Basic Essential | Old Navy Denim Jackets

Old Navy Denim Trucker Jacket sz S, Zara t-shirt (old)

Speaking of wrong outfit in the wrong day! My place was quite cool during the day, so without checking the weather assumed it was a cooler day outside. It wasn't. California weather keeps changing, and it's still so hot even though it's technically Fall already. The denim jacket was useful for protecting me from the heat of the sun. It was crazy!

I can't wait for Fall, with layers and all. Denim jacket is a very versatile item to have in your wardrobe. It can be worn on top of a maxi dress or just paired with casual outfit like I have on in the picture. I tried on three different denim jackets before finally deciding to keep this. I love the wash. It's a perfect medium wash, which gives a true classic look of denim. 

It also has more fitted build, which makes it more flattering for me. I found another one very similar from Target. The both look almost identical with the exceptions of a few details:

left: Mossimo denim jacket sz S, right: Old Navy denim jacket

Fall Edit 2015 | 5 Shades of Red

Fall is just around the corner. Personally, I can't wait. I now I will be complaining when the weather gets super chilly, but for now I am super excited for Fall. The cooler weather, the falling leaves, the autumn color. It has been so hot so long, and since it never rains where I live ever, I am praying for more rain this coming fall. California has been in drought for so many years that people say brown is the new green now. =(

Anyway, back to beauty talk. I was browsing around my lipstick collection, and I've drawn into the deep red look lately. Although it is still a bit challenging for me to just go out and pull it off. I love bold lips. but for me it requires more effort to put together and just be confident wearing it. I am also currently drawn to matte formula. Matte wasn't my first choice when it comes to beauty products. Not for foundation nor lips. There was a phase where I was all about nude matte lipstick, and for the longest time I hadn't seen myself going back to the matte phase until now. It's funny how your taste just changes from time to time without any exact reason. So here are the swatches:

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed & theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Swatch comparison

Becca is known for its superb highlighters, so I was really curious to try it out. I see the Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed version looks a lot like my personal favorite highlighter from theBalm,

Mary-Lou Manizer. This particular one is in the shade champagne pop. 

The side-to-side swatches look very similar, but the Becca shimmering perfector has more yellow/golden tone in it whereas Mary-Lou manizer is actually more champagne. Both look pretty and not-at-all subtle. I also find Becca has smoother finish. It is more effortless to put on, but it doesn't mean Mary-Lou manizer is hard to apply. But comparing the two side by side, I need to really pick on every little detail. Other than that, both look and perform pretty similar to me.

5 Makeup Product I Enjoy Lately | TooFaced Foundation, Affordable Foundation brush, and more!

Hi everyone! I have tried new makeup this month, and I have videos lined up for you on my channel www.youtube.com/heyamadea. I have been trying to post new video at least once a week. My schedule is to post every Friday. I truly appreciate if you'd check it out and subscribe =).

Moving on to makeup I enjoy lately. I love TooFaced Born This Way foundation. I have a video coming up this Friday all about it, so stay tuned! I got the shade Light Beige, and it's pretty spot on with my skin tone. It feels and looks natural on the skin, and it holds up pretty well during heat and sweat. The foundation really makes me feel like I was "born this way". I got a medium coverage with only one layer of application. I still need to put on concealer if I want to have a really perfect flawless skin, but I don't usually go for that. 

I also fell in love with Sephora Rouge Infusion lip stain. I have the shade peony. It's a really pretty natural pink color which would look great on any skin tone. I fell in love at first application. It feels buttery and smooth on the lips. It is very opaque, so I don't need to put on a lot of the product on my lips. I am eager to try on more shades. 

Thanks to Emily from Beauty Broadcast, I've found a very affordable foundation brush from Target. It's the complexion brush from the Up&Up brand. It's very soft and dense, but not too dense which makes blending foundation easy. The bristle doesn't shade, and it only costs $6.99! It is comparable to the kabuki brushes from Sigma. 

