Red Wand

Red Wand

Red Wand

Sparkly coral, creamy red, shimmery berry, sparkly mauve

I'm loving the red wand! These shades are so pretty. Even the ones that I point out as sparkly (on any of these wands) don't have a heavy glittery look on the lips... they just have a little extra shimmer. I think this wand is so wearable- giving you a softer red lip compared to an actual red lipstick. I love the creamy red shade, and the shimmery berry appears a little deeper in person than it does in the picture. These shades definitely give you a "classic glamour" look. 

♥

I tend to be a fan of really full-color glosses. I love it when the color shows up on my lips the same way it appears in the tube. Many of these glosses are more on the sheer side, but I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful they come off on the lips. I really enjoy the red and nude wands, and even though the pink wand contained especially sheer colors, I'll still get use out of it. The more I use these, the more I love their citrus/grapefruit scent, and the feel is soooo not annoying. Gotta love a non-sticky, yet non-greasy gloss! One little disclaimer-- since there are some sheer shades, you might end up with a different look if you have very naturally pigmented lips. 

New Z-Palettes: Crocodile Collection

New Z-Palettes: Crocodile Collection

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to share some details on the newest Z-Palettes! You've probably seen or own Z-Palettes in some of the fun prints that are available, but this new limited edition Crocodile Collection actually has a texture to it. Zena and the Z-Palette team sent me these to try, and of course I love any excuse to rearrange my palettes (it's like a puzzle for makeup addicts!) In case you're not familiar with Z-Palettes, they are empty palettes that you can fill with de-potted products. Your products magnetize into these palettes, and in many cases, it becomes a major space saver when you think about all of the individually packaged products that you're able to combine into a palette. If you want more ideas on what to do with your Z-Palette, check out the video I did earlier this year- What's In My Z-Palettes?

The Crocodile Collection comes in two colors- Oak and Burgundy. It feels very durable and there's a little bit of shine to the finish. The other basic elements of the palette are consistent with other Z-Palettes-- there's a large clear window in the top of the palette and they have a strong magnetic closure. They can easily be wiped out with a damp paper towel when they get dirty.

There are also two sizes available in this new design- Large ($22) and 4U ($18.50). Here you're seeing the Oak in the large size, and the Burgundy in the 4U size. There's much more information on the Z-palette website as far as examples of how much the various sizes of Z-palettes can hold, but just as an example, my large palette is holding 8 MAC blushes (let me know if you'd like more details on those!), and my 4U size just has some random products from Benefit and Too Faced that I've depotted from larger palettes. I have another 4U that holds 15 MAC eyeshadows- it's a great size.

Z-Palettes also come with little packets of round and square metal stickers. Certain products (MAC, for example), need these stuck on the bottom so they'll adhere to the Z-palette. You'll find that not all products need one of these, but I always save my extras.
♥

As a Z-Palette fan, I'm really enjoying this fun new style! I think they look really classy, without changing any of the other elements that we know and love Z-Palettes for. I wanted to get a post up about these now, because it's actually a really good last-minute gift idea! You could just give a palette, or put in a few pans of something- like Makeup Geek eyeshadows, Coastal Scents Hot Pots, you name it! Maybe even offer to help a friend with de-potting... I think it's actually really fun once you get started, and becomes a MAJOR space saver. If you need help with de-potting,this video by MakeupGeek helped me a lot! :)

Mally Celebrate Your Beauty Holiday Color Kit

Mally Celebrate Your Beauty Holiday Color Kit

Hi everyone! 

Hope you're having a great Friday! Today Mally has a 12-piece holiday collection on QVC - it's the Today's Special Value and costs $59.96 (the price will go up after today- assuming it's still available). I recently ordered this from my InsideQ magazine which gives you a sneak peek at Today's Special Values (yes, I'm a QVC geek!), and it just came in the mail last night! So I haven't had a lot of time to play around with the products, but many of you on the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page said you'd like me to go ahead and show you the products. For some reason QVC doesn't seem to show a lot of swatches (especially of eyeshadows), so I'll be able to do that for you. I also did a look with one of the eyeshadow palettes today! :)

(click to enlarge)

The overall concept of this collection is that you can create three separate gifts out of it. You're getting 3 different eyeshadow palettes, 3 Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners, 3 Volumizing Mascaras (in special limited edition black packaging), and 3 High Shine Liquid Lipsticks. It all comes in a large box with a magnetic closure-- that box could easily be used for other things since the tray holding the products can be removed. You could obviously mix and match these products however you want when you gift them, but they're arranged in the box in a suggested way if you're unsure of which liners/eyeshadows/lip colors would look good together. Also, the instruction cards reference certain liners being used with certain palettes, so you might not want to switch those up.

