Nik the Makeup Junkie: Holiday

December 02, 2017

Holiday Wishlist | Beauty, Fashion, & Games

We all have things that we want for Christmas, birthdays, etc. I thought it would be fun to share a few things I've been after lately. The majority of these things will be beauty or beauty related. If you're looking for a gift guide, I posted one last week. You can find that post here.

TARTE TOASTED PALETTE : This is probably semi-surprising to some of you as you know, I don't really use Tarte products. It's nothing against the brand, the products usually don't interest me but this palette is just so pretty.
TOO FACED JUST PEACHY MATTE EYESHADOW PALETTE : If you don't look at the colors in this palette and know they're my kind of colors, you don't know me well.
ABH SUGAR GLOW KIT : As if I don't have enough highlighters, I'm obsessed with this palette. The colors are just so pretty.
KAT VON D SHADE & LIGHT EYE PALETTE : This palette is far from new but I'm still really into the colors in it, despite it being semi-basic. Speaking of basic...
URBAN DECAY NAKED ULTIMATE BASICS : Oh yeah, still obsessed with the colors in this palette but I've never had the opportunity to grab it.
KAT VON D METAL CRUSH EYESHADOW THUNDERSTRUCK : I'm 100% in love with this color.
BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR ROSE QUARTZ : Pink toned duo-chrome-ish highlighter? Gimme.
BEAUTY BLENDER : Every girl needs a beauty blender and this girl needs a new one.

Let's take a detour out of beauty and into the random...

VANS : These are literally the only shoes I wear, specifically in the WARD style.
IKEA ALEX DRAWERS : This is something I need, for sure. Or, something similar to this because my makeup collection is overtaking the room.
KB SHIMMER HAPPY HOLO-DAY SET : Who doesn't like nail polishes? I mean, these are kind of a must-have.

Lastly, let's talk games...

ASSASSIN'S CREED ORIGINS: Yes, please. I spend a lot of time playing Xbox games and this is one I haven't had the time to grab yet.
CUPHEAD : Have you seen the artwork for this one? Yes.
WOW SUBSCRIPTION: That monthly subscription adds up. I haven't played in a hot minute because, money BUT I'm having WoW withdrawals.
HORIZON ZERO DAWN : My PS4 has quite the layer of dust on it but I'd totally dust it off to play this game.
NIER: AUTOMATA : Another game I'd clean off my PS4 to play.

So, that's my current wishlist. I know, it's all over the place but I think these are fun to see so I figured I'd share mine.

What's on your wishlist?

Thanks for reading!

December 01, 2017

Pur Cosmetics Holiday 2017 | Quick Pro Collection

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
It's already December, which seems crazy to me. I've had a pretty rough couple of months and it seems like it escalates every month, but we're going to ignore that and discuss a gorgeous holiday collection from Pur Cosmetics today.

I'm always really excited about holiday releases and I couldn't wait any longer to review this collection. I've been using these products for a few weeks now and I have thoughts and swatches to share, so let's get into it. I have six pieces of this collection which isn't the entire collection, but I do have the majority.

PUR QUICK PRO PORTABLES : This is a travel highlight and contour palette set. The palettes are super small, but not too small. They're actually perfect for traveling. Each palette has three shades. The contour palette is really nice with Silhouette, a light brown, Go Figure, a warm brown, and Bronze, a bronze shimmer. The shimmer in bronze isn't glittery or intense, it's very similar to NARS Laguna. I've been using it pretty much everyday lately because it's the perfect color.

The highlight palette also has three shades, they're all shimmery. Slaycation, a champagne, Goddess, rose gold, and High Five, light bronze. These are a little dry and more glittery than metallic, but they're still pretty. They're more subtle than the other highlight palette we'll discuss later and if you try to build them up, you will have glittery cheeks.

These come together for $14.00.

PUR QUICK PRO EYES : This is a set of 4 dual ended eyeliner and shadows in complimentary shades.

Masterpiece, black liner with champagne shadow, Phenomenon, grey liner with pink shadow, Prodigy, navy liner with silver shadow, Cream of the Crop, brown liner with gold shadow. All of the liners are matte and the shadows are described as shimmer, but they're pretty metallic. I usually don't like cream shadows, but as long as you don't apply these too heavily, they seem to last well.

