Sigma Palettes! Bare, Dare, & Flare

 

Sigma Eyeshadow Palettes

I purchased all three eyeshadow palettes from Sigma. I have not used them yet, other than to swatch and play around with. So far, I am in love with them! I love the colors, the brushes, and even the packaging (which has been called bulky.) You get a dual-ended brush in each palette. What really surprised me was that each end is different ... in every palette. In other words, it is like you are getting 6 brushes, that's right, SIX. That is so awesomely amazing in itself. I did the swatches over a NYX whte eyeshadow base that I had applied to my skin beforehand. I am anxious to use these palettes and give an in depth review on them.

Bare (with E30 & E25)

From left to right:, these colors are: Shine (matte black with silver glitter), Control (matte black), Snoop (matte taupe), Hitch (matte brown), Act (beige shimmer), Command (peach-gold shimmer), Elope (light matte pinky-peach), & Approach (shimmery cream.)

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Dare with (E20 & E45)

From left to right: Surrender (matte maroon with pink glitter), Grasp (coral shimmer), Chase (light matte pink), Escape (shimmery almost iridescent beige-y  pink), Reveal (copper shimmer), Catch (matte brick red), Shout (matte orange yellow), & Vanish (orange gold shimmer).

 

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Flare (with E55 & E40)

From left to right: Crush (matte brown), Oversee (teal shimmer), Define (gold lime shimmer), Publicize (light matte peach), Resist (matte burgundy with pink glitter), Gossip (matte eggplant), Allure (matte violet), & Beware (pale pink).

As soon as I have time to thoroughly use the Sigma palette, you can expect a review on my YouTube channel. I may do a tutorial as well, especially if requested. Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope my swatches helped some of you that may have interest in the palettes. They seem to be a good buy considering the quality looks great, as well as having a dual-ended brush included.

Elf Eyeshadow Brushes

Which Brush Do You Prefer???

I have noticed the recent change in the eyeshadow brushes. But I was unsure which is the old and which is the new? I have always gotten the one on the TOP every time I have purchased this brush, whether it be from Elf, Target, or my local Dollar General. So I just recently got one of the BOTTOM ones in a prize package, and I like it too. So which one do you prefer? I would love to hear your feedback about this?

Sally Girl Cosmetics on Sale!

Sally Girl Cosmetics

I went to Sally Beauty Supply on 7/19/11. They are currently running some good sales! Their Sally Girl Cosmetics are buy 5 get 1 free. (Good through 7/31/11) I think these are decent products for only $1!! I really like the eyeshadows. I own most of them. (I made a homemade CD palette out of them which I will picture below.) I also got a coupon with my recent purchase, for $5 off your purchase of $5 or more that is valid 7/20/11-8/31/11. So that was quite a good deal! If I make it back to the store before the sale ends on 7/31, and I buy 5 more Sally Girl products (using my coupon) it will be like I got 12 items for only $5. The Sally Girl eyeshadow packaging is really convenient because each one slides together and you can connect as many as you want, or you can choose to depot them like I did. 

Another offer I really wanted to take advantage of, was the buy any 3 full-size Ion products and get a free Hard Candy Carry-All that has a $29.99 value. They come in hot pink, teal, and purple! I had grabbed an advertisement on my way out and didn't really look at it until I got home, otherwise I would have grabbed one while I was there! There are still a few days to get in on this sale and quantities are limited on the bags so hurry!

Below is a link to the ad so you can check it out!!

Sally Beauty Supply July Ad

L.A. Colors Review (6 Products)

L.A. Colors Review

I was sent six products to review. The Glittering Starlet Eyeshadow Palette in  Bette, the Baked Eyeshadows in Neptune, the Glitter Liner in Iced, the Moisturizing Glossy Lips Sheer Lipgloss in Strawberry Jam, the Art Deco Nail Art Laquer, & the Color Craze Nail Polish in Lightning. 

