THE BEST CREAM BLUSHES! NYC Blushable Creme Sticks Review & Swatches!

Yea, I said it.  These things are great, and I'm not talking about great just for the price.  I'd be more than willing to spend more than $3.99 for them (though I'm not asking NYC to up the price by any means lol).  I've tried countless other cream blushes ranging from drugstore to high end and they have all paled in comparison to the NYC Blushable Creme Sticks.  Read on for more info and swatches!

My Go-To Going-Out Look

There are days when I know that I'm going to be doing something other than just work, lying around the house, or just going to the store.  I just don't know at the time what that's going to be.  My friends and I are pretty spontaneous so there have been many occasions when, at the last minute, we decide we're going to a movie, a restaurant, or a bar.  For times like these when I have no idea what to expect from an excursion, this look is what I go for.  It's fairly simple and neutral so it will go with whatever I wear.  Also, it's just dramatic enough to be appropriate for various night activities but light enough to be worn during the day.  List of products after the jump!

NYX 10-Color Eyeshadow Palette Swatches Part 2: Essentials

As promised, here is Part 2 of my NYX 10-Color Eyeshadow Palette Swatchfest!  The palettes featured in this  post include shades that I find important to my everyday needs:  neutrals, smoky, and colors made especially for my eye color.  Read on for swatches of Champagne & Caviar, Smokey Eyes, Mysterious Brown Eyes, and Versus!

NYX 10-Color Eyeshadow Palette Swatches Part 1: Brights!

I've gotten a lot of question about the colors I used in my Secret Garden look so I figured I'd throw up some swatches of not only the NYX Secret Garden palette, but all the 10-Color palettes I own.  I've had these for some time and they've remained on the top of my "So Glad I Have These In My Life" list since I bought them.  The grand majority of these shadows are velvety smooth and beautifully pigmented.  They include a good variety of matte, satin, and shimmer shades and vary from essential nudes/naturals to bright and vibrant.  For Part 1, I'm going to present the brighter palettes:  Velvet Rope, Secret Garden, and Haute Model.  Check out their swatches after the jump!

FOTD: Secret Garden

Today's FOTD is a look that I used to all the time when I first got the NYX Secret Garden palette.  If you don't already have this palette, you should get it because it's absolutely gorgeous.  It really does remind of me of a secret garden, with beautiful greens and an array of dazzling sparkle-y shades to create a variety of gorgeous looks.  Come to think about it, I'll probably put up a swatch post of all the 10-color palettes from NYX that I own, as they truly are phenomenal.  But for today, here's a glowy whimsical look to try :)  List of products after the jump!

NYC Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss Review & Swatches

L-R:  Mulberry St. Mocha,
Chelsea Rose, Plaza Punch

I never had a particular desire to try these NYC Extreme Lip Glider Glosses since I wasn't a fan of the NYC Lip Shines (too sticky for my taste), but the shades in Chelsea Rose and Plaza Punch were available for clearance at CVS so I picked them up to try.  They sat in the bottom of my drawer for over month until I decided to try them and I immediately regretted not trying them before:  these things are awesome.  Sadly, however, I think these might be being discontinued since when I went back to grab more at 3 different Rite Aids and 2 CVS's I've only been able to find the shade in Mulberry St. Mocha.  Read on for more info and swatches!

Milani Baked Blushes Swatches!

If you've been to your local CVS you may have noticed they've been putting a number of their products on 75% off clearance, (if you haven't seen this, check out NouveauCheap for details)!  This is most likely because they are trying to make room for newer products, one of which I been drooling over.  They also may be finally including Milani's Baked Blushes in their inventory.  These came out a while ago and I've been loving them longgggg time.  Even with their $7.99 price tag, they're worth every penny charged for a MAC MSF!  Read on for swatches!

Claw Candy: Snow Mint

I've gotten a lot of new polishes/nail products lately and last night I couldn't pick just one that I wanted to try...so  I settled on 4 lol.  I also wanted something to go with the mini snow storm that us in the Northeast got this past weekend, so snowflakes and glitter were a must!  

