Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Pop - Swatch and Review - Is It Really Worth The Hype???

I'm a little tardy to the party but after hearing everybody and their mama raving about this highlighter. I decided that I wanted to be cool too!
For those who don't know, Champagne Pop is a limited edition shade created by Jacklyn Hill in collaboration with BECCA Cosmetics. Jacklyn is a popular beauty Youtuber and to be honest I don't really follow or watch much of her videos but from the ones I've seen she seems pretty cool and fun to watch. Anyways, I didn't buy it because of her but I think since people raved so much about it, I figure I needed to see it for myself. I was really relieved that received it in pristine condition. I've seem a few reviews where the product arrived completely shattered. Apparently, the powder crumbles easily so must be very careful when handling this product and try avoid traveling with it.

Packaging

• The cardboard packaging had a nice touch and detail to it. It has embossed champagne bubbles. 
• The case has a unique design and feels pretty sturdy. It also include a mirror inside.
• .28 oz or 8 g 

Product

• Champagne Pop is described as a soft white gold with pinky peach undertone. It does look that way in the pan but once swatched it looks more like an shimmery golden peachy beige. This color will look good on a broad variety of complexion, between light and medium dark skin tone. 
• The formula feels incredibly soft, silky, and buttery. Makes me wanna to rub my finger in it all the time, lol. It is also very pigmented and intensely shimmery. It blends effortlessly and you can use less for a subtle sheen or layer it for an intense glow. 
• I find the shimmer particles not as fine as I would personally like and for some reason they emphasize pores and skin texture I didn't know was there. It looks beautiful in photograph and on camera but in person it looks like a disco ball, especially if you don't use a light application. 
• It last up to 6 hours before fading on me.

Final Thought

I can see why almost everybody raves about this highlighter. It has such a divine silky feel to it and the color is flattering for most skin tone. It is the most intense and shimmery highlighter I have in my collection. If you want to go all out and want people to notice your strobing face, this is for you. I love how illuminating it looks in pictures. The only thing I dislike is how it emphasizes skin texture. It's weird because I have fairly smooth skin and small pores but it makes my skin look a bit more bumpy and rough. If you have dry skin, large pores, or textures, you probably won't like how this will magnify them. I like it but not loving it. The price is more than what I am willing to pay but I will still keep it since I have nothing like it in my collection.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $38
Availability: Sephora

What do you think? Is it worth the hype? Personally, I think the hype an excitement of others was a bit exaggerated and misleading. It is pretty but still got a noticeable flaw. For $38, I really wished it made my skin look smoother.

Here, I have Champagne Pop on my cheek bone, nose bridge, forehead, brow bone

Here's a close up. You can see how grainy/pixelated it looks on my skin.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Swatches and Review

I received this contour kit as a Christmas present and was pretty excited because it has gotten so many rave reviews on the internet. I have been using it since then so I am ready to give you my complete review.

Packaging

• solid cardboard with magnetic closure. I find that the size is good, it's not too large or small. There's a couple things, I don't like about the packaging is that it gets dirty very easily. As I use my hand to apply makeup and then grab the contour kit, the makeup on my hand gets transferred on the packaging all the time. The second thing that bothered me about the packaging is that the shade color/name is not listed on the front of the packaging but it is on the back of each pan. I, later realized that the reason for that is because this can be a customizeable palette. 
• This palette doesn't include a mirror. Even though, I normally use a separate mirror to apply my makeup, I always like to have a mirror with my palette, just in case I don't feel like looking at my other mirror or take it with me when I travel. 
• The palette contains 6 different shades of .11 oz or 3 g each. You could easily take out each pan because they are magnetically attached to the palette and you purchase a refill or different color if you wish. However, I think the refill is only available on Anastasia Beverly Hills website for $14 each. There is a lot more shades available on her website.

