The weather is just so nice today, I had to post something fall themed. I was helping a customer load her purchases into her car early this afternoon and it was so breezy and nice out that I didn't want to go back inside! I think the high was in the low 80's - if that - and the low is supposed to be in the 50's! I want to open all the windows in the house and bake a pie and burn all of my pumpkin spice candles...Okay, I'm getting a little carried away, but you get my excitement...right?

Because I'm feeling inspired, here are some of the palettes that I'm getting a whole lot of use out of as a whole this autumn.

And don't judge my messy palettes...

Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Green With Envy - I find myself drawn to warmer tones than usual in the fall and khaki and olive tones are very in right now. This has a great mix of both neutral and green shades and its great for a whole bunch of different looks! I have a review for this palette here. 

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette - This one has the same mix of neutrals and green tones as the previous palette, but I find the formula of this one to be incredible. I get a lot of use out of this year round, but its definitely getting some extra love right now.

Too Faced Matte Eye Collection - While this palette has the least amount of warmer tone options than the others that I've chosen, I find this one very fall appropriate because of the saturation of the colors. Everything is subdued and not to bright and is really autumn appropriate. I particularly like the top row for a fall matte look.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Obviously I wear this one all year round, but since Naked is much browner and warmer than Naked 2, I tend to pick this one up more often in the fall months. I've found myself reaching for Toasted, Darkhorse and Smog a whole lot already...and can we look at how sad Sin is? GONE.

Lorac Pro Palette - Again, with the Naked Palette, I wear this all year round. However, shades like Deep Purple, Sable and Garnet (everyone and their mother has been using this shade for fall!) really make for saturated, beautiful autumn looks! I reviewed this earlier this year right here. 

I think I'm down to three more categories - and two needing revisions thanks to new acquisitions! Keep your eyes peeled, because if this weather keeps inspiring me, those should be up in a jif! 

Review - Darling Girl Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Bad Ash

Due to my immense luck this year, the two items that I really liked from the Darling Girl "Oh The Horror" Halloween collection were sent to me as samples in my last haul! I was so excited! I've had a bunch of fall shadow shades to sort through and review in the past month or so, so I was finally able to get this one tested out today!

I received this shade as a free sample with my last order as well as Razzles Spectral Shift, which I should be reviewing ASAP.

The swatch on the right is dry while the one on the left is applied with water (not a mixing medium). Darling Girl's website describes Bad Ash as a "Bold pearly copper with red tones loaded with color shifting aqua sparkles". Its a somewhat burnt orange shade without being too overly orange with really cool blue sparkles in it. Applied dry, it is true to color and applies opaque and beautifully, while when applied wet it takes on a bit of a golden sheen, but maintains the blue sparkle as well. I wore this shade as my lid shade today with Urban Decay Sin allover and Urban Decay Toasted in the crease. It was a nice, warm, fall look without being something run of the mill. 

What I Like - 

This shade was super easy to work with. Very minimal fallout for a pigment, and no random glitter fallout whatsoever - so that was really nice. It has a sheen when applied dry and without mixing medium, so its not a step that you need to take. You can work without it. I personally really enjoyed how unique this shade was as a whole. You don't often find a shade that's nearly orange with blue sparkle in it just anywhere - that's what I like about indie cosmetic brands.

What I Don't Like - 

I really can't recall an issue that I had with this - and I'm happy about that! Darling Girl Cosmetics is a company that I return to time and time again because the products are not only unique, but they are of great quality for a very palatable price!

I will say, there has definitely been an influx of positive reviews lately on this website and its not because I've done all to much research on my purchases as I usually do; there are just some really great products available on the market right now, which is a great feeling.

I've said it once and I'll say it again - just because a brand is lesser known (or available) or independent, does not mean that it is of lesser quality. Darling Girl Cosmetics proves every time that they are one of the best, and this product was no different.

10/10 - This is a really fun, unique fall shade and I would recommend it!

Review - L'Oreal Limited Edition Color Riche La Laque in Never Laque-ing

Tracking down limited edition collections (minus the Maybelline Fall Fashion Week collection which was EVERYWHERE) in the Orlando area this year has been a royal pain in my tush. It took me forever to haul all of the shades I wanted from the L'Oreal La Laque and Le Matte collection, and I'm still on the lookout for a good three different Revlon collections and the new Maybelline Color Tattoos - though due to a recent personal victory, I've been able to find the Maybelline Shine Elixirs! I only picked up one, but after trying it just once, I want ALL OF THEM.

