Carly Bybel Palette Review

This palette was so incredibly hyped up that I really waited until the excitement was over before I even thought about giving it a try. This palette was an addition to my personal collection and I wanted to try it for so long. I just had to wait out the initial release in order to do it. A lot of people were reviewing this palette and gave it high marks. I’m not so much a sucker for everyone’s opinion. I only trust a few select people. I kept on doing my research for months after this palette was released and to my surprise it was still getting very high marks, even after two months. I was surprised. I didn’t hear any type of scandal or controversy surrounding this palette. Even those who purchased and were not sent it in PR gave it great reviews. 
Finally, I pulled the trigger and purchased during Ulta’s 21 days of beauty event. It wasn’t on the sale list but it was right in store at the checkout counter and I took that as a sign that this was worth me having.
Carly Bybel Palette

This palette has a row of satin and semi-matte eyeshadows, a row of shimmery eyeshadows, and a row of highlights. The texture of the powders are amazing. They are buttery and soft. They blend easily and don’t have a lot of fallout. This has been a great neutral palette for me. I sometimes want an all matte eye but, I think that makes me look a little heavy around the eyes. This palette has given me a versatile look. These are all neutral colors that work for everyday looks.

I am in my 30’s. Glittery eyeshadows are not and never have been my thing. I don’t want to look like a teenager playing with makeup. I have grown up quite a bit and my makeup style has to reflect that. This palette gives me what I need to create a modern, age friendly look on an everyday basis. I am constantly reaching for this palette. The highlights are a beautiful and dare I say creamy texture and aren’t to heavy for my deep caramel skin. Most highlighters tend to look ashy on African-American skin tones, especially deep skin tones. These apply great and wear great to all complexions. I love the way these feel. They are so smooth I have used them as eyeshadows too.

The construction and design of this palette is very clean. White cardboard with a big mirror and magnetic closure. This palette is great for travel. The slogan on the inside is a great one to live by. “Aspire to Inspire” That is a great quote.

This is the first time that I have ever purchased a YouTuber and brand collaborated product. I  must say that I am not disappointed. This palette lived up to the hype and guess what?  YouTube made me buy it.

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Lorac Buildable blush review.

Of all the makeup products in the world my favorites are all full of color. Blushes and lip products are my vice. I can’t help myself when it comes to these two products. Today the topic is blush. I have always loved NARS blushes but they are quite an investment. Those blushes are highly pigmented and sometimes have to be applied with a light hand, which I tend not to have wirth most colored products. I have been on a quest for a more day to day blush that was blendable and had less of a hefty price tag. My research led me to Lorac. The company that has become well known for their iconic pro eyeshadow and bronzer had finally come out with a line of blushes that catered to the everyday woman. These blushes are so soft and smooth and they look incredible on the skin. The formula is matte and satin so you can find the right one for you. Thanks to Ulta beauty and Lorac cosmetics, I have finally gotten my hands on the two colors that I had been eying for a while and at 50% off.

Technicolor
This first color I am going to talk about is a beautiful vibrant peach. It compliments a lot of skin tones and is a gorgeous flush on any warm skin tone. Technicolor is that blush that fools the eye. It makes you think that it will be overpowering and it really isn’t that at all. It looks so beautiful on the skin, I fell in love with this one first. It makes you look so fresh and awake. The formula of these blushes are so amazing, They are soft and buildable and the color payoff is amazing. This will be the perfect blush for me come spring and summer. It will be just the right amount of healthy glow.
Chroma

The next color is Chroma and it also fooled me. I thought that it was going to really be a straight up purple blush. Instead, it was a gorgeous wash of plum. The perfect blush for me this coming fall season. I love my plums and berries in the fall and this blush ties right into what I look for during the fall and winter months. I’ve just found my new favorite fall/winter blush. It applies so effortlessly. It blends like butter and wears like a dream. I won’t be putting this one down any time soon.

The whole line of blushes are really beautiful. If you’re heavy handed like me you will love the formula and application. These blushes are designed for everyday use and wear. I would not compare them to a MAC or NARS blush. This is a totally different formula. These blushes don’t have as much pigment. They apply to the skin very lightly. Even when you pick up a lot of product. Lorac really accomplished their goal with this product and the name is spot on. I hope you fall in love with these blushes as much as I have. They are really pretty.

Buxom Full on Lip Polish Review

I have been a huge fan of BareMinerals for years. I loved their mineral foundation. That foundation was the first powder form of foundation that didn’t make me look ashy or ghostly. It never broke me out and it lasted forever. I was pleasantly surprised when the company came out with the Buxom line.

The first gloss I tried was Sandy. It was so beautiful and I loved the tingle it gave my lips. It was gorgeous on top of any lipstick that I wore. I used the entire tube and repurchased four times. I have been using and loving buxom glosses ever since. It has been about ten years now that I have been a devoted BareMinerals and Buxom lip polish user.

