Is Nyx's Jumbo Eye Crayon in Milk REALLY That Good?

Yesterday I was a bit disparaging towards cult beauty products. I basically said that often they will be succeeded by other products and kind of exist in their own moment. The target of this point was Stila's eyeshadow single in Kitten.

However, I will admit that some beauty products attain and remain cult status because they are simply GOOD.

Case in point, Nyx's jumbo eye crayon in Milk.

Many tutorials suggest using this on the eyelid when applying trickier colors. Others just recommend it it as a primer. Today I am going to test out Nyx's abilities as a primer, compared to two other "crayon products."

Milk, Cottage Cheese, and Chella "Ivory Lace Highlighter"

Products swatched and blended out in same order

This is my second purchase of Milk. I did not use the first one up, I just (foolishly) lost it. This is my first (and probably last) purchase of Cottage Cheese, which I bought solely because of the name. The third product, the Chella "highlighter," I got from an Ipsy bag and wanted to use up. I don't think that's going to happen at this rate.

Anyway, from my blended out swatches, I tried to apply roughly the same amount of each. However, it is clear that Nyx is blending out evenly, with still a lot of coverage. Cottage cheese is just sheer shimmer, and the Chella product just blended with my skin. 

In terms of performance of the eye, I did an eye look with one eye using Milk and one eye using the Chella concealer stick. On the Chella side the mattes just blended together, while the Milk side kept the colors in place. I might post the eye look later, but I do have brush swatches of three shimmer shadows: Coastal Scents Dark Goldenrod, Inglot 433, and Panama Rose (CS)

For me, it is clear that the Cottage Cheese, though I love the name, did nothing. I thought perhaps it would interact well with shimmer shades and really bolster them, but that is not the case. The Chella stick comes in second, as it is grabbing the product, but not as successfully as Nyx's Milk.

So, the reason I needed to see if Milk could be used as a primer is because I ran out of UD Primer Potion. I own other primers, but I do not like them as much. I have the Ruby Kisses dupe, as well is UD in Sin, but both come with a doe-foot applicator and I am not a fan. I also have the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but the product began to separate in the bottle. I am really interested in buying Eden, but I want to use up what I have. And I do also have Milk.

I strongly recommend it. I don't know if it will work for everyone, but I think it can make an excellent base for eyeshadows. I do give it full five stars.

SPF Skin Products I've Been Using, Swatches Included

Summer is not my particular favorite season, though I was born in late June. I hate sweating, mosquito bites, sunburns, existential crises, etc.

However, these four products have made my life much easier.

I don't pretend to be a scholar on SPF or suncare. I strongly advise (on the slim chance of anyone reading this) to read official scientific positions, if available, and to decide for themselves. I am saying this because some people say face products with SPF are not enough, etc., but I am not exactly clear on time frames and conditions, etc.

ANYWAY. What have I been using this summer?

For my face, I have been mostly using La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur in Fair. It has SPF 20. I bought this for $11 on ebay, because it retails for almost $30. Yeesh. However, this is a super easy product to use, and does blur pores and fine lines. It has a mousse-like consistency that feels like silicone, and yet does not make my face oily. As many reviews note, a little goes a long way, as it will look very orange when dispensed from the container, but melds with the skin nicely once blended. I do intend on buying this, or something like this, in the future. But I would try to avoid paying full price.

I also use, though not as consistently, Dr. G Daily Safe BB SPF 30. This is the only full-sized version of something that I got from Ipsy. It has a great floral smell, and does feel nice on the skin. I felt like it also kept my skin clear. It is a little off from my own skin tone, so I use a white mixer with it and it works fine.

Dr. G (l), BB Blur (r)

same order as above, but w/ blended BB blur on the right side of my hand

I also have Safe Block Sun Milk by Missha, both SPF 50+, in Waterproof and Soft Finish. I am not a fan of how either of them smell, but I use them for my face, chest, and arms. Especially with the Waterproof, they absorb quickly and do exactly as intended.

Beauty Purchases pt 2, ramblings, swatches, and a conspiracy@

So I contacted Stila customer service yesterday, as I am trying to cancel my eyeshadow order. The order has been processing for a week, according to my Paypal,  and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed foolish to order Kitten.

The thing about cult beauty products is this: they became popular at the time because they fulfilled a perceived need. But the market continues to grow, and companies continue to innovate yada yada yada. So perhaps about 5-7 years ago Kitten was an "essential" because it was the only shimmery champagne eyeshadow on the market, but that is no longer the case. By far.

