Swatches - Cargo Products!

Recently, I took notice of the Cargo brand at the Sephora in my local mall's JC Penney. A few products specifically caught my eye and seemed to be an excellent price for the amount and quality of the product. After discussing it on Facebook, it was brought to my attention that the brand is being phased out of the stores and as such is greatly discounted! I went back as soon as I could to get the products I wanted just in case they ran out quickly.

The products! (Without flash)

Blush in Key Largo. It's a similar shade - although not an exact dupe - to the Make Up For Ever eyeshadow/blush in  #99 which I think is gorgeous. I think I'll probably use this as blush and eyeshadow! I love this color.

Eyeshadow quad in Tahiti. I love these colors so much!! The shades are similar to a lot of colors I have since they're often favorites, but these seemed so wonderfully pigmented and they're all together in this nice palette. 

I can't wait to try these products out! Have you used them or anything else from the brand? I'd love to hear about it!

Face of the Day

Products:

Urban Decay De Slick spray
Revlon Colorstay foundation
Milani HD Advanced concealer
NYX Cream Blush - Hot Pink
ELF Translucent mattifying powder
Prestige Brow Perfection pencil - Light/Medium
Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara
NYX HD eyeshadow primer
NYX Jumbo eye pencil - Cucumber
Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette - Pride
Milani Liquif'eye twist up eyeliner - blue
Maybelline XXL Pro Extensions (step 2 only)
ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - Pink Lemonade

L'Oreal Quad: Swatches and Face of the Day

I've picked this particular eyeshadow quad from L'Oreal up many times and always ended up putting it back, until this week when I saw it was on clearance at Target and I finally gave in! 

It's the Studio Secrets Professional Color Smokes eyeshadow quad in Forest Smokes, and it's intended for green eyes (although honestly these colors would be gorgeous regardless of your eye color!)

As always, these are swatched using sponge-tip applicators over NYX white eyeshadow base.
I swatched these in numerical order.

I used them today and I'm happy with it! It seems to be one of the rare eyeshadow sets that doesn't necessarily require other shades to make a look. I used shade 2 all over the lids, blending up towards the brow with shade 3. I used shade 1 in the outer corner and alone on the bottom lashline. I lined my upper lashline first with a brown liner and then went over it with shade 1, although it turns out the green was dark enough that using the brown first was unnecessary. Shade 4 I used in the inner corners.

Other products used in this look:

Urban Decay De Slick spray
Revlon Colorstay foundation
Maybelline Superstay concealer
Jordana powder blush - Redwood
ELF Translucent Mattifying Powder
Prestige Brow Perfection Pencil - Light/Medium
Maybelline Great Lash - clear
MAC Paint Pot - Painterly
Revlon Grow Luscious eyeliner- Espresso
Maybelline The Colossal mascara
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Rendezvous

Red, White, and Blue Nail Polishes

Before I get into the manicure I did this year, I chose my favorite red and blue nail polishes that could be used for a red,white,and blue manicure. I don't have all of my polishes with me currently, so there are probably others I could have included, but these are really my favorites - that's why they're with me, after all!

L-R: China Glaze - Red Pearl, Revlon - Frankly Scarlet, China Glaze - Poinsettia

L-R: China Glaze - Frostbite, OPI - Swimsuit...Nailed it!, China Glaze - Dorothy Who?,
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Pacific Blue

I didn't take a photo of it since I was sure you all have an idea of what a basic white cream nail polish looks like, but my favorite white is by far Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Whirlwind White. It goes on really opaquely in one or two coats, which makes it a lot nicer than sheerer or streakier whites, especially if you're using it as a base color and don't want to have a lot of drying time.

Of course, crackle or shatter polishes make really easy multi-colored manicures! I know there are red and blue ones available, I just don't have any of them. I do have white, though - and it's one of the polishes I used for my 4th of July themed manicure this year! I used China Glaze in Poinsettia for the red and Dorothy Who? for the blue glitter. The crackle polish I used was Sephora by OPI in White Blasted. I picked it up on clearance within the past few months. I also have the white crackle from China Glaze, which works too!

If you want to see another 4th of July themed manicure, the one I did last year is here! I used all China Glaze products - including the white crackle polish I mentioned.

Do you like doing themed manicures for holidays? I know I do - whether or not the holiday is something I really get into celebrating, it's hard to resist doing my nails for them!