*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Macy & Mia is an affordable, cruelty free line of cosmetics and 10% of all sales will be donated to charities and organizations that focuses on animal rescue. Personally, I think this is awesome and it's totally a great reason to justify purchasing more makeup. While Macy & Mia Cosmetics is advertised as an affordable brand, it's actually around the price of mid-range cosmetics. I just wanted to clarify that it isn't in the drugstore price range, but closer to ABH pricing. Although, drugstore prices have gone up so much, it's crazy! I have a highlight palette, lip kit, and lip gloss to talk about. Since highlighting is my favorite part of doing my makeup, I'll tell you about the palette first. I have the Macy & Mia "The Spotlight" Palette. This palette is the same design as the ABH Glow Kits. It's cardboard with a magnetic closure, there are four highlight pans and they are interchangeable because it's magnetized. The outer and inner packaging is black and has subtle holographic glitter all over it. Personally, I love this for traveling because I can make a custom palette if I want to pull from a few different palettes rather than taking all of the separate palettes with me.  As I mentioned, this includes four shades:

• STEVIE - PALE WHITE-GOLD
• DOLLY - LIGHT PINK WITH LAVENDER UNDERTONES
• GWEN - BEIGE CHAMPAGNE WITH PINK UNDERTONES
• JANIS - LIGHT BRONZE-GOLD

I've used this palette a lot because I wanted to see how it would perform. The powders are super soft and easy to blend. They're pretty pigmented and give a bright highlight. Something to note is that all of the shades have a very fine, iridescent micro glitter in them. It doesn't show up super glittery on your face but it's there. 

I'm not sure what range of skin tones this would work for, honestly. I can wear all of them and I'm pretty light. I think they may start to look ashy on really tan or deeper skin.

I have one of the lip kits in the shade Eden, but my lip liner is misprinted. My lip liner from the kit is labeled as Skylar, but that's actually a different lip kit. At first, I thought I had the lip liner from the wrong kit, but it's definitely the shade of the Eden lip kit and so different from Skylar, so it's just a misprinted label.

The Lip Liner in the shade Eden is a pink-nude shade that pulls pretty peachy on me. The lip liner is very creamy, pigmented, and easy to apply.  The Liquid Lipstick in Eden matches the lip pencil perfectly. It reminds me of the liquid lipsticks from Stila, which I'm not the biggest fan of. It's pigmented, but it can get streaky, it feels really thick and heavy on your lips, too. It seemed to exaggerate the lines on my lips. Another issue I had with it is it seemed to stay a little sticky. I naturally have really dry lips and it's hard to keep them moisturized. If my lips were more hydrated, this most likely would have performed much better. I like the lip liner, but I'm not a fan of the Liquid Lipstick.

I also have the Lip Gloss in Char. This gloss is a mauve-ish shade that is actually close to my natural lip color and it's vanilla scented. The gloss is very pigmented and kind of thick, which made it a little awkward to apply but once it's on, it's really pretty. It is slightly sticky, but not too much. I can deal with it and I'm picky. 

My favorite thing is "The Spotlight" Highlight palette. I'm not a big fan of the Liquid Lipstick, but honestly that comes down to personal preference. I just prefer the ones that are a thinner consistency. The Lip Liner is good, but it's very similar to the Nyx ones I have. I also liked the gloss. I think it's a pretty shade and the formula isn't bad. 

You can find all of these on their website.

Let me know what your favorite thing is!

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
I'm basically obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect foundation. Recently, I've been trying the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer. I've been working on this review for quite some time because I wanted to really test this foundation, so we are going to talk about everything.
The It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer is fairly new as far as I know. I feel like there was a similar product available before and it's been relaunched, but I could be wrong about that. 
Before we talk about the claims, I want to talk about the shade range quickly. It Cosmetics is notorious for having a very small shade range. When grabbing info for this post I realized that the shade range has been expanded for this product. The shade range now has 12 different shades, which is a lot better. Obviously, this is still something they should continue to work on and expand, because there are so many shades that are missing and little variety in undertones. I just wanted to talk about this because it seems like they're listening and finally expanding, even if it's a slow process.
Let's talk about the claims:

• SPF 50
• Full Coverage
• Natural Satin Finish
• Hydrating
• Covers & Improves redness, pores, breakouts, dark spots, lines and wrinkles
• No creasing or cracking
• Increases absorption & efficacy of skin care

When I first saw this announced, I was excited but skeptical. With the It Cosmetics CC+ Cream and the CC+ Illumination Cream already existing, I didn't think this would be any different. There are differences between all of them, but the Bye Bye Foundation is pretty similar to the CC+ Cream.

