Seeing Double: MAC Vex vs MUG Rockstar

Hi Loves!

With all of the makeup options available to us on the market, we are bound to run into color dupes. Unless we have both products right there in front of us, it can be hard to tell if an eyeshadow or lipstick you're thinking about buying is the same color as one you already own. I've run into this problem most often when shopping online, and it's so frustrating! I've decided to start this new series, Seeing Double, to swatch and compare the most recent products I've had this issue with (many of them are Makeup Geek and MAC products - so many possible dupes between the two!). I hope it helps make some of your future buying decisions a little easier :)

Is MUG Rockstar a dupe for MAC Vex?

MUG Rockstar

MAC Vex

When Makeup Geek  launched their Duochrome Collection *, they re-promoted some of their existing shades, Rockstar being one of them. To me, from the online swatches and pictures, it looked like it might be a dupe for MAC Vex eye shadow, so I decided to order it to find out. I was secretly hoping that they were just different enough that I wouldn't have two of the same shadow colors in my makeup arsenal. I'm sure that there are many of you out there that are wondering the same thing - is Makup Geek's Rockstar a dupe for MAC's Vex? Let's take a look:

Whole Palette Challenge - Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

Welcome to another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83.  Make sure you stop by her YouTube channel to see the looks Melissa comes up with! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we chose to go with the new addition to Too Faced's chocolate craze: the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection!

via Too Faced Cosmetics

This palette is just as fabulous as its predecessors; if you own either the original Chocolate Bar, or the Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar, then you already know what I'm talking about. The color payoff is (mostly) fantastic, the formula is buttery and easy to blend, and the delicious chocolate aroma is just beyond.

A few main features of this palette are:

• it comes with 16 shades, including neutrals and pops of color
• the finishes range from matte to metallic, with a nice variety of satin and shimmer finishes as well
• the delicious cocoa scent is heavenly (unless you dislike chocolate), and if you happen to get a little fall-out on your lips, it even tastes sweet!
• it costs $49, and is available at Too Faced, Ulta, Sephora and HSN (look for coupons and discount codes online, which can help make it a little less expensive)

At the end of this post, I will give you a little review on this palette, since it is pretty new to the market...but first, let's check out the looks I came up with:

Seeing Double: MAC Club vs Makeup Geek Havoc

Hi Loves!

With all of the makeup options available to us on the market, we are bound to run into color dupes. Unless we have both products right there in front of us, it can be hard to tell if an eyeshadow or lipstick you're thinking about buying is the same color as one you already own. I've run into this problem most often when shopping online, and it's so frustrating! I've decided to start this new series, Seeing Double, to swatch and compare the most recent products I've had this issue with (many of them are Makeup Geek and MAC products - so many possible dupes between the two!). I hope it helps make some of your future buying decisions a little easier :)

Is Makeup Geek Havoc a dupe for MAC Club?

Makeup Geek Havoc

MAC Club

With the launch of the new Makeup Geek Duochrome Collection * , I saw what I believed to be a dupe for the infamous MAC Club eye shadow. I couldn't be sure from looking at swatches online, so I decided to order it to find out. I was secretly hoping that they were just different enough that I wouldn't have two of the same shadow colors in my makeup arsenal. I'm sure that there are many of you out there that are wondering the same thing - is Makup Geek's Havoc a dupe for MAC's Club? Let's take a look:

Style-eyes: Summer look with Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette

Hi lovely readers! I just wanted to share with you a quick summery look I created with the Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette:

$36.00 on the  Too Faced website

This is a really fun palette, full of bright colors that are perfect for this time of year! If you find that you are intimidated by bold shadows, this palette is perfect for you because it also contains some neutral shades, like Malted Milk Ball (a medium bronze brown shade with gold sparkle) and Blackberry (a matte plum purple), as well as some soft pastels like Peach Fuzz (pale peach) and Strawberry Ice (soft lavender). However, the real stars of the show are the brights - I mean, just look at Bubblegum (candy pink) and Blue Raspberry (teal blue)! Don't they just inspire you to create a fun summer look? If you're thinking "no way I am putting Blue Raspberry anywhere near my eyes", breathe for a minute. You don't need to slather a bright blue shadow all over your lid - you can get a subtle pop of color by using a bold shadow as an accent shade, as I did below. 

The Whole Palette Challenge: Lorac Pro Palette and *Special Announcement*

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

I have for you another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83.  Make sure you stop by her YouTube channel to see the looks Melissa comes up with! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we set chose a classic: the original Lorac Pro Palette!

