Surprise Haul | Makeup from Reggie!

So I've been stressed out to the max lately. Basically I am either always working, sleeping, or in school, and I barely have the energy to play with my makeup. But Reggie was so sweet to send me a care package full of stuff that I can't wait to try! It quite literally made my day so special that day, and I hate that it has taken me so long to haul!

Okay! So let's get started on one of my favorite things in this package!

The Balm Nude 'Tude Palette

From top to bottom: Serious, Sexy, Sophisticated, Selfish, Stubborn, Sassy

From top to bottom: Sleek, Silly, Seductive, Sultry, Stand-offish (can't really see it), snobby (can't really see it)

These shadows are gorgeous. I think Sophisticated, Sexy, Sultry, and Stubborn are my favorites at the moment. I will be sure to post some looks with these now that I have some more time! This palette is GORGEOUS and I can't thank you enough, Reggie!

Sincerely by Harvey Prince

Humans, I have found my perfume designer. Harvey Prince stuff smells incredible. This and Hello have both been awesome, as has Ageless. I don't love this as much as I love Hello, but this is PERFECT for spring and summer! It's got a floral scent to it without being too perfumey, and I don't smell like the elderly woman who lives next door to me. It's not overpowering, but it's smell-able. Love.

MAC Lipstick in Fresh Salmon

This is actually much more pigmented than the picture shows.  I adoooore this shade. I will be wearing it a lot. For real. How pretty is that? It's the perfect blend of peachy and salmon and pink, without being too orange and without being Barbie Dream House Pink. Very, very pretty.

Pacifica Eyeshadow in Ethereal

That is the most gorgeous color right there. It looks great on my eyes, too. I haven't used it a ton, but I love it. Plus, I love Pacifica products in general. I'm trying to incorporate cruelty free products into my regimen, and this is a great way to do it. Pacifica products are ones I've never been disappointed in. This didn't disappoint, either!

Starlooks Lip Gloss: Guilty Pleasure | The Balm Lip Gloss: Read My Lips

Top: Starlooks Guilty Pleasure
Bottom: The Balm Read My Lips Lip Gloss

These colors are so pretty! They're right up my alley! The Balm one was actually one I received in my Birchbox for February (Which I'll get to posting eventually), and I liked the color a lot. They're a tiny bit sticky for my tastes, but I may mix them with something else to get that goop to go away. The colors are too pretty to waste!

Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette Samples

I feel like a turd because I can't find this to swatch individually (the hazards of living with a cat and a part-time dog who love to knock things off desks...), but I remember loving it. I did receive the Revealed 2 in a Boxycharm (which again, I'll get to posting eventually), and I have adored it. I will be using these samples up post haste. Once they're found. Probably under a bed or a nightstand. Doesn't mean I didn't love them.

Coastal Scents Liquid Eyeliner

I have never been a liquid eyeliner gal, but I love Coastal Scents, so this may be the product to convert me! I'm so excited to give it a shot. I've wanted to branch out a little with my makeup as well, so that will be the perfect way to do it! 

Benefit Fake-up Concealer

I have wanted to try this for sooooo looooong, and I finally get the chance to do so! I will get right on it, and I'm ashamed that I haven't yet. It's the perfect size for me to decide if I love it or not, and I'm so stoked to experiment. Very very pumped.

So, this was a really nice package to come home to that day. It's a late haul, but it's so appreciated. It made my day and continues to make my day when I use one of the products in it. So, thank you Reggie, for your kindness and thoughtfulness! 

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - December 2014

It has been an age since I reviewed a Boxycharm. So I will do that now. I have 5-6 months worth of products still sitting in their boxes for the most part because I've been so busy. But that changes now. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

December 2014 Boxycharm: Jingle Belles

So I remember this box being hit and miss. There were a couple of things in it that were 'meh' for me, but there was a clear hit in there as well.

Product #1:  Coastal Scents Revealed Palette
I am now the proud owner of a gazillion palettes, and I love it. For real, though, I do. The Revealed palette is gorgeous. To save on the ridiculous amount of pictures, I won't swatch the colors, but it's got tons of pretty browns, golds, and burnt colors in there. Some are glittery, some are not. There's a pretty good variety on them, and I've loved all the Coastal Scents items I've tried before. Their palettes are usually very good and the pigmentation on their shadows is usually right there. So I'm excited to give it a shot.

