Dose of Colors Mint for You Collection

I have a confession: I haven't been totally honest with you. I've been holding out about one of my newly-discovered favorite brands. I've done one post, but the frequency that these products show up on my face doesn't correspond with the love I've given on this blog. That stops today.

I recently purchased two products from Dose of Colors' Mint for You Collection from Ulta. This limited edition collection consisted of three eye products, two blushes, two liquid lipsticks, and a makeup bag.  I've got one of the two blushes and one of the two liquid lipsticks to share with you. If these colors appeal to you, I suggest jumping on them quickly!

Quick aside- the mint is just beautiful. Just putting that out there.

Let's start with the first product I was curious about- the StateMint Blush.

For $22, you get a paraben-free, talc-free, cruelty free blush that weighs in at 5.1g/0.18oz.

The packaging is plastic but sturdy. I chose StateMint, a gorgeous warm light pink. Take a look at the pan:

This type of blush is my weakness- I love these light pinks that look totally natural on my cool, pale complexion. I've been wearing this 3-4 days per week since I purchased it and have actually been pulling out similar shades because I remembered just how lovely they look on me.

It's soft but buildable- but this one's best suited for light to medium complexions. The other shade (a peach) would probably be better for darker complexions. I've been trying not to order it.

I find this is lovely with any number of tools- from goat brushes to synthetic, this blends flawlessly and just looks natural on me. I find this formula to last through the workday- and it's going to be a workhorse in my collection. I hope that the brand puts out additional blushes in the future if they're this quality!

Now, onto the liquid lipstick.

Dose of Colors is known for their matte liquid lipsticks, and they're one of my top three formulas.

I chose the darker shade of the two- Mintea. For $18, you receive 4.5g/0.16oz of product.

This looks like it'd be a lovely spicy nudey blush. Even the swatch looks promising.

So here's the deal. This color looks awful on my lips- even with foundation down as a base. It's quite streaky- something that isn't presence in a number of their other shades.

This is the best I could do with two layers and in front of studio lights- which pull it slightly lighter.

It's too hard for me to work with, but perhaps it'll work well for you. For me, the blush is the star of the collection.

I know this was a short little post today but I wanted to feature this pair before they were out of stock for good!

A Sneaky Favorite: The MAC Girls Collection

I know this is old news, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the sneakiest collection that has grabbed my heart as of late: the MAC Girls Collection.

Unlike prior releases, MAC announced that this collection will be periodically restocked for the next six months or so- so if you've missed out, you've got time. I've been playing with these for the last month or so and adore them. I purchased two from Nordstrom and the other three from Ulta. They each retail for $39.50. Be warned if you purchase one- you'll want them all.

Dear MAC, thank you for bringing back awesome palettes. Quite often, MAC palettes are subpar but these? They're stunning.

Each of these come with eight pans of eyeshadow and one highlighter. I won't hide my opinion- these are some of MAC's best palettes in years. I'll excuse the plastic overlay. That says a lot.

Given that these have been out for awhile, I'm going to keep it short and sweet on each. I own five of the six; I didn't purchase the red/purple/pink palette.

Prissy Princess was the first one that I picked up because I was really using the heck out of Marc Jacobs The Lolita palette and realized that I wanted a cool/neutral palette.

These colors just called to my light, pink, cool complexion.

One of the interesting things about this line (that I hate, to be honest) is the plastic overlay with the shade names written on it.

Let me share some swatches- which I've labelled for you as well.

This one has been perfect for work. Too Good to be True is gorgeous on the lid foiled. I adore this for everyday, effortless looks. Some people might find this a bit boring, but it's perfection in a conservative workplace. Pigmentation is gorgeous across the board, and the highlighter just works.

Following how much I loved Prissy Princess, I picked up Power Hungry.

This golden palette just gives itself away from the start.

Yes, I do get a lot of usage out of a golden neutral palette. These shades are gorgeous and buttery.

I have actual dips going on in Something's Fishy and Winsome Lose Some- they're a perfect foiled lid combo. Gimme That! is such a pretty golden highlighter.

