My Birthday Makeup

Hi dolls! My birthday was yesterday (July 13th), and I would like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who congratulated me on Instagram. I was in shock to see how many of you wrote some kind words. So really, thank you.

This will be a quick post just showing you which makeup products I used. Enjoy!

Summer, Boho-Chic Inspired Makeup Look

Hi everyone! I feel like I've been so neutralish lately makeup-wise, that I wanted to go for something different. Something colorful, happy and... summer-ish. If you're interested in seeing how I created this look, keep reading! 

Father's Day Makeup (16.06.13)

Hi beauties!

I hope everyone had a great day today. I spent the day with my family for Father's Day. I'll be sharing with you the makeup I used today. Enjoy!

May Favorites

Foundation Series: Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I'll say it right away. This is hands down my favorite foundation. I call this my little pot of gold. Continue reading, you're gonna wanna!

Foundation Series: Dior Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup Review

Phew! My apologies for the long title. That's the entire name of this foundation. Fancy pants. Have you heard about this foundation before? Are you interested in learning more about it? If so, continue reading!

Face of the Day (22.05.13): Easy, Natural Makeup

Hi dolls!

"Natural Makeup" to me equals a better you. Something that looks fresh and doable. This type of makeup is excellent for students because the makeup is not over the top-- meaning no crazy bright shadows, nothing too exaggerated. 

If you're interested, continue reading. 

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!

Happy Birthday, Mami!

Hi my beauties!

Today (April 27) was my mom's 60th birthday... 

She's the reason why I'm obsessed with skin care, and she's one of the sweetest people on Earth. I've got a few pictures for you aside from, of course, my makeup.

My sister wasn't home on her birthday, which was on April 7th, so we celebrated both birthdays. It was very intimate-- only our closest relatives came over, but we had a beautiful day.

THE MAKEUP

You wouldn't believe it after seeing a bunch of products organized together, but I only had about 15 minutes to do my makeup today-- which is nothing to me, since I usually take a long 40ish minutes. 

I used the Make Up For Ever Aqua cream in the shade 15 as a base, which I applied with my ring finger. I have mentioned before how it's important to work with one eye at a time when using Aqua Creams, because they're completely waterproof and once they set, they set. Moving on to eyeshadows, I used the shades in the Givenchy Travel Palette, blending the darker colors into an outer V. I skipped gel liner today and just used a black kohl liner on the waterline-- Rimmel London Scandel Eyes in the shade "Black". After curling my lashes, I applied two coats of Benefit They're Real Mascara. I filled in any gaps on my already super dark eyebrows using the Clinique Super Fine Liner for Brows in the shsade "Soft Brown". 

I then moved to my face, which I primed with Smashbox Photo Finish Light. I mixed a dot of Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in the shade SX 08 with a drop of Fresh Seaberry Face Oil, blended both together on the back of my hand and then applied it on my face using a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. To conceal my dark circles, I used the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in the shade "53 Dark Radiance", and then I set everything in place with the Face Powder in the Givenchy palette. I then sculpted my face with MAC Sculpting Cream in the shade "Richly Honed", applied the blush from the Givenchy palette, and highlighted the top of my cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow with Benefit's Watts Up. 

I had already moisturized my lips using Lush Whip Stick Lip Balm prior to doing my makeup so they would be smooth by the time I applied lipstick. I used Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade "Dolce Vita".

PS: My nose was peeling due to a mask I had used the night before, and I didn't have time to exfoliate this morning, hence the flaky skin on my nose! If you already know about my OCDness, you then already know that, yes, the flakes are gone by now. 

MY FAMILY

My mom, Zulay, and my sister, Paola

That's it for tonight! Keep your eyes open for tons of reviews this week...

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely night and a lovely morning to my sweet followers on the other side of the world! XOXO

Face of the Day (26.04.13)

I am still in awe over the quality of the Wet N Wild eyeshadows. For $4, you get eight, yes, eight ultra pigmented eyeshadows. Today I used the left column in palette called "Comfort Zone" .

