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Category: Contributed

Brazil’s Must-Have Brands

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By Melanie, Local Contributor – Brazil

Melanie is 21-years old and lives in Brazil. She has brown eyes, brown and curly hair, and cool-toned, fair skin. She’s a future journalist, vegetarian, feminist, and the boldest Aries you’ll ever meet. One of her life goals is to be free of prejudice and hate as much as possible. She would love to work at a cultural magazine or write a cultural column.

Melanie attributes her interest in beauty products to Japanese men, because she was a big fan of J-rock, specifically Visual Kei, when she was younger. It inspired her to try to replicate some of the makeup looks the musicians wore! Her philosophy is simple: everyone is beautiful–every size, shape, hair, nose lips, hands, everything! You can follow her on Twitter or check out her blog!


Cityscape of Balneário Camboriú by emarquetti

Brazil’s Must-Have Brands

You probably know Brazil for Carnaval, bossa nova, Rio de Janeiro, and our football NT, but did you know Brazil is the second largest consumer of cosmetics in the world (recently passed Japan and now only behind USA)? There’s probably much more to see than you expected!  Besides loving international brands like Avon (which is extremely popular around here), Maybelline, Lancôme, MAC, and many others, we have a huge variety of our own brands, each with something different for the beauty market.  My mission here is to introduce you to this new world and show what we do best. These are some of the Brazilian brands I love and recommend. Enjoy!

Natura

Natura is our giant; it’s a market leader and international success (available in other seven countries in Latin America as well as France). What makes Natura special is their eco-friendly philosophy, use of local ingredients, and being cruelty-free. Their skincare and bath line named Natura Eko is a great example: all of its products have ingredients (fruits, seeds, herbs) specially picked with Brazil’s biodiversity in mind. I believe using a Natura Ekos product is like experiencing a little piece of Brazil!

Mahogany

When you think Mahogany, you think delicious and memorable scents, retro packaging, and a ‘chic’ feel. The brand is always aiming for international standards by investing in research and technology. They specialize in skin care, hair care, and fragrances. I love that we have a brand like Mahogany in Brazil, which is so quality-driven and is definitely able to surprise even the most demanding consumers.

Contém 1g

Variety, quality, pretty packaging, and innovation: Contém 1g has it all. Brazilian makeup brands are, most of the time, just trying to catch up to international trends. Of course, Contém 1g does that, too, but they’re always developing new products and doing it their own way. The downside is that their products are inconsistent; most are amazing but others just don’t work. The products they do get right are quite worth the try, though, and courage always deserves praise.

Duda Molinos

This is a new brand that has already won the hearts of Brazilian women. It’s named after one of the most famous makeup artists in Brazil, and it really seems to use his expertise to create great products at rather reasonable price. The key words for this brand are: potential, quality and boldness.  So far, it is really promising.

Hits! Specialità

With its cute, slim bottles and well-picked colors, Hits! is the brand of fashionable women. You won’t find a plain red or a baby pink on their shelves. Hits! focuses on trendy, different, and classy colors as well as glitter nail polish (which are really hard to find here), to make the collections of Brazilian nail polish addicts complete.

O Boticário

This is the second largest brand of cosmetics in Brazil, which is also present in Portugal, Mexico, Japan and sixteen other countries. Although o Boticário has great makeup, skincare (including ‘Fun’, an indeed fun and surprising themed line), bath, hair care, and many other lines, their fragrances are the products that are the most influential and remembered for their quality. It’s almost cultural: most Brazilian girls get their first perfume from o Boticário. And, of course, the brand’s fragrances follow many of them through their lives.

Vult

I’m always impressed with the quality of Vult products. I love their eyeshadow: pigmented, buttery, long-lasting. Even though they’re a drugstore brand, and their prices compatible with the category, the makeup line specially can easily compete with our mid-end brands. How cool is this: to buy great products at great prices?

What caught your attention? What do you like the most about Brazil?

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From Finland: What’s in My Makeup Bag?

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By Ria, Local Contributor – Finland

After being born and spending her childhood in America, Ria moved to the far reaches of Northern Europe to live in Finland with her parents. Exiled away from beauty brands most of us take for granted, she was forced to branch out and challenged to find new local favorites.

