Weekly Favorites & Fails 2.6.15 MAC, Cle De Peau, The Body Shop, 50 Shades of Gray, Sony & MORE!

Now that it's February and my Best of 2014 Makeup Products Series has wrapped up on my channel, I can get back on track with our regularly scheduled programing. This week's favorites focuses on basics and enjoyment.

I get sent a lot of products to test out and review, but very few actually make it to my review list and even fewer make it in my favorites. This body butter whips from Lashea is one of a kind and my new favorite body moisturizer.

The consistency is like a whipped cream that dissolves into an oil when rubbing in with your hands. All the ingredients are basic, you can actually read and understand what is in your product.

The sent of lavender is not over powering, it's very fresh and not offensive at all. I love supporting smaller brands and companies and when I reach out to them, the owner offered my views and readers a generous 20% off your purchase. Shop HERE use DYH20 at checkout the code is good till 3/14/15. 

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hansen and my favorite formula is the Xtreame wear polishes. They are so affordable and last a long time on my nails. Recently in my latest trip to the drugstore I picked up Fan Appeal and I've been loving the deep metallic purple shade.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer has made it into my everyday rotation of makeup. This bronzer is very natural and gives the most flawless natural finish. The shade range is perfect for fair to medium skin tones. I like to apply this bronzer with a fluffy blush brush or duo fiber brush in a "3" on either side of my face to warm up and add depth.

Since the holidays I've been loving the Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask. This mask is hydrating, exfoliating, and detoxifying. In the winter time my skin can get dry and irritated, this mask is able to brighten and detox my skin without any irritation.

The honey is anti bacterial and the black sugar is a gentle exfoliant.

If you watch my vlog channel where I eat, play with my dogs, and wonder around LA/OC or just sit at home a lot, you would have seen a sudden quality upgrade, it's thanks to this baby. After months of drooling and research, I finally purchased the Sony a5000. It's a perfect on the go camera for high quality instagram photos, vlogging, and capturing life.

The main reason I decided to get the camera was for Europe. My husband and I will be visiting Europe in the spring, I wanted to be able to take good quality photos and vlog without having to lug around a DSLR and a point and shoot. This had all the qualities I was looking for and is currently at its' lowest price HERE.

The camera has interchange lenses, Wi-Fi, selfie flip up screen, auto focus, amazing built in features.

I've also been loving my MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer in the shade NC 20 and my Cle De Peau Concealer in Beige. I talk more in-depth on both these products in my video here. 

Watch my weekly favorites video to see me talk about 50 Shades of Gray  and The Bar Method, my new favorite way to get in shape. 

What have you been loving this past week? Let me know what I should try out.

XOXO

Serein

Blush & Highlight Combo

An oldie and a newbie make the perfect flawless complexion. 

Growing up my mom always told me to wear blush. I rebelled like any teenager and avoided blush. I didn't want to look like a crazy clown. 

Well, like many things in life, my mom was right. Wear the blush. 

Blush does something to the face, it lifts, brightens, and adds color. Blush wakes up the complexion and makes us look youthful and healthy. 

A rediscovery and all time favorite blush of mine is mac's warm soul. This blush is the perfect mix of mauve, pink, brighting, slight shimmer shade for almost all skin tones. I have yet to find someone this blush doesn't look good on.

I heard that mac recently reformulated this perfection, and I'm sad about the news. I have yet to buy a new one, but when I tried it on in store, It was still beautiful with the reformulation.

Want to really brighten your face and wake up? Try a highlight. I'm loving this new discovery from Laura Geller. The Baked Split Highlight has the best of all your highlighting needs. You have a non shimmery, pearly highlight for daytime or natural looks. Swipe this on your highlight points and look like your woke up glowing. Use the shimmery peachy tone for a bit more drama and intensity. Both shades look beautiful on the eyes and inner corners as well.

In a hurry? Swipe warm soul on cheeks around the face, over the lids and add this highlight on your highlight points, few strokes of mascara, and a lip balm, your good to go and no one would be the wiser.

What are some of your favorite blushes and highlights? Did this post inspire you to dig through your makeup collection and find an old favorite? Tweet me your pics @sereinwu

XOXO

Serein

Makeup Of The Day- Warm Neutrals Edition

I'm really happy with today's makeup products and thought I'd share my warm natural winter look. 