Glittering Starlet Eyeshadow Palette in GP85 Bette

These are very bright & colorful eyeshadows that are full of chunky glitter. Most of them are very pigmented. When used with an eyeshadow primer, they will last all day long. Personally, I have to avoid all of the pretty glitter shadows because I have very sensitive eyes and most glitter eyeshadows have a lot of glitter fallout and if it gets in my eyes, they become very irritated. If you are a person who likes to wear bold, bright colors with glitter ... you will LOVE this palette. There is a mirror in the middle of the compact so you can apply on the go if you'd like! Here are the swatches below. (The top rows have NYX White Eyeshadow Base under them and the bottom rows have no primer.)

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Baked Eyeshadow Quad in Neptune

I really loved these eyeshadows. They are SUPER pigmented, with and without a primer. I did not try applying them wet, but you can do that with baked eyeshadows. The colors are very beautiful. You can create many different looks with this quad, combining different color combinations. My favorite was the purple & the gold together.Again, here are the swatches below. Top

 

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Glitter Liner in Iced

I really liked this product as well. I had accidentally tried a similar product not too long ago. I order a cream liner from Urban Decay in Pyrotechnics. I somehow thought I was getting a black liner but got something that looked exactly like this product, but it was like the consistency of what you would expect in a lip gloss in a tin. So, I liked the concept of a glitter liner. I thought it would be nice to dress up a neutral look a bit with a wash of glitter under your bottom lashes. However, I was disappointed with the performance of the UD liner. This product really delivers. The lines are visible and are very beautiful. I love it. Swatches below:

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Moisturizing Glossy Lips Sheer Lipgloss in Strawberry Jam

This lip gloss look very pretty on the lips. It is sheer and has some shimmer to it. The formula is very thick & has a sticky/tacky consistency. Some people really like that kind of formula because I believe it is more long lasting than a more slippery formula. I prefer a silkier gloss, so this gloss really isn't for me. But I did really like the way it looked on my lips, and I liked the packaging. When you screw off the lid it has a brush applicator (just like a Stila lip glaze.) Here is how it looked on my lips:

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Color Craze Nail Polish in Lightning

This nail polish color is gorgeous!!! I love it! My nails are a total mess and I need a manicure. So my sister-in-law modeled the polish for me, and she loved it too!!! It is the perfect color for summer. It is so bright!! The color reminds me of a bright, hot salmon color or a neon pink. Two coats look exactly like it does in the bottle. The bottle says it has nail hardeners in it, so it would be a good formula for those with thin or brittle nails (which I have.) I have seen many colors in this line and they are all so beautiful and bright. She has had the polish on for a week and it still looks like it did when she first put it on. I tried it myself too and really, really liked it. Photos below:

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Art Deco Nail Art Laquer

I already owned this color, and I have about ten of these in all. They have a skinny brush applicator that allows you to draw nail designs on your nails. There are so many creative things you can do with your nails with this product. I don't have a photo to show you, but you get a lot of glitter with just one brush stroke. These are amazing and very inexpensive. I think they are readily available, at least in my area. I think they are a must have ... in every color!

Overall, the quality of L.A. Colors is amazing. It exceeds your expectations from such an inexpensive product. Since I found the makeup brushes I raved about in my video (when I decided to give some away) I have purchased many more of the products in the line. I have not been disappointed once. These products are definitely worth trying!

Huge Collaboration Contest!

Hi everyone! Due to the holiday weekend, I haven't had time to write a new blog yet that refers to this new contest. But I did want to have a place for you to comment telling me that you are following me here for the 20 extra entries and what your YouTube name is. I want to make sure that you get the credit for doing so. When I finally post the blog that will include prize pictures (hopefully tomorrow) I may take this one down. But rest assured I will have your entry counted. I have a notebook dedicated just to this contest, just so I can stay organized. I have contacted some people to tell them they don't have valid entries and what they need to do to change them. As the responses keep coming in, I know won't be able to do that for the duration of the contest. So please check and double check your entries with the contest video, the annotations, the description box, and any updates you see to make sure your entries are valid. There should not be any more updates. There have been changes I did not have anything to do with. The changes pertaining to my own rules were made in attempt to increase your chances of winning. I thank you for your time in subscribing to my channels, creating awesome entries for me to watch, and for every comment. So look below here and click inside the white box to add a comment if you are entering your YouTube name and I would love you to summarize all of your entries for me! Thanks!

