Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes with Chamomile and White Tea Review

I was looking to try a new brand of makeup removing wipes from the drugstore and while searching on the internet for various topics such as "best drugstore makeup wipes," this little guy popped up and I figured I would give it a go. Here are my thoughts on these makeup removing wipes.

These wipes are strange to me. They have a lot of moisture and feel like they would do a great job at removing makeup. Well, no, not really. The moisture within these wipes is actually a little too intense. The moisture squeezes out into my eyes when removing eye makeup, and it is a little bit stingy. The moisture also does not seem to help the makeup removing capabilities of these wipes either. I actually need two to remove all of my makeup mostly because it takes a LOT of scrubbing to get off eye makeup, whether or not it's waterproof stuff.

Judging by the texture of these wipes, you might also think they would be great at taking off heavy duty foundation, but they don't glide on the skin very well, making it pretty difficult to actually remove the face makeup too.

Overall, I would not recommend these wipes unless you just want them for typical cleansing, not removing makeup. 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Boots Expert Sensitive Skincare Kit Review

As you can see from the little red tag on the box, I found this handy little kit on clearance at my local Target. No, I don't need more moisturizers (see picture below), but facial wipes? I am always on the hunt to try new face wipes!

This is a very generous tub of moisturizer. I don't know if I'll ever use it up! (again, see picture above)

This is a nice, lightweight feeling moisturizer. It has a thick consistency in the tub but it absorbs super quickly into the skin and feels like nothing! This is excellent for my oily skin!

It also smells good. The scent reminds me of the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream spf 15, which was a moisturizer I just finished up and liked a lot!

Unlike the facial moisturizer from this kit, this eye cream stays tacky and moist instead of drying down to nothing. This feeling makes it seem like the eye cream is doing a lot of work for you! I haven't seen any reduction in fine lines around my eyes since beginning using this however (it's been about a month).

The wipes are actually pretty nice. I have tried quite a few different brands of makeup removing wipes in my beauty blogger/youtuber career, and these are about average. I would say they are on par with the Yes To brand, which is one of my favorites. One wipe will remove all of my face and eye makeup and I do not need to do a lot of scrubbing. The wipes don't sting my eyes either, which of course is great. 

Overall, this whole kit was really nice and I was glad to have to opportunity to try out quite a few products all at once. The moisturizer and eye cream were very generous sizes and the makeup wipes are always something nice to have on hand. So for the discounted price of under $8.00, I would recommend this little kit! Even for the regular price of $14.99, I still think it's a good buy. 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina 

NEW Loreal La Palette Nude 1 & 2 Swatches, Photos, Comparisons to Maybelline the Nudes & Blushed Nudes

 OMG! These palettes kick Maybelline's butt! They're also about $5 more and you get two fewer shades, so you have to keep that in mind too, but I think it is so worth it though. Not a dud in the bunch! The purple toned shadows are unique and they are all so well coordinated to go together in this palette. I am in love! Even the palette itself feels more luxurious, it has a nice weight to it and feels sturdy. You also get a little dual ended brush/sponge, which I guess is a step up for most eyeshadow palettes at the drugstore, but still not something I would really get too excited about.

Here are more blog posts:
Maybelline The Nudes
Maybelline The Smokes
Maybelline The Brights
Maybelline The Blushed Nudes

La Palette Nude 1
Shade 1 - buttery texture, decent pigmentation, white gold shimmer
Shade 2 - super buttery texture, great pigmentation, light bronze/gold shimmer
Shade 3 - buttery texture, great pigmentation, cool toned medium brown, slight rosey tone
Shade 4 - less smooth texture, but still good, decent pigmentation, gold shimmer
Shade 5 - smooth texture, good pigmentation, light/medium warm brown
Shade 6 - less smooth texture, but still good, good pigmentation, warm chocolate medium/dark brown
Shade 7 - less smooth texture but still good, good pigmentation, bronze shimmer
Shade 8 - less smooth texture but still good, decent pigmentation, shimmer cool medium brown
Shade 9 - buttery texture, decent pigmentation, shimmer medium taupe
Shade 10 - less smooth texture, okay pigmentation, shimmer champagne (if there has to be a dud, this would be it, but it's really not too bad, just compared to all of the excellent shades in both of these palettes, it would have to be the least excellent)

La Palette Nude 2
Shade 1 - buttery smooth texture, great pigmentation, perhaps a tiny bit flaky, shimmer pink champagne
Shade 2 - smooth texture, great pigmentation, darker than expected from the pan, shimmer bronze/pink
Shade 3 - so smooth texture, great pigmentation, matte taupe/purple
Shade 4 - smooth texture, great pigmentation, matte chocolate brown neutral
Shade 5 - still smooth, less buttery, decent pigmentation, satin taupe
Shade 6 - smooth texture, great pigmentation, dark chocolate brown warm
Shade 7 - less smooth texture, but still not bad, decent pigmentation, warm brown shimmer
Shade 8 - smooth texture, good pigmentation, light pale pink
Shade 9 - buttery smooth texture, great pigmentation, matte medium plum purple
Shade 10 - buttery smooth, so pigmented, matte deep purple/eggplant

