Review and Swatches: Tarte and Bare Escentuals

Ok, so... I've been meaning to do a review on this stuff for weeks now; since these products were purchased  during Black Friday weekend. Still, some of these products are available individually regardless, so I figured I'd mention them as more gift ideas :D

I purchased 3 sets: 1 Tarte and 2 Bare Escentuals. These were AMAZING deals at the time; for example, the Tarte set included a full sized amazonian clay blush, a full sized amazonian clay cream shadow, and an eye brush for $22... For those of you that shop for Tarte cosmetics, you know the full sized blush ALONE is $25. So you really can't argue here. The other 2 sets were $10 each.

Now, again, while these may no longer be available as sets anymore, I figured I could still do a review on them since the majority is available all on it's own, so you all might be interested in them. :)

First up is the Tarte set I mentioned. It came with an Amazonian Clay Blush in 'Flush,' an Amazonian Clay Eye Shadow in 'Slate,' and an eyeshadow brush. Flush is a berry-pink blush that is HIGHLY pigmented. Actually, I was very intimidated by this color since I'm extremely pale... However, when used with a VERY light hand, it gives a nice 'flushed' tint to your cheeks, kinda like you've been out in the cold for a while. Slate is like a champagne-taupe color. I'm really not too sure about how I feel about this product quite yet, simply because I haven't used it very much. However, when doing the swatches for it, the formula seemed way too drag and draggy. It also set very quickly, making it hard to work with. Now, it could just be that I'm not using it correctly, but once I get a better grasp on it, I'll update my review on it ^_^;;

Amazonian Clay Blush and Eyeshadow 

Amazonian Clay Blush and Eyeshadow  (natural lighting)

Amazonian Clay Blush and Eyeshadow (Flash) 

Swatch: A.C. Eyeshadow in 'Slate' and A.C. Blush in 'Flush' [natural lighting] 

Swatch: A.C. Eyeshadow in 'Slate' and A.C. Blush in 'Flush' [flash] 

Next are the two Bare Escentual sets. Both had a specific theme to them; one being for eyes while the other was more of for the total face. 

The eye set came with a full sized "Flawless Definition" mascara in black and two deluxe sample eyeshadows:

-Cultured Pearl: a pearly off-white color

-Muse: a satiny charcoal

The mascara is interesting in the sense that it's not the way I remember it. I once used to use this mascara a while back, and the brush was way different. Back then, it was like a wirey pipe-cleaner type applicator. Now, it's a rubber applicator with shorter bristles. I might like this one a bit more, simply because I think the bristles give better separation of the lashes. The shadows are very nice for something like a simple yet classic look. They are a slight bit sheer, but also buildable (especially in the case of Muse). Paired with the mascara, it's perfect. 

The face set included:

-Bare Minerals Natural lipgloss in Citrus Tart: Sheer golden peach

-Bare Radiance all-over face color: shimmery peach highlight

-SPF 15 Mineral veil in Translucent

The lip gloss is pretty sheer, but has a sort of "Your lips but better" look to it. It's not really on the sticky side, but has more of a thick cream feel. There's very light fragrance which doesn't really bother me, nor do I think it's strong enough to bother anyone else for that matter. It also has a brush applicator which I like since it feels like I get more control of the product. The Bare Radiance powder give a very shimmery peach glow. On my skin, it's almost like a subtle bronzer, as if I had been walking out in the sun for a little while. As for the mineral veil, It's a very nice setting powder to place over your makeup for a flawless finish. I've honestly used this stuff non-stop for the past god-knows-how-many years now. It truly leaves my skin looking like it has an air-brushed finish.

 Bare Escentuals eye and face sets

Bare Escentuals eye and face sets [flash] 

Flawless Definition mascara wand 

Natural Lip Gloss in Citrus Tart 

Swatches: 'Muse', 'Cultured Pearl', Bare Radiance, and Citrus Tart [natural light] 

Swatches: 'Muse', 'Cultured Pearl', Bare Radiance, and Citrus Tart [flash]

Hopefully, this will be helpful for anyone who may want to get these sort of items as stocking stuffers for the holidays, or just in general. I'm hoping to get one more post up for a gift idea. I've just fallen so far behind with everything going on. So, hopefully the world won't end before then... LOL I KID!

