Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Tuesday Review—Kryolan Dual Finish Powder and Bobbi Brown Red Lipstick




Hedy Lamarr with makeup artist Ted Larsen

Over the past couple of months I’ve tried out several new makeup items (My name is Amanda, and I’m a makeupaholic lol). I’ve come across a couple of standout products that I think are definitely worth checking out, and so I decided to review them here for you!

The first is a powder foundation by Kryolan. I’m definitely a big fan of this German brand, which was started in the 1940s, and I include several Kryolan products in my makeup bag. Their TV Paint Stick foundation is one stellar product that I use almost daily, and as I love the color match, coverage, and finish so much, I thought I would look into their powder foundation as well. I’m very glad I did, as the Dual Finish delivers the same as the TV Paint Stick—excellent coverage, a gorgeous matte finish, and a lovely color match.

The range of colors isn’t as broad as in some of their cream foundation options, but I selected the shade Alabaster, which turned out to be a pale beige that complemented my very fair, neutral skin tone quite nicely. It’s a tad darker in the pan than the TV White I wear in the stick foundation, so I was a bit disappointed when I first opened the package, but it somehow blends seamlessly into my skin—it’s not too dark, and it doesn’t turn the dreaded orange that so many other foundations do. I apply it a couple of ways—I sometimes use it as a setting powder with a bit of extra coverage over the TV Paintstick, and I also wear it alone. It can be applied wet or dry—applying with a damp sponge gives it a bit more coverage than applying it with a dry sponge or kabuki brush. Both methods are fast, easy, and pretty goof proof. Regardless of the application method, I find it maintains a satiny matte finish all day long, with minimal oil breakthrough (I have combination skin that can sometimes be rather oily). I also find that it lasts very well under summer conditions too—we all know how horrid it is when the heat and humidity cause your foundation to slide around your face, and this foundation holds strong under the worst weather conditions!

So, if you are looking for a new foundation to try, I highly recommend this one!



I'm wearing both the Kryolan Dual Finish and Bobbi Brown Red lipstick here

The next product I’d like to review is Bobbi Brown Red lipstick. Now, I am a pretty big fan of Lip Ink’s long wearing lipstick, and generally reach for it every day. But sometimes I dabble in ‘traditional’ lipsticks, and as I am obsessed with red shades, I like to try out new ones from time to time. I’d heard that Bobbi Brown makes a nice cream lipstick, and the Red shade is described as a “fire engine red” shade on the Web site. I decided it would be worth trying out when I found an inexpensively priced tube on eBay. Initially, I wasn’t so sure about this lipstick—I like my red lipstick to be shockingly bright, and when I first tried this one out it seemed a little too muted for my taste. I decided to try wearing it over a basecoat of Lip Ink Red (Lip Ink also works very well under regular lipsticks, as it grabs the color and makes it nice and long wearing) and ended up loving the look I achieved—a rich red shade with a beautiful satin finish. It photographs very well (I’m wearing it in my Jungle Girl set), and I find it to wear comfortably too—creamy without being smeary (I love lipsticks with a creamy finish, but hate it when they slide off your lips!)

Well, that's all for now! I do have a few other products to review, so I'll be posting those soon :-)

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Monday, July 25, 2011

OOTD--Island Girl


It's been ages since I've posted a proper OOTD, so here goes!

Today was my day off and so I headed to Peoria to have lunch with my mother, sister, and nephew. Due to the monsoon season, it's been terribly muggy the past few weeks, which means we don't want to spend any time outside! I was able to convince my photographer sister to snap a couple of quick outfit pics though, as I wanted to show off my new dress :-) This is another Vee Vin Tage creation--this time she made me a lovely and cool sundress from an early 40s sundress pattern using an amazing reproduction linen fabric printed with tropical islands and hula dancers. I was pretty excited when I came across this fabric online, as I have a vintage dress in the same exact print (though a different fabric). Vee Vin Tage also made a coordinating peach linen bolero to match the dress, but given the steamy temps I left it at home today!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee




1940s Reproduction Dress by Vee Vin Tage
1940s rust and cream linen purse
1940s brown leather and white kid platforms
Brown Bakelite drop earrings
Bamboo bracelets
Lip Ink Red Lipstick
Yellow and orange tropical flower

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Summer Fashions in Shocking Pink


Arthelia's Attic recently created another custom snood for me, this one done up in a delightfully bright shade of pink perfect for summer! This low, open style gathers your hair off your neck while leaving the crown of your head bare; grosgrain ribbon ties hold the netting in place (a couple of bobby pins keep it nice and secure.) I can't recommend Naomi's designs enough, she does a wonderful job and is always willing to customize her designs to suit your wishes!

Doug Monce and I braved the sweltering Arizona weather to shoot a few photos at a local park. I swear it felt like 1000 degrees that day, but luckily, I look as cool as a cucumber in the photos!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee




Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Fourth of July!



Wishing everyone a happy and safe July 4th!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee