I have tried many products but have never been as satisfied with the results as I am with this line. Most products contain harsh chemicals while organic products retain your natural oils while doing the job right.

Yes to Carrots has is geared towards people with normal skin, but it has branched off and is now making products for people with sensitive and oily skin.Yes to Cucumbers is sensitive on skin and leaves a nice tingly feeling, while Yes to Tomatoes is for those who have oily skin. Overall, love this night cream and really hope they don't discontinue this. Highly recommend this! Tip: take a little out on your finger and mix it with a little water, I feel that it absorbs better that way.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Healthy Pizza

I love tasty food, but I wanna be healthy at the same time. Considering I'm in college and don't get much time workout as much as I used to. Here's a simple healthy recipe that doesn't require much effort and only takes 20 minutes to make. This recipe calls for:

1 Tortilla (preferably whole wheat )
3 Tablespoons of Ragu sauce
1/2 Tomato
Spinach Leaves ( I use the ones that come in the big prepackaged bags)
Shredded cheese ( preferably fat free or reduced fat)
1 Teaspoon Salt Season
1 Teaspoon Tajin Calisico Seasoning ( or you can try crushed red peppers with some lime to get the same taste)

Preheat the oven to 400. Place to the Tortilla on an ungreased baking sheet and spread some Ragu sauce on it. Add some shredded cheese.  Add spinach leaves evenly. Slice and add thin slices of tomatoes and add some more cheese on top(dicing them up makes it easier to pull apart and eat but I think the slices look good). Then sprinkle the seasonings on top and let it bake for 15  minutes.  That's it, super easy, fast, healthy, and yummy. You can change anything to your taste but that's just how I make it. Bon Appetit my lovelies!





Friday, March 23, 2012

Bold Lipsticks

I have a collection of drugstore lipsticks from this year and I'll be doing a more detailed review about each brand later on. For now though, just the bold colors that I don't usually wear. This year has been big on bold colors like reds, pinks, purples and as much as I love them, I can't make them work all the time. Some thing that I stick to is EOS lip balm or Revlon's Matte-Mauve It Over. I read so many reviews about the new Revlon Lip Butter and I couldn't resist when I saw the color choice. It's probably the most moisturizing lipstick I've ever used. I'm more of a matte girl, but I can make an exception since the color payoff is so great! The packaging tube is cute, its the color of the shade so its easy to see what color your picking up in a hurry in the mornings. Overall, love these lipsticks but these are the two colors (Red Velvet and Lollipop) I use least since they are very bold and hard to work on a day to day basis.

Covergirl has some amazing shades in their Lip Perfection line. The colors are long lasting and don't have much shine which I love. She shade I wear the least is Divine Divine which is a beautifulll purple pinky shade that reminds me a lot of something Katy Perry would wear. It looks kind of scary in the tube but amazing on. Wish I was edgy enough to work this shade everyday. One of my funnest lipsticks hands down. Revlon's Pink Pout from the Matte line may be a bold color, but its definitely one of the most wearable out of the four. It's too bold to wear to class but perfect for a night out with friends.





Thursday, March 8, 2012

New Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Eyeshadow

Revlon Colorstay in Adventurous- $8 (got it for free!)

I'm so excited about this product! 1) because i got it for FREE using my CVS extra care coupons and 2) because its great! I'm not really into vibrant eyeshadow colors anymore but the colors in the"Adventurous" pallet, especially the green, reminded me so much of my old Lancome pallet and I just had to get it. The pallet consists of four shades; a matte cream for highlight, a shimmery olive green for the lid, a shimmery copper/gold to blend out the crease or can be used on the lid, and a matte plum for the crease. I love all the colors and they have excellent pigmentation and best of all, they stay on and don't fade. The formula's nice and smooth - not chalky, its great. Now although the colors are very similar to those from the Lancome pallet, the quality is nothing compared to Lancomes. You get what you pay for. Lancome's shades are super smooth and easier to blend and generally have a better color payoff. So overall I'd give this a 7 out of 10.
Wearing the olive shade all over the lid, copper shade the in the crease, dark brown on the outer edge,  and cream shade as a highlight on the brow bone. Added Revlon liquid liner on top lid with Ardell half lashes on the outer part of the lash line. (Don't normally wear falsies but when I do (for fun), I skip mascara)


Back


Swatches of the 4 shades

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Maybelline Color Tattoos- Gold Rush & Pomegranate Punk



I can't rave about these enough. Theses are definitely a 10 out of 10. For those of you who don't know, Maybelline came out with a new cream eyeshadow line called Color Tattoos. I've personally have always had bad experience with cream shadows since they tend to crease and fade easily, but I must say, the only con I have about this is taking it off. It's stays put all day, doesn't crease, has a bold color that doesn't fade, it's buildable, it dries unlike the cream shadows I've tried in the past, and it does not smudge!

