Must Haves: Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Dolci! (Limited Edition!)

Gorgeous Shade!

I love the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow formula! It's my favorite eyeshadow formula at the drugstore which makes it very affordable... what more can you ask for? ;-) I pretty much own all of the permanent shades but they recently released a limited edition shade called Dolci and it's a must have! It's less than $5 and I was able to find it at my local Walgreens in a special display with their summer collection. It doesn't compare to any of the colors in the permanent, it's very unique!

In the pan it may not look like much but once swatched and on the lids it's such a dimensional color! It's pretty rose gold base with a golden shift/shimmer to it. It has no fall out and when worn wet it's incredible!

Here's a closeup of the color. The duo chrome qualities is what sold me on this shade. Normally duo chrome shades don't translate the same on the lid but this one does and it's pretty intense! I love how it looks all over the lid with a few matte shades in the crease...perfection! ;-)

Here's what it looks like swatched. It's such a beautiful shade and if you have a tan?... gorgeous! If you like these kind of shades visit your local drugstore and catch it before it's gone! :-)

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! :-)

Review: Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners!

To Infinity & Beyond!

Milani released some cosmic awesomeness and I managed to get my hands on it! :-) I've been hearing/reading so many reviews on these Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners and they have been pretty mixed. Some love them and some feel like Milani in a way tricked us with the glitter over-spray. I decided to give them a try myself and here are my thoughts!

I give Milani props for releasing such a unique collection! The liners look gorgeous in the pan but that glitter goodness is just on the top of each liner, not throughout the product. Priced at only $5.99 I think these are pretty amazing! Unlike most people I'm not upset about the over-spray. It's a beautiful touch to the liners but honestly... would you want a disco ball on your eyes? Not me haha. I love how subtle the shimmers are, they're still noticeable and adds a cool look to your eyes! The actual gel liner is really smooth which is amazing, there's no tugging with application. Here's a closeup of the liners:

*Enchanted Lapis- a sparkling navy blue, this one has gorgeous mix of purple and teal shimmers. This is my favorite from the three! Make sure to click the image to see how stunning the colors are!

*Enchanted Opal- a sparkling black with a mix of silver and magenta shimmers, very pretty! The black base isn't too deep, more of a charcoal.

*Enchanted Emerald- a sparkling emerald with a mix of green, blue and pink shimmers, really unique! The green base is lovely in this one!

As far as wear time, I don't find that they are the most long wearing. They don't set quickly so they are prone to smudging which is a con. But... for me these would be perfect for a night out where you don't need your makeup to last more than 4 hours. These can also be used as bases which is why I think they stay so creamy. The colors are perfect for smokey eyes! They all come with a liner brush which is amazing quality so make sure to keep them.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a cool gel liner that isn't going to last you all day than this would be ideal for you! It's super affordable and perfect for those days that you want to spice up your look. The colors are amazing and like you see in the swatch the shimmer is visible but not as opaque as in the pan. Keep in mind... you're also getting a lot of product! There's 4 grams of product in each so these will last you a long time. These are limited edition so if you've been thinking about it, I'd say go for it! :-)

Review: Wet n Wild Fall 2014 Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palettes!

Must Haves!

I'm starting to lose track of all the NEW limited edition collections Wet n Wild has been releasing, haha. I purchased a few items from the Halloween collection so expect a review on those pretty soon. But the spotlight is on these three limited edition palettes for fall which are amazing! There's a total of four palettes in the line but the one I didn't pick up was more of a smokey-dramatic palette which I never use. Now, lately the palettes that were being released were lacking in pigmentation so I've skipped on a few recent collections because of that. But these palettes (specially the neutrals!) are must haves! They are formulated just like the Wet n Wild palettes we all know and love so I highly recommend picking them up! :-)

Here's a close up of the palettes:

Even though these palettes have an imprint of where you should put the shadow when creating a look I say there's no rules in makeup! ;-) Besides...some of the imprints just don't make sense haha. These retail for $3.99 each plus I managed to get them on sale for just $2 each at Walgreens, such a great deal! I'm super impressed with the quality of these shadows. They are pigmented, creamy and blend so easily. I've heard the first two palettes has colors that are similar to a few in the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette which is awesome. I don't own that palette but I can confirm that some of the colors are very similar to the ones in the Lorac Unzipped palette.

Here are the swatches by palette:

Smoke and Melrose:

The first shade makes the best crease color, perfect for fall!

Melrose at Night:

The last shade is beautiful all over the lid!

High Waisted Jeans:

All the tones in this palette are very wearable (for blues!) You can create the perfect night look with this one!

Bottom line: These palettes are definite must haves! I'm loving the neutral colors the most because they mix and match so well. I've used them nonstop for the past 2 weeks and the looks come out gorgeous each time. They really suite brown eyes... not to toot my own horn or anything but TOOT TOOT haha. They're so easy to use and everything you need is in one tiny palette. A+! :-)

Review: Milani Matte Lip Art Lipsticks! (Limited Edition Bedazzled Collection!)

Limited Edition Matte Lipsticks!

As soon as I saw these gorgeous colors I knew I needed them in my life! Plus...they are limited edition so that pushed me over the edge haha. These are the new Matte Lip Art Lipsticks from Milani, priced at $4.19 on their website and about $6 at CVS which is where I purchased mine. They were having a great BOGO half off sale so it ended being a great deal! I've heard others referring to them as the Enchanted Lipsticks due to their names. They're part of the Bedazzled Collection which includes those breathtaking liners that everyone is talking about... I want those so bad! haha. But today the spotlight is on the lipsticks so lets get on with the show! :-)

Here is what the packaging looks like, super adorable!

I'm loving the clear cap, the new packaging is captivating! It's not cheap by any means and the lipstick does screw all the way down which is a plus! (Avoids crushing the lipstick haha) I love the gold packaging, always looks so sleek and expensive. The display at CVS included three shades total, I went for the brighter colors of the three and left behind the nude. These are a wonderful matte formula that goes on really creamy! I would recommend to wear some lip balm underneath because after a few hours they tend to dry out your lips a tiny bit. But on the plus side they last all day! I didn't notice any fading until the 7th hour of wearing it and it faded evenly.

Here are the colors swatched:

And here are the lip swatches:

*Enchanted Amethyst- a medium purple-pink color, very unique and pretty. Once it settles it dries down to a darker purple shade which looks amazing! My only con is that it's not the most flattering since it makes your teeth look yellow.

*Enchanted Ruby- a deep burgundy red... stunning! I love this color the most, looks amazing on and because it's blue toned it makes your teeth look extra white!

Bottom line: I'm really loving these! I think that Enchanted Ruby is a must have because the formula is spot on and the color is perfect for the season. It feels really comfortable on the lips just remember to apply some lip balm beforehand. The color payoff is great and the packaging is just so cute! I also wanted to point out that they smell so yummy! Instead of a fruity scent the permanent line has these smell like a vanilla cupcake. Check out your local drugstores or online on milanicosmetics.com to get'em while you can! :-)

Review: Milani Baked Bronzers! (Limited Edition Shades!)

New Matte Shades!

I love the Milani baked blushes so when I saw that Milani came out with two limited edition matte bronzers my heart skipped a beat! I ordered them immediately and now that I have them... I'm more in love! Milani has three bronzers that are permanent to their line but they are shimmery, these are matte which is what intrigued me. They are limited edition so if you're interested in these shades make sure to place an order on milanicosmetics.com or visit your local Kmart to see if they have them!

Alright! So here are the bronzers! Just like the other baked products from Milani these don't disappoint. They are so smooth and rich in pigment. I've tried both shades and they blend like a dream. I've used them both for contouring and to add some all around color to my face and they work amazing! My fear with bronzers is that when don't blend well they end looking muddy but with these you don't have to worry. They retail for $8.99 which is pretty affordable, the size of these are double of the blushes too. I'm always looking for a great alternative to my Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer because lets face it... I'm not going to have an extra $30 to spend every time I run out haha. Even though the undertones are not similar they are still really good!

There's a darker shade and a lighter one so Milani did an awesome job with the color selection since it would suite most people. Here are the swatches:

*Sienna- this one is the darker of the two, it has more orange tones so it would be perfect for when I get some color!

*Sunset- this is the lightest shade and my personal favorite (now at least haha) since I'm still pretty pale. This one has a golden tone so its more suitable for lighter-to-medium skin tones.

They come with these tiny brushes that people tend to throw away but these are actually pretty great! I've used them to contour and they get the job done. Give them a try before you think of tossing them! ;-)

Bottom line: I'm obsessed with these bronzers! I highly recommend them because one: they are matte and two: they have great pigmentation and those qualities are pretty rare in drugstore makeup. I love my Too Faced bronzer but these are a great alternative and much more affordable. It's a streak free product that will quickly become an essential for the summer time so make sure to pick one up before they're gone! :-)

Need it Or Leave it: Wet n Wild Fergie Center Stage Limited Edition Collection!

What's Worth Purchasing?

Wet n Wild has a new limited edition extension to their Fergie Center Stage line and I managed to pick up three of the items! The display was a bit confusing because there was a mix of the limited edition items with permanent ones...so you have to look really closely to determine which were which. I purchased the items at Walgreens which at the time was having 25% off the entire line (Wohoo!). Wet n Wild is inexpensive to begin with so when I noticed the sale I was like YES! haha.

They had a few LE eyeshadow palettes but I decided to give Mixing Metals a try. I instantly fell in love with the shimmering rose-gold shade on the top right corner! But, after giving it a full go I wasn't too impressed. Here's a close up of the colors:

Mixing Metals is just like the name says: metallic eye shadows. This palette isn't a stand alone type palette since they are all shimmery colors and there's not a matte shadow in sight. All the colors swatch amazingly on the skin with primer but on the eyes I was having issues with the color not showing up, only the glitter did. It had fallout because of that so overall it wasn't my favorite item I picked up. You definitely need to wear a base under these colors to have them show up on the eye and for the most part they would  work better wet. The colors are beautiful which is why I didn't return it and I figured I could make it work. Here are the swatches:

I know there's a limited edition neutral palette that was out of stock when I was purchasing these so I would recommend giving that one a try rather than this one. I heard great things about the neutral one! I might go back to see if I can find it but... let's be honest I don't need another neutral palette haha. I picked up another palette from the permanent line that I will include in a post later on. :-)

So the most exciting part of this mini haul were the lipsticks! These were amazing and such saturated colors! I guess you can tell that I love them huh? Here are the colors/packaging:

The packaging is just like the Fergie lipsticks from the permanent line, super sleek and beautiful. The colors I chose have the cutest names! haha. Here are the swatches on my hand and the names:

*Cray Cray- a bright magenta/ hot pink... LOVE IT! This has to be my favorite from the entire Fergie lipstick line thus far. It's super creamy and vibrant! I wore it to work and got so many compliments. It's a color that would work with so many different skin tones too!

*Swerve- a bright pink-coral that looks amazing on as well. It's the perfect spring shade and with a pop of orange in your blush this would pair perfectly!

I just can't get enough of those names haha. I love this formula a lot more than the megalast line from Wet n Wild. It's just so buttery and never drying! And for less than $4? These go above and beyond! Here's what they look like on the lips:

 

Bottom line: From what I tried I would skip on the eyeshadow palette and go for the lipsticks! The palette wasn't anything special but it doesn't discourage me to try some other colors to see if there's any fabulous ones from the line. The lipsticks are truly amazing. I have no complaints! These can easily be Mac Dupes at a much affordable price. Make sure to check them out if you like these bold colors before they're gone! :-)

Spot it & Buy it: Maybelline Bleached Neons Summer 2014 Collection!

Limited Edition Shades!

Limited Edition collections are quickly becoming an obsession for me! As soon as I see those two words my mind automatically thinks "I NEED IT!" haha. But I've learned to be selective and to only purchase products that I know I will use. This time around I was more than excited to give these a try because out of all the products I've only tried the nail polishes before. The Elixirs and Glazes are completely new to me but I must say... I love them!

Let's start off with the nail polishes!

All of these products were purchased at Walgreens. They had a BOGO deal going on when I purchased them so check out your local store to see if you can catch them on sale! Ok... back to the polishes. These retailed for about $4 each. They had a lot of shades too choose from but out of the bunch these three stood out to me the most. The formula is good, not the most long wearing but many of the shades are opaque in one coat! These chipped within 2-3 days but what I do enjoy is that it's easy to remove. They tend to chip in one piece so that's a plus = there's no fuss involved. The colors I purchased are:

*Ultra Violet- it's really bright lilac shade, super beautiful! It's opaque in one coat but out of habit I use two. I love how Maybelline incorporated pastel-like shades but made them into bold and vivid colors!

*Day Glow Teal- its a true bright teal blue shade. This color is also opaque in one coat and makes your hands look extra tan haha. So... I can see how it's perfect for the summer! ;-)

*Lime Accent- a bright yellow-green shade. I was disappointed with this shade because it was very sheer. Even with 3 coats it looked streaky so I don't recommend this one at all. I really loved the color but the formula wasn't comparable to the others.

Next up is the Maybelline Color Elixirs! (click on the image to enlarge!)

OMG... I don't know why it took me so long to give these a try! These glosses are amazing! It's like a balm, lipstick and gloss all in one! These retailed for about $7 each and well worth it. They are smooth and moisturizing. They look amazing alone or as lipstick toppers. I'm completely in love! For being a gloss formula they are really long wearing. They last about 5 hours without having to touch up. Here are the two colors I chose:

*Orange Aglow-  a true bright orange, looks amazing over coral lipsticks!

*Luxe in Lilac- a bright lilac, really beautiful!

The packaging is so petite and adorable, I really think that it contributes to my love for these haha. I heard that people had complaints about the scent, they smell sweet with a faint floral scent but nothing overpowering.

Last but not least is the Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze in Enchanting Apricot!

I believe there were four limited edition shades from this line but this one was the only blush shade out of the bunch. The others were more of highlighters and bronzers but I didn't care for them so I skipped on those. Now... this blush retails for $8, the price is a little hefty for the amount of product you get but overall the shade is gorgeous! It's a highly pigmented coral-pink shade with a gold sheen that sorta reminds me of Nars Orgasm blush! So this would be an affordable alternative!

 

Bottom line: Overall this collection is a must have! It's up to you to determine the colors or products that intrigue you the most but I'm super ecstatic about the ones that I chose! I've worn the polishes many times already and the Elixirs are in rotation on a daily basis since I purchased them. The blush is also amazing and would look great on tan skin in the summer time. So make sure to visit your local drugstore while the line is available. It's limited edition so hunt it down! :-) 





Spot it & Buy it: Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Spring 2014 Collection! (Limited Edition!)

Do You Dare?

It's so hard to find these limited edition collections at my local drugstore so you can imagine how excited I was to find this one! haha. I was strolling around my local Walgreens and saw the Dare To Go Nude display. At first glance I wanted everything but... I talked myself out of it and stuck to these four items. I love the idea of this collection! Normally, limited edition collections are full of bright colors that would only be wearable on a night out or special occasion. I love that this collection is made to be for everyday use! And who doesn't love a great nude? ;-)

The collection was rather big, it had a few color tattoos to choose from and a few palettes too. I stuck with the items that I knew I would get the most use out of. Here's a close up!

Maybelline EyeStudio Quad in Nude Romance- Out of all the quads I fell in love with this one! I believe this palette retailed for about $6, Walgreens was having $2 off Maybelline products (woohoo!) so I manged to get a great deal on these. All the shadows were so buttery and smooth, just great quality! They are nicely pigmented and I find that out of all the drugstore palettes I've tried these blend the best. I've used this palette almost everyday, so this is a must have in my opinion! The cream shade is great as a highlight or all over the lid. The cognac color is amazing as a crease shade. The last two colors are great to smoke out the look... such a versatile palette!

Maybelline Color Tattoo By EyeStudio in Caramel Cool-  After purchasing a bunch of the ELF Smudge Pots (which are amazing btw!) I thought I was set for life on the cream shadows. But... I just couldn't leave this one at the store! Caramel Cool is a beautiful light bronze/gold shade that looks amazing as a lid color. It's such a great formula that doesn't crease when worn over a primer. This was about $4 after the $2 off. I've used this color many times already and I always get compliments. It really brings out my brown eyes! :-)

Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Ravishing Rose- Maybelline lipsticks are really good! I love the vivids and buffs that were previously launched so I knew I would like this one too. Out of all the colors I chose the one that I thought was more wearable. It's a nude rosey pink shade that looks amazing on. I thought it would wash me out but it has the right amount of pink in it to makes it perfect for everyday. This lipstick was about $5 after the discount. Its creamy and hydrating... great combo!

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish in Lust For Buff- This nail polish quickly made it to my top favorites of all times! It was about $2 after the discount and very well worth it. It's the perfect color nude color for the nails, kinda makes your nails look longer! My only complaint is the formula, its a bit tedious. It chips within 2-3 days and chips all in one piece. Ive tried different top coats but the formula just isn't long lasting. But... I wouldn't mind reapplying this color because its that pretty! ;-)

 

So these were my picks from the Dare To Go Nude collection! I read/heard that there's a new neons collection that's perfect for summer so I'm hoping to come across it really soon. Maybelline hit a home run with this, I'm more than pleased with all of my purchases. :-)



 











Review: Milani Rose Powder Blushes!

Limited Edition Spring Blushes!

It's amazing how powerful the words "Limited Edition" are! ;-) As soon as I saw these on Milani's website I quickly placed an order. There's a total of 4 blushes in the Milani Rose Powder Blush line and I ordered 2. I picked the two that I thought were most wearable. These blushes look so beautiful! They have a pretty 3D rose engraved in them which makes it perfect to put on display on your vanity! If you collect makeup these would be perfect for you.

The packaging is just clear and gold, really sleek looking. They look more expensive then what they really are; only $7.99 each. Clinique has some blushes that resemble these, with an engraved flower as well for $21 so this would be a great alternative if you don't want to spend that much. You get so much product with these too, 17grams so you'll have blush for a very long time! Here's a close up of the blushes:

You can really tell that Milani is great in their attention to detail! Now lets talk about the blush itself. On the back of the blush it states that its an ultra silky-soft powder blush that delivers the perfect amount of color and easily blends onto the cheeks. I don't agree with it being ultra silky-soft which is a bummer because I had high hopes. It's not a bad blush by any means but it's a bit chalky and powdery. I can tell that it would easily accentuate dry patches on your cheeks if you don't moisturize prior to using them. They are highly pigmented which is great, you just have to make sure to use a light hand with them. These are all matte blushes which I love too, you don't find too many of those in the drugstore. The site itself claims that these are multi purpose; they can be used shape, contour and highlight your face. I wouldn't use these for anything else other than blush haha. Milani also mentiones that these are streak free... I wish I could agree but they are a bit streaky. Here are the swatches:

From left to right:

*Tea Rose-  a light Rose

*Coral Cove- a bright coral

I wanted to include 2 swatches of each in different settings, the one on the right is under studio lights without flash and the one of the left is with flash. In the first pic you can see a little bit of residue that they leave behind. The second pic just brings out the colors so you can see how bright they are!

 

Bottom line: These aren't as great as Milani's Baked Blushes so I would say to purchase these if you're into collecting makeup. These would look great on display and its nice feeling to know that you own something that's "Limited Edition". The price isn't bad for the amount of product you get. If you can overlook how powdery these are then I would say go for it. I'm pretty happy to have these in my collection and I will continue to use them. Just make sure to try out some of the baked blushes if you haven't, those are amazing! :-)









Review: Kat Von D Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette!

Perfect For Spring!

I was so excited to try out a Kat Von D palette! I heard great things about her makeup line and this palette was released just in time! Spring is just around the corner and I wanted something with bright colors. The Esperanza Palette has eight eye shadows; a nice mix of mattes, pearls and glitters. This is a great addition to my collection since most of my palettes are neutrals! The packaging was the first thing that caught my eye! It's so detailed and beautiful just like Kat Von D's work! It's compact so it doesn't take up a lot of space and its perfect for travel.  It's only $36 plus it's limited edition so I would grab it before it's sold out. I purchased mine from Sephora.com since they have fast shipping!

Here are all the colors! They are all nicely pigmented but some are a bit powdery. It gets a bit messy when using the palette but nothing to make me stray away from it. In the past I had problems with eye shadows with glitter. When applying them you only get the color but not the glitter. With this palette it's not like that. The color payoff is amazing and the glitter also shows up! It's typical to have some fall out when using glitter shadows but it wasn't as bad as other palettes. All the colors mesh together very well... you can definitely get many spring/summer looks from this palette! I love the theme they came up with for this palette! It resembles "El Dia De Los Muertos" or "Day Of The Day" which is a Mexican tradition. Here are the swatches row by row.

From left to right:

*Selena- a medium purple with silver glitter.

*Dayglo- a white/lime duo-chrome with green/gold shimmer. It's an iridescent shade and also considered a "transformer shade". It's pretty cool! It can be used alone or on top of the other shades to change the color a bit.

*Galore- a pearl light peach (perfect all over the lid!).

*Placebo- a medium coral/peach matte shade. It's my favorite shade! Looks great in the crease!

*Santeria- a metallic charcoal gray with teal/silver glitter.

*Archangel- a sea foam green satin shade, really pretty!

*South- a matte beige color, close to my skin tone so it would make a nice highlight shade!

*Dog Roses- a metallic bronze with a bit of a golden sparkle, love it!

 

Here is a look I created with some of the shades! I didn't have a problem blending them, it was pretty simple to create the look :-)



Bottom line: If you are looking for a palette that is perfect for spring and summer this is the one for you! The quality is amazing and you can't beat the price considering it's a higher end palette. This would be all you need for the seasons to come and they last all day for those road trips or nights out we are all looking forward to! I love trying new brands and this palette makes me want to try other things from Kat Von D's line. If this palette is amazing I'm sure the whole line must be! :-)