Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette | Review & Swatches

Palette in shade range "Edgitorial"

These new Eye-conic palettes from Marc Jacobs Beauty feature 7 high-quality, pigmented eyeshadows with 4 finishes: matte velvet, satin, sparkling silk, and metallics. The palettes come in 6 different themes with all different shades. I received the palette in "Edgitorial."

1. Longevity - 4/5
These shadows definitely last long on the eye but I would recommend using a primer if you have oily eyelids, as I do.

2. Pigmentation - 5/5
All the shadows are incredibly vibrant and pigmented. You kind of wouldn't expect less from Marc Jacobs beauty. You can see in the swatch that the first color is very similar to my skintone, so it kind of blends into my arm. Don't let that fool you into thinking it isn't pigmented though - it shows up well on the eyelids.

3. Consistency - 5/5
The first words that came into my mind when I first swatched these colors were "creamy" and "buttery." They are definitely velvety smooth. There is some occasional fallout, but this is me being really picky.

This palette retails for $49 USD and can be purchased from Sephora or the official Marc Jacobs Beauty website.


*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but these are my honest opinions.

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick - Rum Punch & Siesta Swatches & Review

The new Tarte lipsticks have been raved about on Instagram and Youtube, with claims that they are super moisturizing, long-lasting, and pigmented.

L: Siesta | R: Rum Punch

I put shades Rum Punch (neutral, brown-tone nude) and Siesta (cool-tone, mauve) to the test to see they match the claims.

1. Longevity - 3/5

Overall, the longevity of this lipstick is not bad for it being a "stick" lip product. It's definitely not transfer-proof but when it wears off, it wears off nicely. It doesn't last through eating and drinking a full meal, but can likely last you through a light drink.

2. Pigmentation - 5/5

Great color payoff! The shades are bold, rich and fully opaque with just one swipe. If you're looking for a full coverage lipstick, then these are perfect!

3. Consistency - 3/5

They're quite light and almost mousse-like on the lips, especially upon application. Personally, they seem to dry down on me, making it go from a satin-creme finish to a satin-matte which I think is pretty nice. I will say, however, that these lipsticks are not totally moisturizing. I did notice it clinging to some dry patches on my lips, so bear this in mind if you're planning on purchasing these lipsticks for these claims. This isn't to say they're overly drying, but they also are not the most moisturizing lipsticks I've tried.

L: Siesta | R: Rum Punch

Other thoughts:
Everyone already knows, but the packaging is beautiful.
As a fan of nude lipsticks, I think the color range is also quite nice. The range has wearable nude shades suitable for many different skintones, so Tarte did well there.

Do I recommend? If you want to add another great lipstick to your collection, then absolutely.
However, you can find dupes for a lot of these colors as well.

These lipsticks retail for $21 USD and are available on Sephora.com.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light | Review & Swatches

The limited edition holiday face palette includes 2 blushes (Surreal Glow & Surreal Effect), 1 all-over face powder (Surreal Light), 1 strobe powder (Surreal Strobe Light), and 1 bronzer (Surreal Bronze Light). One of the most interesting claims about Hourglass powders is their "Photoluminescent Technology" which imitates the effects of a filter and makes the skin appear smoother in texture. This palette is ideal for those who want to sample a few of Hourglass' Surreal Light powders rather than those who are looking for a value set.

1. Longevity 4/5
Overall, the lasting power of most of the powders was good, however, the all-over face powder and the paler blush shade definitely faded quicker on me than I would have preferred. After layering the blush a few times, I found that the color did not look as vibrant as it did when I first applied all the layers originally. Unfortunately, the setting powder didn't seem to keep up as well as a setting powder should. By the end of the night, my oils broke through and I was a bit too shiny for my liking. The other blush, bronzer, and highlight shade lasted pretty well on throughout my experimentation with this palette.

2. Pigmentation 3/5
Unfortunately, the paler blush, bronzer, and strobing powder fell short of my original expectations for this palette. It definitely depends on your preferences, but in my personal opinion, I thought that the colors were a bit bland for even a natural flush of color, luminescence, and warmth on the skin. The blush and bronzer are definitely buildable so you can adjust the vibrancy of the powders to your liking, but for the price of this palette and the amount of product you get, layering the powders might not be an efficient application technique to do often. To me, the brighter blush is pigmented enough to where you can achieve a natural, flushed look.


