Broadway Nails

Spotted at Walgreens: New! elf Villainous Villains Collection and imPress Nails Disney Villians Collection of

8:05 AM

 
There are a couple of great collections out for the Disney lover in you!  First up, the much talked about elf Villainous Villains pallet collection.  There are three to choose from: the Evil Queen, Maleficent and Cruella.  Cruella has beautiful nudes, Maleficent has greens and the Evil Queen has some beautiful plums in the set.  Each comes with 8 eye shadows, a lipstick/cheek stain, eyeliner and false eyelashes.  These are at select Walgreens, retailing for $9.99.

 
Secondly, from imPress by Broadway nails - a Disney Villains collection with 2 nails to choose from for each of the same villains as the elf collection.  These were really neat as well, although the entire collection had been picked over so I wasn't able to get a picture of all the nails. 
 
Have you seen these out yet?  Did you pick any of the collections up?  I'm regretting not getting any of the elf sets, but maybe I will go back (if they have any left).

Cargo

Soft & Smokey FOTD: Cargo Hands of Hope Pallet

11:35 AM

It has been extrodinarily hot and humid here in the midwest over the past week, and it doesn't look like that's about to change anytime soon.  Since I haven't worn much makeup on the weekends to give my skin a break from fighting makeup on the humid days, I was organizing my stash.  I found tons I haven't worn in a while.  A couple of Christmases ago I received the Cargo Hands of Hope Pallet, and it was calling me to use this morning.  This is one of those pallets that I think is just too pretty to use, but I really wanted to wear a blue and gold that had a softer pigmentation and finish and these two fit the bill. 


Below are the three shades I used to create this look - the royal blue and gold from the middle row, and the champagne shade from the middle row as well. 




For the look below, here is what I used:

Face
Laura Geller Champagne Spackle
Laura Geller Real Deal Concealer - Light
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten - Regular
Mally Bronzer - Light
Laura Geller Blush 'n Brighten - Apricot Berry

Eyes
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Cargo Hands of Hope Pallet - Gold - inner corner/lower lashline
Cargo Hands of Hope Pallet - Dark Blue - middle of lid
MAC Venomous Villain's "She Who Dares" - Blue side - outer corner
Cargo Hands of Hope Pallet - Champagne - highlight
L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24Hr Mascara - Black

Lips
e.l.f. Lipstick in Just Bitten




Hopefully you all had a nice weekend!  Here's to another week...



Avon

EOTD/FOTD with Avon Glow Eyeliner in Ultra Violet and Laura Geller's Amethyst Skies

8:41 AM


Avon's Glow in Ultra Violet is a bright "blurple" eyeliner with a hint of a satin finish.  Not nearly as shimmery as Desert Gold from yesterday, this color definitely adds a bright pop of color to any look.  I decided to put together an entirely purple look, using Laura Geller's Amethyst Skies pallet for the eyeshadows and then the Ultra Violet on my lower lashline. 

For the look, here is what I used:

Face
Laura Geller Champagne Spackle
Laura Geller's Balance 'n Brighten in Fair
Mally Effortless Airbrush blush in Afterglow
Mally Effortless Airbrush highlighter in Purelight

Eyes
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Laura Geller's Amethyst Skies pallet - light shade inner corner, dark shade crease and outer corner
Laura Geller's Amethyst Skies Pallet - highlighter shade - highlight
Physician's Formula Gel Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes - black - upper lashline
Avon Glow Eyeliner in Ultra Violet - lower lashline
Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara - black

Lips
e.l.f. Lipstain in Fashionista




This pencil is a retractable pencil, extremely fine tipped and very smooth and creamy. I didn't experience any dragging, and was able to smooth and blend out towards the outside of my lashline before it set.   A really pretty, bright and summery color, I'd definitely recommend if you are looking to add something to your collection beyond your basic blacks and browns.

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Swatches: e.l.f. Cosmetics Lip Stain in Fashionista

12:37 PM



A while back I picked up an e.l.f. Lip Stain at Big Lots after spotting a few of the Studio Line there.  I picked up Fashionista because I thought it would be a nice summer color, and seeing as the weather has been in the upper 70's-80's here, it's time to break into the corals and pinks!

This is a dual ended product - one side being the stain and the other side having the gloss.  The stain itself is very light and smooth.  It leaves a matte finish if worn on its own.  The gloss is also quite light, not thick and gloppy like some "long lasting" products tend to be.  Both applicators are a typical, small size, doe foot. 


Fashionista is a slightly warm, pink creme.  This is perfect for summer, and it lasts a majority of the day!  I'm so glad I picked it up and for under $5, it's quite the deal!

Big Lots

Spotted at Big Lots: e.l.f. Studio line and Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Trios

8:48 AM

For those of you with a Big Lots near by, it might be worth hitting it up over your lunch break this week.  Not only did I come across tons of the regular e.l.f. line, including eyeshadows, lip gloss, nail polish and brushes (including my favorite - the white handled e.l.f. eyeshadow brush), but there was a substantial inventory of e.l.f. Studio.  We're talking eyeshadow singles, lip glosses and lip stains.  I picked up two of the stains (below), so I will swatch those this week.  I already had all the eyeshadows (you can see them here for swatches and pictures). 



