NARS And God Created The Woman Palette

i was browsing youtube videos and came across a video that included this palette. i didnt hear much about it so decided to look up some reviews on it. i came across a review by the beauty milk and fell in love. i have zero nars products because they are so damn expensive. i let this product sit in my mind for a few days and finally gave in to this $60 palette that includes a primer and brush. i was surprised when i received this palette that it was about the size of a credit card. after i got over the fact that i just paid $60 for a eye shadow palette with 6 eyeshadows being .03 oz i fell in love all over again.

(swatches & photograph by thebeautymilk)

i swatched it myself and took photographs but the photo didnt turn out well and i decided this photograph showed the swatches perfectly. this pigmentation of these shadows are soft and very pigmented. this palette is a limited edition palette but includes some permanent shades. i fell in love with kalahari which is a bronze taupe color. this palette is a mix between warm and cool colors.

alhambra- a pale champagne color with some shimmer which is perfect for the inner corner & brow bone highlight. you could even use it all over the lid for a light wash of color

bellisima- a matte gray-brown taupe color. this color has a wonderful velvet texture to it that is one of the most versatile shade in the palette. bellisima can be used as a light wash of color all over the lid and or used in the crease for some light definition of the crease for a daytime smokey eye 

kalahari- this is my all time favorite shade in this palette, actually the main reason i bought this palette. its a bronze taupe color. this shade is also pretty versatile, it can be used lightly all over the lid for a day look for smoked out nighttime look

galapagos- a warm brown color with fine gold glitter that barely shows up. a problem i have about this product is it seems like the glitter is only on the top of the product, when swatched it looks like the glitter comes off and because a matte or satin color. of course i haven't gone through the pan yet so i could be wrong. this shade looks beautiful in the outer two third of the lid and into the crease for a smokey look. 

coconut grove- a warm matte dark brown which can be used lightly in the crease for a daytime smokey eye or amped up for a night time smokey look. or even all over the lid and smoked along the bottom lash line for a smokey look in the fall! 

night clubbing- is one of the most unique colors in the palette. it is a black color with what i think is a hint of mossy green with fine gold glitter. along with galapagos i'm nervous that the glitter is only on the top of the product... but only time will tell. this shade will help create a true smokey eye for a night out. i will most likely use it as eyeliner! 

over all i'm super happy with my first nars palette. as i was telling my fellow blogger bailey, everyone needs a nars product. its one of those luxurious product that you should splurge on at least one! but as i told her choose your product wisely, i think limited edition products are the way to go! this palette proves to be packed with pigmentation, soft and easy to blend eyeshadows, and the perfect size to travel with. I feel like this product contains more fall colors rather than summer colors. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments

one of my most sought after products in the drugstore lately has been the maybelline color tattoo pure pigments. perusal they were no where to be found in any of my local drugstores because i live in the middle of no where that usually gets drugstore products last. so when i went shopping in a town close to mine i had to stop at the local kmart to look for bathroom products (rugs, towels ect.) and i walked past the display for these babys! i found them when i wasn't expecting to see them, isnt that usually how everything works? there are 12 colors in this fall 2013 collection and shocker... i picked up 3 of the neutral colors; barely brazen, improper copper, and breaking bronze. at kmart i was able to get them for $6.99 which i thought was a steal seeing at at CVS they are most likely $7.99 (a dollar can go a long way!) 

 i used pigments when i was first starting off with makeup, it was bare minerals and it was probably the most boring color possible. so when i saw these pigments i felt a kinda nostalgic feel when looking at them. its also not very common to have pigments in the drugstore. i know there are plenty of pigments out there that you can buy (MAC, also makeup geek has some kick ass pigments) but never in the drugstore. 

the pigments promise intense color payoff while still being blendable and buildable. from my experience i would have to say that this is kind of true. the colors are rather sheer at first but you are able to build them up to an intense color. 

barely brazen- this is the lightest color in the whole collection. its the classic champange-nude color with finely milled shimmer. i bought this especially to brighten up the inner corner. it applies very smoothly and more consistent compared to the other two

improper copper- i really love copper shades for more of a fall look to really bring out the color of my eyes, which is why i was drawn to this color. like the name of the product it is an intense copper/brown color with multidimensional gold shimmer throughout it. this color will really pop with blue and green eyes! 

breaking bronze- so who doesn't love a bronze color? this color, like improper copper, is true to its name. its a straight forward bronze color. for me i wear more bronze colors during the summer because i am tanner and it complements a tan perfectly. unlike the other two shades i had a more difficult time applying this color evenly, it was a little more flakey compared to the other (but nothing i couldn't work out)

when using pigments you are bound to have fall out, its kind of a given. these products will most likely apply better with less fallout with a sticky base (such as the color tattoo cream shadows haha! i see what you did there maybelline) also a tip for less fall out is to tap the shadow onto your eye, no swiping motions! my overall thoughts on these are that these are pretty good for a drugstore pigment, there are definitely better pigments out there but if you're on a budget these aren't terrible. i do enjoy using these but don't see myself buying any more from this collection. to be honest, makeup geek has pigments that are the same price and seem a bit more interesting than these colors. 

have you seen these in your local drugstores? will you/have you tried these out? 

