E.L.F. Cosmetics Baked Eyeshadow Palette: A REVIEW

hello beauties!
Today I'm going to review an baked eyeshadow palette that I got from ELF. The palette I got is called California. Elf has three other palettes in this series: NYC, Texas, and Seattle. California is a cool brown palette, NYC is warm blue palette, Texas is a warm brown palette, and Seattle is a cool blue palette.

My previous experience with ELF eyeshadows has been mixed. I didn't like their other palette, but I like their single eyeshadows. This palette is a prime example of this dilemma. I really love some colors because they are really pigmented and gorgeous. Other colors are pretty but not as pigmented. The other colors are bland and not pigmented at all.

I would say the best way to apply is with brushes because the pigmentation isn't as strong with brushes. It is fine to blend with brushes, but not the first application. 

The palette cost $10 which is cheap as eyeshadows go, but expensive for ELF. I think there are much better products from their line that are way cheaper! Their cream and liquid liners are great and so are their blushes. And those are about $1-$3. Because I didn't LOVE the palette, I think $10 isn't worth it for ELF. Maybe $5-$7 would have been fine.

Here are some pictures:

The middle, top one and the bottom right corner are my favorites!

Top Row

Bottom Row

As you can tell from the pictures, the shadows aren't super pigmented. They have a better color payoff on my eyelids however. And they have a lot of shimmer so in the light it works better.


Anyways, just because I don't LOVE this palette, doesn't mean you wont feel differently. Go try it out and let me know what you think! Did you love it? Did you hate it? Leave a comment below!


Thanks for reading!
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Kisses!
-Jodie

Back to School Blues: Balance Between Beauty and Budget

hello beauties!
Sorry I haven't been on in a while. I have been really busy working, packing, and moving into school. Comment below if you would like me to do a blog post about college, and mention what you want it to be about.

Today, I'm going to talk about how to save money when you're in school. This is mainly for people in college who probably don't have a job, but I also didn't make much money in high school so it could work for you guys too.

During the summer, I was always working and earning money. This means I could spend it on beauty products whenever I wanted, because the money would come back in another two weeks (I got paid biweekly). If a new product came out, I would be able to buy it. I could go into a drugstore and pick out 5 new nail polishes just for the heck of it. If I thought a lipstick was pretty, I'd buy it. If a beauty guru on YouTube raved about an item, I would buy it. I had little control when it came to products.

Now, I am at school with only the money in my bank account, and the little money my mom sends me every now-and-then. This means I'm not making any money, and when it's gone it's gone. 

I now have to carefully pick and choose what I NEED and leave behind the things I WANT.

Here is a list of things that I personally need to repurchase to keep my skin/body healthy:

• face wash
• moisturizer
• body lotion
• mouthwash
• toothpaste
• vitamins

With this being said, I also have a list of things that I don't NEED, but I won't leave the "house" without wearing:

• concealer
• eyebrow pencil/powder
• eyeliner
• mascara

If you are on a budget, these are the things that at most you should buy. If you want to treat yourself rarely, go for it, but for the most part, you shouldn't really buy too much stuff. And I do mean stuff. Like will you ever use that lipstick that is one shade lighter than another lipstick you already own? Probably not.

I'm not saying this list is for everyone, but it does work for me. It keeps me grounded. I know that when I'm spending this much on beauty supplies, and food, I won't be spending too much money.

I have spent more than I had and it was rough. First there was a fee for doing so. And then the wrath of my parents. My mom still brings it up to me and it happened over 5 months ago. I know now to watch what I spend.

I hope these tips are helpful to you!
Please leave a comment with cheap things you buy to still look good!


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Twitter, Instagram, Vine: jodiemartinn

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Thanks for reading!

I promise to write more soon.

Kisses!

-Jodie