HAUL| Fall 2013 Back-to-School Makeup ♥

Hey everyone! I'm sorry that this post is late but I've been moving apartments and didn't have internet for the past couple of days. Just got it today and started to post this!

 I know a lot of schools have already started but I won't until next week so technically, this still applies (¬‿¬) ! If you already have your back to school look planned already, there are more days in the school year so you could still try out these products for different occasions ≧◠◡◠≦



For me, a nice complexion is key! With a little bit (or a lot!) of concealer and powder, you will look well-rested and a little closer to perfect :) Benefit released its "How to Look the Best at Everything" Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit, which definitely fits the bill! I got mine in medium but they also offer it in light and deep. I really like purchasing sets because you get to try out a variety of products without needing to commit to a full-sized product. It is also easier to carry around in your makeup bag with the small sizes. In this kit, you get everything you need to create a flawless face:
-a mini The POREfessional primer
- a mini Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow SPF 25 PA+++ foundation
- 2 different colored "Boi-ing" concealers in a compact see-through plastic case
- a mini "Hello Flawless!" Powder
-and a handy powder brush

(Picture taken from Sephora's Website)

So far, I really love the Boi-ing concealers and the "Hello Flawless!" powder. Since there are two shades (02 and 03), I can mix and match to create my perfect shade. It is creamy without being greasy, so it's perfect under the eye, on blemishes, and spots. The case is very compact so it doesn't take up more space than it needs to. Though I love pretty packaging, I can appreciate the utilitarian design. I'm a sucker for powder because I like using it to mattify my oily t-zone and give coverage. The powder gives me a nice, natural finish. I'm going to try using a puff and see if I can use it as a powder foundation. I've depotted the powder and put it into a Z-Palette for easier transport. The powder container is magnetized so you don't have to get extra magnets for it.

The POREfessional primer was okay. I think I'll have to test it out more to give a definite answer. The Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation was just not for me. It gave me a luminous complexion but I prefer a semi-matte or satin finish. I feel that within a couple of hours, it will just come off my combination skin. I think this foundation would be better suited to people with normal or dry skin. It is lightweight, which is perfect for school. I might give it a second try when the weather is a bit cooler and drier and see how my skin looks then (since right now, its still 90 something degrees everyday and NOTHING stays on my face but shine（`_ゝ´) !)

All the products come in a pretty box that you can reuse as a jewelery box (which I have done). I also like that it's bigger than the other box sets they used to do. It is very sturdy, so I like using it to hold things that I think will break during travel. Another cool feature is that it has a magnetic closure, so there is no fear of things falling out (unless you shake it very vigorously!) The box also has a useable mirror (4.375 in by 2.375 in or 11.1125 cm by 6.0325 cm). It doesn't stand up on its own though. The set also comes with some instructional cards on how to use the products, which is handy for makeup newbies.

(Picture taken from Sephora's Website)

I also got Benefit's "The Bronze of Champions" Total Bronze Kit for Eyes, Lips, and Cheeks. I recently got into bronzer so I am still in the process of finding one that I really like. So far, my favorite is still an ELF one that I got with their Spring 2012 collection (I'm sure it's in their regular collection too, but I'm not sure which one it is since the one in my palette doesn't have a name! >.<). This kit comes with the famous Hoola bronzing powder, Ultra Plush Lipgloss in Hoola, Watts Up! Soft Focus Highlighter for Face, Creaseless Cream Shadow in Bikini-tini, Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Thanks A Latte, and They're Real! Mascara.

My standouts from this set is the They're Real! Mascara, Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Thanks A Latte, and Hoola bronzing powder. The mascara is very black and gives the most amazing looking lashes! At first, I didn't see anything amazing with this mascara, but that was because I was applying it incorrectly (didn't know it was possible to apply mascara incorrectly, but it happens). Apparently, you are supposed to go in a upward zig zag motion but I has been just whacking it upwards, which made them really clumpy and spidery. Once I changed my application method, it was a dream come true. My lashes are volumized and lengthened beyond belief! They don't give me a false lash effect but they do give my short, sparse lashes a mega boost! They don't flake off or give me raccoon eyes. I haven't tested them completely in different temperatures and situations, but so far, I am sold. I am completely blown away by this and will most likely bite the bullet and pay the full price for it when I use up all my mascaras.

The Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Thanks A Latte is just your typical satin brown shade but those are my favorite colors to wear on my eyes. It gives me definition while brightening my eyes at the same time (does that make sense?) It reminds me of Maybelline's Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze but a little lighter.  Thanks A Latte is pigmented and creamy. No shadow lasts long on my oily eyelids but with primer, I get a solid 5 hours before I notice it creasing in the inner corners. I've depotted the shadow from the cardboard packaging and put it into my Z-Palette without needing any additional magnets. I like how Benefit's products are all magnetized so I don't have to buy magnets if I want to put them in a Z-Palette.

While I prefer my bronzers to be more on the brown dirt color side, the Hoola bronzer surprised me. It gives my face a warm glow but I have to be careful to not apply too much because it will make me look orange. It is matte and very pigmented; I lightly tap my brush in it about 3-6 times and that is enough for both cheeks. The brush that it comes with is also useable and very cute! I've also depotted this into my Z-Palette and the bronzer is magnetized.

I haven't tried the Watts Up! highlighter or the lipgloss. I'm not a fan of lipgloss and this comes in a brownish color so I think I might give it away to my mom or something. It is in a cute baby sized packaging. I'm also not much of a highlighter user because my face naturally has a glow on its own (thanks a lot combo skin), but I think it's a pretty champagne color. I also love the cute purple case!

Tarte is one of my favorite brands when it comes to eye products. I was looking around the Discovery Sale section of their website and stumbled upon their Waterproof Wonders set that contains two Amazonian clay liners and two Amazonian clay shadows and a dual ended liner and shadow brush. I love using gel or cream eyeliners because they seem to last for a long time without cracking or flaking like liquid liners tend to do. I love pencil liners because they are easy to apply but they usually crease and smudge on me. These liners do not transfer when they set, which is a major plus for me. The only thing I don't like is that they are shimmery. I am more of a matte liner girl but I guess it is a nice change for me.

Picture from Polyvore.com, From Left to Right: Plum Smoke, Seashell Pink, Shimmering Black, Shimmering Brown

The cream shadows are really pretty shades of pale pink and warm plum. I love wearing pinks and purples on my eyes so this set was perfect for me. They are satin finish which is my favorite finish for eyeshadows. I like how they brighten my eyes without looking garish. The only complaint is that they are a bit dry so it's hard for me to pick up product with my synthetic brush but they are still usable. I do like to layer a matching eyeshadow on top to lengthen their wear time on my oily eyelids.

I'm a little late to this, but I got two of the Maybelline Vivids lipsticks in Shocking Coral and Vibrant Mandarin. I normally do not gravitate towards lipsticks because I like long wearing lip products, but after seeing the colors and hearing so many of my favorite YouTubers taking about them, I succumbed to the pressure (╥﹏╥). I don't regret it because I am in love with these shades! I love rocking a bright lipcolor (though they do require a bit of extra work) when the weather is gloomier in fall and winter. Shocking Coral is a nice pink color on my lips. Vibrant Mandarin is like a orangey red on my lips. I love red and orange lipcolors so this is the best of both worlds! These lipsticks are soft but doesn't feel like they will slip around. Like the name, they are very bright and vibrant. Sometimes, I like to just dab them in the center of my lips (a la Korean gradient lips style) and it looks very sophisticated. I might go back and grab the Electric Orange color (≧◡≦).

Shocking Coral, taken from ULTA.com

Vibrant Madarin, taken from ULTA.com

Lastly, I grabbed a Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. Again, I am late to this party as well, but I have jumped on this bandwagon! This is a nice orangey red, which seems to be the trend for me these days. It is very moisturizing and pigmented! I like dabbing it and rubbing it in for a more natural look. It lasts a couple of hours if I don't eat but if I do, it fades naturally without giving me a weird patchy look. The packaging is pretty sleek with the quilted pattern and silver casing. It clicks when you close it, which is reassuring because I do not want this color to melt and smear all over my bag's contents. I don't know if I'll be grabbing any more colors (I have too many lip products!) but I am open to trying other colors if something catches my eye.

Picture taken from ULTA.com

And that's it for this post! Hopefully, this gives you an idea of what to look for when going back to school (makeup-wise, anyways). I can't wait to use these when I start school (I'm already loving them for summer)! Tell me if you would like a full review on any of the products I mentioned. If you have any Revlon Lip Butter recommendations for me, please don't hesitate to tell me down below!  Good luck and have a great school year!


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XOXO, 

MWAH ❤

P.S. I recommend checking Tarte's Discovery Sale section every once in a while because they have really good deals and sets sometimes. I'm still looking at the lock & roll 12-hour eyeshadow

creaseless cream & powder shadow duo in Rose Gold and Quartz but haven't made up my mind to buy them yet (I don't need more eye makeup >.<)

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were either given to me as a sample or gift with purchase or given to me by my friends and family.