Blaq Vixen Beauty

In Retrospect: 11 Favorite Spokebeauties of 2011 Feat Joan Smalls, Paula Patton, Solange and More

BlaqVixenBeauty — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:07:54 AKST

In 2011, we rooted for our favorite spokesbeauties and welcomed new, exciting campaigns starring some of the world's most stunning faces. Behold, a look at some of the year's best hair and beauty ads:

JOURDAN DUNN for YVES SAINT LAURENT

Featuring Yves Saint Laurent's most iconic product, "magic wand" Touche Éclat, this elegant ad marked model mama Jourdan Dunn's first solo beauty campaign. It was also her first major partnership with a beauty brand.

GATE MAYA HAILE for FASHION FAIR

Gate Maya Haile may have intially studied nursing but now she's killing us with her flawless good looks and delicious bronze skin. Starring in Fashion Fair's stunning holiday ad with makeup by Creative Director and makeup master Sam Fine, there's no way we can resist her "Siren Call." [...]

You Can Get With This or You Can Get With That: The Beauty Preferences Edition

BlaqVixenBeauty — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:23:54 AKDT

I've forgotten how fun it is to participate in a beauty tag...even if I tend to overthink my answers! The stunning Khadine from Cosmetic Passion recently tagged me on her blog in a beauty preference meme in which I have to choose one beauty product in a series of questions:

[blush] or [bronzer]?

Sure, I love using bronzer as blush, eyeshadow and as a highlight, but nothing beats a gorgeous, ethereal glow you can get with a coral-, orange- or peach-hued blush. My favorites:

Blush - $27.00	MAC Mineralize Blush - $22.00
Milani Baked Powder Blush Red Vino - Sold Out	Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush Warm Berry - Sold Out
IMAN Luxury Blushing Powder - Sold Out	Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain - $30.00

Face Blush by Iman

[lipstick] or [lip gloss]?

Purple lipstick please! But I think I might be wearing a host of fun lip tattoos this fall just because I hear they stay on forever with minimal retouching. My favorites:

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - Sold Out	Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Sold Out
IMAN Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick - Sold Out	CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick - Sold Out
M·A·C 'Midnight Blue' Lipstick - Sold Out	Semi Matte Lipstick - $24.00

Lipstick by M·A·C

[eyeliner] or [mascara]?

I know winged eyeliner and its variations is hot right now but give me a great mascara to define my eyes. Too much work to get the perfect cat eye nowadays! My favorites:

Mascara at Target

[foundation] or [concealer]?

Hands down, I have to choose foundation---especially a cream foundation that can double as a concealer. My favorites: In progress.

[neutral eyeshadow] or [colored eyeshadow]?

I love a nice wash of a metallic, neutral eyeshadow just because I'm too lazy to blend colored eyeshadow and make it look presentable. Besides, metallic eyeshadow is a great Fall trend! See below!

[loose eyeshadow] or [pressed eyeshadow]?

I hate loose shadow (too messy) but it doesn't stop me from using the loose eyeshadows that I have. I love pressed eyeshadows in palettes though...granted that I don't break them! [laughs] My favorites:

M·A·C Eyeshadow - $15.00	L'Oreal-HiP Metallic Eyeshadow Duo - $8.49
Revlon 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad - Sold Out	IMAN Luxury Eyeshadow - Sold Out
Urban Decay Naked Palette - $50.00

More Ulta...

[brushes] or [sponges]?

Believe it or not, I prefer using my BeautyBlender over my makeup brushes. I know there are people out there who think the BeautyBlender is nothing special but I have to disagree. First off, you're supposed to use it to stipple foundation, blush, etc. on the skin. If you use it like a regular sponge, you'll be disappointed. I love it because the technique is so artistic to me. My favorites:

Beautyblender Beautyblender® - $19.95	Beautyblender Beautyblender® Set - $34.95
Beautyblender Beautyblender® Duo Set - $39.95

More Beautyblender...

Which ones would you choose?

Photo via WireImage

Johnson's Blog For Beauty Challenge: Layer Johnson's Baby Oil Gel Over Shimmering Sunscreen

BlaqVixenBeauty — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:28:32 AKDT

Happy first day of summer to all of you!!

If you liked the Johnson's Baby Powder as a body veil tip, maybe you'll love this next tip: layer Johnson's Baby Oil Gel over sunscreen. This is actually a Sports Illustrated (SI) Swimsuit Issue Beauty Secret I remembered reading on the InStyle website. Makeup artist Tracy Murphy says she reaches for the Johnson's Baby Oil Gel because "it's super shiny, repels water and looks absolutely stunning in pictures."

