BornPrettyStore False Eyelashes #1107 Review + Naked 3 Palette Smokey Eye Tutorial

Hello, beauties! It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't been keeping up with my blog posts as much as I'd like to, but I have a few blog goodies that I look forward to sharing in the near future. For this blog post, I'd like to share a review of some lashes I've been sporting on my night outs and dates lately. BornPrettyStore was kind enough to send me a couple boxes of lashes for review purposes. For this post, I will be reviewing the False Eyelashes #1107 and saving the other box for a different entry.

I'm sure many of you have seen variations on these types of lashes at different retail stores. They appeal to many because of how affordable they are and at 10 pairs per box, that's quite the steal! Born Pretty Store sells a wide variety of these types of false lashes in so many different shapes and sizes. While I prefer to wear thick lashes when I'm going out, they also sell lighter and more natural selections. I had somewhat of a hard time trying to pick out which lashes to review, and some of them I already had myself from friends bringing them back to me from their Asia trips. However, the #1107 looked like the perfect combination of thickness and length.

The lashes arrived in a clear box in which I've removed the lid here. As I've stated before, they come in a box of 10 and each pair lasts quite a long time. In fact, I'm still on my first pair!

The shape of these lashes make a fine choice if you're looking for the rounded, doll-like eye look. Since the lash hairs are longest in the center, that emphasizes the center of the eye and gives it that little extra lift. And while they do look somewhat thick, I'd say these are more of the medium variety. These were a bit long for my eye and they were poking me a bit, so I had to cut them. However, this is no big deal, as  I have to do that with most lashes I end up buying anyways. So let's now break it down into the pros and cons. 

Pros

• Great shape for making the eyes look rounder
• Gives the eyes a little lift
• Affordable at $2.99
• 10 lashes per box--these will last you a long time before you ever run out
• Comfortable to wear 
• Durable and long-lasting 

Cons

• Lash band is a bit thick so you may have to bend it a few times to adjust the shape 
• May poke the inner or outer corners of the eyes if not cut properly 

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Naked 3 Palette Smokey Eye Tutorial 

I must admit, I haven't done a tutorial in a while and was a little wary of putting it up...hence, why it's taken me so long to update. But I've managed to muster up the courage (and patience) to whip up this Naked 3 Palette smokey eye tutorial. I've been reaching for the Naked 3 palette a lot more lately after figuring out which colors work best with my skin tone. Sad to say I don't use all of the colors, but this is one of my favorite looks to wear when I feel like adding a little romance to my eye makeup. The overall color theme for this particular palette is pink so you definitely need to keep it sweet and feminine. But first, let's start with the review!

Here is a full list of products that I'll be using in this tutorial: 

• Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer
• Makeup Forever Invisible Cover HD Foundation #120 
• MAC Select Moisturecover  Concealer NW120
• Anastasia Brow Wiz in "Ash Blonde"
• Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in "Caramel"
• Urban Decay Potion Primer
• Naked 3 Palette (In order of use: Nooner, Factory, Blackheart, Stranger, Dust) 
• Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner (Black) 
• Milani Liquif'ye (Brown)
• Mabelline Falsies Mascara in "Very Black"
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer 
• Candy Doll Blush in "Strawberry Pink"
• NYX Matte Lip Color in "Istanbul" 
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in "Dim Light"
• BornPrettyStore False Eyelashes #1107 

This is mainly going to be an eye makeup tutorial, as I'm sure most of you already know have your own foundation and face makeup routine. So before we get started on the eye makeup, please apply your primer, foundation and concealer.

1. Apply brow pencil to shape out your eye brows. As you can see, my lashes are quite light and sparse due to genetics and bleaching. Yes, I do bleach my brows every few weeks since I have blonde hair and it matches better to have light brows.

2. This step is optional, but you may go back and fill in your brows with a brow gel to brush the hairs into place. I also do this step to bring some warmth back in the otherwise ashy blonde brow pencil color.

3. With a medium eyeshadow brush, apply "Nooner" up to the orbital crease of your eye. This will deepen your sockets and serve as the main transition color.

4. Next, blend "Factory" a little past your eyelid but allow just a hint of "Nooner" to continue peeking out. Then blend the darkest color, "Blackheart", where your eyelid folds.

5. Use "Stranger" to highlight underneath your brow.

6. Apply liquid eyeliner to the top of your eyelid and line your waterline with dark brown eyeliner. You can also use black eyeliner but I find that dark brown goes on a lot softer and more natural. Take an angled eyeliner brush and apply a little bit of "Dust" to your inner corners.

