Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Chanel Christmas Tutorial ft. Harmonie du Soir & Le Volume de Chanel

MyGlam/IPSY December 2012 AMAZING!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Jungle Greens - A Very *BASIC* Eye Tutorial

I have been getting MANY requests for a very SIMPLE && BASIC eye tutorial for the lids. This is extremely basic and has very very very little blending on the eye. It can be done with any color of your choice and will look fabulous for day or night!



Saturday, May 5, 2012

Say Yes To Tomatoes Acne Spot Stick Review (Its AMAZING!)

One of the BEST OTC Acne Treatments I have EVER tried! And for roughly $10 - its a sweet, sweet deal!


Friday, May 4, 2012

Welcome Home My Marine - Party Makeup - Bold Eyes (Requested!)

Requested by Becky Pollak Mendoza _ this is the 1st in a series I will be doing for her as we approach July 4th - the date that her brave Marine husband Joe comes home! (Disclaimer: this will also be the most vibrant to pair with a fun tropical dress or with bursts of color through accessories!)

Dupe of the Day - Lorac Blush in "Crimson" & ELF Studio Blush in "Blushing Rose"

It has been months since I have found any dupe products that pass my test; I judge ANY supposed dupe on a number of things, not just in how close the color comes to the original. I do understand that there are many people who really only care about color duping, but that there are also just as many who want the dupe product to not only match in color but to also match in terms of longevity of wear, evenness of application, texture, etc.
When I found the ELF (Eyes Lips Face) Studio Blush in "Blushing Rose" I was pretty excited due to its beautiful color, but when I realized how much it looked and felt like my Lorac "Crimson" blush, I HAD to share it!

Price
Lorac: $20.00
ELF: $3.00

Quantity
Lorac: 3.7 grams
ELF: 4.75 grams

Shade
- Lorac's "Crimson" is a true crimson color more on the punish side. It has tiny round speckles of golden sparkle to it,which can be buffed away if one wants a matte finish.

- ELF's (Eyes Lips Face) blush in "Blushing Rose" is a true crimson as well with the same golden sparkle to it, only its a bit less visible upon application therefore can be buffed out quickly to give a matte finish.

Texture
POWDER. Both blushers have a velvety texture however Lorac is a bit more solid in form while ELF's "Blushing Rose" tends to have some fall out upon swatching & application.

Finish
Lorac gives a pearlescent finish naturally while ELF tends to be a bit more matte with the same pearlescence in the light.

Wear Time
Both wore very nicely with rich color pay-off; they wore evenly throughout the day and stayed put for upwards to 7-8 hours.

Final Thoughts
I happen to really like ELF Studio blushes because of their nice color pay-off and their wear time, however as a long, long time fan of Lorac I was going to be incredibly critical when it came to testing these two against one another. I was a bit disappointed in the fallout with ELF, but thats probably the only thing that truly bothered me. I actually liked that ELF had less gold sparkle than Lorac because on days I want to shine, Ill wear my Lorac, on days I want to tone to down, Ill wear ELF. The packaging is variably different, Lorac is round with no mirror and a screw top lip which I like, while ELF is a black silicone compact with a cheap mirror in it. Both are great on my sensitive skin, too.

Overall Rating
4.5 out of 5









Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Garden Party Sunday

Garden Party Sunday

Sleeveless tank
$180 - reissonline.com

Current/Elliott summer shorts
$246 - glassworks-studios.com

Platform shoes
€5,95 - tally-weijl.com

Chanel shoulder bag
$4,812 - matchesfashion.com

Prada round frame sunglasses
$287 - forzieri.com

Lancôme shimmer eyeshadow
$43 - lancome-usa.com

Lancôme blush
$30 - lancome-usa.com

Lancôme waterproof mascara
$26 - neimanmarcus.com

Christian Dior sparkly nail
$23 - nordstrom.com

Garden Party Sunday

Garden Party Sunday

Sleeveless tank
$180 - reissonline.com

Current/Elliott summer shorts
$246 - glassworks-studios.com

Platform shoes
€5,95 - tally-weijl.com

Chanel shoulder bag
$4,812 - matchesfashion.com

Prada round frame sunglasses
$287 - forzieri.com

Lancôme shimmer eyeshadow
$43 - lancome-usa.com

Lancôme blush
$30 - lancome-usa.com

Lancôme waterproof mascara
$26 - neimanmarcus.com

Christian Dior sparkly nail
$23 - nordstrom.com

Soft Pink Prom using MAC & Urban Decay - *Requested*

Monday, April 23, 2012

Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss (SWATCHES & REVIEW!) Spring 2012 Collection

This Spring mix it up with pairing the popular pinks with a touch of dazzle!

Milani Cosmetics sent me their entire Spring 2012 collection for trial and review; the last delivery was by far the best box I have gotten yet! Full of this season's hottest corals and soft pinks, cool cremes and cherry red lipsticks; cool nail varnishes in corals and Heather Greys and the softest, most blend able, pigmented eyeshadows that Milani Cosmetics has had.

The Milani Glitzy Glamour Glosses are nothing new to the Milani Cosmetics line, but the two colors that they sent me certainly ARE their newest 2 for Spring 2012. THINK PINK but not just any pink; these two glosses are the perfect addition to anyone's makeup collection in that they go beautifully alone or with bold eyes.

I really enjoy the Milani Glitzy Glamour Glosses in *High Status* and *Showstopper*; overall I found that these glosses wore nicely and weren't too thick yet still had the right amount of viscosity to stay true to color and placement. The packaging is just so pretty, too! That is definitely one of the things I love about Milani Cosmetics - their attention to detail with packaging. It is certainly beautiful and makes ANY girl feel like a million bucks.

THE BEST PARTS ABOUT THESE GLOSSES

- They are a FULL COLOR gloss - think "liquid lipstick"

- Their price: $7.49 for 3.48g -or- .12oz

- With the two newest colors - *Show Stopper* && *High Status*, there are 9 colors in all with a pleasant range for any skin tone.

- They have a yummy scent!

- For Spring 2012, these two are great releases as one is a cream matte (Show Stopper) and one is soft glitter (High Status).

- They do NOT irritate my lips one bit (I am EXTREMELY sensitive to certain cosmetic additives)

- Not tacky or sticky or too thick.

- High Shine as promised.

- Even Wearing.

THE NOT SO BEST PARTS ABOUT THESE GLOSSES

- I found myself reapplying *High Status* more than I would like. While the color is beautiful at first application, it does tend to wear quickly.

- They have a scent - I know I have this as a positive aspect, too, but some people really and truly don't want any scent in their lipgloss.

***You may want to wear a clear lip liner before the gloss application to keep it from feathering, its a good trick for ANY gloss.***

To purchase Glitzy Glamour Glosses or check out other great Milani products, head to www.milanicosmetics.com

Overall Rating 4.5 (Out of 5)






Friday, April 20, 2012

SECRET BLOG GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

As many of you may have heard, Fringe Media has discovered and offered to sponsor my Beauty Blog - which means BIG THINGS ARE COMING! To kick off the awesome pairing between myself (well, my blog) && Fringe Media, they are sponsoring a $20 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY to be used at SkincareRx, Apothica, or SkinBotanica online! Here is a breakdown of each website && what they offer:

Apothica.com My personal favorite, Apothica.com has an incredible multitude of product lines suitable to any taste, style, or need; from makeup to haircare, skincare, fragrance, home & laundry lines, and an entire section for men...and it gets better: the brands carried are some of the most respected on the market. Smashbox, Deborah Lipman, Clinique, Too Faced, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar Blandi, Bumble & Bumble, and so much more.


SkincareRx.com
My personal feelings on skin is that because it's the largest organ that our body has, of course genetics play a role in the long term results; but that doesn't have to be a "death sentence". Taking good care of your skin at the earliest age possible and using good, high quality products coupled with a pristine regiment will yield years of ageless beauty and self confidence. SkincareRx.com has some of the top products and definitely the largest selection that I have seen anywhere on the web - bar none, from cult favorites like Dermalogica to At Home Microdermabraision Kits.
**A huge Dermalogica fan, I own the Microfoliant and use it religiously thrice weekly. It clears up acne and truly deep cleans my pores.

