Nik the Makeup Junkie

Quarantine Self Care Ideas

2020-04-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

*Some products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
We're all stuck inside, at this point most of us have been inside for well over a month. Unless of course you're an essential worker, like my husband. For those of you who are and who have to go out every day and risk exposure, know that we appreciate you. And maybe this post will be good for you, too.
Today, we're talking about self care. Self care can mean different things to different people. A lot of us associate self care with a face mask and a bubble bath and if that's what works for you, that's great! But that's not all encompassing so I'll be covering a bunch of things, but don't worry, face masks are included.
The first thing you need to do as far as self care, is stop letting people tell you what you should be doing while you're at home. Yes, Karen may think since we all have so much time that we didn't have before, that we should have our entire homes decluttered, lives in perfect order, be learning new skills, starting new projects, working out daily, etc. But that's just not it. For some of us, that's totally fine and healthy to be super productive and get all of these things done. For others, it's just not for us and it's not because we're lazy or anything like that, but some of us process things differently and we can't function that way on a daily basis. Yes, we will have super productive days but we will also have days where we lay on the couch and binge Netflix or read a book all day and that's okay, too! The thing I'm trying to get across here is, do what feels okay for you. You should NEVER stress yourself out over what someone else says you should be doing. Tell Karen to stay in her lane.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get into things you can do for self care purposes.
The obvious, skin care.
We all know I love It Cosmetics skin care, but I also love Pixi and Derma E, so we're going to talk about a few products I've been loving from each of those.

IT COSMETICS MIRACLE WATER - This is my go-to in the mornings after I rinse my face. It just gives your skin a nice glow.
IT COSMETICS SECRET SAUCE MOISTURIZER - This is a moisturizer I use when my skin is feeling on the drier side. It a heavier product and takes a while to sink in, so if you're going to apply makeup, it needs a while to set.

PIXI GLOW TONIC: I use this every night and can definitely tell a difference in my skin if I don't use it. It's a must.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM ROSY TONE: This is a newer moisturizer from It Cosmetics and is the one I use the most often in the mornings. It sinks in fast and leaves my skin glowy and healthy.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN A NECK CREAM: I use this nightly on my neck and chest and can definitely tell a difference in how hydrated it feels.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP: This is the newest product I have from It Cosmetics and I use it EVERY night before bed. It's super hydrating and feels so nice on the skin.

DERMA E OVERNIGHT PEEL, VITAMIN C RENEWING MOISTURIZER, VITAMIN C SERUM. - I use the Overnight Peel twice per week, and the Vitamin C Serum every night. I occasionally swap in the moisturizer during the evenings but I haven't used it as often.

DERMA-E UPLIFT, CALM, CREATE ESSENTIAL OIL MIST: I've been using these for a couple of months now and love them. I've been obsessed with essential oils for a while and find them to be super calming, especially if you're dealing with stress.

In addition to these, I also like to use face masks at least once a week. I have a ton of sheet masks that I alternate out, but my favorite are the Pixi Glow Glycolic Boost masks. I'm currently out of them and don't have a picture of them. I lost a lot of blog pictures because one of my SD cards broke in half, and it just happens it was on that one.

As I mentioned before, another thing some of us like to do for self care are baths. There are bath salts, oils, bubble bars, etc that people like to use. Personally, this doesn't work for me so I have no recommendations here but if this is your thing, please leave recommendations in the comments!

So let's talk other things self care

MEDITATION: I know this is a hard one for a lot of people, myself included. Even as I recommend this, I haven't meditated in months and it's a thing I struggle with. It's proven to help and I just can't bring myself to do it. There are so many apps available if you're like me and struggle with it. The one I recommend trying first is called Headspace. Let me know if you have any other recommendations, I could use them, too!
YOGA: This is another that I say and don't do. I used to do yoga, but I've never gotten to a point where I didn't struggle with it so it was hard for me to keep doing it. If you're interested in trying it, I recommend Yoga with Adriene on Youtube.
BOOKS: Often overlooked, reading is good! And if you're like me and find yourself suddenly acquiring the attention span of a gnat, maybe try Audible. No, I'm not sponsored. I have no codes and nothing to gain, I'm just someone who uses Audible and happens to enjoy it.
NETFLIX: Yes, seriously. There is nothing wrong with spending a day curled up on the couch or even in bed with snacks, a warm blanket and Netflix. If anyone tells you there is, block them. No one needs that kind of negativity.
FOSTER/ADOPT A PET: This is gaining popularity, but it's a great idea. Pets are huge stress relievers and you could find your forever best friend! There are homeless dog and cats everywhere, so why not foster one?
TRY SOMETHING NEW: I know, crazy idea, right? But, hear me out. What better time than now to try something totally new. Been wanting to learn to draw? Want to learn a new language? Want to try to make videos on YouTube? Do it!

Now is the perfect time to take care of yourself. For those of you who aren't working right now, even if it's under the worst circumstances, you have the time to work on yourself. Never have you ever had this kind of time to get to know yourself, to learn about yourself, to figure out what YOU need, what YOU want. Take advantage of that. Run with it. Take the opportunity and use this to your advantage and when we come out of this, emerge from the other side stronger than ever and ready to pursue whatever it is that you truly want.

I hope this post helps you.

IT Cosmetics Holiday 2019

2019-12-16T14:48:00.001-05:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
I'm back with another holiday post and it's going to be an overview and short review of the holiday items released by IT Cosmetics for 2019. This will only cover the ones that I have in my possession.
Let's get started!

YOUR SELFIE-READY SKIN CARE - 5 PIECE RADIANCE BOOSTING, HYDRATING SET. INCLUDES FULL SIZE JE NE SAIS QUOI LIP TREATMENT, FULL SIZE YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER PRIMER, TRAVEL SIZE BYE BYE UNDER EYE EYE CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE SECRET SAUCE MOISTURIZER, TRAVEL SIZE MIRACLE WATER 3-IN-1 TONIC.

This 5 piece set is perfect for someone who is interested in trying new skincare products, especially those with dry skin as the secret sauce moisturizer is super hydrating.

IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR CONFIDENCE SUPER POWERS SET: 7 PIECE SKINCARE AND MASCARA COLLECTION. FULL SIZE SUPERHERO MASCARA, FULL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM ROSY TONE MOISTURIZER, FULL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A GEL LOTION, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CLEANSER, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN AN EYE CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A NECK CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM.

This is a 7 piece set that is great for those who love skin care! The full size Confidence in a Cream Rosy Tone Moisturizer and full size Confidence in a Gel Lotion make keeping your skin moisturized this winter simple.

IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR EYE OPENING SUPER POWERS SET: LASH, BROW, AND EYE TRIO. INCLUDES FULL SIZE SUPERHERO MASCARA, TRAVEL SIZE BROW POWER PENCIL, AND TRAVEL SIZE BYE BYE UNDEREYE EYE CREAM.

This 3 piece set is all about the eyes with a full size mascara, and travel size brow pencil and eye cream. If you're unsure of what to get, you can't go wrong with this set.

IT COSMETICS YOUR BRUSH MAGIC BRUSH SET: 5 PIECE BRUSH SET AND CLUTCH. INCLUDES 5 BRUSHES AND A HOLOGRAPHIC ZIPPER BAG INSIDE OF A HARD CLEAR PLASTIC CLUTCH.

This brush set is the perfect gift for beauty lovers. You can never go wrong with IT Cosmetics brushes, they are the softest brushes I have ever felt, and you can never have too many brushes.

So, these are the sets that I have this year. I don't have a favorite, I love them all and they all have their own purpose. There are also many others available across different price ranges and I totally recommend looking around to see which one meets your needs the best.

You can find these and other gift sets at Ulta, Sephora, ITCosmetics.com, and QVC.

If you need more holiday gift ideas, I have a full post here.

Thanks for reading!

Holiday 2019 Beauty Lover's Gift Guide

2019-11-26T12:17:00.002-05:00

*Some products mentioned were sent for consideration, opinions are my own*
We've made it through another year, most of which I haven't even blogged about but I will soon! Today is not that day. Today, I am here to share some gift ideas with you to help you with your holiday shopping. This post was supposed to go up earlier BUT I was waiting on a few things to arrive, some of which still has not so this post may be updated in the future. Also, anything you see here will most likely be reviewed in it's own separate post if it hasn't already.
Let's get started!

IT COSMETICS SELFIE READY SKINCARE SET : 5 PIECE RADIANCE BOOSTING, HYDRATING SET. INCLUDES FULL SIZE JE NE SAIS QUOI LIP TREATMENT, FULL SIZE YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER PRIMER, TRAVEL SIZE BYE BYE UNDER EYE EYE CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE SECRET SAUCE MOISTURIZER, TRAVEL SIZE MIRACLE WATER 3-IN-1 TONIC.

IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR CONFIDENCE SUPER POWERS SET: 7 PIECE SKINCARE AND MASCARA COLLECTION. FULL SIZE SUPERHERO MASCARA, FULL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM ROSY TONE MOISTURIZER, FULL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A GEL LOTION, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CLEANSER, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN AN EYE CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A NECK CREAM, TRAVEL SIZE CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM.

IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR EYE OPENING SUPER POWERS SET: LASH, BROW, AND EYE TRIO. INCLUDES FULL SIZE SUPERHERO MASCARA, TRAVEL SIZE BROW POWER PENCIL, AND TRAVEL SIZE BYE BYE UNDEREYE EYE CREAM.

