Review: NYX Perfect Filter Palette in Rustic Antique! (Swatches + Looks!)

New Fall Favorite?

Hey everyone! Today I'm reviewing the NYX Perfect Filter Palette in Rustic Antique. I know what you're thinking... "another warm toned palette?" I just can't stay away from those oranges and  cranberries, haha.
I wanted to see what the drugstore has to offer when it comes to warm tone palettes. The ones that I own are pricier than this one so I wanted to find something:  A. budget friendly and B. great formulation. I've played with it for a bit so let's get into my thoughts.

This palette is priced at $20. Kinda pricey for the drugstore but if you break it down it ends up being $2 per shadow which isn't bad at all! Plus NYX is a brand that runs a lot of sales (on their site and at Ulta) so you're more than likely to find it for cheaper.

This palette has all the basics when it comes to shadows: great transition and blending shades, one you can use to deepen your look and a nice selection of lid shades. I wish it had a deeper matte brown or matte black to take it to the next level when it comes to smokey looks. Aside from that I really enjoy this palette!

The colors are beautiful! I'm really impressed by the mattes because they blend so well! The two metallics on the top right are amazing too! ( intense pigmentation!)
Here are some looks I came up with using the palette:

Bottom line: This palette meets the criteria of being budget friendly and having a great formula! If you've been looking for a palette with warm tones that won't break the piggy bank this is a great option. Definetely look out for this one and keep your eyes peeled for a sale or coupon too! :-)

EOTD: Drugstore Fall Eye Looks Using the NYX Perfect Filter Palette in Rustic Antique!

Fall Makeup on a Budget!

Hey everyone! I'm coming back with a quick post today to share two eye looks I created using the NYX Perfect Filter Palette in Rustic Antique. I instantly fell in love with the color selection. Swatches and review to come but for today I just wanted to share these looks! :-)

I went for a halo eye on the left and a daytime warm eye look on the right! Do you own this palette? Do you love it? Leave me your thoughts down below! Hope you like these looks and stay tuned for future posts! XO

Review: Too Faced Peanut Butter and Honey Palette! (Swatches + Looks!)

Cutesy and Smells Amazing!

Too Faced always gets me with their packaging!! Please tell me I'm not alone, haha. I love their Peanut Butter and Jelly Palette... it's actually packed and ready to come with me on my trip to the Dominican Republic. I researched swatches of this palette before purchasing and the yellow-mustard shade called Honey Buns spoke to me! I'm a warm shadow lover but I didn't want a palette that was too similar to something I already own. Overall I feel like the looks I get and some of the shades are different enough to justify getting it! It retails for $36 and it's limited edition so if you want it go get it! :-)

I love their smaller tin palettes! They are so convenient when traveling and they get more creative with these. It goes without saying that the packaging is simply adorable!

There's nine shades total, Peanut Butter is in their Peanut Butter and Jelly but that's OK, I really love the shade. There's only one true metallic shade which is Going Nuts on the top right corner. The rest are matte or matte based with shimmers. I would've loved some more metallics shades, at least a lighter one for a lid shade.

Here are the swatches! They all feel super creamy and buttery! The formula is great and they blend so well.

Here is an all matte look I created using Peanut Butter and Honey Buns in the crease and Honey Brittle as my lid shade. I added another Too Faced product as my inner corner highlight that I should be reviewing soon so stay tuned! ;-) I love this look, it made my eyes look brighter and Honey Buns looks awesome in the crease!

Here's another look I created using Peanut Butter and Bee's Knees in the crease and Going Nuts as my lid shade for a more smokey look. Loved this look too! It was simple to create and the application was easy.

Bottom line: I'm really happy with this palette! It would've been a holy grail palette for me if it included one or two more metallic shades but other than that it's really good. If you love warm shades like I do but want something a little different this is a great option! :-)

Cranberry-Mauve Look using NEW Drugstore Makeup! (+ Mini Reviews!)

New at the Drugstore!

Hi everyone! I'm back with a bunch of new drugstore products and some mini reviews! I tried out all the products you see above and I'm super excited to share my thoughts. In the midst of trying them I came up with this cranberry-mauve look and I really like how it turned out. Without delay lets get into the mini reviews, shall we? :-)

*Maybelline Dream Cushion Fresh Face Liquid Foundation in 30 Warm Nude($16)- I really like this foundation! I completely agree with the "fresh face" claim, it's luminous but not too much. I personally prefer matte foundations but now that Spring is coming along and the weather is warming up it tends to be too heavy for me. This is perfect because it's lightweight but still provides great coverage leaving your skin looking youthful! It does come with a sponge applicator which I didn't end up liking, I felt like it made the foundation sit on my face and didn't blend it in. I use my Beauty Blender instead and it gets the job done beautifully.

