Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: Kat Von D Spellbinding Eyeshadow Book

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to declutter a bit I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. 

Kat Von D Spellbinding Eyeshadow Book

You can find a look I did with the palette here. These are the looks I created this month:

So as you can see I created all sorts of colorful looks with these shadows. I personally have found that these shadows are easy to blend and the pigmentation on them is fantastic. All of them work really great in my experience. As someone who adores color, this is such a fun palette to play with! However, all that said, I will be passing this palette along. I think it's beautiful, and at first I really thought about holding onto it. But that said, I have these shades in other palettes that I know myself well enough to know I'm more likely to reach for. Additionally, I dislike that every single shade in this palette is shimmery. I can make it work, but I prefer having mattes to work with to create more texture in my looks. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This palette was gifted to me by a friend of mine.

October 2024 Departures

 Ok folksickles. Departure blogs will contain items that aren't empties but that are going to be given away for one reason or another. I'm working hard to curate my makeup collection and want it to include only the products that I think truly work well, that I reach for often and do what they're supposed to do.

1. Kat Von D Black No. 1, Iggy, Paranoid, and Thrasher Metal Crush Eyeshadow:  There is nothing wrong with these eyeshadows in the sense of they're pigmented, they blend well, they're easy to work with and are beautiful. That said, I feel like I have dupes for all of them in my collection and don't reach for these particular shadows so I'd rather pass them along.

2. Kat Von D Poetica True Romance Eyeshadow Palette:  This is another palette wherein the eyeshadows are beautiful, blend well, and are easy to use in  my opinion. But again, I have dupes for these colors in my collection and don't reach for this palette often.

3. Kat Von D 10-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette: Now, unfortunately with this palette, when I purchased it, it did have more unique colors to my collection like the matte olive and the matte teal. That said, unfortunately those cool-toned colors specifically are somewhat patchy and difficult to work with and blend. Therefore I'll be passing this palette along because I just know I won't reach for it.

Disclaimer: The Kat Von D Poetica palette was a gift, I purchased everything else mentioned myself, all opinions are my own.

October 2024 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! I'm back to replenishing on things that I'm running out of and buying mostly just necessities.

1. Kracie naive Peach Leaf Makeup Removal Face Wash: I'm running low on my cleanser so I decided to pick this up and give it a try.

2. e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer in Fair Beige: I'm running low on my concealer and needed to replenish. I had the matte version of this one last year and I liked it ok but I've been wanting to try the hydrating version so I figured I might as well get it and try it out now.

3. COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion Mascara in Very Black: I remember back in the day, somewhere around 2011-2012 when Lash Blast was super popular on Youtube I picked up both this and the orange tube and I remember really liking this mascara so I decided to pick it up again and see how I felt about it since I needed to replace my mascara anyhow.

4. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: This is another item I needed to replace and since this is my favorite liquid eyeliner it was a no-brainer to just pick another one up.

5. DUO Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: This is another item I needed to replace and decided to just go with a lash glue I know I like.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above. 

October 2024 Empties

 All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. Green Pharmacy Green Tea and Tea Tree Oil Facial Toner: I like that this toner feels refreshing, leaves my skin soft, and has a prominent green tea scent that I enjoy. 

2. Vaseline Intensive Care cocoa radiant Lotion: This is a nice, lightweight lotion that left my legs feeling very soft and silky post shave. That said, I wish it were a bit richer as it doesn't hydrate the soles of my feet as much as I would like. 

3. Dove revitalizante cherry & chia milk body wash: As I mentioned, I like using these in place of shaving gel. The reason being I find that the body washes last me two months versus a week with shave gel because I am a hairy beast with sensory issues that hates the feeling of hair on their body. I also find that most of the body washes in this line are hydrating and gentle on my skin. Anyway, this one has a yummy cherry scent that's a bit creamy and reminiscent of cherry yogurt.

4. The Face Shop Calendula Essential Moisture Cream: I am really sad to have run out of this as it's a rich yet not heavy facial moisturizer. As in, it is rich enough where it helps to hydrate and heal any eczema patches I might have on my face but it's not so heavy that I feel it sitting on my skin and not getting absorbed. This left my skin feeling very hydrated, soft, and supple. 

