NYX Baked Blushes

I can say I'm a blush addict but in all truth I love ALL Makeup. I know that I probably have duplicate colors in different brands and different finishes but I can't help it.  I need to try different brands, even if they look similar to my other ones.  Just like I have a ton of nude or red lippies, you can't just have one...or even five for that matter.  I'm sure all my fellow makeup addicts would agree.  

Here I will be swatching the NYX Baked Blushes.  I own 9 out of 12.  These are the baked blushes that NYX claims can be used as a blush, bronzer, or illuminator.  Because they are baked they can be used dry or wet (You can spray your brush with water for a more intensified color).  I never really go for a bold blush look so I can't imagine using these wet.  Therefore, the swatches provided are all dry.

Pink Fetish- hot pink, found it difficult to swatch, the brightest of the 9 I own

Foreplay- a very pretty coral color with a beautiful shimmer

Ladylike- light pink with shimmer

Spanish Rose- Another beautiful pink hue, a little darker than Ladylike

Journey- this appeared as a matte pink to me although the packaging stated this can be used as an illuminator.  I saw very little to no shimmer 

Wanderlust-This seemed matte at first but after inspecting a little closer there are tiny goldflecks.  Not enough for me to be considered an illuminator but definitely not a true matte

Solstice- This was a very pretty bronzer color to me.  This would add beautiful color to achieve that sun kissed look.  Gorgeous, although because of the shimmer could not used to contour

Chiffon- Somedays you just don't feel like wearing pink blush right?  This is a beautiful bronzer type color with a mauve or pink undertone.  Beautiful color

Sugar Mama- Probably my least favorite of the bunch, you can hardly see it on my skin tone.  This would probably be gorgeous on someone of fairer skin tone or even used as a highlighter on someone of darker complexion.  I'm usually a NC 40-42 in MAC for reference.

Here all of them swatched side by side so you can compare

From left to right: Pink Fetish, Foreplay, Ladylike, Spanish Rose, Journey, Wanderlust, Solstice, Chiffon, Sugar Mama

For the price point these are ok.  They retail for about $7.  I got these on ulta when they were having their 40% off sale plus I also got them buy one get one half off.  Had there not been the sale going on I probably would not have purchased as many as I did.  I will say that the majority did swatch chalky but when applied with a brush on your face they look quite beautiful.  I should also mention that when first swatched, or even touched, they have this hard outer film.  I'm not sure what was up with that but after you buff or remove that outer layer you do get better pigmentation of the product.    They do provide beautiful, natural color to your face with a very pretty hint of shimmer.  I personally, LOVE shimmer and highlighter so I always add a separate highlighter.  They are not very long lasting.  After applying these in the morning I did have to reapply in the afternoon.  Not that big a deal to me as I was home, and am never really out of the house all day.  I wouldn't wear these to work my 12 hour shifts as they wouldn't last that long.

All in all as mentioned they were ok,  I probably won't be purchasing the other 3 and probably won't repurchase.  

Thanks for visiting my page, let me know what you think of these.

XO, Kathleen

July Birchbox.....first one and first impression

I am subscribed to fabletics and received a promotion to join Birchbox.  I currently am subscribed to Ipsy and have always been curious to try Birchbox as well and received my first box this month.  For those that are unfamiliar with Birchbox it is a monthly subscription, $10/mo, where you receive deluxe sample sizes of different type of items. Anything from makeup, skin care, hair care, snacks, etc.

Here is my unboxing...

The items come in a cute box, unlike ipsy where you receive a small makeup bag each month.  Here are the items inside...

1. N.4 hair Performance Hair Care Lumier d'hiver Super Comb Prep and Protect.  Smells nice enough and look forward to trying this.  30 ml of product included
2. Naobay natural and organic Body Radiance Lotion.  Also smells nice enough, I plan to keep this in my purse.
3. Supergoop! Advanced anti-aging eye cream with SPF 37 Sunscreen and an oat peptide complex.  As mentioned in another post I'm trying to increase my SPF use and definitely use eye cream morning and night.  It is fairly a thin consistency so I'm not sure how much benefit it will give me other than the SPF.  
4. Cytnhia Rowley Pencil Eyeliner in black. Nice, creamy, and smooth.  We'll have to see if it is smudge proof.
                                                
   
   
   5.   One year free subscription to Women's Health Magazine

        6. Single Sample pack of Smarty Pants Adult Complete Multi + Omega 3 + Vit D Gummies.  I ate      them, they were good, didn't have that "vitamin" taste.

Overall I was impressed with my box.  I'm really in to skin care at the moment and I'm always trying new hair products to soften and keep my hair healthy.  Being a makeup lover I was happy to see the eyeliner.  My favorite gift was probably the one year subscription to Women's Health Magazine.

I look forward to next months box.  Getting these boxes in the mail is always a pleasant surprise. I love opening them and trying new products.

Thanks for visiting my page, comment below if you subscribe to Birchbox and what you received.

XO, Kathleen

Wet n Wild Megalast and Fergie Centerstage Lipstick and Swatches

I'm sure everyone has heard of Wet n Wild and there is good reason why.  They are a very affordable brand with quality products.  Every makeup lover, no matter if your into high end or drugstore products loves this brand.  Here I will be swatching the Meglast Lipsticks I own as well as the Fergie Centerstage Lipsticks.

