This was literally the first year I've done any kind of shopping on Black Friday - albeit, I didn't really buy all that much, but when you already work in retail...the last thing you want to do is go in early or stay late in the mall after your shift to shop after dealing with the crowds all day already. I did a little bit of shopping in the mall, but half of my shopping was online this black friday - both Darling Girl and Lime Crime!

So heres my (very glittery) haul!

Spectral Shifts -

On the left is Ramblin' Rose (which I wore yesterday and loved!) and on the right is Zombie Queen. I love spectral shifts because they are often in very unique colors, but sheer enough to wear every day!

Eyeshadows - 

From left to right, the eyeshadows are Sirena, Anam Cara, Toxic and Jeweled Taupe. Several of these, and I believe on of the spectral shifts were sent as part of a discounted review package.

Pixie Sprinkles! - 

I went a little crazy with the Christmas themed Pixie Sprinkles...from left to right they are; Christmas Sweater, Grandma's Fruitcake and Regifted. I love these because they're so multi- colored and fun!

 Free Samples and GWPs -

There were two GWP shades with this order, because it was Black Friday which were Who Cares, Its On Sale and UGH Candied Yams. The sample was a baggie of Papercut, which I'm actually surprised that I don't already have. 

As per usual, my order came with a sticker and business card, and now I have a button! Yay!

Darling Girl Cosmetics is closed through the new year I believe, so I'm pretty excited to see what they have in store for 2014!

Top 10 Red Lipsticks for the Holidays!

Phew, it is CRAZY around here today! I feel like Christmas just snuck right up on me, but I wanted to jump in and share my 10 favorite red lipsticks for the holiday season!

From left to right, the top row is: 1) Wet N Wild Cherry Picking, 2) Revlon Cherry Blossom, 3) Revlon Cherries in the Snow, 4) Rimmel Kate Moss 107, 5) NARS Afghan Red and the bottom row is - 1) MAC Viva Glam 1, 2) MAC Diva, 3) Revlon Red Velvet, 4) NYX Snow White and 5) OCC NSFW.

There you have it, guys! I'm not sure which one I intend to wear tomorrow - or if I even plan on changing out of my pjs ad all - but I'm excited for a day off with my family. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

November Favorites!

It's here - my all time favorite time of the year! Between Christmas and my birthday and all the festivities, I simply just LOVE December!

If I'm going to be 100% transparent, I will say that November was a pretty good month for me. I've made some decisions in my life that have made me much happier and I'm feeling much better. Coincidentially, I've been wearing more makeup because I've actually wanted to put effort into..well, anything, so I'm glad to be back.

As the year is starting to round up and the weather is getting a bit cooler and drier, this is what I've  been loving.

Tools - 

- Forever 21 "Rad" Makeup Bag: My sister bought this for me when I saw it because it perfectly goes with the name of this blog. Its so cute, easy to clean and a pretty good size. I hold all of my daily skincare items in this one.

- EcoTools Custom Coverage Buffing Brush: This is my FAVORITE brush for powder foundation as of late. It is literally bluntly flat across the top and is a somewhat small brush, but I like to use it to tap powder foundation onto my face to minimize pores and then swirl to buff out.

- ELF Blush Brush: I never really reached for this a whole lot until recently, but I really like the precision that the smaller taper of this brush provides.

Eyes - 

- MAC Haux: This is a shade that I simply just haven't used a whole lot since I bought it, but I did a lot of looks with the next shadow that I will mention all over the lid and this in the crease and it was perfectly polished.

- MAC Phloof!: I originally bought this because my MAC palette was severely lacking a highlight shade, but I've been more often than not wearing this all over the lid or in the inner third of the lid. Its super pigmented, especially for such a light shade and I love it.

- Urban Decay Naked and Buck: I've jumped on the bandwagon of using these two shades through my brows. I use Buck to shape and lengthen and Naked to kind of blend everything together and make it look more natural.

- LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre Set: I reviewed these the other day, but I've been all about some sparkle lately, and these were surprisingly easy to work with. 

