Foundation Series: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Oil-Free

This is a tinted moisturizer I don't particularly love nor like to be honest. Though it does even out the skin tone and it contains SPF 20, it's too thick for me. I feel like it sits on my skin. Coverage-wise, it's sheer. The finish is slightly dewy. It's not very long-lasting on my skin despite the fact this is an oil-free product. It starts to cake up a bit after four hours. I do have to set it with powder. Watch the video if you wan't to see how this looks on my skin right after applying it. Before and after pictures will be down below. Enjoy and thanks for your time!

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil-Free Review

Hello gorgeous!

If you have combination to oily to very oily skin, you'll love this foundation. Why? Hourglass Immaculate is literally a liquid to powder foundation. If you're interested in it, continue reading!

Face of the Day (03.05.13)

Hola muñecas! (That means "hi dolls" in Spanish).

So my instagram seems to have a bug because whenever I try to upload a picture, it comes out as a gray 

box. I've read online several users experiencing the same thing-- so I'm guessing it is a bug. 

Anyway, just a quick post today to show you my "face of the Early Morning". I got up at six am and quickly got ready for some errands I had to do this morning.

I kept my look soft, subtle and simple. It was raining really hard when I woke up (which is the worst weather to get up in-- I find the rain so relaxing). The skies were gray, there was a lot of thunder and the day was...blah. So I went with a quickie.

On my eyes I used Chanel Illusion D'ombre in the shade Emerville because it is so fast to put on... you just literally dab some with your fingers. After curling my lashes, I applied two coats of Benefit They're Real Mascara. I used Rimmel London Scandal Eyes in the shade Nude to get rid of any redness on my waterline. I groomed my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in the shade Brunette. 

Anytime I'm looking for great coverage and a luminous finish in little time, I pick my trusty Dior Hydralife BB Cream. The formula melts into my skin and matches me perfectly. Another plus is the high (30) SPF. I buffed that in with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush (my favorite brush to apply foundation with) and then I applied some under-eye concealer-- Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in the shade 3. I set everything in place with some loose powder-- L'oreal Translucide Luminous Loose Powder in the shade Translucent. For dewy cheeks, I went with Stila Convertible Color in the shade Lillium, followed by Benefit Girl Meets Peal lightly patted on the top of my cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. 

To finish of the look, I went for a shimmery rosy lip color-- Bourjois Lipstick in Rose Pare. 

2AM Face of the Day

Hi beauties!

I'm currently stuck at the airport in Maracaibo because our flight to Miami is delayed. I had to get up at 2am this morning. I have been suffering from insomnia on and off my whole life, and it's currently back, so I was able to sleep thanks to some meds until my sleep cycle normalizes. 

Anyway! Thank God I brought my laptop with me. I did bring my little Sony camera with me to take shots and share them with you. Nothing too exciting to see here at this airport. It's tiny...and boring. 

But I want to share with you the makeup I chose this morning to look less...zombie-ish. 

The Product List 

1. Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer shade Sand: I wanted something lightweight, yet glowy, and I find that this tinted moisturizer has a dewy finish despite being oil-free. 

2. Dior Diorskin Nude Concealer shade 2 Beige: it doesn't have the best coverage for dark circles, but it  goes on very natural.

3. Clinique Airbrush Illuminating Concealer shade Fair: I dabbed some of this over the Dior concealer for extra highlighting. 

4. Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush shade Natural: I wanted a little glow to my cheeks. 

5. High Beam by Benefit (Not included in the picture): Instant dewiness to the skin!

6. L'oreal Carbon Black Telescopic Liquid Eyeliner: A true black. I believe this is blacker than Mac's Fluidline in Blacktrack or my favorite Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Gel-Liner. It also stays on for a long, long time (+10 hours) without smudging. Travel-friendly!

7. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream shade 16 Plum: Cream shadows are excellent to wear when you're in a rush, and since this product is 100% waterproof, it won't budge, smudge or fade. I love this.

