First Look| Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette

Many will have polarizing opinions on the Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette ($60), which was released in September and now available at Ulta and Sephora, as well as the Urban Decay website. 

For me, it's an absolute dream and beats the first and second palettes by a long shot because it has lots of wearable neutrals. True Urban Decay fans may be disappointed in the lack of wacky colors and crazy pigments. 

But I mean, look at Freeze and Dragon. I can't imagine using those shades for anything other than "a pop of color". This makes the Vice 3 infinitely more likeable to me: the fact that I can use every single shade except two. UD has organized the Vice 3 to have each column stand alone as a look, so even the beginners can create simple looks: browns, brights, jewel tones, warm burgundies, and taupes. 

There's an included dual ended brush with one side to blend and one side to pack color. It's actually a pretty decent brush but I don't like keeping it in the slot provided. You also get a cute little makeup bag (which I've used for my car registration and insurance papers.)

My favorites? Downfall, Brokedown, Lucky, Sonic, and Last Sin.

The casing itself is metallic, grabs fingerprints and dust like a dream, and is a tad slender than its predecessors with no clasp...only a magnetic trust system. I actually prefer it slender so that I can store it with ease.

Below are swatches with one pass and zero primer. 

Pros: 

• Pigmented. 
• Even the mattes and taupes are very true to color and show up well on me.
• I don't have to use a packing motion for maximum color payoff. It just happens.
• Blendable. 
• Only one or two of the taupe shades are on the drier side. Everything else is very buttery smooth. 
• Great value. 
• You're getting a deal of $3 per shadow. 
• Did I mention the cute makeup bag and dual ended brush?
• Wearable and versatile. 
• If you're the average woman who doesn't venture too far out of the neutrals box, you'll love this. 
• It's also a great holiday gift for anyone new to makeup; you're giving them a giant palette of options to play with.
• Uh, have you seen those burgundy and plums shades or should Vice 3 walk by again?

Cons:

• Glitter! Fall out! In pan dust! 
• No matter how gentle you are, you'll make a mess in the palette itself within seconds. 
• There's no color fall out on the lids, but be careful about the glitter when working on the lower lashline. 
• No true mattes. 
• There's maybe one shade where I can't see shimmer. However, the intensity of shimmer varies with each color and the left column shadows can be used to blend color into the crease. 
• The shimmer particles in these mattes are undetectable on the lids.
• Hideous packaging. 
• For some reason I keep thinking Miami Vice because of the cover...something to do with those flashy holographics and the bright yellow. 
• And a contestable point: too neutral. 
• Vice palettes are notoriously crazy and bright, but this one looks like a nunnery in comparison. If you have neutrals and don't want to collect more....why bother with this one?

Have you added this to your holiday wishlist cart? Already purchased? On the fence?

For me, this is a great "neutral but not boring" palette. The jewel tones are flattering to almost any skintone and there's more mattes and neutrals than ever before for blending work. I would recommend it for anyone who is patient enough to work through potential fallout problems. 

xo Be

First Look| Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette

Kat Von D's recent release of the Monarch and Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palettes ($46) has women running in hoards to Sephora to pick one up for their complexion, whether warm or cool. 

You see, I already knew I wanted the Monarch from a single glance. Not even a single swatch in store. A simple breeze of makeup release gossip later I was in store and swatching furiously. Those golden, super warm, and super rich colors on the left side of the palette called out to me, "We're dupes for Tom Ford's Cognac Sable! Buy us! Save money!" 

Kat Von D is morbid and creepy when she names eye shadows "Tiny Death" and "Killing Jar." There are twelve shadows, with nine transformative (dunno what that even means, but alright) shades and three base shades. They are grouped by three to ensure even the beginners can match the colors up. Of course, you can feel free to use group together any colors you want. 

Not only does it remind me of Urban Decay's iconic Naked 1 Palette, the color combinations suggest you could do a million a one smokey brown looks and never run out of ideas. Perfect. For $46 bucks you're still saving some chump change getting this set rather than a Naked. 

The palette is a little wider and heavier than I'm used to, but it is still travel friendly with a huge mirror and magnetic closure. I found that some eyeshadow dust did manage to find its way onto the mirror right away. 