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded - I put off buying this for so long because I had a limited edition shade from a couple seasons ago called Barely Beige that is very similar. I gave in and got this one with a CVS coupon because its a bit pinker than Barely Beige...though Maybelline needs to stop recycling these names! Woah!

- Maybelline Illegal Lengths Waterproof Mascara: I have a love hate relationship with this mascara to say the least. It is a pain in the butt to remove and I think I can attribute that to the fact that I accidentally bought the waterproof - but I will say, I love the brush.

Lips -

- Rimmel Stay Glossy 3D Lip Gloss in Popcorn For Two: MAC had a Cremesheen Glass in the holiday collection that was a nude with a green shift to it, but this one has a much more pronounced shift. Not to mention, the texture of this gloss is wonderful!

- Holiday Chapstick in Gingerbread: Its been a while since I've used Chapstick, and I have no idea why! This one tastes great and festive and makes my lips feel great.

- Walgreens EOS Dupe in Sugar Cookie: This balm has a yummy, strong, caramel-y taste and in all honesty, I like the texture of this better than the real EOS balms. It has much more slip to it.

 - MAC Blankety: This was supposed to be in my favorites for last month, but I misplaced it. I found it in the depths of my lip gloss drawer - what the heck? - but I've been wearing this shade over and over. Its a perfect My Lips But Better brownish nude for my skin and I love it.

 - NARS Train Bleu: I did it...I finally got it. Just look at it. I. Am. In. Love.

Face - 

- Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Blush in Surrender: This was the first blush I ever wore on a regular basis, and it gives me unrealistically high expectations for mineral blushes. It is incredibly finely milled and silky and MAC Mineralized Blushes have nothing on this baby.

- MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC15: This has been a godsend this month. I've been wearing it alone with primer for a quick face, or with a light hand and a duo fiber brush as a setting powder (DON'T WHINE at me about using this as a setting powder, I know its not.)

Fragrance: 

- The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter: I've been wanting this for some time, so I'm glad I finally picked it up. Needless to say, I've made a dent already.

- Victoria's Secret Angel Dream: I love this fragrance. Its got a tart-ness to it that I just love on my skin.

I'm really excited about this month, in all honesty. I'm ready for holiday makeup and candles and birthday festivities. I just LOVE DECEMBER!

Review - LORAC Rockin' Red Hot 3D Liquid Lustre Set.

Not too long ago I was in Sephora stalking out some new holiday sets, of which there were none in stock - my closest Sephora is rather hit or miss in terms of having products in stock/providing good customer service - and honestly, when I saw the price of this set, I couldn't pass it up! For four mini-sized Liquid Lustres, this kit was only $28, which I found to be a great deal.

Perfect timing, too. All this sparkle is going to be so much fun for the holidays!

These are packaged in a glass container with a suction dropper at the top. The product with naturally separate - clear liquid toward the top and a high concentration of glitter toward the bottom - so they need to be shook before gathering product with the dropper.

The colors from left to right are: Diamond, Amethyst, Platinum and Topaz.

Diamond is the first shade in this kit and is the only one permanently available. LORAC describes the shade as a "white gold" which was pretty spot on. This one is definitely the most pigmented and glittery as well as my personal favorite. My favorite way to wear this was over MAC Phloof all over the lid with MAC Haux in the crease. 

Amethyst is the next shade in this set and in all honesty, its not ridiculously impressive. It is described as a taupe and it takes a little bit to be built up. It definitely doesn't have the power that Diamond does, but when layered over a frosted finish shadow, it does make it a bit more shimmery. I really like this over MAC Shale.

Platinum is described as a silver, but I really like that it has a gunmetal-y depth to it that makes it a bit more wearable (and keeps it from looking blue on my skin as a lot of silvers tend to do). This one had almost as much of a glittery texture as Diamond did.

Topaz is the last shade in the set and is described as a warm bronze, which is actually pretty spot on as well. Its not entirely gold, but it does have some strong, warm, almost orange tone to it. This one is really a chameleon and it really adapts to whatever you put it over.

