DESIxKATY by Dose of Colors

Hi, yes. Hello. I’m back..

And not only am I back. I have the Dose of Colors DesixKaty collaboration ready for you along with makeup looks.. See, I’m a good blogger right?

Don’t answer that.

If you’re an avid makeup junkie or beauty enthusiast, you’ve likely heard of this thing called YouTube. It’s an incredible platform where you can stream videos of almost ANYTHING. Want to learn how to contour? YouTube. Want to learn how to apply false lashes? YouTube. Want to watch a 10-minute video of kittens sleeping? YouTube.

Two of my favorite makeup guru’s on YouTube who happen to be besties are Desi Perkins and Katy Degroot (Lustrelux). I've been watching Katy on YouTube way back when she lived in Oakland YEARS ago. She (I think) is my twin soul, so when she befriended Desi Perkins (who is my skin tone twin) I was delighted by their constant interaction. But when they both collaborated with DOSE OF COLORS….

I lost my mind.

After locking myself in a room for their first drop, I was able to purchase most of the set. The only problem I had, was that DOC took almost a month to ship the entire collection to me. I get it—Mercury was in retrograde, orders were lost and items were back ordered, but it was frustrating. Either way, after a painful 3+ weeks of waiting I finally received my package.

Now here we are, ready to blog, review and swatch, just in time for their re-stock on Sunday, September 24th.. Ladies and gentlemen, The DesixKaty collaboration:

Everything about this collection is Fire. From the packaging all the way to the products themselves, this collection is incredible. So let’s get started:

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“THE GIRLS”
An eyeshadow quad with 4 luxuriously shimmery colors, all named after their dogs (Naturally). ($28.00)

SUZ- crisp bright champagne shade. A super creamy texture that is formulated to be used WET. One drop of water on your finger is all you need. 

HARPOON- A cool tone green base with green and gold reflects. This unique shade is formulated to be used WET.

TURBOSAN- Start sparkling with this ultra-luxe shadow that is packed with shimmering reflects. For intense color payoff and a glistening finish, apply with finger.

NOLI- A sultry bronze shade thats infused with gold reflects. This perfect bronze shade is a powerfully pigmented formula that glides onto the lids for a silky-smooth finish.

L-R: Suz, Noli, Turbosan, Harpoon

REVIEW: The only thing that is inconvenient about this quad is that you’re going to get the best color payoff when using your finger to apply, wet or dry. There are a number of factors that will affect your eyeshadow application: long nails, little eyeshadow experience and Cheetos. Not everyone will have the experience to apply these shadows onto their eyelid correctly using just their fingers. So, there will be a learning curve involved for some users. Also, if you’re not careful, any eyeshadow left over on your finger can possibly interfere with the rest of your makeup application, so please be careful! Otherwise—these colors are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and perfect for a glamorous night out.  

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“FUEGO” and “MIRAME”
‘My highlight brings all the boys to the yard - And my light is better than yours- and they’re like - It’s better than yours -  I can teach you - but I have to charge’ ($28.00 per highlighter)

FUEGO – Light Champagne Gold
MIRAME – Rose Gold

L-R: Fuego, Mirame

REVIEW: These ladies brought some serious GLOW to this collection. I’ve layered these highlighters together and separately, and both colors are soft, gentle but with a nice BLINDING effect. With one layer, you can achieve a healthy glow without looking oily. Or you can layer the highlight over and over again for a wet look. 10/10 if you have to pick one product from the collection, I recommend the highlighters.

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“NO SHADE” and “MORE CREAMER PLEASE”
Lipsticks with a Creamy/Matte finish ($16.00 per lipstick)

NO SHADE – Light peachy nude
MORE CREAMER PLEASE – Deep nude with a brown/peach undertone

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“HOT FIRE”, “SAVAGE” LIQUID LIPSTICK & “OVER THE TOP” GLOSS
Liquid lipstick with a velvet matte finish that glides on smoothly and stays put throughout the day.  ($18.00/liquid lipstick & $15.00/gloss)

HOT FIRE – Fiery Orange Red
SAVÁGE – Rich Black based Burgundy
OVER THE TOP – A mega-shine clear gloss infused with reflective gold reflects

Considering that Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks are my favorite formula, I knew from the bottom of my heart that these liquid lipsticks were going to be amazing.