Lately they have been coming back in with more new colors. 100 in all. Which is so incredible. Each one lends a different undertone and hue. Each one sparkles and shines in it’s own way. There is a color for every skin tone and every woman. Whether you are a diva, or stay at home mom, Buxom has your perfect pout. Let’s talk about two of my favorites.

Brandi

Candied Berry

 This color is my true love. I am always reaching for this color and usually have a backup of this somewhere in my makeup stash. It looks like it’s a dramatic color in the container but on the lips, it is a sheer wash of berry with a little bit of brown undertone, I can never go wrong with this one.

Sarina

Chocolate Sparkle
This color has also become a favorite. I love a nude lip and this color is perfect to wear over a nude lipstick, with a nude lip liner or just on it’s own. I love this color on it’s own. It gives my lips a nice sparkle and shine. It makes me look a little more pulled together even on a minimal or no makeup day. I keep this shade in my makeup bag. It’s great for touch ups no matter what color I was wearing. 
The only complaint that I have heard about this gloss is the tingle and the stickiness. Gloss is such a personal preference. Some like a sticky gloss, like myself and others like a more slippery gloss. I love the feel of this gloss too. The tingle is actually very cooling to my lips, which is always welcome. It’s like popping a mint without actually eating one. I can’t testify to the plumping effect because my lips are pretty full, but the tingle does make you pout a little. I think that is the point of the cooling inside the formula. 
The Buxom full on lip polish retails for $20.00. I think they are worth every penny of your investment. If you don’t want to splurge on just one then get a set of minis to try and see if you like them. I recommend The Pout of paradise set or the Ulta exclusive Six degrees below. Both sets retail for $32.00. You get six minis to try and hopefully you’ll fall in love with them the way I have.

Too Faced Le Grand Chateau collection update and review- 7 months later.

I actually got this palette in November of last year so it has been a little over seven months for me. This was a part of the Too Faced holiday collection of 2015. I was so in love with the design and the concept that I just couldn’t pass it up. I got it from HSN.com and I enjoyed every minute of it. I did gift one of the palettes inside to my sister and she enjoys it still till this day.  I can’t say enough about this little collection.The packaging was so cute and I kept the little house it came in until about a month ago. I’m usually not a sucker  for packaging but this was soooo cute. I must say, as usual, the quality of the shadows and blushes is what we, who love Too Faced, have come to love and expect. I was exceedingly happy with the product. The pigmentation was awesome and the wear is incredible.
Photo: http://www.makeupalley.com
The two palettes out of this collection that I kept for myself are the teal and black palette. They are what I reach for on an everyday basis. Alongside my Too Faced Chocolate Bar eye shadow palette these are staples in my makeup wardrobe for every day. 
The teal green palette has all the brown neutral colors needed for an every day look and even some shimer. There’s a shimmery black in there but it doesn’t come off glittery on the eye. It really transforms. The blush, Mademoiselle, is a favorite of mine. Even on my deep caramel skin it still brings a slight bit of color and internal glow to my cheeks. Like I said, this pallette is like a great pair of jeans. It goes with everything all the time you can’t go wrong.         
Now let’s talk about the black palette. I’ve saved the best for last. I love purple but, I have never been courageous enough to wear it in an eyeshadow. I am so glad I got this holiday set because it gave me a purple that I could wear and coordinating colors to go with it. The shade, Provence, is so beautiful on the lid. It’s a lavender with a kick and  a little shimmer. It has a smooth satin finish. It looks so perfect on the eyes. The shade Le Marais is also a surprise. its looks like a white satin but has a duo chrome purple undertone to it. It really transforms when applied to the skin. The shade Parfait, makes a beautiful pink toned highlight. Not just on the eyes, but on the cheekbones as well. There’s also a matte black and  a matte taupe for blending and crease work.  The blush is absolutely stunning. 
Now let’s talk about Better Than Sex mascara. I loved what it did for my lashes and the deluxe sample size was more than a sample. It lasted me for three months. I loved that mascara and it didn’t give me raccoon eyes. Which a lot of mascaras do. I’ve had no bad experience with this one at all. I love the volume and definition it gives. It still doesn’t beat my L’Oreal voluminous, but it came a close second. 
I look forward to this year’s holiday palettes and sets from every brand. I can’t wait to see what they all try to tempt and tantalize us with this year. I’m definitely saving my pennies for that one thing that catches my eye. Hope you guys are waiting and watching with me because holiday 2016 is going to be phenomenal. 

