Maybelline Bold Gold Eyestudio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow Review!

Maybelline Eyestudio Bold Gold Color Tattoo Eyeshadow

I previously posted about a couple Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows last month, and since then have been using them (mostly Bad to the Bronze) a couple days out of the week. 

Shorlty after, I picked up one additional shade, Bold Gold, which is basically a shimmery, medium toned brassy-gold. 

Bold Gold is a great shade that can be used alone, for a simple wash of color across the lids, or it can be used as a base for a powder eyeshadow to prolong the wear of the shadow, and to make any golden hues in the powder eyeshadow stand out more.

One of the ways I like wearing this shadow is applied all over the lid, with a soft brown shadow blended through the crease, and the top lid lined with a dark brown liquid (or pencil) liner for a quick and simple look.

(Cropped from a previous post)

My favorite application method is with my fingers, or a flat synthetic concealer brush. If you want more opaque color, a sponge eyeshadow applicator works well.

Maybelline Eyestudio Bold Gold Color Tattoo Eyeshadow

READ MORE! 

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad

If you didn't know by now, one of my guilty pleasures is blog sales and makeup swaps. Some may cringe at the thought of purchasing or trading used makeup, but over the past few years I've become a pro at sanitizing most makeup products (it's really not that hard). Most of the products I've obtained have barely been used, for a fraction of the price! 

One of the recent gems I picked up through a blog sale was Chanel Enigma Eye Shadow Quad. I don't own any Chanel quads, and have been really interested in trying them , but it's the $58 price tag that's setting me back - ouch!

Enigma is a limited edition palette, that launched in Chanel's 2010 Fall Collection. Enigma contains four shades: a pale pink, olive-taupe, deep blackened plum with silver shimmer and a silvered-charcoal.

All of the shades go very well together, and can create a gorgeous smokey eye. I like using the pale pink shade all over my lid, and any of the darker shades (typically the olive-taupe - third from the left, swatched below) smudged into my lashline and blended up to my crease. I like taking the deep plum and lining my top and bottom lid with it, as the purple tones in it makes the green in my hazel eyes stand out more.
I rarely ever use a primer with my eyeshadows, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the lasting power of these shadows is very good.

Christian Dior Rosy Tan 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos and Swatches!

Christian Dior Rosy Tan 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette

I've quickly turned into a Dior junkie ever after trying my first quint (Crush Glow). Thankfully, Dior doesn't have a huge selection of colors in their permanent line that are tempting enough for me to go nuts over. I find warm toned palettes with shades of golds and browns to be hard to resist, which are more common in their seasonal palettes.

Some of the palettes are a hit or a miss pigmentation-wise, but I've had very positive experiences with Dior so far. I love their buttery soft texture, blendability and luminous finish.

Believe it or not, I've had my Urban Decay Naked Palette for quite some time now, and I barely ever reach for it. And honestly, I'm not even sure why. There is a decent selection of colors and all, but it's definitely a highly raved product that doesn't get much love from me on a weekly basis.

I'm very "pro" convenience/low-maintenance products, and I find the convenience of the Dior 5-color palettes very appealing. They are housed in a very sturdy mirrored compact and contain 5 shades of shadow that compliment each other for a variety of looks. They also contain two double-sided applicators, which believe it or not - I actually use each time I use my Dior palettes. One side of the sponge is large for applying color all over the lid, and the other side is smaller for lining the eyes and/or applying color through the crease. It's everything you need, in a small compact.

With a couple Sephora gift cards I had left over from Christmas, I treated myself to the Rosy Tan 5-Colour Eyeshadow palette.

Rosy Tan contains a warm brown with fine gold shimmer, a light pink pearl, a velvety taupe-brown, a silvered metallic brown and an icy champagne-pink pearl. All of the shades work very well together for a soft, neutral look. I'm especially loving the middle shade - it's probably the prettiest color I own for an inner-corner and brow bone highlight. My second favorite shade from the palette is probably the silvery brown on the bottom left. 

Christian Dior Rosy Tan 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze & Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo Eyeshadows Review!

 Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

Those that follow other beauty blogs, I'm sure you're all very familiar with these newly launched Maybelline cream eyeshadows. They've been flying off the shelves along with the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, as soon as they hit stores at the start of 2012.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows are cream/gel fomula eyeshadows with intense pigment, that claim to hold up for 24 hours without creasing.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows are available in ten (10) shades: #10 Fierce and Tangy, #05 Too Cool, #15 Audacious Asphalt, #20 Painted Purple, #25 Bad to the Bronze, #30 Pomegranate Punk, #35 Tough as Taupe, #40 Tenacious Teal, #45 Bold Gold and #50 Edgy Emerald.

I only picked up two shades, Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe, which are two very versatile, neutral shades.

Bad to the Bronze is a metallic chocolate brown-bronze with very fine shimmers. It doesn't lean orange or red, and is a fairly neutral shade.

Tough Taupe is a matte dove grey. It appears slightly lighter in the container, but when swatched, the color is a bit deeper. It's very much on the neutral-cool side.

#25 Bad to the Bronze & #35 Tough as Taupe

Current Products in my Rotation!

I've always been one to carry tons of makeup with me in my handbag, but in the past year or so, I've been carrying a lot less makeup with me in my bag, and leaving more at home. I use to literally bring with me every item of makeup I'd be wearing on a certain day, just "in-case" something happens and I'll need to fix it. Nowadays, I only bring a few items with me - a powder compact for touch ups, a lipstick and gloss, eyeliner and a couple brushes. (I haven't been ruining the lining of my handbags either - yay!)

My "every day" products change quite often, as I'm constantly trying new things. But to keep my most used products handy, I keep them all in one place for easy access. If a certain product isn't getting much use, I'll put it back in my storage system so I don't have a bin of overflowing products. 

Here's a peek at what I've been using lately!

NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (travel size) - I recently got this in a swap, and so far I like it. I don't find it much different than Urban Decay Primer Potion, but it's a good primer that keeps my eye shadow in place all day.
YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Longwear Cream Eyeliner in Deep Black - (reviewed here). This is my current favorite cream liner, and I use it just about every day!
Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone - Stone is a light, taupe shade that is very soft and natural. I like using it smudged into my lash line for a very soft look. It's quite similar in color to MAC Groundwork Paintpot.
MAC Paintpot in Constructivist - Constructivist is a gorgeous bronzed-brown with a reddish undertone. Many times I use it alone smudged into my lash line, or as a base for my brown eyeshadow.
Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Epatant - (reviewed here) I haven't had this very long, but I've been wearing it just about every chance I get. It seems to blend really well with my every day brown shadows.
MAC Brule Eyeshadow - Brule is a matte, soft ivory. I use it every day all over my lid before applying any other eyeshadow. It evens out the color on my lids and makes my lids a perfect blank canvas for my eyeshadow and liner.
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in Endless Pearl, Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe and Amber Rush - These are pretty new to my collection, but they are everything that everyone has been raving about. They are wonderful, dreamy-smooth and intensely pigmented shadows. I love using Endless Peal all over my lid (as it's just like MAC Brule, but more pigmented). Iced Latte as a highlight, and Bronzed Taupe and Amber Rush in my crease. (I'll do a separate post on these later!)
Christian Dior Five Golds 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette - (reviewed here) This is an older limited edition palette, but it's one of my favorite palettes. All 5 colors go together so wonderfully and when using this palette, I never need to reach for any additional colors. This palette has it all. If you can get your hands on one in a blog sale, swap, etc, I highly recommend it!

Swatches

From Left to Right: YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Longwear Cream Eyeliner in Deep Black, MAC Paintpot in Constructivist, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Epatant, Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone, L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in Endless Pearl, Iced Latte, Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe, MAC Brule Eyeshadow, Christian Dior Five Golds Quint.

READ MORE!

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Eyeshadow Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

The Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wearing Eyeshadows is a small line of  "gel" eye shadows that newly launched this past Fall of 2011. During that time, it seemed everyone was going mad over the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Shadows, but the attention steered away from them for a little bit as these little glass pots stole the spotlight. I still have yet to get my hands on a Giorgio Armani!

