Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette Swatch and Review

I have been seeing a lot of posts recently where people are asking about the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. A lot of y'all have been wondering if this is something you should purchase or not, so I wanted to do a quick post about it. I personally love this palette, much like ABH's other palettes and shadows. The formulation is amazing, and the shadows blend so well. It features neutral and berry tone shades, which I think would look great on just about everyone. This is suppose to be part of her PERMANENT collection, so there is certainly no rush to go out and get it. So without further ado, let's get to the good stuff. 

The outside of the packaging is stunning to me. It's very simplistic; however, it does has a soft, velvet covering. I absolutely adore it. 

There are a total of 14 shadows in this palette, with 11 matte shades and 3 metallic shades. Again, these shadows are HIGHLY pigmented, and very soft to the touch. The first row is swatched below. 

From the bottom of the picture to the top, the colors shown are as follows: 

Tempera - Velvety beige with an ultra-matte finish
Golden Ochre - Earthy yellow with an ultra-matte finish
Vermeer - Iridescent shell with a metallic finish
Buon Fresco - Antique lavender with an ultra-matte finish
Antique Bronze - Metallic sable with a satin finish
Love Letter- Raspberry with an ultra-matte finish
Cyprus Umber- Dark coffee with an ultra-matte finish

From the top of the picture to the bottom, the colors shown are as follows:

Realgar- Brick with an ultra-matte finish
Warm Taupe- Earthy gray with an ultra-matte finish
Venetian Red- Crimson with an ultra-matte finish
Red Ochre- Sienna with an ultra-matte finish
Primavera- shimmery gold dust with a metallic finish
Burnt Orange- deep orange with an ultra-matte finish
Raw Sienna- neutral amber with an ultra-matte finish

As you can see from the swatches, the colors are very pigmented, and just plain gorgeous! There isn't a single color in this palette that I dislike. When swatching the shadows, there really wasn't that much powder kick-up; however, when I used my brushes, there was some kick up from the matte shades. That is something that I can personally live with, since this is such a gorgeous, versatile palette. 

You can pick this palette up on ABH's website, Sephora, or Ulta. It does retail for $42.

That's all for today y'all. Let me know below in the comments if you enjoyed this post, and if you plan on adding this beauty to your collection!

Swamp Queen Palette by Grav3yardgirl Swatch and Review

Hey y'all! I wanted to do something a little different today, and post a swatch review on the new Swamp Queen Palette by Grav3yardgirl. I personally love reading these types of posts, because it helps me figure out whether I want to spend money on these limited edition palettes. 

First off, let me start off by saying that my husband is a man of gold. The day this palette was do to launch, I woke up early and literally sat on the website, refreshing every few minutes until it dropped. Well, if you were one of the ones that did the same thing, you know how bogged down the Tarte website was, due to high traffic. I sat there trying to add this palette to my cart up until 5:30 p.m. when it was time for me to go to work, with no success. Well my sweet hubby stayed on Tarte's website even after I left to go to work, and he was able to add the palette and purchase it for me. He is such a sweet heart, and I was finally able to get a limited edition palette that I actually wanted. Yes, I still have hard feelings about the whole Sweet Peach palette debacle. 

You can still get this palette if you want it! It will be available in Sephora stores July 8th for $45!!

Anyways, enough with the rambling, let's get to the good stuff. 

First off the outside packaging is absolutely gorgeous. It has a wood finish to it, and it feels very sturdy! I love the gold foil design on the front. 

Can you hear that? It's angels singing. The inside of the palette is stunning! It continues with the gold accents, and a huge mirror. As any makeup addict knows, a good mirror is a huge selling point when looking for a good eye shadow palette. The mirror in the palette has a cute little quote on it that says, "Believe in yourself, love yourself, embrace your individuality". You also get a small eye shadow brush, which isn't half bad, as well. The entire palette smells like vanilla, too!

This palette is perfect for travel, because you get all the eye shadows that you need to achieve a variety of looks, plus a bronzer, blush and highlight!

Let's start with the bronzer, blush, and highlight swatches.

The bronzer in the palette is called Sweet Tea. It's VERY pigmented, and a little bit goes a long way. The blush in the palette is called Does this thing really work, and it is also very pigmented. It's a gorgeous spring/summer color! The highlight is called Gator wings, and can we all just take a moment to take in the beauty of it!?!? It's gorgeous and highly pigmented! I could literally bathe in this color. No shame in my highlight game y'all!

The first row of shadows is shown above. All of the swatches depicted in this post are dry, and literally just one quick swipe across my hand. I love colors like this. Dogman (burnt sienna) and #sfs (rose gold) are gorgeous!! Natural peaches (peachy nude) is a perfect transition color, too!

