Product Review: My Juvia's Place Collection Part 2

Hello everyone!

I'm finally here with the second part of my Juvia's Place Collection!
In this post, I'll be showing swatches of the Douce, Festival, and Magic Mini Palettes!

The Douce Palette 

The Douce Palette

The Zulu which I featured in part 1, is my favourite Juvia's Place item that I own, and the Douce is my number 2. From wearable, work appropriate looks, to smokey with a pop of colour, this palette is capable of producing both with ease.
This palette contains a lovely duochrome shade, specifically the shade Tart which is the middle shade in the top row. It has the most beautiful purple/pink shift, that adds a beautiful pop to the lid or inner corner of the eye. In swatches, it looks like a bright white however, once you see the shift, you'll fall in love. Initially, I was hesitant to purchase this palette because I thought the colours would be too soft for my skin tone, however, the pigment is strong, and they show up beautifully. I believe this is available at Starlite for approximately TT$175.
Swatches 

Shades from left to right: Chocolat, Tart, Creme, Macarons, Custard, Puffs, Berry Mousse, Mont Blanc, Crepes.

Wearing the Douce Palette with the shade Tart on the lid.

The Festival Palette 

This isn't your everyday, work appropriate palette, however, if you want to be daring, this palette gives you bold and striking colours, with Juvia's Place signature eyeshadow quality. Now I will say for a beginner, this isn't a good palette to start with because it can be very intimidating. This is what I consider to be a great companion palette. You can use it with your favourite neutral palette to add a bold pop of colour to your makeup look. This is currently my least used palette from JP, however, I am challenging myself to use it more in 2020. Oro, Aba, and Odogwu, are my go to shades from this palette for a simple eye look with a pop. Uli can be used for a blinding inner corner or face highlight (if you're daring enough). It runs for a similar price to the Douce in Starlite, which has one of the best prices for Juvia's Place (JP) products.
 Swatches

Swatches of the Festival Palette.

Shades Oro, Odogwu, Keleke and Uli used.

The Magic Mini Palette

Magic Mini Palette

This palette is beautiful and versatile. The top half of this palette is filled with lovely warm-toned shadows, while the bottom half is all cool-toned. Most the shades in this palette carry JP's signature, soft buttery formula with the exception of Ife (bottom left), and Yejide (bottom right). Both these shades are drier than JP's usual matte formula, however, they are still very pigmented. These shades need to be used carefully as the can be difficult to blend if too much is applied; it's better to slowly build and blend these shades. I purchased mine at Bella Russe for approximately TT$250+, but you may be able to find it cheaper in other stores. 

Swatches

Shades (left to right): Nubia, Zakiya, Osun, Kesi, Zuba, Nana, Boronu, Kogi.

Shades (left to right): Faso, Aja, Vai, Yemoja, Ife, Yara, Buzo, Yejide.

Shades used: Yara, Buzo, Aja, and Nana.

Conclusion
I've recently added the Warrior 2 and Masquerade palettes to my collect so I may do a part 3 of this series at some point. However, I feel as though it is quite repetitive to share my love for JP's eyeshadows. For the quality, and quantity of eyeshadows for the price Juvia's Place is unbeatable. I may branch out in 2020 and try some other eyeshadow palettes from different brands, and do a review on those.
I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging, and trying to motivate myself to be consistent this year. Thank you all for always coming by and checking out my blog despite my long hiatus. 
Love you all, and I will see you again very soon.
(^_^)/

Product Review: L.A. Girl Pro Matte Foundation

Hello everyone!
Today, I'm going to be doing a review of the L.A. Girl Pro Matte Foundation. This is the first foundation from this brand that I've tried, and I must say I'm very impressed.

The shade I purchased is Light Tan, and it is an amazing match for my warm, lightly golden skin. I got it at Wonderful World for TT$60. It claims to provide smooth and buildable coverage, that has a soft and suede-like finish. Recently, L.A. Girl expanded the shade range to 24 shades, with the addition of 10 shades along the medium to deep spectrum.

