Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

Today's review is going to be on the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette. The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette retails for $45 and includes six brand new Urban Decay Blush shades. The blush palette is currently available online at UrbanDecayCosmetics.com, and will be sold in stores at Sephora and Ulta in the near future. Each blush pan contains about 0.1 ounces which is a little less than half the amount of product in the Urban Decay Afterglow blushes (0.23 ounces), and half the amount of product in the Becca blushes (0.2 ounces). Do the math, and you're getting close to three full sized blushes in this palette which is a really great value.

The packaging is identical to the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette, except this palette is all white, and the eyeshadow palette is black. They are the exact same size, same magnetic closure, and the same oversized mirror. The packaging is sturdy and perfect for traveling.

There are six blush shades in The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette, with three satin-matte finishes (Cherry, Lo-Fi, and OC) and three shimmer shades (Easy, Angel, and Hush). The three satin-matte blushes aren't completely matte, and have a slight sheen to them rather than a shimmer. They remind me a lot of the Becca blushes because they give a soft glow to the cheeks without any glitter or shimmer. The three shimmer shades do not have any chunky glitter what so ever, and instead are glowy and shimmery similar to a highlighter. All six blushes are very soft and silky smooth. The shimmer blush shades do have a little texture to them, and aren't as silky as the satin matte shades, but are still very soft. All six blushes are a bit powdery, and you can really see that after you dip your brush in them. I know that can be a big drawback for some, but that sort of thing doesn't bother me at all. The blushes are a sheer to medium coverage, and are buildable which I really like. I would much rather have a blush that I can build up in intesity and color, that way I have more options when it comes to how pigmented I want to go. Out of all six blushes, Easy applies the heaviest and needs the lightest hand. You only need a very small amount to get a nice wash of color with that one. 

The first shade in the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush palette is Cherry. Cherry is a cool toned, bubblegum barbie pink. Second is Easy, which is a shimmery fuscia pink. The third blush is Angel which is more of a highlight, or a blush topper, rather than a blush. It is a mix between a peachy gold highlight and a champagne shade. The fourth shade, and first in the second row, is Lo-Fi which is the bronze shade in the palette. Some people may want to use this as a bronzer, but I really like these sort of shades as a blush so I'm really happy that it is in here. The fifth shade is Hush and it is a light peachy pink with gold shimmer. The sixth and final shade in the palette is OC and it is a true peach with just a hint of golden sheen. It's definitely the most unique blush in the palette, and one of my favorites. 

One thing that I have really enjoyed doing is mixing different shades together. So far my favorite pairing is to apply Lo-Fi on my cheeks, pop OC right on the apples, and then pop Angel right on my cheekbones as a highlight. I think that any of the blushes can be mixed together to create custom shades and the possibilities are endless. Out of all six blushes in the Gwen Stefani Blush Palette, Angel, Lo-Fi, Hush, and OC are my favorites. Cherry and Easy are beautiful colors, but they aren't shades that I typically wear. I do see myself getting use out of them every now and then by mixing them with other shades in the palette instead of wearing them on their own.

The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette is a really great value. The palette has a ton of product, and a great variety of blush shades that are suitable for many different skin tones. Like the Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette, the blush palette is high quality from the packaging to the formula. This palette is perfect if you are a beginner in makeup, if you don't have many blushes, or if you are a makeup lover like myself and like to collect really great products. 

If you are interested in seeing this palette in action, I have a video review on my YouTube Channel where I demo this palette. Just click HERE to watch it and be sure to subscribe while you're there! I hope you enjoyed this review, and be sure to let me know if you purchased the palette or if you are going to!

xoxo,

Casey

Tartelette 2 In Bloom Palette|Review & Swatches

Tarte just came out with a brand new Tartelette palette called the Tartelette 2 In Bloom for their Spring 2016 collection and it is beautiful! It hit the shelves online at Ulta this past Sunday, and as soon as it went live I placed my order. I did not buy the original Tartelette palette because it is a more cool toned palette and has a lot of purple shades, which is kind of out of my comfort zone. As soon as I got the email that Tarte had made the Tartelette 2 In Bloom palette, and once I saw pictures of it, I knew I had to have it. I posted a review video on the Tartelette 2 In Bloom palette on my YouTube Channel in case you’d like to check that out!

