HOLIDAY LOOK

This is a holiday makeup look I did using my new HD camcorder. The quality is much much better than my macbook! This by far is my favorite video I created! Enjoy!

Natalia Kills Makeup

I just love her uniqueness and courage to step out the boundaries of style and trends. It has been said that she resembles Lady Gaga and in some respects her style does, but what originates her is her music most off. Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, but her lyrics are raw and cutting. She extends a truth that any girl or guy can related to on some untouched level. I love her makeup, its very much me! If only I have the courage to wear my makeup like that in public I would! It's simple yet sexy and edgy!




What you guys think, should I attempt it? I THINK SO! WATCH FOR A MAKEUP TUTORIAL!

Sephora's Friends and Family Discount!

Have you been eying a certain expensive makeup product that you haven't pushed yourself to get because the price seemed unbearable? Well, now you are justified! There is a friends and family 20% DISCOUNT at Sephora going on right this second!! It ends 11/2, so get with it now!!

Here's a link on how to get a discount code:
http://www.sephoralove.com/friendsandfamily/?_requestid=3883






Enjoy guys!

I have bought some stuff and will be showing it to you guys in the next few days!

Goth/Vampire Halloween Makeup Look

Halloween is just around the corner everyone and I'm definitely excited!! Halloween is my favorite holiday and yes, it beats Christmas. I love how you can dress up and be someone else for the day without being judge for it! Being able to express your imagination and creativity is what I'm all about. I'm not sure who I want to be this year, so I'm playing around with some different looks. This is my first attempt at a Halloween look. It's a Goth/Vampire look, but really you can play it any way that fits your costume. I stumbled upon this picture online and put my own spin on it, turning it into a more spooky and mysterious look.







What do you guys think? What other halloween makeup looks should I do?

My Daily Essentials: Makeup & Brushes

These are my makeup essentials. I don't go a day without using these products. My face feels complete using all of them and if I didn't have one of these products on my face, I'm not leaving the house!!!

1. My foundation: M.A.C's Pro-Long Wear foundation in NC 35. Right now I only have a sample of this stuff, but since I started to use it, I can't live without it! It's a light weight foundation with medium to heavy coverage. LASTS ALL DAY without all that grease and shine. LOVE THIS STUFF!!

2. My eyeshadow palette: Naked Palette by Urban Decay. Everyone would agree this palette is the best, with all the perfect every day colors and of course great pigmentation.

3. My gel liner: I don't have it pictured here because I left it in my makeup bag, buuuuuutt of course my Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel eyeliner. Smooth application, long lasting and the greatest eyeliner to ever exist!

4. My brow kit: Wet 'n' Wild brow kit in dark brown. Even though it is a cheap drugstore brand, it measures up to the higher end stuff, I'm telling you. Actually, I think it's even better!

5. My concealer: M.A.C's Moisture cover concealer. It's very moisturizing and conceals my dark circles perfectly.

6. My mascara: I'm liking Lancome's Hypnotic Mascara. The formula is great!

7. My face powder: Mabelline's Dream Matte Powder. This is amazing! It gives a flawless look to your face and removes the shine. Great setting powder!

8. My bronzer: You guys should know I love my Hoola Bronzer by Benefit! It matches my skin color and gives a very natural glow to your face.

9. My blush: Recently, I've been loving NYX's powder blush in Terri Cotta. It gives the cheeks a great glow and a hint of peach.




Of course, for most of these product to even be used in a effective way, we need brushes to do the job. These are my essential brushes. Sometimes you can use the right product and have the wrong brush and the product would not work on your face. You have to have the right brushes to work for the right products. These brushes have been very good to me and works with my products very well.

1. My foundation brushes: Essence of Beauty Foundation & Conceal brush and Sigma's Round Top Kabuki F82 brush. I use the flat foundation brush to apply the foundation all over the face and the F82 brush to smooth it out. The Sigma brush is the best for blending your foundation because it gives such a flawless look.

2. My powder brush: Coastal Scents Flat Bronzer IB103 brush. It says it's for bronzer, but I use it for my Dream Matte powder and it works wonders with the powder; they are so perfect for each other that I never want to separate them.

3. My blush brush: Ecotools Blush brush. It's a cheap & perfect brush for blush. It is so soft yet dense enough to apply the product evenly.

4. My bronzer brush: Sigma's Angled Top Kabuki F84. This applies my bronzer evenly and perfectly. The angle is great for getting into the hollows of your cheeks and around the edges of your face plus it's so sooooft!

5. My eyebrow brush: Ecotools angled brush. This brush has been my first and last angled eye brow brush I'll ever buy.

6. My eyeliner brush. Coastal Scent's angled synthetic brush. It didn't have a name to the brush, but it is a very precise angled brush for eyeliner. It creates a great and perfect wing for my cat eye and I use it every day!

