IT'S HERE! Lorac has literally become a game changing brand in the beauty community in a record amount of time. Across the board, the brand really does offer a lot of great products - but the PRO Palette range is what ignited I think really ignited that hype. Long story WAY short - in terms of pigmentation, variety and value; Lorac's PRO palettes are really a product range that I believe in.

Given the hype in the beauty community regarding the original Lorac Pro Palette, when Lorac's social media started the announcements for the Lorac Pro Palette 2, the hype went through the roof! I can definitely admit that when I saw Lorac's first instagram announcement I wend a little buck wild. Do you remember Tom Cruise's couch surfing escapade on Oprah??? - Which was in 2005, by the way. Nearly TEN years ago now! What the?? - My reaction may have mirrored his...just a tad.

What differs the Lorac Pro Palette 2 from the original is the color composition. The original was about 99% neutral, whereas the Pro Palette 2 is more of a 50/50 blend of neutrals and pops of colors. The great thing is, just as the original, it is set up in the same "top row of mattes, bottom row of shimmers" outline - and the allure of this palette really stems from the choices the brand made as to which shades are matte and vice versa.

Musings aside, I'd like to share my review and swatches of the palette alongside my general...well? Fangirling. That would pretty much cover it.

The Lorac PRO Palette 2 is housed in the same packaging as the original PRO Palette - a very thin, sleek magnetized palette made out of heavy duty cardboard. Inside is a mirror that takes up about 80% of the lid. I find storage for the PRO Palettes very easy since they are so thin - I stack my large palettes in a letter organizer and these take up very little space.

As with the original, the PRO Palette 2 contains a top row of 8 matte shades and a bottom row of 8 shimmer shades. The palette retails for $42 and for 16 shade it would be like spending less than $3 for each eyeshadow.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for - THE SWATCHES.

From left to right - Buff, Lt. Brown, Cool Gray and Nectar

 Buff - Don't let the photo fool you, because this shade has PHENOMENAL pigmentation for such a light shade. It's just literally the actual color of my skin, maybe with a smidgen more yellow. This was a wonderful browbone shade, neutralizing redness in the lid shade and I actually even used this to set my undereye concealer in a pinch. #dontjudgeme

Lt. Brown - This is one of those iconic transition shades and it has a wonderful texture. It is warm enough to not pull ashy, but isn't one of the warmest of the transition shades that I've worked with. It was a pleasure to apply.

Cool Gray - This shade looks MUCH more gray in the pan and conversely much more brown on the skin; I think that's why I like it so much. I'm just going to go ahead and call this one more of a matte taupe because it truly does have a taupe's dimension to it. Strong pigmentation but a very blendable texture led to me using this in the crease a LOT.

Nectar - Where my pale girls at? This shade literally has me swooning. Lorac could charge me nearly the full price of the palette for this shade alone - not really, but...kinda... - if you have fair skin, this will be your favorite transition shade forever and ever, amen. End of story.

From left to right - Plum, Navy, Charcoal and Black

 Plum - This shade is a warm aubergine; and a phenomenally executed one at that! Purple shades are already hard to master and when you throw a matte texture into the mix, things get even further complicated. Apparently, Lorac knows how it's done because this is perf!

Navy - If any shade is going to help me overcome my deep-seated fear of blue eyeshadow, it'll potentially be this one. If you refer to the swatch, let me inform you. That's one swipe. No building or blending to even it out. There is magic at play here...

Charcoal - Charcoal is Cool Gray's "cooler" sister, surprisingly. If you take Cool Gray and lean it a bit more gray, and darken it up just a tad - you'll have Charcoal. Not as universally usable for every single look under the sun as Cool Gray was, but very close.

Black - Are you sure? I wouldn't call this one a true black; rather more of a smokey, blackened brown. The lack of inkiness doesn't detract from the texture - it still is an amazing (yet not aptly named) shade and is perfectly smokey.

From left to right - Snow, Beige, Rosé and Mocha

 Snow - Holy Guacamole! This was one swipe! Snow is just that - a pure, frosted snow white with phenomenal pigmentation.

Beige - This shade suffers from the inability to photograph well - this one is a true sand beige color and applies much better than the photograph would imply. Because it is fairly neutral toned, it makes a wonderful all over lid shade with a whole lot of different looks.

Rosé - The rose gold hype is still alive and well so it does not surprise me that this shade was included. Rosé photographs a bit warmer and golder than it truly is, but it definitely is one of those shades that transforms to fit with whatever it is paired with.

