Studio Makeup On-The-Go Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches

Hello, everyone!  How was your weekend?

If you saw my Boxycharm unboxing blog post, you've already seen this eyeshadow palette and might be wondering why you're seeing it again.  I wanted to make a separate, in depth post on this palette complete with a 100% honest review and swatches.

 

The palette is from the brand Studio Makeup and retails for $49.95.  If you're interested in knowing more about this brand, you can visit their website here.  There are nine warm, neutral shades ranging from matte to shimmer finishes that are great for everyday wear.  I tried to find information as to whether or not this brand is cruelty free, but I couldn't find anything.  Since I didn't find it on any cruelty free lists, I'm going to say that this is not cruelty free or vegan.  The packaging for this palette is pretty basic.  The front cover is nice and sleek, but it's flimsy cardboard and there's no mirror.

Swatches - no primer

 Since I received this palette in my September Boxycharm instead of paying full retail price, I'm quite satisfied with it.  The shimmers are pigmented and creamy, not to mention beautiful (that copper shade!!!!).  Some of the matte shades are a bit dry and patchy, but I can make them work.  The fact that there's no mirror doesn't bother me while I'm doing my makeup at my vanity.  The packaging isn't bulky, so it doesn't take up a lot of space in my palette drawer or in my makeup bag if I'm traveling.

That being said, if I HAD paid full retail price for this palette, I would be pretty disappointed.  The packaging is cheap and there's no mirror which doesn't make it the ideal palette for traveling with in my opinion.  Like I said earlier, some of the matte shades are fine while others are dry and patchy.  For basically $50 for this palette, I shouldn't have to make shades work.  For this price point, I expect consistency with the formula of the shadows.

In my opinion, if you received this palette in your September Boxycharm box like I did, this was an awesome score!  Boxycharm is only $21 per month and you receive 4-5 full size beauty products each month.  This was only 1 of 5 products that I received in my box and it only cost me $21.  However, if you've seen this palette around and are considering purchasing it, I wouldn't recommend it.  For around the same price you can pick up a Too Faced, Kat Von D, or Urban Decay eyeshadow palette and be better off.  Their formulas are consistently high quality, their packaging is a lot sturdier, and if a mirror is a must have for you, then you won't be let down by any of those brands.

*Quick run down: receiving this in your Boxycharm - worth it!  Purchasing for full price - not worth it!*

I hope this was helpful.  Have a nice week, and thanks for stopping by! 

 

September 2016 Boxycharm Unboxing

Hello, everyone!

Today I have my Boxycharm unboxing for you.  This box is one of my favorite boxes to date!  I really like everything that I received.  The theme for this month's box is Camp Glam and the total value comes to $110.95!

 

Project Beauty Hairgurt in the scent Strawberry Banana ($11.00)

 

Studio Makeup On-The-Go eyeshadow palette ($49.95)

 

Butter London nail polish in the shade Yummy Mummy ($15.00)

 

Hikari eyeliner in the shade Raven ($13.00)

 

Pur Cosmetics Lip Lure in the shade Mystic ($22.00)

 

 (Don't mind the scratches on my hands and arms...I have a 5 month old kitten, haha!)

The Hairgurt smells amazing!  It made my hair feel very soft and smell like strawberry banana.  My husband likes it too, so that's always a plus in my book.  The Studio Makeup palette has a very nice shade range.  The shimmers are creamy and pigmented, but the mattes are a bit dry and patchy.  You can work with them though.  It's has basic, cheap cardboard packaging and there's also no mirror which doesn't make it ideal for traveling.  I like that I received this palette in my box, but all things considered, I don't think this palette is worth the nearly $50 price tag.  I think I'd be very disappointed if I had paid full price for it.  I was excited to see a Butter London nail polish in this box!  I've never tried any of their products before but I've been wanting to.  I received a neutral taupey shade with the tiniest bit of shimmer that is perfect for Fall.  The Hikari eyeliner is a creamy, pigmented black.  It's a retractable pencil which is my favorite packaging for eyeliners.  The Pur Cosmetics lip lacquer is a gorgeous berry shade that is also perfect for Fall.  It's comfortable on the lips and easy to apply.  This does leave a stain, so that's something to consider.  The packaging is nice and sturdy though.

All in all, this was a great box.  Do you subscribe to Boxycharm?  If so, what do you think of this month's box?

I hope you have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by!

MAC Good Luck Trolls Review + Swatches

Hello, everybody!  How was your weekend?  David and I attended Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel, Oregon.  It's always a good time and it's such a cute little town!

Anyway, I finally (!!!) got my hands on some items from the Good Luck Trolls collection from MAC.  I looooooved Trolls as a kid.  I had so many of them and even had my mom make me a Troll cake for one of my birthdays.  When I heard about this collection I was hit hard by nostalgia and I knew that I had to pick up a few pieces.  I ordered the two beauty powders in Glow Rida and Play It Proper, an eyeshadow in Paradisco, and a lipstick in Dance Off Pants Off.  I may order some more items later on, but I also want to pick up a few pieces from the Star Trek collection as well.

Beauty Powder in Glow Rida

Beauty Powder in Play It Proper

Lipstick in Dance Off Pants Off

Eyeshadow in Paradisco

The packaging for this collection is to die for!  I love the use of the bright, vibrant colors.  Of the four items that I've purchased (so far, haha!) Glow Rida is actually my least favorite.  Only because it's too dark for my skin tone to use as a highlighter.  I can still use it on my eyes though.  Play It Proper seems like it will be nice as a highlight!  The pink lipstick is the only lipstick I purchased because it's the only shade of the four MAC came out with that I would actually wear.  (There's also an orange, a yellowish-green, and a blue.)  I may eventually pick up a couple of the lipglosses and loose pigments too.

Did you pick up anything from this collection?  What are your thoughts?

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a nice week!

 

L'oreal Pure Clay Treatment Masks Review

Hello, everyone!  How has your week been?

I've been incredibly busy and stressed since the beginning of this month.  David's dad and grandmother came up to visit from Texas on the 1st.  Everyday has been jam packed full of activities and the day they left (Tuesday) I had to be up at 3:45 am to work a 10 hour shift.  Needless to say, I'm exhausted.

Thankfully, yesterday was finally a relaxing day for me.  And as if the universe knew how badly I needed a pamper day, these three new L'oreal Pure Clay Treatment Masks showed up at my door yesterday morning complimentary from BzzAgent.  These masks have 1.7 oz of product inside and retail for $12.99 each.  They all contain three pure clays - Kaolin, Montmorillonite, and Moroccan Lava.  These are good for all skin types and do not dry out the skin.  To use these, you simply apply an even layer to clean skin and leave it on for 10-15 minutes before removing with water in circular motions to exfoliate.  L'oreal recommends using these masks 3 times a week for the best results.

 

Exfoliate and Refine Pores: contains 3 pure clays and red algae to remove dirt and oils, unclog and tighten pores, and exfoliate dead skin cells.

 

Purify and Mattify: contains 3 pure clays and eucalyptus to reduce shine and remove excess dirt and oils.

 

Detox and Brighten: contains 3 pure clays and charcoal to even out skin tone, remove dirt and oils, and increase luminosity.

 

All of these smell amazing.  I used the charcoal mask yesterday and my skin felt so clean and smooth!  Even my husband, who hardly notices anything, noticed the difference in my skin.  The charcoal mask sucked out a bunch of gunk from my pores and really cleansed my skin!  The eucalyptus mask was very tightening.  Actually, it was almost unbearably tight.  I only left it on for 10 minutes and I barely made it that long.  My skin looked very clean after, but I think I would probably only use this on specific areas of the face though.  The red algae mask didn't seem to do much for me.  It felt nice on, but I didn't see any changes to my skin.  The charcoal mask gave me the best results of the three.  I'm going to try multi-masking with these soon and see if they work better that way.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend!