Swatches & Photos: Too Faced - A Few of my Favorite Things

This kit is exclusive to Sephora, and is Limited Edition, so get it while you can! I highly recommend it!

This kit retails for $56.00 USD.

Included is:

Pink & gold chevron clutch

Lip Injection Color Bomb in Bee Sting

Better Than Sex deluxe sample size mascara

20 eyeshadows

2 bronzers

2 blushes

small "look book"

All swatches are finger swatches on bare skin

Snowflakes / Whiskers on Kittens / Chocolate Milk / Moon on Their Wings / Dark Chocolate

Cream Colored Ponies / Honey Honey / Buche de Noel / Evergreen / Blue Satin Sashes

Coquet / Taffy / Crisp Apple Strudel / Woolen Mittens / Soiree

Tinsel / Bluff / Ooh La Orchid / Party Time / Pure Glam

All the shades are very pigmented, and are wonderfully pigmented. The only shades with a little trouble are the matte purple "Ooh La Orchid" and the shimmery "Party Time". "Ooh La Orchid" just needs a little help when applied, just build it up. "Party Time" is not the spectacular shade it appears in the pan, more like an overshadow actually. I'd use it over top of another shadow to give it a little "pop!".

Chocolate Soleil / Melt into Spring / Raindrops on Roses / Sun Bunny

No complaints in the face products department! All winners in my book, and I'm especially fond of the peachy coral shade - Melt into Spring.

The "Better Than Sex" mascara is just ok for me. It reminds me of Almay Get Up & Grow, as far as the brush. It's nothing special, but it's not bad either. 

First of all, I'm sorry I have to say this, but this lip stick looks like a penis. I'm sorry that's disgusting, but it does. It's quite off-putting. The color is beautiful, ou know I'm partial to natural nude shades. However, I'd wear this over a lip balm, so as to have a "buffer". The name of this shade is "Bee Sting" and I find that perfect, because that's what it feels like. It hurts SO bad on the lips!

All together, I am more than pleased with this purchase. You like? 

I give this an:

Swatches: Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

    This morning I was given a $50 gift card to Sephora as an early birthday present. Needless to say, I was pretty fricking excited. So off I headed to the mall, because right now is Sephora VIB and I couldn't pass up that 20%! I really REALLY wanted this palette for my birthday, so I knew that's what I would spend my card on. I also got my birthday freebie, and after taxes I only paid 50 cents!

The packaging is gorg! It's a swirly vortex of purpley goodness. It also has the button on the front which opens it, just like the original Vice palette. Inside the lid is a huge mirror, which is a nice bonus. 

So pretty! I can't wait to play with it tomorrow!!!

Just to save myself from being redundant and saying each shade is "super pigmented, creamy, blah blah blah" I'll just say that now. There are only a few shades that need an extra footnote, which I will include in shade descriptions. Other than that, every shade is AMAZEBALLS.

Smokeout: Blackened brown, with a hint of a plum undertone.

Lovesick: Matte black with silver glitter. **This shade was pretty dry and patchy.

Shellshock: Extreme silver metallic.

Coax: Rosey pink with a satin finish.

X Rated: Baby pink with an almost matte finish.

Prank: Dark, dark navy with a teal shift and teal shimmer. **This shade was the softest and most pigmented. May stain lids.

Madness: Bright, electric blue with a silver reflect sheen.

Strike: Yellowy orange gold with metallic finish.

Stash: Metallic olive green with gold flecks.

Poison: Charcoal blue/black with small silver flecks.

Radar: Medium warm brown with a satin (almost frost) finish.

Damaged: Metallic emerald green.

Voodoo: Metallic blackened purple. Mostly purple, but definitely has some black in it. **Applied a bit patchy.

Betrayal: Lilac purple with a strong blue duo chrome. 

Derailed: Metallic taupe brown.

Dope: Metallic icy pink.

Toxic: Rose gold with a satin finish.

Habit: Matte creamy beige.

Ambush: Deep bronzy brown. Metallic finish.

Rewind: Matte medium cool brown.

Final thoughts:

I could have done without 3 dark black/charcoal colors. One of them, Lovesick, is not very good at all. I think one would have been enough. Of course I will say more matte shades would have been nice, especially a nice warm brown. The 2 pink shades, Coax and  X Rated are similar enough that one is enough. Other than that, I love everything about this palette. The new formula of Urban Decay shadows is beyond fabulous. They are so smooth, apply so nicely, it's wonderful. 

I give this palette:

Dollar Tree Finds!

