REVIEW: Nars Audacious Mascara

Hello, lovelies! 

I search for a new mascara every 3-6 months, as they tend to dry out. I’ve only tried NARS blush before. I decided to test another product from the NARS collection.

The Packaging 

NARS Audacious Mascara is in a sleek black tube. The attached mascara wand has wide, separated bristles. These bristles reduce the chance of mascara clumping. Each bristle is rubber, and they feel pointy compared to softer bristles. 

The Mascara 

I bought this mascara in black – my standard colour. I adore the wear of this mascara. It does not flake or clump on my lashes. NARS Audacious Mascara makes it easy to enhance your eye makeup with two coats. I used this mascara as eyeliner last week and it held upsurprisingly  well on my lashline. 

NARS Audacious Mascara retails for $26. The mascara is available in the colour Black Moon. 

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REVIEW: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara

Hello, lovelies!

I adore testing mascaras that promise long, fluttery eyelashes. I recently received a sample of Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara from Influenster and instantly fell in love with the product. This is the first mascara that I’ve tried in ages that gave me voluminous, pigmented, and fluttery eyelashes.

The Packaging 

The packaging is sleek and sophisticated. The mascara comes in a sleek black tube that features a shiny finish. The tube bears the Marc Jacobs logo and is both lightweight and travel-friendly. I love the unique design of the mascara wand – the bristles are tightly-packed to dispense mascara onto each individual lash. This is the first mascara I’ve used where I’ve effortlessly reached the curved lashes near the corners of my eyes with ease!

The Mascara 

I adore the formula of this mascara. It feels thick when applied to the lashes, but it does not become clumped or sticky. The mascara has a rich black pigment and it is not watery. This mascara has a unique formula – it contains the Flash Volume Complex that prevents the mascara from smudging.

The Wear

I’ve worn this mascara throughout the day and it does not flake, clump, or disappear with wear. One small issue I encountered with this mascara is that the wand occasionally picks up a lot of pigment. As a result, my mascara may apply thickly but it can quickly be thinned out with a tiny amount of water.

If you are looking for a high-end mascara that packs volume, length, and pigment I would recommend Marc Jacob’s Velvet Noir Mascara! Each individual tube retails for $32 at Sephora.

 

 

REVIEW: Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palettes

Hello, lovelies!

Huda Beauty recently released a collection of mini eyeshadow palettes in a wide variety of shades. I bought numerous palettes from Sephora and was excited to see how it compared to the brand’s traditional palettes!

The Packaging

The eyeshadow palette is small and travel-friendly. The shadows are enclosed in a compact that includes a square mirror. The outside of the palette contains the Huda Beauty logo and photos of each eyeshadow within the palette. The palette features a matte black colour that pops against the coloured designs on each palette.

The Wear

The eyeshadow formula is creamy and pigmented. The mattes do not feel chalky or stiff, and the shimmers are bright. The shadows do not flake or crease throughout the day.

The Palette Options

Huda Beauty originally released the Obsessons Palettes in 2017. In September 2018, the brand expanded the collection to include the Precious Stone Obsessions Palettes. The entire collection features 10 palettes. I own the Warm Brown Obsessions and Amethyst Gemstone Obsessions Palette. Other palettes include:

• Gemstone Obsessions – A combination of creamy, metallic and duochrome shadows. This palette features ruby, sapphire and emerald shades.
• Coral Obsessions – A combination of matte and shimmer shades. This palette features bright, warm colours that include hot pink, burnt orange and rust-red.
• Warm Brown Obsessions – Features copper, warm-brown and deep red matte shades.
• Mauve Obsessions – This palette contains a combination of matte and shimmer shadows. This palette features soft plum, violet and dusty rose shades.
• Electric Obsessions – Features bold matte and shimmer shadows in shades that include hot pink, bright yellow and teal.
• Smoky Obsessions – A combination of matte and metallic shadows. The shades include carbon-black, shimmering gold, and silver.
• Amethyst Obsessions – A combination of matte and metallic shadows that include mauve, sparkling amethyst, and bubblegum pink.
• Topaz Obsessions – A combination of creamy matte and metallic shadows that include tan, orange, turmeric and sparkling gold shades.
• Emerald Obsessions – This palette contains matte and shimmer shadows in varying shades of green.
• Ruby Obsessions – This palette contains matte and metallic shadows in shades that range from ruby-red to sparkling champagne
• Sapphire Obsessions – A combination of matte and metallic shadows that are mainly blue-toned with pops of silver and lime-green.

If you are looking for a fun, travel-friendly eyeshadow palette I’d highly recommend the Obsessions Palettes from Huda Beauty! Each individual palette retails for $35 at Sephora.

REVIEW: Tarte Chrome Paint Shadow Pots

Hello, lovelies!

With the holiday season approaching, I like to introduce extra glitter into my makeup routine. I bought a few shades of Tarte’s Chrome Paint Shadow Pots recently, and they have transformed my eyeshadow looks!

The Packaging

The packaging of these eyeshadows feels luxurious. The shadow is packed into a round transparent pot. I love that this displays the vibrant colour of the shadow inside. The cover of the pot is a gorgeous metallic-gold. Each shadow fits into the palm of the hand and is ideal for travel!

The Formula

Each shadow is composed of pearl pigments that give it a shiny, colourful finish. The shadow feels creamy to the touch and blend easily. After applying the shadow to the lid, it has a beautiful foiled appearance.

The Wear

I did notice a small amount of fallout when wearing these pigments, owing to the looseness of them. Once I applied them with a wet brush, they stayed vibrant and colourful for hours.

