Super late SLEEK HAUL!

Hey guys!

So for my birthday, I had decided to get myself a few goodies from Sleek since they do have pretty reasonable international shipping and since I've seen these products (especially the palettes) used in endless blogs and Youtube videos. In total, I only spent about $50 which isn't horrible. That's including $10 international shipping, I'm pretty sure.

I decided my strategy with this palettes, instead of getting overwhelmed by all the gorgeous colors, would be to use one palette at a time, figuring out all the looks I could create with one before I moved on to the next one. 

Before I get to the palettes, I got the ever-so-famous blush in Rose Gold:

This blush is just so gorgeous. I know it is a dupe for Orgasm. Although I don't own Orgasm, I've seen swatches and it is pretty close. Not exact, but I don't need the real deal. 

I think this was only $6?

Oh So Special:

This was the first palette I decided to use, since I thought it would be my least favorite. I was poorly mistaken! So far, Oh So Special is my absolute favorite. I'm in love. 

You can find one look I've done here and another one here. I'm sure you'll be seeing even more looks coming with this palette.

Bad Girl:

As you can probably tell, these colors are more fit for a night out or going to parties, which is what I have primarily used it for. One night, I created a party look with the gorgeous deep greens, and another night I used the charcoal colors with the dark purple and black. 

If you like dark and pretty looks for partying or going out, this is the perfect palette! The colors are ridiculously pigmented!

Au Naturel:

This is the palette I decided I would use after the Oh So Special and I have created some gorgeous looks with this one, but I keep coming back to the Oh So Special. 

Regardless, this has some beautiful neutrals. 

Storm:

I have only used this palette once so far, so I don't have much to say besides that I love the colors and can't wait to use them once I exhaust the other ones in the other palettes.

The colors are pigmented, shimmery, blend so beautifully. 

I think Sleek is one thing that the Brits have over the Americans. For those of you willing to pay $10 for shipping, I think investing in a few of these palettes is an extremely smart thing to do. I don't ever want to look back to the days before I had these. I don't ever want to be without these.

Since there are endless reviews with swatches of these palettes out there, I'm not including swatches or a review. They're perfect, amazing, wonderful palettes. Get them. 10/10.

HOWEVER, if you do want me to post swatches, by all means, tell me!! And looks you would like for me to share? Let me know!

I hope you all are having an amazing and relaxing weekend! Vive le week-end! ;)

Redbook Magazine's Best Makeup Ideas Ever

Hey guys!

A couple weeks ago, the latest issue of Redbook magazine was sent to me and I actually had time to flip through. An article that caught my eye was called "The Best Makeup Ideas Ever". I thought that I would share these with you guys, along with my own personal commentary.

They included pictures of celebrities over the past century displaying each makeup idea and then comments and suggested products.

I generally do agree with what they came up with, but I also wanted to contribute my opinion. I thought you, my followers, might find this as an interesting kind of post. I will warn you - this may be a long post.

1. Full Brows

If you do follow my blog, you have seen that I do have full and dark brows. I thank my ethnic background for my eyebrows. Although they are full without filling them in, I do not like to go out without brow powder.

The first brow powder I used and fell in love with was the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder (I use the color Brown/Dark Brown). It includes two powders (which are like eye shadows, but more tightly packed) and a clear wax to set the brows. I don't usually use the wax just because I hit pan on the wax way before the powders. I have had the same powders for two years now and yes, I have hit pan, but I won't run out for a long time. For only $6, who can say no to that?

My mom, on the other hand, has much lighter hair and brows. She is fair with freckles and a much more rosy-toned complexion than me. I turned her on to using a brow powder and a defined brow really just does wonders to the face.

So I definitely agree with Redbook on this one. I have embraced a full brow. I do think tamed brows are an important part of the face. If you haven't tried filling in your brows, I do recommend the NYX powder, or any product along those lines because I don't think it could ever disappoint.

2. Mega Lashes

Thinking back on this, where I do agree with Redbook as this is one of the best makeup ideas, it can go a little overboard. I think most of you would say that mascara is a definite must. Among beauty bloggers, I think the consensus is that if there's one makeup product we couldn't go without, it would be mascara.

I love having the appearance of thick, black lashes. My favorite mascaras at this point are Covergirl Lashblast and L'Oréal Carbon Black Voluminous mascara. I have used Diorshow in the past, and it is a love of mine, but I just can't justify spending that much money on a mascara.

Having expressed my love of mascara-given mega lashes, I have a love/hate relationship with false lashes. I have used them before. Although I like the appearance that some lashes have given me, they irritate my contact lenses and make my eyes feel heavy. On other people, I love them and hate them. If I see a woman in public who is wearing ridiculous lashes doing day-to-day activities (and I mean like working, riding the subway with her daughter, NOT attending a special event), yes I do hate them.

