Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

Photo courtesy of: Fenty Beauty

A few years ago we all heard that Rihanna signed with a beauty agency to create her own line of beauty products. Knowing all things Rhianna, we all knew she wasn’t going to release anything less than excellence.

Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty snatched our scalps when she released “Fenty Beauty”, boasting 40 foundations shades, F-O-R-T-Y-F-U-C-K-I-N-G-S-H-A-D-E-S OF FOUNDATION. She thought of every undertone for every single person: fair, medium, warm, tan, deep, pink, red, yellow, green and blue! Along with the very INCLUSIVE range of foundations, Riri released a collection of Match Stix: stick concealer, contour shades, highlights and blushes. She also released powder highlights, mattifying blotting powders, blotting sheets, a lip gloss and brushes. UGH—this woman makes me sick, she’s so perfect.

I wasn’t able to purchase everything in the collection but I was able to snag a few things:

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Pro Filt’r Foundation
($34.00)

Shade in 310

The first thing that came to mind with this collection was that Rihanna really focused on skin. She wanted to set the foundation (no pun intended) for the rest of her line to flourish. However, even with 40 foundation shades, the journey to finding the ‘right’ shade is still a challenging one. The Pro Filt’r Foundations oxidize after your first application, this means that once the foundation formula is combined with oxygen, the color deepens a shade darker. So, to test out a color that “matches” your skin tone takes trial and error. I purchased: 310, 330 & 340 hoping to find a shade that matched my undertone, and after color testing-- 310 seemed to be the shade that settled into my skin the most naturally.

This foundation is medium to buildable coverage and finishes demi matte which gives your skin a shine free finish without looking cakey. As per the product description, “The oil-free formula is made with climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to sweat and humidity, and won’t clog pores so that wherever you are, it’s going to work on your skin.” For someone like me with oily/combination skin—a demi matte is a heaven send. After a full day of testing the foundation, my makeup didn't melt off and still felt comfortable on my skin without flaking (Hallelujah!). I’ve been wearing this foundation a few days in a row and it’s climbing to the top of my most used foundation list. 10/10 for everyday foundation.

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Match Stix
($25.00)

Fenty came out with 10 Match Stix Shimmer Skinsticks and 20 Match Stix Matte Skinstix that all magnetize together so you can mix and match or purchase a trio without losing track of the product. The shimmer skinstix are meant to be used as highlight sticks and/or blush sticks. The matte matchstix are meant for concealing and contouring. Both Match Stix are a cream to powder finish, creamy, blendable and meant for all skin types. I purchased one of each Match stick: Chili Mango, Rum, Sand and Truffle. My favorite? Hands down, Chili Mango cream blush. This color is amazing on tan skin tones and is subtle while still giving off a beautiful bright finish. My vote: 10/10

Now for the contour and concealer sticks. So. Great color payoff, creamy and blendable. The concealer stick isn’t the smoothest under the eye area, when I tried to use the concealer stick under my waterline, it tug my skin a lot and that's a big no-no for me unfortunately. I still personally suggest using a liquid concealer for your under eye, but for your forehead, nose and chin, the stick works fine. The cream contour in “Truffle” was a great shade for me, the cream blended out fine while using a beauty blender and I can foresee using this stick for special occasions. If you’re a fan of cream contouring, the stick is easy to use. My vote: 7/10

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Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
($34.00)

Other than the 40 foundation shades, everyone talked about these highlighters! The most talked about highlight was Trophy Wife which is an electric gold highlight and is super editorial. While I thought Trophy Wife was incredible, I purchased the shimmer duo in Mean Money & Hu$tla Baby. Mean Money is a soft champagne sheen and Hu$tla Baby is supercharged champagne shimmer. A lot of people were underwhelmed with the light sheen on Mean Money but I actually love it. It’s more of a soft-focus powder vs a highlight, but I thoroughly enjoy Mean Money for a soft filtered glow. If you need a highlight that shines bright like a diamond (I’m killing it with the puns today) Hu$tla Baby is the color you want.  It’s luminizing but at the same time provides you with a dewey glow. 9/10

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 Gloss Bomb Universal Lip
($18.00)

I was surprised that Fenty only released one lip product. Although looking back on the entire collection, because every product was focused on skin—this gloss bomb was perfect. And as you can imagine with the word “Bomb” in it’s name, this gloss is ridiculously shimmery, glossy and soft with a rose nude tint. This gloss is not sticky, it glides on smooth and it smells like sweet tarts! The smell so sweet and sugary it’s almost like you have a pixie stick lip gloss, it’s the best! 10/10    

