Colourpop Cosmetics - Yes Please! Palette review

If your on Instagram, I'm sure you would've seen this stunning little palette floating around the popular page. Colourpop have done it again bringing us the ultimate warm toned palette, with 12 matte and metallic to-die-for shadows - this is the Yes Please! palette

At a ridiculously affordable $16usd you can't go wrong adding this baby to your collection. She's an absolute must-have! You can create a multitude of looks with these shades, go all matte with a pop of yellow or take it in to nighttime with some shimmer and deep brown outer V! Or play around with some sunset shades, you can go day-to-night with this palette. Plus it's perfect to travel with, it's compact and thin so it won't take up space in your makeup bag. And because it's so cheap, it's not the end of the world if it breaks in transit.

Swatches

Top to Bottom 

Full Zip - Matte Warm Ivory

Big Cocktails - Matte Orange

Champs - Matte Pale Peachy Nude

Bling - Metallic Rusty Rose Gold

Louie - Metallic Duochrome Red with Gold flip

Butter Cake - Metallic Light Yellow Gold

Spoiled - Matte Brick Red 

Gno - Matte Burnt Orange

Mischeif - Matte Warm Yellow

Note To Self - Matte Warm Caramel

Chauffeur - Metallic Duochrome Bright Orange with Gold flip

French Kiss - Matte Deep Red Brown

Every shade in this palette is pigmented, smooth and easy to blend with very little fall-out! The shade "Spoiled" is slightly drier in texture than the other matte shades but still performs perfectly on the eye. The metallic shades are so soft they're almost like foiled shadows. And every shade in this palette is new and exclusive to this palette except for "Note To Self" & "Full Zip" which you can buy in single pans. The pans in this palette are a little smaller than their single shadows - each pan has approx 0.85grams per shadow in this palette, whereas the single pans have 1.5grams of product. Still very good value for what you're paying for 12 shades!

There really isn't anything negative I can say about this beauty, maybe besides the fact it's limited edition -.- just like everything good these days! I really hope Colourpop makes this a permanent item or bring the shades from this palette into singles if we run out of a fave (I can see that happening!) and I hope they make more palettes like this one in different colour schemes for everyone, maybe a cool toned palette? Some silvers, blues and greys? What are your thoughts??

SHOP HERE

** Currently unavailable but always restocking! **

Follow @Colourpopcosmetics or @trendmood1 on Instagram for updates on restock dates and times

- Lucy Maria xx

Christmas In New York with Too Faced - part one

Too Faced Holiday 2016 Collection!

I've decided to make some of my blog posts in to two-part reviews so that I actually get them done!

Part one will be mainly about my initial thoughts & first impressions on the product/s with part two showing swatches & talking about each shade. Let me know if you prefer them this way!

 As some of you may have noticed, I'm a total Too Faced junkie & LIVE for their cute products & pink packaging. I always try to get something from each holiday collection because the themes are to die for - this year is Christmas In New York following a similar style to last years Christmas In Paris collection. I wasn't too impressed with the products from that range, I felt that they concetrated more on the adorable packaging than the quality of shadows.. So I thought I'd grab a few things this year & compare them to last year! 

♥

So I ordered The Chocolate Shop set (similar to last years Le Grande Palais), the Grande Hotel Cafe (similar to last years Le Grande Chateau), Naughty Kisses & Sweet Cheeks set (similar to last years Melted Kisses & Sweet Cheeks) & the Let It Glow minis set 

The Chocolate Shop

18 Eyeshadows
3 Larger Highlight Eyeshadows
1 Highlight
1 Blush
1 Bronzer
+
Mini Better Than Sex Mascara
Mini Melted Chocolate Milkshake
Mini Shadow Insurance

Chocolate scented, cocoa-infused powders all for $58USD

First impressions on this set.. It's better than last year, the matte shadows are definitely better but there's one with nearly no pigment when swatched. The purple shade, as usual for Too Faced, is quite sheer compared to the shade in the pan.. Some of the glitter shades are nearly all shimmer with no base pigment.. I don't know where they go wrong with these shadows considering their other palettes are AMAZING! This would be a great palette for someone just starting out with makeup because it's cute with fun packaging & has a variety to play with, just don't expect the same quality as the Too Faced Chocolate Bars..

