Eyes of the Day: Amrezy Palette

Eyes of the Day look with Amrezy Palette - Natural Light

Today's featured look of the day consists of neutral eyeshadows with a pop of emerald green from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Palette. I was so excited to play with this palette, I just couldn't wait to create a look!

Eyes of the Day look with Amrezy Palette - Ambient/Indoor Light

This look was easy to create and the green is meant to appear as a pop of color so I didn't try too hard to blend it with the lid color. I was extremely drawn to the Emerald eyeshadow and Caramel ended up being a lot more tangerine than I was expecting, so I was glad I didn't choose Morocco... these shadows are very pigmented! The photos don't even do this look any justice, the bright sunshine of the day really makes for a dramatic, impactful combination.

Here are the quick steps to re-create this emerald glam look (using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Palette):

• Caramel all over the lid
• Glisten on the inner corner of the lid
• Emerald in the crease
• Blend out Emerald with Vanilla as the highlight between it and the brow
• Line the lower lash line with Emerald
• Physicians Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black (review coming soon!) to create winged eyeliner
• Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara in Extreme Black to gently define lashes (this mascara will separate and darken lashes but not volumize or lengthen but it is very lightweight and easy to wear throughout the whole day)

Eyes of the Day & Product Review: Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1

Similar to the Nude Wear Glowing Blush compact, this new Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 compact (in Warm Nude) is buttery, well-pigmented and I experienced absolutely no fall-out or powdery texture. I think this is the best product I have tried out of the whole Shimmer Strips like (and I own quite a few of their eyeshadow palettes). I think the pigmentation is much better on this compact though, so I whole-heartedly give this compact a 5/5 rating!

I swatched the entire palette on my arm, without any primer, no flash and just natural lighting, check out the awesome pigmentation - these were all one swipe and no extra build-up!

I think this is a great product for someone who likes golds and nudes, obviously you're not getting much color variation, it's only gold, bronze, copper, some shades are slightly taupey. That being said, you get a very seamless look regardless of how you combine these eyeshadows. You can achieve very wearable, everyday looks with this, or glammed up party looks - I would vary it up by either using a little bit more of the darker colors or applying more or less eyeliner can do the trick.

Here's how I achieved the look with a quick guide so you can follow along on your very own palette! Be sure to take advantage of the 40% off sale going on right now at Rite Aid to pick yours up!

Let me know what you think about this product!

Product Review: L'Oreal The One Sweep Eyeshadow

I'm sure most of you have seen this product around and have wondered if the gimmick really works. It sounds so simple. You take the applicator sponge, sweep it across the 3 color gradient provided and then sweep it on to your eye. You do this twice and you should achieve a flawless eyeshadow look. This sounds like it is particularly useful for makeup novices who are unsure of which color to place where, or for those of us who are a little bit timid when trying to create a smokey eye look.

I found this on sale at my local CVS and decided to give it a go and give my wonderful readers an honest opinion of this product!

The product itself looks like it could be used with a regular brush as well so if the applicator didn't work out, I figured I could still use this as regular eyeshadow. There's a wide array of colors but I chose 908 Smokey for All Eyes because it's out-of-the-box from what I normally wear and I wanted to try it out.

The quality of the shadows is good, they are smooth and blendable, I'm actually quite impressed by them, just as I was by the Revlon Colorstay Quads. Drugstore eyeshadows have vastly improved in recent years and they are almost just as good as the higher end brands.

First, I tried this product with nothing else added and no blending to show you what it looked like and then I worked with it to achieve more of a look that I am comfortable with.

L'Oreal The One Sweep Eyeshadow

All things considered, this product performed well, I really didn't feel like I had to apply more than one sweep to achieve the desired amount of color. I didn't particularly like the delineation between shades since you can see clearly where each color ends and the other one begins, but this was an easy fix with a shadow blender brush. 

Is this a product you must purchase? No, this is something that is more for those who are in a rush or those who don't like to change up their look as much, there's a neutral brown combination which I think suits all skin tones and occasions. 

I give this product a solid 3.75/5 - the color payoff is really good and the colors blend together very smoothly, the applicator works but you do have to go and blend it out to make it a little bit more of a wearable look (specifically with a stark color combination such as the Smokey look I chose).