• E.L.F. Polish in Mint Cream
• Essie Polish in Set in Stones - love these new chunky glitter polishes!
• Sally Hansen Insta Dri Polish in Whirlwind White (snowflakes)
• Snowflakes made with Salon Perfect Nail Art Kit - review to come soon!
• Nails Inc. Kensington Caviar Top Coat

Did you get any snow?  It's been a very uncharacteristic winter where I am, I almost forgot it was here :)

Urban Decay Vegan Palette Look (E.L.F. Teal Tease Remix)

This look was originally done by Urban Decay to promote their release of their Vegan palette.  I love the original look that they created, but I also thought it was a great opportunity to showcase E.L.F.'s Studio Cream Liner in Teal Tease, as I got many questions on how to go about wearing such a bright colorful liner.  This is obviously a  more dramatic (but very simple) approach, but I will be doing a more wearable look to show how to use colorful liner for everyday life.  Read on for list of products, tips, and the inspiration picture from Urban Decay!

Wet N' Wild Megashield Lip Color Review & Swatches!

Pink Champagne (L) & Peachy Keen (R)

I came across the new Wet N' Wild Megashield Lip Color when perusing the Rite Aid cosmetic aisles this week and decided to pick some up.  If you are interested in these guys, now is the time to get them:  WnW products are 40% off this week at Rite Aid AND there are peel-off $1 coupons on each stick of lip color!  These start off as being $2.99, but by the time all discounts are applied you'll only end up paying $0.79 each!  So even if they don't turn out to be your favorites, you're only out chump change!  Read on for the full review and more swatches of Pink Champagne and Peachy Keen!

E.L.F. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils Swatches!

L-R:  Twinkle Teal, Iconic Ivory, Grassy Green,
Precious Pink, Blissful Blush, Black Bandit

Just like yesterday with the ELF Studio Cream Liners, these Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils have unfortunately gotten swallowed up in the black hole that is my makeup collection.  And once again, I'm kicking myself for not having made them a priority because they are awesome!  They're very creamy and pigmented and would be perfect for lining or even use as a base.  Check out the swatches after the jump!

E.L.F. Studio Cream Liner Swatches!

Teal Tease (L) & Punk Purple (R)

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't used these particular shades of ELF's Studio Cream Liners yet :( .  I got them during their Cyber Monday sale, and since then I've gotten so much other stuff that a lot of products have gotten inadvertently buried under the massive accumulating pile.  But I have been a long-time lover of ELF's Studio Cream Liners in Black, Brown, Plum, and Metallic Olive, and can tell you that the shades above in Teal Tease and Punk Purple share the same high quality that I had come to expect.  Swatches after the jump!

Punk Purple (L) & Teal Tease (R)

Punk Purple is a gorgeous true purple, rather than the usual plum purple liners that we're all used to.  Teal Tease is an electric metallic teal that are guaranteed to colorfully brighten any eye! Just as with my other shades of this product, these shades glide onto your lids without losing intensity.  I can't wait to use these, and now that I've finally swatched them, I'm definitely gonna figure out a way to squeeze them into my FOTD schedule!

Sample Look from Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Quad in Precocious!

I know what you're thinking...for someone who wasn't too keen on that Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Quad, you sure are posting about it a lot.  At least that's what the voice in my head is thinking.  But I just wanted to so you the look that Revlon suggests you do on the back of the quad.  The stupid-head that I am forgot to take a picture of the diagram on the back before I returned the quad (and yes, I returned that shizznit with the quickness, there are too many other products that I want to try without keeping something I don't like), but it was just the same kind of suggestive eye diagram found on most eye quads/trios or what not.  I did like that it wasn't so predictable, as the lid color was darker than most other shadow sets want you to  and they didn't want the darkest purple in the outer V, so I appreciate the deviation from norms.  The look turned out alright, but i already colors that were similar to the Revlon shades (check out my comparison post here) so I didn't feel the need to keep it.  List of products for the whole face after the jump!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review & Swatches!

Edgy Emerald (L) & Tough as Taupe (R)

I'm sure many of you have already read reviews of the biggest rage in Maybelline's new line of products and honestly I don't have much to add.  I'm pretty much about to parrot what everyone else is saying, these things are true gems!  Read on for swatches and a few words on the new Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald & Tough as Taupe!

I NEED THIS!!!!! Milani Illuminating Face Powder!

How cute is this thing?  You know that feeling you get when you see a puppy do, well, pretty much anything?  That's what I'm feeling right now every time I look at Milani's new Illuminating Face Powder.  They have 3 shades and it looks like one's a highlighter, a blush, and a bronzer.  The one pictured above that I'm drooling over is the blush I think and I'm also loving the bronzer.  My brain is telling me that I only want these because of the packaging, but the little girl inside me that loves all things cute is SCREAMING that I must own this NOW!  Milani just sent out an email about all their new products so you might want to head over to their website and check it out :)

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Liners Review & Swatches

L-R:  Hazel, Glam Green, Green, Glam Hazel, Glam Blue

Out of everything I purchased during the CVS Clearance Sale, these Physicians Formula Gel Liners are my absolute favorite!  I didn't realize how dry the gel liners I had been using were until I used these babies.  They are beautiful, pigmented, and have such an unbelievable glide on them that application is a cinch.  Read on for the review and swatches after the jump.

