NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette Review + Swatches

Hello internet! It has indeed been a while since I did a post...so here I present to you this rather awesome one. I hereby present to you the NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette.

The packaging of this cheek palette comes in the standard NARS packaging. As many of you may already know, this means it collects dust and dirt in general and faster. However, it has a very smooth casing which I think overpowers the getting-dirty-easily bit for me, so it is not much of an issue. This blush palette is about the size of NARS' bronzers. 

This palette contains 2 matte blushes. One is a mid-tone peach based pink and the other is a bright blue-based pink. The third blush it has is the classic Orgasm blush, which is another coral-peach color with golden shimmer particles. Finally, there is a yellow-chamagne shade for highlighting.

The wear of these blushes are absolutely amazing and do not begin to fade until around 6-8 hours of wear, depending on the climate/weather. I love they included a highlight color and how half of the blushes are matte so that there is more variety. Judging by the super smooth texture of these cheek shades, they are very finely milled and great quality. Another positive factor of this palette is that the matte colors are not chalky at all, which is a common issue amongst matte blushes that I am happy to say is untrue in this case.

Though these blushes do not swatch very pigmented, I assure you that they are on the cheeks. This palette is ideal for traveling too. I believe this retails for USD$49.00 and can be purchased at Sephora. Also, this cheek palette is limited-edition(I think), so if you want it, you better grab one soon! Overall, I truly think that this palette is worth the money for someone who travels a lot or simply wants a beautiful selection of cheek colors in one palette.

Thank you for your time.

Arielle xox

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette 07 Review + Photos

Hello all. So today I am going to be doing a review on my beloved Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette in the shade 07. This palette comes with two concealers, one corrector, and one sheer pressed powder. The concealers work great on any skin tone- whether the user has red or yellow undertones to their skin. Now the corrector is very yellow. However, it is great for combating purple toned under-eye circles.

I cannot stress enough how much this is an essential item for anyone who travels a lot. First of all, the packaging is light, thin, and extremely easy to store. Also, the fact that it has two different shade concealers enables you to customize the ultimate concealer color for you. Plus, it comes with a great corrector and a powder to set your concealer.

The consistency of the concealers and the corrector are/is exceptionally creamy. Because of this, it is particularly amazing to use during the winter time.  The powder is nice to have if you do not have anything else to use, but I do not prefer it since it has a bit of shimmer. It lasts up to 8 hours during the winter and spring. However, during the summer and autumn it creases like no other, especially seeing that it is only crease-free for the first 2 hours after applying it.

     

Generally, I do think this is one of the best drugstore concealers out there- for winter and spring. Unless you live in  an insanely humid climate like me, it should not crease otherwise. I definitely recommend this concealer for people with dry skin because of the creamy formula. This concealer palette retails for USD$10.49 and can be purchased wherever Sonia Kashuk is sold(e.g. Target).

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

NYX 'Tanned' Megashine Lipgloss Review + Swatches

Today I will be doing a review on the NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Tanned.

First of all, the packaging of this is absolutely adorable, with a bow at the top of the cap. The plastic tube it comes in is very slick and easy.

 

Thankfully, the product itself is as good(maybe a bit better) than  the packaging. This lipgloss is actually quite sheer with a tint of tan-peachiness to it. It is not sticky at all and glides on your lips like a dream. The shine this gives your lips is absolutely stunning, especially since there are no shimmery particles in it and does not accentuate any fine lines on your lips.

This lipgloss lasts on my lips for 3-4 hours before completely fading, which is pretty good considering this is any extremely smooth lip gloss.(usually smooth lipglosses tend to slide off your lips a lot faster).

Overall, I honestly can say these are my favorite drugstore lipglosses. Hands. Down. This lipgloss retails for $5.50 and can be purchased on NYX’s official website and ULTA.

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox 

NOTD: Zoya 'Jana' Nail Polish

Today I am delighted to share with you my nail of the day! Today I painted my nails a very autumn-esque color that is extremely beautiful in color and matches with absolutely everything.

 

This polish is perfect for fall, as it is a mid-toned taupe color that has a fair amount of chocolate brown to it as well. Though it only lasts about 3 days on my nails before severely chipping, Jana has a very nice cream finish that may make up for it. And of course, I used my Orly Calcium Shield as a base coat and Sech Vite as my top coat.

I really like this nail polish so far, and it is definitely one of my favorite, go-to nail polishes for this season. Zoya retails for $8 per polish and I believe that Zoya can be purchased on their online website(Click here to go to the official Zoya website) and in some beauty supply stores as well. 

