Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette

Hello everyone!

I hope your Wednesday is going well so far. Today I'm reviewing the new Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour palette that I've had for a few weeks. I took advantage of the Sephora VIB sale back in April and snagged another palette. I truly am an eyeshadow palette lover hoarder!

The new Shade and Light Eye Contour palette is an all matte eyeshadow palette featuring a good mix of cool and warm tones. It literally has every neutral shade you could ever need! If I'm being honest, I was a little hesitant to try this Kat Von D palette because I've never really been impressed with the brand overall. I do love the tattoo liquid liner though! We all know that face contouring is all the rage right now and now it's becoming a thing for the eyes too. The concept of this palette is to help define the eye thus providing an enhanced look; similar to the effect we get when we contour our faces.

I was pleasantly surprised by the color selection, pigmentation and overall performance of each eyeshadow. I have been reaching for this a lot since I've gotten it and I really like incorporating it into my looks. I really don't need more neutral mattes but hey what's a few more?!

The Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour palette contains 12 matte eyeshadows. The top row of larger eyeshadows each contain 0.08 oz of product and the vertical eyeshadows each contain 0.04 oz. of product. I'd say the sizes are great and will last a while. It's currently available on Sephora.com for $46.

Let's take a look......

The exterior package is the traditional cardboard. The quality of it is very nice. It's definitely very Kat Von D!! 

All eyeshadow names are printed on the back
:)

 Swatches.....

Laetus, samael, solas, lucius

lazarus, saleos, shax, liberatus

ludwin, succubus, sytry, latinus

The overall pigmentation is great. These matte eyeshadows feel really creamy and blend easily too. I would recommend this palette to anyone seeking an all matte eyeshadow palette or to anyone who needs good basic neutrals.

Here's a look I created using this palette. This "Smokey Mattes" full tutorial is up on my YouTube beauty channel- click here to watch.

I hope this review was helpful :)

Thank you for stopping by,
xoxo
~Lexi

Make Up For Ever Artist Palettes (Summer 2015) Review & Swatches

Hello all,

I am so very excited to share my thoughts and photos on the brand new Make Up For Ever Artist eyeshadow palettes. These two palettes are part of the new MUFE Summer 2015 collection and can be purchased through Sephora. Each palette is $42 and contains 9 eyeshadows each 0.06 oz.....which is almost the same amount (0.07 oz.) as the full size shadows that run $21 a piece. I mean...this is an insanely good value! Artist 1 palette contains nine beautiful neutrals while Artist 2 palette has nine colorful/brighter shades.

I've wanted to try the new MUFE Artist eyeshadows for quite sometime but when I see the $21 price tag for each....I get very hesitant. So when I spotted these during the Sephora VIB/VIB Rouge 15% off sale last week, I knew I had to snag them and QUICK! If you've been wanting to try out MUFE, I'd say grab these while you can  now and thank me later.

I can sum up my initial reaction with two words.....Blown Away! I quickly realized how amazingly creamy, pigmented and intense these are. Two Thumbs Up!!

Here are the photos :) Enjoy!

$42 each 

I love design! The exterior packaging is the standard cardboard but very well made. The mirror is also a great size if you were to take this on travels. 

I really like the sleek look of these palettes as well!

Artist Shadows 1~

Shadow numbers & finishes
Artist 1 palette

Artist Shadow 1 

Artist 1 palette is full of great neutrals that I feel everyone should own. Neutrals are so invaluable in my collection and these will definitely be used often. Great color selection and pigmentation on these. A must have in my opinion!

Artist 2 Shadows~

Shadow numbers and finishes.
Artist 2

Artist 2 swatches

Artist 2 palette is much more vivid in color which is awesome for Spring and Summer. I am blown away by the pigmentation and creaminess of these eyeshadows. I am now realizing what I have been missing out on all this time. I would recommend this palette to any eyeshadow lover or to anyone needing colorful shadows. I really love this one.

Here's a side by side comparison of both palettes :)

(Left) Artist 1
(Right) Artist 2

Overall, I am very impressed and happy I got these! Honestly, if you needed eyeshadows, these two palettes is all that you would need with the except of a few mid tone neutral matte shadows. I hope this review was helpful. *Subscribe to my YouTube beauty channel (click here) to see these and many more palettes in action!

Have a great day :)

xoxo

~Lexi

Smashbox Minibox Palette Review & Swatches

Hi there!

In a previous makeup haul that I posted on my YouTube beauty channel, I mentioned this new kit from Smashbox called the "Minibox palette". I'm finally getting around to posting my thoughts on this set. The reason I decided to try this kit was because Emily Noel from BeautyBroadcast has raved about the Smashbox Photo Op eyeshadow formula for many years. Emily has stated in several of her videos that she prefers the Photo Op eyeshadow formula over other Smashbox eyeshadows. Yes...apparently the brand has two different formulations for their shadows.

It's been years since I've used anything from Smashbox which by the way is a brand found in Ulta stores and online. At the time when I purchased this set, I paid $39 and more recently it has been discounted online. I think this may be due to the fact that this was a limited edition Spring 2015 product. But regardless of whether or not this is available, you can still purchase the Photo Op eyeshadows in singles or in palettes. The mascara and lip gloss formulas can be purchased individually as well.

