Thursday, 5 May 2016

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?

 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

Friday, 22 April 2016

Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit Review (6 Colours!)




Koko K, Candy K, Dolce K, Mary Jo K, True Brown K & 22

YASS! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this review!
I'm a week or so late thanks to my computer crashing over the weekend,
 but I fixed it & can't wait to tell you about these popular little beauties,
Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kits
Matte Liquid Lipsticks with matching Long-wear Lipliners
I think we've all seen & heard about these - currently the hottest
  makeup product on the market, they literally sell out in MINUTES!
I was very lucky the two times I tried ordering, both successful but also 
 ultra stressful shopping experiences!
I have 6 out of the 8 shades that are currently available on the site, & I saw on Kylies
instagram & snapchat that she is also releasing 3 new Metallic Matte shades!
After just releasing another new product, her 3 new Lipglosses - Like, Literally & So Cute
I'll be getting my hands on those too but for now, Lip Kit review & swatches below :)


Ok, first lets talk about the packaging. Can it get any cooler OMG?!
We all know Kylie Jenner is well known for, not only her perfectly plumped lips, but her
unique style, it's very edgy, very "ghetto chic" if you will. She loves the glamorous life but also lives for her grillz & sporty gear. So with that being said, the packaging is definitely all Kylie! The lip products come in a cardboard box, (I will put more photos below so you can see every detail) they have Kylies own Lips on them with the colour of the lip product dripping & also framing the box. The teeth have a golden metallic finish like grillz, it's so cool! The liquid lipstick tubes are made of a very very thick plastic, it feels almost like glass, super high quality, with "Kylie" & black dripping down the top if the tube, love it! The lipliners are black plastic (that you CAN sharpen) with the lip colour on the bottom, "Kylie" written across it & the colour name just above. 
I love love LOVE the packaging I can't get over it, it screams Kylie Jenner

Price per Lip Kit -  $29usd + $15usd international shipping (approx $65nzd)
$10usd shipping in US




Tips on ordering -
I recommend you follow Kylie on her Instagram - @KylieJenner & @KylieCosmetics
Also @trendmood1 on Instagram, she is the BEST for makeup updates as soon as something is known, thanks to her I have found no need to download Kylies app for restock updates!
Make an account on her website before restock day - Kyliecosmetics.com 
Once you know the restock date & time - if you're not PST, search the time in Google & the conversion will come up e.g "12pm pst" search & result will convert to your time & date.
Get on your computer or cellphone 5mins before restock time! 
Have your money card ready!  Keep refreshing...
Go like mad putting the shades you want in your cart!
Double check you didn't just about order 4 of the same colour on accident..
Enter card details!! (put your address in when you make an account)
Place order & if you experience the site crashing, like I did the first time I ordered, 
I clicked refresh when it crashed, went back & placed order again, preyed... 
it crashed again, so I kept refreshing until it went through! It was so stressful haha

I ordered Koko, Candy, Dolce & 22 the first time, 
it took about a week to ship out & a week to get here in NZ
The second time I just ordered Mary Jo & True Brown,
those were sent in a day or two & arrived within a week & half!