Now 27, her interest in beauty started originally as a hobby about five years ago, when she was looking for something new in her life. However, it soon turned into a full-blown obsession. She also attended makeup school to pursue her interest and has worked with beauty ever since. These days she spends most of her free time studying and writing, trying to finish her master’s thesis for university. She’s interested in the associations and values connected to makeup and is actually writing her thesis on YouTube makeup videos!


Make Up Store China Red Lipstick

From Finland: What’s in My Makeup Bag?

I thought it would be fitting to share myself through some of my favorite products! These are a few of the products you can almost always find in my make up bag and that I’ll buy again and again.  You can always learn a lot a about a person by the products they choose to spend their hard-earned money on, whether it’s shoes or lipstick! Hopefully, this will give Temptalia’s readers some insight into who I am as well as to the European cosmetics market I navigate.  Maybe it will even help someone find a new favorite! 🙂

  • Illamasqua’s Cream Blushes (£16.50) became my staple this summer, and even though summer is over, I’m having a hard time letting go! Pinky coral Rude is my go-to shade, which can look natural or intense depending on your application.
  • Isadora Jelly Kiss Lipstick (€13.00)  isn’t exactly cheap for a drugstore product (around , the consistency is
  • worthy of a brand name! The glossy, sheer texture reminds my lips of Dior’s Addict lipsticks but at
  • a third of the price. Unfortunately the color range is still quite limited, with only five shades
  • available.
  • Make Up Store China Red Lipstick (€19.00) is a my holy grail matte red lipstick!  It’s matte without being overly dry, like some matte lipsticks tend to be and it packs an awesome amount of pigment punch. Stays on forever as well!
  • Isadora Forest Nail Polish (€13.50) is a new shade for fall and has been repeatedly featured on my nails. Forest is a darkened olive green with gorgeous gold shimmer. Swedish drugstore brand Isadora comes up with some of the most interesting seasonal nail colors on the local market every year.
  • Essence Nail Polishes (€1.00) has Europe covered, because they are very affordable and often dupe much  more expensive brands.  One brand which is not very accessible in my part of the world, is Deborah Lippmann. Being a bit of a glitter fanatic, I still adore Lippmann’s interesting glitter nail polishes.  They make perfect dupes of Lippmann favorites like Across the Universe and Boom Boom Pow. The mini bottles are easy to travel with too and come at a fraction of the price for around one euro!

 

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5 Holy Grail Products from the UK

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By Adrienne, Scotland Contributor

Adrienne lives in Scotland, and she writes for The Sunday Girl, which is mostly beauty but with a little life thrown into the mix. She was born and bred in Scotland, still resides in a damp Scottish town, and jokes that she sees about three days of sunshine a year–but it’s a lovely place to live. She is currently attending university studying both English and French with hopes to become an English teacher.In her free time, she loves to shop and hang out with friends–and beauty blog when she can!


MUA Pro Heaven & Earth Palette

5 Holy Grail Products from the UK

Today, I am going to share with you some great British products that I use on almost on a daily basis. These are products that have become great staples in my ever growing make-up bag. I thought long and hard about my five choices and whittled my list down by asking myself, “What would I recommend to a friend?”

MUA Pro Heaven & Earth Palette (£4.00) is a palette of twelve neutral eyeshadows that has almost reached cult status, and rightly so, as it is a really pretty selection of neutral shadows as well as it is an extremely good dupe for the often hard to source Urban Decay Naked Palette. The main differences aside from price, (MUA Pro palettes cost £4, Urban Decay Naked Palette retails around £35), is that MUA Pro palette is constructed wholly of shimmer and frost eye shadows compared to the Naked Palette, which has more of a variety in finishes. Heaven and Earth leans towards the cool end of the spectrum but each eyeshadow is finely-milled and packs a punch pigmentation wise. For £4, it is a wonderful neutral palette to add to your stash, but you may want to skip it if prefer matte formulas.

