Shop My Stash: Fall Blushes

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Hey lovelies,

I’ve been playing with this idea of sharing some things from my makeup stash as I go through things and switch products out, and what better time to start than when the seasons are about to change? So, here I am today with some of my Fall blushes that will be in my regular rotation for the next few months. Some are well loved, and some are yet to be loved.

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Everyday Drugstore Faves:

Milani Rose Blush ‘Awakening Rose” I know, I know, I talk about these rose blushes so often. I can’t help it, they truly are amazing blushes for the price. That and the packaging is to die for. Awakening Rose is a really gorgeous everyday mauve shade, and I actually used this in my last tutorial. I use this shade very often and that pretty rose embossment is still there.

Nyx Powder Blush ‘Dusty Rose” this is a shade that will pair really well with all the trendy dusty rose shades this Fall. It’s more of a satin finish, so it’s not too matte on the skin, and I find the powder blushes last for a long time on my skin, personally. I do find these to be very pigmented and a bit powdery if you use a heavier hand, so make sure to lightly apply this. The Sedona Lace duo fiber brushes are my favorite for applying very pigmented blushes.

Wet n Wild “Mellow Wine” I’ve talked about these blushes before, and for $3 you really can’t go wrong with them. I wear “pearlescent pink” all Summer, and I switch them out for this on in the cooler months. This is another one to use a light hand with. I like to look like Snow White, so I know shades like this won’t be for everyone, especially my fellow pale friends.

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Everyday Matte Blushes

City Color Cosmetics “Papaya” I’ve mentioned these on my blog as well. I picked up a bunch of these for $3 each at my local Five Below, and Papaya is probably my favorite shade of the bunch. It’s a beautiful matte mid-tone peach shade, which is something I gravitate towards for everyday looks, especially when I don’t know what other blush to wear. It pairs well with everything, much like the matte version of Milani’s “Luminoso.”

City Color Cosmetics “Blackberry” Okay, are we seeing a trend yet? I really really love deeper mauve shades. I feel they compliment my skin tone very well since I have natural cool undertones. Don’t let the name of this one scare you, it’s actually a really lovely deeper pink shade that pulls almost purple. If you don’t have a Five Below near you, I will leave my City Color coupon code at the end of the post. No pressure, there’s a lot of codes that float around so you don’t have to use mine. I did purchase these blushes myself though.

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Go Bold or Go Home

Milani Baked Blush “Red Vino” Alright, this shade is not for the faint of heart. It will totally look stunning on darker skin tones, but I use this as my staple “Snow White” shade paired with just mascara and a red lippie. It makes me look flushed, and the gold in this gives a stunning sheen to my skin. It’s a shade that I don’t hear enough about, probably because it is so dark in color.

Kat Von D “Essex” I don’t know if these blushes are available anymore? I’m still going to mention it for anyone that still has these in their local Sephora. Yes, these are $25, but the packaging is beautiful and a little bit of this blush goes a long way. It’s a beautiful rose shade that I tend to wear almost everyday, if I’m being honest. This formula lasts so long on the skin as well, and I really hope these aren’t being discontinued forever.

ColourPop “Cheerio” This is a shade that I haven’t been able to play around with much. It’s another that looks really intimidating in the pan, but swatches lighter on the skin. It’s a marsala type of shade that has a satin finish. I really love this shade and can’t wait to play around with it more as the weather cools down!

That’s it for today’s little “shop my stash” entry. Let me know if you all like this type of post, and I will try to put something else together soon! I really need to go through my stash and show some things some love before I end up with 100 of everything. The joys of being a makeup enthusiast.

Have a good day, beauties.

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The Blush Addict Tag

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Hey lovelies,

Today I have a tag post regarding one of my favorite things to collect and hoard…blushes! I saw this tag on Katie’s page at Plus+ Beauty and knew I had to do this one.

