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Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette — Mini Review and MAC Dupes.

(l-r) Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

My opinion on the Naked 2 palette may be a bit controversial. I know there are so many ladies out there that swear by the Naked and Naked 2 Palettes, but I’m just not one of them. I find that Urban Decay eyeshadows have shimmer and glitter OVERLOAD. I just don’t think it’s a good look… but hey, that’s just my opinion. Perhaps if I were 10 years younger I would think differently.

I don’t feel that you are able to put together a complete look with this palette because it lacks a nice highlight shade and there isn’t a warm matte brown for blending/transition. There are a couple eyeshadows that I like, but not enough to repurchase this palette. Here are my two cents on the eyeshadows individually:

FOXY — very yellow pale matte beige. This one is way too yellow toned to function as a decent highlight for my complexion. MAC Brule is less yellow.

HALF BAKED — very metallic gold. Nice color, lots of fall out… and it’s also in the Naked palette. Not sure why they felt the need to include it in both. MAC Woodwinked is more orange.

BOOTYCALL — frosty off white with a slight peachy pink undertone. One of the better shades in the palette. I do not like shimmer in my brow highlight so although the eyeshadow is nice, I rarely use it. MAC Mylar is less frosty.

CHOPPER — frosty copper color with a hint of pink and obscene amounts of glitter and fallout. The color is nice but can’t see myself ever wearing this one because of the glitter.

TEASE — matte mauve brown. The texture is dry and it applies VERY patchy. MAC Quarry is very similar with better pigmentation.

SNAKEBITE — frosty dark bronzy brown. One of the best shades of the palette – great pigmentation and minimal fallout. MAC Bronze is lighter and warmer. MAC Friendly is very similar.

SUSPECT — bronzy-tan champagne color with a frost finish. Another good but not great eyeshadow – lacking slightly in pigmentation. MAC Patina is lighter. MAC Romantico is more pink. MAC Sweet Satisfaction is very similar.

PISTOL — a very unique shade that is somewhere between a taupe, dirty silver, and a brown. I find it hard to describe and I own nothing else like it – which is probably why it is my favorite shade of the palette.

VERVE — very pale warm silver with a frost finish. I quite like this one when used with a fluffy brush in the inner corner. MAC Vex is pinker and less frosty.

YDK — extremely metallic reddish taupe-brown with a warm undertone and copper glitter. Like Chopper, YDK has an overwhelming amount of shimmer/glitter. MAC Sable is more brown and a lot less frosty/glittery.

BUSTED — deep charcoal burgundy brown with a slight purple undertone and a soft frost finish. Good pigmentation and blendability. MAC Smut is darker and more charcoal in color.

BLACKOUT — deep matte black. Great pigmentation but a little powdery. MAC Carbon is similar.

I like some of the eyeshadows individually, but as a cohesive unit I don’t think the palette works. There is just too much shimmer for my taste. I do not own the original Naked palette because I wasn’t too impressed with this one — so I can’t do a thorough comparison.

It is a great value at $50 for 12 full size eyeshadows. Urban Decay eyeshadows sell for $18 individually, which makes the palette technically worth over $216 in eyeshadows alone. It also comes with a mini Naked lipgloss and a duo sided brush that I ended up giving away. You can purchase the Naked 2 palette at Ulta or Sephora.

I think the packaging is nice, but who really gives a damn if I’m not in love with the product?

Do you know own the Naked or Naked 2 palette? How do you like it?

Arabic Inspired — EOTD

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Hey gals! I hope you’re enjoying your day!

I was fiddling around with my makeup today and this is what I came up with… kind of a wearable, smokey, Arabic inspired look. I think it would look best with false lashes, but that does not happen on a daily basis in my world.

Hope you like it! Have you tried any Arabic inspired looks?

PRODUCTS USED:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot
MAC Humid — lid and lower lash line
MAC Soft Brown — transition and crease
MAC Vanilla — highlight
MAC Texture — blend out lower lash line

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Black
MAC Smolder Eye Kohl
Cover Girl Clump Crusher Masacara is Black

EYEBROWS
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde
Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde
MAC Omega Eyeshadow

TOP 15 NEUTRAL MAC EYESHADOWS

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Let’s pretend hell just froze over and I had to pick 15 neutral eyeshadows to use until the end of time… dramatic, but go with it… Or we could be a little more realistic and say that these are my most used MAC eyeshadows and ones that I would recommend to someone just starting out with MAC!

In previous posts I have gone into detail about each one of these eyeshadows, so I’m keeping the description quite minimal in this one. Have a look around my blog to see more indepth info, or just leave a comment below and I’d be happy to answer any questions!

