True Coral

Face:
Smashbox PhotoFinish More Than Primer
GA Maestro Fusion 3
BareMinerals Stroke of Light Luminous 1
Nars Light Reflecting Loose Powder

Cheeks:
Nars Boys Don't Cry

Eyes:
Nars eye primer
Fyrinnae Rapunzel Had Extensions (wash)
RBR Veiled Lyrebird (crease)
RBR Resplendent Quetzal (smudged into liner on lowers)
Nars Mekong (outer corner)
Lorac Baked Matte Satin e/s Chic (brow bone)
UD liner pencil Freak (lowers)
UD liner pencil Eldorado (waterline)
Stila black liner pen (tight line)
Stila sparkle liner Rock Candy
Hourglass Arch Soft Brunette
Guerlain Maxi Lash
CoverGirl Clump Crusher water resistant (lowers)

Lips:
UD Ozone lip liner
Tom Ford True Coral


Yes, people, I am tanned.  Take it in.  Embrace the glory, if you in fact find it to be glorious.  I'm enjoying it at the moment.  I did wear proper sun protection on my recent vacation, so I can only guess that I either did not reapply frequently enough or that just certain amounts of beastly Florida sun will inevitably cause light tanning, even with the best of protection, after prolonged exposure!  All that to say that while I experienced zero burning (YAY), I did take home some color.  :)  And I really kind of like kayaking!!

As always, let me know what you think - of the makeup, my face, my tan...or anything really.

Many Faces

I really would like to stop being a slacker about my posts.  Really.  But for now you'll have to cope with a random catch up featuring several different faces.  This first one features Tom Ford Diabolique lipstick.  It's the most intensely pigmented and matte of my Tom Ford reds.

On my eyes is Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick in Rosegold, some smudged black Sephora liner, and Stila's glitter liner in Golden Silver (LE Japanese, if I'm not mistaken).  I used Sephora Prisma Chrome eyeshadow in Moonbeam (pink version) as a highlight.

This next one features Tom Ford Slander lipstick.  My face is looking extra pink in the DiorSkin Nude BB Cream 001 (in real life it looked pretty natural).

The amazing eyeshadow you see is Addiction Thriller and the also stunning eyeliner is Stila Smudge Stick in Bluefin!  I love this so so much.

Lastly, I'm wearing a dramatic emerald smoky eye.  This was really fun for me to do.  I almost always have the most fun when I do super dramatic eye looks.

I used Stila's Smudge Crayon in black as a base, which really helps the green (Envy) to pop and gives it awesome depth.  Makeup Geek's Shimmermint eyeshadow is in my inner crease and on the inner half of my lower lash line.  Makeup Geek Envy is on the lid and lower lashes.  I used Rouge Bunny Rouge Whispering Ibis to blend out and above the crease.  Tarte's skinny pencil in Emerald fit perfectly onto my water line.

I kept the lips simple, using one of my favorite lip gloss formulas - Urban Decay Lip Junkie.  Midnight Cowboy has a really beautiful champagne shimmer that my pictures do not capture.  Also, it feels so comfortable and hydrating on my lips!

I started using a lip brush to apply my Tom Ford red lippies and I have to say, WOW, what a difference!!  It takes me longer to apply (or so it seems), but the end result is far superb to free-handing it with the bullet.  I get a really crisp line.  The reds have all worn spectacularly on me, so I don't know if applying with a brush extends the wear, as I've heard it does.  I would not doubt it.  I think I'm officially in love with the Tom Ford lipstick formula.  And applying with a brush!  Who knew?!

Oh, and for you blush fanatics out there, my blushes, in order of appearance, were:  Givenchy Bucolic Poppy, Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint, and Illamasqua Naked Rose.

Thanks for stopping by!  Do let me know if you have questions or thoughts about anything.  :)

Aphrodisiac

This smile reminds me of many childhood pictures.  It's my silly fake yet sweet smile.

My poor hairs are badly in need of a cut!  I'll be doing the Bumble and Bumble model thing again next month, so, if only I can make it until then.  :)

Tom Ford lipsticks...are...so...amazing.  Go and get some RIGHT NOW!  And then cry for your poor wallet.