This is my favorite quad out of the three combinations. I love the warm gold and burnt orange, even if the brown and matte bone shades are unoriginal. These colors are supposed to represent the wings of the monarch butterfly and have shimmering iridescence that's stunning. 

This middle combination is rather "cool toned" for my liking, but I appreciate a good silver eyeshadow or two. I love accentuating warm smokey eyes with a dab of silver in the inner corner. The matte taupe is a great transition shade for any look you might do with this palette. These colors had the best pigmentation and payoff. 

The right side is a workhorse combination of mattes that can complement other palettes and eyeshadows you have. I found them to be the most powdery (not chalky, just powdery) and dry to the touch. Of course, they don't translate that way on the lids. You'll see for yourself below how they swatch with a single pass over zero primer.

This is indoors, natural and artificial lighting. 

The cute spaceman in my little brother's room is saying he wants to orbit around my giant arm. This is closer to the window. It was an overcast day.

I love the variety of shimmers, mattes, and satins in the Monarch Eyeshadow Palette and find that they go on so much better than swatched. My arm is around NC30, and the lightest matte colors don't show up very well (if at all.) That's not the fault of the palette. 

I tried matching these shadows to my Naked 1 palette and found some overlaps as well as some unique colors in each one. If you already own one, you don't have to get the other unless you're like me and enjoy the very warm toned eyeshadows exclusive to Monarch. They last all day with a simple eyeshadow primer and don't crease or fade at all. 

I'm still very much a novice at eyeshadow application, so I struggled for a while with this palette. Now, as beautiful as these colors are, I found the mattes to be on the drier side and the overall palette to be very powdery. Think of Lorac's Pro palette; these shadows are similar with their strong color payoff and soft texture. 

Be sure to use the lightest touch possible when picking up color with your brush. I found it especially easy to overblend the darker browns in the palette, so using a smaller blending brush will really help you lay color where you need it most. 

Here's a look I did with the left quad of the palette, muting the burnt orange and using only a hint of the warm gold as a highlight.  I'm not very interested in purple and blue based eyeshadow looks, so I won't be picking up Monarch's counterpart Chrysalis, but I've read that Monarch has the better quality out of the two. 

If you don't mind using a careful hand when applying your shadows as to avoid overblending, this palette is for you. I found it a little too powdery and prone to fall out for an everyday palette. 

xo Be

Review| Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation

With most foundation for me, the only flaw is usually color match. My skin is decent enough that most foundations blend in well, stay on for long, and usually makes my skin look better, if not just "made up." With so many new foundations coming out in the market constantly promising flawless skin, it's easy to get caught up.

My review today is for the Marc Jacobs foundation (1 fl. oz. of product) which retails for $48 in Sephora. At first, the foundation didn't catch my eye...until I saw that they had Golden Light as an option. And damn, it is yellow! Perfect. Most foundations only lean yellow but never go all the way to jaundice level. The foundation apparently contains coconut water and a bevy of magic juice along with SPF 15. I hear that it photographs very well.  The packaging is very cute and sturdy, being a lacquered black plastic top with a glass bottle body.

I watched a few reviews and saw that it was a mixed bag. Some people said it was amazing and beautiful, and some said that it was flaky,patchy, and cakey. Since my skin is normal and clear, I decided that its natural/buildable coverage was worth testing out.

I have to say after only 5 hours of wear that I will be returning this, STAT! Boo for Marc Jacobs, his other products are quite lovely.

The first impression is that it's very jelly without being thick or heavy. A lot of people commented on a heavy chemical/floral fragrance, but it just smells very faintly like 4 day old Valentine Day's bouquets. I used two full pumps for my entire face and neck area, but it was a little too much. I did not try to build since I have no breakouts at the moment.

