Review: BA Star Pro Makeup

Hello, my pretties!

Thanks to BrandBacker and their Team, I was accepted into the program to review an eyeshadow palette by BA Star Pro Makeup.  So, just letting you all know first and foremost, I RECEIVED THIS EYESHADOW PALTTE BY BA STAR PRO MAKEUP FREE OF CHARGE IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST PRODUCT REVIEW.

I am new to BrandBacker and for those of you who have never heard of it, it is a service that sends you emails filled with companies who need reviews done on their products and you apply for the ones who interest you.  You might get chosen and you might not.  They decided if your blog is suitable to review their content.

At the time I joined BrandBacker, BA Star Pro Makeup was the only one that had anything to do with my blog.  I applied to review their eyeshadow palette and I got chosen!  The rest is history and so now let's move on to the good stuff.

I had never before heard of BA Star Pro Makeup before BrandBacker.  That is why I love reviewing for companies I have never used before.  You might never know what you've been missing out otherwise.

BA Star specializes in makeup and accessories for "cheerleaders, dancers, competitors, and trend setters" according to their website which you can check out at BASTAR.com.

This is the eyeshadow palette that BA Star sent me.  At first glance, I immediately thought that this palette very closely resembled the NYX Glitter Cream Palette!  The difference is that the NYX palette contains 5 glitters and BA's contains 3 shadows and 2 glitters.  There are four of these palettes to choose from.  I received the Natural Shadow Palette but there is also a Smoky Shadow Palette, Pretty N Pink Shadow Palette and a True Blue Shadow Palette which you can see here: http://www.bastar.com/category_s/1887.htm These palettes sell for $8.75.

Here is a close up of the three eyeshadow shades.  These are pure love.  I adore these colors.  I am so happy that this is the palette I received.  I knew that I would get more use out of this one.  These are great everyday colors.  They are also work appropriate.

And now on to some swatches:

The texture of these shadows is smooth and almost creamy.  They remind me of my Prestige eyeshadows which are very cheap but work so well.  All three shadows blend out very nicely and are greatly pigmented.  The trio coordinate very well together.  As for staying power, I applied my Avon Eyeshadow Primer before and once these shadows were applied, they stayed on.  Did I forget to mention how shimmery these shadows are!?  If you don't like shimmery shadows then these are not for you!

Included in the eyeshadow palette were also two gel glitter bases to use on the eyes as a high light or to add over eyeliner or just to add a little something special.

 

 And now on to the swatches:

 



The packaging may be reminiscent of the NYX Glitter Cream Palettes but these glitter gels are much more creamier.  The NYX Glitter Cream Palette I own (GCP07 Royal Violets) is much, much drier.  The NYX glitters are more coarse.  The BA glitter gels are creamy--oily??--to the touch and apply fairly easy.  At times it was hard to apply the glitter without removing too much of it while trying to blend it out.  The glitter adheres better if you pat it on.

While I am a fan of the shadows and the glitter gels weren't that bad, the brush on the other hand was not good at all.  It is stiff and the bristles are not soft at all.  It has a very plastic-y feel to it and feels rough while brushing the shadows on your delicate eyelid skin.  I ended up using my own E.L.F. brushes to apply these BA Star eyeshadows.

The sponge tipped applicator was not as bad as the brush.  It worked much better and the quality was good.  It is soft and feels durable.

As a little something extra, I cooked up a little pictorial for you to show you how I used these lovely shadows.

And just so you know, I used the pearlescent glitter gel on my lips.  Now, these glitter gels were made for use on the eyes.  No where on the palette packaging does it say that you can wear the glitter gels on your lips.  I did this on my own.

But...I wouldn't recommend it.  The glitters feel gritty on the lips.  The gel itself feels "greasy" for lack of a better word.  So I say, just leave the glitter gels to the eyes.

I also wanted to mention that in Step 5, I added the gold glitter gel to my lower lash line and in person, it sparkled so beautifully.  It was impossible to get the shine to show up with my camera which left me very disappointed.  I wanted to desperately share with you how wonderful it looked.

And the same thing happened when I tried to photograph the pearlescent glitter gel that I used on a different day while wearing purple shadow.  The colors reflected off the pearlescent glitter is exquisite.  There are pinks and purples and blues.  Truly beautiful but it did not transfer well in photos.

