Nars Lokoum Cream Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Lokoum Cream Blush

Nars Lokoum Cream Blush ($28) is described as a warm, rose coral with shimmer. Depending on your skintone, it may show up differently  —  on my skin, the color shows up as a warm, copper-coral. Somewhat similar to MAC Gingerly or Coppertone. Although it looks raspberry toned in the pan, it doesn't read the same on my cheeks, which could be due to the warm yellow tones in my skin.

Nars Cream blush has a soft, velvety texture and blends to a powdery finish. I'm happy to finally say that I own a cream blush from Nars, considering I've loved their powder blushes for a long time and own several shades. For those who find cream blush intimidating, Nars is a nice place to start as the formula isn't thick, sticky/tacky, or greasy. It's very easy to work with and the color can be built up easily. The fingers can be used, but with a shade as pigmented as Lokoum, I find that a stippling brush works best. MAC #131 brush is my favorite brush for most cream blushes, but it's sadly only a limited edition brush. Any duo-fiber brush should work just as well.

Considering this shade in particular contains shimmer, I was hoping for it to make my cheeks somewhat dewy/glowy (like Becca Frangipani Cream Blush  —  my fav!) but I didn't really get enough of the glow I wanted. This may not bother many, as most of us try to avoid anything remotely shimmery.

Swatches from left to right: Nars Lokoum Cream Blush, MAC Pleasureful Blushcreme (discontinued), MAC Gingerly Blush and Nars Lokoum Cream Blush blended. 

Although I thought Lokoum looked similar to many of my blushes, when I swatched them, I didn't get any exact matches. MAC Pleasureful is similar, but deeper and less coral. Gingerly is more orange brown, less red. It probably strikes the most resemblance to MAC Margin Blush (not pictured), but less shimmery/frosty.

Overall, I like the formula of the blush, but I'm not 100% sold on Lokoum. I originally thought it was going to be more raspberry toned (which is a very flattering color on me) but it's a standard red-coral, which flatters my medium skintone as well, but it's nothing that I find very unique. It does lightly sparkle on my cheeks, but I was expecting more of a dewy-glow, which is something I expect with a cream blush. It's still a nice product overall, and I would try other shades. I've had my eyes on Penny Lane for ages. If you don't own a shade like this, it may be something you'd really enjoy.

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Gives the cheeks a natural, sun-kissed look. 
• Pigmented formula.
• Satin texture that is easy to blend.
• Wears well throughout the day without feeling sticky, tacky or greasy. 
• Layers well with powder blushes.

Cons:

• Doesn't leave my cheeks looking dewy and fresh like most cream blushes - it has a powder finish. (this can be a pro or con based on your preference)
• The lasting power isn't bad, but it has mostly faded by the end of the day.

Price: $28, Nars.

Nars Lokoum Cream Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Lokoum Cream Blush

Nars Lokoum Cream Blush ($28) is described as a warm, rose coral with shimmer. Depending on your skintone, it may show up differently  �  on my skin, the color shows up as a warm, copper-coral. Somewhat similar to MAC Gingerly or Coppertone. Although it looks raspberry toned in the pan, it doesn't read the same on my cheeks, which could be due to the warm yellow tones in my skin.

Nars Cream blush has a soft, velvety texture and blends to a powdery finish. I'm happy to finally say that I own a cream blush from Nars, considering I've loved their powder blushes for a long time and own several shades. For those who find cream blush intimidating, Nars is a nice place to start as the formula isn't thick, sticky/tacky, or greasy. It's very easy to work with and the color can be built up easily. The fingers can be used, but with a shade as pigmented as Lokoum, I find that a stippling brush works best. MAC #131 brush is my favorite brush for most cream blushes, but it's sadly only a limited edition brush. Any duo-fiber brush should work just as well.

Considering this shade in particular contains shimmer, I was hoping for it to make my cheeks somewhat dewy/glowy (like Becca Frangipani Cream Blush  �  my fav!) but I didn't really get enough of the glow I wanted. This may not bother many, as most of us try to avoid anything remotely shimmery.

Swatches from left to right: Nars Lokoum Cream Blush, MAC Pleasureful Blushcreme (discontinued), MAC Gingerly Blush and Nars Lokoum Cream Blush blended. 

Although I thought Lokoum looked similar to many of my blushes, when I swatched them, I didn't get any exact matches. MAC Pleasureful is similar, but deeper and less coral. Gingerly is more orange brown, less red. It probably strikes the most resemblance to MAC Margin Blush (not pictured), but less shimmery/frosty.

Overall, I like the formula of the blush, but I'm not 100% sold on Lokoum. I originally thought it was going to be more raspberry toned (which is a very flattering color on me) but it's a standard red-coral, which flatters my medium skintone as well, but it's nothing that I find very unique. It does lightly sparkle on my cheeks, but I was expecting more of a dewy-glow, which is something I expect with a cream blush. It's still a nice product overall, and I would try other shades. I've had my eyes on Penny Lane for ages. If you don't own a shade like this, it may be something you'd really enjoy.