3. Consistency 4/5
Hourglass powders are known for being some of the most finely-milled cosmetic powders on the market, regardless of whether it's a blush, bronzer or a finishing powder. The powders in this kit definitely follow this formulation with the exception of the strobing powder, which I found to be slightly more gritty. For this reason, I usually prefer to apply that powder with a brush that has been sprayed with a setting spray (I use Urban Decay's All-Nighter Setting Spray, but any will work).Then I use a damp beauty sponge to go over the area I applied the strobing powder because its texture tends to emphasize any texture on my skin. Despite this, all the other shades are very smooth, light, and blendable on the skin, just like Hourglass' single compacts.

Other thoughts:
Price point: It's steep for the amount of product you get in the palette, though this is probably related to the fact that it's a limited edition holiday palette.

Packaging: Aside from being beautiful to look it, it also is travel-friendly and has a snap closure so that you can be sure that none of the powders will get damaged or end up all over your makeup bag. The palette is compact, small, and contains almost all of your face makeup staples so it makes a great palette to take with you if you're trying to cut down the contents of your travel makeup bag.

Shades: Unfortunately, the shade range in this palette may not be suited for medium or deeper skin tones, which is a huge bummer. I have light skin with neutral undertones and some of the colors did not show up as vibrantly as I would have liked myself. This palette would be ideal for fair-skinned individuals.

If you have more of a medium or deep skin tone, a great, if not slightly better alternative to this palette would be one of the new Nars' Narsissist (try saying that five times fast) Unfiltered Cheek Palettes.

Finish: As the claim suggests, I do see a smoother, more airbrushed appearance to my skin with these powders (aside from the strobing powder). I appreciate the look of the finishing powder, but I wish it would last longer on my skin to prolong that finish.

This palette is available on Sephora's website for $80 USD.

Marc Jacobs About Last Night Style Eye Con Eyeshadow Palette: Swatches & Review

This palette won my heart in a matter of a few days because there are so many great components to this palette that many others do not have. This limited-edition holiday palette by Marc Jacobs Beauty has quickly become one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes of 2016 for so many reasons, which I'll elaborate on. For those wondering if it's worth the price tag, the answer is yes! Why? Because this palette includes 20 eyeshadows (that are very good quality), making the worth of each shadow only $5 apiece.

1. Longevity - 5/5
The lasting power of these shadows is actually a bit surprising. Since they're quite creamy, I was expecting the eyeshadow on my oily lids to fade but they lasted very well throughout my wear time. I tried one eye with primer and one without, and my lids looked almost identical to one another by the end of the night. Both eyelids looked just as vibrant and opaque with color as they did when I first applied the eyeshadow. One thing I would like to point out, however, is that the darker shadows may transfer to your brow area if you don't use primer before. By the end of the night, I noticed that a bit of my transition shades transferred closer to my brow bone. I easily touched it up, but it's just a point to consider. Personally, I think it's better to be safe than sorry and use primer to prevent any unwanted transferring.


2. Pigmentation - 5/5
The pigmentation is tough to beat. I feel like my arm swatches do not do it justice because the shadows look bold on the eyelid. The first time I swatched this palette, I was shocked at how opaque the colors looked. Brush swatches were a bit less rich in color, but still incredibly impressive. One dip of my brush was enough to coat my entire lid with consistent color. You can definitely choose to apply these shadows wet if you'd prefer, but I found that it really wasn't necessary to wet my brush to get good color payoff. There was no patchiness, skipping or fading of any sort. However, some of the darker colors I experimented with had a little bit of fallout, but nothing major.

Something else to take into account is that because the colors are so pigmented, you might want to dip into the palette rather than swipe. I tapped my blending brush once into one of the matte darker shades to use for the outer corner of my eye for a smoky look, and that one tap had enough product to create the look I desired. This is a palette where it would be good to start with a little bit of shadow then gradually increase how much you use.

3. Consistency - 5/5
Every single shadow in the palette is very creamy and upon touching them, they almost feel like cream eyeshadows in the pan. When I swatched these, they looked and felt velvety smooth on my arm. For most shades, there was no or minimal crumbling/chalkiness to them except for the fourth shade from the right in the bottom swatch photo. The texture of these shadows is what really allows them to be so blendable on the lid. The shadows are very easy to work with and you don't have to spend a long time blending out any harsh lines or edges.

