Review -- Pixi Shade Quartettes in Shades of Nude, Shades of Taupe, and Shades of Peach

I haven't tried a ton of products from Pixi, but every time I do come across one, I'm usually impressed.

So when Pixi was recently available on HauteLook, I picked up a few things to play with.

The Shade Quartettes caught me eye because the concept intrigued me (and also because I'm pretty sure I saw the fabulous Lisa Eldridge use one in one of her tutorials once upon a time) -- they are tone-on-tone wheels of coordinated eye shadows meant to create the perfect natural eye.

I love natural eye makeup so these seemed like an ideal addition to my makeup bag.

I picked up three of the quartettes -- Shades of Nude, Shades of Taupe, and Shades of Peach.

Review: e.l.f. Studio Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon

I've been singing the praises of plenty of e.l.f. products lately, but we all know that the line is full of hits and misses.

And while I've been lucky enough to come across quite a few of their hits lately, I've also encountered a pretty huge miss.

In theory, the Studio Waterproof Eyeliner Crayons should be a great product.

It's versatile enough to use as an eyeliner or blended out as a shadow, and the formula is supposed waterproof and smudge-proof so it stays in place all day.

They're also twist-up pencils so you don't have to bother with sharpening them, and they come in seven shades that range from nude to black.

Review -- City Color Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon and Pink Grapefruit

This blog is a testament to the fact that I am pretty much obsessed with all things makeup and beauty-related.

And because I'm so obsessed, I tend to think that I know every brand that's in existence.

But some do manage to slip through the cracks.

Several months back, I received a product from City Color Cosmetics in my ipsy bag. 

I'd never heard of the brand so I really had no expectations for the item, the Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon, so imagine my surprise when I tried it and realized that it was pretty amazing.

Review -- Maybelline Color Sensational The Buffs Lipsticks

It seems like everyone is always on the hunt for the perfect nude lipstick.

That's partly because we don't all necessarily have the same idea of what makes a nude lip color (Is it a pale, concealer like shade? Is it a my-lips-but-better (MLBB) shade?) and finding a shade that really works with your skin tone can be serious challenge.

When you're fair like me, it can be especially tough since nude lipsticks tend to be super light, which can leave you looking washed out in a hurry.

I was really excited to try Maybelline's new Color Sensational The Buffs Lipsticks because the collection contains 10 shades that range from super pale to super dark so I figured that there had to at least one color in the bunch that would work for me.

Review -- Urban Decay Naked Flushed in Native

When Urban Decay came out with their Naked Flushed Palette a year or so ago, I was intrigued.

I liked the idea of having a bronzer, highlighter, and blush all in one convenient compact.

But then I read some blog reviews and saw some swatches online and I got the impression that the original palette was a little too dark for my super fair skin so I couldn't justify paying $30 for a product that I wouldn't use all that often.

So I was really happy when Urban Decay came out with three additional color schemes in the Naked Flushed line -- and the palette in Native looked like it would be a good match for pale-skinned folks like me.

Review -- e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick

While I've been raving lately about e.l.f.'s products, I usually don't have much luck with their foundations and face products.

I've tried the Studio Flawless Finish Foundation and the Studio Tinted Moisturizer, and didn't really like either. The coverage wasn't quite what I wanted or the finish was a little too greasy, but really the main problem was the shade choices -- even the lightest options were too orange-y for my fair skin.

e.l.f. lured me in this time, though, by throwing around the word 'moisturizing.'

My dry skin just loved the sound of the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick.

Product Alert -- bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Nude Beach

Another month, another new Ready Eyeshadow palette from bareMinerals.

If it seems like just yesterday that I was talking about the bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in An Affair to Remember, it's because it kind of was.

And despite the fact that I need another eyeshadow palette like I need a hole in the head, when I saw the new Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Nude Beach, I knew I had to have it.

I'm not going to do a full review on it because I've gone on and on about how fabulous the Ready eyeshadow formula is -- and the quality is right there with the shades in this palette -- so you know I'd recommend them based on that criteria alone.

But I will discuss the shades a little, so you can decide if it's a must-have for your collection or not.

Review -- The Balm Smoke Balm Eyeshadow Palettes

You know you're a beauty junkie when you're doing some online shopping for something fairly practical and still find yourself perusing the makeup section just to see if anything catches your eye.

That's what happened recently when I was on Kohl's website, shopping for some new workout pants (Am I the only woman in the world who wants workout pants with pockets? I can't find a decent pair anywhere.  But that's another story...) and somehow wound up looking through the offerings that they had from The Balm.

While I have virtually every product from The Balm that I want, I always find the little sets that Kohl's puts together interesting (for example, right now you can get the Hot Mama, Bahama Mama, and Sexy Mama Powders all for $38.50) and sometimes pick them up for gifts or giveaways.

Imagine my surprise when Kohl's had products that I'd never seen before -- the Smoke Balm Eyeshadow Palettes.

These are small, three shadow palettes that are designed for creating sultry smokey eye looks.