Konad Nail Art Using Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Polish in Wet Cement

 



I finally got a hold of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in Wet Cement for only $2 something when it went on sale at Walgreens this week. I like these kinds of grey creams. This is my first time to try SH Xtreme Wear and to tell you honestly I didn't like the formula. It was way too thick for my liking, and the smell was - err, odd. I had to add five drops of thinner to get the product achieve a consistency I like. Anyways, that was the only snag in the application, but everything went pretty smooth. It was easy to apply and the wide brush was a godsend. It looks so pretty on the tips. I added some Konad art to give it some oomph.



SH Wet Cement reminds me of MAC's On the Prowl from last year's Hello Kitty collection. In the photos, it looked like On the Prowl is lighter, but Wet Cement is actually a tad lighter in the bottle, but they look identical on the nails. If you're looking for an On the Prowl dupe, you might want to check out Wet Cement.

Konad Nail Stamp Art: MAC On The Prowl Nail Lacquer

I am totally in love with my Konad Nail Stamp Kit. I can create a myriad of different nail looks using this, and the longer I use it, the more I get the hang of it, and it's now quite easy to stamp all ten fingernails. The good thing about Konad is that you don't have to get the special polishes if you want to do the art, because some regular polishes work just as good. Note that the operative word is "some". Not all regular polish will work for the Konad stamps because the ones specifically used for these are thicker, goopier, and stickier, which work well with the images and the stamp. To give an example of regular polish that can work with Konads, I read on nail forums that China Glaze Romantique polishes are very good with Konad. I agree, because I have tried one with Konad, and it's great because they're kinda metallic, so the images turn out very subtle yet very pretty.

For the particular Konad above, I used the beautiful cream cement-grey nail lacquer from the MAC Hello Kitty collection called On the Prowl. The minute I saw it, I just had to have it, and the special polish in White I believe is its perfect partner. The image came out delicate and subtle. I like doing flowers sometimes because they're not too edgy and they're feminine, and they're just overall pretty.

Lavenders and Purples Using MAC Eyeshadows and Pigment

Here are some purples using my MAC eyeshadows and pigment in Milk from the Hello Kitty Collection. I also used for the first time the Vibrant Grape eyeshadow that I got from the Style Warrior collection. I like how the name of the product describes how vibrant this color is. It's definitely not a flat purple and it really perks up the colors in this look that I made. I also used Stars N Rockets, Top Hat, and Baby Petals, the last one from the Heatherette Trio No. 2 palette.

Here's a step-by-step illustration. Sorry, no face pics this time! All products MAC unless otherwise noted.


Apply Bare Canvas paint on lids and browbone and lower lashline. Smooth with finger. Using a fluffy shader brush, apply Constructivist paint pot on lid. Foil Milk pigment using Charged Water and apply on the lid using a stiff shader brush (Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" or 239 brush).


Because Milk pigment tends to be a bit gritty, apply a little bit of Stars N Rockets over Milk using the 239 brush to smoothen the finish. Using the 217 brush, apply Vibrant Grape on the crease, going down to the outer V.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Top Hat on the crease and blend the colors together using the 224.


Using the 217, apply more Vibrant Grape, blending into Top Hat.

My MAC Birthday Haul

I turned a year older today so I'd thought of treating myself with some MAC stuff (haha, what else is new ;P ). Anyways, before I went to the MAC store, I was in another store when I overheard a lady bragging to her friend about the MAC Hello Kitty tote that she got as a freebie. I knew that some MAC stores do give those away, but I wasn't sure that that was the case in all stores. So when I was inside MAC before I paid for my items, I asked the MA if I could have a tote, and she said of course!


It's so cute!

I noticed that I have a lot of limited edition MAC shadows, but I don't have much basic, neutral shadows from the permanent line. I was eyeing some MAC permanent shadows but was never able to get them. I finally snagged them today in convenient Pro pans so it's easy to place them in my 15-pan palette.



I don't have any plans of getting the Too Dolly palette from the Hello Kitty collection because I already have Romping (the bright purplish pink) and I have a bajillion mint greens in my makeup stash, so I just got a pro pan of Yogurt. It's a beautiful matte light pink that would be great as an all-over lid color. I was interested in Shale as well, a smokey dirty purple with sheen, and the MA said that it would go well with Yogurt (the latter on the lid and Shale on the crease), so I got Shale as well. And Wedge, well, I'd been lemming for it for ages, so I got that too.



