Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Holiday Dinner Party Purse Essentials

Happy New Year Y'all! What are you doing on New Year's Eve? Staying up late watching reality tv? I hope not! You should all be having the social kind of fun, not socializing with tv screens, but with actual people! What are your plans?

So as for me, we're going to a fancy dinner party, and of course, there are some necessities that I cannot imagine going to the event without. So let's get started.
First of all, you know you're not supposed to carry a giant suitcase right? A cute clutch or a small crossbody purse should do! But you're not going to get arrested if you opt for that ginormous suitcase anyway!

So, me essentials, right! 

If you're like me, and New Year's Eve and the time of the month decided to come hand in hand, and I know I'm not the only one out these, carrying some tampons or some pads are a must have. Need I say any more?

Next, I know I'm going to be eating at the party, and I know you probably are. So, you don't want to be the one with food stuck between your teeth, right? Therefore, you and I both need floss.

Next, not everything is about being hygienic, we're going to have fun, and we want to cherish those joyful memories! Therefore, carry a small digital camera, just in case your phone battery dies or something, or if you're like me, and you just prefer camera anyway.

Next, did you forget to leave your phone alone at home? I hope not! Carry your cellphones, peeps!

Next, some cash never hurts, I'm not saying to carry your whole entire wallet, just some cash to make sure that if something did happen, you have some money on you.

Next, you're looking pretty, and you want to keep your beauty on. Therefore, carry some touch up powder with you, not the giant loose powder tub, just a small pressed powder compact, and use the applicator that comes with it, its OK!

Next, I know that I'm not the only person who hates those super drying 24 hours lipsticks, and I know I'm not the only one whose lipstick is going to fade! Therefore, carry your lipstick for touch-ups.

Now, if your wallet still has some room, here are some optional things that you could carry:
    1. You might feel like touching up your blush
    2. If you're not wearing the longest lasting nail polish, just remember that chipped nails are ugly, and you could carry your nail polish just in case.
    3. Everyone will thank you for this, HANDCREAM!
    4. Some minty gum or candy to freshen up.
    5. Perfume Sample, which is very tiny and discreet.


And that's it. It may look like a lot, but its actually not, it depends on the handbag. I actually filled my own purse with my own essentials and here's what it looks like: (I did not show you my feminine bits because I assume you all know what they look like, and they're not exactly pretty)




Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Best of 2013: All Things Makeup

Complexion:


     1. Primer: Estee Lauder  Perfecting Illuminating Primer


     2. Foundation: Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Invisible Skin-Fusion Foundation


     3. Concealer: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Flawless Wear Concealer


     4. Powder: Guerlain Meteorites Perles D'azur



Cheeks:


     1. Bronzer: Guerlain Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in 03 Brunettes


     2. Blush: Tom Ford Cheek Color in 06 Wicked
        -Honorable Mention: Dior Vibrant Color Powder Blush in Brown Milly



     3. Highlighter: Lancome Blush Highlighter (Limited Edition)



Eyes:


     1. Eyeshadow Base: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze


     2. Eyeshadows: a. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 04 Les Bois De Rose
                              b. Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in 454 Royal Kaki



     3. Eyeliner: Lancome Le Crayon Khol Waterproof in 01 Raisin Noir


     4. Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Mascara



Lips:


     1. Lipstick: Guerlain Shine Automatique in 265 Pao Rosa (I did a post on the best lipsticks of 2013, you can check it out if you want tp)


     2. Lip Gloss: Dior Addict Gloss in 684 Merveille



Monday, December 23, 2013

Best of 2013: Lipsticks

L-R: YSL Glossy Stain, Dior Addict Extreme, Lancome Rouge in Love, Guerlain Roge Automatique, Guerlain Shine Automatique