As far as I can say, the BA Star Pro Makeup Natural Shadow Palette is a pretty good palette.  The eyeshadows blended well, wore well, and were nicely pigmented despite their only downfall which is their scent.  To me they smell like "cheap" makeup.  But once you are wearing them, the scent is undetectable.

I can see myself using these shadows often but maybe not the glitter gels so much.  They are pretty, that's for sure, but one thing I totally forgot about is that I wear contact lenses so glitters around the eye area is not such a good thing.  It's not really safe.  For those of us who were contacts, we know that any little grit of dirt or glitter can be excruciating.  It might also tear your contact lenses.

But I will say that I didn't have any problems while wearing the glitter gels.  They stayed in place and therefore my eyes were safe!  Once the glitter gel dried, the glitters did not budge.  As a matter of fact, when I removed my makeup at the end of the night, the shadows removed easily but the glitters were more stubborn.

And there you have it.  Is this your first time hearing about BA Star Pro Makeup too?  Are you going to try it?  Here's a little incentive... Get a 50% discount when you enter BBSmoky at BASTAR.com

Learn more about BA Star by checking them out here:
Website: http://www.bastar.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/bastarmakeup/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BASTARMakeup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BASTARMakeup

♥♥ This has been a Sponsored Post. ♥♥

 

My Natural Addiction: Spring Collection

Hello, my Pretties!

I haven't posted about My Pretty Little Addiction for a long while but, yes, I am still a promoter for them.  Only thing is, now MPLA is no longer.  There has been a name change!  The owner, Breanna, opted for a name change taking into consideration that there were too many companies with the similar name of My Pretty Little Addiction so now, MPLA is known as My Natural Addiction.  Naturally.




SOURCE

I just received my brand new promoter box yesterday so I figured it would be best to show off these pretties ASAP!  I tend to put it off and then I'm overwhelmed.  Bad, bad blogger.

So, in the package I received yesterday, I was given 6 brand new shades.  The Spring Collection has arrived but it's LIMITED EDITION so hurry up and get yours now!

Introducing the sweet shades of spring!

(FYI: All shadows were swatched over My Natural Addiction Primer.)



April Showers

April Showers was one of those shades that surprised me.  I've said it several times that I am not a fan of blue eyeshadows so when I saw this one in the jar, I thought, "It's pretty.  I don't think I'll use this one much, though."  When I swatched it, my feelings changed.  Haha.  I thought it looked so pretty on the eyes!  It's a shimmery baby blue, sky blue with a really adorable name.



Bunnie Hop

Bunnie Hop is a shimmery pastel lavender shade.  As a swatch on my forearm it appears more silver but on the eyes you can see it's true color.  It's a very soft shade of purple.



Mudd Pie

Who remembers making mud pies?  I sure do!  I loved to make mud pies with my sister.  It was something we did often during the summer and this shadows namesake brings back a lot of sweet memories.  I love this color!  It is so much darker than the other 5 shadows that it sticks out like a sore thumb.  Haha.  But it's lovely.  It's a rich brown with shimmer and I believe it's the shimmer that makes it wearable in spring.  If it had been matte, it would look more like fall but spring sparkles!



Spring Bride

Oh you can bet that I love anything having to do with brides.  Haha.  I even love the word "bride"!  I have not been a bride yet so this shade pulls at my heart strings.  It's such a pretty pink.  Very delicate and feminine.  Pink is a tricky color to wear on your eyes because you can end up looking like you actually have pinkeye.  Haha.  I really did like how this shadow looked on it's own on my eyes.  It's a must have!



Spring Daisy

For those of you who are afraid of using yellow eyeshadow, like I once was, this is the perfect pale yellow to ease you into the transition.  Spring Daisy is a very mellow yellow.  This shade just screams spring to me.  Think of sunshine, canaries, daffodils.  I can feel the warmth on my shoulders!



Spring Meadow

Spring Meadow I say is just like Spring Daisy in the sense that it is a good green for non-green wearers.  Green shadows intimidate me, as do blues, but this is a mild green that anyone can use.  It's a calming, soothing hue and the name just makes me want to grab a blanket and lay it down on the green lawn and nap under the white puffy clouds....

And as an added surprise, Breanna sent me this uber cute bath bomb.  I've never used a bath bomb before and this one is too adorable that I don't want to use it.  Haha.

