First Off - Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder

I like my foundation finish to be matte. And sometimes my liquid foundations don't always leave the finish I want. I had a sample size of this powder and I really liked it. 

It's translucent and lightweight. It gives me the finish I want and doesn't leave my face looking dry and powdery. Even if you don't wear foundation. It provides a nice finish to your face.

Verdict: I love it. Everyone needs this in their life. Translucent powder is a must for everyone. And this one is light and hard working.

First Off - MAC Bronze Shimmer Frost Lipstick

My first MAC lipstick! I'm so excited! I've tried their lip liners (post to come) but not their lipsticks. I found some other colours that I want. But my first one just happens to be Bronze Shimmer Frost lipstick! 

I was planning my makeup for my Halloween costume (post coming tomorrow on all of the details!) and I couldn't decide on a lipstick. I wanted something nude but more on the gold side. And a gold lipstick is surprisingly hard to find! Everything was very orange. 

After striking out at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart, I decided to give the MAC counter a try on my way out. And they came to my rescue! I found what I was looking for immediately and was very excited to try it.  

This is a very shimmery lipstick. I was expecting it to be very drying and feel gritty due to all the glitter. But it is the complete opposite! It's super smooth and creamy and comfy to wear. It's not super pigmented, but it's just what I was looking for. The only downside is that now I want to go back and buy all of the other lipsticks MAC has available.  

Verdict:  I don't know how often I will wear it. Gold isn't one of my favourite colours to wear. But I love this and I'm going to try to find excuses to wear it. 

First Off - Coalface

My face is constantly in a state of emergency. Oiliness, breakouts, redness. I've got it all. I was using Josie Maran products (which I will review on another post). But I am lazy and was looking for something a little simple. 

I have used various face cleansers from Lush before. I was in love with Ultrabland before I got my Clarisonic (it wasn't a perfect match). Grease Lightning, Fresh Farmacy, Angels on Bare Skin and Aqua Marina have all been amazing products too. 

But lately my skin has been super oily. So I decided to try out Coalface. It's a bar cleanser. You just get it wet and rub it over your face and then lather it up. It's as simple and lazy as I could ask for!

Coalface is for oily skin. It is made with powdered charcoal to absorb the excess sebum and it exfoliates at the same time. There is rosewood and sandalwood oils in it as well to clear up your skin and get rid of redness. 

I've been using it for a week or two now and I'm in love with it. It made me break out for a few days. Now I am seeing a huge difference in my skin. I have a few breakouts (they all seem to be the deep rooted ones) and a handful of red spots. But it is so much better! I think after another week or so, it should be more or less clear! (Fingers crossed!)

And it has drastically cut down on the amount of oil. I have been using it twice a day (in the morning and before bed). The only thing that I don't love is that it has left my skin dry. But that is to be expected. I've just had to make sure I moisturize (another thing I slack on). 

First Off - Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon

Josie Maran is my skin care brand of choice at the moment. My entire skin care routine is from her line. (I will definitely be posting more about it in the future. So keep an eye out for those!)

This is a full coverage concealer. It is super creamy and easily blendable. I picked it up in the color Fair. It doesn't dry out your skin, which makes it comfortable to wear all day. 

However, the one thing I didn't like was that it never seemed to set. It moved around a lot. And it was used up very quickly. But I think that I would buy it again and give it another chance with the right setting powder. 

If you are looking for a creamy concealer that isn't super long wearing, I would check it out.

First Off - Benefit The Porefessional License to Blot

I have tried, and loved, Benefit's the Porefessional Face Primer. I was in the market for a blotting product, so this caught my eye.

I will be up front, I kind of hated it. 

It did mattify my skin a little bit. But it didn't leave a lasting impression. And it smeared my make up. And I didn't like how it made my skin feel. 

It is not my favourite oil obsorbing product. I don't have much else to say about it.

First Off - Tarte Tarteist Clay Paint Liner

My black eyeliner of choice was running on low and it was discontinued. (Story of my life.) My sister bought this a while back and has not shut up about it. At her recommendation, I had to pick it up. 

This is a waterproof, cream eyeliner. It takes a little getting used to because of the packaging. You have to squeeze out a tiny little bit and take it with the brush. It could be easy to waste a lot of product. Once you master it, it is really easy to use. It is pretty easy to wing out your liner too. 