You may know that the CC+ Illumination cream is my all-time favorite foundation, and I didn't think I would like this more than that because the Illumination Cream is very dewy and hydrating. I'm not the biggest fan of the CC+ Cream because it seems like it just sits on my skin and does not look the greatest. So, with that knowledge, let's move onto the review.

The Bye Bye Foundation is similar to the CC+ Cream. In fact, it applies the same. The Bye Bye Foundation is much more hydrating than the regular CC+ Cream, but not quite as hydrating as the CC+ Illumination cream. It does set down on it's own and I find it to be a medium-buildable coverage. It blends easily and evenly and doesn't sit on top of the skin. The finish is a natural satin finish, definitely not matte which is a plus to me but some may not like that. 

My skin is normal-dry lately and foundations easily dry out my skin and ends up cakey within a couple of hours. If my skin is super dry, the Bye Bye Foundation will do this to me, but I expect it to. It lasts around 4 hours on my skin before it starts to look dry. It starts to look cakey and extremely dry around the 6 hour mark. On normal skin, I think it would probably look great all day. Oily skin may not like it because it's not matte, it's semi-hydrating, and doesn't fight oil at all, in my experience. I'd still recommend the regular CC+ Cream for Oily skin and the CC+ Illumination for dry skin. The Bye Bye foundation seems like a great product for normal skin.

This does not sink into lines and pores, in my experience, if that's something that concerns you.

Here is a swatch comparing the Bye Bye Foundation to the CC+ Cream and CC+ Illumination Cream. The Bye Bye Foundation and CC+ Cream are both in the shade Fair and the CC+ Illumination Cream is in Light.

So, as far as how I feel about this foundation, it's okay. It's not my favorite but I don't hate it. In fact, I find I normally apply this when I'm going to be out for a couple of hours running errands and don't need my makeup to last all day. I don't have to set it with powder and other products lay on top perfectly, so it's perfect for quick makeup. It does look natural and I like to wear it for short periods of time.

If you have normal skin, you should try it. You can probably grab a sample from Ulta or Sephora and you can decide for yourself. Kudos to It Cosmetics for finally expanding their shade range, it's a great start.

You can find this on It Cosmetics website and at Ulta for $39.50.

Thanks for reading!

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
I am a lover of bronzer and I love nothing more than testing new ones. We're going to talk about the newest bronzer from It Cosmetics, the Bye Bye Pores Bronzer.  The Bye Bye Pores Bronzer is supposed to airbrush away the look of pores and leave a sun-kissed warmth. It contains Coconut extract, anti-aging collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and Vitamins A, C, and E. It's Talc free and Oil free.  I really like the compact that it comes in. The black and gold packaging is chic and easy to clean. It functions exactly the same as the packaging for the Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder. It's very secure and travel friendly. The bronzer comes in one shade, Beach. It's warm toned but not so warm that it pulls orange. On my skin tone, it looks very natural and like a healthy warm bronze, similar to a tan. I really like how natural it looks. This is a very pigmented bronzer; you need very little product. It blends out easily and seamlessly. I didn't have any skipping or patchiness and I find that if you overdo it, it's very easy to blend out and fix. It also lasts all day without fading. I'll be posting about all of my favorite bronzers soon but I really love this one and it's been my go-to for the past month. I definitely recommend checking it out! You can find it on It Cosmetics website or at Ulta.

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Thank you!

There's this little app called Hush, and I'm sure you've heard of it. There are a ton of different brands listed on it, from indie brands to mainstream brands. However, I think it's most known for the indie brands that are "duping" high end makeup. I was curious and I've loved the look of the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk palette since it was first announced, but could not accept that price tag. In comes Bad Habit with the Athena palette, which is said to be a dupe. I purchased it and I've used it a lot, so I'm ready to tell you if it's a dupe or not.




