ELF Holiday Palettes at Walgreens

ELF Holiday Palettes at Walgreens

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to share a little Walgreens find with you. I noticed quite a few different ELF holiday products on sale, including these eyeshadow palettes. There were a few palettes that were quite large as well! I've never tried ELF's new eyeshadows with the triangular shapes, so I figured I'd pick up this neutral palette (the only shade I saw that was on display), along with one of the Beauty Books (there were a couple of color options on these). I thought all of the white and gold packaging was really cute, by the way!

6 Piece Eyeshadow Compact ($3, Walgreens)

 At a glance, you can tell that there's nothing matte in this palette. I'm not so sure how I feel about the triangle-shaped pans. I mean, nothing is so small that you couldn't fit a brush into it, and a couple of the shades are quite generously-sized. But when you look at some of those acute angles (remembered something from geometry!!!), at some point- if you use up a lot of the shadow- you'll struggle to get into those corners. This palette does not include a mirror, but it does have a double-ended sponge tip applicator. 

When I first touched these, I immediately thought that the use of a primer would make a big difference. While some of the shades were nice and smooth either way (and surprisingly pigmented!), the primer really improves the application of the very flaky and shimmery white and gold shades (at the center of the palette). The primer I used was ELF's $1 Eyeshadow Primer. While nothing in the palette is matte, the deepest brown is the least sparkly/shiny color of the bunch. 

 ELF Beauty Book - 10 Piece Nude Eyeshadow Palette ($5, Walgreens)

The color variety in this palette really caught my eye. ELF puts out these Beauty Books every so often, and in the past, I've actually had pretty good luck with them. For 5 bucks you're getting 9 large eyeshadows, along with a double-ended sponge tip applicator, a Brightening Eyeliner in Black, plus some instructions on how to create a look. I'm not a big fan of the eyeliner... it's a dry, very old-school pencil liner. Now let's check out the shadows...

There's such a variety of shadows in this kit, both in terms of colors and finishes. For these swatches left to right-- I did the top 3 shadows, then the middle 3, then the bottom 3. I also used the ELF $1 Eyeshadow Primer in the bottom picture. There are two entirely matte shades in this palette- the first one in the line of swatches, and also the 7th. I was SO surprised at how buttery and smooth those shadows were- even with no primer! Shades 3 & 4 (the lilac & peach) on the other hand, looked gorgeous in the palette but were extremely flakey with no primer. As you can see, the primer had the biggest effect on these two shades-- with primer, they go on much more smoothly and are less dry. All of the other shades range from a metallic to a satin finish and were consistently good. Love that greenish-teal, as well as the deep grey. 

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Bottom Line: While the $3 palette has a nice combination of neutral colors, I'm not jumping up and down over it (probably because I already own a LOT of neutral shadows). And while they look pretty with a primer, there's just nothing really unexpected or unique about the palette, and I would've liked at least one matte shade in there. I was really impressed by the Beauty Book, and just astonished at how nicely those matte shades go on. I like that you get a couple of colors to pop things up with, but mainly there are lots of pretty neutral basics. A pretty great deal for $5, in my opinion. Have you run into any other drugstore holiday palettes that you'd like me to test-drive? Let me know! :) 

FOTD: MAC Stroke of Midnight Face Palette

FOTD: MAC Stroke of Midnight Face Palette

Hi everyone and happy Monday!

Over the weekend I was playing around with a new kit from MAC- so I thought I'd share the look I created! This kit is the Stroke of Midnight Face Palette in Cool (there's also a warm option). I tend to use both warm and cool tones in my makeup looks, but I was drawn to this kit because of... you guessed it- the berry lip color! :) I have a few other things from the Stroke of Midnight holiday collection, and I'm thinking I'll probably do an all-in-one type of review soon- sharing my take on everything. In case you were wondering- my foundation is Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless (thanks MissCrystalMakeup for making me want to pull this out again!), and the blush is the Jane Multi-Colored Cheek Powder in Peach Bouquet.   

