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Fun Spring Shades That Won’t Break The Bank – Featuring Colour Pop

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SELF PURCHASED / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

It’s no secret that I am fond of Colour Pop Cosmetics and their squishy shadows that I love so much.  I recently did a haul and picked up a few blush shades that I knew I would get some use out of, some that are newly released which I just couldn’t stay away from.  I wanted to share these awesome fun shades with you so that you could use for Spring and year round with you so you can pick them up while they are still available.

Colour Pop Blushes

First we have two gorgeous blushes.  I really wanted to pick up their new purple blush (Rain) because I figured I could get some dual use out of it.  This gorgeous bright and bold blush is matte and while it looks super bold in the pot, it can be applied with a light hand to create a cool effect on the cheeks.  The pink blush (Prenup) is a mid-toned pink with a soft plum like undertone and is one that I think will be universally flattering on most people and skintones and definitely a blush perfect for every day use.  Prenup has a satin finish with a soft almost gold shimmer shift.

Colour Pop Blushes Swatches

As you can see from my swatches these shades are fun for Spring and I love that I can use both as eye shadows as well.  I have been using Prenup almost daily and I love it.  Each blush is just $8.00 and the application reminds me of that from the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes… so I apply them with my fingers.

Note – if you are looking at applying these blushes with a brush, I suggest the ELF (Eyes Lips Face) Small Stippling Brush.  Pat your brush into the pot to pick up color and stipple your brush onto your cheeks.  Take your time to build up the shade.  When I use a blush I like to have a flush of color so it looks natural, so you can apply to your desired effect.  If you don’t have that specific brush, any synthetic brush will work and your fingers are surely your best tools as well.  I love that Colour Pop blushes offer me all day color and wear and if I want it to last even longer, I will set it with a corresponding powder blush.

Colour Pop Lippie Stix

While this was originally all about the blush, I have a few lippies I think you would enjoy as well.

Colour Pop Westie

Westie, a soft and wearable baby pink shade which wears matte and quite comfortable on the lips.  If you enjoy matte lipsticks and are looking for a pink that you can use everyday, I think Westie is a great one.   It’s a shade that will be quite flattering on many and I love that it is so handy to take a long with you for touch ups.

Colour Pop Westie Swatch

Tootsi is a little less traditional.  It is one of those shades that not many people can pull off but is popular.  That muted brown/grey toned lipstick that everyone is coveting for.  This shade is gorgeous, but I make sure to use it with a smoky eye or something bold on the eyes to balance out the lips otherwise I look a little… deadly – lol.

Colour Pop Tootsi

This grey-beige is all over the internet, Instagram and Social Media and if you are looking for an alternative to a more expensive brand shade, you can’t beat this one.  I find that if I use it along with a pink toned nude lip liner, it actually makes the shade much more wearable for me.  It’s a gorgeous one that I think could be pullled off year round.  This is a matte shade and since the color is interesting… I definitely suggest you moisturize and exfoliate your lips prior to use for this one.

Colour Pop Tootsi Swatch

Each Colour Pop Lippie Stix Lipstick is just $5.00 and you can easily find a shade that will work for you.  Overall, I think the price point is nice and I am always in love with the pigmentation on these lipsticks.

So – have you tried any of these products from Colour Pop yet?  Is there anything on your list of must-haves or wants?  If you have tried Colour Pop, what is one your must have list for me to check out?

Signature Honey

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NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks – Almond, Sweet Pink, Chocolate

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PRESS SAMPLE / SELF PURCHASED / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

I have been a long time fan of NYX Cosmetics, having used their single eye shadows and lipsticks for quite a few years, but over the last year I have really loved the new products NYX has released.  Last year NYX rolled out their Infinite Shadow Sticks in nine different shades and I have three of them that I’m going to share with you today.  While these may seem similar to the Jumbo Eye shadow Pencils (JESP), these NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks are very different and offer something their jumbo eye shadow pencils do not.

NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks

The Infinite Shadow Sticks come in nine gorgeous shades that are geared more towards the wearable / neutral eye looks.  Each pencil (net wt. 0.19oz/5.27g) retails for $9.00 on the NYX website and about the same at Target and Ulta as well as other drugstore locations that carry the new NYX products.  These pencils are creamy, but don’t get it twisted, it’s very different from the creamy jumbo eye shadow pencils we are used to.  The shadow sticks set quickly and I love using them as a colored base or even on my eye lids without primer, because once they set, they don’t move on me.  If you are someone with watery eyes – try using these on your lower lash line to help smoke out your look, you will notice it will stay there all day as it has for me many many times.  While I’m a huge fan of JESP, I could not use them alone as they are so creamy, they move if they are not set or applied over primer… whereas these new pencils are meant to last – no movement, no budging until you take it off.

NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks

While creamy – the formula on these pencils is much drier than the jumbo eye shadow pencils, so you must blend it quickly or it will set and not move.  These really are smudge-proof (in my opinion) as the NYX claims and the shades available make for a great day or night look.  The color payoff and pigmentation on these – awesome!  I have my eyes on a few other shades I want to add to my collection as well.

NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks
Left to Right: Almond, Sweet Pink, Chocolate

While the packaging is a different material from the original jumbo eye shadow pencils, you can still easily sharpen these using a jumbo pencil sharpener.  I was pretty amazed at how easily they sharpened.  Using this product is as easy as any eye shadow pencil, simply apply the pencil directly to your eye lids and blend.  You can use this product alone or use as an eye shadow base.  Since my eye lids tend to be a bit dry, I like to apply a primer first then apply the infinite shadow stick over so that I can blend the pencil easier – but overall, using this product is simple.

I happen to like these a lot and I know I’ll continue to buy them in the future – hopefully collect a lot of my favorite shades as I have with the original NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencils.  But, just a note – if you are looking for a similar type pencil from the drugstore but at a cheaper price point – I definitely suggest the Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eye shadow pencils.  I don’t have a review on those yet (coming soon – promise), but at $2.99 – even if the colors are not the same, it surely is a cheaper alternative and it will stay all day as well.  Either way – if I had to suggest a shade to pick up from the NYX Infinite Shadow sticks – I would suggest Almond which is such a gorgeous metallic shade perfect for every day or smoky looks.

In the look above, I have used NYX Infinite Shadow Stick in Chocolate as a base for part of my look.  You can view the details of this look as well as a tutorial for it here.  Have you tried the NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks before?  I like them a lot and think they will continue to be a favorite in my makeup arsenal.

Signature Honey

 

Disclaimer:  Some of the products discussed in this post were sent to me for review / consideration while some were purchased with my own money.  While I did receive products for review, all opinions or views mentioned are 100% honest and my own.  Please note that affiliate links are also through out this post.

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Milani Fierce Foil Eye Liners – Review and Swatches

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PRESS SAMPLE

 

Milani has released a plethora of beauty treats this year and I’m making my way through all of them to share with all of you.  Today I bring to you my thoughts on the Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners.  These eye liners were an addition to their Winter/Spring 2015 line and I will be honest, I was not excited about these after not being a huge fan of the Limited Edition Constellation Gel Liners.  I figured they would be the same type of liner, but I’m glad that the formulation is much different than those.  Here are my thoughts and swatches of this new product from Milani.

Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners

Check out my video for all the details below or watch directly on YouTube by clicking here.  The video will show you live swatches of each liner.

The Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners retail for $6.99 on Milanicosmetics.com and come in four universal shades.  Each brush comes with a Net Weight of 0.07 oz/ 2 grams of product and an eye liner brush.  The pot size of these liners are much smaller than the Constellation liners and these have 2 grams less product than the limited edition collection released a few months back.  As similar as these may seem to that release, the Fierce Foil Eye liners are different in all ways including longevity.  Each eye liner offers you a wearable shade that can compliment a variety of eye looks, skin tones and eye colors.  While these are creamy gel liners, they offer more of a body to each one, making it easy to work with in my opinion and long lasting on the eye lids.  Each shade offers rich, intense color with a metallic foil type finish.  What I love a lot about these is that unlike the Constellation liners, the glitter / metallic finish is not a spray on and you can visibly see that it carries through out the entire pot.

Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners
Pictured – Clockwise: Black Gold Foil, Purple Foil, Navy Foil, Brown Foil

Wear time for these eye liners surprised me.  While they did eventual fade some, if applied to my upper lash line, they each gave me a minimum of five hours of wear time and didn’t move or budge which I did like.  I made sure to either set them with a shadow or leave as is and allow to set and dry on its own.  These have a dryer formula than what you would expect from an eye liner in a pot, so working with the product itself can take a little getting used to if you are someone used to liquid or gel.  For some it may be a bit tugging on the eye, but if you load your brush correctly with the appropriate amount of product, I think the liners apply easily and quickly without tugging or pulling.

Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners
Left to Right: 01 – Black Gold Foil, 02 – Purple Foil, 03 – Brown Foil, 04 – Navy Foil

While these don’t have as much slip as your average gel liner, it allows you to still use as a base for eye shadows to create a cool metallic effect.  What’s cool and unique about these liners is they are each formulated with a black base, which offers a different look than your average colored liner.  These can be used as a cream base but it’s still a little on the dry side so blending may take a little time.  But, once you have the desired look, the smoldering and smoky effect you will get is really nice.  One note… in my experience these liners apply nicely but if you have watery eyes like I do – they can smudge.  Since I tend to enjoy a winged liner often, I find that my wing may lose some of its integrity if my eyes are tearing and there may be some spots where it smears off.

Milani Fierce Foil Eye liners

Ingredients:  Glycerin, Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Copernicia Cerifera Cera (Carnauba Wax), Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Isopentyldiol, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77499). +/- May Contain: Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Carmine (CI 75470), Ultramarines (CI 77007).

Overall, I like these liners.  I am someone who rather a waterproof liner and mascara over one that just claims it is long wearing but I like a liner that provides you the chance to use as a base for a smoky look or a gorgeous cat eye and I think this one does offer that.  It’s affordable and you get a good amount of product for the price.  I know I’ll get some use out of these liners and I love the shade range as the colors really help to bring out my brown eyes.  I’ll post looks using these soon – but wanted to make sure to get this up so you would have the chance to find them.  They are available at stores like Walgreens and CVS and of course online at milanicosmetics.com.

Have you tried any of these liners from Milani?  If not, which one do you have your eyes on?

Signature Honey

 

Disclaimer:  I received the following products for consideration of review as press samples.  While I did get these items for free all thoughts, opinions and discussions in this post are 100% honest, unbiased and not influenced in any way.

 

 

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Coastal Scents STEP ONE Eye Primer

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NOTHING TO DISCLOSE

 

Eye Primers are an essential product and are important in keeping your eye shadows looking vibrant, long lasting and have them stay in place all day.  I have used most eye primers on the market from high end ones to drugstore priced ones and while I do love them all for different reasons, I’m pretty impressed with the price point and the quality of the Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer.

Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer

Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer (10mL / 0.33 fl oz) retails on Coastal Scents’ website for $14.95 (currently on sale for $9.95) and comes in a very bright tube (Orange and Yellow) making it easy to find in your makeup stash.  This primer has a squeeze tube which makes it easy to use and I love that when you squeeze out the product, it is not oily or watery – allowing you to get out the perfect amount for each use.

There is a lot of product in one tube and even with daily use it will last you a long time.  The product is cream like, but on the dryer side – kind of reminding me of the consistency of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion.  The formulation applies like a cream but once blended onto the skin, it is nearly impossible to see on the skin – even with my skin tone.  Since it is neutral in shade, it will allow for vibrancy of any shadow and longevity.  This product has amazed me as my shadows are crease free and fade free for hours and I love that it is easy to use.  Since I have sensitive skin, I have to be careful with what eye primers I use and some of the dryer formulas make my eye lids too dry and my eczema flare up, so I like that after consistent use, this product didn’t do that to me.  If you are used to a more wet formula, this may not work for you overall, but I say at the price point, you should definitely give it a go.

Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer

Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite. Polyethylene, Triethlhexanoin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan, Sesquioleate, VP/ Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Cera Alba ( Bees Wax), Propylparaben, Ethlparaben, Isobutylparaben. May contain: Mica, CI 77891 ( titanium dioxide), CI 77491/CI77499 ( Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)

I have a tip for the lovelies that apply eye liner and don’t use shadows as often.  Don’t think that an eye shadow primer is just for your eye shadows.  If you are looking for longevity of your liner whether gel, liquid or pencil, you can use the eye shadow primer to extend the length of use by applying over your lid and lower lash line.  The eye liner will last longer as does your eye shadow offering you vibrancy for your stunning looks.  Since the primer is virtually color-less when blended out, you can use it under any eye liner color or shadow color.

