How To Achieve A Flawless Face

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #05

I have found my holy grail foundation and the ironic thing is I wasn't even looking for one. I think the same can be said for dating when you least expect it, BAM! you fall in love. Boy, have I fallen hard for this foundation.

Let me just start off by saying that I have nice skin. I don't mean that in a bragging sense of the word, but more like let me lay my cards out here and be honest with you. I don't need a full-coverage foundation (thanks Mom and Dad!). In fact, prior to wearing this foundation, it had been years since I wore liquid foundation (I used one from MAC and cannot even recall the name of it) at all. I was more of a dab of concealer here and there person. For days I craved more coverage I turned to my trusty tinted moisturizers by La Mer and Le Metier (hello Peau Vierge). I was so happy with them that I didn't need or even want more coverage.

Here is how I achieve the perfect complexion:

I use Le Metier De Beaute's Classic Flawless Finish Concealer SPF 18 ($55.00) under my eyes and around my nose, then I use my Le Metier De Beaute Large Concealer Brush ($50.00) to blend in any concealer. Next, I use my Armani Silk Foundation ($59.00) and pump two pumps onto my Angled Foundation Brush by LMDB ($50.00) and blend until I see no more streaks. I finish off with light dusting of Le Metier's Classic Finish Loose Powder ($50.00) using my Burberry kabuki brush ($52.00). Then, I finish up with curling my lashes and applying mascara (at this point my eye shadow is already applied) and work on bronzer if I'm in the mood for it or blush using you could probably already guess it my LMDB Blush Brush (not pictured for $55.00). My finishing step is always, always, a spritz of Evian water to "set" my makeup!

Bonuses:

• oil-free
• feels weightless
• provides light-medium coverage
• great staying-power 
• comes in a wide range of colors

Negatives:

• it's pricey
• you need a separate brush to apply it (this isn't really a negative as much as par for the course with liquid foundation). 

My Burberry kabuki, My LMDB angled foundation brush, concealer brush, concealer and loose powder and Giorgio Armani foundation. 

 Luminous Silk Foundation in Shade #05

The foundation rubbed into my arm - it really is the perfect match!
*Just for reference I'm considered MAC NW20*

While using my handy tools and the above mentioned products I really have been achieving air-brushed finishes and I could not be more pleased!

This is serious holy grail territory here! Please share your holy grails with me!

Burberry 'Light Glow' Natural Blush in No. 02 Cameo Swatch and Review

No. 02 Cameo Blush with the included brush. * It pulls peach on the monitor but looks more purplish on my skin*

Once again Burberry outdid themselves with presentation and before I even got to the inside of the blush I had a smile on my face pleased with the packaging and attention paid to detail. The box arrived from Burberry (courtesy of free shipping) wrapped nicely in their signature plaid pattern with a sticker emblazzed with 'Burberry' on it. The receipt was tucked inside a nice card that featured their knight in shining armor riding on a horse.

It does contain a slight powdery perfume-y smell that, due to my nose being so sensitive, I picked up on. It is not overpowering but it is noticeable and quickly dissipates. Keep that in mind if certain scents aggravate your nose or not.

I chose this color along with the help of one of Burberry's Makeup Artists due to the fact that it didn't bring out the redness in my cheeks (something I'm extra paranoid about). We had to steer clear of all the obvious pinks. The peach tones just didn't look good on me. With Cameo I feel you get the benefit of the pink to brighten up my complexion, but that there is enough purplish brown undertones to cancel out the redness from my slight rosacea. I initially passed on this blush when at the store, instead opting for the khaki and taupe brown eye shadows featured here because I could not see how pretty this blush really was in the poor lighting of Nordstrom's. It wasn't until I came home and took a peak of my makeover that regret began setting in over not purchasing this blush as well. An order to Burberry.com was quickly placed.

 According to Burberry's website: 

• A lightweight blush that gives skin a bright fresh glow
• Burberry Natural Blush contains Silicones for effortless and even application and wild rose extract for moisturizing benefits
• The complexion grows with natural looking radiance
• Apply to the hollow of the cheeks to slim the face or apply to the cheekbone to highlight 

It comes packaged in a checkered velvet pouch and there is a rather large mirror attached and a soft bristled brush included for touchups. Made in Italy. 

