synderellax | A Lifestyle & Beauty Blog : review

An Ulta Haul feat. Naked Smoky

Today I've got a little haul of some goodies I got from Ulta, featuring the newest UD palette to my collection.

I've been trying to get my hands on this contour shade by NYX for weeks, basically since they released it. These are the NYX Cosmetics HD blushes, which retail at $6.50 and come in a variety of shades from pinks to plums.

I'm not sure how Taupe would look as a blush, but as a contour color it's the definition of perfect.

Cool tones work best as contour colors, and Taupe can look ashy if you lay it on too heavily, but blending this out with your foundation brush makes your contour game strong as hell.

I also picked up this liquid lipstick from Salvation in the shade Attract. I've never heard of this brand before, but from their online prices it looks like they're geared towards drugstore. I've only ever found them online, but maybe at special Ulta's you can find them in store.

This Velvet Lacquer is a little different than liquid lipstick. It applies more like a matte lip cream, it's got a thicker texture and can be spread out better with a lip brush. However, it does take a lot longer to dry than your average liquid lipstick, but doesn't leave you with a tacky feeling.

Swatches

There's been a lot of debate about the newest member to the Naked family. Do you actually need it? No. Do you want it? Of course! If you collect the Naked collection, you do really need it. I mean, you could probably find the rest of the colors in the other palettes, but having it all in one just gets really convenient.

My favorite thing about this palette is the damn packaging. UD, you've outdone yourself with this smoky marble look. If I could plaster this onto my countertops, I would. The palette just feels better in your hands, you can definitely tell it's not cheap by any means.

Now onto the colors. The Smoky Palette offers you a range of shimmers, mattes, and some metallic shades. They did a good job of centering it around a lot of cool tone colors, which I personally like better for a smoky look, but threw in some browns as well.

Favorite shades:

1. Combust | Matte. The perfect transition color to blend out any of these shadows.

2. Password | Matte. I love using this in the outer V of my eye.

3. Black Market | Metallic/Matte. This is a really unique black. It looks metallic-y in the palette, but comes off pretty matte when you brush it on your lash line, which is where I like to use it.

4. Radar | Shimmer. A gorgeous warm bronzey shade that looks great on the lids and smoked out with Black Market.

As usual, UD gives you a guide for their signature looks from the palette. Use these for inspiration to change up your look!

9:49 AM
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September | Beauty Favorites

beauty favorites

I'm back with my beauty favorites for the month of September (Does anyone else think this year is flying by already? How are we already almost at the end of 2015?).

Face:

1. It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation SPF 50 in Medium | Easily my favorite powder foundation I've ever used. It never looks like I'm wearing makeup. Flawless coverage, which is definitely build able. Feels lightweight on the skin.

2. Too Faced Cosmetics Cocoa Contour Kit | I love kit palettes, mostly because of the accessibility. Great for travel. Comes with a bronzer and a contour shade (Just not very versatile shades for all skin tones), and a highlighter and a setting powder. Also comes with a brush if you don't have one on you!

3. Hardcandy Tiki Bronzer | The perfect drugstore highlighter! Very subtle, but can easily be striking with a wet brush. Also becomes versatile if you dab it on the inner corner of your eye.

Lips:

1. Gerard Cosmetics Hydramatte Lipstick in Serenity | The coveted collar by Manny MUA. A gorgeous pinky-brown color that is great for everyday wear, but still looks good with a smoky eye.

2. Gerard Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Madison Avenue | The glossy version of Serenity! Such a beautiful nude shade. So opaque, you only need one swipe. Looks great with any lip liner, even better topped over a really nude lipstick.

Flash - Left: Serenity Right: Madison Avenue

No flash - Left: Serenity Right: Madison Avenue

Eyes:

1. Ardell Natural Demi Wispies | Most natural everyday lash a girl can own! Easy to apply. You can get around 25 uses out of these with proper care. If you want a dramatic look, stack these with another pair to get fuller lashes.

Misc.:

1. Prada Luna Rossa Sport | The warmest fall scent for the season. Such a great woodsy/amber smell. This smells different on everyone though. To make it a little bit more feminine, I like to mix a rose scent with it. But on its own it smells just as sensual!

What were some of your favorite products this past month? Leave me some recommendations!

9:30 AM
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Gerard Cosmetics Hydramatte Liquid Lipsticks | Review

aphrodite

7:46 AM
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Luna Rossa Sport by Prada | Review + Tips to Wearing Men's Cologne

cologne

My favorite thing lately has been using men's colognes as my own perfume. I don't like too strong or overpowering scents to be worn on me, which I find women's perfumes to be. Sometimes they can be too sweet or florally.

