Tarte | Friends and Family Sale 30% Off!

Wooooo Tarte is having a Friends and Family Sale going on from July 30 to August 6th (although I am hearing that code works right now…but shh! It’s supposed to be a secret!). That means 30% off those Amazonian Clay blushes and foundations, and those awesome new face primers!  Tarte also just released their Maracuja line that’s been getting rave reviews, so it might be something worth checking out!  Just put in the code FFAUG during checkout and you’ll be all set to go.  Happy shopping this week and I hope you all get something amazing! :)

Milani | Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Wear Eyeshadow

Earlier this season, Milani released their own version of a eyeshadow pencil.  If you’ve seen or used NYX’s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils or Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils, these are very much the same thing.  These cute little pencils can be used on their own or as a base for your eyeshadow colors.  I prefer using them as a base color for my eyeshadows rather than using it on its own to prevent any sort of creasing, because let’s face it–no one is going for the hot mess look.  Milani has a range of six different colors, which is very limited compared to other makeup companies but I still think that these eyeshadow pencils pack a lot of punch especially for their price, which I’ve seen them retail for about six dollars at CVS.  I believe the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils are a little it cheaper, but it’s still an affordable dupe for Urban Decay’s eyeshadow pencil.  You’re going to need a special sharpener for these eyeshadow pencils since they’re so freaking huge…I’m pretty sure Milani sells one but I’ll link various sites at the end of this in case you’re looking for one.

Ohhhh how pretty!

As you can see, these are all beautiful, vibrant colors.  They have a satiny finish which is expected out of most eyeshadow pencils.  I’ve been using these a lot lately, especially for the Sailor Moon series, but I really have issues with the white eyeshadow pencil, which I will go into detail shortly.

Winter White:  I really wanted to like this eyeshadow pencil, really I did.  It’s just so streaky, and I can never get a good application of this thing.  I was hoping that it would be similar to NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese, but alas, I was left disappointed.  It goes on very very sheer, if you look at the swatch above, you can tell I had a hard time getting a decent swatch down for you guys to see.  This one is definitely my least favorite, and if you’re in the market for a good white base, then I’d look elsewhere.

Brown Deluxe:  I wouldn’t call this shade brown at all, it’s more of a warm bronze shade that’s totally in right now for the summer.  I like using a thin layer of this all over my lid when I want to do a neutral eye because it just warms the entire eye look up.  It’s super smooth and creamy, and a little goes a long way.

Champagne Toast:  This is a nice, neutral color that I like to use on the brown bone as a highlight.  I can see myself using this all over the lid as well but it gives my brow bone this amazing highlight that really pulls some eye looks together for me.  Oh, and did I mention, it makes my brows look amazing too?  I’m not sure what it is but I’m definitely going to have to horde this color the next time I go to CVS.

Green Safari:  I am really happy with this eyeshadow pencil color.  I was expecting it to swatch as a more hunter green color when I first saw the pencil but it turns out that this comes off as a nice mid-tone green, and can even look teal when you put it next to certain colors.

Aquatic Style:  I used this as a base in my Sailor Mercury look and omg I was in love.  It brightened up all the blue shadows I used and made them look super super pretty.  The problem I have with blue eyeshadows is that they can look, for a lack of better words, muddy.  A bright blue color in the pan will come off as a dull grayish blue on the skin.  This eyeshadow pencil really helps make them pop and keeps those blues looking nice and lively.

Royal Purple:  Oh purple, you will always be my favorite color.  This eyeshadow pencil definitely did not disappoint.  It comes off as this incredibly vibrant and bright purple which is I find incredibly difficult to find.  It’s unlike any other purple eyeshadow pencil I have ever encountered so I’m really excited for this one.  I found this one to be the easiest to blend for some reason.  All of them (with exception to the white pencil)  blended nicely but this one was like butter.  I’ve used this one so much that I’ve already had to sharpen it…and I’ve only had it for a little over a week!

You can find these at your local CVS or on the Milani website.  Let me know if you’re going to pick some of these up!

Have a great weekend <3

Stila | In the Moment Eyeshadow Palette Review

I decided to pick this palette up during my first trip to Naimie’s.  I don’t own too many Stila eyeshadows so I figured it would be a great time to pick up some of their stuff to review for you guys.  This palette retails at $39 and comes with 10 different eyeshadows, Stila waterproof smudge stick, and a small look book.  Stila has a few of these “In the…” eyeshadow palettes out but I decided to get this one because of all the pretty purples and golds (I guess that’s the Lakers fan in me talking) but yeah!  I really love this palette because it can take me through any season.  It’s a very sleek and thin palette so it’s easy to take around for travel and I feel like you can create both daytime and nighttime looks with this, which is a super plus.  The one thing I did have issues with this palette was that a few of the shades are a little powdery so fallout is bound to happen.  You can try and prevent that by patting on the colors instead of sweeping them on, but I still have to do a little bit of cleanup after I finish my eye looks with this.  It also comes with a full size eyeliner in Tetra, which is a deep, shimmery purple color.  This is a waterproof eyeliner, but I wouldn’t recommend applying it to the waterline since it does contain small glitter, which can irritate your eyes.

