Review: bh Cosmetics Color Lock Long Lasting Matte Lipstick!

Keeping Up With The Matte Trend!

bh Cosmetics always releases products with the cutest packaging! :-) Today I have two of the bh Cosmetics Color Lock Long Lasting Matte Lipsticks to review for you. They retail for $8.95 but normally on sale for 50% off on bhcosmetics.com. I did manage to get them on a great sale which was awesome!

Here's the box they come in... cute huh?! They're said to be a rich, creamy matte lipstick. While being nourishing they are said to stay in place all day... and I completely agree! When they go on they are so smooth and ridiculously pigmented! I had no issues with the color staying on all day, barely any touch ups if any. Just make sure not to make the same mistake I did: I didn't wear a lip liner, just put the lipstick on by itself. The shape of the lipstick makes it difficult to get a precise line so I ended up doing a sloppy job. Concealer helped a ton but the color is so hard to get off! You need makeup remover to remove these... stays on like crazy glue haha.

The packaging is amazing! I love the design, it's a great sturdy plastic. I was most intrigued by the clicking sound it made when you twisted it up! It locks the lipstick into place so you have more security when you apply it... really cool!

Here are some swatches! They are a true matte finish. Doesn't dry you lips at all. They remind me of the Maybelline matte lipsticks but not as creamy to the point that they transfer. They nourish your lips throughout the day but the color doesn't fade at all, amazing! I'm super impressed :-)

*Blissful- a medium berry shade, really different. I love the color because in the light it has a slight shift that makes your lips look so good, a great color!

*Dark Rose- a reddish pink shade, my favorite from the two! Looks so bright and gorgeous on the lips! 

Bottom line: These are a must have if you're loving the matte lip trend! They are not high maintenance like other formulas which is what made me love them so much. They stay put and honestly you don't need to worry about it throughout the day. Just make sure to wear a lip liner just to get that sharp look! The price is very affordable and... I just ordered a few other colors haha. I couldn't help myself, they're that good! :-)

Sale Alert: Coastal Scents 40% Off The Entire Site!

Time To Stock Up!

If you haven't taken advantage of this sale... you need to stop whatever you're doing and check it out! haha. Coastal Scents is a very affordable brand but don't let the price tag fool you, they have some amazing products! Prices are amazing to begin with... so 40% off the entire site is a complete steal! I've reviewed a bunch of Coastal Scents products in the past so make sure to check out my previous posts for details! Off the bat I can highly recommend the Revealed, Revealed 2 and 26 Shadow Blush Palette because they are totally worth it! The Revealed palettes are dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes, so if you want something similar but not too expensive these are great alternatives! 

Apart from the palettes their brushes are some of the best ones out there! I have so many of them in my collection and they held up really well. I wanted to include some of my favorites, just to give you an idea on which ones to purchase!

First off we have the Classic Blush Angle Large Synthetic, great blush brush and guys... it's so soft!! Next we have the Classic Shade and Fluff Medium Natural, Classic Shadow Medium Natural and Classic Shadow Large Natural! These are the best brushes for eye shadow! They get the job done so well and having different sizes is great to achieve a variety of looks. The last one I have is one of my favorite brushes ever: Pro Blending Fluff!! I have about three of these haha because it's that good! It's amazing for blending out your transition or crease shade. Other brands have similar brushes but the price on the Coastal Scents website is unbeatable! All of these brushes are under $4! 

Hopefully this was helpful for you guys! If you been wanting to try any of the Coastal Scents products now is the time ! :-)

Review: Target Cyber Monday Beauty Box 2014!

What Did I Get?

*Drum Roll Please!!* Today I'll be showing you what I got in my Target Cyber Monday Beauty Box! :-) I had no idea that Target offered such a thing but when I saw it I knew I had to have it! There were three boxes to choose from and I ordered the beauty box which was only $10 + free shipping!

