Japonesque Moroccan Heat Eyeshadow Palette

What it is:

Discover the enchantment of Morocco where rich textiles, stunning architecture and blazon sunsets inspire these highly pigmented, easy to blend, day-to-night eyeshadow shades. 

Top Row Eye Shades (left to right):

• Casablanca (matte chocolate brown)
• Henna (metallic light crimson)
• Camel (matte taupe)
• Mystic (metallic champagne)
• Sand Dune (matte nude)
• Oasis (metallic lilac)
  

Bottom Row Eye Shades (left to right):

• Mirage (light gold shimmer)
• Spice (matte pink nude)
• Sahara (metallic bronze)
• Marrakesh (metallic gold)
• Mosaic (metallic jewel tone purple)
• Kasbah (matte dark brown)
  

Swatches:

Verdict: I have had this palette on hand for a long time and finally got around to reviewing it. I really love the colors. The Japonesque Moroccan Heat Eyeshadow Palette contains a mix of gold, pink, and purple shades which will help you create exotic eye looks. This palette is great for creating "look at me" eyelooks. The palette has a few pops of color but overall it is very wearable. The eye shadows are pigmented and soft with minimal fallout. 

* If you would like to pick up the Japonesque Moroccan Heat Eyeshadow Palette it is currently available online and in-store at Salon Centric. Click the link for more details: Salon Centric

Pantone Universe Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue

In December 2019 the Pantone institute announced the new color of the year.

The 2020 Color of the Year is Classic Blue

A timeless and enduring hue, Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, Classic Blue highlights our desire for dependability and stability amidst the uncertainty that the future holds.

Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit helping us re-center our thoughts.

The hue is both genderless and seasonless, making it both accessible and desirable, for people in all walks of life. Additionally, its indigo shade can be achieved naturally from plants and dyes, making it a color that aligns well with the current sustainability movement happening in our world.

In past years Pantone has collaborated with a beauty brand to release a Color of the Year Makeup Collection. From 2012- 2016 Pantone had a successful partnership with Sephora with their SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE collections. Then from 2017-2019 they began to partner with Butter London. This year however it looks like no collaborations have been announced.

Makeup Revolution Eye Glisten

What it is:

A dual-ended liquid eyeshadow for glitter on the go. Create stunning shimmery eye looks with these two complementary liquid eyeshadow shades.

Colors in this collection:

• Adored By You (rose gold, pink)
• Dreamland (gold, yellow)
• It's Fate (champagne, cool gold)
• Yours Truly (pink rose, muted pink)

Swatches:

Verdict: I tend to gravitate a lot towards liquid eyeshadows. I honestly love the way they look on the lid. In my opinion they just make your eye looks pop! When I saw these beauties online I couldn't help myself and ordered the entire set that ULTA had available. All 4 liquid eyeshadow combinations are gorgeous and feel lightweight on the eyelids. The colors dried down very quickly and didn't flake throughout the day. The creme liquid eyeshadow end of these duos was amazing and so opaque however the glitter end didn't give me the desired look that I wanted. The glitter end offered a sheer glitter layer and was defiantly not as opaque as the Stila Glitter Liquid Eyeshadow. Overall though this is a great product for the price point. I would highly recommend. 

* If you would like to pick up one or all of the Makeup Revolution Eye Glistens they are currently available for $10 each at ULTA and the MakeUp Revolution website. Click the links for more details:  ULTA, MakeUp Revolution

Japonesque Ibiza Nights Face Palette

What it is:
A face and eye shadow palette that will help you create glowing sun-kissed looks all year round. 

Top Row Eye Shades (left to right):

• Pearl (vanilla shimmer)
• Sun Kissed (copper shimmer)
• Bronze Beauty (bronze shimmer)
• Exotic Nights (espresso shimmer)

Bottom Row Cheek Shades (left to right):

• White Sand (bronzer)
• Paradise (coral blush)
• Endless Summer (golden highlighter)

Swatches:

Verdict: The Japonesque Ibiza Nights palette contains a mix of golden and copper shades which will remind you of warm shimmery sand. This palette is great for creating a glowy  day look or a summer-nights glam look. The colors in this palette are super wearable and very pigmented while the eye shadows  are soft and buttery. Unfortunately there are no matte or transitional shades included in the color lineup but its a great grab and go palette. 

* If you would like to pick up the Japonesque Ibiza Nights Face Palette it is currently available for $34 online via Amazon. Click the link for more details: Japonesque, Amazon

Smashbox LA Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette

What it is:

An eyeshadow palette with nine mattes and seven shimmers inspired by the streets, sunsets, and skylines of L.A., plus a full-size eyeliner.