    I wondered on over to the Dollar Tree the other day (I honestly can't remember what for) and I decided I needed a new hair brush, and found some other goodies there also. I thought I'd share what kind of things can be found at the Dollar Tree lately, and a few swatches too!

   The ELF Lip Exfoliator pictured above was actually purchased at Target for $3, not at the Dollar Tree, but I thought I'd include it. Basically it's an exfoliating lip scrub in the shape of a lipstick and it tastes like vanilla. Simple enough.

     I did pick up the hair brush, and also a couple larger clips for keeping my hair out of my face while putting my makeup on, or doing my hair. They came together 2-in-1. 

The LA Colors Rapid Dry Top Coat is a bit of a disappointment for me. It's super runny like water, and it drags through my polish leaving little track marks. It also doesn't dry rapidly AT ALL. Granted it's only a $1, but pass on it. 

     If you watch my YouTube videos you know I am LOVING the ELF Matte Lip Colors. I have 5 out of the 6 available shades now, and found all of them at the Dollar Tree, although they are still available at Target and online. The shade I passed on is Praline because it's just too dark brown for me. The color I did pick up this time is Coral, which I was super pumped up about. It's a beautiful peachy nude color, and reminds me a bit of Just Peachy by Wet n Wild (one of my all time faves!)

   I also found a bunch of the Rimmel Glam Eye quads. I didn't however realize they were quads and not trios, until I was swatching the last one. So the first 2 palettes only show 3 swatches, not 4. Oops! They did have a few more shades available, I just picked up the ones I was interested in. I have worn the gold one already, and it is pretty nice. The only complaint I have is that the little strips of eyeshadow are really hard to get into, even with the little sponge applicator. While it is pretty to look at, the packaging leaves much to be desired in terms of usage. Swatches of everything is below!

Green Park

Royal Tea

Heart of Gold

ELF Matte Lip Color - Coral

Sigma Essentials [Haul & Review]

The Sigma Essentials Kit comes with 12 brushes:

Eye Liner (E05)

Pencil (E30)

Tapered Blending (E40)

Eye Shader (E55)

Large Shader (E60)

Small Angle (E65)

Medium Angle Shader (E70)

Large Powder (F30)

Angled Contour (F40)

Duo Fibre (F50)

Foundation (F60)

Concealer (F70)

This kit retails for $98, but with the code MNSF2013 at checkout you can save 10% on your order.

Clink this link to check out this kit for yourself:

http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Complete_Kit_p/ck001.htm?Click=264104

You can see my full thoughts on these brushes by watching my video, below :)

This post contains my affiliate link, but this post was not sponsored by Sigma. 

Swatch & Quick Review: Revlon Colorstay quad "Delightful"

   Here is another "gem" I found on clearance at my local Meijer. I use the term "gem" lightly, and sarcastically in this situation. This particular quad is being discontinued from the line, so if you happen to be interested in it, I'd get it while you can. As you can see I only paid $3.49 for this quad. There were a few other ones on clearance also, but I didn't pay attention to exactly which ones. 

     In a nutshell: This quad looks beautiful in the pan and when swatched. It's a nice neutral quad, with a subtly pop of peach. That being said: the color does not transfer to the eyelid AT ALL. It boggles my mind how this swatch so beautifully on my hand, but when applied to the eye - nothing. I tried a brush and the sponge tip applicator also. Still - nothing. Such a shame considering how pretty it looks. If you are looking for a sheer, subtle eye look, this is your man (or girl, which ever you prefer). If you are looking for pigmentation, save your hard earned cash. All the other Colorstay quads get rave reviews, and I see now why this one is being discontinued. 

Left to right: white/ cream matte shade. Soft peach/pink satin shade. Yellowy tan satin shade. Chocolate brown demi matte shade.

What are your experiences with the Colorstay quads? Did I just pick a bad one or what??

I give this quad:

Wet n Wild Pop Art Craze Eyeshadow Trios

     Oh-Em-Gee!!! I have been SUPER pumped about this limited edition collection ever since I first heard about it! Yes it's all crazy ass colors, which I don't typically wear on a day to day basis, BUT it's new Wet n Wild!! I absolutely love, love, love Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeshadows. The are pretty much the biz-naz if you know what I'm saying ;)

     This collection of trios actually includes 6 new trios, but I was only interested in 5 of them. The other one consists of white, red and black and I wasn't feeling it. This collection also includes 6 new Wild Shine polishes, of which I purchased 4. (That's a whole 'nother post). The most exciting thing to me about this collection is the fact the most of these shadows are MATTE. The regular Color Icon line is seriously lacking in the matte department, so it's nice to see Wet n Wild go that route.

