Vice 4 Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay – Swatches and Review

Preface
My first vice palette ever. I literally could not resist this one. The packaging is gorgeous. The contents are swoon worthy. There are an abundance of jewel tones and bright, shiny goodness. I couldn’t wait to get it and share it. This review will be covering the colors, wear and suggested use for the colors in this palette. There are some bummers but the greater majority are wonderful with the right tools and application.

To the people who are complaining that there aren’t enough neutrals in this palette… Why? Urban Decay is a company known for color. If you prefer to play it safe, there are 4 neutral Naked palettes and a shit ton more from other companies, for crying out loud. I suggest the BareMinerals 8.0 Posh/Power/Sexy Neutrals series. There are some seriously beautiful neutrals in matte, satin, and shimmering textures with pops of color, but i digress.

This Vice 4 is the palette that color lovers have been waiting for. Let us have our happiness too.

To clear up any confusion there may be lingering around, this fractal-ed edition is technically the 5th in the Vice series. The Vice LTD (bright green chartreuse cover) would have been the 4th, but UD decided to label this one for Holiday 2015 as Vice 4.

 

Smashbox Photo Finish 24 Hour Shadow Primer Review + Test

What This Is About
This is a review and test of Smashbox’s Photo Finish 24 Hour Shadow Primer. Because you are reading this I think it’s safe to assume that you know that a lot of cosmetics companies make claims about “extended wear” or “long wear” and promise performance along the lines of, “this will make your makeup stick like gum-in-hair until you want to take it off.” I will be testing the Smashbox primer for 24 hours and reviewing how it performs with various eyeshadows. I finally got off my lazy butt to write about this product now because I’m getting ready to re-purchase it. I don’t sing from the rooftops about this product but it is the best I’ve tried so far. I only write about stuff within a month if i love it and think that the world must know about it as soon as possible.That being said,  if something is good enough for a repurchase, it deserves a thorough review.

This post  also contains bits of frustrated venting and a mini lesson about product preservation.

At the very end, I will however be comparing this primer’s performance against the performance of two others – Urban Decay’s Primer Potion in Sin – and bareMineral’s Prime Time Eyelid Primer. Since taking organic chemistry, I have been reading ingredients lists more closely and realizing, “oh hey! I can draw the chemical structures for more than half of the shit on here!” or “!!! I know what chemical properties this has and what it might be doing in this product” …. I have no life. Will i be going through all of the ingredients? Oh hells no. I”m not THAT bored. Anyhow for those of you who don’t give a crap about ingredient lists (though you really should) the actual review starts now.

First Look
My box is a little beat up because it was rolling around and getting squished in my bag all day before i finally got to photographing it.

Ingredients, Front, Claims

The whole tube is a little over 4 inches long and relatively simplistic silvery grey with printed black text. The plastic cap is nice and solid. It makes a satisfying clicks and clacks when i knock it against hard surfaces. I thought the cap was ceramic at first because it felt cool on my fingertips whenever i picked it up and sounded like a ceramic bead when bounced on my table top. However, when i bit it to check, my incisors left dents in the cap. First lesson learned: don’t bite the packaging.

 

COSTCO, LET ME LOVE YOU MORE – Beauty for Cheap(er)

My fellow savvy shoppers out there know the pain of looking for better deals or waiting for sales. Ebay, Amazon and other online retailers are kind of sketch and require tons of research and review reading. Then there’s online Costco with random little treasures.

Me when i found Costco carried the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in my shade

The local drug dealer in all things food. And soon to be all things beauty? You’re probably used to thinking of Costco as your source for cheap nutella, toilet paper and kb socks but they now pack some pretty impressive (and prestigious) beauty items. Forget the 20% Sephora Sale for your staples, check out Costco first. I’ll just let the comparison screenshots speak for themselves. Retail Left, Costco Right. As always, click on the pictures to enlarge them.

