Australian Care Package with Diary of a Beauty Padawan!

Early in my blogging days (like, way back when I did my Hunger Games posts), I had this lovely Australian reader named Shae. Little did I know at the time that Shae would become a great friend of mine, and then go to create her own blog, Diary of a Beauty Padawan! While she and I have both been incredibly busy due to our college schedules, we still occasionally like to freak out and fan girl over the newest beauty products, and some country-specific brands that we love!

This isn't necessarily a beauty swap, like our last post together was, but more of a care package from her to me, filled with all kinds of Australian makeup goodies! I thought I'd type up a post giving you my first impressions of the fun things she sent me.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Sunset palette by Chi Chi. Chi Chi is known for having gorgeously pigmented, affordable eyeshadow palettes, and this is now the second one I own! The first one was the Chi Chi Brights palette she also sent me a while back. When she asked which one I wanted and gave me the choice between two, I'm pretty sure my exact words to her were "The Sunset one speaks to me on a personal level." And it is even more stunning in person!

The eyeliner she sent me was kind of a joke, because of the name, but it is truly a gorgeous purple liner -- which is perfect for my hazel eyes. This specific eyeliner, appropriately named "Beauty School Dropout," was sold in a limited edition set, and unfortunately is no longer sold. Hopefully they'll come out with it permanently though, because this color is gorgeous!

The next bunch of eye products she sent my way were from a few different brands. The black liner on the left is by Model Co, and is called the Eye Define Crayon Liner. While, yes, it is just a basic twist-up black liner, the coolest part about it is that it comes with a built-in sharpener! Never will you be condemned to a dull line with this liner, because the sharpener pops right into the cap. The swatch for this has been included with the Chi Chi liner above.

The Face of Australia Colour Max "Gold Mine" quad is a simple little neutral quad that is just perfect to throw in your bag and go. It's got 4 neutral shades ranging from light to dark, and is easily blendable! These shadows aren't crazy pigmented, but if you're on the go, you might want the forgiveness that these shadows give. 

Lastly for the eyes are these two neutral cream shadows by Australis. But don't be fooled into thinking they're just ordinary cream shadows. These cream shadows pack a serious punch, and are super metallic! I was actually really surprised when I dipped my finger in them, because I wasn't expecting a cream product. But as soon as I swatched them, I knew they were magic. 

Now moving onto my favorite part -- the lips! The two on the left took me by surprise, because they look like the cult favorite Lip Butters by Revlon, but they're in blue and silver! While it looks like Revlon Lip Butters have been discontinued in Australia, we can still get them here in the United States, but not in these blue and silver shades. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on how you look at it), these two shades don't come off as opaque as some of the Revlon Lip Butters often do, but rather are more of a sheer, shimmery formula, that I didn't bother swatching because it really doesn't pick up as much of a color. 

The Face of Australia Lip Paints are very intense (but somewhat messy) liquid lipsticks. You really need very little product to apply these, which I totally forgot when I went to swatch them, which resulted in messy swatches. I think these have been discontinued, though, as I can't find them on the FOA website. However, I love the pigmentation and shine of these lip paints, and they stain your lips, so even when they wear off, you're still left with some color!

And onto the last few products! The first product is by a brand called Boe Beauty, and this particular lip gloss is no longer sold on their website. But I can tell you that it smells like peaches! It is relatively glittery though, and a little bit grainy, but if you can get past that, it smells really, really good and makes your lips look super plump! 

Next are the Velourlips Matte Lip Creams by Australis in "Grandmaster Pash" and "Los Angel-es." "Grandmaster Pash" is part of their AC❤ME collection, which is really interesting because, while the product is matte, it also has like a metallic sheen. It's kind of hard to describe, and something you may just have to experience for yourself! In terms of color, it's a super wearable brick red shade. "Los Angel-es" is a super bright bubble gum pink, not for the faint of heart! I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to pull this color off (but you know I'll try), but I don't have anything like this in my collection! 

Also from Australis are the Colour Inject Lip Gloss and the Cray For Colour Lip Gloss Crayon. I didn't swatch the Colour Inject Lip Gloss because it is very sheer, with just a very subtle hint of color, but the Lip Gloss Crayon is super pigmented but still hydrating! The shade she got me is called "Twisting Roses," and is an orangey red shade that is super fun for spring.

That's all for this post! I'm hoping to get a tutorial up using a few of these products soon. Is there anything you'd like to try? Anything you want to see a tutorial for? Let me know in the comments below!

Again, a HUGE thank you to Shae for sending me all these products! Go over to her blog and send her some love for me!

- D. 

REVIEW: ColourPop Super Shock Cheek in "Lunch Money"

I'm gonna come right out and say it: I have a new favorite highlighter, as well as a new obsession. I recently purchased the ColourPop highlighter in "Lunch Money," and I can't say enough good things about it. The second I touched this product to swatch it, I knew I was going to want more products from ColourPop to add to my collection.

That being said, let's get down to the nitty gritty of this product!

So this color, "Lunch Money" is described as a" soft light gold with a reflective golden duo chrome finish." While I'm not really sure I see the duo chrome once it's on my skin, I definitely can see it as a soft light gold, although leaning more toward a champagne, since it's not super warm toned.

While I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, I understand why it needs to be packaged this way. The texture of this is basically magical. It's got this creamy texture that is somehow actually a powder. I guess I'd almost call it like a mousse. Honestly, there is no good way to describe it, you seriously just have to touch it. It's cool to the touch, and when you put it on your face it's instant magic. Because of this magical texture, though, it has to be in packaging that can seal tightly, which unfortunately means ColourPop probably won't be coming out with palettes any time soon.

Personally, I prefer to apply this with my finger tips, just because I feel like I get a more intense glow that way (and since my skin is so pale, anything less than intense just won't show up), however, they also recommend either a flat synthetic cheek brush or a duofiber brush, depending on your desired finish. If you have darker skin than me, you can probably go for either of those and be just fine -- it just isn't intense enough for me if I use it that way.

That is one swipe from my fingertips. Just one. You barely have to dip your fingers or brush into the product to get fantastic pigmentation, and this stuff seriously stays put all day! I think my favorite thing about this highlighter is that it isn't glittery or chunky, and it doesn't make you look sweaty or oily. It just gives such a natural pop to the skin. 

I hope that you enjoyed this quick review!

- D. 

REVIEW: Benefit They're Real Push Up Gel Liner Pen

I am obsessed with gel liners, and I love any product that comes in the ease of a pen. So when Benefit sent out their press email announcing the "They're Real!" Push Up Liner, I had to have it! I remember hearing about the Maybelline version of this a while back, but it wasn't released in the US, so I got even more excited knowing that finally a brand would sell a gel liner pen in the US.

Let's start with packaging.

The box is very similar to Benefit's best selling "They're Real!" Mascara, with claims that read:

• "91% said it was long wearing"
• "81% said it was waterproof"
• "86% said it hugged the lashline"
• "84% said eyes looked visibly larger"

The product comes in a  pen with a screw-on cap, which means that the cap won't accidentally pop off and make a mess. This makes this liner perfect for your on-the-go makeup bag! To dispense the product, you twist the bottom until product comes out. The first time I used this pen, it took probably 10 clicks to get the product out. After that, it takes 3-5 clicks to get product out.

On the box, you can find a description of their AccuFlex tip. It says "Custom soft, angled tip gets the matte black, smudge-proof liner close to your lash line." That's debatable. While I do like the softness of the tip, I struggled to get close to my lash line. When I dispensed the product, it would ball up on the end, and getting just the right amount of product was a bit of a challenge. 

I also really struggled to get a precise line with the applicator. When you first apply the liner after clicking a few times, it really just kind of clumps onto your lash line, and I often felt that I was just smearing it around with the silicone tip. It wasn't until there was almost no product on the tip that I could finally get a precise line, but then it wasn't exactly opaque.

In terms of longevity, it's pretty average, in my opinion. It is water resistant, but definitely not water proof. When rubbed with a wet finger, it did smudge, but it didn't completely come off. When using my Garnier Cleansing Micellar Water, it began to come off with little effort, which makes it seem quite silly that they are also selling an $18 remover gel to go with the "They're Real!" line. I've taken naps while wearing this liner (I know, bad Danielle), and it smudged like nobody's business, significantly worse than a lot of drugstore liners that I have slept in before.

Another thing I've noticed with this formula is that is flakes. A lot. After wearing this liner for maybe 3 hours, I would have friends come up to me to clean black chunks off my cheeks. While it does stay black and generally opaque all day, it tends to get a bit patchy due to the flakiness of the product.

Final Thoughts? I'm really disappointed that I dislike this product so much. I wanted to love it, I really did. But for $24, I can't really recommend this product. There are drugstore liners that do a much better job for a third of the price. I really wanted to be able to rave about this liner, but, once again, the "They're Real!" line has let me down. I feel like this liner is incredibly gimmicky, and honestly, it's going straight back to Sephora.

However, I will mention something. I received the "They're Real!" Remover as a sample when I purchased this liner, and I actually really like it. While I don't think I can justify paying $18 for a makeup remover, it does a beautiful job of removing waterproof makeup! Since it's summer and I've been super busy, I've switched to a waterproof mascara, and it makes my lashes look like I was never wearing mascara at all. 