Current Skincare Routine: Philosophy's Makeup is Optional Skin

I've been using Aveeno's cleanser & moisturizer since forever; starting from way back in high school. It suits my skin well, but now that I'm in my middle 20's, my skin has changed since then. I'm starting to find fine lines appearing near my eyes and my skin is not as youthful as it used to be. So, I gave up on Aveeno to try Philosophy's Purity cleanser. I heard a bunch of reviews on youtube about this stuff and how people swear by it. Let me first start by saying that I have dry, combination skin. I get dry patches on my cheeks while my T-zone tends to be oily. Besides these areas, my skin is normal. Also, my skin is very sensitive, one wrong move and BAM a pimple makes a grand entrance on my face. HELLO! Anyways, I went to my local Sephora to pick up the Purity Cleanser, when I came upon a set with the cleanser, a facial serum, moisturizer & eye cream. I was like hey let me just go all out and try the whole thing. Plus, the set had travel sizes, which is nice if you want to try something out instead of committing to full sizes that might not even work for you.

The set is called Makeup Optional Skin. It's for basic care for normal, combination skin. The set was originally $40, but it was on sale for $32. Now, as you probably noticed, the set is for normal, combination skin, but I have dry, combination skin. They didn't have a set for my type of skin, but it's close enough. Back to the set. There are four products in the set. I have been using the product for about a month and a half now and felt that it was good enough to do a review on.

First the Purity cleanser, which is suppose to gently cleanse your face by removing your makeup, add essential oils and providing hydration to your skin.
Review: I would say that it does cleanse your face. My makeup can get a little heavy where it feels like there's mud on my face towards the end of the day. O_O With this cleanser, it gives you that fresh feeling like when you first come out the shower. Awww, so refreshing! I also can say that it does remove my makeup, but not entirely. My mascara as well as my melting eye liner is still making its presence on my eyes. It melts the makeup, but not remove it. I have to use an makeup remover for that. =/ When it says it removes makeup, I expect it to remove EVERYTHING, but it didn't, which was a let down.

Secondly, was the When Hope is Not Enough, facial firming serum. This is to help firm, protect and hydrate while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also, it has antioxidants to help protect against environmental attacks.
Review: I can say that this worked for my face almost immediately. I was amazed at how fast this took effect. I noticed by the next morning that my skin looked more awake and alert. My fine lines did minimize over time and my face did look firmer. I only use this at night, but it says to use night & day. I believe if I did use it like it states in the directions, then my skin would look better. The reason why I don't use it day & night, is because I tend to forget or I'm always in a rush that I don't even bother putting it on. At first, it is a bit oily, but it dries quickly on your face. I really I love this stuff. I plan on buying the full size one once I run out. Yeee!

Thirdly, is the Hope in a Jar moisturizer. This a lotion that is suppose to hydrate your skin while exfoliating it. Also, it has beta glucan, which is to help strengthen the skin's natural repair system.
Review: I did love this moisturizer. It did its job and I love how it is light and satiny. It glides on the skin very nicely. The only con for me would be that it's not as hydrating as I like it to be. My skin needs more moisture because its so dry. >_<

Lastly, is the Hope in a Tube eye and lip cream. It's suppose to moisturize and diminish the appearance of fine lines around the eye and lip area.
Review: I found no result for this cream. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't used it long enough, but I just didn't notice any difference around these areas. I don't even use it anymore. The cream itself is just like any moisturizer, nothing too spectacular. o_O

Overall, I did like the set. Lots of people complain about the smell, but it doesn't bother me too much. All of the ingredients in these products are natural, so the smell has that organic, natural smell to it. It's not strong at all; it's intolerable. I definitely love the Purity cleanser and the firming serum. These are the products I plan to repurchase. I hope this was some help to you ladies out there who want to try a new skincare routine or is curious about the Philosophy skincare brand. I suggest you buy the sets because you get more for your money because you actually pay more when you buy the products separately. Thanks for reading! ^_^

Winners for the Must-Have Giveaway

Congratulations to the two winners!!

Winner #1 Dee
Winner #2 Sheila Grace Singh

(All winners were picked randomly using a randomizer.)

Please message your name and address to msbklove@gmail.com as well as your prize pick!

Thank you everyone for participating!

^_^

bk Must-Have Giveaway

I would like to invite many of you to my blog by giving makeup away! How cool is that! It's the bk Must-Have Giveaway, which includes two makeup products I can't live without! In order to be eligible for the giveaway you must be a follower on my blog and comment on any one posting of your liking or unliking. (I'm always up for growth!) I will have the giveaway a week from today April 20th and will announce it on my blog. If you are already a follower on this blog, you can still participate and if you are chosen as a winner, to show my true appreciation I will send you a bonus gift! I will have two winners in my giveaway. The winners will be chosen randomly. The person who contacts me first will be able to pick the item they want first. I forgot to add that you must be 18 years old or older in order to be a winner!

