Bite Beauty Gold Crème Lip Gloss - First Review & Swatches On Different Skin tones

Excuse me as I interrupt our regularly scheduled program - but I just had to when I opened this Gold Crème Lip Gloss from Bite Beauty.

Literally. Liquid. Gold. I will update you all once I have do official lip swatches but my friend @manniefique and I swatched this so you can see how it pops on different skin tones.

[wpvideo LfzkWWyC]

I was mesmerized from the moment I took this out of the box. There is no other lip topper or dazzleglass in my collection or that I know of that comes near the amount of shimmer and sparkle in this. I wore it around the house (for about 45 minutes as I'm typing this) and it's not sticky or gritty at all nor does it have a scent.

Again. I will update you all with a better swatch and some looks as soon as I can but I wanted this to get up while it was still in stock (and I was able to get a back up of it)

Update: You can view a video of me using this on my lips here

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8rsn_9ORMg[/embed]

Available: This is limited edition and currently in stock at Sephora for $22.

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ColourPop and Hello Kitty Collection - First Look and Swatches

The newest beauty partnership that is set to break our banks is the Colourpop Cosmetics X Hello Kitty Collaboration.

Photo from @buyalltheprettythings

Last week, we received the brief that everyones favorite feline character has teamed up on an impressive limited edition holiday collection that will include:

1. 4 Supershock eyeshadows ($5 inidividually; quad $20)
2. 3 Ultra Glossy Lips ($6)
3. 3 Lippie Stix ($5)
4. 2 Ultra Satin Lip ($6)
5. 1 Ultra Metallic Lip ($6)
6. 4 Super Shock Cheeks - highlighters & blush ($8)
7. 1 Makeup bag ($15)

The full face kit should be available for $42. Here's a look at the full collection:

Photo from @hippiesandlippies

Colourpop and Hello Kitty held a lippie bar pop-up event in California last week where attendees were able to receive an exclusive sneak peek at the collection (the above photos) and were able to swatch some products! Check out a few of the photos below to get your first look at the collection.

Availability: The collection will release on November 1 (Hello Kitty's Birthday) and it is limited edition. It is rumored that the set will be $42 (prices range from $5 - $42) and will be available until February (I don't recommend waiting though - have your shopping plan set for Halloween night).

Photo from @buyalltheprettythings

Photo from @stylebybare

Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Trio For $24 ($72 Value)

Yes, you read the title correctly. Last week, Bite Beauty offered an insane deal on their Luminous Crème Lipsticks on Sephora.com: a trio set in Nude and Bold that offers a three of their bestselling cream lipsticks for the price of one. Normally, one full sized lipstick from this line would cost $24 but Bite was liquidating their remaining Luminous Cremes (which have been discontinued) and each full sized trio set came out to the price of one lipstick. 

The sets were available in two color families:

• Nude - Musk, Retsina, Fig
• Bold - Zivoli, Tannin, Mulberry

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry  

These lipsticks are incredibly soft and creamy. Here are swatches of each set taken in my studio (LED daylights).

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry

 And because you know I'm a sucker for a deep red, I had to try out Tannin. It is such a soft lipstick that lasts about 3-5 hours on the lips (depending on what you eat/drink).

What do you think? Were you able to snag any of these trio sets?

Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Fragrance Review + Surprise Giveaway

Oh Tom. You never cease to amaze us. I wanted to do this feature on Tom Ford's Velvet Orchid as an introduction to the Fall 2016 Orchid Collection which was inspired by his two fragrances - Black Orchid an Velvet Orchid.

Tom Ford Orchid Collection "Introducing Lip Color, Nightbloom Powder, and Solid Perfume in shades inspired by the elusive Black and Velvet Orchid."

The new nine-piece limited edition fall collection, which is already available online and set to launch at Tom Ford counters this August, includes two lipsticks and two blushes while the remaining five pieces are variations of the Black Orchid and Velvet Orchid fragrance.

• Black Orchid Lip Color ($60)
• Velvet Orchid Lip Color ($60)
• Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom ($80)
• Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Bloom ($80)
• Black Orchid Solid Perfume ($190)
• Velvet Orchid Solid Perfume ($190)
• Black Orchid Eau de Parfum ($115)
• Velvet Orchid Eau de Parfum ($115)
• Orchid Soleil Eau de Parfum ($120)

So before you run out to buy some new luxe beauty items, let's talk a little bit about one of the inspirational fragrances - Velvet Orchid.This fragrance warrants a woman with a unique character that is looking to deliver a powerful floral signature scent that has a bit of spice to it. It opens with an accord of black orchid blended with notes of velvet orchid, turkish rose oil and jasmine.

In order to distinguish it from its older sibling, Black Orchid, Velvet Orchid's team of perfumers packed it full of florientals and citrus notes such as orange blossom and rose absolute. The base of the fragrance is more feminine and warm due to the rich flavors of vanilla, amber, sandalwood and suede.

