Coastal Scents Haul

Hello again readers!

I have some goodies from Coastal Scents that I thought I'd share! I was wanting a couple of the palettes, and I couldn't resist getting a few eye shadow singles either.

The Coastal Scents Shadow Pots retail for $1.95 a piece. Of course, there are  often times where you can get them for a dollar a piece, which makes buffing up your collection or a palette quite easy. I picked up Reef Blue, Niagara, and Deep Grape.

They do not have magnet attachments to them (and if they do, they are incredibly weak!), so to put them into my MAC palette, I had to add magnets to the back of them.

Reef Blue:

An aqua blue matte. The shade is pretty sheer, and I would need a white base to really make it pop, but I've always wanted an aqua blue shadow. A little chalky.

Niagara:

A teal with a gold shift. This one is really pigmented, and easy to use. The shimmers I found to be more pigmented, as is the case with a lot of shadows.

Deep Grape:

A matte violet. This one was patchy and also chalky, so I would need a good base to make this work.

I also picked up both the Revealed, and the Revealed 2 palettes. They retail for $20 bucks a piece, but I snagged them each for $10 during one of their sales around Christmas time. Each palette contains 20 shadows, all of them unnamed. I'm sure you can find dupes among their hot-pots, but they don't really help you with that. It's frustrating, especially if you love a color and want to get a backup, and you have to track it down yourself.

The Revealed palette is like if the Urban Decay Naked, and Naked 2 palettes had a baby.

A nice mixture of neutrals, with both warm and cool tones. There are 15 shimmers, and 5 mattes.

Eyeshadows 1-5

1: Matte yellow toned nude shadow

2: Beige shimmer

3: Rose Gold Shimmer

4: Camel Brown Matte

5: Brown-Taupe Matte

Eyeshadows 6-10

6: Brown Shimmer

7: Matte Light-Brown

8: Warm Gold Shimmer

9: Brown Shimmer

10: Silver-Taupe Shimmer

Eyeshadows 11-15

11: Copper Shimmer

12: Brown Shimmer

13: Taupe Shimmer

14: Khaki-Brown Shimmer

15: Rose/Brown Shimmer

Eyeshadows 16-20

16: Brown Taupe Shimmer

17: Copper Shimmer

18: Deep Brown Shimmer

19: Gunmetal Grey Shimmer

20: Matte Black

The Revealed 2 Palette has dupes for the Naked 3 Palette. 

This palette is more warm-toned than the first, with a focus on warm browns, nudes, and pinks.

Eyeshadows 1-5

1: Nude Satin

2: Matte Beige

3: Peach Gold Shimmer

4: Dusty Pink Shimmer (dusty with a TON of fallout!!)

5: Rose Shimmer

Eyeshadows 6-10

6: Brown Blush Matte

7: Pale Gold Shimmer

8: Berry Shimmer

9: Warm Copper Shimmer

10: Light Bronze Shimmer

Eyeshadows 11-15

11: Mauve-Brown Matte

12: Brown Shimmer

13: Red-Brown Matte

14: Cool-Brown Shimmer

15: Brown-Rose Shimmer

Eyeshadows 16-20

16: Taupe Brown Shimmer

17: Matte Berry

18: Matte Brown

19: Cool Brown with Red Shimmer

20: Satin Black

The shimmers were easy to work with, but the mattes I needed to really work with to get them to show their full potential. Being cheap, it wasn't a big deal for me, but it is a hassle. 

I like the shadows, but they're not the best quality to be completely honest. I wouldn't give them up, because I like using them, and they blend incredibly easy, but some of the shadows require some T.L.C., and it can be easily frustrated, especially if you like to do your makeup quickly and go.

Thanks for reading!

Hourglass Liquid Lipstick - Canvas

Hello again readers!

I'm not really one for lip products, I'm always hoping that I'll find a product that I love so much that I can't get enough of them (NYX Butter Glosses are a great example of this!) so I'm always willing to dip my toes into the next pool of lip products.

Today I bring you the Hourglass The Indestructable Matte Liquid Lipstick in Canvas.

I picked it up from the travel section, because $28 for a full-size (.10 oz) just didn't seem to fit my budget, especially if I wasn't going to be over the moon with it. $10 (.03 oz) was a much more comfortable fit (even if it's still really expensive, especially for such a tiny container!).

The Liquid Lipstick comes in a container with a cool-toned metallic casing, with a small clear plastic window to see the product inside. The other travel-sized liquid lipstick, Iconic, the classic red, comes in a warm-toned metallic casing. In the full-size, I believe they are all cool-toned metallic casings.

It's so unbelievably tiny though! It's the length of my pinky, and just fits so comfortably in my hand. Hard to believe how expensive it is, but that's what we're working with. 

I'm not sure why there's a line in the product (maybe because of the thickness of the formula, or perhaps it's drying out?) but I have tried to get it seamless, and it's just not going to happen any time soon.

