November 2017 - Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: November 2017

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

November 30, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

What’s Up Readers! This holiday season is truly the season of beautiful palette launches, whether it’s an eyeshadow or face, there’s no denying that there’s lots and lots of beautiful breathtaking palettes nowadays. They’re so tempting that it’s difficult to only purchase one. Speaking of tempting, here’s an eye palette that I knew I just had to have because it’s simply one of a kind. The Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette (0.89 oz: $65) is a unique balance of matte and shimmery shades that are simply stunning. The entire palette has 18 gorgeous colors which allow you to create different looks, from having a simple natural eye makeup to an alluring and dramatic look.

This is probably one of the prettiest eyeshadow palettes I’ve ever seen and tried, shade-wise. Even the packaging is pretty too. Each shade is well-made and well-thought-out. Most of them are something I’d be excited to try all the time, also, I really like that they’re so easy to blend. There are some matte shades, some glittery shades and some duo-chrome shades which are all very pigmented, very blendable, creamy-like and long-lasting. The price may be steep but it’s a pretty large palette, and each shade is truly worth it. Also, the possibilities are endless as you can customize your look quite a lot.

The glittery shades of this Desert Dusk Eye Palette are really surprisingly impressive when it comes to their blendability. You’d think there’s a lot of fallouts, but not really. I’m really surprised that the glitters stayed on my lids. Even the pearly are ones are very long lasting as well. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m really a fond of the shades, but there’s some really standout gorgeous shades for me, like; Royal, Retrograde, Twilight, Nefertiti, Blood Moon, Saffron, Blazing and my most favorite Turkish Delight. Cosmo is also a pure glitter shade that is very versatile to use. This palette really made me love glittery eyeshadows all over again, even if I’m not really a fan of them. But I have a feeling that that’s gonna change pretty soon.

All the shades are very pigmented, but there are a few matte ones that are extremely long lasting that they almost leave a stain on the lids. The shades Amber, Oud, and Saffron have this property, but Blazing is OMG. It’s so staining that you might have to use a really good makeup remover to take it off. It’s a beautiful Turmeric-ish shade that is one a kind and very timely in today’s eye makeup color trend. I’ve read some reviews that mentioned about the mattes being not as pigmented, but that is really not the case in my experience.

With all the eyeshadow palettes that have been released nowadays, I think this Desert Dusk is a must have, knowing that you’ll have a lot of colors to play with and that all the shades are very interesting. Also, their lasting power is very reliable, not to mention that each shade is easy to work around the lids. The colors blend seamlessly, with the matte and glitter shades all complementing each other to create a beautiful stare-worthy eye makeup look.

Another Eyeshadow palette that is also worth looking into is the Tarte Toasted Eyeshadow Palette, a review of that will be out soon. But anyways, if you’re the type that doesn’t like to hoard a lot of eyeshadows or eyeshadow palettes but is on the market to for an investment-worthy one, then I think you may wanna try this because it has lots of color choices to choose from and their pigments and lasting power are really good. I usually apply mine dry or damp, and each time I apply the shades I always get a compliment for how unique, stunning, and different my eye makeup is.

The Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette is currently available at Sephora, Harrods & JCPenney

Have you tried this palette before?

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Sephora Play! November 2017

November 21, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello There Babies! I got my Sephora Play November Box a few days ago and I tested them immediately. Guess what? I really enjoyed this month’s contents. Lots of new stuff to try and I’m glad that they finally focused on a few skincare goodies.

Ready to check out what I got?

Read on…

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask (1 oz: $18, 2.5 oz: $35) – I’ve heard good things about this mask and I think it might still be on my wishlist, but anyways, thank god for Sephora Play minis, I got to try this and I have nothing but good words for this mask. In fact, this is an Allure Best of Beauty 2017 Winner, which I think is a deserving recognition for this product. As someone with an oily-prone skin, this mask is perfect. It has salicylic acid which controls breakouts and prevents oiliness. I love that this is very exfoliating but it’s not harsh on the skin and that there’s no strong clay scent. All throughout my usage of this, I never had a breakout whatsoever and my face feels thoroughly cleaned and smooth. My whiteheads and blackheads are almost gone and I like that this mask spreads evenly over the face while not having to use a lot. Love this thing dearly.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (Mini: $10, 5.3 oz; $22) – I surprisingly enjoyed using this dry shampoo. I love that it didn’t leave any whitish residue on my hair while making it look clean. Though it didn’t necessarily volumize, I like the texture of my hair after spraying with this. I also use this dry shampoo to relax my fine frizzes and it made my hair shiny. The only thing that I don’t seem to like is the strong perfume smell. It can be a little too much.

Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer (1.7 oz: $45) – I keep seeing this moisturizer at Sephora all the time, and I think I may have tried this on the back of my hand. Somehow, it just didn’t hit me enough to buy it. I wasn’t really sure what it was, I think it may be the fact that the scent seemed a little too plain for me or what, but now that I’ve tried it and have actually applied it to my face, I was like OMG! I love it! this moisturizer may be plain and lightweight, but it packs a punch. It feels like a gel, but it’s actually more like a very creamy gel, and oh my, just a little bit of this and your face gets moisturized all throughout the day or night. Impressive.

Burberry My Burberry Blush Eau de Parfum (Mini: $29, 1 oz: $68, 1.6 oz: $90, 3 oz: $120) – Reviewed HERE. All praises for this amazing scent. For me, this is one of my best fragrance finds this year. I love the unique non-boring pomegranate scent. It’s a pretty feminine floral scent that is intriguing and riveting at the same time.

