Sigma Sale!

How fortuitous!  I just learned that Sigma is offering 10% off all orders until January 31st to ring in the new year!  Perfect timing to snatch up your very own F80 Flat Kabuki amongst other things.  I, for one, have my eye on the Dry'n Shape! 

Here's the coupon code:

Check out all their great stuff and take advantage of the discount.  I know I will! :)  Have a safe and happy New Year, everyone!  (I still have about an hour or so to go.)  Haha!

Hugs,
Cat

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

Word has it that Sigma's F80 Flat Kabuki Brush is possibly one of the absolute best brushes for flawless foundation application.  I have heard nothing but praise for this legendary brush!  Funny story...I actually got this brush at least a year ago...and then I lost it!  I didn't even get a chance to remove it from its packaging.  It was sad.  But hey...good news!  I was unpacking a few straggling boxes from my move this past summer and guess what I found?!

You have no idea how freakin' excited I was to find this brush!  The F80 is a really gorgeous piece of work.  Created to buff liquid and cream foundations onto the face, its synthetic bristles are extremely soft, densely packed, and is very professional in looks and the way it handles.  You'd think that this brush would be far more expensive than it is, however you can get yours from Sigma for only $18!

Seeing as how I recently received Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the Sigma F80.

Ooooooh...sooooo soft!

Per suggestion from another beauty blogger, I dotted foundation on my face using my fingertips FIRST before buffing it in using the F80.  This being that F80's bristles are so dense, it tends to pick up too much product if one were to use it like a paintbrush.  (ie. directly dipping it into the product)

GASP!  So gorgeous!  I was completely floored by how perfect my complexion looked after using the F80!  I've tried so many other modes of application: stipple brushes, flat foundation brushes, sponges, etc.  No other method I've used has performed as well as this one.   Coverage was soft, even, and absolutely flawless!  What's more, not a single bristle was shed during application...something I seldom experience when using new brushes.  Totally exceeded my expectations!

Needless to say, I am beyond happy with this brush!  I was THIS close to purchasing Urban Decay's Good Karma Optical Blurring brush for my foundation routine, but I find this to be absolutely unnecessary at this point.

Anyways, to complete today's look, I did a natural, soft smoke with my new Urban Decay Naked palette using Half Baked, Darkhorse, Creep, and Virgin:

No lashes today!

And I finished with a happy pink lip using Revlon's Lip Butter in Sweet Tart:

Overall look:

That's MAC Powder Blush in Mocha on my cheeks, btw.

I'd say I'm pretty pleased with my FOTD!  Hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy new year!  Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Hugs,
Cat

Lipstick and Lashes

 So another product that I'm excited about is a lovely little lippy by Make Up For Ever.  You probably noticed that, among my Xmas gifts, I was given a tube of Rouge Artist Intense #34, described as a "satin light raspberry".

In my opinion, #34 is the perfect "pop-of-color" shade for the cooler season.  Why?  Because it's vibrant without being neon.  Really, there's no wrong way to wear makeup.  I firmly stand by the notion that there are no hard, fast rules to how a girl wants to apply her cosmetics.  Personally, however, I find my preference for loud lipsticks is a little more prominent during Spring/Summer.

#34 glides on smoothly and evenly without feeling at all dry or chalky.  I thought that it was a fairly flattering shade with my complexion and it wore pretty well for a few hours, which included eating and drinking.  I didn't reapply, rather, just smoothed some gloss over it when I felt it was beginning to fade, which revived the color.

Color upon initial application straight from the tube, no lip liner.

Since I was going for a slightly more dramatic look today, I thought I'd pair some lashes with my winter-bright lips.  Though I do love my cheap-o dollar lashes from Daiso, lately, I've been craving higher-quality lashes that are meticulously made of human hair as opposed to glittery plastic ones.  I like the more "natural" look, but I mostly enjoy the fact that they're so comfortable and virtually weightless!  I swung by my local drugstore and picked up a pair of these:

 

Initially, I was searching for a pair of Ardell Wispies.  But apparently they were out of stock at CVS, so I settled on 122's instead.  This is the first time I've ever encountered them.  They're actually very natural-looking, in that the band is invisible, they're a little more sparse, and the lashes have been shaped and knotted in a way that's a bit more ragged and haphazard...more like lashes that we're born with as opposed to the perfectly symmetrical and evenly gradated eyelashes that I commonly find at the store.

