12 eyeshadows for $10? Yes, please!

One really awesome thing about the holiday season (besides the fact that it’s the best time of the year!) is that beauty and cosmetic companies usually release limited edition products at crazy amazing prices in November and December. One of the best deals I’ve seen is the Pixi by Petra Winter Wakeup Eyes Makeup Palette, which I received to try in shade No. 1, Light and Bright. This is at Target for only $9.99 (and if you buy online, it ships for free)!

I love the variety in shades in this palette. You’ve got three sets of four colors that all complement each other really well and allow for a ton of different eye looks.

The first row is a good set of bright neutrals — you’ve got a basic white (good for highlighting inner corners and browbone, as well as an all over wash of bright color), a shimmery golden yellow, a light brown (which I like for the crease), and a pretty orange.

The second row is full of pretty purples, including a light shimmery lavender, a grape shade, a more muted taupe-y purple, and a deeper violet.

Love love love the blue colors in the third row. You can see by these swatches how vibrant they are — there’s seafoam aqua, turquoise, a deep blue and a lighter, more sheer shade.

I think this is a super buy. The only downsides I see are that even though you’re getting 12 shadows in the palette, the pans are somewhat small, so you’ll run out quickly (buy a backup if you’re in love with even one of the colors!), and you might be able to tell from my swatches, but some of the shadows are a bit chalky, nothing that can’t be fixed with a good primer or base. They all blend nicely.

Here are a couple looks I’ve come up with:

Here’s what I created with the neutral row…I love how I was able to give my eyes a brighter, more awake look without going overboard on color.

And this is a look with the bottom row, using mostly the lightest blue-green shade. I really love this palette and think it’s an awesome deal. The packaging is great, too — a really slim, lightweight palette with a nice sized mirror. Definitely a steal of a deal for yourself or a stocking stuffer!

Finally! Wet n Wild holiday palettes are mine!

Ever since I first heard (or read, I guess) about someone finding Wet n Wild‘s Color Icon Holiday Pixie collection in stores, I have searched high and low for them to no avail. I love Wet n Wild, especially the Color Icon Vanity palette (it’s the main ingredient in my 5 minute eye look!) so I was super excited to get my hands on these limited edition palettes — they follow the Color Icon formula of 6 complementary shadows, but they also come with an eyeliner!

There are four palettes in the holiday collection, and I went ahead and got them all. At $4.99 each (and using two recent $5 off a WnW purchase of $10!), I couldn’t help myself!

This one is called Golden Goddess, and it reminds me of the Vanity palette. But, this version has all shimmery shadows, while Vanity has three shimmers and three matte. Similar colors, though.

This green and blue palette is called Snow Sprite. I don’t normally wear colored shadows, except for purple (and that’s a very light application), but these look gorgeous and very wearable.

Ah, there’s the purple shadow! This palette is called Sugar Plum Fairy (apologies for the blurry photo), and I love it, without even swatching it! That bottom shadow on the right looks amazing…sort of a brownish purple with subtle pinky purple shimmers.

And, the most unique palette of the bunch (and probably the most unique drugstore palette I’ve ever seen) — Night Elf. Check out the variety here…you get white, silver, taupe, red (!!), a duochrome green/red, and a sparkly black! Can’t wait to try this one out.

I’m really excited to create some wearable but fun, festive looks with these. If I’m successful, I’ll of course post photos here.

Battle of the Nude/Neutral Palettes: Too Faced Natural Eye Kit

Ready for round two of the Battle of the Nude/Neutral Palettes on What’s On My Face? My first post in this series focused on the Urban Decay Naked Palette (which I consider the holy grail of all nude/neutral palettes), and this one will be all about the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit — another higher-end offering that some have compared to the UD Naked palette.

I bought this palette I believe in September, when I was on the hunt for the UD Naked palette and couldn’t find it anywhere! I stopped in my local ULTA and asked if they had any in (of course they didn’t!), and the salesgirl recommended that I try this palette instead for a similar product.

Here’s the inside of the palette. First big difference from UD Naked? Fewer shadows. Another difference? No mirror or coordinating eyeliner! But, I like this one because it’s got three sets of coordinating three shadows that you can use to create looks (Day, Classic, Fashion), which they have detailed on cards that come inside the top of the kit.