I can’t leave the house with my brows and my blush. I’m super fair, so a bit of color in my cheeks livens my face up a bit and makes me look more awake. I mean, I guess I could do the “cheek pinching” trick, but there’s something about pinching my own cheeks that brings back bad family reunion memories *shudders*

Anyway, on to the questions.

What color blush suits your most?
I feel like cool toned pinks and light peachy nude shades suite me the most.

Pressed, cream or loose blush?
I’ve honestly never cared much for loose blush, and I’m just now dabbling into cream blushes unless you consider Colourpop blushes to be a cream. Most of my collection is pressed.

Favorite shimmery blush?
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Probably my CityColor Cosmetics Baked blushes. They are soooo pretty and pigmented.

Favorite matte blush?
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Kat Von D Everlasting blush in “essex.” It’s such a pretty deep rose shade and is my go to blush in the fall and winter.

Favorite cream blush?
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Colourpop blushes are a very “cream to powder” texture, so I will say them. I really love these blushes. They’re bouncy and pigmented. They’re also very affordable! However, I have been trying a cream blush from Becca that I got off of glambot, and so far I am really impressed by it! I will update on that later!

Favorite drugstore blush?
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This was a bit hard for me because I love Milani blushes, but I also reach for my pearlescent pink by Wet n Wild more than any other blush in my collection. I feel like these blushes need more attention in the blogging world. They’re awesome for the price!

Favorite high end blush?
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My Kat Von D everlasting blushes. These really do last forevvvver on my skin and it doesn’t take much at all. That and the packaging is absolutely stunning. So worth the $25. There’s a reason why so many shades of these are constantly sold out on sephora.com

Biggest blush disappointment?
Probably the elf studio line blushes. Everyone raves about those blushes and I just find them to be underwhelming and they don’t last long on my skin. I do like the $5 mineral line blushes by elf though.

Best blush packaging?
I would have to say the Milani Rose blush packaging or the Too Faced blushing hearts packaging. Both are so cute and end up in so many of my blog photos.

What’s on your blush wishlist?
More Colourpop blushes and more Nyx HD blushes

Holy grail blush?
I guess I would say my Wet n Wild “pearlescent pink” blush because it’s my “go to” but I don’t have one that I love way more than any other. “Love Song” by Kat Von D has been my go to Spring color though along with Nyx’s “Dusty Rose.”
I just really really love blush.

That was it for my blush addict tag! I’m not going to tag anyone in this, so if you want to do it, do it! I would love to see your answers and pictures of your blush stashes if you include them. What are some of your favorite blushes?

I hope you’re all having wonderful days! Later, lovelies.

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Hardcandy Ombre Baked Blush and Highlighter Duo

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Hey lovelies,

Today I wanted to share a few products that I have had for awhile and have been meaning to review and swatch. If you’re new here, there’s something you should know: I love Hard Candy makeup. I think they’re an underrated drugstore brand and I wish I saw more people talking about their products! There are some misses, but lately they have been coming out with some stellar and affordable products, and I want to share a few with you all today.

The two products I want to share are an ombre baked blush and a highlighter duo. The baked blush I believe is permanent, but the heart shaped highlighter is not, sadly.

If you’re unfamiliar with Hard Candy, they’re a Walmart exclusive brand that is also cruelty free. I have done a review of their new Natural Eyes palette that I will link at the end of this post.

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First up, this baked blush. Can we just admire it for a second? It’s so gorgeous. I love baked blushes in general because I find them to be pigmented and shimmery, so many times they act as a highlighter-blush in one. No need for extra steps in my routine on a busy morning? Score! What’s unique about this ombre blush though is that you can kind of “customize” the shade you want based on where you apply your brush. You can go to the white side for just a highlight. You could go on the other side for an intense pink, or somewhere in the middle for a very pretty pink glow. It’s up to you!

