Some Beauty Picks For Autumn

Every year I become enraptured by the beauty of autumn. The swirling colorful leaves, the smells, the textures all around. There is a mood that autumn brings that is purely reflective. Nature makes us stop to look at it. How brilliant it can present itself before it all takes a rest for the winter. I love it all. 

Today, I thought I would share some of the beauty essentials I have used and loved so far this season. 

First of all I have a new foundation in rotation for the fall and winter months; The Too Faced Born This Way Foundation. A full review will be coming very soon! Stay tuned for that however, since it is in a favorites post I am sure you can guess that I like it quite a bit. 
 I have not been able to put down this MAC blush in the shade Ambering Rose. I used it in the last bit of summer as well, but this blush's time to shine is definitely in the fall/winter. It is this beautiful burnished rosy brown shade that just looks beautiful for this season. Moving on to eyeshadows I really had to narrow it down because not only do I love eyeshadow, I am a fiend for warm colors that really look great for this time of year. I am talking warm chocolate browns, burnished reds and coppers, brilliant and bright gold..etc. Two palettes that I have to share with you today is the good ol' Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and the Morphe 35O palette. The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette is a really great classic that is chalk full of neutral, gorgeous shades with some fun shades thrown in there too that really make for a great fall look. Plus it smells heavenly! The other palette I wanted to mention has been immensely popular on the beauty community. And for good reason. For someone who loves warm shades this palette is absolute perfection, the colors are really pigmented and smooth and its also pretty affordable ( when it is available again). Morphe is a wonderfully affordable brand and if this palette is calling your name I would follow them on their social media because they do update when this palette comes back in stock. The other shadows I wanted to mention come from Makeup Geek Cosmetics, this is SUCH a lovely brand and if you haven't checked out their shadows I would highly encourage you to do so. All the shadows I have to mention today are from their foiled collection which are all a unique metallic finish. The first shade I have to share is probably my most favorite and it is called Magic Act and it is the most beautiful, bright white gold shade. This shade looks great in the inner corners of the eyes and as a center color as well. The next shade is called Untamed. I was drawn to it originally because the color reminded me of a jack o lanterns glowing smile. Its described as a bright coppery orange. I think this shade is really great for the fall time because of its warmth and orangey glow. The last shade I have to mention is Flamethrower which is a bright warm copper shade which I have loved throwing into the outer corner of the eyes to spice things up. 
The last product I have to mention for the eyes is a eyeliner pencil from NYX cosmetics, the Slide On Glide On Stay On And Definitely A Turn On Eye Pencil in Golden Bronze that name is sure a mouthful isn't it? but this pencil is a beauty. Stays on the waterline brilliantly and has vivid color. If you have blue eyes especially  you NEED to try out this color in Golden Bronze its beautiful! 
Next, lets move on to two lip favorites, the first being another NYX product. Their recently released Liquid Suede liquid lipsticks have a beautiful range of colors ( even a prussian gray color!) and the formula of these are great. They last a really long time and don't dry out the lips too much. I have the color Sandstorm to share with you which is the ever so popular browny nude color that I can't stay away from no matter what the season. I know not everyone is a fan of this kind of color but it is quite pretty. And the very last product I have to share is a lipstick from Maybelline in their Color Sensational Creamy Matte range. The color Divine Wine is perfect for the fall and also the winter. A true deepened dark vampy red that feels pretty comfortable on the lips and won't break the bank. The Maybelleine Matte range is definitely one to check out if you are into matte lipsticks and want something affordable. 

And thats it! a little variety of favorites that I have been enjoying this fall and will continue to enjoy throughout the winter season. I hope you enjoyed! Let me know of any of your autumn/winter beauty picks down in the comments below I would love to read them. Hope you all are having a great week so far! See you next time! 
- A 

SUN// MAC Cranberry Shadow

Happy Sunday everyone! 