But seriously, Costco. Add more stuff ples. Let me love you more and throw money your way instead of at Sephora or department stores. These were just the things that caught my eye. The beauty section also includes Chanel, Jane Iredale, more sisley stuff, more  brand name products and stuff for hair. But I don’t know anything about hair products so I dind’t bother doing price comparisons. Head and Shoulder for days. These are products that i’ve had my eye on or ones i know to be “cult” products that many people are still interested in and/or repurchase upon finishing.

One of the main drawbacks is that they have a high turnover rate. Once something goes out of stock, it may or may not be restocked.

First Up: Make Up

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (the box says it contains 0.63 oz. i don’t know where the 0.28 oz. came from)

• $48 for 0.63 oz. = $76.19/oz.
• $33 for 0.63 oz. = $52.38/oz.
  • only shades available are SX03, SX05, SX06, and SX11
• 31% savings

Clinique Long Last Lipstick Trio

• One tube (0.14 oz.) for $16 = $114.29/oz
• Three tubes for (0.42 oz.) for $30 = $71.43/oz
  • only available in a multi-pack with Sugared Maple + Blushing Nude + All Heart
• 38% savings

Clinique Chubby Stick

• One stick (0.1 oz.) for $17 = $170/oz.
• Three sticks (0.3 oz.) for $35 = 116.67/oz.
  • only available in a multi-pack with Two Ton Tomato + Super Strawberry + Mighty Mimosa
• 33% savings (basically buy two get one free)

Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Quad

• $61 for 0.16 oz. = $381.25/oz.
• $40 for 0.16 oz. = $250/oz.
  • Only options available are Smokey, Femme Fatale, and Desert
• 34% savings

 Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

• 1 pot (0.1 oz) any color for $25 = $250/oz.
• 2 pots (0.2 oz total) for $37 = $185/oz
  • only available in a multi-pack with Black Ink + Sepia Ink + mini liner brush
• 26% savings

Skin Care

Eve Lom Cleanser Balm

• $135 for 6.8 oz = $19.85/oz
• $100 for 6.8 oz = $14.71/oz
• 26% savings

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask

• $162 for 2.1 oz = $77.14/oz
• 100 for 2.1 oz = $47.62/oz
• 38% savings

Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer

• $44 for 2 oz = $22/oz.
• $25 for 2 oz = $12.50/oz.
• 43% savings

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Hydrator

• $38.50 for 1.7 oz = $22.65/oz.
• $30 for 1.7 oz = $17.65/oz
• 22% savings

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

• $76 for 1.7 oz = $44.71/oz
• $60 for 1.7 oz = $35.29/oz
• 21% savings

Tools

Kevyn Aucoin Concelaer Brush: $21.99 vs $32 = 31% savings

Kevyn Aucoin Soft Buff Powder Brush: $38.99 vs $60 = 35% savings

Clarisonic Mia 3 (Aria) Cleansing System: 149.99 vs 199 = 25% savings

Qualifier: Costco is by no stretch of the imagination a makeup maven’s playground because fancy asses like me  lust for bright colors and wacky hues, but it’s got the basics. Part of the trade off with whole sale places is lack of selection. You sacrifice choice for lower prices. Different people prioritize one over the other.  Think of the Costco beauty section as a luxe studio apartment: the essential are present and there are some very nice basics. *cough cough eve lom cleanser* The stuff the carry are popular ones that cater to the majority, so my apologies if you are super pale or super dark and i got you excited about the KA Skin Enhancer but they don’t carry your shade. Also, the selection of goods that different, physical Costco locations carry will vary. The one i frequent carries covergirl, loreal mascaras and bourghese beauty in store. If i want to restock on bareminerals powder foundation i have to drive alll the way to another location… which is only 20 minutes away or so.

Yes, the multipacks are a pain sometimes. You might run through several packs for the Super Strawberries and end up with a couple Tons of Tomatoes. It kind of sucks if you’re a repurchaser but you can always gift the other colors or do stuff with them. I remember hating the Wild Cherry that came in the Capri Sun juice multi-packs…. so i would trade at lunchtime with a friend for delicious inarizushi.

