Swatch Sunday: Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 Palette

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My most convenient bright palettes has got to be the Sleek Ultra Mattes V1. As the title would suggest, the palette is comprised of 12 matte shades and they are gorgeous! If you’re looking to dabble into brights, this is an excellent buy for your money since it retails for about $12 CAD. The low price point speaks nothing of the quality – these are beautifully pigmented and they blend out well on the lids.  I do opt to use a white base with shades like this just to bring out as much colour as I can, however all swatches in this post are done over bare skin.

Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 (Brights)
Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 (Brights)
Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 (Brights)
Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 (Brights)
Sleek – Chill
Sleek – Chill
Sleek – Pout
Sleek – Pout
Sleek – Sugarlite
Sleek – Sugarlite
Sleek – Dragon Fly
Sleek – Dragon Fly
Sleek – Pucker
Sleek – Pucker
Sleek – Bamm
Sleek – Bamm
Sleek – Cricket
Sleek – Cricket
Sleek – Bolt
Sleek – Bolt
Sleek – Strike
Sleek – Strike
Sleek – Floss
Sleek – Floss
Sleek – Crete
Sleek – Crete
Sleek – Pow
Sleek – Pow

My Too Faced Melted Collection (Review + Swatches)

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It’s no secret that I’m desperately in love with Too Faced‘s Melted Liquified Lipstick formula. (In fact, I did this as a guest post on Lipstick & Lullabies last year when I only had four shades!) I picked up my first ones last September and never looked back. From their adorable brightly coloured squeeze tube packaging, to their fantastic range of shades where it seems like every single shade appeals to me, to their phenomenal wear time… well… my current ultimate goal is now to own every single shade. The scary part is that Too Faced keeps coming out with more and it’s starting to make my wallet hurt!

My Too Faced Melted Collection
My Too Faced Melted Collection

So what’s to love about these? Well, they fit quite nicely into the liquid lipstick fad that seems to have taken the beauty world by storm. They also come in a massive range of shades, although they do lean more towards vibrant shades than safe ones (although there are various nude/neutral shades as well).

Too Faced Melted tip
Too Faced Melted tip

They come in a squeeze tube with an applicator that looks is a fat doe-foot-like device. The product is squeezed out of the doe-foot which can then be directly applied to your lips. The applicator has enough precision to create straight lines, which is fantastic for me cuz I hate hauling around a lip brush. If you want super crisp lines, you could always use a lip brush, but I’ve never felt the need to use one myself. I also love the applicator because I have a nasty habit of breaking my lipstick bullets, and this saves me completely from that ritual massacre.

Too Faced Melted applicator
Too Faced Melted applicator

The wear holds up remarkably well. I don’t eat with lipstick on, so I can’t tell you if these last through meals, but on me they will survive an easy five hours (and by then, I’m eating something again so I’ll usually wipe my product off then). These go on the lips slightly glossy but dry down to a matte finish within two hours or so. Once you hit the matte stage these pretty solidly lock onto your lips. They’re not transfer-proof, but you could blot them down to get them to that stage – there’s so much pigment in them that they won’t suffer much from a good blot.

They are slightly drying over time on the lips, but that isn’t a pain point for me. I struggle with super slippy lipstick formulas (aka I end up smearing them all over my face) so I like having something that I know is going to stay put.

I don’t own all the shades (YET!) but I’m swatching out what I have so if you’re interested in any of the ones I own, you may be able to narrow down your choices. (Or do what I do and just try to amass them all!)

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
  1. Melted Nude
  2. Melted Peony
  3. Melted Violet
  4. Melted Fuchsia
  5. Melted Fig
  6. Melted Coral
  7. Melted Strawberry
  8. Melted Ruby
  9. Melted Candy
  10. Melted Berry

And on the face:

Too Faced Melted Nude
Too Faced Melted Nude

Melted Nude is a brown-peach shade that suits me better than I thought it would.

Too Faced Melted Peony
Too Faced Melted Peony

Melted Peony verges on a bubblegum pink on my skintone. This is the shade I wear the least because I just feel it’s so… girly (which I realize is a weird thing for a beauty blogger to say).

Too Faced Melted Violet
Too Faced Melted Violet

Melted Violet is what I would call a neon purple and it’s unlike anything I own. However, out of all the Melteds I own, this one has the weirdest consistency – it’s more melty than the others and seems to wear off my lips awkwardly. Maybe I got a bad one?