However, it doesn't last. The liner I put on my eyelid lasts. But the wing rubs off. But that is really the only complaint I have about it.

I really like that it includes the brush in the package. It makes the price a little easier to swallow. And you really only do need a little bit of product. So it will last for a long time. I just hope it won't dry up before I finish it. 

First Off - Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer

You guys all know how this works by now. I was running out of primer and needed to check out the new stuff. 

So I got this one in two different formulas. First off, I will be reviewing the Mattifying formula. You all know I have oily skin and love a matte finish.

I love this stuff. It does keep my skin matte for much longer than other primers. It doesn't smell and spreads really easy. The one thing that caught my attention was the texture. It comes out of the tube and I can spread it out on my fingers but when I apply it, it has a thicker, tacky texture. But if it holds the oil off and my make up in place, I am sold. 

I really do like this. It's not a super long wearing formula, but it's good for an evening out or running errands.  And if matte isn't your thing, there are 9 other formulas. So there is bound to be something perfect for your skin needs.

First Off - NUDESTIX Concealer Pencil

I can't remember where I heard about this concealer but I ordered it as soon as it was back in stock on Sephora's website. I got it in shade Light 2.

I have mixed feelings about this concealer. It's super easy to blend out. It is very pigmented and buildable over dark circles. The color is perfect.

However, it is super soft. So I feel like I have to sharpen it every time I use it. I don't think it will last that long on, sadly. And it doesn't wear that great. I have oily skin and the concealer seems to wear away after only a few hours. Which isn't great for work days. 

I did, however, like that it came in it's own box with a mirror and a pencil sharpener. 

If you have matte skin and don't need a lot layers, I would definitely check this out and let me know what you think. But I don't think I would rebuy this.

First Off - Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

It is here! And it is gorgeous! 

I first got really into the Naked line when Naked 3 was announced. I then picked up the first two to see if they really did live up to the hype. (Spoiler: They did.)

I have been excited about this palette since it was announced. Dark, smoky eyes are some of my favourites to do. They are a lot more fun to play around with and I love palettes that are designed specifically for that. 

And without further ado... Here are the swatches!

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(First of all, I do greatly apologize for my awful swatches. I will do better next time.)

The colors are as follows...

• High is a champagne micro-glitter.
• Dirtysweet is a shimmery bronze.
• Radar is a bronzey brown with micro-glitter.
• Armor is a silver taupe with micro-glitter.
• Slanter is a shimmery grey.
• Dagger is a dark grey with a little bit of micro-glitter.
• Black Market is a black satin.
• Smolder is a dark purple taupe.
• Password is a cool taupe matte.
• Whiskey is a milk chocolate brown
• Combust is a soft peachy beige 
• Thirteen is a white satin.

Another things to note is the packaging. For the last two Naked palettes, the packaging was more or less the same. But for this one, they changed it up. The case for this is a semi-transparent plastic case decorated with a smoky pattern and has a magnetic close.

I love magnetic closes and the packaging suits the theme of the product. However, in person, the case gives me a kind of old lady vibe. But don't judge a book by it's cover. The eyeshadows are stunning and Urban Decay's product quality never fails to impress.

This palette also includes a dual ended brush. I love Urban Decay's brushes! And I love that they include actual, quality brushes in with their palettes. It's another thing that makes the seemingly high price point absolutely worth it.

If smoky looks are your thing, I would definitely check this guy out. But if you are more into the lighter side of Naked, any of the previous palettes are probably more up your alley. I, for one, am really excited to get to play around with this and share some looks with you!

First Off - Kat Von D Tattoo Brow

I have only recently got into filling in my brows. And I will never go back! 

I was previously using brow powder. But it was empty so I thought it was a good time to try another type of product. I saw these at Sephora and it was Kat Von D so...

I got it in Blonde, as I am working my way back to platinum and am always worried that my brows are too dark. This applies super light but you can build it up. But it's easy to shape my brows with this. I know powders are supposed to look more natural. But I have to say I prefer the pen. 

And it lasts all day. Even when the rest of your make up starts to call it a day, your brows will still be on point.

Verdict: I love this and I will probably buy this again.