Swatches: Copper/Peach/Orange - Row 1

Here is the next of my eyeshadow/pigment palettes. This is an extension of my original overview and the third in the series after my highlights and green/teal.

This third palette features a mix of my favourite colours; coppers, corals, peaches and oranges.

I love this palette, it’s definitely one of my favourites. All of these colours are fantastic on tan skin, but they work just as well on deeper tones, as well as to bring out blue eyes and warm up paler skin. I feel like anyone could find something in this palette, it’s just about finding the shade that works for you.  Not only is a a favourite shade, these colours are remarkably versatile.  I could do an entire eye, cheek and lip look using just the palette and have it suit softer tastes as well as those who prefer a more bold look.

Samoa Silk is my favourite colour to change up a retro matte eye, using a peach instead of the usual skin tone shade brightens the look in a subtle way.  Melon is probably one of the most popular pigments, due to it’s versatility – I’m glad to have it pressed as well as loose, so I can use it to suit whatever I’m feeling.

And yes, there are some pressed pigments in there. If you want to see how I did that, you can check out my video for a full demonstration. I love having them integrated with my eye shadows, they get used so much more frequently now!

If you have any questions about any of the colours, or would like to see a look done featuring one of them.. just let me know in the comments.

Swatches: Copper/Peach/Orange - Row 2

Swatches: Copper/Peach/Orange - Row 3

Swatches: Copper/Peach/Orange - Row 4

Palette: Copper/Peach/Orange

From left to right:
Row 1: Burnt Orange, Juiced, Fab & Flashy, Stacked 2! #2 (pigment), Melon, Flip, Samoa Silk
Row 2: Gleam, Evening Aura, Bold & Brazen, French Cuff, Expensive Pink, Royal Flush (pigment), Pink Bronze (pigment)
Row 3: Rose (pigment), Paradisco, Coral, Rule, Off The Radar (pigment), Sunsplosion
Row 4: Orange, Brick Red, Coppering, Antiqued, A Little Folie, Glamour Check

Swatches: Green/Teal - Row 1

Here is the next of my eyeshadow/pigment palettes. This is an extension of my original overview and the second in the series after my highlights.

This second palette features a mix of green, aqua, teal, turquoise and anything in between.

The first two colours, Gorgeous Gold and Juxt have always been peculiar to me.  I originally thought the first would be a perfect yellow-gold, but for my skintone, the green is always apparent.  Often Juxt comes out more yellow, even though I thought it would be a great light green.  It just goes to show you that different colours do show up differently on different people.  Even on the same person, how something looks swatched on your arm can look very different on your eyes.

And yes, there are some pressed pigments in there. If you want to see how I did that, you can check out my video for a full demonstration. I love having them integrated with my eye shadows, they get used so much more frequently now!

If you have any questions about any of the colours, or would like to see a look done featuring one of them.. just let me know in the comments.

Swatches: Green/Teal - Row 2

Swatches: Green/Teal - Row 3

Swatches: Green/Teal - Row 4

Palette: Green/Teal

From left to right:
Row 1: Gorgeous Gold, Juxt, Lime, Bio Green, One-Off, Humid, Velvet Moss
Row 2: Aqua, Warm Chill, Gilded Green (pigment), Spiritualize (pigment), Haunting, Peridot, Aquadisiac
Row 3: Aquavert, Newly Minted, Steamy, Gulf Stream, Teal (pigment), Club
Row 4: Dark Teal, Moonflower, Cool Heat, Strike A Pose, Stormwatch, Deep Blue Green (pigment)

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?

Swatches: Highlight - Row 1

After a bit of a hiatus, it’s back to the stash!

This may look slightly familiar as I did an overview of my palettes a few months ago. I decided that I would go back and do swatches, since it seems to be a pretty popular request. It’s one thing to see something in the pan, it’s something entirely different when you can see it on the skin.

The first palette is my highlight palette, which looks different than it did last time.  I have no idea why, but I’m very finicky about my palettes and how they’re set up.  With the addition of some new colours I wanted to move things around to give a better flow.  The good thing about this?  I have two new slots open for highlights!  LOL

And yes, there are some pressed pigments in there.  If you want to see how I did that, you can check out my video for a full demonstration.  I love having them integrated with my eye shadows, they get used so much more frequently  now!

