November Favorites

It is almost Christmas and it is freaking me out.  I really can't believe the year is almost over.  November has come and gone and I have found some new gems and rediscovered some older ones.


L'oreal True Match Foundation - After hearing Anna & Amelia talk about this I pulled it out from my foundation drawer and low and behold I fell in love with it again.  It leaves a nice satin finish and has amazing staying power.  I can get at least 8+ hours of wear.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - I couldn't find my Fit Me concealer one day so I used my Nars and feel in love all over again.  It has great coverage and has a great satin finish just like the True Match.   I like to use them together.

Burberry Blush Nude Palette - Ughh I die for this palette.  Have I told you how much I love Burberry shadows ?  Cause I love them.  I have been really enjoying a mauvey, plumy eye lately.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara - I got this in a 500pt perk from Sephora and it is wonderful.  I really enjoy a mascara that has fiber bristles instead of plastic ones.  This gives volume and length and is very black.

Becca Blush in Flowerchild - I have been really into a glowy flush lately and this blush does that for me.  It gives me that natural flush look and it has a sheen to it.

Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight - This is such a cult classic and I totally understand why.  It gives such an amazing glow and really helps my cheekbones stand out.

Albeit Nourishing Lip Balm - If you enjoy Dior's Rose Balm or the By Terry Baume de Rose then you will love this stuff.  It is a rose scented balm that leaves your lips extra moisturized.  I found this recently at Anthropologie and I have been loving it.

Dior Smoky Nail Polish - Dior always comes out with these cute little nail polishes during the holiday season and this year I had to get one.  The shade Smoky is a deep plumy shade and almost looks black on the nails.  It is perfect for this time of year.


What are your favorites this month ??


Love,
City Styles

25 Days of Beauty Giveaway Announcement !!!!!

Hey guys so I am so excited to finally let you all in on a little secret I've been keeping for about a year now. I have been plotting and planning for a giveaway. I am calling it 25 days of Beauty.  There will be 13 winners in all and the giveaways start on December 1st. So the first 24 days I will be giving away stocking suffers and there will be 12 winners and then in Christmas I will be giving a larger gift away.  I'm not sure what yet so please give me some ideas!  I hope you guys enjoy this giveaway.  And let all your friends know!!

I really love and appreciate each and everyone of you and want to give back.

Love,
City Styles

Makeup Bag Round Up

I have an obsession at looking what's in other people makeup bags.  So I thought I'd share whats in mine this exact moment. 

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer 

Tarte Inner Rim Eyeliner

Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil 

Clinique Airbrush Concealer 

L'Oreal True Match Powder

Dior Fluid Stick in Rieuse

Nars Gloss in Priscilla 

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Wildflower

Bite Beauty Matte Lip Pencil in Aubergine 

What's in your makeup bag ??   Send me a picture and you can be featured on the blog!! 

Email me citystyles22@gmail.com 

Love,

City Styles 

My Favorite Autumn/Winter Lipsticks

 I love a good vampy lip during the fall and winter.  And these eight are my absolute favorites.

YSL Sheer Candy in 5 - a beautiful sheer red 

Laura Mercier Lip Glasce in Rose  - the best for daytime vamp

MUFE Rouge Artist Natural in N9 - the go to for a 90's lip 

Sephora Color Lip Last in Wanted Red - the best matte, lasts all day 

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Palais Royal - these pencils are insanely gorge but this shade takes the cake

Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in Saboteur - these are very moisturizing 

Hourglass Extreme Sheen in Icon - best red hands down

Ellis Fass Creamy Lips in L102 - the vampiest shade I own, very intense 

What are your favorite vampy lip shades. 