Mocha - I feel like I don't appreciate this shade as much until I start playing with it. Mocha is a warm brown with a bronze-y golden frost to it and the warmth of it really pairs it with a lot.

From left to right - Chrome, Silver, Jade and Cocoa

Chrome - Ah, Chrome. This shade might be up there in my list of top taupes of all time. Literally, this is what I think when I hear the word taupe.

Silver - Let me just start by saying that this shade does have phenomenal pigmentation...its just not too great of a shade for me personally. Since I have pale blue eyes, I feel like all light, cool toned silver shades turn too baby blue on my skin unless I apply them with a very specific look. Great execution, just my personal preference gets in the way of this one.

Jade - When I first saw the promo photos, this was the shade that stuck out to me. We all know how I love my olive greens - and while this is a cooler toned take on the shade, I still do really enjoy it.

Cocoa - This is the kind of shade I've been wearing a lot lately - I've been doing a lot of super smokey looks with really saturated brown shades and it translates very well to my skin. This is going to be another shade that's perfect for just that, and the golden shimmer adds a nice bit of interest to it.

Overall, my opinion of the Lorac PRO Palette 2 is VERY positive. I feel like in terms of the shades that were included, that they work together quite well but are still a very unique grouping of choices - especially with the pops of color. It has unexpected shades, but not ones that you're worried about how to use them with the rest of the palette. The pigmentation, in my opinion is on par with - and potentially even better - than the original Lorac PRO; the mattes seem more buttery and the shimmer shades have even stronger pigmentation than the already phenomenal formula. The only issue that I can gather is the amount of fall out with this palette. I will say that, in terms of both the mattes and shimmers, the high level of pigmentation does lend itself a bit to causing fallout - which was not something I encountered with the first palette. Otherwise, I'm finding it of utmost difficulty to find a complaint about this palette. It is wonderfully executed as well as forward thinking in terms of color selection.

I purchased mine (on the release date because I'm "dedicated" or "obsessed") from Ulta and it is still listed as available on their website!

My Favorite Products of 2013!

So right before the New Year - as if there wasn't a singlemost worse time for it to happen - my computer broke. Like broke, broke; snapped hinge, exposed wires, won't turn on, no mishandling and definitely not old enough to be that kind of wear and tear. Long story short, right before the spring semester is set to begin and when I have SO much content to post here...I'm stuck with a very expensive paperweight that will definitely get a good bit more expensive if it doesn't want to stay a paperweight, if you know what I mean. I spent a majority of that night in hysterics and now I'm just equal parts sad and angry.

The good thing is, that my sister has been kind enough to share her computer with me so I can get work/blogging done until mine is able to be fixed (and please send me good thoughts and prayers that it actually can be fixed) so I'm not a total and complete loss...though I've never tried to upload blog content from my phone, doing homework from a smartphone is definitely a pain in the rear end.

Basically, this fiasco is definitely indicative of my 2013 as a whole. It can only get better, right?

Now that I've whined and whined about my life - onto what you are obviously here for; these are the products that were total game changers for me in 2013!

 Eyes -

I'm fairly certain that the LORAC Pro palette is on everyone's favorites list this year, but for good reason. This palette got a lot of love from me this year (as you can very well see - so messy!) because it is of wonderful quality and is incredibly versatile! I reviewed this here.

 - Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - I've used this to death since I picked it up earlier this year. I can wear it by itself or under literally anything and I'm almost all the way through it! I reviewed this here.

- Milani Shadow Eyez in Champagne Toast - I have rather oily eyelids, so using a shadow base along with a primer is usually standard for me. Milani's formula is bulletproof and this shade is perfect - a slightly rosy champagne. I've already purchased a backup... I have a review of this shade here.

- MAC Satin Taupe - There is a lot of hype around this shade, and for good reason. It has an excellent texture and pairs well with almost anything.

- MAC Copperplate - Most of you probably expected this, as it was probably one of my most used crease shades of 2013. MAC's Matte ^2 texture is incredible! I've reviewed this one here.

- MAC Phloof! - This shadow has been my favorite inner corner and highlighting lid shade of the year. It has so much more dimension than you would expect by just looking at it in the pan!

- MAC Shale - Shale is one of those multi-dimensional shades that, like Satin Taupe, pair well with almost everything. I've reviewed this one here.