Find out the details of the look above here.  I am using the Coastal Scents Step One Primer under my shadows to create this look.

Have you tried or heard of Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer?  I have used the Coastal Scents Shadow Worx in the past and enjoyed it but I much rather the formula of this new primer and the price point is fair considering the product will last you a long time.

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  There is nothing to disclose.  This product was purchased by me.  There are no affiliate links in this post.

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Borghese Eclissare Collection – Palettes & Lip Glosses (Review, Swatches & Giveaway)

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PRESS SAMPLE

 

It’s been quite a few years since I last used anything from Borghese, so I was quite excited to check out their new Elissare Collection and give it a test drive.  This collection of goodies is a wonderful roll out for the new year, providing a new sleek look with gorgeous shades for anyone one and any skin tone.  Check out my thoughts on these products below as well my video review which you can find here.

Borghese Elissare Color Eclipse Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette

The Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette (0.75 oz / 21.3g) is the first of the goodies I tried out and enjoyed.  It includes 12 gorgeous neutral and wearable shades in one chic palette along with a dual ended eye shadow brush.  This palette retails for $55.00 on the Borghese website and is perfect for those who travel or just anyone looking for an every day or glam look. Each color is labeled on the palette (which I love) so there is no guessing the name and there are a variety of textures.

Bask – a light, warm-toned creamy-beige with a satin-matte finish.

Afterglow – a warm-toned medium-beige with a highly metallized.

Pulse – a warm-toned, soft-peach, highly metallized.

Veil – a cool neutral soft-brown with a satin-matte finish.

Borghese Eclissare

Muse – a burnished gold with brown undertones, highly metallized.

Ascend – a light, soft-tan with yellow undertones, satin-matte finish.

Wane – a rich medium brown with warm undertones, satin-matte finish.

Impact – a medium rose-copper, highly metallized.

Borghese Eclissare

Downfall – a dark brown with depth, matte finish.

Out There – a medium pewter, highly metalized.

Shroud – a deep charcoal-grey with blue undertones, highly metallized.

Immortal – a deep charcoal-black with subtle silver glitter

Borghese Eclissare

Out of all the shades, Immortal is probably the one shade that is not my favorite.  Though I would not call this shade a dud, due to its texture, the deep black may require you to build up the color.  Still pigmented and pretty, this would be a great outer v or crease shade.

Borghese Elissare Color Eclipse Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette

This palette may intrigue some in that it does look a bit similar to the Urban Decay Naked Original.  While the shades are similar, the textures are a bit different and therefore I think they are very different altogether.  I am however impressed with the color range and similarities… both palettes offer buttery, silky shades and the Borghese Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette definitely offers great quality.

Borghese vs Urban Decay

Overall, if you are looking for a palette that offers a luxury look and feel as well as something you can use daily if you are into neutrals or smoky eye looks… I think this would be a nice buy.  The eye shadow brush is nice, offering you one side to pack on your shades and the other side to blend.  This palette is a little up there with regard to cost, but anyone familiar with the Borghese brand knows of their quality and the palette itself is sturdy, well made and really offers great protection with travel.

Borghese Makeup look

Next up on the list of goodies are the Borghese mini palettes from the same collection.  Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow is a gorgeous palette offering five smoky shades to create a stunning and show stopping look.  Retailing for $29.00 – this little palette is travel friendly, compact and comes in similar packaging to its larger sister palette the Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette (that I discussed previously).

Borghese Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow

Each shade is labeled with it’s name (like the larger palette) and offers you a gorgeous array of textures to create that show stopping smoky look.

Lit- a light white-silver metallic pearl.

Vapor- a medium grey, blue overtones, metallic pearl.

Smolder- a dark smoky charcoal, high frost finish.

Fume- true black, matte finish.

Scorch- medium, glitter-laden graphite-grey.