As mentioned in my last post regarding Makeup Forever's Artist Shadows (X), I have been really into eye shadows lately. I am more often drawn to a warmer color palette which is why the original Lorac Pro Palette (X)  is one of my favorite palettes of all time. I particularly love the shade "Garnet" which as you could imagine is a beautiful deep burgundy shade ( absolutely fantastic placed on the outer corner of the eye) However, I was craving something a little different, I was on the search for a very unique kind of color I have not really seen in other brands. That is why when I spotted this little beauty at the local MAC counter I knew I found what I was looking for.

Packaging//Design

All of MAC's permanent line of single eye shadows have the same packaging. A little black capsule with a clear top so you can easily know what shade you are using and very subtle branding. Eventually, if you collect enough shadows from MAC it might be simpler to pop out the pans and put them in a magnetic palette like a Z palette ( you can get a Z palette right from Sephora if it suits your fancy X) so your beauty desk does not get too cluttered. 

Pigmentation// Texture 

MAC's Cranberry is described as a " Red plum with pink shimmer" It is the perfect shadow to add warmth to any look. It has a frosted finish and blends out like a dream. 

This shade is actually very versatile though it may look intimidating to some. Just a touch of this shadow in the crease is beautiful as well as blended out just on its own. Currently, I like placing a champagne color on the inner corner and towards the center of the lid and then cranberry blended out from the middle, a touch in the crease blended out in the outer corner. 

Overall Thoughts

This shadow has been a essential part of my growing eye shadow collection. I even take it with me in my makeup bag now because I have been using it everyday. It has an amazing color payoff, no fallout, versatile, and flattering on everyone. Priced reasonably at $16 I would recommend any of you to go out and swatch this shadow. It's so unique and I have yet to find anything quite as special. Personally I believe this would make a grand addition to anyone's makeup collection.

Have you tried MAC Cranberry? What are your favorite eye shadows from MAC? Lets start a conversation in the comments below! 

I hope you all are having a restful Sunday today. Take some time to pamper yourself so that you can be well rested and prepared for the upcoming week.

See you all next time! 

- A 

SHOP//

MAC Cranberry $16 

SAT// Makeup Forever Artist Shadows

Hello everyone! its the weekend and next week we will be wrapping up the month of October. ( Now isn't that a frightening thought.) The days are getting shorter, and darker and all and all just a little bleak/depressing. I suppose that could be one reason why people get real jazzed up over the holidays. It gives us all something to look forward to in these upcoming dark, cold months. I for one, am not a big fan of winter. But, you know what I am a big fan of? Makeup (Big shocker there huh?.), especially eye shadow. I can't seem to get enough eye shadows lately, I feel as though that is where you can get most creative with your makeup. Makeup, can be looked at in some ways as an art form which is why the relatively new release from Makeup Forever is very exciting,  suitably called their; Makeup Forever Artist Shadows- With over 200 eye shadow shades to choose from in this range you can really be an artist with your eye shadow and choose your personal palette! ( Though choosing colors can, truly, be an endless process of deciding) 

Packaging//Design

The packaging of these products is a little unique due to the  fact that you get to create your own custom palette, therefore the eye shadow pans are separate from the packaging until you choose one. Makeup Forever provides you with three options for a palette case. A mono, duo or trio. All of which have a magnetic bottom so you can easily *plop* your shadows in there and they will stay, until perhaps you get the itch to change up the colors. That is when you can take a safety pin needle and stick it in a little pinhole on the bottom of the palette and out will come the eye shadow. Easy as that!  ( Note: Amazing for travel!) The look of the palette cases themselves are not too fancy and primarily just serve a utilitarian purpose of holding the goodies inside. 

Pigmentation//Texture

I already spoke of the ridiculous number of shades to choose from and if you didn't catch that bit there are over 200 colors to choose from. (*heavy breathing commences*) The colors I chose (after much debate, humming and hawing) were themed towards a very autumnal vibe. When you are in the store all the shades are labeled with a code starting with a letter which corresponds to the texture of that shadow. 

( M-Matte, D- Diamond, S- Satin, ME- Metallic, I- Iridescent)  If you are looking for shade names you can find those on the Sephora website. The colors I chose were:

 D- 826 Fig 

 I- 736 Copper Red

 I- 662 Amber Brown

The pigmentation of these shadows are so amazing, supposedly this is due to a breakthrough gel to powder formulation. These shadows are so soft and creamy and most notably they are soooo easy to blend. I feel as though if you were just starting out with makeup you could use just one of these shadows and be spoiled with its seamless, dreamlike blend-ability, you don't even really have to use a brush! You can use your fingers just fine to blend these fella's out. 

Overall Thoughts 

I feel as though Makeup Forever really won me over with this release. It appeals to a extensively wide audience. Whether you are just the everyday person starting out with makeup and wish to play with amazing and easy to blend colors or if you are a makeup artist/enthusiast and have essentially a world of colors and finishes at your fingertips. The price range varies depending on whether you go for a trio, duo or a single : A single shadow is priced at $21 and the eye shadow pans are big, you are certainly getting your money's worth. My only complaint would be its too hard to choose which ones you want first! 

Have you guys seen or tried the Artist Shadows from Makeup Forever? What are your thoughts on them? 

I also know I have been doing a lot of makeup reviews here on the Bats & Rabbits blog. My life has been a little too hectic to manage much else at the moment but, if any of you have ideas for blog posts or things you would like to see me talk about, please let me know I really value your opinions and ideas. 

I hope you all are having a great day. You all should expect to see another post up tomorrow! ( Trying to get the ball rolling here!)  See you soon! 

- A 

Shop//

Makeup Forever Artist Eye Shadows

TUES// Happy Autumn!-10 Things to Enjoy The Season

( Photo credit to Jamie Lyn on Flickr) 

Happy first day of fall! The magical transition is surrounding us. We are starting to bundle up more cozily, the air is becoming more crisp, smoke billows from the chimney's as we dreamily imagine ourselves wandering through a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard. 
 Autumn, is perhaps our most reflective season, we reflect on change; physically and mentally in the world and in ourselves, I think that is, at least partly, because reflection is much more easily accomplished with a piping hot cup of tea ( or beverage of choice ) in hand as we take time to slow down. Unlike all the other seasons when we tend to be, " GO GO GO!" Autumn, can be just as busy and yet there seems to always be time to slow down a little.

Here are some suggestions of things to do so that you can relish the best this season has to offer.

1. Take photos// Its cliche to take foliage photos but who cares! its pretty outside! Make some memories!

2. Light up a candle// I have Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow burning on my desk right now! 

3. Indulge in "Pumpkin Spice Everything"// Take full advantage of the fact that once September hits your diet is going to consist of primarily, pumpkin spice. Bring on the latte's!

4. Cozy Socks, Tights, Cardigans, Scarves, and Boots// Fall fashion is the best! Time to look adorable while being all bundled up. 

5. Try a vampy lip color// If there was any time to crawl out of your comfort zone and try a dark lip, now is the time! 

6. Decorate your surroundings// I get so jazzed by Halloween, you have no idea,( Its my favorite holiday). Decorating your home or space with a spooky and mysterious vibe is so much fun. Or if you are not into spooky things you can warm up your space with a crimson throw blanket, or a small pumpkin on the window sill. 

7. Watch some Halloween themed movies// I am not a huge horror film watcher so I opt for movies like; Nightmare Before X-mas, The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, Scary Godmother, etc.. 

8. Go to a Pumpkin Patch or Apple Orchard// Nothing feels better than taking a outing to a apple orchard to pick some fresh, crisp apples or a pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins to carve...or turn into pie.

9. Go for Long Walks// Enjoy the scenery and the crisp fresh air while getting a healthy jaunt in. If you bring a friend you can also enjoy a nice conversation and maybe a latte afterwards to reward yourself! 

10. Throw a Halloween Party// I throw a little party every October for Halloween. Its so much fun! I look forward to it so much when fall arrives. It doesn't have to be too fancy, it could just be you and a couple of friends watching movies together by candelight while munching on copious amounts of Halloween oreos/candy. 

That's it for me, what is on your fall bucket list this year/ what is your favorite thing about fall? 

Hope everyone is having a great week and first week of fall! 

- A