Coastal Scents 26 Shadow and Blush Combo Palette Swatches & Review

So finally, here are the swatches for Coastal Scents 26 shadow and blush combo palette! Dont forget, you can click on the picture to see a bigger and better view of the swatches! :)

full palette view

Swatches of the first two rows

Close up view of the first two rows

extreme close up. i love that coral-y colour on the right ♥  gorgeous!

Bottom two rows - eyeshadow and blush

Close up view of bottom two rows

What they say:

Superb colors in a mix of shimmer, pearl and matte! This 26 pc combo set contains colors in nearly nude, to browns, taupes, peaches, pinks, rose and rich deep plums. We do not offer another color palette that can compare to this one in shades.

The first 3 blush shades from the left are matte, the 4th has shimmer and the last deep plum has a slight shimmer effect. I have actually used a few of the shadows as a blush with great results.
The color payoff is incredible and they blend well creating very alluring looks from deep and sexy to light and ready for office day wear.

The Eyeshadow's pans measure 1" in diameter or 2.5 cm, There are 21 of them

The Blush pans measure 1 3/8" in diameter or 3.5cm, there are 5 of them.

This is only available in a Matte Black Case, case measures 9" x 6"
Palette Ingredient Weight 52.0g/1.83oz

Ingredients:
Talc, Mica, Mineral Oil, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lanolin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, BHT. May contain: Mica and titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue, Manganese Violet, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Chrome Oxide Greens, Chrome Hydroxide Green, FD&C Red No.40 AlLake, FD&C Yellow No.5 Al Lake, FD&C blue No.1 Al Lake.

For more information, visit Coastal Scents!

My take:
I love this palette. The colours are beautiful and super pigmented. Although there are still a variety of neutral tones and colours, they have added some beautiful golds, taupes, mauves and corals. I especially love the corals! They are beautiful and i think they will make for great summer looks! I think there is a good mix between shimmer and matte and by having both in the same palette, it really gives you great versatality in choosing whether you want a neutral everyday look or a shimmery night time look. The blushes are pretty and so much more pigmented then any i've ever used! the swatches do seem a bit scary, but if applied with a light hand and blended well, they are just gorgeous! The dark plum blush however, seem a bit too dark for me for everyday wear.. but i think it'll make a good blush for nights out :) andd.. the lightest blush is too light for me.. but i think i'll use it to mix with to get the desired color and tone i want. :)

Overall, i really like this palette! Although i know i say i love all of my palettes (which i do!), i think this one is most suitable for travelling because it includes both eyeshadows and blushes. :) have you guys tried out this palette before? what do you think of the colours?


xAgnes

More Giveaways! :)

Hi everyone! The snow's finally starting to go away over here.. i sure hope that was the last snowfall until next winter! :D Anyways, i've been browsing blogs and found some more awesome bloggers who are offering amazing giveaways! I really want to host my own, but i think it'll have to wait until at least i'm done with some of my exams.. or maybe i'll pick a number and have one when i reach that many followers haha :P we'll see! But here are some that i found these last couple of days:

1. Laura is having a 100 follower giveaway! Congrats on all your followers :) There will be 2 winners and the prizes are super good! Here's the goodies for first prize winner:

Unfortunately, i saw this a little bit late, so you guys only have until June 1st to enter! Click here for her post!

2. Perfectly Polished is having a giveaway for reaching 200 followers! The prize include a MAC Viva Glam Lady Gaga lipstick AND a pair of Lady Gaga-esq MAC Lashes No. 42! This ends on June 16th at 7 pm so hurry and check it out here!

3. Will work for makeup is having her first giveaway! The prizes are beautiful! Theres a lot of products in there that i really want but never really ended up buying :D This ends June 20th so hurry and click here!

