Smoky cat eye with ELF

Hey guys! I hope you all are having a great weekend! It's unbelievably hot here.

I hadn't used my ELF Drama in a while, and today I wanted to use it in a way I don't usually use it. Normally, I'll take the silvery color and use that as a wash all over the lid, use the gunmetal color in the crease, the black in the outer corner, and  the matte white as a highlight.

Well, here's the look I came up with. Mind you, I did take these pictures six hours after putting it on, and after being in the sweltering 90 degree heat. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Here's how to get the look:

• Do the usual foundation routine: primer (I used Monistat chafing gel), concealer (NYX Concealer in a Jar in Fair), foundation (Revlon Colorstay in Nude), powder (Palladio Rice Powder in Natural). Eventually I had to blot and set my face again using the ELF Mineral Booster in Sheer because it was so hot in my house that I kept sweating. 
• I primed my eyes with my Laura Mercier eyeshadow primer. While letting that dry, I filled in my brows with the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder. 
• Then I took my Wetnwild Coloricon black eyeliner pencil and drew a thick line along my top lash line, with a wing out. I took the black color in the ELF quad in Drama with an angled brush and just set the eyeliner. 
• Then, with a smaller detail brush, I took the charcoal/gunmetal color in the quad and blended out the edge of the liner. 
• Then I blended the light silver color into the crease area.
• I went back and darkened the lash line first with the gunmetal color and then with the black, redrawing the winged line. 
• I took the matte white shade and blended it right under my brow bone and in the inner corner of my eye. This is a great pigmented matte white color, by the way.
• Finally, I took the black eyeliner and lined my waterline and the outer third of my bottom lash line. I set this and blended it with the black shade. I blended the gunmetal shade into that and spread it out to the middle third of my lower lash line. I put the light silver shade in-between the gunmetal shade and the matte white.
• I contoured my cheekbones with the NYC Bronzer in Sunny. Then I used my ELF Essentials blush in Blushing. 
• I actually did my mascara and lipgloss in the car. I used my Revlon Grow Luscious mascara and NYX Megashine lipgloss in Salsa. 

I hope you guys liked it! This is something a little different from what I usually do. I got a lot of compliments on it while I was out and about today, so I guess that's a good sign.

Also, while I was out and about I couldn't help but buy these:

Bath & Body Works is having one of their huge semi-annual sales. All of these lip glosses were $3 each and they're normally $8. I saved $15!!! I love these glosses, but I would say that they are definitely not worth $8... So that's why I stock up on them in June and December! 

Do you guys use these glosses? What do you think about them?

Well I hope you're having an amazing and relaxing weekend! If you're in the US, I hope you're staying out of that heat! Find me back here soon for some more posts ;)

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 Round Lipstick & Megashine Lipgloss Review

By now, you must know I'm the biggest NYX fan! And by far, my favorite product has to be the Round Lipstick.

So, NYX Cosmetics describes this product on their website as: "NYX Round Lipstick is our classic lipstick for all-year round. The mineral-based emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated color and it resists wear and smudging. It’s your go-to lipstick. From Pure Nude to Pink Lyric to Chic Red, Round Lipstick is available in a jaw-dropping 144 shades."


It retails at $4 but I've gotten it on www.cherryculture.com and www.nonpareilboutique.com for $2 each. 


It comes in cute little packaging--a black plastic tube with the NYX logo on it and "Lip smacking fun colors" is also on the lid. And boy, is it true! How impressive, 144 different colors to choose from! The top of the lid has the name of the color printed on it, and the bottom gives you a clear little window to see what color the lipstick is.


These babies are just incredible. Words cannot describe how much I love them.

Pros:

• Longlasting. And I mean it. I can put it on in the morning, eat lunch, drink, eat some more throughout the course of the day, and it still looks good. My mom has even said how impressed she is with the lasting power (on me-she's never worn it).
• Pigmentation. All you need is one swipe and you have rich, vibrant color that again, will last you the whole entire day.
• Price. Hello! $4 for an amazing lipstick! (And I've gotten them for $2). What a steal for the amazing quality!
• Texture. These lipsticks are so creamy and glide on so easily. (One thing, though. I don't know if they've recently changed the formula, but when I was swatching some of the brand new shades they came out with this summer, they didn't glide on as easily. Nonetheless, those colors still went on perfectly fine.)

Cons:

• Staining. The lipsticks are so pigmented that they will stain your lips. It's never been a problem for me, really, since I usually commit to one color for the whole entire day. But there was one instance where I was wearing my favorite red and the collar of my shirt accidentally touched my lips and now I have a permanent red lipstick stain. Oh well, gives me an excuse to always wear red lipstick with that shirt.
• It's nonforgiving to those with chapped or dry lips. This is one of those where you need to moisturize and exfoliate before you put it on so your lips don't look all flaky and icky.

I could go on and on about these all day long. I love them. They make me look amazing, and REALLY pull together a look and make you look polished!