1. Guerlain Shine Automatique in 265 Pao Rosa


2. Guerlain Rouge Automatique in 141 Quand Vient L'ete


3. Lancome Rouge in Love in 322M Corail in Love


4. Dior Addict Extreme in 986 Bonne Aventure (Limited Edition)


5. YSL Glossy Stain in 09 Rouge Laque




My 2013 Lipstick Picks' Video:



Best of 2013: Nail Polishes

Spring/Summer:
     1. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 392 Blue Wish


     2. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 439 Mint Green


     3. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 377 Melrose


     4. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 418 Lavender Mist



Autumn/Winter
     1. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 807 Black Ruby


     2. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 808 Hypnotic Red


     3. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 815 Tangerine Garnet


     4. Ga-de Crystal Glow Nail Enamel in 802 Military Style


     5. Ga-de Crystallic Matte Nail Color in 55 Blue Sugar


     6. Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Viper


My 2013 Nail Polishes Video:

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Top 5 from Guerlain

1. Without a doubt, the one and only foundation I purchased and repurchased, Lingerie De Peau (I'm in the shade 02 Beige Claire)


2. The best complexion enhancer out there with the perfect bronzy glow, Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in 03 Brunettes


3. For a day to day eye that is more interesting than conventional browny nudes, here comes my beloved Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 04 Les Bois De Rose.


4. For the most interesting nighttime smoky eye, I adore and highly recommend the Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 05 Les Gris


5. Don't you all know the answer by now? It just has to be it, my favorite lipstick ever, the Shine Automatique in 265 Pao Rosa


Overall, I couldn't recommend any other brand as strongly as Guerlain, I just adore this brand, and I have adore their products, very high quality as they perform in such a superb impeccable way. I am very curious to know what your Guerlain favorites are, so make sure to list them down below in order for me to see and try if I haven't yet tried it, as well as for others. I don't feel like Guerlain gets enough love for how amazing it is, so I have kind of taken it upon myself to spread Guerlain's love, so lets all take part in this and share what we think Guerlain makes like no other!

Monday, December 16, 2013

High End Makeup Starter Kit: Shades

I have promised to post a blog about my favorite shades to start a kit with. And I don't want to be doing a long introduction, so I'll just get started:

Eyeshadows: I have categorized the suggestions according to colors preferences, but for beginners, I think brown neutrals work best.
                     Everyone needs some neutral browns in their lives. I do recommend three browns quads:
                              1. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in number 07 Les Cuirs
                              2. Tom Ford quad in 02 Cognac Sable
                              3. Tom Ford quad in 03 Golden Mink
                    If you like girly pinks, I'd suggest going for plummy neutrals, and for that, I recommend a quad and two quints:
                              1. Guerlain Ecrin Couleurs in 04 Les Bois De Rose
                              2. Dior eyeshadows quints in 970 Stylish Move
                              3. Estee Lauder quints in Enchanted Berries
                    If you like more purple than berries or plums, I think you'll love these quads:
                              1. YSL Pure Chromatics in number 13
                              2. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in number 08 Les Perles
                              3. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in number 01 Les Violets
                   If You are like me, and you love a khaki eye, then here you go:
                              1. Dior eyeshadow quints in 454 Royal Kaki
                              2. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 03 Les Verts
                              3. YSL Pure Chromatics in 10
                  If you're looking for some nice blue eyeshadows, then I recommend the following:
                              1. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 02 Les Bleus
                              2.Dior quint in Bleu De Paris
                 Everyone needs a good smokey pallet, and here's what I would suggest for traditional and unique smokey eyes:
                              1. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs 05 Les Gris
                              2. Tom Ford quad in 10 titanium Smoke
                              3. Dior quints in 034 Gris Gris


Blushes: Blushes are trickier than Eyeshadows, but it only makes it easier for me to pinpoint one must have blush from each category:
                    Pinks: Tom Ford blush in 06 Wicked
                    Corals: Guerlain Rose aux Joues Blush Duo in 01 Peach Boy
                    Mauve/Purple: Dior Vibrant
                   