Wet n Wild Megalast lipstick

From Left to right:  908C Sugarplum Fairy, 918D Cherry Bomb, 917B Cinnamon spice, 

914C Mocha-licious, 902C Bare it All, 970 Purty Persimmon, 911D Spotlight red

From Left to right:  906D Wine Room, 907C Mauve Outta Here,  905D Somkin' Hot Pink, 

967 Dollhouse pink, 903C Just Peachy, 901B Think Pink

Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Lipstick

From Left to Right: Ferguson Crest Cabernet, D-vinely Chilled, V.I.Pink, Fergie Daily, Bebot love

These lipsticks are a must have in anyones collection.  With the Megalast Lipsticks ranging from $2-3 and the Fergie Centerstage lipsticks ranging from $3-4, why not?  For those that are experimenting with color this is an affordable way to try different hues without breaking the bank.  The pigmentation is definitely there, as much as some of the higher end lipsticks I own if not more.  They are semi-matte with a very slight sheen to them.  In fact I would recommend applying a lip balm beforehand.  You definitely don't need to spend much to have gorgeous color on your lips.  Try these out, you will not be disappointed.  

Thanks for visiting my page, let me know if you've tried these and which ones are your favorites.

July Ipsy Bag

July's Ipsy bag is kind of a disappointment this month.  It came in a cute leather type bag with detailed cut edges but the contents inside....not too cute.  Let's take a look....

I received the following items:

Befine Food Skin Care daily moisturizer with SPF 15.  It contains 1.5 fl oz and is infused with rosemary, pomegranate, and rice.  It claims on the back that pomegranate has age proofing antioxidants and the SPF increases the strength of protection from the sun.  Not sure what's up with the rice???  In regards to the scent you get a hint of the pomegranate and rosemary but you can definitely smell the sunscreen in it.  It's fine and doesn't bother me much.  I've been trying harder than ever to wear sunscreen daily so this will make it easier than mixing a separate sunscreen into my daily moisturizer.  

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm  I received this in the color unique pink but there isn't anything unique or even pink about this.  Not even a hint of pink.  It smells minty and has a slight minty sensation when applied.  I'll probably end up using this right before bed to moisturize my lips

Whet nail lacquer in facetious.  Dark blue but when I swatched in on something was very streaky and thin.  I probably will not end up even trying this.  Formula on this was bad.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil  I never use tanning oils.  In fact, I tan so easily I've never really needed too.  That doesn't mean I've never had the thought of trying a product like this.  I never expected to get a product like this in my Ipsy bag but here it is.  4th of July weekend my sister in law was out back with this stuff sprayed all over her.  The next time I saw her she had this gorgeous golden tan.  Not sure what product she tried but that may be enough for me to try this.  

Lastly I received the Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow.  Goodness thats a name.  It claims long wear color, to prime, brighten, smooth, and protect.  When swatched it was very creamy and pigmented.  Definitely my kind of color. I could not find what color I received it in on the actual sample but figured out I received it in Divine Wine when looking on the Ipsy website.  This was probably the item I was most excited about.  

Disappointed because I have been waiting for this to come in the mail.  As mentioned I will try the products except for the nail lacquer.  I'm excited to play with the eyeshadow.  There's always next month.

Thanks for visiting my page and comment below and tell me what you received in your bag.

Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Power Duo

I've really been loving Too Faced products lately.  From their lip products, mascaras, bronzers, blushes everything has been Top Notch.  Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Power is no exception. This is a powder duo and comes in sheer gold and gilded rose.

It claims to "offer a more ethereal glow by using 'Photolite' technology which diffuses harsh light, giving your skin a soft, youthful luminosity" ~ Too Faced  

From Left to Right:  Sheer Gold, Gilded Rose, both of them mixed together

This Highlighter is definitely one of my favorites.  (My other two being the infamous Mac Soft and Gentle and The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer)  I used a fluffy fan brush to apply it and it does, as promised, provide that Candlelit glow.  I never try to use one color over the other, instead blending the two.  I've heard and seen mixed reviews on this product. Some people found it too glittery while others loved it.  In my opinion a light hand is needed to achieve that subtle glow.  

This retails for $30 at Sephora and think it is worth that price.  Its Packaged nicely and comes with 0.35 oz of product which I believe will last me a long time.  

Thanks for visiting my page and let me know your opinions on this product!

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

I adore palettes and its no secret I'm a sucker for neutral ones.  This is a review on the Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette.  This palette is gorgeous.  It comes in a very cute and dainty tin can.  Inside are 9 eye shadows broken down in 3 rows for a "Day" look,  a "Classic" look, and a "Fashion" look.  It comes with a "How To Glamour Guide" with instructions for each look. But, of course, you can use these shadows as you wish and create your very own looks.

From left to right: Heaven, Silk Teddy, Nudie, Cashmere Bunny, Push-Up, Honey-Pot, Sexpresso, Erotica, Chocalate Martini

Heaven was so buttery and smooth that after swatching it with my finger I had to check to see if it was a cream shadow (its not its powder).  This palette comes with 2 great matte light brown shadows Nudie and Cashmere Bunny that also work great as a transition color.  Push-Up and Honey Pot are beautiful shimmery colors that would definitely make the lids or the inside corners of your eyes pop.  Out of the darker hues Chocalate Martini has to be my favorite.  Its a gorgeous brown with gold flecks.   

For all the neutral palette lovers out there this needs to be in your collection.  All of the shadows are buttery, soft, and pigmented.  You could create a soft whimsical look or a very dramatic brown smokey look.  It retails for $36 at sephora, which in my opinion is an excellent price compared to a lot of other palettes out there.

Thanks for visiting my page and comment down below on your thoughts on this gorgeous palette.