Swatches in Light
 Swatches in Shadow

Koko  K - This is the lightest Matte shade Kylie currently has available, named after her super hot sis, Khloe Kardashian! Described as a Pale, pinky nude. I found this colour got quite darker on my lips once dry, almost like Candy K but with a pinker undertone. I was hoping for more of a baby pink but I still find myself reaching for it often, it makes a nice everyday pink. Koko doesn't feel dry & fades off nicely but it can look crusty very quick if you layer more than one application. The lipliner is really pretty & soo creamy, sometimes I wear it on its own!
Candy K - The next shade in line, I LOVE this one! Candy K is described as a soft, warm nude. I feel this is the colour Kylie wore often & made super popular! Its very similar to Velvet Teddy by MAC but in a matte liquid lipstick. Its a really pretty, neutral, pinky brown nude that you could wear everyday, this one didn't feel dry what so ever, didn't go crusty looking if I applied two layers, faded off nicely. It's definitely my favourite Kylie shade!
Dolce K - A unique Kylie nude shade, described as a medium beige nude. I found this shade went darker on me as well, its definitely a brown nude that can look different on everyone! I also found this shade to be quite patchy which required a little layering, but this colour doesn't like to be layered! It crumbled & went quite dry looking. I recommend using the lipliner with Dolce, I line & fill my lips in to get nice opaque coverage with the lipstick on top.
22 -  This colour, 22, is the reason I decided to order some of these. I love that rusty burnt orange shade, it's to die for! So unique & so wearable (for orange) It's described as a Vibrant, burnt orange. It almost looks like a red on my lips because I'm so pale. Named after Kylies fave number - 22
This colour doesn't look dry or crumble but I found it faded faster in the corner of my lips.
Mary Jo K - Red, a True Blue based Red shade named after Mary Jo, Kylies grandmother. Red is her signature shade & Kylie wanted to recreate her own, now Mary Jo will never run out! I love good red lipstick, especially if it's going to last hours & hours! I've worn it once & I did notice it runs a little in the lines & can go smudgy. This is the only shade I have that transferred when I tested them.
True Brown K - True Brown K is none other than a True Brown. Deep chocolate brown shade, not too warm/red toned & too cool/poopy brown haha! It's like wearing chocolate on your lips, I love it! I do love a good dark brown lipstick, Dominatrix by Jeffree Star is another one. This colour is smooth, opaque chocolate perfection & doesn't need layering. I find the Kylie applicators very easy to apply with that I don't even use the liner with this colour! This one also fades out faster in the corners of my lips. 



♥Product Review

The products as a whole, are amazing! I won't lie
They aren't the best damn liquid lipsticks on the planet, but I'm super impressed & want more!
I think Kat Von D & Jeffree Star are pretty hard to compare to considering Kylie has just started in the industry & hasn't had time to trial & test for possible errors, she is fixing & improving all the time & listens to her customers wants & needs! 
The packaging is spot on, the colour range currently is really nice, 
the price is in my opinion is very affordable, $29 for the kit = $15 liquid lipstick + $15 lipliner
The texture is smooth, not as runny as Colourpop, not as thick as Kat Von D, not moussey like Jeffree Star. It doesn't feel like you're wearing anything on your lips, I can rub them together without it crumbling off (unless layered like mentioned above)
The smell is one thing some people might not like, it's grown on me. It's a very strong vanilla scent, as soon as I opened one I thought "Alcohol?" It smells like Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur hahah but it doesn't linger on your lips all day & you can't smell it once dried to matte.
A few cons - the customer service could use some help, the opacity for Dolce & the lipline running for Mary Jo. Otherwise I LOVE these & highly recommend you try atleast one of her kits!
I'd say a nice nude like Candy K that looks great on everyone, or Mary Jo, a classic red that every woman needs, or 22 because its so unique!


♥Dupes?
I will admit, finding exact dupes for some of these colours was really hard!
Koko, Candy & Dolce were pretty hard to match with anything in my collection..
True Brown K - Jeffree Star "Dominatrix", Colourpop "Limbo", Ofra Cosmetics "Brooklyn"
Mary Jo K - Black Moon "Sanguis", Kat Von D "Outlaw", LA Splash "Poison Apple"
22 - Black Moon "Harvest", Ofra Cosmetics "Miami Fever", Limecrime "Pumpkin"
Dolce - Colourpop "Chi" & "Beeper"(more mauve), Gerard Cosmetics "Iced Mocha"
Candy K - MAC "Velvet Teddy"(lighter), Kat Von D "Lolita"(deeper)
Koko K - Colourpop "Midi", MAC "Blankety"

What I've found so far! Hope some of these help ;)

I hope I covered everything but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask here or on my Instagram - Lucymaria_x
Also don't forget to tag Kylie & Kylie Cosmetics on instagram if you order any, I got reposted twice!



LucyLoves! xx

Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Makeup Geek X Manny Mua Eyeshadow Palette Review

Swatches & Review

I'm back with another palette review for you all, & another MannyMua collaboration also!
MannyMua733 from Youtube has teamed up with Makeup Geek Cosmetics to
bring us one amazing palette with 9 "sickening" eyeshadows!
Four permanent shades from MUGs line & five brand new shades created by Manny himself! Price - $45usd + $10usd Intl shipping
I'm sure you've seen all the hype for this palette on the internet..
This was one hard makeup item to obtain! I was ready to order minutes before the pre-release, but obviously so were thousands of other Manny fans..6 hours later of refreshing with square eyes, I still could not get a Manny palette.. not until the next day when it was officially released, & only because I found a VIP pre-order link shared on someones Instagram..But I finally got it!!