The packing of the whole Stroke of Midnight collection just makes me think of the Great Gatsby. Black, white, and gold- just gorgeous. The whole compact is a little larger than the size of my iPhone. There's a decent-sized mirror on the inside, and I don't think you can really see it, but there's a little trap door over the lip products- which is great for keeping the powder fall-out away from the creams!

The palette contains...

-Iridescent Powder in Sparkling Rose (soft pink with gold frost)

-Lipstick in Sublime Pleasure (Lustre- sheer rose)

-Lipstick in Romantically Inclined (Cremesheen- plum)

-Eyeshadows (left to right) - All Races (matte), Scene (satin), Magic Moor (veluxe pearl)

-Eye Kohl in Ebony (black)

This isn't a full-on review- but just some observations on the kit. The highlight is quite sheer, but I think it gives a really pretty glow when dusted on the cheekbones and down the nose. I also used this as a highlight under the brow. The lip colors are both quite shiny- I used the plum shade all over with a lip brush, with just a dab of the lighter color in the center of my lower lip.

Maybelline Fall 2013 Limited Edition Color Sensational Lip Gloss

Maybelline Fall 2013 Limited Edition Color Sensational Lip Gloss

Hi everyone!!!

Happy Tuesday! I had an amazing weekend getting to hang out with Kristin Gehm in Chicago! It's kind of the halfway point between where we live, and we just had a blast (there will be a video coming). But she gave me some gifts-- including these incredible lip glosses that she's been raving about! They're limited edition for fall from the Maybelline Color Sensational line (the same line that makes Almond Crush- which I love!) I was never able to find these new shades, so being the makeup-loving friend she is, Kristin tracked them down for me up in Wisconsin! Thank you!!! ♥

The deeper shade is #305 Raspberry Ablaze, and the pink-ish color is #310 Berry Brilliance. 

These are creamy, shiny colors with no shimmer. They don't feel sticky on the lips, yet I think the staying power is pretty impressive. I've been wearing Raspberry Ablaze today and have gotten groceries and eaten lunch... while there's not a lot of shine, there's still plenty of color hanging around on my lips, and it hasn't gotten sloppy running outside my lip line. I also like that I can get full color with a minimal amount of product- without having to build it up with tons of extra gloss. Goopy lips are not fun!

Benefit Luv It Up Cutest Nudist Makeup Kit

Benefit Luv It Up Cutest Nudist Makeup Kit

Hi everyone!

Hope your day is going well! This palette was part of my "Face of the Day" today on Beauty Broadcast Live.  It's from Benefit and it's called "Luv it Up! Cutest Nudist Makeup Kit". I know we all want to be the cutest nudist! LOL! Anyway, this is a limited edition holiday palette and retails for $25 on Benefit's website as well as Ulta's website. It contains several eyeshadows, a cream shadow, and a gloss. This is one of several holiday products from Benefit that were sent to me for review. 

This small tin is about the size of one and a half iPhones (standard unit of measure! :) There's no mirror on the inside, and it looks like the the inner palette that holds and divides the products could be removed if you wanted to use the tin for something else once you used up the products. The kit also comes with a little how-to guide.

The three shadows are about the size of a quarter, and come in the shades Call My Buff (satin finish creamy color), Nude Swings (shimmery peach), and Thanks A Latte (shimmery taupe). There's also a Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow mini (.11 oz) in R.S.V.P. (shimmery peach). And the mini Ultra Plush gloss is in Dandelion (.22 fl oz)- it's a very sheer peach.

From left to right: Dandelion gloss, R.S.V.P cream shadow, and eyeshadows in Call My Buff, Nude Swings, and Thanks A Latte. (The powder shadows were not applied on top of the cream just so you could see how the pigmentation is on their own). I've never been a huge fan of the Ultra Plush glosses because I think most of them are just so sheer! While the color shows up a bit more in the swatch on my arm, on top of my natural mauve-ish lip color, it comes off almost clear. The cream shadow is a very pretty color and reminds me a lot of MAC's Rubenesque paint pot- similar texture too. The lightest shadow is very subtle (performs better on top of the cream), and the two with shimmery clearly have the most pigmentation. 

On my eyes- I'm wearing the R.S.V.P. cream shadow as a base, with Call My Buff on the lid and under the brow, Thanks a Latte in the crease, and Nude Swings just above the crease. I also lined my eyes in black and smudge Thanks a Latte under the eyes. I'm wearing Dandelion gloss on my lips.

 Obviously this kit has been created to give the subtle, "nude" look. I'm not blown away by the quality of the eyeshadows, but they do a decent job on top of the cream base. As I mentioned on Beauty Broadcast Live, this kit might be a nice gift for a teen who is getting started with some subtle makeup. Nothing in this kit is going to look too intense by any means. All of the shadows are subtle and easy to blend. Where a lot of holiday kits are packed with glitz & glam... this might be a good option for someone who likes a lighter look on the eyes and lips. I think you could put together a grouping of similar drugstore products for less than $25 and still have great quality- but if an all-encompassing gift set is what you're after, I think it's a good option :) 

Tarte "Clutch the Spirit" Maracuja Lip Gloss Set

Tarte "Clutch the Spirit" Maracuja Lip Gloss Set

Hi everyone!

The reviews continue on 2013 holiday collections! I wanted to share my thoughts on this set from Tarte (which was sent to me for review)-  it's called "Clutch the Spirit" and includes 8 mini Maracuja lip glosses, as well as a little clutch. It's available for $32 at Ulta. 

 Perfect for the LSU fan in your life! :) I think the purple and gold clutch is pretty cute and I love the gold bow accent on the top. Yes- it can hold all of the lip glosses, but I would totally put this clutch to use in everyday life for a night out or something. It could easily accommodate a cell phone and a few makeup items, money, etc. 

Here's a look at the glosses and their swatches (shown in the same order as the glosses themselves). From left to right:

• Spirit - Light pink with a hint of shimmer
• Laugh - Creamy peachy nude
• Vixen - Creamy reddish coral
• Play - True pink with shimmer
• Dash - Hot pink with shimmer
• Dance - Creamy red
• Sing - Sheer red with gold shimmer
• Star - Sheer brick red with a hint of shimmer 

Sally Girl Eyeshadow Connecting Compacts

Sally Girl Eyeshadow Connecting Compacts

Hi everyone!

Happy Friday to you! Earlier this week, I did a review on Beauty Broadcast Express about the new Revlon Colorstay Shadowlinks. From the four that I tried, I wasn't too impressed with their color payoff. Some weren't even that great applied on top of a primer. Here's that video- in case you missed it and want to learn more! 

 The Revlon ShadowLinks sell for $2.99 each (I got mine from Walgreens), and I had mentioned that the Sally Girl Eyeshadows from Sally Beauty Supply are .99 apiece (.94 if you have the  Beauty Club Card), so many of you asked for some more details on those. You can check them out on the Sally Beauty Supply website, and there is a pretty vast shade selection... 48 shades to be exact! I haven't loved every shade I've tried, but as a whole, they seem to perform much better than the Revlon Shadow links... a pleasant surprise since they're a third of the price! One thing to note- these are just a tad bit smaller than Revlon's... the Revlon singles are .05 oz, and Sally's are .04 oz. 

Here are the shades I have, and they interlock in the very same way that Revlon's do. For the purpose of this post, I divided my shadows into light, medium, and deep color categories. You may notice that some of these shadows have a wavy imprint... those are the ones that I've purchased more recently. I picked up a couple that were the same as older shades so I could compare and see if the formula had changed. As far as feel and application, they seem to be exactly the same, and you're not getting any less (or more) product because of the imprint.