I love the check pattern that runs throughout their powdered makeup

I hope you can see the purplish mauve undertones 

The blush box, receipt holder/card and tissue paper

Retails for $42.00 USD and can be found at http://shop.nordstrom.com/ or select Nordstrom's throughout the country (South Coast Plaza, Bellevue, Michigan Avenue, etc.).  International beauties can also have Burberry shipped directly to their door. Currently Burberry ships to over 46 countries!

What is your favorite blush?

100+ Follower Giveaway Information and Rules

First, a giant thank you for helping me surpass 100 followers! I really love reading all your comments and feeling the support from my readers. It's such an amazing feeling and by far the best part of blogging.

All Google friend connect followers as of June 30th will automatically be entered to win one of Chanel's fall nail polishes of their choice! If you're the winner, you get to choose from Graphite, Quartz, or Peridot!

The winner will be chosen on June 30th using random.org and then I will post the winner's name on July 1st. The winner will then have 48 hours to email me their shipping information and make their color choice. If after 48 hours I do not hear from the winner, they have forfeited their chance of winning and another winner will be chosen using random.org.

I will do my best to buy the nail polish color of the winners' choice, but I cannot guarantee it will be in stock. If that happens, I'll ask that you give me a second option (let's keep our fingers crossed that they have all three colors in stock!).

The contest is opened to all my followers, and I'll ship internationally! I will just have to take a leap of faith that both mail systems deliver the package!

Again, thanks for standing by me! I'm looking forward to seeing who wins and making the announcement!

Good luck to everyone! 

NOTD: Le Metier De Beaute's Vintage Plum Nail Lacquer Review and Swatches

Sometimes good things come in small packages like this gem of a polish....

It has been awhile since I properly did my nails and this little nail polish was just begging to adorn my fingers. It looked so cute just sitting in my clear cube that I didn't even need to wear it to get my enjoyment out of it. I did remember how fabulous it looked on my nails after a quick swatch at the counter in Neiman Marcus and decided the time had come to wear Le Metier's Vintage Plum nail polish (cue the angels singing!).

With a name like 'Vintage Plum' you expect a deep dark, moody purple and that is exactly what you get! This color is so pretty and just shines when the sun hits it just so, preventing it from looking dull and lifeless. Add a quick top coat of Seche Vite and you are good to go!

The little bottle it comes in is just so darn cute that I want to collect them all because they make me ridiculously happy just looking at their chic crystal packaging. It also bears repeating that their nail polishes are all three free and fortified with protein strengtheners making the polish good for your nails!

To find out more about the polish you can find previous reviews I have done here and here.

Vintage Plum as shown  

Two coats of Vintage Plum and a one coat of Seche Vite

Please excuse the sorry state of my cuticles! 

My LMDB nail lacquers collection

Retails for $15.00 (their new summer colors recently experienced a price drop down to $10.00 but the older colors still retail for $15.00) and can be purchased at high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and select Nordstrom's, or online at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/. 

Top 10 award - Woot Woot!!

The ever so beautiful Brooke from Blushing Noir tagged me with this award and I thought I would be a good sport and play along. Feel free to exit out of this post, if tagged posts aren't for you (you won't hurt my feelings, I swear)!

The Rules:

1) Link back to the person who tagged you (thanks Brooke!)
2) Nominate 10 other bloggers
3) List your 10 favorite beauty products

I nominate:

1) The Everyday Beauty
2) Delicate Hummingbird
3) My Newest Addiction
4) Makeup Merriment
5) Product Doctor
6) Lipstick Luvvies
7) Vintage Makeup
8) Raspberry Rouge
9) Mookie On The Bench
10) Cute And Mundane

My 10 favorite beauty products:

(These are Brooke's thoughts but I couldn't agree more so I'm keeping it in "I have to put a disclaimer here: my favorite products are always changing and evolving, but currently these are my can't-live-without products; some of them have been holy grail products for years, while others are newer obsessions".):

1) Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb perfume

2) Deborah Lippmann The Stripper Lavender Nail Lacquer Remover

3) Burt's Bees Balm

4) Le Metier De Beaute Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Aubergine

5) Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

6) Le Metier De Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Concealer SPF 18

7) Le Metier De Beaute Large Concealer Brush

8) Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack

9) Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Lotus Rouge

10) La Mer The Eye Concentrate

Don't feel pressured to partake if I tagged you and don't be offended if I didn't. (I especially did not tag someone that Brooke already did, I wanted to spread the love).