Chanel Vitalumiere Review & Swatches

Back to a Chanel product, again ladies I know, but I just can't get enough of their products! The Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation is THE best summer foundation ever! It's lightweight, but buildable, and I mean it has SPF 15! We all know we forget to put on sunscreen in those hot summer months before we apply our makeup; it just isn't a habit of mine. With the extra sun protection, it becomes the perfect foundation for the summer time! 

Can we just talk about the packaging, once again... Chanel, you're technique is perfect, with the black top and foundation-colored bottom, is simply unique. The box-like packaging is so easy to just throw in your makeup bag. The only thing I have to say is, NOT ENOUGH PRODUCT! The packaging is large for the little amount that comes in it! For such a light foundation, 1 fluid ounce just isn't enough, especially for the high price. I know, I know Chanel is high-end and they couldn't give you much product anyways, it's what you'd expect, but I love this foundation too much that I run out so fast!

The foundations color range is all yellow based undertones. There isn't a good selection for my pink toned babies! But my shade is 22 Beige, and this is the second lightest shade... This foundation has a very runny texture. When I first used it, I squeezed it on to the back of my hand and out came water with a tiny layer of foundation, kinda like oil on water! My first reaction, "I PAID $48 FOR THIS?!" Then I realized, duh, you have to shake it. A LOT. Shake this product before applying it! I'm not a huge fan of applying foundation with my hands, so I prefer a flat top kabuki or a damp sponge. I know you get the fullest coverage with your fingers, but this foundation blends and fuses with the skin much better with an applicator!

You can tell from the picture above that this product is seriously lightweight! But this is merely one tiny layer, so building it up is the best option. I usually do about a layer and half all over the skin and it looks flawless! I used this product on almost all of my clients for Prom Makeup, and even with the SPF, it doesn't bounce back in flash photography! Fair warning, ladies, the foundation does oxidize! This means that as it settles into the skin, it gets a shade darker! I ended up first getting the shade up to match my spray tan, but it ended up being to dark and I had to exchange it! If you do have oily skin though girls, set this foundation with a heavier powder because it's water based which means its very hydrating! I love it for my dry skin, even in the hot summer months!

Girls, the perfect summer foundation is right here! You need this in your life! I'm telling you it's perfect for normal to dry skin. As for my oily ladies, maybe this is a great alternative to a winter foundation! To be honest, this is my second time repurchasing this product for the summer and I don't think I'll ever use anything else! For the beach I apply usually one layer with a tiny bit a powder and I'm out the door! Chanel, once again, you never cease to impress me with not only the product, but also the packaging! Once again, NAILED IT! Let me know if any of you girl try this out or if you have, leave your thoughts in the comments below! xoxo, Beauty Madness

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Review & Swatches

Any beauties who have ventured into the makeup world, especially the beauty guru's have heard of or tried this concealer. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer definitely is at the top of the list when it comes to all-time concealers ever made. NARS created this gorgeous product that is so creamy, and so silky that it glides and blends onto the skin flawlessly. 

First off, let's talk about this packaging! Absolutely stunning! Am I right, ladies? I think so. NARS stuck with they're rubberized, matte black packaging that definitely shows its high-end quality. The text is straight forward, black and simple, and doesn't distract from the beautiful packaging. The rubberized top makes it easy to keep grip, and basically impossible to drop when applying. Can we just take a second to talk about the doe-foot applicator? We all seemed to think this top of applicator is only for lip glosses. Well, we were sadly mistaken my beauties! It is amazing for applying this concealer under the eyes, around the nose, and spot concealing. 