Let's go into the colors I have:

Without flash

And with flash

Six of these colors were from my most recent haul. That makes 10 in total. I think I might buy a couple more when I run my next Ulta errand. They gave me two coupons lately, so I'll be going soon :)

Lip du Jour is a very light, frosty pink. I didn't expect it to be this frosty, so I think I would definitely pair it with a gloss. It would go nice with a dark, matte smokey eye. 

Thalia is a beautiful rosy matte nude. It looks kinda brown in this picture, but it reminds me of my Clinique nude lipsticks (I have several!) and also my favorite Revlon nude lipstick (I forgot the name!) when I'm going for a gorgeous Kim Kardashian inspired dramatic smokey. This is probably going to become one of my new favorites. It's just such a gorgeous nude.

Paris! Oh là là, where do I start?! I originally bought it for the name, and because it was a pretty light pink. I love to wear this with a brown smokey, or any, for that matter. It's good for when you want to make a smokey a little more girly with a light Barbie pink, which is what it is essentially. It looks much brighter in person, but can be subdued with a little bit of gloss. (I felt so special wearing this color in Paris too!) Hands down, this is one of my favorite staples. Love it so much.

Louisiana is a gorgeous hot pink (moreso than in this picture). It's like something Katy Perry would wear. I bought it to wear for a pop of color, but I don't get much wear out of it, because it just makes my teeth look yellow. I really do want to wear this more often. It goes great with making a cat eye a little more modern--as opposed to wearing the classic red. 

Shiva and me--it was love at first sight. FYI: for the Jews out there, I'm pretty sure it was named after the Hindu god, not the Jewish period of mourning! (I was wondering, until I Googled the name. What a relief!). This is a bright shimmery fuschia. I've not worn it yet besides this swatch. I can't wait to play around and see what eye look it goes best with. Any suggestions?

I've been watching a lot of Keeping Up With the Kardashians lately. As you can tell, I'm a big fan. And what I've seen (and loved!) is Kourtney Kardashian wearing a red orange lip. As I was growing up, my bubbe (grandma) would always wear red orange lipstick and then get it all over her teeth and we would have to tell her. Crazy grandmothers. But I loved the way Kourtney wore it, so I decided I had to buy a lipstick like this. It is NYX Femme! It's just a matte red orange with a hint of coral. I can't wait to show you guys a look I do with this one.

I bought this color for its name. And it sure made me look chic! It's a true red with a hint of magenta. It reminds me of my Rouge Dior lipstick in Rouge Favori. Kind of like Crayola's red violet. I really love this color. I see it as a more modern take on the classic red lipstick.

This is just a true hot red. Perfect for any look you want with a red lip. Nothing more to really say about it.

This is another brand new one that I haven't worn except to swatch. It's like a true, pure red, but with a more brick-red hue to it. Just like Electra (they even look similar), it's good for any look that you want to pair a red lip with.

Snow White is one of NYX's best sellers. I bought it because I read a review that it was the classic kind of Hollywood red, which appealed to me. This has been my go-to red ever since I bought it. As you can tell, it's a much darker red. My math teacher told me it looks gothic--but it doesn't. I'm pale and have dark hair and eyes, so I guess I can pull it off. Next time I do a more old Hollywood glamour look, I'll post and show you. It's amazing!!! (This is also the one that stained my shirt). 

NOW, onto the lipglosses...

This is the first time I've bought the lipglosses, but it was love at first swipe. I am seriously in love with these. Everything about them is just so amazing. I really want to buy some more but I have so many lipglosses that I don't really want all the others to go to waste, but I'll probably buy more anyways.

So these glosses come in a tube, and there's a cute little plastic bow on the top of the lid, and it's just adorable. You also get a decent amount of product in the tube, compared to my Clinique and ELF glosses.

They retail for $5.50 but I got them for $3.75 each. Such a great deal.

I didn't think a lipgloss could be this good. I mean, come on, it's just lipgloss. But I heard so many good things about them out in the makeup community. So why not try. I bought them and one swipe was all I needed. When you first open it up, it smells strongly of children's cherry medicine, but it's not horrendous. I've gotten used to it. It goes on very smoothly. I love the applicator. It's a doe's foot applicator like most other lipglosses, but it's just a little longer, so it applies more evenly and more product to the lip at once. I don't know how else to explain it. It's very smooth. Like I said in a previous post, it's not too sticky, and not too liquidy. If there was ever a such thing as a perfect lipgloss, this would be it. It's pigmented, shiny, and makes my lips look phenomenal. As far as lasting power is concerned, it lasts a couple hours, but definitely fades with time. It will come off if you eat or drink, obviously.

This lipgloss changed my life and changed my perspective of lipglosses. 

I hope this helps anyone interested in getting some NYX lip products! These are two of my favorite makeup products of all times! I definitely look forward to buying more shades and updating some swatches!

Thanks so much for reading my blog! Don't forget to follow the blog, comment, or 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!