Collective Haul and Swatches (Pic Heavy)

WHHHHEWIE! I'm sowie for being away but while I was away from me blog I was also busy shopping. It's been crazy in my world and needed some serious retail therapy. So here's what I've collected from the past few days.

These new NYX Prismatic eyeshadows are now available at Ulta for $6 a pot. So far, my first impression is wow, these are so pigmented and swatch beautifully! They feel so creamy! Need...to...get...more! It's currently on BOGO sale at Ulta right now.

Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Natural N9 - Swatch and Review

Hello lovelies,

This is a review of the free Birthday Make Up Forever lipstick sample. If you're already a Beauty Insider, you already know that every year on your birthday month, you get a free birthday gift with 2 deluxe sample size products. It's free and easy to join so I don't see why not unless you don't like or use beauty products at all.

Packaging

• The sample size packaging looks similar to the full size version. It feels lighter and a bit cheaper. 
• 1.5 g/ .05 oz 

Product

• I got the shade N9 and I would assume everyone else got the same too. This shade is also available in the full size permanent line, which retails for $20.00.
• N9 (copper pink) is a medium brown with pink undertone, a very pretty neutral color that I would think flattering on every skintone. I find the formula much creamier than the Rouge Artist Intense line. It just glides really easily on the lips without being too slippery. Though not completely opaque, it is nicely pigmented. 
• The formula is hydrating, comfortable, and doesn't emphasize dry patches. I get about 3-4 hours of wear before it starts fading. 
• It has a perfumy/soapy cosmetic scent to it. Not overwhelming but definitely noticeable. I personally didn't find it offensive. 

Final Thought

Definitely a nice lipstick. Good pigmentation, average lasting power, hydrating, comfortable, and light-weight. The color is great for every day wear though I'm sure you can easily find a drugstore dupe for much cheaper or you can get it for free if you're signed up as a beauty insider. For more info and how to sign up, click HERE.

Rating: 9.5/10

Price: Free as beauty insider birthday gift or $20.00 for the full size version.
Availability: Sephora 

Radiant Orchid Eye Makeup & Swatches

I decided to have a little fun by shopping my stash and pull out shades of Radiant Orchids that I already have. Speaking of that, I am a bit shocked that Sephora + Pantone only came out with one lipstick for this year's color. Did I miss something? That is all that I could find on their website. Kinda shocking, considering the past couple years, they did come up with an entire collection. I wonder what's the deal with that.

I find the shades of radiant orchid very flattering, feminine, and romantic. I wouldn't be surprised if you already own a few similar shades.

from left to right: S16, S06, ME05

Here, I have some swatches from the Coastal Scents Winterberry palette. These are quite shimmery but has a smooth texture and nice pigmentation.

Here I swatched a few shades from the NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette - Velvet Rope. They have fairly good pigmentation. A bit shimmery but more like satin finish.

From left to right I swatched:

• Milani Royal Purple
• Make Up Forever #92
• Coastal Scents CM08 from the Creative Me #1 palette
• Prestige Total Intensity Liquid Ink eyeliner Against All Odds Around the Clock
• Wet N Wild On Edge LongWearing eye pencil Ex-Stacey

Did you already find some radiant orchid shades in your stash?
Stay tuned for more radiant orchid makeup posts.

My Favorite Black Eyeliners

I am probably one of the most picky person when it comes to eyeliners and I've tried many brands but between drugstore and high-end liners, I honestly had much better luck with high-end brands. Many drugstore liners just don't cut it for me and I've had issues with either pigmentation, packaging, formula, or a combination of the three.

With that said, here are my top picks of best black eyeliners.

• Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Perversion, $19.00. This liner was part of the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume 4 and has become my most recent favorite eyeliner because I just started using it. You can certainly purchase it on its own. Urban Decay totally nailed it on both the packaging and the formula. First take a look at the brush. Look at how thin it is. It can create the thinnest line you can ever do with an eyeliner. The flexibility and length of the brush is perfect. It's flexible enough to help you maneuver around the curve of your eyes and yet it's firm enough to apply color just where you want it. The pigmentation is also very black with a slight glossy finish. The formula is waterproof, smudge-proof, budge-proof, and stays on until you take it off. If you want your eyeliner to look perfect for hours and hours, through tears, sweat, or rain, you need this eyeliner.

