LOTD: Urban Decay NAKED Smoky Palette

I'll admit, I held off on buying this palette for a while—even after going the day it came out and swatching it with the BFF. It just didn't do anything for me! I felt like the colors were too similar to the other 5 (!!!) Urban Decay palettes I own, let alone shades I have in other brands of palettes or singles. I ended up buying Too Faced palettes instead, and have loved them, yet I was still drawn to this palette. I ended up swatching it every time I went to Ulta or Sephora but couldn't justify buying it. Sephora ended up having a 3X the points at the beginning of August, so I purchased some staple items and the palette. I thought if I wasn't impressed, I could always return it. I left on a trip right after I received it so it did not make the cut for which palettes I was going to bring. (I only bring palettes I am familiar with and know quick looks to get me out the door fast.) So since getting back I have been wanting to try this new palette and I have to say, my hesitation was unwarranted. What I thought were your typical smoky shadows, were actually very diverse shadows! They might look similar to each other and similar to other shadows we all already have, but these really are a different kind of amazing. The pigmentation, blendability, quality, and intensity are one of a kind! I highly recommend this palette! Here is the first look I came up with:











Thanks for reading! Let me know if you try this look! :)

Review: Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara

Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara is a product I kept hearing about. I bought this online during the hype and I didn't like it at all when I first tried it. As time has gone on, I've liked it more! The problem is that it does seem to flake off onto my cheekbones (imagine thumbs down emoji) and transfer onto my shadows because it does lengthen and it keeps my lashes curled up—which might happen with other mascaras, but they never keep my lashes curled up long enough to transfer. It's a catch-22! I don't know that I will repurchase this as I feel like it doesn't make my lashes thick enough and sometimes makes them look like spider legs if I'm not careful, and because I end up using other mascaras with it, that brings me back to my everyday dilemma of finding the best mascara! Can there please just be a be-all end-all mascara already?! The struggle is real! I hope this helps! Let me know if you've found a mascara that creates fullness, length, curl, and has staying power!

Haley Awards: 2014

I don't know about you, but 2014 was a pretty epic year for me! I graduated from college (finally!!!) and have had lots of fun with my time when I would normally be worrying about class, homework, studying, books, commuting, etc. so that has been nice and I'd say I've adjusted well! :) The year 2014 brought more make up my way to review as well and yet I've relied heavily on no-brainer products when in a rush. I thought it would be fun to start doing Haley Awards for products I think stood out in the crowd and became no-brainer-go-to products. So to you, I present these products...

Best Facial Exfoliator
PMD Personal Microderm Pro: I had used exfoliants and scrubs on my face for years but nothing has improved my skin like this has. I purchased this in September and since I started using it as instructed, my skin is looking revitalized, healthy, and now has a nice glow. I still have breakouts, but not as extreme or for as long.

Best Facial Moisturizer
dōTERRA Essential Skin Care Hydrating Cream: This has helped my skin stay nourished this winter and has helped my skin rebound from the microdermabrasion treatments quicker than anything I've previously been using.

Best Face Primer
Smashbox Oil Free Photo Finish Foundation Primer: Even though the PMD has greatly helped my skin, it is still exfoliating and causing abrasions to promote healthy skin renewal and with that comes some flaking and uneven skin at times, so this primer became necessary to create a smooth canvas for my foundation.

Best Cream Foundation
Make Up Forever HD Foundation (N115): It was certainly a splurge but I have found a foundation that doesn't feel cakey, look cakey, provides excellent coverage, photographs well, and yet doesn't feel like I'm wearing it. It pairs perfectly with the Smashbox primer as well!

Best Powder Foundation
bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation (medium): I have been wearing this for years but have started wearing it over my cream foundation and it it warms up my skin a little while setting my foundation.

Best Concealers
bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation (fairly medium): For slight acne or red areas, this works perfect. Stick concealers wear oddly on my skin and later on in the day they tend to emphasize the blemishes and even appear flakey, which is even more disgusting than a little red area, so I've started patting this foundation on the area and because it's lighter in pigment than my bareMinerals foundation and it's covering an area darker than my normal skin, it blends a lot better. With that said, for blemishes more intense, I use benefit Fake Up (01 Light). It has a clear product surrounding the concealer and although I haven't researched it, I have gathered that it aids in blending the concealer and making in last longer.

Best Bronzer
The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (Light Matte): This is truly perfect for winter! I am more fair but still need to warm up my skin and this does the trick! I think I'll try a darker shade for summer because the formula is that great!

Best Blush
e.l.f. Blush in Berry Merry: This blush goes well with any look and is what I tend to use day after day because it's a no-brainer!