The Bad Habit Athena palette is only $14 vs the $65 price tag of the Huda Desert Dusk palette. What I feared upon purchasing this palette was the quality would reflect the price. There are 18 shadows in this palette, eight are matte, six are pearl-shimmers, three are duo-chrome toppers, and one is a pressed glitter. In the pan, the colors look identical to the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk palette, but I do not have it to compare swatches.




The formula of the shadows varies. The mattes tend to be pretty powdery, but blendable. They're pigmented but not super pigmented, so you'll need to build them up. The shimmers and duo-chromes need a sticky base to work, and the glitter needs glitter glue. The problem that I have is, the shimmers and duo-chromes do sit well on top of a base but if the base touches the matte color, it darkens it. You can't blend it out and you can't layer other shadows on top to fix it. It's literally a situation where you have to remove your makeup and start over, which isn't ideal. This has happened to me three separate times. Without a base, the shimmers and duochromes are very underwhelming, even when applied with your fingers. It makes this palette a little awkward to use, and it is not user friendly.




You may remember that I loved the Subculture palette and I still do. A problem everyone seemed to have with Subculture is that it's powdery, there's a ton of fall out, the colors are patchy, and whenever you tried to use a base, the mattes would darken and become totally unblendable. Well, I didn't experience these problems with Subculture, but it's exactly what I'm experiencing with the Athena palette. Building up the mattes too much results in patchiness, layering too many shades makes it muddy, mattes stick to a base and darken, the shimmers and duochromes aren't great without a base.




I've heard so many good things about this palette and I was disappointed. The palette is okay, it's usable but it's underwhelming. It's a little more complicated to use than I'd like and I haven't found a way to make it work. I don't like going into an eye look knowing that there's a good chance I'll have to start over at least once. I've tried different bases, but it always ends the same. It's frustrating and I like doing my makeup and dislike being frustrated while doing so.



Overall, I can't recommend this palette as a dupe. Sure, the colors look the same but I don't think they actually perform the same. I haven't heard of anyone using the Desert Dusk palette having these issues. If you're willing to put in the extra work, the colors are pretty. You just have to be very careful how you apply them and keep those mattes 100% dry.

I hate giving negative reviews but I think it's important to let you know when something isn't worth the money. $14 may not be much for a palette but it's around the same price as a palette from Colourpop and their shadows are awesome. Again, the colors in the Athena palette are gorgeous. If you want to use the shimmers over a base, you'll absolutely have to use a different palette for your matte shades. I wish I loved the palette, but I just can't.




Quickly, let's discuss the Hush App because it's the only way to purchase this palette. The Hush App requires your Paypal information to set up your account before you can even use it, which I don't like. For the purpose of this review, I did it anyway. The app is a little awkward to use and isn't very intuitive; it's very busy. I placed my order and had to wait almost three weeks to receive the palette, which is insane. After it shipped, it took 4 days to get to me, the rest of that time my order was marked as processing. So, as far as that goes, don't order something if you don't want to wait upwards of two weeks to receive it!

Thanks for reading!

*Some products mentioned were sent for consideration. Opinions are my own*

Like me, you've probably waited until the very last minute to do your Mother's Day shopping, and so I'm here to save the day. While this post is for Mother's Day, these gifts are perfect for any occasion. If you need gift ideas, keep reading!



I'm about to do something I almost always emphasize not doing, and that's recommending skin care as a gift. Skin care in most cases is a terrible gift. More often than not, you don't know enough about someone else's skin to successfully recommend or purchase skin care products for that person. Skin care is extremely personal and usually the products that you love won't work as well on a friend. However, this is your mother. Chances are, you know her skin type and you know what her skin needs.

That being said, here are a couple of skin care recommendations that you can grab from Ulta on the way to see your mom.