My Thoughts 
This foundation is honestly one of the best "drugstore" foundations I've tried. I would say this is a solid medium to full coverage foundation. This foundation is a thick liquid but it glides onto the skin effortlessly. It is very easy to blend out with both a brush or blending sponge. I use either the elf Ultimate Blending Brush, or the Sacha Cosmetics Blending Sponge for my application, and I get even coverage every time. This has a suede/matte finish, which makes it suitable for combination and oily skin, and even for a hot and humid climate like we have here in Trinidad. If you have a drier skin type, I believe this in combination with hydrating skin care and a hydrating primer can work for you. However, if you're not a fan of full coverage, suede/matte finish foundations, this definitely is not the product for you.

I have combination-oily skin, and this foundation manages to maintain its integrity through humidity and the oil slick that is my T-zone. It doesn't separate or breakdown, and there is little to no transfer once it is properly blended into the skin. This also happens to be one of the best shade matches I have in drugstore foundations. It's the warm yellow undertone that I need!

Wearing L.A. Girl Pro Matte Foundation in Light Tan

 I've really been enjoying this foundation, and I've been using it in combination with the L'Oreal Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation, and they make a gorgeous combination.

Conclusion 

I thoroughly enjoy using this foundation and given it's suede finish and longevity during heat and humidity, I would recommend it for persons looking for a "special occasion" foundation on a budget. A great inexpensive full coverage with a decent shade range. L.A. Girl released some Pro Color Foundation Mixing Pigments to work with the current shades in their range in order to cater to more skin tones, however, I hope in the future they will further expand their range.
This is the end of this post. I decided to make it short and sweet since I'm now getting back into the swing of things.
I will be doing a review on the L'Oreal Fresh Wear foundation and Full Wear concealer soon. I'm working on product shots for other posts including the second part of my Juvia's Place palette collection.
I hope you all have a fantastic week ahead, and I shall see you soon!
(^_^)/

Makeup Battle Royal: NYX Microbrow vs. Absolute New York Super Slim Eyebrow Pencil

It's time for another Makeup Battle Royal!
I've been stewing on this post for some time now but I'm finally ready to get my thoughts out.
Today's battle is all about super slim eyebrow pencils, and the NYX Microbrow has quite frankly been one of the most popular and hyped eyebrow pencils on the market.  I've had this brow pencil sitting in my collection for some time because I got hooked on the Absolute New York Super Slim Eyebrow Pencil.

Absolute New York (ABNY) Super Slim Eyebrow Pencil
I bought this pencil on a whim while Wonderful World TT was having one of their Semi-Annual sales since I was in the market for a new eyebrow pencil. At the time of the sale it cost around TT$55, which is definitely on the inexpensive side for slim eyebrow pencil. I've been using this pencil off and on for approximately six months. This pencil is extremely creamy, and has great pigmentation, so a little goes a long way. This pencil allows me to fake hair like strokes which is great for producing more "natural" looking eyebrows as opposed to the more full and structured eyebrows that are popular on social media. What I truly love about this pencil is the colour. This pencil is the perfect cool-toned ashen grey black which matches my natural hair perfectly. I have naturally black eyebrows, and most dark brown pencils tend to run far too warm on me, and it tends to make my eyebrows look unnatural.This never looks overly harsh, and blends easily into my hairs with the spoolie.

Wearing ABNY Super Slim Eyebrow Pencil

NYX MicroBrow Eyebrow Pencil

I purchased the Microbrow at Starlite for TT$75 in the shade Black, hoping it would perform similarly to the ABNY Super Slim. One the first use, I did not like this pencil at all. It was hard, and was barely getting the pigment to show up. I felt as though I had to continuously drag the pencil over the eyebrow just to get the pigment to build. The second time I used this I decided to run the pencil along the back of my hand first, in order to warm it up to see if that would aid the application, and it did. With the product warmed up, it applied easier, and blended into my brow hairs fairly well. Similar to the ABNY pencil, the size of the pencil as well as the colour make it easy for me to fake hair like strokes, to produce a more natural looking eyebrow. However, it should be noted that the MicroBrow is still a bit larger than the ABNY Super Slim.