Vanilla, Banana, Sand

Product

• Vanilla is a matte pale nude with pink undertone. I don't reach for this one much but when I do, I use it to set my foundation, lol. I use it sparingly to set my foundation and it looks translucent, doesn't alter the color of my foundation. Well it works for me that way since I focus a bit more on the contouring rather than highlighting. It has a soft velvety texture, which I like. If you are light and fair, like myself, you'll find that this blends in with your skin color, thus you're not really getting a highlighting effect out of it.
• Banana is a matte pale nude with yellow undertone. I typically use this one to set my under eye concealer, if I remember to use it that is since I tend to skip the under eye concealer concealer 90% of the time. This one also has a soft velvety texture. 
• Sand is a pearly highlighting shimmer with a pink undertone. The shimmer is very subtle. Eh to be honestly, I wasn't really blown away by this one. It's really underwhelming and boring, especially if you have other prettier highlighters in your collection.  

Java, Fawn, Havana

• Java is a medium warm matte powder. It works for my skin tone if I want to warm it up.  
• Fawn is a medium light beige with cool undertone. I find this shade ideal for nose contouring, as it looks more natural than the other two. I also tend to mix Fawn and Java together to contour my jawline and sides of my forehead. I think the two together is a good balance for my skin tone. Since I have neutral undertone, I don't want to go too warm or the contour might look too fake. 
• Havana is a medium warm matte powder, very similar to Java but a tab bit warmer. I don't use this one as much but it doesn't look too bad, although again, I would prefer to swirl this one with Fawn to neutralize some of that warmth. 
• I found the contour shades to be a littler drier and don't have the velvety texture like Vanilla and Banana. They are also less pigmented, which isn't really a bad thing in my opinion. It gives you a little more control over the intensity of the contour you want to achieve since you can build it up to your liking.
• I like that the powders are easy to work with and easy to blend. I get about 6 hours of wear before I notice that the contour starts to fade.

Final Thought

I contour more than highlighting so the highlighting shades are nice to have though, I don't find them absolutely necessary or that useful to me. And if you're fair to light, you're gonna find that the highlight shades won't do much for you. The contour shades are workable, though I prefer more neutral undertone because for my face, I prefer a natural contour. I don't really care about looking like I had some sun. I am perfectly fine with my fair complexion but just want to give it more shape and dimension. To be honest, I wasn't completely blown away by this palette and I think, dare I say, it was over-hyped for what it's worth. It's not a bad palette by any means but the shade selection could've been better. It's listed as for light to medium complexion but it definitely caters more toward warm undertone complexion. I'm bummed at how similar Java and Havana look to each other. What I think they should've done with the contour shades in this palette is have one medium neutral, one medium warm, and one neutral medium dark. That way it would have catered to a larger spectrum of skin tone and undertone. With that said, you're probably not going to use or love all the shades that come with this palette. It may seem like a better idea to order from Anastasia's Beverhill's website and only get the shades that works for your skintone and undertone. The problem with that is you don't know how the colors really look like in person unless you can find all the swatches of each shades she has available, which she currently has 29 of them. 

Rating: 8/10

Price: $40.00

Available: Sephora, Ulta, Anastasia Beverly Hills

Do you own this palette? Do you think this palette is really worth the hype?

YSL Dare to Glow Silky Highlighting Veil Fatal Red - Swatch and Review

I can't believe we're in October already! Soon it will be Christmas. In spite of the change in season, I still love to keep a glowy complexion year round. I feel that it complements my face better and makes my skin look younger. I was lucky enough to come across this YSL face highlighter on clearance one of those days I was shopping at the outlet.


Packaging

• Comes in a clear squeezable plastic tube with gold detailing. 
• .5 oz or 15 ml

Product

• Fatal Red is a light shimmery warm peach face highlighter. It's much prettier in person. It gives a beautiful youthful glow. The shimmers are very fine and lovely. 
• The formula is very pigmented, buildable, and blends easily. However, you need to work quickly with it as it sets within a few seconds. 
• I find that it can last up to 4 hours.

Final Thought

I like it. The shade is pretty and does what a good highlighter does. Whether you think it's worth the money or not will be entirely up to you. I'm just fortunate I got it on sale otherwise, I likely wouldn't have paid full price for it.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $28.00
Availability: YSL

Benefit Cheek Me Out Set High Beam and Posie Tint - Swatch and Review

One thing I love about Benefit products is that they offer many trial size versions and sets so you get to try more product for the money.

