Pammy Blogs Beauty: December 2010





Friday, December 31, 2010

Wet n' Wild Holiday Palette: Snow Sprite (review)





Hello beauties!

I know, I know...just when you thought I had finished reviewing the Wet n' Wild Color Icon Holiday Palettes, I finally stumbled upon the only palette that I had not reviewed nor purchased at Walgreen's! So, yep, had to pick it up to test out and review for ya'll! I mean, it was the only one on display and I had regretted not buying it earlier (especially since I have read that there are some MAC dupes in this one!).

So, this review is for the Wet n' Wild Color Icon Holiday Palette in Snow Sprite. My previous Wet n' Wild Holiday palette reviews include: Night Elf, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Golden Goddess. So, yes, now I have the complete set! What a fantastic collection!



On to the review! Here's the scoop:

  • This kit contains a palette with 6 Shadows and a tiny silver pencil liner. I did not include the pencil liner in the photo as, honestly, I just don't use it. I find WnW's liners to generally be too hard. But, this kit did include the little mini liner. 
  • These shadows are highly pigmented! As you can see from the swatches, just a few swipes gives you great color payoff. 
  • These shadows have a wonderful soft texture (but are somewhat powdery). This makes them very easy to blend. The shadow apply very well. 
  • This palette is packed with shimmery, glittery, and metallic finishes. While this might be a negative for some people, I personally love glittery shadows! Especially for the holidays. So, I think the sparkly finishes are perfect for a holiday-themed palette! But, yes, I do reach for other more matte shadows in my collection to pair with these shades to create a more dimensional look (like, MAC Vanilla). 
  • As always, I suggest using these shadows over an eyeshadow primer (like UDPP) to get the best color payoff and wearablilty.
  • Wearing this palette makes me "feel like a Mermaid", lol! Seriously, these are all sea-colors to me! 
  • I feel these colors worked very well with my cool skin tone and blue eyes. I do have to be careful applying some of the green shades (green is not typically a color I wear) but when paired with the blue, they look great. 
  • Some standout shades: The navy blue is amazing! It applies like a blue/black and has very pretty blue micro shimmer. Gorgeous! Love this as a liner and for darkening the outer v. The light blue and silver look amazing on the lids. Actually, the light blue and the silver look *very* similar to each other. I use the lighter green shades to blend out the look. But, generally, I use the blue side of this palette much more. For me, this little palette is worth it alone for the gorgeous navy blue color. I LOVE that shade! 
  • Like all the Wet n' Wild Color Icon Holiday palettes, you are getting a fantastic deal and great quality for only $4.99. Not to mention the fact that these frequently are on sale for 50% off! If you happen to stumble across the holiday palettes, I would certainly suggest picking some up! These won't be available much longer (if you can even find them). 
  • MAC dupes? Apparently the dark navy blue and the dark green shades are close dupes for MAC's mineralized shadow duo in She Who Dares. Now, I don't have that particular duo, so I can't compare myself. But, have seen pictures online and they do certainly look like close dupes to me. 
All-in-all, I really love this palette! I highly recommend all of the palettes from this Wet n' Wild Color Icon Holiday collection (with the exception of passing on the Golden Goddess one if you are very cool toned). You get a great value for a very low price! So, this *officially* concludes my Wet n' Wild Holiday 2010 palette series reviews because I now have all of them. Which WnW palette do you love the best? 




Holy Sale! Select items 50-75% off at CVS!



Happy New Years lovely readers!

Just a quick post today to alert you to a major sale at CVS!!! Many of you have probably heard already, but I thought I would post this anyway along with a picture of what I picked up! Many items from Revlon, Maybelline, Almay, Cover Girl, L'Oreal, and Physician's Formula were on sale at my local store. I did show restraint though, lol, and only bought items that I had really been wanting to try anyway (I find that random purchases are usually the ones that you regret!).

So, head on over to your local CVS and check it out!

Here is what else I picked up today:





Yes, it is one of those doughnut bun thingies (from Sally's). Tonight we are going to a dinner party. The top I am wearing pretty much requires an up-do. So, I bought one of these today. Wish me luck trying to figure out how to use it! :)



On another note...this is the last day to enter my giveaway!!! So, go ahead and enter if you haven't already. I will tabulate all the entries on the form and randomly choose a winner. Winner will be announced within the next couple of days. So, stay tuned!!!