This product is very pigmented and swatches very well. It looks beautiful on the cheeks. I have the shade “punch” but I’m really tempted to go and pick up the other shade as well. I find that it doesn’t take much at all to get color to your cheeks, so be wary of that if you’re not into the intense Snow White kind of look (I am, not gonna lie).

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Swatches shown left to right: highlight side alone, everything swirled together, pink side alone

See, it’s totally like getting 3 colors in one product! I love this little baked blush.

Highlighter duo: First off, the cute little heart tin packaging spoke to me. So reminiscent of the Too Faced heart-shaped boxed blushes. It’s not as fancy as the Too Faced ones, but it’s still cute in terms of drugstore packaging. This was part of the collection Hard Candy released for their 20th anniversary.

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There are two sides, obviously. A lighter and darker side. I didn’t know how the darker side would look on my fair skin, but surprisingly this product leans more on the “natural glow” side than the “wam bam highlighter in yo face” side. There’s no visible glitter in it. The texture and finish reminds me much of Physician’s Formula highlighters, and those are my absolute favorite highlighters in the drugstore.

This duo felt very soft and buttery to the touch. You can tell when you touch it that it is finely milled. I’ve also seen people depot the heart very easily by just popping the little booger out and into a z-palette, if that’s something you would want to do.

Because this is a duo, you can use either side or mix both shades together. The swatches I have are of just each side.

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I had to go over each swatch a few times simply because this product really does give a natural glow and it’s pretty hard to overdo it.

It lasted fairly well on my face, but I will say that after about 8 hours it seemed to fade away. I don’t touch up many times throughout the day, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re wanting to wear this all day…it might fade after awhile. Would this be work appropriate? Yes. Appropriate for a night out at the club? Maybe not.

I will say that overall I’m happy with this little tin of prettiness, and I think this will look pretty in the Fall when I want a more toned done “glow from within” type of look. It’s a very pretty champagne highlighter that is pretty good quality in terms of drugstore highlights. Do I like this more than my holy grail Physicians Formula?? No, but I do think this is a nice and cute thing to add to your collection if you’re a Hard Candy lover.

As always, thanks for reading this post if you made it this far, and if you’re new here I hope you stay awhile!

Related posts:

Hard Candy Natural Eyes Review: https://lunafayebeauty.com/2015/03/11/hard-candy-natural-eyes-potential-dupe/

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Things that Make Me Happy about Spring

Ah, Spring is officially here! The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and I am wheezing!

No really, Spring is my worst season of the year in terms of allergies and asthma. Hold your inhalers in the air if you feel me on this one.

Pre-kids I enjoyed Winter because I didn’t mind being alone and inside all of the time. Post-kids I am itching for Spring to be here so we can get the hell outside before we start ripping each others hair out.
So, today I just want to share some pretty pictures and things about what makes me happy about Spring.

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1. Glosses. I don’t know what it is about Spring and Summer, but I am all about glosses during these seasons. Anyone else like that? I think it’s because I am out and about a lot and lip gloss is just easier, yet it has the power to pull a look together. I don’t have to sit and line my lips and conceal for 5 minutes like I do with most lipsticks. I plan on giving my butter and elixir glosses some love this Spring. I’m trying to use what I have and buy less. Key word: trying.

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2. Bright Cheeks! Honestly, I rock a bright cheek all year around, but Spring is when I actually love to play with pinks and corals. Some of my favorites are the City Color Cosmetics blush quad, the Rose duo from BH Cosmetics, and Pearlescent Pink by Wet n Wild. Are you all seeing my obsession with roses and all things rose related yet?

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3. Dewy Skin. My skin is less dry in Spring so I can actually make my skin look a little dewy and glowy! It excites me, don’t judge me. I love the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and the Loreal Magic Lumi I am trying to use up because I actually like the Bourjois one more. The Bourjois healthy mix serum gives me of a satin matte finish, and it smells so much better.

