5 Smaller Brands I'm Always Drawn To!

Hey guys! For today's blog post, I thought that I would share with you five brands that I am always drawn to - whether it is their brand aesthetic, packaging, innovation, or just their products in general. I never really hear much about these brands in the beauty community, and I would love to try them out some day!

Photo Credit: Bombshell Cosmetica

1. Bombshell Cosmetica
I mean HONESTLY, just LOOK AT THAT PACKAGING! Their items are absolutely adorable. Not only that, but the products themselves look so beautiful! The eyeshadow palettes are bright and colorful, which is definitely my vibe, and everything seems so promising. The makeup collector in me is screaming at myself for not having this in my possession right now. [pssst, I just placed an order! Eeek, I'm so excited!]

Photo Credit:Mavie Cosmetics

2. Mavie Cosmetics

Mavie Cosmetics are a fairly new brand to the scene, but man have they made an impact on me! Their "Take Me To.." eyeshadow palettes [shown above] are so beautiful, inside and out. They launched their brand with a TON of products - eyeshadow palettes, blushes, lipsticks - and I truly applaud them for taking that leap. Most brands that you see typically launch one or two products to start - I love how unique they have been from the start.

Photo Credit: Menagerie Cosmetics

3. Menagerie Cosmetics
First things first - they are based out of Washington State, as am I - so that automatically makes me love them! Seriously though, the entire brand's aesthetic is so beautiful to me. I love that they base themselves around animals and the forest, very WA of them. The packaging is stunning as well as the products themselves. They aren't afraid to create bolder lip products or bright eyeshadows, and I love that about them! In this day and age in the beauty community, everything always looks the same - I love that they are striving to be something different!

Photo Credit:OMFG Cosmetics

4. OMFG Cosmetics

There is something about this brand that is honestly so intriguing to me. They have such a fun and playful essence about them - from their packaging, promoting, and even the products they launch.  I love the variety the brand offers - eyeshadows, brushes, nail polish, beauty tools - they even have a monthly subscription box! I think this is such a great idea and perfect for those that are just getting into the brand.

Photo Credit: Certifeye

5. Certifeye
This UK based brand has come out with some INCREDIBLE color schemes for their palettes! Honestly, I drool every time they release something. Their products always look so cute, but still professional, and I really appreciate that. I love my makeup to be fun, but I don't want it to look like child's makeup, you know? They pretty much nail that in my opinion. They have such an array of products to choose from, including mens grooming! This is such an incredible step for the beauty community and I applaud them for recognizing that men are just as likely to order from them as women!



There are honestly so many smaller brands that catch my eye on the regular, but these five are the ones that stand out to me the most! Have you tried these brands before? Would you like to try them? Let me know in the comments I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you guys so much for taking time out of your day to read this blog post, it truly means the world to me.

I hope that everyone has an amazing day!
- Kell 💜


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New Marc Jacobs Accomplice Concealer - Worth the Price Tag?

Hey guys! For today's blog post, we are going to be talking about the Marc Jacobs Accomplice Concealer. I recently received this free from Influenster in exchange for an honest review - which I am so incredibly grateful for because this product is PRICY! Lets go ahead and get into the details.

Product Fully Twisted Up

This concealer and touch-up stick is $32.00 for 5g of product and it comes in 17 shades. Marc Jacobs claims it to be full coverage and long wearing with a natural finish. It is currently available at Sephora and Marc Jacobs brand website.

First off, the packaging is plastic and incredibly hard to open for some reason. Lets be real, if I paid $32 for a concealer, the packaging better not be cheap and lightweight plastic - and it really needs to be more user friendly. Maybe thats just me being a bit critical, but i'm just being honest!


I do have to say that I love the finish of this! It looks so incredibly natural, it doesn't crease or emphasize any fine lines or texture. It is long lasting and it has pretty good coverage - medium building to full. It is incredibly creamy and easy to apply and blend out.

