Essence Witch Side Eyeshadow Palette

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Essence Witch Side Eyeshadow Palette

Admin   May 05, 2020   Comment  

Essence was never my favourite brand of eyeshadows, but I have to say lately they've been killing it. Their latest nude palette impressed me first, but I missed this one, I don't know why because it has "my colours", I just assumed it's not particularly good. Then I was sent this one and I was blown away at how good it is. I got a Catrice palette in the same parcel and this one beats it by a thousand miles. 

Texture: There are three finishes in this palette. The satin shimmers are best performing, they are creamy soft, opaque with one swipe of a brush and that included the dark blue one, which I've been looking for many years for such a high quality shade that wouldn't just blend out into smoky grey. Second best are mattes, which are again very smooth, though not as much as in the Nude palette, but still creamy for such a texture. All of these blend with ease. The last ones are the duo-chrome glitters. They are too densely packed almost creamy eyeshadows are there's no way you can pick them up with a brush. They also don't blend out as smoothly, so they are best as toppers because they are also not as intensely pigmented as the rest, at least the base colour isn't, but the white spots that contain duo-chrome shimmer have a strong impact. 

Shades :This palette contains 15 eyeshadows, 7 matte and the rest are shimmery. It's divided into a dark and light side. 

Mattes: 

Ritual - an off-white.

Potion - a burgundy brown.

Spell - a deep brown with some purple tones.

Supernatural - a medium neutral/warm brown.

Wish - a peach.

Charm - medium powdery pink.

Magic - a medium neutral/cool brown.

Shimmers: 

Gloomy - a midnight blue.

Haunted - antiqued gold, my absolute favourite.

Talisman -  a lighter version of antiqued gold, more on the champagne side. Another favourite.

Enchanted - another peach.

Duochrome shimmers:

Wicked - it looks dark brown in the pan, but the base is sheer and the centre of attention is the duochrome green-gold shimmer.

Shadowy - a bronze shimmer.

Amulet - this is a weak one overall. A champagne shimmer.

Power - pink with white shimmer.

1. Haunted, Supernatural, Spell // 2. Gloomy // 3. Wicked, Supernatural, Spell // 4. Charm.

Staying power: My eyelids aren't oily, so most stuff lasts well without a base, these included. They don't crease and last pretty well in a slightly faded version to the end of the day. Catrice are a bit more long -lasting.   

Packaging: It comes in a cardboard packaging with a mirror and a magnetic closing system. On the front is a changing picture with eyes opened and closed. It bothers me a bit that these is so much empty space between the shades, as this palette could be more compact. 

Price and availability: It's sold in drugstore for 10.69 €. I don't know if this is only available on large stands. 

For the last months this has been my most used and favourite palette. I just adore shades Haunted and Talisman, so I wear them very often, but I also love the pinky Charm. Eyeshadows are of great quality, well except the glitters, but the rest are just a pleasure to use. Well done, Essence!

Have a great day!

*PR product.

Revolution PRO Supreme Eyeshadow Palette Captivate

eyeshadow Revolution Pro

Revolution PRO Supreme Eyeshadow Palette Captivate

Admin   April 19, 2020   Comment  

I have this also in a version called Allure which I like only in part when it comes to shades, but it's one of the best palettes in my collection when it comes to quality. I didn't get to pick Allure myself, so this time I got a more neutral version, well actually the only neutral version as there are only four of these and the other two not my thing. Again this palette is definitely one of the best drugstore ones I've tried. 

Texture: All eyeshadows are very soft, some in a buttery-creamy way and the rest are very silky smooth. This one more tightly packed compared to the ones in Allure at which some shades feel almost crumbly at times, but so far I haven't had any difficulties with that palette. Matte shades are easy to pick up with a brush and blend with such ease, just like in Allure. The first three more creamy shades are better applied with fingers, but some brushes work too. All of the shades have a good pigmentation in this palette, with the weakest performing being the dark brown.

Shades: 

First three shades have the same texture. It's very creamy and all three are fully opaque in one swipe with the finger with a metallic finish. Due to this almost excessive creaminess, they can appear a bit more creamy chalky, but they blend out nicely. First is a metallic white, second a peachy shade and the last something between light copper and pink. 

Fourth shade is a neutral medium matte brown with a very smooth, silky texture and excellent pigmentation

Fifth shade is a bit deceptive in the pan because it looks like UD's Smog, so a leaning a bit to old gold/green, but it's a warm bronze on the eyes. Finish is satin with tiny shimmer, it's again super pigmented and easy to blend

Sixth shade is a satin burgundy that leans to brown. It's super pigmented and one of rare such high quality shade in this type of colour. It blends out into a brown and it's only reddish in a fully opaque coat

Seventh shade end up a lot more sheer on the skin than in appears in the pan. It looks like a deep warm brown, but on the skin it looks a smoky cool brown with duo-chrome green-red shimmer.

