I really don't understand how I manage it. Both of my CCO trips this summer, I was able to find not only something that I wanted to get my hands on, but that was also part of the permanent range - but cheaper! And last time I scored not one, but two permanent range items - Shale and Nightmoth! I was super excited as both of them had been on my wishlist for quite some time now!

When I picked up Shale, while I thought it was wonderful, I had NO idea how much use I would end up getting out of this shade - turns out, it basically works with almost anything!

Shale is described by MAC as a "mauve plum with subtle shimmer" with a satin finish. Its so complex of a shade, but I commend MAC on being so spot on with the description. I does, however, have a slight taupey quality to it, which makes it a non neutral take on a neutral so to speak. If you are to pair this with, say - purples or silvers, you're going to see it appear more to the mauvey purple side; whereas if you are to pair this with something more browner or more taupe - I wore it with Satin Taupe today - Shale is going to transform into something more neutral and wearable. This makes it a total workhorse of a shade.

It doesn't feel like the average Satin finish to me as it has a bit more shimmer than I'm used to in a Satin - it felt more along the lines of a frost; good but not super buttery pigmentation and a sheen rather than any kind of glitter.

Speaking of pigmentation, its pretty great - not approaching Veluxe Pearl territory, but does anything really? I have no problem getting the color payoff I want and it blends really well - something that surprised me as it is a purple-y shade.

Pros - 

- Unique Color; Works with a lot of different looks.

- Good color payoff.

- Blends very well.

Cons - 

- None! This one blew me away!

Overall I'm quite pleased with this one. I didn't anticipate it being such a staple in my palette, but I'm now finding that it is now one of those "I don't know what I'm going to pair with this so I'll just use this" shades. 

And really, those are the best.

10/10 - Unique and well executed? I'm going to have to recommend it!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Sumptuous Olive

I've probably had the best luck in terms of CCO finds this year. Anything that I've been lemming on getting my hands on, I've run into it. This time, however, I managed to find a product - part of the permanent range - that I literally almost purchased at the MAC store at full price earlier that day. I don't know why Sumptuous Olive was at my local CCO, but I'm not going to complain about it!

In case you were wondering - I finally depotted all of my MAC eyeshadows so I could put them in a palette. Half to save space, and half to have them all in one spot!

MAC describes Sumptuous Olive as a "khaki with pearl" with Veluxe Pearl finish. Its a medium olive green with strong gold tones. I really like this shade because the green to it makes for a flattering gold tone where other golds fail against my skin. I didn't have anything all too similar, but rather a whole lot of things that would work well with this. 

With this being the first Veluxe Pearl that I've tried, I can say I'm quite interested in trying more with the finish. It is buttery and pigmented - and feels a lot like a Urban Decay eyeshadow in formula. It applied very well and blended easily. I wore this over Urban Decay Sin with MAC Copperplate in the crease, and it ended up being a really nice take on a neutral eye with just a hint of color. In terms of wear time, I saw no problem whatsoever and it didn't fade or crease.

Overall;

Pros:

- Unique shade.

- Rich pigmentation.

- Blends well.

- Good wear time.

- Can be paired with a large range of colors.

Cons:

- None!

If all Veluxe Pearls are like this, sign me up! I'm totally loving this one and I can't wait to try more!

10/10 Recommended!

Review - Wet N Wild ColorIcon Bronzer SPF 15 in Reserve Your Cabana

Is it Friday yet? Because this hasn't exactly been my week. Between work being disappointingly slow and getting hit by sucky side effects from my medication and a (likely lack of caffeine induced) migraine yesterday, I couldn't get much of anything accomplished. Ugh!

On a lighter note, I picked up this "Bronzer" by Wet N Wild, which is really more of a highlighter - you'll see - and to put it lightly, its freaking awesome!

Drug facts are included on the back of the packaging, as this product contains SPF 15, as well as a Skin Cancer/Skin Aging warning (Thank You, Wet N Wild!).

