Tarte Styled by Hrush Palette | Review & Swatches

I'm so happy I picked up the Tarte Styled by Hrush Palette ($30) during the Ulta Platinum preview! I debated back and forth for about 30 seconds and then just decided to pull the trigger. It's a great deal...$30 for the entire palette, which includes a full sized Amazonian Clay Blush (which retails for $28 by itself) and six eyeshadows.

Believe me, the last thing I needed was yet another palette, and when I first saw it, I thought, "these shades are totally dupe-able"...but I purchased it anyway (there's just something about those Ulta Platinum sales that just suck me right in!) Anyway, I'm really glad I did because there were things about this palette that really surprised me. Let's take a closer look...

The Tarte Styled by Hrush Palette comes in a slim plastic case with faux-croc covering the top lid. It's very slim and travel-friendly, and is made in the U.S.A.

Inside, there's a full-sized mirror, a full-sized Amazonian Clay Blush, and six eyeshadows.

Despite having similar shades in my collection already, this palette offers shades that I can actually use for a full eye look all in one palette. You get two highlight shades (Bliss and Smitten), two deeper shades (one satin-Royal, one matte-Kitty) and two matte transition/crease colors (Pinch and Vamp).

Some palettes have a lot of pretty shades but no transition/mid-tone shades (especially mattes) and then I find myself reaching for other eyeshadows to supplement instead of just using one palette. In this palette, I love using either Pinch or Vamp as my transition color, Royal or Kitty in the outer V/Crease, and Bliss or Smitten as a highlight. They all work together beautifully, and the peachy blush in Cheeky is the perfect compliment...it warms up my fair-to-light skin nicely!

I've always thought that Tarte has had good eyeshadows, but they keep getting better with every palette. I really liked the Tartelette and Tartelette in Bloom, but then the Rainforest of the Sea Palette blew me away with it's softer, creamier textures. This palette is similar to the latter...the shimmer shades are buttery, creamy, and pigmented and the mattes are just beyond dreamy! They're some of the softest mattes I've ever felt...so velvety and smooth! They do kick up some powder, so be prepared for that, but overall, it's a truly gorgeous formula. 

Like the Rainforest of the Sea palette, these eyeshadows have more staying power than previous Tarte eyeshadows...the creaminess of the formula seems to help them grip to the skin that much better. 

These swatches are on bare skin, no primer...

Overall, there aren't any groundbreaking shades here, but if you love the idea of a travel palette that you can take with you and not feel the need to bring additional eye shadows with you (or if you like the idea of saving time in the morning by just using one palette) this is a great buy. Especially since you're basically paying for one Tarte blush and then getting six eyeshadows for $2. 

Also, the formula is one of Tarte's best to date...there really wasn't a dud shade in the whole palette. I know I'll use every color, which makes it worth it's weight in gold for me. 

You can find the Tarte Styled By Hrush Palette now at Tarte.com and at Ulta.com on 8/21.

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Tarte Maneater Mascara Debuts on QVC

If you follow Tarte Cosmetics on Snapchat, you may have seen them talking about the new Maneater Mascara that's debuting on QVC exclusively. I've been waiting for it to arrive and it's finally here!

This formula promises a "23x increase in lash volume after 2 coats" and "the custom molded brush will give your lashes an even and seamless coat of rich, luxurious definition".

This already launched on QVC UK last week and Really Ree did a review on it...check that out here, Her lashes look amazing!

This actually comes in a duo, so you're getting 2 for $28...pretty good considering a Tarte mascara normally runs between $21 and $23. Basically, you're getting them for $14 each and if you love it, you'll have a backup in a few months. If you hate it, at least QVC has a great return policy!

I have no idea when this will launch at Sephora and Ulta...right now you can only get it on QVC.com.

Will you be indulging in the new Tarte Maneater mascara? 

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Pur Cosmetics HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation Review

Pur Cosmetics recently sent me their new Hydra Fluid Water Serum Foundation ($39 at Ulta.com and Purcosmetics.com) and I couldn't be more excited to review it for you today because...spoiler alert...this is one of the best foundations I've tried in a long time. This Spring it's all about getting dewy, healthy-looking skin that looks natural and this foundation fits in perfectly with that idea. Let's take a look! 

