Review and Swatches: Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil liners

So, for the longest time, I've been wanting to try some of Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliner pencils. Checking out their site rather recently, I saw they had 2 travel sets on sale; The "Naked" set and "Electric" set.

These were actually part of the HauteLook order I had made, but it never arrived OTL

So after getting a refund, I repurchased it from the actual site for about $19 per set.

Each set comes with 5 travel-sized eyeliners, all of which fit the theme of the set's name.

NAKED 24/7 set

- Zero: soft black

- Demolition: matte deep brown

- Bourbon: milk chocolate brown with gold shimmer

- Underground: metallic taupe

- Stray Dog: deep grey-ish taupe

ELECTRIC 24/7 set

- Perversion: matte blackest black

- Ransom:bright iridescent purple

- Woodstock: hot pink with silver shimmer

- Radium: shimmery bright/electric blue

- Junkie: forest green with green and gold shimmer

Left- Naked: Zero, Demolition, Bourbon, Underground, Stray Dog

Right- Electric: Perversion, Ransom, Woodstock, Radium, Junkie

(natrual light)

Left- Naked: Zero, Demolition, Bourbon, Underground, Stray Dog

Right- Electric: Perversion, Ransom, Woodstock, Radium, Junkie

(with flash)

The pigmentation of these pencils are great, though Ransom and Woodstock are a bit uneven. In order to get a fully opaque line, you'd have to build them up a bit (Ransom more-so). Otherwise, they are very pretty.

As far as staying power goes, they certainly last. You'd have to rub the dried product pretty damn hard in order for it to even smudge.

Overall, I like these pencils. The Naked set was a bigger hit with me, simply because each of the colors had amazing pigmentation, as well as a nice variety for natural looks. The Electric set is certainly fun, but the Ransom and Woodstock colors were a tad bit disappointing as far as opacity goes. As long as they're buildable, though, I'm ok with them.

I'd like to pick up more of their 24/7 pencil liners, but the full sized ones are about $18 a pop. So I might wait until they come out with another set like these >A>;;

Have you guys tried any of the other colors? If so, what are your thoughts?

'Til next time~

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x



Review and Swatches: Crimson Amulet (Dark Shadows) by NYX

Tim Burton has always been one of my most favorite directors. From Edward Scissorhands to Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride to Sweeney Todd. Burton has always captivated me with his Gothic yet sweet romantic style (well, Sweeney Todd was in no way sweet, but his personal style put together with one of my favorite plays swept me away). It seems that he has done it once again.

Dark Shadows is a remake/film adaptation of a show that was once popular before I was even a thought in my mother's mind. LOL

I remember seeing an episode or two when I was a lot younger, and found it interesting that it'd be made into a movie. However the fact that Tim Burton would be directing it won me over. Haha!

Now, while I haven't seen the movie yet, I did happen to get my hands on the NYX makeup palette based on the movie itself. ^o^ It's called The Crimson Amulet Collection inspired by the movie Dark Shadows.



This palette is actually VERY impressive. I've always loved NYX cosmetics, considering it's pretty decent quality for the drugstore price. Even better, their color selection is amazing. This palette is no exception.
It includes 24 eyeshadows, 5 blushes, 1 highlighter, 4 lip glosses, 1 travel HD eye shadow base, and 1 travel sized eyeliner. Even more badass, this collection retails for $24.99!!!

Before I get into the swatches, let me just explain how I set everything up.
The colors in this palette have no names. So, instead, I labeled them all with numbers. This way it'll be easier for me to explain it all. ^u^

When you first open the palette, you'll see the 24 eye shadows and a fairly large mirror. The shadows are displayed in a particular way; the top half of the palette has more vibrant colors, many of which would be perfect for a smokey eye, or a more dramatic statement. The bottom half has more neutral, everyday colors. 

When you turn the page, you'll find the blushes, highlighter, lip glosses, primer, and eyeliner. Also, there's 3 descriptions of makeup styles for some of the Dark Shadows characters. They aren't quite "get the look" tips, but they help give you a general idea.

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NYX Crimson Amulet shadows (natural light)

Now, let's get into the eye shadows. As I said, they don't have their own individual names, so I labeled them with numbers in order to make it easier to follow.

