Holy Grail: Wet n Wild Eye Shadow Trios

I took my Holy Grail Page down for a moment. I may just make a blog post dedicated to my holy grails. As for now, I want to talk about my favorite eyeshadow's. As you most likely know, Wet n Wild eyeshadow's are the most pigmented eyeshadow's at the drugstore. They are also probably the cheapest too. The 6 pan eyeshadows are around $6, Single pan eyeshadow's are under $1, and the trio's are like $3 a piece. I have one single pan eyeshadow from Wet n Wild which I talked about here. I honestly don't have any 6 pans. Unacceptable.

Something always draws me to the trios. They are always ascetically pleasing and each color seems cohesive with each other color. They always choose the perfect colors and finishes to correspond with the other shadows in each trio. Each trio is "created to highlight, define, and accentuate your eye" and even has the directions molded into the eyeshadow. It doesn't get much easier than that. I find that when I don't go by the obvious rules imprinted into each shadow, they still look pretty paired in different areas.

Aside from the pretty colors, pigment, and price, most of the shadows are easy to blend. We can talk more about that later. Let me take you through each palette.....

The Silent Treatment

My favorite palette. It is on the cooler side of the neutral color spectrum.The brow bone color being a satin finish, it has the least pigment but I think it does the job because of that. It doesn't look so stark and powdery. It has a nice finish. Pairing that with the deep pigmented crease color, and the nice shimmery eyelid color, it makes for a gorgeous look.

Eyelid: 

satin neutral pinkish color. As neutral as pink can get.

Crease: 

black brown with silver glitter.

Brow Bone: 

shimmery cool toned taupe

Im Getting Sunburned

A very shimmery, dramatic summery palette. It has a nice pop of color with the Brow Bone color but is still anchored in corresponding neutrals. The Brow Bone color looks great on the lid too. This palette has the best pigment of them all. I can attribute that to the finish of each shadow. 2 shimmers and the crease color being a deep color with glitter.

Brow Bone:

shimmery cool toned blue based pink. Otherwise known as purple.

Crease:

a deep brick red based brown with red glitters.

Eyelid:

shimmery true gold. Reminds me of Half Baked from the Naked Palette

Knock On Wood

The obvious red/brown palette. Very wearable and different in my opinion.

Brow Bone:

baby pink with some glitters in it 
{glitters with an s? Im not an English teacher. Just a beauty blogger. were going with glitters on this one}

Crease:

A brown with a duo chrome red aspect to it. Very pretty. Not as deep or pigmented as the other crease colors.

Eyelid:

My favorite color in the trio. A shimmery maroon. umhp. So pretty.

The only thing I must say that could possibly be a problem is those crease colors.  Most of them are very deep and very pigmented. This can make it harder to blend if your not careful. For me, it is difficult to place the color then blend it out with those crease colors. They tend to not blend out well if you over do it with the first application. So the best advice I can give you is to tap off the excess! 

Another great tip for using the crease colors is to use a tapered eye brush to apply the color. I love Sigma's E45 Small Tapered Blending Brush for this. Then I will blend the crease color out with the brow bone color using Sigma's E35. It's a nice blending brush but I do wish I could find a blending brush a little bit smaller. I have hooded eye lids so I don't have as much lid space as the next person.

Those are my thoughts on the Wet n Wild trios. They are great quality for a really cheap price and that is what equals a holy grail to me. Something that will make you look like a million bucks and you only have to spend a few pennies. Or 300 pennies. Which isn't that much.

quick side note:
I am sure you guys are wondering where in the world i have been. Maybe? Maybe not? I never believed in giving any sort of explanation before about the lack posts. Maybe it's because I would never go longer than a couple weeks. Maybe because I like to keep this as a hobby and when I decide I need to explain why I am not doing it, it feels like a chore. But it has been 2 and a half years that I have been writing on this very blog and I actually felt pressed to get back into it since the beginning of August. I have been moving! We are finally moved into the new house. It's the house my dad grew up in and the house my Mumum lived in {my dads mom} until the day she died so it is kinda cool to call it my own place. We pretend Mumum haunts it. Is that sick? Probably. We even inherited my Mumum's dog, Chelsea. AKA Chooch. aka Winston Choochill. AKA Susan Choochie. AKA Choochin Luchi. We finally got internet and cable! Oh God. I need to shut up before this becomes more than half of the blog post! I will have updates for you guys in the form of videos and blog posts. Stay on the look out for my room tour. It's gunna be a good one. I will show you how to make your room look awesome and well organized for way under $50. Ok, later!

