November 2014 Eyeshadow Palette of the Month: MAC Leopard Lux Quad

Hi there! After my recent birthday/holiday splurges, I think it’s best if I try to focus on using one eyeshadow palette a month. I am a complete eyeshadow/blush lover (or hoarder), so I figure I would start choosing one palette to use each month to ensure that all of my eyeshadows get some love. . I think I have enough eyeshadows to last me all the way until 2016, but I’m sure that won’t stop me from getting more at the next makeup sale.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, one being that I will always use MAC Brown Script no matter what palette I’m using because it’s such an awesome transition color for me. Without further ado, below are swatches from MAC’s Leopard Lux Quad, ENJOY!

Top To Bottom: Furiously Fabulous (VP), Style Predator (VP), Notoriety (V), Wild By Nature (M) 

What eyeshadow palette are you using this month?

Product Probe: Make Up Forever Artist Shadows

As a makeupaholic, I knew when the hype started surrounding the new, re-formulated MUFE Artist Shadows, I would have to try them out. I read a few reviews and was only a tad bit disappointed when they arrived, but we'll get to that in a minute. 

First off, these shadows are pricey. When I say pricey, I mean $21 each. I let them sit in my Sephora cart for at least a week before I decided that I would spend the money. The upside to the pricing, is that when you purchase a MUFE palette (2-pan or 3-pan) for $1, you can get 3 eyeshadows for the price of 2, so I paid $42 for the eyeshadows and $1 for a 3 pan palette.

Now on to the slight disappointment. After watching reviews of these shadows on YouTube, I expected them to be insanely pigmented. In my opinion, they aren't as pigmented as a LORAC eyeshadow, but they are easy to blend and buildable, which makes it all better. I would probably purchase these again because these are slightly larger than MAC eyeshadows and I would like to try out different colors to see if the pigmentation differs depending on the finish.

Below are swatches from left to right: Pink Brown (matte), Pink Ash (satin), Rust (Iridescent). 

Do you own any MUFE Artist Shadows? What do you think?

Lorac Mega Pro Palette (Limited Edition) -_-

Seriously Lorac? Couldn’t make a few hundred thousand more Mega palettes so that everyone could get one? Unfortunately, the Lorac Mega Pro palette is selling out everywhere, but Amazon is due to have 1 more shipment coming in, so if you are interested sign up now to get an e-mail notification when the palette becomes available, I promise you won’t regret it. 

Project 10 Pan (P10P) Pitfalls

In yesterday’s post, I briefly mentioned how disillusioned I was when starting my project pan. I was WAYYYYY off track and over ambitious with the products that I chose, but I’m way too stubborn to just give up. So after 4 months of project pan, I am modifying the rules a bit.

I am allowing myself to purchase makeup after I finish any 10 products or if I haven’t reached my goal by October 16^th (my birthday), I am allowed birthday splurges.

Yep, I said it. I am determined to finish and even if I don’t finish before my b-day, I plan to continue my project pan. While I do plan on purchasing for my birthday, if my project pan items are not finished, I will not be opening any new products. I am freakishly scared about makeup expiration dates, so I don’t want to open anything new until I can commit the time to thoroughly enjoy it.

Now on to the mistakes I’ve made when undertaking my Project Pan:

#1  Not giving myself a timeframe. Shoot, if I would’ve given myself a 2-month timeframe I probably would’ve been more serious in this undertaking and would’ve have gotten bored with my makeup (hence the lack of blog posts).

#2  Not picking items that were close to being finished. My bad. I should have chosen products that were on the brink of being finished that way I could have a sense of accomplishment, especially when I started with the Kat Von D powder foundation, it was practically brand new. I am all about the small wins.

#3  Not giving myself any wiggle room. In retrospect, I should have picked more than 10 items so that if one product was taking too long, I could still finish at least 10 things. Adding a few ‘extra’ products would’ve also given me some variation and change to stop the boredom of a constant project pan.

Are you currently on a project pan or focusing on using some of your products up? Any advice on how I can improve my next P10P?

Project 10 Pan…Is it time to call it quits?

In June, I posted the details of my project 10 pan here and to be honest, it’s been a long one. I must admit that I was completely disillusioned about the amount of time it takes to finish makeup products, but I did learn some valuable lessons along the way, which I will share later this week. Until then, here is a peek at what’s been going on with my project 10 pan items.