The biggest things about these are that the are super  intimidating to look at the first time you use them. Not to say that they are difficult to use, because they definitely aren't, but looking at them you feel something along the lines of "what the heck do I do???". What works for me is to shake up the product and empty the dropper in to the mixture, then to refill the dropper. Then, place one drop on a palette or the back of your hand and spread it around a bit to make it slightly less liquidy. After that, I take my ring finger and dab the product onto my lid and layer it up to it's desired strength. 

I wore these on top of my normal eyeshadow routine - primer, creme base and shadow - and I didn't experience any wear issues. The one thing that I did notice, however, is that if you touch your eyes the product will transfer bit more easily than the average eyeshadow. Not necessarily a huge problem, but something to be aware of nonetheless.

What I like - These add a bit of something to almost any look, which makes them very versatile. They are also a heck of a lot easier to work with than I anticipated. I LOVE Diamond and I really like Topaz and Platinum.

What I don't like - Amethyst could have been a little more powerful. It's such a beautiful purple-y taupe that could have been a bit better.

Overall, I think this kit is a fantastic buy, especially for the price. I found mine at Sephora, but the last time I searched it wasn't on the website. I've heard rumors that it is available in ULTA, but it is for sure and for certain available on LORAC's website. I'd say these are a go, especially since the holidays are on their way!

ELF 12 Piece Nail Collection for Holiday 2013 - Swatches and First Impressions.

I'm alive - I swear. Its been a heck of a couple weeks here. I've got a whole lot to blog about too! The problem is simply getting more than 5 minutes at a computer...

Last year, my mother gave me the ELF Holiday Nail Collection for Christmas, so when I saw this year's version at Walgreens today...I basically had to. Great value and great shades.

I was able to swatch all of them out for you all and I'll include my thoughts on each shade in order.

The packaging of these was the same as last year - minus two shades. There were 14 in last year's collection.

The color story of this years kit was a bit different as well. The tops are all white - versus black - and it's overall a bit rosier than last years taupe feel.

Starting in the lower left and going clockwise these are:

- Wedding Bells: This shade is a very fair pinky nude. It took three coats to even out patchiness.

- Desert Haze: This is my favorite kind of nude shade. Its definitely a cooler toned nude with gray tones. This was two coats and this shade is permanently available.

- Nude: A very rosy nude. Reminds me a lot of Expresso by Sally Hansen. This one was 2 coats and is available in the permanent range.

- Prissy Chrissy: If you mixed a nude with a light orange, this would be the shade you get. It looks very warm against my skin. It took 3 coats for full opacity and is available permanently.

- Blush: Rose gold - Basically everybody's favorite this fall! Its not quite as powerful as other rose gold polishes in my collection and took about three coats to build up completely. 

- Gold Star: This shade is a repeat from last year's collection, but I find this one much easier to work with. Far less thick and has a better distribution of glitters. The swatch shows three coats and the shade is also available in the permanent line. 

- Smokin' Hot: A bright, reddish fuchsia and was good in two coats. This is also available permanently.

- Raspberry Sorbet: This is more of a true fuchsia with cooler tones. Two coats, no trouble and available permanently. 

- Purple Pleaser: Probably one of my favorite shades of the bunch. Its a deep berry shade that reminds me of like eight different lipsticks that I own - so expect some matching lips and tips! This almost didn't need a second coat, but I included one for good measure. 

- Sea Escape: This is another repeat from last year. Its a really dark blackened blue base with teal shimmer in it and is actually really pretty. This took two coats to hit opacity and is a permanently available shade.

- Purple Dream: I have a theory that a shiny topcoat will bring out the duo-chrome to this shade quite a bit. Its a medium purple with a pinkish shift to it and looks really pretty in the bottle too! Also a permanent shade.

- Gina Girl: This shade is a purple-y jelly base with purple and silver glitters. The varying sizes of the glitters make this one very fun. This is a permanently available shade.

I picked this up on a whim, and I'm not all to upset that I did so. I love how many neutrals are available in this kit and I'll definitely be getting some use out of them - Though, that Purple Pleaser, man. GORGEOUS. 