Thanks for reading!

Whats your favorite eye shadows from the drugstore?
 

xoxo

Erica

Empty Products/ A Couple Holy Grails {Skin Care Edition}

I have been collecting trash for like months. I just never got around to posting this for whatever reason. It has gotten out of hand so let me get started on this. I have makeup from all catergories, and skin care. let's just start with skin care, then cross the other bridge when we get there. shall we?

One thing you should know is that I have acne prone, combination skin. It used to be oily but I am not sure what happened. Read about that more in the Kiehl's part of this blog post.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser.
 I knew this was good for acne prone, oily skin. At the time I bought it, my skin was really oily. It is amazonian clay mixed with really tiny exfoliants, which makes for a really thorough, deep clean. The very first time I used it, I remember being so impressed. My skin was the softest, cleanest it has ever been. As the months went on, my skin started to become more dry- not as oily. I am not sure if this is because of the face wash itself but all I know is that right after I would use this, my skin would be really, really dry. So dry, I felt the need {and never forgot!} to use a moisturizer. If you have oily skin, give it a shot but don't pay for it! Yep- get it for FREE! I got mine from Birchbox just racking up points months after months. Here's everything else I got for free from Birchbox.

Urban Decay All Nighter. 
Once you don't have a setting spray, you notice a difference in how long your makeup lasts. At least I did! Think of it as a hair spray for your face. There is a slight stickiness to it once it is starting to dry you can feel it if you touch your face, but it's not so sticky you can't stand it. It is weightless, as promised. I really liked this. It did the job.

Urban Decay De-Slick. 
Another setting spray. I LOVED this one. It is on my Holy Grail Page. This setting spray is for oily skin as the name would suggest. Like I mentioned my skin is more combination. What I really remember this for was keeping my makeup on for the whole day in the hot, humid summer last summer: 2012. If you live in a humid climate, I would recommend De-Slick over All Nighter. Or if you have oily skin. Or if it's hot where you live. 

Borghese Cureforte Moisture Intensifier.  
I got this in my Birchbox a while back. This is a thin serum. It is supposed to moisturize but to really get the benefits of it, you are supposed to use it before your moisturizer, along with whatever else you use. I didn't notice it giving me any moisture but I did notice it making my skin just all around better. When I read up on this product, I read that this is an activator for all of your skin care that goes on after it. So for example, if you use a moisturizer, it's going to make your moisturizer work even harder. I liked it. It was something different and fun to try.

{A rule of thumb for layering skin care goes like this: Cleanser, Toner, Thinnest Serum-Thickest Serum, Thinnest Cream-Thickest Cream. Think of it as thin to thick}

Dr. Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask. 
I got this in this kit from Birchbox.com along with the Kiehl's face wash- again, I racked up my points and bought it with those. I really wished I would have used this correctly because I would have loved it even more I am sure. Just like we have hair mask's that are like conditioners only 10x moisturizing, we have a skin mask moisturizer. Why I washed it off is beyond me because it was so comfortable to use and was seeping into my skin- in a good way. It's a green mask that is a thick lotiony consistency. When I washed it off, I noticed how soft it made my skin. This mask was like nothing I have ever used. It was my favorite mask to date. I am giving this a Holy Grail Award.

Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer. 
I am an avid Proactiv user {have been using it on and off for years} and I always get a little trial size in every Proactiv purchase I make. It is a great basic moisturizer to use and have on hand. I have never had any problems with it. It gets it's job done. I like it better than any of the other moisturizers I receive from Proactiv. I go through these little things all the time.

Juice Beauty Oil Free Mositurizer.
If I was comparing this to the previous moisturizer I talked about, I would say this one is much thicker and better all around. It is really soothing and moisturizes better than any other one I have tried yet. I really noticed a difference in my skin when I used it. Another Birchbox sample. Another Holy Grail Award.

So as you can tell, all of this stuff was pretty good or really awesome. I like when that happens.

hey. I know im annoying but don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar for the give away! 

ok!
xoxo
Erica

Avon Hit's and Misses.

I used to be an Avon representative a couple years ago and just like any other brand, there are hits and there are misses. I have found both in the bunch I have here. I ordered 3 Eye makeup Remover's (Holy Grail Status! The only remover I use) and they had a 4 for $10 going on with certain lip liners and eyeliners. I decided to go for that too. Let's start with those:

 Glimmersticks Lip liner
Please don't ask why they call them glimmer-sticks because there isn't a speck of glimmer or sparkle in them. As far as Pink Bouquet and Simply Spice go, these are all around a creamy finish. As you can see, these are twist up pencils- no sharpening required. These are both really, really nice. They aren't drying and don't tug on my lips either.

I am pretty fair and the Pink Bouquet was probably the lightest color they had, although it is a medium reddish pink. It has been working really well with all of my nude pinks, normal pinks, and underneath pink lip glosses. Poppy Red is a color of the season {a red pink} and is the hottest shade for the lips this season! Dont forget that with any lip liner, you can transform any lip color. If I wanted to bring a little bit of pink to a nude color, I could use this to do it.

Simply Spice is a medium brown nude. When I get some color, this will work even better with any nude lip sticks I have. I have been liking to use it to deepen any lip color I need to by simply lining the lips and filling in the edges of my lips, leaving the middle of my lips bare for just the lipstick to create some kind of contrast. Like Pink Sugar from Wet n Wild for example. A really, really light nude (almost concealer) color. Don't let the name throw you off!

Glimmersticks Eyeliners
Unlike their lip liner counterparts, the eye liner's actually do have sparkle to them. I think this might be what is making them awful though. They dont pack any kind of pigment punch or glide on easily either. It takes a couple strokes to get some color on the waterline and I am only speaking for Aqua Flash. Trying to get Golden Diamond onto the waterline, upper lash line, or even on my wrist for a simple swatch was impossible. Knowing I have been loving my nude liner on my waterline look, I thought I would give Golden Diamond a go only to be disappointed. You can tell from the swatch how bad that one is. Aqua Flash is good for lining my lash line and is at least better than Golden Diamond for the waterline but not by much. Once I get it anywhere in the inner rim, I doesn't really stay there. It just disappears after 1 hour at the most. If your looking for an aqua color for lining your lash lines, this might be good. Anywhere in the inner rim, you can forget it! I will try them both again and again and if I have any luck, I will let you know in a video, or on twitter, or something. Otherwise, find another line for lighter color eye liners.

{Click on any Picture to make it Bigger!}

If your wondering my thoughts on the Makeup Remover, go to my Holy Grail page. In short, it is really soothing because it is a lotion, takes all my makeup off without tugging or making my eyes red and irritated.

What do Love and/or Hate from Avon?
Let me know in the comments!

<3
Erica

Avon Haul

I used to sell Avon & since then, I realize that it is hit or miss. I have tried so much stuff I know what I love vs. hate and I had to stock up on my favorites. Well, not all my favorites but I got the necessities....actually no I didn't. Just 1 necessity. Let's just get on with it.

Chocolate Scrub: Bought it on a whim because it looked like an ice cream cone. So glad I did because I haven't smelled anything this fantastic in a long time. It smells like chocolate ice cream, as the name would suggest. As for the scrub, it is nice as well. Has very tiny granules so your not killing your hands when scrubbing your body. It is also creamy at the same damn time. If your just getting into body scrubs, this would be a good first stop because it isn't uncomfortable to use, as some of them can be. I have just been scrubbing my hands with it because I want to smell like it all day to be completely honest!