Revlon 16 Hour Shadow Quad Comparisons

Yesterday in my Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Shadow Quad Review in Precocious, I promised a post comparing shadows that I already have with the shadows in the Revlon quad, so here it is.  As noted in the review, I wasn't too impressed with this quad in particular, but if you're looking for some dupes or similar shades of shadows from brands like Urban Decay, you might be really happy to get this quad.  Read on for shadow comparisons and swatches (Warning, a little pic heavy)!

Claw Candy: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Fairy Teal

I picked up Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in Fairy Teal during CVS's clearance sale.  It's a lovely dark teal nail polish that goes on opaque in one coat.  In person, the polish has much more green in it than the above photo suggests.  In my opinion, it's a true teal with an equal balance of blue & green, not leaning more blue as in the picture.  And the name 'Fairy Teal' is just adorable.  It was one of those polishes that I bought mostly because of the name, although I'm definitely glad to introduce this shade into my arsenal!  I don't have anything like it.

Revlon Colorstay 16-Hour Quad Review in Precocious!

So I copped a coupon for $2 off the new Revlon Colorstay 16-Hour Eyeshadow Quad and used it during last week's BOGO 50% off sale at Rite Aid.  My instinct was to get one of the several more neutral quads in the collection but instead chose the quad in Precocious to deviate from my own personal norm.  Full review and swatches after the jump!

FOTD: Nice & Easy

Today's FOTD was pretty simple.  I just wanted to look healthy and effortless.  Well, effortless except for the eyeliner.  I love a bold liner when the rest of my face is on the natural side.  List of products and more after the jump!

Fortune Cookie Soap Shampoo Bar Review

My hair sucks...I'm just gonna put that out there now.  It's dry, damaged, and to make matters worse I'm the worst at hairstyling so my hair is always in either a bun, ponytail, or just down with no style whatsoever.  So my primary focus right now is to just get it healthy.  While usually the new products I try to use on my hair turn out to be epic fails, this Fortune Cookie Soap Shampoo Bar in Hawaiian Ice thankfully didn't turn out to be one of them.  Having never used a similar product before, I had a very pleasant experience with it, not to mention my hair smelled AH-mazinggggg!  Read on for more info and pics :)

Looky, Looky! A Possible MAC 217 Dupe from Sephora!

The MAC 217 is my favorite eye brush of all time.  It blends like no other and makes it a cinch to get that perfect smoky eye.  It's also engineered in a way that seems to be very hard to duplicate as proven by many failed attempts by other companies.  I have three 217-type brushes: the Mac (of course), Coastal Scents, and Sigma.  What sets the MAC 217 apart from others is 2 things:  its fluffy yet stiff-enough bristles that allows the brush to keep it's structure in order to blend/apply precisely, and its tapered head yet flat top that allows you to apply color and blend at the same time.  The Coastal Scents version isn't dense enough to keep it's structure and the Sigma doesn't have as flat a top.  Most other companies don't even try an attempt at the brush at all.  


So I'm very interested in this new Sephora Brush that looks suspiciously similar.  It's called the Sephora Pro Oval Blending Brush #27 and it's made from natural goat hair, just like the 217.  Sephora Pro Brushes are typically of high quality, so this could be a worthy competitor.  Price-wise there's not much difference with Sephora being $20 and the MAC being $22.50, but I am curious if another company finally got it right, or if companies should just leave the heavy lifting for MAC after all.

Laura Geller Real Deal Concealer Review

In efforts to end my search for the perfect concealer for my skin, I decided to put Laura Geller's The Real Deal Concealer on my Xmas List.  Lucky for me, my awesome Mom obliged and I've been in concealer heaven ever since.  I know this is corny but, seriously guys, this concealer really is the "real deal"!  Find out why and check out the swatches after the jump!

Fas'Swatch: Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

When I first purchased the Revlon Lip Butters, I had originally intended to buy a shade in 'Sweet Tart' but I accidentally got Strawberry Shortcake.  It turned into a happy mistake since I loved Strawberry Shortcake but I still had a craving for Sweet Tart, so I decided to pick it up a couple days ago.  Since I already reviewed the Lip Butters, (you can see the review here), I just wanted to include a few swatches of the shade after the jump!

FOTD: If Summer Won't Come to You....

I miss Summer!  Even though I shouldn't really be complaining since I'm not sure that the Winter is actually even here yet.  I mean, it's January and today where I live it's supposed to 61 today.  Wtf?  But either way, I was in a summer kind of mood today so I thought I'd do a simple summery look to remind me of what's to come.  List of products after the jump!

Cute Blog Award!!

Thank you so much to Jezika for nominating me for the cute blog award!  Hop on over to her blog and check it out!

This is my blog's first award, so I'm very excited!


For this award you:
1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2.  Answer the award questions
3.  Tell something about yourself you haven't told anyone on your blog yet
4.  Award as many blogs that you think are worthy of this award
5.  Make sure you let those you gave the award to know that you awarded them


Award Questions:
1.  What is your go to makeup product? 

• Mascara definitely!  I think I'd be fine going without everything else...as long as my lashes are on point :)

2.  What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?

• I love the movement towards neutrals/nudes last year.  Always flattering!

3.  What is your favorite dessert?

• If you see me with molten mexican chocolate cake and ice cream, don't even bother trying to get my attention...

4.  Favorite color?

• It used to be pink, but getting into makeup really made me appreciate all colors so I don't have a favorite anymore.  I love them all!

5.  What is your middle name?

• Joy

6.  What was the last song you listened to?

• Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez :)

Something you don't know about me yet:

• I have a bachelor's of science in psychology and am planning to go back to school soon for my masters in higher education/student personnel

Other cute blogs I would like to nominate:

Cosmetic Reviews by Posh

TLuvsmakeup

Make Me Shimmer & Glitter by Holly Ann

I'll probably be adding more blogs later, but those are the one I thought of off the top of my head.

Fortune Cookie Soap Whipped Cream Review

Have you ever got a whiff of your breakfast and thought, "I wish I could smell like this all day"?  No?  Ok...maybe I'm the only one, but maybe you should consider it.  Especially since Fortune Cookie Soaps has a vast amount of bath and body products that smell like not only Fruit Loops and blueberry pancakes, but also things like cupcakes, fruit punch, strawberries, and, uh, unicorn farts (yea, I don't know either lol).  The smells aren't even the best part though:  these products are amazing for your skin.  They're homemade and are what the company calls "gunk-free", with no parabens, animal testing, or synthetic preservatives!  I lucked out and my mother got me a bunch of their products for Christmas so today, I'm going to talk about the FCS Whipped Cream Body Butters that I was most excited about getting!  Read on for more after the jump!

HG ALERT: E.L.F. Wrinkle Refiner Review

The phrase "pleasant surprise" does not come close to summing up my enthusiasm for this product.  I really wasn't interested in the E.L.F. Wrinkle Refiner when it was first introduced to the company's website, mostly because I didn't really understand what it's purpose was.  I kind of thought it was going to be one of those anti-wrinkle skincare things that I'm always extremely skeptical about.  But, as with most E.L.F. products, I dropped it in my cart since it was only 3 bucks and had a fairly good rating.  Turns out that it's actually more of a primer-type product with a few skincare benefits, made to smooth out areas with lines/wrinkles to camouflage imperfections.  For me, this product really did deliver and is definitely being added to my can't-live-without pile.  Read on for more info!

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Pebbles Review

This is one of the many products I bought during the CVS Clearance Sale and it is without a doubt one of my favorites so far.  I took me by surprise because I never had any desire whatsoever to use this type of product, so I didn't have any expectations for it at all.  I'm not much for powders with my dry skin and I tend to think the pebbles, while cool-looking, are kind of gimmicky.  But I'm happy to say this product, with its subtle but glowing properties, has definitely earned it's top spot in my makeup arsenal.  Read on for the full review and swatches!

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

First and foremost, these Real Technique face brushes are just so darn cute, aren't they?  They look like pretty little flowers.  Anyways...the second flower in my Real Technique garden is the Blush brush.  A bit of this review is going to be pretty much a repeat of the RT Stippling Brush Review I featured a week ago, as the quality of this line of brushes is across-the-board superb.  But I do have to admit that at first I did not share the same enthusiasm for this brush as I did for the Stippling Brush.  However, that soon changed...find out how after the jump!

Revlon Photoready Concealer Review

So I've been using this for a while now and finally feel comfortable enough to review the Revlon Photoready Concealer.  I've been back and forth on this product and, to be honest, I still don't know exactly how I feel about it.  It's one of those products that is pretty perfect in every way except for one HUGE problem.  Find out what that problem is and see a swatch after the jump!

