Review: NYX Micro Brow Pencil

Hey guys! What's up?
Today I'm commin' back at ya with another review.  I decided I wanted to review this product because I loved it when I first had it, and then finished it and didn't have it for a while.  Now I have it again and was reminded of how much I NEED this product in my life.

This product I'm talking about is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil~

The shade I have this in is Taupe.  This line also has a Blonde shade, but taupes tend to compliment me better than straight up "blonde" shades.

Let's get started!

Review: Wet n' Wild Coloricon Contouring Palettes

Hey guys!  How are ya?
Today I wanted to do a follow-up of an older blog post I did a few months back on the Wet n' Wild Coloricon Contouring Palette in Caramel Toffee.  To this day that is THE blog post with the most views, so I'm guessing y'all found it helpful in some way.  I recently picked up the second shade in this collection and have a solid opinion on these products so I thought I would give you a full-on review.  We have quite a bit to cover so let's get started-

L-R: Dulce De Leche, Caramel Toffee

My MAC MSF's~Swatches and Reviews!

Hey guys!  How are ya doing today?  As promised, I'm back into the blogging routine-and today I'm sharing with you my MAC MSF collection.  Swatches, individual reviews, how I store them, and a back story of how I became obsessed are all to be included.  Let's start out with a little background info to get started, we have a lot to cover~

Back in summer 2010, my parents took me to a MAC counter in Nordstrom and let me loose for my 15th birthday.  I had just started [seriously] getting into makeup and was ecstatic to be getting my first few MAC items.  That summer was when the Semi-Precious collection was released (do y'all remember that??) and on my wishlist was the Mineralize Skinfinish in Rose Quartz.  I got the LAST ONE they had, which apparently sparked an unhealthy obsession with limited edition skinfinishes-and 5 years later I have collected 9 of them.  Wow.  I have a problem.

Now that we have cleared that up,  I want to tell you how I store mine.   Below is a picture of my cheek drawer (in the Alex 9 unit from Ikea).  I wanted to show you this because I have struggled for the past year to find something that would fit my MSF collection perfectly, and it came to me in a completely random way.

My cheek drawer

Maybelline Rebel Bloom Baby Lips!

Hey guys! How are ya?
Today I have a really exciting post.  Not only is it my first official product review, but It's about the brand new, limited edition Baby Lips.  Wanna see?  I think you do~

Aren't they beautiful???  I feel lucky I was able to find all three of them because I know a lot of people couldn't find the peach one anywhere.  I didn't have any trouble though, all three of them were perfectly next to each other on a display in Walmart so I snatched them up.

First Impression: Colourpop Spring Collection!

Hey guys, welcome back!  If you stalk Colourpop like I do, you know that they recently launched their [limited edition] spring pastel collection.  The day after it launched I placed an order with some of my favorite colors from this collection as well as a couple other things I had been eyeing.  Let's get into some swatches and first impressions~

Top row, L-R: Taco, Flux Cowboy, Snapdragon

Bottom row, L-R: Hello, Fringe, Between the Sheets

Taco

Taco, swatched

Before we get started, I'm not going in any order other than what is shown in the above overview picture.  Now, let's talk about Taco (a mid toned aqua in a matte finish).  I knew I needed to get this, besides how beautiful the color is, because of the name.  If you know me, you know I love tacos, enough said.  I was shocked when I swatched this because of how true to color and bright it was.  This was one of the first ones I tried on my eyes and it was beautiful, although I will say it was a pain to get completely off.

Flux

Flux, swatched

I was most excited for Flux (a light mint green with a matte finish), but was most weirded out by the texture.  When I stuck my finger in this to swatch, it was way more soft, squishy, and moldable.  Once I got past that and swatched it, I was a little disappointed in the pigmentation (the above picture is after two swipes) but I still love the color. I have tried this on my eyes, and it does have to be built up for full pigmentation, but looks amazing as a different kind of inner corner highlight!

Cowboy

Cowboy, swatched

Next up we have Cowboy, a true pastel lavender in a matte finish.  This one took me by surprise with how pigmented the initial swatch was compared to the other two light colors I got.  It is a very beautiful pale lilac color that packs a surprising punch with the amount of pigmentation it gives off.  This is the only color I haven't worn on my eyes yet but I'm really excited to play around with it.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon, swatched

Okay, let's get serious for a minute.  This is my favorite Colourpop shadow I own thusfar.  First of all, it's called Snapdragon-a beautiful shadow with a beautiful flower for a name.  This is described as a mid-tone sea foam green in a matte finish.  This shadow has a much more firm, yet more soft texture than the other shadows in this collection.  I wore this shadow paired with Flux on the lid the other day and it was gorgeous.  Love, can't wait to wear this more throughout the spring and summer.

