Review: Morphe Jaclyn Hill Palette (Bling Boss)

                This beauty is the first Morphe Palette I've ever bought and now 
                reviewed. I've heard mixed reviews on their brand as a whole, but I 
                wanted to try this palette out and come to my own conclusion. The first 
                thing I noticed when I opened the box is some bubble wrap protecting 
                the eyeshadow palette inside. This is the only palette I've bought that 
                had this protective feature which I really appreciate.
      

            The packaging in clean and simple. Making it even more affordable
            and appealing to newbies trying out Morphe products. Despite it's
            super affordable price it has a decent sized mirror, and the matte
            silver packaging makes the ten shades inside pop even more.
      

            There are four matte shades, four shimmer shades and two foiled 
            shades. As for blending, the shimmer and foiled shades blend beautifully. 
            Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for some of the matte shades like 
            'Rockstar'. As you can see from my swatches, it went on chunky and 
            took 8 swatches to get to the point you see in the photo! It's such a 
            pretty shade but the formula seems so different from the others. 
            However, I'd say my favorite shades are 'Gem', 'Ballsy' and 
            'Berry Treasure'.

Amazing pigment; Gem blended out very well

You can see where 'Rockstar' was not blending out

            Would I recommend this eyeshadow palette?

            I would for those on a budget who want some glam in their life, 
            and with patience when it comes to carefully blending out a couple 
            difficult shades.

Review: Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes Palette

At first I had my sights set on the popular Sweet Peach palette which at one point
was extremely hard (as well as pricey) to get when I was previously based in Australia. 

Having left a lot of my makeup collection behind I wanted to build it back up with the
most versatile colors.

The palette features 12 shades that go seamlessly with one another. From an almost
pure white to an almost charcoal black. Each eyeshadow is so easy to blend and has
more intense color than you would guess. The only negatives I found was some fall out
when applied, and the shade 'Chocolate Dipped' was hard to blend out as you can see 
from my swatch.

My Favorite Colour Combo:

Peach Tea, Fresh Picked and Just Ripe

Does it really smell like peaches? YES. It doesn’t kind of smell like them. In fact, it literally
smells like a fresh peach that you have taken a bite out of, or even a freshly baked dessert.
Too Faced Cosmetics has taken their talent for adding scents to each of these beautiful matte
eyeshadows and nailed it. 

Review: Tarte Rain Forest By The Sea Palette II

              When I first laid eyes on this pallete I was attracted to the darker colors 

             instantly. Tarte described how this palette's eyeshadows contained built-in 

             primer. The second thing that drew me in was the stunning packaging. It's

             not only stylish, but functional.The mirror with Tarte's logo is large and very

             helpful. Tarte is always generous with their mirror size inside palettes.

Swatches

My favorite colors are Pearl (Foiled), Sunset (Shimmery), Seaside (Matte), and Breezy (Matte).
The swatches above took a minimum of three swipes to be as pigmented as they look. I believe
that this is due to the built-in primer that the Rainforest By The Sea collection prides itself on. Having the built-in primer was definitely a selling point for me, but it seems to make it harder to blend once it is applied. The key to using this palette is patience and LOTS of layers in order
for you to get the pigmentation you see above. Please comment below if you have used this palette and let me know how it works for you.

RCK: Red Carpet Kolour Review

First off, I got this product awhile back and only tried once. I wore it all over the parts

of my body that would be showing for a Halloween event. The product did give me 

an amazing glow and lasted all night long (despite sweating and clothing contact).  

I didn't know you could also use it on your face if done correctly. I've noticed a 

couple reviews that are out there from people who are either sponsored or have a 

PR relationship with the brand itself. When I see reviews like that I think twice
  about believing their opinion which may be a bit biased. 

So, I grabbed a new brush intent on testing it on my face, something I have seen

in a blog or two from makeup artists recommending this product as a 'must-have'.

My skin is fairly pale and I was concerned that even the 'light' version of this product

would be vastly noticeable after drying. I washed, dried my skin, and applied some 

drug store primer before testing this product. My skin has been VERY dry as we are 

just coming out of a brutal winter here in Australia, therefor I recommend exfoliating

 and cleansing any dry dead skin away before application of this product. RCK Body 

Glow takes up to 5 minutes to dry. With a brush you have to be very careful how

hard you brush it in so that you don't leave lines or streaks (blend away!). 

Small Amount of Product Not Yet Blended In 

After blending product without Primer into my hand

With Flash it has a gorgeous golden undertone
and covers any uneven tones in your skin.

I applied the product to my face and made sure to blend it out as much as 

I possibly could with a foundation brush before it dried. It dries fairly quick,  

and if you ad additional product over the area you have blended some in already  

it will just build up and become darker as you can see on my left cheek above.  

My usually pale skin looked tanned and when the light is on my skin it has a  

almost pale golden shine to it (as pictured below). I am not wearing any blush, 

bronzer or using a contour palette.

The overall results were amazing! My skin looks sun-kissed  and relatively even.The only
two negatives I could find is;  One, that it dries quickly and if not blended out will leave
streaks. Two, you will feel it on your skin throughout the day as it is fairly thick after being
applied. I won't be using it as an everyday product, but it is nice to have if I want to use on
my body to even out skin tone or cover scarring. 

Sunshine Blogger Award

            I want to start off by saying that being nominated for the Sunshine Blogger 
            Award is such an unexpected honour. It is flattering for Abby Clare (who has 
            such an amazing blog herself) to consider me as one of her nominations. 
            Click here to see how she answered the Q & A portion of the SBA. 


