Ten Eye Looks. One Palette: Jaclyn Hill Edition

I am so excited to introduce to you my newest series on Andrea Fontana Beauty!! "Ten Eye Looks. One Palette." is going to be a series where I (or you guys) pick a palette and I create 10 eye looks out of it. This idea came to me when I realized how many women come to me and say, "I bought this palette but I don't know what to do with it". I wanted to create some natural and some more bold, but wearable for everyone no matter your skill!

I'm excited to share the first in this series which is obviously the Jaclyn Hill for Morphe palette. I love the warmth of this palette and there's so many amazing shades that I felt really inspired. Over the past month and a half I have been using this palette for all of my eye looks and below is what I have come up with. 

Through creating these looks I've realized a few things. Some of the shades are similar, but overall they are extremely creamy and blendable with great pigment and texture. My biggest con to this palette is still that they don't have a matte brow bone highlight for light skin tones like myself, but I tried my best to make it work without it!

I put a lot of time and work into this one, so I really hope you enjoy it! When you're done looking, comment which look is your favorite and which palette you want me to try next!

Look # 1: SILK CREME all over the lid and buffed out into the crease; HUNTS & JACZ in just the outer corner and blended out to soften; ENLIGHT in the inner corner to brighten; SILK CREME & BUTTER buffed out on whole bottom lash line; JACZ outer bottom half of lash line. 

Look #2: SILK CREME in the crease; JACZ & CHIP in outer & inner corners; ENLIGHT in inner corner; OBSESSED on wet brush in center of lid for impact.

Look #3: SILK CREME blended into the whole crease; ROXANNE blended into the whole crease; MOCHA all over the lid; SILK CREME  & ROXANNE buffed into whole bottom lash line; MOCHA blended into outer 2/3 of bottom lash line. 

Look #4: SILK CREME & M.F.E.O. all over lid and blended out towards the crease; ENLIGHT in inner corner.

Look #5: ROXANNE blended into the crease but very concentrated in the outer corner; S.B.N. outer half of the lid; 24/7 inner half of the lid; SODA POP & CENTRAL PARK concentrated in the outer corner; OBSESSED in the inner corner. 

Look #6: CREAMSICLE blended into the whole crease really well; QUEEN all over the lid and blended out to meet CREAMSICLE.

Look #7: BEAM all over the lid; BUTTER & POOTER mixed and concentrated in the outer corner; BUNS blended on top of that still in the outer corner; Next layer CHIP on top of that; Add winged eyeliner and then go in with smaller brush to concentrate a little bit of CENTRAL PARK in the outer corner.

Look #8: SILK CREME blended into the whole crease; DIVA all over the lid and blended to meet SILK CREME; ENLIGHT in the inner corner.

Look #9: CREAMSICLE blended into whole crease; ENCHANTED placed in inner and corner corners only and blended out slightly; HUSTLE added to center of lid; Darken inner and outer corners of lid as needed to create Halo shadow effect. 

Look #10: M.F.E.O. blended into the whole crease; HUNTS added a little to deepen the crease slightly; FIREWORK all over the lid.

Below I've shared close ups of the shadows so you can see the whole palette and decide if you want to snag this one! I recommend it. I was actually surprised how many different types of looks I could create because when you look at the palette as a whole, there are many similar colors!

Some of the shadows towards the bottom look similar here, but up close and in natural light you can see that Enchanted is a deep forest green, central park is brown; and soda pop has some burgundy/ deep purple to it. Abyss is black. 

Again, PLEASE comment below sharing which palette you want me to create 10 looks for next! I really loved doing this because it challenges me to create new looks all the time which is really fun as a makeup artist!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

Dre Does an Adele Inspired Tutorial

I shared the picture above asking if you guys would like to see my Adele inspired makeup look and the response was overwhelming! Thank you always for your support! I obviously bought Adele's album the day it came out and every time I listened to it on my phone, the photo above of her makeup was looking back and me and I knew I wanted to re-create it. I realize it's not a color photo but the defined and contoured eyelook was what I was after. The look is super easy and honestly a great look with or without the liquid liner, for those of you who are still working on the perfect wing! The thing I like most about this look is that it is about layering shadows from light to dark, so you're in complete control of how light or dark you want to make it. Every shadow I used was from the Too Faced Natural Matte Palette and while you certainly don't need this palette to get this look, I highly suggest investing in it or adding it to your christmas wishlist. I don't know what I would have done without this palette for my freelance kit because everything you need to start and blend a look is in it. Without this turning into a Too Faced review....let's begin!

