Dupe or Dud? Maybelline The Blushed Nudes vs. Urban Decay Naked 3 - swatches/comparison/review/demo

Just how much does Maybelline's new eyeshadow palette, The Blushed Nudes, compare to Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette? Watch my comparison review to find out!

Click HERE to watch the CruzTube video!

I did my right eye with Naked 3 and my left eye with The Blushed Nudes, so you be the judge of how well they compare. I show swatches of both palettes near the end.

The Blushed Nudes:

Pros--
*Super-affordable!!!
*Pretty range of colors
*Pinks and rose-toned shadows are stylish right now

Cons--
*Way more powdery, so there was more fallout than the Naked 3 palette
*You have to use more pressure when digging in to these shadows and applying them to achieve a similar look as Naked 3

Naked 3:

Pros--
*Legendary for the texture and consistency of the shadows-- creamy and highly blendable
*Excellent color payoff
*Will last a long time (I suspect, based on my experience with my Naked 2 palette-- still haven't hit pan although I use it regularly)

Cons--
*High-end price tag may not be worth it for some people
*Many of the shades are remarkably similar, like, why even bother having two of these shadows? I would have preferred a wider range of colors

Wrap-up:
My preference is for Naked 3 for the quality, but The Blushed Nudes for the price. My wallet just can't justify the higher price tag, even for the better Naked 3 shadows. I personally think my eyes looked nearly identical at the end, so what's the point of paying more?! Save the extra $44, people!!! Just go with The Blushed Nudes, LOL. :)

Affordable dupes for NARS Orgasm blush! Two cheaper options that work

Do you love the universally-flattering NARS Orgasm blush, but hate the $30 price tag? My video features two options that are way more affordable. One is even dirt cheap, and it's my favorite!

CLICK HERE to watch my CruzTube video!

NARS Orgasm:

Pros—

            *Flatters most (although not all) skin tones

            *Finely milled allows for easy, smooth application (good quality product)

            *Can be considered a highlighting blush since the golden flecks are so shimmery

Cons –

            *High-end price may not be affordable for everyone

            *Shimmer is just a little too much for my taste, it made me look a little oily which I try to avoid since my skin is oily

            

Milani Luminoso baked blush:

Pros—

            *Affordable (less than $10)

Cons –

            *I thought it was too orange-y

ELF St. Lucia Studio blush/bronzer duo:

Pros—

            *Cheapest price at only $3!

            *Subtle, peachy shade gives you what I think is just the right amount of glow

            *Bronzer comes with it J

Cons –

            *May not be enough of a pop on your cheeks for some people’s preference

Wrap-up: I believe these two blushes are effective, although not exact, dupes. NARS Orgasm is the best of the three in terms of quality... I've had the NARS before, and it lasted FOREVER, much longer than the ELF blush/bronzer duo. That was probably because I have to use more of the cheaper product to get it to show.

Pretty NEW Maybelline The Blushed Nudes eyeshadow palette

Check out my latest CruzTube video by CLICKING HERE! It showcases the latest eyeshadow palette from Maybelline.

New Eyeshadow Palette Review/Demo/First Impressions/Tutorial

Pros:

--Unbeatable price! 

--Small, slim, lightweight size is good for traveling

--Shades in this palette seem to be universally flattering
--Rose-toned shadows are very trendy and on-point for Spring!

Cons:

--Low color payoff (I had to apply over and over to get some of the shades to even show up)

--A bit chalky texture

--Some of the shades had a lot of fallout

Final assessment: Worth the low cost if you are looking for a trendy palette that's pretty fool-proof. This is a great beginner palette because the shadows are so easily blended and non-intimidating.

Historic Mai Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

The Mai Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale is so historic, it's definitely worth a visit-- not just for the legendary  shows (I only caught a glimpse of them since my husband and I just did dinner during our visit), but also for the crazy delicious food. Every single item of food was insanely good! And the lovely lush gardens were beautiful. A little taste of Polynesia!

A garden section indoors, too.

The bathroom is famous and award-winning.

Reservations are recommended, since it can get very busy.

We ordered the Pu Pu Platter appetizer (with several juvenile jokes about its name). It was sooooooo yummy!

Nathan had the Mai Kai beef, and I had chicken coconut curry. Can't recall the exact name, but everything was so flavorful and the meat was tender.

What made the food sooo delicious? It was the flavor and texture and how fresh it tasted. I eat a lot of Chinese buffets-- I guess I was expecting food on that bland level. This was so far beyond that. Every bite was pure pleasure!

If you ever visit Fort Lauderdale, I think it's worth a visit!

Crocheting versus knitting - new obsession!

My grandmother taught me to knit when I was just a wee little lass. The skill stayed with me for life, although I've never been ambitious and was just satisfied making scarves (that's still all I can do with knitting). But I started flirting with the idea of crocheting, and I was inspired by The Crafty Reporter. She messaged me one day that it's fun to crochet, and I was intrigued by her crafty-ness.

So I bit the bullet and purchased some cool yarn and a few crochet hooks from Michael's. Now I can't stop!

Mogwai approves of the baby blanket in progress

I'm working on my second baby blanket (see blue yarn blanket above) for my friend Carli, who had her baby boy a couple of weeks ago. I just finished my first ever baby blanket (see multi-colored blanket below) for my bestie Tambre, who had a lovely little girl, also a couple of weeks ago.

I also can whip up a quick scarf like nobody's business. I have made so many scarves for my mom and friends and family! Below is a scarf I knit for my friend Alanna while we had an hour-long phone conversation. The scarf was finished when we hung up! 

The beginning of the Tambre's baby blanket below, plus two other scarves I finished. All this in just one night! There's no way I would ever have been able to do that knitting. Knitting is so much slower...

Infinity scarf for my bestie Leslie since purple is her favorite color.

Same purple yarn but for another bestie, Kelly Aline, who works for the Alzheimer's Association.

My precious mom sporting the scarf I crocheted for her, wearing it this past weekend on her San Francisco trip.

It's so much faster to crochet than knit-- there's no way I'm going back to knitting! It used to take me a week to make a scarf. Now I can make THREE SCARVES IN ONE NIGHT!

Also, my step-grandmother pointed out that crocheting products look prettier and more pleasing to the eye than knitted looks. Maybe that's a personal preference, but I am definitely not going back to knitting now that I'm "hooked!" :)

Update: I had a comment on Facebook from my friend, Christina, who mentioned how you have to pay more attention when crocheting than knitting. She said, "Knitting is mindless." I am actually going to agree with that-- I don't have to look at my hands when I'm knitting, so knitting is better if I'm watching a movie. I have to at least glance at my hands when I crochet, although I have a system for when the TV is on -- I can prop my hands on my knees, so they're about eye-level with the screen, and I can make it work!