L.A. Colors Eye Brush Sets & Eyeshadow Palettes Giveaway!

L.A. Colors Eye Brush Sets & Eyeshadow Palettes Giveaway!

L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Shader & Blender Brush Review & A MAKEUP GIVEAWAY!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/OwnedByMyAPBT#p/u/0/dhN_99g8UVI

Above is the link to my YouTube Giveaway Channel where you can watch the giveaway announcement video!

Check out the brushes here: http://www.lacolors.com/Eyeshadow-Shader-&-Blender-Brush-2651.html

{These prizes were bought with my own money}

Giveaway Rules:
1. You must subscribe to my channel.
2. You must like & favorite this video.
3. You must have your favorites box open so I can see that you followed the rules.
4. You must subscribe to Volleyballgirlxoxo. (I would LOVE it if you commented on her page saying that OwnedByMyAPBT sent you!)
5. One comment PER PERSON. If you comment more than once you will be disqualified.
6. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parents permission to enter this contest so that I have their permission to send the products to you if you are a winner.
7. Make sure that in your comment you tell me what kind of blending brush you like,

no "Enter Me" comments please.

****Video Responses**** I decided to allow video responses! If you make a shout out video about my channel and THIS giveaway, you can get 10 extra entries! If you want to create a Bright LA Colors inspired, COLORFUL look in a video response, I will give you 20 extra entries. So you can get a total of 31 entries if you do all 3. The shout out video can be a slideshow, but the look you create must be live. You don't have to do a tutorial, just show the look that you did and some of the products you used. If you want to COMBINE the shout out to my channel along with your look, that is cool too! If you have any questions, please message me. This is my first giveaway so I am hoping I didn't leave anything out! Please also let me know if anything is unclear, I will appreciate your feedback.

This contest is only open to U.S. & Canada residents, but I will have giveaways in the future that will be international I PROMISE!!!

Prizes:
5 Winners will receive 1 set of L.A. Colors Eye Brushes, One 5 Color Metallic Eyeshadow Palette, One 6 Color Eye Shadow Palette, One 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette, & One 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette. So that is a total of 5 WINNERS that will get 5 PRIZES!! All L.A. Colors Items!!

Giveaway runs through 6/28/2011-7/19/2011. Winner will be announced on 7/20/2011. I will be using a random generator to choose the winner and will upload a video showing the results and the winners!
This giveaway was extended one week & ends on the 27th!

There is a link on my page to Volleyballgirlxoxo so that you can find her page.

I later decided to allow the first winner chosen to choose an eyeshadow palette from each category, then the second winner can choose, and so on and so forth. I promised to post pictures here, so here they are:

From left to right, the names of these palettes are:

Lollipop, Darling, Tea Time, Tease, & Ammunition

From left to right, the names of these palettes are:

(2) Sweet Pleasure, Hipnotic, Eye Candy & Dreamy

From left to right, the names of these palettes are:

(2) Warm, (2) Splash, & Brights

From left to right, top then bottom, the names of these palettes are:

Urban, Chic, Glamorous, Supernatural, Traditional

It is VERY important that the winners contact me ASAP because the other winners will have their prize packages held up until the winners before them choose their prize selections. I will choose a reasonable time limit in which you will have to contact me or I will have to choose another winner. I will announce that time limit in winners video. Good luck to everyone that enters this contest. Let me know if you like receiving L.A. Colors prize packages and/or what other kind of prizes you would be interested in winning and I will do my best to accomodate you!

L'OREAL Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

L'OREAL Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

I bought this product at CVS back when they had a BOGO half off, and I also had a manufacturer coupon. I don't remember what I paid for it (and prices will vary depending on where you buy it) but you can pick it up for anywhere between $10-$15. This has become my favorite face primer. I would quickly call this a holy grail product.  Have you ever used a product and it totally exceeded your expectations of it? For me, this happens rarely. (I can only think of a few off the top of my head that I have felt that way about ... in my entire life.) This was definitely one of them. I like it that much.