The Tartelette 2 In Bloom palette retails for $45.00 and is available only on Ulta.com, and will be available in stores on November 29. It has twelve shades just like the original Tartelette palette, but instead of all matte shadows, it has three shimmer shades with nine mattes. The original Tartelette palette was cool in tone, and the new Tarelette 2 In Bloom palette is more warm toned.

The packaging is absolutely adorable! I love the floral design with the gold print. It looks like it would be in a metal or tin container, but it is packaged in a very nice quality plastic, making it perfect for travel. When you open the palette, there’s a giant mirror that takes up an entire half of the palette, again making it perfect for traveling and doing your makeup on the go. 

Charmer, Jetsetter, Rocker, Smokeshow

Flower Child, Smarty Pants, Firecracker, Activist

Funny Girl, Sweetheart, Rebel, Leader

The twelve shades in the palette are not only stunning to look at, but the quality, texture, and pigmentation are top notch. The only shade that seems to be formulated differently, and that has a different texture, is the shade Funny Girl. Funny girl is still very pretty and pigmented, it just isn’t as soft and smooth as the other shades. The matte shades in the palette are very creamy, and blend really easily. They are a bit powdery when you dip your brush in them, similar to the Lorac Pro eyeshadows, but as long as you tap your brush before applying them to your eyes, you won’t have any fallout. The shimmer shadows in the shades Rocker and Firecracker are very silky and metallic.

I haven’t been very impressed with many palettes lately, but I am really impressed with the Tartelette 2 In Bloom. It is a beautiful eyeshadow palette that will be appropriate to wear all year round, and can create an endless amount of looks from soft and natural, to smokey and sultry. If you are looking for a palette to ask for for Christmas this year, I highly recommend asking for the Tartelette 2 In Bloom. You will not be disappointed!

xoxo,

Casey

Review: Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette

Hey ya’ll!!

Today’s post is an exciting one on the brand new Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette! I have been really enjoying the Shade & Light Contour Palette, so of course when I saw that Kat Von D was coming out with a Shade & Light eyeshadow palette I knew I had to have it.

The palette retails for $46 at Sephora and on Sephora.com (the same price at the contour palette). Another similarity to the Shade & Light Contour Palette is the packaging. They are pretty much identical except for the foiled accents. On the eyeshadow palette, the foil is gold, and it is silver on the contour palette. You also get an outline of the palette on the back of the packaging with the names of all the shadows.

The top three shades in the palette: Laetus, Lazarus, & Ludwin, are the same size as the highlighting powders in the Shade & Light contour palette (.08 ounces). The other nine shadows in the palette are .04 ounces each and are vary comparable in size to the shadows in the Urban Decay Naked Palettes (.05 ounces each). All of the shadows in this palette are matte, there are no shimmery shades in this palette. There are two shades however, Lucius & Latinus, appear to have a little bit of a satin finish.
There are three different sections to the palette: neutral’s, cool tones, and warm tones. That’s what makes this palette so amazing, ANYONE can use this palette no matter what your skin tone is, because there’s shades in here for everyone. The different sections in the palette are perfect for beginners, because it helps take a lot of the guess work, and confusion, out of trying to decided which shadows go together. But of course, there are no rules when it comes to makeup. All of the shades can be used interchangeably, and can be mixed and matched to create your own perfect, individual, look.

All of the shadows are super soft, buttery, blendable, and pigmented. I have been trying out every shade, and coming up with different combinations, and they all perform beautifully. The combinations you can create using this palette are endless. You can create natural eye looks, soft smokey eyes, and really intense smokey eyes.

This is a very high quality palette with amazing shades. The only “downfall”, or negative, I have noticed is that the shadows are very powdery and there’s a lot of fall-out. It’s particularly noticeable when you go to apply them with a brush. Fall-out isn’t a deal breaker for me personally, but I do know that there are people out there who aren’t a big fan of shadows that do that. A tip to dealing with fall-out from powder products is after you have picked up the product with your brush, tap it off lightly, and then apply it. When you tap your brush, all the excess product will fall off, which then decreases the amount of fall-out onto your face.

