It’s been awhile, I know! Sorry for my little leave of absence, I had a death in the family and traveled a little bit. I am back now, so I promise I will make up for it!

Today’s nail of the day is a beauty. Essie’s First Timer is part of their Resort Collection which they usually release every year around this time. I absolutely love this color! It is definitely a bright green, but it has turquoise undertones, making it different than any other polish I own. Upon first seeing it, I thought it was similar to Essie Mojito Madness (click HERE to see), but this is lighter, brighter, and more blue. I personally really like Essie’s formula, and this one was no exception. It applied well and wore for a few days before chipping. I also purchased In the Cabana from this collection, but I haven’t tried it yet. When I do, I’ll be sure to post a picture here on the blog or on Instagram (username: SimpleBeautyYT).

What’s your favorite green nail polish?

During the Chic Week sale at Sephora  a few weeks ago, I picked up two blushes from Illamasqua. (Click HERE to see the other items I purchased). I have always heard good things about Illamasqua, but had never given them a chance. Blushes and lipsticks are my favorite makeup items to buy, so while I had the 15% off coupon, I decided to buy Excite and Tweak blushes. Keep reading for swatches and comparisons.

Top: Tweak, Bottom: Excite

In the pan, Tweak looks like a pinky-coral, but on my skin it tends to lean a little red. I was on the fence about purchasing this one because I thought it was similar to something I already owned, but after swatching it, it is one of a kind in my collection. Excite is a bright orange, but has a slight pink undertone to it. These types of oranges tend to look great on women of color.

Illamasqua Tweak Applied Lightly

Illamasqua Excite Applied Lightly

When I was looking for swatches of these online before purchasing, I had a really hard time finding them on my skin tone and compared to some of the other blushes I own. For that reason, I decided to swatch these next to some similar shades so that you can get a better idea of how they look in person.

L-R: Illamasqua Tweak, NARS Liberte, Cargo Key Largo, MAC Fiery Impact

As you can see, none of the shades that I thought were similar are even close!

Illamasqua Excite, Cargo Laguna, Maybelline Coral Burst

As I expected, Excite is really similar to Cargo Laguna. Upon swatching they look almost identical. Excite may be a tad bit brighter. For some, Laguna is hard to find, so if you were interested in Laguna, Excite is another option. I still will be keeping both because I love orange blush and I like to have different shades to compare for you all.

Have you tried any Illamasqua products? What do you recommend from the line?

Items Mentioned:
Milani Eye Primer
Tarte Bronzer in Hotel Heiress
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel
MAC Ablaze Lipstick
MAC Half n’ Half Lipstick
Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Creamsicle
Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner
Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle!
Bath & Body Works Honeysuckle Candle
Patriot Candles Margarita Lime & Tequila Candle
Jewelmint Sorbet Thorn Necklace
My Fitness Pal iPhone/iPad App

Related Links:
Video Where I’m Wearing Ablaze
Milani Eye Primer vs Urban Decay Primer Potion
My Favorite Nude Lips (featuring Half n’ Half)
Curls in a Bottle Review
Jewelmint Invite*
Hautelook Invite*

What I’m Wearing in this Video:
Lips: MAC Sounds Like Noise
Cheeks: Cargo Rome

*Clicking this link may earn me credit towards future purchases.

Which products would you like to know more about?

On my last haul video, I mentioned a new eyeshadow primer that I decided to try, the Milani Eye Primer. As you probably already know, the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (UDPP) is my go-to eye primer. Prior to purchasing the Milani one, I had been using UDPP everyday (literally). Continue reading to see how the two primers measure up!

Round 1, Packaging: My version of UDPP is in the older packaging with a doe foot applicator, however now they come a squeeze tube similar to the Milani tube. The squeeze tube makes this product easy to get out and will allow all of the product to be used.
Winner: Both, no qualms about either one.

Round 2, Application: Both products have the consistency of a lotion when they come out of the tube, but quickly dry down when rubbed into the lids. I find it easier to apply the Milani primer with my fingertips than UDPP because UDPP feels a little slicker and tends to get everywhere. However, my preferred way to apply eyeshadow primer is with a brush (Sigma Precision Round P82*), and I can’t tell the difference in application with a brush.
Winner: Milani

L-R: Shadow with no primer, Shadow over Milani, Shadow over Urban Decay

Round 3, Performance: Both primers provide a good base for eyeshadow. They both increase the intensity of whatever shadow is put over it. Where they differ is in how long they keep shadows from creasing on my oily eyelids. I’m able to get about 10 hours of crease free wear with the Milani primer, whereas with UDPP, I only get around 8. Furthermore, when wearing UDPP on one eye and Milani on the other, my creasing is less evident on the Milani eye. Also, fading of my eyeshadow is less on the Milani eye. I was absolutely shocked at the results of this little experiment. I fully expected UDPP to out perform Milani. Winner: Milani

Round 4, Price: Milani retails for $6.49 for 0.3 ounces, UDPP retails for $20 for 0.37 ounces
Winner: Milani

Champion: Milani Not only is the Milani eye primer more cost effective, on my eyes it performed better. So for this Battle of the Brands, Milani Eye Primer wins hands-down!