IT COSMETICS YOUR BRUSH MAGIC BRUSH SET: 5 PIECE BRUSH SET AND CLUTCH. INCLUDES 5 BRUSHES AND A HOLOGRAPHIC ZIPPER BAG INSIDE OF A HARD CLEAR PLASTIC CLUTCH.

ABH SOFT GLAM PALETTE: 14 PAN NEUTRAL PALETTE WITH 5 SHIMMERS/METALLICS AND 9 MATTES. (review)

COLOURPOP SWEET TALK PALETTE: 12 PAN WARM PEACH-Y TONED PALETTE WITH 7 MATTES AND 5 SHIMMER/METALLIC/GLITTER SHADES.

URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTES: 12 PAN NEUTRAL PALETTES. I'VE SHOWN NAKED HONEY HERE SINCE IT'S THE NEWEST, NAKED HEAT IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE.

PIXI GLOW-Y GOSSAMER DUO: HIGHLIGHTER DUOS, ONE IS GOLD TONED THE OTHER IS PINK/CHAMPAGNE TONED. THESE ARE SUPER SHINY AND METALLIC. (review)

PIXI LIQUID FAIRY LIGHTS: LIQUID GLITTER EYESHADOWS, PERFECT FOR AMPING UP ANY LOOK. (review)

DERMA-E PERFECT TRAVEL KIT: TRAVEL KIT INCLUDES VITAMIN C CONCENTRATED SERUM, HYDRATING NIGHT CREAM, PURIFYING DAILY DETOX SCRUB, TRAVEL BAG AND MIRROR.

STROBE COSMETICS(NOW SHROUD COSMETICS) CREEPY CUTE PALETTE: 8 PAN PASTEL PALETTE. STILL ONE OF MY FAVES. (review)

I tried to include a variety of things this year and I feel like the skin care minis are a great gift always, especially for those without a set routine so they get to try new things and you can never go wrong with an eyeshadow palette.

If you need even more ideas, check out last years gift guide!

Thanks for reading!

Summer Beauty Essentials | 2019

2019-06-26T22:40:00.003-04:00

*Some products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Hi! It's been a minute, and by a minute I mean more than a month. I'm not going to spend a lot of time explaining but I'm attending a very intensive program at the moment that ends in three weeks and it's kept me severely occupied since December. I still love blogging, I still love makeup, I'm just overwhelmed. That's not why we're here so moving on... Today we're going to talk about summer beauty. I love summer and I've been ready for it and I want to share some recommendations with you. We're gonna talk about a little skin care and quite a bit of makeup so let's get into it. We will start with skincare, since that's where you'd naturally begin.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN A GEL LOTION: I've been loving this gel moisturizer. I was skeptical because it's a gel and it sinks in so fast and I have the DRIEST skin so I just assumed this wouldn't work for me. However. It's totally perfect for summer because it's so light weight yet still really moisturizing.

DERMA-E RADIANT FACE GLOW: On the same note of moisturized, glowing skin this oil is amazing. It has some gold shimmer in it but it's just enough to make your skin look glowy but not sparkly. It's totally moisturizing and sinks in so quickly.

DERMA-E ANTI WRINKLE CLEANSER: Let's talk about cleanser really quickly. This one is really great at removing waterproof makeup and it's great at cleansing your skin without drying it out. It's really great and I really love it.
HANHOO ARGAN OIL MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES: Since we're talking about makeup remover, I'm totally obsessed with these wipes. There are many days where I'm lazy with makeup removal and these are great. I keep them in my purse so I can take my makeup off when I'm out if I so choose. They also leave your skin soft and not greasy.

HANHOO BUBBLE UP PEELING PAD: Let's talk about exfoliation. I rarely use a physical exfoliator but when I do, I really like these. They aren't super rough but they do a great job of removing the dead skin that just needs to go.

Now, let's talk about makeup since that's probably what you're here for. I also have another skincare post going up soon about another moisturizer and a ton of drugstore skincare products that I'm excited to be able to recommend.

IT COSMETICS YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER PRIMER: This is a moisturizing primer that feels kind of like a gel. It has a bit of silicon in it but not enough to give it that slippery feel that I hate. It's actually super moisturizing and good at smoothing imperfections.

OSMOSIS CC CREAM: We know I love CC cream and this one is just, so good. The shade that is perfect for me is Ivory. This is one of those CC creams that is white when it comes out of the tube and the color shows after you blend it into the skin. It's super easy to blend and wears really well. I don't need to set it with powder, it gives a great glow, it has a medium coverage, and it lasts all day. What more could I ask for?

PIXI GLOW CAKE: I haven't heard a ton about these but I've been using them for months. It's a bronzer, blush, and highlight in one. There are two shades and I've swatched them for you but you really can't see just how gorgeous it is. It's such a natural looking product and looks great for the summer.

COLOURPOP TINTED BROW GEL: This brow gel is so good. It gives so much volume to your brows and makes them look so full while also tinting them. It doesn't do much for hold so I recommend using a clear brow gel to set them but I still recommend it.

URBAN DECAY BROW ENDOWED: Yes, this is another brow gel. Hear me out. This is dual ended and has a primer on one end and color on the other. The brush on this is super tiny and skinny and grabs every brow hair. It's volumizing while also giving your brows a tint and holds them in place. Something about this gives your brows such a defined look. I included both products because I love them both but if you're looking for a super affordable option, Colourpop is great.

COLOURPOP VOLUMIZING MASCARA: Yes, another affordable product. This mascara is super pigmented, affordable, volumizing, and lengthening. It's not too wet but it's not super dry or heavy. I really like it.
URBAN DECAY PERVERSION WATERPROOF MASCARA: Yes I'm including two mascaras. I know. BUT, sometimes you need a waterproof mascara and since the formula for the Perversion mascara is so good to begin with, had to recommend the waterproof version. It's volumizing, lengthening, doesn't clump and doesn't transfer or flake. It's a total winner.

URBAN DECAY WATERPROOF LIQUID LINER: You absolutely can never go wrong with a waterproof black liner. Need a wing that'll last all night? You can do that with this. It's easy to apply, super pigmented, and doesn't budge.

COLOURPOP ULTRA BLOTTED LIP: We're still on that Colourpop train. The Ultra Blotted Lips are my favorite formula. These are awesome. If you apply them sheerly, they dry down and give a stained effect. You can layer them to make them more intense. I don't find them to be super drying but I tend to wear them under the gloss I'm about to talk about.

COLOURPOP SO JUICY PLUMPING GLOSS: This gloss is just...the best. These are super shiny with sheer pigmentation and are so smooth and not sticky. I hate gloss and I'm obsessed with these.

URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER SETTING SPRAY: I think we all saw this coming. I've been obsessed with this spray for years. If you want something to lock down your makeup and hold it in place, this is what you're looking for.

So that's it! I decided to not include an eyeshadow palette because we're all looking for something different in eyeshadow and I have some amazing ones that I'll be featuring soon but, in the summer I have a tendency to use bronzer in the crease and lower lash line, pop a highlight on the inner corner and call it a day.

Let me know what your summer favorites are and I'll be back soon with more reviews, recommendations, disappointing products and a long overdue project pan update.

Thanks for reading!

It's Okay To Not Be Okay | Mental Health Month

2019-05-21T15:17:00.003-04:00

It's May, which means it's Mental Health Awareness month. I think it's important to talk about mental health, because it's something the majority of us are currently or will in the future, struggle with. So, as I said in the title, it's okay to not be okay and I'm not okay.

I've struggled with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, body dysmorphia, as well as other mental issues due to past trauma and abuse. We're not going into details today, that's not the point of this post. The point is to tell you that you're not alone. No matter what it is you're going through, you're never alone.
Lately, I've been seriously struggling. I'm freelancing and attending a full time software dev boot camp. My husband works 50+ hours per week, we share a car and we're on conflicting schedules. I'm going to class at 9, driving back home on my lunch break to take him to work, going back to class, leaving class in the evenings, getting as much work done as possible and picking him back up from work in basically the middle of the night. To say my days are stressful is an understatement.

I've been off all of my depression, anxiety, and migraine medications for a year now. I've been getting botox treatments to handle my migraines, but I'm on my own for stress and depression. Not only this, but I'm having other health problems. I'm back in a place where I'm unable to lose weight and I'm always so tired. I work out. I eat healthy 95% of the time. I now know I was able to lose weight previously because of the medications I was on and now I need to go back to the doctor to test my thyroid more thoroughly since it's not working as it should.
I'm not able to sleep without CBD as I mentioned in my last post because of things I've repressed for many years resurfacing. Some days are way more difficult than I feel I can handle, but I have. I've made it through everyday. I've tried to stay as positive as possible and it's an eternal battle it would seem.

The entire purpose of this post isn't to justify my current mental state. It's to let you know that no, I'm not okay and that yes, it's okay if you're not okay. It's okay to not be okay. Just make sure you're taking care of yourself. Make time for you. Talk to someone. Speak with a professional if you think it can help, it surely won't hurt.
Just know that you're NEVER alone.

Let's Talk About CBD

2019-05-11T20:04:00.004-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
We're going to talk about something that's become really important to me over the past few months, and that something is CBD oil. I haven't mentioned anything here yet, but you've probably noticed I've been away a lot. That's because I've been so busy and so stressed out, so much so that I wasn't sleeping anymore and I couldn't function like a regular human.

