A few days ago I reviewed Frat Boy Blush from The Balm & I promised you more. Today I am delivering! I’d like to start out with this: I have only even gone through & repurchased one powder highlighter & this is it. With that being said, you’ll be sure I have a lot of experience & opinions on it!

The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer is like a best friend. You go shopping together, double date, attend event, & do all the things best friends do. She is a lot like me! Bolder than most with the ability to get along with everyone. If she has enemies, they’re probably just not her type. If you love a bolder highlight, Mary-Lou might be your new best friend too. 

I lost this highlighter when we made our military move. Either the guy broke it & tossed it so I wouldn’t scream or he had a wife at home that needed a glow. Either way, she was going going gone. I tried to live my life without her. I tried to let her live her own life. I even made new best friends (like the gorgeously natural It Cosmetics creme highlighter I reviewed here!) but they just weren’t Mary-Lou. No one quite made me glow like her.

The packaging from The Balm in general is just beautiful. This highlighter is so good girls gone bad. I love touched like this, it really makes products special for me.

If you want a highlight that is bold, will work on tons of skin tones, & is pretty neutral with a touch of gold then this is it. Get ready to leave other shades in the dark while you get acquainted. You can apply her anywhere I suppose but make sure you use a very light hand to begin. Who am I kidding? Do whatever you want, there are no makeup rules here. But seriously, the pigmentation is ridiculous.

You can see in the sunlight that the fine goldness looks terrifying & more like an eyeshadow. Well, actually, you can use it as an eyeshadow. But as a highlight with a light hand you’re bound for greatness. Make sure you really buff her out for a smooth finish.

Left is a finger swatch & right it is lightly blended. You can see it is more beige than most highlighters & definitely can be used an eyeshadow. When I’m traveling, I use it as both. This is in sunlight.

This is for the  girl who wants her cheek bones & glow to really pop. This is not for the meek or timid nor the shy. This is for your inner bombshell. Mary-Lou Manizer can be your bestie too.

You can purchase The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer from Nordstrom & wherever The Balm products are sold.

Have you tried this highlight? Want to? What is your favorite highlighter?

When it comes to blush, I definitely have a type. While I tend to wear lots of soft shades that are easy to layer I always go for the bad boy. Limited edition Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush in Naughty is from the Pure Color Pops Collection created by Tom Pecheaux. Keep reading to see the crazy beautiful pigmentation on this darling!

When it comes to summer, I like something bold. bold lips, bold eyes, & bold cheeks all fit into my routine. Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush in Naughty comes in a blue box, your standard Estee Lauder packaging. The compact itself is a metallic gold & has the logo on the front. Inside you get a small blush brush.

The product itself is fairly large. For reference, a MAC blush has 6 grams/0.21 oz while this Estee Lauder blush contains 7 grams/0.24 oz. I love how wide & flat this is, perfect for a fluffy blush brush. It is ultra pigmented, less is definitely more.

You can see I wasn’t joking around about the pigmentation! This shade is a vibrant red based coral/orange. The texture is pretty amazing. Super smooth & fine milled. This shade blends out beautifully & evenly. This also has very nice wear time! Beautiful, true satin finish.

Here I am wearing it in an upcoming tutorial photo. This is my Smashbox Heat Wave Palette (see my review here!) tutorial which will be up soon!Obviously I used a really light hand because my eyes are so colorful but that shows some versatility!

You can purchase this blush from Macys. I’m not sure how long it will be available because it was apparently released in May.

What do you think of shades like this? What kind of vibrant hues are you leaning towards for summer?

When it comes to blush, The Balm has my perfect summer shade. A bit of coral & a bit of pink this shade is juuuuust right. I purchased this of Hautelook after mooning over it for a very long time. Currently, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long! Keep reading to see my thoughts, swatches, & why you probably need The Balm Frat Boy blush in your life too.

