Monday, March 28, 2016

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

This just came in the mail today, so I've only just begun to play with it, but am so excited. The entire internet has been waiting for the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette for months. I missed the original launch on Too Faced but was able to snag it last week (as of right now, it's available online at Ulta).


They aren't kidding when they say Sweet Peach--there's definitely a peach scent to the shadows, but nothing intensely overwhelming. If you're not a fan of scented makeup though, I would probably stay clear. The packaging is similar to the Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palettes. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do individual swatches, but there are a good mix of cool and warm shadows. Even if you already own a lot of neutrals, there are enough unique orange/brown/purple shades that make this worth it. As always, the texture and pigmentation are on par with the exceptional quality Too Faced always has.

If you'd like to see a more in-depth view of this palette, check out this video one of my favorite bloggers Really Ree put up. Are you going to be purchasing the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette? It's limited edition, so act fast if you want it!

Friday, March 25, 2016

What Have I Been Reading Lately?

Well it has certainly been a while since I've done a post strictly dedicated to books. Part of this is because I haven't read anything so amazing that it deserved a spotlight, and the other half is time. But life is slowing down a bit lately and coincidentally, I have been reading some fantastic books. Whether you prefer short stories, essays, or novels, hopefully you're inspired to read one of these (they're all great but for different reasons).



So Sad Today: Personal Essays by Melissa Broder. I think this was the book I was the most excited about it. Melissa Broder runs my favorite twitter account, So Sad Today, and is also a writer. This book of personal essays is written in a similar tone as her tweets (think: cynical yet relatable), but gave more of an insight into her life. As someone also struggling with anxiety, it was refreshing to hear it written about in such a cavalier yet poetic way. She spoke to me in a way that has probably changed or confirmed how I think about the world, and it's such a quick read, I breezed through it in a night.



Why We Came to the City by Kristopher Jansma. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of New York City, this novel did a wonderful job of portraying it in such a realistic sense. Lots of novels with New York City as a main character tend to glorify it, which parts of this did, but also weren't afraid to shy away from the grittiness. The novel centers on five friends dealing with a tragedy (I won't spoil it), and is separated into what I would call mini-novellas. Each "chapter" centers around one of the individuals, letting you peek into their minds. All characters are so unique and richly developed that I felt as if I easily knew them.



American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales. I have this wonderful book to thank for making a long flight from LAX to Boston somewhat enjoyable. Sales is such a fantastic author for actually making sociological data interesting--she interweaves shocking facts about social media and all the horrors related to it (sex, drugs, self-esteem issues) with stories, both positive and negative, from teenage girls. I was a teenager just when social media was beginning to come into play, but it's shocking to see how much has changed just in five years. Even if you think social media plays no role in your life, reading this book will give you a new perspective.



Why They Run The Way They Do: Stories by Susan Perabo. Short story collections can be very hit-or-miss for me, because they're all usually amazing or just lucklaster. This one falls into the captivating side, dealing with making the ordinary into the extraordinary. Perabo examines the everyday life of a variety of ages and genders, like middle schoolers blackmailing their art teacher and witnessing a plain crash. If you find yourself unable to make it through a whole 300+ page novel, each of these stories reads like one--albeit a lot shorter.



13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad. In a way, this novel reads almost like a short story collection. Each chapter about Lizzie's life is written from a different time, setting, and sometimes even perspective--which of course are the different "ways of looking at a fat girl". It's heartbreaking to see her obsession with weight and how it influences her relationships and life choices, but each is told so matter-of-fact yet poignant that it's hard to put down.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick

Too Faced is probably one of my favorite brands because they can combine cute and whimsical products with winning formulas. I love the Melted Lipsticks, but have a hard time finding colors I like. So of course when I heard they were launching Melted Matte Lipsticks in a million colors, I ordered them with next-day shipping from Sephora (haven't done that in a while, promise). I'm glad I did, because it seems that despite being available for only VIB and VIB Rouge, most colors are sold out. 


