Friday, June 17, 2011

NYX Single Eye Shadow in Peach Bronze

I got this shadow because I wanted to buy something, honestly. Haven't you ever gone into a store set on buying something, and when you find that they don't have what you want, you'll still buy anything, just to buy something. Well I do that (and my boyfriend recently called me out on it)
I went to ULTA and they were having a buy1 get 1 sale on NYX, which is why i went there, to get some jumbo eye pencils and lipsticks. I ended up with 3 products because they were sold out of the eye shadow i wanted (they were sold out of a lot of stuff, though I love my ULTA they need to stock up better)
So instead of putting back a lipstick I decided to utilize the sale and grab just any old eye shadow that caught my eye, and was available.
That's how I ended up with peach bronze.

Now with that whole story out there, let me say how much I LOVE this shadow. In the pan and swatched on my wrist it comes off a peachy/golden/bronzey shade which I was excited about, but on my lid its comes off more of a true gold. And I love golds. It all depends on how you apply the shadow. Sweeping it on (like how I did it on my lids) will give you more of a gold look, but patting it on will give you a peachy shade (like I did swatched on my wrist.) 


 

I have never owned a single eye shadow by NYX before, I only have those look kits (which you can see here and here) but the shadows don't compare. While the shadows in the look kits are great, the single shadows (I'm guessing in general based one the one i own) are AMAZING. Buttery soft and smooth. The pigmentation is to die for. I now understand why people are gaga over these shadows. 



Peach Bronze is a color that I use without any other shadows. I am able sweep the color on my lid and then blend it into my crease creating a very easy and beautiful look. Even used with other shadows this shadow will be the star of the look. I am in love with it.
Pros: pigmented, smooth, soft, blendable, versatile
Cons: fallout

I am recommending this shadow to everyone. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy this shadow and give them out to some of my friends.
Two thumbs up

Have any of you used this shade? What do you think about it? Or what do you think about NYX shadows in general?
<3

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

These are one of those products that most people who know anything about makeup have, and that everyone who makes YouTube videos raves about, but I am here to say, that I agree.
I mean what can I say, these pencils are amazing, and a lot cheaper than MAC Paint Pots.
I had never heard of jumbo pencils or even NYX before I started watching YouTube videos about a year and a half ago, but then again I didn't really care because I wasn't into eye shadow, I barely even owned any. Then almost a year ago, BAM! I want eye shadow. I was to do crazy looks and wear it everyday, so what do I do? I go on YouTube and look at tutorials, and recommended products. But I thought all I needed was the eye shadow, and bases were based on preferences. But no. Just like shadows are always better with a primer, some shadows show up better with a base.  
                                          *french fries, lime, strawberry milk, cottage cheese, yogurt*

Bases aren't needed every time, for every shadow or every look, but they're helpful to have. Especially when you just bought some amazing looking shadows but the colors aren't popping on your skin like they do in the pan. A base would come in very handy in that situation. I like how you're eye shadow can transform when using different colored bases. For the most part they go on creamy, but I find that milk, the matte white shade, is more dry and can come off chalky, I'm wondering if its just mine, or if the matte shades are like that in general. Other wise the shimmery ones i have are creamy and blend out effortlessly, which is good because if you don't blend it out, it will crease. I love how milk can brighten any eye shadow look and how each base can give the same eye shadow a different look.

 

Pros: creamy, blendable, many color options and finishes, MAC Paint Pot dupes, portable, easy to use, pigmented
Cons: can crease if too much producted is used, some products might be chalky

I recommend this product to everyone. Bases can really transform your look and these are affordable and worth the hype. I hope to get more.
Two thumbs up
<3

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Veronica Mars/Kristen Bell Inspired Make-up Tutorial

Thanks to Netflix I am able to watch shows that I use to watch when I was a teenager, and in turn become completely obsessed with them all over again. And the show I have been stuck on lately is Veronica Mars, a show Kristen Bell starred in from 2003-2007. And I was obsessed with her makeup and decided the awesomeness of the internet could tell me how what makeup she used. And it did! Here's the site I used

And here's my take on it.





