The vanity is a world in itself!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Tarte for Trueblood Limited Edition Eyeshadow palette!

hey yall!
so for those of you who know me know that i am completely obsessed with trueblood and that my favorite color is black. This color palette usually doesn't come through in my everyday wear...but it is truely my favorite color! Okay, so i admit, i'm more of a fan of the book series than the show because it really highlights Sookie's life not only as a woman who gets sucked into the supernatural but also the slow life of a woman who lives by herself in the south. I love southern accents, sweet tea, and I live by myself....coincidence? I think not, me and sook were meant to be besties. anyways yall probably want to hear about tarte so i guess i'll have to appease you.
This is hands down the most awesome makeup thing i've ever owned! I was completely floored when i found out there was a trueblood palette and completely overjoyed when i heard Tarte made it! I freakin love tarte, i check the QVC guide for when tarte's going to be on....just a little fyi about my creeper nature...They have such great products! first off their products are made without: parabens, mineral oil, pthlates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and synthetic fragrance. AND they're cruelty free!!!!! whats not to love! okay, thats good enough but they also use amazonian clay in many of their products that soaks up oil and is rich in vitamins and minerals.
This was $52 US dollars and is valued at over $300. So worth it. Here's the lowdown. lets start with the packaging.

Packaging:

Some people would call this "tacky" but I call it awesome. The box looks like a corset with red peepong out and laces going across! EEP! it's so cool! It feels like something that would be sitting in fangtasia! The box is HUGE, it's really sturdy, and the magnetic lid holds awesomely and the little drawer is very sturdy. The box does not look cheap at all and it has real elastic string and metal rivets. hell yes. The shadows are not loose inside the packaging at all and theres even a huge mirror and printed inside. so cool!

Shadows:


OHHHHH MYYYYYY GOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHH! the shadows....the shadows are so amazing! the are each 2 grams! 2 grams!!! thats bigger than a MAC single shadow pan!!! and you get 17 shadows!!!! MAC shadows are 14 bucks each and Tarte single shadows ( i dont think they sell them single anymore) were 17 bucks a pop. This is a really great value for how much you get. The shadows come with a film over them that says all of the names and each shadow has the tarte embossing on them <3 They're actually grouped in diamonds to help take the guesswork out of which shadows go best with one another! This comes with 2 highlight shades (or you can use them as super neutrals) : The Light (creamy beige), and Fairy (baby pink) these two are both shimmery (not glittery). the rest of the shadows are: Duck (Matte taupe), Dawn (shimmer light gold), Werewolf (Matte chocolate brown!), Waitress (glittery pink champagne!), Nocturnal (black base with blue shimmers (not glitter)!), Charmer (shimmer somewhere between pink and bronze), Glamour me (shimmer, deep plaum purple), Stake (treue Matte grey), Bayou (shimmery gold), Telepath (glitter, dusty rose), The True Death (shimmer Silver), Immortal (black with shimmer), Moss (shimmer, emerald green), Legend (Matte black), and lastly "V" (shimmer, red based purple). Here's a pic of the names on the film:



I simply cannot tell you how much i love that these have trueblood inspired names! The actually head of makeup from trueblood worked with tarte to develop these colors, that is so impressive and special! These are also really really wearable! They did such a good job of putting both neautrals and darks in this palette :D. I also really love that they could go for any season really but they pull more towards fall. Telepath in the spring time would be gorgeous however! I absolutely love the texture of the mattes, theyre really buttery and nice to put on! A word of caution containing Waitress and Telepath...these are very glittery and the glitter will go everywhere, just an fyi, make sure you're prepared for fallout. The lady who works for tarte said its best to pat these onto the eyelids but they look great patting or swiping. These are really pigmented and you just need a little bit of color to go a long way (especially with the dark colors). I never wear shadows without a primer but ive heard that these dont look as stunning without primer, so just keep that in mind. For the colorful shadows I would probably put down a white base so that the colors come out more true because these can get muddy if you have a medium-dark skintone. I would suggest my handy NYX milk! Look at NYX post for the deets on how to use it. anyways heres some pictures of my look from yesterday (sorry if its dark!) and today!

yesterday:
Using Telepath on the lid, werewolf in the crease, and a smidge of glamous me on the very outside corners. Used Fairy as a highlight.