Do note: Costco stuff is for members only but there are ways around that :3

 

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow ME 744 (Poppy) Review and Swatches

Preface
As always, the preface is just background information or rambles about why i decided to pick up a certain product so feel free to skip this whole first section and go directly to the review.

If you’re wondering “Who in their right mind would buy a metallic, tomato red eye shadow?!” this following section is for you.

I’ve been in a classic-red cosmetic mood the last month or so, starting with my acquisition of Smashbox’s Be Legendary Lipstick in Bing. I didn’t have a red lip liner to match despite the fact that i have 5 or so other red lipsticks. I had been using UD’s ozone for literally everything because it was doing a pretty good job at it’s, well, job. After getting Bing though, I got the itch to find a red lip pencil to make it easier to do a sharply-define red lip, so i started poking around, looking for a good red, lip liner. By a stroke of Sephora’s sale section serendipity I got my hands on 6 full sized pencils from OCC’s Cosmetic permanent line of Cosmetic Colour Pencils for a whopping $22. Total. I literally could not resist a deal like that.(Full sized pencils alone retail for $16 each.) I went, “Eh screw it,” forked over the extra 6 dollars for the entire set and got NSFW, a “true balanced red” + 5 other pencils, some of which were in interesting colors.

These pencils are marketed as multipurpose for eyes, lips face and body….  BUT red based shades have a little disclaimer (*) at the end saying that the color is not recommended for use around the eye area. This cautionary line is directed for people who have allergies/sensitivities towards red pigment, more on that here. Anyways, long story short, I tried using NSFW as an eyeliner but alas, it smudged and ran like a famished dingo was after it. It barely stay put for 4 hours which just won’t do as far as my eyeliners are concerned (on the lips is a different story).

I decided that I needed a matching (or brighter) red powder to set it (same concept as foundation and setting powder) so I looked into ME-744 Poppy by MUFE and Exhibit A by NARS which are both bright, orange-based, reds. After weighing a bunch of pros-n-cons of each choice, I ultimately decided on MUFE’s ME-744 Poppy for a variety of reasons which i will get into. While there, I accidentally picked up MUFE”s Aqua Cream in #8 which I reviewed *almost* right away because i became instantly smitten by it. (In my book, reviewing something the following weekend is down right FAST and reserved only for stuff that I truly love). Anyhow, acquiring Aqua Cream #8 sorta rendered the point of getting 744 Poppy to set NSFW moot because the Aqua Cream is so effortless and sticks really damn well. But I love red so i kept it all.

I’ve linked reviews to all the red stuff I’ve mentioned except for NSFW and the rest of the OCC pencil set because it has 6 pieces. SIX!  I have a lazy personality on top of my habitual procrastination tendencies so there are still two colors i have not tested and written about yet. I refuse to post the review until all colors are accounted for so yeah…. It might still be a while. Anyways, sorry for that long intro. The review for Make Up For Ever’s Artist Shadow in ME – 744 Poppy begins now.

ME-744 Poppy on top.

First Look
It comes in temporary (read: shitty) packaging as a refill pan, but that’s okay, because cheap packaging keeps the cost of the product down at a reasonable range. You can buy a permanent compact for it for a whooping $1! There’s also a giant 28 pan palette for $14. I’m eyeing that one. I know that MUFE packaging in general is very economical while retaining professionalism, and i admire that, but a little voice in the back of my head can’t help but grumble that this is drugstore level. Think Maybelline eyeshadows with their clear tops and crunchy black plastic. Hell, never mind the drugstore insult. L’Oreal has some pretty nice packaging.

Looks almost orange in this lighting.

The letters “ME” denote the finish of the shadow: Metallic. The other Artist Shadows all have various letter(s) in front of the number code to categorize them by finish (ie: I for iridescent, M for matte, S for Satin, D for Diamond). 744 is the actual code “name” of this shadow. “Poppy” is just the nick name for convenience’s sake in case you are horrible at remembering number sequences like me. It much easier for you to remember that I’m wearing “Poppy blended over Mandarin with Buttercup in the inner corner,” than it is to remember that I’m wearing 744 blended into 722 with a little 400 at the inner corner.” Take notes Inglot.