Here is my new 15-pan palette with the newly depotted shadows. I still have space for the 100 Strokes, Rose Blanc and Brule, and that completes my 9th shadow palette. I get requests to feature my MAC eyeshadow collection, but I have already featured them in a previous post. Click the link below for detailed photos and information on the rest of my palettes.

My MAC Eye Shadows: A Reference Guide

Nail Polish and MAC Hauls

I went to ULTA this weekend and snagged a couple of their exclusive OPI polishes for Valentine's Day 2009. They are such beautiful, feminine pinks that I couldn't resist getting. The first is Gotta Get Pink. It's a very unique shade. When it comes to eyeshadows and lipsticks, I am partial to greyish pinks, and this nail polish shade is a beautiful, cream greyish light pink that looks so sophisticated and classy. I'd love to wear this at work and even for dinners and events. Don't Think...Just Pink! is a pretty pink with lavender undertones. It is not that unique but it is gorgeous.

This afternoon, I went to this obscure beauty supply store (not Sally) to get my regular dose of false lashes. They also have stock of some of the most hard-to-find and discontinued polishes. I was surprised when I saw two bottles of the coveted OPI in Los Angeles Latte in that store today! Had I known that, I would have just bought my Los Angeles Latte there than pay an arm and a leg for it on Ebay. I got smitten by two beautiful colors from OPI and China Glaze: Golden Rules! and Spontaneous so I snagged these two. Golden Rules! is a much warmer gold compared to the very yellow-goldish Nefertiti from Lippmann. I love both, though, but they are different enough to justify owning both. I'd love to try Golden Rules! on the toes. Spontaneous is just a beautiful mid-tone purple, soooo gorgeous!

I also got some China Glaze holo shades from a swap: Kaleidoscope Him Out and How About A Tumble. From the photo, you can see how beautiful they are, but they apply too sheer but glittery on my nails, so I really didn't know what to do with them.

I did some experimenting and applied How About A Tumble over two coats of Don't Think...Just Pink!, and I was floored by the result. It was such a pretty, feminine pink with sparkles! The picture doesn't do justice to the color in real life. Now I know how to use my holos: by layering them over cream shades.





I also got some MAC items. As late as it may be, I got Popster tinted lip conditioner from the Hello Kitty collection. I totally love Pink Fish TLC, and it's getting a bit lonely, so I got her sister Popster to keep company. Popster of course is a deeper, brighter pink compared to Pink Fish, and this would look amazing during spring and summer, or anytime just under lippies because it really makes the lips soft, smooth, and utterly prepped for lipsticks and glosses. I got Rapidblack as a backup just in case mine runs out of ink in the middle of lining one eye. I don't like the opaque tube as I have no idea when this would run out of ink, so it's nice to have a back-up handy.

Coastal Scents 28 Piece Neutral Palette Look

Before I go to the main topic, here is my Valentine's day haul from MAC. Hubby gave me some cash as a Valentine's day gift, so I went back and got some stuff that I'd been eyeing from MAC. I added Strayin' lipstick to the Hello Kitty items I got because I've seen amazing looks using it. I am glad I got it because it is really such a pretty color, and very pigmented too (unlike the other Hello Kitty lipsticks I've seen). I also got the 228 brush for detailed eye work, and this is pretty similar to the Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 1/4", although the 228 is more paddle-shaped. This would be great for smudging and for applying color on those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. I also got Brule, which looks boring in the pan but works amazing as a blender color or as a transition color for gradient hued looks.









I am showing the products because I used Strayin' and the 228 for the look and tutorial below.



I've had this palette for a month or so now and it's very versatile, as I'm sure a lot of you know by now. Some of the shades are chalky, but some have quite nice finishes and are pretty pigmented. For the price, it's pretty much worth it, as long as you use a good base. Here's a step-by-step illustration of the look. Please refer to the photo of the palette (see above) for the particular shadows used.


Apply MAC Beige-ing shadestick all over lid, brow and lower lashline. Using MAC 252 brush, apply Shadow A all over lid up to browbone.


Using MAC 228, apply Shadow B on inner corners.


Using the Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" (or the MAC 239), apply Shadow C packed on the lid.


Using MAC 224 brush, apply Shadow D on crease using windshield wiper motions.


Using the bigger Essence of Beauty crease brush, apply Shadow E on the crease, going down to create a V.


Using MAC 226 brush, blend out Shadow E.


