Thursday, March 28, 2013

Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Review and Swatches

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

It is finally here! Volume 2 of the Disney and Sephora collaboration- Reigning Beauties. This line of products features princesses from beloved Disney movies. Each volume focuses on one princess and her personality plus color scheme from her film. While Volume 1 (see review here) featured Cinderella (eyeshadow palette, lipsticks, smokey eye quad, and mirror) while Volume 2 features Jasmine (eyeshadow palette, eyeliners, shimmer eye quad, and mirror). Whether you love Disney or just love a beautifully packaged collection, the Reigning Beauties collection is not one to miss!

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2
Vol. 2 The Jasmine Storybook Palette comes in an off white box which features what looks like a window or door way. Golden leaves and the lamp shine over the bright pink and orange background. On the top of the box there is an inscription "You're only in trouble if you get caught". This alone gives a lot of insight into who Jasmine is and relays her character.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2
The back of the box that this storybook palette comes in features a list of the colors each in their own little magic lamp (both shadows, blush, and bronzer). These shades are all taken from the Disney movie Aladdin.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

The outside of the Jasmine Storybook Palette features a raised gated window design over an image of the silhouette of jasmine in gold in an intricate frame. Unfortunately, the palette that i received has a few issues that all of the other palettes i have seen do not. First there is a raised bubble of air under the image of jasmine that would not go down (imagine contact paper with an air bubble). The pull on the side fell apart the first time i used it. It lost many threads and tying it up again made it look ragged and thin. I was quite disappointing at the craftsmanship of this product and the quality control that allowed this  product to pass inspection. On one side of this palette is the name and volume and the other side is a pull to remove the shadows.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Housed inside of this case (which is about the size of a book) is a faux satin lined box. The shadows are on a board that rests just inside this box but acts as a cover. You can store things like brushes or even the liners in here.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

The shades themselves all have about equal quality. I did not experience fallout from any shade. There was decent pigmentation that was appropriate for each type of finish. There was a good mix of textures from shimmers, sheers, to mattes and metallic. The shades ranged from bright, bold, and daring to neutral and soft. There is enough range, i believe, to please anyone. Since i personally like mixing brights and neutrals i found this palette contained enough shades and textures to be creative but also not overboard. I also made the same observation in this palette that i did in the Cinderella Storybook Palette. Each row (whether L-R, or Top- Bottom) contains shades that would work for a complete eye look. Overall all these shades work together well and compliment each other. Each one is named after its source and inspiration from the Disney movie Aladdin.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2

Row 1)
Blue Oasis - Sheer light aqua blue. This shade has a matte finish. Intentionally sheer meant to mimic a shallow pool of water that is slightly tinted blue but still clear. With that in mind this shade is perfect as a transitional shade on the crease when a darker shade is on the lid. It is also a nice lid shade when pared with a shade just slightly darker on the crease (like Friend Like Me). If you want to make this shade pop apply over a white base like NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk.
Trust Me- Copper red shade that leans metallic and somewhat frosty. Since this shade leans more neutral it has multiple uses. It is a bit soft in texture so apply softly or you will have fallout.
Abu- Chocolate brown metallic that also is somewhat frosty. This shade is also a more neutral shade. This shade is also a little soft so be careful with your brush.
Ali Ababwa- Another intentionally sheer shade. This pale matte beige is a great base color for "no-makeup" makeup looks or a simple shade to apply to the lid with a pop of color in the crease.
Sultana- Frosty rose campaign shade. This shade is soft, neutral, great for under the brow use, or a soft lid shade.

Look Idea using row 1)
Start by applying a primer (a neutral one is best like urban decay or mirenesse). Apply the shade Blue Oasis on the lid. Use Sultana on the inner corner of the eye. On the crease apply Trust Me. On the brow bone apply Ali Ababwa and blend up the crease shade into it. Use Abu to contour the eye and apply it to the outer V.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Blue Oasis, Trust Me, Abu, Ali Ababwa, Sultana
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Blue Oasis, Trust Me, Abu, Ali Ababwa, Sultana in natural light. Swatch
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Blue Oasis, Trust Me, Abu, Ali Ababwa, Sultana with flash. Swatch

Row 2)
Friend Like Me- A smokey medium blue with a shimmery/metallic finish. This shade is a step darker and more opaque than Blue Oasis. I found this shade to have good pigmentation even though it is a little soft. Would make a great crease or lid shade.
Master- Rich Eggplant purple. This shade has a bit of a reddish undertone. Despite being a bit darker of a shade it still has a bit of frost when applied. This would make a good crease or contour shade.
Cosmic- This shade is a little deceptive. In the palette it looks pinkish, however, when applied it leans more orange and even borderline copper. This shade is a frosty metallic shade and reminds me of Penny Lane from Urban Decay. It is a very neutral shade.
Cave Of Wonders- is a bright yellow in the palette but applies a bit more gold on the skin. This shade is a little on the sheer side. I feel that the lack of pigmentation in this shade was intentional and was meant to compliment shades like Master and Cosmic without being overpowering. Could be used as a lid shade, crease shade, brow shade etc. This shade, i feel, can probably be placed on any part of the eye so long as it is pared with similar shades, blended out to soften other shades, or to compliment other shades. Can be made to look much brighter when applied over a white or tacky nude base (try NYX jumbo white pencil in Milk)
Sand In The Glass- Pale beige. This shade has a bit of a pale golden reflection on the skin and is a frost finish. This is another sheer shade. Perfect for the corner of the eye and the brow bone. This is a highlighter shade.