L-R: No Shade, More Creamer Please, Hot Fire, Saváge

REVIEW:
Now, as a tanned lady myself—I have a hard time finding a few things: the right foundation color match, the right concealer color and the perfect nude lipstick. And then I met “More creamer please”.. I found my soul mate! Not only do these lipsticks feel creamy, they finish creamy. More Creamer Please is on the warm peachy side and is the truest nude I've ever worn. I’ve always had a hard time with nudes because I’ve always had to mix lip liners and lipsticks for the perfect color, until now. I’m so happy that this collection includes a deeper nude for the ladies blessed with melanin.

No Shade is a little bit too light for me, but I can see this being absolutely perfect for people with lighter skin tones. It's beautiful!

Hot Fire is just a bit too neon for my skin tone, so I do have to line my lips with a blue based red to keep my skin from looking too tan. But I do love the color, and I'm excited to add this color to my kit, it’s bright and playful for any night out.

Now Saváge is definitely not for the weak. If you want an ox blood, dramatic lip color, please.. Be a savage and go with Saváge for the night, you'll definitely turn some heads.    

Over the Top is the most beautiful shimmery golden lip gloss. It looks really glittery in the tube but It’ll leave your lips looking juicy and fresh with a soft honey-like tint.

OVERALL REVIEW:
Buy this collection.. Or If you’re interested in one or two of the products in the set, I say just go for it. I promise, you will not be disappointed. The collection compliments a wide range of skin tones and use high quality ingredients. Almost all products in the collection are vegan and ALL products are cruelty free. But don't be a slacker and wait. Pick up the collection on the Dose of Colors website, or at Naimies online when they restock on Sunday, September 24th.

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GLAM SHOTS

PRODUCTS USED:
Eyes:
Noli, Suz, MAC: Soft Brown & Texture

Foundation:
Fenty Pro Filt’r Foundation in 310

Lips:
More Creamer Please & Over the Top gloss

Highlight:
Mirame & Fuego layered on top of eachother

Contour:
ABH – Tan contour kit

Lashes:
House of Lashes – Boudoir

Mastering the Master palette by Mario Dedivanovic

I have been WAITING for this palette. Like ~ W A I T I N G G G G ~ for this palette to come out. Makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic is famously known for his work with Kim Kardashian and the Kardashian family, but he’s also worked with classic beauties like Chanel Iman, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Bosworth, Gabrielle Union, Kelly Ripa and Jourdan Dunn to name a few. With his undeniable talent and ability to SLAYYYYY, it was obvious that Mario’s next steps would be to build his own brand with a beauty product. And if you follow Mario on his social media channels (Like I do) you know that he has a longstanding personal and professional relationship with Anastasia Soare, so when Mario hinted at a collaboration, it was only natural that Anastasia Beverly Hills be the brand platform. 

I woke up early AF to put in my order for 2 palettes. Thank goodness because (as I predicted) the palette sold out in a matter of hours. And on the glorious day when that blessed package came to my office, my heart was beating with excitement as I jumped up and down screaming “It’s here!! ITS HEEEEEERRRE!!". My male colleagues who do NOT understand my infatuation with makeup were concerned for my health and mental state due to the box of “powders” at my desk….. *eyeroll* boys smh…

Ugh, Its just SO pretty! Isn’t is pretty??? Just look at it! I was too scared to touch it— does that happen to anyone else? When I buy makeup, sometimes I have this fear that I’m going to ruin it by touching it. I’ll sit on my bed and stare at my makeup for an eternity hoping it will tell me its secrets…Is that not okay? 

Alright so here goes my review:

PACKAGING:
Like most Anastasia palettes I own, the eyeshadows are in a cardboard case with a mirrored cover that flips all the way around so the palette can sit flat on the table. As a makeup artist and lover of organization, can I tell you how MF CLUTCH this is? The only time I take out a palette that doesn’t sit flat is if it includes a powder that is detrimental to the process, and/or if the case is too hard to break apart. Otherwise, I depot you and put you in a Z-Palette with the rest of my friends. 

COLOR:
This palette comes with 12 neutral shades combined with a range of jewel tones in both matte and metallic finishes:

Hollywood (metallic wheat gold with a satin finish)
NYC (rich chocolate brown with a satin finish)
Kim (tan with a satin finish)
Muse (rose gold with a satin finish)
Marina (champagne with a metallic finish)
Claudia (slate with a velvet finish)
Lula (soft taupe with an ultra-matte finish)
Isabel (burnt orange with an ultra-matte finish)
Violeta (dark chocolate with an ultra-matte finish)
5th Ave (gold leaf with a metallic finish)
Bronx (metallic olive with a satin finish)
Paris (gilded brown with a satin finish)

SWATCHES:

FORMULA:
Soft, pigmented and SO pretty! Most ABH eyeshadows are soft and pigmented so this palette has the same quality in powders. But because the powders are so soft and luxurious, you have to be careful of fallout during the application process (Press, press, press and tap tap if you know what I'm sayin'). Otherwise, you can apply these eyeshadows dry or wet and still get the same quality pigment. 

