Archive for May, 2010

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MAC – “To the Beach” Summer Collection Launch

Posted in MAC MAKE-UP COLLECTIONS on May 27, 2010 by stylebymeli

Today was the official launch date of MAC’s summer collection, “To the Beach.”  Many MAC stores and Nordstroms locations launched it a day early so I was able to buy new stuff from the collection yesterday.

Although every MAC summer collection is refreshing and beautiful, I have to say this one is especially amazing.   I love the packaging and overall concept of the collection.  The focus is on dewey, sunkissed skin with a punch of color for the eyes and lips with a wet-shine finish.

What I have bought (so far):

-“Sweet and Punchy” eye shadow (frosted lime green)
*** I already own “Shimmermoss” (ONE OF MY FAVORITES) and “Humid” as these are permanent colors and can be purchased anytime).

-“Life’s A Breeze” lip pencil (bright baby pink)
I LOVE THIS!  This shade is the way I love my lips to look most of the time so it matches the majority of my current lip products.

***I already own “Thrills” lipstick which came out from a previous collection and so happy to see this back in the collection.  I totally rocked this color and will rock it again! ;)

-“Hipness” blush (frosted bright coral pink)
I used to own this when it came out in the Fafi collection but no longer have it and need this back in my life!

-“Beach Bronze” cream bronzer—> AWESOME!!!  I bought 2 of these!!
(Please read below for more information on texture and application).

-Bronze Body Oil
This is a great idea!  It really gives the body a nice glow.  I typically am not a fan of too much shimmer in a body product so I will only be using this for special occasions when my body needs some extra radiance.

-“Marine Life” Highlight Powder—> MUST HAVE
I had to have this, it’s just so pretty to look at!  Besides on the cheeks, this looks great on the eyes.  I used the brightest color on the center of the lid for a prom girl and she LOVED it!  Although it’s considered a highlighting powder, to me it works better as a blush.

* Be sure to pick this up ASAP, it is already sold out on the MAC and Nordstrom website. There were limited quantities of these made meaning many of the MAC locations do not have a lot of them for sale.

“Marine Life” is a true collector’s piece for any MAC junkie and a summer make-up essential.

What I still want to buy:

- Sun and Sand eye shadow (matte peachtone)

-Flurry of Fun lipglass (peachy shimmer) –> This I am 50/50 about

-Funbathing lipstick (frosted brownish/plumish creamsheen)
(I think I want this mainly because it’s in the creamsheen formula)

-#131 brush
(I am always interested in trying out a new brush and I definitely have nothing like it)!

More information regarding the cream bronzer:

This is the first time MAC has come out with a cream bronzer and being that it is part of the summer collection; it is a limited product (once it’s sold out, you will not be able to purchase it again).

I am a HUGE fan of this!  I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it being that it is a different texture than what I am used to.  However, as an artist I am greatly intrigued by new mediums and experimenting with the latest products.  This bronzer was obviously no exception.

What makes this cream product like NOTHING I have seen before is that once it’s applied, it leaves a powder finish. I don’t quite understand how this is possible but it doesn’t leave the skin sticky at all like most cream products tend to do.

There are 2 shades that came out with the collection, I prefer the “Beach Bronze” because it has a more golden undertone.  “Weekend” is way too orange for my complexion but good for people that have a more pink based underdone and already have tanned skin.

I plan on using this for contouring the cheeks.  I used the #130 brush for application and it works pretty well.  I kind of stamp the cheek with the brush for placement and then with circular motions, buff out the edges leaving a smooth finish.  I would recommend applying this AFTER foundation and before finishing powder. However, being that it leaves a powder finish, it is totally fine to apply this even after the powder.  This is actually how I layered it but as I said, either way works.

Please note:  There is not right or wrong way of applying the cream bronzer, play around and see what’s best for you!  It may seem tricky at first but once you find a way that works for you, I am sure you will be in love with it just as much as I am.

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Marie Claire’s “Find Your Inner Stylist” First Place Contest Winner!

Posted in STYLE BY MELI UPDATES on May 25, 2010 by stylebymeli

I am extremely excited to share with everyone that I am the FIRST PLACE winner of Marie Claire’s “Find Your Inner Stylist” contest.  I had to put 3 looks together (a weekend, daytime, and evening look) using products from the Zappos website.  There were no other specific instructions except that it could either be submitted online or mailed in.

