Makeup Geek Blushes Review, Swatches, Pictures + Some New Eyeshadows

Shown in an extra large Z Palette

This blush set was half price a couple weeks ago and I could not pass it up. I also had to pick up some of the new duochrome eyeshadows after I made this initial purchase too, so you can see those little guys later on in the post.

I paid $48 with shipping included. That comes to about $5.34 per blush; an awesome deal if you ask me.

There was also one more blush called Bliss, which I already owned the single of, so I gave the new pan to a friend. I talk about Bliss in my Top 5 Favorite Blushes post, if you're interested.

______________________________________________________

The blushes can be a tad powdery, but they have great color payoff! 

I love that this set only came with two non-matte blushes! I love matte makeup!

______________________________________________________

Rendezvous

I love that this has a great purple tone to it, that's hard to come by in drugstore makeup. 

Hanky Panky

This is a bright medium pink blush, usually not a color I go for and I must honestly say I haven't gotten to try this little guy out just yet.

Infatuation

I don't yet know how to use this little guy. It's too orange to be a contour or bronzer, but it's kind of deep to be a blush for my fair skin. I have to use it very lightly and it's most useful for when I'm going for a deeper sun-kissed or slightly burnt look. It does pair well with Kat Von D Lolita or other sienna-type colors on the face.

Romance

This one is stinkin' gorgeous and would actually be an awesome eyeshadow too! It has a shimmer finish, but that's what makes it special. It's like a duochromatic blush and I think that's very unique. 

Spell Bound

I thought this looked like an excellent go-with-everything neutral blush, but it actually pulls a little more pink than I would have thought on my complexion. I still like it though. 

Summer Fling

This is a nice pumpkin orange kind of color. It's not a super bright orange than can be difficult to pull off, it has that little bit of depth to it that makes it easier to wear. I think it's great for a sun-kissed summertime glow, but it's also nice for a warm fall look.

Smitten 

At first, I thought this one was a little too yellow toned. It's like a way more yellow version of Bliss, which is my super favorite MUG blush. It's nice to use to neutralize or tone down really pink blushes though.

Head Over Heels 

Even though this one is not matte, I actually really like it! It gives a gorgeous lit from within, definitely not overboard, flush of color. I usually prefer corals over pinks, but this one actually works really well on my complexion!

________________________________________________________

Here are three different pics of the same two shadows. I'm attempting to show you the duochrome property, but it's really difficult to capture this way. 

Phantom is a light lavendar with pink shift. It applies great with either a finger or brush. The only issue I have with it is in the way the color shifts; I find it best to pair with a base, otherwise in some angles, it doesn't look as pigmented as possible (see pic below). It's a great color when the light hits it straight on, but when it's from an angle, I feel like it's lacking.

Mai Tai is a great fiery pink orange that reminds me of a sunset. I find that applying this one with your finger works best. I just haven't found a brush that packs it on for the best effect. This color works a little better from all angles than Phantom does. 

They are both stunning colors, you just have to play around with them to see what works best for the look you're trying to achieve. 

Thanks so much for reading!

Love,

Alaina

My Henna and Indigo Hair - Light Mountain Black, Burgundy, & Henna Dream Black Hair Dye

So you may have seen my updated henna hair post from this past summer! Well, I've changed it up again so let me show you and tell you a bit about it.

Light Mountain Black Henna/Indigo Dye Results

I loved my red henna hair (Light Mountain Bright Red). It was magnificent, so vibrant, and just great looking. The color stayed sooo well and it never faded. The only reason I needed to re-do was for my roots. However, even though I loved it, I just wanted to change things up and see if I could get my hair black with henna and indigo. That was the color I was going for when I first began this journey last year. And yes, "journey" is the correct word to use because henna/indigo is a journey. It can turn out different on every hair color and type, sometimes you have to build up your color with 2-3 or even more applications (as you'll see here or have seen in the other post links here)! But it's a smooth journey at least, it gradually changes your hair, so even if you don't get the color you want right off the bat, it still looks beautiful and natural.

Ok, so let's talk about this process. I last henna-d my hair red 7 weeks ago. (I was actually just doing the top red and the underneath portions of my hair was black/burgundy, but you mostly just noticed the red because it was on top, just FYI).