October Favorites!

I don't know if it was Halloween, but I'm SO incredibly late with my favorites this month. I apologize - I guess the end of the month snuck up on me and when you couple that with not taking photos for this post until the first couple days of the month (not to mention working a 16 hour day yesterday..) it makes for me being tardy to the party. Sorry guys!

I decided to be Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid this year for Halloween. The look was so much fun and I used so much makeup! I had so much fun with the look!

Partway because of the Halloween season I've been having a whole lot of fun with my makeup as of late - so, as you will see, I came across a lot of favorites this month!

Eyes:

I've been playing with different products this month, so most of these are actually fairly new!

- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Bad Ash: Since it was October, I was playing with Halloween themed looks. I love this shade because its a "pumpkin" color while being fairly less orange. I reviewed this here.

- L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush: This is a well loved shadow in the blogging community, but I've literally just picked it up. Its a rosier neutral and thus perfect for fall.

- ELF Makeup Lock and Seal: I am FLYING through this stuff. I've used this a whole lot this month with both pressed and loose products and it works like a dream. It definitely highly foils the product and extends the wear. Its bulletproof - so I obviously used it for my Halloween look.

- ELF The Evil Queen 2013 Set Eyeshadow Palette: I'm CRAZY about Snow White, so I had to have this just because it was Snow White themed. All 6 of these eyeshadows are soft, buttery and pigmented and I was very impressed!

- L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I jumped on the bandwagon for this one - short story is: The wand rules.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: I wore this in a simple Instagram photo and was asked if I was wearing falsies. Enough said.

- Milani Shadow Eyez in Sand Dunes: I apologize, because this was limited edition, but I've been using the heck out of this. Its a darker champagne shade, but since it has microglitter in it, it makes for a nice twist.

Lips:

- MAC Up The Amp: Its a little brighter than what I've been drawn to, but it works with the warmer Florida weather we've been having. I've reviewed this here.

- MAC Diva: This is one of my favorite MAC lipsticks - and I love this time of year because I can wear it all the time. My favorite part - it stays on all day! I've reviewed this here. 

- Benefit UltraPlush Lipgloss in Sugarbomb: My sister isn't much of a gloss person, so when she got this for free, she passed it onto me. Its a mini size. This feels great on the lips and lasts a lot longer than the average gloss without being sticky!

Face -

- Revlon Colorstay for Combo to Oily Skin: I don't know if my skin is in better shape, or I've just tailored my application to the texture of this foundation, but it's been looking great on my skin lately!

Cheeks - 

- MAC Pink Cult: The gray tones in this make it stay super cool toned on my skin, so I keep reaching for it!

- Darling Girl Spectral Shift in Razzles: This really is a unique shade to wear on the cheeks, but the sheerness and the warmer shift really work with it. I wore this a whole bunch this month.

Nails -  

- Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Gold Roses: I've jumped on the Rose Gold nail trend and this shade is perfect. I LOVE this polish.

Fragrance - 

- Coach Poppy: My mom surprised me with this earlier this month. I. Am. In. LOVE. This is floral without being too floral and I just can't explain it. I can't stop wearing this.

Brushes - 

- Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush - I've been using this for anything from setting powder, to light diffusing powder, to super pigmented blush. Its an all in one brush and I love it.

- Ecotools Blush Brush - I like the dome to the top of this brush. It places and blends perfectly!

I'm already super stoked for November - I'm trying not to skip Thanksgiving alltogether, but Christmastime is already tempting me! What were you guys loving this month?

My Picks for Fall - Eyeshadow Palettes!

The weather is just so nice today, I had to post something fall themed. I was helping a customer load her purchases into her car early this afternoon and it was so breezy and nice out that I didn't want to go back inside! I think the high was in the low 80's - if that - and the low is supposed to be in the 50's! I want to open all the windows in the house and bake a pie and burn all of my pumpkin spice candles...Okay, I'm getting a little carried away, but you get my excitement...right?

