Tag: palette

Valentine’s Day Makeup

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This year, as we celebrate the season of love at home, you might not be in the spirit to do some sultry makeup. It’s completely understandable how you might not want to get dolled up just to stay in, but honestly, it can be kind of nice to have a reason to do some fancy makeup. Below I am going to list the different items that work well for Valentine’s Day.

My first picks are going to be eyeshadow palettes. Now, of course, we have the sultry palettes such as the ColourPop Wine & Only or All That. These palettes encompass darker shades that make for a great date night smoky eye. But if you’re looking for something a bit lighter, more on a flirty track, ColourPop has you covered with their new Cloud Spun palette. And if you’re looking for a bougie option, Natasha Denona can help. You could go with her new Mini Love palette which only has five shades. This is perfect if you struggle to pick shades that work together, but the Love palette (one of her middy palettes) has plenty of options if you don’t like to be cornered into one specific look.

Next up, to finish off the eye look, you need a good eyeliner. I know it’s not the sexiest of makeup products but playing around with these palettes to create looks, some of the looks were completely made by adding an eyeliner to the waterline. I prefer using either a white or a black. If I am doing a sultry look, a white eyeliner in the waterline can lighten the look and keep the eye from looking too heavy. On the other hand, if you are doing a lighter look but you want to amp it up a bit, black in the waterline can truly make a statement.

Lastly, for our night in, you need to finish off the face. If you are looking to do a monochromatic look, Natasha Denona’s Darya face palette is perfect for this holiday. With shades of pink for the blush, and champagne colored highlighter, this will make for the perfect coordinated look. If that is out of your price range though, you can get similar looking highlighters from ColourPop. Two of my favorites are the shades Flexitarian and Seismic. These shades are perfect for my skin tone, but honestly, if you have a darker skin tone, ColourPop will likely have shades that work well for you.

I am personally not a huge lip fan, most days skipping it all together so I don’t have any special suggestions regarding this category. If you are a huge fan of lip products though, please put them in the comments below so everyone else can check them out!

Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you and stay safe!

Meet My Stash: Too Faced Sweet Peach

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This week we return to my collection, in particular my enormous eyeshadow collection. A little history, Too Faced was one of the first high end brands I purchased and I was just getting into makeup when the Sweet Peach palette was first announced. I was unable to get it on the first round, I managed to pick one up when it restocked. To be fair, this is far past the expiration date, but it has many good memories for me, so I have kept it in my collection.

This palette has a lovely peach scent and even though it is past its prime, the scent has not gone away. As with many of Too Faced’s palettes, the scent is meant to match the theme of the palette. Many were concerned that the scent would be annoying, and it is noticeable when you open the palette, but it does not linger on the skin, nor has it ever irritated my eyes and I have very sensitive skin and eyes.

With 18 shades, it is one of my larger palettes and I probably would rethink purchasing it if this palette was re-released today. A mix of neutrals and a couple pops of color, this is a pretty standard Too Faced palette. I was surprised by how deep this palette is. While there are some lighter shades, this palette seems to be a time capsule of the style of makeup in 2016. I remember smoked out looks being very popular and this palette is perfect for that. However, now the trends are a bit lighter with a bright shimmer on the lid and that is missing in this palette.

As for the fact that it is expired, the only thing that I notice as a change in the formula is that the colors aren’t as vibrant. It’s important to note that I don’t recommend using expired makeup. I use at my own risk and if I notice any other changes, I would not be using it, but since I don’t use this palette that often, I don’t mind having it in my collection still.

Do you have any makeup products in your collection that hold special memories and you keep around? Leave a comment below if you would like to see a post about my most memorable makeup products!

Makeup Haul! e.l.f. Mint Melt Collection

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Many makeup enthusiasts probably have heard about e.l.f. releasing a new collection called the Mint Melt collection, but if you missed it, this collection is made up of new skincare and makeup. As I have very sensitive skin, I tend to stay away from new skincare and my skin care routine consists of specific products used to target specific needs. For this reason, I will not be trying out the new skincare, but I did pick up the two new Bite Size eyeshadow quads. I also picked up the new Camo CC Cream (not part of the collection, just another item I picked up) and the Mint Melt Cleansing Cloud.

