Too Faced: Boudoir Beauty Collection 2013

Hello Hello! So glad it is Friday. Although I am currently in the midst of my last semester of graduate school and job applications, somehow I still found time to do some online shopping! I couldn't help but pick up these lovely new Too Faced products from their Boudoir Beauty Collection. 

 The items arrived in a pretty pink box!

Note on the inside flap.

I ordered 2 items and the order came with 3 freebies!

Boudoir Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush

Double Ended Eyeshadow Brush (freebie)

Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder (freebie)

Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer (freebie)

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in cardboard box packaging.

From L to R: Swatch of all the colors combined, Swatches of all the colors separately

Boudoir Eyes in pretty tin packaging!

The shadow names definitely seem to match with the boudoir theme...

Shadows swatched from left to right, top to bottom.

From L to R: In the Buff, Satin Sheets, Birthday Suit, Fuzzy Handcuffs

From L to R: Voulez Vous, Sugar Walls, Garter Belt, Lap Dance, French Tickler

Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder (it actually smells like chocolate ^___^ yummm)

First Impression

This is the first time I have purchased from Too Faced and I'm actually very happy with the purchase! The blush was the item that initially drew me to their site. I'm so excited to use the blush both separately and combined. I think it will be a perfect for both spring and summer. The eyeshadow palette seems perfect for travel and the colors turned out to be quite pigmented. I have also heard positive reviews about the bronzer and although it is sample size, it will most likely last me a while. Hopefully, it works well on my NC15/NW15 skin (yes, I am ghostly). 

Have you purchased from Too Faced before? What are some of your favorite Too Faced products? Comment below and let me know what you think below!

♥ Joy ♥ 

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

the Balm

Hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday! The weather is getting colder and I am looking forward to finishing up the semester. Can't wait until break! At the moment, my short-term goal is to survive the next two weeks. If I make it, then I should be home free...at least for a little while... However, I am taking a break from paper writing at the moment because I wanted to put up a product post for you all!

After hearing much hype, I gave in and purchased some "the Balm" products from Hautelook. I had originally seen some of the makeup products at Marshalls, but I didn't take the bait then. However, I only purchased three items including: Shady Lady Eyeshadow Palette ($19.50), Frat Boy Blush ($10.50) and Down Boy Blush ($10.50).

 I really love the packaging. Yes, for some it may be viewed as being flimsy since it is predominantly paper and not plastic based, but I really like it because it is very slim and portable. Plus, I love the cut pics!

 There were three different palettes on sale, but this one appealed to me most. I think these shades are very wearable.

 I think the eyeshadows are really pigmented. These swatches were only created with one swipe! The swatches match their place on the palette above.

 Along with the eyeshadow palette, I purchased two blushes as well. One is more peachy toned and the other is a more cool toned pink.

 

I have very fair skin as you can see via the picture, so both blushes show up pretty well. I swatched them in the order they are shown above.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchases! Have you tried the Balm products before? What did you think?

 ♥ Joy ♥

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

Product Review: Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Palettes

Happy Monday everyone! So I'm getting ready to head home from my Providence trip. It is crazy how time flies when you're on vacation, but it does make me realize how much I love Chicago <3

Today, I wanted to show you some of the Wet n Wild palettes I picked up from CVS that I brought along on my trip. 

Walking on Eggshells (Left)

Knock on Wood (Right)

I picked these two palettes up specifically because one is a very neutral palette (wearable for the day) and the other is a darker palette (good for nighttime smokey eyes!)

 Pretty colors!

Swatches

(Swatches were made with one swipe; pics taken in natural light)

Pros

Very affordable

Soft shadow

Good color payoff

Wearable

Cons

Can produce a little fallout

Since shadows are so soft, the shadows might break if the package is dropped

Overall, I think these two palettes work really well! I would definitely consider purchasing some of Wet n Wild's other palettes in the future! Hope this review was useful. Let me know if you have tried Wet n Wild products before and if you liked them (I always look forward to reading your comments ^__^). Also, follow if you like <3

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own

Summer Eyes!

Hi everyone! I got bored a couple weeks ago and decided to do a random eye look that was inspired by the bright, bold colors of spring/summer. To create this look, I used my BH Cosmetics 88 Color Matte Palette, NYX Lashes in El 118 Rumor, Milani Eye Tech Liquid Liner in Blackest Black, E.L.F. blending brush, & E.L.F. smudge brush. Enjoy!

 Before Makeup

I have hidden double eyelids and pretty sparse lashes.

After Application of Shadows

I just used my fingers and an E.L.F. blending brush to make the transition from color to color more smooth.

After Application of Lashes & Liner

I used Milani Eye Tech liquid liner in Blackest Black for the top lid & a dark BH Cosmetics shadow to line the bottom of my eye. I applied the dark shadow with E.L.F. smudge brush. I added a little bit of mint shadow to soften the look. Lastly, I applied the NYX lashes (in El 118 Rumor) using the lash glue that was included with the kit and curled my lashes (sadly, I forgot to apply mascara...).

