Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette Swatches for Brown Girls

Hey guys! Welcome back to my blog. So today I wanna show you something you've probably already seen, but had to post about it. Being a brown girl, it's hard to find a lot of beauty blogs or YouTube channels that I can really relate to. I'm just a regular girl who has a true fascination with makeup and beauty. I do these reviews and swatches of "older" products for those you who are like me and are waiting for something from another POC before they spend money on something that won't work for them.

I bought this on the Coastal Scents website in a bundle. You can see what all I got here. I'm not positive how much I got the bundle for, but this palette is almost always on sale for about 20$. You can buy this directly from Coastal Scents, Amazon, or the Birchbox Shop.

Aside from the Revealed 2, Coastal Scents also has the original Revealed Palette, as well as the Revealed 3. I don't own either of those, but I'm considering picking up the 3. The Revealed 2 just has colors that really appealed to my romantic side. You can do so many different looks with this, and all the shades look amazing on my skin.

Packaging:

This palette is made of cardboard, but that doesn't make it look or feel cheap. It's very thin and compact, which makes it great for travel. The logo is simple and not overdone, and the palette comes with a magnetic closure.

Color Scheme:

We all know this palette was supposed to be a dupe for the Naked 3 Palette from Urban Decay. You can find comparisons almost everywhere if you Google search it. These shades all go together really well. The way they are laid out in the palette looks great and also make for easy color combinations.

Shadow Finishes:

There are 20 shadows in this palette. 7 of them are matte, including a medium brown and a black. That leaves us with 9 satins and 4 shimmers.

Pigmentation:

All of these shadows have really amazing pigmentation. There isn't one of these that I have to work to build the color. The lighter shades may look a bit ashy on darker skin, but they blend out well enough that if you were to use them, it would look just fine. The staple shades like the copper, matte browns, and matte black all have lovely pigmentation and aren't chalky.

Pros:

magnetic closure - travel friendly - great pigmentation - shade range - range of finishes - great value - blendability

Cons:

no mirror

Rating:

9.5/10

The only thing I would change about this palette is the fact that it doesn't come with a mirror. If it did, it would be the perfect palette.

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

elf Lip Exfoliator Review

Hey, girl, hey! Or boy. Do you. Today we're going to talk about the elf Lip Exfoliator. elf released this product many, many eons ago, and I just recently picked it up the last time they had a sale. You can check out that haul right here. Before we get started, I just have to say that I HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON THIS!!! That should tell you the direction this review is headed, lol.

I bought mine on the elf website, but you can also find these at your local Wal-Mart, Target, or anywhere else that sells elf products. It usually costs 2-3$.

Format:

This is the first lip exfoliator I've ever seen in a lipstick tube. Most others come in a pot or in the form of a mask. Pots are too messy for me, and I don't like getting the grit stuck under my nails. Masks have to set, and they aren't convenient for travel. With this, you can toss it in your purse and have smooth lips whenever you want. 

Exfoliation:

As far as what this does for my lips, it definitely leaves them feeling smooth after each use. The grit in this isn't too big or too small. You have to work through the initial layer of moisturizer holding it together, but once you get to the actual sugar, you're home free. 

Pros:

easy access tube - smells wonderful - exfoliates without irritation - moisturizes at the same time - inexpensive

Cons: 

can melt easily 

Rating:

9.5/10

Overall, if you're looking for something to get the job done that doesn't cost a ton, this is your best bed. 

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

City Color Cosmetics Sunkissed Trio Review & Swatches

It's time for a review! Yay! I really like doing reviews. I always find reviews helpful when looking into buying a new product or when looking to find a new product you think you might like.

I found this at my local Five Below store. If there aren't any of these in your area, these are also available on the City Color website, Amazon, or eBay. The pricing does vary quite a lot from site to site, but at Five Below, it'll cost you 5$, max.

There are 4 different color combinations: Golden, Tan, Natural Nude, and Bronzed Peach. I have Tan. Looking at these in the store, I chose the one with the deepest bronzer and the highlight that would look the best on dark skin.