(On my lips is the Maybelline Color Sensational 'The Mattes' Lipstick in Daringly Nude)

1. As usual I started with a primed eyelid and then applied Heaven from lashline to brow bone using a flat shader brush. 

2. Using a very fluffy blending brush I mixed Lace Teddy and Nude together and applied them throughout the crease. As you can see this doesn't appear too much darker than the Heaven shade, but thats what I want. This look is all about slowly building the color and blending A LOT! Adding the lighter/medium shades in the crease will make blending the darker colors much easier. 

3. Next, I mixed Cashmere Bunny and Risqué on a pencil brush and applied it in my crease. Using the same fluffy blending brush from step 2, I blend the crease color out. I want the edges to be more blended on the top as you can see but the area where my crease meets my lid, I keep pretty intense and not so faded. 

4. The last shadow step is to take some more of Heaven and apply it to the lid to create that contrast between the dark crease and light lid. This is what gives Adele's look that defined and contoured eye shape. 

5. Next it's time for liquid eyeliner. In this look I used the NYC Liquid Eyeliner which is such an inexpensive and great product. It's only a couple dollars and is especially great for those who are practicing winged liner because you won't feel bad wasting expensive liner if you have to remove and re-apply. I always start my winged liner with a small line extending from the end of my lashline outwards. The angle I create is based on following my bottom lashline and extending that line out. 

6. Next, I draw from the end of the tail I've created back to my lashline, creating a little triangle. 

7. Lastly, I create the line along my lashline from the inside of my eye connecting to the tail I've just made. If this seems super confusing let me know and I can create a post completely devoted to how I do winged eyeliner!

(I unfortunately didn't get a picture after I finished my eyeliner, but I always perfect that line of liquid liner along my lid at the end to create a smooth line so please excuse any uneveness!)

8. The last step is lining your waterlines. I used Black on the top lashline and NYX's Wonder Pencil (a nude shade) on the bottom to get that bright open-eyed look like Adele has in the album cover. Two coats of your favorite mascara and you're done!

And that's it! You can get Adele inspired makeup that easily! Let me know if you have any questions or requests of makeup looks to recreate. I really enjoy recreating celebrity looks for you guys!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and please know that I am so thankful for you!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Tarte Showstopper Palette Review

Today's post is a little bit more than the usual review of a palette. I'm going to give you not only swatches and pictures of the product, but show you the first look that I created with it as well! 

The Showstopper Palette is a part of tarte Cosmetics' summer collection and is a palette for the cheeks and eyes. At first glance it didn't stand out as something I have to have, but when Ulta sent me a 5x rewards points email in May, I decided to give the summer collection a closer look. After looking at this palette for a few moments, I remembered how much I loved the Coral one that tarte came out with a few summers ago. Every so often, they make these round palettes with a bronzer, blush, highlighter and 6 shadows. I used to take that Coral palette eeeeeeverywhere. I loved the idea that I could take one small palette on the go with me that had a huge portion of the products needed to create a look. However, I knew that if I was going to justify spending the money on it, it needed to be different from my other round palette from them. 

I was super happy to find that the blush inside was a matte peach shade, which sealed the deal for me. I love coral-y, peach tones for my cheeks in the summer and with the addition of 6 neutral brown/taupe shadows, I knew this palette would get great use by me. 

At $38 it is a really great deal. Every product is made with the Amazonian Clay formula that they are known for. It is extremely long lasting, pigmented, and blendable. The whole palette is also parabens and phthalate free like the rest of the tarte Cosmetics line. You get their best selling matte and waterproof bronzer Park Avenue Princess, a highlighter in Champagne, blush in Fame, and 6 eyeshadows in Showstopper Copper (bronze copper), Go for the Gold (gold), You're a Natural (nude), Steal the Scene (steel taupe), Rose to the Top (rose gold), and Dim the Lights (black brown). 

To create this look for my eyes, I used You're a Natural all over the lid. Then built up the inner and outer corners with a mixture of Showstopper Bronze and Dim the Lights. I used my finger to apply a little of Go for the Gold to the center of my lid and blended everything well. Lasty I popped some of the Champagne highlighter in my inner corners to brighten the area a little. I love how soft and bronzey this look is. For my face, I used my normal foundation routine and then contoured with the Park Avenue Princess Bronzer. I lastly applied both the Champagne highlighter and the Fame blush which gave me a beautiul summer glow! I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Plum Smokey Eye

I recently posted a picture on Instagram of some items I purchased from Ulta due to redeeming a ridiculous amount of reward points. One of those items was the new Artist Palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I immediately started getting questions about whether I thought the palette was worth it, so I decided I would test it out ASAP by doing a makeup look for you guys. 