In addition to the makeup- you're getting a few other things to make this set extra giftable. There are 3 pillow boxes that coordinate with each eyeshadow palette. They come flat and you can just pop them into their "box" form. And here's what I LOVE-- in the back of the (rather thick) instruction booklet that comes with this kit, there are several perforated cards. There are face charts on the front and back of each card- giving you two suggested looks per kit of products. You can just tear them off and slip them right into the box. How cool is that?! You can gift someone all the makeup in the world, but a lot of people need a little guidance before they'll actually USE the stuff. So I think the instruction cards are an awesome idea- basically turning those shadow palettes into a super easy paint-by-numbers situation. 

Now let's take a closer look at the products! And just so you know- I've obviously swatched and used the lip products and eyeshadows- I'm not going to be gifting those. However I already own the eyeliner colors and the Volumizing Mascara-- so I do plan to leave the new ones untouched and gift those to friends and family. The wand & swatches in the pictures above are from the products I already own. The Evercolor Starlight Waterproof liners come in the shades Shimmering Black, Espresso, and Royal Plum. These liners set to a totally smudge-proof finish, which I love. You have to sharpen them, which I don't love... however they are some of the smoothest, easiest to apply eyeliners that Mally makes. Even people who don't typically use pencil liners would enjoy these because they glide on SO nicely. Did I mention this stuff is all full-size? And you know how I feel about Mally's Volumizing Mascara!! Mom & Pup- if you're reading this- a couple of these new ones have your names on them! :) They love Mally's mascara also. These are the same mascaras as the ones in the white packaging- but for this kit they're in fancy black/glitter tubes. I love the way this mascara builds thickness and length on my lashes- ESPECIALLY after it's been in my mascara rotation for about 2 weeks. The formula dries just slightly and becomes ideal for sparse eyelashes. It also keeps my lashes feeling soft and flexible, not hard/heavy and brittle.

Too Faced "All I Want for Christmas" Set

Too Faced "All I Want for Christmas" Set

Hey everyone!

I hope your week is going well! I know not everyone gets an early jump on holiday shopping, or maybe you're just looking for a way to treat yourself, so I'm continuing to review several of the holiday sets that I have! :) This one from Too Faced is called "All I Want for Christmas", and it's $36 at Ulta. I noticed that lots of these were still in stock at my local Ulta store. While it's a small-ish kit, it still contains some full-size products, plus a fun cylinder-shaped chevron makeup bag. I think this kit is really nice for several reasons... I enjoy most of the products, it's a good value for what you're getting, and the selection of colors in this kit will work for so many ages.

There's a mirrored compact in this kit that's about the size of a typical pressed powder compact. It includes a fabulous shade of blush in a satin finish. It's a deep peach color, and the concentrated swatch (and the camera flash) are making it appear lighter than it really is. (You can get a more true look at the way this color comes off in my pictures below). But I think it's a great, healthy color that's pigmented and will show up... yet it's easy to wear and you don't have to betoo careful with application. This compact also includes two eyeshadows... a matte cream and a shimmery rose gold/taupe-ish color. It's kind of hard to describe, but it has an unexpected warmth on the lids. These two shadows can easily create a natural look without anything else added. Both the matte and the shimmery shade are equally pigmented. There's also a full-size Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer in this kit, which is one of my favorites for improving a shadow's longevity on the lids. 

Other items in the kit include a mini Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black. This is a really creamy eyeliner and applies with ease, although I don't feel like it's totally waterproof. It's decently long-wearing, but can lose a little intensity by the end of the day (at least that's what I've noticed on my eyes). I'm not a fan of the mini Lash Injection Mascara. The brush is quite large, and I don't feel like it does a great job with separation. It's really rich and black in color, but doesn't give me super bold lashes. I much prefer Too Faced's new Better Than Sex mascara, but who knows, everyone's lashes are different so others may enjoy this one! I love the La Creme lipstick formula, so I think it's awesome that you get a full-size in this kit, and I'm pretty sure it's a limited edition shade called Believe. I'm so sorry that the picture above is making it look like such a bubblegum pink color (it's a gray afternoon and I've been struggling with the lighting)... it's actually a deeper rose shade and shows up more true-to-color in the picture below. These lipsticks are super rich with color and so shiny! Reminds me a little bit of the Sonia Kashuk Shine Luxe Sheers! :) 

Sigma Enlight Collection Review

Sigma Enlight Collection Review

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a great weekend! Settle in for a long blog post... this is all about the Sigma Enlight collection! It launched last month on SigmaBeauty.com, and I've finally used these products enough to do an all-encompassing review of the collection. These products are all about neutrals, and everything in it is new- even the brushes! A little disclaimer to kick things off: This collection was sent to me by Sigma for review. I'm a Sigma Affiliate, so any links in this post will be my affiliate links. I was not paid to create this blog post and these are my own, honest opinions. 

