BLOG SALE

Hello, internet!

Recently I realized that my makeup collection has gotten a bit out of control (Noooooo. Really???) and I decided the best thing to do in a situation like this was to clear out anything that isn't my absolute favorite or anything that hasn't been worn in over six months. I ended up giving a bunch of stuff to family and friends, but I was still left with some things that were just not getting any use from me. If you are interested in these products, shoot me an email at faniibeauty@gmail.com and we'll go from there :)

I will be updating a list of unavailable items as they sell.

All transactions will take place through PayPal, all prices include shipping, and will only ship to the U.S.

Sephora Haul and Swatches: OCC Unknown Pleasures Fall 2014 Collection!

Sooooo.....

It turns out that I was bad this month. Really bad. In fact, I ended up signing up for three deliveries from Sephora, which I don't even want to talk about :P

The first two are very OCC heavy, and I'll go ahead and review the stuff I got here :)

MAC A Novel Romance Collection: Haul and Swatches!

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

So today you get to hear about my very unique experience being both a makeup addict and a working girl. I spent most of yesterday afternoon calling all the different MAC counters in my city, asking if they would hold the two measly products I wanted from the new collection. Over and over again they said no, and I actually got kinda scared. I started thinking to myself. If I am unable to get my hands on these products, I shall be very put out.

Eh. Maybe not. But still.

People hoard MAC LE lipsticks like they're rare artifacts (and then sell them on eBay for $40, but I digress), and I was scared that I wouldn't get my hands on the two things I really wanted. I decided to phone in my order, so I set my alarm at work for 10 am and dialed faster than those nasty people over-order LE MAC lipsticks.

Needless to say, those babies are now mine.

Sephora Haul! NEW NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows!

Hey, all!

I recently stopped by Sephora and picked up a couple of new babies. I named them Phoebe and Callisto.

July Favorites :) MAC, Bobbi Brown, Drugstore, and more!

Hey guys!

So July suddenly became August, which for me brought a lot of new opportunities as far as my career and relationships are concerned :) I hope this summer has been as good to you as it was to me! This post will be a quick overview of the products that got me through hot summer days and cool nights :)

Here stands Phoebe, the goddess of makeup. She has blessed this month's offerings.

 As you can probably tell, my favorites are a bit MAC-heavy but do include some drugstore classics. The age is also all over the place, seeing as some products are brand-spankin' new and others I've had for almost a year now :)

LORAC PRO Palette 2: Swatches and Review

WARNING:

This review might influence future makeup purchases.

It's official. I'm in love. I wanted to meet him in person before I said anything (our relationship had mostly taken place online), but the moment I saw him, I knew.

Here's my love, the new LORAC PRO Palette 2.

Five Ways to Wear MAC's Riot House Lipstick!

Hey, guys!

Long time no see! For this post, I've got something a little different. I know the MAC Osbournes collection came out recently, and if you were lucky enough to snag what you wanted, congratulations! I got the Riot House lipstick because it was just the most adorable color ever, but then I realized that it is not necessarily the most wearable color for anyone above an NW20. SOOOOO..... Naturally I had to find some ways to make it more wearable! I found five different ways (with a mix of high end, limited edition, and drugstore) to wear Riot House without looking dead!

Ah! scary color! nooooooooooo

MAC Alluring Aquatic Haul and Review!

Hey, guys!

I'm back with more! So my MAC counter just released the Alluring Aquatic collection this morning, and you can bet I was there within the hour. Whether or not you can believe it, some of the stuff I wanted was sold out before I even walked into the store. I know. Whatever. 

I could go into a rant about people that go to MAC and buy out limited edition products only to sell them at a ridiculously inflated price later on, but I won't. You're mean and I hate you.

Urban Decay Electric Palette! Swatches and Review!

Hey, guys!

Soooooo. I am officially a college graduate. I graduated from Baylor University this last Saturday, and it was a mind-blowingly amazing experience. I spent the weekend with so many great friends and family and now I am on the job hunt! Before, however, I decided to stop at Sephora and get myself a few graduation presents. The first present I got myself is the Urban Decay Electric palette! Yaaay!

Drugstore Dupe for MAC's Toying Around lipstick from Playland!

Hey, guys!

So, I found something very interesting after I got home from my trip to MAC the other week. I had a feeling I had seen the color I bought (Toying Around) before in my collection, so I decided to pull out my coral pinks and swatch them next to each other. I found a near identical dupe, and I was glad/frustrated that the dupe is about a third of the price!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette!

FINALLY.

Makeup you can eat. Well, almost.

My MAC Lipstick Collection! Reviews and Swatches!

Hey guys!

Today I am taking on the monumental task of swatching my entire MAC lipstick collection. This is not an easy task for my lips, so it’s taken me quite a long time to swatch every single lipstick, photograph it, and organize it into this master post. I really hope this helps you guys with picking your next lipstick!

I will be separating these by finishes with the exception of Viva Glam lipsticks, which will be in their own category.

Frosts

Angel (P)

A lovely baby pink with very light shimmer. This is my go to for a natural lip color or a nude color if I pair it with a light gloss.