 

Quick Look: Ember Lining

One class was cancelled today so I was super productive and used that extra morning time to wash brushes, organize my stuff and paint my eyes.

 

This post is the result of me wanting to test some new stuff that I’ve been procrastinating on reviewing.

 

How To:
1) Prime
2) Pat down a layer of orange eyeshadow. At the crease line, blend it up into the skin, not out . I used MUFE’s Artist Shadow in I-722 Mandarin which is marketed as a blush due to potential irritability, but I live dangerously. See this review here for the explanation.
3) Paint on a medium thick line with a golden colored gel/cream/liquid/anything that will go opaque . I used MUFE’s Aqua Cream in shade #11 and a ultra thin liner brush.
4) Draw on a thin line with black liner. Keep it as close to the lash line as possible and wing it at the edge. Note: gel or cream work better. I struggled to get the Stila liquid liner to go opaque black on top of the aqua cream. It took a couple of layers and drying.
5) Line the outer corner + outer third of the eye with a damp brush dipped in a dark-colored powder shadow. I used NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Subra.
6) Mascara of your choice. I screwed my lashes up so I’m too embarrassed to even name what I used.

The end result should look something like this on both eyes, hopefully. Variations in finished product are natural as there are a fk ton of different eye shapes.

 

Quick Chinese (Lunar) New Years Makeup Look: Triple Red

Today is an excuse to pile as much red on my face as possible.  I thought I’d share the resulting look. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Chinese culture, more red = more luck/prosperity/health/higherGPA (wait… what!?)

I started with my eyes, primer first as always (Smashbox 24 Hour Photo  Finish). You can’t see it on my weird half mono lids but I put down a layer of The  Body Shop’s color surge eyeshadow in Golden Cinnamon up to my crease. I followed with a few stokes of Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream in shade 8, painting a thick-ish cat eye on my upper lash line (with an arced liner brush).

The only product on my lips is OCC’ s Colour Cosmetic Pencil in NSFW.  It’s so nice in every way, I hope to get the review of NSFW and its siblings done soon. I have 6 colors to test.  Blegh.

Occ pencil in NSFW

After my lips were done, I cleaned up edges with some makeup remover, sharpened the edges with concealer, and followed with my foundation routine.

I have no idea why my nose looks red, Stupid camera

Lastly I used Make Up For Ever’s Artist Shadow in ME-744 Poppy (review here) as blush. Poppy is an intense, vibrant orange-based red straight or of the pan. As you can tell (hopefully), I applied it quite sparingly.  My skin is already yellow-toned.  Had I not diffused Poppy out, I could probably pass for Pikachu.

Anyhow, Happy Sheepy Year!

 

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #8 (Red) Review and Rambles

Preface
This post is primarily dedicated to reviewing MUFE’s Aqua Cream in Shade 8 (a poppy red shade), however I went off on a bit of a tangent on how i managed to get my hands on it: I made an exciting little discovery last weekend! If you don’t care to read about this and only want to know about the product being reviewed, feel free to skip ahead.

 

Smashbox On the Rocks Photo Op Eyeshadow Palette Swatches & Review (Holiday 2014)

Smashbox’s 2014 On the Rocks collection includes two shadow palettes. This is review of the smaller of the two with 12 colors. Here is the blinged-out, eye-catching packaging that hints at what lines within.

It’s like a black cardboard fire opal. I was torn about throwing away the box.

DON’T THROW ME AWAY. I’m beautiful.

After admiring the rainbows from all possible angles,  you open the box to reveal a 4″ x 4″x 0.5″ compact fit for a dark fairy queen.

*w*

The back – the shiny black plastic of this palette gives Nars compacts a run for their money in terms of collecting fingerprints and dust.

Once you get over admiring that, flipping the snap-lip open will reveal a mirror that takes up the whole inside of the lid, 12 shadows, a big ole rhinestone and a clear plastic insert (which you can’t really see) that protects the mirror and the names of the shadow printed on it.

Oh hai thar.

Come closer ;D

And closer…