Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #36

Today is all about the last of the three Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks that I picked up. Unlike her sisters #37 and #38, which I picked up as an afterthought (reviews and swatches here and here), I went into Sephora knowing for sure that I wanted #36 after reviewing the colors available online. I had been looking for the perfect, shimmer-free hot pink, and never found exactly what I was looking for until MUFE came out with this line.

Straight out of the tube, #36 already looked promising. It's bright, bold, and without a hint of sparkle. Yay!


Performance-wise, it's just as pigmented and long-lasting as I expected. I was and continue to be really impressed with this line of lipsticks.


This is a swatch of #36 next to a swatch of the go-to fuchsia that I had before: Lancome Color Fever in Rock Icon Fuchsia. While I still love my Lancome, it has a blue sheen to it that made it darker than I wanted in a hot pink lipstick. I never classified it as anything other than FUCHSIA. The MUFE is perfect in that it is pure hot pink on the lips!


Here's #36 on my lips. For some reason, its daring color brings out different sides in me. ;) I initially wanted a hot pink lipstick to wear for nights out instead of the typical nude or red. This is definitely a fun color that's great for night time when worn in its full glory, but at the same time, it looks beautiful during the day time when you pat it on sparingly like a stain.


This is a more blurry, unfocused swatch, but the lip color shown is actually more true-to-life than the swatch above. BRIGHT, right?


I told you this lipstick brings out different sides of me! :P I feel almost like a rock star with this color. Paired with a light steel/gunmetal smoky eye or a defined cat eye with black liquid liner, #36 would complete the look nicely.


Here's the nicer side of the lipstick. :D Unfortunately, my camera isn't good enough to pick up the true richness of the pink. In fact, it drastically washes out the color :/


This one makes me the happiest out of the 3 Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks I have! Though I no longer have endless summer nights to wear this, I'll gladly transition this bold shade into autumn. It's definitely atypical to wear a shade like this during autumn and winter. After I bought this though, it was mentioned in Allure's Daily Beauty Reporter as one of the Top 5 Fall Trends. So I guess I'm not the only one who thinks hot pink is appropriate for warming up colder days? ;) Who needs scarves and mittens when this smoking color is on your lips? Haha!


Have a great weekend everyone! If you get the chance, definitely go check out #36!

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #38

I did a review on these new Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks here, but last time I only showed swatches of #37. Today I have a closer look at my personal favorite out of the three that I got. This is #38, which is described as a "satin coral."


I have been obsessed with corals and peaches since the beginning of spring, and the obsession doesn't seem like it's going to end any time soon! I don't like the color orange because it tends to be too harsh, but corals and peaches are much more soft and pretty. Like the other two MUFE lipsticks, this one is extremely pigmented and wears well.


Swatch on my arm


Comparison with the other peachy lipsticks I have


I like #38 because it's the most wearable out of the three that I picked up. I've been reaching for it everyday since it's the most work appropriate. I think I've been trying to get the most out of my corals and brights before I have to transition to berries and reds for fall!


Love it!!!


For more of my thoughts on the Make Up For Ever Artist Intense lipstick line, read this review


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It's currently 8:30pm here in California and I'm having dinner by myself with a glass of white wine. Peace and quiet. Aaaahh it's finally time to unwind and watch some tv!

Hope everyone is having a good day/night! :)

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #37

From one of my favorite make-up brands ever comes their newest Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks. The moment I saw the promo images and read the description, I knew they would be right up my alley. I lovelovelove bright lip colors, and with 50 new shades to choose from in matte/satin/pearl finishes (and a handy color wheel to help you choose your perfect shade based on skin and hair color--although you shouldn't take it as the final say), I knew I was bound to find something I would like. These are a Sephora exclusive, so I went there with the intention of just swatching them...but ended up walking out with 3. What can I say? They were just too nice to pass up!


While the nude shades looked ok, what really caught my eyes were the colors from #31 and on. These were the pinks, raspberries, corals, and reds that were the most attractive to me! There was even an orange, some dark purples, and, yes, a black. Coincidentally, the ones that I ended up liking the most were consecutive numbers--36, 37, and 38. I didn't really want anything with a matte or pearly finish, so these satin lipsticks were just right.


I don't recall MUFE having individual names for any of their make-up shades, so you have to go by numbers when you're shopping for their items. Starting from the left: #36 (satin fuchsia), #37 (satin bright pink), and #38 (satin coral). My pictures don't really do the shades justice, as they are actually very bright and pigmented (50% more pigment than traditional lipsticks) in real life. Therefore, these Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks are not for the shy of lips. They really mean it when they say that you can get immediately rich color in one swipe. I find that I don't need more than one swipe each for my top and bottom lips to achieve the full effect. Sometimes, I only use one swipe on my bottom lip and blend it with the top for a sheer wash of color that I would usually get after many layers from other lipsticks (Paul & Joe, I'm talking to you!).