I think that the 122's are also shorter than the Wispies, which makes more sense for my personal eye shape.  Let's face it, I'm not one of those rare Asian women that was born with large, doll-eyes and long, lush, curly lashes.  While these are still a little far-fetched, they're a bit more believable on me than the typical false lash.  Here, you can see how they make my small, short-lashed eyes look a little more glam without being over-the-top:

Eyeshadow = Urban Decay Naked Palette

 I love how flexible they are as well as being so light that I couldn't feel them at all!

Overall look:

Loving my new lips and lashes!  Hope you enjoyed today's post.  Thanks for reading and have a good night! :)

Hugs,

Cat

MAC Powder Blush in Mocha

For the warmer weather, I was all about shimmers, glitters, and brights when it came to my blush.  However, since the season has taken a turn for the cooler, I've been much more attracted to earthier, subdued colors.  Which is why I was thrilled to receive MAC's Powder Blush in Mocha for Christmas this year.  True to its name, Mocha does remind me of the warm, caffeinated beverage, however with a hint of dusty rose.  I find that this increases its versatility as it's brown enough to be used as a matte bronzer, but pink enough to be used as a blush.  I think it would look lovely on most skin tones and can be worn daily for any and all occasions.

Here's the look, using most of my new holiday haul products:

- Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation
- Urban Decay original Naked eyeshadow palette
- MAC Powder Blush in Mocha
- Urban Decay Pocket Rocket lipgloss in Dustin

As you can see, Mocha gives me a soft, natural glow.  The blush itself is silky and perfectly pigmented so that you don't get "clown-face", but is definitely build-able if you'd like to use it for a more intense purpose, such as contouring.  Love it!  I imagine I'll be using this every day! :D

Thanks for reading and happy Saturday everyone!

Hugs,
Cat

Holiday Haul: Part 2

Good afternoon!  So, on to day 2 of trying out my new Christmas goodies!  Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation is probably one of the items I was most excited to use.  I received a sample a few months back and loved the formula (though the colors were either too fair or deep for me).  Soooooo grateful to have received this in my perfect shade for Xmas!

I have a medium complexion with golden undertones and 5.0 was a superb match!  The formula is fluid and light...to the point where it feels absolutely weightless.  Coverage gives you the look of naturally flawless skin.  The fact that it's a liquid really helps with how my skin is reacting to the cold, dry weather.  (icky, flaky dry patches)  Of course, I'm still moisturizing beneath my foundation and, because I'm prone to an oily t-zone, I do finish with translucent, matte powder in that area.  Bottom line:  I'm so in love!

Next is my l'il Bobbi Brown Atomic Pink Lip and Eye Palette:

You might recognize my mini gloss sample of Bellini from yesterday's post.

I'm so addicted to these little all-in-one palettes!  Whereas my Uber Nude palette is for neutral, everyday, Atomic Pink is perfect for partying!  It comes with a matte white highlight shade, a shimmery oyster base shade, and a matte black shade for shadows.  You also get two lipsticks, a pinky-mauve and a fuchsia.  Finally, it also comes with a sheer, bright pink gloss.  I know that black and shocking pinks might seem a little intimidating, but with proper application, you can also achieve a very natural look with this palette, which I decided to go for:

Here I simply used the medium shade as my base, put a touch of black eyeliner on my outer corners, and lightly smoked them out with the darkest shade.  I skipped the full-rim eyeliner for a softer, more natural look.

I haven't tried either of the lipsticks yet, but I did apply the pink gloss to my bare lips.  The color looks incredibly bright in the tube, but goes on glossy and sheer.  The formula leans towards the stickier side, but, as you know, I prefer it that way because tacky glosses tend to last longer:

Here is the overall look with my new UD foundation and Bobbi Brown palette:

Thanks for reading!  Hope everyone is enjoying the start of the weekend! :)

Hugs,

Cat

Holiday Haul: Part 1

Hiyeeee!  Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!  I know I did.  Lots of eating, drinking, being merry, and being gifted with beautiful things by loved ones who know me all too well:

- Bobbi Brown Atomic Pink Palette
- MAC blush in Mocha
- Urban Decay Naked foundation in 5.0
- Urban Decay original Naked palette
- Make Up For Ever lipstick in #34
- mini Philosophy Grace fragrance trio

Technically, the Grace To Go by Philosophy was a gift from Sephora. :)  I was really excited to try out UD's Naked palette.  Sure, it's been around for awhile so it's nothing new.  I'm late in the game getting on this bandwagon, but, to be honest, I probably wouldn't have purchased it anyway due to lack of funds, so I'm sooooooooooo thankful to have received it as a very thoughtful gift! ^_^

 For me, neutrals are anything but boring.  They're just so versatile, whether you're going to class, or  getting ready for a hot night on the town.  As always, Urban Decay doesn't disappoint.  Each silky shade is richly pigmented and they all compliment one another so there are endless ways to layer and combine them.  Here's my first look!  These are the colors I used and how I used them:

- Buck: allover upper eyelid as a base
- Creep: to darken outer corners of upper and lower lash lines
- Smog: to blend and soften Creep into Buck, as well as outer corner of lower lash line
- Virgin: to highlight brow arch

The only shadow color that did not come from the palette was my UD Eyeshadow Pencil in Sin, which I used to line the inner corner of my lower lash line.