Although I’m sure it is possible to create something really cool online, in my mind nothing beats having a physical hard copy of something.  Same with a magazine, I prefer a HARD copy of a magazine rather than an electronic edition of it.

Being that there were little to no directions, this allowed for a huge amount of creative freedom in terms of the products I would choose, the layout, and the overall looks I wanted to create.

I saved the actual contest description from the magazine which gave readers an idea of what they were looking for, please see below:

The contest was advertised in the November issue and I didn’t discover it until Thanksgiving Day.  For Thanksgiving, I go to Long Island every year to visit my grandparents and brought a stack of my current magazines that I wanted to catch up on while we were waiting for the turkey to roast.

I was excited to discover the contest because as we all know, I live for this stuff.  I’m not just any girl that loves fashion, I live for fashion because it is in my SOUL!!! The only problem was the deadline was December 2…meaning it needed to be completed by December 1st at the latest in order for me to get it in by the deadline.   I debated whether or not I was going to have enough time to really complete something amazing but decided that I just needed to cram to get the job done.

Being that it was a holiday weekend, I did not get to start on this until a couple days before the deadline.  I am not going to lie, it required a lot of work!  It took me a few hours just to CREATE the looks complete with accessories, shoes, and makeup.  (FYI, Zappos carries more than just shoes!!  They even have home goods now)!  I wanted all the looks to be cohesive and have a sense of style.

Then I had to resize them, print them, cut them out, lay them out, go to Michaels to get supplies to create a cool layout, type up all the products I used (this was my choice to do this), etc.

As mentioned, it was very stressful because I had very little time left and I was totally in it to win it!  I stayed up as late as possible until I hit a breaking point where I needed to crash and then resumed the following morning for the entire DAY.  I didn’t finish all three looks until 5pm and rushed to the post office to overnight deliver my entry so it would get there by the deadline.

Months went by until about mid-February I got the call from Marie Claire to congratulate me on being the first place winner.  I had just arrived to the gym when I received the phone call in the gym locker room.  I wanted to jump for joy but contained myself being that I was in a public place.  As the first place winner, I receive a $1000 giftcard to Zappos AND also have my winning looks posted online (as seen at the top of this blog).

I just received the e-mail notifying me that the giftcard will be on its way shortly and that my winning looks are officially online.

I am happy to discover this contest at the last minute and know that my hard work paid off.  Winning this contest has not only confirmed that I am a style genius, but also that it’s important to always follow your heart and passions in life.

THANK YOU MARIE CLAIRE AND ZAPPOS FOR LOVING MY STYLE AND SHARING MY WINNING LOOKS TO THE WORLD. IT IS AN HONOR!!!

PS- I will be sure to share with everyone my shopping purchases at Zappos!  I can’t wait to do some damage and go on a shopping spree!  I will mainly be buying shoes and treat myself to a nice handbag (or two) ;)

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Rate Your Face with a Facial Beauty Analysis

Posted in FACE on May 24, 2010 by stylebymeli

The other day I had the TV on and the Tyra Banks Show was on discussing facial readings and I thought it was very interesting.  The woman on the show is named, Barbara Roberts and she has a book called, The Ancient Science of Face Reading: How to Know Anyone at a Glance.  I’m sure to some that there may not seem to be a lot of truth to this but I think everyone can agree that they often times make assumptions about people just by reading a person’s face.  It’s not that I make a conscious choice to do so, it just comes instinctively.

When I was googling about this I somehow came across a website called, “Anaface,” where you can actually upload a photo of yourself and score your facial beauty based upon facial symmetry.  I think this is really cool!  Here is a photo I did with the results:

I scored an 8.51 on this photo.  I analyzed a couple other photos and received as low as an 8.08 and as high as an 8.87 which leaves me wondering the accuracy of it.  The feedback with pretty much identical each time I analyzed the photo despite the difference in actual number scoring.

I do agree that facial beauty is a lot about facial symmetry and having a balance between all your facial features.  Meaning a photo with or without makeup will not impact the results of this because it’s based on your actual facial features.

However, besides having good distance/balance between your facial features, I think the actual shape of the feature also needs to be taken into consideration.  (Such as nose size or eye size in comparison to all your other features).  The overall concept is interesting though!