*CoverGirl Outlast All Day Soft Touch Concealer in 830 light/medium($12)-  This concealer is great for everyday but not my favorite for a full face of makeup. CoverGirl claims that this concealer instantly erases your dark circles which I disagree with. I end up having to layer this concealer because the coverage is pretty light. I don't mind lighter coverage for work or for running errands but for a full face of makeup I wouldn't reach for this one. I really like the sponge applicator, it's perfect for such a sensitive area so kudos to that!

*CoverGirl Outlast Matte Finishing Powder in 830 light to medium($13)- This is a great powder! I really love it for touch ups because it instantly makes my face matte and we all know I love a matte face haha. The foundation doesn't need to be set but out of habit I did it anyway (just my t-zone) and I loved it. I would highly stay away from using it alone as CoverGirl suggest because it made my skin feel so dry! But over foundation and for touch ups it was awesome.

*ULTA Matte Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette($20)- I purchased this palette on a great deal and it was totally worth it! The shadows are buttery, smooth and beautiful colors. They are powdery but they blend so well so I'm OK with that. After comparing it to another higher end all matte palette I found that they have very similar colors so stay tuned for a possible dupe post very soon! ;-)

*Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipstick in Brown Blush($8)- Maybelline makes my favorite drugstore lipsticks and this new collection is...so good! The collection is the same formula as their creamy mattes, just warmer nudes that are made for different skintones. The lipstick is super comfy, pigmented and smooth and on top of that it's a mauve-brown... need I say anymore?! Definitely check out this collection if your a fan of Maybelline lipsticks!

Alright, that's all I have for you today! I hope these mini reviews were helpful and stay tuned for some more posts in the near future! :-)

Must Haves: Pixi + ItsJudyTime "ItsEyeTime" Palette! (Swatches + Looks!)

Perfect "Everyday" Colors!

I've been a HUGE fan of Judy from ItsJudyTime for years so imagine how excited I was when this palette released! She had a palette with bh Cosmetics sometime ago but I skipped on it because of the color selection. When I saw her swatch this palette I could've sworn my heat skipped a beat, haha. These warmer shades are exactly what I gravitate towards so I ordered it immediately from the Pixi website... and I love it!

It's my first time trying Pixi shadows and I'm super impressed! The mattes blend so well and the metallics are nicely pigmented and vibrant. This palette retails for $24 which makes each shadow $2! That's a great deal for that large of a pan size! I love the packaging, simple but nice and sturdy. The names are so cute too! It does come with a detached mirror so you can decide where to stick it to but I decided to not use it. Lets get into the swatches:

This palette has amazing transition colors! At first glance some may look similar but on the eyes they're different. They blend amazingly... can't stress that enough! I found it very easy to create both everyday looks and smokier looks like the ones below.

If you love Judy and her family + warm shades are your jam this is a must have! I think the price point is great and the fact that you can walk into your local Target and get it is also amazing! The formula is beautiful and I appreciate how even though its a collab with a YouTuber it's not overpriced like other releases. Pick this up on your next Target run! :-)

Review: J.CAT Beauty Sunset Boulevard Eyeshadow Palette! (Swatches + Look!)

NEW Drugstore Palette!

J.Cat Beauty... you had me at Sunset! haha. Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on the NEW J.Cat Beauty Sunset Boulevard Palette. I ordered mine from Ulta.com for $14.99 and it's only available online. This palette intrigued me for so many reasons, one being the color scheme, I mean it's beautiful! Another reason was the format of the palette. I love how there's two rows of mattes and two rows of shimmers just like the LORAC palettes. I've tried it out so lets get into the details!

This was my first time trying J.Cat Beauty eyeshadows and I was pleasantly surprised! The matte shadows are so smooth and blend so well! I do think they could've exchanged some colors for others because some of them look very similar on the eyes (mattes and shimmers). The shimmer shades were very pigmented and almost creamy to the touch. They reminded me of the City Color Cosmetics Shimmer Shadows but a little chunkier. They crumbled up as soon as I put my brush into them but once they got on the eye they applied great. I love the metallic finish of the bottom two rows, so pretty!

