Review: Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz

Long time no review, beauty addicts! ♥ I don't want to bore you with the details of why I've been gone for so long, but I figured I would come back with a review of something near and dear to my heart--an eyeshadow palette. Recently, I have not been buying a lot of makeup at all. In fact, there was a span of nine months where I didn't buy any makeup at all (shocking, I know). However, when I saw this beauty in store, it was pretty easy to convince myself that I needed it. Okay, maybe need is a strong word, but on what planet is a travel-sized neutral eyeshadow palette not a necessity in every girl's makeup bag? While I haven't tested her out yet, I figured this first impressions could still be quite informative. However, if you would like to see a tutorial of me using this palette, make sure to leave a comment down below. Now, let's get into this palette, shall we?

Back of the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz Containing Manufacturing Information, Ingredients List, Shelf Life, & Social Media Handles

Inside Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz, Which Contains Nine Eyeshadows & a Mirror

Up Close & Personal Shot of the Eyeshadows Inside the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz

Swatches of the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz

To my knowledge, these eyeshadows don't have names as there aren't any listed anywhere on the packaging, so (to be clear) I will be describing the shadows and my initial experiences in swatching them going row by row from top to bottom and left to right.


Shade Descriptions Row 1:
♥ Shadow 1 - Light matte tangerine. Swatches very light and takes a few layers to build up to the intensity that it is on my arm. Perfect transition shade.
♥ Shadow 2 - Glittery copper. If you are familiar with the original Huda Beauty Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette, then you will recognize this formula as one of her textured shades. The base color is very sheer and contains metallic chunky flakes throughout. It is my least favorite shade in the palette, but will probably perform better when used wet or with a sticky primer.
♥ Shadow 3 - Warm, matte medium brown. There was a bit of patchiness with this one, but that blended out when layered.

Row 2:
♥ Shadow 4 - Metallic gold. Beautiful true gold with excellent pigmentation. A shade that is relatively standard in these travel-sized palettes.
♥ Shadow 5 - Matte light peach. Great pigmentation and alternative transition shade.
♥ Shadow 6 - Metallic bronze. Buttery texture and pigmentation with one swipe.

Row 3:
♥ Shadow 7 - Deep chocolatey matte brown. Drier formula, but has excellent pigmentation. Great alternative to a black shade, making this palette more suitable for daytime or transitioning from daytime to nighttime.
♥ Shadow 8 - Slightly darker version of Shadow # 3.
♥ Shadow 9 - Slightly lighter metallic bronze than shadow # 6, but with pink reflects.


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Q&A's

♥What is the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Topaz?♥

This is a mini or travel-sized eyeshadow palette that is the size of your palm. Because of its neutral color palette, it can act as your standalone or as an accompaniment to some of the funkier shades in your collection. It contains nine eyeshadows and a mirror for $27 and can be purchased at Sephora or directly from the Huda Beauty website. Currently as I am writing this post, the Huda Beauty mini eyeshadow palette range has expanded to 11 palettes containing everything from your neutrals to your brights, purples, blues, greens, and reds.

♥What are the claims made on this product?♥

According to the description on the Sephora website: "Each Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette is packed with a selection of nine highly pigmented mattes and striking shimmers, all with a smooth and blendable texture...the palettes are super compact and lightweight, making them a must-have for your handbag. The large mirror, conveniently-sized palette, and versatile shade collection allow you to create both classic and playful looks that are easy to apply on-the-go."

♥How do they apply/wear?♥

Since this is just a first impressions, it wouldn't be fair of me to make a judgment based on swatches alone as they can be misleading. However, I can say that the formula of the first row could use some work as those shades don't feel as smooth and effortless as the others.

♥What are my first impressions of this product?♥

Upon first glancing at this palette, I was obsessed with this color story. Despite probably having a dozen different versions of these same colors in my collection already, I cannot deny how convenient it would be to have all these shades in one place in such compact packaging. However, upon swatching, I was disappointed to learn that a couple of the shades--Shadow # 3 & Shadow # 8 and Shadow# 6 and Shadow # 9--look almost identical. Because of this, I would have liked to see a little more variety in the neutrals provided, such as a vanilla highlight shade or a champagne. Other than that, this palette has a lot of potential and I am excited to actually try this out on my eyes.


