Thursday, April 26, 2018

Colorful Eyeshadow Palettes

Do you ever get tired of all the brown eyeshadow?  Do you ever wonder where you can go to get some color added into your looks?  Well, here’s a rundown on some colorful eyeshadow palettes that are currently available.

Huda Electric Palette

Huda Electric Palette ($27)
This palette has a full color rainbow.  When I look at it, I think 80s Barbie which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The great thing about this palette is it’s somewhat affordable at $27 which I don’t think is terrible considering the rave reviews Huda has been getting and the fact you get nine shadows.

Juvia's Place Zulu Palette

Juvia’s Place Zulu Palette ($21.50)
Juvia seems to be a brand that’s flying under the radar.  I found out about them from a European Youtuber I enjoy watching.  They have great color payoff and are even more affordable than Hoda and you still get nine, fairly large, eyeshadows.

Juvia's Place Magic Palette


Juvia’s Place Magic Palette ($28)
This palette has sixteen eyeshadows for $28 which isn’t bad.  With this palette you can go for more neutral or toned down looks, but you also get a chance to play with color.  You really get a nice variety.

Box of Crayons Palette

Box Of Crayons Palette (who cares?)
I was super excited about this palette and this brand.  I’m super obsessed with Crayola and I love the fact they have a palette that’s ‘modelled’ after them.  However, I’ve recently been made aware of some shady things going on with the company. It’s enough that I’ve unofficially removed them from this list pending further review.

Life's a Festival Palette

Life’s a Festival Palette ($42)
Too Faced has been sold to a new owner, which officially means they can now find themselves on my blog.  I’ve been loving this collection from them with it’s fun unicorns and rainbows. I’m still on the fence about purchasing this palette.  It’s got a full rainbow of eyeshadows and some of them are duochrome, what’s not to love? I want it, but I already own more eyeshadow than I could ever use and $42 is a lot of money.

Lorac Pro 4 Palette


Lorac Pro 4 ($59)
With this Lorac palette, you get 32 shadows.  I believe it’s the most expensive palette on this list, and possibly the least colorful.  It is beautiful though and while the colors are muted, you do get a large selection of colors.  There’s pink, greens, blues, purples, and browns. And a lot of these looks will be fairly natural, if that’s your thing.

Tarte Be a Mermaid Palette


Tarte Be A Mermaid Palette ($42)
This palette of shimmery shadows features far too many browns to be on my radar, but there are some pretty pops of color in there too.  And I really do love the packaging on this one.

Natasha Denona Tropic Eyeshadow Palette


Natasha Denona Tropic Eyeshadow Palette ($129)
I’ve heard nothing but great things about her eyeshadow, even if I can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on something I’m not sure I would use that often.  This palette has far too many browns for my taste, but the colorful shadows sure do look pretty and I hear they perform well too.

Storybook Cosmetics Burn Book Palette


Storybook Cosmetics Burn Book ($55)
This colorful palette has a lot of warm tones going on.  Out of the twelve shadows, there’s three pinks and two oranges.  It isn’t my thing, but I’m sure there’s someone out there who will love this thing.

Maybelline Urban Lights Palette

Maybelline Urban Lights Palette ($9.98)

I wanted to include something that was super affordable.  This palette has some warm toned shadows and cooler toned shadows.  It really is quite a beautiful selection, especially for such an excellent price point.


Thursday, March 1, 2018

Battle of the Rainbow Highlighters: WetnWild Unicorn Glow vs. Maybelline Fairy Highlight

Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight and WetnWild Rainbow Highlighter in Unicorn Glow

I just got the WetnWild Rainbow Highlighter in Unicorn Glow and I just have one word to describe it, WOW.

Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight

I already had the Master Fairy Highlight from Maybelline and I’ve written about it on this blog.  I decided to compare the two highlighters to see how they worked.
See review: http://beautybyivie.blogspot.com/2017/07/maybelline-master-fairy-highlighter.html

WetnWild Rainbow Highlighter in Unicorn Glow

These two highlighters are actually quite different.  Which one you want to get will depend on what you want.