Photo Credit:Sephora

Shade Shown: Fair 16 [Fair Warm]

The shade range is honestly ridiculous. If you are more fair than I am, or if you are around my skin tone and like a brightened under eye, this won't work for you. Also, if you have a deeper skin tone, you are likely to have a hard time finding a shade that works for you.

With all that being said, I absolutely cannot recommend a concealer that is so expensive and only 5g, which is significantly smaller than the typical 7g standard. I am flying through this because of the creaminess, which doesn't help its case whatsoever. It would last me a month, at most. At $32 a pop, that's too expensive.


It is a really nice concealer, I will definitely get a ton of use out of it, but there are plenty of great drugstore concealers for a fraction of the price. The new Elf 16hr Camo Concealer is fantastic, and the new Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation Stick is actually really nice for a concealer as well.


Have you tried this concealer? What are your thoughts, is it worth the money in your opinion? I would love to hear your opinion!


Thank you guys so much for taking time out of your day to read this blog post - it honestly means so much to me. I hope that you consider sticking around, I'd love to become friends!

Have an amazing day everyone 😊
- Kell 💜


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Will I Buy It? New & Upcoming Makeup Releases!

Hey guys! For today's blog post we are going to be talking about new and upcoming makeup releases and if I am considering picking them up! I love Samantha March's popular "Will I Buy It?" Youtube series and thought it would be so fun to bring it to my blog! Since there is SO MANY launches on the DAILY, i decided to choose 5 products I would like and 5 that I don't intend on getting!

Photo Credit: TrendMood

Alamar Cosmetics recently launched their Colorete blush trios ($22 each) and Mother of Pearl glosses ($11 each) and honestly, I'm drooling! The blush trios are what really caught my eye. I love that they have three different palettes so there is something suitable for every skin tone! The one for fair/light skin tones is the one for me, and I am SO HAPPY that they chose peachy tones! They are some of my favorite blush shades and absolutely perfect for spring! The glosses also look absolutely beautiful - I have really been enjoying a nice glossy lip and these shades are perfect for everyday. I feel like I would get a ton of use out of these products!

Photo Credit: TrendMood

BH Cosmetics and @itsmyrayeraye have just launched another collab - YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! These shades speak to me on SO MANY LEVELS! I have had such amazing experiences with BH's eyeshadow formulas and retailing at $17.50, the price isn't bad at all! I am so happy to see brands be more creative and colorful with their shadows. I love working with color so much, especially these particular tones, so this palette has me EXCITED!

Photo Credit: TrendMood

Mac Cosmetics recently announced that they will be launching this collection, Electric Wonder. Now, is it just me, or do you think of something a bit more exciting than this when you hear the words "Electric Wonder"? The packaging is beautiful, there's no doubt about that, but the shades are just so bland and typical in my personal opinion! I like to see Mac stepping away from the quads and producing actual palettes, but this just doesn't do it for me. 

Photo Credit: TrendMood

Lets be real, theBalm does no wrong when it comes to packaging! Their brand is one of my absolute favorites when it comes to aesthetic, and this AutoBalm collection ($26.50 each) is no different! Putting that aside, the product itself just isn't screaming to me. The color schemes aren't the worst on the market, but they aren't very exciting in my opinion. Besides that, they have cream formulas mixed into the powder eyeshadow palettes, and that's just a complete no go for me. If I were to consider picking up anything, it would be the GRL PWDR blush quad (far left), but even that doesn't really call to me, so I think it is safe to say that I will skip on everything.

Photo Credit: Indie Makeup Spotlight

Every time I feel like the beauty industry is just releasing blah and boring releases, I look to my indie brands, and they never disappoint! Lick and Lash Beauty just launched their Playful Palette, and it is everything my dreams are made of. There are so many variations on purples, blues, and greens - which I have been SO INTO lately - and you can never go wrong with pinks in my book! There are a good mixture of mattes and shimmers as well as various options for transitions, deepening the outer v, etc. Just looking at this I can think of some many fun looks I could do, and that excites me! The only draw back that I can think of is that it is a larger palette - which I don't necessarily mind, it just makes it a bit harder to store! Lick and Lash Beauty is a UK based brand, and this palette retails for £30, or about $40 USD.

