Category Archives: Swatches

Swatch Sunday: Smashbox Double Exposure

201511_smashbox_doubleexposure1

The Smashbox Double Exposure palette contains 14 eyeshadows that can be used wet or dry. In most cases, applying the product wet slightly intensified the shadow. There was only one situation where adding water significantly altered the appearance of the shadow – look out for Midnight below to see what I mean.

Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette

I’ll have a Challenge Week featuring the this palette coming up in the next few weeks or so. For now, please enjoy the swatches!

Smashbox Double Exposure Swatches

Smashbox - Silver
Smashbox – Silver
Smashbox - Mauve
Smashbox – Mauve
Smashbox - Peony
Smashbox – Peony
Smashbox - Blanc
Smashbox – Blanc
Smashbox - Quartz
Smashbox – Quartz
Smashbox - Flushed
Smashbox – Flushed
Smashbox - Veiled
Smashbox – Veiled
Smashbox - Midnight
Smashbox – Midnight
Smashbox - Temper
Smashbox – Temper
Smashbox - Haze
Smashbox – Haze
Smashbox - Noir
Smashbox – Noir
Smashbox - Copper
Smashbox – Copper
Smashbox - Fig
Smashbox – Fig
Smashbox - Espresso
Smashbox – Espresso
The product featured in this post were provided for review.

SST Cosmetics – Mascara, Bronzer and Eyeshadow (Review & Swatches)

201511_sstcosmetics1

My first look at SST Cosmetics back in June was a bit of a mixed bag – I liked the lip gloss (although lip gloss isn’t a product I wear all that often), but the eyeshadow duo crumbled on me during my first use and I was forced to throw it out. So when a few more products landed in my mailbox courtesy of the brand, I was a little bit surprised and a touch hesitant. My hesitation was gone when I noticed a bronzer (squuuuueeee!) and an eyeshadow colour that was remarkably similar to MAC’s Sketch (a favourite of mine).

Let’s dive in.

SST Cosmetics Composed eyeshadow
SST Cosmetics Composed eyeshadow

This is SST Cosmetics’ Composed eyeshadow. It’s a lovely satin finish burgundy/maroon shade with tiny specs of gold. The way the shadow reacts on my eyelids is very similar to MAC’s Sketch – which is to say that it deepens my crease quite easily (and believably) even though I have quite hooded eyes. The pigmentation on this eyeshadow is fantastic – a little goes a long way. You will, however, notice that a lot of product gets kicked up when you stick your brush into it. Some people see this as a downside, I’m not that fussed really since it didn’t lead to fallout.

SST Cosmetics Sun Kissed bronzer
SST Cosmetics Sun Kissed bronzer

Next up, and easily the most exciting thing to me, was the SST Cosmetics bronzer in Sun Kissed. It comes with a useless sponge on top that I quickly threw out (and you should too. No one’s got any business applying bronzer with a square sponge.) and has a decent mirror in the lid. At first I was a bit skeptical about the powder since it looks and swatches very, very warm. There’s not much red in there, just straight up orange with flecks of glitter. I had no idea how it was going to look on my face. Amazingly though, somehow, it freaking transformed and made me look tanned without looking totally fake n baked.

SST Cosmetics swatches - Sun Kissed bronzer and Composed eyeshadow
SST Cosmetics swatches – Sun Kissed bronzer and Composed eyeshadow

See? That bronzer is definitely on the orange side.

SST Cosmetics Lash Rebel mascara
SST Cosmetics Lash Rebel mascara

And lastly, before we get to the face shots, I also received the SST Cosmetics Lash Rebel mascara. I’ll be brief with this one, because I didn’t like it. Lash Rebel did make my lashes look nice and the wand was easy to work with, but overall I felt it caused my lashes clump together more than I’d like. The formula is also very, very dry and I much prefer wet mascaras. These are all personal preferences however and I know mascara is such an individual thing so I can only offer you what I like in a mascara.

SST Cosmetics - Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara
SST Cosmetics – Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara

In the shot above, I’m wearing Composed eyeshadow on the outer half of the lid and through the crease as well as the Lash Rebel mascara. I’ve got some bigger lash clumps than I’d like, but it did a pretty good job of coating them.

Wearing Sun Kissed bronzer, Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara.
Wearing Sun Kissed bronzer, Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara.

Here’s my full face with all the products included (eyeshadow, bronzer, mascara).

Wearing Sun Kissed bronzer, Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara.
Wearing Sun Kissed bronzer, Composed eyeshadow and Lash Rebel mascara.

And a side view so you can see the bronzer a bit better. I apply bronzer to my forehead, back-tops of my cheekbones (what the hell is that area called??), along my jaw line and on my nose (because I like the sunburnt look).

Wearing Sun Kissed bronzed in another look.
Wearing Sun Kissed bronzed in another look.

And another shot wearing the SST Cosmetics Sun Kissed bronzer. For reference, I’m not wearing foundation in any of these shots, so what you’re seeing are the colours on my natural skin tone with a little bit of blush and highlighter.

