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Archive for the ‘Makeup’ Category

…..won’t hurt nobody. I went out shopping the other day after a longgg time (ok 3 weeks), and usually I always end up buying something makeup or hair related but this time I switched it up and got a purse.
This cute little messenger bag only cost me 20 bucks on sale. I was in need of a new small weekend bag for errands, shopping or lunch with the sis and this was just perfect.

It kind of looks big now that I see it in photos, but it’s rather small, perfect for just my wallet, keys, grocery lists, sunglasses, phone and maybe gloves……

While impulse shopping not too long ago, I remembered that Glamorous Glory Featured Revlon’s Black cherry a while back and after seeing it on a few blogs I finally gave in and got my hands on it. On glamorous glory it looked like a deep wine color which I loved, but on my skin tone it goes on very red with a slight hint of wine.

Either way I’m sooo loving this color and I wear it everyday with MAC’s Love Rush blush and winged liner.



In somewhat Natural Light



I also got a few things by maybelline. First with the concealer from Maybelline’s FIT line in medium, being the concealer freak that I am. I don’t like it too much because it goes on a bit too sheer and liquidy for my liking. The color match is perfect though, so I just keep it for those light makeup days.

So another beauty blogger enabling my impulse shopping is the lovely lady over at Beauty Ambition where she featured this fabulous lipstick called Pink me up. I have yet to swatch it but you can take a look at Beauty Ambition’s swatch and see why I fell in love with this color. It’s very creamy, the color payoff is amazing and worth the 5 bucks.

 I also tried Maybelline’s Falsies mascara and like it even though after about 2 strokes you have to be careful since it tends to clump. I like it and still use it because it does not smudge considering how dam oily my lids and eye area seems to be.
Two very impressive Re-purchases from N.Y.C has been their brow kit and liquid liner. These are my favorites especially the brow kit. I got it in brunette and it’s the perfect match and fills in my brows beautifully leaving them looking very natural. The liquid liner is a must! It does not smudge at all and lasts hours and for under 2 bucks definitely a must have.
And last but not least a look I did with wet N wild’s Palette in Vanity.

Yes a tutorial is in the horizon if I could just ever figure out the right lighting, sequence, eye lids etc.lol  For those who wonder and have asked, I used to get my eyebrows threaded but recently have been waxing since I find I get a much better and defined shape. In between I pluck…..
 

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Much to my boyfriend’s delight I’ve been doing a lot of shopping lately. Not much really if you ask me, these are just a couple of things I’ve purchased in the last few months.
My latest Nyx purchase has been this round lipstick called Ulysses and concealer in Light.
The lipstick is very beautiful. Ulysses has this red/orange tone to it almost like terracotta but more on the red side. I love this color on my warm skin tone and has been on heavy rotation recently.

Ulysses on Lips
This a very nice lipstick to use if you want to go for a more toned down red lip look…….

When I first purchased this concealer I was still gloriously tan so it was a bit too light for me. But now that my fabulous tan has faded, it seems to be the perfect match for now.
I like the coverage I get and it’s creamy enough to blend. It has not creased on me which is a plus for my oily skin and for the price, 4 bucks not a bad concealer at all.
I used a little too much here, but it’s just to give an idea.
A little bit of this concealer goes a long way. I like the finish not too dry looking at all, like some tend to be on me.
While shopping for ingredients for my dish here, I stopped by walmart’s makeup section. I lost (or thought I lost) my powder brush I have been using as a bronzer brush, from eco tools. Turns out it was in my sister’s room while visiting the other weekend.
In need of a brush that could decently apply my bronzer I panicked and purchased walmarts’s powder brush and along the way picked up the angled blush brush too.
I like this powder brush, it’s not too dense or flimsy and it picks up bronzer quite well. The application is really nice as well. Def a keeper and I actually use this one more often than my thought to have been lost eco tools one.
The angled blush brush is OK. I just use it for my brown blushes every now and then. I find it’s a bit too dense for my liking in a blush brush but it does it’s work.
While out and about with the boyfriend the other evening I decided to stop buy bloomingdales’ and check MAC out. I ended up with a concealer and a blush.
I got this powder blush in Raizin. Don’t be fooled by the name it has no resemblance to raisins in color. In fact it too has this gorgeous red/ Orange terracotta tone to it. When I paired it with Nyx ulysses it was like a match made in heaven. I adore matte blushes because they tend to balance my oily skin and this one looks perfect on my skin tone.
I pair and wear these two out a lot especially for work. I get lots of compliments when I do my makeup with these two.
Raizin

I’m always on the mad hunt for the next best concealer and of course had to pick one up.

