Review: LORAC Pro Palette

I'm here to review the LORAC Pro Palette and I got this as a Christmas gift. I have been so interested in this palette ever since it was released but it just took a while for me to get my hands on it. 

Here is the packaging, I tried to use natural light but it came out too bright. However, the box is beautiful and it is all glittery which is a great touch. On the back it even offers tips for what colors to use together. 

For how thick the box was, I was astonished at how thin the palette was. It is maybe about an inch, possibly shorter. It is a rubber like outside too which is nice, and may get a little dirty but it is such a smooth surface that it is easy to clean. 

The palette comes with 16 colors, half matte and half shimmer. They are gorgeous! The above picture is in natural light. There are a few colors that are similar between the matte and shimmers but I like that not every color has a match. For example, the darkest matte color is black but the shimmer's darkest color is a slate blue. 

Here is the palette with lamp lighting, and I actually think it is more true to color here than in natural lighting. I will tell you right now, I am so in love with this palette. I will even go as far to say that I love it more than both Urban Decay Naked palettes! 

Above are the matte colors swatched on my hand and get this...without a primer! That white is incredible! The mattes are true to color and the color payoff is outstanding. 

Here are the shimmer colors and they are just as impressive. The shimmer is great and there is only one color with slightly chunkier shimmer. That color I believe is champagne, but it is easily worked with. 

This palette is hands down my favorite eyeshadow palette EVER. The shadows are so creamy and pigmented and while you do get a little dust from putting your brush in it it is worth every penny. It also comes with a small tube of the Mini Behind the Scenes Eye Shadow Primer (.17 oz). It has a slight skin tone tint to it but it is a pretty good primer. 

Each eyeshadow is .32 oz and something I love with this is that it has no parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs or triclosan! I did get that off Sephora's website but it is so nice to see a company do that with a product like eyeshadows. 

The palette sells at Sephora for $42 (a $110 value). 

10.12.12 Haul!

Happy Friday everyone! Someone went shopping today and I thought I'd kick off the weekend with a haul post! 

First up, are these flats from Old Navy - yeah, you read that right. I was a little shocked too that something this cute existed but I'm only just rediscovering a like for Old Navy again. These are tortoise colored pointed flats. The only downfall to these is I'm a 6.5 and they only had a 6 or a 7. Also, they are a little flimsy feeling but honestly I don't wear "nice shoes" all that often so they'll last me a while.

 

Also at Old Navy, I picked up some new socks! I literally have no socks so I figured with the cold weather it might be a good idea. I picked up two packs, one that is all light grey colored and one that has a polka dotted pair, a black pair and an argyle patterned pair. 

I also got a plain white vintage tee because that is just a classic staple to have in your closet and then I got a black beanie! I really love the beanie look and I haven't found any good ones for a while so I picked this one up right away. 

I stopped in at Aldo because I had seen this pair of oxfords and I immediately had to have them. I knew that I loved the style and that I would wear them a lot. The problem is a lot of brands are making their oxfords very flashy or with multiple colors. There are some that do the classic style but then put a neon stripe around the sole...not what I wanted. 

At $40 these were amazing - only problem..they didn't have my size and I had to order them so I have to wait before I can wear them. 

The light makes me look way too yellow, I need to take a picture outside and put that one up.

So if you haven't guessed, I did in fact stop in Sephora and I probably took six laps around that place. It is truly a dangerous store for me :) I was good though and only bought two things. The first is a new foundation, and I am only just getting on the bandwagon now. The Make Up Forever HD Foundation has been out for ages but I never really thought it'd do anything different. 

I've only tried it once but I do really enjoy this. It is a little watery but so moisturizing, which was what I was looking for. In the cold weather my skin gets much drier and things look too powdery and dry on my face. This has been great so far. I am the color N 125 for anyone wanting to compare. 

 Then I picked up the regimen set by Korres called the Wild Rose Brightening Skincare Set. It is made for Normal and Dry Skin which is both categories I tend to fall into. I've used the 24-hour Moisturizing and Brightening Cream and I love it. So hopefully, I've found my new cleanser and moisturizer!