These come in a set for $28.00.

PUR QUICK PRO GLITTERS : This is a set of 5 glitter eye polishes. These have a 3-in-1 formula that is a primer, eyeshadow base and glittery top coat in one. You can apply it alone or on top of another shadow.

The shades are gorgeous; Namaslay, rose gold, Midnight Diamond, charcoal, Queenie, yellow gold, Lust, cranberry, and OMG, brown with rainbow shimmer. These are definitely opaque and super watery. I've worn Namaslay, Lust, and Queenie so far and here's my experience. I've worn them alone and over another shadow. I apply them with a brush, carefully because of how thin the consistency is. They are a little slow to dry and if you're wearing them with other shadows these need to be the very last thing you apply and blended around them causes them to flake off. These will eventually flake down your face, but they do last a few hours before doing so. They do not smudge or crease once dry but as I said, if you touch them they will flake.

These come in a set for $39.00.

PUR QUICK PRO LIPS : I have the nude lips kit and it comes with 3 pieces.

The lip liner, Naked which is a peachy-pink, the lipstick, Stripped which is a light peach- pink, and the gloss, Birthday Suit, which is also a light peach-pink. The lipstick has a mirror attached and the gloss has a mirror and light. I think this set is pretty self explanatory. The color is pretty and liner, lipstick, and gloss match perfectly.

This kit comes in other shades as well and retails for $26.00.

PUR QUICK PRO MASCARA : This is a full size mascara and lash primer duo and a great way to try these products. It comes with one of my favorite mascaras, Fully Charged and the Fully Charged primer.

This retails for $18.00 which is a total steal.

PUR QUICK PRO HIGHLIGHT : This is a highlight palette with six shades.

This is my personal favorite of the collection. The powders are soft and metallic, but not too intense. These are buildable. The shades are Twilight, light pink frost, Sultry, warm light gold, Sunset, peach with gold shimmer, Starbright, champagne, Frostbitten, white gold, and Gold Rush, yellow gold. I really love this palette and I've used it constantly since I received it. If you buy nothing else from the collection, I recommend this.

It retails for $32.00.

That's everything that I have. I did my best to explain the good and bad and I hope it was helpful!

Thanks for reading!

November 22, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide 2017 | Beauty Edition

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Thanksgiving is almost here, which means it's time for holiday shopping. So, I'm here to share my holiday gift guide with you. I don't have as much this year as I normally do, but I will be sharing a few extras at the end. As always, this is the beauty edition. I may end up posting more gift guides soon, but I may not have the time. Anything mentioned in this gift guide has either been reviewed on my blog or has a review coming. I'm debating on posting a guide on gift sets worth your money, so if that's something you'd be interested in, let me know in the comments.
We will start with palettes, and we will also discuss a couple that aren't pictured.

URBAN DECAY NAKED HEAT PALETTE : This has been a favorite since it arrived on my doorstep and it's the perfect gift for the warm palette junkie. The colors are all extremely warm toned, the majority red or orange toned. The color range is good and there are a wide variety of looks that can be created.
URBAN DECAY HEAVY METALS PALETTE : This is easily the most glittery palette I own. If you're looking for a glitter/metallic palette, this is for you. The colors range from neutral to brights, so there is no way to go wrong.
URBAN DECAY DISTORTION PALETTE: Urban Decay is killing it with the palettes this year. The Distortion palette will be available early in December. This palette has a row of transforming duo chromes meant to be layered over the other shades to change up the colors. This is another palette with many possibilities and it's definitely unique.
PIXI X IT'SJUDYTIME EYESHADOW PALETTE : This is an affordable palette that's great for beginners and anyone looking for a great neutral palette. These shades are less pigmented but buildable and will work for day or night.
PUR COSMETICS QUICK PRO HIGHLIGHT PALETTE : This palette has six highlight shades that are buttery and pigmented. They can be applied sheerly or built up. The highlight powders range in tone and color, so there's something for everyone.