That's where CBD came in. Last summer I stopped all of my medications. I quit all of my depression medications, as well as migraine medications in hopes of taking a more natural approach because the side effects of my medications were no longer worth the benefits to me. For a few months, I was relying solely on myself to get through everything and I reached a point a few months ago where I realized, it's not working. I was so stressed that I stopped sleeping; it would take hours to fall asleep and I'd wake up every 30-ish minutes. After I reached that point I realized, I needed something. So, I started researching and that's when I came across CBD. I've tried a few different kinds, but recently Flora + Bast reached out to see if I'd like to try theirs, and obviously I jumped on the opportunity. They sent over their Age Defying Sleep Tincture and Age Adapting Facial Serum. I've been using both of these every day since, so for around 10 weeks, and I wanted to share my experience.

The Age Defying Sleep Tincture is a CBD oil designed to help you sleep. This help to regulate your sleep cycles which allows you to fall asleep more quickly, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. You take this about 30 minutes before bed. I've been using this nightly and it's made such a huge difference in my sleep schedule. I can actually sleep a full night now! It's such a nice change for me. The Age Adapting Facial Serum was created to balance your endocannabinoid system, which allows your skin to repair itself for optimal aging. This will help to reduce acne and breakouts, reduce redness and puffiness, and enhance firmness and elasticity. What I've noticed from using this is that it makes my skin so soft, hydrated, and glowy. I love it and I use it every night before bed. You can find more info about these products on the Flora + Bast website, and I definitely recommend checking them out. I'll definitely need to repurchase soon and I want to try more of their products. Let me know if you've tried CBD based products before.

Urban Decay x Game Of Thrones | Full Collection Review

2019-04-29T21:44:00.004-04:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

The Urban Decay x Game of Thrones collection is now available in Ulta and Sephora, and since Urban Decay was nice enough to send it over, I wanted to review it for you. This is a fairly large collection with an eyeshadow palette, highlighter palette, lip and cheek stain, four lipsticks, four eyeliners, and two brushes.

I didn't swatch the eyeshadow palette because I've learned that swatches mean nothing, first of all. But aside from that, I have a new tattoo and it's right where I do my swatches, so that's a no-go. I did swatch the highlight palette, lipsticks, and eyeliners though, so I'll post those below.
The eyeshadow palette has 20 shades and these shades are broken up into 4 groups of 5. These colors are somewhat unique I think and the sets of 5 seem cohesive. This palette is severely lacking matte shades but the metallics and glitters are stunning. I really like this as a companion palette. The packaging is bulky and isn't travel friendly, but if you're a fan of the show, I think you'll appreciate the palette.

Next we have the Mother of Dragons highlight palette. This palette includes 3 shades, most of which seem better suited for medium-darker skin tones. The powders are soft but don't kick up much and are very similar to their other highlighters. The Urban Decay highlighter formulas tend to be a bit more glittery than some other highlighters and isn't really a formula that I prefer, but they are pretty and if you like shimmer-y highlights, you'll probably enjoy the palette.

The packaging is super cute and the dragon egg embossed on each shade is an adorable touch.

Next, the lipsticks. There are four shades available.

Cersei is a pretty unique shade as it's a metallic bronze, but the others aren't super unique. Sansa Stark is my personal favorite, as it's a sheer nude-peach, but this fall White Walker is going to be a staple; that deep berry is speaking to me. The red isn't something that I consider to be unique or even new to Urban Decay collections, so I'm less excited about that one.

I'm mostly obsessed with the new 24/7 liners, which are all new gorgeous shades and actually are super unique. Lannister Lion is the most unique gold shade I've seen. It's gold but also taupe and semi-cool toned and just gorgeous. Dragon Smoke is a seriously deep plum with some shimmer. The Night King is the prettiest deep teal shade that I've seen in quite some time, and Winterfell Snow is a super cool white with blue glitter and a blue shift. It actually looks like snow. They're super unique and I absolutely recommend picking them up.
Here are some swatches of the eyeliners, lipsticks, and highlight palette.

The Dracarys lip and cheek stain gives a nice, natural flush to the cheeks and lips that I've been loving. It's not too much but can easily be layered and is so easy to use.

Lastly, we have the brushes. These brushes are totally impractical for actual everyday use because I'm not sure how you'd store them but they're super soft. I think this is one part of the collection that is best suited for collectors.

Overall, I think the collection is cute. This is probably the time to admit that I've never seen the show, so I'm not sure how this collection fairs as far as that goes. What I do know is that this collection is huge and actually really cohesive.

You can find more info on Urban Decay's website. The collection is also available at Ulta and Sephora. Thanks for reading!

Is Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Better Than The Original?

2019-04-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
The Urban Decay Naked Reloaded palette released about a month or so ago, following the "retirement" of the original Naked palette. It's no secret that the Naked palettes haven't been my favorites, with the exception of Naked Heat and Naked Cherry so I wasn't sure what to think when Naked Reloaded was announced.

Let's talk about the packaging and layout of Naked Reloaded because it's the first thing I noticed. The packaging is soft, which is interesting. I didn't expect to pick it up and feel it squish, so that was kind of a surprise. The layout of the palette is different than their other Naked Palettes. The pans are still rectangular, but some are much wider than the others, with varying widths throughout the palette. The biggest pans are for the shadows that will be most often used. The different pan sizes are a bit off-putting to me but I understand the concept behind the design.

The shadows in Naked Reloaded are more similar in formula to the newer Naked palettes, which is good. The mattes are soft and blendable, the shimmers are creamy and apply best onto a sticky base. Urban Decay shimmers aren't always the best and aren't my favorite but they are pretty. So, let's talk about the colors in the palette.

BRIBE : LIGHT WARM BEIGE
BARELY BAKED : LIGHT WARM GOLD
ANGEL FIRE : PEACH GOLD WITH PINK SHIMMER
RETRO : WARM CORAL MATTE
REPUTATION : MEDIUM WARM COPPER
BURN : DEEP RED-BRONZE METALLIC
END GAME : COOL DEEP BROWN
DREAMWEAVER : WARM TAUPE WITH SILVER SHIMMER
DISTILLED : WARM BRONZE SHIMMER
BUCKED : LIGHT WARM BROWN MATTE
BOUNDARIES : LIGHT WARM ORANGE BROWN
BLUR : PEACHY BEIGE MATTE

Naked Reloaded is a bit more warm toned than the original Naked palette and I love the addition of the coral tones. I've seen a lot of comparisons of this palette to the ABH Sultry palette. I don't own Sultry, but I do own the Alter Ego dupe of Sultry, which I'll be reviewing soon.

Overall, I like this palette. I don't reach for it a ton because I tend to wear color more often than neutrals. This is a pretty palette though and a great replacement for the original Naked palette, in my opinion.

Let me know what you think of the palette and if you'll be picking it up.

Thanks for reading!

It Cosmetics It's All About You TSV Available Now!

2019-03-07T19:06:00.001-05:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own

The It Cosmetics It's All About You TSV is on pre-sale now and fully goes on sale 3/9/19 at 12 AM EST. What this means is you can use the link provided to head over and purchase this set now but at 3/10/19 at 12 AM EST it will officially no longer be available.
So, now that we have that out of the way, here's what's included.

BROW POWERFULL UNIVERSAL VOLUMIZING EYEBROW PENCIL: This is a new brow product from It Cosmetics similar to the other brow pencil that they offer, but this one has a tear drop shaped point. This is a universally flattering color that I really enjoy and I see myself using this a lot. I'll post a separate review for this at a later time.
HEAVENLY CC+ SKIN PERFECTING BRUSH #702: It Cosmetics makes the best brushes and I've been very vocal about this in the past. You truly can't go wrong with their brushes.
SUPERSIZE CC+ ILLUMINATION CREAM: I've raved so many times about the CC+ Illumination cream because it's literally the best foundation I've ever used and I've been using it for years.
JE NE SAIS QUOI LIP TREATMENT HONEY: This is their amazing lip treatment that's been around for quite a while, but in a new shade.

You can check this set out here and purchase if you're interested.

Let me know if you decide to pick it up!

Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Street Style Brows | Review

2019-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
It's been a while since I've reviewed any brow products, so I apologize for the upcoming influx of brow related posts because today, we're talking about the entire Urban Decay Street Style Brows line, but we're also going to talk about some Colourpop brow products and BH Cosmetics brow products soon.

The Urban Decay Street Style Brows collection contains basically everything you could ask for and we're going to talk about ALL OF THEM.
Let's start with the brow putty:

DOUBLE DOWN BROW : WATERPROOF, SMUDGE PROOF BROW PUTTY. This comes in seven shades and each compact has two complimentary shades and a little brow brush with a spoolie. This is a putty that dries down into a powder finish and can last up to 16 hours. This can be used to give the effect of natural, full brows or super dramatic brows. It's so easy to use, I love it! (Btw, I have 6 of the 7 shades)

Next, we have a brow pencil and ink stain?!

BROW BLADE : INK STAIN AND WATERPROOF PENCIL. This comes in 7 shades and is dual ended. One end is an ink stain for your brows and the other is a waterproof pencil. The ink stain is perfect for defining brows and is so much easier to use than I expected. I love it for filling in the gaps in my brows and defining the shape. The other end is a waterproof pencil that is just as easy to use. It's pigmented and it's so easy to use to shape your brows.

Next, we have a dual ended brow gel...

BROW ENDOWED : EYEBROW PRIMER AND COLOR. This is a dual ended brow "gel" that comes in 7 shades. One end is a primer that fluffs up and volumizes your brows, the other end is a tinted cream that fills and shapes your brows. The brush is so thin and shaped perfectly to comb through the individual brow hairs. It gives them the fluffy look that I love.