First of all, I applied with my usual skincare routine sans primer. (Since I usually am too lazy to prime.) This meant Aveeno Moisturizer with SPF 30 before and Rimmel Stay Matte powder after to set. The color went on very light for my NC30 at the moment. Okay, all well and good. I gave it some time to set. The color match seemed perfect. However, the first bad omen came when my Tarte blush applied very streakily... Thirty minutes later in the car, my face oxidized 3 shades darker! This never happens to any foundation of mine since my skin is not oily or acidic. I don't mind that it matched my shoulders, but it wasn't the color I needed for the upcoming winter. At this point, the foundation had set and the finish seemed natural and my skin was very pretty despite the oxidation.

Three hours later, the area around my nose was a hot mess! My nose area is my trouble area, so anything that looks bad on it is a dealbreaker even if my cheeks are absolutely Cherubian otherwise. The foundation caked around the bottom of my nose. It slid around on the sides of my nose even though I had set with powder. Every flake or dry spot was accentuated. And yet, it still looked oily!  On the rest of my face, the foundation was starting to slide and fade in patches. My face looked like Crisco on a Sunday dinner hamhock. Even though I have small pores on the sides of my nose under my eyes, this foundation put all of them front and center stage. I usually admire a satin finish, sometimes dewy, but this was just over the top.  You can look at these pictures for reference. Don't throw up.

*Excuse my nasty lips, I was trying out Shiseido Bordeaux and it was a little too dark for daytime wear, so I scrubbed it off*

One look at my nose and you should already think to pass on this one. I don't think this would work on anyone with even a hint of pores, lines, or godforbid nose flakes. Also notice how my face/neck is about 100 tanning bed measurements from my chest and decolletage.  It actually doesn't look half bad if you consider my face a Monet (from afar it's alright but up close it's a mess!) It definitely photographs much better than it looks in real life, but who buys foundation just to camwhore? (Oh wait, my mom....)

EDIT: I tried this alone by itself (no moisturizer/sunscreen, primer, or powder.) The results were much better (no oxidation, no patchiness, no caking) but still not impressive for the price point. It performed similar to my MAC and MUFE Face and Body but with even less coverage. I'd rather use my NARS tinted moisturizer if slight evening out was my goal since it also includes SPF 30.)

EDIT: I tried this again for a second time and the day after, I have 3 huge cystic zits! Oh my gosh! 

I guess the only pros I could list are:

• It may work better for oily skin types. Judy on YT as well as several oily skinned friends liked/loved it.


• It's very light feeling on the face despite being advertised as a "gel" foundation.


• The packaging and brand name is reason enough for some people to purchase.


• It photographs well. HD video captures it beautifully (check out Saaammage's recent YT videos to see it in action.)

Moral of the story, foundations can make your skin look even worse than it really is. *SHUDDER* I'm taking this back to Sephora immediately and stocking up on my trusty MUFE HD or NARS Sheer Glow in a winter shade instead.

Be

First Look| Flower Beauty Haul

Sometimes, a good old fashioned drugstore haul just...happens. You read a few forum recommendations, a few blog reviews, and next thing you know you're looking through molested items in a brightly lit aisle trying to find what you "need." I've recently hauled these few items and have to rave about them to you.

I want to really highlight how good Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty line is for the price and how they are cruelty free products. To be honest, I never really wanted to dabble in a hippie brand just because I was afraid of lack of pigmentation/chalkiness/sheerness/general shittiness. However, based on glowing reviews across the board for several items,  I picked up four things at Wal-Mart, where it's exclusively sold.

The first two are cream blushes (formally named Win Some Rouge Some, 7,98 retail at Walmart) in Forget-me-not (right) and Peach Blossom (left). These. Are. So. Pretty. I won't say that they are the best cream blushes, or the best blushes in the world, but the colors are so beautiful and natural looking on my cheeks that they beat over-applied and streaky powder blushes any day. Because they are cream blushes, they are pretty tricky to keep completely clean and I wouldn't recommend them to your average germaphobe. If you apply with a stippling brush, it looks violated. If you apply with a finger, it looks molested. Basically, it loses its appeal quickly unless you are quick to use them up.

Forget-Me-Not is a light pinky apricot that would show up only on pale to fair skintones (it's barely visible on me.) Peach Blossom is a true orangey peach. I'd say that Peach Blossom is the more intense version of the first, and they remind me of gimmicky Korean cream blushes. They last about 4 hours and don't leave you with patches of color. They also have a very slight sheen to them with no visible shimmer. They come in the standard white plastic packaging with rose gold accent and clear plastic lid.



