Fox In a Box

Hard Candy Fox In a Box in Smooth Talker (left) and Truth Or Dare (right)

Hard Candy Fox In a Box in Smooth Talker (left) and Truth Or Dare (right)

Being a huge fan of Benefit Cosmetics boxes of powder, I just had to try these Hard Candy Fox In a Box blushes.  Foremost, the packaging is so cute and very much like Benefit's packaging.  I actually like that the Hard Candy boxes have a magnetic closure; the Benefit boxes have lids that must be removed.  As far as the actual product goes, I don't think that the colors or pigmentation are stellar with either of the blushes I sampled, but they are decent.  The blush and bronzer combo would be a good purchase for someone who is just starting to build a makeup collection or for those looking for a two-in-one product.  I'll stick with my Benefit boxes of powder for their overall better quality, but Fox In a Box is a cheap alternative.

At face value, Benefit Sugarbomb and Hard Candy Smooth Talker look pretty much the same, but they are definitely different.  You can see in my swatches below that Sugarbomb is more of a shimmery pink, while Smooth Talker is less shimmery and more of a peach shade.  Smooth Talker is also less densely packed and more powdery than Sugarbomb.  I think that Smooth Talker is an okay product, but I would not repurchase it.  I was hoping that at $8 the Hard Candy Fox In a Box would be a dupe for my beloved Benefit Sugarbomb which retails for $28.  But, no such luck!

Left to right: Hard Candy Truth Or Dare, Benefit Sugarbomb, Hard Candy Smooth Talker

Have you tried a Fox In a Box?  What are your thoughts on these blushes?

Wedding Day Makeup

 

I thought that since preparing for my wedding day was the impetus to my makeup obsession, I should give you all some ideas and tips for wedding day/special occasion makeup.

Product ideas and tips:

• Face primers:  Face primer is essential to a great wedding day makeup look.  Primer will help make your makeup last all day, and allow for better blending when applying your foundation.  Some great primers are Avon Magix Face Perfector, Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer, Palladio Herbal Foundation Primer, and Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer.
• Foundation:  Make Up Forever HD Invisible Coverage Foundation (HD foundations are great because you will be having a lot of pictures taken of you), Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation (this is a great long-lasting foundation that will stay put, though the shade selection is limited).  If you have trouble finding the right foundation shade to match your complexion, go someplace like Sephora or a beauty counter to have a professional choose the right shade for you.
• Bronzer:  It's nice to have a healthy glow on your wedding day without tanning, so a good bronzer can do wonders.  I would recommend NYC Sunny bronzer because it is a matte bronzer rather than a shimmery bronzer.  Just a light dusting across the forehead, along the contours of the cheeks and down the nose is all you need.
• Blush: Choose a classic rosy color and apply it just a bit heavier than normal so it shows up well in those wedding pics.  For some good blush choices check out my Favorite Blushes blog entry.
• Highlighter:  Highlighter will reflect light from darker areas of the face and draw attention to areas you wish to "highlight".  I recommend Benefit Cosmetics' Highbeam luminizer or Physicians Formula Happy Booster Face Powder in Translucent.  Sweep a little highlighter across the tops of your cheek bones for a radiant look.  You can also dab a little at the inner corner of your eyes to add a little shimmer and make your eyes pop!
• Eye primer:  Using an eye primer underneath your eye shadow will help keep it in place all day long, as well as improve the depth of the color of your eyeshadow.  I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance as my go-to eye primer.  However, you could grab a drugstore primer or try Palladio's Herbal Eyeshadow Primer which is available at Sally Beauty Supply stores or from the Palladio website.
• Eyeshadow:  Use neutral colors that are timeless...you don't want to look back at your wedding pics one day and think "Oh my God, what was I thinking wearing blue eyeshadow!".  Find colors that compliment your eye color and are good for everyday looks.  I used an eyeshadow trio that I had been using everyday for years on my wedding day, the Physicians Formula eyeshadow trio in Baked Oatmeal.  I really love this trio because is it neutral but has a lot of shimmer to make your eyes really standout.  Another shade I would particularly recommend is Stila's Kitten; this is the perfect shimmery, nude-pink shade for anyone.  Just put that all over your lid, add a mid-tone brown shade to your crease and you have a simple, beautiful eye look.
• Eyeliner:  Eyeliners are so subjective; everyone has their favorite type.  So, I would say use what you are most comfortable with in terms of staying power and the type of look you are trying to achieve.  Personally, I like the look of liquid eyeliner for an occasion like this.  I used the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in blackened brown for my wedding day look.
• Mascara:  Waterproof mascara is a must for this day; even if you aren't a crier, you just never know.  I wore false lashes to give eyes a little extra wow; so, it didn't matter too much what mascara I used other than that it was waterproof.  I would really recommend false lashes for a special occasion like this.  Once they are on, you get used to them pretty quickly.  If you are totally opposed to false lashes, I would highly recommend using L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara because gives great volume and length to lashes. 
• Setting powder:  As a final step, lightly dust your face with setting powder using a big, fluffy brush.  Cover FX Translucent Setting Powder is great; and e.l.f.'s Translucent Matifying Powder is essential to keep on hand to blot out any shine on your face.
• Lips:  Again, this is something you want to look timeless.  I chose to keep it simple and wore a long-wearing lip gloss for a natural look.  Also, I didn't want to be constantly reapplying lipstick all night.  Bare Escentuals makes a great long-wearing lip gloss.  You may even want to try a lip stain for lasting lip color, and top it with some gloss.  I strongly recommend experimenting with a few different lip products before the big day.
• Extras:  Be sure to keep some blotting papers, tissue, Q-tips, and your lip products on hand through out the day for little touch-ups.