Look idea using row two)
Start by applying Cosmic to your crease blend a bit up and a bit down. In the middle of your lid apply Master but do not extend over the crease. Blend in with Cosmic on the crease. On the inner and outer corners of lid apply Cave of Wonders. Apply Sand In The Glass on the brow bone to highlight under the eyebrow. You can then use Friend Like Me to line the lower lid of your eye.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Friend Like Me, Master, Cosmic, Cave of Wonders, Sand In The Glass.
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Friend Like Me, Master, Cosmic, Cave of Wonders, Sand In The Glass. In natural Light, Swatch.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Friend Like Me, Master, Cosmic, Cave of Wonders, Sand In The Glass.With Flash. Swatch
Row 3)
Lapis- This shade, though looks bright blue in the palette, applies a bit darker than it looks. It has a hint of green undertones as well. I would describe this shade as a semi-matte. While i have heard that some have experienced fallout with this shade i did not. I liked that this shade was a bit harder in the palette and the color applied a bit more pigmented. This shade really pops over primer. Good lid, contour, or crease shade.
Mystical Wonder- This bright purple shade is just a tad shimmery (frost) is a perfect shade for spring. This shade applied soft with minimal fallout. It has decent pigmentation but it not opaque. My guess is that this shade is meant to be a soft lid shade.
Raja- Named after Jasmine's beloved pet, this bright  medium orange has just the right amount of reflection. Like a polished tigers coat, this shade is a bit satin in finish. The pigmentation is decent and it is not opaque but not sheer. Even though it is bright it is still soft and could be used on multiple parts of the eye and compliments shades like Cave of Wonders and Abu.
Arabian Sunset- This shade has a bit of shimmer to it and is borderline frost. While it is an orange it leans a bit red (as most sunsets do). This shade is soft in both color and texture and blends out easily with most other complimentary and contrasting shades in this palette.
Bazaar-This medium orange brown shade has a satin finish and unlike the other 4 in this row is a neutral.

Look idea using row 3)
This row is a little tricky since there are so many brights so i am going to split this up into two looks!
Look one use Rajah on the lid, Arabian Sunset on crease, and use Bazaar to contour the outer V of the eye. For look two use Mystical Wonder on the lid, Lapis on the crease and line the waterline with Bazaar. You can also add a pop of Rajah to the inner corner of the eye.


Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Lapis, Mystical Wonder, Rajah, Arabian Sunset, Bazaar.
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Lapis, Mystical Wonder, Rajah, Arabian Sunset, Bazaar. In natural light, swatch.
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Lapis, Mystical Wonder, Rajah, Arabian Sunset, Bazaar.. With flash, swatch.


Unlike Vol 1. (Cinderella Storybook Palette) Vol. 2 (Jasmine Storybook Palette, does not contain a fourth row of shadows. This disappointed me some what. While i understand the importance of a blush/bronzer to a complete look, at no point would i say the women or even the theme of Aladdin had anything to do with rosy cheeks. Bronzed completion yes, but overall i am a little confused over the decision. Plus this collection choose to focus so much on the eyes (not even offering any lip shades), i thought it would make more sense to offer more shadows. With those opinions aside the quality of Thrilling Chase and Golden Sands is quite good. I found these shades highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. I like that they were easy to blend out on the cheek and had just enough shimmer to make the skin look sun kissed without looking like a bad fake tan. While Thrilling Chase is a bit dark and leans red it is still very wearable. It may need some softening or can be used as a contour shade on the cheek. Golden Sands is a bit more universal in that it is an orange toned medium brown. What makes it really wearable is that it has a golden shimmer to it. So even if you are very pale or very dark you will see this color on your skin shade and can build it up or blend it out to suit you perfectly.

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Thrilling Chase and Golden Sands

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Thrilling Chase and Golden Sands. In natural light. Swatch.
Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Vol. 2 Thrilling Chase and Golden Sands. With Flash. Swatch

Here are two quick looks that i did
In the first and second Box i am wearing (over primer) Cave of Wonders on my lid, Master on my crease, Ali Ababwa on my brow bone and Lapis to line my lower lid. I used Three Wishes Eyeliner in the Liquid form. On my cheek i used Golden Sands.
In the bottom two boxes i am wearing Arabian Sunset on my lid, Rajah on my crease and Cosmic on my brow bone. I also added a little Abu to my outer V to contour. I used Three Wishes Eyeliner in gel form to line my upper and lower lides

Disney Jasmine Storybook Palette Looks

Overall i think this palette contains the perfect range of spring/summer colors. The quality, i feel, is consistent with other brands such as Urban Decay. While some shades are a bit sheer, this is done intentionally. These shades had a good wear time as well. Aside from my defective packaging this product is a great collectors item. You can find this piece at Sephora and Sephora.com for $55. Check out my other reviews on the Three Wishes Eyeliner here, Magic Carpet Ride Quad here, and Mirror here!