Today!:
Waitress on the lid, Stake in the crease, and The Light as my highlight

and another view. This is me trying to "glamour" you....


aren't they lovely! werewolf and stake look scary but you can totally make them wearable!

look at what else they provide you with!
Its a booklet! It has 4 different looks on the inside and all the color names/product information on the back!





I plan to do a new look every day with this palette and i'll do a new post to give you a better idea of what looks you can do and what these look like on the lids. I probably will not go with the looks in the booklet but i will be more than happy to do the looks if requested.

Now theres an awesome perk to this palette and its the drawer!
The cleverest of things "open after dark"

inside is:


there is a full sized EmphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner, a Mini "lights cameras, lashes", and a mini "lifted" natural eye primer inside.
I love the liner, it is made with 50% water and is so soft! It also has a cooling effect on the skin when you put it on! the water absorbs into your skin and then you're left with a pretty budge-proof line! its AMAZINGLY BLACK! i've never seen a darker black! and it glides on so smooth! The problem is that its so smooth that it falls apart if you twist it up too much and you also use it up very quickly. The quality is amazing and it lasts a good while. It is not waterproof, however, so don't wear it to a wedding or funeral if you're a crier. I'm wearing the liner in all of my pictures.
heres a pic:


The mascara is a cult favorite of many people and I can see why! it really gets ever lash! there are no clumps! and it feels literally like you'r not wearing mascara!!!! its so soft! this doesn't flake, doesn't come off onto your cheek, and it really does get every lash. The downside to this however is that it doesn't lengthen and if you like false-looking lashes you wont get it with this. this looks very natural. I'm wearing the mascara in all of my pictures.


and heres a pic of the really cute packaging!


I have yet to try the primer because i'm saving it for my trip to North Carolina when I see my honey! But heres a pic!:



One thing I really love about the drawer is that the red lining comes out and you can store your other goods in there! Long brushes and bulky packaging dont fit but all of my sephora travel brushes do!!! which is so awesome! If only my eyelash curler fit...oh well, at least it's not like other drawers that dont allow you to be so versitile.

Pretty much this is the best palette i've ever owned and for the best value! I feel like a fool for buying the Too Faced palette because there are way less shadows and none of them are even close to being this huge and such a good quality!
thank you for reading, look for my "look a day True Blood shadows" posts in the very very very near future! <3
seriously, if you're a fan of the show or just really love great sahdows at a great deal go snatch one up...i love mine!

Reminder:
I do not work for any makeup company, am not getting paid to review, and bought this with my own money.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Sorry I haven't posted anything as of late...

Sorry i haven't posted anything as of late but look out for a REALLY BIG post this saturday or sunday! I'm going to buy the Tarte for trueblood eyeshadow palette this saturday! I am so excited and I seriously cannot wait to review this for you guys/ have it in my possession because the colors are so beautiful and versatile! Until then, I miss yall
<3

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Tarte amazonian Clay waterproof concealer VS MAC select moisturecover


bonjour friends!
So i totally am not done raving about drugstore products I love but alot of people have been asking what concealer I use and for my eyes i NEED heavy duty concealer. Alot of the drugstore brands are too heavy under my eyes and get into my fine lines (very few, but still there). The Two I switch back and fourth are my tarte concealer and my MAC concealer.
The MAC concealer is $16 and comes in a tube very similar to a lipgloss, it even has a spongey doe-foot applicator. The Tarte concealer is only available through QVC and is $22 plus the cost of shipping. here's the skinny on both products:
MAC select moisturecover! :

The good:
price is okay for a good concealer, alot cheaper than benefit, bobbie brown, and tarte.
great coverage
the formula is light, easy to blend, and you dont need all that much.
color range is fabulous!
my friend natalie gave this to me! Its the NW20 (neutral warm 20) which is a little lighter than my skintone but it works well to brighten the undereye area if its lighter. Im NC (neutral cool) but the warm tone of this actually helps cover all the ugly purple under my eyes.

