Sephora Collection: MicroSmooth Baked Luminizer

Summer is here (well almost!) and who doesn't love to have a glow from within?  I was wondering through Sephora 2 weeks ago (because I cannot visit the mall and not enter my favourite store) and stumbled across this beauty!

This product offers a beautiful golden glow to your skin.  Don't be fooled by the 'white' appearance.  This, like it's similiar counter part Albatross by Nars offers the wearer a non-ashy golden luminized appearance even though the product appears to be white in pan.

The product:  It is said to be infused with radiance-boosting minerals, sea coral and green tea extract!  (talk about makeup making the skin better)

Application:  Since this is a baked pigment, it sweeps on weightless, natural-looking color (pick the shade suitable for your skin tone).

Natural Light Swatch

Flash Swatch

Pros:  A little goes a long way and you can easily build coverage to go from natural/healthy glow to 'goddess'.  I am a fanatatic for great makeup products that offer skin benefits, and this product is said to enhances the natural radiance and the appearance of your skin!

The quantity and quality vs. the price point of the product is a fantastic steal.  This product retails for CDN $17/ USD $12 for

Cons:  There are only 2 shades for this product.  The one I own is called Stardust which I found was more suitable for darker skin tones, while Light Beam is suited more to light/ medium skin tones.

Tips: Apply to cheekbones, temples, browbone and down the bridge of your nose for a gorgeous glow (go with a lighter hand to achieve a natural glow).  I also use this product as a highlighter.

Final thoughts:  I have been using this product religiously for over a week and I find that I am in love.  Maybe, it is time to retire my trusty ole' Lorac Baked Bronzer?  The product's baked formula applies smoothly while the airy texture melts into skin for a natural glow!



Have you tried this product before?

Day & Night Basic Makeup Looks (As Requested)

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I was approached by one of my readers to do a day and night look using the Naked Basics Palette by Urban Decay.  I unfortunately didn't own the palette due owning very similar colours from Urban Decay and other brands, therefore I collected the eye shadows I did have that matched the eye shadows (to the best of my ability) in Naked Basics Palette.

Day Look

Used a neutral brown/taupe (Naked 2) on my lid and a dark brown (mix Faint and Crave) to do a soft cut crease.  Highlight beneath the brow with a matte white colour (Venus) and blend to perfection.

Tips:  Line eyes for more definition.
Use a soft blush and soft lip colour (nude or soft pink) 

Within the Naked Basics Palette the shades range from light to dark to create basic but versatile looks.  From Left to Right they are:

Venus (soft, off-white demi-matte)
Foxy (very light yellow/white matte)
Walk of Shame (very light nude matte)
Naked 2 (taupe matte),
Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
Crave (deepest, darkest brown/black matte)

I used what I had to create the looks keeping the above noted shades in mind. I used:

Urban Decay shadow in Buck (similar to Faint in the Naked Basics)
Kat Von D shadow in Leather (Matte deep dark brown used to warm up Buck)
Kat Von D shadow in Lucifer (Matte black similiar to Crave in the Naked Basics)
Smashbox shadow in Nude (similiar to Walk of Shame  in the Naked Basics)
Smashbox shadow in Vanilla (similar to Venus in the Naked Basics)

Night Look

Used a satin off white colour on the lid (Venus) Then continue with a wash of soft brown (Faint) on the entire crease from outer V to inner tear duct.  Deepen your outer V with a black shadow (Crave).  Highlight your brow with Foxy for the perfect finish!

Tips:  Use a bold lip to make this look more sultry.
Add a strong winged liner to the look.

Thank you Penelope, for the opportunity to play with my makeup with you in mind. It allowed me to push myself a bit further because I took into account your eye shape and skin tone.  If you have any other questions and or request please let me know.

Rozlyn

xoxoxo

Annabelle: Lip Liners Review

My all time favourite Canadian drugstore lipliners.  If you haven't tried these as of yet, you are missing out.  Here's the breakdown of the product with pictures and swatches!

The Product

Pros: Good staying power with a smooth application.  Comes in a wide range of finishes from original to metallic and even waterproof.

Cons: Pencil has to be sharpened so you waste product and not as accessible as a retractable pencil.

Packaging:  A tight cap covers the actual product for proper storage.  Ensures that the product will not dry out.  The liner was produced in the classic basic
wooden style.

Cost: Depending on the type of pencil you get it can range from $5.95 CDN to $6.95 (Very affordable)  On the Annabelle website they also do sales so you can get these
products for even cheaper!

