Drugstore Blush Review

Good morning my sweet peas! Hope everyone is doing well. Today I decided to round up my more recent drugstore blush purchases to just have a good old fashioned chat about them. For reference, I have fair-light cool-toned combination skin.

The first is a Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Blush in Keep it Peachy. It was purchased at clearance from Walmart for $0.25. The only other Color Icon blush I had was Blazen' Berry, which I really enjoyed until it broke in the pan- the shimmer formula was way too soft. While this seems to be of a stiffer, matte formula, there is a lot of kick-up in the pan, and it is quite powdery.

Keep it Peachy is a matte powder peach, definitely on the more yellow side. I do prefer peach/corals like this in the Spring and Summer, because the color seems to glow off my skin. The product is simple, and easy to use, and I don't regret bringing it into my collection.

The next one is very similar, color-wise. This was another one I got from clearance ($6.50). It is the L'Oreal Paradise Enchanted blush in the shade 191, Fantastical. The formulation is a lot less pigmented than the Wet 'n Wild one. Though this blush is also peach, it is pinker with a more satin finish. I've been reaching for this one a lot lately, due to ease of use. I don't feel like I can over-do it with this blush. As for the scent, in the pan it is noticeable, but the peach scent is really light. I am very sensitive to smells and easily get headaches from them, but this one doesn't bother me at all. Nor does it linger once you apply it to the face.

Now that the more neutral, every-day blushes have been discussed, let's talk about the more unique blushes.

First is the Nyx Sweet Cheeks Matte blush in the shade Silence is Golden ($7.50). Once I found out that Nyx was releasing a yellow matte blush, but only in select places, I was intrigued. I asked people what they thought about yellow blush, but was met with incredulity. I scoured the internet for pictures and articles about yellow blush, hoping to see if it could work for me. With the release of Its Likely Makeup's Clown face palette, a quad of bright blushes- including yellow- I thought I was surely on the pulse of the yellow blush revolution.

No such revolution really took off, but I bought the Nyx blush and have pulled it out a couple of times. My own personal preference is to use this yellow blush with others (especially the two up-top), for an ombre blush effect, similar to what one would do with eyeshadow. That in particular has really been fun, and when used in that way, I do not regret purchasing it at all.

Our last blush is another clearance item, this time from Marshall's. After I purchased the yellow blush, I wanted to see if I could curate my own version of the ItsLikely clown quad. While I wasn't interested in the purple tones, there is a red one I thought I would give a go. It came to me in the form of Elf primer-infused blush in the shade Always Fiery. ($2.50)

This is a pure scarlet matte-blush. It is easy enough to use, blendable, and looks pretty "natural" on the skin, but I have not been reaching for it. I think when I apply it, it feels too cool-toned. Which I know, doesn't make much sense. But I feel because I am cool-toned, certain blushes read strange on my skin, and I just don't want to use them (see also: purple blush). I will certainly keep trying with the elf one, but I am just not that impressed.

And, now, onto the swatches! From top to bottom, it is: L'Oreal Fantastical, Nyx Silence is Golden, Elf Always Fiery, and Wet 'n Wild Keep it Peachy.

Anyway, hope you are all doing well! Thanks, as always, for reading.

Reacting to my Wishlist (Why did I want that???)

Hello friends and neighbors! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet. Excuse me while I dust off some cobwebs.

To dip my toes back into blogging, I thought I would do something a bit fun. As you may or may not know, there is a tab on this blog called "Misc," where I post random things. This page has not been updated for a while, and currently serves as a relic of what I like or liked about makeup. I am specifically referring to the wish list/palettes I admired section.

Let's see what I picked, and if I would still pick them now.

1.) Pat McGrath Metallurgy Palette (pink and gold mini one)

My feelings on PML and Natasha Denona are not wholly positive, because not only is the cost of products from both brands prohibitive, the tactics that both brands use when it comes to pricing really make apparent the manipulation involved in the industry. At the time I added this to my list, these palettes (limited edition) went for $55. Then they got marked up to $65. They did not even feature the "Special Shades" that most people rave about. So, in short, though I liked one or two of the shades in this palette, looking back I have no desire to purchase this palette, even if it was available again. Too many golds and coppers, and nothing in there that truly interests me.

Not only that, 2019 was a terrible year for PMG fans, as false-scarcity was the name of the game for the year's releases. Not fun, and not encouraging for prospective consumers.

