Quick Reviews: Palettes I've Purchased @ TJ Maxx

I have talked before about the lure of TJ Maxx. I have admonished myself for falling prey to the discount and accessibility of products that normally I would not see in person. And despite all of this, I have in my stash three palettes from TJ Maxx. I'm going to review them for you today quickly by stating my thoughts, how I've used these products, but forego my usual swatches and looks.

First up is the infamous Subculture, purchased for about $22.00:

I actually have used this palette quite a bit, and think there's a lot of potential here. The darker shades are excellent to pack along the lash line, and the lighter mattes work really well on the lid and crease. Part of the failure of this palette comes from the two shimmers Cube and Electric. As you can see with my palette, these sealed up pretty badly, rendering them unusable. 

Some bloggers have reported success with the two shades I mentioned, but I know ABH has different batches floating out there in the world. I didn't do my research, it seemed, and should have looked up the batch code prior to making the purchase. That being said, the strength of this palette is how it adds depth and coolness to looks, and works well with other palettes. 

The next is my most recent purchase, the Bon Bons palette from Too Faced, for $20.00:

Right of the bat, I am shocked- SHOCKED- that at one point this palette was sold for $49.00. Only some of the mattes- like Mocha and Bourbon- are blendable and have impact, others get pretty muddy. I have been enjoying Satin Sheets as an inner corner highlight, as well as the cream matte to set my primer. I think the two standouts are the two brown shimmers. 

To me this palette is a sign of the times and the beauty landscape of 2015, which included extremely neutral shadows, and formulas that were meant to go with techniques that are not used as commonly- like shimmers and satins in the outer corner (which I believe is making a comeback). Though I do think this is a pretty palette, and the smell of it is divine, I do believe this thing is completely superfluous.  I'll take the L there. 

Finally, we have the most inexpensive palette in this trio, and the one that I have the most to talk about, the Marvycorn palette from BH Cosmetics, which I think I got for about $6.00. 

Let's first start with the highlighters. They are super creamy and could possibly run the risk of being chunky, though the formula is not dense, nor tightly packed. All three do contain micro shimmer. They look pretty on the skin- the darkest one I have to use as an eyeshadow, though. 

For me, the standouts of this palette are the neutral mattes- I know that is ridiculous, but still. They blend really smoothly. My personal favorite is Flodder, which is a really cool yellow neutral beige. I don't have anything else like it. 

The shimmer eyeshadows are a bit disappointing- thin formulas and not high-shine. The only one worth anything, the one that does not require glitter glue or any additional help- is the fourth shade in the top row- the slightly duochrome red-copper shimmer. That one is quite metallic and creamy. 

The packaging, of course, is a major draw. It is prone to getting dirty, but I don't mind. I don't use this palette every day, but I do pull it out every so often and I enjoy it every time. 

Looking at all of these palettes, do I have a life lesson? Yes, stop it. Not the most helpful advice. But I let curiosity get the better of me- especially with the Bon Bons palette. If I had really thought about what my collection looked like, I could have easily realized I didn't need it. The goal is to be a bit more thoughtful next time. 

So that's all I got for today! 

Thanks so much for reading.

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Blush Review

There are so many ways I want to start this review. One option is amazement at how TJ Maxx can be such a cool source of makeup- albeit makeup that is "off season." Though I've come away with a few duds, there are some staples in my collection that come from there.

Another thing I want to say is how much I love fairy tale-themed makeup. Mostly because I love Fairy Tales, in all their forms. One of my earliest experiences learning about the Frog Prince was the Shelley Duvall The Fairy Tale Theatre episode with Robin Williams. We watched it in elementary school and I remember being scandalized at the half-naked Robin Williams prince after he transformed.

My favorite Fairy Tale Theatre episode, by the way (and I have not yet seen them all) is the Princess and the Pea with Liza Minelli. That one speaks to me.

Moving on, I've always been quite put off by Lipstick Queen because the high price tag, and because one can commonly find their products at discount stores, like TJ Maxx. It seems to me they need to find a way to make their products $5-$10 cheaper, in my humble opinion, if they want to gain more traction and attention.

That being said, I love this blush.

I have combination skin, and both powder and cream formulas have disappeared on me by the end of a (long) work day. But Frog Prince didn't.

Frog Prince is quite the loyal, hardworking blush and I can easily see myself using up the entire pan. One thing I will say is that it applies best with a synthetic blush brush. What made this blush hard to swatch was because it stuck to my finger tips and would not transfer to my hand very well.