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4. More skin fun. It’s apparent at this point that I am the shade of paper. I used to try to tan and such, but as of 5 years ago I decided to stop it all together and be okay with my skin color. I do sun protect even on cloudy, rainy days in the Spring and Summer. I love this Yes To lotion because it’s thick and doesn’t break me out, and it has spf 30. I’ve also been loving the Pixi glow mist underneath and on top of my makeup. It gives a very healthy glow and feels nice on my skin. My only beef is the sprayer moves a lot and I’m clumsy and miss my face sometimes, thus wasting product.

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5. Bright(ish) nails! Raspberries and neutrals and sometimes lavender is about as adventurous as I get with my nails. You’re judging me, aren’t you? I like my box. My box is safe. My box is gray and cold. Some of my favorite nail polish brands include elf, essie, and wet n wild.

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6. Spring Cleaning and rediscoveries! I really need to go through my palettes and rotate them out and dust a few off and show them some love. I have been trying out so many new products that I have kind of pushed aside some other goodies that I truly do love, namely my Naked palette. I used to use that precious palette everyday. Everyday. Now, with every other neutral palette in existence I haven’t shown the original heartbreaker any of my attention.

Gah, I talk about palettes like they’re children. Maybe I should rotate my children out too and clean them…

Kidding, y’all.
I need to also give my Dark Rose palette some attention because I truly do love it, and I think it may become a staple for me for Spring looks for that “pop of color.” The colors in this palette work together in weird and mysterious ways. I need to unlock it’s magic.

There I go again about palettes…

Anyway those are some things that make me happy about Spring, beauty wise. Life wise I can’t wait to get out and take both my daughters to parks and hear their giggles. I also need to do a huge de-clutter in my life and around my house and just get rid of things.
What are some things that make you happy about Spring, if anything?

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading and I hope you are all having lovely days! Please sign up for email notifications or follow me on here to see more from me if you like me!

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ColourPop Blushes: Review + Swatches

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Hi, my name is Kayla and I’m addicted to ColourPop Cosmetics.
It’s true. I know I have mentioned them on my blog, on my youtube channel, in looks…and I’m sure that people are possibly tired of hearing about them. However, I know there are people that aren’t because they know that this brand is truly worth the hype, and it’s not often that I say that.

So, when I saw that they were releasing blushes I knew I was going to buy some.
If you’re unfamiliar with ColourPop, they are a brand based out of California. They are cruelty free, and I have recently discovered that most of their products are vegan. They are also incredibly affordable. Their eyeshadows and lipsticks are $5.
Their blushes are $8, but there is a ton more product in them.

For comparison:

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Left is a super shock shadow and right is a blush

As you can see, the blush is more than double the size of the shadow, so $8 is still a steal!
I ordered 4 so I could get free shipping (free US shipping at $30).

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Texture These feel a lot like the super shock shadows. Very creamy to the touch, yet they are powders. It’s some sort of sorcery, I swear. It does not take a lot to get pigmentation with these. Trust me, a little will go a long way.

Application The suggested application is with fingers, but if you’re anything like me putting your hands all over your face isn’t ideal. I’m happy to say that these also apply well with a brush. I used a Real Techniques stippling brush and the expert face brush, and both did the job well. You could probably dip a damp beauty blender that’s already in use in there as well and dab it on for a very subtle flush of color.

Pigmentation If you’re all familiar with the super shock shadows, you will know that those babies are beyond pigmented. They are magical. I’m convinced unicorns lick them and that’s why they’re so bright. The blushes are also super pigmented.

Longevity Yep, they also last as long as the eyeshadows as well. The mystery of the fading blush is a real thing in my life, and these did not fade.

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Cheerio– a satin finish blush. A deep cranberry color that leans towards Marsala, in my opinion.

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Between the sheets– a nude pink color with some beige tones in it. Matte finish. I think this shade is perfect for fair skin tones. It’s my ideal everyday shade, especially in Spring.

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Prenup– This is described as a plummy-pink on their website and that is accurate. I’m in love with this color.

