The good, the bad, and the worst...

It's been a while since I've last posted, and for those who have read my hiatus post, you know why. So let's start off with the good news.

My laptop is finally working again. It's still working pretty crappy, but it at least turns on and functions to an extent.

Now for the bad news: EVERYTHING has been wiped off of it. All of my swatch photos and EVERYTHINGGGGGG!! So I'll have to re-film the tutorials I had set up (which I never even got the chance to post ONE), re-swatch some of my items, etc. It'll take a hell of a long time, but I'mm get it done. I promise.

However...

Today, I really don't want to think about the swatches and reviews.

I lost a very good friend today, which is what brings me to the worst news...
One of my dogs had to be put down today, and to be honest, I have no idea as to how to handle it... My beloved yellow lab, Cody, was diagnosed with lymphoma a few weeks ago, which was heartbreaking. He was already a survivor of cancer a while back, so to know he was going through it all over again was unbearable. Because of his age, we didn't want to have to put him through radiation all over again, since the previous time he went through it, it was 3 months of misery for him. We wanted him to live out the rest of his life in as much comfort as humanly possible.

The vet told us he had anywhere between 2-6 months left to live, but... he barely made it past 2 weeks... The cancer spread much more rapidly than we thought it would, and resulted in him being hospitalized... He wasn't responding well to his treatment, and began to both swell up and look skeletal (if that is at all possible). My mom and I knew at that moment, we'd have to put him out of his misery...

I can't even express to you how... hard it is to have to put down one of your best friends. Only other animal lovers who have gone through the same thing could understand what it's like. Mom and I stayed by him side to the very end, just like he'd always been for us... and... It was all just so fast... I swear to god, it was like he simply fell asleep...

The moment his heart stopped, so did mine. All I could think about was how well he was doing a week ago; so full of life and emotion, and then to see him lay lifeless... It takes a toll on your heart.

I know there will never be another dog like Cody... He will forever have a place in my heart.

Being home feels so quiet now... While I may have 2 other dogs and 2 cats, Cody was the life of this house. And honestly, his death almost seems like a dream. I don't want to believe he's dead. I can still see him running in the front yard, or rolling across the carpet with the legit smile he always had when he was happy.

If God actually exists, and there's such thing as a Heaven, Cody deserves the highest spot there.

To my very best friend, I love you with all of my heart and miss you more than words can ever express. Your body may have died, but your spirit remains here in this house, as well as in our hearts.

R.I.P. Cody <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Explanation for my hiatus

Sorry guys!! No reviews or swatches today...

The reason being-- MY COMPUTER CRAPPED OUT ON ME!!!!

This is also why I haven't been able to post any new reviews, swatches, or even my tutorials over the past few weeks :(
All of the photos and videos I had taken were uploaded to my computer, ready to go, and suddenly the whole computer decided it didn't eve wanna turn on...

I'm having it looked at for the time being, so until then, I won't be able to do much. I'm hoping that my entire hard drive isn't wiped out, cuz then I'll be PISSED that I'd have to start at ground 1...

So until then, please sit tight. I promise I haven disappeared off the face of the planet.

X~PhantomRose~X

Review and swatches: L'oreal Infallible 6 New Summer Colors

Forgive my slight hiatus recently!! >_<

Work has been absolutely out of control over the past few weeks, and with a convention coming up, I've been scrambling out of my mind to get ready for it.

Then of course my birthday is exactly 1 week away, so I'm totally mindblown.

Fret not though. I've gotten quite a few products to do reviews on and such. So this blog should be getting a few updates.

This product is something that I rave about rather often, and since new shades have some out, I HAD to share it with you all.

L'oreal Infallible eye shadows have 6 brand new shades that came out recently, and they are absolutely GORGEOUS.

If I'm not mistaken, these shades are permanent. If not, I'll be sure to give you guys a heads up.

So let's get into the shades~

______________

*Liquid Diamond

Liquid Diamond is a silvery lilac grey shade. I'm in love with this one since it brings life to my near-black eyes. It's very unique, in the sense that I haven't seen many colors like it (if any).

It initially swatches a little sheer, but it's also buildable, which is perfect since some looks can be made less or more intense whenever you like. Applied wet, it's alot more metaillic. So it's definitely a fun shade to play with.