5. wet n wild Rose Addiction Photo Focus 3-in-1 Primer Water: As much as I like how this feels refreshing to spray on my skin and the way it smells, I feel like I went through this product extremely quickly and wish it came in larger bottles. 

6. Cococare 100% Natural Peppermint Oil: In the summer I used this as a deterrent for water bugs trying to come into my room and that seemed to work quite well, because since I started gratuitously sprinkling this on my carpet they left me alone. Now that the weather is cooling off I bought another bottle to use in my diffuser.

7. Clean Beauty Smoke & Mirrors 6 Pairs of Reusable Lashes with Lash Glue (second pair from top): Frankly my love and success with the top pair set me up for failure when it came to this pair of lashes. The top pair are a wispy lash with this gelatinous lash band that molded to the eye easily. These, on the other hand, are some kind of papery plastic material that just is flimsy in the sense that it did not want to mold to the eye and loved to pop off at the inner corners especially, but on the outer ones occasionally as well.

8. Equate Tahitian Vanilla Shea Sugar Scrub: I really like that these scrubs are gritty without being overly abrasive and are at an affordable price point. This has a really yummy, almost nutty vanilla cookie scent - I was afraid vanilla might be too sweet or overpowering for me but I actually really enjoyed it. 

9. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: I love this eyeliner so much! It's easy to use, precise, and long-lasting. That said, I've had this particular one for a while and for hygiene reasons it's time to replace it.

10. L'Oreal Telescopic Intense Lash Length Original Mascara: Frankly, while I didn't love this mascara at first, I actually started really enjoying it when it dried out a bit, which is common with mascaras. This gave my lashes a nice lengthened appearance it a little bit of extra volume and thickness, nothing crazy, but I think they looked good. 

11. DUO Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: For some reason this tube was particularly leaky but other than that this lash glue worked just fine as expected. I prefer the brush-on ones because they're easier to apply and don't have that urine scent of the formaldehyde like the glue in the squeeze tubes does. This is another item I'm replacing because of hygiene reasons. 

12. L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Caring Deep Conditioner: I actually used this from my mom's hair color because she doesn't always use these conditioner tubes and I really love this. It's deeply conditioning and left my hair feeling hydrated and silky. 

13. one+other Advanced Nail Polish Remover: I like this remover because I find it easy to use and it just gets nail polish off quickly.  

14. Clean Beauty Smoke & Mirrors 6 Pairs of Reusable Lashes with Lash Glue (third pair from top): These, like the other pair I talked about here, are some kind of papery plastic material that just is flimsy in the sense that it did not want to mold to the eye and loved to pop off at the inner corners especially, but on the outer ones occasionally as well.

15. Crown Pro C510 brush: Unfortunately this brush has become extremely frayed to the point if being difficult to use, so I am discarding it.

The following lipsticks all have an off scent so I'm discarding them, I'm sad about all of them since they're such pretty colors:

16. Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Grape Pop: 

17. Incendio Beauty Lipstick Potion in Fairy Blood: 

18. Juvia's Place The Empress Lip Collection Metallic Liquid Lipstick in Ditu: 

19. MAC Lipstick in Hot Gossip: 

20. MAC Lipstick in Mind Control: Especially sad about this one because it's such a beautiful red!

21. Bath & Body Works Island Margarita Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel: I really love this hand sanitizer! It smells delicious and doesn't dry my skin out. 

22. wet n wild photo focus Concealer in Fair Beige: I liked that this was a good shade match for me and that this concealer provides buildable but natural-looking coverage. That said, even though I removed its wand wiper, I had an impossible time of getting to the product on the edges of the tube because it's so narrow, I can't quite get anything in there to fully scrape it out and I feel bad throwing out usable product. I suppose I don't love the packaging on this.

23. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer body mist Broad Spectrum SPF 70: While the 100+ is my favorite SPF of all, given how fair I am and how easily I burn, I really like this as a stand-in. I feel like it really does keep me from burning. Additionally, the formula is genuinely very lightweight, non-sticky, and doesn't pill or move around oddly which makes it comfortable to wear. 