Leave it to me to get totally off topic. Long story short, It took me forever to find this particular shade - but after I tried Laquer-ized, I knew I needed this one too.

I described the packaging and it's implications in my review of Laquer-ized (click here!)

One thing I've noticed about the La Laques versus the Le Mattes is that the tip of the lipstick bullet gets duller much quicker. After a few uses the Le Mattes still have a touch of a point to them, while the La Laques are pretty much rounded after one swatch or wear.

Never Laque-ing is the most wearable shade for day to day out of the La Laque range. Its a muted rosey pink that pulls somewhat cool toned. Its nice and opaque in one go, and I didn't have any issue trying to build it up. As with Laquer-ized, I had really no trouble with this one wearing off on me and I only needed to reapply after dinner - but hey, that Roasted Chicken with Pineapple Pico de Gallo was YUMMY! These are the kind of lip products that I appreciate - ones that get me through whole work days or outings without be having to be at a mirror worrying about my lipstick all day.

What I Like:

After I realized how much I loved this formula, I really wanted one that I could wear on more regular basis. Never Laque-ing has become a pretty great staple in my makeup kit, especially for fall! The wear time is really what gets me with this. If I leave it at home or in my bag, I'm still good!

What I Don't Like:

My only complaint about the La Laques as a line is the price; You're getting less product than anaverage lipstick for a higher price.

I'm actually really kind of bummed out that these are limited edition. Maybe L'Oreal will take note of how popular these were and how quickly they sold out and make them permanent? In a perfect world...

10/10 - I can't get enough of these!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Patina.

One of these days I'll get around to posting a photo of my MAC Pro Palette - maybe when I fill it up - but we're in total cool toned status here. I feel like a majority of my MAC eyeshadows are taupe-y or cooler toned, so I'm in desperate need to bring some warmth into it.

Patina was a shade that I never really looked into - which in hindsight is a total shame because its actually quite stunning! It also, thank goodness, is a venture into some warmer toned MAC shadows - so my palette can be that much more well rounded.

I'm quite enjoying buying pro palettes - $10 is definitely a bit more palatable than $15!

MAC describes Patina as a "Taupe brown with golden pearl" and that it has a Frost finish. If you were to take a taupe and mix it with an almost greenish antiqued brown, you would get Patina. The finish is what I've come to expect from MAC Frost eyeshadows; good pigmentation with a strong sheen, but no chunkiness. Its less dense than a Veluxe Pearl but has a similar sheen. 

The thing that really shines about this shadow is how unique it is. It isn't a run of the mill shade that you're going to have a whole lot of dupes for in your collection already. Its not quite taupe but not quite gold at the same time, and for that reason, it plays very well with others. I've paired this with at least half of the shades in my MAC Palette, layered it over different bases, etc. and it always just brings something new to the table. 

What I Like:

Patina is unique; I'm trying to fill up my MAC palette to be a one and done palette that has everything I need - but that sometimes makes me feel silly to be spending almost twice the money for a browbone shade, etc.- but with Patina, I wasn't able to find anything quite like it anywhere else. Its a good addition to my palette for that reason. I also liked that the frosted sheen wasn't all too chunky.

What I Don't Like;

I actually found myself quite satisfied with Patina. Its far more flattering on my cool toned skin than I anticipated, and I'm already getting a whole lot of use out of it.

I overlooked this shade for so long because I just assumed that it wouldn't be all to flattering on me. Turns out I was quite incorrect! Patina isn't one of those shades that looks all too unique in the pan, but rather one that you need to swatch - the underlying tones make this one a really unique offering from MAC and something that can definitely hold it's own!

10/10 - I would recommend this shade!

My Picks for Fall - Blush!

I'm going to be honest here - I don't really own a whole lot of "fall appropriate" blushes. I tend to be a bit intimidated by some of them, as it's no secret that I'm quite fair skinned. My collection is growing, but I tend to be very picky when it comes to deeper toned blushes.

I don't have a lot to share with you for this category, but out of my collection, these are the ones that I'm drawn to for fall!