Recently I picked up this beautiful Dior Holiday 5 Colour Eyeshadow palette in 566 Versailles. The colors are so warm and shimmer, the perfect festive natural eye makeup look. The shadows are so pretty and who doesn't love a luxury palette? 

After a brief visit to mac this week, I was reminded of an old favorite blush that I use to wear everyday. MAC Mineralized Blush in Warm Soul is so beautiful and one of the most wearable blushes on all skin tones. 

Thanks to a friend/ viewer I was recently given the new Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation. This has been out for a few months now, but it is a great alternative to my all time favorite Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation. I wear beige 20 in both. Full review and First Impressions video will be up on Monday on my channel. 

A recent discovery has been the Laura Geller Baked Split Highlighter Duo. I first heard about this from Tati on GlamLifeGuru's Channel. On Wednesday I was having a pretty horrible day emotionally and decided to stop in to Ulta to put my 20% off coupon to good use. There were only 2 of these beauties left, and I 'm so happy I got this. It's got a matte side and a super shimmery side that works for natural looks and evening looks. 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla is a holy grail product for me. I love how it covers and brighten my under eye area. It lasts all day, doesn't crease, and is just a little magic wand. 

Today I broke out my new mascara from Dior and I have to say it's a slightly wetter formula version of Benefit's They're Real Mascara, both up there in price, but there's something about this Dior packaging that I am loving. 

What have been some of your favorites lately? Share them with me on Twitter or Instagram @sereinwu 

XOXO

Serein

Brooke Shields MAC Collection

If you don't know already, I'm a huge neutral eyeshadow palette lover. My mission in life is to find the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette. Today I think I've finally found it!

Brooke Shields and MAC have collaborated on a limited edition collection.  I have to admit I'm a bad beauty blogger at times and can be completely out of the loop. While shopping I saw the display of the most gorgeous eyeshadow palette I've seen in a while and not just pretty, perfect in color range for my taste. Of course it was sold out. 

But then... we missed our movie and went back to the mall and walked by the MAC store in Topanga Canyon and they had a few left! I was blown away and giddy! I had to have it! 

Row 1 

Row 2

Row 3

 Just look at the beautiful combination of neutral matte and sateen shades! There are just enough matte brown crease shades, light, but not too white, brow highlights, neutral darker outer corner shades to add a pop of color, and versatile enough for smokey eyes and a little drama.

The best collection of shades and finishes I've seen in a long time. All the shades wear beautifully.

If you watch my youtube channel you might know I have a love hate relationship with MAC. While the eyeshadows are great, I really feel that Morphe and Makeup Geek have comparable quality for way less. Morphe charges $2 per eyeshadow pan and Makeup Geek charges $5.99. MAC is $13.

Also Make Up Forever really did a great job with their new Artists Eyeshadows, but I get overwhelmed when having to choose from over 200 shades also those babies are $21 a pop, but the quality is the best I've ever seen.

It's rare for me to be gaga over MAC and boy am I freaking out over this palette.

Mortal Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow

The Moral Veluxe Pearlfusion palette is a good everyday or travel item. This reminds me of a smaller collection of similar shades of the larger palette. The formulations is much more creamy and velvety and if you can get your hands on this baby, definitely consider it as a nice everyday palette on the go.

Scone Bronzing Powder

The bronzer was a bit difficult to get a good swatch photo of, but boy does this look great to warm up the face and do a little light sculpting. The finish is very warm, matte, and velvety. Blends easily and looks very natural. This however probably won't work on folks with darker complexions.

Lustre Lipstick in Gospel & Gloss in Artful

Now these were a spur of the moment, probably should have skipped on purchases. The lipstick is a beautiful deep red sheer finish, but I honestly have so many red lipsticks and this reminds me of my Armani 400 sheer one in my collection already. More affordable though if your looking for a good stain of red on the lips.

The gloss is so so. I'm not a huge fan of MAC glosses because they are so sticky. Now  I know the stickier the longer lasting, but I found that Smashbox has proven this false with their Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Laquer. They are not sticky at all and last forever!

What are your thoughts on the Brook Shields collection from MAC? Will you be on the hunt for them or will you pass? 

XOXO

Serein