Thursday, January 16, 2014

What I Got: MAC Punk Couture

Studded Kiss & Instigator





So I'm a little late with this, but I just wanted to show you what I purchased from the collection. MAC released two collections the day after Christmas, Magnetic Nude and Punk Couture. 
As usual, I wasn't really interested in either, but after reading some forum posts, I knew I had to have Instigator.  I've been looking for the perfect deep purple lipstick all season and had yet to find it. 


The collection consists of four lipsticks, all are matte finishes (my new favorite).  The other two, Punk Couture and Hautecore, I weren't really interested in.  Hautecore is a matte black and Punk Couture is a purple with blue undertones.  

I love both of these colors, and as it turns out, Instigator is the purple that I've been searching for.  Instigator is what Talk that Talk should have been.


Studded Kiss & Instigator

Did you purchase any items from Punk Couture?  Leave a comment letting me know what you got.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Top 13 Beauty Products of 2013



Hey all, I back with post about my most used beauty products for 2013.  I think this year I was more into using what I had, more than purchasing more products (compared to years past).  With a few exceptions I will definitely be using these products for 2014.


1. My first product is the best eye primer ever.  Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer (For My Primas).  I tried Urban Decay Primer Potion as well as Too Faced Shadow Insurance and I most say that this drugstore primer beats all of them.  I put my shadow on at 6:00am and when I get home at 6:00pm it still looks great.  You can purchase this primer at Walgreen's for $4.99. 





2. Maybelline Color Tattoos, the color pictured above is Bad to the Bronze and is my most used Color Tattoo.  I'm embarrassed to even say how many I own.  I use this over my eyeshadow primer to enhance my eyeshadow.  I actually use this more than my MAC paint pots, they are comparable and at a better price point.



3. My Lorac Pro Palette, I heart this palette, it is so versatile, as the top row is all matte and the bottom row is all shimmer.  I have to stop myself from using it all the time, I mostly use the matte shades, but lately I have been incorporating the shimmer shades into my looks.  This palette is perfect for travel as there are a range of colors.



4. Bare Mineral Mascara in Curl & Lengthen and Volumizing.  I picked this up last year at Ulta when they were 50% off, I believe they retail for $18.00 each, so I got two for the price of one.  I can use the Curl & Lengthen alone and my lashes are fine, but when you add the volumizing, you get perfect lashes.  I haven't experienced any clumping with either mascara.



5. Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator was my first real highlight purchase.  It was limited edition, so it is not available anymore.  It is rose gold in color with slight shimmer.  I have been using this pretty much everyday since I purchased it. 




6.  Covergirl Queen 3 in 1 All Day Flawless Foundation, all I am going to say is I LOVE this foundation.  It provides the right amount of coverage and I don't have to set it with powder and the price point is great (I get it from Target for $9.99).  This is my second bottle, so that's saying a lot, and it is about 75% finished. 




7. Clarisonic and Philosophy Purity Cleanser, it's like this two items were made for each other.  I mean the Purity cleanser is great on it's own, but when paired with my Clarisonic, I know that my skin is clean and that ALL of my makeup has been removed.  I purchased this two items together as a TSV from QVC.  I thought that by using makeup remover wipes and my cleanser, that my face was free of makeup, boy was I wrong.  The first time I used my Clarisonic and looked at the brush afterwards, I was mortified.  The brush was full of foundation.  I think this product is definitely worth the investment.  I use it about five times a weeks and I'm happy with they way my skins looks. 




8. The Original Beauty Blender, I passed on purchasing this for years, $19.95 for a sponge, I think not.  I purchased something like it at Marshall's for $5.95 and I honestly didn't see what all the fuss was about after I used that product.  I don't know why I finally ended up purchasing it, but I now see what the fuss was all about.  I use this practically everyday, and I must say it was worth the $20.00. 



