The Beautiful Addiction: November 2010

Saturday, November 20, 2010

MAC Venomous Villains

Colours included (L-R - order reversed in swatches):
Vainglorious - Deep burgundy purple (F)
De-Vil - Reddened copper (VP)
Sweetjoy - Light lemon gold (F)

Unfortunately I was so busy that I didn't have a chance to make it in to a MAC store until most of the items in this collection were already sold out! I did manage to snag some gorgeous eyeshadows though, which I am very thrilled with. Both Vainglorious and De-Vil are great colours for hazel or green eyes, and Sweetjoy, though it doesn't look like much in the photo, is a long-lasting highlight colour that applies really easily and blends very well. If you're in your local MAC in the near future and any of these shades are still available, I'd highly recommend picking them up!

Ratings:
Packaging: 4.5/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Definitely.
Would I purchase again? Yes.

Urban Decay - UD Hearts NYC Palette

Eyeshadow colours included (top left to bottom right):

24/7 Liner included:

Zero - black | Ransom - Irridescent purple

Urban Decay Primer Potion: Original mini

I, like most makeup addicts, look forward to Urban Decay's palette creations and am always excited to see what they'll come up with next. I think that of the three "Book of Shadows" Urban Decay palettes I have (Book of Shadows Vol. II and Alice in Wonderland), this is my favourite. There are more new shadows in this one that aren't in any of their other palettes or sold individually, and the colours are more varied. There are a few lovely shades that are easy to wear day or night, including Bordello and Suspect, while more dramatic shades like Radium and Psychedelic Sister are really fun to play with. There are a couple of new shades that I particularly love, as well. Rockstar is a gorgeous dark purple that I cannot get enough of. I also really love Loaded which is a rich, dark green. These are two of the new shades that I've never seen before and I think it was worth buying the palette just for them - though of course there's much more to it!

As far as I know this one is still available at Sephora, so if I were you I'd scoop one up for yourself and any makeup lovers on your Christmas list while you still can, because it's sure to be gone in the blink of an artistically made-up eye!

Swatches (with primer):

Ratings:
Packaging: 4.5/5 (The packaging is cool and eyecatching, but the mirror isn't useful, neither is the lighted background, and because of how bulky the palette is it's not at all portable)
Product Quality: 4.5/5 (minus half a point for glitter)
Worth the price? Always.
Would I purchase again? If it were available for more than a couple of weeks before selling out, sure!

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette 2010

Cream liner colours included (bottom row, L-R):
13 - Dirty golden bronze | 14 - Purple | 15 - Dark bluish green | 16 - Dark grey

Mascara:

Mini Lash DNA

Primer:
Mini Photo Finish Lid Primer

I've been a fan of Smashbox for years. I love their primer, their tinted moisturizer, eyeshadows, brow powders and cream eyeliner. So I always particularly look forward to their palettes and kits because they are always great quality and great value. This palette is no exception - and it's even better than last year. The individual eyeshadows and liners are larger and it includes a mascara sample as well as the primer.

I didn't notice until I swatched them side by side (see below), but the cream liners match the last row of eyeshadow shades nearly exactly, which I like, particularly because one of my favourite tricks is to set cream liner with the same colour of shadow on top. This helps the colour to settle right into the lash line, blends it evenly so that any small wavering or mistakes are masked, and also ensures that it will last all day long.

One of the unique features of the Smashbox Eye Wish palettes is that they each come with an attached booklet of looks with paint-by-number, foolproof instructions. This year they have gone one better and made the guides a set of flashcards that fit into a windowed pouch to make following them even easier. The guide makes this a great gift for those who are still learning to apply makeup, and will lend some inspiration to everyone else.

I'd recommend picking this one up for yourself or as a Christmas gift while it's still available, it'll be really fun to play with to create lots of fun, dramatic holiday looks!

Ratings:
Packaging: 4/5 (I'm not crazy about the gold crepey material they put on it this year, and it's too bulky to be portable)
Product quality: 4/5 (a few of the shadows are a bit too sheer and I've found that even layering doesn't make them show up as intensely as I would like, but there are only one or two of these, so overall the quality is great)
Worth the price? Definitely, these are a great deal and a wonderful way to try out some of Smashbox's best products in one go.
Would I purchase again? I think so, though since the size of each shadow/liner is so much larger this year I think it will last for quite awhile!

Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette - True Love

Eyeshadow colours included (L-R):

This is the third Kat Von D palette that I purchased, and to be honest I only bought it because it was on sale on the Sephora website! I'm glad I got it though, and here's why.