I let the makeup artist pick one out for me and she came up with select moisture cover in NW35. When she tested it on me at the store it looked like a dead on match but when I got to the natural light at home when I tried it the next day, it was wayyy too orange and dark for me. So I’m returning this one for a shade lighter perhaps.

I also got this Tinted Moisturizer from Avon’s Meet Mark Line recently. I got it in honey golden. I’m returning this because the color is almost non existant and left my complexion looking weird. It also had this weird sunscreen scent which turned me off even more. So far the Sonia Kashuk TM is still working for me.

My boyfriend’s aunt got her hands on what seems to be the last 2 wet n wild palettes so many rave about. Luckily she was nice enough to let me have greed and vanity and I have to say that I’m smitten with them.
There are so many looks online so far my favorite looks have been by Beverly over at FULLYBEATABLE. So make sure you check her out for the best swatches ever!

As with many wet n wild palettes you can never go wrong and I decided to do a quick look for a Christmas party I went to last weekend. I used wet n wild’s starry nights in meteor. This quad came out some time last year I think.

I’ve been asked to do tutorials which I will. Soon as I get a better camera.
I don’t do shimmers much but it was a toned down type of shimmer with very nice and decently pigmented colors.

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I got these NYC items on sale buy one get one at my local drugstore (rite aide) several weeks ago. This came out a while ago, but never picked it up because I don’t really like NYC’s line too much. But since this time around it was on sale I decided to give it a try anyway.
 I have been really curious about this matte bronzer. Second to tinted moisturizers, bronzer is a must for my skin tone which loses it’s beautiful brown glow during these times leaving me kind of yellow and pale….. And since I have not come across many matte bronzers (drugstores at least) I had to give it a try.

First I will start with the palette. NYC items are rather cheap and I have never done too well with any of their cosmetics. But usually most limited edition items most lines put out tend to be a little better. And since I was curious about the bronzer and it was BOGO ($5 was my total), I said why not….
The palette comes with a purple/plum and pink shade and a highlighter. This palette also came with a eyeshadow base.
The only primer I have used is UDPP, which I don’t like too much since it tends to be too dry. However, I was impressed with the primer this NYC palette brought. The consistency is creamy enough for you to work with it. It’s not too creamy but not too dry either. Works very well and I use it more often than my pricey Urban Decay Primer.

I never liked NYC shadows, always so chalky and sheer. But with this palette seems like they stepped it up a bit because the colors are decently pigmented.

Of course I did a look with it and these were the results. I like this primer, helped keep the shadows on all day and the colors were very pigmented and beautiful. And mind you I have oily lids so the staying power of this base held up.

Yes it is possible to have oily lids lol. Despite that the eyeshadow stayed on all day. So I hope they come out with an affordable and worth while version of this eyeshadow base.

As far as the bronzer I like it a lot. It’s perfect my my skin tone. The color is matte no shimmers or shine just matte, ideal for my oily skin type, the less shine the better. I love how well it blends with my Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer too. I have been seeking out to buy another one since this is limited edition I believe. I love how it has this nice brown undertone compared to the orange tone most bronzers end up being on me, like my Milani one below. .

Milani Bronzer
I love bronzers and this milani bronzer was ok. I used this last winter and it worked well but I noticed throughout the summer that it would get a bit orange on me. I also tried a maybelline bronzer prior to this milani one but again the orange factor always had me searching for a new one.
Clinique color surge eyeshadow Quad: Spicy
Right now I’m loving my clinique eye shadows. They tend to be a bit sheer, but with a decent primer clinique always comes through for me. I love this palette because it gives me such a beautiful natural look. It has a very beautiful pink, green, beige and brown shadows that look very nice when going for that so called natural look.
Clinique Eye Shadow Duo: Posh Squah

Clinique Posh Squash is my favorite too, been using it almost everyday this past week.
Posh Squash is another pretty neutral but instead of beige I have this gorgeous peach color complemented with the brown, makes for a very nice neutral look. My camera did not pick it up too well but it definitely is a nice combination.