So far I have to admit I'm in love. I was definitely one of those people who swatched it in store and didn't think it was worth it. Honestly if it wasn't for those points I probably wouldn't have even gotten it. Once I got it home however and started playing I could tell I was going to love it. Even though it's filled with some crazy colors, I think it's a great addition to a makeup collection because it's not just another neutral palette. I mean we can only have so many shimmery taupes right? Haha (Jk I still think I need them all!)

So I've created this look below for you using the shades Buttery, Dusty Rose, Orange You Fancy, Aubergine, and Baby I'm a Star. I know it doesn't translate on camera as being very purple but in real life it's a little more obvious. I personally like wearing color as natural as possible so I like that it's not very intensely purple. 

Let's be nice to my brows. Every so often I leave them alone for a month so I can reshape them and you are witnessing this process firsthand below. 

So back to the tutorial. After applying my eyeshadow primer (my fave is Benefit's Stay Don't Stray) from lid to brow bone, I applied Buttery to the entire lid and brow bone area. Next using a fluffy crease brush, I blended Dusty Rose into the crease as a transition color. Then to warm it up a little bit, I blended some Orange You Fancy with it going slightly above the crease. Next I packed the Aubergine shade all over my blend and blended the edges out into those two transitions shades. Lastly, I added a little bit of Baby I'm A Star into the outer corner to darken it and give a little extra dimension. For the lower lash line, I simply added some black eyeliner to the water line and then smoked it out with that Aubergine shade concentrating more of the shadow on the outside and fading it towards the inner eye area. That's it! I'm super happy with how the look turned out and plan on sharing more of what I create with this unique and colorful palette!

Other products used on my face:

Primer: Benefit Porefessional

Foundation: Nars Luminous Weightless

Concealer: Maybelline FitMe

Setting Powder: Dermablend Translucent Setting Powder

Bronzer/Contour: Anastasia Contour Kit

Blush: Milani Luminoso

Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle

Brows: Benefit Browzings

Mascara: Benefit They're Real

Lips: MAC Spice Liner & Khroma Beauty Joy Stick in Sea Coral

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Colour Pop Cosmetics First Impression

Chances are that if you keep up with the social media beauty world you've at least heard of Colour Pop Cosmetics and maybe even own a few products. I kept seeing the brand popping up on Instagram and after talking with a client while working for Benefit (Hi Michelle!) I decided I needed to browse the website more in hopes of buying a few of my own products.

Let me set up the scene for you later that night. My friend and I whom are both makeup addicts, open a bottle of wine and begin discussing recent new product launches. I mention that a client had earlier talked about how much she was obsessed with her recent Colour Pop purchases and after a quick refill of the wine glass and browsing of the iPad, I had my own Colour Pop order on it's way to me.

Warning: Drinking and browsing makeup is dangerous. Whoops...

Fast forward to 2 weeks later, and I had a pretty little box in my mail. I will say, it took FOREVER to get here. I placed my order, was told it shipped a few days later and after receiving a tracking number, my package mysteriously stopped updating. It was supposed to get to my place on a certain date and when that day came and went, I was getting worried. I was warned from my client that their shipping takes a long time so I'm not sure if this was a delivery service issue or a Colour Pop Cosmetics error, but it took over 2 weeks to get my products. I don't mind this as long as they update the information so I don't think my package has been lost.

Regardless, I received my package and I have been so happy. I only purchased the Super Shock Shadows because they were the thing I was most intrigued by and only 5 DOLLARS A SHADOW!! However, now that I am so happy with them I can see myself trying other items as well.

The reason that these Super Shock Shadows are so unique is the texture and formula of the product. It is unlike any product I have ever felt. It's as if the shadows are a cream, mousse, and powder hybrid. They don't feel wet at all like a cream, yet blend so effortlessly. The only thing I was worried about with them was creasing. I was not expecting them to stay put since they blended so easily. Boy was I wrong though! They lasted all day and are so easy to work it. I love how the company sends a few info cards on how to best apply the product depending on the result you want. I used both my fingers and synthetic brushes as recommended by the info cards and was really happy with the result!

