Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette: Rose Gold Edition (Review, Swatches, & Demo)

Due to their creamy, smooth, and ultra pigmented nature, Lorac Pro Palettes are a staple in practically every makeup artist and makeup enthusiast's collection. Personally, I have not come across a brand whose eyeshadows are quite so easy to work with, making them the palette to beat in the beauty industry. Capitalizing on this popularity, Lorac brought us something even bigger and better--the Mega Pro Palettes. I mean who doesn't enjoy have a variety of mattes and shimmers at their disposal? To be honest, while I love the first and second editions of this palette, their color scheme was never my favorite. However, when the promotional photos showed a much more rose gold theme this time around, I knew this one would be right up my alley.

Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette Outer Packaging

Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette Rose Gold & White Packaging

Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette

Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette Swatches

Q&A's

♥What is the Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette?♥

The Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette is a limited edition palette that Lorac releases every year during the holiday season. It is a play off of their original and very popular Pro Palette series, except it contains double the amount of shadows, hence it being "mega". In total you get 32 eyeshadows, 16 mattes and 16 shimmers, usually leaning on the more neutral, wearable side of the spectrum. This year's palette has more of a warm range of eyeshadows though it does have a few pops of cool tones here and there. As of the date of this post (one day after the release date), it should be available online at Ulta and Kohl's for $59.

♥What are the claims made on this palette?♥

These are the claims made on this palette as found on Ulta's website: "Go PRO with Lorac Mega PRO Palette 3! This limited edition PRO artistry palette is packed with 32 eye shadows in all the matte and shimmer shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from Hollywood. Lorac's velvety smooth shadows are ultra pigmented with maximum payoff to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO."

♥Does this palette have the same quality as the others in their pro series?♥

After playing around with this palette for the past week that I have had it, I can confidently say that the quality of the Mega Pro 3 Palette is overall just as smooth and buttery as the Lorac Pro Palette quality that many of us have come to know and love. However, there are a couple of shades that are noticeably drier to the touch than I am used to for Lorac's standards and they are Eggplant, Dk Navy, Hickory, Bark, and Jet Black. I was the most disappointed in Jet Black as it severely missed the mark. While Eggplant, Dk Navy, Hickory, and Bark were easily buildable despite being dry, Jet Black came off patchy and took a considerable amount of packing on the color or using it wet to get an even remotely decent black shade. As for all of the other 27 shades in the palette, they fully lived up to my expectations of what a Lorac Pro eyeshadow should be. 

♥How do the eyeshadows perform/wear?♥

In my opinion, the eyeshadows perform very well and the Lorac Pro eyeshadow formula is one of my favorites in the entire beauty industry. They are pigmented enough to give you buildable bold color payoff, but also easy to blend out in case you went a little overboard. The best part about the formula is that it is effortless and it doesn't take long to get the desired look. Moreover, I have found the eyeshadows to stay in place and not fade or roam into my crease even without the use of a  primer.

♥What are my overall thoughts on this product?♥

I feel like lately I have been extremely harsh on some of the products I review, but that is just because I want to be brutally honest with you all. I want you to be fully informed when making a purchase and investing your money in the product AND the brand. I believe that doing your own research as a consumer is a healthy and productive choice to be made by us all. That being said, it is a great feeling to be able to say wholeheartedly that I really do like and recommend this product. I know that neutral palettes come out every single day, but if you're generally a fan of Lorac shadows or would like an introduction, this is a great start that will inspire looks from both day to night and everything in between.

Makeup Deets

♥Brows - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe & Milani Brow Fix Kit in Light

♥Eyeshadow - Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette (Toffee, Maple, Hickory, & Bellini

♥Eyeliner - Inglot Gel Liner in 77

♥Lashes - Koko Lashes in Queen B

♥Foundation - Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 4

♥Concealer - La Girl HD Pro Conceal Concealer in Porcelain

♥Highlight - Nars Illuminator in Copacabana topped with Jouer Powder Highlighter in Citrine

♥Contour - Loreal Infallible Pro Contour Palette in Light

♥Bronzer - Loreal Glam Bronze in Medium

♥Blush - Rimmel Sculpting and Highlighting Kit in Coral Glow

♥Lips - ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Chi

XO♥

Splurge Or Purge? Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 20 Plush Eyeshadow Palette In About Last Night (Holiday 2016) Review

