makeup – Page 3 – Hoots of a Night Al

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette Matte Look

August 2, 2016 4 Comments

A couple of months ago, I shared my thoughts on the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. In my previous post, I mentioned that I wanted to share some looks I create using that palette, and this post is exactly that!

I used four shades from the palette, Strange, Limit, Nooner, and Darkside. They are all matte, except for Darkside, which is a satin finish. These are the descriptions for each shadow according to Urban Decay: “Strange (pale neutral pink matte-satin), Limit (light dusty rose matte), Nooner (medium pinky-brown matte), Darkside (deep taupe-mauve satin).”

Urban Decay has a great eyeshadow primer, Primer Potion, that I used under these shadows. It really helps the colors pop and keeps your shadow crease-free and in place all day.

I used Limit all over my lid and as a transition shade. It’s a fabulous neutral that goes well with so many different color combinations. I blended Nooner in strategically to darken it slightly before adding Darkside in my crease. Strange is my current favorite shadow for highlighting my brow-bone. It’s perfectly bright and crisp without being shimmery or over the top.

I also used a combination of Nooner and Darkside to line my lower lash line. It’s great to line your lower lash line with corresponding shadows for a softer look than eyeliner.

I still love the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, and I know I’ll be able to use it for so many looks in the future! The matte shades I used for this look were just as smooth and blendable as the shimmer shadows, which I really appreciated.

If you’re looking for a great eyeshadow palette that you can use for a variety of looks, I would still happily recommend this one! Let me know if you have a favorite look with the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette that I should try!

Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me

Bronzer: NYX Matte Bronzer

Blush: Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher Pearlescent Pink

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner

Mascara: Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions LashBlast Mascara

Lipstick: Le Marc Lipstick by Marc Jacobs in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Covergirl Super Sizer Fibers Mascara

July 26, 2016 12 Comments

Hey y’all! Covergirl recently released their Super Sizer Fibers Mascara, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you.

According to Covergirl, “Discover 400% more volume and get the look of long, dark, amplified lashes with Super Sizer Fibers Mascara. Our specialized formula contains built-in fibers for the ultimate false-lash
extension effect.”

As you can see above, this mascara definitely adds length and volume to my otherwise light, short lashes. I’m not sure if I have “400% more volume,” as they claim, but my lashes are definitely more dramatic.

The wand has short curved bristles that wrap around the wand in a twisting formation. The idea is that you’re supposed to turn the wand as your brush it through your lashes. I think this helps deposit the product more evenly while separating your lashes. Using the twisting technique definitely improves this mascara application!

This mascara is very similar to the original Covergirl Super Sizer mascara, I previously reviewed. The wand is basically identical, and the formula seems the same with the addition of fibers for length. However, comparing the two, I think my lashes may actually look longer with the original version. YMMV. (Is that abbreviation common enough to use? Your Milage May Vary…let me know. Hahah)

This mascara is flake-free all day, yet it washes off easily with makeup remover. While my lashes look mostly separated in the close-ups below, it took quite awhile to get them that way. The short wand bristles pick up a lot of product and can make it a little difficult to keep your lashes from becoming clumpy. If perfectly separated lashes are your jam, this mascara isn’t for you.

I have only tried Very Black out of their four available colors. I have to ask, does anyone out there actually use Brown mascara? As a committed Blackest Black Black Black mascara fan, I’ve never even reached for anything but that!

Here, I paired my Super Sizer Fibers Mascara with Covergirl’s Perfect Point Plus eyeliner in Espresso. I know, brown liner right after I bashed brown mascara. Hah. In all fairness, I received this eyeliner for free, and it was my first time trying it. I have to say though, I was very pleased! It glided on smoothly, stayed put all day, and created a softer, daytime look.

I love these products together for daytime because the brown liner is softer than my typical black, and this mascara gives my lashes drama without going full glam. They just create a fresh, pretty look. (And yes, those are Mickey Mouse ears peeking into the bottom of the above photo. Like I said…not going full glam over here.)

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with Covergirl’s The Super Sizer Fibers Mascara. I would probably rate it 7 out of 10. It’s not the best mascara I’ve ever used, but the price, availability, and formula give it plenty of pros.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

*FACE MAKEUP: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation & Concealer

*LIPSTICK: Lighter: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, Darker: Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Kisses

*EYELINER: Black: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner, Brown: Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Espresso

*BRONZER: NYX Matte Bronzer

*HIGHLIGHTER: e.l.f. Illuminating Palette

I received this mascara & eyeliner for review from Influenster, but all opinions are my own.

Beauty

e.l.f. Illuminating Palette

July 8, 2016 10 Comments

Hey friends! Are you a fan of highlighters? I AM. I’m also a fan of not spending tons of money on them. That is where the $6 e.l.f. Illuminating Palette comes in.

In the picture above, I have my full face of makeup on, except for a highlighter. I think it’s still a great look, but highlighter definitely adds that extra pop. Below, I applied highlighter on one half of my face…can you tell which side?

Here…I’ll give you some help!

It’s not a huge difference, but I think on the right my under-eye area definitely looks brighter, and my cheeks have a nice pop of sheen.

This e.l.f. Illuminating Palette is a pretty good bang for your buck…er…six bucks. I often see highlighters referred to as “bright enough to be seen from space.” I don’t know if this highlighter is quite that impressive. If we’re keeping with the atmosphere theme, I bet it could be seen from the stratosphere, though? Not bad for the price!

