Too Faced Natural Matte Palette Review and 3 looks

Hi Everyone,

So I have now had a chance to play with the Natural Matte palette and can say that I do love it but it is not a must have for everyone.

The palette is available at ulta.com and toofaced.com for $36

The Review: 

Pros: 
The shadows are excellent quality, they are buttery without being too powdery or kicking up too much product. They also blend beautifully and there is a nice assortment of matte brown shades. If you love mattes, browns and Too Faced, you will love this palette.

Cons: 
While I did find the shadows to be unique and could not find too many repeats in my collection. Some of you might find that you already have these shadows. Also while you can get different looks with this palette, don't expect to ket wildly different looks. They really will look very similar.

Ultimately if have a good collection of matte browns, you don't need this palette. If you don't then I do highly recommend it.

The looks: 

Look 1

I used Heaven on top of a primer

Honey Butter on the crease 

Strapless on the lid

Risqué on the outer corner and into the crease

Look 2 

I used Heaven all over as a base on top of a primer 

Honey Butter and Chocolate Cookie on the crease (in that order)

Strapless on the lid 

A little bit of Sexspresso on the outer corner

Look 3

I used Heaven as a base on top of a primer 

Honey Butter on the lid

Chocolate Cookie on the outer corner on the outer corner and in the crease 

** I purchased everything with my own money, Too Faced has no clue who I am. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my won. There are NO affiliate links. 

Too Faced Natural Matte palette: Swatches and First Impressions

Hi everyone,

Too Faced recently release an all matte palette and while I am still playing with it, I want to show you some swatches. It is an Ulta exclusive and available online only at the moment for $36 ulta.com

The palette: 

The how-to guide is covering a mirror :) 

As you can see the top row is the same as the top row from the Natural Eyes Collection. I don't own that palette but this is something to consider if you are considering getting this one.  

The Swatches: 

Swatches were done without primer on my NC42 skin and all pictures were taken with natural lighting.  

From top to bottom and left to right 

Row 1: Heaven, Cashmere Bunny, Sexpresso

Row 2: Lace Teddy, Strapless, Risqué 

Row 4: Nude, Honey Butter, Chocolate Cookie 

Different angle

First Impressions: 

I've only used the palette a couple of days but I am really enjoying this palette so far. The shadows are excellent quality, they are buttery and the blend like a dream. The only one that does not show up on my skin is Nude, but I've been using it to blend out the edges of other shadows and it has been great for that. 

Most will want to compare this to other all matte palettes. I did not buy the recent Tarte Tertelette palette so I can't tell you how the two compare but I did find similar shades in the Chocolate Bar palette as well as in the A Few of My Favorite Things and Everything Nice Palettes. 

Dupes

Sexpresso is similar to Dark Chocolate (A Few of My Favorite Things)

Strapless is similar to Salted Caramel (Chocolate Bar)

** check back tomorrow for side by side comparisons 

The rest are similar in tone but different enough to justify getting the Natural Matte for me. 

I will have looks with this palette coming this week :) In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions. 

** There are NO affiliate links and I purchased everything with my own money. Ulta and Too Faced have no clue who I am, so no this is not a sponsored post. 

Best of Becca collection: Swatches and Review

Hi everyone!

I recently discovered a Best of Becca collection at ulta.com for $34.50 and I jumped at the opportunity to try some Becca. I did buy the trio of liquid skin perfectors that came out during the holidays.

The kit: 

These are all minis, which I have come to prefer when trying out new products; the usually last a long time and take up less room :)

It comes with: 

1. Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed in Rose Gold

2. Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

3. Beach Tint in Guava 

4. Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Watermelon/Moonstone 

The Swatches: 

Top to bottom: 

Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Watermelon/Moonstone 

Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed in Rose Gold

Beach Tint in Guava 

The Review: 

Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal: This is a great liquid highlighter. It's easy to use, shows up nicely on my tan skin but is not to overwhelming. 

Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed in Rose Gold: This highlight is not going to hide from anyone. It is a beautiful shimmer and would recommend for most people. I am not sure how it would work on those with light and cool undertones,  but on those with warm and medium, tan, and dark skin, this will look great! 

Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Watermelon/Moonstone: Soufflé is the right word for this baby. The texture is super bouncy and I am so happy they included this color in the kit. It will work on all skin tones. You can apply it lightly but also build nicely. My main concern with the soufflés was if they would even show up on my skin but this one does. It looks natural and brings a nice glow to the cheeks. It lasted all day and while I did not a hot day it is supposed to be waterproof. This will be great for summer! 

Beach Tint in Guava : this is my least favorite item. It is a pretty, light, pink color. It can be used on the cheeks and lips. However, it was WAY too light for my lips. I have pigmented lips and this guy was just not very pigmented at all. Then I tried it on my cheeks and it was once again a light pink. I squeezed some out on to my hand and used a stippling brush to place it on my cheeks. It did show up, even if lightly, and makes a nice everyday color. It lasted well throughout the day but it was sticky to the touch.  It didn't feel sticky though and I actually didn't feel it on my face, unless I touched it. 

Price: I am extremely happy with this kit! It's a great price for 4 products, 2 delux sizes and 2 full sizes. Yes 2 full sizes. The souflé is full size and retails for $27 so is the Beach Tint and retails for $25. Those two alone add up to a $52 value and more than worth the $34.50 for the kit!!! 

** There are NO affiliate links. I purchased everything with my own money and these companies have no clue who I am. 

Viva Glam Miley Cyrus: Review and FOTD

Hello all,

MAC recently released their collaboration with Miley Cyrus. Despite whatever you may think about Miley, 100% of the proceeds go to the MAC AIDS fund. You can find it at maccosmetics.com

The goods: 

Lipstick #16 

Tinted Lipglass $15 

The Review: 

This is not a unique color at all but it is a gorgeous color and will look great on most skin tones. For reference I am NC42  and I love the way it look on me. It is a bright pink and the lipglass makes for a gorgeous addition. I was not originally going to get the lipglass but I tried it in-store and loved the way it looked on top of the lipstick. It wears off nicely and stains the lips. 

FOTD: 

Did you pick it the lipstick and/or lipglass? What did you think? Let me know if you have any questions: 

xoxo, 

~Cynthia 

* This is NOT a sponsored post. I purchased all items and the post contains no affiliate links. 

QVC TSV: Tarte Miracles from the Amazon 6pc Collection w/ Bag

Hello all,

I recently ordered this upcoming tsv from QVC. It will be available February 13th for $59.96. I do get Q magazine which gives me a preview of upcoming TSVs but if you don't get the magazine but want to keep up with what is coming out, I highly recommend the bog:  Blue Skies for Me Please. There you will find the pre-order numbers for the advertised upcoming TSVs.

For the Tarte kit use: A265526 and A265565

Reviews and a look using the whole kid below:

The 6 pieces: 

You get: 

Be Your Own Tarteist pallet with 6 neutral shadows and a blush

double ended eye brush

Foundation brush 

LipSugence liquid lip shine in exquisite 

Maracuja Miracle founcealer (0.51 fl. oz.)

Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara 

Bag

Swatches: 

shadows 

blush and lipgloss 

The review: 

Palette: This palette comes in super cute packaging. They are neutral shadows so there is nothing too special about the colors. The quality is really nice, they are easy to blend and create looks with. The shimmery shades can be a bit powdery but nothing out of the normal, while the mattes are really great. Tarte has been doing a great job with matte shadows lately. There are only 2 shimmery shades, and 4 mattes :)

You also get a pink blush with peach tones and a bit of shimmer. I tend to prefer matte blushes but this one actually worked really well! 

Overall, not a must have but a nice palette to have. One complaint: the names are printed on a plastic sheet :(

The brushes: These babies are super soft! Especially the foundation brush. It's like angels caressing my face!! I have really been loving the brushes that Tarte has in their QVC kits (I have never purchased individual Tarte brushes). 

The mascara: I am currently using other mascaras and did not want to open a new one with I will post an update once I use this one. 

The lipgloss: I need to preface my review by saying that I am not a lipgloss person. This one however, I love and have been using constantly since getting it. I've actually had to force myself to use other products. It is gorgeous and natural pink/mauve color. I have been loving it over a nude lip liner. 

The foundcealer: I love Tarte foundations and this one is really great light to medium coverage. I have oily skin with a lot of acne scaring and skin discoloration, so I normally prefer a medium to full coverage foundation. I am in the shade Tan and it is a good match for my skin tone (MAC NC42 for reference). 