You of course don’t have to use the shadows in the ways they’ve described on the cards, but it’s helpful if you’re new to eye makeup and have no clue what to put where. The good thing is that all the shades are really complementary and blend well together. You can use the lid color in the Classic row, add the Day crease color and top off with the Fashion outer v/darker shade, and you’re good to go!

On to the swatches!

I swatched the shadows according to the “looks” in the palette. Left to right -

First set of three – Day

• Heaven (which you can barely see, but this one is great for inner corner and brow highlight)
• Velvet Revolver (a really great taupe-y crease shade)
• Sexspresso (a deep matte brown…love this for outer v and to set brown eyeliner)

Second set of three – Classic

• Silk Teddy (a shimmery champagne that is amazing for all over the lid)
• Push Up (this one is a shimmery medium brown and intended for the crease, but since I like a matte crease, I usually stick with Velvet Revolver and use Push Up to darken the outer third of my lid)
• Erotica (a deep brown with shimmers…this one works well for the outer v)

Final set of three – Fashion

• Nude Beach (whoaaaaa, this one is glittery! I use this sparingly, here and there, to add some fun shimmer to my lid but I don’t think I’d use this all over my lid, especially not for a daytime work look. Guess that’s why it’s in the Fashion lineup!)
• Honey Pot (love this one! It’s comparable to Half Baked in the UD Naked palette, and I love to apply it in the center of my lid to add some dimension and shine to my eye look)
• Cocoa Puff (you can’t really see the shimmer in the swatch, but this is a deeper brown with some fun gold glitter)

My favorite shades in the palette are probably Velvet Revolver (not the most interesting but definitely the one I get the most use out of), Honey Pot (so much fun to experiment with how you wear this one…can be part of a really bronze/gold eye look or a fun, unexpected pop of color) and Erotica (it’s deep and dark, but it’s also got a nice shimmer that makes it perfect for outer v).

Here are a few ways that I’ve used the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit to create neutral eye looks:

Here, I used a combo of Heaven and Silk Teddy all over the lid, placed Push Up in the outer corner, and brushed Velvet Revolver in the crease. I also used Sexspresso to set my brown eyeliner. Oh, and Heaven as an inner corner and brow highlight.

This one is pretty similar to the one above, but I’ve used Honey Pot as well, in the middle of my lid, blended out, and also in the inner corner for an unexpected touch of gold highlight (which you might not be able to detect in the pic).

So, final thoughts? I really do like this palette and am happy that I bought it before UD Naked. I think it does a similar job as UD Naked and offers some comparable shades. Of course, if you’re picking one of the two, definitely go for UD Naked — it’s in the same price range (around $45 for UD and $35 for TF) and it offers more shadows, plus 2 liners and a mirrored palette. But, if you’re like me and couldn’t find the UD Naked, this Too Faced palette is a good second choice.

Up next in the Battle of the Nude/Neutral Palettes? The final post, complete with drugstore options and dupes!

Battle of the Nude/Neutral Palettes: Urban Decay Naked Palette

It’s no secret.

I love a good, neutral eye look. I’ll occasionally go for a more smokey look, but for the most part, I keep it nude (on my eyes!).

I feel like it’s what looks best on me — a good, neutral eye look opens up your whole face and makes you look more awake. Plus, it’s safe to wear no matter where you are — work, school, running errands — because you don’t look too “done up” but it gives you a little extra something where you’re not completely au natural.

So, it’s safe so say that I’ve invested some money in nude/neutral eyeshadow, and recently, I’ve been using several different palettes specifically created for neutral eye lovers like me! This is the first in a series of posts I’m going to call…Battle of the Nude/Neutral Palettes!

Today, I’m focusing on the Urban Decay Naked Palette…

Urban Decay Naked palette (which was the hardest to find! Sold out almost everywhere, and I thought I was going to have to pay an arm and a leg for it on ebay, but I did finally find it in person at a Sephora inside my local JC Penney!)