Barry M Lip Paints (£4.49) have a huge selection of shades–thirty one at last count–and they are always adding new shades to the line.  There really is a shade for everyone! I am a huge lipstick fan; I’d go as far as saying it is my favorite thing to purchase cosmetic-wise. For me there is no better UK high street brand for lipsticks than Barry M. Each shade is intensely pigmented and wears extremely well.  On average, I get around four hours wear per application. Unlike some high street/drugstore brands, these do not have am artificial smell nor are they overly drying in formula. There is one down side to Barry M lipsticks, though, and that is they all have the same semi-matte satin finish. Barry M lipsticks are well known for being great dupes for famous brands that are hard to get or of popular sold out shades. For instance, Barry M #147 Peach Pink is a wonderful dupe for MAC’s Ever Hip!

SleekMakeUp Blushes (£4.30) come with a low price tag but perform just as well, if not better, than some of the leading high-end brands out there. With the huge array of blushes available on the market, you grow to have high expectations regardless of the price tag! Why should you pay top dollar for a lackluster product? What I personally enjoy about SleekMakeUp blushes is that they are insanely pigmented, so much so that I urge all light skinned ladies to approach these with a light hand. The reason all SleekMakeUp products carry a high dosage of pigment is due to the fact the line was originally created with dark skin tones in mind. In my experience (and I have a stash of around ten), each one of the blushes is highly pigmented but also so finely milled and well pressed that the shades are never chalky, apply well with minimal fallout, and are a dream to apply and blend. My personal recommendation is Rose Gold, which is similar to a very famous shade with a rude name–yep–NARS Orgasm!

17 Wild Eyes Mousse Eyeshadows (£3.99) are a new addition to the Boots 17 line and come in six shades.  They are a semi-soft cream eyeshadow that works equally as well as an eyeshadow base or as a subtle all over wash of color.  I have been preaching about these little leopard print pots of cream shadow to all that will listen!  17 Wild Eyes Eyeshadows dry down to a powder finish. They are extremely easy to apply and wear best with a primer of some kind. I have oily lids, and with a primer, I can get eight hours of wear. Some have likened these to Chanel, but I see them as more a rival to MAC Paint Pots as this is what the texture most emulates and wears most similarly to. If you do try these out, I highly recommend the Wild Nude shade.

Collection 2000 Ultimate Wear Concealer (£3.99) is excellent! It is very seldom that you come across a budget buy concealer that performs well. On first inspection, it looks like any cheap drugstore buy, and you would be forgiven for not having high expectations, but this is certainly a case of not judging the book by the cover. Inside the tube houses a doe foot applicator and a thick, yet creamy, concealer that blends exceptionally well and hides all imperfections from dark circles to blemishes. It is a little on the thick side but not so much so that it can’t be used on the delicate eye area, and it doesn’t crease either. The only downsides of this product is the lack of shade variety as there are only three shades. My one tip for any potential buyers would be to choose one shade lighter than you would usually purchase as they have a tendency to oxidize throughout the day. I am an NC37 in Mac and wear shade two – light, if that provides any help!

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Canadian Spotlight: Annabelle Cosmetics

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By Tamara, Local Contributor – Canada

Tamara lives in southwestern Ontario, where she works in a multi-disciplinary physical rehabilitation clinic. When she’s not there, you’ll find her at the local cosmetic counters or freelancing as a makeup artist.

She rediscovered makeup in her early twenties, and since then, she’s become immersed in the beauty community. Tamara loves the idea of sharing information with others who share her beauty interests. After being an observer for some time, she started her own beauty blog. She has learned so much and had an amazing time since starting, and she considers herself lucky to have two jobs she adores.


Annabelle Smoothie Eye Shadow Pencils

Canadian Spotlight: Annabelle Cosmetics

Annabelle is a brand that has been around for quite some time. The line was first launched in August of 1967 by Morrie Cohen, a Montreal businessman. Known as “the house of colors,” the have always offered a wide range of color cosmetics, makeup accessories, and nail polish to consumers.  (Though sadly, in 2004, the line of nail polishes was discontinued!)  The company was named after Mr. Cohen’s mother-in-law, Anabel. The name Anabel, was modified to Annabelle to give a bilingual twist to the Canadian brand.

