Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in Textured Mauve | Review + Swatches

On a recent trip to Target, I picked up this beautiful Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in Textured Mauve. I've been trying more from the brand lately since Target Canada is shutting down so everything is a really great price! So far I've loved everything I've tried from the brand and hope to get a few more things! I've had the Sonia Kashuk Eye On Neutral matte palette for a while and I really like that eye shadow texture, so I was hopeful about this one!

This quad definitely did not let me down. It includes 4 mauve shades in varying textures. There's a matte dusty mauve, a more peach-mauve matte with very slight shimmer, a shimmery pink-mauve, and a glittery mauve that works well as a topper shadow. All four of these shadows are so beautiful and are swatched above with no primer!

This is a look I created using the quad. I also used a deep plum shade from the Tartelette palette to slightly deepen the crease, as well as a shimmery champagne as an inner corner highlight. Though these shadows are all gorgeous, this palette can't really create a good variety of looks and it definitely benefits from being used with other shadows, especially highlight shades and deep coloured shadows since this palette is all mid-tone shades.

What other Sonia Kashuk products should I try? I'd love to know your favourites!

Colourpop Haul + Review

I recently made an order from Colourpop and I thought I'd share what I picked up! I already own 2 of their Lippie Stix which I received as gifts, so I had to get a few more, especially at only $5 each! The shades I got (swatched L to R above) are Lumiere, Brink, Clique, and Heart On. Lumiere is a cool matte mauve shade. Brink is a warm taupe pink matte. Clique is a vivid orange red matte. Heart On is a bright matte magenta. In my order I also got a couple of their Super Shock Shadows since I've heard such great things about them. I got the shades Desert (a light warm brown with a satin finish) and La La (a rose gold shimmer). So far I love everything I got! The Lippie Stix are super pigmented and long wearing, and also quite comfortable for a matte lipstick. The Super Shock Shadows are nice and creamy and wear beautifully for 8+ hours. If you haven't checked out Colourpop by now I'd highly recommend you do!

Born Pretty Store Eyeshadow Palette | Review + Swatches

I recently got sent a couple of products from Born Pretty Store to try out and review. I have already reviewed one item here, and this is the second item! This is an eyeshadow palette that consists of 5 shimmery neutral eyeshadows. It has a shimmery white, shimmery yellow gold, shimmery rose gold, shimmery olive gold, and a shimmery charcoal. The swatches above were all done with no primer. These shadows swatch fairly nice and opaque but the formula isn't really smooth. It does take a bit of work to build the shadows up to their full potential, but considering this palette is only about $6, it's not too bad! My favourite shades are the 2nd and 3rd shadows, which would both look beautiful on the lids. This palette would be ideal to pair with something like the Urban Decay Naked Basics palettes to use some matte shadows along with the shimmery ones here! 

If you're wanting a few more shimmery neutral shadows to add to your collection without spending much money, I'd recommend checking this palette out! If you're interested in trying this palette or any other products from Born Pretty Store, you can get 10% off your order when you use the code TCH10.

*This item was sent to Lipstick & Lacquer for review purposes. All opinions reflect my honest thoughts of the product(s).*

MAC x Isabel and Ruben Toledo Collection | Haul + Swatches

This morning I awoke bright and early to head to MAC to check out the new MAC x Isabel and Ruben Toledo collection. Ever since the promo images appeared online for this collection, I was immediately drawn to the bold illustrated packaging and knew I wanted to add some items to my makeup collection! I ended up getting the Blush Ombré in Ripe Peach, as well as 3 lipsticks in the shades Barbecue, Oxblood, and Victoriana.

MAC really went all-out for the packaging for this collection. The lipstick boxes all had sleeves, and the unique illustrations were also featured on the boxes. The lipstick tubes have a matte feeling (similar to NARS packaging) which feels really nice but I'll have to be extra careful to keep them clean and white!

 

Here is the blush ombré in Ripe Peach swatched. From left to right: peach shade,  pink shade, both swirled together, both swirled together and blended out. I'm so excited to have this gorgeous blush in my collection!

These are the lipsticks I got! From left to right there is Barbecue (matte vivid orange red), Victoriana (matte midtone pink red), and Oxblood (matte light peachy nude). All of the lipstick shades from this collection are gorgeous and it was hard to just pick 3! I tried to choose shades that would be unique in my collection, and I'm thrilled with my picks!