Best Mascara
blinc Mascara Amplified: This mascara's unique technology of "tubing" lashes is revolutionary! I would reach for this on the many mornings that I was in a hurry or didn't want to have to think about which mascara to use. I stare at computer screens all day and my tired eyes would inevitably cause flakes of mascara to fall onto my cheeks and either unattractively stay or get smeared. After long shifts, I would walk away not realizing I had looked like that for who knows how long UNTIL I started using this fabulous mascara. I have even more recently started putting it over Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara because it provides great volume but flakes like cray! Ain't nobody got time fo' dat! It has helped, but I still get some flaking if I don't cover all of the Too Faced Mascara with it.

Best Setting Product
Make Up Forever HD Pressed Powder: This truly does set not only the foundation, but also the blush and highlighters I have on.

Best Enhancer
MAC Fix +: This makes any blush or eyeshadow last longer, photograph better, or give a foiled appearance for a different look. (BTW, did they change the name of it?!)

Best Brow Pencil
MAC Automatic Eyebrow Pencil (Lingering): It's not only the fact that the color that was suggested to me is on point (so important!), but the formula is as well. This lasts all day and I don't worry about it running, clumping, or fading.

Best Eye Primer
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Original): This formula leaves me never wanting to try another primer! It blends well (never looks weird on my fair skin), keeps my eyeshadow in place, makes the eyeshadow more true to color, and never causes creasing.

Most Used Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette: This is still my favorite go-to because it makes my blue eyes pop, creates a natural look, and just always looks good no matter what I'm wearing!

Favorite Eyeshadow Palette Released in 2014
LORAC PRO 2 Palette: Although the NAKED 3 Palette is a no-brainer, this palette is one that also creates a number of looks that can be used everyday! LORAC's eyeshadows are so fragile and need to be used gently, but they are highly pigmented and this particular palette is very diverse and wearable!

Best Lip Exfoliator
e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator: Winter time comes and my lips get rough! This scrub works great and I have made it part of my lipstick application routine!

Best Lipsticks
Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick: These are so creamy and yet stay on! The pigmentation is to die for!

Best Lip Primer
Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm: I haven't ever used a legitimate lip primer, but after I exfoliate, I put this on and it's perfect to create a smooth canvas for my lipstick. It is great to put on by itself too!

Best Body Moisturizer
The Body Shop Body Butter: I received this as a gift from the BFF, and oy! It sure prevented my skin from getting so dry and having to play catch up most of spring!

Best Tools
2X Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove: This made brush cleaning fun, much easier and more effective for me! I just use dish soap and follow the steps on the glove. So simple!

Benjabelle Daisy Brush Tree: After cleaning my brushes, I put them in this tree and it helps dry them so much quicker! Gravity is working in your favor with this product!

Best Brush
Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki: I use this to blend my foundation after I have applied it. It makes a big difference in ensuring that the foundation is smooth and evenly applied on my skin and it's super obvious on my fair skin when it's not blended well!

As you may have noticed, Haley Awards 2014 was mostly high-end products. I think sometimes quality is more important than quantity. I guess it was a year of "treat yoself!" If you read this far, you're a trooper! Thank you!! I would love to hear which products were your favorites during 2014!

Buxom Winner Takes All Lip Gloss Set

L to R:

Chloe

Creamsicle

Sophia

White Russian

Trixie

Berry Blast

I received this as a gift for Christmas from the BFF. I have already worn one of the colors and loved it! I love the Buxom line. They truly are a very lip plumping gloss or cream that is tingly and refreshing! I'm so glad I got this because I was able to try six different shades and two different formulas. This was a great gift for me and would be for anyone who would like to try Buxom or already likes the product line! What fun things did you get for Christmas?

LOTD: Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette

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For this look I used Sonic on my eyelid until the crease with Bondage in the outer-v and crease area. For a highlight, I used Bobby Dazzle. I then used Undone to blend out the shadows into my highlight.  I lined my top and bottom waterline with Ulta's Automatic Eyeliner in Black and used Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara. For blush I used a NAKED Flushed sample I recently received. For my lips I used NYX's Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in Pomegranate Margarita. So far I'm loving this palette! It's great  for fall!

Review: Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick

Beauty Enthusiasts,

Meet Cin Cin, a beautiful coral shade perfect for this time of year!

I highly recommend checking out Bite Beauty lipsticks, especially the Luminous Crème line. I now have three shades.  Each one is highly pigmented, moisturizing, long wearing, and really makes a statement!

Empties

Here are my empties!