Eyes of the Day - Revlon Colorstay Quad (Goddess)

I recently picked up the Revlon Colorstay Quad in Goddess and I was so excited to try it out that I promptly created an eye look around it.

If you don't know what the consistency of the Revlon Quads is, I have to gush and tell you that they are absolutely smooth, buttery and a dream to blend. The only color I had a slightly harder time with was the deepest taupe grey in the bottom right-hand corner of the quad. I suspect this color moved a little more than the rest during application because it has larger shimmer particles. All in all, this quad was definitely worth the $4.50 I paid for it (originally the price is $8.99, still a good price point).

Here's how I achieved this look:

• Applied bottom-left shade all over my lid on a white base
• Used highlight color underneath my brow and in the inner corner
• Darkened up the outer "V" with bottom right color and blended
• Used the peachy pink shade on top of the crease color to warm it up

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad - Goddess

For an added pop of color, since I like my looks to be a little more unique, I chose to go with the the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Glistening Garnet. I used this color as an accent under my eye and close to my waterline

Image credit to Temptalia.com

I hope you guys enjoyed this look! I love playing with new products and I'm always so excited when I get something new to try it out ASAP!

Colorful / Festival Eye Look of the Day

This look I decided to re-create was inspired by Julia Graf's Arab Inspired Eye tutorial from YouTube. If you'd like watch it, I have linked it below.

My rendition of this look differs in several ways. First of all, I did not use full length false lashes, I was debating not using any at all and I used Too Faced's Fiber Lash Mascara, but then I did decide to throw on some Demi Wispies (just a pair I bought in a 10-pack off eBay, really anything comfortable works). I pulled my eyeliner out a little further, I tried using gel or cream but it didn't look as black as I wanted so I finished off the liner with Kat Von D's eyeliner in Trooper. I also mostly used colors from the Urban Decay Electric palette and some of my MAC single shadows. I also didn't use a white base, I used my MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15, because I actually have to go pick up NYX's Milk pencil.

I'll basically list for you the colors that I used for pinks, purples, etc. to achieve this look. Now while it's not exactly like Julia's, it's definitely quite similar!

Yellow: MAC "Chrome Yellow"
Orange: Urban Decay "Slowburn" from Electric Palette
Chartreuse Green: Urban Decay "Thrash" from Electric Palette
Aqua: MAC's "Aquadisiac"
Pink: Urban Decay "Savage" from Electric Palette and Too Faced "Bright Eyes" from Be Bright Holiday Set
Purple: Urban Decay "Urban" from Electric Palette
White: MAC's "Nylon"
Black Eyeliner: Kat Von D "Trooper" and Clinique Black Kohl Eyeliner for waterline

Hope you guys enjoy this look and definitely head on over to Julia's website for some awesome tutorials!

Mariposa - Glinda Eyes of the Day

My eyes of the day were inspired by the butterflies in the Mariposa palette and the ethereal look of the Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz (and Urban Decay palette infamy). I'm excited that spring is here and the weather is finally starting to warm up, so bright colors and pastels will be the norm!

Here are the products I used for this look (as always I'll let you know exactly how to achieve this on your own):

I really wanted to do something with purples and pinks, but rather than sticking with just the violet color family, I wanted to incorporate the end of frost on my lower lash line. I did this by creating an icy blue on the inner corner that gently melds into the purple. I kept the eyeliner absolutely minimal because I didn't want it to overpower these beautiful colors, as a bold cat-eye can usually make an overwhelming statement and clash with very multicolored eyeshadow.

Primarily I used the Urban Decay Mariposa Palette, which is not part of their permanent collection, but you can still purchase it on eBay or Amazon. I also used some accent colors from the Glinda eyeshadow palette (these pop out of the palette and are full sized shadows, they are very convenient to work with). I finished the look with some bold colored purple and icy blue eyeliners, which I set with powder foundation for long-lasting wear.

