Monroe Misfit Makeup | Beauty Blog: June 2012

June 27, 2012

My Skincare Routine: #EclosBeauty Plant Based Beauty & Giveaway (closed)

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care. All opinions are 100% mine.
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I've been asked to share my skincare routine quite a bit, and while I'm very diligent about it, it was a real mish mash of random potions and lotions and more or less just getting the job done. As I happily leave my 20's behind I'm finding my skincare needs changing, no longer am I looking to combat oil but my focus now is on anti-aging. I knew it was time for a revamp! I received the éclos Skin Care line as a review sample fully expecting to try it for one week and then go back to what I was using before. But I kept on using the regimen for the past two months and I couldn't be happier with the results, in fact I've shelved all of my other skincare products and made eclos my complete skincare routine.

Full Review and Enter the Giveaway after the cut!

June 26, 2012

Review & Summer FOTD: Anastasia of Beverly Hills See and Be Seen Makeup Kit

Anastasia of Beverly Hills See And Be Seen Makeup Kit is the perfect all-in-one makeup kit for summer. Go from flawless California casual to photo-ready in a flash with this versatile set for the eyes and face. This California color story represents effortless Hollywood glamour for the modern girl. The limited edition SEE AND BE SEEN kit includes two new HydraFull Gloss colors in Heiress and Plastic, Caramel tinted brow gel, and the ILLUMIN8 shadow duo in On the Set ($44) $80 value. and is only available for 3-4 more weeks!
 
The soft pink and golden hues of the shadow duo in On the Set are perfect for a shimmering bronze eye. ILLUMIN8 Eye Shadow Duos are designed to illuminate the appearance of skin while also soothing, softening and hydrating. These shadow's are velvety soft and pack a pretty punch of pigmentation. Both of the shades are gorgeous for summer, the first a champagne rose gold and the second a rich copper. I'm very cool toned and even I can pull them off they're so universally flattering.
Anastasia’s brow gel sets your perfect brow look with a hint of tint and is fortified with botanical hair conditioners and essential oils to keep brows feeling as great as they look. I use the Clear brow gel and love it, this one adds just a touch of carmel mettalic color. It's suitable for blondes and light brunette's, but anything darker probably not. The brow gel's are top notch products, but I wish they would've included a color choice in either clear or brunette because this shade won't work for everyone.
These limited edition bright summer color glosses were created specifically for the theme of “Make It Happen” and are not available anywhere except in the See and Be Seen Kit. Anastasia’s Hydrafull Gloss contains lip tint to maintain longer lasting color while maximizing lip hydration and fullness.

These are type of glosses I adore to the max! I would buy this kit for the glosses alone. They have that sexy lacquered patent-leather high shine finish that creates a deliciously full pouty lip. Heiress is a red raspberry shade and Plastic a clean bright pink. The feel of these glosses is moisturizing, non sticky, with an almost waterproof staying power. They have a beautiful translucent tint to them making wearing an ultra-bright color easy. My only complaint is the plastic spatula paddle applicator, it's just a weird way of applying gloss, but because they're such nice glosses I can get past it.

Now for a VERY stripped down look compared to what I normally share...no eyeliner, no false lashes, no crazy lipstick, and freakin bronzer! In the summer I pair down my makeup to quick minimal looks. Spending more time outdoors, vacationing, and of course the sweltering heat makes wearing a full face a no go. This kit is sure to be a summer makeup staple!
Anastasia See And Be Seen Kit Illumin8 eyeshadow duo, Carmel brow gel, & Plastic Lipgloss
and a lip change to Heiress Lipgloss...
Love this kit! It's a great way to try Anastasia's products at a discounted price. How cool is the view finder? Talk about 80's nostalgia! The slides have promo images for the kit and also Anastasia's Lash Out (review here). This is just a part of the media press kit and doesn't come with see & be seen, but it was too cool not to share. I totally have a crush on Anastasia's graphics and marketing department, clever bunch they are :)

Anastasia See & Be Seen Kit at SEPHORA and ANASTASIA.net

sample provided for review consideration

June 18, 2012

Review: My favorite foundation...Face Atelier Ultra Foundation

I've been getting a lot of questions about the foundation I wore in my latest youtube makeup tutorial look so I thought I'd do a review as it's my personal favorite, FACE Atelier's Ultra Foundation. Face Atelier is a somewhat underground brand, popular with Makeup Artists, but I don't think they're quite as well known outside of the MUA world due to their limited availability. I LOVE this foundation and have been using it for many years now. Even though I experiment with a lot of foundations on a weekly sometimes daily basis, this is the one that I always go back to. What else is cool? It's Lady Gaga's foundation of choice (she also wears shade #1 Porcelain) and is worn by Fergie & Madonna on tour.
Wearing FA Ultra Foundation in shade Porcelain w/ a touch of zero-
Ultra Foundation is an oil-free silicone-based emulsion that floats on top of the skin, it doesn’t crease or flake, and lasts all day. The formula glides over any dryness and imperfections for a smooth, semi-matte, luminous finish. I love the 'blurring' effect it gives which minimizes pores and fine lines. It also photographs beautifully (no spf backflash) making it perfect for brides or photo shoots. The coverage is medium, but it can be built up or sheered out when mixed with an SPF or moisturizer. The finish is a tad dewy, I like to set it with powder, but it isn't necessary unless you like a more matte finish. It really gives an airbrushed look with out the airbrush, all while still looking like natural skin.The only flaw I can think of is that it's silicone based. If you're sensitive to silicone's or have oily skin and prone to break outs this might not be the best option. From my experience it's best suited for normal & combination skin types.
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FACE atelier allows you to infinitely adjust your foundation shade by adding a drop of Zero Plus to go a shade darker, or a splash of Zero Minus to lighten. I use Zero Minus, which is a pure white foundation, with my shade (#1 Porcelain) to get my perfect match. If you're pale like me and can never find a foundation shade light enough Zero- is your answer. The + adjusters are also great for adding warmth or darkening shades. They also work well with other brands, which is a godsend to all those foundation's you may have piling up that just aren't quite the right shade. I've used them successfully with Make Up Forever, Chanel, Illamasqua, & MAC.
How I apply it: Give it a good shake first, the silicone and pigment will separate. A little goes a long way, I use 1-2 drops on the back of my hand and apply it with a damp beauty blender sponge. I apply foundation just where needed, which for me is down the center of the face, t-zone, and chin. You do need to work quickly with this as it dries and sets fast.