The packaging on this shade is just what I like. This is a sturdy cardboard with a magnetic closure. Easy to use, a nice wide pan for a big brush, & it is just too cute. Cardboard packaging definitely helps to prevent breakage & even cracking because it absorbs breakage better than plastic. The cute football/cheerleader them is perfection & just feels so right for this color that has a pop of pep.

The Balm Frat Boy is a medium coral pink with a gold satin sheen. Pigmentation is smooth & even making this a beautiful blush. This shade can also be used as an eyeshadow. This pigmentation isn’t so crazy that you have to barely touch it for color so I feel like you get a more even application. Pigmented but you can layer & blend without too much effort.

Like I said, I purchased this shade off Hautelook with a discount. The Balm pops up for wicked prices that I take advantage off here & there. You can join Hautelook using my referral code here! You can also purchase this blush from Nordstrom & wherever The Balm products are sold.

What do you thick of this shade? What is your favorite The Balm product?

I’ve been picking up a lot of Smashbox lately & I’ve been very happy with everything. This is the Pop of Pink set which I found at ULTA last month. What made me pick this baby up? You get 4 FULL SIZED products for only $29.00 ! If you love pink, want to try more from Smashbox, or just like to snag a great deal this could definitely be for you. I think the Smashbox Pop of Pink set is an ULTA exclusive because I haven’t spotted it anywhere else. It is on the Smashbox website but it isn’t on sale…yet! I believe I picked mine up for $39 so lucky you, it is on sale! I don’t regret purchasing it at the full price, keep reading to see why!

The products come in a box like this. My ULTA had testers out so keep an eye out if you’re looking for this set! Swatches of the products are at the bottom of this post after my mini reviews!

Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Pop of Pink ( retails for $19 )
I had almost bought this type of gloss at least 3-4 times so I knew I was buying this set when I say it. This is a gorgeous pink that looks like a slightly softened neon in the tube. I loved the Urban Decay glosses that looked similar & I enjoy tube glosses…this is no exception. I don’t see this shade listed as available for individual purchase so I urge you to check out this set if you’re interested. This isn’t too sticky but has enough grip to wear longer than many other glosses. I love this shade & I think it is really wearable, especially layered.

Smashbox Blush in Pop of Pink ( I can’t find this sold alone, maybe it is LE to this set? )
I really love this blush. This is a reddened/berry pink with a soft shimmer. The finish is more of a satin but maybe a hint matte as well. This shade has great pigmentation, a little goes a long way. I can see myself wearing this a lot more this fall! I liked this so much I picked up another Smashbox blush fro another line.

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Posy Pink ( retails for $19 )
This is probably my favorite of the collection. I liked this lipstick so much that I actually went out & bought another shade. I have a sneaking suspicion that won’t be the last one either! Posy Pink is a very wearable pink with a creamy finish. I didn’t need to swipe more than once or twice for an even layer on my lips. The pigmentation was pretty but soft, not harsh or hard to wear at all. This also wore beautifully & lasted a lot longer than expected. The best thing about it? It is actually quite hydrating! The tube is smaller than most of my lipsticks but it has a really nice weight to it which makes it feel very sturdy. No flimsy cap here, I approve this for the purse!

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black ( retails for $19.50 )
This is a full size in Jet Black which is the shade I would choose on my own as well. I haven’t tried this YET but I might do a first impression video/review in the future. i just have too many mascaras open at the moment! I have heard that this is a nice mascara so I’m excited to open her up!

Left to right: Smashbox Blush in Pop of Pink, Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Posy Pink, & Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Pop of Pink.

Just in case pink isn’t your thing, there is also the Smashbox Hint of Bronze set which also retails for only $29 from ULTA currently.

I love this set, such a great value for Smashbox products! Pink is totally my thing throughout most of the year but I’d love a set like this devoted to maybe corals or seasons? I’d keep buying them for sure! What do you think of this set? Will you be checking it out?