Marc Jacobs Beauty introduced their Style Eye Con No 20 Palettes during the Holiday 2015 season and, much to my disappointment, the color selection was just not for me. However, when the promotional photos were released for Holiday 2016, I was in awe at how stunning this year's palette is. Not only does the palette seem more inspired and cohesive than last year's, but it is also decked out in gold friggin' packaging. How luxe does that sound, am I right? Needless to say, I have been playing around with this palette for the last couple of weeks now and I am so surprised not to see more reviews on it. As this is a big splurge for most of us, hopefully this review will serve as a good source of information for those of you who have been eyeballing the heck out of it as much as I was.

Q&A's

♥What is the Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 20 Palette?♥

The Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 20 Palette in 'About Last Night' is the eyeshadow palette component of their limited edition Holiday 2016 season. The twenty eyeshadows are arranged in five columns (Award Show, Evening Swag, Afterparty, About Last Night, and Just Like Us) to provide the wearer with some combinations for inspiration as well as accompanying face charts. Unlike last year, this year's packaging comes in an old gold rendition of the traditional black Marc Jacobs packaging. It is exclusively sold at Sephora and retails for $99.

♥What are the shade descriptions for the eyeshadows in the palette?♥ 

Unfortunately, none of the shades in this palette have actual names. The shadows are, however, numbered from top to bottom and left to right by columns.
♥1 - ivory
♥2 - antique gold with green undertones
♥3 - true gold
♥4 - dark smokey purple
♥5 - medium warm brown with orange undertones
♥6 - rose gold with a hint of copper
♥7 - medium matte brown with gold micro glitter
♥8 - Dark charcoal brown
♥9 - light beige
♥10 - white with a blue shift
♥11 - gunmetal blue-grey
♥12 - dark smokey grey
♥13 - pastel lavender pink with a slight sheen
♥14 - taupe bronze
♥15 - medium taupe grey
♥16 - matte black with silver micro glitter
♥17 - champagne
♥18 - light mauve matte with silver micro glitter
♥19 - brown with a taupe-purple shift
♥20 - medium warm brown with a hint of mauve 

♥How do the shadows perform and wear?♥

Ever since I tried the Style Eye Con No 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in 'The Lolita', I have been a big fan of the Marc Jacobs shadow formula. While they are buttery smooth and pigmented, it is very hard to go overboard with them. The only thing missing, in my opinion, from the vast selection of shadows in this palette are his infamous chunky glitter shadows, which I was a fan of using as sparkly toppers. Also, while I never have an issue with the blendability and overall wear of Marc Jacobs' eyeshadows, on a day when my eyelids were particularly dry and had some texture, I did notice it took significantly longer for me to blend out my eyeshadow. Other than that, the eyeshadows perform extremely well and last all day on my lids without any irritation.

♥What are my final thoughts?♥

While $99 may seem like a splurge, when you consider that the Marc Jacobs seven-pan palettes are $59 a pop, these holiday palettes are actually a steal, especially for such a highend luxury brand. From the eyeshadow to the packaging, I think the quality and thought put into this palette is phenomenal. Above all else, however, my absolute favorite aspect about this palette is the versatility that can take you from day to night. The only thing missing is a lighter transition shade, but shade number five will suffice if you use a light hand. Honestly, I don't think anyone would be disappointed in the quality of these eyeshadows unless, as I mentioned before, you have dry textured lids. In that case, I would recommend using a very hydrating eye cream and a dimethicone-based eye primer to prep beforehand. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this palette to anyone wanting an introduction to Marc Jacobs eyeshadows or someone who simply wants to treat themselves this holiday.