Results of Light Mountain Burgundy & Henna Dream Black 

I had some leftover dyes and figured, hey, let's just use these up. So I mixed together Light Mountain Burgundy and Henna Dream Black dyes. The ratio was probably something like 1 part Burgundy to 2 parts Black. And This gave me a beautiful deep chocolate brown! It was gorgeous and I definitely could have just left it at that. But I kept on trucking in this journey to see what I could get. Talk about going from one extreme to the other... Ha.

Light Mountain Black

But instead I ordered a box of Light Mountain Black to see just how dark we could get this hair! It was about a week in between applications.

I used about half of the box because I was only going to do the top portion of my hair (since, like I mentioned earlier, I had already been dying the lower half dark anyway). I just used warm water from the tap and didn't add anything to the mixture. I applied it immediately and left it on my hair for 3 hours.

Light Mountain Black - (left on for 3 hours)

During this waiting time my henna/indigo got a crazy metallic purple/green sheen to it which I've never witnessed before. My husband thought it was going to turn my hair purple (which I would have been okay with honestly lol). But it all turned out fine. I rinsed it out twice with conditioner (no shampoo!!! I always wait 48 hours to shampoo).

Indigo stained fingers after first blow dry

As I blow dried my hair (because I'm impatient and must see the results in their full glory immediately) I could see the blue of the indigo on my fingers when I ran them through my hair. (I could have done an extra conditioner rinse). But I'd never noticed that before with any of the other henna/indigo mixtures/brands I've used before. The indigo dye really released well this time around! I don't know if it's the brand or the fact that I didn't use super hot water to mix it with, but it turned out great.

Light Mountain Black Results

Now it's just time to see how it lasts. Will it fade a bit upon first shampoo? Will it stick around for weeks and months just as intense as red henna? Only time will tell and I'll definitely keep you guys updated.

Do you henna/indigo your hair?

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day - FOTD - Rosey Sienna & Pop of Blue

I just felt inspired to show you guys a breakdown of my makeup for the day today, so here we go!

I love being able to just sit down and play with makeup on weekend mornings. It's my favorite kind of "me time." And the most fun part is my makeup hardly ever goes in the same direction I thought I'd take it. It's fun to just see where your makeup takes you.

Base:

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Foundation mixture - Loreal Infallible Pro Matte 101 Classic Ivory, Flower Beauty BB Creams in BB1 & BB2, Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Face Powder

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer - 10 Ivory 

Face:

Milani Felt Tip Brow Pen - Dark Brown

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer - Sunny

Makeup Geek Blushes - Infatuation & Smitten

Brows:

Lord & Berry #1001 Black Silk Mini Kajal Kohl-Liner

NYX Tinted Brow Gel - Espresso

Eyes:

Maybelline Color Tattoo - 80 Creamy Beige

Flower Beauty Shadow Play Eyeshadow Quad in Eye-Sea-You

Lorac Summer Glo Eyeshadow Palette

Colourpop Creme Gel Liner - Zulu

EM Cosmetics Waterliner - Bronze Kiss

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Trooper

Flower Beauty Extreme Measures Mascara

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

Lips:

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick - Lolita

Thanks for reading! 

Love,

Alaina

Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Review

This stuff smells delightful. I mean, just magnificent! I'd probably buy it again just for the scent even if I didn't see a difference in my hair! Ha.  

I find that it gives my hair noticeable volume and movement.

The shampoo doesn't lather up a ton, but it gets the job done.

The conditioner has a more runny consistency, but it still coats the hair well.

I find that the combination of both these products leaves my hair feeling moisturized, but not greasy or oily whatsoever. It does not feel stripped in any way. Even though it feels very moisturized, I don't find that my hair gets oily more quickly. For example, with my regular haircare routine, after day 3, my hair definitely needs to be washed because of the oil build up, it looks like third day hair. Ha. With these products, my hair isn't looking that bad after day 3 (I still wash it anyway, but it doesn't look like my typical 3 day hair). 

