Elf Open Box and Swatches

Hello lovelies!
Here are some swatches to go along with my Elf Open Box Video!

Cool Bronzer

Tone Correcting Powder

 Nail Polishes: Champagne, Bubble Gum Pink and Teal Blue (one coat no topcoat)

 Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink

 Essential Flawless Eyeshadow in Sea Escape

  Essential Flawless Eyeshadow Party Purple

  Essential Flawless Eyeshadow Tantalizing Taupe

 Baked Blushes in Rich Rose and Passion Pink

 Essential Blushes in Shy and Blushing

Mini Sally Girl Haul with Swatches

Hello lovelies!

Yesterday I picked up a few Sally Girl products and I thought I'd share. :)

I picked up to eyeshadows. One regular single shadow in Olive and a baked shadow (the pic does not do this color justice it is so gorgeous) in 388128.

 And these are the SG first lip products I've gotten. Lip Color-388350 and Lip Gloss-388379

POTW! It's back!

Hello lovelies!
I don't know what happened to our Pick of the Weeks, but don't you fret, they are back now! So to get us back on track I bring you the Mascara that I have been using the last couple of weeks. It is the I <3 Extreme Volume Mascara from Essence. It's part of the new line that just came out (at least it just got to my Ulta). It has a very Interesting brush, With three rows of long bristles, and 3 rows of short bristles. It is very big and full.

$3.99

 I feel like this mascara really makes my lashes look fuller and longer with little to no flaking, which I usually have a problem with. It is also very buildable, one coat looks really nice but you can definitely use 2 or 3 coats and get super dramatic, va-va-voom look. But be careful when applying, because it is very easy to make them look clumpy/spidery. Here it is on the left eye (one coat) compared to bare lashes on the right.

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms out there!
-The Addict

Spring Into Color: Lipstick!

Hello Beauties!

Since Spring is upon us, I thought I would share with you my favorite lip colors for Spring! This is the time of year to wear bright, girly, fun colors. Nothing perks up a look or an outfit quite like a statement lip color. So here are my picks:

From Left: elf Flirtatious, WnW 967 Dollhouse Pink, WnW 901B Think Pink, Rimmel Pink Blush, WNW 511B Nouveau Pink, Laura Geller Berry Vanilla, Maybelline Baby Lips Pink Punch, elf Mineral tinted lip balm Blush, Milani Mandarina

Now go brighten up those pretty smiles!
-The Addict

Brash Lip Stains

Hey there!
This is the first time I've tried any cosmetics from the brand Brash (which is sold exclusively at Payless stores). I love their shoes, like my sassy new pair of nude platform pumps. But makeup? From a shoe company? I had seen it many times but finally gave in and picked up a couple of these lip stains, I grabbed them because they looked very spring-friendly. I feel like a lot of the stains I've seen/tried were a lot darker. The colors I got are Coral Flame and Pink Lace.

So I don't feel like these had the usual excessively sweet smell or taste like a lot of stains, which I appreciate. I actually didn't notice any smell or taste at all. 

In order to give you an accurate idea of the pigmentation I first applied it to just the bottom lip and left the top lip bare, then applied it to both for the purpose of swatching. Please excuse my chapped lips, they're always very dry in the morning and you need to apply these on clean dry lips.

 Here is Coral Flame 

This is Pink Lace. The Right is with a clear lip balm on top.

These seem to last up to 4 hours or so without fading much, I've been reapplying around lunch time. These are great for people like me who want a lip color but obsessively apply lip balm or chapstick. I'm now pretty tempted to go back and check out some of their other products. They have two other shades (Never Too Red and Bitten Berry) and the go for $4.99.

XO-The Addict

Sally Girl Eyeshadows

Hello loves!
Today we are talking about a line that I don't hear about too often; the Sally Girl line from Sally Beauty. It's a shame too, because They're a pretty good quality and VERY inexpensive. If I'm not mistaken, the entire line is only 99 cents! Today I'm going to be sharing just a couple products, which I think might be the best. First we have the single eyeshadows, they are super pigmented and go on so softly. The ones with the wavy texture tend to have a softer/more powdery consistency (think WnW). I have no complaints about staying power, and they have a pretty decent selection. Here are the ones I have:

Taupe, Cinnamon , Cranberry, Brick, Navy 

Taupe (far left) has got to be one of my favorite browbone shades. I also appreciate the fact that the names are very straight forward.

Next we have the Shimmer Stripes. At first I thought, "what a great multi-use product, it could be shadows or  mixed together it could be a bronzer". They are beautiful as eyeshadows, but I definitely would not wear them as a bronzer! As far as I know these do not have specific names other than the numbers on the back, but here the are:

 This is number 388154. Swatches are from botton to top.

 As you can see, these colors are gorgeous, but are more metallic-which you should not put anywhere put your eyes!