Vanilla scented Bath Bomb

It smells so good.  Like vanilla.  It looks like a milk shake with is sweetly scented layers and hot pink sparkles to boot.  I want to drink it out of that pink little bendy straw but that wouldn't taste like I imagine it would in my head.  Haha.

Sprinkles!  Looks/smells so good but don't eat!

I have yet to try out this bath bomb but when I do, I'll be back with a review for you.

In the mean time, check out My Natural addiction at www.mynaturaladdiction.com for pricing and MORE products!

♥ These items were sent to me free of charge for promotional purposes.  I am a promoter for My Natural Addiction.  All thoughts expressed in this blog post are my own honest opinions. ♥



FOTD: Spring in My Step

Hello, my Pretties!

I guess it was about two Christmases ago that my sweet-tart gave me the BH Cosmetics 120 Palettes Editions 1-4 as my gift.  Two years ago!  And I've only used BH 120 2nd Edition and just recently, like three weeks ago, I opened up BH 120 3rd Edition.

Here is a look I created using only the eyeshadows in the BH 120 3rd Edition Palette.  I loved this look.  I have used it several times. 

 

 

 

FOTD INGREDIENTS:

 

FACE:

♥ Avon Ideal Flawless Matte Mousse Foundation in Medium Beige

♥ mark. Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation in Medium 7

♥ Avon True Color Blush in Classic Aura

 

EYES:

♥ Avon Eyelid Primer in Medium

♥ BH Cosmetics 120 Eyeshadow Palette 3rd Edition

   Light matte peach shade for the lids

   Metallic copper for the crease

   Shimmery cream for the brow high light

   Matte lime green for the lower lash line

♥ Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner in Cosmic Brown

♥ Almay One Coat Dial Up Mascara in Blackest Black

 

LIPS:

♥ Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Poppy Love

 

And there you have it, my loves.  A super fast and easy FOTD.  I have been loving more coral and peach shades on my eyes lately.  This look would look pretty without the green but you know me, I needed that POP! and that POP! is what got me so many compliments.  Haha.

 

Wishing you all a super fantastic Sunday fun day!

 

 



Buy and Blog: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks

Hello, my Pretties!

Last month I posted part one of this haul post which you can see HERE.  The last post showcased four NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamels and this post will focus on the other beauties I bought that same day...four Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks!

I have not used Revlon lipsticks since junior high.  My sister had given me my very first Revlon lipstick and while I can't remember the name of it, I can remember the smell!  I hated it!  It was so strong and perfumey.  Haha.  It tasted exactly like it smelled.  I did not appreciate that at all.

So since then, I never EVER used Revlon lipsticks again.

I believe I made that comment on Twitter one day and one of my Tweeties told me that the formula had changed and they didn't smell/taste bad at all anymore.  Well, now, I'm intrigued.

It just so happened that the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks were on sale at my H-E-B grocery store and I picked up a handful.

According to my receipt, these lipsticks are regularly priced at $4.97 and the coupon was for $2.50 off.  Awesome!  I paid $2.47 each!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks

 

 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
510 Berry Rich (Crème)

This color is pretty!  It is not such a "berry" shade for me but I do like it a lot.  It appears more of a mauve shade to me on the lips and looks redder in the tube.  This is an A!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
305 Highbeam Tan (Pearl)

First off, I shouldn't have picked this one up.  I didn't notice it was a Pearl finish.  I don't really like Pearl finishes.  They are too "frosty" and remind me of the 1980s.  Haha.  I wanted a neutral hue and I guess this one is except for the finish.  It should have been a crème.  Just because I don't like the finish, I'll give this one a B.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
630 Raisin Rage (Crème)

I tried to get a little bit of everything.  I got some pinks, neutrals and deep shades to try them all out since it was my first time using Revlon lipsticks in over 15 years.

This one is so dark in the tube.  It swatches deeply too so I applied it with a light hand and I loved it.  At full strength it might have been too dark for my taste but slightly applied it is wonderful.  I give this a B.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
130 Rose Velvet (Crème)

And I just had to save the best for last.  I am obsessed with this color.  I use it daily.  It's perfect for me!  It's a wonderful everyday shade.  Period.  And in case you need a grade, it's an A!

So, am I a new Revlon recruit?  Yes, I think I am!

