Soft & Smokey Makeup & New Hair Color

Here is a rundown of the makeup I wore the other night...

Eyes

MAC Orb on lid & brow bone

From the Sleek Storm palette I blended the black, taupe 

& the shadow on bottom left-hand side 

into my crease & outer v. 

Bobbi Brown Black Gel Eye Liner smudged

L'oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara

Face

NARS Sheer Glow Barcelona

Chanel Bronze de Universel

NARS Deep Throat Blush
Lips
MAC Subculture lip pencil
MAC Color Crafted lipstick

If you've seen my posts from the summer my hair was getting extremely blonde and had hardly any dimension to it. I had some warm brown lowlights put in and now I'm debating dying it all this color because I'm kinda liking it. Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks for reading,

♥Nikki

Milani Liquif'eye Review

I am getting closer and closer to finishing my beloved MAC Feline Eye Kohl and it was time to start thinking about a replacement.  I had heard the hype about the Milani Liquif'eye liners and decided to give them a try.  Having never used a Milani liner before I can say that I wasn't expecting great things.  However...it is really a great product.

  I purchased both the black and brown pencils.  The Milani Liquif'eye eyeliner is around the $5 price point and can be found at most drugstores in the US.

Left to Right

Milani Brown, Black and Chanel Noir Automatic Liquid Liner

The Liquif'eye liners are highly pigmented and super creamy.  Within a few seconds they completely dry and set.  I swatched the Chanel Liquid liner as a comparison because it is the liquid liner I swear by.  Here comes the only downside to these liners..for me.

I don't feel as if they should be considered or used as a liquid liner. A liquid eyeliner, like the Chanel one or any other is in fact a liquid consistency.  Because the Milani Liquif'eye liner is a pencil, you aren't really able to draw a super thin or precise line. After trying several times I realized I couldn't get the look of a liquid liner, which was kind of disappointing.

The way I like to use Liquif'Eye is by applying it and then quickly smudging out the line with an angled liner brush.  Still not quite the perfect liquid liner dupe but still a great product with amazing longevity and intense pigmentation. 

What do you think of this liner? Are there better ones out there? I'd love to know!

Thanks for reading,

♥ Nikki

Wearable Orange/Copper Eyeshadow

I have been obsessed with MAC's Brash eyeshadow from the Limited Edition discontinued Spiced Chocolate quad.  This happened last summer as well.  For some reason I find it works really well with a tan and especially with blue or green eyes.  I mentioned this quad in my MAC Favorite Eyeshadows YouTube video and thought I'd include some pics.  More vibrant and orange than Amber Lights, less red than Coppering, Brash is a unique color which applies beautifully.  I wish MAC would repromote this shadow but a similar color could be achieved by mixing the colors I just mentioned.  

Brash on eyes

MAC Face & Body C6 on face

& Myth + Jazzed lipsticks

Shown above is Brash blended out with MAC's Texture eyeshadow.  This combination creates a more wearable look for those intimidated by orange eyeshadows.  

For an evening look I usually load this eyeshadow on and add black liner to the lash line & waterline.

So does anyone else wear orange eyeshadow or makeup in general? I am planning on purchasing Nars Taj Mahal blush which I'm pretty excited about! 

Thanks for reading

♥ Nikki

& thanks for all the feedback on my new YT channel! More videos to come shortly http://www.youtube.com/cocobella21

Summer Daytime Look

Hey girls, sorry for my lack of posts, it's been a crazy but fun summer.

Hope everyone else is enjoying it!  So here is my everyday makeup look recently.  I'd say it's pretty bronzy but not over the top. To make this into a night time look I'd probably just add some chocolate brown shadow into the outer V and some false lashes.

Face

NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona

Make Up Forever Concealer Palette #1

Chanel Bronze Universel as contour

♥ MAC Stereo Rose MSF ♥ as blush & highlight

Eyes

(my new favorite combination)

Arena + Naked Lunch on lid

Texture in crease

Orb on brow bone

Feline kohl power

all by MAC

Lips

MAC Saint German + Jazzed lipsticks

Dab of Smile Dazzleglass

& the swatches...

Starting at the top left

Orb, Arena & Texture

Orb looks matte and ashy on my hand but it is a satin & has a very pretty sheen on.  I've been trying to avoid shimmer or sparkle by the brow bone.Arena is also a satin which gives the most subtle but beautiful glow to my eyelids.  I can't believe I've never tried this eyeshadow before! Everyone was right about Texture eyeshadow, it's just gorgeous. 

