Category: Reviews ♥

Urban Decay Naked Illuminated : Review ♥

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Hey Loves!

Just like contouring, highlighting should be a very important step in your makeup routine, especially in the winter when your skin tends to look a little dull or even dry. I have been playing around with a few highlighters and some of them were too shimmery or had large chunks of sparkle and did not look flattering on the skin at all! I also noticed that because I have a darker skin tone it was difficult for me to find a highlighter that wouldn’t look “white” or “frosty”. Lucky for me, I was searching black Friday deals and came across this Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Powder! It looked gorgeous, so you know I had to do my research. I googled the product and saw a few reviews and it just made my decision even easier! It was a must have! Once I bought it I just could not put it down and I’ve been using it ever since!

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It comes in a cute little rose gold-ish box, which I do think is a little bulky for absolutely no reason. (Boo to the bulky packaging UD!) There’s also a decent sized mirror for people who are using this on the go and it also has a small compartment underneath the powder that holds a cute brush. I’m not a huge fan of the brush for this specific product, but I may use it for something else in the future (I like the brush itself just not for this).

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Price: $29.00 USD

Promise: “Get Naked from head to toe. This smooth, silky powder contains a sophisticated, microfine shimmer and light-reflecting particles that give skin a luminous, radiant look. You really have to see it to appreciate how insanely beautiful it is! This lightweight, shimmering powder is baked on a terra cotta disc for 24 hours and then hand-finished, just like our popular Baked Bronzer. Baking the formula gives Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder a high level of just-perfect shimmer (without the metallic look of cheaper formulas). It also provides the color payoff of a loose powder, with the convenience of a pressed powder.” – Urbandecay.com

Ingredients: Talc, Zea Mays (Corn/maïs) Starch, Hectorite, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Silica, Octyldodecanol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Tin Oxide.
May Contain: CI77019 (Mica), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides)].

Where Can You Purchase? Urbandecay.com, Ulta.com

Overall Thoughts: Honestly, I’m completely obsessed with this highlighter. Not only can you use it for your face but you can also use it on your body to give it a nice natural glow! I would deff 100% recommend this to anyone. It is beautiful, you won’t even believe it until you see it in person!

A Few Of My Favorite Things Palette: Review ♥

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Hey everyone!

Too Faced Cosmetics recently released a new palette called “A Few Of My Favorite Things”. I saw a few youtubers talking about the palette and once I saw the eyeshadows that came with it, I instantly decided that it had to be mine. Being that I love sparkly eyeshadow rather than matte, I felt that this palette was appropriate for me, especially for outings. The colors are beautiful and the pigmentation is incredible. The set comes with 20 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 2 bronzers, 1 mascara, 1 lip product, and a cute cosmetic pouch that everything fits right in.

The Packaging!
Anyone who knows me, can tell you that I am a total sucker for packaging and this, my friends, is a prime example of how marketing wins again. First of all, I don’t know any girl who is not obsessed with Chevron anything. I mean, I’m a girl and I have a whole Chevron wall in my living room. Does that make me crazy? let’s hope not. Anyway, on top of the beautiful Chevron Print, they chose the perfect color packaging. The mixture between gold and pink is just so beautiful and girly. I truly love it. 

The Eyeshadows!

The eyeshadow colors are just incredible! Honestly, The pictures I show you do not do them justice what so ever. They are creamy and pigmented. I love that most of the shades have a shimmer to them because I find that shimmer looks great with my skin tone, so I tend to reach for those types of eyeshadows rather than matte ones. I do have to say that the matte colors were a bit chalky and a little difficulty to blend out but that isn’t a deal breaker for me due to the fact that there aren’t many matte colors. I deff. think my favorite colors are Tinsel, Bluff, and Party Time. They look like they’re one color but in the light it reflects into a different color. Tinsel turns greenish, Bluff turns purplish-blue, and Party Time has this blue silver reflection. SO beautiful. Coquet is also one of those types of shades but I found that when applied it just looked gold, there was no pink at all so it’s sort of misleading. Here is a closer look at the eyeshadows:

First Row
Second Row
Third Row
Fourth Row
This Palette not only comes with these gorgeous shades of eyeshadows, but it also comes with 2 blushes and 2 bronzers. I’ve tried the bronzers on their own before this palette and they were basically my skin color so unfortunately, it doesn’t really do anything for me. The blushes on the other hand are visible on my skin tone but I deff.  think they would look better on lighter skin tones just because they show up more vividly. Here are some swatches of both blushes and bronzers:
As I mentioned before, the palette also came with a mascara and a lip product. The mascara is so good! I have been eyeing this mascara for a while but hadn’t heard anyone really rave about it so decided to wait on it. I’m so glad that it came with this palette because I’ve honestly fallen in love with it. It makes my eyelashes look long and curled without me having to use an eyelash curler. Usually I apply two coats of three different mascara’s but lately I have only been using this one and that for me is a HUGE deal. so, yay! for less of an eyelash struggle in the morning!
The lip product on the other hand, I am not really a fan of. It is supposed to be a lip plumper type of product and I do think it works but, for one, the color is terrible for my skin tone, so I couldn’t pull it off even if I wanted to. And two, my lips tend to always get extremely chapped and dry during the fall and winter months, so I struggle with lipsticks because they tend to bring out the flakiness and dry skin, unfortunately, this lipstick is no different. You will see in the picture that my lips not only look pale, but they look so chapped and flakey. I tried using a lip scrub and moisturizing before application and that did not work either, I honestly think it made it worse. Gross! I deff. will not be using this product on my own lips at all. 
 Here is a close up picture of the mascara and the lip product: 