And thats it for now! I will keep you guys updated if i find any more amazing giveaways! Good luck and take care :)
xAgnes

Katie Ngo's Giveaway #3

Hi everyone :) How's your saturday going? I dont know if you'll believe me.. .but its SNOWING over here in calgary! We get some pretty crazy weather over here.. but i really hope the snows going to go away asap! haha anyways, Katie is hosting ANOTHER giveaway! She's so generous and nice, you guys definately have to check out her blog! Anyways, the link for the giveaway is here.. enter to get a chance to win a Sedona Lace 88 matte palette! :D

Andd.. now i have to finish getting ready, my brother's graduating today :) isnt that exciting? haha take care everyone!

xAgnes

Korres Lip Butter Swatch & Review

Its finally the weekend! how are you doing? I purchased Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine a while back and totally forgot to review it! Firstly, i have to say this lip butter smells AMAZING! Have you guys tried or smelled it before? It doesnt smell like jasmine surprisingly enough.. to me, its more of a sweet caramely toffee scent.. whatever it is, i love it :) here's some pictures!

to be honest, i couldnt figure out the packaging at first because i was so used to opening a flap etc.. but for this, all you have to do is slide it out to the side. super cute!

Isnt the packaging for the lip butter just adorable? i love the pink lid and the big letters :)

and here's the inside

Swatch of lip butter in jasmine

swatch of lip butter in jasmine on kleenex

Dont worry guys, that kleenex is clean! haha, i just thought it'd give a better view of what the colour really looks like cause you cant really see it on my hand! This gives your lips a soft glossy tint.. perfect for everyday wear :)

What they say:
Ultimate lip treatment with intensely hydrating formulas, packed with a juicy pop of color
• Shea Butter’s anti-inflammatory and potent moisturising benefits cushion the skin and help to restructure it
• Rice Wax helps to seal in hydration, leaving the lips smooth all day
For more information, visit Korres!

My take:
I love this! Not only does it smell great (as you can tell, i love products with a good scent!), but it is also very moisturizing. the texture is very nice and when applied, it gives your lips a slight tint and also makes them feel super soft. Plus, the super cute packaging makes it that much better to carry around in your purse! ;) haha the only bad thing i'd say about this, is its lasting power. i find that i have to reapply within a few hours but to be honest, i dont mind at all. :) i actually enjoy putting this on cause it smells so good! i think once i'm done this one, i will most definately repurchase one in jasmine, and also check out some of their other flavours with a stronger tint :) have you guys tried these? what do you think?

xAgnes

Coastal Scents Gel Liner Swatch & Review

As you guys know, i purchased Coastal Scents gel liner in deep plum awhile ago along with my palettes. Here are the swatches and the review! :)

Gel liner in deep plum

Swatch with flash

Swatch with no flash

So far, i really like this! the texture is smooth and creamy, and applies very easily with the bent liner brush. The colour was a bit brighter than i expected (i thought itd be a deeper purple colour) but i like it.. its great for a different look and the purple makes your eye whites appear whiter. :) Heres what it looks like when applied..

Ingredients:
Isododecane, Polyethylene, Trimethylsilocysilicate, Cyclomethicone, Ozokerite, Ploymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Propylparaben, BHT. May contain: Mica and Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Ultramarine Blue, Ca Lake, FD&C Blue No.1 Al Lake, D&C Black No.2.
Net wt.: 3g/0.11oz


My take:
Overall, i am really liking this gel liner! the colour is vibrant and applies very smoothly. In the picture above, i did not set with a eyeshadow and still.. it lasted me the whole day with some slight smudging. and for the price of $6.95, its definately worth it! (considering even maybelline's gel liner sells for around $10 at drugstores) The only thing for me.. would be the shipping cost. Because i live in canada, shipping costs are often higher than i want.. but my recommendation would be to sign up for Coastal Scents newsletter so you know when the products you want go on sale! :D

Some close ups of the bent liner brush.. sorry, i forgot to take pictures before swatching!