The IT Cosmetics skin care line has quickly become my favorite and always feels so luxurious. The IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream has been a favorite moisturizer of mine since it launched. It's anti-aging, which is a re-occurring theme with my skin care recommendations. Another great moisturizer is the IT Cosmetics Secret Sauce. This is a little thicker than the Confidence in a Cream and definitely takes longer to sink in, however, it leaves your skin very hydrated and glowy. My two favorite eye creams are also from IT Cosmetics and you really can't go wrong here. The Bye Bye Undereye is a gel formula that sinks in quick while leaving a smooth, soft finish. The Confidence in an Eye Cream is a little thicker and a cream consistency. I prefer this one for night time but it can be used anytime. The last skin care product I'm recommending is the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum. From the name, it's pretty obvious what this does but it's meant to smooth your fine lines. It's also hydrating, smoothing, and leaves such a soft feel to your skin. As I said, all of these are available at Ulta and some are also available at Sephora.



Moving on from skin care, because that was a lot, let's discuss some eyeshadow palettes. I know that some mom's are VERY into makeup, while some just don't have the time, patience, or interest in being super glam so I've got three eyeshadow palettes that will work for either. The Urban Decay Naked Basics palettes are so good, as you can tell since I've done some damage to mine.




They're palm-sized palettes and each contain six shades. Whether you're looking for warm tones, cool tones, or neutral tones, there is a palette that will work for you. The Urban Decay Naked Basics, Naked Basics 2, and Petite Heat are awesome gifts. These are available at Ulta and Sephora.



Let's say your mom is more into makeup but needs makeup that will last. Well, that's where the IT Cosmetics Superhero Liner comes in. That stuff is bulletproof. It's easy to use, in a pen form but with a brush tip rather than felt tip so it won't dry out as quickly. Once you apply this and it dries, it does not smudge, fade, or budge. It's waterproof and long-wearing, as well as super black and pigmented. This is another one you can grab at Ulta.



I hope this was helpful and that you've found a gift that will work for your mom. To all of the moms, Happy (early) Mother's Day!

Thanks for reading!

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

We've talked about the Pixi X Weylie collab, we've discussed the Pixi X Dulce Candy collab, and now it's time to talk about the Pixi X Chloe Morello collaboration. If you missed the other reviews, definitely check them out to find out what I think is worth the money and what you should avoid. Let's talk about the Pixi X Chloe Morello collab!



Pixi collaborated with Chloe Morello, a popular YouTuber, to create a palette, Palette Chloette and a lip gloss, Lip Icing. The Palette Chloette has some of her favorite blushes and eyeshadows, and the lip gloss is supposed to give any lip color a glow boost, but can also be worn on its own.

The packaging on the palette is the same as the other Pixi palettes, but like the Dulce Candy collab, this palette is super easy to open. This may not seem significant BUT the Pixi Palettes are notorious for being difficult to open. I absolutely appreciate that they seem to have remedied that issue. I'm still not the biggest fan of the green and clear plastic packaging, but it's functional and that's what matters.



The Palette Chloette contains three blushes and nine eyeshadows. Six of these eyeshadows are shimmery and the last three are matte. The three matte shades are meant to be used as transition shades or liners, but can also double as brow powder. The three blushes are glowy but don't accentuate texture on my cheeks. They're very natural shades that blend so well; I actually really like the formula. The eyeshadows are soft and pretty, but subtle. There isn't a ton of pigmentation to the shimmery shades. They can be layered or applied on top of a base for extra intensity. If you're looking for nice, subtle, everyday shades, this might be just what you're looking for.






Lip Icing is infused with Rosehip and Marula oils to nourish your lips. It's a gold-pink shimmer that works well on it's own or layered over a lip color. It's not nearly as intense as you would think; much like the palette it is actually quite subtle and pretty. It's perfect for everyday wear. Because of the oils in this gloss, it's super soft and silky. It feels really moisturizing on the lips and there is no gritty glitter feel. It's not sticky at all but will need reapplied more often, around every 2-3 hours. I kind of love this gloss and like to layer it with another gloss I've been wearing constantly that we will talk about very soon.



These collaborations are always really cool and I end up loving some of the products and feel meh about others. I do like the Palette Chloette, but for someone, like myself, who loves really intense, metallic shades it does feel slightly underwhelming. I've used the blushes each time I've done my makeup because I love them, though. Overall, I do like the palette and I think it's worth the price. You'll get a lot of everyday wear out of it and it's nice that it also has the blushes inside. Much like the Weylie palette, it is dupeable.