• MAC SuperSlick Liquid Eyeliner Marked For Glamour, $18.50. Ok so this color is not really black but the closest to black that I have from the line. I actually have 3 of these liners and in different colors, except for the black. Marked for Glamour is a shimmery charcoal grey. As far as pigmentation goes, it is fairly good. You'd have to shake the tube well before use. The formula is a bit wet upon application so be sure to wipe out any errors right away before it sets because once it sets, it won't budge. This doesn't claim to be waterproof but I find that it does have a pretty good lasting power. I typically get up to 12 hours of wear this and after that, it starts flaking off. The felt tip applicator has a bit of a spongy texture to it. It has just the perfect amount of flexibility and firmness to make application very easy. MAC does offer a black color along with a few other shades.

• Make Up Forever Aqua Liner Waterproof 13 Mat Black, $23.00. The formula is pretty black and quite pigmented. You'd have to shake the tube well before use in order to get a better pigmentation. It has a slight glossiness to it and is truly waterproof. Prior to using the UD 24/7 liner, this was my go-to waterproof liner. This won't budge until you take it off, and on top of that you'd have to use makeup remover especially formulated for waterproof makeup in order to get it to come off. As far as the felt tip applicator, I find it to be a bit too firm and short for my liking. I would have prefered a bit more of flexiblity because it makes drawing a line much easier. Regardless, it is still a pretty good liner with an outstanding formula.

• Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Perfect Black, $18.00. I mainly use this pencil liner on the waterline. For some reason, it has a tendency to smudge, migrate, and transfer when applied on the lash line, which I find weird for something that claims to be waterproof or maybe it's just me. For the waterline, it last 3-4 hours, which is pretty outstanding because I've never had a liner perform that long on the waterline. The corners tend to fade faster but if you set it with a black eyeshadow, you'd be amazed at the lasting power. This liner also come with a smudger, which I hardly use cause I find it too stiff for my liking. The formula is extremely pigmented and dark. It is also very creamy and smooth. I'd only recommend this one for the waterline. It might work for you on your lids if they are not that oily or hooded. With hooded eyelids, most pencil liners tend to transer into my crease and this one does it too.

• Physicians Formula Eye Booster Ultra Black, $10-$11. Probably the only drugstore liner that hasn't failed me. This supposedly has a serum to thicken and lenghten your lashes. I personally have not noticed any change as far as the condition of my lashes and I've used 3 or 4 of these already. Other than that the formula is pretty black but a litle wet. You will often have to shake it in order to get the color to flow through the bristles. This is a tappered brush tip that looks exactly like Lorac Front of the Line Pro eyeliner. I love everything about that brush tip. It dispenses the right amount of product. It's firm yet flexible. The very fine tip can create ultra thin lines. When it comes to the applicator, this one and the UD liner is my favorite because they give me the best control. It isn't waterproof but it is smudge-proof, budge-proof, and last me all day. The finish is very slightly glossy. This is my go-to every day liner.

Which ones are your favorite black liners?


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Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense #40 Swatch

Ok, I have to admit, ever since Sephora + Pantone launched their color of the year collection with tangerine tango, I've been obsessed with orange! I wanted a bright, bold, orange lipstick and initially, I was going to get the Sephora + Pantone lipstick but after swatching Make Up Forever Route Artist 40, I changed my mind.

What I like about #40 is that the color is rich, very pigmented, and opaque. Another thing I love about MUFE lipsticks is that they stay put and last over 3 hours on me. The formula applies easily but it feels slightly dryer than the average lipstick. That aspect doesn't bother me. I actually prefer that in a lipstick because it's less likely to feel slippery and bleed. The fact that the formula doesn't budge makes it last a lot longer.
#40 is such a bright orange, it almost look neon and has this golden glow to it even though there is no shimmers. This is more like a satin finish.
The lipstick has a strong cosmetic scent. Not unpleasant as far as I'm concerned but it's quite noticeable and for those who are sensitive to scents should take a whiff before they buy.
I actually sported this lipstick when I was out with my friend celebrating our birthdays and I thought wow, this color is so bold, it sure is going to catch a few stares, lol. So yeah, if you want to get noticed, this lip color would be a good choice! I'm totally digging it!

Have you jumped on the tangerine bangwagon yet? If yes, which is your favorite orange lipstick?

 

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Spring Break Getaway - Sephora Haul

My last stop at the MOA was Sephora. Let's just say that I was hoping to find some Illamasqua products because I've always wanted to see them in person but they didn't have it in that store. Bummer! Another thing that I wanted to buy was the Sephora + Pantone lipstick, however, I changed my mind and picked up the Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense 40, which is a bright orange lipstick. The reason I decided to go with the MUFE lippie was because I liked the opacity and pigmentation of it more. The Sephora + Pantone seem to have a little more slip to it, which is something I don't really like in a lipstick. I have to admit, the color was gorgeous though. I might still end up buying it, lol.

Fortunately, since my birthday is coming up next week, I was able to pick up my free bday gift, the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment duos. I redeemed my 100 rewards points for the Korres Wild Rose moisturizer and the SA gave me a free sample of Dior Skin Perfect! How cool!

I will post review and swatch of the lipstick when I get a chance. :)

On a side note, I'm like seriously dying to get my hands on the Deborah Lippmann's Sugar Daddy and Mermaid's Dream nail polishes.

What is your favorite Make Up Forever Product?

 

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My High-End Lipstick Collection and Swatches

The first week of the month is always a busy and hectic week for me as I have to put in extra hours and more work to meet our monthly deadline. I was pretty pooped at the end of the days which is why I have been absent from blogging this week. Nonetheless, I did manage to haul a few new products and have taken pix and tested some of them already but that will be on another posts.
I usually take pictures of the stuff I plan to blog ahead of time and have them resized and what not. Some of these pictures get left behind unfornately as I find it difficult to keep up with my busy schedule and the constant hauling. Oh well, I say to myself better late than never.

As you can see on the picture above, I have a little over a dozen of high-end lipstick brands, not including MAC. As a beauty blogger or even just a beauty enthusiast, I believe we all love to experiment with new products.
To be honest, I don't reach for my high-end lipstick as often as I think I should. Thus, why I've refrained from buying anymore unless something strike me as interesting. High-end lipsticks cost about $14-$45, depending on the brand or where you purchase them from. I purchased most of these lipsticks during a sale or from discounted stores so some of them are no longer available or hard to find. I will hyperlink those I have reviewed or have additional pictures.

First set of lipsticks and swatches from left to right

• YSL Rouge Pur 66
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture 04
• Lancome Color Fever Rose Tempest
• Lancome Color Fever Enticing Rose
• Dior Addict Lip Color Rose Broderie 663.
• NARS Niagara.

Second set of lipsticks and swatches from left to right

• Guerlain Rouge G Gemma (64)
• Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Cherry Ice
• Kat Von D Foiled Love Forever & Never
• Kat Von D Foiled Love F.T.W

Third set of lipsticks from left to right

• Shisheido Perfect Rouge BE208
• Buxom Big and Healthy Lipstick Vienna
• Motives Raspberry Burst
• Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense 38

I'm surprised there are still a few of these lipsticks I still haven't reviewed. But anways, my personal favorites of the bunch are Lancome, Guerlain, YSL, Motives, and Shiseido. They have excellent formula and pigmentation and feel very luxurious on the lips.

Hope you found this post helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.


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FOTD Featuring Make Up Forever #92

I've been very busy and tired with work lately that it's been hard for me to find the time or energy to do a makeup look. Since I've just acquired MUFE #92 on my recent Sephora haul, the weekends that I don't work are my only chance to play with makeup. I came up with this bright pink/purple look with dramatic lips.
It looks fine in pictures but in person, these colors are so out there, lol. Anyways, I know it's more of a runway look.
One thing that really annoyed me was that the eyeshadow stained my skin and after I removed it, the area around my eyes were pink and I looked sick! :-O

Product Used

Face

• Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Bronzer (contour)
• MAC MSF Perfect Topping (highlight)
• MAC Power Blush Amazon Princess (blush)

Eyes

• Light Camo Quad (white) as a base
• Coastal Scents Hot Pot CM08 from the Creative Me #1 Palette all over lid
• Make Up Forever #92 on outter corner and crease
• NYX Velvet Rope Palette (the sparkling light pink color) as highlight
• ELF eyebrow Kit
• Urban Decay 24/7 Zero as tight lining
• Stila Sparkle Waterproof Eyeliner Royal on upper lash line
• L'oreal HIP violet volt on waterline and lower lash line
• NYX false lashes 115

Lips

• MAC Violetta lipstick

Sephora Haul - NARS, Make Up Forever, and Stila Plus Bonus Swatches

Last week, I placed an order on Sephora's website for the notorious Make Up Forever eyeshadow #92 and Aqua Liners. However, when I received my package, they gave me the wrong color on one of the Aqua Liners. Bummed, I called my local Sephora store to see if they have it in stock and the Sale Associate told me they did and can put it on hold for me. When I got there, they couldn't find it. I was very surprised the fuchsia color sold out first. They offered to call and place an order for me and give me free shipping, but the customer service was really no help when I told him I had a 10% off promo. He said he could only use one promotion code. At that point, I bounced and said "wait, it's not my fault the order got screwed and I had to go through this!" Anyways, he really didn't give me much of a choice. The cashier was like feeling really bad for me so she gave me extra samples. So yeah, Sephora's (phone) customer service really sucks.