If you have decided to do your own wedding day makeup, experiment, experiment, experiment...I can't stress that enough.  Find out what works best for you and practice applying your makeup.  I found online makeup tutorials to be extremely helpful in honing my makeup application skills.  For really great makeup tutorials check out the Beauty Broadcast.  Emily does a fantastic job illustrating how to apply makeup.

Please leave a comment if you have any questions.

In Love With Cream Shadows

Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit and Flatter Me

Flatter Me (left); Birthday Suit (right)

I am in love with Benefit's new Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners.  These shadows are so creamy and just glide right on.  The best part is, they really are creaseless!  I'm sure many of you have tried cream shadows in the past only to have them gunk up in the creases on your eyelids; well, these shadows won't to that!  The shadows are so easy to apply and look great alone for a quick and easy eye look.  I just smooth a little on my eyelids with my finger, no eye primer necessary.  In fact, I use them as a base for my pressed eyeshadows and skip the primer.  The color lasts all day without fading away like many other cream shadows have a tendency to do.

Birthday Suit is my favorite of the two because it is a shimmery, taupe shade that works great with the colors in my Urban Decay (UD) Naked Palette.  This shade is a cream dupe for UD Sidecar!  Flatter Me is a shimmery, pale pink/peach shade that is fairly neutral and can be blended easily with many eyeshadow shades.

I swatched all of the cream shades Benefit is offering while in Sephora a few weeks ago, and I had the hardest time deciding which ones to get because all of the colors were gorgeous.  At $19 a piece, I had to choose just two...sigh.  I urge you run out and grab these shadows; they are a must-have!

Favorite Blushes

In going through my makeup collection the other day, I realized that I have quite a few blushes, several of which I use on a very regular basis.  So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite blushes.

NARS blush in Orgasm, NARS blush in Sin, Benefit Sugarbomb blush

First, I have a few high-end favorites.  NARS blushes are absolutely top quality; they are very pigmented and come in a broad range of colors.  My two favorite colors being Orgasm and Sin.  Orgasm is a shimmery, peachy-pink that is perfect for any complexion.  Sin is more of a deep rose color; I apply this shade with a light hand.  Another high-end favorite of mine is Benefit's Sugarbomb.  This blush comes in a cute box and smells divine, though the scent does not linger once applied.  I think this is actually my all-time favorite blush; it is just the perfect shimmery, rosy shade for adding a light flush to the cheeks.

Cover Girl Classic Color blush in Soft Mink, Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Peach Satin, Maybelline Expert Wear blush in Gentle Rose

I have several drugstore favorites, as well.  Cover Girl Classic Color blush in Soft Mink has been a staple in my collection for years.  I've hit pan on this one for good reason; it's one of those shimmery rose colors that anyone can wear.  While I am not a huge fan of cream blushes, I have found one line that works great for me.  The Maybelline Dream Mousse blushes are wonderful!  The light mousse consistency of these blushes allows them to blend flawlessly into your skin.  I find this blush great for the summer months when I want a more light and natural look.  And last, I have a blush that I didn't really know was a favorite...but I hit pan on it; so, I must use it a lot.  Maybelline Expert Wear blush in Gentle Rose is a very light pink shade great for a naturally flushed look.  I tend to use this to top off cream blushes because it is so light.

Swatches left to right: Cover Girl Classic Color blush in Soft Mink, Maybelline Expert Wear blush in Gentle Rose, Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Peach Satin, Benefit Sugarbomb blush, NARS blush in Orgasm, NARS blush in Sin.