The powder itself is embossed with the brand's name and a sun motif.

So the Reserve Your Cabana "Bronzer" really isn't much of a bronzer, but rather an incredibly pigmented highlighter. It does have warm tones to it, but not so incredibly warm that it looked unnatural against my skin - actually, rather the opposite. The powder is incredibly finely milled and soft, and the amount of pigmentation is spectacular. All I have to do is lightly dust a small, domed brush  to the surface and roll it across my cheekbones. 

One of my favorite things about this product is the natural finish to it. Yes, its incredibly pigmented - but it isn't all too frosty. Between the buttery texture and the fine sheen, it imparts such a believable sheen that I've probably reached for it a good 5 days out of the last week.

In all honesty, in a blind test - I probably would have mistaken this for something costing $30 rather than $4.

I've also yet to have any kind of issue with the packaging, as I've run into in the past with budget brands such as Wet N Wild, NYC, etc. The lid snaps shut nicely and doesn't feel all to flimsy.

Overall;

Pros:

- Great pigmentation.

- Buttery and finely milled.

- SPF 15.

- Large amount of product.

- Natural finish.

Cons:

- None!

I'm quite the sucker for highlighters and illuminators, but when a product that sets me back a mere $4 works as great as gems like MAC Lightscapade and NARS Albatross? Lets just say I'm pleasantly surprised. I'll be picking up one of the actual Bronzers from this range to try it out.

You read that correctly. I am going to actually wear bronzer for once. Alert the presses! 

10/10 I'm definitely loving this!

Review - Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Ladyhawke

Note - This product was sent to me as a sample for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. If you have any questions regarding me reviewing press samples, please see my disclosure statement.

This shade was an extra that was sent to me with my first Darling Girl order, and it could quite possibly be one of my favorites from the brand. This is the kind of shade that makes me, someone who is super crappy at working with loose pigment eyeshadows, feel the need to put them into my daily rotation. That is saying something!!

Ladyhawke is applied dry on the left and wet on the right. Darling Girl Cosmetics describes the shade as a "light grayed brown with shifts from golden green to blue to violet shifts." The description is actually pretty spot on as the shade has a taupey gray base with incredibly strong duochrome shifts. I wore this over a brown, super smoky base and this shade looked incredible! While the shift is quite apparent when applied on it's own, it really sings over a darker base. It was incredibly multidimensional. It isn't one of those shades that needs to be foiled to show the duochrome finish, and though as you can see above that applying it wet does bring out the sheen a touch more, it doesn't 100% need it.

Application of this shade was a breeze. I literally just took one of my Urban Decay Good Karma shadow brush, picked up a bit of product and pat in on the lid. Bing, bang, boom. Done. Super easy and it looked like I spent a whole lot of time on it. 

Overall:

Pros:

- Easy application.

- Unique shade.

- Strong duochrome.

- Very little fallout.

Cons:

- I have none!

Ladyhawke was not a shade that I was searching for to add to my stash, but just like I did with Darling Girl's Yes, Virginia blush, I will be stocking up on this shade - and hopefully before I fly through the sample I have of it!

10/10 - I highly recommend this shade!

Review - Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Wear Eyeshadow in Almond Cream

When I finally stumbled across these in one of my local Walgreens it was a sight to see. I was on my way out the door and took a route through skincare. I walked by this tiny little area full to the brim of these pencils, stopped dead in my tracks and hit reverse. In my complete grabby hands reaction I snatched up three shades faster than the speed of light - like a Black Friday shopper trying to get her hands on the last remaining item on sale - and stood there and pondered if I should or should not pick up the three remaining shades.

Needless to say, I'm super stoked on these. Given the phenomenal formula of their initial release, I just HAD to partake in the Neutral Mattes that are Limited Edition for this summer!