The next is the Powder Trip Powder Foundation in PP3. I really wanted to try PP4, because it's the yellowest out of the lighter end of things (note: the powder line thinks that all women fall into pale, fair, medium, and tan-ish). However most of the powders were either "tested" or gone and I had to resort to this. It's a good match for me at NC25-30. I'm still NC30 and it oxidized lightly/is sheer enough to match.

I wouldn't say it's truly a foundation, setting powder, or finishing powder. Instead, it's more of a lightweight powder that you can layer on top of liquid foundation for a little more coverage.  I think you'd have to use a very dense kabuki or damp sponge in order to find coverage with this bad boy. It comes with a crapola brush and Middle Ages mirror behind it. (9.98 retail)



 

Finally, I gave another chance to drugstore mascara (as always) with Zoom In mascara. The wand handle twists to reveal three types of brushes: for lengthening, curling, and volumizing. It's a genius idea in theory, but I've only kept it at the lengthening shape and it works so well. My lashes are longer, darker, and there are absolutely no flakes at all. I can layer about 4 coats with no problem, and it holds a curl very well. Nice! (7.98 retail)



Lengthen! Curl! Volumize! Pretty cool, eh? There is a drastic difference between the long and short of it, not so sure about the curling option...

 

Well, that's all for today folks! I'm glad I tried out a few of these items and I have to say that they are pretty good for a celebrity line and especially for a drugstore brand. My favorite is the cream blushers and I'm planning to pick up a few more shades that are deeper to see how the opacity and color payoff is like. I was really willing to dismiss Flower Beauty until I read up on recs! So lesson of the day, do some asking around! There are always going to be a few gems within any drugstore brand.

Be

 

First Look| L'oreal Le Matte and La Laque.

I finally have ventured outside of my 10 mile zone to another Target in search of these mystical lipsticks. And they are indeed mystical. I hadn't been able to find them for the past few weeks, even though it's been out for at least two months now. Such is the life of limited edition items; they get clamored over by crazy makeup enthusiasts and disappear, never to come back.

Ah, but I've finally found them. Here are some swatches and pictures for your enjoyment. You may live vicariously through me.

From left to right: 414 I Lacque You A Lot, 413 Lacque-onic, 409 Matte for Me. Below, the order is reversed.

 

Matte for me is a blue based pink, in the same family as MAC's Girl About Town/Crosswires/Impassioned.

Lacque-onic is my favorite, a true red with a shine. 

I Lacque You A Lot is an orange-red that seems similar to MAC's Lady Danger with a shine. 

None of the colors are particularly wearable for every day (work/school) unless you're the adventurous type, but they are beautiful nonetheless. They remind me of NARS' matte and satin lip pencils with a much lower price point, and dare I say they are much less drying? I'd love to pick up even more, but I received the matte shade in a swap and only found the other two at Target. Also, I believe they retail for about 8 to 10 dollars (if you can find them, try to buy a few just in case!)

All three shades are very opaque and pigmented, long wearing, and not prone to bleeding or drying. The matte shade applies like a satin and dries down to a matte and wore down to a light stain after three hours. The La Laques are a little more prone to feathering if not laid on top of a liner, but they do not slide around.

The only downside is that they smell rather outdated and "drugstore", which is a given. I really hope that these are just L'oreal's way of testing the waters before jumping in with a more extensive collection.

Have you been able to find these at your local drugstore or Target? I think most people are having good luck with Target. Let me know what you think!

Be

First Look| MAC Rebel and Diva DUPES

The Internet beauty world is a vicious cycle of researching, eye raping swatches, reading reviews, and stalking other beauty blogs until I give up and just run to my nearest department store to spend boatloads of money. However, since I am on a tight budget, I decided to find dupes for MAC's Rebel and Diva at the drugstore. According to MakeupbyCheryl, Wet n Wild had great dupes for the shades, but they were sold out. After spending a good amount of time perusing the aisles and trying to recollect from my memory which brand has the best formulation, I settled upon Maybelline's lipsticks.