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Gives the cheeks a natural, sun-kissed look. 
• Pigmented formula.
• Satin texture that is easy to blend.
• Wears well throughout the day without feeling sticky, tacky or greasy. 
• Layers well with powder blushes.

Cons:

• Doesn't leave my cheeks looking dewy and fresh like most cream blushes - it has a powder finish. (this can be a pro or con based on your preference)
• The lasting power isn't bad, but it has mostly faded by the end of the day.

Price: $28, Nars.

MAC Moth Brown Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Moth Brown Eyeshadow

MAC Moth Brown Eyeshdow ($15) is a beautiful metallic charcoal-taupe with a tinge of purple. Moth Brown was re-released in the MAC By Request Collection as it was a highly popular choice among voters. If you were hoping for a brown, you might be disappointed because Moth Brown most definitely isn't brown. From the looks of it, it looks similar to the ever-popular MAC Satin Taupe, but when swatched, Satin Taupe is much warmer and has more brown tones, whereas MAC Moth Brown is cool toned with more gray tones.

It's a really pretty shade and shines differently in all angles. It's a shade that will work well with all eye colors and skin tones and is subtle enough to be worn all over the lid for daily wear or amped up for a night time smokey eye.

The consistency is very smooth like a typical MAC Frost finish eyeshadow, easy to blend and has opaque pigmentation.

A must-have? It's definitely nice to have especially if you gravitate towards taupe shades, but don't kick yourself if you missed out on it.

Do you own Moth Brown? Do you think it lives up to the hype? 

Shabby Apple $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

Shabby Apple $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

It's that time again, beauties! Shabby Apple is sponsoring another giveaway on my blog. If you've been a reader of mine for a while, you may of remembered a couple Shabby Apple giveaways in the past.

Shabby Apple is a website catered to providing feminine, flirty and sophisticated styles of clothing, appropriate for the office, special occasions, holidays and nights out! When I think of Shabby Apple, I automatically think of their beautiful dresses - what I personally like about the dresses is that each of the styles are very tasteful and daytime appropriate, which can actually sometimes be difficult to find in trendy stores geared at my age range (lots of clubbing attire). Although they probably have the biggest selection of dresses, they also stock shirts, skirts, swimwear (I love their bathing suits), shoes accessories and more!

The winner of this giveaway will receive a $50 gift card that can be used on anything on the Shabby Apple website.

Rules to Enter:

• "Like" Shabby Apple's Facebook Page. (click here to be re-directed)
• Leave a comment on my blog, stating which dress or item on the Shabby Apple website is your favorite! It's as simple as that.

Terms & Conditions: 

• This giveaway will run for one week, and he deadline to enter will be on Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 11:59 PM (CST). The winner will be chosen at random using random.org. 
• You must complete both forms of entry (like on facebook and comment here) to qualify.
• Open to residents of the US only. 
• You must permission from a parent or guardian to enter if you are under the age of 18 in most states (with the exception of Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).

Shabby Apple will also be providing my readers with a discount code that can be used on anything on the Shabby Apple website. Pleased stay tuned for the code!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Milani Brow Tint Pen Review, Photos and Swatches!

Milani Brow Tint Pen

Milani Brow Tint Pen ($5.99) is a quick-drying and long-wearing felt-tip eyebrow pen that is used for filling and shaping the brows. It has a fairly fine point for precise application.

The Milani Brow Tint Pen is available in (2) shades: Natural Taupe and Dark Brown.

Natural Taupe is a light brown that will work well for most light hair colors, while Dark Brown is about one shade deeper of a brown, with an ash-brown/moss green undertone (no red tones at all). Natural Taupe has a warm undertone, without looking too brassy.

The pigmentation is very sheer. The color is buildable to a light-medium, but the color will never reach opaque pigmentation. Because of the sheer color, it's excellent for darkening/adding color to sparse and fine brows.

I like applying Natural Taupe through my brows to deepen them, and go back with Dark Brown to areas that need a little more definition. The result is very natural, clean brows.

I find them to last well on their own, but I always make sure to apply the brow product before applying my foundation to avoid build up on the tip of the pen. For oily skin, you may find that using a clear primer (such as Nars Smudge-proof Primer or UD Primer Potion) on your brows prior to application helpful, or dusting a transparent powder across the brows to pick up excess oil which can break up the product later in the day.

Swatches:

I swatched both shades three times. As you can see, you can achieve a very fine line, as well as a thick line with the brush tip. The thickest swatch is two layers. Natural Taupe is on the left, and Dark Brown is on the right.

Overall, I think this product is a great alternative to the more expensive brands. There aren't so many alternatives there for brow pens; some include: Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Pen ($21), Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen ($25) and GOSH Long Lasting Brow Pen ($7.98). I've always wondered about brow pens, and am happy I finally can say I've tried one. So far, I really like these, but time will tell as I continue using them. I'll keep you updated!

