BH Cosmetics Dark Rose Palette

December 11, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 2 Comments

This was actually a cyber Monday treat that just arrived in the mail today. BH Cosmetics was having a sale where this palette was $8.95 + I found a 10% off code and I got back 15% through ebates. This is a limited edition palette, so when I was able to get it for that price I was very happy! I love BH Cosmetics to begin with, and everything about this palette is so alluring to me. The colors and the packaging…it looked perfect.

Shipping was a bit delayed for BH Cosmetics, but they did say on the website before ordering that shipping could be delayed, and that was fine. However, when this came in the mail I seriously opened it up before anything else and immediately started admiring it and playing around with it. The inside is so beautiful! This palette is pretty big, and there’s a pretty decent amount of product in it. There are 12 eyeshadow colors, 3 blushes, and 1 liquid eyeliner that come in this set. I was excited that this came with a liquid felt tip liner instead of a pencil. I tend to just throw pencils away or gift them. I’m a liquid/gel liner kind of gal.

These are swatches of all 12 eyeshadows. The glittery ones aren’t as pigmented, but for the most part they are all very smooth and pigmented! Very impressed with the quality of these shadows. I’ve had my eye on this palette since it came out, but didn’t buy it in fear that the colors might have been too random. However, once I saw the review that Dani from CoffeebreakwithDani did and the look she created I was sold, and from there I knew that it would go on sale. EVERYTHING on BH Cosmetics eventually goes on sale for 50% off or more…just wait. That’s my friendly brand tip of the day.

Anyway, once I started playing around with these colors on my eyes (one look for one eye and another on the other eye, duh) I realized all of these colors truly do compliment each other, strangely enough. I absolutely love the brown shades and plum shades in this palette.

These are the swatches of the 3 blushes that come in the palette. I love that there are both warm and cool options in terms of blushes. I wear cool toned blushes myself most days, so the third mauve type color will probably be the one that gets the most usage from me!

This is a look I created using the palette. The only color I didn’t use from the palette was the tranisition shade which was “creme brulee” by makeup geek. That’s my only con to this palette…there’s not a true transition shade unless you lightly use one of the matte shades as one. Anyway, I used the shimmery champagne shade all over the lid and on my brow bone as a highlight, the darker matte brown in the crease well blended and the shimmery dark brown shade in the outer v blended into the crease as well. I used the matte purple shade on the bottom lash line as a “pop” of color to the look. I have the matte mauve shade on my cheeks (it’s not very pigmented) and I used the liquid eyeliner to create a cat wing. It was very easy to use, surprisingly. Overall, I’m very happy with this palette and can’t wait to play around with it some more 😀

Swatch Sunday: Random Lippies

December 7, 2014December 11, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I have quite a few lipsticks that I have bought over the past few weeks that are beautiful and blogworthy, but I didn’t buy enough of each line to really justify doing a whole post about each. So, I’m doing a lipstick swatch “dump” of sorts.

First up, I bought 3 LA Girl Creme lip colors to try them out. These retail for $4 each on average.
As you can tell, the packaging is a bit cheap and can get pretty messy. However, for the messy packaging the product itself is very creamy and applies smoothly. The colors are opaque. I normally don’t like many creamier formulas, but these are nice.

Left to Right: Promise, Amour, Kiss & Tell
I’ve been reaching for Kiss & Tell a lot over the past week. It’s such a beautiful brown with red tint to it. It looks superb paired with a dark red lip liner.

This is a photo taken the other day of me wearing “kiss & tell” with a deep red underneath. Love this combo.

Next, these teeny Kat Von D lippies were my second Black Friday snag while shopping online on Sephora. I didn’t need them, but I have a weakness for MINI things I couldn’t help it.
There’s not much to say about these because I already own two of the studded lipsticks and an everlasting liquid lipstick. I love the formulas of both of these lines. Both of these were $10 and for Kat Von D anything, that’s a steal. Even though I didn’t need these, no regrets. No regrets

Berlin is a matte darker rosy shade. I will probably be reaching for this come Spring and Summer. Lolita is a matte brownish nude shade. I own Lolita in the liquid form as well and it’s my favorite color of life.

