Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush in Exposed

I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Tarte but aside from eyeshadow palettes I haven't really tried anything from them.  Mainly because I order most of my Tarte products online from Qvcuk.com and eyeshadowpalettes are a safe bet and also because they don't support the whole range.  Take this bluch for instance, I wanted this one since I saw it online on a youtube channel but it was never available on Qvcuk so when a friend went to Dubai and mentioned she would be doing some shopping I asked her to bring this blush along.

Exposed is described as a nude pink and that's a perfect description for this color.  The color is part of the Tarte naughty nudes blush collection and is a great blush for a more natural everyday look.  

The pigmentation is good and I love that you can take the pan out of the compact.  No depotting horror scenes to get this one in your Z-palette.

Now, when I want a blush, I'll just buy it (unless it is out of a normal price range) and I did pay a bit more than what it's priced on the official Tarte website (apparently prices are higher in Dubai) but it wasn't until I was typing this post that I began to wonder about blush prices.  I think I may have been watching way to many youtube video's by Stephanie Nicole and she always does a price breakdown and comparison.  So I thought I'd do a bit of the same and this is the result:

	gram	€	€/gram	source
Colourpop	4,2	7,45	1,77380952380952	colourpop.com
Makeup Geek blush pan	4,25	11,2	2,63529411764706	beautybay.com
MAC powder blush/pro palette refill pan	6	19	3,16666666666667	maccosmetics.be
MAC powder blush	6	22	3,66666666666667	maccosmetics.be
Makeup Geek blush compact	4,25	17,3	4,07058823529412	beautybay.com
Tarte	5,6	28	5	tartecosmetics.com
Makeup Forever sculpting blush	5,5	31,55	5,73636363636364	makeupforever.be
Bobbi brown blush	3,7	29,5	7,97297297297297	parfuma.com cosmeticary.com
Benefit	varies between 5 - 9 gram	34		inno.be

Small note: shipping costs and taxes/duties weren't taken into account making this but I think it gives a pretty clear overview of the price range Tarte is in.  Do you find this cost breakdown useful and should I do more of it or not?  Let me know in the comment section below.

Overall I'm very happy with this blush, it's a great everyday color and suits almost everyone.  This will definitely find its place in my everyday routine.

Where to buy:

In Europe you can buy Tarte at QVCUK.com (where you do pay shipping but no duties/taxes as it is shipped from within Europe) and Tartecosmetics.com (they offer free shipping on order €75 and up but you'll have to pay customs so take that in account).

Mac Technique and Mac haul

I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I enter a Mac store even though I've been inside plenty a time (I'd say at least once a month now that we have a Mac in my hometown Leuven).  There's just so much to choose from, sometimes I wish I could be locked in a Mac shop for a night just so I would have time to try out everything.  Unfortunately that's never going to happen but a good alternative is to book a Mac Technique class.  Last week I went to my third (I think) Mac Technique, the first one in Leuven, and I took my bestie along (if you're Dutch speaking you can read her blogpost about it here).

A little surprise was waiting for us, a black Mac Technique makeup bag

 and a travel size mascara (which I threw in my handbag and of course

 it's nowhere to be found, it has probably disappeared in that secret section

 of my handbag where stuff just magically disappears in and just as

 magically turns up again someday).

Mac Technique is like a private group makeup class, we were 7 including myself, and the reason for booking one is different for everyone.  Some people just started using makeup, others wanted to learn more about techniques and others (like myself) just wanted to test products/colors that are out of the comfortzone.  All of this is under supervision of well trained Mac MUA's (Katleen, Elke and Eva in our case) and served with snacks, drinks and lots of laughs ... all the ingredients for a fun friday evening!

MAC HAUL!!!

(and a sample size foundation and concealer)

When you sign up for Mac Technique you have to buy a voucher of 60€ that you can use to buy products on the night itself.  Needless to say I had no problems spending my 60€ and then some.  

Mac eyeshadows in Coppering (bottom) and Nocturnelle (top)

I was brave when they asked me what colors I'd like to use on my eyes.  I went with "you can choose, I'm open for everything and anything".  After a bit of whispering (I admit I did get a bit nervous at that point), Katleen and Elke introduced this duo to me: Nocturnelle and Coppering.  I know purple and orange tones go great together yet I never really try this combo on myself.  But these two were great together!  I even got some compliments from the man when I got home ...

