BFTE Sample Sale swatches

 I know I just posted a BFTE Cosmetics swatch post recently but I just received these today and couldn't wait to share them. xD

This is my order from their sample sale last weekend; I hadn't actually officially ordered since last March (gasp!) so I definitely had to take advantage of this sale! I also took the opportunity to redeem the prizes I won from posting looks to their page for their 365 contest. (RIP 365.. I guess there won't be a contest this year. You were fun while you lasted.♥)

On to the swatches! Please click to view in full detail!

Full size jars I got free from the 365 contest! (Sample bags were also swatched for comparison.)

Flash, left to right: Princess, Unleashed, Cool Mist, Splash, Glimpse, Rogue, Poison Ivy, Kiss The Frog.

No flash: Poolside (for comparison), Princess, Unleashed, Cool Mist, Splash, Glimpse, Rogue, Poison Ivy, Kiss The Frog, Secret Garden, Sassafras (added for comparison).

 Descriptions:

-Princess: Light frosty pink with a tiny hint of peachiness to it.

-Unleashed: Pale frosty seafoam, more green than Poolside.

-Cool Mist: Light frosty grey-green with a hint of sparkle. Reminds me a little of Journey but much less metallic and sparkly.

-Splash: Light blue with light green sheen. (This was a limited color from a few months ago, it's not on the site anymore.)

-Glimpse: A metallic antique gold. (Sorry, my color description skills don't extend past that simple description lol. It's really pretty though!)

-Rogue: A shimmery rusty-copper with blue sparkles! (Another limited color that's not on the site.)

-Poison Ivy: An olivey green with gold shimmer, so gorgeous! (Another limited color that's not on the site.)

-Kiss The Frog: A matte greenish-brown, a very nice earthy tone. Makes me think of forests from some epic story like LOTR or something. (Random, I know lol.)

-Secret Garden: A metallic greenish goldish brownish color, similar to Sassafras but slightly more brown.

Closeup of Secret Garden and Sassafras; pretty close but SG is more brown and Sassafras is more green.

Samples #1, yellows and browns..

With flash: Clara, Spirit, Myan, Long Way Down, 9 to 5, Golden Age, Pumped.

No flash.

 Descriptions:

-Clara: A light yellow-gold with shimmery sparkles. I want to swatch it with Guipure to see how it compares but I think Clara might be brighter and a tad less glittery. I love this color ♥

-Spirit: Saw this on the site a while ago and was intrigued; it's a lightly frosty yellow-tan with pale aqua sparkles. Pretty unique shade.

-Myan: Oh my gosh. Why oh why didn't I get this color sooner? It's the most gorgeous bright metallic yellow-gold you can imagine. I should have gotten a full jar. I shall get a full jar. It's so gorgeous. ♥♥

-Long Way Down: BFTE's site calls it a "camel brown" and I guess that's accurate. Kind of caramel-y; applied a bit darker to my arm but that might be because of the lotion I rub on my skin. Really nice matte neutral, would look amazing on blue eyes!

-9 to 5: BFTE's site says "Dark nude brown with pink undertones and slight sheen", which is pretty accurate, although I guess the combination of brown and pink makes this color appear quite red to me. Really nice unique color. The words "slight sheen" are music to my ears :)

-Golden Age: A sparkly antique gold that pulls more orangey brown than green. To me it even seems to have a tinge of pink to it. Super pretty, one of my favorites in this whole batch.

-Pumped: To me this color seems like a metallic coppery brown that leans a little cooler, like taupey, but still manages to stay on the warm side. (Not sure if that makes sense, I'm making this up as I go lol.)

No flash, closeup of Long Way Down, 9 to 5, Golden Age and Pumped.

Samples #2, blues and a random green...

With flash: Tinker, Breeze, Faded, Blue Pacific, Blue Bayou, Message in a Bottle.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Tinker: A light matte periwinkle blue.

-Breeze: Pale frosted baby blue, looks almost metallic.

-Faded: From the Denim and Lace collection, this color is like faded blue jeans. A midtone bluish grey with a slight sheen. Very smooth and silky.

-Blue Pacific: A super sparkly, sheer bright blue.

-Blue Bayou: A midtone aqua blue with low shimmer.

-Message in a Bottle: A matte, deep green. Really does remind one of antique dark green glass bottles. 

Samples #3: Peaches and pinks...

With flash: Meow, Peachy, Single Girl, Chenille, Dusty Rose, Aruba.