Last, I have a couple Nyx lippies. I have “Whipped Caviar” from the Matte line (Kylie Jenner dupe, supposedly) and “Pops” from the butter line. I love the formulas of basically any Nyx line of lipstick. Super affordable, super opaque, super super.

Bottom swatch is Whipped Caviar (matte) and top is Pops (butter)

I will say that the matte one wears very comfortably on the lips as well as the butter one. The butter lipsticks seriously apply like…butter. Can you tell I am all about the brown/mauve nudes right now? I am stocking up while there are so many out because this is my go-to shade all of the time. If you’re very fair, I would suggest trying out the mauve/darker nude trend because I find it to be such a flattering way to wear a nude without it washing me out. That’s a totally personal opinion though and I can understand why some are tired of hearing about the “Kylie Jenner” lip.

I’m honestly ready to start finding some Marsala shades in my collection right about now. I’m not ever one for trends, but the last few color trends have been shades that I love already and work with often on an everyday basis.

I hope you all enjoyed my quick swatch sunday post with all of my random lippies. Have a gorgeous day!

Review and Swatches: Benefit Blush Palette

November 6, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Before I begin this post, I would like to point out that the name of my blog has changed. I have been wanting to change it for a bit to reflect both of my daughters, Harmony and Piper. Luna is (one) of Piper’s middle names and Faye is (one) of Harmony’s middle names, in case anyone was curious about how Luna Faye is connected to them. Thanks for reading and stopping by!

Ah, the holidays are upon us which means food, family…and holiday makeup collections. I am a sucker for the cute packaging and smaller product sizes that come out this time of the year. However, I am actively trying to avoid buying everything, so I told myself I would only get what I felt was worth the money and would be something I would use.

Telling myself that alone helped me to really research the things I wanted and figure out what I was going to buy. My birthday is November 15, so I am currently using the “it’s almost my birthday!” excuse to buy a few things that I have had my eyes on for a bit. The first thing on my list was the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot palette. I have always heard so many amazing things about the Hoola bronzer, but I could never justify it to myself to spend $28 on just a bronzer.

This palette is $36, and comes with 5 blushes, a bronzer, and a small cream highlighter. Considering one blush/bronzer from Benefit costs $28…I was sold solely on that. The products are not full sized, of course, but from what I have read Benefit’s blushes and bronzers tend to last quite awhile.

This is what the packaging looks like. It’s extremely Christmas-y. I can’t say I am too excited about the packaging, but the inside of the packaging makes up for it. The packaging itself is kind of bulky and reminds me of the corny candy tins from drugstores, but I was willing to try and overlook that. Side note: the little roof thing does come off for easier storage.

Look at that beauty. I have read that the “bellabomba” shade in this set was discontinued, so I am assuming that if this was a shade that you wanted in the past this may be your last chance to get it. I’ve also read that these can be depotted and put into a z palette by taking them out of the foam. I may wait and see if someone makes a video about it because I do not want to risk messing anything up, personally. There’s also a clear plastic screen that came with the set to show the names of colors so that you know the colors even after the stamp on the product wears off. I would keep the plastic handy if you feel you need to know the names after they wear off.

Swatches from bottom to top:

Dandelion, Bellabomba, Sugar Bomb, Hoola, Coralista, and the shade swatched underneath everything is Rockateur. I tried to make a decent swatch of the “watts up” cream highlighter, but I am so pale that it doesn’t look like anything more than a sparkle on my skin. However, there are tons of swatches throughout the internet of this product. It’s loved by many.
I have a feeling that I am going to be using Dandelion, Hoola, and Rockateur often. I love all of the colors though. There’s not a shade in the set that I can’t see myself using.
I totally feel like this holiday set is worth the $36 despite the minor packaging problems. What are some holiday sets that you have on your wish lists this year?

Let’s Talk about Amazing and Affordable Face Products

November 3, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Personally, when I watch videos and read blogs by my favorite beauty bloggers I catch myself day dreaming about high end products. I can’t be the only one. The products that I want to try out, but sadly can’t afford right now thanks to life and kids. Not that it upsets me at all. I love my life and kids with all of my being.
I do know that I am not the only one that is constantly looking for amazing and affordable makeup products though. Too many times I catch myself thinking that if I had more higher end products my makeup would look flawless, but then I remember that it’s truly about finding what’s right for you and how you apply it.
So, I want to do a few blogs about amazing and totally affordable makeup products, starting with some of my favorite everyday face products. Of course, these are just what works for me and my face, but I hope that everyone that reads this either finds a new awesome product to try out or that they take away a few tips on finding these products for even cheaper than they already are.
I will also include a separate picture of swatches for the blush, highlighter, and bronzer at the end of the post.