Final Thoughts

The Lash Rebel mascara is a total loss for me. I wore it about four times and I just never liked it enough – to the point where I was dreading applying it.

The Composed eyeshadow was such a win compared to the duo I received last time and definitely more of a colour I will wear frequently. It didn’t crumble on me and I love the shade. *thumbs up*

The absolute stunner of the whole lot has got to be that Sun Kissed bronzer though. I have no idea how something so orange looking in the pan and in swatches could look so goddamn stunning on my face. It’s not over the top, which I enjoy, and yet it adds the perfect amount of colour I want out of my bronzer. I’m so happy to have that one in my bronzer collection right now!

SST Cosmetics can be purchased at several salons in the Western provinces of Canada. They can also be purchased via their web site at www.sstsignatureseries.com.

The products featured in this post were provided for consideration.

Swatch Sunday: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix

201511_katvond_mividalocaremix1

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix palette. There wasn’t a single other item on my holiday 2015 palette wishlist that I wanted more than this one. It features a rather astonishing 24 shades ranging from matte to shimmer, from neutral to vibrant. This palette is an absolute thing of beauty and I am so, SO happy to have it in my collection. It’ll set you back $71 CAD but you haven’t a hope in hell of finding this kind of variety amongst ANY OTHER BRAND on the market in a single palette.

201511_katvond_mividalocaremix2

I mean come on. Tell me that isn’t heaven! Challenge Week  featuring this palette is here, in the meantime – enjoy the swatches!

Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Swatches

Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Black Metal
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Black Metal
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Skulls
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Skulls
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Noble
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Noble
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Moulder
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Moulder
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Vox
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Vox
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Strutter
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Strutter
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Lyric
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Lyric
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Lemmy
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Lemmy
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Misfit
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Misfit
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Vinyl
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Vinyl
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Legend
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Legend
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Fran
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Fran
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Analogue
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Analogue
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Harpsichord
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Harpsichord
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Rewind
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Rewind
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Destroyer
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Destroyer
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Swoon
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Swoon
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Love
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Love
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Anthem
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Anthem
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Muse
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Muse
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Echo
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Echo
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Dark Wave
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Dark Wave
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Synth
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Synth
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix - Hyperballad
Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix – Hyperballad

Bite Beauty – Kir Royale (Limited Edition)

201510_bitebeauty_kirroyale1

Just like last month, I picked up the Bite Beauty 250-point perk from Sephora. The limited edition colour featured in October is called Kir Royale (they’re still sticking with the cocktail names!). Kir Royale is a wine-berry shade in a creme finish.

Bite Beauty 250 point perk from Sephora
Bite Beauty 250 point perk from Sephora

What I’m loving about these 250-point perk releases is that they give you an opportunity to try the shade and, if you like it enough, you can buy the full size. (As a note, the previous limited releases Bellini and Mimosa are still available on Sephora’s site, so they don’t sell out super fast!)

Bite Beauty Kir Royale liptick
Bite Beauty Kir Royale liptick

The Kir Royale lipstick has the usual wonderful texture and Wild Berry scent that all traditional Bite lipsticks have. It glides on the lips easily and wears evenly for several hours (considering the creaminess, I’m always amazed by how long these lipsticks last).

Bite Beauty Kir Royale lip gloss
Bite Beauty Kir Royale lip gloss

While I do really pick up these 250-point perks for the lipstick, the gloss is always nice to have although not something I’ll wear often.

Bite Beauty Kir Royale swatches
Bite Beauty Kir Royale swatches

Beautiful pigmentation on both of these products – you won’t have any problem getting colour onto your lips!

Bite Beauty mirror
Bite Beauty mirror

The mirror is roughly the size of a button you’d pin on your shirt, but it’s invaluable. I now keep these little guys everywhere for when I need to take a quick peek at my makeup.

Wearing Kir Royale lipstick
Wearing Kir Royale lipstick

And here’s how the Kir Royale lipstick looks on me. I really, really enjoy the colour as it’s reminiscent of Too Faced Melted Berry – one of my favourite lip colours to wear during the colder months.

Kir Royale lipstick
Kir Royale lipstick

And here’s a close up shot so you can see more of the colour. It pulls more red on me than I expected, but I’m not bothered since it’s such a gorgeous shade.

Have you been picking up the Bite Beauty perks? I’m starting to run out of points and yet I want to get these every month – eek! I can’t wait to see what colour they’ll reveal for November!

Swatch Sunday: Maybelline Olive Martini

201510_maybelline_olivemartini1

Maybelline‘s Olive Martini eyeshadow quad was a limited edition product for fall 2012. As with all of these quads by Maybelline, I’m in love with the textures of the eyeshadows although not nearly enough people talk about them. Enjoy the swatches!

Maybelline Olive Martini quad
Maybelline Olive Martini quad

Swatches

Maybelline Olive Martini - Swatch 1
Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 1
Maybelline Olive Martini - Swatch 2
Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 2
Maybelline Olive Martini - Swatch 3
Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 3
Maybelline Olive Martini - Swatch 4
Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 4