DUPE ALERT!!: MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow and Urban Decay Skimp Eyeshadow Dupes!

Hey guys!!!

 

I know this post is going to be a little off topic today and I’m still planning to do the Urban Decay Naked Palette vs the counterfeit “Faked” Palette comparison post, I just haven’t had enough time on my recent days off to do that post because it’s going to be kind of complicated. But I’m finally going to have next Wednesday off all to myself so I’m planning to post it then. I’ve also been researching and gathering up information for my Fall 2013 Trends post series (I’m planning to do separate posts for eyes, lips, face and nails).

The past few weeks, Ulta was having its 21 days of beauty sale and on day 19, which was September 26^th, they featured the Cargo Cosmetics Vintage Escape Eye Palette for only $20. The palette is a limited edition fall palette and it retails for $39 on Cargo’s website (it is still available for purchase there for anybody who’s interested in it). Unfortunately, Ulta no longer has this palette available but I can promise you that even though it’s not $20 anymore, it is well worth the $39 on Cargo’s website. The shadows are gorgeous and very pigmented; I am so impressed with the quality of these eyeshadows. I’m not going to review the palette right now because I’m going to talk about it in my upcoming Fall Trends post, so I apologize for not going into major detail about the palette right now but I wanted to show you something that I am very excited about. When I first received my palette and opened it, I noticed one of the shades called “Autumn” looked eerily similar to a very popular MAC eyeshadow- Soft Brown. Before I purchased Soft Brown, I looked everywhere for a dupe and could not find one so I bit the bullet and bought Soft Brown.

 

 

                           Pictured: Autumn shade is right above the MAC Soft Brown compact.

 

  Pictured: MAC Soft Brown next to Autumn (Sorry the picture came out upside down :/)

 

 

I decided to do a little experiment today and pulled out my Cargo palette and MAC Soft Brown and compared it with “Autumn” in the palette. It was so unsettling how they looked identical in the pan, so I decided to swatch them out of curiosity. Sure enough, they were DEAD on identical. It was scary lol. I mean, they were the same even down to the pigmentation and the texture. Granted, purchasing the palette isn’t necessarily going to save you money especially if you just want that one shade, but the whole palette is amazing quality and you definitely get your money’s worth. Anyone who has been wanting this palette, go for it and go for it fast because its limited edition and I don’t know how long it’s going to be in stock.

 

 

Pictured L-R: Urban Decay Skimp and L’Oreal Shroom Shimmer

 

 

There is one more dupe that I discovered a long time ago that I would also like to mention to you guys because nobody out there has talked about this dupe and it’s also spot on identical. It doesn’t look identical in the pan, but it is identical when swatched and worn. Anyone out there who’s been looking for Urban Decay Skimp Eyeshadow, which has been long discontinued, I found an identical dupe for it and the dupe is L’Oreal Wear Infinite Studio Secrets Professional Eyeshadow Single in 802 Shroom Shimmer. It is the exact same color and the shimmer is the same as well and it looks exactly the same on the lids too. See my swatches below, it’s uncanny.

 

 

Swatches L-R with Flash: Urban Decay Skimp, L’Oreal Shroom Shimmer, MAC Soft Brown, Autumn from Cargo Vintage Escape Palette.

 

 

 

Swatches L-R without Flash: Urban Decay Skimp, L’Oreal Shroom Shimmer, MAC Soft Brown, Autumn from Cargo Vintage Escape Palette.

 

I’m sorry for the short post today but I really wanted to share those dupes with you guys. I’m hoping that I will have the Naked Palette post up next Wednesday and I hope everyone has a great weekend! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jordana Powder Blush Shades for Fall 2013

Hey guys!!

I’m sorry it took me so long to do this blog post. I mentioned doing this post several weeks ago in my last post but I hadn’t gotten around to doing it yet so I apologize for that. Today’s post is going to be over Jordana’s new blush shades that were just released. I’m assuming these 12 brand new shades are part of Jordana’s Fall 2013 collection. Jordana is on a roll this Fall, releasing these new blushes along with eyeliners, shadow pencils, mascaras and balm stains. They are really on their A-game because these new products are awesome and I love Jordana’s products as a whole. I think they are a fantastic brand with high quality items at very affordable prices. Everything I’ve ever purchased from this brand has been a hit for me and the blushes are my favorite item. I own 12 of them including 4 of the new shades which I will be showing you today. All of their powder blushes retail for $2.49 and you should be able to find them at Walgreens or online (my favorite online store to buy them is Beautyjoint.com). All stores carry different items so I would suggest checking your local drugstore or any type of store that carries drugstore makeup. I personally have a difficult time finding them at my local Walgreens so I usually purchase them from Beautyjoint.com. Beautyjoint has cheap shipping rates and sometimes they offer coupons so that’s a plus.

Shades Shown L-R: Peach Blossom, Passion Rose, and Pink Beauty  

 

The 12 new shades are Cinnamon Spice, Tender Tearose, Hot Raspberry, Rich Sorbet, Peach Blossom, Sweet Honey, Apple Cheeks, Terracotta Treasure, Warm Cider, Pink Beauty, Passion Rose and Coral Radiance. These colors range from bright and vivid, muted and natural, to deep. They are all equally gorgeous and there is something for everyone. This blush line has a ton of variety and they are so cheap that you could experiment with a color you’ve never tried before and it wouldn’t be a big loss to you if you didn’t like the blush because it’s not a big investment. But I believe it is definitely an investment worth making because these blushes are very pigmented and they pack a punch, especially those bright shades which I own a few of. Don’t be intimidated by these bright colors because they are wearable and they can add a nice pop of color to your look. There were a lot of new shades I wanted to try but I only purchased 4, which are Coral Radiance, Passion Rose, Peach Blossom, and Pink Beauty. I still intend to purchase a few more later on.

 

 

Shades Shown L-R: Coral Radiance, Passion Rose, Peach Blossom, and Pink Beauty

 

 

As soon as I saw these new colors on Jordana’s website, I immediately knew that I had to have Coral Radiance. It is a bright coral and it is perfect for the summer (which is unfortunately over :/). Passion Rose is a medium rosy pink color that is good for giving you that flushed look. Peach Blossom is a medium peachy pink color and it reminds me of a toned down version of Coral Radiance. Lastly, I have Pink Beauty which is a bright hot pink. I can’t speak for the other colors because I don’t own them yet, but they look pretty from the swatches I’ve seen online.

 

Swatches Shown L-R: Coral Radiance, Passion Rose, Peach Blossom, and Pink Beauty

 

 

I will say that these blushes can get a bit powdery when you’re trying to apply them, but as long as you tap the excess off your brush you will be fine. I’ve worn these blushes to work for at least 5 hours (my shifts vary because I work part time) and they held up well on my oily skin. I own a lot of blushes and these have got to be one of the best drugstore blushes out there in my opinion. So if you see these tiny gems in a small hidden display like the one in my Walgreens, I urge you to try at least one. You will not be disappointed and I bet you will probably go back for more.

I have two upcoming blogs planned out for you guys. Next week I’m planning to do a blog comparing the real Urban Decay Naked palette with the fake piece of crap they are trying to sell on eBay and then after that I plan to do a blog about 2013 fall makeup trend essentials. I might break it up into a few posts because I want to go over the perfect fall palettes/eyeshadows, lipsticks, and nail polishes following this fall’s trends. So that is something exciting to look forward to! ;)

 

 

 

Birthday Binge (Haul) + Mini Reviews and Swatches Part 2- Sephora & Macy's

Welcome back Cosmeticholics!

As I promised you guys in the last post, here is the continuation of my birthday haul. These are the beauty related gifts my mom gave me for my birthday and I finally got my Lancome La Vie Est Belle about a week ago! It smells amazing :)

 

Sephora Goodies:

There had been some new items I had been lusting after for a little while and I figured my birthday would be the perfect time to ask for these products. Let me tell you, I am crazy about Urban Decay. It’s definitely my favorite high-end makeup brand. I’m sure many people would disagree with me, but I like it way more than MAC. Don’t get me wrong, of course I like MAC too, but I wouldn’t run out and buy something from MAC just because it’s part of a new collection. I would with Urban Decay though and I get very excited anytime they come out with new stuff, especially their palettes. That being said, when I found out they had a new line of lipsticks coming out with their Fall 2013 collection, I had to try one. Especially since I have never owned a lipstick from Urban Decay. I also fell in love with the new Tarte Limited Edition Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette the minute I saw it online. I knew it had to be mine and the packaging is gorgeous!