And this is all 4 colors mixed together. It actually looked more like a Rosey Copper in person.

And here is number 388152

 Sadly the corner broke a little bit between buying it and getting it home.

 Again, swatched from bottom to top

And all together is a gorgeous gold.

They only thing I would say about these, is that because they have so much shimmer, I would not use the colors together. Perhaps use them with a matte or satin finish shadow or they will start to look muddy.

I hop you guys enjoyed this, now run and go get some!! :) 

XO- The Addict

Pick of The Week

Happy Tuesday All!

This pick of the week, addresses a serious issue near and dear to my heart...chapped lips. I remember a time not to long ago when your options were basically Chapstick or Burts Bees, everything else...well it kinda sucked. But in this wonderful day and age there are some really stand out brands.

This week I pick Maybelline Baby Lips. I still love my EOS, but the reason this makes it to the POTW is they have some really great tinted lip balms. These are the three I have, they range in price from $2.99-$3.25 depending on where you go.

Pink Punch, Cherry Me & Quenched

Great color, great moisture and I don't feel like I constantly have to reapply it like a lot of other brands.

They look pretty similar in this picture but the pink is actually very bright, Kaci doesn't like this shade for herself, but I love!

Hope you enjoyed this Pick of The Week!

Until Next Time - The Artist

Also, I am running the San Diego Marathon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, if you would like to help out click here.

Pick of The Week +Bucket Project Update

Hey darlins!
If you watched my last video and the one below, I mention this product! It is the L.A. Colors Automatic Eyeliner in White. I have been on a search for a good drugstore white liner that was long lasting, and this one definitely is! I randomly came across it at a discount store a couple cities over. It was only $1.50, which I believe is pretty standard for this item (they had an entire display of L.A. Colors, I'd never seen that before!). I absolutely love it, and have been using it SO much the last few weeks.

 

Also here is a quick video update on my Bucket Project along with a bonus last minute Valentines Makeup idea!

Benefit Big 10

Hello all!
Right before I left CA on Black Friday, I stopped by the mall and picked up this neat little set at Sephora. This is the description of the set according to the Sephora website:

What it is:
A travel-size set of 10 small wonders that pack a big punch.

What it does:
This set includes the biggest hits of the season: primers, concealers, lip-and-cheek tints, highlighters, and blushes. This set packs all the Benefit legends you love in conveniently compact sizes.

This set contains:
- 0.1 oz Dandelion (soft pink)
- 0.11 oz Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium *
- 0.08 oz Benetint (rose)
- 0.08 oz High Beam (luminous pink)
- 0.08 oz Posietint (poppy pink)
- 0.08 oz Ooh La Lift
- 0.08 oz Stay Don't Stray
- 0.25 oz That Gal
- 0.25 oz The Porefessional
- 0.1 oz Bella Bamba (watermelon pink)

I could not pass up the chance to try 10 Benefit products that I had never tried before with a price tag of just $32! So after using these products quite a bit here is how I feel about them:

Dandelion (Brightening Face Powder/Blush)- This is nice to top off your look, it gives it a bit of lightness/freshness by adding a little bit of dimension. It's a very light shimmery pressed powder. Some reviews I've read say this is a great blush, and perhaps it is for fair skin tones, but it comes off very sheer on me.

Erase Paste No. 2 Medium (cream concealer)- This is a nice slightly peachy concealer. It has great coverage for both blemishes and undereyes. I did not find that it settled in any of my fine lines and it did not make my blemishes worse. It's very creamy, so I think this would be especially great for those with dry skin/under eye area


Benetint (liquid face color for cheeks & lips)- I am not a huge fan of this product. I didn't find it to be very blendable, and it seemed to make my face makeup smear and look streaky. 


High Beam (liquid highlight)- This is a super shimmery pink tinted liquid highlighter. It's great in moderation. I suggest putting in on the back of your hand first and not applying it directly to the face, or you might look a bit crazy.

Posietint (liquid face color for cheeks & lips)- I had the same issues with this as I did the benetint, with the added disappointment that the color barely shows up on my skin.

Ooh La Lift (under eye brightener-liquid)-I do like the brightness that this gives to the area under my eyes. It makes my face look fresher and more awake. However, when I dabbed this on over my erase paste and powder it made everything wet and smeared a bit.


Stay Don't Stray (eyelid primer)-Good eye primer, as long as you remember less is more. The first few times I tried this I think I too much and I was crease city within an hour. When I used less, it did increase the staying power of my eyeshadow. However, I don't feel it's any better than my $1 elf primer.


That Gal (face primer)- I liked this product in theory. It's a face primer that is supposed give a subtle glow under your makeup. Maybe it's a little too subtle, because once I put my face on I did not feel that there was a noticeable difference. And as a primer, I think the next product does a much better job.