I typically apply the highlighter on my cheekbones, center of my nose, cupid’s bow, upper chin, and center forehead. I also use the lightest shade to brighten my under-eye area.

This palette definitely adds a subtle, but pretty sheen where applied. It lasts throughout the day very well on me, also.

According to e.l.f., “This beautiful illuminating palette holds 4 gorgeous complementary shades to mix and match for a custom blended radiance that captures, diffuses, and softens the way light reflects on the skin. The soft-focus powders are great for highlighting around the eyes and on cheekbones to enhance the skin with a luminous effect.”

You can see the four shades included below. I typically use a combination of the top two.

e.l.f also says these colors can be used as shadows, which I think could create a beautiful, natural makeup look. I mean, as natural as shimmering eyelids can look, you know.

Like I said, I don’t think these highlighters will be blinding any astronauts, but they’re a great purchase. If you’re wanting to test out highlighting without spending tons of money, give this palette a try!

Have you had luck with any other drugstore highlighters I should check out?

Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me

Bronzer: NYX Matte Bronzer

Blush: Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher Pearlescent Pink

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner

Mascara: Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions LashBlast Mascara

Lipstick: Le Marc Lipstick by Marc Jacobs in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Beauty

Wet n Wild Color Icon Metallic Liquid Lipstick

June 28, 2016 4 Comments

Wet n Wild’s Limited Edition Summer Line has been flying off the shelves lately, so I figured I would grab some of the products to try myself. The first product I sampled is the Wet n Wild Color Icon Metallic Liquid Lipstick in Chrysanthemum’s the Word.

image source Wet n Wild

It is one of 6 colors in their new Metallic Liquid Lipstick collection and is a true pink hue. The applicator is a classic doe foot style, and it picks up a great amount of product. I was able to cover most of my lips with one pass.

I was happily surprised with the pigmentation of this lipstick! With lighter colors I always worry about them looking streaky, but this was so smooth of covered my lips very well.

They definitely aren’t kidding about the metallic finish either! It catches the light so well, and it stayed super shiny the entire time I had it on.

For some reason, I expected these to dry down matte, but they aren’t advertised that way. They definitely stay wet the entire wear time, which means they will transfer.

I didn’t eat or drink while wearing this liquid lipstick, so I can’t say how well they would stay on through that. However, it did stay perfect the entire time I had it on, with no bleeding, which was a big plus.

The formula claims to be non-drying, and I think that’s a fair statement. It’s not moisturizing by any means, but at no point while wearing it my lips feel dry.

I’m usually not a glossy, shiny lip person, so this was definitely step outside the box for me, but I think I’m a fan! It’s a fun look for summertime, when I feel like everyone is drying to achieve that “summer glow.”

Plus, at $2.99, it’s totally worth the risk, if you don’t like it! Have you tried any of Wet n Wild’s summer collection? I’m trying to get my hands on the highlighting powder next! All about that summer glow, right!?! (And by that I mean the kind of glow I can achieve by applying it with a makeup brush and never seeing the sun…)

Beauty

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

June 14, 2016 8 Comments

Okay, I’m finally reviewing the Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette. Before you get all, “Ali, where have you been the past 3 years?!” don’t be rude! If you’ve spent any time reading my blog, you’ll notice I definitely favor drugstore makeup. They have tons of quality products for great prices, so I have trouble justifying buying most “high end” makeup items. However, my sister gave me a Sephora gift card, so I decided to splurge a bit and get this palette!

I went back and forth between all of the Naked Palettes, but after swatching all the colors, Naked 3 was the clear winner!

It’s packed with 12 amazing shadows, and I love each and every one! There isn’t a single shadow that I don’t think I’ll use! There are countless looks I can create with this palette alone from day-to-night, shimmery-to-matte, and natural-to-glamorous.

The shadows include shimmery pinks, a perfect matte highlight, neutrals, a red-toned black, and many more. I think the overall theme of the palette is rose gold (considering the beautiful packaging), and that definitely compliments my blue eyes. These shadows would be stunning with any skin or eye color though.

The shadows are very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. The palette also comes with four sample sizes of various Urban Decay eyeshadow primers. They claim each sample contains a week’s worth of uses, so you can really stretch them out.

All of the shadows are very easy to blend, and regardless of which ones you pick, they all go together nicely. I used a combination of five of the metallic and pearl shades, and I love how it turned out. Next, I definitely want to try using just the matte shadows.

If you only want to invest in one eyeshadow palette, I think this would be a good option. These eyeshadows are all exclusive to the Naked 3 palette. While the price is a little high for me, it’s a great value considering how many colors you get and what great quality they are. Plus, a nice, double-ended eyeshadow brush is included.

The hardshell packaging is great for traveling, and the exterior seems like it will be easy to clean after being toted around in my dirty makeup bag.

I’m very happy with the quality and quantity of eyeshadows in this palette, so I may be investing in more Naked palettes in the future!

Don’t worry, I’m definitely still a drugstore makeup girl at heart, but let’s just say I’ll be keeping my eye on Urban Decay from now on, too!

Have you tried any of the Naked palettes? What higher end products do you think are worth the money? Let me know!

Foundation: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1

Bronzer: NYX Matte Bronzer

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

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