Here's a look I came up with using the palette. I wanted to do something different so I used the purples and I love how it came out! There was fall out but not too much. My main con with the palette is that there's not many light shades. There's no brow bone or inner corner highlight which is a bummer.

Bottom line: If you're a warm shadow lover this palette is for you! I love how it mimics a sunset just like the name but I will say that most colors are very similar. I owned the Morphe 35O palette and sold it because even though the colors were gorgeous, I didnt need 5 of the same shades! That's kinda the same feeling I'm getting with this palette. The plus side is there's only 24 shades vs 35 haha.

Must Haves: Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette!

Stunning Colors!

This palette inspires me! :-) Given the fact that I own so many eyeshadow palettes it's hard for something to blow me away but this palette took my breath away! (dramatic but true haha) These colors spoke to me right off the bat and I'm telling you... you need this in your life! It retails for $42 which for a higher end palette it's a good price. I ordered mine from Sephora which is now having their 20% off sale so definetely take advantage of the discount. 

I love the velvet exterior, it's so different! It comes with 14 gorgeous eyeshadows, great selection of neutrals with some beautiful pops of berries.

The shadows feel so smooth and velvety and the pigmentation is amazing! They do kick up A LOT of product which is a bummer because you're bound to hit pan quicker. But... the shadows just blend so well so I guess I can overlook that haha.

I have a few looks to share with you below. I tried to use a good mix of shades and honestly I couldn't stop using this palette haha. I wore the first look to work for a more everyday look. I played around with the cooler tones in the second look. The third and fourth were both night looks and my favorites!

Versatility is what I seek these days when it comes to makeup and this palette is perfect! I highly recommend it! :-)

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: Ulta + Jenny Fox- Miss Fabulous Palette! (Swatches + Looks!)

Fall Lovers Dream!

Who else is excited for fall to roll around!? :-D
When I first saw the Ulta + Jenny Fox- Miss Fabulous Palette I quickly thought about the upcoming season and the gorgeous fall colors that I adore! I'm a warm palette lover and even though I own so many already I feel like I can always make room for one more haha. This palette screamed my name and the price made it a no brainer. It retails for $20 which is amazing for a palette with 12 shadows. But... I got an even better deal! Ulta was having buy 1 get 1 free on their collection, plus the $3.50 off 10 and my points!... Let's just say me and my best friend are super happy at almost no cost at all!

I've been watching MissJenFabulous for years now and I'm so obsessed with her nail tutorial even though I'm horrible at nail art haha. I watched her video where she talks about the palette and the shadow names and I think it's so cool how she went about it! It's pretty much her personality encased in awesome packaging. It also comes with a pretty good brush that matches the exterior of the palette.

Here are the swatches by row! Looking at the overall color selection I wished she had included a matte medium brown shade to replace one of the matte oranges to add some dimension. I love the tones in the palette but being that your matte shades are all in the warm orange family it makes your eye looks very similar.
But let me stress how beautiful the shadows work together! I will say some are a bit powdery and the shimmers actually have micro-glitter which tends to fall on my face when applying them so that's a bummer. The metallic shades are not super vibrant and foiled how I like them but they look really pretty on the eye. Virgo which is the first shade is one of my favorites! It looks stunning as an inner corner highlight... I actually reach for it all the time regardless if I'm using the palette or not haha.

The colors may swatch on the lighter side but they build up easily. The mattes blend really well so as a whole this is a great palette for the warm shadow lover in your life. Let's get into the looks!

I went for a warm crease and purple-plum lid for a daytime smokey-ish look on the left side and on the right is more of an everyday neutral-warm look which I love and got tons of compliments on (which is always good right? lol). 

Bottom line: I really like this palette! I think it's a great price point given the fact that Ulta has an amazing rewards program, great sales and coupons. The color selection is beautiful and the formula has hits and misses but nothing you can't work with. Will I be using this palette this upcoming fall? Heck Yes! I recommend you do too! :-)

Review: Lorac Pro Palette 3! (Swatches + Look!)

Third Time's a Charm!

Lorac... we meet again! I owned the Lorac 1 and 2 palettes but I sold them because I wasn't convinced with the formulation of the shadows. Call me crazy but when the Lorac Pro Palette 3 released I thought "lets give it a try, third time's a charm right?" and I was right! I thought I would never own a Lorac palette after not being impressed by the first two but these colors work so well! Before I continue to rave about it let me quickly give you the basics: it's $44 and I ordered it from Ulta.com.