LONGEVITY:
When prepped and primed well, the eyeshadows last a strong 6-8 hours without fading. Especially when foiling your shadows with the shimmers and Metallics, the pigment stays pretty true to color for hours. Check out this glowy look I did on my friend and fellow MUA Maria using: Hollywood, Lula, Isabel, Violeta & Kim. 

OVERALL REVIEW:
I am a FAN.. The colors in his palette work well with most skin tones— there's so much variety in terms of color and texture and it’s just PRETTY! It’s so GATDAMN pretty! And at $45.00 a palette, sold at AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com, Sephora and Ulta— this palette is a must have and will be a staple for your kit.     

Thicky Thick - Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick Foundation

Photo courtesy of: Hourglass.com 

There's something so satisfying about purchasing a new foundation, especially when you’ve found a color that matches well and provides amazing coverage. Hourglass released their new Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation sticks, and while there are a ton of new foundation sticks on the market, I was particularly interested in the Hourglass foundation stick because: 

1. They are known for their foundation quality
2. This foundation is meant to adjust to body temperature
3. I don’t personally own any Hourglass foundations— so I took this opportunity to add to my collection. 

As a naturally tanned goddess, I have a hard time finding colors that match my skin tone perfectly. With 28 shades to choose from I was excited to pick out my new best friend. I want to commend companies like Hourglass and Cover FX (another classic fave) for catering to multiple skin tones while still providing maximum quality. 

PACKAGING:
Can we say sleek? This chocolate brown casing is sturdy, sleek and built in a triangle tube to provide a comfortable grip and easy application. The foundation itself was also in a triangular formation, and while that’s different compared to the other foundation sticks in the market, it made the application process precise, fairly simple and hassle free. Plus it’s easy to throw in your bag and good when you need to apply foundation on the go.

COLOR:
I matched with Golden Amber.. I know I’m a tan goddess, but HOT DAMN did I get dark over the summer. Golden Amber is a bit darker than I usually go, but the medium deep color with a neutral undertone fit my skin tone perfectly so I was juiced.

SWATCH:
Not my best swatch, but with a slight hand (and in one swipe) I was able to produce full coverage. So. Much. Pigment. sooooo. muuuuuuuch. PIGMENNNTTT!!!

FORMULA:
Don’t say I didn’t warn you :) The foundation is FULL COVERAGE! You can dilute the product with a face oil or moisturizer, but stick to skin, this foundation is THICKY THICK. This stick is meant to be a foundation and concealer all in one, so the formula is infused with double the pigment for instant coverage. 

LONGEVITY:
This product is long-wearing and waterproof, it provides 12 hour lasting power for special occasions where you need all day full coverage. The innovative formula adjusts to your body temperature to blend into the skin effortlessly. I wore this foundation to the Beyonce concert (I danced HARD ya'll) and an outdoor wedding in 80 degree heat and it didn’t smudge, or melt off. Can we say Impressive? 

OVERALL REVIEW:
Will I buy more? Yes. Will I buy again? Yes. While pricey at a smooth $46.00 a stick, you could purchase multiple colors and use the sticks for contour and highlight. Otherwise, buying this foundation for full coverage is well worth the price tag. 

DOSE of Colors Hidden Treasures Palette - Gemstone Metallic REALNESS

Its that time of the year again, Weddings, Proms, (Insert life event here) Showers, Fundraising events, etc.. Basically anytime you'll need a full face of glam, and a bottle full of wine at your fingertips. DOSE of colors recently released an eyeshadow palette called 'Hidden Treasures'. Where you can find natural jewel toned eyeshadow colors for your everyday glamour session.  

PACKAGING:
Look at that Beaut! The packaging is designed to look as though you've opened up a treasure chest and found 10 metallic and matte gems to cover your eye sockets for a night out on the town. 

LONGEVITY:
I recently used a few colors from this palette on a bride and
1- the colors are PIGMENTED AF!
2- With a primer or concealer to lock the color onto your skin, the colors stay on for a really long time. My Bride had her makeup on starting at noon and had a full face of makeup for a good 8 hours before fading. 