Time for the best part, the concealer itself! They nailed it when they named this product "Radiant Creamy Concealer" because thats exactly what it is! Its texture is so soft and, duh, creamy, while its giving such light with its satin finish, perfect for underneath the eyes! Now, not to disappoint any of my heavy-duty concealer lovers, but this product isn't full coverage. BUT it is buildable, don't you worry loves! I have to say that the range of colors is PERFECT for any skin tone. This concealers ranges from pink to yellow undertones, and light to dark skin colors. Okay, its not necessarily as large as the MAC Cosmetics Pro-longwear concealer, which we all know NikkieTutorials cannot get enough of! But, NARS did a wonderful job with the shade range, I must say! For all my oily babies, this product, especially if applied under the eyes, must be set with powder! It is so creamy, that it may wear off or crease under the eyes! I know Casey Holmes, another beauty guru, can't use this under her eyes because it creases, but she always always always uses this down the center of her nose! So its perfect for that! In case any of you beauty's were wondering, my shade is LIGHT2 Vanilla, or a comparable MAC NC20.

Okay, so the product is a little pricey for a concealer.. $29. But, it is totally worth it! Its perfect when you're rushing to get ready especially, as it just blends so effortlessly. I can apply my foundation and pop this under the eyes and be done within 15 seconds. Both eyes, ladies, BOTH eyes. Just don't forget to set it with a powder, even with dry skin like I have the creaminess is just best set with a light dusting of powder! Hope you beauties try this product out, or if you have leave a comment! xoxo, Beauty Madness

Chanel: Soleil de Tan de Chanel Review

This highly raved about product had taken over the makeup artistry world. It has been used from just general photoshoots all the way to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The Chanel Soleil de tan creme bronzer is at the top of the charts when it comes to getting that gorgeous sun-kissed, bronze glow. This product was a whopping $48, was it worth it?

Many have said this product is the best creme bronzer the makeup world has to offer. Now, not many companies have been able to master a creme bronzer as it usually ends up going streaky, not long-lasting, or its too orange or dark in color. But, Chanel hit the ball on this product. It is by far the best, and one of the first creme bronzers to come out. Many companies have tried making their own, but none master up to this baby! It never goes streaky, it lasts all day, and doesn't need to be set with powder. I wouldn't say its completely matte, it does have a satin finish to it, without looking too glittery on the skin. The creamy texture is very light and so easy to blend. Most creme products tend to go cakey on the skin being layered on top of foundations, and powders on top. But this product does neither! Not to mention the product's packaging is absolutely stunning and sleek. Chanel is known for its logo, and the satin packaging with the black top with the gold logo tops it all off. It's so simple looking, yet so elegant and the ringlet textures at the top makes it look as though the product was packaged perfectly. Now, I've had and loved this product for about 8 months and haven't even put a dent in it! The amount of product in this is insane!

When it comes to applying this product, you definitely need synthetic brushes, or a sponge like a beauty blender or the real techniques sponge. My personal favorite is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Its slender, yet dense brush hairs make for applying and blending the products in the hollows of the cheeks a breeze. I haven't seen many people try applying this product with their fingers, as its a tad too dark to apply with such a heavy hand unlike a cream blush. I believe this product to be too gorgeous to not apply with a great applicator! Now, this color is not for contouring ladies! DO NOT TRY IT! Contour colors are meant to be cool-toned and a little more deep in color. Trying to contour with this color will make you look like an orange creamsicle... I wish I was exaggerating. This product is meant to BRONZE the skin! Don't apply it strictly to the contours of the face, but blend it up onto the cheekbones. Ladies, do not, do not, do not use this product without applying it to the outskirts of the forehead. You're face won't look as though it is sun-kissed, and we only bronze our skins to make it look like its being hit "naturally" by the skin! Remember, bronze not contour with this product, beauties!

Most would say the high price you pay is for the brand and the packaging, and not the product as it isn't so expensive to make. But to be honest, the packaging is flawless, and product is just too die for! Ladies, if you love bronzing up your skin, especially when the winter months don't give you that glow, so you resort to fake tan, YOU NEED THIS PRODUCT IN YOUR LIFE! It is definitely worth the money, and the product lasts forever! They give you so much product, when you only need a little bit to do the job! Chanel, thank you for creating this amazing cream bronzer, and no one can master up to this one!

