Swatch Sunday: it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty

it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty

it Cosmetics released their Naturally Pretty palette several years ago, but I never got around to picking it up (you know how it is… there are just SO MANY palettes on the market – it’s hard to snatch them all up!). So I was pretty happy when I was sent this beauty!

it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty
it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty

The Naturally Pretty palette comes with  15 shadows – 14 of which are completely matte, and one shade that is a transforming pearl shade intended to add some shimmer to the mattes if you so desire.

I have to say, out of all of the palettes I have tried, this was one of the ones that surprised me the most in swatching it – the colours actually became stronger and more vivid on my skin versus in the pan. I was so impressed!

it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Swatches

it Cosmetics - Sheer Joy
it Cosmetics – Sheer Joy
it Cosmetics - Soft Light
it Cosmetics – Soft Light
it Cosmetics - Warmth
it Cosmetics – Warmth
it Cosmetics - Soulful
it Cosmetics – Soulful
it Cosmetics - Violet
it Cosmetics – Violet
it Cosmetics - Midnight
it Cosmetics – Midnight
it Cosmetics - Noir
it Cosmetics – Noir
it Cosmetics - Love
it Cosmetics – Love
it Cosmetics - Sunrise
it Cosmetics – Sunrise
it Cosmetics - Sunset
it Cosmetics – Sunset
it Cosmetics - All Heart
it Cosmetics – All Heart
it Cosmetics - Java
it Cosmetics – Java
it Cosmetics - Iconic
it Cosmetics – Iconic
it Cosmetics - Transforming Pearl
it Cosmetics – Transforming Pearl

Buying this palette is a bit interesting… for those in Canada, we can get at sephora.ca for $55 CAD or theshoppingchannel.com for the same price tag. For those in the USA, it doesn’t actually seem to be available at Sephora (which is weird!), but you get it for $42 USD at ulta.com.

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

Holiday 2017: DAVIDsTEA Advent Calendar + Inspired Makeup

DAVIDsTEA Holiday 2017

This post is sponsored by DAVIDsTEA.

One of the things my mom got me hooked on a few years ago was DAVIDsTEA and their cute holiday sets!

DAVIDsTEA Holiday 2017 - 24 Days of Tea & Holly Berries Nordic Mug
DAVIDsTEA Holiday 2017 – 24 Days of Tea & Holly Berries Nordic Mug

Not only are they great for gift giving because it gives you the opportunity to give someone a wide variety of tea options so they can find something they like, but let’s get real, I also like buying these for myself for that very same reason! And it doesn’t hurt that every season they release tea sampler sets alongside beautifully themed and decorated accessories like tea mugs that really gives me this “I want it ALL” feeling!

Nemo's perusing DAVIDsTEA holiday teas!
Nemo’s perusing DAVIDsTEA holiday teas!

DAVIDsTEA‘s Holiday 2017 release, the 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar, gives you the opportunity to try out their seasonal teas (I was super into trying out Candy Cane Crush, and Sleigh Ride is a seasonal favourite of mine that I always stock up on) as well as a huge assortment of teas from their regular lineup. On the very last day (the 25th), you get a cute star ornament, alongside a coupon for $5 off your next DAVIDsTEA purchase of $20 or more in store! At a $45 price point with (essentially) a $5 rebate for more product, I think this is a decent deal because the variety is really unparalleled.

DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar
DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar
DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar comes with a small star ornament!
DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar comes with a small star ornament!

As you finish up the teas, you can flip the little containers over to reveal a snow landscape with a wolf on the backside. I imagine you’d likely end up junking the packaging, but it’s a cute touch regardless.

My favourite item? This Holly Berries Nordic Mug!
My favourite item? This Holly Berries Nordic Mug!

For me though, the highlight of this holiday launch is this STUNNING Nordic Mug that comes with a lid and tea strainer on the inside. I’ve even had some coworkers commenting on how dang pretty it is since I started using that as my “work mug”.  I had originally intended to do a tea leaf inspired post (like my Halloween one), but I was so taken by this Holly Branches Nordic Mug that I decided I’d try to create a look that was inspired by it instead!

DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look
DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look

It makes me laugh though… inspiration comes in weird places, and a mug was definitely the last place I was looking for it to come from!