Also, the bent liner brush is great for applying this. The white bristles are softer than i expected but is still able to provide precise application of the gel liner. Im going back and forth between using this and an angled brush for applying my gel liners! Have you guys tried out Coastal Scents gel liners? I think they're amazing and cant wait till the next sale so i can pick up some more colours!

 xAgnes


Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

Cosmetics Outlet's NARS Giveaway!

haha are you guys sick of these giveaway posts? Im sure you're not cause who doesnt want to win a little something once in awhile :) Anyways, heres a great one! I've always been a fan of NARS but actually only own their orgasm blush because of the high prices attached to their products. Lucky for us, Cosmetics outlet is offering a giveway of Nars sheer glow foundation, a blush AND a eyeshadow duo! Check it out here!

xAgnes

Antoher Awesome Giveaway :)

Hi everyone! To celebrate the opening of her own Japanese cosmetic online store (super jealous!!), Nic Nic is offering SIX different winners some fabulous prizes! Im super happy because i always wanted to try out tons of japanese makeup, but living in canada  calgary makes it VERY hard to buy any of these products! We probably have like a few stores that may have some, but they are SUPER expensive. So now i can shop there :) Check out her giveaway here!

xAgnes

Testing: New Comment System & Ability to Show Your Last Post!

So i've been testing out the ability to reply to comments and i did like it.. but then, i found something better! Intense debates allows you to show threaded comments so you can actually reply to other people and your comment will show up right under their comment! :D You can also subscribe just to replies, so you know when someone replied to your comment!!

Also.. i installed Comment Luv which is really cool! if you have an account, you can type in your blog address when making a comment, and then it lets you show your last post so you can kind of advertise your blog a bit and get more readers! I think this is a great option especially for us starting off as smaller blogs. Here's what it looks like!

All you have to do is type in your blog address... and then your latest post will show! if you want to choose from older posts, click the red arrow and tada :) only thing is.. i think you may have to sign up and make an account, but thats easy! :)

Unfortuantely... because they have not been able to allow for importing comments on blogger just yet.. all my previous comments cannot be showed :( :( Once they update this though, i will import all my old comments into this new system so until then, i'll just have to start fresh! :(

Soo... help me out guys and test out this thing to see if it works! :D Im excited to try it out! i really hope this works out okay!

UPDATE: I also just added the ability to insert smileys in your comments! Im not sure about you guys, but i love using these when i comment or message people :) makes the message more fun! try it out and see if you like it! :D Just click on the happy face when commenting!

xAgnes

Holy Grail Wednesdays - Nivea's Essential & A Kiss of Moisture

Today's Holy Grail product is... Nivea's Essential & A Kiss of Moisture! I've tried many different kinds of lip balms and only these keep my lips soft and moisturized forever! (not literally.. but you get the point!) Ive gone through i dont know how many tubes and always keep going back for more :) So let me explain first the difference between the two. Nivea essential (dark blue tube) is basically just that. its the basic lip balm that can be used by both males and females. Nivea A Kiss of Moisture, is pretty much the same thing, but includes spf 4... making that my day lip balm and essential my night lip balm :)

This is all i have left of these! Time to buy some more :)

k.. im a little bit confused.. when i goggled nivea's a kiss of moisture, it shows up as a dark blue tube on their website! and the one i have (which says moisture) is apparantely called a kiss of smoothness?? Im not 100% sure on this guys, but i will update will the correct information once i figure it out! but for now.. i think this is the same :)

What they say:

NIVEA A Kiss of Smoothness – Hydrating Lip Care SPF 4:
• Is a light-weight formula that absorbs quickly into the lips

• Enriched with Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter to provide long-lasting moisturization
• Helps protect your lips from the damaging effects of the sun

The result is lips that feel soft and look smooth.
NIVEA A Kiss of Smoothness – Hydrating Lip Care SPF 4 combines intensive moisturization and effective protection to leave your lips smooth, supple and healthy looking. Advanced formula with moisturizing Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil and UV filter (SPF 4).
More information found on nivea's website.