My top three products from Annabelle are…

Le Big Show Mascara ($9.95 CDN): I’ve had a drugstore favourite for mascara for a long time, but Le Big Show took over a few months ago. This is an absolutely fantastic mascara that gives length, volume and an intensely black colour payoff.

Smoothie Eye Shadow Pencil ($8.95 CDN) As someone with eyelids oily enough to eat through many popular bases, these over-sized pencils really impressed me with their longevity. They can be worn on their own or layered under shadows. I frequently use Melonade (mid-tone peachy pink) or Cocoaloco (rich chocolate brown) with some mascara for a quick low-key look, and Licoriche is perfect for smokey eyes.

Hush Mineral Powder Blush ($10.50 CDN): Amazing colour payoff, smooth application and good wear time are all hallmarks of a great cheek colour and Hush has them all. This was my first experience with a mineral blush and it was a pleasant surprise to find a mineral product at the drugstore that showed up on my skin tone.

Annabelle is widely available across Canada in a number of box-stores, drugstores and supermarkets. U.S. customers are able to make telephone purchases, but only for those products permanent to the line.

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Sarah’s Makeup Artist Must-Haves

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By Sarah, Makeup Artist

Sarah Cormier is a self-taught makeup artist in Cincinnati, OH. She mostly does wedding makeup but also has experience working on various photo shoots, fashion shows, and films. In addition, she is a freelance artist for her favorite line, MAC!

When she isn’t busy with makeup, she teaches Spinning classes at her local gym, and also attends Body Pump, Pole Fitness, and Cardio Kickboxing classes. Her other hobby is shopping, favorite stores are Nordstrom, the MAC store, Lucky Brand, and White House Black Market. Sarah is happily married to her wonderful husband of two years, Nate. Check out her blog, Sarah C. Makeup and sarahcormier.com.


Photo by Parker Michael Knight

Sarah’s Makeup Artist Must-Haves

But first, many of you are probably wondering, ‘who is this girl?’, so let’s get acquainted shall we? Here is a little bit about me, summed up by the top 5 beauty products and tricks that I simply can’t live without:

Because I am a perfectionist and huge fan of long wearing products, MAC Paint Pots ($16.50) are a staple in both my kit and personal stash. There are lots of excellent lid primers on the market but paint pots are my preference because they can be used as either as a primer or as eye shadows. They keep products looking perfect from morning until the wee hours of the night. They can also offer a natural look that can be played up with a little contouring and/or dramatic liner. As most of us know, paint pots come in various finishes, but I prefer the crème variety (Soft Ochre, Painterly, Quite Natural, and Groundwork from MAC’s permanent line are examples) because they are the most versatile.

Because I like to save money, I love Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes ($17.69) for removing makeup at the gym and before I cleanse my face at night. I also keep a pack in my kit for use on clients. You read that right friends! I first learned this years ago from a makeup artist friend and have since read several articles that advocate alcohol-free baby wipes to remove makeup. I like Pampers Sensitive because they are soothing, alcohol-free, and unscented.  Makeup remover wipes range in price between $5 to $25 depending on brand and quantity. Pampers Sensitive are basically the same thing but cost between $2 and $7, and you can often get coupons in the Sunday paper!

Because I adore saving time, money, and space in both my kit and personal stash, Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks ($18.00) are my newest obsession. $18 at Sephora gets you this long lasting crayon of joy. Available in an array of versatile and relevant shades, they can be used as an eyeliner, eyeshadow, or blended out to create a smoky eye. Aside from being a true triple threat, what I dig most is how easy they are to apply and blend, before setting to a truly waterproof finish that will not budge. They are especially handy on jobs, where time is usually very much of the essence. All I have to do is grab one of my trusty Buxom Eye Sticks to create a runway ready look in under five minutes.

Because my eyes are my favorite feature to play up, lining the upper water line will forever remain in my back pocket as the best way to make lashes look longer and eyes more vibrant. If you haven’t tried this little trick yet, you must! Just first make sure to use a waterproof liner that is approved by for the waterline by the manufacturer; Aforementioned Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks work great!