2.) Jouer Skinny Dip Foil Palette ($40 LE). Though this was a palette of metallic earth-toned "neutrals", also limited edition, I wanted to remember this palette and I still remember why. People talked about how the formula was incredibly good. Looking at the swatches on Temptalia's site, the formula appears bold and pigmented. However, any desire for this palette has faded. Why? I've learned that I really don't like thicker metallic and shimmer formulas. I prefer drier ones that can be used with glitter glue. Because of my oily and textured lids, the "wetter" type formulas are not very pleasant to work with. So even though I do think Jouer created a unique product that definitely got lost in the spate of releases, especially more affordable ones, I am content with the idea of never owning this palette.

In terms of the ultra-earth tones color schemes, I do believe that a palettes of those types of shimmers can be useful. But now that I have the sultry palette, as well as a couple of singles that fit the bill, I really don't feel the urgency to purchase it.

3.) Viseart Dark Matte Palette. Oof. I am going to be honest. I purchased the Viseart Coy Palette. I might make a post on that some day, but I will say I have been enjoying that palette immensely. That being said, I am not sure I would spend the same kind of coin for a palette of all mattes, including ones that look very similar. I do have a handful of singles in my collection from Devinah and Sydney Grace that somewhat mimic the vibes of this palette. But, I do have to hand it to Viseart. No matter how many times I look at this palette, it still seems fresh and interesting to me. Of course, I would have to pare down/use up my matte collection significantly before being convinced that I actually need this.

That wraps up a bit of my wishlist. But I do want to end with one palette that I actually do have regrets about, that I may end up adding to my wishlist: the Urban Decay Electric palette. The eventual markdowns on this palette were insane. Sadly, it is discontinued and near-impossible to get a new one, so that truly is my one regret. One shadow in particular- the matte bright yellow-green is something brands can't seem to get right, but the swatches of it from this palette looked amazing. Oh well. Maybe some day.

That wraps up this list. Do you have of these listed products? Let me know your thoughts on them below!

An Eyeshadow 5 Month Retrospective

Exactly five months ago to the day, I posted to my new makeup-focused account for the first time. Prior to that, I had been building up my makeup collection and "skills" for about three years, or however long this blog has been active. 

I thought it would be neat to compare a look from then with a look five months later, just to chart my growth, habits, and where I think I still am going. 

So, let's get into it!

On my Instagram, I listed the following products: New Wave (in the crease) from the Subculture palette, Toasty from Clionadh Cosmetics (outer corner), and Boujee from Looxi Beauty (lid). 

I am pretty sure I used the Colossal Express mascara from Maybelline (yellow bottle), and am certain I used MAC eyelienr gel in Blacktrack. I might have just purchased it. 

What I like about this look: I know I wore this look to work, and I think I did a good job of pairing colors together. Because Toasty is a very warm brown, it worked as a natural deepening shade to New Wave, one of the better performing pigments from the Subculture palette. Furthermore, Boujee from Looxi is a gold metallic with a blue/green reflect, so it was an overall nice complement. 

What I don't like about this look: The struggle wing- hands down. While it looks like I did also try to put color on the lower lash line, I feel like I could have put some brown there as well to make it a bit more intense. Prior to this, I hardly used color on the lower lashline- I was afraid it would make my eyes look smaller. 

More brown overall could have been used more to deepen the outer corner. 

I also noticed some transfer of the shimmer onto my crease/brow area, which could have been avoided with glitter glue and a more sparing use of the lid shade. 

Finally, I know there must have been a fourth shade that I did not list because it did not show up in this picture that I am fairly confident I used to help blend New Wave up towards the brow bone. It would have been Angel Face from Coloured Raine. Unfortunately, it just didn't show up well enough, so I didn't list it. If I had used a more pigmented eyeshadow base this could have been avoided. 

Overall, I would wear this look again, definitely, but with some major improvements. 

And now let's move on to today's look:

Products used: Clionadh's Maize (cool-toned bright yellow, brow bone), ABH Eccentric (caramel brown in the crease, from the Norvina Palette), Colourpop Hooky (a mustard yellow in the crease and lid, from the Good Sport palette), Menagerie Cosmetics Mother Dragon (dark matte red on lash line) and Night Eyes (bright yellow under the red) , and Tammy Tanuka Crystals of Heliodor (shimmer on lid). 

Mascara was the Innisfree Skinny Mascara paired with the Maybelline Snapscara. Waterline was Nyx Milk, eyeliner was again MAC Blacktrack. Eyeshadow base was Essence I Love Color Base, paired with Wet 'n Wild primer. 

Where to begin? 

What I like about the look: This look is part of a monthly makeup challenge, the #SummerTreatsMakeup. The look in question was inspired by Pineapple Cake. So right off the bat, the fact that this look is part of my contribution to an online community is something I really enjoy and am excited about. 

In terms of the technical, I like the balance of colors, and I love how I managed to make a nice wing. It took me forever to get the hang of doing wings- of even attempting that. 

