Swatch & Review: Cargo BeachBlush in Cable Beach (Makes Me Dream about a Vacation in Côte d’Azur)!

Hello everybody! Is Tuesday a little easier? It’s still freezing in Belgium, but I got to see a good friend for some last-minute sales-shopping and dinner today, so all is well here!

Today I’m showing you the last of the three products I got in my Beautybay order (the other two are reviewed here and here), namely Cargo BeachBlush in Cable Beach. Cargo calls it “the perfect marriage of blush and bronzer.” Now, I simply can’t pass on something that sounds so attractive can I?

Cable Beach comes in a standard Cargo tin. I have reviewed Cargo blush packaging when I reviewed Rome, so I am not going to repeat myself here. Cable Beach looks a lot pinker on the Cargo website, but as you will be able to see in my swatch pictures, it is more of a peach/coral rather than a straight pink on me. All BeachBlushes contain four stripes of colors that are supposed to work together harmoniously to give your cheeks a healthy flush and sun-kissed glow.

In the swatch pictures, you can see the four shades swatched separately, all of them together, and all of them together sheered out.

The darkest stripe is a warm berry/plum. I know it looks very dark in the tin, but it has very weak pigmentation. I had to swipe my finger on this stripe numerous time and build it up like crazy for it to show up a little in swatch pictures. Luckily this is the only problematic stripe of the four, otherwise this whole blush would be a dud!

The second stripe is a lovely pinky peach with golden shimmer. The pigmentation is much more decent compared with the first one.

The third one is the best pigmented of all. It is a golden, rosy coral.

The fourth one is a slightly muted peachy tan color. It also has golden shimmer. The color pay-off isn’t as good as the previous two but it is decent.

All swiped together, this blush gives a bronzy peachy coral glow. It is true that it is the a marriage of blush and bronzer, because it gives the flush a blush can give as well as the glow/healthy sheen a bronzer can. As with my experience with Rome, Cargo blushes are not insanely pigmented from the first swipe. However, you can easily build them up. I actually think this is one of their fortes, especially if you don’t have an awful lot of experience with blushes. This shade is shimmery, but the shimmer is very fine and not over the top. Even with my skin at its palest moment (about now), this shade adds a healthy glow without the obvious “bronzed” look (check my FOTD here, or click on the Cable Beach tag for more to come). I can only assume how much better it will look when I am more tanned. It makes me dream about a vacation in Côte d’Azur!

Cargo BeachBlushes cost 28 dollars/19.80 euros on Beautybay. With the generous amount of 9 grams, it is a pretty good deal!

Bottom line: I like the idea of the “perfect marriage of blush and bronzer,” and Cable Beach lives up to this claim. Except for one stripe that is weak in pigmentation, the blush works well as a whole. I think it will look very good on girls with medium skin tone, particularly those who are warm-toned!

Tell me, have you tried Cargo BeachBlushes? Would you be tempted to? What makes you dream about summer?

Sunny xx

Swatch & Review: Cargo Blush in Rome

Have you ever been to Rome? I haven’t. After living in Europe for more than 3 years, I am a bit ashamed to say I haven’t visited Italy! In my imagination however, Rome is where Princess Ann meets Joe Bradley (put your hands in the air if you find Gregory Peck irresistible), Russel Crowe takes revenge on the evil emperor in the grand Colosseum, and Julia Roberts dosing her plate of spaghetti with a generous amount of Parmesan… Oooo Rome!

OK, I’m here to tell you about my Cargo blush named Rome instead of traveling. Cargo blush in Rome is one of the three things I got in my Beautybay order. I have heard good things about Cargo blushes, and since I wanted to try a coral blush, Rome found its way into my shopping cart. I have to admit up front that I am not the biggest fan of their packaging. The box it comes in looks a bit cheap for some reason (I guess I just prefer the classy and minimalist black-and-white boxes from MAC and Bobbi Brown), and out of the two blushes I ordered I do have a little problem opening one of the tins. Also, since the tins look all the same, unless you flip them over you wouldn’t know which one it is. I personally prefer the plastic see-through parts that a lot of blushes have, or Tarte’s compacts with different colors.

Now that we’ve got the only pitfall out of the way however, I can start telling you good things about Rome!

Rome is described as a “soft tangerine” by the Cargo website, but it is nowhere as tame as the website would like you to believe (the color I see on my screen is extremely muted compared with the real thing)! In pan Rome is a pretty bright coral. You can see a golden sheen and shimmer, but that only really comes out when you swatch it. Swatched on my NC30 warm-toned Asian skin, it is almost a peachy coral. It is undoubtedly warm-toned, and the golden shimmer adds even more warmness. When I swatched it on the back of my hand, I was a bit disappointed to be honest. I had expect it to be a bit more pigmented, but I had to build it up a little so that it would look the way it does in my swatch pictures.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of shimmer, but it is very fine. I have the impression that it looks more peachy in swatches than actually on my face. Texture-wise it is definitely the finest I have tried, very beautiful and not at all powdery. Compared with Tarte blushes which could be powdery in swatches (but not so when worn), Cargo is by far more finely-milled.