Final Look!

Surprisingly, I think the look turned out to be very wearable. Let me know what you think as this is the first eye look I have done. If any of you have makeup ideas for hidden double eyelids comment below & if you would like me to do looks without lashes, also let me know ^___^.

Note: Products used in this look were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

BH Cosmetics: Palette Reviews and Swatches

Hi everyone! Finals week has arrived at school and I have been bombarded with exams and projects. However, I did make a purchase a while back that I have been itching to write a review on and was in the mood to do so today. As you can see in the title, I will be reviewing and swatching some palettes from BH Cosmetics (warning, this post is pic heavy)! The company always seems to have promotional codes and I figured I would invest in some palettes rather than spend so much monies on eyeshadow singles.

Without further ado ^__^ here goes!...

Above is the packaging I received the palettes in as well as the outer packaging for the palettes themselves. I was very happy at how quickly the order was shipped and received.

Shiny plastic outer packaging for all three eyeshadow palettes. On the inside, all three palettes come with a mirror and some double sided disposable eyeshadow applicators. I do wish this came matte though since after a while, your fingerprints show (I tried to be careful, but I think you can see an example of this on the bottom of the case in this pic :(.) 

Just to give you a measure on how large each of the shadows are.

The 88 Standard Matte Palette in natural light.

Closest true to color picture I could get of the 88 Standard Matte Palette. Love how the colors are so vibrant and that there is such a wide variety!

Some random color swatches on MAC NW15 skin. Not sure why I picked these specifically.

Closest true to color picture I could get of the 88 Shimmer Palette. Color assortment is very similar to that of the 88 Matte Palette, but only difference is that these are shimmery.

I was very surprised at how pretty the colors swatched!

Closest true to color picture I could get of the 88 Neutral Palette. Again, lots of variety if you don't own that many eyeshadow shades.

Some swatches on MAC NW15 skin. I tend to wear more neutral makeup for class, so this palette definitely lets me create more professional makeup looks.

Pros

Good pigmentation

Wide variety of colors

Good starter palette

Versatility in creating varying makeup looks

Cons

Some of the shadows can be a bit chalky

Some of the eyeshadows were unevenly placed in the palette(as seen above)

Overall Rating: A-

Although the eyeshadow quality is not the best I have seen, I think this is a great buy for someone that wants to experiment with different colors or who wants to create different looks, but does not want to spend crazy amounts of money.

Note: I did read in some reviews that sometimes single eyeshadows would fall out. Although that has not happened to me as of yet, I thought I would just mention that as well.

Along with the eyeshadow palettes, I also purchased a blush palette...

10 Color Professional Blush Palette. This picture as true to color as I could take for the blush palette. I was very excited when I saw the colors in this palette!

However, when I swatched the blush colors(depicted in the same order as the colors in the palette), some colors definitely were more pigmented than others(as seen above).

Pros

Good variety in colors

Some colors come pretty pigmented

Easy portability

Affordable

Cons

Wished some of the colors were more pigmented

Overall Rating: B+

One of the major downfalls for this palette is that the blushes were not very pigmented. I really liked the variety of shades available in the palette, but it was disappointing when the colors were so pretty in the palette and did not swatch the same way on my hand. However, if you are someone that applies blushes with a heavy hand, this palette might turn out to be very good for you and for the amount you pay, you get a lot of colors to play around with.

Hopefully, this review was helpful! Post below if you have questions at all and since the holiday season is here, let me know if any of you find any cute gift ideas. I have a lot of girl cousins(ranging in all ages) and would definitely appreciate the help in brainstorming!

 Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

E.L.F. Haul Part 1: Eyes

Hiyas everyone!  I just returned from Rhode Island and was it a lovely, welcomed break.  Really glad I got to see and visit my little sister!  Thing is though, whenever we get together, somehow we always do damage shopping and since there's no tax on clothing in Rhode Island...we definitely enjoyed our time at the mall and nearby consignment shops (will have a future post on the trip itself ^_^).  We also ate a lot...

However, before I left on my trip, I had received some E.L.F. items I purchased, but since I like to take pics in natural light, I did not get a chance to put up a post before I left.  Now that I'm back, I have a lot of pics to share.  I did have to split the haul into three parts though since I did purchase a large number of items.

First part of the haul (as you can see in the title) is Eyes!

E.L.F. Custom Eyes Shadows (L to R): Sage, Golden Glow, Moondust & Dusk

I had been eyeing the Custom Compact and eye shadows for a while, but did not bring myself to actually purchase the compact until this haul.  The compact itself is very inexpensive.  I purchased it for only $1.00. Can you believe it?!  The shadows were also $1.00 each, so the entire palette came out to be $5.00.

It was really easy to pop the shadows into the palette once they were out of the original packaging and it doesn't seem as if you need to try hard to get them back out (if necessary).  The palette also comes with a nice mirror.  I'm not sure if the compact is made of the sturdiest material, but for $1.00, I'm definitely not expecting this to last forever.