I love purple shadows since my eyes have a hazel tinge to them, and there are three different shades of purple in this palette (Cholita, Shiba and Babe), and a unique shade that looks white in the pan, but actually goes on as a purple irridescence. I absolutely love this one! Lucifer is always a great basic colour that can be used for shading the lashline. Peanut is a gorgeous highlighter colour with intense frost. It reminds me a little of MAC's Shroom, but more frost. Benji is interesting, it's very intense, but I've had trouble with it because it has already dried out a lot in my palette and is hard to work with. I'm not sure if this is common to all or if I've just had bad luck, but either way it's a problem shade for me.

As mentioned in the Ludwig palette review, though the palettes themselves are awesome and contain REAL mirrors, the brushes are absolutely useless (which is why you generally won't see them in my photos - I take them out within the first day or two of owning the palette because all they do is fall out and get in the way). So make sure that if you decide to purchase a Kat Von D palette you have decent brushes to apply it with! Overall I'm glad that I bought the palette. Even for full price I still think it would be a pretty sweet deal, but having got it on sale I'm extra pleased with it.

Ratings:
Packaging: 4/5 (minus one for brushes)
Product quality: 4.5/5
Worth the price? Bought on sale, so definitely!
Would I purchase again? I don't think I'll use the colours in this often enough that it'll become a staple and get used up quickly, so it's doubtful.

Cruelty-Free? Not sure. I'm still looking into it.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Eyeshadow colours included (L-R):

Double-Ended 24/7 Liner:

Zero - Black | Whiskey - Medium brown

I'm a huge fan of all the Urban Decay palettes, but I'm also a fan of neutral daytime makeup, so this palette was one that I couldn't wait to try out! I've often wished that Urban Decay had more colours that I could easily wear on pale skin for understated looks and it seems that they were listening.

This palette has everything from pale and highlighting colours to matte light browns for just a hint of shadow to gunmetal grey and black glitter for dramatic smokey eyes. There's really no end to the creative looks you could create with this palette, and it's a fantastic place to start if you're an Urban Decay newbie! Though it's currently sold out, I've heard rumours that this palette will be returning to Sephora, so keep your eyes and ears open and pick one up ASAP! It's one of the best palettes I have, and on top of the fantastic shadow and liner colours, it also comes in a lovely-to-touch brown velvet covered palette.

Ratings:
Packaging: 4.5/5 (I love it. It's sleek, narrow enough to carry with you if you're a fan of the large purses like I am, nice and soft to the touch and sturdy enough that I don't worry that it's going to bend or spill shadow everywhere)
Product quality: 4.5/5 (still not a fan of the glitter in a few of these shadows, but so much better than Midnight Cowboy and Maui Wowie!)
Worth the price? For sure.
Would I purchase again? This is one that I could see needing another of at some point, because the shades are all so wearable that I might actually hit the pan!)

Urban Decay - Vegan Palette

Eyeshadow colours included (top left to bottom right):

24/7 Eyeliner:

Zero - Black

First of all, I have to say that I am very impressed with Urban Decay for addressing the use of animals in the cosmetics industry - not only animal testing, but ingredients derived from animal products. Many people aren't aware that some of their favourite products might contain ingredients derived from animals until they encounter a product like this one that isn't. The message behind the palette ("We don't do animal testing, how could anyone?") is, if I'm honest, the main reason I purchased it. I have most of these colours in other palettes - some of them multiple times over. But this palette represents such an important issue that I wanted to support their message.

If you don't have as many other UD palettes as I do, however, and you don't have these shades, definitely pick it up for the shadows as much as for the idea behind the palette. All of these colours are very wearable and are great for everyone - whether you like dramatic or understated looks.

Ratings:
Packaging: 4/5
Product quality: 4/5
Worth the price? Yes, if you don't have these colours already.
Would I purchase again? No - I have most of these colours in other UD palettes.

MAC Liberty of London Eyeshadows

Colours included:

Bough Grey - Greenish grey

Give Me Liberty of London - Pale pink

I only have a few of the eyeshadow colours included in this collection, but I have to say that the packaging on this limited edition collection is one of my favourites so far. I almost bought things I knew I'd never use just for the pretty designs!

I love Bough Grey, it's a great mossy grey/green colour that isn't too overstated and blends well. It goes with either green or grey shades for a lovely smokey eye. So far I haven't found much use for Give Me Liberty of London - it's really pale pastel pink and I find it doesn't show up well even with a base and is a bit chalky. This one may end up relegated to blending duty.

Neither swatch showed up very well in, even though I put it over UDPP and applied several layers. I did my best!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5 (So pretty!)
Product quality: Bough Grey 5/5, Give Me...3/5
Worth the price? Bough Grey, definitely. Give Me...not really.
Would I purchase again? Both are limited edition, so I likely won't have the opportunity. I might re-purchase Bough Grey, but definitely not Give Me...