The last shade is a matte black. Another very black shade as is usual for this brand. Nicely pigmented and smooth.

Staying power: My eyelids aren't oily, so most stuff lasts well without a base, these included. They don't crease and last pretty well in a slightly faded version to the end of the day.   

Packaging: It screams cheap packaging, but the hinges and working mechanism work ok, plus you get to see the colours. 

Price and availability: I got mine on Notino for 7.90 €, It's also sold on Ličila.si and its sister sites (Pink Panda) as well as on Revolutionbeauty.com for international buyers.

Have a nice day!

Bourjois 1 Second Eyeshadow

Bourjois eyeshadow

Bourjois 1 Second Eyeshadow

Admin   June 17, 2019   Comment  

The 1-swipe-and-go eyeshadow concept is a not a new thing, but I'm surprised companies are still trying with this mostly failed concept. I've tried the Catrice version, which less ambitiously consisted of only two shades (but with 4 such combinations is one palette) that proved to be not particularly impressive, however as individual eyeshadows applied in a regular manner, they worked fine. Bourjois went with the three shades system and from the moment I saw these I had my doubts. While they are better than Catrice's, especially when it comes to the seamless transition between the three shades, this formula didn't impress me much. 

Formula: When I swatched these in the shop, I was pleasantly surprised by the creamy, pigmented formula, so I surprised to see that's not the case with the ones I got. The feel drier and before I swatched them both thoroughly they weren't very pigmented. The added sponge does not pick up product as well as some other I've tried, so I tried them with a thin brush and they proved to be more pigmented, however the thin strips and the deep setting in the packaging makes these very hard to apply with a brush. The one plus I see at these is that the blend between the three shades is indeed seamless, a pleasant surprise compared to the Catrice's version I've tried before. It takes several layers and swipes in the packaging to build it up to a decent level, but compared to good drugstore eyeshadows, there feel fairly average. Shades blend ok with a brush. As you can see on the pictures, these have fall out.

 02 Brun-ette a dorée 

The 02 Brun-ette a dorée is a combination of warm shades: a pale yellow, medium golden bronze shade and a deep brown. This trio performs poorly and I've really tried to build it up for the swatches. It shows up on the eyes, but as a gentle wash of colour and the darkest shade is actually the most disappointing. 

06 Abracada brown

06 Abracada brown is a neutral combination of beige, taupe and deep brown. It's a much more pigmented combination, but mostly on account of the well performing bottom shade. It's much easier to build this one up, but it still takes many layers.

Staying power: These crease on me. Almost nothing creases on me, especially powder eyeshadows, but these do. Staying power is average and I don't get a lot of wear time worth these, which is unusual because eyeshadows tend to last well on me.

Packaging: The packaging is unnecessarily bulky for 3 grams of product. The shape of the applicator is granted better than Catrice's and it does work at depositing the colour in a nice gradient shade. Of course it all fails when it comes to the edges and I always end up with some eyeshadow too far out from the eyes, so a separate brush is a must or at least some fixing with fingers. They blend ok with both options. The material of the applicator is the thing that bothers me. It's the same as at those cheap wedge foundation sponges, meaning it does not pick up colour well because the surface is too smooth and "plastic". The top part of the applicator is shaped like a little bow and though it's cute, it could be designed just a bit better to hold. 

Price and availability: These cost 12.99 € and are sold in drugstores.

While they are not the worst (at least shade 06, as 02 is definitely not well done), their main task of being a much faster and practical way to apply several shades to a nice gradient finish fails because you're stuck with layering and fixing the edges. I'd also rate them higher if they didn't crease, but given that they crease on me, there's a high chance this happening on those with oily lids. Sorry Bourjois, but as much as I love your foundations, concealers and lip products, this is a miss for me.

Have a great day!

*PR product.

L.O.V. GLITTERunexpected Sparkling Eyeshadow Palette

eyeshadow L.O.V.

L.O.V. GLITTERunexpected Sparkling Eyeshadow Palette

Admin   June 13, 2019   Comment  

Glitter unexpected is L.O.V.s palette for those who love metallic, glittery shades and it exists only in this combination. These colours are not my style, but I was impressed with the quality of the palette, despite the fact that when I just swatched it didn't inspire much confidence in me that it's any good, apart from shade Fame.

Texture: these are glittery creamy eyeshadows and it varies whether the glitter is more dominant or the base shade. Shade Fame is most smooth and swatches fully opaque, while the rest swatch more sheer, but perform much better on the eyes. Shade Bright, a white with gold shimmer, has a strange texture that I can only describe as chalky-creamy and when I tried it first I was sure it's d be a dud, however, it performs much better on the lids. Shade Sparkle is a classic powder eyeshadow with a satin base and sparse glitter. Using a brush with the five glitter shades is futile, so I pack these on with a finger and blend the edges with a brush. Since they are creamy and glitter they are not as easy to blend and it's best to use a powder eyeshadow to create a more seamless blend. These are actually more suited as toppers than individual eyeshadows. 

