Product Review -- Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator

Like so many makeup junkies, I love a good highlighter.

I love them so much that I have way more than any one person needs.

And I still want more -- I can't help it.

I'd tried quite a few of Laura Geller's highlighters over the years and I've liked nearly all of them, so I've had my eye on the Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminators for a while now.

Now, I'm always a little leery of baked products because I find that they tend to be pretty hard and don't offer up much pigmentation -- but I'd seen so many good reviews about the Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminators that I decided to give them a try.

And I'm glad that I did.

Product Review -- Profusion Mixed Metals Palette in Nude

I spend a lot of money on makeup, and I don't really have any qualms about doing so, but I still loving finding bargain.

There really isn't anything quite as exciting as good makeup at an affordable price, is there?

Well, in terms of makeup things anyway.

So I was intrigued when I spotted the Profusion Mixed Metals Palettes at Target near the holidays.

I've heard quite a bit about the Profusion brand over the years, but I'd never actually tried anything myself, so I figured it was as good a time as any to bite the bullet.

The palette is actually part of a kit that also includes a shadow primer, blending brush, and an eyeliner pencil, which I'm not sure is still available at Target, but you can still get it on the Profusion website.

Product Review -- Storybook Cosmetics x Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette

Like many makeup enthusiasts, I'm always stalking Instagram for photos of new makeup products, makeup looks, and any other makeup-related goodies that I can find.

Over the past year or so, I've seen plenty of photos of beautiful products from Storybook Cosmetics. 

If you're not familiar with the brand, it's a company that offers makeup products and brushes inspired by storybooks or other works of fiction.

It's kind of a genius idea, if you ask me.

And Storybook Cosmetics always stood out to me for their outstanding packaging -- their palettes are all designed to look like actual books, and they offer brushes with heads that look like roses and handles that resemble wizard's wands.

It's seriously cool.

But I'd resisted picking anything up because most of the products that had been released were inspired by the Harry Potter series, and I know it's probably blasphemy, but I'm just not a fan.

However, when I saw that Storybook was putting out a palette inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, I knew I had to pick it up.

Product 411: ColourPop Semi-Precious, Golden State of Mind, All I See Is Magic, Take Me Home, and Double Entendre Shadow Palettes

I've ever met a ColourPop Pressed Shadow Palette that I didn't like, which is why I think I own every one that they've put out so far.

They combine great quality with great value -- how can I resist?

Now, ColourPop does seem to come out with a new palette every week, which is a little overwhelming, but I'm not about to complain.

Over the past couple of months, I've tried the Semi-Precious, Golden State of Mind, All I See Is Magic, Take Me Home, and Double Entendre Palettes -- and they're just as good as all of the other palettes I've tried from ColourPop.

The palettes vary in size, but they all come in sturdy cardboard packaging that's thin and convenient to store. The only one that has a mirror inside, though, is the mini, Take Me Home.

Product Review -- Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Mauve Obsessions

Over the past year, Huda Beauty has come out with some really pretty eyeshadow palettes, like the Rose Gold Palette and Desert Dusk Palette, but somehow I managed to hold myself back from buying any.

That's because while the shade ranges for both are quite beautiful, I saw enough reviews to know that several of the shades in each palette had a kind of chunky, glittery texture that's best applied with your fingers -- and I'm not really a fan of those kinds of shadows.

And the palettes are $65 each, so they're pretty pricey.

But I have been curious about the Huda Beauty eyeshadow formulas in general, so I was exited when the brand came out with the smaller Obsessions Eyeshadow Palettes, which contain just 9 shades and retail for only $27.

The Obsessions Palettes are available in 4 shade ranges, but I personally couldn't resist the Mauve Obsessions , which features gorgeous rose, plum, berry, and mauve tones.

Product Review -- Maple Holistics Jojoba Oil

Note: Maple Holistics sent me the jojoba oil for review consideration. While I did not pay for the product, all of the opinions and thoughts contained in this review are my own. 

For the past five years or so, I've been a big fan of facial oils.

My skin has gotten increasingly dry as I've gotten older, and I've found that using a facial oil really helps keep my skin hydrated.

Sometimes, I use the oil on its own under my moisturizer and other times, I'll mix it into my moisturizer to help boost its hydration power.

And so far, so good -- I've been able to keep the dry, flaky patches at bay.

Usually, I reach for argan or rose hip seed oil, which I've had good results with -- but lately, I've had some issues with breakouts. It's nothing too serious but still annoying, so I thought it might be a good idea to switch to jojoba oil for a while.

Jojoba oil is very moisturizing like other facial oils, but it actually resembles the natural sebum found in our skin so it's often recommended for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Product Review -- Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer

I've mentioned it before, but I have somewhat contradictory skin care concerns.

As I've gotten older, my skin has transitioned from oily to more normal/dry. In colder months, it is often out and out dry, which means foundation can look cakey and patchy of I don't moisturize really well.

But because my skin was so oily when I was younger, I still have enlarged pores on my cheeks, and some foundations can settle in them and emphasize the texture big time, which isn't a very attractive look.

As much as I want to use a pore-filling primer, though, they are almost always designed for oily skin, so I don't feel like they're really compatible with my skin.

I can usually only use classic silicone-based pore-filling primers like the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer on my cheeks and then I have to use a second hydrating primer on the rest of my face.

That's not really a big deal, but it would be nice if one primer could do all the things that I need it to.

Enter the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer.

Product Review -- Hourglass Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette

I'm a fan of the Hourglass Strobe Lighting Powders, but I've found the highlight they provide is rather subtle.

It works well for everyday when you want a softer glow, though it doesn't give me the bold look that I want sometimes.

So I was intrigued when I heard about the Hourglass Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette, which Hourglass describes as offering the brightest highlight to the skin.

As far as I can tell, the Metallic Strobe Powders are only available in the limited edition palette at the moment, but I would imagine that they'll be released separately at some point.