Colour Pop Cosmetics Band Wagon

Okay so after avoiding the colour pop craze that has been happening lately on blogs & especially youtube, I finally jumped on the band wagon on Black Friday.

I purchased one of their holiday eye color collections in "not a box of chocolates". 

The eyeshadows are crazy! They are the most unique texture and formulation I've ever felt. It' not quite a cream, not a pigment, yet not a traditional shadow either. Shadows are creamy, blend able, and pigmented. Definitely fun and worth the $5 a pop. Crazy affordable. 

Tip- make sure the keep the lids on tight as to not dry out the shadows. 

I also picked up a few lippies and lip liners in Button & Brink

First off I do like how the lippies and coordinating lip pencil are the same name, so no guessing on which one to get together. 

The formula is super rich and pigmented. I love the packaging and again the $5 price point is risk free and wonderful.

Sadly I wasn't a huge fan of Button. The shade made my lips look a bit flat and dead, but this would look beautiful on a paler complexion than mine. Not quite sure why Button's lip pencil is so much darker than the lippie, which added to the odd look on my.

I will be repurchasing a few different shades so I can try them out. I think I'd really like the bolder and brighter shades with these formulations.

Tip- make sure to exfoliate and moisturizer your lips before wearing these.

Have you tried Colour Pop Cosmetics yet? Will you now?

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

Brooke Shields MAC Collection

If you don't know already, I'm a huge neutral eyeshadow palette lover. My mission in life is to find the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette. Today I think I've finally found it!

Brooke Shields and MAC have collaborated on a limited edition collection.  I have to admit I'm a bad beauty blogger at times and can be completely out of the loop. While shopping I saw the display of the most gorgeous eyeshadow palette I've seen in a while and not just pretty, perfect in color range for my taste. Of course it was sold out. 

But then... we missed our movie and went back to the mall and walked by the MAC store in Topanga Canyon and they had a few left! I was blown away and giddy! I had to have it! 

Row 1 

Row 2

Row 3

 Just look at the beautiful combination of neutral matte and sateen shades! There are just enough matte brown crease shades, light, but not too white, brow highlights, neutral darker outer corner shades to add a pop of color, and versatile enough for smokey eyes and a little drama.

The best collection of shades and finishes I've seen in a long time. All the shades wear beautifully.

If you watch my youtube channel you might know I have a love hate relationship with MAC. While the eyeshadows are great, I really feel that Morphe and Makeup Geek have comparable quality for way less. Morphe charges $2 per eyeshadow pan and Makeup Geek charges $5.99. MAC is $13.

Also Make Up Forever really did a great job with their new Artists Eyeshadows, but I get overwhelmed when having to choose from over 200 shades also those babies are $21 a pop, but the quality is the best I've ever seen.

It's rare for me to be gaga over MAC and boy am I freaking out over this palette.

Mortal Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow

The Moral Veluxe Pearlfusion palette is a good everyday or travel item. This reminds me of a smaller collection of similar shades of the larger palette. The formulations is much more creamy and velvety and if you can get your hands on this baby, definitely consider it as a nice everyday palette on the go.

Scone Bronzing Powder

The bronzer was a bit difficult to get a good swatch photo of, but boy does this look great to warm up the face and do a little light sculpting. The finish is very warm, matte, and velvety. Blends easily and looks very natural. This however probably won't work on folks with darker complexions.

Lustre Lipstick in Gospel & Gloss in Artful

Now these were a spur of the moment, probably should have skipped on purchases. The lipstick is a beautiful deep red sheer finish, but I honestly have so many red lipsticks and this reminds me of my Armani 400 sheer one in my collection already. More affordable though if your looking for a good stain of red on the lips.

The gloss is so so. I'm not a huge fan of MAC glosses because they are so sticky. Now  I know the stickier the longer lasting, but I found that Smashbox has proven this false with their Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Laquer. They are not sticky at all and last forever!

What are your thoughts on the Brook Shields collection from MAC? Will you be on the hunt for them or will you pass? 

XOXO

Serein

Marc Jacobs Gel Foundation Review

When the new Marc Jacobs Beauty collection came out in Sephora, I just had to get my hands on it. Talk about some beautiful packaging and out of this world pigmentation. The brand does not disappoint. 