24. method body peony, rose water, pink sea salt pure peace body wash: This body wash has such a nice light, sweet, floral scent. It's very creamy and foams up well which leaves my skin feeling clean and hydrated. I really enjoyed using it.

25. Equate Almond & Shea Sugar Scrub: I really like that these scrubs are gritty without being overly abrasive and are at an affordable price point. This has a really yummy, almost almond cookie scent, kind of like a biscotti. I like how the scents on these are neither heavy nor cloyingly sweet, I feel like they're enjoyable while in the shower but not that I'm actually left smelling like a cookie. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the products mentioned above with the exception of the Clinique lipstick which was provided for testing and MAC Hot Gossip which I got through the Back To MAC program.  All opinions are my own.

Mascara Review: COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion Mascara

Alright folksickles...

Today I will be reviewing the COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion Mascara in Black.

Sans Mascara:

With Mascara:

Availability: This retails anywhere from about $10.50 - $13 and is generally available at drugstores (and their respective websites) that sell COVERGIRL. I cannot guarantee availability so you may want to call your local store ahead of time.

Would I buy this again?: Possibly the Lash Blast in the orange tube, but not this one.

Notes: This mascara comes in black, black brown, black brown, and two blacks in the waterproof version.

Let's go over what the mascara's supposed to do and what it actually does. According to covergirl.com:

Flaunt those gorgeous lashes with COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion Mascara. This volume and length mascara is designed to extend and thicken every lash for a bolder look that lasts all day long. The oversized brush has gigantic bristles that reach into the roots of your lashes and create a subtle curvature for added length without any clumping. Introducing COVERGIRL's innovative silk fiber technology for ultimate length. Delivers volume from root-to-tip so you have thick, fluttery lashes from corner to corner.

LENGTHEN - Get fuller lashes instantly with this mascara for volume | FORMULA - COVERGIRL uses a fiber-stretch formula that makes every lash look bigger and longer | BRUSH - This oversized brush is designed to reach every lash to deliver a unique look | DIFFERENT SHADES - Available in different shades for versatility | CRUELTY FREE - COVERGIRL products are Leaping Bunny Certified, meaning they are never tested on animals

Honestly, I find this mascara to be alright, it's good if you just want to give your lashes a mostly natural look and a dark tint. That said, I'm someone who obviously prefers my makeup more dramatic and I like a mascara to give my lashes definition, noticeable length, and volume - and while this did give me some length and a bit of lift, I just don't feel like it gave me the voluminous oomph I'm looking for. I find that part of the problem is, even though I had this mascara many years ago and liked it, is that the brush is large and cumbersome, so I can't get at the roots of my lashes the way I'd like without risking poking myself in the eye. I didn't have any issues with this mascara flaking or smudging. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: Kat Von D 10-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. Although I know I just reviewed this palette, I bought it at the very end of May and have been using it throughout the month of June as my palette-of-the-month.

Kat Von D 10-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette

A tutorial using the palette above can be found here. Here are the looks I did using the palette:

The following looks also feature Kat Von D Devotion Shade Shifter Eyeshadow in place of Sarah, which I ran out of because I used it in my eyebrows

So as you can see I created a bunch of colorful and neutral looks using this palette. I have been using the Decide Now! app and playing "Palette Roulette" as inspired by xsparkage and it's been so much fun and takes the guesswork out of figuring out which colors to use every day. I just roll 5 shades and work with them for the most part - sometimes I'll add a blending shade or highlight as necessary. If I'm going to be completely honest  or rather, to be completely honest - I have mixed feelings on the palette and feel that there's inconsistencies in the product batches as the testers I've played with seemed nice, the cool-toned colors I was eyeing in this palette (mainly the olive and the teal) swatched so pretty but in my experience they don't wear as nicely as the warm tones in the palette.  It's not that gigantic of a difference but I absolutely notice it. I still find the colors here to be somewhat unique to my collection and thus will hold on to the palette for the time being but due to her anti-vaccination stance I will no longer be supporting KVD. Sorry about it.

2024 Edit: Unfortunately I found the cool toned shades in the palette I mentioner earlier to be really tough to work with wherein they were stubborn to blend and/or they would go on patchy and given that I don't feel like I'd reach for this palette often, I have passed it along.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer:  I purchased this palette myself.