From Sephora's store, I saw that this new palette is out and available, I decided to get it since everyone else has them but me. This trio contains NARS best-selling blush, highlighter, and bronzer all in one compact. From left to right, we have Orgasm, Albatross, and Laguna. These shades are available separately but will cost you an arm and a leg to buy them individually, which is why I wanted to get the trio instead. There is plenty of product to last me a long time. If you've been dying to try these product, this is an easier way to get them all in this one compact, which is pretty large actually if you look at it. Price $55.00.

Here's a heavier swatch of the blush/bronzer trio. I'm not really gonna go into the details since I'm pretty sure most of you already heard enough raves about these products. I mainly bought it because I'm a blogger and have been wanting to compare them to what I currently own.

I took a few pictures of the gold Aqua Liner since I was going to exchange it. As you can see, it's a shimmery sheer gold liner. These Aqua Liner are amazing! They will not budge or smudge no matter what you do. Great for the summer when you want your eyeliner to last through the heat and sweats.

As of now, I have the Aqua Liner (4) and (13). The fuchsia is on it's way and I should be getting it next week. Why fuchsia, you may wonder. I like to go for colors that are unique whenever possible. This is one of them. I don't know of any eyeliner this color out there. These liners are $23.00 each.

While I was at Sephora, I swatched more Aqua Liner colors into my hand. I got this genious idea to take a picture of it when I get home so I can share it with you all,  :D

 

Make Up Forever #92. Finally, I caved in and got it. I normally don't spend that much on a single eyeshadow, unless I think it's worth it. I soooo need to do a makeup look with it. Price: $19.00.

The Stila Sparkle Waterproof liquid eyeliner pretty much works like the MUFE Aqua Liners. I picked the shade Royal because it differ from any liquid eyeliner color I've seen. The rest of the colors look very similar if not exactly like some of the shade I found in MUFE Aqualiners. I will do a post comparing the two. This cost $22.00.

Again, I swatched these Stila Sparkle liners at the store and took a picture of the swatch when I got home. They are very pretty but the Aqua Liner have a larger color selection.

Yay for free samples! I hope I don't forget to use them.

That's it for my haul. I hope you found it helpful or interesting.

Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense 38

I hope I didn't bore you with my consecutive nail polish blogs. I have been hauling a lot of nail polishes lately. I'm trying to keep up my reviews with my purchases and I'm finding that harder and harder to do, lol. I try to keep a mix of different products to keep yall interested. Work is getting more hectic. I will have to work longer hours and have more responsibilities put on my plate. I still haven't got a chance to mess with my video cam. I plan to revamp my blog too and make it nicer. Any tips or suggestions?

With that said, I have purchased this MUFE lipstick a few weeks ago from Sephora, which is probably the only place you can get it from, and it's about time I do a review about it. This lisptick retails for $19.00.

The shade is a coral pink that leans more on the pink side with a satin finish. It actually look brighter against my skin than how it looked in the tube. When I first applied it on my lips, the first thing I noticed was that the consistency was a bit drier than my typical lipsticks and I had to put some pressure to apply the color but now that I've used it a couple times, it doesn't drag on my lips anymore. It's not very moisturizing but doesn't dry out my lips either. I would still recommend using a lip balm underneath, especially if you have dry lips. Another thing I quickly notice is that it is very pigmented and opaque. It has a cosmetic synthetic scent to it that is quite noticeable but personally doesn't bother me. I don't love it but it isn't offensive either, at least in my opinion. I think this will make a great spring and summer shade. This is my first MUFE lipstick and so far so good. They have 50 shades with several finishes that you can choose from, so you are bound to find a color you will like. Because the formula is a bit dryer and pigmented, it doesn't slip and slide and last quite well for a good 3-4 hours. Would I repurchase? Absolutely! But most likely a different color.



So I decided to include a picture of my bare lips. As you can see they are quite pale. Bare in mind that if you have pigmented lips, the color will show up differently on you.