Tag: Too Faced

It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

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Nothing brings back memories of one’s childhood lunch like a good old PB&J (or if you’re from New England, Peanut Butter & Fluff!) But this particular reference to Peanut Butter & Jelly is not the edible kind. I’m referring to Too Faced’s new eye shadow palette called the Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Collection ($36, exclusive to Ulta). The palette was inspired by Peanut Butter, which is also one of the shades in the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar, and features nine gorgeous shades of eye shadow inspired by peanut butter and jelly. The Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Eye Shadow Palette is your standard palette from this brand. It comes housed in a tin with a Glamour Guide located inside with tips on how to create three signature looks. I like the packaging a lot, it is compact and has a mirror which makes it travel friendly. It most definitely smells like peanut butter but for me it smells more like peanut butter and chocolate (but I’m not complaining).

Too Faced sometimes re-runs their shades however, I don’t really feel that way with this one. The majority of the shades have a fresh appeal and the palette consists of shimmer, frost and matte finishes with soft, blend-able textures. There was minimal fall-out, even while I was packing the color on my lids. The shades are grouped by trios but you can use them in any combination you wish to create dynamic eye looks.

  • Bananas (soft peachy gold w/ fine gold shimmer)
  • Extra Creamy (matte creamy beige)
  • Jammin’ (dark chocolate w/ golden sparkle)
  • Jelly (vibrant orchid)
  • Nuts About U (matte brown w/ red undertones)
  • Spread the Love (medium peach w/ gold sparkle)
  • Peanut Brittle (metallic burnt orange)
  • Peanut Butter (matte medium orange brown)
  • Peanut Butter Cup (metallic golden bronze w/ gold sparkle

PBandJ

The tones of these shades are warm and the matte browns (as well as the copper and purple shades) contain a noticeable amount of red, which can make for tricky colors to wear sometimes, depending on your skin tone. I created a look using Extra Creamy all over the lid up to my brow bone and then blended Peanut Butter all through the crease. I took Nuts About U and used that to define the outer corner of my eye and then used Bananas in the inner corner. Lastly, I took Peanut Brittle and used that to create a nice gradient from the inner corner to the outer. For the bottom lash line I used a purple liner and then smoked it out using the Jelly shade. The shimmery shades definitely have the best pigmentation and Nuts About U could be the most difficult to wear without chalkiness; but if you blend them well, you should see no issues. My only con about the palette is the fact that it focuses more on peanut butter versus jelly as there are only two shades of purple in this palette. So if you like warmer shades you’ll likely adore this cute little palette but for those expecting more jelly or purple shades, well, it could be slightly disappointing. That being said, this palette is a must- have for my collection. I even bought one for my god-daughter after hearing they were sold out where she lives. If you love makeup as much as I do this palette makes the beauty game that much more fun.

Besides, it isn’t hoarding if it’s makeup!

Your guest blogger,

Lori

My best of 2015 Winners

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Everyone has else has posted their favorite 2015 items so its time I summed up all of my favorites as well! Here are the items that I found in 2015 that I love and think you should give a try as well! And unlike everyone else, I will also be posting a second part of this (which is hard for me to write but just as important)- my disappointments of 2015. Hopefully those will save you some time in purchasing if you were interested in those items. Ok, let’s get down to it! Here is who impressed me this year:

Face:

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Gel Cream has been a big winner for me this year. I blogged about it at the beginning of the year and since then, it’s the only foundation I have used. The only change I have made is my application- I now apply it with a wet sponge instead of dabbing it my dry face with my fingers.

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder – I found out about this product (along with the one below it) together in a video tutorial about the “baking” process. Although I don’t use this powder for that, I use it regularly when I don’t want a dewy finish, but a more matte look. Its invisible and a little goes a long way!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer – I have been advised to use this on many Sephora trips as it’s a bestseller, but didn’t try it until this year (I’m a stubborn Taurus). It’s fabulous for under eye and along the nose coverage, as well as hiding any blemishes. This was a big find this year.

Cheeks:

benefit lollitint cheek & lip stain – I received this in a Sephora 500 perk set and honestly did not think I would use it. I have used the original Benetint Rose stain in the past and found it was just a bit too pigmented for me (given being pale), so I figured I would feel the same way about this color. This is more of a very pretty purpleish pink and looks feminine on both lips and cheeks. I liked it so much I even tried more colors when I went to Sephora  (on one of my MANY trips this year)!

benefit watt’s up! highlighter – this took me awhile to find! I was looking for a great champagny- gold highlighter to use on my cheekbones, nose and under my brows and after trying almost everything in the store, I stumbled on this. It’s the perfect color for someone with light skin tones, comes in a creamy/easy to apply formula and has a soft focus sponge on the other side for easy blending. SOLD.