From left to right: Instinct, Impulse, Glance, Improvise, Catalyst

Instinct: Shimmery white, I think this would look amazing as a highlight color on the brow bone or in the inner corner of the eye
Impulse: A pretty lavender shade with a satin finish
Glance:  This one is probably my favorite in this palette.  It’s a super bright purple with a satin finish that really gives a fun pop of color and does an amazing job of bringing brown eyes out.
Improvise: A deep plum shade with reddish purple microglitter.  This one does tend to have fallout so please be careful!
Catalyst:  A dark matte black with the same microglitter as Improvise.  A matte black with glitter…does that make sense?  Anywho this is perfect if you’re looking to spice up a black smokey eye because the glitter in it creates this dimension on the eye that really makes it stand out!

 

From left to right: Desire, Wonder, Spontaneous, Whim, Captivate

Desire:  A matte, peachy-white shade.  I’d say this would be nice on the lid or even on the brow bone and would work as a wonderful base for a neutral daytime look.
Wonder:  A shimmery champagne color that would look great on all skin tones.
Spontaneous:  A cool gold tone which I really like.  I have a hard time finding cool gold colors so this is a nice surprise and it’s super easy to blend out.
Whim: A warm mid-tone brown that looks lovely in the crease.  I actually like using this and wonder together for a quick and easy look when I’m in a rush.
Captivate:  A super shimmery brown with gold microglitter.  This is probably my least favorite color in this palette.  While the idea of it sounds amazing, it just looks like the glitter sits on top of the shadow rather than blending together with it.  I had a really hard time with the fallout on this and always have to clean the area under my eyes after I use this shade.

So overall, I think this would be a great palette to buy if you’re starting out and want to build your eyeshadow colors.  If you’ve already got a ton of different eyeshadows, I’d say you can pass on this since most of these shades are pretty common.  However, if you’re interested in these palettes from Stila, I believe they just released a new one named “In The Know” that is full of matte eyeshadows which is going to be amazing for the fall!

 

Sailor Moon Series | Sailor Mercury

In celebration of hearing that a new Sailor Moon anime series will be starting up again next summer, I decided to start a Sailor Moon makeup inspired series.  I for sure know I’ll be creating looks for all the sailor scouts (inner and outer)  and Tuxedo Mask.  If there is anyone in particular you’d like to see let me know and I’ll try my best to think up of something!  I decided to start off today with Sailor Mercury because I was talking to one of my friends, LJ, about this last night and he said Sailor Mercury first so here we are!  I had a lot of fun with this look and all of my eyeshadow shades are from the Sephora Pantone Universe palette.  Please please please enjoy and let me know what you think!

As you can see, I used a ton of shades of blue because well, it’s Sailor Mercury.  When she wasn’t throwing bubbles at her enemy’s she was being smart on that little computer of hers.  Heck, even her hair is blue!  I really wanted the focus of this look to be on my eyes so I just did some simple contouring and highlighting. I also finished it off with a nice pink lip gloss.

Products used:

Face:
MAC Strobe Cream
MAC Face and Body Foundation in C4
MAC MSF in Medium Dark

Cheeks:
MAC MSF in Give Me Sun
MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle

Eyes:
Milani Shadow Eyez in Winter White
Milani Shadow Eyez in  Aquatic Style
Sephora + Pantone Universe Palette

  • 11-0907 on browbone
  • 13-5313 and 15-4421 mixed on the lid
  • 11-0907 and 13-5313 mixed on the inner corner
  • 17-4427 on lower lash line
Wet n’ Wild liquid liner in black
Benefit They’re Real Mascara
Red Cherry lashes in #1
*As you can see, I had to mix a lot of eyeshadow colors for this look because the blues in this palette weren’t what I was imagining for Sailor Mercury.  But this just shows you that you don’t have to have every shade of every color, you can get away just fine by mixing colors together. :)
Lips:
Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum

And there we go! See you guys soooooon. :)

Inglot | 40% off Single Eyeshadows

From now until August 1st, Inglot is having a sale on their single pressed eyeshadows.  If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’ll know that I am obsessed with Inglot’s eyeshadows and their Freedom System.  This is a great way to try out a few of their eyeshadows without having to commit to those 10 or 20 palettes.  This sale is only happening in their stores but don’t worry if you’re not near one.  Just call up one of the stores and place a phone order and the discount should still apply.  Each single eyeshadow usually retails for $12.00 but with their sale right now, you’ll only be paying $7.20!  That is totally a steal for the quality of these eyeshadows.  If I had to choose one brand of eyeshadow to use for the rest of my life, I’m pretty sure it would have to be Inglot.  They have such a wide array of shades and finishes that there’s something for everyone.  Let me know if you pick anything up!