Smashbox FULL EXPOSURE Review & Swatches

Smashbox FULL EXPOSURE Palette

I think there was beauty guru insanity all over Youtube when Smashbox released this palette as tutorials, reviews, and relentless comments went on and on about this amazing palette designed for any eye look. This versatile palette, with 14 shadows ranging from shimmers to mattes in both warm and cool tones claimed to be the next "everyday" look next to the Urban Decay Naked palettes. Its designed to suite every skin tone, and includes a dual-ended brush to use with both formulas of shadows. Was this palette worth all the hype?

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The packaging is extremely sleek with its matte black color, and duo chrome lettering, making it very eye-appealing to shoppers. The texture is quite rubberized making it easy to grasp, and the magnetic feature keeps the palette shut until it is forced open, which is definitely key when having such shimmery shadows in a palette. Last thing you need is glitter all over you're makeup bag, dolls!

The shadows are featured above, the top row is all shimmery shadows, and the bottom row is completely mattes. To the left, in both rows, the colors are quite warm with deep browns to peachy tones. To the right of the rows, the shadows are more cool-toned with grey undertones peeking through. As you can see, the matte black is speechless, HIGHLY comparable to MAC's carbon eyeshadow, which you'll notice in the pigmentation below. The two middle shadows within both rows are ideal for highlighting the inner corner or the brow bone to suite any skin tone. The shadows are quite soft to the touch, as well.

                           

This added in "bonus" was a dual-ended brush with a fluffy side on one end, and a compact brush on the other with two different hairs. The black hairs are designed to compact the shimmering shadows to the lid, while the light hairs are for blending the mattes simply. The fluffy brush is quite comparable to a MAC 217 brush or a Sigma E25, just not quite as compact. However, I find the doubled sided flat brush to be useless. The two different textured hairs make no difference in the application of the shadows, nor do they pack on the color as opaque as said to be. Overall, I would've rather have seen Smashbox come out with an eyeliner for this palette, or even a dual-ended one.

Let's move on to the actual shadows, ladies, that's the ultimate test for the price! Featured above are swatches of the shimmery shadows within top row of the palette. My overall opinion? Honestly? AWFUL! Instead of being "Shimmer Shadows," they're basically all glitter, no color, no opaqueness to them! The glitter is so chunky and heavy and flakes all over when I tried to swatch them, never mind on the lid. Beauty's, let me tell you, after spending all that work applying a flawless foundation, only to be ruined by sheer specks of glitter, really pisses me off! You know my pain, ladies, c'mon. These shadows aren't worth it, after pressing into the shadow more than 4 times just to get color for the swatch was too much for the glitter chunks to be flying everywhere. I wouldn't recommend buying this palette for these sheer, chunky glitter shadows whatsoever.

These mattes, on the other hand, ooh girl you have no idea the love I have for these babies! They're so soft, and so creamy. They blend beautifully all over the lid, and crease. One tap of the brush, and you have all the pigmentation you need! The warm and cool tones create so much variety for any matte-look. Smashbox really hit it out of the park with this row! Anytime I'm looking to create a seamless, matte look, I reach for this palette everytime! If you're a matte eye-look lover like me, you need this in your life!!

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Smashbox, you out did yourselves on the matte shadows! I couldn't believe how much I loved the mattes, yet hated the shimmers so much! I'm sorry, but for $52.00, and a brush that isn't useful, just isn't worth it to me! I really wish they just made a palette of all the matte shadows, forget those shimmers, they're painful to use! Now, ladies, let's not get too excited about the new Smashbox DOUBLE EXPOSURE palette soon to be released, as I have little hope for any shimmer shadows to come in that palette. If you have your mindset on splurging the money for this palette, play with the shimmery shadows BEFORE doing your foundation. No reason to ruin that flawless canvas on sheer glitters! Stay beauty crazy ladies,

xoxo- Beauty Madness