1) Deep brownish-charcol grey matte

2) Pale pinkish/white champagne with glitter

3) Eggplant with gold glitter

4) Copper-Orange metallic

5) Shimmery Lilac

6) Taupey grey pearl

7) Pinkish champange pearl

8) Deep black-navy with glitter (reminds me a bit of Too Faced "Midnight Mist")

9) Medium navy shimmer (a lot like L'oreal Infallible 24Hr shadow in "Midnight Blue")

10) Forest Green shimmer

11) Medium chocolate brown with gold shimmer

12) Deep merlot brown shimmer

13) Vanilla matte

14) Medium taupe matte

15) Light taupe brown matte

16) Stark white shimmer

17) Champange taupe

18) Sable brown matte

19) Pale pink shimmer

20) Charcol grey matte

21) Mauvey pink shimmer

22) Light taupe shimmer

23) Bronze shimmer

24) Pale yellow/gold pearl

NYX Crimson Amulet shadows (with flash)

These eye shadows have pretty good color payoff. They go on rather smoothly with a creamy texture. One or two are a bit chalky, but it's really not bad at all. Either way, I'm impressed, considering the price of the palette.

Swatches

(applied with primer)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 1-12 (natural light)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 13-24 (natural light)

 

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 1-12 (with flash)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 13-24 (with flash)

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Turn the 'page' and you'll find the blushes, highlighter, lip glosses, primer, and liquid liner. Once again, everything is labeled with numbers to make it easier.

Blushes

1) Medium pink matte

2) Deep berry pinkish red matte

3) Peachy pink shimmer

4) Sweet pink shimmer

5) Medium peach shimmer

These blushes are CRAZY pigmented. I'm absolutely in love~

The only one I've very iffy with is blush #2. It's TOO bright, at least for my pale skin tone. However, it would probably work on darker tones. Also, I labeled #5 as a blush because although it might have been meant as a bronzer, it's totally more of a blush. It reminds me a bit of "Orgasm" from NARS.

Highlighter

Pale yellow-white

I'm definitely a fan of the highlighter, especially for my skin tone. It has a slight bit of shimmer, but only in the sense it gives you a nice glow.

Lip Gloss

1) Deep pinkish red

2) Dusty rose

3) Flamingo pink

4) Nude brown

These glosses are more on the sheer side, but they are buildable. The only thing that might be a turn-off for some people is the fact that they are a bit sticky. I'm not a HUGE fan of the glosses, but I'm sure I'll still be using them for when I want a more natural look; nothing loud.

HD Eye Shadow Primer

The primer is like most other primers. It goes on nude and blends out to be transparent. When I did the eye shadow swatches, I used this primer as a base. I can't really say much about the staying power quite yet since I haven't actually tried it on my eyes, but after the swatches, I washed it off. The shadows didn't come off immediately until I scrubbed with soap, and even then, some colors were harder to get off. So, it might not be such a bad one.

Liquid Eyeliner

Jet black

I love this liner. The brush is very thin, so you can do anything between bold lines to very fine. It's a VERY deep black, so it define your eyes perfectly. It also lasts through the day which is a major plus. I might have to look into buying a full sized one from NYX :D 

Crimson Amulet Blushes, Highlighter, and Lip gloss (with flash)

Swatches

Highlighter and Blushes 1-5 (natural light)

Highlighter and Blushes 1-5 (with flash)

Lip Glosses 1-4 (natural light)

Liquid Eyeliner and HD Eye Shadow primer

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My verdict:

For $24.99, this palette is TOTALLY worth it~! ^o^

The pigmentation is impressive, and the color range is pretty decent. I can't wait to try out different looks with it all, whether it be neutral to loud. It has it ALL!

Kudos to you, NYX! <3

Now, all I have to do is actually go out and see the movie! :3

How about you guys? What are your thoughts on this palette?

And have you seen the movie? :D

Until next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Review and Swatches: Tokidoki Arte Eyeshadow Palettes

So, my friends and I were at the mall, shopping for some clothes and stuff for the trip we're taking later on in the month. While we were there, we couldn't help but pass through Sephora since... well... It's like the sanctuary for all makeup junkies!! XD
Anyway!
We were looking around to see if there were any good deals going on. That's when we came across these absolutely ADORABLE Tokidoki Arte Palettes. They were $10 per palette (with a value of $48 each).

They kinda remind me of those Stila palettes; the Tokidoki palettes include 4 eyeshadows and 1 blush.

Supposedly, all 5 were part of their Holiday 2011 collection. 