The Bad:
cant figure out how much product comes in the container since it rolls around and coats all the sides....
this gets into this one line under my eye which is kind of annoying but i can deal
Pics: PS. dont mind the whole count dracula look...



Just a side note: I have very under defined muscles under my eyes so they will always look slightly sunken in because those a physiological shadows being cast, not the purple veins. its genetic.

okay! so now that you've seen me without makeup (its all good, im not shy) its time for tarte

Tarte Amazonian Clay waterproof concealer!

the good:
OMG this stuff is awesome
this took 10 years to develop
is made from amazonian clay harvested once a year that gets nutrients baked into it from its journey down the river.
this contains caffeine extracts to wake up the eye area
this also contains vitamin A!
this is also waterproof!
really cute purple packaging that is similar to a lipstick
you can see how much product you've used
you never put too much on if you swipe once you're covered
nice formula
doesn't get in my fine lines AT ALL
natural formula

The bad:
Price...pretty expensive
You have to order through QVC
small :( I only use this for special occasions
not a great range of colors like MAC ( I have this in Light)

pics:



I just realized I ahve a very bad issue where i have to raise my right eyebrow...sorry about that...its an impulse i never knew i had
anyways those are my concealers. I also have a bobby brown one thats okay but too thick, and benefit erase paste which i used religiously for a while until i realized it doesn't do much for me. I use the MAC concealer on the reg since it's a much cheaper alternative but I would love to find a good drugstore concealer to replace it.
Thanks for reading!<3

I do not work for any makeup company, am not getting paid by MAC or Tarte for my review, and I bought everything with my own money (or in the case of MAC it was a gift! thanks Nat!)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

E.L.F cream eyeliner in Midnight

Oh hey guys! so I need to post my latest find! yes, i know i just posted about eyeliners...but I just found the perfect blue!!!!!!!!!! I HATE blue eyeliners! The only reason I own a blue liner is because i'd do Alpha Phi Omega (yay community service frat!) inspired makeup with blue liner and gold shadow. I feel like Darlene from true blood when i wear blue on my eyes. The only way i'll go for blues is if they're grey blues or midnight blues. I was at HEB yesterday and I knocked over the E.L.F (eyes lips face) diplay....oops. I never even look at the E.L.F stuff because its so cheap thta it can't possibly be good! right? wrong. Okay, im sure some of their stuff is horrible, just like some benefit stuff is horrible (im looking at you Dr. Feelgood and BadGal lash). anyways so i spotted this marvelous colored cream eyeliner called Midnight and I just HAD to get it...because it was 3 bucks and I'd never seen that color before! I had my doubts, i thought about putting it back, but then i decided to take the plunge. And I love it! It comes with a tiny brush which is terrible, throw it away and get a good angle brush! but the liner is so awesome! this color is a flat navy blue that does not look like tired waitress color (stereotypical waitress not all waitresses!). The consistency is not as creamy as my physicians formula liners but its not hard either! okay, i must say some people try and compare this to MAC cream liners...in fact every cream liner gets compared to MAC...but people, lets be honest...MAC makes the most buttery and wonderful liners ever. Nothing can compare to them but they are also pretty expensive for a student.
Pros:
nice texture.
great color
great price
great staying power
no touchups

Cons:
goes on a little thin, to combat this use small swipes instead of drawing one continuous line
jar is light and cheap
brush

all in all i really love this and I can see this being used on the reg! I really really want their plum purple color now that i know this is a good liner! This is also a great color for fall because its deep and rich. i also LOVE how flat the color is! Shiny liners are one of my pet peeves especially because any kind of shimmery shadows get stuck to them. I think this is great because its bold but it isn't black so hopefully i can get away with this in the classroom!

pics!
I love to update pics of me actually wearing things if you cant tell!