As you can see below I stuck with my usual warm neutrals because when I'm testing out a new type of product I like to stick to shades I know I will use so that I will actually test them out a lot.

 

 Truth (Satin Finish):

 

I <3 This (Metallic Finish):

 

Desert (Satin Finish):

 

Amaze (Metallic Finish):

 

LA LA (Ultra Metallic Finish):

 

Girl Crush (Matte Finish):

 

Game Face (Ultra Metallic Finish):

 

Mittens (Matte Finish):

 

(None of these swatching pictures having any filters in order to show the truest shade of the shadows).

I will say that I love the satin, matte, and ultra metallic finishes best. The metallic finish is less pigment and more glitter as you can see in the swatches, but the ultra metallic looks more like a foil and is very pigmented. Overall, I can see myself using every color I got frequently and would recommend them all!

Have you tried anything from Colour Pop Cosmetics yet? I'm looking to purchase the new blushes and highlighters soon, and obviously some lip products because who would I be if I didn't! haha 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Current Favorites

Since it's been awhile since I have posted a monthly favorites, I figured I would kick things off with a post dedicated to the products I have been loving recently. As usual, it involves some items that are not beauty related but I like to share these items none the less. This post gets me thinking about how my go to products for day to day use change as the seasons do, so if you're interested in me sharing what changes I've been making, comment below and I can do that soon.

So let's get to it!

1- Aveda Comforting Tea: This was a favorite of mine when I was in Esthiology school. I drank it almost every night I was there. I recently went in to pick up some favorite Aveda products and had completely forgotten that they sold this tea in a loose form. I obviously picked it up and have been loving it recently. I will say that I would recommend getting the tea bags instead of the loose tea because some of the tea particles are so small that they go through my tea strainer. It doesn't bother me enough to stop using it this way, but for some people it might be gross. haha Maybe I just love this tea too much...It is 100% certified organic and caffeine free, so I like to have a cup before bed. The strongest notes are licorice root and peppermint, but it also has basil and sweet fennel in it. I personally hate all forms of licorice so I was shocked that I loved this so much the first time I tried it. Regardless, if you've never experienced it, I recommend picking some up!

2- Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask:  I received a small sample of this mask as a free gift at Ulta when I purchased my favorite shampoo and conditioner and I absolutely love it. While I don't have much damage in my hair, I first started using it a lot when I was recently in Puerto Rico because I knew my hair would be dryer than normal. It makes my hair so ridiculously smooth and I love it. I don't feel like it weighs my hair down at all. I typically will use it every other wash or if I've used any heat to style my hair.

3- 'Turquoise Summer' by Escada: When I worked at Ulta I would always spray the new perfumes as they came in and I couldn't stop wearing this one when we got it in. I call it the adult version of Pink Sugar because it's light and sweet but doesn't make you feel like a teeny-bopper. I get so many compliments on it when I wear it, so if you like sweet scents, head to Ulta to smell it.

4- Laura Mercier Universal Invisible Loose Setting Powder: I had always heard really nice things about this setting powder but had never tried it before. I hadn't been using a setting powder with my foundation I used to use (the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Foundation) because it was clay based and left a powder finish. I was really excited to see it come in my Ipsy bag a few months ago, but sadly it ended up in my powder drawer of my massive makeup storage system (aka forgotten about). Fast foward to switching foundations and now needing a setting powder, I decided to give it a go and I couldn't be happier. I love how it airbrushes the look of my skin while still maintaining the finish of the foundation underneath. I also love how it makes my contour, blush and highlighting blend seamlessly after!

5-NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation: Speaking of new foundation, here it is! My new absolute favorite foundation. When they say all day, luminous, and weightless, they couldn't be more correct! I love how full coverage this foundation is while still feeling like I don't have any makeup on. The consistency is like water, so you definitely have to shake it well before you apply it and you don't need much product which is nice. It was one of those products that I got a sample of at Sephora and prayed that I didn't love it because of the hefty price tag. I was dying to know if as an oily girl I could pull off a luminous glow and it worked! If you'd like to know more about it, please let me know and I can do a more in depth review of it soon.

6- MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralized Skin Finish: You know when you hear nonstop amazing reviews of a product but you're reluctant to hop on the bandwagon because EVERYONE is obsessed with it? Sounds silly to type out but that's how I felt about Soft and Gentle. Everyone and their mom is obsessed with it so I never tried it, but finally gave in. Now I'm obsessed like all the others but seriously...Most beautiful warm highlight to the cheeks and it's what deserves the credit for the beautiful skin compliments I've been receiving lately. (Insert foot in mouth now)

7-Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Peach Smoothie: This favorite is thanks to an amazing client of mine (Hi Jodi!) who gifted me some beautiful MUG products when I did her brows. Peach Smoothie has become my absolute holy grail eyeshadow. I use it in every single look because it seriously makes everything look better. It's not quite as dark as this picture shows but it is seriously a must have transition color. I personally prefer warmer looks on my eyes, and I love how it adds just the right about of warmth no matter what I put over it. Thanks again Jodi!

8-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Rose Gold: During the most recent 21 days of Beauty Event at Ulta, there was a Becca Cosmetics 4 piece kit that I snagged. It featured mini sizes of 4 of their most popular products and I can't get enough of this little guy. I love to use it on my cheekbones to after my blush and before my highlight to blend everything seamlessly. I can't wait to use it strictly as a highlight in the summer. I love how if you're in a hurry it can easily be used as a highlight and blush since it's warmer and darker than your typical highlight. Can you tell I've been loving highlighters recently?

Well that is a small sample of some items I've been loving recently. What have you been loving? As usual if you have any requests of what you would like to see on Dre Does, please email me or comment below!

Have a beautiful week,

Dre

Dre Does a Stila 'In the Know' and 'In the Moment' Review

So on Friday I mentioned that I bought two Stila Eyeshadow palettes for half price thanks to Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty event going on now until the 27th of September. All of these palettes retail for $39 but last Thursday they were only $20 each! The 'In the Light' palette is probably the most well known of this bunch, but since the shades reminded me a lot of the original Naked palette that I already own, I decided to be rational and only get the two palettes...(that's rational right? Haha). The 'In the Garden' palette is also a part of this little Stila palette family but the Ulta I work at was out of them before the beauty steal began.

I knew I wanted the 'In the Know' palette for sure because it has some really warm and really cool tones that are all matte. I love the texture of these shadows and that they blend really easily. While there is a little fallout with them, I don't find these shadows chalky at all which is great! You can see in the swatches below some of the unique shades that it offers. I knew it would be a good one to have in my kit. 

The swatches below are in the exact same order as they are in the palette and the smudge stick in Halfmoon is that swatch on the end!  I love the slate cool toned shade of the smudge stick. I think it really complements the palette and it's a unique color that I didn't already own.

While both palettes do come with an eight page look book for inspiration, I wanted to play with the colors before I looked at it. I created the look below for work last week the day after I bought these palettes and I love how it turned out. It's a warm and deep neutral look that I love for fall! I used Desert on my lid and Wind on my brow bone. Then I slowly worked at darkening my crease, inner corner and outer corner by first going in with a fluffy brush and Clay. Then I used Fire (the shade I'm most excited about in this palette) and Earth. I love how the extra warmth from Fire really changes the overall look. 

Next up we have the 'In the Moment' palette! As a woman with big brown eyes I'm always looking for beautiful purple shades because they make my eyes pop! I love the shades in this palette because when half the shades are neutral, it gives you the ability to make the look more wearable without having to use another palette! I have to be able to create a whole look with a palette in order for me to buy it so I love that I can with this one. 

This palette has a good mix of satin, matte, and shimmery finishes. The satin shades are my favorite because the texture is so buttery. While the shades are soft like the other palette and do create a little fallout, I don't think it's that bad and I like working with them. 

Once again the shades are swatched the same as in the palette and the smudge stick in Tetra is on the end! This smudge stick is so beautiful because it is pretty dark with some purple shimmer. It's not too colorful for everyday wear and adds a nice pop of color when the light hits it right. 

I have yet to create a look with this palette but I will make sure to do one soon and share in a Looks of the Week post for you all! I hope you enjoyed this review! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Makeup Looks For The Week

I've been taking pictures of my makeup for work most days and sharing them on my Instagram (@dre_does) for inspiration. I thought it would be nice to every so often share how I created the looks for those of you who are curious!

First up is this gorgeous look centered around one of my favorite MAC shadows of all time, Amber Lights. It such a beautiful summer and fall orangey bronze color that really stands out. I also used Orb in the brow bone, Cork as my transition shade throughout my crease and Handwritten to really deepen up the crease and blend out Amber Lights. Lastly I'm wearing my usual mascara, Benefit's They're Real and my upper and lower water lines are lined with Jane Cosmetics' Water Resistent Black Eyeliner. (All three looks are completed with these two steps!)