Top: Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight
Bottom: WetnWild Unicorn Glow Rainbow Highlighter

If you want to wear a rainbow on your check than either one will work.  The WetnWild one is less expensive (basically half the price) and more pigmented.  The Maybelline one is more subtle but is still a beautiful rainbow.

Top: Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight
Bottom: WetnWild Unicorn Glow Rainbow Highlighter

The WetnWild one has more of a shimmer while the Maybelline one has more of a shine.  There is more glitter in the WetnWild highlighter.  In the Maybelline one, the glitter is more fine and not as noticeable.
If you’re wanting to swirl the colors together into one solid color, you have to get the Maybelline one.  The Maybelline one will swirl together into one color, but the WetnWild one won’t.  If you try to swirl the WetnWild one together, is like trying to force magnets together.  I know that’s a bit of an odd analogy when applied to makeup, but the WetnWild one just won’t mix together.  I found that very odd.
Trying to mix the WetnWild together just gives you a patchy glittery mess in a golden color.  Again this thing works great as a rainbow highlighter, but it does not want to mix together.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Too Faced Tears Lipstick (Angel Tears, Unicorn Tears, Fairy Tears, and Mermaid Tears)

Too Faced Angel Tears, Unicorn Tears, Mermaid Tears, and Fairy Tears

I’ve been wanting these for months.  I’ve been wanting them since the news about their upcoming release first dropped.  I’ve been checking Too Faced, Sephora, and Ulta religiously waiting for these lipsticks to finally be available.  I ordered them the day they became available.
I’ve got a couple of reasons that I’m not a big fan of Too Faced.  One of the reasons is because I’ve purchased shotty products from them before and for a long time I’ve refused to sacrifice any more of my money in their direction.  But these are just so pretty and sparkly!!!  I couldn’t resist.
Too Faced Angel Tears


Angel Tears - Angel Tears is probably the lightest shade.  It comes off as a pastel orange (or pink, depending on the lighting).  There are particles of golden glitter throughout.  This one seems to be the most sparkly to me and I love sparkle, especially on my lips.
Too Faced Unicorn Tears


Unicorn Tears - The original is probably going to remain my favorite.  It’s got a pinkish-purple base with blue glitter.  I’ve had this one for a couple of months now and I can’t stop wearing it.  I love it’s color and it’s lasting power.  I’ve also noticed it’s really difficult to remove, which I love.  I also love how this color goes from blue (in the tube) to pinkish-purple (on the lips) like magic.
Too Faced Fairy Tears


Fairy Tears - Fairy Tears is possibly my second favorite.  It’s pink with pink glitter.  This one has a fair amount of glitter throughout the color.  I believe it’s just behind Angel Tears when ranked according to glitteriness.  I love this color.  It’s beautiful.  It would also work well for mixing together with other shades.  This shade is also a color changer, starting off as yellow.
Too Faced Mermaid Tears


Mermaid Tears - Mermaid Tears is a plum purple with purple and green glitter.  I was hesitant to buy this one because the preliminary swatches made it look so dark.  I basically bought it because of my childhood obsession with Ariel and swimming.  I also wanted to get all four colors.  I actually really liked this shade.  I really don’t think it’s any darker than Unicorn or Angel Tears.  There’s a sheerness to it and it isn’t as glittery as the other shades.
Too Faced (from top to bottom): Angel Tears, Unicorn Tears, Fairy Tears, Mermaid Tears


Overall, I can imagine people using these to amp up their lipsticks with a shot of glitter.  I, of course, will be wearing them by themselves because of my slight glitter obsession.  They are incredible and sparkly.  I think they have great lasting power, though they aren’t going to last like a liquid lipstick.  I actually really recommend these.  If you love glitter, you need them.

