Sigma Resort Palette Review, Use & Swatches

I've been searching for an eyeshadow palette that I could play around with some fun colors for summer. There were a few I couldn't decide between but I finally bought Sigma's Resort Palette and I couldn't be happier! The colors are absolutely beautiful, bright and pigmented. It also comes with a blush (Heavenly), a liquid highlighter (Luminesce) and a double-sided eye liner (Daydream/Earth Goddess) which go perfectly with any eye look from this palette! (Just an FYI: If you're looking to buy this palette, go get it quickly because it's Limited Edition!)

My favorite way to use this palette:

Eyes:
First, I take Luna and put it on my brow bone, inner corners and inner 1/3 of my eye lid for a bright and highlighted look. I then take Fawn and pack it onto the outer 2/3 of my lid. Then taking Topaz and Sigma's E35 brush, I blend it into my crease to add dimension and warmth. If I really want to smoke out my eye for more of a nighttime look, I'll add Muse to my outer V.

The fun part to use this palette is to choose one of the brighter colors (my favorites are Moonbeam or Neela) and put that on your lower lash line. To make this super pigmented, I take Sigma's E30 Pencil Brush, spray it with some setting spray (like Skindinavia's Makeup Finishing Spray or Mac's Fix+), put the brush into the bright color and apply to my lower lash line. By spraying the brush with a setting spray, the eyeshadows will go onto the lash line easier, more pigmented and stay on longer! The eyeshadow also acts more of a gel than a powder this way, too.

Cheeks:
I apply the blush to the upper contours of my cheeks. Then I apply 3-4 dots of the liquid highlighter right above the blush and blend in with my ring finger. This highlight gives your skin an instant glow :)

SWATCHES

Liquid vs. Powder Foundation

Obviously liquid foundation is liquid and powder foundation is powder, but what are the less obvious differences between these two formulations? Here are is a simple explaination of these two different products and what skin types they're best for along with my liquid and powder foundation recommendations that anyone can use.


Liquid Foundation:
-Makes your skin flawless
-More colors to match different skin tones
-Formulations for all skin types
-Lasts much longer than powder foundation
-For young to mature skin
-Can clog pores
-Can be harder to blend
-Heavier consistency


Powder Foundation:
-Great for younger skin (especially acne prone)
-Doesn't clog pores as much as liquid foundation
-A light coverage
-Great if you're running late or on-the-go
-Doesn't photograph well
-Not great for older skin as it settles into pores and fine lines
-Can look cakey if over-applied
-Needs to be reapplied 2-3 times if wearing all day


My Recommendations:

I've mentioned this liquid foundation before: L'Oreal's True Match Super-Blendable Makeup. It has over 30 different shades to match any skin tone. It has buildable coverage but doesn't feel heavy at all and is great for all skin types. The best part: it's only $8 - $10!

I absolutely love Laura Geller's Balance-n-Brighten Baked Color Correcting Foundation when I want quick coverage when I'm in a hurry or when I'm just running errands. The only bad thing about this product is it only comes in three colors. But once you find your shade it's amazing and completely balances your complexion!

Tips to make your eyes look BIGGER, *brighter* and more awake!

Your eyes are the No. 1 way to tell if you're awake or tired. Some days you just don't get enough sleep, but how do you fake your discolored puffy eyes into looking alive again? Here are a few of my go-to tips that I do on a regular basis that really help to open up and conceal my under eyes!


1. Concealer: Our eyes naturally have a discoloration around them. Some are blue, some are red, some are dark brown. The absolute best way to conceal these discolorations is to use a yellow-based or a salmon-based concealer. My holy grail under eye concealer is CoverGirl & Olay's Simply Ageless Concealer in the Corrector color. This is a yellow-based concealer which completely hides dark circles. This product also moisturizes your under eyes, preventing wrinkles, firming the skin and keeping that delicate area soft.

2. Inner Corner Color: This tip is probably one of the most effective ways to brighten up your eyes. Simply take a shimmery white/nude color and put this in your inner corner of your eye. My favorite product to use is the eyeshadow color called "Virgin" from the original Naked Palette from Urban Decay. Your eyes will look vastly different after taking this simple step!

