Review: TOO FACED Glamour to Go palette

One palette. Many looks.

Too Faced has made a few super-compact travel-sized palettes in the past, and this is one of their more recent.

Specs:

-Eyes: Pink, London Calling, Champagne Sparkle, Golden Black, Matte Brown, Warm Gold, Peach Pink Shimmer, Vintage Blue. 

-Blush: Fairy Rose

-Bronzer (no name specified)

-Lips: Fairy Wings

Cost:

$19.50

Availability:

Too Faced

Review:

A makeup palette containing eyeshadows, blush, bronzer, and lip color, all in a compact smaller than a pack of cards? Genius packaging! I received this as a gift and was instantly smitten with this. Then...I tried out the shadows.

The palette contains a pretty decent variation of colors--brown, gold, black, blue, pink, white-gold, and pewter. The problem is, a few of these aren't pigmented at all and are slightly chalky when applied. The gold, black, brown, and white-gold are nicely pigmented and apply nicely, but most of the other colors are pretty disappointing.

The blush is a universally flattering basic pink shade, slightly fuchsia. The bronzer is a bit shimmery and quite beautiful when applied. It's not dark enough for contouring, but would make a good overall bronzer.

The lip color is nothing more than a slightly tinted lip balm, and doesn't offer any real color or coverage, but is moisturizing.

Recommendation:

This is perfect for makeup beginners, teens, and those who don't already have a few travel-friendly palettes. The compact size of the palette is a great consolidation of lots of makeup without the burden of having to carry around a lot of different items separately.

I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who already has a lot of makeup and palettes, as this will probably be a disappointment, with the lack of pigmentation in about half of the eyeshadows.

Grade:

6.5/10

Review: NARS Taj Mahal Blush

Meet Orange Blush: Your new best friend.

Taj Mahal, along with Exhibit A, are two of NARS' most pigmented and well, intimidating blushes. Never fear, though. With the right application, this gives the cheeks a gorgeous glow few blushes can match.

Specs:

-0.16 oz

-not a matte blush; contains some shimmer

Cost:

$27 (WAS $26 not too long ago. What's with the price hike, NARS?)

Availability:

NARS or Beauty.com

Review:

It took me a few years to get the guts to try out this ORANGE blush. When I first discovered it, I thought, "Ok, do I really want to buy a blush that gives me Oompa Loompa cheeks?". Then...I saw someone wearing this and knew it had to be mine. 

This is EXTREMELY pigmented, so a VERY (note the caps?) light hand is required in application. It blends like a dream and creates a gorgeous, summery glow. It doesn't contain glitter or sparkles, but is a little on the shimmery side, so it's perfect for summer. Or, with a more matte blush layered over this, it's a bit more wearable for daytime year-round. 

I like to use my NARS Yachiyo to apply this, only because the skunk brush I have is on the larger side and doesn't give me as much control as the Yachiyo's smaller head. I'd suggest using a blush brush that isn't very dense, so you can apply this lightly and evenly. When applied well, this is hands down one of my favorite blushes. Absolutely gorgeous and unlike anything else I own.

Recommendation:

For tan/olive/darker skinned girls, I'd consider this is a must-have in your blush stash. This may work on lighter skin tones, but I'd certainly suggest swatching this first. 

For a cheaper, somewhat close dupe, try NYX Cinnamon blush.

Grade:

10/10

Review: Rock & Republic X-Rated Contrived Pressed Blush

Blush hoors everywhere, another gorgeous blush has arrived.

X-Rated is part of Rock & Republic Cosmetics' much-praised blush collection. It's a brilliantly pigmented fuchsia. This, along with Tease, Immoral, and Call Me are among the more popular R&R's blushes.

Specs:

-0.32 oz

Cost:

$40, but much less expensive when the R&R site has 50% off discount codes or during Hautelook's R&R Cosmetics sales

Availability:

Rock & Republic or Hautelook

Review:

Of all the all the fellow blush addicts I've spoken to, none have paid more than $20 for R&R's blushes--R&R frequently has 50% off sales, and these go for less than $20 when Hautelook has an R&R sale. The retail price of $40 is a bit ludicrous, to be frank. The day I pay that much for a blush, I really do hope someone slaps some sense into me. 

With that being said, I do think R&R makes some fine blush. Each compact is ENORMOUS. Think 'size of a hockey puck' enormous. It's about double the size of your average blush, at 0.32 oz. For comparison, a NARS blush is 0.16 oz. That's 0.32 oz of SUPER PIGMENTATION. A light hand and a skunk brush (or other brush that can handle extreme pigmentation) is necessary. Otherwise, you'll be buffing away at your cheeks for 15 minutes to disperse powder and tone down the crazy lady cheeks.

X-Rated is a matte blush in a beautiful shade of fuchsia, and works for both people with cool and warm undertones. On lighter skin tones, it'll create a just-in-from-the-cold flush, and on darker skin tones, it'll probably create doll-like cheeks. 

Texture on this is a little powdery, to be honest. I prefer my NARS blush to this, but I do adore the pigmentation and color of this particular shade.

