My top 5 eye palettes

Today I am going to talk about my five favorite eye palettes. I think it is important to remember that I do not own all palettes, obviously, so if you love a palette that I did not mention leave it in the comments so I can check it out. I want your suggestions too, especially if I am missing out on something amazing. I am also sure that a lot of these palettes will be repeats if you have followed my Instagram for a while, but that is probably because I love these palettes. I also was sure to pick palettes that are still available so that you can still pick them up. Enjoy (in no particular order...except number one which is seriously my ride or die)

5. Urban Decay Naked palette

This is one of those staple palettes that everyone has. That is for good reason. These eye-shadows are so pigmented and blend so easily. This is absolutely a neutral palette, but you could also get a really pretty smokey eye. I love a bunch of these colors and a few of these are my favorite shadows. The palette retails for $54. I think it is absolutely worth that price especially if you are looking for one palette that can create multiple day and night looks while still being very wearable. 

4. NYX Avante Pop Nouveau Chic palette

That is a mouthful. This is a palette that might be a little less known that the others, but it is deserving of some recognition. I have to be honest. I do not usually love NYX eye shadows. I like some of their singles, but their palettes are not my favorites. This palette completely changed my mind. The pans are huge first of all so you get a lot of shadow for your money. The colors range from neutral to some really pretty pops of color. This would  be a great palette for someone who already has their staples and wants to add some colors without getting too bold or unwearable. The green and purples are so pretty in this one. So creamy and pigmented. Really worth the money. You will not be disappointed and NYX has a couple other palettes in the Avante Pop line with more color if you want to try some more bold colors. Retails for $16.99

3. Morphe 35O palette

I know there is a lot of hype about this palette. I really do think that it is pretty great though. The colors are very warm, so if you are a cool toned girl, I do not think this would be for you. That being said the colors are beautiful. I love a pretty warm eye and you cannot beat the price. Full disclosure I do not use all the shadows in this palette. I think there are quite a few of the dark browns that look very similar on the eye, but even so the other colors make up for it. The shimmer shades are so soft and pretty they almost feel like a cream. They do have a bit of fall out, but I don't mind because of how pigmented they are. Retails for $22.99 on the Morphe website. 

2. Tarte Tartlette in Bloom Palette

This palette is a staple for me. I probably use this more than almost any other palette, aside from #1. This palette is so cute and what I love most is it is great for travel. It is small and compact with an amazing mirror. The packaging is very durable so it makes it the perfect palette to put in a travel makeup bag. I love the color selection because you can create multiple eye looks. Can I also just say that the color Firecracker is the most amazing bronze shade ever. By far my favorite shade in the palette, but honestly I love them all. Gorgeous pigmentation, super bendable, mix of mattes and shimmers, and the packaging is too cute. Retails for $45. 

1. Too Faced Chocolate Bar (original) 

Okay so I bet you are really not surprised. When I was picking palettes I wanted to pick my most used palette and this one is it. I use this on most days and that is saying a lot because I have A LOT of shadows. This palette is the perfect mix of neutrals with some pops of color. I can create so many looks. I think this palette more than any other is the most versatile. I can do a light day look or a smokey night look. There is a great mix of shimmer and mattes. The colors are bendable and pigmented with no fallout. If you needed to choose on palette, this would be my recommendation. I love the others I already mentioned, but this one has my heart. It gets all the hype for a reason. I guess there is nothing more to say, this guy speaks for himself and also bonus smells like chocolate. I mean did any other palette really stand a chance?

YouTube made me do it

Hello again everyone. Today's post is about all those purchases I have made because of YouTube. I watch YouTube fairly often and in so doing have come across some really great products that I discovered because of all the wonderful people on YouTube. Now, a LOT of my makeup comes from YouTube recommendations, and obviously I could not include every piece of makeup that I have ever seen on YouTube, so I chose those items that were specifically only purchased because of YouTube or items that you may now know about unless you watch videos. I hope you get some great recommendations guys! Here we go...