Shades:

Fame - a copper gold with excellent pigmentation and a foiled/metallic finish. By far best performing shade in the palette.

Bright - a white with gold shimmer. On the skin the white base is barely noticeable and it's mostly just about the shimmer.

Bold - a mint green with silver shimmer. The mint green looks like a sheer wash on the eyes, but it is noticeable, while the main focus is on the shimmer.

Dazzle - a smoky grey with shimmer. Medium pigmentation of the grey base mixed with glitter. It can be built up.

Daring - a smoky purple with shimmer. It's opaque on the eyes, but unlike Fame has a glittery finish and not a metallic one.

Sparkle - a pale pink with a satin finish of the base and sparse glitter. I wish they made this one matte or just satin because it can't be used to blend out the other shades or as a base all over the lids due to glitter.

Staying power: I fully expected these to become a creased glittery mess, so I was very surprised at how well Bold looked after 10 h. It was still on my lids, barely faded despite being such a sheer shade and the glitter didn't gather in the crease or transfer. The others last similarly well, only Fame which I applied more on one lid and less on the other, creased on the side with less product.

Packaging: The comes in a cardboard packaging with a magnetic closing system and a glittery surface. The palette could be a lot smaller as there is plenty of unused space.

Price and availability: It costs 14.99 €. International customers can get it on Kozmetik4less.de 

This was a much more pleasant surprise than L.O.V. The Galaxy Eyeshadow and Liners, which are their other glittery formula. They are more pigmented, don't crease and last longer, so it's a superior formula and especially if you like coppery golds, Fame is a shade well worth having, but only if you like the rest of the shades in the palette. 

Have a great day!

*PR product

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette Warm Nude

blush Bronzer eyeshadow Highlighter Physicians Formula

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette Warm Nude

Admin   May 15, 2019   Comment  

I got this as a birthday gift from my cousin after it's been on my wishlist for years. There are two versions of these Shimmer Strips palettes, one is called Natural Nude and mine is a Warm one, though both look warm to me. It's a combination of 12 shimmery-satin shades that can be used in many ways making it an all-in-one product. 

Texture: These are mostly fairly light shades with a good pigmentation. The deepest shades in the bottom right corner are so dark I can only use as an eyeshadow. It’s meant to be an all-in-one product so most of the shades are so pale that they can be used as a setting/finishing powder, but you have to use a very fluffy blush.

Shade: The three top shades are golden, the next three are rosy, then it's a mix of taupes and copper and the bottom row are warm browns. This palette can be used:

- as an eyeshadow palette: it works, but it’s subtler than other palettes. I tend to use one of the shades from the third row on the lids and the deepest brown in the outer corner.

- as a highlighter: using 1st and partly 2nd row. It works well with a medium strong glow. This is my favourite way to use this palette.

- as a blush: using partly 2nd row. It gives a peachy flush, but it's only for pale skin tones as only one shade is a proper blush colour. 

- as a bronzer/contour: using the bottom two rows. It’s a glowy bronzer, so not for contouring as they recommend. It's a warm shade that’s best for pale skin tones with a warm undertone, though the last shade is already quite deep.

- as an all over powder with all shades: using only with a very fluffy brush and avoiding the bottom right shades. It works, but it’s like applying a highlighter in a sheer coat, so not for everyone’s taste. Mixing all shades together makes a pale peachy shade.

Lipstick: Bourjois Rouge Fabuleux 07 Perlimpinpink. Uhani: Fatalka.si

Staying power: I noticed nothing exceptional and neither bad when it comes to staying power. These last averagely on me in any way I use these shades. On my eyelids I get no creasing.

Packaging: It comes in a typical big Physicians Formula box packaging that has two sides. In the back there's an extra compartment with a mirror and two brushes. A bigger thin face brush is surprisingly good because it picks up just enough, the size fits stripes well and it blends ok. The small eyeshadow sponge applicator isn't all that helpful and these shades work much better with eyeshadow brushes.

Price and availability: It's sold on iHerb for $10.44.

Overall I'm happy with this. It is very close to a proper all-in-one product. I tend to use it as an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter and occasionally as a blush, but as I said it's too light for any significant flush. It's nice palette especially for carrying in the bag or for travelling because you can get so much from it. 

Have a great day!

