Make A Statement With Orange! (Featuring Kat Von D & Milani!)

Orange for Spring & Summer!

If you know me you know how much I love orange, terracotta shades on my eyes! It's my obsession and what I find to be most flattering on me. Recently I thought to myself... let's experiment with that color but skip the eyes! Now that Summer is right around the corner I wanted to do minimal makeup with a POP of color! Normally the focus for me are my eyes but I wanted to switch it up a bit and I love how it came out!

What I used for the POP:

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso-  oh mah gah! If you don't own this blush stop what you're doing and go get it! It's a beautiful luminous peach shade that can be built up to your liking. I tend to skip highlight when wearing this shade because it's already so glowy. It's about $9 at the drugstore so pretty affordable and accessible. 

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Chula- When I wear this color I get so many sweet compliments, makes my day! :-) It's a stunning rich burnt orange shade that lasts all day long! I rarely touch up when I wear this lipstick and even though it's matte it's very comfortable. I haven't found a color close to this one so it's worth the $21 to me!

Makeup is fun so don't be afraid to experiment. If it doesn't turn out remember that it wipes right off! Hope this inspires you to add some color to your life! :-)

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! :-)

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! :-)

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! :-)

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

Lolita For Less!

Hey everyone! Today I  wanted to share another dupe for Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita! I have a previous post full of other drugstore alternatives here so make sure to check it out! That post had a few options for a similar colors without any emphasis on the formula. I'm pretty stoked about this post because I found a product that's similar in shade and formula! :-) Let's get into it!

So the spot on dupe I have to share with you is the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft-Spoken! It's a newer release from NYX and it's only $7 while Lolita is $20 (great deal huh?) They're both that 90's pinky brown that has become so popular. They're both a matte finish and pretty longwearing. Now, Lolita is unbeatable when it comes to lasting power because it's the truest of mattes. Soft-Spoken is a matte finish that actually doesn't set completely, weird I know! It stays the slightest bit tacky which makes it more comfortable if you suffer from dry lips.

Here are the lip swatches! On the lips you can't tell a difference. Matte formulas can be harsh on the lips so depending on the day I wear one or the other. If you wan't something that doesn't move get the original. If you have dry lips and don't mind a bit of tackiness Soft-Spoken is a great option! Why pay more if you can get it for less? :-)

Review: Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadows! ( Synergy & Raw Power!)

New Obsession!

I prefer my shadows in palettes because you get more bang for your buck....but these Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadows are worth every penny! :-) My obsession is quickly multiplying so stay tuned for an upcoming post on some more shades I hauled haha. Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on Synergy and Raw Power so let's get into it!

The Metal Crush line released fairly recently and there's a total of 10 shades on Sephora's website. They're pretty much a highly pigmented metallic shadow which is right up my alley. They are so saturated in color that the tiniest bit goes a long way. The shadow pan is larger than most shadows which I truly appreciate as well!

Synergy and Raw Power were the shades that spoke to me immediately. How gorgeous are these shades?! They feel so smooth and there's very minimal fall out when applying them. They can be used wet or dry which is cool too!

 Here's a close up of the shades. Let's get into the swatches (the best part!).

*jumping up and down* Yes. This is how they swatch! They are gorgeous! They go on so smooth and they blend so easily. I really don't have anything negative to say about these. Maybe the price... because I want them all but I would be poor afterwards haha.

Here's a quick look I came up with when I first got them. This is them while dry. stay tuned to see the other shades I hauled worn wet (so intense!). 

Bottom line: Obsessed... I'm just obsessed with these! I'm infatuated with these shades because I'm a warm-toned lover but I also love that the line has a nice mix of colors so I can step out of my comfort zone. These are similar to a pressed pigment with how much color payoff you get but without the mess. What more can you ask for? :-) 

Review: Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette! (+ Swatches!)

All Matte Perfection!

Have I mentioned that I have the best Husband in the world!? :-D I recently got promoted at work (wohooo!) and my hubby knows me so well that he gifted me this beauty to celebrate haha! I was super happy to have my hands on the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette! I've had it for about 2 weeks now and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

It retails for $46 at Sephora, which for the amount of shadows you get it's a pretty good value. It's an extension of the Shade + Light contour palette which has been raved about non-stop. Even though I skipped on the contour palette I knew I wouldn't do the same for the eyeshadow palette because it's so rare to find a good all matte palette. Too Faced released a great matte palette recently but it leans more sultry, mauve tones while this is a combo of cool and warm.

The packaging is pretty simple this time around but still looks kool, yes kool with a K haha. It's a pretty sturdy cardboard palette like the Monarch Palette, super durable if you're looking to travel with it.