The Lip Icing is the standout of the two, without a doubt. If you've been here before, you know that I despise gloss and the fact that I like this one should tell you something. The list of glosses I like is super short, and this one is near the top. If you pick up one thing from this collab, I absolutely recommend grabbing this gloss. I truly think it will be universally flattering.

You can find these items as well as the other collaborations on the Pixi Beauty Website.

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

Pixi Beauty collaborated with three popular influencers to release this year's Pixi Pretties collection. I already reviewed Pixi X Dulce Candy, so if you missed that post, check it out for my thoughts on that collab. Today we're going to talk about the Pixi X Weylie Hoang Dimensional Eye Creator.




Weylie Hoang is a popular vlogger and collaborated with Pixi to release an eyeshadow palette and dual ended eyeliner in a set called the Dimensional Eye Creator. I have thoughts and opinions and it's time to discuss them.

The Dimensional Eye Creator is an eyeshadow palette and dual-ended liner. The eyeshadow palette has six shades. The shadows don't have names, but there is a light champagne-gold shimmer, taupe shimmer, light brown matte, red-brown matte, deep-brown shimmer, and deep maroon toned brown matte. The eyeliner has a black matte liquid end and a black kohl end.



The Eyeshadows in the Dimensional Eye Creator palette all work together to create a wide variety of looks. I've used the palette quite a few times and I really love the mattes. They don't swatch well which worried me, but they apply and blend beautifully. They aren't super pigmented but they are very blendable. The shimmers are hit or miss. The champagne shade is gorgeous and applies well with your fingers. The taupe shade is so dry, it almost feels like a pressed glitter. It is packed with shimmer and will not adhere to your eye without a sticky base, and even then it's lackluster. The deep brown shimmer is okay when applied with fingers but again, nothing new or innovative.



The dual ended liner is not my favorite, for sure. The black kohl liner side is soft, pigmented and matte but not waterproof. It works well in the waterline and lasts through most of the day, so I have no complaints. I have a million different black eyeliners, so it's hard to really impress me at this point. The liquid side is definitely my least favorite liquid liner I've tried in a while. It's super black and semi-matte but it bleeds so badly and I can't. I have too many amazing black liquid liners to deal with one that bleeds everywhere so it's a no.

So here's where the issue comes in. These two items are sold together and you can't get the eyeshadow palette separately. It's only $20, which is definitely affordable, but since I don't care for the liner much, it's not really worth it since the shadows are so easily dupeable and most likely, already in your collection. If you do pick it up, it would be a great palette to travel with and I do like the palette. The neutral shades are nice, it's fairly versatile, and it's small enough to not take up much space in your makeup bag.




I have giving negative reviews and try to find the best qualities in every product I try, but I won't lie to you when I don't like something. As I've said, the eyeshadows are pretty, specifically the mattes. The light champagne gold is nice, but the other two shimmers aren't the best. The palette is easy to open and feels much more sturdy than other Pixi palettes I've tried. The kohl liner is okay, it's a black liner. There isn't much else to be said about it. It's not too dry, it's easy enough to apply, it stays pretty well but it's not totally waterproof. The liquid liner is just not something I recommend. It definitely bleeds and that's not something most of us are cool with.

The question, can I recommend this and is it worth $20. Yes and yes, but with caveats. You absolutely do not need this palette if you can dupe the colors, but if you like having a small palette with neutral shades to travel with, you might want to grab it. You know my feeling on the liner, it's not the best and they are a package deal. However, the palette itself could probably retail for $20, so I consider the liner and freebie and one end of the liner is okay.

You can find the Pixi X Weylie Hoang Dimensional Eye Creator on Pixi Beauty's website.

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

Pixi is absolutely one of my favorites drugstore brands and they are cruelty free! There is a new Pixi Pretties collection out where they collaborated with three popular beauty vloggers, Dulce Candy, Weylie Hoang, and Chloe Morello. The products from this collection are available now, and since they are perfect for spring, I felt it was time to share.




Pixi and Dulce Candy collaborated to create two palettes. One of these is a lip palette and the other is a multi-purpose palette. Cafe Con Dulce is the multi-purpose palette and the first we will talk about.