Borghese Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow

All of the shades within this palette are absolutely show stopping, with the same buttery and silky feel as the larger palette.  However, Scorch (which is the last shade in the palette) has chunkier reflex than that of a normal metallic shade, so it can have some fall out if not applied carefully and Fume which is the matte black in the palette can apply patchy at times.  I have noticed that I need to build up the shade to get the maximum color payoff.  Ultimately, I think all of the shades are gorgeous and offer such great pigmentation, but those were the shades I did have to work with a little bit.  It happens sometimes and I know that matte blacks can certainly apply patchy with any brand.

Next in the collection is Borghese’s Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette.  This palette comes with 0.30 oz / 8.5 g worth of product just as the Five Shades of Sultry Palette.  Same sleek and chic packaging that is also great for travel and compact.  This palette is probably my favorite out of the three and I have been using it to create wearable and smoky eye looks (as seen above).

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette

At first glance this palette looks simple and like any other neutral palette, but I’m quite impressed with some of the shades.  Kindle is such a gorgeous color that I can’t even capture it on camera… offering you a white-taupe like color.  I can’t even explain it… but it’s gorgeous.

Wisp – a light, matte-finish ivory.

Kindle- a soft champagne taupe, satin-pearl finish.

Stoke- a medium brown, warm undertones, matte-finish.

Sear- a deep brown, matte-finish.

Torch- a medium champagne, pink overtones, highly metallized.

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette

While this palette is my favorite out of the three, I did have to put in some work to get the palette to work for me.  It happens sometimes, I have palettes from other brands that have shadows where there is a film or overlay on the shadow that makes it difficult for you to pick up the color at its true pigmentation.  By taking a paper towel and wiping the top of the shades that were not picking up color, I was able to get gorgeous color pay off on shades like Kindle and Torch (the two shades I had difficulty with) and man are they gorgeous.  This palette is one that I think would work for warm and cool skin tones offering a gorgeous neutral makeup look or smoky eye that is an absolute stunner.

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse ColorGlass Lip Gloss

Next up are the lip glosses from the line.  Borghese’s Color Eclipse ColorGlass Lip Glosses come in nine different shades – I have 8 of them.  All of them equally gorgeous and in an array of shades for any skin tone or complexion.  Each lip gloss retails for $21.50 and have 0.10 oz worth of product.  The glosses have nice pigmentation though some can be sheer against my skin.  This doesn’t bother me much because they make great toppers for my favorite lip sticks.  Each gloss is a little more sticky than I would like it to be… but because of the sticky feeling, I noticed the longevity on my lips was pretty good for a gloss – it lasted about 2-3 hours without touch up if I didn’t each or drink anything.  Most glosses don’t last me 40 minutes.

Eclissare_Lip_Glass_Shade_Swatches_with_names_for_reference__57189.1414440588.1280.1280

The above swatches came directly from Borghese’s website.  I have tried swatching these against my skin tone and lips for quite a while and because of my skintone, I had a hard time picking up the shades on camera.  I thought Borghese’s swatches were right on the money so I’m sharing them with you.  Simmer is one of my favorite glosses in the bunch – offering a gold shift to my lips when topped over my favorite lipsticks.  A few of the glosses can leave behind shimmer on the lips after wiping off, so that is something you’ll want to keep in mind – but overall, they are each gorgeous.

As you can see – this collection from Borghese offers products for anyone whether you are a lippy lover or someone who loves eyeshadows… or both.  I am glad I was able to dive into these new products since I haven’t had the chance to use anything from Borghese for a few years and these definitely got me excited to try other products from the brand again.  I’m quite impressed with the products themselves and I look forward to trying out more from the line.  Have you tried anything from Borghese or the Eclissare line?  Thanks to Borghese, I have a little giveaway of goodies and there will be six lucky winners.  Check out all the details and what you have to do to enter, listed below in the widget.  To purchase these products or to learn more about them, visit: www.borghese.com

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  I was sent these products as a gift from Borghese.  There was no obligation for review but I took the time to thoroughly try out and test these products and decided I would discuss them here on my blog and YouTube channel.  Any reviews, comments, etc. by me with regard to these products are my own, unbiased and honest.  I reserve all right to have editorial freedom on my site when reviewing products.  In no way was I paid or swayed to provide a review for my readers/viewers.

 

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