Contouring for Lazy People

Don't get me wrong. When the time is there contouring the face can be an invaluable makeup technique or tool. For big nights out or costumes or if you're having lots of photos taken that day it's a nice extra step that gives you some control over the shape of your face and what features you prefer to highlight. On a daily basis though. there is NO contouring happening on this face. Some days lately its magic if I can make time for under eye concealer (a step I NEVER used to skip).

My little cheat for creating a sculpted face is all about blush color and placement. A nice warm, brown rose shade swept from the ear, along the cheek to below the apples of the cheeks. It is an easy way to create some shape to the face, while adding warmth and color in a single step. Pictured above from R-L.

NARS Sin: Hard Candy Smooth Talker (d/c): Tarte Stellar (d/c): Milani Sunset Beach: NYX Mocha: Laura Gellar Pink Grapefruit

What are some of your favorite morning beauty cheats?

BOTB #4 and #5

The past two weeks have been short work weeks, and with the free time I have been rushing to try and find an apartment (yay!) as such my blog, and my lips have taken a backseat. While I don't have the variety I normally feature I have been relying on bright lips to keep my face looking awake.

Week #4

- Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade. This is a nice nude pale pink that I paired with a brown smokey eye. One of the last times this month I used anything but mascara on my eyes.

-NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam. This is a classic neutral red shade that is LONG wearing and dries to an ultra matte finish. An easy classic red but if you aren't fond of a matte finish, obviously avoid this.

-Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Catfight. I mentioned this here, and I am still loving this color. It's like the pink equivalent of a classic red. It also makes your teeth look insanely white.

Week #5

-NYX Matte Lipstick in Merlot and Bloody Mary. NYX's matte formulas are just to die for. They wear well and are so comfortable. This is a lipstick formula (the two colors in particular) that I reach for when I need something pretty and reliable.

-Lancôme Rouge in Love in #340 Rose Boudoir. I nabbed this for $10 at a place in NYC called Cosmetics Market and just fell in love. Goes on creamy dries to a satin finish and wears until you eat. It is my new lip product obsession.

What's been hiding in the bottom of your bag this week? (or two?)

The Fall Mani-cure

Easily the best fall manicure combo ever, I am in love. First up (post base coat) is OPI's Muir Muir on the Wall from their most recent San Francisco collection. I nearly passed this color up but, after wearing it I am so glad I caved. Its like all the hidden shimmer vampy shades that I love for this time of year amped up with a bit of a (very apparent) green bronze shift.

On top of that I applied Orly's Digital Glitter. This one was a surprise on the nails. It looks like a multichrome with glitter in the bottle but in reality it is a sheer pink shimmer base, with  bronze/gold/green small hex glitter. Thrown in for good measure are some holographic squares and some red micro glitter. These two just layer so well together and, while it seems like all the effects would work against one another they just come together to create a beautiful, complex, and harmonious Fall manicure.

If you get anything from the salon brand fall collections this year, make it these two colors.

Wear All the Colors

Sometimes a brand releases something so unique and so beautiful that it just deserves to have its praises sung all by itself.

Last month I Love Nail Polish, a Vegas based indie polish brand debuted their new Ultrachromes. They are just breathtakingly beautiful and unique. The formula is stellar and lacks the inherent sheerness of other duochrome polishes of days past.

Cyngus Loop (far left) is by far the most transformative and unique.  Mutagen is a beautiful twist on the 2013 emerald trend, and Birefringence is a blue heavy version of Cyngus Loop.

Just get them. They are stunning.

BOTB #3

This week in lippies. Clockwise from the top.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Adore is a warm brown red stain that works well both on its own as well as a base for under red lipsticks. (Especially for night out longevity!)

 Lancôme Rouge In Love lipstick in Cocoa Couture is a very deep cool brown red. This formula is just stellar. It glides on smoothly, and dries down to a very comfortable long-wearing finish.

Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora. This color is not for everyone. Its a high shimmer metallic finish that I love in this neutral red shade. In any other color I think it looks a bit dated.

Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in Pop of Cherry. This one was LE but I encourage you to investigate your drugstore. I've seen it around quite a bit still and this is a fun pink red shade in a stellar budget formula.

Jack Black Lip Balm in Lemon & Chamomile. My lips needed a day off and while I love the Nuxe Reve De Miel for nighttime, this is both wallet friendly as well as wonderfully effective. I want the grapefruit one next!

Last up Illamasqua's Magnetism. This is an absolute favorite Fall berry shade. It straddles the line between subtle and bold with absolute perfection and is so unbelievably comfortable and fun to wear. Get it.

What did you wear this week?

Good Grease

Ah the ultimate skincare counter intuition. Oil? On my face? Are you crazy? No, no I am not crazy and as soon as you man up and try it you will never be the same.  Now I realize if you have oily skin the idea of putting more grease on your face will leave you with the squirmy, gross nails on a chalkboard sensation but, if you can move past it to try this JUST ONCE you will see results like you cannot believe.

1. Oil is so much more effective at breaking down makeup products and dirt because these are all trapped in your natural face oils as a result of all day wear. Fats are so much better and breaking themselves down than water alone.

2. They are far more nourishing than traditional soap cleansers. I prefer mine to include an emulsifier (the cleanser goes milky when it meets water) as I like my wash to rinse cleanly, but if you have a drier complexion you can pass on that ingredient. (Sorbeth, and Sorbate are common ingredient components of emulsifiers.)

3. Enhancing your moisturizer with oils is a great way to up your skincare game in the (rapidly approaching) cooler months, as well as customizing your skincare to your skins in the moment needs. (More on this in a minute.)

4. A few drops in the ends of your hair or on dry patches of skin can produce instant comfort and results.

The DHC Cleansing Oil is an oft repurchased fixture in my routine. Olive oil based this is a really lovely and simple (albeit very synthetic) oil cleanser that my skin personally responds well to. It removes all walks of makeup quickly with minimal rubbing or tugging of the skin.

The NUDE Pro-Genius is my go to treatment oil. It has a long list of components but it works wonders for evening out tone and brightening the complexion. If my skin is feeling a bit dehydrated the Tarte Maracuja is a life saver. It is the most moisturizing and simple looking and feeling of all the oils, but it packs a big punch in the hydration department. When I have over done it with my skin (exfoliating, makeup, picking) I reach for the Weleda Wild Rose oil. Rose is insanely calming, redness reducing, and soothing. It will revert almost any irritation over night. Rose Hip oil is a good alternative and likely what I will repurchase after this sample is gone.

The Caudalie Divine Oil is a beautiful multi-purpose product. I much prefer it for my body and hair over my face as it just leaves the nicest dry oil finish on the skin. It sinks in quickly and leaves a lingering musky smell behind. An expensive option, but a lovely treat if you are in the market for pampering.

The Autumn Edit

I love Fall. Love. It. Everything about it but, most of all the makeup. Oh the makeup. Now I'm all for wear whatever you want whenever you want but, something about the autumn especially makes me feel very seasonal.

Starting with the base I will 100% be returning to Jouer's Matte Moisture Tint in Linen. Purchased back in April, it very quickly became too light but, as soon as my minimal tan fades this is coming back to my makeup bag. The new addition is Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair. With my Bobbi Brown corrector nearly extinct this is the first in line as a potential replacement. The jury's still out but I like it so far. NARS Sin is up to bat for blush duty as it leaves a soft flush of color while also shaping the face a bit. Perfect for in-transit application.

For versatility sake I love a good MAC quad. This starting lineup includes (Clockwise from top left) Kid, Typographic, Patina, and Cut to Fit (LE but Antiqued is almost identical). It gives me my ever so favorite copper smokey eye (who doesn't want to look like an Olsen sometimes) as well as some more natural options for lazy days. My new addition is the Lancôme Hypnose Drama mascara, which I am so far loving.

