Hello, hello! Welcome back to the blog. This week I wanted to talk a bit about contouring. Contouring has been a huge trend lately, all thanks to the infamous Kardashians. Ever since there was hype around getting Kim K’s chiseled cheekbones years ago, the art of contouring and the makeup to do so has become widely available. In particular, contouring kits have been dropped from every major makeup brand as of late and Sephora has made a equally large point in advertising for them (if you’ve seen their website recently, you’ll know what I’m talking about). Here are a few contouring bits that have caught my eye and be sure to keep reading below to find out about Watchlist Wednesday!
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit– I would easily say that this is the original contour palette that brought contouring kits into the mainstream. There is a huge hype around this palette, especially for it’s Banana powder, which is supposedly the perfect yellow-toned under eye setting powder to brighten the face. When I was in search of a contour palette this summer, there was a total selection of 2 palettes, and I ended up picking up the It Cosmetics one over this. To be honest, I slightly regret it. The It Cosmetics one is rather nice but I wish it had a bit more variety like this one. There are two different configurations, a light to medium, and a dark palette. Also, there is an option to customize the powders you would prefer on the Anastasia site.
- Charlotte Tilburry Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette– This little luxury item is quite pricey for only having two shades, however I am quite taken with it. It has a beautiful cool toned contour shade and a gorgeous, glowy highlight from what I can see in swatches online. Admittedly, though, most of what attracts me to this product is the absolutely stunning metallic packaging. I will say, however, the variety of shades is not impressive and this will probably only really suit lighter skintones.
- Kat Von D Light and Shade palette– Jaclyn Hill raves about this palette, which, if I’m going to be honest, is mostly what attracted me to take a second look. The nice thing about this palette, in comparison to the others, is the nice range of highlighter undertones. There are pink, white, and yellow shades which is ideal to suit a variety of skintones.
- Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection palette– Too Faced has had several new releases recently, including this one exclusive to Sephora. This palette is reminiscent of the brand’s Chocolate Soleil bronzers or Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette which contain actual cocoa powder. To be honest, I find those and most Too Faced products to be a bit gimicky, like their #NoFilter face powder palette. However, this palette to have a beautiful champagne shimmer highlight and the included mini kabuki brush looks like a fine quality.
- NARS Ita Kabuki brush– This little contraption is unlike any other kabuki brush I have ever seen. There has been a ton of hype around this brush, for at least a year now, for it’s unique shape and ability to easily carve out the cheekbone shape.
Alright, I hope that this contour talk has given you a few ideas about the products on the market and you enjoyed this. As it is my spring break, I found it only appropriate to talk about products that would give you a beautiful glow and sculpt to the face. Speaking of spring break, I wanted to share a little lifestyle bit with you and mention what I’ve been watching recently. If you’re anything like me, I’m a total Netflix junkie and with the spare time on my hands thanks to spring break, I’ve wasted no time binge watching as much as possible (when I’m not frolicking around in the sun and what not). Here are some of my recommendations:
- Parks and Recreation– Since I finished Friends, which I mentioned in my Winter Favorites post, I was looking for a replacement comedy show. I had heard great things about Parks and Rec and I marathoned through the available 6 seasons of this very quickly as the episodes are quite short and some of the seasons aren’t that long either. I never got into The Office but it is in the same “mockumentary” style. I adore Leslie Knope and seeing her antics with her crazy co-workers who are all quite characters themselves, each with vibrant and unique personalities. In addition, I love how Amy Poehler portrays such a strong and determined female role.
{image via wired} - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt– There has been a huge buzz about this show since its release and I easily finished the season within a few nights. If you don’t have Netflix, I would get a subscription just for this, seriously! There are 13 episodes total of this Netflix Original and I adored each and every one of them. Kimmy Schmidt is a victim of a kidnapping and has been living underground with a group of women who are a part of a doomsday cult for 15 years. She is rescued and her antics begin present day where she navigates the trials of modern day New York. I love the quirkiness of this show and the many stereotypes it breaks and challenges. I expected nothing less from Tina Fey, who created the show, and Netflix as their originals are phenomenal. I am also a huge fan of Orange is the New Black and cannot wait for that to return.
{image via variety} - 30 Rock-Since I enjoyed Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and seeing Tina Fey’s work and also the actress Jane Krakowski, I thought I’d give this show a go. Not my favorite out of these three, but it is what I am currently watching. I am on season 4 now. I was hoping for a bit more of an SNL vibe as I am also a huge fan of that, but I feel as though the show is just about to pick up, so it is a bit of a slow start. Liz Lemon, played by Fey, is the head writer for a sketch comedy show and 30 Rock revolves around her balancing her precious career and personal life at the NBC headquarters. The characters aren’t as rich as those in Parks and Rec, however it is still a good series so far.
{image via nbc}
Well that just about wraps it up. I hope you enjoyed this post with the bonus Watchlist Wednesday this week. Let me know what you think of this addition in a comment below and also let me know what you’ve been watching… I’d love to hear your recommendations!
All my love,
Megan
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