NYX MicroBrow vs Natural Eyebrow

I think it's important to note that every person has their own preferences when it comes to brow pencils. Some prefer a harder pencil, while others prefer something softer. I personally love something that's soft, but not overly soft because that tends to lead to fading and smudging throughout the day, and I'm pretty sure no one wants their eyebrow to smudge off by midday, especially if you live in a hot and humid environment. ABNY Super Slim Eyebrow Pencil can fade or smudge if too much product is applied. However, if it's evenly applied, it can last for up to 8-10 hours. The NYX Microbrow has similar lasting power, however, it takes work for it to build on itself.

NYX MicroBrow and ABNY Super Slim

Final Thoughts

In Trinidad, the NYX Microbrow ranges from TT$75-$90, which is far too expensive for something meant to be a drugstore/inexpensive brand, and NYX can mainly be found at Starlite or at the NYX Kiosk at Trincity Mall. ABNY is mainly found in Wonderful World stores and can range from TT$55-TT$75 for this product. Honestly for me, the ABNY Super Slim does exactly what I need it to do,therefore, between the two pencils, the ABNY Super Slim is my preferred mainly due to the creamy texture of the pencil and its price.

Should I do an eyebrow routine video? Please let me know.

Thanks for stopping by!
Bye guys (^_^)/

Product Review: L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara

Two blog posts in one month (O.O)?! Yes!

Hello everyone!
Today, I'm going to be sharing my thoughts and experience using one of the most hyped "drugstore"makeup product in 2017, L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara.

This mascara is absolutely beautiful, and I'm not talking about the packaging. The formula of this mascara, and the brush, just perk your lashes up so well. It is essentially a push up bra for your eyelashes.
The product builds up easily, without clumping my eyelashes, and for me personally, the more I run the brush through my lashes, the better the results. I've been using this mascara for over a month now (possibly 6-7weeks), and it is the first one I reach for. I typically rotate 2-3 tubes of mascara at any given time, so for me to be continuously reaching for this mascara every time I do my makeup, shows me that I just love what it does for my eyelashes.

I usually go for Blackest Black, however, it would seem that in Trinidad only the shade Black (201) is stoked at local retail stores, and the price does vary according to location. I paid approximately TT$70, for mine, give or take a couple of dollars, but it was the last one in stock and I didn't want to wait for a restock because it had been sold out everywhere I went prior.
Honestly, I've never seen a mascara sell at the rate that this has been. When I try to go purchase a backup tube, the store attendants always say that they're having difficulty keeping it in stock due to the demand.

Wearing the Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara

My natural lashes aren't the thickest or the fullest, but when I use this mascara, my lashes look full and fluffy. I remember when I first applied it, and I could not believe that my lashes could look so good. I don't wear false eyelashes nor do I have eyelash extensions, so I'm constantly hunting for a full, voluminous look, that helps to define my eyelashes, and this mascara does that for me.
I've not experienced any smudging or flaking with this product, and it comes off effortlessly with either Micellar water or makeup remover.

My main issue with this mascara is the packaging. While I do find the foiled pink and gold packaging beautiful, it flakes off. With continued use, the tube begins to flake, and I am left with a bunch of silver residue on my hands after I apply my mascara and it annoys me.

Flaking tube

Flaking tube #2

For this mascara, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and yes, I will be repurchasing it soon. It's my new go-to mascara, and although I have some other mascaras to try, I just love the way this mascara makes my eyelashes look. This mascara lives up to the hype, at least for me it does.

Well folks, that's all for today. I know this post is short, but I didn't feel the need to go on and on about how much I like this mascara.
Thanks for stopping by my mind palace today, and I will see you all again very soon.
Bye (^_^)/

De-clutter and Empties: The Return to the Mind Palace

Return to the Mind Palace! 