Love to you all!!! Hope you all have a Happy New Year!


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Sephora & Shopbop debut Sephora Collection Palette with a NYC launch party



Hello there lovely readers! Can you believe it is almost New Years???

Just had to share with you some great photos from the latest NYC Sephora/Shopbop Launch Party! Sephora & Shopbop debuted the  Sephora Collection Palette Color Play 5 in 1 limited-edition palette with a NYC launch party. No, I was not lucky enough to attend, but was emailed the photos to share with ya'll on my blog! You NYC girls have it so lucky being able to attend these fun events!!!



The party-goers had to trek over ice and snow this past Tuesday night to attend the launch party. But once they were there, they were pampered with complimentary makeovers and beauty tips from Sephora Makeup Artists. Looks like a fun event! Champagne, Make-overs, and beauty-tips...sounds like my kind of party! Seriously, Sephora and Shopbop....ya'll should bring the next party to Atlanta!!!







The Sephora Collection Palette Color Play 5 in 1 limited-edition palette is a collaboration between Shopbop and Sephora. The palette was inspired by Shopbop's "Faces of Fashion" look book which launched yesterday on shopbop.com.




I can't wait to see the Sephora Collection Palette Color Play 5 in 1 limited-edition palette in person! It is a large palette with 5 sub-palettes inside that can be removed and inserted into a compact (how cool!). Each subpalette contains a complete "look" with eye, lip, and cheek color. I don't know about ya'll, but I LOVE my big palettes...but, that's just it. They are too big for travel. The idea that you can snap out your "look" and take it with you is pretty darn genius! Can't wait to try this!

Hope you all enjoyed reading! 





Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A new Giveaway for you! Win a $40 Gift Certificate sponsored by CSN *closed*stores.com!!!


Hello there my lovely readers! I am so excited to announce a new giveaway for a $40 Gift Certificate from CSN!!!

The folks over at CSN.com recently contacted me with an offer to sponsor a giveaway here on my blog. So, after checking out their various websites first (to see if there was anything y'all might like), I decided to post this giveaway for you readers!!!

Here are just a couple of the handbags that I found on luxebycsn.com that I would love to have! (But, if you are the winner...you could use your gift certificate towards anything you like from CSNstores.com! There are tons of sites to choose from!)

This would be such a cute tote bag for work!


A great slouchy bag! 

The low-down:
  • This giveaway is for a $40 Gift Certificate that is good at any CSNstores.com website.  The $40 does not include shipping charges.
  • Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (CSN sites only ship to the US and Canada). 
  • CSN offers over 200+ websites to choose from! CSNstores websites sell a wide variety of items from handbags (yay! I know that is what I would use a gift certificate for!), shoes, and luggage; to modern furniture, kitchen items, and home decor. You will have plenty to choose from!
  • I will choose the winner randomly! :) So be sure to fill out the form below if you would like to be entered in the giveaway!
  • This giveaway will close on Fri January 14th. Winner will be announced a few days after giveaway closes. 

The Rules:
  • You must follow my blog through Google Friend Connect.
  • Please fill in the form below with your Google Friend Connect name (I will verify if you are a follower of my blog), your name, and your email address (only I will be able to view your email address so that I will be able to contact you if you win). 

Good luck!!! Thanks for entering!!!

This is a sponsored giveaway from CSN
Please fill out this form:

e.l.f. giveaway at Fashioned in Finland



Hello there readers!

Just a quick post to link you to a giveaway at one of my favorite blogs: Fashioned in Finland. Nea is giving away the 100 palette from e.l.f.! If you haven't had a chance to check out Nea's blog, you must! She has an amazing blog!!!


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Setting up a "Vanity" area! (Sans Vanity, lol!)...and the hunt for a Vanity Table

Hello there my lovely readers!

