The Look: Bonfire

Look created using L.A. COLORS 5 COLOR METALLIC EYESHADOW palette, in EP42 Wildflowers, E.L.F. Eyelid Primer, Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black, and Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black.

L.A. COLORS 5 COLOR METALLIC EYESHADOW: EP42 WILDFLOWERS

I was pleasantly surprised by this high pigmented, beautiful color palette, I have been dissapointed by L.A. COLORS in the past and did not know what to expect, although I had my eye on these palettes for a while I still was skeptical so I checked out some reviews on it, and thought I would give it a try and boy was I. The palette that I picked out is called EP42 Wildflowers $2.99. For the amount of product you get, the pigmentation, and the price. This is truly a steal, and a makeup guru's best kept secret. 5 out 5 stars!!
Disclaimer: For best results please use an eyeshadow base or eyelid primer, and a eyeshadow brush, results may vary. Recommended eyeshadow base: NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk $2.99 @ Ulta.com/Cherryculture.com.
Recommended eyeshadow primer: E.L.F. Eyelid Primer $1.00 @eyeslipsface.com
This is not a paid advertisement for L.A. Colors.
This is my honest opinion about this product.
Products used were paid for and purchased by me.

Eyeshadow Extravaganza!!!!!

I know I have not done a post in awhile on my different eyeshadow looks , so here are three of my favorite most extravagant looks. From the top to the bottom. Prom Queen, Pinata, and Mistress. Prom Queen was created using the Coastal Scents 56 Blush and Eyeshadow Palette and NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk as a base, Pinata was created using the Coastal Scents 88 Eyeshadow color palette and Madisonlee pigments in Island Dream and ELF's eyelid primer. Mistress was created using One & Only Cosmetics Lip & Eye Pencil in Mocha Ice as a base, Black Radiance Starry Eyes Shadow Stick in Deepest Plum on the outer lid, Maybelline New York Expert Wear Eye shadows in Bermuda Sunset, Sparkling Wine, and Eternal Flame.

The Body Needs $1.79 Mineral Eye Shadow Swatches!

I purchased some mineral eye shadows from thebodyneeds2.com (link on the right hand side), and wanted to show you what they look like wet and dry. These are $1.79 each and they come in a small 5 gram jar (not filled to capacity but for less than $2.00 what did I expect). They are pretty pigmented but honestly I like this color selection better dry. Pictures are above, you decide. Shipping is about $5.00, and you get 20% off when you use code: TBN20. I think I will be purchasing more colors and some glitters so more swatches will be coming soon! These eye shadows are hypoallergenic, and is is talc, fragrance, dye, & cruelty free. 3 out 5 stars.

The Look: Candy Land

Look created with Coastal Scents 56 Blush & Eyeshadow Palette, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 604 Milk as a base. Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black and Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black. (All colors used are marked with an X on the picture above)

The Look: White Wedding

Look created with Coastal Scents 26 Shadow Blush Palette, One & Only Cosmetics Waterproof eye/lip pencil as a base, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black and Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black.

Spotlight: Jordana Matte Lipstick in Matte Mocha (Discontinued)

Sorry ladies this matte lipstick color is unavailable, got it for .99 cents at my local beauty supply store, they had this color in a bin with other lipsticks that they no longer have on display. Never the less the color is a pretty burnt orange, more orange than mocha, still good, has full coverage and feels great. long lasting, other colors still available on cherryculture.com.

Spotlight: Jordana Matte Lipstick #30 Matte Mystery

At first I was skeptical about this color cause it looks brown in the tube but once I put it on it was a cross between pink and red, very pretty, very matte, I love matte lipstick! Unlike the Matte Mocha this color is still available for purchase, check with your local beauty supply stores or cherryculture.com for availability and prices.