I kept the look seasonally appropriate with some red lips (Too Faced’s Melted Ruby) and some red blush (Tarte’s Natural Beauty), but the really fun part were the eyelids.

DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look
DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not usually that great with tiny details on my eyes (not like some creators that’s for sure!), but this was a relatively easy look to do. I grabbed a white liquid liner (Kat Von D’s Ink Liner in Neruda) and drew out a long, thick wing. I then grabbed some shades from my MAKE UP FOR EVER Flash palette, mixed them with Inglot’s Duraline, and started drawing green lines outwards to represent leaves and red dots for the berries. I tried to keep it sporadic, so that it didn’t look like there was any real pattern. And of course, I’m a glitter girl, so I popped up on some Stila Liquid Glitter in Diamond Dust on the inner corner of my eye.

DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look
DAVIDsTEA Holly Berries Inspired Makeup Look

I personally like to wear looks that seek inspiration outside conventional lines of thinking, but I know the added details on the liner may not be for everyone (plus, they are a bit time consuming after all). For something a bit simpler, do the white wing and pop a shimmery pale green shadow on the inner corner of your eye and call it a day!

DAVIDsTEA holiday items sell out FAST, and the 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar seems to have disappeared from their site literally yesterday. If you’re really excited for it, try giving your local shop a call to find out if they still have it! That Nordic Mug though? You can still get your hands on it online right here. Of course, DAVIDsTEA has plenty to offer in the holiday department, so spend some time scrolling through their holiday offerings… you won’t regret it!

This post contains affiliate links.

Mary Kay Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks (Review & Swatches)

Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks

With Mary Kay‘s successful launch of their Gel Semi-Matte Lipstick range in the second half of 2016, we’re seeing them launch yet another range of lipsticks: the Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks!

Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks
Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks

The Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks promise to:

  • Deliver radiant colour with luminous shine
  • Provide long-lasting wear without drying out lips
  • Cushion, feel-good formula delivers soft comfort
  • Highly pigmented shades provide intense, stay-true colour
Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks
Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks

And you know what? YES, THEY DO, to ALL of the above! It’s really nice to see a claim by a brand actually end up being what you personally experience with the product. These are incredibly comfortable, they never dried out my lips and they did still feel cushion-y on my lips after five hours of wear.

Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick Swatches - Group 1
Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick Swatches – Group 1

And the pigment? Oh yes,it’s definitely there!

Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick Swatches - Group 2
Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick Swatches – Group 2

The only shade that is even remotely sheer is Luminous Lilac, but that’s partially down to the paleness of the shade.

Mary Kay Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick Lip Swatches

Mary Kay - Naturally Buff
Mary Kay – Naturally Buff
Mary Kay - Rosewood
Mary Kay – Rosewood
Mary Kay - Love Me Pink
Mary Kay – Love Me Pink
Mary Kay - Red Smolder
Mary Kay – Red Smolder
Mary Kay - Raspberry Ice
Mary Kay – Raspberry Ice
Mary Kay - Spiced Ginger
Mary Kay – Spiced Ginger
Mary Kay - Haute Pink
Mary Kay – Haute Pink
Mary Kay - Sunset Peach
Mary Kay – Sunset Peach
Mary Kay - Scarlet Red
Mary Kay – Scarlet Red
Mary Kay - Luminous Lilac
Mary Kay – Luminous Lilac
Mary Kay - Apple Berry
Mary Kay – Apple Berry
Mary Kay - Berry Couture
Mary Kay – Berry Couture

Final Thoughts

The Mary Kay Gel Semi-Shine Lipsticks are super easy and comfortable to wear. For a lipstick range that’s labelled as a “semi-shine”, I was so surprised (and impressed) with just how much pigment is in these. I suppose I was expecting more of a translucent sheen on them, but heck no – they’re full on pigment with a hint of sheen. They fit nicely into the cream category of lipstick, but with a little bit of an amped up sheen (some of them even seem a bit metallic – but definitely not overdone).

Fundamentally though? These don’t feel any different than the Gel Semi-Matte Lipsticks they launched in 2016. If you look at my lip swatches from my 2016 post on the semi-mattes, the sheen is really not that different on both sets lipsticks. So for me, this is mostly just a shade extension launch, and if you loved the semi-mattes, you’ll lose these semi-shines because they feel and wear the exact same way!

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.