Review: Pur Cosmetics Eye Polish in Satin & Silk!

New & Different!

I applaud Pur Minerals for releasing such a cool product! Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on the Pur Minerals Eye Polishes in Satin and Silk. They are $26 each but I managed to catch them on a great sale but they are worth every penny! :-)
There's a few shades to choose from, I decided to stay on the neutral side. For $26 you get the eye polish and also a silicone applicator which is very handy with these. Normally I throw away the applicators but this one is needed! These are meant to be worn alone or under shadows but honestly they are gorgeous as a stand alone product because they are so metallic! Lets get into the shades!

The eye polish comes in the cutest jar ever with a mesh that controls the eyeshadow. You only need the tiniest bit to cover your lids because it's very pigmented. The applicator is key to make sure you apply it evenly. These dry rather fast which I appreciate because once it dries it doesn't move. Pur Minerals claims that it's a crease proof product and I completely agree!

I wore Satin all over the lid and used one of my matte palettes in the crease and BOOM in less than 5 minutes I had an eye look! The color is so metallic and the sheen is incredible! Here's what it looks like on! :-)

Bottom line: This is such a cool, innovative product! From the packaging to the applicator, everything works and the outcome is amazing! It's worth the price for me but since you can find these at Ulta you can wait for one of those 20% off coupons to get a better deal! :-)

Review: Avon Ultra Color Indulgence Lip Colors!

Super Moisturizing!

The Ultra Color Indulgence Lip Colors are my favorite thing I've tried from Avon thus far! You can put this lippie in higher end packaging and never tell a difference.... it's that good! :-D
Let's get into some basics: they are $9 each but Avon has many sales, I purchased them when they were less than $5. It's free of heavy waxes which I love because it just glides and stays on in the most comfortable way. There's 12 shades to choose from and I hope they add more in the future. Today I have three to share with you so let's get into that!

I noticed that Chocolate Rose wasn't as opaque as the rest, maybe because it is a deeper color. Honey Flower is such a stunning shade! It's the perfect peachy nude for my skintone and I love that it looks good with any look. The formula is so creamy yet lightweight and moisturizing. This is an upgrade to chapstick; keeps your lips feeling and looking good haha.

Bottom line: This formula is outstanding! If you love glossy lips in a world full of mattes this is a great option. It's a easy throw in your purse and go type of lippie and I'm obsessed! I need more colors!... ;-)

Review: Palladio Crushed Metallic Shadows! (Swatches + Look!)

Awesome Formula!

Hey guys! It's been a whiiiiiiile since my last post! No excuses, just life happened haha but I'm back. Lots of new drugstore releases are catching my eye so stay tuned for some future reviews and looks. Today I have four of the Palladio Crushed Metallic Shadows to share with you and just a heads up... they are fabulous! :-)
I haven't tried any Palladio products before but I'm definetely missing out because these are knockouts! I'm all about an ultra metallic shadow and this Crushed line is just that. I purchased mine at Sally's Beauty for a great deal, originally they are $6 each.

These are pressed pigments that leave a gorgeous foiled look on the eye. They are so smooth which is what impressed me the most because using them was so simple. I start off by using a brush to lay the color down where I want it and then I use my finger to build the color up to get the full intensity. The color stays put all day without creasing which is another plus! Below is a look that I created using Meteor all over the lid. I love the outcome and how easy they are to work with!

Bottom line: I love this line! I'm super impressed by the formula and if these aren't your colors there's more to choose from. The price is great and I love that they are accessible. I've been wearing these nonstop and pairing them with my all matte palettes. Definetely give them a try! :-)

Dupe Alert: Affordable Alternative to Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal!

More Options For Less!

Today I have another dupe to share with you! Pardon my lack of posts recently, with the holidays and... life happening I've been short on time but hopefully these Dupe Alerts can make up for that! ;-) I'm very excited about this dupe because you can't detect a difference between the two products. Highlight makes the world of difference when your makeup is looking a little dull and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal has been everyone's favorite highlight for the job. I have a little baby size that I've been loving! The full size retails for $38 but the alternative that I found is only $8 currently!

