Review - NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Tzarine

I can't pretend to know how to pronounce the name of this product. However, I can give it a good, honest review.

I have wanted to try this eyeshadow duo for quite some time (I believe the yearning started when I first heard JuicyStar07 talking about it many moons ago - so yes, way back in the day). A few weeks ago, while in Sephora, I decided that there was no time like the present and picked it up.

This duo contains two colours (duh!) - a golden-toned champagne (slightly more yellow than Stila Kitten, but fairly similar in theory) and a smoky grey-toned dark blue with a hint of shimmer.

Having never tried NARS eyeshadows, I was a little surprised when I swatched it. After using Urban Decay, Stila and NYX, I expected it to be a soft, buttery formulation, but I actually found it to be somewhat dry. That being said, it still swatches quite beautifully.

On the eyes, I am fairly impressed. While the pigmentation is decent, it's not something to write home about. Honestly, looking at my eyeshadows, I'd have to say that the formulation of this particular duo greatly resembles that of Covergirl trios and certain MAC eyeshadows. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - but it's not really a great thing either.

Overall, I think this duo is gorgeous in colour and fairly unique (particularly the blue colour). If you strongly favour softer eyeshadows, this might not be the best product for you. I, however, don't mind it.

These duos retail for $39 CAD and can be picked up from Sephora or any NARS counter.

How to - How I Press Pigments!

This is going to be a quick and easy step-by-step tutorial for how I like to press my pigments! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

You will need:

Your pigment (I used this one from L'oreal called "Bare Shell", but pigments are available everywhere. In addition, if you accidentally break an eyeshadow, you can smash it up into a pigment and use these steps to re-press it!)

Rubbing alcohol (If you don't have this, you can also use a toner where the main ingredient is alcohol. Before I bought this bottle, I used my Clinique toner!)

A small container to mix in (I used the lid from the pigment)

An empty eyeshadow pan

A paper towel and something to mix with (I like to use the handle of a small brush.)

A large book and a quarter, not pictured.

Instructions:

1.) Pour some of your pigment into the container. I like to add in small increments and mix as I go to see how much I need. I actually ended up using the whole container of pigment this round!

2.) Using the cap of the alcohol to measure it out, add enough so that you have a paste consistency. You want to be able to pour this into the eyeshadow pan, so make sure it isn't too dry. You can always add more alcohol or pigment if necessary, but if you add too much alcohol it merely means the eyeshadow will take longer to dry!

3.) Mix well.

4.) Pour the mixture into the eyeshadow pan. To ensure it is evenly spread out and flat, I lift it about a centimeter and drop it a few times. (It seems violent, but it won't spill, don't worry!)

5.) Let it sit for an hour or so until it is fairly dry.

6.) Cover with the paper towel. Add a quarter onto the paper towel over the pan to press it down, and put the heavy book on top. Let sit for a few hours.

7.) Place in a safe place or a palette and enjoy!

Before it was pressed

And after (it was much later at night, which explains the completely different lighting!)

Review: Urban Decay Naked 2!

This post is way overdue. I've had it in my drafts for a few months now but I've been super busy and unable to blog :/ I figure better late than never!

I'm so happy to be able to do this post - this palette was one I really wanted for quite a while when it came out. I actually don't own the original Naked palette, so I hope no one was expecting me to compare these two products. That aside, I come to you with a (very positive!) review on the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I picked this up in Orlando, Florida (to see the blog post haul I did, click here). 

Urban Decay "NAKED 2" - $50 USD, Sephora

First of all, it comes with 12 neutral shadows, a dual-ended brush (which is absolutely amazing), and a small "Lip Junkie" lipgloss in the shade Naked. I'd like to say right off the bat that these shadows are quite pigmented and go on the eyes nicely. The lipgloss is lovely - moisturizing and is a beautiful colour. I've used this palette for quite a bit (I actually put myself on a ban from using it, because I want to finish a few other eyeshadows first). The quality of each shadow is phenomenal.

There are a ton of reviews on this palette out there, and I don't want to go into too much detail about any one shade. However, some of my favorites are "Bootycall" for a highlight or lid colour, "Verve" for a lid colour, and "Pistol" for the crease. These three colours combined make for an amazing, shimmery eye look that is more grey-toned than brown, which I find suits my skin colour much better.

Swatches (R-L): Top - Foxy, Half-Baked, Bootycall, Chopper. Middle - Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol. Bottom - Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout.

I do have to say that there are two shadows that I don't like. The first is actually "Half-Baked". It is amazingly pigmented, but I can't see myself using it. It's just a true gold colour, and I prefer cooler, more subtle neutral shades. The other shadow in this palette that didn't make the cut for me was "Foxy" - I know many people have raved about this shadow but I find the pigmentation to be lackluster, and the colour is virtually invisible on my skin. It's actually the exact same colour as my Maybelline Fit Me powder, and has about the same colour payoff.

In all, I think this palette is amazing and totally worth the money. I actually much prefer it to the original Naked palette. I definitely recommend checking this out if you haven't already (considering just how long it has been out for). 

To those reading, which do you prefer - Naked, or Naked 2?

New MAC quad.

So yesterday I decided on what I would spend some of my christmas money on - a quad of MAC eyeshadows! I felt like I needed some neutrals that I could use every single day and love to bits, so I went in to make my first ever purchase at the store.

I already knew about two shadows that I for sure wanted in my quad - All That Glitters and Satin Taupe. I know, really, REALLY popular colours but I've seen numerous swatches and I just knew that they would be great in a quad.

The first picture I have here is one of All That Glitters, and the second is a swatch of it. The third and fourth are a picture and swatch of Satin Taupe.





The other two colours that I picked out were Phloof! and Sketch. Phloof! is a perfect shimmery off-white and sketch is a deep purple with some gold shimmer, which works great on green eyes like mine. These first two pictures are of Phloof!, and the next two are of Sketch.

The final product! 

I am so pleased with my brand new quad - it's everything I wanted it to be. I've used these eyeshadows a few times already and I love them - they're creamy, pigmented and look great with my colour eyes.

In Canada, you can get a quad like this, filled with eyeshadows, for around $65. It seems pricey but when you break it down, it's about $8 for the palette and about $14 an eyeshadow, give or take. And if it's something you're going to use everyday, I say it's totally worth it!

If you're reading, would you ever consider shelling out this much for four eyeshadows?