I am beyond late with this post. The truth is I actually had it uploaded weeks ago but it got lost in my uploads on YouTube and I completely forgot about it. This past year (2013) I think I tried my fair share of products and I am amazed at some of the new things that came out. While there were many good products, there were not so good ones too. Regardless, I made it through the year with a bunch of new loves – many of which I am proud to say are drugstore products too. Woohoo for my pocket book! lol So you want to see what made the cut?
Here is the round up:
You can watch the video embedded above directly on YouTube here. Please subscribe if you enjoyed it! 😉
Did you miss the list of products? Don’t worry – I listed them all below for your reference. I know it’s a long list – but as I stated above, I had the opportunity to try out a lot of new things this past year. If I have done reviews on any of the products I listed, there will be a link to view that review next to the name of the product.
Makeup Brushes
My Glam / Ipsy Makeup Blending Brush – Unfortunately this brush is no longer available. I do hope Ipsy decides to bring them back, it’s one of my favorites.
Urban Decay Naked 1 Palette – purchased at Urbandecay.com
Kat Von D Spellbinding Palette – purchased at Sephora.com – this palette is no longer available online so call your local Sephora to see if they still have it. (my review here)
Milani’s Romantic Rose & Bella Rosa Rose Blushes – Limited Edition (all of the blushes from that limited edition collection were favorites in 2013) – milanicosmetics.com
So what products made your Best of 2013 list? I’m sure my list could go on and on, I actually had some difficulty narrowing a few things down. I hope you enjoyed this and I apologize that it is so late. Have a wonderful rest of your week!
{PR Samples were included in this post as well as a few Affiliate Links}
The rainy weather has not been agreeing with me lately. So when I created this look, I could not get a good photo of it and I had to film the tutorial using lights instead of the natural light coming in from my window – but nonetheless, I digress and move forward. I created this look because I haven’t had the opportunity to do any makeup tutorials using my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and I’ve been playing around with it for a few weeks now. I used the look book included with the palette as inspiration to create this look, but I did switch it up a little. I hope you enjoy this. I thought this would be a really sweet Valentine’s Day look without being too dramatic or over the top, but definitely on the smoky side and sultry. It’s super easy to create and definitely wearable for a day or night out.
Products used:
Eye Shadow Primer – Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eye Shadow Base – NYX Eyeshadow base in skintone
Eyeshadows – Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (Champagne Truffle – used as a sparkle transition from the crease to just below the brow, Cherry Cordial used on the inner and outer lid, Creme Brulee used on the inner lid, Haute Chocolate used in the crease and blended onto lower lash line, Triple Fudge used to deepen the crease “just a little”, and White Chocolate as the brow highlight.)
Eye liner – Jordana 12 Hour Made to last gel pencil liner in Black (waterline/tightline and lower lash line), Jesse’s Girl Waterproof eyeliner pen (winged liner)
Mascara – Perfekt Beauty Lash Perfection Gel topped with Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara
Lips – Milani’s Color statement liner in Spiced and YSL’s Ulimate Beige Lipstick
As I mentioned earlier, lighting was not ideal so I was not too happy with the photos I was able to get before the rain came down harder and the sky darkened. I take all of my photos outside in natural lighting so it was a bit of an issue, but at least I have some photos to show.
Hope you all enjoyed this look. I hope to be back next week with another Tutorial for Tutorial Tuesday!
Happy Day Loves! So, as most of you know Pantone released their color of the year a few months ago and I have been so stoked since it is a purple shade. We all know purple is my favorite color so I was super excited when my friend Beth and I decided that we were going to do a Makeup Collaboration. This will be my first makeup collab with her and I must say – I love how it all turned out. This look was fairly simple to create (as is Beth’s) and it could even double as a makeup look you could sport for Valentine’s Day!
Eye shadow primer/base: Tarte’s Smooth Operator Eye Shadow Base
Eye Shadows: Tarte’s Gossip (transition), Bubble Bath (brow high light), Bellini (inner third of eye lid), Canary Diamond (middle of eye lid), Velvet (outer v and crease as well as lower lash line)
Can you say buttery goodness? Well, I have been waiting for over a month to get my hands on a few of NYX’s new release… Butter Lipsticks, after seeing their Product Preview on their Facebook Page in November. (I posted about that here.) I have always been a huge fan of NYX Cosmetics and their lipsticks are some of my favorites, so when I seen that they were about to release Butter Lipsticks (especially after not getting the chance to try their Butter glosses), I have been on the hunt. Our NYX product displays in our local Drug Stores here do not update to new or limited edition products, so I have to order all of my NYX online. Their butter lip balms are available online (my next NYX purchase. lol) and the butter lipsticks are not online at this time (not sure when it will be available at NYXcosmetics.com, but many have been finding them at some of their local retailers).
