For the Lazy and/or Layerer: Eyeshadow Sticks

The "My Collection" page on the blog is about half unreviewed products, so I'm going to make a concerted effort to try and talk about some pretty things! I've culled my stash several times over the past year, getting rid of things that no longer work or that don't get the love they deserve, and at this point, I'm pretty happy. I think I've still got a couple purging cycles left (and don't even get me started on my closet), but the effort of trying to decide what to discard is more than I feel like putting forth right now!

I have a zillion "new" lippies (some of which I've had more than a year, hence the scare quotes) and I don't really know where to start, so instead, I'm going to talk about cream eyeshadow! Yay! Eyeshadow!

Clockwise from top left: Laura Mercier Sugar Frost*, Mally Champagne,
Rimmel Bulletproof Beige*, Laura Mercier Rose Gold*, Laura Mercier Khaki,
Laura Mercier Pink Opal*, Boots No7 Cool Mink, BECCA Romanticism*,
Sephora+Pantone Tuscany

I've found that I really adore eyeshadow sticks (it's like drawing on yourself!), and between the generosity of friends and some fortuitous sales, my stash has grown considerably. I now own 7, plus two liquid eyeshadows, which, while slightly less convenient, serve a similar purpose: they work great as quick washes or as bases underneath powder (the "lazy" and "layerer" from the title, respectively).

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Khaki Review and Swatches

I am almost always late in the morning, because I always want that extra few minutes of sleep and tell myself I'll be speedy enough to make up for it. It's rarely true. In an effort to remedy this (while still getting those precious snoozes, of course), I've been trying to streamline my beauty routine. 

If I were extraordinarily efficient, I could do my whole beauty routine in 15 minutes, but I am not, so it usually takes about 25-30. Eye makeup is often a time eater, since applying/blending eyeshadow can be a challenge when tired and mostly blind, so I decided to cave and finally try one of the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks in the hopes it could be a swipe-and-go kind of product.* I chose Khaki, wanting a versatile but not boring neutral, and owning too many (purpley) taupes to justify Amethyst.

a rather uninspiring picture of the unused product

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in RD711 Pink Sands Review and Swatches

HSN sent me a $10 off coupon for no reason at all, but I'm not one to ignore free money, so I used it to pick up a Shiseido eyeshadow trio after having heard nothing but raves. (Oddly, though, now all the Shiseido stuff is gone from their website! How peculiar.) I chose Pink Sands, because I don't have enough neutralish palettes, I guess? I wanted something I would get a lot of wear out of, anyways.

Beautiful untouched pans!

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Soft and Sexy Eye Shadow Collection Review and Swatches

Look! I'm reviewing something that's not a lippie! *pats self on back* I picked this up during Sephora's F&F because I wanted a cool-toned palette of "neutrals", since I gravitate towards those shades during winter and felt a lack in my collection.

theBalm Nude 'Tude

I picked this up from Birchbox several months ago when I had a coupon. I'd heard good things about it, and I was wanting a replacement for my Too Faced Natural Eye, which has deteriorated in the pigmentation department over the years.

Urban Decay Deluxe Palette Quick Review and Swatches

I said I would review this once I had some EOTDs using it, but I have decided to just post this now since it's being discontinued but is still available at Sephora and Urban Decay and I don't know how long it will last. And I have one EOTD, which is something, I guess? (I know y'all stop by for some quality blogging, and I am clearly here to deliver...)

Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs 06 Les Fumés Review and Swatches

I bought this from Tracy during her blog sale for $44 including shipping, which is more than 25% off the full price. It's still rather more than I would normally spend, but I wanted something compact and pretty for the conference. (Ironically, it was so hot that I only did my eye makeup one day out of the 4, but hey, best to be prepared?) Now that I have it, I see myself getting a lot of use out of it for school––between my new hair and the classy eyes this palette creates, I'm gonna get mad respect from my students.

Which is clearly warranted.

Subtle FOTD

I like to play with makeup on the weekend, when I have time to do fun things. Recently, I decided to try a smoky eye in couches de couleurs style (see Messy Wands for what it's all about!). It didn't end up quite as well as I'd hoped, but I had fun with it!

FOTD, or: I have a tripod and taupe eyeshadow, so let's post about it

So I found a tripod in my brother's old room (which I'm in the process of moving into, very gradually, and which has all sorts of peculiar oddities, such as a bow and arrows). And then I read MM's taupe eyeshadow post. And then I decided to use my tripod to take a FOTD with my own take on the taupe eye. And then I decided to post it.

Le Métier de Beauté Corinthian up to crease, MAC Antiqued in outer corner and crease and lining upper and lower outer lashline, Maybelline Full N Soft mascara

Oh hai, glasses-less self

Other things I'm wearing:
Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch
Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish in Shell (full review to come)
Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer 1 Pink Porcelain
Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder
NYX Marbella (blush half)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow Ash 25
Becca Sheer Tint Lip Color Gisella (somewhat faded, as I didn't reapply after snacking)

The end.