Mac fluidline pencil in Metropolis

I used this on the outer part of my upper lashes, smudged it out and immediately decided to buy it.  The color is described as a deep metal grey and since black can be a bit harsh on me, this is a great alternative.

Mac lip scrubtious in Candied Nectar

I'll be doing a blogpost on lip scrubs soon but this one got me hooked on its smell alone.  You'll see more details on this soon so stay tuned!

Mac blushes in Blush All Day and Harmony

(I couldn't get the colors to appear correct in this picture)

I used Blush All Day on myself and since I've been looking around for a new blush colors I decided to get it together with Harmony (Eva was wearing this one and I was looking for a more brownish blush).

Mac blushes in Harmony and Blush All Day (top row) 

compared to a cool toned Sculpting powder in the color Sculpt

As you can tell by this picture, Harmony is actually very wearable and not at all too brown.

Mac cremesheen lipstick in Crosswires

Crosswires is described as a bright pink-orange and this color has been on my wish list for ages so I finally decided to just buy it (and make space for new items on my wish list).

Mac mini Zoomlash mascara in Beets Me

I admit I bought this for my makeup kit because aubergine colors are a necessity.  I love these mini mascara's, they come in a few different colors and since you usually don't use these colors on a daily bases there really is no need to buy a full size one.

I really love these Mac Technique classes, I always have so much fun and come home with goodies that I probably never would've tried if left on my own.  So if you want to venture out in to the Mac world of makeup go check out your local Mac store for Mac Technique dates.

Tarte Young, Wild & Free Palette

Somehow I always seem to feel when QVCUK does an update on their Tarte stock.  I'm just surfen the net and than a little voice says "go check out Tarte on QVCUK" and voila, 9 out of 10 there'll be a restock and new items.  And usually the new items are on an introductory price (which is just a fancy word for sale or discount) so there no excuse not to buy something, as a matter of fact you should buy right then and there because it's on sale.  Right?  So it's no surprise that this cutie found his way home to me even though I wasn't planning on buying it.

I really love the fun factor of the palette, it's like a feel good palette.  I smile every time I pick it up, even on a pre-coffee monday morning it makes me smile.  I feel like this is what the world needs: more kindness and more confetti (and more makeup)!

After buying the Tartelette and Tartelette in Bloom palettes I completely fell in love with Tarte.  Their palettes are just so userfriendly and the eyeshadows are great quality.  The only thing is that their colorsheme seems to be the same all the time: neutrals.  And this palette is no different.

There is a particular smell to this palette when you open it.  It's a sweet smell that reminds me of the whole Too Faced chocolate frenzy.  I'm no fan of funny smelling eyeshadows, it makes me hesitate to put it on.  I mean, I don't like putting perfumed things on my eyes even if they are dermalogicaly tested.  It just doesn't feel right to me.

from left to right:

wow, party, dream team, lucky charm, weekend, virtue, happy place, simple life

The quality is what you expect from Tarte eyeshadows, great pigmentation and smooth application except for Wow.  What bothers me about the palette, and this is the first time I've felt this with a Tarte palette, is that the finish of the palette itself isn't up to normal Tarte standard.  Maybe it's just mine or maybe it's just the batch but you can see that Simple Life isn't put in straight.  The pan even comes out of the palette slightly on one side.  I noticed it the moment I opened my palette and I feel that just isn't right.  I assume it's just a fabrication error since I don't see this on pictures of others but it's still there.

There are tutorials for a day and night look that come with the palette which is always nice for when you're lacking inspiration (or on a pre-coffee monday morning).

If you're looking for a nice neutral palette and you like sweet smells you can always take a look at this palette.  Overall it is a good palette but I do prefer the Tartelette palettes over this one.

Where to buy:

Tarte.com does ship internationally so you can buy it directly from them (taxes and duties may apply).  You can also buy it at Qvcuk.com together with an LCL mascara for £38 (app. 45€).