My take:
These lip balms are the only thing that really works for my dry lips. Once applied, there is little need for touchups! Before i head to bed, i always smother on layers of Essential.. and when i wake up in the morning, my lips are soft and moisturized :) I mainly use a kiss of moisture during the day when im too lazy to put on a lipgloss or lipstick.. or when i do wear lipstick/gloss, i put this on first. I find that it makes a HUGE difference if you apply lip balm prior to any lipstick. because not all lipsticks are super creamy and moisturizing, the lipstick can actually end up looking caked if your lips are dry.Therefore, by using a lip balm prior to applying, you can prevent this and keep your lips looking full and soft. (of course, this goes for any lip balm) and the spf found in a kiss of moisture is definately another plus :)
so what do you guys think? what are some of YOUR holy grail lip balms?

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Swatches & Review Part 3

Finally! i have swatched all 88 colours from the 88 Metal Mania palette! :) Sorry about the delay but here are the swatches of the final three rows. Once again, if you havent seen the previous swatches, you can find the first three rows here, and the next two rows (3&4) here. I'll post the picture of the whole palette just one last time for reference:

and here are the swatches for the last three rows! can you see all of the pinks, mauves and corals? beautiful! :)

final three rows :)

close up of left side

close up of right side

I have to say, out of all the rows, these last ones were the most impressive, mainly because they were so much more colourful! As you can see, there are a lot more pinks.. ranging from a bright hot pink (as shown in the last picture), to a berry pink. (last picture as well) Out of all the pinks, i think these two are my favourite! Also, you can see more mauvey-purples, and of course, the bright coral colours! There is a beautiful vibrant coral colour on the very last row which would make a gorgeous lipstick colour! as for an eyeshadow... i will have to test it out and see! :)

Overall, i really like this palette! To let you guys know in advance, (although im sure you know already) all the eyeshadows do have a shimmery finish. so this palette would be better for more dramatic, going out late nights etc. However, because there are a lot of workable browns and taupes, this would also be great if you tend to wear more eyeshadow on a daily basis. For neutral girls who just like to stick to matte brown shades, i'd recommend the 26 piece neutral palette. (or i have one from Artistik Cosmetics which is pretty much identical, swatches can be found here) I really like how there is a lot more variety in this palette without having overly bright colours like the other 88 palettes. I dont use bright eyeshadows that often so this palette is much better for me to try out some fun shades without having to waste half of the colours. What do you guys think? Love it? or leave it? Let me know! :)

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Swatches & Review Part 2

Here are the swatches for row 4 & 5 from the Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania palette! If you havent seen my previous swatches for the first three rows, click here to see it now! For reference, here is the palette again:

And now for the swatches!

 

Rows 4 and 5

Close up of the left side

and of the right side

and a middle shot in case some of the colours got lost :)

How are you guys finding these so far? There are definately lots more orange tones in these two rows and some olive colours as well. The one that stood out to me the most was that bright orange one best pictured in "close up of the left side". its gorgeous and just has summer written all over it! :) The final swatches will be up shortly so you guys can finally get the whole palette! sorry i had to split it up, but i just didnt have time. plus, i didnt want to bombard you guys with a huge page of pictures! :)

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

My New Pinkbox! ♥

Omg, i am super excited to write this post because guess what guys... i found myself an actual pinkbox! hehe and i just HAD to get it, it was so adorable :) the only thing is, this pinkbox is not for makeup.. instead, its for jewelery! :D let me show you some pictures, its probably much better than me explaining it :)

isnt is adorable ♥

and when you open it up... tada! :D

all of the compartments..

K, so maybe you cant really see in the picture.. but i'll try to explain the different compartments. The top layer has several compartments. there is a longer narrow one in the back for bracelets, several bigger ones and a holder for rings and earrings. The second layer has two drawers, one separated into several smaller squares and one just regular. The third layer is one drawer separated in the middle and the final drawer is just one big drawer. All of this can be closed and locked up with a key.. and there is also a handle for you to use when carrying :) here it is with some of my jewelry filled in..