So let's jump right in.....

Minibox Palette Set

• Kit includes 8 Photo Op eyeshadows, 1 Highlighter, 1 Bronzer, Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pink Lady and a full size Full Expose mascara. 

Front packaging

Back side-contains names and product sizes for each color

Here's a glance at what's inside:

~First half of palette~

L to R:
Suntan, Geranium, Lens

• 'Lens' is a shimmery peach color which is a pretty but I don't prefer it as a highlight for my fair skin. It'd use this more as an eyeshadow or I would recommend using on top of a blush to add some glow. 
• 'Geranium' is a beautiful matte coral blush. It's very pigmented and I am happy they chose to make this a matte blush.
• 'Suntan' is a matte bronzer. It does have a slight orange-y vibe but if used lightly it'll do the job. This tone of bronzer is more suited for the summer season.

*Keep in mind, you wouldn't actually wear either of these with this much intensity. They do look softer when applied lightly with a powder/blush brush. 

~Second half of palette~

8 Photo Op eyeshadows

L to R:
Vanilla, Nude, Ambient, Sienna

L to R:
Cinder, Rose, Peacock, Ultra Marine

• Cinder: shimmery taupe
• Rose: shimmery rose
• Peacock: shimmery golden aqua
• Ultra Marine: deep shimmery true navy
• Vanilla: matte ivory
• Nude: matte light tan
• Ambient: metallic gold
• Sienna: metallic bronze

All eyeshadow colors are very creamy, smooth and pigmented. They also blend well together and mixed with other brands. I'm very pleased with the color selection, quality and overall pigmentation.

The Be Legendary Lip Gloss in 'Pink Lady' is a flesh tone nude with a slight pinky golden shimmer. It's a pretty color and I like mixing it with other shades. On it's own, it looks more like a very faint nude....almost clear with a hint shimmer. 

Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pink Lady

Pink Lady swatch

I didn't take pictures of the mascara but the applicator is a traditional style. It's also very large in comparison to others brands I've used. I'm not the biggest fan of Smashbox mascaras so this isn't one I'd run out to repurchase. 

Overall, I think this set is good for the $128 value it claims to have. Sets like these are a great way to try a new brand or for anyone wanting to experiment with different eyeshadow colors. There's only one drawback for me on this palette...... see below

As you use makeup brushes to apply the products, it kicks up a lot of powder thus causing this mess. I don't like how the powder mess transfers from one side of the palette to the other. Realistically, I wouldn't want to see any dark eyeshadow fall out lingering in my blush and/or highlight. This issue is kinda annoying every time I bust this thing out.


Dupe Alert!!! Listed below are MUG (Makeup Geek) dupes for these Smashbox eyeshadows:

• Cinder- Prom Night by MUG (exact dupe) or Moondust and/or Homecoming are similar
• Rose- Twilight by MUG (MUG one has a slight purple undertone but it's close)
• Peacock- Glass Slipper and/or Mermaid by MUG
• Ultra Marine- Nautica (both aren't exact dupes but the MUG one gives similar effect)
• Vanilla-Vanilla Bean by MUG (same color except the MUG one has a sheen to it)
• Nude- Barcelona Beach by MUG (closest MUG shade) 
• Ambient- Glamorous by MUG
• Sienna- Taupe Notch by MUG (not the same finish but the tone is close enough)

Finally, here's a look I created using this palette: 

*The full tutorial can be found here on my YouTube Beauty channel!

I hope this review for helpful to you. Thank you for taking the time to read and for stopping by!

xoxo,

~Lexi 

Too Faced Sugar Pop Eyeshadow Palette

Hello everyone!

So recently I picked up the new Sugar Pop eyeshadow palette from Too Faced while browsing through Sephora. I wasn't planning on purchasing any summery eyeshadow palettes this season but when I saw this one, I felt like I needed it. This was a total impulse purchase by the way, but so far I'm liking it.

This eyeshadow palette is part of the new Too Faced summer 2015 collection. If you would like to shop this palette or any other piece from this collection, click here. This palette is available on the Too Faced website (linked above), at Ulta stores and also at Sephora and it retails for $36. Sugar Pop contains 9 eyeshadows; most of which have a gold sparkle to them. There are 4 shimmery finishes, only one matte finish and 4 with that golden sparkle. I don't find that the gold sparkle finish is too glittery but it's something to make note of.

As you can already see, this palette is full of bright tones which I feel are perfect for Spring and Summer.

Here are closeups of the 3 large eyeshadows:

taken with flash to show the sparkle

Rock Candy: an ivory with gold sparkle. It's not a super chunky glitter but definitely noticeable.

Strawberry Ice: shimmery soft pastel pink with a subtle lilac hint.

Peach Fuzz: soft peach with gold sparkle.

 Macaron: coral orange with golden sparkle

Malted Milk Ball: shimmery bronze

Sugared Violet: shimmery jewel tone purple
Blackberry: matte dusty berry

Bubblegum: shimmery bright magenta with golden sparkle.
Blue Raspberry: shimmery bright teal


Swatches shown below are without primer~

All of the colors are very pigmented whereas in previous Too Faced palettes, there's usually one or two duds in my opinion. I feel this palette offers a good variety of bright tones that are creamy and easy to work with.