Avon Makeup Remover: If I could recommend one thing to someone who has never tried Avon before, this would be it. It has a lotion consistency which I think is the trick. It's really simple. Massage lotion onto lids/lashes. Wipe softly with a tissue. Repeat if necessary. That's it! I rarely find myself having to go back for a 3rd time to try and get the rest of my makeup off. Rarely. With oil makeup remover, I find that it is a little harsh on my eyes. It sometimes can take a lot of scrubbing with an oil based makeup remover. No worries with Avon's. Avon's is #1.

Nail Polishes: Avon nail polishes have always been pretty good. Let's face it, most nail polishes only wear for 2 days without chipping. Any brand. This brand is no different.

Sunshine (Cream Finish)

Coral Beat(Cream Finish)

Lucky Penny (Sequin Finish) 

Lip Tint in Coral

Glazewear Sparkle Lipgloss in Rave

Glazewear Shine Lipgloss in Darling Pink

all a buck a piece

I also grabbed an Ergonomic Eye Liner Brush. I needed one! No Picture. I am forgetful! Oopsie!

here's the Avon Haul video! I hope you guys like it and go check out my channel!

Ok! Was a haul, now it's a review. Whatever. I wanna dive back into blogging and shot out a couple blogs w/in the next couple weeks or so- Ima try my best! Any of them you would like to see over another? Let me know!

Lip Liner/Lipstick Combo

 American Eagle/Wet Seal/Bath & Body Works Haul

Pictures from the week

Kardashain's Nail Polishes

I started my new job this week but having a job never meant no more blog!

don't forget about my Youtube channel!

if anyone else makes videos, leave your channel links in the comments so I can check you out!

Sound good? Good!

see you next time!

xoxo
Erica

Serious Holy Grail + New Holy Grail Page!

Wow. I have no clue how my makeup braved the summer months without this puppy. In all honestly, it really never did. Sure I used a primer thinking that that was as good as it gets: there's no "perfect fix" for in-tact makeup on summer days. Until now!

I find when I use the De-Slick I don't even need a primer to make my makeup lasts. (If I wanna fill in my pores, that's a different story! I will need a primer!) This seems to hold up on even the hottest, humid days. I got ready, ran errands, came back 5 hours later only to look in the mirror and notice my flawless skin. But wait! That's not my skin! It's my foundation still in the same place I put it hours ago! I knew right then I was hooked on this! 

As for the powder(s) on my face holding up, it was 50/50. All in all, the blush lasted longer than usual but not as long as the bronzer and foundation. Let's just say it will be there until you wash it off!

My mom has even been using it. Every time she walks out the door for 5 minutes, her makeup melts immediately. Since she's been using this, she mentions that nothing else has ever had this effect. Her makeup stays put!

The De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray is the oily skin version! FYI: My face can get oily sometimes so I grabbed this one! My mom's face is not very oily at all and it worked for her! They do have other setting spray's for other types of skin so check your local Ulta! 

Urban Decay teamed up with Skindinavia to create these setting sprays. If you can't find a good setting spray for your skin type with Urban Decay, Google Skindinavia and find their website to see if they have another version of a Setting Spray that may work better for you.

One more product to put on the Holy Grail Page!

Have you guys checked out my Holy Grail Page?! It has been under construction for a while and I just recently put the finishing touches on it for a great list of great products! Check it out! Let me know what you think!

What is your holy grail must have?

p.s.: I will be back before Sunday night for a really fun Kardashian workout! If your watching the new one on Sunday, spice it up with a corresponding workout! I also have a Teen Mom workout too! Oh yeah! Get exited!

xoxo

Erica

Best of 2011 in Review: Avon's Smooth Minerals Foundation

Hey there! I was going to do a whole post of best 2011 products but I haven't really reviewed any of the products I love but I have included them in favorites. I figured this would be a lot more helpful to give an extensive review on the stuff I loved (& still love) last year. Be on the look out for a couple more of these in the next few weeks!