The shade description for Almond Cream on Milani's website calls the shade a "vanilla-matte" which is quite indicative of the shade. It is a slightly warm beige that is a touch darker than my fair skin, but not by much. It makes a phenomenal base shade.

I usually loathe shadow pencils entirely because I think they're awkward to work with, but Milani's take on them has definitely changed my mind a bit. The application of this shade was possibly even easier than others I've used from the brand. It just slides on and blends out super flawlessly with your finger or a flat brush. I also did not experience any sort of tugging on my lid, whatsoever. 

This is one of the few products that has a lengthy wear claim that it actually delivers on. I wore this as a base for UD Laced, Naked 2 and Faint for a matte but slightly smoky look for work and it not only made my shadows look more true to pan but it made them last through the work day and the remainder of a very long evening - not to mention putting up with my eyes that are in rare sorts still (but doing a bit better! Progress!) without irritating them or wearing off due to the swelling.

Overall:

Pros:

- Great pigmentation.

- Meets and exceeds wear claim.

- Phenomenal base.

- Blends very easily. 

- Matte neutral shade makes it usable for many looks

Cons:

- Pencil sharpening will cause a bit of product loss.

Was the hype around this launch worth it? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY! I'm strongly considering going back and picking up the three, non matte shades that I left behind and I'll soon have reviews up for Cafe Au Lait and Black Ink!

10/10 - I highly recommend this product and you should probably scour your local drugstores like, now.

Review - Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Laced

I have so many UD Palettes that when the Vice Palette was released I forwent purchasing it. Where would I have put it? (But really, we all know I would have made it work). However, while it was all together lovely, I really just wanted Laced more than anything.

So you can understand my complete glee when this was released as a single last month. I ended up picking this up during Sephora's Chic Week.

Did I need another matte, neutral UD shade? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Urban Decay describes Laced as a "pinky-taupe matte". It is a beige tone taupe with a bit of pink to it, that definitely made it incredibly flattering (and quite natural) against my skin. I used this in a plethora of ways, most often as a base shade for something smokier, or a lid shade for something very natural. I think that was the allure in this shade for me; I'm getting a heck of a lot of use out of it.

The formulation was most definitely on par with the reformulation of Urban Decay's mattes (Naked 2 and on, and more specifically the Naked Basics) as it was a dream to work with - no chalkiness and no issues with low pigmentation.

When I purchased this, I actually feared that I had far to many similar shades. Turns out, this shade is actually unique from all the taupes and beiges that I already had (it's hard to believe, I know!). The closest to Laced in my collection was actually UD Naked, which is actually still quite different.

Laced is on the left and it is a bit darker and quite cooler toned while Naked is warmer and lighter. My Naked is part of the original Naked Palette, which was before the reformulation, so the formula of the Naked I own is possibly inferior to the reformulated version. They are most definitely not dupes, but they do work quite well together!

Overall:

Pros:

- Completely matte.

- Great pigmentation.

- More difficult than expected to dupe.

- No trouble in blending.

Cons:

- None! I'm very pleased with this shade!

I personally love this shade. Its easy and I can literally use it with almost anything and its quickly become a staple in my collection.

10/10 Recommended. 

Review - MAC Viva Glam I

Phew! Its been a crazy couple of weeks around here! Story is, now that everything is finalized - I got a new job! I've been officially working at it for a week now, along with my previous job, so now things are starting to settle into a semi-predictable schedule. I'm very excited to start a new endeavor, especially because it is something that I've never worked with before; home goods!

So long story short, I've been quite busy and somewhat neglectful; my apologies!

And...onward!

In the amount of time I've had this lipstick in my possession coupled with how much I adore it, I'm honestly surprised that it has taken until now for me to finally post a review.

The Viva Glam campaign, as many of you already know, donates every dime of the purchase price to the support of those living with HIV and AIDS. This shade was the one that started it all, released in 1994 and RuPaul was the face of the campaign - So fierce! There have been several additions to the line since this one - I've purchased two others; Viva Glam Nicki 2 and Viva Glam Gaga 2 (Lipglass, which I gave to my sister).

