Asian Eyelashes: Smashbox Photo Finish Eyelash Primer and Makeup Forever Excessive Mascara Review

 

If you're an Asian girl with short stubby eyelashes, you know the struggle to find a good mascara to get your eyelashes long, uplifted - and to stay that way all day. Well struggle no more as there is a combination to make those asian eyes pop without the need of false eyelashes. Introducing Smashbox Photo Finish Eyelash Primer and Makeup Forever Excessive Mascara - a match made in heaven.

My Christmas Beauty Haul: Urban Decay, Charlotte Tilbury, Smashbox & Laura Geller

Well of course all I wanted for Christmas was makeup, makeup and more makeup...and makeup is what I got!

My Highlight and Contour Routine feat. Smashbox, MAC and Kevyn Aucoin

Contouring and highlighting is a must in my everyday makeup routine. Powder for everyday but if I'm going out or have a special occasion, I double the effort with both cream and powder contouring products. I wanted to share my favourite contouring and highlighting products, my application tools and my best tips to achieve a flawless base.

By all means, I am not an expert or a professional and I am still learning to perfect my featured contour look. I know my face shape, and I know the best ways to contour and highlight the dimensions of my face. Of course everyone has different preferences and different face shapes, so what I like to use and what works for me might not work for everyone. It's just my personal preferences and my time in testing products that best work for me and my face shape

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer [Light] | MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter [Light Boost] | Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Sticks [Contour + Bronze]

Highlight the high panes of the face (bridge of the nose, centre of the forehead, chin, cupids bow and cheekbones/under the eyes). I use maybelline concealer first then brush the MAC pen on top, being especially generous on the under eye section and nose. Using the contour shade (cool brown) from the Smashbox pencils, I line the outer forehead, underneath the cheekbones, jawline and the sides of my nose (optional). Then use the bronze shade (slightly warmer brown) top of the contour lines of the cheek and forehead. 

Beauty Blender | NARS Ita Brush | MAC 137 Sculpted Pointed Brush | MAC 167SE Brush

I first use the beauty blender to blend out the highlighter and then the natural fibres of the NARS Ita brush effortlessly blends the contour, bronze and highlight colours together. Using the MAC 137 brush and Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder, I go over the cream contour and chisel the colour into the hollows of my cheekbones and the temples of my forehead. I then go in with the MAC 167SE brush with the Smashbox Suntan Matte bronzer and warm up the rest of my face. To set and 'bake' the highlighted sections, I use my damp beauty blender to generously apply MAC set powder and keep this on until I have finished the rest of my face/eye makeup.

Smashbox Bronze Lights Bronzer [Suntan Matte] | Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder [Medium] | MAC Set Powder [Invisible] 

MAC Studio Fix Fluid [NC25] | Soap & Glory Archery Pencil [Hot Chocolate] | MAC Pressed Pigments [Deeply Dashing + Blonde Streak] | Urban Decay Eyeshadows [Riff + Beware] | Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner [Waterproof Black] | MAC Zoom Fast Lash Mascara | MAC Chromographic Pencil [NW25/NC30] | Ardell Demi Wispies | Sleek Blusher [Rose Gold] | Topshop Glow Pot [Gleam] | Kiko Lip Liner [712] | MAC Lip Liner [Cork] MAC Lipstick [Velvet Teddy]

This is not an everyday look for me - this is a look I only do for special occasions and on the weekends. I do contour everyday but I skip the cream contouring and 'baking' method, and use the powders only. I love having a full-face of makeup and experimenting with contouring and highlighting. It's definitely something that is a personal preference and not everyone is a fan, but I do enjoy the process of this method.

My other personal favourite contouring and highlighting products are:

Contour Powders

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

Anasazis Beverly Hills Contour Kit 

Contour Creams

MAC Pro Sculptung Cream - Pure Sculpture

Highlighting Powders

MAC Soft and Gentle

MAC Accentutate shaping powder

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (also for contour)

Highlighting Creams

Topshop Glow Polished

MAC Cream Colour Base - Hush

What are your favourite contouring and highlighting products?

