Music Monday - 7/26/2010

Valerie - Mark Ronson (ft. Amy Winehouse)

EOTD - Bronzey Neutral

PRODUCTS USED:

Bronze/Brown Shades - Sleek Palette

Coffee Eye Pencil - MAC 

Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara - Tarte 

To be honest, I forgot where I put the matte brown shade, but everything else is fairly simple. I used the light, coppery shade all over the eye (a little past the brow bone) and took it under the eye as well. Then I  like to think I used the matte brown shade to define what little crease I have and a bit on the outer corner as well. Then I used the bronze colour to give definition to my eye shape a bit without using an eyeliner and tightlined my upper water line with the coffee eye pencil. I followed with mascara on top and bottom lashes.

I went a bit crazy during the weekend trying out different eye looks and I'm excited to share them with you guys! 

In other news, I've de-genie-bottled my UDPP and I have to say it is much easier to work with when you get more product. I wasn't getting enough using the wand and was ready to throw it away before I made this last-ditch effort to like UDPP. I think I really am starting to like it now! Exciting!

Happy Monday, everybody!

Urban Decay Primer Potion Project!

Mission: De-pot (de-tube? de-genie bottle?) the Urban Decay Primer Potion into a small container = SUCCESS!

A few things I noticed about the UDPP:

1) The plastic is really hard to cut open.

2) There is a lot of product in there! Much more than I thought there would be.

3) The consistency is actually much thicker than it is judging from what you get off the applicator.

4) Like everyone has said, this packaging is one huge waste of product.

So I took a pair of pliers and hacked away at the plastic until I had enough of an opening to scoop the product out. It was difficult and it was messy, but in the end it was worth it.

Now, you may have read my review on the primer potion and remember that I haven't really been impressed by it; but I just can't seem to bin it!

I did notice that I was getting very little product (and the consistency was thinner) when using the tube and applicator. However, now that I've de-potted/tubed/genie-bottled it, I can see that it's a much thicker product. Maybe I'll have better luck with using it now? Who knows?

Do you use the UDPP? Do you love it?

Collection Spotlight: Monique Lhuillier - Fall 2010

(all photos from: www.moniquelhuillier.com)

Well, we all know Monique Lhuillier makes beautiful dresses. But dzang, yo!

Each of these dresses, both cocktail length and full gown alike, have such beautiful details. Whatever your style, there's a dress here for you.

Now, if money were no issue and I could have whatever dress I chose, I'd pick:

- The black, one shoulder cocktail dress with gold detailing on the hem 

and 

- The red gown with the off the shoulder strap & silver brooch

If $ weren't an issue, which dress/es would you pick?

Sleek MakeUP Palettes - Review

Ahh, the beauty of the Internet! 

Were it not for the web, I don't think I would have ever found out about Sleek MakeUP and their wonderful products; Namely, the i-Divine Eyeshadow Palettes. I have read reviews, seen swatches of and even watched great makeup tutorials on YouTube using these palettes so I was already pretty impressed before even seeing them up close. So when my parents were in London more than a month ago, I specifically asked them to pick up these two for me. 

For those who aren't familiar, Sleek MakeUP is a brand from the UK with a "particular focus on on women who are under-represented by major brands in the cosmetics market." I.e. women who aren't white. That alone earns Sleek MakeUP my praise! They boast in being "the only high street brand with 17 shades of foundation." Now, for those of us in North America, "high street" pretty much means drugstore. So I challenge you to find a drugstore brand that has 17 shades of foundation. I doubt you'll find any.

Sleek, I'm very impressed with you. 

The first thing I noticed about the palettes is how vivid the eyeshadows are. Especially because they're so cheap! Each palette holds 12 eyeshadows and it retails for £5.99 or approximately $10.00 CAD. To get that many good quality eyeshadows for that price is flipping outstanding! 

The colour payoff is amazing and the texture is not bad either. Some shades, specifically the shimmery ones, are a bit gritty but do blend in well. They also feel really creamy on the skin and last a good amount of time on the eyelids, especially if you use a primer/paint pot beforehand. 

The packaging is quite good for such an inexpensive product. No, it's not luxe, but it's sturdy. It's made of black plastic and as you can see in the photo above, has a ginormous miroir. I mean, who does that?! The cover snaps up in place very snugly and won't be in danger of opening. I should know since I shook it around to make sure! The palettes are quite thin and very light so it will fit easily into a standard, medium sized makeup bag:

I was able to fit the Sleek Palette into my makeup bag with room to spare for my lip products, pill box and other miscellaneous items. 

       

Another proof of the eyeshadows' colour payoff is when I took the photos above. My camera is old and is only 7.2 megapixels so I have issues with colour not appearing on camera as they do on my face. In fact, I typically need to pile the product on in order for it to be visible on camera. But I never had any issues when photographing my eyes for this review and I only needed to apply product as I normally would. 

Despite the grittier texture of certain shades, I had very little fallout. These products really do blend so easily onto the lid! And the best part? Barely any creasing! Granted, I do use Soft Ochre Paint Pot to prime my lids, but that doesn't always guarantee anything. I am typing this post 4 hours after taking the photos above and I have zero creasing! That in itself is a feat!

FINAL VERDICT

You must purchase one of these palettes! Go now! I honestly think this should be a staple for everybody's collection, especially if you're starting out with makeup. You get a good variety of colours (brights and neutrals alike) for an amazing price. Because if you're anything like me, you don't like to shell out on bright eyeshadows that you will barely use. These palettes give you the opportunity to get more for your money and the fact that they're such amazing quality is just icing on the proverbial cake. 

Now my dilemma is: which palette to get next?

                                                                               

Collection Spotlight: Burberry Prorsum - Fall 2010

(all photos from: style.com)

I don't know why, but Burberry always has a special place in my heart. Perhaps it's because they created one of my absolute favourite perfumes, Burberry Classic?

Anyway, I love the fab outerwear (I can't wait til I can wear jackets again, seriously!), the over-the-knee boots, the military detailing, the rich colours!

Well done, Mr. Bailey. Well done, indeed!

Are you excited for fall clothing like I am?

Any faves from the Burberry Collection?

MAC Fabulous Felines Collection

Palace Pedigreed

Leopard Luxe

Burmese Beauty

(all photos from: temptalia)

Yet another collection being released in the Fall by MAC. At this point it seems they're releasing collections every month! 

Not that i'm complaining, because this is a gorgeous collection! I mean, the colours alone! Palace Pedigreed is definitely a favourite (I'm a sucker for purples) and I'm absolutely excited to try the Superslick Liquid Eyeliners! I've been using Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner and I have become increasingly disappointed with it and its migrating tendencies. 

I'm skipping on the pigments because loose powder + dani = hot mess on the carpet! I'm undecided on the eyeshadows because truthfully, I don't wear a lot of eye makeup. I focus instead on the cheeks and the lips. So obviously, I'm all over the lipsticks, glasses, and blush.

I'm glad they're releasing mineralize blushes, I find the texture to be better and easier to build up than the traditional MAC blushes. If you read my previous post, you'll know I've just discovered the awesomeness that is the Mineralize Blush. I found anything Mineralized from MAC to be too powdery and too gritty upon first application. If only I had not been lazy, I would've realized that all it takes is a little more blending and you get awesome colour and glow on the cheeks!

I can't wait to see swatches of this and I do believe Fabulous Felines has now surpassed Venomous Villains in my Excitement Metre!

So, love it or leave it?

I'd like to hear your thoughts!