Grande Hotel Cafe

3 Scented Palettes with a total of -
18 Eyeshadows
2 Blushes
1 Bronzer
+
Mini Better Than Sex Mascara

Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte & Gingerbread Cookie scents, all for $49USD

Ok, first impressions on this one is YES! On par with last years set, each palette is amazing with perfect colour combinations & consistency. The shadows have full pigment but the palettes smell a little off..like cardboard or playdoh? haha
Each have "To/From" on the back & make great little gifts for friends.

Naughty Kisses & Sweet Cheeks

3 Mini Love Flush Blushes
2 Lip Injection Coloured Glosses
1 Lip Injection Clear Plumper

All for $36USD

I love these sets from Too Faced! Just like last years set, the blushes are all nicely pigmented like the full size shades & the glosses are nice for a change from the Melted range. I love trying new products & these sets are perfect for that. Also these are separated into individual boxes making 3 gifts in one, if you can't decide what to get your friends ;)

Let It Glow 

Heart-Shaped Kabuki Brush
Mini Love Flush Blush
Mini Candlelight Glow Duo
Mini Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer

All for $25USD

Love LOVE this set! They didn't have anything similar last year but it's perfect for trying new products, like the Candlelight Glow I've always wanted to try but couldn't bring myself to buy the full size.. And the adorable heart-shaped kabuki, exclusive to this years holiday collection, is SO cute & might be the reason I purchased this set..haha this would also make an amazing gift for a new makeup lover


Part Two will have swatches of everything but for first impressions, you can probably tell what sets I would & wouldn't recommend. The minis are always amazing, & the Grande Hotel Cafe is a pretty cool Christmas present for yourself or to split up & gift to friends. But The Chocolate Shop is a bit disappointing & I don't recommend spending your money on this set unless for a makeup beginner, but even then I think the Grande Hotel Cafe is better for that.

Keep an eye out on my instagram for blog updates & when the swatches go up - Lucymaria_x



LucyLoves! xx

Big MAC Haul! Swatches & Mini Reviews

So a couple of weeks ago, MAC Cosmetics had a few different deals going on for their online customers, which some of you may know NEVER happens with MAC! I think they're starting to feel the pressure of competition from so many other amazing brands & are trying to up their game! Well it's about time in my opinion ;) 

So with offers like a Free Eyeshadow with your order and $10 off orders over $50, I placed a couple of orders & got some newer products + others I've been eyeing up!

♥

I got some things I've been wanting for a while like "So Select" lipstick, which is an exclusive shade for select members on their site, and "Fascinating" Kohl Eyeliner, which is a White pencil liner Jeffree Star often uses in his waterline, it makes the eyes pop & look bigger!

So Select Lipstick

I really like this shade, it's a nice Matte formula, but I'll be honest it's nothing new.. Very on trend at the moment but it's just another Mauve Pink Brown/Nude.

Fascinating Eyeliner

My first MAC liner and it's so yummy and creamy to use I really like it! I never really wear liner in the waterline because I always get such watery eyes but this liner stays on, it doesn't irritate & is really soft to apply - no scratching or pulling. I got the idea to use this in the waterline from watching Jeffree Star on Youtube, it gives the illusion of bigger eyes & makes the colour really stand out!