(L-R) Vanilla, Dazzlelight, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Woodwinked
Omega, Wedge, Soft Brown, Texture, Swiss Chocolate
Patina, Satin Taupe, Sable, Bronze, Smut

VANILLA (Velvet) — my holy grail highlight… Vanilla is an ivory with suble pink undertones that applies nearly matte.

DAZZLELIGHT (Veluxe Pearl) — pearly highlight that can be used on the inner corner, brow or cheek.

NAKED LUNCH (Frost) — beautiful “minimal pink with shimmer” shade that I usually wear on the lid.

ALL THAT GLITTERS (Veluxe Pearl) — champagne shade with the most gorgeous texture and pigmentation.

WOODWINKED (Veluxe Pearl) — metallic orangey gold that looks beautiful paired with warm browns.

OMEGA (Matte) — ashy taupe color that I use for my brows.

WEDGE (Matte) — versatile midtone taupey brown that looks gorgeous in the crease or as a transition. If your skin is darker than NC25 I would suggest Cork.

SOFT BROWN (Matte) — warm midtone brown that is perfect as a transition color.

TEXTURE (Velvet) — very warm orangey brown that I typically use under my lower lashline or to warm up the crease.

SWISS CHOCOLATE (Matte) — gorgeous reddish brown perfect for the crease and outer v

PATINA (Frost) — antiqued gold with a beautiful green and pink duochrome that is a great natural lid shade.

SATIN TAUPE (Frost) — purpley taupe… and absolutely stunning!

SABLE (Frost) — bronzy purpley brown. The frost is quite minimal and this shade can be used on the lid or in the crease.

BRONZE (Frost) — true bronze color that looks great on everyone!

SMUT (Velvet) — beautiful charcoal gray with purple and brown tones. I frequently use this in place of a matte brown or matte black. Great as liner or for the outer v.

Which would make the cut for your Top 15?

A Guide to MAC’s Eyeshadow Finishes

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I received an email from a reader asking about the different finishes of MAC eyeshadows, so I thought I should write a post! Please keep in mind, like all things written in my blog, these are my opinions… Something I don’t like might be something you’d love and vice versa.

Let’s get started!

FROST

Frost finish eyeshadows have small shimmer particles that create a shining iridescent appearance. They can range from very metallic to minimally shiny. While frost finish eyeshadows are extremely popular, they can highlight flaws such as creases or wrinkles. They are shimmery, but not glittery. Overall I am a big fan of MAC’s Frosts!
(Pictured: Satin Taupe)

LUSTRE

Lustre finish eyeshadows are the outcasts… ask any MAC die hard what to avoid and they will probably tell you Lustre eyeshadows. Typically speaking they have a very dry but shimmery texture with chunky glitter and lots of fall out.
(Pictured: Greensmoke)

MATTE

Matte eyeshadows are those without any shimmer/sheen/glitter. They have flat color with varying degrees of opacity. MAC’s Mattes are known for their finicky nature. Most of the permanent Matte eyeshadows are good qualilty while a majority of the limited edition ones released are dry and not worth purchasing.
(Pictured: Omega)

MATTE²

Pronounced Matte squared — most people either love em or hate em. They are like regular Matte eyeshadows in that they have zero shimmer/sheen/glitter but they have a buttery texture with amazing payoff. The one downside is that I find them more difficult to blend.
(Pictured: Handwritten)

SATIN

MAC’s Satin eyeshadows vary in their finish. Some appear completely matte (Brun) while a few are super frosty (Shroom). The majority have a very subtle sheen or demi-matte appearance. Overall I like Satin finish eyeshadows a lot because they are in that happy middle ground — not too matte, not too frosty.
(Pictured: Era)

VELUXE

Veluxe is a finish unique to MAC. It applies matte but with a smoother less powdery appearance. They aren’t as pigmented as Matte eyeshadows… They were being discontinued earlier this year, but MAC brought them back. I’m not too sure how long they will be around.
(Pictured: Kid)

VELUXE PEARL

My favorite finish! Veluxe Pearls are like a Frost but with a more metallic, pearly shimmer. They are soooooo buttery and pigmented. As with any finish there are just a few that aren’t completely up to par, but overall I think they are beautiful and worth getting your hands on!
(Pictured: Woodwinked)

VELVET

Most Velvets appear matte or demi-matte — some with a hint of sparkle (Vanilla, Texture) and others with glitter that doesn’t translate to the eye (Beauty Marked, Mulch). I didn’t realize how many I own and love until I wrote this post! A few have a reputation of being patchy when applied, but I would repurchase all listed below, aside from Beauty Marked.
(Pictured: Smut)

Below are all of MAC’s permanent eyeshadows categorized below by finish… please let me know if I’ve left any out!