Santee Silky Eye Contour Palette (Review/Swatches)

This palette features 12 soft shimmery colors. I used this palette for my Envy look and numbered the shadows used on my lid, crease and brow bone. Although the colors are beautiful and easy to apply they are not as pigmented as I would like them to be except the reddish bronze color (first color on left below) and the two black colors (last two below on the right) All the colors on the top row would make great highlight colors. Not excited by four colors in the middle row. Check local beauty supply stores for product availability. Swatches shown on arm without base or primer. 3 out of 5 stars

The Look: Envy

Look created with Santee Silky Eye Contour Palette, NYX Eyeshadow Base in ESB02 Pearl, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black and Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black.

Santee Plus Aloe Lipstick in #10 Soft Rose

I love this color, it is matte!! which I really love and it has excellent full coverage, it feels great, and the it smells wonderful. Gives my lips a plump look. 5 out of 5 Stars. Check local beauty supply stores for pricing!

The Look: Passion

Look created with Amuse 8 Color High Definition Eyeshadow Kit, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 604 Milk as a shadow base and highlight.

Amuse 8 Color High Definition Eyeshadow Kit (Review/Swatches)

This Amuse Cosmetics eyeshadow palette features 8 quarter sized eye shadows that are very pigmented, shimmery colors (see The Look: Fever) the palette features a mirror on the back, and a clear casing on the front. They are easy to blend and long lasting with the right eyeshadow base. I used a eyeshadow brush for application but found the consistency of the shadows to be creamy not powdery, so I just used my fingers. I give this product 5 out of 5 stars. (Above are swatches of the shadow colors on my wrist without a primer or base) Can be found on: cherryculture.com $4.00USD

The Look: Fever

Look created with Amuse 8 Color High Definition Eyeshadow Kit, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 604 Milk as a shadow base and highlight. Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black.

The Look: Blue Magic

Look created with NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencil in 604 Milk, NYX Eyeshadow in ES63A Cryptonite, NYX Eyeshadow in ES27 White Pearl, Ultramarine Blue pigment.

The Look: Nightmare

Look created with L.A. Colors Glittering Starlet Eyeshadow in Claudette GP88. NYX White Pearl ES27 NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow 604 Milk.
E.L.F Eyelid Primer

Wet N Wild Lipstick: 525D & 511B

These swatches of two of my favorite Wet N Wild lipsticks. from left to right, 525D and 511B. 525D is said to be a dupe for Mac's Up The Amp lipstick. I do not have Mac Up The Amp, but from looking at swatches online the two colors look pretty similar. 511B is a bright pink color, very flattering for all skin types. Each color $.99 at local Walgreen's Drugstore.

The Look: Barbie

(Barbie)
Look created with all Madison Lee eye shadows: Pledge, I bleed blue, Sunset, Breathe, Lapdance. ELF Eyelid Primer, Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black.

The Look: Sunset

(Sunset)
Look created with NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette
ESP10C 02 Strike A Pose (The Runway Collection)
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk as base. Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black

The Look: Groupie

(Groupie)
Look created with all NYX Eye shadows: ES84 Cherry, ES94 Luxor, ES63A Cryptonite, ES27 White Pearl, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 604 Milk as a shadow base. Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Almay Pure Blends Mascara in Black.

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Haul/Swatches!

(From left to right, top to bottom)130 Electric Blue, 40 Eternal Flame, 60 Bermuda Sunset, 115 Sparkling Wine, 110 Mystic Blue. My favorite color out of the five is 115 Sparkling Wine, it is highly pigmented pearl color. The rest aren't so pigmented. Used NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk as a base, in swatch above.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish (Mint Apple) #947

I love this color, it is a soft green with a light shimmer. $1.99USD

L.A. COLORS GLITTERING STARLET EYESHADOW

This may be a makeup guru's best kept secret. Maybe. L.A. Colors Glittering Starlet Eyeshadow come in 8 different palettes each named after Hollywood starlet's from the past! How awesome is that! Pictured above (from top to bottom) GP87 Ingrid, GP83 Marilyn, GP82 Elizabeth (my favorite), GP84 Ginger, GP88 Claudette, GP85 Bette, also comes in Jean, and Audrey which are not pictured, because I do not have those two. I was pleasantly surprised by the pigment and blend-ability of these colors, as well as the amount of glitter they hold. I give them a 4 out of 5. Recommendations: eyeshadow brush and a primer. Not a base.
Pros:
Rich color
Glitter
Blend-able
Cute palette w/ mirror inside
Cons:
Alot of glitter fallout
Dime sized shadows

Madison Lee Eyeshadow Swatches!