COLORS:

Pearl – Off white Shimmer
Coin – Golden Metallic
Key – Brown Matte
Crown – Burnt copper – Metallic
Ruby – Deep red – Metallic
Gemstone – Chamapagne – Metallic
ONYX – Black – Matte
Map – Mauve Matte
Locket – Tan/Beige Matte
Diamond – Nude/Pink Metallic

Check out my close ups so you can enjoy the colors in all its shimmery glory:

SWATCHES:
Jesus GAWD have you seen these swatches? HAVE YOU??? Check out my swatches below :) When I said these eyeshadows were pigmented, I was SO serious. These eyeshadows come off almost like a foil without having to use a wet brush. It's beautiful! After I swatched these shadows in the light, I turned up the Drake album, faked a few salsa moves and WAS. KILLIN EM! 

TMI? Oh well, the colors are beautiful and made me a happy girl :)

PRICE:
$50.00. For 10 eyeshadows, that breaks down to $5.00/eyeshadow. And for colors this pigmented, the Hidden Treasures palette is a STEAL ON THE REAL.

OVERALL:
I have always been a fan of DOSE of colors, so I jumped at the chance to purchase this palette. The only Con that I have is the placement of the eyeshadows within the palette. I understand it's purpose and design, however-- because I am a freelance makeup artist, the placement gives my OCD a little kick in the ass. Most of my palettes are organized in a way that it's easier for me to look and pull a color for my client. With this palette it forces me to search for a color (in my head) in an unorganized way. AGAIN, I am aware that my makeup problems are different from the average makeup enthusiast, but I thought I would voice my opinion here. 

Overall if you like Metallics and need a little shimmer in your life, check this palette out, it's one not to miss!

Beauty Treasures from Morocco

For my annual girls trip, we decided to visit Spain and stop off in Morocco. While, i've been to Spain before (and Spain is ALWAYS a good time) I was UBER excited to visit Morocco. What some people don't know, is that I have a small obsession with the movie Aladdin and I took this opportunity to experience Arabian nights and Arabian days, where more often than not, are hotter than hot, in a lot of good waaaaaayyyyyssss!! :D I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in as much of the Moroccan culture that i possibly could in 6 days. My friends and I visited Casablanca, Marrakech and Essouira and i can officially say that I am in LOOOVE with Morocco <3 

While in the souk in Marrakech, one of the Berber vendors offered my group a traditional Moroccan clay lipstick/lip tint. I. Was. Intrigued. The lipstick looked like the top of a clay pot, and when the vendor applied water to the base of the clay, the mixture of the clay and water produced lipstick. I thought this was fucking fascinating! So of course, the makeup nerd in me went ahead and researched Moroccan clay lipstick and heres what I found:

The red clay is made of red ochre terra-cotta mixed with a red vegetable dye. Some of the clay is blended with powdered poppy or rose petals mixed with a little wax, and can also contain henna. The Berber vendor called it “Aker" and it can be used as a lipstick, with the color varying between deep red and a dark fuchsia.

When touching the clay, the color does not bleed directly onto your hand, in order to release the color, you have to moisten the clay with Rose water or fix plus. The type of solution you use to release the color, correlates to the consistency of the lipstick. i tried vaseline for a lip tint and rose water for a lipstick. You can also use the clay pot as a blush, for a natural flush.

The one other beauty purchase I made was a Kohl Kajal eyeliner! Anyone who watched Sex and the City 2 the movie saw when Carri Bradshaw went to the souk and purchased shoes and a Kohl eyeliner. When i saw this i had to try it! This eyeliner is composed of Vegetable oil, beeswax, minerals and Ghee (all natural purified butter).  

Although if i'm going to be honest, when i looked at the kohl eyeliner i thought 2 things:
1) How in the HECK do I apply this eyeliner without looking like i got into a fight with a bottle of charcoal? 
2) Why does the product say "France" if its Moroccan?

Here are my answers:
1) After kicking it with my girl Google, i learned that you're supposed to swipe the liner flat on its side onto your eyelids, however i personally used the tip of the eyeliner and it worked fine. I imagine when the sharp tip rounds out, i can take an eyeliner brush and pull product directly from the Kohl.
2) Morocco was colonized by France in the early 1900's and explains why most Berber's speak French and Arabic. I relied heavily on Google translate to help me with my french during this trip :)

Overall, i am happy i purchased these products from the souk and i cant wait to continue putting these products to good use.

