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Lush Sultana of Soap Review!

 I really adore Lush products. They have really good-quality, natural and reliable things for your face, body, and hair. Recently I purchased the Sultana of Soap which I use as an allover body soap in the shower.

The soap is fantastic. It's super creamy and has quite a fruity topping at the edge. It looks kind of oatmeal-y and smells amazing. The soap slices nicely--I always cut a thin slice to keep in my shower because I have a pretty big chunk of it, and you can request a certain amount of the soap when you go into the store. (The soaps are all manufactured as a giant piece because originally the owners of the first store didn't have a lot of money and used kitty litter containers to mold the soaps--fun fact!)

The soap is very moisturizing and leaves a lingering scent on the skin. It suds up pretty well without a loofah (I prefer to just rub it between my hands under some running water in the shower) and is gentle enough to be used on my face (I have combination to oily skin.). The soap sits in a closed drawer in my half-bathroom, completely wrapped up in its paper and in a Lush bag, yet the scent still manages to float about in the air. I adore it. I will most definitely be repurchasing this product and imagine buying it for my friends and family as gifts too!

LORAC Private Affair Palette Review!

The LORAC Private Affair Palette is the perfect set of eyeshadows for a dramatic night-out look, a purple spin on the classic smoky eye, or a very shimmery neutral eye. You can find it at Sephora for $38, and it comes with a mini version of Lorac's eye primer and a dual-ended brush that is advertised as a blender and smudger.

Unfortunately, I never touched the primer for the first month that I had this and then when I took these photos and revisited the primer, it was
COMPLETELY dried up. I even tried cutting the tube open and mixing the now dried up paste with some water but it didn't budge. (So, the photos of the eyeshadow swatches "with primer" are shown over a layer of Mac's Paintpot in Soft Ochre.)

(From left to right) A light peachy champagne with light shimmer, a light beige champagne with a slightly chunky silver shimmer, a light to medium soft brown with silver shimmer, a medium grayed silver with shimmer, a medium plum with pinkish-plum shimmer, a deep violet with lots of pinkish purple shimmer. 

The box has a pretty purple "snakeskin"-style cover and a plate with the LORAC brand name imprinted on it. The cover stays shut with a pretty strong magnet, and there isn't much binding between the cover and the palette itself because the box never stays open on its own. (A bit of a pain.) I wish there was more support on the cover to allow it to stay open when open, yet still close shut securely with the magnet. But that's okay.

The box comes with a cute little pull-out drawer with a handle that matches the metal on the nameplate, and has two separated sections (one wider than the other). I use this drawer to hold lashes that don't have any other home and lash glue, and sometimes brushes when I'm traveling with it.

In order from palette from left to right, top to bottom. W/O primer.

The shadows are all shimmery, although, the fifth color (the plum) shows up a lot less shimmery than the rest. Also, the first two colors are much more shimmery than the rest of the colors. The last shade (the dark purple) is full of beautiful pinkish-purple sparkles that transfer fairly well, but subtly, onto the skin. These shadows have quite a bit of fallout when they are picked up with a brush from the palette and when they apply onto the skin, even over a primer, but the texture is extremely soft and silky. The pigmentation is great and all of the darker colors apply opaque instantly without the need for many layers or applications. With a primer, the colors last for hours without creasing or fading.

WITH primer. (MAC Paintpot)

The brush isn't very good. The bristles are stiff and the brush isn't very full with bristles. While the "blending" side (wide) can be used to pack on a very thin, light layer of color, it isn't ideal for using with shadows at all. The "smudger" side (a bit tapered and thinner) isn't really good for much, either, but can be used in a pinch for placement of color prior to blending, or smudging out a line of shadow or liner.

Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Review!

Hi! I recently purchased this eyeliner from the drugstore because I heard so many great things about it and I really like it. You can find this Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil at Walmart for about $6, and CVS for about $8 (where I live). The prices will vary depending on where you buy it.