Bronzers: I cannot recommend a specific bronzer shade, because your skin tones determines which shade of bronzers you'll need, but I can recommend specific bronzers:
                              1. Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons (Matte and Contouring-Friendly)
                              2. Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder (Has a little bit of shimmer, perfect for an all over the face glow)

Lipsticks: I'll recommend one specific shade for each category:
                      Nude: Guerlain Rouge G in 60 Gabrielle
                      Red: YSL Glossy Stain in 09 Rouge Laque
                      Pink: Guerlain Rouge Automatique in 166 Shalimar
                      Coral: Lancome Rouge in Love in 322M Corail in Love
                      Orange: Guerlain Rouge Automatique in 141 Quand Vient L'Ete
                      Plummy/Berry: Guerlain Shine Automatique in 265 Pao Rosa
                      Purple: Tom Ford Lip Color In Violet Fatale
                      Burgundy: Dior Addict Extreme in 986 Bonne Aventure (probably limited edition)

Lip Gloss: I'd go for a neutral one just to try and understand what a lip gloss is, because many people, including myself, find lip glosses very troublesome. Therefore, I'll suggest the line that I've tried and trust.
                                 1. Dior Addict Glosses in general are pretty pleasant, I'd still wear a sheer lipstick over a gloss any day of the year, but if you want a good gloss, this one is pretty good.

If you havent read the previous blog post about the starter kit in general, where I discuss non-color products as well as color ones, you can check it out here. Enjoy

http://carolcosmos.blogspot.com/2013/12/high-end-makeup-starter-kit.html

Cleaning Brushes: How? How Often?

Hello there makeup lovers, today I decided to give out some of my very common tips for cleaning brushes. Before I proceed, I just want to say that I do believe I clean my brushes a little too often for what is recommended, but I just have dirty brushes phobia, its a problem, but I don't mind it.

To start off, I usually have two different methods of cleaning my brushes. The brushes I use with liquid or gel products are the ones I clean on daily basis, and I have a different way of cleaning those. So, I guess I'll start by talking you through my cleaning routine. As mentioned, I deep clean these brushes after every single use, I cannot tolerate the idea of me using a dirty foundation brush all over my face, it grosses me out a little bit, even though I only use it on myself. I don't use gel liner at all, I used to have one, and I used to clean the brush after every use as well, especially because gel liners would make the brush feel so hard and stiff, very scratchy and uncomfortable. I would advise everyone to not use a dirty foundation brush, but I don't think it's as problematic as I imagine it to be if it is used for 3 or four times without being cleaned. Anyway, here is how I clean my foundation/gel products brushes:

Gel products are harder to clean with regular shampoo or baby shampoo or any other kind of shampoo. So, what I use to break down the liquid is olive oil. I coat the bristles in a little bit of olive oil and run them on the palm of my hand for a short while, then I start adding some water to help get rid of the product, I give the brush a couple good squeezed just to get rid of the oil and the foundation, and then I either use dish soap, or a regular shampoo. I let the shampoo to really soak into the bristles and clean them thoroughly for a minute and two, and then I rinse the brush out and keep on squeezing the bristles until I see that the water is clear and no soap is coming out of the bristle.

Now for brushes I use with powder products such as eyeshadows, blushes, and the like, I clean them once a week, usually on a Saturday or a Sunday. Eyeshadow brushes are the ones that I spot clean very often because I use different shades every day, in other words, I like to change things up on daily basis. To make a long story short, I just shampoo them and rinse them out till the water is clear and the soap is all out. To spot clean my brushes, I just use my face cleansing water, as long as its alcohol free and not oily. If the brush felt like it was full of shimmer, I will deep clean it, but as long as I don't see a ton of shimmer stuck between the brushes, spot cleaning is fine for the week.


