review
Review: Scott Barnes Body Bling
What is it?
Scott Barnes is a celebrity makeup artist with a client list to drool over. He has made up the faces of Beyonce, Kate Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Celine Dion. Barnes is most known for being Jennifer Lopez’s makeup artist for over 11 years, and he is solely responsible for her signature “glow.” Lucky for us, Scott Barnes has created a shimmering body moisturizer to gives everyone the opportunity to look sunkissed and red carpet ready like the stars!
Keri Hilson Wearing Body Bling at the Grammy’s
Why is it Amazing?
I have been testing out Body Bling on myself and at shoots for the past week and I’m obsessed with it! There are two different colors you can buy; Original, which gives your skin a gorgeous bronzed glow or Platinum, which gives off a lighter, champagne colored glow. Platinum is perfect for fair skin because it doesn’t apply color, just a natural golden shimmer. I can’t decide which one I like more!
Up close and in sunlight, the product is very shimmery but step back, and the shimmer blurs, making your skin literally look like it is “lit from within.” Bonus: It also evens out small imperfections.
Last week, I used Platinum Body Bling on a photoshoot for a “young hollywood” actress and I loved how it translated on camera!! The photographer asked me if I had done anything to her skin because he loved the “healthy, glowy, already photoshopped” effect.
I love that Body Bling rubs effortlessly into your skin without leaving unattractive streaks all over your body. It also lasts forever, I still had some on even after I showered!
This product is super versatile too! You can wear it at the beach when you want to add a little sexy to your suit, or rub some on before a date so you sparkle in low level lighting of your favorite restaurant.
Scott Barnes Demonstrates How to Apply Body Bling
Where Can I Buy It?
You can purchase Body Bling on Scott Barnes’ website: Here OR find a retail location near you that carries it: Here
Any Cons?
-This is a high end, luxury product so unfortunately it’s expensive. ($38 a bottle for 4 fl oz)
-Some people might find the product to be too shimmery (up close) or too “glamorous” for their taste.
Jennifer Lopez’s Infamous “Glow”
Disclaimer: From time to time, companies will send me products or samples. I pride myself in providing my readers with honest feedback of the products I am testing. I will not recommend something I would not use personally or professionally.
Review: Sigma Makeup Brushes
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For the past few months, I have been seeing Sigma Brushes in the brush rolls of many of my colleagues and celebrity makeup artists that I have had the opportunity to assist. Of course, I had to test these brushes out for myself! I have been test driving my new Sigma Makeup “Professional Brushes Complete Kit” for about a month and I am excited to finally share these awesome (budget-friendly brushes) with everyone!
Review:
My first opportunity to use my new Sigma Brushes was on a photoshoot with an actress named Alexandra Daddario, from the film Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief. Even though I usually go through tons of brushes when I work, I forced myself to use only the 12 brushes in my Sigma brush roll (ok, ok… and only like 8 of my regular brushes as well 
). It was much easier than I thought it would be since you have pretty much every brush you need to do a whole face! I need more when I work, but you could definitely get by on these 12 for everyday makeup application.
Quality
On first inspection of the brushes, you can tell they are very good quality. The bristles are silky smooth and they just feel well made. I use a lot of brushes from Crown (which are cheap, but not necessarily the best) and the difference a quality brush makes really can transform your application. After a month of use and routine cleaning, they are still holding up really well. I’m getting a little bit of shedding from several of the brushes, but not enough to worry too much about.
Price
One of the best things about Sigma Makeup Brushes is their price! They are extremely affordable, especially since the quality compares many higher end lines. The Professional Brushes Complete Kit that I have is only $69 without the brush roll ($89 w/brush roll). To get an entire brush set at that price is an amazing deal that would be hard to find anywhere else. If you are on a budget but don’t want to skimp on quality, I highly recommend Sigma Makeup Brushes.
Standouts:
The pencil brush is one of my favorites from the collection. It really helps give a precise application and is awesome for applying eyeshadow to the crease of the eye. I also love it for buffing out a harsh eyeliner, to get a smokey effect. I definitely have found myself reaching for this brush the most!
This has become one of my favorite concealer brushes! It is very firm and the shape is great!! It has a slight point at the tip which I really like for doing detail work. It can cover a pimple effortlessly! It came in handy on a recent shoot when the model’s foundation kept creasing in her undereye folds. I would just pop in and quickly knock it out with this brush and we’d be shooting again in the blink of an eye.
I looove Duo Fibre brushes!! The synthetic tip blends foundation, powder, blush etc flawlessly for an amazing, airbrushed look. This Duo Fibre brush from Sigma is great because it compares to MAC’s infamous 187 brush, for only a fraction of the price! The only real difference between the two is that MAC’s is slightly denser and $26 more expensive! MAC’s 187 retails for $42, while Sigma’s retails at $16. Yes please.
I am in love with this little “Hollywood Glamour Kabuki” brush! It is sooo soft and cute! It’s a little too bulky and awkward to fit in my brush belt, so I’m actually keeping this one for personal use! It buffs my powder and bronzer on flawlessly and is retractable, so perfect for throwing in your purse for mid-day touch ups!
Any Cons?
-The Eyeliner Brush (SS209) is a little too thick for my taste. I prefer a slimmer brush that allows me to build. For someone with smaller eyes, or not much of a crease, the line you would get from this brush would probably be too thick. On a positive note, I have been using it on the lips lately and actually love it! The point gives me control and the ability to make perfect lines while eliminating bleeding.