Too Faced Unicorn Tears Highlighter

I also decided to provide a swatch of the Unicorn Tears highlighter.  It’s included in the Life’s a Festival Palette.  I like the palette, but I’m on the fence about purchasing it.  I own way too much eyeshadow as it is.  I already own a lot of duochrome shadows.  The palette is so beautiful though.
Too Faced Unicorn Tears Highlighter

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Rainbow Highlighter Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight

Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight

A few weeks ago, I found this Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight at Walmart.  This was before Maybelline had officially announced it, so it was a complete surprise.  I had no idea they were making this and no idea it was coming out.


I’ve tried it several times now and have really put it to the test.


Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight built up on my fingers

The gold seems to show up the best and the blue and purple shades are the lightest, though I’m not really sure which one is lighter.


Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight built up on my fingers

On a sidenote, I never would have tried a gold highlighter on its own.  I’ve always thought of a gold highlighter as something that would only look good on tan people and I’m extremely pale.  It’s just a myth though.  The gold looks stunning.


This whole highlighter is stunning.  I’m not really a big highlighter girl, but this is changing my mind.  I love this a lot more than I thought I would.  You get a beautiful rainbow on your skin.  I’m not sure if there’s a girl alive who wouldn’t want that.


Maybelline Master Fairy Highlight
I couldn't angle my hand in a way that all the colors showed up at once.

One thing I really recommend, is building this up too much.  Maybelline products like this tend to fade a little through the day.  When you build it up, it will end up being perfect just minutes later.  I’ve worn it several times and I haven’t noticed it wearing off before I’m ready to take it off.

This thing gets five out of five unicorns.  I love this thing and can’t get enough.  I definitely need to get more rainbow highlighters.

Mac Cosmetics Lipstick Haul

Mac Lipstick Haul

Mac Cosmetics is currently having a buy 2 get 1 free on lip products.  You can buy any two lip products and then choose between a limited number of free lipsticks.  Thus, I now own six more Mac lipsticks than I did before.  I also found one that I would like to purchase in the future.

Top:  Mac Love and Cherished, Bunnybeams, and Breathing Fire
Bottom:  Mac Courting Seduction, Cold Front, and Lured In

I bought these three from the store:

Love and Cherished.  I knew this one was sheer when I bought it.  I usually stay away from sheer lipsticks, but this one I couldn’t resist.  It’s a soft lilac color that almost has a touch of pink.  I think that it’s sheerness actually makes it a little more wearable.  I’ve worn this one almost every day since I bought it.

Bunnybeams.  This is one that I’ve had my eye on for a while.  It’s a pinkish-purple matte lipstick.  I can’t wait to try it mixed with my white lipstick.  I’ve been really into pastel lipsticks lately and I would love to try this one in pastel.

Breathing Fire.  This is a medium fuchsia pink.  This is probably not a shade I would have gotten if it wasn’t free.  I’m not the kind of person who wears this shade of pink.  I actually found this one surprisingly beautiful.

I bought these three from the Mac website:

Courting Seduction.  I’m in love with these pastel purple shades.  This one is a lot more solid than Love and Cherished.  I’m sure that it’s going to get a lot of wear in it’s future.

Cold Front.  This is a periwinkle blue with purple glitter.  I fell in love with these shade in the store.  I know it sounds like a strange color, but it’s perfectly lovely.  This is a shade I would really recommend trying.

Lured In.  This is a darker purple and my other free shade.  I really like this shade but I’m not sure I like it as much as the more pastel shades.  They didn’t carry this shade in the store so I didn’t get a chance to see how it would look on me.

*Note:
Different Mac stores seem to have different selections of free lipsticks.  You should shop around before you invest in the lipsticks you want.  You may find a free lipstick from one place that isn’t available in another.