I already own a dupe for Stila Kitten: L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible eyeshadow in Iced Latte. And yes, it is a tad sheer and a teensy bit cooler than Kitten, but it seems like that would hardly make a difference on the eye. I also have an unnamed foil from BH Cosmetics that also belongs to this family of eyeshadow. I put swatches of both below because why not? If anyone in this void of internet space can confirm that the BH cosmetics one is a dupe, please let me know.

Iced Latte (l), BH Cosmetics Foil (r)

Interesting to note, I do think think that the foil shade is more of a true dupe because it is clearly a more pink-toned shadow. AND it was even more highly rated, in terms of quality, than Stila's Kitten. Iced Latte, though pretty, does read sheer for me. It does have a creamy, almost wet formula, like the other ones in the L'Oreal line, and it does interact very nicely with primer and glitter glue, especially for the inner corner highlight.

So, Stila Kitten? No need for it. And this was $16.

Not being entirely satisfied, I decided to put that money towards eyeshadow I actually really wanted. And being the Ebay shopper that I am, I bought from someone a new Tarte pro to go palette for $16.00. I am very excited about this palette, because I know it is good. I've been researching this palette for a long time. And the price for it kept going down.

from Tarte website

But no one talks about it. I have never tried Tarte shadows before, and I really am impressed with the reviews I've seen. Plus, I ordered this palette local, so the thing will arrive this Thursday! Hoping it all works out. Will update.

In terms what else I bought, I've really been enjoying my Revlon lip butter in Fig Jam. It does read "jammy" on the lips, and is a very flattering color. It is not particularly hydrating, so I do combine it with my mini Vaseline lip balm.

The brush I bought from Amazon is also pretty good too.

Lastly, I wanted to take the time to put some thought about the Subliminal Cuticle palette (lol.) For me, I am not 100% bothered by a formula change. I understand that different colors sometime require different formulations. Correct me if I am wrong. Additionally, talc does not personally bother me. I have palettes both with and without it. I just think that ABH has a lot of nerve to sell something to an average consumer, $42, that takes a lot of work to use. No one will say this is a user-friendly palette.

There is something off about the palette. I understand that MR does create a lot of kick-up, and I have observed creasing (but the creasing was a result of my own technique fail). However, the pictures I have seen of the SC palette, or even in tutorials when people hold up the palette as they use it- even the metallic shades look wrecked. Like whatever was in the pan just shifted around.

I also have thought-up a conspiracy- that ABH sent the palettes to smaller bloggers to avoid this kind of attention early on in the release, so it would not affect their sales. That is just a speculation I have chosen to put out there.

In sum,

Companies are fallible. Don't trust anybody.

Buh-eyyyyye!

My Blush Collection and Swatches, pt 1.

I only recently started collecting blushes this year. Before, I had no idea what to do with blushes and would dread using them. However, once I got the hang of blush placement and stopped worrying about the apples of my cheeks, blush became fun.

Today I am going to share some of blush collection. I also bought the Tarina Tarantino Dollskin blush palette a few months ago off of ebay, but I will save that for another post.

From left to right on my arm, we have:
1._ Fyrinnae blush in Mesmerize
2._Makeup Geek blush in Puppy Love
3._ Flower Beauty Blush in Sweet Pea
4._ Nyx Baked Blush (+ Illuminator + Bronzer) in Chiffon

flash

no flash

Let's start with Fyrinnae's Mesmerize. I do not use this often, but I did buy this for its strong purple tone. Besides this, I do not own many purple blushes, and one can see that it is quite pigmented. A little goes a long way, which is why I wish I had a pressed version of this, rather than loose. It makes using it a little difficult.

Next, is Puppy Love. Very pigmented formula and is a little dark for me. I find it hard to blend on my skin. It still is a beautiful rose brown color that I use when I want to avoid pinks. 

Speaking of pinks, Sweet Pea by Flower Beauty is a perfect pink for me. It is buildable formulation, and very easy to apply. 

Last is a weird one, Chiffon by Nyx.  I found these in my local CVS, on the very bottom of the Nyx display. Its packaging is a little bulky, but I do like the product itself. It does give off a lot of shimmer, and works well with highlighter that has already been applied. The color of the powder itself is a very sheer rose-brown.