Why I love makeup

I have a secret to tell you. I am in love with makeup, all kinds of makeup. Makeup has the power to make you feel and look better. Ever since I found out how to use makeup and what it does I fell in love. This all started about 17 years ago. I was a senior in high school. I was very depressed and felt bad about myself and how I looked. Typical teenage behavior. I have always been overweight but, that never stopped me from playing sports or being active. I just needed something to take my attention away from the depression and teenage life. I was transitioning to a young woman and was basically stuck in a rut.

As a child I watched my grandmother and three of my aunts wear makeup religiously. I constantly got into trouble for playing in their makeup. So many beautiful bottles of perfume, lotion, and potions. I would get excited to go shopping and watch them try on products and smell perfumes. I loved every minute of it. So many things to see, touch, smell, and smear. I loved makeup from that moment on.

As a young lady I would play with lipstick and eyeliner and once again get fussed at or punished for messing up my face. So as I got through high school and junior prom came around it was time for me to do a little something to my face. My eldest aunt saw my dilemma and was only to eager to help. Her makeup was always gorgeous and she did it everyday no matter what or how she felt. I wanted to be that girl.

For months we practiced as I mastered each skill one at a time. First was skincare because great makeup starts with great skin. That hasn’t changed throughout the years. Next was brows. I learned how to tweeze them and then came the eyebrow shapers. We mastered that one together. Then came blush and lipstick. Within a few weeks I was ready to tie it all together. Last was eyeshadow. I wondered why but now I know. It is the hardest to master. It takes a lot of time and patience. You have to really be careful to use eyeshadow to compliment your eyes or you’ll look like a clown.

Prom night came and I was confident enough to do my own makeup. I was so proud and my pictures were just gorgeous. This experience for me was more than just makeup. It was a lesson in confidence and patience. It was the most rewarding experience ever. The range of emotion I felt was like no other and the time spent with my aunt as she painstakingly taught me each step was unforgettable.
She is the reason that I became a makeup artist and a Youtuber.

I want to teach others just like she taught me so they can be as confident as I am now. Not just about their makeup but about themselves. That was the most valuable lesson I learned. Makeup for me isn’t about hiding flaws or looking like a living barbie. It’s a testament to the person that I have become today through the journey of learning and growing. I hope that one day I can touch the lives of women in a way that increases their self confidence and helps them to grow and flourish the way I have.

Each learning process is different for everyone. I’m just grateful that someone took the time to teach me. I didn’t just learn about makeup, I learned about myself and what I could accomplish.

Plus Size Bikini Lookbook | Target 2016

As a grown woman in my 30’s, I’m now starting to have body issues. I’ve always been plus size. Even as a child and again as a young woman. Social media is the culprit for a lot of our body image issues. They give us these false images of perfection that we are supposed to emulate. They tell us that this is acceptable and nothing else. Well, this young lady is breaking the barriers and showing the world that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

I discovered Loey Lane a year ago on YouTube. She is gorgeous, down to earth and confident. Her videos have helped me to embrace myself and appreciate my own body. I’m comfortable in my own skin and I have to give this young lady props for that. She is amazing and this video shows that. I wish her much success in the journey ahead.

Becca Shimmering skin perfector review- Opal and Blushed Copper

Blushed Copper

I had been hearing and seeing all the hype about Becca Shimmering skin perfectors for a while. I had seen so many reviews, swatches and demos. I really liked what I saw and heard but still wondered what all the hype was about. So, I finally dove in and ordered two. I wanted the one that was most raved about which is Opal. But when I was shopping online, Blushed Copper caught my eye. It looked like someone had taken a bronzed diamond and put it in a compact. It was so gorgeous I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. The product and the packaging are so gorgeous and the result of this skin perfector is beautiful. I can’t say enough about this product but what I can say, to sum it up in one word, gorgeous. I wasn’t expecting to love this product but I do. It gives a beautiful glow on my skin tone. It makes me look lit from within. I love this skin perfector and I use it also as a light blush on the days when I’m wearing minimal makeup. This product is every bit as much of a gem as it looks. Its especially stunning on tan and deeper skin tones.

Opal

Now let’s talk about the star of the show, Opal. This product was so hyped up I almost didn’t purchased it. I was so skeptical, as usual, about it that it made me go and google it. After I had read 35 reviews and blog post and watched 60 videos, I added it to my cart and checked out. I waited ever so patiently for them to arrive. Even after the order was placed I was still having second thoughts. So then they arrive at my door and I must say the angels were singing. Now I know why Opal is so raved and talked about and recommended so much. It is the most gorgeou and yet universal highlights ever. I love the way it makes you look lit from within. So beautiful on every single skin tone. I just can’t say enough. I will say that these will be a repurchase. They are always in my makeup bag and I use them every single day that I wear makeup. These two products definitely get five stars each from me. I actually don’t know how I was living without them.