Photo Credit: TrendMood

Beauty Guru Nikita Dragun has launched the first two product in her own brand, Dragun Beauty. She launched a universal color corrector ($25) and a finishing powder duo ($35). From a products perspective, these two items are ones that I am not interested in buying. I love a glowy finishing powder, but I am not willing to spend $35 on a duo when I have ones from the drugstore that I already own and love. The color corrector is a very dark red, so although it says "universal", I have a hunch that it still won't work on my fair skin. Also, these are two very random products to launch a brand with, right? Or is that just me?

Photo Credit:TrendMood

Too Faced recently launched their Natural Lust collection and I am absolutely LIVING for the packaging - which is pretty typical when it comes to Too Faced! However, I will be skipping over this collection. Nothing in it is screaming to me, and the eyeshadow palette is honestly the exact opposite of what I want. If I could just have the last two columns, I would be absolutely thrilled! The other 20 shades are pretty much the same neutrals and completely unnecessary in my opinion. Ringing in at $59 for virtually the same shades is a pass for me. 

Photo Credit: Indie Makeup Spotlight

Emme Cosmetics announced that they will soon be releasing the Flower Garden palette and I am so incredibly excited! The palette itself is limited edition, but once that is gone the singles will be sold individually, which I think is incredible! The shades are absolutely STUNNING and I love how cohesive, yet not repetitive, this collection is. I have never tried anything from this Canada-based brand, but I would love to! Hopefully I will be able to get my hands on these soon!

Photo Credit: TrendMood

Zoeva Cosmetics released their Melody Collection, including this eyeshadow palette ($26.50). I love the butterflies on the packaging, and the swatches seem promising, however I will be passing on this. I feel like Zoeva is known to be pretty neutral and everyday when it comes to their color schemes, and this seems to be a major step up for them! The purple is stunning, and those last three shades look very beautiful as well, but at the end of the day, this is still a little too simple for me. Instead of the  "neutral with a pop of blue" that we have been seeing, this is a "neutral with a pop of purple" - very pretty but not for me.

Photo Credit: Indie Makeup Spotlight

Lastly, Etsy brand Eccentric Cosmetics just released these super fun and colorful liquid eyeliners ($10 each) and I am so intrigued by them! I have been wanting to have some different liners to play with so these really caught my eye. This is a type of product that you don't really see often, and it makes me so happy to see brands think outside of the box and give us products that we don't already see every day. They are really affordable and I would be supporting a smaller brand, which I love even more!

Have you guys picked any of these items up? Do you want to/not want to? Let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you! Thank you so much for reading this post - I hope that you will consider sticking around for more!

Have an amazing day everyone 😊

- Kell 💜

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ABH Riviera Eyeshadow Palette Review - What I Would Change, Swatches & Makeup Looks!

Hey guys! For today's blog post we are going to be talking about the new Riviera Eyeshadow Palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I will be including swatches, what I would change, and a few makeup looks I created using this palette!

Before we start this review. lets get into some of the details! This is a half colorful, half neutral 14 pan palette. It contains 5 mattes, 4 metallics, 2 duo chromes, and 3 pressed pigments! It also comes with a dual sided brush and mirror - retailing for $45 at Sephora, Ulta, and the ABH website!

Now for my personal makeup taste, I absolutely love this idea! I enjoy working with colors so much, but Anastasia - like many other popular beauty brands - tend to stay away from colorful palettes. I feel like this is a very safe way for brands to dip their toes into color - there's color for those that prefer, but there's also some neutrals for those that like to play it safe.