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer

I'm definitely not a concealer person, in fact I hardly ever use one.  Why, you ask?  Because I have lines under my eyes (I'm trying not to use the word wrinkles anymore, lines sounds so much more gentle) and most concealers get in there before I even have time to set it with powder.  It's just so much hassle when you're getting a bit older and you have lines around your eyes.  Since I don't really have dark circles under my eyes, I feel comfortable skipping this step.  But since I'm constantly thriving to step up my makeup game I've been trying to convince myself of the use of under eye concealers with not much succes until now.

If you haven't heard of the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer of It Cosmetics you definitely haven't been watching youtube makeup tutorials in the last year or so.  This concealer was everywhere,  got positive reviews all around the web and if you look at the It Cosmetics website this stuff is everything you ever needed and more.  The only problem: It Cosmetics wasn't available in Europe.  You could only buy it at Ulta (and I recently found out you can also buy it at Beautylish.com but since I'm not the best of buddies with Belgian customs I didn't want to use that option) until now.  Recently QVCUK started selling a small selection of It Cosmetics products including the Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer.  So as soon as it hit their website I ordered the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in the shade light and with a duel ended concealer brush as an introductory offer.

I always try out new makeup out on a Sunday because sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to so a stay inside Sunday is the perfect day to try something on the first time.  It was two weeks ago on a Sunday morning I put the concealer on for the very first time.  First impression?  It's a very 'sturdy' formule, it doesn't come out of the tube that easily.  You really have to squeeze hard (almost to the point that I was afraid the end of the tube would explode).  I tried it out on the back of my hand and wasn't all that impressed to be honest, still couldn't see what the fuss was all about.  So I went on and put it under my eyes.  Now, I don't have the excessive dark circle thing going on under my eyes but since I have quite light skin you can definitely see THE vain.  You know, that blue vain that is under your eye and goes all the way to the inside of your eye, THE vain could use some covering up.  I left the concealer on without setting it with powder for the rest of the day.  

The first one I share exciting makeup stuff with is my bestie (no offense to you my dearest reader), if it's bad, good, not worth the hype, so worth the hype ... she's the first one to know how I feel about a certain thing so she got a text at night "this concealer doesn't crease!  It does not crease! And I didn't even set it with powder!" .  

I apply the Bye Bye Under Eye using the flat side of the brush first.  I apply it all the way up to my under eye lashes and in a slightly triangular shape.  Then I continue to buff it in with the other side of the brush and I set it with a little Laura Mercier Translucent powder.   Thats's the method that works best for me.  And the best thing: you only need a tiny amount of product, the size of the pinhead, so a tube will last you a very long time.

I've been using this one for two weeks straight now, every day and I feel naked not using it.  The other day I was running late and for a second I thought "oh, I could just skip concealer, I've been fine without it for so long and will save time" but I immediately banished those evil thoughts of my mind.

Yes, my lovely reader, I think I'm officially hooked on this concealer.  This has never happened before (well, not with a concealer anyway).   If you're looking for a new under eye concealer and you have some money to spend (no drugstore price here) than I highly recommend this one.  Looking for the right color can be a bit tricky.  I have a light skin tone and sometimes I feel the light color is too light for me (but my bestie tells me that's not the case and bestie always knows best) and I am thinking about ordering the medium toned one too (to mix with the light one in summertime).

I'm waiting for QVCUK to start selling their CC cream, I really can't wait to get my hands on more products of It Cosmetics.

Where to buy:

I bought mine at qvcuk.com and paid £23,64 for the concealer with the brush, handling and shipping was £3,97 so in total I paid £27,61 or €35,51.  Not cheap but since it came with a good brush this is a good deal.  You have to hurry though because this sells out like crazy (esp the medium color).  They do restock regularly so you have to visit the site from time to time.

Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks

It took me a while to get on the liquid lipstick train but since they are everywhere I really didn't have a choice but to give in.  The problem with liquid lipsticks is that if the formula isn't good, it's just a waste of money.  I'd already read a few mixed reviews on the Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks from Maybelline but when I was in the drugstore and I saw Coral Courage I just couldn't resist.  I was just so drawn to that color.  Of course I couldn't just leave with one so Fuchsia Ecstasy also ended up in my shopping basket.