This is how it looks on me. In person it is a lot more visible, and a lot more coral than peach. I used my MAC 168, and it didn’t kick too much powder loose. It is not crazy pigmented, but it is very buildable, and I quickly reached the desired intensity. The shimmer is definitely not non-existent. Compared with Tarte Peaceful for example, whose shimmer is hardly noticeable on cheeks, Rome is definitely a shimmery one. However, the shimmer translates into a lovely glow-from-within without emphasizing my pores. I think this is a shade that will work even better when I am more tanned (though I’m in love with it already), and it will work very well with bronzers too. The greatest part? I wore it for 12 hours, and by the end of the day it was hanging onto my cheeks tenaciously! It didn’t even fade a single bit, which is something Tarte 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blushes claim to do but fall short a little (I still love them. They are more pigmented than my Cargo ones, but by the end of the day they do tend to fade a little).

Cargo blushes cost 26 dollars (I think they very recently raised the price by one dollar), but it contains a whooping 8.9 grams. Compared with blushes in the same price range (NARS blushes cost 27 dollars and contain 4.54 grams, Tarte blushes cost 25 dollars and contain 5.67 grams), I consider this a steal! For my European/worldwide readers, the great news is that you can get Cargo products at a reasonable price from Beautybay.com. This is one of the rare sites that can do currency conversion right, instead of making consumers pay 25 euros for something that costs 25 dollars, so make sure you take a look!

Bottom line: I highly recommend Cargo blushes. If your skin tone is light-to-medium or darker, and you are warm-toned, definitely put this one on your wish list for spring and summer! It reminds me of sunny weather and makes me long for Rome!

How about you? Are you a coral fan? Have you tried Cargo? Are you also already dreaming about warmer weather?

Sunny xx

FOTD: Glittery Darkhorse and (Accidental) Dramatic Liner with Urban Decay Naked Palette

If you get to know me a little better, you’ll know that I am always running late. Doesn’t matter where I have to be or when I have to be there, I am most probably running late.

The same thing happened when I was supposed to meet HM in Brussels yesterday. She was estimated to get there at 9, so I was supposed to be out of my door at around 8:20. However, it was almost 8 when I was out of the shower with my hair blown dry, so I knew I was going to be late… In that case, all the new things I planned to try on my face had to wait. Instead, I opted for a look I have done a couple of times before but one that I dearly love.

For the list of products I used and more photos, please keep reading!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 Light Beige
Tarte Smooth Operator finishing powder
Bobbi Brown Sable on eyebrows
I primed my eyelids with UDPP (unless otherwise stated, I systematically use UDPP) before putting Sidecar from the Naked Palette on the inner half of my lids, and Darkhorse on the outer half. I used Virgin to highlight my inner corners, and Bobbi Brown Bone to highlight my brow bones.
For my lower lash line, I used Urban Decay Bourbon and Urban Decay Darkhorse to smudge it out a bit.
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black for my upper lash line
Maybelline Magnum Volum’ Express Black (waterproof)
Tarte Exposed on cheek
MAC Harmony to contour my cheekbones
Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil on lips

I know I am this close to pronouncing my everlasting love for Darkhorse, because I incorporate it in a ton of looks that I do. Nevertheless, I have to bring your attention to the fact that it looks particularly hot with Sidecar. There are a lot of different looks that I like on myself, but a combination like Sidecar and Darkhorse is nothing short of mind-blowing and I am not even capable of telling you why! Admittedly Sidecar is not a standout shade from the Naked Palette. Compared with a lot of other shades it is not as insanely pigmented (don’t get me wrong because it IS pigmented. It’s just that I need maybe an extra swipe or two with my MAC 239), and it is the only one that has glittery fallout. Naturally, in my state of haste I completely forgot to hold a tissue over my face while I was using this shade, so by the time I was done there was a bit of glitter everywhere (I found a grain of glitter under my nose, if you can believe it). It was mostly cleared up after foundation and setting powder, but you can still see a bit around my eyes in the close-up pictures. I would suggest you use a patting motion with a shading brush when it comes to this shadow, hold a tissue under your eyes during application, and do your foundation afterwards. I would more than love to find a dupe for Sidecar sans glitter, but before that can happen I am willing to live with it.

Here are some close-up photos so you can see my eye makeup properly:

I call my more dramatic liner an accident because it really was an accident. You know what they say about haste making waste, and in my frantic hurry I drew the liner a bit farther out than I intended to. To balance it out, I had to repeat the same mistake on my other eye. I thought my eyes looked a bit rounder this way, which I was not so used to. However, HM really loved it, and by the end of the day I was convinced it isn’t a bad way to line my eyes at all!

