Make Up Store - Tri Brow Color

You've heard me rave about this product so many times, and I always promise to write a review "soon", but today I'm actually going to write it :)

This brow powder is my absolute favourite for filling in my brows, and has been for about two years now. Everything about it is as close to perfection as possible - from the consistency of the powders to the lasting power and the slightly greyish undertone that helps make everything look natural.

I also love the fact that you get three colours. So many brow powders only come with one or two colours, but this allows you to blend your perfect colour. Not to mention that this product is multi-functional - the powders are some of my favourite eyeshadows as well! With the lightest colour on my lid, the middle one in the crease and just a dab of the darkest one in the outer corner... it is great for everyday eye-contouring, especially if your skin is light/fair (the colours might show up ashy on darker complexions). The darkest colour is also good for smudging into your lashlines (upper and lower), instead of liner.

The packaging is your classic Make Up Store packaging, with the big "M" and the imprint. Very classy.

Swatches, from the darkest colour to the left (almost black), to the middle colour (a light brown, greyish colour) to the lightest colour to the right (a beige grey).

Product (65%) - 9/10

Value (10%) - 8/10
Would I repurchase? (15%) - 10/10
Packaging (10%) - 8.5/10 (the lid sometimes comes off, but putting it back on is easy)

Overall - 9/10

Love,
Miss Diorista

How to Contour by Mixing Blushes!

I mentioned in my January Favourites post that I've been loving mixing together blushes. I'm so excited to share this technique with you, since it's not a traditional way to contour, but definitely a fun one!

There is of course no wrong or right in this area - this is just how I do it. Enjoy!

What you will need:

• A matte, mauve-ish blush
• A bright blush, shimmer or non-shimmer
• A regular blush brush
• If your bright blush is very pigmented, then you will also need a duo-fibre brush
• A kabuki brush

This is the kind of colour that you want for your "matte and mauve-ish" colour - I love using The Body Shop Cheek Colour in Nr. 2 (pictured) for this.

This girl will act as our "model" today :)

With your regular blush brush, pick up some of that matte colour and put it right below your cheekbones, working from the upper part, and not going any further than halfway down your cheekbones (that is, stop right below where her eyebrow ends. Don't put any of this colour on your cheekbones, though, just below them. Blend well, for example into your hairline, but don't overblend, you want your blush to really define (that is, contour) your cheekbones.

Now for the fun part, take a little bit of your bright blush, smile, and place it right on the apples of your cheeks! I'm using Make Up Store's blush in Frozen Daiquiri, and MAC 188 to apply it. Be careful not to use too much of this bright blush, it is simply meant to act as a "pop of colour" :)

Finally, blend between the two blushes so that there are no harsh lines - but again, don't overblend. This look is supposed to be very defined!

So that is it - simple, isn't it? I first saw this look on a friend and it looked stunning on her, but it took a while for me to find the courage to wear this myself - the idea of blush below my upper cheekbones felt so out-there! But once you get used to the idea, this looks amazing!

Feel like trying this? Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Love,

Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture of the girl comes from http://www.activedesktopwallpapers.com/

January Favourites!

It's already February! I can't believe it :) So it's time for another monthly favourites post, yay! I don't have an awful lot of products to show you, but I have also included one TV show and one foodie... or maybe it's a drink. Yes, water it's definitely a drink :) Enjoy!

L-R, top row first: I don't know why I haven't mentioned the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer to you before - 'cause I love it! I have seriously come to the point where I can't wear foundation without applying this to my skin first!

The Diorskin Nude Glow Foundation you already know - I've told you how much I love it, been wearing it non-stop this month! You can find my review here.

How come I am first now discovering the wonders of blotting sheets?! I've had those Bourjois Anti-Shine Blotting Sheets forever... maybe three years, I think, but I never used them until three weeks ago. Now I can't leave hourse without them, these are a lifesaver.

The blush is by Make Up Store, Frozen Daiquiri - it is a beautiful, bright colour with shimmer (see my haul and swatches here). I love this for a pop of colour on the apples of my cheeks - but be careful! This is very pigmented - which is why I use the next and the last product on the picture to apply it - the MAC 188. In case you aren't familiar with it, it's a small duo-fibre brush which can be used for mineral blushes, regular blushes (if very pigmented) and even foundation. I find that by just tapping the brush twice, very lightly, in the product, I get about the amount I need. Then I blend out with a kabuki.

Mixing blushes - I love this! It gives you such a natural flush, much more natural than you could achieve using just one product. I will do a separate post on how to mix two blushes for a flushed but contoured blush-look, without having to use a contour colour!

Dexter - Is loving him wrong? Because I can't help it :)

Sparkling Water - I can seriously drink dozens of bottles of sparkling water!


What are your favourites for January? I'd love to hear, please comment and tell me ;)

Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. I'd be happy to review any of those for you - let me know if you would like to see reviews, and then I'll be sure to put them on the top of my list!

Get Pretty Brows!

Our eyebrows are something which really shapes and literally makes our face. Therefore, it is very important not to forget them in your daily beauty routine. It only takes about one or two minutes every morning to dramatically change your whole look by paying a bit of attention to your brows!