The traditional matte shades as well as the shimmers and duo chromes are the typical ABH formula that we have grown to know and love! They are creamy, pigmented, blendable - and very powdery! Fallout city for a lot of these shades, so I always recommend doing your eyeshadow first when working with Anastasia shadows.

Now the pressed pigment formula is new to ABH, and honestly, it shows! The three pigments are shown in the swatches above - Bahama [the bright pink], Cannes [the vibrant purple], and Palm [the rich brown]. 

Shades Used: Bahamas, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Seaside, Mediterranean, Seychelles, Estate, Sails

So far Bahama has not given me any issues! It's been pigmented, smooth, fairly blendable, but BOY DOES IT STAIN! My hand had a strip of pink on it for three days after taking pictures of the swatches!

Shades Used: Cabana, Cannes, Inheritance, Sails

Cannes is pretty tricky to work with, I'm not going to lie. It goes on quite patchy and uneven - I couldn't even get both eyes to match properly! If you look closely at the picture above, my left eye has less pigment than my right. I tried to build it up the best I could, but for some reason it just did not want to stay on my lid. It also did not blend as well as I would like, and overall I was just a little disappointed. However, I know that purples are some of the hardest shades to formulate, so I am keeping that in mind. It's not the absolute worst purple I have used by any means, but it is definitely not the best. This shade does stain for a bit, but not nearly as bad as Bahama does!

Lastly, let's talk about Palm. Honestly, this was the worst shade in the palette, in my personal opinion. As you can see from the picture above - it's incredibly patch, hard to blend, it doesn't go on evenly, doesn't build up well - overall, just an extremely difficult shade to work with. If you look closely after it is applied, you can see a slight purple undertone, which may be why it is so hard to work with. I appreciate that they wanted to make the typical rich brown a little more interesting and cohesive with the rest of the palette, but unfortunately it is a miss. This shade doesn't stain at all, just for the record!

Shades Used: Cabana, Coastline, Monte Carlo, Palm, Yacht, Sails, Palermo [Lower Lash Line]

What I Would Change:

I would of course fix the patchiness, inability to build, etc mentioned above with Cannes [vibrant matte purple]. Aside from that, I would also change out some of the shades in order for the palette to flow a bit more cohesively, in my personal opinion! I would switch out Palm [matte rich brown shade] for a matte navy blue, one similar to the outer packaging. I feel like this would go much better with the color scheme, still provide a matte deep shade for us to work with, and would mesh better with the other shades. Since Estate and Coastline are honestly pretty similar, I would also replace Estate [matte orange-cream shade] for a matte lavender. This would allow the more purple looks to have a corresponding transition shade. Lastly, I would swap Yacht [duo chrome taupe shade] for a lighter shimmer or duo chrome - a pink, purple, or even blue. This would help lighten the palette a bit, give it more of a spring vibe. It would provide a light shadow to put in the inner corner or even the inner part of the lid to help open the eyes and make everything look less dense.

Overall, my final review is this - even though I had two shades that gave me a good deal of trouble, I still whole heartedly enjoy this palette. Every time I look at it, I get so incredibly inspired and immediately think of tons of ways to use these shades! The packaging is beautiful and it doesn't get dirty like the other ABH palettes [thank goodness!]. I love the entire theme of the collection and the aesthetic that it brings to the table. 

In all honesty, the rich brown Palm shade is the one shade that I never really want to reach for, so the fact that it is the worst in the palette isn't the most heartbreaking for me! With that in mind, I would rate this palette a solid 4/5!

Have you guys picked up this palette? What do you think about it? If not, are you interested in picking it up? I'm curious to hear your opinions! I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the new ABH Riviera palette and consider sticking around, I'd love for us to be friends ☺️ Thank you guys so much for taking the time out of your day to read this blog post, it truly means the world to me!

Have an amazing day everyone 😊

- Kell 💜

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The $5 Concealer That Broke The Internet - Is It Worth The Hype?

