Lets Talk ! Highlighters !!!

Hey Guys !

Im back with another one of my favorite things, HIGHLIGHTERS !
Like most people I know , Having a radiant glow is a sign of good health and happiness.
Ever look at someone with the most beautiful glow from within and think "MAN they must be happy" LOL (I'm so dramatic) But seriously, Highlighters are something I cannot be without. Over the past couple of months I've accumulated more then I need , But who's counting ? Haha ! A little disclaimer: I will be posting some highlighters that are no longer available due to them being limited edition ! Im sorry ! Most of the great things are :( Lets hope this holiday season brings us a lot of amazing highlighters, lipsticks. and gift sets ! Another thing I wanted to mention is that I tend to stick to powder Highlights , because of how I personally do my makeup incorporating a liquid highlight would be pointless, BUT there is one liquid highlighter that I ADORE and will be talking about in this post :) I tend to highlight the high points of my face such as the top of my cheeks , the bridge of my nose , cupids bow and a tad on the center of my forehead . Below I will talk about my top 4 Highlights & the Liquid Highlighter ( Ill be sharing my secret to how I use it ) ;)

Highlighters with NO flash

Highlighters with flash 

From LEFT To RIGHT

1. Bobbi Brown  Limited Edition Holiday Highlighter In "Bronze Glow"


Ive only had this highlighter for a few days and I already see myself going back into Sephora to get backups ! Pictured above you can see that this highlighter is slightly darker then all of the others , I would describe this highlight as a true bronze gold with warm undertones. As you know I am of a darker complexion so this Highlight is absolutely BEAUTIFUL . And I like it because it doesn't look "too much" when applied. The formula is very smooth and looks amazing when used with a damp beauty blender to apply .


2. Dior Shimmer Powder In "Amber Diamond"

 Im not sure if this highlighter has been discontinued or not (I've had this one since last year) But I did see something similar which is limited edition HERE. I ADORE this highlighter , It has 5 different shades in the compact and when you swipe your brush along all the shades it leaves you with this beautiful warm golden highlight with hues of amber, and vanilla. One of my faves  I had another one which I gifted to my good friend PatrickStarrr  while in NYC last year, because he absolutely adored how it looked on him .


3. MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skin Finish In "Double Definition" (Limited Edition)

This shade was overlooked by me in the beginning . I didn't really care for the bronze side of this one (there is a light side and a dark side on this product ). One day I took this one out and used just the light side and was HOOKED ! This product is almost at pan now which sends me into a slight depression . Its very similar to the ever so popular "Whisper Of Gilt" Highlight. Its on the golden side which is always a plus for me , and it only takes a little product to highlight your entire face! Ive owned this product since the beginning of last year so its def held up !


4. Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter in "Opal"

 Last but certainly not least is this bad girl! PIGMENTATION AT ITS FINEST !!! Ive never ever used another highlighter or powder for the matter , that has been this pigmented !! one swipe and you have your entire face ! This shade would be described as a bronzy highlight with both pink and gold undertones , Its STUNNING . I normally stay clear away from pinks , because of my yellow undertones I like to emphasize them, and pink makes me look weird LOL . This highlighter is a bit pricey as far as highlighters go but I can absolutely see why. A little product goes a LONG way !



Below I will be talking to you guys about the Gerard Cosmetics Liquid Illuminator!
as stated before I don't tend to use these types of products due to them not being useful in my foundation routine , BUT I adore using this mixed into my foundations to add a little boost to the yellow undertones and it adds a beautiful sheen to the formulas of my foundations! I ESP like to use this with my Black Opal foundations used mainly on my deeper skin toned clients . I went to a class in NYC and was taught to mix an illuminator into your foundation to add that glow to the skin . DEF one of my favorite techniques as far as foundation goes .

Gerard Cosmetics Liquid Illuminator 

Okay Guys ! There you have it ! My Current Fave Highlighters ! Im so happy I'm able to talk to you guys more in depth on here . Its my favorite thing at the moment , I LOVE sharing photos with you guys on Instagram but this is where I'm able to fill you guys in on all  of my secret products and all that good stuff ! let me know what you guys want to see next ! This is OUR blog . So don't ever feel like we cant interact ! Leave me comments below and don't forget to follow the blog so that you can be updated when I make new post !
Love you guys !


Aidensempire

My Favorite Nude Lipsticks !

Hey Guys! 