 

420 Deepest Cherry and 410 Blissful Berry

So, as you can see, they belong to the general realm of berries and dark plums. However, these drugstore dupes were $7.99 (Buy one get one half off!) at Rite Aid rather than MAC's 15 a pop lipsticks. As I have no method of transportation at the method besides my weary feet, I didn't want to harass the husband into taking me to the mall to buy something as trivial as makeup (sarcasm).

As you can see from this hideous picture, the colors are rather comparable. Not exact, but comparable. Blissful Berry took a few (okay, four) swipes to show up opaque and Deepest Cherry took two. However, they stain even when wiped off, especially the berry shade. I can see both being dabbed onto the lips to create a Korean ombre milky lip. You can also layer it on for a playful twist on the vampy trend this fall.

Excuse my lined and chapped lips. This is Blissful Berry, the dupe of MAC Rebel. This picture is showing it pretty true to shade, maybe a hair lighter. It's very wearable for my NC40 coloring at the time. I won't show you how Deepest Cherry looks, since it looks absolutely dreadful if you don't prep your lips before wear. While I doubt these dupes are on par with MAC's formulations, they are still half the price of the real thing and very soft, long lasting, and not drying. They smell like crayola, but that's still better than L'oreal's sexy grandma play-doh smell. I did look through L'oreal's collections of lipstick but quickly shied away from the smell. BLEGH!

That's all for today, I'm taking pictures of my swap haul for you guys and will post it soon!

Be

First Look | Hot Off the Press (Marc Jacobs, Urban Decay Revolution, NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation, LORAC Pro To Go)

With some help from a Groupon gift card (should have bought one more with the husband's account...) and some thorough research, I was able to locate my local Sephora. Sadly, this one is located within a JCPenneys and has some major restrictions. Including the fact that I have to personally call Sephora to add the points to my VIB account. Sigh, first world problems.

First, I made sure to haul a few good things that I already know I love, aka UD's Revolution lipsticks, this time in two shades:

• Fiend is a muted rose color that translates to a MLBB color. I am not a fan of layering on lip products that have no real color payoff, but this color gives my pout a nice sheen and a rosy color.


• Catfight is a pink-fuchsia with slight red undertones. This means that it's a little punchier than Anarchy and perhaps more classy, too. I would love to rock this into the fall season.

But really, I'm just collecting all of the colors slowly and surely at this point. Don't mind me. Again, these retail for $22 dollars each.

         

Second, I picked up two things from Marc Jacobs' line: a nail polish ($18 retail)  and lip balm ($22 retail). Because I already have cult favorites in other brands, I figure I should expand my horizons and try some things I usually do not splurge on.

• The Enamored Hi-Shine Lacquer in 134 Lola seems like a bright red that isn't too vampy or teeny-bopper. I don't like dark gothic reds on the nails. It may have a slight pink undertone.


• The Lip Lock Moisture Balm is raved about by Fashionista804 and I am always looking for something to fix my chapped lips. It is rather overpriced, but since I can't even finish a cheapie lip balm (they end up  fossilizing into dinosaur eggs) I figure this may be a good investment.

I also picked up the new NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation in Stromboli/Medium 3 ($38 retail excluding the compact). I have seen way too many blogger promotions to not try this out for myself. I have been fearing liquid foundations in this heat and hope that a lighter layer of cream foundation does a better job in regards to coverage and staying power. I'm also surprised that Stromboli is a better match than Punjab, and with 22 shades to choose from I had fun swatching while the reps glared. Hehe.



Finally, the main reason of my adventure was to find the new LORAC PRO To Go Palette ($38 retail). I own and love the original LORAC Pro, and this portable little guy also has cheek products. I'm all for low maintenance 2-in-1's and portable packaging especially when it comes to traveling. I'm willing to bet that the consistency of the eyeshadows is smooth like butter and that the cheek colors will be universally flattering.

Now, time for me to go cry tears into my bank account in hopes of replenishing my funds. Actually, I have a few interviews lined up for next week, and I'm really excited to show off my chops. Can't collect makeup and buy groceries at the same time without a job, now can I?

