Becca Cosmetics is probably my go to brand for anything shimmery. I absolutely adore their Shimmering Skin Perfector highlighters and since discovering the brand a few years ago have slowly added a bunch of their products to my make up stash and want to share it with you all and give a run down of my favorite products and one that I absolutely hate...

Keep reading for more...

 

Shimmering Skin Perfectors $38

This is the product that kicked off my love affair! I personally love a super intense highlight and these are definitely that. They aren't bestselling for nothing! The finish of the line as a whole is really creamy and extremely pigmented. They also blend out nicely and can be sheered out which I can appreciate especially because I wear these a few days a week to work.

Opal - This is my very first highlighter and is still my favorite for highlighting the center of my face. There is something about the golden pearl tone of this highlighter that really draws attention to my face and for all the right reasons. I can't use it on the tops of my cheeks because it comes off slightly ashy, but I think its a great versatile shade and works for a wide variety of  skin tones.

Champagne Gold- I really love this color on dark skin. It's a true yellow gold and perfect for summer time minimal makeup wear. It was limited edition, but I am so glad I have it in my collection.
  
Moonstone -This little mini came as a part of a Sephora Favorites set I picked up around the holidays. I personally can't wear this icy pale highlighter as an actual highlight on my skin tone, but I do love this as eye shadow and in the inner corner of my eye. It is beautiful and really opens up the eye especially with smokey dark looks.

Luminous Blush in Blushed Copper $34

I first tried out the luminous blush formula in the Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection palette, but this deep copper shade literally gives me life. It's so pretty and is dark enough to really bring out the warm undertones in my collection. I don't ever wear this shade with highlighter because it works well on its own. If you have a similar skin tone to mine, this blush is a must have!

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette $59

I almost didn't buy this palette.I tend to stray away from super hyped up products, but as soon as I swatched this in Sephora it had to come home with me. It features Champagne Pop (Peachy Orange Gold) and Prosecco Pop (Light Medium Gold) Shimmering Skin Perfectors, which I found to be beautiful colors that translate well on a variety of skin tones. My favorite part of this palette is hands down Rose Spritz, a Luminous Blush that is raspberry with gold shimmer. Pretty is an understatement! The other blushes in the palette Pamplemousse and Amaretto are also really pretty and blend into the skin well. This was worth the money in my opinion and it definitely holds its weight in my makeup collection.

Afterglow Palette $39 | Post

I picked this palette up for Christmas the year before last because I wanted to add the Rose Gold and Topaz Shimmering Skin Perfectors to my collection without getting full sized products. This is my go to palette for travel because it gives me options and in a pinch can serve as eye shadow, highlighter and blush. It also features two mineral blushes Flower Child and Wild Honey that are so gorgeous on my skin.

L to R: Opal, Champagne Gold, Blushed Copper, Moonstone

Shimmering Skin Perfectors

Becca Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Afterglow Palette

 

First Light Priming Filter $38 | Post

This primer is amazing. It gives the softest glow under makeup. It has a lavender tint and tiny reflective particles that are not noticeable at all. This is holy grail low maintenance makeup for me. I also love the citrus scent. Check out my full review here. 

Soft Light Blurring Powder $38

I did a full review on this product, but long story short I hate this powder. It's an odd color and sits on top of product without blending in. This is the one Becca product that I think can definitely be a pass. Don't buy this...you will thank me later.

Becca Ever Matte Foundation $42 | Post

Although my skin is pretty normal and even kind of dry, in the summer I sweat a lot! This foundation is seriously heat and water proof. When I need a flawless base and I'm going to be outside this is my go to. The finish of this is matte and it offers full coverage, so its not for those I also love the color selection of this line. There is something for every skintone and undertone you can think of and my shade is Mohogany.

Becca Soft Kabuki Brush $30

I got this brush along with the setting powder and although its super soft and luxurious I don't feel like its worth $30.