Go ahead and rate your face! :)

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A Step Into the Wild and How to Get the “Perfekt” Body Glow

Posted in PRODUCTS I LOVE on May 19, 2010 by stylebymeli

Yesterday, I stopped by Forever 21 and just couldn’t resist!  I never walk out of that store without a new ring.  This was only $6.80.  I LOVE IT so so much!!

Somehow I also ended up at Sephora again and was looking to buy the Korres Ginger & Vitamins Foundation SPF 10.  (See below post to see how my Korres eye makeup turned out).  The last time when I went to get the primer sample, I asked to try this product out too.  It turns out the color is a good match and the coverage is very natural.  The Sephora I went to did not carry the Korres makeup line anymore, just their skincare so I was not able to purchase it.

However, this guy overheard my conversation and jumped in by saying that I may like his brand’s foundation.  This guy was a representative for Per-fekt, which I have heard has an amazing face primer.  Can I just say he was probably one of the best looking guys I have met IN MY LIFE!!!  He was tall, dark, and extremely handsome (I really think he was straight too)…so I gladly followed his direction.  I was very tempted to ask if they were hiring at all but restrained of course.  BACK TO THE MAKEUP ;)…

He explained that their foundation is an all-in-one product that has primer mixed in it and doesn’t need a powder to set it.  He quickly had me roll up my sleeve so he can test the product on my hand.  I have to say it was very silky and felt just like a primer but with coverage and a nice matte finish.  I’m sorry but $57.50 is a bit steep for a foundation that I have never used before.  There are also only four shades.

In addition, I am a bit skeptical of an all-in-one foundation because I don’t believe foundation is a one step process. It’s kind of like a shampoo conditioner, this is a one step process but it’s really not as effective as using two separate products to do the job.   I honestly don’t mind layering my face products individually if I know it’s going to make my skin look as flawless as possible.

Afterwards, he shared with me they also make a body perfection gel and went ahead and rubbed the product on my arm.  He used the darkest shade, called, “Exotic” which looked very dark but it blended perfectly.  WOW was I sold in an instant.

I like my body to look tan but I refuse to use self-tanners…they scare me!  They are typically too blotchy, orange, and don’t blend evenly.  Plus, who knows what kind of harsh chemicals are in it to change your skin color.  I’ll also never step foot in a tanning salon…skin cancer, NO THANKS!  Excessive sun exposure is also not an option, I’m a total sunscreen baby.

This product is “Per-fekt” for many reasons:

  • It’s long wearing and transfer resistant meaning it won’t rub off on clothes
  • Dries instantly onto the skin
  • Looks super natural with a little bit a shimmer but not overkill (I HATE body bronzers with shimmer overload, it gets everywhere!!)
  • NOT orange
  • It still looks like my skin but with a slight tanning effect
  • It blends nicely with no blotchy spots
  • Fragrance, talc, and paraben free!

I ended up walking away with this and cannot wait to use this throughout the summer to give my body that nice sun-kissed glow minus the skin damage.

As I had mentioned, I wanted to share a look with the new Korres makeup I got from the Makeup Show.  The shadows have great pigmentation, blend like silk, and are longwearing.  I still prepped my lids with MAC’s Soft Ochre paint pot but otherwise, the entire look was created by Korres.  I love the colors too!

Here is a list of the Korres products I used:

  • Sunflower and Evening Primose Shimmering Eyeshadows:
  1. Plum 77S – On the whole lid
  2. Grey Brown Base 18S – Blended into the entire crease
  3. White 10S - Lightly dusted as a brow highlight and inner corner
  4. Dark Gray 54 S – Outer crease to create more smokiness
  • Soft Eyeliner Pencil in Black 1S – As a top and bottom eyeliner
  • Abyssinia Mascara in Black 01

I’m also wearing the primer and foundation on the face set with MAC Mineralize Loose in Medium.  If you can see the blush, it’s MAC Mineralize Blush in Gentle.

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The Makeup Show NYC 2010

Posted in EVENTS on May 17, 2010 by stylebymeli

Wow, where do I begin?  For starters, here is a photo of me at the Makeup Show today…getting my makeup done for a change!  Woo hoo!!

Every year, I volunteer as a face model for a makeup workshop which gives me FREE admission to the show AND an opportunity to sit back and get my makeup done.  Not bad if you ask me!