Will you be getting anything from the MAC x Toledo collection? What are your top picks?

Naked On The Run | Review + Swatches

I have a new addition to my Urban Decay Naked collection, the new Urban Decay Naked On The Run palette! This is an all-in-one palette that includes 6 new eye shadows (Dive, Fix, Resist, Dare, Stun, 5050), a blush, a bronzer, their Perversion mascara, a 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Stag, and a full-size Naked Ultra Nourishing Gloss in Sesso. 

The eyeshadows all swatch and apply beautifully with the smooth texture and great pigmentation that I've come to know and love with Urban Decay shadows. The blush is a really nice cool-toned pink and quite different from many other blushes in my collection. The bronzer is a tad orange for me but if used lightly I can make it work. I like that they included a black-brown eyeliner in this palette rather than a black, because most makeup lovers have too many black eyeliner pencils in their collections already, and the brown compliments the neutral shades in this palette. The Perversion mascara is a super black formula which lengthens and provides good volume to the lashes. I don't think it's a mascara I'll buy a full-size of since I have other favourites, but it is a good mascara that I will use up. The lip gloss is a nice neutral peach that would work on any skintone. I'm not a lip gloss person at all, but for times I would wear a gloss this is a shade I'd go for.

This set would be great to travel with, as it was intended for, since many of the steps in a makeup routine would be covered by the products provided! If you're in the market for some neutral products, or want to try more from Urban Decay's product line, this palette would be a great thing to pick up!

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipsticks | Review + Swatches

Attention all bold-lip lovers! You'll want to pay attention. There's a new liquid lipstick on the scene and this one is no joke. These are the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipsticks. These are the first products in the Jeffree Star Cosmetics range and I am really impressed with them. I pre-ordered mine the day they became available, on Black Friday, and got the bundle with all 3 available shades (available on the Jeffree Star Cosmetics website). The three shades currently available are I'm Royalty, Redrum, and Prom Night.

I'm Royalty is a bright royal purple with a matte finish. Redrum is a bright blue-based red. Prom Night is a borderline neon bright Barbie pink. 

The formula of these is similar to products such as the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks and the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks. They apply wet looking from a tube with a doe foot applicator and set as an ultra-matte finish. These do not transfer like a typical lipstick would either. The wear time of these is great as well. I can wear these for 6+ hours without the need of a touch up! All three of the shades apply very opaque in one pass over the lips. The only down side to these for me is that application is a bit tricky since the doe foot applicator is a little flimsy. I might try to apply these with a lip brush next time to get a more precise application. But other than that this product is a total win in my books! Jeffree is currently working on expanding the shade range of these liquid lipsticks as well as adding new products to his range which I can't wait for!

Are these lipsticks something you'd try out? What are your thoughts on the super bold shades?

Colourpop Lippie Stix | Creature + Feminist

For Christmas, my friend McKenna gifted me a couple of Colourpop Lippie Stix! It seems like for the past few months Colourpop has been all over beauty blogs and YouTube channels and I've really been wanting to try out some products from the brand. Well, I've tried these two Lippie Stix in the shades Creature and Feminist and they did not disappoint! Creature is a deep red shade with a matte finish. Feminist is a blackened purple matte. As a fan of a vampy lip, both of these shades are right up my alley! These wear really well throughout the day and last around 5 hours before needing touch ups. They also remain quite comfortable on the lips considering they have a matte finish. If you get the chance to try some of the Colourpop Lippie Stix I'd highly recommend them!

Lorac Pro 2 Palette | Review + Swatches

When I was in the USA this summer visiting my friend Sara, I bought the Lorac Pro palette. Since then, it has become a staple in my collection. At the time the Lorac Pro 2 had just come out and though I was tempted by it, I decided to just stick with the original. Well, to my surprise, Sara picked me up the Lorac Pro 2 palette and sent it to me for Christmas! I was honestly shocked when I opened it and was so, so excited. Over the past 5 months I had come to love the Lorac Pro palette so much and was counting on buying this one next time I went to the states (which I don't know how far away that'd be). Since getting this palette I've used it multiple times a week!

This palette is in the same format as the original Lorac Pro palette. It's encased in matte, thin, cardboard packaging and has magnetic closure. Even though it is cardboard it still feels sturdy and nice. In the palette there are 16 shadows - 8 mattes across the top row and 8 shimmers along the bottom. The original palette was full of more classic neutral shades whereas this palette consists of some more unique shades. So far with my looks with this palette I've been playing it pretty safe, but I can't wait to experiment with some of the less neutral shades (I mean, just look at that navy!). I really can't say whether I prefer the original or this one. Both have the same amazing buttery, pigmented textured shadows, and both are so great for everyday wear to more daring looks. If you're an eyeshadow lover I really don't think you can go wrong with either (or both!) of these palettes!

Tartelette Matte Eyeshadow Palette | Review + Swatches

If you're a matte eye shadow lover, you'll want to pay attention. I picked up the new Tartelette palette from Tarte a couple of weeks ago and I have a new favourite palette in my collection (of course, I have many favourites, but now this is one of them)! The Tartelette palette consists of 12 matte neutral eye shadows ranging from highlight to deep, and warm to cool shades. All of the shadows are smooth and not too powdery either. I absolutely love it. 

The palette is perfectly laid out, with shades going from light to dark down each column. The first column of shades consists of a yellow-toned highlight, the middle shadow is a pink-toned highlight, and the bottom shadow is a neutral ivory. The second column includes 3 gorgeous shadows that are perfect as transition shades for the crease. The third column has your midtone shades which would look great in the crease, under the eye, or on the lid for a smokey look. And the last column has dark shadows that again could be used in the crease, but could also be used as eyeliner or to smoke out any eye shadow look!

If you're a fan of neutral shadows, matte shadows, or just eye makeup in general I think this palette is definitely an asset to any collection! It also works well accompanying a shimmery shadow or palette to help balance out a look!

What do you think about the Tartelette palette? Do you think it's something you'll be adding to your collection this year?

Nars Audacious Lipstick | Charlotte

Last week Sephora had a deal for VIB's where if you spend a minimum $50 you get $20 to spend in the store so I took the opportunity to splurge a little and finally buy myself one of the new NARS Audacious lipsticks! Ever since these were launched I've been dying to try them and I'm so glad I did. I chose the shade Charlotte, which is a deepened berry-toned red. The formula of these lipsticks is amazing. It's so comfortable on the lips with a semi-matte creme finish. It's also insanely pigmented and with one swipe over the lips it's fully opaque. The packaging is so nice too, with a sleek black matte tube with magnetic closure. For Christmas my friend Abby (hello Abby, I know you're probably reading this ;) haha) got me a Sephora gift card as part of my present from her and I'm thinking of using it towards another one of these lipsticks but in a nude shade for everyday wear! If you've been holding out on trying these lipsticks I say it's totally worth the hype and the splurge!

Tarte Bon Voyage Collector's Set

 

Today I've got another holiday palette to share with you all! This is the Tarte Bon Voyage Collector's Set for holiday 2014. One day when I was in Sephora I had swatched a few shades of this palette and for the next couple of weeks I couldn't get it off my mind! I eventually caved and went to buy it, and I also had a 10% off coupon that I got when I was upgraded to VIB, as well as a $50 mall gift card, so this palette only cost me around $23 of my own money for this! This set retails for $71 CAD.

This set includes an eyeshadow palette with 20 Amazonian clay eye shadows, a full size LipSurgence Lip Tint in Romantic, a full size LipSurgence Lip Gloss in Visionary, a deluxe sample of the Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, a deluxe cheek stain in Muse, a deluxe Maracuja Oil, a deluxe Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay finishing powder, and a collector's travel bag! For all that you get in this set it really is an amazing value.

In this palette you get 20 beautiful neutral shadows. I love the colours in this palette as they range from mauve purpley tones, to warmer neutrals, to cool silvers and grays. You get 12 matte shadows and 8 shimmers, which as a matte shadow lover, I adore!