So pretty, right? Another wonderful, work-appropriate palette. I don't feel power hungry when I'm wearing these shades, but they work perfectly with work attire.

Next up, I got my hands on the palette that the internet went crazy for initially- Basic Bitch.

If these cool-toned shades that can produce a smoky eye make me basic, sign me up. Heck, I'll gladly drink my PSL while wearing this.

This is another of my favorites. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but this palette just does it for me.

Take a look at these swatches- especially that first shadow. It's an incredible lid shade and sold me on the entire thing. That said, this is such a breath of fresh air among all of the warm palettes.

Those first two shades really sell it for me, and I also adore the highlight.

When picking up Basic Bitch from Nordstrom, I finally saw the collection in person. One of the shades in Rockin' Rebel caught my eye.

If you knew me well, you'd know exactly which shade it is.

Guessed yet?  It's Bikers & Babes.

These bright shades really were fun for the end of summer, but this was released a bit late for me. I'll have more fun with this next summer.

It's gorgeous though, right?

The final palette (which I swore I wouldn't buy) that I bought is Mischief Minx.

This is the on-trend warm palette that's just like so many that I own already.

It was my fabulous experience with the others that made me buy it. I am happy that I've purchased it though.

The top of my camera says hi!

Here's the swatches:

Yes, Flaming Femme is a bit patchy. The others are great though! This is the newest one to my collection, and I've been overwhelmed with new palettes. However, I look forward to really digging in because these are wearable and lovely.

Bottom Line: I highly recommend finding your personality palette (or two or three or five) because these are some of the best palettes that MAC has released in years. They honestly made me remember how much I love MAC shadows.

QBB Hauls: Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Wrap-Up

Get yourself a drink and a snack, because this is going to be a long one.

Let's wrap up the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty. I was going to do this week-by-week but held off.


Beauty Steals Purchased Week One:

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Trios (9/8), Ofra Beverly Hills Highlighter (9/8), CoverFX Perfect Setting Powder (9/9)

Here's what I said in my Week One Preview:

What I'm planning to pick up from Week One: Tarte Double Duty Beauty Lip Sculptor Lip Gloss/Lipstick (September 6), Too Faced Sketch Marker Liquid Eyeliner (September 7), Ofra Highlighters (September 8), CoverFX Setting Powder (September 9)

Here's why I didn't purchase 50% of what I anticipated. I swatched the shade range for the Tarte lip products and didn't see anything unique to my collection. I then did some research on the Too Faced eyeliners and decided to purchase two of my favorite liner Week Two insted.

Hot Buys Purchased Week One:

bareMinerals GenNude Liquid Lipstick- Swank, Ulta Demi-Matte Foundation, Ulta Adjustible Coverage Powder Foundation, Ulta Mineral Foundation

Beauty Steals Purchased Week Two:

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Eyeliner (9/10), NARS NARSissist Cheek Palette (9/10), It Cosmetics Brushes for Ulta #115 (9/16), Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipsticks (9/16)

Hot Buys Purchased Week Two: Ulta Body Wash & Body Butter- Nectarine Rose (given as a gift, hence why I can't show)


Here's what I said during my Week Two Preview:

What I'm planning to pick up from Week Two: NARSisst Cheek Studio Palette (September 10), Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner (September 10), Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer (September 11), Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid (September 14), ABH Brow Powder (September 15), It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation (September 16), It Brushes for Ulta (September 16), Dose of Colors Liquid Lipsticks (September 16)

Here's why I passed on a few items. I looked at the amount of primers I own and decided I didn't need the Too Faced. I'm also working on using up my color correctors, so purchasing UD ones doesn't make sense. If I want to try one in the future, I'll be ok paying full price. I don't need any more brow powders and was away from my computer most of that day, and I have too many face powders at the moment-hence passing on the It powder.

Beauty Steals Purchased Week Three:

Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara (9/18), Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara (9/22), Benefit Ka-BROW! (9/23), Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss (9/23)- and the Ulta Hot Soap (Hot Buy)



Here's what I said during my Week Three Preview:

What I'm Planning to Purchase from Week Three: MAC Lipstick (September 20), Laura Geller Balance n Brighten Baked Color Correcting Powder Foundation (September 21), Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara (September 22), Benefit Ka-Brow! Eyebrow Color (September 23), Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss (September 23)

Here's why I did some major passing. I found my Velvet Teddy, so I didn't need to repurchase. I also decided to stop buying powders.