Last, we have a waterproof gel:

BROW FINISH : WATERPROOF BROW GEL. This comes in two shades, ozone and Midnight Cowboy. This is lightweight and waterproof and does a great job of holding your brows in place. Ozone is clear and Midnight Cowboy is clear with gold shimmer.

The other brow products aside from the Brow Finish come in seven shades. These shades are:

TAUPE TRAP
GINGERSNAP
BROWN SUGAR
BRUNETTE BETTY
NEUTRAL NANA
CAFE KITTY
DARK DRAPES

The shade range seems pretty good. I've been using Taupe Trap and I think it's perfect and exactly what I was looking for as most brow products tend to pull too warm on my complexion.

Overall, I'm really loving these brow products. I've been using them everyday for the past few weeks and I just can't get enough. If you're looking for some brow products and were interested in these, I totally recommended checking them out! I was terrified of using the Brow Blade but it's so easy to use and looks surprisingly natural considering it's an ink stain!

These are now available at UrbanDecay.com, Sephora, and Ulta.

Let me know what products you're interested in trying!

Thanks for reading!

Project Pan 2019

2019-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of years I've seen this project pan tag floating around and considered participating but never did. This year is different. I'm super busy, I'm trying not to buy more makeup because I have so much not being used right now, and I'm wearing makeup more often than ever, so what better time to participate in Project Pan than now?

I'm not totally sure how often I'll be updating, probably once every couple of months. Alongside this, I'll be doing shop my stash type posts because I really want 2019 to be the year I use up a lot of neglected makeup. I wanted this to be realistic to what I can manage to get through and if I progress more than I thought I would, I'll add more things throughout the year. So, let's get into it! I'll start with skincare products. I didn't choose too many and these are all over half gone as is, so I'll definitely be updated this one and adding more to it as the year progresses.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN A CLEANSER
PIXI GLOW TONIC
IT COSMETICS LIP TREATMENT
PIXI GLOWTION DAY DEW
IT COSMETICS SECRET SAUCE MOISTURIZER
UD MOISTURIZER

I want to stress that these products are well-loved. I'm not trying to use up products I hate to get rid of them, no one has that kind of time. If I hate a product, I give it to a friend, donate it, or toss it. All of these products are awesome products!

Okay, the makeup:

PUR BARE IT ALL FOUNDATION
IT COSMETICS CC+ CREAM
NYX HD CONCEALER
NYX LIQUID ILLUMINATOR
UD LIQUID AURA
IT COSMETICS LIP GLOSS
YSL LIPSTICK

IT COSMETICS OMBRE BRONZER
PHYSICIANS FORMULA BUTTER BRONZER
LORAC BLUSH
IT COSMETICS CREAM LUMINIZER
COLOURPOP SUPER SHOCK SHADOW CATNAP

That may seem like a lot, but I'm confident in my abilities, here. I'm slightly worried about the bronzers and blush because those can take quite some time to use up, but I'm going to give it a shot! As I said, as I finish products, I'll update and replace them with a new products.

Let me know how often I should do a shop my stash post, too. I'm thinking maybe once a month. You'll also notice that I didn't include any eyeshadow palettes here because I use such a wide variety, I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on myself, haha!

If you like these posts, I have a whole list of others who are participating in this tag and I totally recommend you checking out their posts below.

Beauty Info Zone
CosmetopiaDigest 💎 Glamorable 💎 Honeygirl's World 💎 Laugh, Love, Contour 💎 Never Say Die Beauty 💎 Polarbelle 💎 Portrait of Mai 💎 Southeast by Midwest

Strobe Cosmetics Creepy Cute Palette | Review & Swatches

2019-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

My goal for 2019 is to try more brands, especially indie brands. Last year I didn't spend much on makeup, but I did pick up the Creepy Cute palette from Strobe Cosmetics. I meant to review this a long time ago but I'm finally getting around to it and it's still available AND they have a newer palette out that I'm dying to try.

The Creepy Cute palette is a palette of pastels that I came across when looking for a dupe for KVD Pastel Goth. I'm definitely pleased that I found this brand because I immediately fell in love with this palette and its gorgeous pastels.
The packaging is adorable. Creepy cute is the literal definition of this palette, so I feel that they totally nailed it aesthetically. The palette is cardboard with a magnetic closure. The first one that I received arrived with the black shade broken, so I'm not sure about traveling with this palette. I'd just be super careful because the shadows are soft. They were sweet enough to send me a replacement, and I'm so grateful for that.

There are 8 beautiful shades in this palette:

TOMBSTONE : TRUE GRAY
PLANCHETTE : LAVENDER
CREEP IT REAL : MINT GREEN
COLD SHOULDER : SKY BLUE
STRAWBERRY MILK : BABY PINK
TAKE A HINT : CHARTREUSE
VOID : BLACK
THIRD EYE : TANGERINE

Oh, did I mention this entire palette is matte? Yeah. It is and that is AWESOME. As I mentioned, the shadows are pretty soft and will kick up a lot if you push your brush into them. I don't recommend doing that. You barely need to touch your brush to these because they're super pigmented. They're also very easy to work with and blend. I can, without a doubt, say that these are the best pastel shadows I've ever worked with.

Overall, I'm going to recommend this palette. If you love pastel colors, you'll love this palette. These colors are to die for, the formula is amazing, and it's from a cruelty free indie brand. It doesn't get much better than that!

You can find this palette at Strobe Cosmetics website for $35.

What's your favorite cruelty free indie brand and what brands should I try in 2019?

Thanks for reading!

Pixi Liquid Fairy Lights | Dupe For Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Shadows?

2019-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

I received the Pixi Liquid Fairy Lights a few months back in PR and I've been testing them ever since. I've been MIA more than I'd like but I'll explain all of that some other time. The Liquid Fairy Lights are essentially a liquified glitter that you can apply with a doe foot applicator, making wearing glitter on your eyes more effortless than ever. These may be a dupe for the Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Shadows, but I don't have them to compare.
The packaging is similar to lip gloss packaging. It looks like a lip gloss tube and comes with a doe foot applicator that works surprisingly well, especially if you like to do a cut crease, which seems popular again lately.

The Pixi Liquid Fairy Lights currently come in 5 shades:

CRYSTALLINE : WHITE WITH IRIDESCENT GLITTER
SUN RAY : GOLD GLITTER
ROSE GOLD : ROSE GOLD GLITTER
BARE BRILLIANCE : CHAMPAGNE GLITTER
PASSION LIGHT : BRONZE GLITTER

I'm hoping they will create more shades in different colors. These apply easily and are pretty opaque. They're easy to blend out with a brush before they dry but once they dry, they will flake off if you try to blend them. I also noticed I'll have small glitter particles on my face as the day goes on, so it's safe to say they will flake off as the day goes on. However, they somehow look just as intense at the end of the night as they did when I applied them.

I don't recommend layering them and they will get uneven and flaky, which isn't ideal. If you're concerned with them not 100% covering your lid, just apply a shadow underneath. I usually do this anyway.

Despite having pieces of glitter on my face throughout the day, I find these stay put pretty well and are easy to remove. They're an awesome and easy way to glam up your eye look and I totally recommend checking them out in a store. They retail for $15 each on Pixi's website, so they're a little easier on the wallet than Stila, but I've still got an eye out for an even less expensive version.

Let me know if you try them & thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Mini On The Run Palettes | Review & Swatches

2019-01-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Urban Decay released the mini On The Run palettes not too long ago, and they were inspired by their big sister, the Born To Run palette. There are 3 On The Run Palettes, each with it's own unique color story. Each of the palettes has 8 shades that coordinate to help you create a complete look with a mini palette, which I think we can all appreciate.

The packaging of these palettes is super cute and reminds me of the first Urban Decay palettes I owned as it's a small cardboard palette that is held closed with a magnet. They're sturdy and seem safe for travel, and I like that they're compact but the shadows are still a decent size.
Something I've come to realize lately is that I can't and shouldn't tell you if you need to buy something. Because, as someone who is rarely paying for products and instead reviewing PR, who am I to tell you to spend your hard earned money on something I didn't have to pay money for? I say this because consumerism is something I've been struggling with lately, and something that's been on my mind a lot. This will be a whole other post in itself, but I wanted to touch on the subject here. Whether or not you buy something I recommend is up to your discretion. You should never take one blogger or vloggers word as truth because everything is biased in their own way and has their own preferences. I always do my best to be as honest as possible and that's all I can do. So, what I'm saying is, before you buy something, check out a bunch of reviews and swatches and if possible, swatch it in person before buying.
Anyway, let's talk about these palettes. We will start with the one that grew on me the fastest, Detour.

Detour is the teal palette and I think I've been gravitating toward this one because my hair is teal at the moment and I'm a weirdo who matches my makeup to my hair more often than not. Let's see the colors:

OFF THE GRID : MATTE PINK TONED CREAM
DASH : SHIMMERY GOLD
ESCAPE : WARM PEACH MATTE
DETOUR : DEEP MATTE MUSTARD
16TH ST : METALLIC BRONZE
CONFIDENTIAL : DEEP TERRACOTTA MATTE
SWITCHBACK : LIGHT TEAL WITH TEAL GREEN SHIFT
PLUNGE : DEEP METALLIC BLUE GREEN

So, those are the 8 shades in the Detour palette. 4 are matte, 4 are shimmer, which I think is a fair split.

