Instagram & Update

Hi avid readers!

Sorry I haven't been around, some real life stuff got in the way of me posting but I have been very active on Instagram posting looks of the day and new holiday release previews! If you're not following me already, add @lethalglam.

All products used to create looks are listed underneath my posts.

I promise I'll do better and I'm getting some of the new holiday palettes so I promise I'll bring you swatches and in-depth reviews. There are some veeeery exciting releases coming out soon (some are already available at Ulta and Sephora and I'm itching to show them to you!

Make Up Forever Artist Shadows - Singles

The other day at Sephora, as usual, I was absolutely mesmerized by the artist shadows from Make Up For Ever so I decided to pick up 3 colors for $44 (they regularly sell for $22 each). I am on vacation right now so please excuse the poor quality iPhone photos!! 

Alas, I was too excited to show you D-200 (very light pale shimmery ice blue), D-868 (peachy pink finely glittered overshadow), and I-544 (amber brown with a maroon purple shift - perfect satin crease color).

Below I have taken a photo of the singles compared to my Artist Palette 2 which I also got a few weeks back from Make Up For Ever. 

The swatches and all photos were taken in indoor yellowish light. The true beauty of these needs to be experienced in person at your local Sephora. There are over 200 shades which can be purchased online - the selection in stores is not that big.

These shadows wear all day and look beautiful throughout wear time. They are highly pigmented but I feel as though the lighter shades are better applied with your finger or a very dense brush. 

Eyes of the Day with MUFE Artist Palette

I created this look and I wanted to show you that you can use the pink (blended in the crease) and purple (under the lower lash line) shades from the Artist Palette Vol 2 by Make Up For Ever to create a dreamy eye look.

This look is soft and romantic - I actually paired it with a floral dress which was mostly cream and peach toned. I also did not find the colors to be irritating to my eyes and they did not stain. I used a Wet n Wild Makeup Remover Wipe and everything came off in a few gentle swipes. 

As a highlight I used the first frosty pink shade (left most swatch) and all over the lid I used the cool beige tone (right most swatch).

I finished off the look with the Physicians Formula 2 in 1 eyeliner and Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara.

Check out my review of the Make Up Forever Artist Palette Vol. 2 here.

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) Review & Swatches!!

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) - Packaging

First and foremost a disclaimer that I have not tried any of the individual Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Artist Eyeshadows before this review so it will also include my first impressions on the overall formula. 

This new palette from MUFE immediately caught my attention because of the bold colors inside and the beautiful artistic packaging. I have to add that even though the palette itself is made of a very finely constructed cardboard - it feels even more substantial than new Z-Palettes I purchased a few days ago. The price is $42, which is a steal considering each palette is 9 eyeshadows which are each 0.06g and the singles retail for $22 each for 0.08g of product (only a quarter of the quantity more per color). You can essentially buy this palette for less than the price of 2 Artist Shadow singles. 

This palette is Limited Edition and Sephora-exclusive so get it while you can if you're interested! It is available both online and in stores.

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) - Colors

The texture of the eyeshadows is described as a gel-powder formula blended with ultrafine pigments. The eyeshadows in general are all extremely smooth and creamy. 

They feel a little bit like the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows when they are pressed and packed really tightly in their container but they do not crumble the same way. The powder is very finely milled and each finish 

The shadows do not pop out of the palette since I know this is a feature MUFE has included in past, bulkier palettes - this palette fits in my hand.

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) - Color Names & Close-Up

I made a quick chart to show you which color each name corresponds to. Each name is indicative of a specific finish since these shadows have a wide variety of finishes in the complete line:

I = Iridescent
M = Matte - there are no Matte shades in the palette
ME = Metal
S = Satin
D = Diamond

This palette even includes a little look book which orders the shades in columns from left to right, with the looks called "Playful", "Bold" and "Sultry" respectively with step-by-step instructions to achieve the look.

Playful Look: I-872 Pearly Pink, ME-910 Electric Magenta, S-924 Purple
Bold Look: D-552 Crystalline Gray Beige, ME-232 Turquoise Blue, ME-302 Peacock
Sultry Look: ME-512 Golden Beige, ME-700 Amber, ME-930 Black Purple

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) - Trio Swatches

My swatches revealed that the pigments travel quite far - which means that the shadows are strongly pigmented. The shadows are smooth and creamy, after wearing them I find that you can achieve better color pick-up using a more dense, coarse brush than a soft and fluffy one or alternatively the best way I found was to use my fingers and swipe the color where desired.