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OVERALL REVIEW

My favorite items from the collection are hands down the foundation, the blush stick and the highlighters. If you have oily/combination skin like me, the journey to find the right foundation shade is worth the effort. The Killawatt highlighters are fun, bright and give you a natural glow without any chunky fall out. I was disappointed with the matte match stix, and I really really wanted to like them. I’ve never been a big fan of stick concealers or cream contouring (yes, i know i'm a hater) so I am aware that my rating is biased based on my own preferences.

Otherwise, I loved everything I picked up in the collection. The color range is noteworthy because beauty brands very rarely create collections with all people of color in mind. Fenty has a foundation with no pigment for people with albinism all the way to a set of foundations for deep shades for red, neutral and cool undertones. It’s incredible, inclusive and well intended for women to look and feel confident in their own skin. Well done Fenty.. Well done.

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GLAM SHOTS

Products Used
Foundation: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foundation in 310
Cream Contour: Fenty Matte Match Stix in Truffle
Cream Concealer: Fenty Matte Match stix in Sand
Cream Highlight: Fenty Shimmer Match Stix in Rum
Cream Blush:  Fenty Shimmer Match Stix in Chili Mango
Powder Highlight: Fenty Killawatt highlighter in Hu$tla Baby

Eye Makeup: 
Eyeshadow: Dose of Colors Turbosan
Lipstick: Dose of Colors Saváge

Toast to the Good Life - Becca & Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection

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For all the highlight obsessed makeup junkies out there, you must have known about the Jaclyn Hill & Becca Champagne Collection. I hopped on the website a few weeks ago and I am SO happy that I scooped a palette, because the Champagne Collection Face Palette sold out FAST.

On the heels of Jaclyn Hill's Champagne Pop highlighter in collaboration with Becca Cosmetics, Jaclyn Hill's next product was not only a new highlighter (because we were all expecting one new highlighter) but a FACE PALETTE, including Champagne Pop, her new highlighter Prosecco Pop and 3 mineral and luminous blushes! This b*tch came prepared to slay the makeup game.. And I'm not mad ;)

PACKAGING:
The packaging came in a sturdy gold and white plastic case, that seemed to protect the powders well. The top half of the palette is a large mirror which is perfect for when you travel and/or are applying your makeup on the go. The palette is a bit thick, but OH so pretty!!

COLORS:
Highlighters:
Champagne POP - Soft white gold with pink/peachy luminous shimmer
Prosecco POP - Wark golden luminous shimmer

Blushes: 
Rose Spritz - Luminous blush, Soft peachy pink with pale gold shimmer
Amaretto - Mineral blush, Matte toasted almond blush/bronzer
Pamplemousse - Mineral blush, Matte warm coral pink

LONGEVITY:
I've used this palette on myself as well as my clients, and I will tell you that this GLEAM that radiates from your face lasts hours and all throughout the night. I've used Prosecco pop on a bride who had a candle lit wedding and her highlight was on display from miles away. Well, maybe not miles, but from the back of the room :)

SWATCHES:

L-R: Champagne pop, Prosecco pop, Rose Spritz, Amaretto, Pamplemousse

OVERALL:
Overall, how can you NOT love this palette?! All the blushes and highlighters are high quality and extremely luminous! You can mix and match with all the colors to create something fun for all skin types. Hop on it and I promise you won't regret it. 

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Glow GLEAM Kit, Review and Swatches

Ok so can we discuss these highlighter palettes by Anastasia Beverly Hills? I had no intention of purchasing these highlighters at IMATS and then bam! I am now the proud owner of the Gleam Glow Kit. Naturally I hovered over the “That Glow” palette for a while but for some reason the soft highlight and rosy tones in the Gleam kit called my name. These colors are meant to complement all skin tones so I had no doubt that the Gleam kit would suit my tan exterior. 

COLORS:
Hard Candy – A rosey pink highlight

Mimosa – Golden peach color

Starburst – Silvery pink highlight  

Crushed Pearl – Light champagne color 

Often times I’ll mix and match a ton of colors for a highlight that can be seen from space :)  For a more intense highlight, just apply water to your makeup brush before swiping the highlight color, this will help make the colors pop. Or you can cover your face in highlight and go running in the dark, the highlight serves as reflective running gear so cars and deer can see you from afar. I’m joking.. But that would be funny if it worked that way :) 

Jeffree Star Androgyny Swatches and Dupes!