The only issue I have is with packaging. And this is just a little pet peeve nuisance that isn't that important to most people lol. I do appreciate that it comes with a pump! However, the pumps are different on each bottle. One pump of the shampoo gives you almost twice as much as one pump of the conditioner. I wonder if this is a way to get the consumer not to use as much conditioner, but it's never mentioned on the instructions on the packaging to use less than you would normally. I know this might be silly to some, but I just thought I'd point it out. It's really not a big deal and it's not going to deter a possible repurchase for me.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina 

Flower Beauty Fragrance Trio Holiday Set Review : Eau de Parfum Rollerball / Roll-On in Cherished, Radiant, and Sultry

I saw this set at Walmart and I'm pretty sure it was out last year too, but I never got to try these scents and I love Flower Beauty, so I picked it up. So here are my thoughts...

Sultry -

• "A sensual and alluring oriental floral featuring Purple Plum, Night Blooming Jasmine and Patchouli
• Each FLOWER fragrance contains the FLOWER Heart accord which is a blossoming bouquet of Pink Pepper, Cabbage Rose and Peony
• Wear alone or combine throughout the day with CHERISHED and RADIANT so your fragrance evolves with you.
• A scent for your every mood." - Flower Beauty Website

Upon first sniff, this had a strong alcohol scent to it. Not a fan. But once I applied it and it settled down for a few minutes, it wasn't a bad fragrance and I think I like it. It has more depth than the other two. You can smell the patchouli (a scent I personally like), but the plum scent is more powerful to me.

Radiant -

• "A striking and confident sparkling floral featuring Dewy Greens, Magnolia and Pink Amber." - Flower Beauty Website

Not a fan of this one. This is a light scent but it smells a little too floral and old-lady-like for me.

Cherished -

• "A comforting and nuzzly powdery floral featuring Lily of the Valley, Tahitian Vanilla and Creamy Sandalwood." - Flower Beauty Website

When I brought these home and smelled each one, this is the one that stood out to me. This one is my favorite. I love Vanilla though, it's easily my all-time favorite scent. I would put it right in between the two others as far as light/heavy. For some reason it's reminding me of this CK One knock off I owned in middle school. Ha.

Packaging:
I do like the packaging. It doesn't feel cheap. It's glass, not plastic. I like the gradient color and the fact that each fragrance is easily identified by color and you won't mix them up. You can grab the one you want without having to read it. The name however, is written in a good sized font if you want to go that route. It feels just as nice as any other roller ball perfume. The roller ball itself is actually my favorite part. I find that some perfume roller balls don't roll very well and you have to swirl it around on your skin in five circles to get any fragrance to come out. That is not the case with these, they just take one or two swirls and you're good to go.

______________________________________________

Overall, I don't find them to be long lasting fragrances and they just smell cheap. Each roller ball ends up costing less than $5 a pop, so perhaps I'm asking too much of these. But they don't have real depth that lingers and I was definitely underwhelmed by these, even Cherish, a scent I liked. I honestly can only smell them for about two hours after application (and that's if I'm making a point to sniff them). I have body sprays that last longer than that.

I'll probably just keep them in my purse just in case I feel like wearing a little bit of something one day. I won't be repurchasing or buying the full size of any of them though.

The website does describe them as best used one after the other for all day fragrance. They suggest wearing Cherished in the morning, Radiant mid-day, and Sultry for the evening. If you put it that way, I guess it makes sense that the scents don't linger very long. However, I think the idea of carrying multiple fragrances for different times of day sounds unreasonable. I personally, hardly ever reapply my fragrance anyway.

They might be okay for a younger audience that just wants to try perfume. You can't really go overboard with them because they lose their scent quickly. I wouldn't recommend it for any real fragrance lovers out there.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Revlon Colorstay Overtime + Bonus Lipcolor Colorstay Moisture Stain : 350 Bare Maximum & 50 London Posh

___________________________________________________________

Instead of a balm topcoat, this long-wearing lipstick has a gloss to seal the lips and moisturize. I enjoy these kinds of lip products, but I'm not a fan of the stickiness of a gloss. This gloss starts off very sticky, but wears nicely after about an hour to be less sticky while still have moisture and keeping the lips feeling comfortable. 