As you all know I have been mixing mica and pigments together and coming up with my own eyeshadow colors which will be available for purchase soon, the pans are 26mm and fit in most palettes, but are not magnetized. I will have palettes available as well in the future. The price will be $2.50USD for each pan. My colors are highly pigmented go on very smooth, and long lasting. More info coming soon! (eyeshadow colors above from left to right) Penny for your thoughts (copper), Blonde Ambition (gold), I Bleed Blue (blue), Kissing You (lavender silver).

My True Blue....

Products used in photo: (NYX Eyeshadow in Blue Marine, NYX Eyeshadow in White Pearl on brow bone and NYX Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk as a highlight. NYX Eyebrow Pencil in 902 Brown. NYX Eyeshadow Base in Pearl!) For the last six months I have been in search of the perfect blue eyeshadow color, I didn't want just any blue I wanted a knock your socks off color blue to envy. I even thought I would find it in my Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Palette's. (I have 3, 88 Ultra Shimmer, 88 Matte/Shimmer, and 56 Blush/Eyeshadow) And the colors in these palettes are beautiful. But they are in a palette and not a single shadow that I can order time and time again. So I scanned NYX Cosmetics website, and compared all the swatches of blue and took my pick. I really wanted ES40A Frosted Ocean which is a glitter/shimmer. But I also wanted a matte color, so I settled for second best, so I thought, when I got the color and swatched it on my hand it had a shine to it, it was not matte after all, the color is advertised as matte. Could it be an error, I turned the shadow around and looked at the name just to sure. Yep! ES77A Blue Marine, I am in love. The color blends beautifully and when blended with ES27 White Pearl (Frosty) it turns light blue. I was searching a didn't give up and now I have found my true blue.

Revlon Photo Ready Foundation in 011 Cappuccino w/ SPF 20 $13.99

This foundation provides light to medium coverage depending on how much is used and how it is blending. The color is more orange looking than anything and kind of stains your fingers and hands so I recommend not using your fingers so not to make a mess. A foundation brush or makeup sponge will be better, as it provides a more even coverage anyway. This foundation comes in a cute round bottle 1 Fl. Oz./30 ML. And unlike other liquid foundations it comes with a dispensing pump somewhat like Smashbox Studio Seamless Foundation in Cocoa $36.00, and actually the colors favor each other alot, so it makes a good dupe, if you don't want to spend $36.00 for Smashbox. It is alittle pricey for a drugstore brand but it is totally worth it, your skin looks refreshed and luminous. I recommend using a primer underneath this foundation for maximum staying power, and to set the foundation dusting a light amount of mineral veil or Revlon's Mineral Finishing Powder in Suntan Matte $13.99 at CVS Pharmacy, over your foundation. I give this product 3 out of 5 stars. For having SPF, and cute bottle. Available in Caramel and Mocha. (For Golden to Dark Skin)

Avon MagiX Cashmere Finish Liquid Foundation

This foundation contains SPF 10 ($11.00) which is outstanding it has light to medium coverage and feels great on my skin, feels as though I am not wearing anything at all. Avon first came out with the MagiX Face Perfector ($10.00) which I also own, that you can wear alone or under makeup, it reduces the look of pores, fine lines, and banishes shine. I give this product a 3 out of 5 as I am put off by the smell, the lotion like feel and color. Compared to other primers that are clear. The funny thing is, that Avon does not advertise this item as a primer, but it does all of the same things that a primer does. I went on Ebay and put makeup primers in the search and this product came up. The price was right, so I thought why not?! So imagine my surprise when I discovered they made a foundation with the same benefits, I had to have it. A foundation that I do not have to wear a primer underneath. Fabulous. It lasts all day 8-10 hours without streaking, coverage is build-able and blend-able. Comes in 12 shades, 4 (light), 3 (light/medium), 3 (medium), and 2 (deep). I wear the Nutmeg (deep). 5 stars!

