Items in my current rotation +

Since I've been on a hiatus, I need to make up for lost time (oops). 

Okay, so items I have been using often are as follows -- FYI I got the RBR compact as a gift from Sethakins. It's not a sponsored post, nor am I getting paid to post it. 

Armani Precision Retouch Concealer: Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's time to lay off on the heavier texture face items...at least my skin prefers thinner formulas come the warmer months. This stuff is seriously high coverage, with an amazing thin brush to get in the under eye areas, as well as point conceal targeted areas. I'm shade 3.

Kilian Extreme Oud: you can read my a couple of posts down. It's so sensual...and delicious. :)

Addiction Damask Rose: It's time for me to break out the brighter pinks, and the easiest way for me to break into those shades is always with a nice bright blush. Not to mention the balmy texture and ease of application. :) 

Hourglass Vintage Lipstick: This one was hiding in my stash for a while. I had purchased it at a Sephora where Josh Collier (MUA) was working at. He showed me the newest lipstick shades, and picked out this color. Totally forgot I had it, until I was settling into the new place and saw it. It's such a gorgeous warm pink brown. 

Chantecaille Just Skin Foundation: Chantecaille is one of those lines that doesn't have an exact match for me in their foundations. I made Future Skin work as best as I could, but over time I found better matches and eventually stopped using it. It made me sad that I couldn't use their Future Skin, but I was determined to have a foundation from their line. Luckily their Just Skin shade in Glow is a semi close match, and it's forcing me to use lighter coverage foundations. I like it so far, but we'll see if it's an item I'll repurchase.

You know Guerlain is another line that I don't have a match in? And they too make nice foundations. 

By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge in #9 Dare to Bare: It's a lipcolor that makes a statement in of itself, a pink with some mauve in it. It darkens my lipcolor, while providing a soft sheen. It's my favorite shade from the new Sheer Rouge line. 

By Terry Laque de Rose in #8: I'm running out of this shade, and I think I have backup somewhere. It pains my little soul that this shade is forever gone. It's that gloss that I use after a lipstick fades because it's just so easy to apply, not to mention just beautiful.

Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45: With the sun being out more, and yours truly being sensitive to the sun, I have to use a higher SPF sunscreen. I've bought several of these, and have yet to find something better that works for my skintype. It's a thick cream that blends quickly, doesn't leave a white cast and it wears like iron. You can see in the photo how much I love this sunscreen.

Rouge Bunny Rouge mirror compact: I got this as a present from Sethakins himself, and little did he know I had a worn down mirror that I used since middle school. LOL I refuse to post a picture of the old mirror. I'm glad I have something more polished and functional. Thank you for the awesome present. 

:)

Hourglass Illume Bronze Light -- Creme to Powder Bronzer Duo

As of late I've been venturing into the world of Hourglass Cosmetics. I still have some mixed thoughts about the brand overall, but there's definitely no denying that there are several true gems in the line. My interest has definitely increased since it's sold at SpaceNK, plus seeing a specific YouTuber, JoshCollierMUA who happens to work for the line as well. Seeing his reviews/tutorials has definitely been helpful to figure out what I want to try.

So with that being said, I purchased Illume Bronze Light -- my go to person at SpaceNK used it on me and even then I didn't buy it on the spot, because I wasn't convinced that the lasting power would be anything amazing. Of course after wearing it for 12+ hours, I had to get it. 

Packaging: It comes in the signature Hourglass brown swivel packaging, and the duo has a nice mirror. The bronzer and highlighter does collect a bit on the mirror (outline), but it's not a big deal, since I know cream products do move a bit. I love the fact that it's a 2 in 1 item since I can carry it in my bag. It's easier to carry this than say, 2 bottles of Armanis Fluid Sheers.

Colors: There's a champagne colored highlighter, although there's definitely some shimmer, but it's not over the top. Check it out on JoshCollierMUA's video to see how it looks on his cheeks. It's a soft sheen that just looks so pretty. Then there's a bronzer that's definitely not orange when applied, although in the pan it looks it would be too orange on the skin. Definitely don't be fooled by the appearance in the pan.

Texture/Formula: Ok, so the formula states that it's a cream to powder. When it sets to a powder, it sets is so much better than a powder. It doesn't look like the highlighter and bronzer is just sitting on top of your skin.  It seriously melts with your skin. The bronzer is matte, but not chalky at all. The texture of the bronzer is a bit more creamy/wet than the highlighter, so that's something to be aware of. Once it sets, it seriously doesn't budge. One of the benefits of the duo is that it's oil, fragrance, wax, sulfate, fragrance, phthlate, and paraben free. Look below for the list of ingredients (in the picture section).

Learning curve: The hardest thing for me to learn to use was the bronzer, because of the blending part. It sets really fast, so for me to blend well before it sets, is to use a big fluffy synthetic brush like the Hourglass #2. I currently own the Hourglass retractable brush and it's not big enough for my personal liking to use with the bronzer. I feel like I don't get an even application when I apply the bronzer with my fingers, so the best way to use it is with a brush. The highlighter on the other hand is easier to use, and you can apply it with your fingers without an issue.