The lipsticks, all of them, are wonderfully creamy and smooth and apply effortlessly.  There is no tugging or pulling on the lips.  No smell.  No taste.  I'm so happy!

 



Review: L.A. Colors

Hello, my Pretties!

Back in March, L.A. Colors was kind enough to send me a sweet little package for review.  I was deeply excited.  For those of you who follow my blog, you know me to be a fan of L.A. Colors.  I use their eyeshadows and lipsticks often in my posts.

Now before we get started, let me just state that THE ITEMS MENTIONED IN THIS POST WERE SENT TO ME FREE OF CHARGE BY L.A. COLORS AND/OR THEIR PR REPRESENTATIVES IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ON MY BLOG.  Like I said, I will be providing you with my honest opinion in this post, just like all my others.

Also, for the first time I'll be "grading" these products.  I'll keep it simple for my sake as well as yours.  The product will either get a grade of A, B, or C.

A is for awesome, amazing!
B is for buy it, try it, you might like it.
C is for "C" ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

Haha!


With that being said, let's get on with the fun stuff, shall we?!

I just wanted to say thanks for making the
packaging really cute and personalized!

I received 7 awesome goodies courtesy of L.A. Colors.

Let me just quickly list all items received.

1. L.A. Colors Glossin Go! On-the-Go Pocket Lipgloss in CLG956 Kisses
2. L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in NP541 Candysprinkles
3. L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in NP521 Illusion
4. L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Pot in CES159 Vibrant Viola
5. L.A. Colors Grafix Eyeliner in CLE731 Black
6. L.A. Colors Jumbo Eye Pencil in CP411 Bikini Time
7. L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadow Palette in CES445 Sunflower

As you can see, my Vibrant Viola arrived broken...

...as did my Bikini Time.

The good news is that I contacted Vanessa Trinh, who gave me the opportunity in the first place to review these products and she was able to replace these damaged goods.  Thank you, Vanessa, for such speedy assistance!

See?  Here are Vibrant Viola and Bikini Time in their untouched glory.
L.A. Colors Jumbo Eye Pencil in CP411 Bikini Time.
L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Pot in CES159 Vibrant Viola.

Swatches of Bikini Time.
Top: Straight from the tube.
Bottom: Blended out with fingers.

I swatched Bikini Time on my forearm without any primer, foundation, or base.  Straight out of the tube, the purple hue is very vibrant, almost duochromatic.  Once you blend it out, since you have to when you apply it to your lids or else you run the risk of creasing, it looses it's punch but it still looks duochrom-y.  It is very creamy for being a pencil type product.  It blended out easily but then it was hard to keep the color on my lids.  With blending came the fading.  The worst part was that after a few minutes, the creasing began.  Even after I had applied it over my favorite go to eyelid primer.  I don't recommend using this on it's own but it did work well as a base for Vibrant Viola and would work well with any purple in your collection.

L.A. Colors Jumbo Eye Pencil in CP411 Bikini Time:
MY GRADE: C
0.13 oz./3.8 g
Website claims:
♥ Vibrant colors
♥ Soft, silky application
♥ Innovating shades
http://lacolors.com/Jumbo-Pencil-&-Sharpener-2682.html

Swatch of Vibrant Viola.

I swatched Vibrant Viola on my forearm without any primer, foundation, or base.  The texture of this eyeshadow single is very soft and blends out easily.  As for pigmentation, it isn't WOW but it's still a pretty purple.  Slightly more on the sheer side for my taste.  Just and FYI, if you blend too much, you lose a lot of the color.  You need to pack it on first, then blend it out slightly.  Worked well over Bikini Time as a base.

L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Pot in CES159 Vibrant Viola:
MY GRADE: B
6.5 g/0.23 oz.
Website claims:
♥ Vibrant colors
♥ Soft, silky application
♥ Innovating shades
http://lacolors.com/Eyeshadow-Pot-2755.html

L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadow Palette in CES445 Sunflower.

Swatches of Sunflower.

I swatched Sunflower on my forearm without any primer, foundation, or base.  The colors in the pan are beautiful!  They remind me of fall, though.  Once swatched, they appear more as a wash of color rather than a highly pigmented shadow.  There is a nice sheen to all three shades.  I love how the trios are coordinated.  The colors are perfect together!  But as you use these shadows, the metallic sheen seems to be just on the top layer of the shadows.

L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadow Palette in CES445 Sunflower:
MY GRADE: B
0.19 oz./5.5 g
Website claims:
♥ Brush applicator
♥ Long lasting
♥ Vivid colors
http://lacolors.com/3-Color-Eyeshadow-2663.html

L.A. Colors Grafix Eyeliner in CLE731 Black.

Swatches of Grafix Eyeliner.

I am so in love with this eyeliner.  It is so BLACK!  It's wonderfully pigmented.  I love the applicator.  It is a foam tip but it is long and flexible with enough pressure.  In the swatches above, I demonstrated what a light hand can do, a thin line, and what a little bit more pressure can do, a thicker line.  Lately I have been all about a thin eyeliner line and this will be a great addition to my daily makeup routine!  In the swatch photo above, there appears to be some "bleeding" of the eyeliner but I did not have that problem when applied to my eyes.  It wore like a dream.

L.A. Colors Grafix Eyeliner in CLE731 Black:
MY GRADE: A
3.5 ml/0.12 fl. oz.
Website claims:
♥ Smudge/tear proof
♥ Water resistant
♥ Foam tipped applicator
http://lacolors.com/Grafix-Liquid-Liner-2779.html


Just for fun, I decided I'd to a pictorial showcasing Bikini Time, Vibrant Viola and all three shadows in Sunflower along with the Grafix Eyeliner.

Purple and brown/gold is one of my favorite eyeshadow combos.

L.A. Colors Glossin Go in CLG956 Kisses.

Swatch of Kisses.

This lip gloss is pretty cute.  The packaging is perfect for your pockets, especially the back pockets in your jeans!  It has a slim and tapered design that doesn't add bulk to your behind.  Haha.  As for the color, I could tell that it would be very sheer by the way it appeared in the tube.  It's a clear pink base overflowing with what looks like pink, clear, and purple glitters and shimmers.  The glitters transfer to your lips.  You can see it in the swatch photo above.  It feels very smooth on the lips and is not sticky at all.  It contains Vitamin E which is great and it is non sticky which is even better!  I did smell the faint aroma of vanilla but there is no taste what-so-ever.  I don't like when my glosses have flavors.  Haha.

L.A. Colors Glossin Go On-the-Go Pocket Lipgloss in CLG956 Kisses:
MY GRADE: B
0.19 fl. oz./5.5 ml
Website claims:
♥ Silky smooth application
♥ Super shiny
♥ Light vanilla scent
http://lacolors.com/Glossin-Go-2732.html

Not only did I get goodies for my face but I got some for my nails too!

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish
in NP521 Illusion.

Swatch of Illusion.
Two coats.

 

Uh, can I say, OMG?!  I love this color.  Love it!  I am a fan of purple.  This is beyond pretty.  I'm so, so pleased to have received this polish.  It's amazing.  The color is like a lavender but more vibrant, not pastel.  This is going to by a definite go to shade for spring for sure!  The formula is easy to apply, not too thick or too thin.  Perfection, really.

 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in NP521 Illusion:

MY GRADE: A

0.44 fl. oz./13 ml

Website claims:

♥ Long lasting

♥ Quick drying

♥ Chip resistant

http://lacolors.com/Color-Craze-Nail-Polish-1581.html

 

 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish
in NP541 Candysprinkles.

Swatch of Candysprinkles.
Two coats.

Here is another amazing nail polish.  I love this one.  I love the name.  It reminds me of a cupcake with sprinkles on it.  I had to fight the urge to lick my nails.  Haha.  Good thing this isn't one of those scented nail polishes.  Imagine if it smelled like vanilla!  Haha.  This one was a bit sheer with one coat but with the second one it is much better.  The rainbow of red, yellow, green and blue glitters really pop against a bubble gum pink background.

Oh and just so you know, there are 72 of these Color Craze Nail Polish shades to choose from!

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in NP541 Candysprinkles:

MY GRADE: A

0.44 fl. oz./13 ml

Website claims:

♥ Long lasting

♥ Quick drying

♥ Chip resistant

http://lacolors.com/Color-Craze-Nail-Polish-1581.html

And that's all she wrote!

Don't forget to check out all these products and more at www.lacolors.com.

Let me extend a THANK YOU to Vanessa Trinh and L.A. Colors for allowing me this opportunity!