Be a Bombshell Blush and Eye Shadows - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were prizes that I received from a blog giveaway. I was not required to write a review, and I have no affiliation with the company. All opinions are my own. 

Over the summer, I was a very lucky lady, and I won a giveaway hosted by Valentine Kisses for six full size items from the brand Be a Bombshell Cosmetics. I think I had seem this brand mentioned a couple of time before then, but I didn't know much about it. According to their website, they are cruelty-free. If you have heard something different, please let me know.

Today I've got one blush and two eye shadows that I'm finally going to review.

Price: Blush - $16; eye shadow - $14 each

Packaging

There's not really much to say about the packaging. It is pretty standard with a matte black case and a clear window on top. It's functional and isn't overly bulky. I will say that I do like their brand logo on the top. I find it cute.

Product

Be a Bombshell Blush in Raspberry Tart

The blush that I was lucky enough to win is called Raspberry Tart. It's a pretty deep pink that leans just a little coral. It has a little bit of shimmer and sheen, but it isn't excessively shimmery or shiny. It just adds a little bit of glow to the color.

Be a Bombshell eye shadow in Bright Eyes

The first eye shadow that I received was Bright Eyes. I think this shade is relatively unique in my collection. It is a gold, but it has a somewhat strong green undertone. It is a shimmery shade with some gold glitter in it, that, unfortunately, doesn't show up in my picture.

Be a Bombshell eye shadow in Starstruck

The second eye shadow shade in my prize pack was Starstruck, which is a warm leaning purple with rainbow shimmer. It plays right in to the Pantone's Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. I even happened to pick up a paint swatch of the shade, so I could compare the two.

Both colors pulled more blue in this picture than they are in real life, but you can see that they are pretty close in color.

Swatches:

From left to right: Raspberry Tart, Bright Eyes, and Starstruck

How do these product perform?

The blush is finely milled and blends easily. It lasts well throughout the workday, but it is something that I would probably end up wanting to touch up if I had to head back out in the evening. I like the color because it is slightly outside of my pink comfort zone, but it is still pink enough that I'll still grab for it on a normal day.

The eye shadows are also finely milled. They don't feel as creamy as other shadows on the market, but it isn't something I notice on application since they apply smoothly. I mentioned earlier that Bright Eyes has glitter in it, but that glitter doesn't really transfer to the eyes or, thankfully, to the face. I'll maybe see a fleck or two, but it isn't a glitter bomb that is going to leave you covered in gold glitter. Both shadows wear well over primer (the only way I wear shadows) and last all day.

Final Thoughts

I like these products from Be a Bombshell. They are good quality. I'm glad I got to try them out. Will I buy more of the brand? Maybe. I'm a sucker for sales and deals, and I rarely buy anything at full price. I can't see myself paying $16 or $14 respectively for these products (I've never paid full price for an Urban Decay shadow either). The brand does occasionally run some awesome sales, including 50% off (they did one for Black Friday and another one for Valentine's Day). If something catches my eye, I might grab it during one of those, but my wishlist for products from other brands is so long that I don't see it happening any time soon.

Have you tried anything from Be a Bombshell? Are you a sale-fiend like me who rarely pays full price for makeup?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were prizes that I received from a blog giveaway. I was not required to write a review, and I have no affiliation with the company. All opinions are my own. 

CVS Haul! Physicians Formula and Milani Deals!

Disclosure: All items mentioned in this post were purchase by me. All opinions are my own. 

I was really hopeful at the beginning of last week when I stopped into my CVS and saw that they had slots opened up for the new Physicians Formula products that just came out. With Physicians Formula 40% off this week and an emailed coupon for $2 off of a $10 beauty purchase, I was all set to pick something up. At the time, they only had the Nude Wear blush in Natural and the Nude Wear bronzer out, so I waited.

Later in the week, I got an email coupon for $4 off of $20. I stopped in on Thursday to see if the new stuff was out yet. When I scanned my card in store, I got a coupon for $3 off of a $10 Milani purchase and a $5 off of a $12 Physicians Formula purchase. Yes!!! Still no more new Physicians Formula items though.

When Friday rolled around, I asked one of the CVS workers when they would be stocking the new Physicians Formula items, and she said they might be getting them in over the next few days. *sigh*

I did get a little bit lucky though because my CVS had added one of the new Milani matte baked blushes to the display between my trip on Thursday and my trip on Friday.

Here's a look at my haul:

Here's the breakdown on my deal.