Because I believe that a flawless face is the most important makeup element, I cannot live without the MAC 187 Brush ($48.00). Commonly referred called the “the skunk brush,” it consists of a perfectly balanced blend of natural and synthetic fibers. Together, these two elements create maximum and even product distribution, which I particularly like because it minimizes waste and extends the life of my foundation. When used with circular and sweeping movements, this brush effortlessly creates a flawless and even finish. I often cannot tell the difference between foundations applied with a 187 and an airbrush, because it is just that good. An added bonus of this brush is that it can be used for any type of face product, blush included, in just about any formula including powders, crèmes, or liquids. If you like the idea of the 187 but find it to be a little too much, try its smaller counterpart, the 188.

What about you, what are your top five (or more!) must haves?

5 English Brands You Should Try

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By Polly, Local Contributor, English

Polly is a 22-year old recent graduate who hails from England. She studied East Asian studies, so she learned some Japanese and even spent six weeks in Japan last summer–she loved it and hopes to return one day.

She currently lives with her family and waitresses while trying to decide on her future career. Polly is fortunate to have a wonderful boyfriend who spends countless hours with her at Boots and makeup counters–even if it is done so begrudgingly! Check out her blog, Beauty Mish Mash!


5 English Brands You Should Try

There are so many amazing English brands that I found it hard to choose just five! Which ones would you have chosen? I would love to hear about your favorite English brands and products!

Sleek

I’ve seen a lot of love for Sleek in the blogosphere, and I’m not surprised!  The products are extremely high quality for a very reasonable price. Their eyeshadows are smooth and pigmented, and they come in a wide range of colors.  Their blushers are equally fabulous!  I’m always excited to see their latest release, and have never been disappointed in a product from them.

  • My star product: Sleek’s Pout Paints (£4.99) are incredible. The first time I tried one, it wore for 12 and a half hours before I had to remove it to go to bed! They are ridiculously pigmented, and they are designed to be mixed together, so you can even create your own customized lip color. I can’t wait to try this out!

MeMeMe

MeMeMe is only available in larger Superdrugs or online – I do wish it was easier to locate! Over the last few years the packaging has all been redesigned, and now it looks really pretty and feminine. The prices are slightly above the average drugstore brand, but I do think that the products merit this. A couple of the products remind me of their Benefit equivalent – think cheek and lip tints and boxed blushers. I can’t say how they compare though, because after trying MeMeMe’s version I haven’t felt the need to see how Benefit fares in comparison!

  • My star product: I love, love, love the Poppy Cheek and Lip Tint (£5.25)! It is a lovely baby pink that gives such a healthy flush to my cheeks. It’s a great every day color for lips, too, but can be a little drying (I’m yet to find a lip tint that isn’t, though).

17

17, available from Boots, offers the cheapest products out of these 5 brands. I do feel that this is reflected in the quality of some of the items, but I still think it is a great brand to try if you’re new to make up, or if you’re trying to save money! 17 often have a generous GWP on offer, and you only need to spend around £5 to receive it.

  • My star product: I’d say see whatever takes your fancy! Some days I like looking through the lipsticks, and other days, I like the nail varnishes. Because the price is so reasonable, I don’t mind too much if I end up with a color that doesn’t suit me, or a product that isn’t perfect – it’s fun to experiment sometimes!

Barry M

Barry M is probably my very favourite English make up brand. Discovering it really was the beginning of my make up addiction! I love their products, their prices and their bright colour selection. If you want to try out a new bright colour of eyeshadow or lipstick but you’re not sure whether you’ll like it or not, Barry M is a great way to try it without breaking the bank.

  • My star product: Without a doubt, it has to be their Dazzle Dusts (£4.59). There is such a vast selection of beautiful colors, and I really can’t resist them. They look lovely once applied, but I do need to wear them over a good eyeshadow primer, otherwise they are prone to creasing.

Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory isn’t primarily a make up brand, though they have very recently launched a new make up line that I have yet to try. They specialize in skincare and bathing products, and they definitely do it well. The products all smell incredible and feel lovely on my skin. Their vintage style packaging looks very nice in my bathroom too!

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