Don't worry, I bought a lot of other stuff. I'm stocked for items to review for months.

Viseart Friday: Viseart Golden Hour Eyeshadow Palette

Warning: This is long and gets into formulations.

Instead of the palettes that should be next up, I'm going to review Viseart's brand new release for Fall/Winter/Holiday 2017- the Golden Hour palette. (Side note: September holiday releases are ticking me off and confusing me.)

This is the ultra-rare mid-week posting for me. That's how much I think of Viseart. It also forced my hand to deal with Sephora's shipping- which is something that I'm due to rant about. It literally took Viseart to break my online no-buy, because I will not support companies that choose to work with LaserShip due to a bevvy of disastrous experiences that continue despite numerous complaints.

The Golden Hour palette released with many of the Holiday 2017 items, so I'm still trying to figure out if it's a Holiday release. It's priced so well- a mere $49.  For that $49, you get nine pans of shadow- and 14g/0.49oz of product.

Doing a quick price comparison, here's the value comparison

12-pan palettes: 12 pans, 24g/0/84oz  (2g/pan; $3.33/g)
Petit Pro: 8 pans, 12g/0.42oz (1.5g/pan; $2.50/g)
Theory: 6 pans, 12g/0.42oz (2g/pan; $3.75/g)
Golden Hour: 9 pans, 14g/0.49oz (1.55g/pan; $3.50/g)

I can't help but feel like the Petit Pro is the outlier here. I got all weight data straight from palettes that I own. The packaging on Golden Hour is different. Pans don't appear to be removable, and there's a giant mirror- a first for Viseart.

I stand by my initial review that the Petit Pro is meant to grab one's attention regarding the brand. But the new Golden Hour.... it's different. It's a consumer release.

The packaging itself is pretty:

It's quite sturdy, but I fumble with this clasp:

I mean, would they do an overlay with product names in a Pro palette?

I am honestly quite conflicted as to how I feel about the release of the palette since it's clearly not a pro product. I think it's great that the brand is acknowledging their rabid consumer fanbase, but part of the appeal is accessible pro products.

I spotted something else different:

Every other Viseart palette I've gotten has been made in France, and that's part of the awesome quality control. Not that made in the USA is bad, but what the heck? That made me dig into the ingredient lists. Note the number of bolded items- they're ones that only appear in Golden Hour.

Golden Hour Ingredient List: Mica, Talc, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, Alumina, Water. (+/- May contain: Tin Oxide CI 77861,Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491/77492/77499, Red 40 CI 16035, Carmin CI 75470, Black 2 CI 77266).

Petit Pro Ingredient List: Talc, Mica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Zinc Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Myristyl Lactate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide. + - May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (77891), Iron Oxides (77491, 77492, 77499), Blue 1 (42090), Carmine (75470), Black 2 (77266), Mica (77019), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510)

Theory I: Talc, Mica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Zinc Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Myristyl Lactate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide. May Contain (+ -): Titanium Dioxide (77891), Iron Oxides (77491, 77492, 77499), Blue 1 (42090), Carmine (75470), Black 2 (77266), Mica (77019), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).

Neutral Mattes: Mineral Talc, Mica, Mineral Zinc Stearate, Octyldodecanol (Plant Derived), Myristyl Lactate (Vegetable Derived), Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate (Vegetable Derived), Isononyl Isononanoate (Plant Derived), Tocopherol (Plant Derived). (+/-) May Contain: Mineral Pigments: Titanium Dioxide (77891), Iron Oxides (77491, 77492, 77499), Blue 1 (42090), Carmine (75470), Mica (77019).

Sultry Muse: Talc, Mica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,Zinc Stearate,Octyldodecanol, Myristyl Lactate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide. May Contain (+ -): Titanium Dioxide (77891), Iron Oxides (77491, 77492, 77499), Blue 1 (42090), Carmine (75470), Black 2 (77266), Mica (77019), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).