My Favorite Youtube Gurus

Youtube gurus have had a large influence on my life. I used to do youtube videos because I would watch them non-stop so i figured i could do videos too... well I failed. then i went onto blogging and i think i'm doing much better! but i get lots of questions on my tumblr about what my favorite youtube channels are, and to be honest... this list was probably the hardest thing i have ever had to make! but these are some of my favorite youtube gurus right now, i'll probably make another one soon because i'm realizing some people i forgot! 

nicole guerriro- i pretty much stalk her videos. i love them all! she's gorgeous and makes some amazing tutorials. she's probably one of the gurus that i actually try the makeup on myself. whenever she recommends a product i want it. i don't know what it is about her, she seems very genuine and nice. she actually does videos she likes and isn't just sponsored videos over and over again.

pixiwoo- i have been watching nic and sam for years now. they always make some of the most interesting videos. i also look forward to their videos, even if the makeup they do isn't wearable. they are probably one of the most creative makeup artists i have ever seen on youtube. 

itsjudytime / itsjudyslife- judy was probably the first youtube guru i watched. i learned make up from her so i had to add her to my list. she hasnt been making many videos because she did just have her first child but she has been doing a lot of review videos that i find to be some of the most helpful ones on youtube. i also put itsjudyslife because i wake up and before i do anything i watch their vlog for that day, it has become a routine. 

pixi2woo- i find myself always watching tanyas videos, i think the reason i watch them is because she uses a lot of the same products i own so i'm able to find inspiration from her videos to do my own looks on! she also seems so sweet and bubbly, and can i mention how beautiful her fiance is (sam & nic's brother jim!)

zoella280390- zoe is probably one of the most recent youtube gurus i subscribed to. she is adorable and drop dead gorgeous. she just started doing real tutorials (shes usually hauls and other things) shes friends with a lot of the youtubers i like so i figured i would give her a go, and so far i'm really enjoying her videos!

i'm just now realizing that 3 out of 5 of these gurus are british... obviously i have a thing for accents! i would love to know some of your favorite gurus, i'm always interested in subscribing to more people! i'm probably going to do another video with some of the lesser known gurus. 

Style Crush: Shay Mitchell

the other month shay was on the cover of SELF magazine which started my obsession with her. after reading her interview you could tell she was one of the most down to earth celebrities who is an amazing role model (she made me want to get back into the grind of watching what i eat and working out). they printed a couple of her instagram pictures in the magazine and i automatically followed her. i'm just going to put it out there... shes stunning and holy cow does she have an amazing sense of style! shay can pull off the styles from super sexy to edgy chic, she is never afraid to push the envelope which is something i truly admire! she is one of my fashion inspirations and a huge inspiration overall.

i suggest everyone follow her on instagram; @shaym // and you can check out her blog; shaymitchell.com

Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzer - 130 Matte Medium

i have been looking all over my local drugstores for maybellines new (or fairly new) dream sun bronzers and i have finally found them. I ran into cvs looking for the new maybelline pigments (which i found and will have a review soon) and happened to see they had a few of the bronzers left! they only had one 130 matte medium left which was perfect because it was exactly the color i needed. 

one thing i really enjoyed about this limited edition line was that came in a range of finishes; matte, four seasons, and glow. I personally didn't want anything other than matte because i try not to put to much shimmer on my face.

dream sun matte bronzer is extremely soft and easily blendable. it is a dark shade of tan with a slight orange undertone. the product is quite dense and picks up easy with a kabuki brush, but the color doesn't go on too heavy so it is easy to build color without going overboard. the matte color works well with all skin types but especially with oily skin as it contains no glitter or shimmer. it produces a natural sunkissed glow that everyone loves to have during the summer. 

no matter what finish you want maybelline has the product for you. i usually use NYC sunny bronzer but for the rest of the summer this is going to be my go-to bronzer. I find it somewhat comparable to the MAC bronzers. if youre a big bronzer fan like i am i would highly suggest checking out this line.