Product Review- e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow

e.l.f. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Review


From the Brand:  The silky and blendable formula of our Baked Eyeshadow provides smooth and even application with each sweep of color. Baked in an oven, these eyeshadows offer rich pigmentation for a beautiful effect. Infused with active key ingredients Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin. The long-lasting and shimmering color can be worn wet for a vibrant effect or dry for sheer pigmentation, offering a variety of gorgeous eye looks!

Retails for:  $3.00 each for single shadows, $10.00 for 10 pan palette


Where to Buy:  eyeslipsface.com, Select Target stores (singles only, limited shades)


My Thoughts:  I absolutely adore these eyeshadows!  I can't believe the quality you get for only $3.  This is definitely one of the best e.l.f. products they make.  Sometimes it can be hit or miss, and typically I'm not a fan of their pressed eyeshadows.  These, however, are a different story. These are much more pigmented, and the color payoff is both brighter and longer lasting.  I also find little to no fallout at all from these.

I have three different colors, although I only showed two in this photograph.  I first heard about these from a video by Emily from Beauty Broadcast on YouTube.  (I caution you if you watch her videos, you're going to be making a list for the drugstore so you can go shopping!  This woman is the queen of finding the best low-budget products, and she's probably the reason I have so many drugstore brands in my bathroom now.  Which if you'd asked me a year ago, I'd have told you I hate drugstore brands!)  She recommended the three colors I picked up, but after trying them out I think I'm going to go back and get the palette next. 

The colors shown in the photo are Toasted and Burnt Plum.  The other color I have at home is Bark.

I've only tried them dry, but since it's a baked eyeshadow (which is almost the same thing as a pressed pigment in my opinion, since they're a much more concentrated color than a traditional pressed eyeshadow) they can be used with a damp brush for even more concentrated color.

Final Verdict:  They're really missing out on huge profits only charging $3 for these!  In a blind test, I'd guess they were a much more prestige brand based on the quality of the shadows.

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Holidays 2013- Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things Gift Set

Too Faced A Few Of My Favorite Things Gift Set


From the Brand:  What it is: A 28-piece set handpicked by Too Faced Co-founder and Creative Director Jerrod Blandino. What it does: This Sephora exclusive features Jerrod's iconic favorites for the eyes, face, cheeks, and lips and will make your holidays gorgeous. This collection is infused with classic colors that have a playful edge-shades that fit right in for a super swanky blowout or an intimate Christmas day brunch with the family. After hours, zip-up your essentials in Too Faced's signature chevron-print clutch, designed by celebrity decorator and TV personality Mary McDonald.

This set contains: - 1.2 oz x 20 Eye Shadow in Snowflakes, Whiskers on Kittens, Chocolate Milk, Moon on their Wings, Dark Chocolate, Cream Colored Ponies, Honey Honey, Busch de Noel, Evergreen, Blue Satin Sashes, Coquet, Taffy, Crisp Apple Strudel, Woolen Mittens, Soirée, Tinsel, Bluff, Ooh La Orchid, Party Time, Pure Glam - 0.28 oz x 2 Blush in Raindrops on Roses, Melt into Spring - 0.28 oz x 2 Bronzer in Sun Bunny, Chocolalte Soleil - 0.1 oz Lip Injection Color Bomb! in Bee Sting - 0.17 oz Better Than Sex Mascara in Carbon Black - Chevron clutch - How-To Glamour Guide What it is formulated WITHOUT: - Parabens - Sulfates - Phthalates


Retails for:  $59 (original price)


Where to Buy:  I know I got this from Sephora.com, but now that I'm ready to publish my review I can't find this collection anywhere other than Amazon.com where it's going for $95.00.  If you can get your hands on one of these, grab it!


My Thoughts:  I am so incredibly thankful that I found this and bought it when I did rather than hoping I'd get a gift card to Sephora in my stocking and trying to find it later!  I can't believe that it's sold out everywhere!  I can see why though, as this is one of the absolute best palettes I've purchased from  Too Faced.  I buy at least one mega palette like this every year, and I love the versatility of the sets.  They almost always come with the decadent matte bronzer Chocolate Soleil along with the Sunny Bunny bronzers with a shimmer and a pink and peach blush.

The eyeshadows in this are super pigmented, creamy, and are the perfect mix of mattes and shimmers plus neutrals and brights.  There's literally a little something for everyone in this set.  It also comes with Better Than Sex Mascara and a lip plumping Lip Injection Color Bomb in the perfect nude color.

For more on this amazing gift set, check out my YouTube review!