Also, there were about three or four different sets of the original Wet 'n Wild Color Icon trios for $2.50 each.  I know these are some cult favorites!


What have you spotted recently at Big Lots?  Anything good??

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Free e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadows with $25 purchase!

1:39 PM


If you haven't seen swatches of the e.l.f. Mineral eyeshadows, take a look here and here.  I do love these, and at the regular price of $3 a piece, they are a fantastic buy!

Well, take advantage of it - right now if you spend $25 you can get 10 free mineral eyeshadows!  Use code MINTEN!  Stock up on your must haves from e.l.f. and get some free eyeshadow?  I'll take it! :)

e.l.f. Cosmetics

EOTD: Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette "Sugar Plum Fairy" and MAC Pigment "Helium"

9:28 AM



The Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette in Sugar Plum Fairy has turned out to be the more difficult one for me to fall in love with.  I'm not sure what the hold back is for me - I typically love purples, and the quality in this set is very nice.  Who knows...regardless, I decided to play around with another color combo, and included MAC Helium as well.  This combination, I really like...Enjoy!

LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Primer
Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette:
- middle left - inner corner
- bottom right - outer corner, crease
- top left - highlight
MAC Pigment "Helium" - inner corner, blended out to crease
e.l.f. Cream Eyeliner "Charcoal"
The Falsies Drama mascara







e.l.f. Cosmetics

EOTD Picture Tutorial: MAC Venomous Villains, Jordana Green, and Milani Lilly White **PIC HEAVY**

11:26 AM


About a month ago, I posted a look I did using MAC's Venomous Villains "She Who Dares, Jordana "Green" and Milani's "Lilly White" and received several requests for a tutorial.  I'm not quite savvy enough to do a video tutorial, so instead I have created a picture by picture tutorial below.  I hope this helps!  Let me know if you have any questions!


I started out with a clean face, no foundation or anything.  I typically don't do this unless I am using an eyeshadow that is very dark and that tends to have fall out, which "She Who Dares" manages to do.  Because of this, I can easily clean away any of the fall out without having it ruin my concealer and foundation.

Step 1:  Apply a thin layer of Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy all over lid.

Step 2:  Using e.l.f. Contour Brush, apply Jordana "Green" to inner corner of lid, all the way out about 3/4 of the way.


Step 3:  Using the same e.l.f. contour brush, apply MAC's Venomous Villains "She Who Dares" to outer corner, and blend up into crease approximately halfway. 


Step 4:  Using e.l.f. Professional Eyeshadow brush, apply Milani "Lilly White" across highlight, and blend down into crease.  I also use this brush to soften the edges of the Jordana and MAC shadows.


Step 5:  Using your favorite black liquid eyeliner (I used Mary Kate & Ashley "Onyx"), apply a winged line across the top lash line.  Add your foundation, blush, and finish with your favorite mascara and you're done!


Hopefully this helps!  Add a little gold to this look and it would be beautiful for the holidays!

e.l.f. Cosmetics

NOTD: e.l.f. Nail Polish "Rosy Raisin"

8:00 AM

P1060704.jpg picture by mnh3281

A quick NOTD using e.l.f. Rosy Raisin.  This is a gorgeous color - almost a warm cranberry/raspberry shade.  I used two coats, and I should have used one more, as the consistency was a bit thin on this polish.  If you like reds, but are looking for something a bit different, this might be a good option!  I recently saw this color in a set at my local Big Lots, although I did order this online during one of e.l.f's sales.  A pretty color for winter...too bad I did a shoddy job on the manicure!  Live and learn I guess...


e.l.f. Cosmetics

EOTD: NYX Secret World & e.l.f. Persimmon

7:06 AM

DSC03180.jpg picture by mnh3281

I had completely forgotten about my NYX Secret World palette until I stumbled across it in a drawer the other day, so I thought I would wear a few colors out of it, along with my e.l.f. Persimmon All Over Stick.  The Secret World palette is gorgeous - a compilation of browns, bronzes and greens - the colors coordinate perfectly!  I used the lime green and deep brown colors for this look.

DSC03179.jpg

Also, I used the e.l.f. All Over Stick in Persimmon as my blush.  These blend really well into my skin, and don't leave it greasy at all.  This does have some frost to it, so you can see that below, but I honestly think it left my skin with a nice glow because the color of the stick was a warm pink that looks like the "pinched cheeks" color I was going for, without being over the top.

DSC03177.jpg

Eyes:
LA Splash eyeshadow sealer - all over lid as base
NYX Secret World - lime green - inner corner
NYX Secret World - dark brown - outer corner, crease
NYX Secret World - champagne - highlight
e.l.f. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil - Grassy Green - lower lashline
e.l.f. All Over Stick - Persimmon - blush

e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f. Studio Blush "Gotta Glow" - Nars Albatross Dupe?

