NYX Baked Shadow in Nebula - Review and Swatches

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'm really glad that spring is finally deciding to show itself. I've been prepping for the season by doing some clothing shopping recently. I'm also eagerly watching the yard to see flowers starting to pop out of the ground.

Today I'm going to be reviewing a shade from the new NYX baked shadow line.

Price: $5.99; NYX products are regularly on sale, so watch out for a good deal.

Packaging

NYX has gradually been creating a theme with their eye shadow packaging. Most, if not all, of their shadow packaging now has this cute bow over the clasp. It's a nice touch. The configuration of the clear panels also adds some interest to an otherwise basic shadow compact. Probably the only thing I would have changed is shaving off a bit of the extra bulk.

Product

Left to right: swatched dry and swatched wet

I wish I could say that I loved this shadow because I wanted to love it, but I was really disappointed.

My first disappointment was with the color. I purchased this online off Ulta.com, and I thought the color I was getting was going to be much lighter than it was when it arrived. I don't really blame that on the shadow. Whenever I buy something online without seeing it in person first or seeing online swatches, I know I'm taking a chance.

The shadow itself performed terribly on me. I tested it with my regular primer applied dry, my regular primer applied wet, with my regular primer and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, and with primer and Jordana's Made-to-Last Shadow pencil. With just primer, the shadow had practically disappeared after just a couple of hours. My other attempts only helped marginally.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, I wasn't happy with this particular shadow. I've only tried this one, so I can't say if the others perform better. I won't be purchasing any more of to find out. I've only seen one other review of these, and it was positive, so these might work better for someone else.

Have you tried any of NYX's baked shadows? What did you think? I would love to hear other opinions on these!

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

NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Sex Kitten - Review and Swatches

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

Was anyone else really impressed with the size of NYX's spring collection release? It was huge! They released a ton of new products, and I have to admit being totally jealous of the people who got the NYX swag bag at LA IMATS.

Even so, I had a hard time picking out a couple of products to try when I placed a recent Ulta order. A big part of that is not being able to see them in person. Colors weren't jumping out at me like they might in the store. I did finally settle on a few items to try out, and I've had some mixed results.

First time going to talk about one of their new Hot Singles Eye Shadows in the color Sex Kitten.

Price: $4.49 on Ulta.com

Packaging

The packaging is pretty standard for a single eye shadow. It's a simple black compact with a clear window on the top to show off the shadow shade. NYX added a little bit of individuality to it with the bow at the clasp. I didn't take any close-ups of it, but it is essentially the same as the bow on the palettes they released last year.

Product

NYX Sex Kitten swatched on bare skin

NYX's website describes Sex Kitten as a peachy pink shimmer, which is pretty accurate. I see a lot more peach than pink, and the shimmer is gold. This shadow would look stunning on blue eyes. My eyes are a mix of blue and green, and I could definitely see the blue popping out when I wore it. I've only done online comparisons, but the shade looks similar to MAC's Jest or Makeup Geek's Cinderella.

Both the pigmentation and texture of this shadow are really nice. It applied smoothly and evenly and wore all day over primer.

Final Thoughts

This shadow is a win for me. I don't think there's anything that I dislike about it. If you've got blue eyes, check it out the next time you see a NYX display. I'll definitely be checking out other colors in the line the next time I get to Ulta.

Have you tried any of NYX's new Hot Singles Eye Shadows? What other colors should I check out?

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

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. 

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. 

Jane Eye Shadow in Lotus - Review and Swatch

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

I'm trying to get ahead with blog posts, so I'm writing this post on January 6, but I plan on scheduling it to post on January 22. For those of you who schedule your posts, do you find that weird? I usually like starting my posts with something a little chatty, but doing that with posts scheduled so far in advance means my chatty stuff will be out of date by the time this post goes live.

Oh well! I think I'm going to chat anyway. :-)

Since this is the second week of January, my resolutions for the year are still going pretty well. I think *knock on wood* I've found a good method for keeping me on track with the routines I want to set up for myself. If things continue to go well, maybe I'll share in another month or two.

The product that I'm reviewing today is one by Jane Cosmetics. Just like a lot of other bloggers, I remember using Jane back when I was in high school. There was a super shimmery loose blush that I loved. I also love their little pamphlets with beauty tips that they had with their display.

