Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains: Photos and Swatches

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains
$2.99
at Walgreens stores

 Swatches...

From Left:
#01 Nude Chic
#05 Honey Love
#02 Sweet Pink
#06 Cranberry Crush

glossy finish

 On The Lips...

Nude Chic

Honey Love

Cranberry Crush used as a lip liner
Sweet Pink in the center of my lips

My Thoughts...
These balm stains are smooth, pigmented, extremely comfortable on the lips, and leave the lips with a beautiful stain that lasts all day. These are very similar to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains...but are half the price and have a more wearable, neutral color selection. These Jordana balms stains are definitely worth picking up.

I also picked up the Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains in Terra Crave and Rock N Rouge. Photos and swatches coming soon!

ELF Studio $3 Baked Eyeshadows

ELF Studio Baked Eyeshadows

clockwise from top:
Dusk
Burnt Plum
Bark
Toasted

Swatches...

Applied dry with no primer:
Toasted, Dusk, Burnt Plum, Bark

 

Applied wet with no primer:
Toasted, Dusk, Burnt Plum, Bark



ELF Studio Baked Eyeshadows

• $3
• Available in 6 shades (I purchased 4 of them)
• Size .12 oz/3.5g
• Can be used wet or dry for a variety of looks
• Swatches and How-To Tutorials available at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/
• "Infused with active key ingredients Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin"

 

On The Eye...Using Bark & Toasted

I photographed this look at several different angles to show the dimension of these baked shadows.  

 

For this look I used a damp flat eye shadow brush and pressed Bark all over my lid. I then used a dry, fluffy blending brush and ran a small amount of Bark through my crease to gently fade out the shadow. I blended the Toasted shade lightly through my crease and up to my brow bone to give the shadows a more seamless and natural look.

 



My Thoughts....

Great product! When applied wet these shadows give a gorgeous metallic effect to the eye. When applied dry these shadows give a pretty sheer wash of color to the eye. These shadows are definitely worth a try...and for $3, you can't go wrong.

All Nude Review: Pixi Shades of Nude Quartette

Ode to the Neutral Eye...

 

Shades of Nudes
about $25 at Target stores

From Left:

• matte cream shade
• shimmery champagne/taupe shade
• taupe shade with a satin finish
• medium brown with a satin finish

My Thoughts...
     I'm really loving this little palette from Pixi. The shadows are soft and pigmented...though just the slightest bit powdery... and blend incredibly easily. This is my favorite "grab and go" palette for when I want a quick, neutral eye look without all the fuss. The shimmery champagne/taupe shade looks amazing all over the lid, while the satin brown gives just the right amount of definition to the crease.
     The only down fall I see to this palette is the price point...$25 is a little steep for "drugstore" makeup but if you like a taupey, neutral eye, I believe its worth the price. I love the quality and shade selection of this palette and it would definitely be a nice little staple to have in any makeup collection.

Would I Repurchase?
Yes

New NYC BIG BOLD Bronzers...How do they compare?

     I recently ran out of my beloved NYC Sunny bronzer (gasp!) so I immediately headed to the store to pick up another and stumbled upon these babies...new NYC Big Bold bronzers in two new shades...ManhaTan and MetropoliTan...so I picked them up with the hopes that they would be as great as Sunny... and yes, they are. 

Sunny, Manhatan

Sunny, ManhaTan

MetropoliTan, ManhaTan

MetropoliTan, ManhaTan

My Thoughts...

     I had high hopes for these bronzers and I must say they exceeded my expectations. They are every as bit as smooth and pigmented (even more so) than Sunny. ManhaTan is just about the same shade as the regular Sunny but much more pigmented...so be careful with this stuff...I gave myself a big bronzed racing stripe down the side of my face the first time I tried this one out.
     MetropoliTan is also really smooth and pigmented. This shade would make a beautiful contour for fair/medium skin tones, but as an all over "complexion warmer" like Sunny, this shade would definitely be a bit too dark.
     Overall I think NYC has put out two beautifully smooth and pigmented bronzers and I couldn't be happier with them...I even bought a back up of ManhaTan just in case they're limited edition!

Would I repurchase?
Yes

Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Sinner: A Review



True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Sinner



Dramatic "Sinner" Eye Look

Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Sinner

• $36
• Sephora Exclusive
• 8 Eye Shadows
• 1 Mini Puro Amor Black Autograph Pencil Eyeliner
• website includes a "How To Use" Instruction Section

"This palette includes a range of colors, including purples and grays. Each eye shadow formulation is infused with rose extract for its excellent hydrating properties and to help eyelids stay soft and moisturized"
I have always been a fan of Kat Von D's makeup line because she typically delivers high quality products for a decent price. I've had some of her eyeshadow palettes for years and they continue to be some of my favorite and most used palettes. I've had this palette in Sinner (and Saint) on my wish list for quite a while so I was pretty excited when I finally decided to pick them up. Here are my thoughts...



Sinner


 

Shades:
(from left to right)

Disco Dust-pearly pink
Linzy-Jane-medium purple
Ace of Shades-deep purple with purple sparkle
Violator-charcoal/purple shade with medium purple sparkle
Holy Bible-pearly silver (very opaque)
Glock-pearly medium charcoal
Dorian Gray-pearly deep charcoal
Lucifer-matte black (very deep and pigmented...awesome shade)
Mini Puro Amor Black Autograph Pencil Eyeliner-creamy black eyeliner but not the most pigmented

Swatches...

From Left:
Disco Dust, Linzy Jane, Ace of Spades, Violator

From Left:
Holy Bible, Glock, Dorian, Lucifer

Mini Puro Amor Black Autograph Pencil Eyeliner

Pros...

