Colourpop Goodies (I Should've Posted this in February. . .)

Hi there! Yes, I'm still alive on this 'ere blogosphere! At this point, I think it's pretty obvious that my sliiight obsession with Colourpop isn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon...

Most of these products were from their Valentine's Day collection (plus their Flexitarian Supershock Highlight, which I purchased in the same order along with the V-Day collection) - as far as the limited edition Valentine's collection, a beautiful mini 6-pan palette of lovely cool toned eyeshadows, and three new shades from their lineup of Supernova Liquid Shadows. So since I bought these products back in February, I think I've had more than enough time to test them out, and I have a better idea of which ones I would recommend! So yesterday when I looked back on the Colourpop online shop for the first time in eons, I realized that, lo and behold, most of these products were still available to purchase on their site! So, naturally, here we are with a blog post and swatches! 😄

Supernova Liquid Shadows

L-R: From the Valley, Prelude, Over Again

     Ahh, my very first foray into the Colourpop Supernova line...so, all in all, I do quite enjoy the look these give once applied, but getting to that place of application is rather tricky. I find that putting the applicator directly onto my eyelids makes for a rather streaky application, and entirely too much applies when I use the applicator to apply them to my lids. Whenever I transfer the liquid shadow straight from the applicator to eyelid, they would dry down, and would instantly add a bunch of crepey texture to my eyelid, and the color would flake off entirely within the next hour. If I tried to blend in any way before they set, so much product was applied, that they would just look even more streaky, so blending afterwards was a no-go, when I used that method. 

     The way I opt to apply these is by simply dispersing some product onto my fingertip from the applicator and applying and blending them out in that way, so I have more control over how much product goes onto my eyelid, y'knows? In fact, that's the only way I've found to apply these so they look nice throughout wear and don't flake off. Beautiful duochromes in this lineup, but I always have to layer them over a colored eyeshadow cream or powder for them to really give that desired wow effect, as they are a bit sheer and much of that huzzah! factor is lost when they're applied to a bare primed lid. So the formula could definitely be tweaked a bit with these...

Colourpop Pretty Much Pigment Palette, $12

Swatches L-R: Ya Bish, It Me, NVM, OTP, Neither Do I, Cool It

     This little pocket-friendly number has a pretty lovely array of some beautiful berry pinks and purple tones, mixed with a couple cooler toned neutrals and a nice dose of a bronze shimmer. However, I find that the pink and bronze shimmers in this palette are a tad bit crumbly, and are quite flaky and dry, and take a little more work than I expected them to, as they need to be packed onto the lid to show up (which, I must say, is quite uncharacteristic and very unusual of Colourpop's quality as far as their pressed shadows go - maybe my palette was a fluke with those two shades, but I was left pretty disappointed, nonetheless), and although the mattes in the palette blend out fantastically and near flawlessly, I find that the only matte that is unique to my Colourpop collection is the matte taupe in this palette in 'NVM'. The other two mattes, 'Neither Do I' and 'Cool It,' are near identical to the mattes in my Fem Rosa palette, so this palette is just a bit repetitive for my needs.

I would wager that if you don't own the Fem Rosa palette, this might be a nice addition if you like the tones. However, if you own that palette already (or have similar tones) then this palette may be a bit superfluous for you, as it was for me.

Penny for your thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Sound off in the comments and tell me: As far as Colourpop palettes, what different color stories/combinations would you like to see released in their pocket sized palettes?

Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Palette | Look No. 1: Warm & Glowy Pink

wearing Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette

     It's almost Friday! Every now and then we discover a makeup product that sends us into the horizon with wings, jumping up and down for joy and exclaiming to everyone, 'I've found it! It's here! The perfect tones to forever grace my crepey eyelids!' 

     Well, we may not do that in real life....but we certainly do tell everyone we can when cruising about online, yes? 😀 This palette became an addition to my collection last Christmas, and I'm ashamed to admit that I used it a mere two times, and then, for no reason other than the fact that I just wasn't wearing much makeup during that time, the palette sat in the back of my makeup drawer, untouched for a month or so. Roll in February, whence I dug it out and fell in love all over again.

Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette

Reviews and Comparison | Flower Beauty Ultimate Eye Color & L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow

Flower Beauty Endless Wear Ultimate Eye Color in 'Sheer Sands,' L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 'Blinged & Brilliant'

Hello there! Most of us are somewhat familiar with that cream/powder hybrid eyeshadow formula that has been pretty popular, right? Lancome did the introductions with this hybrid formula, then L'Oreal jumped on, and now brands like ColourPop (which, what's wrong with me? I still have not tried these yet!) and Flower Beauty have their own versions of the formula, ranging from a more cushion-y and creamy base setting to a powder finish, to some brands having a more powder-based pigment formula at the onset, with just a wee bit more move-ability that still makes it feel somewhat creamy.