Bye bye for now, make sure to watch out for reviews to come within these next two weeks for these items, excluding the NARS Cream Compact. I will need more time to see if that little guy brings his awkward third wheel friend "Cystic Acne" along.

Be

Review | Urban Decay's Revolution Lipsticks

This seriously sounds like a recipe for love. Twenty two shades, 22 dollars, 22 reasons why I will be broke very very soon. I've seen beauty bloggers rave and obsess over this for the past month, and for some reason, I just wasn't that interested. Bright shades? Pass, I've seen brighter. Creamy and moisturizing? Lies, no such thing. In all honesty, I don't need another lipstick, even if it blows everything I own out of the water. Even if it cooks breakfast every morning, or does my laundry, or please me better than ice cream.

I resisted, I really did try.

Then I went to Sephora and the display case captured and enraptured me. "Swatch F-bomb, doooo it!" a voice whispered. I shivered with hesitation. Oh, it was the makeup consultant. Yes, yes, I swatched quite a few until my hands were crazy with colors. How creamy it is indeed, I thought. Look at all of these beautiful nudes and brights, I thought. Slowly, against my very will, I picked out Anarchy and made my way to the checkout. Then the rest happened in due time.

Sigh.

I've always been a fan of UD's makeup, from their primer to eyeliners and eyeshadow palettes, but I never knew they even had a lipstick line to revamp. Apparently, the Revolution lipsticks are part of their Fall 2013 collection and will be a permanent addition. Let's get right into the review!

Color: With such a great range, you are sure to find a couple shades to love and covet. Check out Phyrra's swatches here. Even before hitting the store, I was eyeing most of them with the dedication of a sex offender. Pigmentation is opaque and strong. I picked out four colors:

• Anarchy, a hot pink/true fuchsia


• Streak, a slight coral pink (it's a pity that there were no other true corals in the line)


• F-Bomb, a true classic red with no discernible undertones


• Shame, a deep berry (looks disgusting in the picture right? It's actually the shade on the UD's model's lips...perfect for fall!)

Pricing: At 22 per lipstick, this is definitely smack dab in the mid-range of lip products. Now, if only they were a little cheaper to facilitate my hoarding obsession....I wouldn't say this is a strange price point, especially for UD products. There isn't too much product for the price but this is never a problem as I've never been able to finish any lipstick. I got mine at Sephora and Ulta.

Packaging: A lovely silver bullet, big enough to kill vampire-werewolf mutants with style. The inside is UD's iconic purple, and the tube slides shut with no click but a tight feeling. I'm a huge fan of how the lipstick bullet itself is a little more slender than others with no pointed tip. It makes application a breeze! A clear label adorns the bottom for you to identify.

Wear: It is indeed creamy without having too much slip to bleed. Wear time is about 4 hours, typical of most lipsticks. However, the best part of this lipstick is how it doesn't flake! It almost feels like YSL's Rouge Voluptes without the pricepoint. For the most part, many of my fuchsias and hot pinks tend to dry out my lips no matter how much I scrub my lips raw or layer lip balm. These wear comfortably for about 4 hours and start to stain/fade after that time mark. There is no ugly ring around your lips even after a meal. My favorite thing about these is that they do not crack or chap your lips! I have encountered many a high end lipstick that do so (ahem, NARS...)

Swatches: Now for the good part. These are all two coats, with Anarchy being one single swipe, and indoors.

This is in natural but dim lighting.

This is under yellow lighting from a fluorescent light. Sorry for the carpet, seems like I love hoarding dog hair more than I think. Gross.

And these are in direct natural sunlight from the window. You can see that Anarchy has very intense pigmentation, and Streak is much more pink than online pictures suggest.

Overall, I am really pleasantly surprised by the quality of these newly launched lipsticks and would love to collect a few more. I'm eyeing 69, Bang, Liar, and Naked 2. Forgot to tell you they have rather naughty names!

Are you thinking of trying out a few? I've seen quite a few bloggers hoard up on these, and I mean HOARD. As in, 10 shades and counting sort of irresponsible. UD is doing another thing right.