My newest obsession has been Prada's Luna Rossa Sport Eau de Toilette cologne.

I got a sample of this in one of my packages from Ulta, and I instantly fell in love. One of Ulta's workers told me that it was a fairly new cologne and that it was usually flying off their shelves, and for good reason.

If you're a fan of YSL's L'Homme Cologne, this will be right up your alley.

I purchased the 1.7oz spray, mainly because it was only $64 (Relatively cheap for a high end brand, in my opinion), and because I like to stick to one or two scents at a time rather than have them sitting around. Because I purchased at Ulta, they had one of their specials and I received a free weekend duffle bag with this, so definitely look out for their freebies if you're looking to buy!

Top Notes:

Ginger, juniper berry

Heart Notes:

Lavendar

Base Notes:

Vanilla, tonka bean

This entire mixture of scents reminds me of fall and curling up in front of the fireplace. I'm insanely in love with this smell. I don't usually smell it on myself (the markings of a good scent for you), but when I get in bed at the end of the night I can always smell it on my pillow.

I love more masculine scents, and honestly sometimes you can't really tell the difference between a man's cologne and a woman's perfume. Most people can't either. I've been told by both men and women that whatever I'm wearing smells amazing.

The key to wearing a cologne as your signature scent is to not use too much of it (Of course, that also goes for every other scent too). I find with this cologne that I only need one spray on my wrists, and a tiny dab behind my ears. It lasts all day for me.

I also like mixing cologne with a girly scent. Luna Rossa Sport goes great with a rose scent. I don't use anything in particular, just some cheap spray I picked up from a flea market that cost me $3, but the combination is out of this world. I don't know why and I can't explain it, but putting both of them together is like a scentgasm.

11:03 AM
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ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip | Haul + Review

colourpop

This haul is long overdue! I've had these babies for well over a month now, since about the time that these products launched. But with work and the upcoming semester, I didn't know when the best time to plan this post was.

But the good news is that I've finally found the time, and I'm so exited to share these gorgeous new ultra matte lipsticks by ColourPop Cosmetics!

I decided to give you guys a short review of these, nothing too long or in depth because I've got another post coming up about all of my liquid lip products and which ones I like the best (Stay tuned ... be patient).

Anyway, I got five of the dozens of colors they came out with. I like pretty basic lip colors, but I had to have my pop of red because it's such a staple lip color.

Colors from left to right: Midi (neutral beige), Trap (griege), Solow (neutral nude pink), Creeper (true blue tone red), Tulle (dusty mauve burgundy).

I picked some nudes and colors that will transition nicely into fall.

Midi - The internet declared this a perfect dupe for ABH's coveted Pure Hollywood. Perfect for a dramatic eye look, everyday.

Trap - When you're feeling a little edgy and want that Limecrime Cashmere look. Mix Midi on top if you're not as bold.

Solow - For those girls who love their pinks, but don't want to be in your face about it.

Creeper - For you all American girls who want a classic red lip look!

Tulle - I thought this would look similar to Veronica by ABH, but it's more of a deep, warm chocolatey color. Still very beautiful and perfect for fall.

Pictured above: no flash. Picture below: flash.

These pictures were taken about a minute after applying to my arm. They dry pretty fast and don't seem to cling to the skin or your lips, but I still recommend applying a lip balm before and wiping off the excess.

Onto a mini review ...

Probably the best thing about these products is that they're deemed "drugstore friendly" because of their price tag. At $6, just a dollar more than their lippie sticks, and they're about the same size as every other liquid lip product that's been hitting the shelves.

It's sleek packaging is similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick, with the silver cap and cylinder shape. It comes with 3.2g or .11oz of product in the bottle.

The wand is a doe foot applicator. I always find these to be the easiest to apply products onto my lips. However, I recommend using a lipliner that matches your lipstick or use a lip brush and some excess product off the wand to help you line your lips (longest longevity).

These are probably my favorite liquid lipsticks I've tried because of the staying power of the product. I can wear this for hours and it actually is kiss proof, i.e. it won't transfer. It rubs off in the middle when you're eating, but other than that they're basically on there for the day when you apply them. For easy removal, just use a soft tissue and some olive oil. Works like a charm.

Overall, I give these a 5 out of 5 rating. They have a whole range of colors on their website, and just released some new fun colors for fall from their new collection line.