Hello, my little Awkward Annies! Earlier this year I hit the 100 follower mark, and I had planned on doing a giveaway then. Life sidetracked me a bit, so I’m just now getting around to it. I’m humbled and honored that you have taken the time to read my little blog on a regular basis. To show my appreciation, I’m giving one lucky winner a $50 Sephora eCard. Here are the rules:
Anyone can enter! The gift card will be sent to the winner via email.
The contest begins today and will end next Friday (April 3rd, 2015). A winner will be chosen that evening and contacted via their blog.
To enter, you must be a follower of this blog. You must also share this post on your own blog. Finally, you must comment below, answering the following question: What is your favorite beauty product(s) for spring? These rules allow one entry per person.
A winner will be chosen at random on the aforementioned date. The winner then has 24 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.
Oh, happy day! The beauty world is embracing mattes! I adore anything and everything matte. Whether it be lipsticks, eyeshadows, or foundations, matte is always better in my book. Lucky for me, Too Faced and Tarte have both come out with some stellar palettes these past few months! In my opinion, matte shades tend to wear better throughout the day and are perfect for adding depth in eye looks. As women get older, shimmer can cling to and accentuate wrinkles and fine lines. Yet another reason why matte shadows look lovely and sophisticated on women of all ages.
So which brand takes home the prize of Best Matte Palette? Let’s take a look at each product before making our final decision!
Tartelette Palette
$44.00
First Row (L to R): Free Spirit, Force of Nature, Dreamer, Multi-Tasker Second Row: Careiver, Natural Beauty, Best Friend, Bombshell Third Row: Super Mom, Wanderer, Power Player, Fashionista
Pros:
Twelve highly pigmented shades
Sturdy, compact case, which is great for travel
Palette is well-rounded (contains both a highlight and black/dark brown shade for a complete eye look)
Shades are visibly labelled (with cute feminine, empowering names)
Palette has a large, self-standing mirror
Shadows create very little fallout
Part of Tarte Cosmetics permanent collection
Cons:
Some shades are a bit streaky, which means you have to work a little harder to blend
Shades more on the “cool” spectrum
Too Faced Natural Matte Palette
$36.00
First Row (L to R): Heaven, Cashmere Bunny, Sexpresso Second Row: Lace Teddy, Strapless, Risque Third Row: Nudie, Honey Butter, Chocolate Cookie
Pros:
Nine highly pigmented shades
Sturdy case for traveling
Shades visibly labeled (with sassy names!)
Contains “how to” guide for putting together eyeshadow looks
Shadows blend together beautifully
Cons:
Shades more on the “warm” spectrum
Some shades are powdery, which create fallout
Six of the shadows are quite small
Palette contains very small mirror
Palette does not contain a deep brown or black
So how do you choose? Honestly, I love each of these palettes. They both have fantastic qualities, but I think we have a clear leader here.
::Drumroll:::
And the winner is…..THE TARTELETTE PALETTE!
You just get more bang for your buck with this beauty. You can create a wider range of looks with it, and the pros outweigh the cons by a long shot.
I hope you found this review helpful. Have a great weekend, friends!
A little known fact about myself: I can be quite impulsive. This trait came about tonight while hanging out with my friend Anna. I got another tattoo! This makes number four for me. Whenever I’ve gotten a tattoo in the past, I had never planned it out beforehand. I mean, I have a vague idea of what I’d like, but never anything solid in my mind. Such was the case tonight. I knew I wanted a field scene that contained wheat, and that was as far as I’d gotten! See, deciding where to eat always seems like a gigantic, life or death decision…but figuring out what to permanently etch on my body doesn’t phase me in the least. That’s not normal, is it? Anyway, after talking with my new friend, Robert the tattoo artist, we put together a design I loved!
I really do love it. It’s on my left forearm, so it looks like I’m going to have to figure out another swatching location for my product reviews!
If any of you were curious about the significance, I’ve always been semi-obsessed with fields. Their openness always puts me at ease. Also, I grew up in a house that backed up to a low prairie, and some of my best childhood memories happened while playing there. Plus, my kiddo always picks me wildflowers (weeds), and it melts my heart every time!
I have to say, today was one for the books. Truthfully, this whole week has been. Let me preface these next couple of stories by saying that I live a very unusual life. Unusual in the sense that weird people and events are drawn to me, like a magnet. My co-worker recently said that if she wasn’t there to physically witness some of the things that happen to me, she wouldn’t believe they actually occurred. But they do, friends…They do. They are widely referred to as “Rachel Moments.” I truly believe that I would make any television network successful just by allowing them to film my every day life. I’m not saying that to brag, it’s just that my life is entertaining..but usually at my own expense. Here are some examples that have truthfully happened within the past seven days.
1. The iPad Punch
This story has been told in an earlier post, but I felt it was worth another mention so as to give you all a better idea of why my life is a literal comedy. So my husband and I were lying in bed the other night watching a documentary on the iPad. I was holding the iPad slightly above my face at an angle that both my husband and I could see the screen. About halfway through the movie, I noticed the battery was about to die. The charger was lying on the floor next to my side of the bed, so I reached down to grab it while still holding on to the iPad. I lost my grip, and it pelted me right in the mouth. My tooth cut into my lip, and it immediately started to bleed. I sat up, dripping blood all over me trying to process what had just happened. My husband just starred at my gaping wound for a second before running to retrieve a towel and ice. Even though I iced it for a good hour or so, I still had a fat, bruised lip the next morning. In fact, it’s still bruised four days later. I’ve worn dark lipstick every day in order to hide it, but my lovely coworkers have told me the bruise is still visible. Awesome.
2. The Unfortunate Customer
I was near the cash registers at work when a rather large lady walked into the store with a return. Trust me, it’s important that I say she was overweight, and you’ll understand why in a minute. She came up to me and said she needed to exchange a skin care product. She showed me the product, which was a facial moisturizer. She then asked if I could tell she was allergic to it. Noticing her face seemed more than a bit puffy, I confidently asked her if it made her face swell. Aaaaaaand, insert foot in mouth! She just looked at me, appalled, and said that it had actually just given her a slight rash on her cheeks. Sorry I inadvertently called you fat, ma’am! Sometimes I just suck at communicating. Lesson learned, treat these kinds of situations with the utmost care. Better yet, just play dumb and let them explain.
3. Public Indecency
We recently got a new dog, Pixie, who is still very puppy-like. She really is a (mostly) good girl, but lately she’s been having a few accidents in the house. This has made me hyper aware of her behavior, and any time I think she may have to go potty, I run outside with her. Such was the case early this morning. She hopped off the bed and started sniffing around. Now, I’m one to only sleep in a tank top and underwear because our house gets quite hot at night. I didn’t think I had time to throw on sweatpants, so I ran to the front door with her and just shoved her outside. Just for reference, we live in a pretty decent sized neighborhood. So I’m watching her through the window next to the door, and she’s just standing there staring at me. I’m frustrated and just want her to do her business so I can go back to bed. I reach my leg out the door, yelling “go potty!” thinking that will give her the hint to walk down the steps and into the yard. Nope. Begrudgingly, I sneak onto the porch, pulling my tank top down over my behind and walk down with her. She happily follows me, but still won’t pee. I walk a little further into the yard, hoping I can fool whoever is looking into thinking my obvious shirt just could be a…dress? Yeah, probably not. All of a sudden, I hear a man and woman talking. It’s this young, fit couple going for a jog just yards away from me. Of course, I panic and start to walk backwards all while trying not to draw attention to myself. Just as they’re almost past my driveway, I trip over the bottom porch step and fall backwards. This causes me to release my tank top which springs back up around my stomach, showing my bright pink underwear. The couple gapes at me silently as they scurry away. Hey, neighbors!