PS: I wear contact lenses, so I have to put on eyedrops everytime I travel because my lenses get very dry. My eyeshadow ain't going nowhere with this Aqua Cream!

8. Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara in Black: My mom gave me this as a gift a couple of months ago and I love it. You can build up volume and length without spider-looking lashes.

9. Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Tarnish shade Busted: a moisturizing, cherry red lip stain that has a glossy finish. It feels minty when you first put it on... and it does plum quite a bit. Remember, a pop of color on the lips instantly gives light to the skin!

I actually tried taking a picture to show you my look, but I am surrounded by strangers and it just got a little awkward. I hope you all have a lovely day! xoxo

Don't Be Afraid of Red Blushers

I posted this picture on Instagram about a month ago when I found the Real Techniques Stippling Brush at my local drugstore. 

I have an obvious adoration for my Illamasqua Cream Blusher in the shade Brazen because you see it in almost every post. It is such a great product. First of all, it does look scary in the pan! It is a bright red and it is extremely, I mean extremely pigmented, which can be hard to work with. 

Many women stick to traditional pink-toned blushers, not knowing that red can look absolutely fabulous when applied the right way - a color similar to the natural shade on your cheeks after a long run our after a day out during winter. 

I'm sharing this post with you today because the Real Techniques Stippling Brush works amazingly well when paired with the Illamasqua Cream Blush. The bristles need to barely touch the product, and simply tap the brush onto your cheeks, then blend. Trust me, you need the tiniest amount. This product will last you ages, making it a product of good value. 

Here is a picture of today's Face of the Day where I'm wearing the blusher. 

Full List of Products

1. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Light/Medium

2. Illamasqua Cream Blush in the shade Brazen

3. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer shade 3

4. Dior Amber Diamond 

5. Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerville

6. Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows shade Soft Brown

7. Bourjois Ultra Black Volumizer Mascara

8. Tarte LipSurgence in the shade Envy

PS: The Tarte Lip stain is amazing. It has a matte finish and it is definitely plumping...as you can see!

I'm off to the US tomorrow to visit my family. But I will take my laptop with me to continue blogging. Have a great day everyone!

Get Ready With Me!: Bronzy Eyes + Announcements

Hi my loves!

I worked hard for today's post because I wanted to deliver something helpful since I will be away for a few weeks. I'm going to the US for vacation before I start school in May. Oh, and my youngest brother is getting married in Puerto Rico! I'm so excited! I will take lots of pictures, so you are all coming with me! 

I also might... Well, I'm bad at surprises! I will have a giveaway when I'm in the US. Everything in Venezuela is ridiculously expensive because we have really high inflation, which is why I hardly buy anything here and I would not be able to afford a giveaway. But let's not get political here, because I hate politics and this is a beauty blog. In conclusion, I will work on getting goodies for a good giveaway to thank all of you for supporting me though I'm a "newbie". I have a lot of things I would like to get off my chest by writing a post about it but I worry I might get corny and you might get bored... but I really am thankful to all of you. 

If you want to see my Pictorial, keep reading!

Face of the Day (20.03.13)

Hi everyone!

Today's Face of the Day features elongated eyes with brown tones on the lids and some light gold glitter. 

Continue reading to find out which products I used!

Face of the Day (14.01.13)

Hi!

Today's face of the day features an easy brown smokey eye for the day. I hope you like it!

Product List

Eyes

1. Urban Decay Primer

2. Bourjois Smoky Eyes Eyeshadow Trio in 03 mordore chic

3. Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack

4. L'oreal Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner in Brown

5. Bourjois Voluminizer Ultra Black Mascara

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder in Dark Brown

Face

1. Dior Hydralife BB Cream

2. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer shade 3

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Splendor

4. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

Lips

Dior Addict Lipstick shade 578

The Results

Have a great lazy Sunday! Thanks for reading. xoxo

PS: Two of my IG/blogger friends are having international giveaways. You should check out their blogs regardless - they're excellent.

Gorkem: http://gorkemkarman.blogspot.com/2013/01/nars-laguna-giveaway-nars-laguna.html

and

http://gorkemkarman.blogspot.com/2013/02/real-techniques-cekilisi-giveaway.html

Anne: http://mesbistouilles.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-giveaway-open.html

Quick and Simple Day Look: Tutorial

Due to the positive feedback I received on Instagram after posting a picture for Face of the Day, I decided to share it with you guys on a video!

@makeupbypatricia

I only got about four hours of sleep, so I looked ridiculously tired when I woke up. I also had very little time to get ready.

This is a great look for when you're in a hurry and you want to look bright. Something as simple as a BB cream can immediately make you look a whole lot better by evening the skin tone and giving it a nice-dewy look.

I also recommend using a good eye serum/cream first thing after you wash your face and before you do your makeup. It really makes a difference. I have an excellent one I'm going to review soon. 

I recorded the video when I got back after six hours, and my makeup still looked pretty good considering the fact that I have combination skin and the city where I live in is very hot and humid. 

I "touched-up" half of my face to show you exactly what I did.

PS: And I terribly messed up my pretty liner.

I know I have to work on better timing, and cropping down the videos. Remember, I'm new! 

Quick Face of the Day + YouTube Video

Welcome back my lovely followers/readers!

I am very excited because I have finally lost my YouTube fear/shyness and not only do I have a video for you right now, but there is another one loading on the way :) be patient with the crappy internet service we have in Venezuela...

Please feel free to subscribe on YouTube. I have no experience/knowledge in video editing whatsoever, so please bear that in mind when you watch my first videos (I hope to get better with time). 

I barely had time to get ready, so this video down below is super quick, just mentioning the products that I used. 

Thank you so much for watching. It means a lot to me. 

Face of the day (23.01.12) VIDEO!

Oh Lord. Did I just do that? Ok, so some lovely women encouraged me to start YouTubing. I was hesitant, but I gave it a shot.

I don't have a fancy camera, just a simple Sony Cybershot that records HD videos. 

I started filming. Yap, yap, yap, the lense shut. The camera died!

I had to record the video with my phone, so I apologize for the crappy quality even though I apologized like three times in the video. 

I wanted to make this more interactive for all of you. I hope you like it. Maybe I will make a nice YouTube one next time...

Here is a picture regardless, as well as the list of products.

 Face
1. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
2. Dior Airflash Foundation in the shade 300
3. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in the shade 3
4. Vichy Normaderm Concealer
5. Nars Laguna Bronzer
6. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Splendor
7. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter
8. Dior Capture Totale Loose Powder in the shade 001 Bright Light

Eyes
1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder in the shade Dark Brown
2. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in the shade 17
3. Mac Cranberry Eyeshadow
4. Lorac Pro Palette
5. Revlon eyelash curler
6. Bourjois Volumizer Ultra Black Mascara
7. Sephora Waterproof Jumbo Crayon in the shade Black

Lips
1. Lancome Lipliner in the shade Mauvelle
2. Lancome lipstick in the shade All Done Up

I hope you liked the post! Have a lovely day! xx

Face of the day (03.01.13)

Thank God I used a tinted moisturizer today... I went to the grocery store with my mom this afternoon and we were melting. Yup. Beginning of January and it was +100°F.

A very easy, neutral eye today using a beautiful Kat Von D eyeshadow palette and olive/bronzy skin. To see the full list of products and pictures, continue reading.

Sephora Favorites: In The Glow

Christmas is coming soon and Sephora has released several sets with their "favorites" - which make a great gift to others or to yourself. The great things about these sets, is that you receive a bunch of samples to test out instead of committing to a full-size product you've never used before.

I love highlighters / luminizers. Personally, I think it gives that final touch that makes you look more radiant, awake and glowing, so this was a set I was very interested in. The only thing that bugs me is that contrary to other Sephora sets, this one does not contain a full-size product.

So are you interested in this Sephora set? Keep reading!