- Urban Decay Laced - I was ecstatic when I found out this was going to be a permanent shade. Laced works well as a base, lid shade, whatever you need it to be. I love it. I reviewed this one here.

- Urban Decay Sin - I used this literally to death in my Naked Palette, so I definitely needed a new one. Sin is nearly part of my everyday makeup bag.

Brows:

- Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette - I'm not too keen on the pencil side of this; the texture is not up my alley. But since I've been using this brow gel my brows have thanked me. I'm too cheap to try Anastasia's brow gel just yet, and since this is the only tinted brow gel on the drugstore market, I'll have to make due with a pencil that I don't necessarily like. Oh well.

- Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown - This is my holy grail brow product. I go through about three or four a year...'Nuff said. I've reviewed this here.

Lips:

- MAC Cremesheen Glass in Deelight - Are we going to just act surprised here? This is probably my most used lip product of all time. It simply goes with everything. I've reviewed this here.

- MAC Lavender Whip - I'm not going to lie; when the Baking Beauties collection was released, I basically stalked my local MAC Stores/Counters to make sure I got this. Great call, too. This shade is incredibly flattering on my very fair skin. I reviewed this here.

- MAC Diva - Diva has definitely been my go-to red lipcolor this year...and not to mention, my sister's as well. She liked this one so much that I had to refuse to let her steal mine anymore and forced her to buy her own! My review for this lipstick still stands as my most popular post on this blog. 

- MAC Viva Glam II - I've finally found the nude shades that flatter me, and this is one of them. The other day, I had an adorable older Brazilian woman in my store who had to know what lipstick I was wearing. Needless to say, I sent her to MAC to get this one. From what I could gather in my broken Portuguese, she thought it looked lovely on my "very white skin". That made me smile! I've reviewed this here.

- MAC Blankety - Again with the nude shades, huh? Its been a year for nude lips for me, apparently. This is also one of my favorites, thanks to the strong pink tones to this.

- L'Oreal Fairest Nude - I understand the hype now. This is on of my favorites and a great drugstore option! I've reviewed this here

- OCC NSFW - This is a newer addition to my collection, but OCC Lip Tars really do live up to what everyone says! I wore this on Halloween as part of my Ursula costume and it lasted all night!

Cheeks:  

- NARS Sin - I don' know why it took me so long to get this shade. Its just as pretty to wear as it is to look at! I've reviewed this here. 

- Illamasqua Katie - The fact that I haven't hit pan on this yet is probably a miracle. Whenever I don't know what to wear, this is it. It literally goes with everything.

- NARS Albatross - I get so many compliments on this shade when I wear it. Between the pigmentation and the longevity of it, this has to be one of my favorite illuminators. 

- MAC Full of Joy - I missed out on this in the spring of 2013, so I basically stalked my local CCO's until I found this one. It's a lavender blush...that's all that matters.

Face: 

- MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC15 - This may be cheating just a bit, but since I purchased this in November it has been a total game changer in my makeup routine. Its quick and has great coverage and layers very well. Given how often I use this, it will soon be a repurchase.

Skin:

- Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips - These changed everything for me. No more Biore for me; these perform so much better that I use them only half as often!

Brushes: 

- Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush - The dome and density of this brush make it definitely my most used blush brush of this year. I purchased this as part of a set and it was definitely a very pleasant surprise!

- Real Techniques Buffing Brush - I alternate between this brush and the next one i plan to mention in my daily foundation routine. There has been no splaying or loss of density in this brush and it works just as great as the day I purchased it. The size is great to get to smaller parts of my face, as well, such as under the eyes and around my brows.

- Sonia Kashuk Buffing Brush  - This brush is part of my daily foundation routine as well. The size of it makes it quick and easy to work with and it is a very sturdy, dense brush.

- Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Brush - I mainly use this brush on the lid, but it works well to blend out cream shadows in a pinch as well. This was part of the same set as the first brush I mentioned.

Nails: 

- Essie Shine of the Times - What I thought was a plain gold topcoat is actually one of the  most unique shades n my collection. What you choose to pair this with really transforms it.

- Essie Mochacino - I wore this on my toes several times this year. I love the understated shimmer to the shade; it makes it very different from the rest of the neutral polishes in my collection.

- Essie In the Cab-ana - If I received copious amounts of compliments on my nail polish, I was probably wearing this shade. Blues are usually not my game, but I ADORE this shade.

- L'Oreal Tea and Crumpets - I definitely purchased this shade for the name, but it is probably on eof the easiest nude shades to apply that I've ever used. One coat is all you need and it applies evenly and opaque.