A look without mascara would be missing something, in my opinion. But I don't think false lashes are as necessary - just a personal preference.

3. Winged Liner

LOVE LOVE LOVE winged liner! I would feel weird if I did a look with eyeliner that didn't have even the tiniest little bit of wing. It's cute, classy, polished, and just pretty to look at.

I am not an advocate for extreme Amy Winehouse winged liner. I think most people would have a hard time pulling that off.

I do love my ELF liquid liner. It's not perfect. But it's $1 and does what I need it to do. I also love the WetnWild Megalast liquid liner.

What else can I say? I think this world would be missing out on a  lot without winged liner in existence.

4. Rosy Cheeks

As I typed the words "rosy cheeks", a picture of some Renaissance painting displaying an attractive woman with rosy cheeks came to my mind. What does this tell us? Rosy cheeks are timeless. They have always been seen as attractive. I don't think it will ever go out of style.

What I love to give me just a little rosy glow are the Clinique Beyond Blusher in Peaches, NYX blush in Pinched, and Sleek blush in Rose Gold.

I think a rosy cheek just gives balance to the face and brings out the youthful appearance of the skin.

I can't think of any kind of sexy makeup look without the little glow on the cheeks of a rosy, if not coral  color added to the cheek area.

5. Pink Lips

I can just remember my first little tube of lipstick. It was a bright, frosty magenta. I loved it because it was almost exactly the same color that my 4 year old preschool teacher wore. Yes, I had an eye for makeup even back then. Since then, I have had my share of pink lipsticks in all different shades.

Just a little tidbit of knowledge for you makeup geeks out there - in my Theory of Knowledge course last year, we watched a documentary of the science behind beauty and the Golden Ratio. Lipstick was originally used to darken the lips to a rosy tone, similar to the tone it looks like during orgasm. But it was also used to give the appearance of the color of a certain monkey's anus. Now, don't quote me on this. I'm simply recounting what this BBC documentary said.

Pink lips are classic. I actually don't like nudes that much. The nude lip colors I do have and wear typically have a pink tint to them. I actually want to go in search of a similar color to what Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I adore the "my lips but better" kind of look. Having said that, I long to have a collection of beautiful YSL pink lipsticks some day when I have my hefty paycheck :)

For a pinky nude, I gravitate towards Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Ginger Rose or NYX Round Lipstick in Thalia. Other pinks include Clinique lipstick in Think Bronze and Raspberry Glacé and NYX Round Lipsticks in Paris and Louisiana.

6. Purple eyeshadow

Purple eyeshadow looks good on everyone. Whether it's bright, toned down, light, or dark, I think there is a purple eyeshadow for everyone. If someone is afraid of wearing color on their eyes, yet wants to branch out, purple is the color to try first.

Every time I wear my NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Purple, I get compliments. I do have a review of it here. It is the most gorgeous color. Also, if you want to see what purple eyeshadow does to brown eyes, mine pop like crazy in this look.

I also enjoy NYX eyeshadow in Purple - whether it's just the single eyeshadow or the shimmer pigment, they're basically the same color and universally flattering.

If you haven't tried purple eyeshadow before, do it. Redbook was spot on with including this as one of the best makeup ideas ever.

7. Red lips

If Redbook had left this off the list, I probably would have cried. One of my personal philosophies is that every woman should own at least one tube of red lipstick. I own probably ten different shades...

Red lips are classy, beautiful, simple, yet sophisticated. Anytime I want to look put together or just want to add a little oomph to a look and/or outfit, I will add some red lipstick.

There's a reason why lipstick sales, both drugstore and high end, go up during a recession. Women want to feel good. The feeling of putting on red lipstick and seeing how good it makes me look is one of life's best simple pleasures.

My go-to red lipsticks are Dior Rouge in Rouge Favori and NYX Round Lipstick in Electra OR Snow White.

This look says it all...

8. Smoky eyes

This is another one of those makeup looks where if Redbook had left this off the list, I would have cried. With very little experience, one can create a simple smoky look that can transform the face and overall appearance. A smoky is my go-to look. All you need is two colors and sufficient blending and you can create this.

Smoky eyes can be adapted for the day and school/work. Smoky eyes can be worn at night. Smoky eyes just make sense.

My favorite classic gray/black smoky is with the ELF quad in Drama. My favorite smoky that literally makes me look like a Kardashian is with the ELF quad in Day2Night. I would highly recommend these - review and swatches here.



If you've read to this point, congratulations. You must enjoy my writing skills.

I would love to hear your opinion. Feel free to debate me. Let me know what you think are the best makeup ideas ever.