Packaging

• Small and cute but contains enough products for several uses. Both has a brush applicator similar to nail polish brush applicators.
• .13 oz each or 4 ml each

Product

• High Beam is a pearlescent white shimmer highlighter. The shimmers are very fine and subtle and adds just the perfect amount of glow without looking harsh or overdone. With the brush applicator, apply just a few dots on the area you want to highlight and quickly blend with your finger or a brush before the product sets. A little goes a long way.
• Posie Tint is a medium cool toned pink liquid/gel blush tint. This one is a trick pony and I don't recommend that you apply directly to your skin because it will stain almost immediately and may look patchy on your cheeks. What I do is I use a small stippling brush and dab a bit of Posie Tint around the stippling brush and then quickly blend it on my cheek area. This is help create a more even application.
• I really like how natural both of these product look on me. They last up to 6 hours before I notice some fading.

Final Thought

I love Posie Tint. As long as you work with a brush and blend it quickly, you'll get a lovely and natural flush that will last fairly long. High Beam is also a nice highlighter although personally I don't feel that there is anything special about it. This is a nice set though. The price is just right and you will get several uses in spite of the little packaging. If you're a makeup hoarder like myself, you will find these trial size pretty convenient and satisfying without having to invest on a full size product and they make excellent travel buddies.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $13
Availability: Ulta

Wearing Posie Tint on cheek and High Beam above it

Tried it? Tell me what you think or which is your favorite Benefit product.

Memorial Day Weekend Haul

Hey lovelies,

I was working on this post last night and I fell asleep on my chair! lol. I woke up with a very sore neck and crawled straight to bed. 

So I did some shopping this past holiday weekend. I really don't feel like I got much at all but dang at the end of the day, things add up. 

YSL Dare to Glow Silky Highlighting Veil Fatal Red. Ok, I honestly did not need this but I was shopping at the outlets (DF & CCO) and the price was reduced to $11.75 and it just seemed too good to pass. If you're into rose gold, you'll like this.

Clinique Fresh Bloom 13 Plum Poppy Blend ($20.75). I purchased it from the CCO. Yes, didn't need another blush but this one is unlike anything I have so I feel justified to add it to my collection, lol. It's a beautiful mauve rose shade with very subtle pink shimmers. Anyways...more on this when I do my review :)

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cyber Lilac ($17.00). So I returned the Estee Lauder Pure Color Stay On Shadow Paint Fuchsia and exchanged it for this pressed single eyeshadow in the shade Lilac. Gorgeous color, silky texture, and great pigmentation. Ok will do a review when I get a chance.

Bare Minerals loose eyeshadow pigments, 3 for $15.00 at the Bare Minerals outlet store. Yes, they can get messy but I love how luxurious these eyeshadows feel compared to other more affordable loose pigment eyeshadows. I was so tempted to buy 2 ready palettes that were on sale for about $35.00 together, but I managed to control myself. 

Aldo Vedessana ($50.00). I wasn't really looking for shoes but I found two pairs that I really like. This one is a gorgeous cobalt blue color with gold chain trimming on the sole.

Aldo Lafary ($40.00). These nude rose strappy sandals are just too cute to pass. These are also very comfy and have padded soles.

Michael Kors Monogram Logo rose gold metallic purse. We now have an MK Outlet store and I scored this baby at an additional 40% off so roughly about $140.00. It's the first thing that caught my eye when I walked into the store and I knew right away I had to have it. Not too big or too small, just big enough to carry the necessities! It also comes with a detachable strap.

Express black and gold buckle bracelet ($22.90). My son wanted more dress shirts and he likes the ones from Express because they fit him better so while we were there, I spotted this adorable bracelet. It was on sale for 40% off at the time. 

I'm pleased I didn't buy too much makeup and super excited with the new purse and shoes. 

NARS Orgasm Illuminator Vs NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator

If you'd like to read my individual review of each products you can click HERE for the NARS Orgasm Illuminator, and HERE for the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator.

When I did a heavy swatch, NOI is peachier and NYX BTGLI paler. However, because both are sheer and are intended for highlighting, once blended they are almost identical. Personally, I think the way they look once blended is very hard to tell the difference so I would say NYX BTGLI is a good dupe. Other than being a good dupe, it also lasted longer than the NARS Orgasm Illuminator at a much more affordable price.

What do you think? I'm definitely in favor of the NYX Illuminator.

NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator Gleam - Swatch and Review

Hi everyone,

I apologize for posting so late in the evening lately. I normally try to get my post ready to go by the time I get home from work but I've been feeling low in energy and needing more time for myself after a long day at work or running errands.

Summer is not over yet and the heat is still going...Maybe not for much longer if you live up north and I'm actually really looking forward to fall. There's still time to keep glowing with the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator. Check it out...

Packaging

• Squeeze tube with a lovely glowy peachy nude color and black cap
• .6 oz or 18 ml

Product

• I am typically not a huge fan on highlighting but there was something about this highlighter that I thought was appealing and made me want to try it. It reminded me a lot of the NARS Orgasm Illuminator, which I will compare on a separate post. 
• The shade I have here is Gleam and it's a shimmery light peachy nude with a golden shimmer glow.
• Apply it with your fingers or a brush but you must do it as soon as you put it on your skin. It blends easily but sets within a minute. 
• I love that it gives me a very subtle and natural golden glow. It actually last pretty long. I'd say between 6 to 8 hours. If'I'm not caught in a sweat with it, it does last me all day. 

Final Thought

If you are looking for an affordable highlighter with a subtle golden glow to it and will last you through most of the day, you should definitely consider getting this one. It also comes in another shade, which is a pale pink pearly shimmer. That one might be more suitable for pale ladies.

Rating: 10/10

Price: $7.00
Availability: Ulta, NYX Cosmetics

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter (Birthday Sample) - Review and Swatch

The Benefit Watt's Up highlighter I have here was from the Sephora Birthday package for 2013. If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider then I would urge you to sign  up because it's free and you get a free birthday gift on your birthday.

Watt's Up is a shimmery light champagne color that does a very good job at mimicking a natural glow. The shimmer is subtle and fine. It's described as a cream to powder product. I like that kind of finish as it seems to last longer and this particular highlighter was also very easy to blend with my fingers.

Frankly for me, it's not something I need. I have natural shine myself and this looks no different than my natural shine. I prefer highlighters with a bit more "color" to them, otherwise highlighter is a product I often skip on and can honestly do without in my beauty stash.

Overall, this is a nice highlighter for those who want or need a bit more luster on their face. If you are naturally shiny, like myself, you probably won't need to pay $30 (the full size product) for something that will give you the same result.

Do you use highlighters regularly? Which one is your favorite?

Benefit Swatch and Review - Coral My World Set

This little handy dandy Benefit set is sold at Sephora for only $12.00. Pretty awesome for beauty junkies like myself because you don't have to dish out a lot of money on the full size product but still get to try it. You'll definitely get a decent amount of use out of them before you decided if you actually need the full size. I love it when companies sell a mini version of it. The only full size products I'm able to finish are skincare. The rest take a lot longer, especially with a large collection.

 

On this set, Coralista comes in a cheap black plastic packaging. The packaging is not the sturdiest but it's practical. It contains 3 g or 0.1 oz of product. The full size contains .28 oz for $28.00, which is just a little over 50% more. I actually don't like the bulky packaging of the full size but it does include a brush, which most of us probably don't need.

Coralista is a bit loose and powdery but doesn't feel dry. It is quite gorgeous when blended. It has a subtle gold sheen to it. It's very easy to apply and blend, almost fool-proof since it would be hard to overdo. The wear time is about 5 hours on me before it starts fading. So I would say it's pretty average. Because I find it rather light, it might not show well on people with darker skintone.
I like it overall. It gives me a nice dewy flushed cheeks.

I would give it a 8/10 rating.

Sun beam is a highlighter. It contains 4.0 mL or .13 oz. The packaging is similar to the full size version, which contains .45 oz (3 times more) for $26.00.

Comes with a small brush applicator similar to nail polish brushes.

Sunbeam is a rather cool toned golden sheen. Looks very subtle on me. It blends fairly easily but I prefer to use a stipple blush to blend it. To me it's a nice to have but don't need it kind of product. Others might feel differently about it. It does however last quite well and will make it through most of your day. I guess highlighters aren't really something I feel does much enhancement on me. Overall, it is still a good product though.

I would give it a 9/10 rating.

Which are your favorite Benefit products?