For this look I started with White Chocolate from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette on my brow bone, Salted Caramel also from Chocolate Bar as my transition color in the crease, Colombia by Cargo Cosmetics in the outer V, and then after spraying a flat shader brush with some MAC Fix +, I gently pressed Loreal's Infallible 24 Hr Shadow in Amber Rush on the lid. I love the look I get by pressing this product over the other shadows. You can still see the definition I gave my outer V through the pressed pigment and it gives a really cool look to the eye! 

For this last look I only used 3 shadows and it was a quick and easy look for a morning I was running a bit late! They all came from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (can you tell how much I love this thing yet? Haha). I used White Chocolate on the brow bone, White Chocolate in the crease and Amaretto on the lid. I just blended everything really well and smoked out the shadows and it looks way more time consuming then it really is! I was really going for an all over bronzed look this day because I'm trying to fit as much bronze in as possible before summer ends! Haha

Let me know if you like these kinds of posts! I love sharing my makeup looks with you because it forces me to try out different combinations and not just stick to my normal looks.

Have a beautiful weekend,

Dre

Dre Does a Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Review

Congrats Too Faced! You have officially figured women out; an eyeshadow palette that smells like chocolate! Does it get any better than that? (Ok maybe if it came with chocolate you could eat...but let's carry on with the review)

I had been hearing multiple things about this palette and all of them were great. I received a Sephora gift card so as I made my way to the store I had this palette in mind. With one look and smell of the palette I was sold. Not only does it smell amazing (the shadows have cocoa powder in them giving them a magnificent aroma), but the colors are gorgeous! This is the description on the back and I agree with it all: "Indulge your craving for chocolate with these 16 antioxidant-rich cocoa powder infused matte and shimmer shades of natural browns, delicate pinks and luscious plums. Inspired by our best-selling cocoa powder infused Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, the collection of decadent shadows is the perfect complement to any skin tones. Chocolate Bar comes with our signature Glamour Guide with three beauty looks to get you started." First of all, I lost that guide so whoops haha but yes you get that! Secondly I highly agree with the statement that they are perfect for any skin tone. There are cool, warm and neutral shades that will work for anyone. Instead of picking up the next Naked Palette (don't get me wrong those are nice too but work for specific skin tones instead) I would get the Chocolate Bar palette. I love how the plums and pinks are included to give you something more than just neutral looks. 

As far as the packaging goes, I love it. It's a brown metal palette with a magnetic closure. It feels very solid and durable. I'm a huge fan of this styling of packaging. There's also a nice sized mirror on the inside of the palette that's wide enough to see both eyes up close at once! 

The little plastic overlay with all of the shadow names comes out. While I like that this makes for a smaller palette because you don't have to make room by the shadows for names, I don't like that this is easy to lose and not keep track of what the colors are called. 

The picture above shows the shadows in indoor lighting with no flash. The picture below shows the shadows in natural outdoor lighting with no flash, which is a more accurate depiction of the actual shades. 

Overall, this palette has 7 matte shades, 3 shimmers with actual glitter, and 6 satin sheen shades. I would say the satins are the creamiest and most pigmented shades, then the mattes are shimmers are just slightly less pigmented and buttery. Overall the quality is amazing though and I find the colors easy to blend and work with. I also love that there is a great mix of finishes within the palette, especially that there both matte and satin highlight options (the two larger shadows). Below I've swatched and listed all of the color names for easy reference. The names are to the left of the corresponding swatches. 

If you're looking for a good neutral palette, I'd definitely get this one. Women who have a more neutral skin type like me (have equal parts warm and cool so you can wear either), I would highly recommend this palette because there's a good mix of undertones. Even those who are specifically warm or cool, I think you'd enjoy it as well, because let's be real. We women love chocolate and makeup and Too Faced certainly hit the nail on the head with this one!

If you have any requests for reviews please leave me a comment and let me know!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Ipsy Review

I'm back with a review on my March Ipsy Glambag and it was an awesome bag this month! I only received four products compared to the normal amount of five, but as you'll see in the totals later, this didn't decrease the value of the bag at all. Three out of four of the brands were higher end products which is great to see! Below is a summary of all the products and the bag.

The bag this month was really unique and featured the artwork of the artist Klari Reis. The design was inspired by the neighborhoods of San Francisco and I love the unique print. I think this is an awesome aspect of this months bag! 