Morphe Brushes 35O palette: www.morphebrushes.com

Okay so this brand is one of those "indie" brands that the average person may not know about. I love everything I have ever purchased from this brand. If you are having a hard time applying eye shadows, most likely it is because of the brushes you are using. Good brushed are important, and this brand has great brushed that are affordable. 

They also have great shadows. I have a couple different palettes from this brand. My favorite is the very popular 35O palette. It gets a lot of hype on social media, but I think it is well deserved. The colors are very buttery and pigmented. The mattes last all day. I don't think the shimmers last as long as the mattes but they do last a long while. 

Becca Cosmetics x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

This is limited edition and once they are gone, they are gone forever, so if you love a pretty highlight go buy it right now on Sephora.com or in stores. Right NOW. This product is amazing. I absolutly love how gorgeous the blushes and highlights are. In case you didn't know Jaclyn Hill is a very successful makeup artist on YouTube. She is amazing and has some great tutorials. Go check her out. 

Colourpop Cosmetics: colourpop.com

I have mentioned this brand multiple times and for good reason. This brand is so inexpensive and has some great quality products. I could not pick one thing so I included the whole brand. I am sorry, but I have too many favorites. I feel that this brand is gaining some mainstream popularity but I first discovered it in YouTube. 

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Yes you saw that right. Men's shave balm. I saw this product first on YouTube on Nikki Tutorials channel. She used this post shave balm as a primer and oh my she was right. This balm is so smooth and stays a little tacky which makes my makeup last all day. It is a men's product so it smells like a men's product, but that quickly goes away. It is only a couple of dollars and works so well, go try it out!

Gerard Cosmetics Lip Glosses: www.gerardcosmetics.com

I actually love both their glosses and lipsticks. This brand is another lesser known brand for the everyday person. The prices are pretty mid range. The lip glosses are very highly pigmented and thick without being sticky. The lipsticks are great in pigmentation as well. I have been very happy with all the lip products I have purchased. I have not tried their other products but the lippies are great. 

RCMA no color powder

You can buy this powder online at camerareadycosmetics.com or a couple other online retailers. This is the perfect powder to use to set foundation and concealer. It is very finely milled and like the name has no color so it does not alter the look of your makeup. Added bonus, this powder is so cheap. It is  a must in my opinion. I saw this first on KathleenLights channel and am so happy I picked it up. 

Milani Luminoso Baked Blush

You can find Milani at most drug stores. The brand as a whole is pretty great but this blush in particular. It is a perfect color for summer. It is peach with a slight shimmer. I also love that is goes with almost any makeup look. It is a must buy. 

Christina #WSP lashes www.amazon.com

These lashes are gorgeous. Whenever I wear them I have people ask me if they are my real lashes. They are fluffy and wispy without being overboard. I found out about these guys from KathleenLights again, she is amazing by the way. They are so inexpensive, a six pack is about $15 on Amazon. 

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

This is available again at most drug stores. I have seen this bronzer all over YouTube, so I am not sure where I originally saw it. This bronzer is exactly as it sounds, buttery. It is so smooth and natural looking on the skin. It blends out like a dream and smells like coconut. So worth trying. 

Wet and Wild Comfort Zone Palette

This palette is a couple bucks and is so good. You must go out and buy it. It is smooth and creamy and you would have no idea that it is so cheap. The colors are great for more neutral looks but it also has some really great pops of color in it. 

Formula X Prime Nail Base Coat 

This polish really helps prolong your nail polish. I use it all the time and have repurchased a few times. You can get Formula X at Sephora. This will really help your nail routine and adds a few more days between polishes. I feel that it also helps strengthen your nails. 

Red Hair Don't Care...Kinda

It's all about the RED hair!

One of the questions I get asked the most often in regards to hair and makeup is, "How do you keep your hair so red?" I think when people think of dying their hair red they think of showers of red water and faded hair. While some of that is inevitable, you can keep red hair vibrant for a long time. I have had red hair for about two years now. I know what your thinking, that I go to the salon every month and that is so not true. I go about every 2-3 months and we only pull color throughout my whole strand every other time. What that means is that every other time I go to the salon, so once every 4-6 months I get my whole head colored, the other times she just does the roots. I do that because I want my hair to stay relatively healthy...or as healthy as it can be. What that also means is that it is essential that I take good care of my color and limit the fade. I compiled a list of tips and tricks to keep your red hair RED. 

