Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Eye & Cheek Palette Review

Today I'm going to be reviewing the tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Eye & Cheek palette! I purchased this palette for myself as kind of a birthday gift, because the second I saw it, I knew that I needed to get my hands on it! I've been having a serious obsession with matte shades lately!


(Blush shade is Elevated; Eyeshadow shades (Left to Right, Top to Bottom) are Sand Out From the Crowd, Peach for the Stars, Two Plums Up, Pink Outside the Box, Rose for the Occasion, and View from Taupe; as well as Dream in Chocolate and Don't Stand Black)



These swatches aren't the best, but I swear this palette has been worth every penny. I have been using it almost every day since receiving it in the mail, whether it is for the blush, the brown and black shadows which are used great as liners, or even just for a great matte color. The shadow quality is phenomenal, and they most blend extremely well. 
And the blush is just beautiful, and has great staying power. Now I know why the amazonian clay blushes get so much hype! I never would have purchased one on my own, and now I'm already looking at my budget to figure out when I might be able to invest in a couple more.
The mirror is also a really good size, and the palette will stay open on it's own if you set it on a table- perfect for travel or if you don't have a dedicated area to do your makeup.

As far as what I don't like, there are a couple of things- a couple of the shades aren't as pigmented as I would like for them to be, and the black and brown shadows are a little harder to blend. However, nothing in this palette is difficult to work with, and when I'm focusing on using just this palette, with the right brush, I can make any of the shades work. 

And speaking of brushes, this palette does come with a double-sided one. It's decent enough quality, but if you're looking for a brush that will be able to do everything, you're not going to get it with this. I have tried to make an eye look work by only using the brush with the palette, and I've had to grab another blending brush, as well as an eyeliner brush, to really do much. So if the brush is your selling point, I would definitely really take a look at more swatches and reviews before I base my decision to buy on that.
Some of the shades are also pretty similar to the matte shades in the Lorac pro palette. I was a little worried about that when I bought it, but ultimately, being able to have the blush was a huge selling point.

If you're looking for a good, matte palette, this is one worth your time, if you don't already have enough matte shades to you're liking. And also if, like me, you were on the fence about those amazonian clay blushes. 
This was a limited edition palette, but you can still find it from online retailers. 




FTC: This palette was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains an amazon.com affiliate link. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Lorac Pro to Go Review

Today I'm going to be reviewing the Lorac Pro to Go Palette.
I've been using this palette since the beginning of the year, on and off, and I've been really impressed by the versatility offered by it!



The palette itself comes with 6 eyeshadows- three shimmer shades on the top (Pearl, Chai, and Mink), and three matte shades on the bottom (Shell, Cafe, and Black). The Pearl shade can also double as a highlight shade.




It also comes with two blushes (Coral and Pink) and a bronzer (Bronze) as well as an eyeshadow and eyeliner brush. For a girl that loves neutrals like me, this is a great every day palette.
The shades are also super soft. If you can tell in the picture of the eyeshadows above, I've accidently hit the base of my brush into the Chai shade a few times, and because the shadow is so soft, it just takes a chunk out. Luckily, they haven't been very big chunks.


(Swatches with Flash, eyeshadows are from top to bottom, left to right, and the end shades are the blushes and bronzer)


(Swatches minus flash)

So, how does this compare with the regular Lorac Pro? The only shade that is the same is the matte black, which means you are getting 5 other completely unique shades, and you're also getting two blushes and a bronzer. So it's really a completely different palette.
It's also a really nice addition to the Lorac Pro- I've used them together multiple times, and can get so many different looks.


Do I think this is a must have? For someone that either loves Lorac, or doesn't have a lot of shadows, or is looking for a great travel palette, it absolutely is. And I constantly find myself wanting to go back to it when I put it away, mainly for that gorgeous coral blush. So it's a must have for me!





FTC: This palette was given to me as a Christmas gift. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains an amazon.com affiliate link. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Description from Goodreads
From the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees, a magnificent novel about two unforgettable American women

Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world.

Hetty "Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.

Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid.We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty-five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.
As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.

Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better.
This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.


My Review
This book earned my first 5 star rating of 2014.

This was the new Oprah Book Club pic, and that's how I found out about it. I don't read all of Oprah's book club pics (I haven't in quite awhile, actually), but this seemed like something I would really enjoy. And I did.

The book is mainly about Hetty "Handful" and Sarah. Sarah is given Handful on her 11th birthday as a handmaiden, but promptly asks to have her freed. She is denied this request, but promises that, one day, she will free Handful. The book follows their lives and families through 35 years.
This book is a slow burn; it's a dip-your-toe-in-the-shallow-end type of book. But it is worth every single page turn to get through it.

It is loosely based on the true story of Sarah and Nina Grimke, but it is a completely fictional novel. Just based around facts that exist. And I find that very fascinating, and stayed up way too late reading about the both of them after I finished this novel.