To be honest, I can totally understand the mixed reviews.  I put Coral Courage on after I had lunch (so around 14h) and the formula took ages to dry.  It actually felt like it never really totally dried up.  So I was a bit suspicious from that point on.  After a cup of coffee and a glass of water I could already see it getting patchy.  You could see my lips coming through in the center of my mouth.   After dinner it looked as if I had a thick line of lipliner on the edges of my lips and forgot to fill in the rest (not the most flattering look).  But when I removed it in the evening there was still some color coming off, it did leave a stain on my lips.

This picture is a bit darker but if I manipulate the lighting you won't see any difference between the colors.

In all fairness, after buying the Dose Of Colors liquid lipsticks my standards have risen.  So I was a bit disappointed in these.  I did test them without a lipliner underneath and without reapplying them (that's how I test all my lip products).  They probably have longer sustainability when you fill in your lips with a lip pencil first.  These aren't really matt either and the fact that they feel like they don't really dry up makes the product shift around somewhat when rubbing your lips together.  

I'm not the biggest fan of these and after testing them I'm a bit afraid to wear them in public because of the patchiness.  I think Maybelline could've done a much better job with the formula.

Where to buy:

I bought mine at DI but you can buy them at the drugstore.  They cost €6,99 each.

Makeup Geek: first impression and swatches

I think Makeup Geek was one of the first American makeup blogs that became a regular read for me. I absolutely love Marlena!  She just seems so normal to me, very passionate about makeup and being a makeup artist but not over the top.  The looks she makes are always so wearable and she encourages the use of color in makeup.  I was and am a big fan!!  So when she came out with her own makeup line I was intrigued.  I was really rooting for her and it didn't take long for the positive reviews to fill the net.  Which only made me more curious... You can order all of her products in the Makeup Geek webshop, they ship worldwide, but somehow I never got around to doing that.  And than a few weeks ago I received an email that Beautybay started selling Makeup Geek.  That gave me the tiny push I needed and I ordered my very first Makeup Geek products.  

I went for the more neutral, popular eyeshadows because I wanted to make sure that I would use them.  What's the use in ordering flashy colors when you know you're not going to use them?  I wouldn't be able to test them properly if I don't use them.  Along with the eyeshadows, 2 blushes and 1 contour found their way to my shopping cart.

From left to right:

Peach Smoothie, Crème Brulee, Frappé, 

Barcelona Beach, Cocoa Bear, Cherry Cola

I admit that Cherry Cola might be a bit out of context, it isn't really a neutral but a gorgeous dark reddish brown.  It's unlike any color I've seen before and I love the uniqueness of it!  

The quality of these are great, they are so creamy and smooth and blend so easy.  Especially considering the price of these babies is only €6,30!!  

Spell Bound

Bliss

There's no easy way to swatch blushes but I think these pictures show off the pigmentation perfectly.  One dip of my finger in the blush pan, a smear on my arm and these are the result.  The color payoff is crazy.  

Break Up (cool porcelain contour)

I'm not a big contour person.  I love seeing the instagram pictures with the real hardcore contour but on myself?  Not so much.  I have to admit that I didn't have a real contour color, I used a bronzer to contour ever so lightly.  Before we have this whole discussion about cool and warm tones for contouring, I have to add that my bronzer is actually quite cool toned.  I do believe a contour has to be cool toned, simply because that's what shadows are: cool toned.  And since contouring is mimicking shadows it's only normal that you use cool tones for this.  I have used this powder a few times, not on a daily base but on date nights, and I love it.  The pay off is great but also very easy to blend to end up with a nice natural effect.  My man noticed something different to my face, he couldn't quite say what it was but he liked it and that is the best compliment for me.  People noticing something's different, liking it but not really sure what it is.     That means the effect is there but it is so well blended that it looks natural.

While I was at it, I also bought the XL Z palette to store everything in and as you can tell I still have a lot of space left.  Space that will be filled with more Makeup Geek goodies soon.  I already have my eyes set on some more matt eyeshadows but it won't be long before a least one foiled eyeshadow will find its way to my Z palette.

