Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick and Fergie for Wet n Wild

Smashbox's Honey has been one of my most worn lipsticks of all time. It seems like I finally found the perfect nude to go with my skin color. My current tube is almost over so I've been wanting to repurchase. Before heading over to Sephora, I decided to stop by the drugstore. I had been looking at the Wet n Wild lipsticks and there was one that seemed to jump at me. I had to take the shade Bebot Love. As it turns out, this could be a dupe for the Smashbox lipstick (almost! I've never been good at picking out dupes).

The shades are pretty similar. I would say Honey has a warmer undertone where Bebot Love has a cool pink undertone. However, the finishes and feel of the lipsticks are very different. Bebot Love has almost a matte finish while Honey has sheen finish. The texture on the Smashbox lipstick is also a lot creamier than the Wet n Wild. Even though it's not an exact dupe of the shade, I don't regret buying it. The matte finish does make it easier to wear and the staying power is a bit better.

Do you like looking for make-up dupes? Which one is your favorite?

Christmas Beauty Bits

This Christmas I got some pretty nice beauty bits. I didn't get anything to big, but they're some that I have fallen in love with pretty quickly.

• Rose Scented Soap- I got this from my mom and dad. Its packaging has to be one of the most adorable things I've seen. The little keepsake box is filled with different stamps and icons from the city of Paris and it's also a music box! It plays Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The soap is also pretty impressive. The scent is absolutely gorgeous. 

• L'Bel Essential Make Up Remover- This is one the best make up removers I've tried. It's very gentle and removes my toughest make up with just 2 swipes. It is also very moisturizing on skin and leaves my skin feeling pretty smooth.

• Precision Blending Sponge- I found this at TJ Maxx for $6 and decided to give it a try since everybody was raving about the Beauty Blender sponge(which I believe to be outrageously expensive). I don't know if there's any difference between this one and the original, but it does what it needs to do. It makes blending foundation a no brainer while concealing the look of pores. 

• The Body Shop's Lily Cole Lip & Cheek Dome- My best friend Ivonne got me this one and I've been using it since I got it. It's in the shade Crazy for Coral which is a gorgeous and very natural shade. Even though it's such a pretty shade, I find it suits my cheeks better than my lips so I've been using it as a blusher. I like that it has a very creamy texture so it blends into the skin marvelously.

The Best of Craftstyle 2012

After a much needed break over the holidays and some quality time with the family, I decided it was time to reflect on 2012. I had promised that I would work harder to produce post for the blog and I managed to keep it up for a quite a while. Unfortunately, this last semester was brutal(the worst in all my time in college) and this blog suffered a little. I still had a great time writing and thinking up of new posts. Hopefully 2013 will be different and full of wonderful new things. Anyways, here's a look back at my favorites from last year.

Organizing and De-cluttering

I've been on a mission to organize my make up collection and de-clutter my dresser. If you're anything like me, you just line up your products on the dresser. Now what happens when the products don't fit in your dresser? You start stuffing them into a random drawer. After you realize that you're dresser looks like a hot mess and you can't find anything in that random drawer, you go on an emergency organizing spree. Luckily I was able to find a very cute organizer from Tokidoki on sale at Sephora. It has been my miracle worker. It has 4 divisions: a detachable make up bag, some elastic loops for brushes, 2 joined pockets for smaller things, and a zippered pocket.

Isn't it adorable?

Review: Maybelline 24H Tattoo Eyeshadow

Maybelline 24H Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

Left: Blended with a brush |  Right: Swatched with finger

There was a lot of buzz surrounding these eye shadows and they were being compared left and right to MAC's Paint Pots.  I've never tried the MAC Paint Pots, so I can't really comment on that. At the moment of buying this I was just looking for a nice cream eyeshadow. I was very surprised with this one. The formula is very creamy and can just as easily be used with a brush or with your fingertips. The color payoff is great, but with this particular shade I feel that the name is a bit off. I see this shadow as being more of a light grey than a taupe color. The most remarkable feature of this shadow is the lasting power. While I cannot testify to it lasting 24 hours (I find that a bit odd), I can say that this lasts from when I put on my make up till I take it off. Overall, I would say that these are great cream shadows regardless of whether they are similar to the MAC ones. I'm looking forward to trying some other shades, particularly Bad to the Bronze.