7. Time to put on mascara! (Damn it, my friends were making me laugh here in this picture!)I love the Maybelline Falsies mascara because now they are a dual-ended product where you can apply mascara to both your top and bottom lashes. Of course, being a typical Asian and all, this doesn't make a huge difference so...

8. Add false eyelashes to complete the look. You'll want to go with something on the thicker side, as this is a smokey eye look and this works best with somewhat voluminous lashes. I will be giving more info on these lashes later on in this post.

And here is the complete look! I find this a very wearable look for those days I feel like dolling up a little more than usual. The eye makeup enhances the eyes without looking overdone and the pink colors in the Naked 3 palette work wonderfully for the upcoming spring and summer. 

And because this look is on the romantic side, I had to break out the pink blush and lips. Nude lips and subtle cheeks work fine for this look but I think that a pink flush is especially appropriate for a date night. What do you think of this color combination? 

Overall, I think every girl needs at least one box of these types of lashes I've used in this tutorial! They're inexpensive, reusable and are of great quality for their price. Although many other types of false lashes exist out there, these lashes are on par with many that I've used before. And I'm glad to say that these particular ones have definitely made it into my false lash rotation when I want my eyes to stand out in pictures. Check out BornPrettyStore's website for more choices in lashes, makeup, nail accessories and more. They have tons of makeup and fashion goodies for great prices, so shop till you drop! :)

For 10% off on your purchase, please visit their website and enter the promo code "TTH10" at check-out.

So what did you think of my Naked 3 palette makeup tutorial? The Naked 3 Palette is so versatile and I actually have a couple other regular looks I also do along with this particular one. I'm no makeup guru but I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I'll try to do more makeup tutorials in the future. ^^ Also, let me know in the comments below what you thought of the false lashes I reviewed. Have you used any of these kinds of boxed lashes? Are you a fan of them? What are your favorite go-to false lashes you've been loving lately? <3

With Love, Tiffany 

Naked 3 Palette Review and Swatches

As 2013 came to a close, Urban Decay released the much anticipated Naked 3 Palette, which in turn, led makeup addicts as myself to act like one of those crazed Black Friday shoppers who decides to line up at 7PM on a Thanksgiving night. As soon as fellow beauty blogger, Lisa, alerted me at 6 in the morning of its release, I raced to the computer and purchased my own right before work started. By around 11AM, the Naked 3 Palette had sold out.

Now I know it's been a while since its release and many of you who've been waiting for its release have probably gotten it by now. But for those of you who are on the fence over whether or not its worth the splurge, then hopefully, my post will aid you in your decision. Although I'm a pretty big fan of Urban Decay eyeshadows and I pretty much only use them nowadays, I had my initial doubts on whether this palette would look good on me. As you can see, this palette is very pink-based and I wasn't sure if it would match my skin tone. I'm a light-medium tone in the winter time and I felt that this palette would perform best with light skin. However, after much experimentation with the variety of colors, I'm happy to say that this palette will suit a wide variety of skin tones and shades and worth gifting to yourself. So read on for more details!

First and foremost, I just have to get this out of the way: the box that the Naked 3 Palette comes in is gorgeous! Rose gold has been all the rage nowadays and everyone has been obsessed with the color. And the packaging on the actual palette itself is just as beautiful. It's fashioned similarly to the Naked 2 Palette and comes in a metal case with a wavy texture. The box also includes 4 different samples of the famed Urban Decay potion primer, which I will get more into detail later. 

Another neat thing about the Naked palettes is how they always manage to include a makeup brush. This brush is dual-ended and includes one side of patting the eyeshadow and one side for blending. The quality of this brush is wonderful and definitely gives this palette its bang for its buck. I only really use the blending brush end and it's pretty much replaced all of my other blending brushes. The blending side is more dense than other brushes I've seen, making it easier and faster to blend all of your colors together.

And here are the samples of the primer potions. I've never actually gotten the chance to try these yet but I am looking forward to trying out Sin the most. Here are the descriptions: 

Original - This undercover wonder works invisibly to keep color in place. 

Eden - This nude matte formula preps lips, and prevents shadow meltdown. 

Sin - Just a dab of this shimmering formula prevents fading and creasing.

Anti-Aging - Makes shadow last and in an 8-week clinical study: 

• 100% of participants had a measurable improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• 100% had measurably brighter skin. 
• 97% had a measurable improvement in radiance and clarity. 

