GARNIER Micellar Cleansing Water VS. Simple Micellar Cleansing Water

For as long as I can remember, I've been searching for a makeup remover that would:

• remove all of my makeup, because let's face it-- most products don't
• would NOT irritate my eyes, because many of them sting 
• would remove all of my eye makeup effortlessly
• and would not dry out my skin

And until recently, I had yet to find a product that met all of my criteria. 

Today, though, I want to share with you my experiences using micellar waters. And I am going to give you a rundown on which I prefer. 

I've tried two drugstore ones, which are the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water ($6.99) as well as the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water ($4.79). 

I purchased the Simple one first, so I've used over half of that one, but I've used at least 1/3 of the Garnier one. So I finally feel that I've reached a point where I can give you some good insight. 

I'll start by talking about the GARNIER one. 

If you go to your local drugstore, Walmart or Target to purchase this micellar water, you'll find that they have two different bottles on the shelf. One with a pink lid and one with a teal lid. I purchased the teal one because the bottle stated that it removes "even waterproof mascara." I really didn't know there'd be much of a difference in formula between the two. 

What I noticed during my first few uses, is that this one equipped to remove waterproof mascara, is greasy. 

Before application, you'll shake the bottle up well, but if you'll notice in the photo on the left, you can see the oil-like substance separating at the top of the mixture. When you mix it up, it sort of disappears, but settles back at the top once you're no longer shaking it. 

The best way to use a micellar water is to saturate either a cotton ball or cotton round with it, and use those to wipe the makeup off of your face. For me, it takes a few times to get all of my makeup removed. 

For the eyes, you'll saturate one of the cotton products and then lay it on your closed eye for a few seconds before wiping the makeup away. That allows the micellar water to break down the makeup and it makes it easier to remove. This prevents you from having to scrub at your eye to get it off, thus preventing signs of premature aging.

I found that when I used this on my face, it did remove makeup well, but left a greasy film all over afterwards. I especially felt the greasiness around my eyes. Although it feels oily every time I use it, I have noticed that the better it is shaken, the less oily it seems. Sort of like using an oil based salad dressing-- if you pour it on your salad before mixing, it will be like you dumped vegetable oil all over your lettuce. But when you do shake it well, the oiliness is present, but doesn't take over the whole salad.

I've provided you a photo of the info found on the back of the bottle. You can see that their instructions for face and eye makeup removal is not unlike what I have just explained to you above. 

The directions do say to "Shake Well." I imagine this has something to do with that oily substance in this version. 

As listed above, this micellar water was around $7 for a 13.5 oz bottle. The Simple micellar water was a little under $5 for a 6.7 oz bottle. The Simple would only be a few cents pricier if we broke down the oz per dollar. But it's not large enough of a price difference to make and break buying it again. 

Another thing I'd like to mention before moving on to the Simple cleanser, is that the Garnier did NOT sting or irritate my eyes when they were saturated with it. With most all makeup remover wipes and many eye removers, my eyes sting and burn while using them to try and remove waterproof liners and mascaras. 

Now, on to the Simple micellar water.. 

One of the first things I noticed about this product was how fresh it made my skin feel. It was the first micellar water I'd tried, and it blew my expectations out of the water. 

It is gentle on the skin, doesn't leave an oily residue, removes all of my makeup, and is made by a brand that prides itself on being healthy and
"kind to skin." 

While this brand's products are often a little higher in price point than some of the other drugstore brands, I do believe that their products are good for us. 

The back packaging states that the water has multi-vitamins and skin-loving ingredients. What could be any better than that? 

The directions are much the same as the ones on the Garnier bottle. 

I found this micellar water also did NOT irritate my eyes, and that it made my skin feel good afterwards. 

I find that when I'm grabbing for one of these, I definitely pick the Simple one. Both products did remove my makeup as they stated they would. I didn't have any problems with them doing what they claim. There's nothing vastly different in the way these products work, but having my skin feeling greasy after each use is mainly what makes Garnier's product come in last place. My skin is already extremely oily in my t-zone, so I just hate using products that make it feel oily, or add unnecessary oil in. 