So I placed my order, it was shipped the next day & arrived to me in NZ in just over
a week, but my heart broke opening the package..
One of the stunning foiled eyeshadows, Luna, was completely smashed in its pan
I knew Makeup Geek would happily replace it but it's just the annoyance of emailing & waiting for a reply & the replacement to arrive...& removing the broken shadow to put the replacement in, that was a difficult process..but when touching "Luna" you could tell how ultra soft & buttery the texture was, no wonder it smashed!
Other than that, the palette is absolutely stunning & I'm so proud of Manny & happy
 for his amazing successes in the last year! Makeup Geek have some of the best & most affordable eyeshadows around, so Manny would use them a lot on his YouTube channel & now he's collaborating to make his own! It's crazy
Artemis, Luna, Sora, Mars & Aphrodite are his own custom shades,
Beaches & Cream, Cosmopolitan, Frappe & Insomnia are all shadows from Makeup Geeks permanent line, they suit the palette & Mannys style perfectly!
The front of the palette has a shiny Rose Gold, Aztec style pattern & I love LOVE the box packaging with Mannys crescent moon logo & falling stars with the holographic colours. Also notice Mannys custom shadows all have names related to the sky & planets or Sailor Moon, his favourite childhood show. LOVE! 

♥Swatches



Artemis (custom)
Beaches & Cream
Luna (custom)
Cosmopolitan
Sora (custom)
Frappe
Insomnia
Mars (custom)
Aphrodite (custom)






Artemis - One of Mannys custom shades, named after the white cat on Sailor Moon. This is a super pigmented frosty white gold with golden champagne shimmer, it makes a great highlight even for the cheekbones!
Beaches & Cream - A cult fave Makeup Geek shadow, a matte light peachy beige commonly used in the crease as a transition shade for deeper colours.
Luna - Another custom shadow by Manny, named after the black cat on Sailor Moon. This is a true Rose Gold in my opinion, perfect amount of bronze gold & soft pinky tones. It's a foiled shadow so it's super pigmented & metallic, & the consistency is so soft & buttery!
Cosmopolitan - A popular Makeup Geek shadow, this shimmery Rosy pink with golden reflects is much more pink & gold than "Luna" but still falls under the Rose gold category. Very pigmented & smooth texture
Sora - The third Manny shade, Sora is named after a character in Kingdom Hearts, another one of Mannys childhood loves. Sora is a delicious Matte, medium warm brown described as a "Earthy toned, Terracotta" Brown, perfect in the crease & lower lash line. The texture is so soft & buttery, very easy to blend!
Frappe - Another cult fave from Makeup Geek, a Matte medium neutral brown, another perfect shade to deepen the crease & lower lash line
Insomnia - One of Makeup Geeks popular new duochrome shades! Duochrome means you see two different colours & reflects in one shadow. This had a red brown shadow base with an intense blue foiled shimmer (similar to MAC Blue Brown pigment) Use on a wet brush for insane colour payoff!
Mars - The fourth custom shade from Manny, a Matte cherry red colour that's vibrant yet deep & sexy, you can do a lot with this shade! I noticed it has a drier, almost chalky texture BUT its still highly pigmented it just takes a little longer to blend out on the eye. Manny mentioned its typical for very pigmented red shades to have different textures & its harder to get the formula right.
Aphrodite - The last shade in the palette & last of Mannys colours, this is a deep matte chocolate brown with a plum base. OMG this shade blew me away, one swipe & the pigmentation!? Oh lordy! It's so soft & buttery, the prettiest dark brown shadow I've seen! I like to use it in the outer V & lower lash line


I love this palette & the colour selection, the way they all work so well together, the pigmentation & the textures of each shadow! I was only disappointed with Luna being broken but that's no big deal since it's been replaced. I paid approx $85nzd for this palette including shipping cost & have no regrets, she's beautiful.

I just received Shaaanxo's collaboration palette with BHcosmetics & it looks like
a pretty good affordable dupe for this palette! I'll check that out & post a review/comparison blog soon, keep an eye out on my Instagram!


LucyLoves! xx