To start with, I have only used each of the quads once and swatched them, so this is more of a first impression of them. Mint To Be is the name of the all green quad in this collection and the most minty color story. The shadows all feel very creamy and swatch nicely, however there is one shade that I wish was a bit more pigmented. The lightest matte shade in the palette is very difficult to see on lighter skin tones. When creating an eye look with this palette, if you want to use this shade, I recommend using a white base to get the most color payoff. I have not seen this palette on a darker skin tone, so it is possible that that shade is just too close to my natural skin color, but I fear that is unlikely. If you have a darker skin tone and picked up this quad, please leave a comment bellow letting us know how well it works for you. I know pastels are very difficult to formulate, but this one was a little underwhelming.

My favorite of the two quads by far was the Chocolate Mint palette. This one also has a very buttery formula, but unlike the other quad, all of the shadows show up on my skin tone. The mint color in this quad is a little lackluster compared to some of the other foiled shades but upon closer inspection, I believe it was meant to be more of a shimmer shade than a foil. To clarify, a shimmer shade lacks the texture of the foiled shades and therefore is a bit less dimensional on the lid. It is still beautiful, just a bit more subtle, which is not my preference. Although I wanted these quads for the green shades, the neutrals in this quad are standouts for this collection. I loved the look I created and found it very easy to work with.

The Mint Melt Cleansing Cloud seems very similar to the famous Face Halo, although I have never tried it. To use the Cleansing Cloud, you apply water to the cloth and then gently massage your skin to remove the makeup. The Cloud is extremely soft so I can’t imagine it would irritate anyone’s skin unless you are rubbing too hard. So far, this seems to work very well to remove makeup. I have yet to put it to the test though, and try it with more difficult makeup. I will have to do an update regarding how this works with more intense makeup.

Lastly, in this haul, I picked up the Camo CC Cream in shade fair 120 N. Again, this is more of a first impression but so far, I am very impressed. I was able to use about a pump to cover my whole face and I used my typical Love is the Foundation It cosmetics foundation brush to apply it. It looks very natural on my skin and helped even out the redness in my cheeks. I think the key to this product is that less is more. I also really like that this product has SPF 30 in it as sunscreen is very important for good skin health. My one complaint is that e.l.f. doesn’t have the widest color range when it comes to their complexion products. They are far better then many other brands but I would still love to see a wider range. The color I picked up was the lightest shade and I know for a fact, I am not the lightest skin tone out there.

Have you picked up any new products lately? If so, what are you most excited about? It is also worth noting that this haul was purchased before my last post was created so if you are curious about why I might have purchased an item when I said I was trying to limit my spending, these were already on their way.

Christmas Haul 2020

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This year, with a baby on the way, I knew I wanted to add some key items to my Christmas list as I probably won’t be buying a ton in the new year. As you may know, I am a huge fan of ColourPop and there are some newer releases that I have not picked up. I do collect the 9-pan plastic palettes but besides that, I tend to save other releases for birthday and holiday wishlists.

This year, I was lucky enough to receive four palettes and a Sephora gift card. I don’t know what I am going to use the gift card for yet but I am thinking of saving it for a sale as I have a knack for not realizing that there is a sale coming up and buying things about a week or two before the sale and then I regret not waiting.

The first ColourPop palette that I got was a bit of an older one. I am so excited to say that I have added the So Jaded palette to my collection! This is the first of their 30-pan palettes that was released in collaboration with the wonderful Kathleen Lights. This is a beautiful jewel-toned rainbow palette and while it does have two pressed glitters (which aren’t my favorites), as a whole, it is just stunning and I am looking forward to testing it out and creating some beautiful looks with it.

Next was the Stone Cold Fox palette. This is a bit more recent of a release but also a 30-pan palette. I am not normally a huge fan of larger palettes but this and the above mentioned palette are both ones I am willing to make exceptions for. This one is a beautiful range of cool tones, which I prefer when it comes to neutrals. This is a stunning palette and I also am very excited to create some cool looks with this beauty! I also plan on using this as a companion palette. That may seem weird, but personally I find that larger palettes are harder to use primarily because I run into choice paralysis. However, when I use a larger palette in conjunction with another, much smaller palette, it can change a typical look into something unique and it makes it much easier because I am only initially looking for a shade or two.

The next palette that I got was the At Forest Sight. This is another ColourPop collaboration, this time with RawBeautyKristi. This stunning palette is so unique in my collection! It is so grungy and sultry but still a rainbow palette and I have just never seen a palette like this one. I will be honest, this is going to push me out of my comfort zone but I am really looking forward to using it and creating some looks that I can’t do with any other palette.