I'm pretty late in the hype with Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector. I got the shade moonstone, and it's just very unique. It is sooo different than liquid highlighters I got from the drugstore. It stands out and it really makes my face look glowy and dewy. It stays put and it reflects light like nobody's business! I am so in love with this!

I also rediscovered an old favorite. It's Mary-Lou Manizer from theBalm. It's my holy grail of highlighter. It is not subtle, which I really like from a highlighter. I also like subtle highlighters, depending on my mood, but in general I find myself reaching out for this again and again. It's just such a great highlighter, and I think every makeup enthusiast should have one in their collection. 

Thank you guys for reading! I have videos featuring some of these favorites coming up in the next several weeks. So stay tuned!

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty

I hope everyone is doing well. There are some pretty good deals that are happening right now at Ulta, and I want to point out some of my picks.

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty
Ulta features daily beauty steals for 21 days, and some of the products included are worth checking out. The nice thing about it is they already have a calendar set up for each of  the beauty steal of the day, so you can easily plan ahead. Here are my picks:

 9/9 - TooFaced La Creme lipstick. I love the formula. It's so creamy and sits nice on the lips. For 50% off, it's a very good deal.

9/13 - Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. It's one of my favorite mascara. If you have wimpy lashes like mine, lashes that like to face down that is, this mascara will hold up curl without weighing them down.

9/15 - It Cosmetics Eyelift in a tube. I have never tried this one, but It Cosmetics is known for its complexion products, and I am so excited to try this one. It's essentially an under-the-eye concealer mixed with brightener which would give the look of "instant lift".

9/23 - Cargo blushes. Another product I have really been wanting to try out. I've seen it on action and heard about how long-wearing it is.

9/24 - Maly Beauty Face defender. This is pretty much the new form of blotting paper or touch-up powder. It takes away the shine and get rid of the oil without putting more product and without any used oily paper. This is odorless and colorless.

Let me know what you get or any recommendation is welcome!

TooFaced Born This Way Foundation

I've heard great things about the foundation, and I couldn't wait to try for myself. In the video, I show you the application process and how the foundation wears through out the day. I gave updates every several hours to report on how the foundation performs. Initial comparison, as you can see from the picture, it gives instant flawless coverage. It doesn't feel heavy at all. I didn't feel like I was wearing foundation. It is so light yet so full coverage. I am impressed!

Only after one application

I still continue to use it, and I still love it to this day. The finish is very natural and it's the type of foundation that I can use everyday without looking too much.

Nordstrom End-of-Summer Clearance Sale Picks

The sale started on the first day of September, so I thought this would be a great time to share some of the items worth checking out.

1. Rebecca Minkoff Love Crossbody bag (reviewed here). This is one of my favorite finds this year. The one I have has a different pattern and color, but I do think this color is pretty too. I love the quilted pattern, and the gold/taupe-ish color combo is a good natural shade which matches pretty much any outfit. It has a sturdy build, but the inside is actually pretty spacious. I get to bring my essentials - wallet,phone, some makeup products which I show you on my video.

2.Topshop 'Scout' Double Breasted Trench Coat. There's only one size left. For Topshop, I usually wear size 4 or 6 depending on the clothing item. Topshop coats I've tried on are usually very soft and well-made. This has great reviews on the Nordstrom website.

3. Topshop Double Breasted Cotton Trench. Another alternative with straighter cut. This is Nordstrom exclusive and one of the new item in their Fall line.  I tried it on, unfortunately this was too long for my liking, and I didn't want to take a risk having it hemmed.

That's all from me. Let me know your recommendations!

Rebecca Minkoff Love Crossbody Bag

This is one of my favorite finds for this coming Fall. The style reminds me of the Boy Chanel flap bag that I absolutely adore. This is a more affordable alternative that offers great quality and style.
I was in defense at first whether to keep the bag or not, but I decided to keep it because the style is just so versatile. It instantly dresses up my outfit even when I'm just wearing a plain white tee and boyfriend jeans. Love this bag!
Nordstrom is currently having its end-of-summer sale for 40% off. Although this bag is for the coming Fall, they actually have something similar in different color and pattern. It's currently 40% off. Go check it out!