Now to dry them out, I just lay them flat on my vanity, making sure that no water can find its way into the ferrule of my brushes, because this is the part were the glue that hold the bristles is, and you if water gets in the glue, then the bristles will fall out and the blush will become history. So always make sure not to get water in your brush ferrules, because you want to keep your brushes in as good of a condition as can be, and for as long as they can potentially last.
To keep them in shape, I use brush guards, and if the brush doesn't come with one, I'll try to make my own. If you'd like to see a video on how I make my brush guards, let me know.

So, that concludes my brush care regimen. Hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful!

Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Video to Watch: Rimmel Apocalips VS YSL Glossy Stains

Interested to see how some lip lacquers perform one against the other? In this video, I will be comparing the Rimmel Apocalips and the YSL Glossy Stain. Hope it will be helpful and pleasant too! Don't forget to subscribe, comment, and rate!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzKTrK-kSlc

Friday, December 6, 2013

New Discovery: Bye Bye, Old Signature Scent

Can I start by saying this: OH MY GOD!
This is going to be a very impulsive post by the way. You have been warned!

Oh my god, I cannot contain my enchantment, I have been transformed. I shall not be the same after this scent. And I thought I was the one perfume kinda girl. Who was I kidding?

The cause of this state of bewilderment is my future husband (YEAH RIGHT), Mr. Tom Ford. Dear Mr. Ford, you have done it again, you have swept me off my feet, and I am forever in  love.

Today I smelled the perfume of my whole entire life, the one I wasn't looking for, but have found, and cant seem to stop thinking about! And it goes by the name of Violet Blonde, but henceforth it shall be Violet Carol.

I have to be honest with you all, I  never thought I'd like it so much, as I never thought anything can break the habit of me being so impossibly hard to please in terms of scents, but I have just fell in love, deeply, madly, and uncontrollably. It definitely is a more mature scent for me, especially since my signature scent is (just until Christmas) Lola by Marc Jacobs, which I think is super young and playful, don't get me wrong, I still really adore it, but its not a sophisticated scent, its immature in a good way. Well, Violet Blonde is the opposite of Lola, its much much warmer and more kinda grandma-like and powdery, but oh so delicious. I don't know, I love it. This is what I want for Christmas, along with Tom Ford himself. I am 23 years old (just turned 23 on December the 3rd, yay!), but I want to smell like Violet Blonde soooo badly. I have added it to the very top of my Christmas wishlist, and I hope I will get it, its a keeper.

Now just to be a little helpful and not so rambly, here are the notes of this faaaabulous fragrance copied from a website called www.fragrantica.com:
Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf
Middle Notes: Iris, Jasmine, Orris Root
Base Notes: Vetiver, Musk, Virginia Cedar, Benzoin, Suede

Now just to show how different this is from my still beloved Lola, here are Lola's notes:
Top Notes: Pink Pepper, Pear,Grapefruit
Middle Notes: Peony, Geranium, Rose
Base Notes: Vanilla, Musk, Tonka Bean

See, people like me, who are highly paradoxical, can love two perfumes that almost have nothing in common.

And by the way, the bottle looks soooo sophisticated, really,  the exact opposite of Lola, that looks so extravagantly young and colorful and almost like a teenager who has just discovered colorful makeup! But I still love them both oh so much, and I want them both.

Monday, December 2, 2013

High End Makeup Starter Kit

Are you new to makeup, and interested in the bigger price tagI? Are you experienced in makeup, but not in luxury makeup, and want to incorporate some luxurious items into your collection, and hopefully your everyday makeup routine? Then this post is for you, yes you!

I started using high end makeup right from the start, I never tried many drug store things, such as foundations, concealers, blushes, or even mascaras! Yeah, shocker. Now since I've been in the position of not knowing what to get, I thought I'd write this post and hope that it'll be helpful.