I hope you all enjoyed this review and found it informative and helpful! I definitely recommend this palette to anyone and everyone. I would have to say that this is a MUST-HAVE palette. If you are looking for an eyeshadow palette with all matte eyeshadows, check out this little beauty. It’s absolutely stunning and the amount of looks that can be created with it are endless. I really enjoy the Kat Von D line. Everything that I have tried from the brand has been wonderful. Be sure to check out my video below to see the Shade & Light Eyeshade Palette in action! :)

xoxo,
Casey

Maybelline Color Tattoo’s vs. Loreal Infallible Cream Shadow’s

Hey ya’ll!! I’m really excited for today’s post because it’s one that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. I have been really into cream shadows lately and have been playing with these beauties the past couple of months so that I could give you my 100% thoughts, opinions, and experience with them.

The Maybelline Color Tattoo’s and the Loreal Infallible Cream Shadow’s are two of my favorite products from the drugstore. There are things that I like, and don’t like, about each line which is what we are going to get into today.

The Maybelline Color Tattoo’s are a true cream formula. They are best applied with your finger, and dry down to a powder finish. They come in a glass pot similar to the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade’s, or a potted gel liner. You get .14 ounces (4 grams) of product in each pot and they retail for $6.99. You can find them at any drugstore, and most often there are coupons available for Ulta and CVS, so you typically won’t have to pay full price for them.

The shades I have, from left to right, are: Bad To The Bronze, Tough As Taupe, Bold Gold, Vintage Plum, and Creamy Beige. The first three are from the original Color Tattoo line and the last two are from the Leather Collection. I do find there is a difference in formula between the original’s and the Leather’s. The original formula is a bit dryer, where the Leather’s are much more creamy and easy to work with. Bad To The Bronze and Tough as Taupe are great everyday shades and have great pigmentation. My favorite Color Tattoo, and a new holy grail item for me, by far is Creamy Beige. It is super creamy and pigmented, and is the perfect lid color. It is beautiful on it’s own, with a little definition in the crease, and with a smokey eye. My least favorite shades are Bold Gold and Vintage Plum. Vintage Plum was the biggest disappointment because it is very patchy, and the color separates and cannot be built up. Bold Gold isn’t what I hoped it would be. Instead of being a bronzed gold like I was hoping, it comes off more like a Deli Mustard color, which I’m not fond of.

The Loreal Infallible Shadow’s are much different from the Color Tattoo’s. The Color Tattoo’s are a true cream formula, where as the Loreal Infallible’s are more of a Hybrid between a cream and a powder. You can apply them with your finger or with a brush. I prefer applying them with my fingers because I think you get a much better color payoff, and effect that way. The shadow’s are packaged in a pot form similar to the Color Tattoo’s, but are flatter and in a plastic container versus a glass container. What I like about this packaging is that they come with a plastic stopper that sits under the lid, on top of the product. This really helps to keep the shape of the shadows, and helps to keep them from drying out. You get .12 ounces (3.5 grams) of product and they retail for $7.99. You do get a little less product for $1.00 more with the Infallible's. Again, you can find these at any drugstore, and there are coupons available.