2013 - when it comes to makeup - was definitely a year for nude lips, neutral eyes and glowy cheeks for me. This year, I definitely find myself already looking forward to bold lips (a la Radiant Orchid, maybe) and dramatic winged liner. Whatever comes, I'm excited for the new collections I'm seeing all over the place and can't wait to start reviewing! 

November Favorites!

It's here - my all time favorite time of the year! Between Christmas and my birthday and all the festivities, I simply just LOVE December!

If I'm going to be 100% transparent, I will say that November was a pretty good month for me. I've made some decisions in my life that have made me much happier and I'm feeling much better. Coincidentially, I've been wearing more makeup because I've actually wanted to put effort into..well, anything, so I'm glad to be back.

As the year is starting to round up and the weather is getting a bit cooler and drier, this is what I've  been loving.

Tools - 

- Forever 21 "Rad" Makeup Bag: My sister bought this for me when I saw it because it perfectly goes with the name of this blog. Its so cute, easy to clean and a pretty good size. I hold all of my daily skincare items in this one.

- EcoTools Custom Coverage Buffing Brush: This is my FAVORITE brush for powder foundation as of late. It is literally bluntly flat across the top and is a somewhat small brush, but I like to use it to tap powder foundation onto my face to minimize pores and then swirl to buff out.

- ELF Blush Brush: I never really reached for this a whole lot until recently, but I really like the precision that the smaller taper of this brush provides.

Eyes - 

- MAC Haux: This is a shade that I simply just haven't used a whole lot since I bought it, but I did a lot of looks with the next shadow that I will mention all over the lid and this in the crease and it was perfectly polished.

- MAC Phloof!: I originally bought this because my MAC palette was severely lacking a highlight shade, but I've been more often than not wearing this all over the lid or in the inner third of the lid. Its super pigmented, especially for such a light shade and I love it.

- Urban Decay Naked and Buck: I've jumped on the bandwagon of using these two shades through my brows. I use Buck to shape and lengthen and Naked to kind of blend everything together and make it look more natural.

- LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre Set: I reviewed these the other day, but I've been all about some sparkle lately, and these were surprisingly easy to work with. 

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded - I put off buying this for so long because I had a limited edition shade from a couple seasons ago called Barely Beige that is very similar. I gave in and got this one with a CVS coupon because its a bit pinker than Barely Beige...though Maybelline needs to stop recycling these names! Woah!

- Maybelline Illegal Lengths Waterproof Mascara: I have a love hate relationship with this mascara to say the least. It is a pain in the butt to remove and I think I can attribute that to the fact that I accidentally bought the waterproof - but I will say, I love the brush.

Lips -

- Rimmel Stay Glossy 3D Lip Gloss in Popcorn For Two: MAC had a Cremesheen Glass in the holiday collection that was a nude with a green shift to it, but this one has a much more pronounced shift. Not to mention, the texture of this gloss is wonderful!

- Holiday Chapstick in Gingerbread: Its been a while since I've used Chapstick, and I have no idea why! This one tastes great and festive and makes my lips feel great.

- Walgreens EOS Dupe in Sugar Cookie: This balm has a yummy, strong, caramel-y taste and in all honesty, I like the texture of this better than the real EOS balms. It has much more slip to it.

 - MAC Blankety: This was supposed to be in my favorites for last month, but I misplaced it. I found it in the depths of my lip gloss drawer - what the heck? - but I've been wearing this shade over and over. Its a perfect My Lips But Better brownish nude for my skin and I love it.

 - NARS Train Bleu: I did it...I finally got it. Just look at it. I. Am. In. Love.

Face - 

- Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Blush in Surrender: This was the first blush I ever wore on a regular basis, and it gives me unrealistically high expectations for mineral blushes. It is incredibly finely milled and silky and MAC Mineralized Blushes have nothing on this baby.

- MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC15: This has been a godsend this month. I've been wearing it alone with primer for a quick face, or with a light hand and a duo fiber brush as a setting powder (DON'T WHINE at me about using this as a setting powder, I know its not.)

Fragrance: 

- The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter: I've been wanting this for some time, so I'm glad I finally picked it up. Needless to say, I've made a dent already.

- Victoria's Secret Angel Dream: I love this fragrance. Its got a tart-ness to it that I just love on my skin.

I'm really excited about this month, in all honesty. I'm ready for holiday makeup and candles and birthday festivities. I just LOVE DECEMBER!

