First Impressions Update: Lorac Mega Pro 2

Assalamu Alaykum/ Hi,

So, this post is my long overdue update on my first impressions of the Lorac Mega Pro 2 palette.
This palette lived up to my expectations for the most part.

The eye shadows are buttery and blend well. I did create a smokey eye using Tangerine, Forest, and Saddle. I wore this look in my Fall Favorites Tag video.

The look came out almost as good as I would have liked. I didn't use a black base under forest. I only used an eye shadow primer on my entire eyelid.

I've been using this palette for almost all of my eye shadow looks lately. However, I also have been using other eyes hadow palettes like the Urban Decay Vice 4 or the Morphe 35O to supplement colors.

The only thing that bothers me about this palette is that the eye shadows 'Penny' and 'Cinnamon' are really similar any both of them tend to blend into my skin.

(Shown Above: Sugar, Chiffon, Proseco, Soft Plum, Cinnamon, Sandstone, Gunmetal, Blue Quartz)

(Shown Above: Moonlight, Seashell, Peony, Dk. Sienna, Penny, Olivine, Gold Leaf, Black Ivy)

Despite that, this palette definitely gets a seal of approval for me. If you like the colors then you should definitely pick it up!

So, That's It.

What are your thoughts on this palette?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

First Impressions: Lorac Mega Pro 2 Palette w/ Swatches!

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

So, for today's post I'll be doing a first impressions on the Lorac Mega Pro palette. I've recently purchased this palette and wanted to share right away! I decided to do a first impression post instead of a YouTube video because this way it will be easier for me to do another update blog post as opposed to two videos.

I bought this palette for $59 off of Ulta's website. It was my first online Ulta order! It's an Ulta exclusive.

This palette is the sequel to the infamous Lorac Mega Pro palette. That palette sold out within hours of being released. Many people (myself included) were upset that they couldn't get their hands on it.

It seemed like Lorac was more prepared and properly stocked this palette. It is still in stock so if you want it be sure to get your hands on it.

It includes 32 eyeshadows. By the size of the box you would either think that the palette was huge or it came with at least an eyeshadow primer.  The palette is made out of cardboard with a velvety material over it. It reminds me of the NARS packaging in that sense. It's very sturdy and substantial despite the fact that it is made out of cardboard.

The palette is divided into mattes and shimmers. The top two rows are matte and the bottom two are shimmer. From first glance Tangerine, Saddle, and Forest get my attention and I really want to do a smoky eye with them.

These shadows swatch beautifully but are easy to wipe off with a tissue. There is a lot of kick up that comes from the shadows when you dip your brush into them. This can cause a lot of mess in the palette.

The shadows are very pigmented and blend well together. However, be sure not to pick up too much on your brush. Otherwise you'll spend a long time blending.

Bottom Line: My first impression of this palette is that it includes a nice variety of shades. The pigmentation and quality of the shadows make me very excited to use this palette.

I'll post an update blog post in two weeks. So, keep a look out!

So, That's It.

What do you think?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Review: Morphe 35O Eyeshadow palette

Assalam wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's blog post is going to be about the popular 35O palette from Morphe. This palette has been in and out of stock twice. I managed to snag it because Ricky's NYC opened a new location in Soho and started carrying the palette in store when it was released the second time. I have heard that it is going to come back in stock in the next couple weeks if not sooner. This palette retails for $22.

This palette comes in the same packaging that all the other Morphe palettes come in. It does leave a lot to be desired, but fancy packaging would probably raise the price. It has a small sticker on the back that says 35O.  

Just looking at this palette, you can tell why it is so popular. The colors are very warm and pigmented. There are even some shades that feel like more of a cream than a powder.

Some colors may look similar especially the browns but when you take a closer look you notice that the finishes are different. The shimmers are my favorite, especially the ones in the last two pictures of swatches. While I was swatching these shadows, I noticed that if you rub them against something the pigmentation disappears. However, when are you rubbing your eyes against anything while you're wearing makeup?

This palette is perfect for everyone at any level of makeup. It has basic essential colors as well as some eye-catching colors. It's definitely worth getting! So keep a look out for it on Morphe's website as well on instagram. They might announce when it comes back in stock.

So, That's it.

Do you currently have this palette? Will you be getting it?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Shadow Couture| World Traveler Palette Swatches & Review

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's post is going to be about the new limited edition World Traveler palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. This palette came out a couple weeks ago and I bought it from Sephora for $30.