 

 

Pictured left to right- Limited Edition Tarte Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38), Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked ($22), Sephora Beauty Insider Lancome Loves Lashes Travel-Size Mascara Set (Free with coupon code- I don’t believe they are still running this offer)

 

 

 

Tarte Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette swatches left to right- Champagne (Highlighter), Park Ave Princess (Bronzer), Carefree (Blush), [Following are all eyeshadows] Paradise Pink, Lilac Mist, Golden Getaway, Sandy Grey, Tropical Suntan, and Cocoa Cabana.

 

There is no denying how beautiful the Tarte Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette is. It is packaged in a large round dark brown compact with an orange and gold scale pattern in the middle and a raised gold starfish in the center. On the inside, it contains a HUGE mirror. The face products and eyeshadows are excellent quality. The highlighter (Champagne) is a beautiful, shimmery champagne shade; the bronzer (Park Ave Princess) is a matte mid-tone tan brown; the blush (Carefree) is a shimmery bright mid-tone pink; Paradise Pink is a shimmery light pink with small flecks of silver glitter; Lilac Mist is a satin lilac grape kind of purple with small flecks of gold glitter in it- it’s a very unique shade; Golden Getaway is a beautiful shimmery champagne bronze; Sandy Grey is a shimmery grayish taupe; Tropical Suntan is a matte caramel beige; Cocoa Cabana is a matte dark chocolate brown. As I said, everything has great color payoff. The palette also comes with a little instructional chart which gives you a day and night look you can replicate step-by-step.

 

 

 

 

Urban Decay’s new Revolution Lipsticks are part of the new Fall 2013 collection and come in 22 shades. Since I gravitate more toward the pink/nude spectrum of lipstick shades I chose the shade Naked which is described on Urban Decay’s website as a Nude-Pink. It is the perfect MLBB shade (it leans on the pinker side of nude) and it wears beautifully. It seems to have some kind of a staining property because after hours of wear, although I couldn’t feel the formula on my lips, the color was still there and it looked really natural. I can’t wait to try other shades and I’m already eyeballing Native.


 

 

 

The Beauty Insider Lancome Loves Lashes Mascara Set was a free gift with a purchase of $25 or more and was a coupon code I got from Retailmenot. This cute little set includes travel-sized versions of Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara in Black, Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes Wide-Eye Look Mascara in So Black!, and Lancome Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base. I think this set is a great way to sample Lancome mascaras and see if you like them first before you shell out big bucks for them. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to spend $25 on mascara, I want to know for sure that it works for me and I like it before spending that kind of money. But then again, I’m perfectly content with several different drugstore mascaras that I like.  


Macy's:

 

 

 

Ever since I got a sample of the Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume, I knew I had to have it (especially since my boyfriend complimented me every time I wore it and he is very sensitive with perfume due to his asthma). It works so well with my body chemistry and it lasts all day on me. You know how some perfumes fade after a couple hours? Well this one doesn’t and I can still smell it on me at the end of the day. It reminds me of Jimmy Choo but it lasts so much longer. I’m not good at explaining scents but I would describe this as a warm scent with sugary and floral notes. It’s hard to explain but I would highly recommend testing this one out the next time you are at a perfume counter. If you like perfumes like Jimmy Choo, Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, Coach Poppy and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy I think you would enjoy this one too :)

 