The top row, from left to right are - 

- Stila Convertible Color in Peony - This is a very neutral shade, but it does have a good touch of mauve in it as well - which makes it more than your average nude blush.

- NARS Sin - We already knew I was going to choose this, duh. I reviewed this here.

- Milani Fantastico Mauve - I really like this one because it has a touch of brown in, which saves it from pulling to red on my redness prone skin. Not to mention, its really pretty to look at in the pan.

And the bottom row, from left to right are - 

- Darling Girl Cosmetics DuoChrome Blush in Purple Haze - Look at that pigmentation! Holy crap! However, this can definitely be sheered out to a reddened purple tint. I've reviewed here.

- Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine - The beauty of this blush is it's sheerness. It has a translucent pinky berry shade that makes a wonderful fall cheek for fairer skin.

- NARS Seduction - I had to have this; I don't even care about how fair skinned I am. Its a perfect berry shade without being to red looking against my skin. I apply this with a duo fiber brush for a sheerer application. I've reviewed this here.

My goal for this fall is to build my blush collection for the "cooler months". It almost feels like a joke saying that, as it is literally in the high 80s-low 90s here today. C'Mon Florida...

Stay tuned - we've got a couple categories left!

Review - Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac

The first Urban Decay product that I ever purchased was a single eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy a few years back. I still have it, but oh man - the fallout. Since then, Urban Decay has reformulated their eyeshadows - which alleviates this issue a bit - but at the same time, as my makeup skills have grown I've found that I don't deal with fallout quite as badly as I used to - so I'm not running scared when I see glitter in an eyeshadow anymore. Thank goodness, because I can definitely appreciate some glitter.

When these shadows were released, Zodiac was the standout of the group in my eyes. And well, you'll see why.

The Moondust Eyeshadows are housed in the same packaging as the regular eyeshadow, but it is a lighter reflective silver, rather than the gunmetal silver. They contain the same amount of product and retail for $2 more at $20.

The Moondust Eyeshadows also have the function to pop them out and put them in an Urban Decay Palette. I'm contemplating depoting these completely as I did with my remaining Urban Decay Eyeshadows to put them in one of my MAC palettes for better accessibility and storage, but I'm wondering if it would harm the eyeshadow as it isn't quite as dense as an average shadow. I'm still mulling it over.

One thing I'd like to note is that I used a mixing medium (ELF Lock and Seal) on a brush and put it straight into the product. I started at an edge to see if it would create a hard seal at the top and it did not. I don't know if it is the shadow, the mixing medium or both, but it made it easier to work with.

The left swatch is dry while the right is wet - with water rather than a mixing medium. (When I wore this on the eye, I used the ELF Lock and Seal). The color description for this one via Sephora  is a mouthful - it is a "smoky black with blue green shift and blue green 3-D sparkle". I wouldn't say that this has the blackest of black bases, but its a quite smokey, blackened green shade with glitter when applied dry. When applied wet, the sheen is more apparent, and pulls to the more green side of "blue green". The glitter particles are primarily silver, with hints of nearly silver blue and an almost golden green.

When I applied this, I started with using the color dry with a rounded, but still dense brush (a la ELF C Brush) allover the lid. I then took a flat, stiff brush dipped in ELF Lock and Seal and picked up a generous bit of product and patted it on my lid. There was much less fallout than I anticipated, but it does bear mention that you might want to save your face makeup for last with this one. It foiled to a really glittery, reflective finish and I was SUPER pleased with it.

Overall - 

Pros:

- Highly reflective/glittery finish when used wet.

- Smokier when used dry.

- Pigmentation dry was better than I expected...pigmentation wet was phenomenal.

Cons:

- Take care in application, as fallout is inevitable, just not as awful as I anticipated.

I really like Zodiac. It applies easily for the type of product it is and it was just incredibly pretty. Given how well this one performed, I'm interested in trying Diamond Dog, Glitter Rock and Space Cowboy in the future!

9/10

September Favorites!

I've been so great and timely with my favorites posts for the last several months, so the fact that I'm a couple days late this month is pretty indicative of the month of September as a whole. I blinked somewhere around the 7th and it was already October. I'm honestly excited. I'm breaking out all the fall makeup and jewelry and candles - everything but clothes because its still in the high 80s/low 90s here, and probably will be until the end of this month. I'm ready for pumpkin scented everything and sweaters and dark lips. Emphasis on the sweaters - C'mon Florida! Lets try to have some cooler weather this year...

