Review: NEW City Color Cosmetics Spice Me Up Palette! (Swatches + Looks!)

New & Improved!

City Color Cosmetics released a new and improved version of the Spice Me Up Palette and it's amazing! It has better packaging, more product per eyeshadow pan and two brand new shades! This palette retails for $15.99 and has 12 shimmer-satin shades inspired by spices like paprika, clove and cayenne... how cute is that?!

Like the original this palette doesn't include matte shades which was an eyebrow raiser for me since I strictly use matte shades for blending. To my surprise I was able to create complete looks using only this palette and they came out great! Even though all the shades are described at shimmer-satins some shades have less shimmer than others so they work really well in the crease. 

The color selection is right up my alley and perfect for this time of year! I love the mix between the warm and cool shades and the color spectrum is great.

The formula is really smooth and the shadows are buildable. Here are the swatches by row:

This bottom row speaks to me! ;-)

I wanted to share two looks I came up with using solely this palette. I love how they came out and it was relatively quick/easy to create. 

*side note* You guys see the difference in my skintone? I still had a tan on the look below but the look above is what I look like now... Casper! hahaha.

Bottom line: I'm really happy City Color Cosmetics decided to upgrade this palette. I love the packaging and all the colors are beautiful. The price point is awesome too and you can get it just in time for the fall season! :-)

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

Review: City Color Cosmetics City Chic Eye Shadows! (Swatches + Look!)

So Impressed!

City Color Cosmetics makes my favorite metallic finish shadows called the Shimmer Shadows! I have a review on some of the colors that I will leave linked here if you wanna check it out. Since that formula was such a hit for me I decided to try their City Chic Eye Shadows and I'm in love! :-)
This line is newly reformulated with a few new shades and they're only $4.99 (pretty good deal!). The four shades that I purchased are a mix of satins and metallics. There's tons of pretty colors to choose from but let's get into the ones I picked!

They come in really cute, simple packaging making it easy to store. I chose very fall appropriate colors haha... I just can't wait for the fall guys!

Here are the color names and swatches! I was so impressed by the pigment in these shadows. I should've known they would be awesome since the Shimmer Shadows are so nice. They blended so well too without loosing the color and over primer they lasted a while!

I used all four colors in the look below. I used Tuscany in the crease and as my blending shade, Golden Nights all over the lid, Aztec Warrior on the outer crease and Purple Reign as a deepening shade in the outer corner. 

Bottom line: I love this line and I highly recommend them! The shadows are so  nice and I still can't believe how affordable they are. I hope they come out with more colors cause I might by them all haha. If you want to save some more money make sure to use coupon code ReinaRivera at checkout for an extra 10% off! :-)

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!*

Best Drugstore Blushes! - Fall Edition!

My Favorite Blushes For Fall!

Who's excited for fall?! This is my favorite time of year... pumpkin spice everything, haunted houses, cooler nights....love it all! :-) What I also adore about fall is the makeup. I'm a fan of being daring during these months. Today I have three of my favorite fall blushes to share with you that will definitely complete your smokey eye or vampy lip! Let's get into it! :-)

All the blushes in this post are at a drugstore price, $5 of less! They are amazing colors and each blush line is also outstanding so I'd recommend to venture out and find some other colors too.

The first blush is from City Color Cosmetics. It's part of their Be Matte Blush line which are a great formula! The color is called Sunset Safari which is a gorgeous warm terracotta shade... obsessed! I've been using this non stop because it looks so good with my brown lipsticks. It lasts very well and blends into the skin without trouble. I actually used it in the crease recently, here's what it looked like (love a multipurpose product!):

Next up is the NYX Powder Blush in Bordeaux! This is a returning favorite and it looks so good with a vampy lip. It gives you that "blushing" look without having to stand outside in the cold haha. I prefer this blush line over the new HD line because the HD ones are super powdery and I don't find them to wear well. Just a heads up! :-)

Lastly I have a very accessible blush which I actually purchased at Walmart! It's from the Covergirl Cheekers line and it's called Rock N Rose. It's a pretty neutral rose blush that honestly completes any look! This line has tons of colors and they are worth it! I have a few...  and some are dupes for high-end blushes (Wohoo!)

