Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette *Review*

So, I got the the Tamanna Palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills for Christmas, and it was the first eyeshadow palette I'd ever gotten from the company. Of course, I have most all of the brow products, so I am already familiar with Anastasia's line. 

Anyone even remotely aware of the beauty community or likes having their brows "on fleek" will recognize the Anastasia name. She is most commonly known as the "Brow Queen" or "Queen of Brows." 

It doesn't surprise me at all that she has this whole astounding makeup line cropping up, or that her eyeshadow palette collabs are of such great quality. Yes, I realize I just gave away my feelings on this palette a tad prematurely. 

Aside from the limited collab palettes, Anastasia just released this whole new single shadows line. I've heard and read great things about them, but have yet to purchase any. I do look forward to getting some of them a bit on down the road, though. If any of you have bought some of them or any of Anastasia's other palettes, I'd love to hear about your experiences with them. 

Just as a head's up, this palette retails at a VERY affordable price of $29. It's definitely a bang for your buck! 

Now, on to the palette review.. 

I found myself really liking the packaging in this palette, actually. I love the beautiful design on it and the rich red/maroon and gold. 

The back of it has the standard ingredients, company info, patents, etc. 

The material of the palette is the common cardboard type finish with a magnetized lid to open and close it.

Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom
Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom
Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

I love the colors in this palette. They're mostly warm and just beautiful. The rich accents of the shadows really complement and/or go well with the packaging. 

I really like how the palette included a matte black shadow (called "Noir"), which will undoubtedly work well in smoking up any of the other shades for a night time look. The cocoa brown called "Chocolate" is also really nice. I love a warm-toned brown. "Custom" on the end of the first row is a shimmery taupe with a hint of silver, and is amazing. "Fresh" is a nice off white, which is great to use on the brow bone for a highlight. I also really like "Sangria" because with my hazel eyes, you all know I like any burgundy-wine colors to make my eyes appear more green.

I won't go through them all, though, since I've provided several photos of swatches below. The last one I do want to mention is the color "Bengal," which is the main matte transition shade in this palette. It's very earthy and clay-colored. It's probably my favorite color in the palette, because it's a transition shade and can be toned way down, but could also make a perfect pigmented lid shade, too. It's just very versatile. 

  

The brush in this palette isn't of exceptional quality, but if you were just starting out your collection, it would make a good crease/outer corner brush for blending and popping on the darker outer-V shades.

Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom
Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom
Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom
Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

I hope the swatches give you a good idea on the color payoff. I apologize you can't really see "Fresh" on the top, but it's so close to my natural skin color and blends into my skin. 

If you asked me would I recommend this palette, then I'd definitely say yes. It's one of those palettes where you just can't help but like all of the shades. The only shade I don't prefer from the palette is the blue color "Venezia," and that's just because I don't think blue shades look as good with my eye color. I give this palette an A+ for quality, pigmentation, lasting power, smoothness and positive packaging. 

Comment any questions you might have regarding this palette. I always feel like I miss telling you something important when I do reviews. And look to my signature to be up within the next few posts. Mostly just whenever I get time to fix one.

xx

Sigma Brilliant & Spellbinding Palette Review

I got this palette for Christmas, so this review has been a long time coming. And I am finally getting caught up with my posts, which were a bit delayed because I've been organizing and trying to get all of my makeup storage worked out. I'm still buying things to organize with; and as always, I am looking for more makeup to add to my ever-growing collection. 

I'm really excited to bring to you the review on the Sigma Brilliant & Spellbinding Palette, which I fell in love with just from seeing it in the stock photos on Sigma's site. The unique colors that comprise this palette just make it unique and fun. What's great is that the price is only $39 from Sigma Beauty.

Just so that you can get the whole effect, here's Sigma's description for the palette: 

The Sigma Beauty Brilliant & Spellbinding Eye Shadow Palette includes twelve toasty-bronze shades created to achieve a sun-lit, shimmery glow and beach goddess effect. Paraben-free.

Front of packaging sleeve

Back of sleeve

The front of the packaging (on both the sleeve and front of the palette) have Sigma's holographic logo, which appears on all of their products. I love holograph anything, so I think their packaging is always pretty. 

The material of the palette is the paper/cardboard type finish with a magnetic closure for opening and closing it. That's pretty standard packaging, so there are no complaints there. 