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog!
This is the first time in over a year that I've actually sat down to post, and I feel excited to be working on the blog again. Honestly, due to how hectic things have been in the past year, I lost my zeal for blogging. I just could not bring myself to sit down and dedicate time to the blog because it felt like a chore, and I felt that my lack of enthusiasm and interest would reflect in anything I posted. 😓😞
After many months away from the blog, I started playing around with ideas to motivate me to return. I love my blog, I love makeup and beauty, but I felt as though nothing about my blog stood out enough for me to enjoy returning to regular posting so the break continued. After a conversation with some friends, it struck me, Mental Health. I'm a training psychologist who is passionate about talking about mental health and breaking down mental health stigma, why not do posts dedicated to Mental Health?! Slowly, behind the scenes, I begun to reconfigure the blog, and give it a bit of a face lift.
Thank you all for being so very patient with me, and I can't wait to get back to posting regularly. Now to the De-clutter!

De-clutter and Empties!

The De-Clutter Gang!

I love makeup, and like many makeup lovers I tend to keep some products around for far too long. If I love a specific product, I want to hold onto it for as long as possible (even if I don't use it frequently), and if I dislike a product, I still try to get my money's worth. However, there comes a time in a makeup lovers life where they just have to let go of the products that are just taking up valuable space in their collection.

Eyes

Starting with eye primer, and cream bases. I absolutely love the Milani Eyeshadow Primer. I already have a back up of this in my collection. Honestly my favourite eyeshadow primer that I've tried. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold, and Caramel Cool while they are great cream eyeshadows, I just don't use them. I've had these two for far too long, and it's time for them to go. While they are great products in terms of colour pigmentation, texture, and longevity, I do not think I'll be repurchasing them.

Shades: Oro (left), Pine Nut (right)

My original NYX cosmetics eyeshadows. They're both extremely old so they had to be de-cluttered but definitely some of the best eyeshadows I've owned, and I will miss them.

I typically get rid of mascaras regularly (between 3-6 months). Jordana Best Lash Extreme is still one of my favourites, and is a guaranteed repurchase. Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam while it is a nice mascara, I find the brush to be a bit too large for my eyes but the large brush gives really lovely volume to the lashes. Will I repurchase? - Maybe not. I've got a couple of mascaras to try out, and this mascara wasn't one I was enthusiastic about.

Milani Eye Tech Extreme - possibly the only liquid eyeliner I use because it is easy to apply, and very pigmented. However, this time it started to apply very streaky and would end up smudging on the outer corner destroying my wing. I don't know if the one bought was just super old but it has me discouraged from repurchasing anytime soon.
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal (Sparkling Black) - Didn't like it at all. The glitter takes away from the colour, so rather than sparkling black, you get a glittery grey that isn't waterproof at all and barely lasts on the eye. Not going to waste my money on this particualr shade, but I am willing to try their regular colours; brown, black, white, and nude.

Face

I did a full post on this and the Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation in Sun Beige (310). I do like this powder, however it started to get old, the texture was off and it was not buffing in seamlessly anymore. I am currently testing the new Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder (future post maybe?)

Lips

SMLC- Ibiza

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cremes are one of my favourite lip formulas. However, this colour just did not work for me. It was streaky when applied, and with the applicator I just could not make it work for me.

Nails

I don't remember the names of either of these nail polishes but they're old and goopy.

Makeup Remover

I love both of these so much. Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover has been discontinued or at least they are no longer stocked in Trinidad. One of the best makeup removers I've ever used.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is awesome. I typically use Micellar Water after removing my makeup with coconut oi to clear the skin of any remaining oil and makeup debris before I wash my face. I am currently using the L'Oreal Micellar Water and it is very similar so at the moment there is no need for me to repurchase.

Well folks, that's all I have for today. Thank you all so much for stopping by, I do hope you enjoyed!
I'm so happy to be posting again, and I can't wait for the next post. Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and positive!
Bye ^_^)/

L.A. Colors Eyeshadows (12 Color Palette and 5 Color Matte Palette)

Hello my Mind Palace friends!
I have finally returned. My health took a bit of bump in August hence the lack of posting. However, I am finally feeling better, and finally able to return to blogging. Thank you all for your patience.