Be

First Look | Drugstore for Fall

Let's get right into this one!



From left to right: Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation in 35 Sand, L'Oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner, Color Tattoo Pure Pigments in Buff & Tuff and Downtown Brown, and L'oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup in W4.

Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation in 35 Sand

I am really looking forward to see how the Dermablend will work as a tattoo cover up and concealer. I've seen how this works wonders on facial scarring and acne spots in Lisa Eldridge's tutorials, but wasn't sure I needed it until now since I may be starting work at a conservative company.

I was pretty surprised that the original price of the product was a whopping 30 dollars for 1 fl. oz. Thankfully, I got it on discount for 22 dollars. Still rather expensive for something that's "drugstore", eh?

The formula is thick, but runny enough to spread. Too bad the color selection is awful and hard to gauge in store. I figured Sand would be an alright match for a tan skintone, but I'm really using this for my inner forearm tattoo. I couldn't tell if Nude was yellow enough, and Gold looked way too dark.

L'Oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner

This seems like a great dupe for WEN cleansing conditioners. I am halfway through my WEN trial bottle in Almond Mint, and so far I am loving the results. Too bad the price point is too much to repurchase. I figured since Essie from essiebutton was raving so hard about the Evercreme line I might as well give this a shot. My ends are very dry and could use some TLC.

Color Tattoo Pure Pigments in Buff & Tuff and Downtown Brown

I'm usually not a fan of loose pigments in general, since they get very messy and don't have great color payoff, but I had to get some to try for myself. I think these would look really great over their color tattoos or a white base (NYX Milk, duh herro!) I will have to wait until I get my hands on an eyeshadow brush before I can demo these for you.

and finally...

L'oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup in W4.

I had good results with the original formula, but haven't revisited the line in quite a while. For some reason, I freaked out in the dead of winter and denied all possibility that I could get as tan as W4. (Yeah, it looked ORANGE on my NC20 tone at the time.) I threw it away and never looked back. Now, with a month of summer left and a move to SoCal, I figure reinvesting in a new bottle wouldn't be so bad. In all honesty, this is one of the best drugstore foundations I've tried in a while. I'll be doing a review for you within the week.

That's it for my brief drugstore haul. I'm very curious about how these will turn out and have high expectations for all of them. I am really hoping that the cleansing conditioner will do the same job as my WEN, fingers crossed. I know I only have a month left of summer, but hopefully the LA heat will keep me tan and NC30 throughout the fall, too.  Have you guys gotten your hands on the Pure Pigments yet? What do you think?

Be

First Look: Buy the Hype

Sorry for the MIA without notice, honeys. I've been trying to balance basic housewife duties (walk the dogs, cook dinner, clean the house) with writing a six page paper about the Protestant Reformation for my final. Y'know, nbd. It usually isn't a problem, because I usually turn into a horrible sloth during finals week and neglect all duties. But lately I do feel a better upkick in my mood when I walk with the babies for at least an hour a day. Also, it's a cardio/weightlifting routine with all of the pulling and yanking I'm trying to correct out of them. Kidding. Not really. My arms are toned already.
With the husband out at work and summer passing by, I've also been very low maintenance with makeup. However, I've noticed quite a few products on hype and decided that now is as good as a time as any to try them out. If they mess up, at least only my dogs will judge me, right?





From left to right: MAC lip liner in Boldly Bare, Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss, Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Waterproof Very Black, and Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

The lipliner is a recent obsession for a defined lip line. I've been trying to cheat the system and go "au naturel", and without a single lipstick lying around it wasn't exactly hard to do. Maybe a lil too natural...I needed a defined lip. My husband couldn't tell I was wearing makeup, but he did say, "You look good today, are you trying to go somewhere?"

What, do I need a defined lip to appear in public?
...Yes.

I wasn't so impressed with the Nivea lip butter. Like others said, it smells amazing. However, I can't get the tin to open even if I had demon claws. The butter is too creamy and slides off my lips easily, and doesn't moisturize. I think they need to market this as the next diet solution. (Who needs food when you can smell your lips full!)