EYES

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion

2. Wet N Wild "Comfort Zone" Palette

3. Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner shade "Deep Black"

4. L'oreal Voluminous Original Mascara shade "Black"

5. Clinique Super Fine Liner for Brows shade "Soft Brown"

6. Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Kohl Pencil shade "Nude"

FACE

1. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

2. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact Foundation shade 30 Beige

3. Estee Lauder Stay In Place Concealer shade Warm Light Medium

4. Benefit Hoola Bronzer

5. Nars Orgasm Blush

6. Nars Orgasm Illuminator

7. Make Up For Ever HD Powder

LIPS

1. Nars "New Lover" Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil

Final US Haul + Where Have I Been?

Hi my loves!

I know it's been a while since I last wrote a post, but I had been very busy getting ready for my brother's wedding which was on the 18th in Puerto Rico (which I LOVED). I came back to Miami on the 21st. The wedding was beautiful, and I'm very happy for my brother and my now sister-in-law, who is Puerto Rican. 

I will be going back home to Venezuela tomorrow, so I will be blogging again very soon. I have tons of info on products I have tested and liked, tested and returned. 

If you're interested in the haul and pictures from Puerto Rico, continue reading!

Face of the Day (10.04.13): Pin-Up

Hi dolls!

So today I went for the classic pin-up which is my absolute favorite look (on myself).

Product List

1. Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil (to prep the skin)

2. Smashbox BB Cream shade Light-Medium

3. Mac Studio Finish Concealer NC 30

4. Stila Convertible Color shade Lillium

5. Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick shade Beso

6. Hourglass Ambient Powder shade Ethereal Light

7. Mac Fluidline Eye Gel Liner shade Blacktrack

8. L'oreal Voluminous Mascara Original shade Black

9. Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner shade Nude
10. Clinique Ultra Fine Liner for Brows shade Soft Brown

Tips When Wearing Red Lipstick

• Make sure you conceal any blemishes and redness on your face. You want your lips to be the center of attention. 
• If you're using a lip stain (which I did), the application can be tricky, especially when the formula is liquid. Start little by little. If you make any mistakes, grab a thin brush and use concealer to perfect the edges.
• If you're going with a bold lip color, make sure your eyes are completely neutral. In contrast, if your main focus are the eyes, neutralize your lips. 

Chit-Chat

I went to Whole Foods today and had lunch with my mom and my sister. Then we all wandered around in different directions. I went to the essential oils section which is my favorite. If you're new to my blog,  you now know I love aromatherapy and essential oils. 

I left with three products: A large Herbal Mint Shower Gel from the line Whole Foods itself which was on sale for $4.99. 32FL OZ for $4.99!!! It's not too concentrated though, which is a con for me. But hey, for the price, why not?

I also got Deep Steep Rosemary-Mint Dry Oil. My mom had gotten a lavender one days ago and she found it really moisturizing and the smell was amazing. Since I'm a mint freak, I got this one for me.

Ingredients: Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, squalane (olive) oil, infusion of organic herbs; rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, geranium maculatum (geranium) flower extract, mentha piperita (peppermint) leaf extract, aroma (organic and wildcrafted aroma blend).

I also got a versatile product - one you can use at home to spritz anywhere, in your car or on your body - Aura Cacia Peppermint Harvest Aromatherapy Mist.

Ingredients: AQUA (WATER), MENTHA X PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL, CITRUS SINENSIS (SWEET ORANGE) OIL, MENTHA SPICATA (SPEARMINT) OIL, CANANGA ODORATA (YLANG YLANG) OIL.

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!

All Matte using the Lorac Pro Palette

Gotta love the Lorac Pro Palette. Pigmented, buttery, easy to blend, and the versatility of having two different types of textures: matte and shimmer. The possibilities of creating looks with this palette are endless. 

I've created a look that looks natural when the eyes are open, yet sexy when the lids are down using only matte shades. I hope you enjoy it!