I've only worn them a few times, but I'm already sold. The formula is a perfect combination of actually drying down matte without leaving your lips feeling like the Sahara. The color seems to hang around quite a while and die down in a subtle way. Naturally, I gravitated towards the four nude/pinky brown shades. Child Star is a "matte soft nude", Sell Out is my favorite of the bunch, a "matte soft pinky-brown", Queen B is a "matte soft mauve", and Cool Girl is a "Matte True Nude". These seemed to be the four shades I felt the most comfortable with, and I'm glad they were pretty similar to description. 


L-R: Child Star, Sell Out, Queen B, Cool Girl

Even if nude shades aren't your thing, they have plenty of other colors, from traditional reds to even a blue! Once they're available to anyone, they're worth picking up. I'm currently waiting to review my forthcoming Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette, which I just ordered yesterday (their summer collection is killing it). Let me know what Too Faced products are your favorite!

Friday, March 18, 2016

Zoeva Rose Golden Blush Palette

I remember first hearing about Zoeva around a year ago--everyone was raving about the Cocoa Blends Eyeshadow Palette. I finally caved and got it, and was extremely impressed. Zoeva is a German brand that does ship worldwide, which is the good news. The bad news is that shipping sets you back $16, so I recommend ordering in bulk. Fortunately, most products are pretty affordable, and in the case of the Rose Golden Blush Palette, the actual item cost less than the shipping.


I'm drawn to anything with rose gold in the title, so naturally I snapped this up. It's quite compact, which makes it perfect for traveling (although I wish it had a mirror). The pans are quite large and the formula of the blushes is very similar to the eyeshadows--buttery, pigmented, and hardly any fallout. Palace Door is the truest rose gold shade in the palette and it's a quite shimmery blush. Darker skintones can use this as a highlight, whereas it gives more of a flush on lighter skintones. Glowing Still is an extremely pigmented white highlight, although it sheers out more on skin. Heavy Crown is a great bronzer that isn't too orange and is warm enough to use all over, yet can still be used for contouring.
L-R: Palace Door, Glowing Still, Heavy Crown

Even with expensive shipping charges, this beautiful little palette will still only set you back around $30, and that's well worth it. Some highlights that are even smaller than one of the pans can cost more than that. I know I'll be reaching for this a lot. Have you tried anything from Zoeva? Share below!



Monday, March 14, 2016

Jordana Made to Last Liquid Eyeshadows

Long time, no blog! I was in LA last week for spring break and took a mini-vacation from blogging. I was feeling a bit uninspired, but lots of new makeup launches have me feeling revived! There were a couple of new launches from Wet n Wild and Jordana that I was hoping to find at a Walgreens out there, but unfortunately I only found one of the three items i was looking for. Fortunately, it was a fully stocked display, so naturally I grabbed all the colors.


 The Jordana Cream Eyeshadows are so new that I can't find them anywhere online, although they can also be found at some K Marts if you're lucky. They were only $5, which is quite affordable. They may look like a lipgloss, but don't be deceived--they are gorgeous cream eyeshadows. They have a doe-foot applicator, and the formula is quite wet. It dries down to a more creamy texture. So far, I've only worn one as a primer, and it did a wonderful job of intensifying my color. The formula reminds me of the Rimmel Liquid Eyeshadows, and is also comparable to higher-end formulas like the Armani ones. Forever Sand (01) is a champagne shade and Not A Wink Pink (01) is a more pink, rose gold shade. Immortal Metal (03) is, as the name applies, a more metallic brown. Uphold Gold (04) is the most golden shade, Dusk Til Bronze (05) is a more taupey, bronze brown and Around Town Brown (06) is a deep true brown.


I'm glad I got all 6 shades, since I love the formula and can see myself reaching for these neutral shades quite a bunch. If you can find them anywhere, I highly recommend snatching them up--you won't be disappointed!