Other thoughts:
Color Selection: I've heard some mixed reviews on the color selection in this palette, but I think Marc Beauty has done a great job of including a variety of different colors to cater to many different preferences, tastes, and skin tones. There could have been less of the light, nude matte shades since there are 4 shades that look pretty similar to one another, but otherwise the color range is good.

Packaging: The case is sleek and snaps shut so your eyeshadows won't be prone to drying out and aren't as likely to be damaged. The thin compact makes it really easy to travel with this palette! It's durable and quite beautiful at the same time, with a shiny golden finish.

Price point: It seems daunting at first, but with each shadow setting you back $5, you're getting a great deal for a luxury palette. If you already own palettes with many bronze, purple, and gold tones, then you can skip out on this one to save some money. But if you're a makeup enthusiast and want to splurge on a great eyeshadow palette, this is definitely worth the price!

This palette is currently available in free-standing Sephora stores and on their website for $99 USD.

Lorac PRO Palette 3 | Swatches & Review

 After hearing about the quality of Lorac Pro eyeshadow palettes, I decided to give one their most recent palettes a try. Even though I have a store-sized number of eyeshadow palettes, I have never owned a pro palette, and I loved the colors in the Lorac PRO Palette 3.

This palette reminds me a bit of the Naked 3 palette by Urban decay in terms of the color scheme but leans a little bit less pink. Most of the shades are warm-toned with a few neutral-toned shades included inside.

Here is my take on the palette!


 1. Longevity - 4/5
Most colors in this palette last really well throughout the day aside from a couple of the shimmery shades. Out of the looks I have tried with this palette using the colors "Almond Pearl" and "Pink Nude," they have all seemed to fade from my skin. It is definitely possible that these shades might be more prone to drying out or blending in with my skin type/tone and the longevity of these could be much better on other skin types and/or tones. It could also be that these colors in the palette I happened to get were drier than those in other palettes. Despite the discrepancy with these two shades, I can honestly say that the other colors last very well on my eyes for at least 8 hours, which is the longest I have worn looks with this palette so far. I am eager to see how well they last if I was to wear them for longer periods of time.

2. Pigmentation - 4/5
Again, most of the colors in this palette have bold pigmentation and color payoff and a few were a little less rich in color than I would have expected. All of the darker shades in the palette have great pigmentation as well as most of the shimmery shades. The shades that I have had some issues are "Canvas" and "Lt. Gold." I would have used "Canvas" to set my primed eyelids to begin packing some color on but instead of depositing a noticeable flesh tone color, I get a weak and streaky finish on my eyelid. Again, this could be an issue with just my palette. The same idea goes with "Lt. Gold," except I tried to use this on my eyelid to highlight the center. The shade came out more powdery and flaky than I would have liked. On top of my lids, it looked a bit like I had packed on several layers of it and it ended up looking a bit unflattering on my eye. Also, this color is described as and looks shimmery in the palette, but came off more satin/matte on my lids.

Top: Mattes | Bottom: Satins/Shimmers

Otherwise, the other colors in this palette are very strong in color payoff and match the finish they are described to be. A couple of my favorite shimmery colors for my lid are "Light Pewter" and "Rose Bronze." I use these shades the most to highlight my lids for an everyday, natural look. I use the other shades to create smokier looks, and they are fantastic as well! They are definitely buildable if you want to intensify your look.

3. Consistency - 4/5
A lot of the shades swatch and apply smooth and creamy, however, the two I mentioned above and one other shade is definitely more chalky and dry in comparison to most of the other colors in the palette. Although beautiful, "Medallion" and "Pink Nude" definitely seem a bit drier and flakier than some of the other colors in the palette.

To fix issues with fallout and flakiness, I wet my brush after packing some of the color onto it. I can definitely reduce fallout this way, but I still end up getting some eyeshadow on my cheeks anyway, but not as much. Fallout does not usually bother me too much personally, but chalkiness of the lighter shades I talked about above causes them to look drier on my eyelids than they should be. The other shades are silky and creamy and apply well.