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Easy to use.
• Pigmentation is fairly sheer, for a very natural appearance - great for darkening fine and sparse brows.
• Dark Brown works perfectly well for my dark brows without making my brows look too dark or overpowering.
• Long-lasting. 

Cons:

• Because the product doesn't get quite opaque, it might not be the best product for shaping thin or non-existent brows. If you like full, prominent brows, you might want to look into a more pigmented product such as Maybelline Define-a-Brow. 
• Hard to find in stores - I've been looking for this product for months (thanks to a recommendation from one of my readers) and I'm never able to find it. I finally found it at a CVS with a full Milani display (my local CVS only stocks about half of the products).

Price: $5.99, CVS or wherever Milani products are sold.

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review ($15) is described as a frosty, light coral. On the lips, it's very bright — borderline neon. I''m never really a fan of frost; especially in lipsticks, somehow I always feel like an overload of frost cheapens the product. I know many of us cringe at the thought of looking like we're rocking a trend from the past decade, but Costa Chic is an exception. It's one of the few frost finishes that I will wear — it looks fab when topped with a sheer pink lipgloss, and if you aren't feeling very daring, you can wear a similar coral (maybe MAC Everhip) and rub a little bit of Costa Chic on the middle of your bottom lip for some highlight and dimension.

I love mixing my bright corals with a pale shade such as MAC Myth Lipstick; it creates a bright, creamy, light watermelon pink. Love! You can really use any other shade, light pinks work well with it too!

MAC Costa Chic on my lips.

Costa Chic is a great summer shade, and if you're a lover of Coral, this is a fun shade to have in your collection. Since I own so many corals, it's not particularly a must-have for me, but it's definitely a fun shade to have.

The frost formula of MAC isn't drying on my lips, but I find it to be slightly less moisturizing than the Lustre and Cremesheen formula. I find the Satin and Matte formula to be the most drying on my lips. 

MAC Costa Chic swatched on my hand.

Did any of you purchase anything from the MAC By Request Collection? I've been looking forward to purchasing Candy Yum Yum Lipstick since I heard news of the collection a couple months ago and I'm so bummed that I missed out on it!!! Candy Yum Yum and Moxie are currently sold out, and Rocker is still currently available.

The Round-Up
Pros:

• A bold shade that is great for the summertime.
• Opaque color.
• Is a very versatile shade as it can easily be altered with other lipsticks to make the shade more wearable for daytime.

Cons:

• Not very suitable for those who don't like bright lip colors, as Costa Chic is incredibly vibrant. Although it can be toned down easily with lighter lipsticks. 
• Not very suitable for those who don't like frosty finishes. 
• Can emphasize dryness and lip lines

Price: $15, MAC.

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review

MAC Costa Chic Lipstick Review ($15) is described as a frosty, light coral. On the lips, it's very bright � borderline neon. I''m never really a fan of frost; especially in lipsticks, somehow I always feel like an overload of frost cheapens the product. I know many of us cringe at the thought of looking like we're rocking a trend from the past decade, but Costa Chic is an exception. It's one of the few frost finishes that I will wear � it looks fab when topped with a sheer pink lipgloss, and if you aren't feeling very daring, you can wear a similar coral (maybe MAC Everhip) and rub a little bit of Costa Chic on the middle of your bottom lip for some highlight and dimension.

I love mixing my bright corals with a pale shade such as MAC Myth Lipstick; it creates a bright, creamy, light watermelon pink. Love! You can really use any other shade, light pinks work well with it too!

MAC Costa Chic on my lips.

Costa Chic is a great summer shade, and if you're a lover of Coral, this is a fun shade to have in your collection. Since I own so many corals, it's not particularly a must-have for me, but it's definitely a fun shade to have.

The frost formula of MAC isn't drying on my lips, but I find it to be slightly less moisturizing than the Lustre and Cremesheen formula. I find the Satin and Matte formula to be the most drying on my lips. 

MAC Costa Chic swatched on my hand.

Did any of you purchase anything from the MAC By Request Collection? I've been looking forward to purchasing Candy Yum Yum Lipstick since I heard news of the collection a couple months ago and I'm so bummed that I missed out on it!!! Candy Yum Yum and Moxie are currently sold out, and Rocker is still currently available.

The Round-Up
Pros:

• A bold shade that is great for the summertime.
• Opaque color.
• Is a very versatile shade as it can easily be altered with other lipsticks to make the shade more wearable for daytime.

Cons:

• Not very suitable for those who don't like bright lip colors, as Costa Chic is incredibly vibrant. Although it can be toned down easily with lighter lipsticks. 
• Not very suitable for those who don't like frosty finishes. 
• Can emphasize dryness and lip lines

Price: $15, MAC.