Colors in this collection:

• Venice Peach (pink/peach duo chrome shimmer)
• Westsider (saturated teal matte)
• Best Coast (saturated purple matte)
• #Sunset (burnt peach matte)
• Vanilla (warm ivory matte)
• There’s Valet (deep oxblood matte)
• Drop Top (warm gold shimmer)
• Almond (warm brown matte)
• Nectar (soft peach matte)
• Rose Bowler (rose gold shimmer)
• Canyon Copper (red bronze shimmer)
• Java (warm dark brown matte)
• Deco (pink gold shimmer)
• Hang (light gray taupe matte),
• Platinum (taupe sheen)
• Eastsider (deep plum shimmer)

Swatches:

Verdict: This Smashbox palette is amazing. The color combinations are so beautiful. There is a nice array of neutral shades with a few pops of color. I love that the palette already has the shades separated out for you into "eye looks." It makes it a lot easier to maneuver through the colors especially when it comes to larger palettes. The formula of these eye shadows was great. They were very pigmented, silky, and there was no fall out. I would highly suggest picking up this Smashbox palette. It's a great versatile palette for an amazing price. 

* If you would like to pick up the Smashbox LA Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette it is currently available for $45 at Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora and ULTA. Click the links for more details: Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora, ULTA

NARS Skin Deep Eyeshadow Palette

What it is:
A limited-edition palette containing 12 neutral shades created to work well on all skin tones.

Colors in this collection:

• Taunt (matte cream) 
• Sophia (matte rich cool brown) 
• Whipped (matte warm brown) 
• Undressed (matte taupe brown) 
• Bali (matte deep natural taupe) 
• Icon (shimmering rosy gold) 
• Basic Instinct (shimmering icy rose) 
• Coconut Grove (matte deep brown) 
• Centerfold (shimmering grey beige) 
• Calendar Girl (shimmering golden brown) 
• Faster Pussycat (metallic copper) 
• Unbuttoned (shimmering deep brown) 
  

Swatches:

Verdict: I recently realized that I don't own any eye shadows from NARS. I am a huge fan of the brands blushes but for some reason I never gravitated towards their eye shadow palettes. I actually ended up buying this palette for work and decided to play around with it to see if it was any good. The palette is a nice update to the typical nude palette. The shadows were easy to blend and had a great texture. This palette is great for creating both day and night looks and their was a nice variety of matte, shimmer, and metallic shades.  Overall the shades in this palette were lovely but I could have done without so many brown eye shadow shades. A few of the brown shades were too similar however I was impressed by the quality of these shadows and could see myself picking up a NARS palette in the future.

* If you would like to pick up the NARS Skin Deep Eyeshadow Palette it is currently available for $59 at Sephora, ULTA Beauty, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Macy's. Click the links for more details: Sephora, ULTA, Nordstorm, Neiman Marcus, Bloomindales, Macys 

Jouer Lucky In Love Lip Set

What it is:

A pair of captivating nude lip products so you can be "lucky in love" this season with the perfect pout.

Colors in this collection:

• Love Spell Long-Wear Lip Topper (metallic shimmering dusty rose)
• Naked Long-Wear Lip Crème (matte cool peachy pink)

Swatches:

Verdict: I do not own a lot of Jouer cosmetic products however when I saw this cute gift set in the store I just had to buy it. The lip colors in this set are both gorgeous and make your lips look so luscious. The Naked Long-Wear Lip Creme formula was amazing. The product was lightweight, highly pigmented, and had fantastic staying power. The Lip Topper was a nice surprise, as well. The product was not as intense as I thought it was going to be. It looked great on its own and worked well as a topper on top of the Naked Lip Creme. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the lips products in this set. 

* If you would like to pick up the Jouer Lucky In Love Lip Set it is currently available for $28 at Nordstrom. Click the link for more details: Nordstrom

Pantone Universe Color of the Year 2019: Living Coral

The 2019 Color of the Year is Living Coral

Vibrant, yet mellow this shade of orange with a golden undertone is inspired by the source of sustenance and shelter coral reefs provide to sea life. Living Coral is meant to provide us with comfort and warmth. It emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature. The engaging nature of Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism, joyful pursuits, and playful expression. Living Coral is a subtle reminder that coral, which is bright and lively, is only possible if it's surrounded by a healthy environment.

For the third year in a row, Butter London has the honor of teaming up with Pantone to release a Color of the Year beauty collection. This year the Butter London collection consists of new nail lacquers, a lip gloss and a blush stick. 

Living Coral Patent Shine Nail Lacquer
Retail: $12

Living Coral Glazen Peel Off Glitter Nail Lacquer
Retail: $12

Living Coral Crushed Diamonds Patent Shine Nail Lacquer
Retail: $12

Living Coral Plush Rush Lip Gloss

Retail: $20

Living Coral Plush Rush Blush Stick

Retail: $24

Goodbye 2018!