Here’s a closer look at the inside of the palette:

I love each and every single one of these shadows, and the dual 24/7 eyeliner pencil is amazing. The “go to” shadows for me in this palette are Virgin, Sin, Buck, Toasted and Hustle. Right there, that is a beautiful neutral eye combo, from highlight to all over lid color to crease to outer v and shadow/liner.

And the swatches…

Left to right – Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Left to right – Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Here are a couple of looks I’ve done with this palette. I’ve used this almost every single day since I bought it, whether by itself or in combination with other shadows.

What’s good about this palette?
Just about everything! The quality of the shadows is amazing, so creamy and blendable. The shadows all work together, so you can use several together in a look or just one or two for a wash of color. Truthfully, if you’re a neutral eye lover like me, with this palette, you really don’t need any other eyeshadows.

What’s bad about this palette?
Not too much. The price tag might be a bit steep, but it’s such a great investment at $44 dollars. It is a bit difficult to find right now, but I’ve heard Urban Decay is including this palette in its permanent line, so maybe after the hype has worn down, it’ll be easier to get.

Next post in this series will focus on the TooFaced Natural Eye Kit! I’ll also have some drugstore neutral eye options, including possible dupes for shades in the UD and TF palettes!

Maybelline and NYC haul + swatches

First things first — my promised September favorites is going to be a September/October favorites. These two months have just flown by, and really, I’ve been consistently using the same products so there wouldn’t be much difference between the two sets of favorites anyway.

Now, on to the fun stuff…the haul! I stopped by HEB (a local grocery store) on my way home to look around and came out with a tiny bit of stuff:

I got 3 products from NYC New York Color Cosmetics (a nail polish in Peony – I think a limited edition shade, an Ultra Moist LipWear lipstick in Chiffon, and a Lippin’ Large Lip Plumper lipgloss in Mulberry – this one was for sure limited edition b/c it says so on the package) and 2 palettes from Maybelline (Chai Latte – a quad, and Desert Sunrise – a LE trio from the Salsa Sun collection).

Here’s the Chiffon lipstick swatch. Of course, the camera doesn’t really pick up how pretty this is, but it’s a creamy pink frost that looks like none of the other lipsticks I own (and I own a ton!). Excited to try this one out with a baby pink gloss.

And on the opposite end of the lip color spectrum, here’s a swatch of the Mulberry gloss, where you can get an idea of the consistency as well as the shade. It’s a jelly sort of opaque gloss that definitely feels like a lip plumper when applied (really tingly).

No individual pic of the Peony polish since I didn’t have a chance to apply it. On to the Maybelline…

Here’s the Chai Latte palette…something I had picked up before in the drugstore but never purchased. As if I need more neutral shadows! But the golden bronze shade here sold me. I really have been into that bronze-y eye with the fall weather, and this is such a pretty shade. The Maybelline quads come labeled with which shadow should be placed where — top to bottom, it’s crease, lid, brow bone and outer corner. Pretty!

And Desert Sunrise! So pretty, I definitely don’t have shadows like this in my collection. I don’t really do colored shadows, except for purples, but the idea of using this green shadow is sort of exciting. Plus, another golden shadow and a really pretty reddish brown.

I think I might try to work Club eyeshadow by MAC into a look with these Desert Sunrise shadows somehow. Club is a super unique shade and one that I don’t wear too often just because I don’t really know how to wear it. But, here it is (on the left) with the green and gold shades from Desert Sunrise.

Club has some green in it, even though you can’t really see it in this photo, but there’s also some red and brown and gray and…it’s just a totally unique shadow! I think it’ll work nicely with these. If I like the results, I’ll do a FOTD post here!

Quick Target haul – e.l.f. & Sonia Kashuk

I ran to Target today to get one thing, and surprise surprise — got a few more things!

Here’s what I went to get — the Large Contoured/Angled Blush Brush from Sonia Kashuk. I plan to use this for bronzer, not blush, though. I have a similar brush from Sonia Kashuk, the Angled Contour Blusher Brush, which I love. But, I washed it today and wanted another angled brush to apply blush as a backup. Here’s how they compare, side-by-side:

That’s my new brush on the left and the one I’ve been using on the right (sort of mid-dry, so the bristles look a little funny).  They have a similar shape, but I think the new brush has synthetic bristles and the black handled one doesn’t. Plus, the one on the left is more inexpensive — $9.99 versus $17.99. So we’ll see how they compare in application when I have a chance to use the new one.