Wet n Wild blush in “Pearlescent Pink” – Holy grail blush. I use this blush almost everyday. That’s why the packaging looks kind of dirty. It’s the perfect shade of pink for me and has the slightest hint of shimmer. It’s so beautiful, and a shade that would work on many skin tones. These retail alone at around $3 most retail stores, which is incredible by itself, but I find these on sale so often at CVS and Walgreens. Wet n Wild also releases coupons in the newspaper often, so if you’re a coupon clipper (raises hand!) keep an eye out for them. I have scored so many free Wet n Wild products stacking sales with coupons.

LA Girl Pro Concealer– if you follow many youtubers and bloggers, chances are you have heard others raving about this very product. It’s so amazing and I just got it myself a few months back. I have horrible dark circles due to being extremely pale and having allergies, and this concealer covers my under eye circles and doesn’t look caked on. I use the lightest shade, obviously. This concealer retails for $5 on the la girls website, but I found mine for way cheaper on ebay. I got 3 tubes for $7.
Quick Ebay tip– when buying makeup always make sure you’re buying from a well known buyer with great feedback. Sometimes people are awful and sell fake products. There are a lot of great sellers on there that do sell the real deal for real cheap.

Nyx Matte Bronzer– This is a newer addition to my collection. I have searching for what seems like forever for a flattering contour shade for my skin tone. I typically use Nyx blush in “Taupe” which is amazing as well, but I wanted to switch it up a bit. This line has different shades for different skin tones, so naturally I picked out the shade called “light” that is supposed to be for lighter skin tones. It is a nice bronzer for light skin, maybe a bit on the warmer side for my liking, but a light hand while applying can easily fix that. The packaging is also very sleek and pretty.

Nyx Matte Finishing Spray– This has been in my possession for awhile (can you tell by the makeup all over the bottle?) and I love it! It’s perfect for everyday matte makeup looks for me when I want to set my makeup, but I don’t want to use up any of my Urban Decay spray.

Wet n Wild Highlighter– This is from the Fergie line in the color ‘Rose Champagne.” It’s so beautiful and affordable. It’s a champagne color with a hint of pink. Super flattering on fair skin. There is so much product in this for the price. I would recommend anyone try this if they are as obsessed with highlighters as I am. I hope the dewy skin look is here to stay.

Nyx Eyebrow Gel– I know this is technically not a “face” product, but eyebrows are a must for a complete face look. I’ve been using the black shade from this line for awhile now, and I love it. I still tend to reach for my dipbrow pomade most days, but if I am wanting a very bold brow I reach for this one. It takes the smallest amount of product to do both eyebrows, and it applies so easily. I use an angled brush to apply it. This product does set quickly, but it also stays ALL DAY. It’s an awesome and ridiculously affordable product that I would recommend to anyone to at least try.

Nyx HD concealer in “Lavender”– I use this concealer probably everyday. Usually I put this on under my foundation to cancel out the darkness under my eyes. I also use it to lighten up concealer if it’s a bit too dark. It serves multiple purposes, and costs $5. Amazing. Highly recommend for anyone with intense dark circles or is extremely fair and has trouble finding a light enough concealer.

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Powder– If you follow my blog you have probably seen my first impressions post about this powder, if not I will link my review post of it at the end. I haven’t had this powder long enough to say it’s a staple yet, but it is a great powder for the price. BH Cosmetics has sales constantly on their site, and this powder tends to be about $7 on their site most days. My tips for using this powder are to use the elf powder brush (the studio one with the flat top) and just pat it into the skin if you’re using it to set your foundation or concealer. It works for me. I find that when I sweep powder across my face in a typical swirly motion it can kind of stick to dry spots easier. But do whatever works for you 🙂

Elf Acne Fighting Foundation– This foundation is something that is on my face often. I LOVE this foundation, and I mention it often in my “face of the day” posts. It’s supposed to be blemished skin friendly, but besides that it is also very full coverage and extremely affordable at $6 on the eyeslipsface website. I will say that if you have very fair skin and you don’t have a white mixing agent like the manic panic white dream tone foundation that you may want to hold out on buying it until you have both. The lightest shade on me is a few shades too dark, and I have a to use 2-3 pumps of white to get it to my exact shade, but it’s still an amazing foundation if you’re looking for a less expensive full coverage foundation to add to your life.

