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: bh Cosmetics Nude Rose- 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette!

Affordable Nude Palette!

bh Cosmetics released a NEW palette called the Nude Rose Palette... get excited! bh Cosmetics is a great brand with amazing prices, this palette is only $14.50 at the moment! There's 12 shadows (satins, mattes and shimmers) and it's meant to be the perfect neutral palette with the sheerest champagne shade to the deepest brown to add some depth. It claims to be a petal soft formula that goes on effortlessly. Those are the claims and here are my thoughts! :-)

The palette comes in an awesome sturdy tin packaging which I love! It's a nice touch! It comes with a double ended brush with I used and it's a great little extra. There's 12 shadows, most are on the lighter side which is something I would've changed. I rather have a few more browns for some variety. There's also only one deep shade... something to note but I'm happy to report it's a really nice shade!

The formula feels really smooth, borderline cream to powder which is really nice to work with! All the shades blend effortlessly and they last which are two things I look for in a palette. My main con is that many of the shades are very similar to each other. They do build up nicely though so overall I do like it! Here are the swatches by row:

 Here's a look I came up with using the palette, I love how "angelic" it looks!

Bottom line: If you're looking for a nice natural palette for everyday this is a great choice! The shadows are easy to work with and you can throw a few on and head out without a problem. I love how smooth they all are too. More variety within the color selection would've been great but you can definitely make this palette work! :-)

Review: Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette! (Swatches + Look!)

Day To Night Palette!

I said to myself...I don't need it! But somehow it ended up in my Sephora shopping cart! haha. I've had this palette for a few weeks now and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. Before I do let's into some basics! It retails for $54 and it comes with 12 smoky neutral eyeshadows. Nine shadows are never before seen shades and three exclusive shades from past palettes. They're divided into "quads" which is a unique touch compared to the other Nakeds!

This is the first group of shadows which are the metallics. They are really pretty shades, a nice mix between warm and cool.

The next group are the satins! This is where the palette starts getting smoky! I love the gunmetal tones in this quad and the pop of purple.

The last quad is the mattes which are so nice! They are all smooth and buttery... I was so impressed! I really wished they had added a medium chestnut brown for blending but I've been mixing Whiskey & Combust so it's OK.

Here's a look I came up with using a few of the grey shadows and I love how it came out! It's simple enough for daytime and can be smoked out even more for the night time!

Bottom line: This is a really nice palette! It's different for me but I love being pushed out of my comfort zone. I prefer warm shadows but I'm learning to love the cooler ones too! The look above came out so pretty and I can't stop playing with this palette. Now that fall is here I'll definitely be rocking this palette and a vampy lip... BOOM! ;-)

Must Haves: Pur Minerals Secret Crush Eyeshadow Palette!

Rose Gold Galore!

Pur Minerals is a completely new brand to me but I'm so happy I heard about it because this palette is lovely! I saw a video review on the this palette a few months ago and instantly fell in love with the colors! The Pur Minerals Secret Crush Palette retails for $32 and can be found at Ulta. I patiently waited for a 20% off Ulta coupon and managed to get it for less but the original price isn't bad at all. 

I adore the color scheme of this palette! The four middle shades are everything! The formula of these shadows is pretty thin yet still silky and pigmented which I love! You can definetely build up the colors without any fallout. At first I thought it was missing a neutral transition shade but I found that using the brown shade towards the end lightly was just fine. The packaging is amazing too! Rose gold plus a nice size mirror... no complaints on packaging!

These are the color names, so cute btw! I've used all the shades in the palette and I'm impressed with each one. They are so smooth and buttery! The standout shade for me is the one called Passion (third shade from L to R). It's the most rosiest rose gold shade I've ever seen! It looks amazing all over the lid. Here are the swatches *woohoo!* ;-D

These shades work so well together! I'm so impressed and because of that I decided to get the Soul Mattes Palette. I can't wait to get that one in the mail!

Here's a simple look I came up with;

I did a similar look on my beautiful friend! The rose gold looks awesome against her skintone! 

This palette is a total must have! I'm so in love... very well played Pur Minerals because I have a crush on this palette haha. Make sure to give it a try if you're a fan of these shades because it's simply amazing! :-)

Swatches: Urban Decay Ammo Palette!

On Sale!

Urban Decay makes some of the best shadows... ever! The formula is pretty much on point and rarely disappoints. For that reason whenever I see a palette of theirs go on sale I purchase it right away because I know I'm gonna love it! :-) Today I'll be sharing swatches of the Urban Decay Ammo Palette which recently went on sale for $16! It was sold out but it keeps coming back in stock on the Sephora site every now and then so make sure to keep your eyes peeled if you're interested. 

