Lorac Pro 3 Palette

Is anything in world better than a package you are anxious to get coming a day earlier? I don’t think so! Especially when it is a Sephora or Ulta package. Late last week Ulta released the Lorac Pro 3 palette to Platinum members and I was able to scoop it up. It got delivered today and it is stunning! I can already tell this will be my favorite of the 3 pro palettes.

Let’s start with the packaging. As you can see from the picture it comes in the standard pro palette box with a .19 oz deluxe sample of their Behind The Scenes eye primer. This is a great little bonus and although it isn’t my favorite eye primer it is pretty good and I will certainly use it. The color of the actual palette though is what I love most about the packaging. It is a great nude color that is actually quite pretty. I love the size of the Lorac Pro Palettes as well because they are so thin which makes it easy to travel with them.

The colors in this palette are right up my alley. You have a great mix of all over lid shades, crease, transition and some shades that can be used as liners. My only complaint is that I wish they would have either put a white shade in for us fair girls to use as a highlight or a deeper brown. I could have done without the black shade completely. How many black shadows does one person need, right?

As with all the Pro Palette’s this one has great pigmentation and is incredibly creamy when swatched. There was only one trouble shade of the bunch which seemed to be a little more dry and stiff. That shade in particular is medallion. It is still a gorgeous shade and you can totally work with it but it seems to be a different formula than the rest of the shadows which is odd.

Overall, I think this is a great addition to the Lorac Pro Palette line up and is certainly different than the first 2. I have included a picture of all 3 for you to reference. Are you excited about this release? Let me know if you will be picking it up!

Natasha Denona Palette Review

Confession: I LOVE a good metallic lid for an eye look. I seriously may go against the grain even on my wedding day and wear something ridiculously sparkly, and in fact it may even be a Natasha Denona eyeshadow. I am in love with these shadows and if I wasn't paying for a wedding right now I would have totally already gotten the mega green/brown palette of hers. That one certainly is splurge worthy! I did a swap with a sweet friend with the Natasha Denona #09 eye palette that she got in her Beautylish lucky bag for a Dior blush that just wasn't the perfect shade for me. I am SO thankful that she helped me get this beauty because it is STUNNING! I have never in my life seen such a smooth, creamy, blendable, and saturated group of shadows. They are essentially pressed pigments so if you get one of the palettes do NOT dig your brush into it. Pat a dry or damp brush into the pan and pat on your lid before you start to blend. If you do that you will get no fallout but you will get a serious pigmented application of color. I haven't tried any of her matte shadows but I will be in the future and will report back. Alright, now for swatches! Please note that I BARELY swiped my finger across the pan. They are just that pigmented and metallic

Overall, I would highly recommend picking up any of her shadows which you can get here. They are stunning and so easy to use!

Looxi Beauty First Impressions

Does anyone else sit on google images for HOURS at night when you can’t sleep? Ok, maybe I am just the only weird one but I fight insomnia pretty bad so there are a lot of nights where I am just searching google images for different makeup related items. This is how Looxi Beauty waltzed into my life, I was up late searching google images for face highlighters and stumbled across their site. I decided to order 2 highlighters and 2 eye shadows just to try them and go from there. Their shipping is a little slow so you will have to be a little patient when you order. From what I understand they make each order as the orders are placed so they don’t keep a lot of pre stocked inventory which is why it takes a little longer than a normal online store. It was about 14 days after ordering when the order actually appeared in my mailbox. Alright, let’s get down to the actual products.
They do come just in the pan with a little envelope protecting it much like the Makeup Geek pans. They did have them all in a cute little organza bag (not shown) which was a nice touch.

The 2 top bigger pans are the highlighters in (L to R) Ever After and Goddess followed by the eyeshadow pans on the bottom (again L to R) in Nirvana and Lucky.

Let’s talk about the swatches. As you can see Ever After is much cooler than Goddess and has a slight pink and purple duochrome. I wore this tonight though and the duochrome is not obnoxious, it just looks like a cool toned highlight when applied with a lighter hand. You do have to be careful with both of these because they are really pigmented and it is easy to go overboard. I compared Ever After to the Dior Glowing Garden Pink Glow highlighter that I love so much and this isn’t near as pink but has more of a purple shift than the Dior. I also compared Goddess to Nars Tribulation because I thought maybe they were dupes but they aren’t. They are similar but Goddess has more of a duochrome appearance and the Nars isn’t nearly as intense on the skin. Both of these are beautiful, smooth, and very pigmented. Thumbs up on the highlighters for sure. Both shadows are pretty smooth although they are slightly drier than the highlighters. They swatched beautifully and I immediately popped a little bit of lucky over top of the shadow I already had on my lid. It went on without skipping or fallout so I think both of these will be winners too. I didn’t have time to really compare the shades to other things in my collection but if any of you are interested in seeing some comparisons I can certainly do that.