These come in a variety of colors but I chose two that I felt I could wear on a daily basis called "Gold Rush" and "Pomegranate Punk". I've heard lots of people are having trouble finding these in stock but the first CVS I went to had all of them, yet when I went to get an even exchange for ‘Tough as Taupe’ I found that the "Bad to the Bronze" was out. I loved how ‘Tough as Taupe’ was matte unlike the other colors, but the taupe was more of a grey based taupe which didn't quite suit me. I can't stress enough to y'all to KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS! seriously! I know you can't try out products like you can in Sephora but I hate when people open things in the store to try it. Buy it, try it, and if you don't like it, return it for a full refund or just get an even exchange. And yes, they will accept used items. My excuse "the color wasn't right" and that's it.

I digress, I apologize. Anyways, you can wear them alone on lazy days, add a dark powder shadow on the outer corners to add more depth, or add a lighter shade in the middle to give more dimension and make them look bigger. Either way, you cant go wrong with these. Plus I love the packaging, its a cute, sleek, mini glass pot that's easier to carry around. Even though these are about $7 each, they are comparable to Mac Paint Pots and well worth it.
Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk-$7
Color Tattoo in Gold Rush-$7
Swatch on my hand  in natural lighting of both

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

NYX Matte Lip Cream and Triple Shadow Pallet

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream- $6
I love thisss!!! Like the packaging says, "it's not like anything you've experienced before". It's not a gloss nor a lipstick, but rather a soft matte lip cream. It goes on so smooth and dries to matte finish, which I love. Just a tip though, it will get dry so I suggest you moisturize your lips either before or after you apply it.  So one of my favorite beauty gurus online had this in the shade "Amsterdam" and since the day she introduced them, I was determined to get one. Amsterdam is a beautiful, rich, red shade but too red for my taste and I wanted something a lot more wearable so luckily I found this in the shade "Istanbul" at Urban Outfitter for $6.I was unfortunately the only shade they had but I absolutely love it. Its a great neutral shade, nothing too out of the way that looks great if you like to go heavier on the eyes to balance your look out. Overall, this is worthy of repurchase.
NYX Triple Shadow Pallet in ts03- $8
I checked at CVS and they don't carry NYX products at all. I also checked to see if they had this at HEB but they don't carry this product although they do carry other NYX products. When I was at HEB, I picked up a neutral triple shadows pallet in #TS03 for about $8 and had high expectations for it. The colors are great, one for the lid, one for the crease, and one for highlight. The colors would work on most skin tones. It came with an basic sponge applicator but who ever uses those? It took a lot of effort to get it on the brush, product was really chalky. The color payoff wasn't so great and the packaging was flimsy. The darkest shade is the only reason I carry this around with me. The pallet is thin and easy to carry on the go and the dark brown shows up really well and has great blendablity. Would I buy this again? Probably not, only because there are a lot better dark brown shadows out there and Ive really been wanting to try Maybelline's Color Tattoo shadows. Will be reviewing those next!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Revlon Nail Polish- Valenine

What better way to get into the Valentines spirit than to buy your loved ones little gifts, play romantic music, turn on candles at night, and have your nails painted red. A bold move? For some it may be. But hey its Valentines day; why not? So normally I wear clear or neutral shades but I went all out today and wore Revlon's "Valentine-730" from CVS for $5.79. I tried to stay away from reds for the longest time because I don't think bright reds would flatter my skin tone, so I went for a deeper red shade which I think will suit most skin tones. Even though it comes with a standard size brush, it went on really well. No clumps and the smaller brush gave me a precise application. Best of all, it dries fast. I can't stand waiting for nails to dry. I get really impatient and this formula is perfect for someone like me. The formula is layer-able which helps get an even and rich color. Its long lasting and doesn't chip easily. I don't have any cons about this product besides that it may stain your nails.  Overall, love it!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Eos Lip Balm