1) Tweezing
In order to be able to spend just two minutes on your brows every morning, you need to have them in the correct shape. Now there are many ways to achieve this. You can tweeze yourself, or have it done by a professional. Many women prefer going to a professional at first, and then they keep their brows in shape by themselves. Some go to a salon every now and then, others just for the first time. Personally, I always tweeze my brows myself.

Quick tip: At first, I just tweezed a little bit every night, until my brows had the shape that I wanted. This way, I avoided the pitfall of overplucking, since I had a day in between tweezing session, which I could use to decide where I wanted to tweeze. After this, I just made it a routine to check my brows when I take off my makeup at night. If I see any hairs where I don't want them, I just pluck them, and that's how I keep my brows looking like I want them to look.

2) The upper brow-line

For steps two and three, you are going to need a product similar to the one you see pictured above. I mentioned it in the post about my favourite products of 2010 (read about it here), and it is the Tri Brow Color by Make Up Store. I love this product, because it has all three colours that I need for my brows, and those colours last on my brows all day. So much easier than using three eyeshadows!

All right, now onto the actual step! You can see this in a video on YouTube from MakeupByTiffanyD, but basically, you brush your eyebrows down, dip an angled brush like the one above (love it, by The Body Shop) in the two lighter colours (mix them to get your correct colour - it should be lighter than your true brow colour) and just run it on the upper brow-liner. This gives them fullness. Now brush your eyebrows back into their regular shape.

3) The lower brow-line

Blonde hair: Using the same angled brush, mix the same colours as in step two, and run them across the lower brow-line. You can fill in any gaps, make your brows fuller and create a bit of a tail. Be careful, though, to stay more or less roughly within your natural brow shape, otherwise your brows will look fake. This is why step one is so important.

Brunette hair: Using the same angled brush, mix the two darker colours, but be careful with the darkest one - it is almost black. Run this across your lower brow-line, but focus on areas where you need more fullness - for most people, this is the tail, but if you have any gaps, you want to fill those in too. Take care to stay more or less rougly within your natural brow shape, though, otherwise your brows will look fake. This is why step one is so important.

And you're done! Your brows should look pretty, full and defined. Step one and two are the steps I do each morning. If you wish to, you can add the extra step of using a brow gel to hold your brows in place.

For more definition: If you want even more definition, you can conceal around your brows, using a flat, stiff concealer brush (I love The Body Shop's lip brush for this) and a concealer in the colour of your skin. This makes brows stand out even more.

Did you know? Fuller brows make your face look slimmer, whereas thinner or overtweezed brows tend to make your face look fuller.

Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. First picture is from www.weddingssource.com. The second one is mine.

My Favourite Products of 2010!

Can you believe it? The year 2010 is almost over. I feel like it was New Year's Eve just yesterday... yet the whole year has passed!
But, that of course means, that it is time for a quick summery of the year, that is, the cosmetics of the year :) Enjoy!

First up, you see my most used perfume this year. It is the Miss Dior Chérie, by Dior, in the Eau de Printemps version. It is rather light, floral but sophisticated at the same time. I love this perfume.

In the upper row, from the left, you see the Tri Brow Color by the Make Up Store. This is HG for my eyebrows, I will do a separate post on it.

The lighter e/s is Eye Colour in shade 41 by The Body Shop. It is very smooth and pigmented, a shimmery golden, beige colour. Goes great over Rubenesque paintpot, which is what I have been using it for (mostly). The other e/s you see is MAC Satin Taupe, which is what I have then been using in the crease.

I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the Voluminous mascara by L'Oréal. If not, then you need to try it :) It is absolutely amazing if you're looking for way blacker than black, long lashes.

And the brush you see is MAC's 275. I actually got this one for Christmas, but I'm already in love with it. This brush makes shading a breeze!

The lippie is by YSL, it is a Rouge Volupté in shade 29, called Opera Rose. This is a brilliantly creamy lipstick, but the shade is also right up my alley. Bright, yet not too bright.

The lipgloss is by L'Oréal, it is one of their 6H Glam Shine ones. Mine is in colour number 103, called Forever Nude. It is basically a nude colour, with a hint of pink and it's fair share of shimmer. Pretty by itself but gorgeous over almost any lipstick!

And finally, products that have made my skin purr :) Well, almost. The powder (which you can tell is a lover!) is Hello Flawless by Benefit. Mine is in the colour Gee I'm swell, shell. It's a little too dark for me, but I can still make it work. Wonderful powder foundation.

Next to that is the Amber Diamond highlighter by Dior. I got it for Christmas, and didn't fall in love with it until yesterday (the trick is to use a blush brush for it!)... but I fell so hard that I decided to include it here. Really gives you a gorgeous, subtle glow.

The blush is MAC's Springsheen. It is a sheertone shimmer, and creates beautifully glowy (I'm in love with anything that glows!) cheeks.

Last but not least, the Dior Airflash foundation (mine is in shade 200). I actually never spray this on my face. I rather spray it on the back of my hand, and then use a brush or my fingers for applying it. This gives me just the right coverage, not too light and not too heavy, and I can't feel that I'm wearing foundation at all.