9. Juicy Couture, Couture La La, my new favorite scent.  I have never really been into perfumes, I get serious migraines from scents.  I only use DKNY Be Delicious, but I had a sample of the Couture La La and I fell in love.  I received this bottle as one of my Christmas presents.  I'm not even going to attempt to describe how it smells, this is the description from the manufacturer:
Sparkling Mandarin, Water Hyacinth, Green Apple, Red Currant, Lily of the Valley, Blushing Peony, Violet Leaves, Orange Flower, Smooth Woods, Liquid Musk.





10. Tarte Off the Cuff Blush Palette, I purchased this at Sephora in October, I believe, my thought process was, I wasn't going to miss out on this set, as I was unable to get the blush set from 2012.  The palette contains four blushes, (Crave, Dazzled, Darling, Dollface) and a bronzer (Park Avenue Princess).  Crave and Dazzled are my favorite, I'm glad I didn't miss out on the Christmas set this year.  




11. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light, I use this as an all over face powder, but more so around my nose, where I have visible pores. I noticed that once I started using it, my T-Zone was not as oily as before.  I was so upset that I missed out on the Ambient Lighting Palette, this retails for $45.00 and you can find it at Sephora. 



12. Rimmel Eye Kohl in Nude, I bought a few of these, but this color is by far my favorite.  I use it on my waterline to look more awake. I got this from CVS for about $3.99, I believe.



13. Last but definitely not least, Jordana Fabuliner in Brown or Black.  I broke my black pencil somehow, so I just photographed the Brown one.  I love, love, love this liner.  The felt tip is a lot easier for me to use when I am lining my upper lash line.  I made the mistake of leaving this at home when we went away for the weekend, and I tried to line with a dark liner, my eyeshadow just wasn't the same.  I purchased this at Duane Reade for $2.99, they are also available at Walgreen's. 


What are your favorite beauty products of 2013?  Do you use any of the products listed above?  Leave a comment and let me know what you want to try in 2014.

Monday, January 6, 2014

A Review: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette



So as the title states this is a review.  To be honest, I wasn't really excited about the Naked 3 palette.  I saw photos and seen the YouTube videos from the people who received press samples and I wasn't impressed.

I have both the original Naked palette and the Naked 2 palette and my love for them has diminished, so I didn't see how this palette was going to be any different.  Now the first few reviews that I viewed were from people with fair skin, I'm a brown girl and I needed to see the review from another brown girl. Once I did, I still wasn't in love.  It wasn't until I seen some swatches on Instagram, that I realized that I NEEDED this palette.

I had obviously missed the first launch, and I when I tried to purchase it during the second Urban Decay launch, it was also sold out.  So I asked for it for Christmas, but as a makeup enthusiasts, I didn't want to wait.  Once I swatched it in Sephora, I was officially in LOVE. I did receive it as a Christmas gift :)

I have been on a rose gold kick for many months, the color just compliments my skin tone so well.  Most of the colors in this palette are great swatched and look great on.  I had seen many reviews where it had been stated that this is not brown girl friendly.  While a few of the first colors in the palette really don't compliment our skin tone well, the other colors are great.


The only real problem with this palette is the amount of fallout, no matter what I do, how many times I tap my brush off, I always have fallout.  This happens mainly with Trick and Buzz, I haven't had any problems with any of the other shadows. The formulation of Trick could have been so much better.  This color would have been the "star" of this palette, as it is a beautiful rose gold hued color.  But as I stated above, it has terrible fallout and it just doesn't feel as soft as the other shadows

Strange, Dust, Burnout,Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart



The palette contains three matte shades, Strange, Limit and Nooner.  Three shimmer shades, Dust, Buzz and Trick.  The rest of the shades in the palette are a satin finish.  The palette retails for $52.00, comes with a dual ended brush and three generous samples of the four Urban Decay Primer Potions (Original, Sin, Eden and Anti-Aging). 

I think it's safe to say that this is by far my favorite Naked palette, I have to stop myself from using it everyday.  

Do you own the Naked 3 palette?  What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let me know.  

Saturday, January 4, 2014

FOTD: Naked 3 Palette


I wanted to do a quick post of the look that I did on Thursday.  While watching some videos on YouTube, I came across a tag called Getting the Most Use of Your Palettes.  I have been pretty much switching up the palettes that I use weekly, so I thought it was a great idea.

