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Lorac Pro Palette - Review and Swatches

February 19, 2013, 4:00 am
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I have to start this post out by sharing this link to megsmakeup.com. It's from forever and a day ago, but this particular page has a short video clip of her talking to Carol Shaw, the founder of Lorac Cosmetics, and they discuss pronouncing Lorac correctly (LU-rock would be my best attempt at spelling it how it sounds). Since I saw this so long ago, it drives me crazy to hear so many people mispronounce Lorac, even though I completely understand why they are mispronouncing it. I just wanted to do my part to help out the beauty community with one of the confusing brand names out there. :-)

 Now that I've got that off my chest, I'm going to go ahead and review the Lorac Pro Palette, which retails for $42 and can be found at Sephora, Ulta, and Lorac's website.


 I love that the palette itself is nice and compact. There's not much excess packaging. One downside that most people point out is that the rubberized texture of the palette is a magnet for dust and fingerprints.

The palette also comes with a mini Behind the Scenes eye primer. Sadly, it doesn't work for me. My shadow creases when I use it. I've read plenty of positive reviews of the primer though, so I'm assuming it works well for most people.


The palette comes with 16 shadows, 8 matte and 8 shimmer shades. It's this feature that really got people talking about it and what originally drew me to this palette. I'm a big fan of matte crease and highlight/blending colors.

White, Cream, Taupe, Light Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black
Nude, Champagne, Gold, Light Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate
 I love that this palette has an interesting mix of really basic colors and some that are a little more unexpected. It has a shimmery nude shade along with matte browns and a matte black, but it also includes the matte mauve shade, which is something I was wanting to add to my collection, and Pewter and Garnet.

One change that I would make is getting rid of the Champagne shade. I just find it too similar to Nude. I would have liked to see a shimmery soft brown shade in the mix instead.

The shadows are soft and creamy to the touch, but I agree with the people who point out that they are also a little powdery. Tapping the excess shadow off your brush is an easy solution to that problem, and it is a good habit to get into anyway. I also haven't had any trouble blending these shadows.

My favorite shade in the palette so far is the Light Bronze shade, which I actually consider a light golden color. Some golds are so in-your-face that I enjoy finding ones that have good pigmentation but are a bit more subtle, and this one fits the bill.

Final Thoughts

Is this palette worth picking up? Definitely. You might pass if you already have one or more of the other neutral palettes that have come out of the past couple years, but the Lorac Pro Palette has such a great combination of basics in one slim palette that it's worth checking out in person.

Have you jumped on the Lorac Pro Palette band wagon? What's your favorite palette of basic, neutral shades?
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It's Ok Thurday Link Up

February 21, 2013, 6:38 pm
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Its Ok Thursdays

This week, it's ok

...that I waited until Thursday evening to write this post.

...that I have started checking my email obsessively on my phone, even though I really need to stop that.

...that I bought two bags of Starburst jellybeans this week even though I've been trying to cut back on the sweets.

...that I felt like I frowned all day on Wednesday because I worked with a challenging first grade class.

...that I choose to stay up later than I should on Thursday because I want to watch TV shows.

...that I take longer to respond to blog comments than I should. Sorry everyone!

What's ok with you this week?
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Urban Decay Theodora Palette - Bad Witch?

February 23, 2013, 12:07 pm
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I was hoping there wouldn't be anything released for a while that was limited edition that I couldn't resist.

Darn you Urban Decay!!!

I ordered both Urban Decay Oz palettes as soon as they became available on Sephora.com. I tried convincing myself to only pick up one, but there were colors in both that I really wanted, and I have no will-power.

Today I'm going to talk about the Theodora palette, which retails for $49, and can be found wherever Urban Decay products are sold.


I love the design on the exterior of the palette. It is perfect for the movie. I also like that the palette is metal and is in the customizable palette format. I have to wonder if this is Urban Decay's response to all of the complaints about how expensive their customizable palettes are. This way, people can start out with a full palette for a reasonable price and switch out colors as they see fit later on. I'll be talking about the customizable palette a little more later in this post.


This palette includes six shadow pans, and two of those pans have two shades, making for eight shades total. I know some people are disappointed that this palette contains so much brown, but I like how basic most of the colors are. They also got with Theodora's look from the movie.

From left to right: Broken, Beware, Bewitch, and West
Broken is a slightly yellow cream color with some sheen to it. Thankfully, it isn't as yellow as Foxy. I would say that the sheen is similar to the sheen in Virgin.

Beware is a warm-toned, matte brown shade. I love matte browns for the crease, so this is probably the color that I'll use the most in this palette.

Bewitch is a cool-toned, satin brown shade.

West is also a cool-toned brown with a bit of a plummy undertone. Compared with Bewitch, it has more of a metallic finish and is slightly darker as well.

From left to right: Spell shades and Jealous shades



Spell is the first dual shadow shades. It has a satiny black with multi-colored shimmer (with green and gold being the most prominent, which you can see in the second swatch picture. The other half is a metallic gold with gold shimmer and some glitter particles. This gold is the only shade in the palette that makes me nervous about fallout issues, but I haven't tried it yet on my eyes. I just don't reach for golds this intense very often.

Jealous consists of two satiny green shades. They have the same yellow-green tone; one is just a few shades darker than the other.

The palette includes a mini size of the 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are disappointed that they didn't include Perversion instead because it is a more intense black. Perversion intimidates me, so I'm okay with having Zero. Having a different color would have been nice since I have too many black liners to begin with (including full sizes of Zero and Perversion), but I understand that a black liner goes with the look they are trying to create with the palette.