First, you'll need a foundation. I started with trying a bunch of foundation samples from different high end brand and coverage levels. Foundation in particular is one thing that must be tried before making a dent in your wallets. Why? because you may not like the finish, the coverage, you may be allergic to an ingredient or two, and end up breaking out badly. Now what I use religiously now is the Guerlain Lingerie De Peau. I am not telling you to run straight to your Guerlain counter and try it, but I will tell you why I like it, and if you think you like foundations with such qualities, you might enjoy this, as long as it wont break you out of course. Lingerie De Peau is a very light feeling liquid foundation with a sheer-medium build-able coverage, it has a slightly dewy, more satiny finish, looks very natural, as if its your own skin, only better. It is not the most long lasting foundation, especially if your skin is on the oily side of the spectrum, but it does fine on my normal-dry skin. I find it very similar to Dior's Diorskin Nude liquid foundation in the fact that it's light and comfortable, and it is also very similar to Chanel's Vitaverlumiere Aqua liquid foundation in terms of coverage, and also YSL's Touche Eclat liquid foundation too, but I much prefer the effect of Lingerie De Peau over any of the foundations mentioned above. Now if you like more coverage, I did try the infamous Estee Lauder Double Wear, which gives an extremely full coverage effect, and in my opinion, it does feel like a full coverage foundation too. I also tries Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra foundation, and this one has quite a full coverage too, and it feels more comfortable than the Estee Lauder one, but not as comfortable as my foundation of choice, Guerlain's Lingerie De Peau. (Tip: to make your foundation last longer, use a primer.)

Now that you got a foundation, and especially if its a lighter coverage one, you'll need two concealers, one for color correcting, such as redness around the nose and darkness under the eyes, and one for blemishes and other more serious imperfections. Now to tell you the truth, even if you have a problematic skin type and you're dealing with acne and what not, just cover it with concealers rather than applying a full coverage foundation. Your face isnt entirely problematic, you just have problematic areas, and that's as bad as it can get. Now to color correct, you'll need an illuminating concealer, and my favorite one is also by Guerlain, its the Guerlain Precious Light Rejuvenating Illuminator. Apply this under your eyes, around your nose, and you can also apply it on your cupid bow and chin for illumination, and blend it either with fingers or with a brush. For the other concealer for more troublesome issues, use one with high coverage. Ironically, I really like the Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer, but I recently got a couple samples of one that I like better. My concealer of choice is the Diorskin Nude Concealer, obviously by Dior. The secret to really covering your troublesome areas is to use small quantities. Dont think that if you apply more concealer, you'll get a better coverage, because it'll look awful and bring more attention to the spot than cover it.

Some people like to set their face with powder. However, I would not recommend that to people with drier skin types. If you have oilier skin type, you may want a mattifying powder, or one that is not too dewy looking. I have never tried a mattifying powder because I have normal to dry skin type, which is why I am curious to know what YOU would recommend, or what others have recommended for you. I like illuminating powders, on that have a tiny bit of extremely fine and undetectable shimmer, or that give brightness to the face without having it look like a disco ball. The "powder" I recommend is Guerlain's meteorites. I use a limited edition one, but honestly, they're all almost identical. I've heard many great things about Hourglass's Ambient Lights, which are, I guess, similar to the meteorites, but since not all countries carry Hourglass, or at least, not mine, I figured countries are more likely to have Guerlain.

Now for the rest of the items, I wont be going into too much details. I think that if you get your base products right, the rest of the makeup will kinda fall into place. Don't you agree?

For eyes, you mainly need 3 items: Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Mascara.

My Favorite Eyeshaows are probably Guerlain Quads, as well as Dior Quints. I would stay miles and miles away from Chanel, to be honest, I think their powder eyeshadows are horrific. The one I like have awesome pigmentation, they're buttery, smooth, easy to blend, long lasting, and most of the color coordination of the quads and quints are successful and versatile, as in they'll work for daytime looks and nighttime looks as well.