The only way to know the name of this product, is a sticker on the back. That within opening was already sort of loose, and over time I see this falling right off. I'm not sure how the bigger ones are labeled, but this is ridiculous. For a product I spent ten dollars on, to have just a sticker that will come off easily is not a good thing. There are only two small-sizes, and they're  not hard to tell apart, but if you have a lot of lip colors the name of them might escape you, and having to stop and look it up is exhausting. 

The applicator is a long, skinny applicator, with a flexible head. I don't like that it's flexible, because it makes applying the product a little bit harder, and it seems almost too flexible, like it's going to break off the more I use it. It hasn't happened yet, but I can see it being only a matter of time...

The color of Canvas is just so perfect. It's a dusty rose pink, and I fell in love with the color. IT goes on a little thick, and sometimes there are... chunks? It's strange, but they brush away and I don't mind it too much.

The product dries down to a matte finish, and then it just gets to be a little troublesome. It flakes and pulls as the time goes on, because it dries down to be a little sticky. It's kind of like a vinyl lip product, where it has a bit of a plastic feeling (at least for me!) and I was a little surprised. I took it off, and reapplied if I was out at night, or for events like Christmas, or Easter.

I like the look, but the product just doesn't do it for me. I'm going to continue to use it, because I like the color, but I'm disappointed in the formula. Hourglass I always looked to to be a very prestigious, high-end brand that would deliver flawless makeup. It hasn't delivered for me so far, and it's a little bit of a let down.

Thanks for reading!

Benefit The Porefessional

Hello again readers!

I'm pretty pleased to be branching out on makeup products, and trying things I wasn't sure if I'd like or not. I'm wanting to try new primers, and I picked up The Porefessional by Benefit.

I picked up the travel size ($10), to get a feel for it before I decided if I would like to invest in the full-size ($31) or look somewhere else. The packaging is a mint green and cream soft plastic, with a black hard plastic cap. I'm not really drawn into the Benefit packaging, even if so many think it's 'cute'. It's just not for me, but so many makeup users have raved about this product, that I didn't let the cutesy packaging deter me.

The product comes out with a tint, that I didn't find to effect the application. It does not tint the skin at all. It also has a scent to it, it's light, but it's still there. I'm not sure how long it would last, but once I put my foundation on, it disappears.

The product smooths out seamlessly, and it is very easy to blend into the face. 

I noticed a 'blur' effect to my pores, but I didn't notice any amazing differences between using this product and not using it. I still had pores, and they weren't very diminished either, they were still there. I wasn't impressed with this primer for that, but it did a great job of having a smooth canvas to apply my makeup over. Even with foundation, I still noticed pores, and they didn't look too different tan if I used an entirely different primer at all.

I kept this for when I travel, so I don't have to take a larger primer package along with me, but I don't see myself repurchasing this in the future. We can't all like everything, and even though so many people love this, I just think it's okay.

If you do want to pick this up, I recommend picking up the travel sizes. It's .25 oz each, at $10, and a full-size is .75 for $31. So you can get three travel-sized Porefessional's for $30, or one full-size for $31 with the same amount inside. It's a dollar, so it's not the biggest deal, but it's something to consider.

Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Naked Basics 1 Palette

Hello again readers!

Never went through my drafts, and found this gem! I'm working on organizing some more Indie posts, as well as some recent hauls, so keep your eyes peeled!

The Naked Basics palette has been out for what seems like ages and ages now. I picked this up over a year ago, and I guess now is a better time as any to talk about it.

To start off, the palette retails for $27. The palette itself is really amazing. It has that soft plastic coating on it, that feels smooth and soft to the touch. Sort of a bit like a rubberized plastic. I feel that it makes it a little luxurious, but I can also see it collecting such things such as powder or dust. I haven't had this happen to mine, because I keep mine in the same spot all of the time and reach for it regularly, but the threat is there.

Each of the Naked Basics palettes contains 6 matte eyeshadows. I kept thinking I was going to go around and get the Naked Basics 2, but to be honest, I prefer warmer tones for my eyes, because they make the blue in them pop!

Then again, I might be picking it up anyway in the future for another reason entirely...

Venus:
The only non-matte shade in the palette. A frosty white, that I barely reach for to be honest. I'd prefer it if it was a matte white instead. I don't use it for under my brow bone, and I barely use any for my inner corner, and often I just skip that step entirely. When i use up most of the other shadows, I know this one will be thrown away with it.

Foxy:
A soft off-white yellow cream shade. I don't find myself reaching for this very often, and even though it's warm, I don't really enjoy it. I almost never use this on my eyes.

W.O.S.:
A matte nude shadow. This one is one of my favorites, and looks fantastic as my wash of color for all over my lid. I also love it for brightening up under the brow bone, and I can get a really great look that makes me appear to be awake with ease.