That's it for this first impression, beauty addicts. Don't forget, if you'd like to see a tutorial with possibly a more in-depth review of this product, make sure to leave a comment below and I'll get right on it.

XO♥

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick Review & Swatches

You might be wondering to yourself, "Wendy, why are you trying out more Super Stay products? You know it didn't work out for you the first time around." And if you're not thinking that, here's a little bit of a refresher. At the end of last year, Influenster and Maybelline paired up to allow select beauty bloggers to test out their original Super Stay 24 Hour Lip Colors. The formula was so different than any other liquid lipstick I had tried due to its sticky nature and, unfortunately, I didn't find it to be all that wearable or comfortable unless I added the balmy top coat that came with it. While they are still technically liquid lipsticks, I didn't really prefer them for functionality and comfortability. This time around, however, Maybelline has expanded their Super Stay range to include actual matte liquid lipsticks closer to what I think most beauty enthusiasts are familiar with.

In hopes that Maybelline had heard all of our feedback, I rushed to Ulta's website to purchase six out of the ten shades of the brand new Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick when they released. Ironically, I made this purchase before I even knew Influenster was sending me a couple of these very lipsticks to try out. What can I say? We both can spot the next hot item when we see it. Fortunately, this Voxbox was not completely sent in vain as I did not own one out of the two shades sent to me, allowing me to review seven out of the ten in Maybelline's starting line up.

My Current Collection of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks. From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, Believer, Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager.

Applicator on the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick

Arm Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, Believer, Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager

Lip Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, & Believer

♥ Loyalist - Light, peachy nude. This is the lightest shade in the collection.

♥ Dreamer - Light, bright pink. Will actually read as more of a nude pink on those with medium and deeper skin tones.

♥Lover - Rosey mauve.

♥Believer - Orchid purple. I found this to be the streakiest of all the shades I tried. Because of how much I applied to try to smooth it out, it never fully dried down, which amplified the stickiness of the formula and felt gooey.

Lip Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager

♥ Escapist - Deep smokey plum. Has a much different texture than the other lipsticks in this range; it feels like a whipped mousse texture. It applied a little streaky, but not nearly as streaky as Believer.

♥ Pioneer - Bright, classic red.

♥ Voyager - Rich wine red with slight brown undertones.

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Q&A's

♥What are the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Colors?♥

The Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Colors are Maybelline's latest edition to the Super Stay line. This liquid lipstick incorporates the Super Stay longwear technology, while giving the wearer a matte lip appearance. You get a lot of product at 0.17 oz for roughly $7.99-$9.49 depending where you shop. The packaging has a very nice, sturdy plastic feel with the bottom component corresponding to the color of the liquid lipstick inside. The applicator itself is much different than anything I've seen at the drugstore with its tear drop shape and hollow center. However, it is reminiscent of the Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks or the YSL Volupte Tint-In-Oils to give you a reference. It is currently available at Ulta and Target and is slowly beginning to roll out into drugstores.

♥What are the claims made on this product?♥

According to the press release sent in the Maybelline Voxbox: "Maybelline's SuperStay Matte Ink provides highly pigmented color in a true matte finish for up to 16 hours of comfortable wear. Unique arrow applicator allows for precise application of liquid matte color."

♥How do they apply/wear?♥

When it comes to application, I like the pointed tip of the applicator as it allows you to create a smooth, sharp lip line if you do not have a lip liner on hand. However, the hole in the center does not allow the applicator to hold enough product and I found myself having to dip into the product four or more times for my relatively small lips. Also, the stickiness of the product seemed to cause a little bit of streaking in certain shades, but I was able to smooth it out with a few passes of the applicator (except in the case of the shade Believer).

After a few minutes of wear, the lipstick is noticeably more of a satin finish and has a slight stickiness to it, but it is nothing compared to the stickiness of the original Super Stay lipstick. It is actually very comfortable. Throughout the day, however, I do notice that these lipsticks become increasingly more matte to the point where there is no transfer whatsoever. In fact, these lipsticks are so budge-proof that if you do want to remove them, you will certainly need a makeup remover or oil to do so.