This is how the products arrived- and for $165, you can actually buy the entire collection at Sigma's website. While I think that's a cool option, I don't love each and every part of this kit. Therefore, I also like the fact that every product in the kit can be purchased individually as well. In this post I'll review the eyeshadow palette, 3 glosses, 3 brushes, 3 blushes, 3 eyeliners, and 3 eyeshadow bases. Let's dig in!  

Left to right: Cream bases in Awake, Neutralize, Composed

Sigma introduced 3 new cream eyeshadows with the Enlight collection- there's a pearly pink called Awake, a peach called Neutralize, and a medium brown called Composed. These bases are $13 each, and I'm definitely a fan of the consistency. They're smooth, pigmented, and just very easy to spread across the lids. These don't "set" to a point where they're completely smudge-proof... reinforcing the fact that these are bases for powder shadows, not necessarily something you'd want to wear alone on your lids- particularly if you have oily lids that are prone to creasing. I definitely love the Awake shade. It's a sheer pinky-toned color that's really pretty and brightening around the inner corner and as a base all over the lid. I don't own anything quite like it. While the other shades also have really nice color payoff, I just don't see myself reaching for them often. I'm more likely to use a peachy shade in a powder shadow form to blend something out, and the brown isn't anything too crazy different from other browns that I already own. 

Top row: Oyster Sand*, Sugar Milk, Mild Mannered, Dove*

Middle row: Fawn, Cinnamon*, Russet*, Balanced

Bottom row: Cozy*, Innocent*, Optimistic, Warm Stone

*= my favorite shades

The Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow palette ($39, sigmabeauty.com) includes 16 neutral eyeshadows and comes in a palette that's roughly the size of one and a half iPhones-- so it's definitely not over-sized, and it comes with a mirror. I've always been pleased with the quality of Sigma's eyeshadows, and this palette is no exception. The shadows are creamy in texture (comparable to LORAC, in my opinion), and blending is a breeze. Four shades are totally matte, and the others range from satin to metallic finishes. The lightest 2 shades aren't showing up well in the swatches (Sugar Milk is really the exact color of my skin), but they come off nicely on the eyes. I love the shade selection, and the balance between deep, mid-tone, and light shades. (I've marked my favorites above with an asterisk*). 

Any time I talk about a palette, I get asked how it compares to a number of other palettes. If you already own the LORAC Pro, this might not be a necessary palette for you. I think the mauve, brown, and taupe shades in LORAC Pro can give you a very similar look to what this palette gives. This palette has a gorgeous deep burgundy, and LORAC Pro has a dark plum, and this palette also has a warm pink... so there are differences, but if you're really trying to minimize your makeup purchases, I think the LORAC pro can give you the kind of looks this palette can and more.

Left to right: Eyeliners in Nutmeg, Vintage, Eclipse

There are 3 Eye Liner Pencils in Sigma's Enlight Collection. The shades Nutmeg (brown shimmer), Vintage (matte brown), and Eclipse (black), sell for $9 each. These liners go on easily with full color. However, they are not the same as Sigma's Extended Wear liners which set to a smudge-proof state. These don't last long in my waterline, and are prone to smudging/fading when worn elsewhere on the eyes. The shades aren't super unique, so I don't see these as an essential part of the collection by any means. 

Top to bottom: E52 Soft Focus Shader, E54 Medium Sweeper, E34 Domed Utility

I'm loving the three new brushes that have been introduced with the Enlight Collection. They are the E52 Soft Focus Shader ($14), the E54 Medium Sweeper ($12), and the E34 Domed Utility ($12). I don't always warm up to new brushes instantly- sometimes I have to use them for awhile to really get comfortable with their uses and decide if they're "must-haves" (I feel like I'm describing what it's like to make friends- LOL!) Seriously though, I think a couple of these brushes have been needed in Sigma's lineup for a LONG time. The E52 is a nice large, flat brush and I've been enjoying that to apply my highlight. It's nice and I really like it, but it's not ground-breaking. 

The other two are total must-haves, in my opinion. The E54 is an AWESOME size for so many things. It's a lot like my Sonia Kashuk small shadow brush, only a little bit more full (you can't really see that from the pic- should've shown another angle). Not only is this little guy great for getting a very controlled shadow application on the lids, but it's awesome for working shadows into the crease. The brush hairs have some flexibility to them, but aren't SO flexible that you can't pack on some color. It's so easy to work with and would be great for someone with small eyes who struggles to get a "neat" application of eyeshadow. The E34 is a terrific little size for building an outer V with your shadow. It fits SO nicely into the crease, and then you can use a more fluffy brush to buff out the edges. I remember early in my YouTube days when I first tried Sigma and had emailed back & forth with the team... I mentioned that I thought the collection needed a smaller-sized crease brush. Now it's here! LOL :) 

 Left to right: Blushes in Mellow, Serene, Peaceful

Time to talk blush! These new blushes sell for $12 each, and there's a matte tan called Mellow, a matte dusty rose called Serene, and a champagne highlight-type color called Peaceful. I think Mellow could practically be used as a contour shade- although it might be a bit warm for some people. Serene is my favorite of the bunch- it's really pigmented and such a classic shade that I think would be gorgeous on anyone- even if you have a deeper tan skintone. I see myself reaching for this one a lot, and I honestly think it would be stunning on fair skin, too (I'm picturing Lady Mary from Downton Abbey wearing that kind of a shade). Peaceful makes a nice highlight, but there's nothing that really sets it apart from other highlights in my collection.   