TLS Highlighter Review

So i dont know if anyone noticed, but i love highlighters.. I am obsessed with looking as fertile as possible by using any and all beauty highlighters. Just like many beauty junkies, i am a STAN for Manny the MUA. But really, who isn't? Anyway, he put the world on these new TLS highlighters that blew. my. mind.

Of course i had to try these little babies out on my own, so i bought a little starter pack for my kit. I purchased Glow Gawd, Blushing Bride and Sunkissed. Basically 1 highlight per skin tone range. Check out my review for each highlighter below. Please note that i packed on the product to my fingers to emphasize the pigment. When applied, you actually don't need very much to achieve a glowy look.

GLOW GAWD: 

One of their top highlights, Glow Gawd is a soft golden iridescent color that looks subtly sweet when applied to the orbital bone. There are soft flecks of gold that make the pigment more yellow, and looks great on any skin tone.

SUNKISSED:

Sunkissed is a beautiful golden powder that is clearly on the warmer side, but is perfect for those with a darker/warmer skin tone.

BLUSHING BRIDE:

Blushing Bride is a light pink iridescent powder. this color can soften any skin tone, and reminds me a lot of the Hourglass ambient light powders, and is similar to the soft focus light that the product provides.

Price Point:
Each pot of pigment costs $9.75 per 6 gm of product.

Formula:
This highlighter is a loose pigment made up of mica, titanium dioxide, silica and some pigments include iron oxides. I haven't had any of my clients to react negatively from the product, neither did I, so I enjoyed using these highlighters. Also this highlighter is amazing and a little will go a long way.

Packaging:
The pigments come in a plastic container with a twist cap. The product is contained under a plastic filter/grinder that prevents the pigment from spilling out. 

Color:
Overall, I like the color payoff of these highlighters are very pigmented and you can probably see this highlight from space :) Some of the colors look similar but have a subtle undertone that comes through in it's iridescence. 

Longevity:
I've used this highlight on a client, set her with Fix+ and it STUCK to her like glue. I use this product on myself for dinner and dancing but didn't set my face, and the product stayed on for 6+ hours. <3 <3 <3  

Tips: This product is a loose pigment highlighter and i will say that the product can get messy, especially if you forget to close the filter in its packaging.

I like this product and would recommend these colors to any makeup artist and beauty junkie. Especially for MUA's who are starting their kits, these products really provide excellent quality for it's price point. The packaging is cute and fits in any makeup kit so it's easy to travel with. 

Squeeze, Line and Define with the Tarte Tarteist Clay Liner

I. DIE. For a beautiful winged eyeliner. I envied Amy Winehouse for her courage and commitment to winged eyeliner, It’s the best.. We all know applying eyeliner is not easy, it does take a lot of practice but a good eyeliner will make any artist ugly-cry in amazement.  Friends… Let me introduce you to the Tarte Tarteist Clay Liner. I have been hunting this liner for months.. Unfortunately I slacked on jumping on this product when it first came out and of course, the eyeliner ended up sold out everywhere. The Universe brought me to this liner when I walked into Sephora this weekend. I stopped in the aisle and asked God to deliver me when I grabbed the last box… What can I say, God is good :) 

Now onto the eyeliner! 

Formula: The formula is waterproof and happens to be a hybrid between a liquid and a gel liner. Like most Tarte products, this liner includes Amazonian Clay, this makes the product creamy without being runny, which allows you to define your liner flawlessly without tugging. 

Packaging: You can tell that the packaging for this product was designed with the creative in mind. The eyeliner comes in a squeezable tube and can be applied with the included eyeliner brush. The top of the tube has a tapered round mixing palette so that you can blend the product onto the brush. I Love!

Photo Courtesy of Sephora.com  

Color: BLACK like my soul! After the first swipe of color, you can see the richness of the product. But just like any eyeliner, sometimes (depending on how much product you use) you have to double up on the application to make the color more opaque. 

Longevity: This liner is smudge proof, waterproof and lasted a full work day + a few Happy Hours (+/-10 hours) with very little budging. *flame emojis*

Tips: Be Careful when you squeeze the tube, if you aren’t careful a ton of product will spill out. *crying face emoji*

**Please note that I have combination skin with very little crease in my eyelid. I’ve heard that oily lids, or hooded eyelids have a hard time with this product, but for me, I had no trouble with application or lasting power. 

Overall I love this product and will buy again :)