I do believe the oily consistency was created to help better break down waterproof and more heavy-duty makeup, but I don't think it's necessary with the Simple one excelling at removing everything without the oily concoction. 

I do plan on purchasing the one with the pink lid once I've used up this one. But either way, I'll definitely go out and buy the Simple micellar water again. 

Micellar waters are brilliant. We finally have something that will remove our makeup, won't dry out or irritate our skin, and will deep clean and help us to achiever healthier skin. Bless the chemists who sat down at the drawing board and created something like this for us, finally. 

Please leave me comments with your own experiences using micellar waters, ask questions and I'll try to answer, and let me know what you'd like to see next! 

xx 

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream

I've been looking forward to doing this review ever since I got my RoseRoseShop (RRS) order in the mail a month or so back. But I wanted to try it out for long enough to gather a good feel for the product before I reported on it. Once my friend Sydney turned me on to the wild wonders of Korean Skincare, I did a ton of research before my huge haul, which led me to snail cream. 

The snail cream that I chose to try out was the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream, which I purchased for around $14.50. RRS is a great place to buy Korean products at a great wholesale price, which ends up being often around half the price you'd pay for the same product from a U.S. seller on Amazon or eBay. The shop is located in Korea, but products usually only take a few weeks to reach U.S. buyers, and everything I purchased was wrapped up very securely with bubble wrap. The site has a converter, so you can change the currency over to U.S. dollars or to match whatever other country's currency you need. 

And the cool thing about snail cream is that it is comprised of a percentage of snail extract/snail mucin, which has been proven to have anti-aging and super moisturizing abilities on the skin. Now, before you go thinking it's disgusting because snails are slimy and gross, imagine that something so slimy could actually positively benefit your skin. And obviously, there are other moisturizing ingredients in the product, so it's not as if you're swiping a snail across your face. 

As per usual with Korean products, many of the labels are printed in the Korean text, so you have to really research a product to know what it's uses and benefits are. They have so many more options in terms of moisturizers, face washes, serums, cream, gels, etc., so it was a bit overwhelming to pin-point the things I would get the best use out of.  They also tend to have many more products with cool ingredients, like bee venom or volcanic clay.

The first thing you'll notice about snail cream is the sticky, almost stringy texture it has. I think this does have a lot to do with the mucin, but don't let that alarm you! I actually think it's pretty cool. I'd never seen anything like it. 

And the cream itself doesn't have much of an odor, so if you have a sensitive nose, you don't have to worry about the smell weirding you out.

The snail cream itself is also very light. It is neither heavy nor sticky on the skin, and it makes my face feel very soft and smooth once it has soaked in. I tried to take a few photos to convey just how stringy it is. 

The texture is kind of a mixture between a gel and a cream. It isn't like your average face moisturizer, but isn't gel, either. I think being a medium between lotion and gel are also what makes it very breathable and light on the skin.

I added this to my nighttime skincare routine and it fits right into my regimen. I have not experienced an adverse reaction to the cream. It seems to work well with the other products I use, and is very moisturizing. 

This is the type of product, I think, that isn't vital to your skincare routine, but that could be a good addition to it. I have always read and heard that you can never begin too early with creating a dependable skincare routine to reduce signs of aging, potential sun damage, and to protect your skin against any other harmful effects from our natural environment. In the last year or so, I have become a HUGE advocate of good skincare. 

For years, I struggled with acne even though I had tried multiple topical and oral medications prescribed by my dermatologist. I halfheartedly washed my face, sometimes skipping out on it entirely if I was too lazy, and I never moisturized. Now, though, I have gotten past the adolescent years of acne, but am older and have realized just how important caring for my skin is. I use around 10 products every single night before bed. And although my skin is far from perfect, with larger pores, redness and sometimes the ever-common blackheads, it is so much healthier than it has ever been before. 

In fact, I recommend that everyone, regardless of age, find a skincare routine that works for them. Something that includes a cleanser, possibly a toner (but it isn't imperative), a good moisturizing lotion, a gentle exfoliating scrub or chemical exfoliant for bi-weekly use, and even an eye cream if you want to go all out. You could possibly get away with just a facial cleanser and moisturizer if you have good skin, though. But I think it's important to combat signs of aging and damage before they are a problem. It's good to get a head start on taking care of our skin, because it's the only "house" we will ever have. Our bodies are our homes, and they should be taken care of. 