 Left to right: Glosses in Hint, Tint, and Tranquil

I'm very excited that Sigma is making Lip Gloss, but not super excited about these particular shades. I put each of these on today and took some pictures, but earlier I had a very vibrant lip on from my RuPaul Glamazon kit and these are so sheer that too much of that leftover pink was showing through. But I think my swatches give a pretty good indication of the consistency of these glosses, and I'm also wearing one in the look I'll show below from this past weekend. These cost $10 each, and Hint is a dusty mauve/lilac, Tint is a soft coral, and Tranquil is a dusty rose. Hint is a no-go for me. It gives my already mauve lips a gray-ish look and it doesn't bring any life to the rest of my face. It's just not my color.  The coral color in Tint is too sheer to show up much on my lips at all. I think this color would be awesome if it came off on the lips the way it looks in the tube. Tranquil is my favorite of this trio, because it actually looks how I would expect it to on my lips. I still don't think it's something I'd repurchase. These all have a lot of shine, but compared to other $10 glosses on the market, I don't think these are worth it.

What I'm wearing in this look...

-Blush in Serene

-Lip Gloss in Tranquil

-Shadow base in Awake

-Shadows in Oyster Sand (inner lid), Dove (outer lid), Russet (outer crease), Cinnamon (lightly to blend  out Russet), Sugar Milk (highlight), Warm Stone (lower lashline)

-Eyeliner Pencil in Eclipse

♥

Bottom line: As you've realize if you've read through this whole post, there are some hits & misses for me in Sigma's Enlight Collection. I love the overall concept, but I definitely don't see every single thing as a total must-have. Fortunately each part of the collection can be purchased individually. Here are the products I'd recommend from this collection:

• E54 Medium Sweeper Brush
• E34 Domed Utility Brush
• Blush in Serene
• Eye Shadow Base in Awake
• Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette (but see my comparison above to LORAC Pro)

Thanks so much for checking out this post, and I'd love to hear your opinions on the Enlight Collection if you've tried it! Have a great day and I'll see you on the blog again soon! :) 

Sephora Color Wand Lipgloss Trio

Sephora Color Wand Lipgloss Trio

Hi everyone! 

Happy New Year! I hope you're having a great day! It's great to be back on the blog after a brief Christmas break :) I wanted to share some details on one of the gifts I got for Christmas-- it's the limited edition Sephora Color Wand Lipgloss Trio. I showed it in my Christmas/Birthday Beauty Haul if you want to check that out! This set is $16 on Sephora's website, and after hearing some good things about the Sephora brand glosses, I thought this might be a good kit to check out. 

The set consists of three separate wands, and each contain four different gloss colors. There's a nude wand, a pink wand, and a red wand. They all smell like grapefruit and have a slightly sweet taste. The formula isn't sticky at all... it applies evenly and is very comfortable on the lips. It's not so thin that you're worried about it sliding off or getting messy.

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette - Naked Dupes

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette - Naked Dupes

Hey everyone!

Ever since showing the Coastal Scents Revealed palette in my recent haul video, I've heard from a lot of people who want to see some comparisons to the Urban Decay Naked 1 & 2 palettes! So that's what this blog post is all about :) FYI- the Revealed Palette is $19.95 at the Coastal Scents website... although at the time I'm writing this post- the palette is out of stock-- however you can sign up to receive an email to notify you when it's back! 

Top to bottom: Naked 1 Palette, Naked 2 Palette, Revealed Palette

 I had a hunch that there were many Naked dupes in the Revealed palette, and after a whole lot of swatching this afternoon, I was able to come to a few conclusions...

• 17 of the 20 shadows in the Revealed Palette are dupes for shadows in the Naked 1 & 2 palettes
• 2 shades in the Naked 1 palette are very similar to 2 shades in Naked 2, and Half Baked is in both Naked palettes. Those shades have the same dupes in the Revealed palette. 
• I wasn't able to find dupes for 3 Naked shadows
• 3 Revealed shadows don't seem to be dupes of the Naked shadows
• While you will notice that many of the Revealed shades are color matches, none of them contain glitter, and a few of the Urban Decay shadows do. So certain "dupes" will still have that difference.