Other thoughts:
I feel like the palette is prone to drying out more since it only has a magnetic closure rather than a snap on/snap off closure. I would recommend storing this palette in an enclosed area or container to keep the eyeshadows from drying out. On the subject of packaging, I really appreciate that this palette is thin and compact because it makes it really easy to travel with. I also like the organization of the colors on the palette; matte shades are in the top row whereas the more shimmery shades are on the bottom row. Lorac has included a great range of matte transition colors to use in the crease, which is really important when it comes to making several different looks.

The colors blend really well and I found that the shades blend better than some colors from other palettes I own. This means it's really easy to slowly add more and more pigment and have it looking polished. It's also more forgiving if you accidentally apply too much color.

If you like a versatile palette that you can make many looks with, both neutral and bold, this palette is a great option. However, if you do not like fallout or some flakiness, you may struggle to work with this palette.

This palette is available at Ulta and Lorac's website for $44 USD.

#LeMarc Liquid Lip Creme and Poutliner | Review & Swatches

More and more brands have been releasing their own lines of liquid lipsticks because of their immense popularity. Marc Jacobs Beauty is one of the latest brands to release their own line of liquid lip cremes with 6 shades ranging from true nudes to deeper mauve tones. These bold but wearable colors are perfect for the holidays - either to wear to festivities or to give as a potential gift to the lip product lover in your life.

#Influenster and Marc Beauty sent me the Lip Creme in "Shush, Blush" and the Poutliner lip pencil in Primrose complimentary to test. My review is based on my honest opinion of the products.
#LeMarcLiquidLipCrème #contest

 1. Longevity  
Lip Creme 3/5
The longevity on this lip creme is not bad by any means, however, it is not transfer-proof. I applied the lip creme a couple of hours before I ate lunch and most of it wore off by the time I was finished. When it wears off, it leaves a ring on your lips but touching up is simple.
The lip creme itself is not a matte formula so when I tested it out, it only dried down to a satin finish and still had some sheen to it. I personally prefer a satin finish over a matte finish, especially with more bold colors so this did not bother me. Just be mindful that if you are planning on eating and drinking at all, this lipstick will end up transferring and coming off. This shade in particular stained my lips, which I believe is the case with all the darker and bolder shades in this line. It is not as easily removable as you might think, but it definitely will wear off after eating and drinking. Bear in mind however, that this product is not marketed to be a budge-proof liquid lipstick.

Poutliner 5/5
I tested the lip liner out separately to see how it would last during eating and drinking and I found that it did a way better job of staying on than the lip creme. I am sure that this would be a great liner to use underneath any lipstick for that matter. It does a great job of blurring the appearance of my lip lines and does not feather whatsoever. You can easily over line with this shade and not have to worry about your lip liner smudging all over the place. When I went to remove the swatch, I found that it was actually quite difficult to take it off and that it also left a stain behind.

                                                                                                          2. Pigmentation

                                                                                                            Lip Creme 5/5

"Primrose" Poutliner (L) & Lip Creme in "Shush, Blush" (R)

Hands down, this lip creme has incredibly rich color payoff! One swipe on the lips was able to give me a completely opaque and full coverage finish. The color I was sent is a warmer rosy shade while the lip liner looked more cool-toned and brown. For the most part, the color of the lip creme did not darken after it dried like most matte liquid lipsticks do so you can expect the actual shade of the lip creme to look very similar to the color it looks like when you first apply it.

Poutliner 5/5

You do not need to apply much pressure with this lip pencil because even just gentle use will give you a fully pigmented line or opaque coverage when used to fill in your lips. You almost feel like you have to apply a lot of pressure because it feels so light, but a little goes a long way. The color Primrose ended up looking darker on my lips than it looks like in the pencil and on the packaging, but it matches the description on Sephora's website, which is "cocoa spice."

3. Consistency
Lip Creme 4/5
This lip creme is extremely comfortable on the lips because it is completely non-drying, which works out well for me because I have considerably dry lips. It literally glides on, feels like silk, and does not feel like you are wearing a lip creme. It does not emphasize my lip lines (and mine are usually really obvious) and even gives my lips the appearance of being plumper. I took off one point from my rating because of the fact that it can be a bit difficult to apply because it is so creamy; you have to be really careful to not make a mistake because fixing it can be a bit tricky, which is similar to what I found with Bite Beauty's Amuse Bouche lipsticks.