I read online about a blush application technique for working with more pigmented blushes. It was suggested that you mix the pigmented blush a little with a more sheer one to "dilute" the pigmented one a bit. For me, mixing Chiffon and Puppy Love is perfect, especially with Chiffon's lighter and more powdery formula. 

As far as favorites goes, it really depends on my mood. All four blushes are  useful to me, depending on the season and weather. 

TM(yself)O: New Releases

As with other TMO's, this is something akin to an anti-haul. Many upcoming releases have been causing quite a stir, but the pull to buy for me has not been so intense. I think I will conclude this post with a small section of what I have actually bought and used up.

1.) ABH the Subculture Palette. The draw of Modern Renaissance was a slow burn for me. When it first came out I was first getting introduced to the makeup industry, and it was not a big deal. In the subsequent months I observed many reviews and swatches, etc., and I decided I could benefit from it. Which I did. My fear is that I will be the same way with Subculture, though I honestly feel indifferent to it at this point. I love the greens and yellows, and I think they (as they are the color scheme of the palette packaging) are the major draws to this palette. If you are not going to use them, (or the blue for that matter), you might as well buy a cheaper palette. That being said, I love using orange mattes, and I have only used mustard-toned matte browns, not yellows. However, would I use the green? I don't know. I would love to buy a single green matte of a similar tone and see how that looks.

Subculture reminds me other ABH palettes, like Mario and the Artist's Palette. As I noted earlier, it reminds me of Lime Crime Venus 2 Palette. It also reminds me of Zoeva's Matte Spectrum palette, which I actually do want to buy.

When it comes to the Subculture palette, at least it is permanent. That gives people time to think. Or use up eyeshadow and have room for it. I can't see myself purchasing it though. Even if I wanted it as a complement to my MR palette, my MR palette has major dips and one pan (Tempera). It would be used up at a much faster rate than Subculture, if I were to start using them together. For the collector in me, they wouldn't be true complements, unless both were new (and I am sure there are people out there buying both).

2.) Whew, let's give Subculture a rest. What about Zoeva? Though I really want the Matte Spectrum Palette, I think there are major deterrents.

For one, their products, in their country/continent of origin, range from 20-30. Coupled with shipping and conversion, I would have to pay $40-50 or more. Now, from what I've seen of swatches of Cocoa Blend (which I have wanted for so long), the quality is not that great, and is indicative of a $20 palette. And yet I would have to pay higher end prices. Until Zoeva becomes accessible to certain vendors that have a more realistic price, and a price that is more aligned to what is being sold in other countries, I am going to avoid.

3.) Marc Jacobs Palettes: I really don't understand designer palettes. They are interpreted as luxury products, and yet the quality among each pan varies greatly. I don't see how that is possible with quality assurances, if that applies to Marc Jacobs. And that is something overall that I've seen with companies like Dior and Lancome. Quality is terrible and not worth it.

4.) Too Faced Holiday: It's easy to hate this brand at this point. Is there any word on whether or not the chocolate chip mini palettes included in the vault would be reformulated? I mean, it makes no difference to me, but I am curious.

5.) Clionadh Cosmetics Paleo Palette. Okay, so I have been an ardent admirer of this palette on Instagram for a couple of weeks. It is filled with duochrome shimmers and interesting mattes. It is organized by warm and cool. But I am including this in my TMO because I know I am not going to buy it. For one, it is already sold out. It is also $65 dollars. For $65, this is not a stand-alone palette, which is not a damning observation, but still. There's a lot going on in this palette, and I don't know if I would get full use out of it. Especially with the blues *shudders*. Something about the formula- just going by the pictures- also bothers me. The shimmers seem very soft, almost wet.

6.) Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Palette. You know what? I think this is a very beautiful palette.But I have comes to terms with the fact that I really don't like her shadows. Am I crazy? Maybe. But I have used bother Innerstellar and Chrysalis, and didn't really like them. Unless it gets good reviews, I am not going to even consider it. Although it's going to sell out immediately.

So what have I bought this week?
The Revlon Lip Butter from Amazon, discontinued. I think I paid $6.00? It is a reported dupe for Clinique Black Honey, which is why I bought it. I really like it so far.

Maybelline City Mini Palette Review: Downtown Sunrise

This collection by Maybelline is a very smart step, in that a drugstore company is making a product that consumers will want to buy. This collection had a wide variety of mini palettes, of different shade families and finishes. The question is, though, is the formula up to snuff? Watching a swatch video of the entire collection by Allura Beauty, I was impressed by what appeared to be mostly solid-looking swatches.

