Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette: Swatches and Review

Urban Decay has released yet another palette in their now infamous 'Naked' line of products. This palette, titled 'Naked Heat' boasts flaming oranges, burnt reds, and ashy purples to fall in line with the warm toned trend.

 The packaging mimics its predecessor: the Naked Smoky palette--a nice hard and practical plastic which is easy to clean with a magnetic closure for a satisfying 'snap!' upon closing.
This palette comes housed in a cardboard which slides out to emulate a match box with an image inside revealing an inspiration for the palette's color theory:

 And then we get to the palette itself. The name Naked Heat is stamped on the plastic in a shiny gold. This scratches off easily, but otherwise the pretty plastic is easy to wipe clean and is sturdy for travel. There is really nice plastic detailing housed under the lettering along with warm colors mirroring the shadows housed inside. All in all, a very aesthetically pleasing palette!

 And now for the colors! Like the burning match series of images inside the packaging, the colors get darker in shade as your eye goes from left to right. There are a nice mix of satins, mattes, and shimmers with enough hues for a complete eye look.

 The shadows are all quite smooth with little powdery kick up. The only color I had to work slightly hard to swatch is 'Lumbre,' but after I've used and worked with the color a bit and gotten the first layer of hard compacted pigment out of the way, the color is easier to work with.

 The matte red and purple with deep warm browns were really what drew me into this palette. Orangey tones are complementary to blue eyes so I knew this palette would really compliment me without leaning tooooo red or pink giving me the appearance of illness or a bad case of conjunctivitis.

And here we are all swatched. Something I will say about this palette is it is very easy to go VERY orange with your eye look the second you pop any of the shimmers onto your lid. While this makes a very pretty look (Lumbre spread all over the lid and buffed out and blown out into the crease is the perfect one stop shop eye look) I'd caution someone looking for a nice nude look to steer away from this palette. The darker mattes are very pigmented and buildable and blendable. While not creamy smooth like how some prefer, I think this makes them easier to blend without getting too muddy. Caution with the mattes: overblending can cause them to not be easily distinguishable from one another so take care. The lightest shade Ounce is a brilliantly pigmented wash of satin and I think a real standout in this palette. The lighter mattes (He Devil, Chaser, Sauced, and Low Blow) are warm toned and I think a nice addition to anyone without a hugely substantial warm eyeshadow collection. I've really enjoyed this palette thus far.

If you are okay with experimenting and trying something a little different than your typical neutral brown look, this is one step away from a plain neutral eye while still remaining in the realm of work place appropriate.
Stay to the far left and right for your more neutral eye looks and then dip into the middle area to spice it up (or should I say, HEAT things up?....someone please stop me.).

This palette can be found on Sephora's web site, direct from Urban Decay, and from Ulta!
The palette is sold for $54 for 12 shades at 0.6oz of product total.

Let me know your thoughts on this nice addition to the Naked line!

xxSJ

Naked 3 Review

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation

With Korean beauty trends taking the Western world over by storm, it was about time a cushion foundation made its way to American drugstores. This gorgeous rose gold packaging caught my eye and after reading a couple positive reviews about L'Oreal's new True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation, I wanted to give it a try.  I selected the color N2, which is the lightest color I could find in the line. Buyer beware, this foundation line does not have extensive shades to pick from! 

The pretty reflective compact opens up to reveal a little puff settled into a plastic cover. Lift the cover up to reveal the saturated cushion sponge on the inside. 

Make sure after every use you close the plastic part tight to ensure your foundation doesn't dry out! 

Since the cushion is totally saturated, the foundation appears pretty dark in the container. A very light bounce with a beauty blender (my preferred method of application) or a finger gives you A LOT of product. One bounce is enough for me to cover my whole face, and then another extra bounce will cover problem areas. 

L: no makeup, R: L'Oreal Cushion foundation, one coat

I find this foundation to give medium coverage and does a great job of evening out skin tone while giving a natural, dewy finish. Speaking of dewy, now that NYC is becoming a bit more humid as we get deeper into the Summer, I'm finding I need to blot my skin nearing the end of the day as my t-zone and forehead get rather oily. I definitely think this is a lovely foundation for the drier fall and winter months, however, and will give you a healthy glow. This foundation is pricey for drugstore at $15.99 and only lasts about a month before you're pressing into the cushion hard to get the same foundation payoff. I have flipped the sponge over in mine and resorted to pressing into it in different ways to get all the product out. I suppose that is the drawback of the fun little sponge is that you may be wasting quite a bit of product!

