Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes + a Tip for shadow creasing

*All the shadows in order. Picture is at night, so excuse the lighting! My look in the picture is: bottom second from left all over the lid, then top fourth color from left in crease and the deeper brownish-plum right beside it in the outer corner. Blend with a clean fluffy brush to finish.

If you are looking for a new palette to add to your collection and happen to love purples and warm tones, then the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Holiday 2013 is for you. As much as I love cool-toned eyeshadows, I always seem to go back to warm colors. I just find they liven up my complexion and makes my blue eyes pop. In this palette, you get 12 shadows with a good mix of mattes and shimmers, which makes it easy to create a variety of looks. Laura Mercier has such good quality shadows and the normal price for just one color at the counter is $23, so you are actually getting a deal with this holiday palette. I picked mine up at Sephora. If you would like to see this palette in action check out Sandra's video on YouTube. She is one of my favorite beauty bloggers. I absolutely adore Sandra's style of makeup and I always learn so much from her. You can also follow her blog here- http://www.15stepsblog.com. 

How cool is the textured exterior of this palette? It's all in the details. I am such a sucker for packaging. 

Oh and btw, I have a quick tip that might save your shadows if you have oily lids like mine. I struggled with my shadows creasing (despite using an eye primer) for so long until I heard this tip! After putting on your eye primer, let it dry completely (this is when I do foundation). Then add a layer of a matte translucent face powder (I like Nars Crystal Translucent Powder and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder) on your entire lid before adding color. This single step will keep your shadows from creasing all day. This is because the oils have to break down each layer one at a time. As long as the oils don't reach the actual pigment, your shadows will stay in place. So layer it up baby and watch your look last all day long. 

What palette do you have your eye on this holiday season?

xxChris

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Smoke

Despite hearing rave reviews, I had yet to try the Laura Mercier cream eyeshadow sticks until recently. I was browsing in Nordstrom when I saw this beauty in their Fall 2013 collection and I immediately had to have it. I love a one-step eye. It is fun to play with eye makeup, but it is so practical to have one product that can literally do it all. Just line the eye lightly (this stuff is seriously pigmented and creamy) and then blend with your favorite blending brush (I love the Mac pencil brush for this). The end result will be a simple smokey eye that is perfectly day appropriate. Just add mascara and you are done! 

The color is in Smoke, a dark gray color that looks almost black on the eye, except a little softer and therefore more appropriate for day. It also really makes my blue eyes pop!

The Mac pencil brush can smoke out any liner you own (given that it is creamier) and make the look more smokey/sultry and less defined.

What is your favorite product for one-step eyes?
xxChris

Put Your Best Face Forward

Summers here are full of sunshine, pool days, and outdoor shopping. Unfortunately, they are also full of humidity and sweating. A solid base for the summertime is about as essential as a margarita and a good book. The following are a few of my favorites.

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - A gorgeous light to medium coverage foundation perfect for summer. A watery and thin consistency gives this base a light feel to the skin. Vitalumiere has the coverage you may crave from a foundation with the feel of a tinted moisturizer. An SPF of 15 makes it the ideal "slap on my face because I'm late" option. I apply this with fingers or a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (Ulta). 

2. Nars Sheer Glow - A medium buildable coverage foundation that blends into the skin like silk. The finish is dewy and natural with more coverage than a tinted moisturizer. One tip, this foundation goes on perfectly with the warmth of your fingers. No brush required. Setting powder for this one may be necessary in the hotter days (I have my eye on the Chanel Les Beiges). 

3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - A cult favorite, but a new addition to me. I just picked up this beauty from Sephora last week. I am eager to compare this to the vitalumiere aqua. I suspect it will be more dewy, yet with less coverage than the Nars. This baby boasts an SPF of 20 and is available oil-free for those of us with acne issues *cough

What are your favorite go-to summer foundations? 

I hope you have had the most amazing day! 

Christina