I bought my first Jeffree Star liquid lipstick!!!!!!!!! I’ve been a fan girl of Jeffree Star (Makeup artist, musician, model, fashion designer) for a while now and I’m excited to playyyyy. Unfortunately every time I’ve been online to purchase their liquid lipsticks, every color I want is sold out or my computer gets a virus and crashes as soon as I whip out my credit card. It's almost like my laptop knows I’m going to buy another lipstick :/

Fast forwarding to now, I always thought Androgyny was a gorgeous mauve color and the coveting spirit comes over me when i see a product I absolutely love. Low and behold (Thanks to my boo thang Erika) Androgyny basically fell into my lap! I wore my new lipstick that same night and I am one happy customer :) Check out my review below.

Packaging
Hot pink, Stars and Lipstick. If I were a rock star/makeup artist/all around Glamour Diva, I’d choose bold packaging too. The lipstick itself is cased in a clear tube with hot pink and gold stars. The packaging definitely stands out in my lipstick collection and I’m not mad at it. 

Formula
Applying the product onto my lips, it felt very runny. Immediately after application some of the product ended up on my teeth, not the most convenient experience for my first try. After I cleaned the residue, the lipstick dried smooth and set beautifully on my lips. The formula feels like butter, dries matte but doesn’t feel drying on my lips. Compared to the Colourpop/Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks, Jeffree Star’s formula is silky and (while runny) dries comfortably on the lips. 

Color
Jeffree Star’s collection of lipstick colors are very different than your average lipstick collection. The colors are vibrant and unique, Androgyny being one of the more tame colors in the bunch. I haven’t had the chance to purchase more colors, but I definitely will try it out.  

Dupes
While Androgyny is a very beautiful color, it looks a lot like Colourpop’s Stingraye and Chilly Chili. The formula is clearly different, but the color is very similar. If you don’t want to shell out 18 big one's for Jeffree Star but love the color, Stingraye or ChilliChili are more affordable lipsticks with similar colors.  

Longevity
I tried had the lipstick on at around 8:00pm for an art show and past midnight (a hotdog and a few drinks later) the color did not feather, fade (with the exception of the hot dog, and even then I barely had to reapply) nor did it flake. I haven’t tried wearing the colors for more than 8 hours, but based on other reviews, Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks have amazing staying power.

Cons
Aside from the ultra runny formula, the products can only be ordered online. You cannot visit your local Namies of Nigel’s to pick up a few colors, so you’d have to rely on the swatches online to help you decide which colors to purchase. IF the colors are available. These lipsticks are always selling out! (which technically isn’t really a con but you know.. Whatevs)

Overall
Jeffree Star's formula is different from what I’ve tried in the market, so I’m happy I had the chance to purchase this product. The staying power, color pigment and non drying formula makes this liquid lipstick a winner.

#KaePop Karrueche + Colourpop Haul

Courtesy of Colourpop Cosmetics

Other than people telling me that she's my doppleganger, Karrueche Tran is quickly becoming a socialite in today's media. Karrueche recently released a line of cosmetics through one of my new favorite brands Colourpop Cosmetics, and i couldn't help myself to a mini haul :) The #Kaepop collection consists of 4 eyeshadows, 3 liquid lipsticks and 3 corresponding liners.  While I'm not the biggest fan of Colourpop's eyeshadows, I purchased 2 liquid lipsticks and 2 liners. Check out the swatches below.

Of the three colors, I chose Kae and Chi. Rooch was a bit dark for me, plus i already have a few dark brown colors in my kit.  See the lip looks below: Chi and Kae with their corresponding lip liners.

I can't say enough good things about Colourpop. The formula stays on my lips throughout the day without feathering, the color payoff is incredible and the price point makes it affordable for everyone.  

The one thing that I did notice about the KaePop liquid lipsticks, is that the doe foot applicator is different from Colourpop's current applicator. See photos below. 

Colourpop's Limbo on the Left and Kaepop's Kae on the right

The Kaepop applicator has a flat rounded 'foot' compared to the current Colourpop applicator. Personally, i love this. You are able to deposit the product more evenly onto your lips, and it feels softer which is always nice.