Neutral Eyes: Quick Reviews of Urban Decay Shadow Pencils in Juju and Sin and Hourglass Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo in Gypsy

I wanted to get my thoughts on Urban Decay's shadow pencils up before the end of the giveaway (extended through Memorial Day! Go enter if you haven't!), but didn't feel like doing a full review and happened to have swatches of Hourglass Gypsy that I needed to do something with, so...here's a quick combo review!

Juju (left),
Sin (right)

Urban Decay's eyeliners are cult favorites (I have Mildew and Rockstar, and love the former [the latter is a bit too glittertastic]), so everybody was pretty psyched when they came out with bigger shadow pencils. I picked up the 5 pack they'd released for the holidays when it was on super-sale and kept the two lighter neutrals for myself (the others are here), and have been using them on and off for the past couple months.

Juju (top), Sin (bottom)

Sin is a shimmery light champagne, and Juju is a shimmery taupe. They're pretty firm, so I just swipe it all over my lid and then blend to soften the edges. On their own, they crease and fade pretty badly on my oily lids, but they last ~8 hours over TFSI, and longer if I top them with powder shadow.

Sin blended all over lid, Juju blended in crease

They do need to be sharpened, but I've gotten a lot of wear out of them without needing to do so yet (the only reason I did was to test and make sure it could be sharpened before writing this review, and yes, it can––I used the larger hole in the $2 Revlon sharpener I have to no ill effects). I wouldn't pay $20 for one, but I'm very pleased to have the ones I do! Grade: B (if you get them for cheap, A-)
$20 for 0.10 oz, available from Sephora and Urban Decay

Le Métier de Beauté Pure Color Eyeshadow in Corinthian Review and Swatches

After having seen review after review extolling the virtues of this shadow, I knew I needed to buy it for myself, so it was one of the few items I picked up in New York. But seriously, how was I supposed to restrain myself in the face of this:

It's TAUPE!

And AWESOME!

Fyrinnae Swatches, Part II

And here's the second part of my Fyrinnae order! You can find part one here. These are all Arcane Magic shadows, which are duochrome, so naturally I had to get a few. I don't even want to talk about how long it took me to narrow down which ones to order...

The rightmost 3 are featured in this post: Evocation, Sorceress, and Raven's Prophecy.

Evocation was a natural pick, since hello, it's DUOCHROME TAUPE! *flails* It's a neutral taupe base that color shifts from rose to green. It is awesome. The duochrome shift isn't crazy dramatic, so it doesn't swamp the taupiness of the shadow, but it is still there, giving a bit of a kick. This is the one shade that I've actually tried to wear on my eyes; it's...still a work in progress (see below).

Evocation looking rosy and very similar to Koala (I had a dickens of a time figuring out which swatch was which!)...

30 Days Makeup Challenge: Day 7

For a summary of this series, see here!

What is your favorite eyeshadow color?
Well this is a no-brainer: TAUPE! I love how versatile and wide-ranging it is. Below are most of the taupes in my collection (all the ones that I wear or have recently acquired).

Left to right: Fyrinnae Arcane Magic Evocation, Fyrinnae Platinum, Fyrinnae Koala, L'Oreal Bronzed Taupe, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, NYX Iced Mocha, theBalm Insane Jane

Platinum isn't really taupe at all, but let's just say I included it for comparison purposes, mk? Evocation and Koala are both the darkest and coolest, while Iced Mocha is the lightest and most gold and Bad to the Bronze the reddest. Bronzed Taupe is, in my opinion, the most versatile, flattering shade in my collection of taupes, and I love the texture, so if you don't have many taupes in your collection (and really, who ever has enough taupes?), I definitely recommend checking it out. I've got a couple of high end taupe shadows on my wish list (Le Métier de Beauté Corinthian and Chantecaille Sel), and I'm planning on picking up at least one of them when I'm in New York; I'd love to get both, but at $30 apiece, I really can't afford to!

Oh, taupe, you've ruined me for all other neutrals.

What's your favorite eyeshadow color? Do you share my fondness for taupe, or do you prefer brighter colors?

Fyrinnae Swatches, Part I

Welp, I finally got around to swatching all of the Fyrinnae samples from my order. I'm sorry it took so long! I had some issues figuring out how to best get Pixie Epoxy to work (more on that in a bit), and I had to get enough work done to feel like I had the time to slather my arm in pigments. But the long-awaited day has finally arrived! Confetti! Cheers! Alcohol!

Left to right: Nijiro, Rapunzel Had Extensions, Platinum, Koala, Arcane Magic Evocation, Arcane Magic Sorceress, Arcane Magic Raven's Prophecy

I've decided to break the shadows into at least two posts (considering a third on Pixie Epoxy), so this first batch is the non-Arcane Magic shadows, aka the first 4 from the left in the picture above.