Packaging is really edgy yet simple, love it! It's a really small palette, ideal for traveling. It came with a travel size of the Primer Potion which I forgot to photograph (haha) but overall this is a bargain for the sale price!

Here's an overview of the palette. The palette is made up of 10 of Urban Decays bestsellers which is pretty awesome! It's like owning a piece of Urban Decay history! The colors are all so stunning and up to par with my other palettes.

Here's a close up! All the shadows are metallic so you would need to include some matte shades from other palettes to make a complete look. The palette also comes with a tiny shadow brush... not the greatest but in a pinch it gets the job done.

I love this first row of shades, must me the warmer shadow lover in me haha. They are so pigmented and silky!

Here is the bottom row, more cooler colors. I love how unique the shades are, full of cool shifts and duo chromes. These will be great for the spring time! 

This palette retails for $34 but most beauty sites like Sephora, Ulta and the Urban Decay website have it for $16 so make sure to take advantage of the great deal! I love all the colors and I'm excited to add this palette to my collection! :-)

Review: Lorac Unzipped Gold Eye Shadow Palette!

All Gold Everything!

The original Lorac Unzipped Palette is one of my favorites! Then they announced the release of the Gold one and I was so stoked! It retails for $42 and it comes with a mini eyeshadow primer which is actually one of my faves. I managed to catch this palette on sale during an ULTA 20% off sale + I had some points to redeem so it ended being a fraction of the price. Gold is practically all I wear on a daily basis so the idea behind this palette instantly interested me. I've used it for a few weeks now and here are my thoughts!

The packaging is sleek and thin just like the original. I appreciate a compact palette because if you have as much makeup as I do finding storage space can be a struggle haha.

At first glance these colors are gorgeous! I love all the different shades of golds and the complementary browns. I did find that once I started creating looks I was dipping into other palettes for a good transition color because this palette is lacking one. The matte browns are a bit too dark to work as a transition shade. Of course you can mix in a bit of the matte cream shade but it's a bit tedious.

The matte shades are so smooth and super blendable! I'm really impressed by them. Now the metallic/shimmer shades are really pigmented but they are pretty crumbly. The two on the top row don't adhere too well unless you use a sticky base. The bottom three are way better in texture and are easier to work with. Unleashed is my favorite color in this palette, it's incredible! It's more of a pressed pigment. It looks so stunning on, instantly looks foiled (without wetting it!). Let's get into swatches:

Here's the first row! The matte cream shade is an essential color in this palette, love having it. The third shade is so unique! It's a peachy duo chrome with a golden sheen, loooove! Normally shades like these look cool in the pan but don't translate the same on the eye but this one does! 

The second row has more of my favorites! The first shade is a white gold, perfect as a inner corner highlight or all over the lid. The second one is more a true gold, not too yellow and not too orange... just right ;-) Then we have the rock star of palette right next to it. I barely touched that shadow when swatching, it's pretty darn pigmented! 

This is what Unleashed looks like on the lid! It's so intense, such a great shade!

Bottom line: This is a great palette for someone who doesn't already own a neutral palette. For me, I wasn't too impressed overall, I just thought a few of the colors were amazing and the rest were OK. My opinion might have changed if it had a good blending shade because I find the ones in the palette to be too dark. I'll still get some use out of it because I already fell in love with unleashed haha. I don't think it's the best palette but it's a great choice! It's also very different in tones from the original unzipped palette. The textures are better in the first one though in my opinion. :-) 

Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette!

Throw Back!

Today I'm taking it way back to the creator of my makeup obsession! haha. The Urban Decay Naked Palette was all the rage when I found the beauty community on YouTube. I didn't purchase it a few years back because it wasn't within my budget but now that the tables have turned and I can afford to treat myself every now and then I decided to go for it! It currently retails for $54 but I ordered it when Sephora sent me a $20 off coupon (gotta take advantage of the discounts!). I owned the Naked 2 Palette first but never used it enough to keep it so I sold it. This one suites me way more and I'm so happy to have this palette in my collection! :-)

The packaging is really cute, a velvet exterior. I don't find it to be sturdy enough to travel with it though.

Here's an overview of the palette! There's a total of 12 shades, a mixture of mattes, metallics and shimmers. It's the original neutral palette, leaning more on the warmer side. All the shades are so smooth and buttery, the best quality!

You can truly get a wide range of looks from this palette, anywhere from natural looks to a smokey eye. The shades are all just so stunning!