Thanks for reading!
as always:
I do not work for any makeup company, I dont not get paid to review and am not being paid by E.L.F. and i bought this product with my own money

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Kitty Slicker Scarf

http://www.modcloth.com/Modcloth/Womens/Accessories/Hats+Scarves/-Kitty-Slicker-Scarf
I want this. It has nothing to do with makeup but everything to do with me wanting a cat scarf! I can't wait for it to be at least the end or middle of september so I can wear a scarf! I got three scarves for my birthday and I need to wear them! anyways If anyone wants to get me this as a fall or halloween gift feel free to! :D hmmm halloween should turn into a gift giving day dont you agree???

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Drugstore Eyeliner: Physicians Formula, NYX, Palladio, and Maybelline

Hello all!
I love having a webcam and daylight to get accurate pictures of my makeup! its so great! Anyways today's post is going to be about my makeup staple: eyeliner. I LOVE EYELINER! this was the first makeup product i used and it is the one that i like the most! I've tried alot of eyeliners, clinique was the first...it traveled down my eyes and made me look like a racoon. So the hunt all of my makeup wearing life was finding the perfect eyeliner. My favorite one right now is not a drugstore eyeliner (Urban Decay liquid liner) but its so expensive that I will not repurchase. Also I probably wont be wearing black eyeliner when I start teaching because its a little bit "severe". Anyways drugstore eyeliners are great if you know what to look for! these are my favorites!

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Cremeliner:
This stuff is AWESOME! I love love love these liners! You choose the liners based on your eye color, this is the brown eyes set! Anyways these are cream liners that go on literally like butter and stay all day. I've never had an issue with these liners whatsoever. I got these a year ago and have used them alot in that year. I still have half of the product left in each one and they are still as creamy as day 1. I really do love these, especially because the trio is around 10 dollars and theres always physicians formula coupons. Out of any cream eyeliners I recommend these. they're pretty much the best. The colors in the brown eyes trio are Black, Plum, and Brown. the plum is in every set but the color is different for each type of eye color. Its darker for the brown eyes, lighter and more pink for green etc. The black has PURPLE MICRO GLITTER! you can't really tell but it just gives the color more depth. The brown is my alltime favorite brown because its so rich! They come in stackable containers, its like legos but with makeup! whats more fun than that! you can also separate them which makes them great for travel.
here are some pics!:




and the swatches themselves. See! aren't they lovely!?



these are impossible to get off without soap so thats a plus! great for swimming. heres when I rubbed my hand with a paper towel for a minute and not gently at all.


NYX Extreme Liquid Liners:
I always get these for free at Ulta! When you spend 50 dollars these are the level 1 goodies! I really like these because they have a thin brush tip and their formula isn't runny. The cons are that these are very irritating to sensitive eyes when you first put them on and second they're in the shiny family which i dont like so much. These also stay kind of sticky unless you put a translucent powder over them. the good thing is that they dont flake off and the formula is very elastic-y. these last long so long and are a great price even if you dont get them for free. I have these in Black and Extreme Plum Purple.
pics:




Palladio Eye Inks in Eggplant. I LOVE this eyeliner but the color i can only wear if im doing extreme neutrals because its so light and lovely. i'll probably wear this alot teaching. This is hands down the easiest liquid liner to apply. It has a felt tip but its like a pen because you literally uncap it and draw it on! The bottle is small but it also makes the application easier. I will definitely buy this in black when I run out of my urban decay liner. This was 6 dollars, the urban decay liners are 19 and the finish is just as good in my opinion. The finish is not shiny, its lasts a long time, its not too runny and not too thick, and i can apply this super fast and never mess up. This liner is so great if you love liquid and hate hassle.



its a super lovely and innocent color!

okay, the last eyeliner is Maybelline Line Stylist: in Onyx
This is my favorite pencil liner so far because you can get thick or thin lines and the color is very black! this also doesn't tug as much as other pencil liners do. The only thing I dont like it that for some reason if im wearing shimmery shadow the shimmers get stuck to this! it makes me sad but this is great with matte shadows! You can also layer this product to create that thick line and it doesnt get gross which is so nice!