(Left to Right: Palace of Versaille, Moulin Rouge, I Think I Cannes, My Own Cotes du Rhone, Boudoir Noir, Fall in Louvre, Provence Upon a Time, Eiffel For You, Too Haute to Handle, Bastille in the Night) (Left to Right: Chantilly Lace, Merci You Later, No Champagne No Gain, Take on Bordeaux, French Riviera, C’est la Vie, Marseille the Word, Play Nice, On a Good Notre Dame, Le Cordon Bleu)

(Left to Right: LipSurgence Lip Tint in Romantic, LipSurgence Lip Gloss in Visionary, Romantic with Visionary on top)

Here are a few looks I've created with the palette! It really is so versatile and it's been a lot of fun to play with so far!

I haven't had the chance to play with the other products in the kit yet but if I end up loving any of them you can expect to see them in my monthly favourites! I thought I'd get this post up while the VIB sale was still on so you can get 20% off this set while you can!

The Best Matte Lipsticks at the Drugstore!

 

Ever since I first heard about these lipsticks a few weeks ago I've been searching my local drugstores high and low for them. I finally came across a display at WalMart (which was mostly sold out), but I managed to pick up two shades! The lipsticks I'm talking about of course are the new Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte lipsticks! 

The two shades I got were Mesmerizing Magenta (swatched left) and Lust for Blush (swatched right). Both shades swatched really smoothly and applied opaque. They also apply really nicely to the lips and don't pull or tug at all which some matte lipsticks are prone to doing. And even though while wearing them they feel really creamy on the lips, they still appear to be completely matte! Since they are a creamier formula they don't wear as long on the lips as some other drier matte formulas, but it's well worth it for the comfort of these, and they're super easy to touch up or reapply as needed. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more shades of these!

Have you tried these lipsticks? What shades should I buy next?

Top 10 Fall Lipsticks

For me, fall makeup is all about a bold, vampy lip. So today, I thought I'd share with you 10 of my favourite fall lip colours! These vary in textures, formulas, and prices - ranging from very affordable products to some more high end products. The key to wearing shades as bold as these is to prep your lips beforehand by exfoliating and applying a balm. I usually remove the balm before applying these so they don't slip around, but it helps to create a smooth base for application. My personal favourite texture for bold lip colours is matte. Mattes create a really bold, dramatic look, and also the drier matte formula makes for a longer lasting lip colour as well as reduces smudging and slipping of the lip colour!

From left to right these are: OCC Lip Tar in Black Dahlia, Kat Von D Vampira, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen, MAC Studded Kiss (LE), Rimmel Kate Moss 107, MAC Rebel, Rimmel Kate Moss 09, Illamasqua Box, Essence Adorable Matt!, and Revlon Raspberry Bite.

The shades I've chosen range from more pink and berry shades, to deep reds and plums. I love playing around with these products and bold colours this time of year and can't wait to use these all season! Let me know in the comments what your favourite bold and vampy lip products are!

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box o' Blushes

 

I recently picked up this new palette from Benefit which is part of their Holiday 2014 line. Believe it or not, I have never owned one of Benefit's infamous boxed powders, so when I saw they were releasing a palette with 6 of them in it, I immediately knew it was something I had to get my hands on. For only $43 (CAD) you get 6 powders, as well as a small size of the Watt's Up cream highlighter, and a small brush. 

The packaging of this palette is really the only downside to me. It is really fun and cute for the holidays, but it doesn't snap shut properly and the top of the case can just come right open really easily. It also is quite bulky tin packaging that can be hard to store. I'm thinking about buying a small Z-palette to depot the blushes and then I can also pop out the Watt's Up highlighter since that is already removable.

Packaging aside, this palette is such a fantastic value and a great way to try some of Benefit's most beloved products if you already love them and want to try more, or if you're like me and this is your first experience with them!

My First Illamasqua Products!

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing The Bay's website and found that all of their Illamasqua products were on sale (they're marked down even further now!) so I decided to make a purchase and buy my first Illamasqua products! I've heard so many great things about this brand over the years and have always wanted to buy some items from their range, so I'm so glad I finally did!

I ended up buying the lipstick in Box - a classic slightly deepened matte red named after Illamasqua Creative Director, Alex Box - and the powder blush in Hussy - a bright, matte, peachy pink. Both of these products have incredible pigmentation and are just beautiful products from the packaging to the formulas. The lipstick is quite dry, but I'm fine with dry mattes as long as I exfoliate my lips and apply a balm beforehand!

What are some of your favourite products from Illamasqua? Anything else I should pick up while the items are on sale?