It is available here in 1.0oz, 1.7oz and 3.4oz but I want to help one of you start your Orchid collection started right now - with a giveaway!

To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me which other pieces you're most excited to try in the Fall Orchid collection. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen.

Contest ends Monday, July 25th, 2016 at 11:59EST. I will choose and verify one winner from all of the comments (must be a subscriber to win) and announce within 48 hours of the contest end date. Open internationally; 18+, to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

Plusssssssssssss I would make sure that you head over to the Instagram page because there might just be a giveaway for a bottle over there too!

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AJ Crimson Beauty Review: Creme Foundation in 4/6.5 + 4.5/7, Nude Lipsticks and Loose Finishing Powder Review and Swatches

AJ Crimson has created an amazing line of foundations for colors of all skin tones. When we visited his last event - Beyond Beauty, Building Your Beauty Business – a Multicultural Beauty Event - AJ spoke about the creation of his beauty brand and how it was borne out of necessity. "I felt like there was an absolute need to bring product to women that actually worked and didn't oxide or change. I wanted to create a product inclusive of women of all ethnicities, a product all women could find ownership in and believe in. So often, makeup has been designed with a one size fits all mentality, and with black women and women of color, my cosmetic line contains shades for women of every ethnic background and skin tone." - AJ Crimson There really isn't much more that I can say that AJ didn't so let's dive into some swatches and review shall we?

I ordered two of dual skin creme foundations in the warm 4/6.5 compact and the deep 4.5/7 compact along with 3 nude lipsticks and a loose finishing powder.

First, let's look at the dual skin creme foundation compacts. Here is the warm 4/6.5 compact.                                                                     Photo taken with LED lights and flash

(Photo taken with LED lights and flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and no flash)

(Photo taken outside in natural lighting)

Here is the deep 4.5/7 compact.

 (Photo taken with LED lights and flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and no flash)

(Photo taken outside in natural lighting)

Here are all 4 shades swatched next to one another for a better comparison. This gives you a better idea of which ones have more of a yellow, golden or red undertone.

(Photo taken with LED lights and flash) (Photo taken outside in natural lighting)

And as usual, here is a live video of the foundations in different lighting (inside and natural sunlight to help you).

[embed]https://youtu.be/CMEoJch-YFY[/embed]

Next, is the loose finishing powder in neutral matte. You can use this to set your foundation and absorb shine. (Photo taken with LED lights and flash. I blended it out as we move further right in the photo so you can see how it it applies once you pick it up and how it blends out.)

And now for the unfiltered test (oh the things I do for you guys). Here is a super upclose (unfiltered and unedited) photo of me testing out the warm 4/6.5 compact and loose finishing powder. I only set my underneath my eyes with the neutral loose finishing powder and didn't set my face because I wanted to see how the creme foundation performed on its own. I love the full coverage that you get with this foundation and contour shade, especially because I didn't put on any concealer and I have extremely dark circles that were covered with just the "4" foundation shade. The only thing that I would change in the future is to make sure to use a mattifying primer and mattifying setting spray because I felt "too shiny" in this photo - however, it was very hot the night I reviewed this foundation and my studio lights are insanely hot - so I am going to test it out and post a few updates once I do that.

Lastly, I picked out 3 lipsticks that were designed to be the perfect matte (creamy) nude for any skin tone. From left to right, we have #Nude, #PerfectSelfie and #NoFilter.                                                           (Photo taken with LED lights and flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and no flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and flash)

(Photo taken with LED lights and no flash)

(Photo taken outside in natural lighting)

I must say...it is refreshing to wear some creamy matte lipsticks that aren't liquid lipstick! My favorite of the three nude shades is definitely #NoFilter.

Whew! This post was definitely photo heavy but I really wanted to feature these foundation shades to help some of you that are having a hard time finding the right match for your skin tone and undertone. If you are or looking to try something new in your routine, definitely head to AJ Crimson Beauty.

Enter to Win a Dream Prize of NARS Cosmetics - Blog Subscriber Giveaway

It's time to finally announce our NARS Cosmetics giveaway and this one is solely for you blog subscribers! For this giveaway, I really wanted to celebrate all of the new content that we have on the blog that was created to help you find the very best in fashion and beauty.

Two blog subscribers will win one (1) set of the following:

• NARS Audacious lipstick in Angela — Modern lipstick so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture the sensation is audacious. Unadulterated luxury glides on like satin across skin with single-stroke coverage.
• NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione  — Mesmerizing Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow features a luxuriously smooth transformative texture.
• NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Never Say Never  — The application of a lipstick combined with the convenience of a pencil in a jumbo crayon design. Lips are instantly saturated with rich pigments and a velvety matte finish. The long lasting, non-drying formula is enriched with emollients for a creamy texture, while a combination of unique silicones ensures long-lasting, seamless color for hours. Use for lining, all-over lip color, or pairing with another lip product.

