BA Star is a company known for their bold colors and sparkle that is so widely used as performance makeup. Most commonly used for dance, cheer and dramatic performance, BA Star offers a wide range of cosmetics and have recently added new Eye Shadow palettes to their brand. A total of 6 different palettes are available for purchase. Each palette comes with 5 shades in a range of colors that compliment one another. These BA Star Eye Shadow Palettes, Retailing for just $8.75 – are affordable and offer good quality pigment.
The palette I received is called Spicy Natural. It includes a few neutrals and some pops of color in a shimmery 5 pan palette. The following colors were included: Champagne sparkle white, copper, chocolate brown, purple and golden yellow. Each shade has a bit of sparkle and can cause fall out so patting motions when applying the shadows are best. You can use these colors on their own without a primer or base and they will allow you to create a soft and every day wearable look. I have swatched each shade in the photo above on dry skin – no base or primer so that you can see what it looks like on its own.
The lightest shade in the palette offers much more glitter and shimmer than the other four shades, so it can be the most challenging to work with dry, but over a sticky base it applies nicely and offers a gorgeous champagne color. The other colors applied nicely and offered great color pigmentation to create my look. I don’t have one to share since I forgot to take a photo of it the other day – but I’ll be sure to post one when I do. Since I have a medium to dark skin tone, I did notice the gold didn’t show up as boldly as the other shades used over a regular primer, but used on a white or colored eye shadow base it offered a bright golden shade. While the eye shadows are a little powdery – they are easy to work with, blend nicely and offer great color payoff. I didn’t notice much fading after 5 hours and the color stayed pretty true to form over my favorite Eye shadow primer.
I also received an eye shadow base in the set and while I did test it out, I was not a fan of it. It’s just a little more on the liquid side then I would have liked and it was difficult for me to work with. Overall, I am impressed with this palette, just as I was when I reviewed the red lip pencil a few months ago. The pigmentation is really nice, the colors are bold but you can work with them to create a wearable day time look and they offer pretty nice staying power when used over a base. The only issue I think I had was with the champagne white which had the most fall out – but it was a gorgeous shade once I was able to work with it.
You can get this palette and others at bastar.com. Be sure to check out their entire line of cosmetics – both affordable and great quality.
I am all about using products that make life easier. Let’s be honest here, with technology constantly knocking on our door… don’t we want something that will offer…
A few months ago I posted a review with swatches on four of the new NYX Butter Lipsticks in Razzle, Hot Tamale, Big Cherry and Pops. Since I loved them so much, I decided to pick up a few more and placed an order on NYX’s website for Fizzies, Cotton Candy, Hubba Bubba, Hunk and Bit of Honey. After using these the last couple of months, I decided I would do some swatches in case anyone was interested in the shades I purchased… especially since when I ordered them, I expected them to be a bit different then how they arrived. Some of the shades were much lighter and darker than I had expected.
The butter lipsticks retail for $6.00 on NYX’s website and come in 22 shades. Just like I stated in my first review, the NYX Butter Lipsticks feel great on the lips and are moisturizing. But I think some of these shades feel a bit different on the lips and when it comes to coverage, the lighter shades seem to sink into the lines of my lips unlike the original four colors I tried out.
In the swatch photo above, you can see that Hubba Bubba has a slight frost to it – since it does have a light amount of shimmer in the lipstick. Because of this, I was a little disappointed at how my lips looked when I used this shade and I do not use it often. On the website – Cotton Candy and Hubba Bubba lend for a more wearable shade so I was surprised to see it so Barbie Pink when they arrived. I do like Fizzies, though it is not a shade I will use often – it does match my skin tone and Hunk and Bit of Honey are also ones I enjoy too.
Have you tried the NYX Butter lipsticks? While I do love some of these new ones I received, I think the only favorites out of this bunch would be Hunk and Fizzies. The others just seem too white for me to wear on its own… but hey, that is what gloss and liner is for. I’ll still find a way to make it work. If you want to see swatches on the other Butter lipsticks I reviewed – don’t forget to click here. If you tried any of these lipsticks and have favorites – please comment below and let me know, I would love to check them out and see if they will match me.
This year NYX released some new goodies to their line… from their Butter Lipsticks and Colored Mascaras to some new and fun palettes. Included in some of those…
Winter is the most brutal time for my skin – especially since I have really severe eczema. After years of battling issues, I have finally found natural ways to keep my crazy skin at bay – but I am always looking for new treatments that can pamper my skin. I have used MANY different moisturizers in the past and I am very happy to add Steam Cream to my skin care products that I like.
Steam cream is a light weight moisturizer that can be used universally to add moisture to your face, hands and body. It is suitable for all skin types and is handmade using quality natural ingredients that are fused together with a shot of steam. By doing this unique method you are left with a light weight moisturizer that provides long lasting hydration for your body, face and hands.
STEAMCREAM is handmade in the UK and Japan with fresh, traceable ingredients. It’s super-moisturising, sinks deep down instantly and revives your skin straight away. It makes your skin simply the best it can be, naturally.
Our beautiful, eco-friendly limited edition tins are designed by us but we do also enjoy working with other inspiring designers to spice things up. Grab your favourites before they sell out!