anyways these are my favorite of my drugstore liners! Hope you enjoyed and hope you try these out! there are many more out there that I have yet to try ( i really want revlon colorstay liners) but this is what i've got so far!

as always I do not work for any makeup company, none of the companies listed above are paying me to review their products, and I bought these with my own money


thank you for reading! :D

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks creme formula Blushing Nude

hey! SO i just wanted to do a quick upload of my new Revlon SL lipstick in Blushing Nude! I looooovvvvveee the color and just wanted to show you what it looks like! Its not a nude at all but a wonderful rose color! i love it because its simliar to Rose Velvet but not quite as brown. Some people complain about the few small pieces of glitter in here but honestly you cant see them! its not pearly or shiny at all so don't let that discourage you if you want to buy this....I also wanted to upload pics of the tube since I failed at doing that in my other post.

isn't the see-through top awesome!!!!

intimidating picture of me but look at how chic the tube is!


now, just hamming it up with photos of me....obviously i'm wearing the lipstick




thanks for reading!
side note: I do not work for any makeup company, revlon is not paying me to review their product, and i bough product with my own money

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

NYX Single Eye shadows and Jumbo Eye shadow Pencils

YAY! there might be rain at my apartment! I'm so excited! So today instead of being tempted by a blog post i'm going to do one before I start looking for annotated bibliography things (you gotta love grad school)! This post is about one of my favorite drugstore brands! (for those of you new to the vanity i'm starting out this blog by talking about drugstore products!) NYX!!!! okay, so NYX is available in weird places, so far i've never seen it in a walgreens, sometimes its at walmart, and depending on the size of your HEB (i'm lookin' at you fellow Texans) you may have some NYX, no NYX, or an entire NYX section. I wish they could be a brand like Revlon thats in every store! Okay, so here's the deal NYX makes the best eyeshadows for drugstore brands as far as pigment goes. These are usually MAC dupes and they're super cheap and awesome! Depending on the shadow finish the texture can be a little more rough Mattes are not as smooth and buttery as the more shimmery shadows(NYX black is a more chalky texture but you only need to gently dip your brush into it to get the color you need). The smoothest of all the colors I own is Deep Charcoal, that one is also way more pigmented than any color I own be it MAC or not! wow, that one is impressive. for the most part most of these have a great texture and the pigments range from neutral to absolutely wild! These also come in a pearl formula that I forgot to document! I knew I was forgetting something! anyways here are some swatches.

so I'm really bad with trying to insert text boxes in Paint so ignore the attempt at putting the swatch names on the image itself.

Left to Right:
Top Row: Nude, Iced Mocha, Rootbeer, Dolly Pink.
Middle Row: Deep Charcoal, Black, Spring Leaf, Lime Green, Green Tea
Bottom Row: NYX jombo eyeshadow pencils: milk, Black Bean, French Fries.
without flash:

With flash:

Now the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadown Pencils are phenomenal! They are super super creamy and can be used either underneath your shadow to make a color pop or you can use it as a cream shadow. you always want to draw a small line on your lid and then blend these out lightly with your finger. I LOVE NYX milk underneath any shadow, it makes the color more true and helps it stay better if you dont own any primer. or even with primer it helps. make sure to not have a concentrated amount drawn on your crease or these will crease. I recommend blending up and getting lighter as you get closer to your crease. These stay on for a very long time and if you blend them out they won't budge. Benefit makes my favorite cream shadow but if you're looking for a nice alternative to powder shadows or to MAC paint pots I would suggest these. I think both the single shadows and the pencils are around 3 dollars.
side note! the green are from the trio 08!

more pics:



as always thank you for reading and i'll try and put up pictures of the NYX loose pearl pigments in Charcoal and Mink soon!
Disclaimer: I do not work for any makeup company, NYX is not paying me for reviewing their product, and I bought everything with my own money!