I love me some bh Cosmetics! They have amazing products at even more amazing prices. The Wild & Radiant- Baked Illuminating & Bronzing Palette is a great example of that. You get four universally flattering shades for only $8! You can use these wet or dry and I even love to use them as shadows. The one I wanna focus on today is the one on the top right. It's a gorgeous champagne shade, so silky and so smooth! Becca Opal feels more buttery but on the face the difference is undetectable.

Here they are swatched next to each other. They last so well and look stunning on the face! With the palette you get so many choices, you can even concoct you're own perfect highlight shade if Opal isn't for you. This is such a great deal all around, I highly recommend it! :-)

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Alternative Of Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism!

Vampy For Less!

Liquid lipsticks are pretty much ruling the world! I thought by now some new, innovative lip product would've taken over but every where I look a new liquid lipstick formula is being released. I personally love liquid lipsticks because they are so convenient... but I'm starting to miss the slip of a gloss haha. Anywho! Today's post is about a dupe I came across a few days ago. One of my great friends was over and so happened to try on the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism and she fell in love! I know $20 for a lipstick seems crazy for most people so I decided to look through my collection and I found a color that's very similar!

Milani released their version of liquid lipsticks called Amore Matte Lip Creams which have been raved about a lot in the makeup world. I personally think it's a good formula for $9! I own two colors, a nude pink and this stunning burgundy shade. In all honesty the lipstick applied extremely patchy, it took about 3-4 layers to make it look like it does above. It's still not as even as I would like but the color itself is so similar to Exorcism! BTW: excuse the application on the right... the struggle is real when swatching one liquid lipstick after another haha.

Kat Von D liquid lipsticks are so long wearing and not drying which is why I would pay a little more to be worry free. The Milani formula lasts a good 5 hours but on my lips it begins to crumble and wears off from the inside out.

Two price points for similar colors, it's up to you which one to get! Milani is an amazing drugstore brand so definitely check out the liquid lipsticks and their other awesome products! :-)

Swatches: E.L.F Artistry Eyeshadow Palette! (New!)

Looks Very Familiar...

It's been a while since I tried something new from E.L.F so I had to change that, haha! I purchased the NEW E.L.F Artistry Eyeshadow Palette for $20 which is the most I've ever spent on an E.L.F item. At the time they were having a 50% off sale sitewide... with exclusions which is new to E.L.F because back in the day nothing was off limits. I went back and forth on it since it was full price but I just had to try it because it reminded me so much of another palette! ;-)

It comes with a makeup bag which is pretty cool! Packaging is simplistic and sleek... I love it! It's a magnetic closure with a full size mirror & brush.

The color selection is nice, I won't say it's my favorite because as I look at it I find it difficult to come up with color combinations. Off the bat there's colors that I love like the burgundy, the bright yellow gold and the teal. But as a first impression I think it would be difficult to create a well rounded look.

As far as the eyeshadows themselves they are not bad at all! They are powdery but the color payoff is pretty great! Some of the mattes have glitter in them but when swatched the glitter isn't noticeable. The quality feels a lot better than their normal shadows. These are super silky and velvety! The texture is pretty soft which causes a lot of kick up but I'm sure with a good primer they will work. Here are the swatches:

The palette also comes with a dual-ended brush which is really good.

So... is it me or does this palette resemble a Vice palette by Urban Decay?! The layout, the size... even the bag it comes with is just like the Urban Decay Vice Palettes. This would make a great alternative for only $20!

Hope these swatches were helpful! I will report back once I play with it some more and work on a look. For the price so far so good! :-)

Dupe Alert: Affordable Dupe For Mac Twig Lipstick!

Twig For Less!

Mac Twig is a staple color year round. It's a great neutral that goes with everything! Back in the day I was into "treating myself" with a Mac lipstick here and there. I quickly realized how expensive and unpractical it was so I stopped... (unless it was an awesome limited edition shade haha). Shades like these are more common and today I have a really affordable dupe to share with you!