I really do have to give a shoutout to Beautybay.  This site lost me for a while, they just didn't have anything exciting to offer but all of that has changed over the past few weeks with the arrival of Makeup Geek, Dose of colors, Cover FX, Morphe Brushes, ... I'm a big fan again and am really excited to see what other brands they have coming.

Where to buy:

You can buy everything at Makeupgeek.com but you can also buy them at Beautybay.com.  If you live in Europe ordering from Beautybay will ensure you that no extra duties or taxes will be charged and they offer free shipping on orders over €19.

On Beautybay the eyeshadows cost €6,30, the blush and contour pans are €10,20 and the XL Z palette costs €21,90.

Emptied and replaced in January and February

It's time for another emptied and replaced.  I have not been a good girl/woman these past weeks.  I admit that haven't been taking good care of my skin, especially my evening routine has been missing a lot and it's starting to show.  Aside from that I've noticed that I've fallen back into the habit of opening several similar products at the same time, especially body products.  That's why there are no empty body products this time but there will probably be a couple next time.

Facial care:

I used up my Nivea eye makeup remover and replaced it by my beloved Klorane eye make up remover.  The Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum (which was a deluxe sample size) was replaced by a deluxe sample size of Lancôme Génifique youth activating concentrate.  I love serum samples, you only need a tiny drop of these so a sample will last you a while.  I had a weird relationship with my Vichy Normaderm daycream, it didn't do much for me and I was a bit relieved when it was finally finished.  I replaced it with La Roche Posay Redermic R daydream.  I'm already using the eye cream of this line and I was really waiting to try out more of this.

Body care:

I used up a Lady Speedstick spring blossom full size and replaced it by the same one in a smaller size (more of a handbag size).  I really love the Lady Speedsticks, whenever I'm in the US I always bring a few back and I really haven't used any other deodorants since I started using these.  There are still a few backups in my bathroom but I'm really nervous thinking about the day that I run out.

The hand cream was from L'Occitane and it was a great one.  I can't really say what I replaced it with because you'll find an open tube of hand lotion everywhere in this house (and on my desk at work).  I have banned myself from buying more hand lotions because I still have so many unopened ones in my bathroom and you can only use so much hand lotion in a lifetime.

Hair care:

Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum was replaced by Kiehl's Damage Repairing & Rehydrating Leave In Treatment.  I love this Kiehl's treatment, I use it everyday on the ends of my hair and it leaves my hair feeling smooth and healthy (even though I have split ends and am in desperate need of a visit to the hairdressers).

Makeup:

A full size Urban Decay Eye Shadow primer potion was replaced by a travel size (look at how cute that is!).  I still have a few travel sized eye shadow primers laying around and I'm going to use up these before I buy a new one (but I'm already stressing out over which one to buy because there are just so many that I want to try out).  My budget proof Cover Girl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation was replaced by Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation (which I totally love) and my Bourjois eye pencil was used up till the very end and I temporary replaced it by the Urban Decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in Bourbon.  This is just a temporary solution because the Bourbon one has glitter in it and since I use my eye pencil to tight line my upper waterline a glitter pencil isn't the best option.  I'm going to get me a new 'normal' brown one this week.

Samples:

I used up some samples, mostly day creams (in-between emptying the Vichy one and starting the La Roche Posay one).  

And that's all.  I've decided to do an 'Emptied and replaced' every 2 months, I just don't feel like there would be much to show if I do it every month.  If there's anything in here that you want to know more about you can just let me know in the comments.

When besties win ... featuring the entire Benefit They're Real range

I think it was around the 10th of february when my attention was drawn to a Benefit post on Facebook.  "Send a Valentines card to your bestie and have a chance to win the whole Benefit They're Real range."  Now, I never win with these things so I din't give much notice to the last part of the sentence but sending a Benefit Valentines card to my bestie?  I loved that idea!!  She replied with her own Benefit Valentines card and that was it, or so I thought ...  Last week she came by my desk at work (yes, we work together) looking a bit mischievous so I immediately knew something was up.  And than she said something in the line of "if I tell you this, you're gonna owe me forever ... and you have to promise to never make fun of me again", alarm bells went off in my head because, you know, never make fun of my bestie again?? No way I can promise that!!!  But she didn't leave me hanging for long ... "remember those Benefit valentines cards we sent each other?  well, I just got an email that I've won and so we both get the whole Benefit They're Real range"  Say that again?  Overexcited doesn't even begin to describe what we felt but the real thrill was when the package came.  I mean look at it!!  Where to begin?