Plastique (P)

This is a very shimmery bronze color that has a slight plum shift in direct light. It’s definitely weird, but can look very pretty.

Sophisto (P)

This is a very classic berry color with slight gold shimmer. It’s quite sheer, so it is perfect for the workplace or for mature women.

Cremesheens

Fanfare (P)

This was my first ever MAC lipstick. I bought it to wear to work, and it is perfect for that. It’s a mauve pink with a creamy finish. looks fantastic on just about anyone.

Coral Bliss (P)

This is a lovely semi-sheer light coral color. Applies evenly and is lightly moisturizing.

Flamingo (LE)

This is very similar to Coral Bliss, but a little pinker. It’s wonderful for every day wear, and lovely for the summer.

Hang-Up (P)

This is one of my favorite vampy lipsticks. It can be applied sheerly for a stained look or opaquely for a deep, burgundy red lip. I absolutely love it!

Mattes

Candy Yum-Yum (P)

One of the brightest colors I own! This is a matte, vibrant hot pink with heavy blue undertones. It’s very matte and comfortable to wear. This color (and some other mattes) heavily stain my lips.

Ruby Woo (P)

MAC’s classic red! Very matte and very blue, so it looks amazing on just about anyone. It is very dry, but the results are totally worth it to me! This color does not stain my lips.

Relentlessly Red (P)

This is a lovely coral hot pink. It’s a Retro Matte, technically, and I’ve noticed this revamped formula is more comfortable to wear than the other mattes. This stains my lips.

All Fired Up (P)

This is very similar to Relentlessly Red, only with heavier blue undertones. It’s  a great color for spring and summer! This color stains my lips.

Honeylove (P)

I am obsessed with this shade. Seriously obsessed. I got it from Back2MAC just a few days ago on a whim, and I absolutely love it. It’s a smooth, creamy matte beige with some hints of peach in it, which makes it the perfect nude or every-day color for me. I love it! On clients, I like to pair it with Hip ‘n Happy lip pencil and Angel lipglass! (looks amazing on fair-skinned gals) 

Scarlet Ibis (LE)

This was first released with the Iris Apfel collection a few years ago, and I bought it when it was re-released with the Marilyn Monroe collection the year after. It is a bright, matte red orange. It does stain my lips, but it is so gorgeous and totally on trend for summer.

Viva Glam

Viva Glam I (P)

This is a universally flattering matte brick red. It does not stain my lips, and applies smoothly.

Viva Glam V (P)

This is the most underrated VG lipstick in the entire range. It’s a brownish pink with gold shimmer. It applies kind of sheerly, and compliments soooo many different skintones.

Viva Glam Nicki (LE)

This was released a couple of years ago, and is a bright almost neon coral pink. I love it for summer. It applies very smoothly and lightly stains my lips.

Viva Glam Nicki2 (LE)

This is one of the crazier colors I own. It is a milky, pale lavender color with a creamy texture and finish. I love this for gradient lip looks and as a shade to mix in with other colors!

Viva Glam Rihanna (LE)

This is a gorgeous blue red with some shimmer in it. It's not overly frosty, but definitely has a sheen to it. It's super glam in my opinion!

Amplified

Morange (P)

This shade needs no introduction. It's a bright orange cream that is fully opaque, comfortable to wear, and does NOT stain my lips! I love it and it is totally on trend for this summer!

Impassioned (P)

I have a love/hate relationship with this color. I love it when it's on, but it always, always, ALWAYS stains my lips very heavily. So, I end up wearing the color longer than I want to. Other than that, it is creamy and opaque. The Amplified Creme formula is one of my favorites!

Vegas Volt (P)

 This is another shade I love/hate. Sometimes it looks so chic on me and I'll wear it everywhere, but other days it looks so tacky that I can't stand it. I don't know what it is (I'm crazy). It has the same awesome qualities of the Amplified Cremes.

Toying Around (LE)
This one is from MAC's Playland Collection, and it is a bright, coral pink. I have a ton of these colors, but I'm just so drawn to them. I can't help it! It's opaque in a couple of swipes and super comfortable to wear!

Satin

Rebel (P)

Another lipstick with a notorious reputation. Whenever someone at the counter asks for a vampy lip, I suggest this one because it's so versatile. You can wear it sheerly as a stain, heavy as a vampy lip, and it transitions from fall/winter to spring/summer seamlessly.

MAC Red (P)

A very underrated lipstick, I think. It has great color payoff, is SUPER comfortable, and leaves a really nice finish on the lips. It's a blue based red, might look pink on girls with fair and cool skin.

Film Noir (P)

Ok. This is a shade you either love or hate. I love it. It's a dark, neutral brown that applies opaquely and is comfortable to wear. To each their own!

Glaze

Hue (P)

I don't wear this shade often. I Back to MAC-ed for it a year ago because I wanted a nice nude, and I gotta say I don't love it. It's sheer and applies a little unevenly, but it seems to look wonderful on anyone but me. I say go try it, you might love it!

Mineralize Rich

All Out Gorgeous (DC)

This is one of my favorite red lip colors ever. It's semi-sheer and a very deep, blue red. It's got strong berry tones in it, and looks amazing. It is very moisturizing and creamy.