Of course, I also checked out the clearance while I was in the cosmetics section and found a few of the e.l.f. back-to-school limited edition products. They were inexpensive to begin with, so finding them on clearance (I think 30% off) was exciting!

I found the e.l.f. Smoky Eyeshadow & Brush, originally $3.00, for $2.70. So excited for the purple-y shades in this one — I mentioned in my August favorites post how much I’m loving purple shadows right now. I don’t think any of these are the same as the ones in my e.l.f. Beauty Book Neutral Edition.

Swatches of the top row of the palette, left to right, in natural light with no primer underneath. A bit disappointed by the white shadow…pretty chalky!

And the bottom row, swatched in natural light, no primer. That dark smoky shade is intense! Really like the glittery, lavender shade, even though it’s not really coming across in the photo.

I also found this e.l.f. Beauty SOS kit, also on clearance for $2.70. I don’t really need a new concealer, but the brush sort of excited me, and I have been needed a targeted acne medication (I have tons of cleansers and moisturizers that help to fight acne, but nothing that’s a spot treatment).

I didn’t really expect too much from the concealer (I love e.l.f. products but haven’t tried their concealer before), but I like the swatch! It’s supposed to be a tone corrector, and it applies really smoothly and thick. Blends out great, too!

That’s it for the haul, but while I was taking photos, I wanted to show you my newest nail polish (purchased a few weeks ago…I think at HEB, a local grocery store) that I just had a chance to test out.

Messy application on my part, but oh well! It’s from the OPI Swiss Collection and is called Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous. Really pretty, glittery gray-silver color…makes me wish it were colder outside!

Quick CVS Haul with Maybelline Swatches!

I haven’t hauled very much these past few weeks…I guess that happens when your bank account dips dangerously low after paying bills, tuition, vacation expenses, car repairs, etc., right? Darn adulthood! But, I felt like spending some money today and needed to stop in to CVS to get some emery boards (nail files) for emergency fixes in my office/car/purse, etc.

Cost? $1.79! But do you think I walked away spending just $1 and some change? Heck no! I caught the tailend of an Extra Care promotion for Maybelline (but $10 of their products and get $3 in Extra Care Bucks), and I had some $1 off any Maybelline product coupons, so I grabbed a couple of new (or new to me) items from that brand.

I wanted to try a ColorSensational lipstick and was drawn to 720 Pearly Pink — I’d attempt to describe the shade, but my description would be, “it’s a really pearly pink…” so that’s that!

The swatch doesn’t really show much because it’s a light shade, but it’s a soft pink with white/silver shimmers. (Cost – $7.49 minus $1/off coupon)

As you can see, the consistency of the lipstick is pretty creamy, even though the shade itself is sort of light and sheer. Here’s how it looks on my lips:

Please ignore the wear and tear of my face makeup! I was out in the hot hot hot Texas sun this afternoon and sweat is never a good addition to any look. But, if we’re talking about the lipstick, you can see that it does a good job of lightening up my naturally pigmented lips and giving a sweet pink pout. I’m always in the need for a baby pink lipstick!

I’ve also heard great reviews on YouTube for the Maybelline Stylish Smokes quads, so I picked up one in 06 Amethyst (which has some pretty purple shades…I’ve been loving purple for eyeshadow in the past few weeks and am definitely going to include some in my upcoming August favorites post). This was $6.99 (minus $1 from my coupon!), and I’m excited by the swatches!

Left to right, this is the white browbone color, the gray/purple crease color, the amethyst purple lid color, and the sparkly black outer corner color. But, as vibrant as the colors are on my fingers, they get a bit muted when blended out.

It looks like the amethyst lid color is going to be the rockstar in this quad, and the others might be duds, or just alright shadows.

I also scanned the haircare aisle before heading up to the register to pay and was really excited to see that got2b products were buy one, get one free. I’ve tried a few of their products and had good results, plus I think the packaging is too cute to pass up!