Yellow, to my delight, is becoming more and more appreciated, and I do enjoy how glow-y this looks. Also, I went in with with a lot more color in the lower lashline, so there's definitely improvement there. 

There's not really too much to say here. I'd wear it again!

What I don't like: I know the other eye did not have a wing at the same exact angle as this one. That's something I definitely have to work on. This was also the first time I tried to put a color in the waterline- big mistake. While I was very careful and didn't cause a reaction, I knew that either this is something I need to practice more or just give up on entirely. 

I also think the outer edge with the brown and yellow could have more of an upturned shape towards my brow- it's just a bit amorphous as it is. 

Would I wear it again? Yes, definitely. 

Final take-aways:

There are definite improvements, right? And my collection didn't change drastically between then and now- aside from the Tammy Tanuka pigment, all products I used (except for the Mascara ), I've had in my collection already. It's just that my awareness of my face has sharpened, allowing me to more deliberate and creative. Though this was a slow process, it was at my own pace and really the natural outgrowth of being inspired and practice. If it wasn't for seeing what people are doing, how they are doing it, and trying it for myself, then I would have never gotten to the point that I am now. 

I can't wait to see what the next five months will bring!

Thanks for reading. 

Re-Designing the BH Cosmetics Mini-Zodiac Cancer Palette

When I first heard, many months ago, that BH Cosmetics' spin-off of their two large zodiac palettes was going to be a set of the mini-palettes for each of the 12 signs, I thought it was a rather creative idea that had the potential to be great.

Well, I was quite wrong. Beginning with the Capricorn palette, each palette has been mostly met with disappointment or ambivalence, primarily due to the fact that the color selections did not jive with people's perceptions/interpretations of the signs.

Before we delve a little deeper into what BH Cosmetics did for the Cancer sign, I do want to give a bit of a disclaimer. I belong to the camp that believes zodiac and horoscope stuff is fun, and the opposite of scientific. I don't think we can justify behavior according to someone's star sign.

That being said, if it doesn't hurt people and allows people to have a way to express and/or understand themselves in different ways, why not?

Personally, I do think that I am pretty representative of the Cancer sign, and I was someone who looked at BH Cosmetics' release and did not respond to it at all:

Based on the brand description of "lunar hues," they seemed to build the palette around the Moon. And while it certainly is smokey and cool-toned and evocative of the sea, it's definitely missing the warmth and prettiness I think a Cancer would appreciate.

The mock-up, which I have already posted to Instagram, is by no means a definitive Cancer palette, but something I tried to construct as more usable, interesting, and cohesive. I hope you enjoy!

1. The center shade is MAC Dazzlepink highlighter.  I think a lot of brands are playing with the idea of pink highlighter, and for a sign that is based on emotion and warmth, I think pink is a great color- especially a cooler-toned one with a more sheer base so that the highlighter can be used on a multitude of skin tones. I personally do not own Dazzlepink, but I do have a couple of highlighters in my collection that belong to the same family of pink-reflect highlighters: MAC Snowflushed (extremely glittery), Nabla Divinzer, Colourpop Everybody's Got a Weakness, Nabla Millenium (more of a peach reflect), and Looxi Stripped (has more of a white base but a strong cool pink reflect).

2. Then, moving clockwise at "12 o'clock", we have Nabla City Wolf. I chose this shade because it is a cool-toned medium gray that still evokes some of the feeling of the original palette- those sultry lunar vibes.

3. Speaking of lunar vibes, I wanted some gorgeous shimmers in there that were strange and duochrome and evocative of sea glass and shells, so I went with Earthshine by Colourpop. I do not personally own Earthshine, but similar colors are Glass Bull from Colourpop and Charmed by Looxi.

4. But I knew I needed a cool-toned red berry, to stand for passion, depth, the heart, and the crab. I chose Cascade from Lethal Cosmetics, because I almost bought it the other day, but stopped myself because I own the Modern Renaissance palette. That being said, I think Cascade is redder and warmer than Love Letter, but not enough for me to go and buy it.

5. I knew I wanted a neutral-ish shimmer, because I wanted to give the people options! However, I chose a silver-gold that I have been obsessed with for the longest time- Metallurgy from Pat McGrath. It looks nice and sandy in the palette, but also provides a bit of familiarity, color-wise.

6. Remember when I talked about sea glass? Well, this next shade is literal glass. It does not exist looking like this, but I really really wish something came out that is comparable. For the meantime, I am looking at Clionadh's multichrome shadows, specifically the shades Torch and Engrave. I thought this "shade" really captured the more imaginative side of Cancers.

7. MAC Uninterrupted- a classic Caramel shade. I think Cancers can be quite sweet and warm, and this shade is meant to capture that, as well as provide a neutral option for the shimmers, or even pair with the more vibrant mattes.