It has a matte row and a shimmer/metallic row which is actually great when it comes down to creating a look. My issue with Lorac shadows is that they were so pigmented and powdery making them so hard to blend. Some of the colors would blend away and ain't nobody got time for that! I find that these shades are easier to blend and even though they're pigmented the colors are muted so it just works! I do have to build up some of the colors but I don't mind because I always end up loving the end look. These colors are perfect for looks you can put together in minutes! It's pretty much fool proof! Let's get into the swatches:

I already have favorites that I can't stop using like the mustard one and also the burgundy. These shadows last and they don't crease which is awesome! I have two looks below to share with you. I did a more everyday look for work and I wore a more smokey look for date night with my hubby. Both looks were so easy to put together and I love the subtle look of the colors.

Bottom line: I really enjoy this palette! As I type this review I'm so surprised because I haven't been a fan of past Lorac Palettes. This one is a keeper! I love the colors and although the formula is powdery I can still work with it. I don't tend to wear smokey looks but this palette inspired me with that burgundy shade and I love how it turned out! Nothing but great things to say about this one guys! :-)

Review: Too Faced Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette! (Swatches + Looks!)

Peaches & Cream!

Today I'll be reviewing the most hard to get palette at the moment haha. I still can't believe I was able to get my hands on it... it wasn't easy but totally worth it! The Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette retails for $49 and comes with 18 shades, great mix of finishes and colors and it smells like peach candy! Personally I'm not over the moon with the scent but the shades (which is what matters right?) are stunning! But before we get into all of that let's start with the packaging.

I have to give it to Too Faced because they always kill it with their packaging! This palette is super cute while still being compact.

Here's the inside of the palette. All the shadows are the same size, unlike the chocolate bar palettes.

The color selection is different from what I expected. It has a few peach shades but I wish it had a few more, like deeper peaches. I do like that they included some beautiful browns and purples. I still think it's a well rounded shade selection and they're formulated very well! They blend easily and the shades show up without a problem. Here are the swatches:

The metallics are so pretty and perfect for all over the lid. Those browns towards the bottom are some of my favorites too! They are so rich yet so simple to work with.

I created three different looks to share! I tried to use a variety of shades just to show how versatile the palette is. Warm shades are my weakness so that's what I gravitate towards but I tried a green look with a bit of purple and loved it. It was totally out of my norm but that's the beauty of makeup! :-)

Bottom line: I really like the palette! I didn't enjoy the trouble of actually getting the palette and how it will sell out in seconds of launching but I'm happy I have it. I do feel like that takes away from experience because it wasn't so accessible and pretty much a hassle. I noticed there's some similarities with the original Chocolate Bar palette. If you prefer richer, more warm shades I'd go with this one. I've read that Too Faced will be releasing more soon so keep an eye out if you're interested! :-)

Review: NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette in Warm Neutrals! (Swatches + Look!)

NEW From NYX!

I always preferred NYX Cosmetics single shadows over the palettes they offered before. But this NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette in Warm Neutrals has converted me! haha. This palette retails for $18 which is pretty high in the drugstore world but I managed to snatch it up during a sale so it wasn't too bad for my pocket. There's 16 shadows in the palette in all the essential finishes and they are very well formulated!

The shadows live in a very compact palette which is a plus for me when I store it. The packaging is pretty sturdy, no complaints there.

There's four palettes to choose from but I'm a warm lover so I had to stick with what makes my heart happy! ;-) The colors are gorgeous and the range is nice! There's a nice mix of light and dark and everything in between. They are so rich in pigment and blending them was very easy. Let's get into swatches:

The darker shades are my faves! I love the redder browns in this palette. Even though it's a warmer palette it still stands out from my other ones because of those red-orange tones. Of course I love the golds and coppers but that's a given! Here's a look I created. I appreciate that the colors don't blend away, you still see the gradient of colors. They last amazingly over primer....overall I love them!

Bottom line: I do think it's a little pricey for drugstore but I know there's ways to get that price down. I would recommend to wait for sale (40% NYX at Ulta happens once in a while) or use the $3.50 off of $10 coupon. The shadows are great quality but for some reason my mind is trained to not pay full price for it haha. I really like it and would definetely recommend to check out this one and the other three if you're into those shades! :-)