Over the weekend, I hit Holiday Matsuri and had an amazing time! Got to meet J Michael Tatum (Sebastian from 'Black Butler' [Kuroshitsuji]), who I thought I'd NEVER meet since everyone convinced me that he never went to Florida conventions; as well as a few other amazing actors. Can't even expressed how much I spazzed when Mr. Tatum and Todd Haberkorn sat next to my friend and  for lunch. I'm sure all the surrounding fangirls wanted to kill us xDD

It's certainly an experience I'd never forget. I gotta admit, I have a bit of a starstruck crush on Tatum, even if he's gay. Hahaha! ^/////^

Quinton Flynn (Axel from Kingdom Hearts) singing "The Yaoi Song" while Todd Haberkorn (Italy from Hetalia and Hikaru from Ouran High School) sits on J Michael Tatum's (Sebastian from Black Butler) lap. {I SHIP IT!!!}

Hahahaha! Well, that's all for now. 

So, 'til next time~

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~<3

x~PhantomRose~x

Review and Swatches: Too Faced Bon Bons Palette

Omg~ Lauren is actually posting reviews again?
WHUT IS THIS!?

Haha~! Yes, I'm back from my hiatus. With a lot to catch up on might I add. The past few weeks have been rough. I've slowly been getting better about Cody's death, as well as going out of my mind at work. I volunteered for some extra shifts in the security department which bumped me up to 52 1/2 hours last week alone. 12 1/2 hours of overtime leaves me with no room to complain xP

Also getting ready for a holiday-based anime convention this weekend, so my brain is totally FRIED. Between prepping for that, working on photos for reviews (which there's A LOT, lemme tell ya), and re-recording tutorials for youtube, I question how I managed. xD

I figured I'd start off with the more holiday based reviews. A tad late, yes, but perhaps they may help for some last minute gift ideas.

This is for the amazing Too Faced Bon Bons palette!

This palette was one of the more appealing sets that Too Faced had released this year. Now, don't get me wrong, the rest of their holiday collection is amazing as well. However, this palette had more brand new shades than the rest of them. For example, the majority of eyeshadow shades in their Sweet Indulgence palette (available at Sephora) had a lot of shades that are either available in other palettes OR on their own. So, this one naturally seemed like the better buy if you're like me and have pretty much every palette Too Faced had to offer. LOL

This palette contains 12 eyeshadows, a deluxe sample sized Shadow Insurance in the Candlelight shade, and a full sized LashGasm mascara in black. Now, a few of the shades are repeats, which I'll go into more detail about later, but the majority are brand new shades made just for the holidays :D

The packaging of this palette, while not as visually appealing as the GORGEOUS packaging they had last year for their Sweet Dreams palette/collection, is still cute. It's much more simple looking, with a pale pink velvet-covered box laced with gold. It closes with a magnetic flap, like most of Too Faced's other palettes.

The size of the eyeshadows are about the sized of the Sweet Dreams palette's (0.03 oz.). The shades included are:
-Vanilla (matte bone)
-Cut the Cake (heathered mist) [also available in the Romantic Eye palette]
-Framboise (Dark smokey plum)
-Coffee Bean (matte coffee) [also available in the Matte Eye palette]
-Peach Fuzz (peachy gold) [also available in the Summer Eye palette and Sexpresso/Peach Fuzz duo]
-Hot Cocoa (chocolate)
-Candy Rose (pink sparkle)
- Lovey Dovey (sable brown) [also available in the Lovey Dovey duo]
-Nude Beach (nude peach) [also available in the Natural Eye palette]
-Cinnamon Sugar (golden bronze)
-Marzipan (medium orange-brown)
-Licorice Latte (black with bronze sparkle)

Like with most other Too Faced palettes, it comes with some tutorials. However, instead of the usual cards, these are on a foldable sheet. I dunno how I feel about this. I think the cards would be much more durable.

 Swatches

Top row: Vanilla, Cut the Cake, Framboise, Coffee Bean

Middle row: Peach Fuzz, Hot Cocoa, Candy Rose, Lovey Dovey

Last row: Nude Beach, Cinnamon Sugar, Marzipan, Licorice Latte

As always, Too Faced never really disappoints me. Even with shades like "Peach Fuzz", which may look like  it has no pigmentation; it's actually one of my favorite subtle highlights (which I'm sure I've mentioned in the past). Cut the Cake might be the only one that needs a bit of work to get it more visible. As a whole, this palette is very neutral, the most stand-out-ish sort of shades being in the top row with the purple shades. There's a nice variety of finishes from matte to shimmer to satin, which is nice. It leaves room for many possibilities as far as looks go.

