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MAC Maleficent Collection 2014:

Mini Review

Hello Loves!

As I'm sure some of you already know, MAC has recently launched their new 'Maleficent' Collection before the new movie hits theaters at the end of this month! I have been counting down for this collection for months now, and I thought I would do a blog post on it because I have such strong feelings about it! 

First let me start off by saying that my Maleficent has been my favorite Disney character (yes, including princesses) since I was a little girl. I love love LOVE her. So when I found out that MAC was releasing a collection just for her, I was beyond excited. 

Here's a quick glimpse of everything that comes in the collection:

Photo By: www.thecitizensoffasion.com

Left to Right: Prep & Prime Highlighter- "Bright Forecast", Nail Lacquer- "Uninvited", "Flaming Rose", "Nocturnelle", 30 Lash, 36 Lash, Sculpting Powder- "Sculpt", Beauty Powder- "Natural", Eye Shadow x4- "Goldmine", "Ground Brown", "Concrete", "Carbon", Amplified Lipstick- "True Love's Kiss", Pro Longwear Lipglass "Anthurium", Pro Longwear Lip Pencil "Kiss Me Quick", Penultimate Eyeliner "Rapidblack", Maleficent Eyebrows- "Fling"

Okay, so I have a love-hate relationship with this collection. On one hand, I totally understand the direction that they were trying to go- this collection is meant to mimic the Maleficent played by Angelina Jolie rather than the traditional purple eyeshadow-wearing villain we all remember.  That's why there is such a lack of color; no blush, all neutral eyeshadows and only one color for lipstick. The sculpting powder, red lip products and eyebrow pencil reflect Maleficent's harsh cheekkbones, bright red lips and iconic arched eyebrows.

However when looking at the collection as a whole, I'm very underwhelmed. I would have loved to see a blush in this line somewhere and maybe to have seen a little bit more variety in color. I have a few thoughts on some specific items in this collection:

MAC Shades: Ground Brown, Carbon, Goldmine, Concrete

Eyeshadow x4: Now, I love my neutrals just as much as the next gal, but the eyeshadow x4 quad seems very dark to me. I swatched the colors in my MAC store and found that it would be very difficult to create a complete look with this quad unless I were going for a smokey eye. There is essentially one color shade (Goldmine) and then 3 very dark shades: dark brown (Ground Brown), dark grey (Concrete) and black (Carbon). I wish there was a lighter transition shade such as Soft Brown or Wedge, and I wish Goldmine was replaced with either a purple or a green. To me, that would have held more true to Maleficent and rounded out the quad. That being said, these shadows are still great shades, and if you're looking for some darker shades to add to your collection, these would be beautiful. I haven't bought this quad yet, but I may before the collection disappears. What can I say..look at that packaging! 

 Maleficent Beauty Powder- Natural: To me, this is just another powder. I've heard some reviews of people that own it and they haven't been particularly impressed. Personally, I think powder is powder. Especially translucent powder- there are great ones at the drugstore, so I would never spend $30 on a product like this. The packaging is beautiful, but this would have to be a no-go in my book. 

 

Maleficent Amplified Lipstick- True Love's Kiss

Amplified Lipstick- True Love's Kiss: Now for the lippies! I have to admit- I love that they offered 3 different lip products to achieve the "perfect" red lip. Lip liner is basically a must when it comes to red lips and it's nice that they offered that, the lipstick and the gloss- it has something for everyone.

I only bought the lipstick. In fact, this was the only thing out of the entire collection that I did buy, and I am so glad that I did! I've never owned a MAC lipstick before (I know..my collection is very small, but steadily growing!) and I'm so glad that this was my first one!

True Love's Kiss is a true red with some blue undertones that is just absolutely breathtaking. Because it's an amplified finish, it has an incredible amount of pigmentation and opacity without being drying on the lips. This is moisturizing and creamy and opaque all in one. Even for my skin tone (ghost white), this red is beautiful. I am seriously considering getting a backup while I can so that I never have to be without this! If there is one thing in this collection that is a must-have item, it's this lipstick. Absolute perfection.