Review: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral

I got this little blush as an impulse buy. I feel in love with the bright coral shade and just had to try it. However, my experience with this product was very disappointing. The packaging looked really adorable. At first you get this really smooth looking product, but after a while it deflates and looks pretty messy. I did find that the texture of the product was very interesting, it felt very soft and airy. Maybelline suggests that you apply the blush with your fingertips and I must agree. The only way to really blend the blush is to use your fingers and well I didn't really find it too easy to blend. Another thing that disappointed me about the product was the pigmentation. I feel like it barely shows up on my skin tone, and for it to be noticeable I need to pile on the product.

Korres Mango Butter Lipstick

Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10 in Purple

I picked up this little guy at TJ Maxx for just $4. I've been hearing a lot about the Korres products so I thought I would try this one out. The packaging is very simple but still attractive. It claims to be a "lipstick with a rich, intense colour for a brilliant high shine and wet look" and I couldn't agree more. The color payoff is good, it's not exactly as dark as it looks in the packaging but it's still a pretty good match on the lips. It does have a very shiny finish that reminds me more of a lip gloss than a lipstick but I don't mind. I think the shine makes the color look a little bit lighter and a bit more wearable (I am really afraid of dark lipsticks, but I stepped out of my comfort zone to try this one). The lipstick is also very smooth. It glides on effortlessly and it keeps my lips moisturized as long as I wear it. It has very good lasting power, it keeps the shine and color for around 5 to 6 hours.  This product left a very good first impression of the Korres brand. I'm definitely very excited to try some of their other products, specially their famous lip butters.

Everyday Look for School

School is starting next week, so I have to start getting my act together. This means very early mornings and very little blogging time. Hopefully with some very thought out organizing and scheduling I can keep this blog from suffering. Seeing how I have to get up ridiculously early every day I've been making some changes to my make up routine to keep it on the 5 minute range. I don't really like to look "made up" so I mainly wear a little eyeshadow to brighten up my eyes, a little blush for some color, and a lip stain or balm on the lips. I've always liked to watch "get ready with me" videos and filmed one, so without further ado my school make up routine!

Products Used(in order of appearance): 

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light/Medium 

Almay Clear Complexion Powder in Light 100

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (oops I forgot to show that in the video) 

Naturale Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow in Elegant

Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara 

Diorblush in Peechy Keen 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle

Review: Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks

Sultry Sensuelle(left), Delish Regal(right)

Delish Regal

Sultry Sensuelle

I had been searching for some nude lipsticks for a while and recently my mom picked up these two shades for me. She actually chose the lipsticks because they don't dry out her lips and seeing how they worked for her I was happy to try them. These actually claim to smooth out your lips in a period of 7 days. I didn't actually see any difference but my lips don't dry out when I use these. The formula is very creamy, I would say that maybe a little bit too creamy. I try to use these with a light hand because they can buildup and look a bit gooey. If I go a little bit overboard, I just blot with some paper towels. As for wear, they're not really that extraordinary lasting around 4-5 hours. Overall, I would say these are good not great.

Review: NYC's Smoochproof 16H Lip Stain

Shade 492 Never Ending Nude

I must admit this was an impulse buy. These sell for around $5 and what brought it to my attention was the shade. I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, it is basically a solid tube so you don't really get to see the shade on the brush tip and I know this might be a problem for some buyers. I would say the product itself is good not great. It is very long lasting, I've worn it through an entire school day and it doesn't smudge. It is very pigmented (you basically get the color of the tube) and delivers a very natural flush to the lips. The only serious problem I have with this product is that it's very drying on my lips. If I don't make sure my lips are hydrated before I wear it, my lips start to flake. I've been able to reduce the flaking by using my Burt Bee's lip balm. However, I don't think I would buy it again. My experience wasn't terrible, but I'm looking forward to trying out different kinds of lip stains before I make a commitment.