Makeup Deets

♥Brows - Milani Brow Fix Kit in Light

♥Eyeshadow - Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 20 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in About Last Night (shades 5, 9, 13, 20, 8, & 2)

♥Eyeliner - Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Waterproof Eye Pencil in M-10

♥Lashes - Ardell Wispies in 600

♥Foundation - L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte in 103

♥Concealer - LA Girl Pro Conceal in Porcelain

♥Highlight - Nars Illuminator in Copacabana topped with Wet n Wild Highlighter in Hollywood Boulevard

♥Bronzer - L'Oreal Glam Bronze in Medium

♥Blush - Too Faced Love Flush Blush in I Will Always Love You

♥Lips - Essence Lip Liner in In The Nude and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Dolce

XO♥

Summer 2016 Metallic Lippie Trend: Milani Amore Mattallics Lip Cremes (Review + Swatches)

Summer 2016 is shaping up to be quite interesting as far as the beauty community is concerned. Last year saw a boom in the "strobing" or highlighting craze and, in case you thought that had went away, Milani is now bringing metallic lippies to a drugstore near you. This limited edition formula is actually part of their Amore line, so expect to still get that same matte texture with a little bit of a twist. These new Mattalics Lip Cremes have a fine micro shimmer throughout the formula giving the lips an intense metallic, wet sheen.

As luck would have it, I was at my local drugstore when the new Milani Amore Mattalics Lip Creme display was being placed on the shelves, so I had a complete visual of this limited edition line up. Truth be told, metallic lipstick might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is fun if you're feeling adventurous. In total there are eight shades to choose from, ranging from nude to a deeper purple. For the purpose of this review, I snagged up three of the shades in light, medium, and dark tones just to test the waters out.

Milani Amore Mattalics Lip Cremes in (Left to Right) Chromatic Addict, Matterialistic, and Raving Matte

Milani Amore Mattalics Lip Creme Swatches in (Left to Right) Chromatic Addict, Matterialistic, and Raving Matte

Q&A's

♥ What is this product? ♥

The Amore Mattallics Lip Cremes are matte liquid lipsticks with micro shimmer throughout that give them an ultra metallic finish. This limited edition collection contains eight shades, ranging from a nude to a dark purple with a strong emphasis on the mid-tone pinky lip colors. They are sold in drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens for $8.99.

♥ What claims does Milani make about this product? ♥

Straight from Milani's website, "Paint your pout with gilded glamour. Introducing 8 limited edition shades of new metallic matte liquid lip crème. Bold and richly pigmented, these metallic liquid lip colors shine with a soft luster and dry to a smooth matte finish—without drying out your lips. Waterproof and kiss-approved, each Amore Mattallics Lip Crème delivers up to 12 hours of wear. Remove with an oil-based longwear lip color remover." 

♥ How can you use this product? ♥ 

Depending on the shade you pick up, you can actually utilize these liquid lipsticks in multiple ways. If you're the daring type, wearing them all over your lips is sure to make a bold statement. However, I think the way I'll be getting the most use out of these beauties is as highlighting accents in the center of any matte pout to give it more interest. As far as application goes, the doe foot applicator is pretty standard. The applicator makes it fairly easy to apply the lipstick to all the curvatures of the lips and the flat portion of the doe foot allows the product to go on easily and very opaquely with the very first layer.

♥ How does the product wear? ♥

These Mattallics Lip Cremes dry incredibly quick (as in under a minute). That plus all the micro shimmer in the formula lends itself to a drier consistency. The lipstick starts off at a comfortable dryness, but soon gave me that sensation of needing to constantly lick my lips. Also interesting to note, while Milani claims the need to remove these lipsticks with an oil-based remover, it came off easily when I ate a non-greasy sandwich as well as when I used a basic baby wipe.

♥ How does the product compare to other liquid lipsticks? ♥ 

While there are quite a few metallic glosses out on the market, metallic liquid lipsticks are a relatively new trend, especially for the drugstore, so there's not much to compare it to. In terms of how it acts as a liquid lipstick, I feel like it is on par with the inherently dry nature of what a liquid lipstick is. That being said, I feel as though the application is easier and much more even than the majority of liquid lipsticks, which can sometimes require multiple coats to look decent. 

♥ What are my overall thoughts on the product? ♥ 

The Milani Amore Mattallics Lip Cremes are a good, new innovation for the drugstore. So what it comes down to is: do I think this is a product you absolutely need in your collection? No, I do not. But for the bold person who likes to strobe every part of their face or just someone looking to have fun with their makeup, this might just be the answer for that.

