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Bite Beauty’s Cute Luxury Duo Lipstick is a Gem! (Makeup Review)

September 19, 2014 Katie Marie 3 Comments

About Bite Beauty’s Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo

Retail Price: $12

What it is: A bite-sized lipstick duo of contrasting shades.What it does: This mini duo of twist-up bullets offer neutral or vivid lips on the go. Wear them individually or layer to create your own custom look. With every application, antioxidant Resveratrol fights free radicals with potent long-term age-repair benefits. Each lipstick contains the Resveratrol equivalent of two glasses of red wine, reducing fine lines and wrinkles on and around the lip area over time.

This set contains: 2 x 0.05 oz lipstick

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

What else you need to know: At Bite’s Soho Lip Lab, these Fresh, Spring-forward shade combinations were spotted as a trend. Created with natural and food-grade ingredients, BITE Beauty lip products do not contain petrochemicals and are certified gluten-free.

My Review

First Impression & Packaging…
I first heard about these double ended lipsticks from Beauty Broadcast and was really intrigued by it. There are two types of this lipstick, one vivid and one neutral. I don’t think I need to tell you with I got. (The neutral, of course!)

I liked that these lipsticks are supposed to help erase fine lines as you wear them. Not that I have fine lines yet, but it can;t hurt to start now. 🙂 So when I was checking out at Sephora one day, I did an impulse purchase and added these to my basket. At only $12, I didn’t feel like it was too expensive — especially since you get two colors.

The little bullet was smaller than I expected, especially if you look at the box. But it actually makes it really easy for traveling with. I’ve been away from home for the past 2 weeks, and this was my go-to lipcolor that was easy to slide into my pocket or purse.

Product & Application…

When it actually comes to how this lipstick feels, I can’t ask for more. It has a luxurious, moisturizing feel to it…but it almost has a mattifying finish. It’s not completely matte, but nearly. It isn’t staining — and since these colors are natural and nude, I wasn’t expecting them to — but the color does last a long time on your lips. I find that I really only need to reapply if I’m eating or wiping my mouth.

The caps to this lip duo snaps shut, making me feel very comfortable when I throw it into my purse — it isn’t going to accidentally open and decorate it’s nearest neighbor! And the outside of the bullet actually feels soft, almost velvety. You know how the Lorac Pro palette feels? Well, it’s almost like that. I love it!

Major Likes & Dislikes…

I love that I have two natural, but different, colors in one tube that I can use for any occasion. I’ve worn this duo for a day around the house, out shopping, to dinner, and even to a formal occasion. It’s perfect for any occasion, and feels amazing on your lips.

The bullet is rather small, which can be considered a con. But at only $12, I feel that the quality of the lipstick makes it well worth it.

Final Thoughts…

I love my Bite Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo. It really does feel like your applying a luxury cream to your lips. And after you wipe it off, your lips feel moisturized.

If you’ve never tried any of Bite Beauty’s lip products, this duo is a great one to start with. I feel like you can’t go wrong with the neutral duo. One side is a natural pink for any occasion and the other one is a darker pink/brown for nicer occasions. Definitely found a winner, here, and will no doubt repurchase when the time comes. Love it!

Question for My Readers: What is the most important thing you look for in a lipstick? Color? Feel? Staying Power?

~ PIN IT ~

I purchased the products mentioned above with my own personal money. I was not compensated in any way for posting this review. I only recommend products that I have used personally and believe will be beneficial for my readers.

Physicians Formula has a Product that You NEED in Your Makeup Collection (Makeup Revew)

September 15, 2014 Katie Marie 4 Comments

This past week CVS had a pretty sweet deal on all Physicians Formula, so I took this opportunity to buy a back-up of my favorite neutral eyeshadow palette (which I have hit major pan on!).

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Review & Swatches // FromMyVanity.com

Which made me realize that this was a perfect time to review this palette, since now I had a brand new one in the box! So, let’s dive right in. If you’ve never tried this palette out before, you’re really missing out!

I purchased the product below with my personal funds.