Black Radiance Concealer Stick in 8001 (Light)

I few months back upon my journey into the beautiful world that is makeup I came across a wonderful discovery called Concealer, oh how I love it so, I dab it under my eyes for an instant pick me up, or down the bridge of my nose for contouring. I have been using Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Latte (Dark) and I am pretty happy with it, so I thought I would try other brands. I ordered the E.L.F Tone Correcting Concealer and the consistency was so watery, and it disappeared as soon as I put it on without concealing anything! I was trae disappointed even thou it was only a $1.00. I have add pretty good luck with E.L.F products. But as the old saying goes you get what you pay for. So I had been curious to try out Black Radiance's Concealer Stick $1.99 in Light at CVS Pharmacy . It comes in a lipstick tube with a clear cover. It smells like clay, which I love, I don't know why. And it has a creamy consistency that is build-able and blend-able, covers up under eye circles and undesired spots and blemishes and it last for hours without fading or streaking. Not a bad dupe for $1.99 I will definitely be purchasing more of these in other shades, I believe it comes in 3 or 4 shades. Since it is in a lipstick tube it is an easy no mess application, yay! I give this product 4 out of 4 stars. Available at CVS Pharmacy.

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My February 2010 Favorites!

COASTAL SCENTS 88 PALETTE
Okay so first I want to say as advertised this palette contains matte and shimmer colors that are highly pigmented, I did a couple of swatches on my arm with my friend Claire and the colors came out bright but when I rubbed my arm up against my sweater the colors faded, so a eyeshadow base or primer is highly recommended. Of course my three choices are: E.L.F Eyeshadow Primer $1.00 at eyeslipsface.com, Monistat Chafing Gel $7.99 at Amazon.com, or NYX Eye shadow Base in White, or Pearl retail for $4.99-$6.00 online at cherryculture.com/Nyxcosmetics.com or Amazon.com by MsssKel. I read alot of reviews about these shadows and saw some tutorials and thought, wow I need one of these for my collection. I ordered mine from Amazon.com for $18.99 plus shipping. I believe it comes straight from coastalscents.com through Amazon.com, I didn't go through the Coastal Scents site because the shipping was like $9.99 and I was definitely not feeling that. Oh and when applying these shadows I highly recommend a eyeshadow brush. You can purchase them at eyeslipsface.com for $1.00 each and they are awesome.

NYX BLUSH IN CINNAMON
Now I was a little skeptical about this blush when I got it because it is really orange and I was like what in the world. It didn't appear that bright on the swatches provided online, so I thought I would just try it out and see and let me tell you it is awesome. I love love love it. I am med-dark skinned so I didn't know how it would turn out but it gives my face a nice healthy glow and it is an overall beautiful color.

NYX PEARL and WHITE EYESHADOW BASE
As I mentioned this eyeshadow base earlier in reference to the Coastal Scents eyeshadow I have the pearl and the white and my eyeshadow pretty much last 8-12 hours. The pearl is very pretty by itself without the shadow. The white base is for matte shadows and the pearl is for shimmer or frosty shadows, very impressive. I have not tried to skin tone base yet because it kinda reminds me of the E.L.F eyeshadow primer in terms of the color. The only thing about the NYX eyeshadow bases is that the jars are super small and I can only fit my pinky inside it to get the cream out. Other than keeping your eyeshadow on for a long period of time, these bases keep your eyeshadow bright and allow them to show their true color, rather than them appearing washed out on a bare eyelid. I have always said there is no such thing as a bad eyeshadow brand or color, it is just how it is applied. Cheap eyeshadow and expensive ones have the potential to be great with a little patience and creativity. Stay tuned for my March Favorites at the end of this month. As always comments are appreciated!

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