makeup review – Page 2

Lancome Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick | The Perfect Summer Lip?

April 24, 2017 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a fantastic weekend! We celebrated our Biggest Little Love, Hailey, by throwing her a pool party with a mermaid as the special guest! You can see pictures on my Instagram accounts here and here.

Sephora is currently having their VIB Spring Sale and I received my order (a haul video is coming soon!) and have already found a stand-out favorite that I think will become my perfect summer lip for summer 2017.

Lancome Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick in 272 Energy In Peach

First, let’s talk color; this stunning peachy nude is highly pigmented and is subtle enough for most people to feel comfortable rocking, and gives a beautiful, youthful color to the lips. The Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick line has seven shades in the range so far, and I am hoping that they continue to add more. If you’re familiar with the Lancome Juicy Shaker Pigment Infused BI-Phased Lip Oil then this applicator foam numb is the same and the packaging looks the same, but on the new matte shaker the cap is matte black instead of metallic silver. The liquid lipstick has a very thin, light feel that feels like you have nothing on your lips, the claims say “second skin” which I would have to agree with! It is pretty impressive to get that color payoff for something that doesn’t feel like lipstick at all. I do find that I have to reapply this more often than other liquid lipsticks, but still get decent wear off of it. The applicator takes a bit of getting used to, but I didn’t have any problems applying it to my lips. You can use multiple shades to create a gradient effect with these, but I haven’t gotten that fancy with them yet. I have worn this without a lip liner and have not had major issues with the color bleeding, but a lip liner would probably be best as with most liquid lipsticks. *Tip: Be sure to shake up the product like the name suggests before applying.

I think this product along with a little concealer and bronzer will be my go-to “no-makeup” summer look! Have you tried this? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments! Please don’t forget to subscribe : ) xx

BENEFIT GALIFORNIA BOXED BLUSH | YAY OR NAY?

April 5, 2017 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a fantastic week so far! With summer right around the corner (at least this Michigan gal hopes it is right around the corner!) I thought it would be fun to try the *new* boxed blush from Benefit Cosmetics and share my thoughts with you.

Benefit Galifornia

First Impression:

How gorgeous is this brush? It is definitely a super cute name and adorable packaging as I’ve come to expect from Benefit. The cardboard box is sturdy, has a nice sized mirror, and does come with a brush but I do not use the brush it comes with unless I’m in a pinch without my other blush brushes. This blush smells amazing, and reminds me of fresh peaches and summer picnic! The gorgeous blush with the gold glimmering sun is absolutely Instagram worthy. The glittery sun is stunning, but unfortunately is just an overspray on top so once you’ve swatched it that does go away, however the gold hints are in the actual blush.

Why I Love It:

This is a super pigmented shade that would work well on even very deep skin tones, is absolutely perfect for spring and summer, and even my very fair skin can wear it but do use a light hand if you’re very fair. I think this gives a healthy glow and just the right bit of shimmer.

Shop:

Will you be picking up this beauty? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to enter my beauty giveaway on my YouTube channel, too ; )

TOO FACED CHOCOLATE BAR PALETTE FAVORITE SHADOW PAIRINGS, TUTORIAL AND GIVEAWAY

March 22, 2017 & 18 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are all having a fantastic week so far. If you are a Beauty Insider rewards program member with Sephora then you may have seen that Too Faced Cosmetics recently had a 500 Point Perk that featured a mini limited edition palette featuring their Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and three colors from the Chocolate Bar Palette, a deluxe size sample of the Better Than Sex Mascara, and a deluxe size sample of Chocolate Melted Liquified Lipstick in Chocolate Honey. The Chocolate Bar Palette is one of my favorites, so today I thought it would be fun to share three of my favorite shadow pairings from the palette. Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of this post and watch it on YouTube to see my swatches, tutorial, and to enter the giveaway to win your own set of the 500 Point Perk.

Too Faced Cosmetics Chocolate Bar Palette:

Champagne Truffle, Salted Caramel, and Semi-Sweet (the colors included in the 500 Point Perk):

Without Flash:

With Flash:

White Chocolate, Marzipan, and Creme Brulee:

Without Flash:

With Flash:

Champagne Truffle, Milk Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, and Amaretto:

Without Flash:

With Flash:

If you have this palette, let me know your favorite shades in the comments section of this post! Thank you so much for reading my blog and supporting me : ) Please subscribe! xx

Ombré Lips in Minutes! NYX Ombré Lip Duo Review

January 18, 2017 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

If you follow beauty trends on social media then you have probably seen pictures on social media of the very popular ombré lip and I was intrigued when I saw that NYX, a fairly affordable brand that I like a lot of products from, came out with a product that claims to give you the ombré lip look without spending 15 minutes on your lipstick. So, today I want to share with you my thoughts on the product.

NYX Ombré Lip Duo

Pink Bubbles & Caviar

Rags & Riches

What Is it?

The NYX Ombré Lip Duo is a dual ended product containing both a satin matte lipstick and a lip liner. The lipstick color and the lip liner are colors that are meant to go together to create the perfect ombré pout. The lipstick formula is said to be creamy and therefore easy to blend to get the desired look.