First product up is the Marvelous Moxie Lipstick by bareMinerals in the shade Get Ready. It's a great natural shade that will look good on most skin tones, as it isn't extremely cool or warm. I absolutely love the formula of this lipstick and would definitely look into purchasing more after trying this mini one. As a typical woman I'm obsessed with the cute little size of this lipstick and I think it's a great shade and size to keep in your purse for everyday wear since it can match any makeup look and outfit choice. This 1.5g mini lipstick is valued at $7.71 (full size is $18). 

Next up is the Chella Felt Tip Eyeliner in Indigo Blue. It claims to be water resistant, smudge proof, and stain resistant as well, while being free of parabens which is awesome. While I found all of these claims to be true when I wore it, I did have a problem with the application using the felt tip. When you swatch it on the back of your hand it has great flow and pigmentation, but when you hold it up to your eye to draw a wing like I did, I found the tip didn't get enough saturation so it took a long time to get an exact fine tip to my wing. The color is gorgeous however and I received many compliments on it, so I'll definitely keep testing it out! This is a full size product valued at $24! This brings the total so far to $31.71.

Next I received a Love in Rio Eyeshadow Trio from NYX Cosmetics in the shade Voodoo Love Spells. I really like these shades. It's a great little everyday palette as there are two mattes (the darker shades) and one shimmer (the lightest). While these shadows aren't the most pigmented that I've ever tried from NYX, they are still good for that everyday eye look. This is the full size palette and it's value is $6.00, bringing my bag total to $37.71 so far!

Pixi is a brand that I always seem to swatch and look at when I'm in Target, but due to their larger price tag (for Target) I have never actually bought anything from the line before. I'm a sucker for face primers so I was really excited to see this really deluxe sized sample in my Glambag. It has a great sheen to it but it doesn't make you look oily. It doesn't have that silicon texture that a lot of primers have (i.e. Smashbox photo finish and Benefit's Porefessional) so if you don't like that, I recommend trying this one out. It has a subtle pink undertone to it, but it doesn't show up when blended out on your skin. I really like the smooth texture it gives my skin before applying my foundation. This deluxe sized sample is valued at $9.00 so my grand total value of my March Ipsy Glambag is $46.71! This is an awesome value for only getting 4 products! It's the second highest valued bag that I've gotten so far! Good job Glambag :) 

As usual I've linked my previous month's bags and my link to sign up if you're interested! 

February Ipsy Review ($45.02)

January Ipsy Review ($38.17)

December Ipsy Review ($57.17)

Click here to subscribe to Ipsy yourself!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Ipsy Review

It's that time of month again! I'm here with my February Ipsy Glambag Review and I'm sorry that I'm a little later than usual. You will see why though when you read on!

My apologies but my overall shot of all of my Ipsy products doesn't include all five. I did however snap individual product shots before I either a, gave away a product because it smelled so bad...(yes haha read on) or b, used it up! Whoops! I got a little excited...The bag itself is adorable as usual. It's pink and a great wipeable material. The inside has a cute pink leopard pattern which is fun. But let's get to the good stuff :) 

The first product I want to talk about is my favorite from the bag. A full size Zoya polish! These babies retail for $9 and are 5-Free! Incase you're unfamiliar with this nail term, it means that the polish is formulated without Formeldahyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate, Formeldahyde Resin, or Camphor, which are all harsh chemicals that we don't want to be putting on our nails. (3-Free nail polishes are also good which are formulated without Formeldahyde, Toluene, or Dibutyl Phthalate! The 5-Free just takes it a step further!) Polishes formulated without these chemicals are generally more expensive so it's awesome that Ipsy included a full size one this month! I love this gray/purple shade called 'Odette'. I feel like it's a happy medium between nude and color. I just got a gel manicure last night though so this is why I had to swatch it on my hand...haha However, I can tell it's a nice cream formula that would apply well. I've only heard great things about Zoya. 

The next product is a face mask and being my background in esthetics, I was ridiculously excited to see this included. This post is a little delayed because I wanted to wait and use this mask when I had enough time to really enough it. It's the Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud by Skyn ICELAND. It's a two Phase mask which means that there are two pouches of product that you apply on top of each other. First you apply phase one which is made of Blue Clay and 13,000 mud from the Ice Age (haha this made me chuckle). It had a cooling sensation that feels nice and is supposed to oxygenate, smooth, and clarify your skin.Then you apply phase two right on top, which is a clear AHA gel complex that refines and detoxifies your skin. You massive the gel into the blue clay and it becomes warm and foamy. It's pretty fun to do, not going to lie...hahaThere's also Aloe in the mask which makes it soothing and good for all skin types, even sensitive. Overall my skin felt really awesome afterwards. I would definitely consider purchasing the full size product which is $39 for 6 mask sets (six of each phase). That makes this mask worth $6.50 and brings our Glambag total to $15.50 so far! 