Love, 

City Styles 

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette {Golden Shock}

Dior released their holiday collection a few weeks ago and this palette was calling my name.  The Dior 5 Couleurs palette in Golden Shock ($60) is absolutely breath taking.  It is a mix of plums, mauves, and golds.  These shades look great on all eye colors.  The shadows are pigmented and creamy.  They blend well.  I usually find that there is a dud in the shadows and this palette is no exception.  The middle shadow just doesn't perform that well.  It is a bit hard for a brush to pick up.  It's easier to use a finger but even so it takes a few swipes to get the pigmentation you want.  The other fours shades are amazing though.  I especially love the top two.  They are great for a smoky eye.  

I really think this palette is gorgeous and overall I am happy with the way it performs.  Right now this is out of stock on Dior.com but you can still find it at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.



What has your favorite holiday eyeshadow palette been ??? 



Love,
City Styles 

First Impressions: KISS InstaWave

Hey guys so Kiss sent me the InstaWave* to try out.  And I thought hey let's do this on camera.  I wasn't quite sure how it would work but I was pleasantly surprised.  The InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle free curler.  It is easy for anyone to use and features a curl dial with left and right curl directions.  There are two heat settings, low and high.  The temperature has a maximum of 420 degrees.  The curler also shuts off automatically after 90 minutes. 

The curler retails for $59.99.  You can find it at Target, Ulta, and Amazon.   

What is your favorite curler ???

Love, 

City Styles 

*Kiss sent me this curler to try out but all opinions are my own

Tom Ford Lips & Boys

On 12:01am Black Friday Tom Ford will release 50 miniature lipsticks.  Each one named after a man that has inspired him.  These are limited edition and will only be available for one day.  They retail for $32 each and will be available at tomford.com 

At the moment I have Patrick, Michael, Preston, and Adriano on my wish list.  This might change between now and Black Friday. 

Which ones will be on your wish list ??

Love, 

City Styles 

Real Techniques Nic's Picks

I have been a Real Techniques lover for a long time now.  I remember when the brushes first came out and how I had to have them.  My collection has grown over the past few years and when I saw this amazing Nic's Picks ($30) set I knew it had to be mine.  I was in Ulta a few weeks ago and there was one set left.  I snatched it up so fast.  This set comes with three exclusive brushes and two permanent ones.  The three exclusive are the Cheek brush, Angled Shadow brush, and Eyeliner brush.  The two permanent brushes are the Duo Fiber Face brush (already own and love) and the Base Shadow brush (I have wanted forever).  Real Techniques brushes are so well made.  And this set is no different.  I love the silver handles and I very much enjoy a synthetic brush.  I have been reaching for the Base Shadow brush and the Angled Shadow brush the most.  They are absolutely phenomanal for putting on cream shadow.  Tom Ford Platinum and I have been BFF's lately and those two brushes work so well with him.  (Yes I call my cream shadow a him)  The other brush in this collection I reach for most is the Cheek brush.  This is also auh-maz-ing.  It doesn't pick up too much product and distributes the product nicely on the cheeks.
          

Overall I am really enjoying this set.  I think this would be a great gift for any makeup lover in your life.



What are your favorite Real Techniques brushes ??


Love,
City Styles 

Burberry Bloomsbury Girls Polishes {Oxblood & Elderberry}

I am addicted to nail polish and in particular I am addicted to buying shades of red.  Any variation of red and I am in.  So naturally when I saw these two shades, Oxblood and Elderberry ($22), where part of Burberry's Bloomsbury Girls collection I had to have them.  Oxblood is a gorgeous deep burgundy, red shade.  Elderberry is a reddish plum, almost looks black shade.  It reminds me of a glass of wine.  These polishes are very creamy and pigmented.  They are opaque in two coats.  The wear time on these is a bit shorter then my beloved Dior polishes.  I can get about three days or so before some chipping begins.  But, these polishes are so pretty that I'll forgive them for that. 

What are your favorite nail polish shades ??  Do you own any Burberry nail polish ??