My final thoughts?
Yes, the color schemes are similar to the new Maybelline the Nudes and the Blushed Nudes palettes, but overall, these Loreal palettes are unbelievable!
Totally skip out on the Maybelline palettes and go find these Loreal ones!
And Loreal La Palette Nude 2 would be my pick if you can only choose one!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Maybelline The BLUSHED Nudes 12 Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Here are more blog posts:
Maybelline The Nudes
Maybelline The Smokes
Maybelline The Brights
Loreal La Palette Nude 1 + 2

 Found this at my local Walmart finally! $9.98

The Shades

1 - satin cream with a pink undertone
2 - shimmer light pink
3 - shimmer light coral - good pigmentation, but somewhat flaky
4 - matte rose
5 - looks somewhat bronze in the pan but comes off more like a coral/bronze shimmer swatched
6 - pinky bronze
7 - shimmer cool toned very light grey, almost white
8 - satin taupe
9 - more neutral and cool toned version of 6
10 - darker satin taupe/grey
11 - darker satin taupe/brown
12 - charcoal base with hot pink shimmer

Shades 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 feel great to the touch, they are very smooth - that's over half of the palette! And that's more than I can say about any of the other Maybelline 12 Pan Eyeshadow Palettes. This palette feels like much better quality than the previous launches if you ask me.

Downside is... there is only one true matte in the whole palette. Everything else is pretty much shimmer/satin. BUT that one matte they put in there is a great color choice for a matte. It's a rosey pinky perfect transition shade if you ask me, especially to accompany a palette like this were the rose theme is the eye catcher.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

My Five Favorite Blushes

Watch the video here!

My favorite blushes for all seasons! Apologies for the up-close and used product photos but these are items that I love and use all the time! 

Tarte Be Mattenificent Palette

Elevated

(some have compared to Exposed by Tarte)

A neutral, everyday blush that goes with everything!

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Blush 

Natural Pearl

A pink/coral with golden shimmer, this blush looks natural in all seasons, giving the perfect amount of glow without being over the top for my oily skin.

NYX Powder Blush 

Spice

A deeper rose pink that looks great as both a winter blushed cheek glow and a warm summertime pop of color. This blush is more pigmented, so I always need to be careful when using on my pale skin-tone.

NYX Powder Blush

Taupe

I use this as a contour more often than I do as a blush. It is a cool toned gray-brown with an almost purple/lavender tone on the cheeks. It is a very neutral blush or a great contour for cool-toned lighter skin-tones.

Makeup Geek Blush

Bliss

This is a great summer and springtime blush. It is a great melon color that looks wonderful with a bronze-y makeup look for a great natural glow. It is perfect for my light skin-tone, but might not work so well on those with deeper skin-tones.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Bellapierre All Over Face Contour and Highlighting Kit - Fair - Review and Photos

I received this kit for Christmas from my best friend Shroomy!  If you want to see a haul video with myself, Shroomy, and my sister Ryann, click here!  You can also watch my weekend vlog that includes our girls day shopping trip here.

Brushes

The brushes are both super soft and great sizes.  The kabuki is not too big or too small, it is great for blending and creating a seamless finish to the face makeup.  The concealer brush is fluffy enough to work well for a powder concealer or under-eye setting powder, but still stiff enough to actually get the product placement correct and efficient.

Foundation

The foundation is too dark for me here in the wintertime, but it may suit my summer skin when I get a little bit of sun. However, that has not stopped me from trying it out! The kabuki brush that comes with the products is perfect for blending the foundation lightly across the neck and chest, making it great for blending and transitioning so it appears to suit me better. (I for one have a much paler neck and face than my chest or shoulders, which prompts me to wear lighter foundations)

So I must make one complaint right off the bat. This is NOT "fair," this would be more suited to be called "light," if you ask me.

Even though the color match is not good for me, the foundation itself is actually pretty nice. I often forget that I'm wearing it and accidentally touch my face a lot. It does transfer when I touch my face, this is not a long-wearing heavy-duty special foundation. 

These products do leave me with a bit of a sheen. They are not completely matte, but this almost shimmer in the minerals gives the face a very natural and lit-from-within glow. However, in direct sunlight, you can really tell that there is shimmer on the face. 

It does take awhile to apply and blend out, but it looks just like my natural skin. You can still see my freckles, but it evens out the skin tone. 

CONS

• "fair" is not an accurate description of this foundation shade
• not long-wearing or heavy-duty longevity 
• not a matte finish, has shimmers in the minerals
• takes a while to apply

PROS

• feels like I'm wearing nothing, literally, even with my oily skin
• looks very natural, freckles still peak through

Contour

The contour can be a little patchy at times and I also do not think the color is catered toward fair skinned girls, it can be a little intense on my skin tone. 

Highlighter

The highlighter seems to be a tad lighter than the foundation, but more than that, it seems to be more pinky-toned than golden. This is probably meant to help conceal dark circles under the eyes.

Overall, I am on the fence about this foundation kit. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

What are your thoughts?

Love,

Alaina

Wet n Wild Cosmetics Limited Edition Collection Silver Lake Color Icon 6 Pan Eyeshadow Palettes

Found these on a lower shelf at my local Walgreens!
I wasn't on the hunt for anything Wet n Wild but these little guys really caught my eye!
I skipped the neutrals palette because honestly, I soooo do not need another neutral palette. Also skipped out on the green/blue one because it just didn't seem to jump out at me.

I chose "California Roll" because of the matte corals.
I chose "Thrift Store Chic" because I had been on the hunt for the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette earlier in the day and pinks were just on my mind, I think. :)
And finally I picked "Embrace Obscurity" because I just can't pass up a blue palette, I have always loved blue shadows.

(all swatches with no primer)

Thrift Store Chic

Top row:

Shimmer cream is smooth and buttery, but shimmer light pink is a little too glittery without enough color base to back it up,

Middle row:

The two medium pinks in the middle row are decent, no complaints.

Bottom row:

Deepest two colors are both pigmented and smooth.

California Roll

The green half of this palette is spectacular! All buttery and smooth, no fallout/glitter mess at all.

Shimmer cream is smooth and buttery as all of the other super light colored shimmers have been. The two matte corals are somewhat patchy, but actually have good pigmentation and perform so much better with a primer. (keep in mind all of these swatch pics are without primer of any kind)

Embrace Obscurity

Top row:

Light shimmer blue was a bit to glittery for me, kind of messy, but shimmer white was buttery and great like all of the other light shimmers.

Middle row:

Matte blue and purple are both patchy, but perform much better with a primer, still have great pigmentation though.

Bottom row:

The two bottom glitter shades have a good mix of glitter and color, unlike some of the lighter glitters from this bunch. The glitter blue is more even, whereas glitter purple is somewhat patchy.

Overall Thoughts

Mattes were patchy overall.

Light shimmers were gorgeous.

Glitters were a little too glittery and not enough color overall.

In the end though, I can't complain at $3.99 a pop.

California Roll is the best of the bunch, in my opinion, because those greens were so smooth and delightful!

These are just my first swatches! I can't wait to play with these colorful little palettes! Have you seen these and are you thinking of picking them up?! Let me know because I am ready to fall back in love with Wet n Wild!

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Maybelline The BRIGHTS 12 Pan Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches + Pictures

More Maybelline 12 Pan Eyeshadow Palette posts!
THE NUDES
THE SMOKES

THE SHADES

1 - frosty white (not glittery), decent pigmentation
2 - rose shimmer, dusty pink with tiny glitter, poor pigmentation
3 - frosty light cool toned brown, decent pigmentation
4 - shimmer pale lime green, poor pigmentation
5 - yellow gold shimmer, less pigmentation than I expected, but not bad
6 - satin fuchsia, poor pigmentation
7 - matte true purple, very poor pigmentation, patchy application
8 - matte black, charcoal, decent pigmentation, somewhat patchy
9 - satin navy blue, pigmentation on the poor side, less vibrant than in the pan
10 - warm toned champagne shimmer, actually pretty decent pigmentation
11 - light shimmer blue, good pigmentation, pretty cool color, maybe a golden shimmer undertone?
12 - satin chocolate brown, good pigmentation



REPEATED SHADES

Repeats from other Maybelline 12 pan palettes:
I don't know if it's just in my head, but I feel like the repeats in the Brights palette are actually more pigmented than the shades in the original Nudes palette.

My overall thoughts...

Once again, as in the Smokes palette, I am somewhat on the fence about this palette. Some shades are good and some are pretty crappy. I like the idea of these large palettes at drugstore prices, but I think the actual product could be improved greatly.

It seems that Maybelline does not do mattes very well because both of the mattes in this palette are patchy and weak.

The two purples (Shades 6 & 7) I was really looking forward to are very disappointing.


Highlights of this palette? Shades 10, 11, 12
Super disappointments of this palette? Shades 4, 6, 7

Thanks so much for reading!
Let me know your thoughts on this little guy and any of the other Maybelline palettes out right now!

Love,
Alaina