In the past, I have been able to actually attend the workshop as a model (meaning I get to listen to the information and watch the featured artist talk to the participants that signed up for the workshop) however; this time we had a waiting area to wait in before the models were called in to get their makeup done.  It was kind of a bummer to miss the workshop but I understand that there’s limited space and it’s not really for us anyhow.

The workshop I got to model for was called, “Exploring Avant-Garde” taught by Dany Sanz who is the creator for MAKE UP FOR EVER…how cool is that?!  So all the products on my face are from MAKE UP FOR EVER.  I have to admit I have not fully explored this makeup line but I do admire it for its intense colors and wide range of products with the focus of HD makeup.

I totally fell in love with the cream blush that my makeup artist (she was a girl from Australia that is currently in makeup school) used on me!  They make a cream blush simply called, HD Blush that is AMAZING!  I typically NEVER use cream blushes but this one is awesome.  I have never seen cream blush come in a pump dispenser before which I think is a genius idea because then it doesn’t get all messy in a compact.  The texture is silky smooth without feeling too heavy meaning it is very blendable on the skin.

I found this photo online to show some of the shades they make.  My artist had used shade #7 “One Too Many” which was a peachy beige color.  I plan on buying this shade as its a wonderful everyday color.  The key to using a cream blush really all comes down to the brush you use…which can make it or break it ALONG with the pressure applied onto the brush. I prefer a brush that is fluffy so the application is light and applied with a light hand.  If you go in TOO heavy handed, it loses it’s natural glow and now extra work is needed to blend it out.

Moving onto the SHOPPING and all the wonderful goodies I brought home! :)

The very first thing I bought was a Stila Makeup Player for $40.

I read about this in a magazine and thought it would be nice to own.  It connects to your ipod so you can listen to music as you do your makeup.  Do I really need such a thing?  Not really, but I also really liked the shape of it and think this would make a really good makeup box for traveling.  I plan on using this for storing my blushes.

As mentioned previously, I was very excited to buy Korres products today and they had offered a 30% discount on everything.

Although I totally wanted to buy EVERYTHING they had to offer, I practiced some self-control and just limited myself to a few items.  I ended up buying a white soft eye liner pencil (it has antioxitants and should be good since my eyes have been super sensitive lately).  I plan on using this for when I do looks with white liner in the water line.  I also bought the face primer that I had just blogged about AND a cool smokey eye starter set that comes with a black eye liner, mascara, nude shimmery lip gloss, and four gorgeous eye shadows.  I have never used any of these makeup products of theirs before, although I do have a couple of their lip glosses, eye liners, and tinted moisturizers from them that are in my kit that I purchased from them last year.  I’m especially looking forward to playing with all the smokey eye shadows.

I will be creating a look tomorrow using all my new Korres products and sharing it with you!

Moving on, I bought a few other random items that I will explain in further detail:

  1. Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish- I have read about this product before and wanted to buy it since I mainly focus on bridal makeup.  Not only does it keep the makeup fresh all day, it actually keeps the makeup surface cool throughout the day to prevent the makeup from melting.  I plan on setting all my clients’ makeup with this finishing spray.
  2. Lip Chic- This is the lipstick sealer I had mentioned in a previous blog and bought for myself to use.
  3. Lipstick/Lipgloss Applicators- I ran out and wanted to pick up some for my kit.
  4. Crown Brushes (Big Powder brush)- This is for personal use, I plan on using this for blot powder and maybe contouring.
  5. Crown Brushes (Powder/Blush brush)- I want to use this for blush or bronzer.
  6. Crown Brushes (Soft Foundation brush)- I don’t have a brush like this and thought this would be nice to use for creamy foundations and even for cream blush application.  I will have to play around with this and determine what it is best used for.

    Lastly, I walked away with some FREE stuff from L’oreal!  I was in makeup heaven when I saw all the freebies that were in the bag!  I was expecting maybe two products at the most so it was a nice surprise.  I look forward to trying some of this stuff out such as the 24-Hour Lash Boosting Power System.  I have already always LOVED Voluminous mascara and it is actually the mascara of choice by celebrity makeup artist, Billy B.  (I learned this from his workshop a couple years ago that I face modeled for).

So that’s everything!  I had a wonderful time at The Makeup Show as you can see here!  It will be a fun week trying out all my new products.

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