Color

Peachy Summer Smoky Eye Tutorial + Mini Stila and TJ Maxx Haul + Stila Review

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It’s always a good day when you find a $40 palette at TJ Maxx for $7. I had to part with my coins for this one.

Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye and Cheek Palette in Tan/Deep by Stila. $39.99 at Ulta, Sephora, etc.

The Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye and Cheek palette is formulated to suit your skin tone and comes in three categories, Fair, Medium, and Tan/Deep. Though my skin tone is warm light to medium, I don’t care and got tan/deep because not only is that the only one my TJ Maxx had but I love the tones. Honestly I’m not drawn to the ones in the fair or medium palettes anyway.

Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye and Cheek Palette by Stila in Fair.

I think these would be ideal travel palettes as they are compact and contain all you’d need for a quick, easy, and cute eye look for both day and night. Also, I’m sure I’m going to be using this a ton for work as it’s very neutral yet perfect for just enough definition for the eyes.

Swatches of all the shadows and blushes from the Perfect Me, Perfect Hue palettes. Stilacosmetics.com

I was even more stoked when I saw the rave reviews online on Ulta and Sephora of the product. Of course when I saw Stila lipsticks, I had to get one too.

Color Balm Lipstick in Sadie by Stila. $22 at Stila Cosmetics, Ulta, etc.

This lipstick looks much peachier in person and is described as a “mid tone peachy coral” which is most definitely my cup of tea.

I really like the peachy look I got out of this palette and it paired perfectly with the lip. I know I do a ton of peachy looks but what can I say? They’re peachy.

I found these shades to work ideally together and they’re all super creamy and blendable.

Believe it or not I didn’t prime my lids. Funnily enough, the description on the product claims the shadows are so finely milled and pigmented that you don’t need primer. I’m pretty sure the shades would’ve been even more vibrant with primer but I’m totally not mad at how it came out.

I used the top left shade, a peach shade as my main crease color. I then I intensified it with the left blush color, a coral pink. I love this combo by the way, and never think that you can’t use blush or bronzer as eyeshadow. I highlighted my inner corner and browbone with the champagne color.

Lastly, I intensified the outer crease with the darker blush and brown shades and smoked out the lower lashline with those two shades. I love the lipstick’s shade but I wish it was a bit more opaque. It is labeled as a balm though so I get it. It’s perfect for summer as an easy thing to throw on and put in your purse.

Here are all the palettes in the Perfect Me, Perfect Hue collection side by side. The quality of the tan/deep palette is worth $40 so I’m so happy I found it. The only shade that was slightly patchy was tge darker blush but it is a blush, so totally not a big deal. Everything else was awesome. I wouldn’t mind scoring the medium palette at TJ Maxx.

Overall, I’m very pleased.

Have you found any steals lately at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s?

I’ve been inspired to go on the hunt for luxury makeup at these stores because of all the fun videos in YouTube where people luck out. I thought I’d try my luck and I’m glad I did.

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Berry Smoky Eye with NYX’s Avant Pop Art Throb Eyeshadow Palette // Review & Tutorial

bblogger, beauty, Color, eyeshadow, Makeup Review, Tutorial

As soon as I laid eyes on NYX’s Avant Pop Eyeshadow Palettes I knew I’d like them. Out of the three Avant Pop palettes, I was attracted to Art Throb (below) the most, due to the pops of color, though of course now that I own it and loved it through and through, I want the other two.

17.00 on Nyxcosmetics.com & elsewhere.

Admittedly however, what I don’t approve of entirely is the high price tag considering NYX is a drugstore product. Even though I love NYX and think the palette’s totally worth the price, I probably wouldn’t have bought it if I hadn’t had 30% off at CVS. This is solely due to budget related limitations. I’m so happy I did though, let me tell you.

The pigmentation and color payoff were intense and the colors were creamy and very easy to blend. I had some problems with patchiness and matching one eye to the other but I think it’s only because I used an eyeshadow primer that was pretty terrible and I had to take it off before I could begin applying any other colors. Apparently some residue was still underneath. Regardless, I’m happy with the end results.

