New ELF Limited Edition Mineral Pearls (Guerlain Meteorites & Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Shimmer Pearls Dupe)

Exciting news! There's a new product from ELF and it is a Limited Edition Mineral Pearls dusting powder. These are a lower budget dupe of the Guerlain Meteorites set, coming in at $8 as opposed to the $60 price tag of the high-end version. It is worth nothing that this is one of the most expensive single items on the ELF website.

The mineral pearls come in 2 shades, Skin Balancing (to even out skin tone coloration and complexion) and Natural for a sheer wash of color. You are meant to brush your powder puff or kabuki brush and gently swirl around on the pearls before buffing onto the eyes, cheeks or body. This is an illuminating product which helps to reflect color on your skin and give a radiant glow (best used over foundation). 

ELF Mineral Pearls - Natural

ELF Mineral Pearls - Skin Balancing

6 multi-colored pearls are blended together when brushing them to brighten and mattify skin for a brightened look. ELF has created these not to be just beautiful on the skin but also to condition and hydrate skin since they are infused with Vitamin A, B, C & E for a silky feel.

Other similar products include the Guerlain Meteorites (which are touted as the original of this style of pearl powder - they now have created dozens of variant color combinations) and the Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Collection (Summer 2013) Shimmer Pearls. Many of these have been limited edition and can no longer be purchased unless you stalk one down on eBay!

Guerlain Meteorites example

Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Shimmer Pearls - courtesy Qtplace.com

Dry Scalp Treatment - Superbalm Scalp Treatment by Lush

My husband suffers from a dry, itchy and flaky scalp so we're always on the lookout for serums or balms that may help alleviate it. We went to LUSH yesterday and I spotted their Superbalm Scalp Treatment and decided to splurge for it (it costs $19.95 for 1.5oz). LUSH is notoriously expensive so we only buy things that we think may be unique products. 

Dandruff can cause your scalp to be itchy and if you continuously scratch it vigorously, you can cause damage to your skin and follicles, so it's important to keep your skin moisturized and hydrated. Although this product seems small, it actually is quite a large amount considering how thick and richly moisturizing it is. You only need an extremely small, less than pea-sized amount to cover your whole scalp. You are meant to rub it into your scalp and leave it on for 20 minutes before showering, I presume this is because your hair can get greasy and it has a strong peppermint scent. This product seems to produce the best results when used daily.

The rationale for the ingredients used in this product, according to the website are as follows:

Chamomile blue oil: soothes irritated scalp, causes the blue tint of the balm

Lavender oil: has relaxing, soothing and cleansing qualities

Salicylic acid: active ingredient that treats skin/scalp and psoriasis to shed dead cells from the top layer by increasing the amount of moisture in the skin and dissolving the substance that makes the cells clump together, thereby decreasing scaling and dryness

Rose wax & essential oils: has natural and soothing properties which soothe very dry skin, it is very lipid rich and hydrates skin cells

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: can reduce symptoms associated with psoriasis, eczema and helps restore natural balance to the skin - has softening properties due to the extra virgin oil used as a binder

Candelilla wax: substitute to beeswax, acts as a moisture barrier and enhance formula texture

Other ingredients are used for fragrance

So far my husband really likes this product, I think the smell can be considered strong but as long as you're using it at night, it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I'm happy that this is a mostly-natural product with salicylic acid being the active treatment ingredient. If you suffer from a dry scalp you should give this product a try, it has a very high positive response from customers and one container should last you 2-3 months (so if you break it down, it doesn't seem that expensive). 

Let me know if you have any other experiences with this or similar products.

Product Review: Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette (Limited Edition)

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Box Packaging

When it comes to cool packaging and unique ideas for palettes, Urban Decay definitely takes the cake. They're a company that's always thinking out of the box and creating unique, trendy packaging and products. The Urban Decay Pulp Fiction palette was released as a limited edition product, along with their entire Pulp Fiction line, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie.

The front and back of the packaging are very informative and even have a little blurb about Mrs. Mia Wallace and why she was chosen as the inspiration for the palette. I especially like the blood red double-ended brush and the little band-aid at the bottom of the packaging.

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Box Packaging - Back

Samuel L. Jackson's (aka Jules Winnfield) famous quote is even included on the packaging (this is somewhat of a strange decision though because his character isn't really connected with Mia Wallace's in the movie, so it's cool but seems a little out of place).  Regardless, it's an amazing quote that my husband has memorized from the movie!

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette Packaging

When you open the packaging up, it has a very grungy chaotic feeling of paint splatter and blood stains (very reminiscent of the movie)1. The palette consists of 5 eyeshadows and 1 double-ended miniature brush.

To see a look created with this palette, refer back to my Mrs. Mia Wallace Eyes of the Day - this post went into the look card which came in the box and how to re-create Uma Thurman's look in the movie.