Lorac Pro Palette, $42 on the Lorac website

Three Things Thursday 6-04-15

Hi there lovely readers! Welcome to a new edition of Three Things Thursday. This week the focus will be on eyes - read on to find out what is making my eyes shine bright!

Rimmel Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Nude 005

Source

Nude liner is great for lining you lower waterline - it really brightens up the eyes and makes you look more awake on those morning you'd rather be snuggling in your bed instead of rushing off  to work. While there are many options out there, the Rimmel Waterproof Kohl Kajal liner performs extremely well, and only costs $4.49 at CVS. This is a staple in my daily routine, and I really can't see getting ready without it!

Three Things Thursday 4-16-15

Hi Lovely readers, welcome back to Three Things Thursday! Scroll down to see what is rocking my world this week!


Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara 

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This is the perfect mascara to get those tiny bottom lashes! The brush is so freaking cute and itty bitty! It thoroughly coats my bottom lashes, defining each lash, and it doesn't accidentally smudge under my eye. It makes my makeup routine a little more hassle free, and for $10 it is well worth the price!  Love this little guy!

The Whole Palette Challenge: The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Palette

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

I have for you another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we set our sights on The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette:

 This is a really cute palette, with a lot of fun colors that can create a multitude of looks! Inside of the palette are 12 shadows ranging from classic nudes to shimmery metallics, with awesome names like Blink 1982 and Alice Copper. The shades are quite pigmented, but there is a good amount of fallout from most of them, especially the shades with sparkle. The palette also comes with a highlight, blush, and two lip/cheek colors. I tried to use the included highlight and blush in most of my looks, and I always used Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Mascara on my top and bottom lashes. I think this is a very versatile palette that can easily take you from casual weekend to glam night out. I really enjoyed playing with this palette and creating the following six looks:

Look 1:

For the first look, I applied Allegro to the crease, Blink 1982 to the lid, Moderato to the outer V, Third Eye Blinded to my inner corner, and Adagio to my brow bone. I used the NYX Slide on Pencil in Jewel to line my upper and lower lash lines, and  the Vasanti Kajal eye pencil in Rose Gold to line my lower water line. On my lips I have Milani Bedazzled Lipstick in Enchanted Topaz (LE).

Look 2:

For this look, I used the Rimmel Sandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige on the inner 1/3 of my lid, and then applied Allegro to the outer 2/3. I added Presto to my outer v, and swept it up into the crease. I used Adagio to highlight my browbone, added Bulletproof Beige to my lower lashline, and lined my upper lashline with the Stila Smudge Stick in Damsel. 

On my lips m wearing the Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Lumiere.

 Look 3:

For look 3, I applied a mixture of Allegro and Adagio as my transition color, rem on my lid, and Moderato on my outer v and in my crease. I used Adagio on my browbone, and added a bit of Metal-ica to my inner corners. I smudged a combination of rem and Moderato under my lower lashline, and lined my upper lashline with black gel eyeliner.

 On my lips I have NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Thalia.

Look 4:

In this look, I again combined Adagio and Allegro and used that as a transition shade. I then applied The Stroke to the outer 3/4 of my lid and blended it up into my outer crease. I highlighted my browbone with Adagio, and my inner corner with Metal-ica. I smudged Metal-ica on the inner half of my lower lashline, and lined the top lashline with Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Sabbath.   

For my lips I used Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Frida.

Look 5:

I think this 5th look is sooo pretty! I first applied Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in  Inked in Pink all over my lid. I then pressed Alice Copper onto the outer half of my lid and smudged it up in to my crease. I swept Allegro into my upper crease, and applied Adagio as my brow bone highlight. Lastly, I used Iron Maid-in to highlight my inner corner, and also swept it on my lower lash line. On my lips I have the Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Frida, topped with NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Sweetheart.

Look 6:

I saved the most dramatic look for last: I started off by applying the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil  in Milk to the inner half of my lid, and Black Bean to the outer half. I then used a stiff brush to pack Lead Zeppelin all over my lid. I blended that up into the crease with a bit of Adagio combined with Allegro, and highlighted my brow bone with Allegro. I used Iron Maid-In to highlight my inner corners, and smudged it under my lower lashes. I used a black gel eyeliner to line my upper lashes, winging it out, and the Rimmel Kohl Kajal liner in black on my lower waterline. To complete this look I applied a pair of Ardell 120 Lashes and Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Lumiere.