1. Color is Key: 

What I mean is that where and how your color your hair is important. I go to a salon and have a wonderful stylist who has done my hair for years. She is trained on what will look good and how to make it last. I know there are some die hard "dye at home" girls out there, but in my experience the at home colors, especially reds, do not last and a lot of times do much more damage to your hair. I trust my stylist and she know what I like. I don't honestly know what color exactly my hair is because Ashley, my stylist, creates a custom color for my hair. I know she does a little brown, a little copper, and a bright red. What is great about going to the same stylist is I can tell her I want it a little redder, or more brown and she can adjust the color. That is why the type of color you use is KEY. 

2. Dry Clean Only: 

Just kidding, obviously you have to wash your hair. Honestly though...I only wash my hair once a week. Now before you say "Gross" I do use dry shampoo a few times a week and shower every day. The less often you get your hair wet the better. Dry shampoo should become your best friend. Also it depends on your hair type. My hair is thick and course and overall very dry so I never get oily. Like never. I can go a whole week because I don't get greasy. If my sister tried to go a week her hair would be an oil slick. So wash your hair only as often as you have to. Try twice a week and see how it goes. Your hair will eventually produce less oil and you will not need to wash it as often. Spray some dry shampoo at the roots and brush it through. 

3.Cool your Jetts: 

I am literally talking about cold water here. This is one of the rules that can be hard to live by. I am not saying you need to take an ice cold shower, but you do need to get your shower as cool as you can stand, at least when washing your hair. I try to keep it pretty cool when washing my hair and warm it up for the rest of the shower. Cold water helps keep more of the red in your hair. 

4. Speaking of Showering...Get yourself some pink stuff. 

I have specialty shampoo and conditioner designed for red hair. Yes it looks bright pink. It is supposed to. It keeps my hair red by re-depositing color while I wash it. I love Davines Alchemic Shampoo and Conditioner for red hair. This stuff if bright pink so be careful. It will stain, but it will also keep your red hair nice and red. The conditioner runs about $30 a tub, but it lasts a long time...remember you are only washing your hair 1-3 times a week. I use it only once a week. If I use anything else I make sure it is sulfate free. 

5. It is all about Protection: 

When using hot tools you must protect your hair from damage. You can watch videos where people strip hair color just by flat ironing it. Yes hot tools can fade hair so protect it. I use a couple different color protectants. Put a thermal protectant in your hair before using any tools. The sun will also fade your hair. Make sure if you are going to be out in the sun you use a sunblock or styling product designed to protect your hair from UV rays. Also if I am going to be in the sun for a long time, I try to wear a hat to keep the sun off my hair. 

Urban Decay Alice Through the Looking Glass palette!

Hello everyone. I am sure at this point you have heard about the new Urban Decay Alice through the looking glass palette. It came out in Ulta last week and will hit Sephora on the 5th. I was in Ulta over the weekend, and I have to admit the packaging got to me. I mean it is absolutely gorgeous. If you are someone who just likes to collect palettes because of the packaging or because they are limited edition, this one does not disappoint. The package is so whimsical and fits the theme of the movie so much. If you are just an Alice in Wonderland fan, you would also love this palette. 

The palette retails for $60 and is limited edition. It comes with 20 all new shadows and a double ended brush. The palette ranges from neutral to very bright. It really has a little bit of everything. 

The top of the box is a beautiful 3D butterfly. This part of the package is strictly visual, but it is very pretty. I just love the quote on the top of this palette. It says, "I am not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours." I think this is such a great quote. I teach teenagers, and I wish they would remember that just because they are different they are no better or worse. Different is just different. 

Now for the actual eye shadows. I know this palette has gotten mixed reviews. I actually think for the most part the eye shadows are great quality. Most of them are very pigmented. They are fairly soft so they do kick up a little bit of powder, but in my opinion soft shadows are easier to blend so I don't really mind a little kick up. I have worn the shadows since I purchased them and they last a very long time, pretty typical of Urban Decay. 

