Hello! I have been trying to wear makeup a little bit more around the house since I wore zero makeup almost all of 2020. It has been fun to rediscover my collection and so it was more of a shop your stash kind of situation. Let’s see how much makeup I will wear this year 😀 I never wear makeup at home and it was always something fun I did during the weekends. But 2020 put an end to weekend makeup fun since I barely went anywhere makeup worthy like the rest of the world!
So in the month of Feb, I decided to wear makeup around the house for a few hours just for fun. I found it to be a relaxing ritual whenever I sat down to put some makeup on. If you’ve been in a no makeup rut like myself I highly encourage you to try out wearing makeup for a few hours once or twice a week just as a nice pick me up even if you have no place to go and no one to meet.
Here is a video sharing all the products I loved using this month 🙂
Hello! Winter time is when I shift to using thicker and more emollient body products since my already dry skin gets really dry! While late night online browsing at Target a few months back, I came across the Eu Genia mother’s shea body butters. They are packaged beautifully in tins which had my vintage theme loving self going yes yes add to cart! 🙂 They come in 4 scents: Rose, Lavender, Vanilla and Eucalyptus. After going back and forth a bit, I decided to try out the Rose.
Mother’s Shea by Eu Genia in Rose
That packaging is *Chef’s Kiss* ! When I got my body butter in the mail, it was a big block and I needed to dig a bit of it out and warm it between my hands before applying to my skin. I wonder how soft it will get once the warmer months start rolling in. The product consists of Shea butter blended with Shea oil, Apricot oil and sunflower oil. It does a good job moisturizing the skin. In fact you need very little and I see this tin lasting me for a while.
Inside the lovely tin
I love everything about the product except the scent. Don’t get me wrong, the scent smells like real roses..I just find it too strong for my personal taste. It lingers very strongly for too long and my bedcovers smell of it too whenever I use this. I might try out vanilla next time to see if that works better. The original Eu genia shea butter is available in an unscented version so that might be something I might explore next winter.
Overall, this is a great moisturizer for the winter. It would be cool if they bought out some more interesting scents 🙂 Have you tried any of the other scents they currently offer?
It has been a really long time since I posted anything on the blog. Well, the traffic has been pathetic to say the least so I kind of decided to not bother for a while. However, recently I realized how much I rely on other bloggers for quick reviews of a product ( sometimes it’s easier to speed read a blog post than watch a YouTube video), so I thought I should try reactivate the blog 🙂 No promises on how often it will get updated though 😀
I have been using the Anna Sui brightening face powder for a while, and I like it.. though it is no where close to the Too Faced Peach Blur powder (REVIEW HERE) which is my favorite finishing powder. This powder is quite interesting in terms of it’s marketing claims. Due to the inclusion of a Vitamin C derivative, it is also marketed as a skincare powder which can be used as a last step in your skincare regime. I am not sure if it is effective as a skincare product since I primarily use this as a finishing powder after applying makeup.
Anna Sui Brightening Face Powder
The powder has a slight fresh floral scent which is very different from the typical Anna Sui rose scent. It is mild and does not linger for long after application. In terms of the effect, it does not have any blurring effects like the too faced peach blur powder but it does help provide a ‘finish’. I use a nice big fluffy brush and dust the powder all over my face as a final step. I don’t notice any brightening but it still does help in some strange way to make your makeup look more finished and refined.
I purchased only the refill since the case which you have to buy separately looked cheap and not worth the money to me. I don’t mind keeping it in the plastic case the refill came in since I don’t plan to travel with this powder. I don’t see myself repurchasing this powder since I am looking forward to trying more finishing powders 😀 Overall, it is a nice powder to try out but it didn’t blow my socks off !
I don’t wear makeup when I am at home so the whole month of March I was makeup free. By the time April rolled in, I decided to wear some makeup every once in a while just to have fun and feel good. I have to say it does feel weird wearing a full face of makeup to do laundry 😀 but then again it was fun to experiment. Makeup has always made me happy ..simply admiring a beautifully made compact or opening a beautiful eyeshadow palette or swatching some lip products, so during these strange times it still offers some level of comfort.
It is also funny that these days when I do step out of the house for a quick stroll, the last thing on my mind is wearing makeup! With a mask covering half my face, sun glasses and hat ..there is very little facial skin to display 😀 So in a way things have reversed, no makeup outside the house and makeup inside the house when I feel like it 😀
Here is a quick sneak peak of makeup I’ve been enjoying:
Do check out my youtube video below where I talk about and swatch all these lovely products!