And here are a few things I have been wearing out these past few weekends. I have been to several birthday parties and what not and these are a few things I have been pulling from my stash.

I love bracelets, bangles….

and evil eye jewelry has been my obsession lately…..How fabulous is this ring??
I have been sooo uninspired with my earrings. I even put an ETSY shop up this past summer, but I have not had the time to shop for new beads etc or have had any inspiration to create as of late. After I get a few things out of the way I may step up my game and start creating again. I want to give handmade gifts this Christmas so I may pour my inspiration into that….

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Many are familiar with Nyx, the cosmetics line named Nyx that is. However, not many are familiar with Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night. In actuality she is not the goddess of night, but rather she is the night, the mother of darkness itself. It is said that Nyx was born out of chaos and through her we experience grief, deceit, pain, sleep, death, misery, dreams and retribution among other things.

Emilia Paw

“NYX (Nux), Nox or Night personified. Homer (Il. xiv. 259, &c.) calls her the subduer of gods and men, and relates that Zeus himself stood in awe of her. In the ancient cosmogonies Night is one of the very first created beings, for she is described as the daughter of Chaos, and the sister of Erebus, by whom she became the mother of Aether and Hemera. (Hes. Theog. 123, &c.) According to the Orphics (Argon. 14) she was the daughter of Eros. She is further said, without any husband, to have given birth to Moros, the Keres, Thanatos, Hypnos, Dreams, Momus, Oizys, the Hesperides, Moerae, Nemesis, and similar beings. (Hes. Theog. 211, &c.; Cic. de Nat. Deor. iii. 17.) In later poets, with whom she is merely the personification of the darkness of night, she is sometimes described as a winged goddess (Eurip. Orest. 176), and sometimes as riding in a chariot, covered with a dark garment and accompanied by the stars in her course. (Eurip. Ion, 1150; Theocrit. ii. in fin.; Orph. Hymn. 2. 7; Virg. Aen. v. 721; Tibull. ii. 1. 87; Val. Flacc. iii. 211.) Her residence was in the darkness of Hades. (Hes. Theog. 748; Eurip. Orest. 175; Virg. Aen. vi. 390.) A statue of Night, the work of Rhoecus, existed at Ephesus (Paus. x. 38. § 3). On the chest of Cypselus she was represented carrying in her arms the gods of Sleep and Death, as two boys (v. 18. § 1).”

Grant Kinney

Many fear darkness and without wonder, since in the darkness lies the unknown, the uncertain. However, if you take a moment to notice, our entire planet and solar system is surrounded by darkness. When we close our eyes to dream and think we are left with a vast darkness, a magnificent backdrop for our dreams, fantasies and desires.

Chaos is known as the state before creation. For me as a creature of habit and routines I try to avoid disorder at all cost. But at times I have to let chaos reign in my life because when you have everything figured out nothing can be born out of routines. It’s simply done, figured out, created, already formed.  Out of chaos is where new ideas, perceptions and new ways of thinking are born. If we are in constant routine and stagnant energy, there tends to be no room for innovation, creativity and new beginnings in which chaos always tends to force us into.

Nyx is also associated with Nixies, water spirits who with their profound beauty seduce men into their waters. Nixies are also guardians of the night and soul.

“Her Nixies were abyssal angels who kept the souls of the dead in an underwater fairyland….” -The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets

As the mother of darkness, Nyx can teach you many things. Her children such as deceit, strife, pain and the many things humans fear and experience, in essence makes you wiser and more attune to your perceived darkness. Experiencing hardships is what helps bring your deepest darkest fear to light by way of confronting and resolving them.

In honor of Nyx I decided to feature my first Nyx Haul I got this summer. Just because night time can be serious doesn’t mean it’s not the time I like to glam up and have the most fun.