I've compiled some of the things I've been loving this month, and a majority of them are newfound favorites!

Eyes - 

Oy...

- Maybelline The Rocket Volum Mascara - I liked this a lot more than I anticipated, given the short bristled brush. It really does provide great volume.

- NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk - I don't know why I included this in eyes, because I HATE this as an eyeshadow base. It creases in record time on me, no matter how I use it. I should have included this in with cheek products, as I've been wearing this as a highlight on my cheekbones, blending it into my foundation. Yes, I'm that pale.

- NYX Smokey Palette - The whole palette itself isn't a complete hit for me, but I LOVE the right side of it. I wore the taupe as a crease/transition color and the blue as a lid color (as well as a little MAC Satin Taupe for a little help...) and it was probably one of my favorite looks this month. The white is incredibly pigmented as well. The left side is still workable, but it didn't blow me away.

- Darling Girl Nerpette - I'm really feeling colors like this lately, and DG has notoriously great shadows so it was a win in my book.

- Darling Girl Teenage Dream - I really liked this as a middle of the lid shade to bring some definition. I don't have anything quite like it either. Its not too pink, nor too lavender. Very unique.

- Wet N Wild Soldiers in Charms - This performs on par with Wet N Wild's permanent line, and its one of those "neutral but not neutral" trios. Love it.

- Rimmel Scandaleyes in Deep Blue - This is just dark enough to be an almost black shade. I wore it in the waterline with the look I did with the NYX Smokey palette and it was anything but tacky.

- Urban Decay Zodiac - I can't describe how pretty this is. And how happy I was about the fact that there was much less fallout with this than I was anticipating.

Lips -

- MAC Viva Glam Gaga - I actually, after doing a WHOLE lot of research and searching, bought this on Ebay this month. I'm glad I did, because I was kicking myself for not picking it up when it was readily available. 

- Maybelline Flash of Pink - Definitely the most wearable shade from the Maybelline Fall Fashion Week Collection, so I've definitely been getting a lot of wear out of it. I've reviewed this here.

- Maybelline Iced Chocolate - I'm really liking this gloss formula, can you tell? Its a really great nude on my skin.

- L'Oreal Laquerized - I'm blown away by how great this is. Bold color and a great formula. I've reviewed this here. 

- Coconut and Papaya Lip Balm by Pier 1 - I got a pack of four of these on clearance not too long ago. They're actually incredibly moisturizing!

Cheeks - 

- Clinique Mocha Pink - I've been really feeling neutral blushes lately, and this is the one I've been reaching for out of the bunch. Its a touch browner than MAC The Perfect Cheek and Tarte Exposed. I've reviewed this here.

- NYX Taupe Blush - Finally, right? I understand the hype now.

Face - 

- CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation - I actually really like this. It has a thin consistency but still has great coverage and applies really, really well. It doesn't cause my skin to get more oily than usual either, which is always the struggle.

Brushes - 

- Target Up and Up Eyeshadow Brush -  The crease brush by Target is actually incredible, so I decided to try this. Lo and behold, this one is great too. I'm totally okay with that.

- Ulta Crease Brush - I purchased this as part of a set in the springtime - thus the mint green brush - but this brush has the perfect density to blend out harsh lines or place bold crease colors.

- Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush - While I love this brush for eyeshadow, I've been loving it even more to buff in my concealer. Its like the brand's buffing brush for my undereyes!

Fragrance - 

- Victoria's Secret Enchanted Nights - This fragrance is going to be one of my favorites for fall. Its sultry and sexy and it makes me feel pretty - its a mix of coconut flower and sandalwood. You had me at the sandalwood.

- Victoria's Secret Bombshell Forever - I like that this fragrance is fruity without being too overly fruity. Its like a grown up fruity - this one is a mix of boysenberry, lavender flower and pampelwood.

Skin - 

- Freeman Facial Anti-Stress Mask Dead Sea Minerals - If it says anti stress on it, I'll buy it. I needed that this week. This made my skin look and feel clean and radiant - and its bright blue!

Better late than never, right? I've got an extra day this month. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! Thanks for your patience, guys! Have a lovely October!