Next we have my second favorite of the 3, Bailout.

SKIMP : CREAM DEMI MATTE
BAILOUT : NUDE PEACH MATTE
FAITH : MEDIUM WARM BROWN MATTE
REBOUND : CHOCOLATE BROWN DEMI MATTE
CHOPPER : COPPER WITH SILVER MICRO GLITTER
DOUBLE UP : DEEP BROWN SHIMMER
PICKUP : LAVENDER WITH PINK SHIMMER
VICE : DEEP EGGPLANT SHIMMER

The Bailout palette is also split 4/4 with shimmers and mattes.

Last, we have what I assume most people will like the most, Shortcut.

SIN : PALE NUDE SHIMMER
LACED : PINK TAUPE MATTE
SHORTCUT : MEDIUM ROSE PINK MATTE
AFTER HOURS : BLACK SATIN WITH IRIDESCENT MICRO SHIMMER
BACK ALLEY : MATTE CHOCOLATE BROWN
RENDEZVOUS : BORDEAUX MATTE WITH BLUE SHIMMER
GASH : METALLIC BRICK RED
ZONE : METALLIC PINK RED WITH COPPER SHIMMER

The Shortcut palette is obviously the red toned palette and similar in tone to the Naked Cherry palette, but still different enough. There aren't any direct dupes between them and they do pair well together. This palette technically has 3 matte shades as one of the mattes has glitter in it.
I was super excited for these palettes when I first saw them and I've used them all multiple times and haven't been disappointed. The shadows are super soft, pigmented and easy to blend. The shimmer shades, especially the super glittery shade in each palette works best applied with fingers onto a sticky base. Another thing that I've noticed is these work best applied straight onto eye primer. I usually set my lids first before applying shadows, but these are so much more pigmented if you don't.

Overall, I love the palettes. They're super handy and you can create looks with just one palette. These will also work in conjunction with their other palettes, like the Naked Cherry with Shortcut, Beached palette with Detour, etc. Also, if you missed the Beached palette like I did, Detour might fill that empty space in your soul.
As I mentioned previously, I haven't seen many reviews or even mentions of these palettes and I'm not sure why. The formula on these is better than a lot of their other palettes and one that I actually enjoy. I definitely recommend going to Ulta or Sephora and swatching them if you get the chance.
You can find these for $25 each and they are currently available and in stock on Urban Decay's website, as well as at Sephora and Ulta.
Thanks for reading!

Holiday Gift Guide for Beauty Lovers

2018-12-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

*Some products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

It's the time of year where I share gift guides, wishlists, and holiday collections. I'm doing this on a smaller scale this year and won't be making as many recommendations. We're very close to Christmas and we're all out here trying to do our last minute shopping, so I wanted to share things that are easy to find for those of us who waited until the last minute.

IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR LIFE CHANGING SKINCARE SECRET GIFT SET - This set includes travel size Miracle Water, full size Secret Sauce moisturizer, travel size Confidence in a Cleanser, travel size Bye Bye Under Eye.

IT COSMETICS JE NE SAIS QUOI DUO - full size lip treatment and lip serum.

UD MINI ON THE RUN PALETTES - mini travel palettes with color themes.

PIXI GLOWY GOSSAMER DUOS - dewy highlight powders

UD ELEMENTS PALETTE - colorful, mostly metallic shadow palette

UD BORN TO RUN PALETTE - eyeshadow palette with a good assortment of shades and finishes

ABH SOFT GLAM PALETTE - neutral palette for everyday

WET N WILD PRO BRUSHES - super soft, affordable brushes

You can never go wrong with gift sets and It Cosmetics nails them every year. There are a ton more available than just what I've shown and I'd recommend checking those out if you're shopping for a beauty lover. You can find them at Ulta.

If you couldn't tell, I'm an eyeshadow palette addict and hoarder, hence my gift picks. I tried to choose palettes that were different to cover more people. The mini On the Run palettes have specific color themes so if you know someone who loves purples or teals or reds, there's a palette for them! I haven't had a chance to review these on the blog yet but it's coming soon. The UD Elements palette is a very colorful palette with a couple of neutrals but the majority is shimmer or glitter formulas. The Born To Run palette has a pretty good variety of shades and finishes which will accommodate more preferences. Lastly, the Soft Glam palette is a pretty safe bet. It's neutrals, a good mix of shimmers and mattes and will compliment anyone's collection.

Then, we have the Pixi Glowy Gossamer duos for your highlight lovers. There's a more pink/champagne duo and a gold duo, I recommend both. Lastly, the Wet n Wild Pro Brushes are awesome and super inexpensive. They're very soft, don't shed, and perform well.

On that note, good luck with your Christmas shopping! You can check my blog for reviews of most of these products. It Cosmetics Holiday individual reviews coming soon and reviews of the On The Run palettes will be up soon as well.

Thanks for reading!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Beauty Sales & Deals

2018-11-21T10:11:00.004-05:00

It's time for the holidays and that means, it's time for sales. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both flying up on us now, so I'm going to share some of the sales I'm aware of with you! I'll keep updating as new sales are posted! We'll start with Black Friday since it's almost here!

BLACK FRIDAY
IT COSMETICS

USE CODE ITFRIDAY FOR 20% OFF YOUR ORDER
ALL ABOUT EYES SKINCARE SET $18

URBAN DECAY

20% OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE & FREE SHIPPING

ULTA

SELECT MASCARAS $10
40% OFF ABH GLOW KITS & LIQUID GLOW
$10 BARE MINERALS HOLIDAY SETS
$15 TOO FACED LIPS & LASHES SET
$15 URBAN DECAY NAKED HEAT PETITE PALETTE
$10 & UNDER IT BRUSHES FOR ULTA
$10 SMASHBOX ALWAYS ON LIP DUO
$9 THE BODY SHOP BODY BUTTER TRIOS
$13 LAURA GELLER BAKED GELATO SWIRL HIGHLIGHTERS
$15 BECCA ON THE GLO TRIO
$15 STILA LITTLE BIG SHOTS DUO
$15 PUR MINI EYESHADOW & HIGHLIGHT PALETTES
40% OFF THE BODY SHOP
MANY, MANY OTHER DEALS ON THEIR SITE

SEPHORA

$15 TARTE GIRL BOSS GOODIES SET
IT COSMETICS IT'S YOUR SECRET TO CONFIDENT SKIN SET $14
TOO FACED SEXY PRIME TIME SET $12
TARTE BEACH, SLEEP, REPEAT SET $10
MILK MAKEUP THE COOL KIDS DUO $14
SMASHBOX SPOTLIGHT PALETTE MINI $15
COVERFX GLAM & GLOW ON THE GO SET $12
& MANY MORE!

SIGMA

30% OFF EVERYTHING & FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING

TOO FACED

30% OFF EVERYTHING CODE PINK30
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS

BUNDLE OF 4 PALETTES FOR $90 (SUBCULTURE, MODERN RENAISSANCE, PRISM, SOFT GLAM)
BUNDLE OF 10 LIQUID LIPSTICKS (TWO SETS) $60

CYBER MONDAY

IT COSMETICS

25% OFF $30+ WITH CODE CYBER25
FREE HELLO LASHES MASCARA WITH $70+ PURCHASE & CODE
11/28-12/2 FREE VITALITY LIP FLUSH STAIN ON ORDERS OF $50+ WITH FREE SHIPPING. USE CODE GIFT4U

URBAN DECAY

11/25 50% OFF NAKED SKIN CONCEALERS & UD PRO BRUSHES
11/26 50% OFF NAKED HEAT PALETTE
11/27 50% OFF SELECT VICE LIPSTICKS
11/28 50% OFF NAKED HEAT PETITE PALETTE
11/29 50% OFF LIGHTBEAM PALETTE, MOONDUST PALETTE, SHAPESHIFTER PALETTE
11/30 $10 STOCKING STUFFERS
12/1 50% OFF NAKED SMOKY PALETTE

SIGMA

11/24-11/25 ALL INDIVIDUAL EYE BRUSHES $10 & UNDER, INDIVIDUAL FACE BRUSHES $16 & UNDER
11/26-11/27 35% OFF EVERYTHING FREE F88 ON ORDERS OVER $50, FREE US SHIPPING NO MINIMUM, FREE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON $75+

I'll keep updating this as I come across more sales. Feel free to leave any sales you find in the comments as well! Thank you for reading & happy shopping!

It's Your Top 5 Superstars & More Holiday Collection

2018-11-08T11:51:00.002-05:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
We're back with another QVC TSV from It Cosmetics. This is their holiday TSV, the It's Your Top 5 Superstars & More Collection. We've talked about these TSVs so many times in the past, I feel like you know how it works by now, but here's the rundown.

Normally, these are available for one day only, and that day is November 10th, 2018 at 12 AM EST, however, I have a presale link for you so it's available now. You can find that link here and I'll also post it below after we talk about this TSV.
I'm sure what you want to know is what's included in the It's Your Top 5 Superstars & More TSV, and I'm here to give you that information.

