FOTD: Rajasthan, Rajasthan, I love you!

OK, now this has got to be one of my favorite "NARS" eyeshadow duos.  "Rajasthan" is a gorgeous shimmery golden taupe and a blue-green charcoal.  It has to be one of their prettiest duos.  The texture is soft and smooth, without being too powdery.  It blends beautifully together and will give you a glamorous daytime and evening look!

For my look today, I just used the duo and a little of "Urban Decay's" matte black  to deepen the outer-v. I than used a pretty emerald green eyeliner by "L'Oreal" to add a little drama to my eyes.  For those killer lashes, I used "Tarte's"- Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara!

What about the rest of my face? Well I just did my usual.  "Koh Gen Do" Moisture Foundation in #301 mixed with their Goldenrod Corrector.  I than applied my "Chanel" concealer mixed with "Koh Gen Do's" Apricot corrector.  The blush I used is by "NARS" in the color Taj Mahal (a beautiful burnt orange with a golden shimmer). 

Quick and easy look!

FOTD: Brown Smokey Eye Look

Hello All!!

Today I wanted to try my Color Tattoo by Maybelline in "Pomegranate Punk."  I used that as a base for this look and it really brought out the reddish tones in the eyeshadows!  The other colors I used were strictly from the original Naked palette by Urban Decay.  I wanted to try a couple of the colors that I do not use very often "Toasted" and "Hustle."



It was very simple and easy to do!!  Lately I have been experimenting with both high-end luxury brands as well as drugstore beauty products.  By doing this I feel that I have established a more well rounded collection of cosmetics.  With this look I used a little bit of everything.

Here are the products I used, I will break it down for you below :)

 

Prep and Prime

I started by applying Urban Decay's Primer Potion (original) from my lash line to my brow.  Than I applied Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer to my entire face. To define my eyebrows I used Wet and Wild Eyebrow Pencil in "Dark Brown."  After shaping my brows I use MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer "NC-42" to clean up the brow area both under and above my brows.  *****If you do this please, please make sure to blend out the concealer!!*****

Eyes

As my base I used "Pomegranate Punk" Color Tattoo by Maybelline, which was applied on the lid only!  Then I broke out the original Urban Decay Naked Palette!!!

In the crease I used "Buck" with a fluffy blending brush (ie: MAC 217) to create a nice medium-reddish brown transition color.  This will also help blend out "Pomegranate Punk!"

On the lid I used a large shader brush (ie: MAC 252) to apply "Toasted" (a shimmery medium dark pinkish- brown).  I lightly patted the color onto the lid building the intensity to the desired level.

To add intensity to the eye I used "Hustle" (a dark plum-brown).  I applied this with a fluffy blending brush (ie: MAC 217) concentrating the color towards the outer corner.  To add a little more depth to the look I used "Creep" (a shimmery black with silver glitter) at the outer-v of the eye.

For the brow bone highlight and inner tear duct I used NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Yougart." 

The upper and lower lash line was lined using Urban Decay's 24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Perversion (creamy, matte black).

Mascara used was Loreal Waterproof Volumnious Mascara ( i think, the writing on the container rubbed off).

Face

I used Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation in #301.  I also tried out Koh Gen Do's Color Corrector in Golden Rod around the center of my face and Dark Apricot to neutralize my under eye circles.  Over top of the corrector I used my trusty Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in #4.  For my highlight I used Nars "Albatross" and to contour I used Rock of Republic Pressed Powder in "Velvet."  On my cheeks I used Milani Mineral Blush in Sunset Beach!

Lips

I went for a simple nude lip, since the eyes were fairly dramatic.  I used my stable lipstick by Tom Ford in the color Sable Smoke.  I then layered a MAC lipgelee over it for a little tint of purple and shine!

And Viola, the finished look:

 

 

Best of Both Worlds . .

Well it looks like L'oreal has stepped up their eyeshadow game!  The "24-Hour Infallible Eyeshadow's" are simply genius . . . creamy, yet still a powder!  The best of both worlds!  They are easily applied with your finger or a synthetic eyeshadow brush.

Many beauty bloggers are saying that they are dupes to "Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows."  I agree with them to a certain extent, the consistency is somewhat similar, but the main difference that I noticed was the colors are not as unique as Armani.  The Armani shadows noticeably contain various colors that give off a intricate marble effect within the packaging.  The L'oreal shadows are a single color, but have various color shimmer mixed within.  I did notice that the consistency of the shadows that contain higher levels of shimmer or metallic sheen apply much easier than the three colors that contain the least amount (Endless Pearl, Continuous Cocoa and Sultry Smoke).