The Organix Sunkissed Blonde Lemon Highlights Shampoo may or may not have lightened my hair color. With more exposure to the sun during the summer months it's hard to tell. I guess the true test would be to try it out in the winter months. It has a smell that reminds me of coconut lime verbena from Bath and Bodyworks. The smell is great, but the shampoo and conditioner kind of dried my hair out. I know that it was the shampoo and conditioner because I did not blow dry or curl my hair nearly as much during the time that I used it compared to my normal amount of blow drying and curling. I also noticed this after I used the L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner. The L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner really moisturized my hair, had a nice scent, and the conditioner was moisturizing without being too heavy. The rest of the products are my staples and I have since repurchased them.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask

Ever feel like your skin is too dry to exfoliate but looks dull or your pores feel clogged? This happens to me in the summer when I've been using sunscreens, aloe vera, been in chlorine, have been sweating more, etc. I'm going to tell you what I like to do for that! First, I remove my eye makeup using a moist towelette or an eye makeup remover and cotton swab. Then I use:

It's perfect for summer as it has a cool, tingly quality that won't irritate your skin (that might be recovering from excessive sun exposure) like an exfoliant. All you have to do is spread the product on your face and allow it to dry. After it's dry it becomes taught, less green, more white and kind of crusty. I like the water from my sink to warm up just a bit and then I cup some in my hand and gently moisten the dry mask to dissolve it. After I get most of it off, I like to use a daily facial towelette and gently exfoliate to make sure I get all of the mask off and whatever eye makeup may be remaining. I usually do this at night so I have one more face washing before I put on makeup or go out with patches of forgotten mask. After washing, I pat my face dry with a wash cloth and then apply a light moisturizer. My skin is left radiant and refreshed! What are your skin care tips for summer?

Review: Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stains

A small picture at ULTA of a model wearing Barcelona Nights caught my eye and I HAD to have it! Thankfully, they had it in stock! Here are a couple of pictures of me wearing it.

I also bought India Intrigue. Here's a comparison swatch:

(Top: Barcelona Nights, Bottom: India Intrigue)

As you'll notice, they're pretty similar and hard to differentiate, but I wasn't sure if the packaging was down playing their differences or if they were being slightly dramatic in making Barcelona Nights seem brighter and India Intrigue deeper. Now you and I know you don't need both!

It has a broad but thin applicator...

The product itself is very wet, cool, spreads easily but doesn't run, is highly pigmented, has a shiny finish, has a paint-like smell when first applied, but goes away, is long-lasting and wears fairly well, but the shine fades leaving the lips pigmented but not as pretty.

I haven't tried any of the other colors, but I love the quality of this product and would definitely recommend it!

Have you tried any of the other colors? Did you like the product?

LOTD: Laura Geller's Baked ImPRESSions Eye Palette

This is Laura Geller's Baked ImPRESSions Eye Palette in Iced Berry Blend:

I bought it off of HauteLook and thought it would make my blue eyes pop. I wasn't disappointed.

I primed my entire lids using Urban Decay's Primer Potion and then used the middle shade on my lid from my lashes into my crease. For the outer one-third of my eye and my crease I used the darker shade and then blended the lightest shade above that. I felt like I still needed some brightening below my brows, so I used NAKED 2's Foxy (a matte cream colored shade). I didn't realize it was going to be a completely matte palette, but I really like it! It's great for an everyday look, but it also really does make my eyes pop, which makes it look like I put in some effort. I guess it taught me to not hate on an eyeshadow just because it isn't shimmery.

I haven't tried the other Laura Geller products I just bought yet, so keep an eye out for a review on those soon!

Review: Blinc Mascara Amplified

I've been using a new mascara the last couple of days. It's by Blinc and this one is supposed to use a new technology that "tubes" your lashes instead of just painting them. The shade I have is black.

4.5 hours after application:

12 hours after application:

As you can see, it did not flake! That is a miracle! It also kept my eyelashes curled just as they were when I first applied the mascara this morning. Also, when I applied the mascara this morning I noticed it helped to keep the lashes lifted, which can oftentimes be a negative result of putting on mascara. I'll continue to critique this as I use it, but so far I love it! I will say I didn't love the first application, so when trying something remember to give it a few chances. This can be purchased at Sephora and is $26. It is pricey, but if you're getting a sweet tax return this wouldn't be a bad choice of what to put your money towards. Thanks for reading!

Review: Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender

I've heard multiple positive reviews on this, including Caitlyn's Corner, so I bought it.

Here's the sponge it comes with:

After 5.5 hours of wearing my makeup...

After just seconds of applying Poreless Defender...

I'm so pale since it's winter, but you can see some shininess between my eyebrows, which is where I get the shiniest. However, after application I am left with flawless skin.

Here's what I look like after wearing the Poreless Defender for 8 hours...

Mally claims that her product will "improve the look of your skin" by making it appear poreless, mattified, and seamless. She also claims that it is a protectant for your skin and make up. Mally claims it will make your skin look younger and fresher. So the question is, does it come through on all of these claims? Well you can see that I have some shininess on my forehead after wearing the Poreless Defender for 8 hours, but I don't have that sludgy, moist feeling on my skin that I tend to get at the end of the day. It also looks shiny because of my lighting. I definitely think this makes a huge difference, but I can't really say until I've worn it in the hot summer. That'll be the true test. I will keep you posted! Thanks for reading! :)