So let me start with I had definite reservations about the NYX Blush in Cinnamon. I love orange (especially red leaning or tangerine) on my cheeks with a light hand but I had seen really inconsistent reviews on this blush. If you look at this post from Corallista it looks much fairer & definitely softer. I’d seen it in the store & it didn’t look to be that shade at all! Was it a case of those dreaded ULTA lights? Maybe not… Because then I checked on this review from Coffee & Makeup & it looked much more like the tangerine shade I had spotted. I did note that both reviews had a year or more between them, perhaps the shade/texture/formula went through a change? Obviously I wasn’t sure what I was going to end up with! Keep reading to see my thoughts & review!

NYX Blushes come packaged in black plastic packaging with a clear window on top so you can see which shade you’re reaching for. It isn’t bad packaging but it also doesn’t feel like it is high quality either. You get 4 grams of product. I’ve seen a lot of people depot these & if I ever develop enough of a love or collection of them I would probably do the same. The pan inside is relatively flat.

Inside the blush has a raised pyramid quilt. It is pretty & I like this a lot. The shade itself is described as a “matte bright orange” but I don’t think it is quite right. This swatches slightly satin which isn’t a bad thing. It looks really nice & probably blends better because of this. On the ULTA website (& all the other retailers I found) this shade appears way more tangerine & bright. I have no idea why. It is definitely more orange with some pink with slightly warm tones. The pictures are a bit brighter than it is in real life & more orange.

The swatch on the left is with my finger & on the right is blended out a bit. You can see if gives a nice flush & actually looks a bit more hot coral when blended out. This really rocks my fair skin…in a great way.

I don’t know if the formula/shade changed but I really like what I have. I bought this on ULTA when it was on sale which I highly recommend. They frequently do Buy One Get One 50% off or 40% off all NYX here & there. It blends nicely & doesn’t look plastic-y on the skin like some oranges. I was afraid it was going to be powdery & it wasn’t that either. The wear time isn’t phenomenal but that’s what summer is to me. I really like this with a cream blush base to amp up wear time & to play with color combos a bit.

I haven’t been very impressed with the NYX products I’ve bought so far but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. This has me willing to jump in & try some more. Do you have any recommendations? Any shades in particular?

I’m a very lucky girl because today I get to bring you my personal thoughts on a new series. King & Maxwell, based on the popular books written by David Baldacci, will premiere on TNT Monday, June 10th at 10/9c. I got to watch the pilot episode & I have to say I am excited! If you are a lover of all things crime, mystery, & witty then I think you’ll really get a kick of it too.

The main characters are Sean King (played by Jon Tenney ) & Michelle Maxwell (played by Rebecca Romijn). Both are ex-Secret Service which gives them actual training & knowledge. A pet peeve of mine is when characters suddenly know how to disarm a man in under 3 seconds without any training. C’mon now. These two also have the chops for crime solving although the pilot eludes to both former agents not being quite up to certain tasks.

I’ve actually read a few of the books this series is based on so I feel like I have a different perspective as well. The characters in the pilot are definitely Baldacci’s creations. This makes me sigh with relief since when you read a great series, you hate to see characters change too much. I also noticed there will be differences in the plot which also makes me happy because it will be truly “based upon” not word for word . Sean still reads romance novels & Michelle is still an outdoorsy, organizer.

If you are an avid crime show watcher, here is what you might want to know before watching King & Maxwell.
1. Although Rebecca Romijn is arguably one of the most beautiful women ever, they don’t focus on it. This isn’t one of those shows where shes pretty so she gets whatever she wants. In fact I think they worked pretty hard to make her “average” looking. Okay she’s still gorgeous but you know what I mean.
2. There appears to be chemistry between the two main characters…but that also isn’t the main point. This might be a side or future theme but this is definitely a crime show.
3. There is humor. Because they have great chemistry the humor is also great. It isn’t over the top or kitschy but makes a crime drama more fun for me to watch personally. There are some great sarcastic quips spread throughout.
4. I’ll be watching it. & if you want to be cool, you will check it out too! Monday, June 10th at 10/9c on TNT. Be there or be square.

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