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette Review

I still had some money left on the Sephora gift card my husband got me for my birthday, and as soon as I saw the Gwen Stefani Blush Palette ($45 at Sephora.com) from Urban Decay, I knew that's what I was going to spend it on. I've been a Gwen Stefani fangirl since No Doubt first came out in the '90's and I'm still obsessed with Tragic Kingdom (it never gets old). But I have also admired how flawless she always looks, so having the opportunity to own products that she created together with one of my favorite makeup brands is kind of a no-brainer for me. So keep on reading to see my full review and swatches of this gorgeous palette! 

Laura Geller The Art of Flawless Today's Special Value

I have an amazing QVC Today's Special Value to share with you guys tonight...it's Laura Geller's The Art of Flawless 5 pc. Color Set w/bag and it contains some really exciting products (three of them are brand new!) Let's take a look...

This kit contains:

• NEW  Double Take Baked Versatile Powder Foundation with sponge applicator- use dry for a matte finish or wet for a luminous finish! 
• NEW Baked Gelato Illuminator in Rose Glow, a golden pink shade- It's a new shade!!! Plus it looks different...the other Baked Gelato Illuminators have a swirl pattern (see my review here).
• 0.25-fl oz Lashes Eyelash Primer in Black
• NEW Lip Oil Tint in Hibiscus Pink, a sheer sultry pink with high-shine shade- I love lip oils...can't wait to try this one! 
• All Over Face Brush
• Bag

This entire set is only $49.96 and is on 2 Easy Pays of $24.98 if you'd prefer to have your card billed in installments. I can't wait to try everything in this kit but I'm especially excited for the new Baked Gelato Illuminator shade in Rose Glow!

This deal is only available for 24 hours, so grab yours now at QVC.com.

Pur Cosmetics Cameo Contour Stick Review

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a total contouring klutz...I've never really gotten the hang of it and whenever I try, I end up with a streaky, muddy mess. I actually love to highlight, so that's no problem. It's the contouring side of it that I have trouble with, especially powders. I feel like they're not as easy to control as a cream formula, and I end up getting it in places I didn't intend to contour. So when Pur Cosmetics sent me* their new Cameo Contour Stick ($39.50), I was really excited to try my hand at contouring again, especially since they include some tools to make the process easier. I also have a coupon code for $15% off at the end of this post. 

Let's take a look! 

*Press Sample

Pur Cosmetics Cameo Contour Stick

IT Cosmetics QVC Today's Special Value It's Your Top 5 Superstars & More Collection Review

I don't think I've ever been this excited about a QVC Today's Special and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try it ahead of time, thanks to IT Cosmetics! The It's Your Top 5 Superstars & More Collection ($59.94) landed on my doorstep early last week and it was full of my own personal favorites from IT Cosmetics along with one or two products I hadn't tried yet (but have since become favorites). It contains 5 of their top selling products, plus a Heavenly Luxe brush for $59.94 (starting Nov. 20 at 12am EST until 11:59pm on Nov. 20th). This kit is a $185 value...just the brush is $58! If you've always wanted to try IT Cosmetics, this is the kit to buy because these are the best of the best and are only $9.99 each with this set. Let's take a closer look...

Beauty Junkees Kabuki Brush Set Review

I was recently contacted by a company that was new to me called Beauty Junkees and they asked if I wanted to try some of their brushes. I've tried a lot of makeup brushes over the years and I'm very picky about the quality, so a lot of the time I'm not all that impressed. But when I saw all of the glowing reviews on the Beauty Junkees line and direct comparisons to Sigma brushes, saying that these are even better I knew I had to try them! Julie, the owner of Beauty Junkees sent me two different sets to try...one is a kabuki set for the face which I'll be reviewing today, and the other is an eye brush set that I'll be reviewing in a separate post. She also sent me some coupon codes to share with you guys so I'll be posting those down below. 

Let's take a closer look!

Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Palette Coming November 15

The new Tarte Tartelette in Bloom Palette ($45) I shared with you last week is now on the Ulta website! The bad news is, it's not available until November 15th, but the good news is, that's this coming Sunday. 

Here's the description per the Ulta website: 

Calling all firecrackers, flower children, activists and sweethearts! Discover 12 stunning Tartelette shadows to set your beauty routine into full bloom. With 9 mattes and 3 lusters, these lid liner and crease pairings allow you to create stunning, smoldering looks without the guesswork. Powered by Tarte's signature Amazonian clay formula, you'll get the same pigmented payoff, blendability and wear time as the original tartlets - all in a chic, portable palette with a beautiful floral twist.

