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For a few months now since the original sneak peaks were released, I have been anticipating the Lorac Mega Pro Palette going on sale.  I stayed up most of the night waiting for the release of the Lorac Mega Pro and was lucky to get me a palette off of their Amazon website.  It was shipped quickly and delivered within five days of my order which I thought was an absolute plus.  Not to mention it also arrived in tact considering I have been told that many of my friends received their Amazon orders damaged due to the packaging the palette was shipped in.  I was a bit bummed to hear that the product itself had sold out and that it would not be released again on Lorac’s site, but I’m not gonna lie… I’m happy that I got my hands on one.  This palette is literally turning into one of my favorites.

Lorac Mega Pro

SELF PURCHASED

The Lorac Mega Pro retailed for $59.00 and comes with a total of 32 shades.  The palette itself is similar in look and feel of the Lorac Pro and Lorac Pro 2 but includes twice as much shades as the original two palettes released.  This palette includes a combination of matte and shimmer/metallic shades and a range of neutrals and a few pops of color that can compliment any eye look or makeup collection.

Want to watch this video directly on YouTube?  Click here.

Lorac Mega Pro

This palette includes a few shades that are in repeats from the Pro and Pro 2 palettes like White, Cream, Espresso, Black – four shades that they label “must-have basics”.  The other shades are 28 brand new exclusive shades to this palette.

Lorac Mega Pro

Just like Lorac Pro palettes 1 and 2 – the Mega Pro includes beautifully pigmented and buttery shades.  That’s one of the reasons they are some of my favorites.  The quality of each shadow is the same as you would expect and applying and blending the shades are a dream… easy and effortless.  I love eye shadows that are buttery because it makes blending a little easier and there is something about the Lorac Matte shades in these Pro palettes that are unexplained… they blend so easily without sticking – if that makes any sense.

Lorac Mega Pro

There is a mix of cool and warm tones through out the palette but what I love about this palette specifically is that range of warm tones and cool tones.  This would be a great palette for a makeup artist kit.  I also love that each shade name is labeled directly on the palette – so there is no guessing.  Mattes are on the top two rows, shimmer/metallic shades on the bottom two rows making it easy to work with.

Lorac Mega Pro

If you are not familiar with using any of the shades from either of the Lorac Pro palettes, I do want to warn you… the shimmer shades are super buttery which offer a softer texture than what most people are used to.  It can also give you quite a bit of fall out if you are not careful – so make sure to tap off your brush before applying to your eye lids.

My favorite shades through out the palette include:  Mulberry (matte), Dusty Plum (matte), Wisteria (matte), Cashmere (shimmer), Smokey Topaz (shimmer), Maroon (shimmer), though I’ll be honest and say choosing a few favorites was quite difficult.  If there was one shade I am not too keen about… it would be Lilac (matte) because I think it is just too light against my skin, though I still use it.

Overall I think this palette really impressed me as much as I knew it would.  As much as I love it, I’m a bit disappointed that it was not available longer or that there wasn’t a larger stock considering the hype this product received.  In all honesty, I think this palette would make a great part of the Lorac’s permanent line and it would be a great addition if they decided to make it such, that is my hope anyway.

Did you have the opportunity to get your hands on a Mega Pro?  If so – what are you thoughts?  If not, what Limited Edition palettes do you have your eyes on for the Holidays?

Signature Honey

This is my third Lip Monthly bag I received so far and I am sharing it with you.  Lip Monthly is another subscription beauty bag that includes majority of lip goodies that you can enjoy.  Here’s what I got in this month’s bag.

Lip Monthly October 2014

REFERRAL LINKS

I really enjoyed the fact that they included a new bag this month – which they stated on their card included in their bag.  It reminds me of a blend between Summer and Halloween for some reason and I think it’s cute.  This month I received five products in my bag – I think I would have gotten one more if I reviewed my September bag, but I didn’t get around to doing so.

This month Lip Monthly wanted to celebrate fall with the perfect shade of nude that you could pair with a smoky eye.  Four lip products and one eye pencil were included and I liked that a lip sugar scrub was included also since winter is when your skin and lips get the most dry.  The monthly subscription costs $10 and there have been a few changes in their packaging since first heard of them.  This month majority of the products included were for the lips, Here is the break down of the products:

Starlook’s Lip Scrub – These lip scrubs retail for 5 for $10 so that means that this one lip scrub we received would be $2.00

Noyah Lip Balm – This balm retails for $3.99 and we received the retail size of this product.