Im back to you guys with a long awaited "Favorite Nudes" post!
If you follow me on IG you know that I'm OBSESSED With Nudes!
I feel like there is a million nudes out there , and I'm almost positive that there will be a shade to compliment you ! For me , Nudes are a flesh tone shade that mimic the appearance of your natural lip color. As you know , not everyones lips are the same shade , or undertone . Thats why I LOVE nudes though, because I'm able to achieve any kind of flesh "like" shade :) 

Below Im going to post swatches of some of my all time favorite "Nude" Lipsticks , From High end to Drugstore. Im always on the hunt though for my next "must have" Nude,  so leave me a comment and let me know which nudes your obsessed with! (Not the X-rated Celeb Leaked Photos Either  ! LOL ) 


Im going to keep it simple with telling you guys about my TOP 6 , 
I will post a swatched arm with regular light and with flash. 
Along those, I will post where you can order them if interested as I didn't post any Limited Edition Lippies :)

With Flash 

without flash

From LEFT to RIGHT 


1. MAC Cosmetics "Myth" Lipstick , This one is one of my ALL TIME Faves , 
Its described as a light brown color , with a presence of coral. I don't feel like this has much brown honestly. But there is enough to where this lipstick doesn't come off completely coral. I adore this lipstick because when paired with a MAC liner such as "Stripdown" Or "Hover" It makes for a beautiful ombre nude shade that doesn't wash me out. This lipstick Is Classified as a "Satin" Finish. Which I love because its not too drying but has great pigmentation. 


2.Rimmel London "Kate" Collection in "14". I ADORE this lipstick , From the finish to the color , I would describe this as a warm brown nude , and normally pair it with a liner such as "Hover" from MAC . I would Classify this lipstick as a "Lustre" In which it applies smooth and shiny . LOVE ! 


3. MAC Cosmetics "Velvet Teddy" I was pleasantly surprised with this one! 
I recently Received a generous package from Gerard Cosmetics & I was THRILLED because I had been eyeing the lipstick in collaboration with "Jaclyn Hill" In the shade "1995" Which was quickly becoming popular on social media but when I received it i was bummed because the pink undertones in the lipstick and the fact that it was matte didn't work well with my skin tone  ( none the less this shade is absolutely gorgeous and I have went on to use it in my freelance Kit ).I went to MAC and found this beauty ! not only is "Velvet Teddy" Matte , But this lipstick has the perfect amount of brown along with pink to suit my warmer complexion. Its also not matte to the point where your lips feel dry. This one is a MUST have for anyone with warmer skin tones :)


4. Mac Cosmetics "Cherish" This Lipstick is actually pretty similar to "Velvet Teddy". The few differences are the fact that this lipstick is of a "Satin" Finish. I also notice more pink undertones in this lipstick which I LOVE because its not too much to where it would look awkward on my lips but i would still be able to achieve something more on the "pinky nude" side :)


5. Coloured Raine Cosmetics "Socialite" Lipstick & Gloss Pot ( Gloss Pot not pictured in arm swatch )  Okay , Let me just say that I wear this shade SO MUCH. I normally won't go for a lipstick this far on the pink side , But I do a few things to achieve my absolute perfect nude shade ! This lipstick would be described as a light pink lipstick with a slight beige undertone. As you probably know I tend to stay clear from light pinks as the can tend to wash someone of my skin tone completely out . I Found that using a brown lip liner like "Hover, Oak, or stripdown all from MAC) BEFORE applying this lipstick completely transforms this entire lipstick . It becomes the perfect nude , having some pink undertones along with flesh and brown undertones . UNTIL recently I would wear this alone. Then this company released the gloss pots ! OMG OBSESSED is an understatement ! I adore these gloss pots , they are extremely creamy and pigmented ! and what I love is that they can be very sheer and also very opaque ! I pair this nude lip with the gloss pot in "Socialite" as it looks amazing along side its sister lipstick ! :)


Ill go ahead and post the gloss pot swatch in the shade "socialite" for you guys below ! 

6. MAC Cosmetics "Blankety" This has been my current obsession as of late ! 
I adore this shade so much ! I would describe this shade as a brown/pink/muave shade ! LOL I don't know how to explain this shade but its gorgeous and makes my lips look so juicy and perfect :) I also like how this lipstick doesn't need a lip liner per say . Its not too pigmented where it calls for a structured lip . It looks very effortless and thats what I love most about this shade ! 