Final Verdict:  If you can find one, snatch that up before it's gone for good!  When they said Limited Edition, the emphasis was on LIMITED!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Pacifica Wanderlust Beauty Set

Pacifica Wanderlust Mineral Color Set Wanderlust Beauty Set Review


From the Brand:

The Wanderlust Mineral Color Beauty Set. A complete beauty set for face, eyes and lips. Travel ready sizes in seasonally curated colors. What else do you need to know?  Experience truly effortless natural beauty with Pacifica’s incredible mineral color formulas. Luxurious ingredients meet the most amazing colors.  Recyclable containers.  Easy to use and apply anywhere.

Set contains:

1 ALIGHT Multi-Mineral BB CREAM .34 oz (travel size)

2 Coconut Water Infused Mineral Eye Shadows  Shades: Treasure and Mermaid Aqua 

1 full sized Color Quench Lip Tint in Sugared Fig

Retails for:  22.00


Where to Buy: Pacificaperfume.com


My Thoughts:  Did you see yesterday's post about the Pacifica Good Karma Skincare Set?  Well, they have another set as well that gives you a taste of what their makeup products are like here with the Wanderlust Beauty Set.  Both kits contain their Alight BB Cream, so you can even out your skin, as well as one of their Color Quench Lip Tints.  This beauty kit also contains two eyeshadows, one in a gorgeous golden brown and one in a soft sea foam color.

The quality of these products is very good for a relatively inexpensive all natural brand.  I love that all the makeup products you buy from them is good for your skin.  The packaging is super cute and a lightweight yet sturdy plastic.  The lip tint is slim and fits easily in your purse.  They have just enough color that is between a stain and a lipstick, with hydration and yummy scent.  The color Sugared Fig is a nice deep plummy color that's great for someone who wants a fall lip color without the heavy pigmented commitment of a lipstick.

The eyeshadows come in a nice screw top case with a clear window, so you can see what the color looks like.  The golden brown is super pigmented while the sea foam green is a bit sheerer.  The formula of the eyeshadows is very velvety and glides over the skin nicely, and they both have a good amount of sheen to them. They aren't sparkly or too "young" looking, but they aren't matte either.  I found that they wear nicely throughout the day without fading, although I did wear them over either a cream shadow or an eyeshadow primer.  I've been wearing the golden brown shade with a soft pink and a deep burgundy in the crease, and I've gotten so many compliments!

I haven't worn the BB cream yet, but I'll be doing an in depth review of that product coming up soon hopefully. 


Final Verdict:  I'm in love with these eyeshadows and will be looking for more of them!  I'm already a fan of the lip tints, and I can't wait to try the BB cream. Overall, it's a fantastic value!

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Pixi Eye Glow Cube

Pixi Beauty Eye Glow Cube Review

From the Brand: Daylight-hued eye-glow-in-a-cube of silky coordinated lid-finishers wraps your lids in embellished lustrous metallics. Fresh, natural & youthful, this palette enhances with creamy gold, nude, caramel & warm bronze colours.

Beneficial ingredients and what they do:

• Mica provides dense natural pigment
• Vitamin E protects the skin

Retails for:  $28.00


Where to Buy: Pixi Beauty.com, may be available in some Target stores


My Thoughts: The packaging on this eyeshadow palette is super cute to look at, but when you hold it in your hand the plastic does feel a little cheap.  It's a lightweight lucite, and although I haven't tested it out by packing it and toting it around anywhere, I have the feeling in the back of my mind that it would crack somewhat easily.  But like I've said, I haven't tested that, so I could be way off base and it's just literally light in weight to make it less heavy for packing.  But it really is super cute!  I love the clear gem-like front to the case that shows off each eyeshadow pan color beautifully.

The colors themselves are a good range of neutrals to more dramatic colors like the burgundy and cool purple along with a deep slate with slight purple tones and a very wearable soft coral.  They have a good pigmentation and color payout, but I wish there were some matte shades.  They all have a satin finish that's a little too reflective to wear all over the lid without mixing in a matte somewhere.

At first I though the two large pans in the slide out drawer were a blush and a highlighter, but the packaging called them some kind of priming shadow base.  (I threw away the box, so I can't go back and double check exactly now. Sorry!)  I'm not sure how exactly you're supposed to use them, but they make a nice highlighter for the lighter shimmery color, and a soft matte pink tone for eyes or very pale cheeks.  I don't think overall they add much value to the eye shadow palette as a whole, but I'm sure you can find creative ways to utilize them for your own routine and needs.

The finish of the eyeshadows is nice and velvety with very little fallout, and they feel nice on the skin.  They don't look or feel chalky, and they wear decently on their own with no primer.  Although, the way they wear will depend highly on how you apply them, whether your lids are oily or not, and if you use a high quality primer like the Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer.