In all honesty, the charity is what drew me to purchase this product, but I ended up totally falling for it!

MAC describes Viva Glam I as an "intense brownish blue-red"; I feel that the brown tones give this that "brick red feel to it" and also keep it from getting super bright against my skin (Revlon Cherries in the Snow) or borderline vampy (MAC Diva). Its a great middle ground. This was my go-to holiday red lip for 2012 - It was just perfect for the Christmas season, I wore it to every single Christmas party I went to!

Viva Glam I is a Matte, which is one of my favorite formulations from MAC. Its 110% opaque and WILL. NOT. BUDGE. If you put it somewhere, its going to stay there all night, no matter what drinks or foods the night might bring (do you even know how many Starbucks I consume in a 24 hour period? I should probably be ashamed.) As with the norm for MAC's mattes, these don't dry out my lips at all. I've worn this most often without a lip liner and I still get hours of wear before I even have to think of reapplying - which is crazy for how obsessively I reapply my lipstick! 

Overall:

Pros:

- Long wear time.

- No feathering and minimal transfer.

- Non drying formula.

- Did not need a lip liner.

- Charitable donation of entire purchase price.

- Wearable on many skin tones.

Cons:

- Nada! I'm super happy with this one!

If you're looking for your "Perfect Red" Viva Glam I is definitely worth a look. Between its ability to flatter a large range of skin tones (me and a friend of mine whom are from two completely different complexions and ethnicities both look STUNNING in this!), its flawless formula and its long wear time - Viva Glam I is definitely worth a look! Plus, your money goes to help someone else through the purchase of the line and that, my friends, is probably the best part.

10/10 - Totally recommended! 

Review - Darling Girl Cosmetics Soft Focus Blush in Yes, Virginia.

Note - I received this product to review as part of a discounted press sample set. All opinions and words are my own. If you have any more questions regarding the subject, visit my Disclosure page.


Darling Girl Cosmetics was my first visit to the world of indie cosmetics...and I WILL do it again. Between the phenomenal customer service and how much I friggin' love this blush.

Press samples are a smaller size, and housed in a plastic bag that shows the name as well as the ingredients in the product, which I liked.

On Darling Girl's Website, Yes, Virginia is described as a "lovely lilac pink". On my skin, it reads much more toward the lilac tone than the pink; which was exactly what I was looking for. The left swatch is built up, while the right is blended out. 

I've never used a loose powder blush before, so I was kind of wary as to how the application would be. Turns out, it was a heck of a lot easier than I anticipated. Given, it was a bit more pigmented than the average powder blush - which isn't exactly the worst thing in the world.

The texture is very soft and finely milled and not in the least bit gritty, which definitely helped in the blending of the product.  It didn't take too much work to get a good amount of color payoff, but it could also be toned down quite easily

In terms of wear time, it was average. On my oily skin it was starting to fade by 4 hours and worn off by 7, which is the benchmark for wear time on my skin. Nothing groundbreaking, but it didn't disappear too early.

This shade family is one that definitely draws me in; I do have some that are a bit similar, but nothing dupe worthy. 

From left to right I have MAC Evening Stroll, Darling Girl Yes, Virginia, MAC Full Of Joy and MAC Unconventional. As you can see, they are all basically too different to warrant any kind of dupe-ness.

Overall:

Pros:

- Unique Shade.

- Great Pigmentation.

- Cruelty Free.

- Great Price.

Cons:

- Can be overapplied.

As soon as I applied this, I fell in love. Somewhere between the fact that this is a shade I've been searching for forever and a day and how easy it was to apply...I might be buying like, three more.

10/10

Review - NARS Blush in Sin.

Just a quick heads up, the next week or so will be a bit busy around here; I'll try to keep some momentum going, but if you don't see me for a few days - don't fret! As soon as things level out, posts will be back to normal. That being said; I'm planning on posting my April Favorites as early as this evening for that very reason.