The shades I have, from left to right, are: Amber Rush, Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe, Bottomless Java, Golden Emerald, and Gilded Envy. As you can see they are all high-shimmer, and super pigmented. There are no matte shadows available in the collection. My favorite shadows from this line are Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe. Amber Rush is a true dupe for MAC’s “Tan” Pigment. It’s a beautiful rose gold shade that is perfect for Spring and Summer, and will be stunning with a bronzed summer glow. Bronzed Taupe is another beautiful Spring and Summer color. It’s one of those shades that can be worn on it’s own and look exceptional. I already know that both of these shades are going to be go-to, easy color's to pop on my lids this Summer. Bottomless Java and Golden Emerald are both beautiful shades that have small specks of glitter in them. The great thing about the formula of these is that there is zero fall out, so you aren’t going to end up with glitter all over your face after you’ve applied them. My least favorites are Iced Latte and Gilded Envy. They are both a lot dryer in texture, and crumbly, than the other four. It’s really a bummer about Iced Latte because the color is very pretty. It’s a great brow bone and inner corner highlight color, and would be really pretty to apply in the center of your lids for an extra pop. I just wish it was creamy and smooth like the other’s. Gilded Envy just isn’t the right color for me. It’s not a bad shade by any means, it’s just not a great shade on me. I actually purchased it by mistake. I meant to grab Golden Emerald, but saw the green in the package and bought it thinking there was only one green in the collection.

If I had to pick one line over the other, the Color Tattoo’s or the Loreal Infallible Shadow’s, I would have to go with the Infallible’s. It kills me to have to choose because the Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige is one of my new, holy grail products and is my favorite shadow out of all of these combined. But when you get down to performance, formula, pigmentation, and application for the shadows as a whole, the Loreal Infallible Shadow’s win in my opinion.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful! I would love to know which one you prefer out of the Color Tattoo’s and the Infallible’s, and which shades are your favorites. Like I said, I’ve been really into cream shadows lately, so if you have a favorite brand other than the two I mentioned, I would love your recommendations in the comments down below whether they be high-end or drugstore!

xoxo,
Casey

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipsticks: Review & Swatches

Hey ya'll!

Well I almost made it through the month of September without buying anything. I am supposed to be on a Beauty Ban, but crap things just happen and the drug store has some really great products right now! I have been excellent in the high end department though. I haven't set foot in a Sephora all month long (cue the applause)! Anyways, I finally got my hands on the new Maybelline Creamy Matte lipsticks. I've been looking everywhere for them for the last two weeks. I got four out of the ten shades, and they are all absolutely wonderful and I am really happy with my choices. The formula is very creamy and comfortable to wear. Most matte lip sticks can leave your lips feeling really dry, and can be a little difficult to apply. These matte lipsticks are creamy, the don't dry out your lips, they apply very smooth, and they have great wear time. To see them in action, check out my video below. I also have attached pictures of all four shades, along with swatches for your viewing pleasure!

#655 Daringly Nude
Daringly Nude is a really nice pinky, nude shade. It's perfect for everyday and will look great in any season. It's comfortable to wear and easy to apply. If you're looking for a "No Muss, No Fuss" matte lipstick, you should give this one a try.

 

#660 Touch of Spice
Touch of Spice is a beautiful, warm, pinky/brown color. It was one of the colors I was most excited about trying out of the whole collection. It's very universal and I think it will look great on anyone. It's perfect for Fall and is right on trend with the whole 90's lip color. This shade will transition really well from day to night. I really love it!

#665 Lust for Blush
Lust for Blush is a pretty pinky/purple, mauve shade. It reminds me of a darker, more pink version of Kat Von D's lipstick in Lovecraft. This is another universal shade that I think would look great on a lot of different people and different skin tones. It's another one of those "No Muss, No Fuss" kind of color's that is really easy to apply.

#695 Divine Wine
Divine Wine is another one of the shades that I was super excited about trying. I've been looking for a deep red, burgundy color for Fall and the upcoming holiday season. I have a hard time wearing reds because most reds don't suit me at all. If I'm going to wear a dark lip color, I go for one on the berry side. This color is just what I was looking for, and I can't wait to wear it around the holiday's.

I think Maybelline did a FANTASTIC job with this collection. Coming from someone who shops high end quite often, I'm here to tell that you do not have to spend a ton of money to get a good quality lipstick. All of the shades are super pigmented, easy to apply, creamy, and long wearing. They look great on their own, and layered with a gloss.

I hope ya'll enjoyed today's post! Let me know if you've picked up any of the shades from the Creamy Matte collection. I'd love to know which ones you're wearing and loving.


xoxo,
Casey

Review: NYX HD Concealer

Hey ya'll!!