There is really so, so much I want to say about Hetty, about her mother Charlotte (especially Charlotte, and her wonderful quilt), and about Sarah. And Sarah's sister, Nina. But this is where I find book reviews to be difficult- I don't want to say anything at all. Because this is the kind of book you need to sit down with, possibly with a cup of tea, and just devour. Trust me. Read the description and you will know if this book is for you. Then get it, and enjoy.


You can purchase a hardcover copy of this book here, or a copy for Kindle here. Or, you can do what I did and borrow it from your local library!




FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

What's in my makeup bag? (As of March 6th, 2014)

I was so ready for a change!


So, I ran out of mineral veil, and got suckered into this pretty little thing when I decided to go ahead and get more foundation as well. 


Like... I'm not usually one for stuff like this, but SO PRETTY!



And for size reference, this is a standard size and the deluxe side by side. I'm not sure how long it's going to be available, but as of this post, you can purchase your own here.



For eye shadows, I decided to use my newest palette, the Tarte Be MATTEnificient palette, the Urban Decay Ammo Palette, and the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
I really love the Tarte palette, and I'm going to have a review up on it in next week.



I'm also breaking out color tattoos, and I got two new ones! From Left to Right: Bad To The Bronze, Audacious Asphalt (this is new to my collection), and Tough as Taupe (also new).



Because I'm a member of the Bare Minerals Friends and Benefits Program, I received a free birthday eye shadow in Queen Phyllis.





It's really pretty- very neutral, but nice. It's becoming a new favorite lid color!





I got the Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash mascara in my birthday order with Sephora (I also ordered the Tarte Palette), and this is becoming a definite must have!



And the other mascara's I'm using. One of the Lash Blasts is Black Brown, all the others are black or Very Black.



And of course I'm keeping this. I cannot live without it!



For blushes, one is included in the Tarte palette, but I wanted to use this one by ELF (the contouring blush and bronzer palette), and this one by Ulta called Exposed.


So this is what will be on my face for the next month!


FTC: All products were gifts or purchased by me with my own money. Everything else was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This Month in Nails - February 2014

Zoya in Storm





I got this polish during the Zoya promo (buy three for the cost of shipping), and I don't know if it's just because it's a new bottle of polish or what, but I am not super impressed with the dispersion of the holographic micro glitters. It's not at all like my beloved Aurora (seen in this blog post). But I am hoping it's because it's a new bottle, and when the formula settles a bit, it will be better. I was really impressed with the staying power of this polish- I wore it for almost a week with no chipping or tip wear. I continue to be impressed with Zoya polish, and highly recommend it!


Finger Paints in Vintage Violet with an accent nail of China Glaze in Be Berry, Be Bright






Fingerpaints in Vintage Violet will always have a special place in my heart, because I got engaged wearing that shade! (Is that super lame and cheesy? Probably!) I thought that Be Berry, Be Bright (which was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law) would pair nicely with it, and it did, but you can't see too many of the purple glitters because the purple polish hides them a bit. But I still really liked this combo.



That's it- another month where I didn't paint my nails very much. I'm definitely going to try to do better next month!


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

Amazon.com Kindle Monthly Book Deals Posts Discontinued

Hey guys,

So, in place of what usually is my first post of the month, I'm just going to be honest- this is my least favorite blog to write. I like "segments" on blogs, but this one is just wearing me out! These posts are also my least viewed every month. So I have decided to just stop doing them, and instead post other blogs (probably book reviews, as these seem to be a Tuesday thing now) in it's place. 
These posts also take a really long time, but with the views not showing payoff, I've decided that if it's not fun to write, and a lot of people aren't reading them, what is the point? But I didn't just want to stop doing them and not tell you guys why... so here's my reason.

Thanks for understanding!

Academy Awards Red Carpet 2014

OMG, it's finally here! The ACADEMY AWARDS! I love the awards show (it's my absolute favorite of all of them), and I love seeing what everyone is wearing. I watch as much of the Red Carpet stuff as I can (usually on E!, but I switch around to ABC every now and then). 

Here are my favorites


Love the dress. Not so much the hair.


Actually I am surprised by how much I like this.


LOVE! The blue suit, that gorgeous dress... they are my current fave Hollywood couple to see on the Red Carpet,


Another two favorites. Especially that green dress!


Wasn't a huge fan of this dress (didn't love or hate it), but THIS MAKEUP. Gorgeous!


I hate when nominees show up in dresses that aren't "winners" *cough* Anne Hathaway *cough*
But this... THIS is a winners dress. (Please keep in mind I post this prior to the awards being given out. But I don't take back that this is a dress you can win in.)


Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are another one of my favorites to see on the Red Carpet. I just love this dress. 


Yes. Just... yes.








And here are my least favorites


SHORTS. Just... no. You're a talented man, but no.


I'm very much in the minority about this, but I am not a fan of this dress.Something about it looks like it doesn't fit properly, it makes things look saggy that shouldn't... 
I really love Julia Roberts. Just not so much in this.


It looks like a piece of fabric held together with a pretty bobbypin on the top.




Now it's time for me to go watch Ellen work her magic!




If you'd like, you can view all my Red Carpet posts here, or check out my Red Carpet Pinterest board here.