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Makeup Palette – so at this point at the end of the year, I had watched about a million contouring videos and tried about every contour product available at Sephora, including reading reviews. I tried all the fan favorites (Kat Von D creamy AND powder formulas, Nars, Clinique, etc) and finally got to this. It has four total colors (two browns, two highlighters) all named after chocolate, which by the way, it smells like. This is the first palette I have found that has a lighter brown for a pale girl like myself that was not ruddy brown/red, but a true brown to give you that real contour shading. The palette also comes with a guide to several different looks, depending on how dramatic you want.

Eyes:

bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eye Shadow – I jumped on these so fast as soon as they came out, I can’t believe I didn’t do a blog post solely about them! I bought three colors – all of which are gorgeous. The formula goes on creamy and dries to a powder. This is the perfect product for someone who wants to swipe this one without too much work and look polished quickly- either with fingers or the applicator it comes with. The lighter colors I have really open up the eyes (Barely Nude and Candelit Peach ) and the Divine Wine is a nice crease color.

Urban Decay Naked2 Eye Shadow palette – I mean, do I even need to write anything here? Its 12 colors of absolutely gorgeous nude shadows, in which you can take the look from day to night to super drama depending on how much you want to add. The only thing I wish is that I had ALL the Naked pallettes, but that give me something to strive towards for this year.

benefit they’re real! lengthening mascara– I received this in the same 500 point perk gift that I got the lollitint and knew I would like this. I did have to apply at least two coats to get my desired drama look, but I was very happy with the result, which was wide-eyed, long and curled lashes. I would definitely consider purchasing this the next time I need a new mascara. Comes in three colors!

Lips:

Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss in Beso – this is GORGEOUS. A little pink, a little purple, it is ultra-feminine and makes me feel so pretty. Not sticky but shiny and you can feel the moisture.

Fresh Sugar Lip Shine Treatment in Rose – if you love any of the Fresh Sugar lip balms, you will love this. It’s a super nourishing lip gloss with a bit of color and the same light lemon scent as the rest of the Sugar line. I loved it so much I wore it on my wedding day!

 

What were your favorite finds of 2015?

Maureen

All I wanted for Christmas is to be beautiful!

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December 28, 2014

Good evening and welcome back from the holidays! I admit I have been lacking on the blog posts in the past month or so with the hustle of the holidays but I am back and resolve this year to publish more posts on the regular so stick with me. Besides whipping up some home-made body scrubs for some ladies, here are some beauty treats I gave and received on Christmas.

To my darling mother I gave my most recent mascara purchase which she test drove at Thanksgiving ( I apologize for not blogging about this stuff – its pretty amazing stuff). It is by a cosmetics company called Younique and the product is called Moodstruck. Its almost exactly like Too Faced Better than False Lashes (a step mascara with fibers) except the fibers in Moodstruck are black, not white and the effect is much more “pow”. If you decide to purchase you just have to choose a salesperson (pick anyone at random) to give the commission to.

Moodstruck

For my soon to be mother in law (by the way the six month count down began yesterday!) I was asked to put together a box of cosmetics, which I did very happily! Some items included Too Faced Better than Sex mascara, mascara guide, Garnier BB Cream, ELF Lip colors, brushes as well as the Bare Minerals eye shadow and cheek pallette below. I can’t wait until she uses it!

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Lastly, I was a lucky lady this year and received some Bobbi Brown treats as well as some Essie polishes. Recently I saw Bobbi’s email for red lips and decided to really go for it so I asked Kathy for lip liner, lipstick and gloss all in scarlet and all made their way to my stocking. I also received two surprise Essie nail polishes from my future mother in law on Christmas Eve. I can’t wait to try them all out- see below.

IMG_1344

What beauty treats did you give and receive?

Maureen

Batten down the lashes – another mascara post

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October 14, 2014

When I was mascara shopping with my mother this weekend at Sephora I realized I forgot to write about two breakthrough mascaras that have come across my path and should not be ignored. I can’t believe I forgot to mention these, especially since I use one every day. See below 🙂

Lash Genius by Anastasia Makeup

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat

Anastasia Beverly Hills – Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat

 

Honestly, I don’t remember how I found out about this mascara but it has made daily mascara use easy now. This is a makeup line known for its eye brow products and you can use this product on your brows as well (as long as you don’t have any black mascara on it). This is a great clear, waterproof mascara that I put on after my black mascara has dried. Why do I do this? Because as I have mentioned before I have watery eyes and if I don’t put this on I have raccoon eyes by noon. Waterproof mascaras of the versions I like don’t work for me and they are very hard to remove. I like something that will come off easily with water (plus I don’t want to lose any lashes I already have!) and this does. Also, this allows me to wear whatever mascara I want without having to worry if there is a waterproof version available. Great product and great find!