J. Cat Nude Lipstick in Honey Crisp – we received the full size lipstick which retails for $2.99

deVine Lip Shimmer – we received the full size pinot noir which retails for $4.95

LA Girl Eyeliner in Brown black – we received the full size which retails for $3.00

Overall retail value of the bag: $16.93

While the products in the bag still outweigh the cost you pay each month, I am in hopes that future bags will have an increase of value in the products received.  I’m quite excited to try out some of the products, I’ve been using the deVine Lip Shimmer which has a hint of color but is still pretty sheer on me as well as the Noyah Lip Balm which I am liking.  But I think I still expect a little more.  Since this bag is in the early stages, I hope to see some improvement in future bags.

If you are interested in learning more about the subscription service or to sign up – click herehttps://lipmonthly.com//referral/lePnS52EPMb8abN

Don’t forget to stop by my other post where I talk about my October Ipsy Glam Bag (which was mentioned in the video).  Check out that post here.

Have you tried Lip Monthly?  What do you think of this monthly subscription?

Signature Honey

 

I posted on my Instagram a few weeks ago that I would have a review and swatches up of the new L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints, but I just didn’t get around to posting it so I’m doing it now.  A few months ago I posted my review and swatches of the original six glazed lip paints which you can read here, and while these little tubes of colors are certainly affordable, that doesn’t take away from how nice they are.  I introduce to you the additional 12 shades that was added to the line about 2 months ago which includes shades that I have been wearing a lot lately.

L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints

I’ve been enjoying myself with all the shades and love that they are easily layered and mix nicely.  Overall I think that the new shades offer much more selection which is great.  Check out my live swatches in the video embedded below or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints new colors
Whisper, Elude, Flirt, Whimsical, Tango and Peony (left to right).

For the first set of Glazed Lip Paints are the softer shades.

As you can see from the shades, these tones have white hues to them, making them easy to use year round but what I love to do is take these shades and blend them with the darker hues to offer a customized color blend but also making the darker shades a little more wearable.

LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints new colors
Left to Right – Top to Bottom: Peony, Tango, Whimsical, Flirt, Elude & Whisper

 

My favorite from this set of six would be Elude.  This is not a shade I would use often and in fact, if I did it would probably be something I would use more during the Spring and Summer months, but it applies nicely on my lips and I can easily soften the look for an every day lip look.  I didn’t think I would like this Nude/Coral blend, but I have been enjoying it.

LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints New Shades
Feisty, Seduce, Gleam, Tease, Daring, Tempt (pictured left to right)

Next are the six shades that are a little more on the bold side.  I love the colors in this set because they are bold, most of them offer that gorgeous rich deep purples that I love and the colors are perfect for Fall.  If I had to select one shade that would be my absolute favorite it would be a mix between Seduce, Daring and Tempt but Daring would be my absolute favorite.  I am not a huge fan of Tease because it does have small silver glitters within it and I feel like it just doesn’t look good on my lips, though I’m sure someone would rock it out better than me.

LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints new colors
Pictured Left to Right – Top to Bottom: Tempt, Daring, Tease, Gleam, Seduce, Feisty

Just like the original six that was released in Spring, these offer a gloss like texture without the sticky feeling and have that tingle minty feel that I like because it is not overpowering and nice on the lips.  I love how these glide on and found that when applying with a doe foot applicator, they actually apply much nicer on the lips than with a lip brush or directly from the glazed lip paint tube.  Just as before in my original review, these just didn’t have the longevity on my lips and if I drink or eat anything, they wipe off quite easily… I get probably 2 hours max use out of these if I’m talking quite a bit.  Does that stop me from using them?  No, especially with these new additions (the deep plum/purple shades) I have become even more of a fan.

LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint Daring

 

I wish these had a little longer lasting power on my lips, but like I mentioned, I do love them.  I have been using Daring and Tempt pretty often in the last couple of weeks.  While the deeper shades do not stain, I do notice that they live a light hue on my lips with remnants of the shade.  I love that my lips do not feel dry and when the product is on my lips, it feels really nice.  I do recommend a lip liner because these don’t really bleed, but do have slip so without a liner, the color does move.  Overall though, I’m still impressed and enjoy them.  For $4.00 – that’s a steal.

Each tube has 0.40 fl oz / 12 mL included and can be purchased at LA Girl’s Website or at select retail locations that sell the brand.  Shipping to Hawaii is very expensive from the site and I haven’t been able to find this brand here so I purchased these from a reputable seller on ebay for a discount.

Have you tried any of these Glazed Lip Paints?  Are the new additions to the collection shades that you would be interested in?  Comment and let me know.

