MAC Vegas Volt

I just wanted to share my new lipstick I've been obsessed with. I was quite surprised with how the colour turned out. I was expecting more of a vibrant orangey red, and on me it's more of a soft coral red. It's actually much lower maintenance than a true red lipstick which makes me wear it even more....And it makes me feel like a spicy, sassy señorita! Love it.

<3 Makeup <3

- Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation + Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
- MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus
- NARS Bronzer in Casino
- Illamasqua Bronzing Duo in Glint & Burnish
- NARS Galapagos
- MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
- Anastasia Brow Gel in Espresso
- Prestige My Blackest Lashes + Clinique High Impact Mascara
- Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Powder
- MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick

<3 Outfit <3

T-shirt Dress-  Alexander Wang

Braided rope belt - Banana Republic

Beaded Necklaces - flea market (blue) + diy myself (white)

I'm so proud of myself for making my own necklace, even if I copied the design of this flea market find. It's so satisfying to finish a project and then get to wear it. I hope you like! 

xoxo- Alma

Products All Used Up ... Part II

Ah, yet another triumphant post of products that I have polished off. Not all of these are necessarily holy grail items that I loved to every last little scrap, but I'm never one to waste even a mediocre product. Anyway, if anyone is interested in my mini reviews then read on...

Korres Jasmine Lip Butter : A gorgeous product that is super moisturizing and adds a soft pink shimmer to your lips. I love Korres lip butters, Jasmine is my favourite of all the shades. I will definitely be picking up another one soon but I'm waiting for a value pack or sale at Sephora.

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara: I am very happy to have used this mascara up to move on to the next. The wand was alright, it has a nice slender shape but the bristles are sparse and coarse feeling. It made my lashes look a tad spidery and stiff and dried out after a month.  Overall I wouldn't repurchase since it doesn't really compare to my favourite L'oreal Voluminous. 

MAC Fix + Spray: Everyone seems to love this cult spray but honestly I am not sold on it. The nozzle sucks because it squirts way too densely and the ingredients contain many preservatives and artificial ingredients. On the plus side (no pun intended) it smells nice and it's pretty good value for the dollar. All in all I prefer my Lush Tea Tree Water and even the Body Shop facial sprays to Fix +, but who knows, maybe I will give it another chance. 

Lush Cosmetic Warrior / Sukin Purifying Facial Mask: First off, if you follow my blog you know I love love my masks, especially clay masks. Cosmetic Warrior contains garlic and tea tree oil to fight active breakouts. However I did find the scent to be quite strong. It also left my skin a bit dry rather than it feeling refreshed. It isn't my favourite Lush mask, but I might repurchase if my skin was super oily. On the other hand the Sukin Purifying Facial Mask is definitely more suited to my skin type which is dry/combination and sensitive. I picked it up at whole foods and I'm definitely going to get another. It might be the best mask I have ever tried in terms of clarifying and refreshing. 

So I hope that was helpful to someone. Tomorrow I am going to be a model for body painting. Not sure why I signed up for it, but I guess I'm helping my girlfriend out. Oy. wish me luck and I'll be sure to post some pictures if it turns out! 

xoxo- Alma

Makeup Hauling Continued...

As promised, here's a more thorough post on what I hauled from the city that never sleeps. These are mostly items that I have been internet-drooling over for months... plus a couple random drugstore buys. I'll preface by saying this post will be quite long, so if you're still interested read on!

First up, eyeshadows. The left is MAC's Patina, which is a really pretty dusty taupe colour with golden sheen to it, I am sure everyone has seen that. In the middle is Wet n Wild's nutty. This is actually quite similar to Patina at the fraction of the price but it is more shimmery and deeper in colour. It's like Patina meets Satin Taupe from MAC. I haven't worn it yet but I'm excited to. Lastly I finally popped my NARS eyeshadow cherry with Galapagos. I have swatched it many times in Sephora and was never interested in the large golden flecks on a matte chocolate brown base. But the glitter doesn't really transfer, resulting in perfect easy brown smokey eye. It is absolutely gorgeous in texture and blends like a dream. I definitely will be lusting for more NARS eyeshadows now.