Lastly, I was surprised with a palette that I did not add to my wishlist but upon receiving it, I might be most excited about this one and that is the Nude Mood. I think I am most excited about this one because it is a 9-pan palette, which is my preferred size, but also it is full of neutral shades (which is not more normal interests) that are just stunning! It’s perfect for an everyday look, a one and done look, or even a sexy cat eye look. It’s one of those palettes that is great to use when practicing new techniques because no matter what, all of the shades meld together great and it is very hard to create a look with this palette that doesn’t look good.

If you celebrate a holiday during this time, then I hope you had or will have a wonderful celebration! If you received or picked anything up, I would love to know what your got and what you are looking forward to playing with. Drop a comment down below and let me know if there is anything I need to add to my wishlist!

Meet My Stash: GlamLite Cake Palette

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As the month of June comes to an end in America, we reflect on yet another month of Pride. As an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, it would not be appropriate to end this month with any other review then the GlamLite Cake Palette. This is by far my favorite rainbow palette and was an excellent addition to my collection earlier this year.

This is my first GlamLite product and I was not disappointed! From the first swatches with this eyeshadow palette, it was evident that the formula was top quality. Pigmented and comfortable to wear, the formula glides on the lid with any tool you would use to apply eyeshadow (and I’ve tried them all, brush, finger and sponge tip applicator).

One of the most intimidating aspects of rainbow or colorful palettes is how to apply the colors in a way that they blend together and not come across muddled, or patchy. You need not worry with this palette. The shades blend smoothly into one another and it’s a great deal of fun to try different color combinations that typically don’t work.

It is worth noting that the colors in this palette pack a punch and therefore you may want to start with a light hand. This should not deter you from trying this formula, though. The other con to this palette (which it might not be a con for you) is that it is rather large and bulky, not ideal for travel and a bit difficult to store. It does come in an adorable box (pictured below) which does make it a bit easier to store but again, with its size, it will take up a lot of room.

All in all, this is by far one of my favorites in both formula and design/color story. If this looks like something you would be interested in, you can find this palette and others on the GlamLite website.

Meet My Stash: Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette in Brights

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Today, we are taking a look at one of my rainbow palettes, in honor of Pride Month. As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, rainbow palettes are a personal favorite and this was one of my first. The Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette in Brights covers a wide spectrum of color with 16 shades present in the palette.

This is one of Nyx’s older palettes in their permanent line, but the quality is actually pretty solid. This formula is very beginner-friendly too, a big plus. Nyx does not have my favorite formula but these colors are quite buildable allowing for the wearer to blend seamlessly into each other.

There are a few shades in the palette that have glitter particles throughout (the industry has dubbed these sequin shadows), however, like many sequin shadows from a few years back, the particles blend away and mostly appear as matte shades. The rest of the shades are matte shadows causing the entire palette to perform as a matte palette. For this reason, this is a great complimentary palette, best used with another shimmer shade.

Makeup Haul! B.O.M.B. Makeup from Juvia’s Place

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I am so excited to have brought in three new eyeshadow palettes with my current makeup haul. Earlier this month, I placed two orders with Juvia’s Place and one with a black-owned indie brand (look forward to that post soon). One of those orders has come in and today we are going to go over a brief overview of these three palettes.

The first palette is the Nubian Mini eyeshadow palette. This palette includes six shades in neutrals and bronzes. This palette is perfect for travel, with the pan sizes being smaller that the typical shadow size allowing for the palette itself to be smaller. This is a good palette for an everyday look, but appears to have some depth to take a look from day to night.

The second palette is the Nubian Three: Coral palette. This palette has twelve shades, with the pan sizes being that of a typical eyeshadow. The primary colors in this palette are coral (as the name would imply), brown and grey. This palette sparks a lot of inspiration in me and is something I would consider more of a neutral palette for my color loving preferences.

Finally, we have the Zulu palette, which consists of nine shadows with much larger pan sizes. This palette is quite colorful and offers different shadow types then the other palettes. This one includes two duo-chrome shades which again allows for even more variety and uniqueness from the other palettes.

Please stay tuned as I will be doing separate reviews on each of the palettes with much more detail in the future. I am greatly looking forward to playing with these palettes and updating with my findings.

Meet My Stash: Juvia’s Place The Masquerade Mini Eyeshadow Palette

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Today, we are continuing with my black-owned makeup brands (known as B.O.M.B. in the community) content. Now I know you’re thinking, “wasn’t your last post about a Juvia’s Place item?” Yes! But sadly with everything going on in the world, my other orders have not come in yet, however (spoiler alert) it’s mostly going to be Juvia’s Place because it’s what I had access to and I had things on my list that I wanted to pick up. Now, on to my opinions about this beautiful palette.

