Sparkled Beauty

Snow Day today! There is another blizzard out there and -16/ 3F windchill, I am happy to stay in.

Did a look for you today, using some Styli-Style makeup I reviewed:
- It's a Breeze Cooling gel eyeshadow in Aqua Forever as base
- Dramatic Dip loose eyeshadows in Morning Dew all over lid and Thunderhead to blend up the crease
I use the sponge applicator, the colours look great, don't they? Because of fallouts, I did my eyes before everything else on the face.
- Colorlash mascara in Black, and
- Lip Paint liquid lipstick in Cosmopolitan
Like I said, it does not look as intense as the swatch when blended out. Good everyday colour.

Also showing you here Avon SuperShock gel eye liner pencil in Aqua Pop, thought it fits the green theme on the eyes.

Other products used for the look:
- Avon Ideal Flawless foundation in Medium Beige
- It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eyes full coverage concealer in Neutral Medium
I used the Beauty Blender Pro sponge for the moisturizer, foundation and concealer but think it sheered out the concealer more than I wanted. I'll save it for foundations only.
- Marcelle Multi-colour powder blush in Pink Fusion
I am falling in love all over again with Pink Fusion, it could go dark or light on the cheeks depending which strips you pick up the colour from. The tempting of high-end shimmer bricks fade away now. So glad I pulled it out to use again, almost forgot I had it :)
- Avon Ultra Luxury brow liner in Dark Brown.

I am happy with how the colours turn out together, but loose eyeshadows require more patience than I normally have in the morning :)

What are you guys up to today? Squirt and I have major cleanup work to do in the house, and laundry and stuff, boring stuff. I won't complain about being stuck inside, as it is worst getting out :)

A bit more than a week till Lunar New Year, I miss my family badly. It is always that soft spot in me when a holiday as big as this one comes around. I love the feeling sitting with my loved ones welcoming the refreshing air of a new year, and count my blessings.

Have a good Wednesday everyone.

I know everyone knows about Beauty Blender sponges by now, but I was intrigued by the black one called the Pro sponge (vs. the pink one as the Original). The Bay was so kind sending me one to try out.

First off, the name: The Pro sponge is exactly the same as the Original in terms of product design. Just because black is the universal colour of pro makeup artists, the black sponge is more appealing to them, especially men, hence called a Pro sponge :)

Secondly, the use: The Pro sponge is supposed to be stain proof, suitable for self tanners and bronzers as well. I only test it with liquid foundations and concealers, however.

And for those purposes, I haven't seen staining after washing, which was good. I hate to see beige/ brown spots on the sponge, giving off the impression that it is not clean (even when it is).

The storage: The base (Beauty Blender calls it an "insert pedestal") inside the container is actually great to hold the sponge why it is drying (duh), keeping from rolling around on a surface or touching other things on your makeup table. And the polka dots are adorable! :)

The application: The technique that Beauty Blender suggests (stippling/ bouncing) works quite well. I was so used to blending my foundation with a flat brush using circling motion and only stippling my blushes, so I had to adjust when using the sponge, but the effect, like we all have heard, is flawless.

You might be surprised to hear that this is my first full experience with sponges like this. I tried a sponge before, yes, but it fell apart at the first wash, so that hardly counted. Glad to say so far so good with this one.

My only wish is for the sponge to have a smaller base (and smaller container) to carry around with. The excessive space inside is not necessary, and takes space in your luggage while travel.

The size: The sponge is meant to be used damp, and it expands almost twice the size when it is wet.

Here is the damp sponge, comparable to my palm. I find the size and design suit the purpose - the round end works around the face effectively, and the pointed end fits well under the eyes, and around the nose and mouth.

All in all, the raves hold true for the Beauty Blender Pro sponge!

The price: 26 for singles or $34 for doubles. Of course getting the double pack is more economical, and you can always use an extra sponge :)

Beauty Blender also has the (liquid or solid) cleansers for around $20 but my Dr. Bronner's soap works just fine for a much lower price tag. There is also a white sponge called the Pure - the Original but without latex, scent nor dye - but I haven't seen it around here yet.

See the Pro sponge in action with a FOTD I did.

As a bonus pic, let me show you the "winter wonderland"  we had Saturday night. The snow came down in big fluffy flakes that covered the ground (and the trees) very quickly in a few hours. Feel free to click to enlarge the pic :)

I was fascinated with the scene the next morning, my backyard turned out to be the most picturesque. Love snow when it's like this, beautiful to look at, light to shovel and is perfect to make snowmen with.

What did you do for fun this weekend?