For the third installment of the series, I decided to go with purples.  Purple is great year round and tends to be universally flattering, especially for those with green and brown eyes.

Intense Smokey vs Subtle Smokey

I used the same products again, with the exception of using the plum liner as a coloured base to bump up the intense look.

• Urban Decay Primer Potion / Original
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner / Plum
• Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow / Purple Icon 30)
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural / Medium Deep (transition colour)
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner / Blackest Black
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara / Very Black

Purple Icon Review:
If you’re into purples, this quad will definitely grab your attention.  The first shade is an iridescent white gold, with a pink/lilac shimmer to it. The second shade is a stunning example of a light purple with a pink duochrome effect. While there is a visual difference in the pan and in swatches, the third plum shade didn’t really do much for me. The deepest shade, a smokey purple is absolutely gorgeous.

There is no denying the colours are gorgeous in this quad, but I found that the shimmer finish was really overwhelming here. I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the subtle shift in the third colour because once applied, the reflection takes away from the depth of the shade. All but the second shade are quite shimmery with noticeable glitter, which in my opinion is just too much for most people. On a more positive note, the formulation is consistent with the other quads, and is very soft and easy to blend.

Which of the two looks do you prefer, or do you like both?

After the bright aqua of the first installment I decided to go with something more neutral.  This second round of looks is featuring the Eye Studio quad in Sunset Seduction.

Classic vs Smokey: Sunset Seduction

Just like the first time around, I used the same products for simplicity’s sake.  The one exception was the liner.  In the classic look, I used the charcoal gel liner, whereas in the smokey look I used the brown liner for the waterlines.

• Urban Decay Primer Potion / Original
• MAC Paint Pot / Coral Crepe
• Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow / Sunset Seduction (100)
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural / Medium Dark (transition colour)
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner / Charcoal
• MAC Eye Pencil / Coffee
• Maybelline XXL Pro Extensions Mascara / Very Black

Sunset Seduction Review:
Visually, I found this quad to be rather unassuming.  It appears to be a typical neutral combination, but in truth there is nothing typical about it.  The first colour is a very pretty iridescent pink, which blends perfect with the peach shade.  The third shade is a slightly plum tinted brown, which adds a nice cool element to the warmth of the other colours.  The fourth colour is a rich, deep brown which is dark enough to contour and line softly with.

Again, the formulation is easy to blend and leaves a very smooth finish.  Like the last quad, there was one colour that wasn’t quite as smooth; the dark brown.  In comparison to the aqua of the last quad, the brown had a lot less fall out but I feel like they shared the same infusion of gold.  I found myself left wanting for a matte shadow, but again I just used a face powder to blend out as necessary.

I quite like this quad and I feel like it’s a great way to get into the peach & coral craze for the summer months.

Which of the two looks do you prefer, or do you like both?

A while ago I received the Eye Studio Kit to review and after taking some time to test the products, I’ve decided to run an eye of the day series through June featuring the quads.  I will be featuring some of the other products as well, but the focus will definitely be on the quads.  I’ve also decided to add mini reviews to the posts as well, so that I can share my thoughts for each specific quad – rather than just a general overview.

As the first post in the series, I wanted to feature Irresistibly Ivy because this is my favourite quad of the bunch.  I actually bought it myself before I received the kit, because it really caught my attention.  Two looks were created to showcase the versatility of the quad.  I know that some people can be thrown off by bright colours, but this deep aqua shade is very wearable – whether in a more bold look or in something a bit softer.

Dramatic vs. Soft: Irresistibly Ivy

I decided to used the same products for both looks to keep things straightforward and simple. Again, it just shows that with the same products you can come up with a variety of looks depending on your preferences.

• Urban Decay Primer Potion / Original
• Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 Twist for Eyes / 172 Emerald
• Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow / Irresistibly Ivy (90)
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural / Medium Deep (transition colour)
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner / Blackest Black
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara / Very Black

Irresistibly Ivy Review:
What really grabbed my attention with this quad was the colour combination, the three neutrals make for a great look on their own but the added aqua really bumps it up.  Personally, I feel like this is the quintessential summer quad because aqua is such a great look for the season.  When you use it all over the lid or just along the upper or lower lash line, the pop of colour switches up the usual gold/bronze looks you see at this time of year.

The formulation of the shadows is quite nice and they blended easily, although I did find that the aqua colour was not as smooth as the others.  This might be due to the infusion of gold through it, which is pretty – but I did need to clean up some fallout after using this colour.  My only major problem with this quad (and with the entire line) is that all of the colours are frost or shimmer.  This is a personal preference, so I just used a face powder in place of a matte shadow to blend things out to my taste.