            For me, blogging didn't start until after I began my Youtube Channel over two 
            years ago. It was a social experiment for me to grow, learn and become a part 
            of the beauty/lifestyle community. I've networked with some of the loveliest 
            people from all over the world, and share these interests together. To me blogging and
          being a part of this amazing community isn't just about followers or views.
          It's about supporting each others endeavours, giving advice, and hones    
          feedback in a positively structured way. 

      Q & A

          1. What or who was your biggest inspiration for starting your blog?

               Originally, I wanted to create this blog to support my Youtube channel.
               To have a place where I could post more in-depth reviews than I was

               able to convey on my channel. Presently, I am even more committed to 
               blogging than I am to my channel. Inspiration comes from my need to

               give open and honest reviews of beauty products, as well as giving readers
               insight into my life experiences.

            2.  How long have you been blogging for?

      
                 I've been blogging for a little over two years.

            3. If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?
          
                 I would be an American Eagle. They are graceful, rare and 
                 can fly free. 

           4. What is your go-to comfort food?
          
                 Hmmm, this is a hard one ...probably a grilled cheese sand which.

           5. What is your favourite holiday or celebration during the year?
           
                 I would have to say New Years. It's a fresh start and the 
                 fireworks don't are not bad either.

                
            6. What is your main goal for the end of the year? (Socially or personally).
           
                 Focus on health and being the best version of myself possible.

           7. What is your earliest memory?

           
                 My 4th birthday party. My dad was holding me up on his shoulders at my 
                 party where all my family and friends were. There were heaps of balloons 
                 and I wore a pretty plum coloured dress.

           8. When you were younger what was your dream job?

                Being a Makeup artist for Mac or a Social Media Manager for one of my  
                favourite brands (Tarte, Urban Decay, Black Moon Cosmetics, Rimmel, Nars).

           9. What is your favourite holiday destination?
                Lorne, Australia. Has the most stunning little town and beach.

           10. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
                  I enjoy reviewing products, then seeing that my blogs and insight help others
                  find the right products for them.

            11. If you were stuck on an Island for 24 hours, what five things would you want 
                  with you?

                    Water, Sunscreen, Tent, Moisteriser, and two weeks worth of YouFoodz 
                    (health prepared meals). 

     

         Nominees

• Jasmine - Thoughts From Jasmine

• Cheryl - Cheryl Wong.com

• Dayna - Dayna Lynn.com

• Meggan - cardiganjezebel

• Kiya  - Life With Kiya

   

        Questions

1. Do you have any techniques to get in the mood for writing posts?
2. What inspired you to start blogging?
3. What is your favourite season?
4. Have you travelled internationally? If so, where?
5. What are your two holy grail beauty products?
6. Are you named after anyone?
7. What is your favourite YouTube Channel?
8. What is the last book you've read?
9. What is the last movie you've seen?
10. Coffee or Tea?
11. What would be your advice to new bloggers?      

        Rules

• Write a blog post thanking the person that nominated you, tag them in your post.
  and also link the questions they answered in their post.
• In your post answer the 11 questions that were given to you.
• Nominate blogs who you think deserve the award and come up with 11 questions
  for them to answer.
• Let them know that you nominated them by either social media or commenting on
  their blog.
• Make sure to list the rules on your blog and display a Sunshine Blogger Award
  Logo in your post.
• Have fun and get creative.

Review of Sleek Makeup Solstice Highlight Palette

      When I first heard about the this highlighting palette I knew I needed to try it 

       out for myself. The reviews I came across seemed almost too good for such an 

       affordable palette ($15-40 AUD depending on the seller). They are pretty hard to
       find in Australia so I ordered it from the UK and waited a little over 2 weeks to
       receive it. 

      The packaging is very nice, and almost reminds me of some Tarte Palettes I've

      come across. The amount of product you get in this palette seems very generous.

      I don't think I'll be using the type of brush provided as I have some decent highlight
      brushes to apply it with, but it is nice to have a brush provided either way. 

With Flash 

Without Flash

      As you can see from the swatches above and swipes with my finger 

      below it is fairly pigmented. Each shade is stunning and unique in its
      own way. I knew that this little palette had good reviews, but it is incredible
      value for the price. I've seen Too Faced highlighters with less pigmentation
      than this amazing little palette. For 1,2 & 4 I swiped three times to get the
      swatch above. For 3 It is thicker and more of a cream texture so it took
      between 1-2 swipes to the swatch above. 

      Any doubts about this product have certainly been put to rest as far as
      I am concerned. I am still blown away by how amazing these four shades
      look after being thoroughly swatched. I can't argue with the overall quality  
      in this product in any way. I'd love to hear from anyone who has used this
      palette and what your experience with it has been like.

My Fav Swatches Coastal Scents 120 Five Palette

As you probably already know from this blog, I like to test products before fully
reviewing them. This palette was no different, and I wanted to give it the time

and respect it deserves by testing out a variety of colours. Coastal Scents put
out quality products that are also pretty damn affordable. So here some of my
favourite swatches from the 120 Five Palette.


The formulas vary from Matte shades that need building up. The foiled shades
are pigmented and go on so smoothly. Shimmery shades that have a buttery
formula which barely needs to be touched for a decent swatch. I did not apply
primer before swatching these shades. Each swatch took between 2-3 swipes,
but the matte shades needed to be blended more than the foiled and shimmery
shades. 

Number 3, 14 and 18 are comparable in quality to some of the shades/formulas
I have found in Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette. Yes, that is a big claim and huge
price difference between these two products. You get quite a bit out of this
diverse Coastal Scents Palette. They give you quality eye shadows that can
almost be compared to larger premium brands for just 1/4 of the price tag. 
If you want a wide variety of colours to play with without having to commit 
to buying an $80 (AUD) eye shadow palette...I highly recommend this one or
any of Coastal Scents range of products. 



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          Please do not use without expressed permission.