Dose of Colors Sassy Siennas & Blushing Berries Palettes
These all matte palettes are so great for travel and they contain every shade you would need to create a daytime look or a look for a night on the town. I’m partial to the warm tones, which is what led me to the Sassy Siennas palette, as well as all the hype it has been receiving in the beauty community on YouTube; but, when I branched out and bought the Blushing Berries palette, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do! Purples and berry tones got pretty big throughout this past fall, but I didn’t pick up on the trend until after Christmas and now I’m kicking myself for that. I love how versatile the color scheme is and how it makes any eye color pop! These shadows are great quality and have great pigmentation- for only $32! I haven’t stopped talking about these since I got my hands on them. Find Blushing Berries here, and Sassy Siennas here!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette
This palette received a lot of hype when it was first released, and not all of it was necessarily good. Many people were expecting the formula to be similar to that of the Modern Renaissance palette, which the Subculture palette was meant to be the “sister” to. When the palette had a formula more similar to that of a pressed pigment palette, as opposed to your standard eyeshadow palette, the beauty community was in an uproar. After seeing and reading lots of reviews, both good and bad, I knew I had to get my hands on it; my roommates knew how much I had talked about it and it was to my surprise when I opened my Christmas present and found that they had gotten it for me. I have been loving the shades and the formula. These colors, although a little out of my comfort zone, have been so much fun to play with and they blend like a dream! Check it out for yourself here!
Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette
When this palette first launched over the summer, I’ll admit I wasn’t that impressed and convinced myself I didn’t need it. Then one of my best friends managed to get her hands on it, and of course I HAD to see the hype behind it, and that was when I decided that I didn’t just want it, I needed it. When the palette first arrived I wasn’t all that impressed or inspired, which is odd considering the wide variety in colors and finishes; I let it sit for a few weeks and then finally I dipped into it and I have been loving it! It’s been great to use for going out looks as well as neutral, casual looks for both myself and my roommate. Plus, its Morphe, so its super inexpensive for how much eyeshadow you’re actually getting; and all of your favorite YouTubers have discount codes, so you can save 10%! (Tip: The Morphe formula is not my favorite by any means, but I learned that using Morphe brushes with Morphe shadows improves the performance! This is not the regular Morphe formula either, but so far my experience with this tip has proven to be true!) Check out Jaclyn Hill’s masterpiece here!
Morphe M441 Pro Blending Crease Brush
As mentioned above, I recently learned that the Morphe eyeshadow formula works best with Morphe brushes. While I think this is a huge scam/way for a brand to make more money, I was genuinely curious, since I found that I was so underwhelmed by a brand that so many people seem to love. I was browsing my local Ulta over break and came across the Morphe display that was newly introduced and look at the (small) selection of brushes and came across the eye brushes. It doesn’t matter that I have 3734823747 blending brushes already, I didn’t have THIS one. After using it both with the Morphe formula as well as other formulas I love, I fell in love with this brush, and have not been able to do a look without it since purchasing. Check out this brush here!
Lorac California Dreaming Cheek palette
Last winter Lorac came out with their California Dreaming collection. At the time, I bought the eyeshadow palette that was released and didn’t think much of any of the other products that were released. I actually wrote in my very first article that it was one of my February Favorites. Here we are a year later, and I don’t even own the palette anymore, if we’re being honest, BUT I did purchase another piece of the collection (kind of on accident) and I have been loving it. Lorac powders are so smooth and buttery and lovely to use on the face and great to use during the winter especially because they aren’t a dry powder that accentuate dry skin, which seems to plague everyone during the chilly months. On one of the million shopping trips I went on over break I found the face palette in a semi destroyed box; being the savvy shopper that I am, I knew that I could possibly could get a discount on the product so I asked and was denied, but the girl who was checking me out didn’t ask if I still wanted it and I also have no spine so instead of saying something I decided to give the product a shot and I’ve really been enjoying it. I am pretty pale so this product is not something I would have originally thought to get and wouldn’t recommend it if you are as pale as I am (read: whiter than Casper) unless you are willing to make the products work for you or use them in a way that they’re not meant to be. There is one matte blush shade that is cool-toned enough and just dark enough for me that I can use it to subtly contour and help blend out too harsh of a contour. The shimmer blush shade works for me as long as I use a light hand, but that is the case with any blush for me. I have not yet used the bronze shade or the highlighter because that are too deep for my winter skin tone, but I can’t wait to use them in the summer. To get use out of them now I have thought about using them as eyeshadow shades. Conveniently enough, this palette is no longer full price, but can only be ordered here now.
Kat von D Lock-It Makeup Setting Spray
This setting spray seriously changed my outlook on setting sprays. I had purchased a few before finding this one and I was indifferent. I mean, sure they helped make my skin look more like skin after piling on pounds of powders and creams, but did they really help my makeup last longer? I couldn’t honestly say I noticed a difference. I did enjoy the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and noticed a difference with that one more so than some of the others I had purchased, but after using up 2 bottles of it I wanted to expand my horizons and see what other setting sprays were on the market, and that was how I found the KVD Lock-It spray. Like everyone else who’s addicted to makeup, I was casually wandering around my local Sephora for the 85th time that week when I decided I needed to spray every single setting spray my eyes fell upon. Just girly things, right?? The first one I came across ended being the KVD spray. I immediately loved the spray on it- it delicately mists onto your face and you don’t feel like you’re being drenched with a super-soaker and ruining your makeup. I also really love the fresh clean scent and the cooling sensation. The next few times I went to Sephora I tried it out to see if I liked it enough to spend $26 (!!!) on it and I was very impressed. I have had the same bottle for close to 4 months and I still have so much and I don’t regret it at all. When telling other people about it the only thing I have to say is that it’s like hairspray for your face- my makeup does NOT move at all as long as I use this setting spray. It is especially helpful during the winter months when the sky is dumping some form of cold precipitation all over the place since I don’t wear a lot of waterproof makeup. Check out this amazing spray here!
Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick: Matte Romance
I recently decided I wasn’t really into the whole matte liquid lipstick trend anymore due to the fact that I never found a formula I absolutely love. No matter the formula, brand, etc. there was always some downside. Some are too drying, some don’t dry down enough, some are too streaky in pigmentation, and some of them just make my mouth look dry and crusty. So, I switched to wearing “regular” lipstick and my lips have been loving it. This formula, although it is a matte formula, it is not drying and it is still long lasting. As for the color, I’ve been into deep red lipsticks lately, and this seems to be the perfect shade of red. I have been complimented on it almost every single time I’ve worn it! My main concern when I made this switch was that I would be stuck either re-applying lipstick all the time or that I would end up with lipstick all over my face since: 1. I am gross and messy, and 2. Red lipstick has a history of getting EVERYWHERE, but this stays in place so well and you don’t even feel like you’re wearing lipstick! Bonus point: it costs less than $5 and can be found at your local Walmart! Check out this awesome find here!