Today I'm reviewing the highly talked about and loved, NYX HD Concealer. I've wanted to get my hands on this bad boy for a while now, but every time I've gone to Ulta they were out of almost every shade. I recently went, and they had restocked all of them so I went ahead and grabbed two colors. I like to get two colors in concealers and foundations, one dark and one light. Since I tan, my skin color is always changing. If I have light and dark shades, I can mix them together or wear them separately depending on where I'm at the tanning and fading spectrum. I picked up the shades CW02 Fair/Clair and CW04 Beige.

First thing I noticed was that I really liked the packaging. It's very sleek and reminds me a lot of the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation packaging. It has a doe-foot applicator, which I'm a fan of. It makes applying it easy and less messy.

I have a hard time wearing concealers because I have really dry under eyes, smile lines, and I crease really easily. I do find that this concealer can be a little drying on my eyes, but as long as I moisturize well before applying it, it's fine. It's also pretty thick and dries fairly quickly, so make sure you blend it well. I typically like to blend out concealers with a brush, but my fingers work best with this. If I use a brush, it ends up looking really dry and cakey. My fingers blend it out beautifully with no creases, no cakiness, and my under eyes actually look hydrated which is music to my ears. It's very creamy and opaque, so if you have problems with dark circles you would really like this.

This concealer is true to it's "HD" name. It is long-wearing, and looks great in pictures. Not only is it really opaque and works great at covering under eye circles, but it also really brightens the under eye area, so it works great for highlighting as well.

The NYX HD Concealer might be my new favorite drugstore concealer! It's a high quality product, for a drug store price. I definitely recommend this concealer if you're in the market for a new one. Just remember to moisturize before hand, and blend it well. I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know in the comments below what your must-have concealers are, both high-end and drugstore!


xoxo,
Casey

Review: Loreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

Hey ya'll!!

Today I'm going to be talking about Loreal's Voluminous Butterfly Mascara. This product is fairly new. I've seen a few bloggers talk about it, and I'm always wanting to try new ones so I figured I would give this one a try.

The applicator has plastic bristles and has a slight curve, and slope, to it. The slope makes it easy to get right at the base of the lashes. This applicator is a bit too big for my eye shape but it is not a deal breaker for me. It did get a little messy on my lids, but that happens with some mascaras. The formula is a little on the wet side. I prefer a dryer mascara, but this one wasn't as wet as some formulas I've tried. I did notice that this mascara takes a little longer to dry on the lashes once it is applied. Once it's dry it holds a curl nicely, and doesn't smear or smudge.

BEFORE

AFTER TWO COATS

What I like about this mascara is that it does a good job of lengthening and adding volume, without looking clumpy or spidery. What I don't like about this mascara is the wet formula and that it takes a while to dry. All in all, this isn't the greatest mascara I've tried, but it's not the worst. It's just "so-so". If you have large eyes, or if you prefer a wetter formula, I think you would like it. If you have smaller eyes, or prefer a dryer formula, you probably wouldn't love this one.

I hope you enjoyed today's review of the Loreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite mascara is! I love trying new ones and am always looking for the next best thing.

xoxo,

Casey

Book Worm Series: Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaira

Hey ya'll!!

In today's Book Worm Series I'm reviewing the debut novel by Ava Dellaira, Love Letters To The Dead. I have been anxious to read this for a while now because I've heard great things about. This review is going to be short and sweet, mainly because I didn't finish it..... Here's why.

I did not like this book..... at all. I'm so disappointed! I was really looking forward to it. I really tried to like it, I wanted to like it so bad, it just didn't happen. It was very slow, pulling teeth slow. I had looked at different reviews periodically while reading and so many reviewers said things like "It starts out slow, just give it a chance!", "It's like there's two halves to the book, the first half is slow and the second part you can't put it down!", "Once you get past the first half, you'll love it!". Well guess what, I got well into the so called "second half" and I still wasn't feeling it. I wanted to stop reading it well before the "second half" but I decided to listen to the other reviewers and stick it out. I really hate to not finish books. It literally is hard for me to not finish them and I actually feel guilty when I don't. Thankfully it rarely happens that I don't finish one. But if I'm not enjoying myself, then why should I continue wasting my time reading something that I'm not interested in?