Price and Size: $40 for 11g/0.39 US oz.

photos :D

L to R: bronzer and highlighter heavily swatched

T to B: GA fluid sheer #10, HG bronzer, HG highlighter, GA fluid sheer #2

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you can see here that Fluid Sheer #2 is definitely more sparkly than the Hourglass highlighter. I love fluid sheer #2, but for night time, and the Hourglass more for the day since the shimmer is more subtle.

bronzer blended on my right arm.

bronzer on top,  highlighter on the bottom.

list of ingredients (open in a new tab or window to enlarge)

Hourglass Fresco Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick:

I have a love/hate relationship with Hourglass Cosmetics. For a long time I disliked their lipsticks...part of it is my fault...I tested rancid testers at a Sephora a year ago, not knowing they were rancid. But aside from lipsticks, I'm not a fan of their face products (cheek stain, foundation, tinted moisturizer). It's a small brand, and it has potential. I do like texture of their eyeshadows, but the downside is that there aren't many colors to choose from. Given that Gina Brooke is a part of the Hourglass family, I hope there will be more products the company will release in the future.

but I digress...

so back to the lipstick story, I finally got to test them again recently at Bergdorfs and tried out a few of the colors, and realized that the formula wasn't as horrid as my experience at Sephora. I then realized that the testers at Sephora were bad. Ok, so I left with Fresco and Nocturnal. ok maybe I left with a gloss too (typical lip junkie that I am).


One of the colors I left with was Fresco...a pretty soft cool pink, the "my lips but better" lipcolor. I left with Nocturnal (which I may review at a later date).


Packaging: One of the big pluses about the lipstick is the design. The lipsticks are refillable, which is pretty cool, so you're not constantly throwing out the entire tube, plus the refill prices are cheaper. *score* ! It's a dark brown casing with Hourglass written in gold along the side of the lid. The one thing I've noticed is that the lid doesn't "click" shut. Not a big deal, as long as the lid doesn't come off in my bag. A big win overall for the packaging because it is refillable.


Formula/texture: They're definitely creamy and give some moisture to the lips. Imagine Chantecaille lipchics but not so balmy feel. So for those of you who dislike the super balm sensation, but still want moisture, then these definitely fit the bill. They're definitely not as long lasting as I'd like, but at the same time moisturizing lipsticks aren't the longest lasting. For the fall/winter months I imagine a lot of people reaching for these lipsticks. They fade into a nice stain as well (awesome bonus). I will caution for those who rock a red lipstick, to be aware that these may be a bit too "runny", as in it might feather because it's too moisturizing. 


Color: It's a cool rose-pink (when swatched). (I can't think of a better description right now). It's a "my lips but better" color for some people. When applied on my lips, it's a warm pink. Weird, eh? Either way it's a nice soft "safe" lipcolor to wear. Is it a unique shade per se? Not really, but needless to say it's a lovely color for those days that you just want to enhance your natural lipcolor.


Price and size: $30 for the lipstick, $24 for the refills.

onto the photos: ;D

L to R: GA #99, Hourglass Fresco, Chantecaille Tea Rose (no flash)

L to R: GA #99, Hourglass Fresco, Chantecaille Tea Rose (flash)

GA 99 and Tea Rose are clearer rose-pinks, but the difference is minimal. edit: (when swatched), but when applied, GA 99 and Tea Rose are accurate in swatches when applied on the lips. Fresco on the other hand is definitely warmer in undertone on my lips.
 

Hourglass Aura lip stains +

So today I went to Sephora to kill some time. I was on a special mission to test out Hourglass Aura lip stains...and so I did. I haven't had the best experience with Hourglass cosmetics in general...reason being their lipsticks slide and slightly bleed. A little odd, I know...but I'm saying that's my personal experience with them. I know there are people who like them, so I say give them a shot if you'd like. I was willing to see what else Hourglass offers since someone asked me about the lip stains.


Packaging: They are in a click type pen form, and the applicator is a sponge. At first I crinkled my nose because it's similar in design to Ellis Faas blushes. I will say I am impressed with this particular sponge because it's a bit flexible. It's not a stiff sponge and applying the lip stain is really easy and there's a no fuss application.

Formula: I didn't try these on my lips since they're Sephora testers, but this stuff doesn't budge AT ALL. They don't feel drying on my arm, and the finish is so pretty. I'm quite impressed with these since most lip stains tend to be a gel like texture, whereas this is not. It's not runny, but it's not creamy either. Definitely a unique formula to say the least.

Price: $26

From left to right:

Scarlet
Flush
Petal


Are these worth having? For me the winner out of the three is definitely Flush. It's a nice pinky red where it's wearable for a lot of people. I also like petal too in terms of the color, but I don't feel like it's the best color on your lips because of the shimmer factor.  Scarlet is nice, if it's a color that you would see yourself wearing often. I like purples, but I only wear them once in a blue moon.