This past year has been a crazy one for me. I have gone through many ups and downs but I am looking forward to the New Year and a clean slate. I wasn’t able to post as frequently as I had liked to this past year but I am hoping to change that in 2019. 

As we say goodbye to 2018, I hope that this new year will be one of the best years of your life. May all your dreams come true and all your hopes be fulfilled!

I truly appreciate your continued support and I can’t wait to show you more beauty newness this upcoming year. 

Happy New Year!

STILA Enchanted Eyes Liquid Eye Shadow Set

What it is:

A limited edition set featuring 6 of STILA's long-wearing, high-shimmer liquid eyeshadows.

Colors in this collection:

• Kitten (shimmering vibrant nude pink)
• Jezebel (shimmering rose gold)
• Pigalle (shimmering cool cranberry) 
• Diamond Dust (sheer silver with multi-color sparkle)
• Smokey Storm (light pewter with silver sparkle)
• Plum On (plum with plum and silver sparkle)

Swatches:

Verdict: If you have been reading my blog for some time now, you know that I love Stila's Liquid Eye Shadows. They come in so many colors and finishes. This year for the Holiday season STILA has released several different liquid eyeshadow kits. They come in sets of  3 or 6. I ended up purchasing the Enchanted Eyes 6 piece Liquid Eye Shadow Set. These liquid eyeshadows are all highly pigmented and have an amazing color payoff. The shadows felt light weight, are long wearing and there was minimal fall out. This would make a great stocking stuffer or gift for yourself or any makeup lover you know. 

* If you would like to pick up the STILA Enchanted Eyes Liquid Eye Shadow Set it is currently available for $45 at Macy's, Nordstrom and ULTA. Click the links for more details: Macy's, Nordstrom, ULTA

TARTE Rainforest of the Sea Sizzle Eye Shadow Palette

What it is:
A limited-edition eyeshadow palette featuring 8 sunset-inspired shades.

Palette Shades: 

• Kite Surf (metallic light peach champagne)
• Snorkel (soft metallic pink)
• Paddleboard (matte warm tan)
• High Tide (metallic copper)
• Off Duty (matte brown)
• Sandcastle (metallic plum)
• Starfish (metallic deep rose gold)
• Playa (matte soft pink)

Swatches: 

Verdict: I can't help myself when it comes to Tarte eyeshadows. Lately ever palette they release has a unique component which just makes me want to add the palette to my collection asap. This is the fourth eyeshadow palette that has been released under the Rainforest of the Sea Collection from Tarte. The eyeshadow shades in this palette are neutral shades of pink and brown. The formula, per usual, is very buttery and pigmented. The color payoff for these eyeshadow is decent if applied with a brush but if you apply the shades with your fingers they really pop and look amazing. Overall another beautiful palette from Tarte. 

* If you would like to pick up your own Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Sizzle Eye Shadow Palette it retails for $36 and is available at Sephora and on the Tarte website. Click the links for more details: Sephora, Tarte

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Transformer Mini

What it is:

A single-pan, mini luminizer designed to transform the eyes, lips, and face with a holographic Teal colored shade.

Swatches:

L to R: Shade swatched on skin, Shade swatched on top of black eye shadow

Verdict: Part highlighter, part topcoat, and part transformer this Alchemist Mini eyeshadow can do it all. You can wear this holographic shade on its own, or layer it to your heart’s content. The luminizing possibilities are endless—dust Alchemist literally anywhere you want an extreme iridescent highlight! The eye shadow has a great buttery texture and applies very smoothly. Unlike the original Alchemist Palette though, this new Teal shade didn't pop as much when worn on top of black eye shadow. This is such a fun eye shadow to add to your collection, especially if you do not want to pay the higher price tag for the original 4 pan palette. This eyeshadow will allow you to play around with color and allow you to create a slew of new creative looks. 

If you would like to pick up your own Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Transformer Mini it is available for $14.00 at Sephora. Click the link for more details: Sephora

STILA Vivid & Vibrant Collection: Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow

What it is:

A long-wearing, high-shimmer liquid eyeshadow.

Colors in this collection:

• Vivid Jade (vibrant green)
• Vivid Garnet (vibrant pomegranate) 
• Vivid Smokey Quartz (espresso) 
• Vivid Amethyst (vibrant purple)
• Vivid Labradorite (charcoal)
• Vivid Sapphire (vibrant dark blue) 

Swatches:

Without Flash

With Flash

Verdict: Stila Liquid Eye Shadows are one of my favorite products out in the market. Needless to say, every time Stila has a new collection release I am excited to see what new shades they will bring out. The colors in this collection are all jewel toned and would be great for fall eye looks. These liquid eyeshadows were all highly pigmented and had an awesome color payoff. The shadows felt light weight, are long wearing and there was minimal fall out. Just like previous Stila Liquid Eye Shadows these were amazing. My only call out is that I wish most of the shades weren't on the darker side of the color spectrum. 