24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero
 The last part of the palette is a Super-Saturated High-Gloss Lip Color in Theodora, but I believe I read on Urban Decay's Facebook page that it is the exact same shade as the permanent color F-Bomb. It's a gorgeous bright red shade. The color itself is creamy and pigmented. I'm a big fan of pencil lip colors, so I was thrilled about this addition to set.


Along with the products, Urban Decay also included a look card explaining how to get Theodora's look from the movie. I haven't tried it out yet, but I love this addition. It's great to know how they intended these colors to be used together (most of them anyway...they don't use all of the colors from the palette for the look).




Packaging Problem and Excellent Customer Service

I chose to review the Theodora palette first because I had some disappointing problems with the palette itself, but I also had a wonderful experience with Urban Decay's customer service.

When I got my Theodora palette, I realized that both Spell and Jealous were not locking down properly into their slots.

Here's what I mean:




The front edge of both colors keeping popping up so the casing doesn't sit flush with the palette. It seems to be some combination of a problem with the casing for the pan and the palette itself because switching pans around leads to some sticking down and some popping in the original slots and in other slots.

To show the difference, here is how a pan should look sitting in the palette:


Needless to say, I was disappointed in the flaw. If I pay $50 for a palette, I expect it to function correctly. It was also frustrating because it isn't easy for me to exchange products at Sephora, since I live over an hour away from one.

I contacted Urban Decay through their Facebook page about the problem and was told to email their customer service, which i did on a Monday afternoon. After not receiving a reply two days later, I sent a quick follow-up email, and I received a quick response. Even though I didn't purchase my palette through UrbanDecay.com,Urban Decay sent me a replacement palette. It took several emails back and forth because they required proof-of-purchase, pictures (which I ended up having to send 3 times counting the initial lost email), etc, but by Friday everything was cleared up and a replacement palette was on it's way to me. 

I was quite impressed with their customer service. I was slightly irritated over having to send pictures several times, but the fact that they replaced a palette purchased elsewhere was fantastic!

Sadly, the replacement palette had the same issue with the same two shades. However, when I switched their places, they now sit correctly. It's disappointing and makes me question the quality of the customizable palettes overall. If I get other colors to switch into this palette, will they lock in correctly or not? If I bought another customizable palette to fill, would those slots function correctly?

Final Thoughts

 I love that most of this palette is neutral basics that will make a gorgeous brown smoky eye. I'm thrilled with the lack of glitter bomb shades. I really like the fact that it's in the customizable palette format and I can switch out colors if I choose. The biggest downside of this palette for me is the issues I had with the palette and colors not locking down properly. I wasn't thrilled with the design of the Urban Decay customizable palettes, and this just confirmed my doubts. Thankfully, I have most of UD's permanent shades in palettes already, so I'm not tempted to run out and buy a bunch of them or a bunch of their customizable palettes. I might one day buy a couple of basics to switch out the colors I don't use in both Oz palettes or to make them better traveling palettes, but I'm not in a rush to do that.

Did you indulge in either of the Oz palettes? Which is your favorite?
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Urban Decay Glinda Palette - Good Witch?

February 26, 2013, 4:30 am
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Darn Urban Decay caused me to break my resolve to cut back on my makeup spending when they came out with their two limited-edition Oz palettes.

I've already reviewed the Theodora palette here, so it's time to take a closer look at the Glinda palette.


Just like the Theodora palette, I love the exterior design of the palette. I actually love the ethereal quality of this palette a bit more than the other one, but they are both beautiful. I also like that the palette is metal and relatively sleek compared with palettes in the Book of Shadows series.


My slight disappointment when this palette arrived was this:


Tornado wasn't quite attached. Thankfully this was a minor issue compared with my issues with the Theodora palette. I pulled out my hot glue gun and glued the pan back in.

On to the swatches!

Left to right: Tornado, Aura (dual shadow), and Magic
Tornado is a deep, plummy purple shimmer.

Aura is a dual shadow that consists of a blue shift shade and a pink shift shade. Here's a picture that shows the color-shift nature of the shadows a bit better:


Magic is a mid-toned pinky purple shade that has fine golden shimmer. The shimmer doesn't really translate into swatches or on the lid.

Left to right: Illusion, Oz (dual shadow), and South
Illusion is a satiny peach shade. It reminds me a lot of the shade Bootycall from the Naked 2 palette.  It makes a really nice lid shade.

Oz has a gold shade with chunky silver glitter and a silver shade. The chunky silver glitter is unfortunate because I'm sure there will be fallout. *sigh* Here's a better look at the glitter:


South is a really nice warm grey/taupe shade with silver shimmer that also doesn't translate onto the lid.

Also included with the palette is a mini 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Rockstar, which is swatched below.


I love Rockstar. It's a great color for people afraid of color because it is dark enough that it isn't initially obvious that it is purple.

The final product included with the palette is a Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Glinda, which is the same as the permanent shade Naked.


I was hesitant about this color when I ordered this palette. I can't do shades that are too light. They make me look dead. This, however, is a mid-toned nude that looks really nice. It's a great everyday color. The formula is feels creamy but not heavy on the lips. I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it.

Just like with the Theodora palette, this one also came with a look card:

 

It's always nice to see how the company intended for the colors to be used. I haven't actually tried out this specific look yet, but I do plan to eventually!

Final Thoughts

This is another winner from Urban Decay. The one glitter bomb is a minor disappointment, but one in two palettes from Urban Decay is a pretty good average. The other shades in the palette are neutrals and colors that are relatively easy to wear, which is great. I'm very happy that I've added this palette to my collection.