4. Dirty Old Man
This last story occurred this very afternoon! A middle-aged man who was shopping with his wife approached me, asking if we carried “hedge trimmers.” Immediately, I’m on guard. My “weird customer” sensor is going berzerk in my head. He explains that he’s been cutting his beard with dog clippers, and he wants to buy an actual beard trimmer. I walk him over to that section of our store, and out of nowhere he asks if I can do “this.” He starts to flex his pectorals, one after the other. Without missing a beat, I say “No, but I can do THIS!” And I show him how I can repeatedly flare my nostrils. I have to say that his expression was one of pure astonishment! He breathily exclaims, “Wow…that’s so sexy.” Playing along, I tell him that this is something I already knew. He then asks if it’s how I get “all the guys,” and I tell him it’s how I snagged my husband. Thank you, sir, for an interaction that I’ll never forget!
Alright, so are any movie producers reading this? Am I eligible for my own reality t.v. show yet? I’ll be eagerly waiting for someone to contact me, because how can people NOT be amused by my strange little life? Alright, time to go and disconnect from the real world for a bit, but I’m positive there will be more Rachel Moments to share with you soon..
I’m officially part of the ColourPop Cosmetics club! There has been so much hype surrounding this brand as of late, and I had to get my hands on it myself! I purchased fifteen items this time around in order to get a true feel for the quality of their products. That may seem like a lot, but at around $5 an item you definitely get your money’s worth! Before I start swatching like a mad woman, let me tell you a bit about the products. The shadows and blushes are unlike anything I’ve ever worked with before. They have a soft, mousse-like consistency and need to be closed tightly after each use in order to keep them from drying out. Because of their texture, they are best applied with your fingers. That may seem a bit scary at first, but I was able to apply a few shades on my eyes using my index and middle fingers, and they blended together perfectly. I did the same with the blush, and it blended out evenly on my cheeks. I’ve heard that you can use brushes with these products as well, but synthetic hairs work best and it may take a little building up to get your desired opacity. The lip products are amazing. I’m in love with the colors I purchased. They’re smooth, creamy, and have decent lasting power. I do recommend using the corresponding lip liner with the brighter shades to achieve a crisp, even application.
Enough with the chatter! Let’s dig in!
This eye shadow is adorably named “I Heart This.” It’s a light golden color that contains small glitter particles. I envision using this as either a wash of color all over the lid, or a pop of shimmer in the center of the eye.
The next shadow is named “Eye Candy” and is an ultra shimmery, mid-toned pink. So beautiful!
Next up is “Meow,” my favorite eye shadow of the bunch. It’s got pink, silver, and dark grey shimmers marbled together. When you swirl your finger over the top, you get the above color. I’d describe it as a deep, iridescent taupe.
The last three shadows I bought are all mattes. This is “Bill.” A pinky-mauve color that would work amazingly in the crease.
Here we have “Hanky Panky.” While I love the name, this is the one shadow I’m unsure about for my skin tone. I feel the light, warm brown may wash me out a bit, but hopefully I can make it work!
The last shadow we have is “Girl Crush.” It’s a bit like “Bill,” but a smidge darker. Again, it’s going to be a great crease color! Perhaps I’ll pair it with “Meow?” Ooh, la la!
Here’s a picture of all the shadows swatched side-by-side. From left to right, we have: I Heart This, Meow, Eye Candy, Bill, Hanky Panky, and Girl Crush. As you can see, the first three are extremely shimmery. I’m not one to normally go for glittery shadows, but they’re so pretty that I had to make an exception.
On to the blushes! I only bought two of these, but I’m loving the shades. They are perfect, every day blushes that I know I’ll be using often. First up is “Between The Sheets,” which is a matte peachy-pink.
Second is “Birthday Suit.” It’s a gorgeous, wearable pink that’s right up my alley.
We have arrived at my favorite portion of the hall. The lip products! To which, I have a serious addiction to. Seriously, you should see my collection. What’s seven more, am I right? Well anyway, first up is the “Lumiere” lippie and lip pencil. Can I just say that I hate the word “lippie?” Well, I do. ColourPop, so far this is my only gripe… Moving on! Lumiere is a lovely, matte mauve/dusty rose color. Many have described it as the perfect Kylie Jenner lip shade, and I’d have to agree. It seems like it’d be her jam! I still barely know who Kylie Jenner is…sorry kids, but I’m not that cool.
You’re looking at the “Frieda” set, which is described as a warm, nude pink. Again, it’s perfect for every day wear.