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows and Flexiterian Highlighter

Coloupop eyeshadow Highlighter

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows and Flexiterian Highlighter

Admin   April 13, 2019   Comment  

I'm kind of over the Colourpop craze and these were the last products that I wanted to try. I love their Matte X lippie stix formula, while the rest I've tried excluding these eyeshadows and highlighter is more average in terms of quality, but I like their products nonetheless, especially due to affordable prices. In all honestly shipping and customs fees make me not want to explore this brand as much as I might want to or at least as much as wanted to in the past. If they were smart enough they'd set up a warehouse in Europe long ago or at least allow their products being sold in one of the Europe based online shops, but since they are still only based in the US, I've only done a couple of orders so far. 

Super Shock Shadows 

Formula: These eyeshadows are seriously hyped-up in the beauty community, unfortunately they did not turn out as pigmented as I hoped, but one thing that I noticed about these is that it took about a week to get to the really pigmented layer. I don't know why such creamy formula would be so inconsistent, but these did not impress me with the first few uses. Pigmentation differs from shade to shade, but formulas are all very soft and creamy, similar to play-doh, so they get a dent when you swatch them with fingers and it's almost impossible to pick them up with a brush. The matte shade is less creamy than the ultra glitters, regardless I'm still having trouble picking it up with a brush. I apply these with fingers and blend the edges with a fluffy brush.

 So Quiche (Ultra-glitter)

This is one of my most unique shades. It's a taupe mixed with green-gold and as a complete juxtaposition it has violet shimmer which I'm still deciding if it really works here (gold would be better). The shimmer is difficult to pick up with a camera, but it's very obvious on the eyes and it's quite large shimmer particles. Pigmentation is medium and it needs to be build up, which is the main source of my disappointment, but I can get a fully opaque look with a few heavy layers. It's the shade I wear often because I love such colours, however, I'd prefer if it didn't have glitter.

Nillionare (Ultra-glitter)

This was disappointing from the start because it swatched sheer on my eyes with large shimmer particles, but on day 7 after stating using this, it became the most pigmented out of the three. It's a classic bronze shade with large shimmer particles (larger than in So Quiche), so this is more of a shade for special occasions than an every day colour. 

Hanky Panky (Matte)

Hanky Panky is a matte warm light-medium brown. I expected this to look a cool brown that I could use in the crease, unfortunately it's too peachy brown for my colouring. The formula is very smooth, but with the weakest pigmentation out of the three. I don't use this one at all because it's too warm. I tried to find a cool taupe shade in Colourpops range, however, a majority of their neutral colours are warm which is not to my taste. 

Staying power of these is great even without a base. Formula is overall very similar to Essence's Melted Chrome, yet these outlast them by a mile. When I swatched these on the hand, I could not wipe off all the colour which is impressive. On the eyes they stay vibrant for hours and don't fade quickly. On my non-oily eyelids they don't crease so 8h later they would still look very decent if the weren't for the ton of glitter than collects under my eyes. 

The packaging is bulky for the amount stored inside and I'm not loving the screw off lids. Due to a very creamy formula you hit the pan very fast. I was using Nillionare for about two weeks when I hit bottom which hasn't happened to me with any eyeshadow so far, but I use so Quiche a lot more and I haven't hit the pan, so I don't know what that's about. 

These cost $5 on Colourpop's website.

COLOURPOP Super Shock Cheek

Flexiterian

Formula and shade: I did not get along with this at all from the start because of its unique texture that is like at eyeshadows something between a cream and a powder. I can't pick this up with brush, so I have to apply it with fingers and because my skin is currently dry, I could not get this too apply smoothly and it just looked a mess and half of it ended up all over the cheeks through the day. But as soon as I switched my foundation for a more moisturising one, I got a successful application and what a pretty highlight this is. It's one of the most reflective highlighters with the finest shimmer I've seen and a lovely champagne warm glow. I've been wearing every day for months and it's only because I'm currently testing something new that I made a switch, but I'm going back to it soon.

Staying power depends mostly on the base. At times it lasts nicely all day and then some other times I'm left with shimmer down my cheeks. Powder tends to stick on the skin better than more creamy formulas, but this looks a lot more natural than a powder so I forgive it on those odd days.

But one thing this makes me angry - the stupid packaging. The product fell out twice, the second time it came apart in so many pieces that I had to press it all back in and now it looks terrible. But it didn't ruin the product and it could be fixed much faster than if it were a powder. The screw off lid bothers me even more here because I use it every day. 

Colourpop can be bought on their official website. Shipping is about 10 € to Slovenia and once in a blue moon they have special offers with free shipping, but unless you're adamant you want to pay a 22.5% tax plus the useless 5 € extra charge, I suggest you keep your purchases under 22 € (information for Slovenia of course) and if you're getting anything at all, get the Flexiterian, you won't regret it. Oh, and Cami Lippie Stix too.

Have a great day!