What a bummer, huh? Do you have any products you just really wanted to love, but couldn't?

- D. 

June Favorites

I can't believe the summer is going by so quickly! As I type, I am looking at my college move in day, which is only 41 days away, and I am just absolutely astonished by how quickly this year has gone by. I feel like I was in Chicago not that long ago, but that was back in February! Anyways, I have just a couple of favorites to talk about this month, so let's go ahead and get started!

Kate Spade Beacon Street Jeanne. I am so obsessed. They no longer sell this version of this bag, however they do have the Holly Street version in "Geranium" available and on sale! Earlier in June, I received a 25% off sale items on the Kate Spade website, and of course, being a curious little cat, I had to check it out. And of course, satisfaction definitely brought me back! This beautiful bag is a charcoal gray color, so it goes with everything, and it's super roomy without taking up a lot of space. It has a patent leather body with 14k gold hardware. Originally, this bag was $398, but I got it on sale for $159, plus the 25% off, which knocked it down to $119! I've always been obsessed with Kate Spade bags, and I think I got a serious deal on this classic bag that I know will last ages. It was worth every penny!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Color. I've loved Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle since last year when I bleached my hair, and they recently released their color-friendly line! This deep conditioner is perfect for colored hair, and usually when I color my hair, it begins to fade after just a couple of washes. With this conditioner, my hair color is still vibrant! I loved the original formula, but I love the color formula even more.

Lush Dark Angels Cleanser. This stuff smells weird. Let's just get that out there. It's also pretty rough so I definitely could never recommend this for daily use, despite being a "gentle" cleanser. However, on my psoriasis, this stuff is amazing. I'm not a huge fan of using this on my face because I do have slightly sensitive skin, but I use this on my psoriasis maybe once a week, and I have seen such an improvement! My skin is soft and smooth as opposed to flaky and painful. It is still red as it usually is, but I have noticed that after using this cleanser, the little psoriasis scales that I get usually clear up for a few days. I use this on my entire face once every couple of weeks, just for a really exfoliating deep clean, but for psoriasis, this unique cleanser really helps make my life a whole lot easier.

Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Liner. I know this liner has a lot of mixed reviews, but personally, I absolutely love it. This was the first liquid liner I ever bought, and I still love using it! It's essential for summer, especially if you plan to go to any summer parties where you aren't sure if you will be swimming or not, because this stuff does NOT budge. Period. The only way to get this off is with an oil-based cleanser, and sometimes, that isn't enough. But if you're like me, and you want your liner to look perfect when there is a possibility that you might be in the ocean or the pool (or if it's just insanely humid!), this liquid liner can't be beat in terms of staying power, and is super affordable at around $3!

Band-Aid Brand Advanced Healing Blister Cushions. Okay, so this probably sounds a little bit funny to be talking about in my favorites for this month. However, these things have saved my feet. This month I recently bought a new pair of flip flops, and despite how much I love them, they have been a beast to break in. I feel like I'm super prone to blisters, but these blister cushions are perfect! They stay on really well, and help to cushion the blister against your shoes to make the pain more bearable. I don't think I could ever go back to using regular bandaids again!

And that's it for this month's favorites! I've definitely done my share of spending this month...but I've sworn off of any big purchases, I promise! ;) What have you been enjoying this month?

- D.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Review

If I'm being honest, this post has not been planned at all. I have a list of ideas for blog posts, and I generally know what I'm going to do or say. But I have been eyeing this palette for a while now, ever since they began to advertise it on the Too Faced website, and while in Sephora yesterday, I caved. I just had to have it!

As of right now, this palette is sold out on the Too Faced website, but it can be purchased at Sephora and Ulta! It retails for $49. In this palette, you get 16 chocolate-inspired shadows. Like the other chocolate products that Too Faced is known for, the shadows in this palette are made of pure cocoa powder, which you can smell when you open it up. It isn't overpowering, but it's definitely there. It has 6 matte shades, and 10 shimmers.

First things first: the packaging. This palette is beautiful to look at! The packaging is metal, and the mirror seems sturdy. It's compact, it's sleek, and easy to fit just about anywhere. I have one major beef with it though. It has a weak magnetic closure. Usually, I don't mind magnetic closures. I mean, I love my Inglot palettes! But this magnet in this palette isn't enough to keep it closed, and it could easily open up and get ruined if not properly stored. 

Another flaw in the packaging is that the names aren't on the palette. It comes with a little plastic cover that has the names on them, but after taking and labeling the photos of the product, I don't even remember where I put it.