Now onto the good stuff!

Have you ever purchased a product and wondered, "why on Earth did I wait so long to buy this"? That is literally me, right now. NARS Sin has to be not only my favorite new blush, but it is up there with Illamasqua Katie and MAC Full of Joy for one of my favorite blushes EVER.

Here goes by spiel about the rubberized black packaging with a full sized mirror that gets dirty if you even think about using it.

UGH. Look at it! Its even just pretty to look at. Perfect.

On NARS' website, Sin is described as a "berry tone with gold shimmer". It is a cool, mauve-y berry with a golden sheen that does not pull too warm. The blush itself, for that matter, does not pull very warm at all, rather cool (ish) to neutral.

In terms of pigmentation, this shade is on par with Seduction rather than Orgasm. I don't have to do much work to get decent color payoff - I rather prefer using this blush with a lighter colored brush to see how much I'm picking up, since this is such a neutral toned shade. It can be overdone, but this shade was far easier to blend out to tone down than what I've been used to; it was a nice change!

Wear time was the average for me, about 5-6 hours before it faded a bit and at 7-8 hours it was mostly gone.

Pros:

- Neutral tone; neither too cool or warm.

- Blends quite easily.

- Great pigmentation.

- Average wear time.

Cons:

- ? Nada!

I'm in love with this blush. Its not a neutral, but its not a statement shade. It isn't super bold, but its not boring or predictable. The neutral tones are why its winning so much with me. This is probably the beginning of an obsession.

10/10. - I SUPER-Recommend this. Love!

Review - Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadow in Bad To The Bronze.

I can't kick this doggone cold, no matter how hard I try! Yuck! Between all the Zicam, Airborne and cold meds that I'm taking, you think I would be feeling much better by now! So frustrating!

I actually wore this product today because I needed something fast, easy and still polished. I have quite a few of the Maybelline Color Tattoos, but Bad To The Bronze may just be my favorite.

I had to photograph it before I allowed myself to mess with it. So perfect. 

I feel the need to begin by noting that it was a total pain in the tushie to photograph a swatch of. In person, the shade is very opaque, cooler toned and has a depth of color to it. It is actually a very stunning shade. It is a medium to cooler toned take on bronze, which I greatly appreciated. This shade is very similar to shades like Urban Decay Sidecar or the Pewter shade from the Lorac Pro Palette. I've used this product with both shades as well as by itself and it is stunning.

The application of this shade was fantastic. I could apply and blend with my finger if I chose with no issue, but I did like the opacity and precision that my UD Good Karma Shadow brush provided. This shade goes on opaque without much work, but blends like a dream and doesn't take too long to set. It wore all day without any kind of fading or creasing - The brand claims 24 hours, which is kind of ridiculous since I wouldn't even want to wear my makeup that long - but it was still a longwearing product by my standards.

Overall;

Pros:

- Longwearing

- Stunning color

- Applies very easily

- Blends well

- Can  be used as a base or as a shadow - excels at both.

Cons:

- None!

I put of purchasing this shade for so long because I felt that I wouldn't get use out of it. Boy was I wrong! 

10/10 - I definitely recommend this shade!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate

Sometimes I feel like I'm so far behind on the MAC permanent range, simply because they do so many limited editions. On the lipstick front, not so much, but I only have very few MAC shadows and nearly all of my blushes from them were LE at some point.

I've most definitely been feeling some mattes lately, and when I swatched Copperplate in store last week, I knew it HAD to come home with me.

Copperplate is part of the permanent range as is described on MAC's website as a "muted mid tone gray" with a Matte² finish. It is a neutral gray that does not lean too cool (oftentimes they can look a bit blue on me). It does look a touch taupe-y, depending on what you wear it with. The Matte² range is said to be easier to blend and not quite as dry as the average matte, and with this shade, I can kinda see where MAC was coming from. This is not dry in the least and the pigmentation was actually quite phenomenal. I had not given Copperplate much thought until I swatched it in store, but then I was very stoked on it! It gave me no trouble in blending and wore the whole day, with only minimal fading after a *unrelated* very rough work day.

