Review! SEPHORA COLLECTION Moonshadow Baked Palette - In The Dark

I really like the SEPHORA COLLECTION Moonshadow Baked Palettes, and this week I tried out In The Dark.

These shadows are very dry, as most baked shadows are.  Because of this, you will get a lot of fallout in the case.  They are intended to be used wet.

However, I don't recommend using them wet.  If you want the intense color, and keep it in place all day, you will need a special primer; Pixie Epoxy.  A very thin layer of Pixie Epoxy, over your regular primer, will hold all of the sparkle, and almost all of the color.  I'm going to go ahead and call this a necessity.  When using the Pixie Epoxy, these colors become extremely wearable for daytime looks, and the shimmer makes it transition to night-time without further application.  You can build up your layers, to the point where you nearly reach the "applied wet" intensity.

I found that when, used wet, they will start to flake off after a few hours of wear.

The packaging is hard plastic case, and on the entire inside of the lid is a mirror.  The case is difficult enough to open to assure you that it's not going to fly open in your makeup bag, but not so difficult that you'll have to wrestle with it.  The top has a black lace pattern screenprinted on it.

In The Dark hits a home run with its dark colors.  Although the base black is the same for Black Gold, Glitter Black, and Black Purple, the glitter and finishes are all different.  Black Gold is the most interesting, as it keeps the black background, and then has gold glitter in it, with a gold sheen over the top.  Glitter Purple does much the same thing, except with purple, and with not quite the dramatic effect. Glitter Black doesn't have a sheen to it, but they did load it up on glitter.

The real surprise is Deep Brown.  Applied wet or over Pixie Epoxy, it has a pink cast to it.  However, applied dry, it looses nearly all of the sparkle, and is a beautiful dried-leaf-brown.

Here is a look using Lavender, Nude, Deep Brown, Gold and White Gold.  Nude is beneath the outer half of the eyebrow, Gold is above the crease to the eyebrow and along the inner nose, Lavender is on the entire lid, and Deep Brown was smudged all around the lashline.  Because I applied Deep Brown over Lavender, it lost its sheen and most of the sparkle, as I intended for it to do.  Finally, I tapped a bit of White Gold at the tear ducts with my finger.

I love these Moonshadow Palettes for summer looks.  Using just an eyeshadow primer will leave you with a pretty sparkle that doesn't look overdone when outdoors, and only takes a minute to apply.

Review! Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara almost lives up to its name.

It has a spoolie wand, which I love.  I like spoolie wands the best because it is easier to coat each lash, clumps less, and can be used vertically or horizontally.

The mascara did stay in place all day, as promised.  It also is very waterproof, as promised. 

I had to remove it with almond oil; regular facial wash had no effect on it.  You will probably need an oil or an oil-based cleanser to remove it without pulling any lashes out.  Out of the shower, it had not budged at all, and I had made quite the effort to help it wash out, wetting my lashes down throughout the shower to try to soften the mascara.  I think I heard it giggle.

The only place where this mascara failed is in volumizing.  It did not add a lot of thickness to my lashes.  My results look a bit dramatic in part because, while my lashes are long, they are also blond at the tips.  Had Stila not advertised it as a volumizing mascara, it would have seemed to add volume, and there wouldn't have been anything negative about this review.  But, when volume is advertised, I expect a very pronounced effect.

It did apply very evenly, and is a very smooth formula that resists clumps. It did tend to make my lashes stick together as I applied it, so it was a bit finicky to apply.  It also dries quickly when it touches skin, so be sure to clean up any mistakes as you go along, or be prepared to cover mistakes with a dark shadow or liner.

Before and After:

Personally, I would not re-purchase this mascara because I don't like waterproof mascaras.  If you have a day at the pool or beach planned, though, this mascara will stay in place all day (just like they said) and won't give you raccoon eyes.  Just, don't expect to get super-volumized, movie-star eyelashes out of it.

Lip Swatch! - Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lipstick - 969 - 24 Carrot Gold

I swatched out 13 more Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks here.   Today is 969 - 24 Carrot Gold!

The "Carrot" part is right; this is an ultra-bright orange.  This color would suit someone with a much darker complexion than I, or would work well as a fashion statement color.  Otherwise, I find it to be un-wearable.  It is very far from my natural lip color, and unfortunately, it creased on my lips, emphasizing the unnatural shade.


First, bare lips.  I prepped them with a thin application of Lansinoh.

Now, a thin layer, applied with a lip brush.  I left half of my lips bare for comparison.

