Vincent Longo New Essentials Collection for Fall/Winter 2011 Review & Swatches

I really adore when a brand launches a collection and I love every single product. That's usually the case when it comes to Vincent Longo products. I'm constantly blown away by the pigments, long-wear and the gorgeous colors of his line. His new essentials collection for Fall/Winter 2011 is no different. You can read about that launch here. Let's take a closer look...

Seen above are the velour pressed powders ($28). I tried Light #2 and Warm #4. These colors are definitely shades for me. Light #2 is a bit too light for me now, but I'm sure once we get more into winter, it'll be perfect. Warm #4 is almost perfect, but just a tad too yellow for my complexion. I used it a setting powder and for touch-ups throughout the day. I find that the shades are quite light, so I'm hoping for more shades in the future. I believe they are not meant as a foundation to be wore alone, but as a setting powder. They wore really well on me. It's really meant to add radiance and create a smooth finish, which it did.

You can notice there are a few colors put into each powder. You can blend all colors together for one color or focus your brush on one area.

The most exciting products I tried were the bronzers ($32) and blushes ($30). I was ecstatic when I saw the shades.

(Top row are bronzers/Bottom row are blushes)

 (Seen above: Golden Glow, Cooper Kiss, Cassata)

Golden Glow is described as a "golden beige" and to be honest, I've been using it as a highlighter on top of another bronzer. It's a very soft color, so it's perfect for that no-makeup look. I've used it alone and it gave a subtle glow.

Copper Kiss is described as "golden bronze" and I imagine it'll be the most popular of the bronzers. It's that perfect bronze shade that everyone desires. What I love about these bronzers it that they don't sit on top of your skin, but rather softly blend in for a natural look.

Cassata (my favorite) is described as "golden rose-sand" and it definitely looks like it sounds in the pan. It has a soft rose glow because of the small specks of color. I love the way this looks on my complexion. I intend to have a LOTD of with this bronzer.

These bronzers are absolutely stunning. I haven't used any other bronzers since I received them. They're incredibly pigmented and the colors are stunning. I found them great for contour use and perfect for just a soft glow. I seriously can't get enough of these! They also lasted about 6 hours on me.

 (In order above: Golden Glow, Copper Kiss, Cassata)

Get excited. Here come the blush swatches. More gorgeous additions to this collection!

(Seen above: Misty Blossom, Gold Canyon, Desert Rose)

Misty Blossom is described as a "powder pink" and she is very doll-like. Every-time I look at this blush I'm reminded of a porcelain doll with those perfect, rosy cheeks or Barbie. It looks awesome on my cheeks. I imagine it would look awesome on deeper skin tones are well.

Gold Canyon is described as a "burnished brown" and I've used it as a very natural blush.

Desert Rose is described as a "sandy rose" and this one is very light on the skin. I've also used this as a highlight or alone to create a soft glow. It looks almost pink/champagne on my complexion. I'm curious how it will look on other complexions.

*Products seen above where sent for consideration*


Have you tried Vincent Longo's New Essentials Collection?

E.L.F. Studio Tone Correcting Powder Review & Swatches

I opted to try E.L.F.'s tone correcting powder after reading some fabulous reviews. I tend to get very flushed in my face and figured why not try a product that's meant to keep your complexion balanced and radiant. The E.L.F. Studio Tone Correcting Powder ($3) has four colors: blue that neutralizes orange, green that neutralizes red, pink that neutralizes grey and yellow that brightens. I found that the product worked decently as a setting powder and a touch-up, but the color when applied heavily was extremely pale. You definitely need to be gentle and light with the application or else you'll get a completely pale face. My recommendation is to use with a fan brush.

 Have you ever tried E.L.F. products?

Too Faced's New Smokey Eye Shadow Collection

The question I get asked most often is what's the best way to create the perfect smokey eye. As a makeup artist I know that their are tons of different smokey eyes that can be created. It's really about what kind of smokey eye you'd like; the colors, the type, the mood. This is where Too Faced comes to the rescue. Too Faced is known for their fun kits with easy to use instructions. They just recently launched their new smokey eye kit, so I decided to check it out.

Top row

Second Row

Third Row

What I love about this kit is the array of colors. It's not just for that "classic" smokey eye. You can create smokey eyes with color like blue, purple, and silver. You can even create a "natural" smokey eye using the entire top row. My favorite color of the bunch is firefly, which is the first color in the palette. It's a silvery taupe color and I have nothing like it in my collection.

Retail: $36 at Too Faced, Sephora & Ulta

Have you ever tried Too Faced Cosmetics?

Be Soap Opera Ready With The Balm & The Beautiful Palette

I have been a lover of The Balm's products for quite some time now. I became hooked once I tried one of their eye-shadows. The pigments are super creamy, long-lasting and gorgeous. What's not to love?! I was ecstatic when I found out about their upcoming palette launch for "The Muppet Palette." I even made the list to order one of the 1000 limited edition palettes. Then I heard that The Balm launched the exact same palette with the same exact colors called "The Balm & The Beautiful" and it could be found at TJ Maxx. Being my discount savy self, I ran over and found the palette for $19.99 (oh yes!) + some other cosmetic discount goodies.

Top Row of Eyeshadows

Second Row of Eyeshadows

Third Row of Eyeshadows

Fourth Row of Eyeshadows

Lip-glosses

This palette was a steal and if you have a TJ Maxx near you, I definitely recommend going and seeing what Balm products they carry. The one in the city carried The Balm single eye-shadow pigments, bronzer, palettes and their entire skin care line.

Have you ever purchased products from The Balm?