Thursday, December 05, 2013

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - Swatches & Review

Hello beautiful! So I'd be lying if I denied how excited I was when Urban Decay announced that they were coming out with a Naked 3 Palette. I'd also be lying if I denied the fact that I fell into the hype hard and bought it before it sold out in four hours. AND I'd be lying if I didn't jump for joy when it was delivered and hide in my room, swatching and what not. Yup. #beautybloggerproblems 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
This palette comes with 12 eyeshadows ranging from super sparkly to matte in hues of browns and pinks. This palette also comes with about a weeks worth of shadow primer samples and a double sided brush. The case itself is beautiful! It's a rose gold metal case with a wavy look to the top. Love it!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
Strange - a pale neutral pink matte-satin. To me, it's more of a white-pink. Finely milled to perfection and super easy to blend. Not powdery at all.

Dust - a pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter. I had some issues with some crazy fall out so I highly recommend applying this with a dampened brush or using a shadow guard.

Burnout - a light pinky-peach satin. The texture is so smooth and soft.

Limit - a light dusty rose matte. This is a bit more mauve to me. Texture is smooth and buttery.

Buzz - a metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter. I thought I was going to have issues like Dust, but surprisingly didn't. Texture was smooth and there was no fall out.

Trick - a light metallic pinky-copper shimmer with tonal micro-sparkle. Probably one of my favorites. Super buttery and smooth.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
Nooner - a medium pinky-brown matte. Texture is finely milled and very blendable but was a teeny tiny bit on the powdery side.

Liar - a medium metallic mauve shimmer. The texture is SUPER pigmented, like, holy cow and nicely blendable.

Factory - a pinky-brown satin. It's more of a dark brown with reddish tones. The texture is very pigmented, blendable and soft.

Mugshot - a metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift. Ah, another one of my favorites! The texture is super soft and buttery.

Darkside - a deep taupe-mauve satin. A little bit on the purple side. Texture is very blendable and buttery soft.

Blackheart - a smoky black matte with rosy red micro-sparkle. Absolutely stunning! Super pigmented and soft.


L-R: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz & Trick

L-R: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside & Blackheart

Lid - Strange | Outer Lid - Dust | Crease - Buzz

Overall, I really like this palette but I feel like it's going to be a hit or miss for lots of people. If you're not into sparkle or rose gold, you can save your money. Besides Dust, every single eyeshadow was extremely pigmented and easily blendable. I'm so happy I bought this. 

Urban Decay :  Facebook | Shop - Price: $52
Thursday, December 05, 2013

Anastasia Beverly Hills Catwalk Palette - Swatches & Review

Hey babes! I first mentioned this little guy back in my October Favorites and promised I'd have a review up soon. Ahem, well, two months after the fact is still better than nothing, right?

I remember when the Anastasia Beverly Hills Catwalk Palette first came out, it was pure madness! They kept selling out everywhere and I couldn't help but wonder what the heck all the hype was about. 

Let me tell you guys. The hype is real. Let's check out why.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Catwalk Palette comes with ten eyeshadows ranging from shimmer to matte finish. The palette is leopard themed (cat = catwalk, get it?) which I absolutely love. The top is gold with velvet leopard print and then inside is a blue-green leopard print. The mirror inside? Not a fan. It's almost like a funhouse mirror. I've never seen that before. Lastly, this palette comes with a nice quality double sided brush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Catwalk Palette

Anastasia Beverly Hills Catwalk Palette
My absolute favorite thing about this palette is how pigmented each and every eyeshadow is. Almost all of them can be used without a primer and achieve such a gorgeous opaqueness without fading or creasing. If I were to nitpick, I would say that the matte shades compared to the rest need a little help to build opacity.

L-R: Callback, Strut, Scout, Beauty Mark, LBD, Day Rate, Couture, RTW, 10K and Pose
Callback - a soft, peachy champagne shimmer.
Strut - a dark wine with sparkle.
Scout - a peach with gold shimmer. Basically NARS Orgasm in eyeshadow form.
Beauty Mark - a warm toned matte brown.
LBD - a black satin.
Day Rate - pink nude matte. 
Couture - a chocolate brown with gold flecks. 
RTW - a gold metallic.
10K - a light gold metallic. Seriously buttery soft.
Pose - a greyish violet with shimmer. It's so hard to describe this.

Lid: Scout | Inner Corner: Call Back | Outer V: Beauty Mark

Overall, this palette is pretty gorgeous! I feel like there's some colors that I wouldn't normally try but ended up really liking (ie: the dark shades). Two cons to this palette: the weird funhouse mirror and that there's no highlight shade. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Ulta | Anastasia - Price: $29
Wednesday, December 04, 2013

NameTheNecklace Monogram Necklace + Giveaway!