Recommendation:

This will suit all skintones and is a great choice if you're searching for a good matte fuchsia blush. If you love sleek packaging, this will be right up your alley, with its shiny black and silver casing.

Grade:

8/10

Review: Urban Decay Book of Shadows 3

This is long overdue, but Urban Decay's Book of Shadows III has been available for a few months now. I'm a hugeeeee fan of Urban Decay's shadows. Most are buttery soft, easily blendable, and highly pigmented, with lots of colors not available by other brands. The packaging is always incredibly cute, although personally I don't really care for it, since I depot everything anyways. 

Specs:

-Loaded (sparkly emerald green) LE

-Kush (green metallic with silver glitter) LE

-Rockstar (deep red-purple with metallic base) LE

-Money (metallic light green) LE

-Bordello (pale pinky-purple with shift) LE

-Radium (bright blue) LE

-Suspect (sheer sparkly beige) LE

-Perversion

-Uzi

-Midnight Cowboy Rides Again

-Last Call

-Maui Wowie

-Smog

-Snatch

-Haight

-Psychedelic Sister

-24/7 Eye Pencils: Ransom & Zero

-Eyeshadow Primer Potion (travel size)

Cost:
$54

Availability:

Urban Decay

Review:

$54 seems pretty steep for makeup, but when you do the math, you get this palette for less than $4 per shadow, which is a DEAL, especially for the quality of UD's shadows. Plus, you get a Primer Potion and two full-sized eyeliners. Not bad! If you purchased everything offered separately, you'd be paying well over $54. 

I love the majority of the shadows in this palette (Loaded, Rockstar, and Psychedelic Sister being the stand-out stars), but I wish UD would get the hint and nix Midnight Cowboy Rides Again already. This is no joyride. They put this in almost EVERY palette. It's like the person who self-invites him/herself to events, and you just have to put up with it til it's over. For those unfamiliar, Midnight Cowboy = glitterati and an unholy mess to apply. Not a fan.

Recommendation: 

If you have a lot of dupes of these colors, you probably don't need this, but for someone new to makeup or in need of a palette with lots of variety, this is perfect for the price. 

Grade:

9/10

Review: UNII Palettes

Any makeup junkie knows well that makeup organization and storage becomes one of the more important aspects of owning makeup once your collection starts spilling out of drawers, shadows get dropped, and you start forgetting what you own. I had gotten tired of looking through a pile of single eyeshadows and blush compacts to find what I wanted (many had been forgotten and had long been tucked away in my la la land of a SINGLES DRAWER). Alas, I began looking into palettes...

MAC palettes. Coastal Scents palettes. Z palettes. UNII palettes. There are a ton to choose from, and many you can adjust to suit your personal needs. You can pop out the holder in many palettes in order to fit more pans. Depotting = super addictive once you get the hang of it. It's a necessity if you want to put all your powder products into palettes. 

As you can tell, I gouged the heck out of my Urban Decay Book of Shadows to depot. Be prepared for some numb fingers...but so worth it once you see your personalized palettes:). 

Now onto the review...

Specs:

  • Magnetized Palette
  • Adhesive magnetic sheet with writable labels
  • Large, full-sized mirror
  • Movable thumb grip
  • Tight, rubberized seal prevents leaks
  • Fold-out instruction box
  • Outer dimensions : 3.7"D x 6"L x0.7" Thick
  • Inner dimensions : 2.8"D x 5.4"L x0.4" Thick

Cost:

$29 each or $25 each if you purchase 5 or more 

Availability:

UNII's website or Amazon

Review:

I LOVE my UNII's. They're so pretty and remind me of tiny macbooks or external hard drives, with their sleek, sturdy plastic casing and fun color range. I ended up organizing my shadows/blush by color range--blues went into the blue (twilight) UNII, pinks and corals went into the red (pomegranate) UNII, purples into the purple (eggplant) UNII (my fave!), etc. They're quite sturdy, and the magnetic base keeps all my shadows from shifting inside. I managed to get these during their holiday sale for $20 each. Wish I had gotten their new COAL color too--looks super sleek and fancy:). Let's put it this way: if there was a fire, I'm pretty sure the only makeup items I'd save are my UNII's and my NARS blushes:).

As much as I <3 these, they come with a few caveats. I took these traveling, and everything remained in tact, aside from one shadow that crumbled. It might have been caused by a bad depotting job on my part, but I was still pretty bummed out when I opened my palette to a dust storm of powder everywhere. These are incredibly easy to clean, though. You can dismantle your palette and clean with water (major pro!).

I love the size for travel, but do wish they came in bigger sizes for home storage. Maybe in a few months? Hopeful wishing! I'm sure they'll expand to different sizes eventually--UNII is still relatively new. For the high price, they don't fit very much if you have a large collection. 


Recommendation:
I'd recommend this for people looking for a travel palette or people with a small/mid-sized collection, but if you have a TON of makeup, these probably won't suffice unless you want to buy about 20 of these. You definitely pay for quality when it comes to these palettes. They are NOT flimsy, but just keep in mind what your needs are when considering the UNII.