Thank you for your time and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Arielle xox

Wet n Wild Walking On Eggshells Eyeshadow Trio Review + Swatches

Today I am going to be doing a review on the Wet n Wild eyeshadow trio in the color Walking On Eggshells.

I am in LOVE with this palette. Do not the cheap looking packaging deceive you, for the actual product is amazing beyond belief. It actually comes with a sponge tip applicator, but I removed it from the palette because I do not use it. It comes with a cool shimmery white for the brow bone, a golden cocoa-brown color with gold shimmer for the crease, and a stunning light rose pink for a lid color.

Left to right: brow bone color, crease color, & eyelid color

Firstly, let me just say that the texture of these eyeshadows are the most brilliant I have ever come across. They are super buttery and smooth, and the pigmentation is flawless! With a primer, these last all day long, although they may fade a teeny bit. The quality of these eyeshadows are actually better than MAC in my opinion, which is quite a statement to make.

All in all, I think that this trio is a must-have drugstore product for all eyeshadow junkies. Not to mention the many flattering remarks I have received while wearing these eyeshadows in combination, these are truly wondrous colors. Blabbering aside, these trios retail for USD $2.99 and can be purchased at CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens. I urge you to try this palette if you see it anywhere- it is honestly the best!

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

Current Favorites: November 7, 2012

Hello! My apologies for not updating this blog for quite some time now, but I have been very busy with academics and such. All excuses aside, today I am awfully excited to share with you all my current favorites which will hopefully act as a replacement for my October Favorites. 

Firstly, I have my MAC eyeshadow in Patina. Patina is a beautiful duo-chrome taupe-brown with reflects of gold. This has been my go-to eyeshadow color this month and have gotten plenty of compliments when wearing it. It is a great all-over the lid eyeshadow for deeper/tanner skin tones and a beautiful shade to put on the outer-half of your lid if you have a fairer skin tone.

My HOOLA by Benefit bronzer has been my everyday bronzer as well. It is matte with a lovely, almost velvety texture. It is a mud-brown, which sounds gross and orange, but it really is beautiful and should suit most skin tones.

Next, we have the Rimmel London Lasting Finish blush in Autumn Catwalk. I first heard about this blush from Amarixe, and I totally agree with her. It is a beautiful blush. The first shade to the left is a light barbie pink, the middle shade is a honey-like peach, and the far right shade is a coral-pink. When swirled all together, it is a peachy-pink blush with a very small amount of shimmer that gives your cheeks an innate looking sheen for autumn.

E.L.F's High Definition Powder is one that I have been using every single day since the start of October. It is a translucent loose-powder and has a matte finish. I love this to set my concealer under my eyes and this powder also works exceedingly well as blotting-powder.

My favorite perfume for the last month or so has been Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift. It has a sweet berry scent, without being too overpowering and sugary. This scent's wear is absolutely fabulous and stays on me for 8 hours+, which is always an essential quality a perfume should have.

Last but definitely not least, I have my Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara in Very Black. This mascara is certainly and unquestionably one of the best I have ever used. It gives great volume and length, stays on my lashes for a long time and does not smudge. At first I was quite iffy about this mascara, but when a couple people asked me if I curled my lashes when all I did was use this mascara, only then did I truly see a difference- my lashes were curled and plump(if that makes sense, haha).

Again, so sorry for the lack of posts lately and the lengthy blog, but hope you enjoyed anyway! 

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

KOJI Dolly Wink Eyeliner Review + Swatches

Hello everyone! Today I am going to be doing a review on the Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Liner.

First off, let me just say that the packaging is awfully adorable. Though I do think that Koji may have changed their packaging slights, but I believe it is pretty similar to their old one with their signature polka-dot pattern. Now, this eyeliner is water-proof with a rather skinny felt tip. Thus, it allows the user to achieve precise eyeliner application with ease. Also, I find that the felt tip point makes creating winged liner much easier.Because it is a waterproof formula, it dries very shortly after application and has magical staying power- it does not budge from morning to night.

The pigmentation is absolutely flawless. It is a straight up black and definitely not one of those awkward kind-of-black colors.

Left to Right: thin swatch and thick swatch

This eyeliner retails for HKD$128 and can be purchased from Sasa and can be easily found on online stores and websites. Though it is not exactly cheap, it is amazing for beginners especially since the felt tip gives you the ability to make your eyeliner look really great and almost professionally-done. Overall, I recommend this liquid liner immensely to anyone in search of an outstanding one.

Thank you for your time,



Arielle xox

NOTD: Revlon 'Hazy' Nail Polish

Here is my first 'NOTD' or 'Nail of the Day'. Today I am wearing Revlon's 'Hazy' nail polish from their Top Speed line.

