Sunset Junction: Wet n Wild ColorIcon Blush and Glow Trio

Wet n Wild has three limited edition ColorIcon Blush and Glow Trios ($3.99) out in stores as part of their new Silver Lake collection.  I picked up the lightest of the three called Sunset Junction.

Sunset Junction includes a pink toned highlight, a light pink blush and a light bronzer.  All three colors have a glow to them with the highlight being the most shimmery.
I love the highlight and blush colors a lot.  They are both very pigmented and give my cheeks a beautiful healthy glow.
I do not care for the bronzer in this trio at all.  As you can see from my swatch, it is quite orange which is no good for my fair skin.
All of the powders have a very nice, silky smooth texture.  They apply nicely and blend out very easily.

 

A Closer Look:

My Final Thoughts:

Even though I’m disappointed by the bronzer color, I’m not sad that I bought this.  I think the highlight and blush are beautiful so it’s still well worth the $4 just for those two powders.

Stay Luminous With Covergirl’s New Natural Glow Foundation

Out just in time for Summer is the new Covergirl Outlast Stay Luminous Natural Glow Foundation. It’s only available in a limited range of 7 shades, which is kind of a disappointment.

I’m usually a “classic ivory” in almost all foundations but the Stay Luminous Classic Ivory was super, duper pale.  I went with the second lightest shade, Creamy Natural, which turned out to be just right for me.
The packaging is exactly like the Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation.  It comes in a sturdy glass bottle with a handy pump top.
I’ve been applying this one with either a flat top kabuki brush or my damp Beauty Blender sponge.  I don’t find myself preferring one over the other, I like the way it applies with either method.
I’m quite impressed by the coverage this foundation provides.  I get medium to full coverage with one thin layer but it can be built up on trouble areas. It feels light on the skin and doesn’t look heavy or cakey.
For being a luminous foundation, this one doesn’t look overly dewy or shiny.  It just gives your skin a healthy, natural looking glow which I prefer.
Since I have oily skin, I do start with a primer underneath and use a finishing powder on top.  However, my t-zone area starts to look pretty greasy after a few hours of wear.
It doesn’t break down visibly on my skin, which is good.  I just look overly shiny which prompts me to reapply a light dusting of powder mid-day.  On other areas of my face it stays put really nicely and still looks great all day.

 

A Closer Look:

 

My Final Thoughts:

Since I have oily skin I go into trying luminous glow foundations knowing that they probably won’t work for me.  I love the natural finish and coverage of this Covergirl Stay Luminous foundation but I just wish it did a bit more for oil control.
I also notice that it does have a slightly tacky feel to it on the skin, even after a few hours.  Nothing too bothersome but just worth a mention.

Beauty Box 5 Review – May 2015

Beauty Box 5 is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. It’s also one of the cheapest beauty subscription boxes – only $8.25 a month with an annual subscription. They tend to feature drugstore brands, and usually the product sizes are deluxe or sample size. 

The Subscription Box: Beauty Box 5

The Cost: $12 a month (or $10 a month with a 3-month subscription; $8.25 a month with annual subscription)

The Products: 4-5 full size and sample size beauty products.

Ships to: US and Canada

Each Beauty Box 5 box comes with an informational card detailing each item in your box for that month.
 


Essenza Luxury Hand Soap in French Lavender – 2 oz Value $1
I actually get excited for hand soap samples in subscription boxes since I like to take them with me anytime I’m staying at a hotel (I prefer liquid hand soap over the standard hotel mini soap bar). And I like lavender too, so this scent works for me.

Coastal Scents Makeup Brush BR-C-s03 – Value $2.50
This is a large eye shadow brush. It’s pretty good quality for the $2.50 retail price too. I always like getting makeup brushes in subscription boxes, so this item is another win.



Bio Swiss Stainless Steel Mini Tweezer – Value $5
I’m very particular when it comes to tweezers, and when I saw these had a retail value of $5, I was thinking they probably wouldn’t be that good – and I was right. I like the idea of including tweezers in a subscription box, but this isn’t a good quality product.