Overall;

Pros:

- Incredible texture and pigmentation.

- Wearable without being too flat and boring.

Cons:

- None!

I'm very pleased with this shade and I am already finding myself reaching for it a whole lot. I just picked up Quarry, so I kinda want to see how these pair together!

10/10 No complaints?! Totally recommended!

Review - MAC Paint Pot in Painterly.

There are always those staple products that everyone should have in their kit. Painterly is one of them. I can't believe it took me this long to purchase it!

MAC Paint Pots are housed in a small circular container with a screw on cap. Each contains 5 grams of product and retails for $18.50.

On MAC's website, Painterly is described as a "nude beige" and has a creme finish. It is a medium toned nude and dries down completely matte. (I am a NW 15 for reference, and Painterly is a nude that is a few shades darker than my natural skin tone)

Within the last two weeks of having this in my possession, I've literally used it almost every day. This photograph was taken today, so it is easy to see that I've hardly even broken the surface. I use this with over UDPP, but as a base for other shadows and I feel that it has both improved the wear time of most of my shadows across the board as well as increased the color payoff of some of my lighter neutral shades. I have oily lids, and I feel like the consistency is incredible for this problem. Painterly is creamy enough to apply and blend, but dries to almost a powder like finish and stays put. It doesn't get greasy or oily and sets quickly. 

Overall:

Pros:

- Longwearing

- Responds well to my oily lids

- Dries down quickly, but is easy to apply and blend.

- Neutral option that can be used with limitless looks.

- Extends the wear of my shadows and increases their vibrance.

Cons:

- No complaints here!

I ADORE this product, and I'm very excited about how much use I'm getting out of it. I've I'm paying almost $19 for an eyeshadow base, it better be flawless; Painterly is just that, flawless. Because of this shade, I will most definitely check out other finishes in the range.

10/10 - Highly recommended! 

Review - Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes.

Before you dive into reading this review, remember two things. First; I received this product for review through Influenster; all thoughts and opinions on this product are my own and I have not received this product in turn for a biased positive review.

Second; thank God that Influenster sent these to me, because they are seriously holy grail status.

I have oily skin. It doesn't matter the weather, what time of year it is, my diet, anything. I've just always had oily skin (darn genetics!) so I've tried a whole lot of oil controlling or oil eliminating products on the market. In my search, I've either been met with products that did nothing to affect the oil on my face, or would parch my skin of any type of moisture and make it look incredibly dull (*cough* Clean and Clear's mattifying lotion? I'm lookin' at you there. AWFUL) I didn't hold out too much hope for these, because I hadn't experienced much success with this type of product in the past.

Oh my everloving goodness was I wrong.

Each towelette is individually wrapped which I like. I'm happy that they aren't housed in the same kind of pouch that similar products such as makeup wipes are in (all together in one bit pouch). These won't dry out (because of the individual wrapping) and you can stash them anywhere (they are in my car, my purse, my bathroom, my bedside table, my makeup bag. EVERYWHERE). There are 20 of these in a box and the entire box retails for roughly $7 depending on where you decide to shop. 

There are the benefits, directions and ingredients listed on the back of the individual wrapping, as well as the box. Notice that the list of ingredients is rather short? Only 4 ingredients.

The towelette is a decent size; neither too big or too small and is pre-moistened. 