Avon has a line of lipsticks called Beyond Color which is amazing and they so happened to have a shade called Twig! I was like..."hmmm maybe it's a dupe!" and it's very similar. Avon Twig has more brown tones while Mac Twig has a hint of mauve but definitely in the same color family. Plus you can always wear a lip liner to make them super spot on. They're both a satin finish and long wearing. I personally appreciate the benefits of the Avon one because it's formulated with jojoba oil, caffeine and pomegranate extract which helps makes your lips look fuller! It also has SPF 15 which is pretty cool too. The Avon lippie retails for $8 but it's on sale for $4.99 which is a steal! 

Hope this dupe was helpful! If you know of any other Mac Dupes leave me a comment down below!

Review: Morphe Brushes 35O "Nature Glow" Eyeshadow Palette!

Best Fall Palette!

This must be the most coveted palette at the moment! It becomes available on the Morphe site and in seconds it's sold out. But you guys... it is GORGEOUS! So next time it's available for purchase stalk that site and get your hands on it haha. This is my first time trying out Morphe shadows and I'm really impressed. The 35O palette is $22.99 which is a great deal when you consider all the shades it comes with. They are super pigmented and blendable which is a plus in my book. Some colors are very similar like some of the deeper browns for example but as an overall palette I love it!

Here are the swatches! All of the shades were smooth and the color payoff was awesome. I'm so in love with all the oranges in this palette, it just screams fall and they bring out brown eyes so well! The shadow formula was easy to work with and the palette is simply amazing! I was dieing to try out the metallic peachy shade so I used it all over my lid in the look below with a mixture of browns and oranges in the crease. The look lasted all day without creasing... two thumbs up!

Bottom line: Is it worth the hype? Yup! It's a great palette and you can get so many looks from it so it's an A+ in my book. Overall I'm most impressed by the pigmentation because you just need the slightest bit on your brush. If you've been thinking about this palette I'd say go for it! :-)

Must Haves: Bite Beauty Best Bite Rewind Set! (Holiday 2015!)

Best Holiday Set!

When it comes to Holiday sets this is one of the best! The Bite Beauty Rewind Set is a Sephora Exclusive set that is only $25 but worth more than double. It comes with four deluxe size Matte Creme Lip Crayons in the cutest tin ever... can we say travel friendly?! :-) The color choices are perfect and these little sets are the best to get to know more about the brand and their products. I managed to get it during the VIB Sale for 20% off which made it a deal I couldn't pass up!

 The tin does have a mirror and it's the perfect size to throw in your purse and keep it moving.

Bite Beauty is a really cool brand because its natural so you can pretty much eat the lippie for lunch and you'll be OK haha. I love that about the brand and also that even though they're better for you they don't lack in the quality because this pigmentation is impressive! The four shades are matte but they're creamy, smooth and so comfortable...I'm obsessed! Let's get into swatches!

The variety of shades is great! My favorite is Coulis and I can't wait to wear it during the Holidays! The formula is outstanding and longwearing. This set definitely opened my eyes to the line and I can't wait to try out some more! I highly recommend this set! It's budget friendly and even though they're deluxe sizes you get a lot of product so they will last a while! :-)

Must Haves: Tarte Bling It On Amazonian Clay Blush Palette! (Holiday 2015!)

Amazing Deal!

#Blushhoarder <--- Me! I couldn't pass up this years Tarte blush palette! It's such a great value plus I actually sold last years because it was too bulky (even though the colors were beautiful!)  This years palette is sleeker, compact and the blushes are gorgeous! You get five FULL SIZE blushes for only $44...crazy right?! The range of colors is spot on an these are just as good as their solo blushes! Sephora knows where it's at! :-)

The packaging is so cute! It's a glitter textured exterior but I'm happy to say that the glitter doesn't fall off.

It's a great travel palette and the colors are perfect for anytime of year. I noticed that the previous palette was a little stiff compared to this one which made it harder to pick up product. These are just as smooth as the single blushes and they last all day long! They are really easy to work with and to build up.

Here are the swatches! These colors are everything! I've been reaching for this so much lately because it's just convenient to have all these colors in one spot. Can't say enough good things about this palette!

Bottom line: Go get it! Better yet wait for the Sephora VIB Sale to get 20% off to make it an even better deal. But... what if it sells out before then? Get it now! haha. :-) 

Must Haves: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Eyeshadow Palette! (Holiday 2015!)

Favorite Holiday Palette!