Top Right

Stereo Rose MSF-recently released from In the Groove collection. 

If you can still get your hands on this, get it!!! I am kicking myself for not purchasing another...it's THAT beautiful. 

Jazzed lipstick & Smile Dazzleglass

Jewels 

Lisa Taubes 42" gold-fill chain

Sterling Silver Compass necklace from Target

David Smallcombe cuffs

Garnet & shell beaded bracelets made by me!

I'm working on posting some makeup and nail polish hauls and I have a ton of outfit of the days to upload. Till then, thanks for reading!

xoxo Nikki

Sparkly Summer Evening Look

Haha I don't know why I look so sad in these photos, I swear I'm not! 

Anyway here are a few shots of my going out makeup from the other night. 

Face

NARS Sheer Glow Barcelona (getting too light now)

Benefit Hoola as contour

Chanel Soliel Tan de Chanel #63

Illamasqua Tweak Blush

Benefit High Beam highlighter

Lips

Illamasqua Obey

Korres lip butter in Guava

Eyes

NARS Lola Lola on lid

NARS Mekong in outer V

MAC Soft Brown in crease

MAC Vanilla Pigment as brow highlight

& most importantly & sparkly

*Urban Decay Snatch eyeshadow* 

This is a gorgeous peachy pink color with silver glitter.  I'm not crazy about straight up glitter particles but I could deal with them for the night. This eyeshadow is gorgeous, it transformed my eye makeup from boring to glam. Snatch is from the Show Pony palette if you're wondering. 

I can not speak highly enough about Illamasqua products, especially Tweak Blush & my more recently purchased Obey lipstick.  They are must-haves for summer! 

Hopefully this will be my last post for a while using these NARS eyeshadows.  I made a new neutral MAC quad which I am obsessed with now.  They will be featured in my next FOTD.  

As stated previously my foundation is getting too light.  

Can anyone please suggest a new foundation to try out? Or should I stick with the Sheer Glow? I'm just afraid of it sliding off now that it's extremely hot outside!

Thanks for reading!

♥ Nikki

Peach & Coral Obsession..Illamasqua Haul

I've probably said this before, but I love Illamasqua!

Two of their standout items for me are the blushes (cream or powder) and their lipsticks.  If you are a fan of matte lipsticks & blushers check these out!

This weekend I picked up 

Powder blush in Lover

Lipstick in Obey

They cost about $20 to $23 each &

 can be found at Illamasqua.com, Sephora.com and select Sephora stores

Obey on top

Lover below

Illamasqua products are highly pigmented and last a long period of time for me.  The blushes, especially the powder blushes don't need re-applying.  Their cream blushes like my beloved Rude tend to become a little oily and wear off throughout the day and especially in the summer.  That is precisely why I purchased Lover.  The shade is in the same family as Rude but Lover is more orangey (in a good way). 

I had been interested in this blush for a while but after seeing

 it on one of my fave blogs, Ebrushka's Makeup Bag I had to purchase it. 

The same goes for Obey lipstick.  It is a highly pigmented matte peachy coral lipstick.  I LOVE this color.  I have been wearing this lippie two ways; paired with MAC's Myth for a more wearable lip or paired with Chanel's Candy Glow Aqualumiere gloss for a bold sheen. 

Scarf by Zara

End of the day hot & tired FOTD

I slapped on some of the Lover Blush over Illamasqua Tweak and then layered Myth & Obey

I will post the more bold, bright way to wear this lipstick soon..I feel this is going to be my go-to lipstick of the summer =)

Thanks for reading,

♥ Nikki

Benefit Legally Bronze Kit

This is a long overdue post..I actually bought this Limited Edition kit from Sephora a few months ago & never blogged about it.  The kit consists of 4 full sized products for only $35 which is a fantastic deal in my opinion.  Products included: High Beam, Hoola Bronzer, BadGal Brown Mascara & Gilded Pencil. 

I use two products out of the set. The Gilded pencil is up for sale on my blog & I honestly don't like brown mascara so that went to my mom =)

Benefit's High Beam is a cool toned pink liquid luminizer that I use as a highlight.  I usually go for more golden highlights but the contrast of High Beam on the skin is very flattering.  A few dots of High Beam down the bridge of the nose, on the tops of the cheeks and on the cupid's bow is all you need to achieve a dewy gorgeous glow.  High Beam retails for $24.