If you haven't read my review of the Theodora palette, I would urge you to check it out though. I had some issues with the palette itself that I think it important to note.  It leads to to question the durability of the palette over time and the quality about the customizable palettes in general.


Did you add the Glinda palette to your collection? Are you excited about the movie Oz the Great and Powerful? I'm excited about it, but I don't know if I'll end up seeing it in the theater just because the only movie theater near me isn't very good and probably won't end up showing it.
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It's Ok Thursday Link Up

February 28, 2013, 12:46 pm
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Its Ok Thursdays


It's ok

...that I often take my vitamins with a soda.

...that I am completely uninspired when it comes to cooking dinner. I'm bored with all of my regular dinners, but I'm not motivated to hunt down new recipes to try.

…that I chose not to work on Tuesday and was happy that I didn’t have to work today.

…that I placed a large Vitacost order because it was almost entirely essentials, like conditioner.

…that I only seem to be able to accomplish small bursts of cleaning.

…that both bags of Starburst jellybeans from last week are gone.

...that I always intend to get on a regular sleep schedule and always fail.

What's ok with you this week?


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Philosophy Body Souffle in Creme Brulee - Review

March 2, 2013, 5:00 am
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I didn't realize until after I already had this post mostly written that this product doesn't seem to be available anymore. Darn! However, since the post is already written, I'm going to post it anyway. :-)

I have a problem when it comes to good smelling lotion. I buy way too much of it. The real problem is that I primarily use lotion on my hands. I should use it more on my body, but I just don't because I get lazy and don't want to mess with it.

One of the current lotions in my collection is a body souffle from Philosophy in the scent Creme Brulee (Can anyone tell me how to add the accents to creme brulee and souffle? It drives me nuts that they aren't there, but I don't know how to add symbols on here.) I picked it up a while ago in a value set that had a body wash and lip shine in the same scent.

 

First of all, I love the scent. Philosophy does an awesome job with their scents. If their products weren't so expensive, I would probably buy their body washes all the time.

The thing that really stands out to me with this lotion is that it doesn't feel greasy and absorbs really quickly. My hands feel softer after I've rubbed it in, but I can't really feel the actual lotion anymore. I love that. I don't feel like I'm getting lotion all over my keyboard or phone after I use it. The downside of it absorbing really quickly is that it isn't moisturizing enough when my hands are super dry.I need to reach for something a bit thicker.

Overall, it's a good product that I really like. I wasn't really planning on repurchasing unless it came in a good value set again, but now that it looks like I can't get it, I'm really disappointed.

Do you have any recommendations for quick absorbing hand or body lotions for when I'm done with this one?
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Finished It!!! Volume 8

March 5, 2013, 4:30 am
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It's time for another round of showing off my trash. I'm excited about this one because I have a few items from my list of products I want to finish that I get to include (those products will be labeled with a star).

Let's get started:


The Body Shop Love Etc... Body Wash - I wasn't in love with the scent of this, and the lather seemed to disappear pretty quickly. I won't be rebuying.

Bath & Body Works Berry Vanilla Body Wash - I loved the scent and the lather is fantastic. I have several bottles of Bath & Body Works body wash left in my stash. I don't think I can get this scent again, but I will probably end up buying more of this product in the future.

The Body Show Satsuma Body Wash - This body wash smells amazing! The lather didn't last as long as I would like, and it didn't always do a good job of helping my razor glide along my legs (I don't use shaving creams). I probably won't repurchase.

Yardley London Vanilla Sugar Soap - I wanted to love this, but I'm just not a fan of bar soaps. Sadly, I have a couple more of these left to use or get rid of in some way.

 Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Lotion - This isn't the most moisturizing lotion formula, but it isn't bad. This is one of my favorite scents, and my fiance really likes it too.

Scentsations Vanilla Sugar Body Lotion - I got this at Kohl's a long time ago with a coupon. It is really watery and not very moisturizing. I won't be repurchasing from this brand.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion - While I like the idea of shimmery body lotions in theory, I hate them in practice. The shimmer gets everywhere and sticks on my hands much longer than I'd like after applying it. I won't be picking this up again.


Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion - This was a freebie from some Ulta order. It was okay, but it wasn't anything special. I don't plan on picking this up again.

Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This is a holy grail product for me. It's a great, simple face wash. Silk Naturals suggest putting it in a foamer bottle that they sell and diluting it with a 70:30 ratio of water to cleanser, so one bottle lasts a long time. I already had a backup, and I will continue to repurchase it in the future.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - I've used this for a long time, and it works well for me. I still have a couple of tubes of this in my stash.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream - I like that this eye cream has retinol in it, but it wasn't quite moisturizing enough. I don't plan on repurchasing it.


Tarte Clean Slate Primer - This is the old formula and/or packaging. I liked it. I've got several other primers to use up and at least one other one that I want to try, but I might eventually repurchase this.

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue* - One of the major positives of this foundation is that it matches my skin. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get here in the US. I ordered it off ebay when I bought it. I've got other foundations that are easier to get that match me, so I don't plan on getting this again.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - This was a freebie from Sephora. I was glad I got to try it, but it didn't seem overly moisturizing to me, and it was so soft that I had to depot it into a jar before I was even halfway through it. A full size is also really expensive. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Darling Girl Raspberry Mist Lip Balm - I really like Susan's lip balms. I love that she has so many flavor options. I've gone through several, and I will probably buy more in the future.

Yankee Candle Pomegranate Fruit Lip Balm* - I liked this balm well enough. I think the packaging is really cute since it looks like a mini candle, but it's also too bulky for someone who likes to keep her balm in her pants pocket. These aren't easy to find, so I probably won't pick this up again.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked* - This was the mini that came with the Naked 2 palette. I really liked the color. I wasn't a huge fan of the consistency because it was a little too sticky. I won't buy a full size.