I have The Rocket mascara and still devoutly hold onto my Definicils as HG, but this is a new favorite. I've seen a lot of hype about how wonderful this is for a DS, but I didn't believe it since I'm not a fan of "volumizing" mascaras. They tend to make my lashes look like cockroaches and clump like hell. This one, however, holds a curl, lengthens like crazy, and doesn't smudge onto my bottom lashline. It also fakes a look of tightlining/eyeliner for all you ultralazies out there. Plus, Definicils over this? Are you a beaver? Cuz DAYUMMMM.

Finally, I just picked up this texturizing spray and already love it. You know how messy, "bedhead", nasty, knotty hair is always a thing in the summer? This takes you there pronto. My hair is recently self-ombred and a little roughened, but this spray mattifies it to a whole 'notha level and creates beautiful volume and texture. Plus it smells like coconuts and makes topknots last. Win win win.

I've been chosen to do my friend's gf's hair this Saturday (she saw my ombre and loved it!) I'll try to post up step by step pictures and tips for you, especially now that I'm finished with summer classes. Have a great day!

Be

First Look | MAC MUFE NARS

Summer is here! I do have a few items from a recent haul to show you, and since these are mostly new to me, I'd like to also give you my first impressions of the products.



This is my small after-vacation haul. I planned to pick up a few thicker opaque concealers for dark spots, as I don't have dark circles unless I have been up for 2 days straight. Even then, I am fortunate enough to not deal with severe raccoon eyes. I do have Maybelline's Age Rewind concealer in Medium, but I suspect it is for undereyes as the formulation is not as creamy and stay put as I like for acne scars and blemishes. I also picked up Makeup Forever's Aqua Rouge out of curiosity and their iconic HD Foundation in my summer shade. Lastly, thanks to recs from essiebutton, I decided to give MAC'S Crosswires a chance.





This is MAC's Studio Finish concealer in NC30. I like that it's in a pot, but this could get unhygienic very quickly. The color match is spot on, the formulation is thicker than cake batter, and it seems to cover everything with ease. This retails for 18 dollars.





Next is NARS's Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger. The lighter choice seems like a perfect match for NC25, but I already have a concealer for the winter. This color is also a great match for NC30-NC35, and I believe it can be used as both an undereye or blemish concealer. The formulation is a creamy liquid that is not too thick and spreads easily on the face. The doe foot applicator is precise, and the packaging is very purse friendly. This retails for 28 dollars. Yikes!





This is Crosswires from MAC. Yowza, it's a bright watermelon pink! I expected much less pigmentation from a Cremesheen formula, but it's a pleasant surprise. This color fares better alone on the face, being much more pigmented and brighter than I thought. It retails for 15 dollars.





This needs no further introduction; it is Makeup Forever's HD Foundation in N123. I am usually N120 in the wintertime (for NC20 to NC25) but I needed a much darker shade for my new tan. 123 actually looks much darker and more golden than 127 while they are the same shade. I would say this fits an NC30 to NC35. I have had a great experience with this foundation especially for photography. It is a thin formula with medium coverage and long lasting capabilies. Sadly, it retails for 42 dollars.







Lastly, this is MUFE's Aqua Rouge in 18. I would say that this is the high end equivalent of the drugstore color/gloss duo pens. However, the gloss is very hydrating and essentially seals in the color for hours. My one gripe is that the product smells like artificial lychee glue. Nasty. On the positive side, 18 is a wonderful coral-orange that is lovely for summer. This sucker lasted through a meal at a burger joint. And if you know me, I don't eat my burgers like a lady. If you want long lasting shine and color that won't dry out your lips, this is absolutely wonderful if you can stand the smell. This retails for 24 dollars.

That is it for my first look post, I hope you found it helpful. If you would like an in depth review on any of the products above, please leave a comment and let me know!
I also have made a recent, mind BLASTING discovery and would love to share that with you if you're interested. It involves a very inexpensive brush...

Anyway, have a nice days guys! I'm back to packing my things for a move to LA and donating old clothes/shoes to Goodwill. I'm not sure if anyone wants to take my makeup, but I could have a blog sale if that's a way to get rid of the clutter.

Bye!