Category Archives: Makeup

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows (My Collection – Swatches & Review)

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows

There are some makeup items in this world that inspire rabid obsessiveness in me… and the Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows are one of those.

It all started rather innocently with this single Glitter & Glow in Kitten Karma that I was sent  by PR many moons ago (see that full review from 2017 here). I loved it upon initial application. I was astounded by how easily the applicator applied the product (so precisely and so opaquely!), impressed by how solid the glitter intensity was, and ultimately floored that no one, until now, had created a product as miraculous as this one.

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows

Of course, then I had a real damn problem.

I. Wanted. All. Of. Them.

These beautiful little packages of glitter heaven are $31 CAD/$24 USD apiece and I started buying them at every opportunity. I bought them at IMATS (I think I got a few of them at $10 each then!), I bought them at Sephora (at full price and during their sales) and even picking a few up at BeautyBoutique.ca. They are not cheap, but they are worth every single penny of the price tag as I have never found an easier to apply glitter product before.

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows

So here we are – it’s a year later and I now own 11 of these beauties and I love them dearly. I used to have 12, but I ended up giving away one shade because it turned out to be so unlike all the others I had. The shade in question is Molten Midnight (black with silver sparkle) – beautiful to be sure, but it creased on me like nothing else. This was a shock as none of the other shades had done this to me! So I gave it away because I knew I would never use it. The rest of the shades though? They’re flawless!

Stila Glitter & Glow Applicator
Stila Glitter & Glow Applicator

It’s absolutely wild to be me that this simple flat doe foot applicator works so well to apply the product! I can use this little guy to apply the product opaquely to my eye and then turn it on its side and use the narrow side to feather/blend it out into my eyeshadow.

One thing not to be confused about with these is that Stila makes a Glitter & Glow product (which is what’s featured in this review), but they also make one called a Shimmer & Glow and it’s in identical packaging. Even more curious is that I feel like the consistency is not equal across all the Glitter & Glows. While some of them pack a TON of glitter, there are others in here that I would quantify as more of a shimmer (more specifically, I feel like Enchantress, Sea Siren and Into The Blue have very little glitter and far more shimmer). This can make for a bit of a confusing product – I personally love the glitter aspect and therefore expect glitter in these products, but that isn’t always exactly what you’re getting. Let’s take a look at some swatches so I can show you what I mean.

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Perlina, Diamond Dust and Gold Goddess - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Perlina, Diamond Dust and Gold Goddess – swatched

The three pictured above are the ones that definitely have the most glitter in them, which makes them hella hard to photograph (for me anyway).

  • Perlina is more of a translucent base with white glitter particles that shimmer cool colours (teal, purple, pink). Oddly, Perlina fits under their “Metallic finish” under their Glitter & Glow range, and yet it’s definitely more glitter than metallic.
  • Diamond Dust is a beautiful silver with probably the MOST glitter in it in out of all of the ones I own. It also reflects a rainbow of colours when looked at indirectly/out of focus.
  • Gold Goddess is a soft pale gold that is pure gold glitter.
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Perlina, Diamond Dust and Gold Goddess - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Perlina, Diamond Dust and Gold Goddess – swatched

To see the colouring a bit better, I took these photos from an angle instead of straight on. You can see the glitter particles in more detail and the difference in the colours is a bit more identifiable this way.

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Gypsy, Sea Siren and Into The Blue - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Gypsy, Sea Siren and Into The Blue – swatched

Some of the newer releases tend to have more shimmer in them (despite being classified as Glitter & Glow), so I’m not really sure what’s going on with the formula difference, but these are still incredibly pretty!

  • Gypsy is a beautiful lilac with pink pearl. This one has more shimmer than glitter in my opinion.
  • Sea Siren fits in their metallic category of Glitter & Glow and it’s definitely more of a metallic duochrome that shifts purple or teal depending on the angle the shade is viewed at.
  • Into The Blue is another metallic and it looks super blue in some lighting and very purple in others.
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Gypsy, Sea Siren and Into The Blue - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Gypsy, Sea Siren and Into The Blue – swatched

Change the angle of the shot and you can see just how much Gypsy transforms! Isn’t that colour wild?? Sea Siren and Into The Blue also show their shade range when you bend the colour around my arm such as in these swatches, which would be similar to the bend in your eye (granted, your eye is a smaller surface).

Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Smoky Storm, Kitten Karma, Enchantress, Rose Gold Retro and Smoldering Satin - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Smoky Storm, Kitten Karma, Enchantress, Rose Gold Retro and Smoldering Satin – swatched

If you’re looking for some glitter without going for straight up colour, Stila does make a TON of nude and neutral shades for you to choose from. For the most part it’s a nude base with silver glitter thrown in.

  • Smoky Storm is a light pewter with silver glitter.
  • Kitten Karma is a champagne with silver glitter.
  • Enchantress is listed as a peach with bright gold pearl on Sephora’s site, but to me it’s a pink with silver glitter.
  • Rose Gold Retro is a copper with silver glitter.
  • Smoldering Satin is a medium brown with silver glitter.
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Smoky Storm, Kitten Karma, Enchantress, Rose Gold Retro and Smoldering Satin - swatched
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Smoky Storm, Kitten Karma, Enchantress, Rose Gold Retro and Smoldering Satin – swatched

When you change the angle on these the colour shift isn’t really there as these aren’t duochromatic shades like the first ones I swatched. What’s neat about these is that you basically choose what colour base you like most, and then go with that shade.

To see these products in action, I do have two videos you can check out if you want to see how I use them.

The video above uses Into The Blue.

The video above uses Smoky Storm.

Final Thoughts

Although I’ve reviewed one shade before, I had to update you on just how much I love this range. Every time I get an opportunity I pick up yet another Glitter & Glow, and I think that speaks volumes. This formula is truly groundbreaking for the beauty industry! I hope that Stila continues to put out more and more of them – I’d particularly like to see them put out more colourful shades in the Glitter range (they’ve added a few colourful shades to the Shimmer line, but I’m not interested in those – I want glitter!). If you’re looking for an easy way to apply glitter, then don’t look any further than this. You won’t have to deal with loose glitter and you don’t need a specific glitter primer either – my regular ole eyeshadow primer works just fine for these!

The Stila Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadows can be purchased at sephora.ca for $31 CAD each or on sephora.com for $24 USD each.

I believe I was gifted Kitten Karma, Enchantress and Smoky Storm, the rest I purchased myself. Post contains affiliate links.

Swatch Sunday: Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms

Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms

Seemingly out of nowhere, Smashbox added a new Cover Shot palette to their lineup: Pinks + Palms!Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms

Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + PalmsLike all the other palettes in this range, it’s a small compact palette with 8 shades. What I like about these palettes is that they provide a variety of shades for a lower price point – something that is desperately needed more and more in the beauty industry.

Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms
Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms

Smashbox Cover Shot Pinks + Palms Swatches

Smashbox - Borrowed Bling
Smashbox – Borrowed Bling
Smashbox - 72 & Sunny
Smashbox – 72 & Sunny
Smashbox - Fro-Yo
Smashbox – Fro-Yo
Smashbox - Flamingo Pink
Smashbox – Flamingo Pink
Smashbox - Wtfuchsia
Smashbox – Wtfuchsia
Smashbox - Party Pants
Smashbox – Party Pants
Smashbox - Melon Baller
Smashbox – Melon Baller
Smashbox - Palm Print
Smashbox – Palm Print

The Smashbox Cover Shot palette in Pinks + Palms is available at sephora.ca for $35 CAD and on sephora.com for $29 USD.

This post contains affiliate links.

Wet n Wild Summer 2018 Collection – Flights of Fancy (Review, Swatches & Looks)

Wets n Wild - Flights of Fancy

There is nothing that gets me more excited in drugstore makeup than a brand new limited edition Wet n Wild collection. Not only are the prices good, but I feel like Wet n Wild also takes risks and tries new things out with these collections which just makes it all the more exciting.

