Collective Haul: Ulta, Colour Pop, Sephora

GRWM: Pumpkin Spice

Hey everyone - I know it's been a while but I uploaded my first ever YouTube video. It would mean the world to me if you liked and subscribed <3 

MakeupGeek Store First Impressions

Hey everyone! I am really excited about today's post - I received a MakeUpGeek order a couple of weeks ago and was just able to get some swatch shots in the sunlight. I ordered 6 eyeshadows and one of the only blushes that wasn't out of stock.

In the order that they appear in the photos below, I got: Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Gold Digger, Chickadee, Moondust and Cocoa Bear. The blush I purchased was Smitten which is what I have on in the photo below (I am also wearing Cocoa Bear in the outer V). I also purchased a large black Z Palette from the MakeUpGeek Store. 

From my swatching, right off the bat, I can say that the shadows are really pigmented. The matte shadows are a little on the chalky side but are still really blendable and smooth to apply - just make sure you tap off your brush to avoid fallout. It is obvious she tried really hard to give us affordable dupes to many of MACs eyeshadows and  honestly, in my opinion, she succeeded! I think that the color pay off is actually better than MAC.

I have already done a couple of looks with the matte eyeshadows and found that they lasted all day with my usual eyeshadow base (Mac Paint Pot). I can't attest to the more satin but as soon as I play with them I will share my looks and report back! From what I can tell from swatching them, they are buttery smooth.

Descriptions:

Peach Smoothie: A warm matte peachy beige.

Creme Brulee: A soft sand matte shade with a hint of peach undertones.

Gold Digger: A warm metallic yellow gold.

Chickadee: Matte rusty orange.

Moondust; Metallic grey taupe.

Cocoa Bear: A matte medium deep brown with red undertones. 

You really can't beat the price of these shadows. They are $5.99 for the eyeshadow pans which is unbelievable given the high quality feel.

Eyeshadow Ingredients List here 

Onto the blush - Smitten is a gorgeous matte apricot shade. It reminded me a lot of Illamasqua's Lover blush which shattered on me last year (R.I.P. Lover). It's a lighter blush but really brightens up the cheeks nicely. As the product is blended into the skin the color transforms into a beautiful natural flush. Smitten was very long wearing on me. I applied it yesterday morning around 7:30AM and it lasted well through the work day. 

Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee 

Gold Digger, Chickadee

Moondust, Cocoa Bear

Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Gold Digger, Moonstruck, Cocoa Bear

Chicadee, Smitten Blush

Do you own any MakeUpGeek Products? Let me know your favorites in the comments!

Products I'm Lemming

Hello everyone! Today I am going to share with you my imaginary (for now) shopping carts! 

Even when I am on a budget I love to sit on Sephora.com or Ulta.com, or any online retailer and create a dream shopping cart. 

Because I have been out of the blogging loop for so long, it's really helped me stay away from over purchasing - but alas, as I return, I just want to buy EVERYTHING. 

I'll start with my MakeUpGeek cart, which I am actually going to order today! I have been wearing the same MAC eyeshadows for months now and it's pretty much been the bare minimum. I loaded my cart up with a few new eyeshadows to try and one if her MUG's blushes (so many are OOS)! I also threw in some red cheery lashes because they are only $2.50. If there are any items that you have fallen in lvr with from MUG, please let me know in the comments!! 

Onto Sephora....oh Sephora. I stopped in the 2 level Sephora on 34th St. in NY before I caught my train home and when I tell you I could have bought everything, I mean everything! I only included the *basic* essentials in this shopping cart but there is so much more I would purchase. Some of the basics like the Bronzer and Laura Mercier powder are items that I need but want to venture out and try other brands. I have been craving the Chocolate Soleil for months now. 

When I buckle down and take the plunge on these orders I will most definitely share my opinions and thought with all of you! 

Tell me in the comments section below what's on your wish list! Also, if you could feed or kill any of my lemmings, please feel free to go for it. 

Fall Essentials: Cosmetics

Hello Ladies! My apologies for not updating as much as I would like. I am in the middle of searching for a new job OH and catching up on Scandal :)

While it is not yet feeling like October over here on the East Coast yet, I can't help but begin to fall in love all over again with my autumn  essential beauty products.

During the fall months I really like to play up my eyes and use shadows that are going to bring out my blue/green hues. There are a few shadows that really exaggerate the green in my eyes. I really love cranberry shades during this time of year. I always use Mac's Cranberry but NYX makes a great dupe called Rust. In my opinion,

cranberry shadow is a must have for anyone with blue or green eyes and looks great paired with gold shadows in the crease. 