The colors are so diverse and pretty much suitable for any skintone. The top three shades are the ones I've been using the most so it's awesome that they are larger than the rest! My only complaint is that I wish one of the cream shades was lighter for my brow bone. Other than that this palette is so nice! I have been using it almost everyday, alone and in conjunction with other palettes.

Here are the swatches! Just like Kat Von D does best the shadows are so buttery and silky! They don't have too much powder kick up like the other palettes. Some of the colors are ultra pigmented and some need to be built up but overall the looks turn out fantastic! With this palette I've been leaning towards more smokey looks for some reason. I love using the browns all over the lid and it looks so sexy! ;-) 

Bottom line: I'm super pleased with this palette! It's great alone or combined with other palettes that may be lacking matte shades. The price is pretty great, even better when your hubby pays for it haha. I love it and would recommend it in a heart beat! :-)

Dupe Alert: Alternatives To Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita! (Mostly Drugstore!)

Stay On Trend For Less!

This lippie you see right here was playing hard to get for the longest time! haha. About a month ago I received an email alert letting me know that the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita was back in stock so I ordered it right then and there. Part of me purchased it with fear of it being out of stock forever (lol) and the other part of me wanted it because I know this formula is amazing plus the color is so beautiful too! It does retail for $20 which is pretty pricey so I decided to look through my collection and find some similar colors to share with you! :-)

Here's what the original looks like! It's described as a dusty rose which is kinda accurate. I find that my tube leans more brown which brings me to something I read online. I read rumors of a "Lolita II" releasing in the near future with more mauve tones. It seems like when Lolita first released it was more on the mauve side. Once it sold out the new batch leaned more brown like the one I own. The color is gorgeous nonetheless and within the dupes I have a a great mixture of shades that are in the same color family just in case you prefer the more mauve-y ones or brown tones.

The dupes I have today are mostly drugstore which is awesome because those won't cost you more than $8! The formulas are different which is the awesome thing about a dupe because if a matte finish isn't your thing I have a few cream finishes that you may like.

I have a total of five alternatives today, let's start off with the first one! I have a Jordana Easyliner in the shade Tawny, a cult favorite because it pairs well with so many lippies! The best part? It's less than $3.

Next up we have another Jordana product, one of their cream lipsticks in Grape! It's very hydrating, not a matte finish like the original but your lips will love your for that haha. It has more mauve tones and also retails for less than $3. Mac Twig lipstick is also a great alternative! It's a satin finish, so comfortable on and color is pretty darn close! It's the only non-drugstore dupe but it's still more affordable than Lolita! The next two are both from Maybelline which hands down is one of my favorite lipstick brands. The first one is a cream lipstick called Crazy For Coffee, definetely more brown than the rest but such a stunning color, one of my faves! Lastly I have Touch Of Spice which is part of their matte line. This is the most similar in formulation. The color is simply amazing too!

Here are all the colors swatches!

*Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

*Jordana Easyliner For Lips in Tawny

*Jordana Lipstick in Grape

*Mac Lipstick in Twig

*Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Crazy For Coffee

*Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Touch Of Spice

I hope you found today's post helpful! Lolita is definetely worth all the hype, from the color to the lasting power. But if you're able to get the look for less why not? Do you have any Lolita dupes of your own? Leave me a comment down below! :-)

Review: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in L.U.V!

Dare To Wear Purple!

I know I know... the color of the year is no longer Radiant Orchid but I still wanted to embrace it ;-) Today I'm reviewing the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in L.U.V! You can find this at Sephora for $20 and there's many shades to choose from. I wanted Lolita but sadly it was sold out, but this color seemed so bold so I gave it a shot and I'm in love! It's such a great formula and doesn't budge one bit.

First off, the packaging is pretty cool! Kat Von D is a genius when it comes to design. As far as the formula goes it's very impressive! I think it's worth the price for tons of reasons...one being that it's crazy long lasting! I wore this to work recently and at the end of the day the color looked untouched. This was after eating, drinking water, etc. I was so impressed! 

The color is so vibrant and full coverage! The tiniest bit will give you full color so this lippie will last you forever haha. I thought it was going to be similar to the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams but they're really different. I adore both formulas but this one is just so thin which makes it ultra comfy on the lips! There's no flaking or product gathering in the corners of your mouth. Once it sets it doesn't move at all. It's also a matte finish which I've been lusting over recently. The best part? It doesn't leave your lips feeling dry! Here's what it looks like on:

Ughhh I can't get enough of this color! Looks so smooth and opaque, such an awesome formula!

Bottom line: I definitely want to pick up some more colors from this line! I'm truly a fan of the formula and for someone that wants a product that you don't have to maintain this is the one for you. Not to mention the color... gorgeous! It's a very versatile color, you can pull it off year round. It's pure pigment on your lips, highly recommend! ;-)

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! :-)

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 :-)