Colour Pop In Bloom | Swatches & Review

In Bloom is my first Colour Pop purchase and I have to say right off the top that I freaking LOVE it!! This set is a collaboration between Colour Pop and celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, and comes with 3 Super Shock cheek colors and 3 Lippie Stix. The colors that she came up with are beautiful, fun, and basically perfect for Spring/Summer.

 What really took this set from "Ooh, PRETTY!" to "Holy crap, I need to get more of these!" is the interesting textures and AMAZING pigmentation of Colour Pop's formulas. The blushes have a bouncy, creamy feel that is super blendable but sets on the skin like a powder. The pigmentation of the blushes kind of blew me away, and needless to say I easily overdid it the first time I applied. So, fair skinned girls beware that you need to use a light hand with these. Literally just a smidge will do ya! They can be applied with fingers for the most impact, but my personal favorite is to use a duofiber stippling brush for a nice, healthy pop of color without looking crazy.

The Lippie Stix have some of the best pigmentation I've come across as well. Almost too good. I only need to apply a thin layer of these lipsticks for full coverage, opaque color. The finish of the lipsticks in this set  is SUPER creamy. They also smell like vanilla, my favorite!

Now, onto the swatches!

How cute is that packaging!?!?

The first blush is called Tongue Tied, and is a bright warm coral with a matte finish. SO pretty!

The next "blush" is actually a golden champagne highlighter called Double Dip. This gives just the right amount of glow to the skin, and the formula makes it really easy to control so you never end up looking too shimmery.

The last blush in the set is called Hysterical and is a pinky-plum with a matte finish. This color gives a really natural looking flush to the skin, like you just came back from a quick jog.

The first lipstick in the set is Sweet Thing. It's a mid-toned bubble gum pink. This pretty wearable since it's not too light or cool toned.

Frienemy is hands down my favorite of the 3 lip colors. It's like neon coral and just screams Summer to me.

And last, but not least, we have Freshman. This is a creamy magenta and I love it...nuff said.

After trying this set out, I will DEFINITELY be getting more from Colour Pop!

Have you guys tried Colour Pop yet? What are your favorites?

FOTD: Bold Nudes for Green/Hazel Eyes

On the face:
~Avon Magix face perfecter
~Maybelline Fit Me matte + poreless foundation in Ivory
~Avon CC color correcting pencil in Light
~Yaby concealer in Buff
~Nars light reflecting loose powder in Crystal

On the eyes:
~Avon eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~Almay intense i-color liquid shadow + color primer in Hazel
~Almay intense i-color bold nudes kit for greens
~Sumita color contrast eye pencil in Jaipur Gold
~L'oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

On the cheeks:
~Pixi beauty bronzer in Subtly Suntouched
~Avon Ideal Luminous blush in Rose Lustre
~Benefit Watt's Up highlighter

On the lips:
~Starlooks lip pencil in Bare
~Maybelline Color Sensational matte lipstick in Daringly Nude

FOTD: Easy Single Color Sparkling Smokey Eye

On the face:
~Graftobian HD creme foundation- 50/50 mix of Ingenue & Vixen
~Yaby concealer in Ivory
~Benefit Watt's Up highlighter
~Too Faced Primed & Poreless loose powder

On the eyes:
~Avon eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~Julep Orbital eyeshadow in Supernova
~Avon Kohl liner in True Black
~L'oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

On the cheeks:
~Too Faced Chocolate Soliel bronzer
~Kat Von D Everlasting Face Shaper blush in Belissima

On the lips:
~Avon Glimmersticks lip liner in Peach Envy
~Avon Ultra Color lipstick in Tender Kiss
~Avon Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Pale Peach

FOTD: Soiree Sparkle

On the face:
~Laura Mercier Radiance foundation primer
~Yaby natural finish foundation in Buff
~Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche highlighting concealer in Radiant
~Avon CC color correcting pencil in Light/Medium
~Ben Nye transparent face powder in Fair