While I only own four of the Butter Lipsticks, they come in 22 shades in an array of colors from bright pinks and violet (Hunk – I must get that purple), nudes and reds. With an MSRP of $6.00 US they are not only affordable but give you many options for stocking your makeup collection. As mentioned previously, I have always been a huge NYX lippy fan and these are no exception! They melt on your lips like butter and are so lightweight and moisturizing that many times I forgot I have them on my lips. Each lipstick has a satin like finish and offers full coverage in just one swipe. Because of the lipstick’s formula, I did however notice that re-applying was a must through the day as it was not kiss proof and would slide off with drinking or eating. But honestly, my lips felt so nice with them on – it was something I was willing to overlook.
The four shades I received was Razzle (a bright fuchsia pink), Hot Tamale (an orange), Pops (a gorgeous mauve toned nude) and Big Cherry (a beautiful true red). Each swatch was on my bare skin and done in one swipe. As you can see – the pigmentation and colors are bold and vibrant. For those that are looking for lipsticks with great color pay off but that are non-drying on the lips, these are definitely a great buy.
Razzle is a gorgeous Fuchsia Pink. It is not a color I normally use this time of year, but it is the perfect bold pink that tends to be popular during the Spring season. Nonetheless, this color is a showstopper, offering not only awesome pigmentation but a great feel on the lips. One swipe of color for great color payoff. This shade would be awesome on fair, medium and dark skin tones due to its blue based hue. It is the perfect addition to any look to really stop traffic.
Hot Tamale is a very bold and bright orange. This lipstick packs a lot of punch and Hot Tamale definitely fits its name. What I love so much about these is that they are not drying on the lips at all. A lip color this daring could easily leave your lips chapped and sometimes settle into the cracks of your lips (even when moisturized) and this color didn’t do so at all. I would love to see this orange on a fair/snow white skin toned beauty, because this would be absolutely fabulous.
Pops is probably one of my favorites out of the four colors I got. It’s so similar to my natural lip color that I was amazed at how easy it was to wear because I had assumed it wouldn’t show up as anything different. The tone is a great nude for many different looks and will fit with most skin tones. A mauve undertone, this is a nude that you can take from day to night or year round.
Big Cherry – if you are a lover of red lips, then this would be an awesome red lippy for you. I love red lips and red lipsticks in a wide variety of shades and since I have so many already, I wasn’t sure this would be any different. Boy, was I wrong – a gorgeous true red that feels so smooth when applying and keeps my lips feeling moisturized… this is definitely a great addition. This shade would be very complimenting to many if not most skin tones due to that Cherry Red hue.
Now as I mentioned earlier, with the four shades that I have tried out so far… I did notice that the staying power of these lipsticks is not long lasting. Will that deter me from buying more… oh hell no, because the texture, shade, pigmentation and how they feel on my lips makes up for all of those. Many have heard me rave about other brands lipsticks and NYX Round lipsticks and Mattes are no exception, but I am adding the Butter lipsticks to my latest rave. If you are looking for a little more lasting power, I suggest priming your lips with a lip primer or even lining your lips and filling them in prior to application of the lipsticks. This will not only help with the longevity of color on your lips, but it will also add an extra punch of color. After some trial and error, I did notice that it lasted much longer that way. Regardless though, I kept my tube of lipstick with me in my purse in case I needed to do any touch ups. Trust me when I say, even with having to touch up your lipstick, the feel on your lips from these butter lippies is well worth it.
Sparkle Scale…. 4.9
I simply could not rank this lipstick low because of it’s staying power. Even if it did not stay as long as I would have liked, it didn’t really bother me enough to consider it a huge con.
Positives… Pigmentation, Texture, Moisturizing – everything you want in a good lipstick – these have it. Cost is not bad as well, retailing at about $6 – that’s a steal considering you are getting a “high-end comparable product” at the drug store and at a steal.
Now I know you are going to ask me if these compare to my beloved Milani Color Statement lipsticks – and I will have to admit, it would be like comparing Apples & Oranges. lol While they are priced about the same, these feel like butter on the lips, Milani Color Statement lipsticks (while they feel great on the lips), have a different texture.