What are some of the Becca Products you can't live without? Feel free to shop my faves below!

During Black Friday last year, I really went HAM on makeup purchases. One of the brands that I had been wanting to pick up some new items from was J. Cat Beauty. 

This brand is actually available at Ulta and I love a few of their lip products, particularly the lip paints, but only in limited release. So on black Friday, when they had a 35 percent off sale, I decided to just go for it and try a couple more of their products, including the eye shadow palettes I am going to show you today.




The 24 Eyeshadow palette is one of J. Cat's new releases and comes in 3 variations. I was able to pick up the Hollywood Blvd and Santa Monica palettes. The Hollywood palette is a bright and bold palette, while Santa Monica has a cool palette. They retail for $17.99 and can be purchased on the J. Cat Website here.


There are 12 mattes and 12 shimmers in each palette and at $17.99 I think that this is a pretty good deal! As far as color preference, I think that I was drawn more to Santa Monica. The mattes in this palette are to die for and the shimmers are so pretty.

The question is though...How do these perform on the eye? Are they a beauty steal or complete waste of time.

Swatches - Santa Monica

First Row

Second Row

3rd Row

4th Row

Swatches - Hollywood

1st Row

2nd Row

3rd Row

4th Row

Review

Pigmentation - 3.5

The pigmentation in this palette is hit and miss. All of the shimmers are stunning, they pick up nicely with a brush, but the mattes leave a lot to be desired. They have to be built up and the brighter colors perform way better than the deep smokey colors like the black and greys! These will need a good sticky primer to stick to the eye. I typically used the Wet n Wild eye shadow palette and it worked amazing.

Packaging- 4

These palettes have basic black packaging, much like the Morphe palettes. There is no mirror and each shadow is about the size of a Mac Eyeshadow. The shadows are arranged so that the shimmers are the first two rows and the bottom two rows are all matte. Both palettes, are cohesive in the color selection. You can definitely use these palettes stand alone to complete and eye look as there is a pretty good variety to choose from.

Performance - 3

This palette is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. I think that the shimmers are gorgeous. They are super pigmented and almost have like a heavy silicon feel to them. I am pretty sure that's what makes them show up on the eye at full pigmentation.

I just really don't care for the mattes. First, you will definitely need primer and a good base for any of the mattes to show up. I found that it took several layers of product for some of the shadows to show true to color and found them to be powdery. Some are definitely better than others. For example, all of the mid tone mattes are really pretty and look nice on the eye, but the darker mattes just didn't have the intensity that I personally like. I think lighter skin tones will love the pigmentation, but the NW45 girl needed just a little bit more.

These have pretty good staying power, but primer is a must for most eye shadows and these are no exception.

The palette is still worth it for the price. All in all there were only 2 or three duds in each palette. Make sure you find a coupon code, as the site always has a 25% code and free shipping over $25. I am glad I have these in my collection and definitely use them on a regular basis!

Have you tried the J. Cat Beauty 24 Eye shadow palettes yet? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!

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Florals in Bloom

  Statement Stripes

 

 

Pink

What are some of your favorite trends for this season? Drop me a comment and let me know!

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So.... its been about two months since I've subscribed to both the Ipsy Glam Bag and Boxy Charm Beauty Box and I want to talk about some products that I have been loving so far. Most of these will be from Boxycharm since I only received one Ipsy Glam Bag

So before we get started on the faves, let me give you a little info on these boxes:

Ipsy Glam Bag

This bag is 10 dollars a month and features 5 random beauty products mostly sample sized and a different themed makeup bag. This bag is perfect for anyone who loves to try out new up and coming makeup brands and is fine with getting mostly samples.

Boxy Charm Box

This is a subscription box and is $21 dollars a month. Features four to 5 Deluxe and Full sized beauty products. Mix of well known beauty brands like Makeup Geek and also up and coming brands that no one is ever heard up. This box's retail value is typically over 100 dollars making this box a crazy deal if you love to try out new mid to high end products.