 



Products used:
Bare Minerals Loose Powder Shadow in Queen Tiffany
Wet N' Wild 6 Pan Palette in Vanity
Too Faced Lava Gloss Eyeliner in Super Brown
Hard Candy Concealer Pencil in Light
Maybelline XXL Length+Volume Micro Fiber Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black
Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Light
Hard Candy Tinted Moisturizer in Fair
Stila Convertible Color in Lillium and Camellia 
N.Y.C Liquid Lipshine in Brighton Beach Peach


E.L.F. Eye Brightening Eye Shadow Pots

I got these eye shadow pots in a look kit by E.L.F at BigLots. It came with awful fake lashes, awful eyeliner and an awful mascara but at the point when i bought it I didn't own many E.L.F. thing and wanted to try it. I was happy that these shadows were amazing making it worth all the other crap that it came with. I think these are even better then the studio single shadows. I believe they are the same formula are the brighten eye color quads and are from the quad Butternut, but I'm not sure, these don't have names.

 
The lightest shade is a nice butter cream color. It looks exactly like real vanilla ice cream with a satin finish. The darker shades is like a chocolate brown, with gold glitter in it. The two shades compliment each other extremely well and I love using these as a quick everyday look. It takes about 3 minutes ti create a nice, fresh, bright look with these. 

These colors are pigmented, soft and blends like a dream, the only problem with the softness is that it creates some fallout if you don't pay attention. The lightest shade is just gorgeous, a bright, butter cream, champagne color and the darkest shade is my favorite. I love neutral colors but not just neutrals, I LOVE browns. This is an amazing shade. A warm, chocolate brown with gold glitter, it's a brown I usually search for. It was love at first swatch.

Here is my everyday eye with the shadows



Pros: pigmentation, blendable, soft
Cons: fallout, these pots are only found in kits

I suggest that if you find the kits containing these shadow pots, or any other colors snatch them up! They're amazing and the fallout can be worked with. And if you can't find the kits, get the eye brightening color quads.
Two thumbs up
<3

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Too Faced Natural Eyes Kit

This was the first high end eye shadow I have ever owned, and luckily it was actually nine shadows. I always wanted a high end palette like this one but when I had money for it, it was always sold out or I'd rather get more for my money then just one palette. 
But one day my boyfriend took me to ULTA and he'd buy my any palette I wanted and I immediately grabbed the Natural Eye Kit. I had been lusting after this for a long long time and was very grateful to my beau for getting it for me. 
The packaging is very eye pleasing. I mean when you see this little box you gravitate towards it, and I can understand how people would only buy it for the packaging (because that happens to the best of us) but lucky for the people who only buy a product of the packaging is nice, the eye shadows inside are even better then the cute box that holds it. 

*Left to right, top to bottom:
Heavenly, Velvet Revolver, Sexpresso, Silk Teddy, Push-up, Erotica, Nude Beach, Honey Pot, Cocoa Puff*

The colors are sooo soft and pigmented. I have never had such buttery, silky matte shades in my life. In all of my makeup collection this palette contains the best matte shades, and the best gold, in my opinion. The top three, the matte colors, are the only neutral colors (in my opinion) in this palette, so if you're looking for an only neutral palette, don't let the name fool you, this isn't the palette you should get. But! If you want amazing shadows and gorgeous colors that can be appropriately worn everyday, then get this palette. 
I love how sturdy this little box is, even though it is made out of cardboard, its thick and heavy, and I feel like I can travel with it. The only problem might be if you have a huge problem with the packaging getting dinged up, because since it is card board, it will get dinged.
It comes with 3 instruction cards for 3 different looks, if you don't know how to put the shadows together. Personally I don't use the cards, but its a great concept. 

A look using Silk Teddy, Push-up, Sexpresso, Heavenly



Pros: Pigmented, soft, blendable, convenient, portable, quality 
Cons: Nude Beach is glittery and chunky.
So is this worth the $35USD price tag? YES. You get nine shadows, 8 of which are super duper amazing. This is a must have in any makeup collection. I highly highly recommend this to everyone. 
Two thumbs up
<3