I also picked up a couple of the new limited edition Mineralize Skin Finish highlighting powders "Other Earthly" & "Nuanced", they're so pretty I had to get them! Wait till you see the swatches ;)

Other Earthly

From the Future MAC Collection, this product caught my eye with the powder design & 3 stunning different highlight shades - Golden Bronze Shimmer, Soft Champagne Pink Sheen & Intense Silver Shimmer/Glitter. I really like applying the pinky shade with a touch of the silver on top, they look surprisingly natural on skin considering how "out there" they look in the pan haha

Nuanced 

Another stunning highlight powder, this one has four different shades in one! Available in the lighter pink champagne shades perfect for fairer skin "Naunced" & one with deeper pink golden shades for darker skin tones "Perfectly Lit". Nuanced is described as Light rosy champagne with fine pink & gold pearl. I swatched all four mixed & separately, starting with them all mixed at the top & then the top two golden & bottom two pinker shades. This also gives a very pretty natural looking highlight

And I definitely had to order some things from the newer collabs! I always live for MACs limited edition collections & the packaging, how cool was Brooke Candy's collection! I was a bit late for the lipsticks but got my hands on "Whirl" lipliner, which I've wanted since Ky J made it popular, and "Pamela" one of the new Vamplify Lipglosses, the two are made for each other! And I fell for Chris Chang's artistic packaging also, but the colours were pretty crazy - Yellow + Green lipsticks, Blue + Pink eyeshadows etc, but I wanted one so bad! "Plum Princess" was the one shade I could imagine actually wearing, and it was one of the only Matte colours, which I prefer for a bold lipstick.

Brooke Candy Lip Combo

The Whirl Lipliner I found dry & pulling to apply, I've used better & I rarely ever use liners.. And the Vamplify Gloss, it's very pigmented & similar to Whirl in colour, it smells like vanilla cake & feels nice on the lips, not too sticky or thick

Chris Chang Plum Princess Lipstick

I love! The packaging is amazing & the colour is interesting & unique. It's like a mid-tone smokey/dusty Violet, it reminds me of Scorpio from Jeffree Star but lighter. It's a matte formula which like I said above, I prefer for bold lipsticks especially purples/blues/greens because you see the true colour in full opacity

And finally I got a Free Eyeshadow with one of my orders! You had the choice of I think around 15 shades, matte or shimmers. I chose "Mythology" because I often go for a coppery/bronze eye on the daily & thought this would be perfect! In hindsight I was I had picked "Carbon" because everyone needs a good matte black shadow in their collection & I have a million bronze shades haha -.-

Mythology Eyeshadow

I was quite underwhelmed with this shadow.. I mean it's a pretty eyeshadow, it's pigmented, it's shimmery & bronze, but it didn't amaze me for a MAC product..It felt kind of dry & flaky, not buttery & smooth. I have definitely seen & used better eyeshadows for the same price or less! (eg. Makeup Geek is way up there if not better in my opinion)

LucyLoves! xx

Shaaanxo X BH Cosmetics Palette!

                           Double-sided Palette! 9 Eyeshadows + 9 Lipsticks                           Swatches & Review

Yaaass I'm excited to review another collaboration product, this time with Shaaanxo!

One of my fave YouTubers has collaborated with the affordable makeup brand - BH cosmetics to bring us one amazing palette with two sides & 18 Shaaanxo approved colours!

9 Eyeshadows on one side, 9 Lipsticks on the other!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this ingenious creation from Shannon, 

I love that she collabs with quality brands that are also super affordable,

This palette is currently $14.50 USD on special (normally $22 USD)

from the BH cosmetics website. That.is.CRAZY! How can you not?

♥

www.BHcosmetics.com/Shaaanxo

 I cant wait to show you the fun inside, but first I want mention something..

I ordered my palette the day it was released so I got one of the first palettes made,

everything was perfect except when I swatched the Lipsticks..the hot pink shade was very runny and appeared to have melted..I saw a few people had the same problem so I emailed BH letting them know & they were quick to sort the problem & sent me a replacement palette!