Blush:

The blush is a really pretty, every day dusty mauve color. I'm a bit tanner than I usually am because it's the summer, but in the winter, I think this would be a great color for when I want a really natural looking blush color. Right now, it just adds a bit of a sheen and just barely lightens my cheeks.

Bronzer:

This is the selling point for me. It's really hard for brown girls to find a good bronzer. This one is great! It does contain a sheen, so I couldn't use it to contour, but as far as shade match and application go, this does an amazing job. The powder is fairly soft and it applies really nicely. My skin doesn't look orange at all when I wear it. It just looks bronzed and beautiful.

Light:

I'm still on the fence with this highlight. It isn't the worst I've used, but it doesn't even come close to the best. I was really excited about using this when I first got it. When I finally tried it out, I was stoked to see how it looked on my cheeks. It does have glitter in it, but that doesn't bother me. I like a really intense highlight. But the second time I used it, I realized that the glittery goodness I thought I was getting was nothing more than an overspray. The highlight, itself, has the same great texture as the blush and the bronzer, but I'm just not super excited to see that I was essentially lied to.

Pros:

cruelty free - large enough pans to fit a brush - great color selection - good pigmentation - affordable - good for a range of skintones - great texture - easy to blend

Cons:

inconsistent pricing - glitter overspray on the highlight - kicks up product in the pan - cheap packaging

Rating:

8.5/10

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

June 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag

Welcome back to my only monthly subscription! I received my bag on June 15, so smack dab in the middle of the month. I had peeked at what I was getting when Ipsy sent me the email that the Glam Rooms were open, so I already knew what I was getting, but because I'm me, I completely forgot!

This month, we're all gonna Swim Into Beauty.

"Salt in the air, sand in our hair. Cue the lifeguards because summer will be 5 times the fun when you dive into these beauty must-haves for June."

I totally love this month's bag. I don't know what I was expecting in terms of design, but this definitely wasn't it. It is so freaking cute though!

Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Body Butter in Pure Vanilla

I'm not gonna say I'm upset about this, but I'm not super thrilled with the size. The bottle has 0.85 oz of product. We could have at least gotten a full ounce. Even with the irritating size, the actual lotion smells really great and is made with all natural ingredients, which is a plus. I won't ever say no to a travel sized lotion since I always keep these in my car.

TrèStique Mini Eyeshadow Crayon in Venetian Gold

I have to be honest: I was really confused when I first pulled this out. I thought I had lost the cap to it and couldn't find it in the bag until I went to swatch it and found out the packaging was made to look like a little crayon. How. Stinking. Cute! This brand is new to me, but this feels super nice when swatched and the color is stunning.

Formula X Nail Color in Power Source

I'm so excited to try this nail polish! I remember when this brand was introduced at Sephora and everyone was raving about it. This is a mini size, but since it's nail polish, that's perfectly fine with me. The color is perfect for the middle of summer. I can't wait to wear this. I think it'll be the next color on my toes.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

While I am excited to finally try out this primer, I really wish I had gotten the Too Faced Melted Lipstick. With that being said, I do love primers and trying out new ones. I've heard a million different things about this, and I'm glad to be able to decide for myself. Plus I just finished going decluttering my primers and I now have room for more.

It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe

Getting a brow pencil, let alone a brow pencil from It Cosmetics, is freaking awesome! Right now I'm on a brow product kick and I'm looking for some new brow products to try, so good job Ipsy for sending me this. You read my mind!