Urban Decay - Alice in Wonderland Palette

Eyeshadow colours included (top left to bottom right):

24/7 Liner:

Zero - Black

Flipside - Bright blue

Urban Decay Primer Potion:

Original Mini

Urban Decay does it again - another fantastic palette with gorgeous colours and a great concept! The colours are incredible - bright, vibrant, and a great range. As always the palette is great value for money, and if you're a fan of the movie, you will have tons of fun re-creating some of the looks with the help of this palette! The bright blue eyeliner, Flipside, matches their blue eyeshadow of the same name, but like many of their 24/7 liners is an unusually bright shade for a liner. It is excellent for adding just a pop of colour at the lash line if you want to stand out but don't want to go overboard.

Because of the diverse and intense colours in this palette, I think it would be great for anyone who enjoys creating really dramatic, over-the-top looks - particularly stage makeup. If you're a belly dancer or love doing it up when you go out on the town, this palette is a must-have.

Ratings:
Packaging: 4.5/5 (pretty but not portable)
Product quality: 4/5 (damn UD and that glitter)
Worth the price? Without question.
Would I purchase again? If I could!

MAC - Digi-Pops Green Quad

Eyeshadow colours include (top left to bottom right):

Shroom - Light goldy beige highlight colour (S)

Sunny Spot - Bright greenish yellow (M)

Steamy - Turquoise (F)

Club - Brown with dark green shimmer (S)

This quad is fantastic. Shroom is one of the most popular MAC eyeshadows and is often used to highlight the browbone. Sunny Spot, though not a shade I'll use often, is great for a hint of colour, especially for spring or summertime looks. Steamy is a gorgeous shimmery turquoise colour while Club is one of my all-time favourite shades that can be worn for a more interesting daytime look or dressed up for drama. The colours complement one another nicely and the quad is very visually appealing.

Ratings:
Packaging: 4/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Definitely.
Would I purchase again? Yep.

Tarte - Treasure Chest Palette

Products included:
16 Frost Eyeshadows
16 Matte Eyeshadows
16 Lipglosses
1 Bronzer
1 Luminizer
4 Blushes

This palette was the first time I tried any Tarte products. The eyeshadows are gorgeous, but honestly after trying them a few times, this palette ended up in the back of my cupboard and rarely gets pulled out.

The main reason for this is the packaging. It's cute, and I guess it would appeal to younger girls, but for me I just find it to be a pain. The top layer of frost shadows opens outwards in such a way that it's awkward to get to the outside layer of the top rows of matte shadows underneath. The lip glosses slide out in a drawer form underneath the matte eyeshadows, and the layer with bronzer, blushes and luminizer slide out in turn from inside the gloss drawer. This means that to get to the bottom layer you have to slide out double layers. I've got very limited counterspace in the bathroom, so getting to the drawers or opening out the top to get to the matte shadows is awkward and risks knocking over the entire thing.

Also the top has a flap that folds down around the front where the drawers slide out of, but the magnet that holds it in place isn't very strong and nothing holds the sliding top layer in place. It's really easy to lose your grip on it and have the side sections pull out or the drawers slide forward, sometimes at the same time, making accidents inevitable. Which is precisely what happened to the bronzer in mine - the drawers slid out suddenly, causing me to lose my grip on the entire thing, and not only that, but the bottom drawer then fell out of the palette completely and the bronzer smashed on the floor. That wasn't fun to clean up! Because of the beads stitched onto the top it's also impossible to stack properly for storage purposes.

All of this combined overshadows (no pun intended) the products for me and I just got so frustrated that I shoved it into the back of the cupboard rarely to be touched. If you have enough counterspace to store this one on a countertop and open it fully to use it, these issues probably won't be an issue - just be careful with the drawers and pull-out sides when you're moving it!

I do like that the palette has both frost and matte finish eyeshadows in equal quantities, whereas a lot of palettes only have one or the other. The matte shadows are very smooth to apply and blend well. Some of the frost shadows are a bit too glittery for my taste and harder to work with, but it also has a fair number that are highly pigmented, rich colours. Overall if you have suitable storage options, it's a great deal.

Ratings:
Packaging: 2/5
Product quality: 4/5
Worth the price? Yes.
Would I purchase again? No.

MAC Paint Pot - Quite Natural

Shade description:
Dark matte brown

This paint pot has a similar finish to Soft Ochre and Painterly. It's great as a base shade for darker skintones (based on YouTube tutorials I've seen) but also works under shadows to darken them slightly or show up true brown shades. I personally like mixing it with Groundwork, which is quite light and has a pearl finish, to darken it slightly for a relatively natural daytime look. Because I'm so pale I haven't yet found a use for it on its own.

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Yes.
Would I purchase again? I use this so rarely because my skin is so light, and when I do use it it's generally mixed, so the pot I have will last me a really long time.