 It comes with 12 eyeshadows and a dual ended eyeshadow brush.

All of the shadows in this palette are very creamy and smooth. I'm not very familiar with shadows from Anastasia. This my first time trying them and I must say that I'm impressed!

The only thing is that it looks like my palette is crooked on the inside. The bottom part of the palette doesn't seem to match up with the top.

Here are the swatches:

On my arm, some of the lighter shades (Bellini, Pink Champagne, and Chic) didn't last very long. They came off as my arm brushed my clothes as I walked around. I'm used to my shadows being able to stay for the most part. However, they did last as long as I needed them to on my eyes.

I have a makeup tutorial using this palette coming up on my YouTube channel this week. So, be on the look out for that.

I think this palette is definitely worth the money. If you like it and you want it definitely go pick it up!

So, That's it.

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

June Favorites2015!

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's post is going to be on my June Favorites. I have been liking enough new products this past month that I felt the need to show my favorites.

1) Cover Girl Ready, Set, Gorgeous and L'oreal Infallible foundation mix

 I began mixing these two foundations because I was between the two shades. But, I really came to like the finish that they gave me when they were combined. The L'oreal foundation is matte and the Cover Girl foundation is more on the luminous side. So, when I combine them I get a satin finish. I used this combo in my Summer Foundation Routine video.

2) Makeup Forever Pro Sculpt Duo #2

I was suckered in by the hype that was surrounding this highlighter! It's such a pretty gold color but it isn't too intense. Many people say that it is a dupe for MAC's whisper of gilt and Estee Lauder's Heat wave. While I don't have either of those highlighter, I've seen comparison pictures and they look different swatched next to each other.

In the picture above, I've swatched the two colors in the duo next to each other. The highlight is on the left and the contour is on the right. 

3) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light

I've been eyeing the Ambient Lighting powders since they came out.  I finally bit the bullet and bought one during the Sephora VIB sale. I didn't know which one to buy even though I always swatch them in store. I did some research and this one was raved about the most.  A lot of people say that they use it for all over their face but I'm a little too hesitant for that. I use it to highlight the highest points on my face and I love the natural glow it gives.

4) Urban Decay Afterglow 8- Hour blush in Bang

I apologize about the flash on this one. The top of the compact has the logo on it and it's clear so you can see the blush through it. This is good if you plan on storing it laying down. However, that also means that it doesn't have a mirror.

This shade is a vivid orange. To some people, like my sister, it can be startling. But, the powder is creamy and blends out wonderfully and looks like a natural flush on the skin.

This the blush blended out on the back of my hand.

5) Makeup For Ever Artist Plexigloss in 404

This shade looks more pink than it actually is. It has a lot more red in it in person.

I have noticed that these lip glosses are more pigmented on my hand than they are on my lips. The darker shades are more pigmented out of the entire range. This lip gloss isn't exactly sticky but it does stick to your lips. It has more of a tacky feel to it.

So, That's it.

What have you been loving lately?

Until Next Time,

Aleema

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Summer Liquid Lipstick & Waterproof creme color

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's post is going to be on the two products I picked from Anastasia Beverly Hills' summer collection. I know that she is coming out with some more liquid lipstick colors in July and I plan to pick one of those up too.

The two products I have are the liquid lipstick in Craft and the water color in Ice Blue. The lipstick is $20 and the waterproof creme color is $18

Craft is a pinkish berry color. 

This was my first time trying the ABH liquid lipsticks and I have to disagree with some of the negative reviews that they've received.

• It does wear off if you eat greasy food. I had a hamburger and fries when I wore this lipstick and it only wore off in the middle of my lips. However, everywhere else it was fine.
• It reapplies well. I reapplied the lipstick, after I ate, to the middle of my lips and it blended in with the lipstick from the first application well.
• It doesn't bleed outside the lip line. Since this dries matte, it stayed within my lip line.
• You can feel it on your lips. Especially on the inside of your lips where the lipstick ends, that line is noticeably dryer. However, it's not restricting.
• It didn't go into the lines of my lips. However, I know some people said that it was the light colors that settled into the lines of the lips. 
 

 

I picked up one of the waterproof creme colors in the shade Ice Blue. Ice Blue is light bright blue. It reminds me of a sky blue.

