Milani Color Harmony Blush Palette Review & Swatches

I recently picked up three of the new Milani Color Harmony Blush Palettes ($13) when I saw the display at Walgreens and have had my eye on these since they launched on the Milani website several weeks ago. I'm already a fan of their baked blushes and rose blushes so I didn't even hesitate when I saw these, especially because each compact contains four different shades that can be blended together in different ways.

There are four different versions but I ended up getting three, (1.) because they're expeeensive for drugstore blushes, and (2.) because the shade I didn't get (Pink Play) looked very similar to the shade Berry Rays, and I didn't need two different pink versions.

Let's take a look!

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Sneak Peek of the NEW Too Faced Peaches & Cream Collection

(All photos from InStyle.com)

Mark your calendars! On August 28, 2017, Too Faced will be launching the new Peaches & Cream collection exclusively at Sephora and all of the products will be permanent! They'll also be adding to the collection every season, so there will be many more peachy goodies to come.

Let's take a look at the entire collection, starting with...

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Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Oil Tint Review & Swatches

I spotted the new Rimmel London Oh My Gloss! Oil Tints at Walgreens this week and I was surprised because I hadn't heard anything about them launching and there were no sneak peeks on social media. The lip oil trend has been around for a few years now, starting with brands like YSL and Clarins, then landing at the drugstore from brands like Milani, Burt's Bees, and Yes To. 

For me personally, lip oils have been a bit of a fail. The only one I really liked was the YSL Tint-in-Oil because it was a slightly thicker, more gloss-like formula, but the drugstore versions were largely disappointing because they were literally just a thin, tinted oil that sank into my lips immediately and disappeared leaving them feeling a little bit dry. Needless to say, I didn't have high hopes for these, but I was pleasantly surprised!

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bh Cosmetics Solar Flare Palette Swatches + First Impressions

I just got the new bh Cosmetics Solar Flare Palette ($15.99 at bhcosmetics.com) in the mail today and I couldn't wait to get some swatches up for you guys (I've been getting a lot of requests about this one!). The various sneak peeks of the palette on social media seemed to be in different lighting, making the shades look one way in some photos and another way in others. In the promo photo on the left, the palette looks like it has a lot of pink and purple toned shades, while the photo on the right from the bh Cosmetics website shows the shades leaning more orange, green, and brown.

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30% Off at Pur Cosmetics + FREE Shipping

If you've been dying to get your hands on the new Pur Cosmetics Soiree Diaries Palette, now's your chance to snag it at a great price! Regularly $34, it's 30% off (plus free shipping) with code SUMMER25, bringing the cost down to only $23.80.

Pur's eyeshadow formula is one of the most underrated in my opinion...every palette I own from them is fantastic...soft, highly pigmented, and easy to blend. So this is a no-brainer for me!

If this palette doesn't appeal to you, the rest of the products on their site are included in the sale as well, as long as your cart reaches $25. This includes the Trolls Palette, Vanity Palettes, Powder Foundation, Afterglow Highlighter (one of my favorites!) and more.

Will you be picking this one up, or anything else from the PUR website during the sale? I'd love to hear about your haul in the comments below.

Visit the sale now at PurCosmetics.com

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Pretty, Natural Summer Look With Too Faced Cosmetics

I've been a fan of Too Faced Cosmetics for the past 13 years, so I was really excited when they sent me some of their new Spring launches to try, as well as the Born This Way foundation which I had never tried before. So I thought it might be fun to add in a few more products I already owned and create a pretty, summery look using only Too Faced products.

Read on for my thoughts and to see the final result!

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Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar 2 Rose Gold Review & Swatches

I recently picked up the Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar 2 Rose Gold Palette at Ulta and I have to say...it's been a surprisingly versatile hidden gem! I purchased the original Golden Sugar palette online back in 2015 from their UK site and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this newer version at Ulta I just couldn't resist...especially since it was only $10!

Let's take a look...

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Two Drugstore Dupes for the Naked Heat Palette

Now that I've reviewed the Naked Heat palette, I figured it was time to find some more affordable dupes! I looked through my collection and the first thing that jumped out at me was the NYX Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Neutrals ($17.99). The colors looked very similar, plus the NYX also has four additional shades.
When I started swatching them side-by-side, I couldn't believe how similar a lot of the colors were...not to mention the NYX formula is amazing and very comparable, in my opinion. Both companies are owned by L'oreal so I thought that was kind of interesting as well!