Today's post is going to be about some gem eyeshadow palettes from L.A. Colors. L.A. Colors is an inexpensive, and cruelty free brand, that makes some amazing products. In a few of my previous posts, I mentioned a L.A. Color Eyeshadow Pot as my go-to transition shade, and general favourite blending colour; (shade name is Bare Mauve). I recently purchased the 5 Color Matte Palette in Brown Tweed for TT$15; and was gifted the 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Brown Buzz last December for Secret Santa.

L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Palettes; Brown Buzz (top), Brown Tweed (below)

12 Color Eyeshadow Palette 

Starting with Brown Buzz, I was blown away with how beautifully these eyeshadows applied and blended. I used this palette predominantly in my Toph Bei Fong inspired Makeup Play look. These shadows are pigmented and soft, and blend like a dream. The palette has a mix of shimmer, and satin finishes, which makes it incredibly easy to use. I will link the Makeup Play post where I used this palette at the end of the post.

L.A. Colors 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Brown Buzz

Swatches from Brown Buzz 12 Color Palette (no flash)

5 Color Matte Eyeshadow Palette

An all matte eyeshadow palette that is inexpensive, pigmented, and easy to blend! Sounds too good to be true, but alas L.A. Color killed it. Whether you want a simple look for every day, or want to go smokey glam; this little palette can do it. If you work or go to school, i assure you this little palette will become an essential, as it makes doing your makeup on a morning easy and effortless. This is also a great complementary palette to own, since it will be easy to work in any single eyeshadow you own to produce a multitude of looks. I will be doing more looks incorporating this palette in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned to my Instagram.

Brown Tweed Matte Eyeshadow Palette

Swatches of Brown Tweed

Concluding Remarks
Both of these palettes have beautifully pigmented eyeshadows, that blend easily, and that do not make your wallet cry. I find myself reaching for the 5 Color Matte Palette whenever I do eyeshadow, so it is a product that can very easily sneak into your everyday makeup essentials. I am planning on purchasing more of the Matte Palettes in order to determine the consistency throughout the line, and I may do a full dedicated post about them in the future.

Thank you all for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day.
I will see you all again very soon. Stay happy, healthy and positive until next time!
Bye (^_^)/

Links: Makeup Play #2 
http://jsmindpalace.blogspot.com/2016/06/makeup-play-2-easy-fun-greens-aka.html

Makeup Play #3: Orange You Irate?

Hello everyone!
I am back, and I am super excited to return to the blog.

Today, I'm posting the details behind a look I posted recently on my Instagram:

Instagram @ladyjpsych

If you don't follow me on Instagram, nor have read any of my previous Makeup Play Posts, the general idea behind this series is, I ask my friends to choose any colour of their liking, and I have to incorporate them into a makeup look.

This time, the colours they chose were:

1. Yellow (Gold)
2. Green
3. Burnt Orange 

My friends have a wicked sense of humour. Luckily I do own a ridiculously beautiful orange eyeshadow, multiple shades of green, however, since I don't own a strict yellow eyeshadow, I was allowed to improvise with a yellow gold.

Eyeshadows Used:

L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Pot in Bare Mauve as my transition shade, and also to help blend out the orange eyeshadow.

Sacha Cosmetics Eyeshadow in High Voltage Orange - I used this in the crease, for that beautiful, warm burnt orange colour. Blending it out with Bare Mauve toned down the intensity of the shade. Although it is listed as a Frosted Eyeshadow on Sacha's website, in person it is more of a satin.

Colourpop Cosmetics Super Shock Shadow in Hammered - By far my favourite green eyeshadow. A smokey, olive green, with gold reflects; it satiates my desire for MAC's Sumptuous Olive.

Milani Cosmetics Powder Eyeshadow in Gold Dust (discontinued) - I still don't know why Milani discontinued this line of single eyeshadows because they were the most beautifully pigmented, easy to blend and affordable eyeshadows. I tend to use Gold Dust strictly to highlight, since I personally find it far too yellow for my eyelids. I prefer brass or coppery gold all over the lid.