It has a traditional small doe foot applicator that I like. 

I really love the color. It's like a terracotta "my lips but better" color for me. I do believe it has some little shimmers in the base lip color, so it's not completely matte or flat.

It lasts ALL DAY. I mean, seriously, all day. I applied at 6:30 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m. it was still definitely there. However, I do believe the fact that it is so similar to my natural lip color also helps it look less worn though. I could still see the slight shimmer/metallic-ish finish on my lips though, not just the color. 

I only reapplied the gloss top coat once throughout the day and regular lip balm a couple other times. This product did not react weird with other lip balms on top either (like most other long-wearing lip products I've come across) until around the 8-9 hour mark, where it started to flake ever so slightly. 

Overall, this is one of the most comfortable long-wearing lip products of this kind that I've tried!

_________________________________________________________

Although I don't find this to have any "staining" effect on my lips, I do really like this product (and I usually hate glosses).

It has a very wet, water-like consistency and feeling on the lips, but it's not very sticky or glossy feeling (if that makes any sense). 

It's also a stinking gorgeous and unique color. It reminds me of rose gold, pink champagne, sunsets, beaches, and other good stuff. Lol. 

It doesn't have great wear time, it's perhaps 2 hours before it needs to be reapplied. But it is a cool color. 

top: Moisture Stain
 middle: Colorstay Overtime
bottom: Colorstay Lip Gloss Top Coat

Overall, this little duo is a great deal! I saw two other shades at my local Walgreens. I paid $7.02 with the deal Walgreens has on Revlon this week, which you can't beat for two lip colors, if you ask me. 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Almay Holiday 2015 Set from Walgreens $15

These eyeshadows were a bit underwhelming in pigmentation and the fact that the entire trio is shimmery doesn't help either. The lightest shade took the most to build up to the color you see in the swatch. The middle purple color was about two layers but the darkest shade was one swipe, if that gives you any idea about the shades. (swatched on dry skin, no primer)

An eyeshadow primer helps dramatically! I use Lorac Behind the Scenes Pro eye primer. The white is still an underwhelming shade even with a primer, but the two darker shades are great on top of a primer. 

This is a long wearing and retractable eyeliner; two awesome features for any liner, if you ask me. It applies smoothly and doesn't skip or pull on the skin. It dries down really quickly and stays put. This is the highlight of the kit, I would say. 

Eyeliner after scrubbing with makeup remover round.

The mascara is a nice average mascara. It gives a little bit of volume, some length, but isn't the best at separating the lashes. It's okay though for those who like a more natural lash look (I'm not one of those people though, I need my mascaras to give a big difference on my lashes).

Eye Makeup Remover Pads

These are very small and thin pads. They work well if you're not wearing any heavy waterproof makeup, but just the bare minimum. They are a nice addition to the set, but I wouldn't run out and purchase them on their own. 

____________________________________________________

For $15, I think this is a good deal. However, as someone who has a bunch of makeup and tried a lot of things, some of these products were lacking. This might be nice for someone just beginning with makeup, but I still don't think it was a complete waste of money for someone who enjoys collecting makeup either. 

Thanks for reading! What other drugstore holiday sets have you come across lately?

Love,

Alaina

Astrida Naturals Product Reviews - Nourishing Shea Lotion, Moisturizer, and Face Mask Powder

I was sent the Carrot Seed & Geranium Moisturizer for free from the company to review for you guys, but after using that product, I decided to make my own order and got a lotion and face mask powder. So let's hop on it to some little reviews!

Check out my video review of the Carrot Seed & Geranium Moisturizer here!

_________________________________________________

Chamomile & White Willow Bark Clay Face Mask Concentrate - $16.00

Very generous amount of product! This is going to last me forever!

Face mask powder mixed with aloe vera.

Dries down after about 10 minutes to be very stiff.

This is a really generous size, if you ask me. It's also a genius idea, you just add the water or whatever liquid you want to create the paste. It won't go bad quickly because it's just a powder. I think it's a really cool product and worth the price mark because this tub is going to last forever!