A couple of other palettes you should consider are the It Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Complexion Perfection Face Palette, ABH Modern Renaissance Palette, and Urban Decay Naked Palettes. The It Cosmetics Face Palette includes the Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder, Sunshine in a Compact Bronzer, Bye Bye Pores Blush, and Perfect Lighting Luminizer. The compact is nice and secure, not to mention pretty and travel friendly. The ABH Modern Renaissance Palette has the most gorgeous colors. It is another warm-toned palette, but it contains more unique reds and oranges than most warm palettes. Plus, it's super pigmented and blendable. The Urban Decay Naked Palettes are the OG neutral palettes. The original is more bronze toned, the second is cool toned, and the third is rose toned. There are also the Naked Smoky, Ultimate Basics, and Basics 1 & 2.

Okay, onto other things:

URBAN DECAY HEAVY METAL GLITTER EYELINER : These are perfect for those who love wearing glitter but hate the glittery mess. These don't separate, they dry down and don't flake.
PUR COSMETICS HOLIDAY GLITTERS 5 PIECE EYE POLISH KIT : These eye polishes are extremely metallic and glittery. They're very liquidly and apply well with a brush. A full review is coming, but I do like them. They're pretty and last well if used correctly.
PUR COSMETICS QUICK PRO 4 PIECE DUAL ENDED EYESHADOW & EYELINER KIT : These are super cool and I've been using them like crazy. As it says, one end is a cream eyeshadow and the other is an eyeliner. These come in different colors and combinations and are so quick and easy to use.
PUR COSMETICS FULLY CHARGED MASCARA AND LASH PRIMER KIT : This includes a full size of the Fully Charged Mascara and Lash Primer. The Fully Charged Mascara is one of my favorites and it's even more dramatic with the Lash Primer.
PUR COSMETICS QUICK PRO PORTABLES SCULPT AND GLOW ON THE GO CONTOUR & HIGHLIGHT PALETTE PAIR : This has a travel contour palette and a travel highlight palette. Each palette includes 3 shades and are compact. These highlight powders are a little more dry and shimmery than the powders in the Pro Highlight Palette, but they're pretty.
PUR COSMETICS QUICK PRO 3-PIECE LIP KIT : This is a great option as it includes a lip liner, lipstick, and lip gloss in coordinating shades. There are different kits in varying shades, so there's something for everyone.
IT COSMETICS HOLIDAY BRUSH SETS : I don't have any new sets available this year, but they're similar to last years, which I'm still attached to. These brushes are seriously soft and apply makeup so well. These sets are a great deal and a great gift.

Let's talk about a few other things I didn't picture. The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors are beautiful, come in multiple shades, and are perfect for the highlight addicts. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliners are another great option. There are a ton of shades and these last all day. Pixi Beauty X Aspynovard Powders are beautiful. They come in three shades, one works great as a blush while the other two are gorgeous, buttery, metallic highlight powders. The It Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Lip Flush comes in gloss and lipstick forms. One of the glosses is sheer while the other is more pigmented. All 3 of these become natural, beautiful colors.

I thought I'd include one last thing, and that's perfume and skin care. These you'll need to be extremely careful with. You only want to buy these types of items for people who you know well enough. My personal favorite perfume is YSL Black Opium. As far as skin care, I recommend the It Cosmetics Miracle Water, It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, and the DermOrganic skin care line.

So, those are my recommendations for holiday 2017. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for reading!

November 20, 2017

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Eyeliner | Review & Swatches

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*

The last of the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Collection are the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. We've already discussed the Heavy Metal Eyeshadow Palette and Metal Meets Matte Vice Lipstick Palette, so we're going to finish up the reviews of this holiday collection today.