Elf Mineral Face Primer– The one in the picture is the green toned one, but I also have the plain clear toned mineral face primer. I use the green one on an almost daily basis because it’s supposed to correct red skin. I naturally have a bit of red in my skin on my cheeks, and this helps to correct it a little. Aside from that, it’s $5 (I think) and can be found on elf’s website or in many Target stores. This primer feels amazing on the skin, and the ingredients do not break my skin out whatsoever.

Swatches from bottom to top: Wet n Wild “pearlescent pink,” Wet n Wild “rose champagne glow,” and Nyx Matte Bronzer in “light.”

Last tip for saving money, especially with all of the holiday things coming out- use ebates. I love this site. You get cash back for online shopping through their site. Example: I recently got 4% cash back on a Sephora purchase online, and 7.5% back on BH cosmetics. If you do a lot of online shopping please create an account through them. I think you get a check or paypal credit every 3 months for what you’ve earned…don’t quote me on that though.
Anyway, I hope this blog has been somewhat enjoyable or helpful. If you’re interested in any other affordable products I have in my arsenal, please feel free to make requests on what you may want to see me focus on.

BH Cosmetics Powder review: https://kaylahutchison.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/first-impression-too-faced-cocoa-powder-and-bh-cosmetics-studio-pro-powder/

Face of the day: out of my comfort zone

October 8, 2014October 8, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I’m typically pretty comfortable in the neutral zone in terms of eye makeup. I was getting bored, so I wanted to switch things up a bit and try a pop of color.
I did go for a neutral look on my lids because I wanted to focus on the pop of color and my lips today. So, I used a standard matte white color and a matte brown blended in the crease. I then used my bh cosmetics Hollywood palette and blended the two blue shades on my lower lash line. I took the Nyx liquid eyeliner in extreme blue and created a winged eyeliner and put on ardell lashes in 117.
For my face I kept it simple. Foundation, concealer and wet n wild’s blush in pearlescent pink. I put a little highlight at the very tops of my cheeks just so my face wouldn’t look too matte.
On my lips is manic panic’s glamnation lipstick in nosferatu. I love this formula. It’s matte and easy to work with. The name of the lipstick itself seemed appropriate for October as well ❤
I'm pretty happy with how my journey out of the neutral box went.

Trend Thursday: Dark Nude Lips

October 2, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I know that every beauty blogger has touched on the subject of the “Kylie Jenner” (I will admit I barely know who she is) look, but I am going to touch on it as well. When I saw the sudden boom of dark nude lipstick tutorials my first thought was actually, “That reminds me of the 90’s trend.” I was right. The celebrity’s look and the 90’s brownish-mauve lipstick looks are one in the same.

Even though I don’t know much about Kylie Jenner, I do know that I love dark nude shades for several reasons. 1) I think they are very flattering on many skin tones 2) it’s a nude look that someone as pale as me can get excited about. That’s right, if you are a pale princess that wasn’t able to get behind the flesh toned nude trend last year because it made you look dead (it did for me at least) you can get behind this trend!

So, in today’s post I want to show a few products and swatches of lipsticks that I think are right on trend, and include a few looks that I created with these products at the end of the post.

First is Kat Von D’s studded lipstick in the shade “Lovecraft.” These lipsticks retail for $21 at Sephora, so this is definetely a high end choice. It is a lovely choice though. This lipstick is matte and even better, it smells like a vanilla cupcake! I am fairly obsessed with Kat Von D’s line as a whole, so her products are some of the only non drugstore items I will purchase. I mostly bought this shade for the name, I won’t even lie (Any other H.P. Lovecraft fans on here?). However, it’s quickly become one of my go to nudes for everyday looks. It’s not very dark, but it is a mauve matte shade. With that being said, matte formulas can be a bit drying so I would suggest always mosturizing and priming your lips before using a matte formula.

Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in the shade “1995.” This lipstick and brand has quickly gone from not mentioned often to booming in a very quick time span. This lipstick was created to give the 90’s look, as suggested by the name. Beauty Blogger Jaclyn Hill (one of my fave bloggers) actually collaborated with Gerard Cosmetics for this shade, and it is BEAUTIFUL. From the packaging to the color, it’s flawless. It’s not too matte, and it’s not creamy. I would still use a balm before putting this shade on, but it’s not as drying of a formula as the Kat Von D shade. These retail on their site for $19, but there are about a million Gerard Cosmetics coupon codes floating around. I used the code “emma” and received 20% off my order + free shipping.

Rimmell London Kat Moss lipstick in the shade “08.” I apologize in advance for the non cruelty free product, but this has been in my possession for awhile now and it’s the cheapest option I have to talk about. I do want to talk about at least one shade that can be found in drugstores that I already possess. This formula is not matte whatsoever, but it’s not shiny either. It’s more on the mauve side than it is on the nude. This shade is beautiful and would be an ideal everyday nude for very pale skin tones. These typically retail between $4-5 but Rimmel seems to be on sale often at Target and CVS.

Kat Von D’s liquid everlasting lipstick in the shade “Lolita.” Another Kat Von D product? Yes, I told you I am obsessed. I picked this up on impulse while getting some blush, and it’s probably the best impulse makeup purchase I have made in quite some time. This shade is everything I imagine when I think of dark nudes. It’s the perfect blend of mauve and dark brown. It’s matte. It’s long lasting. It’s perfect. I put this on the other day and ate 2 meals and drank lots of water and this stuff does not budge. Can we also talk about that packaging? Ugh, so gorgeous. These retail at $19 at Sephora, which is a bit cheaper than the Lime Crime Velvetines, which is what this formula reminds me of, except less messy. I can get a perfect application with the applicator it comes with, which is saying something for a liquid lipstick.

Swatches left to right: Lovecraft (Kat Von D) 1995 (Gerard) 08 (rimmel london) Lolita (Kat Von D)

First look with full list of products used:

Eyes- Too faced Natural Eyes Palette with Heaven on the lid and as a highlight, and Cashmere Bunny blended into the crease. Light cat wing made with Physicians Formula eye booster eyeliner pen in ultra black (favorite eyeliner). Red Cherry Lashes in #605 with a coat of Urban Decay’s Perversion mascara to blend lashes.

Face- Elf Mineral primer in the shade green, Elf acne fighting foundation in the shade Ivory with 1 pump of Manic Panic white dream tone foundation to lighten it. Elf matte bronzer in Fiji as a light contour, and Kat Von D’s Everlasting blush in Essex. Elf Highlighter in the shade Moonlight Pearls on the tops of my cheeks and LA Girl’s HD concealer in the lightest shade under my eyes.

Lips- Kat Von D’s liquid lipstick in Lolita

Second look:

Brows- Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade in Ebony with a dark brown matte powder.
Eyes- BareMinerals 5 in 1 bb eye cream in Divine Wine as a base. Too Faced Natural Eyes palette for the rest- Heaven lightly dusted on the lids, Cashmere Bunny and the nude fashion shade bleneded into the crease and the shimmery Classic shade as a highlight. Cat eyes made using Physicians Formula eye booster pen in Ultra Black. Urban Decay’s Perversion mascara on top lashes with the primer underneath, and Wet n Wild’s mega length mascara on bottom lashes. Also blended in Cashmer Bunny and Nude shade lightly on bottom lash line.

Face- Elf Acne fighting foundation in Ivory with 1 pump of Manic Panic’s white foundation. Primed my face with The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil pore minimizing primer and elf’s undereye primer under my eyes. Light contour with Fiji by elf, and blush is elf’s mineral blush in Wanderlust. Highlighter is The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer and under eye concealer is LA Girl’s HD concealer in the lightest shade

Lips- 1995 by Gerard Cosmetics

These are only 2 looks, but there are so many options when a neutral lip is being used. I’m more of a neutral kind of girl myself. I wear a lot of brown and black toned things, and it shows in my makeup and even in my closet. How are some ways that you have been wearing this new trend? Have you tried a dark nude lip?