MAC Paint Pot - Groundwork

Shade description:
Midtone brown with pearl finish

Aside from Soft Ochre and Painterly, this is probably the most-used of my paint pots. I love it alone for a natural daytime look. It's one of the few paint pots that has a pearl finish as opposed to matte or frost. One of the only things that bugs me a bit about paint pots is that there aren't a wide range of shades for all skintones. This one can be used as a base for skintones that are too light for Quite Natural - I know I've seen it used in several YouTube tutorials. Because it's pearl rather than frost, it can still be used as a base for various shadow finishes without showing through. It'll do in a pinch!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Definitely.
Would I purchase again? I have and I'm sure I will again!

MAC Paint Pot - Painterly

Shade Description:

Neutral pink

I absolutely love this shade. It can be worn alone or as a base/primer for those with fair/light skintones. Alone it will even out any variation in skintone and create a flawless natural eye (providing, of course, that it matches your skintone closely). As a primer it lasts all day, doesn't crease and allows shadows, pigments and even glitter to cling to its surface.

I discuss a comparison of this and Soft Ochre in the review for Soft Ochre here, but in brief this will provide a more natural look while Soft Ochre is lighter and the yellow counteracts pink undertones thus creating a more neutral, lighter base to show up true pigment of shadows applied on top. Paint pots are easy to work with, thick, slightly tacky when first applied and can be layered to create a more opaque finish. They do dry quite quickly and once they have dried are not workable - this is what makes them stick in place without creasing, but also means that if you want to blend a paint pot, you need to work quickly.

This is one of the most popular base shades for those with matching skin tones, for good reason. I like using this on more natural days or with pink-toned shadows. It's one I highly recommend for daily use.

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5
Product quality: 5/5 (I almost want to give this one 6/5, I like it so much!)
Worth the price? Completely worth it, in fact I'd say that given the utility of the product, how little you need and how often it will get used, it's a steal.
Would I purchase again? Over and over.

MAC Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

Shade Description:
Yellow-beige

This is one of the two shades that work well as a neutral base for fair/light skintones. It has yellow undertones, so it's good for very pale people, however because of how light it is it is probably the best base for showing the true colour pigment of a shadow - it's lighter than most skintones and therefore evens out and lightens the background colour that a shadow is then applied to. Painterly is the other base for fair/light skintones, which is actually going to be nearer most of these skintones because of the pink undertones, so if you are looking for something to even out lid colour that can be worn on its own, that's probably going to be a better option. See the full Painterly review here.

As a base, paint pots are excellent. Unlike primers like UDPP, they are thicker and have a slightly tacky finish that powder and even frost shadows will cling to. If applied properly they are very unlikely to crease, even if worn all day long (though this will, of course, depend at least in part on the quality and consistency of the shadow/pigment worn on top of them). They are thick enough to even out skintone with one layer, but can also be layered if necessary. You need so little at a time that one pot will last a very long time, even if used daily.

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? No doubt about it. Given the quality of the product and how little is needed per use, it is a very good investment.
Would I purchase again? I already have!

MAC Paint Pot - Rubenesque

Shade Description:
Gold with peach undertones

This colour is absolutely gorgeous. I even love the name of it. It works under any gold or metallic eyeshadow or is great on its own. I find it a bit easier to work with than Bare Study, though still a little harder to layer evenly than some of the less frosty shades. That said, it's definitely one that every makeup enthusiast should invest in because it is so versatile and such a unique shade!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5
Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Definitely.
Would I purchase again? Yes.

MAC Paint Pot - Bare Study

Shade Description:
Iced pink neutral with gold shimmer

I love MAC Paint Pots. They are great to use as bases, they don't crease, they last all day and over time they've had a wonderful range of colours. I love that not only can you use a neutral shade the shows a colour true to the pan, but you can also use a different coloured Paint Pot underneath a shadow to subtley or dramatically change the final shade.

Bare Study is the first Paint Pot I purchased, and unfortunately my least favourite. It looks beautiful in the jar, but I found it hard to work with. It doesn't ever seem to go on evenly and doesn't layer well. I do have a suspicion, however, that this is partly due to the angle that I'm looking from. It's quite possible that it looks uneven to me when I'm looking in the mirror, but may seem uniform to someone looking at it from a different perspective, so if you love the shade in the pot, it's worth playing with. It does swatch beautifully!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5 (I've had this paint pot for awhile and the container seals airtightly so that it is still the same consistency as when I bought it - no drying or cracking. Just be careful not to drop the container since it's glass!)
Product quality: 4/5
Worth the price? That depends if you have a similar problem to the one I had. If not, then sure, it's a lot of product for not much more than the cost of an eyeshadow.
Would I purchase again? No. I prefer to use one of the easier shades to work with like Painterly or Soft Ochre, or even Fresco Rose.

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Saturday, November 20, 2010