Hi lovebugs! Lately, I've been totally diggin' the monogram trend. My love for monograms  dates back to the good ol' LL Bean bookbags that my mom wouldn't dare put my first name on ("A stranger could call you by your name and you might think they're a family friend.") Yup. I had that mom (that I love so very much). So my initials it was. Except now we call them monograms because they're in a fancy font and we're older now. Right?

A few weeks ago, I got together with NameTheNecklace and they let me pick out my own necklace with my initials. I chose a black acrylic monogram necklace with an 18" chain. SOOO cute!

The monogram is acrylic with a gold plated brass chain. Unfortunately, I have no clue if it's real gold. I'll be honest. It doesn't have a tag on the necklace like one usually does when it's real. Nonetheless, it's pretty sturdy albeit the chain is delicate and light. I haven't experienced any tarnishing nor the tell-tale green ring. 

I love that this is totally customizable. The chain lengths come in 14", 16", 18", 20" and 22"! I chose 18". You can also chose the color of the acrylic that you want. I chose black because well, it goes with everything! 

Do you love it? Good news! NameTheNecklace and I have joined together to give away one acrylic monogram necklace (just like mine) to one of my lucky readers! Hooray! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway
US only!

NameTheNecklace - Shop | Facebook
Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Rite Aid's Holiday Gifting Tree + Giveaway - 3 winners!


Hey guys! Rite Aid just sent me this cool promo they're doing. Now you all know me, I'm pretty easily amused and entertained and love anything interactive that I can click on so I thought this was pretty darn cool.

Rite Aid has a new holiday feature on their FaceBook called The Holiday Gifting Tree - a fun, interactive feature that can help you find gifts for all members of your family!


Rite Aid was also nice enough to send three $25 gift cards to Rite Aid for my readers. I also received one and decided to make it a mission and see just how much beauty products I could get for $25 or less. Raise your hand if you think I did it!


So I first I snagged Revlon Coloburst Matte Balm in Elusive and Revlon Matte Balm in Shamless (review soon). I've been going nuts for these guys and haven't been able to find them anywhere! These were buy one, get one half off. After shopping around for about an hour, I came across Revlon Single Eyeshadows in Taupe, Plum, Oyster and Blush and had to get them. They snap into each other to create a mix and match palette. Freakin' genius! Those were each only $2.99 and were buy one, get one half off. Grand total? $21 and some odd change.  

Your girl takes her missions very seriously but it wasn't that hard to do. Rite Aid is practically clearing out their beauty area with their amazing deals. My girl Aprill at Glitter. Gloss. Garbage. has just some of the deals on her blog.

So how do you win one? Rite and I have teamed up to find out what you would buy with a $25 gift card! Giveaway is US only. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! xx
Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Rite Aid's Ring In The Holidays - Perfume Review

Hi dolls! This holiday season you can have an exclusive celebrity voice ringtone with the purchase of a Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Usher, Elizabeth Arden Diamonds, Ed Hardy, Nicki Minaj or Curve fragrance set. The limited edition gift sets come with a secret code that allows access to download one customized ringtone from Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and many more! Just look for the red tag on the fragrance gift sets at Rite Aid and the voice ringtones can be yours!

Rite Aid was nice enough to send me some samplers of some of the perfumes and colognes of their most popular brands and an "audio brochure" showcasing the Usher, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears ringtones.

Out of all the ringtones, I think I'd chose Britney's because, well, Britney is my girl from way back in the day. Love me some Britney! 

Inside the fragrance sampler box!

Since when did they come out with fragrance samples that have a sprayer on them? Genius!
Nicki Minaj Pink Friday - TOP: The fragrance opens with mouth-watering fruits and exotic notes of Starfruit, Italian Mandarin and succulent Boysenberry that linger in a thirst-quenching sweetness. Notes: Starfruit, Italian Mandarin, Boysenberry
HEART: Whipped with pink shades of floralcy, the decadent bouquet inspires angels to play through a cloud of electric Lotus Flower and starry Jasmine Petals. Notes: Fresh Gardenia, Lotus Flower, Jasmine Petals
DRYDOWN: The creamy indulgence of Vanilla and Carmelized Pear bask in the sultry warmth of Musks and Woods to wrap the skin with an addictive sensation. Notes: Creamy Vanilla, Carmelized Pear, Skin Musk, Sheer Woods

A.) Who comes up with these descriptions? They make me want to eat this. (Please don't.) B.) I really need to just go buy this. It smells so fruity and reminds me of summertime! 

Someday by Justin Bieber - TOP: mandarin, juicy pear, and wild berry 
HEART: jasmine and creamy florals
DRYDOWN: vanilla musk

 Surprisingly, I really liked this scent! I didn't really know what to expect when it comes to a women's fragrance from Justin Bieber but I liked it. It's a bit on the sweet side, but I think anyone could wear this.

 Taylor Swift Wonderstruck - Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Eau de Parfum Spray is a charming and sparkling surprise of vibrant fruits kissed by a bouquet of soft petals and a touch of sweet indulgence.

Another fragrance I was surprised I liked. Super feminine and sweet.

 Ed Hardy Women - A brilliant explosion of fruits inspired by the Ed Hardy tattoo art blending wild strawberry, mango, ruby red grapefruit, amber and freesia for a Rock-n-Roll edge and dark eeriness.

This perfume is really light and fruity. I don't know why but I expected it to be heavier.

 Usher He - Top notes are pineapple, melon and lemon verbena; middle notes are white pepper, blue lavender, violet leaf and vetiver; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, suede and guaiac wood.

 It wouldn't be fair for me to review a men's cologne without a little help from my fiance. He said he didn't really like it. I personally thought it was strong but smelled nice. What do I know? 

 Britney Spears Fantasy - A sensual and gourmand scent. It opens with fruity mix of litchi, golden quince and kiwi. The provocative heart is composed of jasmine and white chocolate. The base combines orris root, musk and woods.

 Aw, Brit Brit. This perfume brings back so many memories of highschool. I feel like this is one perfume that hasn't changed since it was introduced in 2005 yet you can still wear it in your twenties. 

Which perfume gift set would you buy? I think I would get Britney Spears or Nicki Minaj's!

*Sampler box is not available in stores.
Monday, December 02, 2013

Eddie Funkhouser Luxlight Illuminator, Hyperreal Eye Color Palette, Quattro Variable Lash Mascara & Hyperreal Nourishing Lip Color - Swatches & Review

Hello gorgeous and happy December 1st! Longest title ever, btw. If you guys can remember back when I talked about my trip to NYC with Rite Aid (believe me, I sometimes have a hard time remembering what I ate this morning), I mentioned that Rite Aid was introducing some new beauty brands to the mix. One of the companies is Eddie Funkhouser. Seriously. How fun is his name? Can we switch? Ahem.

Eddie Funkhouser is a makeup artist, beauty spokesperson and expert product developer known for his electric front-and-center, rocker persona. 

Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Eye Color Palette in Girls on Films

Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Eye Color Palette in Girls on Films
I really like this palette because it has four colors that I would've never tried out together or even thought they would work together (hello bright matte purple!) but totally do. Each is pretty pigmented by itself but I used a light layer of white (NYX Eye Crayon in Milk) all over my lid to really get those colors to pop. Each one is silky smooth and easy to blend. I did get a little fall out from Freeze Frame but the other three were fantastic!

(L-R) - Freeze Frame - pewter with silver shimmer
Snap Shot - bright purple matte
Video Star - pearlescent cornflower blue
Screen Test - shimmering maroon


Lid - Video Star | Outer Lid - Freeze Frame | Bottom Lash - Snap Shot | Outer Bottom Lash - Screen Test
(Unfortunately, my camera washes out the color. Thanks, camera!)

Eddie Funkhouser Luxlight Illuminator in Candlelight
Second up is the Luxlight Illuminator - a luminous, skin-enhancing and highlighting pen. I got the shade Candlelight which is a luminous bronzey glow with cool undertone. I feel like this illuminator is probably better suited for someone with a tan or darker toned skin. As someone with pale skin, this appeared almost too bronze and almost orangey, even when blended out. That aside, this was definitely illuminzing and never dried out or flaked. 

 Eddie Funkhouser Luxlight Illuminator in Candlelight

Eddie Funkhouser Quattro Variable Lash Mascara 
Squee! The idea behind this mascara is pretty freakin' cool. There's a dial on the top of the mascara with four settings. Each setting "twists" the mascara wand more and more. Awesome, right?


Setting one is a normal wand with slightly spread bristles used to enhance and accentuate lashes while leaving them looking natural. Setting two separates lashes creating fullness and volume. Setting three separates lashes for extra fullness and volume. Setting four creates maximum length, separation and definition. There's really no wrong way to use this. You can start with setting one and go straight to four and vice versa. Just make sure to allow the first coat to throughly dry before additional coats.


For me, the first and second settings were amazing! They lengthened and volumized with no clumping whatsoever. The third was a little rough and started to clump but honestly, I'd still rock it. The fourth however was no bueno. It clumped up like crazy! I'm still going to keep playing around with this and see what works for me. 

Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Nourishing Lip Color in Rumor
Oh my goodness. This lipstick is amazing! Rumor is a nice, deep black cherry. It's super pigmented and creamy yet extremely hydrating. In fact, I think this is one of the most hydrating lipsticks I've come across. And the wear time? About 8 hours. Holy Toledo! It contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Mango Fruit Extract and Portulaca Pilosa Flower Extract.

Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Nourishing Lip Color in Rumor
(Excuse my blemish that I tried to blur out and failed!)


PS. I love the box that the make up came in! Thanks, Eddie!

Eddie Funkhouser - FaceBook | Twitter | Site  - Available in some Rite Aid stores now!