Review and Swatches: Sheer Cover Duo Concealer in Light/Medium

I actually have been using Sheer Cover concealer for about 5 months now, and find it to be a medium coverage concealer leaning on the side of full. Although it will not cover the darkest of blemishes such as tattoos, it will cover dark circles and redness quite well. The advantage of having it be a lighter formulation is that it blends into skin flawlessly for a natural satin finish on the skin. I recently received a smaller compact of the concealer duo in light/medium from influenster in the same shade I am already using so now I have a back-up that I can put in my makeup bag for my purse. The large one is full size at 3g and retails for $29.95 which to me seems a little pricey for a brand like Sheer Cover but it is a nice concealer that will last a substantial amount of time. The smaller size I received is 1.5g so it is half size.

INFO FROM SHEER COVER:
Sheer Cover Duo Concealer

Sheer Cover® Concealer is perfect for all skin types and tones. Our concealer is a customer favorite offering a custom blend for the various shades on your face and covers up imperfections. It not only covers up the look of dark circles, blemishes, redness and age spots, it also moisturizes with Jojoba and Allantoin.

It instantly conceals blemishes, dark spots, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone – we’ve got life’s little imperfections covered!

KEY BENEFITS:
Instantly covers skin imperfections for a flawless, natural look
Variable coverage – sheer and creamy perfect for under eye circles or more opaque for blemishes, dark spots and hyperpigmentation
Easy application – glides on, won’t pull or tug at fragile skin
Enriched with natural, moisturizing Jojoba to help nourish and restore the skins’ natural moisture balance
Allantoin helps calm and soothe sensitive, irritated skin
Provides antioxidant protection from free-radical scavengers
Dermatologist-tested

HOW TO USE:
Using fingertips, concealer brush or a cosmetic sponge dab a small amount of concealer on area to be covered. Blend well. Start sheer, adding layers to increase coverage. Wear alone, under or over makeup. Let dry before applying makeup.






Where to Buy:

Customers can visit www.SheerCover.com or call 1-877-489-2035 to purchase Sheer Cover.
$29.95 for the concealer (non-member price) and $29.95 for the introductory system, which also includes the Duo Concealer.









Pros: It comes in a large size which will last for at least a year or more, so you are getting your money's worth. The compact is substantial and feels like a heavier acrylic compact that "snaps" shut so you don't have a messy compact or dried out concealer!

Cons: Color range is limited. If you are extremely pale there is not a color that will be for you. Having to buy the concealer in duos that you may not need can be irritating but I do believe you can buy full size single colors from Sheer Cover directly. Another thing that bugs me is it is not widely available at brick and mortar stores or online locations. To order you must call Sheer Cover so that means no discounts or cash back from ebates or mrrebates.

Summary:

As a whole I think that you could find something similar in stores that is easier to access, but the Sheer cover is supposed to have good for your skin ingredients and is nice quality. I would probably not purchase again as I can find less costly alternatives at Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, or beauty.com.

CND Shellac Application & Review Day 1!

Hey Guys! I just recently decided to get into the CND Shellac/gel polish craze! I read a ton of reviews and decided that I would try the CND Shellac first and see if I liked it and the ease of use, as well as the wearability of the product. Firstly, the ease of use it superior! If you can paint nails with regular nail polish you can definitely Shellac! It is actually easier in my opinion because your polish does not begin to dry (or cure) until it is in the lamp, so you have time to remove mistakes and ensure even application. It is essential that you do thin coats and I did not find that difficult to do at all. Secondly, this is day 1 of the durability test for the Shellac. I am going to give it the full 14 days to see if it holds up to it's claims! We will see! I am going to do a follow-up post to show the wear at 14 days of the Shellac. I will mention that I did purchase all of the CND products including the lamp, the top coat, base coat, colors, and scrub fresh. I also purchased bond-aid by OPI and NAS 99 by OPI. I used and already owned Deborah Lippmann cuticle remover, cuticle oil, and orangewood sticks. It is costly up front but if you go to the salon and get a sub-par Shellac manicure it can cost up to $40.00! I am not a professional and just enjoy doing my own nails so take the picture for what it is worth. Also, the glossiness and shine of the finish is so much better than the picture even shows but I did not want to use flash and wash out the color. I used Wildfire in this picture. Stay tuned for follow up review! :)

Review and Swatches : Urban Decay Naked Palette

I know this post and swatches are a little late because most people have already given in to the histeria of the infamous naked palette, but for those of you who do not own the naked palette and want an honest review...here it goes!

I would describe the shadows in this palette as medium to medium-high in quality. Some of them are a little less pigmented than others and it takes several swipes of each color to get the swatches you see above. I use the mally face primer on my hand prior to swatching. I like the range of browns that are in this palette because they would be used on a daily basis and you could easily get your money's worth out of this palette. The palette is a little pricey at $48.00 but you do get 12 full sized urban decay shadows so if you are looking tp purchase only 3 shadows, you have already paid for the palette.

Overall, if you already have an array of brown shadows I would not suggest this palette because you probably already have shades similar to some of the shades in this palette. If you are new to makeup and are looking for an array of browns to begin your eyeshadow wardrobe, the price is right for this palette. The eyeshadow quality is definitely not the best I have tried but they are nice and workable with an eye primer.

By the way, I personally think Lorac rocks the house when it comes to eyeshadow quality. So if you are looking to try some phenomenal eyeshadows, try lorac.

Review and Swatches : Mally Beauty Evercolor Shadow Sticks

Gunmetal, Saddle Shimmer, Plum, Angel Shimmer, Twilight, Brown, Champagne, Nautical, Rosy Taupe, Dusk, Platinum, Topaz

These are not all of the shadow sticks that Mally Beauty makes. She makes several more that I do not own, these are just the ones I have accumulated since they initially were released. Like many other people I was not into cream products for the eyes because they would start to gunk up in the crease of the eye throughout the day, and they would feel perpetually tacky all day long, as if they had never dried. Let me be the first to say that these are WONDERFUL! They will stay on through washing your hands with dial soap and water and you will need a longwear makeup remover to remove the shadow sticks. These do not have to be set with powder products, and they maintain their beautiful sheen all day long.

Cons:
They are pricey at $25.00 a piece, but you can often find them in sets and when mallybeauty.com has a promo code you can get them for cheaper as well. Also, QVC and beauty.com also sell Mally Beauty Products. Even though they are pricey, they will last a very long time as the pigmentation is superior. Literally in one swipe you have full laydown of color.


In closing I would like to say, if you have any questions please feel free to ask, and also I purchased these with my own money, and just happen to be an UBER-fan of Mally Beauty products! I hope the swatches help you make your next purchase.