Normally I absolutely loath swatches on finger tips (not real swatches), but in this case that is the truest representation of what the product looks like, without showing you my glorious face.

Onto the pictures!

Though the pink looks rather faint on my hand, it's because transferring from my finger to my skin was difficult. Best application is with a brush- it blends out on the skin easily, and builds up nicely. The finished product is natural and incredibly long lasting.

This is a charming blush and I highly recommend it if you find it at TJ Maxx or any other discount store.

Thanks for reading!
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TJ Maxx Finds, ctd.

Continuing with my posts about finds at TJ Maxx, I thought I would go through my collection today to review it all- the good, the bad, and the bottom line.

To begin, I am learning not to buy things simply because they are on sale. I once found both the Too Faced Cat's Eye (or something like that) palette, and the MUFE Artist's palette at very reduced prices, but I did not purchase- knowing I would never have bought them at full-price, knowing I would never use them.

Part of the fun, though, has to do with taking a risk. Sometimes I buy things blindly, and it ends up working out. Sometimes it does not. Let's begin, shall we?

I. Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in Dolly. Full price, $22. Bought for $6.00. I am so glad I found this. It is a perfect color for me, lasts long, has excellent pigmentation and texture. This was definitely a good buy.

II. Buxom Eyeshadow Brush, bought for $5.00, maybe? retails now for $11.00. I don't use this brush as much as I once did, but its shape and bristle density make application very easy.

III. Soho Naturals Powder Brush, retail price $10.00. I don't know how much I paid for it. It is my oldest brush, and the only brush I have that I feel comfortable applying blush with. Still a very good buy.

IV. Too Faced Bullet Proof 24-Hour Shadow Liner in Mink. Regular retail is more than $20, and I paid half. I have not used this yet, but I have swatched it, and this stuff lasts forever. I am saving it for an occasion where I have to be at work all-day.

V. Kat Von D High Voltage eye primer. This stuff is so gross :( . It smells like paint, and has a yellow tinge that I can see through my eyeshadow. Definitely not as good as any of my other primers. Will declutter.

VI. Marc Jacobs eye palette in The Tease. Regular retail $59.00, bought for $20.00. Definitely a good cool-toned palette with a lot of possibilities. One shade was slightly damaged when I bought it, but I will hold onto it. Not planning on buying any more of these palettes, full-price or no.

VII. Ecotools Brush Cleaner, bought for $3.00, regular retail $7.00. I don't feel as though I am getting a thorough clean with these, but they are good for quick temporary clean.

VII. Boscia Cool Blue Foundation Essence, bought for $12.00. Regular price $20.00. I am not too impressed with this moisturizer, but I do enjoy the cooling sensation. I use it once in a while.

VIII. Stila Jewel Eyeshadow in Topaz. Bought for $6.00, regular $20.00. Nope, not worth it. Haven't really used it, don't want to use it. Depotting did not help.

IX. Algenist Reveal Concentrated Luminzing Drops in Rose, $5.00, regular price..Sephora sold a duo of this for $22, making one worth $11. I LOVE this. I thought this would be a dupe for Nyx's Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam, as they are both a pale pink with microshimmer. They do appear very similar, with perhaps Algenist having finer shimmer. The difference, though, is that while Nyx's fades quickly, Algenist Drops last ALL DAY. Once blended, that stuff does not budge.

X. Dr. Brandt Save our Skin Comfort Cream, $10.00. Now, a quick google search reveals that the company was sent warning letters from the FDA regarding unsupported/unsupportable claims they made about their product, especially as these claims would suggest that the company is using ingredients not approved by the FDA. I don't know how this issue was resolved, and I would certainly like to know! Save Our Skin comfort cream is sold for $55.00, and I would never EVER pay that kind of money for this kind of product, especially with a government agency sending them warning letters. Not a good look. Still the cream itself is quite "comforting" and does feel good on the skin. I''ll continue to use it when I feel like it.

Decluttered/not pictured:

X. Kat Von D Chrysalis Palette, bought for $20.00
XI. Kat Von D Innerstellar Palette, bought for $20.00

Am I crazy? Quite possibly. I didn't like these palettes because I did not feel they offered enough variety and consistency. Some mattes and shimmers in both were impressive, and I did end up decluttering them. Some I would never use. Both palettes are long gone now.