(Not So) New Blush Love - Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Wild Sunset

So I've finally gotten around to writing a review about this product!

The Estée Lauder Pure Color Blushes have been out for a while now and I actually got this product while I was in New York in late March (read up on my trip here)(and now I've read up on it, too... I miss NYC so much!), but I didn't actually start using it until much later. Which makes no sense, coz it's so gorgeous.

Anyway, I finally decided to stop procrastinating because Wild Sunset deserves to be talked about....

Here's what Estée Lauder (and I) has (er... HAVE) to say about the Pure Color Blush:

• Fresh, radiant colour lasts all day, won't streak or fade. (True. I wore this blush all day yesterday and it lasted me 14 1/2 hours. I could've probably tested it for longer, but I felt gross, so I washed my face. That said, I think that there was a teeny bit of... Not fading, per sé; it's like the colour softened throughout the day. It was still *very* visible, but not quite as vibrant as when I first applied. Still, I'm very impressed with how well it wore throughout the day, even after blotting!)
• Ultra-silky powder sweeps on sheer for a natural glow. (True and False. It's definitely silky, but there's nothing sheer about this blush! In order to get the right amount of pigmentation, I had to merely tap the brush on the powder and I still had to tap off the excess on the back of my hand. This stuff is pigmented!)
• Builds for contoured and sculpted definition with luminous optic technology. Exclusive contouring brush included. (Yes, this blush, despite already being pigmented, is also pretty buildable. The brush also comes in handy for touch-ups and is the best quality compact brush that I've tried so far.)
• In two finishes, Satin and Shimmer. (Wild Sunset is classified as a Shimmer, but the shimmer is very, very subtle. In fact, it's so subtle, I can't actually visibly detect it, which is awesome! It still gives you a nice glow, but without any noticeable particles.)

I love this gorgeous red-coral shade! It takes more of a pink-coral tone when applied with a light hand, so I can wear my beloved MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fuchsia Fix without the colours clashing. I used it on my friend Missy when I did my Evening Makeup Final exam a week ago and hot damn, it looks GOOD with a red lip...

Wearing Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Red Revolution on the lips...

A close up...

Doesn't it?!? I think it does...

I'm wearing the exact same lipstick I used on Missy in these photos; it compliments the blush very nicely and I was so happy with how the look turned out. I also wore this blush in the most recent Lipstick Bandits post, which you can see here.

The Pure Color Blushes retail for $32.00 CAD and it's well worth the price for the amazing pigmentation, gorgeous colours, and incredible wear. Go get one!

Have you tried the Pure Color Blushes?

I Heart New York! (Warning: Photo Heavy)

Well look who's finally back with a blog post!

Firstly, I must really apologize for my absence these last few weeks. Life was kicking my butt prior to leaving for NYC, so I decided to take a bit of a break to just focus on what needed to get done. Unfortunately, that meant blogging needed to be put on the back burner for a little bit. But hopefully, I'll be getting back into the swing of things very soon.

In the meantime, I thought I would regale you all with some stories from my amazing trip.

This trip was definitely very spur of the moment; my friend Kim and I literally did not book anything until the Tuesday before we left! Still, everything worked out for the best, and we were able to spend 4 glorious days in beautiful New York City.

Friday morning was spent lugging my suitcase around NYC (up and down subway stairs, too!), checking into the apartment, buying groceries, freshening up, and eating breakfast. Then we headed to TKTS to buy tickets for our first show - Seminar with Alan Rickman.

After we purchased, our tickets, we took the subway to the NYU area to meet up with none other than Xiao of Messy Wands! We ate at this amazing place called Ippudo (it's so amazing, people start lining up to eat there half an hour before they even open) where the employees like to yell... A lot... They were very enthusiastic about their yelling!

I'm so glad I was able to meet Xiao! There was a lot of laughing and fangirling involved and we had so much fun that night!