Lastly, are all the samples I received with my orders. At the time my mom ordered my perfume, Macy’s had this free 15-piece beauty sampler bag and lots of other samples came with my order also. I got a lot of great stuff I can’t wait to try out along with some favorite perfumes I have used for years. Before I show you guys my samples, I wanted to rant for a moment about something that annoys the hell out of me. I do not understand why they feel a need to put man cologne in with my sampler bags. I literally got 4 or 5 man colognes and I don’t know how Macy’s expects women to use this crap. I think it should be common sense that if a customer is ordering a woman’s cologne that you should send samples that are for women, not man cologne that a woman can’t use. I understand a lot of women will probably give those samples to their significant others and some woman actually enjoy using man cologne (to each their own) but I don’t like how they are assuming I’m going to have a use for those man colognes because I don’t. As I mentioned before, my boyfriend is sensitive to perfume and cologne due to his asthma so he never wears cologne. I have a good friend I can give these to but that is beside the point. Sephora is also notorious for doing this; they have a plethora of man colognes amongst the samples you choose from for your three free samples. I understand that some men buy their cologne from Sephora but Sephora is a beauty store and women are the main clientele so I think it would be smarter on their part to include more samples targeted toward women. That’s all I’m saying. Now onto the samples…

 

 

Samples left to right- Ralph Lauren Romance EDP, (X2) Marchesa Parfum D’Extase EDP, Escada Limited Edition Cherry In The Air EDT, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue EDT, Versace Bright Crystal EDT.

 

Samples left to right- Michael Kors EDP Set (Sexy Amber, Glam Jasmine, and Sporty Citrus), Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDT, Cartier Baiser Vole EDT, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio EDT, Calvin Klein Euphoria EDP, Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT.

                                           

Samples left to right- Giorgio Armani Armani Code EDT, Calvin Klein Euphoria For Him EDT, Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Reviva-Concentrate Serum, Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Lifting and Firming Cream, Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Night Lifting and Firming Night Cream.

 

 

Samples left to right- (Top Row) (X3) Ole Henriksen Perfect Truth CC Crème in Light, Bare Minerals Multi-Wrinkle Repair Treatment, Benefit The POREfessional Balm, Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, Lancome Genifique Eye Youth Activating Eye  Concentrate, Tocca Beauty Cleopatra Crema Da Corpo Body Lotion, Bumble and bumble. Bb Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner, (Middle Row) Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Concentrated Serum, 21 Drops 11 De-Stress Essential Oil, Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm with Alguronic Acid, Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Crème, Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter, (Bottom Row) Korres Quercetin & Oak Face Antiageing Face Primer, Lab Series Skincare for Men Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment, Origins Plantscription SPF 25 Anti-Aging Cream, StriVectin-AR Advanced Retinol Night Treatment, Clarins Paris Lisse Minute Base Comblante Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch.

That concludes my birthday haul! I hope you enjoyed it and I plan to post more in-depth reviews on some of the products shown. Stay tuned for my next blog post coming up- I’m planning to review some of the new Jordana Blush shades that just came out! They are awesome and very affordable! :)

 

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Binge (Haul) + Mini Reviews and Swatches Part 1- Sephora & Bath & Body Works

Hello Cosmeticholics!!!

Since yesterday was my birthday and I got a ton of exciting stuff, I thought I’d share some of it with you guys. These are the gifts that were given to me from my boyfriend (his name is Junior in case you are wondering). My mom also ordered Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume from Macys.com for me, but it hasn’t arrived yet so unfortunately I will have to make a second part of this post to show you guys. She also got me some things from Sephora that I will include in the next post.

Bath & Body Works Goodies:

I needed some more PocketBacs for work and ended up picking up a few more things lol it is so tempting in that store! Plus they had some of the new Fall stuff available -_- Some highly recommended scents of the PocketBacs, which I have repurchased several times, are the Island Margarita and Fresh Strawberries scents. I love these! They are perfect for the summer and oddly enough I have gotten several compliments when I use the Fresh Strawberries.

 

Pictured left to right- Turquoise Rhinestone PocketBac Holder ($3.50), Sexy Dahlia Rush Fine Fragrance Mist ($14), Fresh Strawberries Anti-Bacterial Sanitizing Hand Gel with Pump ($5), Fresh Strawberries PocketBac, Pumpkin Cupcake PocketBac, Paris Amour PocketBac, Island Margarita PocketBac, Washington Apple Harvest PocketBac, Smart Cookie PocketBac, Pumpkin Caramel Latte PocketBac, Farmstand Apple PocketBac (All PocketBacs are 5 for $5).