No flash.

 Descriptions:

-Meow: BRIGHT light peachy orange color. The camera didn't even capture how bright this color looks.

-Peachy: Frosty pinky-peachy color.

-Single Girl: Midtone matte melon, pretty!

-Chenille: Beautiful light shiny delicate pink.

-Dusty Rose: Rosey neutral, shimmery but not glittery. Really pretty.

-Aruba: Pink-toned brown, like brown clay. Matte. More brown than Single Girl.

Samples #4: Purple and pink..

With flash: Thistle, Simply Me, Royalty, Lollipop Kid, Hope Lives.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Thistle: Warm-toned pale frosty lavender.

-Simply Me: Light violet with visible blue sheen.

-Royalty: Dark blue-toned purple with some silver sparkles.

-Lollipop Kid: Shimmery magenta purple.

-Hope Lives: Midtone candy pink, almost matte with some slight sheen and pink sparkle. Very silky and pigmented.

And finally, the rest of my 365 prize full jars. These are colors I already had samples of but loved the color and needed full jars.♥

After I took the sticker seals off and tapped a little into the lids to swatch. (I didn't have enough brushes clean for all these colors so I just used my fingers.)

With flash: Grape, Spank Me, Melon, Envy, Cornflower.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Grape: Perfect midtone purple.

-Spank Me: Dark burgundy with slight metallic sheen.

-Melon: Bright melon, almost matte with slight hot pink sheen.

-Envy: Medium bright shimmery green with some sparkle. Nice shade, not too warm or too cool.

-Cornflower: Perfect lightly frosty baby blue.♥

Yay for giant hauls! Haha. I seriously have so much eyeshadow, I don't know if I'll ever use it all but I'm going to try. Part of the fun for me is doing these swatches and compiling a library for people to use as a reference when shopping for that perfect color.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these swatches! You can also find them on my Facebook page, plus many more swatches from BFTE Cosmetics and other brands too.

Thanks for reading!

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow...

It's with bittersweet feelings that I announce the farewell of my beloved blog, Makeup Junkie. It's hard to believe I started MJ 6 years ago. I can still remember sitting at my computer and publishing my first post and feeling bright-eyed and optimistic about belonging to the beauty blogging world. The countless people I've met, boxes and boxes of products I've tried, tested, and stashed, the awesome press mentions and the events I've been able to attend will forever be apart of my life and I am truly, truly, grateful.

Each and every one of you that I've met, become friends with, and conversed with virtually will remain near and dear to my heart always. It's been a blast being able to share my love of beauty with so many. Thank YOU the readers who take time out of your day to read this wee lil' blog. Without you, my addiction to makeup would seem pointless! I adore you and will be forever touched by the support you have given me over the years. Thank you to the many amazing PR reps who have generously fed my love of beauty products. Trust me, I will miss being able to try all the newest launches but even I know there comes a time when all good things must come to an end.

I had no idea where Makeup Junkie would take me or where I would take MJ, but that has been the fun of writing this blog. I feel like you've watched me grow from a young, wide-eyed beauty blogger girl and blossomed into this confident, drop-dead-sexy WO-MAN...NOT! Joking aside, I've definitely changed over the years which is why I've made the decision to close this chapter of my life. Why now at the start of a new year? It just feels right and I finally feel ready. It's crossed my mind over the last couple of years, but more so in the last month. I've decided to refocus my energy on spending more quality time with my husband and 2 boys and putting more time into my makeup career and other new ventures.

You'll still be able to catch me writing about beauty on my personal makeup artist blog, The Joy Of Makeup and on Glow Canada so do stop by and say "hi"! And I'll still be on Twitter so holla and follow me on Instagram - I finally ditched the Crackberry!

Again, many many thanks for sharing your beauty addictions with me and letting me share mine with you! Thank you for making my life richer and fuller. May 2013 and beyond bring you lots of love, happiness and very many pretty things! Farewell my Makeup Junkies!

Hugs,
Joy a.k.a. THE Makeup Junkie

Benefit Cosmetics Kit Power!

Happy New Year Makeup Junkies! Benefit Cosmetics is starting 2013 just right with these absolutely gorgeous kits exclusively available at Sephora! From sultry eyes to glowing skin, there's definitely something for all your beauty needs. 