Physicians Formula’s Matte Collection Quad Eyeshadow

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Packaging // FromMyVanity.com

Retail Price: $7.25

~ Fragrance-free.

~ Hypoallergenic.

~ Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

~ Dermatologist Approved.

~ Silky smooth formula.

~ Easy to blend.

Purchase from…

WALGREENS // ULTA

My Review

First Impressions & Packaging:
The first thing that grabbed my attention about this palette was the fact that all the shades were matte and varying shades of brown/taupe. 🙂 (You know this girl — all about them mattes!) I hadn’t really heard much about this palette, so wasn’t sure how the pigmentation or lasting power would be.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Information & Packaging // FromMyVanity.com

There are three different quads in this collection, and I picked up the one called ‘Canyon Classics‘. The packaging is really cute, compact, and easy to take on the go. There’s also a little double-sided doe-foot applicator inside, though I never used it and eventually lost it along the way.

Product & Application:
This compact palette quickly soared from an uncertain purchase to my all-time favorite eye palette to use. The colors are beautiful and suit my skintone perfectly when I want a more neutral eyelook for the day. Not that it’s sheer or doesn’t show up — if I want, I can get a beautiful smokey eye with this palette!

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Close Palette // FromMyVanity.com

The shadows blend out beautifully and I find it really easy to build up the intensity of the color, depending on if I’m doing a day or night look. I know that two of the shadows look very similar, but they’re actually not. One works beautifully all over the lid and the other I blend into my crease as my contrast. They both work together perfectly.

Major Likes & Dislikes:
There are SO many things I absolutely LOVE about this palette. It’s pigmented. All the colors are matte. It blends like a dream. You can easily take a look from day to night. It’s travel-friendly.

You get the picture. 😉

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Name of Palette on the Back // FromMyVanity.com

When it comes to thinking of dislikes for this palette…I have a very hard time with that. One thing that I do notice is that if I’m doing a more intense eyelook and want to darken the outer V, I have to finish by using a different black (from my LORAC Pro to Go Palette) to intensify the color.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Opened Drugstore Palette // FromMyVanity.com

The darkest shade in this palette is more of a smokey black or gray then a true, pigmented black. I personally don’t have a problem reaching for another color when I need black. And for an every day look, the darkest color in this palette will suite me perfectly to darken my outer V.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Hit Pan on My Favorite Drugstore Palette! // FromMyVanity.com

Final Thoughts:
I’m pretty sure you can tell by this time (and because I said it’s my all-time favorite palette, obviously…), but I absolutely love the Matte Collection’s Quad Eyeshadows! If I’m ever doing my makeup and don’t know what eyeshadows to use, I instantly grab this one and know that I will love the end results.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // =Swatches // FromMyVanity.com

Swatched twice

As you can tell from the picture of my current palette, I’ve hit major pan on all of the shadows.
That right there should tell you something — while I wear eyeshadow on a daily basis, I’ve never hit pan on any of my other shadows.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad // Canyon Classic // Easy Matte Eyeshadow Look with Drugstore Palette // FromMyVanity.com

This palette is definitely one that you need to have in your makeup collection. It’s so dependable! And if you’re wanting to get your first neutral eyeshadow palette, this is a $7 well spent. It will last you for a while and has the essential neutrals to give you a beautiful eye look every time.

Question for My Readers: What is your go-to palette for a neutral eyeshadow look? Have you ever tried this palette from Physicians Formula?

The Nude ‘tude palette from The Balm has some sultry colors (Makeup Review)

September 1, 2014 Katie Marie 5 Comments

Over the weekend From My Vanity hit 1,000 followers! I am SO excited to have hit such a big number — I would never have thought my blog would be anywhere close to having so many awesome readers, but I am so happy and thankful that it has.

I hope to put together a fun giveaway as a thank you to you all 🙂 Not sure when I can do it, I am going to be doing a lot of traveling in September, but hopefully before too long. So be on the lookout for that. 🙂

Love you all!

I purchased the products with my personal funds.