From left to right - Bare Mauve, H.V. Orange, Hammered, Gold Dust

This look required a lot of blending, and a lot of patience. Although the Sacha eyeshadow is easy to blend, and extremely pigmented, and it was difficult trying to not overblend the eyeshadow, or blend it out too high. I spent 20 minutes on each eye just ensuring that the orange was strong but not overwhelming alone. There were moments when I wanted to scrap the look, however, since my friends were holding me to the challenge, I powered through.

If you're wondering, yes I wore this to work...*anywho*...I kept the rest of the look fairly simple, a touch of eyeliner, tons of mascara ( L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt), Kat Von D Lolita on the lips, and City Color Cosmetics Be Matte Blush in Papaya on the cheeks.

This was one of the more time consuming, and challenging looks simply because I've never worked with orange eyeshadow before; but it was fun nonetheless, and I truly love how the look turned out. I would definitely wear this look again.

Thank you all so much for stopping by. I hope you all enjoyed. My next post is going to be a review, so until then, stay happy, healthy, and positive.
Bye (^_^)/

Product Review: L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara

Hello everyone!
I know it has been a while since my last post, and I apologize. I've been out on internship and it has left me super tired and extremely busy.
However, it has given me the opportunity to test out a new mascara, since all I've been using is the Revlon Ultimate All-In-One mascara.
I recently purchased the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt mascara, and seeing that I am already a huge fan of the original Voluminous Butterfly Mascara, I was hoping to love this as much.

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara in Blackest Black

Firstly, purple packaging is a yes. I love purple! Now, apart from my colour bias, this mascara is really good. It does a great job at giving volume and lift to my eyelashes, and it also defines each individual lash, making my lashes look fuller.

Awkward angle is awkward, but the difference between mascara and no mascara is obvious

Finished Face w/  L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara

For me personally, the brush is what I love about this mascara. Tiny bristles run along one side of the wand, and they hold onto each lash for great definition and lift.
The wand does hold onto a lot of product, but it does not make the lashes clump, or at least not my lashes.

Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt wand.

The formula reminds me of the original Voluminous Butterfly, so nothing incredibly special there. It does not smudge, or flake on me, and I've worn this on the rainiest days without it smearing or running.

Summary:

• Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt is a great mascara. It gives beautiful, sculpted, lifted, and volumised eyelashes.
• It does not smudge, swear, flake or run. ( I don't use waterproof mascara)
• The wand does hold onto a lot of product so be wary.

 Question is...would I repurchase? - Yes, I think I will be. I've been using it nearly everyday since I've bought it, and I do really love the way my eyelashes look after I've applied it.  Mascara is one of my must-have products, and I can see myself using this as long as it is available.

Thank you all for stopping by my blog; I hope you all have a great weekend.
As always, stay happy, healthy, and positive. Given the recent state of the world, please stay safe.

Bye guys!

 

Makeup Play #2: Easy & Fun Greens a.k.a Wearable Toph Inspired Makeup

Earlier this year, my good friend introduced me to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I binge-watched hard. When Toph Beifong was introduced, I knew that I had found my favourite "hero" character; Uncle Iroh is pretty much the best.

I decided to try and do series of looks for each of the elements, and for my favourite characters throughout the series, although I have hit a bit of snag in doing this, this Toph Inspired Makeup, was undoubtedly one of the best makeup looks I've ever done. The week I did this look, my friend, M. chose green as my makeup colour for the day.

Close Up on my Toph Inspired Makeup

For a Toph Beifong Inspired Look, I needed greens and yellow to represent her Earth Bending, but also some cool silvers or greys to represent her Metal Bending.

 I ended up using eyeshadows from two (2) different palettes; one inexpensive and one "high-end". The greens and yellow I used were from the L.A. Colors 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Brown Buzz.

L.A. Color 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette - Brown Buzz

N.B: I will be doing a full review with swatches on this palette.