Big baby (cream) is just the type of color that I love putting all over my eyelid to help set any primer. It matches my skin tone perfectly! Once again, can we all just take a moment to admire Sassy bun (copper peach)! It is so gorgeous and HIGHLY pigmented! I tend to reach for my Mac Fix + to help deepen certain eye shadow colors, but I didn't with this one. It was just perfect on it's own.  The color sippy sippy (glittery brown) is also very pretty; however, there is a little bit of fallout with this one. I'm not one to care about fallout when it comes to eye shadows though, so it was certainly no big deal for me. 

The last row in the palette consists of gorgeous lavender and purple shades. Haunting (lavender) is a beautiful color that can be used in the crease as a transition shade. Uncommon (purple slate) is a beautiful color, which can be used all over the lid. Finally, mancat (deep plum) is a beautiful shade, which can be used in the outer corner of the eye. There is some fallout with this shade. 

I LOVE this palette, and have been reaching for it nearly everyday. There is a little bit of fallout with some of the darker shades in the palette, but as I said before, I'm not one to find that a big reason to avoid purchasing a eye shadow palette. 

Well everyone that it's for this post. I hope y'all enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments below whether you purchased this palette as well, or if you plan on buying it when it hits stores. 

July 2016 Boxycharm Spoilers

Alright y'all, the first spoilers for the July Boxycharm are finally here, and boy do they look good!  This post contains referral links!

Here is the SECOND sneak peek!

There were whispers earlier in the year about subscribers receiving a z-palette, and it looks like July will be that month! 

Each subscriber will get ALL SIX eye shadows in their July Boxycharm! 

What do y'all think about this first spoiler? Let me know in the comments section below, and if you aren't already subscribed, just click the link below to get started today!

Also, continue to check in periodically , as I will post new spoilers here as they become available. 

https://boxycharm.com/refer/Katie-NXJHUJFS

Ole Henriksen VoxBox Review

I received my Ole Henriksen Voxbox in the mail the other day. This makes the second box that I have received from Influenster since becoming a member back in May. Influenster will send out these boxes from time to time, for members to review for free. As I just said, it is free to join Influenster, so why not join? Free stuff is the best stuff!! Continue reading below to see my review on this awesome box!

In this voxbox I received the following items:

1.) Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer

This is a light-weight, oil-free moisturizer that is designed to even skin tone and smooth the skin's texture. It does say that it is specifically for combination, normal, or dry skin. I have oily skin, but I gave this a try anyways. So far it hasn't broken me out. I'm hoping that it helps with the dark spots I have from acne scaring. I received a 15 ml sample, which retails for $14.

2.) Ole Henriksen Professional Cleansing Sponges

These little sponges are so cute! You run them under water, where they will then expand. From there, you can use them with whatever cleanser or special treatment you prefer. It says that one sponge is good for 1-3 months of use!! I received two in this voxbox, and it retails for $6. 

3.) Ole Henriksen Power/Bright System

Begin with Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask enriched with sugar, honey, and pomegranate seed powder to help polish away dull skin, for a smooth, radiant complexion (step 1). Next, apply Truth 25 percent vitamin C concentrate, and let it sit on the skin (step 2). Finally, Pure Truth Melting Cleanser layers on top of the concentrate to help activate it: the warming sensation signals that it’s working. This luxurious, three-in-one cleansing formula nourishes skin with vitamin C, cherry seed, and rose hip seed oils. Rinse it off, removing with the Power Bright complexion sponges provided, and skin is soft and supple with the ultimate Ole Glow (step 3).  I received one of these treatments in my voxbox, and it retails for roughly $9.16.

4.) Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

This serum is designed for normal, combination, or sensitive skin. I have sensitive, oily skin, so I'm hoping this works for me. It is a high-potency serum that is suppose to help brighten, boost collagen, and minimize fine lines and wrinkles. It smells just like oranges, which is amazing. It's very light-weight, and absorbs right into the skin. I received a 15 ml sample, which retails for $15.  

The overall value of this voxbox is $44.16. I paid absolutely nothing for it, and received it for free from Influenster to sample, and give my honest opinion on it. I personally love Ole Henriksen products. They work great, and can be used on just about every skin type out there. Did you receive this voxbox, as well? If so, let me know in the comments section below!

Play! By Sephora July Spoilers

I finally received my email from Sephora saying I was off the wait list for their Play subscription. I immediately went and signed up, so look forward to seeing these posts every month now! 