Here we have “Button.” It’s a wearable peach with a satin finish. I can’t wait to wear it this summer! I didn’t buy the matching lip pencil, because this seemed like a color I could get away with using on its own. Hopefully that will be the case!
Lastly, here is “I Heart This” lippie/lip pencil duo. Look at that color! It’s a matte, red-based fuchsia. I actually took a picture wearing this one, but I was looking a little rough after a long day at work. Instead, I think I’ll do a look with these products and post a tutorial in the near future. That’ll make up for it, right?
We’ve reached the end of the haul! So sad! I have to say, I can’t find a fault in these products as of yet. They’re priced right, super pigmented, blend effortlessly, and seem to have great staying power. In fact, my arm is still stained from the row of shadow swatches I did earlier in the evening. Have you tried out ColourPop Cosmetics yet? If so, what are your thoughts?
Stay weird, friends!
-Rachel
P.S.-If you haven’t already seen, I’m now on Bloglovin’! Look for the “Follow Me On Bloglovin'” Button on the bottom/right side of the screen!
Someone call my husband and calmly explain to him that my heart has been stolen by another. Quickly add the fact that it’s been thefted by a body lotion, and he should regain composure pretty quickly. YOU GUYS! This lotion smells SO GOOD! You can tell I really mean it because of the italics and caps, right? Rarely do I see the point in centering an entire post around one product, but this one deserves it. As you can tell from the photo, the lotion is Philosophy’s “Fresh Cream.” I recieved it (as well as a few other products I’ll review soon) during a Philosophy/CK One training I went to this morning for my job. The scent is primarily vanilla with hints of…cream. I suck at describing things. It’s a light scent, but so far it has withstood many puppy cuddles, household chores, and YouTube watching. Hey, I just put it on around dinner time and the boys are out playing basketball. I can relish in some relaxation time, can’t I? Sheesh. I’ll update you in the near future about its lasting power after I’ve been able to wear it an entire day. Seriously though, I can’t stop smelling myself. Delightful! I definitely recommend trying this out for yourself. I doubt you’ll be disappointed!
I can’t end this post without another one of my many, unfortunate anectodes. I’m sure many of you have had the experience of accidentally dropping your phone on your face…
Yes, I’ve been there myself. But how many of you can say you’ve dropped your iPad on your face? ::raises hand:: Yep. Last night my husband and I were laying in bed, watching a documentary. I was holding the iPad for us, and momentarily got distracted by the fact that the battery was about to die. I reached awkwardly to grab the power cord, and the iPad slipped out of my hand and onto my mouth. Ouch. My tooth dug into my bottom lip, and it instantly began dripping copious amounts of blood. I took a picture of the aftermath this morning. You probably don’t want to see, but too bad!
I get to wear dark red lipstick every day until this sucker heals. Good thing I love red lipstick! Anyway, welcome to my clumsy world.
If you’re not already part of my awkward little family, take a moment to subscribe in order to keep up with my zany life and beauty-related reviews and tutorials! Speaking of which, I’m in the process of working on an exciting giveaway! Stay tuned for more details.
Stay weird. 😉
-Rachel
P.S.- I was about to title this post “Lotion Lovin,” but I thought that could get misconstrued…
Oh, loves! How long has it been? I came down with what I like to call “The Georgia Plague” a few weeks ago, and it took a round of antibiotics, steroids, and more ginger and green tea than I ever want to intake again to kick it. I’m just now feeling like myself again. Unfortunately, in my stubbornness, I still went to work through the worst days of my illness. People treated me as a leper, as I coughed and hacked in their direction while applying makeup to their disgusted faces. Sadly, I passed the plague along to several of my coworkers, which they now lovingly refer to as “The Rachel.” Whoops! Anyway, even though I was down and out, I still found myself reaching for these specific products often and with much affection. Without further delay, here are the February all-stars!