Now for what I would call full strength (two layers).  I applied with a lip brush.  Keep in mind that this is a matte formula, but it does go on creamy.  If you put some lip balm on your lips before applying it, the formula will remain a satin finish.  If you apply the lipstick without any balm, the finish will look matte, but will feel satin on your lips.  This color does intensify with a second coat.

Next is full lip.  I applied with a lip brush, and I put on about 2 coats. 

Full Face, it is much, much brighter in person:

While you're here, please leave a comment about what you think of the new lip swatch perspectives.  Do you like it better when you can see more of the face and get an idea of what the color looks like more?  Or, do you prefer the old way, with the zoomed-in photo?

Lip Swatch! - Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lipstick - 970 - Purty Persimmon

I swatched out 13 more Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks here.   Today is 970 - Purty Persimmon!

This is a red-orange, true coral.  There is no pink whatsoever; it is almost more orange than red.  I thought this color looked much better in person than it did in photographs, because it seems to muddy my face in the photos.  This is a color I'll be playing with for a while.


First, bare lips.  I prepped them with a thin application of Lansinoh.

Now, a thin layer, applied from the tube, blended with a lip brush.  I left half of my lips bare for comparison.

Now for what I would call full strength (two layers).  I applied from the tube, and spread the color with a lip brush.  Keep in mind that this is a matte formula, but it does go on creamy.  If you put some lip balm on your lips before applying it, the formula will remain a satin finish.  If you apply the lipstick without any balm, the finish will look matte, but will feel satin on your lips.  This color intensifies only a little with a second coat.

This particular shade was impressive for how smoothly the color covered my natural lip tone.  Usually, when straying far away from lip tone, and not heading towards blue, purple, and black, the color will settle into the lip lines and crease.  With the Lansinoh, this color slicked on with very even coverage.

Next is full lip.  I applied from the tube and blended with a lip brush, and I put on about 2 coats.  This lipstick is very opaque, even when worn over balm.

Full Face:

 

 I felt that it make the rest of my makeup look really dark, and I'm not wearing much on my skin.  I have on a tinted moisturizer, and a bit of bronze shimmer on my cheeks.  Regardless, I still liked the color.  I wore it around all day, admiring the shade.

Finally, here it is after letting it sit for about 20 minutes, and then blotting it.  I let it sit because these lipsticks tend to stain, so I wanted to give it time to really set the color.  Wearing it as a stain was a lot less bold, and gave an unusual color without jumping up and waving at you.

Lip Swatch! - Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lipstick - 967 - Dollhouse Pink

I swatched out 13 more Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks here.   Today is 967 - Dollhouse Pink!

This is an ULTRA bright, light pink color.  It looks like, well... Pepto Bismol.  It is a bright-white pink with faint violet tones.  If you wear it full strength, prepare for it to be very, very bright.  Bluntly, I didn't think it looked good at all when I wore it full strength.  However, after letting it sit for about 20 minutes, and then blotting, it looked lovely.  So, I would recommend this color, but only if you blot it.


First, bare lips.  I prepped them with a thin application of Lansinoh.

Now, a thin layer, applied with a lip brush.  I left half of my lips bare for comparison.

Now for what I would call full strength (two layers).  I applied with a lip brush.  Keep in mind that this is a matte formula, but it does go on creamy.  If you put some lip balm on your lips before applying it, the formula will remain a satin finish.  If you apply the lipstick without any balm, the finish will look matte, but will feel satin on your lips.  This color does intensify with a second coat.

Here is a pic showing the same stage, but zoomed out a bit to give some perspective.

Next is full lip.  I applied with a lip brush, and I put on about 2 coats.  This lipstick is very opaque.

Finally, here it is after letting it sit for about 20 minutes, and then blotting it.  I let it sit because these lipsticks tend to stain, so I wanted to give it time to really set the color.

Review! Guerlain Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Eyeliner

I've had Guerlain's Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Eyeliner in my makeup bag for some time.  I bought it when I first started learning about kohls, and it was the only product in the mainstream US market at the time.  They run about $38 each.  You can see I have one of the old packages.  The new package has a clear bottom.

The gold part is plastic, as is the bottom.  It is disappointing in terms of luxurious packaging, but practical for daily use and tucking it in your purse.

The little applicator sits down in the bottle.  It's not hygienic, because that wand does touch your waterline, and at times your eyeball.  It is, however, convenient.  You can put this in your evening bag and not need to bring a brush to re-apply it.

The applicator is a long, rigid wand.  It works OK, but it is really hard to control how much product you are using.  I often end up with chunks of the product in my eye.  It doesn't burn or sting, but it is irritating.  If I don't get those chunks out quickly, it makes my eye water, which can mess up my makeup.  It also starts to get chunky and flake off when it dries.  You should get a few hours of wear before it does that, though.

You can use the wand in two ways.
1 - Use it just like an eyeliner pencil.  Use the end to go back and forth across your waterline until you have the darkness you desire.
2 - Place the wand length ways along your lower waterline, close your eye lightly, and pull the wand out, towards the outer corner.  That will line the top and bottom at the same time.  That method takes a bit more practice.  Here is a video that does a great job of showing you how to do it.

   

I do love the color.  It is a pretty, deep grey with a satin finish and silver glitter.  It's really beautiful.  However, putting glitter in a product that is intended to be worn on the waterline is just not the best idea ever.  Glitter is sharp, and roughly half the times that I wear this, it makes my eyes irritated.

Here you can see it applied to the waterline.  You'll notice the parts by each corner, where it has begun to flake off.  This photo was take within 20 minute of application.  You wouldn't notice this flaking in real life, but after a few hours it does become noticeable.  You'll need to keep it in your bag for touch-ups.

 

So, the big question, would I buy it again? No. This product irritates my eyes, has an application method that I find un-hygeinic, and it flakes off rather than fading uniformily.  I still use it when I need an emergency touch up (if I remembered to put it in my purse), but otherwise it really doesn't get used.  It would work well as an eyeliner at the lashline, but I have so many other products that fulfill the same purpose that I just don't think to use it.

This was the first kohl I used, and I really wanted to like it.  When I first bought it, I tried it almost daily for a few weeks before I gave up because of it making my eyes red.

I prefer Mosha Katani's Eye Kohl (sormeh).

Review! Bare Minerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance

bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance was part of a sample set of blushes, bronzers and illuminators that I bought.  Pure Radiance is described as a golden peach sheen, and I think that description is spot-on.  These powders are meant to be shaken into the lid, and then you swirl your brush around in the powder in the lid, and then tap the excess off the brush before applying the product.

Sephora says:
"bareMinerals All-Over Face Colors provide a natural luminosity that is similar to the dewiness of a child's skin. Sweep these illuminating minerals on your cheeks, forehead, and chin for an instant goddess glow."

I say, meh.  This color did not work for me.  I would have liked this better in a different shade, I think.

This is an illuminating powder. It comes in different tints, but it's basically powder with a ton of micro-fine glitter in it.  I don't like to wear this color on my face.  It's too close to my skin color to create depth, and too far away to blend in.  Because the color is so close to my skin tone, it ends up looking muddy and overdone.

This powder is kind of dense and buttery, so it clumps together.  It does fall apart OK once you start swirling a brush in it, but I noticed that I had spots on my brush that picked up more powder than others.  This was an effect of the first time the brush hit the powder, and it pushed up into the bristles.  So, when I tried to then apply it to my face, I would get streaky spots of product where there was more product in certain parts of the brush.  However, this was a trial size, and I believe the regular size is larger, so a brush would fit in the lid better, and that may eliminate the problem.

I didn't want to just throw this away, so it sat in my makeup bag for the past two weeks, and I would try it again every other day or so, just to see if a different application would change my opinion on it.  One day, my eyeshadow experiment wasn't going very well, but I didn't want to wash it off and start over.  I loaded up a flat concealer brush with a healthy amount of powder, and swept it on over my messed up eyeshadow to try to tone down the mess.  It was lovely!  It is buttery and dense, which is great for an eyeshadow, and it covered and smoothed out the botched eyeshadow job and I ended up with a nice, nude look.

In summary, I would recommend this as a nude, shimmery eyeshadow rather than a face powder.  I doubt I'll ever run out, so I don't plan to re-purchase this.

Review! Urban Decay Mariposa Palette

NOTE:  I bought the Mariposa palette by Urban Decay recently.  It was on their website last week, but when I tried to make a link to it today, it was gone.  I searched on Google, and was able to find it through Ebay, Amazon, and some other sellers, so you CAN still find it, but it might take a little bit of effort.  I was very impressed with the variety of looks I was able to get out of this palette, so I decided to post this review, even though it may take a bit more effort for you to find the palette.

This palette comes in a nice, heavy tin; which I love.  It is embossed with the Urban Decay logo and a pretty butterfly.  The interior is cardboard, but I like that to provide cushioning for the shadows.  It comes packaged in a cardboard square, which I like to put the tin back in when I am done using it.

Did I mention it is a metal compact?

The only bad thing about the packaging is that it wastes space.  The palette could be a lot smaller and still hold everything.  But, it's pretty.  And, because it is metal, I can re-use it, after I'm done with the shadow, to hold other things... like errant hair pins, hair ties, etc.

The palette comes with 10 colors, all of them with high sheen and varying amounts of glitter:
Rockstar: a deep plummy purple
Gunmetal: a soft grey
Skimp: a light peach
Infamous: fushia
Wreckage: soft brown
Haight: teal blue
Money: greyish green with gold, and some blue
Mushroom: silvery taupe
Spotlight: warm beige
Limelight: orange gold

Money and Mushroom are the most complex colors.  Everything else applies much the same as it looks in the pan.

I was mostly attracted to this palette because of Mushroom.  I had read another review that gushed over how much the reviewer loved mushroom.  Second, I wanted to try Money.  Several bloggers mentioned how unique the color is, and I don't have anything like it.

My hidden stars, though, turned out to be Gunmetal and Skimp.

I'm not usually overly fond of grey colors, because they tend to turn blue on me.  Gunmetal stayed a nice, true grey.

Skimp gained instant star status as a higlighter for my brow bone.  It is about 2 shades lighter than my skin tone, but the exact same color.  So, when I use it as a highlighter, it brightens and truly looks like light, and not a white eyeshadow.  It has the perfect amount of shimmer for highlighting.  I have many shadows that come close to this, but none this perfect.  I will buy this color as a single when I run out.  Given the size of my makeup collection, that is saying something.

One note about these shadows - they are VERY shiny.  To tone it down, but still get the color, I applied matte shadows underneath as my base colors.  If you skip a matte base, be prepared for your eyeshadow to make quite the statement.  It would be great for a night out, but probably too intense for the office.

Look 1:
If you've hung around here with me for a while, you know that I don't wear blue eyeshadow very often... or, you know, ever.  But, Haight was calling my name (it's so pretty!) that I wanted to try it.  I applied it all over my lid, and all along my lower lash line, even taking over the inner corner.  And... I hated it.  It was too much blue, and I couldn't wrap my head around it.  But, I didn't want to start all over, so I swiped some Gunmetal over it, and holy smokes, it turned gorgeous!

Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Base - Browbone: Tufted Suede (Too Faced)
Base - Crease: Velveteen Bunny (Too Faced)
Base - Lid:  Fresh Linen (Too Faced)
Lid: Haight
Lower lid: Haight
Extra steps: Gunmetal over everywhere Haight was applied, blend well.
Waterline: Guerlain's Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Eyeliner (review coming Friday!)
Mascara: Smashbox Full Exposure

Look 2:
Next, I wanted to try a look using Money.  This look turned out completely differently than how I thought it would.  I had planned a different finish, but when I saw how Money looked on the lid, I veered into a forest elf kind of direction.  You know, if elves happened to care about makeup.

Which they don't.

'Cause they're fictional.

Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Base - All Over:  Air (Stila)
Browbone: Skimp
Crease: Spotlight
Outer V: Gunmetal
Lid: Money
Lower lid: Spotlight with Gunmetal over it
Extra steps: Carefully blend where colors meet.  Clean brush before moving to new color intersection.  This look can go muddy very quickly.
Mascara: Smashbox Full Exposure

Look 3:

This is a pink and nude look that is very girly.  It adds color without screaming for attention, and was very quick to apply.  Given how bright Infamous looks in the pan, I was very pleased with how well it toned down when applied over the matte shadow base. 

Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Base - Browbone: Air (Stila)
Base - Crease: Desert (Stila)
Base - Lid:  Clay (Stila)
Browbone: Skimp
Upper Crease: Limelight
Crease and Outer V: Wreckage

Lid: Infamous
Outside half of Lid: Rockstar
Lower lid: Rockstar closest to lashes and halfway down lower lid (towards cheek), then Limelight below it.
Extra steps: Blend well where colors meet.  Be sure to clean your brush before blending new section.
Waterline: Mosha Katani kohl - Charcoal Brown

Mascara: Smashbox Full Exposure

Look 4:

Finally, I wanted to create a look that was easy and office appropriate, but that would make me look awake early in the morning. 

Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Base - Browbone: Vespertine (Kat von D)
Base - Crease: Harlow (Kat von D)
Base - Lid:  Renholder (Kat von D)
Browbone: Skimp
Crease: Wreckage
Lid: Mushroom
Lower lid: Mushroom with Wreckage over it.
Extra steps: Blend well.
Waterline: Mosha Katani kohl in Dream G-Ni

Mascara: Smashbox Full Exposure

Viewing one eye at a time looks almost underdone and boring, but the effect with both eyes is not.

I'm so disappointed that this palette is not on the Urban Decay website anymore.  You can still find it through other sites, like Amazon and Ebay.  I really like this palette and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to add a variety of colors to their eyeshadow collection.