REVIEW: Wet n Wild Summer 2015 Collection -- Venice Beach

I was just casually walking through my local Rite Aid as I do, and I spotted the most gorgeous colorful collection of eyeshadows. Of course, it had to be the new Wet n Wild summer collection! It was absolutely gorgeous, and 40% off, so I had to snag two of the three palettes to try them out!

Incredibly colors, right? Normally when I see palettes like this in the drugstore, I assume that they're going to be chalky and sheer. Since they were 40% off though, I decided I could take a chance. I chose the palettes "Hemporary Solutions" and "Boardwalk Boozing," and didn't grab the palette "High Flying Colors," because it just reminded me too much of Mimi from The Drew Carey Show. These palettes are honestly quite reminiscent of the old watercolor palettes that I used to use as a kid. Anyways, let's get into the review!

The first palette, "Hemporary Solutions," has 4 cool toned colors, 3 warm toned colors, plus a true, matte white. When swatched with fingers, these eyeshadows are super soft, and almost crumble at the touch. They are incredibly creamy, despite being a little too soft, and when applied with a brush, creates a super opaque, vivid eyeshadow look. My favorite shade of this palette has to be, without a doubt, the pearlescent aqua blue! In this palette, 6 out of the 8 shadows are matte, which is quite unique for a collection like this.

The formula of the "Boardwalk Boozing" palette is very similar to that of the "Hemporary Solutions" palette, although I noticed that the shimmery shades in this palette are a bit less opaque than the matte ones, which is actually pretty odd for drugstore shadows. The matte pink, red, and yellow shadows in this palette are identical to the ones in "Hemporary Solutions," while the shimmery green one in "Boardwalk Boozing" is actually quite a bit less pigmented than the shimmery green one in "Hemporary Solutions."

Final Thoughts? If you love color as much as I do, these palettes are a must have. Plus, at $4.99 a piece (and you can almost always find them on sale), they're a steal! The pigmentation of these palettes honestly almost rival that of the Urban Decay Electric Palette (which I don't own, but I have played with it quite a few times), which is a crazy claim to make, but they seriously hold their own.

Keep an eye out for my next post, where I put these palettes into action. If you're not convinced that they're amazing, I promise you my next look will sway you!

- D. 

Five Minutes to Fall

I was browsing the aisles of CVS the other day, and the display for the fall collection by Wet n Wild caught my eye. Of course, it was nearly empty! I decided that was a good sign that I should check it out. The entire collection is just what you would expect from a fall collection -- lots of deep colors with warm undertones. As I was playing with the palette I picked up, "Melrose at Night," I realized just how quick and easy these palettes are for an on-the-go smokey eye! It only took my five minutes to apply the shadows, and this palette is so easy to just throw in your makeup bag and head out there door.

To find this collection near you, Nouveau Cheap has this awesome Interactive Sightings Map that can help you out!

To start this look out, I used the Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather in "Creamy Beige" all over my lids as a base. From here, I moved onto the palette. I used the Wet n Wild Color Icon 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palette in "Melrose at Night," and obviously, completely ignored the labels that were embedded in the shadows. I used the pink "Crease" shade all over my lid, staying under the crease. Then, I mixed the brown "Eyelid" and taupe "Browbown" colors together, and rocked that into the crease lightly. I didn't want the crease to be overly defined, so I made sure to really blend these colors out.

For my liner, I used the blackened purple "Definer" shade (which reminds me so much of "Blackheart" from the Naked 3 palette, by the way) and smudged this along my upper lash line. I also winged it out slightly, pulling the color into the crease and feathering it out. I also used this shade on my lower lashline, then used the creamy "Base" shade to highlight my brow bone as well as the inner corner.

And that's it for the shadow! This palette makes everything so quick and easy. After I finished with the shadows, I tightlined my upper and lower waterline with the L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in "Black Shock," which was actually my favorite black liner for the majority of high school. Of course, I curled my lashes, then applied one coat of my Maybelline Waterproof The Mega Plush Mascara, followed by my Maybelline The Rocket Mascara.

On my lips, I used the limited edition Mega Last Lipstick in "Sunset Siren." I was so shocked by this lipstick. While I usually love the original Mega Last Lipstick, it does tend to be incredibly drying. The formula of this is still matte, but so much more comfortable on the lips. The texture actually reminds me a lot of the Maybelline The Mattes Lipstick collection that just came out! Because the eye look is so neutral, you can definitely get away with a bold lip, and "Sunset Siren" is perfect for that classic vintage red lip that is always popular around the holidays.

- 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.

Swatch Fest + First Impressions!