♥What are my overall thoughts of this product?♥

When Wet n Wild released their Liquid Catsuit Lipsticks, I think it really changed the game for the drugstore. Brands now had the challenge to create products that could best it or at least compete. While Wet n Wild's liquid lipsticks are still my number one because of their pigmentation, comfort, and affordability, these Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks are a close second. They are easy to apply, their pigmentation is buildable, and they last the best out of any liquid lipstick I've ever tried. I would highly recommend picking some of these up as long as you feel you can get past the initial stickiness of the product. If you can, I promise you it will be well worth it. Lastly, if I could add any critique, my hopes would be that Maybelline expands this line to include a better range of nudes that would flatter a wider range of skintones.

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Made it this far? Good! 'Cause you're in for a treat! It's been quite some time since I've hosted a giveaway, so what better way than to give one lucky person the ENTIRE Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick collection. You'll have even more shades than I do! To enter all you need to do is follow me on Instagram and tag a fellow makeup lover below on my Maybelline Super Stay post. The winner will be chosen randomly on August 7th. Good luck, beauty addicts!

XO♥

*Some of the products in this post were sent to me for review by Influenster and Maybelline, but all opinions are my own.

Juvia's Place 9-Piece Turquoise Brush Set - My Review & Experience

As of late, my desire to expand my makeup brush collection has fueled my curiousity of other brands. So when the Insta-famous Juvia's Place came out with a couple of very beautiful brush sets, I rushed over to their website to check them out.

I chose the turquoise brush set because it was the larger of the two, offered a wider variety of brushes, and I liked the overall look of the collection. As this is my very first purchase from the brand, I was not sure what to expect. If I had to mention a positive and a negative, I would say that the shipping was extremely fast, but they just threw the brushes loosely in the box with no extra packaging or even a packing slip. That didn't bother me too much, though, as what really matters is the quality and performance of the brushes.

Without further ado, let's get a closer look at the brushes and what they can do...

Juvia's Place Professional Tapered Brush

♥ Professional Tapered Brush - A large fluffy brush that comes to a very precise point. Perfect for bronzing, contouring, and applying/removing all-over face powder.

Juvia's Place Tapered Powder Brush

♥ Tapered Powder Brush - A smaller version of the previous brush. I really like using this to highlight my cheekbones, but it would also be useful for baking.

Juvia's Place Blending Contour Eye Brush

♥ Blending Contour Eye Brush - A standard fluffy blending brush. Great for laying down transition and crease shades.

Juvia's Place Angled Brow Brush

♥ Angled Brow Brush - As the name suggests, it is an angled brush. However, due to it's width, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to do winged eyeliner, but I do really like it to do my brows with.

Juvia's Place Brow Concealer Brush

♥ Brow Concealer Brush - A small, flat synthetic brush. Best used to carve out the brows, apply a lid shade, or to spot conceal.

Juvia's Place Pencil Brush

♥ Pencil Brush - A large dome brush that tapers to a point. This brush is great for precisely applying a defining crease shade as well as blending out the previous crease shade due to its unique shape. It is also good for applying shadow to the inner corner.

Juvia's Place Definer Brush

♥ Definer Brush - A short, dense shadow brush. I absolutely love brushes like these and believe everyone should have a few in their arsenal. This one from Juvia's Place is not as stiff as other ones that I own, but it can still get the job done for all the same purposes. It can be used for precise shadow placement (specifically if you're going for the halo eye look), for carving out the brows, and for smudging products on the lower lash line.

Juvia's Place Tapered Blending Brush

♥ Tapered Blending Brush - A slightly longer and more pointy version of the pencil brush. Allows for more precise application compared to a normal blending brush, while still diffusing out the color.

Juvia's Place Mini Blending Brush

♥ Mini Blending Brush - A thin, low-density blending brush. I have only recently began getting into these types of brushes. They are amazing for more intricate detail work, such as diffusing a cut crease or contouring the nose.


So that is the entire turquoise brush set from Juvia's Place. I wanted to give them a fair shot before I reviewed them, so I've been testing them out over the past couple of weeks. I do find myself reaching for them over some of my other brushes due to their softness and how easy they make my makeup application, which attests to their quality. The only real downside is that Juvia's Place does not offer the brushes individually, so if you want to try out specific brushes or stock up on just your favorites, that is not possible at the moment.

This brush set retails for $50, which breaks down to roughly $5.56 per brush.  However, if you use any of the numerous discount codes floating around social media, you will only pay $45 for the brush set, which brings the cost down to $5 per brush. Either way you're getting a massive deal.


XO♥