The Urban Decay Heavy Metal Collection includes 13 of the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. Six of these are brand new shades while the other seven are existing shades. I have twelve of the thirteen shades, so let's get into it! First, the new shades:

STIX AND BONES - Iridescent Maroon glitter
GRIND - Light Pink Iridescent glitter
PYRO - Iridescent & Silver glitter, definitely some white as well.
CAT CALL - Pink glitter
PUNK ROCK - Iridescent Brown glitter
GAMMA RAY - Bright Blue & Silver glitter

The existing shades:

MIDNIGHT COWBOY - Gold glitter
GLAM ROCK - Silver glitter
DISTORTION - Multi Color Iridescent glitter
ACDC - Purple & Silver glitter
SPANDEX - Teal Iridescent glitter
JUNKSHOW - Pink Iridescent glitter (not pictured)
AMP (not pictured; did not receive)

I've swatched all of the glitters except Amp and Junkshow. I have Junkshow in my collection, but I didn't realize it before I took these pictures. I did not receive Amp. The existing shades are swatched above the new shades.

I don't think we've discussed the Heavy Metal Glitter Liners much on here, so I'll give you a quick review. These liners have glitter suspended in a gel. This keeps the liner from separating. It dries fairly quickly and can be layered for a more intense look. This is the perfect way to wear glitter without the risk of getting glitter all over your face. These do last all day and I've never experienced flaking or fading.

The formula on the new shades is just as great as the formula on the existing shades. I do have a couple of favorites from this collection: Grind, Pyro, Punk Rock, and Distortion. There isn't a shade in the collection that I dislike. I think it would have been really cool if this had come with a black iridescent glitter, but I still have high hopes for one day.

These liners are perfect for the holiday season, but can be worn any time of the year. I tend to wear these pretty often; anytime I feel like glitter. I've used these as liners, inner corner highlights, and all over lid glitter. You really can't go wrong with these liners.

You can find all of them here for $20 each.

Which is your favorite?

Thanks for reading!

November 03, 2017

Urban Decay Heavy Metals Palette | Review & Swatches

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
November is finally here and it's acceptable to start making Holiday posts, so here we are. Urban Decay released the Heavy Metals Collection for holiday and we are going to talk about the Heavy Metals palette today. The new Heavy Metals Glitter Liners & Vice Lipstick Palette will be posted soon, but since there is so much to talk about I decided to split up the posts.

The Heavy Metals eyeshadow palette contains 20 new metallic eyeshadows. These are meant to be very metallic and very intense. We will talk about each shade and the formula, but first let's talk about the packaging.

I've heard many mixed reviews of the packaging for this palette. It's very unique and you're either going to love it or hate it. The outside case is very heavy duty and holds the palette inside securely. You push on the end and the palette will come out. The palette is separated into two parts, a brightly colored side and a more neutral side. The issue many people seem to have is that the center is a mirror. So, you have this large palette that is separated by a giant mirror. It's quite large, so the mirror in the center makes it a little awkward. All of that being said, it's unique and I applaud them for that. The outside case is purple and gorgeous. As I mentioned, there are 20 shades, and they're all new. There are 10 brightly colored shades and 10 neutral shades. Let's start with the neutrals:

SCREAM - Metallic Mauve
ROADIE - Metallic Burgundy
AFTERPARTY - Metallic Red
DEMO - Metallic Bronze-rose
BASS - Metallic Bronze
ACOUSTIC - Metallic Nude
MAIDEN - Metallic Beige
ANGELFIRE - Metallic Pale Pink
STARFIRE - Metallic Bright Copper
GLORY - Metallic Golden-Bronze

Top row of swatches are with fingers, second row is with a brush. In the same order as listed above.

I have swatched all of these shades and worn the majority of them. They're all gorgeous and buttery; only one shade gave me issues. Angelfire is much drier than the others and acts like more of a pressed glitter. These apply amazingly with your fingers. If you're going to use a brush, I recommend using a base to get these to their full intensity. This isn't an issue for me because I always use a glitter glue.

Here's a look I did with the neutral side:

A post shared by Nikki Ash (@nikmakeupjunkie) on Oct 27, 2017 at 1:44pm PDT

Okay, the colors:

ALUMINUM - Metallic Warm Gray-Taupe with iridescent micro-sparkle
DIVE - Metallic Medium Blue
PUNK ROCK - Metallic Fuschia
AMP - Metallic Bright Teal
GLAMROCK - Metallic Silver
GROUND - Metallic Black with iridescent shimmer
SPANDEX - Metallic Deep Blue with Purple Shift & Blue micro-sparkle
METALHEAD - Metallic Deep Purple
MULLET - Metallic Deep Green
TWISTED - Metallic Gold

Top row of swatches are with fingers, second row is with a brush. In the same order as listed above.