I can’t wait to use other colors in eye looks like those vibrant greens.

.

Image from nyxcosmetics.com.

The color I was initially most attracted to was the berry / fuchsia with a pearlescent finish. I also had like three looks pop into my head just from looking at the palette, and I can’t wait to do those other two.

The gorgeous raspberry/fucshia/berry color and the beautiful black with iridescent flecks seemed like an ideal pairing to me along with the silver in the inner corner and pink in the middle of the lid.

After taking off the horrible eye primer, which I won’t even mention I primed my eyes as usual with concealer. I’m not sure why but this seems to work best for me. Let me know if there’s an eye primer that works really well for you.

  • I used Wet n Wild’s Photo Focus Concealer and laid it on the entire lid with my finger.
  • I then used the berry color in my crease and all over the outer half of my lid. I concentrated the color on my outer corner.
  • I used the pink on the center of my lid with my finger and the silver on the inner corner and inner third of my eye with my finger as well. (I’ve noticed this gives the most color payoff on the lid, and Kathleen Lights just did this on her channel.)
  • I then used the shimmery black on the outer corner to smoke it out and intensify the berry color.
  • I brushed the berry and black on my lower lash line.
  • I went back and cleaned up the whole look with a clean brush to get rid of any harsh lines & cleaned up the edges with a makeup wipe.
  • Lastly I used Monsieur Big mascara by Lancome.

$12 for a travel size tube at Ulta & elsewhere.

Though $25 is a lot for mascara, if you want lengthened and very thickened lashes without falsies in one swipe, this does the trick. I’d say try the travel size first to make sure you like it, which is $12.

I used Wet n Wild’s Liquid Catsuit lipstick in Berry Recognize because I thought a berry lip would tie it all together well.

3.99 at Target & elsewhere.

A nude lippie would be pretty too. 

Image from Asos.com.

I’m excited to try a Christmas look with the palette and see how I like the other two, above, when I’m able to splurge on them. I love the idea of an art and art movement inspired palette. (Pop art) Surreal My Heart is such a cute name. (The first palette in the image above.)

Overall it was a great value and it performed great. My only issue was fallout, which I don’t mind because I always do my eyes first with colorful looks and use makeup wipes to clean it up. I highly recommend it and other NYX products.

What products have you been loving?

Love & light to you all and talk soon!

Fall Leaves / Fiery Sunset Eyes Tutorial

beauty, Color, eyeshadow, Fall, fashion blog, Makeup, Makeup Review, style, Tutorial, Uncategorized

Hello and happy Halloweek!

Whatever you’re doing, I hope you’re enjoying many treats an maybe a few tricks. I had fun doing this look as I love warm tones like rust, burgundy, crimson, orange, etc. I was inspired by fall leaves and fiery orange red sunsets to do this eye look & tutorial. 

By the way here’s an interesting tidbit on fall leaves changing colors, “The vivid yellow and orange colors of fall leaves have actually been there throughout the spring and summer, but we haven’t been able to see them. The deep green color of chlorophyll, which helps plants absorb life-giving sunlight, hides the other colors. In the fall, trees break down the green pigments and nutrients stored in the leaves. The nutrients are shuttled into the roots for reuse in the spring..The red color is actively made in leaves by bright light and cold. The crisp, cold nights in the fall combine with bright, sunny days to spur production of red in leaves – especially in sugar maple and red maple trees. ” (Earthsky.org.).

Image from earthsky.org.

I bought the Milani Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows in the primary shade range after finding it in a discount grocery store near my house called Grocery Outlet. I was immediately attracted to the red shade in the palette and I already knew Milani has amazing products like their setting spray, their gel powder shadows, etc.

They purchase overstock merchandise and I’m totally fine with that because they’re awesome and have everything from pretty NYX blushes to tasty pumpkin beers.