To use this product, you simply rub the towelette on your face to absorb oil. It removes oil and other impurities, and will remove facial makeup as well. (do not use this as a makeup remover around the eye area though, and do not rely solely on these to remove your facial makeup) It left my skin feeling oil free and clean feeling, without any kind of tightness or dryness. It kept oil at bay for twice as long as I am used to. (Sans makeup, my skin will start to feel oily around 2 hours after cleansing. With these I hit the four hour mark before feeling oily)

My only complaint is the fragrance. It has no artificial fragrance aside from what I assume is the Witch Hazel and Aloe. In my opinion, I'd rather put something on my face that I know is going to be good for it with a somewhat unpleasant smell, than put a product with a lot of chemicals from artificial fragrance on my face. In short, these work so well that I can just get over the fragrance itself.

Overall;

Pros:

- Natural Ingredients.

- Cruelty free.

- Eliminates oil and inhibits skin from getting oily for a decent amount of time.

- Does not dry skin or cause it to feel tight.

- Individually wrapped.

Cons:

- Slightly unpleasant fragrance.

I'm so glad that I was given the opportunity to try these. I will most definitely repurchase these (I might even buy back ups) and I highly recommend them.

10/10 - Run, hop, skip, jump, whatever to your local drugstore and pick these up. Now.

Review - Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Highlight Duo in Iris Plume/Moon Opal

I purchased this product when Tarina Tarantino was exiting Sephora, as it was 40% off. It is still available through the company's actual website.  In hindsight, if the quality is similar across the board, I wish I had picked up much more.

First off, the packaging is adorable. Its a super sturdy oval shaped compact (mirror included) with a reflective finish that doesn't hold fingerprints too badly. There isn't a well for a brush or anything (thank goodness) so there isn't much wasted space. The design reflects Tarina Tarantino's jewelry designs, and I think it's super cute. (Tarina Tarantino is primarily a jewelry brand.)

There is a decent amount of product included in this duo, and as I mentioned before, not a lot of wasted space and for only $19, it really isn't a bad value at all. 

Iris Plume is on the left and Moon Opal on the right.

The brand refers to Iris Plume as a "lilac". I feel it is a bit to brown to be a lilac, more along the lines of a gray taupe. It has a shimmer finish (sans any type of glitter, just a strong sheen) and was incredibly buttery, pigmented and blendable.

Moon Opal is described as a "soft pink". Its more of a very cool toned champagne. It had phenomenal quality across the board, as  Iris Plume did, but I found this one to be a bit more versatile. It can be applied with a light hand as a brow bone highlight (at least on fairer tones like mine) but it has more pigmentation that nearly anything I own in this shade family. I've built it up for bolder/more editorial looks, but I've also been able to wear this one one of those "I don't really want to look like I'm wearing makeup" days. 

I think that the versatility is what makes this product so incredible. I'm going to get use out of it, one way or another, and in this case, it's both. The best of both worlds. Longevity was average. It didn't wear incredible hours, but wasn't creasing or fading too early by anyone's standards.

Overall;

Pros:

- Versatility

- Great pigmentation of both shades.

- Blendable and soft.

- Two large shadows for $19; good value.

Cons:

- Difficult to locate as of now.

I'm still kicking myself for buying out my local Sephora's entire section of this brand. I purchased this at 40% off, but it is quite worth the full retail price.

10/10 Recommended. 

Review - Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed

If you're an avid follower of beauty blogs in general, there are going to be those shades that you hear everyone musing about. This is one of them. After seeing Exposed on so many different blogs, I gave in and picked one up. And I'm totally okay with that.

Tarte calls Exposed a "nude" but its a little bit more than that. It is a nude with rosy pink tones to it and is very healthy looking on the skin. It is basically a matte, though some may argue that there is a very small amount of a sheen to it. 

I had one similar blush in my collection; MAC The Perfect Cheek from the Marilyn Monroe collection, which was limited edition.

Exposed is on the left and The Perfect Cheek is on the right. While I loved The Perfect Cheek, Exposed does have superior color payoff. It is also slightly pinker and a touch warmer. However, on the cheek they do achieve a very similar look, so Exposed could be a great buy if you're kicking yourself about missing out on The Perfect Cheek (I fought tooth and nail for that one too!)