In today's post, I will be reviewing and comparing two similarly toned peachy neutral eyeshadows from two drugstore formulas with similar price points: the Flower Beauty Ultimate Eye Color in 'Sheer Sands,' and the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 'Blinged & Brilliant.' Let's begin! 

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!

Raspberry Macaron Eye Makeup Tutorial | Using Cut-Crease Technique!

      Hello everyone! Is everyone having a good week? Ahh, what wonders a malfunctioning camera lens holds, when it's supposedly broken, then the next day it's working perfectly fine, as if a lens error message had never come up.... Am I the only one with such a peculiarly functioning camera? Alas, well, I now have a working camera, and couldn't be happier that I was able to take photos of this look I was talking about! I was able to tweak this berry-pink toned cut crease eye makeup that I wore in my last video on my channel, and decided to make a list of the steps I took to achieve it! I have a couple of variations of this look: 

Variation 1

Variation 2

A Day in the Tropics: Sunset Eye Makeup feat. Urban Decay Full Spectrum Palette!

     Happy Friday! Yesterday I received the Urban Decay Full Spectrum Palette in a swap I did with my friend Anna. I wanted to do a look that wasn't restricted to just the eye area, and knew I wanted to do something with yellow. I saw a photo in one of those old makeup creative magazines that, to my knowledge, is no longer in publication, and it's a magazine called FACEON. It had a brightly pigmented coral eyeshadow brought down from the lower lashline blended all the way down to the cheekbone in a soft-focus too-high blush placement, which I love in editorial looks! I simply adjusted and tweaked the construction of the look to suit my eye shape.

I'll attempt as best I can to piece this into a step-by-step pictorial, but a couple of these shadows were just frustrating to work with, so, out of impatience, I just skipped ahead to the final look after only taking photos of the first couple steps.

My Picks from the After-Christmas BH Cosmetics Sale + First Impressions!

     Ah, we have approached a new year! I have decided to do a small change of background in my photos, and am just testing it out for the time being. Let me know how you like it! Anyway, reverting to the topic of this post: remember that sale I was telling you all about in my last post? Well, let me just say that I try my absolute best to not order from mass-produced private label cosmetic companies anymore, such as Coastal Scents, Morphe Brushes, so on and so forth. I'm slowly starting to become more conscious of the ingredients I put on my skin, and neither of those aforementioned brands have claimed cruelty free status, and they do have some pretty questionable ingredients, to say the least. 

     Although I find myself overall disappointed to find, upon receiving my order, that BH Cosmetics still has parabens and talc (just rechecked my palette sleeves, and they are actually paraben-free! Sorry for the mixup, I was doing research on two different brands in the same day) in their color products, they are indeed cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified (this is according to the Leaping Bunny website, the products' packaging are sans the bunny logo, hopefully that changes!), and....some of their brushes are even vegan! And they certainly seem to be rocking to the beat of their own drum in regards to that. Whether or not I'll order from them again, at least in regard to color cosmetics, is to be determined. I just assumed wrongfully that since they were cruelty-free, none of those ingredients would be present. Ah well, logical fallacy on my part. And just a matter of being misinformed on consumer products and regulations.

So, enough blabbing! Here's what I bought from the sale! 

Foil Eyes 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette, $12
Modern Mattes 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette, $10

Sculpt & Blend 10 Piece Brush Set (Version 2), $20

Panned Products #1

*Includes Affiliate Links
Hello all!  Today's post will just be showcasing a few makeup items that I have been automatically grabbing for lately, and without much thought. Admittedly, I haven't really been planning my makeup looks or really been allowing much room for that creative spark to my makeup (or even my fashion choices, for that matter), as I currently have a lot of other things going on - I realize that I will never be doing even a fraction near as many things in one day as someone as, say, Eleanor Roosevelt did, so I'm putting that in perspective lol (I'm reading a comprehensive bio on the First Lady, so things from it are just kind of sticking to the forefront of my mind at the moment, and I'm incorporating it into everyday thoughts and conversations. I unknowingly let the book take over my life and entire mind, so to speak. 😄

Anyway, these items actually didn't take very long to hit pan on, though I have owned a couple of them for a hot ass minute. The first two are a couple of neutral basic, everyday shimmer eyeshadow palettes, shown immediately below, followed by a beeee-yootiful cream blush as well as a concealer cream. I love seeing pan. Some other people seem to want to shed a tear when they see it. Eh, seems I'm the only one, then?

