Palettes

The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette

June 21st, 2016 by Karen 24 Comments

Another lovely day, another lovely NARS cheek palette.

Whoops! I misspoke. I meant to say, “another lovely NARS cheek and lip palette,” because the new NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette doesn’t only contain blushes. It also comes with a gorgeous matte lip pencil.

So what is heck is a 413 BLKR? Is it a secret pager code, or the code to a hidden door at NARS headquarters, where if you type it on the keypad, François Nars answers the door and says, “Bonjour ma chère! Have a macaron, and let me do your makeup, you gorgeous girl”?

Um…no, although that would be dope, wouldn’t it?

413 BLKR is the physical address of the NARS flagship store in New York, and it’s also the name of a special collection of NARS products inspired by New York.

The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette also contains three brand new cheek colors and, if you have a thing for rosy, plummy tones, you just might freak out. But in a good way.

Starting from the left, there’s a light opalescent pinky rose blush that can also double as a highlighter on darker skin tones, then a mid-toned satiny rose with hints of plum and gold, then a satiny deep plum, and finally, on the far right — sigh! — good old golden tan Laguna. Because, obvs, it just wouldn’t be a NARS blush palette without Laguna up in the mix…

Side note: The cheek powders in this palette have that traditional NARS powder formula, unlike the formula of the powders in the Dual-Intensity Palette I reviewed yesterday.

So these blushes aren’t as compressed into their pans as those Dual Intensity Blushes, and you should see more powder particles partying (moving) when you swipe your brush atop the pans.

As you know, Laguna has been around since the Cretaceous Period (can anybody even remember a time before Laguna?), and the 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil has been kickin’ it old-school since 2012, so the fresh and summery rose and plum blushes are the new recruits.

If you wear many rosy purples, plums or cooler-toned hot pink lip colors, these cheek colors should go really well with any of them. I bet you’d get a lot of mileage out of this palette.

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The Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette, With Its Simple, Logical Layout, Is Almost Perfect!

May 24th, 2016 by Anna Oh 19 Comments

The words “contouring” and “easy” don’t usually fit into the same sentence for me, but I think it is possible to have them both with this particular popular palette: the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette ($40).

Most contouring palettes have a LOT going on, but this one has such a logical, simple layout. It only has four pans, but it always comes in handy, no matter if I feel like wearing a little makeup or a lot. Contouring has never been a part of my daily makeup routine, but I’m surprised by how quickly I’ve grown to like using this palette!

too faced cocoa contour buki brush — The super soft contour buki brush is included with the palette

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With the Benefit Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette, Your Cheeks Will Cross the Fabulous Line

May 11th, 2016 by Jen Clark 11 Comments

Benefit Cheekathon Blush and Bronzer Palette — The CUTEST packaging!

Benefit, Benefit, Benefit…oh, how I love you! You really nailed it with the Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette.

What do you think of first when you think of Benefit? Do you think of their boxed powders? They’re so iconic to the brand, and for good reason. Every single one of them is uh-may-zing! And now, rather than having to go out and buy them all individually, you can get five of Benefit’s best blushes and bronzers at once with the $58 Cheekathon palette.

Normally in kits like this the actual pans are usually smaller than usual, but listen to this: all of these powders are FULL SIZED!

What?!

That is so impressive to me. You don’t see palettes like that every day, and normally a single full-sized blush or bronzer would run you $29, so for the price of two of them you’re getting five!

The blushes you get with Cheekathon are Rockateur (a shimmery rose gold), Dallas (a dirty rose), Coralista (a shimmery bright coral), and Dandelion (a bright baby pink). And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Benefit release without Hoola bronzer (a perfect matte). You get such a variety of colors and finishes with this palette that you could probably get away with never using another blush in your life.

You also get a little brush with the palette, which is actually pretty nice for contouring using Hoola.

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Why the Newest Tarteist Blush Palette Is a Work of Art

May 4th, 2016 by Anna Oh 18 Comments

If you’re not interested in saving money, Tarte’s newest blush palette won’t be for you.

But for the rest of us, it’s an amazing product worthy of our makeup-loving interest. The limited edition Tarteist Blush Palette ($38) has four pretty, feminine blushes in small, smart packaging, and with the words, “The Blush Authority,” confidently emblazoned across the mirror, Tarte already knows it’s everything you’ve (probably) been wishing for.

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I’m Finally Trying Zoeva! Here Are My First Impressions…

April 1st, 2016 by Adia Goss 34 Comments

So, I have been wanting to try Zoeva makeup brushes and cosmetics for the longest time. I’ve seen so many bloggers and YouTubers rave about them — the pigmented eyeshadows and gorgeous brushes — and the day has finally come. I’m finally trying Zoeva!

I wanted to share my excitement with you guys, so I filmed my first impressions in this video:

I also have photos and swatches of everything I talk about in the video (down below), so that hopefully you guys can get a good idea of what Zoeva has to offer.

ZOEVA History

“ZOEVA is a German brand, founded in 2008 by Zoe Boikou. The brand name ZOEVA is composed of ZOE, the Greek word for ‘life’ and EVA, the very first woman. From a basic range of only 10 makeup brushes, ZOEVA now offers a professional portfolio of over 50 makeup tools and 100 colors for a full face makeup routine. Our products are designed to make a real difference in the way women experience their beauty rituals.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette swatches from top to bottom:

zoeva first impressions — L to R: WR 130, WR 100, WR 070, WR 040 and WR 010

“ZOEVA is dedicated to the self-confidence and unique beauty of all women. Every ZOEVA product is made with love and designed with conviction and passion for makeup. Our ultimate goal is to offer luxurious, high quality products. Helping every woman to discover her individual beauty is our highest ambition. ZOEVA means celebrating yourself and being aware of your individual beauty.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Luxe Color Blushes in Burning Up and He Loves Me, Maybe

For size comparison, here are the Zoeva blushes compared to NARS and MAC blushes:

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I Put on Makeup Today!