I also love deep bronzier shades during this type of year. My favorites are Woodwinked and Bronze my MAC. On lighter skin tones like myself (NC20) Bronze is a bit more dramatic than an everyday neutral bronze. 

Woodwinked is another great eyeshadow choice for the autumn months because when it is applied to the lid it appears as a beautiful bronze shadow with some orange tones that pop much like the leaves during this time of year. 

On my lips I always have my Mocha Rose Lip Balm. I found this in my local beauty supply store but CO Bigelow's balm is very similar. It is a vaseline type texture and moisturizes the lips very well.

Benefit's Full Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice is the perfect nude for me in the fall time. It is very much so "my lips but better" shade. Lady's choice is a pink nude with a touch of brown, giving it a very neutral appearance. The formula is amazing - very rich and creamy. Is is very glossy so a lipgloss is not necessary when wearing any of the Full Finish lipsticks by Benefit. 

For a more vampy lip I always reach for MAC's Rebel. Rebel is a fuschia/merlot berry shade with a semi shine finish. I love this because it's not the most extreme bold but definitely enough for that 'vampy' effect.

If I'm looking to add a gloss over my lipstick or by itself Baremineral's Buxom Lipgloss in Dolly is a nice muted plum shade. These lip glosses are known for the tingling sensation on your lips once applied. The gloss is supposed to plump your lips but it does not have that effect on me. If your lips are insensitive to tingly sensations and that menthol feeling you will love this lipgloss - the shade is beautiful and it contains a little bit of shimmer as well. (swatch posted below. 

There are a couple of blushes in my collection that exude fall to me. One is Pallido's baked blush in Choc-au-lait. This is a beautiful auburn shade. That sounds a little bit scary when describing a blush but on my NC 20 skin, it really warms up my face and gives it a glow from with in appearance. You only need a touch of the brush because a little goes a long way! The pigmentation is very impressive and the lasting power is great for such an inexpensive blush.

Another blush I am a fan of during the fall is Milani's baked blush in Berry Amour. This is a soft berry shade with pink, rose, and gold veining throughout so it's not a harsh berry shade when mixed all together. There is some shimmer in this blush and it can be a little chunky but it just takes some blending for that to dissipate.

To add a bit of glow to my skin during the dry months I use MACs Cream Color Base in Hush. Hush is a nice pink champagne color that makes your skin come alive when applied to the cheek bones. It is a tid bit difficult to work with but as you warm the product up with your fingers is becomes easier to blend.

Finally, I am adding a base to this post because it really gives off a dewiness to your skin that is much needed in the dry air. I am talking about Tarte's Marajuca Creaseless Concealer. When I apply this to my under eye area I look so refreshed and awake. It brightens and adds a natural looking sheen. I have a full review and swatches of Tarte's concealer here.

I am definitely going to be doing a fall essentials series - within the next couple of weeks I will share my essential nail polishes and skin care products for fall :)

What are your fall beauty must haves?

Nars Mediteranee Eyeshadow Duo

Even though it has been super rainy and just down right terrible weather - I am still rocking the orange eyeshadow. Below is they Nars Mediteranee eyeshadow duo that I picked up at Sephora for around $34. I have had this for a while but when I swatched the orange shade in the store a year or so ago I knew I had to have it.

The Mediteranee duo comes with a golden pearlescent beige shade and a shimmery orange that steals the show. Seriously, this duo is absolutely gorgeous and it is almost 100% the orange shads fault. My only complaint with this due is that the beige shade could be more pigmented. I find myself really trying to pack it on to get good color pay off. 

Below is a more wearable look using Mediteranee. 

April 2013 Favorites (Beauty and Accessories)

Okay, I felt as long as I get my favorites up before the 10th, its not too late to feature a monthly favorites! I did skip march favorites so some of these products account for the past two months!

I have been wearing Mac's Cream Soda blush constantly! It's perfect for spring and summer. I actually can't wait till I get a tan going to see how nice it looks with bronzed skin. I have a full review of the blush here

Another blush I have been wearing the past two months is Lorac's Rose blush. I have been reaching for this while getting ready for work and just want a subtle flush for my cheeks. Rose doesn't look very special in the pan but on the skin its a really nice warm dusty rose shade with a nice amount of pigmentation. It can be worn with any look and it lasts all day - more so than any of my Mac blushes.

If I wore anything on my lips other than my Mocha Rose lip balm (made by Rosebud Perfume Co.) the past couple of months, it was Mac's Shy Girl. Shy Girl is my favorite mac lipstick finish - a creamsheen so it is the most creamy texture. There are no pink undertones to it at all so paler girls beware! It's a true nude and looks great with a smokey eye on just some liner and mascara. 