Left to Right: Espresso, Cherry & Burgundy

Left to Right: Espresso (Matte Finish), Cherry (Matte Finish) & Burgundy (Satin Finish)

Tip:  I like to wear these liners as a matte lip colour or add a gloss for some shine!

Final thoughts: I love these lipliners.  Great value and more important product.  If you haven't tried these out definitely give them a try


My favourite liner from Annabelle: Cherry*



Have you tried this product before?

Spring 2014 Wearable Beauty Trends

With Spring 2014 officially here (based on the calendar but not according to the snow on the ground), I am compelled by my beauty instincts to talk Spring trends of 2014. If you reside in the mid west of the states or anywhere in Canada, I am sure you have been hit with random snow days (with more approaching said the weatherman).  Don't be in despair soon old man winter will fail. And with that being said, lets start with the trends to come!

The Lips

Soft berry (like) lips are always a staple where the is hope for longer days of sunlight and warm weather, and this year is no different.   Think radiant orchid (Colour of the year 2014)!

The much talked about Bright Orange Lips, which could easily be worn if you take into account, your skin's undertone isn't for the faint at heart but lining the lips with a darker hue (reds, browns, purples-yes! purple), to create a 'wearable' ombre effect can make this trend easily wearable and fun!

Some of my favourite orange/shades of orange lippies come from MAC cosmetics.  Namely Morange, Lady danger, Hot chaud and Saigon Summer- all of which are available in the regular line. 

The Eyes

Then there was blue, a hue of any blue on the lids will create the perfect match for the warmer weather to come!  Am I the only one who is excited to match Blue eyes and Orange lips?   Will be bold but so beautiful if done right!

Where there is blue, there is green and this season this is no different.  Use a pop of green on your lids to freshen up any look!

The magical ethereal white eyeshadow is a hit this Spring. Therefore if you aren't into the bold blues or dashing greens, you can tone it down with a quick wash of a frosty white.

Metallic eyes are also very in for Spring 2014, wear this bold look in the evening by easily smoking it out. Rustic golden lids featuring pigmented orangey coral lips.  Can you see I'm still 

excited about THE orange?

Cat eyes, whether the season is always a fun route to take and this season is no different. Use your favourite liquid or gel eyeliner to create this bold cat eyed look.  

I find with the warmer weather approaching and my very oily skin, gel liners will be my best friend for the weather to come due to the staying power.

Skin

Now that drab winter has dried out our skin, it's time to get dewy and radiant. Remember to moisturize your skin and feature some glowing highlights and bronze where needed! 

This season features bold colours.  Remember trends are always open to interpretation so have fun, be you and stay beautiful!

What are your favourite Spring 2014 beauty trend?

Getting to know a little bit more about me

I wanted to share a little bit more of me with my readers.  So here goes....

As a child and into young adolescence I had a nag for art (visual) as a late teen and into adulthood, I took that skill and love for makeup and combined it.  As a result, I became really good at makeup application.

Self taught freelance makeup artist

My favourite high end makeup line: YSL and Make Up For Ever
My favourite drugstore makeup line: Milani and Revlon

My favourite high end skin care line: Boscia, Estee Lauder and Ole Henriksen
My favourite drugstore skin care line: Neutrogena and Body Shop

My favourite Canadian makeup line: Annabelle Cosmetics
My favourite Caribbean makeup line: Sacha Cosmentics

Hobbies:  I love cooking and nail art (I find it therapeutic).  If you follow my instagram (@daredbeauty) you could see weekly pictures of recipes prepared and nail art done by yours truly.

Blogger secret:  This isn't my first blog.  When I was in my late teens into young adulthood, I had a journal blog.  Unfortunately after a few years, I ended it.

Obsessions?  I have a shoe collection within a full walk in closet and a vanity overstocked with makeup.  In a nutshell, anything that relates to beauty and fashion, I am obsessed.




Share something with me in the comments below, that other bloggers might not know about you?

My wearable Valentine Look and NOTD

Valentine's Day for me this year meant to keep it simple sultry and sexy (with a pop of Spring).  Here is what I came up with.

Nude Eye using different tones of brown
Lips: OCC Hoochie (no lip liner)

Lip: OCC Hoochie and MAC Heronie

Milani La Vie En Rose Polish

Did you do a Valentine look?  Leave a message and I'll definitely check it out.


Follow my instagram (@daredbeauty) for more makeup looks and Nails of the Week.

Makeup Looks

Have you checked out "The Looks" section of my blog.  Make-up looks and details!

Have a great weekend!

Rozlyn P. 

Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Tattoo

Maybelline brands this product as a long wearing shadow that is textured as a cream gel that glides over lids without creasing.  With 13 shades to choose from you can be as subdued with 'tough as taupe' or as bold with 'tenacious teal.'  The product is very similar to MAC paint pots (with color tattoo winning due to the texture and smoothness- and of course price).  For 0.14 oz of product you can expect to pay between $4.97 to $10.97 CDN/USD depending on the store.  The lowest prices were found at Walmart.

Tips:  Though this is a long wearing shadow, I still use a shadow base (to ensure all day longevity).  I also apply using fingers, rather than a brush to get a smoother application.

Pros:  Super smooth (blend-able) and long lasting.  Colour is build-able, therefore it can go from sheer to opaque depending  on how you layer the product.  For the colour payoff and overall quality of the product it is priced well.

Cons:  I have oily lids, therefore this product does crease a bit (use a shadow base and this product is perfection is a pot).  The finish of the product is limited (mostly shimmer), matte browns/black is needed.

Final Thoughts:  Overall, a good product. For women on the go who want a quick shadow without the hassle of blending for too long, will love the ease of this product.  Also a great buy for daring artists who want there colours to really pop!

Have you tried color tattoo before?

Winter 2013 Wearable Beauty Trends

With the first official snowfall of Toronto (happening this past weekend) which beckons the idea that winter is soon approaching, I felt inspired to blog winter trends of 2013.  As usual winter trends and fall trends go hand in hand with ideas overlapping year after year.  This year is no different.  Fall Trends have been seen  everywhere this season and we will continue to see them throughout this new approaching season along with a few add-ons such as:

Futuristic eyes with a strong winged liner (Use your favourite liquid or gel eyeliner to create this bold cat eyed look)

Bold eyebrows ( Don't over wax/pluck and if you have naturally thin brows use your fave brow pencil to fill in those 'frames')

Nude eye makeup looks (use nude shadows of soft and bold chocolate browns, pinks and plums)

Red matte lips (From cherry picked to a deep vampy red, red lips are always a must for this holiday season)

Tips:  Glitter is always a holiday favourite, although not always wearable you can always add a bit to your tear duct to brighten up your look, or my fav tip is to add it the center of your lips (when wearing your favourite lip colour), for a beautiful festive look. 

Here's a makeup look based on winter trends

Remember beautiful these are just trends, take from them as you may but remember set your own trends and be yourself.  Do you works for you and most importantly, stay beautiful!



What are your favourite holiday beauty trends?

Sephora Collection: Long-Lasting Vinyl Lip Lacquer

I was pleasantly surprised with this product.  Though I am a fan of Sephora, the store; as a product brand I am not so keen on it.   However, this has peaked my interest into what else this line (Sephora collection) has to offer.  This product is highly pigmented and opaque but also has a high shine vinyl finish.  I stumbled across this product on sale for $7 CDN, but research shows if you live in the US you can find it for $5.  This is worth it.  Found in store not online.  I was surprised on how long its stayed on the lips without it being drying.  The product does transfer a bit and the application is done through a wand.

Tips: This product is pigmented and has a thicker consistency therefore I suggest doing the "finger in the mouth" technique to prevent product from transferring onto your teeth.

Pros: Glides on smoothly (no choppy patches), highly pigmented and has glossy vinyl finish.  This product lasts long on the lips and does not require a lip liner (since it is not prone to running-unless you layer on too much).  This product is not sticky.

Cons:  Only saw product in two colours (though it was on sale so other colours may have been sold out).  Also product is on sale, therefore product may be discontinued therefore hurry hurry hurry and get yours!  Hopefully they are just repacking the product.

Final Thoughts:  Great product especially if you don't mind the high gloss vinyl look plus you cannot beat the price.

 Colours shown: Burgundy and Red (actual branding name)

Burgundy worn on the lips (due to the vinyl finish true colour was difficult to show through the lens of a camera- but when worn colours are true to the name)



Have you tried this product?

One Month Strong!

First let me start off  by saying thank you to each and everyone of you who has taken the time and energy to visit my blog.  Without the support, my blog would not be in existence.  With  over 2000 views since it came into existence, you the viewer inspires and encourages me to continue upon my dream of having a successful Canadian based beauty blog.  For that I thank you.

I cannot believe how fast a month has blown past.  I am so grateful to my viewers.   Thank you for all the feedback, comments and support.

I hope you are enjoying my blog, if there is any product review you have in mind or pictorial you would like to see, let me know and it would be my pleasure to do so.

Happy One Month Anniversary!

Stay beautiful xoxoxo,

Rozlyn P.