In my opinion, this palette would make a lovely gift for any Too Faced lover. It would also make a suitable gift for someone who prefers neutrals, or is even new to makeup all together. At a price of $42, it's well worth it, especially since you get the primer and mascara with it! :D

Hoping to get back on track with my posts. There's still a few things I feel are worth mentioning for the holidays ^u^

'Til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

The good, the bad, and the worst...

It's been a while since I've last posted, and for those who have read my hiatus post, you know why. So let's start off with the good news.

My laptop is finally working again. It's still working pretty crappy, but it at least turns on and functions to an extent.

Now for the bad news: EVERYTHING has been wiped off of it. All of my swatch photos and EVERYTHINGGGGGG!! So I'll have to re-film the tutorials I had set up (which I never even got the chance to post ONE), re-swatch some of my items, etc. It'll take a hell of a long time, but I'mm get it done. I promise.

However...

Today, I really don't want to think about the swatches and reviews.

I lost a very good friend today, which is what brings me to the worst news...
One of my dogs had to be put down today, and to be honest, I have no idea as to how to handle it... My beloved yellow lab, Cody, was diagnosed with lymphoma a few weeks ago, which was heartbreaking. He was already a survivor of cancer a while back, so to know he was going through it all over again was unbearable. Because of his age, we didn't want to have to put him through radiation all over again, since the previous time he went through it, it was 3 months of misery for him. We wanted him to live out the rest of his life in as much comfort as humanly possible.

The vet told us he had anywhere between 2-6 months left to live, but... he barely made it past 2 weeks... The cancer spread much more rapidly than we thought it would, and resulted in him being hospitalized... He wasn't responding well to his treatment, and began to both swell up and look skeletal (if that is at all possible). My mom and I knew at that moment, we'd have to put him out of his misery...

I can't even express to you how... hard it is to have to put down one of your best friends. Only other animal lovers who have gone through the same thing could understand what it's like. Mom and I stayed by him side to the very end, just like he'd always been for us... and... It was all just so fast... I swear to god, it was like he simply fell asleep...

The moment his heart stopped, so did mine. All I could think about was how well he was doing a week ago; so full of life and emotion, and then to see him lay lifeless... It takes a toll on your heart.

I know there will never be another dog like Cody... He will forever have a place in my heart.

Being home feels so quiet now... While I may have 2 other dogs and 2 cats, Cody was the life of this house. And honestly, his death almost seems like a dream. I don't want to believe he's dead. I can still see him running in the front yard, or rolling across the carpet with the legit smile he always had when he was happy.

If God actually exists, and there's such thing as a Heaven, Cody deserves the highest spot there.

To my very best friend, I love you with all of my heart and miss you more than words can ever express. Your body may have died, but your spirit remains here in this house, as well as in our hearts.

R.I.P. Cody <3

x~PhantomRose~x

SugarPill Heart Breaker Palette: Review and Swatches

So sorry I've been gone for a couple weeks. I've had so much crap going on recently that I had to take care of. x__x
In the meantime, however, I've gotten my hands on a few new products and tested them for better reviews. This post will be for one of them, and without a doubt my favorite.

The Heart Breaker Palette by SugarPill!!!

Heart Breaker Palette outer box

OH
MY
GOD!!

This palette is absolutely... aifjknadifjoknudviroghnjkfd <-- That's how excited I am over it LOL
I've heard about SugarPill quite a bit over the past year, if not more, and figured I'd finally give it a shot. Now I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing it a little bit sooner. ><

So let's get into it.

Heart Breaker Palette packaging

This palette includes 4 full sized SugarPill eye shadows, retailing for $34. It's a good deal, considering if you bought the colors separately (yes, you can get each color by themselves ^_^), they're $12 each. So it's almost like buy 3 get 1 free.

Back of the packaging

The four colors included (as shown above) are as follows:

- Acidberry: vibrant lime green, matte with a slight sheen

- Velocity: vibrant matte royal blue

- 2am: matte purple with a slight sheen

- Mochi: matte mint seafoam green with a slight sheen

Heart Breaker Palette: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(Natural Light)



Heart Breaker Palette: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(with flash)

All of these colors are EXTREMELY vibrant. Like, I can't even explain. I think my favorite of the bunch is Mochi, which I hear being mispronounced all the time xD

Mochi is not pronounced like Mo-ki... It's Mo-chee (like the chee- in cheese). It's a japanese sweet made of rice flour :D

But yeah. The seafoam green is SUPER cute. I can see myself using it for all sorts of looks this summer ^u^

The other colors are also very pretty. The one thing I can say is Velocity is a slight bit powdery, so you'd have to be a bit more careful when applying it. Otherwise, it's as vibrant as the rest.