So, for $6.29, I got both of these items:

got2b smooth operator Smoothing Satin Drops – I think I might use these in my damp hair after washing but before blowdrying to help fight the frizz. I’ve heard really great things about this product, so I hope it works for me.

And, I stuck with the Smooth Operator line and picked up this Smoothing Lustre Lotion, which I’ll use in the same way that I do with all my hair treatment products — after getting my hair wet in the shower, I’ll apply and let it sit for an hour or so, then I’ll hop in the shower again and wash/condition before blowdrying. (It’s going to be tough to beat my new favorite hair treatment — RUSK Deepshine Oil!)

So, a quick trip to CVS for one cheap item turned into a haul, of course. I love CVS and always feel like I’ve saved a ton when I shop there…

Over $1,000 in savings this year? I’m not sure if that’s entirely accurate, but whoa.

Giveaway reminder! 15 prizes, including e.l.f. Beauty Book (Neutral Eye Edition)!

BEHOLD! One of the most coveted items in the beauty-sphere! It’s one of e.l.f.’s back-to-school Beauty Books (Neutral Eye Edition). I love this product and have written about it a lot on this blog (full review here and list of Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products here).

Unfortunately, it’s only sold in Target stores that carry e.l.f. products, and it’s sold out in many already. But, lucky lucky you! You have the chance to get one for free, along with 14 other awesome products I featured in my Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products list. All you have to do is check out my giveaway post and enter! There are several ways to enter, and you can enter multiple times. Giveaway ends Aug. 31, so you still have time (but not much)!

Quick CVS Haul – 90% off makeup!

I made 2 trips to 2 different CVS stores after work today. The first one still had items from the 50-75% off beauty sale — score, I thought! This sale started back in the spring, and I’ve found some leftovers! I got a Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in Born With It, and a Sally Hanson Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick in Lilac, both on clearance (and a $1 off coupon for the Maybelline lipstick!).

That’s the Born With It on the left and Lilac on the right. Born With It is a really pretty, sort of nude pink-y shade that I think will work nicely on my pale skin. Lilac is quite a bit more dramatic, with deep purple undertones. Still super pretty, though, and since I’m a fan of the Sally Hansen Natural Makeup lipsticks, I immediately tried it on…

I also got two CoverGirl Eye Enhancers shadows — one in Golden Sunrise and another in Brown Smolder — because I had two coupons for $2 off any CG product (and CVS was having a buy one, get one 50% off with CG).

So, nice kind of boring haul, right? I stopped by a different CVS just to see what they had, and as soon as I walked in, I saw a table with a sign that said “90% off” and wouldn’t you know…there were a few makeup products just begging to be bought.

And how much did it cost?

That’s right, just over $5 for 3 shadows and 2 blushes!

I’ve never tried Almay shadow before. I have a cream blush and a bronzer from them, which I like…nothing that’s holy grail, but they work for good everyday products. I got these shadows in the shades (l-r) Apricot, Ivory and Petal. You’d think this could create a nice neutral eye look, right? Maybe the Ivory all over the lid, with Apricot in the crease and Petal as a highlight. But when I got home and swatched them (and the CoverGirl shadows from my first CVS stop), I was a teeny bit disappointed (or as disappointed as you can get from not loving 80 cent eyeshadows).

The photo quality isn’t the best, but the Almay shadows really were not all that pigmented and were kind of chalky. But, I think I can work with them, and if I use an eye primer (like Urban Decay Primer Potion or e.l.f. Mineral Eye Primer) with a base (good ole MAC Paint Pot in Painterly), they might be OK. Left to right, that’s Almay Apricot (kind of a peachy bronze), Almay Ivory (the most pigmented of the 3…a shimmery off white), CoverGirl Golden Sunrise (I like this one…very bronze-y with a touch of gold), CoverGirl Brown Smolder (a rich, deep brown that I’ll use for defining the outer V of my eye), and Almay Petal (super sheer and frosty).

The mineral blushes I got will be fun to test out. I have a ton of blushes in my collection but rarely reach for anything other than NYC Blushable Creme Sticks topped with NARS Orgasm.

Maybelline Mineral Power blush in Gentle Pink. Got it for 95 cents!

The sticker says 50% off, but it rang up 90% off! Just like rock beats scissors, register beats sticker!

