Smashbox Wondervision Eye Set in Flash - Review and Swatches

Another set I purchased in December of 2013 is the Smashbox Wondervision Eye Set in the shade Flash. It includes an eyeshadow palette, the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black and the Limitless Eyeliner in Onyx.

First off in the set is the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black, a new favorite of mine. 

The mascara was repackaged exclusively for this set and features a beautiful chrome tube. It has a natural bristle brush and a fantastic formula. It is lengthening and volumizing and just works really well with my lashes. I would definitely think about repurchasining this in the future.

Swatches of the Limitless Eyeliner in Onyx. The left is one swipe of the liner, the right is about five swipes.

Next is the Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner in Onyx, a smooth waterproof black liner. This liner is long wearing, pigmented and very creamy. An overall great product.

Swatches of the eye palette in Flash. Left is swatched with the essence I <3 Stage Eyeshadow Base and right with no primer or base. Top row: Pink Shell and Ballet Pink. Middle Row: Taupe and Purple Shimmer. Bottom Row: Slate and Plum.

The star of the show is most definitely the eyeshdaow palette. It contains six shimmery eyeshadows, all pigmented and smooth.

Pink Shell is a light pink with a pink sheen.
Ballet Pink is a medium warm pink with a subtle sheen.
Taupe is a sheer taupe with intense taupe shimmer and glitter.
Purple Shimmer is a sheer mauve with intense purple, mauve and silver shimmer and glitter.
Slate is a deep charcoal with navy shimmer.
Plum is a deep eggplant with slight purple shimmer.

The shades are incredibly smooth and creamy, but again, show their true qualities when used over a primer or base. This palette makes for a great purple toned smokey eye. I love this palette and it is currently on sale for $24 here.

Did you pick up this set or one of the other shade options? What do you think?

xxAvery

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Thankful - Review

Over the month of December, I, like every other beauty lover, bought some holiday sets. One of the sets I purchased included this sample size of the Tarte Amazonian Clay 16 hour blush in the shade Thankful.

The blush is smooth, very pigmented and comes in this great sturdy packaging. Thankful is a warm toned bright pink with slight shimmer, a great flushed look for winter. 

This blush is cruelty free and offers a great glow to the cheek, but nothing over powering. I am most definitely interested in purchasing some other shades in the range and adding them to my collection.

Have you tried these blushes? Are they worth the hype?

xxAvery

Disney Beautifully L'Amour Mauve Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

For the third post in our week of reviews, I thought I would mention a product that is a little harder to get your hands on - an eyeshadow palette from Disney's makeup line!

On my last trip to Walt Disney World, I hunted down their makeup line and picked up the eyeshadow quad in L'Amour Mauve. The palette retails for $27.95 and can be found in Disney parks as well as here.

When I saw the beautiful shades in this palette, I knew out of all of their quads, this was the one for me.

Eyeshadow #1

Eyshadow #1 is a soft beige with golden beige shimmer.

Eyeshadow #2

Eyshadow #2 is a purple mauve with a sheen.

Eyeshadow #3

Eyeshadow #3 is a deep purple with shimmer.

Eyeshadow #4

Eyeshadow #4 is a taupe with taupe and silve shimmer.

Swatches of the eyeshadows. Left side is swatched without a base, right side swatched with the essence I <3 Stage Eyeshadow Base.

As you can see, these shadows really benefit from a base or primer. Though they are pigmented and smooth, they can be a little powdery and a base really holds down the shadow and any shimmer. These are great quality if you're looking for some eyeshadows and just happen to love Disney. The slim packaging is great, easily to travel with but still sturdy.

Have you tried anything from the Disney Beautifully line?

xxAvery

e.l.f. Baked Highlighter and Blush Review!

Today in our week of reviews, I am going to touch on some new holy grail products - the e.l.f. baked highlighters and blushes.

I purchased these from e.l.f.'s website during their after Christmas sale. I got them for $1.50 each, but they are regularly $3, still a great deal. The shades I purchased were the Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls and the Baked Blush in Rich Rose. Let's start with my new HG highlighting powder.

This baked, domed powder has a beautiful beige sheen as shown in the above swatch. Like other baked powders, its a drier texture, but this is still smooth. I use this everyday I wear makeup on my cheekbones, down my nose and anywhere I want a youthful, healthy glow. It is fool proof to apply and just beautiful. Tons of my friends tell me how healthy I look when I wear this and I would have to agree, it makes you look like you have had your eight glasses of water everyday. 

Next is the baked blush in Rich Rose, the perfect natural blush color. This blush has the same texture and finish of the highlighter, but the sheen is more subdued. The bronze powder is veined with the bright coral toned rose shade and mixed, you have this warm rose that goes well with any makeup look. The highlighter and blush pair perfectly for a glowy, radiant cheek combo.

Have you tried e.l.f.'s baked powders before? Are they holy grail status?

xxAvery

Dark Lipsticks For Winter - Under $2

As my first post on this blog, I thought it would be fun to talk about something I love - dark lips, but for really inexpensive without giving up great quality.

So let's start this off, these lipsticks are both under TWO DOLLARS! First off, we have Wet n' Wild's MegaLast Lipstick in the shade 908C, Sugar Plum Fairy. This lipstick is sold for $1.99 at drugstores and packs a punch. It is highly pigmented, offers a lovely semi-matte texture and a long lasting wear. 

As you can see, Sugar Plum Fairy is a deep raspberry shade. The Wet n' Wild MegaLast lipsticks are probably my favorite line of lipsticks ever. I love the matte finish and long wear, as well as the fact that Wet n' Wild is a cruelty free brand. I can easily get four to six hour wear out of this lipstick without touching up and little fading. A+ product!

Next up we have New York Color Ultra Moist Lipwear in shade 320, Mahogany. These lipsticks offer a satin finish and are more moisturizing than Sugar Plum Fairy and retail for $0.99 at drugstores.

This shade is much deeper than Sugar Plum Fairy and has a red brown undertone. I love this shade and on fair skin, its beautiful. This formula is not quite as long wearing, but touches up smoothly.

For only $3 total, why not check out some great, inexpensive, deep lipstick shades for the dead of winter? What's your favorite deep lipstick shade? Let us know down below!

xxAvery