I definitely have more to say about these, however, I have not had a chance to try every color out yet.  So I will go in more depth after I had a chance to try them all.  The ones I have so far are shown below:

Eternal Black - Endless Pearl - Amber Rush - Continuous Cocoa

Eternal Black - Endless Pearl - Amber Rush - Continuous Cocoa

Midnight Blue - Infinite Sky - Sultry Smoke

Midnight Blue - Infinite Sky - Sultry Smoke

Perpetual Purple - Eternal Sunshine - Bronzed Taupe

Perpetual Purple - Eternal Sunshine - Bronzed Taupe

Golden Sage - Iced Latte

Golden Sage - Iced Latte

I May Have Found My Holy Grail . . .

. . . Nude Lip Color!!!

So yes, as I stated in my last blog post I have been looking for my "holy grail" lipstick for the longest.  I never tried any Bobbi Brown lip products, so I decided to give it a try after reading some great reviews about their "rich" color formula.


What did I purchase?! Well after swatching almost ALL of their "Rich Lip Color" line I decided to try their Bare Pink rich lip color and the Pink Cocoa rich color gloss!

The formula of the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color is fabulous, especially for the price of $23! I like it better than NARS Lipstick which is comparable price wise at $24, however, it is not on the level of Tom Ford's Lipsticks which is my ultimate favorite so far (priced at $48).  The lipstick is creamy, moisturizing and extremely pigmented!  Which are my top three concerns when it comes to a lipstick.  The color Bare Pink is a semi-matte, "true beige."  Below is a picture of the lipstick by itself on my bare lips:

The Bobbi Brown Rich Color Gloss that I purchased was from the Rose Gold Collection.  The color is Pink Cocoa it is described as being a "heather beige."  It is a light-brown toned pink which would look fabulous on various skin tone.  The price of the gloss is $23 and worth every penny since they upped the size of the container!  The formula is great; it is a full coverage gloss, so it is opaque and gives off its true color on even my pigmented lips.  The gloss gives off a beautiful shine, without being sticky or gummy.  Below is a picture of the gloss by itself on my bare lips:

 
Not only are these two products phenomenal by themselves, they also make a heck of a team when paired together.  Below is a picture of the two:

Bare Pink Rich Lip Color + Pink Cocoa Rich Color Gloss = HEAVEN!!

Overall consensus BOTH products are keepers! 

They are both moisturizing, lightweight and comfortable on the lips.  They are true to color and opaque! What more can a girl ask for?!  The ladies at Sak will definitely see me tomorrow for another purchase!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter Lipstick

For me finding a truly moisturizing lipstick has been a challenge! I have tried high-end to drugstore brands and still had trouble finding the perfect one.  Luckily I stumbled across Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butters at ULTA and let me tell you I am sooooo pleasantly surprised!  These lippies are pretty decent!  The product applies so smoothly, like butter, hence the name.  They are not extremely moisturizing, however, they are not drying either.  Due to the fact that it does have a "balm-like" texture it will leave your lips soft.  The color pay off is OK on my pigmented lips, I thought the colors would be more vibrant and opaque, but due to my natural coloring they are not.

Overall I do believe that they are worth their price tag of $7.49; especially with a buy one get one free or half off promotion.  My biggest hangup with this product is the lack of staying power (they wear off within an hour or two) and the sheerness of the product (I have to apply it around 3-4 coats to get the color payoff that I want).  I am happy with the four that I received, they are great if you are looking for a lipstick on a budget, however, for me someone who is trying to find that holy grail lip product this is not the one!

What are your thoughts about Revlon's NEW Lip Butters?

Best!! XOXO

Pin curls always deliver!

Oh, how I love pin curling hair!  It always gives you amazing looking results!  Beautiful curls, tons of movement, body and shine, without a lot of heat!  So its healthy and easy to do! Not only can you get great results on your natural hair. . . it also gives you beautiful results on your lace wigs!

Below is our beautiful "Raven" Virgin Indian Natural Straight Optimum Full Lace Wig.  It has been given layers and pin curled to achieve this look:

Here is a little video of the unit, showing the take down and the shake down!!!

The start of a New Year = A new chapter

With the start of the new year, the founders of Couture Hair Designs would like to turn to a new chapter in our book and begin blogging.  I know we are late in the game but better late than never!  Not only will we share tons of knowledge regarding our expertise of hair extensions, hair replacements, wigs and hair care.  We will also bring in an exciting correspondent to deliver her blog series entitled the "Adventures of a Makeup Rookie."  She will be reviewing beauty and cosmetic products, sharing video makeup tutorials, and doing looks of the days with various cosmetic products.


So please subscribe to our youtube channel, follow our blog and twitter.  We will be sure to update daily!