Daytime Neutral Look | Urban Decay Smoked Palette

So this is going to be a new section of my makeup blog, as a way to keep me creative and also to show you guys different makeup looks!  I figured since Urban Decay’s Smoked Palette is going to start showing up in stores soon, I’d play around with the palette and post up some looks that I created.  Today I decided to put together a neutral smokey eye that I think would be great for everyone during the day.  I think I’ll also post up the products I used just in case you guys want to try it out on your own! Eventually I’ll start making videos…maybe.  Haha it’s something that I’ve been contemplating for a while now, but we’ll see! I’m just glad I’m finally going to get these makeup looks out. Please enjoy!

Products Used

Face: 
MAC Strobe Cream
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 6.0
MAC MSF in Medium Dark

Eyes:
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
Urban Decay Smoked Palette Shadows used:

  •  Kinky all over the lid
  • Backdoor in the crease
  • Barlust in the outer crease
  • Mushroom on the bottom lash line

Milani Eye Tech Extreme in Blackest Black
Milani Runway Lashes Instant Volume Mascara
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack on the waterline

Cheeks:
MAC MSF in Give Me Sun
MAC Mineralized Blush in Warm Soul

Lips:
Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

So let me know if this is something you guys want me to keep doing and if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see! I hope everyone has a fantastic week. :)

Urban Decay | Naked Skin Foundation

So I’m probably killing you guys with all these Urban Decay reviews but I swear this is the last one (I think…I’m probably lying though)! Anyway, last week, I got that chance to sample Urban Decay’s new foundation line, Naked Skin.  They’re really going all out with this whole Naked thing, and I love it.  This Urban Decay line is definitely pumping out amazing products, and from the look of it, they’ve got something up their sleeves for lip products next .  Anywho, I am totally loving this foundation, you guys.  I have been on the hunt for a good foundation for quite some time now, ever since my BB cream oxidized on me and turned me into an Oompa Loompa.  That look may work for Snookie, but it’s really not for me..at all.

Alright, let’s get down to business, shall we?  Urban Decay’s Naked Skin  is stated to be a “demi-matte” foundation, so it’s a nice balance between matte and dewy, which is perfect for any season.  Usually during the summer, I try to go for lighter, dewey foundations to get that nice glow but I find myself reaching for this all the time.  I can see myself using this during the winter as well, which sounds amazing for my wallet. 😀 This really is a lightweight foundation but provides good coverage for me.  If you like full coverage for your foundation, you may have to layer this one a little bit but it still does a great job covering those small blemishes.  This foundation is also oil and paraben free, so this is great for people with sensitive skin, too.  What I love love love about this foundation is that it really doesn’t feel like I have anything on.  I get 8 hours of wear with Naked Skin before I have to retouch up with some powder which is great.

There are some other ingredients that Naked Skin contains that are supposed to be amazing for your skin too!

Matrixyl 3000– an anti-wrinkle peptide
Litchiderm– used to brighten and protect the skin from stress and dehydration
Green Tea–soothes skin with anti-oxidants and stimulates collagen production, which gives skin that youthful appearance
Vitamin E–fights free radicals

Woooo that’s a lot of amazing stuff packed into this foundation!

The packaging is super sleek and comes with a built in pump that, from what I can tell, gives you the perfect amount of product.  I’ve run into terrible pumps before that give either way too much product or hardly anything at all–it really is one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

 

As you can see, I got matched with shade 6.0.

I believe there are 18 different shades of foundation with a unique numbering system.  Foundation shades ending in .5 are more cool/neutral toned while shades ending in .0 are more warm/golden toned.

This will be on sale at the end of July for $38.00 on the Urban Decay website as well as Sephora, Ulta, and certain Macy’s.

Naked Skin Foundation in artificial light. MY EYEBROWS LOOK AMAZING HERE.

 

Naked Skin Foundation in natural light.

Yes…I took these pictures on two separate days. And yes…I did get a haircut. 😀

Ulta | Friends and Family Sale!

So Ulta just emailed me right now, letting me know that there will be a friends and family sale going on until the 21st of July.  That’s only two days but hey, it’s 15-20% depending on if you’re a rewards member or not! What’s even better is that if become a member within the next two days this discount will apply to you!  I’ve been seeing a ton of new products coming out for fall so this might be the perfect time to start stocking up on all those pretty pretty jewel tones and deep colors.  Is there anything that’s got your interest? 