You can easily use this palette for every day looks and this palette, upon first glance, looks fairly similar to the Naked Basics palette. However, upon further inspection, Vengeance (Pulp Fiction) is more bronze than the taupe-leaning Faint (Naked Basics), Anger (Pulp Fiction) is more silver than cream-based Venus (Naked Basics) and Righteous (Pulp Fiction) is lighter and less peachy than W.O.S. (Naked Basics).

I think if you were to own both Naked Basics and Pulp Fiction palettes (like I do) that you wouldn't be disappointed. I particularly love the color Tyranny since it's a perfect caramel for warming up the crease or transitioning between shades.

I love the quality of the cruelty-free synthetic dual sided brush, it has one end as a shadow-packing brush and another for precise inner corner or brow-bone highlighting (or even defining your eyebrows).

I think if you have the extra $34 and you're a big fan of Urban Decay, this is a palette you could pick up, enjoy and not be upset about how much you spent. However, if the price is a little steep or you're not a Pulp Fiction fan (and then you must clearly not be a child of the 90's!) then you can easily make do with the Meet Matt(e) palette from theBalm, Physicians Formula Matte Eyeshadow Quad (in Canyon Classics), or Urban Decay's Naked Basics. If you own Naked 1 and 2 you probably already have a large quantity of neutral eyeshadows as well and this wouldn't be too unique in your collection.

Underwear / Panty Subscription Service: Splendies & Volupties

Do you hate shopping for underwear because you think it's awkward, you never know how they'll fit and there's a million options to choose from? Because I sure do. I almost exclusively shop for my underwear online nowadays to avoid the indecisive nature of intimates shopping altogether.

I have tried a service called Splendies (the plus sized sister site is Volupties) which delivers 3 unique designs to your mailbox every month for just $12/month and free shipping. The first month is $8 with promo code "SPLENDIES"! I don't know anywhere else that I could get cute underwear for such a low price regularly.

If you're lacking shopping inspiration, this service is for you!

Splendies/Volupties ships to Canada for $7 and Internationally for $9.

If you don't like thongs at all, you can pay an extra $2/month to avoid getting any. You can also receive boyshorts, briefs, lace or cotton in a variety of different styles and colors from various brands.

Here's an example of what I received for the month of July 2014:

Brand: Pucker Up!

Fabric: 85% Nylon 15% Spandex

Style: Thong

Adorable design of orangey red sparrows on a creamy white thong. I really like the texture of these and they're going to be very comfortable.

Brand: Perfection

Fabric: Polyester Mesh

Style: Bikini

This isn't something I would choose for myself because the color is so bright but it can be fun to step out of my comfort zone once in awhile! That's the reason I got this service!

Brand: Pucker Up!

Fabric: Polyester Lace

Style: Bikini

The lace looks very cute but I don't typically wear lace that often because I find it to be a little more harsh on my sensitive skin. The bow detail with a little crystal is very cute!

I read on another blog that they recommended going a size up (so if you were Medium to get Large) since the sizes supposedly run small. However, I did notice that some of the panties in Large fit me perfectly and others were too big so I think I could have just chosen Medium. Regardless, I would rather be wearing something more loose fitting and comfortable than too tight but this is just a personal preference! You can always change your size on the website.

It's definitely worth a shot to try this service out for a month at $8 and if you have any issues you can always unsubscribe. Their customer service is amazing and if you have any problems they will take care of it for you.

Visit the Splendies website here.

Eyes of the Day: Mrs. Mia Wallace Look

Since this year is the 20th anniversary of the cult classic Pulp Fiction and Urban Decay has released a Limited Edition Pulp Fiction eyeshadow palette  (based on the iconic character Mrs. Mia Wallace), I decided to do an Eyes of the Day post about her iconic look using the new palette.


In case you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years, this is what Mia Wallace (aka Uma Thurman) looked like in the movie, she was the quintessential babe of the 90s (1994 to be exact). She is subtle and natural and yet so dramatic with her severe lips, haircut and perfectly groomed brows.

The eyeshadow look tends to be quite wearable and natural, the guide for this look are on an insert inside the Pulp Fiction palette packaging. You can add more drama by using a black liquid or cream eyeliner, but I opted for the original with the eyeshadow "Furious" from the palette.

How to get the look:

This is what the shadows look like (you can re-create this look even if you don't own the palette, something similar like the Naked Basics or Physicians Formula Matte Eyeshadow Quad in Canyon Classics would do the trick).

I absolutely love this palette, it's so cute and reminds me of the 90's, I'll do a review very soon on it!

Most Loved: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

Welcome to all of your childhood dreams of Willy Wonka chocolate bars. This Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette is something I *really* tried my hardest to avoid purchasing. At first, when it came out, the packaging was rather bulky and the tester in my local Sephora was so beaten up and abused by fellow beauty swatchers, that I really had no interest. Even when I saw the HSN promo for it, I was tempted but I held back... they even had an insane deal for the palette (regular retail is $49 at Ulta or Sephora). Alas, the packaging was too bulky and it would have taken too much space in my already over-flowing collection.