Hoola boxed bronzer is a matte finish powder which retails for $28. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this because of the reviews saying it made some people look muddy or dirty.  That is not the case on my skin tone.  For me this is the perfect contour & bronzing powder.  It looks very natural but at the same time I find it makes cheekbones pop.   

Sorry for the driving shot but this is Hoola & High Beam on the cheeks (& nose). 

This set was an excellent value because these two items alone would have been over $50.
Hope this review was helpful to those who are thinking about purchasing these products!
Thanks for reading,
♥ Nikki

Ember Glow & Update

Hi guys! Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry I haven't updated recently.  I've been pretty busy with school work & work/work.  I also haven't purchased much makeup in the past month.  Aside from a few nail polishes, I have picked up a backup MAC Natural MSF & a Lipglass in Ember Glow.

I have a love/hate relationships with lip glosses but I am currently loving this one! It's such a pretty peach gloss with a hint of shimmer. If your MAC still has this in stock I suggest checking it out! (that is if you're not on GlossOut2010) 

It even matches my favorite nail polish- Essie's Van d'Go

On another note I have reached & surpassed 500 followers which is UNbelievable! Thank you so much everyone! I have a few items from Sephora & Shu Uemura ready for my next giveaway.  Once I purchase a few more items the Giveaway will be posted. 

Hopefully I will have some makeup hauls posted soon- I'm planning on checking out the new Chanel Summer Collection tomorrow after work & also taking advantage of Sephora's 15% off!
Thanks for reading,
♥ Nikki

Random Face & Outfit of the Day

As you might have seen, a few weeks ago I did a swap for a few items available to the United Kingdom.

I have used the Sleek Storm Palette & Gosh's Darling lipstick in this look.  The Sleek palette has really exceeded my expectations.  The pigmentation is great (even the matte black is amazing!)

I urge you all to try this palette if you can.

Face:

NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Illamasqua Rude cream blush

MAC Refined MSF highlight

Eyes:

A bunch of the neutral, brown & burgundy

eyeshadows from the Sleek Storm Palette

MAC Star Violet e/s

MAC Feline kohl power

YSL Singulier mascara

Lips:

Gosh Darling

Nails:

OPI Jade Is The New Black

Very Casual OOTD (awkward shot lol)

Zara Cardigan & Handbag

Wildfox Couture top

AE Skinny Jeans in Indigo

Black Suede Michael Kors tall boots

Pandora & Tiffany's bracelets

Thanks for reading! 

♥ Nikki

Check out my blog sale if you're interested!

Twitter- http://twitter.com/cocobella21

NARS, Illamasqua, MAC Haul & FOTD

This past weekend I went into one of my favorite cities with my boyfriend to shop, eat & relax. I had some gift cards to use so the first place I hit up was Sephora. I have had NARS Mekong and Lola Lola on my wish list forever but never seemed to purchase them, until now. I particularly love this Sephora because they carry Illamasqua.

 Left- NARS Lola Lola 

Right- NARS Mekong

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Tweak

NARS Lola Lola on lid & lower lash line

NARS Mekong in crease

Mekong, dark brown almost black, has the most amazing gold sparkle to it. It is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Lola Lola is a great warm neutral brown that anyone could pull off. Lola Lola looks gorgeous on lighter eyes also. 

Illamasqua Blush in Tweak 

I ♥ this blush!!!! I applied it too light for these pictures but this is seriously one of the most pigmented blushes ever. It may look scary in the pan but in reality it gives you the prettiest sunkissed / natural flush cheeks. 

The lipstick I have on is 

 MAC's Fleshpot currently available in the Milk Collection

This lipstick is very similar to MAC's Myth but with a pink undertone opposed to peach. It is a Satin l/s just like myth, with equal pigmentation. If you like pale nude lips try this one out! If it's not available on the Web site, you can try MAC Pro. 

Thanks for reading everyone! 

Do you have any of these products? If so, how do you like to wear them??

♥ Nikki

Belated Birthday Look

I just wanted to apologize to everyone who reads my blog because I haven't updated in about a week! I promise I'm going to try to post more frequently. It's been a busy week full of work & school and my 24th birthday was on Monday! 

blurry blackberry photo :(

I absolutely love this picture of Hilary Duff and wanted to do my makeup similar to hers. 