Be Fabulous (P)

 This is one of the shades that recently released with the Mineralize Rich collection, and is a light, semi-sheer baby blue pink. It looks so menacing in the tube, but once you put it on it is an entirely different shade. I love this color!

So there you go, guys! My lips are now permanently chafed from swatching all of these in one day! (Don't ask me, I don't know what I was thinking, either). I hope you find this useful and it helps you pick out your next shade! :)

xoxo Fanii

Maybelline Pumped Up Mascara, Review!

Hey, guys!

So I was recently walking through the drugstore, minding my own business, when I noticed Maybelline had a new mascara out. And it was pink. And it had some ridiculous claim on the box. So, naturally, I picked it up to see if the wild claims were true (16x volume? C'mon, Maybelline, who's going to measure that?). The brush is very generic, with a gimmick-y wand, but the results are actually quite amazing.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #19: Fuchsia in Rage!

Let me just start by saying this: yes, they are. 

Anything you've ever heard about the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine formula is absolutely true. That it was handcrafted by angels. That they feel like melting butter on baby skin on silk. That the color is so pretty you can hear Elton John singing in your ear when you apply it.

It's. All. True.

MAC How: Pro Sculpting Creams

Hey, guys! 

I'm slowly but surely working through the blog posts for the stuff I picked up during my birthday weekend, and this is one of them! I had stopped by MAC to turn in some empties and get my free lipstick, and saw the new Studio Sculpt Collection. It mainly includes the promotion of Studio Sculpt Foundation (the first foundation I ever tried from MAC), the re-release of the Pro Sculpting Creams, and the all new Studio Sculpt Mascara.

YSL Haul! Glossy Stain in Pêche Cerra-Cola and Volupte Glosse in Corail Gandoura

Hey, guys!

I picked up two new YSL goodies at Sephora on my birthday (because I have a problem, obvi), and they are nearly twins. I picked up a Glossy Stain and one of the new Glosse Volupte glosses. The shades I got are Pêche Cerra-Cola and Corail Grandoura.

e.l.f. HD Cream Blushes in Showstopper and Headliner: Swatches and review!

Hey, guys!

So, I know that I recently hauled and reviewed a ton of stuff from Sephora, which isn't all that affordable. I wanted to show these two products from e.l.f. that are absolutely outstanding and will cost you $3. These are the HD Blushes, which are very, very, similar to the Makeup Forever HD blushes. I have not tried the latter, so I can't say how the formulas compare. The packaging is nearly identical.

Looks of the Day: Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Hey, guys!

A couple of posts ago, Lauren asked me to do a couple of looks to demonstrate the versatility of the Smashbox Full Exposure palette that I picked up during my birthday week. I came up with three looks for you all. One for every day wear, neutral enough for even beginners to master, one simply smoky eye for those who are more daring or are going out, and one for those who are comfortable wearing a little more glam on an everyday basis.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Eyeshadow Palette: Review and Swatches!

This is another product that I reached into the shelf and clutched to my heart once it was in my hands. I’ve never reached for something in a store so quickly! This is the Tarte Be MATTEnificent CC Eyeshadow Palette. I had this baby in my basket on the Sephora website for weeks, and was waiting for payday (and my birthday) to finally check out. The morning of the day I was supposed to get it, it sold out online. I wasn’t able to even look at it on the website anymore, so I couldn’t look up if any Sephora near me still had it in stock. 

That same weekend, having accepted defeat, I headed into Georgetown, Texas (about an hour drive from my university) to visit the Wolf-Ranch Sephora. I was at the door at eleven on the dot (the exact time they open), grabbed a basket, and got going. As I was walking through the little aisles, I thought I’d swing by the Tarte aisle to look at some blushes. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that this glorious little palette was there. There were two left, and one of them was in my basket in the blink of an eye.

My point was, check your local Sephora before you give up on this baby :)

This palette contains six matte shades, two eyeliner shades, and a blush color. This palette is definitely purple in its theme, so if you don’t like wearing purple shades, this is not for you. I just so happen to be a purple shadow junkie, which is why I was pining over this in the first place.

The names of the shades are in a plastic cover inside the palette, but that is now long gone. They are nowhere else on the palette, so once you throw that out, the colors are name-less. Honestly, this doesn’t bother me at all, but I’d thought I’d mention it since I keep seeing people who are bothered by a lack of names on their shadows.

Here are the swatches!

The square shadows all have great pigmentation, and I didn’t find them chalky on my ligtht/medium skintone at all. You might want to check it out in person (if you can) first if you have darker skin, to make sure they show up well. They can get a bit powdery, but it’s not something that has made my use of it messy or bothersome.

The eyeliner shades are a bit dry, but seeing as I think they’re meant to be used wet, this isn’t a huge deal. I have yet to try them on the lid, but I’ll let you know how that goes!

The blush is a pink mauve. It’s very neutral, and it goes with virtually anything. It’s got the usual quality of Tarte’s blushes (which never wear the full twelve hours they claim on me).

What do you guys think? Are you sprinting to your nearest Sephora to find it?

xoxo Fanii