What's special about the Chanel shadows is their unique formula. Are they a cream, gel, mousse? 

 Chanel describes them by saying, "An innovative gel texture that is both soft and cushiony allows it to be worn as eyeshadow or eyeliner." They are like hybrid between a mousse (but more dense) and a gel (like a MAC Paintpot, but much less dense). The texture is light and spongy, creamy and blends beautifully with intense pigment.

There are (6) shades in the line-up: Fantasme (shimmering white), Emerveille (shimmering peach/champagne), Illusoire (shimmering purple-mauve), Epatant (shimmering pewter-green), Mirifique (shimmering black) and Ebloui (shimmery burgundy). The shades I was most interested in is: Illusoire, Epatant and Emerville, but at $36 a pop, I only purchased one for now.

 

Epatant is a pewter-golden khaki green shimmering with silver reflects. On the eyes, I don't notice the green as much as I notice the silver. It reminds me a lot of Chanel Graphite Nail Polish, but in eyeshadow form.

Swatches: L.A. Colors Private Eye 24 Color Eyeshadow Palette.

L.A. Colors Private Eye 24 Color Eyeshadow Palette

If you haven't heard of L.A. Colors, it's a very affordable line of cosmetics through Beauty 21, Inc; who are also the makers of L.A. Girl and Arissa Studios. L.A. Colors is a really fun line, targeting more of the younger fashionistas, with loads of bright colors at a very low price - many of them being a dollar or two. It's also a cruelty-free company, for you all of you Vegans out there. I've spotted L.A. Colors at several of my local dollar and discount stores. For a list of retail locations, click here.

The Private Eye 24 Color Eyeshadow Palettes is one of L.A. Colors newest additions.

They are available in two different color palettes: Stake Out and Witness. I'm not positive if the finishes of the shadows differ from the two palettes, but I know the colors are very similar.

I own Stake Out, which contains 24 colorful shadows, both warm and cool, all with a shimmery or frosty finish.

READ MORE FOR THE SWATCHES!

Oldie but Goodie: Dior Five Golds 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette + Swatches!

Dior Five Golds 5-Colour Eyeshadow

I typically don't like posting about products that are limited edition from old collections or that are discontinued, but I had to make an exception for Dior's Five Golds Quint. I got a hold of this beauty in a blog sale for a fraction of the price, and I'm loving it!

Five Golds was one of the two, 5-Colour Eyeshadow palettes available last winter from Dior's 2010 Holiday Collection. Five Golds includes a charcoal black with silver sparkles (reminiscent of MAC Black Tied); metallic copper-gold; metallic medium-toned bronzed brown; metallic silver and a pale, shimmery golden ivory.

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL INFO, PHOTOS AND SWATCHES!

Sigma Bare Palette Review, Photos and Swatches!

Sigma Bare Palette

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The Sigma Beauty BARE palette is a must for everyday use. Ideal to create classic neutral looks, BARE is perfect for accentuating your best features without too much color distraction. Highlight inner corners, emphasize your crease, brighten your brow bone and enhance your lash line. With BARE's color selection, you can easily create day and night looks seamlessly and as subtle or as bold as you wish. BARE is perfect for a natural yet improved you! Includes Sigma Beauty's best-selling E30 and E25 in a unique dual-ended brush. Contains matte and satin formulations. 

Sigma launched three palettes in late June; Flare, Dare and Bare. There was a lot of talk about these palettes in the blogging community as well as among youtube gurus as many blogger are affiliates of Sigma and get to test out some of their products for free. (If you have a website, blog or YT channel, you can become an affiliate. Click here for details)

Out of the three palettes, the one that struck my interest was Bare, because it contains all neutral shades that are suitable for daytime, work, etc. There are eight (8) shades in total with shimmery, matte and satin formulations. 

Shine is a pigmented black with silver flecks. It's very reminiscent of MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow.
Control is a matte black.
Snoop is a matte, dove grey with a slight purple undertone.
Hitch is a matte, neutral ash-brown. It looks warm in the pan, but once swatched/applied, it is very neutral with grey undertones.
Act is a satiny, neutral taupe with a purple/mauve undertone. Again, this shade appears warm in the pan, but is very neutral.
Command is a shimmery, deep golden.
Elope is a pigmented matte, cool beige. It reminds me a bit of MAC Orb Eyeshadow.
Approach is a pigmented satiny, warm/yellow beige. It reminds me a bit of MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow.