When choosing the products that might work best for you, make sure you first know your skin-type. Find out whether you have dry, oily, combination (a mix between dry and oily), or the ever-so-lucky normal skin type. And then, you'll buy products based on that classification. Most products will state which type they are most suited for. Makeup also usually states on the packaging which skin type it works best for. 

On that note, I would like to say that I do plan to purchase this snail cream again. I may even try another brand next time to compare the two, but snail cream itself is just too cool to drop from my routine! 

If you have any questions on this snail cream, my everyday skincare routine, or on how to develop your own, then please let me know. I'd be happy to help talk you through which products might work well for your own personal regimen. I also may end up adding a post explaining my skincare routine more in-depth and showing you what products I use and most love.

xx 

Kat Von D Lock-it Tattoo Foundation

I know this foundation isn't a new product or anything, but it was to me a few months ago when I first tried it out. I had heard really great things about the Kat Von D Lock-it Tattoo Foundation, and I am always looking for something to better manage my oil slick t-zone. 

I purchased mine at Sephora for $34. 

I was lucky enough to have guessed the right shade for my skin tone: Light 45, which is the shade seen in the photos. The large range of shades rather impressed me. Oftentimes, beauty companies release foundation lines and the color range is lacking. Kat Von D offers shades with beige, pink, yellow and mixed undertones. 

A cool thing that you'll notice about the uber cool packaging is the pump on top of the bottle. I use about two small pumps on my face. I like that the pump allows for more control of how much product is released. The screw-off lids where you just dump the shade onto the back of your hand can sometimes leak out too much product and the rim around the bottle can get rather messy.

You can see how tiny the pump is, so it's very controllable and neat. The bottle also comes with a little plastic covering to go over the pump, so you can keep the product from drying out and getting crusty. I'm sure many people throw that out, but I've kept it on mine because I tend to have OCD about certain things. 

The product boasts: 

• 24-hour wear 
• transfer resistance
• a matte, soft finish
• perfectly smooth, hydrated skin
• and bold full coverage

The reality is that while this is a very good foundation, there is just no way that any foundation is going to live up to every one of those expectations. 

The foundation itself is very full coverage. It's the type that you don't want to use too much of for fear of the dreaded Cake Face. And since the pigmentation is exceptional, one simply has to use it responsibly. 

I do not believe that any foundation is going to look as if it has just been freshly applied after a 24-hour period. I found that with primer, proper setting powder and finishing spray, I was able to get through the work day before it started to look a little dull and splotched. I'm going to say that I could make it approximately 10-12 hours before I felt that the foundation would need completely redone. Even at 12 hours, though, I know it would definitely be splotchy by then. Someone with less oily, more normal skin might have better results than I did. But 10-12 hours is certainly pushing it for me. 

As for the transfer resistance it claims to have.. I have yet to find a face makeup that didn't rub off on my collar. I've merely gotten used to spraying stain remover on my collars before throwing them into my hamper. I can't speak for everyone, but that is just my personal experience. 

The finish is very mattifying for the first little bit, but if you're like me and struggle from chronic oiliness, then you'll probably still be touching up or whipping out your blotting papers. At this point, if I go out and only take my wallet, I stuff a small packet of blotting papers into my wallet for the ride. 

As most matte formula foundations are a bit more dry, this one does not seem to be overly hydrating, but isn't drying either. It's simply a nice medium. My skin feels velvety and matte at the same time (upon first applying), so I do believe that with the initial application you do get a nice sense of hydration and a matte finish. However, as time goes on, I do have to touch up the makeup as per usual with all other foundations I've used, and my skin does not feel any more hydrated over time. 

Kat Von D did a great job at providing us with a blendable formula. The foundation is very easy to smooth out. I've found that by using a Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge or a Beauty Blender (either one) that has been dampened, you can thin the formula out to a medium coverage. My skin these days is clear 98% of the time, so aside from some facial redness, I don't have much to cover. So with my skin type, medium coverage is great.