Each palette is different in their own way as far as color scheme goes. And the packaging... omgggg the packaging~!! Mucho Kawaii going on there. LOL

First, I'll show you all the palettes and swatches, then get into my own personal opinions about them. ^_^

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*Til Death Do Us Part palette

  - Eyeshadows: matte cream pink, shimmer light pink, pearl denim blue, matte black with sparkle

  - Blush: golden pink

"Til Death Do Us Part" packaging

"Til Death Do Us Part" palette (natural light)

"Til Death Do Us Part" palette (with flash)

"Til Death Do Us Part" swatches

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*Lion Pappa palette

  - Eyeshadows: pearl nude, matte light brown, pearl gold, pearl dark brown

  - Blush: golden peach

"Lion Pappa" packaging

"Lion Pappa" palette (natural light)

"Lion Pappa" palette (with flash)

"Lion Pappa" swatches

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*Vegas palette

  - Eyeshadow: pearl white, pearl grey, iridescent purple, pearl dark purple
  - Blush: soft bronze pink

"Vegas" packaging

"Vegas" palette (natural light)

"Vegas" palette (with flash)

"Vegas" swatches

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*SANDy in the City palette

  - Eyeshadows: pearl champagne, matte cream, pearl camo green, pearl eggplant

  - Blush: peach pink

"SANDy in the City" packaging

"SANDy in the Beach" palette (natural light)

"SANDy in the City" palette (with flash)

"SANDy in the City" swatches

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*24 Karat palette

  - Eyeshadows: shimmer white, pearl royal blue, shimmer silver, matte black with sparkle

  - Blush: dusty rose

"24 Karat" packaging

"24 Karat" palette (natural light)

"24 Karat" palette (with flash)

"24 Karat" swatches

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Now, let's get to the reviews.

I'll be perfectly honest. At first, I thought I was going to be very disappointed with these. When I first started swatching the shadows, they almost seemed WAY too sheer. But then I realized that it was probably because I wasn't getting enough product on my finger (one or two swipes on the shadow, one swipe on my arm). However, when I re-did the swatches, they came out a lot better. They turned out to be a lot more decent than I thought.

The blushes are very soft and pigmented, almost to the point that if you're not careful, I can imagine them getting a little out of hand. As long as you get a good feel on how much product you need, you shouldn't have a problem.

Staying power is good. I've been wearing the "Lion Pappa" palette all day at work, on top of Urban Decay primer potion, and it hasn't faded or creased.

Overall, I like these palettes. I'm really happy that they didn't turn out to be the disappointment I thought they'd be. Because of this, I may want to try some of the other Tokidoki cosmetics.

Anyone else have thoughts about these?

Until next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Too Faced: Haul, Swatches, and Reviews!!

OMGGGGGG~!!!!

Ok, I'm super excited about this post. Why?

CUZ IT'S TOO FACED!!! (((o(> u <)o)))

Some of this haul is from HauteLook, and the rest is from the actual Too Faced website. So LET'S GET STARTED!!!

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First up, Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer. In all honesty, I bought this for my mom for Mother's Day, since she kept stealing my 'Fun in the Dark' palette just for the same bronzer. xD

I personally RARELY use bronzers, simply since my skin is so pale, and even the slightest bit of bronzer can get out of hand. However, for the few times that I do use it, Sun Bunny is one of my faves. It has two shades in one; one side a lighter golden bronze, the other a classic bronze with a touch of pink undertone. It looks very natural on the skin; none of that awkward orange tinting. It has a slight amount of shimmer, but not to the point that you'd sparkle like a Cullen (ew... Twilight...). It gives you a gorgeous, healthy glow.

Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer retails for $29.

Sun Bunny outter packaging.

Sun Bunny Bronzer Compact

Sun Bunny Bronzer (Natural Lighting)

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Next, the Too Faced Mood Swing lip gloss in 'Pink Petal.' These glosses are pretty cool. They start off with a particular color and then change into a perfect shade of pink. I'm sure most people know this, but anything "mood activated" works by body temperature. Your moods actually can effect the heat (or lack there-of) of your body. These glosses use that to their advantage to change their shades.

This one in particular starts off white, then shifts to (as stated) a petal pink shade. According to the box, it can change to 6 different hues; in order from lightest to darkest, the moods are labeled as Totally Zen (palest pink/almost white), Slightly Smitten (true petal pink), Feeling Frisky (Pink with Lilac-ish undertone), Dirty Thoughts (flirty pink), Hot and Bothered (mauvey pink), and Bask in the Afterglow (deep mauvey pink).

The only issue I have with this particular shade is that it can settle into the imperfections of your lips, which is obviously never flattering. So I suggest using a lip scrub first to smooth out the texture of your lips beforehand.

Of course, it'd be difficult to swatch every shade, but I hope this'll give you an idea.

Mood Swing lip gloss vintage retails for $16.65.

Mood Swing Outer Packaging

"Petal Pink"

Mood Swing "Petal Pink" -White to pink shade

"Petal Pink" swatch (natural lighting)

[according toe the box, this was the Feelin' Frisky hue ;D LOL]

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This product is their newest edition to the Candlelight highlighting powder: Candlelight Glow.

