Category: Uncategorized

Haul Update: Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer in Baked

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Back in March, I placed a large Sephora haul. In that haul, I picked up the mini version of the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer in Backed. This is the first Milk Makeup product I have purchased. I’m not usually a fan of liquid or cream products and I am not sure what possessed me to pick up this bronzer, but I am glad I did.

This bronzer is extremely easy to use. I have always been intimidated by cream products and how to use them. To use this product, you simply draw a slight line on the contour of your cheeks, and blend out. My preferred blending techniques is to use a dual fiber small stippling brush and apply minimal pressure while blending in circular motions from the point closest to the mouth, up towards the temple.

The formula of this product is very forgiving and great for beginners, such as myself. You don’t need very much, but if you do apply too much and are worried that you wont be able to blend it out, just do your best, then go over it with a sponge or your foundation brush. The formula has not disrupted the foundation underneath, but if you are concerned about that, you can apply it with a stippling brush by painting the product directly onto the brush then sweeping it in the same motions as mentioned.

My only complaint with this product is the component it comes in. I am only speaking to the mini, as that is the one I picked up, but mine broke the first time I tried to wind it up. Sephora had great customer service and was able to replace it for me, but the second one I received has also broken since then. As I work my way through the product, I will probably have to switch from drawing it on, to using a brush to apply as I will not be able to twist up more product.

Even though I picked up the mini, I think this product will last for a very long time. When I run out, I will be picking it up again, as this product has become a daily step on my makeup routine. I really enjoy this product and recommend it highly!

Meet My Stash: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Today, we are covering what is probably my favorite makeup product of all time. As many in this community have probably heard, the Hourglass powders are incredible. With a formula so finely milled it is nearly impossible for these powders to come across as anything but natural.

It helps that I am a fan of blush in general, so applying these two facts, it is easy to understand why I love this product. The pigmentation is perfect, not too bright.

The color that I have is Luminous Flush, which may come across as extremely intimidating. It’s a bright pink, but with a soft, luminous, beige powder marbled into the pan. I believe that this marbling helps to tone down the brightness and is what causes this blush to look so natural.

My favorite way to apply this blush is on the apples of the cheeks and then sweep is back towards the temple. Then I also apply a bit over the top of my nose to give a “sun-kissed” look. Most will apply a bronzer for this technique but as someone with a ton of redness to their skin who burns easily under the sun, a blush gives me a more natural “sun-kissed” look.

Meet My Stash: Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Today, we are talking about a classic. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette is one that most people have in their collection. So many people have raved about it and how good the formula is that I had to jump on the bandwagon. For a very long time, I resisted the urge to purchase this because the color scheme is not completely up my alley, but I finally had to check it out.

Since this formula has been extremely hyped, my expectations were high. It’s important to know that this is the first of two palettes that I have from Anastasia Beverly Hills and the formula seems to be consistent across the board. There tends to be a lot of kick up in the pan, which makes it extremely easy to pick up a lot of the shadow on your brush. It is easy to blend, but again, one should be careful when dipping into the pan, as you might pick up too much and have to spend a lot of time trying to soften the pigmentation.

Pigmentation is great and this palette is the perfect warm-toned palette if you enjoy having pops of rose. I honestly feel that this palette is good but not anything above and beyond other palettes. If you love this color story, then I recommend picking up the palette but if its not something that you will use often, it is unnecessary. I know, that seems like a no brainer, but sometimes it helps to have someone else tell you, so here I am to help!

Meet My Stash: Melt Cosmetics Smoke Sessions Palette

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Most of the things in my stash are things I hold on to because I love them. To be honest, I hold onto this palette out of spite (lol). This is one of the few makeup purchases I regret.

Don’t get me wrong, this palette has beautiful grungy colors in it, but the formula, from my experience is extremely unstable. As you can see from the pictures inserted, this palette did not hold up over time. My first palette arrived in that condition so I contacted Melt and they shipped me a replacement, no problems. The replacement arrived in great condition but within 2 weeks, it was like the shimmer shadows expanded and were now no longer fitting in the pan.

I do want to say, working with Melt to resolve the issue the first time was a delight. They were very quick to respond and got me a replacement immediately. I just don’t know that I can trust their eyeshadow formula. This is the first and only product I have bought from Melt, but it does give me pause when considering purchasing other palettes.

As for the palette itself, I have de-potted the shimmer shades into loose eyeshadow containers and they still perform beautifully. It saddens me to admit that I love this palette, but I haven’t gotten much use out of it because of the problems it’s brought. I hope, now that those shadows are in their own container and I’m not worried about making a mess every time I open the palette, to get more use out of it.

I will add one more thing to consider with this formula. Now that the shadows are in a loose form, there is A LOT of fallout. Make sure to wet your brush when using these shades this way.

Please excuse my terrible nail polish! I have a bad habit of picking off the nail polish which is why I normally don’t wear it all of the time.

New Makeup Alert! L.A. Girl Shockwave Neon Liner in Fresh

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

I have found my new favorite colorful eyeliner!! That’s a strong statement, I’m aware, but it needed to be the first thing said. The L.A. Girl Shockwave neon liner in Fresh is a mint green eyeliner that I use for my lower lash line and waterline.

I have always struggled to find a liner formula that will actually stay in the waterline. As many others, my eyes tend to be on the watery side, especially when I use eyeliner (go figure). This is the first formula that I have found to actually stay put. After trying many different formulas, I just figured I’d buy whatever was cheapest since none of them lasted as long as was needed. This formula however, did last! It’s also a bonus that these eyeliners are only $5, very much in the affordable range.

At the end of the night, the color was still put and honestly, was a little difficult to remove. The formula is very creamy, gliding on smoothly and pigmented. The claims of this liner is 16 hour wear time and waterproof, hence the lasting power. Because it is creamy, you can even smudge it out if you are looking for more of a kajal formula.

I have only tried the color Fresh so far, but I completely intend to pick up some of the other colors. You can find these at Ulta or on the L.A. Girl website. The formula comes in 6 colors including a black (which is very intriguing). Don’t let the title of “Neon” scare you because most shades in the eyeliner line seem to be more of a pastel neon.

Meet My Stash: Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Today we are talking about my Stila Glitter & Glow liquid eyeshadows plus a bonus Shimmer & Glow liquid eyeshadow. The purpose of these shadows for my collection is to have a way of adding glitter (or in the one case, a shimmer) to any eye look while not having to mess with loose glitter and glitter glue.

Something that is so unique to this formula is how well the glitter sticks to the eye without having to worry about fallout. Now, I know, this is not as unique anymore. A bunch of brands have now created a formula similar to this, but Stila was the first.

As you can see from the pictures below, my collection is quite extensive for someone who purchased them all myself, but believe it or not, there are tons more. In the Glitter & Glow range there are currently 12 on the Stila website. In the Shimmer & Glow range there are 10 shades and they have released another line called the Suede Shade range that has 8 shades. The most recent addition to Stila’s liquid eyeshadow collection is their Double Dip which has a Suede and Glitter & Glow that magnetize together. I do not currently have any of these but they look like a great solution if you are looking to create a complete look with the liquid eyeshadows.

It is worth noting that while these have little to no fallout and that makes them very easy to use, the different shades tend to dry up rather quickly. I have had some shades for 2 years and they are still going strong while other shades I’ve had for about a year and they are almost completely dried up. I’m not sure what causes the difference in the formulas or how to predict which will last longer. With that in mind, I recommend only picking up shades you know you will use regularly.

All in all, these shadows are useful if you enjoy glitter but don’t want the hassle of dealing with loose glitter, but only pick up the shades you will use.

Meet My Stash: Tarte Double Duty Eye & Cheek Palette In Happy Girls Shine Brighter

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

This palette is an oldie but a goodie! A staple in my collection (frankly both because of quality and sentimental value), this palette provides an easy on-the-go look.