The NYX palette is available at Target (they also have it at Ulta but it's never in stock). I found mine in-store but if you're not sure if your Target carries it, you can always search by zip code on the website to see if your local stores have it in stock. 

Next, I pulled out my J.Cat Beauty Sunset Boulevard Palette ($14.99) to see if I could find any dupes. Turns out there are a lot of similar shades, even though the J. Cat palette doesn't have any of the lighter shades that the Naked Heat does. 

The Sunset Boulevard Palette has 24 shades (double the Naked Heat) and I wasn't going to swatch them all since a lot of them don't look like they would be dupes. So I just swatched the shades that looked similar in the pan. The formula is also very comparable...soft and highly pigmented!

The J. Cat Sunset Boulevard Palette is available online at Ulta.com


So I really hope this post was helpful! If you already have either one of these palettes, you may decide that you can skip the Naked Heat (and if you don't own either of these palettes, they're definitely worth a purchase!).

What are your thoughts? :)

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Urban Decay Naked Heat Review & Swatches

I'm a huge fan of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes...you could say that they were my "gateway" to higher-end eyeshadows and several years later I still love and use them often. So of course, I just couldn't resist the new Naked Heat Palette ($54)...the warm, rich, toasty shades look so perfect for fall!

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Colourpop Cute AF Palette Launching Tomorrow

Colourpop is launching their brand new Cute AF Palette tomorrow June 16th and as I was watching them swatch it on Instagram stories yesterday, I was totally getting Natasha Denona Sunset vibes. At only $16, this might be a very affordable dupe for her new Sunset palette...what do you guys think?

Will you be purchasing this one tomorrow? I really don't need another new palette but it's pretty hard to resist at that price. :)

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bh Cosmetics Solar Flare Palette Now Available!

bh Cosmetics has just launched a brand new palette today called Solar Flare ($15.99). Just like the Galaxy Chic and Supernova palettes before it, this warm-toned version features 18 baked eyeshadows with a shimmery finish.

If you already own either the Galaxy Chic or Supernova palettes, here's what they look like side-by-side for comparison purposes: 

I already placed an order, so you can expect a review and swatches soon...hopefully next week. In the meantime, are you buying the Solar Flare Palette? I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)

Available now at bhCosmetics.com

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Free Benefit Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer With ANY Purchase at Ulta

If you're planning to do any shopping at Ulta in the next few weeks, be sure to check your email! They included a link to a coupon for a FREE Benefit Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer with ANY purchase (no $ limit). This concealer hasn't been released yet so it's a great way to try it before everyone else.

You can find it online at Ulta.com here...there's a choice of two shades. It says $10, but it'll go to $0 as soon as you add something else to your cart.

If you want to get this in-store, you'll need the coupon from your email. The title of the email is "Call Dibs! FREE Benefit Concealer". If you don't have the email, the only way to redeem this offer is online.

This offer is good until 6/24 or until supplies last. I redeemed mine in-store yesterday and they gave me the very last one in Shade 01 (the other shade was too dark for me). So they seem to be going fast already!

Are you a fan of the original Boi-ing Concealer? Are you excited to try this new Airbrush formula?

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Beauty Bakerie Lip Whip Review & Swatches

These days, you can't go on Instagram without hearing about Beauty Bakerie's Lip Whips ($20) and although I haven't had the best luck with long-wearing liquid lipsticks (due to having naturally dry lips) I couldn't resist giving one of these a try. Everyone tells me they're completely bulletproof and will literally last all day. 

Beauty Bakerie was kind enough to send me one to try and they sent the most beautiful shade I could have asked for...Bubblegum Crisis. It's pink but it's not bright...it has a bit of depth that gives my naturally pale lips a boost. It wakes up my face while still looking totally natural...like "my lips but better". 

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Review: Tarte Sweet Tarte Fragrance vs. Urban Decay Go Naked Fragrance

Tarte Cosmetics and Urban Decay have just released rollerball fragrances for summer 2017 and it's been quite a while for both brands.  I remember Tarte having a fragrance way back when I worked at Sephora in their classic purple packaging (they had candles too!) and Urban Decay had little rollerballs in different scents called Go, Revolver, Pistol, and Sin.

Just for fun, here's what they used to look like...anyone remember these?

Anyway, Tarte's new fragrance is called Sweet Tarte ($24) and Urban Decay's is called Go Naked ($24) and I couldn't wait to try them both and compare them for you guys. Let's take a look!