 Of course, I had to include swatches of the colors I picked.  I chose all these colors based on how wearable they were.  The swatches were also all one swipe and I did not try to blend them out.

E.L.F. Custom Eyes Shadow Swatches (L to R): Dusk, Sage, Moondust & Golden Glow

Pros

-affordable

-creamy texture/easy to blend

-good color payoff

-can be incorporated into everyday makeup

Cons

-wish there was a little more variety in colors

-would like some matte colors as well

Next items...

 I also purchased two Brightening Eye Color mini palettes in my haul in Drama and Silver Lining.  However, I did pick up Butternut at Target a couple weeks ago and Nymph Dreams in an earlier haul, so I decided to include them all in the picture ^^.  The mini palettes were again, $1.00 each.

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color mini palettes (L to R; Top to Bottom):
Butternut, Drama, Silver Lining & Nymph Dreams

Again, all the swatches below were made with one swipe!

Favorites

Butternut & Drama

Pros

-affordable

-wide variety of colors

-smooth application

-good color payoff

Cons

-packaging is not be the sturdiest

-some colors can be a bit chalky

And there's more...

 I also wanted to try some of E.L.F.'s Studio Cream Eye Shadows, so I picked up Bronzed, Natural Glow & Dawn.  The cream shadows were a little more expensive since they came from the studio line, but still very affordable $3.00.

E.L.F. Studio Line Cream Eye Shadows (L to R): Bronzed, Dawn & Natural Glow

I really like the formula for these shadows because they are creamy and easy to blend.  The texture almost feels like mousse ^__^.  My lids get pretty oily though, so primer really helps to keep the shadows in place.  The packaging is also nice and sturdy, but is a little bulky in size and swatches below are again, one swipe.

E.L.F. Studio Line Cream Eye Shadow Swatches (L to R): Bronzed, Dawn & Natural Glow

Lastly...

I wanted to try the Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara since I heard good reviews of the product on makeupalley.com.  I picked the product up in the color Crystal (as of right now, it only comes in Crystal and it was $1.00) and I also wanted to show you the two Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks I bought a while back. I picked up the Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks in Black/Smoke and Brown/Basic for $3.00 each.

E.L.F. Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks (L to R): Smoke/Black & Basic/Brown

For the eyeliner/shadow duo sticks, I can definitely say the formula for the liners applies very smooth.  However, for the shadow end of the product, I felt I had to rub back and forth a little to get the product to show some color.  The smoke shadow color also came out flaky when I was swatching the product and after a couple weeks, the eye shadow sticks fell out of the product O.o.   

Overall, I think the Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks would be the only items I would not repurchase and I was pretty happy with the rest of the items that I picked up.

I probably won't do another E.L.F. haul soon, but in case I do, do you all have any recommendations on eye products you have tried ^^?

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

Mini Summer Haul: MAC, New York & Company & Sally Beauty Supply

Happy Friday Everyone!  I was lucky enough to have a day off of work yesterday.  It was so nice & sunny outside, I decided to pay a visit to the outdoor outlet mall close to home.  While I was there, I visited a CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet store) and New York & Company.  I could not help myself and picked up a couple items that I wanted to share.  I also went with a friend to Sally Beauty Supply earlier in the week and wanted to share what I found there as well!

 From L to R:  Papaya Punch, Electric Pineapple, For Audrey & Secret Peri-Wink-Le

When I went to Sally's, the main polishes I wanted to pick up were For Audrey and Secret Peri-Wink-Le.  However, when I passed by several sale items, I found Papaya Punch and Electric Pineapple going for $1.99!  Unfortunately, I am A) attracted to bright colors B) a sucker for items on sale/deals/bargains, so I went ahead and added both to my purchases.  I'm not sure how I'm going to wear these yet, but I will definitely put up pictures of the colors when I do!

 From L to R: Humid & Rosy Outlook

When I visited the mall and CCO on my day off, I found a decent selection of pretty eye shadows by MAC that were overstock from various collections.  Although I felt the urge to bring the whole shelf of shadows they had on sale home with me, the angel side of me won out and I ended up picking up just two shadows.  I purchased Humid and Rosy Outlook because to me, they seemed the most wearable out of the bunch.

Lastly, I picked up this flowy blouse from New York & Company.  At the location I visited, they were having a sale for 50% off some of their items.  I was hesitant to try this on at first because on the tag it was sized XS (I am definitely not size XS normally), but I think their sizes run a bit large and this ended up working out really well.  I thought the embroidery was really pretty and I think this will look cute paired with a belt and tights/leggings/shorts.  The material is also very light, so this can definitely be worn in the summer still (which I am very excited about).

Comment below if you have any questions about the haul and let me know if you have suggestions/ideas on how to use bright, matte China Glaze polishes.

Hope you all have a lovely start to your weekend!

XOXO

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.