Price Summary:

Lavanila Body Butter - 2.41

TrèStique Crayon - 10.67

Formula X Polish - 3.41

Smashbox Primer - 9.00

It Cosmetics Pencil - 6.00

Total: 31.49

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

Friday Night Face 6.19.15

Hello, Hello again! This is episode 5 of my Friday Night Face. I have done this for an entire month. I'm so proud of myself! I've really enjoyed doing this with you guys, but this will be my last for a bit because I have so many products to review and I want room for those reviews to go up instead of what I wore on my face. I'm working on another place for that. *hint*hint*

Base

I actually got up and washed my face that morning, so I need a bit of extra hyrdation before I started. So I used my Jaqua Rose Bouquet Hydrating Facial Mist for a little moisture. Like always, I mixed my primers. I first applied the SheerCover Base Perfector Primer mainly in the t-zone and center of the face. I applied my Rimmel Fix & Perfect all over.

Eyes

I decided to mix it up with my choice of eyeshadow primer and go with a cream base instead. I used the Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB Cream Eyeshadow in Divine Wine all over the lid and blended it up inti the crease with my finger. All over the lid to set that, I used the color Tiramisu from my Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette with a fluffy blending brush. Using a flat shader brush and my Maybelline quad in Coral Oasis, I put the orange shade on the inner 2/3 of the lid. For the outter corner, I used the deepest shade from the quad on the fluffier side of my dual ended Crown Brush. I also brought that shade a bit into the crease for a bit of extra definition. Going back to the Julep palette and my blending brush, I picked up Toffee and blended the eyeshadows together in my crease.

Taking the Starlooks Slanted Liner brush and my elf Cream Eyeliner in Midnight, I gave myself a small wing and lined my eyes. With the LA Colors black pencil liner, I lined my waterline, and using the pointier side of the Crown Brush, I picked up some of the gold shade from the Coral Oasis quad and placed it all along my lower lash line. With the same brush, I used the lightest shade from the quad as my inner corner highlight. I used my new favorite mascara, L'Oréal Lash Out Butterfly, and applied 2 coats to my top lashes and one coat to my lower. 

Face

The first thing I did was color correct around my mouth and under my eyes using an orange lipstick from Shany Cosmetics. I used my fingers to blend. On top of that went my staple Maybelline Fit Me Foundation. I used a flat top kabuki to blend it into the skin. I've recently becan obsessing over my LA Girl Pro Concealer in the shade Toffee, and used my fingers to blend again. That went under my eyes and in the usually places I like to highlight. 

To set my concealer, once again, I used the elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder and a cosmetic sponge. For the rest of my face, I used the NYC Smooth Skin Transluscent Loose Setting Powder and my Mary Kay Mineral Foundation Brush to set my foundation. Taking an angled blush brush from BH Cosmetics and the Milani Baked Bronzer in 06 Golden, I bronzed my cheeks. With that same brush, I countoured using the elf Mineral Foundation in Deep. For blush, I used a powder brush from BH Cosmetics and Berry Shimmer from Wet N Wild. I went back to my elf Blushed Gems Baked Highlight and a no name fan brush. 

Brows

Since I got it in my Ipsy bag this month, I can't stop using the It Cosmetics Brow Power Pencil to fill in my brows. I blended the product through with the spoolie that it comes with on one end of the pencil. Because this product doesn't really grab onto my brows and hold them in place, I coated them with my City Color Bold Brow Gel. 

Lips

My second bunch of LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints recently came in, so I tried out the shade Whisper. I applied it with my BH Cosmetics Lip Brush. I just applied one light layer. Over it went my Wet N Wild Lip Liner in the shade Chestnut just to line my lips and help this light of a lip color not look so stark against my skin. 

Thank you all so much for being here with me and supporting my blog. Until Next time...

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

Project Mini Pan 3 Week Update

It has officially been 3 weeks since I started my very first Project Pan. I have issues with following through on any type of project that I start, so this Project Pan only included 5 products. I'm hoping to finish these by July 10, 2015. Since we're at the halfway point, it's time to check on my progress. I've got to say, I honestly thought I'd have done more damage. I'm going to jump in and start with the product I've had the most progress with.

SheerCover Base Perfector Primer

I am almost finished with this completely! I've been using this all over my face instead of just in my t-zone, and that's really helped me finish this off. It looks like I only have a few more days to a week of usage left out of this if I cut it open. I usually try to get as much product out of a tube as possible because I hate wasting money.