Liquid Diamond packaging

Liquid Diamond [Natural light]

Liquid Diamond [with flash]

Liquid Diamond swatch [natural light]

Liquid Diamond swatch [with flash]

______________________________

*Glistening Garnet

 Glistening Garnet is a shimmery berry-pink. I'm not too sure about how I feel about this one yet, simply since... well, pink is a hard color in general to work with. However, that being said, it's still pretty. Paired with a soft brown and some gold, it might make some pretty looks for the summer ^_^

Glistening Garnet packaging

Glistening Garnet [natural lighting]

Glistening Garnet [with flash]

Glistening Garnet [natural light]

Glistening Garnet [with flash]

_____________________________

*Endless Sea

Endless Sea is an aqua turquoise. This color is probably my favorite of this bunch. It's so bright and shimmery. In a sense, it reminds me of the Carribean waters. :D

In comparison to L'oreal Infallible Infinite Sky, Endless Sea is darker. Inifinite Sky is much paler and almost silvery while this Endless Sea is more Blue-Green.  

Endless Sea packaging

Endless Sea [natural light]

Endless Sea [with flash]

Endless Sea swatch [natural light]

Endless Sea [with flash]

____________________________

*Golden Emerald

 Golden Emerald is a kelly green with tons of golden shimmer/glitter. It's an absolutely GORGEOUS color. In comparison to Golden Sage, Golden Emerald is darker, and the gold glitter is much more apparent. I'm actually kind of excited to use this color when autumn rolls around. ^ ^

Golden Emerald packaging

Golden Emerald [natural lighting]

Golden Emerald [with flash]

Golden Emerald swatch [natural light]

Golden Emerald swatch [with flash]

______________________________
*Bottomless Java
Bottomless Java is a deep 'coffee' brown with bronze shimmer. I actually think this color would be gorgeous for a twist on the smokey eye. With a bit of champange or gold eye shadow~ HNGGG~! <3

Bottomless Java packaging

Bottomless Java [natural light]

Bottomless Java [with flash]

Bottomless Java swatch [natural light]

Bottomless Java swatch [with flash]

_________________________________
*Smoldering Plum
Smoldering Plum is a blackened plum with intense shimmer. This is another color that I think would be perfect for a smokey eye. The color seems a bit flat in the container, and even in these swatches. However, in the sun, it has impressive shimmer~ :3
Its just kinda one of those things you need to see for yourself in person :D

Smoldering Plum packaging

Smoldering Plum [natural light]

Smoldering Plum [with flash]

Smoldering Plum [natural light]

Smoldering Plum [with flash]

_______________________________

My verdict: As always, I LOVE L'oreal Infallible eye shadows. These are no exception. They are equially as lovely as the original 12. I'm hoping these are permanent shades. If not, as I said, I'll let you guys know. ^_^

I'm hoping to get a few more of my reviews up this week. It's just going to be so hecktic, since I work everyday until the con, which I'll be attending for all 3 days, only to go back to work after x__x

God help me LOL

I know I keep promising my tutorials as well. I SWEAR they're coming. OTL

It'll just take a bit longer than I meant for it to.

'til next time~

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

SugarPill Heart Breaker Palette: Review and Swatches

So sorry I've been gone for a couple weeks. I've had so much crap going on recently that I had to take care of. x__x
In the meantime, however, I've gotten my hands on a few new products and tested them for better reviews. This post will be for one of them, and without a doubt my favorite.

The Heart Breaker Palette by SugarPill!!!

Heart Breaker Palette outer box

OH
MY
GOD!!

This palette is absolutely... aifjknadifjoknudviroghnjkfd <-- That's how excited I am over it LOL
I've heard about SugarPill quite a bit over the past year, if not more, and figured I'd finally give it a shot. Now I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing it a little bit sooner. ><

So let's get into it.

Heart Breaker Palette packaging

This palette includes 4 full sized SugarPill eye shadows, retailing for $34. It's a good deal, considering if you bought the colors separately (yes, you can get each color by themselves ^_^), they're $12 each. So it's almost like buy 3 get 1 free.

