My summer beauty favorites!

 I thought I'd do a little post on all my favorite makeup I've been using this summer. All products in this post I use daily or at least once per week. I'll list everything and why I'm loving it :

 Left to right:

• NARS larger than life lipgloss in Tiber ~ perfect nude color, awesome formula not too sticky and actually moisturizing!
• MAC prep + prime BB beauty balm spf 35PA+++ ~ Amazing product! I am using the Asian version currently, it's almost the same as the U.S. just has different sunscreen actives. I was using products with SPF 15 but realized I need more SPF than that (my skin was getting irritated by the sun). So this beauty balm (not to be confused with BB cream!) is sheer and non greasy, providing a perfect base for makeup with SPF 35. On good skin days I use it by itself, just evens everything out and gives a slight glow.
• Biotherm multi-proctection SPF 30 eye contour cream ~ Awesome eye cream with SPF. It's fast absorbing and moisturizing, perfect under makeup.
• Burberry Brit EDP ~ I got this by accident, and I'm glad I did because I love it! I picked this up in a sleep deprived haze - thought it was Burberry the Beat (which I also adore!) and once I tried it I thought I may as well keep it. It's grown on me.. it smells warm, clean, sweet and summery. 
• Cover Girl lash blast mascara waterproof ~ I only use this when I need to since it's hard to remove, but it stays all day and is truly water resistant!
• Cover Girl liquiline blast brown blaze ~ The most perfect brown liner I've ever used! I'm not exaggerating. The color is gorgeous and doesn't have shimmer so it's great for the waterline. I like this for the summer because it isn't harsh like black can be.
• MAC penultimate eyeliner rapid black ~ I've been searching for a liner like this forever. I can actually make a tiny, small line with this! I love using it on the top lash line to add just a little bit of fullness to my lashes without having to make a thick line.

 

• Wet n Wild vanity palette  ~ Love this! I like to use the matte colors for a subtle look somedays, and for a more smoky eye I put the shimmery brown over MAC constructivist paint pot and it looks amazing... try it!
• MAC MSF semi precious crystal pink ~ I'm really sad this is limited edition because it's the perfect summer blush and highlighter in one. I use this a lot, the middle gives a light bronze/pink blush and the outside gives a shimmery beige highlight. It's perfect.
• MAC constructivist paint pot ~ Gorgeous deep brown with reddish undertones. I use this one a lot too. I like to layer shimmery taupes and browns over it for a smoky eye.
• Maybelline 24 hr eye tattoo in bad to the bronze ~ Another amazing color. It's the one thing I must say you need for summer. Some days when I want a minimal look thats fast and easy I just use this all over the lid with some mascara and I'm good to go. It's the perfect champagne taupe color, not too dark or too light. The best thing is that it stays all day and doesn't crease or travel.
• MAC lipstick blankety ~ This has become my favorite lipstick ever. It goes with everything, It also makes lips look plump.
• Urban Decay naked palette ~ (Forgot to take a pic!) This is my go-to palette most days. I love it.

One of my favorite summer polishes is Illamasqua Milf. I love it! Sorry for the blurry pic, was holding my baby and trying to aim the camera with the same arm.

 

Here is my summer FOTD, very basic and neutral. I'm spending a lot of time outside so I look really tan..wow.
My FOTD:
face:
- MAC prep + prime beauty balm
- Revlon Colorstay in buff (a whole shade darker than the usual ivory! )
- MAC MSF crystal pink
eyes:
- Urban Decay naked palette: naked (lid), buck (crease & lower lash line), sin (blended above crease), virgin (to highlight).
- Armani eyes to kill mascara (review coming soon!)
- Annabelle brow pencil taupe
lips:
NARS larger than life l/g Tiber

Well I hope you are all having a great summer. My family and I are enjoying it, looking forward to holidays in a few weeks as well.
Let me know what your favorite summer beauty products are! Especailly any skin care and foundations, always up for trying new things :)

Kat Von D tattoo chronicles volume 1 photos, swatches and 3 EOTD's

I've been meaning to post this but I just haven't had time, I am absolutely in love with this palette!
The tattoo chronicles is packaged to look like a worn and slightly tattered vintage book. Sort of like an encyclopedia. Inside you will find 3 pages of Kat Von D's drawings and writings :

Page 1:

Page 2:

Page 3:

After the 3 pages of writing and drawings, you will find a mirror and the eyeshadow palette. Included are 12 eyeshadows, 3 eyeshadow primers, and a pair of false lashes.

The palette then pulls out revealing another of Kat's drawings and a double ended roller ball with saint and sinner perfumes.
Saint smells sweet and fresh, Sinner smells musky and slightly spicy. Sinner actually really reminds me of Tom Ford's Black Orchid, the dry down notes are very similar.

The palette removed from the book:

The eyeshadow primers: L to R skin, stellar, smoky

Swatches:

skin, stellar, smoky

These primers are pretty sweet. They perform well, no creasing or fading at all. I love the little stars on the tubes!
- Skin is a yellow toned beige, perfect for doing neutral looks
- Stellar is a light pinkish white with shimmer, it really brightens up the eye area
- Smoky is a dirty grey color, not really 'pretty' on it's own but it works very well under dark colors making them much more dramatic

The eyeshadows:

L to R Tijuana, taxidermy, hollywood, peanut

- Tijuana is a rich blackened brown with flecks of copper
- Taxidermy is a warm shimmery bronze
- Hollywood is a rich golden amber
- Peanut is a shimmery beige champagne

L to R : Redemption, Soltitude, heartkiller, bandelaire

- Redemption is a vibrant blue creamy matte
- Soltitude is a shimmery lilac
- heartkiller is a baby pink with silver sparkle
- bandelaire is shimmery silver

L to R: Monastary, poe blue, nite owl, lemmy

- Monastary is a charcoal black with silver glitter
- poe blue is a gorgeous dimensional deep blue
- nite owl is a rich deep forest green
- lemmy is a surprisingly wearable light lemon

I have to say that I was not expecting much from these eyeshadows. I was literally shocked when I first used them, they are so pigmented that I barely had to pick up any color on my brush. They are more finely milled and pigmented than most shadows from MAC or NARS. I'm very impressed with their superb quality!
The range of colors was interesting to work with, even intimidating at first, but I ended up loving them all.

Here are my EOTD's using each row of colors:

I used skin primer, Tijuana, taxidermy, hollywood and peanut eyeshadows. I absolutely love this look. It's perfect when I want to do a neutral eye with a kick. The colors work wonderfully together.



I used stellar primer, Redemption, Soltitude, heartkiller and bandelaire eyeshadows. I really wasn't feeling these shadows, they just aren't my colors. They did grow on me and I got the most compliments wearing this look!



I used skin primer, Monastary, poe blue, nite owl and lemmy eyeshadows. These are my absolute favorites out of the palette. I can't even explain how nice and velevety the texture of these are. They just blend really smooth and look great. I use these colors the most.

After trying this palette I decided I'm converting to Kat Von D makeup. I've recently purchased Ludwig and Beethoven palettes and the quality is consistent. I wish I lived near Sephora so I would have gotten into these lovely palettes earlier.
I highly recommend this palette, it's absolutely worth every penny.

Do you like Kat Von D makeup? What is your favorite KVD product?