Monday, March 25, 2013

China Glaze Prisim Review and Swatches


Recently on a random trip to Sally beauty to pick up some nail wheel's this polish by China Glaze really caught my eye. Prism (1026) is a glitter shade from the 2012 Prismatic Chroma Glitter Collection. This shade applies quite easily with no streaking and full coverage in about two coats. This shade is described as a purple holographic with pink shimmer along with varying shades of glitter such as pink, blue, green, orange and gold. For one simple polish it has a lot going on. On the nails it looks very multidimensional. While this shade can be opaque applying a light coat over a creamy purple, blue or white polish leaves a nice effect.



Can be found online here and in Sally Beauty for $8.

MAC Romantic Shades of Lipstick Pink Nouveau, Girl About Town, and Diva Review and Swatches

MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau, Girl About Town, Diva
Looking for the perfect shade for a date? Something girly for a night out on the town? Or just something perfectly sexy? Well i have three shades that are perfect for you!

MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau, Girl About Town, Diva

The first shade is Pink Nouveau. This shade has a satin finish so it isn't too matte on the lips but it also isn't glossy. I did not find this shade drying and it lasted on the lips without a need for reapplication for about 6 hours. This shade is a bright pink but it does have blue undertones. It can read pretty bright on the lips and will pop even more on darker skin tones. It is a very girly color and perfect for a daytime date.

MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau
MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau

MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau
MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau

Next is Girl About Town, a bright blue based fuchsia with an amplified finish. This shade is also very girly but because it is darker is great for evening dates and can read playful to sexy. This shade is bright on the lights and highly pigmented. Because of its amplified finish it does not dry the lips but it also is not glossy. It looks a bit satin on the lips.

MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town

MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town
MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town
MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town

Lastly is Diva, an intense reddish burgundy matte shade. This is the darkest of the three and is great for sexy, sultry looks. It is a nice way to change it up from the classic bright red while still looking classy. Great for evening and night dates. Since this shade is matte some may find it drying. Apply a bit of chapstick or lip balm before applying this shade. This shade lasts about 6 hours on the lips without having to reapply it. It is universally flatting on almost all skin tones.

MAC Lipstick in Diva
MAC Lipstick in Diva
MAC Lipstick in Diva

MAC Lipstick in Diva

Glossy Box February 2013 International Style Review

Of all the posts i am behind on because of myself this one i can honestly blame it on the company! The February Glossybox took forever to arrive. It was the slowest box that i have gotten since joining. Since it is one of my favorite's of my beauty subscriptions i let it go and waited patiently.

The theme of this months box was International Style. January's box blew me away over and beyond and i had no doubts about this month's box. There are so many fantastic international products out there that it must have been very hard to choose the one's to go in this month's box let alone get them all in on time from over seas.


I felt that there was a decent mix of items that ranged from practical to "I Love This" I only felt a bit of disappointment when i saw some others boxes. The grass is always greener though right? While i usually review each picture individualy i forgot to photograph each individual item before migrating them into my collection.

The items i received:

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc Soap-
I am a big fan of the scents that Bvlargi makes so my opinion may boarder on a bit bias. This soap (while i did not use on the skin but rather in my dedicates drawer) has a soft and powdery scent. Leaving soap in drawers with your clothes allows them to smell like the soap when you remove them. I loved how it left everything with a soft, feminine, powdery but not overpowering scent.

Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder-
This mineral powder really impressed me. I was able to use it in so many different ways. I applied it softly on the apples of my cheeks and it highlighted nicely but also made a very pretty eye shadow. I found it to have a little bit of fallout but nothing too major.

Evologie eSystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum and Stay Clear Cream-
While i do enjoy my Glossybox subscription i am well aware that the people in charge of putting these boxes together lack any knowledge on how to read. They lack complete comprehension of the beauty profile they tell subscribers to take. I am almost 28 i do not need anything for blemishes. I honestly couldn't tell you if this product works or not.

Lisi Liquid Line Eyeliner-
Like i said above Glossybox employes unfortunately do not know how to read. I always say i want trendy, or bright cosmetics  and according to Glossybox brown and black liner is what they consider bright. On a site note this liner really is quite nice. Its applicator makes getting the perfect lined eye look easy. However while i do like this product (and the price point is perfectly on point) it doesn't feel all that new to me and not something i would replace what i already use with.

Nail Rock Nail Wraps- 
This product was impressive. These nail wraps went on fast and fool proof. I liked the design i was sent but saw others i liked as well in others boxes. These remained perfect for about 5 days (yes this is shorter than the time promised but i am quite active with my hands.) I would recommend this product to anyone who wants a quick mani without the dry time.

 The magazine this month  included some great style tips and makeup ideas!


If you would like to receive a box like this every month you can sign up here! Only $21 a month, includes shipping and a bonus magazine!