The one I'm reviewing today is #37, which is the satin bright pink. This color stood out to me for its brightness. Though it's described as a bright pink, I think it leans more towards a more orange coral/red.


Here it is in the tube (I forgot to take a picture of it before I swatched it. Whoops!)


And a swatch on my arm. See what I mean? It looks more coral than pink to me.


For comparison's sake, I also swatched my YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose Paris and M.A.C. Viva Glam Cyndi. They are similar, but in real life the M.A.C. is a lot more muted and the YSL is much more orange.


Close up swatch of the lips


And what it looks like on me. By the way, this is what my hair looks like in the morning before it's been straightened! I took this picture as I was getting ready for work.

For $19, I feel that these lipsticks are a pretty good deal. They pack a lot of punch without requiring a lot of layers, so I can tell these will last me a while. They are cheaper than other high-end lipsticks but have way more colors and finishes for you to choose from. I wasn't particularly fond of the matte or pearly finish because they were a bit drying, but the satin finish was fine to me. Also, because these are so pigmented, you have to make sure your lips are moisturized and flake-free or else it won't go on as nicely. They are long-lasting: I usually get between 4-5 hours of wear out of them without reapplying. This particular shade is noticeable and eye-catching without having to wear a red lipstick; it also adds a fun pop of color to an otherwise neutral face.

At first, I kept hemming and hawing on whether I should get this shade. What finally convinced me to get this color? After I put it on my lips, I walked around Sephora to browse some more before I made a final decision. As I was walking around, 2 different people asked me what shade I was wearing and immediately headed to the MUFE display after I told them. The salesgirl who rang me up also asked what brand and shade I was wearing so that she could check it out during her break. Did I really need more convincing? Apparently not. Haha :)


Have you tried the Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks? Any thoughts and color suggestions?



(Reviews and swatches of #36 and #38 coming soon!)

Brown Smokey Eyes

Here's a look I did for a night out with my girls. I made my eyes the main focus and kept the rest of the face pretty bare, with a light gloss and some bronzer/highlighter. I'm not a very experimental person when it comes to my eyeshadow (instead, I venture outside of my comfort zone with lip and blush color); I tend to stick with browns and greys, but hopefully that will change the more I blog! For now, here's a little something something ;)

I started by moisturizing my face with Philosophy Hope in a Jar (my new favorite!), priming with Make Up For Ever HD Primer, and concealing small spots with Laura Mercier Undercover Pot number 2

Although I love this MUFE lavendar primer, I find that it works best with my skin in the winter, when I'm a little paler so my face matches the rest of my body. However, there's no denying that it does its job of brightening my skin!

Used my favorite powder foundation, Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 in Real Sand, then set everything with Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic 01

Prime eyes with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, then put on Paul and Joe Eye Gloss in 05 on the eyelid, just up to the crease, then blend well

I used Dior 2-Colour Eyeshadow in 565 Nude Look this time. It includes a matte reddish-brown and a beige golden shimmer

Put on eyeshadow just up to the crease, then blend blend blend, concentrating on the outer corners. Keep repeating and building up color until it's the shade that you desire

Tightline and line eyes with MUFE Aqua Eyes liner in 0L

Using black liquid liner, draw a slightly winged line, flicking it up gently at the end. Not going for a cat eye here, just very subtle slant

This is what it looked like for me. You could continue adding more of the matte brown shadow if you want to go darker. I also used the shimmery shade on the inner corner of my eye and also on the browbone

Time for falsies! I used Revlon Fantasy Lengths in 91002 Intensifying. Cut to fit your eye length, then follow the directions included in the box to put them on :)

I'm actually a newbie at the whole false lash thing, so it took me a while to get this part right :x

Curl lashes to make your real lashes blend in with the falsies, apply a layer of mascara (I used Diorshow Iconic Extreme Waterproof), then darkened my brows with Bare Escentuals brow powder in Brunette. I also lined my bottom lash line with brown pencil, used the brown shadow to smoke it out, and used the shimmery shade to line the inner bottom lash line and dabbed some on the inner corner of my eye (not pictured here)

Contoured with Dior bronzer in 001 Healthy Tan, highlighted with Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle, and made my lips shiny with NARS lipgloss in Orgasm

Ta-da! (again :P)

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Now, for the outfit!

Sequined top from H&M

Belt from....I don't remember where

Studded leather cuff and leggings from Forever 21 (LOVE that cuff!)

Heels from BCBG

Full outfit in front of my parents' (kinda dirty) mirror again. Mostly black with a pop of white and plenty of gold, haha

That's it! :)