24.7 Minerals Anti-Aging Mineral Blush in Champagne. Not sure I love this as a blush, but it’ll probably be a pretty highlight color. I don’t know much about this brand, other than I first saw it in CVS maybe late last year, and soon enough, they had just about everything from the line 50% off (and now the leftovers at 90% off).

Don’t you love impromptu shopping trips that turn into major reasons to brag on how much you saved?

Wake up…with makeup!

You know the drill. You meant to go to bed at a decent hour, but for whatever reason (couldn’t stop watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall on cable, lost track of time watching beauty gurus on YouTube, trying to cram every morsel of information about biochemistry into your brain before that major exam), you ended up getting no sleep whatsoever.

And it’s called “beauty rest” for a reason. You just look better when you’re well-rested. Your skin has time to replenish itself, the bags under your eyes are minimal or nonexistent, etc. But, we all have those mornings when we wake up, look into the mirror and see this:

But, don’t worry — you don’t have to leave the house looking like you need a few more minutes with the alarm clock. Here’s what I’ve found works best for me to wake up my face…with makeup!

Concealer
I have a naturally ruddy complexion, so I use concealer most days. But, I go heavy when I’ve had too little sleep because my face is more red than usual if I’m tired. Concealer also helps to disguise darkness and bags under the eyes, and you might also try putting some on your lids if you’ve got discoloration there. I always use concealer under my foundation instead of on top; I just find that it gives me a more even coverage. Here are some concealers I’ve used and that have worked for me:

• Milani Secret Cover Concealer Cream (this is a very smooth, creamy concealer that comes in a pot. You can apply with a brush, but I think it’s easier to dab a bit on my fingers and blend in where I need coverage)
• Lancome Effarcernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer (I’m currently using this for undereye coverage. Because it’s waterproof, I find that it stays put throughout the day and keeps my undereye area looking bright and even.)
• Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette (Hands down, my favorite concealer! This palette comes with three creamy concealers — a lighter peach, a darker peach and a greenish corrector — and a translucent setting powder. There are so many options with this palette for whatever type of concealing you need to do, whether it’s covering a blemish, canceling out redness, concealing undereye bags. It’s awesome.)

Bright Eyes
Even if you love a dark, smokey eye, if you’re trying to look awake, you should steer clear of the darker eyeshadows and liners, at least in the inner corner and half of your lid near the inner corner. Smoking out a bit on the outer v of the eyelid is cool, but the darker the color is toward your tearduct, the smaller and more closed your eye will appear, emphasizing your tired look. Try these eye-opening tricks:

• White eyeliner! Lining your waterline (the inner rim of your bottom lashline) with a pure white eyeliner will work wonders in eliminating “tired eyes.” If you haven’t slept well, chances are, your waterline is red, but the white eyeliner will open up your eyes and make your whole face look refreshed. I use Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Pure White.
• Highlight! Don’t forget to highlight the heck out of your browbone, above your cheekbones, and even your undereye area. You’ll want to use a product like Benefit High Beam for your browbone and cheekbone highlighting, but for your undereye highlighting, try to avoid shimmer. Instead, use something like the YSL Touche Eclat (or the Milani HD Advanced Concealer, a drugstore dupe for the YSL). These are both clickable pen-like brightening concealers that you can blend under your eye after you’ve put on your foundation and before you’ve applied setting powder, to give your face a really nice pop of brightness.)
• Shimmery shadows! Like I said above, even if you’re a fan of darker, more matte shadows, try dabbing a light, shimmery shade on your inner corners and across your lids to brighten your eyes. MAC Phloof! and Brule are great for this, and so are NYX Ultimatum, the lightest shade in the CoverGirl Shimmering Sands trio, and Flirter and Flutter from Lorac (those last two are in the Social Beautyfly Palette). But, across the board — in all price points — you can find a shimmery, light shadow like the ones I’ve mentioned. I use in inner corners and all over the lid, and darken in the crease and outer v with slighty darker colors to achieve this bright-eyed look:

So, pour yourself a cup of coffee, try these simple concealing and brightening tricks, and let me know if it looks like you got another half hour of zzz’s!