Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar & The Original Chocolate Bar Palettes

I have been a huge fan of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette since it came out, so when I heard about the semi-sweet chocolate bar Too Faced is releasing, I freaked out a bit, then became skeptical. The debate was serious, but I caved and bought the new palette. 

First thing I noticed about the Semi-Sweet Palette, is that it is much thinner than the original. This is great for travel and the makeup hoarder like myself. Slimmer packaging = more makeup storage possibilities. The next packaging improvement is that the shadows are labeled! Thank the Lord! The original had a clear insert with the shadow names on it, which I have lost long ago.

Just look at this beauty! I'm so happy I purchased it, the shades are very neutral, wearable, and a little similar to the original, but they definitely created some new shades of browns and golds that I'm loving. Also like the original, it smells like heaven! 

By far my favorite row of colors. Those are so pretty and light I can see myself wearing them all spring with different pops of color.

Take note at the difference in packaging size. 

Side by side comparison of colors. I feel like the original had a cooler theme in shades and the semi -sweet is a bit warmer in tones. I like to think of the original as milk chocolate and the new one as dark chocolate.

The original in all it's glory. Notice the lack of names, thicker packaging, and cooler neutral shades compared to the Semi-Sweet Palette.

This bottom row is defiantly my favorite, especially around fall and winter time.

Both palettes are a great deal, smell amazing, have great pigmented, blend ability, and are wearable shadows. I like to recommend the chocolate bar palettes to all makeup lovers because it smells so dang good and so easy to use.

If your deciding on which of the palettes to purchase, I'd suggest figuring out if you prefer warmer tones (get the semi- sweet) or cooler tones (get the original).

If money is tight and you already own the original, don't worry too much, you won't miss anything drastically different, but if your a makeup lover it doesn't hurt to own another wonderfully packaged palette that smells like chocolate. Makeup & chocolate? I think Too Faced gets it.

Will you be buying the new Semi- Sweet Palette? Do you already own the original Chocolate Bar Palette?

Don't forget to watch subscribe to my main youtube channel as well as my vlog channel!

XOXO
Serein

Makeup of The Day- Current Winter Favorites

Today's post is a quick one. Here are my current favorites I've been reaching for daily. This week I'm playing with different pops of color by adding in some colour pop cosmetics on the eyes. Find out more about the super affordable U.S.A. made Colour Pop Cosmetics from my last post here.

Tom Ford Color Quad in Cocoa Mirage
My favorite everyday neutral palette
Read more about this beauty here

Tom Ford Cream Eyeshadow in Spice (limited edition)
This is my obsession this session! The cream is so fluffy and light. Super pigmented and versatile.
Read more about this limited edition item here

Tom Ford Eye Defining Liquid Liner Pen
The best liquid liner I've ever encountered. Makes winged liner quick and easy.
Read more about this magic eyeliner here

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Pussycat
I love a good mauve lip color for everyday winter wear. This is a new addition to my collection. The matte formula feels great and not over drying. The color pay off is rich and pigmented and who doesn't love pulling out a luxurious lipstick to re apply?

NARS blush in Almeria Limited Edition Holiday
I find that I don't like to fuss around too much with blushes and I tend to stick to one for months at a time. This NARS blush is the perfect deep wine shade that adds a little color to the face, but does not overwhelm in case you are wearing a bolder lip and eyes.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara
A favorite mascara of mine, it lengthens, volumizes, and curls the mascara without smudging.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude 
My favorite lipliner at the moment. The formulation is soft and rich. I love the nude shade to go with most lipsticks I wear.

Colour Pop Super Shock Shadow in Not a Drift
These shadows truly are amazing. I purchased the "Not a Box of Chocolates" holiday super shock shadow collection and I'm loving every single shade. Read my full review on Colour Pop Cosmetics here.

What have you been loving lately? What do you find your reaching for everyday?