The more I move forward with beauty-blogging, the more that I have realized that I need some "personal space" to do so! I mean, its not just a beauty-thing or a blogging-thing, but I think that all of us girls need our own "space". Its just nice! I mean, the men get their "man caves" and "offices"...we get beauty areas! :)

I have always wanted a "Vanity" in my home, but we are pretty tight on space with living in a home in an urban area. Well, blogging has motivated me to "find some room"! :) And, my Mom gave me an amazing Conair Vanity Light up Mirror for Christmas. So, what can I say? I was motivated today!!!

With the expenditure that was Christmas, it might be another month or so before I am able to purchase a Vanity table, but figured I could go ahead and work with things I already have in the basement! So, I
"shopped my basement" and got creative! :) I spent a few hours today getting this all set up today and couldn't resist sharing some photos with ya'll!!! This is all set up in our spare bedroom that we weren't really using anyway. Sweet! My own spot! I LOVE it already. :) I can now keep all the items that I need to photograph, test, and review organized! :) Yay!!!

Okay, first of all...here is what I am looking at as far as vanity tables. If any of you guys have one of these, please let me know how you like it!!!

From IKEA:

LOVE this one. Probably my fav. 
I am a fan of clean lines. Sleek and Uncomplicated. LOVE!

This one is great too! Especially since it is less expensive...
and I don't really need it to have a mirror. 


This one is probably the best deal (so, I will likely get this one)...
With a coupon, right around $100. Plus, that includes the bench.
And, I like the fold away mirror and drawers. 
Not as "Sleek" as Ikea, but practical and affordable. 

So, here is the actual space that I have set up now! :) Pretty good considering this is all stuff found in my basement! 

 The basics....a chair, wicker storage, small table
and a couple lamps. 

You can see it all a little better without the Chair. When I get my 
Vanity Table it will go here with the wicker basket to one side
(and I would totally spray paint the wicker storage unit white...
yes, I love gettin crafty!) 

A close up! And, lol, you can see my "Pammy Blogs" notepaper 
that I had made. I needed something cute to include when adding 
a personal note with my giveaways! ;) This is where I will be swatching 
and snapping photos! The lighting is great in this room! 



Plenty of space to store items that I am testing! :) 

Just a "sneak peek" for ya'll, so you will 
know whats coming for reviews!!! 
Fun Stuff!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading and looking at these photos! It will be fun shopping around for a Vanity! :) Yay!!! 


















Urban Decay "Book of Shadows Vol. III" (pic heavy)



Urban Decay Book of Shadows III: UD <3 NYC Review

Hello readers! I am so happy to finally be reviewing this *amazing* palette! This palette came to me through a giveaway from Officially Superficial, and let me tell ya'll...I am *loving* this palette!!! Whenever I want to go out in the evenings, or really want a stand-out or dramatic look, this is what I reach for!!!

Also, I must say, this is my first review featuring photos from my new iPhone with an HDR camera! I am so excited about this as the photos are so much more vivid than in previous blog posts and the colors are showing true-to-life! Yay!!! Can ya'll tell the difference in photo quality? I had so much fun shooting these photos and doing a ton of swatching. Also, another change...I am now swatching with q-tips (don't know why I never did this before-previously I have used my clean fingertips)...but, I just feel the q-tips are more sanitary and display the colors more like how you would actually apply them.

Okay, now, on to the review!


Look at these amazing colors! Wow, vivid!!!

The low-down:
  • This kit contains 16 eyeshadows, 2 small-medium sized eyeliners, and one mini Primer Potion. 
  • The palette itself is a work of art! Definitely a palette for the collector or makeup enthusiast. I mean, this palette literally *lights up*! While the artwork, pop ups, and light-up effects are totally unnecessary, it certainly makes this palette unique and a stand-out piece. You will WANT to display this on your vanity (if only I had one, lol!). 
  • The pan size of the eyeshadows is very generous. You are going to get plenty of shadow here ladies!
  • The shadows themselves are a mix of finishes, but generally leaning towards bold colors and glitter/shimmer. Your only matte shade here is the black Perversion (the others are all satin, metallic, or glitter). If you love to experiment with color, you will LOVE this palette! Some have complained about the glittery finishes from this palette, but honestly...when I think glitter, I think Urban Decay. So, I am down with that. 
  • The quality of these eyeshadows is just amazing!!! Urban Decay is one of my "gold standard" eyeshadows for good quality. You really won't find any shadows out there with better overall quality than Urban Decay, IMHO. The pigmentation is just amazing!!! The texture is beautiful! These just glide right on and blend like a dream. Be careful with application of glittery shades as you really have to tap these on to minimize fall out. But, these are also beautiful shades! 
  • I honestly am surprised with how frequently I use this palette. I am generally a neutrals shadow girl, but am amazed at how "wearable" the colors are in this palette! What a pleasant surprise!!! 