Have you tried the NYX Butter Lipsticks yet? Are they available at your local Drug store? Have you tried the NYX Butter Lip Balms or Butter Glosses? I can’t wait to get my hands on some butter glosses (check out a review from my dear friend Beth, here) or Butter Balms, but will have to order them online since I haven’t found them here yet. I’m interested to hear your thoughts on these lippies, so if you have tried them – holla!
Note – while they have been seen in drug stores, NYX states that it will be available January 2014 so keep your eyes locked on NYXCOSMETICS.COM to get yours soon!
{PR Sample}
Check out my Video review and live swatches on YouTube.
Released in December, the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette sold out the day it was released. When I spotted the sneak peaks in early November, I wondered if…
A few months ago I splurged and picked up the Kat Von D Spellbinding Book from Sephora.com and I’m glad that I did. I have been a fan of Kat Von D for years having followed her career as a Portrait Tattoo Artist and then her start with Sephora developing her own cosmetic line. I have a few of her makeup items and have loved them and when this palette was released, I knew I had to have it.
Unfortunately – this palette is sold out on Sephora’s Website, but check your local Sephora store as they may still have this in stock. The palette retails for $55.00 USD and contains 24 (twenty-four) eye shadows that were designed to work together in pairs so that you can pair them or layer them to create awesome looks. Of course, you can certainly use them however you wish as well – there is no set rule about it. Each eye shadow is 0.05 oz – the average weight for a full sized eyeshadow. Twelve of the 24 shades are stated to be “Never-before-seen” and labeled as such with an asterisk next to each name. While the Christmas Holiday has passed, if you see this palette, I would jump on the opportunity to get it. It has made my favorites the last couple of months and offers a wide variety of shades to create a number of different looks. Overall – I think this palette offers a great mix of colors, textures and majority of the shades offer great pigmentation and are long wearing.
The packaging on this palette is awesome. As I mentioned previously, I have followed Kat for some time and have been a huge fan of her artistry. Her work is graced all over this palette with the cover being an art piece she drew herself. I am always so intrigued and fascinated by her pieces and this one is absolutely gorgeous. The actual palette could have been made a tad bit better… while I think it is pretty easy to work with because it reminds me so much of an artists’ palette, it’s a bit cumbersome and would not be ideal for travel as it is really only protected by cardboard. Though – I have dropped the palette many many times, it has held its own fairly well. If there really was one suggestion I were to make, it is that I wish the names of each shade were printed below or above the actual eye shadows in the palette instead of the plastic cover. That plastic sheet is a pain in the butt to work around and there is ideal space where the names could have been printed on the palette for reference.
Now on to the fun part… the Swatches!
dark throne (new shade) a mostly matte finish – medium/dark gray shade. This shade offers cooler undertones and had great color pay off.
precious – a shimmery peach shade. This shade lends for more warm undertones (which I like) and offers smooth application with great pigmentation. It does have fall out so take your time to pack this shade on or use on a sticky base.
babe (one of my favorites) – a violet purple with blue/violet iridescent shimmer/micro glitter – cool toned. This shadow worked well for me as a “lower lash line pop of color” but when I tried to use it as a lid or blending shade it had a tremendous amount of powdery fall out or lost it’s color and shimmer very easily. I suggest that you use this over a stick base or to set an eyeliner pencil for a cool effect.
piaf (new shade) a medium gray that lends for a metallic silver shade. This color had awesome pigmentation but you must take your time to pack the color on because it does have fall out. The color blended nicely when used on the lid or to smoke out the outer v.
sunset blvd is a gorgeous yellow gold with a frosty texture. This color has some type of glitter and therefore can have fall out. It applied nicely however and does blend out really easily.
8 bit (new shade) a blue/teal with micro gold shimmer. This shade has a metallic shimmer but applies more like a frost. Great color pay off, smooth application and buttery.
geek (new shade) medium toned peachy-orange with a satin finish. Great color payoff – soft smooth texture and easy to blend.
fallen is a coppery bronze with warm orange tones. Great pigmentation, soft and buttery and very great texture. This has been a favorite bronze shade of mine the last few months.
holy bible a light silver with gray/white sheen and micro metallic shimmers. This is probably one of the shades that is not a favorite of mine – probably because it’s not a color I use often. It’s gorgeous an has good color pay off, but can be a bit powdery.
oddfellow is a deep black with teal sparkle/shimmer. This color can lose it’s shimmer easily so if you are looking to keep the teal sparkle, I would pack it onto a sticky base. Awesome pigmentation, easy to apply and blend. Overall this shade is one of the easiest to work with and a great black for deepening the crease.