So there you have it, everyone! I hope this wasn't a bummer review. Maybe it's because I love Maleficent so much that I had such high expectations for this collection that I became  very underwhelmed by the whole thing. I don't believe that anything in this line is a "bad" product- in fact, everything in this collection is killer! But at the same time, for Disney's most iconic villain, it's a little bland. I would have loved some color- greens and purples would have been wonderful to see here (especially in the eyshadow) and I also really would have appreciated a blush! However I am beyond thrilled with the Amplified Lipstick and adore the packaging of this collection as well. I hope this review helped you get an insight of these products- the link to the whole collection will be down below- happy shopping! 

MAC Maleficent Collection Here!

New: Limited Edition Wet N' Wild Fergie Centerstage Eyeshadow Quints

Hello Loves,

I was at Walgreens the other day and ai saw these new limited edition eyeshadows from Wet N Wild and got so excited!! I have a deep rooted love for Wet N Wild shadows, much like every drugstore beauty queen. I love the Fergie palette in 'Desert Festival' and knew I had to snatch these babies up when I saw them! 

There are 3 limitied edition palettes that just came out and so far I have only been able to find them at Walgreens. I bought 2 out of the 3 available because I loved the colors that were offered in these palettes and the 3rd one was a very nighttime smokey palette that I didn't see myself getting much use out of. These limited edition palettes are a part of their metallic collection, so most of the shades are very shiny and bold.

The first palette is called "No Filter" and is very neutral. It was a no-brainer when I saw it that I needed it in my life. This is by far the most universal out of the three and what I'm sure the majority of people will gravitate towards. There are 3 shimmer shades and 2 matte shades in this palette- they feel a little more chalky than their permanent eyeshadows but they still have great pigmentation and blend beautifully. 

"no filter"

This is a gorgeous palette. Period. Even if you own every neutral eyeshadow in the world, for $3.99 you can't go wrong with this. It offers some really great metallic neutrals and makes a great traveling palette or even something small to toss in your bag everyday. I definitely say to go pick this one up while you can!

The second palette I got is "Mixing Metals" and is absolutely beautiful as well. When I first saw it I wasn't quite sure because the colors looked very similar to what you'd find in the WNW 'Comfort Zone' palette. But again, it was $3.99! So I picked it up. And I'm so glad that I did because the colors aren't even close to the same ones as the Comfort Zone shadows. They do share a similar color range but the shadows themselves are completely different. This palette has gorgeous shimmery green shades that are absolutely stunning- especially if you're a brown-eyed girl. 

"mixing metals"

All 5 shadows in this palette are shimmery so you may have to bring in a matte brown from somewhere else to get a good transition/blending shade, but I do think that the pigmentatiom and vibrancy of these colors is amazing! 

I never know how long Limited Edition items are out so all I can say is get your hands on 'em while you can! 

Coastal Scents Hot Pots

Review & Swatches

 From left to right: Vanilla Sky, Caramel Ice, Tuscan Terra Cotta, Pumpkin Pie, Light Taupe Barista, Deep Roast

Amber Bronze, Dreamsicle, Bronze Peach, Mauve, Earth Rose, Wild Raisin, Deep Eggplant

St. Topaz, Atomic Apricot, Orange Crush, Peach Brew, Fire Glow, Dark Mango

Amazonian Ice, So Jaded, Jewel Teal

Hello Loves,

 If you're like me, you may be a little late to the Coastal Scents game. I had never even heard of Coastal Scents Hot Pots until a few months ago when I was trying to put together an eyeshadow palette, but didn't want to spend a million dollars on single shadows from MAC. So if you're like me and love beauty on a budget, this review is definitely for you!

PROS:

- One of the things that you can't pass up is the price. These single eyeshadows are $1.95 a piece! You could get an entire eyeshadow collection for under $50 and have every color you would ever need, which brings me to the second point: the color selection. 

- Coastal Scents has over 300 shades of colors to choose from on their website ranging from everyday neutrals to bright, bold colors, matte to shimmer finishes.  

- These shadows are extremely pigmented and easy to blend. I can't say that these are the most pigmented shadows I've ever used, but I can definitely say that I've spent more money on crappier shadows. For the cost, you really can't go wrong.