What the product claims: "Get the perfect skin texture, instantly and all day. 1. Smoothes lines, 2. Hides Pores, and 3. Banishes Skin Imperfections. The silky lightweight formula glides onto skin, leaving it velvety-smooth to the touch. The result- a unified matte finish that's flawless. It says it is suitable for all skin types, dermatologist tested, and non-comedogenic." ...and it really delivers.

The best thing this primer does for me, is INSTANTLY diminish the appearance of my pores. I think I have large pores and I HATE the way foundations and concealers settle into them. That is a horrible look. When that happens, the only thing I can do to fix it, is wash my face. This primer is so silky on your face. It does also fill in some fine lines I have around my eyes and forehead. I honestly can't say that I have noticed a change in how long it makes my makeup last, but I definitely know that it makes it look better. I would even wear this WITHOUT any other makeup and it would make a difference in the way my skin looks.

I highly recommend this product. If you have large pores, I suggest you run to the nearest place you can buy this product because you won't be sorry. I have already purchased two backups myself. I absolutely love it and can't say enough about how it performs.

Wet n Wild Fastdry Nail Polish Bucket Set!

Wet n Wild Fastdry Nail Polish Bucket Set

If this isn't exciting, I don't know what is!! I had my eye on this set at CVS for weeks. I should have bought it when they had the BOGO half off sale. But it was still a steal at $9.99, considering it includes 7 nail polishes that retail for $1.99 each. I used my $7 extrabucks (for buying $15 in Revlon products) so I only paid $3 for it!! You also get this super cute bucket (that has now become a new home for some of my makeup brushes!) along with a nail file, toe separaters, and a nail art kit. The kit includes some stencils and a white polish with a super fine tip.

The colors are AMAZINGLY pigmented , beautiful, and bright. Perfect for summer! The names are so neat, they are all from T.V. shows! (From left to right) They are: Fucshia Rama, Sage in The City, The Wonder Yellows, How I Met Your Magenta, Teal or No Teal, Saved By The Blue, and Everybody Loves Redmond. How adorable is that? I really love these nail polishes. The quality is excellent and with most of them you only need one coat and then they are completely dry in a couple of minutes! Even if you don't use a topcoat, they have awesome staying power. They have a new set out now called "Mermaid's Cove" and those are just as beautiful. (Think pastel shimmer!) 

Like I said before, I am using the bucket for my makeup brushes. I need to get some fillers for the bottom because my brushes are all just peeking over the top, but I just love how fun the design on the bucket is & it brings some color to my makeup area (that is primarily black and white.) The stencils are cute, but I haven't tried them yet. You don't have to just use the white polish that came with it, you can use the Art Deco polishes that you can find at the Dollar Tree for $1 that come in an array of colors. (I have red, black, hot pink, baby pink, white, and silver glitter.)

I remember when I was younger that Wet n Wild was just that brand that most teenagers used because it was only $1. I think the quality then was a "you get what you pay for" kind of thing. Today, Wet n Wild has come a long way. I don't think there is any one product that I haven't tried, and the quality of every item is comparable to any other good quality product you can buy in the drugstore. Yet they are still the most inexpensive. Their eyeshadows are a different story. I would compare the quality to many high end brands. I am working on a dupe blog/video (with swatches) comparing them to Urban Decay eyeshadows (which are among my favorite eyeshadows.) I have found a Wet n Wild dupe for every color in the infamous Urban Decay Naked Palette!  They are every bit as buttery soft and pigmented as Urban Decay. In some cases, the WnW dupe is better than its Urban Decay match. But that is another blog to lookout for soon!

e.l.f. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection

I figured since I mentioned this brush set in my last post, I would go ahead and review it. I LOVE this brush set! I purchased it here at the elf (eyes lips face) website. The price is $30, however, I got mine at a 50% discount so I only paid $15! They have coupon codes ALL of the time, I think they have a new one every week. If you sign up to receive their newsletter, they will send you new coupon codes when they become available.