Hey guys! For today's post we are going to be talking about the new 16hr Camo Concealer by Elf Cosmetics. This beauty is incredibly budget friendly, ringing in at a whopping $5 - and has taken the beauty community by storm! But the real question is, is it worth the hype?

Details:
- 18 Shades
- .02 oz.
- $5.00

What Elf Claims:
- Full Coverage
- Creaseless
- Long Wearing

Do I agree? 2/3, yes.
Lets be real, there is no such thing as "creaseless" makeup. If you have any fine lines or wrinkles and you apply a cream on top of them, it will settle into those fine lines - period - no ifs ands or buts. However, I do have to say that this concealer doesn't create any more fine creases than what I already have, which is always a plus!

Now of course everyone's personal preferences are different, so let me explain what I like in a concealer before we proceed:
- Full Coverage
- Comfortable
- Longlasting
- Easy Application

I have INTENSE dark circles, and this gives me COVERAGE! Honestly the best coverage I have found in a concealer thus far. A little goes a LONG way, so I recommend working in small layers!
It can be a bit too matte for me at times, so on the days where my under eyes are a bit dry, I like to add some extra moisture [i.e. eye cream, hydrating primer, eye masks]. I have mixed it with a more radiant concealer [my current favorite is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer] and it works beautifully that way as well!
It's very long lasting, as the name states - maybe not an entire 16hrs, but still quite a while!
Application is where it can be a bit tricky. This dries QUICK, i mean INSANELY QUICK! I have found that working one eye at a time is the best way to go - this allows you to blend the product in properly without issues!

Let me break this down a little more!
Pros & Cons [For my preference]:
Pros - Full coverage, brightening, affordable, good product size, easily accessible, large doe foot makes for quick application, works well with others, blends in well when done properly, shades run VERY light - which is perfect for my fair skin!
Cons - Can be drying, application is slightly inconvenient, shades don't go deep enough in my opinion!

So in the end, what does this mean? For me, I absolutely love it! I find myself reaching for it so often that I have to force myself to use other concealers! That being said, it's still not going to be for everyone.

If you have more mature or dry under eyes, or if you don't prefer high coverage concealers, then this is definitely not for you! If you like full coverage and don't have these concerns, then I highly recommend checking out 😊

If you are curious about how this concealer stands up against the new Milani Conceal & Perfect Longwear Concealer, I did a face-off of the two! You can watch the video here!


Thank you guys so much for taking time out to read this blog post! If you have tried this concealer, I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments! I hope that you enjoyed my review and will consider sticking around, I'd love to become friends!

Have an amazing day everyone 😊
- Kell 💜


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My First Project Panning Experience - Is It For Me?

Hey guys! For today’s post I wanted to chat with you about project panning. 2019 was the first year that I decided to do it, and I definitely have some thoughts! I created a Youtube video with all of the details of what I was panning, hoping to achieve, etc. I will link it below in case you are curious!
https://youtu.be/VryYLlvgPzw

If I'm being completely honest, I learned pretty quickly that panning wasn't for me. I felt obligated to use the items in my project so much that it kind of bummed me out! I wanted to use other things in my collection - either old or new - but would feel bad whenever I did.

I made quite a bit of progress on a lot of my items - even ran out of a couple! When choosing my items, I tried my best to justify why I wanted to use them up. It could have been because it was the wrong shade, a product type that I never reached for, or an item that I straight up don't like. In the end, I realized that project pan is not my cup of tea.

Once I ran out of items, even ones that I wanted to be out of so badly, I soon missed having them in my collection. It was then that I had to be honest with myself and admit that I simply love collecting makeup just as much as I love using it. I've always heard that collecting tangible items was unhealthy, so I guess a part of me was just in denial that I myself was a collector - who wants to have an unhealthy trait, right?