I also had some trouble when I was wiping off the pink and purple shades, it took quite a bit of scrubbing to get the staining off - an important note is that these two shades are considered "blush" and not designated eyeshadows. Obviously you can use these shades at your own discretion but they may be harder to remove on the sensitive skin of your eyes and usually red pigments are not approved for the eye area by the FDA. To avoid any problems I suggest just wearing them in the crease or as a blush and avoiding the lash line or eyelid area.

All of the colors are impressively pigmented, with the best performers being I-872 (Pearly Pink), D-552 (Crystalline Gray Beige), ME-302 (Peacock), ME-700 (Amber) and ME-930 (Black Purple). I was least impressed with ME-910 (Electric Magenta) and S-924 (Purple) as they were chalkier and even skipped on the skin a little at the bottom of my swatch (this could be remedied by blending though).

Make Up For Ever Artist Palette (Volume 2) - From Left to Right Highlight Comparison: I-872, D-552, ME-512 

For a close-up look at the highlight shades (or the lightest color in each trio) I swatched I-872 (Pearly Pink), D-552 (Crystalline Gray Beige), and ME-512 (Golden Beige).

I-872 on the left is an icy pink tone, followed by D-552 which is a cool-toned beige and then ME-512 is a light warm golden tone.

As soon as I get a chance, I will create some looks with this palette and post them for reference!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everybody! Let me know what your thoughts on this palette are.

IPSY Glam Bag Review & Unboxing

Contents of IPSY Glam Bag for April 2015

This month's IPSY theme was "Beautifully Bohemian", and just as with any other themed month, I'm not sure what the products inside had to do with it! As usual, there is a large assortment of products and each subscriber will receive 5 items (mix of full and deluxe sized samples) and the complementary cosmetic bag. If you want to join IPSY for just $10 a month (you can cancel at any time) click here. IPSY will ship to you via DHL if you are in Canada or the USA.

Contents of IPSY Glam Bag April 2015

I was pretty disappointed in this month's bag for quite a few reasons. I feel as though because I am a long-time subscriber of IPSY they have really stopped trying to impress me with my bags. 

The KCO Colors Lipstick in "Natural Born Beauty" (Retail Value: $8) was broken when I opened the seal and I basically had to MacGyver it back together for the photos I took - the color was also pretty underwhelmingly blah (brownish red). The Olive Lips lip balm (Retail Value: $5) is an absolute waste of space so I'm not even bothering to open it; they send me lip balms in almost every bag and I'm always disappointed with them since I already have ones that are thousands of times superior which I use daily.

Close up of theBalm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in "Flirty"

The theBalm NUDE 'dude Eyeshadow single in the color "Flirty" was probably my favorite sample in the bag since it had adorable packaging and was from a reputable brand. I also like the eyeshadows from theBalm since they have a smooth, buttery consistency and perform well on the eye. The Retail Value is around $3.75. I like the shade of this color, it's a shimmery golden violet, which complements my amber eye color.

Photo from Lawless Lacquer 

I was happy to get a Julie G Nail Color since I'd never tried one before, but this is really not my color. I have so many pink nail polishes as it is and this color is really just too generic for me - I'll probably just give it to my mother since it's more her color palette than mine. Retail Value is $3.99.

Close Up of MicaBeauty Eye Primer

This may be the first time I receive an eye primer from IPSY and this is one of those items that I would use - except for the fact that there was some funky discoloration and weird bubbles in my product. I even received a mass email from IPSY stating they were receiving complaints about the MicaBeauty Eye Primer - so I'm really not putting that anywhere near my sensitive eyes. Supposedly the Retail Value for this primer is a whopping $22.48. 

Swatches of April IPSY Glam Bag Products

The total retail value of my IPSY bag this month was: $43.22

 What did you get in your IPSY bag this month? Did you enjoy it? Leave your comments down below!

Physicians Formula Super BB All in 1 Cheek & Lip Balm: Review

Outer Packaging of Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek and Lip Beauty Balm, Berry Pink

At the low price of $6.99 I just couldn't help myself but to pick up one of these cute little ball-shaped balms. Physicians Formula has branded this as a Super BB All in 1 Cheek & Lip Balm. 

You can use the Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek and Lip Beauty Balm  for a sheer wash of color on your lips as well as by tapping your fingers on to the product and working it onto your face as a cream blush.

Inside of the Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek and Lip Beauty Balm, Berry Pink  

The packaging of this product is sleek, luxurious and mimics that of an EOS or Revo Lip Balm. The scent consists of a pleasant sweetness that fades almost immediately after application.