Me and the "fiancée"

The most amusing tip box sign I've ever seen

After helping Kim's friends with Godspell lottery (more on that later), we headed to the John Golden Theatre on 45th Street for our show. 

It. Was. UNBELIEVABLE!

When Alan Rickman walked out onstage during the second scene, the 3 of us girls literally clutched each others hands! His stage presence is incredible and he was so intense in one scene in particular that I felt like I was holding my breath. It was so personal, I felt like I was intruding on a very private conversation and I thought that I should probably walk out to give them privacy or something :p.

The other actors (Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Hetienne Park, and Jerry O'Connell) were also fabulous. I especially loved Lily and I think I have a girl crush on her now. The writing was hilarious, too!

Yes, that's Alan Rickman. Yes, he stood right in front of and looked right at me. He's quiet, but very nice in person. We mentioned that we came from Canada to see him, which he was appreciative about. Then he asked us where in Canada we were from; we answered with Vancouver and he said he loved Vancouver (come to Vancouver, Alan!!!). So if you're at stage door, let the performers know you're from out of town, they will love it!

"1, 2, 3 - Wait... Why am I counting?" 

If there's anything Xiao now knows about me, it's that I can be unintentionally hilarious :p.

Kim went to see her family in Long Island on Saturday, so I roamed around Times Square and the Theatre District until the matinee show of Sister Act. It was during this time when I was mistaken for a New Yorker by a fellow tourist. Not only that, she also said I looked like "a young star going to work."

... She became my favourite person ever after that exchange...

Sitting on the red steps in Times Square

Inglot! 

"We'll start with the riding crop..." My fellow BC/Sherlock enthusiasts will get this :)

Fell in love with this show!

Sister Act was amazing! It was so funny and the songs were so fun and catchy! I think I was stupid-grinning through the whole thing. So many amazing voices on that stage, too <3.

After Sister Act, I lined up at TKTS again because Kim and I wanted to watch Seminar (again). It was here that I realized that I basically lose all eloquence when speaking with a good looking man. Must work on that ASAP. :p

Seminar the second time around was actually even better. Alan Rickman's monologue was INSANE on Saturday night! Way more intense than the previous night; in fact, he was practically growling! O.O

Stage door'd again

<3 :)

Jerry O'Connell was so lovely at stage door! He offered to take a photo with me (I feel awkward asking performers for photos, so I never do), which was so nice of him, and even crouched down while I tiptoed so we could even out our height difference! :p

I raved about Sister Act enough that Kim wanted to go see it, too. So we watched a matinee performance on Sunday and it was just as amazing as the performance on Saturday. Gosh, I love this show! 

Later that night, we decided to try our hand at the Godspell lottery... For those who are unfamiliar, most (if not all) theatres will reserve the front row seats for lotto. You have to enter your name and email address and are then given a ticket stub. After all entries are received, a staff member will pull up X amount of tickets and if you "win," you get to purchase up to two tickets at a ridiculously good price. I paid around $64 for two tickets, which is less than one ticket bought at TKTS. 

I must say, I was incredibly surprised by Godspell. I saw the first few minutes of the film and wasn't intrigued by it. But I went along because my friend wanted to ogle Hunter Parrish (who wouldn't, though?). The show was fantastic! The cast's energy was amazing, the songs were so catchy, and it was much funnier than I expected it to be. I would gladly watch it again and again, actually.

After Sunday comes Monday (after which, comes Tuesday), which meant we were leaving #SadFace. So we took the time during the morning and afternoon to just roam around the city. We walked to 60th, through Central Park, up to the Lincoln Center, and back to the apartment before heading to JFK.

Tangent: I'm no animal rights activist, but some of these horses looked so sad and defeated, 

I just wanted to free them! </3 :(

If you are ever in NYC, you *need* to go to Serendipity 3 on 60th and try their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. It is so flipping' good! <3

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that this is a beauty blog!