Makeup Deets

♥ Eyeshadow - Morphe 35O Palette

♥ Glitter Liner - Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Duo in Topaz Twinkle

♥ Lashes - Salon Perfect Demi Wispies

♥ Foundation - Fiona Stiles Matte Finish Foundation Concentrate

♥ Concealer - LA Girl Pro Conceal

♥ Brows - NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe

♥ Bronzer - Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder in Naked Dark

♥ Blush - Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Captivating

♥ Highlight - Wet n Wild MegaGlo Multi-Stick in Marigold Round topped with Wet n Wild MegaGlo Powder Highlighter in Precious Petals

♥ Lips - Ofra Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Brooklyn with Milani Amore Mattalics Lip Creme in Chromatic Addict in the center

XO♥

January 2016 Beauty Favorites

Welcome to my first ever favorites post! I've put off doing one of these because, while I love purchasing new makeup and beauty items, I'm also pretty faithful to my holy grails. Well, recently, that has changed and I've made some purchases that have bumped their way up to the tippy top of my list. Forewarning you, though, I definitely won't be doing these every month--only when I have some new and cool products to share with you all.


The first two products that I want to mention have been instrumental changes that I've made to my skin care routine. As we all know, if your skin isn't doing well, your makeup won't look good either, so as someone who suffers with acne, my routine is something I constantly have to work on. This Vanity Planet Mini Pro 360 Facial Cleansing Brush is a device that has been very much hyped up across social media and the only reason I decided to try it out is because using my hands with my cleanser just wasn't doing it for me in terms of really getting that deep clean after wearing a full face of makeup. I like this system because it comes with three brush heads (silicone, daily cleansing, and exfoliating), but my absolute favorite has to be the daily cleansing one. My skin has really visibly improved and my acne scarring has diminished significantly. In additon to using the cleansing brush, I also like to use a Comedone Extractor. This little torture device takes out all of the disgusting gunk that has been hiding in my pores, waiting to cause another break out.

Next up, there have been a ton of face products that I find myself reaching for every single time I do my makeup. If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I always use the Sephora Radiant Luminizing Drops in Ultralight for my highlight. It's such an affordable, versatile product that can be mixed in with foundation for an all-over glow or be used to create a subtle highlight on the high points of the face. For contouring I can really appreciate the ELF Contour Brush, a hidden gem that easily sculpts and blends out any product I'm using on my cheekbones. And talking about cheekbones, I've been obsessed with the Tarte Big Blush Book. I know it seems like I'm teasing you all because it's not available anymore, but I thought I would include it anyway because each of the blushes in this palette are available for purchase individually and (and this is a BIG and) there are rumors that Tarte will be coming out with more of these blush books in different combinations.

The last bits and bobs don't fit in any other category, but they were definitely necessary for me to include. Though I've already reviewed and demo'd the Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade, I figured I would reiterate how much I've been loving this for my brows, especially with a great, thin synthetic angled brush. Also, no look is complete without the perfect lippie combo. For those of you who prefer peachy nudes like I do, you will really enjoy the RK Matte Lipstick by Kiss. The range itself has a ton of shades and the formula is nice and creamy, yet long-wearing for such an affordable matte lipstick. However, if you find a nude lippie too stark against your skintone, the Maybelline Color Elixir Lipgloss in Nude Illusion is an excellent one to ground the shade.


XO♥

Incorporating Color Of The Year Into Your Makeup Pt. 2: Rose Quartz

Last week I went into great detail about why Pantone named two colors of the year -- the reasoning is actually quite interesting in my opinion. I also showed how you could use Serenity, a pastel blue, which is typically unwearable to most. Today I get to play around with my favorite of the two, Rose Quartz. While some have mistaken this shade as being similar to Rose Gold, it's actually not even close. Instead, it's a very pale, pastel pink--a very pretty, feminine shade and I think it will be very easy to incorporate into your wardrobe and accessories. However, just like Serenity, Rose Quartz is not necessarily so easy to include in your everyday makeup routine as it is an extremely light color. That being said, you know I got your back! I did a little research and played around with some items in my collection until I came up with four really easy, solid ways you could utilize this fab shade.