It came packaged so nice and purrrty! I adore the attention to detail. My box came with 8 products and a few coupons. Here's an overview:

There's a nice variety of products, most of them are full size which is awesome! The value of the box exceeds $10 easily which makes this completely worth it! Let's get into more detail:

*Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen- I initially thought this was just a typical black liner BUT it claims to deliver a liquid liner effect which is very intriguing...can't wait to try it!

*Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer in Tourmaline- so when these released I wasn't to into them and honestly wasn't planning on picking any of them up. I'm not the biggest fan of things with loads of shimmer and it also has a brush applicator. But for it being an $8 product I think it's awesome that it was included and who knows, maybe once I try it I will fall in love haha.

*Hair Food Thickening Solution- I was most excited about this! It's a yummy smelling hair mask made with natural ingredients which is so cool. I've never tried a hair mask so this is top on my list to try. Mine is infused with honey and apricot... need I say more? Plus the size is so generous!

*L'Oreal Butterfly Intenza Mascara- I already own this mascara and it's pretty darn good! I'm happy to have a back up once I run out so this was a cool bonus for me.

*CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Kit in Smokey Nudes- I was blown away by the colors in this quad, gorgeous! I'm not the biggest fan of CoverGirl shadows but these seems to be repackaged which could also mean they have been reformulated so maybe they'll work out. I'll test it out and follow up later on.

*ChapStick Total Hydration Lip Care in Sweet Peach- perfect timing for a lip balm, thanks Target! Now that its getting colder you can never have enough lip balm. I'm excited to give it a try since it's a newer product!

*Laneige Water Sleeping Mask-  I've heard so many good things about this brand from one of my favorite Youtubers "Young Wild and Polished" so this put a smile on face immediately! It's an overnight mask which sounds so interesting and now that my skin is drier I will get some use out of this!

*Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum- I haven't been into serums but I should probably start since I'm not getting any younger haha. This one is meant to smooth, hydrate and boost your skins radiance which sounds good to me!

So this is all I received for only $10...amazing right?! I'm so happy I came across this cyber monday deal. Hopefully if they offer it next year you can take advantage of this offer because it's completely worth it! :-)

Review: E.L.F Essential Holiday Perfect Eyes Collection- Perfect Eyes Set!

Naked Palette For Less?

How cute is E.L.F's Holiday packaging?! I'm completely in love with it! I love their sets even more because they are so affordable and awesome quality. The palette in this set is a must have! The colors are gorgeous and go on so smooth + pigmented. It's only $5... yes $5! You can find it on eyeslipsface.com or E.L.F retailers like Walmart, Target and Walgreens.

I'm very impressed with the packaing, it's super sturdy and sleek. It does comes with your typical E.L.F mascara which is a good one for natural days but not my favorite. The black eyeliner is also ok but nothing special. The star is the palette and very well deserved.

There's a few matte shades and lots of metallics which makes this palette great for this Holiday season. A gold lid and a red lip and you're good to go! :-)

Here's a closeup of the palette, a great range of neutral shades, perfect for everyone. This would make an amazing gift for someone who loves neutrals or a beginner in makeup because the colors are so wearable! Great for work but can you can also create a golden-bronzez smokey eye for a night out, very versatile! Here are the swatches:

This was taken without flash, more true to color. Those two center shades are gorgeous! The highlight shade at the end is also a great one.

This one was taken with flash just so you can see how stunning they look in the light! The metallic shades are everything. 

Bottom line: I highly recommend this set! The price is pretty much dirt cheap but the quality is so great. E.L.F is stepping up their game lately and I haven't been dissapointed with any of their new products. Make sure to stop by their site or try to find it instore if you're interested. It would make a great present for a friend... even for yourself haha :-)

Review: Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette!

20 Exclusive Shades!

Oh Urban Decay, why do you have to release such awesome palettes!? I'm a sucker for palettes and this one is a great one. There's a few things I would tweak but overall I really love it... mainly because of the colors. The Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette retails for $60... I know crazy! But if you know me well you would know that I would never pay full price for palette so I got it during the Beauty.com 20% off friends and family sale!