Face:
DiorSkin Nude BB Cream 001
Illamasqua concealer 115
BareMinerals Stroke of Light Luminous 1
Vincent Longo Velour Pressed Powder Faire

Cheeks:
Stila Rose Gold Liquid Luminizer
Givenchy It-Girl Purple

Eyes:
Nars eye primer
RBR Solstice Halcyon (lid)
RBR Umber Firefinch (crease)
RBR Delicate Hummingbird (smudged into liner on lowers)
RBR Alabaster Starling (inner corner)
RBR Lilac Reef Curassow (inner crease)
Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma (brow bone)
Sephora Flashy e/l Ultra Violet (lowers)
Essence Gel Liner London Baby
Stila Stay All Day black liner pen (tightline)
BareMinerals Round the Clock e/l 5PM (water line)
Tarte Taupe brow pencil
Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum
Benefit They're Real
Givenchy Phenomeneyes waterproof (lowers)

Lips:
UD Ozone lip liner
Tom Ford Aphrodisiac

I love this look.  I don't think taupes are the best color ever on my eyes, but I like the purple included and I feel like it's a nice natural-yet-dramatic sort of eye.  I also don't think it competed too terribly with the nearly neon bright pink lips!  I hope.

The new Dior BB Cream photographed beautifully, don't you think?  My nose got really shiny through the day, but I now realize it was an error in powdering.  I've since worn it with my beloved Korres Wild Rose Mineral Setting Powder over top and that kept nearly all shine at bay.  I'm almost out of that powder!  I will buy a new one because it's so darn awesome on me.  If you ever peek at it in person, do not be put off by the shimmers, please!  It doesn't look shimmery on the face at all.

Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know what you think of this look or anything that's on your mind!

Narcotic Rouge

Face:

Smashbox Dark Spot Correcting Photo Finish Primer

Stila Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Fair

Illamasqua concealer 115
BareMinerals Stroke of Light Luminous 1
Korres WR Mineral Setting Powder

Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis

Cheeks:

Vincent Longo Dew Drop blush Temple Peach

Sephora Prisma Chrome e/s Moonbeam (pink version)

Eyes:

Nars eye primer

Sephora new Prisma Chrome Outrageous Metallic Lilac 

Sephora Prisma Chrome Moonbeam (pink version)

Stila Smudge Stick Triggerfish

Stila Stay All Day black liner pen

Stila Smudge Stick Silver Dollar

Tarte Taupe brow pencil

Benefit They're Real

Givenchy Phenomeneyes waterproof (lowers)

Lips:

Stila Long Wear lip liner Passionate

Tom Ford Narcotic Rouge

So, I absolutely love Narcotic Rouge!  It wore extremely well and while my lips were somewhat dry, especially toward the end of the day, it was completely tolerable.  The color is most accurate in the last picture - a vivid, bright, and rich red with a hint of cherry coolness.

I also seriously love the Sephora Prisma Chrome Outrageous Metallic Lilac eyeshadow.  It's duochrome and shimmery, so those two elements alone had me from the get-go!  The color, pigmentation, wear, and ease of blending were all noteworthy, as well.  I have plans to try it over a black base for a more dramatic look.

Thanks for stopping by!  :)

Tom Ford Lipstick Family

If you've not yet seen my previous Tom Ford lipstick swatch post, you can check it out by clicking HERE.  You'll need to scroll down a bit for the TF lippies.  Also, RIP my poor Black Orchid lipstick.  I had to return it to the CCO as it was rancid (soooo sad), so it's no longer part of the fam.  I intend to re-purchase it some day, but am in no hurry as it's freaking spendy and not LE.

From left to right, they are shown the same as the labels pictured up at the top:  Aphrodisiac, Diabolique, Slander, and Narcotic Rouge.  If you are wondering about my manicure, you can find out more by clicking HERE.  :)

Every time I swatch red lipsticks, I feel like they all look exactly the same.  What I mean is that the swatch pictures do not show off differences well.  I get points for trying, though, right?!

Slander (second from the right) has a mesmerizing shimmer, which I don't feel is properly showing here.

Now for all of them together!

Aphrodisiac, Diabolique, Slander, and Narcotic Rouge are limited edition, which, is the big reason why I purchased them all recently (fear of never finding them again later on and regretting it).  I'm really looking forward to wearing them in future looks - hopefully this week!

If you have not tried Tom Ford lipsticks yet, I definitely recommend that you check them out.  They are absurdly expensive at almost fifty dollars each, but a worthy luxury splurge.  They smell like vanilla custard pudding - almost sickeningly sweet (it doesn't really bother me).  They all glide on effortlessly with excellent pigmentation and staining powers (some stain more than others, of course).  I've not experienced noticeable feathering or wicked uncomfortable drying with any that I've tried so far.  Wear time is very good for me and they feel very light on the lips.