For eyeliners, since I dont wear cateyes never, I am happy with my pencil liners. I love Estee Lauder's Double Wear pencil liners as well as Lancome's Le Crayon Khol Waterproof ones. If you like wings and drama going on your lids, you might want to look into either gel liners or liquid ones. But unfortunately, I don't know which ones are good because I never tried any. Generally speaking, I suggest looking for the word WATERPROOF, and if its a liquid liner, I think felt tips are easier than brushes, and the finer the tip, the more elegant the line.

Mascaras is a difficult one for me, because I dont find a whole lot of a difference among mascaras I tried. The ones I like are Dior's Iconic OverCurl, Dior Extase, and Guerlain's G Noir or Noir G, the one with fancy packaging! If your lashes are stubborn and straight, you may want to buy waterproof mascaras, because they tend to hold a curl better than non-waterproof ones do.

For cheeks, you need a bronzer, blush, and a highlighter.

For bronzers, I think Guerlain makes the absolute best bronzers ever. They have a wide array of options, and they have many matte ones too, which are awesome for contouring. I personally never contour, I am not skillful enough for that yet. So, my favorite bronzer is the Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder, the one that looks like a mosaique of colors. It has some fine undetectable shimmers, which is why its not so good for contouring, but it warms up the face just enough, and it gives it this bright healthy look. For more contouring professional purposes, check the Four Seasons bronzer, the one that has 4 quarter of different shades.

For Blush, the one that stole my heart completely is Tom Ford's blush. It is one heck of an expensive one, the most expensive blush I own, but it is so worth the money. It also comes with 8 grams of product, which is more than any other brand I've seen, yet. This blush has crazy pigmentation, it feels like butter, it blends like a dream, and it will make you dream about getting more and more of these. My personal favorite has got to be the shade number 6, Wicked.

For highlighters, you can use the Guerlain meteorites heavily, or you can buy a highlighter. Now for highlighters, I like to wait and see what companies have during limited edition collections. I use a limited edition blush one from Lancome, I think it came out either last fall or last Christmas, but in general, limited edition highlighters are more fun to get than normal ones.

Now for lips, you need a lipstick, a lip gloss if you like glosses, and you can get lip liners if you think you'll use them.

I cannot choose just one lipstick formula for you, so I'm going to give you some formulas I like. Honestly, I think Dior, Guerlain, and Lancome make great lipsticks, and any lipstick from them will be delightful. My favorites from these brands are Guerlain's Rouge G's, Rouge Automatiques, and Shine Automatiques, Then from Dior we have the Addict Extremes and the Rouge Dior's, and from Lancome we have the Rouge in loves. Now lips sit right under your nose, and I would suggest giving them a quick sniff before purchasing them. I also absolutely adore the YSL Glossy Stains, I  think they are FANTASTIC, aside from the sickly smell. The lipsticks I mentioned are all relatively long lasting, and they're all comfortable to wear.

For glosses, I haven't tried many, and I own only one. It is a limited edition Dior Addict Gloss, and its really nice, and I totally recommend you give it a try. Now I'll tell you about the ones I find intriguing, I am dying to try Guerlain's maxi shine glosses and the Lancome Gloss in Love ones too. Now I am not saying I'd buy a gloss over a lipstick, I'd choose lipsticks over glosses practically any day of the week. 

Lip Liners is like liquid/gel liners, never tried, never will. Plus, I really don't see a point behind it, I'd rather reapply my lipstick than apply a liner underneath.

Now this is what my starter makeup kit would look like ;) 








P.S. The under eye concealer died on me a couple days ago, so I need a new one, which is why its not here in this picture. And I haven't purchased the full size Dior concealer because I am using up my Estee Lauder one. And finally, I only showed you guys the Rouge G lipstick because I think it has the most impressive packaging of all.

Now if you want to read about the makeup starter makeup kit shades, I will be posting that next Sunday, so stay tuned ;)

And one thing before you go, I want some recommendations for you lovely people of products that you would have started a kit with, I am in the buying makeup mood, and I love recommendations, especially those that come from my lovely readers! 
AAAND happy holiday season for all of us! XO