The palette is gorgeous as far as the color selection goes! The Vice 2 palette is more on the cooler side which I don't use as often as I do warm colors so this palette was perfect for me! It has some neutral shades but stars are those cranberry shades... love! The fact that the shades are exclusive is amazing, the last thing you want is a bunch of repeats haha. The outside packaging is also pretty cool, very retro looking! Is very compact and has a fancy magnetic closure plus a full size mirror.

There's certain palettes that you look at and instantly you feel inspired, this one does that to me! I just want to dip my brush into those metallic shades and create a masterpiece (haha my interpretation of one at least!) Now this palette isn't a compete A+ for one reason: texture. When I compared them to other Urban Decay palettes I own they are very powdery, almost to the point of annoyance. So much powder kicks up as soon as you dip your brush, for a $60 palette it gets irritating! I can slightly look past it because it doesn't affect the color payoff. They go on just as bold and vibrant as the other palettes and blend without effort. Just a pet peeve I guess. Here's the look I came up for my best friend Brittany :-)

I used Undone and Downfall to blend and in the crease, Lucky and Last Sin on the lid and Vanity in the outer corner to deepen up the look! 

BTW, I did want to mention that the palette also comes with duo ended brush in a cute lime green color, the brush is pretty decent, great in a pinch. It also comes with a travel case that can be used to put the palette in or as a makeup bag for all your other products. Now we can get into swatches ;-)

*Truth- a pale pink with a matte finish, works great as a brow bone highlight but it's pretty powdery.
*Dragon- a bright metallic green, really unique and pigmented! Great to put on the lower lash line for a pop of color.
*Vanity- a metallic plummy purple, really beautiful! Has some dimension to it which really shows on the eyes.
*Alien- a pink-peach with a golden duo chrome, gorgeous! With a golden base it would look amazing.
*Last Sin- a champagne metallic shade with some shimmer, my go to lid shade!

*Undone- a light warm beige matte shade...with bits of shimmer, so not really a matte haha. Still a great blending shade but powdery.
*Freeze- a metallic blue-green with a gold shimmer, reminds me of mermaid! So pretty!
*Lucky- a metallic copper, right up my alley! One of my favorites!
*Alchemy- a pink berry color with a satin finish, great shade to warm up your looks.
*Angel- a metallic silver taupe shade, very powdery so takes a bit to build up.

*Downfall- a warm medium matte brown, great crease shade. Pretty powdery but still blends nicely.
*Heroine- a matte navy blue with blue shimmers, stunning color! A drier texture but not troublesome whatsoever.
*Reign- a rich golden brown with a satin finish, lovely over the lid mixed with the next shade!
*Bondage- a metallic purple- burgundy... love it! Another of my favorites, makes the prettiest smokey eye when you blend it up into the crease.
*Defy- a darker cool toned taupe with a matte finish, another unique color but not one I gravitate towards.

*DTF-warm neutral taupe brown with a matte finish but has some shimmers... not really sure why Urban Decay does that because on the eye the shimmers don't show haha. Great blending shade too. 

*Broke Down- a metallic golden olive green, so gorgeous! Looks amazing on the eye, especially on brown eyes! ;-)

*Bobby Dazzle- a metallic white with a white gold sheen, great inner corner highlight!

*Sonic- a metallic orange-red copper, love it! This is the color that drew me into this palette and it didn't disappoint.

*Revolver- a deepen charcoal color with shimmer, great for a smokey look, not one I see myself using too much.

Bottom line: I'm super happy that I was able to get this palette on sale! Even though I've been using it pretty often lately I still feel like $60 is way over priced for the quality. The shadows just make a mess and it annoys me... but it could just be me haha. I really enjoy this one more than the Vice 2 palette, the colors are just stunning! *sigh*... I would highly recommend it if it wasn't so pricey, hopefully another sale comes along so you guys can pick it up! :-)

Here's another look I came up :-)

Must Haves: Jordana Cosmetics Easyliners For Lips!

The Best in The Market!