That completes it! I hope you liked it. What were your most-reached-for products this year? Please tell me in the comments!

Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. Looking for a review on any of those? Let me know!

Make Up Store - A "Red" Haul!

Have you seen xsparkage's video where she does the candy cane look? If not, then you need to go and see it... I completely fell in love with it, so cute! I really wanted to recreate it, but since I didn't have a red eyeliner, red glitter or a red eyeshadow... I went and bought them :)

My shop of choice was Make Up Store, simply because it had been a while since I last shopped there, and also because they usually have a wide variety of colours. I mean, this has to be the only red eyeliner I have ever seen! I love how they wrap everything up for you - it makes me feel so pampered when I start unwrapping it at home!

The red eyeliner. It is called Very Berry, and is actually usable on its own, as a fun pop of colour. My eyes are of a blue/grey kind of a colour (you can see my eyes here if you're interested!), and this really makes them pop. So I won't only be using it for Christmas :)

The red glitter, called Poison. I love the packaging of it, when you first open it, you have to open a second lid to actually get the product out. Makes it save to travel with, as well as makeup bag friendly.

I also really like how the opening is only wide enough for a small to medium brush to get in there - if you drop it, not all of your glitter will fall out.

Since they were sold out on the eyeshadow that I wanted, I decided to buy this blush called Frozen Daiquiri. How fun is that name :) It is a gorgeous shimmery colour, similar to MAC's Bite of an Apple (check out my swatch here) except that this one is shimmery and way more pigmented. Maybe it has a hint more red to it, too. About the shimmer, I would say that it was kind of a cross between a satin and a sheertone shimmer. Not so shimmery as the latter, but a little more than a satin. Quite nice, and I love the packaging.

Some swatches for you! Unfortunately, I didn't have my usual lighting, so it is a little bit blurry, but the colours are about right. Kind of explains it self, but for reference: Very Berry eyeliner on top, and below are Frozen Daiquiri blush (left) and Poison glitter (right).

I will show you some pictures when I do the candy cane look, so stay tuned!

Love,

Miss Diorista

June 2010 Favourites

Yes, I know I'm a bit late with this maybe, but still, I wanted to let you guys know what I've been loving this June! So let´s get started!

This one is to the side, just flip your computer if you can... or tilt your head! This is OPI's Chicago Champagne Toast. A really pretty pinkish plum colour, and a nice break from this season's bright corals!

This beautiful blush to the left is simply love, love, love. It is in shade 02 and it is by Golden Rose (I got in a pharmacy). I have absolutely been loving the gorgeous pink glow that it gives. You can see it swatched on the bottom.

The lipgloss is by GOSH and the shade is 0058. This is a really nice rosy pink colour with shimmer. Looks good on its own but is still sheer enough to be put over lipstick. It is swatched on top.

The lipgloss is 6H Glam Shine in shade 103, called Forever Nude, by L'Oréal. My aunt gave this to me for my birthday in April, and I love it! Love the texture, the colour, the shimmer, the consistency, the packaging, everything! It is a pinky nude, wearable enough to wear on its own but simply outstanding over lipstick! It is swatched on top.

The lipstick is my favourite lipstick, and it is by Dior, in shade 559, called Rose Drama. It is so wearable, a pinkish mauve colour, with a hint of plum maybe, and has a beautiful sheen to it. No chunky glitter here. Very sophisticated and goes brilliantly with the L'Oréal lipgloss. Swatched on the bottom.

This is a beautipowder by MAC, and it came out with the Liberty of London collection. It is called Shell Pearl, and the name really tells you all about it. This is a gorgeous pale pink powder. I love the pearly sheen it gives, and I use it either as a pale blush or over another blush to give me that nice, pearly look. Great to wear out in the sun!

FYI, you're looking at a miracle product here! This is Cover All Mix (in the lighter shade) by Make Up Store. I don't use the red colour, and the lightest shade I only use to prime my eyelids (works well as a primer, but not as a concealer!), but it's the green shade that I'm in love with! I use it on my chin and nose to conceal any redness that I have and this works wonders, covers well and blends in perfectly. Does not look green on the skin!

This is probably my number one summer product (though I do use it a lot no matter the season, this is one of my makeup collection's stars!). It is Dior's Diorskin Poudre Compacte in shade 001, called Transparent Light. I use it either to set my makeup or as a 'foundation' on those "almost no makeup days". It makes my skin look healthy, even and it mattes the areas which get shiny in summer (my forehead and my nose) without making them look powdery, chalky or 'made-up'. Just beautiful.

This is my summer foundation, Nature's Minerals by The Body Shop. Mine is shade 03. This is a powder foundation, but it gives me a very glowy, almost dewy look, and does not feel or look powdery at all. It is very sheer coverage, but on the other hand it looks so natural. The kabuki brush is necessary to apply it and I love this brush, so dense and soft.

This is it for now, I hope you enjoyed and please comment and tell me your favourites, or if you have tried any of the products above!

Dior-ish regards,

Miss Diorista