The 3 shades marked with a white dot, are what I used on the eyelid. The second green is the main colour on the lid, while the third was used in the outer corner to build depth and definition. I blended out crease with L.A. Color Eyshadow Pot in Bare Mauve. The first green, I mixed in with a touch of yellow for a sparkling inner corner highlight.
 

The second palette used was the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette, and I used this mainly for the lower lash line.

I used the last two shimmer shades on the inner and outer portions respectively, and the second to last matte shade to gently blend it out.

Finished face

Doing this look made me fall in love with green eyeshadow, and definitely encouraged me to step out of my neutral zone.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy and positive, and I will talk to you again soon!
Bye guys!
(^_^)/

Product Review: Milani Shadow Eyez 12 HR Eyeshadow

Hello everyone!

Another quick review coming your way today. This post was supposed to be done last week, but I was under the weather after getting completely drenched in rain last week (>_<)'.

A couple months ago, I picked up two (2) of the Milani Shadow Eyez pencils to test out. I've seen and heard a lot of buzz about them since they initially launched, but because of my oily skin, and the intense weather here in Trinidad, I didn't think they would work well on me.
I did buy these both on sale for TT$26, and they retail for approximately US$7.49 on the Milani Cosmetics website. 

My Milani Shadow Eyez Pencils

Shades: 
09 Café Au Lait - Cool-toned Brown (Matte)
10 Almond Cream - Neutral Beige (Matte)

I chose these shades for a couple reasons;

1. They were on sale!
2. Emilynoel83 always talks highly of the Shadow Eyez in Almond Cream, and if she's says it is good, then it must be good.
3. Jackie Aina videos were the first time I saw Café Au Lait in use, and I just fell for the shade.

Swatch:

Almond Cream (top), Café Au Lait (bottom)

Product Claim: This water-resistant and crease-proof eyeshadow pencil can be worn multiple ways—as a shadow, liner and highlighter. (from Milani Cosmetics Website)

My Experience: When I first swatched these pencils, I was amazed how creamy and silky they were, and their pigmentation is amazing! The swatches shown above are one swipe of each pencil. I use Almond Cream as a highlighter under my brows, and sometimes to brighten up the inner rim of my eyes. It never smudged in my waterline, and most waterproof pencils smudge on me, since my eyes tend to get watery quite easily these days. This product lives up to its claim of being water-resistant.
As an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base, these pencils work magnificently well. They blend easily onto the eyes, and they stay put. I haven't experienced any creasing while using it as a base, nor have I had problems blending powder eyeshadows over them. 

The only jumbo eyeshadow pencils I have that I can compare this with are the Rimmel ScandalEyes Eyeshadow Stick. They have a similar feel, very creamy and silky. Both have great pigmentation, and no smudging or smearing while in the waterline. Both are great products and you won't be disappointed with either in my honest opinion.

I love multi-use products like this, and I've been contemplating getting a couple more shades to use as fun pops of colour, since the ones I own don't budge even on the most humid days.
I also love when a product lives up to its claims, and when you get a great product on sale, even better!

I hope you all enjoyed today's post, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I have a quiz to go study for, so I will catch you next week (hopefully).
Stay happy, positive and healthy guys!
Bye (^_^)/

Product Empties: Skincare and Makeup

Hello and welcome everyone!

Today is a quick post about products I've used up, or am about to completely finish, and give you a small update on the products, if I've reviewed them before.

Skincare:

1. Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub - This scrub is the purest definition of non-abrasive exfoliant. It is perfect for anyone with sensitive skin, as it does not irritate the skin, nor does it have any fragrance or perfume. However, for my skin, it was far too gentle. I have oily/combination skin, and sometimes my skin needs something with a bit more grit to it. Lately, my skin has been tumultuous and this scrub did not cut it. At the moment, I'm back to using Freeman's Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask, which I adore. Although this scrub is nice, it isn't a favourite, and sadly this is one Simple product I will not be repurchasing.
   
2. Bio-Oil - I already have a back-up bottle of this stuff. I really love Bio-Oil. It has helped with my hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone greatly. This product is amazing. 