Okay Guys ! These were just some of my favorite nudes ! I could go on and on , but I won't keep you guys for too long ! I apologize for taking forever to get this post out , some of you may know that Ive been moving around a lot lately due to work related things :) I will be getting you guys a Fave Highlighter Post ! 
its becoming an obsession guys :( LOL . 
Hope you enjoyed this post though ! I had a little trouble taking the pictures but I'm sure with time and practice we will be good to go ! Im so happy you guys show interest in this new way for me to talk to you guys about my favorite things ! 

Love you guys ! 

until next time :) 

Aidensempire 

Get To Know Me :)

Hey Guys ! 

Okay , So I know you guys have been waiting on the blog. Here it is ! I'm not going to promise you guys anything solid with how often I am going to come to you guys with new post , because of some projects that I'm working on and things of that nature. I did however want to give you guys a little background of who I am and what it is that I want to do with my time here on IG,  and with my career as an artist . Lets start with things that you probably know. My name is Aiden Reynoso , I am a 22 Year old Makeup artist and also a Beauty Blogger on Instagram  ( That's the simplest I'm going to break it down because I feel like I do more then that and that,  the term "Beauty Blogger" Is so loosely used . 

for those of you who are new to me here is My IG Page :)

I started doing makeup when I was about 17 years old , For me it was something I found interesting . I loved the way it made me feel. It was fun , I could be whoever I wanted to be ( looking back I laugh because I've come a long way from the days when I only used foundation " haha . At the time I was living in Florida , I went to the local MAC store in my area and started asking questions. Little did I know that would be where I met someone very influential to my growth as an artist, And her name was Valerie ( also known as ValerieVixenArt On IG ) I ended up working at that counter helping out (for free) as a freelance artist. I was too young to even be hired, but the manager there saw that I had a strong curiosity for the brand and makeup in general so he let me pick up hours to learn and help customers when it was really busy. Valerie would always encourage me in my craft for the short amount of time I was there,  Telling me that I could so anything I put my mind and heart too . It was people like her that shaped me into the artist and person that I am today . 

Shortly After, I ended up leaving Florida to head back up north to NY with my family . I ended up putting Makeup to the side for a few months to go off to trade school and pursue my degree in homeland security (at the time that was something I enjoyed doing and I didn't know how profitable makeup could become) I graduated from school and I got myself a job doing dispatch services at a mall .

 I got bored REALLY quickly LOL , I ended up leaving that JOB and going to a cosmetology school in my area. That school was mainly focused on hair (If I would have known what I knew now I would have never went to cosmetology school ) I did that for about 4 months before I decided that I hated hair and that, This was something I did not want to do .

I created my instagram page in 2012 , Using this app purely for selfies and all that jazz, I didn't even know that there was a makeup community. I ended up getting more and more into makeup , Practicing looks on myself . I remember only having one eye shadow pallet and 3 eye brushes from the drug store ( HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED HAHAH :) . I still practiced because I knew deep down that makeup was something that I really loved . Im going to post a picture of my looks early on and my looks as of today . ( THE GROWTH IS CRAZY ) I cringe looking at my old makeup haha .( I would BLUR the hell out of my pictures . 

Mid 2012 

October 6th, 2014 

At first I would only post my makeup looks on my Facebook page which had only friends and family. As i started to see that Instagram could be a platform to show my looks I started posting on IG . I knew from the very beginning that my "look" would get attention (both good and bad ) At first I was scared of what people would say about me. I was not used to having strangers have opinions about me and what I was doing . But as I grew as an artist,  the Love outweighed the bad , And until this day I feel that way . There are so many amazing people out in this world for me to worry about the bad . I remember talking to my mother , asking her if I should stop posting and she said "Aiden, People are going to find something bad to say about you even if you didn't wear makeup , Do what makes YOU happy . Don't let anyone steal your joy." And that's what I did . I continued to post looks , Try new products and meet amazing people . I look back and am so grateful to those people who gave me a shot . 

This Post has gotten WAY too long LOL , I guess i just want you guys to know that everyone has a story . YOU cannot judge a book by its cover , and you must always live your life with LOVE . For Love conquers all :) 

Im going to try to get some makeup related post up as soon as I can find the time I promise ! 

leave me a comment below & let me know what you guys want to see ! love hearing from you guys ! 

Yours Always, 

AidensEmpire