Also, if you enjoy posts like these, let me know below in the comment section please! Or you can always tweet me @jessiefrancaise

Review: Stila Travel Palette - Striking in South Beach

Hey guys! I'm back for a review on one of the Stila Travel Palettes.
I had gotten one of these earlier last year and it was the Haute in the Hamptons palette. This one, Striking in South Beach, I got for Christmas last year from my mom and I'm just now getting around to review it.

So to start with the packaging, it has a hard cover and opens up like a book. On the inside there are four round shadows, a blush, a bronzer, a square mirror, and instructions on how to create a look.

Also, as you can see, every color is named. 

Now for some swatches and first impressions:

L-R: Ocean Drive, Wave, Cabana, Nightlife

These shadows seemed very promising as this is a higher end company and is known for great shadows. Ocean Drive and Cabana were both definitely lacking in pigmentation. I had to swipe them a few times to get the color in the picture. Wave and Nightlife were pretty pigmented, but still not as much as I was expecting. Nightlife was overall the best shadow from the palette, but honestly I can get a sparkly/shimmery black anywhere...

Another thing I should note is that Wave shows up on my eyelids splotchy. Whether I use a primer, pat it on, or sweep it across my lid, Wave will always be patchy and not smooth on easily at all. Major disappointment. 

What can I say... I have ELF $1 shadows that are better than these. They are hard to blend, powdery, and some are just not pigmented. I would expect better quality from Stila. 

Top color is Art Deco and bottom color is Sabe

Where the shadows were lacking in quality, the blush and bronzer picked up the slack. I really do like these. They're much better quality, smoother, and more pigmented. The one thing I don't like is that the "bronzer" seems much more like a blush to me...  

Sabe is more pigmented than Art Deco, but that is good because if the Art Deco were any more pigmented, it would make you look like a Barbie or a clown. 

I did my own look with this palette because I didn't like the look following the instructions it gave me. 

All the pictures are with flash (they didn't look good in the natural light without flash)

Look at how brown my eyes look! That's the one thing I really like about this shadow combination.

I applied (or at least TRIED...) Wave all over the lid. I used Cabana in both the inner and outer corners, and also in the crease. I used Nightlife in the very outer corner and used it to let my liner on both the upper and lower lash lines. I used a little bit of Cabana on the lower lash line. I used Ocean Drive as a highlight, although it is a little too dark to use as a really good highlight. 

Even though I think Sabe is a little too rosy to be called an actual bronzer, I used it as a contour and think it looked surprisingly nice that way. And then Art Deco I used on the apples of my cheeks and blended it into the Sabe.

Pros of this palette:

• Very affordable - under $20 for a high end palette
• Packaging is adorable
• Colors are coordinated, do the choosing for you
• Instructions provided for creating the look
• Colors are perfect for brown-eyed girls
• *Almost* complete look in one simple palette (just add a little mascara and foundation of your choice)

Cons:

• Eyeshadows are hard to work with, some are not pigmented enough
• Shadows can be powdery
• Bronzer is not really a bronzer, maybe a dark blush
• Made me look a little too over "done"

Overall, I might give this palette 6/10. I don't think it is available anymore, but Stila is coming out with more of the Travel palettes. I do recommend picking up at least one if you haven't tried them before. They're easy - they have everything there that you need to really complete a look and it even tells you how to do it! Also, they're really cute and pretty small so they don't take up too much room!

I have another Travel Palette that I like so much more than this one. I think this may have been a dud because from what I've read and from my own experience, these palettes are of great quality. 

Have you guys tried out any of the Stila Travel palettes? What do you think of them?

Recent Sephora Haul!

So I've been very very busy working hard and getting near perfect grades at school. I just finished up the first quarter of my senior year and have three out of four of my college applications submitted. For all of this, I decided I should treat myself. This is the first time I've actually bought myself from Sephora and it was a very exciting moment.I spent a little more than I should have, but I deserved it.

I had been eyeing some things from Lorac and Stila. I decided to get the Lorac Close Up: Real Life To Red Carpet Natural To Dramatic Face Tutorial, Lorac Ooh La La Lace Palette, and the Stila Travel Palette in Haute in the Hamptons. They just came in a few days ago. I've barely had the chance to use them, so once I have, I'll be writing some reviews. For right now, I just have some pictures and swatches.

In this palette you get a light off-white shade with a teeny-bit of shimmer called Sand, a shimmery gold shade called Linen, a dark gray-brown with shimmer called Route 27, and a shimmery true-blue shade called Blue Skies. There's also two blush shades. The bottom one is supposed to be a bronzer, I believe, but it's too pink to be a bronzer. The top one is just a hot pink called Hydrangea and the bottom is more of a coral, but still like a hot brightish pink with gold shimmer, called Montauk Highway. I'll do a review on this later.

The Lorac Ooh La Lace Palette :) This was the one I was most excited to get. It's got the sexiest packaging ever! I can't wait to review  this one.