Face:

Nars Sheer Glow in Barcelona

Benefit Hoola bronzer

Illamasqua Rude cream blush

Eyes:

MAC Electra inner corner

MAC Woodwinked on lid

NARS Fez & Cordura in crease & outer V

I repeated the same eyeshadows on the lower lash line but very softly. As you can see Hilary's shadows are much darker underneath. I tried doing that but I end up looking like a raccoon. Oddly I love how Electra (silver) & Woodwinked (golden bronze) look together.

Lips:

MAC Viva Glam Gaga

I wore this floral pleated top with black skinny jeans & tan leather Michael Kors heels. It's still freezing here so a faux fur coat was in order.

First my family & I had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant. Followed by a private table, lots of drinks & dancing at a lounge =) Thank you to my friends & family for the great evening <3

The packaging is so pretty but I can't wait to open this Wild Child up! 

Hope everyone is having a great week.

♥ Nikki

Viva Glam Gaga & Custom Eyeshadow

As you all know MAC released the Viva Glam Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper lipsticks yesterday in the U.S. & of course I had to book it straight to MAC after work.  Obviously I chose Viva Glam Gaga as I am a little obsessed with light pink lips.

Last night I randomly decided to do something a little different with my makeup. I applied the NYX jumbo pencil in Black Bean as a thick eyeliner and then tapped on MAC's Vellum eyeshadow (iridescent purple) on top. This was the color I got...

I think it looks like a combination of Deep Truth & Blue Flame. 

Both by MAC & neither which I own, so I was pretty happy with the result.

& here's the final look.

Black Bean +Vellum on the eyes

Illamasqua Rude on cheeks

& Gaga on lips 

Do you ever mix colors of eyeshadows liners or cream color bases?
If so, what's your favorite creation?
Thanks for reading & commenting!
♥ Nikki

Spring Inspired Look

I've been on a no eye makeup kick lately and decided today would be a good day for some fun eyeshadow.  This look is very spring/summery but I figured since I'm wearing pastels on my nails, who cares!

 Face: Nars Sheer Glow

Cheeks: Benefit Sugarbomb

Lips: Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude

& Nars Turkish Delight

Eyes: MAC Vellum inner corner

MAC Stars N' Rockets

MAC Woodwinked in crease & outer corner

Stars N' Rockets & Woodwinked are two of my absolute favorite eyeshadows by MAC and I wear them no matter what time of year :) They are both permenant & their finish is Veluxe Pearl if you were wondering!

Thanks for reading!

♥ Nikki

New Years Look

I know I'm 4 days too late with this post but oh well!

Here's a look of my makeup for NYE.

Face

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Barcelona

E.l.f. bronzer from bronzer/blush duo

Benefit Coralista blush

MAC Refined MSF as highlight

Eyes- All MAC

Electra e/s

 Satin Taupe in crease

  Carbon in outer v

Vex e/s in tear duct

 Fuchsia glitter

& MAC #7 lashes ♥

Lips

I'm not really sure because I mixed a bunch of different pink lippies :)

Here is a closer look at my eyes...the Fuchsia glitter barely showed up on camera which was pretty disappointing.

Hope everyone has a fabulous 2010!!!

♥ Nikki

Smokey Purple Look

I'm not sure if I ever posted a purple look, so here it goes.  I find that purples tones look great on everyone. Here are some (horrible quality) photos of how I've been doing my eye makeup. Although I am using a brighter color like purple, this is still a pretty subtle look that can be worn during the daytime I think. 

Eyes

MAC Crystal e/s

Urban Decay Flash e/s

MAC Brown Script in crease

 Nars Cordura outer v

MAC Vellum as highlight

I think pairing a cool purple with a warm brown such as MAC's Brown Script gives the look a nice contrast.

What are your favorite purple eyeshadows?

Thanks for reading,

♥ Nikki

Current Favorite Lip Combo

Hi everyone!

I discovered a pretty new lip combo...

Illamasqua Fable lipstick + Mac Underage lipglass

I love Illamasqua lipsticks even though they are matte & pretty dry.

I find that they last much longer this way.

Fable is described as a "bubblegum pink" but it is definitely a warm pink.  I would say it is similar to MAC's Colour Crafted liptsick, only matte & more pigmented.

Adding a gloss to these lipsticks makes them more wearable.  I opted for Mac's Underage, a long-time favorite baby pink color.

Wearing the lovely lip combo

Headband & Shirt- Urban Outfitters

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!!!

♥ Nikki