Lancome Sienna Sultry Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette Review!

Lancome Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette

An all-in-one five-shadow palette for brightening the eyes.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: These alluring palettes feature silky, lustrous, long-wearing powders that transparently wrap the skin resulting in a seamless layering of pure color and a radiant finish. Build with absolute precision and apply the shades in five simple steps (all over, lid, crease, highlighter, and liner) to design your customized eye look. Contour, sculpt, and lift with soft day colors or intensify your look with dramatic evening hues for smoky effects. 

There are 12 palettes available. To view them all, click HERE to be re-directed to the Sephora product page.

Sienna Sultry contains a matte soft pink-beige, bubble-gum pink shimmer, matte soft brown, golden copper shimmer and a deep brown shimmer. All shades are suppose to go together to create a certain look. Lancome gives you a little guide for the color placement of each shade. In this particular palette the colors do go well together. I have to say though, I was really disappointed with this palette.

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, SWATCHES AND REVIEW!

My Favorite Nars Eyeshadows!

My Favorite Nars Eyeshadows

I wanted to do a post today about the Nars eyeshadows I own. Although my collection is pretty sad (these are the only ones I own!), it's because they are pretty expensive ($23 a pop) and I only treat myself to a shade every once in a while. 

I own five (5) shades in total: Galapagos, Bali, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing and Mekong.

Galapagos is a warm, bronzed-brown with gold shimmer.

Bali is a neutral taupe brown with a matte finish.

Coconut Grove is an intense neutral deep brown.

Mekong is a brown black with reddened-brown shimmer. When applied dry, it almost looks black. I recommend using this shade wet to see the true color, or over a brown/copper base.

Night Clubbing is a black infused with gold shimmer. The mixture of the gold and black give off an almost olive appearance. I also recommend using this one wet, or on top of a golden cream shadow/base.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Coconut Grove. It's the most pigmented and deepest brown I own. I barely have to touch the shadow and I'll get amazing color payoff. But, that's the case with almost all of Nars shadows.

NARS Galapagos, Bali, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing and Mekong Eyeshadows

I use all of the shades quite often, with the most often used shades being Coconut Grove and Galapagos. They work so perfectly alone or with an additional highlight shade. 

I really enjoy using all of these shadows and I have so many more on my wishlist! 

Here's what they look like swatched:

Swatches from left to right: Bali, Coconut Grove, Galapagos, Mekong, Night Clubbing.

(swatches in same order as above)

I cropped out my eyes from an older FOTD where I was wearing Night Clubbing all over my lid. It's super dark, but also works great as a liner.

Do you own any Nars shadows? Are there any you'd recommend? 

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios Review!

Left to Right: Silent Treatment #335, I'm Getting Sunburned #334, Walking on Eggshells #380B.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios

Wet n Wild is a drugstore cosmetic brand that I've always been really familiar with. The first makeup items I ever owned, at the age of 12, were Wet n Wild. Throughout my adolescence, Wet n Wild was a brand I'd always go because it was convenient (sold at most drugstores) and the prices were always very inexpensive.

Throughout high school, I started to explore other brands and started to neglecting my Wet n Wild makeup. Many of the lipsticks were too frosty and the eye shadows were too sheer. In the past couple of years, Wet n Wild has really improved their quality and selection of products.

Aside from Wet n Wild's awesome Mega Last Matte Lipsticks, their palettes have been causing quite a "stir" in the online makeup communities. Call me a "Makeup Snob", but I was never really interested in purchasing any of the palettes myself, despite the rave after rave reviews I read. I think a big part of it is the flimsy packaging. I am a bit of a sucker for nicely packaged items, but the main reason Wet n Wild is able to keep their prices so low is because of their basic, mediocre packaging. I always assume that if I purchase a bronzer or eyeshadow, it will end up shattering in my purse and getting all over everything. Well, I put all of that to the side when I saw a 40% sale at my local drugstore and decided to splurge (yes, splurge a whole $5 bill) on a few palettes.