Using MAC 227, apply more Shadow A on the browbone. Line eyes using MAC Blacktrack fluidline. Apply Victoria's Secret kohl pencil in Black Velvet on waterline and tightline. Using the smaller Essence of Beauty crease brush, apply Shadow E on outer lower lashline. Apply Mod Lash falsies #21. Apply mascara.








close-up of Strayin'







Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Buff'd mineral foundation (original formula) in mix of Chamois and Almond
MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
Silk Naturals finishing powder in Date Bait
Aromaleigh Rocks! Pure Rouge blushes in mix of Breathless and Femme Fatale
MAC mineralize skinfinish in Blonde over blush
MAC Refined Golden bronzer to contour

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Whirl
MAC lipstick in Strayin'
MAC cremesheen glass in Fashion Scoop

Valentine's Day Look: MAC Barbie Meets Hello Kitty

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made a Valentine's Day look using products from two of the most popular collections of MAC featuring cultural icons - Barbie and Hello Kitty. I know the Barbie collection is two years old, but it is still one of my most favorite MAC collections. For the eyes, I used the colors that were actually launched in this collection, but I don't have Beauty Burst (the rich reddish brown eyeshadow), so I substituted Bold and Brazen from the Starflash collection. The MAC Barbie promo pic has the model wearing lots of thick liner and lush falsies, but I opted to be different and made my liner a bit thinner and I picked not-so-thick falsies. The products used on rest of my face were mostly from the Hello Kitty collection. A step-by-step illustration follows. And of course, all products are MAC unless otherwise noted.


Apply Urban Decay primer potion all over lid, brows and lower lashline. Smooth with finger. Apply Stilife paint on lid. Using a fluffy shader brush, apply Bold and Brazen on crease to the area above the crease.


Using the 217 brush, apply Playful eyeshadow above Bold and Brazen, blending into the latter.


Using the 227, apply Whistle on browbone, blending into Playful.


Apply Vanilla pigment on browbone, blending into Whistle.


Apply Springtime Skipper shadow on lid using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/4" brush (or MAC 239 brush).


Line upper lashline using Penultimate liner in Rapidblack and Blacktrack fluidline. Apply Red Cherry falsies #503. Line waterline and tightline using Victoria's Secret kohl pencil in Black Velvet. Apply mascara. Line inner lower lashline with Springtime Skipper, and outer lower lashline with Romping, using Sonia Kashuk mini contour brush. Apply Springtime Skipper on inner corners.











Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Earthen Glow minerals foundation in Yuan Yuan
Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution finishing powder in Peaches and Cream
MAC Tippy Beauty Powder blush using the 136 brush
MAC Refined Golden bronzer to contour using the 138 brush

Lips:
Almay lipliner in Bronze
MAC lipstick in Fashion Mews
MAC lipglass in Sweet Strawberry

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation and Concealer Review, Plus a Hello Kitty Look

NOTE: For product information and official promo images, click HERE.



Studio Sculpt Foundation

I admit, I was really iffy about doing a review on the Studio Sculpt foundation because a lot of you know that I only use mineral foundation. The first thing that touches my skin has got to be the purest mineral makeup there is, or else my skin would really act up, and hello zit farm! To expound on how insanely sensitive my skin is, I once went to the MAC counter for a makeover, and the MA used Hyperreal foundation on my mineral-spoiled skin. I grew two zits in a span of only three hours from the time Hyperreal was applied on my skin! I promised myself that I would never ever touch liquid foundation again, and I admit, up to this day, my skin just loves mineral makeup. It is its salvation, and my skin doesn't just thrive with mineral makeup, it blooms and heals because of it. However, I was really curious about Studio Sculpt because I read that this is MAC's answer to all the High Definition makeup inundating the beauty market right now. Add to the fact that I've read a slew of rave reviews about the Studio Sculpt, that really made me take the plunge and - gasp! - try goopy, gunky liquid makeup again.

Nonetheless, I still wasn't convinced that I could risk having another zit farm on my face because of one review, so I made a very small precaution that I think made a huge difference: to create the "mineral barrier" my skin needs and demands, I buffed in a very very small amount of LaurEss mineral foundation in Pure Yellow before I applied Studio Sculpt. I would say that in the future, I will always take the extra step of applying a very light layer of mineral foundation before applying liquid makeup, just to create the mineral "force field" that would shield my skin from ingredients in liquid makeup that cause adverse reactions.