Clean & Clear Essentials Deep Cleaning Astringent

This was the product I expected to have the most progress on. I was thinking since I use this for my daytime and nighttime skincare routines that I would finish it up quickly. I probably would have if I hadn't been slacking on washing my face lately. I know I can finish this if I actually follow through and wash my face like I'm supposed to. The progress shown is from using the product about half the time I'm supposed to. 

Freeman Beauty Facial Clay Mask - Avocado & Oatmeal

It's the same story for this mask. I haven't been washing my face like I should be. I think I may have used this once a week for the last three weeks and my sister has used it twice when she's come over. I need to step up my game and try using this at least twice a week. I know I won't finish it unless I have help, but I need to at least get close. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - 320 Honey Beige

I swear, this is the foundation that just won't die! I have only used this foundation for the last 3 months or so and there is still product left in the bottle. I have no clue how to get rid of it. I obviously made progress, but I seriously thought I would have finished it by the halfway point. I feel like I should just pour it on my face and be done with it, but I couldn't bear to let the product go to waste. This is still one of my all time favorite foundations, and I've already repurchased it in the new matte formula. 

LA Colors Eyeliner/Brow Pencil 

I think I may have used this 4 times. I'm sorry. I'm not sorry. I just haven't been using eyeliner on my top or bottom lash line the past few weeks. I love the how fresh and open my eyes look without liner. I can tell you now that I won't finish this, but I at least want to make noticible progress on it. 

That's it for now, guys. In another 3 weeks, I'll show you guys whether or not I finished some of these, and I'll be starting a whole new project pan!

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

The Purge: Eyeshadow Palettes - Wet N Wild

I've finally gotten to the point where I need to go through my shadow palettes. *deep breath* I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work or if I'll even be able to get rid of any, but I'll definitely try. I don't have these grouped in any particular order as far as price goes. Today I'll go through Wet N Wild.

I have a ton of Wet N Wild palettes. I buy just about every one they release if I get the chance. These were the first shadows I started using way back when. Some of these are really well loved and some not so much. I have one single palette from the Fergie line called Desert Festival. These shadows are gorgeous, especially the orange shade. 

I have 3 larger limited edition palettes from a few Christmas's ago. I've got one really cool toned neutral palette called A Great Glistener, one more smoky neutral palette called No Neutral Ground, and one with brighter colors called Lights, Camera, Attraction. The mattes in theses are phenomenal! I was pleasantly surprised to see that these had matte shadows that were actually really good. Of the three, No Neutral Ground has the best texture and pigmentation. 

And of course I own 2 of the staple 8-pan palettes that are permanent. My (and everyone else's) very favorite is Comfort Zone. Trust me. You need this palette in your life. Petal Pusher is also a very lovely palette. Like the name suggests, it's full of purple floral shades. 

Of their eyeshadow trios, I have 7. My two absolute favorites are Knock On Wood and I'm Getting Sunburned. These have some gorgeous, warm neutral shades that are perfect for everyday.

My two greener trios are I Dream of Greenie and Cool As A Cucumber. Greenie used to be a favorite, but now I just never even want to use it. This one I will pass on. 

The last 3 trios are kind of a mix of colors. Zero Dark Flirty is completely matte, I Got Good Jeans has a gorgeous navy blue that I love, and I'm Feeling Retro has a really lovely pinky purple shade. 

The final batch are 3 of the newer 5-pan palettes. I've got Art in the Streets, The Naked Truth, and Floral Values. The pigmentation on these isn't that great except for Art in the Streets. That's the only one out of this bunch that I'll be keeping. 

Starting Number: 16

Ending Number: 13

I'm actually really surprised that I was able to get rid of a few of these. Wet N Wild makes my favorite drugstore eyeshadows besides the Maybelline quads. I am really glad though. That frees up room in my collection for things I'll like a whole lot more. 

Kiss, Kiss.

-A