My Thoughts

I really love products that are two in one like this because it is just so handy to have a lip liner created to match a lipstick, whether or not you want to get that ombré look. I found the lipliner to be very easy to apply and I like that it didn’t tug on my lips. The lipstick is very creamy and without any effort the lipstick and lip liner blended beautifully. Did my lips look like Instagram perfection? No, but they definitely had the general ombré idea without any work. I think that this is a great product if you want to play around with an ombré lip look without having to try to coordinate colors on your own. I also think this is a great option if you’re just looking for complimentary liner and lipstick combos. I will say that while I love how easy the creamy formula applies and blends, it may be a bit *too* creamy because while I was taking the product shot photos the lipstick broke off while twisting it up.

Have you tried this product? What is your favorite NYX product? Do you like the ombré lip trend? Let me know in the comments! Have a fantastic day and please don’t forget to subscribe! : )

What Is A Matte Highlighter?

January 11, 2017 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And, much more importantly to me, HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY to my littlest love, Logan. I am so proud of you, and you’ll always be my baby!

Today I want to talk about a highlighting product that I had to try because the name itself was so contradictory to what I think of when I think of a highlighter, but it has become a go-to for me the past several months.

Benefit Shy Beam

Highlighting has been a huge trend for the past several years, and I love highlighting with powders, creams, sticks, and liquid highlighting products ranging from $2 drugstore steals to much more expensive high end brands. I love using highlighter on my cheekbones, and also my cupids bow, but because I tend to get oily on my nose/T-Zone area I often skip a highlight there. A few months ago Benefit Cosmetics launched and re-vamped a lot of their products, including their Dandelion blush, and they came out with Dandelion Shy Beam which they describe as a nude pink “matte radiance” highlighter. I was very intrigued by this “matte” highlighter claim since this is the opposite of what you think of when you think of highlighter, and honestly sounds a bit like an oxymoron.

How I Use It

I absolutely LOVE this for highlighting down the center of my nose, and for highlighting around the outer corner or my eye and cheekbone. This is fantastic for any place you want to highlight or any place the sun would naturally hit your face because it is so subtle that you can get away with using it in lots of places at once without looking like a disco ball. As someone with combo/oily skin, having a matte highlighter gives you a beautiful lit from within look that is fresh and youthful without risk of feeling like your skin looks greasy or needs blotting immediately. I like to dot this on with the brush applicator and then use a small stippling brush, like the E.L.F Small Stipple Brush, to tap it into the skin. You can also use a lightly damp Beauty Blender or your fingers to tap this into the skin. However you choose to apply this, be sure not to rub or you will risk rubbing off other makeup and won’t get the desired effect.

What are your thoughts? What is your favorite highlighter? Do you think the highlighting trend has become too much or are you still into it? Let me know in the comments! xx

TOO FACED SNOW BUNNY BRONZER REVIEW

December 14, 2016 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you have been having a fantastic week so far! Today is my middle little loves birthday! Happy 4th Birthday Connor David! I love you so! Today I want to talk about a bronzer that I used years ago and loved but somewhere along that way got lost in my drawers of makeup. A few weeks ago while decluttering my makeup collection, I pulled out a few products I wanted to try using again and the Too Faced Snow Bunny Perfecting Bronzing Powder has become a rediscovered favorite that I want to share with you today.

Too Faced Snow Bunny Bronzer

First of all this packaging is absolutely beautiful! I actually have the older packaging, but both the new and older packaging is beautiful with simple details. This one of those products that makes me happy just looking inside the compact because the beautiful shimmery shades are stunning. The bronzer is made up of four strips of color in a white highlight, a bronze, a very pale pink, and a light tan. I think that I avoided this because these days I usually use a matte bronzer or at least tend to avoid a lot of shimmer, but this is stunning! You can use this as a blush, a bronzer, or a highlight which is also great. I like that you can use the four colors separately, but I tend to twirl my brush in all four colors and then lightly dust onto my cheeks. Although this has shimmer it is a very subtle highlight and I think it’s perfect in the winter months for a very natural glow. This looks wonderful in the sunlight, especially that snowy sun reflecting light, and lasts on me all day.

Have you tried this bronzer? What bronzers do you like to wear in the winter? Leave a comment to let me know! Have a great day and please subscribe! xx

GO LONGER BETWEEN HAIRCUTS? LIVING PROOF SPLIT END MENDER REVIEW

December 12, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a great weekend! If you’re like a lot of us, you probably don’t get your haircut the recommended every 6-8 weeks, and sometimes the ends of your hair can start looking a little rough between trims. Today I am going to be sharing my thoughts on the Living Proof Perfect Hair Hair Day Fresh Cut Split End Mender.

Living Proof Split End Mender

What It Is

The Living Proof Split End Mender can be used on wet or dry hair to seal individual split ends so that the ends of your hair looks smooth and aligned. It also contains a conditioning layer that keeps ends sealed and soft for polished looking ends. You can start using this right after a haircut to help prevent split ends, or to treat split ends.

How I Use It

I like to apply this to the bottom few inches of my hair while it is still damp after showering. I also have used it after straightening and curling my hair when the ends look a little bit raggedy and it definitely works to smooth out my ends.