None of these shades have given me issues. They're all buttery and creamy.

Here's a look I did with the color side of the palette.

A post shared by Nikki Ash (@nikmakeupjunkie) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:57pm PDT

Now that we've discussed the shades, let's talk about the formulas & how to use these. I touched on this earlier, but these apply best with your fingers or over a sticky base. I love glitter glue and I use it all of the time anyway, so it's just routine for me. I don't find this to be a bothersome step but some might. These shadows are much creamier and buttery than I expected. I thought these might be dry, but that isn't the case at all. Angelfire is slightly dry but with a base, it's still beautiful. The pigmentation on these is insane.

If you've ever used the Makeup Geek Foiled shadows, that's kind of what these are like. They're a little drier than those but the idea is the same. Some of the Urban Decay Heavy Metals are much more shimmery and glittery, rather than shiny and metallic.

I think these are amazing for the holiday season and anytime you'd like a metallic finish or a pop of glitter. The colors are gorgeous and the formula is actually really good. I definitely recommend this palette.

You can find this palette on Urban Decay's website, Ulta, and Sephora.

Thanks for reading!

December 20, 2016

Stocking Stuffers & Last Minute Gift Ideas

Some products mentioned were sent for review. Opinions are my own*
I know I can't be the only procrastinator around. Some of you are still shopping for gifts and stocking stuffers and I'm here to help. I have a few ideas to share with you, and hopefully you'll find them helpful. I'm well aware of what it's like to reach the final days before Christmas and start panicking. I do it every year. I never learn my lesson. Let's start with a few small makeup gifts you can still grab right now.

We've talked about all of these before, but here's a quick overview.

It Cosmetics Brush Sets City Chic & All That Glitters Each contain different brushes, both are great. They're the same great quality as all It Brushes but at a lower price and inside a cute clutch. One set is glitter and the other is rose gold.
Lorac Pro Matte Lip Set, Rose Gold Pro Metal Palette & Blush/Highlight Palette Any of these would be perfect as a gift or stocking stuffer.
Pixi Beauty Pigment stack or palette The palette has eyeshadows, brow powders, bronzer, blush and highlight powders. The pigments are gorgeous. There's no going wrong with either.
It Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Face Palette & Ornaments The palette has a face powder, highlight, blush and bronzer. The ornaments contain a mini moisturizer and mascara. How cute are those minis?

In addition to what I have pictured, any of the larger gift sets make amazing gifts and stocking stuffers, especially if you are buying for multiple people. Those huge gift sets can be popped open and the contents divided up, so you're saving money and making your life so much easier. It's definitely worth considering.

Another last minute option is a subscription service. I've seen a lot of other girls recommend this and it really is a good idea. There are subscription services for literally everything at this point, you're not limited to only makeup. Many of these have a gift option where you can choose how many months you'd like to gift to the person you're buying it for. If they end up loving it, they can always subscribe to it when the gift subscription runs out.

Gift cards are a very last minute option. Many people don't like to give them out, because they can come off as impersonal. Personally, I don't mind receiving gift cards. Just put some thought into it and get the person a gift card for a place you know they love. If my best friend was a coffee addict, I'd buy her a gift card for Starbucks along with a Starbucks mug.

Just a few other smaller gifts you could grab:

Candles. My personal recommendation is Marshmallow Fireside from Bath & Body Works.
Cozy Blankets. I love fuzzy blankets. Cannot get enough.
Nail polishes. My mom used to always put nail polishes in my stocking and I loved it.
Body Lotions/Roller Ball Perfumes. Only if you know what scents they love.
Jewelry. Nothing expensive, I mean cute things from Forever 21.
Leggings/Yoga Pants. They're a girls best friend.
Fuzzy slippers. No one likes cold toes.
Books. Because everyone should read.
Movies. Obviously.