Currently Coveting: NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

NARS Lhasa, image via NARS

If you read other beauty blogs, you've probably seen promo photos and reviews of the NARS spring collection. There are several items that have caught my eye, but only one that has been added to my "must get before I die" list. Surprisingly, it's not a lip product, but it is a purpley cool taupe, so...really not that surprising after all. Lhasa, named after the Tibetan Buddhist city, is described by NARS as a "lavender grey", and swatches show it to have a satiny shimmered finish.

It's gotten really good reviews from what I've read, and the consensus seems to be that it's one of NARS' good eyeshadows (some have a less-desirable formula). As a taupe lover and person with pale, cool skin, Lhasa just screams to me. Of course, as a grad student, $23 for 0.07 oz of eyeshadow also screams to me––or, more accurately, at me, to stay far, far away. Someday I will be able to justify it, though, and I'm really glad it's being added to the permanent collection, because that means I don't have to snatch it up right away!
$23 for 0.07 oz, currently available only from NARS counters, but I assume it will eventually be available from Sephora

What do you think of Lhasa? Any items in NARS' spring collection that call to you?
PS: Have you voted in the blog poll? Upper right!

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe and Iced Latte Review and Swatches

Warning: this is a really wordy post. I have been lusting after these shadows for many, many months, ever since they released abroad last year, and I am so frickin' excited that they're available in the States now. This excitement manifests itself as verbal (or textual?) diarrhea, so: you've been warned.

Bronzed Taupe (left) and Iced Latte (right)

Anyways. Why would I want these so badly, you ask? (You did ask, right? That wasn't my imagination? Guys? Right?) Well, you may recall that last year, Giorgio Armani released a new eyeshadow formula, Eyes to Kill, which had the blogosphere all lit up with excitement. These shadows are pressed loose pigment (I know, weird) with intense pigmentation, metallic shine, amazing wear, and the most gorgeous marbled look. They are also $32 apiece, and therefore not something I can purchase lightly. Shortly thereafter, L'Oreal (which is owned by the same company as Armani) released a budget version, available only overseas and in Canada. The consensus seems to be that the quality of these is about on par with the Armani Eyes to Kill, but the colors are less complex (which makes sense, as the L'Oreal versions don't have the beautiful marbling color mix that the Armani do).

Why did it take so long for them to release them in the US? Psychological torture is my guess, but really, who knows. They've finally seen the error of their ways, though, and Infallible eyeshadow started trickling into US stores late last year and are now becoming available at the major drugstores. I think they've been available at Fred Meyer (and Meijer, and Harmons/Bed Bath and Beyond) for awhile now, but I didn't make my way over to the nearest Fred Meyer until a couple weeks ago. Fortunately, they had most of the colors, and I was able to pick up the two I knew I had to have to start with: Bronzed Taupe and Iced Latte. They were $8 each, BOGO1/2 off, so they ended up being $6 apiece, which given the quality and quantity is quite a deal! These are also available at Walgreens, Rite Aid (for $8, and are currently on sale BOGO1/2 off), and Ulta (probably CVS as well, but we don't have CVS around here, so I'm not positive).

Okay, wow, I really need to learn to get to the point. Here's hoping you find my rambliness charming...

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze Review and Swatches

The new year is a wonderful time to be browsing drugstores, since all the new collections are being released and everything is pretty and new and exciting. This is my first year really paying attention to these things, and let me tell you: there is so much awesomeness. The Finger Paints flakies collection was my first acquisition, but other items on my ZOMG GIMME list are L'Oreal's Infallible Eyeshadow (which I finally got my greedy paws on and will be reviewing shortly!), Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blushes (even though I don't like cream blushes, these are just so cute!), China Glaze's upcoming magnetic collection (AAAAH AFFORDABLE MAGNETIC POLISHES!!!), and today's topic, Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Eyeshadow in Illusoire Review and Swatches

This is the product I decided to order along with the Dragon so as not to have to pay for shipping. I'd read no end of glowing reviews of these shadows, a relatively recent (this year) addition to Chanel's line, but had never planned on spending $36 on one. But, circumstances merited such a purchase, and I figured I would just bring it back to Macy's. But then, having it there in my hands, just begging to be swatched and played with, I caved. I told myself I probably wouldn't like it, and that I could just return it anyways (since they take back used makeup). I didn't actually expect that to happen, but lo and behold! It wasn't love. I did take some pictures and swatches before I returned it, though, and will now ramble about my experience.

Illusoire with adorable brush

NYX Eyeshadow in Iced Mocha Review and Swatches

One of the NYX items I picked up while I was in New York was this eyeshadow, Iced Mocha.  It's reputed to be a dupe for MAC's Satin Taupe, and I've been hearing about it for ages, so I decided it was worth the $5.50 to try.  I've used it several times since purchasing (and before photographing, so it's not in pristine condition!), and I'm liking it!

Iced Mocha (I keep wanting to type Satin Taupe...)