IT COSMETICS CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM MOISTURIZER - this is easily my favorite moisturizer and we've talked about that before. I think I have three backups and that's okay with me. I've also gotten my mom hooked on it so I'm now her supplier as well! What you should know about this moisturizer is that it's a dry skinned girls (or boys!) dream. It's super hydrated and not too heavy for a cream. It takes around 10 minutes to totally sink in and it's worth it.
IT COSMETICS BYE BYE UNDEREYE CONCEALER - This is THE concealer for dark circles. It's a little on the thicker side and you need the TINIEST amount. It's so full coverage but make sure you set it well!
IT COSMETICS SUPERHERO MASCARA - This mascara does amazing things for your lashes. It gives length and SO MUCH volume. A quick tip: wipe the excess of your brush for the best results. A little too much can get on the wand and then you get clumpy. If you like clumpy, you do you but if you like to avoid the clumps, just wipe off the excess.
IT COSMETICS CELEBRATION FOUNDATION - I'm not the best with powder foundations BUT I do like this one. I like all of the IT Cosmetics powder foundations. I feel like they look SO smooth on the skin.
IT COSMETICS JE NE SAIS QUOI HYDRATING LIP TREATMENT SERUM - I am literally obsessed with this stuff. I wear it everyday. Every single day. Usually it's my go-to lip color for the day because it turns the perfect shade of pink, but I also wear it in the mornings when I'm getting ready and at night after I finish my skin care. It's so good, so hydrating, and makes your lips just look SO nice.
IT COSMETICS HEAVENLY LUXE DUAL ENDED BUFF AND BLEND BRUSH - I am addicted to It Cosmetics brushes. They know it, I know it, you should know it. Honestly, you should also be addicted because omg, they're so soft! If you've never felt one, do it. Go to Ulta and touch them, then come back to me. They're the softest brushes in existence.

Whether or not you need this TSV, only you know. But, if you buy it, you're definitely going to be happy. It's so nice. I definitely recommend it, whether you're buying it to try new products or to have backups of your current favorites. Let me know which is your favorite!

Here's that link to purchase again!

Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Naked Cherry Collection | Review & Swatches

2018-10-25T11:11:00.003-04:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

The makeup releases lately are so fast and there is just so much that it's getting overwhelming. Obviously, we don't need every single thing that releases, but that's a blog post for another day. Today, we're talking about the newest collection from Urban Decay, the Naked Cherry Collection. I received the entire collection in a giant cherry and couldn't wait to play with it. I've had it in my hands for a couple of weeks now and I feel ready to review it.

First, let's talk Naked palettes. Here's the thing, we knew it was time for another to release and they just retired the original. The original is obviously iconic and I've always had mixed feelings about it. It's not my favorite, but I'm not normally a strictly neutral girl. I preferred the second Naked palette and kind of hated the third. I skipped the Naked Smoky but I ADORE Naked Heat. I feel like they really stepped up their eyeshadow game with the Naked Heat. The formula was so much better than any Naked palette before it. This is why I was excited about Naked Cherry.
It's no secret that I love reds, oranges, and pinks. Those are MY colors. The Naked Heat is the epitome of everything I ever needed in a palette. I was hopeful that the Naked Cherry would be that for me as well. I wanted it to be everything I had hoped the Naked 3 to be.

So let's talk about this palette. The packaging? On point. Similar to the Naked Heat, it's sturdy, it's sleek, and the mirror is great. I even like the brush they included.
The colors? Gorgeous. All 12 shades are new and 6 of these are matte. This I can appreciate. I love the even mix of mattes and shimmers/metallics. Let's talk about the individual shades.

HOT SPOT - IVORY MATTE
CAUTION - SOFT NEUTRAL BEIGE MATTE
BANG BANG - SHIMMERY PINK W/ GOLD SHIFT & MICROSPARKLE
FEELZ - DUSTY ROSE MATTE
JUICY - WARM PEACH MATTE
TURN ON - PALE METALLIC ROSE SHIMMER
AMBITIOUS - METALLIC ROSE COPPER
BING - DEEP MAUVE MATTE
DEVILISH - REDDISH PLUM MATTE
YOUNG LOVE - METALLIC CRANBERRY
DRUNK DIAL - DEEP METALLIC BURGUNDY
PRIVACY - DEEP BROWNISH PLUM MATTE

These are so soft, so creamy, so pigmented that I'm actually shocked. The Naked Cherry palette is actually the Naked 3 palette on steroids. It's very pink-mauve and everything I wanted the Naked 3 to be. These are so blendable and easy to work with and the shimmers and metallics are the creamiest shadows.

Here's a little tip about the shimmers and metallics. These are going to apply best with your fingers, and even better on a sticky base. They're so soft, but they don't apply the best with a brush. So, if you're struggling with those, try using your fingers and a sticky base. I really like the Too Faced Glitter Glue.

Every look you create with this palette is going to be very mauve-pink toned. There's no way around that, as you might expect, so if you aren't into that, I recommend skipping it.

The rest of the collection includes a blush/highlight palette, 24/7 liners, 3 lipsticks, and a cherry scented setting spray.

The Naked Cherry Blush and Highlight Palette is great for travel, but let's talk about these shades. The blush is a very cherry-toned shade, but it isn't too pigmented so it works and it's the kind of shade that just looks natural, which I love.

The first highlight is gold-toned and definitely not the most intense. It's pretty, but it's not that metallic wet look that I prefer, and it's a bit too deep for my skin tone. The second is listed as an iridescent topper, in my opinion, it's a pink/white duochrome shimmer. It's pretty, but it's also more subtle and looks very shimmery which I try to avoid.

Overall, the blush and highlight palette would be a skip for me. It's pretty and someone with a skin tone darker than mine who doesn't mind shimmer in their highlight powder would probably adore it.
The 24/7 liners in the collection are shades

BLACK MARKET - BLACK SATIN
LOVE DRUG - DEEP WINE METALLIC

Black Market is more of a charcoal shade than black and Love Drug is very burgundy. I like them both, I prefer Love Drug. They're the same formula as the other 24/7 liners, which are awesome so I love them and if these are shades you're into, grab them!

There are 3 new lipsticks added to the Naked Cherry Collection.

CHERRY - DEEP BERRY WINE
DEVILISH - BERRY-PINK WITH MICROSHIMMER
JUICY - LIGHT PEACH-PINK WITH COPPER MICROSHIMMER

All 3 of these are new to the Urban Decay Vice Lipstick collection and I have some thoughts. The formula is nice and creamy on all three shades. Cherry is super pigmented and gorgeous, but wearing shades that deep in a normal lipstick form is scary and intimidating for me. For bright and deep shades, I always prefer a liquid lipstick formula. Devilish and Juicy are both very sheer and glittery. This isn't something we're all going to love and it's not my favorite. I prefer Juicy over Devilish and they are gorgeous, but I'm not a huge fan of having glitter on my lips. The packaging is on point though!

Lastly, we have the All Nighter Setting Spray. It's cherry scented and it's travel sized. The spray nozzle is great, like always. It works, just like the All Nighter. It smells like cough syrup. I hate cherry scented things and I already knew to expect to hate the scent. Sickly cherry scent confirmed, if that's what you're into, you'll love it. I'm not here to judge. It's just not for me.

Overall, I love the collection. Everything works well together, the color story is gorgeous and I just can't get over that palette!

What's your favorite piece of the collection? Are you picking up the palette?

Thanks for reading!

PUR 4 in 1 Foundation Stick | Review & Swatches

2018-10-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review. Opinions are my own*

I'm a foundation hoarder. We know this. Since I'm on a mission to try them all, we're going to talk about a new one today. The PUR 4 in 1 Stick Foundation is pretty new to their collection, and it intrigued me. Usually, I wouldn't take a second look at a stick foundation but they've become so popular recently that I've been sucked into the trend and here we are. The PUR 4 in 1 Foundation Stick in described as a velvety matte finish with buildable medium-full coverage. This is formulated with a Ceretin Complex (age defying), and a skin nourishing Energy Complex. You can use this to conceal, highlight, and contour. This is said to brighten uneven skin tones, increase hydration, reduce dullness and pores, and protect against environmental stressors.

The packaging is a silver, octagonal tube. It's very shiny and looks really nice on your vanity. It grabs fingerprints, though so keeping it shiny is nearly impossible. It's a very nice component, though. So, let's talk about how this worked for me. First things to note, my skin type. I have dry skin at the moment. It varies between normal-dry. I also have dark spots, acne scars, and redness. I have five of the twenty-three shades.

PORCELAIN
BLUSH PORCELAIN
LIGHT PORCELAIN
LIGHT
GOLDEN LIGHT

The shade range is pretty good and I'm pretty happy with the shades I have.

The formula on these is said to be medium-full coverage and builable, which I can confirm is true. I don't use much and I can get medium coverage and they can absolutely be built up to a fuller coverage, but I'm just not into that. I prefer a lighter coverage, so I try to sheer these out. I've applied them with both a Beauty Blender and a foundation brush. The Beauty Blender takes a bit more effort because it's a stick foundation. It has a thicker, drier texture. Using a brush is easier, but foundation brushes and dry skin don't play well together so it's not my favorite.

As I said, the color match is really good. I prefer to work harder and use my Beauty Blender, but it's not my favorite and here's why. I have dry skin and these are a little heavy for me. They don't look bad and they don't look cakey unless you overdo it, but you can tell you're wearing makeup. At first, it looks good but the longer I wear it, the drier it looks. It doesn't sink into my pores, lines, or anything like that though, which I can appreciate. I've worn these so many times and I do enjoy them. I love the way they look in photos, too. I just have to moisturize and prime very well to use them and my skin will still look dry after a few hours.

These sticks are not totally smooth. A couple of mine are a little gritty. It's fine and it works fine, just not totally smooth. The last thing that bothers me is the smell. It has a distinct scent and I can't pinpoint it, but I don't like it. It's not too strong, you're obviously not going to smell it when you wear it so it's not a big deal. Just know, it's there and it's not great.