And last but not least, There is also this cute little makeup pouch that comes with the palette. The palette, mascara, and lip product all fit into this pouch perfectly so you can carry everything with you if you have to travel. How cute is it?

Price: $56.00 USD (Valued at $436.00 USD)
Where can you purchase? Sephora.com, Toofaced.com
Overall Thoughts: I am obsessed! I think it’s an awesome deal and totally worth it. I will be doing a few YouTube videos featuring this palette so you guys can see how the colors look on the eye! I would deff.  recommend this palette for any season because of the variety of shades!
hope you enjoyed!
xo, 
   Jess ♥

Pearly Whites: Affordable Teeth Whitening Treatment ♥

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Hey Everyone!

Anyone who really knows me can tell you that my teeth are extremely important to me. I wore braces for about 4 1/2 years which for me felt more like forever and a half. I got them on towards the end of my Sophomore year in High School and didn’t get them off until about my sophomore year in college. As awkward as school photos normally are, for me they were ten times more awkward. I wasn’t sure whether to smile or not, not to mention how insecure I was about myself in general. I always had crooked teeth and I was always made fun of because of them, but I did not expect to feel even worse when I actually got braces to fix them.

Well anyway, Fast Forward a few years later and BAM! there I am Sophomore in college, cheesing as much as I could. My new pearly whites were amazing! the only thing was that because I had my braces on for so long, my teeth were a bit yellow. As soon as I left the Orthodontists office I headed straight to Rite Aid and purchased a box of Crest Whitening Strips. They worked great! The only problem I had and still have was the price. For the one box that I had purchased I believe I paid close to $50 USD which to me is a little insane.

Since then, I have been searching for an affordable alternative. I used to do the whole baking soda thing, where you add a little baking soda and some water, mix it up, and then basically brush your teeth with that, but my mom had told me to stop doing that becuse I was going to damage my teeth, so I stopped using it.

The other day while I was in Wal-Mart I decided to take a look at the teeth aisle and I came across a product that I’ve been seeing much of in YouTube beauty videos. It is called the Plus White 5 Minute Premiere Whitening System. It is the easiest whitening system i have ever encountered and for such an amazing price!

If you Compare this product to the price of Crest Whitening strips, it is a whitening system that you cannot pass up. (Love you crest whitening strips buttttt, I am a college student on a budget!) You won’t get the same results that you would get at a doctors office, but for the price it is totally worth it. The system says “results in 5 minutes” but it actually starts to work in 5 minutes so I usually leave it for 10-15 min. You must use it the way it tells you too, twice a day for 14 days to see maximum results, but I seriously saw results in 3 days. I don’t have really bad stained teeth since I don’t smoke and rarely drink coffee BUT I promise you guys it is deff worth a try! It didn’t make my teeth and gums sensitive either which is wonderful! The kit that I have comes with the gel, mouth guard, & a rinse. I have not used the rinse so i’m not sure if that works in particular.

Price: $7-10 USD (depending on where you buy it from)
Promise: “advanced technology, proven bleaching power that whitens & brightens, New needlenose tube for precise application, comfortable mouth tray, New staingaurd post rinse keeps your teeth white & locks in whiteness. Help delay stains from reappearing on your teeth, you’ll see noticeably whiter teeth within days!” -pluswhite.com
Ingredients: WATER (AQUA), GLYCERIN, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, CARBOMER, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, FLAVOR, SODIUM SACCHARIN, POTASSIUM STANNATE, DISODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, ETIDRONIC ACID, AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE.

Where can you purchase? Pluswhite.com, any drugstore, online (amazon…etc.) 

Overall Thoughts: The only thing that bothers me about this kit is the mouthgaurd. It is really uncomfortable & I feel like it makes me drool more than normal. You do not have to use the mouth guard, you can just apply the gel with a Q-tip but I am way too lazy for all that. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Other than that, like I’ve said a million times before in this post, I deff recommend you at least try it! Plus, you just cannot beat the price, right? Right.

I dare you to try it & let me know how it goes 🙂 

Xo,
     Jess ♥   

Lorac Pro Palette – Review ♥

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Hey Everyone!

On my last trip to Sephora I treated myself to a few things as a birthday gift. Isn’t it great when you have a valid excuse to spend more unnecessary money on makeup that you really don’t need but cant get enough of? well yeah, story of my life! During this little shopping expedition I realized that I still hadn’t purchased the Lorac Pro palette that every beauty guru on youtube has been raving about for months! I kept telling myself that I would get it next time but then next time never came around. For the most part I want to believe that the price was keeping me from buying this little thing, but then again my urban decay palettes are usually the same price. Well, either way I decided to just go for it and give it a shot. Well let me tell you, I do not regret buying this palette not one bit!

First, let me start with the packaging. 


Anyone who knows me knows that I am a full on sucker for packaging! anything that looks sleek and chic or girly and fun, must come home with me at that very moment! well this Palette is one of those products. It is so smooth and sleek that I am afraid of getting it dirty (which is actually one of my downfalls). The outside is made out of the same material that NARS cosmetics packaging is made out of so it can get dirty easily (but you can also just wipe it off just as easily). It is extremely light weight which is perfect if you want to just throw it in your bag and go. It has a magnetic snap to open and close which is my favorite type of way to open and close products because if I drop it, I know it won’t break and not be able to close again.

Now let’s move on to the inside, which is of course the best part of all! 


Before I talk about the eyeshadows themselves, I want to mention the huge long mirror on the inside! It is the perfect mirror for on the go application, so you do not have to pack a mirror if you are carrying this in your bag or going on a trip. 

Now to the juicy stuff…there are 16 shades within the palette. Eight of those shades are matte and the other eight are frosted. Some of the colors you can possibly find similar to the ones in the Urban Decay Naked Palette, but most of them are slightly different or unique to this palette overall. I also want to point out that although this palette has been compared to the Urban Decay Naked Palette, the colors in the Lorac Pro Palette are much more versatile. This is one of those palettes that you can take on a trip with you and not have to worry whether you’ll have enough eyeshadows to create different looks. About half of the colors both mixed between frosted and matte are light, which can be used for the eyelid or as a highlight. The other half of the colors, both frosted and matte as well, are a bit darker which can also be used on the lid for a smokey night time look or can be used as a crease color. The eyeshadow’s are super soft with a velvet type of feel and guys…the color payoff is AMAZING! they are super pigmented which is exactly what you want to look for when buying an eyeshadow or palette. If you foil the frosted eyeshadows they become super vibrant and even more pigmented than they already are, which I did not think was possible! The matte colors have a little fallout when applying but as long as you tap them on you should be fine! The frosted colors on the other hand have minimal fall out and just go on so smoothly. 

From Left to Right: White, Cream, Taupe (aka my skin color) , Lt.Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black
From Left to Right: Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt.Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

Last but not least, the very best and my all time favorite part about this palette is that it is formulated without sulfates, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan. Which basically means that it shouldn’t hurt your skin too much. Products that are made without these chemicals are amazing because you do not have to worry about doing damage to your skin while looking beautiful 😉

*OH, did I mention the Palette comes with a mini Lorac eyeshadow primer ? I haven’t actually tried it yet because I will forever be a slave to the Urban Decay Primer Potion, but who know’s maybe I’ll cheat on that one soon and try the Lorac one for a little while. 


Price: $42.00 USD

Promise: “Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with eight shimmer and eight matte eye shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the red carpet. LORAC’S velvety smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line, and define your eyes, just like a pro. With 16 shadows to contour, line, define, and create any look you desire, you have everything you need for your eyes and brows in one sleek palette!” – Sephora.com

Ingredients: TALC, ZINC STEARATE, DIMETHICONE, MINERAL OIL, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, BORON NITRIDE, SILICA, METHICONE, KAOLIN, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, METHYLPARABEN, WATER(AQUA), LAUROYL LYSINE, PROPYLPARABEN, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT, CARUM PETROSELINUM (PARSLEY) EXTRACT, ECHINACEA PURPUREA EXTRACT, CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) PEEL EXTRACT, CALENDULA OFFICINALIS FLOWER EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR: MICA, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), FERRIC FERROCYANIDE (CI 77510), CARMINE (CI 75470) BEHIND THE SCENES EYE PRIMER/ BASE À OMBRES À PAUPIÈRES EN COULISSES: ISODODECANE, TALC, TRIHYDROXYSTEARIN, POLYETHYLENE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, TRIETHYLHEXANOIN, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ISOPROPYL LANOLATE, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, PEG-40 STEARATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, BEESWAX (CERA ALBA), DIMETHICONE, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, PHENOXYETHANOL, MICA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77499, 77491, 77492)

Where can you purchase?: Loraccosmetics.com, Ulta.com, Sephora.com and anywhere else that Lorac Cosmetics is sold.

Overall Thoughts: Well, if you haven’t already guessed it by now, I am obsessed with this palette! I am ready to use this for my fall makeup looks and cannot wait to make videos using these eyeshadows! I definetly recommend this Palette to everyone, whether you like neutral makeup or like to go full on out. I might just prefer this one over my Urban Decay Naked Palette! (I know, I know. Shame on me. Well I still have a little place in my heart for my Naked Palette, but for now this will do).

xo,
    Jess ♥