It's that time of year when my pockets hate me but... I don't care because the deals are on point! ;-) Exhibit A is my first palette this holiday season and it's absolutely amazing! Kat Von D shadows are so good when it comes to pigmentation and blendability. Last year's holiday release was a miss for me because overall the shadows weren't the greatest. That made me a bit skeptical this year but this palette has been one of my best purchases thus far! :-)

Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette is $59 which is an awesome deal! If we break it down, KVD palettes (like the Monarch for example) comes with 12 shadows for $46 and this one has 24 shadows for $13 more! I love the combination of rainbow colors and neutrals! I love the balance of shades and how consistent the palette is too. It's an overall perfect palette for someone looking to be inspired! Lets get into swatches shall we?

Here are the center shadows which are your neutrals. Great blending shades, highlights and shades to deepen up your look. The mattes (colors and neutrals) are so buttery and smooth, just a dream to work with. Speaking of colors...let's get into those swatches!

Are these colors gorgeous or what?! Satins, mattes, metallics.... they're all so good! When it comes to color shadows there's some that may need a base to make it pop and others like these that the color payoff is so amazing that the base is not needed whatsoever. They go on so vibrant and last all day. I'm so impressed and so inspired with this palette which is my favorite part!

Here are two looks I recently did using this palette! :-)

So I was Batman for my friend's Halloween/Birthday Party and I used the yellow in the palette all over the lid and the black to set the mask. Loved how it came out and lasted through lots of dancing haha.

For this look I used the warmer shades in the palette. I used the copper all over the lid, the burgundy shade in my crease and a little bit of the brown to deepen it up. Absolutely obsessed with those warm shades!

Bottom line: I love this palette! The way it's setup is so user-friendly and it instantly gets my creative juices flowing! I love the vinyl inspiration and can we talk about the artwork? Kat Von D outdid herself with the palette cover... it's gorgeous! I have nothing bad to say about this one. Definetely make sure to pick it up or add it to your Sephora wishlist because the VIB sale is coming up! :-)

Review: City Color Cosmetics Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder!

Gorgeous Highlight For Less Than $5!

Yes... you read correctly! A highlight under $5 and it's amazing! City Color Cosmetics has so many awesome products including their Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder which I'm reviewing today for you guys. I've been using it non-stop (trying to give Champagne Pop a break haha) and I truly love it! It was a bit scary when I first swatched it but on the skin it's glowy and just beautiful! :-)

You get 10 g of product which is more than a Becca Skin Perfector Pressed. The Packaging is simple but personally if the product is good I don't need all the bells and whistles!

In the pan and in the swatch it looks like a stark white color which is why I was originally frightened to try. It's a beautiful pearl shade with no glitter nor shimmer, just a gorgeous sheen that lights up your face!

Below you can see how glowy my cheeks look! It's not too intense nor is it too sheer, it's just right! It's just enough luminosity for my liking and it makes the perfect inner corner highlight too.

Bottom line: This is now one of my favorite highlighters! If you've been wanting to give highlight a try but you don't want something too intense I'd recommend this one! It does build up but still looks really natural since it doesn't have shimmer or glitter. It's so smooth going on, I love using a fan brush to apply it. For less than $5 this is a great choice! :-)

*Use coupon code ReinaRivera at checkout for an extra 10% off!*

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Dupe Of Mac Whirl Lipstick!

Get the "IT" Color For Less!

Mac Whirl lipstick has been on everyone's wishlist ever since Kylie Jenner made it popular and for good reason because it's a gorgeous color! I found a dupe within my collection and I'm so exited to share it with you! If you know me and my blog you know how in love I am with the Maybelline Creamy Mattes line. It's such a great matte formula, so comfy on the lips and so affordable. The stars aligned and I found a dupe within that line and it's so so sooo similar! :-)

Here are the swatches! Maybelline Nude Nuance is the closest dupe to Whirl that I've seen as far as color and formula. They're both matte and longwearing.... I'd say Nude Nuance is the slightest bit on the red side but other than that they're identical. Nude Nuance is about $6 at the drugstore compared to the $17 price-tag on Mac lippies. 

Definetely pick up Nude Nuance! It's an amazing shade and awesome formula! :-)