I remember trying the original Candlelight when I purchased Too Faced holiday 2011 palette, and abosolutely adored it. This one is similar, but has a specific twist. The original highlighter is only one shade, but the Glow highlighter has two. One side is a sheer golden powder that warms your skintone, the other a gilded-rose which brightens and illuminates. According to the description, PHOTOLITE technology filters and fractures harsh light to fight the effect of cold lighting which gives skins a washed out or chalky tone.

Each side can be used seperately, or you can swirl the two together. Your choice :)

I'm equally in love with this highlighter as I am with the original... maybe even more. ^u^ It gives a perfect glow to skin that looks natural.

Candlelight Glow retails for $29.

Candlelight Glow - Outer Packaging

Candlelight Glow compact

(Ahhhh~!!! Why is heir packaging always so amazing?? *spazzes*)

Candlelight Glow (natural lighting)

OMG!! I LOVE the chandelier detail on the powder!! ><

Candlelight Glow swatches [natural lighting] 

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 Next up is the Natural at Night palette. I've had my eye on it for a litle while now and finally decided to take the leap and buy it. Gotta say, I'm glad I did. xD
The colors of course are more on the neutral side, but amped up for the night (as expected). A palette like this is perfect for a natural smokey eye.
As with nearly every other Too Faced eyeshadow I've ever tried, the formula is so creamy and easily blendable. As usual, there's 9 eyeshadows and 3 categories:
- Night (inseadd of the usual Day): Full Moon (glittery light bronze), Nightcap (shimmering medium bronze), Cocoa Star (deep matte cocoa)
- Classic: Night Light (glittery rose-blush), After Hours (shimmery medium mauve), Eclipse (deep mauve shimmer)
- Fashion: Spotlight (matte cream), Moon Stone (shimmering olive-brass), Night Fever (deep golden brown with glitter)

Night Light gives a slight bit of glitter fallout, but it's really not to the point that it becomes fairydust all over your face xD

Too Faced Natural at Night Palette retails for $36.

Natural at Night packaging

Natural at Night palette

Natural at Night (natural lighting)

Natural at Night (with flash)

Natural at Night swatches(in order): Full Moon, Nightcap, Cocoa Star, Night Light, After Hours, Eclipse, Spotlight, Moon Stone, Night Fever [natural lighting]

Natural at Night shadow swatches [with flash]

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One thing I can say, I don't own many of the single round eyeshadows, though I wish I owned them all. Haha!
The one I most recently picked up is in the shade "Glamazon."
Glamazon is a silver fawn color; absolutely gorgeous. The consistancy of it is maybe a bit creamier than others, but that's in no way a bad thing. It's easily blendable and has a lovely almost-foiled finish. It makes me definitely want to pick up the other colors. ^u^
Too Faced single round eyeshadows retail for $16.

Too Faced Single Round Eyeshadow in "Glamazon"

"Glamazon" swatch [natural lighting]

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 Next up is the Too Faced Round Eyeshadow Duos. I managed to get my hands on two shades: "Teddy Bear/Heaven (chocolate matte/cream matte)"  and "Bon Bon (golden pink/beige sparkle)."
"Teddy Bear/Heaven" is perhaps one of my favorite duos. The Teddy Bear shade was included in the holiday 2011 Sweet Dreams palette, and Heaven is part of the Natural Eye palette. Both shades are very versitile, and I feel I use them more than most other shades for everyday looks. Teddy Bear is amazing as a crease color, while Heaven is beautiful as both an all-over lid color and brow highlight.
"Bon Bon" is another duo that can be rather versitile. The golden-pink shade is a beautiful color that could be used for romantic looks, and the shimmery beige would work wonders as a highlight. As a matter of fact, I think using Teddy Bear with Bon Bon would make an adorable look inspired by sweets~ ^ w ^
Too Faced eyeshadow duos retail for $17.

"Teddy Bear/Heaven"

"Teddy Bear/Heaven" swatches (natural lighting)

"Bon Bon"

"Bon Bon" swatches (natural lighting)

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Well, that concludes my Too Faced haul and review.
HNGGGGGG!!!! I just friggin' LOVE Too Faced, and I know one of these days, it'll be the death of my life's savings. Hahaha. xD
In a nutshell, I'd definitely buy all of these items again, and continue to buy anything else they put out. I also recommend them to all ^u^
I have all of the other permanent palettes, so I'll be working on reviews/swatches of them too when I get the chance; for those who may be wondering if they should get them or not.
It'll also be something to hold everyone off while I work on tutorials and such. ^_^

So, until next time,
Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x