And now without further ado, let's take a look at the eyeshadows, which I'm sure you're most interested in reading about anyways! To avoid any confusion, I should preface this by explaining that I will start with the pictures of the eyeshadows, followed by its official description and my own personal opinion, and finally the swatches of the eyeshadows. 

Strange (a pale neutral pink matte-satin) - This color performs very well in flattering most eyeshadow looks in this palette and works best as a highlighter. The texture is quite buttery and I appreciate how its matte, so that it does not compete against the many other shimmery colors in this palette. 

Dust (pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter) - I've heard mixed reviews about this color but I'm really digging it. The micro-glitter in this eyeshadow makes fallout nearly unavoidable. I would avoid packing this one on on my eyelid but I find that this looks beautiful when worn in the inner corners. 

Burnout (light pinky peach satin) - This one is still relatively light compared to the other shadows in the palette. It has great pigmentation with no fallout at all. If you're looking for a light wash of pink on the eyelid, this would be your best bet over Dust. 

Limit (light dusty rose matte) - This shade is great for everyday makeup and actually shows up a little more mauve than pink when blended out onto the eyelid. It's great for blending and works great for deepening the eye crease. 

Buzz (metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter) - A soft pinky color, Buzz pretty much looks like how it does in the pan and blends out buttery smooth. I find myself picking this color up when I feel like doing a soft, feminine look. It blends out to a nice, soft medium pink. 

Trick (light metallic pinky copper shimmer with tonal mid-sparkle) - Initially, Trick looked quite coppery and even similar to the shade Chopper from the Naked Palette 2. I didn't find myself using this much at first but was pleasantly surprised to find that this color comes out more as a soft rose gold. There is a bit of an orange tint, but it nicely complements most colors in this palette. To add dimension, I recommend blending a small amount of this color onto the eye close to the inner corner. 

Nooner (medium pink-brown matte) - One of my absolute favorite matte colors to use out of all the Naked series, Nooner works well as an all-over shade up until the brow bone. It's a great transitional color for smokey eyes and comes out darker than Limit. I find myself reaching for this shade the most. 

Liar (medium metallic mauve shimmer) - Great for a medium smokey eye, this shade is warm and bronze-y with a pinkish tint. This is probably one of the more versatile shades in the palette, as this looks great blended with all of the last four shades. 

Factory (pinky-brown satin) - Now I know Factory and Mugshot look pretty different next to each other, but I use the two pretty equally interchangeably. Factory is a lot warmer than Mugshot and looks bright and shimmery when blended out. 

Mugshot (metallic taupe shimmer with a slight pink shift) - Do not underestimate the pigmentation of this particular shade because a little bit goes a long way! This looks more like a light taupe but when blended out, it's actually capable of standing on its own if you feel like going for a cool-toned eye look. 

Darkside (deep taupe-mauve satin) - This is definitely one of the more fascinating colors in the Naked 3 palette. I've never spotted this shade anywhere else before and I want to say it's dark purple-toned taupe. This would obviously work well for smokey eyes but you'll have to pack it on and then blend it out to get full color payoff. 

Blackheart (smokey black matte with rosy red micro-sparkle) - Love, love, LOVE this color! As the Naked Palette 3's darkest shade, I was skeptical about this color because I wasn't sure how well it would complement the other colors. Let me just tell you, this shade is hot! It's definitely smokey but it's not even close to the darkest black eyeshadow I own. But is it amazing? All signs point to yes, and this is perfect for creating those alluring dark smokey eyes for a night on the town. And plus, who doesn't love to glitter a little? 

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

I have to admit, my expectations were blown away by this palette and as I continue to experiment with different colors and looks, I find myself appreciating this palette more and more. A solid purchase, I would definitely say that this palette is worth the steal even if you do own any of the other Naked palettes. The Naked 3 Palette is very pink-based and I can see how some people may be put off by that factor. But it's definitely the most different from the last two palettes and will probably look a lot better on you than you think. Is it a must-have? Well, I suppose that's debatable. But it's definitely one of the my most-used palettes at the moment and probably will be for a long time...until the Naked 4 Palette comes out. Then we'll have a problem. Just kidding. Not really. 

So what did you think of the Naked 3 Palette? Did you grab yours yet or are you planning to get it in the future? Do you think that this palette is worth the price hike? And do you own any of the other Naked palettes? Urban Decay lovers and newbies, let me know what you think in the comments below! 