birdcage is kind of a chartreuse green with a frost finish. I love this color because the shade is highly pigmented and applies smoothly and evenly.
gunner is a dark green (kind of reminds me of a military green) with green and silver sparkles. This shade is not the easiest to work with in the palette and will require you take your time in building up the shade to the color pay off you are interested in. It is a gorgeous shade but a little dry to work with.
instaglam (new shade) a frosty (cool toned) baby pink with lots of shimmer. This applied nicely but you can get a lot of fall out with this shade.
stupid autocorrect (new shade) A metallic/frosty burgundy shade. This is a great color for deepening the crease or as an all over lid color. The shade was smooth and easily applied with little to no fall out.
galore a peach toned metallic shade. One of my favorites, this shade works well as an all over lid color or can be blended softly onto the browbone as a highlight shade. Easy to apply and blend, smooth and highly pigmented.
hexagram (new shade) one of my favorite shades in this whole palette, this shade is like a burnt gold. Perfect for all over the lid. Blends easily, highly pigmented and very smooth and buttery.
smile now (new color) is a gorgeous peach toned shade with pink/purple iridescent shimmer. This shade is soft and smooth to the touch, blends really nicely and the purple iridescent/color shift is very visible and awesome over a color shifting base. Highly pigmented.
cry later (new shade) a deep brown with gold bronze shimmer. This shade has great pigmentation, blends nicely and applies smoothly. The glitter/shimmer stays on application even after blending.
arcadia (new color) a frosty lavender with soft silver shimmer. This color is kind of on the powdery side and while pigmented and smooth when applying, it can leave fall out.
wonderland is one of my favorite colors which can be used to deepen the crease, create drama in the outer v or use as an all over lid color. This shade is a very deep plum (almost a dark burgundy black) with brown undertones. It also has purple/pink iridescent shimmer which gives the shadow a slight color shift. This shade is a little powdery but blends well and applies nicely. Keep in mind that when used in the crease or blending this shade out you may lose some of it’s intensity and it may look more plum and lose it’s shimmer.
queen (new shade) is a gorgeous color shift shadow. It kind of reminds me a little of MAC’s Blue Brown Pigment which is one of my favorites. It’s a brown with a greenish/teal hue. This color can be blended out to be a perfect crease shade or packed on a colored base to show it’s true glory. Blends nicely, applies smoothly and is a great overall color. One of my favorites in the palette.
bukowski is a metallic teal shade with a light gold sheen. This color is gorgeous but it does take a little more work to build the color. It’s not difficult to work with but it does take a few swipes to get the color payoff you see in the pan. It’s a smooth shade, not powdery but I wish it were more buttery so it would apply easier. It is one of my favorite “pop of color on the lower lash line” shades however, and I do adore it.
countess (new shade) is a cream matte satin. This is a gorgeous shade for browbone highlight because it blends out so nicely and leaves the perfect amount of color. Great pigmentation, easy to blend and soft to the touch.
WTF is a gorgeous red (almost burgundy) satin shade. It has micro gold shimmer. This shade is gorgeous and because it is not a bright “true red” it doesn’t make my eyes look blood shot. This color is smooth and blends nicely.
In the look above I am using the shadows hexagram, galore, cry later, countess and dark throne from the Kat Von D Spellbinding Palette. I absolutely love love how versatile this palette is because it allows me to create a plethora of looks from a daytime or neutral eye look to something daring and smoky.
In the eye look above I am using Queen as my crease color and blended onto my lower lash line, Wonderland to define my crease, Countess as my Highlight. What I love so much about Queen is that it really offers such an awesome effect for colors. Because of it’s color shift – it changed my lower lash line to look tealish / blue when I blended it onto my lower lash line over my black eye liner, I did not use any other color to create that teal pop of color on the lower lash line that you see.
So – I know this is a long post… but overall I think this palette is definitely worth the buy. It’s universal for most and while it does offer a wide variety of bright shades, you can easily create a neutral toned or day look without a problem. Most of the shades are very pigmented and while a few were a little of a miss for me, it didn’t take away from the overall of the palette itself. If you are looking for something to offer you versatile use as well as great color payoff, buttery shadows and awesome packaging – then this may be something you may want to seek out. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this review… I know it’s a long one – but considering the amount of colors in this book, I wanted to make sure that I covered my bases. For those of you that watch my videos – I am in hopes of having a Short Video Review up on YouTube in the next week and I will be sure to post that video here.
Early last month (November) I decided I would take advantage of Sephora and splurge on the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette ($59 US – available on Urbandecay.com). I…