Here's a look I created (tutorial will be posted tomorrow on my YouTube beauty channel- GlamourbyLexi)
*I applied Sugared Violet to the lid and Blackberry in the crease. On the lower lash line, I applied Blue Raspberry as a pop of color. I really like the way it turned out :)

If you are looking for bright colored eyeshadows for spring and summer, this palette would be ideal. I am very pleased with the color selection in this one. If I had to choose one thing to change, I'd make the lightest shade (Rock Candy) a matte finish. But since I own so many matte highlight shades, it's not a deal breaker for me. If you are not into golden sparkle finishes in eyeshadows, then you may not like this one. Although, the sparkle isn't too bad, it's something to consider!

I hope you found this review helpful :)


Thanks for stopping by,

xoxo
~Lexi

My New Adventure: Starting My Own Brand!!

Hello everyone!

I hope your Tuesday is going great so far. I know today is not my normal blogging day but I wanted to make up for the few weeks of no posting. I'm definitely back in the saddle where blogging is concerned.

I have started a new journey that I would like to share with all of you. I decided to finally take the steps towards accomplishing one of my biggest dreams in life....to start my own cosmetic line. Yes! My very own brand!! I'm so excited :)

I have been a lover of all things makeup including nail polish for so many years and I'm sure that's evident with this blog and my YouTube beauty channel. While working in the cosmetic industry for a major cosmetics company a few years back; I realized how deep my love for makeup truly went. Being surrounded by makeup in my beauty studio makes me very happy so with that love and passion I decided that I was going to pursue my dream.  

I'm started my brand very small with nail polish. This girl loves her some nail polish! I do have an insane nail polish stash which I'm happy to report that I've downsized to a more manageable collection! I can happily say that I am no longer hanging onto bottles for the sake of having tons of bottles to look at.

My brand is called Girlosity Cosmetics and it was launched March 2015! My product line includes five handcrafted nail polishes. I decided to go down the indie avenue for my brand for many different reasons. Firstly, I like to be hands-on on every aspect of my business and product. I'm not one to pay for private labeling in order to kick start my business. Secondly, indie nail polishes are truly unique and are labors of love. The complexity and creativity surrounding all things indie polish is so different from mainstream nail polish brands. I love having the ability to create whatever I want and knowing that there isn't a dupe for my creation. Thirdly, stepping into the indie business arena allows me to have complete control over everything (i.e. polish colors, makeup products, launch dates, sales, marketing, etc.) and the direction in which my company takes. The makeup aspect won't happen for a few years since that part is much more intricate and requires a lot of time and planning. Stay tuned for that part!

Let's get into the colors....woohoo!!!

❈ Girlosity Cosmetics ❈

Luscious Lavender~ A soft pale lavender color with ultra fine holographic glitters. My macro lens has a hard time capturing such ultra fine glitter particles. The holo glitter is so fine that it's as if tinker bell came and dropped some magical dust into my batch! Luscious Lavender is so delicately elegant and a definite go-to for spring and summer.

Opal~A glitter topper that gives such a beautiful multidimensional look on the nails. This glitter polish is full of different sized iridescent glitters, color shifting shreds and flakies. It's a great look on natural nails but can be intensified worn over base colors as shown above. 

Pastel Dreams~ A creamy white crelly base full of pastel colored glitters in many different sizes. A crelly base is a little more opaque than jelly formulas that simply tint the nail a specific color but thinner than fully opaque polishes. The opacity can definitely be increased with additional coats. I would recommend 2 to 3 coats to achieve the look in the photo above.

Heavenly Holo~ a holographic glitter topper that give the most gorgeous prismatic look to the nails. The photo above shows this applied to natural nails (3 thin coats) but it can look more intense over darker base colors. It's like having a rainbow effect on your nails! Who wouldn't love that?!

Field of Blues~ I'd like to say this one captures springtime in a bottle. It's full of different shades of blue glitters with holographic glitters and scattered white daisies for spring. Photo above shows this on natural nails with 2 thin coats. Field of Blues can be worn as shown or over any neutral base color. It'll work great as an accent nail too.

So there you have it, those are my first five handcrafted nail lacquers! I have full size (15ml) and mini size (5ml) available in limited quantities on my Etsy shop. If you would like to see more photos and order these before they're gone, click here ----->  http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlositycosmetics

I'm so glad that I'm finally sharing this new journey with you. I hope you enjoyed this peek into another side of my life. I certainly hope you'll join me for the ride!

*Other ways to connect with Girlosity Cosmetics

Twitter |  @GirlosityCo

Instagram |  @GirlosityCosmetics

Wordpress Blog |  http://girlositycosmetics.wordpress.com

Facebook |  http://goo.gl/EjEeG6

*Follow Girlosity Cosmetics through social media to stay up to date on upcoming collection launches, sales, freebies and much more :)

Want to see my YouTube beauty videos? click here

Thank you for taking the time to read and for your continued support ❤︎ 

xoxo

~Lexi