Back in the day I didn't care for wearing lip liners. It was an extra step I didn't think was necessary, especially on those lazy mornings haha. Throughout the years I found out the hard way that it's an important step to get that crisp line! My first lip liner was from Mac... I quickly got off that high horse and decided to search for a cheaper alternative. The Jordana Easyliners for lips are one of the best lip liners in the market, and one of the most affordable! They are only $1.99 and can be purchased directly from the Jordana Site or at your local Walgreens. 

The color range is awesome, has every color that you would ever need! They are retractable pencils so no need for a sharpener. They are really creamy and feel amazing on the lips. Honestly, you could line your lips, throw some gloss on and call it a day! Here's a list of the colors shown above:

*Baby Berry- a pink berry color

*Tawny- a mauve rose

*Cabernet- a deep wine

Tawny was the color I wore on my wedding day and it made my lip color last all night long! I love these liners and truly the price is unbeatable. If you're in the market for some lip liners to perfect your lip color look no further! :-)

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Dupe of Mac Rebel Lipstick!

Get The Look For Less!

I'm pretty positive that Rebel is Mac's best seller! I mean... it's gorgeous so I completely understand why! ;-) One of my first posts ever was a dupe alert for the same lipstick but I realized that the dupe wasn't too accessible nowadays. But don't be alarmed, I found another one that I'm sure you can find at your local drugstore and it's less than $5!

Here's a closeup of the colors, pretty spot on huh? The Wet n Wild Fergie lipstick is in the color Ferguson Crest Cabernet, a beautiful rich berry color that makes your lips look so luscious! It's a bit creamier and more glossy than Rebel but honestly on the lips they look identical. The wear time is about 4 hours before you have to reapply, plus the formula is extremely comfy on the lips. Here are some swatches:

Gorgeous! Now lets get into the lip swatches :-)

Rebel is on the left and Ferguson Crest Cabernet is on the right. I highly recommend you wear a lip liner with either lipstick because they tend to bleed out of your lip lines. 

Bottom line: Wet n Wild is the way to go! Mac lipsticks are $16 each... they are amazing but I'm in the "just married, gotta save money" phase of my life so every penny counts haha. I'd say go for the $4 lipstick because it's an amazing formula and the color is suitable for anyone! Every time I wear it I get compliments which is always nice. Make sure to pick up, I'm sure you'd look beautiful wearing it! :-)

Review: bh Cosmetics 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette 5th Edition!

Every Neutral Color in One Palette!

If you're a beginner to makeup or just want to expand your collection with more color this is the palette for you! bh Cosmetics has a total of five 120 color eyeshadow palettes so there's plenty to choose from depending on your taste. Me being a neutral lover I went with the 5th edition. I didn't think I would be a fan of these types of palettes but it's really nice to have because the color selection is amazing! The price is also a bargain, originally $34,95 but on sale more often than not for $16.95. Not bad for 120 awesome shades ;-)

For having as many shadows as it does it's pretty compact. There's two layers of shadows, pretty much of every neutral color you can think of! There's mattes, shimmers, metallics, glitters... everything! Some colors are not as pigmented which is to expect with these types of palettes but as a whole I'm impressed.

It also has a handy dandy mirror, great for travel!

This is the first layer, lots of of gorgeous neutrals and pops of colors! I found a few that were so silky and pigmented, here's what they look like:

Those oranges are so pretty! I thought the mattes were going to be chalky by they were pretty nice.

Here's the second layer, full of stunning browns, coppers and some pretty lighter shades! Found some more colors worth showing so you can get an idea on how these perform, here they are:

The metallics are everything! So smooth and easy to work with.

Bottom line: This palette is a great value! The quality is pretty nice, not like Urban Decay status but definitely workable  which is all you need to get a great look. Make sure you have a sticky base like primer so you can take full advantage of these colors. I don't know if you makeup lovers out there are like me but I prefer to use this on my friends than my more higher end palettes just so I don't use up any of my favorite colors haha. These dime sized shadows are amazing, check out the palette on bhcosmetics.com :-)

Review: E.L.F Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream!