Review - LORAC Rockin' Red Hot 3D Liquid Lustre Set.

Not too long ago I was in Sephora stalking out some new holiday sets, of which there were none in stock - my closest Sephora is rather hit or miss in terms of having products in stock/providing good customer service - and honestly, when I saw the price of this set, I couldn't pass it up! For four mini-sized Liquid Lustres, this kit was only $28, which I found to be a great deal.

Perfect timing, too. All this sparkle is going to be so much fun for the holidays!

These are packaged in a glass container with a suction dropper at the top. The product with naturally separate - clear liquid toward the top and a high concentration of glitter toward the bottom - so they need to be shook before gathering product with the dropper.

The colors from left to right are: Diamond, Amethyst, Platinum and Topaz.

Diamond is the first shade in this kit and is the only one permanently available. LORAC describes the shade as a "white gold" which was pretty spot on. This one is definitely the most pigmented and glittery as well as my personal favorite. My favorite way to wear this was over MAC Phloof all over the lid with MAC Haux in the crease. 

Amethyst is the next shade in this set and in all honesty, its not ridiculously impressive. It is described as a taupe and it takes a little bit to be built up. It definitely doesn't have the power that Diamond does, but when layered over a frosted finish shadow, it does make it a bit more shimmery. I really like this over MAC Shale.

Platinum is described as a silver, but I really like that it has a gunmetal-y depth to it that makes it a bit more wearable (and keeps it from looking blue on my skin as a lot of silvers tend to do). This one had almost as much of a glittery texture as Diamond did.

Topaz is the last shade in the set and is described as a warm bronze, which is actually pretty spot on as well. Its not entirely gold, but it does have some strong, warm, almost orange tone to it. This one is really a chameleon and it really adapts to whatever you put it over.

The biggest things about these are that the are super  intimidating to look at the first time you use them. Not to say that they are difficult to use, because they definitely aren't, but looking at them you feel something along the lines of "what the heck do I do???". What works for me is to shake up the product and empty the dropper in to the mixture, then to refill the dropper. Then, place one drop on a palette or the back of your hand and spread it around a bit to make it slightly less liquidy. After that, I take my ring finger and dab the product onto my lid and layer it up to it's desired strength. 

I wore these on top of my normal eyeshadow routine - primer, creme base and shadow - and I didn't experience any wear issues. The one thing that I did notice, however, is that if you touch your eyes the product will transfer bit more easily than the average eyeshadow. Not necessarily a huge problem, but something to be aware of nonetheless.

What I like - These add a bit of something to almost any look, which makes them very versatile. They are also a heck of a lot easier to work with than I anticipated. I LOVE Diamond and I really like Topaz and Platinum.

What I don't like - Amethyst could have been a little more powerful. It's such a beautiful purple-y taupe that could have been a bit better.

Overall, I think this kit is a fantastic buy, especially for the price. I found mine at Sephora, but the last time I searched it wasn't on the website. I've heard rumors that it is available in ULTA, but it is for sure and for certain available on LORAC's website. I'd say these are a go, especially since the holidays are on their way!

My Picks for Fall - Eyeshadow Palettes!

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 - Lorac GLOgetter Palette - Ulta Exclusive

When it comes to using bright colors on my eyes, I have to admit that I'm not all too gutsy. I keep it as minimal as I can and always add a neutral in to keep the look in my comfort zone. Of course there are exclusions and I'm taking more risks with fabulous outcomes, but I'm a neutral eye/bold lip girl at heart. So you can understand why it took me 5 different looks to get this palette completely tested!

The Lorac GLOgetter palette is new for this summer from the brand and is exclusive to Ulta. Not only that, but it is a mere $20 for 10 shadows. Break that down and that's $2 per shadow, which is a deal that you just can't beat! The palette boasts a mix of neutrals and brights for the perfect summer palette.

As with most of Lorac's palettes, the casing itself is actually quite thin and sleek - a little longer than my cell phone and a touch thicker as well for comparison. Thank the makeup heavens because I need to save all the room I can! It securely snaps shut.

The shadows themselves are actually a decent size, as well as the two oversized base/highlight shades across the bottom. No wasted space, Lorac fit in as much product as physically possible - kudos!

The swatches - I have the shades swatched in order, even down to having the base/highlight across the bottom.