All in all, I think this quad is pretty good and definitely worth checking out.

Which of the two looks do you prefer, or do you like both?

Palettes: Eye Shadow & Pressed Pigments After

Second, there will be no swatches.  This is because there are so many of them, the sheer number makes it too much (at least in one go). And finally, there will some additional photos illustrating the hefty re-organization I did yesterday. I decided it was time to merge my existing eye shadows with a few new ones and all of the pressed pigments I’ve made in the past few weeks.

Yes, it absolutely was a tedious chore. Considering what was being organized, it was very tolerable however. I printed out labels for the backs of the shadows and printed out labels for the palette lid for easy identification. At the end I was shocked to find that it had taken me hours. I’m very happy though, everything is organized and looks so neat!

I still remember buying my first MAC shadow, Mulch.  I was curious about the brand, the colour was gorgeous and felt so rich.  Fast forward 4-5 years and I’ve collected quite a few more.  For the most part though, I’m content with the size of it.  I usually will only pick up a new colour if I feel that it offers something significantly different than what I already have.. which is quite difficult these days.

Eye Shadow: Highly-pigmented powder. Applies evenly, blends well.

– maccosmetics.ca

Palettes: Eye Shadow & Pressed Pigments Before

If you’d like to see any comparision swatches, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.  Aside from that, enjoy!

Palette: Highlight Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Gesso, Crystal Avalanche, Vellum, Frozen White, Vex
Et Tu Bouquet?, Naked Lunch, Vanilla, Solar White, Soft Force
Goldbit, Blanc Type, Shore Leave

Palette: Brown Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Omega, Style Snob, Impassioned, Satin Taupe, Go!, Patina, Warming Trend
Blonde’s Gold, All That Glitters, Time & Space, Soba, Honey Lust, Arena, Tete-A-Tint
Texture, Saddle, Mulch, Tan, Sable, Swiss Chocolate
Antiqued, Glamour Check, A Little Folie, Handwritten, Mineral, Suspicion

Palette: Gold & Green Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Bronzescape, Amber Lights, Goldmine, Stacked 2! (#3), Stacked 2! (#1), Woodwinked, Summer Neutral
Henna, Stacked 2! (#4), Copperized, Green Smoke, Mink & Sable, Femme Noir, Flourishing
Club, Velvet Moss, Humid, One-Off, Bio Green, Lime
Rated R, Eyepopping, Pagan, Juxt, Gorgeous Gold

Palette: Coral, Orange & Yellow Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Excitable Yellow, Bright Future, Chrome Yellow, Bright Sunshine, Goldenrod, Burnt Orange, Juiced
Fab & Flashy, Rule, Off The Radar, Sunsplosion, Orange, Red Brick, Coppering
Royal Flush, Bold & Brazen, Expensive Pink, French Cuff, Evening Aura, Paradisco
Coral, Gleam, Motif, Flip, Stacked 2! (#2), Melon

Palette: Pink & Red Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Stacked 1! (#1), Pen ‘N’ Pink, Scene 1, Pink Venus, Da Bling
Sushi Flower, Stacked 1! (#2), Passionate, Post Haste, Brash & Bold
Plum Dressing, Star Violet, Purple Shower, Pink Pearl

Palette: Purple Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Lovely Lily, Stacked 1! (#3), Beautiful Iris, Stars-N-Rockets, Violet, Parfait Amour, Climate Blue
Violet Trance, Purple Haze, Poison Pen, Meet The Fleet, Top Knot, Graphology, Signed Sealed
Beauty Marked, Push The Edge, Sketch, Fig. 1, Stacked 1! (#4), Pinked Mauve
Fashion Groupie, Trax

Palette: Aqua & Blue Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Aqua, Warm Chill, Haunting, Aquavert, Gilded Green, Peridot, Aquadisiac
Steamy, Newly Minted, Gulf Stream, Teal, Dark Teal, Moonflower, Strike A Pose
Stormwatch, Deep Blue Green, Cool Heat, Clarity, Mutiny, Moon’s Reflection
Cornflower, Nile, Submarine, Blue Flame, Deep Truth, Naval

Palette: Black & Silver Eye Shadow

From left to right;
Silver Thorn, Pandemonium, Typographic, Apres-Ski
Fashion, Silver Ring, Print, Mont Black, Copperplate
Alum, Knight, Black Ore, Carbon, Smoke & Diamonds

For this look I decided to try an experiment. I picked up a Maybelline quad at the drugstore the other day, and when I got home I realized that I could dupe it with some of my MAC eye shadows. So I put together a quad of similar colours and used Maybelline on one eye and MAC on the other eye. It’s mainly to demonstrate that using a good base and strong application techniques can have to very different products looking similar.

