Drugstore 1st Impression and Swatches | Hard Candy Top Ten Satin Eyeshadow Palette in 'Rich & Famous'

      Hello everyone, and happy Monday! So, would anyone like to see a stunned makeup enthusiast's first impression on an insanely cheap palette? Because that's what I'll be doing in regards to this Hard Candy Top Ten Satin Eyeshadow Palette in 'Rich & Famous.' Ahem, now people, this is a $6 palette...just let that sink in, and let those swatches further down do the math for you. 😉 I know, I know, it's mathematically impossible to do that, but - I digress!

The Crème Shop Makeup Blending Beauty Sponge Review | They Look Delicious! But Do They Work?

     Everyone feast your eyes on these recent finds from Marshall's! I found these blending sponge sets a couple weeks ago, was intrigued, and....well, you know the rest. Since then, I've had time to put them to the test! These beauty blending sponges from The Crème Shop  (an LA based brand that I've never heard of before, and according to their website, they're indeed cruelty free!) are inspired and shaped similarly to those delicious sweets that you'll find gracing the shelves of almost any French patisserie!

Books I've Finished Reading So Far in 2017!

     So, with being a college student, I only put a total of 14 books as my reading goal for 2017. Sounds a little on the low side, but I'm sure I'll exceed that number by the end of the year. And I'm not going to include the books I have to read for my courses. Strictly leisure reading, this is! I'm still working on reviews for all of these, and they will be on my blog and on Goodreads in due time. 

Books I've Finished in 2017: The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

New Brush Sets + Tools From Real Techniques!

Real Techniques is certainly setting off a buzz this spring! They have made plenty of room in their line and have rolled out a hefty total of six new brush kits, and they have you completely covered! From base makeup, to eyes, to brows, to contouring and blushing, this brand is rocking it this year! I have been seeing these sets pop up in my local Ulta and Target, and managed to snap some phone pics of the sets! I am not being sponsored in any way, and neither Nic or Sam have a clue who I am. I'm just here to tell you about exciting new releases! So, here they are! 

Real Techniques Flawless Base Set, $19.99 (link)

'What The Heck?' Product Regret: e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance' | A Review

e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance,' $4

Good day to you all! Does it feel like summer yet, to anyone out there? I wanted to post a quick review on what I initially hoped would be a seemingly perfect, inexpensive summer lip product from e.l.f., as I have twenty or so minutes to kill before I have to gear up to drive back to my city.

So, e.l.f. has an Aqua Beauty range of products that they released last spring, and this collection is said to be limited edition. However, upon looking at the site, I'm seeing that all of the products are still available, and much of the line is just now starting to pop up in Target stores.

e.l.f. has an absolute crapload of shades available in their Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain range on their site, with a whopping six total shades to choose from. However, I've only been able to track down three of those shades in any physical location I've been to. The only one that I ended up taking home with me, and the same one I featured in a recent haul, is in the color Rouge Radiance. Read on in this review if you are thinking of picking one of these up, and want to see whether or not it might be something you'll like! As you can see from the title, this product was a bit of a regret for me, ultimately because of ingredient sensitivity, though that doesn't mean you won't like it! 

Bare Lips, no product

Two layers of e.l.f. Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance' | Left shows initial application, right shows product after it sets

Let's Talk Friday 2017: Positive Vibes & Owning Up To Your Decisions

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Hi friends! This is a bit of a different topic than what I usually discuss here. It's something that I really hope reaches someone and causes them to look at a situation they may be in with a different lens, so to speak! I posted this recently on my personal Facebook, and felt that it would be good to do one of these every once in a while on the blog, just to reflect and hopefully give whoever is reading a different, more positive mindset.