-The Contouring Brush (SS168) has altered shape after several washings. It is not as tight as it used to be, which is makes it more difficult for precise contouring. It’s slowly becoming a great blush brush though 
- I wish all of the brushes were available for individual sale. As far as I can tell, some are not available to purchase separately.
Disclaimer: From time to time, companies will send me products to review. I pride myself in providing my readers with honest feedback of the products I am testing. I will not recommend something I would not use personally or professionally.
Milani’s HD Advanced Concealer Vs. YSL Touche Eclat
Drugstore vs. High End
I love perusing drugstore beauty aisles in hopes of finding amazing products for really cheap. About a month ago, I came across an exact look alike of YSL’s bestselling Touche Eclat highlighter/concealer! Of course, I snatched it up as fast as I could and kept my fingers crossed that this Milani knockoff was as good as the real deal.
Review: Milani’s HD Advanced Concealer
First of all, can I just say that I am annoyed this is called “HD” concealer. What about it makes it HD?? I never used the brush applicator because of sanitation reasons, but I tested it on my hand and the brush strokes are completely visible. If I used this for HD work, I would be fired haha, Lastly, HD is not a “product,” it is a technology. Makeup for HD is all about the application, and nothing else.
Ok, now that we got that out of the way… lol
I’ve been using Milani’s HD Advanced Concealer on several different shoots over the past month to test it out. The click pen is kind of annoying to use. It took about 20 clicks to get the product out when I first opened it, and I thought it was broken! It still takes a few seconds for the product to dispense and when I work, time is money so it’s not ideal for me. I can see how it would be a great product to throw in your purse for mid-day touch ups though! The product is very creamy and easy to blend and and doesn’t accentuate dryness under the eyes, or give off that ugly cakey look. It works well for mild darkness under the eyes, but if you have anything more than that, you probably need a more heavily pigmented product. It doesn’t last all day and you will most likely need to touch it up a few times, but for the price it is a great option! It only comes in four colors and I wish they had a better range to accommodate darker skintones.
YSL vs. Milani
Packaging
At first glance, you would barely be able to tell the difference between the two products. They both come in a gold, pen-like tube with a brush applicator. They also both have the clicker at the bottom to dispense the product.
Product
Both products have a similar consistency and feel to them. The main difference is that Touche Eclat works best for highlighting and the HD Concealer is better for concealing. Although it claims to brighten, Milani’s version does not contain the light reflecting particles that YSL’s does. That right there is enough to put each product on different playing fields.
Price
While Yves Saint Larent’s Touche Eclat will set you back a whopping $40, Milani’s version is only $6.99!!
The Bottom Line:
Milani’s product is a great, cheap concealer option. It works well and is great for on the go touch-ups. There are some similarities between YSL, and for the price, it’s definitely a great alternative but in my opinion, they shouldn’t really even be compared.
Have you Tried Milani’s HD Concealer? What do you Think?
Review: Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder- Give Yourself the Cheekbones You’ve Always Wanted!
What is it?
Kevyn Aucoin’s Sculpting Powder is a contouring powder. The color is specially made to mimic the “color” of shadows, so when properly applied it can be used to shape, sculpt, minimize or sharpen features!
Why is it Amazing?
Kevyn Aucoin was a makeup artist renowned for his dramatic and incredible transformations using makeup. Check out this picture (below) where he transformed Calista Flockhart into Aubrey Hepburn and Gywneth Paltrow into James Dean!! How could his sculpting powder not be amazing?
One of the main reasons that I love this product is because of the color! Many times, people use bronzer to contour, which can look too orange, or contain shimmer. This product is formulated with brown, gray and red pigments to create the look of a natural shadow!
I recently used the sculpting powder on a model with a rounder face. The photographer wanted her to look more angular for a specific look, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to see how well this actually works! I sculpted out cheekbones and contoured around her jawline, hairline and along her nose. It worked beautifully!! She looked like a different person.
It goes on super smooth and blends really well. It comes with a sponge but I use a brush to apply. I would think that the sponge might deposit too much color.
Where Can I Buy It?
Kevyn Aucoin’s Website
Or check out Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Beauty.com
Any Cons?
-The price! At $42 a pop, it’s not the most budget friendly product 
Keep an eye on HauteLook.com! They have sales on Kevyn Aucoin and I got mine for 40% off!
- You really have to practice with this one! It’s really easy to use too much product which will make your face look dirty. Not cute.
Lea Michelle’s makeup artist Melanie Inglessis used Kevyn Aucoin’s sculpting powder on her for the 2010 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
Kristen Stewart’s makeup artist, Beau Nelson uses Kevin Aucoin’s Sculpting Powder on her all the time. This picture (above) is from her appearance on Jimmy Fallon.
Do you Contour? What Products Do you Use?
Twilight Volturi Makeup Swatches
Twilight Makeup
I was in Hot Topic the other day and spotted this! I heard that Twilight was coming out with a line of makeup, but I didn’t think the rumor was serious! haha. Anyway, I swatched a few of the products because I figured that some people might care
The Low-Down:
The eyeshadows were nice, a little flaky but the colors were pretty pigmented.
The lipglosses on the other hand, were not that impressive. Enrapture wasn’t bad but it reminded me of the kind of gloss you give to children to make them feel grown up, but it’s really just a creamier chapstick with a hint of color.
Feel me?
And don’t even get me started on Arsenic! Who wants grey lips??? I know that black lips were trending last year, but this is not what they were talking about lol! The color is super sheer and it just made my hand look really dirty.
Needless to say, I’ll be passing on the collection. I am however more intrigued to see the movie! If a movie inspires a makeup collection (good or bad), it must be doing something right!