If you want the utmost full coverage with this foundation, I suggest using a dense foundation brush to buff and smooth the foundation into skin. You could also stipple the foundation with an appropriate stippling brush. By stippling it, you are able to control how heavy or light of a coverage you prefer. 

Left: MAC Studio Fluid Fix Right: Kat Von D

Left: MAC Studio Fluid Fix Right: Kat Von D

To give you a color comparison from another brand, I have swatched my MAC Studio Fluid Fix in NC15 beside of the Kat Von D Lock-it in Light 45. You can see that the shades are nearly identical. My skins is a bit darker at the moment thanks to the sun's natural rays, but both are perfect matches for my winter skin. 

In comparing these two foundations, you can see that both are similar in formula as well. They're thick and creamy, but both good for oilier complexions. 

I am going to give this foundation an A-. I do love the foundation, but I knocked a bit off my score because the foundation doesn't do everything the company proclaims it does. But there is nothing largely wrong with the product, overall. I will definitely be repurchasing it. Still yet, I will be on the lookout for the one miracle product that is transfer resistant, stays glued to my skin for 24-hours and keeps me completely matte all day long. Until then, this foundation will be a decent substitute. 

If I left out anything, please let me know. Feel free to ask any questions or give me any feedback on your own experiences with this product. 

xx 

Holika Holika Petit Jelly BB Cream

When I get on the topic of this product, all I really want to do is belt out a Jaclyn Hill "YAAAASSSS." I have tried an array of bb creams over the last several years, but had yet to find one that gave me enough coverage, had a decent lasting power, or was a good shade for my skin tone until I found this one. 

It is the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream. It's one of the first Korean cosmetic items I've tried. Last week I received my package from RoseRoseShop (RRS), which is a Korean online store that carries most all Korean Skincare brands in either individual or wholesale. 

The prices are phenomenal compared to purchasing the individual items on eBay or Amazon. The only negative I found from ordering from RRS is the shipping. I stuck with the standard shipping and it was $23 for everything that I ordered, but the discounted prices on the products still saved me money even with a steeper shipping price.  And when I received the package, I was surprised at how heavy it was. 

Amazon has this product listed for $13.25, and shipping is only free on an order over $35. RRS sells the product for $9, and shipping only increases based on the number of items you buy. RRS even has some products listed for free shipping.

** I also want to point out that even though I only opted for the standard shipping method, it took them a week from ordering to get it in the mail and only about a week for the shipment to reach me from Korea. I even had to sign for the package, which was nice for ensuring I received it. **

A friend of mine suggested I try this product because she'd had a positive experience with it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of any of the Korean products I purchased, but I have been truly enjoying them. I can honestly see why Americans are catching onto the whole Korean skincare bandwagon. I will be doing blog posts on the other products as I've used them more and have a general consensus for each one. 

The product itself came in a box with a sponge, which I plan to try to wet in the near future to see if it expands like a Beauty Blender. 

I LOVE the packaging, though. The shape of the bottle reminds me of a flower. And I've never seen anything like the spatula on the end of the lid, which is used to dip out the product. If using this on multiple people, you could actually be very sanitary with it by dipping the product out onto a Paw Palette or other mixing tray. I, personally, only plan to use this on myself, so I have been just applying the product directly from the spatula to my face. 

I also like how wide and open the bottle is, so you can see the product inside to know how much you have left. This is SO MUCH product. It's just under 1.5 oz, which is a ton considering how much you use on a daily basis. 

I decided not to do swatches of it, but the coverage is medium at best. It is actually the most full coverage, smoothest finish bb cream I've tried yet. It hides all of the redness on my cheeks and smooths out my skin like none other. The jelly formula also gives a bit of a dewy finish. If you like to have a dewy finish more so than matte, then you'd like this. Personally, I like a more matte finish due to my skin being extremely oily, but it's nothing that setting powder and some oil setting spray won't help diminish.

The one negative I've found with this product is that there are only two different shades to choose from. There are only shades 01 and 02. I purchased 02 because I feared that 01 might be too light for me. And while 02 works okay for me, it is a little bit more pink toned than I'd prefer since I have a warmer skin tone. I may end up purchasing 01 next time just to see if it's a yellow-toned equivalent. It's possible they're the same shade range, just that one is for warm and one for cool toned skin. If it did turn up too light, then I could bronze myself up to match my skin tone better. And although it is a negative, I've found that most bb creams have a much smaller color range than your everyday foundation.