Who knew Johnson's Baby Oil Gel could be glamorous?!

Hauled: Essie, CoverGirl, ecoTOOLS and L'Oreal

BlaqVixenBeauty — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:28:59 AKDT

Can I just say that I cannot wait until my two classes are over? I have a massive headache so I decided to rest a bit by sharing what I bought this past weekend (not pictured: Kiss Lashes with Application Strings; Essie Nail Polish in Beach Bum Blu):

Eco Tools Bamboo Lash and Brow Groomer - $4.19	Essie Nail Polish - Sold Out
CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick, Divine 330 - Sold Out	COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Lipstick - Spellbound - Sold Out
L'Oreal-HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner - $11.79	L'Oreal Hip Chrome Eyeliner - $9.99

Lipstick at Target

I think out of everything I purchased, I was really excited to buy the CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks in Divine and Spellbound (from the Fort Lewis Exchange):

I was inspired by Danielle's post "Weekend Makeup Idea: Purple Lipstick" over at the Fashion Bomb. I bought Revlon's Berry Haute last year and was wearing that on a fairly regular basis but decided it was time to try out some new purple shades. When I saw that she recommended CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick in Divine. I immediately went out and grabbed this shade. Do you know that I have yet to see any of the new CoverGirl Queen Collection Lip Colors in stores? I couldn't even find any of the old shades (I really wanted to pick up Ruby Remix). I couldn't even find them in clearance! I guess if you're having the same problem, you would have to buy them from drugstore.com.

Anyway, here's what Divine looks like on my lips - I like how it is moisturizing and cream and how I don't have to apply my EOS Lip Balm as a primer:I just love purple lipsticks now - I count Divine as one of my top five of all time. From this picture, it seems like Divine is a dupe for MAC's Up the Amp Lipstick. Revlon's Berry Haute is also a dupe. Yet, out of the three, Divine is the only one with silk therapy that helps to improve the condition of your lips. I told myself back in January that my signature look would be a purple lip with a cat eye. Still working on the cat eye but now I have two purple lipsticks to choose from! I cannot wait to to see how it will look with NARS Downtown Lip Gloss!

Here's how Spellbound looks on my lips as well:

This picture definitely doesn't do Spellbound justice. It's an intense hot pink that reminds me of what MAC's Girl About Town might look like (Spellbound is darker in person). I wear this shade in heavy rotation as well.

I think the best feature about both of these lipsticks is the fact that they leave a nice stain behind after three hours of wear. At that point, you can either reapply the shade or follow up with lip gloss. I also like that lipliner is not necessary - these lipsticks don't feather in the corners or outside my lip line.

Have you tried any of the new CoverGirl LipPerfection shades? Any shades I just have to buy next time?

How to Get Kerry Washington's Makeup Look from Her L'Oreal Live UStream Video

BlaqVixenBeauty — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:22:23 AKST

Naturally gorgeous Kerry Washington recently recorded a L'Oreal Live UStream with her hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew in which she talked about the products that helps keep her hair shiny, healthy and gorgeous. I was extremely happy to learn that she's a fan of the L'Oreal Everpure products since I invested a couple of products from this line (the EverStrong Overnight Repair Treatment and the EverStrong Deep Replenishing Masque.)

Celebrity makeup artist Valente Frazier mostly used all L'Oreal products along with a "beautiful baby pink blush" on her cheeks and "a little concealer under her eyes and around the corners of the mouth." Kerry just looked fabulous all around!

L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner - Black - Sold Out	L'oreal-hip Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor - Sold Out
L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara - Carbon Black - Sold Out	L'Oreal True Match Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation SPF 19 - $13.99

More L'Oreal...