 

Favorites

 

Lisa Frank Blush Brush 

When I found out I would be getting this in my first Ipsy Glam bag, I got over the top excited. This brush was so nostalgic for me! Lisa Frank is iconic for her bright cartoon prints and was the ultimate expression of girly in the 90s  and is apparently making a comeback very soon with makeup products. Now I can't say its the best brush I've ever used, but its so freaking cute and makes me feel like I'm back in elementary school.

 

Crown Deluxe Fan Brush 

i have been loving this brush for highlighter. It deposits the right amount of product and I love how fluffy and dense the bristles are. I was never really a big deluxe fan brush kind of girl, but this has really converted me. I also love Crown brushes because they are affordable and really good and this is no exception to the rule. Boxycharm did a good job with this one.

 

Naked Cosmetics Urban Rustic Pressed Pigments Trio

This is my favorite Boxycharm item by far, it combines all of the things I love about an eye shadow. This little palette features 3 very warm pressed eye shadow pigments! The pigmentation is crazy good and these are perfect lid colors for my everyday makeup when I want something simple and gorgeous. Check out more from Naked Cosmetics here.

 

Ofra Highlighter in Rodeo Drive

This highlighter is so bomb. I had never really tried anything from Ofra so I was excited when Boxycharm sent this in the April Box. This shade is called Rodeo Drive and is a gorgeous Champagne Gold Highlight. It feels so smooth and buttery and applies so smoothly and doesn't have too much chunky glitter. This is a good highlighter for special occasions as it it super intense, but can be toned down for every day use.

Beauty For Real Blush + Glo in Pink Lit

I was surprised that I actually like this duo. I don't really ever like stick blush products, but this one has been amazing for everyday use for me. The colors in this stick are very subtle and kind of sheer, but perfect for my minimal work makeup looks. I did a little research on the brand Beauty for Real and it seems to cater to women who love minimal effortless makeup so the product makes sense. I like this stick because it's super low maintenance, but gives just enough glam.

 

Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Mask

Over the past few months I have become obsessed with masking! I literally apply some time of mask every day and my skin has definitely reaped the benefits of this new habit. I typically look for any masks that are either hydrating for my super dry skin or brightening because hyper pigmentation has been a struggle of mine recently. I love how this masks leaves my face feeling after I apply it. It also applies easily and doesn't leave my skin sticky at all afterwards. I will definitely be picking these up when I run out.

 

RealHer Lip Liner in "I am Unique"

Lip liner is an essential product for me. I recieved this lip liner in my April Boxycharm and I have been using it non stop. It is the perfect wine color for me to use with all of my nude and pink lipsticks. It's also really pigmented and super smooth and creamy which is a must for me.

Naked Cosmetics Urban Rustic Trio

Ofra Cosmetics Rodeo Drive Highlighter

Overall, Boxycharm and Ipsy have not let me down yet. Now keep in mind I am a product junkie and this is definitely keeps me from buying as much. I can't wait to see what's in next month's box.

What subscription boxes have been on your radar lately? Drop me a comment below.

If you liked wha you saw today, you can sign up for Ipsy here or Boxycharm here.

 

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Happy Tuesday y'all!

I feel like I haven't done a Face of the Day post on my blog in forever. However, I was in love with a look I created over the weekend and just had to show you all. Now, I have always been a fan of super warm eye shadow looks and almost always incorporate a warm tone as my transition shade and this look is no exception.

Am I the only one that struggles with wearing a full face during the week?

It just does not feel practical for me at all. I usually stick to minimal or no makeup for my day to day, but I love to glam it upon the weekends. Glam for me typically includes Warm tones and of course false lashes.

For this look, I only used two eye shadows from the Juvia's Place Nubian 2 palette and a ton of the Lorac Cosmetics Twilight Highlighter. I also kept the the lip simple only using Coloured Raine's Lip Paint in Single. If you haven't checked out any these products, run and try them. The Juvia's place palettes have been all over social media, but I picked mine up on Hautelook a few months ago.