Other than that, the Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream is now my all time favorite bb cream. I'm so used to medium-full coverage makeup on a day-to-day basis, but I've been using this every single day because I like it so much. 

My face is primarily clear these days-- even though I did use to struggle with severe acne, so I can't really say how well it might help to conceal blemishes. If I do get some breakouts in the near future, then I'll try to use it and see how it works and do an update to let you all know. 

I would definitely recommend this as a first class bb cream. I'm definitely going to repurchase. And if I do order the 01 shade next time, then I'll definitely do a comparison post! 

Look for my next post to be up over the weekend or beginning of next week. I already know what I'll be reviewing next, so I'm going to be working on that post in-between painting this weekend. 

Utter chaos! 

--xx 

The Resort Palette by Lorac

This limited edition palette is one I am very excited to report on. I had seen it a while back on someone's Instagram or maybe even on a blog post, but was just able to get my hands on it recently. The palette is no longer available online since it was part of Lorac's Spring 2015 Collection. I ordered mine from HauteLook, so it's not listed on their site any longer.

Still yet, I have to brag on yet another Lorac product that I was impressed with. I don't think I've tried one Lorac product that has disappointed me. They have some of my all time favorite shadows. The buttery texture is just downright perfect, and the pigmentation for all of their powder products--UNREAL. 

Of all of the spring/summer palettes I've come across thus far for 2015, this package design is my favorite. I love the teal, gold and white design on the outside. I get all kinds of excited just from looking at it. 

I'll also make it known that this palette is the typical cardboard design with a magnetic closure.

The first thing I noticed when I saw this palette online was that it was very travel friendly because it comes with a highlighter, two blushes and a bronzer. It's cool since a lot of palettes don't include that, or if they do, the palette as a whole isn't the best quality. 

The highlight shade comes off as a white with a silvery sheen, which everyone can use. The bronzer is my favorite type of brown with an ashy hue. More people seem to lean towards the ashy, taupe-y browns. 

And lastly, the two blush shades are very different from one another. There's the bright coral on the top right and the deep mauve shade on the bottom row, both of which are very flattering. I've even layered the two a few times for a mid-tone blush on the cheekbones.

With Flash

And as you can see, the colors are very pigmented. The black is like WOW. The first two on the top row just don't show up well because they are so similar to my natural skin color, but do well on the lids after prepped with a primer. 

I like to apply my primer, then apply a white shadow over the entire lid to set the primer and give me a nice, flat white base to start on. It's kind of like giving yourself a blank canvas. I do that every single day when applying makeup, but it especially helps to showcase the actual pigmentation of the paler shades that would not show up well on your skin otherwise.   

Without Flash

              

For those of you who didn't get your hands on this palette, BOOOO! I hate that. I wish I could personally hand out a whole lot of them to everyone who wants one or who I know would appreciate one. 

Honestly, Lorac has done it again! I've tried many brands of eyeshadows-- both high-end and drugstore, but Lorac is one of my all time favorites. I've not used one shadow of their shadows that fell short of my standard. I give this palette an A for versatility, for excelling my expectations in pigmentation, for the neutral shades provided for everyday or dramatic use, for the fact that it has one of the blackest blacks ever (which is a huge plus for a palette), and for the beautiful palette design. 

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette

I am so, so sorry for not having a post up sooner. It feels like much longer than a month has gone by since my last one. I don't even have much of an excuse for my absence, either, unfortunately. The lazy bird doesn't get the worm, so here we are.

Luckily, I have a bunch of post ideas, so I have gotten photos and drafts ready for three new items. I hope to have the other two posts up tomorrow and Friday. Let's just say: I'll have them done before the weekend actually starts. 

As I am sure you can see, this post is a long overdue review of the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, which I purchased a while back for $46 from Sephora. My last post on the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette should have been uploaded after this one, but I thought I had already reviewed this contour kit for some reason. 

Regardless, we are here now and I plan to diverge my innermost thoughts on this palette. No, really, though. 