This foundation lasted a good 8-10 hours on me without making me look oily. After 10 hours I did get shinny but this is normal for oily skin. I did set it with powder but I always use powder and thought it was the most fair way of testing it. I did one layer and got a nice natural coverage.  Note that this is not a full coverage foundation. It does claim to be foundation and concealer and I did not find this to be true. I do think that you will need concealer with this. 

The main thing I did not like about the foundation was the dropper... I really don't know why it needed a dropper. It is very liquidy and runny but a pump would have been better (for my taste).

I will also note that this is about half an oz and most foundations are 1oz. I actually prefer this size because I like trying out foundations and don't like feeling like forcing myself to use them up. 

I do think a lot of people will like this foundation. I can see it working with dry skin because it is not a matte finish, it is not drying. It did work on my oily skin, hurray! So I would also recommend it for us oily people though you might still need a powder.  

The last few foundations I tried have had great effects on my skin. I felt like they didn't just act ad makeup but also as skincare. It is too early to know if this one work in the same way, but I have high hopes. 

Look with all the products: 

Let me know if you have any questions! 

xoxo, 

~Cynthia 

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post and I purchased everything mentioned. 

   

Urban Decay Vice LTD: Review and 3 looks

Hi everyone!

It was recently announced that the limited edition Vice LTD palette will be available at Ulta so I picked back up and started playing with mine again.

The Review: 

It is a very pretty palette and I remember being excited when I did swatches for an earlier post but then I tried to use it on my eyes and it just did not work well for me.

Things to consider:
1. It is very cool toned and only has a a few warm toned shades so if you prefer warm shadows this might not be the palette for you.
2. You might need a base for them. I have pigmented and oily eyelids and theses shadows are quite light and shimmery so they did not stay on my lids. I finally got them to work by using very creamy bases. Mac's paint pot in painterly did not work really well for me. I found that the Maybelline color tattoos and the ColorPop super shock shadows worked best for me. Once I started using those, I was able to create some nice looks with it.

Overall, I don't think this one is a must have.

Look #1

I used: 

Urban Decay PP

ColorPop Super Shock shadow in Girly 

Last Sin all on the inner half of the lid 

Backdoor on the crease 

Hodoo on the outer half

Laced above the crease to blend out Backdoor

Anonymous as a browbone highlight 

Look #2

I used: 

Urban Decay PP

ColorPop Super Shock shadow in Girly 

Crystal all over the lid 

Nameless on the crease 

Perversion on the outer v

Laced to bled out upper crease 

Look #3

I used: 

Urban Decay PP

ColorPop Super Shock shadow in Girly 

Chase on the middle of the lid 

Disco all over the lid (over Chase)

Deeper on the crease 

Perversion on the outer v

Laced to blend out crease 

Anonymous as a browbone highlight 

I am very happy with the looks I was able to do, so I am keeping the palette. I was able to do wearable looks appropriate for my work environment but also a fin look. 

Let me know if you have any questions!

xoxo Cynthia 

* I purchased all mentioned products. There are no affiliate links and this is not a sponsored post. All thought and opinions are my own. 

Review of The Wet Brush on curly hair

Hello!

I don't talk about hair much here but I wanted to share my experience with a new hair brush that I found at Target.

The Brush: 

It is The "Wet" Brush squirt Target.com $4.99. They also have a larger one for $8.99 and they have various colors.

It's a detangling brush specifically made to work with wet hair. I currently visiting family and forgot to pack a brush. I have curly hair and I am currently on the curly girl method so I only brush my hair straight out of the shower and this seemed perfect.

My review: 

I have been using this brush for a week and it is a winner! It does actually make brushing my hair a bit easier. It's not a miracle worker though and any one with curly hair will know that it will always be more difficult to brush our hair. On the other hand, if you are going to brush your curly wet hair, I think this brush is worth it. If your hair is not as difficult I know that you will like this brush. It has the ideal bristles and space between bristles for brushing wet hair. It is very similar to some of the Conair brushes at target and I will have to see how my regular Conair compares once I get back home. In the meantime, I am elated to have found this. It is small enough for travel and WAY better than other travel brushes.

*** All items were purchased by me. I have never accepted money in exchange for a review. This is not a sponsored post and all links are direct to retailers, there are no affiliate links.