L-R Ever After, Goddess, Nirvana, Lucky

Overall I was pretty impressed! I did buy all 4 of the items mentioned with my own money and wouldn’t hesitate to order some more things from Looxi. It seems like a great Indie brand to me. Have you tried anything from the brand, if so is there anything that you feel like are must haves that I should pick up?

My Winter Foundation Favorites

As a former South Florida resident I have ALWAYS struggled with oily skin. My skin is just used to the heat and humidity, and to be honest that is ok because I am accustomed to dealing with it and I know what works on my oily skin. Now that I don’t live in Florida anymore, I have to deal with drier cooler weather coupled with actually having to run the heat in our house my skin kind of freaks out in the winter. It is dry, tight, and a little hard to deal with. My normal foundation picks just don’t work when my skin is this way so I have to use different products in order for my makeup to look good and my skin to feel normal.
All of these foundations give at least medium coverage, apply well with a dense buffing brush or a beauty blender and give my face enough glow to knock the dull dryness down some but without making me look like a disco ball or a greasy mess. The foundations listed below are in no particular order.

-Guerlain Lingerie De Peau shade 13 Ambre Pale $63
This foundation gets awesome reviews online and it is easy to see why. It applies VERY easily and actually looks like skin when applied. I can apply 1 layer and then just go back into the places that I need a tad bit more coverage on and apply a second layer without any issues on those spots. Not all foundations layer well so that is a real bonus for me. I am the lightest shade (surprise surprise!) and it matches me pretty well.
-Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation shade 113 $62
This foundation is interesting. The color when you first apply it looks slightly gray but once it sits on your skin for a few minutes it becomes a perfect match (at least on me). It is the lightest coverage of all the ones I have in my winter rotation but it layers well and can be built up to a solid medium coverage. It looks amazing on the skin and wears well without breaking up around my nose which is my problem area for most foundations. There is NO way I could wear this when it is warmer outside but for right now it is working really well.
-Diorskin Star Foundation shade 010 $50
Dior as a brand makes some really great foundation formulas. Unfortunately, all of their foundations other than this one oxidizes TERRIBLY on me which sucks because I really do love many of their formulas. Star is a little tricky to apply and my best advice is to apply it quickly. I take about a pump and a half on my fingertips and spread it all over my face. I then quickly take a damp beauty blender and blend it out. It dries pretty quickly so just work kind of fast and it is fine. It is more of a demi matte foundation without making your skin look flat or super dry. It wears for a long time and I tend to grab this when I know I will have a long day or just need my makeup to look good for more than 5-6 hours. I prefer the beauty blender over a brush for this particular foundation but you can use a brush with it if you prefer.
-Rimmel Lasting Finish in Ivory $7.99
You cannot beat this foundation, especially for the price. It is so easy to apply, has great coverage and is so comfortable on the skin. This particular foundation can even be worn on my skin when it is hot outside and I am oily without breaking down quickly on my skin. I wish they would expand the shade range a little because most of the shades that they have are pink toned which doesn’t work for that many people. If you are looking for a good foundation that looks slightly glowy but not luminous on the skin I highly recommend you try this. At $7.99 it is worth picking up.

With all of these foundations I do set them as I don’t want them moving around but if you have super dry skin you could probably get away without setting them. I am always on the search for a foundation that looks amazing on the skin yet is long lasting. What are your favorite winter time foundations and are there any out there that you think I should try?

Favorite Highlighters...My Picks for Fair Skin

Am I the only one that feels like everyone and their brother has come out with a type of face highlighter this past year? As someone with fair skin I have had a hard time finding a highlighter that is light enough in its base shade to actually highlight that area and is lighter than my actual skin tone. I know I can’t be the only fair girl with this struggle right? Thankfully, I have quite a large highlighter collection and it does contain some that I just love and continue to reach for when I want that bright highlight. Here are my top 5 permanent products that I love and then a few limited edition ones that I reach for often too!