The left half of the palette contains:

- The first shade is a matte(ish) medium warm brown. Its not the mattest matte (oh lord) that you'll use but its not all too frosty. Theres an understated creaminess to it. It had great color payoff and was one of my most used shades of the bunch (shocker, right?), and usually in the crease. I thought it was funny that the description on Ulta's website said a "mix of 8 vibrant matte and shimmer shadows" because, erm, there's just one matte. Sneaky, sneaky. 

- The next shade is a lighter, golden brown with a frosted shimmer finish. The pigmentation was good, nothing to write home about, but it did a great job in toning a look that intimidated me down a bit. Its quite a dupable shade, but its a neutral and I'll obviously get use out of it.

- Ah coral. So far, I've yet to find a "true coral" that is as vibrant as I expected (Darling Girl Viva La Revolution doesn't count here, its more orange than coral for me) and this is no exception. Its a bit sheer when applied. Though, this shade is a bit closer to orange as well, it made a great base to help amp up DG Viva La Revolution - as if it needed it.

- The fourth shade is a teal blue and probably the shade that intimidated me the most. It has good color payoff, but as with the coral shade, does lose a bit of vibrance on the eye. I'm indifferent to the shade - this type of blue is not really something I'd be able to get a whole lot of use out of.

- Across the bottom is an Ivory highlight/base shade, which is actually pretty phenomenal! Its definitely a great brow highlight for me - it looks a lot like UD Virgin. It also has wonderful color payoff and is super buttery.

And the right half of the palette is:

- I had high hopes for this shade, the first part of the right half is a medium cornflower blue with some purple tones to it. It swatches rather stunning, however, when I applied it, it just sheered out so much and didn't even look like blue. Super bummer. Maybe with a white tacky base it would maintain true to pan color, but without it the shade was definitely a let down.

- Taupe. I don't need anymore taupe, but I'm sure as heck getting use out of this shade. Anything that I could pair this with, I did. It has great color payoff and works great as a base for a darker look or in the crease for something super subtle.

- The third shade is a minty turquoise, and it actually is rather great. If it was a true mint green I'd be floored, but as an all over lid shade you get the mint hues more than the blue. Very nice.

- Be patient with my attempt to describe this fourth shade. In the pan it just looks like a vibrant, medium purple, but when applied it is a slightly warm, medium violet with reddish pink tones and oh my goodness is it beautiful or what? Its definitely my favorite non-neutral in the bunch with great color payoff.

- The second highlight/base shade is average and along the lines to UD Sin. I don't hate it, but its not completely as pigmented as I'd liked.

Overall:

Pros:

- Sleek packaging.

- Great value.

- Mix of neutrals and brights.

- Shades that are usually used more are larger.

- Full lid mirror

Cons:

- Some shades were less than wonderful.

For me, this palette is not exactly a "must have" as I'm really drawn to neutrals, but it was an incredible deal. My major takeaways is that on the plus side, I ADORE the purple shade and the matte brown, taupe, turquoise, and left highlight shades were great, but pigmentation lacked on some shades that I expected to be total showstoppers. 

But I just really freaking like that purple.

7/10

Sometime this week I will be doing a comparison post of this and Too Faced's Summer option as well so keep your eyes open for that!

Top 5 Picks for Summer - Lipgloss

Its been quite a week around here! Phew! I'm trying my goshdarn hardest to even have time to sit in one place for more than 5 minutes so I can get at least a tiny bit of blogging accomplished. Tomorrow doesn't look like it will be all too crazy, so expect me to bang out a couple reviews for you guys then. In the meantime, I need to go to sleep!

Staying with our top 5 theme, these are my Top 5 Summer Lipglosses!

From left to right these are;

- Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Raspberry Reflections - This shade is a plummy fuchsia  that is nice and bright and fun. Will stain lips! I reviewed this not too long ago here.

- Lorac Lips With Benefits in Christian - This was part of the ULTA version of the Mint Edition Collection, and I reviewed the gloss after the palette. This shade is the perfect coral pink for my skin; basically because it is only a tiny bit coral. Very fun shade!

- Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby - The name says it all, Summer Baby is a golden pink that is perfect for the warmer months! I reviewed this earlier this week!

- Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Bonfire - A deeper option than Summer Baby this one makes me feel summery and sultry at the same time. Mine looks a little different, as it has a rollerball of Clinique Happy (LOVE IT!) on the other side! The shade is available for purchase by itself.

- Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Fashion Diva - This is a vivid violet shade with tons of glitter and is surprisingly wearable! I can tone it down for work and build it up for fun! It pairs very well with MAC Heroine!