Cue the new, updated, summer packaging:

This packaging is literally half the thickness (girth?) of the previous one. My husband insisted on purchasing it for me when we were away on our summer vacation... and how could a girl resist, am I right?

And let me tell you... the scent... oh the smell is far better than you read or hear about. It's almost like a freshly opened truffle doused in cocoa powder. It's desirable and infectious, it makes opening this palette an absolute delight in the morning when I'm groggy, it wakes me right up in the most pleasant of ways!

The names of the colors are unique and ingenious, Too Faced is always very creative with their branding. I really did think that there would be duds in this palette in terms of pigmentation since I had heard from various blog/vloggers that Candied Violet and a few of the lighter shades were rather chalky or lacking pigmentation. I haven't noticed any product kick-up (though I don't typically go beast-mode hard into my shadows with my brushes) or patchiness upon application. I like that Too Faced decided to give us more of the highlight shades White Chocolate (matte finish) and Champagne Truffle (metallic finish), since these get used most frequently when creating looks.

You can really achieve a very subdued look or a more glamorous night-time look... you can even do a dark, goth look if you're feeling in the mood! So whether you're a bronze goddess or a child of the night, this palette really does have it all covered, the only caveat is that the shades are mostly warm-toned with the exception of Gilded Ganache, Triple Fudge, and Candied Violet.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Swatches (No Primer, Ambient Lighting)

Matte: White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Triple Fudge, Salted Caramel, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon
Matte with Fine Glitter: Gilded Ganache, Black Forest Truffle, Cherry Cordial
Pearl with Fine Glitter: Candied Violet
Metallic: Marzipan, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Creme Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Champagne Truffle

I'm so happy with the pigmentation of these shadows, they perform very well, have great color payoff and I don't feel that I need to pack on too much of the shadow to get full opacity. There's such a good variety of matte, satin/shimmer (metallic) and more glittery shades. Salted Caramel is an absolute brilliant color for warming up the crease and transitioning darker shades. Candied Violet performs a lot better than I expected, and I really find that the glitter isn't too intense once you blend the shadow out. I think the most unique shade of the bunch is Cherry Cordial and I don't have anything else in my collection that looks similar to it (that's saying a lot!)

I highly recommend purchasing this if you apply eyeshadow on a daily basis and need to come up with wearable daytime or nighttime looks. This palette will be your best friend if you want a neutral palette with a little extra oomph. I reach for this palette more than I do my LORAC Pro, Kat Von D Saint palette, or my Urban Decay Naked 1, 2 and 3 combined because it's fun and I get the added bonus of a unique color selection and a waft of cocoa when using it!

Kawaii Chocolate Bar by Rooshoo, Click here.

Product Review: Victoria's Secret Metallized Eye Shadow & Eye Shadow Duo

I walked into a mall a couple of weeks ago and came across the Victoria's Secret VS Makeup Clearance section. Now, I know VS discontinued their makeup line but I'm sure you can still find these online and in select stores where they haven't yet cleared out. I purchased mine at the reduced price of $3.75-$4.00 each (I believe they were 75% off).

I did have high expectations for these shadows because, although I hadn't tested them myself, I have read many beauty blogs that claim that VS makeup was phenomenal and it's an absolute tragedy they have stopped producing it. They... were... right!

I managed to get my hands on an Eye Shadow Duo in "Flirty & Fierce" and Metallized Eye Shadows in "Buzz", "Major" and "Gold Card".  The honeycomb pattern and finish on the Metallized Eye Shadows reminded me of the MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows and I was very intrigued.

These shadows are absolutely huge with the Metallized Eye Shadows being 3.5g/.12oz and the Eye Shadow Duo being 3.2g/.11oz (which is strange because it appears so much larger!) whereas a single pressed MAC eyeshadow is only 0.05oz. The Metallized Eye Shadows are 2.4x the size of a MAC eyeshadow and the Eye Shadow Duo is 2.2x the size!!! Talk about getting a great bang for your buck.

I was so thrilled with the pigmentation of these, specifically the smooth texture and buttery finish of the Metallized Eye Shadows (Buzz, Major and Gold Card). The only downside to the Eye Shadow Duo (Flirty & Fierce) was that the glitter can be a little chunky and therefore causes the texture of the overall eye shadow to suffer.

If you can manage to snag these shadows, do yourself a favor and get them! You'll be so thrilled, especially if you can find the Metallized Eye Shadows! My absolute favorite color is Buzz because it looks like a burgundy, mauve brown and I think it's incredibly versatile for an all-over wash of color or as a crease shade.