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. 

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. 

Smashbox On the Rocks: 3 Looks and Review

Hi everyone!

I have been having so much fun playing with the Smashbox On the Rocks palette. My previous post has swatches and shadow descriptions, if you are interested!

The palette is limited edition and available at Ulta for $42 for 28 shadows.

The Review: 

This palette is excellent! The shadows are pigmented and easy to blend. There is a variety of finishes and colors. If you don't have a palette with a nice variety and options. I would definitely get this one. If you have a complete collection this might not add much. I don't see too many unique shades in here but there are some beautiful taupes and lavender/purple shades. They are powdery so if you hate that, this won't be for you. On the other hand, they are not so powdery that it's a turnoff for me. I would actually compare them to the Lorac shadows, though these might not be quite so powdery.

The looks: 

Look 1

I wore this look to work, so I kept it natural looking but made it interesting by using the lavender :) 

What I used: 

Marzipan all other my lid on top of MAC's paint pot in painterly

Totally Nude on my crease

Sable in the outer corner 

Lavender on the lid

Snow as a browbone highlight 

A bit of Moonlight on the inner corner 

Look 2 

This was my fun weekend look and my favorite look with this palette, so far

What I used:

A mix on Marzipan and Totally Nude on my crease

Mink all over my lid 

Cabernet on the outer corner and taken into the crease just a bit

Snow as a browbone highlight  

I love everything about this look, but Cabernet is probably the standout shade :)

Look 3 

This was my colorful look!

What I used: 

Marzipan all over the lid on top of MAC's paint pot in painterly 

A mix of Totally Nude and Sable on my crease

Peacock on the lid 

Navy on the outer corner and taken into the crease a bit 

Snow as a browbone highlight 

Moonlight in the inner corner 

The standout from this look was Navy, which is a beautiful navy blue :) It blended well and I think looks stunning. 

I am very happy with the palette and the looks that I can make with it. Let me know if you would like to see more looks with it. I will also try to answer any questions you might have!

xoxo,
Cynthia

Vice 3 swatches and review

Howdy all,

I don't own either of the first two Vice palettes but I really wanted to try the Vice 3 so I picked it up with my Ulta points :)

The palette: 

I HATE the packaging and I seem to be in the minority on this but the plastic feels flimsy and I don't like the design... However, packaging is not everything and I do really enjoy the color selection and overall quality of the shadows. 

The swatches: 

As a reference, I am NC42 in MAC foundations, though my hand is probably more tan

From left to right

Top row: 

DTF-its a brown/gray shadow that seems to have a sheen to it but shows up like a matte 

Downfall- a matte brown that's perfect for the crease 

Undone- a light brown that comes off almost nude on my skin 

Truth- is a light pink and perfect as a matte highlight on me 

Botton row: 

Brokedown- a metalic green/brown that is quite unique, but powdery 

Heroine- a matte blue! It is pigmented but I have not used it yet to see how it performs 

Freeze- is a gorgeous metalic teal 

Dragon - a grean with a bit of a sheen 

First row: 

Bobby Dazzle- a shimmery white

Reign- a brown taupe 

Lucky- a shimmer caramel 

Vanity- shimmery purple 

Second Row: 

Sonic- I am not sure how to describe this shimmery color, it has some peach, coral...

Bondage- is a deep purple/pink dual chrome, it has a lot of dimension

Alchemy- a deep pink shimmer 

Alien-shimmery pink 

Third Row: 

Revolver- is a dark blue/gray shimmer 

Defy- is a matte gray

Angel- is a shimmer taupe/gray 

Last Sin-is a beautiful champagne shimmer, i've used this all over the lid and comes off beautiful 

The Review: 

When I first got it, I was not at all sure how I felt. At first glance the palette looked nice but nothing really stood out to me. Then I swatched it and started creating looks with it and have grown to appreciate it. It is a VERY versatile palette. You can do all all matte or all shimmer look, you can do nudes or all brights, and there are tons of options. Is it s must have? Not if you have this kind of palette already but if you are just building your collection then this will make a nice addition. 

Tarte Away Oui Go Portable Palette and Collector's Set

Howdy everyone,

My Ulta order finally came in and the palette/set I was most excited to play with was this Tarte set. It is $48 exclusively at ulta.com. There is a separate limited edition Holiday palette and set at Sephora but I was most interested in this one.

The Set: 

It is a gorgeous set with 16 shadows and 4 blushes plus 3 sample size maracuja lip glosses and a Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. 

The shades all have French inspired names, which I love!

The Swatches: 

The set is divided into 4 different sets that can be removed and taken to go so I swatched every set individually. 

 From top to bottom on the swatches: 

Marvel at the Mona Lisa (matte)

Tea for Two (satin)

Café for Crème Brûlée (matte)

Private Chateau (matte)

Blush: Irresistible (matte)

First Impressions: There are gorgeous shades! They are pigmented and soft textured, the blush will be perfect for lighter skin tones but will also go with a natural look on those of is with darker complexions. 