There are 12 different Color Icon Trios to choose from, and I ended up choosing the palettes that I figured are suitable for every day and go well together.

Left to Right: Silent Treatment #335, I'm Getting Sunburned #334, Walking on Eggshells #380B.

Silent Treatment #335 contains a light peach, a dark, neutral brown with golden shimmer and a mauve taupe. The most pigmented shade in this trio is the crease, and the least pigmented shade is the brow bone. All shades go extremely well together and I think it's an overall great palette to put together a quick look.

I'm Getting Sunburned #334 contains a frosted, cool pink, a deep-dark warm brown with copper shimmer (a good dupe for NARS Mekong) and a frosted gold. All three shades are very richly pigmented and is probably the most pigmented of all three palettes. The brown in particular applied very dark - almost black, so you only need the lightest touch of your brush.

Walking on Eggshells #380B contains a frosty off white, warm caramel brown and a champagne pink. Again, all three shades are richly pigmented. This palette is a great palette for subtle every day looks, especially for the daytime and a work environment.

As far as the shadows themselves, they are very soft and smooth. They applied and blended together very easily. When using a sponge applicator or brush, quite a bit of dust was created from the shadows, so the compacts can possibly get a bit messy after continued use. Also, because they are so soft, I'd be scared to death of ever dropping any of the palettes on hard flooring. (Although I read that the Silent Treatment trio passed Temptalia's drop test. Results will vary, I'm sure.)

I'm overall really satisfied with all three palettes and can't wait to share some looks with them! Definitely give one a try if you've been undecided.

MAC Brown Down & Brun Eyeshadow Review, Swatches and Comparisons!

Have you ever hated a certain eyeshadow color, and then later on, you end up loving it? In the beginning of my blog, you may of noticed I used just about every color but brown. Now, brown seems to be all I wear every day and I can't get enough of it!

I have several brown shadows, but every time I see a nice matte, super pigmented brown, my heart starts beating a little faster and I have to get my hands on it like a bad addiction. Yep. I'm never satisfied with the browns I have. I feel like there is always another undertone, another finish, better pigmentation.

This brings me to my lastest brown addition to my brown shadow family. MAC Brown Down and Brun.

Brown Down is a teddy bear brown with a veluxe finish.

Brun is a blackish-brown with a satin finish.

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brun (Satin) Right: Brown Down (Veluxe)

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brown Down (Veluxe) Right: Brun (Satin)

I love that Brown Down isn't really anything like I have already. It's a soft, pigmented, earthy red-brown. Because of the red tone, it's an excellent color for my hazel eyes. Basically any red toned color will make green eyes really stand out. I'm sure I'll be using it often in my crease and smudged on my lower lashline.

As for Brun, it's a wonderful blackened brown with no red or yellow undertones. It makes for a great smokey eye or for a brow filler for brunettes. Many have trouble finding that right shade of brown to match their brows, that isn't too golden, red or gray and this is perfect!

Here are some comparisons to some of the browns I own:

(CLICK FOR FULL SIZE) Left to Right: Nars Mekong, Nars Coconut Grove, Nars Bali, MAC Espresso, MAC Brun, MAC Brown Down, MAC Tempting, Urban Decay Twice Baked, NYX Dark Brown.

 Sadly, I lost two of my favorite brown shadows.. MAC Cork and Nars Galapagos. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I have a bad habit of never closing my makeup bag or handbag, and I lose makeup once in a while. I'll have to purchase back ups sometime in the near future.

How to De-pot your MAC Eyeshadows + ELF Elements $1 Palette! (Pic heavy post)

De-potting an eyeshadow is basically, removing the eyeshadow pan from the pot. There are many reasons why de-potting your eyeshadow, but it depends on your preference, lifestyle, etc. For those of you that have limited space for storage, have lots & lots of shadows - & tend to neglect several of your shadows, or travel often, de-potting your shadows may be something that will benefit you. I personally, never liked the idea of de-potting my shadows and I always wanted to keep them in their little black pots. I'm not sure why, but I liked the idea of owning several shades and I didn't want to depot them all at one point and later on, wish I didn't. Now, I notice that having so many shadows is a complete nuisance when I'm trying to find a certain shade and I have to fumble through my drawers. What I've also noticed is, when I use a palette, I tend to use more shades.. and my MAC shadows have become neglected with the exception of a few.