Dermalogica Active Moist – .24 oz Value $5.80
This is a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer. I like how quickly it absorbs into my skin, and it is fragrance free!



Styli-Style Blush Highlighter Stick – Value $6
This blush has good pigment and the shade works well for my skin tone. Here is a swatch (just one swipe for this color):


Verdict: This box has a value of about $20. That’s in the range of what I expect from Beauty Box 5. In general I’m pleased with most of the items in this box, but I wish the tweezers were better quality.

Join & Use Ebates

 

 http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=6hjM90vi8ioi4whIRhIv%2FQ%3D%3D&eeid=28187

 

Using Ebates, you can save money on your purchases made online, and receive those savings in cash.
It really does work. I have received many cheques from them myself and continue to receive them every few months. Ebates is a great way to earn cash back from stores that you were planning to make purchases at anyway.

What is Ebates?

Founded in 1998, Ebates is an online cash back shopping site. What this means is that every time you make an online purchase from any store in the Ebates directory, you receive cash back. It’s as simple as that!
Earnings are anywhere from 1% – all the way up to 10% (in Canada). When you make a purchase from a store on the Ebates website, you will earn a certain percentage back in cash. This cash is saved up until you have at least $5.01 in your account, and then you get paid.

How do I join Ebates?

You can easily join Ebates by visiting the Ebates website.
Simply fill out the very short form with your email and password and you are logged in. Click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the page and you can edit your address and payment information.
You will receive $5 for FREE, just for signing up (though, you do need to make a purchase of $25 or more in order for that bonus to be activated).
Pick a store that you’d like to shop at and follow the link through your Ebates account. When your purchase is complete, you will receive cash back for that purchase.

How and when am I paid?

You can choose to receive payments either by cheque or through your Paypal account. The choice is yours.
Ebates sends a payment to you every 3 months, as long as you have earned at least $5.01 in cash back (not including any bonuses, like the $5 you receive when you first sign up). If you have not yet earned the minimum amount, your balance will be carried forward to the next payment date.

Do I receive any bonuses for referring friends & family?

Yes! Ebates will pay you $5 for every single person that signs up to Ebates through your link. Just like you, though, they must make a purchase of $25 or more before you receive your $5 referral bonus.
The more friends you refer, the better the rewards:

• Refer 3 friends, get an extra $30
• Refer 10 friends, get an extra $100
• Refer 25 friends, get an extra $250
• Refer 50 friends, get an extra $500 or the new iPad

Here are some of the best cash back percentages on Ebates for Canadians:

• up to 5% from Chapters/Indigo
• 2% from The Source
• 6.5% from Robeez
• 5% from The Body Shop
• 4% from Addition Elle & Penningtons
• 2.5% from The Bay
• Up to 2% from Walmart

Ebates has other great Canadian stores available to purchase from as well, including: Babies/Toys R Us, Old Navy, Sears, Victoria’s Secret and The Gap!

I know that 2, 4, and even 5% may not sound like much, but believe me, it really doesn’t take long to add up. I have earned over $70 this month without any referrals – just my own purchases!
If you do a lot of online shopping, I highly encourage you to sign up for Ebates. If you’re already going to be shopping online, you might as well earn some cash for doing so!

Tutorial Video Pop of Color

Pop of Color
Amp up your neutrals with a bold pop of color! Watch Melissa D's 4-minute transformation from ordinary to naturally beautiful with the It Cosmetics goodie bag given to her for being a Preen.Me VIP: http://www.preen.me/look/892349001
Posted by Beauty Addicts on Monday, February 23, 2015

A video posted by Makeup Tutorials (@makeupvideoss) on Apr 27, 2015 at 5:07pm PDT

The Pale Girl’s Guide to Highlighting and Contouring

Happy Beauty Top Tens!!! Today I bring you the pale girl’s guide to highlighting and contouring. Real Talk Time – unless you’re a makeup artist, I’m not sold on everyone needing a contour palette. I’m just not. But, I bought a ton of palettes to share with you for this post, as well as my top ten highlighting and contouring picks for what to reach for if you’re pale like me. When you’re pale, you usually want neutral to cool-toned contouring options, nothing too warm or orange.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light to Medium – $40  .66 oz product (.11 each)
The colors in this kit are Vanilla, Banana, Sand, Java, Fawn, & Havana
If you have pale skin, I would recommend skipping this. It’s better for light to medium skintones. If you still want Anastasia products, I recommend checking out her single refill pans on her website.




Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Kit – $46 – .72 oz product (.08 highlighters, .16 contours)
The colors in this kit are Lucid (pinkish nude), Lyric (yellow beige), Levitation (soft peach), Sombre (true taupe), Shadowplay (soft brown), & Subconscious (deep brown). If you have pale skin like me, you might like this better than the Anastasia palette.




Nyx 3C Conceal Correct Contour Cream Palette Light- $11.99 – .30 oz
This is an affordable cream palette with a nice mix of shades. It’s too dark / warm for pale skin to contour but you might like mixing the colors for corrective concealing.




Ofra Cream Contour Palette – $79.00 60 grams (roughly 2.11 oz)(vegan)
This is a huge cream palette that would be great for light to medium skintones.




Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining – $59 – .36 oz
While this is on the pricey side, it’s a book that works for pale skin. If you’re going to pick it up, I recommend doing so during the Sephora VIB sale going on right now.
Nyx Taupe is an affordable drugstore contour product to check out. See it here in my 9 Contouring Products for Pale Skin.



Life’s Entropy Particle Contour Sticks – $8 / $5 (vegan)
Shown above are the shades Proton and Alpha. These are a cream product and they work very well on pale skin. They need to be set with powder.
em Cosmetics Chiaroscuro Stick in Fair – $24
While I’m not fond of the highlighter shade, I love the contour shade. It does need to be set with powder.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Crème Colour Concentrate in John Doe – $23 (.3 oz) (vegan)
This is another great cream product and I love that it’s huge. Seriously, OCC is such a great value for the price. It does require that you set it with powder.



Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark Contour Powder – $8.75 20 gram jar (vegan)
This was my first indie contour powder. This is a semi-sheer taupe that is cool and easy to blend.
Notoriously Morbid Necromancy Powder – $8.50 for 20 gram jar (vegan)
I just recently bought this and I love it. It’s a cool-toned taupe that’s perfect for pale skin. It’s SUPER pigmented, so just a little goes a long way.
NARS Olympia Contour Palette – $42 .29 oz.
NARS calls this a rose shade, but it’s really more of a peachy brown.



NARS Albatross – $30 .16 oz
This is a classic, coveted highlighter shade that a lot of my friends adore. It’s a white golden highlighter.
Tarte Champagne
This is no longer sold individually, but it’s in almost every single palette that tarte puts out. It’s a golden highlighter with peachy tones.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light – $45 .35 oz
This is pretty, but it’s way too subtle for my taste. It’s a cool opalescent white highlighter.



It Cosmetics Hello Light Creme Illuminator – $24 .23 oz
Very pretty, but too subtle for me.
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pearl – $41 1.7 oz
A gorgeous white highlighter, but too subtle for my taste.
Notoriously Morbid Osteomancy – $8.50 20 gram jar (vegan)
An ethereal white highlighter with hints of silver and blue. This is PERFECTION on my skin! I love it!
Too Faced Candlelight Glow Duo – $30 .35 oz
This is an ethereal white gold pink that somehow brightens, illuminates and warms the complexion. I love it and it’s been my all time favorite highlighter for years.


And now that I’ve inundated you with products, let me share my top 10 picks.

My Top Ten Picks
1. Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining 2. Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Kit
3. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Crème Colour Concentrate in John Doe
4. Life’s Entropy Particle Contour Sticks
5. Graftobian Ultra Lights Palette – for a skintone shade cream highlighter. See my review.
6. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Skin Conceal – for a skintone shade. See my review.
7. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pearl (subtle)
8. Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark Contour Powder
9. Notoriously Morbid Osteomancy
10. Too Faced Candlelight Glow Duo