The packaging on these palettes is the typical Pixi palette packaging in that it's light green with a clear plastic lid. The packaging isn't my favorite, but it's totally functional and I do appreciate that I can see what is in the palette without the need to open it. I've had issues in the past with Pixi palettes being difficult to open, but these open very easily. I'd feel okay traveling with these; I think they are sturdy enough to withstand it.



The Cafe Con Dulce palette is a multi-use palette with nine shades. These are a unique cream-to-powder formula that will work as highlight, blush, and eyeshadow. The colors are stunning and absolutely perfect for spring and make a huge impact.




As you can see from the swatches, they're seriously pigmented. Depending upon the brush you apply them with, you'll get different results. A small packing brush will give a ton of payoff on your lids. A highlighting or fan brush gives the perfect amount of shine to your cheekbones, which can be built up or applied subtly. A blush brush will give a nice sheen to whatever blush you're wearing.

I really enjoy this palette because it's multi-purpose and advertised as such. Many times palettes will sit unused because certain colors don't work as a highlight, but sometimes you don't think to use them as eyeshadows. The formula of these colors is so unique and I've been using it every time I apply makeup.



It's obvious that I love the Cafe Con Dulce palette, so let's talk about Dulce's Lip Candy. As you can probably gather, this is a lip palette. Before we get started, let me re-iterate my feelings on lip palettes. I am not their biggest fan. It's a cool concept, there are a lot of options with a lip palette, and for professionals and working makeup artists, they're awesome. However, I'm just a normal girl that loves lipsticks, in a bullet or a tube. Will I use this palette? Maybe. Will I take it with me? No. That's what makes it impractical for me.

The colors are pretty and the range of shades is nice but I will absolutely never take this palette anywhere with me because it's inconvenient. It's quite large and will take up a lot of room in my bag, it also requires me to carry extra tools like a lip brush. I don't like carrying a lot of makeup with me and generally carry a small bag if I take one at all.



Now that my feeling on lip palettes are clear, let's talk about it anyway. The colors are gorgeous and the range is good. These are very smooth creams and can also double as cream blush. Will I use it often? Probably not, but I will reach for it occasionally.

Overall, I really like the Pixi X Dulce Candy collab. I'm totally in love with the Cafe Con Dulce palette and I do like the Lip Candy palette, despite how impractical I find it to be. You can find them both on Pixi's website.

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

Hi! Let's talk about the new Urban Decay Hi Fi Shine Lip Glosses. The Hi Fi Shine Lip Gloss is a new cruelty free gloss that comes in different finishes and a wide range of colors.



The Hi Fi Shine Gloss comes in four different formulas and 20 shades. The packaging is really cute. I've heard a couple of complaints about it, but I really like it because it's unique. You can see the color through the front and back of the tube, but the sides are mirrored. It does get fingerprints on it easily, obviously, but I still think it's cute. The wand is a little wonky. I like it, but I'm afraid it's going to snap because it is SO easily flexible.

Let's talk about the colors:

• SPL (HOLOGRAPHIC CANDY PINK WITH IRIDESCENT SPARKLE)


• OBSESSED (BABY PINK CREAM)


• SAVAGE (ELECTRIC PINK CREAM)


• BIG BANG (METALLIC HOT PINK SPARKLE)


• NAKED (NUDE PINK CREAM WITH PEARL-PINK SHIFT)


• BESO (DEEP PINK MAUVE CREAM)


• RAPTURE (ROSE MAUVE CREAM)


• BACKTALK (MAUVE NUDE-PINK CREAM)


• SNAPPED (HOLOGRAPHIC DEEP PLUM WITH BLUE SHIMMER)


• JAWBREAKER (PURPLE CREAM)


• CANDY FLIP (HOLOGRAPHIC LAVENDER WITH BLUE-PINK SPARKLE)


• FIREBALL (HOLOGRAPHIC PEACH WITH PINK SPARKLE)


• DIRTY TALK (METALLIC BURGUNDY WITH PINK SHIMMER)


• MIDNIGHT COWGIRL (NUDE CREAM WITH GOLD SHIMMER)


• FUEL (LIGHT NEUTRAL NUDE CREAM)


• 1993 (MEDIUM BROWN CREAM)


• SHADOWHEART (CHOCOLATE BROWN WITH GOLD SPARKLE)


• SNITCH (BRIGHT CORAL CREAM)


• BANG (BRIGHT ORANGE RED CREAM)


• GOLDMINE (METALLIC BRIGHT GOLD)

The formula is obviously different for each type of gloss but believe me when I say, they're all good. None of them are sticky, the shimmer doesn't feel gritty on your lips, and they're just nice. If you've been here before, you know I typically hate lip glosses. There are very, very few that I really like but I like these because they feel soft on the lips, not sticky. There's nothing I hate more than a sticky gloss.