Final Verdict:  Overall, I really like this eyeshadow palette.  I got it through IPSY, during a limited time sale using their YouTube channel.  It was really confusing, and I wasn't sure I had even gotten it (you had to be an IPSY member and comment on the video, and then they selected people who qualified and charged the card you have on file with them) until suddenly I got a shipping notification in my email inbox.  I only paid $16.99 I think, but for the quality of the shadows and the number of them (16) in the set $28 is a great value.  Especially when you compare it to other high end brands who will sell you a quad for the same price.

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Too Faced Natural Rebel Collection

Too Faced Natural Rebel Collection Items- Natural At Night Sexy and Sultry Neutral Eye Shadow Collection (previously released), Perfect Eyes Waterproof and Tearproof Eyeliner in Espresso (previously released), Natural Rebel Neutral Color Lip Collection (new)

From the Brand: An ULTA Exclusive! The three-piece Natural Rebel Collection by Too Faced includes: Natural At Night Eye Shadow Collection with nine sexy, late-night neutrals. Natural Kiss Lip Collection palette with four shades that compliment all skin tones and create a polished "born this way" look to any natural beauty. Perfect Eyes Eye Liner in Espresso which glides on with the ease of liquid liner and locks down for 8+ hours of smudge-proof wear. Cruelty free.


Retails for: $36


Where to Buy: Ulta stores and Ulta.com


My Thoughts: I'll start with the eyeshadow palette.  This is the highlight of the set for me.  I think it's completely worth just buying this palette on its own to have in your makeup collection if you aren't in need (or want) a lip palette or another brown eyeliner.  It's nice a compact to fit in a small makeup bag, and it contains a great variety of neutral shades to give you varying eye makeup looks from super natural to super intense.  And it's newbie-friendly with its convenient grouping of the highlight shades on the left, lid colors in the center row, and the crease colors on the right, and it also groups the colors together into three coordinating looks.  There are two matte shades- Spotlight (highlight color) and Cocoa Star (crease color), three glittery shades- Full Moon and Night Light (highlight colors) and Night Fever (crease/accent color), and four satin shades- Nightcap, After Hours, and Moon Stone (lid colors) and Eclipse (crease color).  The "Night" look is brown based colors, the "Classic" look is pink based colors, and the "Fashion" look is yellow based colors, but they are all neutrals that work beautifully together in any combination.

The Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner is great, and I think I've mentioned it before here on the blog or on my YouTube channel how awesome it is.  It stays incredibly well in the waterline and comes out a very inky color.  It doesn't fade like some can.  The Perfect Espresso color is a very black brown, so it's a great option for people who don't want the starkness of a black but still want a deep intensity that's just a touch softer.  It's a great option for blondes or redheads!

The lip palette is great, because it's so small and compact.  It contains four shades plus a lip brush and generous sized mirror.  The colors don't have names, so I'll just describe them from left to right.  The farthest left color is more of a glittery gloss topcoat than a lipstick.  It's a nice tawny color without too much pink.  More of an irridescent golden color packed down on top of itself to give it an opaque look in the pan but a shimmery colorless effect on the lips. (I'm probably not doing it justice with that description, but hopefully you get the picture- it's a shimmer top coat and not an actual lipstick.)  The next shade over is a nice beige neutral lip color.  It's one step away from a light brown, with just enough natural lip flesh tone to it to keep it not looking so 1990s, and it has no shimmer to it at all.  It's a nice satin finish and a great "nude" color.  The next shade is my favorite- a pinky nude with a shimmery finish that isn't glittery at all.  In the pan it almost looks a tad frosty, but on the lips the shimmer just reflects light very evenly giving it an almost glossy look.  The far right color is the most intense of all, being a nice soft berry color.  It gives the effect almost of having eaten a plate of spaghetti or a popsicle and stained the lips but with an opaque consistency.  It's great for women who want a more pigmented lip color that will wear away to a beautiful natural looking finish rather than looking like you've eaten your lipstick off.


Final Verdict:  If you're interested in just a single piece of the collection, hop on over to TooFaced.com and enjoy their free shipping on orders of $50 or more plus free samples.  If you're loving the whole collection, buy it from Ulta. Either way, I highly recommend any of them for their pigmentation and quality.  They are all a fantastic value!

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette

Which shade is YOUR favorite?!

Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette Review


From the Brand: 

What It Is:

Even pretty girls break the rules. Be as rebel as you want to be with 10 powerful after-hours approved (and all new) shadows in the deepest jewel tones, the most bad ass metallics and one scene-stealing pink.