Buxom is a brand that is very much below the radar for me..I rarely look at their releases and I doubt I’ve tried anything but a lip gloss from them. So when I saw this eyeshadow palette at Ulta I was intrigued, and swatching it in store convinced me that this needs to come home with me.
Buxom Boss Babe Dolly Eyeshadow Palette
The packaging is cardboard with a rubberized feeling top. I like that it is sleek and also comes with a nice big mirror, making this apt for travelling. The eyeshadows are made in the USA. The shades in the Buxom Boss Babe Dolly Eyeshadow palette are right up my alley…rosy neutrals are my thing 🙂
The shades inside the Buxom Boss Babe Dolly eyeshadow palette
This palette always makes me happy when I open it. It is the layout of the colors maybe..it has the same effect the Viseart Tryst eyeshadow palette has on me (the shades are kind of similar..again my kind of shades).
The matte shades in this palette are the stars! They are so pigmented and blend beautifully with minimal effort. There is no fallout and I love the range of mattes they have included in the palette.
The shimmers range from being you normal shimmer shade, to being foiled and very creamy. If you look at the ingredient list you will see that there are some big differences in the formulations of the different shimmer shades. Do check out my detailed video review below where you can see the live brush swatches of all the shades in the palette!
The shadows are great quality and I am now intrigued by the latest palette Buxom has released called Xtrovert 🙂
Hope you all are keeping safe during these strange times..
These are the strangest times! As I look back at life just 2 months ago, it was bursting with excitement, travel plans, meeting people and what not..so much has changed! We have been in lockdown for more than a month now and makeup is something I wear only when I step out, so I have been bare faced for more than a month now. I do miss the excitement of playing around with my collection, so I think I’ll make an effort to wear some makeup during the weeks to come..even if it’s just to do laundry 😀
The Kiko Milano Extra Sculpt Volume Mascara is definitely not going to join the stay at home makeup party! This mascara and I have an intense love hate relationship. The intial days were rosy and full of love. I found the mascara to live up to it’s claims of being volumizing for the first week . It also gave good definition and length to my lashes. I have pretty decent lashes to begin with, so I liked the extra volume and length this gave.
Kiko Milano Extra Sculpt Volume Mascara
The packaging is pretty nice..a geometric glossy black tube. Week 2 …things started going down hill. The mascara formula started getting increasingly clumpy. The brush started getting clumps of product on it..my lashes started getting clumpy to the point that it looked better with no mascara.
Mascara brush
Funny thing about this mascara is that once in a while it performed like it did in week 1 and sometimes like how it behaved in week 2. I dunno if its got to do with how the product coats the brush but this darn thing never gave consistent results. Some days you win the mascara lottery and some days you do not!
I also found it hard to keep the mascara tube from getting a ring of dried up product at the opening. At the 3 month mark, I finally decided to part ways with this guy. I have heard many people rave about this mascara , so it could be user error, old tube, personal preference etc that heavily decides if this is your best friend in the mascara department.
I am a big fan of Kiko Milano products and currently I am using another one of their mascaras which is working out far better than this one for me! Stay tuned for a review coming soon!
Overall, I am not a fan of this particular mascara and won’t re purchase. Have you tried the Kiko Milano extra sculpt volume mascara?
I have been a big fan of Bourjois products for over 10 years now. They are an amazing drugstore brand with very unique products. I love their concealer , lip products and also their foundation (which I can no longer use since I have become sensitive to the fragrance in it 😦 ). Today I thought I’d share my thoughts on the little round pot blush in the shade Rose D’or. This is one of their iconic products and has been around for years. I really like the packaging and the name says it all…it is a little round pot blush 😀
Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush in Rose d’Or
The baked dome blush reminds me instantly of Chanel blushes and people do say that they are manufactured in the same facility. I can see the resemblance but, I couldn’t find any reliable source to back up that claim. The shade Rose D’or is a beautiful pink blush with bits of gold shimmer. This is a shade that would work for a wide variety of skin tones.
Rose D’or looks so pretty in the pan!
I really like the packaging of these blushes..there is no wasted space and it fits like a tiny macaroon in your makeup bag. The formula is fantastic like most baked blushes I have tried and it lasts all day with no fading. The only thing I am not too fond of is the excessive shimmer…there are days I don’t mind it and there are days when it annoys me :D. Also, the scent :(. The blush has a very strong baby powder scent which hits you the moment you open it up. It does not linger on once you have applied the blush, but the scent is pretty strong in the compact.