I'm not a stranger to Tarte's blushes, as I've previously reviewed Natural Beauty, and the performance of this shade is on par with that one. While the wear time isn't exactly 12 hours as it claims (which is kind of a ridiculous claim to begin with) it is definitely longer wearing than other blushes in my stash. For such a natural shade as well, it had phenomenal color payoff, but it differs from shades like Natural Beauty in that it isn't quite as easy to overdo this shade. I can use a heavier hand and still look glowy and healthy rather than glamorous and that is what I like about this shade. 

I like Tarte quite a bit as a whole because I like knowing what I am putting on my skin. Also, they are cruelty free, which is always a step in the right direction. 

Overall;

Pros;

- Great color payoff.

- Natural finish/glow.

- Healthy ingredients for the skin.

- Longer than average wear time.

- Cruelty Free

Cons:

- Does not meet wear claim.

While I am taking a 0.5 of a point off for the fact that this does not hit it's 12-hour (ridiculous) wear claim, I'm still categorizing this as a recommended product. I love it, I use it a whole lot and it makes me want more from the range. I already have Exposed, Natural Beauty, Fantastic, Magic, Stellar and Angelic (the last four being smaller sizes that were included in the holiday Blush Enthusiasts set) and am strongly considering purchasing Blushing Bride.

9.5/10 Recommended. 

Review - Lorac Pro Palette

I promised myself that I didn't need this for months on end because I already had so many neutrals. But I caved...and I'm so thrilled that I did.

The palette itself is long, but it is SUPER thin. I found it really easy to store; and I don't really have much storage space to begin with.

There are sixteen shades in this palette; 8 mattes (top row) and 8 shimmers (bottom row)

From left to right;

- White - Matte white and literally the best white eyeshadow I've found to date. 

- Cream - Very close to the shade of my skin, slightly paler. Makes a good base. Matte.

- Taupe  - Its more of a brown than a taupe in my opinion, but it has just the right amount of neutrality to it. Matte.

- Light Pink - I promise, it's there. My camera doesn't pick it up well but it actually has a decent amount of pigment for how pale it is. Matte.

- Mauve - Matte slightly grayish mauve. Stunning on the lid.

- Sable - Neutral dark brown matte. Super pigmented.

- Espresso - Cool dark brown matte. I've used this in the crease several times already as well as the lower lashline. Great pigmentation.

- Black - Its not the most intense black in my collection but more of a super dark charcoal gray matte. Nice and smokey. 

- Nude - Pale icy nude. Great highlight. Shimmer.

- Champagne - Tan champagne. Its what I wanted Too Faced Birthday Suit to be with far better pigment.

- Gold - Its like UD Half Baked on crack. The pigment of this one is out of this world.

- Light Bronze - A pale, yellow gold. Makes a nice warmer base.

- Pewter - Cool toned and kinda taupe-y. Very sophisticated.

- Garnet - Swatch does not do it justice. Its more copper in person and has phenomenal pigmentation.

- Deep Purple - Same goes for this shade. It is a blackened purple, but not too plummy. Its crazy pigmented; I needed a feather light hand to keep this from being too smoky.

- Slate - Gray with blue-ish undertones. Its like UD Gunmetal without the micro-glitter fallout.

I now understand the hype about this product. The pigmentation and quality is literally top notch. I've had this for about a week and a half now and waited to review it until I gave it a thorough testing; truth is, there are so many possible looks with this palette. There is such a good mix of mattes and shimmers, and warms and cools. I was able to create looks ranging from a jeans and a band tee day to a sultry night out look. If you're splitting hairs, its not 100% neutral, given the pink, purple and mauve, but there subtle enough to be seen as such.

Overall;

Pros;

- Large shade range

- Mattes and shimmers

- 16 included shades

- Incredible formula

This palette makes me want to try more by Lorac and I HIGHLY recommend it.