Here are the shadows inside :) There's also a big mirror. Aren't these colors just so gorgeous!?!

This is the shadow trio inside the set that I got by Lorac. The color is called LORACStar.

These are just so pretty! It's the first time I'm trying out anything by Lorac and after swatching them and wearing them once, I can say they're simply amazing.

This is the blush that came in the set. It's in the color Soul. It looks kind of dull, but it's got just the right amount of sparkle and oomph to create the most beautiful glow.

Here it is again. I'm sorry for the poor picture quality :(

This is the mascara that came in the set. Lorac is really on target with their packaging. It's just so pretty!

This is the liquid liner the kit came with. I read the most amazing reviews before it came and I was so excited to try it. I'll leave the rest for my review ;)

The gloss from the kit. It's in the color Trendsetter. It's an absolutely gorgeous color.

The applicator is a brush rather than a sponge, which I LOVE.

Now time for the swatches...

The black line is the Lorac Front of the Line PRO liner. To the right of that are the colors from the Lorac shadow trio in LORACStar. And then right under the brown shadow is the Lorac blush in Soul.

This one is without flash.

Same swatches with flash

Here's the swatches from the Stila palette Haute in the Hamptons. The first two are the blushes. And then on the right side are  the four shadows.

This is with flash.

Same swatches without flash

And the lovely, sexy shadows from the Lorac Ooh La Lace palette. These are simply amazing. So smooth and pigmented. And of course these were meant to make a sexy bedroom eye look :)

This is without flash.

And with flash.

I also got samples, as is customary with any Sephora order. I got two perfume samples, some Clinique skincare samples. I got a free Buxom mascara sample with a code. And for reaching +100 Sephora points, I got a Laura Mercier mascara sample.

So here they are:

The brush looks amazing! I can't wait to try it out.

And the Laura Mercier. This is the Long Lash mascara.

I didn't read the best reviews on this, but I'll post my opinions when I try it out.

As I would expect with a lengthening mascara, the brush is very small and skinny.

So that's it from my Sephora haul. I'll be posting reviews soon.

My next post will be a look I do with the Ooh La Lace palette.

Feel free to post comments, any suggestions for looks to post, and follow me on Twitter @jessiefrancaise

NYX Swatches!!!

Hey guys!
So I just got my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday and I wish I could put on some makeup and post pictures of looks and all that jazz, but my face is sooo swollen!

Therefore, today, I swatched some of my new NYX goodies I got!
To start off, I'm sorry I just suck at taking pictures. Looking back at these pictures, I feel like a total noob. Whatever, I'll just blame it on the pain medication. I hope they're alright, if not, I can just do another round of swatches, no problem.

So here's the Runway Collection pallette in Champagne & Caviar. The colors don't have names.

That's the top row. The color payoff doesn't look amazing, but all of the colors are really light on the top row. Once I play around with this palette more, I'll do a review.

And there's the bottom row. The pigmentation looks much better on this row.

The other palette I got was the For Your Eyes Only Collection in Smokey Eyes

This is the top row. In comparison to the other palette, I think these shadows have a better pigmentation and color payoff, but in general, I love NYX shadows because of their rich pigmentation. These shadows were also REALLY silky while I was swatching them. Just so soft. BUT, I'll be doing a review later on.

And this is the bottom row. (Sorry for my ridiculously dark arm hair--I'm of Eastern European Jewish ethnicity, hence the dark hair). I love how gorgeous these colors are! The reason I got this palette is because of the color combinations and how many different smokey eyes I could create! The smokey is my favorite everyday go-to kind of look On a normal basis, I have a Kim Kardashian-esque look. 

Here are the blushes I bought. I've been wanting to try out the famous NYX blushes that Marlena raves about! I did not expect them to be THIS pigmented! It's amazing! These will last me forever! My mom has one in Pinched, which is the bottom one. She seems to love it, which is why I got my own. I read it's a dupe for Nars Orgasm? I don't know.. I've never owned Orgasm, but it's looks similar!

Another product that I've read a million good reviews about...

The MEGA SHINE LIPGLOSSES!

I've been wanting to try these forever. And now I got them. They smell like cherry medicine, which was gross at first, but I got used to it. It goes on smoothly and feels AMAZING! Like really, these lipglosses have changed my life. They don't feel sticky and aren't too liquidy. I can't wait to wear them more. I'll probably be getting more soon at Ulta. 

I also got some new lipsticks, but I will be including those swatches with a review on them and the lipglosses. Even though I already started raving about the lipglosses in this post.

Let me know what you guys think! And again, if the pictures suck, let me know, I'll redo them. 

Once I get more time to play with the palettes, definitely a review, and I'll post a million looks I made with them too! I'm so excited!