I definitely like this foundation and see myself repurchasing it once I escape the humidity of this NYC summer.  Check it out if you're looking for a beautiful foundation with a gorgeous finish in unique packaging!

Check it out HERE!
xxSJ

Sample Round-Up! YSL, Tarte, Sephora, Clinique, and Dr Brandt!

This week's Sample Round Up was a super fun one! Here's what I got to try out for free:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat
Full size price: $42 / 0.1oz
Sample value: $21 / .05oz
I got a ton of use out of this card filled with three different shades of YSL's cult classic Touche Eclat. I actually really enjoyed this stuff quite a bit! I don't think I'll ever be splurging on it strictly because of the huge price tag, but I definitely think this made me look more awake after applying it to my undereyes!

Clinique Even Better Foundation in 05 Neutral
Full size price: $27 / 1oz
Sample value: $10.80 / 0.4oz
I'm lucky I have a pretty decently neutral skin tone so this foundation sample wasn't a complete waste on me. I do think it was a bit too dark for my taste but I did actually enjoy this foundation quite a bit. I felt it gave sheer to medium coverage and I love that it has SPF 15 in it. This foundation wore well for a full day of work on me and I might be interested in color matching to my true shade and purchasing this foundation in the future. I think Clinique prices their foundations well and are a bit less expensive than other high end brands.

Left: my Left undereye concealed with YSL Touche Eclat in No1, Center: both undereyes concealed with YSL Touche Eclat No1, Right: Clinique Even Better Foundation applied to entire face

Sephora Instant Moisturizer
Full size price: $23 / 1.69oz
Sample value: $2.30 / 0.169oz
I really like this moisturizer! It is a bit thicker than my usual Aveeno moisturizer and I think it does an amazing job at smoothing out my face. My skin loves this stuff and I didn't notice any irritation while using it. I would definitely sample this product further.

Tarte LipSurgence in 'Exposed'
Full size price: $17 / 0.27oz
Sample value: $3.15 / 0.05oz
I do not like lip gloss very much anymore and this gloss is no exception. This gloss is ultra sticky and never loses that stickiness with wear. I had to take this off almost immediately because when I went outside on a bit of a blustery face, my hair was getting stuck to my lips and then pulling this product every which direction across my face! The color is a nice neutral dusty pink, but the formula isn't worth it to me.

Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer
Full size price: $45 / 1oz
Sample value: $11.25 / 0.25oz
I really liked this primer and felt it did a great job at smoothing out my pores and fine lines (whatever fine lines a 24 year old has, that is). I also LOVE that the sample is so huge! I surely will get about a month's worth out of this tube of product as I only use enough to go on and around my nose and between my eyebrows which are my real problem areas as far as large pores and old acne scars I want to smooth out. This primer is a nude color and has some slip to it, but nothing like Benefit's Porefessional or the Smashbox Photo primer. I will definitely continue using this sample!

Total value of this week's samples: $48.50

Wowzers! That's a lot of moolah worth of makeup this week and 4 out of the 5 products I enjoyed using quite a bit.  Check out what samples you might have lying around your makeup stash! You might just find something you like!

xxSJ

Sample Round-Up! GlamGlow, Fresh, Laura Mercier, Dr Brandt, and Clinique!

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Full size: $15 for 1.7oz
Sample value: $1.15 for 0.13oz
This cleanser was pleasant to use and completely removed all of my makeup and felt extremely gentle on the skin. I did not care for the smell which was rather herbal, and I do prefer my FAB cleanser. I would get another sample of this in the future for travel purposes, though.

GlamGlow Thisty Mud Hydrating Mask
Full size: $69 for 1.7oz
Sample value: $9.74 for 0.24oz tube
GlamGlow is such an expensive brand so I feel extra bourgeois when I get to try this stuff out. This yellowish mask is a medium thickness and feels pretty nice on the skin.  I put it on and night and let it sit there for however long I'd like (it gives no indication of time on the tube and says you can wash it off or just leave it) before either falling asleep or wiping my face with a cool towel. I do feel my skin feels hydrated after using this mask, but I must say, nearly $70 for a facial treatment is STEEP so I might try other face masks before splurging on this one.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
Full size: $36 for 1.75oz
Sample value: $1.43 for 0.07oz
I loved using this foundation primer. I felt it made my makeup apply smoothly and it hydrated my skin with out leaving an oil slick feeling as other primers do. I thought this was similar to the MUFE primer I loved so much and would definitely want to try this stuff out again or get it in full size.