I figure, I don't really wear hot pink & the first palette is still fine for me to use soooo

I guess that means Giveaway!! Check out my Insta - Lucymaria_x, when I hit 3000 I'll post a giveaway to win this palette & a Kylie Lip kit of your choice! So make sure you follow me! ;)

♥Eyeshadows♥

Nine beautiful, neutral shadows, very Shaaanxo style - mattes, shimmers, warm tones

Love it! I heard a lot of people say it could be a dupe for Manny Muas palette with Makeup Geek, I personally think they're both pretty different but both worth getting! I think it's because of the duochrome shade in both palettes & the similar layout..

This is my first BH palette & I've heard they're pigmented but wow! For the price, these are really high quality & kind of shocked me.. They look quite vibrant in the pan, colours like the mustardy yellow & red brown are very bright in the pan but once you swatch or apply to eyes, the colours soften up & aren't as pigmented as what you see in the pan! This is a good thing, they still blend nicely and you're able to build up the colour. The shimmers on the other hand are as pigmented as they look in the palette, love them! Very soft & buttery

There are 4 mattes & 5 shimmers

Top - Bottom: Matte Cream, Shimmer Pale Gold, Shimmer Rose Gold, Matte Mustard Yellow, Shimmer deep Bronze, Matte burnt Red Brown, Shimmer cool Taupe, Shimmer Duochrome Red base with Green reflect, Satin Charcoal base with fine Purple shimmer.

♥Lipsticks♥

And on the other side, nine beautiful, creamy lipsticks! Once again all very Shaaanxo, nudes, vibrants & sexy deeps. The colour range is perfect, every colour you could need, it's perfect for travelling! The texture is super creamy (minus the hot pink, that was melted) and OMG hello pigmentation!

I was pleasantly surprised at the pigmentation of the lipsticks, I mean the shadows were one thing but the lipsticks are just as awesome! The last colour is a deep cherry red & swatched slightly patchy but the rest got amazing colour pay off with one swipe. One thing I don't like is having to use a lip brush but I can live with that for the amazing value you get! I love LOVE the fact there is a mirror on both sides of the palette! ;)

Top - Bottom: Light Pink Nude, mid-tone Brown Nude, mid-tone neutral Pink, Pinky Coral, muted Lavender, Hot Pink, vibrant true Orange, blue-based cherry Red, deep Plummy Red

♥

For $14.50 this palette is totally worth getting! I would have happily spent that on just the shadows in this palette. It's such a good value & would make a great starter palette for makeup beginners. It lets you be creative & trial new colours, there's a variety of looks in this palette waiting for you to try!

$14.50 + $7 shipping = $21.50 USD

Arrived to NZ in a week :)

Also for a Limited time they are adding a FREE eyeliner pen to every order of this palette!

LucyLoves! xx

NARS One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette Review

Swatches & Palette Review

NARS Cosmetics have collaborated with Artistic Photographer,
Steven Klein for their Fantascene Holiday collection this year!
The Collection includes a couple of Cheek palettes, Lip sets, a Brush set & new 
Limited Edition Eyeshadows, Lipsticks & Nail colours all packaged beautifully, 
adorned with Stevens creative yet unusual work 

♥
Because of the colours & amazing value, I decided to pick up the
 One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette
$69us Exclusive at Sephora ($165 Value!)

www.sephora.com/NARS

Let me talk about the reason I got this palette & why I think everyone else needs one!

I haven't tried many NARS products before, just their Foundations,

& I've always been interested in trying the cult fave Laguna Bronzer!

The bronzer alone is $39us for 0.28oz 

This palette contains 0.29oz of Laguna bronzer!

That's approx $40.39 worth of Bronzer

Each NARS individual Blush costs $30 for 0.16oz

This palette contains four 0.12oz Blushes, two of which are limited edition & exclusive to this palette

That's about $22.50 each, making it $90 worth of Blush

And the Paloma Contour duo is originally $42 for 0.28oz

This palette contains 0.12oz of each contour shade

Approx $18 each, so $36 total contour value 

Overall this palette is worth $166us*

♥

This palette is the perfect way to try out new colours & more NARS products 

without breaking the bank! It would also make an amazing gift!