March 31st, 2016 by Karen 67 Comments

Ya know what occurred to me the other day at 2 in the morning while I was in tears and feeding Connor?

Babies have no need for concealer, even if they’re up all night.

Amazing!

If I look a little tired…that’s because I am. Connor Claire’s been really colicky and, thus, we’ve been spending some long nights together. Plus, hello hormones running amuck (hence the flood of tears at 2 in the morning)!

I needed a little pick-me-up, so I managed to put on makeup today.

I’ve worn this Tarte Classic Courage Palette ($28; limited edition from the new Double Duty Beauty collection) a few times over the last couple of weeks, and what I like most about it is 1) how easily the eyeshadows blend together, 2) how long the eye and cheek products last on my combination skin (a full nine hours!) and 3) how I can do this entire look from start to finish in 20 minutes.

I bet I could even get it down to 15 minutes with some practice. I’m learning that in new Mommy Land, 20 uninteruped minutes to do anything is a blissful eternity!

Classic Courage is one of two limited edition palettes from the Double Duty Beauty collection, and it’s the one with warm colors. The other palette, Sultry Star Power, has cooler tones. I’m hoping to give that one a try soon (you know I love me some cool shades).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 28 in Purple Blue: The Guiltiest Pleasure!

March 28th, 2016 by Anna Oh 25 Comments

alexa chung illustration anna oh ao beauty — Illustration of Alexa Chung and her signature smokey eye, by Anna Oh

Yes.

That’s right.

I’ll give you a minute…

If your body is ready now, this is THE Natasha Denona 28 Eyeshadow Palette in Purple Blue ($239), and it’s about to sell out on Beautylish as we speak!

The hype around this product is very real for many reasons, the first one being the price (!), the second being the colors, and the third being the formula.

First…

The price

For $239, this single item is one of the most expensive eyeshadow palettes on the market. The pans work out to roughly $8.50, and you’re getting 28 of them. If you only collect Natasha Denona eyeshadows, this is a great value.

But if you’re like me and collect eyeshadows from almost every brand, this is a question mark (?) for sure. Buying 28 Makeup Geek or MAC eyeshadows (like the $6 refill pans) would actually save you money!

These are presented as “pro-quality” and “ultra-pigmented,” and they’re packaged in a VERY smartly designed, sleek, and surprisingly small palette. I really appreciate the wide variety of different colors and finishes.

The colors

The colors speak for themselves. Beautiful and subtle, but loud and incredibly nuanced at the same time. As the “Purple-Blue” palette, you get an incredible range with some added pinks, silvers, and taupes. I would say that I’m a neutral lover with an appreciation for color, and I find that this palette is very wearable, save for three or four of the colors. I think the range of colors rounds out the palette for color lovers and neutral lovers alike.

natasha denona 28 eye palette purple blue swatches — Swatches: all 28 eyeshadows of the Natasha Denona Purple Blue Palette

The Purple Blue palette contains:
28V electric violet, 82V nina’s orchid, 51M rosewood, 80M piggy, 40M lavender gray, 11M metallic steel blue, 11V steel blue, 38M gray-brown, 24V aubergine, 22M maroon, 60M golden rose, 63M oxide, 84V powder blue, 09M quick silver, 32P deep slate gray, 75P satin skin, 52M golden beige, 70P cool plum, 92M petroleum blue, 89V koh tao, 03V deep pacific, 12M glaze, 23P smoky plum, 49M vintage, 05M calypso blue, 65V smoke, 04M chromatic, 01V navy

Paraben-free.

70 g / 2.5 oz.

natasha denona 28 eye palette purple blue — My favorite row in the palette!

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Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon: With These Shadows, the Honeymoon Period Lasts and Lasts and Lasts…

February 16th, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

tom ford honeymoon — Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon ($80)

Competely proven, statistically verifiable facts (well…) about the new spring Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon…

It costs $1 BILLION!
OK…it’s more like $80, but it feels like a billion dollars because we’re only talking about four eyeshadows.
Studies show that upon applying any of these four luminous shades, nine out of 10 people exhibit the following symptoms: their eyes roll back in their head, they bite down on their fist and scream, “OHHHH!” in sheer ecstasy. The tenth person just face plants directly on the ground from a standing position.
You could probably live without it (LIES!!!).

I mean, seriously, there are so many things (price notwidthstanding) about this quad that make me want to do the snake in my chair. In terms of texture, finish and wear time, it knocks it outta the park.

tom ford honeymoon swatches — Swatches of the Tom Ford Eye Quad in Honeymoon (for reference, as you may or may not already know, I’m a MAC NC42)

It’s as if Tom probed my mind like a creepy makeup alien from The X-Files (have you been watching the new ones?) and molded all of my lusty eyeshadow dreams into these pans. When I load my brush with these shadows and apply them to my lids, the pigmented powders glide, blend and buff like they were put on this planet solely to make my makeup life easier.

A few days ago, I got it into my head to use the palette, and it was a day when I didn’t have a lot of time to get ready. No joke — I had my eye makeup all blended and done in less than five minutes, and even though I blazed through everything, I didn’t have to clean up anything under my eyes.

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