(*) denotes eyeshadows that I either currently own or have owned in the past and would be able to go into detail regarding their performance. Leave a comment below with any questions.

FROST
Amber Lights*
Bronze*
Cranberry*
Crystal
Electra
Goldmine
Jest*
Motif
Nylon*
Ricepaper*
Sable*
Satin Taupe*
Swish
Tilt*
Vex*
White Frost
Pink Freeze
Patina*
Humid*
Creme de Violet
Parfait Amour*
Steamy*
Paradisco
Seedy Pearl
Nocturnelle*
Phloof
Naked Lunch*
Deep Truth
Lucky Green*

LUSTRE
Greensmoke*
Retrospeck*
Honesty*
Mythology
Forgery
Sweet Lust
Swimming
Aquadisiac
Pink Venus
Idol Eyes
Filament
Gleam
Honey Lust
Tempting*

MATTE
Blackberry
Chrome Yellow
Corduroy
Espresso*
Malt*
Nehru
Omega*
Quarry
Rule
Saddle*
Swiss Chocolate*
Wedge*
Yogurt
Carbon*
Embark*
Bamboo
Charcoal Brown
Orange
Soft Brown*
Shadowy Lady
Plumage*
Gesso*
Free To Be
Passionate

MATTE2
Blanc Type*
Brown Script
Typographic
Handwritten*
Fig 1*
Copperplate*

SATIN
Arena
Brule*
Brun*
Concrete
Coquette
Cork*
Era*
Folie
Girlie
Haux
Mylar*
Mystery
Orb
Print*
Scene
Shale*
Club*
Shroom*
Soba*
Sushi Flower
Electric Eel*
Grain

VELUXE
Kid*
Brown Down*
Samoa Silk*

VELUXE PEARL
Crystal Avalanche*
Da Bling
Expensive Pink*
Plum Dressing*
Star Violet*
All That Glitters*
Dazzlelight*
Gorgeous Gold*
Sumptuous Olive*
Freshwater*
Moon’s Reflection
Blue Calm
Stars ‘N’ Rockets*
Satellite Dreams*
Beautiful Iris*
Woodwinked*
Coppering*
Antiqued*
Twinks*
Silver Ring
Knight Divine*

VELVET
Bitter
Contrast*
Sketch*
Vanilla*
Vapour
Trax*
Mulch*
Black Tied
Beauty Marked*
Smut*
Texture*

Whew, that was a long post! Hope it was helpful!

What is your favorite finish?

My MAC Eyeshadow Collection — Updated

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This was requested by a reader last week, so here ya go! I have been waiting for the weather to perk up, but it looks like the clouds are here to stay for a while. If you are familiar with my blog you have probably read my complaints on how incredibly dark my new apartment is and without any natural light from the sun these pictures definitely leave something to be desired…

If you have any questions about any of the eyeshadows please leave a comment below!

I purchased one of the double sided duo palettes a couple months ago and I have the majority of my eyeshadows in there. I love that it holds 48 eyeshadows — that’s more than three palettes of eyeshadows in one! You have to be careful, as the eyeshadows aren’t as secure as they would be with a divider. Click HERE for that review.

A while back I realized I wasn’t using a lot of my favorite eyeshadows because of the way I had them organized. Rather than trying to make my palettes look pretty, now I try to make them as functional as possible.

Please click to enlarge!

(l-r) Embark, Swiss Chocolate, Brown Down, Espresso, Cork, Soba
Soft Brown, Kid, Malt, Wedge, Omega, Era
Vex, Jest, Naked Lunch, Ricepaper, Nylon, Dazzlelight
Shroom, Brule, Mylar, Vanilla, Blanc Type, Gesso

Woodwinked, Tempting, Mulch, Bronze, Brun, Handwritten
All That Glitters, Sable, Shale, Satin Taupe, Twinks, Sketch
Jaunty (LE), Patina, Sumptuous Olive, Greensmoke, Club, Humid
Copperplate, Knight Divine, Print, Smut, Contrast, Carbon

PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE!