So we've reached the end and this has been a rollercoaster. To summarize all of my thoughts:

23 available shades
9g of product in tube
Creamy but not oily
Doesn't slip around
Sets without powder
Blush, bronzer, highlight blend perfectly on top
Gets drier as the day goes on
Weird scent
Sticks are a little gritty
Need to moisturize and prime well if you have dry skin
matte velvet finish

I've been using products to help with my acne scars and it's seriously dried out my skin. I think once I finish and my skin gets closer to a normal texture, this might be one of my go-to foundations.

You can find these on the PUR website and at Ulta.

What foundation should I try next?

Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Elements Palette | Review and Swatches

2018-10-11T23:10:00.003-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Hi! It's been a while and we need to talk about this palette. Don't worry, my review of the Urban Decay Naked Cherry Collection is next but since this released first, I wanted to tell you about it first. It's been a while since I've been excited about makeup, but the Elements palette and Naked Cherry Collection really drew me in so let's talk about Elements!

The Elements palette is a super colorful palette that has 19 new shades and we are going to talk about all of them. Fair warning, this palette is severely lacking in mattes, so if that's what you're after you will want to pass on it. This palette is mostly glitters, shimmers, and metallics and is a GREAT companion palette. I'm not mad at it. Let's talk about the packaging first.
That packaging is gorgeous. I love the design, I love that it's round, I even love the layout of the shadows, surprisingly. It's very sturdy, the mirror is huge, and it snaps closed.

So, as I mentioned there are 19 shades and they are all new, which is totally awesome. Let's talk about them!

DREAMWEAVER - BRIGHT PINK MATTE
EGO - PINK-PURPLE W/ BLUE MICROSHIMMER
HEAVY WATER - BRIGHT METALLIC TEAL
SAPPHIRE DREAM - BRIGHT NAVY BLUE METALLIC
ELECTRIC AIR - PINK-SILVER W/ IRIDESCENT MICROGLITTER
ANTIDOTE - SOFT WARM NUDE
SECRET KEEPER - BRIGHT GREEN SATIN W/ GOLD SHIFT
EARTHBOUND - FOREST GREEN SATIN W/ TONAL MICROSHIMMER
ELEMENTAL - SIENNA MATTE
VOLCANIC - BRONZE METALLIC
LIONESS - SMOKY BURGUNDY SATIN W/ BRONZE SPARKLE
DREAMWEAVER - BRIGHT PINK MATTE
TECTONIC - CHOCOLATE BROWN W/ IRIDESCENT MICRO SPARKLE
HEX REMEDY - BRIGHT PURPLE W/ IRIDESCENT SPARKLE
FORTUNE TELLER - METALLIC PINK-RED W/ GREEN SHIFT/SPARKLE
SILVER BURN - SMOKY PURPLE W/ PINK IRIDESCENT SPARKLE
FOOLS GOLD - METALLIC GOLD W/ TONAL SPARKLE
MOON ROCK - METALLIC COPPER W/ IRIDESCENT SPARKLE
LUNA - WHITE SHIMMER W/ IRIDESCENT MICRO SPARKLE

As you can tell from the description and the swatches, these shades are super sparkly. The majority are VERY pigmented, with the exception of Luna which is supposed to be a topper. These shades are very soft, very creamy, and do have a lot of fall out so doing your eyeshadow first is recommended with these.

The mattes apply and blend very well, but as you can tell there are only a couple. You'll need a palette to use with this if you want more mattes. The shimmers/metallics are super shiny, super glittery, and very pigmented. I prefer to apply them with my fingers, but you can use a brush. Using a brush will require you to build them up more. They work best on top of a base or with a glitter glue.

If you love color, you'll probably love this palette. The colors are gorgeous and the formula is really good! Let me know what your favorite shades are in the palette!

It's available now on Urban Decay's website, as well as Ulta and Sephora.

Thanks for reading!

Pixi Beauty Glow-y Gossamer Duos | Review

2018-08-21T23:12:00.002-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, all opinions are my own.*
By now, we all know I'm a huge fan of Pixi Beauty. They're cruelty free, affordable, and their products are awesome. I've talked about how obsessed I am with their skincare, and I've talked about how much I love some of their makeup products, so today we're going to talk about a newer product, the Glow-y Gossamer Duos.

When I first received the Glow-y Gossamer Duos, I wasn't sure what to think. As it sounds, there are two shades in each compact and there are two different compacts, meaning there are four shades between the two duos. One is called Subtle Sunrise and the other is Delicate Dew.

SUBTLE SUNRISE - LIGHT CHAMPAGNE GOLD/PEACHY-CHAMPAGNE
DELICATE DEW - ICY PINK/BEIGE-CHAMPAGNE

Delicate Dew on Top, Subtle Sunrise on bottom

I think Subtle Sunrise is my favorite. The champagne gold side isn't too gold, and the other side is a champagne shade with a subtle pink/peachy duochrome and I am obsessed. Delicate Dew is also a nice duo. The icy pink side is very intense and bright. The beige-champagne side is a little deeper and won't work well for my skin tone. It's definitely gorgeous.

The formula on these is so weird but so good. At first, I thought these looked extremely dry and I was skeptical. Upon swatching I realized this is absolutely not true. They're buttery, blend into the skin, and are SO shiny. They have a wet-metallic look to them that is super intense if you want it to be, but they can also be applied sheerly and blended to give a very beautiful, natural glow.

These retail for $18 each and if you like them and need a new highlight, I recommend trying these out!

Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Born To Run Collection | Review & Swatches

2018-08-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

I've been waiting to review the Urban Decay Born to Run Collection until I felt up to doing so. I've been in a place recently where I just don't feel like writing and I feel so uncreative and uninspired. So, here I am, a little late, with a full review and swatches of the Urban Decay Born To Run Collection.

The Born to Run Collection includes an eyeshadow palette, three 24/7 liners, and three lipsticks. I love the variety in this collection, while also feeling cohesive. It's odd to see so much variety, yet somehow it all just works.
The Born to Run Eyeshadow palette had me excited long before I received it in the mail. I've been waiting on another colorful palette from Urban Decay so I was super excited for the shades in the palette. In this palette, there are twenty one shades in a good mix of neutrals, colors, shimmers, and mattes.

BREAKAWAY - WARM IVORY SHIMMER
STRANDED - PALE ROSE GOLD WITH MICRO SHIMMER
BLAZE - LIGHT METALLIC GOLD WITH PINK SHIFT
WEEKENDER - LIGHT NEUTRAL BEIGE MATTE
STILL SHOT - BRIGHT PEACH
RIFF - BROWN NUDE MATTE WITH FLOATING MICRO SPARKLE
GOOD AS GONE - DEEP BROWN WITH IRIDESCENT MICRO SHIMMER
HELL RIDE - DEEP FUCHSIA MATTE
BAJA - BURNT ORANGE MATTE
ACCELERATE - REDDISH COPPER METALLIC
GUILT TRIP - SMOKY PURPLE SHIMMER
IGNITE - ROSE GOLD METALLIC
SMOG - DEEP COPPERY BRONZE
WANDERLUST - FOREST GREEN WITH GOLD MICRO SHIMMER
WILDHEART - BRIGHT FUCHSIA SHIMMER
PUNK - REDDISH BROWN MATTE
DOUBLE LIFE - METALLIC RUST
JET - BLACK WITH DEEP SHIMMERING PURPLE SHIFT
DRIFT - CHARCOAL SATIN WITH MICRO SHIMMER
RADIO - DEEP EMERALD SATIN
BIG SKY - FROSTED GREEN SHIMMER WITH IRIDESCENT MICRO SHIMMER

As you can tell, the majority of the shades have warm undertones, but there are some cool tones mixed in. Five of the shades have been included in previous launches, these are Blaze, Riff, Smog, Punk, and Jet.

I did two sets of swatches even though I don't think swatches are super important as some shadows just won't swatch well. The set of swatches over my tattoos are done with my fingers, the set on my other arm is done with the flat eyeshadow brush from Sigma.

I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this palette because Urban Decay palettes can occasionally be hit or miss. These shades are all very soft and blendable, which I appreciate. One thing that I noticed right away is that these are less pigmented. However, I think this contributes to how seamlessly they blend. The mattes are all gorgeous and are easy to work with. The most disappointing shade in the palette for me was Still Shot, followed closely bu Hell Ride. Both are absolutely stunning, but they really have to be built up and I expected them to be more pigmented than they are. Baja is an exception because it's VERY pigmented, so a little goes a long way with this one.

The shimmers are very soft and work best if you apply them with your fingers. I do not recommend using a dry brush for these, it just won't give you what you're looking for. I prefer to use a glitter glue as I have heavily hooded eyelids, but it also helps with their pigmentation. When applied onto a base with your fingers, they're totally gorgeous.

Overall, I consider the palette a nice purchase that you may not need but if you want some more neutrals and a little more color in your life, you'll probably want to add it to your collection. I waited so long to review it so I could have plenty of time to test it and even though it's SO perfect for summer, I think with the colors available, it will also be great for fall. Also, the packaging is so cute and nice. This palette is heavy, it closes securely, and the mirror is really nice.

Next, we have three 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils. I'm not sure if these shades have been previously launched and I couldn't find any solid information about it.