1. M-A-C Lightscapade MSF $32 (permanent)
I adore this cool toned highlighter! You can apply it with a light hand for a pretty subtle glow or really layer it for a more intense glow. There is no glitter or micro-shimmer in it so it applies really smooth and lays well on the skin. Even though this shade is really good for fair skin I think even up to a medium skin tone could wear this and really enjoy it. I bought it as part of a M-A-C collection so the print on the top is limited edition but the color itself is part of their permanent line.

2. Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I156 $21 (permanent)
My beautiful makeup loving friend Robin, raved about this shade for months before I picked it up and I am SO glad that I did. Don’t let the marketing of it as an eyeshadow throw you off because it is BEAUTIFUL on the skin. It is a light iridescent pearly shade with a hint of a pink reflective shimmer and when the light hits it just right and it makes for a stunning highlight for fair skin. Just like Lightscapade, this shade has no glitter or micro-shimmer in it so it applies very smooth and lays beautifully on the skin. This in no way is chalky or powdery.

3. IT Cosmetics Hello Light Anti-Aging Crème Illuminizer $24 (permanent)
I am not partial to my highlighter being in a cream formula or a powder formula. As long as it lays well on the skin, looks beautiful, and wears well it is fair game for me. Enter one of the best cream highlighters I have ever found! It is no secret that I have a love affair with many IT Cosmetics products and this is no exception. This champagne/slightly pinky cream applies effortlessly on the tops of your cheekbones giving the most radiant and natural glow you have ever seen. When I am feeling a little frisky I layer this under a powder highlight for a really in your face pop of glow! I shied away from cream products for a long time because of my oily skin but when a product is formulated correctly it can work even on me. I typically apply this with the pointed brush that I purchased with it or a damp sponge. I have ever layered this over my setting powder and it doesn’t disturb my foundation which is a totally plus. The key with any cream product like this one is to pat (or stipple) on and not buff. You will disturb the makeup you have under it if you try to buff it on.

4. Colourpop Stole the Show $8 (permanent)
Colourpop describes this product as: Light cool-toned gold with luminous flashes of pink, silver and gold. I would say that description is pretty accurate although the “flashes of pink, silver and gold” are VERY subtle. Don’t think of this as a duo chrome type of shade because I don’t think it is. It is however, a beautiful cool toned gold with beautiful shimmer that is creamy and super easy to apply. Much like the IT Cosmetics illuminizer I typically apply this with a pointed synthetic brush or a damp sponge. I have applied it with my fingers too and it seems to be fine that way too. I do end up having to set this with a tiny bit of translucent powder because it doesn’t set quite like the IT one does.

5. Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights $6 (permanent)
This is a VERY strong highlight so be careful if you do decide to pick it up. It is a white gold that is striking when used with a fan brush. I have also used it in the inner corner of my eyes for my inner corner highlight and it was gorgeous used that way as well. The formula of these baked highlighters from Makeup Revolution remind me of the MAC Mineralized Skin Finishes. This color happens to be my favorite from the range and it is the lightest one so it is great on fair skin.

A few of my favorites were limited edition or now discontinued but I figure I would share them anyway just in case you have one of them and want some inspiration to pull it out of your collection to use.

1. Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo in Moodlight $80 (Limited Edition)
It took me awhile to fall in love with this one. The trick to this one is the brush that you use to apply it. The top white gold shade is fairly sheer so you have to use a stiffer brush in order to pick up enough product or you can use a flat sponge which also works. The first couple of times I tried using it I used the Goss #2 brush but that brush is just too soft to pick up enough product. I prefer the Sigma F35 which is not near as soft as the Goss brush. The bottom pinky champagne shade is really beautiful as a blush topper for a matte blush or under a matte blush. On deeper skin tones that shade would be a wonderful cheek highlight but it is just too dark for me to use as a straight highlighter.

2. Chanel Camelia De Plumes Highlighting Powder $72 (Limited Edition)
This is my all-time favorite highlighter. It is so unique and absolutely stunning on fair skin. The coloring is a whitish silver with incredibly finely milled gold shimmer shot through it. I wish I would have gotten a backup of this when it was still available because I would love to use this more often, but my crazy paranoid self is scared of ever being without it so it only gets used on special occasions. I cannot even put into words how beautiful this one is but I hope the swatch translates well.