For someone who doesn't wear gloss very often, I was able to choose these in a snap! I can't wait to get more wear out of these; c'mon summer!

What glosses are you guys wearing this summer?

Review - Lorac Mint Edition Collection (Ulta Version)

I feel like in my own personal shopping world, Ulta and Sephora are fighting tooth and nail for my money. Both have rewards programs that have redeeming qualities and carry a lot of the same brands; but then one will have a brand that the other lacks that I just really, really love (hello, NARS!) and the other will put out a 20% off coupon that, for once, is actually usable for prestige cosmetics. It bears mentioning, that the Ulta and Sephora Versions of this palette are different and that I purchased the Ulta version. *Sephora's version contains two more eyeshadows, a highlighter and a different lip gloss, but lacks the wristlet and retails for $6 more*

The Ulta version of the Lorac Mint Edition Collection retails for $36 (with my coupon and Ulta rewards I snagged this for $10 cheaper; which is why I went the Ulta route) and contains a palette with 6 eyeshadows and a blush, as well as a mint and silver wristlet and a Lips with Benefits lipgloss in the shade Christian (limited to this set)

The clutch has a base and wristlet of mint and has a silver chaining overlay. It is basically adorable; I can't wait to get use out of this. It is a touch smaller than my average wallet, but I've been meaning to update that for spring anyway. It is a good size for use as a makeup bag as well, but I just really don't want to get it dirty!

The palette itself is flat and compact in cardboard. It is also thin and sleek, just as the Lorac Pro palette was. The packaging is very cute; it looks like an envelope. 

The three matte shades are across the top row and the shimmer shades are across the bottom row. The blush is housed on the right side of the palette, vertically.

The three top row shades are 

- A matte cream. It is pale and cooler toned, but had great pigmentation and applied well on the eye. On my fair skin, it worked very well as a base as well as a subtle brow highlight.

- A matte medium beige. This shade reminded me a bit of UD Naked. It had good pigmentation, enough to use in the crease for a super subtle eye.

- A matte mint. This shade is basically meant to be the focus of the palette. It is quite beautiful and had good color payoff, but it was subtler on the eye. I used the cream shade as a base, the mint shade on the lid and the beige shade in the crease on Easter for a pastel look and it was one of my more subtle holiday looks. You can tell it is a mint green on the eye, but you're not going to be thinking "OMG MINT".

The bottom row shades are;

- A shimmery opal.  It is pale, but it does have just a tough of lavender or taupe, depending on the lighting. The color payoff was phenomenal and it was a dream to work with.

- A cool toned taupe-y brown with microglitter. I love these kind of shades, because they aren't brown, but they aren't silver. It was more of a taupe that leaned a touch purple at times. It had great pigmentation, but the microglitter made for a little bit of fallout. Definitely not the worst I've run into, and it only happened in application.

- A shimmery aubergine. This shade had more brown tones than colors of the like in my collection, which set it apart. It had very good color payoff.

 

The blush is a shimmery pink coral. It had great pigment and didn't need a whole lot of work to apply or blend. The glitter is quite fine so I didn't have a huge problem with this accentuating my pores and it lasted on my oily skin for 6 hours before fading. There are, however, a whole bunch of similar shades to this blush.

The Lips With Benefits  gloss in Christian is very pretty to look at in the tube. It is a bright coral toned pink with a bit of champagne toned swirling throughout. After a few applications the swirling completely mixes with the gloss and is not separately visible. 

Christian, as mentioned above, is limited to this palette (even the Sephora palette has a different lipgloss) It is a bright pink with coral tones, and I am super excited that it was actually flattering on my very cool toned skin. The pink tones make it more wearable, and I feel like this is a shade that will be very flattering for the summer. The gloss itself had a thicker consistency, but was not at all sticky. It wore for about an hour and a half before fading and had the tendency to migrate to my liplines in application. The sheen faded quicker than the color, the color stuck around for about another half an hour.

Overall;

The eyeshadows:

Pros: 

- Mix of neutrals and colors.

- Day to day wearable.

- Soft buttery texture.

- Overall great color payoff.

- Mix of mattes and shimmers.

- Sleek packaging.

Cons:

- Taupe shade had a touch of glitter fallout.

- Mint shade could be a bit more intense.

8.5/10

The blush:

Pros: 

- Shimmery without accentuating pores.

- Great color payoff and blendability.