I can see why people have liked it and raved about it. The book is not terrible, it really does mean well, it just wasn't doing it for me. I didn't relate to any of the characters, any of the "letter recipients", or to any of the situations the characters were going through. I think the main reason is because Laurel seems so young. She doesn't have any sort of personality, she's very mopey, and just annoying. If I can't relate to a character, if a character is not interesting to me, or if the character fails to have any sort of personality then I simply won't enjoy the book.

Love Letters To The Dead is about a girl named Laurel. She recently started going to a new high school after her sister May died, and her mom left town. She goes back and forth after a week long stay between her Dad's house, and her Aunt Amy's house (her mom's sister). At this new school Laurel meets new friends and tries to move on with her life. She is given an assignment on her first day of school, to write a letter to a dead person. Since her sister recently passed away, she couldn't bring herself to turn in her assignment. Her teacher was understanding, giving her two extensions, but she still didn't turn in the assignment (she may have ended up turning one in towards the end, but I didn't get that far). In her letters she tells stories about her past, and talks about the present with her new life and new friends. Mostly her letters are about missing her sister, and how her sister used to be, but she would never talk about how she died. The so called "second half" that many reviewers referred to was when Laurel reveals how May died. When I got to that part in the book I thought to myself "Ok, I've made it. This is going to get good now". Wrong, I was so wrong. I stuck it out for a few more letters, but it still never ended up interesting me, so I just gave up.

I wish I was walking away from this review telling you to go out and pick this up, but I can't bring myself to do it. I feel like such a Debbie Downer right now for writing a negative review, but it happens sometimes! Let me know in the comments below if you've read this book and what you thought about it!


xoxo,
Casey

Book Worm Series: Eleanor & Park *No Spoilers*

Hey ya'll!!

Today I'm going to give you my thoughts, and an overview, of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. The reason why I'm not doing a full on review with spoilers is because it is so good that I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. The first Rainbow Rowell book I read was FanGirl which I absolutely loved. For more information on FanGirl click here. I adored Eleanor and Park! It was funny, relatable, and tugged on my heart strings. Throughout the book, the points of view are constantly shifting between Eleanor and Park. Normally I don 't like books like that, but Rowell wrote it so well that the transitions between characters is smooth and easy to follow.

For those of you that don't know, Eleanor and Park is about two high schoolers who start out not liking each other, but overtime they grow on each other and have their "first love" experience. The way Rainbow Rowell wrote about first love was on point and totally relatable and realistic. You really feel like you're a high schooler again while reading it, and relive those feelings of having crushes, being embarrassed, and having to be around people that you just can't stand.

Eleanor is new to school, and is very much an individual and stands out from all the other students. Her choices in clothes are questionable, and she has unruly red, curly hair. She quickly becomes the target for name calling and bullying by her peers. Even though it hurts her, she doesn't try and argue back, or stand up for herself.

Not only does she have a hard time at school, but her home life isn't any better. Her family is poor, and they don't have much of anything. She lives in a rundown little house with her mom and younger siblings, along with her step-dad. Her step-dad is an absolute terrible person. The whole time I was reading I was so disgusted by him. He's very mean, a drunk, and his life goal seems to make everyone in that house miserable with him. Eleanor's mom isn't any better. She's the kind of woman who allows that kind of behavior, and is very submissive to the abusive behavior.

Park's life is very different from Eleanor's. He has a great family, and his life is everything Eleanor wishes her would be, normal. His parents are still together and they adore each other. He has a younger brother who towers over him, and his grandparents live right next door. He also has it pretty easy at school. He isn't super popular, but he isn't a nerd either. You could say Park is in the "happy medium" section on the social scale.

I don't want to give anything else about the book away. All I want to say is stop what you're doing, and go read this book. It's so good, so worth it, and I promise you won't be disappointed. I absolutely adored it, and will recommend it to all book lovers out there.

I hope you enjoyed today's Book Worm Review. Until next time!


xoxo,
Casey