#manimonday : Purple Glitter Fade

For this look I used Julep polishes in Tyra, Queen Anne, and Danica. Danica is more violet in person, but it has a lot of blue micro-fine shimmer throughout so my camera picks it up blue. I just used the basic "ombre" nail polish technique using a cosmetic sponge. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube for this method if you aren't familiar with it. Very beginner friendly nail art!

If you want to check out Julep polishes for yourself, click here!

What are you guys rocking on your nails this week?

Swatch & Review: Avon Ultra Color Indulgence Lip Color

Ultra Color Indulgence lip color is the latest and greatest in Avon lipsticks! These lip colors are creamy, moisturizing, lightweight(thanks to no heavy waxes), and leave a beautiful dewy finish on the lips. Most shades have medium to full coverage, with the exception of just a few that I will get to down below. They also have a light fruity fragrance to them that smells yummy and not at all overwhelming.

So, here are some swatches for you! The top lip swatches are with a flash, the bottom for each color is normal indoor light.

First up is In Bloom. This shade is a very pale pinky nude. Normally, shades like this would leave me looking very pasty and washed out but this shade applies with light/medium coverage so enough of my natural lip color comes through to prevent that from happening. It is easily built up though if you want it lighter and more opaque. There is the tiniest hint of  golden champagne like super fine shimmer to this color.

Honey Flower is a little more my speed when it comes to "nude" lip colors. It has a warm peachy-pink  undertone to it. Applies full coverage with no detectable shimmer.

Petal Pink is one of those light, cool toned Nicki Minaj-esque pinks. Doesn't look that great on me, but it applied well. Full coverage and no shimmer.

Pink Blossom has about the same depth as Petal Pink, but is definitely a warmer pink and looks much better on me. This is one of my favorites out of the bunch. Applies full coverage with no shimmer.

Peach Petunia is my absolute favorite of all of them! The perfect pinky-peach for Spring and Summer. Applies full coverage with no shimmer.

Rose Bouquet is a muted berry shade. This is another favorite! Applied like a dream, full coverage and no shimmer. This shade is perfect for anyone who really wants to rock a red lip but is nervous to go full-on red. It suits all skin tones and will work in all seasons.

Day Lily is a plum-y mauve. This is another shade that will suit pretty much any skin tone and work year round. It applies full coverage and doesn't have any shimmer.

Poppy Pink is a vibrant hot pink. Another favorite! It applies full coverage and has no detectable shimmer.

Orchid Petal is a bright pinkish purple. Love this color! It applies full coverage, and has the very faintest hint of violet shimmer in it. You really don't notice it at all unless the light hits it just right.

Red Tulip is a true red. Not too orange, not too blue, not too brown...just true red. It applies full coverage and has no shimmer. This one's another favorite of mine.

Plum Verbena is a deep reddish plum. It applies pretty sheer(and looks pretty that way), but if you build it up for more coverage it does get a little streaky and color settles into the lines of the lip.

Chocolate Rose is the deepest of the bunch, a dark reddish brown. This one also applies sheer(again, I like it that way) and gets streaky when built up for more coverage.

For the most part I love this line. The only color that I really can't wear is Petal Pink, it is just too cool for me. I personally am happy that the two darkest shades apply sheer because colors like that that are opaque have a tendency to look a little too Lorde-ish on me, and, well, I'm not Lorde.

What do you guys think of these new lipsticks? Which colors do you like the best?

If you would like to check out this new line of lipsticks for yourself, click here

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!

Swatch and Review: New Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quads

Recently, Avon launched four new True Color eyeshadow quads. All four quads are neutral and beautiful, and designed to be the perfect nude palettes for various skin tones. I will say right off the top that I am loving all of these new quads, and I really love that Avon has incorporated some color in with the neutrals as well!

The first quad is Naked Truth. This is the palest of the new quads and designed for light skin tones. Color #1 is Shimmering Beige and is a shimmering cream color with really good pigmentation. This color makes a really brow bone and inner corner color. Color #2 is Peach Sparkle, which is a pale peach with a satin finish and not much sparkle. This color is the least pigmented of the quad, but it's still pretty decent. Depending on the look you're going for it could make a good lid color or a blending/transition color for the crease. Color #3 is Glimmering Sand. This shade is a warm shimmering beige with a tiny hint of micro-fine champagne glitters in it. I like to use this color all over the lid if I'm doing a quick neutral look, and in the crease as a transition color for smokey eyes. Color #4 is Coffee, and is a gorgeous medium neutral shimmering brown.