Hello

Hello, swatched

I was really intrigued by this color and had wanted to try a pale yellow shadow, so I picked up Hello, a soft pastel yellow with a matte finish.  This, like Flux, was unusually soft and squishy and didn't swatch too well (you can tell from the picture).  I wasn't expecting it to be amazing since it is a weird color, so I wasn't bummed or anything.  I actually tried this on my eyes for the first time today and really liked how it turned out.  I put on two layers of this with another layer of a shimmery shadow on top-loved it and will continue to play around with it.

Fringe

Fringe, swatched

Fringe is described as a shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter, and is part of the permanent collection.  I wanted to get another shimmery neutral color to add to my collection.  Based on swatches and the picture on the website, I thought it was a very light white-ish color with gold shimmer.  As you can tell from the picture this is not that kind of color. It is actually more like a bright antique gold with high-shimmer.  I still really like the color, but I wish I would have gotten Acorn from the spring collection since it was limited edition.

Between the Sheets

Between the Sheets, swatched

Last but certainly not least, we have Between the Sheets, a mid-toned beige pink blush in a matte finish.  I've been a) wanting a more neutral blush and b) wanting to try dem Super Shock Cheeks.  I'm blown away by this.  It wasn't the color I was expecting, but it was better than the color I was expecting.  I've been applying this with my e.l.f. Small Stipple brush, and it gives such an even application with a beautiful, glowing from within flush.  I love using this as a blush when I'm not wearing foundation (it actually looks good and lasts), as a blush with foundation, and as a transition color in the crease.  This is awesome and I already highly recommend!

That's all I have for ya!  I hope you found this useful and interesting, and thank you so so much for taking the time to read this!!

So tell me, are you an avid Colourpop fan like me?  What are your favorite Colourpop products?  Did you pick anything up from the new spring collection?  Let me know in the comments!

Have a beautiful day~

My Favorite Multipurpose Products!!

Top 6 Foundations for DRY Skin

Hey guys! How are ya today?  I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers at Live Love Beauty Paradise to do my top foundations for my dry-skinned girls.  Before we dive into the details I thought I would go over some basics about my skin type, skin issues, and preferences in a foundation.  First of all, why do I feel like dry skin gets so little love and attention?  So many skincare and face makeup videos and blog posts I feel like are targeted for oily skin.  While I think in a lot of ways oily skin is harder to manage, I also think that dealing with skin as dry and sensitive as mine can be just as tricky.  Here are some of my deets:

Nail of the Day~ Essie Tart Deco

Hey guys!  How are ya?
Welcome back to my blog!  Today I wanted to share something with you that brought me great joy today-a bright coral mani,  can you guess what it is?

Top Ten under $10!

Hey there! How are ya?

So I'm pretty excited because I decided to finally do this post.  I've always told myself "If I ever get a YouTube channel or blog, I'm going to do this."  And now I am!  I wanted it to be a fun, interactive post, so If you are reading this-I tag you!  Write in the comments what your top ten favorite products under $10 are or you can post a pic on Instagram and tag me in it!  I love seeing your pictures.  Alright, lets get started~

Overview

Lip Swatch Week Day 4: Liners and Glosses

Hey there! Ready for more swatches?  Well, ya better be because you're gonna get 'em. Today (well, yesterday actually) I swatched all of my lipliners and lipglosses.  I didn't swatch the lipliners on my lips because that's just awkward to me for whatever reason, but I did swatch them on the back of my hand.  I did swatch the lipglosses on my hand and lips.  This is going to be the biggest one yet so let's get started.

P.S. My brows are NOT looking their best in these pictures.  I'm aware.  Trying out a new brow product. Don't judge me.

Lip Swatch Week Day 3: The Retro Portion

Hey there!  Happy Hump day and happy day 3 of Lip Swatch Week.  I know I didn't give you guys a sneak peak at the theme of today's swatches...and it was because I didn't know what I was going to call it, but I figured it out.  I'm calling this the retro portion of my collection.  These are my lip products that are old, limited edition, pretty neat, and no longer available.  I will say that I didn't swatch all of these on my lips because I wouldn't dare put some of these on my face because of how old they are.

So we're going to get through these in alphabetical order by brand. In that case, let's start with Almay

Lip Swatch Week Day 2: MAC lipsticks

Hey guys!

Guess what?  It's day 2 of lip swatch week!! Today we're going to dive into my MAC lipsticks.  I remember getting my first MAC lipstick right before I turned 14...which was also when I just started really getting into makeup.  They are really sentimental to me and they are some of my favorite lip products.  Also, disclaimer, some of these lipsticks are limited edition and you can't get them anymore :(  After we go through the swatches, I'll give you descriptions of the colors, my favorites, and what collections they came from.