The Physicians Formula Nude Wear blush was originally $13.29, so the 40% off price was $7.97. The bronzer was $15.29, and the sale price was $9.17. The Milani blush was $8.79.

My total prior to coupons was $25.93. I then used the $5 off Physicians Formula, the $3 off Milani (the blush rang up for less than I was expecting, so I don't know how this coupon still worked, but it did), the $4 off of $20, and the $2 off of $10.

My final total before tax was $11.93 (with tax it was $13.33). Without any coupons or discounts, I would have paid $37.37 before tax, so I saved $25.44.

These particular deals aren't still available, but keep your eyes peeled and make sure and scan your CVS ExtraCare card every time you go in. You never know what deals might come your way.

Have you gotten any good deals lately? Have you tried any of the new Physicians Formula items? Are there any that I need to get when my CVS finally gets them in stock?

Disclosure: All items mentioned in this post were purchase by me. All opinions are my own. 

Tarte Cream Shadow in Slate - Review and Swatch

 Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I don't know about all of you, but I tend to fall into makeup ruts. In particular, I automatically reach for my powder products when it comes to eyes and cheeks, so I creams tend to sit unloved. It's really a shame, since I have some nice ones in my collection.

Back on Black Friday, I picked up the Tarte Balanced & Beautiful Amazonian Kit, which came with a full size of the original Flush shade of their Amazonian clay blush, a cream shadow in Slate, and an eye shadow brush. It was a fantastic deal! Slate had been ignored because it is a bit darker than I normally use for a lid color. Thankfully, I got over my hesitation and tried it the other day.

Price: $19 for the Balanced & Beautiful Amazonian Kit or for the individual shadow (I told you the kit was a fantastic deal)

Packaging

Tarte's cream shadows come in sturdy glass jars. It looks like the individually sold ones have a square base instead of the round base like this one, but the actual opening for the product looks to be the same. I personally wish the opening was a bit bigger. It's a little hard to get a normal-sized shadow brush in there and run it across the product.

I really like the fact that the sticker on top of the jar indicates the shade in the jar, making it easy to identify what color it is without looking for an actual shade name. However, the shade name is printed on the bottom of the jar, and since the jar it clear, it is also easy to identify the shade if you store your cream shadows upside down, like I tend to do.

Product

Tarte describes Slate as a shimmering silver, but I would consider it more of a grey-taupe shade that makes a really pretty soft, smoky eye. 

I really like the formula of these cream shadows. They aren't too soft or too hard. It is easy to get opaque color with it, but it also blends out well along the edges. Work quickly though. It doesn't take too much time before this shadow sets and isn't going to budge.

I did a wear test the other day over Urban Decay Primer Potion, and it didn't crease at all. I had some fading around the center of my eyelids somewhere around the 8-10 hour mark, but it really wasn't anything that was obvious until I stared at myself closely in the mirror.

Final Thoughts

 I actually like this shade a lot more than I thought I would, and the formula is fantastic. If you like the look of it yourself, I would highly suggest the Balanced & Beautiful set, since you get two extra products for the same price as buying the individual shadow.

Have you tried any of Tarte's cream shadows? What do you think? Do you tend to ignore your cream shadows or blushes like I do?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Silk Naturals Valentine's Day Collection Haul and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

I know I've mentioned the brand Silk Naturals quite a few times here on my blog, but I still like I haven't given the brand enough love here. I've been buying from them since the summer of 2009, and I almost always do a haul whenever they release a new collection. Sadly, whenever I start editing my pictures to do a post, my pictures just feel so flat. They never seem to do the colors justice, so I never end up posting them. I'm working on it though and hope to go back and post more pictures from my eye shadow collection in the future.

Recently, I got an email from Makeup Detox saying I won her giveaway for a $20 gift card for Silk Naturals, and I was thrilled. The fact that I got my code on the same day that Silk Naturals released their Valentine's Day collection was just the icing on the cake.

Here's a look at what I got:

This is my whole haul, minus a few skincare samples a friend asked me to pick up for her. I'll also point out here that there was a mistake with my order. The little pods on the right are concealer samples, and I had ordered full sizes. I sent a message to Silk Naturals right away letting them know. They got back to me within about 30 minutes. That was on a Monday, and I had my full size concealers in my hands by Thursday (along with three extra gift with purchase shadows). Silk Naturals has amazing customer service!

Now for a close up look at each item.

HD Cream Blush in Dollface - $4.50

Dollface is a gorgeous rosy pink with lots of gold shimmer. The formula is soft and creamy. I prefer to apply this by brushing a small duo-fiber brush over the top of the tube and then blending it on my cheeks. I haven't tested longevity yet.