My final purchase for the day happened by accident. My main goal for going to the mall was to buy those oxfords and find boots. I knew exactly the kind I wanted too, black, with a little slouch to them and with no heel. Essentially, I wanted motorcycle styled boots but they were no where to be found. Apparently, the style right now is riding boots or high heeled boots.

So as I walked through JCPenny to leave I gave a look at the show section and I found these boots, and they did have black but I actually liked the deep brown better. 

Hope you enjoyed! Have a good weekend!

NOTD & OOTD

We have a nail of the day and an outfit of the day to share! First up, I just did my nails and I actually really like them! I used Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails in Grey Area on all my nails and then OPI's Shiny Dancer which is a shimmery navy blue over the Grey Area only on my thumb and ring finger.

Sorry about the shine, I was right near a lamp

Then for my outfit, I decided to go a little Summery for this final day of summer:

This is a pink oxford shirt from Old Navy and then a pair of white shorts I got from Hollister a few years ago. Can't believe they still fit! I haven't gone out today so I'll probably just throw on some brown sandals when I go out later :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Love/Hate Review: St.Tropez Bronzing Mousse

Today I am going to review the St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse for you guys, but beware this is no ordinary review. I've been using this for probably two weeks now and I have such a strong love/hate relationship with this product. No joke.

First let's start with the details - you can buy it at Sephora or at St.Tropez's website. I went to Sephora and I bought the 8oz bottle for $40. Yeah, I know, it is an investment. I will say this though, if you go to St. Tropez's website, no matter where you bought it, they have great videos on how to use all the products in their line.

Okay so here is the good stuff about this product:
- The smell isn't that terrible. They say they have some fancy technology called Aromaguard that helps with that.
- The color is GORGEOUS. I knew that going in, St.Tropez was considered one of the best for self-tanning. The mousse comes out this dark deep brown and to a girl who is pretty pale, that is down right terrifying.
- If you use the applicator glove then it really helps putting this stuff on, it is fool proof though because you can see where you're going and if you go over a spot more than once it is okay. It is only spotty if you miss a spot.
- The color isn't too dark for someone who has lighter skin. Usually, when you have a tan people are always complimenting it or saying their jealous...I didn't get any of that, which I think was a good thing. It wasn't too in your face.

The bad news about this stuff:
-If you're sensitive to smell then you'll probably hate it. I'm pretty sensitive to everything and while it wasn't bad compared to other tanners...it still wasn't great.
- The sticky feeling you get is horrendous. I felt like anything I touched was going to cling to me! There is no transfer of color but I felt so gross!
- You have to wait 4 hours before showering or sweating...that was torture.
-It is expensive....
- If you miss a spot...it is really noticeable.
- The glove is not precise. There was a lot of splotches on my arms in particular, where the skin was thinnest. The application went on even but one you showered the color came off more in some areas.
- It is a ton of work! You have to spread it over your body, you can't rub it in or else it just dissipates!

So in the end this thing is going back. I love the color payoff but the hassle and the stickiness is just not worth it. I would like my $40 back please!

June Birchbox

I'm back with my June Birchbox! I know, I've been absent but you can thank my summer classes for that one! I'm almost done with the school year in terms of work so hopefully, I will have a little more free time.

So let's get started! This box's theme was travel and being a jet setter....something I am not haha I really haven't been on a true vacation. My first and only was to Puerto Rico for my dad's work and I was probably six at the time!

First up, is Stainiac by The Balm. It is a cheek and lip tint in the color beauty queen. It is a berry red color, very pretty and the swatch on my hand is faded but still there even 9 hours later. I've never tried any of The Balm's products but I hope now that I have this, maybe they'll send more! Full size - $17.00.

Next is Coola mineral face sunblock in cucumber. Cucumber is a hit or miss smell for me, so we'll see about this. I'm intrigued by the mineral part of this, I'm not sure if it will be any different from a regular sunscreen. What I do love though is that it is certified organic and it is spf 30. Can't wait to try this! Full size - $36.00.