Left : MAC Patina   Middle : WnW Nutty   Right : NARS Galapagos 

Next I got a couple blushes, Tarte Tipsy and NARS Liberte. Tipsy is a beautiful bright shimmery coral colour. I'd say its the perfect coral, it's absolutely gorgeous on olive skin. I feel like I'm glowing with this blush. Love it. And the other blush is Liberte from the NARS Summer collection. It's a dusty red terracotta colour. Like many NARS blushes, it's so pigmented that you barely need any product. I got it because I think it is a unique blush, but it is also one that you have to think about pairing with eyeshadows and lip colours. For instance, I wore Patina the other day with this blush and it totally clashed. I'll have to experiment more with it, but wearing it barefaced looks really pretty and natural. 

Left : Tarte Tipsy   Right : NARS Liberte 

My most indulgent luxurious purchase hands down was a Tom Ford Lipstick in the shade Spanish Pink. On me it is like a nudey-pink that is perfect for every day use... however, I'll definitely try to savour this for as long as I can. The other lipstick I purchased was Vegas Volt from MAC, which is a coral-orange-pink colour depending on the lighting or what outfit you're wearing. It is a great colour for summer if you aren't afraid to wear bright lipsticks.

Left : Tom Ford Spanish Pink   Right : MAC Vegas Volt

Now this lipgloss I sort of bought on a whim, and honestly I kind of regret it. I know Revlon lip products are cult items and this lipgloss does have great texture, but the colour is just way too shimmery. It looks better if I don't use too much product, but um, not really a fan.

Above : Revlon Pink Whisper

Lastly, I always wanted to try the eos lip balms even though I heard many times that the actual product isn't that great. Well I'd have to agree that it is a bit waxy, but the packaging is so cute! And mine smells like melons :) 

So that's all for my haul! Now that I've rambled on for hours about lipstick and blush I think I'll have a glass of wine to end my night. 

Hope everyone's enjoying the beautiful summer days. 

xoxo - Alma

A little NYC Shopping Preview

Hey everyone,

So I just got back from my vacay to the Big Apple, and I have to say it was the most amazing trip ever. Somewhere between soaking in all the architecture, extravagant museums, delicious food, extensive cocktail lists and wandering the various neighbourhoods I managed to do a fair bit of shopping. I'll hopefully get some more detailed photographs of my makeup purchases, but for now here's a little instagram preview.

A little NARS, Tom Ford, and MAC.

Chained rings from Top Shop. 

...One of my favourite little splurges was this cute Bendel's shoulder clutch. 

I <3 NYC 2012

xox- Alma

NARS Taj Mahal Blush

I just wanted to share with the world this fabulous blush, NARS Taj Mahal. If you haven't seen it already it is the most unique, gorgeous, shimmery, burnt golden orange blush I have ever seen. If you are medium skinned or darker or planning on getting a tan this summer then read on.

 As you can see the powder is so finely milled and pigmented that even if you only lightly touch it you will get tons of product. I've been using this blush steadily for over a year and I have barely dented it. It blends out onto your skin so gorgeously but you have to be careful that you don't use too much.

I use a dual fibered brush which barely picks up product, tap the brush on my hand to remove even more pigment before I apply it on my cheeks. I like to apply this blush as I would a bronzer, so all over my cheeks onto my cheekbones and temples. Then I'll use what's left on my brush to sweep my forehead and eyelids to make my skin look more cohesive. It's kind of awkward to have just orange cheeks. The result is gorgeous sun kissed golden skin. Like you've been basking in the Mediterranean sun.

I absolutely adore this blush for Summer. You don't even need much else for makeup.

Has anyone else tried NARS Taj Mahal blush? What do you think of it?



xox- Alma