These are very good for the price, I have no complaints very pigmented and worth the few bucks.
From left to right: Nyx Round Lipstick in Thalia
3 lip glosses Beige, Tanned, Natural
and
A jumbo eyeshadow pencil in Rust

This gloss is called Beige, a very pretty pink, goes beautifully with Thalia. I like wearing this with a light smokey eye and with my Avon After Glo Blush.
This is the jumbo eyeshadow pencil. I really like this pencil and regret not picking up a few more since they seem so useful and versatile. This color Rust is the same exact color as MAC’s Cranberry shadow I bought earlier this summer. Truly the same exact color, the perfect dupe for cranberry. Again I could have saved a couple of bucks since the consistency and color of the pencil and MAC’S shadow is nearly unnoticeable to me. (looking for that dupe list!)
So what better way to honor Nyx and the night, than to do your makeup for a relaxing night out, makeup in full force…..

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Earlier this month I decided to do a little shopping as well as experiment with a few homemade body scrubs and facials. While doing that, I decided to make my own homemade Febreze! I got the recipe from some website, can’t remember, but this turned out great because my sinuses can’t tolerate most commercial air fresheners. I usually end up with headaches and sneeze fits.
   This is truly my favorite! I usually spray this Lavender essential oil mist on my curtains, sheets,
carpet just whenever I’m searching for a relaxing and yet refreshing scent. Ylang Ylang is also a great soft uplifting scent ideal for those unexpected last minute visits.
You just need:
Spray Bottle
2 cups of water
 10 drops of essential oil (5 of each if combining)
1/2teaspoon of Castile soap
 Shake the bottle to mix the scent, and there you have it your homemade essential oil room spray! You don’t really need the castile soap it’s just used as a solvent to help bring the mix together much better I guess. Either way you will be left with a fabulous air freshener.
Illamasqua Kiss
Earlier in July I stopped by Sephora and picked up a blush.
This is Illamasqua’s powder blush in “kiss” ($26). It’s this real pretty plum matte color, looked really purple on the display but when I wear it, it kind of has this pinkish hue to it. I’m not too crazy about the color yet, I guess I have to keep working with it until I find the perfect look. I have been into this plum blush and lipstick phase for sometime now. It’s like everything I buy I lean toward this plum color…..

 and this one….
Almay Blush Orchid
I also picked up this almay blush called orchid and a nail polish at my local drugstore. Another plum color but with less pinkish undertones. I actually reach out for this almay blush I got on clearance sale for 4 bucks, more than my Illamasqua. It has this very beautiful plum color I just love it. I always pair it with Rimmel’s paradise lipstick which is also a very pretty plum color. You can see a pic of the lipstick here.
I don’t normally wear polish but I was in a plum mood and got this CQ nail polish called “Plum Baby” at my local drugstore for about 2 bucks. This color is more pink fuchsia than plum. This is my second polish from this brand and I have to say I really like their formula, not too sheer, not too thick.
Before Polish
After Polish
I also won my second giveaway given by the lovely designer Diva Style Blog.  It was so fun and exciting since I received the package on such a boring Monday. Now this fabulous book sits on my coffee table, reminding me of makeup. One thing that really stood out to me about the book was that Scott Barnes firmly believes that foundation should be a mix of several tones as opposed to just one. I don’t wear foundation ever, but it really stood out to me since I wonder if most makeup gurus do that…
I also bought this drying lotion ($18.50) while browsing at Henri Bendel’s NY (so many cute purses!). I was curious about this drying lotion and since I was breaking out more than usual I decided to give it a try. I usually use honey or aloe vera for my pimples but if you need something to dry them suckers out quick, this is definitely worth it. I have used it a lot since buying it and I really like it. Better than most on the spot treatments I have bought especially if you need a quick fix.

Right next to Henri Bendel’s on 5th ave you strategically have a MAC store (I believe their first U.S store). I decided to pick up this lipstick,”crosswires”. It’s such a pretty coral/pink lipstick and I love to wear it with maybelline’s apricot flush blush which is this peachy orange, again a great color for my skin tone, especially when I tan. Also if I want to bring out the pink in the lipstick I pair it with Jane’s Blushing Baby doll blush.
So basically these were just some purchases here and there I got throughout July and this month. I usually don’t tend to spend on most products especially makeup because I like to eat my money, not literally, meaning I prefer a good meal and drinks but sometimes a girl is itching to spend. lol
Last but not least an eye look I did the other day with Wet n’ wild’s Sumptuos quad. 
I swept the brown color over my entire lid and with a flat liner angle brush I lined my lower lashline with that gorgous blue.