Eye Palettes

A Few Product Empties! + Would I Repurchase?

*Contains Affiliate Links

     Hello there!  Hooray, it's almost the weekend! So, today, I have a scarcely proportioned roundup of the products that I've recently finished up completely (and these are the ones I actually managed to keep the empty containers for). This is split in half with two skincare products, and two makeup products. And, I know, in theory, it's a good habit to throw away crap as soon as it's coming up empty, but for posts like these, well....let's just say there are a few other things I finished that I wished would've stayed around a bit longer for me to do a post on them. Hmmm, hoarder tendencies there, or no?

In all honesty, I sometimes don't really see the point of "empties" posts without information that I can get something out of, whether I'm reading or watching, so to reiterate what some others prefer to do, I would like to tie in some mini reviews on these items. Ultimately, what it will come down to is, would I purchase and try these babies again, or were some of these products just a thorn in my side that I couldn't wait to use up, so they would be out of my hair forever? Read on to find out! 

My Eyeshadow Collection | Loose Pigments & Glitters

     Hello loves!  I thought it was in due time to create a post on the inventory of my relatively moderate collection of eyeshadow pigments, as well as the few glitters I own. It was originally in the works to declutter some of them, but ultimately, I decided not to part with any of them just yet. :) I like to pull them out occasionally, when I want a bit of added pizazz, and some depth and dimension to a look. I have no qualms with the quality of any of the ones I currently own, and don't think I will be purchasing any more, as I much prefer the look of pressed powder shadows, as well as the ease of application, y'know? Hmmm, I have noticed, though, that I may have just one too many purple shades here, so yep, I may have to rectify that somehow in the future. 😆

Anyway, please let me know if you would like a video of swatches, and I will upload one! For the time being, they will be sorted by brand in a list below. Here we go!

Vibrant Violet | 'Mardi Gras' Inspired Makeup

     Good day, everyone!  This is the point where I'm trying to cram some summer tutorials/looks in at the tail-end of the season, before the fall season makes its presence official! The makeup look being featured in this post is a predominantly pink and violet-toned Mardi Gras inspired look that I just sort of winged, and while I'm not all that ecstatic about the end result of this first test run with it, I had a blast creating it! I am wanting to post a tutorial for this look on my YouTube channel, but first wanted to post it as a non-pictorial on my blog to get an idea if a video tutorial would be something you all would like to see!

     I will still do a breakdown in this post of not just the products that were used, but of the placement as well. Yeah.... the lines and overall shape of the eye makeup are a tad bit sloppy and uneven, and my asymmetrical eyes don't really help the cause. 😊 Nonetheless, I decided I want to document as I learn the art, and I am still in the beginning stages, and in the end, it's only makeup, and it's supposed to be fun! Although I know I'll tweak some things with it if I do  make a tutorial.

New Beauties from Coastal Scents! | Palettes & Brushes

     Back in 2009 was the year I was introduced to the "makeup utility" brand Coastal Scents. I heard all these accounts from seemingly everyone, their mother, and their mother's brother, about how economical of a brand it was (and still is!) for freelance makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike. At the time, I was still an enthusiast and hobbyist who just wanted some affordable, decent quality color palettes to play with, to possibly hone my skills with in the future, and yep, times have changed since then! :) In the recent years, the brand has exploded in popularity.

Wet 'n' Wild Spring 2015 Silver Lake Collection: My Picks + Swatches

     Honestly, these Wet 'n' Wild collections appear and disappear like little Houdinis....there's now a new Venice Beach Eyeshadow Collection  that came out right after this one that I'm now on the hunt for, and I was contemplating whether or not to even create a post for this Silver Lake collection, since it was released back in the spring, and may be a bit difficult to find now. 

     Then I realized that geographic location is quite different across the board when it comes to the availability of drugstore limited edition collections in general, and I didn't even see this collection anywhere near me until about two months after it was released, so.....ladies, there's still a chance you may find it! If you do, I think it's highly worth checking out, as the textures, formula, and overall quality of these products is really quite lovely. Read on for more pictures and my thoughts/first impressions on these beautiful products!

Tutorial: Cranberry Eye Makeup Featuring L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows

     Good day, lovelies!  Here is my second attempt at an eyeshadow pictorial. 😄 When I think way back to the beginning of my journey with makeup, I remember the L'Oreal Infallibles being the first big girl shadows I ever got into. For some people, the brand that started that journey was MAC. For others, it was Wet 'n' Wild. Urban Decay. Ben Nye.