 1.   Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

 2.   Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

 3.   NYX HD Concealer – finished 5/12/14

 4.   Tarte Clean Slate Primer -> This one is taking forever to finish because I HATE  it.

 5.   Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation -> I like this for setting my liquid foundation, but by the end of a long work day it seems to slide off. I like the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish (MSF) better, but maybe it's the primer that I'm using.

 6.   Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer – 8/1/14?? 

 7.   Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer – I haven’t use this in a while because I’m trying to focus on finishing that dreaded Tarte primer first.

 8.   Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation – finished 8/20/14

 9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/14

 10. NYX Matte Bronzer – I use this for a slight contour so a little goes a long way, I can see a dip in the pan so this is a good deal for the money.

A Little Fall Fun!!

So after my very sad post about my project pan (which I’ll do an update on later this week), I decided to write today about happier times. We are officially entering Fall, yay! Is anyone else excited? Fall and Winter are my favorite times of year, not only because of the weather, but also because of all of the holidays and family time that comes along with the season. One of my favorite things about this time of year are the HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS! I am already eyeing the Tarte collections and I plan on getting my grubby little hands on it as soon as it is available online or in-store. Am I the only make up lover out there that WANTS ALL THE MAKEUP? Lol! I can never have enough or too much.

Do you plan to purchase any of the 2014 Holiday Collections?

Project 10 Pan Update!!!!

It has been a long two months and it’s been a really long, boring project 10 pan. I’ve been really struggling to stay focused and find myself frequently getting bored with my project 10 pan items. In any case, here’s a quick update.  Oh and I’m thinking of holding off on ‘panning’ the Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation. I have hit pan on it and would like to continue to use it up, but it’s a little heavy for the summer weather….so I may remove it…hadn’t made up my mind quite yet.

 1.      Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

 2.      Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

 3.      NYX HD Concealer

 4.      Tarte Clean Slate Primer

 5.      Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation

 6.      Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer – 8/1/14 ?? 

 7.      Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer

 8.      Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation – finished 8/20/14

 9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/14

 10. NYX Matte Bronzer

Randomness: MyCosmetics App

Guess what?! I recently downloaded the greatest app ever! Okay, maybe not the greatest app ever, but it's pretty darn good if you love your makeup and want to keep your stash organized. It not only helps me ease some of my makeup hoarder anxiety, but it is also very easy to use. Basically what the app does is allow you to track when you open a product and the product expiration. Below is a screenshot of what the app looks like along with a step by step of how to use it. Enjoy!

This screen appears once you click on the app icon. From here you select the category of makeup you want to enter or review.

I selected powder, which is where I entered a powder that I opened up this morning. Now a list of entered items under the powder category appears by brand and product name. To add a product, simply click the '+' in the upper right corner.

By clicking on the powder I want to look up, the app shows the product info., expiration date, and a picture if one was taken. I haven't added a pic to this one yet, but I'll update this post with a picture this week.

Project 10 Pan (Here We Go)

For the past month, I’ve been heavily considering starting a project 10 pan (P10P), but couldn’t decide whether I was ready to fully commit to any period of time where I don’t shop for makeup. Well after finishing a few products in May and steady working on a few more, I’ve decided that now would be a good time for me to embrace a ‘use what you got’ aka ‘no buy’ project. My goal with this project is to purchase less makeup (and hopefully save some $$$) and also to enjoy the products that I already own. I do plan on purchasing products that I ‘need’ and run out of, like foundation. My collection is not huge by any means, but I want to stop the madness before I’m too far gone and overwhelmed.

So enough of the guilty, I-really-want-to-buy-more-products-and-am-making-a-list-as-I-write-this-post chatter. Below is the list of items that I plan to complete before purchasing any new 'non-necessity' makeup items (a few of them are already finished due to my wanting to start in May, sorry):

1.      Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

2.      Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

3.      NYX HD Concealer

4.      Tarte Clean Slate Primer

5.      Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation

6.      Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer

7.      Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer

8.      Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation
9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/2014
10. NYX Matte Bronzer

Have you ever done a Project Pan? 

It’s a Dirty Job, but…….