Love,
City Styles 

Burberry Bloomsbury Girls Palette {Nude Blush}

Burberry recently came out with a new collection called Bloomsbury Girl for Autumn/Winter '14.  It consisted of six polishes, two palettes, three lipsticks, and three glosses.  I picked up the palette called Nude blush and two polishes, Oxblood and Elderberry.  Today we discuss how gorgeous Nude Blush is. 

Nude Blush ($60) is a beautiful rosy toned quad.  I tend to gravitate towards rose gold and plumy colors like these.  I feel like they pair well with my light skin and blue eyes.  I own a few of Burberry's single shadows and I absolutely love them so, I decided to take the plunge and get a quad. I am so happy I did.  These shadows are very pigmented and so creamy.  They are easy to work with and just a little bit of kick up but, no fall out.  They perform just as well as the single shadows.  The colors also pair together very nicely and are not to similar to the singles I already own. 

Nude Blush compared to Burberry Mulberry and Burberry Rosewood.

Right now the palette seems to be sold out on Burberry.com but Nordstrom and Saks have it in stock. And you can always check your local counter.



Have you tried Burberry eyeshadows yet ??  What do you think ??


Love,
City Styles 

Diorific Illuminating Pressed Powder {001 Gold Shock}

Dior released their Holiday 2014 collection recently and it is absolutely stunning.  I am a sucker for anything in gold packaging (especially during holiday time).  I saw this bad boy and I knew I just had to have him.  The bad boy I am talking about is the Diorific Illuminating Pressed Powder ($80) in Gold Shock.  I believe there is also a pink shade but the gold was just calling my name.  It comes in very sturdy gold packaging and of course a nice velvet pouch.  When I first opened the compact angels sang.  Literally angels came down from the heavens and sang.  I don't know what it is about holiday time but beauty brands really know how to wrestle you into buying beautiful highlighters.  

For a while I just looked at it and did not want to disturb its beauty but, that eventually faded and I used it.  Well let me say that all at once I was amazed and saddened.  The top layer is an overspray and it eventually goes away.  Which deeply saddened me because the overspray is just so gorgeous.  On my pale skin it really looked amazing.  The powder that is underneath does not look as amazing.  It kind of reminds me of cornstarch.  The consistency is blah and the way it looks on my face is just blah.  

   

Compared to Chanel Camelia de Plumes, The Balm Mary Loumanizer, and Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow 

Underneath the overspray 

I am totally disappointed by this product.  I so wanted it to be amazing but, unfortunately it wasn't.  Do don't waste your money on this.  If you are looking for a beautiful highlighter try the new Chanel. 

What products have disappointed you lately ??

Love, 

City Styles 

Winter Edit

Back in the summer I did a post called my Summer Edit.  I talked about my picks for the summer time and I thought I would show you my picks for the winter time.


During the winter my skin gets a bit drier so I need a base that I know will keep me hydrated and looking dewy.  For me that is Tom Ford's Traceless Perfecting Foundation (4).  This has quickly become my absolute favorite foundation.  It is long lasting (10+ hours) and just makes my skin look flawless and that is exactly what I need in the winter.   I am absolutely loving the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (1).  These leave an amazing glow on the cheeks.  My favorite from the palette is Incandescent Electra (middle shade).  As for a highlighter I love something that is a bit more golden.  Dior released Golden Shock (8) which is a gorgeous gold highlighter.  I have just started to play with this so more to come soon.  Moving onto eyes I love a good neutral and Tom Ford has totally outdone himself this year.  As a base I use the cream shadow in Platinum (6).  It is a gorgeous bronzy, taupey brown shade.  On top I love to use my Nude Dip palette (5).  This has been my go to for a beautiful neutral eye.  I love a good vampy lip during the fall and winter.  My go to lipstick is a Chanel Rouge Allure in La Provocante(2).  I lightly dab this on my lips and it gives the perfect dark lip.  When I am not going for a vampy lip I love a good gloss.  Chanel Rouge Allure glosses (7) are my favorites at the moment.  They are more like a liquid lipstick and last for hours on the lips.  As for nails I recently picked up Chanel Sweet Star (3) and I have been LOVE, LOVE, LOVING it.  It is the most unique shade in my collection and I have gotten so many compliments wearing it.



