Currently obsessed: flawlessly nude

Hi all!

I've had quite the interesting spring break. We finally moved into our new house! I'll save you guys the boring details, but the move went well even though the drive was long and dramatic. Literally I almost got into a car accident after witnessing one two cars in front of me, and then a bus almost hit me. Thankfully everyone was alright and my car has good brakes. :-)

But anyway, the whole time I was on break I've been wearing the same look and been reaching for the same products, so I wanted to share it with you guys since I love it so much. Sound cool?

First off is my Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra foundation. I plan on doing an in-depth review on this little nugget, but I really like the flawless look it gives me. Keep your eye out for a full review with swatches and such soon :-) Along with Lancôme's foundation, I've been testing out the widely raved about Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in the pink brightening shade. I use this under my beloved Maybelline Fit Me concealer to brighten up my eyes. I've actually been reaching for this instead of my Bobbi Brown corrector, which is crazy since I have religiously relied on that product to help conceal my dark circles ever since I bought it. I'm not sure I would say that it's a dupe for the expensive corrector, but it has been doing the job just fine for under ten dollars. Next is a new find for me, which is Rimmel's Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in 032 Innocent. I've never been big on lip liners before, but I love this. It's a small detail that can polish any look. It looks fantastic with my favorite nude lipstick (read about it here), and it's super cheap. Hallelujah. And to pull of my flawless, nude look, I've been absolutely loving the blush elavated from the Tarte Be MATTEnificient palette. It's a very natural yet still noticeable matte color that is unlike any other blush I own. It paired along with my favorite nude lip combo and a subtle smoky eye is a match made in heaven.

What have you been loving lately? Tell me about it!

-rachel j

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette

I'm so excited about this palette.
Let's just take a moment to look at it and absorb all of its beauty.

Left to right: elevated (blush), sand out of the crowd, peach for the stars, two plums up, pink outside the box, rose to the occasion, view from the taupe, dream in chocolate, don't stand black

Are you absorbing it?

Haha but seriously, the colors are beautiful, and so is the packaging. I'm such a sucker for good packaging, and my love for matte shades is a little ridiculous. This beauty comes with eight limited-edition eyeshadows, one limited-edition blush and one double-ended shadow brush. They're formulated without parabens, and they're cruelty free which is always a plus. Another bonus is that it comes with a little card that shows you two makeup looks you can create with the palette.

Trust me when I say that Tarte knows how to make some fine eyeshadows, and I mean really nice. They are so soft that you can see the indentations from the bristles on your brush. I like them all so much I have a hard time deciding which ones I want to use, and I end up using all of them in one eye look. They blend like a dream and I love them all. A lot.

Now, I will admit, the two darker shades at the bottom aren't as luxurious feeling and blendable as the other shades, but they're still pigmented. According to the little plastic slip that came in the palette, they're intended to be used as liners, which explains the difference texture and size.

One little detail that may be annoying to some of you is that the names aren't on the palette itself- so if you ever want to share what shadows your using, you have to keep the plastic slip. Like I said, this probably won't be an issue for most people, but if you're a beauty blogger or youtuber it may be irritating.

The blush is equally as impressive as the shadows. It's a great flush of color that isn't overwhelming but is still noticeable.

As for the brush that comes with the palette, it's definitely better than those sponge-tip applicators, but I wouldn't say that these substitute real brushes. I like the shader side of the brush- it does a fantastic job at packing on color. The longer, blending side of the brush (on the left in the pictures above), is kind of strange. It's a bit too skinny for my liking, and the bristles are on the stiff side. Honestly it's not a big deal- it's still a nice brush compared to what comes in most palettes.

All in all, I'm really enjoying this palette. I think Tarte hit the nail on the head with this one. You can create so many different looks with it. If you're into matte shades, you definitely need to give this a look. A nice, long look. :)

Find it here!

Have a great Sunday!

-rachel j

Mini Sephora haul

Hi everyone!

A couple of days ago I ordered a few things that I've had my eye on for quite a while, and they just arrived in the mail! I'm super excited to try them all out. I ordered the Tarte Be MATTEnificent palette (post about it here), Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation, and the NARS Multiple in Undress Me. 

I also got three free samples: a Tarte blush in Dollface, smashbox CC cream in light, and a face mask.  

Be expecting posts on these puppies in the near future! :) What are you most excited for- the Tarte palette, the foundation, or the NARS multiple? 

-rachel j