I've always been a big fan of Benefit.  I've been using their They're Real mascara for a few years now, and I still remember when and where the Sephora sales lady got me hooked on this mascara.  It was in Madrid to be exact and I was there on a girls only weekend.  The They're Real mascara just launched in Europe and one coat on my lashes was enough to get me hooked.  Sure I've tried other mascaras since but I always go back to this one.  I was so happy when they brought out the brown version.  Other Benefit favorites are the Porefessional primer and the Hello Flawless foundation and powder.  It's not just the products that are great but with Benefit it really is the whole experience.  The look and feel of the brand is just so appealing.  Cute but not too cute with a bit of a retro feel to it. 

Benefit, you already owned a piece of my heart and this just made it bigger.  Thank you so much for this, I'm really going to enjoy trying everything out!

Where to buy:

In Belgium you can buy Benefit at selected Galeria Inno stores or online at inno.be, currently there is a 20% off promotion when you buy 2 items at the beauty department.

Make Up For Ever HD pressed powder

Let's talk powder.  I have dry to combination skin, I'm almost 40 (not quite yet but slowly getting there) and I want that youthful shine on my face (you know, the one I had about 20 years ago and that just came naturally).  So I have to be careful when using powder.  I have drier skin on my cheeks but normal skin on my T-zone and since I have some signs of aging (read: rimples) on my forehead I have to use a light hand when applying powder to fixate my foundation.

I can't use mattifying powder but I can't use 'glowing' powder around my 'rimpled' area either because that would just draw the attention to where I don't want it to be.  A lot of powders I tried in the past just lay on my skin like they were to heavy and you could just see it sitting there.  And I do tend to use powder over my whole face, just so my powder blush has a base to stick to (you know, powder on powder, creams on creams) so it was hard to find the right powder.  Maybe that's why I never took an interest in it.  Usually I use a face powder until it's empty and than I'll go and look for another one.

During my week at the Make Up Forever Academy I got to test all of the MUFE products (which is like heaven for someone like me).  I didn't really buy much at the time but I went back a few weeks later to get the Ultra HD foundation (post on this will be on the blog soon) and the HD Pressed Powder for myself.  I bought the pressed one instead of the loose one just because it's less of a mess (and when I'm doing my makeup in the morning I usually haven't had a cup of coffee yet so you can imagine the damage I could do with a loose powder).

Of course I'd read about this powder before and almost every review was good but I was really scared of the 'ghost effect' on flash camera you can get with this if applied excessively.  That was enough for me to stay away from it. But I when I started using it during my course I loved the feeling of it on my skin.  It doesn't shine, it doesn't mattify, it doesn't look powdery and it doesn't sit on my skin.  And I don't know what your day to day life is like but mine doesn't involve flash cameras so I am now using this powder on a daily base and loving it!  I can honestly say that I never knew powder coul feel like this.

I do apply this with a light hand and a black bristled powder brush so I can see how much product is on there.  And I will be using this when doing someone else's makeup.  Like my teacher said "a little goes a long way" and you have to really cake it on to get that ghost effect (and you can always take a picture of yourself with a flash to make sure you didn't go too far with it).  Personally I know I use less when I use a compact instead of a loose powder so that's also a reason why I bought the compact.  And compacts are just easier to carry around, be it in you purse or when traveling.

The downside to all of this?  All of a sudden I have developed a profound interest in facial powders, I even have one on my wish list (I'm going shopping in Antwerp in a few weeks, Antwerp is like beauty heaven to me) so I guess there is a 'to be continued' to the face powder saga ...

Where to buy:

If you live in Belgium you can buy the HD powder at the Make Up Forever webshop makeup forever.be or in one of there 2 stores in Brussels.  The HD powder costs €31,12.