Brush Swatch of Rose D’Or
Overall, it is a great blush but if you are in the US, I think the Milani baked blushes are comparable and non scented. If you want to splurge, I highly recommend Laura Geller baked blushes…those are the most magical blushes I have tried 😀 The Milani blushes can be a bit bulky to travel with so the Bourjois one lands up hanging out in my travel makeup bag more often.
Have you tried the little round pot blushes from Bourjois? What are your favorite products from the brand?
I picked up this gorgeous Paul and Joe palette a while back , the packaging was just too cute to pass up on 😀 If you are familiar with Paul and Joe you would know that they knock it out of the park for cat themed makeup packaging! I love cats ( and dogs too) so this palette just had to come home.
Paul and Joe Makeup Z palette
I love that the image is printed on the palette and that it is made of hard plastic. The palette is thin and sturdy, making it ideal for travel. Inside you’ll find 4 eyeshadows and 1 blush. The colors are nothing revolutionary, however if you are like me and enjoy neutral basic eye shadow shades, the palette won’t disappoint.
Inside the Paul and Joe makeup Z palette we have 4 eyeshadows and 1 blush
The first 2 eyeshadows are shimmery lid shades and the last 2 shades are mattes with micro glitters in them. This palette can be used on it’s own and I didn’t feel the need to pull matte shadows from other palettes. The blush is a peachy pink with gold shimmer in it, very much like NARS Orgasm.
The formula is really nice. This is a typical Japanese eyeshadow formula were the pigmentation can be built up and the shadows are very soft. They don’t have that creamy texture which silicone heavy formulas have. They last without fading or creasing on the lid for a full work day.
Brush swatches of the eyeshadows and blush
The only drawback of this palette in my opinion, is the wasted space. I rather have 2 more eyeshadows in place of the 2 mini brushes which many people barely touch. Another thing to note is the fragrance. I personally like the perfume scent of this palette, but if you avoid fragrances in your makeup products this might not be for you.
Overall, I really like this pretty palette. It has shades which are totally up my alley. I do have a video review of this palette with live brushes. check it out below!!
When I first saw the Too Faced Gingerbread Extra Spicy palette I was intrigued but didn’t pull the trigger immediately. I’m glad I held out since I later found this beauty at TJ Maxx for a neat price. This is a very warm toned palette and the perfect fall palette in my opinion. I recently discovered that I don’t have too many warm toned palettes in my collection, so this is definitely a happy addition!
Too Faced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette
I love the cute packaging and the eyeshadows smells faintly of gingerbread. This is not too strong which is good since I did find tickle me peach palette a bit too over powering in scent.
The shadows inside the Too Faced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette
There are 7 shimmers and the shade for the Graham is a matte with specks of glitter. The rest of the shades are mattes. I really enjoy Too Faced matte shadows since they are pigmented and easy to blend and the ones in this palette is no exception. The shimmers are also very pigmented and there is no fallout. The shimmers have a very creamy formula which I see in a lot of newer palettes these days. The shadows do not fade and wear well throughout the day.
Brush swatches of the Too Faced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette
From the brush swatches you can see that the shadows do pack a punch! Overall, I am very happy to have this palette in my collection! I do have a youtube channel now 🙂 so do check out the detailed video review of this palette including live brush swatches below!
Do comment and subscribe to my youtube channel if you like what you see 🙂
Almost everyone who loves eyeshadow has heard about Viseart and how awesome their formula is…I finally took the plunge and purchased the Tryst palette last year. Yup this review has been long overdue! What drew me in was the beautiful color story. The shades in the Tryst palette is so cohesive and right up my alley, that if I were to build my own palette this is what it would probably look like!! 😀
Viseart Tryst Eyeshadow Palette
The packaging is really nice. It is sturdy plastic and the palette is travel friendly and compact. It comes with 9 eyeshadow pans and a big mirror.
Eyeshadows in the Viseart Tryst Palette
There are 2 mattes, one matte with tiny hits of shimmer and the rest of the 6 shades are all shimmers in this palette. The names come printed on a plastic overlay sheet which I can’t track down right now..the very reason why I usually like shade names to be printed on the palette. If you leave aside that one aspect of this palette, this is a winner in every other way in my book. The mattes and the shimmers blend really well, they don’t fade and they apply really smoothly on the lids. I also like that the shimmers aren’t too ‘shiny’ which gives the eye look a more sophisticated softer look.
Brush Swatches of the Viseart Tryst Palette
The shadows are really easy to work with and the layout of this palette makes it easy for even beginners to quickly choose colors that meld together well. Every time I use this palette I am super happy with the outcome.!
Overall, I love the formula and the shades and look forward to trying more from Viseart in the future! What is your favorite Viseart palette?
LillynLilly 