About The Balm’s Nude ‘Tude Eyeshadow Palette

Retail Price: $36

This amazing palette consists of 12 beautiful shadows that make wearing
nudes sexy! These satiny smooth colors can be applied naturally, i.e.
“let me slip into something more comfortable” or beautifully layered.

The wide range gives you light highlighters as well as brazen bold
shades that work to add definition and emphasis to your lids. Nude`tude
allows you to dramatically dress up your eyes—if nothing else!

There are 2 different types of palettes you can get: the ‘Naughty’ or the ‘Nice’ palette. BOTH VERSIONS OF THE NUDE`TUDE PALETTE CONTAIN THE SAME EYESHADOW COLORS.

My Review:

First Impression & Packaging…
First off, let me start by saying that I purchased the ‘Nice’ version of this palette. 🙂 The neutral colors in this palette really attracted me, as did the pretty shimmery finish of the shadows. Not all of the shadows are full of shimmer, but I’ll get into that in a minute. The palette itself is beautifully packaged and has a magnetic closure. I love the look of it!

Product & Application…
All of the shadows are really smooth and have nice pigmentation. As you can see from my swatches (and these swatches are without any primer underneath them), they are pretty pigmented. With a primer underneath, these colors really pop and show up well on your eyelid.

As I mentioned, not all of the colors have shimmer in them, thankfully. Sultry, Sexy, Serious, and Sleek are all really pretty matte shades. The black color in this palette isn’t a very intense black and I usually end up reaching for a different matte black or darn brown to get a really dark outer crease to complete a look I am doing.

Major Likes & Dislikes…
I like that all of the colors are natural — hence the name of the palette, Nude’tude (As if that’s not obvious, Katie, really…) Personally, while I love adding shimmer or color to my look, I still stay in the safety of the more natural colors like the pinks, browns, and greens. Nude’tude gives me all those colors in beautiful pigmentation, making this aspect a major like for me.

I think my only dislike is that the darker colors blend out a bit, making them not as dark as I typically like. You can build it up to a suitable level, but for me it’s just easier to use the black in my LORAC Pro to Go to get the job done quickly.

Final Thoughts…
While I am glad that I own this palette, I don’t think I would consider it a ‘must have’ to add to your collection. If you want a palette with neutral colors and don’t want to spend $50+ on any of the Naked, then I would definitely recommend you purchase this palette instead. But if you already have one of those palettes — or have a bunch of smaller neutral palettes from the drugstore (like the ones from Physicians Formula or Wet n Wild) — then I don’t think this palette is a must for your collection.

I used Stand-Offish, Sultry, Sleek, and Serious

It really comes down to if you want to buy this palette. The colors are soft and pigmented and you can create some pretty looks with it. I know I am glad I bought it and have it in my collection. I’ve only tried 2 or 3 products from The Balm, but I am looking forward to trying many more in the future.

Question for My Readers: If you were to purchase this palette, which one would you want to buy the most — the ‘Naughty’ or ‘Nice’ palette? Why?

I purchased the products mentioned
above with my own personal money. I was not compensated in any way for
posting this review. I only recommend products that I have used
personally and believe will be beneficial for my readers.

Studio Gear has come out with a Smokey Eye Palette for the Holidays! (Beauty Review)

November 29, 2013 Katie Marie 11 Comments

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Today I’m really excited to bring you this product review for Studio Gear’s Holiday Smokey Eye Palette. let’s dive right in!

PLEASE NOTE: This product is currently available for the special introductory price of $25 at the Studio Gear website only! And to make that even sweeter, Studio Gear gave me a coupon code to share with my readers for 10% off of your purchase. Use code: SGHOLIDAY at checkout

(*hint hint* This palette would make a great gift this Christmas season! 😉

The Brand…

Founded by industry veterans Steve Rohr and John Avolio, Studio Gear Cosmetics is a prestigous cosmetics brand featuring a full collection of professional makeup brushes, revolutionalizing complexion formulas, and a wide selection of color products for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. Since 1996, Studio Gear has been on set at hundreds of professional photo shoots, in the beauty departments of Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Dillard’s, HSN and ULTA, and also in the everyday woman’s makeup bag. This is a line created true to the concept that every woman deserves professional, high quality cosmetics at a reasonable price.

