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. 

Urban Decay Vice LTD palette: Swatches and First Impressions

Hello all!

I was recently able to pick up the limited edition Urban Decay Vice LTD palette at the Newport Beach flagship store. You can pick it up for $58 at urbandecay.com

The palette: 

I have to say that the packaging is beautiful and much better than the Vice palette this year (just my opinion, sorry). I love the lime green color!

You get 20 eyeshadows and a double-ended brush. I know some people don't like the brushes that come with palettes but I always find a use for them :)

The Swatches: 

All shadows were swatched on my NC42 skin, without a primer. It's a rare cloudy day in Souther California, so a did have a light on but they are showing up true to color. I will name and describe shadows top to bottom. 

Chase: a satin gold 

Provocateur: a shimmery pink 

Crystal: a unique dual chrome light blue with gold

Nameless: a satin golden brown 

Last sin: a shimmery champagne 

Hoodoo: a satin lavender 

Goddess: a satin blue (swatches powdery)

Backdoor: a matte dark brown 

Roadstripe: a satin which with some pale pink in it

Freakshow: a satin purple (it looks like it might also have gold glitter)

Vaporize: a dual chrome, it looks like a taupe on the pan but it has brown and green and I am not sure what else. It reminds me of Girly by Too Faced. 

Deeper: a vibrant brown w/ gold shimmer 

Anonymous: a matter light peach

Junkshow: a satin pink 

Floss: a deep green with glitter 

Disco: shimmer gold

Laced: A matte light brown (blends into my skin tone)
Blitz: A shimmery yellow gold

Perversion: a matte black/gray

Heat: a shimmery orange/gold 

The Review: 

There are 4 matte colors , the rest are shimmery and satin so that it something to consider. There are a few blending shades and I am not sure how they will work on my skin tone. However, there are some really great unique shades. Only two shades swatched poorly: perversion and goddess. I will wait and see how they perform on the eyes but it's only two shades so it won't ruin the palette. I will play with it and come back with looks and a full review later in the week but over all I am pretty excited to play with this palette.

This one is not as well organized as the Vice palette this year and has more light tones shades. This worries me a bit. However it also has some fun and exciting shades that swatch with more dimension that they appear to have on the pan.

** All items were purchased my me. I have never been paid for a review or been sponsored and there are no affiliate links

xoxo,
~Cynthia

Smashbox On the Rocks palette: Swatches and First Impressions

Hi everyone,

I love the Holiday season! Yes, I love getting together with family and friends, eating good food and having a great time, but the best part is the holiday palettes!

Today I have swatches and first impressions of Smashbox' On the Rocks Palette.

It is limited edition, $42 and available exclusively at Ulta

I did get last year's palette and while I like it, it does get overshadowed (no pun intended) by other palettes. I was not planning on getting this one but then I saw good reviews and decided to take a second look. Then came the Ulta 20% off coupon and I had to place the order.

The palette: 

I love the packaging: it is foamy, and catches the light beautifully though a bit too thick. 

It does not have cutesy names, and the silly plastic is annoying. I would much prefer when they are printed so that I can throw away the plastic. 

 It's so pretty

It comes with a look book!

The swatches: 

I will take them one square at at time from top left to right. 

Top Left: 

(from bottom to top)

Marzipan: a matte skin color 

Totally Nude: a matte brown with mauve tones 

Sumatra: a matte deep brown 

Ambient: a shimmer golden bronze  

Fizz: a shimmer champagne 

Top middle: 

(from bottom to top)

Sable: a matte mid-tone brown  

Cream: a shimmery crem color  

Midas: a shimmery/satin taupe  

Roast: a glittery brown, the glitter is gold and fine (not chunky) 

Zoom: a shimmery lime green with gold glitter   

Top Right: 

(from bottom to top)

Juniper: a satin brown taupe 

Peacock: a complex satin blue-green (though this description doesn't do it justice) 

Lavender: a satin lavender  

Sapphires: a satin vibrant blue  

Purple Mist: a satin purple taupe  

Bottom Left: 

(from bottom to top)

Navy: a matte dark blue 

Pastel: a mate light mauve 

Lilac: a satin purple 

Babycakes: a pink with silver glitter  

Royal: a dark burgundy that swatches matte but might have micro glitter 

Bottom Middle: 

(from bottom to top)

Mink: a shimmer lavender/gray taupe  

Moonlight: a glittery silver   

Snow: a matte white  

Framboise: a satin fuschia 

Asteroid: a deep shimmer gray  

Bottom Right: 

(from bottom to top)

Cabernet: a satin burgundy  

Smoke: a deep matte gray  

Gypsy: a shimmery green/gray   

First Impressions: 

I have not yet tried every single shadow but  so far I have really been loving these shadows! They are easy to blend and while a bit powdery not overly. There is a good variety of matte, satin, and glittery shades and there is a large variety of looks possible. 