Dr Brandt Needles No More
Full size: $95 for 1.7oz
Sample value: $4.75 for .085
Fortunately for me, I do not have wrinkles yet on my 24 year old skin. I love products like these to use as a preventative treatment and I put it on the outside corners of my eyes and between my brows. I don't see a visible different after applying, but it feels nice to know I might be doing my skin some good. In the very least I'm giving it some hydration!

Clinique Almost Lipstick in 'Black Honey'
Full size: $17 for 0.07oz
Sample value: $8.50 for half size (no indication of quantity on the tube!)
Look out folks, we've got a cult favorite over here! The Clinique almost lipstick is pretty great because it is a sheer formula that gives you a 'just bitten' wash of color that is easily buildable if you want a deeper pout.  On me, this goes on my lips as a light berry wash and feels really moisturizing. It does not last long, however, only wearing for about 2 hours before needing reapplication.

Total sample value: $25.57

I liked all the samples I tried this week though the real winner was the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. I loved that stuff!

Try out your free samples! You never know what gems you might find!

xxSJ

Burberry Eye Colour in 'Pale Barley'

Welp. It happened. I managed to get my hands on another makeup product I really have no business having. Burberry is a luxury brand of makeup with beautiful products with outrageous prices. I've been eyeing some of their products for a while and I was gifted one of the cult favorites from the brand: Burberry's 'Pale Barley' eyeshadow.

The shadow comes housed in this gorgeous linen colored box with old-fashioned type.

A velvet pouch with the infamous Burberry plaid houses the eyeshadow. When your products come in velvet pouches... you know you've reached luxury level. Its all completely unnecessary but so dang necessary all at once.

The shadow is in a super soft gunmetal square container. The container has some serious weight to it and has the Burberry plaid screened onto the top of the container.  'Burberry' is also screened onto the side the container opens.  The container opens and shuts via magnets so the compact is very sleek and smooth in appearance.

The container opens up to reveal the shadow inside. The Burberry plaid is stamped into the shadow and a full mirror (of very nice quality!) is included on the inside. A sponge tip applicator is included (meh) and 0.09oz of product is housed inside (larger than your average eyeshadow: Nars is 0.07oz, MAC is 0.04oz).

The color 'Pale Barley' is a golden taupe color that is the true goldilocks of neutrals. It is a cool leaning brown color with gold shimmer throughout making it a little bit almond colored, yet a little bit gray. This color almost looks a bit boring, and, to be honest, it kind of is...but, somehow in the best way possible. 

The majesty of this color resides in the fact that it is so effortlessly gorgeous on the lid. Its pigmentation is the perfect amount of color and shimmer while also being smooth to apply and blend. This silky shadow is a wet or dry formula, and though I have yet to test out this color wet, I am completely satisfied with its performance dry.

Above I'm wearing Urban Decay's 'Combust' in the crease and 'Pale Barley' all over the lid. That is IT for this really pretty and simple look. I'm a sucker for looks like these since in my profession, there is no need for smokey eyes or crazy colors during the week days. I want simple colors that will look pretty and professional and are easy to do quickly.

I have nothing bad to say about this eyeshadow other than the price. It is $29 for this bad boy. Granted, the packaging is superb and I can't say enough about the quality of the product, but that is A LOT for just one shadow. If you're thinking of trying this product out, I would say go for it if you have the money to spend. If you are like I was and lusting after this for months and months, maybe ask for it for a birthday or holiday so it can be something really special. I do think its worth it!

Check this eyeshadow out at Sephora HERE!

xxSJ

bareMinerals 'The Happy Place' Eyeshadow Quad

I fell in love with bareMinerals eyeshadow formula after trying out the gray toned quad in 'The Truth.' I recently came to own and love another quad of theirs, 'The Happy Place.'

'The Happy Place' eyeshadow quad has 4 shades inside: Peace: a muted apricot, Imagine: a rose gold, Exhale: a smoky taupe, and Euphoria: eggplant.  The shadows are housed in a rubberized plastic container with a full size mirror on the inside of the compact.  A small dual ended sponge tip applicator is also included. The palette is $30 for 0.21oz of product. 

The colors are honestly a dream to play with.  Peace is a lovely transition color to swipe all over the eye area to begin your makeup look or to buff into the crease to make blending easier. Imagine is an INSANELY beautiful Rose Gold/copper color that leans super warm. It warms up my whole face when I put this on! Exhale is a wonderful color to blend into the crease or outer v, as is Euphoria. I was initially worried that this color combination might not go so well together but I had no reason to fret. 