This is a scent that I've heard about over and over and never was interested in trying. It is the signature scent by Juicy Couture. It says that it is a blend of sweet and floral notes. I do like floral, but it is usually Jasmine or Rose or something sexy like that. It has a little of that, but it is a bit too strong for me. I'm sure I'll use it just because it only takes 10 sprays to get rid of the sample, but other than that, I am not a fan. Full size - $69.00 - $89.00.

This is an iffy product for me. It is the One Step Bronze by Stila. While I am impressed that it was a full size product at 1 oz, there is one thing I really hate about it - it has too much shimmer in it. It looked like I had stuck my hand in a bucket full of shimmer after I rubbed this in. Not to mention the color is dark. However, the idea for this is cool. It is a bronzer, primer, and serum all in one. It is also supposed to help with oil control. I think it is extremely moisturizing which is awesome. However, it is pretty dark for me and I really don't think even foundation would help hide the shimmer overload. On the card it says 3 masks for $36...I think it was a misprint because it makes no sense! On Sephora it is $36.00 for the full size which is 1 oz.

This bag here is the lifestyle extra for June - a bag by tili. It says these are great for traveling and going through airports! Again, I would know because I've only been on a plane once but this is such a cute bag! You can get a pack of 9 -12 for $8.49 - $9.49.

Sephora + Pantone Universe

So if you've been in a Sephora lately, then you know about the Sephora/Pantone partnership that has resulted in a line of products celebrating the color of the year: Tangerine Tango. There are make-up brushes, eye shadows, blush, lip colors, and nail polish.

Well get ready because they just one-upped that whole line. They have come out with an eyeshadow palette called the Shades of Nature Eye Shadow Palette.

Is that not gorgeous?!? Well, I bought mine and just received it and I'm in love. First off the packaging comes off very Apple-esque. White box, white palette, and it is so pretty!

The packaging is perfect. The weight isn't too heavy and I don't feel like it is so light I'll just toss it. The closure is magnetic, not a strong one so be careful if you travel with this. I would put a rubber band around it just in case.

The colors are to die for, the range is so perfect and the color pay off is more than I expected. What I like is there are a few shades of each color, a few greens, a few purples, etc. What is awesome, is they put a plastic cover in that has all of the color's Pantone numbers. Very clever.

I did a few swatches above and they are so pigmented! What is probably the most attractive thing is that there are matte and shimmer colors, neutral and bright color. However, the bright colors are colors that anyone could really pull off; even if you just used them as eyeliners!

I am so incredibly happy I got this palette, it is like the only thing I need now for eye shadows!

Sephora $55.00

Super Quick Haul!

Hey hey everyone! So today I got to see my best friend Sarah! She just graduated from college and she got back into town like a few days ago. We went out and got a few drinks and I ate (because when am I not hungry? haha), and then we went around the mall and we bought a few things!

First from Sephora....

 The Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion. Oh my goodness, can I just say this is the most pigmented black liner I've ever seen. A lot of times other liners will dry a grey/black, but this was perfection. The other thing I love about this is, when they say waterproof...they mean waterproof. That sucker was not going anywhere!

Then I also picked up Stila's Smudge Crayon in Antique. Sadly this picture does no justice to the color. It comes off more gold, but it has much more pink in the color too. It honestly looks like rose gold in cream shadow form. It is gorgeous!

 Then, I was with my mom in Sephora a while ago and I had remembered there was a self-adjusting product she wanted to try but there were none left. Well, I picked up the Stila Custom Color Blush in Sheer Pink. When I got home though, she reminded me that she was looking at the Dior Addict Lip Glow, that adjusts to your skin tone. Oops! Well, she's still going to try the blush and I hope she likes it! I can always do an exchange though :)

< This!


Not this! >










We also stopped in H&M for a while and I bought two shirts. I'm not sure if I'm keeping the blue one, because I saw a shirt in another store I loved, but we'll see! The button down is really soft, I'm just worried if it will hold up in the wash or not. The blue blouse is sheer which I love but I don't know if I'm in love with the pattern. I'm thinking of wearing it tomorrow, so maybe I'll do an outfit of the day!?