I believe this extra step worked, because I've been using Studio Sculpt for two straight days now, and I have yet to see one small zit (remember my skin reacts to liquid foundations in as fast as three hours). I am amazed! If only for the fact that it doesn't break me out, Studio Sculpt foundation should earn two thumbs up!

Now to the nitty gritty. I have tried other liquid foundations in the past, and unlike Studio Fix Fluid or Hyperreal or even the Makeup Forever High Definition Foundation, the Studio Sculpt comes in gel form. It is not the gel that we actually visualize in our heads when we read that word, but it is gel in the sense that it has a thicker, creamier consistency. I am an NC30 in MAC, but this time I used NC25 because NC30 looked too dark on my skin. I also read that the shades of Studio Sculpt run dark. I applied it on my skin using the MAC 109 brush in fast buffing strokes because this formula dries up real fast. I set it using the Cargo Blu-Ray High Definition pressed powder.



The verdict?

UPSIDE: I love the finish. It is very creamy, and flawless, flawless, flawless. It makes my pores look smaller, and just gives an overall creamy look. It is not too matte, but not shiny either. The gel formula makes it easy to conceal dark spots and prevents it from being streaky. Wow, I can't believe I would be able to say that about a liquid foundation! I like the light feeling, or at least the feeling that I am not wearing liquid makeup at all. Usually when I wear liquid foundation, I really feel the weight on my skin, and it would most often itch. The Studio Sculpt doesn't do that. I have MakeUp Forever's HD foundation and I prefer Studio Sculpt over the MUFE - the finish just looks better on me. BEST of all, the Studio Sculpt didn't break me out!

DOWNSIDE: It is still not mineral makeup, so this is not something I would wear everyday. This would be great though for nights out, for special occasions, or on those days when I just want to wear it.

Studio Sculpt Concealer:

The concealer comes in paint pot pots and, like the foundations, the shades run darker than the usual concealers. That said, I used NC20 in Studio Sculpt.

UPSIDE: Can you say holy grail concealer? Oh my, I thought nothing could rival my Urban Decay 24/7 pencil concealer in creaminess, ease in application and concealing power, but it just got toppled from the top spot by the Studio Sculpt concealer. This baby si SO creamy, so easy to blend, but very opaque and would really hide stubborn dark undereye circles! It doesn't settle into fine lines because I blend the product well with my finger. I can't believe how it can effectively conceal and yet still look natural on the skin. I also apply mineral concealer on top of it and it wouldn't cake at all. Miracle product! MAC's Studio Finish concealer doesn't even come close to how creamy and easily blendable Studio Sculpt is. Studio Finish is thick but is quite hard to blend, especially on the undereye area. I totally would recommend Studio Sculpt over Studio Finish.

DOWNSIDE: None that I can think of, at least for now.

Overall, I was really very surprised with these two products. They are really of top notch quality. I have combination skin with a very oily t-zone, and yet it tolerated and even liked Studio Sculpt foundation. The concealer is one of the best I've tried. If you need to get just one product, I highly recommend the concealer. It works great on the undereye area and covers imperfections really well.

Finally, here's a look using the Studio Sculpt duo, the Hello Kitty Lucky Tom palette, Hello Kitty Fun & Games beauty powder blush, and other MAC products.















(All products MAC unless otherwise noted)

Eyes:
Beige-ing shadestick all over lid, brows and to line lower lashline
Perky paint pot on lid
Paradisco eyeshadow packed on lid using the 252 brush, to line inner lower lashline using Sonia Kashuk mini contour brush
Firespot eyeshadow on the crease using the 217 brush
Mulch eyeshadow on outer V using the 217 brush
Lucky Tom eyeshadow to contour crease using Sonia Kashuk blender brush, to line outer lower lashline using Sonia Kashuk mini contour brush
Creme Royal to highlight browbone using the 227 brush, on tearducts using Sonia Kashuk mini contour brush
Coastal Scents gel liner in Truffle
Victoria's Secret kohl pencil liner in Black Velvet to tightline and on waterline

Face:
Monistat gel as primer
LaurEss mineral foundation in Pure Yellow (very light layer)
Studio Sculpt foundation in NC25
Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
CARGO Blu-Ray high definition powder
Fun and Games Beauty Powder blush using the 136 brush
Refined Golden bronzer to contour using the 138 brush

Lips:
Creamola cremestick liner
Ravishing cremesheen lipstick
Live & Dye lipglass