SkinBotanica.com For the Eco Friendly Beauty Lover in us all, SkinBotanica.com offers an eclectic mixture of skincare, fragrance, for the home, bath & body, makeup (think: BECCA), and more. Their lean towards going green can turn even the most unfazed into an eco warrior once they begin reading ingredient lists that are almost good enough to eat!
**My favorite brand that SkinBotanica carries is Pangea Organics - I am an avid lover of their face lotions and face washes - my skin has never looked better after about 5-6 weeks of usage!


HOW TO ENTER
**PLEASE FOLLOW EACH AND EVERY RULE I cannot make any exceptions for ANYONE**

1. MUST be a follower of this blog (I WILL be checking my followers list)

2. MUST be a subscriber to my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/crystalseattletv

3. Leave a comment under this blog telling me your YouTube name (I WILL check that you are a subscriber to me) and tell me what you would buy with the gift card and from which website above :-)

HAVE FUN! Remember, the gift card is redeemable ONLY at the three websites above!!

Contest Ends May 1st 2012

$20 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY + WINNER OF THE MILANI GIVEAWAY!

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!

IF you unsubscribe because you didn't win, I will have to block you. I have 3 really great giveaways coming up and cannot have those who unsubscribe re-enter future giveaways, its just not fair to those of you who actually ARE my faithful subbies. My channel is about beauty - NOT about giveaways. I do host giveaway now & again to show my appreciation to you all. Milani Cosmetics is sending me more items from their Spring 2012 line so I WILL be hosting another Milani Giveaway :-)

I also have a MICHE BAG GIVEAWAY going on for 4 more days where the winner receives a new base bag, AND 2 new shells - its over a $150 value!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPtLOS2lC30


Plus I will be having an awesome URBAN DECAY GIVEAWAY to kick off springtime && prom season



***I went to www.random.org to pick the winner***

AND the winner of the two Milani Shadows is: HUNIIEBEE

I have already contacted her and hopefully she gets back to me soon!


PLEASE GO ENTER THE MICHE BAG GIVEAWAY!!!!! CONGRATS TO HUNIIEBEE!!! AND THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Your support means everything to me...AND because you all tried...here is a SECRET BLOG ONLY GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


As many of you may have heard, Fringe Media has sponsored my Beauty Blog - which means BIG THINGS ARE COMING! To kick off the awesome pairing between myself (well, my blog) && Fringe Media, they are sponsoring a $20 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY to be used at SkincareRx, Apothica, or SkinBotanica online! My personal favorite is Apothica because you can snag some awesome goodies from Too Faced to Stila to YSL, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown & so many other great makeup labels!

That being said, its VERY important that you DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE THIS BLOG OR MY YOUTUBE! The giveaway details will be up by tonight, Friday April 20th 2012. Deal?

As always, hugs && giant makeup filled kisses,
Crystal

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Go Walking

Go Walking

Sweatshirt hoody
thenorthface.com

Victoria s Secret cropped legging
$37 - victoriassecret.com

Nike activewear
$14 - nike.com

Nike athletic shoes
$120 - zappos.com

Jack Wills lip treatment
$7.50 - jackwills.com

Sun care
$13 - swell.com

The Best Spring Lip Colors of 2012 with swatches! (My Favorites!)

Talk about lip service - our lips are one of the firs things people see when they look at us. We can dress them up for an intense and bold statement or we can play them down for a perfected pout that whispers sweet nothings with one simple smile; from lipstick to balms to gloss, these are my Spring 2012 Top Picks that will be sure to make your pout pumped up with excitement!

MAC Reel Sexy Collection $17.50 Nordstrom's MAC Counter
*Reel Sexy* A gorgeous orangey coral that is sure to brighten anyone's day. Its long lasting and wears evenly, stays vibrant for several hours, doesn't feather, and is on the more orange side of coral. This is NOT your typical coral, that's for sure. Its already sold out on www.maccosmetics.com and in many Nordstroms - I myself bought the LAST ONE at my local MAC store in Seattle! If you have the chance to snag it - do so, and fast! This is part of MAC's "Reel Sexy" collection featuring Kristen McMenamy; the lipstick in the collection are beautifully made to give pouts texture, shine, vibrancy, and lustre.