There you have it, three budget friendly blushes for the fall! I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any must have drugstore blushes to share leave me a comment down below! :-)

Dupe Alert: Affordable Dupes to the Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadows! ( Thrasher & Raw Power!)

Great Formulas!

Today's post is really exciting because I found an affordable alternative to the Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadows! :-) I have a review on the Metal Crush Eyeshadows so if you want to know more about them click here! They are an amazingly pigmented gorgeous metallic shadow but they are $21 each which can get expensive really quick. Even though they are worth it (in my opinion) I was so excited to find something very similar at a drugstore price to share with you!

I recently reviewed the NEW City Color Cosmetics Shimmer Shadows and noticed that they were really similar to the Metal Crush Eyeshadows. If you want to check out that review click here! The Shimmer Shadows are only $6.99 each and there's tons more colors to choose from. They are slightly different in formula; the Metal Crush Shadows are creamy but not a cream to powder hybrid like the Shimmer Shadows. On the eyes they're both stunning and stay on all day!

The Metal Crush Shadow formula is on the drier side compared to the Shimmer Shadows. But like I said... twinning on the lids! haha. I wanted to find some shades to compare, the colors are not spot on but just so you can get an idea of what they look like! :-)

There's minimal fall out with both formulas and they blend so easily. Another thing to point out is that you get a little more product with City Color Cosmetics. 

I love both formulas! On the eyes you can't tell a difference. If you love metallic shadows as much as I do either one would be great. If you're looking for more options for your money I highly recommend the City Color Cosmetics Shimmer Shadows! :-)

Review: City Color Cosmetics Shimmer Shadows!

Pigmentation On Point!

City Color Cosmetics released a new line of shadows called Shimmer Shadows and they are absolutely amazing! There's tons of colors to choose from and I have six to share with you today! I'm super impressed by the formula and they're only $6.99 each which is not bad at all. If you love metallic shadows these are a must try! :-)

The formula is unique, it's a cream-powder hybrid with intense color payoff. The shadow is super smooth and glides on easily! Over primer they don't crease and they last a long while, close to all day. I love how they apply, there's little to any fall out and they blend effortlessly.

I have Bubble Bath on the top left, Pharaoh on the top right and Cheers To Life on the bottom left. Gorgeous neutral, bronze shades that would suite everybody! I used Pharaoh paired with my Kat Von D Monarch palette for warm golden look and it came out lovely! You can see that look towards the bottom! :-)

On the top left I have It's A Boy!, All Eyes On Me on the top right and It's A Girl! on the bottom left. I definetely wanted to try a few pops of color and I'm super satisfied with these. That blue is so vibrant... amazing! The burgundy shade is going to look stunning during the upcoming fall season, I can't wait!

Here are two looks using some of these shadows! I love how foiled and metallic they look! You honestly don't need to wet them to get them this intense but if you choose to OMG... so pretty!

Bottom line: I love the this formula! Metallic shadows are my favorite and I highly recommend these if you also obsess over metallics. They remind me of the Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadows.... I'll need to compare them. Expect a post if they're a dupe soon! ;-) In the meantime make sure to give these a try because they are totally worth it!

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

Review: City Color Cosmetics Be Matte Lipsticks in Queenii & Denise!

Super Long-wearing!

I recently hauled a few things from City Color Cosmetics including these lipsticks. They're matte, $4.99 and really good! They have tons of shades to choose from... 36 to be exact so you're bound to find a shade to love. The formulation is very different from most matte lipsticks and I'm very impressed! :-)

Funny story, without realizing it I picked some cool shade names. Queenii is the top swatch and during highschool my friends use to call me Queeny haha pretty close huh? Denise is the bottom swatch which happens to be my sister-in-law's name. I guess me and these lippies were meant to be! ;-)

I really love how the lipstick looks on, it looks even better after hours of wear. It lasts the entire day so if you're looking for a long-wear lipstick this is a great option! They do tug upon application, they don't glide across the lips. But once they meld into the lips they feel amazing and moisturizing for the rest of the day. Your lips don't stay tacky like with most lipsticks, these actually settle into your lips like a stain which contributes to the wear time! 