XOXO
Serein

The Balm Nude'Dude Palette Review & Swatches

I was a huge fan of The Balm's Nude Tude Palette and was very excited about the sequel that was recently released exclusively at Kohl's the Nude'Dude. 

The palette comes with a full size 'what's your type' body building mascara and 12 neutral shadows. You get a variety of shimmer and matte. 

My favorite shades, no surprise, are the peachy neutrals and light browns. The darker shades are fun to use as a liner or bold outer corner shade. You really get a nice variety of colors and finishes for an everyday palette. You can really do a lot with the color options.

I do have to say that I find the pigmentation to be slightly lacking compared to the original. The original Nude'tude was truly unbelievable. The shadows were pigmented, rich, and creamy, a little went a very long way.

The Nude' Dude is still highly pigmented and creamy, but you definitely don't get as much of a color payoff as the original palette.  Remember I'm comparing this to the original. Compared to other palettes this is one of the top in pigmentation, color payoff, and richness.

If your deciding between the 'Nude'tude and the 'Nude'dude, I'd suggest picking up the original 'Nude'tude. You won't be disappointed. Wanting to add to your collection? This isn't a bad buy at $39.50 plus a full size mascara. It is a few dollars more than the original which is $36, but your getting a full size mascara with this newer version.

Do you own any The Balm Palettes? Which are your favorites?

XOXO
Serein

The Gift of Gold - Tatcha Golden Lip + Mirror Duo

With the holidays coming around this year, I am looking at all I have to be grateful for the year. My little hobby that made me happy has taken over my life in the best way possible. Through the madness of videos, posts, and social media, I have met some amazing women who are loving, kind, talented, and all around good humans. 

While this is a review for Tacha, it's a special one because a dear friend I've met this year because of my Youtube channel sent it to me. Carla from Fashion Maven Mommy went out of her way to reach out to me during the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. Carla has stood by me and believed in me in all my endeavors when I was down. There is something about Carla, she is positive, wise, and always hopeful.  This special delivery was completely unexpected and it's more than a lip balm for me. 

Carla sent me the most luxury lip balm and mirror set I've ever seen. Tatcha's packaging is exquisite. 

The balm is a Camilla balm underneath a sheet of gold. Yes, gold! The balm is incredibly hydrating and absorbs quickly, perfect before apply lipstick. The gold crushes upon application and leaves a beautiful golden sparkle. 

The holiday kit includes a beautiful gold mirror and lavender cloth case. The mirror is perfect to put in my bag, something I was missing in my purse.

Everything is packaged beautifully and makes the perfect holiday gift for anyone. Who doesn't need lip balm?

Make sure to check out Carla's blog Fashion Maven Mommy if you haven't already.

Will you be purchasing anything from Tatcha this holiday season? Use code: FF20 for 20% off.

XOXO
Serein

Naked On The Run

There is just something about an all in one palette that always gets me. I'm forever looking for the perfect palette to take on the go and I think Urban Decay has come up with the one. 

Urban Decay's Naked on The Run has a beautifully large mirror, 5 wearable neutral eyeshadows, bronzer, blusher, highlighter, your lips but better gloss, mascara, and eyeliner. You really could get away with just this and a foundation or concealer. 

The Shadows:

Typical Urban Decay formula of blend-ability. 

The color range offers 2 neutral matte shades, 3 shimmer shades, and a larger highlight shade that can be used as a highlighter for the face as well. 

Not necessarily my favorite eyeshadow palette, but not bad and I will use it quite a bit. 

The Bronzer: 

A great matte bronzer for warming up the face or light contouring. 

I do think if you have a darker complexion this bronzer would not work for you. 

Hopefully they come up with a palette geared for darker complexions soon. 

The Highlight:

Beautiful with just enough shimmer. 

Might be too light for darker complexions. 

The Blush:

A fun pinky pop of color with a cool blue undertone.

The Mascara:
Not my favorite formulation of mascara, but will work in a pinch and it's full size!