Front 

I think it's really cool how the shadows have the Sigma name stamped into them. It adds a little something special to it, and goes well with the repetitive "Sigma Beauty" text all along the inside of the packaging.

With Flash Left to Right:  Hiatus, Solstice, Healthy, Languid
                                         Radiant, Balmy, 10, Spellbinding
                                   Sensational, Bloom, Fey, IG2

Since I have hazel eyes, I am a HUGE fan of burnt orange colors, olives, and red-tone shades, all of of which really make my eyes POP. So you can probably tell which colors I'm most obsessed with in this palette: I love the first color in the second row called "Radiant" (rusty orange), the olive color below it called "Sensational" (dark mustard brown), and the vibrant coral color beside of that named "Bloom" (peachy perfect). "Bloom" actually reminds me somewhat of the color "Shell" from Lime Crime's Venus: The Grunge Palette with maybe a bit more coral in it than peach.

Of course, the neutral shimmers in the palette are all pretty standard and universal for everyone. The pink color called "Hiatus" is probably the most out of place to me. While some of the colors would match with it, mostly everything else is warm-toned and neutral, so "Hiatus" was a definite way to pep up this palette. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the other colors all complement one another, but the bubblegum shade is kind of a loner color.

Without Flash Left to Right: Hiatus, Solstice, Healthy, Languid
                                             Radiant, Balmy, 10, Spellbinding
                                       Sensational, Bloom, Fey, IG2

Swatches Left to Right: Hiatus, Solstice, Healthy, Languid
                                      Radiant, Balmy, 10, Spellbinding
                                Sensational, Bloom, Fey, IG2

I apologize that a few of the colors didn't show up well for me in the swatch photo, but you can still get a good idea on how smooth and beautiful these colors are with color payoff. Just looking at the swatch of that mustard shade makes me want to wear it to work tomorrow. I'm thinking I'll try to work it in with the pink somehow and get some use out of that color.

In the past, I have purchased individual shadows from Sigma, but this was the first palette of theirs that I have bought. I can definitely say I would purchase another. I like the quality, the color payoff, the buttery texture (not quite as buttery as the Lorac Pro line, but still easy to apply and to blend), and the overall presentation of the palette. If you prefer neutral palettes with a twist, then you should check out this palette and the others from their collection. I'm not sure how long this palette will be for sale, but Sigma usually does eventually retire all of their palettes.

The next one I'd like to get is the Fall Softly Palette, which has a lot of pinky-peach toned shades with a dark purple and powder blue included. And also,  the Smoke Screen Palette, which has an array of darker taupe shades. Oh, and their Warm Neutrals Palette. Sorry for having a typical "kid in a candy store moment," but how can a girl choose just one?

Lastly, now that I have finished the review, I wanted to let you all know I'm going to hopefully have a signature up for the blog this week! I haven't had a chance to get in Photoshop or InDesign to work on it yet, but it is going to be my priority for this week aside from my posts.

Talk to y'all soon! xx 

UD Vice Ltd. Palette Review

I am so ecstatic that I finally managed to get my hands on this palette. I didn't get a chance at it when Sephora offered it exclusively for VIB Rouge members or when UD's site showcased it for a hot minute. So when I noticed that Ulta had it listed for sale, I didn't waste time ordering it.  

I have previously purchased the Vice 2 and Vice 3 palettes, so I am already very familiar with the packaging and quality of the Vice palettes. This one, however, is by far my favorite! The retail value is $58.

First of all, the packaging is very awesome. The previous Vice palettes are a bit darker in color, so this one with it's bright lime color is very visually appealing. 

Front of packaging 

Back of packaging

Front of palette 

Back of palette 

The case is the same in these as the others, with the thick plastic casing. Urban Decay always comes through when it comes to durable packaging for their palettes. I think, though, that my favorite type is the smooth, heavy duty casing used for the Naked Basics palettes.

There are more pale, neutral shades in this palette, which makes it work well for daily wear. I really like that. Aside from the Naked palettes, UD is known for their vibrant colors thrown into their palettes, and many of them you wouldn't wear to work or school or an interview; so it was nice that they added in shades for those of us who don't work at a night club or at a MAC counter. 

But to be honest, I went outside-the-box the other day and wore the bright pink shade below, and smoked it out with the chocolate brown. I didn't take any professional photos of it, but it looked really good and wasn't too crazy for my office job. 

As you can see, the shades are actually pretty pigmented with single swipe swatches. I love that they finally gave us a good warm hued taupe for a transition shade. I hope I'm describing it right. I think it's a bit taupe-y when applied to the eyelid, so that's why I chose that wording. It's the color in the bottom right called "Laced."  

The color "Last Sin" is the second one on the bottom and is also in the Vice 3 palette. I really like that color for a lid shade. In my photo, the white on the bottom looks matte, but it actually has a bluish-purple iridescence that shows up extremely well when applied. I actually used it on my inner corners with the purple shades a few weeks back. 

The few colors I was most disappointed with were the purples ("Freakshow" & "Hoodoo"), which I didn't think had great color payoff when doing an eye look, and also the gold color ("Disco") in the top row, second from the end. I didn't like "Disco" because it's more glitter than pigmentation. The formula isn't smooth and the glitter makes it gritty. It reminds me of some of the extremely glittery ones from Too Faced that are lacking color payoff and never get used. 

Overall, though, I really like this palette. It's hard to find one where you like all of the colors. And this one is no different. Even though I don't LOVE them all, I do recommend this one. It's been rumored that it is VERY LIMITED, so make sure to pick one up as soon as you can. If the quick sellout from Sephora and UD's site is any indication, then it probably won't last long at Ulta. I'm actually surprised they haven't sold out yet!

I give this palette an A! 

Five Lifelong Lessons I Learned from College

Upon reflection on how much of a mess my life is as of late, I felt that a post on this topic seemed fitting. There are an array of things I discovered during college, but college was never ultimately the place where I would find myself. No, there is still so much left on my journey to self-discovery, but those four years were vital to the journey. It was my first step down that path of figuring out who I am and what I want most out of life. 

As basic as they may be, I have devised a mini list of the five most inherent lifelong lessons I learned as a college student. Seeing as I have been out of college nearly three years, I've had time to decipher them. And I'd like to share them with you, because--like me--you face an indecisive, solo journey into becoming who you are meant to be. And frankly, sometimes it can be scary and lonely.

1. Enjoy and embrace solitude.

My junior year of college was the first one my boyfriend (of over a year) and I were managing a long-distance relationship. All of my friends already had roommates, so I ended up finding some girls to live with via Craigslist. I know, right? Craigslist has been known to have killers, but these girls were luckily just college students. 

One of the girls basically lived at her boyfriend's place, so we hardly saw her. And the other one ended up moving back home for her blossoming relationship at the end of fall semester. So, here I was, for the first time, forced to live by myself. 

It was definitely a big adjustment for me. I'm shy until I know people, but I'm also social and like being around others, and I'd never been on my own before. Suddenly, I was doing grocery shopping alone, listening to the noisy neighbors alone, cooking and stocking my cabinets alone, turning out all the lights for bedtime alone, and just plain alone. 

I spent weeks crying over my boyfriend not being there, over living alone and coming home to an empty space. I never went out and partied much during college because it wasn't my prerogative, so I didn't even have that to keep me "out of the house" so-to-speak. 

Towards the end of that semester, my roommate and her pot-smoking boyfriend starting sleeping at my apartment, and by then I'd adjusted to my solitude and found myself annoyed that they didn't continue staying at his place. That semester was so vital to my self-growth. I learned that I could make it on my own: that I enjoyed having my private space, I could clean how and when I wanted, and I could wonder into my kitchen in my underwear to get a late night snack if the mood struck. I'd never had that before, so naturally, I reveled in it.

I am currently looking to move to a whole new state, and I'm determined to live by myself when I do. I'm anxious to have my own space to decorate and call home. But those vital moments of aloneness in college gave me the courage and insight into what it felt like to be truly independent. I am thankful for that.

2. Going to college doesn't give you all of the answers. 

From a young age, my parents stressed to my sister and me how important college was. They both only had Associate's Degrees, and they wanted us to get a good college education so we could find good jobs.

Like the dutiful daughter and studious adolescent I was, I enrolled in college at Virginia Tech. My friends were all going to college. And after high school, it seemed like the obvious next step. We all just kind of filed into our new schools that fall seeking the same things: success, answers, direction. 

But what our parents and our guidance counselors and teachers failed to explain to us, was that just because you get a college degree doesn't mean you'll walk away with a diploma and the answers to leading a fulfilling life. 

I graduated in 2012 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Professional Writing, which covers an array of technical and business writing skills, grant writing, publishing and design. But here I am, almost three years later, with not much to show for and a passion for something else entirely. If I'd known what my calling was in fall of 2008, I may have taken a different route. I don't regret my years at VT because I know it was meant for me. That school still feels like home, but it's also proof that I was just as clueless as the next student. For our entire lives we are in school, so obviously when school is over, many of us struggle with "what's next?" 

When I graduated, I was strong, more independent, smarter and more cultured, but I still didn't have a clue where my road would take me. And most days, I'm still aimlessly seeking my destination. 

3. People are not always going to operate under the "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" mantra.

I had to learn this one the hard way. Growing up in a small town, I was always nice and polite to people. I got the "Friendliest" superlative in high school, and I assumed that being nice to people warranted respect in return. 

I learned really quickly that is not the case. Some people are just rotten. I don't know if they just don't have a conscience or what, but some people just don't care who they mow down. We have to learn to speak up and stand up for ourselves, or people will always mow us down to suit themselves.  

I'm not saying not to trust anyone ever (I'm not going to be a woman scorned), but we have to draw the line between being nice and being taken advantage of.

4. It's okay to derive your own meaning from college. 

Yes, I know. College is supposed to be all about partying and "living it up." But not everyone likes to party five days a week. Some of us like to read books, spend weekends curled up under fuzzy blankets watching movies, or plan hikes and dinner dates with friends. 

You may feel like you have to live up to some standard of how college is meant to be, but that's not true at all. Just like in anything, some of us like to drink and be party animals and some of us don't. Whether you are a party animal or a homebody, neither is wrong. We are all unique individuals. And if college is the foundation on which you begin your mission of self-discovery, then you should find personal definition in what college means to you. 

What will you take away from it? What will you spend your time doing during college, and how does that satisfy you? Regardless, being true to yourself and your own needs and desires are what is going to lead you down the right road. We are all in the same boat, all learning along the way, trying to find our rightful place in the world. Have fun, experiment, and just find a balance between studying and what makes you happy.

5. My journey is uniquely my own and will never mirror another's.

Sometimes, when I am feeling a bit lost on this journey as a twenty-something, I start to compare where I am in my life to where my friends are in their own. I find myself struggling to cope with the fact they are already married, already have their dream job, or are travelling the world while I'm stuck stationary at a desk every week. 

And it was something I dealt with in college as well. It's always easy to look at someone in your same major of study and compare their extracurriculars to yours, their success in and out of class, and wonder how you'll ever get the job you want with people like him/her to compete with. While I did have extracurriculars and good grades, I still doubted myself because I am only human.

I am here to tell you, though, that your journey is uniquely yours. You will never be on the same path as your friends or classmates or colleagues, because we all have different purposes or callings. My friends who have the same degree as me are all doing different things, many of which are just amazing! And no, I'm not jealous, I'm simply old enough to recognize that my road winds a different way than theirs. And so does yours! 

I hope this post resonates with some of you and gives you some insight like it has me. 

xx 

Liebster Award Nominee

I initially created this blog to write about my ardor for beauty with a side of fitness.  Growing up, I always imagined I'd write a few books, and it was my dream for the longest while. Now, I have morphed into an aspiring makeup artist, but reading and writing are still very much a part of me. Starting a blog was the obvious solution to sharing my talents. 

Since I am still very new to the blogger community, color me surprised when I saw the sweet comment from Maddy at Media Junkie Jungle saying that she had nominated me for the Liebster Award. I didn't even know what the award was yet, but it feels like such an honor that someone would deem my work as an up-and-coming blog worth discovering. So, thank you, Maddy, I am so flattered! 

One thing I really LOVE about Maddy's blog is that it contains an array of topics, so it fits a much wider readers' interest range than my beauty/fitness blog. 

You can find knowledge on fashion, celebs, skincare, t.v., etc. If you haven't ever checked out her blog, then please do with the link I provided above.

The Rules of the Liebster Award are as follows: 

1. Thank/link the person who nominated you (I happened to do both)

2. Answer the questions from your nominator

3. Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers (and link them)

4. Create 11 new questions for your nominees

5. Notify your nominees through social media/blogs

Below, I will respond to Maddy's questions, nominate the 11 other bloggers you should check out, and then I'll leave them some questions of my own to answer. 

So, here goes...