Connect with Studio Gear:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioGearCosmetics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGearCosmetics

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/studiogear

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/studiogearcosmetics

The Product…

Be radiant on any occasion with this sultry, shimmery palette of dramatic shades – perfect for creating a classic smoky eye look, with a hint of unexpected golden glimmer. This collection of four complimentary eye shadows with matching blush deliver several day to night options that are both seductive and wearable. With pure color, pigment-rich formulations, you’ll be sure to smolder all night!

Includes white, silver, gold, and coal eye shadows and a perfect pink blush.

This palette is available on our website and at select ULTA BEAUTY locations (starting in December).

My Review…

This is what the cover of the palette
looks like after you slide it out of the
protective casing

First Impression…
The packaging is really nice – very compact and visually appealing. (Another reason this palette would make a great gift for someone. 😉 The palette has a strong magnetic close to it, so once you let it fall closed you don’t have to worry about it accidentally opening. The step-by-step instructions that they include inside is really handy, especially if you are a beginner with eyeshadow or you are gifting this palette to someone who is a beginner.

The selection of colors for this palette was very “holiday appropriate” with the gold, silver and sparkles. I could totally see someone using this palette to make a beautiful, sparkling smokey eye for a Christmas Eve event. The blush was totally matte, but it did have some very tiny, subtle shimmer in it. As I said above, very appropriate for this holiday season.

Without Eyeshadow Primer

The Application…
Okay, so I first swatched these colors on my arm without eye primer and wasn’t too impressed, honestly. The colors did show up, but not very pigmented at all. And the glitter shadows (Frost and Glimmer) showed up more as just glitter than eye shadow. However, with that said, I did go back and swatch these on top of a primer (picture below) and was very pleased with how well the colors showed up that time. The glitter shadows had a lot more color in them. They show up really well when applied with a brush on the eyes, but I prefer using my fingers to apply it as I feel I get a more pigmented, richer application.

The colors lasted very well on my eyelids. Let me say, though, that I tend to have very oily eyelids and any eyeshadow that I put on without a primer will crease, no matter what. But with a primer, these shadows lasted as long as I’d expect them to and about how long my other eyeshadows last (that are from LORAC, Wet n Wild, Physicians Formula).

Please Note: These eyeshadows were swatched on my arm. I have a light/medium olive skintone, so these eyeshadows would definitely show up (especially the gold) if you have a lighter skinetone than I do. 🙂

With Eyeshadow Primer

Major Likes…
Out of all the eye colors in this palette, I found that I really liked Platinum the best. It was a beautiful silver that matched a lot of my outfits. And when I used that along with the Coal shade, I was able to get a great smokey eye. I personally prefer the darker eye looks, so this palette is right up my alley.

As for the blush, I’ll be honest and say that I initially thought I wouldn’t like it — it had a glittery/shimmer finish and since I have pretty oily skin, I usually stay away from shimmer as it makes my oiliness look worse. I use a very light hand when I apply this, but I was really surprised and pleased with the results. It gave my cheeks a very nice, natural glow to them. And since this palette is meant for the holidays and to use with a smokey eye, I can imagine having a blush with some shimmer would be really good for an evening event — to help keep the glow in your face, even in dim lighting.

Swatch of the blush. Very pretty!
No primer of any kind.

Major Dislikes…
I stated this before, but I’ll mention it again — I’m not a fan of glitter. I enjoy some shimmer in my eyeshadows on occasion, but don’t like the chunky-looking glitter that I see in some shadows. So, as you may guess, I wasn’t as big a fan of the Frost and Glimmer shadows as someone who liked glitter might be. I noticed that out of all the shadows, the glittery shades would start to loose the pigmentation first, leaving the lids with just a glittery mess. This is not something I enjoy – at all – and so I find that I tend to leave these two colors alone, for the most part.