 From top to bottom: 

Art in Montmartre (satin)

Kisses Under the Arc (satin)

Champagne & Chocolat (shimmer)

Macarons For You (matte)

Blush: Envisioned-light pink/brown with some shimmer

First Impression: This is the only quad that I have used on my eyes. Macarons For You blended (matte) a bit too well into my skin and was not very noticeable as a crease shade but it is gorgeous. They rest of the shades are shimmery but are not glittery, the texture is more of a satin. They look really gorgeous on the eye. It worked great as a natural eye look with some shine. The blush is a very natural light color but does have some shine. It still worked on my skin. 

From left to right: 

Champs-Élysées Shopping (matte)

Stargazing on the Seine (shimmer)

Eiffel Tower engagement (matte)

Secret Soiree (satin)

Blush: Limitless-peachy matte 

First Impressions: This shadows swatched so beautifully, I am especially excited about using Secret Soiree 

From top to bottom: 

Liaison at the Louvre (matte)

Midnight Stroll (matte)

Navigating the Metro (satin)

Snow Angels (shimmer)

Blush: Intrigue-pink matte 

First Impressions: I am most excited about the blush in this palette and of the shades Midnight Stroll looks like a gorgeous matte purple/mauve. They all swatched beautifully. 

From left to right: 

Paris-depper pink

Cannes-light pink 

Nice-nude 

 First Impressions: The glosses, I actually likes despite not usually liking glosses. They are sticky but they settle comfortable on the lips after a few minutes. They are all pretty sheer so don't expect too much color but I do still think they are worth it. 

Over all: 

I think this is a great set. The travel aspect of it is a bit of a gimmick but The eyeshadows and blushes are beautiful and I was even impressed with the glosses. Again the glosses are not very pigmented but they do give the lips a nice wash of color and feel very comfortable. The shadows on the other hand are very pigmented and beautifully textured. I did not but the set that was very similar to this one, from last year, so I can't compare it. The whole set is bulky and I wish the shade names were printed on the actual palettes. They are printed on the back so that's better than nothing but I prefer them printed where I can easily see them. However, I do think that this set is very worth it. 

Let me know if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them!

Parting thoughts: 

-Full review and looks coming soon!

-I hope everyone is having a great week. 

*I purchased this set with my own money and all thought and opinion are my own. 

Weekly Favorites

Howdy all,

So, I've been super tired this week from my teaching schedule and have not felt like being too fussy with my makeup each morning, and these products have helped. I have had oily skin right now and I need my makeup to last all day. I do take it off at the end of the night and have been taking care of my skin but the last few weeks have really been a test to see which products are the most long wearing.

Favorites: 

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette: this palette makes is it so I don't even have to think about my eye look and get really pretty looks. I do and Cut the Cake are two of my favorite shades :)

Tarte CC colored clay primer and Amazonian Colored Clay liquid foundation in Tan have been my go to for the past 3 weeks. When I first used this foundation, I really did not like it. It looked a bit heavy and too noticeable but I think I was using the wrong primer and now that my skin is oily, this foundation has been perfect. I apply it over the Tarte primer, which I love because it really does hide discoloration all on its own.

Tarte BB tinted under eye corrector in Medium to tan: I love this corrector so much that I have hit pan on it. I hear the new one is even better and I can't wait to try it but for now this guy has been a huge help as a deal with huge undereye circles.

Nars radiant creamy concealer in Biscuit: I got this baby a while back and have tried a few concealers int he mean time but I find that this concealer does the job with minimal work. I don't use it to highlight just to hide my panda eyes and the color is perfect for that. If I also wanted it to highlight I would probably get a lighter color but Biscuit  matches my skin color, so I find it perfect for a quick conceal as I run out the door.

Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil: I use this to set my makeup and I feel like it makes a difference and holds my oil at bay for 8 hours

Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender: Unfortunately my oils eventually become noticeable, even with the mineral veil. That is when the face defender comes to the rescue. Just a light application and the oil is gone and my face is matte. Everyone with oily skin needs to have this guy. It's expensive but you can currently find it in a kit at Ulta for $49 Ulta.com. It is worth it, if you can afford it.

Parting thoughts: 

-What have you all been loving this week?
-Anyone else super tired?

Lots of love,
~ Cynthia

No-buy July Challenge: 3 Looks

Howdy all,

I have been on a no-buy this month. I'm doing it for several reasons: I want to wait and buy makeup in the fall/winter season when all the limited edition palettes come out, plus I want to use up some of what I have since I've been neglecting parts of my collection.

I decided to challenge myself to use palettes that have been neglected and I started with Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things. This was a limited edition palette from this recent holiday season. It is a gorgeous palette but I have not been reaching for it lately.

The palette: 

The Looks: 

Shadows used: 

Cream Colored Ponies all over as a base and as a brow bone highlight

Taffy all over the lid 

Ooh la Orchid on the outer corner and crease 

Soirée to deepen up the outer corner 

Shadows used: 

Cream Colored Ponies all over as a base and as a brow bone highlight

Chocolate Milk on the crease and blended up 

Soirée in the outer V 

Coquet all over the lid (wet)

Whiskers on Kittens in the inner corner (wet) 

Shadows used: 

Tinsel all over lid 

Chocolate Milk in the crease and blended up 

Dark Chocolate in the outer corner

Cream Colored Ponies as a brow bone highlight 

The Review: 

I love this palette. You might have noticed but I love Cream Colored Ponies, it is a wonderful matte cream color. Coquet is a mix of pink and gold that comes off golden but the pink is there if you pay attention. Chocolate Milk should be in every palette, seriously it is great for blending shadows and on the crease. Other great shadows are: Honey Honey, Bouche de Noel and Crisp Apple Strudel. I did not swatch everything for you because this palette was swatched by everyone when it came out. 

The palette as a whole is very complete with the inclusion of  Chocolate Soleil, Sun Bunny (both bronzers), and Raindrops on Roses and Melt into Spring (both blushes). I took this palette with me when I was visiting family for the holidays and I had lots of fun with it. I think I stopped using it because it felt like it was a holiday palette but it is actually a great year round palette. Now I know that I can do good summer looks with it. 

I will be using it 3 more days and then I will move on to another neglected palette for 5 days. Not sure which one yet but I might go with the Lorac Pro (original). 

Parting thoughts: 

-Do you have this palette? What looks have you been doing with it? If you have not been using it maybe I can inspire you to use it. If you do, please share pictures with me on instagram :) 

-Is anyone else on a no-buy or low-buy? 

-I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Country and Rock N Roll! Too Faced looks

Howdy all,

I've been playing with my new Too Faced palettes and want to share a couple of looks :)

The looks: 

The Country Nashville Nudes Eye Shadow Collection

I used: 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Original

NYX Milk as a base

Paper Roses on my lid 

Dolly on my crease 

Rhinestone on the outer V 

Nashville on the lower lashline 

Cowboy Take Me Away as a browbone highlight 

Rock N Roll Rock Candy Eye Shadow Collection 

I used: 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Original

NYX Milk as a base

Rap all over the lid 

Ska on the crease

Punk on my outer V 

Rockability as a browbone highlight 

Also went with a wing: not a great one but I'll keep trying 

Thoughts: 

I am really enjoying both palettes. The Rock N Roll is taking my out of my comfort zone and makes me nervous when I go to use it :) The colors in the Country color are beautiful, I would definitely say to use a base to help them pop. 

Parting thoughts: 

-What looks have you all been trying with these palettes? 

-Is anyone else doing no-buy July? How is it going? I am still going strong, the urges are there but I am still on the wagon!

Too Faced Country and Rock N Roll Haul!

Howdy all, 

I've been on a mini vacation this week and when I got back I had an box from Ulta waiting for me. This is actually the last order I will be receiving in a while as I've decided to go on a no-buy. Not a low-buy not a no-buy until the nest hyped product comes out, no this will be a no-buy for all of July and until October. Yes, October! 

But right now I have some new pretties I get to play with! These two palettes are Ulta exclusives that are available online and will be in stores this month. The retail for $36 

Country Nashville Nudes Eye Shadow Collection

Rock N Roll Rock Candy Eye Shadow Collection

The goods: 

The Swatches: 

The Country palette is on the left and Rock N Roll on the left.

The names are not aligned but they are in order :)

First Impressions: 

I am very happy with both palettes. The Country palette is perfect for summer and I actually don't have a smoky palette in my collection so I am am very happy to have the Rock N Roll. The packaging is beautiful, especially on the Rock N Roll palette. There are not a lot of matt shades on either one of these, so if you prefer matte shadows, I would steer away from these. There are glitter bomb shades in both but I actually did not have a huge problem with those. I have been using a primer and then NYX milk, and I think that really helps. 

If you are interested in more on these palettes, I will be posting looks and more thoughts on different shades tomorrow :)  

Let em know if you are thinking about getting either one of these palettes. I am also happy to answer questions :) 

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend!

xoxo, 

~Cynthia 

Weekly favorites!

Howdy all,

Just wanted to share a few favorites that I've been using all week. I think it's beed a good makeup week for me. Probably because I got some new goodies and I've been having fun playing with them but Ii've also had a lot of fun coming up with cute summer looks.

The goods: 

1. It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Palette

2. Too faced à la mode eyes palette: jardin has been my go to lid color :) 

3. Tarte BB tinted undereye corrector in Medium to Tan

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay liquid foundation in Tan 

5. It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation in Tan 

6. It Cosmetics brush: I don't know the name but it;s the large face brush 

7. NYX Pore Filler primer   

- The Tarte undereye corrector has been the MVP this week. I have not been sleeping well but this guys has helped me look like I have! I've been using it with different concealers and highlighters and it has not let me down. 

- The Tarte foundation has been great since my skin has been really oily skin but I would not recommend it for dry skin. 

- The It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation is by far the best powder foundation I have ever tried! 

What products have you been loving this wee? Any MVPs? I would love to hear what other people have been wearing :) 

xoxo, 

~Cynthia