Because I'm feeling inspired, here are some of the palettes that I'm getting a whole lot of use out of as a whole this autumn.

And don't judge my messy palettes...

Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Green With Envy - I find myself drawn to warmer tones than usual in the fall and khaki and olive tones are very in right now. This has a great mix of both neutral and green shades and its great for a whole bunch of different looks! I have a review for this palette here. 

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette - This one has the same mix of neutrals and green tones as the previous palette, but I find the formula of this one to be incredible. I get a lot of use out of this year round, but its definitely getting some extra love right now.

Too Faced Matte Eye Collection - While this palette has the least amount of warmer tone options than the others that I've chosen, I find this one very fall appropriate because of the saturation of the colors. Everything is subdued and not to bright and is really autumn appropriate. I particularly like the top row for a fall matte look.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Obviously I wear this one all year round, but since Naked is much browner and warmer than Naked 2, I tend to pick this one up more often in the fall months. I've found myself reaching for Toasted, Darkhorse and Smog a whole lot already...and can we look at how sad Sin is? GONE.

Lorac Pro Palette - Again, with the Naked Palette, I wear this all year round. However, shades like Deep Purple, Sable and Garnet (everyone and their mother has been using this shade for fall!) really make for saturated, beautiful autumn looks! I reviewed this earlier this year right here. 

I think I'm down to three more categories - and two needing revisions thanks to new acquisitions! Keep your eyes peeled, because if this weather keeps inspiring me, those should be up in a jif! 

Review - Darling Girl Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Bad Ash

Due to my immense luck this year, the two items that I really liked from the Darling Girl "Oh The Horror" Halloween collection were sent to me as samples in my last haul! I was so excited! I've had a bunch of fall shadow shades to sort through and review in the past month or so, so I was finally able to get this one tested out today!

I received this shade as a free sample with my last order as well as Razzles Spectral Shift, which I should be reviewing ASAP.

The swatch on the right is dry while the one on the left is applied with water (not a mixing medium). Darling Girl's website describes Bad Ash as a "Bold pearly copper with red tones loaded with color shifting aqua sparkles". Its a somewhat burnt orange shade without being too overly orange with really cool blue sparkles in it. Applied dry, it is true to color and applies opaque and beautifully, while when applied wet it takes on a bit of a golden sheen, but maintains the blue sparkle as well. I wore this shade as my lid shade today with Urban Decay Sin allover and Urban Decay Toasted in the crease. It was a nice, warm, fall look without being something run of the mill. 

What I Like - 

This shade was super easy to work with. Very minimal fallout for a pigment, and no random glitter fallout whatsoever - so that was really nice. It has a sheen when applied dry and without mixing medium, so its not a step that you need to take. You can work without it. I personally really enjoyed how unique this shade was as a whole. You don't often find a shade that's nearly orange with blue sparkle in it just anywhere - that's what I like about indie cosmetic brands.

What I Don't Like - 

I really can't recall an issue that I had with this - and I'm happy about that! Darling Girl Cosmetics is a company that I return to time and time again because the products are not only unique, but they are of great quality for a very palatable price!

I will say, there has definitely been an influx of positive reviews lately on this website and its not because I've done all to much research on my purchases as I usually do; there are just some really great products available on the market right now, which is a great feeling.

I've said it once and I'll say it again - just because a brand is lesser known (or available) or independent, does not mean that it is of lesser quality. Darling Girl Cosmetics proves every time that they are one of the best, and this product was no different.

10/10 - This is a really fun, unique fall shade and I would recommend it!

Review - L'Oreal Limited Edition Color Riche La Laque in Never Laque-ing

Tracking down limited edition collections (minus the Maybelline Fall Fashion Week collection which was EVERYWHERE) in the Orlando area this year has been a royal pain in my tush. It took me forever to haul all of the shades I wanted from the L'Oreal La Laque and Le Matte collection, and I'm still on the lookout for a good three different Revlon collections and the new Maybelline Color Tattoos - though due to a recent personal victory, I've been able to find the Maybelline Shine Elixirs! I only picked up one, but after trying it just once, I want ALL OF THEM.

