coastal scents order

I have always heard great things about Coastal Scents, but since I already know I am not into a bunch of colored eyeshadows I didn't think buying one of the 88 or 120 palettes would be beneficial to me. They were offering 50% off on face palettes and there were some I wanted to try without paying full price. This is what I ended up getting:

I purchased the Blush & Contour Palette as well as the Camoflauge Concealer Palette. I have read great reviews about both of these and thought they would be great to try. I also purchased two very similar blending brushes that are very reminiscent of the MAC 217. I have used all these products only once, but I am very impressed- especially for the price I paid. I truly can find uses for all of these products...even the dark concealers.

In the Blush & Contour Palette I use the lighter shades to set my under-eye concealer and of course the very darkest shade to contour my face. I also love the blush on the bottom row, all the way to the right (when looking at the picture). It is one of those perfect colors for a dark eye, with a little more mauve than I usually use.

I have to admit that the main reason I purchased the Camoflauge Concealer Palette is because I wanted a dark concealer to try an intense contour. I like the feel of these concealers and although they provide nice coverage they don't feel heavy on the face. Also, since I have been spray tanning my skin tone has been changing as the color fades and builds so I needed some extra concealer shades to mix together, so I could find the perfect color for my skin tone at that moment.

Best of all, I love the brushes! They are absolutely great for blending and even applying a light wash of color. I can't brag enough about these! And to add on, they weren't ridiculously expensive (SHOCKER). They are absolutely soft and didn't shed- even though I didn't wash them before use...shh don't tell.

Overall, this was a great order. I could not be more satisfied with my purchases! I'll let you know if my opinion changes as I use these products more, but I doubt that will happen. To add to the perfection, they added the most adorable wrapping paper (which you can see a glimpse of in the picture- I <3 makeup)...why do they not sell this in stores?! They also added an "I <3 makeup" bumper sticker (which I put on my laptop) along with some small eyeshadow samples. Perfection!

You can easily find all these products on coastalscents.com but if you need more elaboration or links, let me know in the comment section below! What Coastal Scents products do you use or have tried?

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

beauty samples 2

As I mentioned in a few blog posts, from some of the Sephora orders I received a lot of samples. Sometimes I think they are amazing, especially if the sample is decent sized! Here is what I tried this time around.

First, was the L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil. I really liked this a lot not only because it had an amazing scent but also because it made my skin feel amazing! It smelled like a combination of vanilla and coco butter and applied like an oil and then lathered with water. It was very moisturizing and I even felt like I didn't have to put on moisturizer after my shower- which is so important, especially in the winter months!

A sample I just got recently is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm. I have noticed that they have this whole "naked" thing going on, with the foundation, the new palette (the old palettes as well) and now this bb cream. The packaging, even on this sample, is very nice and consistent- which I like. I tried to find this on the website and I don't think they have released it yet. I applied it with my fingers and it was very sheer, but I was able to build the coverage by applying more layers. I tried to look for a shade, but couldn't find it...so I'm thinking it comes in only one which is probably not great. I do have a very light complexion so I'm not sure it would be suitable for someone who has the opposite.

Next were the Bamboo Shine Luminous Shine Shampoo and Conditioner. I really enjoyed these. They had a really nice clean scent that smelled like the outdoors, but in a good way. The shampoo didn't foam as much as I like but in its place were no sulfates or parabens (which I have heard is bad for your hair). The conditioner left my hair soft and very easy to manage.

On the bottom row, I have Too Faced Shadow Insurance which I already talked about in this post. The last two are face products, starting with Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm. First I noticed that it only comes in one shade, which is absolutely laughable. These products really need to meet the needs of everyone(!) and there is no way one shade fits all...I think all these high-end bb creams are the same and really not worth it.

Lastly is the bareMinerals Ready SPF 20 Foundation. I think this is supposed to be their mineral foundation in a pressed compact. Although I have used the loose powder it was a while ago so I can't really compare their coverage. I would say this had light coverage but was buildable. The problem with these sized samples is that they aren't enough for the whole face and can barely tell you if you will like this product.

Overall, the only thin I would actually purchase is the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. However, I usually get these with eyeshadow purchases so I don't worry. A bit disappointed at the size of the samples, but I guess that's just how they come!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

dark lips

Some pictures in this post were lost. I apologize if that makes this post difficult to understand, however I didn't want to delete it so you would still be able to refer to it.

I have seen the purple/deep red lipstick really come into fashion this holiday season and the more dark lips I was seeing, the more I wanted to try it. You may already know that I like to stick to my baby pinks and nudes, but this was something I did want to take a shot at. I wanted to go for a drugstore lipstick first since I didn't really know if I was going to like it.

The lipstick I used was Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry. The picture doesn't really show the true color. It is a bit darker and has more red than the picture shows. (Lately, the weather has been pretty crappy so I am not really able to use natural light.)

I applied it very quickly- and then ended up taking it off- so I didn't follow all the steps I usually would with a dark lip color. I would first scrub my lips, either with a lip exfoliator or toothbrush, and then apply lip balm to moisturize the lips. After about 5 minutes, or longer if possible, I would wipe away the lip balm and then line my lips. I don't think you have to use a liner in the same color as your lipstick, just something to create a frame for the lips. I would then slowly apply the lipstick since dark shades usually stain the skin.

I really enjoyed how the color looked, especially since I had a very light eye. I was wearing a lot of black though, which made me look somewhat gothic. Once I find an outfit I am comfortable wearing this lipstick in, I will definitely rock it because the color is beautiful!

What dark lip colors have y'all been sporting lately? What are you favorite lip colors? Let me know in the comment section!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

dark smokey eye

Some pictures in this post were lost. I apologize if that makes this post difficult to understand, however I didn't want to delete it so you would still be able to refer to it.

Lately I have been loving combining my Lorac Pro Palette along with Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette to create a perfect smokey eye. I wore this dark smokey eye last week when I cheered at Madison Square Garden. It did require some time, but I really liked how it came out.

First I started with an eye primer, which is a necessity to me. I then took the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk and put that on the first half of my eye- to brighten this area. I then blended that in and added the shade White from the Pro Palette over the area where I applied the jumbo eye pencil. I have found this method in particular makes the lightest areas of a smokey eye stand out more.

Next, I took a piece of tape (removed some of the tackyness) and placed it from the outer corner of my eye to the edge of my eyebrow, so it layed somewhat on my cheek bone. This is to create a more defined line. I then took the shade Verve from the Naked 2 Palette and applied that in the center of the lid and then took Pistol to the outer corner and under the eyelid. Lastly, I took Blackout from that same palette in the outer corner and under the eye. I also blended this into the crease.

Lastly, I needed something to blend out the black, so I took YDK and blended that at the edges of the black. You then can add any highlight shade to the inner corner and brow bone to highlight those areas. I used Bootycall from the Naked 2 Palette since it was handy.

Then I removed the tape and had a much harsher line than I wanted, so I used a clean shadow brush to fade it out a bit and then added concealer to areas that needed touching up. You can add lashes and liner- which I did- however you like it best.

I hope you enjoyed this look, I know I did. I feel like I sometimes use a lot of eyeshadows at once, but that's what gives my looks dimension! Let me know if you tried this look and share your pics in the comment section below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina