Lime Crime Wicked Review

I'm on the Wicked bandwagon guys! I drank the kool-aid and had to give it a go. I've never bought Lime Crime products before but was slowly falling in love with the gorgeous matte burgundy shade I'd been seeing on several beauty blogs and Youtube videos. A little digging and it turned out they were all Lime Crime's Matte Velvetines in Wicked.  

The normal retail price is $20 but I actually ended up buying it off of the Urban Outfitter website during a sale with 20% off which I was pretty pleased with. It has been sold out on the LC website for weeks so I was glad to be able to buy it elsewhere as I was hoping to try it out for holiday parties. 

When it finally came, the color was everything I'd hoped for. It's a gorgeous deep burgundy red that's very wearable and not TOO dark to come off as overly vampy. Pair it with an understated eye and your look is instantly glamified. 

The website describes it as being a matte burgundy-red and claims to be a "ground-breaking formula that goes on liquid and dries completely matte. Claims to be touch-proof, transfer-proof, long-wearing and utterly addictive."

The Pros: 

Once again, the color. It's a perfect fall/winter shade. Wear it every day with a simple eye look or glam it up by pairing it with a smoked out eye. 

It sets pretty quickly from liquid to matte and isn't too drying for your lips. 

Paired with a lip liner, is pretty long-lasting. 

The Cons: 

It's really not THAT long-wearing, especially if any liquid touches your lips after it's on. I played around with it a bit and had some trouble keeping it on my lips especially near the inner center where I got the dramatic color/no color when it rubbed off a bit between my lips. I fixed that by wearing it over a lip liner and once completely dried, wouldn't transfer, but if I took even a sip of water it would start moving around and transferring to the bottle or anything my lips touched. What worked best for me was applying it over lip liner and blotting it a tad with some tissue to make sure any excess formula was removed.  

The feeling on the lips isn't the greatest, it isn't especially drying but sort of feels like it is. It gives the grainy-don't try to move much feeling.

(wore this to Thanksgiving dinner, showing off the eye look I went with too!)

Overall I do really love the color and that alone is enough for me to continue wearing it, but it's a pretty difficult formula to get the hang of and feel comfortable in. I think if I were to wear it on a regular basis I'd get used to it, but I know I'd always be concerned about it transferring or smudging off my lips if I made any slip ups. 

I'd say comparing it to some other long-wearing formulas I've tried, I like the Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge stains (which I made matte by blotting) more for staying power but would choose Lime Crime over the Sephora Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Colors as it's got a better applicator making it less messy and easier to control. 

Final thoughts, is it worth buying?

Yes-ish. The color is to die for, but the Sephora lip colors mentioned above would definitely be a comparable less costly dupe if you don't mind working with the clunky applicator.

And our lovely little family all ready for Thanksgiving dinner! 

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

XOXOXO

Decorating My Wedding

 

 

 

Surprise surprise, I'm going with a retro look for my wedding. I'm trying to make sure I get the vintage pieces I like without going over the top or overkilling the theme. I want everything to be simple and beautiful, elegant but still casual enough for everyone to have a great time.

 

 

My lovely ladies :) I wasn't very interested in making my girls wear the same dresses. All I really care about is that the dresses are red, short, and that the girls feel beautiful in them! I decided to go with Alfred Sung dresses, so my bridesmaids could choose the style of dress they're most comfy in while staying the same color and relatively same look. Above are the styles they chose. My maid of honor to the far left, then my sisters and Steve's sisters to the right. Very cute if I say so myself! Can't wait to see it all in person!!

 

They will all be in black shoes with subtle jewelry. Not sure what I want to do for them for flowers yet... more to come on that!

 

 

I've always said I wanted "Reservoir Dogs" for the guys in my wedding and thankfully Steve was on board! All the guys will be wearing plain black suits with thin black ties. Steve will get a red boutonniere and the rest of the guys will get white.

 

 

Since I decided to go with paper flowers, I've been skimming through Pinterest for ideas on what to do for centerpieces. I originally planned to do real flowers, under water in vases with candles floating on top. Once I said farewell to doing real flowers, I thought I could do little vases full of paper flowers, but that sounded a little too plain. Then I found the above arrangement and fell in love! Especially because it's using the style of flowers I already figured I'd go with :) I want to do little flower wreaths around a vase and may or may not put a candle inside... we'll see, they'd have to be taller vases to make sure nothing starts on fire... Bleh, so much to consider!

 

These are the colors/styles I'll be using.

 

I'm still not 100% set up on what I want to do with my hair, but I really do like the above picture. I like that it's simple, classic and could be taken down if I felt like it later in to the night. I'm doing a few trials to see if I'd be able to pull it off myself, otherwise I'll look in to tracking down a stylist for the big day.

 

And lastly, make up. Nothing too surprising there, I want to go with a subtle, simple wing liner look with bold red lips. Subtle blush and maybe a little contouring for the pictures.

 

That's what I have so far! For all the stress planning a wedding causes, the styling of it really is the fun part. I want the look to be classic, creative and unique, without breaking the bank!!!

 

If anyone has any decorating tricks, tips or DIY's, please comment below! I'm very open to suggestions and will appreciate anything ideas :)

 

XOXOXO

 

NYX Haul + Makeup Look

 

I've been avoiding makeup shopping for the last several months to work on saving money, and well... because I know I basically have more than enough makeup to my name as it is. BUT, be that as it may, NYX recently released a ton of new products and I've been dying to try them out. SO, I took a trip to Ulta and came out with a few new (and not so new) things.

 

First off, not so new products I purchased was the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, a must have which I was running very low on. I also re-purchased the HD Photogenic Concealer in Fair. I LOVE this concealer. Its turned in to my favorite. Its medium to full coverage, but doesn't set in to fine lines and matches my foundation perfectly.

 

Now, on to new things!

 

I'm a big fan of the NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat powder, and when I saw they came out with a foundation I had to give it a go. First thoughts, after just using it once: I'm not really sure about it.

The color is *gasp* nearly to light for me!? I can still work with it, it's just very light. When I tested it on my hand, it appeared to be more on the full-coverage side, but when actually applying it to my face, it took a bit of work to get it blended and appeared to be more of a light-medium coverage. I'll have to do a more in depth review after I've used it a bit more.

 

A not new product, but new to me is the Jumbo Eye Pencil in Knight. When I swatched it, it looked like a black to almost mossy green shade with gold flecks in it. Very beautiful, and I think it will go great to make a simple smokey eye.

 

One thing I got that I was very excited about is the Collection Noir Powder Brown Liner. After my first use, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. I really liked the idea of using it to give a less harsh, smoked out liner but it leaves a lot of fall out, and the product is VERY pigmented. I would advise against using it without something to catch the fall out or you could end up with raccoon eyes.

 

I bought 2 single eyeshadows. The first is the Nude Matte shadow in Underneathe It All. It's a medium warm brown shade that I thought would be perfect for defining the crease.

The 2nd is a Glam Shadow in Sparks. It's a cream/champagne shadow with gold glitter infused in it. It's a gorgeous color, but the glitter has some serious fall out you need to watch out for.

 

 

Finally, last but not least, I got the Love in Florence Palette in Meet My Romeo. I was attracted to the colors in this palette because they looked like they could be used to make a great natural/neutral look or a smoked out evening eye. Plus I fell instantly in love with the shimmery taupe. I created a quick eye look using this palette that you can see below.

 

 

 

I must say, I'm a tad disappointed with this palette. I was really hoping for more color payoff, especially with the 2 shimmery shades but as you can see in the above swatch, they came out very faint. I refused to give up on the palette though, and found foiling the shadows with a little water helped bring the color and metallic sheen out.

 

Above is me with just foundation/concealer and my brows done.

I started by applying the taupe color with a little water to the inner corners of the eyes to brighten up the look.

 



 

I also used water to apply a wash of the bronze all over the lid, up to the crease.

 

I used a pencil brush to add the matte light brown at the outer crease, bringing it up to about halfway across the eye.

 

I went over that with a small amount of the dark brown.

 

I blended the 2 brown shadows out with a fluffy brush to diffuse the harsh lines.

 

I applied the peach shade to the brow bone.

 

I used my favorite Physicians Formula Eye Booster Eyeliner in Deep Brown to line the eyes.

 

And applied a coat of black mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

 

And the eyes are complete!

 

I finished off the look with Physicians Formula Happy Booster blush in Warm and Covergirl lipstick in Delish.

 

Let me know if you've tried any of the new NYX products and if there are any must have's!

August Favorites!

Eep! Once again I've been MIA. I swear it hasn't been intenitonal though! It's turned out to be a very very very busy summer for me and I really haven't had time to do much updating here or on my Youtube channel but that doesn't mean I've been a bum!

 

I have a few looks planned out to do tutorials on for my Youtube Channel and I recently filmed a video for the Best Friends tag that I just have to finish editing! Once that's posted the world will see what nerds my best friend Marie and I are :)

 

To get back in to the swing of things here, I decided to post giving quick reviews of some of my favorite products that I've been using religiously this last month or so.

 

 

 

NYX Bohemian Chic Nude Matte Collection

 

This is without a doubt one of my favorite new neutral eye palettes. I dare say I even love it more than the Urban Decay Naked Palettes. Sure it's 100% matte, but I swear I'm in love with every one of these colors! PLUS it comes with 2 blushes and the lighter shade is super flattering for paler skin. It gives a perfect flushed look without looking like you're wearing blush.

 

I've been using this palette nearly every day for the last month on my eyes. The browns are perfect for adding depth to the crease and the lighter shades brighten up the lid without looking fake. Can't say enough how much I LOVE this palette!

 

Physicians Formula Eye Booster™ 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum - Deep Brown

 

I'd held off buying these eyeliners from Physicians Formula because I used to be very wary of using felt tip eyeliners after trying a few awful ones but after loving the L'Oreal one, I decided to trust the tons of rave reviews I read and buy the pen in deep brown. (note, I've recently become obsessed with brown liner... no idea why!)

And the verdict? *dies* This pen is HEAVEN! It's so smooth and defined but very pigmented and I rarely ever have to go over the line a 2nd time. I went out and bought one in Very Black and I have 0 complaints about either. A new fave for sure!

 

EyeStudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow - Smokey Night

 

This is actually the very first Maybelline Color Plush quad I've bought. I've heard nothing but good things about them but just never got around to buying one. The Smokey Night quad immediately caught my eye when I noticed how much glitter was in it *drools* My first impression was that it would simmer down my impulse to buy the NARS shadows every time I go in to Sephora.

 

I was in love with how glittery and pigmented the NARS shadows were and I'd never really seen any other brand with THAT mutch glitter while still looking beautiful and mature, and that was the first thing I saw when I found this quad. Still a little too gaudy to use heavilly during the day, I have been using the first far left color as a liner defuser and it's gorgeous! It leaves some glitter but the color is subdued enough to not look over the top. Very impressed! (AND I can avoid spending $24+ a pop on the NARS shadows!)

 

Happy Booster™ Glow & Mood Boosting Blush - Warm

 

Another Physicians Formula product I've wanted for ages but just never bought. I finally caved and got it when it was in a buy 1 get 1 50% promo. VERY glad I did it! It gives a beautiful subtle flush to the cheeks but it's buildable and not too shimmery so you won't look like Tinkerbell while wearing it.

 

Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer - Downtown Brown

 

 

Last but not least! My OMGIHAVETOHAVEIT buy. I saw this nail polish and immediately thought Urban Decay's Lounge, my all time favorite UD shadow.

My lighting makes it a little hard to tell, but the nail color has that same green/brown/red duotone effect. It's comes off more green with 2 coats on the nails, but with 1 coat it looks very similar to Lounge. That's literally the only reason I bought it......... Fun fact, it looks awesome with a matte clear coat over it and GORGEOUS when 1 layer is applied over red polish.

 

So that's all for now! I have to cut down on my chatty time for each product, I go on and on! Sorry for any rambling! Looking forward to posting more regularly in the near future!

 

XOXOXO

Mall of America Haul!

Today I took a vacation day off from work to spend with Steve on his last Tuesday off from work! (He's lucky and moving to Mon-Fridays! Jealous!)

Originally we were going to go to Valley Fair, but the weather was just hot, muggy and had a chance of thunderstorms all day long, so we opted to take a trip to Mall of America instead :)

Normally, I really have to watch myself when I go to MOA, but I feel I showed quite a bit of restraint this trip! I have a mini haul to share, mostly from Forever 21 but a few other random purchases I made on our trip. Enjoy!

First off is this super cute necklace. I couldn't get the color to show up for the life of me when taking the picture, but it's made up of 2 pink mini chains and 1 gold mini chain. On the gold chain it has a little pink heart and the pink chains have 2 gold hearts. I love it! It's simple but really sweet. And it was only $4.80! (That makes it a LOT cuter ;)

I bought another necklace. This one is made up of several different types of gold and silver chains all wrapped around eachother. I've really been leaning towards gold lately, and I love braided chains all the sudden, so this was a must have! This one rang up at $8.80.

I bought this bracelet just because it was simple but beautiful. I tried it on and it looks gorgeous! It's really light weight but can really go good with any outfit. And it only cost $4.80!

Next up I purchased this eyeshadow palette also from Forever 21. All their makeup is ridiculously inexpensive, but don't mistake that for cheap! I can't vouch for most of their makeup, but I purchased another eyeshadow duo a few months ago for only $2.30 and fell in love with it!

This palette was only $3.80 and just by swatching the colors, I'm yet again impressed. The 2 lighter colors are really gorgeous shimmers and the 2 darker colors are more matte. They're very opaque and don't seem flaky at all. Can't wait to try them out!

Aaand here's my super random purchase... Steve took me in a novelty shop and the second I saw this I had to have it. (Thankfully it was only $5!!!) PANDA SLEEP MASK!!!

My last MOA purchase was at MAC. I finally bought the matte lipstick in Ruby Woo! I've been drooling over this lipstick from picttures online for weeks but have been trying to cut down on makeup shopping. Finally got to buy it and I LOVE it. Definitely going to be one of my favorite red lipsticks.

And lastly, I thought I'd show off my desert! I had my very first crepe! Nutella, whipped cream and powdered sugar. Tasted amazing!

So that's it for my Mall of America haul. I had an amazing day and it was waaay better than being at work :D

Until next time!

xoxoxo