Lorac Pirates of the Caribbean; 4 looks one palette & review!

Let me start this by saying two things. 1.) When I first saw this drop I had no intention of purchasing it but then I saw it in person and understood 2.) Lorac makes my single favorite eyeshadow formula of all time

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This palette retails for $52 but was on sale at Ulta last week for $41. I used Kohls cash (that my mom graciously gifted to me) to purchase mine. The packaging is large, clunky cardboard reminiscent of old school Urban Decay palettes. The eyeshadow palette contains a slit on the side to store the blush/highlighter palette if you decide to purchase that as well (they’re not sold together).

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This palette contains 18 eyeshadow shades and one mini eyeliner. This eyeliner is AMAZING. I kid you not it’s the best eyeliner I have EVER tried in my waterline. I was so, so surprised, as I’ve never tried any of loracs eyeliners or mascaras but boy will I be in the future.

This is a very cool toned eyeshadow palette and I am loving that, as I have a very cool complexion so these shades have been so flattering and so fun to play with. I’ve been infatuated with warm tones lately so it’s been fun to go back to my tried and true.

My favorite of the shadow shades are: silvermist, pirates chest, sea haze, silent mary and black pearl.

 

Above are my two favorite looks I created. This palette is fantastic for cool-toned smokey looks. I was able to create a silvery blue smokey eye with silver mist, yo ho, black pearl and silent mary and I was also able to create a green smokey eye using bones, sea haze, menace and ghostly. I LOVE these two looks and can’t wait to wear both of them again. Lip color on the left is Colourpop Clueless and the lip color on the right is Smashbox gloss in Pulse.

This next look was a very nice, wearable look that I rather enjoyed. I used the shades pirates chest, matey and compass. Lip color is Bite lip pencil in beige nude with a gloss over it.

For my final wearable look I used treasure, bones and tell no tales. I actually enjoyed this look far more in person that the way it photographed. Lip color is Nars Dragon Girl.

 

Overall, I really love this palette. It’s extremely versatile and it has been very easy to travel with. I also love the convenience of being able to store the blush palette (which I also purchased) in it so that I have a large number of my powdered face products all together. The large mirror is also very nice (there is also a nice mirror on the blush palette). Like most Lorac shadows they kick up up a bit of powder, but noticeably less than the Lorac Pro palette. These shadows are well pigmented and perform well. They hold for longer when used with a primer and or concealer on the lids (do note that I have very oily eyelids). I did find that sea haze performed far better with I sprayed some Maybeline master fix on my brush before picking it up and it was quite stunning foiled.

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Swatches in the same order shadows are in the palette starting at the top left. 

I heard that this didn’t get the greatest reviews but I rather disagree. I find this to be an excellent and very versatile palette. It has proven to be travel friendly and able to create a variety of looks for day and night (dates, work, shopping days, etc). If this is something you’ve been on the fence about I’d say if you enjoy cool tones and the Lorac shadow formula and don’t mind bulky packaging then I’d say absolutely pick this up! It’s excellent quality and fun! This is the most inspired I’ve felt by a makeup item in a long time and I didn’t even think it was something I wanted at first.

 

That’s all for now!

 

XO

-A

Special Occasion Makeup; A Spring Wedding Guest Look!

 

For me this seems to be the year of exactly four hundred thousand weddings. Okay, four as a guest and one as an artist (that I know of so far) but that’s a lot! The first of the year was my cousin’s wedding in April. She got married on a Saturday in a stunning Catholic Church. Here is the look I created for that occasion. I’m honestly in love with it and plan on doing variations of this look for the rest of the spring/summer weddings. Although, I’m a bridesmaid in the next wedding on the books so I will probably tweak more to theme.

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Here are the products I used:

Glamglow moisturizer in Nude Glow

Lancome Teinte Idole foundation in light bisque

Maybeline Age Rewind concealer in Brightener

Benefit Erase Paste in shade 2

Lorac I love brunch palette (Jelly donut, sorbet and pancakes).

Lancome Art Liner

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Soft Brown

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush from the 2016 holiday palette (the tan/peachy shade).

Laura Gellar Gilded Honey Highlight

Covergirl Supersizer mascara layered with YSL The Shock mascara

Rimmel Provacalips in Wish Upon A Berry

Maybeline Master Fix Setting Spray

Here’s a pic of my outfit and my oh, so handsome date. Doesn’t he look thrilled? Lol.

This look lasted all day through a long drive, ceremony, dinner, rain, etc. Unfortunately, we had to leave before dancing but I have confidence it would’ve lasted fairly well, as well as any full face can when you’re moving your body.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day and a very fun day as well! Can’t wait for the next wedding (ahh and bachelorette party in Chicago ) coming up here very soon!! Eek! My best friend is getting married; I’m so excited!!

XO

-A

Face of the Day-New Years Eve

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Here’s What I used to create this look:

L’Oreal Magic Lumi primer.  $12.99

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit in fair as foundation and concealer.  $40

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in soft brown. $23

Lorac Mega Pro 3 palette. I used the shades glacier, deep fog and mist. $60

Lancome Art-liner $30.50 and Hypnose Drama Mascara.  $27.50

Besame cosmetics lipstick in American Beauty. $22

Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow for blush, bronzer and highlight. $42

I set the whole face with Urban Decay All Nighter spray.  $15

 

Top 16 Beauty Picks of 2016

1.) Lorac Pro Eyeshadow (Eyeshadow). $44
Smoother than a baby’s bottom. 