I do have to say that I'm not 100% satisfied with the crease shades. Marxipan, Pastel, and Totally Nude work with certain looks but I might have to mix Totally Nude and Sable to for my perfect shade. For reference I am NC 42 in Mac shadows and usually Tan in Tarte and It Cosmetics. If you are either lighter or darker I don't think you will have a problem finding a good crease shade. So far my favorite color is Cabernet but I am excited to play with the blues and golds. 

I definitely think that this palette is worth it! Is it better than the other holiday palettes... this is in my top three. The top three being: Too Faced Everything Nice, Tarte's Away Oui Go and Smathbox On the Rocks. On the Rocks has more variety than Away Oui Go, and the shadows are more buttery than the Everything Nice. However, the butteriness also means that they are more powdery. The powderiness, I would say is comparable to Lorac shadows. 

I hope this helps as you decide, what palette to get! My next post will be looks I have done with this palette. So far I have loved every look.

Have a great weekend!
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. 

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 

Bite Beauty Best Bite Set: First Impression and Swatches

Howdy all,

The Bite Beauty Best Bite set is limited edition and keeps going in and out of stock online. I was able to get my hands on it and want to share some swatches with you all.

Bite is a brand that I love! I have a few of their products including a few lipsticks and the Agave lip mask. The lipsticks are the best: soft, creamy, hydrating, and the colors are fabulous!

They are a bit pricy but their sets are a great value! Also, they are an all natural, cruelty free brand :)

The set has been going in and out of stock and it's limited edition but it's currently available (at the time of posing) Here is the link: sephora.com

The product: 

The swatches:

Have you tried any Bite beauty? Let me know what you're favorites are!

Lots of love,
~Cynthia

Favorite lipstick (at the moment)

Howdy all,

A few weeks ago I tried my first Napoleon Perdis lip product and have fallen in love. I don't hear and read a ton about the brand so I wanted to share my new love with you all.

The goods: 

Napoleon Perdis Dévine Godess lipstick in Olympia 

(Isn't the packaging gorgeous!)

Out of the tube: 

Lip swatch: 

Review: 

I love this lipstick! My lips are pigmented and this is almost a my lips but better product, except that the is a mauvy rose. It is nicely opaque, not sheer lasts a few hours before I have to re-apply. I was able to wear it for 4 hours with no eating but regular drinking from a straw. My lips tend to dry out easily and while this is not a moisturizing lipstick, it did not dry my lips at all. So I am extremely happy and would definitely recommend this lipstick. Now I want to try more colors!

Have you guys tried any Napoleon Perdis products? Let me know what you recommend and what color lipstick I should try next :)

Lots of love,
~Cynthia

Parting thoughts: 
-Anyone else catch World Cup fever?
- I'm finally starting to relax and my eczema is clearing up, yay!

Drugstore Favorites!

Drugstore makeup does not mean bad makeup. In fact it is just the opposite. There are so many great things at the drugstore and I am nowhere near discovering all of it's greatness.

Here are some of my favorites right now: 

Jesse's Girl Eye Color Collection in Tickled Pink

Maybelline Master Glase Blush Stick in 20 Pick fever 

and 50 Make a MAuve

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Snow Peach 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Medium 

Rimmel All Over Pencil in 012 Strength

Jesse's Girl is available at RIte-Aid and through their website https://www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com/

They are all shimmery but super pretty and make some really great looks .

More swatches!

012 Strength 

Snow Peach 

Pink Fever is on top and Make a Mauve below it 

Parting Thoughts

-I hope everyone is having a marvelous Friday

-Have you used your Ulta 20% off coupon? I'm still trying to decide what to use it on.

Girl Meets Palette: My first impression

Now that I've had some time to just admire the beauty that is Too Faced à la mode Eyes, I can now play with it. I've only used it once so this is definitely a first impressions and not a review. A review will come later :)

These are the shadows swatched on my Medium/Tan skin. I've never been matched at MAC but I should be NC37/NC40. Every shade except St Tropez shows up nicely on my skin and I am especially impressed with how gorgeous Soleil and Côte d'Azure are.

The look I went with today:

Riviera on the browbone and inner corner

Jardin in the inner third 

Cannes in the rest of the lid 

Soleil on the crease then I mixed in a bit of Côte d'Azure 

Cannes again as a transition 

Jardin and Soleil on the lower lashline 

I am very happy with the look. It will be perfect for the Spring and Summer! On the other hand not all the shadows were great. Cannes was REALLY flaky even with a base; thought I was still able to work with it. Jardin did not show up as much as I hoped it would, but Soleil and Côte d'Azure are beautiful an I found them easy to work with. I will have to try Monaco and De La Mer in a look tomorrow :)   

All of the products I used: 

Product list: 

Urban Decay's eyeshadow primer potion

NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk 

NYX Le Frou Frou mascara 

No 7 Amazing Eyes Pencil in 05 Black

I also used the brush that came with the NKED 3 palette 

Finally, in case you are interested in the looks that the palette comes with: 

I love that Too Faced includes looks with their palettes. They are a great way to start playing with the palette and a huge help when one is starting out with makeup and palettes. 

What looks have you guys come up with? I would love to see them so share your thoughts and I would love to check out your blogs if you've done a look with this à la mode Eyes.