Available at Sephora.

Also noteworthy is (yet another) Too Faced Better than False Lashes Nylon Extension System

Too Faced - Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System

Too Faced – Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System

 

So this is a little high maintenance and takes a bit of time, so if that is not for you, I completely understand. What you get though is really long lashes that go up to your eyebrow. To me, that is worth the $35 for the set. You start with the black mascara and then put the white mascara (which isn’t actually mascara, its little white nylon lashes that attach to your lashes and the mascara) and then reapply the black mascara. I’m telling you, the difference is very noticeable and your lashes really do look fake. I did a side by side test and the line’s Better Than Sex was almost as good, plus it was a little more black and glossy. Either way I don’t think you can go wrong here. Proving again, Too Faced has some great mascaras!

Available at Sephora.

Happy Fluttering,

Maureen

The Eyes Have It

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September 18, 2014

Everyone has their favorite feature, either on themselves or other people that they are drawn to. For me, it’s actually two – nails and lashes. I could go on and on about my love of hands, nail beds and shapes of nails but for this post I will focus my attention on my other favorite, which I equally love. If you know me well, you know one of my vices is always trying to find the newest and best mascara out there on the market. When it comes to lashes, I sadly don’t have a budget either. I will spend up to $40 for a tube if I think it’s going to transform my lashes dramatically. I was lucky enough to be blessed with naturally long lashes to begin with, although they are light brown and not very noticeable without mascara. That being said, I like to make them the longest, thickest, most dramatic I can without adding actual false lashes. I am sucker for good advertising (despite being a marketing major in college). I mean a real sucker, people. Pantene has gotten me so many times to re-purchase their products based on their gorgeous ads, even though I know each time its too heavy for my strands. Each time I think “this will be the time I am converted” and each time I am wrong. But I digress. Back to the eyes.

I wanted to share with you some of my all-time favorite mascaras, along with my newest find. If you’re looking for a new tube or formula, chances are I have probably tried it along the way so feel free to ask me what I thought before you purchase.

Newest find: Loreal Paris Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

undefined - Eyes - L'Oreal Paris

When I saw this ad, I KNEW I had to try this. I love ’60s mod lashes from the models like Twiggy that look doll-ish and wide-eyed. This mascara definitely achieves that, although with a slowly-applied two – three coats. The brush is cone-shaped so that you can get the inner lashes as well as the bottom lashes coated with the samebrush as you would use to coat your main top ones. I really like this mascara, as I have liked most Loreal mascaras. I think for a drugstore brand they are top-knotch. Also a little known fact-they are all the same mascaras as Lancome! Shhh!

Former Love: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

This is the second mascara I have loved from Too Faced, the first being LashInjection. I used to be crazy about that mascara, which had a huge fat brush and a formula that would elongate your lashes with tubes around them in one step. This was great for me because my eyes tear up a lot as they are a bit sensitive and then around noon I have racoon eyes. Not cool. Anyways, for some reason Too Faced took this off the market for awhile and when they brought it back to my (and many other users) dismay, they changed the formula and it has not been the same. I had read good reviews about their Better Than Sex mascara that debuted last year in a pink tube (my favorite color) and promised big, lush lashes. I really love this formula as well as the brush, which is large as well. I don’t know if its Better than Sex, but it sure is a good mascara and not too pricey for a department/specialty store mascara. If you’re looking for big and bold lashes, give it a try!

Another Drugstore Superstar: Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies

Volum' Express® Falsies Flared™ Washable

I am not the only person I know who was a fan of this mascara and since then they have come out with more versions of the original, including my favorite, the Flared version. This is a great, inexpensive mascara that provides good volume, length as well as curl. I don’t know that I have found or used another mascara that provided a curl hold as good as this one. My reason for switching (besides the fact that I have mascara OCD and always have to try the newest product out there) is my raccoon eye problem stated above. I tried using the waterproof version of this but as most people find the waterproof versions of mascaras are not always exactly like the original and are extremely hard to remove. If you don’t have problems like me with teary eyes, I would give this a go.

Former Love Affairs: I approve all the below – you won’t be disappointed!

  • MakeUp Forever Smoky Lash – dark, pigmented lash that provides volume and curl. Great price for a department store mascara and many colors available now. Only sold at Sephora though!
  • Trish McEvoy Lash Curling AND High Volume Mascaras – both provide tubes that go around the lash, like a sock that washes off with warm water.
  • Loreal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Two Step Mascara – one of the first tubular mascaras that came on the market and is still out there! These will truly make your lashes almost touch your eyebrows- my only complaint is that it doesn’t thicken them as well (sorry, I am high maintenance and want everything 🙂 )

What mascara do you love?

Maureen