Anyhow, I snapped a few pictures after work, so I had my makeup on all day. 


Sorry this picture is so blurry.



Face
Covergirl Queen 3-1 Foundation (warm caramel)
Smashbox Photo Ready Primer
ELF Baked Blush in Rich Rose
MAC Darkly My Dear Blush
MAC Diamonds Cream Colour Base as a highlight
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light (I used this as an all over setting powder)

Eyes
WNW Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer (For My Primas)
Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (Trick on the Lid, Nooner in the crease and Darkside in the outer corner)
Jordana Fabuliner in Dark Brown or Brown on the upper lash line
Urban Decay Naked 3 24/7 Eyeliner in Darkside on the lower line
Rimmel Eye Kohl in Nude on the water line
(I'm not sure if I put on mascara)

Lips
EOS lip balm
NYX Long lipliner in Current
NYX Lipgloss in Silver Plum


Hope you enjoyed this post.  I will be posting a review on the Naked 3 palette sometime this week, so check back for it.

New At The Drugstore: Maybelline




So this post is going to be about new items that have recently come out at the Drugstore.  New Year means new products.  I recently spotted new Maybelline products at my local Rite-Aid. 

I have heard a lot about the Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser and have been eager to try it out, but the display was empty.  On my next trip I spotted one lonely tube on the shelf next to the new lipstick display.  The Buffs collection consists of all nude lipsticks.  I believe the display has either 9 or 10 lipsticks.


I only picked up one color, number 940 in Touchable Taupe, this color was pretty unique to the few nude shades that I have in my collection.



Touchable Taupe, Baby Skin
Rite Aid had all Maybelline products for BOGO 50% off, the lipstick was $8.99 and the Baby Skin was $6.99.  I also had a $1.00 off coupon on any Maybelline foundation or face product.  I haven't used the Baby Skin as of yet, but once I do, I will post a review.

I also compared Touchable Taupe to other nude lipsticks in my collection.  Swatches are below.

Bad Girl RiRi, Touchable Taupe, Milani Teddy Bare & MAC Nude (all in natural light)





  
Same Order as above but with artificial light.

Have you purchased any new drugstore products?  Leave a comment below letting me know what new items you purchased.

Bath & Body Works Candle Haul



Hey guys, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate) and a Happy New Year!!!  I just wanted to do a quick post on a few candles I picked up after Christmas.  As you may or may not know, Bath & Body Works is currently having their Semi Annual Sale.  

I purchased these candles on Saturday December 28, for $10.00 each.  I have been looking for Leaves since the Winter candles were put out and I could not find it in stores.  When I seen it online, I just had to get one to last me until next Fall :)  It just so happens that the next day, December 29, the candles were on sale for $9.00, for that day only.  

I purchased Leaves, as previously stated, Twisted Peppermint, and I went on a whim (without ever smelling it before) and got Winter Vanilla Latte.   I must say that it smells wonderful, like vanilla scented coffee beans, lol.  I think I may have found another favorite. 

Do you like any of Bath & Body Works candles, leave a comment and let me know your favorite scent.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

What I Got: Urban Decay Friends & Family 2013



I've wanted the Vice 2 palette since it came out, but the price ($59.00) wasn't quite appealing to me.  I have the original Vice palette, but I didn't pay full price for it.  When I received the email from Urban Decay for their Friends & Family sale, I knew exactly what I was getting.


I purchased the palette. an eyeliner in the shade Lucky and I received a mini Zero eyeliner, which I know everyone has about a million of, because Urban Decay has featured it in so many of their palettes. 




The sale was suppose to end on Saturday, but I received an email from Urban Decay, that today (10/13/2013) is the last day.  So if anyone wants this or anything else, you still have a chance to get them.

I will do a post with swatches later, but I did swatch a few of them, and they are softest eye shadows that I own.  I can't wait to use this palette. Have you purchased anything from the Urban Decay Friends and Family 2013?