The first is L’Oreal’s 24-HR Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation and my Beauty Blender Sponge. The foundation sells for $12.99 and the sponge retails for $19.95. You guys…this foundation is heaven sent. It can only have been made by angelic beings, it is so perfect. I never thought I’d find a drugstore foundation that would beat out my beloved Cover Girl 3-in-1 Stay Fabulous Foundation, but I absolutely did. With the help of my Beauty Blender, it applies evenly and flawlessly and lasts all day long. Seriously, it doesn’t budge! I can’t imagine another face product out doing this one any time soon.
Next up is Pur Mineral’s “Soak It Up” Moisturizer ($34). I’m going to admit something to you. I hate moisturizing. I hate the feel of it on my skin. I know it’s a necessity, but I just HATE feeling greasy. And then I met this little number.. It’s more of a hydrating gel, and it soaks into my skin so quickly that I don’t have time to feel oily. It perfectly primes (alliteration) my skin for foundation and whatever else I throw on it. Plus, a little goes a long way, so it’s well worth the money.
Up next is Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant ($78). Now before you freak out, I got this product for free. Perk of my position at work. I’ll admit that I’d pass if I had to purchase it myself. But since I have it, I’m getting so much use out of it! It cleans my skin so deeply, and I love the smooth texture it gives my skin. So far, I’ve been using this product about twice a week. These types of products can damage your skin if you use them too frequently, so I’m using caution.
Here we have Bath & Body Work’s Fragrance Mist in “Beautiful Day.” It retails for $14. On the official site, this scent is described as “sun-kissed apple, wild daisies & fresh pink peonies.” I’m not sure if I get all of that, but it does smell amazing. It’s very light and reminds me of a sunny, spring day. That’s probably the reason I’ve been wearing it so much as of late. I’m wishing the warmer weather would stay!
Next is Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara ($8.99). I wouldn’t describe this as the best mascara I’ve ever used, but it gets the job done better than most. I’m a fan of the brush and its gel-like consistency. It’s a win in my book!
“Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful?” That song popped into my head as soon as I saw this beautiful shade. It’s Lorac’s Alter Ego Lipstick in “Girl Next Door.” You can purchase it for $16 at Ulta or Sephora, but I got it as a bonus when I purchased the Unzipped Cheek Palette. It’s a creamy matte, which is my cup of tea for sure. It stays in place, doesn’t feather, and doesn’t dry out my lips. Plus, it smells like a cupcake. I’ll take 3 more, please!
Speaking of Lorac’s Unzipped Cheek Palette ($30), here we have it! I’ve been on a cheek palette hunt for the past six months or so, and this definitely satisfied my craving. I’ve used it every single day since I purchased it. Every. Single. Day.
Ah, the infamous Tartelette Eyeshadow Palette ($44)! Is there a more perfect collection of matte eye shadows in the world? No. The answer is no. What do I love about this palette? Let me just count the ways! It’s all matte, which is always a favorite in my book. It’s sturdy. It contains a lovely mirror that stands on its own. The shadows are visibly labeled. The shades blend nicely. It’s a one-stop palette with it’s deep black and brow bone highlight colors. Finally, it’s a perfect mix of cool and warm shades. Money well spent!
The last beauty product in the list is the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque. I’m not sure what this retails for originally, because I found it at TJ Maxx. Can I just say how much I love that store, by the way? I always feel like I’m on a treasure hunt! But anyway, this masque has been a god send for my poor, bleached hair. Going blonde has been a fun adventure, but it’s done a number to my once lush hair. This product smells so good, and I notice a big difference in the quality of my hair when I use it.
I bought this Beringer Pink Moscato recently at Target on sale for $6.99. I’m a sweet wine fan, and I doubt it gets much sweeter than this. In fact, I’m enjoying a glass right now! Yum!
And finally, my last February Favorite is my sweet little Pixie! We got her this month at a local shelter, and she couldn’t be a more perfect fit for our family. She’s a one-year-old Pit Bull mix. She’s a sweet girl and a major cuddler. I’ve been taking her and my other dog, Lola, out for walks almost nightly. They’re helping me get in shape in their own little way!
Well, friends, thank you for being patient with my recent absence. I don’t intend on letting that happen again any time soon! I’ll be back soon with more reviews, favorites, and funny anecdotes. Have a great night!
The Awkward Addict 