The packaging is really nice with the black and gold cardboard print and magnets for opening and closing. It's basically the same as the eye palette. I don't have any real issues with the palette packaging. I think it's the standard for many palettes. 

I also really like the bold Gothic font used. It goes well with the shade names and the overall theme and the mood the palette sets. I think it's pretty perfect for a Kat Von D palette, because its so vibrant and bold like her.

Left to Right: Lucid, Lyric, Levitation
                                          Sombre, Shadowplay, Subconscious

Left to Right: Lucid, Lyric, Levitation
                                          Sombre, Shadowplay, Subconscious

The back of the palette is nothing special. It is basically just a blueprint of the colors we get inside, which I like. I like when shades are named more so than when it's a palette with no specific names.

The palette itself has a nice mirror on the inside and fairly large shades. I wish they had made the contour and highlight shades the same size, though. I have a friend who has already hit pan on one of those. 

Also, the thing about these highlight shades is that they're all matte, so they're more for setting the highlighted areas of the face-- or the areas you've highlighted with concealer, I should say. 

Any contour kit is good as long as it has highlight and contour shades that are going to complement all skin tones. I think this palette does that. While the average user could get away with simply owning the right color bronzer and a nice translucent setting powder, many makeup artists and makeup lovers are flocking to these kits 

This one has been out a while now, so there are probably plenty of other reviews on it. Before purchasing anything, I often do skim others' blog posts and YouTube reviews to make sure I feel I am getting the bang for my buck.

Left to Right: Lucid, Lyric, Levitation
                                          Sombre, Shadowplay, Subconscious

I have also provided a swatch photo of the shades. I am very partial to the bronzer shade called "Sombre" on the bottom left and the highlight shade "Lyric" in the middle on the top row. "Sombre" is the most cool-toned brown of the three, while "Lyric" is the perfect highlight to set your concealer with if you have more warm-toned skin. I usually mix "Lyric" and "Lucid" (pale white shade) since I've been pale all through the winter. 

I find that often many people with either olive or yellow skin-toned look a lot better with the cooler tones. I think it really deepens up the natural shadows on the face. Someone with a more pink skin tone is going to look better with a clay or more of a red-brown shade. But either way, you do you. I am just providing my opinion from my own personal experience.

The palette itself is phenomenal! I can honestly say it is one of my favorite ones on the market right now. I would even choose it over the Anastasia Beverly Hills powder and cream contour kits. I just really love the contour shades and the size of the palette. I think it's very versatile. And if someone asked me which high end contour kit they should consider, I'd definitely suggest the Kat Von D one first. 

I give the palette an A+ because there's not really anything I don't like about it. The shades are pigmented and smooth in formula, its going to work for a broad range of people, you get a lot of product for the price, and the packaging and design is nice. 

Until next time.. xx 

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette

So, I meant to have this post up over the weekend, but I was so overwhelmed Saturday with my prom clients, and after spending over six hours doing makeup on Saturday, Sunday I felt like a "good for nothing" and wasted the day away. 

I figured I might as well get this review up before I start spring cleaning my room, which I dislike doing. But as I am about to paint my room, get a new comforter and basically give it a makeover, I need to clear some stuff out of there, or risk hoarder status.

As I 'm sure you can already make out, this review is going to be on the new Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette, which I purchased several weeks back with the VIB 15% discount from Sephora.  The palette retails for $46, which is a steal considering how much product you get. And surprisingly, this was my first Kat Von D eyeshadow palette. 

Now, first things first, I LOVE  the packaging. I think it's cool with the Gothic vibe and the bold gold lettering. If you'll notice, I tried to imitate it with the stamps on my photos. Also, even though the palette is standard cardboard material, it feels pretty heavy duty, which I like. 

Left to Right: Laetus, Lazarus, Ludwin
Samael, Solas, Lucius, Saleos, Shax, Liberatus, Succubus, Sytry, Latinus

I am a little confused on why they picked the colors they did for the top three shades when it looks like the highlight shades are the smaller ones down below. You could maybe use the first shadow on the top "Laetus" as a highlight shade, but not the second two. 