What do you think about Tom Ford cosmetics?  I hope these swatches will be helpful to some of you.

Black Orchid

I wore my Tom Ford Black Orchid lipstick yesterday.  I am so sad to say that I discovered it is rancid.  I don't think I've ever known or understood lipsticks going bad until now.  :(  I plan on exchanging it (hopefully for a non-rancid one) of course.  Other than it tasting and smelling bad, it sure looks good.  Ugh.  Oh!  And I wore it as a stain, if you are wondering.  I applied it lightly with my finger.

The eyes were a bit of a strange mix of fall colors.  The whole look makes me think of cranberries and pumpkins and very fall-ish things.

The gold shimmer on the center of my lid is from Lorac's 3D liquid lustre.  I think I'd like to have the "gold" version (this one, believe it or not, is the orignal version, which is more white gold).

I started the eye look with my beloved Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Golden.  I fear I've covered up most of it with other things!  You can see it best on the lower lash line.  The Caviar Sticks are one of my favorite eye things and while they are so lovely on their own, I almost can't resist dressing them up with other shadows.

Face:
Smashbox Photo Finish More than Primer
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Creme Compact Porcelain
Fresh Umbrian Clay concealer 1
YSL Touche Eclat 1
Korres Wild Rose Mineral Setting Powder

Cheeks:
Guerlain Terracotta Light Blondes 01
Tarte AC Glisten
Nars Hungry Heart (gold side)

Eyes:
Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Golden (lid and lower lash line)
Makeup Geek Pretentious e/s (outer corner)
Makeup Geek Goddess e/s (crease)
Too Faced In the Buff e/s (inner corner)
Makeup Geek Bling e/s (brow bone)
Lorac 3D Liquid Lustre (patted on center of lid over Golden)
Stila Stay All Day black pen liner (tight line)
Stila Sparkle liquid liner Rock Candy (upper lash line)
Urban Decay liner pencil Lucky (waterline)
Tarte Taupe brow pencil
Fiberwig D.J.V. Beautenizer Volume Lash
Givenchy Phenomeneyes Waterproof mascara (lower lashes)

Lips:
Urban Decay Ozone lip liner
Tom Ford Black Orchid (as a stain)


This was my first time trying the LM tinted moisturizer compact.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is not too yellow for me!  It blended in really easily.  I didn't love the final finish, though.  It's definitely not flawless on me and I had some breakdown on my nose relatively quickly.  I've tried much worse, though.  If I were giving it a grade, I'd say B or B+.  I really expected to like it much less, oddly enough.  I do enjoy that it's quick and easy, and overall, not taking into account my crazy nose, it wore pretty well through a long day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hearts on Fire

I'm back!  I am playing catch up once again.  I swear, one day I will get the hang of this and figure out my timing.  This was a fun look I did using two new L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows as well as a new Tom Ford lipstick.

I was a bit hesitant to pair Golden Mahogany with Pepsy Coral, but I figured that I could make it work and I'm glad that I went for it!  It's fun trying new color combinations together.  Check out my hair below!  It's all wooshy wavy and I look like I'm in a hair product ad or something.

My hair tends to look the most wavy and awesome the first day after I've washed it.  I only wash about twice a week, so there are many awkward in-between days.

I really love the orange eyeliner and shadow combination on the lower lash line.  I used Anna Sui waterproof pencil in 800 and smudged Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Goddess over top.

The above picture is a little blurry - I apologize for that.  I just thought it made my lashes look nice and you can also see the gold liner on my inner lowers better (Urban Decay El Dorado).  In the next picture I am attempting to smile.  I say attempt because clearly I didn't quite make it all the way to actual smile.

And one more with my eyes closed.  I love how the Golden Mahogany eyeshadow on my lid mirrors the plumminess of the lipstick.  I guess it's plummy-pink, sort of,  the eyeshadow.