Purchased in tandem with the aforementioned mascara, Lancôme's Rouge in Love in Cocoa Couture. I love this formula and this color is the perfet brown-red for fall. Joined by an old favorite, Revlon's Lip Butter in Crème Brulee for the ultimate sheer Fall nude shade.

Does the change of season compel you to opt for new makeup bag go-to's? What are they? OR what do you rely on regardless of season?

Reporting for Beauty



Me, I love a good bargain hunt. I think that's why my selection of products is a 50/50 high low split. This palette from Wet n' Wild is a stellar drugstore find, especially if you are looking for a basic everyday eye palette that will transition you easily into nighttime.

Here I have the satin finish, golden taupe (eyelid) all over the lid, the deep matte brown (liner) in the outer corner, and the beautiful matte peach-brown (browbone) as my transition color. Swap the taupe for the deep brown and the peach brown for the taupe et voilà instant smokey eyes.

If you can nab this palette while the display is still floating around I highly recommend picking it up. If you like warmer hues Spoiled Army Brat is a beautiful mauve/peach trio that is equally beautiful if maybe a little less versatile.

Found anything good for a bargain lately?

BOTB #2

Lets go week 2!

Clockwise from the top.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer (or Apocolips) in the color Luna. A very user friendly peachy-pink shade VERY reminiscent of MAC's Ever Hip if ever so slightly more warm toned. It pairs very well with subtle and dramatic makeup alike, and as much as I like this lip formula I think (for me) its far more forgiving in a softer color like Luna.

YSL Glossy Stain in #2 Brun Glace. Recently revisited in my autumnally appropriate vampy lips post and may very well be a fixture in the feature for the next month or so. It gives you great control over the level of color you wear, as well as being phenomenally long lasting and glossy.

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Nude Crème. This is a very easy no brainer nude lip. Similar to MAC's Crème Cup (coincidence?) its a pink-nude only slightly lighter than my natural lipcolor. I can see myself actually finishing this color but be warned there is a strong synthetic fruity odor in this formula that not everyone will like.

Finally L'Oreal Caresse Shine Stain in Berry Persistent. The much more affordable dupe to the aforementioned YSL Glossy Stain. As L'Oreal owns YSL it's no surprise the formulas are identical (I honestly have experienced no difference.) I've always longed for deep glossy lips but as I have problems with colors bleeding it was something that was very high maintenance for me. Products like these have made that a possibility for me, and one that I will continue to take advantage of. Word to the wise though: The darker colors perform much better across both brands.

What have you been wearing this week?

Le Meh

 I was so excited when I finally caught the new L'Oreal display I was SO excited, and I was most certainly NOT alone. I even paid full price at the drugstore for both of them, (which I never do) and ultimately they went back.

If you own many lipsticks nothing about the color selection here is something you don't already own, potentially in a better formula. I had the highest hopes for the Le Matte formula, as I prefer a matte finish, but I found them to be sheer, patchy, and a bit dry. The NYX Matte Lipstick formula is infinitely better and a much better value.

The Le Laque is by far a more unique a formula. It is absolutely a vinyl finish on the lips, that after a very short while begins to hemorrhage outside my lip line. If you don't have a problem with bleeding this could be a nice addition to any collection but overall I though the whole release was just kind of meh.

Have you guys come across this display yet? Any thoughts?

#BOTB 1

Bottom of the bag week number 1! I thought this would be a good weekly post that would a. encourage me to wear all of my lip products and 2. encourage me to clean out the lip products in my bag at the end of every week.  So without further ado.

Clockwise from the top,
-Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame
-MAC Candy Yum Yum
-MAC Shy Girl
-MAC Ronnie Red (LE)
-Bite Beauty in Pastille Violet
-Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Strike A Rose
-NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick

Show me what's at the bottom of your bag! Use the #botb on Instagram!

 Find me @blkmagicwoman21