Somebody’s got to do it! SMH, if I could get someone else to do it, I would. Unfortunately, not everyone would clean my beloved makeup brushes as well as I would and lately I’ve been super lazy about cleaning them. I know, I know! So this week I got up off my lazy you-know-what and gave them a good scrub. I used baby shampoo and also tried a little white vinegar for the hard-to-clean foundation brushes. Now that everyone has had a bath and I’m running out of baby shampoo, I’m considering purchasing the MAC Brush Cleaner just to try something new. I’ve tried the Beautyblender solid beautycleanser bar for my brushes. I am not a fan. I’m open to any recommendations that you lovely ladies may have (says my inner makeup junkie).

How often do you wash your makeup brushes? What’s your cleaner of choice?

Project X Pan Expedition

Long time no see, right? I’ve been very busy moving and haven’t had time to post, but I’m back and ready to go!!!! Lately I’ve been really considerate of the amount of money that I spend on makeup. Granted I don’t regret any of my purchases (even the ones for products that SUCK!!!), but I, like many other makeup lovers, want to take the time to enjoy the products that I have and know I love (like my NARS blush). At this point, I’m considering attempting a Project Pan. If you are unfamiliar with Project Pan, it is goal setting at its best. The idea is that you have to use up X amount of products before you buy new makeup, except to replace an item that you need and don’t have a backup of. While I don’t have a GINOURMOUS collection like some beauty lovers, I sometimes dream about the day I use up my NYX jumbo pencils or my Naked 3 palette. I am undecided, but would love to hear input from you lovely ladies.

Should I do it? How big is your makeup stash? 

Beauty Wish Lists

Am I the only one that maintains a list of future beauty purchases? There are so many great products on the market and in order to remain some semblance of self control, I create lists of products that I would like to try (one for MAC and one for Sephora/everywhere else). I also frequent Sephora.com and love items that I want to try in the future. By keeping products on my radar, it helps me control my makeup spending and it allows me to fine tune the list and separate things by the items that I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want.  Here are a few of the products I want to try in the future, but will NOT purchase until I use some up some of my current goodies.

Here are my top 5 Wish List items:

1.       Inglot Eyeshadows and Blushes – Freedom System Items so that I can put them in a z-palette.

2.       NARS blushes – I own seduction and I love it more than any of my other blushes

3.       MUG (MakeupGeek) eyeshadows, pigments,  and eye brushes (specifically the liner , pencil, and outer v brushes)

4.       Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation – This is supposed to be great for oily skin, but I haven’t purchased it yet because I have 3 foundations that I want to use prior to getting a new one. (Currently rotating: MAC StudioFix Fluid, Clinique Stay Matte Foundation, and Lancome Teint Idole)

5.       MAC blushes – I plan to finish filling my MAC blush palette that only has 1 item in it to date. I specifically want to purchase Coppertone, Blunt (for contouring), and a shaping powder as well.

What’s on your makeup wish list?

Product Probe: Model in a Bottle

Price: $18.00

According to the product’s website, Model In A Bottle is a matte makeup setting spray that is supposed to allow makeup to last all day with little to no touchups. I was hesitant to purchase this product as it can only be purchased online and is not available in any major retailer (like Sephora or Ulta). I brought this product 2 years ago at cherryculture.com. While I enjoyed it because it lives up to its claims, this setting spray is highly fragranced, sprays heavily, and is difficult to obtain, unlike the Urban Decay and Kat Von D setting sprays. I would probably not repurchase it because of those reasons, but if you are willing to purchase online, this is a must have. The price seems a bit high, but I have used the product 3 or 4 times a week for the past 2 years before I ran out.

What’s your favorite makeup setting spray?

Wait….You Put That Where???

No, I’m not writing about that. Get your mind out of the gutter! There are many very unusual beauty secrets that are not only a little weird, but they’re also very affordable alternatives to expensive makeup products. One of my personal favorites is Milk of Magnesia. While this is commonly used as an antacid or laxative, it’s also a great primer. I actually used this (hubby gave me the side eye when I brought it) and it does stop you from becoming an oily mess by the end of the day. I know it sounds strange, but this is a great alternative to the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. Another beauty favorite is Preparation H. This little gem not only reduce the size of hemorrhoids (if you have that problem), but it also reduces under eye puffiness. And let’s not forget about the Monistat Chaffing Gel, not only is it good for ‘other places’ but it’s also another great primer. Who would’ve thunk it?

What are your unusual beauty secrets?