MAC ChenMan Love & Water Special Edition Collection $17.50 Nordstrom's MAC Counter
*Budding Love* A beautiful and ultra feminine pink with a lilac undertone, this lustre lipstick is the perfect pairing for a Spring day. It works very well with Spring 2012's hot pastel trend - it's long wearing and wears evenly without feathering. While it may appear very brilliant in the solid stick form, once applied it softens up a bit. I particularly love this color because you can wear it alone with just a touch of mascara on your eyes, a bit of color on your cheeks, and you have a polished face of the day. This color would be absolutely complimentary on every skin tone!


MAC LipGlass
*Pink Lemonade* $14.50 Nordstrom's MAC Counter
I have been a long-time fan of MAC LipGlasses and am still in shock that I have not once - until this Season - considered this color for myself! It's the absolute perfect peach gloss - wears beautifully, stays on much longer than most glosses and continues to have gorgeous shine. It falls in the pastel category and will definitely take you from Spring all the way through Summer. It's the perfect gloss for anyone who doesn't want to go "full coral" but would rather experiment with peaches and work their way up. I just wish the tube was bigger!! Pink Lemonade also pairs really nicely with my favorite Butter London nail posh of this season, "Trout Pout"!


Tarte LipSurgence $24 Ulta, Sephora, www.tartecosmetics.com
*Amused*
The perfect pink for your pout this season! What I love about pinks is that there are so many shades, so many delicious hues that visually everyone can find a pink that fits them and there will always be a pink for each and every season, occasion, event, etc. The Tarte LipSurgence sticks are all natural tints that are so pleasantly different from other lip stains in that they are HYDRATING - I for one just about lost all hope in lip stains until I began using Tarte's LipSurgence - it doesn't leave my lips dry, there is no need to apply a balm over top - these babies come packed with jojoba oil, peppermint oil, vitamins C & E, are CRUELTY FREE, mineral oil free (which is GOOD) and have so many other great benefits including being paraben free. Amused is a fun, poppy, bright pink that lasts surprisingly long and wears evenly without feathering or sinking into the creases of your lips; it also has a nice sheen to it and the best part is that it twists up to reveal more product without having to depot it!


OCC Lip Tar www.occmakeup.com
*Grandma* $14
The infamous Lip Tars by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics are some of the makeup industry's finest examples of everything a good lip product should be - the best part is that these are TRUE pigments and they give the user ample chance to create unique combinations. GRANMA is the TRUEST CORAL of the group, and its aptly described as "Not your grandmother's coral". Its bright hue and stay power lend credibility to the fact that it's an incredible product. I love this particular color because you can build it - spread it thin for a coy pop of coral or build it up for a vibrant, eye shocking, in your face coral lip statement. It's worth every penny as you need LESS THAN the size of cucumber seed to saturate your entire mouth. A LITTLE GOES A LONG, LONG WAY!!! They go on glossy but dry to a nice matte finish - add some clear loss to bring the lustre back or keep it as is for a nice toned down kisser.


Clinique Lipstick $15 www.clinique.com, Macy's, Nordstroms
*Sugared Grapefruit*
This has to be one of Clinique's prettiest lipsticks for Spring/Summer - its multidimensional color gives lips a different pop of color depending on what light it's seen under. A great lipstick for work, school, church, special occasions, and so much more. Hydrating and long wearing, it wears evenly and doesn't feather. It IS shimmery (which I like) but I realize that many may prefer a matte. **NOTE: Clinique has seemed to have changed their lipsticks and finding a true matte is nearly impossible!**


Revlon Lip Butters $7.99 Walgreens, Bartels, Fred Meyers, Target, www.revlon.com
*Sweet Tart* I have come to absolutely LOVE the Revlon Lip Butters (Im sure some of you recall the video where I quite brazenly stated that I found them to be 'glorified lip balms' - BOY WAS I WRONG!). These little gems are the perfect answer for those of us who love the buttery softness of a lip balm and the fun pop of color from a lipstick. They range in pay off from sheer to opaque which lends for many choices. SWEET TART is a fun, vibrant pink with a little bit of a melon hue to it. It's a nice & sweet way to perfect your pout on the go - it's long wearing and isn't greasy. It does not feather nor does it wear unevenly - and bonus - it's GOOD for your lips!


I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite lip colors for Spring 2012 - check back often as I will be adding some as the season goes on!

Hugs & Perfect Pouts,
Crystal