Of course, I couldn't leave New York without getting a few things... Well, technically I could, but... Ah, never mind...

So excited about these latest purchases! I'll be testing them soon and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys!

Anyway, that is my ramble of a post about the city that I luuurve <3. I hope I haven't bored you all too much!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

About Face - The Lipstick Bandit

Here's the thing, on August 30th a conversation took place via Twitter between a few beauty bloggers. As conversations are wont to do, the topic shifted from lip products, to lipsticks, to red lipsticks; all the while, we were pointing the finger at someone else for some pretty SRS lemmings. Anyway, the words Lipstick Bandits were thrown around and an idea was born.

So our task was to create a mask look with red lipstick. Here is what I came up with...

Products Used:

NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eye Pencil - Black

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Storm (black eyeshadow)

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Liner - 10 Clear

Revlon Creme Lipstick - Fire & Ice

Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation - Intensity 3.0

Lancôme Star Bronzer - Éclat Bronze

I started by creating a line across my forehead, dipping down in the middle and at the edges; but I wasn't really happy with the shape. So out of nowhere, I just started making really short strokes around the edges to create a "feathery" look. Satisfied, I then filled in the (very large) gap and patted some black eyeshadow on the patchier areas. 

After that, I applied foundation in the areas where my skin was visible and applied bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks. Then I applied clear lipliner, outlined my lips with Fire & Ice with a lip pencil brush and filled in the rest of my lips straight from the tube. 

Et voilà, one Lipstick Bandit look! 

I created this look on the 3rd, after waking up (rather late) to a flash of inspiration. It came about pretty quickly actually. I was rather pleased with the look, but I started doubting myself the day after. Should I have made it more complicated? Something flashier? So I started racking my brain for some better ideas but none would come. Also, I became rather attached to this look...

I think I learned an important lesson in creativity: sometimes you just have to trust your gut. I like the simplicity of this look; I like the greasy quality of the mask, I like that it's literally rough around the edges... It's like my Lipstick Bandit persona is the novice: young, brash and needs a lot of work :p.

I'm not the only Lipstick Bandit around! Check out my fellow bandits: theNotice, The Glitter Geek, Eye Heart It, Makeup Morsels, and Beauty Reflections. Their looks are going to blow you guys away!

(Yo lipsticks. I has 'em!)

(Climbin' in yo windows, snatchin' yo lipsticks up)

Hope you all like my Lipstick Bandit look!

My Summer Scents

Summer's almost here, lovelies!

I'll be honest and say I'm not looking forward to the heat (anything over 18º C is too much for me already =/), but I'm loving the scents I've been gravitating towards lately.

Here are the four that's on regular rotation these last couple of weeks:

Estee Lauder - Pleasures Summer Bouquet

This floral scent is kinda strong, so I have to use it sparingly. It's a bit of a punchy, floral scent that can get a bit cloying so I find spraying it in the air and stepping through does the trick.

D&G - 3 L'Impératrice

J'adore L'imperatrice! The fruity scent just brightens my mood and I love how long-lasting it is! When you've had a 15 hour day and you're feeling a bit grimy, it's nice to know you still smell nice :).

Bath & Body Works - Wild Honeysuckle

This scent sorta reminds me of a flower we used to have in our garden back home in the Philippines. It's a body spray, so it doesn't last long; but every time I catch a whiff, I'm mentally transported back to my childhood.

Burberry - For Women

My first "grown up" perfume, there will always be a special place in my heart for this! I've been using it on and off for many years now and it might just be my staple. I especially love when there's traces of it left in my scarves; the scent is still there but it's a bit "worn out." I don't know why but I love that!

What are your go-to summer scents?

Monthly Favourites - December 2010

January 2011... How time flies!

I was contemplating not posting a December faves after posting my Best of 2010, but I decided, why not? So without further ado, here goes the list!