Something's up here.That's really different than the rest. We've got a different formula, different style of packaging, and everything about this feels different than the other releases. (I currently own 6 of 10 12-pan palettes, all 5 Theory palettes, and the Petit Pro, so I feel like I have a good knowledge base on this brand).

I did some research into those bolded ingredients.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative that's commonly found in cosmetics.
Potassium Sorbate is also a preservative
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a skin-conditioning agent and emollient 
Palmitic Acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid- may be derived from animals
Alumina is a form of aluminum oxide- it's used for opacity control, viscosity, etc. 
Water- no, I didn't research water- but I wonder if its inclusion (which could be less than 1% due to its placement) is driving the multiple preservatives. This palette has a 36M shelf life (vs 24M on Sultry Muse, 36M on Petit Pro, 36M on Theory I, 24M on Neutral Mattes)

This could be just as good, but the OG formula is 11 ingredients... and this has 6 different ones. It's like a totally new item. This goes beyond packaging, to be honest. And that's why I'm digging deep. 

I will say that I did a bit more research and I can't find another identical ingredient list so this formula appears to still be exclusive to Viseart. Good.

I thought this would be a slam dunk in terms of a quick review, but I ended up doing a bit more work and multiple looks.

Let's go back to the actual palette. There are nine named (!) shades; four mattes and five shimmers. I'd call this a great all-arounder palette and I could travel with essentially just it.

I find it to be beautiful, and I can see where the brand was going with this release. I'm just still befuddled with the formula and manufacturing swap.

Let's talk about the shades. There's a Paris theme going on here, in case you hadn't noticed.

Honorée is a gorgeous cream matte. I can't even consider a palette realistically without one of these.

Rivoli is a light gold shimmer- similar to Chanel's "white" gold liner from holiday a few years ago

Montaigne is a neutral to warm caramel matte. It's quite nice for blending out in transition when mixed with Honorée or deepened on its own.

Seine is a champagne shimmer that works across the eye as a subtle and glamorous lid shade.

Palais is a fiery copper shimmer. Viseart does these well.

Louvre is a deep red matte that's completely on-trend.

Carrousel is a rich plum shimmer.

Royal is a grey-blue shimmer- the type of shade perfect for a smokey eye (or me, circa 5 years ago on the daily).

Tuileries is an inky black matte.

As I mentioned before, this palette is balanced, and since it has the large mirror it's potentially all you'd need when traveling. I was able to do my eye makeup in just that mirror when I was testing it.

Overall, I find that you'll get warmer leaning looks out of this palette- but that's what consumers are begging for. I'm an oddball that still wants cool shadows.

Given the change in formula, I tested this over the course of several days and did multiple looks each day. Unfortunately, I was suffering from allergies so I'll not be posting my red eyes on the Internet to live in shame forever. Hopefully you'll trust my breakdown without an eye look.

I don't know if I would've noticed much of a difference if I hadn't been digging beforehand. However, these do feel "wetter" if you understand how I'm using the formula. Some of Viseart's palettes (especially the glorious mattes) are dry enough that one tap of a brush lightly into the pan is enough product for your eye. I felt like I needed to pick up more product than normal with these. That said, they did perform well.


Bottom Line: Yes, I got in the weeds in terms of formula. I don't hate the palette- not at all. It's not what I was expecting from the line and feel like consumers should be educated about the major changes before

LORAC Mega Pro 4 Palette

It shouldn't be a surprise that I caved and purchased the all-new LORAC Mega Pro 4 palette for Holiday 2017.

(My blood boils talking about Holiday in September.)

This is also a rare mid-week posting for me because I know this is one of those big releases where it's better for me to get posts up sooner than later. Add in being ill (still not sure if it's allergies or ill, but there's a fever involved) and I had the time to do numerous looks in little time.

Once again, we have 32 shades (traditionally 16 matte/16 shimmer- but I quibble with this!) for $59. Unlike every other Pro-formula palette, my Mega Pro 4 did not come with anything else.