These shadows are easy to blend, easy to apply, and the combo provided to you is full-proof to create an entire eye look with. I can't find a fault in this product! 

Check out this quad if you're looking for a full eye look in one easy to reach for compact. You won't be disappointed in the quality, price, ease of use, or the look you end up creating with these gorgeous colors! 

Check out this palette HERE!

Take a look at my post on 'The Truth' eyeshadow quad here!

xxSJ

Lorac 'Unzipped' Palette

My boyfriend surprised me this Christmas by giving me the Lorac 'Unzipped' palette. I have never mentioned this palette to him (and my long term lusting after it), but he said after much research, he decided this palette was the most 'Steph.' So sweet :) The guy has got a point though! The Lorac Unzipped palette is a no-fuss palette filled with rosey and warm pinks, browns, and burgundies.

The packaging is sturdy cardboard which closes with magnets. The palette is super thin and includes the 10 shades with no wasted space for a brush I'll never use. My one gripe is I think the mirror inside the palette could be a bit bigger! 

Undercover is a matte white with pinky tones to it. It is really pigmented and easy to place all over the lid and as a brow highlight. 

Unbelievable is a deep satin rose gold with purple smoke to it.

Undiscovered is a pure pale gold that shows up great on the lid for some sparkle.

Unreal is a gorgeous shimmery pink.

Unattainable is a satin mauve color with a taupey hue to it.
Unconditional is a mauve matte color that I've been using mostly as my transition in the crease.
Uncensored is a satin brown color which is warmer on the skin than it looks in the pan.
Unspoken is a matte brown color, nice for deepening up the crease.

Unbridled is the superstar of the palette in my opinion. It is a deep matte burgundy with crazy pigmentation. 

Untamed is a satiny brown with purple undertones and lots of sparkle.

Swatched on my arm above are the colors from left to right, top row first, then bottom row. The colors all are buttery soft with excellent color payoff. 

Here's a look I did using only shadows from this palette.  This is a more dramatic eye with thick black eyeliner, but I also used this palette to create softer eyes and pushed 'Unbridled' into my lash line for some soft smokey liner.

This palette is so gorgeous and great for anyone looking for a pink-hued neutrals palette. I think it is similar to the Naked 3 palette but I find more inspiration when looking at this palette than I do at the Naked 3. This palette is $42 for 10 very wearable eye shadows and can be purchased on Amazon, at Kohl's, Ulta, or loraccosmetics.com.

Check it out on Amazon Here!!

xxSJ

Ardency Inn Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigment in 'Rose Gold'

The endless pursuit of the perfect rose gold shadow ends here, folks.  Rose gold has been hugely trendy for the past couple years and I've hopped right onto that train from my jewelry to makeup.  I think rose gold is a hard color to get perfect...it can lean too yellow/orange or too pink really easily and miss the happy medium we all lust after.  I saw swatches of Ardency Inn's modster shadow in 'Rose Gold' and knew they had captured the color perfectly.

First of all, I love the shadow's packaging.  The shadow comes in a thin plastic container that is much flatter and sleeker than a MAC shadow. 'H' is printed on the top in a graphic pattern, I am assuming standing for the honey that is infused into the shadow blend.  The brand boasts that they are the first to use honey from the nectar of the Manuka tree in color shadows adding to their creaminess.  The lid opens and closes with a magnetic closure.

As you can see, the color is quite rosey in the pan.  The pan holds 0.06oz of product and will set you back $20. 

I love Rose Gold on me personally because it makes my blue eyes pop. If we chat about color theory for a sec, colors opposite to blue on the color wheel are your yellows and oranges--so for my blue-eyed babes out there, golds, coppers, ambers, and rose golds are what are really going to make your blue eyes pop! 

Above is me wearing this shadow pressed all over the lid and under my lower lash line with some soft warm brown buffed into my crease. My eyes look so blue and almost green!

I found that using your finger and pressing the shadow onto your lid gives much greater color payoff than using a brush. I don't mind this since I intend to use this as a lid color, but just a heads up to any girls out there that don't like kickin' it old school and using your fingers Kindergarten style.... but hey, kindergarteners can be cool as hell so I don't see an issue with it.

Check this color out if you're interested in that perfect rose gold shadow and don't mind dropping some hard earned cash for some quality product.  If you're interested, purchase it if you see it in stock! This particular shade sells out fast!