On the eyes:
~Avon eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~Avon Makeup Studio palette(the violet, navy, and cranberry shades)
~E.L.F Long Lasting Lustrous eye shadow in Soiree
~Avon kohl eyeliner in True Black
~Dior Diorshow Maximizer mascara primer
~L'oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

On the cheeks:
~mark. Bronze Pro in Bronze
~Avon Makeup Studio Palette blush(the darker shade)

On the lips:
~Avon Makeup Studio Palette lip gloss(mix of mauve and light pink shades)

FOTD: Neutrals with a Pop of Blue

On the face:
~Laura Mercier Radiance face primer
~Avon Ideal Flawless tinted moisturizer in Light
~Avon Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencils in Light and Light/Medium
~Avon Ideal Flawless pressed powder in Light

On the eyes:
~Avon eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~Avon True Color eyeshadow quad in Mocha Latte
~Avon Kohl eyeliner in True Black
~Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eye definer in Deep Ocean
~Dior Diorshow Maximizer mascara primer
~L'oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

On the Cheeks:
~Avon Glow bronzer in Warm Glow
~Avon Ideal Luminous blush in Antique Rose

On the lips:
~Starlooks lip pencil in Bare
~Avon Ultra Color lipstick in Canela Nacar
~Avon Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Tickled Pink

FOTD: Easy Soft Cat Eye

On the face:
~Pixi Flawless Beauty primer
~Avon Ideal Flawless tinted moisturizer in Light
~Avon Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencil in Light
~Benefit Watts Up highlighter
~Avon Ideal Flawless translucent loose powder

On the eyes:
~Avon True Color 8-in-1 palette in Not So Neutral-just the metallic taupe shade all over the lid, inner corners, and along the lower lash lines.
~L'oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Eternal Black along upper and lower lash lines.
~Avon Kohl eye liner in True Black to tight line.
~Dior Diorshow Maimizer mascara primer
~L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

On the cheeks:
~Avon Glow bronzer in warm Glow
~Avon Ideal Luminous blush in Antique Rose

On the lips:
~Starlooks lip pencil in Bare
~Avon Ultra Color lipstick in Canela Nacar
~Avon Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Tickled Pink

FOTD: Neutral Eyes + Berry Lips

On the face:
~Pixi Flawless Beauty primer
~Avon Ideal Flawless tinted moisturizer in Light
~Avon Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencil in Light
~Avon Ideal Flawless translucent loose powder

On the eyes:
~Avon Extra Lasting eyeshadow pencil in Shimmering Sand all over lid, inner corners and along lower lash line as a base.
~Avon True Color quad in Mocha Latte- shade 1 all over lid from lash line to brow bone, shade 2 through the crease, shade 3 on the outer half of the lid and lower lash line, and shade 4 in the outer corner of the eye and along upper and lower lash lines.
~Rimmel Scandal Eyes kohl eye liner in Nude on the waterline.
~Dior Diorshow Maximizer mascara primer
~L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara(1 coat)

On the cheeks:
~Avon Glow bronzer in Warm Glow
~e.l.f. studio blush in Mellow Mauve

On the lips:
~Avon Ultra Luxury lip liner in Rosebud
~Avon Ultra Color lipstick in Matte Berry
~Avon Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Candy Pink

First Time DIY: Depotting Disaster!

So, for anyone who follows me on YouTube and saw my "Perfect Palette" tag video, you know that I have been wanting to depot all of my Avon True Color eyeshadow quads and actually make a palette out of the colors from that tag video to use for a pan that palette challenge next year. I've watched a lot of videos on depotting methods and one common theme throughout was that you need a lot of time and patience to depot more than a small handful of shadows...and I am in short supply of both time AND patience. Then I came across an old video from Wayne Goss where he just popped his shadows in the oven and when they came out he was quickly and easily able to pop the pans out of their packaging with a paring knife. So that's the method I decided to go with for my depotting adventure.

In his video, Wayne said he set his oven to 100 degrees centigrade. That's roughly 212 degrees here in the States, and since I can't set my oven to 212 degrees I decided I would go with 210 to be on the safe side. The video also stated to put the shadows in the oven for 2-5 minutes.