So as I said before, Rose Quartz is so dang light and because of this, it might be tricky for most skintones to pull it off. The easiest way that you can wear Rose Quartz in 2016 is quite obvious as everyone can rock rosey tones on their eyes. The Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette is the perfect way to find combinations for this trend that are super wearable and flirty. If you're tired of the same old boring eye looks, however, you can go a little more edgy by replacing your black eyeliner with the ELF Smudge Pot in "Ain't That Sweet?". You shouldn't be too worried at this looking overly dramatic since Rose Quartz is such a subtle shade. And for my super pale gals, you can actually get away with wearing it on your cheeks for a natural flushed look. While the Inglot Blush in 37 might be too light for most of us, it could still be usable as a nice subtle cheekbone highlight. And lastly, let's not forget about the lips. Pastel pinks are a dime-a-dozen as far as lippies are concerned. ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Midi can be paired with your fave nude lip liner to really ground the lip...and make sure you don't look like you were chomping down on some powdered donuts (we've all been there, don't sweat it).

Makeup Deets

♥ Eyeshadow - Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows in M-660, M-738, & M-846, Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Purple, & Lorac Pro Palette 2 (Plum)

♥ Liner - Nyx White Liquid Liner, Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (Dust), & Inglot Duraline

♥ Lashes - House of Lashes "Boudoir"

♥ Brows - Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in Brunette

♥ Foundation - L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte

♥ Concealer- LA Girl Pro Conceal

♥ Bronzer - Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder in Naked Dark

♥ Blush - Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Captivating

♥ Highlight - Sephora Radiant Luminizing Drops in Ultralight and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal

♥ Lips - Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina

XO♥

Incorporating Color Of The Year Into Your Makeup Pt. 1: Serenity

For the first time ever in the history of choosing Color of the Year, Pantone couldn't just settle on one. Instead, they chose two. "Why rock the boat?," you ask. Well, you might be a bit surprised at the answer. Rose Quartz, a pastel pink, and Serenity, a pastel blue, are often associated with the gender roles we place on babies and young children. As we're heading into an era when gender might become a thing of the past (in terms of fashion and roles), Pantone wanted us to challenge our use of colors in order to make equal and eliminate gender entirely. Also, Pantone would like us to think of Rose Quartz and Serenity as "yin and yang"--as a "balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace".

That's all good and dandy for the progression towards a more accepting and healthy society, but how the heck do we apply this to makeup?! It's much easier to get away with it through clothing, jewelry, and even nail polish, but no one wants to end up as a meme floating through the infinite span of the internet because of a darn trend. Luckily, I've come up with a couple of ways you might be able to incorporate Serenity into your wearable makeup routine.

Wearing blue makeup of any kind could easily make you look like you're stuck in the 80s, but it's not entirely impossible to pull off. One of the easiest ways to pair it with your current makeup style is by introducing it into your eyeliner routine as I have done in my makeup look for today's post. Now, if winged eyeliner is too bold for you, think about using it on your waterline or lower lash line as a pop of color. I like Inglot Gel Liners because they stay put all day and don't irritate my very sensitive eyes. Also, items like the Inglot Rainbow Eyeshadows are helpful because you have multiple tones of the same shade at your disposal. If baby blue is just too bright for you still, try going with its lighter cousin, icy blue. Icy blues like this Nyx Prismatic Shadow make for really fun inner corner highlights and that subtle tinge of blue makes the whites of your eyes look extra bright in case you've been pulling that all-nighter again. Lastly, and for the more daring of my fellow beauty addicts, there is a new trend that has crept up in the highlighting world and will definitely make its formal debut in 2016--and that is colorful highlights. I know, it sounds very scary, but there's a time and place for everything, right? A good way to experiment with such a fun trend is by using a duochrome eyeshadow or pigment as a cheekbone highlight like the ones in the MUFE Artist Shadow range, which reflects different colors depending on how the light is hitting you. So have fun and remember there are no rules to makeup!

Makeup Deets

♥ Eyeshadow - Too Faced x Vegas Nay Stardust Palette (Millenial, Girl's Night, Double Tap, Chandelier, & The Strip)

♥ Eyeliner - Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Eye Liner in Blackest Black & Inglot Gel Liners in # 70 & 77

♥ Lashes - House of Lashes "Boudoir"

♥ Foundation - Maybelline Dream Velvet

♥ Concealer - LA Girl Pro Conceal

♥ Brows - Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in Brunette

♥ Bronzer - Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder in Naked Dark

♥ Blush - Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio in Medium

♥ Highlight - Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights

♥ Lips - Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick in Taffy

XO♥