Face:
Stila Tinted Moisturizer Bare
YSL Touche Eclat 1
Korres Wild Rose Mineral Setting Powder
Cover FX Loose Setting Powder Light

Cheeks:
Guerlain Terracotta Light Blondes 01
Illamasqua Ambition
Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous Illuminator

Eyes:
Bare Minerals Well Rested brightening pen
Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
L'Oreal Infallible Golden Mahogany e/s (lid)
L'Oreal Infallible Pepsy Coral e/s (crease)
Makeup Geek Goddess e/s (lowers)
Makeup Geek Bling e/s (inner corner and brow bone)
Anna Sui waterproof eyeliner pencil 800 (lowers)
Urban Decay El Dorado eyeliner pencil (inner lower lash line and water line)
Jordana brown pen liner (uppers)
Stila Stay All Day black eyeliner pen (tightline)
Armani Eyes to Kill mascara
Tarte Taupe brow pencil

Lips:
Urban Decay Ozone lip liner
Tom Ford Bruised Plum lipstick

Overall it was a very strong look, in terms of the colors and intensity.  I liked wearing it, though, and hope you've enjoyed seeing it.  :)  Let me know if you have questions about anything!

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH Alysia for being kind enough to send me Golden Mahogany and Pepsy Coral!!!!  <3

Recent Swatches

Hello, again!  I thought I would post some recent swatches I've done of random things.  They are all recent purchases for me.  These first ones are of the Tarte Fantastic Foursome Amazonian Clay Blush set.  I immediately fell in love with Angelic, Magic, and Fantastic.

The surprise of the set was Stellar, which I was worried about not liking.  I've worn it in several more bronzy looks (you may recall), and was happy to find that I really like it for that!  I don't imagine I'd want to wear it on a regular basis, but I'm actually glad to have a beige blush in my collection now.

I admit that Tarte AC blushes don't swatch all that great.  I find them to be much more impressive on the cheeks in actual wear.  I've heard people complain that they seem chalky.  I don't find that to be true, but I can see why they might say that.  I personally really like them on my cheeks.  They are easy to blend, natural looking, have amazing colors, and always last all day for me.

Angelic is so much prettier in person!  It's got a gold to pink iridescent shimmer that is just drool-worthy.  I can see myself using it a lot.  I do wonder if Magic might be dupey to Illamasqua Hussy.  I'll have to compare them at some point as I own both now.

Next up are my Dior Diorific lipsticks!  I splurged and bought all four.  Limited edition stuff definitely makes me crazy.

These pictures were taken in late afternoon/early evening light, so I apologize for any issues with that.

The packaging is silly and over the top for me, personally, but I like the actual lipstick so much that I can deal with it.  They remind me of little light bulbs somehow.

Diorling was my first buy.  It's a dark and classic red.  I wore it here.  It's a no brainer awesome red.

I tested out Marilyn today, just at home.  It's on the far right.  Marilyn is a really stunning bright cherry red on me.  It makes my teeth look white and lovely.  I very much like it!  They all have a beautiful, easy texture going on.  They feel light on the lips and wear very well.

Lady, the second from the right, is the one I have some worries about because it's a little muted and brown, compared to the others.  It's really hard to tell in my swatches - my apologies for that.  I'm up for the challenge of figuring out what kind of face to do with it, though.  It'll be good!  Diva seems to have more orange to it.  It's really firey, bright, and intense looking.

Now for the Tom Ford lipsticks!  These are very recent additions to my collection.  I happily stumbled upon them at the local Cosmetics Company Outlet store the other day.  What a great find!

Can you see the little micro-shimmers in Smoke Red and Bruised Plum?!  So PRETTY!

I like the packaging.  It's elegant and clean.  The lipsticks don't seem to have a scent or flavor (I forgot to mention that the Diorifics above do have a perfume scent).

These colors swatched smooth and creamy like dream butter!  I've only worn True Coral so far, but it went on nicely, was very pigmented, and it wore well.  I'm very excited to try out the others!

Smoke Red looks a little like Dior Marilyn, doesn't it?

Black Orchid reminds me of my Addiction Vamp lipstick.  I want to compare them.  Also, I absolutely adore the Black Orchid perfume.  I'm just nuts about it.

True Coral reminds me of Illamasqua Scandal (more orange, I think) and Tarte Spirited (perhaps less orange).

Bruised Plum doesn't so much remind me of anything, although I'm sure I must have some similar colors.  I'm just really getting into the vampy berry/wine colors now, so I'm not as well-versed about them.  Just maybe it will destroy my desire for Nars Scarlet Empress!

Are there any Tom Ford lipstick shades you really love?  Rants or raves on the formula?  I find most every lipstick to be somewhat drying.  Neither the Diors nor the Tom Fords seem to be overly or excessively drying for me (like Lancome Rouge in Loves), so that's good.

I hope you enjoyed the swatches!  I definitely take too many pictures, I know it, but I hope it is helpful for someone.