They go on very smoothly, and are very true to color from what's in the pan.

Swatches: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(Natural Light)

Swatches: Acidberry, Velocity, 2am, and Mochi

(with flash)

Verdict: This palette is AMAZING!!!!! 5/5

It certainly made me want to get the other palettes, which are sold out at the moment, but hopefully they'll be restocked soon. Otherwise, I'll get the colors one by one. I -do- have one of the pressed eye shadows, and two of the loose pigments. I'll be reviewing those soon as well. ^u^

How about you guys?

Have you bought this awesome palette? And if so, what are your thoughts?

'til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomeRose~x 



L'oreal H.I.P review and swatches Part 1; vacation

Whew~

Back from a much needed vacation with some friends on Marco Island, and it was absolutely AMAZING~!!

Crystal blue ocean, white  powdery sand, gorgeous hotel, pool deck on the beach, etc. We felt like we were in heaven!!

While we were there, we celebrated one of my friends' birthday, and I had the honor of doing everyone's makeup, most of which consisted of the L'oreal H.I.P eye shadow duos. That's what inspired me to do a post on my collection of them.

Granted, I don't have every single color... yet...

But I do have about half of them, give or take. Hence why I've also labeled this post as a part 1. I intend on getting the rest little by little to do swatches and reviews on.

As I'm sure I have mentioned before, L'oreal is one of my most favorite drugstore brands, if not the best. The H.I.P eye shadow duos are no exception. These are fantastic.

Some of the finishes are better than others, but I'll get more in depth with that later.

First, let's go through the colors I have so far.

Top row: Devious, Adventurous, Mischief, Shocked, Platinum, Gilded, Electrified

Middle row: Sassy, Roaring, Forgiving, Energized, Gunmetal, Charming, Romantic

Bottom row: Charisma, Flashy, Poppy, Charged, Perky, Sculpted, Cheeky

I'll go through each of the colors by row. I've swatched the duos together, each duo separated by a stroke of eyeliner to make it easy to follow. The descriptions will follow as

*(Name): [formula] Left/Right

TOP ROW

*Devious: [Concentrated] Army green with gold shimmer/golden brown

*Adventurous: [Bright] Satin beige/Satin bright pink

*Mischief: [Concentrated] Frosty champange nude/matte blackish-navy with a teal undertone

*Shocked: [Metallic] Butter-yellow gold/sage green

*Platinum: [Metallic] True metal silver/black with silver glitter

*Gilded: [Metallic] Rich true gold/Very deep green-undertoned brown with gold glitter 

*Electrified: [Metallic] Silvery taupe/Deep plum

Swatch: Devious, Adventurous, Mischief, Shocked, Platinum, Gilded, Electrified

(Natural Light)

(with flash)

As you can see, these are all very pigmented. Especially the metallics. The metallics in particular are extremely buttery and smooth. The silver in the Platinum duo is perhaps one of my most favorite silvers of all time, probably on par with my Too Faced one, 'In a Flash' (in the Smokey Eye palette). I also use the Electrified duo rather often, and I have to say it's one of my favorites out of the entire H.I.P line. That aside, all of the others from this row are gorgeous, and can work for many different looks whether you mix or match :D

MIDDLE ROW

*Sassy: [Concentrated] Frosty milk-chocolate brown/blackened teal

*Roaring: [Bright] matte brown/matte cobalt blue

*Forgiving: [Concentrated] Dark brown shimmer/turquoise shimmer

*Energized: [Metallic] Soft pale gold/bronzey brown

*Gunmetal: [Metallic] Khaki green/Deep forest green with green glitter

*Charming: [Crystal] Silvery lilac/Blue-toned purple

*Romantic: [Crystal] Silvery grey/pale pink

Swatch: Sassy, Roaring, Forgiving, Energized, Gunmetal, Charming, Romantic

(Natural light)

(with flash)

The first 3 in this row (Sassy, Roaring, and Forgiving) are slightly similar as far as the color family goes, but as you can see they are quite different. They each have different finishes and tones. Energized, while being metallic, has gorgeous neutral shades that are perfect for everyday wear.