So how are the shadows themselves? 

Gilded Ganache: This shade is a cool brown, with gold and bronze microglitter. Not much to say about this shade. Good color payoff, and the glitter is definitely noticeable.

Salted Caramel: One of the smoother (if not the smoothest) matte colors in this palette, Salted Caramel would make a fantastic blending shade. It's a warm light brown, very comparable to Urban Decay's Naked shadow.

Hazelnut: This is a gorgeous bronze shadow, which reminds me of a less shimmery version of Urban Decay's Smog. It's very smooth, and has great color payoff.

Marzipan: Probably one of my favorite shades in this palette, and I know I'm going to use it a ton. It's a shimmery light pinky peach shadow that would be great as an all-over lid color.

White Chocolate: This is a matte, creamy off-white shade. This would be a great blending or highlight shade for anyone with fair skin. It's not chalky, but it's not incredibly smooth either. It also tends to grab when applied.

Creme Brulee: This a very true, cool-toned gold color, with lots of shimmer. It's incredibly smooth and pigmented.  

Semi-Sweet: This is the warmer-toned brown in the palette. It's like if the color "brick red" had a cousin named "brick brown." Initially, the color payoff isn't great, but it definitely builds well.

Haute Chocolate: This is a pinky brown shimmer. I'd compare it to a shiny new penny. It's smooth and pigmented, and really easy to apply.

Milk Chocolate: This is the cool-toned counterpart to Salted Caramel, and totally comparable in texture. It's a cool, matte light brown and a great blending shade. 

Strawberry Bon Bon: This cool baby pink shade is probably the most disappointing shade in the entire palette. First of all, it seems a little out of place. It's also the chalkiest shadow in the palette, and the color payoff could be described best with a "meh" and a shrug. 

Cherry Cordial: I guess this is considered a shimmer, but it's more like a matte brick red shadow with multi-colored microglitter. The color payoff is okay, but it can definitely be layered and built up to a deep brick red color.

Black Forest Truffle: This color is insanely glittery. It is a deep wine color, with TONS of silver and bronze glitter. It's also very pigmented, and you don't have to completely pack it on to get the glitter to show up.

Candied Violet: This is a really pretty cool-toned purple shimmer. Really great pigmentation, with lots of pink and green duochrome microglitter. It applies very smoothly. 

Triple Fudge: This is the cool-toned counterpart to Semi-Sweet! Definitely a great crease color, and, like Semi-Sweet, it builds well.

Amaretto: This shade sucked me in the moment I saw it. I love bronze colors like this one! It's incredibly shimmery, and applies smoothly, with great color payoff. 

Champagne Truffle: This would be a fantastic inner corner highlight shade. It is smooth and very shimmery, and would also be great to layer on top of other colors to add some extra shine. 

I think that Too Faced did a fantastic job balancing cool and warm tones in this palette. A couple of the matte shadows are hit-or-miss, but the shimmery shades are really smooth, pigmented, and all of the shadows are easy to blend. 

I love that this palette has a great variety. While it is definitely a neutrals palette, it also has some lovely shades to add a pop of color. This is a "complete" palette, meaning that you could easily create a look using just this palette. It has some great mattes for blending, and the looks you could create with this palette are endless! Many of the shades are comparable to many of the shadows found in Urban Decay's Naked palettes, and this is a great response from Too Faced to all of the Naked 3 hype.

Final Thoughts? This is definitely a palette I will find myself using often, especially for travel. Unfortunately, I think I will probably have to tie a rubber band around it to ensure it stays closed, but it is sleek and doesn't take up much room. It is a versatile palette, yet still basic enough for beginners! For all that you get, I certainly think it's worth the $49 price tag.

- d. 

REVIEW: Anastasia DipBrow Pomade

Recently, Anastasia Beverly Hills, known for their incredible brow products, released a new product that caught my eye: DipBrow Pomade. Their website says, "Waterproof brow color ideal for sculpting, defining, and carving perfectly precise brows that won’t fade. Smudge-free, creamy formula glides on skin and adheres to hair. Must-have for oily skin and humid climates. Tighten cap to prevent drying."

Now, I don't typically have oily skin, but I do have oily lids, and I am a sucker for anything that claims to be waterproof, long-wearing, and smudge-proof. It also claims to be non-comedogenic. So when I first heard about this product, I decided I wanted to give it a try! I purchased the shade "Dark Brown," which is a neutral-toned brown.

The package arrived in a bright metallic blue bubble wrap envelope, and inside was the product as well as a travel size of their Clear Brow Gel. While I'm typically not the type of girl to complain when given free stuff (or not given free stuff), I would have very much liked to see even just a cheap little mini angled brush or something. It would have been convenient for anyone who doesn't already have a brush. However, onto the product itself!