Signature Honey

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Milani Cosmetics and those that have been following me a while know that I use at least one product in each of the looks I create.  A few years ago, I purchased my first Milani eye shadow palette – A Runway Eyes kit and I enjoyed the pigmentation as well the price point and because of this I was completely hooked.  Fast forward five years and I am still craving that gold packaging… I consider Milani the high-end brand of drugstore cosmetics.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

PRESS SAMPLE

Recently Milani Cosmetics released a Limited Edition collection of goodies as a part of their Bedazzled Collection. The Constellation Gel Eye Liners available in three shades: 01-Enchanted Lapis, 02-Enchanted Black Opal and 03-Enchanted Emerald retail for $5.99 on Milanicosmetics.com and can also be found at select Walgreens locations for a limited time.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

Check out my thoughts on these liners in my video review embedded below or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

Each Constellation Gel Eye Liner comes with 0.14oz/4g of product and an eyeliner brush.  The liners are encased in the signature Milani gold packaging but the pot itself is quite lightweight in comparison to other Milani products.  I’m quite impressed with the packaging for these liners as it has a twist off/on cap that allows you to keep the liner protected and sealed shut when not in use.  The brush that comes with the product is well made in my opinion and I have been enjoying using it not only with these liners but also with others in my collection.  It’s dense enough to pick up product but still soft enough against the skin, no tugging.  While this brush is small, it picks up enough product needed and allows you ease of control & is easy to hold considering it’s size.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

At first glance, these gel liners are absolutely gorgeous in the pot… so much so that I didn’t want to open them, swatch them or use them.  I knew right away that the top layer of the liners had an over spray and I knew once I dipped into the pot, I would be sacrificing the gorgeous “Galaxy” look they had.  I was quite eager to try these in hopes that they would be as “galactic” (see what I did there? lol) as I thought they looked in the pot.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

Each liner is very creamy – much more creamy than I am used to and because of this… I think it offered a heavy amount of slip through the application process.  While applying, I had to take my time and apply in layers to not only build up the metallic look of each shade but also to get it to the consistency I want.  It didn’t take much to build it up.  As you used each product, while it still held the “metallic” look with some shimmer, the product lost the “over spray” I had mentioned I thought it had.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

01 – Enchanted Lapis is a gorgeous blue shade with a metallic sheen.  When applied it shows up a much deeper shade than what you see initially.  I would consider the end result a kind of metallic navy blue.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

In the pot, before use… Enchanted Lapis looks like it has blue, purple, silver and turquoise shades – but overall, when applied, it applies the metallic navy blue shade you see on my eyelid.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

02 – Enchanted Black Opal reminds me of a deep chrome/charcoal black shade when applied.  This color has light flecks of shimmer that can be seen in the application.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

In the pot, before use… Enchanted Black Opal has black, silver, pink and gold over spray in the pot before touching the product.  It’s gorgeous – but even in my swatch or use on my eyelid, only black/silver and some flecks of silver glitter were visible.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

03 – Enchanted Emerald applies and looks like a teal / emerald green when used or swatched.  There is are some small flecks of shimmer, but for the most part this looks metallic on the lid.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

In the pot, before use… Enchanted Emerald has a gorgeous array of shades in the overspray.  Dark emerald green, turquoise blue, bright green and purple are all laid upon the top of this liner.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

As you can see from the swatches, any of the pretty effects you see on the liner before use are no longer visible for the most part once you apply the liner.  While I don’t necessarily consider that a con, it would be awesome if these liners offered that option.  Each of them do lend for a gorgeous metallic hue which I think is still quite stunning.

Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners

Now that I’ve given you the low down of these Milani Constellation Gel liners… let’s talk about my thoughts overall.  I think these are absolutely gorgeous in the pot and it’s disappointing that they lose that gorgeous overspray once you use the product.  However, I don’t think that is the most disappointing.  As much as I tried to love these, I struggled with the use of them.  After trying different techniques, I think the formulation could use a little adjusting.