HD Peach Concealers - $0.99 for a sample pod and $5.50 for a full size

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes, so I was thrilled to see Karen release these concealers. I wasn't sure which shade to choose, so I chose the lightest two. As I already mentioned, I ordered the full size, but I was originally sent sample pods, which works out well since I can show was the samples look like. The full size comes in the same slimline tube as the cream blush. I've only tried each shade once, so I'll have to follow up with a review later.

Eye Shadows in Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous - $4.50 each

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

I have a serious weakness for eye shadows from Silk Naturals, so I couldn't stop myself from picking up the three new shades they released. Touch is a pale yellow gold shimmery shade. Kismet is a medium grey with purple undertones, and Rendezvous is a deep matte purple. This trio actually works beautifully together. I was also pretty surprised by how much I like Rendezvous. Darker crease shades intimidate me, so I was a little worried. It applied nicely and blended like a dream, so it wasn't overpowering on my fair skin.

Slick Stick in La-Dee-Da - $4.50

I'm not a lipstick person, so while I've tried a few lip colors from Silk Naturals, most of the time, I pass them up. The color La-Dee-Da was just too interesting to pass up though. I liked that the color was a sheer plum shade, and the green shimmer adds an unusual touch.

Products not Pictured in Detail

If you kept track from the original picture, you'll notice that there were a few items that I haven't shown up close yet, and I'm not going to in this post (it's long enough as it is). On the far left was the weekly gift with purchase shade, so it isn't available anymore. The two jars in the middle are samples of the Medium Sleep in a Jar and the relatively new Cloud powder. I find the Sleep in a Jar a bit drying, and the Cloud powder is supposed to help retain moisture, so I want to try mixing them. Then on the far right is a mini sample of the eye shadow Mousse (they always include a sample like this in every order).

That's my haul! Did anything in particular catch your eye? Did you pick anything up yourself?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eye Shadow Pencil in Continuous Almond - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

When Milani came out with their limited edition collection of shadow pencils a while back, I tried really hard to find them. I never had any luck though.

I was thrilled then when Jordana came out with a line of shadow pencils that looked nearly identical. Since Milani and Jordana are made by the same company and Milani's shadow pencils get really good reviews, I had really high hopes that Jordana's eye shadow pencils would be pretty good. As an added bonus, the Jordana pencils are less expensive.

Price: $3.99 on Jordana's website, but watch for sales at Walgreens or Kmart

Packaging

 The packaging for these is pretty much standard for an eye shadow pencil. It is the type of pencil that needs to be sharpened, which a lot of people will consider a negative. I also prefer twist up pencils, but it doesn't really bother me too much here. I don't need it to be really precise, so I don't need to worry about a fine point, and I don't use enough where I need to sharpen it after every use.

I do like that the cap on the product is clear and the bottom of the pencil is the same shade as the shadow, making it easy to pick out of a pile of pencil shadows.

Product 

 

This shadow pencil is creamy and nicely pigmented. It also blends out smoothly. As you can see, Continuous Almond is a flesh-toned shade. Although the actual shade is somewhere around a light skintone, it works well in my fair skin as well since I only apply a sheer layer. I would guess the same would be true for medium skintones.

I tested this wearing it on its own over my standard Urban Decay Primer Potion. I did a few swipes across my lid and then blended it out with my fingers from lashline to browbone. I kept the layer fairly thin since I was really just looking to even out the color of my eye area. I had a little bit of creasing after about an hour or two, which was slightly disappointing. However, the creasing wasn't very obvious, and most of the shadow appeared to stay put the entire day. If I had had to leave the house again, I might have done a quick dab with my fingers to clean up the slight creasing, and I wouldn't have worried about it. I can see grabbing for this on those low-maintenance days when I just need to run to the store and don't want to do a full-on eye shadow look.

My favorite way to use this shadow pencil is to use it as an eye shadow base, and that was the actual reason why I purchased it. It is fantastic under powder shadows! Since it evens out the color of the skin underneath, it helps make the colors on top pop. I don't know that it makes powder shadows stay longer because I always use a regular primer underneath, but my shadows still held up all day, so it didn't hurt the wear time either.

Final Thoughts

The Continuous Almond shade of the Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eye Shadow Pencils is fantastic!  If you have fair to medium skin and are looking for a flesh-toned shadow base, I would suggest picking this up and giving it a try. At around $4, it's a great deal.

Have you tried the Jordana shadow pencils? Are there other shades I should pick up and try?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.