1. Lush - Sympathy For The Skin Body Lotion

I think I've talked about this product enough that I don't need to get into it anymore; after all, I've already posted about it 3 times, this being the fourth (sheesh! Enough already, woman!). I can't help it though, I love it that much!

2. Revlon - ColorStay Foundation 

I've heard so many people rave about this product and it wasn't until recently that I finally tried it. Well, I have to say that I now understand why. It gives great coverage (I'd say medium/buildable, but definitely not full), it blends easily, has a gorgeous, slightly dewy finish, and has great staying power (especially for a product that hasn't made such claims). I don't normally wear liquid foundation unless it's a special occasion or a performance, but since it's a drugstore product and therefore, fairly inexpensive, I have no qualms about using it on a daily basis... Which I did, pretty much...

3. Chanel - Rouge Coco Lipstick 

I've been trying to use my lip products more, which means I rediscover products that I own but haven't been using. It's a fairly long list, and Mademoiselle is on it. Not sure why though, since it's such a gorgeous colour! It's one of those "shape-shifter" colours, as I like to call it; it will look different on different women (depending on their skin tone). 

Par example, here you see the beautiful Vanessa Paradis wearing Mademoiselle:

Now here's a photo of my (rather large) lips, wearing the exact same shade:

You will notice that Ms. Paradis' lips look more berry-like (which is the colour I would rather have, to be honest) and my lips have a bit more coral/orange tones in them. That said, I do notice around 15 minutes after application, that the lipstick becomes pinker.

I've taken to wearing this with a simple eye (naked lunch all over the lid, maybe some contouring on the crease, and multiple coats of mascara) and MAC's Pinch O' Peach blush for a pretty, every day look.

4. Estée Lauder - Daywear Plus Creme

I've already talked about this, too, so I won't extol its virtues for much longer. Let me just say that the cold weather combined with using my heater (in the house & the car) so much this past month, this moisturizer was truly a Godsend!

5. Revlon Colorburst & MAC Lipsticks

I've grouped these two lipsticks together because I've been using them together this past month. True Red was too "fire engine red" and Media was too "vampy red;" both are gorgeous in their own right, but neither suited my needs. So, I experimented and came up with the most flattering red for me:

So in December, I would apply Media like a stain, then layer True Red on top. The result? A gorgeous red that suits my skin tone. It's a chore and it didn't last very long (I suppose the formulas weren't sitting well with each other, the poor things), but I would still diligently do my applications... It was worth it, I think :).

Now I just need to find a lipstick that's exactly this shade. Any rec's, lovelies?

6. MAC - Quarry Eyeshadow

I was quite happy with MAC's Harmony blush or Physician's Formula's Bamboo Silk Powder for contouring purposes but both were too bronzey for me in the colder, winter months. A lovely MAC SA suggested using an eyeshadow; Quarry to be exact. It worked and I fell in love. 

I use it for all my contouring purposes: on the cheekbones, jaw bone & also on the eye. Here it is at work on a look I learned from the lovely Sam of Pixiwoo:

Holy Yellow, Batman! I definitely need better lighting. Having to rush all my photographing so I can use sunlight is a real drag. Any recommendations for which kind of bulbs I should use? 

7. Tarte - Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara

I really love how my lashes look when using this mascara. I'm definitely not blessed with length or volume; but when I use Lights, Camera, Splashes!, I can actually get away with not wearing eyeliner (which was something I did quite often in December). And how cute is the packaging? I love it!

8. Lush - Bûche De Noel Cleanser

At first this cleanser was a tad drying for me, but I discovered that using a cleansing milk to turn it into a paste (as opposed to using water) really kept it from drying my skin out. It's much like Lush's Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, which I also love; Buche de Noel is just not as moisturizing.

After using this cleanser, my face feels fresh & clean and looks smooth and even-toned. If you missed out on this product, definitely try Angels on Bare Skin. Both are truly lovely!

What are your December Faves?

Don't forget to "Like" Call It Beauty on Facebook :)