Randomness: The Great Lash Divide

While many love the look of lash extensions also known as false eyelashes, I have yet to be amazed by them for my makeup looks. They look great on others, but the amount of time it takes to apply correctly and then conceal with eyeliner (which I have yet to master) seems like too much time to spend on any given day. I typically tend to spend 30-45 minutes every morning on my makeup. Am I the only one out there that feels like this? Maybe it’s because while my natural lashes aren’t super amazing, they’re not sparse. I just feel like adding extensions to them would really just be more work for me without that great of a payoff. I probably just haven’t found the right brand of lashes yet.

Where do you stand on falsies? If you like them, what are you favorite brands and style (maybe I’ll try a few)?

Product Review: NYX Butter Gloss & Soft Matte Lip Creams SUCK!!

If you love makeup like I do, you watch plenty of YouTube videos and try as many new products as you can get your hands on without becoming the crazy makeup lady. Well, these 2 products thoroughly SUCK! Despite all the YouTube hype, these products were a complete and utter waste of my hard earned wages! I guess I should count my lucky stars that they are inexpensive. While most Youtubers rave about how butter and smooth these products are, the NYX Butter Gloss makes my lips so dry that they peel and the Matte Lip Creams don’t apply well, they are a matte, splotchy mess. One swipe and I knew it wasn’t going to work (but to be fair, I kept trying to use it to see why people loved it so much). I would NEVER, EVER recommend these two products! Stay far away and save your pennies!

What are your thoughts on the NYX Butter Gloss & Soft Matte Lip Creams?

The Cure for an Oily Girl: Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Price:    $18.00

Size:      0.33 oz.

As many of you may (or may not) know, I have oily skin. Very oily! To the point that when I tried out the L’Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation, I was a grease slick after less than 3 hours of wear. Anywho in my quest for a ‘holy grail’ primer, I ran across the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. This primer claims to provide a smooth finish to your foundation and reduce shine and the best part is that IT WORKS! The look of the primer is very similar to that of Milk of Magnesia, but has a slight silicone feel when applied to the face. Over the past month or so, this primer has kept my oily skin under control and has helped prevent my midday face blot. While I am still going to test out other primers (because I’m an obsessive makeup hoarder), I will definitely repurchase this primer in the future.

What’s your favorite primer?

Coming soon: MUG Eyeshadows & Pigments

Hey y’all!!!!! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted, but only because I’ve had plenty of work and not shopping to keep me busy. With that being said, what better way to come back than with a HAULLLLL!!!!!!!!!! I recently placed an order for a few of the highly raved about Makeup Geek (also called MUG) eyeshadows and plan to review them after I have tested them out a bit and of course a review wouldn’t be complete without swatches (yay!).

Stay Tuned…..

Product Probe: Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencils

On a recent trip to Sephora to pick up some ‘wish list’ items, I happened to notice these little beauties and was a little curious to see what all the YouTube hype was about. Recently, it seems like everyone has been in love with the agave lip mask; for some reason the lip mask just didn't pique my interest, but these lip pencils caught my attention. If you are not familiar with the Bite brand, it is a brand of all natural beauty products. At first, when you hear all natural you may assume that the products aren't that great, but these lips pencils are bomb.com. Not only are they vibrant and pigments, but they come in several versatile shades from bold to nude. They are a ‘matte’ formula, but go on smooth without drying your lips or causing any type of patchiness or peeling, not to mention the slim packaging makes storing these a breeze. I prefer these to the drugstore lip balms and creams, which are super drying and are transparent on darker skin tones. I highly recommend trying these if you’re in the market for a new lip product or just want to branch out from your current favorite. 

What's your favorite lippie?

Product Probe: Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation

Revlon Colorstay has been on the market for quite some time. Not only is this foundation affordable, but it is easily available and can be found at any drugstore. This product is actually the first foundation that I’ve ever used and is considered a ‘Holy Grail’ product for me.

Pros:

Not only does it wear well for my oily skin, but it also has a matte finish, which I love. There product line offers a great selection of shades, and comes in a different formula for beauty lovers with dry/normal skin.

Cons:

This is not a lightweight foundation. It’s actually quite thick, but provides medium to full coverage. Also this foundation is not sold with a pump, which makes it very difficult to get out of the bottle. In order to avoid this drawback, I found it best to pour the foundation into an airless foundation pump that I found on Amazon (pic below).

What’s your favorite foundation?