Powered by:

• Amazonian clay: Nature's most perfect ingredient for better, longer, truer wear
• Mineral Pigments: Soothe and soften skin

Dermatologist tested. Formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfates and gluten.

12 trendworthy shades:

• Charmer (off white)
• Jetsetter (warm taupe)
• Rocker (shimmering taupe)
• Smokeshow (black brown)
• Flower Child (peachy nude)
• Smarty Pants (tan)
• Firecracker (bronze copper)
• Activist (dark brown)
• Funny Girl (champagne)
• Sweetheart (peach)
• Rebel (chestnut brown)
• Leader (aubergine)

If you've had your eye on this, be sure to visit the Ulta website this Sunday, November 15th so you can make sure to get one...there's been a lot of hype on social media about this and a lot of people are saying they like this even more than the original Tartelette palette, so I have a feeling it may sell out quickly! 

Sephora Ombre Obsession Face Palette Review & Swatches

Looking for something to buy during the Sephora VIB event? How about the stunning Sephora Ombre Obsession Face Palette ($34)? I went into my local store a few days ago with my Rouge 20% off coupon and ended up totally caving on this palette when I saw it in person. It's huge! Like, literally the size of a dessert plate, I kid you not. Remember when I posted about this palette a while ago? I was picturing this to be about the size of a CD, but yeah...nope! When I saw it in the store, it suddenly seemed to be worth the $34 price tag. Also, Sephora Collection can sometimes be hit or miss for me (although lately I've been loving everything from them) but this is definitely a hit. 

Let's take a closer look! 

Mally 5 Pc Shadow Stick Extra Collection Review & Swatches

I recently saw the Mally 5 Piece Shadow Stick Extra set ($44.54 on QVC) a few weeks ago and I ordered one before they even finished the presentation. Let me just start by saying that I love Mally and don't talk about her products nearly enough. She is such a beautiful person inside and out, and her products do exactly what she says they will...period. Even though I focus mainly on drugstore products here, I always say that I don't mind paying more for a product that performs well and hers have never let me down. 

One of my favorite Mally products is her Evercolor Shadow Sticks. They are truly "bulletproof" as Mally claims...no fading, no creasing, they last until you take them off and they're so easy to use! They're a bit pricey though...if you go down to your local Ulta store, you'll pay $25 for one of them. Last year, I bought a Holiday set from QVC which made them much more affordable and I've been using them regularly ever since. That's why the second this year's holiday set came on the screen, I knew I was ordering one! It's $44.54, which makes these only $8.90 each, which is like drugstore prices! These are also a brand new formula, packaging, and shades so keep reading and I'll fill you in on all the details...

SNEAK PEEK! Urban Decay Lip Vault and Eyeshadow Vault for Holiday 2015

I have an amazing sneak peek for you guys tonight...are you ready for this one?! Urban Decay is releasing two new vaults for Holiday 2015- The Urban Lip Vault and the Urban Eyeshadow Vault!

I shared these on Instagram earlier tonight and everyone is freaking out. I don't know how much they're going to be yet, the shades that are inside (although some you can figure out from the photos) or the release dates but I'll keep you in the loop as soon as I find out the details. 

The Lip Vault Contains: 

6 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencils ($120 value)

2 Revolution Lipsticks ($44 value)

2 Sheer Revolution Lipsticks ($44 value)

2 Matte Revolution Lipsticks ($44 value)

1 Ultimate Ozone Primer Pencil ($16 value)

3 Revolution Lip Glosses ($66 value) 

Total Value= $334

New! Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant

If you're a chocoholic like me, you'll be super excited to know that Fresh has just released a brand new scrub at Sephora...Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant ($45). It's infused with cocoa butter and coconut oil and contains crushed cocoa and coconut shells to buff and polish your skin to perfection.

I have to say, I was obsessed with their Brown Sugar Body Polish for a while, but it was too expensive to keep buying all the time, and I found that the Tree Hut scrubs from the drugstore did a good job for only a few bucks. Still, despite the price tag, this is chocolate and I might need to treat myself to at least one jar of the Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant. Also, I think this would make such an amazing gift, because who couldn't use a spa-quality body scrub (especially one that smells heavenly like chocolate)? The women in my life will definitely be getting one of these this holiday season!