9:25 AM

I have a few other Studio blushes from a previous order - you can see those here - but I decided to try out the Studio Blush in Gotta Glow because it is an apparent dupe of Nars Albatross.  Just run a quick Google search and you can see side-by-side swatches...unfortunately, I've never sprung for the Albatross, although I always gravitate towards it when I'm in Sephora.  This was my way of getting the next best thing.

DSC03184.jpg picture by mnh3281


The e.l.f. Studio Blushes come in a very similar package as the Nars blushes, and actually are quite similar in size as well.  The textures are quite soft, and the pigmentation is nice, although a bit sheer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing with blush...no one wants to look like a clown!  From the e.l.f. website:

"The soft sheer texture blends into the skin for a silky finish. Designed to be worn alone or layered for more depth. Highlight your complexion with a subtle healthy glow!"

Gotta Glow is a sheer ivory base with golden shimmer.  To be honest, on my fair skin you don't even see the base - all you see is the golden shimmer when it is applied.  


DSC03186.jpg


DSC03187.jpg

See my swatch above?  All you can really gather is a hint of golden shimmer.  This is really a nice highlighter - just enough shimmer to give a subtle glow.  And, this isn't frosty, it's just glow.  I have used this on top of blushes, especially those that are extremely bright and need to be toned down a bit.  

Overall, what are my thoughts?  I like the color, the shimmer and the price (it's about $3 regularly, unless they have a sale running).  On the other hand, it's a little bit chalky and didn't last quite as long on me as I would have liked.  But, bottom line, if you are looking for a Nars Albatross look alike...this is your guy.  I would highly recommend searching along for comparison swatches so you can see the similarities and get some other perspectives on the two.  From what I have read, it's a great match!

So, do you own this highlighter?  What are you thoughts?

e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils

8:40 AM

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Part III of my e.l.f. haul...I ordered all of the Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils.  There are 9 different colors, in the order below: Iconic Ivory, Gunmetal, Black Bandit, Blissful Blush, Boldly Bronze, Precious Pink, Plum Passion, Twinkle Teal, and Grassy Green.

DSC03192.jpg picture by mnh3281

Now, these are described on the e.l.f. website as: 


Instantly brighten eyes with e.l.f.’s shimmering metallic liners that put the spotlight on eyes. The smooth formulation glides on effortlessly without tugging at the delicate eye area. Choose from an assortment of 9 delicious and essential shades designed to add depth, definition and a special sparkle to create a very glamorous look! Pencil includes a convenient sharpener cap for easy use! 


 So, what are my thoughts?  First of all, I am impressed with the color selection.  Of course, you would expect the typical black, gold and teal/turquoise, but I was surprised at the Blissful Blush (champagne), Iconic Ivory, and Precious Pink.  Those colors, on the other hand, are not typically found in your every day pencil eyeliner selection.  The texture on these are very creamy, which helps prevent tugging when you use along your lashline.  The pigmentation is really nice, even the lighter colors (ivory, champagne an pink) show up on my fair skin-tone - I think you can really see that in the swatches below.  Between the pigmentation and creaminess of the liners, these could definitely be smudged and used underneath another shadow to enhance the staying power of both the liner and your shadow of choice.  I will say, I was a bit concerned as to how well these would last without smearing or running down my eye since they are so creamy, but I was pleasantly surprised.  They actually stayed quite nicely.  I don't have extremely oily lids, but I do find that most pencils don't say put - for $1, these did really well.

DSC03197.jpg picture by mnh3281

Now, these are called "Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils" so they definitely sparkle.  I wouldn't say there are chunks of glitter in these, but instead dense pieces of shimmer (this can be seen pretty well in the Plum Passion swatch above).  I did not experience any fall out or flaking from these, but they are there, so keep that in mind if you are not into sparkle or frosty pencils.  

The cap includes a built in pencil sharpener.  I'm a bit undecided on this.  I have accidentally nicked a couple of the pencils unintentionally when putting the cap on because of the sharpener, so I'm a bit disappointed in that aspect of the design, but honestly, if the pencils weren't so creamy, it probably wouldn't have happened in the first place, so I guess it's a matter of perspective!  I haven't actually used the sharpener yet, but I have read mixed reviews online regarding that part of the packaging.  

All in all, these have received 4.5 stars out of 5 on e.l.f.'s website, and after using them, I can definitely see why.  The price is amazing ($1 is 5 stars in my book!) and the pigmentation and color selection is great as well.  So, do you need these?  If you are looking for an inexpensive pencil with some great colors, then, yes you do!  I mean, honestly, why not throw a couple on your order if you are going to be placing an order for the cream eyeliners I mentioned yesterday, or the All Over Sticks from Monday.

How many of you have tried these?  Thoughts?  What is your favorite color?

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