Perfect For Fall/Winter!

I've started to notice how dry my skin is getting now that the weather is getting cooler... so I decided to bust out my E.L.F Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream! I've had this for a few months now but never got around to reviewing it. But what better time to do so than the present? ;-) I've been using it and love how it makes my skin looks! Normally you tend to look flat in the colder months so this product is amazing for bringing back the glow! You can find it on the E.L.F Website for only $3, an awesome deal!

Both the blush and bronzer go on very smooth and blend so well. I also love that the shades are suitable for most skintones. They're both great everyday shades, specially the blush... it's gorgeous! A little goes a long a way and the best part is they're pretty long wearing. The rule to follow (so they say) is not to put cream over powder but vice versa is a really great idea. If you want the blush or bronzer to last even more just apply a powder one over it and you wont have to worry about the color fading one bit! Here are the swatches:

I love the blush! It's my favorite from the duo but the bronzer is also worth hyping. My main issue is finding a bronzer shade that isn't too dark or too orange and this shade is pretty much on point! Plus I find it's so much easier to contour with cream rather than powder.

Bottom line: This would be a life saver in these upcoming months! The last thing you want is to add powder onto dry patches so cream blush & bronzer is the way to go. This product will not break the bank at all! I hope E.L.F releases some new shades because I would purchase every single one of them. Make sure to check their site if your interested in purchasing! :-)

Review: Kat Von D Star Studded Eyeshadow Book!

Awesome Packaging, But the Shadows...

I had my eye on the Kat Von D Studded Eyeshadow Book when it first released but the price wasn't right until now ;-) This palette retails for $55 BUT it was on sale for only $28 on sephora.com so I ordered it before it sold out! Hopefully Sephora brings it back because it's a great palette at the sale price. It's not one that completely blew me away because honestly it has some flaws. But the colors that work are truly amazing!

The packaging is so cool! The studded cover matches the studs on their lipsticks which is awesome. It's a sturdy cardboard with a great mirror, doesn't feel cheap at all. The only annoying thing about the packaging is the shadow name insert! I hate that clear film, as soon as I saw it I ripped it out haha.

I love the star details throughout the palette! I also really enjoy how the shadows are grouped into quads. Makes things simpler and makes me less overwhelmed haha. Of course you don't have to follow the guidelines but it's definitely a nice touch!

I was most excited for the pops of color in this palette but that's what disappointed me the most. They were powdery and one didn't even swatch at all.... WTF!? Now the neutral colors were on point! They blended with ease and the pigmentation was stunning, a little went a long way! But... if only the neutral shades performed, do you really need this palette? Just something to think about.
Let's get into swatches:

I didn't want to name all the shadows because that would take forever haha but I did group them by quad so you get the idea of how they're paired. This first quad is one of my favorites, how gorgeous is that orange shade?! I wore it in the crease and it was amazing!

This is the next quad, love the bronze color paired with the taupe for a sultry look!

So this is where it starts getting iffy. The metallic navy blue is awesome, one of my favorite blues I've used! Now that last matte blue is not the best. It's so powdery and has lots of fall out.

*sigh* I'm not really sure why that purple shade was even included in this palette. It's so gritty, no color payoff whatsoever, just pure glitter.

Now this quad is more like it! The reddish copper shade is stunning and the one next to it looks great all over the lid. Throw the brown in the outer corner and you have a complete look in minutes!

Here's the last quad, beautiful shades of greens. I don't wear green too often but these shades are very pretty! I have a few ideas for this quad.

Bottom line: Even though 2 or 3 shadows are just awful in this palette, the majority are amazing quality! At $28 it's a bargain, $55 is way too much for this palette. I love the creativity of the Kat Von d palettes! But... I wish more time was spent on those mediocre shadows because if I work hard to purchase a palette it better be worth it! Did you purchase this palette? If so what are your thoughts on it, leave a comment down below :-)