This eyeliner is quite pigmented and a very rich, creamy black. The staying power is excellent, even on the waterline, but is a bit messy to use. The first time I sharpened it I had a bit of a problem because the product itself within the pencil was very creamy and melt-y, probably because of the heat.

This liner blends beautifully into a smoky liner on the lid and glides easy on the skin, the lower waterline, and the upper waterline. The color is very dark and gives a dramatic effect. I find that this black is as dark as, if not DARKER than, my MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner.

I heard that this liner is very comparable to its drugstore sister, the L'Oreal Hip Color Chrome Eyeliner which I just purchased yesterday and will be reviewing very soon.

I really love drugstore eyeliners because they are often just as good as the high-end brands and can be purchased for such a more affordable price.

Check this eyeliner out at your local drugstore for that staple black liner that you need in your collection. :)

Left, one stroke. Right, blended with finger.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum Review!

 Hello! I've had this Dream Mousse Blush by Maybelline for a little while now. It's discontinued by Maybelline according to the website, but I know that it is still available in some drugstores and on other various websites. I got it for about $7.

The packaging is really cute. I'm a sucker for glass pots, though I'm not sure why... 

The texture of the blush is, as advertised, a mousse. It's kind of like a "whipped" consistency. Soft Plum is a medium-deep pink with gold sparkles. The sparkles are pretty chunky, rather than shimmery, but they don't transfer very much onto the skin. The color payoff is okay, not great. Take note, though, that I'm pretty picky when it comes to blushes. I rarely like blushes unless they have really high pigmentation.

Flash Photo

 Unlike many other beauty people out there, I'm not the biggest fan of this product. The color doesn't spread very evenly for me, and even though the color is quite pretty and complementary to my skin, it doesn't last at all. It seems as though the color absorbs into my skin fairly quickly so it doesn't stay all day.

Flash Photo

This is an okay product for on-the-go or touch ups when you don't have a mirror or time because you can just slap it on without looking and know that it's visible on your cheeks.

Normally, I like cream blushes a lot. I have a few that work really well for me, but the mousse is definitely meant to be lighter and more subtle than a cream. Regardless, I prefer powder and a few cream blushes. I wouldn't repurchase this.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer Review!

Hard Candy, a brand found at Wal-Mart (and I'm not sure where else), has a pretty popular concealer that they call Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer. I recently purchased it for only about $6 and am highly impressed.

The concealer comes in a little squeeze tube with 0.71 oz of product. It also includes a concealer pencil. I have this in tan, and it works wonders for my under eye circles! I have a little bit of darkness, some days darker than others, under my eyes. I also have some sunspots and other discoloration on my cheekbones. I normally use my Benefit Erase Paste concealer in medium, but I find that the Hard Candy matches my skin a lot better.

Flash photo

The concealer is very thick and creamy, and the tiniest amount goes quite a long way. The only problem I have with this product is the longevity. For me, it fades throughout the day because I have relatively oily skin. If I set it with powder, it lasts a bit longer. My skin is generally normal and very well-behaved, but my eye area is a little bit oily.

The color blends well and is buildable as long as you wait for the coats to fully dry before adding more. Overall, really good product! Not my #1 concealer, but for the price, it's unbeatable.

Upcoming Reviews!!

Hello my beautiful beauty wingers :)

The month of May is super crazy for me with tests, SATs, AP Exams, a trillion performances and shows, rehearsals, and more. BUT, it just so happens that it is also a month in which I have already purchased several new items that I'm DYING to review! So, just in case it takes me a little while to get them all up here, here are the things that I will be reviewing this month (and maybe spilling into June a bit, if I really need to!)...

1. LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub
2. NARS blush in Orgasm
3. Smasbox O-Gloss
4. Hard Candy Glamoflauge concealer
5. LORAC Private Affair Palette
6. MAC Lipstick in Secret Lover (discontinued, from the mac me over collection)

And more to come, I'm sure ;)

I look forward to putting these up soon! See you soon :D

Be happy, <3,
Hannah