I mixed my first mask with aloe vera and I really enjoyed it. I'm glad it dried down (those are my favorite kinds of masks). It was kind of difficult to remove though and it had a slight gritty feel to it. Next time I'll try a different mixing medium and see how it goes. 

_________________________________________________

Vanilla Honey Nourishing Shea Lotion - $20.00

Looks like a typical lotion, feels very watery when massaged into skin.

The scent is very sweet and smells strongly of honey. It smells great and makes you want to lick it, but I'm sure it doesn't taste as good as it smells. 

It has a very watery/liquidy feel to it as you rub it into your skin. However, once it's applied, it leaves a nice amount of moisture without being too much or too little. I don't think that it's going to be the best for super dry winter skin, so I would call this a spring/summer appropriate lotion. 

Although I enjoy this lotion, I do not think it's worth the price. I imagined the bottle being twice as big for that price. If it was a super rich and great wintertime lotion, I might be able to see the $20 mark being halfway reasonable, but for this pretty mediocre lotion, it's overpriced. 

Skin feels moisturized without looking/feeling greasy.

_________________________________________________

Carrot Seed & Geranium Facial Moisturizer - $24.00

This one pump is the perfect amount for the entire face.

I received this moisturizer from Astrida Naturals for review purposes. I am not being paid to tell you about it, but I did not pay for it with my own money (the other two items in this review I did buy myself after receiving this product). Anyway, my opinion is the same either way. Without knowing how much this product cost, I estimated it at about $22 in my head, so the $24 price mark is reasonable, if you ask me. Judging by other similar natural products, such as the moisturizers found at Lush, I think the price is good. However, unlike most of Lush's moisturizers, I don't find this Carrot Seed & Geranium moisturizer to be too oily for my skin. I know it has oils in it, but it's not overwhelming for me personally. The pump is also great and gives out the perfect amount of product for my face.

I hope these reviews were helpful! Have you tried any of these products? Let me know your thoughts.

Love,

Alaina

NEW Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor - Devotion Review and Swatches

This is not what you might be thinking it is! It's not one of the new super matte, no transfer, stays put forever, kind of matte liquid lipsticks that have been coming out of the woodwork lately!

The barcode sticker peels off to reveal one baby sticker that includes the shade name, so when you remove the label, you're not losing the name of the color with it. Good idea, Revlon. 

This is similar to the NYX Matte Lip Creams, if you ask me, only less matte. 

It wears to be matte after an hour or so, but it has a bit of a cream finish until then. 

It is hydrating (something the super matte liquid lipsticks lately have been lacking in). 

It feels comfortable on the lips. 

However, it's not any more long-wearing than any other traditional lipstick. 

It definitely does transfer. 

It doesn't dry down. 

The applicator is flat and straight. It doesn't have a curve to it and can be a little stiff. It's not my favorite shape for a lip product applicator, but it's not bad either. It reminds me of the LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Glosses applicator, NOT the product itself. 

It is a creamy formula, not too liquidy, but not whipped either. 

It can take a couple swipes to get full pigment on the lips, but it's not streaky in any way. A second layer does not make the product misbehave. It doesn't get chunky or patchy or do anything weird. It is easy to reapply throughout the day, which you will need to do every 3-4 hours if you're not drinking/eating. 

What do you guys think? Have you tried this product? Do you like the super matte liquid lipsticks that have been coming out lately or does this sound more like something you'd enjoy?

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Wave Professional Nail Lacquer, Color Gel, and Mood Color Formulas Review & Swatches

Find the product here!

*These polishes were sent to me by the company for review considerations. All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. I am not being paid to tell you about this product.

I was sent both traditional nail polishes and gel polishes, so I've broken down the review between the two kinds of polishes.

The "Matching Gel & Nail Lacquer" duo packs are meant to be used both on toenails and fingernails at the same time. They suggest using the traditional nail polishes on your toes (so you don't have to stick your toes into your UV/LED device, I assume) and the gel on your fingernails.