I actually spent about 5 minutes looking for the eye primer that has always come with every other LORAC palette. Apparently it's not included with this one. Not a big deal, but that's lost value. I purchased mine online from Ulta.

The exterior is a lovely salmon pink- which is going to get messy.

I reach for the Mega Pro 1 & Mega Pro 2 on a weekly- if not daily- basis. My LORAC Pro Palettes comprise the majority of palettes that live on the top of my desk for easy access. The formula is notorious for fallout but is also buttery and blendable and fantastic. In terms of what I use on a daily basis- LORAC is my go-to (followed by Viseart).

I have to be honest, I don't necessarily "get"this palette. I'm also not really that inspired, but I'll dig in and hopefully fall in love. I found the Mega Pro 3 to be meh and way too monochromatic last year (and I hated the white packaging); the Mega Pro 4 appeals to me more than the 3.

I'll also note that one shade (Dk Chocolate) arrived like this:

Hmmm... Although I'm willing to point the finger at UPS for that most likely.

Now, some swatches and initial notes on all shades. I'm trying something new here- let me know if you like it in the comments down below.

Row 1, Part I:

Note: I have NW13-15 skin so these are so hard to see.

Cotton: Swatch is 2 passes; fairly sheer
Flamingo: Very soft
Cool Taupe: Impressively pigmented, nice texture
Butterscotch: Great pigmentation, really creamy


Row 1, Part II:

Cedar: Nice pigmentation, not as much fallout as other shades
Mocha: Gorgeous. Nailed it with this shade. Pigmented, little fallout. Amazing.
Denim: Sheer and underwhelming
Shadow: I like the pigmentation of this charcoal

Row 2, Part I:

Pink Peony: Pigmented but very dusty
Oat: Great shade; muted
Lt Sage: Quite sheer and disappointing
Sugar Cookie: WTF!! This is a SHIMMERY dove grey amongst the mattes!

Row 2, Part II:

Mahogany: Muted, not as much fallout as average
Blackberry: Good pigmentation, little fallout
Spice: Another perfect formula shade
Dk Chocolate: Nice Pigmentation

Row 3, Part I:

Foam: Very soft and pigmented. Perfect inner corner shade
Honey: Very nice but we've seen this before
Pearl Slate: More transparent base
Moss: WTF. Light, patchy, a miss.

Row 3, Part II:

Steel Wool: In love.
Copper Pearl: One of the best performers but this is easier to perfect
Peacock: lovely and pigmented
Lagoon: Muted, disappointing. Grungy.


Row 4, Part I:

Unicorn: My lights wash it out a bit, but it's very light and a bit disappointing. It's pretty and soft- but not the wow type of color I was looking for.
Lotus: A little patchy, fallout city
Fairytale: Looks to have larger glitter- more like a pressed glitter than the others. Very soft, fallout, some texture but stunning.
Misty Mauve: Stiffer formula, not but that pigmented



Row 4, Part II:

Silver Fox: Performs well
Plum: Muted, not what you'd expect.
Vamp: Slightly patchy on application but you can work with it
Raven: Stunning


For those wondering, here's what my palette looked like after swatching:

That's about average for the line. Note how different Fairytale looks. If this is a new formula, I'm digging it.

I played with this palette over the course of a few days- it's what made me put the Natasha Denona Lila palette down. However, given my extreme familiarity with the formula, I could do multiple eye looks and only test one or two for wear time. I know what this should be.


I was dismayed to discover this isn't a one-palette look palette for me because there's no cream matte suitable for setting primer.

I did a number of looks but had fails with everything- from mascara transfer to bad blending... nothing's worth showing. I will say that I've done work-friendly, bold and glittery, and colorful looks from the palette.


I think this palette's a hit and miss. It's got a lot of those pastels that weren't the best from the Brunch palette earlier this year, but the deeper and richer shades that are in the brand's wheelhouse.


Bottom Line: I'm still not sure what LORAC was going for this year. If you're a collector of the series, you're going to buy it anyhow. It claims to be limited edition, but don't hold your breath on that. LORAC has proven over the past 12 months that it'll be back again and again. I recommend playing in-store to see if it's for you.