Overall, of the 4 products I chose from, I'm happy with my selections and can see these colors being a staple in my makeup bag.

BTS: Beauty Shots

A few months ago (I know, i'm late) I had an amazing opportunity to work with a few photographers and a gorgeous model for head shots.  I love Love LOVE beauty makeup, theres something beautiful about enhancing an individual's natural beauty and focusing on the details. So when I was offered this opportunity i jumped at the chance to work with makeup in this capacity.  

Photographers: 
Faran Najafi
Matthew Richmond

Model:
Erin Marquez

Beauty Breakdown for Erin

Face:
MAC Matchmaster 2.0
MAC NC20 Concealer
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Palette
The Balm Bahama Mama
The Balm Mary Lou Mainzer

Lips:
MAC lipstick in Pillowtalk

Blush:
Ingot Blush #29

E/S:
Urban Decay Naked Palette 

Brows:
Benefit Brow Zings - Medium

IMATS LA 2016 - The Year of Extra.

As some of you know, i wait all year long to attend the Mecca of makeup conferences.. IMATS. The International Makeup Artists Trade Show hosted in Pasadena, CA. Every makeup artist and beauty enthusiast within a 600 mile radius treks down to Southern California for two days of beauty worship and excessive spending. 

After 6 years of attending IMATS and armed with a full makeup kit, what else could I possibly purchase? Everything.. i bought everything.

Obligatory IMATS photo with my BFFs

House of Lashes had the BEST backdrop, i could stay in front of this stand forever :)

At the Kat Von D booth :)

Meet my boo Jim.. He's my twin :)

After all the fun and Debauchery of IMATS, the next day my fellow BFFs and MUAs wandered off to the local Naimies and Nigels to see what beauty products they offered. Again, i bought more than i wanted, but everything was well worth it.

Now on to the Haul!

Haul:

Dose of Colors: Mood, Desert Suede, Cork, Teddy, Corset, Scarlet Lace, Truffle & Poise

Anastasia Beverly Hills: Brow Wiz, Brow Definer, Glow Kit in Gleam, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Palette & Brow gel

Lashes in a Box: N 20 and E1

Dr. Peter Thomas Roth: CC Cream

Kat Von D: Blush in Hansel & Gretel, Lolita 1 & 2, Shade and Light Palette

Cinema Secrets: Brush Cleanser

Frankie Rose: Prime Addiction

House of Lashes: Bambi, Boudoir, Featherette 

KoKo Lashes: Flirty, Misha, Goddess, Soho

Elcie: Micro Silk Foundation in Warm Ivory

Z Palette: 2 sizes

Aloe: Hawaiian Moon Aloe

Crown Brush: Disposable lip brushes and mascara wands

And for those of you interested in the product breakdown for my war paint, check out the list below:

MOTD:
Face: 
Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation in G60
Cover FX Concealer in Medium
Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder: Luminous Light
MAC MSF in Medium Tan
Bronzer: The Balm - Bahama Mama & Betty-Lou Manizer
Blush: Milani - Luminoso
Highlight: Becca - Champagne Pop

Eyes:
MAC: Brun, Soft brown, Rule
Urban Decay: Bootycall
Eyeliner: Tartist eyeliner
Lashes: KoKo lashes in SoHo

Brows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow in Dark Brown

Lips:
MAC etcetera liner
Dose of Colors - Poise Lipstick
 

Beauty 911 - Winter Skincare Routine

Now that winter is here (insert Jon Snow joke), my lips are chapped, my skin is tightening in the cold air and I know my skincare routine needs more love than usual. I've been trying out a variety skincare products that work well with my oily skin and the products listed below are my top 5 products to combat the harsh winter months ahead.

ESSENCE: May Coop Raw Sauce
The glory that is maple tree sap, absorbs deep into the skin flawlessly. The essence hydrates and delivers nourishment to skin, creating a healthy glow and creates a stronger skin territory. This essence helps to prep the skin to better absorb and boost the effectiveness of any products that follow. After applying the raw sauce onto my skin, i notice that there's barely any product residue left on my skin, but i feel hydrated and fresh.

SERUM: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
I've been using this serum for 4-5 years and It does not disappoint, I flip out anytime I start to run out of product. This serum is formulated with a vitamin C complex to produce collagen, brighten your skin, and minimize fine lines. My skin always feels healthier and looks brighter like i have JLo glow, but better! 