- The staying power of these shadows is just as long as any of the other shadows that I own (including Urban Decay & Too Faced). Personally, I have oily eyelids so even with primer, eyeshadow typically starts to crease and break down after about 6-8 hours. However, for $1.95 that's pretty darn good, and if you don't have oily lids, you could probably get 8-10 hours wear out of these!

CONS:

- Because you can only order these shadows online, you do take a bit of a gamble with every shadow you order. Though the website offers you the color, description and finish, I have found that some of these shades arrive differently than what I was expecting. 

- The shimmer shades are by far stronger than the matte shades. Some of the matte shadows that I have received are a little lacking in pigmentation, but the shimmer shades are always dead on.

- These shadows are definitely a little more dry than some of my high-end shadows (Urban Decay, Too Faced, theBalm). This is something to be expected with shadows that are so much cheaper in cost. Personally, the texture of the shadows doesn't bother me all that much. I still think that they perform and blend beautifully, but if you are someone that loves a shadow to be buttery and soft, these might not be for you.

Favorite Nudes

Tuscan Terra Cotta (matte finish)- This is an orange-peach shade. This is a beautiful transition shade for any neutral eye look that you're going for. It works great with browns, reds and deeper orange shades.

Barista (matte finish)- This shade is a true medium-brown shadow. This is great for in the crease and outer V and blends beautifully. 

Amber Bronze (shimmer finish)- Just like the name would suggest, this is a true bronze color. Especially for Summer, this looks gorgeous all over the lid with a darker brown in the crease or blended out with corals and peach shades.

Deep Roast (matte finish)- This shade is a traditional deep brown. This looks amazing for a brown smokey eye or used lightly in the crease to deepen up any look.

Bronze Peach (satin finish)- This has to be one of my favorite shadows from Coastal Scents. This is a deeper peach shade with a hint of brown and completely universal. Bronze Peach can be used all over the lid, as a transition shade or in the crease for an everyday light makeup look.

Favorite Colors

Unfortunately, I don't feel that the lighting in this photo does any of these colors justice. Some of these shadows are genuinely stunning and unique, so keep that in mind before judging by the picture!

Earth Rose (satin finish)- Though it may not look like it, this color is a darker mauve with a pink undertone. This shade is so unique and gorgeous- it's one of my favorite all over lid shades, especially for the Fall and Winter.

Wild Raisin (satin finish)- Oh my goodness. Wild Raisin is one of the most stunning shades of purple I have ever seen- maybe THE most stunning shade of purple I have ever seen. It blends out as purple, but it does have undertones of pink. This works amazingly in the crease with any brown, pink or coral all over the lid.

Dreamsicle (shimmer finish)- Again, though you may not be able to tell from the picture, this shadow has major undertones of orange to it which is amazing. It's a beautiful shimmery shade of  light orange that comes off as an overall bright shadow.

Deep Mango (matte finish)- This has to be one of my favorite matte shadows from Coastal Scents. This is so Spring and Summer appropriate because it's a bright but deep pinky orange shade. Absolutely stunning and a fun shade to play around with in your makeup collection.

So Jaded (shimmer finish)- This is a stunning shade between green and blue. Leaning more on the green side, this is an amazing accent colors to the eyes that can be worn all over the lid or blown out underneath the eye to smoke out the lower lash. This shadow is such a unique and beautiful color- absolute perfection.

 

Deep Eggplant (shimmer finish)- This was actually a sample shadow that they shipped to me with my last order and I am so in love. This is a deep purple/silver shade that is absolutely breathtaking. I will absolutely be ordering a full size of this shadow! 

Overall, these shadows are definitely worth a shot. Even if you end up not liking what you have, you're only spending $1.95 and there's such a huge color variety, you're bound to fall in love with a few! I am so satisfied with my collection so far- I love the variety and the quality of the shadows. For anyone who loves makeup and likes to experiment with different eye looks every day, this is such an affordable way to do that. 

Try it, love it, and let me know what you think! 

Check out everything at Coastalscents.com and start your collection! <3