I picked up a couple of the new Jane products (available at Ulta) before Christmas.  I had one of the magical 20% off everything coupons and a 5x bonus points offer. I also thought Jane products were 2 for $10 at the time, otherwise I probably wouldn't have grabbed anything. When I got home and looked at my receipt, I realized that I didn't get the 2 for $10 deal. :-(

Price

The Jane Cosmetics single eye shadows retail for $8. Ulta seems to regularly have Jane on sale though (usually buy one get one 50% off), so it is worth waiting to grab products then.

Packaging

The packaging itself is pretty basic. It's a simple black compact with a clear window on top, which shows the beautiful flower pattern stamped on the shadow itself.

Product

Lotus swatched on bare skin

 Lotus is a really basic champagne shade. For reference, the shade is more pink than Stila's Kitten, but it is more peach than Urban Decay's Sin. Lotus is shimmery, but it isn't glittery. It has a soft, smooth texture that applies easily, and it lasted on me all day with primer.

Final Thoughts

This is a really nice, workhorse shadow. I've been loving using this type of shade on the inner half of my lid with a darker outer half, so I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. At retail price, the Jane Cosmetics line is a little pricey for being a "drugstore" brand, so if I decide to pick up more items from the line, I'll definitely keep my eye out for sales. If I can find a good deal, I would love to try more of their shadows since Lotus is so good.

Have you tried Jane Cosmetics since their relaunch? Are there other products I should check out or avoid?

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

Products I Want to Use Up - 2014

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

Last year I did a couple of posts about products I wanted to use up. It went okay. Looking back, I thought I had done more updates than I actually did.

I'm going to try it again this year.

When I went through and picked out the products that I plan on working on, there were a couple of things I looked at. Some of the products were chosen because they are products in which I've already made a big dent. I also chose products that were getting old.

Another motivation for doing this is to get rid of some of the products I own that aren't cruelty-free.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Fair - I've had this for a really long time, and you can see in the picture that I've used a lot of it, so I'd like to go ahead a finish this off.

Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia - This foundation is in the same boat. I've had it for a while, and it is about half gone, so I want to try and finish this one too. I know using up both will take a while.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer - I have several full-sized primers in my collection, so I decided to use up all of my mini sizes. This is the last mini size that I have. It's hard to see in the picture, but it is about half gone already.
 

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair - Benefit isn't a cruelty-free company, so I'd like to get this gone. I would guess I have about a third of this left.

Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer - I have a lot of bronzers, so I'm taking the same approach that I took with my primers. I'm using up my mini ones first. I'm just about to hit pan on this one.

Hard Candy Concealer Pencil - This little pencil came with the Glamoflage Concealer, which I threw out a long time ago. I've been using this to clean up the edges of my lips. I can't sharpen it anymore, so it should be finished in the next week or so.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA - I've had this for a long time, and it seems like it is drying out a little bit. It's crumbled a couple of times when I've tried to sharpen it. I've really like it though, and I might repurchase it once I work through some other concealers first.

Too Faced Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler - I got this in a swap a long time ago, and I tend to forget to use it.

Milani Eye Shadow in French Vanilla (largest pan) - I need to work my way through my extra matte browbone shades. Wet n Wild's Brulee is my absolute favorite, so I'd like to clear the clutter and stick with that one in the future.

ELF Shadow from the Day to Night Palette (triangular pan) - I pulled this out as a shadow to use up a while ago because the pan is relatively small. It's a cream with gold shimmer that I can use on the inner corners of my eyes nearly every day.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Funnel Cake (darker brown) - I have a ton of mineral eye shadows that I've pressed, and I don't use them often enough. I pulled this out because it is an easy crease shade. It does have some shimmer, but it doesn't show when applied.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Driftwood (lighter brown) - Another pressed mineral eye shadow. Again, I chose it because it is an easy color to use.

Stila Lip Glaze in Splendor - I was really sad when it came out that Stila is no longer cruelty-free. This is an easy gloss to throw on, so I hope I can finish it relatively quickly.

Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter - Chapstick isn't cruelty-free either, so this will be living in my pants pockets until it is gone. I have another Chapstick balm to go through after this one.

Tarte fRxtion Lip Scrub and Balm - Another old product. The darker side is the sugar scrub, and the white side is the balm. I have a feeling this will break off before I can finish it.

Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Candie and Tart Light - I have a lot of mineral blush samples sitting around, so I pulled out a couple to work on. 

Tarte Double-Ended Lip Liner - I got this at the same time that I got the lip scrub. The colors are okay, but I'm much more likely to swipe on a balm or gloss.