The shadows came out in 2012 and it appears that it’s not being sold in stores other than Poshmark and Ebay. You can use any red, orange, and yellow shadows.

 Image found on vampyvarnish.com.

I began by priming my lids with Smashbox’s Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes SPF 15.

Image from Smashbox.com. $25.00 on Smashbox.com, Sephora, etc.

It is honestly so good as an eye shadow primer as it is very high coverage for something with “BB Cream” in its title. Plus I love that it contains SPF 15, which is a nice bonus, and protecting your lids and under eyes from the sun is a must since that skin is so delicate. After priming I set the lids with a bone matte shade from my LA Girl Nudes palette. You can use any you have on hand.

I then used the bronzer in Elf’s Aqua Beauty Bronzer and Blush duo in Bronzed Peach, shown below, in my crease as a transition color. I love this duo and also used it for blush and contour.

Elf’s Aqua Beauty Blush and Contour Duo.$6.00. Elf.com, cvs, etc.

The first color I put down was the yellow in the inner half of my eye. I then dipped into the orange and placed it in the middle of the lid. I used the red in the crease and outer half of the eye. 

I blended all the colors into a gradient by sort of fading them into each other. I applied all of the metallic colors first with my finger and then patted more on with a brush I had wet with Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray. 

As most of you know by now, when it comes to makeup, I don’t mind being a little extra, so I added gold glitter and a wing. The glitter I used is the Color Icon Single Glitter by Wet n Wild. 

Color Icon Single Glitter in Brass by Wet n Wild. .94¢ at Target. This glitter is stunning on its own on a bare lid.

The product I used for my liner was really inexpensive, but I found it very patchy so it’s not even worth mentioning. To be honest with you, the Milani shadows were also hard to work with and blend out. Despite these setbacks, I made it work, and I believe that working with all kinds of makeup shows you how to work around problems. Not every product can be as seamless as your favorites and that’s to be expected.

Nonetheless, Milani is still one of my favorite drugstore brands! 

Hope you all have a frightfully fabulous Halloween!

🎃🎃🎃

Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette Review + Purple Amethyst Fall Makeup Look: Petal Pusher Palette

beauty, Color, Fall, Makeup, Makeup Review, palette, review, smoky eye

The Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection by Wet n Wild in Petal Pusher calls for a floral crown & dusty lavender scarf.

 

Whenever I discover a high quality affordable makeup palette at the drugstore I pretty much do a back flip. I was at my local CVS and I did my usual walk through the makeup aisles when I discovered the Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Petal Pusher by Wet n Wild. (To be honest I find it soothing to look at makeup, and when I’m stressed I take a walk expressly for this reason. It’s almost like looking at pieces in a musuem. There’s something zen about it.) 

Photo by jet.com

The smoky purple/amethyst look I came up with. Bold but perfect with a nude lip + for fall. You can get away with more drama for fall & winter. Plus who cares? Rock those deep shadows girl.

Both the Beauty Brick Palette in Ultra containing purple tones by LA Girl and the Petal Pusher palette by Wet n Wild caught my eye. Neither are new products, but I’ve been wanting to do a blown out fun fall amethyst purple smoky eye. (Could I have used any more adjectives in that sentence? Probably.)

Pic by Ulta.com. 7.99 at drugstores. Next purple purchase on my list. 😉💜

The reasons I opted for the Wet n Wild palette were the cheaper price (4.99 vs. 7.99) and the LA Girl shadows didn’t seem to have the same pop. They looked slightly chalky and dull, compared to the shades in the Wet n Wild palette. 

Palette with flash. I had to show off how good these shades are.

That might have been due to packaging, and I’m still going back for LA Girl’s Ultra palette to test it out for myself and anyone interested. You guys know I love LA Girl, (Here is my review on their nude beauty brick), so I don’t mind taking a gamble, and you can’t really judge a shadow by just looking at it. 

I can’t get over how pigmented every shade is, how metallic the shimmery shades are, and the overall color payoff for the price. If you’re a beginner, don’t hesitate to check out Wet n Wild! Don’t sleep on their awesome makeup.