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Recent Favorites: Spring 2017

I haven't done a favorites post in a while, so I wanted to round up some of the products I've tried over the past two months that really stood out to me. I get to try so many different products every week for the blog and while there's plenty that I like well enough, these are the ones I keep reaching for every single day.

Let's take a look!

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Tarte Make Magic Happen Palette Review & Swatches

The Tarte Make Magic Happen palette is part of a brand new summer collection from Tarte Cosmetics and although I already have very similar shades in my collection, it was the promise of a new formula that intrigued and sucked me right in. And while these easy neutral shades might be for everyone, the formula may not be. 

Let's take a look!

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bh Cosmetics Solar Flare Palette Launching Next Week

The makeup world is on a roll with more new releases headed our way! This time, it's the Solar Flare Palette from bh Cosmetics, launching June 14th on their website.

It features 18 ultra-metallic baked eyeshadows with warm tones that include hints of gold, burnt orange, deep bronze, and maroons.

If you loved the Galaxy Chic or Supernova palettes, you'll probably love this one too, especially since it has more of a fall color scheme!

What are your thoughts? Will you be buying this one?

Available June 14th at bhcosmetics.com

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Lottie London Now at Ulta.com

UK drugstore brand Lottie London has arrived in the U.S. and is now available at Ulta.com! It looks to be very affordable (nothing over $15 except one brush set) and the packaging is really cute. I haven't seen any reviews on these but now I'm off to go do some research and see what my fellow beauty bloggers across the pond are saying!

There's quite a large range of products available including palettes, foundations, primers, powders, brushes, lipsticks, highlighters and more.

It's "online only" for now and I'm not sure if this will be coming to stores anytime soon. But since it's so affordable it's probably worth the risk to order online.

What are your thoughts? Does this brand look interesting to you?

Lottie London is available now at Ulta.com

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Pur Cosmetics Diaries Collection Now Available

Pur Cosmetics has just launched two new palettes called the "Diaries" collection. It features an eyeshadow palette called Soiree Diaries ($29) and a contour palette called Contour Diaries ($32). Being a huge fan of both Pur's eyeshadow and face powder formulas I'm really excited to get my hands on these...especially since they're on the more affordable side for prestige brand palettes. I also love the marble packaging. 

Let's take a look!

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Nuance by Salma Hayek Review & Swatches

I was going through my box of "products I need to review" a few weeks ago, and found a few pieces from the Nuance by Salma Hayek collection (available exclusively at CVS). I actually got them last summer but I kept passing over them for more "exciting" launches and they eventually got buried at the bottom of the pile. 

But now that I've tried them, I really wish I had done it sooner! I couldn't wait to share these with you guys, especially since I never hear anyone talk about this line (and they really should!). Let's take a look...

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Urban Decay Naked Heat Launching June 12

If you're not on Instagram, you might have missed the big news that broke yesterday in the makeup community...Urban Decay is launching a brand new Naked Palette, called Naked Heat! It's going live June 12th on their website to their Beauty Junkies members, and then online at Sephora June 30th, Ulta.com on July 10th and in stores July 13th.

I've been waiting for a new Naked palette to launch, since I never ended up getting the Smoky one (I just don't do smoky eyes that often) and this one is filled with those warm, rich shades that have been hot for the past year or so. Basically, it's the ultimate fall pumpkin spice palette!

Let's take a closer look (all photos are from Beautezine.com)!

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New Lique Lip Mask at Kohls + First Impression

I was at Kohls this week and stumbled upon a new display of lip products from the brand Lique (pronounced "lick"). They had cream lipsticks, tinted balms, matte and metallic liquid lipsticks, lip primer and lip scrub but what really caught my eye were the Lique Lip Masks ($12). The tubes looked almost exactly like the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Masks ($26) so I wondered if they could be a dupe!

The Lique Lip Masks come in three colors...Beautiful (clear), Wonderful (pinky bronze), and Blushing (berry). Likewise, the Bite Beauty masks come in very similar colors.

The Lique Lip Mask isn't quite as thick as the Bite Beauty Mask and it comes out of the tube very easily, where with the Bite Mask I have to squeeze the tube pretty hard to get the product out. The Bite Mask has a very thick, buttery feel on the lips, while the Lique Mask feels a bit more slippery (more like a Vaseline texture only a little thicker), so I would definitely prefer wearing the Lique mask during the daytime. They both have the exact same scent...like vanilla cupcakes which is awesome.