Round 1: 2 minutes at 210 degrees. Results: nothing. I couldn't pry up a single pan. Not one. Not even a little.

So back into the oven the shadows went for 5 more minutes.

And...well...I got the shadows out. Even with the extra 5 minutes in the oven the glue was still really strong under the pans. So strong that I broke the tip off the end of my paring knife(and never found it). So I thought, you know, maybe the oven's not hot enough.

So I put my next batch in at 215 degrees for 10 minutes.

And things went a little smoother...but not as smooth as I would've liked.

The shadows definitely came out easier this time, but I still struggled with them. I was happy that none of them had completely broke apart like with the first batch. Since it seemed like the temperature was hot enough, I did one more batch but left them in for 5 minutes longer(so 15 minutes at 215 degrees) in the hopes the glue would loosen enough that I could pry them out easily.

This time the shadows did come out much easier. Some I still had issues with, but overall they popped out without too much hassle and seemed(seemed being the key word here) to be intact and in good condition.

I wanted to do the project cheaply, so I stuck the shadows to the inside of an old CD case with double-sided permanent tape. Now I can easily see what shadows I'm grabbing for, and I didn't have to drop a pretty penny on a magnetic case.

Now, here's the kicker, those shadows with arrows next to them are the same shadows from the previous picture(where they look like they are still in pretty good condition). Since I have made this palette, the plum shade completely crumbled and I've had to repeatedly press it back together, the deep brown shadow broke and fell out on the floor when I opened the case, and one time when I closed the case that shimmery beige cracked all around the corner.

I now have to keep this palette laying flat, treat it with kid gloves, and use the lightest hand humanly possible with the shadows so that they don't fall apart anymore.

Needless to say, I won't be using the oven method to depot my shadows anymore!

Project 10 Pan: The Mini Series! October 24th-November 7th

So, recently a couple YouTubers that I follow collaborated on a project 10 pan mini series to use up some of the samples/mini products that they had laying around and I thought it was a great idea! As much as a love getting samples and mini's so that I can try new stuff, they always inevitably end up in a sample graveyard and don't get touched.

I figured I would give the mini series a go myself and try to work through my hoard of tiny beauty products too:-)This is only a 2 week pan, and I feel like I shouldn't have any problems getting through these 10 samples.

These are my samples:

1. John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo & conditioner for color-treated hair(I have 2 of these, so probably enough for 4 hairwashes)

2. Origins Smarty Plants CC skin complexion corrector(only enough for 1 use)

3. Benefit Big Easy multi-balancing complexion perfector(only enough for 1 use)

4. Agave Healing Oil oil treatment(enough for 1-2 uses)

5. Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion skin exfoliant(enough for 3-4 uses?)

6. Avon Anew Vitale day cream(enough for 1-2 uses)

7. Kate Somerville HydraClear hydrating acne gel(enough for 1-2 uses)

8. Spa Towells body lotion towelette(enough for 1 use)

9. Sephora Orange Blossom creamy body wash(enough for 1 use)

10. Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria mini-rollerball(enough for 1-1 1/2 weeks)

Like I said, I should have no problem getting through these. I will check back in after the 7th to update on the progress and let you guys know what I thought of these products.

Have a beautiful day!!

XOXO,
Jo

FOTD: Easy Neutral Metallic Smokey Eyes

On the face:(All products from Avon)
~Ideal Flawless liquid foundation in Light Ivory
~Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencils in Light and Light/Medium
~Ideal Flawless Translucent loose powder

On the eyes:
~Kohl eyeliner in True Black smudged into both upper and lower lash lines and used to tight line
~eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~matte beige from the Mocha Latte quad used in the crease as a transition/blending color
~Eye Dimensions trio in Neutral Haze
~deep shimmery brown used all over lid and blended into crease and along lower lash line
~metallic pinky beige used all over lid on top of the deep brown shade
~Sparkling white used on the inner corner of the eyes
~lash conditioner and primer
~Super Shock Ma mascara in Black

On the cheeks:
~Glow bronzer in Warm Glow
~Ideal Luminous blush in Antique Rose

On the lips:
~Glimmersticks lip liner in nude to line and fill in lips
~Totally Kissable lipstick in Natural Glow
~Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Pale Peach

New Avon True Color 8-in-1 Palettes! Swatch & Review

Avon recently launched 3 new 8-in-1 palettes in their True Color range. I picked up 2 of them, the neutral and the purpley palettes:-) All of the swatches below are over the Avon eyeshadow primer in Light beige.