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio & Full Exposure Travel Palette | Mini Review

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio (£35.00)

These 3 sticks come in the form of contour, bronzer and highlighter, and a handy paper guide to instruct you on how to contour based on your face shop. I particularly like the contour colour as it's quite a cool grey shade, the bronzer is a medium warm brown, and the highlighter is a pale yellow shade. The formula is very creamy and bendable using both a beauty blender sponge and the NARS Ita Kabuki brush. You can definitely get a light contour with these sticks, and build up the colour as you go. I like to set these with a powder contour on top to make sure I get a bold contoured look. The set also comes complete with a pencil sharpener so for £35, it may seem expensive but I'd imagine it'll last a long time.

Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Eyeshadow Palette (£17.50)

Now this palette is something else. I've been lusting after this palette for a very, very long time but from my knowledge, it was only exclusive to Sephora in the USA. I had friends hunting around the world in different cities seeking out Sephora to find it, but it wasn't available. I was randomly looking on the Boots website last week and seen that it was available and immediately went to Boots the next morning to find it and lo and behold, there was a stand with about 10 of these mini eyeshadow palettes. The stand looked like it was full at one point, and the sales lady told me they had been out for 1 week and they were almost gone. I was so happy to get hold of it! The texture of these are reasonably pigmented (not as pigmented as MAC in my opinion) but the colours are beautifully shimmery and mate. It is a handy little palette to travel with - literally, it is the size of a credit card, super thin and compact with a mirror that I know I'll get a lot out of.

Have you tried any of these two Smashbox products yet? Let me know!

Beauty Favourites | May 2015

Since I have an unnecessary big collection of make-up, I am trying to train myself to switch up my makeup products at least once every two weeks. Otherwise I will just end up forgetting what I have and they'll go to waste and will essentially feel neglected  So this week's round up is what I've been using so far, and because I work full-time Monday-Friday, I tend to have a light makeup application....depending on my mood/how much time I have to get ready in the morning.

Soap and Glory 'One Heck of a Blot' | MAC Mineralise Skinfinish 'Medium Plus' | MAC Blusher 'Blushbaby' | Smashbox  Bronzer 'Suntan Matte' | Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick 'Bronze Glow' | NYX Blush 'Taupe' | MAC Eye Shadow 'Mythology' | Benefit Roller Lash | L'oreal Perfect Match Touche Magique Concealer 'W1' | Maybelline Fit Me Concealer '20 Sand Sable' | MAC Pro Longwear Brow Set 'Bold Brunette' | Maybelline Brow Satin 'Dark Brown' | Maybelline Flawless Nude Foundation 'Beige Nude' | 

Beauty Wish List | May 2015

Beauty Wish List | May 2015 (click to view)

MAC Fix+ | MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil (Morning Coffee) | MAC Lightful C Tinted Cream SPF30 | Laura Mercier Loose Transluscent Powder | Stila Smudge Pot (Kitten) | Stila Eyeshadow (Kitten) | Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Kit | Smashbox 24-hour CC Spot Concealer | Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation | Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer | theBalm Betty-Lou Loumanizer  | theBalm Mary-Lou Loumanizer | theBalm Cindy-Loumanizer | Tom Ford Lipstick (Blush Nude) | Nails Inc (Alexa Chasmere) | Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupte (20)

Of course there's always something I want in the beauty world. And these are some of the few I've had my eyes on this month. 
Have you tried any of these? Let me know what's good!

Beauty Wish List | April 2015

Beauty Wish List | April 2015 (clickable link)
Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray | Tarte Amazonian 12-hr Clay Blush (Blissful) | Lime Crime Velvetine Lip Stain (Cashmere, Salem, Wicked) | Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask | Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water | Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette | The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Butter

A few beauty goodies on my wish list this month. 
Have you tried any of these or would like to recommend?