You can find the Fresh Cocoa Body Scrub at Sephora.com

The Body Shop Oils of Life Review

Last month, I posted about a brand new skincare range that was launching at The Body Shop called Oils of Life. There are four products in the collection and I ended up going to my local store and getting two of them to try, figuring that if I liked them, I'd go back and get more. 

I ended up getting the two products that really caught my attention...an essence lotion and a facial oil. There are also two moisturizers in the line, a lighter gel-creme formulation and a regular creme. Let's take a look! 

New Tarte BB Full Coverage Concealer Now Available on QVC

Last night, QVC debuted a brand new concealer from Tarte called BB Full Coverage Concealer ($29 includes a bamboo brush).  I'm a huge fan of their BB Tinted Primer...it has amazing coverage that looks so natural and doesn't sink into fine lines, so I think I absolutely need this one in my life! Let's take a look...

Sephora Collection Ombre Obsession Palettes For Holiday 2015

Sephora Collection has just released two brand new Ombre palettes for Holiday 2015 and I am drooling over how beautiful they are! There's an eyeshadow palette and a face palette with blushes and a highlighter (my fave!). Let's take a look...

Tarte Bling It On Holiday 2015 Amazonian Clay Blush Palette Swatches

I just got the Tarte Bling It On Amazonian Clay Blush palette in the mail today and I couldn't wait to open it up and swatch it! This palette is $44, a Sephora exclusive and is part of the Tarte Holidaze collection. I have never owned any of the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes, even though I've been hearing amazing things about them. Every time I go to Sephora I can't decide because there are so many beautiful shades...and since I can't afford to buy all the ones I like, I was never able to settle on just one shade. With this palette, I didn't have to...finally, I can try five shades at once! Let's take a look: 

The Becca Afterglow Palette is Now Available on Ulta.com

The Becca Afterglow palette is now online at Ulta.com! My sources were saying it was launching Sept 27th but it showed up early this morning. 

It's $39.50 and contains 3 luminizers and 2 blushes: 

Shimmering Skin Perfectors in Moonstone, Rose Gold, and Topaz, and Mineral Blushes in Wild Honey and Flowerchild. 

I was all ready to order this but now I'm not sure because I was looking at the photos and all of a sudden it hit me...the luminizers look very similar to The Balm Manizer Sisters palette ($28) I just got a few weeks ago at Kohls. Here they are next to each other...The Manizer Sisters on top and the Afterglow palette on the bottom. 

As beautiful as the Afterglow palette is, I feel like it might be repetitive to get it, since I have The Manizer Sisters AND I just ordered the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush set so I really don't need any more blushes right now.

What do you guys think? Will you be buying the Afterglow palette, or passing on it? 

HOT Beauty Deal! Bare Minerals Today Only Special Value

bareMinerals has a fantastic deal on QVC today that is a crazy-good value so I had to share it with you guys. It launched at midnight and this morning I saw the presentation on my DVR (yes I'm a total geek and I tape all of the QVC beauty segments). It's the bareSkin Breakthrough 8-Piece collection Today's Special Value and features their brand new concealer that just launched recently and their best-selling bareSkin foundation and brush. Let's take a look!

This entire set is a $172 value for only $56.94. Just the bareSkin foundation and brush alone cost $57 in stores like Sephora and Ulta so for 4 cents less, you're getting 6 more pieces, including their brand new bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (which is $20 by itself). This set also includes a blush, eyeshadow, lipstick and brushes! Basically, you're getting each product for $7.11 which is like drugstore pricing.

Sneak Peek: Becca Afterglow Palette!

I've been following Milly Almdovar Thompson (Senior Beauty Editor, Cosmo for Latinas) on Instagram and Snapchat for a while now and she always has the best sneak peeks. She shares a lot of new products that are coming across her desk before we hear about them and last night, I saw one that really jumped out at me on Snapchat. It's the Becca Afterglow palette, which will be a combination of blush and highlighters. It's launching on September 27th exclusively at Ulta and will cost $39.50. 

Know what I'm thinking? If you were disappointed by the size of the Hourglass Ambient Edit palette, this might be a great alternative! Becca's highlighters and blushes are amazing and this is half the price of the Hourglass palette. Even if this is the same size, the price is soo much better! 

I'll continue to share sneak peeks with you and as soon as I see what this looks like inside, I'll post it for you guys! 

Photo from Beautylogicblog on Snaphat