May's Beauty Haul

This summer I'm using more relaxed makeup styles so most of my experimenting has been going on with nail polishes. I'm really into bright blues, pastels, and nudes. Anyway here's what I got: 

Nicole by O.P.I. polishes in My Lifesaver (left) and My Favorite Gold (right)

O.P.I. mini set inspired by  the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 

Revlon Nail Polishes in Graceful (left) and Radiant (right)

NYC Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stain in the shade Never Ending Nude

My make-up essentials pt. 2

1. Benefit's Posie Tint, High Beam and Benetint Trio


This was a gift from my boyfriend but I know it's a Sephora exclusive. It features sample sizes of Benefit's top selling products. I had always read wonderful reviews about each of the products, but I still didn't want to buy any of the full size products. I must say that I'm delighted with the results and will definitely purchase the full size products. The best part about these products is that a little goes a long way. Just one swipe of Posie Tint or Benetint is enough to last the whole day. The same thing goes for the High Beam. What I enjoy most about these products is that they look very subtle and provide a very natural glow. The only part I didn't like is the applicator brush that resembles those in nail polishes. It's a bit awkward to maneuver when you're going to use it to apply it as a blush so most of the time I just use my fingers.

2. Avon Draw the Line Mini Eye Liners

I also got this as a Christmas present. The size of these makes them perfect for traveling or just storing all of them in my purse. This set includes 4 lovely shades: bronze, purple, smokey grey, and sapphire blue. All of these are true to color and glide on very smoothly. The only downside I see to this product is that they tend to run out quickly and you have to twist them up several times with each use.

3. Urban Decay's Naked Palette

A lot has been said about this palette, so I don't think I need to say much. All of the shades a greatly pigmented and it has a nice variety of matte and shimmery shades. This is perfect for very natural everyday looks and I can't seem to stop using it.

Make up wishlist

Make up wishlist by momo-san92 on polyvore.com

I've been so busy with school work that I haven't had time to think about what I would like for Christmas. I'm not really a big make up junkie but once I do find something I really enjoy I make a really big deal out of it. I would say that the top item on my wishlist is the Naked Palette from Urban Decay. My friend tried it on me and I fell in love. I like this palette so much because it's very versatile. It has a variety of matte and glittery eyeshadows that can be used for soft natural make up or for more dramatic smokey eyes. Second on my wishlist are the three cheek and lip stains from Benefit. I chose all three because they're all such wonderful shades. I'm incredibly obssessed with lip stains because they're so long lasting. I'm very no fuss and I hate reapplying make up so long lasting make up is a must for me.The last item is Miss Dior cherie perfume. This one has such a soft delicate scent. I would also describe it as very feminine and sweet.

My make-up essentials

Finding the make-up that works right for you takes a lot of trial and error, and even more when you live in a tropical island. With the constant humidity and sunshine it is crucial to find products that won't melt on you and clog your pores. I've decided to put together a list of the products that have worked for me.

Face:

 To prep my face, I use 3 products: e.l.f's Tinted Moisturizer, Almay's Clear Complexion Concealer and Powder. This tinted moisturizer has SPF 20 which protects skin from sun damage. It also contains aloe, cucumber, and vitamins. I really like this moisturizer because it provides a good amount of coverage, but it still feels very light on skin. I wear it everyday and it doesn't seem to clog up my pores. After I apply the moisturizer, I use the concealer to cover up any trouble spots like pimples, etc. This concealer also provides a great amount of coverage. The advantage of this concealer is that it also contains salicylic acid which helps dry out pimples. Finally, I apply the powder which also contains salicylic acid. Usually, after wearing these products during the day I see considerable improvements and within a week my face is cleared up.

Cheeks:

For my cheeks I use 2 different products: NYX's Rouge Cream Blush in Natural and Hard Candy's Hide & Glow duo cheek tint in Hot Date. I chose these products over powder blushes because they last through the whole day. I don't like having to worry about retouching my make-up so durability is very important for me. NYX's cream blush is an excellent product, but it's not for those who are looking for a quick application. Since it's a cream blush, you need to take some time in order to blend it well. I usually save this one for more special occasions. I prefer to use the Hard Candy cheek tint for daily make-up. What I really like about this product is its versatility, you can wear each shade on its own or combine the two. The application is extremely easy and the shades look great. Since I really like the red shade, I use it as a lip stain also. Normally, I apply a small amount using my fingers and then I use a clear lip balm over it. 

Eyes:

My go-to mascara will always be Benefit's Bad Gal lash. It makes my lashes look really long and full without clumping them up. For daily use I only wear one coat, but for more dramatic looks I tend to wear two coats. For an extremely long lasting eyeliner, you can try Maybelline's EyeStudio gel liner. You apply it with a small angle brush and it will stay on during the whole day.