Leave it to me to get totally off topic. Long story short, It took me forever to find this particular shade - but after I tried Laquer-ized, I knew I needed this one too.

I described the packaging and it's implications in my review of Laquer-ized (click here!)

One thing I've noticed about the La Laques versus the Le Mattes is that the tip of the lipstick bullet gets duller much quicker. After a few uses the Le Mattes still have a touch of a point to them, while the La Laques are pretty much rounded after one swatch or wear.

Never Laque-ing is the most wearable shade for day to day out of the La Laque range. Its a muted rosey pink that pulls somewhat cool toned. Its nice and opaque in one go, and I didn't have any issue trying to build it up. As with Laquer-ized, I had really no trouble with this one wearing off on me and I only needed to reapply after dinner - but hey, that Roasted Chicken with Pineapple Pico de Gallo was YUMMY! These are the kind of lip products that I appreciate - ones that get me through whole work days or outings without be having to be at a mirror worrying about my lipstick all day.

What I Like:

After I realized how much I loved this formula, I really wanted one that I could wear on more regular basis. Never Laque-ing has become a pretty great staple in my makeup kit, especially for fall! The wear time is really what gets me with this. If I leave it at home or in my bag, I'm still good!

What I Don't Like:

My only complaint about the La Laques as a line is the price; You're getting less product than anaverage lipstick for a higher price.

I'm actually really kind of bummed out that these are limited edition. Maybe L'Oreal will take note of how popular these were and how quickly they sold out and make them permanent? In a perfect world...

10/10 - I can't get enough of these!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Patina.

One of these days I'll get around to posting a photo of my MAC Pro Palette - maybe when I fill it up - but we're in total cool toned status here. I feel like a majority of my MAC eyeshadows are taupe-y or cooler toned, so I'm in desperate need to bring some warmth into it.

Patina was a shade that I never really looked into - which in hindsight is a total shame because its actually quite stunning! It also, thank goodness, is a venture into some warmer toned MAC shadows - so my palette can be that much more well rounded.

I'm quite enjoying buying pro palettes - $10 is definitely a bit more palatable than $15!

MAC describes Patina as a "Taupe brown with golden pearl" and that it has a Frost finish. If you were to take a taupe and mix it with an almost greenish antiqued brown, you would get Patina. The finish is what I've come to expect from MAC Frost eyeshadows; good pigmentation with a strong sheen, but no chunkiness. Its less dense than a Veluxe Pearl but has a similar sheen. 

The thing that really shines about this shadow is how unique it is. It isn't a run of the mill shade that you're going to have a whole lot of dupes for in your collection already. Its not quite taupe but not quite gold at the same time, and for that reason, it plays very well with others. I've paired this with at least half of the shades in my MAC Palette, layered it over different bases, etc. and it always just brings something new to the table. 

What I Like:

Patina is unique; I'm trying to fill up my MAC palette to be a one and done palette that has everything I need - but that sometimes makes me feel silly to be spending almost twice the money for a browbone shade, etc.- but with Patina, I wasn't able to find anything quite like it anywhere else. Its a good addition to my palette for that reason. I also liked that the frosted sheen wasn't all too chunky.

What I Don't Like;

I actually found myself quite satisfied with Patina. Its far more flattering on my cool toned skin than I anticipated, and I'm already getting a whole lot of use out of it.

I overlooked this shade for so long because I just assumed that it wouldn't be all to flattering on me. Turns out I was quite incorrect! Patina isn't one of those shades that looks all too unique in the pan, but rather one that you need to swatch - the underlying tones make this one a really unique offering from MAC and something that can definitely hold it's own!

10/10 - I would recommend this shade!

My Picks for Fall - Blush!

I'm going to be honest here - I don't really own a whole lot of "fall appropriate" blushes. I tend to be a bit intimidated by some of them, as it's no secret that I'm quite fair skinned. My collection is growing, but I tend to be very picky when it comes to deeper toned blushes.