Have you tried the new Milani Eye Primer yet? If so, what do you think?

*This post contains an affiliate link

Have you tried Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream? If you have, let us know how you like it and how you use it!

It’s that time of the year when I get hyped to pull out all my bright colors! This goes for clothing, accessories, and of course makeup! Today’s post is just to showcase the bright lippies that I’m so excited to wear in the upcoming seasons! Keep scrolling for pictures!

L-R: MAC Ablaze, MAC Betty Bright, NARS Lodhi, Wet n’ Wild 24 Carrot Gold, MAC Sounds Like Noise, MAC Ravishing, Revlon Coralberry

L-R: NARS Schiap, MAC Candy Yum Yum, Sephora Forever Fuchsia, Maybelline Vivid Rose, NARS Red Square

If you would like to hear my thoughts on each of these colors, check out the video below!

Related Posts:
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review
NARS Satin Lip Pencil Review
Candy Yum Yum Tutorial
Sephora Cream Lip Stain Review
My Favorite Nude Lip Combos

What lipsticks do you look forward to wearing this spring?

Let me know in the comments below if you would like a more detailed review of any of the items mentioned!

Finding the right nude lipstick can be a very daunting task for any woman. It can be even harder to find the right shade if you are of a deeper complexion because too light of a shade may make you look very scary! Please don’t walk out of the house looking like Tyrone Biggums (see above)!  In this post I will be sharing some of my go-to nude lipsticks that will work for many different skin tones. Keep reading if you are interested!

MAC Cozy Up Lipstick & Natural Flare Cremesheen

My first nude lip combo that will be featured is my absolute favorite! Unfortunately both of these products are no longer available (boo MAC!). Cozy Up is more of a coral toned nude lip that is great for darker skin tones. It is a matte lipstick, but it doesn’t seem to accentuate dryness on my lips like some other matte shades. I can wear this lipstick alone or top it with a gloss. Normally my topper of choice is Natural Flare Cremesheen Glass by MAC.

MAC Cozy Up

MAC Cozy Up & Natural Flare

If you were not able to get your hands on Cozy Up when it was available, don’t worry, my next combo is very similar.

MAC Kinda Sexy & Maybelline Luminous Latte

Kinda Sexy is very similar to Cozy Up, but is a touch more coral. On my skin tone I still consider this a nude. Like Cozy Up, is doesn’t overly dry out my lips even though it is a matte formula. I am able to wear Kinda Sexy on its own or topped off with Maybelline Luminous Latte.

MAC Kinda Sexy

MAC Kinda Sexy & Maybelline Luminous Latte

Next up is something a little more affordable, Rimmel Nude Delight.

Rimmel Nude Delight

If you have never tried the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks, you must! They are moisturizing (hence the name), but still very pigmented. Nude Delight is a beautiful peachy nude that I think will definitely work on any skintone. I’ve been told that this is a dupe for MAC’s Shy Girl lipstick, but I don’t own that one so I can’t say for sure. I never wear this with a gloss because it has enough sheen on its own.

Rimmel Nude Delight

Another lipstick that I don’t top with a gloss is Half N’ Half by MAC. This is my newest nude lipstick, but I have worn it a lot already. Like Nude Delight, its finish is slightly glossy, but still very pigmented. This is more of a mauve toned nude. When I purchased Half N’ Half, I was originally going to get MAC Blankety lipstick. After swatching them side by side, I decided that Half N’ Half was probably a better fit for my skintone. It is like the dark skinned sister of Blankety!

Mac Half N’ Half

MAC Half N’ Half

My last combo shows how you can tone down a too light lip color, by adding a darker gloss.

NYX Echo Lipstick & Buxom Isabella Gloss

NYX Echo is light brown-based nude lipstick. It is the lightest shade I’m featuring in this post, but still not so light that it makes me look like Tyrone! Whenever I wear Echo (or any lighter nude) I will add a darker gloss on top.

NYX Echo Lipstick

NYX Echo Lipstick & Buxom Isabella Gloss

Lipstick Comparison:

L-R: Cozy Up, Kinda Sexy, Nude Delight, Half N’ Half, Echo

Gloss Comparison:

L-R: Natural Flare, Luminous Latte, Isabella

I hope that this post is helpful for some of you ladies who are still searching for your perfect nude lip!

What are your favorite nude lipstick combinations?

L-R: Silly, Ablaze, Embrace Me

MAC Embrace Me

MAC Embrace Me

MAC Ablaze

MAC Ablaze

MAC Silly

MAC Silly

Video Swatches:

Do you plan on getting anything from this collection? What is the most appealing to you?