Bottom line: The formula is different but in a good way! I really enjoy it and appreciate how long they last. They're also really affordable so it's a win win. Make sure to check these out on citycolorcosmetics.com. :-)

Review: City Color Cosmetics "Spice Me Up Palette"!

Get Ready For Fall!

I know I know... summer isn't over yet but it's never too early to prepare for fall! ;-) Fall is my favorite time of year when it comes to makeup and the Spice Me Up Palette reminds me so much of the season! It's a gorgeous color selection and for only $8.99 this is a steal. City Color Cosmetics can be found online and they have tons of amazing products to choose from!

Here's an idea of how compact this palette is. I have so many chunky, space consuming palettes so it's a breath of fresh air when you find one that's not.

There's no matte shades in this palette which is OK to me because I have plenty of all matte palettes that would pair perfectly with it.

The colors look so warm and sultry which is exactly what I gravitate to! When I first swatched them I noticed they weren't the most pigmented but they are buildable. I used a few shades wet and they apply a lot better that way! That orange-copper shade on the top right corner is everything!

These are the shades swatched dry. The darker shades are the rock-stars in the palette, they are beautiful!

Bottom line: I really like this palette! It's affordable and the colors are so stunning! If you've been looking for a palette full of warm colors this is a great choice! :-)

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

Review: City Color Cosmetics "Be Matte Blush"!

Spring Shades for $2.99!

City Color Cosmetics was introduced to me by good ol' Ipsy when I got my February bag. They sent me one of the Be Matte Blushes and I was very impressed! I decided to place an order on their site citycolorcosmetics.com just to give some other colors a try and make sure that I just didn't get lucky with Ipsy haha. I got my order fairy quickly and shipping wasn't too bad. I was just a little hesitant because shipping cost more than 2 of these blushes! Each blush only cost me $2.99 but I managed to get an extra 20% so they were a steal!

You get a lot of product and the color range is pretty good, a total of 8 colors. It's an amazingly smooth matte blush which isn't too common in the drugstore. It's a bit powdery when you first dip your brush into them but they apply evenly on the cheeks. But heads up, they are very pigmented! So make sure to use a light hand. Here are the swatches!

From left to right:

*Blood Orange- A red with orange tones just like the name states! Leaves a beautiful flushed look on the cheeks when used lightly.

*Fresh Melon- A pinky coral color, one of my favorites! Perfect for spring.

*Pink Grapefruit- A baby pink that is more on the cool side. It's a nice, natural shade.

*Blackberry- A mauve-pink, also one of the more natural colors. I received this one initially in my Ipsy bag and its just as amazing as the rest.

Bottom line:  These blushes are gorgeous + the price makes you want to get them all! I really like them. They're pigmented and smooth...everything you want in a blush! They can be easily blended too. For only $2.99 I would give you guys the green light to give them a try. I'm excited to try out more products from City Cosmetics since I ended up winning with these blushes! Normally if a product is affordable it lacks in quality but these don't at all! :-)



Spot it & Buy it: City Color Blushes & Contour Kit! + Promo Code!

Great Products At Great Prices!

City Color Cosmetics is a brand that's new to me; thanks to my February Ipsy Glam Bag I was introduced to it! I got a City Color Be Matte Blush in my Glam Bag that I fell in love with so I decided to order some more. They had a great promo code at the time so I got all these items for great deal! If you haven't subscribed to Ipsy definitely give it a try, it's a great outlet to try out new and exciting products! City Color Cosmetics are on the lower end of the spectrum when we talk about price. These blushes were only $2.99 each and the contour kit was $5.99... a steal! You get so much product at such a great price! The countour kit is also really nice, you get 2 bronze shades and a highlight. I'll have a post soon with a more in depth review on both items and some swatches!

If you want to give these products a try go to citycolorcosmetics.com and place an order right now! Use promo code MAR10GIFT for 10% off your order until the end of the month. :-)