One of the items that I had to give a try was the new foundation. It claims to use a new gel technology that is one of a kind and won't sink into fine lines. It comes in 16 shades and you can get it at Sephora. The sleek packaging sold me and I bought one. I wear the shade 26 bisque medium. You can watch my first impressions on the foundation here

Over all the foundation is nice. It doesn't seem to oxidize on me and it goes on very smoothly and is easy to blend. The handy pump is sanitary and gives you a generous amount without wasting product. The coverage is light to medium with definite build ability. Feels light on the skin and wears well for a full day.

I find that I reach for this foundation on a normal every day situation, not for camera or auditions, but a  "lets meet for lunch" day or let me slap something on quick before I go out in public situation.

For $48 it's not a bad high end foundation. I might like this better than my Armani Luminous Silk foundation and it's slightly cheaper. However I'll be forever loyal to my DMK foundation which I'v raved about on youtube and will do another in-depth review here soon. Watch my DMK video

Will I buy this again? I don't see why not, but there's so many other foundation that i'm also wanting to try. Currently I'm doing a first impression of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation and I've gotta tell you this may be a dupe for the Marc Jacobs one only down side is it's hard to find if your in the USA.

So if you've got the money to burn and you want a light to medium coverage foundation with a natural look you can try this baby out, otherwise I'd say there's other things out there that you can spend your money on and the line has amazing eyeliners and eye pallets as well, which I feel is definitely worth the money. Watch my Marc Jacobs Beauty Haul here.

Don't forget to follow me on all my social medias for up to date info and giveaways! Currently giving away a Lorac Pro To Go Pallet here.

Review Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Review Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

How can this little bottle be so effective?

I’m always a little hesitant to spend so much money on such a small amount of product, but after reading and watching all the rave on this baby, I decided to give it a try. 

It’s amazing how so much love can be given to such a small bottle of product. This foundation is water based, so you have to shake it up before applying. 

I prefer to apply with clean finger tips since it’s such a thin fluid consistency. It feels like a light moisturizer, but it covers amazingly. I’d say the coverage is about light medium with definite build-ability, but I like to not feel my makeup, so less is more in my case. I do use a primer with this. Currently I prefer my hourglass mineral primer. 

Other than a little under eye brightener/ concealer I’m good to go with a dust of powder after applying the chanel vitalumiere aqua foundation. 

You only need a small drop of this stuff to cover your whole face and it really is a great light weight feeling on your skin that lasts all day. 

Definitely worth the splurge for the look and feel. 

Review and First Impression Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

I am a HUGE skeptic about this product. First off I hate covergirl foundations and powders. My first powder compact in 6th grade was from covergirl and it was awful. I have not used covergirl foundation or powder since middle school, when I learned better. 

That being said, the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation has been a huge must have among the beauty guru community, especially on youtube lately. So I caved and finally bough my own bottle to try.

The product claims to be a primer, foundation, and concealer in one and stay on all day.

After wearing it all day this is what I find:

Goes on with a powdery finish

light to medium coverage with potential to build more

does not need a primer (Huge plus)

Still need concealer

Did not really need to powder thought the day. My nose got a little shiny by 9:30PM.

Looks better after application

dries quickly so need to blend well right away

Does last all day

Matte finish

Good for combination oily skin

Probably not going to work on dry skin or dry patchy skin

I am actually over all quite suppressed with this product. I do like that I can skip priming my face with a primer. The stay power is pretty amazing and I love the matte finish for certain looks I do. For a drugstore foundation, I’m impressed, for a Covergirl foundation I’m amazed.

Will I wear it again? Yes. I’ll actually probably use it consistently for the next few weeks to make sure I like it.
The packaging is great with the pump and easy to travel with.
I also did a video review and first impressions of this product you can find it here  http://youtu.be/vntQqT8CMR8

March Favorites

Sorry for the voice, I've been sick for a week now and wanted to get this out for you guys. I tried to edit out all the tea drinking and coughing :-) Enjoy!

Review Lush's Mask of Magnanimity

Review Lush's Mask of Magnanimity

When I first tried this mask I thought it was a little scary with all the chunks and bright green color. 

What Lush says:

MAKES DIRT A DISTANT MEMORY Mask of Magnaminty isn’t technically a daily ‘facial wash’; it’s actually a deep cleansing face and back mask. China clay and fresh peppermint reach deep down to pull the debris from your pores, giving you that delightful tingly-clean sensation. We add loads of aduki beans to exfoliate flaky or dry skin, vanilla absolute to calm redness and honey to soothe. Our inventors created Mask of Magnaminty to be the ‘ultimate face mask’, intense but not harsh or abrasive on the skin. We recommend using Mask of Magnaminty weekly to keep the skin in good condition. What I Say: I definitely felt my skin got a deep conditioning. After using applying the minty mask and letting it sit for about 5 min. I rinsed off with warm water and towel dried my face. I noticed an immediate difference in my complexion. The pores on my nose (always a problem area for me) was nautically clearer and smaller, huge plus. My over all complexion looked brighter in the mirror and I really felt like my skin was squeaky clean.  The second time I used it I left it on for 10 min. I think it was a little too long because it was really hard to rinse the mask off and I did have a few red splotches that did go away after a few minutes, but the effect was still the same a squeaky clean feeling that brightened my complexion and cleaned out those nasty pores.  Definitely worth the price and if your on the fence Lush is great because you can just hop on into a store and ask for a sample to take home. They are always more than happy to send you home with samples to try, which is another reason I’m a fan of their company. 

YSL Shocking Mascara Review

YSL Shocking Mascara Review

So I finally caved and gave this baby a try. 

What Sephora says:

What it is:
A mascara that exaggerates lashes with excess volume from every angle.

What it does:
Exclusive to YSL, the amplified helix brush provides instant volume to the lashes. The slim brush design allows for perfect control and precision and the off-center twist enhances length and curl. The beautifully creamy formula with pro-vitamin B5 coats each lash evenly, creating a thick and lustrous fringe with a wet look.

What I Say:

This mascara defiantly is one of my new favorites. I love the classic brush vs. the typical plastic ones these days. The slim brush also is easy to work with. The mascara itself is very wet and stays wet looking, so you don’t get the caked on dry look at all. I get good length and volume as well with the brush and formula. 

Worth the price?

At $30 this is the priciest mascara I’ve ever purchased, but I do love it. I think this will all depend on how long it lasts. As a high end mascara I do love it. For me it’s defiantly a splurge. 

Review: Serge Normant Meta Revive Volumizing Dry Shampoo

So I gave the Serge Normant Meta Revive Volumizing Dry Shampoo a try this weekend.

First off I’m notorious for washing my hair everyday. I know it’s a crime, but I just can’t stand any dirt, grease, or product in my hair.

Normally I use dry shampoo to create volume for my otherwise very flat hair.

I washed my hair Friday night, and straightened it Saturday morning. Then I went with one of my best friends to get facials as a treat before her wedding (March 23rd). So after my facial and showering at the spa, using a shower cap, when I got home I didn’t want to shower again and wash my hair. Sunday morning I tried this product out.

Verdict:
Completely removed all oiliness from my hair. I loved the light fragrance it has as well. You do need to be careful if you have black hair like me. The product turns into a powdery white substance, that if you use too much is difficult to brush out. I used a little too much.

I will have to try this out again to make sure that it won’t leave a residue that is visible in my dark hair, but if your blond or light brown, you should be good.

Surprisingly I really do find this product very volumizing and definitely freshened up my hair, where I even might consider not washing my hair everyday.

You can find the full size as well as the travel size here. The full size is $25, which is not bad compared to my current one from Oribe.

Review: Dr.Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream

Review: Dr.Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream

Claims to: 

“What it is:
A purifying face cream that provides age defense, and hides uneven skintone and blemishes. 

What it is formulated to do:
- Botanical Formula to purify and calm blemish prone or sensitive skin while also combating dark spots and pollutants for an enhanced radiance 
- Features SPF 25 sun protection 
- Comes in one universal shade

Perfect and protect skin instantly with this all-in-one multifunctional Beauty Balm. This triple-action formula naturally covers blemishes and uneven skintone, and contains botanical actives to purify and calm blemish-prone or irritated skin. Arbutin works to erase unwanted dark spots, while caviar extract and antioxidants protect skin from inner and outer pollutants for an enhanced radiance. Lightweight with sunscreen protection for simple, one-step neutralizing coverage, this soothing cream delivers optimal results for both women and men. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates 
- Phthalates ”

info from Sephora

So I finally gave this baby a try. I have to say that at first application I liked it. The texture is smooth and lighter than my Asian bb creams. It blended in nicely using my beauty blender. My complexion looked brighter and more even. It still felt a bit like a glorified tinted moisturizer, but it did even out my complexion and left a dewy/ matte finish. 

I powdered lightly to set the bb cream, but I found a few hours later I was a bit too shiny for my taste. I did not use any concealer with the bb cream, but I found that areas on my face looked as if I had used concealer and it was slipping off. 

By evening, I looked pretty worn off. 

Overall verdict, It’s a good tinted moisturizer that need to be touched up 2 to 3 times a day if you want to stay looking fresh. 

Offers light to medium coverage. 

easy to blend

a bit steep at $36 for a full size for a tinted moisturizer, but also not overly expensive for a higher end brand. Really just depends on personal preference. 

Review: Benefit’s new Fake Up Under Eye Concealer

HIGH-RES

I have to admit I was really skeptical when this came out. Usually I’m not a fan of benefit cosmetics concealers or foundations, however I had to give this a try.
Lately my under eye area has been really dry and causing my normal makeup to crease.
So when benefit says this provides hydration without settling into my fine lines all day and conceals dark circles, I gave it a try.
I’ve worn it 3 days now and I have to say I’m pretty impressed. I defiantly notice that my under eye is hydrated and it so far has not slipped off all over my face. I do set my makeup with powder in the morning and touch up in the afternoon again with powder.
I like the cool clear gel surrounding the color part of the product. The packaging is adorable as always from benefit. The coverage is light to medium in my opinion with potential to build up, but I tend to use less under my eyes for fear of creasing and caking,
Over all the product seems to do what it claims, but I’m still not sure I would buy it again yet. I’ll have to use it for awhile longer before I can make up my mind. At $24 from Ulta it’s fairly priced. 

DIOR CREME DE ROSE PLUMPING LIP BALM REVIEW

I was finally able to get my hands on the Dior Creme De Rose Plumping lip balm recently and I have to say I’m impressed. I’ve been pretty disappointed lately with the new lip balm purchased I’ve done. The Nivea Lip Butter, while smelled and tasted amazing, I found left my lips looking dead with a layer of grey white gunk to go with it.

The Korres lip butters where not much better. They were so disappointing I actually returned them, which I rarely do.
So I decided to try the Dior Creme De Rose. Here is what Sephora says about the product:
What it is:A smoothing, plumping lip balm with SPF 10.What it does:Creme de Rose is a refined lip balm that soothes, re-plumps, hydrates, and protects the lips with SPF 10.This nourishing lip balm comes in one universal petal pink shade and features a delicate rose scent.What else you need to know: The sister product to Dior’s legendary Creme Abricot, a nail care product dating back to the 1960s, this product has the same classic white packaging.Lips are visibly hydrated: +32 (6h after application)

You can find the product and details here

While I’m not sure how much the balm plumps your lips, I do find it hydrating without being greasy. The light rose sent is very pleasant and not at all overwhelming. The pink tint goes on clear or you cannot see it on your lips.

When you first use the product you need to warm it up with your fingers a bit. I like to use it before bed and after I brush my teeth in the morning. I also find that it’s a great balm to use when you already have lipstick on and need a little hydration over the lipstick.

My lips do feel very hydrated and smooth after using the balm. I like the packaging and find it a very luxurious item to have on my nightstand or makeup table.

Sephora sells it for $27 plus tax. The price is a bit steep in my opinion, but I do like the balm quite a bit. I’d have to say that this is definitely a splurge item, but quite practical at the same time. This is something I use frequently and does a good job keeping my lips hydrated and smooth.  

First Impressions: Maybelline Vivid Lipsticks

Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream First Impression Review

REVLON PHOTO READY BB CREAM FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW

For those who rather not watch a youtube video on my first impression of the new Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream, here is a quick summery.

Today I tried the Revlon Photo Ready BB cream for the first time. As I apply it, it feels thicker than the average tinted moisturizer and defiantly blends easier than the overpriced, over rated smashbox bb cream. I like that it isn’t as greasy as the original Garnier bb cream too.
I used the shade Light Medium and I was happily impressed with the easy that it blended into my skin. I also noticed an immediate difference in my skin tone and it did even out my skin enough for a quick foundation-less application.
My biggest worry is that I’ll look like a grease monkey by the end of the day, but I applied a dusting of Rimmel Stay Matte powder and it has been several hours and I’m still looking fresh.
I may have finally found an affordable bb cream from the states!

Beaty Blender Review and How To Use

BEAUTY BLENDER REVIEW

So I know I’m super late on the beauty blender wagon, but I finally caved and bought a kit from amazon.com 38 dollars later (eek!). I was really skeptical especially for having to pay that much for a sponge. 
Before I opened my beauty blender I watched the how to video on the official beauty blender website and read tons of reviews and watched a bunch of youtube videos. I’m happy I did, because it’s not like any old makeup sponge.
You have to remove it carefully from it’s packaging to not cause any damage to the sponge. To use, you need to run it under the faucet while squeezing. The beauty blender grows before your eyes. Next you have to squeeze out any excess water and wrap it in a towel and squeeze again. This is all much faster when you do it in real life and not as much work as it sounds.
The water prevents you from using too much product, but I do find that I use more product than if I were to apply my makeup with a brush or my fingers. So you know I tend to be on the less is more on my foundation.
To apply the makeup with the beauty blender I pour a bit of my foundation or bb cream onto the back of my hand and then dab the beauty blender in the product. Then in a stippling and bouncing motion i tap the blender on my face starting from my nose blending out.
The beauty blender really does an amazing job at covering the skin and creating a flawless finish that looks airbrushed. The coverage is medium to heavy with the beauty blender. I was shocked at the amazing coverage from just my bb cream and the beauty blender. I also did my first impression with the beauty blender with the Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation and it never gave me as much coverage as it did when applied with the beauty blender. You can find the video on my youtube channel and here.
I have to say that the beauty bender really did live up to the hype. While I feel the cost is a bit steep, I’m really enjoying the application and it’s fun to bounce the cute pink sponge on my face in the morning. It feels nice, the coverage is great, and it’s quite easy to clean as well. I’ll be doing a how to video on that soon. I look forward to using my beauty blender each morning and find that the finish it provides is natural, yet flawless.
So as long as you follow the directions, I think it’s worth it. Not sure how long a beauty blender will last, but I did get the kit with the cleaner and I’m trying to take very good care of it, depending on the longevity
of my beauty blender, I’d definitely repurchase one based on my weeks worth of use so far. Who would have thought a little pink sponge could do so much for makeup. 

Lime Crime Lipstick First Impression and Review

SKIN 79 BB CREAM REVIEW

First off I’d like to say I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect bb cream. I have to say that the western bb creams mostly have been a disappointment. They are more like tinted moisturizers than anything and I find most make me very greasy by the end of the day.
Now I do like the Revlon Photo Ready bb cream. I feel like it’s a decent bb cream from a drugstore usually running about $8. However, I’m not sure how much anti aging qualities it has or if it actually improves my skin at all.

I also like the Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Tinted Treatment. While it does not have the words BB cream in the name, it does a great job at protecting, smoothing, and hydrating my skin. I do need to set it with a matte powder. I find that I notice a difference in my skin after using it. It costs $70 and is a bit pricey for my wallet. 
NOW the skin 79 bb cream in the hot pink pump packaging is what I’ve been looking for! At first pump I was shocked at how well it covered, protected, smoothed, and just brightened m skin. At first it comes off a little gray and ashy on the skin, but as it sets into the skin it creates an amazing smooth finish. The coverage is medium and defiantly build able. I don’t need concealer after I apply with a damp sponge.
I really can’t even do this product justice trying to describe it. I love the natural finish and it’s not greasy at all. It has brighting properties and age fighting properties and also includes SPF. It only comes in one shade, so if you have a darker skin tone, this really won’t work for you. Most Asian BB creams probably own’t work for anyone with a darker skin tone, which is a downside to bb creams. 
This is an actual Asian bb cream where bb creams originated, so I guess I shouldn’t be so shocked, but after hearing so much and only having tried the western ones I had my doubts. The only thing is it is hard to find. I found mine from prettyandcute.com and they tend to be out of stock on many items. The site is great and process the order very efficiently and fast.