Naked2:
My favorite shade and the only reason I will be sad when this palette is gone. It is the most perfect transition/crease shade, and I cant' get enough of it. It's a mid-tone neutral brown that just fits so easily in my routine. I use it on my lazy days paired with W.O.S. to just darken up the crease area and go on my merry way. The downside to this, is that this shadow has the most fallout out of the entire palette, which breaks my heart because it's the one I use the most.

Faint:
A warm brown. I use this to darken up my crease, and add a more defined look. It applies well, blends well, and I really enjoy it. It's not the most unique shadow out there, but it's a really great formula.

Crave:
Now at first glance this appears black, but I can assure you it's not. It's a blackened brown, that i only use for the outter v of my eyes to really add impact to my look. This is the patchiest color out of the entire palette, and one of the hardest to work with. To get an opaque look, I have to continuously layer it over and over until it builds up enough coverage. Just a little annoying, but for the outter-v I don't need it to be fully opaque.

This is the palette that I would highly suggest really looking at, and maybe swatching on yourself before buying. I love 2/3 of the palette, but the other 1/3 is practically unusable.

I only find myself using four of these shadows; W.O.S., Naked2, Faint, and Crave. I can get a put-together look using just those shades, and I neglect Foxy and Venus almost entirely, with a couple of uses early on in the life of this palette.

If you're in the market for a collection of matte shadows to add to your collection, or if you're interested in having them easily accessible for traveling, then this is a perfect palette for that. Easy to use, great pigmentation, and great to have on hand.

However, if it's not the case, whether you're not fond of mattes, you have too many in your collection, or you don't find yourself travelling, it might be a good idea to skip over it.

Thanks for reading!

May Top 10

Hello again readers!

It's been a wild month. My best friend from Ireland has been staying with us since May 3 (she left today :( ) and I've been going out and having a ball. We did so much, and there's still so much more left to do... Next time she comes to visit, we'll tackle even more things.

Even though I was so busy with bonding, I did get some new goodies (and some old ones) that I just adored for this wonderful time.

May Top 10

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Perfume:

I got this as a 100 point perk from Sephora, and I am so happy to have it. I love this perfume, and it's going to hold me over until I can get myself a full-size.

Italia  Deluxe Lovely Neon Eyes Waterproof Liquid/Pencil Eyeliner Duo - Blue:

I stumbled across these liquid liners on Amazon, and wasn't really sure if they would be worth it... they SO are. They really are waterproof, and this blue liner added a great pop of color to my eyes without much effort.

Fyrinnae Ocelot Lip Lustre:

I just jumped right in and bought the full size over the sample (it's actually cheaper to get the full-size tbh) and even though it's not my favorite pink to wear, it's a pink that I reached for a lot. It's comfortable on the lips, smells like vanilla, and it lasts for a few hours, so what's not to love? I can't wait to get my hands on some more of these...

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - 115:

I tried the 110, and the concealer was too dark. I was bummed, because I do love this concealer, but I just couldn't deal with having orange patches on my face. I found an image that compared the 110 to the 115, and I was surprised to see that the 115 is LIGHTER than the 110, and doesn't oxidize as badly. I was so happy, and it's been a great match for me. It's still a tid dark, but blended out you can't tell at all.

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer:

I'm back to fighting acne, which is a sad fact, but this has been going overtime. Moisturizing and fighting zits is all I could ask for, still working on getting my skin back under control, and it's just an old favorite that I can't stay away from. It's just that good!

City Color Be Matte Blush - Guava:

I have been head over heels for this blusher, and I haven't really touched any of the other blushers in my collection. A natural flush to the cheeks, pigmented color, and not a lot of effort. It blends like a dream!

ELF Mineral Blemish Powder:

A warm welcome back to this powder. I've been using it during the day and at night, and it's been helping me get over a few breakouts. It's been a crazy few months, and my skin is not happy with me, but it's easier to manage with some good products. Paired with the ELF zit zapper, they're a dream team.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Soft  Focus Blush- Greyicious Lilac:

I ended up buying the full size of this blush, that I use as a contour for my face. So, because I now have two, I've been using this product up like crazy. I still have a ways to go, but I'm so happy with how it contours my face I don't mind being repetitive.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Spectral Shift - Corpse Candle:

I've been really into highlights this month, and this highlighter was the one I reached for the most often. You'd be surprise how much use you can get out of a little sample baggie! I brush it on my cheeks, cupids' bow, down my nose and a little bit in the area above my eyebrows. The slight silver tone adds just a little bit of extra without being extreme and incredibly noticeable, and I enjoy the perks of a good highlight.

Salon Perfect Brow Pomade - Light Brown:

I've been working with this, and it's almost perfect. It goes on great, it's creamy, pigmented, but it's just so warm. Although, it's so easy I use it up anyway, and just put a taupe eyeshadow on top (making it darker, but that's the pits), it's not the ideal, but I haven't been reaching for any of my other products since I've been using this one.

Thanks for reading!