Products Used

Primer: Smashbox Photofinish Primer
Foundation: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation
Brows: Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in " Granite"
Eyeshadow: Juvia's Place Nubian II Palette "Morocco" in the crease
Eyeliner: Nyx Wonder Pencil in "Dark" on bottom Waterlime
Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape in "Dark"
Setting Powder: Ben Nye Luxury Powder in "Topaz" and "Zuri" on the lid
All Over Face Powder: Mac Mineralized Skinfinish in "Dark"
Contour: Ruby Kisses Mineral Face Powder
Highlighter: Lorac Cosmetics Light Source Illuminating Highlighter in "Twilight"
Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion
Lipstick: Coloured Raine Lip Paint in "Single"

I honestly feel like the Sephora VIB sale is the sale of all sales in the beauty community. 

Twice a year, Sephora has a 15% off sale for VIB Rouge and VIB, they also offer 10% to Beauty Insiders. Typically, I don't get to participate because I have never been VIB or VIB Rouge, until this year. This was my first year being VIB, so I was more than excited to pick up some new beauty products that I can only get at Sephora.

Although there were so many things that I wanted, I tried to stick to buying things that I couldn't get at Ulta and things that were either re-ups or unique items that my collection could benefit from. So for me that meant no more eyeshadows or eyeshadow palettes, because I am currently saturated in new palettes. I also skipped on picking up any new skincare since I am trying out some Murad products especially for some hyperpigmentation I have been experiencing recently. More to come on that, but lets take a look at what I picked up from the VIB sale.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation - $47

I have raved about this foundation before because it is truly my hold grail coverage and finish wise. If you haven't tried this out, this foundation is full coverage without feeling heavy on the skin. It also lasts all day, which is essential in this NOLA heat. Now, I typically don't let the girls in Sephora match me, because the lighting is weird but I think the color she chose, 500 Suede W is  a good match and slightly deeper than 470 Suede W I also have. So I think I'll be rocking this foundation all summer. Definitely worth the investment in my opinion.

Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer - Dulce de Leche - $14

I have been seeing some many other beauty lovers rave about this concealer that I had to finally try it out. I know that I'm super late to the party, but it felt really good when I swatched it. This may just become my new favorite concealer. It's also really affordable in comparison to the Urban Decay Naked Skin and Tarte Shape Tape, so either way it was worth a try to me.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick - Lovecraft - $20

I really love the formula of the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks, but haven't really picked up any since I first got Lolita and Backstage Bambi so I decided Lovecraft would be the perfect addition to my collection. It is a medium mauve nude pink, which I personally love for summer. Actually, I would wear mauve lipstick everyday if I could so I'm super stoked to have this lipstick. The formula of these agrees with my ultra dry lips.

Sephora Cream Lipstain - Bohemian Purple - $14

This lipstick from Sephora is also one of the products that I see constantly hyped up on social media, that I figured I should try out since it was on sale. This lipstain performed amazing! It was ultra comfortable and the color applied with full opacity on one swipe. My favorite thing is that I lasted long, but as it did wear down it faded nicely. The color I got was Bohemian Purple, cool midtone gray purple, and is right up my alley color wise. There are so many shades in this range and I definitely will be picking up more colors

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush - Blushed Copper - $34

This blush from Becca has been on my wishlist since it was released as a limited edition Shimmering Skin Perfector like 2 years ago. I think it is the perfect summer glow for dark skin and I couldnt resist picking this up. Becca does highlighting face products really well and this is no exception. The quality of this is amazing. It's finely milled and so radiant. I have been wearing this every day since I got it and thoroughly enjoy it.

Drop me a comment and let me know what items you picked up from the Sephora VIB Sale and if you have been loving them. 

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