MOISTURIZER: Ole Henrikson Sheer Transformation
Ok so.. i STAN for Ole Henriksen's products (obvi). For the same 4-5 years ive been using the Truth Serum. I've been using Sheer Transformation. I have oily skin and this moisturizer paired with the serum AND the essence, allows my skin to be fully hydrated and glowing without causing breakouts.  

LIP BALM: Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy
Honestly any lip balm will do, I own several lip balms but I really wanted to try Fresh's lip therapy balm because of all the amazing things i've heard about it. This product is a hydrating lip treatment that conditions lips for a smooth, fresh finish while boosting moisture and volume. It really works and I worry less about my chapped lips repairing themselves in time for matte lipsticks :)

SLEEPING MASK: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Water-Max Sleeping Mask
For that extra boost of moisture, i use my Dr. Jart+ Sleeping mask 2-3 times a week. This product is a weightless, leave-on mask that creates a protective barrier on your skin, locking in moisture and nutrients while you sleep! After my essence, serum and moisturizer, at night i lock it all in using this sleeping mask. When i wake up, my skin feels moisturized and smooth!

After many months of trial and error (and breakouts) I've found these products to work the best for my skin type (oily, combination, acne prone skin). And if you have skin like mine, you'll be ready to fight the winter cold with these products.

via GIPHY

<3 

ColourPop Liquid Ultra Matte Lip Review & Swatches

Kitty Holiday Collection (5 pack) priced at $20.00

These ColourPop Liquid Ultra Matte Lipsticks have quickly climbed up my list of faves! I personally have 15+ ultra matte lipsticks and at their price point it's pretty hard to stop collecting.

I purchased the Kitty collection for the holiday along with 6 lipsticks I wanted to add to my repertoire. Photos, swatches and reviews below! 

Full sized ultra matte lipsticks priced at $6.00 each

Packaging:
These lipsticks come in an acrylic tube with a metallic cap. The packaging looks clean, classic and fairly sturdy. I've dropped the lipsticks on hardwood and cement and the packaging stays together pretty nicely, though the metallic lettering on the tube seems to come off pretty easily. Of all my Colourpop lipsticks, I've only had a problem with 1 tube not being able to close properly, dripping product all over the inside of my purse :(

Formula:
The formula of this product is more silky than creamy compared to my Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks. The consistency of Colourpop's liquid lipsticks remind me a lot of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks, very smooth and runny yet opaque. When applied, the finish is a bit drying but it still provides enough elasticity to where its buildable, mixable and not uncomfortable.     

Color:
The color payoff is bright, beautiful and true to the website swatches. When in it's tube, some of the colors can look similar but when applied, the colors have very different outcomes. See the swatches from my purchase below. The first picture is from the Kitty collection, the second picture is from the 6 other purchases. 

Longevity:
I have never experienced Colourpop's liquid lipsticks bleeding from my lips. I typically wear chapstick or prime my lips before i wear any matte lipsticks so I've never had an issue with Colourpop running outside of the lip line. In terms of longevity, I will say that i mixed two colors for my birthday and i never had to re-apply once. On an average day these lipsticks last about 5-6 hours before I have to re-apply.    

Cons:
I have very little cons for this product, it's long lasting with a beautiful color payoff :) The only confusion i had about the holiday collection was that I had no idea that the Kitty lipsticks were miniature versions of the full sized lipsticks, so when i opened my package, I was surprised at how small they were.

Final Thoughts:
At $6.00 a piece, these lipsticks are the ultimate deal! The color selection is incredible, and I would recommend purchasing this product ASAP!

Sephora Friends & Family Haul

Once a year women of all walks of life reach out to that one friend that knows someone at Sephora for their Friends and Family discount. Luckily for me one of my best friends is a Manager at Sephora and offered me the discount willingly without having to harass her (God bless you Maria!). 

The week prior to the sale, I went to my local Sephora (Powell SF) and requested for a few dozen samples of products I was interested in purchasing. I recommend that all patrons of Sephora ask for samples, as it is the best way to test out products and determining if the product is worth purchasing. So I came into the sale already knowing what I wanted :)

Below are the pictures of my purchases, please don’t mind my bed sheets lol.