Beautiful Iris, Plum Dressing, Gorgeous Gold, Lucky Green

Satellite Dreams, Star Violet, Expensive Pink, Shimmermoss

Nocturnelle, Cranberry, Coppering, Plumage

Samoa Silk, Texture

Amber Lights, Saddle

Bare My Soul Quad (LE)

Romatico, Bare My Soul

Friendly, When In Rio

So that’s it for my collection… I don’t think it will be growing much more. I have all the eyeshadows I want from the permanent collection and I don’t purchase LE shades unless they are spectacular in quality and unique — like the Bare My Soul Quad!

Hope that was helpful!

Soft and Modern Cut Crease — EOTD

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It’s super gloomy outside today and since I haven’t done an eye of the day in a looooong time I thought, why not?! This is my take on a soft cut crease with warm browns. This would also look nice with winged eyeliner, but I wasn’t in the mood.

PRODUCTS USED

MAC All That Glitters — lid
MAC Soft Brown — transition
MAC Saddle — crease
MAC Vanilla — highlight
MAC Texture — lower lash line fade into cut crease
MAC Smolder Eye Kohl — top water line
MAC Dipdown Gel liner — lower water line
Covergirl Lashblast Mascara (Brown)

Eyebrows:
Anastasia Brow Wiz Ash Blonde
Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde
MAC Omega

MAC Cultured Lipglass — Review and Lip Swatches

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So I was cleaning out my purse — because I had about 20 different lip products in there — and realized that I hadn’t done a blog post on my all time favorite lip product! Not my favorite gloss or favorite MAC lip product… I’m mean FAVORITE lip product of ALL TIME! If I had to pick one thing I could wear on my lips for the rest of my life it would be this lipglass without a doubt. Whew! Ok, I’ll calm down…

I would describe Cultured as a semi-sheer light pink with a slight purple undertone with pinky-purple and silver microshimmer. Because this gloss is semi-sheer, it will look much different on someone with pigmented lips. I am very fair (NC15) and have pale lips as well, so please keep that in mind with the lip swatches.

In my opinion, MAC Cultured lipglass is absolutely perfect in every way. I have repurchased this lipglass at least 8-10 times. It is a “my lips but better” kind of gloss that is perfect for everyday. This was my go-to gloss to pair with a smokey eye for years. It can be layered on top of a lipstick but I typically wear it on its own.

With any lipgloss/lipstick that has slight purple undertones, I would recommend trying it before you buy it… With that said, I think Cultured would suit almost any skin tone, from the fairest of the fair (like myself) to the deepest ebony.

What is your favorite lipglass/lipgloss? Leave a comment below!

Oh, and dear friends…. please click the Google+ follow button on the top right side of my blog… I’m not sure when but they will doing away with Google Friend Connect. Please and thank you 🙂

MAC Temperature Rising: Bare My Soul Quad – Review, Swatches and Dupes

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Romantico, Bare My Soul
Friendly, When In Rio

ROMANTICO (Veluxe Pearl) is a light taupe brown with shimmer. This is the stand out shade of the palette for me. It has a beautiful texture and blends beautifully. Romantico is very complex — with subtle pink and green shimmer. MAC Patina is lighter and cooler, Urban Decay Suspect is lighter and more orange.

BARE MY SOUL (Lustre) is a shimmering gold with a copper undertone. The texture and pigmentation is outstanding especially compared to other Lustres.

FRIENDLY (Veluxe Pearl) is a deep chocolate briown with gold shimmer. It has great pigmentation and blends easily.

WHEN IN RIO (Frost) is a blackened red brown with teal frost. This eyeshadow is beautiful but has a slightly drier texture than the others. It is similar to MAC Club. When In Rio has a darker, cooler base and the duochrome is more apparent.

Top to Bottom: When In Rio, Friendly, Bare My Soul, Romantico

I was literally counting down the days until the Temperature Rising collection released, which was May 16th online and May 23rd at stores/counters. Unfortunately this quad sold out in a couple hours online so I had to wait until I could purchase it at my local counter. As I’m sure most of you know, this is limited edition and can be purchased at MAC locations while supplies last.

This is an amazing quad! I haven’t purchased one in quite some time because in the last couple years MAC has released a series of flops… most with lackluster or poor quality. I’m pleasantly surprised that they put together such a winner! This quad is $44 while the typical price for a quad is $40… you’re obviously paying for the packaging. It is bronzy in color and feels a bit rubbery like NARS packaging. Unfortunately it scratches quite easily… which drives me crazy!

I love that it has two Veluxe Pearls, as they are my favorite finish! The colors work well together and you’re able to create a variety of different looks. You couldn’t use this quad exclusively, as there isn’t a highlight shade included. All the eyeshadows wore about 8-9 hours with minimal creasing and fading.