The benefits of having your shadows in a palette is: 

• All of your shades are always handy, and you'll never have to dig for a certain shade
• Going with the previous bullet point, you won't lose eye shadows (believe it or not, I have a bad habit of never closing my makeup bags, and I've lost eye shadows, lipsticks, you name it)
• It is very handy for traveling - You can keep a small palette in your handbag for shadows you wear every day
• When a bunch of shades are in front of you, you'll see better what you have. Therefore, you'll tend to use more shades.
• A palette takes up much less space than a bunch of pots would - for both storage and travel.
• Depending on how many MAC eye shadows you have, for every 6 pots, you can "Back to MAC" them for a free lipstick or lip gloss (at counters) or eyeshadow (at MAC stores). 

There are several brands to choose from, but I'm not 100% sure which palettes will fit MAC shadows. MUFE sells palettes and there are some on http://www.camerareadycosmetics.com, but like I said, I'm not sure if any of those fit MAC shadows. Your best best are MAC palettes, as they are fairly inexpensive and are specifically for MAC shadows. There is also the ELF palette, for only a $1, which isn't bad, and the Z-palette, which I find a bit expensive - but, since there are no slots, you aren't only limited to MAC shadows.. you can use any shadows, blushes, etc. If you know of other palettes, please let me know in my comments below!

Once, you have your palette to fill, you'll need a few tools for de-potting.

• A knife that comes to a point (a butter knife doesn't work well) - or you can use a letter opener. In addition, I use a pair of tweezers.
• A flat iron
• Wax paper (optional)
• Rubbing Alcohol or Goo Gone (Goo Gone works better) and a Q-tip
• Magnets

Nars Mekong Eyeshadow Review, Photos and Swatches!

NARS Mekong Eyeshadow

NARS Mekong Eyeshadow ($24) is a deep-dark brown infused with gold shimmer.

Like many of Nars Eyeshadows, Mekong is extremely pigmented. In fact, it's probably the most pigmented eyeshadow I own next to Nars Night Clubbing. In fact, it's a bit like Night Clubbing in that they are both very shimmery in the pan, but apply to the lids almost black with minimal shimmer.

In some ways, it's intimidating to use because it's so pigmented and dark. It works very well for a liner, and will probably be my main use for this shadow.

I don't at all find it difficult to blend using a soft brush and it looks excellent in the crease and applied as a liner. On my lids, its a blackend brown with a slight golden/brown sheen. Applied wet, it is darker (almost black), but the shimmer shows up much more. It makes for a beautiful, rich liner applied wet. 

I find that when using this shadow, I have fallout on my cheeks - so when using this, it's best to tap off excess product before applying it to your lids. You literally barely have to touch the shadow with your brush for great color payoff. 

Also, you can guard your cheek with a piece of paper (I like using a business card) or you can apply your foundation after your eyes. I can see why only 57% say they would repurchase, as I don't think I'll ever finish this eyeshadow. With daily use - I think it would take me a few years to finish.. and by that time, I'd probably find something else I love.

This shadow has a rating of 4/5 on makeupalley, with a 57% re-purchase rate. So, the overall rating is quite good, but only half of the reviewers would repurchase. The major complaints about this shadow is that even though it is richly pigmented, the shadow looks black on the lids rather than the beautifully shimmery brown. The shimmer doesn't transfer too well on the lids, making it look like an almost matte black-brown with very little sheen. Some say it's difficult to blend with poor lasting power. Some say it's perfect in every way. (Read reviews here)

So what do you think of Mekong? Is it a love it? Or leave it??

Dior Crush Glow 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos & Swatches!

I received this palette in a swap yesterday, and thought I would share with you some photos & swatches!

Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow No. 659 Crush Glow

Product Description: Your eyes have never beheld such brilliance. Shimmering palettes created with Dior's phenomenal new Wet Reflect™ technology. Ultra-reflective. Ultra-luminous. Ultra-incredible. Five metallic-rich shades in each palette. Silky-smooth and weightless. So blendable, the colors virtually fuse with the skin for looks that defy creasing, smudging or fading. (Source: http://nordstrom.com)

Crush Glow was a part of Dior's Summer 2010 collection. The palette contains a peachy gold shimmer, light pink/champagne shimmer, copper bronze shimmer, coral-pink with a slight frost and a silvery taupe with a pink pearl. All of the shadows are soft and pigmented. The bronze is the most pigmented shade from the quint. All of the colors are beautiful and they all go very well with each other. I think it's a perfect color palette for the Spring & Summer.

Now that Dior has reformulated their 5-Colour Eyeshadows, Crush Glow seems to resemble Sunset Cafe - but after looking up swatches of Sunset Cafe, they are a bit different and I actually like Crush Glow much, much more.

Here are the colors swatched without a base.

Although I haven't tested any of the colors on my eyes, just from swatching them, I'm very satisfied with the color payoff, blendability and consistency of the shadows (they are so soft!)

I'm excited to try it out, and I should have some looks for you soon!

What is your favorite Dior Quint??

Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo

Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo ($34) is the only Nars Duo I own, and it consists of a golden copper and a burnt copper shade. Both colors are intensely pigmented, and buttery soft. They also translate exactly the same on the lids. 

I would consider Nars a luxury brand (despite the less than luxurious packaging), so I only purchase a Nars product once in a while, as a "treat" to myself. 

I have to admit, there aren't too many duos that really grab my attention in the whole range, but as a lover of warm golden shades, Isolde is a great pick.

Knowing Nars eyeshadows, they are pigmented for the most part, but sometimes there's a "miss" in the bunch. They also differ in texture - some are super soft, while others are just average. Both shades in the Isolde Duo are actually the softest eyeshadows I've used from Nars.

Urban Decay Naked Palette Review, Photos and Swatches!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: You can look great NAKED! This long, lean, seductive case is packed with  twelve (12) gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal, and feature five (5) new shades with names like Darkhorse, Virgin and Buck. We've also included a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte. 

The chocolaty velvet case is emblazoned with the word "NAKED" in gold foil lettering. (Just wait 'til your friends see you pull this sexy thing out of your bag. Jealous!) The mirrored case also includes a professional quality, cruelty-free Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush, AND a travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in original formula. This is a shadow palette everyone can use, and a truly spectacular gift. Experiment with office-appropriate neutrals, summertime bronzy looks, or sultry smokiness. With such a diversity of neutral shades at your fingertips, there's more to neutral than meets the eye.

The Urban Decay Naked Palette, as stated above contains twelve (12) shades: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep & Gunmetal.

The palette retails for $48, which sounds expensive, but is an extremely good value. Each shadow weighs in at .05 oz - which is the SAME size as a a regular Urban Decay full sized eyeshadow ($17 each) and actually, .01 oz larger than a full size MAC Eyeshadow (.04 oz, $14.50 each). In addition, you are getting a good brush, and a travel size Primer Potion.

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked

Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Swatches

Most shades in the Urban Decay Naked Palette are shimmery or frosted. The only two matte shades in this palette are Naked and Buck. Naked and Buck are actually two of my favorite shades in this palette - both being great blending shades and natural crease colors. Buck also works on my brows as a filler.

My favorite shades of all (and the ones that get the most love on a daily basis) are: Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog and Darkhorse. All of the shades are pigmented and apply smoothly. 

 Here's a recent eye look I did using only the Naked Palette. The main colors I used were Darkhorse, Half Baked, Buck and Creep.

I guess the only downside I can say about the palette is that there aren't enough matte shades, so for "daytime" looks, there aren't as many options. I also kinda wish the black was a matte black, rather than a shimmery black.

Also, I'm not a fan of the packaging. It's pretty for a short period of time, but soon after, the velvet attracts dust and the gold lettering starts to wear off.

Overall, I am very happy with it and I think it was very much worth the investment.

Do you own the Naked Palette?