Here is what is included in this collection:

• Sleek, water-resistant case
• Eyeshadow "C" Brush
• Complexion Brush
• Small Angled Brush
• Small Smudge Brush
• Fan Brush
• Powder Brush
• Angled Foundation Brush
• Concealer Brush
• Small Precision Brush
• Blush Brush
• Contouring Brush

It also comes with a little folded pamphlet that shows pictures of each brush and what its intended use is, which is great for those just starting out with makeup and brushes. The set that is offered now has matte black handles, but I got mine in limited edition black glitter! I do have some of the ones with the matte black handles too, because I have back-ups of many of these brushes. If you purchase these brushes separately, they are $3. All of the products from the studio line are $3. How exciting is that? What is even BETTER is that they have an Essentials line (which does have some really great products in it) and everything is only $1. One of the best things about these brushes is that they are all made with synthetic bristles, which means you can use them for liquid or cream products without worrying about damaging them (like you would if you used those types of products with brushes made of natural goat hair.)

Powder Brush, Blush Brush, & Foundation Brush

In my opinion, these are the stars of the show. The flat-top Powder Brush is an amazing brush. It has been compared many times over to the MAC 187 (which is a duo fiber stippling brush.) The reason is, this brush applies foundation flawlessly! It can be used for anything you want to use it for, really. The Angled Foundation brush is so great because the shape allows you to get into the crevices of your face (like around your nose) much easier than a regular-shaped foundation brush. I never get streaky lines when using this brush. (There is a trick to that: When applying the foundation, "paint" it on your face until the product starts setting and it becomes harder to use the "painting" motion, then you should "pat" to avoid any streakiness.) Finally, the blush brush has a very unique shape:

Side view of the Blush Brush

The tapered tip allows you to place product EXACTLY where you want it, yet it is still easy to blend with. It is a little on the small side for a blush brush, but if you give it a try, you will see it is actually the PERFECT size!

These are the rest of the brushes in the set. I don't have anything bad to say about any of them! They really are good brushes and I think if you use brushes, you should give these a try. The Small Precision and Small Smudge Brushes are so good for detailed work in the tear duct area and under your lower lashes. They work great for creating a smokey eye effect. The Contour Brush is a great size with the just right amount of density to place shadows right into your crease, or for cut crease looks. I use the Small Angled Brush for filling in my eyebrows and for gel or cream eyeliners. (I actually have two, one for each purpose.) The Complexion Brush is very flexible; I use it to sweep a color correcting powder over my face. I think it would work well for any finishing powders you want to use. The only brush I don't get any use out of is the Fan Brush. It can be used to sweep away eyeshadow fallout or it would be good for high definition powders (that are very finely milled.) The Concealer Brush is a little too dense for my preference. I last used it to apply a white eyeshadow base and it soaked up a lot of my product and I had the toughest time getting it clean. (You can still see that it looks whiter than the other brushes.) Lastly, the Eyeshadow "C" brush is a good brush for packing color on your lid, it's just an overall good eyeshadow brush. I honestly prefer the natural hair $1 elf brush and have quite a few of those!!

These are some of the other elf brushes I own, including the black matte handled Studio brushes

The Angled Contour Brush (second from top) is almost like a mini version of the flat top brush (without being flat.) It is great for setting your concealer with powder or blending out your eyeshadow. I have two of the $1 Eyeshadow Brushes there in the middle (all of the $1 brushes have white handles.) I have a few more stored in their packaging. You can actually find these brushes at Dollar General. They have also started selling elf products at Kmart and Target. I have only seen the Studio line products at Kmart. Otherwise, you have to buy online. Like I mentioned before, you can always wait for a coupon code and get most of your items for half price, sometimes even better than that!

Overall, you just can't go wrong with this brush set. I am definitely glad I purchased this product, and I will CONTINUE to buy from elf cosmetics! I have tried nearly ALL of the products on the website, so if you check them out and have any questions, please feel free to ask me! I will probably review some elf products in the future, not everything on the site is a complete hit, some are actually misses. But, for $1-$3 it isn't such a blow to your wallet to give them a shot. 