Too Faced Melted Fuchsia
Too Faced Melted Fuchsia

Melted Fuchsia can only be described as a medium pink transcribed into a neon format. This shade is electric!

Too Faced Melted Fig
Too Faced Melted Fig

Melted Fig is a deeper burgundy purple that tends to look more mauve when it dries down. It’s a fairly unique shade in my collection and I reach for it more often than I ever thought I would.

Too Faced Melted Coral
Too Faced Melted Coral

Melted Coral is not my definition of a coral, but it’s still lovely. This shade is a vibrant orange on my skin and it just blazes with colour. I’ve really liked this paired with some kind of bluey-green eyeliner.

Too Faced Melted Strawberry
Too Faced Melted Strawberry

Melted Strawberry is a strawberry red shade with a pink fade. The pink isn’t strong, but you will notice it on the edges if you look closely. It’s an easy summer red, I think.

Too Faced Melted Ruby
Too Faced Melted Ruby

Melted Ruby is the “Christmas” red (although I think perhaps Melted Velvet would better fit that description but, sadly, I don’t own it).

Too Faced Melted Candy
Too Faced Melted Candy

Melted Candy is my absolute favourite out of the bunch. I can pick this one out on someone else a mile away. It’s a pink fruit punch/cream soda type colour and I LOVE how it looks.

Too Faced Melted Berry
Too Faced Melted Berry

Melted Berry has become my more traditional fall/winter colour as I’ve moved slightly away from reds. I don’t think I own a piece of cold-weather clothing that this doesn’t match. Really, really gorgeous.

That’s my whole Too Faced Melted collection and I’m still keenly awaiting the opportunity to buy them all up.  I’ve now been able to swatch them all! See my updated post with video where I swatch the entire Too Faced Melted lineup! Do you ever feel that way about a product line? That you have to Pokemon the shit out of them and catch ’em all?

Too Faced Melted lipsticks can be purchased for $25 CAD each on Sephora.ca or for $21 USD on Sephora.com.

Travel Makeup Bag: 2015 Ottawa Race Weekend

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I’m taking a(nother) long weekend this coming one to head to Ottawa for Race Weekend.Last year I did the 5k, and this year I’m going back for the half marathon which my father will also be running! And what’s a weekend away if not to bring along some makeup products I want to get better acquainted with?

Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude and NARS dup in Mediteranee
Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude and NARS dup in Mediteranee

I’m only bringing along two small eyeshadow palettes because I find I never reach for these on a day to day basis, often opting for my larger palettes. The more neutral toned palette is Soap & Glory‘s Lid Stuff in What’s Nude and the NARS duo is Mediteranee (and the orange in that duo is everything). It won’t make for especially enthralling makeup looks while on vacation, but it’ll be fun for me to play with these shadows a bit more.

Too Faced Melted Coral and Boots No7 Sweet Copper
Too Faced Melted Coral and Boots No7 Sweet Copper

Two options for lips here, and I’m sure this is probably overkill for four days, but anyway…Too Faced Melted Coral (more orange than coral really) and Boots No7 Sweet Copper. They’re both on the orangey-side of things, but I’m okay with that.

essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Hard Candy Hula Hula
essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Hard Candy Hula Hula

I love that ombre blushes give me the option between two colours in one compact (and a third if you swirl them together), so I’m bringing along essence‘s Heat Wave. My bronzer of choice lately has been Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula. I just can’t get enough of how golden and bronzey this makes my face.

The usual (boring) suspects
The usual (boring) suspects

And all the bits and bobs that finish my looks off:

  • I’m giving my Milani eyeshadow primer time to fully prove itself to me.
  • MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lips because I can’t live without it.
  • Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner predominantly for tightlining (if it even comes to that).
  • Benefit Watts Up because it’s tiny, compact and packs a punch for highlighting my cheekbones.
  • NYX Micro brow pencil in Taupe
  • Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara (the love affair continues!).
  • essence‘s 2-in-1 liner because I’ve got a review coming up and I want to make sure I put this to the test.

And in looking at this stuff… jeez is it ever boring. I think next time I go somewhere I need to bring stuff that’s wayyyy more interesting to post about! Anyyyyyway, wish me luck on my half! My fingers are crossed that it’ll be cool, even slightly rainy on Sunday!

Challenge Week: Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette

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Yesterday’s Swatch Sunday showed you just how gorgeous the shades in this palette are and hopefully I can show you just how amazing this can look on the lids today!