Their recommended gel application is to roughen up the surface of your nails with a nail file first. Apply the base coat and cure, then apply one coat of color and cure, another color coat and cure, then finally the top coat and cure. Once the nail application is complete, you then need to take some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and rub it over the surface of your nail polish to set the top coat and make it extra shiny (otherwise it is slimy and has a bit of tackiness to it). The cotton ball won't ruin your nail polish because it will already be dry after curing it under your UV/LED device.

________________________________________________

Professional Polish Review 

(the traditional nail polish formula)

Color Matching Professional Polish -  Discotheque

I really like the glittery topcoat Discotheque because it has all different multiple sizes of glitters. I have a few glitter topcoats from the drugstore, but nothing quite like this one. I'm in love! :) It has a great consistency so you don't get spots with too much glitter and then spots with not enough. This is very unique and I love it.

Color Matching Professional Polish - Green Matcha

Application:
This particular shade is a light and bright neon green. It did take three layers to build up the solid opacity that I wanted. However, for a neon color like this, I think that's not asking too much. If you have seen any of my previous nail polish reviews here on this blog, you know that oftentimes I end up doing 3 coats of a lot of polishes anyway. It was somewhat streaky on second application and it seemed if I didn't let the first layer dry enough, the brush would create bald spots on the nails.

Dry Time:
This polish actually dried really quickly, one of the fastest drying polishes I think I've ever tried. It dries almost to a semi-matte finish if you aren't using a top coat. (I always use Seche Vite topcoat though).

Wear Time:
I paint my nails right before bed, so to me "Day 1" is the day after I painted them.
On day 1, I had very minor chipping on two fingers (middle of left hand, index of right). You wouldn't even notice it unless you were examining your fingernails for review purposes lol.
Day 2 the chips have grown to the point that I want to remove my nail polish and start over. The polish definitely chips, instead of gradually wearing down. If you try to pick at it, it keeps chipping off, instead of peeling off in chunks.

Removal:
This traditional nail polish can be removed with a typical nail polish remover. This polish sticks to the nails really well though and it can take quite a bit of scrubbing and pressure to remove with nail polish remover.

Overall, I am impressed with this green nail polish. I've always loved neon green, but I haven't been able to find a good polish that I can actually get to look opaque. So I'm really glad I was able to try this one out.

____________________________________________

Color Gel & Mood Color Reviews

(the gel polish formula)

Mood Color Gels - Pink Tutu & Sweet Potatoes

Application:
The recommended two coats turns out to be perfect with the gel polishes. The Mood Colors can get away with just one coat, but the effects of the color changing polish work much better with a second coat. The green can also benefit from a third coat, but it doesn't look bad with just two.

Mood Color Gels - Sweet Potatoes

Wear Time:
They recommend you use a file on the top of your nails to roughen up the surface and I find that it really makes a big difference on wear time. When I applied the polish on my natural nails without any filing, it was very easy to peel off the multiple coats of nail polish. I am really bad about picking at my nail polish, so it's hard for me to resist in that case. It peels off in one perfect piece, making removal super easy.

On a 1 coat application, after 3 days, there is some minor chipping. Chipping never becomes a major problem if you do more than 1 coat of color. There is only slight wear on the very tips of the nails after a few days.

With too many layers, after a day or so, you may see some peeling at the sides of your nails. It does not occur as quickly if you do less layers of polish. When I see them starting to peel, I can't help but remove them. That's typically in 3-4 days time. If you have the patience to ignore the very slight peeling, I can see these polishes lasting a good week or more for many people.

Mood Color Gels - Sweet Potatoes

Overall, the concept of the Color Matching traditional and gel polishes packaged and sold together is an intriguing sale point. I love the idea that you can wear the traditional polish on your toes and the gel on your fingers and match them both. I love the color changing gel polishes because they show a drastic difference between the two colors and temperatures and go together nicely. Although I'm somewhat disappointed in the wear time on the traditional nail polish, I was only sent one color to try and perhaps the other nail polishes from this brand work better. The lime green is a unique color anyway, the wear time might just be a sacrifice you have to deal with for the color. 

Huge gel polish color selection!

Find the product here!

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Mood Color selection

*These polishes were sent to me by the company for review considerations. All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. I am not being paid to tell you about this product.

Mood Color selection (Mood Color - Sweet Potatoes on my nails)