The Eyeliner:
You also get a nice dark brown 24/7 glide on eye pencil in Stag.
The pencil is a smaller size, but you'll have plenty for vacations and touch ups.
I love the Urban Decay liners for their smudge-ability and long wear.

The Gloss:

The lip gloss is a beautiful your lips but better shade. 

I'm a fan of the naked glosses and you get a full size, not bad for $54!

For $54 the kit is a great value. My only real concern is the weight of it. While the packaging is durable and vey nice, it adds a lot of weight to a handbag. 

This would make a great present for a new makeup user as it'll have everything one would need. I also think this is perfect for women who don't want to fuss with their collection and just want a grab and go. 

Will you be grabbing this palette? What's your favorite on the run product?

XOXO

Serein

Featured on Sleek Beauty Spot

Hi Guys-

Just wanted to share with you that I was recently featured on Sleek Beauty Spot, SleekHair.com's blog.

If you'd like to read more about me and my advice for new youtubers you can read the article here

XOXO
Serein

Louboutin Red

20 Years after Christian Louboutin painted his first stiletto sole with red varnish as a finishing touch, women around the world now recognize the infamous red soles everywhere. Even if you don't know it, you've seen them and they look nice.

To me Louboutins are a symbol of luxury, art, and sex. Each pair is beautifully crafted and every detail is thought of. Wearing a pair of Louboutins makes you sway your hips a little and walk a little sultrier. The best part is how the toe cleavage make foot fetishes go wild.

Going back to almost 2 years ago (wow time flies), I was newly engaged and before I had a location, dress, or even idea of what I wanted my wedding to be like, I knew what I'd be wearing on my feet. A pair of Christian Louboutins.

My wedding shoes

Many girls dream of their dress, first dance, their ring, mine were the shoes I'd be walking down the aisle in.

Flash forward to last week during an impromptu date night, which consisted of my husband being the best and most patient husband in the world by taking me to my favorite Sephora in L.A., there it was. The most beautiful nail polish on display with NO tester.

I had heard that Christian Louboutin was releasing a nail polish and I had decided that I did not need this beautiful nail polish in the most artistically constructed packaging I'd ever seen, but I had to share the visual with my husband. When I walked up to it and showed him, He said "Wow that's nice." I asked "would you totally kill me for spending $50 on nail polish?" Without hesitation he said "no, it's a collection item and you love Louboutin." I know that I have married the right man for me since our first date, but that moment reminded me how wonderful he really is and how much he just gets me.

My very first pair of Louboutins from my mom 

We walked away to have a wonderful dinner so I could think about it. After some advice from my Instagram crew,  I made the decision to go back and spend $50 on this baby.

It took me 2 days to even open the box and expose the beautiful bottle. Then another day to paint my nails with the most beautiful nail polish handle.

peer pressure from the beauty snoop 

I have to say Mr. Louboutin did not disappoint one bit. The formulation is rich, pigmented, beautifully fluid, and so far no chips (we're going on day 31/2 with some major house work). Every time I look down at my toes or my hands, I have a little smile. It reminds me of the shade of the sexy red soles when you walk away wearing a pair of Louboutins.

My 2nd pair. Black suede. 

My Wedding shoes. 

Will you be purchasing your very own polish? Have you ever splurge on a major designer item? I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories.

XOXO
Serein

Stay Cool Honey Bunny... Pulp Fiction Makeup By Urban Decay

When I saw the press release for Urban Decay's new Pulp Fiction Collection, I died a little. Do I really need another neutral eyeshadow palette or red lipstick? YES. Yes I Do!

Just look at the kick ass packaging! Even the boxes are beautiful and tough.

Make sure to check out the in-depth review & tutorial on all 3 products on my youtube channel. Click Here to watch.

The quote on the packaging makes me happy every time I read it. Being a child of the late 80's and 90's Pulp Fiction holds a dear place in my heart. 

I was seriously suppressed at how large the mirror was and how useful it is. It doesn't distort or anything. 

The shades are just so beautiful and so richly pigmented and creamy. Details of the shadows and swatches in my video.

The brush is actually really good for brow bone highlighting. 

This lipstick combination is classy and sexy all in one. My husband about freaked out when he saw me wearing this. It's super creamy, hydrating, and lasts a really long time too.  The name Mrs. Mia Wallace is pretty awesome too. Who doesn't want to be as cool as Mrs. Wallace?

Just beautiful right?! Even if your not a fan of Pulp Fiction, you can get the classic & sexy look with these really highly pigmented, beautiful to wear shades and products. I'll be reaching for all 3 items quite a bit.

Products Pictured:

• Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette
• Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Revolution Lipstick
• Urban Decay Pulp Fiction 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil

See the full collection here.

What are your thoughts on this collection? Will you be running out to purchase these items? Let me know your thoughts.

XOXO

Serein

Buried Makeup Treasures- August

It is more comment than not that we tend to buy multiples of one item and then forget the once beloved past purchase.

I had mentioned in My July Monthly Favorites + Tutorial video about starting a series of forgotten makeup items. Many of my subscribers liked the idea so I thought I would go ahead a try it out for August.

don't forget to watch my monthly favorites if you missed it!

We are all guilty of being a little bit of a pack rat or hoarder on some level. Being a beauty blogger/ vlogger, my hoarding tendencies get a little out of control when it comes to makeup.

I am constantly giving bags of gently used beauty products to my close friends and family to feel less guilty, however this doesn't solve the problem. My husband, bless his patient heart constantly sits with me and helps me decide which red lipstick to keep and which to send off to a better home.

Even with all the purging, there are just some pieces in my collection I will never be able to part with till I've used it up or it's gone bad.

This month I've selected 4 items that I once loved and have since forgotten about. Two items were purchased with much thought and debate back in my earlier vlogging days before I spent as much money as I do now on makeup. Can you guess which ones?

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

This was the first naked palette I ever purchased, in fact come to think of it it is the first Urban Decay eyeshadow purchase I had ever made, no wonder I have such attachment to this beauty. 

I remember using this everyday and being so in love with the golden warm shades. Sadly with the over flow of new palettes and always testing out the next new shadow that cosmetic companies keep churning out,  I have not reached for this in probably almost 6 months if not more. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Honestly I don't know why I never returned this one. This was such a splurge product and a definite youtube made me do it item. I remember seeing these in store and not really knowing what it did. I get the idea is to give a dim light look when applied to the highlight areas of the face, but I just don't see anything really when I use this one. This is probably why I shoved this in the back of my collection and have barely used it. I know folks rave about this item, but for whatever reason I'm not getting it. Let's see how I feel after a full month.

Jouer SPF Bronzer in Perfect Tan
Now this is definitely a much loved product, I've even hit pan. The reason I think I stopped using it was that Jouer discontinued this bronzer and I was very sad about it and either I'm subconsciously not wanting to use it all up in case I want it or I stopped using it because why use a product that my readers/ viewers can no longer buy. Either way it's time to live it up and finish this baby off!

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Violet
This was a limited edition shade for the original and much loved mascara I believe. I tried it once and never picked it up again, so I thought I'd try and use this up a bit before it goes bad and gets all sorts of gross bacteria.

The idea of this series is to leave these 4 items out on my vanity and with a conscious effort use it as much as possible for a full month. At the end of the month I'll check back in and see if my feelings about the products have changed. Will I part with them or keep them in my collection?

What are your thoughts on this series? Do you have too much of something where you forget to use it? What are your buried treasures for August? I'd love to know. Also if you're doing this as well please let me know so I can follow along.

XOXO

Serein

P.S.

I mentioned this in my July Favorites Video, but I got the idea from Casey Holmes from ItsBl0ndie & Estee from EssieButton. They both have done versions of this type of series.