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Birthday Suit– described as a neutral pink in a satin finish on their site. Because this is neutral, it can be worn with any eye look, and I like that about it. I wear about any blush with whatever look anyway, because screw rules, but you know…that’s my life.

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These are arm swatches, and seriously this only me building the color up once! They are super pigmented!

I managed to take a few pictures of me wearing “between the sheets.” Please focus on my cheeks, and not the rest of my face. I was in “mom mode.”

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Overall thoughts
– Colourpop has done it again. They have created a product that I am not head over heels in love with and that I will be collecting more of. I believe there are 20 colors in all, and they are all so beautiful. I love that they create shades that can be worn by everyone of every skin tone and they always make sure to swatch on different skin tones. Love this brand, and these blushes.

As usual, thank you for reading and I hope you’re all having lovely days.

New Wet n Wild Haul and Review

New review on my youtube channel. I picked up some of the new wet n wild stuff to try out. Give me your thoughts??

If you have a youtube channel and you want me to check it out, please let me know. I know from still being so new on there that it’s so hard to get your name out there it seems. That and I love following and finding new blogs 🙂 Oh, and subscribe to me or follow me here if you don’t want to miss my reviews and tutorials on there!

Milani Rose Blushes

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Have you ever searched for a few things (makeup wise) so hard that when you finally find it…angels sing and your heart stops for a few seconds? Is it just me?

That could be embarrassing to admit, but I did that when I finally stumbled upon a display at Kmart with the new Milani Rose Blushes and there were blushes left! I will admit to maybe hovering over the display to block anyone else that might have also seen them and drooling for a few seconds.

Totally kidding.

This post is going to be less formal (okay, none of my posts are very formal) because I just want to admire the absolute beauty of these blushes.

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They are so divine. I’m so happy that Milani decided to bring these back and make them permanent. I missed out on the first time they were out, but even if I had gotten some I probably wouldn’t have used them. Now I feel like I can admire and use them since they’re here to stay. I paid $7.99 per blush for these, which is a typical price for Milani. There’s also a shit ton of blush in these it seems. There were 3 colors in the display, and I only picked up 2. I don’t think coral colors flatter my skin tone well, so I left the last Coral Cove on the display for someone else. I am so nice.

I will say that I searched high and low for these babies. From what I have seen online, the displays only have 2 per color stocked, so if you stumble upon them…buy them. If you’re going back and forth on it, just get them because it takes stores a long time to restock things at times, especially during new releases.

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This shade is “tea rose” and it’s a very matte pink shade. I think this is a shade that can be worn with both warm and cool toned looks, in my opinion. I’m no expert, so chances are I’m just saying that because I will wear it with any look no matter what.

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This is the one I wanted the most, and it’s “romantic rose.” It’s a matte mauve color. I love rosy mauve colors. I typically wear brown shadows and bright lips on a day to day basis, so I feel mauve blushes kind of compliment that in a way for me.

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These are the swatches with “tea rose” on the left and “romantic rose” on the right. They are incredibly pigmented. So, these blushes are not only gorgeous and affordable, they’re very pigmented and smooth to the touch.

Perfect product. Perfect luck. I am so happy with this find! I hope you all enjoyed this shorter review! It’s snowing a bit here in Tennessee, so I hope everyone is staying warm!

Tell me about your favorite makeup finds lately?

Review: Physicians Formula Argan Oil Blush

I was at Ulta a few days ago, mostly because I needed a few more dollars to become a platinum member (woot!), but partially because I wanted to look for some new products since many stores are setting out the Spring 2015 lines for some brands.

I came across this little beauty, which was actually on the ground. It hadn’t even been put on display yet. Like the actual display was on the ground. I snagged that shit, anyway. No shame in my game.

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But I mean…LOOK. This blush is gorgeous! This blush was $13 at my local Ulta, which is pricey for a drugstore blush, but Physicians Formula never fails to amaze with their adorable packaging. I hope whoever comes up with the cute ideas gets raises all of the time.