In the "before" photo, you can see my naked brows. In the "after" photo, you can see my brows when the product has been applied. I used a synthetic angled brush to apply the product. Now what I discovered instantly is that a little bit goes a very long way. I love thick and defined Cara Delevingne-esque brows, but you definitely don't need a lot of product to fill in your brows. Now I decided to put it to the work day test.

I had a pretty normal work day, but my skin tends to get rather oily when I'm at work because of the air conditioning. Because of that, I usually find that my makeup tends to fade a lot, and I get very shiny. At the end of my day, about 7 hours later, I came to find that I looked like this: 

Why, yes, I am totally aware that I look like a hot mess. However, despite the oily face, my brows are still defined and in tact! 

I was going to just post these findings and give my review based on a normal work day, but then I decided I should really put it to the test. Some of my best friends and I went to a place in my city called Belmont Park, which is basically just a little boardwalk amusement park at Mission Beach. We first went to Belmont Park, and rode a few rides and played some games, then we went to the beach. We were probably there for a total of about 6 hours, but then we went over to one of my friend's houses and hung out in their jacuzzi for a good hour or two. After that, we went into her house and ate and watched a movie. I was out and about for 11 hours. 

Here is what I looked like at 10 AM...

And then again at 9 PM...

I think my brows still look pretty good after 11 hours against the sun, wind, and water! When I swatched the product on my arm, I let it set for about 30 seconds, and did a rub down test.

Swatched with dry hands.

After some really vigorous rubbing with wet hands.

And more vigorous rubbing, this time with my Sephora Collection Cleansing Water on a cotton ball.

All in all, I'd say I'm pretty impressed by this stuff! It holds up really well in some crazy conditions, and I would definitely trust this product to last. I would probably suggest using an oil-based makeup remover to get it off though, because I was rubbing my arm raw when I was trying to get it off with the cleansing water. Trust me, when I say "vigorous rubbing," I really was trying my best to get it off! 

As of right now, this product is only available online, at Anastasia.net, Sephora.com, and Ulta.com. On all three websites, it runs for $18, and I think it'd definitely worth the price, especially because you get a substantial amount of product! From what I've read, it should be released in stores in January 2014, so keep an eye out for it! 

- d. 

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir

Time for a quick review!

I recently saw this advertisement for the Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir, while watching Once Upon a Time with +Andrew, and when we saw the commercial, we could not stop laughing. Cosmetic commercials will always be hilarious to me. Regardless, I was intrigued. They described it as a "creamy lip lacquer." Personally, I love lip lacquers. I love the longevity of them, in comparison to lipsticks or glosses, and I love the pigmentation in them. So this commercial instantly made me curious to try them!

This is the model from the Maybelline website in the color "Signature Scarlet." The website reads, "Fall under the spell of the elixir effect...Hyper-saturated color, ultra cushiony feel...The new hypnotic lip sensation." 

A few days after seeing the commercial, I ran out to my local Walmart and purchased two of them -- one in "Signature Scarlet" and one in "Mauve Mystique."

There are 20 shades in the collection, ranging from nudes, to purples, to bright reds, and even a couple of orange and coral shades. I purchased "Signature Scarlet" because I'm always on the lookout for a good red, and the color in the picture was amazing. 

Today, I wore it out for the first time!

I must say, the opacity of this is phenomenal. I was absolutely shocked. It was so smooth, vibrant, and non-sticky. Sticky lipglosses are the #1 reason I don't typically wear lipgloss. I have noticed that this product doesn't swatch very well, but for some reason, it glides so beautifully on the lips. This red is a glossy, cool-toned red, and the mauve color is defined by "my lips but better." The colors do stain, so they are somewhat longwearing. In terms of full-on vibrancy, though, they last about 2 hours (if you aren't eating or drinking) before they being to fade. This is coming from someone who has an anxious habit of lip biting. 

Something I really loved about this product, though, is that when I took it off, my lips actually felt smoother. The commercial claims that it has an "addictive cushiony feel of a balm." I totally agree with that. After putting it on for the first time, I just kept rubbing my lips together and wanted to put on more and more product because it felt so nice and smooth when applied. 

Now for the negatives. This is a messy product. If you plan to wear this, bring a mirror with you to check for feathering and smears, because it will do both of those things. I am curious to see if using a lip pencil will help the feathering, but you do need to keep an eye on it if you are wearing it. 

All-in-all, I'd say this is a great product. It feels so nice when applied, and creates a beautiful, pigment-rich lip look. 

- d.