Olay: Complete All Day UV Moisturizer - Normal

The Breakdown

Brand- Olay

Packaging- A bottle made of thick plastic, somewhat hard to squeeze but the moisturizer is thin enough not to need too much pressure

Oil Free?- Yes


SPF- 15

Thoughts- This is a light moisturizer that has a slightly thinner texture than more day moisturizers I have seem. It is definitely a lotion and not a cream and is very easy to work into the skin, it only takes a few seconds of massage. It also has a slightly cooling effect, which is nice when you're doing your makeup while half-awake/asleep in the morning.

This is the formula for "Normal" skin. I have also used the "sensitive" version and have found no real difference in how they work. This also happens to be oil free, so for those with slightly oily skin or skin prone to breakouts, this might work in your favor.

If you own oil free foundations, this is a great moisturizer to mix in with it. I have learned that you mix like with like, so an water-based foundation + oil-containing moisturizer and vice versa doesn't really work out. It's nice if you want the coverage of a tinted moisturizer but you don't want to shell out any extra dough to have one.

Overall- I find that this works best being mixed in with my foundations. I have really dry skin and this didn't work well enough for me that I can use it as my only daily moisturizer. That being said, this is what I use to doctor my own tinted moisturizer.

Star Rating- 3/5...Great to mix with foundation, not so great for all day moisture.

Swatches

My MAC Palette

I have finally finished up my MAC 15 pan palette. It took a lot of time, internet research (for reviews and swatches) and up close looks at the shadows to figure out the best combination for my skin tone and my 'look.' Just a little reminder, I have Asian tan/olive-y skin with a yellow undertone and am matched anywhere from NC35-NC40. So here is my list, complete with swatches. :)

Column 1

1. Brule

2. Arena (highlight)

3. Woodwinked

Column 2

4. Wedge (brows)

5. Espresso

6. Satin Taupe

Column 3

7. Black Tied

8. Sable

9. Amber Lights

Column 4

10. Humid

11. Satellite Dreams

12. Twinks

Column 5

13. Club

14. Contrast

13. Sketch 

As you can tell, there are a lot of neutrals and the colored shadows I own are deep and somewhat muted. This emphasis on the neutral goes along with my love for bright pink, show stopping red and deep purple lipsticks. Pairing this colors with a neutral eye is how I can get away with wearing them on an everyday basis.

Ulta.com Online Shopping Review

The Breakdown

Order Processing- The site claims same day processing if ordered prior to 12pm M-F or the next day prior to 12pm for orders processed on the weekend. Reality? I placed an order before 12pm on a Friday and it was not marked as processed until the following Tuesday.

Shipment- Ulta.com states that it uses wither USPS or UPS for shipment. My tracking number indicated that it was being shipped by UPS

Shipment Origin- I always wonder 'Where is my order shipping from?' In the case of Ulta.com, it seems that their warehouse is based in Illinois (at least this is where my order was shipped from)

Shipping- Once my order was processed, it entered the UPS system on the Tuesday and came to my house on Friday. The UPS tracking system is really nice, though it doesn't indicate stops between the initial scanning and the arrival at you local UPS facility. They keep customers up to date with weather issues that could affect shipping time, which I thought was a nice extra.

Overall- I think that if the order processing actually stuck to its claims, I'd be a lot happier. Otherwise, waiting about a week from when my order was placed was pretty darn good. I would just appreciate it if companies would stop making unrealistic claims. I think given the fact that most products offered by ULTA are available at drugstores (with better sales) or Sephora I don't know that I would go out of my way to order from them again. That being said, whenever there is a store where I am, I definitely make time to wander the aisles.

Star Rating- 4/5...Good, but not great

L'OREAL: Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Roaring Russet

The Breakdown

Brand-L'OREAL

Color- Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Roaring Russet

Thoughts- I can't quite figure out how to describe this shade. It's an interesting mix of rusty-orangey goodness with a fine shimmer running through it in a similar shade. This shadow looks great against warm toned asian skin and bring a nice bit of interest to otherwise common brown eyes. The shadow itself is fairly smooth to apply, despite the noticeable microshimmer that is present throughout. I did experience a bit of fall out with the shimmer, though it was less noticeable than Golden Tigress. It holds on my lids quite well, I usually go about 8 hours before I wash my makeup off and it can make it the whole time without fading. I also found that it was the easiest of my Wear Infinite Eye Shadows to blend and it works really well layered both under and over other shadows. (Golden Tigress + Roaring Russet= WIN!)

Overall- I really like this shade and I find that its easy to create a look that makes your eyes pop, but is still subdued enough that you can wear it to class.

Star Rating- 4/5...Really good quality.

Swatches

Single swatch on the left, multi on the right

e.l.f. : Eyeshadow Quad in Nouveau Neutrals

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color-  Eyeshadow Quad in Nouveau Neutrals

Packaging- Dinky little plastic packaging, a fall to the floor would definitely destroy it.

Thoughts- I'm going to keep this point short and simple seeing as I don't have much to say about this palette. The shadow is chalky and there is loads of fall out from the tiny glitter running through each shadow. It is impossible to build up the color so that it is true to pan, even with eyeshadow bases or wet brushes. The color combination does not work for me as I could not fathom how these four would work in a look together. I normally love elf products, but I couldn't find anything good to say about this quad.

Overall- I'm just not into this quad. From the color combination to the color payoff to the shadow quality. Nothing about this quad seems right. I picked it up for $0.40 during an elf sale though, so I can't complain too much.

Star Rating- 0/5...This is a big NO WAY to this quad

Swatches

China Glaze: Mistletoe Kisses

The Breakdown

Brand-China Glaze

Color- Mistletoe Kisses

Packaging- Standard packaging, but with a silver cap as it was an LE holiday shade

Thoughts- This polish is a green base with a significant amount of light green and silver glitter. It is definitely glitter and NOT micro shimmer. The shade of the green base is the iconic Christmas green, one that matches it's namesake quite well. I like the multicolored glitter as I found that having two shades helped to add dimension to the polish.

This polish, along with many of China Glaze's other glitter polishes needed at least 3, maybe even 4, coats to get the color on the nails to match the color on the polish. Because of the noticeable glitter, you do need a good quality topcoat (I recommend Out the Door) if you want to smooth out the bumpy texture.

Overall- In normal day-to-day life, I find that China Glaze polishes last between 1-1 1/2 weeks on my nails. I've found that the ones with sheer bases, such as this, tend to veer toward the shorter end of the spectrum. That being said, I definitely recommend this polish, though finding an occasion to wear it outside of December might be difficult.

Star Rating- 4.5/5...I love this shade as it seems like the perfect polish for the Christmas season

Swatches

L'OREAL: Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Chocolat

The Breakdown

Brand- L'OREAL

Color- Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Chocolat

Thoughts- Chocolat is a matte brown shade with a slightly red undertone. I found that this shade in particular was nicely pigmented and easy to work with. While not creamy-smooth, the applications was smooth and not at all patchy. I loved how easily it blends and how intensely you can build the color up.

I found that there was little to no fallout when using this product and that the matte texture increased the longevity. I haven't worn it for more than 8 hours at a time, but I didn't see any change in color at all at the end of that time frame.

Overall- I really like this color and formulation. I find that I can use it for both a subtle neutral look during the day and can layer it on for a more dramatic night look. It blends really well and is really nicely pigmented.

Star Rating- 4.5/5...Loving it.

Swatches