Coastal Scents Bionic Flat Top Buffer Brush VS. E.l.f. Powder Brush

These two brushes are very very similar and I'm going to keep this review short because there is not much to be said.

Similarities:
-Circumference of the flat top part of each brush is the same size.
-The way they buff liquid foundation on is nearly identical.
-Neither brush sheds at all.
-Both are synthetic.

Differences:
-Bionic brush is an inch shorter.
-Bionic is denser with the amount of hairs, but not by a large amount.
-Bionic is softer against the skin.
-Bionic is firmer.
-E.l.f. brush is jiggling loose already from its handle, but it does not bother me.
-Bionic is 13.95USD and E.l.f. brush is 3USD.

Overall, the Bionic is the brush I reach for the most, but if you are looking for a VERY similar and much cheaper alternative go with the E.l.f. powder brush.

Coastal Scents Creative Me #1 Palette Review

I love this palette.  The colors are very vibrant and pigmented.  Some are smoother than others such as the greens and blues.  I have labeled the colors as they are on the Coastal Scents web site.  Here are the swatches without primer underneath:

With Flash

Without Flash

I initially bought this palette for CM07.  I figured I would buy the whole palette of colors since the single shadow would cost more than half of the palette itself with shipping.  I have read reviews that said that the greens and blues were the the same color, but they are NOT.  One blue is cool while the other is warm.  The same goes for the greens, CM11 is more turquoise.

This is a quick look I created just to show some of the colors on the eye and I used TFSI for the primer:

Strictly CM09

In between CMO7 and CM09 is a thin layer of CM10

There is a thin line of CM06 between CM07 and CM08

I added CM11 to the inner corner of my eye

I then finished the look with a champagne shadow as my highlight and NYX's black eyeshadow in the outer corner.  I also used wet n wild's creme eyeliner for the cat eye.

This palette is definitely worth cost and is a lot of fun to play around with.

This is CM11.  I got so many compliments from strangers when I wore it out that night.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette Review

Packaging:  Mine came damaged with three of the eyeshadows cracked and messy so that disappointed me, but they are kindly sending me a replacement.  The palette itself is decent.  Opening it is a bit heavy because of the mirror.

Eyeshadows:  These shadows very in quality throughout the entire palette from chalky to oily and zero pigment to a lot of pigment.  I find that the matte shadows tend to be more pigmented than the shimmery, but some more chalky.  They are very small and probably as wide as a brush you may be using.  Before I bought this palette, I read other reviews saying they were dime-sized and that sounds about right, slightly larger if anything.  If you really like a particular color, I don't see it lasting too long.

There are too many light colors (like almost white) and too many burnt orange colors.  There are plenty of colors to create a lot of looks, but many of the colors don't look like ones I would reach for.  The palette looks different in person.  I can't say I hate it because the shadows do show up well on my eyes, but I wish the colors looked how they do in pictures on the website.  I did not use any primer underneath the shadows in the following photos.

Verdict:  I would not purchase this palette again, but that doesn't mean I won't repurchase from Coastal Scents (this was my first order btw).  I also ordered the Creative Me #1 palette and their Bionic Flat Top Buffer brush.  I will review those two items soon.

So Hooked on Carmella from Benefit

LOVE LOVE LOVE this perfume.  It's an intoxicatingly sweet yet soft scent similar to roasted marshmallows I guess you'd say. I purchased it for 38 USD and it's not a bad price because it seems like you get a lot in the bottle.

Aside from the smell, it comes in a cute little box that I'll probably just hang on to because it's so cute and not because I need it.  I think the bottle itself is kinda eh, but that's not why I bought it so I'm happy anyway.