The Porefessional (face primer)- This is probably my favorite product of the bunch. It is a beige colored primer that is supposed to reduce the look of pores. I do feel like it fills them in nicely and gives your face an amazing satiny feeling. I also feel like it did help to keep my makeup on all day.


Bella Bamba (blush)- This is a very gorgeous watermelon colored blush. I think it would work with many different skin tones. It is very pigmented so just remember to use a light hand.


Overall I'd give this set a 7/10. This really is a fantastic deal, you get 10 mini products for only $32. You are getting a variety of products with enough of each to get a good idea of whether or not you would want to purchase the full size. I bought this 2 months ago, and I'm not even close to finishing them. I will continue to play with these, but if you have an idea of way to use these that I have not yet though of (especially the Benetint & Posietint) please let me know, as I would love to be able to actually use these up.

XO-The Addict

Drugstore Haul!

Hope you guys like it!
XO-The Addict

L'oreal 24 hour Infallible Eye Shadow Review and Swatches

Hello lovelies!
I wanted to bring you a review of the new L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadows. When I got these my first impression was that the formulation very odd. Like a pigment but squished; not a pressed powder, they loosen fairly easily. These are some of the prettiest, most shimmery/metallic colors I have ever seen. Absolutely gorgeous! They apply well and blend very easily. I don't feel like they wear exceptionally longer than most other shadows. Then again, I have very oily lids so most shadows don't last a super long time. I did a look trying to use as many of the shadows together as I could. But in the future, I would pair them with something a lot less shimmery, as it started looking a little muddy. Overall, I think they are great. I would definitely recommend them!

Amber Rush, Bronzed Taupe, Iced Latte, Golden Sage

They retail for about $8 each, but I picked them up for BOGO 1/2 off at CVS

XO-The Addict

Makeup Secret Weapon!

Hello Everyone,


Working as a make-up artist and going to Joe Blasco make-up school I have picked up some amazing tricks and secrets. Some of which are kinda unconventional but will save you money, time and get your creative juices going.


Today we are bringing you something very special, a little known and awesome product, Pearl Ex Pigment Powders! This was suggested to Andi (The Artist) back when she was in makeup school. We have both used these for a long time, and they are amazing! 

This is a set of 12 pigment powders, which are meant for crafting but are safe and easy to use on the face and eyes. You get some awesome colors and a TON of product. This set retails for about $20 at Michael's Crafts or on http://www.dickblick.com. Wet or dry, with or without primer you get high impact color payoff that lasts and lasts. There are 2 different sets, we both have this collection. It has a great mix of bright and vibrant, warm, and metallic colors.


If you try this, let us know what you think!
-The Artist and The Addict

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

Hello!

If you follow other beauty blogs you have probably heard of the New Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter. I heard about them on Beauty Broadcast who saw them somewhere else. Well they are so awesome I feel the need to mention them again! It took going to a few different places to find them, I found them at CVS in CA and Kaci found them at Walgreens in AZ. 

The Lip Butters are really soft, have great color, are long lasting and fade really nicely. They come in a variety of shades but the main reason I was drawn in was because I have been searching for pink lipstick and I didn't want something that was opaque matte hot pink.  I wanted something with some shimmer and shine.
Artist:
I picked up Lollipop and Sweet Tart and have been wearing them non-stop! Lollipop is a fuchsia with violet shimmer in it and Sweet Tart has no shimmer and is a glossy bright pink.

Ring is Forever 21

Addict:

I picked up two colors that are a bit more toned down; Berry Smoothie and Pink Truffle. Berry Smoothie is a shimmery berry pink, which comes of a little brighter than it looks in the tube. Then there is Pink Truffle, I love this shade! It looks exactly how it sounds, it's a creamy brown with pink tones, making this a super wearable brown. I am just loving it for fall!

From Left: Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie

Until next time, 

The Artist and The Addict

Coastal Scents Haul and Swatches

Hello Everyone!

We am so happy to bring you some swatches of some awesome stuff we got from Coastal Scents! We got five Go palettes, the 88 Ultra Shimmer palette, the 10 blush palettes and a few brushes. These colors are so soft, pigmented, and gorgeous! As far as I can tell, only a couple colors had duplicates from the 88 shimmer palette (the gold and copper shades in Moscow). When I saw the GO palettes online, I thought the pans were going to be larger, but they are the same size as the pans in the 88 palette. I also thought the eye brushes would be fluffier. Other than that, I am so happy with everything! These swatches are without a primer, and single swipes on the skin.

Please excuse all of the little bruises, I was playing Volleyball earlier for the first time in many years! :) All rows are Left to right, or bottom to top.

Overall we give Coastal Scents an A, love the colors and they go on really nice.


Until Next Time-The Artist and The Addict