Amethyst Smokes Close Up Open

Can you figure out which side is which?

Amethyst Smokes

Face

• Maybelline Super Stay Makeup 24HR / Honey Beige
• MAC Brow / Stud
• MAC Brow Set / Clear
• MAC Mineralize Blush / Gently
• Ben Nye Luxury Powder / Banana

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion / Original
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara / Carbon Black
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil / Ransom (waterline)

One side:

• Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow / Amethyst Smokes
• Lid (upper lid, above crease, lower lid)
• Brow Bone (inner corner & brow bone)
• Crease (in crease)
• Outer Corner (in crease, outer v, upper & lower lash line)

Other side:

• Lid = MAC Fashion e/s
• Brow Bone = MAC Crystal Avalanche e/s
• Crease = MAC Poison Pen e/s
• Outer Corner = MAC Mont Blanc e/s

Lips

• E.L.F. Studio Line Lip Primer
• MAC Cremestick Pearl Liner / Lush-N-Lilac
• MAC Creamsheen Lipstick / Lavender Whip
• MAC Dazzleglass / Pleasure Principle

Amethyst Smokes 2

Amethyst Smokes Close Up Closed

I also filmed a tutorial for this look, but at the moment it is quite long. If I can figure out a way to edit it down, it should be up in the next day or so. Otherwise, I’ll re-do it if anyone really wants to see it. :]

Colour Wheel

In the excitement of IMATS, I forgot about something I did a week or two ago.

I wanted to play with colour and instead of just picking some colours, I dug out my colour wheel. It’s just a small one that I picked up at Michaels, and it is a few layers deep with cutouts showing colour combinations based on colour theory.

A color wheel (also referred to as a color circle) is a visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship. Begin a color wheel by positioning primary hues equidistant from one another, then create a bridge between primaries using secondary and tertiary colors.

- worqx.com

I decided to attempt a triad. I’m not really sure how I feel about the end result, but I definitely had fun trying to figure out how I might make it work. The core colours used were three eye shadows from MAC; Red Brick, Violet Trance and Lime. Red Brick and Lime are both Pro items, and Violet Trance is limited edition (recently released with the Makeup Art Cosmetics collection).

Triad: Teracotta-Indigo-Lime

In terms of self evaluation:

• the inner highlight could have been blended more thoroughly
• sharper definition in the crease
• BROWWWWWWWWWWWS!   they have since been cleaned up, lol

I decided last month that I wanted to do some sort of a summer series when it comes to looks. Of course, coming up with something different is always a bit of a challenge, since they are so many beauty blogs and vlogs out there.

What’s the idea?

When I go through my collection, the one thing that always catches my eye are the pre-made palettes/quads/trios. I love them, but since I’ve started depotting and buying pro-pans for my 15 (26) slot pro palette , I don’t reach for them as often. So, what better time to dust them off and show them some love?  Now, I do realize that a number of pre-mades are limited edition, so I’ll try to suggest some similar colours that are more easily accessible if I can. Or if you know of any, leave them in a comment.

Some of what’s coming up:

• Deluxe Shadow Box [Urban Decay]
• Eye Shadow Insurance Policy [Too Faced]
• Jade Jungle [Annabelle]
• Piccadilly Punk Double Decker Beauty Palette [QUO]
• Pink Punk and Black [Lancôme]
• Spiced Chocolate [MAC]

I saw this questionnaire over at Specktra. Being the eye shadow fiend that I am, I couldn’t resist.

Quiz: Eye Shadows

1. Best overall eyeshadow?
Expensive Pink / MAC Veluxe Pearl

2. Most unique eyeshadow?
Nymph / QUO

3. Most overrated eyeshadow?
Carbon / MAC Matte

4. Best eyeshadow to use as a liner?
Lush Raven / L’Oreal Wear Infinité

5. Best eyeshadow to use as a highlighter?
Blanc Type / MAC Matte2

6. Favorite L/E eyeshadow?
Sunsplosion / MAC Veluxe Pearl

7. Eyeshadow that you wish was made permanent?
Flip / MAC Frost

8. Discontinued eyeshadow you wish came back?
The entire N collection: Dark Edge, Modest Tone, Nanogold, Neutral Pink, Remotely Grey, Rich Flesh and the entire C-Shock collection: Bang On Blue, Big T, Eyepopping, Fab & Flashy, Going Bananas, Romping and Wondergrass.

9. Favorite matte eyeshadow?
Red Brick / MAC Matte (Pro)

10. Worst overall eyeshadow
Wondering / Fresh Minerals