Grade:

9/10

Review: BUTTER London All Hail The Queen

All Hail The Queen   |  all heyl the kween  |  
All Hail is used as an acclamation or welcome, as in "All Hail this gorgeous lacquer".

A nailpolish designed with late designer Alexander McQueen in mind? You know it wouldn't be anything less than fabulous, but understated and wearable, to boot? Sign me up for a lifetime supply. 

Specs:

-Taupe-nude-glittery polish

-Free of  DPB, Toulene and formaldehyde

Cost:
$14

Availability:

You can purchase at Ulta or on the Butter London website.

Review:

Pricey for a nailpolish, All Hail The Queen is one of BUTTER London's best polishes in their collection. I'm a major fan of the BUTTER polishes for their "3 Free" formula (free of DPB, Toulene, and formaldehyde). From my experience, it's MUCH easier to remove BUTTER polish than nail polish made by other brands, and I'm quite sure it's due to this "3 Free" thing they tout. 

All Hail The Queen takes about two coats for an opaque finish, but once it's on, it's one of the most beautiful polishes I've ever worn. It looks different depending on the lighting, transforming from a mushroom taupe color indoors to a shimmery nude in direct sunlight. It's really difficult to describe, but I always look forward to wearing this. It does have glitter/micro-fine shimmers, but not in a gaudy or tacky way. I've already had a few friends borrow this from me, because they loved it so much when I was wearing it. I LOVE IT to the ends of the manicure world, the end.

Recommendation:
This will suit all skintones and is a fantastic addition to anyone's polish collection. It will probably look different on everyone, but that's what makes it so amazing!

Grade:

10/10

Review: NARS Yachiyo Blush Brush

The Yachiyo. Ah, the stuff legends are made of. This is like the unicorn of the blush brush world. Magical and mystical, and sometimes you wonder if it's too good to be true. I spent a LONG time contemplating whether or not to splurge for this (2 years?), and when I lost my old blush brush, I figured I'd start investing in my makeup brushes instead of continually buying cheap, low-quality brushes (although, not all inexpensive brushes are bad quality). I'm about as frugal as my 80 year old grandmother, so this was an INVESTMENT for me, for sure. Here's the breakdown:

Specs:

-Brush head made of goat hair

-Handle wrapped in wisteria

Cost:

$50

Availability:

You can purchase at department stores, such as Neiman Marcus or on the NARS website.

Review:

While the price is steep, this brush handles pigmented blush in a way that puts dual-fiber/skunk/stippling brushes to shame. It's got a unique brush head, which is quite dense, but tapered. It's not as soft as, say, my MAC 168, but it gives a very natural finish, so I can forgive a little scratchiness. I've tried applying NARS Taj Mahal using both the Yachiyo and the Sonia Kashuk dupe of the MAC 187, and the Yachiyo wins hands down. A light hand can only do so much sometimes...While other brushes can make blush appear a little splotchy or too pigmented (requiring 10 minutes of buffing), this applies just the right amount quickly.


The handle might feel "flimsy" to some; it's not heavy, like some brushes you may be accustomed to. This is what makes it difficult to apply too much blush. I haven't encountered any problems with the handle, though. This is one of my favorite blush brushes to date.


Recommendation:
I wouldn't say this is a MUST if you already have a few blush brushes you love, but if you have trouble making highly pigmented blushes look subtle or natural, this would be a perfect solution. Because of the tapered brush head, it makes a good blush brush and contouring brush. It offers great control over how much product you apply, so it's a brush that does a lot of  different jobs--and well.

Grade:

9/10

An open letter to the lipstick lovers.

Dearest makeup lovers,


After coming to realize that I, like many of my fellow makeup fiends, have accumulated far too much makeup over the years, I have at last entered the wondrous world of blogging.

I'm quite sure it's my justification for overloading my drawers and shelves with one too many items named Orgasm, X-Rated, and Toxic Tale (amongst other cheeky names), but I'd love to share my honest reviews and experiences on all things makeup, skincare, and in between. On a side note, how does one get the job of naming makeup products? It's probably the best job available aside from being married to David Beckham.

Whenever I contemplate purchasing an eyeshadow, lipstick, lipgloss, etc., I think to myself: 
1) Does this work on warm undertones?
2) I need me some swatches!
3) Will this make me look like a clown or streetwalker? (I mean, lipstick has its perks, but, well, it happens...)
4) Fallout? Will this make me look as if I had a bad (losing) duel with a dark fairy?

I ultimately find myself seeking the insight of beauty bloggers worldwide--a huge help in deciding whether or not to nix clumpy mascara or streaky foundation from my beauty wishlist.

So, rambling aside, I hope this will be a good resource for my fellow makeup/skincare mavens. I'm no makeup artist or skincare expert, but a makeup-obsessed gal and consumer just like anyone else. And one who loves trying new things but hates regrettable purchases...Cheers to a lifetime of dewy complexions, kissable lips, and good hair days!


love and lipstick,
El