A little added bonus to this palette is the brush it comes with. I find that in a pinch it gets the job done.

Here are the swatches! The two matte shades are the best transition and crease colors. I think I might run out of those first because I like to use them with other palettes too.

The metallic shades are so pigmented btw! These shadows last all day over primer without creasing.

Bottom line: I can now see why this palette was the one to obsess over back in the day (and now!). I'm such a sucker for a great neutral palette even though I own way too many haha but somehow I find a difference between them. This one has gorgeous bronze and copper shades which I love to use. I know that Urban Decay has increased the price of this palette throughout the years, kinda sucks for the consumer but I suggest you wait for a 20% sale or gift card to get it because the price is pretty steep. The Coastal Scents Revealed Palette is a great alternative too and much more affordable! But there's nothing like owning an original :-)

Review: Kat Von D Innerstellar Eyeshadow Palette! (+ Swatches!)

Limited Edition Palette!

Kat Von D has been releasing some amazing palettes lately! I own three and haven't been disappointed because the colors are so saturated and buttery, pretty darn great! You may know that I tend to lean for the warmer palettes, gold and bronze are my go to colors. But I'm trying really hard to step out of my comfort zone with some cooler tones and this one pretty much said "buy me!" haha.

So before I forget, this is the Kat Von D Innerstellar Eyeshadow Palette! ;-) You can find it on the Sephora website for $46 which is pretty reasonable for the quality. I own the Monarch Palette (which I love btw!) but I skipped on the Chrysalis Palette because it seemed to bright for my liking. I find that this one is great mix of the two because it has those gorgeous purple tones but in a neutral, more wearable way like the Monarch Palette.

Here's an overlook of the palette! I'm a huge fan of the packaging! For being cardboard it's super sturdy and the mirror is large enough to use while on the go. Plus all her palette designs are a work of art!

Just like her recent palettes the shadows are divided into quads, making it easier to plan out a look! The array of colors is so stunning, there's not one color I dislike.

Now to the exciting part... swatches! I can't get over the color selection, it's everything! If you haven't tried Kat Von D shadows you're missing out because they are so smooth and silky. If you were blind folded you would think they're cream shadows... that's how creamy they are! They can be a little powdery when you get you're brush in there but no worries, they blend like a dream on the eyes.

Here are the swatches with flash, just wanted to include it so you can see the dimension in some of the colors. Exhibit A: the center shade in the 2nd quad... my favorite color in the palette! It's a purple taupe shade, so unique! Some of the colors are iridescent which is something you don't see too often in palettes. The only thing I wish the palette had was a good crease shade. A mid-tone matte brown would've made this palette perfect.

I wore this look for my friend's birthday and it lasted all night! The colors just melt into each other so well, love it!

Bottom line: I adore this palette! The quality is everything I thought it would be (and more!) It seems quicker to create looks with Kat Von D shadows because blending is so effortless. Even though I'm a warm neutrals girl these colors speak to me. Maybe I'm slowly converting.... haha. It is limited edition so if you've been eyeing it I'd say go for it! :-)

Spot it & Buy it: T.J.Maxx Makeup Finds! (Too Faced & Kat Von D!)

Discounted Higher End Brands!

At the end of December I took a stroll to T.J.Maxx, I needed to get some last minute Christmas shopping done and glance over the makeup section of course! ;-) There were so many brands on a great discount! I saw a lot of Butter London products that I might go back for but this time around I hit the jackpot on Too Faced & Kat Von D!

I'm not sure how recent these products were released but who cares... it's less than $10! haha. I do want to stress to check the products to make sure they haven't been tampered with. I saw some that were broken into so always double check!

So lets get into details! First off we have the Too Faced Glitter Glaze in Goldie Rocks. It's a cream glitter coat that can be used as base or on top of eyeshadow for that extra pop of something special. Super creamy and pigmented, love it! It has a doe foot applicator to simplify our lives ;-) Next up we have the Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Beranice. The packaging is stunning! If I'm not mistaking the Studded Lipsticks replaced this line so it's not too old. I only found this color, a shimmery red, hopefully I can find some other ones soon!

Here's a close up of the details, it's so pretty!

Here are the products swatched! The lipstick is a really beautiful color, so smooth and pretty wearable for being foiled.

Alright so there you have it, these are the products I found at my local T.J.Maxx! Make sure to check out your local T.J.Maxx, Ross and Marshall's to see what hidden treasures you can find. If you spot anything good make sure to leave me a comment with a heads up! :-)