Milani | Fresh Teal Neon Nail Laquer Review

Yesterday I received a package from Milani that had a ton of goodies for me to play with.  So naturally, right when the FedEx man handed it to me, I tore open the bad boy…I may or may not have shut the door without any regard to the FedEx man… I AM SO SORRY ;__; but I couldn’t help it!  I really wanted to play with all that makeup! So, after I got everything settled, I decided to play with the nail polish first since I had already done my makeup for the day and my nails were in terrible need of a makeover.  The teal color caught my eye instantly since green is such an in color this season.

I was a little hesitant to try Milani’s nail polish out since I had a bad experience with them before (but seriously, that was over five years ago).  Let me tell you, I was super surprised! Fresh Teal is super opaque, I achieved full coverage in one coat but I ended up doing two as usual because come on,why do just one when you know that two will look even more amazing?  The brush is pretty full so it was easy for me to apply–I actually didn’t get any nail polish on the skin around my nails, WOOO! 😀

So more about the color.  Fresh Teal is pretty much a true teal color.  It’s not too blue or to green, although when I was photographing my nails it came out super blue in the pictures but I blame that on my yellow light.  It dried into a surprisingly matte finish, but you can’t really tell in the photos because I have a clear top coat which added some shine.  It’s been on my nails for 24 hours now and it’s staying on pretty well, I have a small chip on my left thumb nail but I’m pretty sure that’s just because I’m clumsy and probably nicked it on something while it was drying yesterday.  I am so glad that Milani’s really brought up their game on their nail polish line, especially since they are super affordable!  I usually find these at around 3 dollars at Target, and if you keep an eye out on the weekly adds for drugstores, Milani is always having sales on their products.

See! It looks blue! But that’s just because of the lighting. :)

FTC: Product sent from company.  Review is based on my own personal experiences and opinions.

 

 

 

Urban Decay | The Smoked Palette Review

It’s review time for The Smoked Palette!  I’ve had this for about a week now and I seriously cannot get enough of it.  I’m the kind of girl that loves dramatic, dark eyes so I’m pretty sure this palette is going to be at the front of my makeup drawer for a long time.  I’ve swatched the colors for you guys so you can take a look below.  The eyeshadows are super smooth and easy to blend–even Blackout!  I usually have a problem blending out really pigmented black eyeshadows but this one is super buttery and gives me no problems at all.  The packaging is great, and I love it because it zips up and is perfect for travel.  This palette also includes a travel size Primer Potion and a full size 24/7 eyeliner in Perversion, which is the blackest eyeliner pencil I have ever encountered.  I like to use it as a base sometimes when I want that super dramatic eye look.  There is also a little makeup book that comes with this palette that is super detailed and really gives you step-by-step directions to achieve certain looks which is great for beginners.

 

 

Super cute packaging, and a true mirror!  It’s a decent sized mirror that won’t make you look like you’re in a fun house :)

 

 

From left to right: Kinky, Freestyle, Mushroom, Backdoor, Blackout, Barlust

Kinky: A matte white color that is great for highlight or if you want a pop of light in the inner corners of your eyes

Freestyle:  This can also be used as a highlight or all over lid shade.  This is a great base if you’re looking for a neutral, daytime smokey eye.

Mushroom: Probably one of my favorite Urban Decay eyeshadow color, this is a silvery, brownish, taupe color.  It’s another great neutral color and has a satin/shimmery finish without being too loud.

Backdoor:  A matte, medium brown eyeshadow.  I can see myself using this to deepen my crease and to line my lower lash line.  I think I might even use this to fill in my eyebrows as well!

Blackout:  If you’re looking for an intense black eyeshadow, this is it.  I’ve been on the hunt for a super matte black eyeshadow for years and I am so glad that Urban Decay has finally delivered.  This makes dramatic eye looks so much easier for me and I love using this as an eyeliner sometimes as well.

 

 

From left to right: Rockstar, Evidence, Loaded, Asphalt.  I love using these colors to smoke out my eyes to give it a little extra something when I’m going out.

Rockstar: A deep, neutral purpley plum color (sorry for the awkward description).  It’s a satin finish so it blends out easily, but be careful, it can look a little muddy if you blend it out too much.

Evidence: A nice, deep sapphire color.  Also a satin finish, I had to swatch this shade twice to get it to the intensity that I wanted it to be at.

Loaded: I love this eyeshadow because I don’t think I’ve ever run into another eyeshadow that is this shade.  It’s a beautiful hunter green that looks almost grey when you’re in the right light.

Asphalt:  This looks similar to Mushroom but is more of a true grey color.  If you’re looking for a smokey eye that isn’t as dramatic as using black eyeshadow, I would recommend using this shade.

 

And there you have it!  What do you guys think, will you be picking this up?  I believe this palette will begin showing up at Sephora and Ulta near the end of July but it’s already on sale at the Urban Decay website.  I have a feeling these will sell out fast so get yours when you can!