The inspiration for this post actually came from me marveling at the new Too Faced Soul Mates blushing bronzer display - what I had read online in blogs and in the press release didn't interest me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Online, the two shades (Carrie & Big / Ross & Rachel) look very very similar. In person, Carrie & Big is cooler toned and deeper than Ross & Rachel. Carrie & Big reminded me of Bobbi Brown Pale Pink blush with a cooler toned Bare Minerals The Skinny Dip. Ross & Rachel reminded me of Benefit Coralista with a warmer, darker version of Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil. The compact was also bigger than I expected - I think you could actually use a small blush brush with these successfully. Compared to the glitter bomb Too Faced sweetheart blush line, the satin/shimmer finish on these looks relatively refined.
First impression: Wish they would have named it Carrie & Aiden and offered a unique shade combo, but better than expected
The "whoa" moment for me looking at the spring Tarte display was the shade of the Amazonian clay 12 hour blush in Celebrated. Celebrated has a fair amount of brown in it, making it a nice nude neutral pink with a hint of peach. The brown nude tones in this blush add unexpected complexity to the shade that I find interesting. I don't love the Tarte blush formula, so I passed, but if the formula works for you it looks nice.
First impression: Looks like a nice nude blush for fair skin if you like the Tarte formula
Next, I headed over to the Lorac display to check out the sequel to the Unzipped palette - Unzipped Gold. I used to own the original Unzipped palette, but I swapped it because it was too shimmery for my tastes and the shades weren't ideal for me. After a quick look at Unzipped Gold, I am going to skip it. I prefer the gold theme to the original shade selection, but I would like to see more mattes and satin finishes instead of metallic shadows.
First impression: Too many metallic finishes for me, but I could see some people loving it
Lorac's new Unzipped Cheek Palette and Alter Ego Lipstick set caught my attention on the display. I would love to see more brands coming out with companion face palettes for popular eye palettes, and this looked nicely executed. I was happy to see two matte shades and two shimmery shades, as well as one very warm and one cool toned shade. The variety of shades and finishes for the price seems very reasonable, especially considering there is a lipstick included in the set. I really like my two Lorac single blushes from their main line, so I would guess the formula in these would be nice.
First impression: Looks promising and fairly priced
I adore the Bare Minerals Ready eyeshadow formula and enjoy the quads especially, so was excited to see The Modern Icon quad. In my opinion, no one can hold a candle to Bare Minerals' satin finish eyeshadow formula. Their satins are rich and have a compelling shine without visible shimmer particles, and this palette looks like mostly satin finishes. I'm not going to be picking this one up, however. The shade selection looks off to me - the ivory and purple/grey both look oddly cool toned compared to the peach. I'm not sure how an eye look would come out using all four shades.
First impression: I wish Bare Minerals would release a build your own Ready Eyeshadow quad system
I would love to use the cliche "last but not least", but in this case, last and least is the Urban Decay Vice LTD palette. My husband was compelled to swatch this one - the garish chartreuse case drew him in, along with the bright magenta Junkshow and the metallic gold Blitz. I thought I would appreciate the palette more, given my love for my Urban Decay Naked Basics and single shadows. The shades in the palette don't look like a coherent color story to me. I swatched a few blues and purples, and the quality is a little iffy - some patchy shades and signature Urban Decay fallout. Considering the price, I don't think this is worth it.
First impression: Easy pass
Well, that wraps up my wander through Ulta's new spring makeup displays- I hope my first impressions are helpful to you and happy shopping!
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