As one of my absolute favorites I cannot believe I haven't mentioned it yet. I use this on a daily basis weather it's using it over a liquid foundation or using it all by itself on those days I want to let my face breathe. Here we go:

Skin Type: I have skin that is ance-prone and for the most part, oily. It can become dry sometimes. My skin has a mind of it's own! I also have acne scarring and discoloration.

Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation by Avon

"Get the perfect amount every time! No more mess, no more spills. Our innovative design dispenses a single application…with no waste. Medium coverage. Natural luminous finish. Now includes mirror. Made with pure mineral pigments for luminous color. Free of talc, oil and fragrance so it’s great for sensitive skin. .2 oz. net wt." -avon.com

Price: Regular price is $12 but 9 times out of 10 you can find a sale. In this case, they are on sale right now for $7.99

Where to Find it: I recommend finding a rep in your area on Avon.com because I percentage of the price will go to her (or him). If you order from a rep, you don't have to pay shipping either. I have had experience selling avon, and I do know that I liked to put all my orders in at once. So if someone ordered from me on the 8th of the month, and I dont put in the order until the 18th, they wont be getting it as quickly as they would if they simply ordered online.  If not, you can order it online from Avon.com. One con about it is that Avon isn't sold at any store, once in a blue moon you may find a kiosk in your local mall but that's not too likely. So there are pro's and con's to each way of going about it.

Thought #1: They mention it's medium coverage but I do get pretty full coverage - I guess a perfect way to describe it would be medium to full as it covers discoloration, makes my skin all one tone. Some breakout's that I have on my face tend to create a red bump so I like to use concealer because Smooth Minerals powder will not cover them fully.  I do like to wear this over liquid foundation, but I prefer to wear it alone. It is extremely light weight when I wear it alone.

Thought #2: I personally have 2 different shades that I like to mix together to get the perfect shade for my skin tone. I highly recommend using 2 shades as our skin tone changes depending on the season and other variables. I have been using the same 2 shades all year round and how ever I need to mix and match they have been doing so perfectly. 

Thought #3: Something else I really love to do is mix it with a liquid foundation. I used to mix it with Revlon Colorstay as it was a few shades too dark a few months ago and Smooth Minerals blends perfectly with it to create the perfect pigment. The next picture is Soft Ivory Smooth Minerals mixed with my Neutrogena Healthy Glow

 here's what you get when you mix it together- not saying this is the color of my skin tone by any means, I just wanted to demonstrate that it will blend well and also get the color you want

Thought #4: The packaging it comes in is a great idea as it dispenses just enough for 2 application's for me.  I really love it because I feel like I am not wasting any of it. It has a stopper to dispense just enough. I find that I need to shake it 2x, which is fine. It does say to just simply shake the package for powder to dispense, but I like to tap the top of the package on the counter- It works better. The next picture I have is in the shade Light Beige

Thought #5: I like to apply this with a flat top kabuki. I do not tap off the excess when I apply it. I find that it works much better when I don't. Maybe that's the trick to get medium to fuller coverage as opposed to how is is advertised, medium coverage.

Thought #6: When I wear it alone, it doesn't look cakey or powdery on my skin. It seriously makes my skin look flawless. I actually get comments from time to time from people that know me saying my skin looks flawless.

Overall: It is my favorite powder foundation but the one con about it is that I cannot easily go down to the drugstore and pick one up, I have to order it too, which I can't say that I mind too too much. If you are willing to order it and wait a week or so. I am running out and I luckily know an avon lady so I will be putting my order in soon enough, along with some other must haves.

I hope my review was thorough and simple! If you have any ?'s, please feel free to leave a comment! Other wise I would love to know: 

What is your favorite powder foundation? What is your favorite Avon product?