• It's more moisturizing than I thought it would be. It's not exactly creamy but it wasn't dry like I expected it to be. 
• It dries relatively quickly. So, you have to be fast with it. You can't apply it to both eyes then blend it out.
• You can use it as a base or a as an eyeliner. Some people have used the pink/reddish colors as lipstick. I used it as an eyeliner in the picture below.

So, I really like the two items that I picked up and I plan to pick up more things from this brand.

So, That's It.

Have you tried anything from the summer collection? What did you like?

Aleema :)

Colourpop Spring Collection Swatches!

Assalamu wa alaykum/Hi,

Today's post is going to be swatches of some of the colors from Colourpop's new limited edition pastel spring collection. If you aren't familiar with Colourpop. It is a cosmetics brand that has become well known on Instagram and YouTube. They're based in LA and they don't test on animals. Majority of their products are $5 with the exception of their blushes which are $8. I have a handful of tutorials, hauls, and reviews featuring Colourpop products. My last video was a review of their blushes. All of those videos are in the video player on the left side of the page.

So, this collection was comprised of 12 eyeshadows, 5 lippie six, and 5 lippie pencils. This blog post will include swatches of 7 of the limited edition eyeshadows and 3 of the limited edition lippie stix, and lippie pencil. Also, I will include some permanent products that I picked up in the same order. I will denote which items are limited edition and which aren't.

The eyeshadows:

These are the first four from lightest to darkest. The one I was most excited for was 'Hello.' However as you'll see from the swatches in the next photo, it isn't that pigmented. At the same time, these are pastel eyeshadows. The same thing happens with 'Flux.' It's a nice mint eyeshadow. 'Beauty Call' is a bright blue. I used it as a base in an upcoming makeup tutorial. 'Taco' is a deep sea blue. The consistency of these eyeshadows are different from the shadows in the permanent collection. These kind of remind me of play-doh.

As you can see the pigmentation of the first three shadows aren't the best. I think I'll use 'Hello' and 'Flux' as highlight colors. 'Beauty Call' would need a white base if you plan on using it as a shadow with nothing over it. 'Taco' is pigmented enough to be worn alone. However, it would probably look better with a white base.

These are the last set of eyeshadows that I bought. 'Snap Dragon' the color of grass that's used in spring displays. 'Daddy' is a violet purple. 'Shop' is a coral eyeshadow that comes off as a red in pictures for some reason. I recently did a makeup tutorial with this look a couple weeks ago. 'Acorn' has quickly become my favorite eyeshadow. It's a beige-champagne color. I feel like I could use it as a highlighter. Although 'Acorn' is apart of the spring collection, it has the consistency of the shadows in the permanent collection. The last eyeshadow that I bought is 'Mooning' 'Mooning' is a dark brown with copper glitter in it. It's apart of the permanent collection. I saw a tutorial with it and I fell in love. The consistency is so smooth. This shadow and 'Acorn' are both pearlized finishes.

The Lippies:

The lippie stix that I bought are Tootsi, Pepper, Frida, Lumber, and Julep. I also bought the lippie pencil for Tootsi. I think I might be the only one that's not a fan of the lippie stix.  I don't care for their consistency. They tend to drag on my lips. Even 'Julep,' a cream finish, gives me a hard time. I also feel like they're the kind of product that has to blended with my fingers.

'Tootsi' is part of the spring collection. There was a lot of hype surrounding this color. So, I picked up the lippie pencil for it as well. It's a matte finish. 'Pepper' is probably my least favorite out of all of the ones that I bought. It's part of the spring collection as well. I find that this color looks so unflattering on me alone. I definitely have to use a lip liner with it. It's a matte finish. 'Frida' is the creation of Coffeebreakwithdani on Youtube with Colourpop. This color looks very peachy on my skin tone. It's a satin finish. 'Lumiere' is the product of a collab between Kathleen Lights on Youtube and Colourpop. It's probably my favorite because it causes the least amount of drama when I apply it. It's a matte finish. The last color that I bought was 'Julep.' 'Julep' is like a dark coral color. The formula of it really made me not like it. Although it's a cream, it wasn't creamy on my lips.

Blush:

The last thing I bought was Blush in the shade 'Swift.' I bought this to use as a bronzer.

'Swift' has a reddish brown and looks kind of orangey when it's blended out.

So, that's all the thing I bought from Colourpop recently. I do have a whole batch of eyeshadows and blushes I bought previously. I'm trying to hold off on getting the new highlighters that just came out because I've bought too much from them already.

Are you fan of Colourpop? If so, what are favorite products?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)