On the cheeks, the finish of this product was neither matte nor dewy, the most accurate classification would be a satin finish. After it has dried on the skin (approximately 1 min after application) it takes on a powdery consistency.

The product looks very highly pigmented in the container but sheers out quite significantly once applied to the skin (this can be a good thing if you're trying to layer your blush on and don't want a difficult application).

Swatches of Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek and Lip Beauty Balm, Berry Pink

On the lips, this is a comfortable lip balm but has a slight chalkiness to its texture (or powderiness as previously mentioned) which means that it is lacking a moisturizing sensation. The staying power is as expected with lip balms, but since it is more matte than moisturizing, it will last longer than a regular lip balm. I was happy to get 3 hours of wear on my lips.

On my cheeks, the product wore for most of the day (approx. 8 hours) but faded throughout the day, but it did look very natural. It was a "my cheeks but better" look, for sure.

My opinion is that this is a good, solid product from Physicians Formula, and the price is right for what you get. I would only really use this over other blushes if I was in a pinch of looking for a multi-tasker to throw into my purse - simply because nothing can convince me to choose cream over powder blushes (personal preference).

Hello Fresh Review and $40 OFF Coupon

Get $40 off your first week of Hello Fresh with Coupon Code: E9SK5C

I've tried every meal subscription that I know of (Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Plated, Munchery) and I have decided that I have been sufficiently jazzed about this one to share it with all of you.

I am very selective in my meal choices, there are a lot of ingredients I'm not fond of (mushrooms, miso, curry, fennel - really anything that is very pungent).

So if you're like me and you like to consume comfort foods that are a little healthier for you on a regular basis, this review is for you!

First of all, the nitty gritty details: for $69/week you can get 3 meals for 2 people - BUT there is a BONUS OFFER CODE that gives you the full week for just $29, so you get $40 OFF!! That's a steal. The coupon code to enter at checkout is: E9SK5C

Try this subscription out for a week, there's no obligation, minimum order or monthly fee so you can cancel any time.

You can choose any 3 recipes you want from the Classic Box or Veggie Box. Unlike Blue Apron you are not limited to choosing 2 protein meals per week.

You get this giant box full of all of the healthy fresh ingredients which are separated by little baggies labeled with each recipe - very straight forward and thorough!

Now the best part, the meals for the week of 4/6/2015 (each photo is of one portion but you receive ingredients for two portions):

Steak Sandwiches with Horseradish Cream & Tomato-Watercress Salad from Hello Fresh

What's great about this service is that allergens and nutritional facts are listed in the meal choices each week.

My husband and I are *not chefs* and we are not even good home cooks, and as you can tell by the photos in this post, all of our meals looked and tasted as if they were made by Food Network Celebrity Chefs (Bobby Flay eat your heart out)!!!

This meal was probably the heartiest of the three and the meat was tender and tasted very natural and organic. It didn't take us longer than 30 min. to prepare and we had as much fun making it as we did consuming it!

Spring Asparagus & Shrimp Risotto with Meyer Lemon from Hello Fresh

This plate looks more delicious than most meals I've had at high end Italian restaurants in NYC. I still cannot believe that we made and plated this with our own hands! I will say that my husband is an artist, maybe that has something to do with how well it turned out. Regardless, this meal was our favorite!

The seasoning is entirely up to you - you can use more or less salt & pepper, lemon, Parsley and cheese as you want to. Although recipes have recommendations you can always tailor them to your wants/needs. You can even choose to omit certain ingredients if you're trying to be more health conscious or you just don't like the flavor (I will say that in other subscriptions I have avoided fennel seeds and pungent mushrooms).

Rosemary-Walnut Crusted Chicken with Roasted Potatoes & Mixed Green Salad from Hello Fresh

By the third meal, I am convinced that we are Michelin-Star Chefs. This meal is baked, yes, the potatoes and chicken are baked, not fried. This was absolutely delicious and phenomenally crunchy for a baked meal. The chicken was moist and tender because there is a barrier of mustard between the rosemary-walnut mixture and the chicken breast.

If you were to pay full price for these meals, they would come to $11.50 per person - now I don't know any restaurant where you can get this amount of fresh food with pretty healthy meal breakdowns for such a cheap price, so I will still be ordering this service even at full price. If you use the trial, each person's portion comes to just $4.83!!! Remember you have to use the coupon code at checkout for that price: E9SK5C

The service lets you skip weeks so you can look at the recipes and if there aren't three that strike your fancy out of the five options you opt out of that week's delivery.

Do you get Hello Fresh? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts and experiences with me below and also feel free to ask any questions!