The first thing I noticed about this blush was the beautiful scent. I opened the lid and it just wafted in my face like a bouquet of flowers. Such a fresh and pretty scent.
When I did a swatch I noticed the gold glitter on top is indeed an over spray, which is sad, but this blush is still so smooth and pigmented. This one is in the shade “rose” and it’s just a very pretty and everyday sort of pink blush. It doesn’t feel creamy, but it’s also not powdery. It’s that perfect and smooth texture that seems to glide on to the skin.

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I’ve worn this once on my cheeks and it’s very pale skin friendly and gives a nice pink glow. If you’re into pink blushes, definitely look into this one. I know there’s at least one other shade, but I think I will wait for a sale to get that one and maybe the bronzer. I know that many CVS stores are just starting their Cosmetics resets (inside source aka da boyfriend works there and helps a momma out) and physician’s formula is on sale basically every other week there.

Now if I could just find those damn shimmer strips! I want them so bad, but my city seems to get everything last! My bank account probably loves the suspense, but I don’t.

2014 Makeup Favorites

Ah, the post where I try to wrap up my entire year in beauty in one place *gulps*
This has been a tough post for me. 2014 seemed like a big year makeup wise for me. So many amazing products came into my life, some of which are here to stay for possibly forever (or until discontinued).

Brace yourselves, a long post is coming.

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First, I want to talk about the Revealed 2 palette by Coastal Scents. I was once someone that swore Urban Decay made the best palettes…then I bought this one. I use this palette about any time I am not reviewing something or creating a tutorial. It’s so versatile and I feel it really suites my green eyes. There’s really not a color in this palette that I don’t love.
The shadows are very smooth and pigmented. Totally a palette that I would recommend to anyone that doesn’t already own it.

Second, the elf prism palette in “Naked” which is probably my second favorite palette at the moment. I’ve talked about this palette so much, but it deserves the attention. I won’t go into too much detail to avoid putting everyone to asleep, but just order this palette. You will thank me.

Concealing is a big part of my makeup routine. I have fairly clear skin, but I have very dark under eyes from being super pale and an asthmatic. I look like a real life Tim Burton character some days. The Nyx HD concealers have been a staple in my makeup routine for pretty much the entire year. I have tried and liked other concealers, but these are just beyond amazing. I mix both porcelain and lavender together to create the perfect shade to conceal and highlight my under eyes. The only downfall is that there doesn’t seem to be a ton of product in the tubes, but at $5 each it’s okay.

The Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade was a product that I purchased twice in the year 2014. Yep, that’s when you know the love for a product is real, especially if you’re someone that is constantly trying new products like myself. I currently have the shade ebony, and even though I still don’t think this shade is dark enough, I make it work. I love it that much. When I need a very carved out and precise brow…this is what I use. Holy grail status.

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I would be no where without my Manic Panic white foundation, or at least my face would be a different color than my neck. I always bring this up when a fellow pale warrior talks about the struggle of finding foundations that are light enough. This product has helped me to bring some of my old favorite foundations back into my life. I just mix a few pumps in and apply to my face. It doesn’t change the foundation. It’s perfect. I’ve been through 2 bottles this year alone.

Going with the face thing, I do have to mention my Elf acne fighting foundation. There are cons to this products such as not being light enough, swatches looking different online than in person etc, but the formula and coverage are amazing. I wear this when my skin is less than satisfactory. It has salicylic acid in it, but not a lot so it’s never made my face feel dry. For $6, I would recommend everyone try this out if they’re looking for a great full coverage foundation.