I also decided to use a new product to enhance my lip...a glittery gloss sample I received from Bobbi Brown called Bellini:

Bellini is a warm, peachy-pink that is sheer with subtle glitter particles.  The color reminds me of ballerinas...so pretty!  The texture is on the tackier side, but I prefer it because it means the gloss will last longer.  I thought it complimented my eyes very well.  Here is the overall look:

 Hope you all enjoyed the little reveal of my holiday haul!  Stay tuned for additional looks including other products that I received! :)

Hugs,
Cat

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone is enjoying their December 25th, whether or not you celebrate Christmas.  I indulged in boisterous activity with close friends and family last night.  I just thought I'd share my festively loud holiday party outfit with you guys to bring some cheer to this cold, grey day. (well, here in northern California anyway)

Good lord, my sweater dress was so HOT HOT HOT pink that you had to wear sunglasses to look at me, lol.  I thought it was ridiculously cheerful, however, so I had fun wearing it all night.  The sweater and tie-neck blouse are from Forever 21.  The fleece stirrup tights are from YesStyle.  The gold glitter platform pumps are old, from Candies. 

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Hope you're all having a great one!

Hugs,
Cat

Pre-Holiday Party Dress

Hey, remember when I went on that Bebe spree awhile back?  Well, I ended up returning the orange dress and the black dress.  They just didn't fit right, which is why I didn't post any photos.  The 3/4 Length Sleeve Ruched dress, however, fit like a glove and I finally got the chance to wear it out the other night to a pre-holiday party in San Francisco, hosted by my cousin.  Just thought I'd share the look, it's more royal purple in color than blue, which I find much prettier:

I accented the dress with sparkly, gold hoop earrings, bangles, and platform pumps.  Needless to say, I had a lot of fun that evening.  Maybe a little too much fun.  I dropped and shattered my brand-new iPhone 5 on the pavement while I was crossing the street to catch a taxi, it was only one day old!  I almost cried.

Never fear, however, hubby came to the rescue and replaced my phone today.  I'm much happier now...and much more careful.  I swore I'd never walk around with my phone in hand unless I'm on a carpeted floor, lol.

Anyways, hope everyone's weekend went well!  Looking forward to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the upcoming New Year!

Hugs,
Cat

Happy Holidays!

Hiya everyone!  Again, apologizing for being MIA!  Finals got in the way and I've been keeping busy with the jewelry-making for holiday gifts.  Anywho...nothing super-exciting going on here.  Just wanted to share mine and hubby's very first Christmas tree with you all!  It's so cute, don't you think?

Anyways, I'm looking forward to some style and makeup related posts since I've got the next 2 weeks off.  Hubby even set up a mini-studio for me at home, so once I've got that up and running, StyleByCat will be back in business!  :D  Thanks for reading and happy holidays everyone!

Hugs,
Cat

Free Holiday Shipping for Lovelina

Hi everyone!  Most of you probably already know that I have a little jewelry shop that keeps me busy on the side.  For the month of December, I'm offering free worldwide shipping on any order.  So if you're looking to find a unique gift of handmade, vintage-inspired jewelry, please feel free to browse my Etsy store.  Use code: DEC2012 at checkout to receive complimentary shipping!  Thanks and happy shopping!

www.lovelina.etsy.com

 

Uber Nude Evening Look

Hello and happy Sunday everyone! (though it's raining cats and dogs here in northern Cali)  I just wanted to update you all on my evening look via my new Bobbi Brown Uber Nude Lip & Eye palette.

Taking the soft, smokey look to the next level was simple.  By just rimming my upper and lower lash lines with black eyeliner and applying dramatic false eyelashes, I was easily able to transform my makeup from day to evening.  FYI, with primer, the shadows were pretty long-lasting.  I stayed out too late and fell asleep in my makeup. (oops!  big no-no)  And ended up waking just as lovely as the night before for my kickboxing class in the morning, lol.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Hugs,
Cat