These are infused with Vitamin E and Peppermint oil. Also, they smell like mint chocolate ice cream. I don't know how that's possible, but that's what it smells like to me. It says it smells like vanilla mint but to me it definitely smells like mint chocolate. Maybe I'm crazy.

Anyway, you can find the Hi Fi Shine Glosses on Urban Decay's website, Ulta, and Sephora for $20 each.

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

Urban Decay is one of my all time favorite cruelty free brands. They have been on a roll releasing new products lately, and we're going to talk about the Backtalk Palette today.



When I first saw the Backtalk Palette, I was so excited. I love pink-mauve tones and the Backtalk Vice Liquid Lipstick is my favorite of the collection, so when I found out there was going to be a Backtalk Palette, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.



The Backtalk Palette has two sides; one is eyeshadow, the other is cheek powders. There are eight eyeshadows and four blushes/highlight powders. This is a monochromatic palette and I love the idea behind it.

Here are the shades:

EYES

• 3 SHEETS (PALE PINK NUDE MATTE)


• BARE (LIGHT PINK-PEACH SATIN)


• CURVE (METALLIC ROSE WITH SILVER GLITTER)


• ATTITUDE (METALLIC RED COPPER)


• BACKTALK (SOFT ROSE-MAUVE MATTE)


• WTF (RED-BROWN MATTE)


• SHADE (DEEP FUCSHIA MATTE)


• 180 (METALLIC BROWN RED)

CHEEKS

• DOUBLE TAKE (MAUVE WITH SHIMMER)


• LOW KEY (PINK-PEACH)


• CHEAP SHOT (MEDIUM PINK-NUDE)


• PARTY FOUL (LIGHT PINK-NUDE SHIMMER)

I swatched all of the shades, but it's kind of hard to get a good idea of how they look. The first few shades are so light and my skin is so pale, 3 Sheets literally blends right it and disappears.



The two shades on the end are the lipstick and lip gloss in Backtalk. We're going to talk about the formula in a second, but can we talk about the packaging?



This palette is double sided and has a magnetic, detachable mirror in the center. I love that it's removable, but I hate that it won't close without it. Another issue, my palette will NOT stay shut. No matter what I do, the eyeshadow side pops open, so I have to store it shadow side down. It's so weird. The packaging is cute, semi-functional but I absolutely do not trust it not to pop open. I'd love to travel with it, but it will take extra care to do so.



The shadows are soft and will leave you with some fall out, but not a lot. It's easy to clean up and if you tap off the excess, you won't get much fall out, if any. The shades are easy to blend and are pretty buildable. The eyeshadows are sheer. They're so pretty and look like they have so much pigmentation and depth in the palette, but it applies very sheerly. These do need to be built up and if you aren't careful, they will all blend together into one uniform shade. The shimmer shades work best if applied with your fingers onto a sticky base.



The cheek colors are gorgeous. They're definitely buildable and blend so well. I actually haven't used another blush since I got this palette, I just use these because they're so nice. This side of the palette really makes the whole thing worth it.

Here are my thoughts. Yes, I like this palette. Yes, I think it's gorgeous and I've used it quite a few times, so I clearly don't hate it. BUT! The pigmentation is not what I thought it would be, and that's kind of upsetting. Shade was the color I was most excited about and the biggest letdown because of that. It's not the deep fuchsia it appears, rather a lighter pink that can be built up but never reaches the depth I wanted, even when applied with fingers.

I can't tell you whether or not to buy this palette. If you like these tones and like lighter shadow looks, you'd probably love it. I really like to use it for daytime looks but creating intense looks takes a lot of work.

You can find it on Urban Decay's website and at Sephora.