I will have close up shots and swatches after the jump, so keep reading!

Swatch & Quick Review: Maybelline 'Caffeine Rush' palette

     If you are interested in this little palette, I highly suggest picking it up VERY soon. I don't know if these are being repackaged, or discontinued, but they are being clearanced out everywhere. I found mine at my local Meijer, and as you can see I paid $4.74  for it. 

    In a nutshell, I find these Maybelline EyeStudio palettes to be very buttery, pigmented and easy to blend. I highly recommend these little palettes if you can still get your hands on them. I also have the purple one in Amethyst Ablazed, which I can also swatch for you all. If you are a neutral lover (who isn't, who am I kidding? lol) I'd jump on this one before it's gone.

     On the top of the palette you have a very shimmery "top coat" if you will. This just adds a sheer wash of sparkle over any color you choose. Next we have a nice deep chocolate brown shade. On the left middle is a satin finish tan shade. Right middle is a standard brown/taupe color. The bottom shade is a creamy shade with a satin/ frost finish.

Do you have this palette, love it? Hate it? 

I give this palette:

I used this in a video that you can watch here:

Quick Review: Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

 

  Ok guys, I received the Olay BB Cream in my Influenster box, and now I'm gonna give you a quick post of my thoughts on it.

First of all, what is it?

According to Olay: Models get airbrushed. We get Olay BB Cream, with 24 - hour hydration and a splash of sheer color for a flawless radiant look. Say bye bye to blotches and imperfection, and hello to instant skin-perfecting coverage.

Olay boats "6 Skin Perfecting Benefits":

Refreshes

Brightens

Evens Tone

Hydrates

Smoothes

Protects

According to Me: First of all, "Models get airbrushed, we get Olay BB Cream". Wtf is that? Yes this says you get a splash of sheer color, and that's basically all you get; a splash of a tiny bit of color. How is that going to give you "skin-perfecting color"? Basically this is a lotion with some SPF in it. That's the bottom line. This has no coverage, and it just made me look shiny. Granted, American drugstore BB creams have nothing on the Asian ones, that's a given. However, at least I can get away with just wearing the Garnier or Rimmel BB Creams without having to put foundation on also. You can check out my Before & After for yourself and see if you notice any difference. If anything, my skin does look a little brighter, and hydrated.

If you are curios about purchasing this product, or would like more information, you can check out www.olayfresheffects.com  or you can find it on www.amazon.com . 

You can see my first impression and a demo of this product in my video below.

*I must tell you again (due to regulations and whatnot) I did receive this product complimentary from Influenster. 

I ❤ Real Techniques!!

     About a year ago a purchased a brush set from Coastal Scents, and while the eye brushes are holding up fine, the face brushes took a crap. I received 2 flat top kabuki type brushes instead of one (score!), but sadly they both met the garbage quite a long time ago. They both shed so bad that eventually the whole entire bristle part just fell out. The handles have all been hot glued back to the ferrule of every single face brush. Basically, I was in need of new face brushes.

     About 4 months ago I purchased my first set of Real Techniques brushes from Ulta. I decided to go with the Core Collection to try out. I fell in LOVE!!! They are so, so soft. There is not a traditional ferrule to the brushes, which is nice, because mine always come loose. Instead they have long aluminum type handles that the bristles fit into. These brushes wash like a dream, and dry pretty darn quickly, compared to a lot of other brushes. Needless to say, after that I just kept on picking up more brushes. I now have quite a collection, and I thought I'd share with you my favorite ways to each brush.

Keep Reading!

Swatch & Comparison: Naked Basics

**WARNING: This post is going to be pic heavy, so I will put a jump in the post**

Look what I got for Valentine's Day..... Naked!! :-)

     I have been going back and forth on wether or not I wanted this palette, and now that's it's mine I know I love it! The texture and pigmentation of these shadows are far superior to any other Urban Decay shadows I have. I know they reformulated, but these are even more buttery than the Vice Palette. 

     This palette comes with 6 shades that are just perfect for pairing with any of the Naked palettes, or using it on it's own. 1 shade is a satin finish, and the other 5 are matte. None of the matte shades are powdery or chalky, they are all super smooth. 

Keep reading for more info!

Swatchfest & Review: Khroma Beauty - Khloe's Kardazzle palette

Hi Dolls!