Check it out at Sephora here: Ardency Inn 'Rose Gold' eyeshadow at Sephora

xxSJ

Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift 2015!

Every year Sephora gives members to their rewards program a free gift in their birthday month!   If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider, what are you waiting for??? There's no catch to join (no credit cards, no nothin!) and you get a free gift every year while also racking up points on every purchase you make to redeem for deluxe samples later. There is also the highly anticipated 15-20% event for Beauty Insiders every Spring and Fall.  This year, the gift was two mini Nars lip pencils for Beauty Insiders and VIBs (and an extra eyeliner if you are a VIB Rouge!). 

The pencils come in sleek containers with the housed color displayed on the end. These minis are .06oz of product each compared to the full size which is 0.08oz of product (pretty close!). The pencils, just like their full size versions, are NOT twist up so require sharpening. 

The two colors that come in the birthday gift are Cruella, a cult favorite bright matte red, and Rikugien, a satin mauvey pink. 

Here is Cruella on my lips. It applies really easy and smooth though I would recommend using a similarly colored lip liner to get a really perfect outline. This one can be a little rough around the edges since it is such a large pencil.

Above is Cruella compared to some other cult classic red lipsticks! 

Rikugien is very similar to Cruella in terms of application, but it is far less pigmented since it is a satin instead of a matte finish. I like how natural this pencil is and I think it is a great everyday lip color! 

Above is Rikugien compared to some other mauve tones I have in my collection.

The wear time of these lip pencils is pretty good at 6 hours, but you have to reapply after eating and drinking. Cruella does not wear off in a flattering way and leaves a red rim around your lips so make sure to bring the product with you for reapplication during a night out on the town.

Overall, I love that NARS included a bold statement color (and a fan favorite), along with a wearable everyday color. The value of this set is about $39 and it is COMPLETELY FREE if you are a Sephora BI!

No, its not a trap, I promise!
xxSJ

Ipsy June 2015 Bag!

 Ipsy is a monthly subscription service that sends you 4-6 deluxe sample-sized products each month for the low cost of $10 including shipping. Ipsy is SO popular that in order to sign up for this subscription, you must first get yourself on their waitlist... I did just that weeks ago and completely forgot about it until I received an email that my June bag had shipped! It arrived a couple days ago so I thought I'd share my thoughts on these products and this service.

In this month's bag, I received 2 pairs of Altcheck Depuff Eye pads, a treStique eyeshadow pencil, a Smashbox photo finish face primer, an ItCosmetics brow pencil, and an Aurora Gel Effect nail polish. All of these goodies were housed in a black bag with 'ipsy' printed all over and bright orange zipper enclosure!

I was most excited by the ItCosmetics brow power pencil as this product claims to be a 'universal brow product.' Hmmmmm I'm hugely skeptical of that! I also thought the eyeshadow pencil was missing its cap at first but was relieved to find that the pencil-like pointed tip is really the cap housing the product inside! 

The eyeshadow color I got was 'Marimoto Pink Pearl' and it is really pretty! It is a light gold shimmery cream eyeshadow with peachy pink undertones. I wore this on my lids with a soft brown swept through the crease and it wore beautifully all day.  The brow pencil is in the color 'Universal Taupe' and it actually works pretty well for my brows. This product is meant to be lightly applied for blondes and then more heavily applied the darker your hair color. I could definitely see this color working for many people, though I recommend trying it out in store before purchasing this. The packaging is really nice as it is a weighty aluminum and there is a spoolie for eyebrow grooming on the opposite end of the pencil. 

The nail polish is a gel effect polish by the brand Aurora called '4 Alarm Fire.' I do really enjoy the color of this hot raspberry red, but I don't think the formula is all that great. I had chipping within 24 hours of application and the brush is huge making application a bit difficult on my tiny nails!

Overall I was impressed with the variety of samples in this bag. The value of each product is as follows:
Nail Polish $8
Smashbox Primer $8
Eyeshadow Stick $10
Eyebrow pencil $12
Eye pads $4

That puts the total value of this bag at $42! Not bad considering I only dropped $10 on it and these are all products I will get some use out of.

I really enjoyed my first experience with Ipsy but I don't think I will be continuing my subscription. I have a lot of makeup as is and I don't feel the need to have a ton of little samples lying around. I would definitely recommend Ipsy to people just starting to get into makeup though! It's an inexpensive monthly service that could introduce you to new makeup items and brands to expand your collection and its great for getting some travel sized products for weekend getaways ;)

Try out Ipsy for yourself Here!

xxSJ