Let's get started~

~Overview~

Lip Swatch Week!! Revlon Lip Butters

Hey Guys!
Remember when I mentioned something about an exciting week coming to make up for the lack of posting for the past month?  Well this is it!  I'm not only bringing you lip swatch week, but my Instagram @ummbaby (she has an awesome blog, you should check it out: here) wanted to see my whole lipstick collection, so that's what I'm going to do.  I even decided to throw in all my lipglosses and lipliners...it's going to be a long week.

Alright, let's cut the nonsense and get into the swatches.  Day one is going to be my beloved Revlon Lip Butters.  I don't use these too much anymore, but they are an intense throwback to highschool because they were the only things I ever wore.  The best part about them (that I remembered while swatching) is that they are so moisturizing, yet pigmented.

Here we go~

~Overview~

Too Faced Better than Chocolate!!!

Hey! What's up? You know what hasn't been up? My blog posts, ugh.  I've had such a busy past couple weeks school-wise and haven't been able to post very often lately. I know. I suck, I'm sorry. Fortunately, I'm getting back into the swing of things, and I'm planning something fun for the upcoming week that I'll update you on a little later :)

Anyways, I took a break from college for a few days and came back home.  Besides being ecstatic to see my cats again, I came home to THIS:

GUYS DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS??  Several weeks back, HSN had this set on sale for $49 and free shipping for one day only.  I happened to wake up early to a post from Nouveaucheap about this that day, and good thing I did because I was lucky enough to be able to snatch it up before it sold out.  This was an incredibly good deal, let me just show you what's inside to prove it to you.  Just a reminder, I am SO excited about this! ~let's go~

First Impression: Wet n Wild Coloricon Contouring Palette

Hey guys, I have an exciting post to make today.  I was wondering around in my Walmart the other day and found a new product that I had just heard about from Nouveaucheap the other day.  You probably already gathered this from the title but lets build up the suspense, drumroll anyone? ~

It's the Wet n Wild Coloricon Contouring Palette!!!

Okay, now that we are done with the suspense, let's get down to business.  This palette is sold exclusively at Walmart for $3.93 (.46 oz), and is the same price and size as their cabana bronzers (but much thinner and more compact).  The shade I picked up (the only shade at this Walmart) is "Caramel Toffee."  Here are a couple pictures that show them as they appear in the display.

As you can see, they don't have their own special display, they are just integrated with other permanent products... which makes me think these are NOT limited edition- yay!

Here's a closer look at where they are in the display.

First Impression: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Hey internet!  So yesterday I tried out two new and exciting products from the drugstore.  I have plans to continue playing with one of them, but for the other, I thought I would do my first ever first impression on.  That product (as you could tell by my clever title) is Maybelline's newest mascara, the Lash Sensational.  I'm a huge mascara fan and love Maybelline, so when this released I was beyond excited to give this one a shot.  Enough with the small talk, let's get down to business with the basics.

Maybelline Lash Sensational in Blackest Black

First of all, isn't the packaging beautiful?  I'm not usually one to gush over packaging but I love how pretty and polished the black looks up against the light metallic pink.  I picked this up at Target where it retails for $6.99.  However, I snagged a coupon from the Sunday paper (I think it was in RedPlum) for $3 off this specific mascara, so I ended up paying $3.99- talk about a good deal!  Now let's take a closer look at the brush on this~

This brush curves outward on the bottom with longer bristles while the top side curves inward with shorter bristles.  Both sides fan out toward the handle and taper toward the tip of the brush. The shape of this brush is very similar to Loreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara.  The formula is pretty wet, but slightly thinner than the Loreal.  Also, the tube does a much better job at cleaning off the brush than the Butterfly, which helps with clumping and allows for more steady building. Now for the demo, here is my left eye with my naked lashes (curled).  I included a picture of my eye open to show the length of the lashes, and then closed to show volume.

Naturally, I have decently long lashes that aren't super thick, but aren't sparse either. As you can see, they are a light, dirty blonde color.  Usually mascara alone isn't enough to darken them at the roots, but that isn't a concern of mine.  My lashes tend to work better with semi-wet, but not super thin formulas.  Maybelline The Falsies and Covergirl Clump Crusher are good examples of the kind of formula I'm trying to describe.

Soft and Gentle vs. Blush Gems

Hey internet!  I recently saw a swatch of THE cult classic Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle by MAC on Pinterest.  This wasn't just any swatch, but it was a double swatch comparing it to an e.l.f. alternative known as the Baked Highlighter in Blush Gems. This sparked my interest in conducting further investigation.  So that I did.

I'm an avid Skinfinish collector.  I have ten, nine of which are limited edition shades.  I admit, I have a problem and a weakness for their shimmery gorgeousness. I've been looking into acquiring for a while, but I'm all about cheaper alternatives- if I can find something that looks the same and works just as well or even better, I'll get it and be excited about it.  This is a great example of that, and since I can't contain my excitement anymore, lets get started!

e.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Blush Gems

Blush Gems, Swatched