My Thoughts

I love that a little bit of this goes a long way and helps my split ends look smooth! I really feel like this helps get that “just left the salon” look. I really like this to treat my split ends when my hair is damp. This does work to smooth my ends after curling or straightening for a sleek look, but I can get the same effect using other serums as well. I already have added this to my “loves” list at Sephora and will continue using this to prevent and treat split ends.

Have you ever tried this or other Living Proof products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to subscribe : )

THE BEST NUDE LIP GLOSS EVER!

December 7, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a wonderful week so far, and as always, thank you for taking time to read my blog! Today I am going to be sharing my absolute favorite nude lip gloss that works beautifully on any skin tone.

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in White Russian

buxom-whiterussian-review-bestnudegloss-leahtackles.jpeg

This is called a lip cream, but feels and wears just like a lip gloss. The shade White Russian is a beautiful pink-y nude color that looks beautiful on its own or worn over lipstick. These Buxom glosses smell really good too, it isn’t too strong but it’s definitely a sweet scent when you apply it. These are formulated to give a gentle plumping effect to your lips, and also keep your lips supple with vitamins A and E. This is a great shade to add to your own collection whether you have a lot of makeup or are just starting out. I also think this is a great gift for teens all the way up to more mature women because this gloss truly flatters anyone, and doesn’t have glitter or sparkle but just a beautiful glossy look.

You can purchase Buxom White Russian here and Sephora also has an adorable limited edition packaging for the Full-On Buxom Lip Cream in White Russian Holiday Kiss Collection available but it’s currently sold out online! However, Sephora seems to re-stock these holiday stocking stuffers quite often, so if you enter your email they will email you if it comes back in-stock.

What is your favorite go-to lip gloss? This has become mine! Buxom glosses are really wonderful, and this one is far and away my favorite. Have a great day and please don’t forget to subscribe!

KAT VON D LOCK-IT CONCEALER IN WHITE OUT | CONCEALING FAIR SKIN! PART 2

October 31, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday! And, Happy Halloween!

Today I want to do the follow up to my Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Part 1 first impression review. I have now been wearing this concealer for about a week, and I feel like I’ve worn it enough to give my full (spoiler alert) stamp of approval. I do have to say the fact that I am posting a white concealer review on Halloween is making me a laugh a bit ; ) You could totally use this for a Halloween look too ; ) If you have tried this concealer, or a white concealer let me know in the comments : )

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer in White Out

undereyeconcealerforfairskin-concealersthatbrightenpaleskin-leahtackles.jpeg

Cost $26

Review

As I talked about in Part 1, I really love how much this can brighten my fair skin! Until trying this white concealer I was never able to conceal my under eyes with a concealer that was lighter than my fair complexion, and I was so surprised to see how much I could brighten the under eye area! That may sound silly, but if you have very fair skin then you may understand! I have now used this over mineral foundation like the Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Powder Matte Foundation, medium to full coverage foundation like Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation, and lighter BB creams and have found this to work well with all of them. I have used both a Beauty Blender and the Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki and while both work I prefer to use a damp Beauty Blender sponge. I have not had any issues with dryness, but do keep in mind that I have combo/oily skin. I have not found this to settle into fine lines, but I do set this with a translucent setting powder like the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. Overall, I really love the Kat Von D Lock-It White Out Concealer! It has become my go-to for my under eye concealing!

Thank you, as always, for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please “Pin” it to your Pinterest, or share! xx

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer in White Out | Concealing Fair Skin! PART 1

October 26, 2016 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a great week so far! As most of you know, I have very fair skin and if you have very fair skin then you know the struggle that is finding a brightening concealer. I am usually the lightest, or the second lightest, foundation color, and I always buy the lightest concealer possible. A common beauty tip is to conceal your under eye and any area you’d like to highlight, with a concealer that is one or two shades lighter than your skin tone, and while that’s great advice if your skin tone is the same shade as the lightest concealer options, that can be a problem! So, I was very excited to try the Kat Von D Lock-It concealer and today I will share my first impressions with you : ) I will be doing a check in and final thoughts post in the next week or two, so please let me know if you like that for future product reviews as well.

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer in White Out

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer in White Out

vs.

Esteé Lauder in 1C Light Cool

Cost: $26

This concealer claims to offer great coverage without settling into fine lines and brighten.

First Impression

When I first applied it in a triangle under my eyes I was a little shocked and how thick and white it was, which is silly because it is a WHITE concealer, but I haven’t ever put white makeup on my face before ; ) However, I was able to easily blend this in with a damp Beauty Blender. The coverage seems to be very good, and I was blown away by how brightening it was for my under eye! I do have dark circles, so I love that I was able to brighten it so much! I did have to be careful to not go too heavy because I didn’t want to look ashy. I love that this didn’t settle into my fine lines at all. So far, I haven’t noticed any issues with dryness with this concealer, but I will be keeping an eye on that to update you with my check in and final thoughts post in the next week or two on this concealer.

If you liked this post, please don’t forget to share! I have share buttons on the bottom of every post, and at the top of this webpage : ) Thank you! Have a wonderful day! xx

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