I could gush about this eyeshadow formula for ages! These do kick up quite a bit of powder, but the way they blend like butter is well worth a little kick-up. I love the Lorac Pro original the most, as I find it the most versatile for every day. If you’ve been debating picking this palette up for a while, go ahead and take the plunge!

2.) Regis Hydrating Balm (Hair Mask). $15
A real tall drink of water. 

I don’t even have words for how incredible this makes my hair look. I have really thick, dry hair. It gets knotted and dry and damaged looking rather quickly from heat styling or hair coloring. I had been having serious split ends and a huge problem with my ahir looking dry and straw like. This was recommended to me by a stylist at a Regis salon and oh my gosh does it work. The stylist told me I could use it as a daily conditioner or as a mask I leave on for about 15 minutes at a time. I choose to use it a few times a week as a mask and the day after I use this (since I shower in the evening) my hair always, without a doubt, looks healthy, hydrated and just plain phenomenal!

3.) Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (Body Scrub). $16
Seriously smooth skin. 

Not only does this smell lovely but it has the perfect size scrub exfoliants and is just the right balance of abrasive and gentle. The only thing I would change is I would put it in a squeeze tube, rather than a tub. A tub is hard to get in and out of while showering.

4.) Juliette Has A Gun-Not A Perfume (Fragrance). $28 for travel size
Simply scent-sational.

I got this fragrance as a deluxe sample in I believe a Birchbox earlier this year. I have never gotten so many compliments when wearing a fragrance before, I always feel so lovely and flattered when I spray this on. It is made of only one element Ambroxan/Cetalox. Supposedly this means the fragrance smells different on everyone, on me it is light and fresh with a slight musk and I love it!

Read more about Ambroxan/Cetalox 

5.) Glamglow Super Mud (Face Mask) $69
Clear as day. 

I know this stuff has quite the hefty price tag ( but you can find it for less than $69 if you do a little digging) but trust me when I tell you it’s worth it! I’ve used this both as a face mask and as a spot treatment.

6.) Maybeline Age Rewind Concealer-Brightener Version (Concealer) $8.99
The bright of your eye. 

Wow! This concealer has made all the difference for me. I have huge blue-black dark circles under my eyes (because I’m a vampire, duh) and this beautiful pink-toned concealer color corrects and makes me look awake and alive! This stuff is budget friendly and incredible.

7.) Estee Lauder Double Wear (Foundation) $39.50
Poreless perfection. 

This is a beautiful coverage that never looks heavy or ages the skin. I have rather dry skin myself and this foundation makes my face look airbrushed.

8.) Conair Infiniti hair straightener (Hair Tool) $33.99
From groove to smooth. 

I got this as a gift from my fiancé at the beginning of the year and wow is this incredible! It gets really hot and straightens every little bit of hair. My hair has never been straighter or smoother. I’ve had many high-end straighteners (Chi’s) that didn’t last nearly as long or perform nearly as well as this!

9.) Goody Tanglefix (Hair brush) $5.98
No more knots. 

I don’t know what to say other than I love this! It takes all the knots right out of my hair with ease. I find this best to use on my wet hair (blasphemous, I know) an it leaves my hair tangle free the next day when I go to style it! An excellent little brush that lives up to it’s name.

10.) Makeup Monsters Liquid Lipsticks (liquid lipstick) $15
Scary long-lasting. 

Eat, drink, laugh, this liquid lipstick is not going anywhere. Not only is the liquid lipstick long-lasting and opaque. It’s also reasonably priced and has the cutest packaging! You can grab two of these for the cost of many high end liquid lipsticks!

11.) Kat Von D Tattoo liner (Eyeliner) $19
Ink that stays. 

This liner is all in the name! It really doesn’t budge and has full opacity at first swipe. It stays all day without smudging, living up to it’s “tattoo liner” name.

12.) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (Highlighter) $46
Stunning sheen. 

I swear these powders can do no wrong. My sweet fiancé bought me the palette trio of these powders for our anniversary and holy cannoli are they gorgeous! They add just the right amount of luminosity to your face without being glittery or shiny. If you’re like me and have texture on your skin, these powders are for you!

13.) Maybeline Lasting Draw (Colored Eyeliner) $7.99
Courageous color. 

Most of the time I like simple black liner, usually with a wing but when I want to change things up these colored liners are so much fun! They stay beautifully on your waterline and are creamy enough to glide on with ease. The perfect liners to transform a look!

14.) Biore Deep Pore Charcol Cleanser (Skincare) $5.99
A real cool clean. 

This cleanser has a cooling effect on your face that really leaves it feeling clean and refreshed. Even when I was changing diets and medications that usually effect my skin this cleanser kept everything clear and beautiful. You can’t beat it for the price!

15.) Maybeline Better Skin Pressed Powder (Powder) $8.99
Fearlessly flawless. 

Wow! I can’t even believe this is a drugstore powder. It’s very finely milled and glides onto the skin with ease, leaving such a beautiful finish. It’s also not heavy and does not leave the skin looking cakey. Definitely invest in this powder if you’re in the market for one.

16.) Covergirl Supersizer Mascara $6.99
Supersize your lashes. 

Even if you already have long, voluminous lashes like I have been blessed with, this mascara will enchant your lashes. This mascara is magical. I was skeptical because I’m usually a fan of a larger brush and this one is really slim but it really just performs so beautifully.