If I had to choose one of the sets of shadows, I'd pick the third column. I just have a thing for warm, clay browns. I think it's because they tend to go really well with my hazel eyes.  

And my favorite shade in the palette is "Succubus," which reminds me a lot of the orange clay that used to coat the banks of the lake I spent many summers at as a child. 

Left to Right: Laetus, Lazarus, Ludwin
Samael, Solas, Lucius, Saleos, Shax, Liberatus, Succubus, Sytry, Latinus

Left to Right: Laetus, Lazarus, Ludwin
Samael, Solas, Lucius, Saleos, Shax, Liberatus, Succubus, Sytry, Latinus

I tried to get some good swatches for you all, but some of the lighter toned shades were harder to get good pigmentation on my already pale skin. Maybe if I had super tan skin like my friend Sasha, then you'd be able to see the lighter shades better. 

Totally off topic, but I miss being tan! And sometimes, I just ponder on how all the good food, nice things like tan skin or even eating lemons (when the citric acid eats away at your teeth's enamel), have to be damaging or life threatening to us. Many of us like healthy foods, but would much rather eat fattening, sugary or greasy foods, but it will only kill us faster. It's just not fair! haha.

Anyways, here are your photos with and without flash. I am also really liking the pale peachy shade "Ludwin." As I said, I'd choose the last column of shadows. 

I really like the quality and shade range in this palette. And considering Kat Von D calls it an "Eye Contour Palette," I think the color range is great because you do have your lighter shades and then the shades you might would use to "contour" the eye by further defining the crease. 

Would I purchase another Kat Von D palette? Yes! Including another contour palette, because I do love my Shade + Light Contour Palette, which I thought I did a review on but didn't. I'll make a plan to get that one up next, though! 

Do I feel like it was worth the price? Yes, because you get quite a bit of product for the price. I've seen other companies sell less product for so much more. 

What grade would I give this palette? An A+ for sure. The quality, pigmentation, packaging and color range are all really great. 

Too Faced Natural Matte Palette

I so wanted this palette as soon as I came across it on Ulta. Most of us like some shimmer and glitter in our lives, but it's also hard to resist the smooth, stark matte shades from time-to-time. 

I'm not going to much go through the packaging, because it's very standard to the Too Faced packaging with the metal tin case. I, personally, really like the metal palettes because they seem so much more durable than the cardboard type ones.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, only four of the shades are brand new. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong! I didn't check on it to know for sure. I'm merely guessing based on my Too Faced shadow knowledge. 

The new shades "Strapless" "Risque" and "Honey Butter" are the reason I mostly wanted this palette. But I love how Too Faced gave us the right warm color "Chocolate Cookie" to liven up the palette after having the cool-toned shades "Sexpresso" and "Risque." 

The palette itself did not disappoint. I have several more of the metal tin palettes for $36, which is a steal considering the palettes are usually very good quality. The only time I ever see any shadows lacking in pigmentation or being too glittery are in the holiday sets Too Faced puts out for Christmas. 

I almost didn't want to swatch the colors and waste the product , so you all are lucky! :) 

I also wanted to point out that I ended up purchasing my Too Faced Natural Matte Palette from Sephora and NOT Ulta. It really doesn't matter which you purchase it from. It's basically a matter of preference. I just had a 15% off VIB code from Sephora, so I got mine for a little cheaper. I do, however, tend to purchase more from Sephora. I just like it better than Ulta.

Left to Right: Heaven, Cashmere Bunny, Sexpresso
              Lace Teddy, Strapless, Risque
                              Nudie, Honey Butter, Chocolate Cookie

Left to Right: Heaven, Cashmere Bunny, Sexpresso
              Lace Teddy, Strapless, Risque
                              Nudie, Honey Butter, Chocolate Cookie

And here are the much anticipated swatches!! These are just with one swipe of my finger to show the true pigmentation. Even the matte white shade showed up better than most on camera.

I also think the colors in this palette are very versatile. I have hazel eyes as many of you know, but I think these shades will go with any eye color. Versatility is a huge factor in declaring a palette "Great" or not. I also think several of the colors could be considered transition shades, so there are just many different look variations. I have only used the palette twice, but I can tell you it's going to remain one of my favorites! 