Wets n Wild - Flights of Fancy
Wets n Wild – Flights of Fancy

Their latest is the Summer 2018 collection – Flights of Fancy. Wet n Wild springboarded off the idea of birds and dove straight in. By purchasing from this collection, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Los Angeles Audubon Society, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect birds and their habitats. These funds will benefit a habitat restoration project for the Allen’s Hummingbird, an endangered California native.

There’s a lot in this collection, so let’s get started.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Baked Blushes
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Baked Blushes

We’re starting off with the items in this launch that intrigued me the most – the Color Icon Baked Blushes.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Baked Blushes
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Baked Blushes

The brand describes these blushes as delivering a “tropical glow”, so don’t expect a matte formula at all – these are glowy as all  get out!

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Baked Blushes swatched
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Baked Blushes swatched

…and they’re also pigmented as all hell! Fundamentally these are a really pigmented, really shimmery blush. In practice it can take some getting used to as you learn to balance the pigmentation with the shimmer. I found that these worked best with a super light hand and avoiding highlighter. The blushes themselves provide such a solid sheen that adding a highlighter overtop was often complete overkill (and I LIKE a lot of highlighter!).

Wearing Don't Flutter Yourself
Wearing Don’t Flutter Yourself

Don’t Flutter Yourself is the palest shade and definitely the one that is the most like a highlighter. Surprisingly, it does still drop a decent amount of pigment on my cheeks so this can play that dual role quite easily. I preferred using this as a cheekbone highlighter instead of a blush – opting to put it ontop the blush that I was going to be wearing that day. The beam on this shade is wonderful!

Wearing Hummingbird Hype
Wearing Hummingbird Hype

Hummingbird Hype is also heckin’ pigmented and has a beautiful sheen. Once again – no need for a highlighter here! This delivers my cheek colour and my highlighter all in one!

Wearing Dare To Soar
Wearing Dare To Soar

Dare To Soar had the most pigment and the least amount of sheen. Tread lightly with this sucker, it’s a pigmented one! The colour is beautiful though and I love wearing this shade.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Eyeshadow Quads
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Eyeshadow Quads

Second in line for exciting products were the eyeshadow palettes. I had high hopes for these babies after their recent eyeshadow relaunch.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Eyeshadow Quad in Stop Ruffling My Feathers
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Eyeshadow Quad in Stop Ruffling My Feathers

Stop Ruffling My Feathers is definitely the most neutral of the bunch, but it has a nice twist on it with the copper and pink tones. People tend to say orange and pink don’t go together, but those people are so very, very wrong when it comes to eyeshadow!

Wearing Stop Ruffling My Feathers
Wearing Stop Ruffling My Feathers

The pink tends to show up the least (it’s on my inner corner) and comes out more as a light pink sheen. The copper colour (on the lid) is incredible – buttery, smooth and soft.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Eyeshadow Quad in Hasta La Costa Baby
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Eyeshadow Quad in Hasta La Costa Baby

Hasta La Costa Baby was an interesting combo of colours and something I’d tend to gravitate towards in a larger palette – so I definitely liked how they put these shades together.

Wearing Hasta La Costa Baby
Wearing Hasta La Costa Baby

The soft caramel tone in the crease works well to fade out the purple on the outer corner. Sadly, the purple itself did fade quite a lot by the end of the day (and I wish it had been a matte shade personally). The teal on the lid though? WOW. Much like the copper from the previous quad, this one was pigmented, soft and smooth!

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Eyeshadow Quad in Flock Party
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Eyeshadow Quad in Flock Party

Flock Party seemed to be playing off their Rose in the Air 10 pan palette as it seems like an extension to that palette (or to the ABH Modern Renaissance!).

Wearing Flock Party
Wearing Flock Party

Sadly, Flock Party was the most disappointing despite how good the shadows swatched. While the look above is pretty, it was difficult to build up the colours as I had to layer them a lot. I do like that they were able to layer, but I hadn’t expected to layer four or five times to get that outer corner pink/read shade to show up that softly. I wanted the colour that I saw in the swatch!