Eyes/Eyeshadows from the Lorac Pro Palette

Shades used: White, Taupe, LT. Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black (all matte)

1. Prime the eyes using Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. 

2. Apply Taupe on the crease, blending upwards.

3. Apply Sable on the crease and blending towards the tear duct. This will create depth. 

4. To intensify the depth even further, apply Espresso on the crease blending downwards. 

We want to create depth right on the crease and make the colors "fade" as they move up, which is why the lighter shades of brown are used first. 

Tips

- Apply minimal product, then build. These shades are very pigmented. Remember: it's easy to add then to remove. Especially when it comes to eye products.

2. Always blend with a clean brush. Never blend with the same brush you apply product with. The result can be a muddy look. 

4. Apply Black on the outer corners of the eyes, drawing an outer V. Blend. Re-apply and continue to blend until you're satisfied with the strength of the crease.

5. Apply White on the first part of the lid. Blend.

6. Apply LT. Pink on the center of the lid. Blend.

7. Apply Mauve on the outer last 1/3 part of the lid. Blend.

Yes, I did mention the word blend a lot. But that is the key to this look: a very blended, soft and elegant smokey eye. 

8. Apply White below the brows. 

Eyes: The Rest 

1. Apply gel liner on the top lashline. I used Mac Fluidline in the shade Blacktrack.

2. Curl the lashes and apply mascara. I used L'oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in Black.

3. Groom eyebrows. I used Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in the shade Brunette to fill in any gaps. 

Face

1. Prime. I used Smashbox Photo Finish Light. 

2. Apply foundation. I chose Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact Foundation in the shade 30 Beige.

3. I used the Mac Studio Finish Concealer in the shade NC30 to conceal my dark circles. I then concealed my blemishes using the Benefit Boiing Concealer in the shade 02. 

3. I contoured my face using the Mac Pro Sculpting Cream in the shade Richly Honed. 

4. Apply blush. I used Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Blissful. 

5. I highlighted the top of my cheekbones using the Dior Amber Diamond Powder. 

6. I set my T-zone using Make Up For Ever HD Powder. 

Lips

Dior Addict shade 578

The Result

Thanks for reading! Goodnight everyone xx

Face of the Night: Bronzy-Glowing Skin and Smokey Golden Eyes

Hello!

I was doing my makeup for tonight and I felt like raving about a combination.

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that today's beauty tip was: matching your primer to your foundation. For instance, I used Smashbox Photo Finish Light (water-based) and then Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (water-based). The results = flawless finish. 

Now on to what the post is about: Face of the Night. If you're interested, keep reading!

Face of the Day (01.02.13)

Happy February everyone!

Today's Face of the Day is very simple. I have noticed I've been going for very neutral/minimal makeup. I am currently very happy with my skincare regime and I'm embracing my clear skin days. 

1. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Light/Medium
2. Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NC 30
3. Illamasqua Cream Blushes in Brazen
4. L'oreal Translucent Loose Powder
5. Make Up For Ever Lipstick in N45
6. Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerville

My New Year's Eve Look

Hi everyone! I haven't been here in a while. I want to start off this post by wishing everyone a happy 2013 - may this year be better than the last.

Due to the amount of positive feed back I received on Instagram on my New Year's Eve look (thank you!), I decided to share with you what I used and how I used it to achieve the look.

Originally, I was thinking on doing a simple gold-toned look, but I was feeling inspired and I started experimenting/playing with blues and the result was a blue smokey eye which really made my already-big-dark-eyes pop even more.

@makeupbypatricia on Instagram

I wanted to make my skin look fresh and dewy, even though I live in a ridiculously tropical place.

@makeupbypatricia on Instagram

Want to see how I achieved this look? If so, keep reading!

Face of the Day

Hello everyone!

I woke up at 4am wide awake - feeling somewhat creative. So my Face of the Day is somewhat different - a little bit more colorful than usual.

Hope you enjoy!