And there you have the looks I created for the Whole palette challenge using the The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette. I hope you like what I came up with; if you decide to try any of these looks out for yourself, please share - I'd love to see them!  Post them to social media using #msadventuresinmakeup and #wholepalettechallenge :)

Please, please, please check out the looks Melissa creates for this Challenge - she is so talented and creative and beautiful, and comes up with combinations that I would never think of, so show her some love and let her know I sent you over!

Have you tried out The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Thanks so much for stopping by - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica

The Whole Palette Challenge: Too Faced Chocolate Bar

Hi Lovelies!

One of the main reasons I started this blog was so my friend Melissa and I could create makeup challenges...now, 4 months later, we are finally taking on our first challenge! We are calling this The Whole Palette Challenge, and the rules are quite simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis.

For the first challenge, Melissa and I chose the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ($49), as it has some great neutrals, fun pops of color, and it smells delicious! Since the palette has 16 shadows, we have challenged ourselves to come up with 7 looks using all the shades. I'm going to number the non-duplicate shades as I mention them, and in the end I hope to will have used all 16 shadows.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (source)

Look 1: On the first day of the challenge, I went to cut down my Christmas Tree, so I decided on a very natural, no-makeup look. I applied White Chocolate (1) all over my lid from lash line to brow. I then swept Milk Chocolate (2) onto my lid, and deepened the crease ever so slightly with Semi Sweet (3). I also dabbed a little bit of Champagne Truffle (4) on my inner corners to brighten things up.  I skipped the liner (I've been on a no liner kick recently), and topped everything off with two coats of mascara.

Look 2:  After applying primer, I swept White Chocolate all over my lid. I then used Salted Caramel (5) as my transition color, sweeping it into my crease and blending it out. I used Gilded Gold (6) on my lid and blended it up into Salted Caramel. Lastly, I used Champagne Truffle on my inner corners and directly under my brow. I lined my eyes (lash line and water line) with a dark brown liner, and finished up with two coats of mascara.

Look 3:  I started things off in my typical fashion: primed my lids and then applied White Chocolate as a base from lash line to brow. Next I pressed Hazelnut  (7) onto my lid, and buffed Milk Chocolate into my crease. I added a little bit of Creme Brulee (8) onto the inner 1/3 of my lid, and dabbed Champagne Truffle on my inner corners. I lightly lined the upper lash line with a brownish black liner, and lined my lower water line with a shimmery beige pencil. Two coats of mascara completed the look.

Please excuse the mascara smudge - I didn't notice it until after I took the pictures. 

Look 4:  I love this look! I began as usual, with primer and a layer of White Chocolate. I then pressed Candied Violet (9) onto my lid (next time I do this, I am going to try applying it wet). I brushed Cherry Cordial (10) into my crease and blended it up, and also added a little to my outer v to deepen the look. I lightly swept Salted Caramel right on top of Cherry Cordial to warm up the look and create a slight gradient effect, and added  White Chocolate as an inner corner highlight. I lined my upper lid with liquid liner, smudged Milk Chocolate on my lower lash line and added two coats of mascara. 

Look 5: This was quick look I pulled together using 2 shadows. I started out the same as always, and then swept Amaretto (11) across my lid and buffed it up into the crease until it faded out into the White Chocolate. I then added Champagne Truffle to my inner corners, lightly lined my eyes with a dark brown liner and applied two coats of mascara. Amaretto is a great color for the one shadow look, which is nice on days when you are running late and don't want to spend a ton of time on your eye makeup.

Look 6: I primed my lids and applied White Chocolate, per usual, then I brushed Marzipan (12) onto the inner 1/2 of my lid, and Black Forest (13) onto the outer 1/2 and into the outer crease. I then swept Strawberry Bon Bon (14) right above Black Forest, lined my upper lid with liquid liner and smudged Marzipan on my lower lash line. Two coats of mascara sealed the deal.

Look 7: For my final look, I did my prep steps (primer and White Chocolate), applied Haute Chocolate (15) to my lid, and Triple Fudge (16) to the outer v and into the crease. I highlighted with Champagne Truffle (inner corner and brow), lined my eyes (upper and lower lash lines) with a dark brown liner and finished things off with two coats of mascara.

And there you have it! I hope you have been inspired by the looks created, and if you choose to take part in the challenge yourself I hereby tag you! Please just link back so I can check out the looks you come up with :)

Make sure you check out Melissa's YouTube Channel  - MakeupMinnie83 - to see the looks she creates using the Chocolate Bar Palette in our first The Whole Palette Challenge!

Thanks for reading - live a beautiful life!


~Jessica