That’s really all that I have to say for dislikes. The colors weren’t super vivid/pigmented, but with a primer I was very pleased with the color payoff.

Final Thoughts…
All in all, the Holiday Smokey Eye Palette is a very nice palette to give to someone this season. And with the special introductory price of $25, I’d say this palette is very well worth it! Especially if you (or whoever you might gift this to) is more into glitter than I am. With that said, the regular retail price ($40) seems kind of high for a palette with 4 shadows and a blush — especially when the pigmentation isn’t totally out-of-this-world. So, make sure that if you want to buy this palette, buy it NOW while it is on sale! I have no idea how long the introductory sale will last…but don’t miss it!

And don’t forget — use the coupon code SGHOLIDAY when you checkout to get 10% off your online order!

Also Note: I just saw that this palette is given as a free deluxe gift with all orders made over $50 on Studio Gear for the month of November. So now is REALLY the time! 😀

READERS: What do you think? Is this something you’d give as a gift? Or get for yourself to use this holiday season?

I received these product from StudioGear for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers. This post is sponsored by BrandBacker.

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What I Got This Week! (Readers Opinion Wanted at End of Post!!!)

October 5, 2013 Katie Marie 4 Comments

I was so excited to receive a package from LORAC Cosmetics in my mailbox this week, I just wanted to take the time to post about it to yall! 😀

Before I continue, if you don’t know what LORAC is, let me explain. 🙂 As mentioned above, it’s a cosmetic company that was created by Carol Shaw – the daughter of a hairstylist and manicurist. Over the years LORAC has grown into a brand like no other — it is the Red Carpet Authority and has unparalleled access to celebrities, which says a lot about the brand!!

In their own words, “As a brand that puts care before color, but sacrifices neither, LORAC‘s treatment-based makeup is truly unique. From the plant extracts, emollients, skin rejuvenators, and conditioners they pack in their products, to the stuff left out (oil, fragrance, and other harsh ingredients), every LORAC product fulfills Shaw’s dream to design makeup that makes you look gorgeous like the stars do — without appearing as if you’re wearing much at all.”

So now that you know a little bit about the brand, I can now talk to you about the products I received to review from LORAC. It will take me a little while to go through and review everything, since I want to give each product sent to me it’s own review, but that just means more for you all to look forward to! 😀

For today’s post, I’m just going to give you a rundown of everything I received from them. As you could see from the picture above, there are several different items!

The first thing I noticed right off the bat is the Unzipped eyeshadow palette that comes with a deluxe sample of their Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. Since I am a big eyeshadow junkie (I LOVE playing with new shadows and different colors) I was thrilled to get this palette, as well as the Pro To Go eye and cheek palette. This little duo palette will come in super handy for when I travel and don’t want to take a bunch of stuff with me!

They also sent along one of their Natural Performance Foundations for me to try. I’m always on the lookout for a good foundation that will give me great coverage (since I deal with acne and hyper pigmentation a lot!) but keep my face look natural and not too cakey. So I’m excited to give this one a try! The next product was their Front of the Line Pro water-resistant liquid eyeliner. The color I received was brown, and since I only owned black liquid eyeliners before this, I was really excited about this one! The last item in my LORAC bundle was their Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in Intermix. The color is a kind of bronzed pink – which is usually the kinds of lip colors I like to wear, so it worked perfectly!

Well, there you have it! That’s my exciting package I received in the mail this week. 🙂 I look forward to bringing y’all reviews in the near future!

I know I don’t usually post a “What’s in My mailbox” kind of thing…but I’m seriously reconsidering doing that on occasion. I’d love to get your opinion on it! Would you be interested in reading a “What’s in My Mailbox” post? I don’t think I’d post it once a week or anything (since i don’t get things that frequently), but maybe whenever I do get something in the mail. Please just feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!!

(Just as a disclaimer, I am only posting this to 1) help spread the word about LORAC and 2) show you what to expect as I break down this large bundle into several single reviews over the next few weeks. Easier than trying to pack it all into one post! Many, many thanks to LORAC for sending me these review items! 🙂