So theres my happy purchase of the day! I got this for $20 at Winners. there were actually a whole bunch of other jewelry cases that were really pretty, but this was such a cute pink.. i had to get it :) hope you guys enjoyed this post!

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Swatches & Review Part 1

Im sure you're all waiting for those Coastal Scents swatches! and i promise, i will finish them shortly! But because of school and other reasons (such as my arm becoming too shimmery and tinted from all the eyeshadow swatching to continue lol), i must spread out the swatching over the next week or so. But dont worry, they will be up i promise! heres another look at the whole palette so you can get an idea of the colours.

 

Just to start you guys off.. here are the swatches for the first 3 rows for the Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Palette. The rest will come very soon!

The first 3 rows with flash

better view of the 3rd row

Close up of colours from 3rd row. i love these ones!

Close up view of the left side...

and the right side :)

So far, i am really loving this palette! Its got tons of gorgeous shimmery colours and with some creativity and imagination, you can mix and make any look you want! The eyeshadows i have swatched so far are all very pigmented, they apply smoothly and look amazing. I noticed that there are quite a few lighter shades, which is great for highlighting.. but they are so similar that i can probably see myself neglecting quite a few of these :( andd. some of them apply a little bit chalky... but! on the other hand, i was very happy to see more variety in the colours as i am slowly seeing more pinks, golds, corals etc. From the look of the palette, there are MANY more pinks and corals to come.. along with some greens and blues! Cant wait to swatch those and i will update once i do :) Sorry for the wait!

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.

Holy Grail Wednesdays - Ecotools Bronzer Brush

Todays star product for Holy Grail Wednesdays is Ecotools' Bronzer Brush. I picked this up a long while ago after hearing some reviews about the brand Ecotools. After buying some of their brushes from my local walmart, i have fallen in LOVE. These brushes are all so amazing SOFT! (even my boyfriend loves feeling those bristles!) and are available at much lower prices compared to MAC or other higher brand brushes. My absolute favourite out of all my Ecotool brushes is this, their bronzer brush. (The only one out of their brushes that i did not like, was their foundation brush.. its not too bad i guess, but for this type of brush, i'd have to stick with my mac 190 brush :P)

This brush is amazing. Its very similar to a kabuki brush, but its longer handle and MUCH softer bristles make it my holy grail. ♥ This is great for applying powders, bronzers, blushes, anything in mineral and powder form! I use this daily to set my makeup with my pressed powder and also, to apply a light layer of bronzer togive me more colour. Also, because the handle is made out of bamboo, this brush is earth friendly! another great plus :D

What the packaging says:

Bamboo Bronzer Brush:

- soft, cruelty free bristles

- natural and recycled materials

- reusable storage pouch

This earth friendly brush shows respect for the planet:

- highly sustainable bamboo handle

-100% cruelty free, soft taklon bristles

-recycled aluminum ferrule

To use:

- glide brush across pressed or loose bronzer and tap off excess

- apply where the sun would naturally hit for a beautiful luminous finish.

AND: ecotools has joined with 1% for the planet to danate 1% of sales to environmental organization that create a healthier place to live.

Seriously, how much better can it get? Well.. this brush only puts you back i believe, $10.99.. so its a GREAT investment! Now can you see why its one of my most loved brushes? Have any of you ever tried this brush? Or any of Ecotools' other brushes? :)

UPDATE: thanks to Ritalime who reminded me to post this. here is a list of stores which carry Ecotools. I have purchased all my ecotools from either Walmart and Winners. I know walmart carries them permanently but winners is almost always changing their products so they may not have it at the momment. To see other retailers, click here! You can also browse around this site, i found that it shows the whole line of ecotools brushes! so you can see what you like before you head out to buy!

xAgnes

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any companies and any of the above products mentioned were all purchased by me with my own money, or given to me from family and friends. All reviews are from my personal experience and what works for me may not work for you. Please keep this in mind when testing these products.