1. Skimp (from the UD Mariposa Palette) all over the brow-bone up to eyebrows
2. Limelight (from the UD Mariposa Palette) on the inner 1/3rd of the lid
3. Money (from the UD Mariposa Palette) on the middle 1/3rd of the lid, blend with Limelight at border
4. Rockstar (from the UD Mariposa Palette) on the outer 1/3rd of the lid, blend with Money at border and apply all over crease generously, making sure the color is as deep as you want it
5. Infamous (from the UD Mariposa Palette) used to blend out top border of Rockstar into the brow-bone
6. Apply a creamy black eyeliner to the upper lash line (I used Sumita Beauty's Kala Black Color Intense Pencil)
7. Line the outer 2/3rds of the lower waterline and lash line with a deep purple (I used Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Ransom)
1. "Set" this eyeliner with Rockstar, same eyeshadow used in step 4 above
8. Line the inner 1/3rd of the lower waterline and lash line with an icy blue (I used Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal 008 Light Blue)
1. "Set" this eyeliner with a light blue eyeshadow (I used the blue half of the shade Aura from the UD Glinda Palette)
9. Feather out any parts of the makeup that are too harsh, for me this was the inner corner transition, so I went in with a very light peach to fade the pink eyeshadow I used into my browbone color (UD Glinda Palette "Illusion")
10. To finish off the look, I used the black mascara Jordana Best Lash Extreme!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Electric Blue Liner Eyes of the Day

Electric blue eyeshadow is something I always gravitate towards, especially if it's more of a cerulean blue or turquoise shade... however, I always struggle to find ways to incorporate pops of color (especially for spring) without looking clownish. I think this overall understated elegant look (on the lid & crease) with a classic eyeliner is perfect for that extra pop on the lower lash line.

I will tell you that I am not crazy about jamming too much product in my waterline (especially along the inner and outer corners) because I find that my eyes will tear more throughout the day and my makeup will get ruined! So I use a minimal amount of makeup in the waterline for extreme comfort and all day wear (but you could always put more product in your waterline if you prefer).

Here are the products I used for this look (it seems like a lot but it really isn't, I just like to mix and match products from various companies!):

• Eyes primed with E.L.F. HD Lifting Concealer (I've been experimenting with new eye bases and this one works very well and also eliminates staining from highly pigmented minerals such as in the UD Electric Palette!)
• Urban Decay eyeshadow in Hustle (mine is depotted and put into an old MAC palette, pictured above)
• MAC eyeshadow in Retrospeck genereously applied all over the crease
• STILA stay all day liquid wateproof eyeliner in Black (not pictured) - this is my staple eyeliner - to create that cat-eye winged look
• Urban Decay's Chaos eyeshadow from the Electric Palette on the outer 2/3rd's of my waterline
• Beneath Chaos, I used Urban Decay's Gonzo also from the Electric Palette to smoke it out and smudge the harsh line
• On the inner corner of lower lash line - Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Empress to draw the light in and make me appear more awake (see swatch below)

• Upper lash mascara - Tarte's Lights Camera Lashes (only 1 coat)
• Lower lash mascara - Max Factor Vivid Impact Mascara in 910 (bought these off eBay and they're AWESOME - but more of a dry formula and they have a synthetic brush) - the blue really didn't compete with the blue shadow I was using and this was ideal for my look

Close-up of the completed look:

I hope you're all doing well and having a wonderful beginning of Spring!

Lorac Pro Palette - Eyes of the Day

The Lorac Pro Palette has long been a cult favorite and beauty bloggers/vloggers rave about it day in and out. This is for good reason, the palette features 16 different shades in 2 finishes - half of the shades are a shimmery pearl finish and the rest are matte finish. You can get so many different neutral looks from this palette, it's definitely a no-brainer for a working girl on the go.

Here's a look at what I used to achieve this mauve-garnet eye look. I tend to be inspired more by the darker colors of the palette which remind me of autumn leaves (they're not so offensively dark that they can't be worn during the day).

• Eyelids primed with 70 Barely Branded Maybelline Color Tattoo (part of permanent Metal collection)
• Browbone highlight is the matte Cream shade
• Mauve applied all over crease in sweeping motion
• Deep Purple applied all over lid
• Inner corner accentuated with Gold to draw the light in and make eye appear bigger
• Middle 1/3rd of the eyelid warmed up with Garnet and blended out

• liquid eyeliner applied to moving part of the eyelid and flicked out into a small wing - Kat Von D saint eye liner in Trooper
• Inner 1/3rd of waterline highlighted with Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Empire used on outer 2/3rd's of waterline
• Eyebrows filled in with elf Eyebrow Kit in medium
• Mascara applied: Tarte Lights Camera Flashes