Back of the packaging

The four colors included (as shown above) are as follows:

- Acidberry: vibrant lime green, matte with a slight sheen

- Velocity: vibrant matte royal blue

- 2am: matte purple with a slight sheen

- Mochi: matte mint seafoam green with a slight sheen

Heart Breaker Palette: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(Natural Light)



Heart Breaker Palette: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(with flash)

All of these colors are EXTREMELY vibrant. Like, I can't even explain. I think my favorite of the bunch is Mochi, which I hear being mispronounced all the time xD

Mochi is not pronounced like Mo-ki... It's Mo-chee (like the chee- in cheese). It's a japanese sweet made of rice flour :D

But yeah. The seafoam green is SUPER cute. I can see myself using it for all sorts of looks this summer ^u^

The other colors are also very pretty. The one thing I can say is Velocity is a slight bit powdery, so you'd have to be a bit more careful when applying it. Otherwise, it's as vibrant as the rest.

They go on very smoothly, and are very true to color from what's in the pan.

Swatches: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(Natural Light)

Swatches: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(with flash)

Verdict: This palette is AMAZING!!!!! 5/5

It certainly made me want to get the other palettes, which are sold out at the moment, but hopefully they'll be restocked soon. Otherwise, I'll get the colors one by one. I -do- have one of the pressed eye shadows, and two of the loose pigments. I'll be reviewing those soon as well. ^u^

How about you guys?

Have you bought this awesome palette? And if so, what are your thoughts?

'til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomeRose~x 



L'oreal H.I.P review and swatches Part 1; vacation

Whew~

Back from a much needed vacation with some friends on Marco Island, and it was absolutely AMAZING~!!

Crystal blue ocean, white  powdery sand, gorgeous hotel, pool deck on the beach, etc. We felt like we were in heaven!!

While we were there, we celebrated one of my friends' birthday, and I had the honor of doing everyone's makeup, most of which consisted of the L'oreal H.I.P eye shadow duos. That's what inspired me to do a post on my collection of them.

Granted, I don't have every single color... yet...

But I do have about half of them, give or take. Hence why I've also labeled this post as a part 1. I intend on getting the rest little by little to do swatches and reviews on.

As I'm sure I have mentioned before, L'oreal is one of my most favorite drugstore brands, if not the best. The H.I.P eye shadow duos are no exception. These are fantastic.

Some of the finishes are better than others, but I'll get more in depth with that later.

First, let's go through the colors I have so far.

Top row: Devious, Adventurous, Mischief, Shocked, Platinum, Gilded, Electrified

Middle row: Sassy, Roaring, Forgiving, Energized, Gunmetal, Charming, Romantic

Bottom row: Charisma, Flashy, Poppy, Charged, Perky, Sculpted, Cheeky

I'll go through each of the colors by row. I've swatched the duos together, each duo separated by a stroke of eyeliner to make it easy to follow. The descriptions will follow as

*(Name): [formula] Left/Right

TOP ROW

*Devious: [Concentrated] Army green with gold shimmer/golden brown

*Adventurous: [Bright] Satin beige/Satin bright pink

*Mischief: [Concentrated] Frosty champange nude/matte blackish-navy with a teal undertone

*Shocked: [Metallic] Butter-yellow gold/sage green

*Platinum: [Metallic] True metal silver/black with silver glitter

*Gilded: [Metallic] Rich true gold/Very deep green-undertoned brown with gold glitter 

*Electrified: [Metallic] Silvery taupe/Deep plum

Swatch: Devious, Adventurous, Mischief, Shocked, Platinum, Gilded, Electrified

(Natural Light)

(with flash)

As you can see, these are all very pigmented. Especially the metallics. The metallics in particular are extremely buttery and smooth. The silver in the Platinum duo is perhaps one of my most favorite silvers of all time, probably on par with my Too Faced one, 'In a Flash' (in the Smokey Eye palette). I also use the Electrified duo rather often, and I have to say it's one of my favorites out of the entire H.I.P line. That aside, all of the others from this row are gorgeous, and can work for many different looks whether you mix or match :D

MIDDLE ROW

*Sassy: [Concentrated] Frosty milk-chocolate brown/blackened teal

*Roaring: [Bright] matte brown/matte cobalt blue

*Forgiving: [Concentrated] Dark brown shimmer/turquoise shimmer

*Energized: [Metallic] Soft pale gold/bronzey brown

*Gunmetal: [Metallic] Khaki green/Deep forest green with green glitter

*Charming: [Crystal] Silvery lilac/Blue-toned purple

*Romantic: [Crystal] Silvery grey/pale pink

Swatch: Sassy, Roaring, Forgiving, Energized, Gunmetal, Charming, Romantic

(Natural light)

(with flash)

The first 3 in this row (Sassy, Roaring, and Forgiving) are slightly similar as far as the color family goes, but as you can see they are quite different. They each have different finishes and tones. Energized, while being metallic, has gorgeous neutral shades that are perfect for everyday wear.

Gunmetal can be a tad bit misleading. Don't get me wrong, the duo is beautiful. However, when I see the name 'Gunmetal', I picture... well... gunmetal colors. LOL Such as pewter silver or something of the like. This duo instead is more of an Army Camo sort of thing.

Now, for the crystals... yeesh...

In the packaging, they look a hell of a lot prettier than they do when you put them on. It took me quite a few swipes for it to show up on my skin. Not only that, but the shadow crumbles and clumps and does all sorts of weird crap when you try to apply it. And the fallout is CRAZY. They are pretty colors once you build them up correctly, but it's a hassle trying to get it there. Charming is certainly more pigmented than Romantic. The Crystal formula is without a doubt my least favorite. However, I know I'm probably going to get the rest of them despite the fact that I'm sure they'll be equally as difficult.

BOTTOM ROW

*Charisma: [Concentrated] Dusty rose-lavender/Reddish plum

*Flashy: [Bright] Bone cream-beige/Greenish teal

*Poppy: [Matte] Deep yellow/deep chocolate

*Charged: [Metallic] Bronzey orange-gold/reddish copper

*Perky: [Matte] Neon 'acid' green/almost-black navy 

*Sculpted: [Metallic] Dark rosey pink/dark plum with pink glitter

*Cheeky: [Concentrated] dark red-magenta/deep burgandy purple

Swatch: Charisma, Flashy, Poppy, Charged, Perky, Sculpted, Cheeky

(Natural light)

(with flash)

Out of this bunch, Sculpted and Cheeky look the most similar in the packaging, but once again you can see how different they really are. Perky is perhaps another one of my favorites. It's so bright and obnoxious. I love it xD

Actually, the Perky duo was used in one of my most recent looks inspired by the Hulk from the Avengers!! So, my first tutorial theme has just been revealed :D I'll be doing looks based on the characters. I'm working on editting the videos and photos so I can have them up asap. I just couldn't help it after seeing the movie during my trip.

That aside, as you can see, all of the other duos are very pigmented. The bone-beige side of Flashy may not look like it is, but I just think it's because I'm so insanely pale x__x Trust me when I say it has good pigmentation on other skintones.

-----------------------------------

My verdict: While it's not like these H.I.P duos are new or anything, they are still proof as to why I love L'oreal so much. These are fantastic, with the unfortunate exception of the Crystal ones (at least in my opinion). I'll be sure to post more reviews on them when I get some more of the duos.

Now that that's over with, I figured I'd share a couple of photos from my vacation :D

Simply cuz I can >u>

Marco Island was beautiful. Probably more-so cuz it was on the Gulf coast vs the Atlantic. I mean, the beach and ocean difference is like night and day. It was a little bit cloudy when we first got there, but the rest of the time, it was clear blue skies.

Close to sunset

I couldn't help but take in how pretty it all was.

One of my bffl's chillin' in the sand. Oh "Feesh" <3 lol

Sasha checking the water. We couldn't get over how WARM it was :D

Sasha and Gaby

The boyz (a little inside joke xD)

The hotel we stayed in was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed on the 8th floor, which gave us a perfect view of the ocean from our balcony, where we enjoyed breakfast and stuff. We also ate at this restaurant called Di Vinci's for Gaby's birthday. It was interesting cuz although it was an italian restaurant, they also had Japanese food. LOL So we pigged out on pasta, salmon, salads, and edamame~

As I mentioned, we also went to see The Avengers while we were there, it was the first time for Sasha and I, 4th for Gaby LOL. The theater was interesting cuz... well, I was hungry when we got there, so I figured I'd get a hotdog or somthing. Then I realized they didn't have any food displayed. When I asked, they handed us a full menu; IT WAS A DINE-IN THEATER!! We were so stoked! I had what must have been the BEST chicken fingers ever to exist with curly fries. SO AMAZING~!

On the way home, we stopped in Sarasota and went to the Aquarium they had, which was super fun. We went nuts over the adorable seahorses and this badass octopus that responded to us. We also did a bit of shopping in the area before driving home.

I have to admit, I'm still in that state of mind that can't believe the trip is already over. I had never been away with friends before, and I hope to do it again soon.

Well, that's all for now.

So 'til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x