Here are Maddy's questions, which I hope help you all get to know me a bit better. 

1. What is your favorite thing to blog about?

As per the title of this blog, all things beauty. I love makeup: buying/collecting makeup, dappling in makeup, applying it, and writing about it. I also included a tab for health & fitness, because I'd like to share with you some of my fitness journey. 

2. What is the most difficult thing about blogging?

I think the most challenging thing about blogging is creating professional photos. I could write all day, but staging all of the photos to look clean and neat and precise is something of a learning process. I have a Canon Rebel T4i, which is perfect for professional quality photos. I can do basic editing, which I learned as part of my college degree. I have seen plenty of photos in my day to know that photos are just as important as the written content in blogs.

3. What else do you do besides blogging?

Disappointingly so, I am an office assistant at the moment for my day-to-day job; I am also a freelance MUA every chance I get, a mini pig's mom, I crochet, read nonstop, and enjoy Facetime/Skype with my best friends who are living the dream in cities greater than mine. I am also currently looking for a job in Jacksonville, FL. 

4. What is one item you would splurge on?

Aside from makeup, a Louis Vuitton! I've wanted one for ages. Just one. haha 

5. What are you looking forward to the most in 2015?

Moving and really, finally getting my adult life started. It's been hard coming back post-college and living with my parents again. I'm ready for my own space to decorate and reside in.

6. Who is the person you admire most and why?

The most admirable person to me (and will be for my whole life) is my papaw, who died in October 2013 of lung cancer. He did anything and everything. Papaw always said if someone else could do something, he could do it, too, and better. 

He was a self-taught engineer who could bake homemade cakes, was a Chief Electrician lording over a coal mine who retired at 50, built his house by hand, left bags of food on families' doorsteps for holidays, loved his family, and knew just about everything. He was the ultimate hero, role model, hard-headed and beautiful person I've ever known. When I get discouraged, I tell myself that I can do it because I am his granddaughter and he would stop at nothing. Once the doctor told him he had to quit smoking or risk dying; he quit cold turkey. 

7. What do you do to relax after a long day?

Paint my nails, take a long bath, cuddle with my pig, and read. I go up to my room earlier than I actually go to sleep so I can take an hour or two to read in bed. It's my time to unwind before I go to sleep.

8. What is your favorite kind of food?

Right now, I've been a big fan of cotton candy. I feel six again.

9. What is your favorite genre of music?

I like most music genres, but I really really love indie music. I love discovering unknown bands. My favorite is City and Colour with Dallas Green. 

10. Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Gosh, that is such a hard question! There are so many awesome female actresses out there. I am going to go on a whim with a few on the top of my head and say Carrie Underwood, Julianne Hough, maybe Amber Heard, or even Mila Kunis or Blake Lively.. Ooh, or Olivia Wilde.

11. What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome in the last few years?

My last two years have been very trying. I'd say losing my papaw, having my ex-boyfriend cheat on me with his best friend's wife, and accepting life as a post-grad living at home with my family have all been huge obstacles in my life. But as hard as they have been on me, I can honestly say they've made me a stronger person. And I'm proud of how I've risen above each thing to prevail.

Here are the 11 blogs I am choosing to nominate: 

Elena at Elena's Makeup & Beauty
Katarina at Katarina Ahlsson 
Robin at Living Colorfully
Eunice at The Berry Way
Charlotte at Charlotte Rose 
Alice & Chloe at Everything Rosie
Robin at Pretty & Chic
Stella at Stella's Journal
Jess at Beauty Ghoul (which is such a cool name)
Ewa & Ania at Two More Bloggers
Annie at Happily Annie

And there you have it, folks! Eleven more awesome blogs that I think you should check out. There's something unique about each one of them. Make sure to check them out! 

Here are the 11 questions for you lovely bloggers to answer in your Liebster post: 

1. What made you finally take the plunge and create your blog? 
2. If you could spend a year anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
3. What do you enjoy outside of blogging? 
4. What's your favorite beauty product? 
5. Who inspires you? 
6. What blogger does your work most closely mirror? I guess, meaning that if you have an idol blogger, who would you want yours to most be like? 
7. What country are you from? I know not all of you are from the U.S. like me. 
8. What do you love to spend money on most? 
9. What do you find most challenging when it comes to blogging? 
10. What languages do you speak? 
11. What's your ideal vacation destination?