Poutliner 5/5 
Similar to the lip creme, the lip liner is light and feels almost nonexistent on the lips. It is incredibly creamy and feels gel-like on the lips when first applied, but gives a matte appearance and finish later on. If used together, the lip liner would definitely help increase the lasting power of the lip creme. It does not crumble or catch onto any of my dry patches and looks smooth on my lips.

Other thoughts:
The scent of the lip creme is an odd combination of vanilla and a chemical scent, which is a little unusual but the smell dissipates after applying and you cannot really tell there was ever a scent to begin with. The packaging is beautiful and sleek for both the lip liner and the lip creme. Overall, these products are worth a try if you are willing to splurge on a lip liner and/or you love moisturizing lip products because these are both great options if you struggle with dry lips.

One issue I have with the lip liner is that whenever I go to open the cap, sometimes the "stick" of the actual product pops off with the cap. This is obviously not a deal breaker, but it can be a little bothersome, especially since this is a higher-end product.

Both the lip cremes and lip liners are available now on Sephora.com and MarcJacobsBeauty.com. The lip creme retails for $28 USD and the lip liner retails for $24 USD.

Hope this was helpful!

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Review + Before and After!

Everyone has seriously been raving about the Tarte Shape Tape concealer and have even been replacing their previous holy grail concealers with this one. Me being me, I decided to look into this hype and try this concealer out for myself.

1. Longevity 4.5/5
This concealer is definitely a very long-lasting one! I tested this over the course of a full day, most of which I was outside for in 85-degree weather (Fall in So Cal is way more like Summer..) this concealer did not budge. I was honestly really impressed! This concealer also doesn't crease on me. Most concealers do, so the fact that this didn't crease after a couple minutes (it didn't crease for the whole day for that matter) of applying it is really convenient. It also did not settle into my pores which was also quite nice, because my pores are naturally on the larger side. After setting with powder, the end product was an airbrushed finish.

My only complaint is that there is some transfer when I put my finger to the spots I applied it at the end of the day, but that's to be expected with any concealer you'd find on the market. If you need a concealer that you don't have to worry about touching up throughout the day or creasing on you, I definitely recommend this!


2. Coverage 5/5
One of the most redeeming qualities that everyone often loves about this concealer is its exceptionally high coverage formula. I'm happy to say that I absolutely agree with them on this! I don't necessary have dark undereyes, but I do have prominent veins in my undereye area as well as on my eyelids. This concealer totally covered these veins which so far, the only concealer that has managed to do this was the Kat Von D Lock-It concealer.

Demoed this on my sister as well and it looked great!

This product is one that you should use a light hand with because a small amount will truly cover a lot of blemishes, darkness, or veins you may have. My favorite way to apply this concealer so that I don't end up with too much on is to dot the concealer in about six dots in a triangular shape rather than spreading the product with the wand. I save a ton of product and still get great coverage! The result is a natural-looking and brightened undereye.



3. Consistency 5/5
This concealer has a thicker formula but it feels quite light on the skin. If there was one word I would use to describe the consistency, it would be "creamy." Compared to the Urban Decay Naked Skin and MAC Prolongwear concealers, the shape tape is far more creamy and less runny. Despite its thick consistency, the concealer is incredibly easy to blend and doesn't really require much time to blend it out either. My favorite way to apply it for a completely airbrushed finish is with a beauty sponge of some sort - I used the Real Techniques one.

Even though the formula is quite a bit thicker than some other concealers, this is what allows it to have such great coverage. The fact that it doesn't feel or look thick on your skin is what makes this concealer such a fascinating product! It's really comfortable on the skin and doesn't feel heavy, so if you're into that full-coverage, airbrushed look, this concealer is perfect for you!

Other thoughts:
The packaging and applicator of the concealer kind of matches its formula. The doe foot applicator is larger than most concealer applicators so it might be a little difficult to get a perfectly precise application but I find that the dotting method I mentioned is pretty helpful.

Also, the price point is really convenient because you're getting 0.34 oz for $24 compared to the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer at 0.16 oz for $28, so you're getting over double the product for $4 less! In my opinion, this concealer lives up to the hype and is totally worth a try.