These are all swatched on unprimed skin.
You can see the glittery shades had some fall out.

The Shadows: I won't go into descriptions of each individual shadow, but I will describe my favorites from this palette as there are some real stand-out shades here! 
  • Perversion: A great matte black. Probably one of the blackest blacks that I have used!
  • Rockstar: Possibly one of my fav eyeshadow shades ever. Seriously!!! I love this and this color is often the reason I reach for this palette. Who knew a deep purple could wear so neutral!!! This is just the most gorgeous shade in the crease. Absolutely love this. Looks amazing on! I can take pretty much any daytime eyeshadow look from day-to-night by adding some of this in the crease. You can also create a lovely smoky purple look with this! 
  • Last Call: Beautiful plummy purple color. Looks amazing when paired with Rockstar and love it with my blue eyes. 
  • Money: This is another unique shade. A beautiful light blue-green shade with a lovely metallic finish. Looks lovely on the lids. 
  • Smog: Beautiful metallic coppery brown (is also in the Naked palette, great color!)
  • Radium: A very bold medium blue. I love this to line the lower lashes with a neutral lid. Very bold!!!
  • Snatch: Glittery metallic pink. Love this on the lids. Tip: tap on to help avoid fall-out. 
  • Suspect: Rich metallic medium brown. I love this on the lid. 
Last but not least: The 24/7 Liners and the mini Primer Potion!!! 

These 24/7 liners have quickly become my fav pencil liners!!! They glide on effortlessly and wear all day! LOVE these. Ransom is a deep purple and Zero is a rich black. Honestly, the only thing that wears better than these pencils are potted gel liners. I will certainly be buying more 24/7 liners when I run out of these! All my other pencil eyeliners are "feeling neglected" since I have started using UD 24/7 liners! ;)

Hope you enjoyed the photos, swatches, and the review! I totally love this palette. I was amazed with how I could create not only standout and vivid "going out looks" with this palette, but also surprisingly "neutral"/wearable daytime looks. You get great quality with these amazing products! What a great value with this set, too! It retails for about $54, but when you consider how much product you get (and the cost of individual UD shadows, liners, primer potion)...not too bad! I mean, yes it is steep, but great products!

This is certainly a must-have for any collector or anyone who loves bold-yet surprisingly wearable colors! What do you readers think of this palette? Anyone else loving this palette as much as I am? I am certainly looking forward to more Book of Shadows sets from Urban Decay as this is my very first one! Thanks for reading!!!








Monday, December 27, 2010

Cherry on Top Award! :)


Hello Lovely Readers!

I am so excited that my little-blog-that-could got this cute award! :)

I am having so much fun blogging...and the best part is connecting with my amazing readers!

The idea here is for me to thank who gave me the award, tell you guys a bit about myself, and pass on this award! There are so many blogs that I love...and I wish I could award all of you...and some of you I have already awarded here (and you ya'll know who you are and that I *heart* you!). So, here it goes!

#1: Thank you so much to Joann at Lucky Duck Loves for giving me this award!!! XOXO to you Joann!!!

#2: Copy Award: Done, see above! :) Too cute! And...I love cupcakes. Perfect!

#3: 3 things that I like to do: Read, Write, and Shop! Hence...the general theme of my blog!

#4: Send this Award to 5 Blogs: These are all AMAZING blogs!!! I read these beautiful girl's blogs every day; so, please head on over and check out their awesome blogs!

Sending lots of love to all you ladies with this award!!! 

Thanks for reading! And, thanks again to Joann who made me smile with this lovely award!





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