What's awesome is that they sell $1 samples so you can try before you buy. Foundation's are tricky, one isn't going to be the right one for everyone. Trying a sample before buying a whole bottle is incredibly helpful! I wish more companies would offer this.

FACE Atelier Ultra Foundation ($32-45) is available at FaceAtelier.com , whiterabbitbeauty & Coco Beau uk
Non-Comedogenic, Oil-free, Fragrance-Free, Vegan, & Cruelty Free
Disclosure: Products reviewed were purchased by myself.

June 07, 2012

FOTD: Blackheart Beauty : 80's glam rock intoxicating mega crush glitter edge

Here's a second tres glamrock look that I did for 80's night using Hot Topic Blackheart Beauty . The main colors are Intoxicating, White Noise, & Mega Crush eyeshadow and Glitter Edge liner. My camera is on it's batteries life end so this didn't photograph very well, glitter never does. But I just love extending shadow's out on to the temples, it's become one of my favorite styles. I haven't worn colorful eye makeup in so long, it feels weird! not sure I can pull it off anymore. I'm working on a tutorial if I can get my technical/lighting issues sorted out, but for now I'll just tell you what I used so you can bang out this look too :)


Product Listing & Placement after the cut!

June 06, 2012

HOT TOPIC Blackheart Beauty Product Review & Swatches

Blackheart Beauty is a new bold line of Cosmetics created exclusively for HOT TOPIC that isn't for the faint of heart. It was designed to pry the "pretty" out of the good girl's cold, dead hands. This edgy collection offers a full range of polishes, liners, shadows, mascaras, and lipsticks for only $3-$7. From glitter-infused pencils to vampy lipsticks and glow in the dark and UV-reactive nail colors, all Blackheart products are vegan friendly and cruelty free-never tested on animals. The collection is offered both in store and online at hottopic.com
In addition to Blackheart I've included a few item's from WARPAINT in the product review. Most of the items are only $0.99 on clearance right now!

Full product review and swatches after the cut!

New Youtube Tutorial! HOT TOPIC Blackheart Beauty Studded Lashes, Winged Liner, & Pink Lips

Holy Sh*t! Is it 2008 again?! :) New makeup tutorial up on my youtube channel! HOT TOPIC approached me to share a makeup tutorial using their new cosmetic line Blackhearty Beauty. Being a long time shopper of HT, I was happy to! I've been popping in to their store for unconventional makeup items for years. Where else are you going to find a red eyeliner for 3 bucks?

I wanted to share an edgy yet EASY makeup look that would compliment Hot Topic's style and that didn't require a lot of product's to achieve. You don't need a lot of expensive, or excessive, makeup to create a statement look. Because of my allergies the eye makeup I can do right now is limited, so I went for something simple and replicated my Studded Lashes & Iris Apfel Pink Pigeon Look. With that lipstick long gone this combo from Blackheart makes a fantastic alternative!
This is sort of a "test" video. I'm trying out a new format for my videos, but it's been a hot minute since I've done anything on youtube, so I was unable to figure it all out just yet. I wanted to stick to my style of quick to the point videos, but incorporating in some live video...much to my avail. If any of you have any advice on lighting, camera rec's, or how to do voice over's I'd be forever grateful if you could relay me some vid makin tips! Afterall I do makeup, not make videos, so this youtube stuff is rather foreign to me :) But I hope you dig it!


Blackheart Tutorial Product Listing:

Blackheart Stealth Primer
Blackheart White Noise Eye Shadow
Blackheart Wicked Night Eyeliner
Blackheart Fool Proof Mascara
Blackheart No Regrets Lip Pencil
Blackheart First Love Lipstick
Blackheart Mega Crush Eye Shadow (as Blush)
Blackheart Shocking Pink Nail Polish
Other:
FAUX + Dev Studded False Lashes
FURLESS Vegan & Cruelty Free Makeup Brushes


Let me know what blackheart beauty look you'd like to see next! I'm dying to get my brushes in to those colors and glitters! Full product review with swatches of Hot Topic's Blackheart Line will be up in the next post :)

Blackheart Beauty is available at  Hottopic.com and in stores.

*samples provided for tutorial
MonroeMisfitMakeup is affiliated with Hot Topic