July's theme is shown below!

What do you think will be in the box? I'm hoping for some sea salt spray, a BB/CC cream, and perhaps a setting spray. Let me know in the comments below what you hope to see. Also, continue checking in periodically, as new spoilers will be added here as they become available. 

If you haven't signed up for Play! By Sephora yet, click below to get your name on the wait list!

http://www.sephora.com/play?mediaId=27500033

July Birchbox Sample Choice and Curated Box Options.

Alright everyone, it is nearly time to make your decisions on what you want for the July Birchbox! Sample choice will be July 29 (July 28 if you're an ACE) this month. It's a mascara take over this month, so all subscribers will be receiving a mascara sample in their box. Keep reading below to find out what options you have. This post contains referral links. 

All sample choice options will come in the box shown above. The sample choices available for July include:

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Lengthening Mascara

Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara

Smashbox Cosmetics X-Rated Mascara

Here is the curated box for the month of July.

All curated boxes will look like the box shown above, and will come with the following items.

Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion Scrub

Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches with Soothing Cornflower

Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream

Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara

For those of y'all that are not currently subscribed to Birchbox, below is a promo code that you can use when you first subscribe to earn some free stuff.  It is:

PIXIPALETTE: Use this code when checking out to get the adorable Pixi Palette ($12 value) shown below. 

So what does everyone think of the previews for the July Birchbox, and what will you be picking? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, if you aren't subscribed, click the link below to get started today!

https://www.birchbox.com/invite/katiebb

Ipsy July 2016 Spoilers!

It sneak peek time everyone. Here are some of the items that Ipsters can look forward to receiving in their bags this month. This post contains referral links. 

I'm really hoping for the Kabrow in my bag this month. What about y'all?!

Not my favorite bag this month, but definitely better than some of the other ones that we have received in the past.  

This month all subscribers will receive one of the above featured items in the bags, along with 4 other products. The items shown include:

Make Up For Ever Excessive Lash Mascara

Too Faced Cosmetics Hangover Rx Replenishing Face Primer

Benefit Cosmetics Ka Brow! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Color

theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Trimony Eyeshadow

Bareminerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lip Gloss

What do y'all think of the first spoiler? I'm hoping for anything except the eye shadow. Let me know in the comments below. Also, continue checking in, because I will post more spoilers here, as they become available.

If you haven't already signed up for Ipsy, click the link below to get started today!!

https://www.ipsy.com/new?cid=p_share_ref&sid=link&refer=vhsxq

June 2016 Boxycharm Unboxing

Welcome back everyone! It's time, once again, for another Boxycharm unboxing. For those that don't know, Boxycharm is a $21/month beauty subscription service that sends 5-6  FULL SIZE beauty products each month. Nearly every box has a total value of over $100 worth of product in it. They also offer a rewards program where you can earn full sized products for free. This box does lean more towards the makeup side of beauty; however, they do include skincare/haircare, as well. Keep reading below to see what I received this month. This post does contain referral links. 

This box was packed full of awesome goodies! This month I received:

1.) Ofra Oil Control Pressed Powder- $39.95

As a person that has oily skin, this stuff is a lifesaver!!  I use it to set my face, and then touch up throughout the day. I've seen some reviews that say it does leave a white cast, but I have not had that issue. In the swatch above, I really had to dig my finger in there to even get it to show up. 

2.) LVX Nail Polish in Serene- $18.00

I actually hated this color when I pulled it out of the box, but when I put it on my nails, I fell in love with it! It's a beautiful blue color. The swatch above is just with two coats, so I think three would be perfect! I can't wait to use this nail polish more!

3.) Girlactik Precise Eyeliner Marker- $20.00

I was really excited to receive this, because I've heard nothing but good things about the Girlactik brand. This is your basic black eyeliner pen, but the tip is firm. Because of that, I feel like I can get a even more precise line when doing my eyeliner/wing. I love it!

Here is the Girlactik eyeliner swatched.

4.) Farmacy Brightening Coconut Gel Mask Medley- $24.00

I've never tried anything from the Farmacy brand, but I've heard really good things about it. I'm excited that Boxycharm sent three masks, because it will really give me the chance to try it out and determine whether I like it or not. I like that it's a brightening formula, which I can definitely use for my acne scars. I hope it works!

5.) Cougar Beauty Mineral Face and Body Shimmer- $34.00

Let me start off by saying that I am not the biggest fan of loose mineral products. They make a huge mess, and they are just such a pain to use. Second off, the color is VERY yellow when swatched. I haven't tried it on my face yet, but I'm hoping that blending it out will help tone down the color a little. Has anyone else tried this yet? Did blending it out on the face/body help? Let me know in the comments below.