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Lip Gloss
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Lip Gloss

There are four lip glosses in this collection – two on the neutral side and two on the bolder side.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Lip Gloss swatched
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Lip Gloss swatched

I am not a lip gloss person at all as I feel that there just isn’t enough longevity in any gloss when you compare them to a lipstick, but I was so pleased with just how pigmented and pretty these shades ended up being on me. Sadly, the darker two shades do bleed and feather on my lips, so I’d need to wear them over top of a lip primer and lip liner to make them work. This is not a unique problem to Wet n Wild‘s formula however – every pigmented lip gloss EVER has always feathered on me.

Wearing Fly Gal
Wearing Fly Gal

Fly Gal is a soft translucent somewhat milky pink.

Wearing Featherless
Wearing Featherless

Featherless is a stunning slightly peachy nude – if I’m going to be wearing a lip gloss, THIS is the colour I go for.

Wearing Shut The Pluck Up
Wearing Shut The Pluck Up

Holyyyyyy – look at this colour! I’m so sad it feathers, because Shut The Pluck Up is INCREDIBLE!

Wearing Pout of Paradise
Wearing Pout of Paradise

And can we talk about Pout of Paradise? What a glorious deep orange. I was so pleased with how pretty this colour was on my lips. I wish I had this particular shade in a lipstick – I swear I haven’t got a shade like this in my collection at all!

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Liquid Eyeliner
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Liquid Eyeliner

Wet n Wild also launched two different eyeliners with this collection – one from their regular range of liquid liners, as well as one in their metallic range.

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Liquid Eyeliner swatched
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Liquid Eyeliner swatched

The metallic shade – Gilded Wings – is as you would expect – a slightly shimmery liquid liner that requires a little bit of layering in ordering to get full opacity. Winged n’ Wild is more your traditional matte liner that doesn’t require building up.

Wearing Gilded Wings
Wearing Gilded Wings

Gilded Wings is really pretty, but since it’s kind of a molten pale gold, it has a tendency to gather around the edges of where you stroke with the brush. I had to layer a few times to get it to look solid. The metallic liquid liners tend to be chunkier than their matte counterparts which makes it a little bit more difficult to work with. This one was thankfully much easier to work with and not even close to as chunky as the ones from the Goth-o-Graphic collection.

Winged n’ Wild isn’t nearly as finicky (sorry no eye picture!) and much easier to work with. The colour is opaque and I love the tone of it – what a solid hunter green!

Wet n Wild - Flights of Fancy - Lip Scrub & Primer Water
Wet n Wild – Flights of Fancy – Lip Scrub & Primer Water

I’m ending this review on a low note (despite how many good products were in this launch), but these ones just aren’t for me: the Watermelon Lip Scrub would be well suited for anyone who likes the taste/scent of artificial watermelon. That person, however, is most definitely NOT me as I just cannot stand that particular scent.

As for the Paradise Primer Water… it doesn’t do anything. Over or under makeup I saw no different to my overall appearance (although I will note that it made my face feel tacky when I wore over top of foundation). So sadly this is a pass too.

Final Thoughts

My picks from this launch:

  • Baked Blushes: I loved these so, SO much. The colours are beautiful as is the sheen they deliver on my cheekbones. I’m not one to skip highlighter, but these were so pretty that I didn’t want to cover them up!
  • Eyeshadow Quads: Not every single shade in every single quad works out exactly the same, but they’re so dang cheap that if you like even half the shades in each palette they’re worth picking up. Stop Ruffling My Feathers was my top pick with Hasta La Costa Baby in second. I’d not bother with Flock Party personally.
  • Lip Glosses: I know these don’t work for me because of my feathering issues, but these colours are beautiful. The glosses are comfortable to wear and I’m so impressed with the colour selection!

I realize this review was massive, but there was a LOT in this Flights of Fancy collection by Wet n Wild. And you know what’s amazing? You can pick up ALL of the products mentioned in this review on their web site for a measly $35 USD. I think that’s an incredible deal since there’s so much in there!

The products featured in this review were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.