More To Love:

The Pretty Rebel Eye Shadow Palette comes in an extraordinary range of 10 new shades in stunning, high pigment formulations for rich color payoff. Pretty Rebel comes with our signature how-to Glamour Guide with three beauty looks to get you started.

New Shades:

• Girly
• Charming
• Dainty
• Gangsta
• Instigator
• Jailbird
• Totally Fetch
• Ringleader
• Miss Sparkles
• Badass

*Limited quantities available 

Retails for:  $46.00


Where to Buy: TooFaced.com


My Thoughts:  Every time I see a new Too Faced Eyeshadow palette, I need to buy it.  As in, quivering aching need like nobody's business.  I'm addicted like a meth fiend or even just a Breaking Bad fan.  Their eyeshadows are super super pigmented and very velvety soft.  They have an almost creamy feel to them when they are the satiny finish shades like the ones in this palette.  In previous eyeshadow palettes their matte shadows aren't quite so creamy, and their sparkly ones can have some issues with fallout if you don't pack the color on in thin layers over their Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer, but the colors in this particular palette don't have those minor "issues".  (Which is a much better issue than being a meth addict I might add... just sayin'.)

I've uploaded a video to my YouTube Channel showcasing just how gorgeous these eyeshadows are, so you should check that out, too!  I swatch each individual color for you to see, and you can see exactly how pigmented these are with just a light swipe with my finger! I also talk about two other sets I purchased from Too Faced that I'll be reviewing in tomorrow's blog.

My favorite eyeshadow color out of this is definitely Girly.  I'd think that this one would be the hot pink eyeshadow shade, but then again I just associate everything girly with the color pink.  (That one's called Totally Fetch btw.)  It reminds me of the stunning MAC pigment Blue Brown, a chocolate color with duochrome that's completely transforming.  The silver {Jailbird} and gold {Instigator} are so intense, they would be amazing eyeshadows for a really metallic look.   Badass, a slightly purple toned denim blue is so perfect for fall.



Final Verdict:  I'll be wearing these all fall long and well into winter.  There are so many looks that can be created with these colors from very natural to super intense, the Pretty Rebel Palette is a major MUST HAVE for your makeup bag!

Ready to add the Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette to your bag?  Click here to get shopping!  Don't forget, you get FREE samples when you order from them online, and FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50! Get amazing DISCOUNTS and FREE GIFTS from Too Faced Cosmetics! 

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Lorac Pro Palette with Swatches

I remember back when the PRO Palette Eye Shadow Palette first came out, all these people were talking about how amazing it was.  And then suddenly all the hype died off and there wasn't much about it anymore.  It took me a few months to get the palette and then another few months before I started to use it, but I'm so glad I finally tried it out.  It's quickly become a staple in my boudoir kit for its versatility.  (Major bonus, it comes with a little travel size of their amazing eye primer, too!)

The top row of shadows are all matte, and the bottom row are all shimmer shades.  I think this is genius, because you don't always want a heavy shimmery eye or an all matte look, and this allows you to mix it up with both the lighter neutral shades and the darker shades.  You can create almost any type of eye look with this (minus something colorful of course).

Here are swatches of the colors on my forearm, which by me being super pale is almost like seeing them on white!  So go pale for once.  I guess it's helpful sometimes, lol.  Top row are the mattes: White, Cream, Taupe, Light Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, and Black.

My only complaint is that cream is actually a little on the pink side rather than a real "flesh" tone, so it's hard to do a true nude contoured eye for us pale girls.  And Light Pink is a little more on the bubblegum end of the scale.  I'd like to see a flesh tone closer to MAC's Orb.  I have Orb so I can always use that, but that requires carrying another palette of shadows, which defeats the purpose of having such a versatile palette already together for me.

Sable is a really pretty shade in my brows, since it's a very warm reddish brown.  It's super pigmented, so just a tiny touch of it is plenty.  And I absolutely adore that they put the black as one of the mattes.  That makes it so versatile for deepening a lashline or a crease without adding shimmer!  Yay Lorac!

Here are the swatches of the bottom row, the shimmers: Nude, Champagne, Gold, Light Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, and Slate.

I don't think there's a single color on this row that I'm not completely in love with.  Champagne is so drool worthy, and Slate is so nice for brightening up the eyes while still going smokey.  The bluish tones to it make the whites of your eyes look whiter.

Have you tried the PRO Palette Eye Shadow & Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Shadow Primer?  What's your favorite color?  Leave me some feedback below!  And if you have done a video or blog post about this product, feel free to share your link with everyone!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.