The Too Faced Cocoa Powder didn’t come into my life until later on the year, but it’s still worthy of being mentioned in this post. I have the shade “light” (duh) and I use it to set my foundation if I’m wearing a BB cream, or I wear it alone on “no makeup” days. It doesn’t get cakey at all, and it looks beautiful on my skin. Powders are a hit and miss with my because my skin is very dry in some places, but this powder doesn’t cling to my dry spots. Worth every penny. And the packaging is so freakin’ adorable. Too Faced always creates the cutest packaging.

The Mary-Loumanizer by The Balm has been a product I have been wanting to try for so long and I finally found it 50% off on hautelook.com one day. This product is incredible, and I will repurchase it at full price if need be. However, I don’t foresee running out of this product anytime soon. This is my go-to highlighter if I’m not reviewing/creating a look and I haven’t even made a dent in the product. Very very little goes a long way. I feel this is the holy grail highlighter for pale folks. It gives a very healthy glow, and paired with a nice peachy blush it makes me look like I had the best orgasm of my entire life.
Too much info? Oh well 😉

At the top of the picture, that’s my real techniques miracle sponge. I own several of these. I’m in love with them. I use it to blend foundation, concealer, and my contouring. I also use it to apply powder. I have no idea what I was doing before this sponge came into my life. If you have dry skin and brushes on your face make your foundation cling to dry spots, buy this sponge. It’s $6 at most places (on sale often at Ulta) and incredible. Just trust me.

My almost everyday contouring product has been the Nyx blush in Taupe. It’s a product that’s talked about often in the beauty community, so I won’t ramble too much, but it’s truly spectacular on pale skin. It’s cool toned and doesn’t make me look orange.

I’m a blush fanatic. The products I buy the most have to be blush and lipstick. However, I reach for Elf’s Studio Blush in “Wanderlust” often, especially in the fall and winter. It’s a deep plumish-mauve color and very cool toned. I wear a lot of cool toned looks, so this has been an almost everyday blush for me lately. It’s very pigmented, so use a very light hand with it if you’re pale. I feel this is a color that can flatter every skin tone though.

Now…on to lip products. This was the hardest part for me because I love lipstick and stuff.

Probably my favorite lip product discovery of 2014 in general has to be liquid lipsticks. I reach for them often and they last fo-freakin-EVA on my lips.

A new brand I have discovered is Pretty Zombie Cosmetics. I purchased “Zombettie” and “Black Cat” awhile back, and I reach for Zombettie so often. It’s a very pin-up vintage red and super matte, but not drying. Pretty Zombie has liquid lipsticks that are $12 each (cheaper than many) and it’s a vegan brand. However, they have been slightly MIA from instagram and it’s raising concerns for some. Apparently, it’s a one woman army running the company and has been overwhelmed with all of the people in love with her product. Not that I can blame them. The packaging, price, and product are all spot on. I don’t feel ethically right purchasing Lime Crime after reading and witnessing some things, so I hope that this brand releases more in 2015. I went to the site a few days ago and it looks like there’s a new burgundy shade to be released in January, and I am flippin’ excited about it.

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Okay, forgot I had a lone non-lip product in this picture haha. If you’ve been keeping up with my blog or youtube channel you have probably heard me mention the physician’s formula eye booster pen in “ultra black” at least a bajillion times. It’s my favorite liquid eyeliner. It makes creating wings super easy, and it’s half the price of the Kat Von D pen ringing in at $9. Life changing product.

Speaking of Kat Von D, I can’t hate on her products at all because her brand is probably my favorite to buy when I have the money to splurge. I bought the liquid lipstick in “Lolita” on a whim a few months back, and damn I’m glad I did. From what I’ve seen this color has been hard to get a hold of at times throughout the fall and into winter. It’s such a beautiful brown nude color though. It’s my go-to nude lately, and probably will continue to be into 2015. I’m obsessed.

Too Faced was a brand I had never tried until not too long ago. Once I tried this brand I have been hooked and I love when I can try out new products. One of my favorite lip products for the year is also by Too Faced, and that is the shade “Fig” from the Melted Lipstick line. It’s such a beautiful and perfect plum toned color. I feel this is a very flattering color on pale skin tones, and would probably look great on everyone. I really need to get my hands on several of the new colors though.