I'm a huge fan of Benefit and I've tried almost all their products. These kits do not disappoint. The World Famous eye kits are so wearable you really can't go wrong. You have the option of layering the creaseless cream shadows with the longwear powder shadows or wearing them on their own. Lets not forget about the countless looks you can create. There are a good mix of shimmery and matte shades so it will carry you from day to night. Easiest Nudes Ever is a good basic kit, Glamorous Nudes Ever is nice for going more bronzey, and Sexiest Nudes Ever has nice plum shades for when you want to kick up a neutral eye a notch. 

The All-Star Kits are Benebabe helpers because everyone can use a little help here and there. I love the deluxe travel sizes they come in because they fit so perfectly in my makeup bag or kit. If you're new to the brand, these are great sample kits to try. Primping With The Stars contains products that focus on giving you an overall polished look that will last all day. Do The Bright Thing will help enhance your eyes while giving you the most gorgeous glow. The Bronze of Champions will give your winter pale skin some life by adding warmth to the skin. 

1. Benefit World Famous Neutrals: Easiest Nudes Ever ($36 CAD)

2. Benefit World Famous Neutrals: Most Glamorous Nudes Ever ($36 CAD)

3. Benefit World Famous Neutrals: Sexiest Nudes Ever ($36 CAD)

4. Benefit Primping With The Stars ($38 CAD)

5. Benefit Do The Bright Thing ($38 CAD)

6. Benefit The Bronze of Champions ($38 CAD)

What Benefit kit are you lusting after? 

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them. 

Some recent looks :)

 This is an update with a few makeup looks I haven't posted yet; I think I mentioned the computer issues I've been having, and that extends to pictures. I got a new used laptop this past weekend but in the transfer process, everything I'd saved on my harddrive since August was erased, including all my makeup pictures. :( I've managed to find some here and there on my sister's laptop and my camera card (thank goodness I don't erase my cards right away!) so it's not a complete loss. I just wanted to get these posted before something else happens, lol!

Now, on to the looks! (Please click for max detail!)

This was my look for Christmas day, a green/gold semi-smokey cat eye and bright red lip.

Products:

Face/Cheeks:

-Belleme BB Cream in Ivory

-mark. Powder Buff in Nude

-Darling Girl Cosmetics blush in Cherry Bomb

-BFTE Cosmetics' Butt Naked as highlighter

Eyes:

-Lime Crime Makeup Candy Eyed Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer

BFTE Cosmetics shadows in:

-Sassafras (outer lid)

-Autumn (inner lid)

-Ornamental (tearduct)

-Butt Naked (highlight)

-Urban Decay Naked Basics palette in crease (Think I used Naked 2 and Faint)

-MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack for winged liner

-Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Lips:

-NYX lipliner pencil in Hot Red

-Wet N' Wild MegaLast lipstick in Stoplight Red

-mark. Glow Baby Glow Hook-Up gloss in Blow Kisses (opaque red)

I left my brows naked, lol. I didn't have tons of time to do makeup since we traveled to another state for lunch with family, but my Aunt told me twice how much she loved my red lips. Later on I also added Lime Crime Makeup's Carousel Gloss in Candy Apple which added a gorgeous glossy shine and a sparkling ruby finish. Love it♥

This was a quick look I did to go out for sushi with my family on Saturday.

Products:

Face/Cheeks:

-Belleme BB Cream in Ivory

-Boots No.7 Radiant Glow Concealer in shade I

-mark. Powder Buff in Nude

-Darling Girl Cosmetics blushes in Secret Star and Cheeky

-BFTE Cosmetics' Butt Naked as highlighter

Eyes:

-BFTE Cosmetics Eye and Lip Primer

-Naked Basics palette shadows in Foxy and Walk of Shame (lid), Crave (eyeliner), and Faint/Crave (brows)

-BFTE Cosmetics' shadows in Butt Naked (highlight) and the mauve neutral from their Miss Conduct holiday set (Which is still available, btw!)

-Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Lips:

-NYX Megs Shine glosses in Sugar Pie and Smokey Look

And um I think that's about it. I actually filled in my brows a little for this look using the Naked Basics palette; man, that little cutie does everything! (Review coming soon!) I also didn't realize my lips were still a little stained from the Revlon Cherries in the Snow lippie I'd been wearing the night before; that's what those bright pink spots are. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed seeing these and I hope to be posting more looks regularly from now on. I also have tons of product hauls, swatches, and reviews to post so stick around for those! ;)

Thanks for reading!♥

  *Some or all images were lightly edited using Aperture and/or Photoshop; for details, please read the photo editing disclosure widget at the bottom of my right-side bar.