Overall this is a beautiful quad and definitely worth picking up if the colors appeal to you… I think it would be universally flattering!

Have you purchased anything from this collection? What is your favorite MAC quad?

Best Drugstore Mascara — My Top 4!

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Left to Right: Loreal Voluminous, Loreal Telescopic, Covergirl Clump Crusher, Covergirl Lashblast

If there is one thing drugstore cosmetic companies know how to do, it’s mascara! Although I have a couple high end tubes, I just never reach for them. Mascaras in general have such a short shelf life I think drugstore is definitely the way to go!!

I was going to do a Top 3, but I couldn’t narrow it down… I love them all!

A couple disclaimers for the picture comparisons –> For each mascara I have noted how many coats were applied — this is only describing the top lashes, as I only used one coat on my bottom lashes for all the pictures. Also, the lashes on my left eye are a bit thinner, shorter, and like to go in random directions — gotta love it 🙂 So, just take that into account when comparing them!

COVERGIRL LASHBLAST (Brown) — Three Coats

Covergirl Lashblast lives up to the hype! I love this mascara and I think it is my all time favorite! This one is very volumizing and looks best with 2-3 coats. It builds well without clumping. I can’t say enough good things about the formula… but the brush is a bit big for my taste. The bristles are plastic so it does take a little getting used to.

COVERGIRL CLUMP CRUSHER (Black) — Two Coats

Clump Crusher is similar to Lashblast but is less likely to clump, go figure. I really like this one when I am in a rush and want to throw on one or two coats because I know I won’t have to mess around with lash combs or trying to fix clumps. The formula is thinner than Lashblast but it is definitely buildable! I like the brush, but I always get dots on my waterline when applying (as seen in the picture). I’m assuming it’s because of the curve and plastic bristles. Aside from that, I absolutely love this baby!

LOREAL TELESCOPIC (Blackest Black) — Two Coats

Loreal Telescopic is definitely a lengthening mascara and looks best with 1-2 coats maximum. Any more than that and it starts to clump. This one is perfect for ladies that would like to add length rather than volume. The wand is somewhat strange. It’s very thin and also has plastic bristles. Also, it truly is the blackest black, as the name states — at least the deepest black out of any mascara I’ve tried.

LOREAL VOLUMINOUS (Blackest Black) — Two Coats

Loreal Voluminous and I go waaaaaay back. This used to be my go-to mascara! I prefer the original formula. As the name states, this is a volumizing mascara that is very buildable. I think it looks best with 2-4 coats. The one downside to this one is that the formula changes as time goes by. At first it’s a bit too watery. Then as it dries out a little it becomes AMAZING! Of course all good things must come to an end and it becomes a bit dry and starts to clump — which mine is starting to do.

Overall I tried to give the good and the bad about each mascara — I haven’t found one that is absolutely perfect on all fronts.

I hope that was helpful! What is your favorite drugstore mascara?

Tarte Exposed Blush Review and Swatches

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Today I am very excited to review the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed. This has been my go-to blush ever since I purchased it!

HERE is an older post where I went over my Tarte blush collection… at that time I had only tried Exposed on in Ulta with those heinous fluorescent lights, so I thought I would never purchase it. I couldn’t have been more wrong about my new best friend — Exposed.

As I’m sure you know, Tarte is nice enough to match the outside packaging with the color of the blush… well in most cases. Exposed is actually a mauve/rose color which confused me because they have it in brown packaging. Regardless, this blush is BEAUTIFUL! I think it bests suits fair, light, and some medium skin tones… I don’t think it would show up well on anyone NC45 and up.

Exposed has fabulous pigmentation and lasting power. I’m not sure about Tarte’s 12 hour claim, but I can wear it 8 hours with little to no fading. On my NC15 skin, this blush looks like the most natural rosy flush, but still on the neutral side of things. It can be worn with just about any makeup look I put together, which is another reason why I love it so much.

The other day my mother complimented my blush so I felt compelled to apply it on her — she is much tanner than I am — around NC30. Exposed looked equally beautiful on her! I think this blush is a *MUST HAVE* ladies! Out of all my blushes, if I had to choose just one to wear for the rest of my days it would be between Tarte Exposed and MAC Cubic… thankfully I will never have to make that decision!

DUPES: Tarte Exposed is very similar to MAC Tenderling and somewhat similar to MAC Cubic. Unfortunately I don’t own Tenderling anymore so I can’t do a comparison swatch, but hopefully you’ll just take my word on it 😉

Have you tried Exposed? What is your favorite blush?

Exposed vs Cubic, Exposed vs Buff, Exposed vs Tenderling