Top:  Mac Love and Cherished, Bunnybeams, and Breathing Fire with Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Orchid Shock
Bottom:  Mac Courting Seduction, Cold Front, and Lured In with L'Oreal Infallible Paint in Lilac Lust


I decided to include two purple shades that I picked up at Walmart the other day.  Maybelline Vivid Liquid Matte in Orchid Shock and L’Oreal Infallible in Lilac Lust.

When I actually tried Orchid Shock, I was a bit disappointed.  It’s not as pretty on the lips as it is in the tube.  I think it looks more purple in the tube.  Just keep that in mind before you put your money down.

Lilac Lust was a lot darker than I thought it would be.  The inside color does match the tube, but somehow it’s just not the same.  It also has that horrible L’Oreal lipstick smell that I hate so much.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

NEW: Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink

Today, I made a semi-annual trip to Walmart.  I decided that I wanted something new for my lips.  As I looked at my favorite brand, Maybelline, I found something brand new.  These new liquid lipsticks are something that I’ve never even heard of.

I bought the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in Dreamer (pink) and Creator (purple).  I almost didn’t buy these.  I have so many liquid lipsticks and the colors seemed so ordinary.  You have to judge the color based on the tube because you don’t get a peek at the color inside.  I found the colors to match the case quite well.

Creator.  The purple is hardly unique.  I feel like I probably have several other brands with similar colors.  It looks a lot like a Jordana Liquid Lipstick that I already own.  The only reason I bought this is because I’m such a huge Maybelline fan.

Dreamer.  The pink is a light pink color.  I do believe it has a touch of brown too it.  I probably didn’t need since I own every shade of pink lipstick they make, but I needed it.  We all have those lipstick shades that work well for us, so we buy every single one they make.

They smell alright.  The smell reminds me a bit of the Hard Candy Liquid Lipsticks.  I think the Hard Candy smell slightly better.  The smell really reminds me of cake batter.

I haven’t actually gotten a chance to try these on my lips yet.  I just bought them and swatched them.  I think they might end up being like the Revlon Liquid Lipsticks.  The Revlon ones are matte but require a lot of drying time.  I hope I like these better because the Revlon ones aren’t exactly my favorite formula.

Still, it’s exciting to have something new to try.  I can’t remember the last time I bought a new lipstick.

I expect that these will be staining.  There’s just something about the name that implies that for me.  I don’t love lipsticks that stick around so long, you end up wearing them the next day.  I had to really scrub to get the swatches off.  Of course, the pink came off more easily.  There are still traces of the purple left behind.  I’m hoping these will have nice staying power without sticking around too long.


The formula seems really thick.  My experience with liquid lipstick makes me believe this could mean they don’t go on evenly or dry down evenly.  I really hope this isn’t the case.  This is just a first impression.  You’ll have to check back for the review.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Best Makeup Remover Ever?!?!

pur-lisse pur-delicate gentle soy milk cleanser and makeup remover


I literally think I’ve found the best makeup remover ever.  I can’t tell you how much I love this stuff.  This makeup remover is fantastic.  I’ve mostly used it to remove my eye makeup.  I think that’s where it does it’s best work.

So what am I buzzing about?  None other than the Pur-lisse pur-delicate gentle soy milk cleanser and makeup remover.  I know that name is quite the mouthful but it’s everything you could hope for.

This light cleanser helps remove your makeup.  It works almost instantly and seems to remove everything.  I’ve used removers before that leave behind noticeable streaks of makeup *cough* *cough* Mac *cough* *cough*.

I’m not someone who uses a ton of moisturizer.  My skin is naturally quite moisturized.  The great thing about this makeup remover is that it also leaves your skin moisturized.  Moisturization can be especially important around your eye area.  Unfortunately this product is a little pricey and there are rumors that it is about to be discontinued, but this is a wonderful makeup remover and I can’t rave about it enough.


This product is regularly $36, but you can buy it now for $22.  Get it while you can.  You’re skin will thank you.