- Average to slightly above average wear time.

Cons:

- Quite dupeable shade.

8/10

The lipgloss:

Pros:

- Pink tones in the coral make it more wearable.

- Packaging is very good looking.

- Thick gloss without being sticky.

Cons:

- Short wear time.

- Showed lip imperfections, migrated to lip lines.

7/10 

For the impulse buy that it was, I'm quite pleased. I did have SUPER high hopes (almost unrealistic hopes) for the Mint shade, and while it was good, I feel like it could have been more vibrant. Maybe with a white base I can get more of the mint tones to stand out. Overall, Lorac has a great shadow formula on their hands already, the blush was actually really great, and the gloss was a shade my collection was lacking. And the wristlet, oh my goodness, I'm just so excited about how cute it is in general.

8/10

March Favorites!

I feel like this month just flew by! March was definitely a positive beauty month, so I was super excited to share some of the gems I stumbled across or re-discovered within the last month.

Face:

Milani  Even Touch Powder Foundation in Shell. I was searching high and low for a new setting powder recently, as I was basically just 100% fed up with ELF's translucent HD powder. This powder is a bit more opaque than what I was initially searching for, but since my skin has been in such rare form as of late, I can't say I really mind. It evens out my skin in conjunction with my foundation and doesn't leave my face cakey looking at all.

Cheeks:

- MAC Blush in Pink Tea (Satin) - I found this, as well as the next product, at a CCO earlier this week. One of the best CCO finds to date (and the luck didn't end there; I found Lightscapade earlier this week! I am the CCO queen this month!) I like this shade because it is just so wearable. Not too warm, but not too cool either and just makes my skin glow.

- MAC Blush in Full Of Joy (Frost) - If there was one product that I was kicking my own butt about missing out on, it was this one. When MAC launched Unconventional this last December I swooped it up, thinking that I no longer needed Full of Joy. Nope. Still needed it. Phenomenal pigmentation and wear + LAVENDER = A very, very happy me. I've already gotten so much use out of this.

- Clinique Soft Pressed Powder Blusher in Mocha Pink - I reviewed this earlier this week. I received this as part of a GWP, but it is sold separately in full size. Mocha Pink is a very flattering neutral toned blush that is almost impossible to overdo.

Eyes:

- Lorac Pro Palette - Reviewed here. I've bought into the hype of this product. It is really a flaless palette.

- Rimmel London ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Taupe.  - I reviewed this product last week. I've never come across such a unique liner. It adds such subtle definition to my eyes, without making them appear smaller. I love it!

Lips:

- Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids Lipstick in Brazen Berry - This is one of those shades that leans a little bold, but still has good wearability. The review for this product is here. 

- Stila Lip Glaze in Lilac - I reviewed this last month. This shade is probably why I purchased the Flower Power trio to begin with.

Nails:

- L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Lacquer in Safari Chic - L'Oreal has a phenomenal nail polish formula, and this shade was on my nails for a majority of March.

- Essie Maximilian Strasse Her - I knew I had to have this shade when Essie announced their spring collection. It is a stunning grayish mint and one of the more unique polishes in my collection.

Misc:

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes - I received these about a week ago through Influenster, and I'm already getting a whole lot of use out of them. I have them stashed everywhere; my purse, my bathroom, my car. They're great!

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (Mild) - I used to use this cleanser on the daily in high school, so I'm happy to have it back in my hands. It is great for days where I'm finding just a touch of dryness popping up on my skin, because it keeps the rest of the oil on my face at bay, without drying out the drier patches.

Victoria's Secret Heartbreaker - Bergamot. Everyone is doing Bergamot this season and I'm totally okay with it. This is a mix of Honeysuckle, Bergamot and Vetiver and it really does make me feel like a total heartbreaker when I wear it.

- Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush - I don't know if I've even thought to use this the crease, but it is the BOMB for applying less than pigmented shadows (or just pigmented shadows for intense color payoff) on the entire lid. I'm constantly having to spot clean this one.

- Bath and Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitizers in Island Margarita and Aloha Orchid - If you could see my collection of these, you would be shocked. I'm a sucker for seasonal collections, and B&BW is definitely on top of those. I've been using Island Margarita (lime and nectarine) and Aloha Orchid (Papaya, guava, strawberries, orchid and musk). It may not feel like spring yet, but I sure smell like spring. 

I love those months where I can't wait to post my favorites; It keeps things interesting! What were you all loving this March?