Just a note regarding Motif and All That Glitters.  Motif just shows up as a sheer pink wash, which was originally a huge disappointment.  But I’ve found that works as a great highlight for pinks or to switch up a neutral look.  All That Glitters is a gorgeous nude-peach, which is pretty close to my skin tone – perfect for a more subtle look.

Highly-pigmented powder. Applies evenly, blends well.
- maccosmetics.ca

Swatches: Highlight - Row 2

Swatches: Highlight - Row 3

Palette: Highlights

From left to right:
Row 1: Vellum, Shore Leave, Soft Force, Blonde’s Gold (pigment), Blanc Type
Row 2: empty, Goldbit, Solar White, Vanilla (pigment), Naked (pigment)
Row: 3 empty, Jardin Aires (pigment), Stacked 2! #1 (pigment), Motif, All That Glitters

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

Even though today is the first day of fall, I figured I would add the third installment to the Pre-Made Palette series. Just like the first one, this quad came out of MAC’s Cult of Cherry collection last fall.  It’s a beautiful cool toned palette, great for those who love purple.  The colours are extremely versatile and allow for subtle day looks or more intense evening looks.

Quad Look: Shadowy Lady

Face

• Korres Vitamin E Face Primer
• Make Up For Ever HD Foundation / 153 & 170
• MAC Eye Brows / Stud
• MAC Brow Set / Clear
• MAC Powder Blush / Plum Du Bois
• MAC Blot Powder / Dark

Eyes

• Too Faced Shadow Insurance
• MAC Paint / Art Jam
• MAC Eyeshadow / Lightfall, Smugded Violet, Shadowy Lady, Tete-A-Tint (upper)
• Lightfall, Smuged Violet, Shadowy Lady (lower)
• MAC Technakohl Liner / Smoothblue
• MAC Eyeshadow / Deep Truth
• Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner / Black Ink
• Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash / Blackest Black

Lips

• MAC Cremestick Liner / Caramellow
• MAC Frost Lipstick / Frenzy
• MAC Lipglass / Underage

Shadowy Lady Quad

My favourite colour in the quad is Smuged Violet. It’s a very pretty purple, and it’s unique in my collection. The texture is unique as well (though easy to work with), it is labelled as a frost but it strikes me as a fusion of a frost and a lustre.

As much as I love this quad, I definitely have had better luck when I use it with a similar toned base. My favourite base to use with it is MAC’s paint in ArtJam. This may be because of my skin tone, but the base just adds a depth that is otherwise absent.

Quad Look: Shadowy Lady 2

Quad Look: Shadowy Lady Close Up

This is my first installment of the summer look series: Pre-Made Palettes. I thought it appropriate to start with one of my all time favourite PMP; Spiced Chocolate.

Quad Look: Spiced Chocolate

Face

• Tarte Clean Slate Face Primer
• Make Up For Ever HD Foundation / 153
• Make Up For Ever HD Foundation / 170
• MAC Lustre Drops / Sun Rush
• Annabelle Smudgeliner / Ohmygoth!
• MAC Gel Blush / Just A Pinch
• MAC Lustre Drops / Sun Rush
• Make Up For Ever HD Powder

Eyes

• MAC Paint Pot / Indianwood
• MAC Eyeshadow / Nanogold, Brash, Sweet Chestnut, Spiced Chocolate, Tete-a-Tint, Blanc Type (upper)
• Brash, Sweet Chestnut, Spiced Chocolate (lower)
• Annabelle Smudgeliner / Ohmygoth!
• Lancôme Définicils / Black

Lips

• Blistex Lip Medex
• Lip Pencil / Half-Red
• MAC Amplified Lipstick / Vegas Volt

Spiced Chocolate Quad

This quad was released with MAC’s Cult of Cherry Collection in the fall of 2008. It was one of the most popular pieces of the entire collection, but interestingly enough – it’s very easy to mimic with colours from their permanent collection.

Nanogold (lustre)
very similar to Vex (frost)

Brash (veluxe pearl)
very similar to Coppering (veluxe pearl)

Sweet Chestnut (frost)
very similar to Cranberry (frost)

Spiced Chocolate (matte)
very similar to Handwritten (matte2)

Cranberry eyeshadow isn’t a part of my collection (yet?), but another excellent (although limited edition) alternative is Heritage Rouge pigment.

Quad Look: Spiced Chocolate Close Up

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]