And because what's a face mask without an awesome selfie for you to see what it looks like on? :) 

Next up we have lashes from Jcat Beauty. While I don't wear fake lashes very often, they're always a nice thing to get and have on hand. I've never tried lashes from this brand but they look like a nice length and shape, while I don't normally use it, it's awesome that they come with a mini sized lash glue incase I ever forget my favorite one by Duo. I'll keep you updated on how I like them when I use them! These retail for $3.99 bringing our total up to $19.49!

Next up we have the Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow and Base in One in the shade Violette which is a pretty lilac shade with shimmer (it's a nice nod to the 2014 Pantone shade Radiant Orchid). It's a cream base for your eye shadows that is supposed to be a creamy base and powder shadow in one (as the name clearly states haha). This combo is supposed to prolong the wear of your shadow by preventing any fading or creasing throughout the day. I have only used it once before I will have to play with it a little more to give a strong review on it, but so far the wear seems pretty average. It applies nicely and the color is beautiful. With a retail value of $18 since it is full size, I'm very happy to have received it. Current total = $37.49!

Lastly we have the item that smelled so terribly that it was given to a friend within seconds of opening my bag because they could stand the smell and wanted a free lip gloss...haha! It always disappoints me when companies don't spend as much time working on something like the smell of a product. I personally can be completely turned off from something even if I love the actual product, if it smells terrible (especially a lip product because hiiiii...my lips are pretty close to my smeller!). The actual gloss looked nice and pigmented and was a beautiful color but I couldn't get past the 'awful, chemical, disgusting, I don't even know smell'. I did however snap a photo of it before it was adopted. The full size 8.5g product retails for $16, so this mini guy is valued at $7.53 at 4g. This brings our grand total this month to $45.02! Not bad Ipsy, not bad.

Overall I really enjoyed this bag once again! Even without that gloss it was worth over $37 so I'm thrilled! Let me know if any of you have tried any of these products and if you are an Ipsy Subscriber let me know what you got! As usual Ipsy has all the discount codes for all of the brands they worked with this month, listed on their website so it's an awesome opportunity to try out a full size of something you enjoyed from your bag! Below I've linked my two previous months' reviews and the link for you to subscribe yourself if you'd like to! 

Click here for my January Ipsy Review.

Click here for my December Ipsy Review.

Click here to subscribe to Ipsy! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Her Favorite Eyeshadow Palette

Eyeshadow palettes are always huge. It seems like every few weeks there's a new one getting hype from bloggers and YouTubers alike. I had my eye on the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette for a long time, but since it's 6 matte neutral shadows I figured it could be easily be duped with other colors. Boy was I wrong. The problem with most palettes today I think, is that they may have an array of beautiful colors in them, but they don't possess every color you need to create a full eye look. I found myself still having to carry a highlight color, crease color, and matte black. This is where the Naked Basics has changed everything. I think it is a must have because not only is it a stand alone amazing natural eye or even dramatic eye palette, but it's addition to whatever palette you already have allows you to completely multiply the possibilities of looks. You have highlight colors, crease colors, and that matte black can turn up the drama for any look.

(Naked Basics compared to my iPhone 5s)

If you travel a lot, being able to add one small palette that can do so much is beneficial. You could bring just this one, or you could bring another palette with some shimmery, more dramatic colors, and you would have all of your bases covered for any eye look you could want. Below are the eyeshadow colors in the palette and swatches without any primers or other products. 

(L to R: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S., Naked 2, Faint, and Crave)

Starting from the left, Venus is a light shade with only a slight satin sheen. It's so slight I wouldn't even call it a satin finish. It's a great inner corner color. Next are two wonderful highlight shades, Foxy (more yellow toned) and W.O.S. (more pink toned). Naked 2 is a great gray/brown/taupe color that I love for the crease. Next we have Faint which is a perfect matte brown color for adding more dimension to your look. Lastly, Crave is the matte black that is key in transitioning looks into more dramatic, night looks. 

Overall for only $27 I think this palette is an amazing addition to anyone's collection and a must have for those who like mattes or travel a lot. 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre