Cherry Culture Buys.

I placed a small order on Cherry Culture not too long ago. The package took a long time to show up (and I really wouldn't call it a "it was worth the wait, though" sorta thing...). I've had a week or so to play with the items so I'll let you know what I think!

Also...
10% off all Cherry Culture orders now through July 25th using code: save10

 NYX Trio in Purple, Deep Purple, Prune

Excellent pigmentation! These swatches are dry, with no base. For the money, you definitely do not go wrong. And being the same size as MAC shadows, I depot them from their original home and move them into my MAC palette. They blend right in - I cant tell that I'm mixing 'high end' with 'lower end' eyeshadows.

All NYX eyeshadow trios have treated me the same, so all you have to decide on is colors! You can order these pretty shadows pretty much anywhere! (Ulta, Cherry Culture, Makeup Geek's Store, etc.) Hop around blogs and look at swatches.

NYX Trio in Casablanca

As I said above ^. I love this trio!

NYX Cream Blush in Natural 

This creme blush is non-oily, super pigmented and easy to work with. The color, first of all, lives up to it's name in that it is very natural. I was a little in the dark on how to apply this, just because I've never used anything like a creme blush before - but after deciding (or really, having the product scream in my face) that it is extremley pigmented and that you only need the teeniest bit, I loved the end result!

Milani Blush in Luminous

This would not show up on camera no matter what I did. I'm quite sad too, becuase this blush is lovely! It was said to be a NARS Orgasm dupe (I couldn't say... I dont own, nor have I ever even swatched Orgasm), but Orgasm or not, it's beautiful! A light peachy-pink with shimmer. Really perfect for summer.

NYX Glitter Liners in Disco Queen and Jade

These glitter liners also got a lot of rave reviews! I love glitter liners, and use them frequently, so for the cheap price, I couldnt resist! I think NYX does have two different kinds of glitter liners though... please make sure you get the one with the tassle on the top, if you do. The tassled liners are packed with glitter, unlike some more expensive glitter eyeliners that only come out in patches. The color range is awesome and I definitely plan on getting more!


Please mention your favorite NYX and/or Milani products down below. I'd love to make another order!

MAC's Liberty Of London Haul + Reivew.

Give Me Liberty of London.

What I got:
Eyeshadows:

• Give Me Liberty Of London (Matte)
• Dame's Desire (Frost)
• Birds & Berries (Veluxe Peral)

Blush:

• Prim & Proper (Satin)
  

Lipstick:

•  Ever Hip (Cremesheen)

Lipglass:

• Perennial High Style
• English Accents
  

Nail Polish:

• Blue India

Eyeshadows-

L-R: Give Me Liberty of London, Dame's Desire, Birds & Berries

Birds & Berries is a very creamy and pigmented shadow. When swatching them, this one was by far the easiest to apply. It was one swipe and it was on all shimmery and lovely. Cant wait to play around with this on a black or dark base. I think it'll look really nice.

Give Me Liberty of London is a very nice flat, light pink color. On my hand it was really just blending into my skintone for some reason and that scared me... so honestly, I only bought it cause it was the only one with the cute little yellow flower on it. I just used it yesterday as an all over lid color though and it looked lovely! Great to pair with shimmery shades like Birds & Berries.

Dame's Desire is shimmery/satiny lilac color. Nothing really *special* about it at all. But it's nice! Pigmented, easy to apply, all that jazz.

My camera is being repaired right now so I haven't been able to swatch these.
Here are some true to color swatches from Krasey Beauty:

L-R: Birds & Berries, Give Me Liberty of London, Dame's Desire, 
and Free To Be and Bough Grey (Which I didn't purchase.)


Blush-

Prim & Proper

Prim & Proper is a nice bronze-y blush. I feel that sometimes it can get a little 'dirty' looking on my fair NC25 complexion... I don't know if it's something I'm doing or if you just have to apply it sparingly. Advice on how you'd apply this would be wonderful.

True to color swatch from Karla Sugar's Blog or The Next Best Thing To Going Shopping Yourself:

Nail Polish-


Blue India

Blue India is a lot more matte then I thought I'd be. It's a teal, dirty blue, gray color. Not sure if I'm as crazy about this as I thought or would have liked to have been. I think this was maybe a little too over hyped?

True to color swatch from Karla Sugar's Blog or The Next Best Thing To Going Shopping Yourself:



Lips-

I'm trying to partake in the "Gloss Out" trend going on in the makeup community. A little like Project 10 Pan, (I think Lolipop26 made up "Gloss Out", too) you can't buy any lipglosses in 2010. 

Some girls are changing the rules up a bit like, "for every 10 I use, I can buy 2" or "I'm only going to buy mini lipglosses that I know I will use up quickly" or "I'm only going to buy LE or really special lipglosses."

I love lip gloss, they might be my favorite out of all cosmetic products- it makes up at least 35-40% of my kit! So I have way too many and would not be able to stand it if they all went to waste, so I'm limiting myself to only buy LE lip glosses and can buy a 'regular' one once 5 are used all the way up.

So I ended up getting 2/4 lipglosses from the Liberty of London Collection, but I wont open or use them until 5 of my others are used up. I just dont want them to go rotten as it does, ironically, take me forever to go through a lipgloss.

Here are true to color swatches from Karla Sugar's Blog or The Next Best Thing To Going Shopping Yourself:

Urban Decay Show Pony Review + Swatches.

Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box

Urban Decay has once again come out with a palette with the darned cutest packaging that includes highly pigmented and smooth shadows, a soft, pigmented and long lasting liner and their popular Primer Potion that really does help keep the shadows on your lids throughout the day. I'd really recommend this one. And I believe it came out some time around the holidays so who knows how long it'll stick around. I'd say go out and get yours before you're sorry you didn't!

5/5 Rating

Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box- $30.00 US

Urban Decay: http://www.urbandecay.com/categories/ShowPonyShadowBox.cfm

Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P247365&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3806

Ulta: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2211453&productId=xlsImpprod1500696&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat80045%20cat940003%20cat1090001


Palette includes a Mini UD 24/7 Liner in Zero as well as a Mini UD Primer Potion.


L-R: Snatch, Mildew, Flash, Pain Killer, Smog, Toasted.

Neutrals and Dupes.

1 & 2. L'Oreal HiP duo in Playful
3. Almay Pure Blends Shadow in Petal
4. Almay Pure Blends Shadow in Cocoa
5. Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Eyeshadow in Provocateur
6. Smashbox Micro Soft Lights in Tint
7. Smashbox Matte Eyeshadow in Smashing Etch



Been digging neutral brown and corals and thought I'd share some swatches and dupes.

The L'Oreal HiP duos are excellent; pigmented, smooth, and easy to blend. If you're okay with L'Oreal as a brand testing on animals, I'd say go for it. I'm just trying really hard to use up and get rid of products from companies that do test on animals and do my best to not buy from them again. But the HiP duos are really good. I just think you could find something else?

Almay Pure Blend Eyeshadows are not pigmented AT ALL. I was really disapointed because, on the outside, these shadows are perfect. 98% Natural and Hypoallergenic, the colors are soft, and pretty and girly and the packaging is cute and sweet and compact enough. I've really tried my best to work with these, but it's just not worth it to have them around.

This is my only Victoria's Secret Makeup product- other than their Beauty Rush Lipglosses. Cant say I'm dissapointed, but I cant say I reach for this all the time. I prefer the Smashbox one over it.

The Smashbox Eyeshadows (although, is #6 even an eyeshadow?) are my favorite! They are so creamy and so pigmented. Cant wait to get more of these. Cant wait.

Review and Swatches of Stila's Charmed Palette.

Swatches:

Top is swatched alone. Bottom is over NYX's Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk.


These shadows are ridiculously smooth, soft and pigmented. I think so soft, they broke in transit. And I think Stila's eye shadows are notorious for this, though I don't own any others. I would really recommend this palette though.You can do so many things with it, and it's perfect for someone like me who is lazy and frequently wakes up 15 minutes before departure time because they are very easy to apply and blend.

4/5 Rating

Stila Charmed Palette- $15.00 US
http://www.stilacosmetics.com/product_detail.asp?PMID=648&catID=4&departID=2&pos=1&viewall=yes

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who reads and comments on my blog. I really appreciate all of the love and have been having the best of time typing away and posting pictures about makeup and beauty. I love reading all of your blogs as well. You all are so lovely! 

My posts might be scarce because school is really kicking my ass, but I will definitely still be reading and following all of your blogs.

I really want to have a giveaway because I love giving presents... ha. I'll save up my pennies so I can buy you all a great present. As you can see (to the right) I love giveaways so I cant wait to have my own!

Always feel free to chat.

UK Swap.

I recently did a swap with the sweetest girl on www.Makeupalley.com.
She's from the UK so she picked me up some UK only trinkets.

Barry M Lip Paints in #129-Palest Lavender and #147- Peachy Pink, Barry M Nail Paints in Grey and Mint Green, Barry M Dazzle Dusts in #3- Pink Gold and #51- Mushroom, Collection 2000 Nail Polish in Dynasty and GOSH Velvet Touch Liners in Rising Sun (Gold) and Golden Moss (Green).
No swatches for the polishes! I am terrible at them.

Barry M Pigments in shades #3- Pink Gold and #51- Mushroom.

GOSH Velvet Touch Liner in Rising Sun and Golden Moss and Barry M Dazzle Dusts in #3- Pink Gold and #51- Mushroom.
I love these! The liners are soft, but long lasting. I would have hoped for a little truer color- somtimes they can show up a little sheer, but I would still really reccomend these.
And I love the Dazzle Dusts as well. They come in a cute little pot and are easy to work with and give off great pigmentation.

 Barry M Lip Paints in #147- Peachy Pink and #129- Palest Lavender.
These look so funny on me and it's going to take me a while to go out in public with these on, but the consistency is great as well as the pigmentation.


Would love more suggestions for great UK only cosmetics! x

From the CCO!

There is a CCO litterally down the street from my place and I hadn't even known....
Voila!

I stumbled across it while doing a little idle shopping at The Outlets and I was sooo excited. I really would have never guessed it would be at my outlets of all places....

If any of you want me to pick you up something there, let me know! I love swaps and would love to help anyone out who has been dying to get their hands on a little something from there.

Here's what I picked up:

MAC's Blush in Out of Bounds (Satin) (a mate reddish brown for contouring) and MAC's MSF in Perfect Topping

Out of Bounds

Straight swatch... and then a little blended:

Perfect Topping

Same with this one:

Hopefully there will be some Face's of the Day with these products. I'm so excited to play with them!
xoxoxo