Stila Smudgestick Eye Liners - Again, with Stila's change in cruelty-free status, I'd like to clear out what I can. Eye liners are easier to go through than powder products, and these colors are pretty easy to wear, so I'm going to try and wear them as much as possible to finish them off.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencils in Whiskey and Rockstar - It should be pretty obvious why these made the list. They are nearly gone to begin with, so I might as well use them up.

Those are all the things that I specifically pulled to use up. I've already mentioned that I'm working on my stash of lotions too. I didn't add in any pictures of them because I'm going through them relatively quickly using them twice a day on my arms and legs.

Are you trying to use anything up in the new year?

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

bareMinerals Mix Master Palette - Review and Swatches

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

My poor wallet is starting to protest against all of my shopping lately, but it is just so hard to resist the fantastic sets and deals around the holidays.

One of the palettes that I knew I had to have was the bareMinerals Mix Master Palette. I love their Ready eye shadow formula, and the concept of the palette itself seemed really nice. Since I had a lot of Ulta Rewards cash to spend, it was really a no-brainer for me.

Price

This product retails for $48.

Packaging

The  packaging is something that sets this palette apart. Although it isn't completely unique, it is still relatively unusual.

The palette itself is nice and compact. It is made of black plastic and has a geometric pattern on the top. The finish would be easy to keep clean for those who are concerned about that sort of thing.

The way that this palette takes a detour from the usual is that each of the eye shadows can be popped out and rotated into the center of the palette, which can then be slid out of the rest of the palette. You've then got a customized eye shadow trio that you can take with you on-the-go.

I think the concept is fantastic! I also think the execution is pretty good. This is a lot less bulky than the Urban Decay customizable palettes. The only change that I would make is having the shadows lock in a little more firmly. As they are, they rattle around when I'm using the shadows, which isn't a huge deal. However, when I'm using the palette, I have to be careful, or else I'll press on the back of the shadows too hard, and they'll start to pop out of the palette. It isn't a huge inconvenience, but it does mean that I would be careful when taking either the whole or mini palette with you traveling. I wouldn't just throw it in a purse or bag without some other protection.

The palette comes with a dual-ended brush with a crease brush on one end and a flat liner brush on the other. For being a mini brush included in a palette, it actually feels really nice. The bristles are relatively soft, and I like the nice point on the crease brush end.

A pamphlet with three looks is also included. As I've mentioned before, I always like these because they give a good starting place for how to use the colors in the palette.

Product

The formula of these shadows is really nice, just like the other Ready shadows bareMinerals has released. They are smooth and creamy, and they blend easily on the eyes. They last all day over primer.

The eye shadows in this palette are all named and labeled with how they were intended to be used: base, crease, or liner. They are labeled on the back of each pan as well as on a clear insert included in the palette.

The base colors from left to right: Muse, Mixologist, Stealth, and Daydream.

Muse is a pale pink with a satin finish.
Mixologist is a satin champagne shade.
Stealth is a matte, dusty peach shade.
Daydream is a matte, soft brown shade.

The crease colors from left to right: Max Volume, Hot Commodity, Custom Made, and Embellish.

Max Volume is a shimmery green with a blue undertone.
Hot Commodity is a shimmery light bronze.
Custom Made is a shimmery medium pink.
Embellish is a shimmery cool-toned medium brown.

The liner shades from left to right: Perspective, Panorama, Maven, and In Vogue.

Perspective is a dark brown with really fine multi-colored glitter.
Panorama is a charcoal grey shade with the same really fine multi-colored glitter.
Maven is a dark navy blue that is completely matte.
In Vogue is a dark purple with the really fine purple glitter.

The fine glitter in both Perspective and Panorama practically disappears when applied. As you can see in the swatches above, In Vogue appears to have a bit of sheen but the rest appear matte.

I like the color selection in this palette, but I don't love it. I wish they had included at least one matte crease shade. I'm also not in love with Stealth. It's just not a color that I'm going to reach for very often. Since it is matte, it doesn't work very well as a lid shade when the crease colors are all shimmery. It's too dark for a highlight shade on me, and it's too orange looking to be a crease color for me. Beyond that, I do like that they tried to give an equal number of base, crease, and liner shades.

Final Thoughts

I really like this palette, and I'm glad I picked it up. It isn't an all-in-one palette for me because I would generally grab for a matte crease shade and my standard matte cream highlight color. The color selection is easy to wear on a daily basis, and the formula is wonderful. If you are a fan of neutral looks with subtle pops of color or are in love with bareMinerals Ready shadows, this palette is worth checking out.

Will you be picking up this palette this holiday season? Is your wallet about to start whimpering like mine is?

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