8. Papaya Juice by Prima Makeup. Prior to this project I had never heard of this brand, but I was on the hunt for a coral-like color that was the perfect balance of orange and red. I think this would pair brilliantly with Uninterrupted or Cascade, and definitely shows the passionate side of the Cancer.

9. Finally, Sydney Grace Officer. I wanted a cool-toned purple bruise shade- because (no joke) crabs also are blue, but also to represent the very deep funks and moods we can get ourselves in. Officer also functions as an excellent deepening shade for a variety of warm and cool colors.

This week I'll try to follow up with some looks inspired by this palette. And, who knows, maybe I'll make more mock-ups in the future!

Thanks for reading.

Menagerie Cosmetics: Feral Palette and Single Shadows Swatches and Review

Towards the end of February, I purchased the Feral Palette from Menagerie Cosmetics for $40.00. Each pan contained 2g of product each. Though the color palette was definitely out of my comfort zone, it was one of those cases where I couldn't get it out of my head (cue Kylie Minogue). It reminded me of a field of wildflowers, and though I barely knew anything about the brand, I decided to take the leap.

The palette feels sturdy and is small-medium in size. Its packaging feels pretty luxe, and worth the cost. But, let's get into the shadows.

1. Harmonia, a green blue matte. This is a super pigmented yet soft shade. 

2. Wolfling, a coppery metallic base with a very strong pink reflect and sparkle. This shimmer formula is incredibly soft, so I advise caution when using it- a sticky base and a light hand is needed. The end result is gorgeous and very sparkly. 

3. Canis Lupis, a milk chocolate matte. Very easy to blend. 

4. Alpha, a darker matte taupe. This one required a little bit of building- but is soft and easy to work with. I find the color quite unique- depending on the other colors, it can come off more green or more brown. 

5. Pack Leader. Seems a little more densely packed than Wolfling. It is a hot pink metallic with a gold sheen. The gold comes out more with glitter glue, and/or using it against other hot pink colors. This one stains. 

6. Allium. A swatch of this is also in my second set below. A cooler-toned shade of purple that is one of the more "drier" mattes- but very easy to blend out. 

Second set! 

7. The bright red/orange is Mariposa. Highly pigmented and blendable.

8. Night Eyes. A true yellow. Its strong white base is being a little reflected in the flash photo above- in person, it reads a bit darker. Very blendable and bright, though. 

9. Wisteria. A matte hot coral. It stained my skin slightly, but also very easy to work with. As with Night Eyes, the picture is showing the swatch a bit lighter than it really is. 

10. Fenris. A yellow-toned matte green that is more densely pressed. It builds up evenly and quickly, though. 

11. For me, Ivy was probably the most intimidating at first- it is a dark matte green. However, it still has a soft formula and just requires careful and deliberate placement before blending out. 

12. Huechera, a highly reflective and flakey green with some golden sheen. This one definitely stained. 

Okay, so as much as I was enjoying the colors and formula of the original Feral Palette, I also wanted to branch out and buy some singles to make my own custom palette. It ended up being quite neutral, so I renamed the palette The Domestic Palette. Funny, right?

The new shades are:

1. Lucky ($5.00), a light peachy gold metallic

2. Mother Dragon ($4.00), from the Dragon Child palette, a dark matte burgundy. 

3. Canary ($5.00), a light warm yellow metallic shimmer with a strong pink glitter reflect

4. Snuggle ($4.00), a warm pastel pink

5. Snoot ($4.00) a soft rose-brown matte

The palette ended up looking like this:

Lucky, Canary, Snuggle, Snoot, and Mother Dragon

The two shimmers had the same formulation as Wolfling- very soft and requiring some sticky base. I probably didn't need to get Canary- its strong pink reflect makes it kind of repetitive among the other shimmers in the palette. Lucky, though, is proving to be quite multi-functional, with its slight silvery sheen that can be paired with both warm and cool colors. 

I was quite pleased with Snuggle- I had not yet owned a warm pastel pink, and really enjoy how pigmented it is. Snoot was probably the other redundant purchase- I know I probably have shades like it in my collection, but I can't deny the quality of this one. 

Finally, Mother Dragon. I love this color and am so pleased to have it. 

All in all, I very much enjoy the matte formula especially of my collection. I think the shimmers are beautiful, but I am not yet sold on the different formulations they are using. I tend to prefer a drier shimmer, because I feel I have more control, but these are definitely wetter. Still, the colors are like nothing else in my collection. 

I will continue to keeping track of Menagerie Cometics' releases. I am certain they will keep coming up with fun things. 

Have you tried any of their products yet? Let me know your thoughts below!