     I was pretty excited when I started seeing this palette pop up in blogs and youtube videos. Not because I'm a huge Kardashian fan or anything (although I must say, I think Khloe is hilarious) but because it looked like such a pretty little neutral palette. You all know, I am a neutral whore. I was really drawn to the Khroma Beauty Khloe's Kardazzle palette because it seemed nice an compact, and it's a full face palette. Besides containing 8 eyeshadows, this palette has a slide out drawer with blush, bronzer & highlight. It comes in plastic packaging. So that's a quick rundown of that palette, let's get more in depth to how I actually feel about it.

Keep reading for more info and pictures!

Review: NYC New York Color Individual Eyes Custom Compact

Hi my loves! How goes it? 

    I have to start off by saying I'm not a huge fan of the NYC IndividualEyes palettes. I used to have the one for brown eyes (Union Square) before I really got into makeup and understood things like: pigmentation, creasing, and lasting power. I do think these palettes are a good idea for beginners because they are pretty fool-proof, but they just don't do it for me. 

You can see the whole line of compacts at the NYC New York Color website, and they are available in basically every drugstore around. These palettes retail for $4.99 each. 

via NYC New York Color:

NYC New York Color's all-in-one compact gives you everything you need for a complete eye look: primer, illuminator, applicator and complementing shadows. With four vibrant colors designed for your eye color, you can create a look as individual as you are!

As stated; these palettes come with 4 shades: lid, crease, definer and brow. It also comes with a primer and illuminator, which are cream products. While in theory it's nice having an all-in-one compact, powder gets into the cream products. The cream products themselves are basically junk. They don't work. The primer creases like crazy. The shadows themselves are not overly powdery, but they lack in pigmentation. I received the compact in Dark Shadows, and I think the other palette I owned (Union Square) had better color payoff. 

    This particular palette, called Dark Shadows, is LE so I'm not sure when it came out or if it's even still available. This palette contains all shimmery shades. There is a white, silver, grey and a black.

    These compacts are not a bad deal for what you get, but like I said before: they just don't turn my crank. I much prefer my Wet n Wild palettes. I do have a NYC duo called Brighton Peach that I absolutely love, but these compacts just aren't at the same level. Have you tried these before? What did you think about them?

FTC: This product was provided by NYC and Influenster for review purposes. All opinions are my own, I receive no compensation for this review.

Review: Bath & Body Works Fall Mini Candle

Hi dolls! I'm back with another review today!

One of the products I received in my VoxBox was a mini candle from Bath & Body Works. I was SUPER excited about this as I LOVE Bath & Body Works candles. I like to buy the mini candles because they are usually 2 for $5, and I get to try out a larger variety buy buying and burning the small candles. 

    My favorite candles to buy are the Fall Collection candles. They all smell so, so good. Some of my favorites this year were: Leaves, Mahogany & Teakwood and Autumn. I received the candle Cider Lane in my box, and I was excited to try it. I've heard a lot about this particular scent, but I didn't end up getting the chance to buy it on store.

     According to the candle, Cider Lane is a "delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon". I love that these candles have a scent description on the bottom, as I am terrible at describing scents (lol!) I would say that is a fairly accurate description of this candle. 

    Bath & Body Works claims that mini candles are supposed to last through 15 hours of burning. This is true. I usually burn mine in my bedroom at night. I can use the same candle for about 3 to 4 hours night for almost a week. The scent is very strong, making it distribute throughout the room very well. These candles (all sizes, including the minis) come in a little glass container. I like that because when the candle is done you can clean it out and reuse the container. I use mine to hold jewelry, and other odds & ends.

    With my candle I also received a coupon to get a large 3 wick candle for only $10 (normally $20). I don't usually buy the larger candles because I don't like spending that much money on one candle. I did however use my coupon so I could one for half off. I chose the scent Mahogany & Teakwood, which is probably my favorite from this year. 

     Do you buy these candles? What were your favorite candles fragrances from Bath & Body Works this fall? 

FTC: This candle was provided by Bath & Body Works and Influenster for review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream

Hi guys, a little review for you today. I will have a couple of these coming up, so yay for that! :) 

I recently received my Beauty Blogger VoxBox from Influenster as blogged about here. One of the items in the box for me to try out was this hair cream. I'm not much into hair products (though I should be, I dyed my hair pink for crying out loud). I do use good shampoo, conditioner, etc. I just don't buy a lot of hair creams, texturizers, pomades and the like. Needless to say I was pretty excited to try this out for free. This is from the brand Not Your Mother's, which you can check out by clicking the name. 

To see how I feel about it, and to learn more about this product, keep reading!