The Masquerade was originally created in a much bigger palette as each pan size was larger. The palette was then reduced in size and the pans were decreased to the size of a normal eyeshadow. When they did this, I decided to pick up the now dubbed “mini” palette to try out the formula.

This palette is a half-colorful, half-neutral palette that gives you the most variety with three different shadow types. There are 16 shadows in the palette, with nine shimmers, five mattes, and two sequin shades. (To clairify, the sequin shades are mostly matte shades with flecks of shimmer throughout the shade.)

Originally, I was not a fan of this brand’s formula which stopped me from purchasing more palettes. I decided recently to pull it back out and start testing it once again and I have completely changed my mind. To be clear, this has nothing to do with what has been going on as I actually have been trying this palette out for the past month. I believe that my skill with eyeshadow has improved which has increased my enjoyment with this palette. That is to say, it is not the most beginner-friendly formula that I have worked with.

The shades are incredibly pigmented so it takes very little shadow to create a colorful look. This formula takes a lot of blending to keep from having harsh lines if that is a concern of yours. They do blend beautifully together but again, as they are so pigmented, it is important to keep in mind just how little you need.

The sequin shadows are some of the most impressive sequin formulas I’ve seen. Normally, the shades end up looking matte on the eyes, but this formula retains its sparkle flecks even with light blending. The matte shades are very pigmented and so far, I have not had any problems with them becoming muddy on the eyes. They do take a little more blending to get a seamless fade but it is possible with patience. Finally, we have the shimmer formula. These shimmers are extremely foiled on the eyes without need of being wet or applied with glitter glue. Overall, this is just one of my favorite shimmer formulas in the industry.

Meet My Stash: Revolution x Soph Palette

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Today, we are going to be talking about my most used eyeshadow palette, the Revolution x Soph eyeshadow palette. As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of this palette. This palette was so popular at the time of its release, Revolution and Soph created a second palette but that’s for another day. Today we are talking about the original collaboration.

This palette has a wide variety of shades ranging from neutral to colorful. With 24 pans, there are colors to create the perfect everyday look or spice it up with some depth or even color. While this is by no means a rainbow or overly colorful palette, for a color lover, like myself, there are some great shades that help to add the desired pop of color but still be wearable. This palette has another pro in that it includes a white and a black. As most makeup lovers like to comment on, with those two colors in the palette, the possible looks you can create are endless.

The formula in this palette is one of my favorites. It’s forgiving, allowing new makeup users the flexibility to practice their blending. While these eyeshadows are on the buildable side, they never seem to look patchy on the eye.

Honestly, Revolution as a brand can be a bit hit or miss with their eyeshadow formula, but you won’t regret this purchase. This palette is the one I reach for time and time again. I love all the looks I create with this palette and it’s the one I will continue to use, knowing it won’t fail me.

Haul Update: Natasha Denona Mini Palettes

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Today, we are coming back to my haul that I did back in March. At the time, I picked up three mini Natasha Denona palettes: the Mini Star Palette, the Mini Tropic Palette, and the Mini Lila Palette. Each retails for $25 and can be found on the Sephora site or Natasha Denona’s site (with the exception of the Mini Lila Palette which has been discontinued).

To start with, my least favorite of the three was the Mini Star Palette. While the palette is beautiful and performs very well, the colors that come in this five pan palette do not lend themselves to a variety of different looks. The pigmentation of the shadows is impressive, but I have a hard time feeling as inspired by these colors as I hoped to. This palette is great for an on the go, everyday look or to vamp up a day time look for a date night. As I did still enjoy this palette, I would recommend it to people who enjoy doing the same look everyday and enjoy neutral looks, or if this color scheme inspires you.

My second place palette is the Mini Lila Palette (discontinued). As a color lover, this purple palette called my name. For the most part, the shadows in this palette perform beautifully. As you will see in the swatch pictures, one of the shadows can be a little patchy and this was the case on the eye as well. The solution to this problem is to pack that shadow on. The other shades were buttery and blended beautifully in the eyes. This palette does have a bit more range in the looks that can be made with it, but it’s still only five shadows and mostly purple. I was not disappointed by this palette and feel that unlike others opinions, I didn’t struggle with this palette.

My top mini palette pick actually surprised me. It’s the Mini Tropic Palette, which when you first look at it, seems like a palette full of shades that might look nice together but what will you use as a transition? This palette doesn’t actually need a transition shade from my experience. The colors blend so smoothly together and with good blending, you can create a transition shade out of any of the matte shades in the palette. The palette has been the easiest to work with and I’ve created some of my favorite looks with this palette. I highly recommend this palette!