Iya’s first international trip, y’all! This time last week I was cuddled up with my lovebug in the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia! BECCA Cosmetics invited me to celebrate the launch of their holiday palettes, the Aprés Ski Glow Collection, and they were so accommodating with me bringing my daughter along. Iya is just shy of four months old and is exclusively breast-fed so there’s no chance of us being separated any time soon, neither of us are ready! I already got sappy about it on Instagram, so I’ll spare you the dramatics but BECCA welcoming us with open arms truly meant a lot. I had all kinds of anxieties about becoming a mother in this industry, thinking I wouldn’t be able to travel anymore or really participate in things but so far even with the challenges, my work-life balance has been incredible. Gotta roll with the punches!
I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone with makeup lately and have been really trying to play with color! I recently received the new Urban Decay Moondust palette and couldn’t wait to dig into it. I usually am drawn to mattes and this palette is completely shimmer but with its unique duo toned jewel-tones, I couldn’t resist! I also finally dug into my metallic liquid lipsticks which I’ve been hesitant to play with. I was never a fan of frosty or pearlized lipsticks on my complexion but Colourpop Flitter, which is a close dupe for Kylie’s Heir, was sooo gorgeous with this look. Definitely something new for me! I hope you love the tutorial.
Ladies, meet my new favorite foundation! BECCA just introduced their latest foundation (& its permanent!!): Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation. This foundation wears like skin, has a dewy, luminous (duh!) finish, and has some serious staying power! Being a dry gal, this water-like foundation is heaven sent. You all know I’ve been loving NARS’ All Day Luminous Foundation as well and although both of these are watery they are very very different. NARS All Day Luminous is very full coverage even with just a drop, but feels and looks a bit greasy on the skin especially after wearing it all day. BECCA Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation has a lighter coverage but is very buildable and even though it has a pretty dewy & luminous finish it never looks or feels greasy – it’s actually quite skin-like! To give you a look at it’s staying power, watch my brown liquid lips for brown girls video if you haven’t seen it yet (or pay it a re-visit!).. that was my first time trying out the new foundation and I filmed that video after almost 24 hours of wear, including a 7 hour “nap” — blergh don’t ask lol. It was a day of blunders and I should never be wearing makeup for that long; let alone sleep in it or be possessed to film in it after that long, it ended up being the perfect field test to see how the product fairs. It required no reapplication, just a few swipes of my foundation brush (with no new product) to smooth out my old lady lines and creases; and I was camera ready! Again, my opinion of course is based off of my personal experience so keep in mind that I have dry skin. I don’t know how this will fair with someone with oily skin but since it doesn’t have an oily feel or finish I would hope that a mattifying primer would be enough to make this product work!
Currently there are only 8 shades but BECCA’s Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation is supposed to adjust to your skintone, and I can honestly say that this foundation in the shade Tan is the best matching foundation I own. For reference I wear MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC 42-44. It does oxidize on the skin quickly but perhaps that is its adjusting properties? I am not really sure. I was debating between Tan & Warm Honey but the latter was just too dark on me. Warm Honey‘s golden shade is so drool-worthy I wish I could have made it work! Complexion goals. Going back to its complexion matching properties: BECCA recommends that you do not swatch this foundation on the back of your hand, but directly to your face to make your shade selection!
I just love Holiday collections, they’re always so dreamy and magical LOL! I was totally on the Champagne Pop craze over the summer and so began my love affair with Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors! Every shade is unique and flawless and I absolutely love layering them so having three shades in one palette gets me all kinds of excited. Becca & Jaclyn Hill have come together again and created Champagne Glow, inspired by the festive holiday season. This palette includes Pearl (a new shade!), Champagne Pop (obviously!), & Blushed Copper. Again, I love layering so my brain is already spinning with how I’m going to have these three colors work together.
This Palette is extremely limited so get your hands on it now HERE!
As much as I love going full glam, again and again I find myself without enough time to go the full nine yards. Today I’ll be sharing with you a few key steps that make achieving my signature beauty look as easy as pie! I rave constantly about my favorite makeup products, faithful staples as well as new discoveries; its obvious that selecting the right makeup products is crucial in creating a flawless face but one thing we tend to overlook is our brushes which is equally as important. With the right brushes, your makeup will work harder and reach their full potential.
I’ve recently discovered SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Brushes and they’ve found their forever home in my kit. Developed with the Sephora Pro team for over a year and handshaped by trained artisans, they are the most luxurious brushes I’ve ever used. My makeup has never looked better and I secretly feel so fabulous with the brushes in hand, they are so gorgeous just to look at. The handles are elongated and are the most rich high gloss shade of black. They are also the only makeup brushes to feature all chrome ferrules! They will never yellow or look dull, the brush number is etched on so it will never rub off and the brushes will always look brand new!