Crown Brush Set

15-Piece Professional Brush Set w/ Designer Case



I purchased this brush set from Crown Brushes after watching Kandee Johnson's review on YouTube. Unfortunately, I missed out on the special price that was offered to her subscribers, so I paid $43.99 plus applicable tax & shipping. As of today, they are offering a 15% off sale which would make the price $37.39 (plus applicable tax & shipping.)

The set comes with the following brushes:

• Chisel Powder
• Chisel Blush
• Angle Blush
• Foundation
• Angle Blender
• Oval Shadow
• Blending Fluff
• Flat Liner Concealer
• Lash Fan
• Brow/Lash Groomer
• Angle Liner
• Oval Lip
• Mini Smudger
• Round Crease
• Faux Reptile Case

I ordered mine in model 621, which has the bronze faux reptile case, and the brushes have black handles and bronze ferrules. You can also choose model 620 with a reddish faux reptile case, and the brushes have black handles and black ferrules, as well as model 619 with a black faux reptile case, and the brushes have red handles and black ferrules. As of today, models 619 and 620 are sold out. 

When I received my brushes, I was surprised to discover that I already had the Chisel Blush brush in my collection. I had purchased it at coastalscents.com, and it came with a silver ferrule, but other than that it was the SAME brush. I later heard that Crown Brush supplies Coastal Scents with some (or all) of their brushes. I don't know if that is true or not. Anyway, the blush brush I had was not one of my favorites. (In fact, I have given it away.) The bristles were not very soft when I first used it, and they had become even rougher over the year that I had owned it.

In my opinion, this is also the case with most of the face brushes in this set, specifically the Chisel Powder, Chisel Blush, Angle Blush, Angle Blender, and the Lash Fan. My lashes don't mind the roughness so much, but my face and my eyelids do! The roughest one is the Angle Blender (which is for blending your eyeshadow) so that one doesn't get any use. The Blending Fluff is softer, but it sheds like CRAZY. I do not prefer the shape of this blending brush at all. It is flat and tapered, so the only thing I would use it for is highlighting my browbone. The Lash Fan I just don't use at all, maybe I just haven't discovered the best way to use it. I have so many Brow/Lash Groomers, so I don't have much to say about this one because I think they are pretty much all the same.

The rest of the brushes I like much better. The foundation brush is SUPER soft. It is, by far, the nicest foundation brush I own (between Elf, Coastal Scents, & Lancome.) The Oval Shadow brush is great for packing color on the lid, or even on the browbone. It is larger than a standard eyeshadow brush, but not as big as the one from the Pink set that you can buy at either Coastal Scents or Crown (they too, are exactly the same brushes.) I have that set, and all the eye brushes are HUGE.

Here I compared the Oval Shadow (middle) with the Loew-Cornell shader (top) and the Pink shader (bottom)

Then, the Round Crease, Oval Lip, Angle Liner, Flat Liner, and Mini Smudger are all AMAZING little brushes that I find myself reaching for all of the time. I can't find one negative thing to say about them. The case they came in smelled REALLY bad (strong & chemical-like) when I got it. I left it outside on the banister of my deck for about 24 hours so it could air out, then it was fine. I don't store my brushes in it, but it would be nice to use for traveling. I think that after a lot of use it would break down easily, because when I pulled it out of a drawer (for photos) I noticed that when unfolding it, the material was stuck together in some places, and little pieces pulled off.

The little white spots are the places where the material came off.

Overall, I can't say that I am pleased that I bought this set. I do use the Angled Blush brush sometimes (out of all the brushes I dislike.) I also own the Elf Studio Brush set (which I purchased for $15 during a 1/2 off sale) and honestly, I like those brushes much more than these. The Elf set is regularly $30, so if you can catch a sale on those, I would recommend that set over this one. Thank you for taking the time to read this review, and if you have any suggestions for other product reviews, please let me know!

 Click here to see all of the Crown Brush sets