Haul & Review: Essence The Velvets 05 Taupe Secret / 01 Fluffy Clouds (bonus: Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Hot Chocolate)

I recently ran out of my all time favorite mattifying & touchup powder, Essence's all about matt, so I placed an order on Essence's website. For some reason, the Ulta website doesn't have the new The Velvets eyeshadow line and I was excited to try them out. I chose 01 fluffy clouds and 05 taupe secret.

A quick shoutout to for the Essence US website - a $15 free shipping minimum is great, they shipped quickly, and they threw in a free nail file! As always, I paid for everything myself and Essence has never heard of me.

As far as I can see, you can only buy the Essence The Velvets eyeshadow line on the Essence website in the US. I expected to be able to buy them on the Ulta website, but they aren't listed there.

Essence The Velvets packaging

• The Velvets eyeshadows come in clear acrylic compacts that are thin and easy to store
• I paid $2.49 each
• Each eyeshadow has 2.8 grams of product
• The main ingredients are talc, mica, and corn starch, followed by some other minerals like zinc, dimethicone, pigments, and the usual (and necessary) ingredients to keep everything sanitary and shelf stable
• The Velvets have a matte appearance in the pan and in swatches, but if you look up close they are NOT 100% MATTE! I'm guessing that due to mica being the second ingredient, there is some subtle sheen that shows through in some lights. They look matte on first application, but after a full day of wear or in direct sunlight, you might see some sheen. 
• They have a cute quilted pattern stamped on the top

Swatches of 01 Fluffy Clouds &  05 Taupe Secret

Is it a dupe? Urban Decay sin vs Stila kitten eyeshadow

I totally get why Stila Kitten and Urbay Decay Sin are popular eyeshadow shades - both are shimmery champagne nudes that light up the eye. What I don't get is why people online treat them like dupes. I have owned both for a long time and they serve totally different purposes in my collection.

Let's take a look at some swatches and the differences will make themselves clear.

Show & Tell - My everyday neutral eyeshadow Z palette

I wanted to do a quick show & tell post sharing my everyday neutral eyeshadows I keep in my Z palette. I have a Z palette 4U and I really like the size - it fits a lot of eyeshadow without feeling unwieldy. All of these pans magnetize to the Z palette without needing any extra magnets or magnet tape. I love mixing and matching brands to pull together the shades I use most in a palette, even if there is some wasted empty space. I have a mix of depotted shades from palettes and eyeshadows that are sold as single pans.

In my palette:

1. Stila In The Know Air, Wind, Desert, Clay, Earth, Rain, Smoke, and Ebony
2. Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow quad in Coffee Bean, top 2 shades
3. Too Faced All I Want For Christmas (LE) 
4. The Balm Nude Tude Stubborn and Standoffish 
5. Covergirl Cheekers bronzer in Golden Tan (this isn't a great bronzer color for my skintone, but I enjoy it as an eyeshadow)
6. Inglot 341 and 31

 Do you have an eyeshadow palette for your depotted eyeshadow or shades that come as single pans? What do you keep in yours?

Urban Decay neutral eyeshadow singles: Sin, Half Baked, Suspect, and Freelove

Today's post is a showcase of my neutral shimmery Urban Decay eyeshadow singles. Singles aren't a great value compared to a palette, but I love the simplicity of having the the exact shade you want without the bulk of a palette or the waste of owning a bunch of shades you won't use. If you are an Ulta Platinum member, they occasionally run a 50% off Urban Decay eyshadow single sale, which is a great price if you are patient enough to wait for a sale.

These singles are .05 oz (1.5 grams) and retail for $19. Like everything on this blog, I bought all of these myself.

I decided to take a different approach with the swatches - Urban Decay shimmer eyeshadows get a bad rap for being fallout prone, loudly metallic, and generally inappropriate for work or school. Certainly some of the micro glitter shades have fallout and the brighter shades aren't corporate friendly, but the smooth shimmery metallic neutral shades are more wearable than you might think.

Seeing as you can find pigmented, opaque swatches of these shades all over the internet, I'm showing these as I wear them most - soft and subtle. For a work or school friendly eye look, I lay down a matte base that matches my skintone (Urban Decay Walk of Shame is a great option), define the crease with a matte cool toned brown (Urban Decay Naked2 rocks), sweep a sheer layer of a shimmery shade all over the lid, and gently pat a lighter shimmery shade on the inner corner. Most of the time I use my fingers for the shimmery shades out of laziness, but brushes also work well. Voila - corporate friendly AND shiny at the same time!

Nude matte cream eyeshadow base comparison

Matte cream eyeshadow bases are handy products to have on call - they act as an eyelid neutralizer, hiding redness and veins, while also serving as a primer. Today I have 4 options to compare for you: the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 250 Nude Pink (LE), MAC Painterly Paint Pot, NYX Eyeshadow Base in 03 Skin Tone, and Milani Shadow Eyez in 10 Almond Cream. Each shade works as a "nude" color on my fair skin, but the shades aren't universal - look for something that matches your skin color and undertone.

Laura Mercier cashmere matte eyeshadow review & swatches

Laura Mercier's matte eyeshadow in Cashmere is the perfect mauve brown defining shade for fall. Laura Mercier singles retail for $24 for .09 oz and I purchased mine from Sephora. Laura Mercier frequently includes Cashmere in palettes (I noticed it in the 2015 Sleek& Chic Eye holiday palette), so you have a good chance of getting your hands on this shade without shelling out for the single.

Matte beige eyeshadow mega comparison - Urban Decay Walk of Shame dupes

I have been looking for a dupe of my beloved Urban Decay Walk of Shame eyeshadow for a long, long time. Today I have for you a mega comparison of all of the similar eyeshadow shades in my collection. This post compares Too Faced Fresh Linen, Too Faced All I Want for Christmas (LE), Urban Decay Foxy, Urban Decay Walk of Shame, Wet N Wild Brulee, Stila Wind, Inglot 353 M, Smashbox Vanilla, and Bare Minerals Ahhh.

What I like about WOS

Walk of Shame (WOS) is my perfect all over base lid shade. WOS is a pink toned light vanilla beige that is the perfect match for my skintone. The texture is smooth and silky, forgiving on dry eyelids, and is pigmented. If you want to see more a more detailed description of the formula of WOS, check out my comparison to Wet N Wild Brulee and my review of Urban Decay Naked Basics.

Inglot eyeshadow collection & formula roundup

I have already posted swatches and reviews of my Inglot eyeshadow collection in 3 groups, but I wanted to do a roundup post and share my thoughts of the formula overall.

The Good

•  Price - $7 per pan is affordable and compared to drugstore eyeshadow formulas is excellent for the price. In the price tier, Inglot competes well against the Wet N Wild Color Icon and Milani Bella formulas. 
• International availability - Inglot is a Polish company and has broad global availability 
• Color selection - Inglot has one of the widest color ranges of single eyeshadows on the market, making it a great choice for anyone who wants to find a specific shade 
• Pigmentation - Each of the shades I have is very pigmented, especially when compared to other stock formulas at a similar price

Inglot Nude Matte Eyeshadows: 373, 359, 349

This post continues my first post on Inglot nude matte eyeshadows with three more: 373, a matte white, 359, a matte light pink, and 349, a matte taupe brown. I paired these shades for this post because they could be used as a face contouring (highlight, blush, and contour) trio for fair skin if you wanted to multi-task. Similarly, these three shades can be paired together as an eye look to add depth and shading.

Product Details:

• Rectangular pans (can fit 5 across in a Z palette 4U/medium)
• Pans are magnetized 
• 2.3 grams / .08 oz of product per pan (for comparison, a MAC eyeshadow pan contains 1.5g)
• $7 per pan
• I buy mine on Beautylish because of the palette builder feature on their website, can also be purchased on the Inglot website

My most used eyeshadow palette - Urban Decay Naked Basics

I love seeing reviews and photos of well used and loved makeup products, and today I wanted to share my most used eyeshadow palette ever - Urban Decay's original Naked Basics. The pictures show the proof of use and my most used shades, so let's get started!

On a boring note, Urban Decay Naked Basics retails for $29 for 6 full size (.05 oz) shades. I bought this myself at Ulta a long time ago on the suggestion of my husband. I had overlooked it many times in the display, but luckily it jumped out at him! (A recommendation to other makeup addicts: shopping with non addicts can lead you to see products you might not otherwise)

Makeup Memories - My First High End Palette - Too Faced Matte Eye

I wanted to show you a behind the scenes sort of look at my eyeshadow palette collection and put the spotlight on the first high end eyeshadow palette I ever bought. My Too Faced Matte Eye palette is very well loved and I still use it regularly.

The Story

I bought this palette almost 3 years ago (feeling old!) on a trip across the country to visit my then boyfriend/now husband's family. Before the trip, I was really nervous and excited to meet them - I was his first serious girlfriend to be brought to meet the extended family, and I was feeling the pressure! His awesome cousins took me out shopping and made me feel loved and welcome. On that shopping trip, I picked up the Too Faced Matte Eye palette at Sephora, along with some other goodies. I remember being so frustrated by the lack of good matte eyeshadows at the drugstore (still true to this day, alas), and I used the crap out of this every single day after buying it. I still use it regularly and love remembering that trip. 

Sephora vs. Ulta 2015 birthday gift comparison

I have had the Sephora and Ulta free 2015 makeup gifts for a little while now, so I thought I would do a comparison smackdown post. The 2015 Sephora gift is two NARS lip pencils - Cruella (velvet) and Rikugien (satin).  The 2015 January, February, & March Ulta gift is an Ulta store brand complete eye palette in Indie.

So which one is better? 

 Left: Sephora 2015 birthday gift, Right: Ulta 2015 birthday gift

Ulta Q1 birthday gift 2015: complete eye palette in Indie

Ulta's free January, February, & March 2015 birthday gift is an Ulta store brand complete eye palette in Indie. The Ulta complete eye palettes have five shades and look like they are being repackaged. The old layout is a bullseye format palette and the new style is a traditional quint layout. The new layout makes more sense to me because there is enough room for your brush in each pan.

The free Ulta birthday gift changes quarterly - Q1 was the palette in Indie, Q2 was an Urban Decay eyeliner mini in Voodoo, Q3 is a Urban Decay Perversion mascara mini, and I haven't heard yet what the Q4 gift is. If you know what the Q4 gift is, please leave me a comment and I will update the post!

Ulta 2015 birthday palette in Indie

Indie has five shades: a satin champagne in the center, a satin lilac taupe at 2 o'clock, a chocolate brown with red glitter that swatches suspiciously matte at 4 o'clock, a matte medium brown at 8 o'clock, and a satin rose gold at 10 o'clock. The palette retails for $12, contains 9 grams of eyeshadow, and is free for Ulta rewards members with an email coupon. Unfortunately, you may not choose your complete eye palette - everyone gets Indie.

Ulta 2015 birthday palette in Indie, back

Review & Swatches of Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks in Sandglow, Rose gold, & Amethyst

My favorite cream eyeshadow formula of 2014 was easily the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color pencils. I first tried Sandglow, a golden bronze, and was completely smitten. I received a mini in Rosegold as a GWP from Nordstrom (with purchase of my Laura Mercier Artist Portfolio) and bought Amethyst in the Sephora Friends & Family sale. I love all three and plan to keep adding shades to my collection. In particular, right now I am lusting after Khaki, Moonlight, Burnished Bronze, and Cocoa.

When I packed to go home for Christmas, the only eyeshadow I brought was my faithful Wet N Wild single in Brulee and these three Caviar Sticks. For Christmas, I wore Sandglow on my lid with Amethyst in the crease.

Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick Eye Color pencils retail for $28 and contain .05 oz of product.

Left to right: Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks in Sandglow, Rosegold, and Amethyst 

Inglot Nude Matte Eyeshadows: 353, 341, 390, 344, 358

Today I bring you swatches and a review of my Inglot nude matte eyeshadows. My Inglot mattes are workhorses in my collection and get used frequently. The Inglot matte eyeshadow formula is a meat and potatoes formulation - absolutely functional but lacking the superlatives of luxury. In this post, I have swatches of 353 M, 341 M, 390 M, 344 M, and 358 M. Frustratingly, Inglot assigns their color products numbers instead of names, leaving only an initial to hint at the finish.

 I own quite a few Inglot eyeshadows, and this group is what I would recommend to someone building their collection of neutrals in a 5 pan freedom palette. In the same way that Urban Decay's Naked Basics is a great companion palette, these shades work well paired with any look and are very versatile.

Bare Minerals The Comfort Zone Ready 4.0 Eyeshadow Quad review & swatches

Bare Minerals' The Comfort Zone eyeshadow quad is a pairing of four subtle satin nude shades. I haven't seen many reviews of The Comfort Zone, which isn't surprising - this quad isn't for everyone. The Bare Minerals Ready pressed eyeshadow formula is a total winner and this combo is perfect for someone who loves a soft wash of color with a sophisticated sheen. The Comfort Zone retails for $30, I bought mine at Ulta.

If vibrant color is your jam, let me save you $30.

Stila In The Know matte eyeshadow palette review & swatches

I love reviewing my well loved collection staples because I have spent a lot of time forming my opinion. I have owned the Stila In The Know eyeshadow palette for almost a year and still use it regularly. In The Know is all matte (and *real* mattes - no hint of shimmer in the pan) and contains 10 mostly neutral shades. The palette usually retails for $40, but I have seen it on sale for $20 at promotional events (like Ulta's 21 days of beauty) and in clearance sections. I bought mine at Sephora.

Stila In The Know matte eyeshadow palette

Note: This palette also comes with a Stila smudge stick eyeliner in halfmoon (dark grey). I used it a handful of times and disliked it. The eyeliner does smudge, but didn't set well on my eyes, resulting in transfer to my lower lashline. If you like the smudgy lived in eyeliner look, you might like this product, but I passed it along to a friend.

Darling Girl Haul & Swatches: Blush and Eyeshadow

I love trying out indie cosmetics because indie companies offer interesting colors and great value! Today, I'm showing you my very first Darling Girl Cosmetics order. I chose a variety of blushes, including a contour shade and a bronzer, and a few satin finish eyeshadows. My order shipped out within the stated turn around time (TAT) and was packed in a pretty pink mailer.

Let's see what I ordered!

Inglot neutral shimmer eyeshadows: 402 pearl, 31 shine, 419 pearl

Today I bring to you my review of the only 3 non-matte Inglot eyeshadows I own: 402 Pearl (taupe), 31 Shine (gold), and 419 Pearl (olive green). 402 P and 419 P contain 2.7 grams of product, and 31 S contains 3.2 grams of product. I purchased each of these eyeshadows from Beautylish for $7.

Shades

• 402 Pearl, a golden mid tone taupe
• 31 Shine, a sparkly light bronze gold
• 419 Pearl, a tarnished golden olive 

Wet N Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking on Eggshells 380B review & swatches

Wet N Wild's color icon eyeshadow formula is famous on beauty blogs for being superior to other drugstore alternatives, and for good reason. Walking on Eggshells is my favorite Wet N Wild color icon trio in the regular line - the neutral satin finish shadows work well together for a quick eyeshadow look. I bought mine for $2.99 at CVS.

Shades:

• "Browbone" - neutral toned cream, satin
• "Crease" - warm toned medium brown, satin
• "Eyelid" - neutral toned soft ballet pink, satin