I am giving this palette an A+ since all of the shades are good. Sometimes palettes have a few bad shades that we rarely try to use, but I know I'll get use out of each of these shades. 

If you all have any questions or would like to share with me your experiences with this palette, pleas leave me a comment below. 

xx

L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2

Right, so I did my review on the first L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1 a few days back. Obviously, I was impressed with both of these palettes, especially with them being drugstore. And since I've mostly gone over everything except the colors in this palette, I won't bore you by repeating everything verbatim. 

You all know I love the clear lidded palettes since I mention that every chance I get. And I know I also mentioned in the other review that I like the easy numbering system for the colors, which makes it easy for anyone doing a tutorial to point out which colors they're using. Plus, they also did really well adding the mini eyeshadow look photos on the back to give users an idea of combinations to try.

And like the other, this one also has shimmery and matte shadows. I like to have a balance in palettes. I use matte shadows more for transition, crease and outer corner. 

The reason I immediately gravitated toward this palette over the first one was the purple shades, and the first two shades, which I really like. I just think the first shade in this palette is a better brow bone highlight than the lightest shade in the first palette.

Like the other, this one is also suitable for day time or night time. You can smoke it up or keep it fairly neutral, depending on the kind of look you're going for. I really appreciate the versatility. I think anyone could work with this color range.

This palette also has good pigmentation. I just can't believe how smooth they are. Both palettes completely exceeded my expectations. The Maybelline palettes are nowhere near as buttery and blendable as these. I definitely recommend these! I'll give this one an A, too. If any of you have any questions or experiences with these you'd like to share, feel free to mesasge me or comment below!

xx

L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1

La, la, la, la, la la laaaa.. 

Okay, so I'm not sure when the L'Oreal La Palette Nude palettes came out, but I picked them up the week before last and fell in love with them. I knew I had to do a review as soon as I swatched them and realized how soft and smooth they were. 

For any of you who know anything remotely about makeup (or if you don't, that's okay), you'll be able to recognized the difference between drugstore and high end cosmetics-- especially eyeshadow. The cheaper made products tend to be chalkier, harder to blend, have less pigmentation, and are a harder feeling formula.

I purchased this and the La Palette Nude 2 from my local Walmart for $15.84 each. While a little pricey, I splurged and bought them because I wanted to know if they were comparable to the Maybelline palettes, which were released a little before these if I'm correct. If I'm wrong, then feel free to correct me in a comment below. 

Nothing extremely condemning on the packaging end. L'Oreal did a good job at giving us a peekaboo of the colors with the clear strip on the front of the palette. They also numbered the colors, which isn't as unique as titling them, but would make it easy for instructing in a tutorial. 

Many of the higher ended cosmetic companies give us cards or mini booklets for how to create specific looks using a particular palette. I think its really cool how a drugstore brand is giving us this same perk right on the back of the palette. If you think about it, it's a bit handier considering we don't always want to tote around the cards or booklet. With this palette, you can just throw it in your makeup bag and have the product plus instruction on how to wear it. For those of you who do need a bit extra guidance when it comes to application, this is brilliant. 

I love that this palette gives you an array of shimmer and matte shadows. All of them have great pigmentation, and you can go with a day time or night look using these colors.

As you can see, the colors in this palette are extremely pigmented. My favorite is the third one, which is a matte caramel shade. It is perfect for a transition shade and so buttery smooth. And as far as I can tell, each of the shades in the palette puts off a good amount of color and blends well.

I will say, though, that I wish there'd been a matte black in this palette. I am such a sucker for a good matte black to deepen up the outer corner and smoke up the eyes. I also tend to learn more towards a stark white shade for my brow bone highlight, which wasn't really in his palette, either. When I first used this palette, I just used my favorite matte white Hot Pot from Coastal Scents.

With that being said, I would recommend these palettes over the Maybelline ones. You don't need a black or a stark white in a palette to make it great. That's basically just personal preference on my end. The shimmery beige and dark brown can easily substitute for those shadows in this one.  The Maybelline ones are a bit harder and less blendable than the L'Oreal shades. These are honestly the closest to high end that I"ve found of any powdered drugstore shadows. I give them an A!

xx