To enter, just make sure that you are subscribed to (or following) this blog — Candy Coated Closets. If you need help figuring out how, just leave me a comment and I'll be sure to swing by to help! Two winners will be selected at random from our subscriber list on Tuesday, June 14th, 2016. Open internationally; 18+, to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

Kami Cosmetics Lipsticks Review and Swatches

Today, I want to introduce you to Kami Cosmetics - a luxury beauty brand that has been designed for the sophisticated and chic woman in every skin tone.  The line, which is symbolized by a butterfly, was designed to help every woman on her transformative personal journey to find products that help her feel as beautiful as she does free. It features lipsticks, eye shadows, palettes and face wear in highly pigmented shades, that are cruelty free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, allergy tested, fragrance free and paraben free.

Let's learn a little bit more about the brand and the lipsticks shall we? Here, we have their moisturizing creamy lipsticks in the colors Glamour, Costa and Rich Girl that are packed with Vitamin E to soothe and heal your lips. When I first opened the packaging and saw the colors, I was very excited. I kind of felt like a kid getting one of those pastel ice creams for the first time from the ice cream truck. The colors are probably the most vibrant pastel colors that wear very well on a woman of color and they are going to be great this spring and summer.

Glamour Lipstick (in-depth) $20

Costa Lipstick (in-depth) $20

Rich Girl Lipstick (in-depth) $20

Sangria Lipgloss (in-depth) $15 The one thing that I really enjoyed about these lipsticks is the application. Not only do they glide onto your lips and leave them feeling soft and hydrating, they have an incredible building power to them so it's kind of like you're getting two lipsticks in one. You can apply one coat for a sheer tint on your lips or build up the layers for a more pigmented color that lasts for hours.

There are a variety of products to check out so make sure that you head to Kami Cosmetics to pick out something new for Spring!

-PR Sample-

I Adore Lipstick Collection Review and Swatches

The beauty industry has always favored innovative lines that are bold enough to push past the current trends to make their mark in the business. In an effort to keep myself on my toes, I'm always keeping my eye out for new brands that are trying to forge a new path whether it be in product development or color options. So in keeping with that theme, today I want to introduce you to the I Adore Collection. The I Adore Collection features six matte lip shades ($15.99 each) in the colors Vintage Love, Lovesick, Adore, Fancy, XoXo and Classy. They are made with antioxidant vitamin E - which helps the lipstick to go on smooth and creamy - and they have a hint of a vanilla scent to them.

I received the color Adore to review. 

Adore is a beautiful red (creamy) matte lipstick. The application glides on easily and doesn't tug at your lips like other matte lipsticks that dry down to a complete matte do.

Just so you can get a better idea of the true color, Sophia from LipstickJunkieForever and I swatched this lipstick on both of our skin tones for Love Your Shade. As a reminder, she is NW20 and I am NC50 in MAC Cosmetics foundation.I really enjoyed testing this lipstick line out and having a chance to play with it. It was so comfortable to wear all day that I decided to create some lip art with it as my base color.I used the e.l.f. eye liner in black #6551 ($3) to line the outer corners of my lips and blended it in with the Sephora Pro Angled Lip brush in #84 and then added a touch of Stila Patina in the center of my lips just to brighten it up.

-PR Sample-

MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick Comparison Video Review

Hi lovebugs!

I wanted to stop and do this really quick video review for you guys to compare the new MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam Ariana Grande lipstick to a few other MAC lipsticks that I own - Riri Hearts MAC Talk That Talk and Instigator. Turn your volume up, press play and get the details!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu9gk8TE0Qk

MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick & Lipglass - First Review

Hi loves!

So last year, we all heard the news that MAC Cosmetics chose Ariana Grande as the new VIVA GLAM spokeperson.* The news spread like wide fire on social media - not only because of the support of the cause - but because of the trendy story behind the colors. 

MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a "matte plum." It's a deep, dark plum with a satin finish.

MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipglass ($15.00 for 0.17 fl. oz.) is described as a “shimmering pink.” It’s a sheer, pink-tinted lipgloss with gold and pink sparkles.

When I first saw the promotional pictures, it immediately reminded me of Riri Hearts MAC Talk That Talk lipstick and the Clear Water Lipgloss from the Alluring Aqua collection. So I wanted to do a few comparisons to help you...

(L) Riri Hearts MAC Talk That Talk (R) MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick (L) MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipgloss (R) MAC Alluring Aqua Clear Water Lipgloss

I'll admit that I said "Wow" when I swatched them. It's a beautiful color alone and with paired with the lipgloss. However, it is a bit patchy, so make sure that you grab a matching lipliner - try it with Vino perhaps? It will be in-stores and at-counters on January 21st, 2016.

*The VIVA GLAM Lipstick was originally created in 1994 to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS at a time when the pandemic was dramatically affecting fashion and beauty communities in particular as well as the wider world. What makes this so historic is that 100% of the purchase price of any VIVA GLAM product goes towards the M·A·C AIDS Fund which is committed to addressing the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS by supporting diverse organizations around the world that provide a wide range of services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

*Purchased. All opinions are my own*