Review - By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

By Terry Ombre Blackstars are quickly becoming some of my favorite products (I've already mentioned this one in my March Favorites!) However, due to their hefty price tag (who said $43 was okay?!?!) I am slowly acquiring them. This one was sent to me as a birthday gift from the lovely bloggers of Pigmented Lips and Looking Good Enough to Eat. (u da real MVPs!)

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

Wrist swatch of Bronze Moon

Bronze Moon is a deep burnished bronze shade that seems to glow from within. The cream formula glides on effortlessly, and is easily blended out with a finger or a fluffy brush. I recommend using a synthetic brush due to the cream formula, natural fibers just don't play as nicely. One swipe is wonderfully pigmented, as you can see from the swatch. The shadow sets quickly, but not too quickly that you can't blend out the edges. I wore this alone over primer, and did not experience any creasing throughout the day.

The packaging is a twist up pencil, which I prefer because that means you won't be losing any product to sharpening. There's a colored stripe near the bottom of the barrel indicating the shade of the eyeshadow contained within. Unfortunately, it isn't the most luxe feeling packaging, which I feel might be a little wanted at the high end level. Thankfully, the product performance makes up for it.

The great thing about this eyeshadow is that it can be applied, sheered out at the edges, and then the color can be built up. This shade can be used alone for a smoky daytime look, concentrating the most color near the lashline, and then blending and smudging out from there.

Pros:

• Long wearing
• Pigmented
• Smooth application
• Twist up packaging

Cons:

• Hefty pricetag
• Packaging is not the most luxurious for the price point

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon - $43.50 for 0.04 oz

Review - 5/5

March 2015 Favorites!

End of another month already! It's time for my March favorites...this time I've included a bath/body product to mix it up a bit.

1. Nivea In Shower Body Lotion - On the recommendation of a few reddit friends, I picked up this in shower lotion from Nivea, and I am in LOVE. This winter has been especially bad for my skin concerning post shower dryness, and I have been going through a ton of body lotion. This makes life a lot easier, especially getting the small of the back that is hard to get by yourself! There are several formulas as well, for normal to extra-dry skin. I will definitely be keeping this in my shower for a long time to come.

2. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - I don't know how I haven't picked my go-to concealer for a Favorites post yet. I love the Radiant Creamy Concealer (RCC for short!) and I use it for everything - blemishes, under eyes, and covering any extra redness. I find that it is the perfect consistency of a little creamy but not too thick, buildable but not coming out cakey. The only letdown is that there's a very limited shade range for this concealer. (I use Vanilla.)

3. MAC lipstick in Viva Glam Miley Cyrus - When this was announced, I didn't really think twice about it, owing to my large collection of pink lipsticks. However, I received it as a birthday gift from some friends, and it looks fantastic on me! It's an amplified finish hot pink, a little bit darker than the photo shown here. Of course, all proceeds go to an excellent cause, which is another great gift from my friends.

4. Becca Ever Matte Poreless Perfecting Primer - Another one of my go to products. When Becca says matte, they mean MATTE. I wear this primer and at the end of the day, I may end up with a satin finish on my foundation, and that's a big may. I know the application may be tricky for some, but my best advice would be to get a sample if you can, and try warming it up on your fingertips and try patting it on to areas that are extra oily during the day, and then blending out with a patting motion from there. Be sure your moisturizer and SPF have fully sunken in before applying the primer.

5. By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon - This was another gift from my friends, and I was floored when I received it! Ombre Blackstars are a new favorite product of mine, and Bronze Moon is a lovely addition to my collection. These cream shadow sticks blend beautifully, and they are gorgeous just worn alone and blended out. My new quick eye look is taking a Bronze Moon to the lid, blending out to the crease, adding more product to the lid, and adding a little liner and mascara for a quick, subtle daytime smokey eye.

Personal By Terry brand consultation from Beautylish!

Ready your wish lists - By Terry is coming to Beautylish on October 22!

I received an email from Beautylish yesterday announcing the availability of By Terry at Beautylish, as well as the opportunity to have a personal consultation via phone with a Beautylish MUA concerning the brand. Father my wonderful experience last week at their Charlotte Tilbury release event, I immediately signed up for a slot. I filled out a form stating I was familiar with the brand, my skin type and concerns, and a photo of myself for reference. 

I received my call today and spoke with Trisha, who was amazingly sweet and helpful. After introducing herself and complimenting the picture I uploaded (so nice of her!) we got down to business. She asked what I knew of the brand, and we immediately started gushing about the Ombré Blackstars, the cream eyeshadow sticks of the line. We both agreed that they offer superior blendability and application to the close yet no cigar Caviar Stick offered by Laura Mercier, and lamented the price tag. 

I brought up the Hydra Powder as a product I had heard a lot about and had been wanting to try, and she let me know it was definitely worth trying. I let her know I had just finished up a jar of Urban Decay Naked Skin loose powder and I liked it, but I was open to something new. Trisha described making the switch to the Hydra Powder as "trading in your Honda, a car you know and love, for a Jag." She went on to explain that during their training, the brand rep had the warm the powder up and apply with their fingers as a different application method, and it really made a difference. I'm definitely going to be giving this a shot. 

I asked a few more questions about Beautylish and what they'd be carrying, and found out the following info:

• They will not be carrying the By Terry brushes. With the recent Wayne Goss line, as well as the Chikuhodo boutique, the buyers are focused on Japanese made brushes for the time being. 
• The entire skincare line from By Terry will not be carried. However, the Baume de Rose will definitely be carried. 
• Future releases from By Terry will come to Beautylish as they are made available to the US, and at the buyer's discretion- Trisha tells me they are trying to curate a collection of the best of the best at Beautylish.

Trisha also talked to me about the Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge lipsticks, which she likened to the Fresh Sugar lip balms in formula, yet a highly pigmented lipstick concerning color. I'll probably end up picking up one of these, as I've heard a few too many horror stories of people having their Rouge Terryblys break when applying it!

I'm really happy I had the opportunity to speak to Trisha about the By Terry release, especially because it felt like I was just gushing to one of my girlfriends about things we were excited to buy! I'm not exactly sure what I've done to get in with Beautylish's good side, but I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunities they've extended to me lately. This customer appreciation paired with their amazing customer service and shipping has really made an impression!

Thank you so much to Trisha and Beautylish! I'm excited to order some By Terry soon!!