The next quad is Barely There. This one was designed for light/medium skin tones. Color #1 is Soft Vanilla, and is a matte vanilla shadow with really good pigmentation. This one makes is a nice brow bone highlight color. Color #2 is Rose. This a matte, neutral pink shade. I love this color in the crease as a transitional color. Color #3 is Satin Taupe, which is a neutral taupe with some shimmer to it. This is a great all over lid color. Color #4 is Cool Coccoa, and is a dark neutral brown with a satin finish. The pigmentation of all four shades in this palette is really good.

The next quad is Go Natural, and is designed for medium skin tones. Color #1 is Shimmering Beige. This is the same color as the lightest shadow in the Naked Truth quad. Color #2 is Shimmering Stone. This shadow is a warm shimmering brown with golden undertones to it. I feel like this shadow is the least pigmented in this quad, but it's easily built up. Color #3 is Radiant Orange. This is a vibrant reddish-orange with a hint of shimmer to it. Very pigmented! This is one of my favorite colors from all of these new quads. Color #4 is Burnt Brown, and is a matte deep brown with plum undertones.

The last quad is Grin and Bare It. This one is designed for deeper skin tones. Color #1 is Bronzed. This shade is a golden bronze with a metallic finish. REALLY pretty all over lid color! Color #2 is Burnished Copper. This is a medium reddish brown with a satin finish. Color #3 is Patina, which is kind of an antique brass with greenish undertones and golden shimmer to it. Color #4 is Sahara Sunset, a deep cool brown with a satin finish and fine golden glitters here and there. This color is the least pigmented from this palette. I feel like this palette as a whole is a tiny bit less pigmented than the other quads, but all of the colors are easy to build up and blend.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the new additions to the True Color quad range. Though they were designed with certain skin tones in mind I think that most people would be able to use all of the colors in some way. Definitely give these new shadows from Avon a try if you are looking for some new neutrals!

Swatch & Review: Avon Eye Dimensions Eyeshadow- Khaki Chic and Sweetheart Plum

First, let me start this off by saying that I'm in LOVE with these little palettes! They are chock full of shimmery, glittery goodness, and I really just can't get enough of them(I have two more on the way). That being said, if you are a matte shadow girl these are not going to be your cup of tea.

The pigmentation of both of these palettes is really good. The staying power is also really good. The fallout factor is pretty high, so I would recommend (1)using an eyeshadow primer, (2)patting the shadows on, as opposed to using sweeping motions, and (3) doing your eye makeup first so that you can wipe any fallout away before applying your foundation etc.

Here is the Khaki Chic palette:

Khaki Chic is a very sparkly neutral palette. The top shade is a metallic soft gold. The texture is very soft, almost creamy, and it blends really well. The middle shade is a shimmery golden taupe with with fine golden glitter throughout. This one has a slightly drier texture, but still blends really well. The bottom shade is shimmering deep khaki green with fine golden glitter throughout. It has the same texture as the middle shade, and blends really well. Again, excellent pigmentation for all three shades.

Here is the Sweetheart Plum:

Sweetheart Plum is more of a warm toned purple palette. The top shade is a super pale matte mauve base with micro-fine golden shimmers throughout. The texture is a little on the dry/powdery side, but it still blends well. Even though it's technically not matte, the shimmers are so small that they practically disappear on the skin making it a nearly matte shadow. The middle shade is really hard to explain, kind of a shimmery rose gold/soft plum duochrome with fine golden glitter throughout. It's very sparkly, and blends out well. The bottom shade is a metallic plum. Absolutely gorgeous! This is one of my favorite purple palettes that I have ever owned!

I haven't tried these shadows wet yet, but given the excellent pigmentation and high shimmer factor I feel like they would be amazing used wet!

Have you guys tried any of these Eye Dimensions shadows yet? What do you think?

Here are a couple of looks that I have done with these palettes:

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!