I don't have a lot to share with you for this category, but out of my collection, these are the ones that I'm drawn to for fall!

The top row, from left to right are - 

- Stila Convertible Color in Peony - This is a very neutral shade, but it does have a good touch of mauve in it as well - which makes it more than your average nude blush.

- NARS Sin - We already knew I was going to choose this, duh. I reviewed this here.

- Milani Fantastico Mauve - I really like this one because it has a touch of brown in, which saves it from pulling to red on my redness prone skin. Not to mention, its really pretty to look at in the pan.

And the bottom row, from left to right are - 

- Darling Girl Cosmetics DuoChrome Blush in Purple Haze - Look at that pigmentation! Holy crap! However, this can definitely be sheered out to a reddened purple tint. I've reviewed here.

- Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine - The beauty of this blush is it's sheerness. It has a translucent pinky berry shade that makes a wonderful fall cheek for fairer skin.

- NARS Seduction - I had to have this; I don't even care about how fair skinned I am. Its a perfect berry shade without being to red looking against my skin. I apply this with a duo fiber brush for a sheerer application. I've reviewed this here.

My goal for this fall is to build my blush collection for the "cooler months". It almost feels like a joke saying that, as it is literally in the high 80s-low 90s here today. C'Mon Florida...

Stay tuned - we've got a couple categories left!

Review - Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac

The first Urban Decay product that I ever purchased was a single eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy a few years back. I still have it, but oh man - the fallout. Since then, Urban Decay has reformulated their eyeshadows - which alleviates this issue a bit - but at the same time, as my makeup skills have grown I've found that I don't deal with fallout quite as badly as I used to - so I'm not running scared when I see glitter in an eyeshadow anymore. Thank goodness, because I can definitely appreciate some glitter.

When these shadows were released, Zodiac was the standout of the group in my eyes. And well, you'll see why.

The Moondust Eyeshadows are housed in the same packaging as the regular eyeshadow, but it is a lighter reflective silver, rather than the gunmetal silver. They contain the same amount of product and retail for $2 more at $20.

The Moondust Eyeshadows also have the function to pop them out and put them in an Urban Decay Palette. I'm contemplating depoting these completely as I did with my remaining Urban Decay Eyeshadows to put them in one of my MAC palettes for better accessibility and storage, but I'm wondering if it would harm the eyeshadow as it isn't quite as dense as an average shadow. I'm still mulling it over.

One thing I'd like to note is that I used a mixing medium (ELF Lock and Seal) on a brush and put it straight into the product. I started at an edge to see if it would create a hard seal at the top and it did not. I don't know if it is the shadow, the mixing medium or both, but it made it easier to work with.

The left swatch is dry while the right is wet - with water rather than a mixing medium. (When I wore this on the eye, I used the ELF Lock and Seal). The color description for this one via Sephora  is a mouthful - it is a "smoky black with blue green shift and blue green 3-D sparkle". I wouldn't say that this has the blackest of black bases, but its a quite smokey, blackened green shade with glitter when applied dry. When applied wet, the sheen is more apparent, and pulls to the more green side of "blue green". The glitter particles are primarily silver, with hints of nearly silver blue and an almost golden green.

When I applied this, I started with using the color dry with a rounded, but still dense brush (a la ELF C Brush) allover the lid. I then took a flat, stiff brush dipped in ELF Lock and Seal and picked up a generous bit of product and patted it on my lid. There was much less fallout than I anticipated, but it does bear mention that you might want to save your face makeup for last with this one. It foiled to a really glittery, reflective finish and I was SUPER pleased with it.

Overall - 

Pros:

- Highly reflective/glittery finish when used wet.

- Smokier when used dry.

- Pigmentation dry was better than I expected...pigmentation wet was phenomenal.

Cons:

- Take care in application, as fallout is inevitable, just not as awful as I anticipated.

I really like Zodiac. It applies easily for the type of product it is and it was just incredibly pretty. Given how well this one performed, I'm interested in trying Diamond Dog, Glitter Rock and Space Cowboy in the future!

9/10