Tag: Makeup

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.

Meet My Stash

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

So after my last post, I needed some time off which is why I didn’t post last week. But I am ready to get back to my posts and I thought a fun way to do it would be by introducing you to my stash. I will be going through my stash and talking about the different items I have and why I have kept them over time. This will also help me discover items that I want to use up or want to declutter from my collection.

During these stay home, stay safe times, I think it is important to shop our stashes. Perhaps my adventure through my stash will remind you of items you have in your stash, and we can use them together.

I’ve been on a declutter kick lately so hopefully if I come across something that doesn’t work for me, I can sanitize it and pass it forward to someone who might want it. I have also been toying with the idea of a project pan so perhaps this will help me discover items to put in that kind of a challenge.

It goes without saying, I have way more makeup then any one person needs and for that reason, I am looking forward to using up some items. Comment below if you are interested in doing a group project pan or seeing blogs rounding up the items I am decluttering, perhaps at the end of every other month.

*Note that this is where I am starting from. I hope to declutter and remove the clutter from this area and possibly relocate to another area of the house.

The Struggle Is Real…

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Today’s post is going to be a little different. With the state of the world as it is, I feel that it is inappropriate to continue doing reviews on new products, and frankly, I can’t anymore. As with many others, the business I work for has had to close its doors until this virus has passed and the world is safe again.

I’m personally struggling. My makeup journey has been a bunch of ups and downs. It has helped me through times of great mental depression and I’ve tried many different ways to participate in this industry but none have brought me as much joy as this blog. For this, I want to thank you.

This blog has been something I look forward to writing every day. I love reviewing new items. I love putting my ideas out there even if others disagree with it. I just love being a part of this community.

With everything going on, I don’t see how a review-based blog is a good idea anymore. I am happy to put out reviews on products I already have and we can discuss our opinions on these products but I almost feel like that’s more of a twitter conversation then a blog post.

I’ve thought of trying to do “shop my stash” style blogs (because I think at this point it is best to use what we have in our collections for the most part), but I’m not sure how to write those to sound interesting.

I think we are in a very strange time for the beauty industry. Most “beauty gurus”, of which I am not, are trying so hard to push out even more videos to help others in this time of need. What I think is a very hard balance to create, is that of encouraging people to use what they have but still stay relevant.

All of this is to say, I love you all and please stay safe! I will do my best to come up with interesting posts, but if you are feeling at all how I feel, know you are not alone. It is truly breaking my heart that I can’t be there to help more.

Wet n Wild V.I.Purple Palette

Published on by LineEmUpMakeupLeave a comment

Wet n Wild is a popular drug store brand that comes at an extremely affordable cost. This might seem like an oxymoron since many think of drug store costs as being “affordable” but as of late, the cost of many popular drug store brands has gone up and are beginning to reach the low end range of “high-end” product costs. Wet n Wild is one of the few brands that have maintained their low cost and still provided well performing products.

One of their most popular formulas are their ten pan palettes that they have released. These palettes come out in their permanent line, but they also release them around Halloween time in limited edition colors. Sadly, the limited edition color stories, have been notorious for not performing as well as the permanent line.

The V.I.Purple palette is part of their permanent line and is one of their top sellers as it has taken me a long time to finally track it down. I have to say, the other ten pans that are part of their permanent line that I have used do perform really well so I expected the same out of this palette. Unfortunately, this palette did not impress me.

Starting with the positive, the mattes in this palette are beautiful. They are pigmented, creamy and blend well with each other. The disappointment comes on the purple side of the palette. The shimmer pinky-red color does show up well but the other shimmers on the right side of the palette (the purples) are extremely patchy. The bottom purple doesn’t appear purple on the eye at all, but rather a rosy taupe shade and it doesn’t shimmer at all, even though it looks like the most foiled shade in the pan. Even trying to wet the shade, there was no pigmentation to it.

All of that being said, you can make this palette work and the gold shimmer shade is amazing on the eyes. It is a known fact that purples are difficult to formulate so it does not surprise me that this palette struggles a bit. If you are interested in this palette for the browns and the gold then you will be very pleased, but if you are looking for beautiful purples, maybe save up your money and try a different palette.