Here are the items:


Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Anyone that knows me well, knows that I love me some eyeliner. I can't leave the house without it. Hands down theee holy grail of all gel eyeliners. You will love this stuff! It's smooth as it glides on the eye with ease and it last all day, I mean ALL DAY!



MAC's Powder Blush, Peaches
I love this peachy, coral blush. It took me a while to get my hands on it at the MAC counter because it was always sold out. Everyone loves it as much as me! This blush is one of my all-time favorites. I'm always reaching for it almost every other day. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I do, especially because spring is here.

Goodluck! Follow me on Twitter: msbklove

-bk

Bonus gift for my existing followers:


It's a pocket mirror. Isn't it just cute!

Jackie's Makeover: Day/Night

BEFORE.

AFTER.
Golden Daytime Look

Hot Nightime Look

Spring Haul Review.

First off, I would like to say I'm in looove! I've been trying to find the bronzer that suited me best and now that I've found this bronzer I can finally live in peace. For over a year I have been using Stila's Bronzer 01, but I find it is too light making it more of a blush than a bronzer on me. Applying Hoola gives me a nice glow and a natural contouring affect to my face. Why diet when you can look slim with makeup! $26-$28 5/5 Stars

My skin is rather dry, which is extremely annoying. Looking like I have danduff on my face ain't cute! I find that this product makes me even more dry. I mean, it's a no brainer that powder is probably not the best thing for a dry face, but I wanted to give it a try since there were soooo many great reviews. I'm sure it would work better in the summer when my face generates more moisture. $15 (Got the smaller version to test out) 3/5 stars

This eyeshadow quad is pretty decent. The eyeshadows have good pigmentation and it is long lasting. The colors compliment each other and it looks natural and elegant on my eyes. The bottom shadow is actually a powder eyeliner, which works great. Very natural, yet strong enough to me a liner. The only con would be the price. I mean $48, come on now. For that price this thing should be gravitating off the floor and be putting my makeup on for me. If it was half the price I'd say it was a bit worth it. 3/5 stars

These are the lipsticks I mentioned in my Spring Haul.
(From right to left)
1. MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick, Gotta Dash!
2. Lancome's Lipstick, Wannabe
3. Elizabeth Arden's Exceptional Lipstick, Hot Pink

Here are swatches.



MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick, Gotta Dash!
Once I saw this at the MAC counter I just had to get it! The color is a beautiful coral that is subtle and looks perfect against my warm skin color. Spring has sprung finally and this lipstick just shouts spring. The color got me hooked; the only con would be that the formula should be a bit more moisturizing. I find that it clumps a bit and shows my fine lines on my lips. I have to add a lipgloss to compensate for these lacking features. 3/5 stars $14.50

Lancome's Lipstick, Wannabe
I'm completly in love with this lipstick! The color is perfect for my skintone. I got all kinds of compliments on this lipstick. The magenta color makes your lips pop especially against my Hoola bronzer. It's moisturizing and doesn't show the fine lines of my lips. Too bad this lipstick is not permanent, it was part of some free samples I got. =( Booo! 5/5 stars

Elizabeth Arden's Exceptional Lipstick, Pink Vibrations
MAC's new Quite Cute Collection just recently came out and I was eying the lipstick, Candy Yum-Yum, but of course it was sold out before I can even contemplate getting it. I was at Macy's when I tried it on and I was shocked that it looked gorgeous on me. I was afraid it would be too loud, but it complimented my skin perfectly. Since they were out I wanted to find an alternative. This is what I found. Elizabeth Arden's Pink Vibrations lipstick was an exact match and I love it! $19.50 4/5 stars

Spring Haul.

1. Lancome's Taupe Craze Eyeshadow Quad $48
2. Lancome's Lipstick, Wannabe
3. MAC's Sheen Supreme Lipstick, Gotta Dash!
4. Elizabeth Arden's Exceptional Lipstick, Hot Pink
5. Benefit's Hoola Bronzer
6. Makeup Forever's HD Transulent Powder

Reviews for each item coming up!

Plum Lips

For winter plum lips are a must. It makes your lips supple while not being too vibrant. It's a subtle way of giving your face color. A great plum color is MAC's Kissable Lipcolor Flaunting it. (Sorry it's sold out, but there are many substitutions out there.)

The Black Swan

I was bored one day and decided to attempt the Black Swan look. I love the look because it's elegant while cynical at the same time. If you want to play up a night out then this look would suit best.

M.I.A

Sorry I've been MIA for the past several months. I felt that since I kind of strayed from my passion of makeup and fashion my life seemed so empty. I started to doubt myself, but a few things has helped me realize what I need to do and that is follow my dreams. Sometimes my dream of becoming a makeup artist and business owner is so far out there, that I can't make it. But I rather go for it and see where it takes me. I know that I would be more satisfied with life knowing that I tried to achieve my dream then giving up before I even started. So here I am back on the scene. Watch out!