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

Erin Condren Life Planner

I recently decided it was high-time that I get my life more organized. Between a new business, kids, appointments, and bills, I was in need of some structure and something to keep all of my so-called reminders in. I decided to check out the Erin Condren Planner’s because they are extremely popular when it comes to planners.

The planner I chose is called the Prism Metallic Gold & White Life Planner. I recently filmed an UnBoxing video for this so be sure to head over to my YouTube Channel to check that out! The front and back cover of the planner is a thick, laminated plastic which I think is ideal for keeping shape, resisting water, and retaining a clean and sleek look. My design is a white background with a metallic gold design. I was also able to personalize the front cover by adding my initials. The planner is binded together with a large gold spiral, which I happen to love.

Located along the edges of the planner are all of the monthly tabs. The tabs are all different colors which adds a little more pizazz and personality. Inside each “month” you have an overview calendar of the entire month laid out. Behind the overview, the month is broken down into weeks, giving you a lot more space to write down what you need to get done each day. There were two different layouts I could choose from for the inside of my planner. I decided to go with the vertical layout versus the horizontal layout. The vertical layout means that the days are laid out in vertical columns, versus horizontal rows. This is completely personal preference, and how you prefer to view your days and weeks.

Located in the very back of the planner are a few planner stickers, a pocket for loose papers, and some Erin Condren sample products. I was really excited to see these, and think it’s really awesome that they are included with the planner.

Upon first impression, I am really loving this planner! I have never been one to plan, but it’s something that as I get older and more busy, I’ve realized is definitely a must. I really want to get into decorating my planner, and turning it into sort of like a scrapbook/journal. I enjoy watching planner videos, so that’s something I’m definitely interested in trying for myself. Problem is, I’m completely new to the Planner World, so I need help figuring out which stickers to get, what all the different ones are used for, and what they all are called. I know there are tons of sticker shops on Etsy, so let me know which ones are your favorite, as well as what kind's of stickers I need to get to decorate and write on!

xoxo,
Casey

Favorite Fall Lipsticks 2015

Fall is one of my favorite seasons! The weather gets cooler, the clothes get cuter, my hair looks great all day, my makeup stays on, and the warmer/darker colors come out to play. Here in Texas, the weather is just now starting to cool down, making it finally feel like Fall is here. I figured since the air is getting a little crisper, I would go ahead and share with you my Top Fall Lipsticks for this year. I posted a video last year with my 2014 picks, so I will link that HERE in case you are interested in checking that out. I still have a really enjoy all of last years picks. I have a whole new round of shades this year, so if you are interested in seeing those in action, you can check out this years video HERE!

Last Fall I was really into dark, vampy lip shades. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a dark eggplant or oxblood lip, but as I was getting my lipsticks together, I noticed that I’m definitely gravitating more towards the dark browns, nudes, and grungy lip shades this season. I have a good mix of both high-end and drugstore lip options, so there’s definitely something in here for everyone depending on color and budget.

Maybelline Clay Crush, ColourPop Beeper, MAC Twig, MAC Spirit, Kat Von D Lolita, Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria

I’m going to start with the nudes first. First up is a lipstick from the drugstore and it is the Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush. This is a really soft and creamy, warm nude shade that I think would look beautiful for Thanksgiving. Second is a liquid lipstick by Colourpop and it is in the shade Beeper. Beeper is a matte, taupey-brown shade that is definitely in that grungy, 90’s lipstick family. I got this lipstick because I really wanted Kat Von D’s Bow & Arrow, but that has been sold out for months! I was doing some research and looking for dupes when I saw swatches of Beeper. They are incredibly similar, so if you have been wanting to get Bow & Arrow, I really suggest checking out Beeper. The next two lipsticks are both by MAC and they are both Satin finishes. Twig is one of my favorite lipticks of all time. It's a gorgeous dark nude with a berry undertone. It is very universally flattering, so I really think it would look great on anyone. Next is the shade Spirit. Spirit is a dark nude that is very similar to Velvet Teddy. If you like Velvet Teddy, but want something about two shades darker, I would definitely go with Spirit. I have another liquid lipstick, and this one is a cult favorite that has been popular for some time now, and that is Kat Von D’s liquid lipstick in Lolita. Lolita reminds me a lot of Twig by MAC because it’s a dark nude with a berry, or reddish, hint to it. The last nude I have to share is the most expensive and luxury out of the bunch, and that is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Liptick in Very Victoria. Out of all the browns and nudes I have, this is more on the cool toned side and it’s not as opaque and pigmented as the rest, which I am perfectly ok with. I can definitely appreciate different finishes and formulas, and this one is really great. 

Milani Black Cherry, NYX Transylvania, Bite Beauty Truffle

Moving right along are my darker shade picks of oxblood reds and eggplant purples. The first one I have is a drugstore lipstick by Milani called Black Cherry. Milani is one of my favorite lipstick brands from the drugstore, and my favorite drugstore line for dark colors. This shade is a dark oxblood red which is absolutely stunning and perfect for Fall. Next I have another drugstore pick, and it’s the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Transylvania. NYX is another great line from the drugstore, and the soft matte lip creams are awesome. They are a liquid lipstick, but they are much more comfortable to wear compared to most liquid lipsticks. It doesn’t last as long as the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks, but they have a huge shade range and are much more affordable. The last dark shade I have is one by Bite Beauty and it’s a Matte Cream Lip Crayon in the shade Truffle. It is a dark eggplant shade that is really similar to NYX’s Transylvania, but it is much more creamy and has a really nice sheen to it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Vintage - Smashbox Vivid Violet

I decided to include two lip glosses because I think these are great Fall lip options as well. The first is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Vintage. It’s a mauve, neutral pink shade, similar to the popular "Kylie Jenner" lip shade that is still very popular. This lip gloss is highly pigmented. It is not the kind of lip gloss that you add as a topper to add a hint of color and shine to your lipstick. This shade will cover up anything you put on your lips that is similar in shade or lighter. The second lip gloss is the Smashbox lip gloss in the shade Vivid Violet. This is not as pigmented as Vintage, so it’s the ideal lip gloss to add on top of your favorite dark, vampy lipstick to add lots of shine and just a hint of color. This is also really nice to wear on it’s own if you’re wanting a dark berry lip, but want something really glossy and a little bit sheer.

Swatches L to R: Maybelline Clay Crush, ColourPop Beeper, MAC Twig, MAC Spirit, Kat Von D Lolita, Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria, Milani Black Cherry, NYX Transylvania, Bite Beauty Truffle, Anastasia Beverly Hills Vintage, Smashbox Vivid Violet

Those are my 2015 Top Fall Lipstick picks! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and be sure to let me know what your favorite Fall and Winter lipsticks are in the comments below.

xoxo,

Casey