Plus the value makes this palette a must have for any beauty lover!

The only downfall is it's not designed to suit everyone, mainly fair to medium skin tones. 

Paloma Highlight - A matte flesh pink beige highlight shade
Paloma Contour - A deep neutral toned contour shade
Laguna Bronzer - A warm toned luminous bronzer
Robotic - A cool toned pink with a natural sheen finish
Blasphemy - A cool toned rosy mauve with micro shimmers
Luster - A tanned apricot with golden shimmer
Dolce Vita - A dusty plum rose with golden shimmer




The blushes are all great quality & nicely pigmented. I personally don't like blushes with strong pigmentation, I find it easier to build up the product to your desired intensity then to try soften it by buffing it out. The Paloma Contour gives a very nice natural shadow, it looks slightly red toned in the pan but blends in beautifully & the Paloma Highlight makes a nice undereye setting powder, brightens but not too highlighting. And the Laguna Bronzer is a really nice bronzer to warm up the skin & give it a natural glow, I've seen people use it for contour also & it's actually not too shimmery for that & works quite well. But as I mentioned above, the shades are not useful for deep skin tones & only really show up on Fair to Medium skin. But realistically it's impossible to please everyone with one palette.

NARS also have the Despair Cheek Palette with four 0.12oz Blushes & a mini ITA Brush available for $65us, but for $5 more you get the Contour & Bronzer shades too!!
This is an aaaamazing value! Get your hands on one quickly!
Exclusive at Sephora








The front design on the palette

LucyLoves! xx

Kat Von D - Mi Vida Loca Studded Lipstick Set

Review & Swatches!

I've got another great Holiday gift set to review for you guys, this time from Kat Von D!
The Mi Vida Loca Remix Studded Kiss Lipstick set
7 Mini Lipsticks & One full size Limited Edition Lipstick in white studded packaging
$42 USD exclusive at Sephora
I love getting the different lip sets each year to try out new colours & formulas, 
and Kat Von D always has the best variety of shades

♥
Swatches below!

www.sephora.com/katvond

"As the winner of 2014 Sephora Innovation Award, Kat Von D's Studded Lipstick keeps the lips feeling soft & supple with an antioxidant complex of moisturising ingredients such as Vitamin E. Each lipstick is infused with a Crème Brulee scent for a subtle, sweet experience inspired by her love of sweet. Kat Von D designed the covetable glossy black casing after her signature studded cuff. The lipstick is adorned with the "KVD" monogram" - Sephora.

Studded Kiss Lipsticks are 100% vegan & not tested on Animals 

♥
So this sets comes with 7 deluxe mini Studded Kiss Lipsticks (0.04oz)
a good range of colours in the signature black studded case
And 1 full size Limited Edition Studded Kiss Lipstick (0.10oz)
a classic red with a twist, in a beautiful white studded case exclusive to this set.

Gold Blooded LE - A warm Matte Red with Golden sparkle

Wolvesmouth - A Metallic cool toned Purple Berry 

Sexer - A fluorescent Pink with a Frosted Matte finish

Noble - A Matte Peachy Pink Nude (Cult favourite)

NaYeon - A cool Black frost with Gunmetal shimmer

Bachelorete - A Matte Reddish Fuchsia (Cult favourite)

Halo - A Frosted Matte Neon Medium Orange

Coven - A Matte Light-Medium cool toned Lavender

I really like the range in this set - neutral, vibrant & crazy colours to try.
The formulas are nice & smell delicious! But a couple of the colours apply a bit patchy, such as wolvesmouth & coven. Coven is such a beautiful Lilac Purple but needs building up for opacity & an even application. NaYeon is a very interesting shade with the gunmetal glitter through it. It feels quite chunky & gritty on the lips & the glitter makes it hard to get a nice application.

I think this is great value for money, it's a cool gift idea, you can split the colours up amongst your  friends & keep the colours you like to throw in your handbag!
$42 USD exclusive at Sephora 


LucyLoves! xx