Left to right: Snow, Champagne, Beige, Cinnamon, Copper 

• Loves: Champagne (perfect shimmery highlight), Beige (matte creamy shade), Cinnamon (Rose Gold)... these shades are buttery smooth and so nicely pigmented
• Likes: Copper. This shade is nicely pigmented, but I think I'd wear it more if it were a deeper rust color. Not a bad one, just personal preference.
• Dislikes: Snow (shimmery white)- much less smooth & rich compared to Champagne.

♥

Left to right: Lilac, Rose, Cranberry, Brick, Espresso 

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• Loves: Cranberry (berry shimmer), Brick (rust shimmer). These shades are gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful and they have a fabulously creamy texture. 
• Likes: Lilac (matte lilac with sparkle). Another personal preference thing. It's a good quality shade, but I've had it for awhile and just haven't used it much.
• Dislikes: Rose (light shimmery pink) and Espresso (shimmery brown-ish taupe). These shades just seem like a totally different texture than the other shimmers. Not sure what they deal is, but the color payoff isn't very good. 

 Left to right: Olive, Eggplant, Navy, Onyx

♥

• Loves: Navy (deep blue with sparkle) - great saturated color, really nice.
• Likes: Olive (golden army green), Eggplant (deep purple). Olive and Eggplant are both pretty shades, but I wish they had a little more richness. 
• Dislikes: Onyx (matte dark grey)- This range of eyeshadows doesn't have a ton of super dark shades, so I really wished Onyx would turn out to be a rich black... instead it's a standard grey. 

I would've done a review video on these, but I have so many different colors, I thought a blog post would just be easier. These shades were all swatched without a primer. What's interesting is that even the shades that I "dislike" out of this bunch are better than several of the Revlon ShadowLinks that I used. I would highly recommend my "loves" though! :) I think it's great to see that you can round-up some good quality shadows for a really low price! Have you experimented with the Sally Girl shadows yet? What do you think about them? 

Kohl's Beauty Update & Home Stuff Haul

Kohl's Beauty Update & Home Stuff Haul

Hey everyone!

Happy Monday! I've been hearing from so many people who say their local Kohl's store is carrying some different makeup brands like The Balm and LORAC! I've seen pics showing that it's not just a few products, but actually the ENTIRE line of makeup from these brands! After checking my store, I've realized that it is carrying some new beauty stuff, but not exactly what I was expecting. First off- as you can see from the picture above, there were tons of fragrance gift sets (both men's & women's). As for the rest- here's a look! (And you can click on these pictures to enlarge them).  

 There was a little area near the jewelry with some Candies beauty products- including lip glosses and nail polishes. Also- Eylure false lashes! Including regular varieties, as well as the Katy Perry lashes and some special blinged-out Katy Perry lashes. And... Real Techniques! Both brush sets and individual brushes. How cool!

Also in the beauty area- there was a decent-sized selection of Essie Nail Polish, and I saw some other little displays with products I don't normally find at Kohl's. There were a few Pur Minerals gift sets, alsong with a couple of sets from Cargo and Borghese. I also saw a few boxed LORAC sets, but not the whole line. As far as the lines that are always at Kohl's- American Beauty, Elle, Flirt... those were all still there. Just thought I'd update you on what's out there-- chances are your store might have even more new stuff in the beauty section! Hoping mine starts stocking The Balm soon :) 

As far as my little haul- I did pick up one of the Real Techniques brushes- it's the 2 in 1 Folding Kabuki Brush ($10). It's a full, very soft angled kabuki, but when you undo the magnet that holds the brush together, you get a skinner and wider brush- which I think could be nice for contouring. Only problem- it doesn't seem to actually lock in place when you open up the brush... you just have to hold it that way.

Also- Christmas stuff is out in the home section, and a lot of the fall stuff is already half off! So I got this little duo of Pumpkin Pie candles from Chesapeake Bay... they're really cute little holders with small candles inside, surrounded by decorative rings. They were $9.99, and I got them for my mom. She's hosting Thanksgiving so I thought these would be perfect to add to the dinner or dessert table! Also- while I like burning candles, I also love the flameless versions! These Pumpkin Spice candles from Sonoma were around $5 each.