When it comes to ingredients, the two formulas are vastly different. The Bite Beauty Mask's first ingredient is medical-grade lanolin, followed by Shea Butter, Agave Nectar, and lots of plant and fruit extracts. The Lique Mask also contains Lanolin, but it's dead last on the ingredient list. Mineral Oil is the first ingredient (which is why it feels more like Vaseline), followed by Ethylhexyl Palmitate (dervived from Palm Oil as a natural alternative to silicone).

So basically the difference in cost partly boils down to Bite Beauty using more expensive, all-natural ingredients, while the Lique Mask uses petroleum-based Mineral Oil as its primary ingredient. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing...Mineral Oil gets a bad rap for clogging pores in skincare but it's perfectly safe and very effective in lip products.

I purchased the shade Wonderful, which is a really beautiful pinky-brown nude with a hint of shimmer and it looks gorgeous on my lips (and feels nice too...very emollient and not sticky at all). It's the perfect color to compliment a bronzy summer makeup look.

Overall, I'm really loving the Lique Lip Mask so far...it feels very emollient on my lips and the thinner texture allows me to wear it during the day. Also, the shade "Wonderful" is really pretty. I'm not sure that I want to replace my Bite Beauty Agave Mask at night though, because I do feel like that moisturizes a bit better (and stays on my lips longer due to the thicker texture). Also, if you prefer a more natural formula, Bite Beauty is the way to go. Still, this is a really nice, affordable lip mask that definitely does the job better than your typical tinted balm, so I wouldn't hesitate to give this a try!

Available now at Kohls.

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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette Volume III Review

I recently picked up the new Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette Volume III at Sephora during the VIB Rouge fall preview and I couldn't wait to share my review and swatches with you guys!

I was a big fan of the original Rainforest palette because of the beautiful yet travel-friendly packaging, the creamy powder formula, and the warm bronzy neutral shades. I skipped Volume II because the shades were mostly dark, smoky shades but Volume III drew me back in with its pretty summery neutrals.

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Tarte Blush & Glow Duo Review & Swatches

Tarte Cosmetics released some brand new products last week, and although I passed on their last collection, this one had quite a few things I was interested in. One of them was the new Blush & Glow duo, which is part of the Double Duty Beauty line they have at Ulta.

The Blush & Glow duos look very similar to the Becca Champagne Splits that launched last year, but at $30, these are $8 less. They're also a little smaller at .10oz per side (the Becca ones are .13 and .15 per side).

Read on for my review and swatches!

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Could the $4 e.l.f. Molten Liquid Eyeshadows be a Dupe for the Milk Makeup Eye Pigments?

I recently pulled out my e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow in Rose Gold after not using it for a while, and as I was applying it, I thought that it looked quite similar to the Milk Makeup Eye Pigment in After Party once it was on my eyes. So of course, that got me wondering if it could possibly be a dupe!

The Milk Makeup Eye Pigments are a more recent purchase (I got them earlier this Spring) and I've been obsessed with them for quick everyday looks. Just one little drop covers my entire eyelid and they last until you take them off. Plus the metallic finish brightens up my eye area without looking glittery or childish.

But before discovering the Milk Eye Pigments,  the e.l.f. Molten Liquids were a favorite of mine so I was really curious to see how they stack up against each other.

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QVC Try It Love It Box Review & Unboxing

QVC has just released their second TILI (Try it Love it) Box and I absolutely love this one...I think it's even better than the last! It includes 7 products from some of QVC's most popular beauty brands for only $20. Some are full-sized and the rest are deluxe-sized but there are no skimpy samples in here...everything can be used multiple times. 

It comes in a beautiful robin's egg blue box (my favorite color) that makes a really nice presentation whether you're getting this for yourself or gifting it to someone (it would make an awesome teacher gift!). It has a great mix of makeup and skincare and all of the brands included are prestige, so you can try them out before you buy the full sizes. 

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Another New Tarte Collection Just Launched!

Tarte Cosmetics just launched a bunch of new products today and I've already purchased a few to review and swatch for you guys! They're available at TarteCosmetics.com and includes the new Sweet Tarte fragrance which a rep for Tarte confirmed smells just like their palettes on Snapchat the other day! 

Limited Edition Make Magic Happen Palette ($32)

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Lorac Just Dropped an Entire Beauty & The Beast Collection

Lorac Cosmetics just surprised us with a brand new Beauty and the Beast Collection last night to celebrate the release of the live-action movie on Blu-Ray & Digital June 6th. The collection features four items and is available exclusively on LoracCosmetics.com, in very limited quantities.

Let's take a look!

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