Product Review & Look: Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue

Today's look was inspired by the Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue, which I received in March's IPSY Glam Bag! Initially, I received a sample that was dried out and I contacted Chella's customer support, they were *extremely* helpful and immediately sent me a replacement (I didn't even ask for one). I was so thrilled when it came in the mail 2 days later (wow, so fast, right?!). It's a beautiful, sponge-tip applicator eyeliner pen in a vibrant and very wearable blue shade. Best of all, the color glides on like a dream, it's water-resistant, smudge proof, quick drying, paraben and NANO-free! This is definitely my new go-to colored eyeliner: I much prefer the pen-tip application over a brush, I think you have much more control.You can just lay it down flush against your eyelashes and drag it along, letting the pen applicator do the work for you of creating a straight line.

This look started out as a simple way to showcase the eyeliner, but I just couldn't stop myself, it was so beautiful, I wanted to accentuate it with contrasting and complementary colors (so maybe this turned out a little bit Arabian Nights-esque, is anyone else's favorite Disney princess Jasmine?).

• Urban Decay's Sin all over the moving part of the eyelid 
• Urban Decay's Zephyr as the browbone highlight 
• (these colors were taken from the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV - the original, not the redux). Feel free to use any similar shades, I know there are many dupes in the Wet 'n Wild Color Icon trios.  

• MAC's Brown Script in the crease applied in a sweeping motion, making sure to blend it out 
• Urban Decay's Freelove on top of that to warm up the crease and transition into browbone color 

• Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue to line the eyes
• Annabella pigment in Solar mixed with water to line uppermost part of the Chella eyeliner
• Line outer 2/3rd's of bottom lash line with Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Rehab (bronze-brown)\
• Line inner 1/3rd of bottom lash line with Pixi Catching Shadows Crayon in Beaming Reflection (golden nude)
• Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara in Black applied to upper lashes - I would avoid the lower lashes as this will take away from the drama of the upper lash line with your beautiful blue eyeliner!

 I hope you guys like the look and please let me know if any of you have tried something similar before!

PS. I don't know what I like better, the Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue or Chella's customer support! They're definitely both awesome and you should give their products a try.

Urban Decay Electric Palette Eyes of The Day

Since the latest craze is the Urban Decay Electric pressed pigment palette (which is now available for purchase), I love that everyone's getting into springtime pops of color! I decided to use it for my look of the day, which is a green/blue mermaid-like combination.

Here's a quick guide of the colors I used to achieve this look from the Urban Decay Electric Palette:

I started by working from the inner corner out on my eyelid. In the inner corner, I placed Revolt and patted that on gently to get a saturated color. I find that this palette works best in patting motions and gentle blending rather than swiping back and forth to get a concentrated pop of color where you want it. I then went in with Thrash on the middle third of the eyelid. I put Gonzo on the outer 2/3rd's of the lid, layering it over Thrash for a nice transition color. I used Freak and blended the colors up into my crease, making sure to go in with a clean brush to clean the top of the shade up to the browbone. Then I used Slowburn at the very top edge of my crease where I placed Freak and I made sure to blend it out so that it looks close to my skintone for a very natural warmth to the look.

On the lower lash line, I simply used Freak to line the outer 2/3rd's of the eye and carried Revolt to the inner corner of my eye.  For mascara, I used Benefit's They're Real and to line my eyes, I used Stila's sparkle waterproof liquid eye liner in Starry. The colors ended up overwhelming my eyes and they were starting to get lost in all of the color, so I decided to place some half-lashes to finish up the look (I think this makes my eyes look bigger, especially since it draws out the outer corners).

If you haven't seen my review of this palette complete with swatches, make sure to check that out if you're interested in purchasing it (since it is quite pricey at $49 for this medium-sized palette). You may, or you may not know, that there is a disclaimer/warning on the palette which states that the colors Slowburn, Savage, Jilted and Urban are not FDA approved for immediate eye usage. I interpret this as meaning that you probably shouldn't be using them on your eyelid if you have sensitive eyes but you could use them in your crease and upwards. I wouldn't recommend putting these colors on your waterline but I have used them on my eyelid and I didn't have any adverse reaction.