Because my eyes were sparkly enough, I opted for a matte blush Exposed, and I contoured my face with MAC Harmony instead of bronzing it up with Bali Brown. I didn’t use any lipstick/gloss all day, so when I finally got around to taking pictures I just slathered some lip balm on. The Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil is definitely not my favorite lip balm because it disappears from my lips so fast, but since I bought it in a discount pack at Walgreens I’ll finish it. It is very slightly tinted but I doubt very much it changes the color of my lips in a detectable way, so what you see in these pictures are pretty much my natural lip color.

One more picture so you can see how much thicker my eyeliner was. You can also see my cheekbones are more sculpted with MAC Harmony. By the way, Tarte Exposed was faded after 12 hours when these pictures were finally taken, but it was definitely still there!

Last but not least, the Beautybay goodies that are supposed to be my Christmas present from Dr. D finally arrived last night! After I opened the packaging, Tango and Muffin swiftly proceeded to proclaiming their territory on the packaging material. In the picture below, Tango is sitting on the plastic wrapper while Muffin occupies the box. Tango’s tail is a blur because he was annoyed with Dr. D, who was trying to direct their attention to the camera by making some noise.

I will for sure review what I got soon! I just have to wait for better natural light to take my swatch pictures… Stay tuned and stay around folks!

Until then, I hope everybody is alive and kicking!

Sunny xx

News Update: Amazing Giveaways and Beautybay Free Worldwide Delivery!

Hello everyone,

I’m here with some news about two amazing giveaways and Beautybay’s week-long offer of free worldwide delivery!

The first is Chloe.Ash‘s Naked2 giveaway. Lily is a Malaysia-based beauty blogger. I found her blog when I was looking for Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge reviews, and have been following her ever since because I am so impressed with the way she does makeup (especially eye makeup. She does a stunningly clean-looking smokey eye)! Here is the link to the giveaway post, and you can see her swatch/review here. I mean, it’s Naked2 for Christ’s sake! Click on that link and take part in it already!!!

The second is Blushing Noir‘s Benefit Thrrrob and Georgia blush giveaway. I found her blog when I was looking for Tarte Exposed reviews, and hers definitely helped me make the decision to lay my hands on one (PS: my review is coming soon so stay tuned)! Here is the link to the giveaway. I have heard so many good things about Benefit blushes but don’t own any yet, so it’d be sweet to win some!!!

Finally, Beautybay is offering free worldwide delivery throughout the week. I received the e-mail today, so I’m assuming the offer runs till the 10th (I have checked the website, but it doesn’t give the specific time at which the offer ends). Cargo blushes, Macadamia Natural Oil, Essie, anyone?

I hope you guys will make time to head over to the giveaways, and maybe stock up on some more amazing beauty/skincare products!

Sunny xx

FOTD: Let’s Roll with NYX Rock and Roll!

Hello everyone!

For some reason I woke up a lot earlier than I intended to today. Since I had extra time on my hands, I decided to test some makeup out. I experimented with different camera settings/lighting/locations, so you can probably see some improvement in the quality and color accuracy of the photos. Please do excuse the bad skin though. It’s almost that time of the month, and lack of sleep doesn’t help!

I got NYX Rock and Roll a while ago (swatched and reviewed here), but except for using the lightest shade for my inner corners, I haven’t actually used the two other colors. I was curious about how the two cool-leaning colors would work on my eyes, so this is the theme of my FOTD.

For the list of products I used and close-up pictures, please read on!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 Light Beige
Tarte Smooth Operator finishing powder
Bobbi Brown Sable on eyebrows
NYX Rock and Roll trio (TS29A): I used the lightest shade for my inner corners and brow bones, the middle shade all over my lid, and the darkest for outer v contour and smudged over lower lash line.
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black for both upper and lower lash line
Maybelline Magnum Volum’ Express Black (waterproof)
Tarte Exposed on cheek
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Bali Brown, just a teeny bit on my cheekbones and temples
MAC Sweetie

Here is another picture so you can see my eye makeup more clearly:

The pigmentation, texture, and lasting powder of the trio are decent. I do need to work a bit more for the middle shade to show up better, and it looks slightly different from my swatches (less shimmery and taupe-y). But other than that I can’t really complain about it.

I feel pretty neutral about this mostly because the darkest shade is pretty cool and makes me look a little bruised from certain angles. For example: (and whoops, I overdid my eyebrows today! This doesn’t happen very often at all with Bobbi Brown Sable, but I was distracted…)

I like the shimmer it brings to my lower lash line, but blended out on my outer v it doesn’t look as flattering. I will try to use it in a different way to see if I will like it better, but in the meantime I probably should stick to a warm shade for contouring!

Oh, and for anyone who is interested in ordering something from Beautybay. The 15% discount I talked about is extended to midnight of January 2nd. Do grasp the chance!

I wish you a happy new year! I will definitely come back with my New Year’s Eve look and more swatches/reviews soon (I have some 24/7 pencils, Tarte blushes, Cargo blushes etc lining up, so keep your eyes peeled)!

Until then, enjoy yourselves folks!