Product #2: Lina Lashes Luxury Mink Lashes
This was a nice value for the box, but I don't wear fake lashes. I just don't. I'm sure they're cool for someone who wears false lashes, but not for me. Just... a miss. A $30 value is really nice for someone who's into lashes, though.

Product #3: Mistura Beauty Solutions Retractable Beauty Brush
Retractable brushes aren't my thing. There's just something about them that I don't dig. I like the stability of my RealTechniques brushes, and even my BareMinerals brushes. But I will say that this one is very soft, and it's again, a great value for the box. Boxycharm doesn't play around for $21/month. This was a $19.99 value in and of itself, So it's something worth trying, for sure.

Product #4: Be a Bombshell Lip Product in Tango
I don't hate it. But I'm not sure about it. The lipstick wasn't damaged when I opened the box, but I opened it today to swatch, and the entire lipstick fell out. I can live with it, but I'm disappointed. It's a little bright for my taste, but I will definitely give it a go. I need to branch out. And I generally like Be a Bombshell products, so I'm sure this one won't be any different.

Product #5: Eva NYC Hairspray
I don't use hairspray. So this one was kind of a bummer for me! Not really into this one. I'm sure I can pass it along to someone who may want it though.


Overall, this was a great box. Not everything was super duper amazing, but I will definitely get some use out of the products and the value is IN.CRED.I.BLE. So, I'm excited.

Tarte Pin Up Girl Holiday Blush Palette: Swatches + Review

I was so bummed when I missed out on last year's holiday collections because I just wasn't wearing a full face of makeup. My normal routine was BB Cream, powder, and maybe a dusting of blush if I was feeling either pale or ambitious. This year, I wanted to make sure that I bought at least one blush palette, the Nars or the Tarte, because I've been wearing blush and bronzer daily.

I decided on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush palette because the Nars palette wasn't yet announced. This palette was probably going to be less money and I already know I like the Tarte blushes, plus these are all limited edition colors.

This is the packaging for the palette. It looks like a little golden clutch. I do have to agree with everyone else and say that it is on the bulky side, but this isn't something I'm going to be tossing in my purse. Right now, I just keep the palette on one of the my shelves in the bathroom. The little pearl hair pins actually can be removed and used in your hair. I haven't even bothered with those yet. I might just take them off the palette so that they don't leave an indent.

Bulky packaging aside, I do have to say my biggest con for this palette is that the names not listed anywhere on the actual palette. The insert shown above slips out of the palette even when it's closed. The only other spot that has the names is the back of the box. Eventually, I want to know which blush I've been using. I do still have the box and the insert, but it would be so much more convenient to have the blush names printed on the package, especially since there's already a sticker on the back.

From top: Irreplaceable, Bashful, Whimsy, Embraced, Breathless.

Looking back, I'm actually glad I didn't get the Off the Cuff palette from last year. It contains permanent colors, one of which I don't like and another that I own which is a bronzer. I really like these colors better.
Additionally, I've actually worn all of these colors and I can say I definitely love them. It's nice being able to have five colors all in one spot.

Embraced and Bashful are the only two shimmery colors and the other three are matte. I've really been into neutral and nude blushes, so Breathless was a nice addition to the palette for me. That said, Embraced and Irreplaceable are probably my favorite colors in the palette, followed closely by Bashful. I think Breathless just isn't a standout because my favorite for a nude cheek is Tarte's Exposed, which I have in a single pan. I'm also not a huge fan of pale pink blushes like Whimsy. I like this color because it doesn't come off like Pepto Bismol like some blushes and it isn't chalky, but I'm not ready for the color yet. It just doesn't mix well with my bronzer like the other colors do.

I think the only other thing worth mentioning is that these blushes are powdery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just realized the first time I was trying these out that a bunch of powder kicked up when I swirled my brush in the pan. I'm used to how MAC blushes are a bit stiffer. The color pay off on these are great, which I think is because of them being slightly softer and powdery.

Packaging get a B- because I want the names on the palette and it's a little bulky.

Blushes get an A- because I really love them overall and the color selection is nice. Despite the powdery mess you can cause, the colors are worth the pain.

So do I think this is worth $42? Absolutely. I'd rather pay the $42 for this palette than the $65 for the Nars palette that has a huge pan of Laguna bronzer in it and a bunch of colors I won't wear.