     These shadows from L'Oreal are unique in that their texture makes it that much easier for a 2-second application with no brush, just the phalanges on my hand are the only tools necessary, if I'm just using one color. However, there were a couple Infallibles used in this eye tutorial, so I find a good blending brush to be essential.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in 'Strawberry Blonde' (LE) and 'Glistening Garnet' (Permanent)

Evening Makeup: Purple Smoke & Nude Lips (A Pictorial)

     Hello there! How are you all doing today?  So, this is my very first attempt at an eyeshadow pictorial. All eyeshadows used for this look are from ELF's new and limited edition palette: their Essential 18-Piece Eyeshadow Palette. I used this palette in my last FOTD so that you and I could see exactly what the warmer neutral shades in this palette have to offer. For this pictorial, I decided to play with some of the cooler more colorful shades for a glammed-up look that's perfectly appropriate for those evenings out. (And, y'know, also for those evenings at home, dog-sitting and eating mint moose tracks ice cream? Yes? Maybe? Ok 😊). 

     This palette, being mostly neutral, also has a gorgeous matte mauve-lavender and deep matte navy shade, which I really wanted to incorporate into this look (which, yes ma'am, I did). The pigmentation on these mattes ended up surprising me, in a good way. For this post, I will be focusing mainly on the color cosmetics, and not the base skin products. 

E.L.F. Smudge Pots: A Review

        Hello all!  It's been a minute since I've been on here. The only culprit of that is my career change, and I unfortunately had to put my first passion (which is the blog you are reading right now) on the back-burner for just a couple weeks. Well, now that I'm all settled in at the new workplace, I would like to announce that updates on here are hopefully now on the regular!

       Alright, now that housekeeping is out of the way, I wanted to share my thoughts (or an in-depth review, rather) on these muy fabuloso products from e.l.f. If you aren't familiar with these spectacularly splendid Smudge Pots, allow me to introduce you. They are a somewhat new product to the e.l.f. Essentials line, and are at a perfect price point at only $2 a piece (I just checked, and they have raised the price on these to $3, which is a bit of a rip-off since it is their Essentials  line, which is their bulk of exclusively $1-$2 products, and these are not in their Studio or Mineral  line, so...coupon codes and sales, darlings! They're your best friends! *wink wink*), and....get ready for it...these little suckers give their MAC counterpart a run for their money.

       e.l.f. was definitely on their A-game  with these. I've been a long-time user of MAC Paint Pots, too, and I wanted to wait a bit to do a review on these anyway, because I wanted to test to see if they are as long lasting in their containers as they are when on the eyes. It's a tough test for some products to pass. And I'm glad to say that I have not been singing any blues of these drying out in their jars to a crispy mess like the Maybelline Color Tattoos.

New Product Alert: LORAC Pro Palette 2!!

       Hello lovelies!  Yes, I know! Isn't this awesome?! I was up late last night browsing Google+ (which is something I rarely do) and was ecstatic to see a sneak peek from LORAC on their new Pro Palette 2! The cooler-toned companion to the coveted and highly loved LORAC Pro Palette is scheduled to be launched on June 15 on ulta.com. These colors are right up my ally! All I have to say is move over Naked 2! I still love ya, but this LORAC baby is something I can already see crafting an even greater multitude of looks. Carol Shaw incorporated some color into this (and from the looks of it, I think I spot a deep navy, an eggplant purple, and an olive green?), and, as with anything she does with her brand, this looks like it's going to be a knockout hit!

      I will definitely try to get my hands on this! Will you be picking this up? Or do you think you'll be passing on it? Let me know in the comments! I think I would need to actually see the palette in-store to hold and swatch (I rarely buy things as expensive as palettes sight unseen; I always try to wait until they're released in stores so I can test them out).

A Review: Sephora + PANTONE UNIVERSE Elemental Energy Eyeshadow Palette

     Hi all!  Today I thought I would finally do my in-depth review of the Sephora + Pantone Universe Elemental Energy Eyeshadow Palette, which is a product that is still available on Sephora's site (you can get it here), and is on sale for $25. I got this a couple weeks ago, and I have to say first that I am quite new to Sephora's eyeshadow formula. I don't know if the formula of these Pantone shadows is similar across the board to the other shadows they have to offer in their brand, but my overall first impression of this palette was that of pleasant surprise, as many of the shadows in this palette seemed nicely pigmented and the quality seemed to be there. I've had some time to play around with these shadows, and hopefully this review will answer some questions for someone who is contemplating on whether or not to purchase it. Swatches will be towards the end. 

Sephora + PANTONE UNIVERSE Elemental Energy Eyeshadow Palette