Gunmetal can be a tad bit misleading. Don't get me wrong, the duo is beautiful. However, when I see the name 'Gunmetal', I picture... well... gunmetal colors. LOL Such as pewter silver or something of the like. This duo instead is more of an Army Camo sort of thing.

Now, for the crystals... yeesh...

In the packaging, they look a hell of a lot prettier than they do when you put them on. It took me quite a few swipes for it to show up on my skin. Not only that, but the shadow crumbles and clumps and does all sorts of weird crap when you try to apply it. And the fallout is CRAZY. They are pretty colors once you build them up correctly, but it's a hassle trying to get it there. Charming is certainly more pigmented than Romantic. The Crystal formula is without a doubt my least favorite. However, I know I'm probably going to get the rest of them despite the fact that I'm sure they'll be equally as difficult.

BOTTOM ROW

*Charisma: [Concentrated] Dusty rose-lavender/Reddish plum

*Flashy: [Bright] Bone cream-beige/Greenish teal

*Poppy: [Matte] Deep yellow/deep chocolate

*Charged: [Metallic] Bronzey orange-gold/reddish copper

*Perky: [Matte] Neon 'acid' green/almost-black navy 

*Sculpted: [Metallic] Dark rosey pink/dark plum with pink glitter

*Cheeky: [Concentrated] dark red-magenta/deep burgandy purple

Swatch: Charisma, Flashy, Poppy, Charged, Perky, Sculpted, Cheeky

(Natural light)

(with flash)

Out of this bunch, Sculpted and Cheeky look the most similar in the packaging, but once again you can see how different they really are. Perky is perhaps another one of my favorites. It's so bright and obnoxious. I love it xD

Actually, the Perky duo was used in one of my most recent looks inspired by the Hulk from the Avengers!! So, my first tutorial theme has just been revealed :D I'll be doing looks based on the characters. I'm working on editting the videos and photos so I can have them up asap. I just couldn't help it after seeing the movie during my trip.

That aside, as you can see, all of the other duos are very pigmented. The bone-beige side of Flashy may not look like it is, but I just think it's because I'm so insanely pale x__x Trust me when I say it has good pigmentation on other skintones.

-----------------------------------

My verdict: While it's not like these H.I.P duos are new or anything, they are still proof as to why I love L'oreal so much. These are fantastic, with the unfortunate exception of the Crystal ones (at least in my opinion). I'll be sure to post more reviews on them when I get some more of the duos.

Now that that's over with, I figured I'd share a couple of photos from my vacation :D

Simply cuz I can >u>

Marco Island was beautiful. Probably more-so cuz it was on the Gulf coast vs the Atlantic. I mean, the beach and ocean difference is like night and day. It was a little bit cloudy when we first got there, but the rest of the time, it was clear blue skies.

Close to sunset

I couldn't help but take in how pretty it all was.

One of my bffl's chillin' in the sand. Oh "Feesh" <3 lol

Sasha checking the water. We couldn't get over how WARM it was :D

Sasha and Gaby

The boyz (a little inside joke xD)

The hotel we stayed in was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed on the 8th floor, which gave us a perfect view of the ocean from our balcony, where we enjoyed breakfast and stuff. We also ate at this restaurant called Di Vinci's for Gaby's birthday. It was interesting cuz although it was an italian restaurant, they also had Japanese food. LOL So we pigged out on pasta, salmon, salads, and edamame~

As I mentioned, we also went to see The Avengers while we were there, it was the first time for Sasha and I, 4th for Gaby LOL. The theater was interesting cuz... well, I was hungry when we got there, so I figured I'd get a hotdog or somthing. Then I realized they didn't have any food displayed. When I asked, they handed us a full menu; IT WAS A DINE-IN THEATER!! We were so stoked! I had what must have been the BEST chicken fingers ever to exist with curly fries. SO AMAZING~!

On the way home, we stopped in Sarasota and went to the Aquarium they had, which was super fun. We went nuts over the adorable seahorses and this badass octopus that responded to us. We also did a bit of shopping in the area before driving home.

I have to admit, I'm still in that state of mind that can't believe the trip is already over. I had never been away with friends before, and I hope to do it again soon.

Well, that's all for now.

So 'til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

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.

---------

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