How to Get Anika Noni Rose's Makeup Look at the 2011 BET Honors

BlaqVixenBeauty — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:42:00 AKST

Just in case you haven't noticed, I adore Anika Noni Rose's makeup looks by celebrity makeup artist Samuel Paul. I totally forgot that the 2011 BET Honors took place this weekend until I saw this photo he posted on Facebook. Everything is fabulous - the hair, the makeup, the jewelry, the dress - just everything. And if you want to be just as fabulous - makeup wise at least - use these products:

face. For Rose, Paul used both Black Opal True Color Stick Foundations SPF 8 in Heavenly Honey and Nutmeg. Paul then set Rose's foundation with Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder in Medium and Black Opal Oil-Absorbing Pressed Powders in Cappuccino and Truffle.

eyes. Paul applied MAC Eyeshadow in Folie on the lid and blended Handwritten in the crease. He lined Rose's eyes with MAC Fluidline in BlackTrack. The mascara is none other than L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Blackest Black. Paul filled in Rose's eyebrows with Vanitymark Brow Powder in Dark Choco.

cheeks. Paul created a natural flush with CARGO Blush For Cheeks in Laguna.

lips. Rose's pout is a combination of MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy and MAC Tinted Lipglass in Oh Baby.

CARGO Blush For Cheeks, Laguna 0.31 oz - Sold Out	MAC Tinted Lipglass - $14.50
M·A·C Lipstick - Sold Out	L'Oreal Voluminous Dramatic Volume Building Mascara - $7.49
M·A·C Eyeshadow - Sold Out	MAC Stylishly Yours Fluidline - Sold Out

More M·A·C...

Is MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline the Ultimate Black Pencil Eyeliner?

BlaqVixenBeauty — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:49:51 AKST

According to Milan of Milan Rouge, it is! In the past few months, the only black eyeliner pencil I've been reaching for is L'Oreal Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner in Blackest Black...which is not really the blackest black I've ever seen. I used it here when I was practicing my cat eye:

Unfortunately, I haven't used it enough to actually form an opinion about it but I will say that when you first use it, you'll notice how creamy (perhaps too creamy because when you sharpen the pencil, the point breaks off sometimes) and how smoothly it applies.

Anyway, from what I've read, the MAC Kohl Eye Pencil in Feline is limited edition (LE) but was recently relaunched with the Cham Pale collection. So what I want to know is: do you think the Kohl Eye Pencil in Feline the ultimate black pencil eyeliner or can another product claim the title?

How to Take Your Complexion to Perfection with the Right Shade and Foundation from @IMANcosmetics

BlaqVixenBeauty — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:03:40 AKST

Iman Cosmetics have put together this mini guide to help you decide which foundation you need to use in order to put your best face forward. For reference, I am NW40/NC45 in MAC, Caramel in Revlon ColorStay and Clay 2-3 in Iman Cosmetics.

Read on to see which Iman foundation you should buy!

The Beauty Closet: Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation

BlaqVixenBeauty — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:06:54 AKST

Editor's Note: The product mentioned in this post was sent by Purple Lab NYC for an exclusive launch party in honor of Purple Lab NYC's debut on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). The post is under construction as I am taking better photos for this review.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have read my tweets about Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation ($34.50). As it turns out, my experience with Silk Sheets have been mostly good - the formula itself is creamy, silky, blendable, and feels great on the skin. However, since I have to do quite a bit to correct the shade (as you can see on the left), I am hesitant to actually buy Silk Sheets. This is a shame because Karen Robinovitz (the creatrix of Purple Lab) included "coveted ingredients" in Silk Sheets to include algae, hyaluronic acid, silk, juniper, almond seed oil, Vitamin C, and nettle. It also firms the complexion, as you can hopefully see on the right.

Want to see how I made Silk Sheets really work for me? Keep reading for more information and photos!

FOTD: MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation in NW40

BlaqVixenBeauty — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:17:43 AKST

Editor's note: This post is under construction as I am taking better photos!

I can't even express how happy I am right now! This feels like homecoming to me! I never realized how much I loved face-of-the-days (actually, this was my face I did last night so it's actually a "face-of-the-night") until I took pictures. Believe me, I took so many pictures until I found one that I wouldn't mind showing on the blog. I used my beautyblender but I forgot to do the first step: Dampen your beautyblender with water and then towel dry to remove access water. I used mine dry and here's how everything turned out.

Want to know what I used in my first face-of-the-day (FOTD) of 2010? Want to see more photos? Peep the details!

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara - $6.94	Physician's Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara Ultra Black Organics - $10.99
Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies - Sold Out	Maybelline XXL Pro Mascara - Sold Out
Covergirl NatureLuxe Water Resistant Mousse Mascara Very Black 520 - Sold Out	L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara - Sold Out
L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara Carbon Black - $8.99	Lancome - Sold Out
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara - $7.39	Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara - Sold Out
CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe Mascara - Sold Out	L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara Blackest Black - $11.99