First off all – these claim to be Smudge Proof and will “last from dusk to dawn”.  I have tried on many occasions to get these liners to stay in place for me… but they either run, smudged or became a mess and using them longer than an hour left me with panda eyes.  I have tried to set them with a powder shadow, but that did not quite work for me.  After using these for about a month, I found that the best way to apply for the best longevity would be to apply in light layers and build the color up.  However, even with that – it still smudged on my oily eyelids and I am not able to use it as a daily liner or out at night on a hot day or it will get everywhere.  Using these liners as an all over shadow base may work for some, but I also found the liner to be too creamy for me and because of this the shadow I applied on top moved around quite a bit and then creased in a short amount of time. I think these would be awesome for someone who does a lot of theatrical work or someone looking for a statement liner and something that doesn’t offer longevity.  I’m sure some of my cons may have some to do with the fact that I live in a humid/hot climate, but overall I had some difficulty getting the liners to stay in place, in tact and on my eyelids during each use.  Wearing this in my waterline caused my eyes to be irritated and again – I looked like a Panda who hadn’t slept in a week.  While these did not work for me, I’m still very impressed with how they look.  I think the overall creaminess and texture of the product could attest to the slip that the product offers.  At the price point, I think it’s definitely worth checking out to see if it will work for you as I know well that what may not work for me may work for someone else.  But for me, I consider these a miss, though that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make use of them in future looks.  Milani stole my heart years ago and while one product may not work for me, that doesn’t mean I still don’t love them so. Have you tried these liners? If not, is this something you have been interested in?  I would love to know your thoughts on this.

Signature Honey

 

This product was a Press Sample sent to me for consideration of review.  All reviews listed on this site are 100% honest and unbiased.

It’s no lie that I’m a huge fan of Dermalogica products, even if it has been quite a while since I’ve had it in my skincare regimen.  Dermalogica always offers products that I know I can add to my routine without worrying too much that it will cause my very sensitive skin to react harshly.

Dermalogica dynamic skin recovery

PRESS SAMPLE – IFABBO

Recently I have had the opportunity to test drive the Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 ($65.00 1.7 fl oz) and used this product as my daily moisturizer.  Since it has a high SPF, I was very excited and couldn’t wait to test drive this product.  Having used Dermalogica products in the past, I was excited to give this product a run and see how it would work for me.

This medium-weight daily moisturizer contains a new formula upgrade that accelerates the product’s SPF from 30 to 50, yet uses 50% less chemical sunscreen agents – a massive increase made possible through advanced Oleosome technology. Oleosomes are naturally occurring spheres of emollient oils and Vitamin E found in Safflower seeds.  these unique molecules are used to deliver active ingredients such as sunscreens directly to the skin surface, and release them over time to ensure maximum skin benefits.

Dermalogica dynamic skin recovery I have been using this product for a month and while it offered me awesome hydration and my skin remained moisturized, I did have minor eczema flare ups during the time of use.  Now, I don’t necessarily consider this a negative since my flare ups can happen at any time and with any product.  Sometimes I can be out in an area where their Air Conditioning unit needs to be cleaned and it will flare up – so it may not necessarily be the product itself.  I love the texture and feel of this lotion and it really offered my skin great moisture making it feel soft and supple.

Dermalogica dynamic skin recovery Dispensing this product is easy and the packaging is sleek and easily stored in your skin care cabinet or vanity.  This product is formulated without artificial fragrances, colors or parabens and let me just say… it feels great when smoothed on the skin.  I’m usually a bit afraid to use skin care products with a high SPF rating because I know that it will make my face or skin feel really sticky and a lot of times, the product doesn’t soak into the skin as much as I would like, leaving a funky film on my face.  In this case, this product is nothing like an SPF skin care lotion I have tried before.  It soaked into my skin nicely and as I mentioned, left my skin feeling very soft.

Dermalogica dynamic skin recovery Not too thick, not too thin but a pretty nice consistency.  You can tell as you start to rub the product in that it may have sunscreen in the product, but it also blends in nicely allowing for a fresh and soft canvas for applying makeup.

In addition to shielding the skin from ongoing solar assault, Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 reduces hyperpigmentation, and contains a patented polypeptide which helps to stimulate collagen synthesis, as well as antioxidant White Tea polyphenols to help regulate collagen degradation.

Dermalogica dynamic skin recovery

Ingredients

Active ingredients: Avobenzone (3.0%), Octinoxate (7.5%). Other ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Dimethyl Capramide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Rose Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf/Flower Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Oil, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lecithin, Glucosamine HCL, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysilicone-11, Glycine Soja Protein, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 80, Urea, Galactoarabinan, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Polysorbate 60, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Eugenol, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, CI 77891

Overall, I’m impressed with this moisturizer and love that it keeps my skin feeling soft and moisturized all day long.  While I would use an additional primer over this product if that is something you do prior to foundation, I think that this product could be used as a base on your skin prior to makeup application.  I love the SPF benefits of this product – especially since I live in Hawaii and sun is a given year round.  The price point is about average for Dermalogica products, but it’s definitely worth it considering the brand is great and offers great skincare products.  While I will not be using this as my main source of moisturizer moving forward, I will definitely be using this in combination with some of my favorite skin care goods.

Interested in learning more about what Dermalogica offers?  Head on over to their website and check it out: http://bit.ly/DSRSPF50

Signature Honey