Last, but certainly not least, are the LA Girl Lip Paints in “Tempt” and “Blushing.” I own about 8 of these babies ($4 each) and they are all beautiful, but these were my most used. I don’t like sticky gloss, but these aren’t sticky whatsoever. They’re super pigmented and look great alone or on top of other colors. Tempt is a very dark berry color, and Blushing is a gorgeous darker mauve shade.

If you made it to the end of this post…congrats. This was a long one. I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2015 in every way, not just in terms of beauty.

Online Haul: Part One (With Swatches)

Ah, it’s that time of year again. The time of year my bank account dreads.
I’m not one to fight crowds. I worked at Target for 4 years and I do not want to participate in that mess. If you do, fine, it’s just not my jam. However, I have been on the lookout for the best online deals the past 1.5 weeks for my kids, and a bit for myself (moms deserve presents, too) and found a few amazing deals. I wanted to share a few of the things that I received in the mail on Friday because I am SUPER excited to try them out. When I get new makeup in the mail I have to open it up and play with it right then. Swatch it, apply it, put it all over my face. Okay, maybe not that last one.

Anyway, my first major score was the Coastal Scents Revealed Palette. If you’ve been following me for a bit you’ve probably seen me mention the Revealed 2 palette a lot. It’s my baby. I am in love with that palette and reach for it more than I do my Naked palettes. So, of course I’ve been wanting the original Revealed palette for awhile now. I know that these palettes are old news to many, but they’re new to me and I’m obsessed. I ended up getting the Revealed palette for $5 + shipping which is incredible! I almost squealed.

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I just love these stickers that Coastal Scents sends in their packages. So adorable. The palette comes in a thin, cardboard case and there are 20 shades total. I will say that a con of these palettes is that there are no names on them. I have no way of knowing what the exact names of my favorite shades are in case I hit pan.

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These are the swatches of all 20 colors on top of a primer. The first two shades did not want to show up on my alabastor skin, sorry. There are a few matte shades in this palette, but not many. I love how cool toned this palette is though. I wear a lot of cool toned makeup since it compliments my complexion and I wear mostly cool/blue toned lipsticks.

The second part of this haul came from Ulta. They were running a one day deal where you could get $5 off a $10 purchase and get free shipping on any purchase, no minimum. I will say that I made two orders just so I could use the coupon twice…shhh. The second part of my purchase is going to be a part of a video first impression though, so be on the lookout for it 😉 I’ve been wanting to give the brand Essence a try, so I picked a few things out. I got two of the lipsticks and a blush.

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Bottom to top: lipstick “On the Catwalk,” lipstick “Barely There,” blush “Autumn Peach”

The lipsticks feel very creamy and applied very well and evenly on my arm. I can’t wait to try these colors out! The blush is just a very peachy blush, and honestly the picture on Ulta made the blush seem darker than what it is. It’s a lovely color, just now what I have been looking for. I have several colors like this already. I’ve been looking for a darker peach with an almost red tint (if that makes sense) if anyone can recommend one. I want a color like that for winter to give me a “flushed” look without looking like I have wind burn.

The last thing I ordered was just a Nyx concealer that I needed to get because mine is almost out. In all, that order was $9 shipped and I got cash back on ebates since they were doing double the cash back for many places all week long. I am very pleased with this small haul! Anyone else score any amazing deals this week??

I’m going to be doing a no buy in the month of December (possibly longer) to focus solely on Christmas and getting a few things done around our house and such. I need to do a no buy period.
I hope you all enjoyed this post even though the products I bought are old news. I ordered some super exciting limited edition things on Black Friday though that should be here next week that I can’t wait to share and play around with and create looks. If you’re doing most of your holiday shopping online, make sure to look into ebates if you haven’t already to get cash back!