Beauty School for the Blind: Drama Class

Anybody who knows me knows that I'm blind as a bat.  Seriously, the eye doctors can't even get me to see 20/20 anymore.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone to optometrists and heard the surprise in their voice when they give me that initial vision test and I can only see the big "E" on the top.  I'm not even sure if I can actually see it anymore or if I've just memorized it at this point.  And it's complete hell trying to put on makeup without contacts in.  And by "trying to put makeup on", I mean poking myself in the eye with whatever brush or pencil I have in my hand.  And you don't want to know what kind of liner monstrosity I end up with on my lash line.  But I like wearing my glasses and don't want to be restricted from wearing makeup just because of that.  This is why I decided to do a glasses look for you guys.  Not one of those "what makeup looks good with glasses" type of post but instead a "how to avoid stabbing yourself in the eye 50 times and not look like a 3-year old scribbled on your lid" type of post.  Read on for info on how I got this look, list of products, and tips for applying makeup with glasses if you can't see more than 3 inches in front of you!

Sigma Mrs. Bunny Travel Kit Review, Part 2: Face Brushes and Overall Thoughts

Here's Part 2 of my Sigma Mrs. Bunny Travel Kit Review featuring the 3 face brushes you receive in the kit.  If you haven't read it yet, check out Part 1 featuring the eye brushes.  Read on for the rest of the review and my closing thoughts on the whole kit!

Sigma Mrs. Bunny Travel Kit Review, Part 1: Eye Brushes

In most of the ways that count, I am not in any way a vegan.  I don't know what I would do without burgers and cheesesteaks, eggs and bacon, and God do I LOVE cheese!!!!  On the other hand, I am definitely down with treating animals humanely and with the utmost respect, which is part of the reason that I prefer synthetic brushes.  Another reason is that, when done right, synthetic brushes can be incredibly lush and soft on your skin.  So when Sigma announced their new Bunny Collection of brushes I didn't hesitate to add them to my Christmas Wish List.  I've always wanted to try Sigma and these brushes sounded right up my alley.  All the brushes in this collection are the same as the ones in the original Sigma line, just vegan versions.  In this post I'm going to review the eye brushes, and then in Part 2 I'll review the face brushes and the overall Travel Kit.  Read on for more!

Quick TIP: Not really feeling your contour color? TRY THIS!

As with the average person, most of the time that I contour I choose to use my bronzer.  Not because I necessarily prefer to use my bronzer, it just always happens to be a bit more handy than other products at the time.  However, most bronzers tend to have a golden, red, or orange undertone since, after all, bronze is typically a warm color.  So when I use the usual bronzer, (say NYC Sunny for example that I find to lean a bit red on my skin), as a contour I find that it doesn't really accomplish the shadow look that I'm going for.  Remember, contouring  is pretty much enhancing the different features of your face by creating shadows on the parts that you want to recede.  And if you look at your face, the natural shadows that form on you do not have a strong warm undertone to them:  they're shadows, so they're pretty neutral.  Therefore, if you're looking for a more accurate color to apply in the contour, try going for bronzers/contour products that have more neutral tones to them.  This is no easy feat, as I find that even some products made specifically for contouring lean warm.  But I do love E.L.F.'s Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze for contouring since it's a lot more neutral than the average bronzer.  Benefit Hoola is also a bit more neutral than normal, although it's a bit light for me, but it is buildable so I can get a contour out of it if I work a little.  


Do you know of any other neutral bronzers/contour products?  They're kind of like needles in a haystack.

Easy on the Eyes: Last Minute Party Makeup

FACT:  this post was supposed to be up early New Year's Eve Day, but I ended up running a lot of errands and making dinner for my family last night so I just didn't get around to it.  However, I think this can apply to many different occasions.  This is my go-to look whenever I originally have no plans for the night but change my mind or get asked out at the last minute.  Typically, I spend a larger amount of time on "going out, dance my ass off makeup" than I do for daytime looks because 1) it has to be built to last since I party like a rockstar lol and 2) I prefer to go all out on the drama since I can't do it during the day.  But when I'm going out at the last minute, I don't necessarily have the time.  This eye look gives me the ease and quickness I need to get out the door while still packing heat with shimmery/smoky drama.  And as an added plus, it's neutral enough to pair with any bright lip you want to do (or natural/nude lip if you prefer).  Read on for more pics, tips, and list of products!