The overall value of this month's box is $135.95. It still amazes me that Boxycharm is able to pack in high priced items, and only charge $21 a month for it. If you love good deals, sign up today!

https://boxycharm.com/refer/Katie-NXJHUJFS

June Birchbox Vs. Ipsy

It's finally that time of the month where I compare both my Birchbox, and my Ipsy subscriptions to see which one is the best. Both subscription services are only $10/month, and they both send out 5-6 sample or deluxe sized samples each month. Both offer reward points for reviewing the items that you receive, which in turn you can use to cash in on some pretty amazing product.  This post contains referral links.

The theme for Birchbox this month was "Everyday Magic". All subscribers could either choose the curated box, or they could choose one of three shades of the Benefit Gimme Brow. I, of course, picked the Gimme Brow, so that is where we will start :)

1.) Benefit Gimme Brow in shade 03 Medium

I've been using Benefit Gimme Brow now for several years, and I have always loved how it makes my eyebrows look. So of course when I saw that they were offering that as the sample choice this month, I was all over it! I decided to go with the new shade, and it matches my brows perfectly! Plus the new packaging is absolutely amazing!!

2.) Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

I am all about using products that will help prevent acne break-outs, and help diminish the ones that I do have. I have been using this, along with a acne spot treatment for the past 2 weeks, and I have definitely noticed a decrease in the number of breakouts that I am having. If this continues to work for me, then I will definitely be purchasing the full size!

3.) Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Y'all! There is a reason why this product is talked about by so many, and loved by nearly everyone that uses it. It zaps excess oil, and gives a nice texture to my hair. Plus it smells absolutely amazing! By far the best texture/dry shampoo spray I have ever used!

4.) Coola Mineral Face SPF 30 Unscented Matte Tint

Please do not get this product confused with a BB or a CC Cream, because it is definitely not that. It offers absolutely zero coverage, and while it claims to be matte, my oily spots were still quite shiny, even after applying this. I will use this simply because of the SPF factor, but once it's gone, I will NOT be repurchasing. 

5.) The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick

Can I just point out that this is a FULL SIZE PRODUCT!!!!  It retails for $14.95, which is already more than I paid for my Birchbox. I received the shade Raisin the Roof, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It is very moisturizing, and the packaging is so adorable!! 

Here is the smoothie stick swatched! It is a gorgeous color!

Before I start telling y'all what I received in my Ipsy bag this month, let me start off by saying that this is literally one of the best bags ever!!  This month I got:

1.) Urban Decay Eye Shadow Pan in Lounge ~$13

When I saw that we would possibly be getting Urban Decay shadows in this month's Ipsy bag, I was super excited! I was praying I got the color Lounge, and I did!!  It is a gorgeous red brick color with a green shift duo-chrome. Like all Urban Decay eye shadows, it is crazy pigmented and creamy! I'm so in love with this!

2.) Colourpop Creme Gel Eyeliner in Swerve -$5.00

I actually already own this product, but I was nearing the end of it, and knew I would have to repurchase soon, but now I don't!! I absolutely love the Colourpop Creme Gel Eyeliners! They are so nice and creamy, and they go on so gently! They last all day on the water line, and they look gorgeous when you tight line with them, as well!

3.) Seraphine Botanicals Blush in Happy Hibiscus - $18.00

I had never heard of this brand before, so I was super excited to receive it in my bag this month. The blush is highly pigmented, and it is such a pretty shade. I definitely plan on wearing this all summer long!

4.) Boo Boo Cover-up Concealer in Light - $10.00

This product claims to not only cover up imperfections, but also heals any "boo-boo's" you may have on your skin. It did really well as a under-eye concealer; however, it did NOT cover up my acne scars on my face. I definitely prefer a concealer that does both. Also, the color is a bit too yellow for my liking, as I have pink under tones in my skin. 

5.) BioRepublic Skincare Fiber Mask Set - $10.00

I have used these masks in the past, and they actually work quite well. I really love sheet masks in general, and they are literally the most perfect thing when all you want to do is stay home and have a spa day. They retail for $5 a piece. 

The over all value of my Ipsy bag this month is worth $56!!!

For the month of June, I have to say the overall winner is Ipsy. I received so many great products that I know and love! Birchbox was definitely close this month though. 

What all did you receive in your Birchbox/Ipsy this month? Let me know in the comments section below. And if you are not currently subscribed to either of these services, get on it y'all!

https://www.birchbox.com/invite/katiebb

https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=vhsxq