Looks I CAN pull off… soft smokey eyes for fall!

I did this look for the Vancouver Beauty & Lifestyle Bloggers event two Saturdays ago. At first I wanted to use shimmery green eyeshadow but then I realized summer has been over for a while now (the gloomy weather outside didn’t help either). Thus I pulled out one of my favourite fall palettes – Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Misty Mauve – and did a quick smokey eye.

I used the matte purple grey (top right corner) as my base colour (on top of UDPP). I accented the 5mm area above my upper lash line with the shimmer light mauve (bottom right). I used the shimmery dark purple mauve (centre) to contour my eye sockets, as well as to line the lower lash line. I highlighted my inner V area as well as my brow bone with the shimmery white on the bottom left.

My blush of choice was R&R Contrived Pressed Blush in Lust, which is a rusty deep rose gold. On my lips I used Guerlain Rouge G le Brillant in B62 Betsy, which is a sheer, glossy dark rose shade. My base makeup for the day was Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Makeup in Light Medium.

FOTD: L’Oreal Color Infallible colourful eyes!

Another face for you today! I’m on a roll =D

I used all L’Oreal Color Infallible eyeshadows on my eyes today. I used UDPP as a base, although you could totally get away with not using one at all. I applied everything with my fingers, except where noted. I used:

• 002 Hourglass Beige on the inner half of my upper lid
• 009 Permanent Khaki on the outer half of my upper lid
• 001 Time Resist White on my inner corners, to line the inner half of my lower lash line (with a pencil brush) and to highlight my brown bone
• 006 All Night Blue to line the outer half of my lower lash line and to line the entire upper lash line with a pencil brush
• 004 Forever Pink just patted onto the centre of my eyelid for a pop of shine and glow (which worked very well, this colour is just beautiful to add a bit of glow!)

I lined my upper lash line with Dollywink Liquid Liner, used my Majolica Majorca mascara base and darkened my lashes with two coats of Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara. I used Imju Fiberwig Tiny Sniper on my lower lashes to balance out the heavy top lashes.

On my cheeks, I used Rock & Republic Pressed Blush in Call Me. On my lips I used Anna Sui Rouge S in 570 Glamourous Bloom.

My base makeup for the day was Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation with a light dusting of Chanel loose powder on top.

Something else I noticed was that 001 Time Resist White works beautifully as a face highlighter as well, because the shimmers are extremely fine, when applied it does not look unnatural or glittery, rather a nice glow. I use this to highlight my nose bridge as well.

And to end with a silly photo…

Thoughts: Rock & Republic 102 Blush Brush

Sorry it took me so long to get this up, I know I received this in January along with the flat top brush. The the 102 Blush Brush is a flat, natural-hair brush with long bristles and a domed top.

This brush as a lot of bounce, which means the bristles are very flexible and soft, which I really love. It picks up colour VERY well with almost no fall-out, and deposits it where I want it. I use this with my Chanel Joues Constraste blush, which is a baked formula and thus usually has fall-out, and this brush “absorbs” all of loose flyaways from the blush.

Overall I strongly recommend! I bought mine from Hautelook, but they also have sales on Beauty Story. R&R cosmetics are being clearanced out, so if you see this in a sale, I recommend grabbing it immediately!

Thoughts + Photos: Rock & Republic 101 Flat-top Face Brush

I purchased a few Rock & Republic brushes during one of their Hautelook sales. I was able to get the 101 flat-top face brush, the 102 blush brush and the 203 blending brush.

My first impression of these brushes is that they are very soft and well-made. I’ve been playing with them for the past few days and I see very little, almost no shedding of the hairs.

The one I’d like to focus on today is the 101 flat-top face brush.  This design of a face brush is not too common, especially when made of natural hair (I believe Sonia Kashuk, Sigma and Elf all have synthetic hair versions). The only other brand that does a similar brush in natural hair is Dior, so that is what I’m going to compare it with.

This brush is seriously so soft. It picks up powder like a dream and applies it super smoothly and evenly. It is perfect for powder foundation because of its dense but flat top, so you can just lightly press and swirl instead of buffing it on like a kabuki or sponge. Compared to Dior’s flat-top brush, it is much softer and the hairs are finer. I don’t have Dior’s to show you in photos, but I have used it before and I have to say that the hairs can be a little scratchy and rough at times.

As you can see from the photo below, the brush tip is circular so you can easily get an even coverage of your powder or liquid foundation. I wouldn’t recommend using this to set foundation because the brushes are dense and will probably move the foundation around on your face, ruining that flawless coverage you’ve created.

I would recommend picking this up if you see it on sale again. I bought this for $26, which is a bargain considering the next closest thing (natural hair, made by Dior) is around $50. I’ve seen Rock & Republic cosmetics sales on Hautelook and Beauty Story.

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Swatches: Rock & Republic Pressed Powder in Chiffon, and Pressed Blushes in Lust & X-Rated

I bought some more Rock & Republic stuff during the last Hautelook and Beauty Story sales. From Hautelook I got the pressed powder in Chiffon and the blush in Lust. From Beauty Story I got the blush in X-Rated. I’ve already reviewed the Rock & Republic blush formula here.

The pressed powder in Chiffon is a good match for NC25 skin. It leans slightly yellow, which is good for Asian skintones. Lust is a burnt rose/coral-ish colour? I can’t really describe it, but it has some shimmer. This is extremely similar to Call Me, so if you can’t get your hands on Call Me, Lust is your 2nd best option. X-Rated is a matte fuchsia.

I hope these swatches were useful to you in making your purchasing decisions!

P.S. Rock & Republic beauty will once again be available on Hautelook on Monday, January 24, 2011 at 8:00AM PST. Make sure to check it early in order to get the best deals!