So I guess the question I have to ask myself now is "Do I continue panning since I am continuously buying?" My answer is no! I have convinced myself that it is okay to have a vice, to have a hobby and to collect. There are so many people out there that collect that I am starting to feel like it's now an acceptable thing.

I am constantly going back into my collection to show my older products some love! I do my makeup at least one day a week using only products I haven't reached for in a while. I have a series on my Youtube channel called "Full Face of Nothing New" where I film a get ready with me using all products I've had in my collection. [Here is my latest in case you are curious: https://youtu.be/Fm6LLMUwMVc ]

To sum it all up, is panning for me? No. I have tons of video/blog/social media plans up my sleeve to where I feel as if I am sufficiently using enough of my collection to justify not panning. While I whole heartedly believe in being grateful for what you have, and not letting anything go to waste, this is one aspect of my life where I don't feel so strongly about that. Now don't get me wrong, if I know a product is starting to go bad, I try to get as much use out of it as possible before I have to toss it. However, I never want to feel as if I HAVE to use something - unless for a video, blog post, etc. - and DEFINITELY not for an ENTIRE YEAR!


I am so curious to know some different view points on this - please let me know your thoughts in the comments! Do you pan/not pan? What have your experiences been like? I would love to hear!

Thank you guys so much for taking time out to read this blog post - It means the absolute world to me and I hope that you will consider sticking around 😊

Have an amazing day everyone!
- Kell 💜



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Welcome to My Blog!

Hey guys! I thought that I would take this opportunity to introduce my blog as well as share a little about myself 😊

I am a stay at home wife and mother - I have a one year old daughter, Olivia, and a nine year old son, Jackson. I love to create Youtube videos in my spare time - beauty related of course! I have also begun dabbling into social media as a form of advertising my content. I will have all of these linked below in case you would like to check them out!

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I first got into beauty a couple of years ago. I was visiting a childhood friend - who spent most of her time watching Youtube videos, 90% of them being beauty related. I told her she was so weird for doing it, not knowing how big of an impact it would have on my life.

It opened up an entirely new world for me! I wore makeup [all ELF, your girl was on a budget!] but nothing nearly close to what I do today. I got bored one day and was curious, so I went to Youtube - and the obsession was born!

I couldn't believe how talented these ladies were, and how much of a phenomenon the whole "Youtube universe" truly was. They had such a passion and fire about them - I had never seen someone so excited to have a new eyeshadow palette or lipstick, and I was always so intrigued to see what they could create.

I have always been an "experimenter". I have had TONS of hobbies in the past, but none really stuck. I knew that I had a creative mind and that I needed an outlet, but nothing ever satisfied that part of me that needed to just be free. As soon as I learned about Youtube, I became so curious about makeup and beauty in general. I researched and watched SO MANY VIDEOS, I could never count! I slowly moved up from ELF to Covergirl [doing big things!], then I eventually got to Ulta and Sephora.

Makeup and creating content has been the ONLY hobby that has truly let me be myself - to be free and creative. It has helped me connect with so many amazing people that have the same passions as I do - I have made so many great friends since being on Youtube, I truly love it so much!

Unfortunately, with having a family, I have found less and less time to be able to film without chaos going on around me - so I decided to create this blog as well!

I am so excited to be able to post content in a more timely manner, as well as create new and exciting content! I will often intersect the two platforms,  but I will always have everything easily accessible and laid out neatly [I'm narcotic like that!]

I plan on posting hauls, pictorials, product reviews, swatches, and so much more!

If you are a blogger, Youtuber, or any other type of creator, please link your content below so I can support you - I am always looking for inspiration!

I welcome recommendations, constructive criticism, tips and tricks - any advice that you have 😊



Thank you so much for reading this blog post - I hope that you enjoyed and consider sticking around! Have an amazing day everyone!
- Kell 💜


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Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty - Sale Recommendations & Wishlist
https://youtu.be/c2D9rADNqfQ