There are some duds in the palette however. I think 80-90% of this palette is amazing, so I feel it is absolutely worth the money. There are some colors (2) that have no pigmentation and a couple more that are very light and might not show up on everyone. I have light/medium skin tone and a few of the colors are very light and would not show up if I was much darker. I can overlook the couple duds and I think I will try them with fixed plus or wet and see if I can get more pigmentation. The colors I did not love where: Dream On and Reflection. Dream on actually looks really beautiful in the pan so I was disappointed it did not translate on the skin. 

Here are some swatches row by row. You can see that some are just very light. I love a couple light shades in a palette, so again it did not bother me, but if you are darker than me they may not show up. I also love that the colors are organized by character. There are colors for Alice, The Mad Hatter, Mirana, Iracebeth, and Time. 

Metamorphosis, cake, chessboard, Royal Flush, Mirror

Dormouse, Paradox, Kingdom, Salazen Grum, Chronoshere

Reflection, Gone Mad, Duchess, Bandersnatch, Dream On

Looking Glass, Hatter, Lily, Heads will Roll, Time

The stand out colors to me are: 

• Heads Will Roll (vibrant turquoise w/gold micro-sparkle)
• Salazen Grum (metallic crimson)
• Kingdom (copper-bronze pearl)
• Chronosphere (metallic deep bronze)
• Mirror (gray-taupe satin)

I could actually just list all the rest because I love them so much. 

Well there you have it. Are you planning on picking this up? Remember to subscribe and remember, "We are all a little Mad here"

My top April beauty favorites

Here are some things I have been loving in the month of April. These are 5 things that really stood out to me this month. I always like to read about other people's top favorites so I can add them to my own list. I am not sure about you, but I have a list of items on my phone that I want. Then when I am at the store I have a list to look at and I can pick up a couple things here and there. So, here is mine. I hope you like it and find some things worth trying. Remember to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

1. Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Echo Park. 

I really love this color and the formula of the Ultra Satin Lips. If you have not tried the new formula you should really give it a try. They are not as long lasting as the Ultra Mattes but they are also less drying. Also you can't beat $6. This color is a warm nude that I love and I feel like I can wear it with many different looks.  https://colourpop.com/product/echo-park/

2. Milani Conceal+Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation + Concealer

Well, that is a mouthfull. This foundation is so good though. It is full coverage and honestly I actually think it does work to not only give you a great foundation, but also I do not find the need to use a concealer with it. So in that way, I guess the claims are pretty true. It is very creamy and a little thick, but it blends well and looks great. I have combination skin and it works great for me. It lasts about 8 hours on me with minimal breakdown after the 8th hour. https://milanicosmetics.com/Conceal-Perfect-2-in-1-Foundation-Concealer.html

3. Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Creme

I came across this moisturizer somewhat by accident, and I am so happy I did. It is so light and refreshing. I love gel cremes because they feel so cooling and refreshing. This one definitely locks in moisture. I have been using this everyday and I feel like my skin is moisturized and looks healthy. Remember I have pretty combination skin and I have not noticed it being too oily on my oily areas. One of the best benefits I have seen is that my skin is so much clearer. I have not changed anything else in my routine, and since using this my skin has cleared up so much. I am addicted to this product and will be repurchasing often. I cannot live without it. 

4. Marc Jacobs Poutliner Long wear Lip Pencil in Prim Rose

I have been using this non stop. This lip liner is creamy enough to put all over your lips, which is how I usually use it. Prim Rose in particular goes with so many different lip colors. You can put it with a pale nude to give the nude a bit of life or with a darker nude or pink and it matches perfectly. I just bought a backup when I run out of mine. I also love that it is a twist up pencil. I hate sharpening lip liners. On the sephora website it says the lip liner is collagen infused and gel based. It does feel very smooth and easy to slide on. I am not sure if the collagen is actually doing anything to my lips, but I guess it can't hurt right. 

http://www.sephora.com/poutliner-longwear-lip-pencil-P392349?keyword=marc%20jacobs%20lip%20liner%20prim%20rose&skuId=1651637&_requestid=55141

5. Benefit Cheekathon

I just did a blog post about this product, so I will not say too much. I will just say that I love this and during the month of April this was the only blush/bronzer I used. I love how convenient it is. I can just pull out the palette and quickly do both blush and bronzer. 

Cheekathon Review!

Hello everyone out there! I hope you are all having a lovely week. It is getting closer and closer to the end of school and as I am a teacher, that means my days get busier, but such an amazing, warm light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Summer Break.

A couple of weeks ago I popped into Sephora and bought the New (re-released) Benefit Cheekathon. I love the idea of getting 5 of the Benefit box blushes in one big palette. Can you believe I just recently, like within the last 3 months, tried Hoola bronzer for the first time? Needless to say...worth the hype. So as you can imagine I jumped at the chance to try it in this palette. Here are my thoughts!

Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe to my blog and also Instagram. Everyone loves new friends right!

This packaging is so cute. I love the Rockette style girls in the front. The box is a really heavy cardboard so It is durable.

Benefit Cheekathon comes with: Hoola Bronzer, Dallas, Rockateaur, Dallas, Coralista and Dandelion.  

The palette retails for $58. Considering you get 5 full size products in one and individual box blushes retail for $29 this is a steal! Plus you get the cute little brush that usually comes with Hoola. Overall great value. 

My overall review: 

I love all the colors. Like I said before I loved Hoola and owned it already. I also have loved Dallas and used to own it. Dallas is a really pretty color that I think goes well with most looks. 

I did not have Coralista before and I am loving it. Very pretty peachy color that can be very subtle or built up for more color. 

Dallas and Coralista

Rockateaur is pretty shimmery but I can see it being beautiful in the summer or when you want to skip highlighter and just do blush. 

Dandelion is a very pretty light pink. Loved the color and can see myself using it often. 

Dandelion, Hoola and Rockateaur

Keep in mind these are swatches of blushes not eye-shadow so I didn't want to get it too intense so you can see what it would look like blended out. 

Okay so far so good. Here is my only real concern. It you are familiar with Benefit boxed blushes you know they are very soft and creamy. I love that texture in a blush or bronzer. So when I opened the Cheekathon and tested the blushed I noticed they seemed hard and kinda dry. I have tested them side by side with the original boxed blushes and the Cheekathon is just harder and not as creamy. It is as if the formula changed a little. I did however note that even with the change in texture the pigmentation was the same. So you get the same color, it is just not creamy. It doesn't bother me but I wanted to make you aware. 

Overall I think this is definitely worth the money, especially if you have been wanting to try a couple of these iconic colors. 

See you soon. Have a great day!

Stopping by Ulta

I had the day off today! yay! Anyway I stopped at Ulta of course while out and about. I wanted to see if they, by some long shot, had the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette. They did not. In fact not only were they sold out, but the girl at Ulta said that someone even stole the sampler. Can you believe it? I am intrigued by this palette because I love the Chocolate Bar palettes so much, but stealing the tester? I can honestly say I have never been so desperate lol. Anyway with as hard as this palette is to get it better be amazing because I am really starting to be OVER IT.


While there are picked up some little odds and ends from Nyx. Ulta has a promotion going on right now, buy 2 get one free on Nyx items. I honestly never really need a reason to buy makeup. I am supposed to be on a spending freeze this month because I was feeling overwhelmed with my makeup collection. Anyone feel like I do? I just get overwhelmed sometimes. Anyway since the "spending freeze" I had bought some new makeup because aparently I have no self control. I know some of you girls know how I feel.
Here is a quick run down of what I got.

I got the new NYX ombre blushed in Strictly Chic and Sweet Spring. 

I also got he NYX tame and frame in Brunette. 

Not a great swatch but keep in mind these are blushes not eye shadows. 

The packaging is so pretty!

I will be back tomorrow with a review of  Benefit Cheekathon!