This first one is the Not So Neutral palette:

Top Row: The first shadow is a matte vanilla. This one is a little powdery, but the pigmentation is pretty good. This will make a good base color all over the lid, and brow bone highlight shade. The second shade is a matte beige. Great pigmentation! This will make a good all over lid color, or crease/transition color. The third shade is a dove grey with a satin finish. There is a slight hint of warm golden-champagne sheen to this shadow that looks so much prettier on the lid than it does in the pan. The pigmentation of this is pretty good as well. The last color in the top row is a metallic light taupe. Again, pretty good pigmentation. This will make a really pretty all over the lid color as well. Bottom Row: The first color is a shimmery gold. I feel like the pigmentation of this shadow is just okay, and the application is a little patchy. It really has to be built up to get solid, even gold. The second shadow is a metallic bronze. This shadow has pretty good pigmentation and application. The third shadow is a matte plum-burgundy. This shadow has good pigmentation, and blends well. I was very happy to see this color in here instead of a dark brown. It keeps this palette from being your typical neutral palette! The last color in the palette is a matte black. When I initially swatched this without primer it was a soft black and not too intense. As soon as I put it over primer though, It was BLACK! A little goes a long way:-)

And here is the Plum Essentials palette:

Top Row: The first shadow is a vanilla with a satin finish. There are some really pretty lavender colored micro-fine shimmers throughout this shadow, but you really have to build the shadow up to get the full effect of them. The pigmentation of this shadow is just okay. The second shadow is a pale icy lavender with a shimmer finish. The pigmentation of this shadow is pretty light, but buildable. The third shadow is a soft golden-taupe with a metallic finish. Again, the pigmentation is a little lackluster. I can work with it, but it really needs a primer/base and needs to be built up. The last shadow in this row has the best pigmentation, but is the weirdest color? In the pan looks like a shimmery moss green. On the skin it is a deep muddy brown, with very fine brassy colored shimmer. Bottom Row: The first shadow is a matte pale pink. The pigmentation of this shadow is pretty good. The color is so light though that it hardly shows up on my skin. The second shade is a shimmery silver. The pigmentation is a lot like the gold from the Not so Neutral palette. A little patchy and needs to be built up. The third shadow is a matte rosey-taupe. This color was my favorite in the pan, unfortunately the pigmentation is so weak that I REALLY had to pack it on to get a ho-hum swatch. The last shadow is a pretty vibrant purple. In the right light you can see a hint of micro-fine blue-violet shimmers in this shadow, but they don't show up at all on the skin so I'm going to consider this a matte shadow. The pigmentation of this color is pretty good!

Overall, I definitely prefer the Not So Neutrals to the Plum Essentials palette. The pigmentation is pretty good across the board and there is a good mix of light, mid-tone, and dark shades, as well as mattes and shimmers. The Plum Essentials palette is really hit and miss. Some colors are good, while others require a lot of building and blending. There also isn't a great range of tones, all of the colors are either really pale or really dark. This one definitely lacks in mid-tones.

If you are wanting to try one of these palettes, I would say go with the Not So Neutral. You won't be disappointed!

Swatches: Avon Ultra Color Absolute Lipsticks

I only have a couple of these, but I did a get a few samples too. Another Avon rep did a really good swatch video on YouTube, so I will post that at the end of this post so you can see all of the colors:-)

Here are the swatches:

This one is Caramel Comfort. It is a light beige nude, with medium coverage. This one went on pretty evenly and has a nice balm-like texture to it.

Creamy Melon is a pretty, bright peach shade. I love the color of this lipstick, although, I did feel like it clung to dry patches on my lips and went on a tiny bit streaky.

Pink Renewal is a very pale creamy pink. This was honestly the least favorite for me because it just didn't look good with my skin tone and washed me out a little. This one also seemed to cling to dry patches.

The next two colors are so similar in person that I honestly had a hard time telling them apart until I put the pictures side by side. The one on the left is Tender Mauve, and on the right is Ripe Rose.

Tender Mauve is a nice, light, neutral beige-y pink. This will be a good nude pink for anyone with fair to light/medium skin tones.

Ripe Rose is really similar to Tender Mauve, just a couple shades darker. This one is my favorite. It's a great nude pink for me, and probably will be for anyone with light to medium skin tones.

Radiant Raisin is a really pretty dark berry shade. This is a great color for this time of the year!

Here is Lorena's video of all of the swatches if you want to check out the rest of the shades:

FOTD: Plum Monochrome

I decided to do a soft plum look today inspired by the changing of the season, all makeup is by Avon:-)



On the face: Ideal Flawless foundation in Light Nude, Extra Lasting concealer in Fair, Ideal Flawless concealer in Light/Medium, Ideal Flawless loose powder in Translucent

On the eyes: Extra Lasting eyeshadow pencil in Shimmering Sand(used as a shadow base), True Color eyeshadow duo in Burgundy Berry, True Color eyeshadow single in Plum Burgundy, kohl eye liner in Intense Brown, Super Shock Max mascara in Black

On the cheeks: mark. Bronze Pro in Bronze, Ideal Luminous blush in Soft Plum

On the lips: Ultra Color lipstick in Rich Plum

Modern & Minimalist Makeup Look

Avon was the cosmetics sponsor for the Elizabeth & James Spring 2014 fashion show at New York Fashion Week last week. Here is how to get the runway look from Avon celebrity makeup artist Lauren Andersen. Even though this look was done for a Spring show it really is a great look that's suitable for every day of the year.

Swatches: Avon True Color Eyeshadow Duos

Warm Cashmere is a perfect duo for everyday wear, with a little liner smudged into the upper lash line and a couple coats of mascara it looks great with any lip color! The lighter shade is called Peach and is a sheer shimmery light golden peach shade. It can be built up easily for a more opaque finish and blends easily. The darker color is Iced Coffee, this shade is a shimmery warm beige and is a bit more pigmented than the Peach shade. Blends very well.

Burgundy Berry is a nice shimmery muted plum duo. The lighter shade is Nude, this color is hard to describe- sort of a shimmery pale mauve beige. The pigmentation and blending of this shade is excellent. The darker shade is Silver Plum and is perfectly named because it is a gorgeous shimmering silvery plum color. Again great pigmentation and blends nicely. I love this duo on my hazel eyes, it really brings out the green!

Victoria's Secret Inspired Tutorial

FOTD: Bronze Eyes + Bright Coral Lips

I feel like these colors look great together on anyone, and are perfect for spring and summer!

You don't want your skin to look to heavy or matte with this look, so I just used Garnier BB Cream to even my skin tone out. Then a little Avon Ideal Flawless concealer under my eyes and on blemishes, and set everything with some Avon Ideal Shade translucent loose powder.

All of the eye shadows I used were from the Nyx Crimson Amulet palette so I'm not sure of the exact shade names, but you just want to sweep a bronze shadow from lash line to just above your crease and on lower lash line and inner corners of eyes. Use a gold shade just at the center of your lid to add a little dimension to the bronze. Then use a matte flesh tone shade to blend from the crease to the brow bone. Finish off by tight lining your eyes with a black pencil liner(I used Avon Ultra Luxury eyeliner)and a couple coats of mascara(Rimmel Volume Accelerator).

On the cheeks I contoured a little with bronzer(Avon Glow bronzing pearls)and then put a little blush from the Crimson Amulet palette on cheekbones(the peachy-pink with gold shimmer shade).

To finish I used a coral lip liner(Nyx slim pencil in Coral)to line and fill in lips, and topped that off with a bright coral lipstick(Nyx round lipstick in Femme).