I'm Baaaaack!

It took long enough, hey?

The primary reason for my quiet blog hiatus was school. I was in my final months of completing my master's degree in business and marketing, and I just didn't have the time to devote to blogging. Usually if I had free time, I felt guilty doing anything other than catching up on reading and studying for class. Since I prefer not to post anything on my blog that I haven't given a respectful amount of time to putting together, I chose to take a little break and return once school was done.

Well, it's officially over! As of December 21st I'll have my MBA, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and I'll be initiated into the Sigma Beta Delta international business honor society. Whew! Obviously my break from blogging was for good reason, and my devotion to my education paid off in the end. I was also lucky enough to work for an employer that truly supports its employees' aspirations in education, so it was all worthwhile in more ways than one.

Now I just need to remember what I did before I went back to school, when I actually had free time! At this point I don't even know where to start, so I'm stepping back and taking stock of all the random projects and responsibilities I've collected over the months/years so I can set some goals and complete everything I've set out to do. My blog is important to me, if nothing else then simply to have a creative outlet of some kind. The fact that someone out there reads my writing is a very special added bonus. :} So, having said that, I invite anyone who is still following my blog to keep an eye out for new posts starting this weekend! I've adopted a new swatching/photography style that more closely reflects the things I see in person, and hope that it shows products in a more true-to-life way.

I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying all that life has to offer!

Stay Fabulous!

Madd Style Cosmetix: Review | Swatches

A few months ago I came across a blog post that showcased a plethora of eyeshadow swatches from Madd Style Cosmetix — and I was instantly enamored with some of the colors I saw. I placed an order the next day, and here is the collection of swatches I have to share with you. :}

:::  THE SPECS  :::

I made my purchase during a sale period, so the price I paid does not reflect the normal cost.
A single full-size jar of eyeshadow is $5.00 and comes in a 5g jar that's filled with product. Each of my jars were filled to the top, which is great to see. You can save some money by purchasing multiple full-size jars using one of Mo's package deals, which is what I ended up doing. I also received a full clamshell sample as a free gift! The listing for each individual product contains ingredient information, directions for use and whether it's lip-safe or not, along with vegan/non-vegan information.

Ordering was a breeze, and shipping was super-fast — even though I only live about 120 miles away from Mo, I know that just about everyone else I've talked to has received their orders well within the 5-8 day TAT{which is quite fast}. Shipping is different depending on how much you order, but in general shipping to the U.S. and Canada is $2.00 for the first item, and $0.50 for each additional item. Shipping internationally is around $2.50 for the first item and $0.75 for each additional item.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{Swatched over Darling Girl Glitter Glue. Click images to enlarge.}

{The packaging}

{Natural daylight}

{Natural Lighting - Ohm is one of my favorites so far!}

{Natural Lighting - Seedless is a fantastic duochrome}

{Natural Lighting}

{Natural Lighting}

{Natural Lighting - Pisces is a lovely mint green with a golden glow}

{Natural Lighting}

{Another view in natural lighting}

{Photographed with a flash}

{Blurred to show sparkles - Pisces is gorgeous! (the bottom green)}

{Blurred to show sparkles}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

My instant favorites were Ohm and Pisces, and they're still some of my favorites. After wearing Seedless and Atomic Dreamland, they also became favorites. It's so hard to capture the sparkle and color-shifts accurately, so I highly recommend placing an order and seeing for yourself how gorgeous these colors are! I received a few additional eyeshadows from my swap partner in a past makeup "Secret Santa/Elfster" exchange, which I'll provide swatches for at a later time.

Stay Fabulous!

MAC Plushglass: Ample Pink

Good Afternoon!

Today I wanted to do a special little "spotlight" post about one of my favorite lip glosses, MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink. I got it back before MAC changed their cruelty-free position, and I am currently looking for a good indie/cruelty-free dupe. I was given the suggestion for Ample Pink by Mandy from PrettyMaking {again, this was when MAC was still cruelty-free}when searching for a lip gloss that had a color that was "my lips but better." This certainly hit the mark! :}

{My kisser}

I regret not taking a "before" picture of my lips. Basically, this lip gloss evened out the overall color/tone of my lips, added a lovely shine and really looks like "my lips but better." The staying power is pretty great as well - I usually wear it over a primer-type product, but even on its own it lasts for a few hours. As I mentioned above, I'm looking for a great indie dupe for this, so leave a comment with any suggestions you might have!

Stay Fabulous!

Pollen Cosmetics: Review | Swatches

Pollen Cosmetics is a fairly new indie company, but they've already established quite a following since their official opening. All I kept hearing from other makeup lovers was "You have to buy Rare Find!" So, of course I did just that, along with a few other eyeshadows that captured my attention. Read on for more details!

:::  THE SPECS  :::

I ordered three full-size jars using the 3-for-$15 option, which ends up saving you $1.50. Otherwise the full-size jars are $5.50 each, and you get 1 gram of product by weight. I received two sample baggies as freebies, which contain approx. 1/8-teaspoon of product. Shipping was $2.00 for domestic {U.S.} shipping, and $2.25 for international shipping. The stated TAT was 7-14 business days, and my order did ship within that timeframe.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

Swatched over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese. Pictures are clickable to enlarge.

{Photographed in indirect/overcast lighting}

{Photographed in indirect/overcast lighting}

{Photographed in indirect/overcast lighting}

{Photographed in indirect/overcast lighting}

{Photographed with a flash}

{Photographed with a flash, blurred to show sparkle}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

Rare Find sure did live up to my expectations! Everyone I spoke with before ordering told me it's a must-have color, and I definitely agree. If you are limited to just one beautiful neutral eyeshadow {for some insane reason - haha}, make it Rare Find. Overall the shadows were velvety-soft and easy to work with, and the color payoff goes above and beyond.

Pollen Cosmetics also just released a gorgeous matte eyeshadow collection, and from the swatches I've seen so far, I think it's going to be a winner! If you've tried Pollen already, what are some of your favorites?

Stay Fabulous!

Darling Girl feat. Vicar in a Tutu

It wouldn't be normal if I went more than a month without purchasing something from Darling Girl. :} So without further ado, here are the swatches! If you're looking for specs on sizes, amounts, etc, refer to any of my previous posts here, here and here. The pictures below show my full-size Vicar in a Tutu, petit-size How Soon is Now, and two free sample baggies.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

Swatched over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese. Pictures are clickable to enlarge.

{Photographed in natural light}

{Photographed in natural light}

{Photographed in natural light}

{Photographed in natural light}

{Photographed in natural light}

{Photographed with a flash}

{Photographed with a flash, blurred to show sparkle}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

I wish I could have captured the awesomeness that is Vicar in a Tutu. It's part of the Darling Grrl! collection, and looks even better in person than it does in any picture I've seen. It's a gorgeous shimmering pearl with a light green shift and a very duochrome-like finish. I wear it a lot, and always take it with me when I travel out of town. The other three eyeshadows are lovely as well — you really can't go wrong with any Darling Girl products. :}

Stay Fabulous!