Makeup:

1. Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Brown - I know you're probably looking at the picture and saying that it is not nearly used up, however, the brow gel has begun to dry out, and the pencil is now merely a stub. This is my usual everyday, go-to product, but I do want to try something different for a bit. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would. It is a great two-in-one product to have especially if you're always on the go, and need to do your brows in a pinch.
   
2. Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original) - A fresh tube of UDPP is an amazing experience. Perfectly smooth application, that allows for creaseless eyeshadow wear all day.
   An old tube of UDPP is a wreck. I found that the product itself did not apply well to my eye region, my eyeshadows ended up creasing within a couple of hours of wear. I already have a second un-opened UDPP that was gifted to me by a friend, which I will hold onto, because I've really been enjoying my Milani Eyeshadow Primer. Although the UDPP is great, the Milani Primer does the same job, maybe even better job, and is a fraction of the price. Sorry UDPP, you've been benched!
   
3. L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Makeup (328 Sun Beige) - It took so long to finish using this foundation, because a little goes a long way. I love the finish and the weightless feel of this foundation. In recent months, Trinidad's temperature has been hitting some staggering highs, and this foundation never completely broke down. My oils would break through the foundation, but rarely did I ever notice the product disappearing from my face. In the extreme heat, it held its ground. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would but only if the price drops at my local stores. TT$100 really??? L'Oreal True Match and Maybelline Matte and Poreless are both less expensive, and I absolutely love them, and I would quicker repurchase them. 

 See, a super quick and simple post. My internet has been dropping all day, hence the super late post. Nonetheless, thank you all so much for stopping by this crazy place known as J's Mind Palace. I'm J, and I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Bye guys!
(^_^)/

Makeup Play #1: Positive Princess in Pink

For the past month and a half, I've not felt very inspired to play around with my makeup. My go-to no makeup-makeup look, was my constant day to day look, with just minor variations of my lipstick or gloss.

On Monday April 18th, I asked some of my friends to pick a colour, and I would use that colour as the central focus of my makeup for the following day. My friend Z, chose pink (her favourite colour is pink). If you're wondering why I called this the Positive Princess in Pink look, I made a promise to be extra positive and happy, as opposed to my usual snarky and biting sarcasm.

I decided to do pink on pink i.e.; pink/mauve and plum eyeshadows paired with a muted pink lip and I actually really loved it.

Positive Princess in Pink :D

Eyes:

Lid Colour: Sephora Colorful Eyeshadow in Hold Me Tight (shimmer)...(apparently this shadow is discontinued) D:

Hold Me Tight - In varying light, the colour shifts from mauve pink with shimmer to semi-metallic pink

Transition: L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Pot in Bare Mauve (matte)

Bare Mauve is neutral brown, perfect transition shade.

Outer Corner & Lower Lash Line: Avon Single Eyeshadow in Plum Burgundy (matte)

Plum Burgundy - Smooth and blendable

 
Eyeliner: 
L'Oreal Infallible Lacquer Liner in Blackest Black (top)
Milani Shadow Eyez in Almond Cream (waterline).

Mascara: Revlon Ultimate All-In-One

Lips:
Colourpop Cosmetics Lippie Stix in Lumiere

I kept the skin very simple. Using my Maybelline Matte and Poreless Foundation and Powder in 310 Sun Beige, and a tiny amount of my Sacha Buttercup Loose Powder, under the eyes. I used the smallest amount of bronzer around the perimeter of my face.

This was a fun, yet simple look to create, and I had so much fun doing it, that for the next few weeks, I got more of my friends to choose colours for me to build looks around. I will be posting the full details for those looks on the blog in the upcoming weeks.

Question: Should I do short videos demonstrating my makeup looks? I'm not a pro makeup artist in any way, but if you would like to see the method to my madness, please let me know?

That's all for today everyone, thank you so much for stopping by my Mind Palace. This is J, and I hope you all had fun. As always stay happy, healthy and positive, and I will talk to you all again very soon.

Bye
(^_^)/.