LUCKY - DARK METALLIC COPPER
OVERDRIVE - DEEP GREEN METALLIC
DOUBLE LIFE - REDDISH BROWN METALLIC

Not much needs to be said about these eyeliners. The colors are gorgeous and pair perfectly with the palette. They are VERY pigmented and apply on your waterline with one swipe. If you like the colors, grab them while they're available!

Lastly, we have the three lipsticks in the collection.

READY - BRIGHT ROSE SPARKLE (METALLIC)
MARFA - DEEP BERRY WITH PINK MICRO SHIMMER (COMFORT MATTE)
66 - RICH MAUVE NUDE (COMFORT MATTE)

As a hoarder of lipsticks, I loved adding these to my collection. They're fairly different from the colors I currently have and I love the Urban Decay Lipstick formula. Ready is a more sheer shade while 66 and Marfa are super pigmented. The packaging matches the palette and it's so cute.

This entire collection is a winner. I've been using this palette every time I've done my makeup since I received it. I'm totally obsessed with Blaze, Baja, Wanderlust, and Drift. I can't wait to create more looks with this palette. Rarely do I actually feel inspired by a palette, but this one really fuels my creativity. The liners are amazing, like always, and last on the waterline all day. Also, these don't transfer onto my contact lenses. The lipsticks are gorgeous, of course. The colors are pretty and there's something for everyone.

You can find this collection at Urban Decay, Macy's, Ulta, and Sephora.

Which is your favorite? Do you have a favorite shade?

Thanks for reading!

It Cosmetics | CC+ Your Most Beautiful Skin TSV

2018-07-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

*products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

It's time for another It Cosmetics TSV and this one is a little different than some in the past, because it includes two new products.
The It Cosmetics CC+ Your Most Beautiful Skin TSV includes three products:

YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER CC+ CREAM OIL-FREE MATTE SPF 40 - This is a brand new release that I think a lot of people have been waiting for from It Cosmetics. If you love their CC+ Cream but wish it was a more matte finish, this is for you. This gives a soft, natural matte look to your skin and it has the same awesome package as the other versions.
YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER CC+ AIRBRUSH PERFECTING POWDER SPF 50+ - This is a new talc-free powder that diffuses and color corrects imperfections. The powder is really soft and melts into the skin. The packaging is cute, too!
HEAVENLY SKIN CC+ PERFECTING BRUSH NO. 702 - This brush was meant to be used with the CC+ Creams. It's super soft and gives a smooth application. It works with liquids and powders, and blurs imperfections.

This TSV goes on sale officially on July 27th but it is available right now for presale with this link. This set comes in twelve different shades, so there are much more to choose from than previously.

Let me know if you grab this from QVC! Thanks for reading!

Macy & Mia Cosmetics | Review

2018-07-09T19:49:00.003-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Macy & Mia is an affordable, cruelty free line of cosmetics and 10% of all sales will be donated to charities and organizations that focuses on animal rescue. Personally, I think this is awesome and it's totally a great reason to justify purchasing more makeup. While Macy & Mia Cosmetics is advertised as an affordable brand, it's actually around the price of mid-range cosmetics. I just wanted to clarify that it isn't in the drugstore price range, but closer to ABH pricing. Although, drugstore prices have gone up so much, it's crazy! I have a highlight palette, lip kit, and lip gloss to talk about.

Since highlighting is my favorite part of doing my makeup, I'll tell you about the palette first. I have the Macy & Mia "The Spotlight" Palette. This palette is the same design as the ABH Glow Kits. It's cardboard with a magnetic closure, there are four highlight pans and they are interchangeable because it's magnetized. The outer and inner packaging is black and has subtle holographic glitter all over it. Personally, I love this for traveling because I can make a custom palette if I want to pull from a few different palettes rather than taking all of the separate palettes with me. As I mentioned, this includes four shades:

STEVIE - PALE WHITE-GOLD
DOLLY - LIGHT PINK WITH LAVENDER UNDERTONES
GWEN - BEIGE CHAMPAGNE WITH PINK UNDERTONES
JANIS - LIGHT BRONZE-GOLD

I've used this palette a lot because I wanted to see how it would perform. The powders are super soft and easy to blend. They're pretty pigmented and give a bright highlight. Something to note is that all of the shades have a very fine, iridescent micro glitter in them. It doesn't show up super glittery on your face but it's there.

I'm not sure what range of skin tones this would work for, honestly. I can wear all of them and I'm pretty light. I think they may start to look ashy on really tan or deeper skin.

I have one of the lip kits in the shade Eden, but my lip liner is misprinted. My lip liner from the kit is labeled as Skylar, but that's actually a different lip kit. At first, I thought I had the lip liner from the wrong kit, but it's definitely the shade of the Eden lip kit and so different from Skylar, so it's just a misprinted label.

The Lip Liner in the shade Eden is a pink-nude shade that pulls pretty peachy on me. The lip liner is very creamy, pigmented, and easy to apply. The Liquid Lipstick in Eden matches the lip pencil perfectly. It reminds me of the liquid lipsticks from Stila, which I'm not the biggest fan of. It's pigmented, but it can get streaky, it feels really thick and heavy on your lips, too. It seemed to exaggerate the lines on my lips. Another issue I had with it is it seemed to stay a little sticky. I naturally have really dry lips and it's hard to keep them moisturized. If my lips were more hydrated, this most likely would have performed much better. I like the lip liner, but I'm not a fan of the Liquid Lipstick.

I also have the Lip Gloss in Char. This gloss is a mauve-ish shade that is actually close to my natural lip color and it's vanilla scented. The gloss is very pigmented and kind of thick, which made it a little awkward to apply but once it's on, it's really pretty. It is slightly sticky, but not too much. I can deal with it and I'm picky.

My favorite thing is "The Spotlight" Highlight palette. I'm not a big fan of the Liquid Lipstick, but honestly that comes down to personal preference. I just prefer the ones that are a thinner consistency. The Lip Liner is good, but it's very similar to the Nyx ones I have. I also liked the gloss. I think it's a pretty shade and the formula isn't bad.

You can find all of these on their website.

Let me know what your favorite thing is!

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer | Review

2018-06-20T15:41:00.002-04:00

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
I'm basically obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect foundation. Recently, I've been trying the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer. I've been working on this review for quite some time because I wanted to really test this foundation, so we are going to talk about everything.

The It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer is fairly new as far as I know. I feel like there was a similar product available before and it's been relaunched, but I could be wrong about that.
Before we talk about the claims, I want to talk about the shade range quickly. It Cosmetics is notorious for having a very small shade range. When grabbing info for this post I realized that the shade range has been expanded for this product. The shade range now has 12 different shades, which is a lot better. Obviously, this is still something they should continue to work on and expand, because there are so many shades that are missing and little variety in undertones. I just wanted to talk about this because it seems like they're listening and finally expanding, even if it's a slow process.
Let's talk about the claims:

SPF 50
Full Coverage
Natural Satin Finish
Hydrating
Covers & Improves redness, pores, breakouts, dark spots, lines and wrinkles
No creasing or cracking
Increases absorption & efficacy of skin care

When I first saw this announced, I was excited but skeptical. With the It Cosmetics CC+ Cream and the CC+ Illumination Cream already existing, I didn't think this would be any different. There are differences between all of them, but the Bye Bye Foundation is pretty similar to the CC+ Cream.

You may know that the CC+ Illumination cream is my all-time favorite foundation, and I didn't think I would like this more than that because the Illumination Cream is very dewy and hydrating. I'm not the biggest fan of the CC+ Cream because it seems like it just sits on my skin and does not look the greatest. So, with that knowledge, let's move onto the review.

The Bye Bye Foundation is similar to the CC+ Cream. In fact, it applies the same. The Bye Bye Foundation is much more hydrating than the regular CC+ Cream, but not quite as hydrating as the CC+ Illumination cream. It does set down on it's own and I find it to be a medium-buildable coverage. It blends easily and evenly and doesn't sit on top of the skin. The finish is a natural satin finish, definitely not matte which is a plus to me but some may not like that.

My skin is normal-dry lately and foundations easily dry out my skin and ends up cakey within a couple of hours. If my skin is super dry, the Bye Bye Foundation will do this to me, but I expect it to. It lasts around 4 hours on my skin before it starts to look dry. It starts to look cakey and extremely dry around the 6 hour mark. On normal skin, I think it would probably look great all day. Oily skin may not like it because it's not matte, it's semi-hydrating, and doesn't fight oil at all, in my experience. I'd still recommend the regular CC+ Cream for Oily skin and the CC+ Illumination for dry skin. The Bye Bye foundation seems like a great product for normal skin.

This does not sink into lines and pores, in my experience, if that's something that concerns you.

Here is a swatch comparing the Bye Bye Foundation to the CC+ Cream and CC+ Illumination Cream. The Bye Bye Foundation and CC+ Cream are both in the shade Fair and the CC+ Illumination Cream is in Light.

So, as far as how I feel about this foundation, it's okay. It's not my favorite but I don't hate it. In fact, I find I normally apply this when I'm going to be out for a couple of hours running errands and don't need my makeup to last all day. I don't have to set it with powder and other products lay on top perfectly, so it's perfect for quick makeup. It does look natural and I like to wear it for short periods of time.

If you have normal skin, you should try it. You can probably grab a sample from Ulta or Sephora and you can decide for yourself. Kudos to It Cosmetics for finally expanding their shade range, it's a great start.

You can find this on It Cosmetics website and at Ulta for $39.50.

Thanks for reading!