With Love, Tiffany 

Geo Princess Mimi Starmish Brown Circle Lens Review

Why, hello, my lovelies! Surprised to see me? I have finally come out from hibernation at last! I know it's been a really LONG time since I've updated, and it does feel a little strange to be typing this right now. I do apologize for disappearing, but around the time of July, I started a new job and was quite busy trying to get the hang of everything. And it got difficult to get back on track with blogging, especially since I had been doing a lot of social media and blogging for my new company. But recently, I've decided that I wanted to get back into the blogosphere and blog when I do have the time. ^^

I was recently contacted by Maplelens.com who were kind enough to sponsor me for review purposes. Before I get started on my review, I just have to applaud them for their super speedy shipping times. From the time I chose my lenses to when I actually received them was about less than a week. And please note that they're shipping from Malaysia as well, and since I'm based in the US, this was probably the fastest I've ever received lenses from anywhere. They offer free shipping for orders over $50, and $10 for shipping to the US with a time frame of 3-5 days.

When it comes to circle lens, I have a tendency to stay on the conservative side and I don't really wear other colors besides brown or green. I know the whole MLBB (my-lips-but-better) schtick has been making its rounds in the beauty community. Well, I'm definitely more of a MEBB (my-eyes-but-better) kind of circle lenses girl. The Geo Starmish Brown lenses was a perfect combination of sexy and natural, without coming off too costume-like.

Product Information

Brand: Geo Medical

Origin: Korea 

Diameter: 14.5 mm

Base Curve: 8.6 mm

Water Content: 38%

Life Span: 1 year disposable 

I was pleasantly surprised to find the lenses wrapped neatly inside a cute heart shaped box. Other places I have ordered from usually just send the lenses wrapped with many layers of bubble wrap. Like many other circle lens stores, they were kind enough to include an adorable animal contact lens case. 

Upon taking out the lenses, I was a little intimidated by how light they looked. I had never worn any brown lenses besides the normal dark-brown, natural-looking ones, but I was definitely excited to try these, since I've heard nothing but good things. 

Low Light 

Daylight 

However, after putting them on, I was definitely blown away by how beautiful they looked. When it comes to sporting lenses like these, you really do get the best of both worlds. Natural yet vibrant, the Geo Starmish Brown lenses are for people who want something that will stand out but still look subtle enough to complement a look, not overtake it. The pattern is simply gorgeous with a blend of brown, orange and gold and blends well with darker colored eyes. And of course, the outer black rim, which is characteristic of the Geo Princess Mimi lenses, do an excellent job of enlarging and enhancing the color. 

While these lenses do fall into the "Brown" lenses category, I have to say, they are not your typical natural-looking brown lenses that you would use for subtle enhancement. Most people would definitely be able to tell you're wearing colored circle lenses but not in an overly fake way. The best way to describe the color would be along the lines of a gorgeous amber. While I in no way endorse the Twilight Books, I felt a bit vampy with these on and was definitely reminded of their golden eyes. 

Natural makeup - Done with the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

What I really love about these lenses is how versatile they are. You can wear them with natural looking makeup like I have done here or you can go for a more dark and smokey look. Either way, the color of the lenses really makes the eyes 'pop' while adding just a hint of sexiness. I have to admit, my boyfriend could not stop raving about how much he loved these and my guy friends complimented them. The sparkling, vivid honey color will complement a wide range of styles and look great for those of you who want to sport the gyaru look or Japanese-style makeup. 

Comfort-wise, these are pretty comfortable, but my eyes did start to feel a little tired after about five hours. However, I have found that they don't feel much different from the other 14.5mm lenses I've tried. They felt exactly like most of the other colored varieties in the Geo Princess Mimi series. 

Pros

• Gorgeous amber or honey-brown colored lenses, depending on the lighting 
• Vivid color payoff without looking overly fake 
• Beautiful blend of different colors
• Great enhancement at 14.5mm (which in my opinion is the magic number for circle lenses)
• Versatile and great for both minimal or heavy makeup
• Looks natural enough to blend with brown eyes 
• The ideal lenses for Japanese or gyaru makeup

Cons 

• Can feel a bit drying after 5 hours 

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

At $20.90,  I definitely feel like these circle lenses are worth owning. For those of you who like natural lens with a hint of dolly cuteness, you will definitely like these. A lot of brown lenses that don't fall into the darker category, have a tendency to look unnatural, but these are the perfect in-between that you can wear if you want your eyes to stand out without looking too obvious. Will I be purchasing these lenses when it's time for a new pair? In a heartbeat!  

So what did you think of the Geo Starmish Brown circle lenses? Do you own a pair yourself? What are your thoughts upon them? Are these a pair that you would be interested in wearing? And are there any other brown circle lenses that you'd recommend? Let me know in the comments below!

With Love, Tiffany