So if any of you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know I've been sick in bed for about a week now. I picked up some horrific cold or flu or something and it just won't go away. And it has led me to online shopping, which is dangerous for a shopaholic like me. What's even more dangerous is telling me that it'll be good for me to get out of the house when I have a $4 off $20 coupon PLUS $5 in ExtraCare bucks at CVS.

...oops? So, as requested, here's a haul of what I bought (not all of it, because like I said, online shopping is dangerous), as well as swatches and my first impressions. All of these swatches were done with no primer underneath.

So these first products were labeled as new products. They were also on the display for new items. And I had never heard of it or seen it anywhere, so I figured, hey, it must be new! Nope. Apparently, these eyeshadow palettes from Wet n Wild that I picked up are actually from the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. These were released with the "In The Spotlight" collection, and because they were limited edition, I can't link you to any where that you can find them. Let's start with the major disappointment called "Lights, Camera, Attraction."

Looks gorgeous, right? I was hoping that cobalt blue would make this palette worth the $4.99, but sadly, it was a total flop. There's just not much to say about these. The only shadows with any real pigmentation were the mattes, but they're extremely chalky. Honestly, not only was this palette horrible unpigmented, it just came off extremely...80s glam. I was hoping for a smokier, richer kind of look.

No wonder I never heard about these palettes...I even tried it with primer, and with my NYX Jumbo Pencil in "Milk", and no luck at all. But then I moved on to "No Neutral Ground."

I bought this palette with hopes that it would definitely play up my brown/hazel/amber/"I don't actually know what color my eyes are" eyes. The lower right hand matte color is actually a deep forest blue-green and isn't showing up true to color, but the rest are.

THIS is more of what I was expecting. The mattes are still a little bit chalky, but they don't just brush away like the others. Still not quite the quality I'd expect from Wet n Wild, but hey, for $4.99, I'll take it. The purple shade almost reminds me of a less-pigmented version of "Candied Violet" from the Chocolate Bar palette.

Now I have found the new love of my life: the Milani Baked Blushes. I picked up two different colors, one in "Luminoso," and the other in "Bella Rosa." "Luminoso" is an absolutely gorgeous shimmery coral color. The best part about it is that it isn't glittery at all. It's very smooth and blends nicely. And "Bella Rosa," while a bit out of my comfort zone, is going to be fantastic for the summer. I recently read that the matte baked blushes, "Bella Rosa" and "Delizioso Pink," are new releases. If that's the case, Milani has seriously hit a home run with the matte baked blushes, because after swatching "Bella Rosa," I'm dying to go get the other!

Moving on to Maybelline, I picked up a Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in "Inked in Pink," which I had been hoping to pick up for a while now. Every time I went in to purchase it, though, it was sold out! Go figure. I love pale pink champagne colors as an all over wash of color, and I feel like this cream shadow is going to be getting a lot of use.

(Although for the life of me I couldn't get a good swatch photo of it...)

I also debated on whether or not to re-purchase my beloved Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara. It has been needing to be replaced for a while now, and I wasn't sure if I should just re-purchase it, or try something new. Well, I ended up deciding to try something new. I finally gave in and purchased Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. I've been resisting this mascara for quite some time now, although I'm not sure why, and I finally just decided to follow the hype! I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but who knows, maybe I'll be a convert.

These are two new products from Rimmel that I've been pretty excited about. I was on a mad hunt for the the Rimmel BB Cream Matte in "Light." Already, I can tell you one major downfall with this product -- there are only two shades: "Light" and "Medium." From what I've read, the UK also has "Very Light," but I mean, can we get some color range here? But any kind of BB cream or tinted moisturizer that claims to be matte has me curious. I also recently picked up the Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in "Peach Flush," and really ended up liking it. So I decided to pick up another one in "Pop of Pink." 

Clearly that swatch is unblended, but I think this will look absolutely gorgeous under the "Bella Rosa" blush I mentioned above, and will also look amazing alone. These cream blushes are great for a subtle, natural looking blush! 

The last few things I picked up aren't all that exciting, but I thought I'd tell you about them anyways. I've been in need of a new Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm and I finally found the "Shea Butter & Vitamin E" variety! This one always seems to be sold out when I'm looking at them, and this was the last one left. This stuff is my holy grail, my stuck-on-a-deserted-island product. Because, if they find me dead on a deserted island, at least they'll find me with hydrated lips. I also picked up the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in "Hazel," which is a great affordable alternative to the more expensive brow pencils, as well as a basic but essential NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk."

I promise I'll be back to my regular blogging as soon as I'm feeling 100% again. I feel like I've been totally slacking in terms of content in the past month or so. I have quite a few things planned, though, so keep an eye out for new posts coming soon!

- d.