What products do you love to use during the winter time ??


Love,
City Styles

Tom Ford Cream Shadow {Platinum}

Tom Ford re-released two cream eyeshadows ($42) , Platinum and Spice, with his Holiday 2014 collection.  These were originally released two holidays ago (I believe).  To be honest two holidays ago I wasn't into high end makeup like I am now so I would have never bought these.   However now I am addicted and I have heard so many good things about these cream shadows that I had to pick Platinum up.   

Platinum is a beautiful taupey brown metallic shade.  It looks gorgeous on blue and green eyes.   It's more of a mouse like texture and has pretty good lasting power (8+ hours).   I do use a primer underneath but, I do with all shadows I wear (I have only lids).  

Platinum compared to Laura Mercier Grey Pearl,  Rouge Bunny Rouge Atlas Swallowtail (almost exact dupe), Sumita Champagne,  and NudeStix Twilight.  

Overall I am really glad I picked this up.  I am contemplating picking up Spice too.  I know these are limited edition so head to your local counter fast before these sell out.


Did you pick up the Tom Ford cream shadows??


Love,
City Styles 

Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses { Affriolant 13 & Extase 16}

Chanel has recently reformulated and repackaged their Rouge Allure Glosses($34).  And may I say they are fabulous.  To be honest Chanel doesn't do much wrong in my eyes.  I had one of the older glosses and it was ok but, nothing to write home about.  These though are amazing.  It is very thick in texture but goes on the lips so nicely and isn't too sticky.  They are very pigmented and a stand alone product.   You don't need a liner or lipstick underneath.  These glosses remind me a bit of a lip lacquer because they are so long wearing.  I would say these last all morning and only wear off when I am eating.   The packaging on these is super chic and exactly like the Rouge Allure Lipsticks.  You click the top of the gloss and the wand pops up.  The doe foot applicator is nice too.  It is stiff and distributes product nicely. 

old rouge allure gloss vs. new rouge allure glosses

old rouge allure gloss vs. new rouge allure glosses

There are ten shades in all, everything from a nude lip to a vampy lip.  I, of course, went for my tried and true coral and pink.  I love them both so much.  If you are looking for a new gloss I would highly suggest checking these out! 

Have you tried the new Rouge Allure Glosses ??  What is your favorite shade ??

Love, 

City Styles  

October Favorites

Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation - I have been raving about this for months now.  This is the most perfect foundation like ever.  I have never loved a beauty product as much as I love this.  It is long lasting and gives great coverage.  It isn't cakey and is a bit dewy.  I love using a beauty blender with it.  It is just utter perfection.

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighter - This highlighter is so gorgeous.  It is a white gold shade (no it isn't silver) and it just melts into your skin.  I just think this looks amazing on my cheek bones.

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy #5 - This is such a beautiful berry shade and it is nice and sheer which means I can wear this to work.  It smells divine also.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow #5 - This shadow stick has been a go to lately !  It's a dusty rose shade that just makes blue eyes pop.  It lasts almost all day which is a huge plus.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - I recently fell back in love with this concealer.  It was on the back burner for a while but finally made a reappearance this month.  The shade Vanilla is perfect for under my eyes.  It doesn't crease and blends like a dream.

Tom Ford Extreme Mascara - I am almost at the end with this mascara.  It separates my lashes and gives them a bit of volume and it is very black.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette - Ughhh!! Love this sooooo much!!  I have used this everyday since I got it.  Incandescent Electra has been my go to.  These blushes are so beautiful and give the skin a gorgeous glow.



Also this month I have been loving my Malibu Bows leopard print clutch and my H&M bag.  As for tv I have been really into Criminal Minds.  I have been on Netflix binge watching it.


What are your October Favorites ??


Love,
City Styles