The highlight struggle is real for fair skin but I hope that I have given you some choices that you may be able to try if you have a hard time finding one that works on you as well.

A Return to Blogging Featuring My Favorite Lazy Day Makeup Products

Can you believe it, I am actually back to the world of blogging! The extreme blogging hiatus was caused by a few things. First of all, I just couldn't keep up to posting as much as I would have liked so I just stopped all together. Secondly, there was a huge period of time where I really was just a little jaded by the beauty industry as a whole and wanted to take a step back. And then of course, we had a big move and our engagement which I could not be more thrilled about. Planning a wedding is stressful enough but I thought I might as well add blogging to that mix ;)

As I sat down to my vanity this morning to do what I like to call "the lazy day makeup" I thought some of you may be interested in seeing what products I use on days when I don't really have anywhere to go but I want to feel human. I happened to be working today (for those of you who don't know, I work from home) but I will be meeting a friend in a little while for my lunch break to take a little hike on some trails near my house. I don't need my makeup to last 12 hours, just a little something on my face to even out my complexion and make me feel halfway presentable. Below is a list of the products!

Complexion:
-The IT Cosmetics CC Cream in fair is my go to on days where I may need some sun protection or I just don't want to wear a heavy foundation. It has great coverage plus a physical sunscreen of 50SPF! Wearing this CC cream also allows me to skip moisturizer for the day which saves a little time too!

-Maybelline makes some of the best drugstore concealers on the market. I am a HUGE fan of their Age Rewind Concealer collection and slap the color fair on under my eyes all the time. It is a no brainer product for me that is opaque, blends well, and doesn't make my under eyes look like the Sahara desert.

-The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder is also one of my staple under eye products. I take a sponge and just lightly give a good coat of powder over the concealer to really help it set and continue to brighten up under my eyes a little.

-My girlfriend Trisha over at aglitterylife.com (she also has an awesome youtube channel under the AGlitteryLife name), RAVED about the RCMA No Color Powder until I couldn't take it anymore and had to try it. You get a huge container for around $10 and it really is an amazing setting powder. I love it, and have used it everyday for about a month now.

-On days where I want just a tad bit more coverage I will also use the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Light over the RCMA powder but lately my skin has been cooperating so I haven't needed that extra boost.

Color Products:
-For you fair girls that love a good contour powder you MUST check out the Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark powder that can be found on etsy. It is the perfect cool toned powder that can be subtly applied for lazy days or really built up for a strong contour on days where you want that chiseled look. Even round faces like mine can be perfected with a little of this magical powder.

-I can sometimes skip the bronzer on lazy days but on days where I do want a little color I typically reach for the Hourglass Luminous Light Bronzer. This stuff is potent on fair skin so be careful when you first dip your brush in it! It is not included in the picture because I skipped it today.

-It is no secret that I am a total blush junkie. It is probably my favorite makeup product ever and I tend to go a little overboard most days. Thanks to a sweet friend that gifted the Catrice Illuminating Blush in "I Am Nuts About You" I can go blush crazy even on lazy days without looking like a clown. If you haven't tried this blush out I highly suggest it and for the $5.99 you just can't beat it!

I skip highlighter on my lazy days but you could certainly add it in if you wanted to!

Eyes:
-The Giorgio Armani Eye Tints stole my heart last year and I still haven't been able to put them down. They are pricey but if you can manage to grab them at the Sephora 20% off sale it takes a little of the sting out of it. My go to shade is Cold Copper but Rose Ashes is really beautiful too! Just an easy all over wash of color on the lid that is blendable and almost makes your lids appear smoother. Who doesn't want that?!

-Lorac recently launched a new limited edition palette at Ulta called the Nude Necessities palette. It is a fair/light girls dream for an everyday neutral eye and a palette that I just keep reaching for. It has 6 matte shadows and 6 shimmer colors and truly everything you need for an everyday eye is included.

-In some previous blog posts you can read about my love for the IT Cosmetics YBBB Skinny pencil and the Tightline mascara. Both of which are absolute staples in my lazy day (actually my ANY day) makeup routine.

Writing all of those things out makes me realize how many items that actually is but I can do a complete face with all of those products in about 5 minutes.

What are you favorite lazy day makeup products? Do you have any blog posts that you would like to see in the future or any products that you would like me to review? Leave a comment letting me know, I look forward to hearing from you!