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So I finally found a place to keep my Avon Meet Mark eyeshadows and blushes. It’s called snap to it mega palette and it  basically has 2 magnetics strips in which you just snap your shadows and blushes into. I love this blush called bronze glo a beautiful matte brown blush with light shimmers so I purchased 2 more just to have in case they are discontinued. During the winter this blush gives me the most natural beautiful brown glow which helps counteract my uneven skin tone during those dark winter months.  

Blush or eyeshadow sticks to magnet

and there you have it

The snap to it palette cost $8 and fits my 3 favorite Meet mark blushes and eyeshadows.
Left to right, Bronze glo blush, After glo blush, Dragonfly e/s, Heavenly e/s, Golden glo blush
After glo I heard is a close dupe for NARS orgasm. I would not know since I don’t have orgasm, the blush that is. Golden glo is a lighter version of bronze glo and both provide great color pay off with a very light hint of shimmer.

Along with the palette and 2 bronze glow blushes I also purchased Avon’s ergonomic concealer brush. I kind of like it but it’s a little stiff compared to cvs’s brush or my Eco tools one which is my favorite, its a little difficult to work with because it tends to be a bit stiff but for $4 bucks I can’t complain and it’s not the worst concealer brush either.

I also purchased my very first MAC items this past weekend. I have always been curious as to the cult following MAC has and truly have to say their products are pretty dam good. I have been loyal to drugstore brand makeup and the only thing high end (besides clinique) I have ever purchased has been Urban Decay primer potion, but I hate to admit it I’m hooked on MAC.
Girl About Town Lipstick
Desire Lip Glass
Desert Rose  matte powder blush
Love Rush Sheer Tone Powder Blush
Amber lights e/s
Cranberry e/s
Girl About Town is such a gorgeous color for my skin tone. Now that I’m tan and looking like a brown goddess this color is just simply gorgeous on me. However I also have a Revlon lipstick called fuchsia that is identical to girl about town when swatched and worn. I wore Revlon’s on one side of my lips and MAC’S on the other at the same time and I swear you could not tell. I felt stupid I paid about 4 bucks for revlon’s and 14 for MAC. Hey I guess it happens. However the colors may be the same but I liked the staying power of MAC’s lipstick much better. It’s like my lips were stained.
Mac Girl about Town/ Revlon Fuschia
Top: Girl About Town

Bottom: Revlon Fuschia

Desire lipglass
Girl About Town
My favorite combination right now is Love rush powder blush paired with desire lipglass on the lips. Love rush is this beautiful almost plum/red blush that just looks so sophisticated when paired with desire lipglass. I wore this the other night with a simple cat liner look and it truly looked great.
Desire Lip Glass / Revlon Plum Lipstick
Desire lipglass is gorgeous especially when paired with Revlon’s plum lipstick . Which is basically the same just a tad bit lighter than the lipglass but nonetheless they complement each other beautifully.
Desert Rose is this pretty warm pink matte blush that pairs nicely with L’oreal’s juicy lipgloss in cherry on top. Very pretty combination for a simple day look.
And finally I did a quick look using Amber lights and Cranberry

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Rimmel Paradise, L’oreal pretentious, tainted & precarious, Revlon lipgloss cherry in the glow, Wet N wild Sumptuous Quad is all the stuff I picked up the other night for under 15 bucks.
 But first off with my favorite find of the week.

This is Wet N Wild’s Color Icon Limited edition eyeshadow quad called Sumptuous. I have been on a drugstore eyeshadow “ban” because truthfully it is best to spend money on higher end eye shadows but Wet n Wild never ceases to impress me.
I picked this quad up for 5 bucks and I’m glad I did because the colors are very nice and pigmented. At first I was very skeptical of the gold because I thought it was pieces of glitter with a sticky base, but turns out that it’s this very nice gold cream shadow with great consistency and color payoff, as opposed to the horrible base and chunks of glitter Wet N wild has come out with before in their palettes.
I love every color, smooth to apply, pigmented and the colors have a bit of shimmer but not too noticeable in person which is why I like it.  I can wear it day or night and the orange with brown look I did for the day is my favorite.