False Lash Routine {updated}

image from Pinterest

I have one other lash tutorial but you know how things change over time =). This one is solely dedicated to the application of false lashes instead of a mini tutorial withIN another tutorial. It takes practice to master lashes but NOT much!!! You would be surprised how easily it will come to you as you do it often. It now takes me less time to put on my lashes than to perfect a few coats of mascara. 

I also love to use different kinds depending on my mood. You'd laugh if you say the different pairs I have in my bathroom. Do I feel "saucy"? Then I would wear something like these:

I like the separation effect where certain points are longer and thicker. More often than not I opt for romantic and whispy for dates with my hunny like these:

What is YOUR style of lashes??? Where do you get yours if you wear them? Also, this is a terrible picture because photography is not a strong skill of mine but here is the outfit I wore in the video.

Dress: Forever 21
Bow: Forever 21 (almost 3 years ago)
Navy blue cardigan: Forever 21
Navy blue leggings: Forever 21 (are you sensing a pattern LOL?)
Boots: Target.com
Teal knee length socks: Target

BFTE Christmas haul w/ swatches

Hey everyone :) I have some more BFTE Cosmetics swatches from a Christmas haul my sister bought for us! We got the Color of the Week deal, plus some full-size jars which were prizes my sisters had earned from posting pictures and winning the 365 contest. Some of these were colors we already had but needed more of, and some are ones we hadn't seen before. (By the way, the bright pink on the left is a blush, not an eyeshadow, and not part of this haul.)

Check it out:

Since I had many new colors to swatch and no clean makeup brushes, I tapped a bit into the dents in this mixing tray from the art store and used my fingers to swatch. This is Autumn, one of BFTE's unblended pigments; it's so beautiful! A more metallic, smooth, non-glittery gold you won't find. I love it.

 Swatched dry on bare, lotioned skin:

With flash: Lavish, Soleil, Isis, Autumn, Blue Bird, Spice, Green Apple, Spiced Gumdrop, Stonewashed, Forget Them Not, Rachel.

No flash, daylight.

Flash..

No flash..

No flash; look at the blue sparkles in Spiced Gumdrop!!

And lastly, look at the pink sheen in Forget Them Not!! Reminds me of Fyrinnae's Crimson Ghost; the more you blend it out, the more the pink sheen glows. Loooove it!

Another smashing haul! I'll be putting these pics on my Facebook page so check there for individual color descriptions of you'd like. :)

Oh and in case you're interested, the blush is Cherry Bomb from Darling Girl Cosmetics; it's one of my alllll time favorite blushes and it's absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend it and all of Susan's other blushes. ;)

Thanks for reading!

Simplify

2013 is off and running and it's dragging me along for the ride!!! I feel like I am CrAzY busy with everything on my plate. I have been given crazy amounts of responsibility (church calling, assistant director for the school play, activities leader), winter sports are starting for the boys, I am working more (yay just did a movie and learned some AWESOME skills!!!) and I just had two weeks back to back where I spoke for a large group and taught about 50 women the following week.....whew! Allow me some spirituality here...I had a thought today that God was not trying to tell me to clear my plate but He was trying to teach me how to deal with all of it on there with grace and beauty. With a smile for everyone I come in contact with and a listening ear. To learn more about servant leadership and how that's the only way. As I was rushing through a quick face and feeling inCREDIBLE guilt for not doing another tutorial I had a thought. Why can't I just do a look quickly, take a pic and post it and just list the products. Obviously I'll do a tutorial if people ask for it but it most cases you ladies can do it just by hearing what I used. You ladies are SMART!!! =D To go along with my post title, here is the first look:

Sure there's a filter since I posted in on Instagram BUT the lighting was awful (yellow, yellow, yellow, grumble, grumble) and I had only a few minutes before needing to be in my youngest son's class to help out =). Here's what I used:

Face:

   Loreal True Match Foundation in W3

   Xango Mineralized Powder in Medium

   Urban Decay Bronzer in Toasted

   Ben Nye blusher in Victorian Rose

Eyes:

   NO primer (look at me go right??? LOL)

   Coastal Scents 8 Color Contour Palette (the dark brown in crease & nude on brow bone & lid) 

   Dark brown shadow from CS 88 Palette on brows

   Maybelline mascara (no lashes)

Lips:

   Laura Mercier Sugar Violet Lip Stain (applied lightly with a lip brush)