How to Use Them

I’d recommend applying Tarte’s Chrome Paint Shadow Pots with a wet brush for maximum pigmentation. They can also be applied with the fingertips for an intense colour.

The Shades

I adore the range of bright colours in this collection! There are 8 shades in total:

• Park Ave Princess – Metallic bronze
• Fire Dancer – Metallic burgundy
• Martini – Metallic bronzed olive
• Top Yacht – Metallic champagne
• Steel the Show – Metallic steel navy
• Beach Bae – Metallic copper
• Sun Drenched – Metallic bronze champagne
• Frose – Metallic rose gold

Tarte’s Chrome Paint Shadow Pots are a beautiful addition to your eyeshadow collection if you want a burst of pigmented glitter in your eyeshadow looks! I love the wear, pigmentation and longevity of these beautiful eyeshadow toppers. Each single shadow pot retails for $27 at Sephora.

REVIEW: Anastasia Beverly Hills Riviera Palette

Hello, lovelies!

I adore spring and the bright hues that the season is associated with. Anastasia Beverly Hills recently released a new palette that truly represents the season – filled with bold pops of magenta, golden yellow and teal. This unique colour combination instantly drew me to the palette. I typically never wear bold eyeshadow colours, but I knew that the Riviera Eyeshadow Palette would be an exception!

The Packaging 

The eyeshadow comes in a sleek, fun package. Like other Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palettes, the package features 14 pans of shadow, a dual-ended brush and a large mirror. One major difference in this package is the material that is composed of. Traditionally, Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palettes have a soft, velvety cover but the Riviera Eyeshadow Palette is composed of a canvas material. The outer package has a unique nautical stripe design with alternating stripes of blue and white. The package bears the Anastasia Beverly Hills logo and the word ‘Riviera’ in gorgeous gold lettering.

The Shadows

This palette contains a combination of mattes, metallics, and pressed pigments. The matte shadows are soft and buttery. They apply easily to the eyelid and have no fallout or patchiness. Each of the metallic shadows are pigmented, bright and smooth. I’ve applied the shimmer shadows with both a brush and my fingertips and noticed no difference in pigmentation between the two methods. The pressed pigment shadows are soft, but blend easily without fallout.

The Shades

Anastasia Beverly Hills Riviera Palette contains 14 shades that range from hot pink to aquamarine:

• Sails – Matte white
• Yacht – Duo-chrome mauve-taupe with a violet undertone
• Seychelles – Metallic aquamarine
• Palermo – Metallic jewel pink
• Seaside – Duo chrome silver with a blue shift
• Inheritance – Metallic gold
• Mediterranean – Metallic sky blue
• Estate – Matte peach with a pink undertone
• Cabana – Matte birch-mustard
• Coastline – Matte pastel soft peach
• Bahamas – Matte bright hot pink
• Monte Carlo – Matte cool pink
• Cannes – Matte bright violet purple
• Palm – Matte chocolate brown

The Wear 

Each eyeshadow blends easily and stays vibrantly pigmented when applied to the lid. There is no fallout from the eyeshadows and they wear without fading for hours. One thing that I quickly noticed about the shade Bahamas is that it sometimes stained my eyelid, but otherwise I had no issues with any of the eyeshadows!

If you are looking for a bright, fun eyeshadow collection for the spring and summer months, I’d highly recommend Anastasia Beverly Hills Riviera Palette! Each palette retails for $59 at Sephora.

3 Tips to Create a Perfect Smoky Eye and Mistakes You’re Probably Making

Hello, lovelies!

A smoky eye can appear tricky to master, but there are a few simple tips you can implement to craft an edgy look. Here are my favourite tips to help you create a perfect smoky eye!

1. Clean up your lines

Applying dark eyeshadow is often messy. To avoid smudging impacting the rest of your makeup, apply your eye makeup first to clean up any fallout. I like to use makeup remover or a Q-tip to clean up my lower lash line after applying eyeshadow.

2. Play with colours

A smoky eye doesn’t have to consist of black or grey eyeshadow. Try experimenting with rich, dark colours like plum, bronze, or brown to elevate your eye makeup.

3. Apply primer to stay smudge-free

Primer is a lifesaver when I create a smoky eye. Applying primer to your eyelids will ensure that dark shadow stays in place, and won’t crease.

What is your favourite tip to create a smoky eye?

3 Tips to Enhance Your Lashes

Hello, lovelies!

Even if you weren’t born with long, voluminous lashes, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get them with a few easy tricks. I love experimenting with new tips and ideas to apply mascara to lengthen and enhance my natural lashes. Here are my top tips to enhance eyelashes with mascara!

Twirl your mascara wand for maximum effect 

Twirl your mascara wand inside the tube instead of pumping it to avoid letting excess air into the product. Pumping the wand into the tube increases the likelihood that bacteria will get into the mascara. Twirling your mascara wand inside the tube will also help dispense extra product onto the wand.

Find the best wand shape for your eyes

Not all mascara wands are one-size-fits-all. If you have monolids or a smaller eye shape, a smaller mascara wand will enable to reach all your lashes. The point of mascara is to ensure that it reaches all your lashes. If you have a smaller eye shape, look for a smaller shaped mascara wand.

Curl your lashes for 10 seconds at a time 

Your eyelashes are fragile, so they should only be curled once at a time. Hold your eyelash curler on your lashes for 10 seconds to give them volume without causing them to loosen from your eyelid.

What is your favourite tip for applying mascara?