 For a drugstore eyeshadow Wet n wild always beats the rest. Most drugstore shadows are way too sheer and loaded with shimmers. But this quad gives you a lot for your money in terms of color payoff and overall quality.

You can play this look up or down with black liner and my favorite, the cat eye look as well. For earlier in the day I did not line my eyes but soon as the sun went down I played it up with black liner and liquid liner for the cat eye look.
Without eyeliner
Another great find was this Rimmel lipstick called paradise. I actually have 2 other paradise lipsticks and had to pick another one up for $1.37 75% off I had to stock up. This is such a pretty and soft color. Goes well with neutrals as well as a nice purple smokey eye. I really like Rimmel’s lipsticks and this one is my favorite.
(Rimmel Paradise)

Also for 75% off some l’oreal glosses I got pretentious, tainted, and precarious. Tainted is a pretty wine almost violet color while pretentious is this sheer brown very similar to L’oreal’s Butter Scotch drop juicy tube. My favorite however is precarious which is this nicely pigmented coral and orange color with light shimmers which I love. With a nice coral blush this gloss looks gorgeous on me.

Precarious
Precarious
Tainted
Pretentious
For about 2 bucks each I think I did a good buy. Glosses are always best to buy at drugstores since I feel some of them compare to the high end glosses.

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This is maybelline’s eyeshadow trio called gratifying green. I picked it up a few weeks ago at the drug store for about 3 bucks. Usually maybelline eye shadows and I dont’ get along because they tend to fade after a couple of hours and they also tend to be too shimmery but this one turned out to be OK. I have oily lids so I guess that’s the reason why, however I have wet n wild eye shadows that have lasted longer without any eyeshadow base, but I shall digress.
Despite our love hate relationship I picked it up because the green called out to me and I had a coupon, and it’s really not that bad if you are starting out with colors or those on a budget looking to spruce up their routine and why not with green? I think it came out pretty good for what it’s worth. I wore this look out Friday early evening into the night and it did stay put for sometime.
 The colors are pretty good but more on the sheer side somewhat. I first used the gold on the lower lid then the light green on the top lid, Along the outer v I used the middle color which is this smokey dark green. I used my lash blast mascara, almay liquid liner and l’oreals infallible black eyeliner. The colors are very pretty but if you don’t mind reapplying throughout the day then it’s not that bad to have, otherwise you can recreate this with any gold, greens of your choice.

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Left: dragon fly Right: heavenly

I don’t wear much makeup but when I do my go to color seems to always be green. These are Avon’s Meet mark eye shadows. I got these a while back when they were 4 bucks now they run for 5 each. These eyshadows are pretty good especially for those starting out with make up. They come in a range of colors that you can experiment with. I like these shadows for when I travel and such that way I dont’ have to bring along my other stuff.

So this is my look for the day. I just used used dragonfly over the entire lid, then on the lower lash line, I lined under my eyes with heavenly. This is a very simple yet colorful look. Dragonfly is not that shimmery and looks almost matte but with a nice sparkle here and there.
With this look you can go with a soft brown blush or a light red one as well. I usually use my cameo glo blush, also from meet mark, which is this very soft red pink blush. As usual I did the cat eye look with my almay liquid liner and my lash blast mascara. The colors are not super pigmented but they are not sheer either it gives you a very soft look with out looking over done.

Heavenly on lower lash line is a great light blue, not too shimmery, which makes a great pair with dragonfly which helps to also brighten and open my eyes a bit.

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As many may know I have a thing for Wet n Wild especially these mega eyeshadow trios. I think I have all the colors that came out and perhaps I keep buying wet n wild in hopes to discover another great product as these eye shadows turned out to be.
Again these colors are vibrant very pigmented smooth and easy to apply wih great color payoff.

 

I have no other drugstore pink shadow or palette that shows it’s true pink colors like these do. Usually drugstore pink shadows looks very chalky on me and just plain weird.  I’ll be wearing this look for the day with black liner on water line and almay liquid liner for the cat eye effect. So if you have these from a few years back don’t sleep on them bring them back out and put them to use.

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