Perfume Samples in Marc Jacobs Daisy, Betsy Johnson Too Too pretty, and DKNY Pure - I already have a mini of the DKNY Pure. I don't plan on purchasing Daisy or Too Too Pretty (BTW: those two stopped spraying, so even though there is still perfume left, I can't get to it).


 Lots of Random Samples - I didn't love any of these. The only one really worth noting is the Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample*. It's a nice color that is a dupe for Urban Decay's Darkhorse. Since I already have two full-size pans of Darkhorse, I feel no need to purchase the dupe.


Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse - This left my hair feeling too crispy. I'm glad to see it gone. I won't pick it up again.

Those are my empties! Have you finished up anything lately?
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It's Ok Thursday! Link Up

March 7, 2013, 11:05 am
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Hooray for Thursday! It was an easy week for me this week, but I'm still glad it's almost over.

Its Ok Thursdays

It's ok....

...that I cheat and wear jeans when I sub for the PE teacher. I only work a half-day, and only have one non-PE class, so it seems silly to dress up for it.

...that I didn't get much accomplished this week.

...that I was excited when I realized that I only had to cook dinner for my fiance twice this week.

...that I get excited when I get to go to a better stocked CVS than my local one and/or get to stop at a Walgreens (which I don't have locally).

...that I get frustrated with comments that are made with the sole purpose of trying to get me to visit their blog (ie: I like your blog! Come check out mine!). It's even worse when it doesn't look like the person has followed my blog in the process.

What are you ok with this week?
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Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Blush in Natural - Review and Swatch

March 9, 2013, 4:30 am
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Happy Saturday everyone!

I'm really excited about today because I'm going to see two friends that I haven't seen in a long time. We're going to go see Oz the Great and Powerful before grabbing lunch. It should be a really fun time.

Sadly, the other part of today that I'm really excited about is getting to stop at a better CVS and a Walgreens, which I don't have locally. I'm hoping to find some of the new and limited edition items that my local CVS doesn't have.

On to the review!

I picked up the Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Blush in Natural a few weeks ago during one of the fantastic Physicians Formula sales that CVS was having. The blush regularly retails for around $12. I got it for around $6 or $7.

The only other Sexy Booster Blush color available is the shade Rose. If you are familiar with the Physicians Formula brand, you know that this is pretty consistent with their other lines of blush. They probably stick with these two shades because they are wearable for a wide range of people, but I would love it if they mixed it up with their next line. 



I'm going to go ahead and state the obvious: the packaging is adorable. Physicians Formula usually does a good job with the look of their packaging.


On the backside of the compact is a compartment that has a mirror and a brush. The placement of the mirror is a little bit silly because it would be hard to flip back and forth between the blush and the mirror to reapply on the go. As always, the brush isn't very good. I never use them. You could in a pinch, but I wouldn't generally recommend it. The other downside for always including these brushes is that it makes the packaging bulky.



Just like the packaging, the presentation of the blush itself is really cute. I love the high heel design.


 This is what the pretty high heel looked like after I swatched it. As you can see, the blush is quite powdery. After I used it a few times, it got less powdery, I'm guessing that it's because the raised portion is getting worn down. You'll also notice that the heel itself has disappearing. It was a shimmery overlay.


While the blush itself is shimmery, the level of shimmer does go down after the shimmer overlay on the heel is gone. This particular swatch was taken after I had removed the overlay. The color itself is a soft coral shade that is going to be better suited for lighter skintones. The lasting power on this blush is okay but not great. It makes it through a work day for me, but barely. I would definitely feel the need to reapply if I was going out in the evening too.

One of the other stand-out features of this blush is that it has a vanilla scent. It's a STRONG vanilla scent. I can smell it when I open the palette. I smell it as I apply it, and I continue to smell it for a long time after I have applied it. If you are sensitive to scents or don't like vanilla, you are going to want to avoid this blush. Thankfully, since Physicians Formula repeats the same shades in their different lines, you have other options if you like the color.

Final Thoughts

 This is a pretty blush. I was surprised to discover how much I liked the color because I don't normally go for coral blushes. I also personally enjoy the vanilla scent of it. I love anything vanilla scented, so that part was right up my alley. The negatives for me (the bulky packaging, awful brush, lack of color selection, lasting power) are pretty standard for the brand, so I knew what I was getting when I made the purchase. I also find Physicians Formulas prices to be high for a drugstore brand, so I wait for CVS to have a good sale (they usually do a 40% off or $7 off sale every few months).

Have you tried anything from the Sexy Booster line? Is there anything else I should try and pick up during the next good sale?
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Mini Haul and Rambling

March 12, 2013, 4:30 am
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It's Monday night (this will be scheduled to post on Tuesday AM), and I'm exhausted. I shouldn't be exhausted, but I am. I am so tired that I crouched down to look at the bottom shelf of a bookshelf and was seriously tempted to just sit down and sit there.

So...I'm keeping this post really short and uncomplicated.

On Saturday, I stopped at two Walgreens stores, a CVS, a KMart, and a WalMart. It doesn't sound all that exciting, but it is when your local shopping isn't very good. I picked up a bunch of items, most of them overly exciting, so I'm not going to bother sharing them right now. I do want to mention a couple of items that I picked up.

The first is an item that I found at Walgreens: RenPure Cleansing Conditioner.

RenPure Cleansing Conditioners in Sweet Pomegranate and Rosemary Mint

I picked up both scents because I thought they were BOGO Free, but they weren't. However, they were only $9.99 each, and they made my purchase large enough that I got a voucher for a Walgreens sample box, so I'm okay with that.