• amazing pigmentation
• rich, buttery texture
• smooth application (leaves a very smooth and even finish on the eye)
• good shade selection (for a variety of looks)
• includes multiple shadow finishes (including matte)
• durable tin compact includes a large mirror and a large trial size black eyeliner (great for travel)
• good price point for the amount and quality of these shadows (about $4.50 per shadow, plus an eyeliner)

Cons...

• I'm not a huge fan of the new tin packaging (though the tin case is good for protecting the shadows, I prefer the sleek, matte packaging design of her previous palettes)
• eyeliner was not very pigmented (appeared more charcoal on the eyes, rather than black

On The Eye...

"A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery"

"Le smoky eye vous donne un air mysterieux"

                                                     -Kat Von D



Overall Review...
I'm loving this palette. It has quickly become my go-to palette for my night time outings. I love the pigmentation, finish, texture, and blendability of these shadows. Though I wouldn't say I saw a particular difference in the hydration of my eyelids, I will say that these shadows did leave a beautiful, smooth, soft finish to the eyes. I've used this palette in a number of ways to achieve different looks and I'm been completely happy with all of the results.

Would I Repurchase?
Yes.

Review of the Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Saint coming soon!

Random Vanity: ELF Studio Single Eyeshadows

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

ELF Studio Single Eyeshadows
$3 at Target stores/ eyeslipsface.com



Pebble, Saddle, Raspberry



 Swatches...

in order as above

Pebble-medium matte grey shade

• I love using this shade for adding soft definition to my crease. This cool-toned grey shade adds a little more interest than your typical medium matte brown shade.

Saddle- golden bronze shade with a satin finish

• I love wearing this shade all over my eye lid for a soft, summer eye look.

Raspberry-plummy burgundy shade with a satin finish

• In my opinion, this is the most versatile shade of the bunch. I wear it all over my lid or in my crease. I enjoy lightly blending this shade through my crease and up onto my brow bone with a fluffy brush to warm up just about any eye look.

My Thoughts...

I recently rediscovered these ELF Single Eyeshadows while browsing my makeup collection and my love for these shadows has been rekindled! These shadows are smooth, pigmented, and blendable. These neutral shades are great staple colors for any one's collection. I have worn these shadows together, separately, or in conjunction with just about any eye look I can think of...and they're only $3!

Quick Tip: Though I'm extremely satisfied with the texture and pigmentation of these shadows, they can be a bit powdery. I would recommend using an eye primer or base to give these shadows something to stick to...because you want these pretty shadows on your eyes, not on your cheeks.

Fresh Spring Lips: New YSL Lip Products

From Left:
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in #13
YSL Rouge Sheer Candy in #9
$34 at Sephora

I recently took the plunge and made my first YSL lip purchase and I couldn't be happier with these products! I have heard nothing but good things about YSL lip products so I was excited to pick these up. I picked up a Rouge Volupte Shine, which has opaque coverage with a glossy finish, and a Rouge Sheer Candy, which has sheer coverage with a glossy finish. Both of these products feel light, comfortable, and incredibly moisturizing on the lips giving me fresh pink lips for the spring!



Lip Swatches...

Rouge Volupte Shine #13

• bright rosy pink shade
• opaque coverage
• glossy finish

 

 

Rouge Sheer Candy #9

• light cool-toned pink
• sheer coverage but can be built up for more opaque coverage
• glossy finish

 

 

 

Fresh Spring Cheeks: Coral Lift & Pink Lift

Loreal Visible Lift Color Lift Blushes...

"Contours and illuminates cheekbones for a more radiant, youthful looking complexion."

#704 Coral Lift, #703 Pink Lift
$13.50 (at CVS)



Silky smooth cream blushes give the prettiest, dewy flush to the cheeks

Coral Lift, Pink Lift

#704 Coral Lift: peachy coral shade with subtle gold shimmer

#703 Pink Lift: medium pink shade with subtle silver shimmer

 

My Thoughts...

 

I recently picked up two of the new Loreal Visbile Lift Color Blushes after seeing a few swatches around the beauty blogging community...and I must say, I've been loving them! They have a silky smooth cream texture (almost like a dense mousse dessert) and give the prettiest, dewy flush of color to the cheeks. I picked up a fresh pink shade and a peachy coral shade that I thought would be great for the warmer months up ahead.

Tip: Since cream products have a tendency to "melt off" in the summer heat, I like to top these blushes with a little extra translucent setting powder to really make them last all day.

Also, these blushes are great but they're a little pricey (for drugstore) so keep your eyes peeled for sales and coupons!

NYX Love in Florence Eye Shadow Palette in #05 Sunsets With Sophia: A Review

#05 Sunsets With Sophia
$7.99 (at Ulta)

"Sunset With Sophia" Eyes, Fresh Pink Cheeks, and Glossy Pink Lips

For a full list of products used for this look:

Makeup Daily 4/22/2013



From Left:

Shimmery pink champagne shade, medium shimmery gold shade, dark brown with gold sparkle
medium matte brown shade, medium shimmery champagne shade



in order as above

On The Eye...

My Thoughts...

I'm a little torn with this palette...as you can probably tell from the swatches, the pigmentation is lacking to say the least, the shadows are powdery and the color selection is a little on the boring side (but I knew that going into this purchase). The overall quality of this palette is pretty poor...but with all that being said, I'm really happy with the way the finished look turned out! Somehow the lacking pigmentation and boring color selection came together to make a really pretty, neutral eye look! Funny when things work out that way!

Would I Repurchase...

I guess so. The individual shadow quality is pretty poor but I'm really happy with the way the finished look turned out!

Check out my NYX Love In Paris Eye Shadow Palette in #09 Merci Beaucoup review here

#09 Merci Beaucoup