 

Sephora Goodies:

My mom and boyfriend both got me stuff from Sephora but this first post is going to show what my boyfriend got me. I recently became a Sephora VIB back in July and received several coupons in a welcome letter from them. I had a free shipping coupon and a 10% off coupon burning a hole through my wallet so I was finally able to use those when my mom and boyfriend purchased my gifts online. I used the 10% off coupon on the stuff my boyfriend got me since I was already getting free shipping with that order (It was over $50) and I used the free shipping coupon on the new Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick my mom got me (next post!) . Here is what Junior (my boyfriend) got me:

 

  

 

 

 

  Pictured left to right- Limited Edition Lorac The Private Affair Collection ($38), Limited Edition Sephora Collection Izak Baked Eyeshadow Palette (On clearance for $13 but it is no longer available on the site), Beauty Insider Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons! Mini Set (Free/BirthdayExclusive).

 

The Lorac Private Affair Collection is absolutely gorgeous and it is a phenomenal deal for what it comes with. For $38 you get a beautiful, chic palette with six plum-toned eyeshadows (four shades are shimmery, one appears to be matte but upon closer inspection it is definitely more of a satin shade, and the last shade is a matte with glitter) and a clever pull out drawer on the side that reveals a double-ended brush and mini Behind the Scenes eye primer. It doesn’t stop there! The collection also includes a full-size Multiplex 3D Lashes Volumizing & Thickening Mascara and a full-size Pro Cream Eyeliner in Plum. The cream eyeliner retails for $19 by itself and the mascara retails for $22 by itself. When you calculate that together it totals up to $41, so you are paying less and getting the palette, brush and primer basically for free! The shadows swatched excellently and they are so creamy and pigmented so the quality is there for sure. I would highly recommend picking this set up before it gets discontinued (it’s limited edition :/) and you won’t regret it!

 

 

 

 

 

               Pictured- Lorac The Private Affair Collection and swatches

 

The Sephora Collection Izak Baked Eyeshadow Palette is also a limited edition palette at Sephora and unfortunately it is already sold out :( This adorable palette comes in a notebook-like packaging and contains 8 large baked eyeshadows and a huge mirror. Let me first say how much I love Sephora’s baked eyeshadow palettes. I think I own all of them and they are awesome. All of the shadows in this palette appear to be shimmery and they swatched nicely dry, aside from a couple of the lighter shades which are pretty sheer. I will have to do some more experimenting with them to see how they look wet.  

 

 

 

 

Pictured- Sephora Collection Izak Baked Eyeshadow Palette with swatches (I apologize for the awkward swatching- I wanted to get the swatches and palette in the same picture together.)

 

 

I’m really excited to try out the mini Benefit They’re Real! Mascara included in the Beauty Insider Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons! Set. I already own a mini Benefit Watt’s Up! Highlighter (which is also included in this set) and it is very lovely.

 

 

             Pictured- Beauty Insider Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons! Mini Set

I hope you guys enjoyed part one of my birthday haul and I look forward to showing you the rest as soon as I receive it in the mail. I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful boyfriend and I love everything he got me, especially the beautiful card he gave me <3 Our 4-year anniversary is coming up on August 22^nd and I am so excited and I hope to spend many, many more years to come with him. Stay tuned for part two of my haul, coming soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pilot Blog

Welcome Cosmeticholics!!! :)

I am so excited to be creating this blog for you guys! Let me give you a brief introduction of myself before explaining the purpose for my blog.

My name is Lynnze and I am 27 years old and from Texas. I have a 9 year old daughter and I work as a cashier part time. I graduated from college in December 2011 with my associate's degree and certification in Computer Programming. I love to write and my dream is to write books along with doing something cosmetic related. I am absolutely obsessed with makeup and anything beauty related. I've been into makeup since I was 12, back when Bonne Bell Lip Smackers were the rage and I had to have every flavor. Although I've always had a passion for makeup, it wasn't until about 2 years ago that I stumbled upon emilynoel83 on Youtube and that passion grew substantially, as well as my makeup collection lol...

My goal for writing this blog is to inform, inspire and entertain other makeup lovers like myself. Makeup is fun but also an artform to be admired and I would like to showcase it. This blog will be filled with tons of fun stuff like makeup reviews, tutorials, dupe lists, favorites, fashion, hauls, coupons, other references for specific product reviews, tips, and much more! Get comfy and stay tuned! <3