I'm really excited about these because I like the SalonGrafix Cleansing Conditioner, but my hair has been super dry lately, and it hasn't been cutting it. I'm hoping these will work better. I tried the Rosemary Mint one last night, and it seemed to work well.

The other item that I'm really excited about is the EcoTools Fresh & Flawless Five Piece Complexion Set.


I love EcoTools brushes, and I can't resist their sets. I actually think I have them all. When I saw this one at WalMart (the last one that they had), I snatched it up.

I also have to brag on myself that I was actually able to show some restraint while shopping. The WalMart I was in had the entire Flower by Drew Barrymore line, and I didn't get anything from it. I was really close to picking up the foundation because it actually looked like it would be light enough for me, but I have enough foundations right now, and when I grabbed the brush set, I knew the foundation had to get left behind.

That's it for now. I told you: short and sweet. I'm hoping to get to bed early so I can feel a bit more energetic tomorrow.

Have you had any fun, exciting beauty finds lately?
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It's Ok Thursday Link Up!!!

March 14, 2013, 7:00 pm
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It's that time of the week again where we accent our perceived shortcomings and realize that it's ok that we aren't perfect.

Its Ok Thursdays

It's ok...

...that I bought three pairs of shoes over the weekend.

...that I liked the movie Oz the Great and Powerful but I didn't love it.

...that I haven't done a thorough grocery shopping trip (with a list and meal plan) in almost two weeks.

...that I thought about being lazy and skipping this post this week.

...that I lost out on a half day of work because I was still sitting around in my PJs at 9 a.m. and couldn't get to the school quickly enough.

...that I've been hungry all week this week even though I've been eating a normal amount of food. My fiance thinks it's the time change messing with my body.

...that I'm going to shamelessly plug my blog sale, my bloglovin' account, my Facebook page, and my Twitter account because GFC is going away this summer (shhh...I know my blog sale has nothing to do with GFC). ;-)

What's ok with you this week?
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Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blushes - Review and Swatches

March 16, 2013, 7:17 pm
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Happy Saturday everyone!

It's been a busy week this week in the beauty community and blog world. I'm excited that the EU ban on animal testing went into effect on March 11. It won't solve everything (especially since I don't live in the EU), but it's a good step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes companies make because of this ban. There's also the announcement that Google Reader will be going away on July 1. I've seen some places that Google Friends Connect is going away as well, but other places say it's not. There's also the new FTC rules that were released this week. I've been a slacker and don't have a disclaimer written yet. I need to get on that. Speaking of those new rules...

I purchased all items mentioned in this post. 

I got all three of the Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush shades through a QVC TSV. They have since released all of the shades individually. They retail for $25 and can be found at Ulta and on Ulta.com and tartecosmetics.com. They are currently not being sold on Sephora.com.

Packaging


All three available colors come in a purple compact with a deeper purple floral design on the top. The compacts aren't bulky and seem to be quite sturdy. I wish they had made these compacts like the Amazonian clay blushes. It makes it easier to identify which color you are grabbing.

The compact also has a mirror inside the lid if you feel the need to take it along and do touch-ups during the day.

Product

From left to right: Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, Shimmering Peach
From left to right: Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, Shimmering Peach
 The three colors available in this formula are Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, and Shimmering Peach. Shimmering Poppy is my least favorite of the three. In the pan, it looks more rose-toned than it comes across in swatches or on the cheeks. It pulls really orange for me, which is disappointing. Shimmering Pink is a bright, cool-toned pink. Shimmering Peach is a soft peach shade. I'm not a huge peach blush fan, but this is the type of peach blush I gravitate towards when I do wear peach. As their names would imply, all three shades do have shimmer, but the shimmer particles are really fine and are very subtle on the skin.

The blush consistency is quite interesting. In the pan it is firm but silky at the same time. I like that it is firm enough that I can use a brush without getting too much product on it, which can happen with softer cream blushes in my collection. I prefer using a stippling brush to apply these, but they apply well with fingers too.

Because of the maracuja oil in the formula, I would guess this blush formula would be fantastic for people with dry skin. At the same time, I really like how it works with my combination/oily skin. I think the only skin type the might not get along with this blush formula.

As for lasting power, I was testing these out this week and had fantastic results. I didn't use a face primer and was using an Asian BB cream as my foundation. I also spritzed my face with rose water after I finished my makeup. With this routine, I was able to get at least 12 hours of wear time.

Final Thoughts

These are great blushes! I enjoy the formula, texture, and lasting-power. I don't grab for them enough because grabbing for my powder blushes is just habit. I have a hard time spending $25 on a single blush, so I doubt I would have purchased these if they hadn't been part of a set. However, I'm really glad I have them. If you are a fan of cream blushes or struggle with dry skin, I would highly suggest giving these a swatch the next time you are at Ulta.

Have you tried these? Do you hesitate to buy single items with a high price tag too?
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Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Highlight Duo in Jasper/Agate - Review and Swatches

March 19, 2013, 4:30 am
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Disclosure: The item mentioned in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

When I was taking blog pictures on Sunday, I was contemplating what review I wanted to do for my Tuesday post. I had the Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Duo in Jasper/Agate sitting on my makeup desk, and I realized that it would be a great time to review it.

I picked it up back when all Tarina Tarantino items were on clearance on Sephora's website. I held off reviewing it since it wasn't available for purchase. However, since then Tarina Tarantino has opened its own website to sell their products.  

The Eye Dream Duos are currently retailing for $19.

Packaging



The Eye Dream Duo is housed in an elegant, pewter-colored palette. It isn't overly bulky. The interior of the lid has a mirror, but the palette doesn't include any applicators. The lack of an applicator is actually a good thing in my opinion because I don't usually use the cheap applicators included with palettes like this, and I prefer having a smaller palette that doesn't include room for an applicator.

One of the nice details with this palette is that the bottom label not only includes the name of the individual shades, they are color coded so that there is no question about which shade is which.

Product

Left to right: Jasper and Agate
Left to right: Jasper and Agate - No primer was used
 According to the Tarina Tarantino website, Jasper is described as a buttermilk shade, and Agate is described as a taupe shade. I would consider Jasper to be more of a soft, warm tan shade and Agate to be light-medium warm tan. Both shades have a pretty sheen, but neither of them are glittery or shimmery. Both shades have a buttery, smooth texture that blends easily, and they last all day when worn over a primer.

Final Thoughts

These shadows are excellent in quality, and I love the soft colors of this duo because they are really easy to wear. They can make an no-brainer daytime look that is definitely safe for work.

Did you grab anything when Tarina Tarantino was on clearance at Sephora? Have you checked out the brand's new website?
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It's Okay Thursday Link Up!!!

March 21, 2013, 5:34 pm
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Thank goodness the end of the week is almost here. It's been a long and somewhat stressful one around here. I should have a relaxing weekend since I don't have anything planned.

On to the point of this post...

Its Ok Thursdays

It's okay...

...that I ate an entire box of Thin Mint cookies in three days.

...that I always have really weird dreams, and I mean REALLY weird. One of those weird dreams made me get out of bed this week to stare at the ceiling, which I apparently thought was going to crumble on top of me (at least I think I actually got up...I'm not completely positive).

...that I keep buying water bottles. I buy them, they work for a while, and they start leaking (even expensive ones, which makes me mad).

...that Monday's beauty experiments were an epic fail. I looked presentable when I left the house, but I wasn't happy with my makeup, and I did my hair twice.

...that I let my 100th post pass by without a peep.

What's okay with you this week?
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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox - Unboxing and First Impressions

March 23, 2013, 6:14 pm
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Disclaimer:I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

 

This week, I was really excited to get my second box of products from the Influenster program.

If you aren't familiar with the program, it is a product testing and reviewing website. When you create an account, you choose badges that match your interests and review products. You can also link up your social media sites, like you blog, twitter, pinterest, etc...Your activity level increases your score, and a higher score increases your chances of receiving a box connected to your interests.

When Influenster has a box come available that matches with your interests and demographics, you will get an email asking you to take a preselection survey. After that, you are either selected or not selected to receive the box.

Once you receive the box, you are required to check in that you received the box, and you are also required to take a post-experience survey when they are wrapping up their activities with that particular box. Beyond that, they have extra tasks and challenges (like creating a blog post about your box) that both increase your chances of getting another box in the future and also can qualify you to win prizes from the brands included in your box.

If you are interested in joining the Influenster program, I have several invites left to give out. Please note that if I send you an invite, my score benefits from your activity.

Whew! Now on to the actual stuff included in my Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox from Influenster!

The whole box!


Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture ($7.99 for a 6.5 oz can)

This is an interesting concept for a lotion. I remember I used to have a spray lotion from Bath & Body Works a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away), but it was just like a regular lotion that was pumped out. After taking pictures, I couldn't help but spray a bit of this on my hands. It was weird because it felt a little like spraying Pam cooking spray, but thankfully the product itself didn't. It felt really light on the skin, and it did absorb quickly.


Nectresse Natural No Calorie Sweetener ($6.99 for a 5.9 oz container or $3.99 for a box of 40 packets)

It looks like some boxes got the container, but I obviously got the packets. I was skeptical when I saw these because I don't do artificial sweeteners. I can't drink diet soda. The aftertaste of the artificial sweetener bugs me every time. I was hoping this would be different, but, sadly, it isn't. I busted open a packet to try it out, and it has a funky aftertaste. I'll probably end up taking my box to the school where I work most days and stick it in the staff lounge. 
That being said, if you like artificial sweeteners, you might really like this product. It just doesn't work for me.

 
Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes ($5.99 for a 20-count box)

 I'm excited about these. I think they are going to be fantastic this summer when it is really hot and gross. I sweat really easily, so having something like this handy will be a lifesaver. What's even better is that I received five $2 off coupons for Dickinson's Witch Hazel products, so I might just stock up when I get the chance. 

The major negative I see with this product off-hand is the smell. Witch Hazel has quite a distinct, strong smell that will probably bother some people. I don't find the smell pleasant, but I also don't find it to be so off-putting that I won't be able to use these. 


Colgate Optic White Regimen (toothpaste: $2.99 for a 4 oz tube; mouthwash: $2.99 for an 8 oz bottle; toothbrush: $2.99 per brush)

I already use this toothpaste and really like it. It hasn't made my teeth movie-star white, but I do feel like it has helped. I'm pretty sure that I've used the brush in the past too. I liked it well enough, but I didn't see a huge difference, and I tend to buy multi-packs of toothbrushes since I buy for my fiance and me. I'm happy to try the toothbrush again though and see if it makes more of a difference now that I'm using a whitening toothpaste (I wasn't when I would have bought this brush in the past). 
This will be my first time trying the mouthwash, and it makes me nervous. I tried a whitening mouthwash by Listerine in the past, and I hated it. I barely put a dent in that bottle before I ended up just throwing it out. Hopefully I like this one better. 


belVita Breakfast Biscuits ($3.69 for a box of 5 packets of 4 biscuits)

This is the product that I know the least about, and I haven't tried it yet because there's a task involving posting a picture if your bar on Twitter. I don't think I can get these locally, so I want to make sure I complete all of the tasks I choose to do with this before I open it and finish it off. 
Since this says it is supposed to give you "sustained energy," I'm hoping that it is a breakfast item that keeps you feeling full for a long time. My breakfasts usually end up leaving me hungry well before lunch time (even though I'm not skimping on breakfast - lately I've been having a bowl of cereal when I get up and a container of Greek yogurt right before the school day starts). 

Final Thoughts

That's the contents of my Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox. I'm excited to get started fully testing these items out and see how they work for me. If there's anything that you would like to see a more in-depth review of, please feel free to let me know. Also let me know if you would like an invite for Influenster. 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Disclaimer (again): I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.
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Products I Want to Use Up! Volume 2

March 26, 2013, 4:30 am
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It's been just over a month since my first post of products I want to use up, and I've made some really good progress. It seemed like time to give an update.

Here was my original list with the finished products crossed out:

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue
Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer
Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hour Brightening Primer
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller
Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee
Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Pomegranate Fruit
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Mini Size
Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly
EcoTools Sustainable Softness Body Lotion
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample
Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set)
Hard Candy Pencil Concealer
Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini
Silk Naturals Naked Eye Shadow Sample
Silk Naturals Bone eye Shadow
Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample
Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample
Meow Ballerina Blush Sample

I've gone through and taken pictures of everything again and added in new items. I shot pictures of the old items to show my progress. I did forget to take a picture of the Bone eye shadow, which I've hit pan on.

Here's a look at my new list:


Bath & Body Works Night-Blooming Jasmine Body Splash

As you can probably tell, this is really old. When they were originally discontinuing this scent, I stocked up. Little did I know that they would keep pulling it out during their semi-annual sale. I've still got another full bottle of this.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Roller Ball

The reason for me wanting to finish this one off is pretty obvious from the second picture. The cap is busted, so I have to be very careful to keep it upright: otherwise, it leaks. I use this as a cuticle oil.

ELF Zit Zapper

I'm not a huge fan of this, especially being a roller ball. I'm trying to use it up by putting it on bumps and ingrown hairs that I constantly get on my legs and arms.


Revlon Photogready Perfecting Primer

I haven't made a lot of progress on this. My skin was acting up and being really dry, so I cut back on using a primer for a while.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

This is the product that just won't end, and it taunts me because I can't see how much is left. *sigh*

Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream

This is the foundation product that I'm now trying to finish off. I squeezed the extra air out of it to show its current usage.


Mario Badescu Summer Shine Body Lotion

Darn shimmery lotions. This is the only one I have left.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Root Beer Float

Yep, I'm working on another one of these.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee

This is getting really close to being gone!

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss Mini in Crush (From Roller Girl Palette)

I'm really proud of myself here. You all know that I finished the mini Lip Junkie in Naked. I've also got a mini Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy that is on its last legs (it is so close to gone that it seemed silly to put in this post).


Urban Decay Primer Potion

This seems like it is really close, but it could last a lot longer than I expect.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Rockstar

I really love this color. It's a great color that looks neutral. I have another mini and a full size in my stash, so I might as well try and get this one gone.

Hard Candy Pencil Concealer

It doesn't look like I've made much progress on this one. It's going to last forever!

Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set) 

The second picture shows all that I have left of this liner. It's almost there!!!


Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample

I think I've only used this once in the past month. I need to work on that.

Meow Uncharted Eye Shadow Sample

I added a little bit of another color into this a long time ago. It's lighter than the original. It's been hanging around way too long.

Meow Cat in a Tree Eye Shadow Sample

This is another one that has been hanging around too long. I used to use this regularly as a liner, and I need to get too it again to get it gone.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample

I haven't made much progress on this one since the last post either.

Silk Naturals Maybe Baby Blush Sample

This is just another sample that I pulled out of my stash to finish off.

Final Thoughts

Well, that's my updated list. It looks daunting, but it isn't too bad considering I'm not giving myself a time limit, and I'm not sticking myself on a no-buy until these are all finished. It's just a way for me to try and declutter my stash.

What are you trying to finish up?
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It's Okay Thursday Link Up!

March 28, 2013, 5:39 pm
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Hooray for Thursday! Even better is that it is a short school week this week because of Easter. No work tomorrow, and no work on Monday. Yippee!!!

Tomorrow my fiance and I are planning on going to visit his family. We're going to skip out on the big Easter dinner on Sunday, but we wanted to work in a visit. Thankfully, his family doesn't have an issue with that. I also thought it was really cute that his mother asked me to bring more toffee (a treat I typically make for Christmas). She tried really hard to ask in a way that it didn't sound like she was demanding it, and I thought it was sweet. Needless to say, I have a batch of toffee cooling on the counter now.


On to the things that I'm okay with this week.

Its Ok Thursdays

It's okay...

...that my fiance and I aren't attending the big family Easter dinner.

...that I essentially negate the benefits of eating fruit for a snack by adding a lot of sugar to it (I'm loving buying frozen strawberries and raspberries for snacking at night).

...that I'm thinking about upgrading to an iPhone even though my current phone is just over a year old. It's been doing really stupid things lately, and I've had to shut it down and turn it back on at least once a day for the past several days to get it to behave normally. *sigh*

...that I just made a Real Techniques brush order. They just released a limited edition duo-fiber brush set, and I LOVE duo-fiber brushes (you have to like them on Facebook or subscribe to their newsletter to have access to the set). 

...that I bought Peeps this week for the sole purpose of blowing the up in the microwave. 

... that my favorite jeans ripped this week. :-( 

...that I'm being completely impatient waiting for a package to arrive in the mail.

What's okay with you this week? Any amazing plans for Easter weekend?
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Book Geek Speaks Giveaway!

March 29, 2013, 9:05 am
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This is just a quick post to plug my friend Amber's giveaway. :-)

Amber's blog, Book Geek Speaks, just had it's 1-year anniversary, and she's celebrating by giving away two books. This first book is Map of Bones by James Rollins. The second book is a surprise.

Aside from the fact that she is giving away books (be still my heart), Amber is a fabulous storyteller. I love reading her posts about her life. She is great a describing things, and she's hilarious! Don't believe me? Check out her post titled Red Velvet Massacre.

Seriously, check her blog out. You won't be sorry!
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Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Concealer - Review and Swatches

March 30, 2013, 6:21 pm
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Disclosure: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Well, my fiance and I survived our trip to visit his family. His mom is happy to have her toffee and lime flavored marshmallows that I found for her. His brother is thrilled with his lemon meringue flavored marshmallows, and his nieces generally enjoyed seeing us (even though they complained that we didn't stay very long).

Today I'm going to be doing a quick review of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Concealer, which is currently exclusive to QVC. It is currently selling for $25.26 (with $4.47 shipping and handling); QVC has the regular price listed as $28. The tube includes 8g of product.


The concealer currently available on QVC comes with a dual-ended brush to help with application. Typically, when it goes to stores like Sephora, the price stays the same, but the brush is not included. At this point, it is only offered in five shades: fair, light, medium, tan, and deep. I purchased the fair shade.

Packaging


I like the fact that the tube matches the design of the Amazonian Clay Foundation. Tarte always does a nice job with packaging design. However, I'm not thrilled with the slanted tip where the product comes out. When I try and dispense the concealer on the back of my hand, I end up getting a bunch of product smeared across the tip. I much prefer the finer tip of the Maracuja concealer much better.

Product



 The first two swatch pictures above are of the Amazonian Clay Concealer by itself: the first one is a heavy dab, and the second one is blended out. In the third swatch picture, from left to right is Tarte's Amazonian Clay Foundation in Fair, Amazonian Clay Concealer in Fair, and Maracuja Concealer in Fair. You can see that the two concealers are darker than the foundation, but they still seem to blend in well when used in conjunction with the foundation.

 When I did my first swatch of the Amazonian Clay Concealer, I was happy that this concealer had a peachy tone to it. I wanted to use it under my eyes. Sadly, I find that it is too drying for me to use under my eyes. I already struggle with my undereye area being too dry, and this just made it worse. My fine lines stood out more, and I looked extra tired at the end of the day.

I've had better luck using it to cover blemishes and scars. It's a really thick consistency, but it blends out nicely and doesn't cakey. I do wish that it was a little bit lighter for using on blemishes and scars because I feel it would help counteract the darkness I'm trying to hide.

The Brush

 
The brush is a nice addition to the concealer. The two sides work really well together. The smaller side is nice for dabbing concealer where you want it on your face, and the larger, fluffier side does a nice job of blending. The bristles are soft and seem to be good quality. I wouldn't consider buying it at full price because Tarte brushes are really expensive when they are sold individually, but I know I'm going to enjoy having it in my collection.

Final Thoughts

Alas, my search for a Holy Grail concealer for under my eyes continues. In the meantime, I'll continue using this one for spots on my face. I like it and will rotate it in my with my other concealers, but I'm not likely to repurchase it when this tube runs out (if it ever does run out).

Have you found a Holy Grail concealer for under your eyes? What else should I try?


gvjhbk


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Wet n Wild Eye Shadow Trio in Knock on Wood - Review and Swatches

April 2, 2013, 4:30 am
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Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Since I've been trying to be good about not buying a lot of makeup lately, I don't have a lot of new stuff sitting around for reviews. That's a good thing because now I can start working my way back through my stash and review the stuff that I already have.

The first trip into my stash is going to be the Wet n Wild Eye Shadow Trio in Knock on Wood. I've collected several of these trios because they tend to be pretty good quality for a fantastic price - $2.99 is the typical retail price. You can quite often pick it up for less than that though because Wet n Wild regularly goes on sale at drugstores.

Packaging

Let's face it, the packaging of these isn't anything to write home about. It's a basic case with a black bottom and a clear top. It isn't the type of packaging that can take a beating, but that's to be expected when you're only spending $3. The empty well at the bottom did hold a sponge tip applicator and a brush that is useless. My general preference would be a smaller palette that leaves out the cheap applicators, but I understand why a lot of drugstore brands feel the need to include them.

Product

Wet n Wild Knock on Wood Eyeshadow Trio

These shadows have a soft, slightly powdery texture and good pigmentation. The top shade that is labeled as a browbone shade isn't as pigmented as the other two. I have to work a little bit to get good coverage on my lids (I am nowhere near dark enough to use this shade on my browbone). All three seem to blend well together. Using a primer, I can get a full day out of these shadows without creasing, but the browbone shade does fade some on me. It doesn't bother me much since it is such a subtle shade to begin with that I don't worry so much about it popping on my eyes. All three shades have subtle shimmer, but they come across as more of a satin finish on the eyes.

Speaking of popping, this trio would be fantastic for blue or green eyes. The brown and reddish-purple tones in these shadows make a great contrast on those eye colors. My eyes are blue-green, and I really like what these shades do for my eyes.

Final Thoughts

These might not be the most amazing eye shadows ever created, but they are really good, especially for the price. If you have blue or green eyes, or if you want to dip your toe into using something other than basic brown neutrals, it's worth checking out this palette.

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.
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