3. Crease Color: To make your eyes look rounder and bigger, take a light brown eye shadow and apply it to the crease. My favorite color to use is Naked 2 from the Naked Basics Palette by Urban Decay and applying it with the Sigma's E35 brush. This is also an easy way to give your eyes a little more dimension if you lack a defined crease.

4. Lash curler: Not all eyelash curlers are created equal! When you curl your lashes, it really widens up your eyes (plus it makes your eyelashes look fabulous too)! I've used many drugstore brand lash curlers and a few high end ones and the curler I have found to be the best of the best is Tarte's Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler. It really does amazing things!

5. Eye Liner: Last, but definitely not least, is eyeliner. When you apply black eyeliner on your waterline, it makes your eyes appear much smaller than they actually are. So in order to make them appear wider, applying a nude eyeliner does the trick! I found the perfect eyeliner for this job: Rimmel's ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Nude. And the best part? It's super inexpensive!

Just a Litte Haul ;)

I don't usually put hauls up on here but I decided to try it out! I bought a few things from Ulta and the grocery store (went a little NYX crazy lol!) that I absolutely LOVE, one product I'm so-so about and a few I still haven't tried out. Let me know your thoughts on hauls and/or if you've ever tried any of these products out. Also, PLEASE let me know any products I should try out. I love collecting makeup and trying out new products!!

(from left to right)

1. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

This is the most perfect color for contouring but I might need to get the darker chocolate bronzer for summer. The best part about this is it smells EXACTLY LIKE CHOCOLATE! And when you apply it, you can taste the chocolate particles - so yummy!

2. Nivea Sun-Kissed Radiant Skin in Medium/Dark

I love this stuff to maintain a little tan on days that I don't self tan. I find that this works much better than  Jergen's Natural Glow Moisturizer.

3. NYX Mineral Set It Don't Fret It Matte Finishing Powder in Medium/Dark

This fishing powder is fine milled and feels super silky on your skin. Plus, it isn't a white or transparent powder, meaning there is less of a chance that it'll give a white cast in pictures!

4. Laura Geller Eye & Lip Spackle

This is by far my favorite purchase of the day! The Eye Spackle isn't anything special, but OH MY GOSH the Lip Spackle is absolutely AMAZING! It muted out my lips (to where I didn't look dead) and without drying them out. and my lipstick didn't feather at all! I highly recommend this product to anyone who wants their lipstick to show up in true color and wants it to last all day!

5. NYX Blushes (Terra Cotta, Rose Garden, Pinched)

Surprisingly, these are my first NYX blushes and I am more than pleased! They are super pigmented, have a great selection of colors and are super inexpensive. Take a look at the swatches in the picture down below!

6. NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in Glow

I've tried this concealer before in a light/medium color and absolutely loved it. So, I figured I'd try out the "Glow" color. I'm not very pleased with this color. It was a little too greasy, moved my foundation around and didn't conceal much :(

7. NYX Pump It Up Lip Plumper in Kim

LOVE this product! It is a perfect gloss to pair with any peach, pink or nude lipsticks. You can also feel this lip plumper work on your lips. I applied this on top of Mac's Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick (after I applied my new Lip Spackle, of course) and it was such an amazing combination!

8. Seche Vite Restore

Not a super exciting purchase but I did need this to add to my Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat for when it gets thick. 

9. Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I have been using this for years and it does wonders for my dry cuticles. Plus it smells fantastic!

10. Organic Raw Honey

Why on earth did I buy honey and put it into this post? Because I use it as a face mask! Honey is great for the skin - it provides antibacterial properties (which helps with acne prone skin) while exfoliating and moisturizing at the same time. It is packed full of vitamins and makes your skin glow :) I just massage a thin layer over my face, leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off! If you try this, just make sure you buy RAW honey :)

(NYX Blushes Left to Right: Terra Cotta, Pinched, Rose Garden)