* If you would like to pick up one or all of the Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadows they are currently available for $24 each at Macy's, Sephora, ULTA and Stila.com. Click the links for more details: Macy's, Sephora, ULTA, STILA

Laura Geller Beauty Dewdreamer Illuminating Drops

What it is:
A highly concentrated and ultra-pigmented liquid illuminator that creates a healthy, lit-from-within glow, instantly blurring the appearance of imperfections as it highlights. These versatile drops can be used to highlight bare skin,  or layered as a finishing touch to help you customize your glow.

Colors in this collection:

• Gilded Honey (caramel honey)
• Diamond Dust (holographic, opalescent pink)
• Opal Crush (iridescent violet)
• Ballerina (rose gold)

Swatches: 

Verdict: I absolutely love these illuminating drops. They are so easy to work with and have great coverage. They created a perfect natural-looking highlight on my skin and the product is build-able so you can also create a blinding highlight with it. You can mix the drops in your favorite moisturizer or foundation to give your complexion a beautiful radiant glow. I was hesitant about some of the shades in the collection but all of the colors looked gorgeous and were totally wearable.

* If you would like to pick up one or all of the Laura Geller Beauty Dewdreamer Illuminating Drops they are currently available for $32 each at Macy's, Nordstrom and ULTA. Click the links for more details: Macy's,Nordstrom,ULTA

To Save Beauty Haul: Glitter Eyeshadow, Sunset Palette, Eyeshadow Stamp, Eyeliner Stencils, Silicone Mask Brush

Recently I had a website, tosave.com, reach out to me to try out some of their products. For those of you who read my blog you will notice that I do not work with other companies a lot however I was intrigued by To Save.

TOSAVE.com is an online e-commerce company that offers a ton of different products in a variety of categories. The product lists includes clothes, beauty, electronics, computer accessories, video games, iPhone accessories, pretty much anything you can think of. They offer free shipping on most products and the prices are very competitive.

I had lots of fun scrolling through all of the beauty items, there were so many unique items to choose from. I ended up with 2 colored cosmetic products and 3 different beauty tools. Check out my review below:

5 Pan Glitter Eyeshadow Palette $3.23

I have really been wanting to try out a pressed glitter eyeshadow however a lot of the palettes that are out in the market are huge and contain shades that I know I won't use. I really didn't want to shell out over $25 for a pressed palette so I was over the moon to see that To Save has a lot of glitter palettes that are on the smaller side. I absolutely loved this palette. The glitter shades were gorgeous and were easy to use. I applied some glitter eyeshadow primer and pressed the glitter on top. It looked fabulous. Definitely a fun product. 

15 Pan Eyeshadow Palette $6.52

I chose this eyeshadow palette because the colors just screamed "SUMMER" to me. The first thing I noticed, once the palette arrived, was that the colors could easily pass for a dupe of the Natasha Denona Sunset Palette. Unfortunately the majority of the eye shadows in this palette weren't heavily pigmented and looked lackluster when actually applied on my eyelid. There were maybe 2 or 3 shades that were heavily pigmented and applied smoothly. I am on the fence about the palette. The price point was great so I am happy that I tried it. There are definitely some nice shades in the palette that I can use but some will go untouched.   

Silicone Eyeshadow Stamp $2.57

I had been looking for a silicone eyeshadow stamp since I saw the viral video posted by Professional make up artist Jack Nogueira. She is the creator of the original shadow stamp, which retails for around $107, and makes it look so easy to use. I tried out this stamp multiple times and just could not get it to work for me. My eyeshadow would just stay on the stamp and would not transfer onto my eyelids. As much as I wanted to love this product I was pretty disappointed. 

Eyeshadow/Eyeliner Sticker Stencils $1.19

This was another product that I was super excited to test out. This was actually the first product that caught my eye on the To Save website. The pack contained a variety of stencils to help you create unique liner and shadow looks. I tried this product a few times and eventually realized that I just have to much eye real estate to make these work. The stencils were easy to apply but they are meant for people with smaller eyelids. I literally have doe like eyes.  

Silicone Mask Applicator  $0.99

I picked up this mask applicator after my current one broke and honestly its great. It does what it is suppose to do and makes face mask application so easy. 

Overall I was very happy with the product variety and quality of the items from To Save. If you are looking for some unique products I would highly recommend checking ToSave.com out.