With Flash

I used Orly's Calcium Shield as a base which is amazing for preventing nail polish staining on your nails. As for a top coat, I used Seche Vite which I believe can be purchased at Sephora but I am not completely sure. Anyhow, I love Seche Vite because it gives almost a gel-like finish and adds beautiful shine to my nails.

Natural Lighting

 'Hazy' is a cream-finish heather grey- simple and chic. I love this color for the autumn because it is exceptionally easy to match clothes with and compliments all skin tones- whether your summer tan has faded or you are still rocking a bronze glow.

Hope you enjoyed this short and sweet post and stay tuned for more!

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

MAC Love Thing Blush Review + Swatches

Today I am going to be doing a review on my all-time favorite autumn blush: MAC Mineralized blush in Love Thing.

Love Thing is a classic raspberry shade with golden shimmer. Especially during autumn when the climate is dryer, this blush provides a slight sheen to your cheeks that gives the illusion of dewier, glowing skin. This blush has extremely good pigmentation, which is a positive and a negative. The good thing about this is that it will last you a life time, but the bad thing is that you have to be super duper careful with it.

Left to Right: Blended with Real Techniques blush brush, heavy swatch

MAC blushes generally are long-wearing, and I am happy to say this is not an exception. The texture is very smooth and applies very evenly. My favorite brush to apply this with is the Real Techniques by Sarah Chapman blush brush from their travel kit.

*Blush Application Tip: Applying blush from your cheekbone and diagonally upwards towards you hairline not only gives the illusion of a slimmer and lifted face, but is a great way to compliment your bronzer.

This blush retails for USD $23.50 or HKD $195 and can be purchased at all MAC counters and/or stores. I highly recommend this blush and am surprised it is not one of MAC's best-sellers.

Thank you for your time,

Arielle xox

NYC Sunny Bronzer Review + Swatches

Today I am going to be doing a review on the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny. This bronzer has been a very popular product for the passed couple of months. So when I went back to the US in the beginning of October and saw it on the countless shelves of heavenly drugstore makeup, I had to submit to the hype.

This bronzer has a matte finish, which I have always preferred for face products. It is also a shade that is close to perfect for my skin color( My MAC MSF shade is Medium Dark). In other words, those who have medium skin tones, this bronzer is great for a natural sculpted look. For more fair skin tones, this may be slightly dark but you could always use a lighter hand when using it.

The pigmentation of this bronzer is not the best, but definitely great for its' price. The texture of it is quite smooth, but not as smooth and silky as my beloved Hoola bronzer from Benefit. However, it could be very well compared to some department store bronzers. The formulation, on the other hand, is chalky by the tiniest bit, but the chalkiness is barely noticeable once applied on your face. Sunny's wear is amazing and stays in for 8 hours through and through each hectic school day I wear it. It will fade a little, but it is still visible.

This bronzer retails for USD $3 and can be purchased in drugstores such as Walmart and CVS. Overall, this is a great bronzer and I would recommend this product to anyone who is on a tight budget or is on the hunt for an inexpensive bronzer that is 'high-end-worthy'.

Thank you for your time!




Arielle xox

NYX Milan Round Lipstick Swatch + Review!

          Today I am going to be reviewing my favorite lipstick! This lipstick is from NYX and it is one of their round lipsticks in the shade Milan.
             

                     

                              
                                                           Swatch in natural lighting.

Milan on the lips in natural lighting.

            The color, pigmentation, and overall formulation of this lipstick is utterly to die for. This is my perfect everyday lipstick shade because it is like a 'my lips but better' shade. It has a little bit of a berry-mauve hint to it too which makes it extra lovely for autumn. The pigmentation is wonderful and it applies very creamily and has a glorious sheen to it too. This lipstick shade is amazing for everyday use and suitable for, actually, all seasons.

  In addition, the packaging is simple and easy with a label of the color on the top of the cap. 

        
         As for wear, it is not the best, lasting only up to 2-3 hours before fading. This I believe is due to the super moisturizing and creamy formula. But even so, it will leave a stained effect on your lips. Anyways, this is one of the only lipsticks that do not dry my extremely sensitive lips out. Thus, I would rather have to reapply a really moisturizing lipstick a few times a day rather than have a lipstick that dries and cracks my lips. 

             These lipsticks retail for $4 and can be purchased at ULTA or NYX Cosmetics' online website. Overall, I highly recommend these lipsticks to anyone who is on the hunt for an affordable and moisturizing lipstick line with an endless range of colors.

Thank you for your time!

Arielle xox