WHY WHY WHY have I not purchased L'Oreal's Voluminous Million mascara before. It's not seen in this photo because i cannot find it which is freaking me out lol.

My lashes are decently long, but this mascara does a great job at fanning out my lashes, making it appear that I have more lashes than I actually do. I am going to do a full review of this blush in the near future!

I have not been doing much with my eyes but whenever I want to play up my eyes a little I have been popping Macs Espresso eyeshadow in the corners of my eyes. Espresso is a nice chocolaty brown that gives nice depth the my eyes. I have also been using it daily to fill my brows in. 

Lorac's eyeshadow base has been treating my well this month. I received this as a sample with the Pro Palette. It helps my shadow stay in place all day and night. I don't really use many eyeshadow bases other than Mac's Painterly paint pot, which I know isn't a 'true' base - but it works for me. I actually like this a lot better and will definitely purchase a full size once I am out. 

One skincare product that I had to include was the Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair moisturizer wih SPF 30. This stuff has been a miracle worker for me. Stay tuned for a full review

There have been some accessories that I have been wearing EVERYDAY this month. All of them were purchased at Khol's! The sunglasses are LC and the two bangles and other bracelet are by Apt 9.

What are some of your monthly favorites?

xxx

EOTD ft. Lorac Pro Palette

So there was a lot of buzz surround this palette on MakeUpAlley a little while back and I honestly had no urge for it. I went to Ulta one day and while it still didn't wow me (probably because I have plenty of nude shades already), I purchased it anyway. What won me over was the silkiness and creaminess of the shadows when I swatched them. These are some of the most softest shadows I've used. The color range was right up my alley too. 

The more I thought about it I realized I don't have enough matte neutral shadows to do a completely matte eye. 

The shades in the Lorac Pro Palette are nicely pigmented, blend really easily, and comes with shimmer and matte shades. 

I am really happy I bought this and would recommend if you are searching for a new palette. The price is $42.00. For 16 good quality shadows (and a sample of their primer) I would say that is a decent deal :)

This is one EOTD I did using Lt Bronze on the Lid, Bronze on the center of my lid and Pewter on the outer corner.

Do you have the Lorac PRo Palette? What are you favorite looks to do with it?

What's in my Makeup Bag?

Hello girls! Today I am going to share with you what I keep in my makeup bag. These are essentials that I need with me if I know I am going to be out of the house all day. 

I use this VS makeup bag - it's a decent size to hold all of my things :)

First things first, powder...

Mac Careblend Powder - There are two things that I must carry around with me. Powder is one of them. I recently switched to the Mac Careblend powder which is much more travel friendly than the MAC MSFN which is another powder I love. The Mac Careblend powder comes in an enclosed case with a mirror and puff. It gives a very natural finish providing light to medium coverage depending on application.

Garnier Tinted Roller Ball - The other essential product I must have with me is THIS concealer. ALWAYS This has been a HG product of mine for the last year or so (will do a proper review of it). I always have this with me if I feel I'm looking tired. It brightens the under-eye area instantly.

Maybelline Full N' Soft - my all time favorite Mascara. I can apply this throughout the day with out brushing through dry crusty mascara that result in clumpy lashes

Spot Concealer - recently I have been carrying around the NYX HD photogenic concealer. But I do have a few on rotation in case my concealer wears off throughout the day.

Rimmel Special Eyes Pencil Eyeliner - For nights when I go out I always carry black eyeliner. I use Rimmel's Pencil liner. I feel I need it to intensify a look even more throughout the night.

Nars Madly - My perfect blush that obviously has had enough love. Madly is a dusty rose shade. When it's applied lightly it gives a really nice warm sheen. If you have a heavier hand it can give you a non-overpowering bronzed glow.

Lipstick - I always carry with me whatever lipstick/gloss combo I have at the moment. However, I always have Mac's High Tea lipstick on me. It's the perfect shiney nude lipstick for me and it goes with a variety of looks! I have also recently been carrying with me my Revlon Lip Butter in Creme brulee 

Mac Ricepaper e/s - this is a shimmer nude that if I feel I need it, swipe across my lid (with my finger) to brighten up my eyes

Kabooki - For my powder foundation I always use my Kabookie brush - I get nice coverage with it and it's the perfect size for my makeup travel bag!


What do you keep in your makeup bag?

BLOG SALE

Hi girls! I have added a Blog Sale page above! 

Check it out and e-mail me if you see anything you like.

I will keep adding to the sale so keep checking back. 

I am adding beauty products later on.