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!

Fall fashion! Office attire OOTD

Baby, it’s cold outside! Or, I wish it were. Here in Texas, it’s still warm, but I’m dressing like it’s fall in protest, hoping that the weather will get the picture and cool off already! Here’s a recent OOTD in my Fall Fashion series, this time featuring something a bit dressier, appropriate if you work in an office setting like me.

Super simple but definitely pulled together with a bit of flair! I’m wearing a Converse brand dark blue button-down top from Target. I love this top because it’s like a traditional button-down, but on the sides, there’s a bit of stretchy material that makes it super comfy.

See the stretch? Awesome! I’ve got a ton of these shirts in different shades. When you find something classic and basic like that that fits well, buy it in every color!

Here’s a better look at my skirt and shoes. The skirt is by Adrienne Vittadini, and I bought it on crazy clearance from ROSS or Marshall’s. And the shoes are also from Target…they’re wedges by Merona, and they don’t stay on my feet very well, but they’re cute and add a bit of height.

A great fall polish on my nails — OPILucerne-tainly Look Marvelous. It’s a great foil-y silver shimmer and holds up really well.

Here’s a better look at my face and a bit of my scarf, which was a great find at Forever 21 — it was in one of those bins by the register where they get you with the impulse purchases! But this actually will work really well in my wardrobe, since I don’t have really colorful, patterned scarfs except for this one.

Nothing too crazy happening with my makeup or earrings, just my regular routine of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup with eye makeup from my Urban Decay Naked Palette (reviewed here!), and on my ears, some silver balls from Forever 21.

I really liked this outfit because it was super simple, but it looked really pulled together and chic. Now, let’s all say a little prayer for some chilly weather so I can start wearing more scarves and winter coats!

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!

Fall Fashion – OOTD #2 (all buttoned-up!)

I love fall…it’s my favorite season for clothes, like I’ve said. So, you get more OOTDs because I’m having more fun getting dressed! This one is from a weekend or so ago, but it’s still appropriate for the current weather. I might throw a light cardigan on since it’s about 7 or so degrees chillier, but otherwise, it’s perfect for the crisp autumn air!

The top is a super cute button-down with a twist…ruffles! Ruffles are still very trendy right now and add a feminine flair to this otherwise neutral top. Got it for around $15 at Marshalls. I’m wearing a brown cami underneath (even though the shirt is a button-down, I still felt like I needed something underneath…I’m always worried about the space in between the buttons!) The jeans are the same as what I wore in my previous Fall Fashion OOTD — The Flirty skinny jeans from Old Navy.

And on my feet? Gladiator sandals from Forever21! I got these over the summer for under $8 (liked them so much I bought them in black and brown!), and the weather was still warm enough to wear sandals instead of boots. Love that I still can show off my pedi for another week or two!

They zip up the back…love these shoes!

This is what I call my “lazy hairdo” — it’s what I do when I want my hair out of my face and off my neck, but I don’t want to put any effort into it. My hair is so super duper long right now!

Since my hair was up, I wanted to wear a pair of dangly earrings. These are from Kohls and they’re Mudd.

I wish I could remember what exactly is on my face, but I’m 99.9 percent sure it’s a combo of Revlon ColorStay in 150 Buff, MAC eyeshadow in Gesso in the inner corners, a bunch of shades from Urban Decay Naked Palette, and on my lips? Eeek, totally no clue. I do something different there almost every day because I have a billion lip products!

And a closer look at my face! Lots more Fall Fashion posts to come! Hope you’re enjoying the amazing weather, wherever you are!

Fall Fashion – OOTD #1

It’s beginning to feel a lot like….fall! I love the cool weather, where it’s no longer hot and humid, but it’s not so cold that being outdoors is unbearable. Autumn is my favorite season, by far. It’s got the best holidays, and definitely the best possibilities for fashion.

Here’s a recent Outfit of the Day so you can get some ideas for how to dress in the cooler weather.

I LOVE browns and earth tones in the fall. Right now, purples and burgundies are really trendy. You can see that my OOTD is featuring a deep, chocolate brown, but the same top would be adorable in a dark violet, maybe with black skinny jeans and boots.

The top is a tunic-style short-sleeved sweater from Forever 21 — a great deal at only $9.99! This is an awesome basic piece to have for fall, and even into winter weather (especially if you live in a state like Texas where the two seasons aren’t that different, weather-wise). You can keep it casual like I did and pair with skinny jeans (mine are another steal of a deal from Old Navy…they’re The Flirt style and in a dark indigo wash), or you can dress it up with patterned tights and make it a standalone piece.

I tucked the skinny jeans into boots. These are a recent purchase from ROSS, and I can’t find a brand on them, but they’re just slouchy suede ankle boots in the same color as the tunic. I’ve seen these types of boots in lots of stores already this season, and I bet you can find something similar online, too.

I kept my accessories simple and added this super cute headband from Target that incorporates brown tones and adds some gold in there as well, bringing me to…

My earrings, which were a cheap-y but cute purchase, I think from Target. They’re little gold flowers with a jeweled center.

For my face, I kept the makeup light and natural, using Revlon ColorStay foundation (in Buff) and the Urban Decay Naked palette for my eyes, using mostly Virgin all-over the lid and popping a bit of Half Baked in the crease and outer v.

I’m going to continue to feature fall fashion OOTDs in the coming weeks, as the weather gets cooler and I find some great deals on staples you need in your closet this season, as well as some trendy pieces here and there.

Face of the Day! featuring Urban Decay Naked palette

This one’s a little belated, from about a week ago, but I’m wearing the same shirt and makeup today so consider it current!

Here’s what I’m wearing..

• Milani Secret Cover Concealer in Warm Beige
• Revlon ColorStay Active in Buff (love this stuff! Amazing staying power.)
• e.l.f. HD powder (to set my concealer and foundation)
• NARS bronzer in Laguna
• NARS blush in Orgasm
• e.l.f Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight (this is a shimmery white cream highlight that I dab on my cheekbones, above the cupid’s bow, on my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes)

• e.l.f Eyelid Primer (I use this to, duh, prime my eyes so my eyeshadow is long-lasting.)
• MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (And, I use this in combo with the eyelid primer as an eye base to make my lids have an even starting point for shadow.)
• Urban Decay Naked Palette – Virgin all over lid to brow, Sin in outer corner (aaah, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette. I am going to post all about it, and other neutral palettes, soon. Swatches and dupes to come!)
• Victoria’s Secret Private Beach in outer corner and crease
• UD Naked Palette – Naked in crease, Buck in outer corner, Toasted as brow highlight – blend, Darkhorse in outer corner
• Whiskey liner (from UD Naked Palette)
• Curl lashes
• CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion
• Loreal HIP Jelly Balm in Plush
• Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor in Pretentious