When you’ve used your STEAMCREAM, keep your tin for storing things and come back to see what’s new.
STEAMCREAM is an award winner. We won the CEW (UK) Award for Best Everyday New Skincare and Pure Beauty Award for Best Design & Packaging. Once you’ve tried it you’ll understand why!
Some of the ingredients included in this product include: Oatmeal, Orange Flower Water, Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Neroli Oil, Chamomile Blue Oil, Jojoba Oil and Cocoa Butter – to name a few. The scent smells of a light lavender and I was amazed that it was not too overbearing for me (I’m pretty sensitive to smell). The cream is not as thick as I thought it would be – it almost has more of a lotion or cold cream texture. The cream is not only All Natural but also Vegan. The product is made in kitchens (yes, totally handmade) in the UK and Japan.
The cream offers a nice hydration for my skin and I didn’t have any reaction to it – which is a great plus considering I always have issues with new skincare products. While my hands and body enjoyed the moisture, I could not use the product on my face due to my face being too sensitive. The cream is slightly oily (slippery) and while it soaked in nicely on my body and hands, it left my face feeling very greasy. I love it for use on the body – but I can’t use it on my face. I do love how it feels on my body and it soaked in to my hands nicely enough that my hands were not slippery when I tried to drive (my biggest pet peeve).
Each cream comes in a very cool tin. There are many Limited Edition designs available on the site and they come in so many cool looks for any one you have in mind. I have precious (the pink/white tin pictured) and Shu (gold/red pictured). The designs are definitely what catch my eye. The tin itself seems quite tiny – especially for their $20 price tag, but there is 2.5 oz worth of product in each tin which means you will get a lot of use out of this little container. I love that the tin twists on tight so I have been able to carry it in my purse for safe keeping without worrying that it will damage the contents of my bag or my bag itself. I also love that the tins are reusable once the cream is gone. This is totally a plus because these tins are so cool.
Overall I’m very pleased with this moisturizing cream – especially for use all over my body. The tins they have available have me completely mesmerized because of their awesome designs, about 50 total. While the creams texture is a little odd for me (being a body butter user), it didn’t stop me from using it consistently. The moisture the product gives lasts for most of the day and the light scent is not overpowering – it doesn’t battle against my daily perfume or body spray.
Sparkle rating… 4.0 – it offers awesome hydration for my body and hands, but I cannot use it on my face.
Check out steamcream.co.uk/for more information, to look at all the tin designs available and to order.
Smashbox released the Full Exposure Palette in December 2013. I have had this palette for a couple of months and wanted to share my thoughts with you. This…
2014 is definitely a year for new products from Milani Cosmetics. This year Milani rolled out the new Matte Baked Blushes to add to their already awesome Baked Blush line. As a matte blush addict, I was so excited to hear about these and couldn’t wait to put them to the test. As one of my favorite Drug store brands, Milani really has stepped up their product line over the course of the last few years and the brand’s products have made favorites pretty often. So – what are my thoughts on these new blushes? Read on to see…
There are two matte blush additions this year to include the colors: Bella Rosa and Delizioso Pink. Each blush retails for $7.99 on the Milanicosmetics.com site and contain 0.12 oz of product (3.5g) which is the same amount as their regular baked blushes. If you are a fan of their original baked blushes but really do not care for the shimmer they offer, then these blushes will surely offer you all the color pay off without the glitter.
Check out my quick overview video (embedded below) or watch it directly on YouTube here. Also scroll down for swatches and more details.
I hope you enjoyed my video. Please SUBSCRIBE, Comment & Like if you enjoyed watching! 🙂
The shades they have available (Bella Rose & Delizioso Pink) are highly pigmented and long lasting. Just a little of the product goes a long way and I prefer using a stippling brush to apply the product for an airbrushed effect. The colors are also very true to their shade in the pan. I especially love how bold Bella Rosa is, but I am very impressed that both shades held up very well against my medium skin tone. A little note – take your time in building up the color of each, after picking up the color on your brush, tap your brush prior to applying so that you have a perfect blend of color. While each blush does come with a little brush (hidden in a little compartment below the blush, tucked in next to a mini mirror), I suggest using a blush brush or stippling brush for the right effect.
What I love about these is that they are not as powdery as Milani’s original baked blushes – because they do not have all the glitter. They offer high quality pigment with a satin feel. Besides providing a great matte finish, they also have the lasting power of high end blushes without the high end price tag. And, of course – they have Milani’s signature packaging which I think gives the products a little “high end twist”. I’ve said it many times before and to me… Milani is the High end of drug store. I am always amazed with the new products that they come out with.
Since these blushes are a part of the Permanent line, you can find them at your local drug store that carries Milani (CVS and Walgreens) and they are also available at milanicosmetics.com. You can expect them to cost about $6 – $7.00 and as mentioned earlier, they are $7.99 on the site. If you are planning to check out your local drug stores, call them first to see if they have gotten them in stock yet. I know that many locations have received them, but some are not releasing until March 2014.
In the photo above, I am using Bella Rosa on my cheeks. As you can see – the color provides a huge punch of color. Interested in seeing the tutorial for this look? Click here to watch it directly 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.
If you have been following me for a couple months, you will see that I have been showcasing some of the awesome Milani Color Statement lipsticks… starting with the…