There are six eyeshadows and a blush in the palette. This is a typical format for Tarte but this one is my favorite because it has a matte black and a matte cream shade. Those are key shadows to have in a palette for a lot of people, myself included. While I can make a look with a palette that doesn’t have those shades, for my everyday look, those are essential.

The blush is a peachy pink blush with a bit of golden glow to it. Now I know that not everyone loves a gooey blush, and when this palette came out, it was not the trend, but I have always enjoyed a little bit of glow to my cheeks. This blush reminds me a lot of Nars Orgasm blush.

In the end, it’s a palette I find myself using when on the go, weather that be traveling or just going out shopping. It has everything I need to complete a look and the pigmentation is strong enough that it lasts all day.

Meet My Stash: Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Kitten

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

There are plenty of affordable highlighting options. I’ve even talked about some of my favorites on this blog (shameless plug…go check out my reviews of the Hello Halo Blushlighters from wet n wild linked down below). But one of my all-time favorite highlighters is the Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Kitten.

It’s worth noting that this highlighter is a cream formula, but that’s part of what makes it so great! This highlighter is a champagne-colored cream that blends beautifully into the skin and brings a sheen to the high points (or any other points) on your face. Because of its cream formula, if you decide that it is not blinding enough for you, you can apply another highlighter on top to amp it up a bit. On the flip side, if you feel this highlighter is too blinding but you enjoy the formula and the shade, you can apply a translucent powder or even a bit of foundation on top and turn down the shine a bit.

Either way, by using this highlighter as a base, you are ensured a beautiful shine all day long. My favorite way to apply this is using my finger and tapping it directly onto my skin. I have never had this method pick up any foundation that I’m wearing so that’s another plus.

Link to Hello Halo Blushlighters review

Meet My Stash: Laroc Pro 3

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Today, we are visiting my Laroc Pro 3 palette and to be honest, I’m not very familiar with it. I have had this palette in my collection for a couple of years now and for some reason, it got buried in my collection and didn’t get much love.

The Laroc Pro line is famous for its smooth eyeshadow formula and pigmentation. The Pro 3 is a neutral-leaning palette with beautiful shades of rose and mauve. It has a great black in it that can be utilized for deepening a look or as a shadow liner. While many preferred the Pro 1 or 2, I chose 3 because of its rosy shades.

As I’ve pulled it out and played with it more this past week, I remember why I love it. This palette is the perfect everyday palette, suitable for work or going shopping. You probably won’t be able to pull off any super creative looks but sometimes that’s really what you’re looking for.

My personal favorite look is to take Cool Taupe in the crease, blended out with Blanc up towards the brow bone. Then I deepen the crease slightly by taking DK. Brown slightly lower in the crease and applying Medallion all over the lid. Then I use Jet Black as a liner.

Meet My Stash: ColourPop No Filter Concealer

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

To kick off the “Meet My Stash” series on my blog, I picked one of my favorite concealers. The ColourPop No Filter Concealer is one of my go-to concealers, only recently dethroned as my ONLY go-to concealer. This concealer is fairly thick so if you like a lightweight concealer, this may not be your pick.

While slightly thicker, it does not seem to settle into fine lines any more then any other concealer that I have tried which is one of the things I love about it. Now, if you have extreme fine lines, you will get a little bit of settling, but nothing that can’t be fixed with just a small amount of powder. It is worth noting that this concealer is considered a matte concealer so using powder under the eye does not seem to alter the finish.

I have decided to “pan” this product, or for those who don’t know what that means, use it up. As you can see in the picture, I have almost completely used up a tube of this. I do have a second tube in my collection as I love using the shade Light 12 as a color corrector even with other concealers.

This range has a wide variety of shades which is great! There are 30 shades to pick from. The website gives you six different skin tones ranging from fair to deep dark and there are five shades within each category.