The shimmers in the Petal Pusher palette attracted me the most. I somehow managed to use them all in the look I did and was not at all mad about it. In fact I am living for these shades! 💜💜💜💜 The deep shinmery plum purple shade, blue purple shimmery shade, and rosy purple shimmer are my favorites. I used every color in the look except the grey color.

I primed my lids with Smashbox’s Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes, which is really more of a concealer and I have been loving it. I also love Wet n Wild’s Photofocus concealer to prime my lids. I then used the bone shade in my LA Girl Beauty Brick palette in nudes to set the lids. In the crease I used the third shade down in the first row/left column of the Petal Pusher Palette, which says ‘crease’. That is so cool because it makes it a no brainer for beginners, and if you follow those prompts, you’d get a cute look.

Photo by Ulta. 24.99. Smashbox’s Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes Broad Spectrum SPF 15. It’s what I used to prime my eyes. I find it works perfect as a concealer and primer. It’s meant to be used as an under eye concealer as well.

I used the Smashbox concealer to highlight the brown bone as well. On the lids I used the second shade on the left column imprinted with the word ‘eyelid’, which is a lavender. I then used the bluish purple shimmery ‘definer’ in the same column in the outer corner. I went back to the lid and went in with the rosy purple with the word ‘eyelid’ in the right column. 

I then lined the lashline and outer half of my eye with the deepest plum purple shimmery shade called a ‘crease’ shade in the right column. I made a kind of cat eye. 😸

I finished off the look with mascara and a nude lip. I used Wet n Wild’s MegaLast Lip Color nude lipstick in Bare it All topped with LA Girl’s Glazed Lip Paint in Whisper. They are 1.99 and 3.99 respectively. 

I already knew I would love the palette’s quality and colors because I have the Color Icon palette in Comfort Zone. If you’ve been following my blog for a while you may recall my green smoky eye/ festive holiday look & tutorial I did with the palette. Here is that palette below:

Wet n Wild’s Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Comfort Zone. Also 4.99. Love both palettes with a passion. I’ll be using this for festive holiday looks and smoky eyes this fall and winter on repeat.

On Wet n Wild’s website the description of these palettes mentions that they’re enriched with macadamia nut oil and a special silicone base to ensure pigmentation and longevity. How amazing is that!?! In their own words, 

“These eyeshadow collections feature eight dynamic and vibrant shades with high pigment and pearl for ultra-impact color! A jet-milled base and silicone technology deliver longwearing, stay-true color for hours of crease-resistant wear. Enriched with Macadamia Oil, each shadow provides continuous moisture that improves the appearance of the delicate eye area. The shade combinations can be used together for a daring statement or individually to bring a pop of color to your look.

Wetnwildbeauty.com

Thank you Wet n Wild for continually improving the quality and standard of your products and offering them at an afforable price! I don’t know how you do it but I love you for it. Additionally their products are cruelty free, another reason to buy their products. I am not sponsored by the way, I just get excited about good makeup products and brands and want to share it with my awesome readers.

Thanks for reading and can’t wait to see all the smoky fall cat eye looks to come this season. 
Love and light to you all 😊💄✨

Pining for Cooler Days

art, Color, Design, Fall, Food, Halloween, Holiday, Illustration, life, Nature, season

I wish it was fall already. Not only do I love living in layers, fall fashion, and fall tones, but I’ve always found fall to be a source of new beginnings for me.

I love everything pumpkin too. 🎃🎃🎃 Halloween has pretty much always been my excuse to dress out of my comfort zone and try something off the wall. Thanksgiving just warms the heart, period. Fall, hurry up. 🍂🍂🍁🍁 What’s your favorite season?

Current Color Mood: Yellow

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Sunny happy yellow is cropping up everywhere & I’m loving it for summer. Who says you can only wear yellow during the day? Wear it to go out, for a wedding, etc.

I’m also loving slit dresses. I love that it’s okay to be a little cheekier during the summer too.