Quick Review

This is my first nine pan palette from Too Faced, as I only previously had their holidays palette and the Chocolate Bar palettes. The texture doesn’t seem to be the same as the Chocolate Bar palettes which I found to be smoother. That’s not to say that these eyeshadows aren’t great; they are! They all have really awesome pigmentation… EXCEPT for Malted Milk Ball. Of all the shades in the palette, I definitely didn’t expect the “normal” brown shade to be the hardest to work with, but it is. In stark contrast, the actual colours are pretty phenomenal. I’m especially pleased with Macaron and Blue Raspberry.Blackberry is also a fantastic shade for deepening up the outer corner and it’s nice that it’s a deep eggplant instead of a brown.

Worth it? Totally, if the shades appeal to you!

On with the looks!


 

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I keep stealing Jayne‘s trick of using a different colour to line your lower lash line, and I love how it turns out every time! I surprised myself by pairing this with an orange lip and I’m quite pleased how well they went together.

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Eyes

  1. Peach Fuzz asll over the lid and on the brow bone.
  2. Blackberry in the outer corner and crease.

I used Blue Raspberry on the lower lash line and then created the wing with MAC‘sBlacktrack fluidline. On my lashes is Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Kat Von D Lock It Foundation in shade 48
  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Highlighter: Too Faced Candlelight
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Coral

 

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This one’s a bit too… bubblegum pink for me, but it makes for an okay look. I need to figure out a better placement for that pink shade though.

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Eyes

  1. Strawberry Ice on the inner corner.
  2. Bubblegum on the middle of the lid.
  3. Sugared Violet on the outer corner and through the crease.
  4. Rock Candy on the brow bone.

I used MAC‘s Blacktrack to create the wing and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretchto my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer & Highlighter: Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1
  • Blush: Illamasqua Hussy
  • Lips: NARS Rikugien

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Ohhhh yessssss! The orange shade (Macaron) is incredible! Great pigmentation and easy to blend. Unfortunately, the brown (Malted Milk Ball) is really, really hard to apply to the lid.

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Eyes

  1. Peach Fuzz on the lid.
  2. Malted Milk Ball on the outer corner.
  3. Macaron through the top of the crease.
  4. Rock Candy on the brow bone.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Hard Candy Skinny Dipping
  • Highlighter: Hard Candy Tiki
  • Lips: MAC Hibiscus

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This started out being a replica of one of the eye looks from the booklet inside the palette, but the look was lacking an outer corner shade to give the look any depth, so I added that in. It also really helped the blending between the blue and the pink… without it the whole look was really bizarre.

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Eyes

I first applied NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk as a base, then applied:

  1. Blue Raspberry all over the lid.
  2. Blackberry on the outer corner.
  3. Bubblegum through the crease.
  4. Peach Fuzz on the brow bone.

I used Blackberry and Blue Raspberry to line the lower lash line and smudged Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner along my upper lash line. On my lashes is Make Up For EverSmoky Stretch mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Hourglass Luminous Flush
  • Highlighter: Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1
  • Lips: Maybelline Stormy Sahara with NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair on top

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I didn’t realize just how much I used the purple in this palette until just now as I’m editing the shots!

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Eyes

  1. Strawberry Ice on the inner corner.
  2. Sugared Violet all over the lid.
  3. Blackberry in the outer corner.
  4. Rock Candy on the brow bone.

I created the wing with Marcelle Dip-Pen in Blackest Black and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch to my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Fuchsia

Swatch Sunday: Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette

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The Too Faced Sugar Pop palette is a relatively new purchase for me. I couldn’t refuse the discount that the recent Sephora VIB sale offered so in to my cart this went. A Challenge Week for this palette will be up tomorrow!

Enjoy the swatches!

Too Faced Sugar Pop palette
Too Faced Sugar Pop palette
Too Faced Sugar Pop palette
Too Faced Sugar Pop palette
Too Faced – Rock Candy
Too Faced – Rock Candy
Too Faced – Macaron
Too Faced – Macaron
Too Faced – Malted Milk Ball
Too Faced – Malted Milk Ball
Too Faced – Strawberry Ice
Too Faced – Strawberry Ice
Too Faced – Sugared Violet
Too Faced – Sugared Violet
Too Faced – Blackberry
Too Faced – Blackberry
Too Faced – Peach Fuzz
Too Faced – Peach Fuzz
Too Faced – Bubblegum
Too Faced – Bubblegum
Too Faced – Blue Raspberry
Too Faced – Blue Raspberry