Sephora Collection Rouge Cream Lipstick in The Red (0.14 oz: &12.50) – Not exactly my kind of red, but that pigment! oh, men… so gorg… This is a creamy lipstick with a satin finish, and if you can find the perfect red or the perfect shade for your lips with this line, I swear, you can’t go wrong with this because as I said before, the pigment of this lipstick is to die for. I had to use a waterproof makeup remover to remove the swatch from my skin. That shows that this lipstick means serious business, and for the price, it’s perfect.

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara (0.32 oz: $26) – I think I may have found one of the best mascaras ever. Not kidding here, I’ve been obsessed with mascaras lately and have been on the lookout for the best volumizing mascaras on the market. Just when I thought I may have gathered some of the best (which I’ll be reviewing soon), I found this one from MJ and I’m really impressed at its volumizing and lengthening power. I don’t have a lot of lashes in life, but this made my lashes looked like I applied horse shampoo on them. LOL. But yeah, you get the mental picture, this mascara really adds drama to your lashes, and on top of that, it doesn’t smudge or clump.

With this month’s box, I think that I’m pretty satisfied with the contents, and my top favorites are the following; Philosophy Pore Extractor Mask, Farmacy Honey Drop Moisturizer, Burberry My Burberry Blush (obviously), and Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara.

What products did you receive this month?

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 & Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick Review + Swatches

November 16, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello Everybody, in my previous reviews, I’ve talked about the Becca Apres Ski Glow Face Palette (HERE), which I am still very madly in love with. But, there’s another face palette that I just couldn’t resist. It’s been on my radar for quite a while now, but I just can’t seem to make my mind on it unless I’d see it in real life. Given its price, I almost skipped on it, but when the Sephora Beauty Insider Event Sale came and I caught a glimpse of it immediately, I knew it’s going be another one of those love at first sight palettes. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80) is such a beaut and it’s probably one of the most beautiful palettes I’ve ever seen. As I placed one in my shopping basket, guess what I saw? another OMFG, those Hourglass Confession Lipsticks! Jesus, my uncle, I had to stop myself, but I heard Amy Winehouse singing in the background saying “They told me I should go to rehab, I said, no…no…no…” so yeah, the damage was done, I got the Ambient Lighting Edit V3 Palette plus two Hourglass Confession Lipsticks. Mery me.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80): Currently sold out at Sephora, but I’m pretty sure this will be restocked soon. This rose gold palette is shiny and luxurious looking. A real eye-catcher containing three of Hourglass’ bestselling shades, plus three new exclusives with a total of six different shades; two are setting powders (upper left and right shades) that color-corrects and blurs imperfections, while the upper middle shade is a universally-flattering highlighter. The lower left shade is a bronzer, while the remaining middle and right shades are blushes with different intensities.

To me, this face palette has it all. I love that I can use the finishing powders after applying my foundation, then I proceed into using the bronzer shade for contouring, while I use the sole highlighter to focus on the high points of my face where the light could hit. I then choose which blush I’d feel like using for that day, depending on the occasion and my mood, or I could just blend the two. For me, this palette is not only gorgeous, but I love its very soft texture, its natural effect on the face which is sheer but buildable, and it also gives that “lit from within” effect. I’ve tested the shades several times already, and while it’s no surprise how well pigmented they are, I’m really impressed with their lasting power. I applied the colors in the morning and I came home in the evening still with the same intensity of pigments on my face. There are two Holiday face Palettes that I think are worth having; one of them is the Becca Apres Ski Glow Face Palette (reviewed HERE) and the other one is this Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3. I might be a bit more biased towards this Hourglass one because it has more colors to choose from, and I love the fact that there are 2 finishing powders included in it. It has everything you’ll ever need in a face palette, and on top of that, it’s very compact, handy, and perfect for traveling. This is a must-have.

Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick ($34): These uniquely-packaged lipsticks will make you happy and sad at the same time. Oh well, first, let’s talk about the good news first. These lipsticks are housed in luxurious slim golden tubes with one pointy end. A bit like golden pointy cigarettes. These lipsticks scream luxe. What I love about these are their bold pigments. You can’t be heavy-handed while applying these. I find that I only have to apply this to some portions of my lips (sometimes dab), then I can just spread the shade all over without a problem. The formula is creamy and it settles into a satin-like finish. The lasting power is pretty good, probably around 4 to 5 hours on me, with some staining left on my lips. I love the fact that they’re refillable and the refill’s price is a bit cheaper. They’re pretty much easy to refill and it’s a no-brainer, although I tried to practice it at Sephora and I almost dropped the lipstick. But it’s just me, you know, because I’m clumsy. Anyways, these lipsticks are tiny and really slim. They’ll fit anywhere without a problem and I love their catchy “confess and fill in the blanks” kind of name. They’re almost pretty much easy and precise to apply on the lips. But here goes my beef on these. What a price for such tiny and slim lipsticks! It’s hard to justify collecting the shades, even though the range of shades is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. I feel like having one or three of these are probably enough. So you really need to carefully pick which color suits you.

Here are my two faves:

I’m Addicted: Terracotta Rose. My favorite everyday medium muted rose shade. Reminds me a lot of my other favorite everyday shade, the one that’s always in my purse, the YSL #66 Bois de Rose.

I’ve Been: Deep Rose Brown. A pretty perfect for Fall rosy brown shade. Very alluring.

Overall, I think these are such gorgeous makeup must-haves not only for the holidays but for the whole year. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit V3 Palette is a must for me, but I think any of Becca’s Face Palettes especially the Apres Ski would be a good alternative. If you can stomach the price on the Confession Lipsticks, given its size, then it’s good to have at least one.

Have you tried any of these?

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 is currently available at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, & Net-A-Porter

The Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Hight Intensity Refillable Lipstick can be purchased at Sephora, Nordstrom, Barneys NY, Space NK, Bergdorf Goodman, & Net-A-Porter

Buh Bye

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