Cover FX Infusion Drops
These drops transform your everyday beauty products into powerful skincare treatments that are customized to fit your skin’s needs. Custom Infusion Drops can be mixed with anything liquid: moisturizers, serums, oils, primers, foundations, and tinted moisturizers

Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy
This  lip treatment corrects and conditions lips for a smooth, youthful-looking finish. It is fortified with a high concentration of ultra-nourishing, age-delaying ingredients to nourish your lips.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter
A makeup primer to help blur imperfections and impart a radiant glow. Blended together, they impart a one-of-a-kind, lightweight, whipped fluid that creates a smooth canvas and acts as an instant filter, while the vitamin E-enriched formula minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders
A three-step daily regimen developed for an effective, easy, and healthy skincare routine to treat all major skin concerns.  These three little wonders with indulgent textures and aromas make treating your skin a daily pleasure. 

May Coop Raw Sauce
A hydrating, nourishing essence featuring a silky formula that's highly concentrated in maple tree sap to create a stronger skin environment, helping prep the skin to better absorb products to follow and boosting their effectiveness. 

As you can tell, almost everything I bought was a skincare product since most skin care is 1) EXPENSIVE and 2) Rarely on sale. So the F&F sale is the perfect opportunity to stock up on hydrating goodness and a 24oz Purity Cleanser :)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit for Holiday 2015

For a Holiday product, Hourglass came out with a limited edition Ambient lighting palette pretty early on in the season. And I’m not mad at it :)

According to Hourglass, this palette is a, “Wardrobe of handmade powders, blushes, bronzer, and the debut of the new Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder". And it's, " Designed to give you everything you need to finish, brighten, contour and highlight your skin in a single compact.”

I’m obsessed with Hourglass, I never leave a makeup look untouched with their product. Each powder has optically transparent particles that help with seamless blending, especially when it comes to their blush and bronzer options. 

Now on to the review:

Packaging
The packaging is DIVIIIIINE! The 6 powders are protected in this chocolate/rose gold casing that includes a large mirror. Not only are the powders gorgeous, the packaging is just as beautiful and luxurious as the product itself.

Formula:
These powders have "Photoluminescent Technology” to help refine the appearance of your skin’s complexion, leaving you with a glowing finish. This basically means that the powders help to filter out the harsh lines on your face. AKA it’s like you’re walking around with the “Valencia” filter on your face all throughout the day ;)

Color:
The colors provided in the palette are:

Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light
Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light
Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

The only new color in the Edit palette is the "Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light” which is meant for strobing, and I must say the product comes off very glowy and shimmery at the same time. All in all each powder also adds luminescence to every skin tone which makes it universally flattering (Which also puts this palette high on my list of faves). 

Longevity 
The day I decided to wear basically every color in the palette, it was 97 degrees in San Francisco and I forgot to set my makeup with setting spray. I was sure my makeup would melt off! Luckily for my skin, the makeup stayed in place and after 6-7 hours, the color started to dulled out just a bit. Altogether the glow lasted 11+ hours on my face in the raging heat and through date night with le boo.

Cons
The size of each of the powders in the palette is 0.049 oz. In a permanent individual lighting powder is 0.35 oz. The limited edition sizes vs the permanent sizes are drastically different. And for $80.00 per palette I would hope that Hourglass would provide more product for the price. I totally missed taking a picture of my individual lighting powder against my palette, but www.Beautzine.com had a beautiful comparison on their website, so I’ve included it below.

Image courtesy of www.Beautzine.com 

Overall
I'm obsessed. Although i was a bit disappointed in the product sizes, I am still very happy with the product. I love the pigment, texture, finish and most of all, the GLOW. This product is a must have in your kit because it caters to most (if not ALL) skin tones, and provides a filtered light that radiates a glow better than any powder i've seen on the market. 

California Mission Inspired Photoshoot by Loft Photography

Earlier this summer I worked with a group of UBER talented individuals who had a vision for a California Mission inspired photoshoot. I was invited to beautify their gorgeous model for the shoot. I was SO honored to be a part of this shoot surrounded by professionals with an eye for style and design. For more photos and info, check out the blog LemonadeandLenses.com. Credits below:   

Venue: Mission San Rafael
Invitation Suite: Alex Leigh Franklin
Gown: Sarah Seven
Hair Stylist: Justine with Prettyologie
Makeup Artist: Angelie Herreria
Florist: Willene Design 
Model: Amber Fernandez 
oftPhotography.com
LoftPhotography.com/Blog