Eos- Sweet Mint $4
I've been hearing a lot of great things about the Esos lip balm and have seen many of my favorite beauty gurus using it in their videos. You can't help but notice its cute egg shape, size, and color. A simple but innovative idea indeed. I wasn't sure if I'd like it but once I put it on I fell in love. It left my lips super soft, had long lasting power, a great minty tingly feeling, and a nice minty-sweet flavor. And who doesn't like organic products? Eos lip balm has been said to be a conversation starter once you pull it out of your purse, but in my case its been an activity starter. I bought one for me and my sis in Sweet Mint and handed it to her right before a meeting, which she set aside. Everyone's eyes periodically would fall on it, look up at her and give her a "what the heck is that?" look. They couldn't help but wonder what it was. After the meeting things got pretty crazy when they decided to play catch with it. That Eos balm was flying across the room, rolling under tables, and being tackled for. As you can imagine, it didn't pass the crash test. When my sister checked to see if it was intact, it had slightly slid off center but was still usable. Although it may not retain its cutesy ball shape in its container (which it may not in your purse over time), it is no doubt an amazing formula. Cant wait to get my hands on the other flavors.
Playing Catch with Eos

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Glow Honey...Glow


Elf- Golden Bronzer $3
Ahh I love glimmer powder!When I think of  shimmer I think of smaller specks of glitter but glimmer is like microscopic shimmer that gives a natural glow. Unfortunately, most companies call them face shimmers which may intimidate people into not getting them. So anyways, when I look washed out in the mornings after getting only four hours of sleep, all I want is a little glow to brighten up my look and the Physicians Formula's Happy Booster Translucent Powder ($14 from CVS) does the trick. This may not apply to people with oily skin, but if you have dry to normal skin like mine, a little shine adds a nice glow and natural radiance.
So the first face shimmer I first fell in love with was from my Elf's Golden Bronzer that I got from Target for only $3. In fact, I only used 1/4 of that pallet because I only used the bottom left shimmer since I discovered shimmer bronzers just don't suit me. As you can imagine, the shimmer side hit pan and eventually crumbled into small pieces and mixed together...darn. So I went on a hunt to for a drugstore face shimmer and the only one I found was Physicians Formula's which is unfortunately the "higher end" side of drugstore products that usually don't cost less that $10, but that's ok because it was definitely worth it.
Physicians Formula-Happy Booster:Translucent ($14)


When I first saw the
Happy Booster Translucent Powder I was like " there is no way this will work out because its mixed with pinks, peaches, and browns". For the first week I only used the left side with the white and peach shimmer but I eventually gave up and decided to sweep the entire product to see if it turns out ok; it gave a fabulous radiance! Although I do love this product I will most likely be repurchasing the new Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent that I also just discovered and love! Its basically like the Happy Booster without the extra hint of color. Oh and just a few tips, translucent powders work just as well as other pressed powders to set your foundation without having to worry about the color matching up or looking cakey/nasty. Also, if you feel too matted out after using a regular powder, a little glimmer on the places where the light would naturally hit (your cheekbones, forehead, bridge of your nose, brow bone, and chin) will give your face an amazing natural glow in photos and avoid the cakey look. ;) (Ex: Mila Kunis)
Physicians Formula- Mineral Glow Pearls:Translucent ($14)



Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Dupe of "Lady Like" by Essie

All right, so I've desperately been looking for a dupe to "Lady Like" by Essie. Essie has an amazing color choice but let's be honest, formula wise, it's not worth $8. I'm not even halfway done and its already a pain to apply. It dries out fairly quick and brushes on clumpy. 

Unfortunately the drugstores nearby don't sell opi's "Tickle my France-y", which has been compared to "Lady Like's" neutral shade and has been given great reviews. Insteads I bought Revlon's "Grey Suede-705" for $5.79 at CVS. I'm sure its cheaper at Walmart but I look at CVS's higher prices as a convenience fee. 

When putting it on, it looks quite pale but when it dries it looks a shade or two darker than the bottle. The color is great but the downside might be the formula. It seems like it might clump after a while and it has a standard brush. It's not as purple or as matte as Essie's "Lady Like" but it's definitely an awesome nude shade that will suit most skin tones and something that I wont have to think twice about. Overall, very pleased!

PS: I'll be doing alot more nail color reviews since I've been crazy shopping for nail polishes lately.
 Essie - Lady Like
Revlon- Grey Suede