Month: February 2019

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Blend Bible Vol 1 Palette Review

I’ll be doing a YouTube series on the basics of makeup. (Make sure you follow me so you don’t miss it!) It will start with understanding light and shadow, how that applies to shaping your face, dealing with hooded eyes, how to apply foundation, and more! Whether you want to just up your daily game or learn how to get those CRAZY good looks like you see on instagram, these principles are going to be the building blocks you need to get you on the right track.

Now to the review!

Fugly Beauty was good enough to send me this palette to review for you all, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! The palette aims to contain shades to aid in blending. This palette is the only one I know of with the goal of just being full of transition shades. So what does the palette look like?

Here are the nine shades inside of the palette. As you can see, everything was manufactured well and shipped securely so as not to break or become damaged.

You can see the texture of the makeup in the pans in this shot. The surface has a bit of a grain to it that helps it get loaded onto the brush.

The packaging is very bold and colorful. The palette is small enough to fit into my travel bag for an easy weekend look, and if you choose to keep the sleeve (I suggest you do) it will ensure it stays closed so no makeup accidents during travel!

The inside of the palette has a large mirror. The durable sleeve is pictured to the right.

As a standalone palette, this has a lot of potential. The colors are all warm based neutrals. As you can see from the finger swatches above, I have a light skin tone. There is not a shade in the palette that is either as light as my skin or lighter, which I would have liked. Being able to tap into a neutral light shade to tone done or blend other shades is a great way to blend. That being said, what it lacks in my preference of lighter shades it makes up for in many ways.

The formula does exactly what you expect: blend nicely! It’s buttery smooth. It performs as smoothly as professional brands I’ve used, and if you’ve seen my instagram, that’s a lot! It’s not quite as velvety as Jeffree Star’s line, but I prefer the Fugly Beauty palette to Anastasia of Beverly Hills palettes, whose formula tends to be too soft and leaves a lot of fallout.

As for transition shades, there are only a few I would not use as often. Shade #9, the deep mulberry wine color, is quite dark to be a transition. However, it makes a LOVELY crease shade. With its hint of color, it also ads interest and depth to a neutral smokey eye. Try using it to blend in with your deeper shadows on your next smokey look for extra oomph!

Overall impressions of the Blend Bible Vol I are positive! This is definitely something I would take with me while traveling. It has the potential to create an everyday look as well as an evening smokey eye all in one palette. With the absolutely MASSIVE mirror, it means that even when faced with crummy hotel mirrors, I can take this baby next to a window and have a great mirror to complete my look. This is a versatile palette that will help you up your blending game while also being a good standalone palette for many different looks. 

  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Here is the look I created using @fuglybeauty 's #blendbiblevol1 ! Look at the gorgeous transitions! I used @menageriecosmetics Dragon Child palette for the pops of color. Highly recommend! Details below: * * * * Lips: Pretty by @milanicosmetics Face: @toofaced foundation @tartecosmetics blush @nyxcosmetics highlight Brows: @anastasiabeverlyhills dip brow Lashes: @hudabeauty in Samantha * * * * #ad #hudalashes #hudalashessamantha #fuglybeauty #indiemakeupandmore #indiemakeup #indiecosmetics #menageriecosmetics #undiscoveredmuas #milanicosmetics #anastasiabeverlyhills #ohiomua #militaryspouse #beautyofthegeek #militarymua #makeupinfluencer #makeupreview #palettereview
 
A post shared by  Amber | Makeup & Geekery 🤓💄 (@ambertheblog) on

So what do you think of the palette? Have you tried it?

Be sure to follow me on instagram for regular palette and beauty reviews!

Until next time!

"XOXO, Amber" in hand-styled script
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The AMAZING Skin Solution that takes LESS than Five Minutes

You may have seen my recent video on my instagram, but just in case, I’ll make sure I share it below. In the video, I do a (sped up) version of my nightly routine. While I recorded it, including extra time spent showing off the products, it was actually UNDER five minutes, and that included removing my makeup! WOW! I was absolutely amazed.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more on that, check here.

Products Used:

  1. Facial Cleanser by Instanatural – use the cleanser as directed. If you need a little extra makeup removing power, add a little extra virgin olive oil in with your cleanser. (TRUST me!!!) Wash away!
  2. Toner – Vitamin C by Instanatural – depending on the toner, the directions may differ, but generally, you want to shake the product, dispense into either your palms or on a cotton round, and pat it gently onto the face. Toner is so important to your facial routine. But it won’t give you the benefits if you don’t have the right product (avoid alcohol at all costs!) and don’t use it at the right step. Toner is done after cleansing to adjust the PH balance of skin back to where it should be. This allows the products you’re about to put on your face to actually do the work they are supposed to. If your toner makes your skin feel “tight,” most likely, it is just a drying agent and not a balancing one, and that is a HUGE NO NO!
  3. Serum – Vitamin C by Instanatural – the serum is the powerhouse of your nightly routine. It is the agent that delivers the compact, concentrated nutrients that help your skin. I love the vitamin C serum because how it helped reduce my redness and in general, evens my skin tone! You might want a different serum depending on your skin goals and needs, but if you’re new to skincare, you can’t go wrong with this one! (And the smell is simply YUMMY!)
  4. Roller by Witty – I love using my roller! Not only does it just feel awesome, but it also helps me save money! Seriously. I can get away with just a few DROPS of my serum when I use my roller because none of it gets soaked into my fingertips! (To be fair, in the video, I use more because instagram.) It is also great for helping with cystic acne. Pop that baby in the fridge and apply it to any inflamed areas to reduce swelling. It also works great for reducing morning puffiness.
  5. Night cream by Instanatural – after you’ve applied your serums, the cream is going to be the protective layer that keeps your skin hydrated and helps you to absorb the nutrients from the serums while you sleep. I had the pleasure of being taught how to give yourself a spa facial by a premier aesthetician, and it makes such a difference. I’ll be able to do a video on that later, but for now, when you apply lotion, only dispense it on your fingertips. Your fingertips absorb product the least, which means it will last longer and most of it will go on your face where it belongs. Tap your fingers together until you have an even amount on each fingertip (sans thumbs). Then, gently tap the product all over your face until it is evenly absorbed. It helps to stimulate circulation as well as prevents aging by eliminating unnecessary tugging. Plus, it just feels nice!

I’ve been using Instanatural since 2017 when a friend introduced it to me (Thanks, Savannah!). It’s made in Orlando, and I admit, this FL girl loves that! (Plus, I feel like it’s genuine Florida citrus in these products!) The products are clean, not tested on animals, and actually work.

No filter, no editing, just my face, half brows and all!

If you’re wondering if these will work for your skin, I’ll share what skin hurdles I have and how these have helped. First, my skin is combination. I have patches that are usually oily and patches that are sometimes dry. I also have random breakout (usually coinciding with my cycle) and have hyper-pigmentation, where the skin is perpetually red after a breakout in the past. Even though I have rarely broken out since high school, my skin retains the redness of each one for months, sometimes years! I also have sensitive skin that gets easily irritated and inflamed. I have the best experience with my skin when I regularly do this nightly routine. During the day, I also use Instanatural day cream and sunscreen if it is in the summertime. I exfoliate as needed, which is usually every 1 – 2 weeks. Also, I have found that drinking lots of water makes a big difference, too!

So tell me – what works for your skin? What products do you love? Try this easy nightly routine; I’d love to hear your results!