However, whenever a product is sold on Amazon, with lots of reviews, I like to run it through Fakespot, an extension that detects the percentage of fake or bought reviews. The results did not look promising:

Still, let us proceed with pictures and swatches:

The swatches are finger swatches, over Ruby Kisses 24 Hour Primer. I will go shade by shade:

1.) The pink-leaning cream matte shade. This had medium pigmentation and was of a very soft formula.

2.) The light pastel peach/orange: This was very sheer and required three applications to be built up.

3.) The matte dark brown: Very pigmented and creamy. Definite winner for the mattes.

4.) Pink shimmer with gold flecks. Not as dark in the pan. Very trendy color- also can be found in Jaclyn Hill Palette (Sissy), and in Carli Bybel's Deluxe palette. Medium pigmentation.

5.) White-pink shifting gold duochrome. Dupe for Too Faced Satin Sheets. Can also be found in the Sleek Goodnight Sweetheart Palette (review here). This had medium pigmentation.

6.) (Top horizontal swatch) Metallic champagne shadow: Of the shimmers, had the best pigmentation.

In sum, all shadows here are creamy. I will note that some of the shimmers- upon opening the palette- appear as if someone pressed their finger to the shadows. I am certain that is the markings left over from the product being poured in. Many reviews online, including Amazon, allege their palette was swatched, but I don't think that is the case for many of them.

Furthermore, I do think this is a good deal and a workable palette. Though the shades don't have intense pigmentation, they do give enough color and variety to create different discernible looks. Primer is a must. I don't think this will be a difficult product to pan.

That being said, this palette has earned ⭐⭐⭐ out of five stars.

**I also heard that the beauty guru Shayla is collaborating with Maybelline on another one of these. I am actually super curious to see what it looks like!

Battle of the (Budget) Bronzers

Hi all! As I continuously evaluate my collection and assess and re-assess all the products within it, I decided to break down the three bronzers I have. Two are "cult status" bronzers, and one I found quite by accident.

Though the title of this post is Battle of the Bronzers, I am not going to rank them, but rather explain the pros and cons of each.

First, lets look at some pictures. I will warn you ahead of time that the Butter Bronzer is not as aesthetically pleasing as it once was...

In both pictures the order of bronzers are: Shiseido Oil Free Bronzer in Light ($10), Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer in light ($14), and NYC 10 Hour Bronzer in Sunny  ($5).

Let's begin!

The bronzer by Shiseido was the one I bought from Amazon, at a steeply discounted price. On me, it leans a little red, and is of a far more stiff and pigmented formula than the Butter Bronzer. That being said, I think it does provide a more realistic looking "sunkissed' effect on my skin than the Butter Bronzer. Its formula also makes it quite long-lasting. It seems to have a slightly luminous finish.

Moving on, I can see why Butter Bronzer is cult-status. It is a pleasure to apply to the face. The major drawbacks is the bulkiness of the packaging, and the fragility of the formula. You cannot travel with this. My picture above displays a depotted Butter Bronzer (in the compact case for Mary Loumanizer), clearly damaged. Like the Shiseido bronzer, I find that it has a slightly luminous finish, but it gives a soft wash of color that makes application fool-proof. I don't want to like BB as much as a I do.

Last is the NYC bronzer in Sunny. This bronzer is formulated with kaolin, and to me that is quite evident due to the smell of the product. Not to say that it is a bad smell, but my first association is chalk. That being said, the product does not have a chalky application. It's color is closer to the Shiseido bronzer, but more matte, and easier to apply because it is not as pigmented.

All three bronzers are enjoyable to use/useful in their own way. I just bought the NYC bronzer, so I still have to continue testing it out. The packaging claims that it lasts 10 hours on the skin, so that is something I will try to pay attention to as I wear it throughout the day!

Recent Beauty Purchases

Continuing on my low-buy, I did buy/order some products lately.

1. The Bite Buttercream lipstick in Caramel, $7.00 at TJ Maxx. This was an exciting find, and so far this is the only warm/orange leaning nude I have that is not garish.

2. Stila Eyeshadow Single in Kitten. Okay. So once in a while I feel the urge to try cult-status products. It feels like I entered a little club. Now I did pay $9.60 for this, as part of Stila's sale, but the shipping was almost $6.00. NOT WORTH IT. I did not receive the shadow yet, as I placed the order yesterday, but I am hoping for the best. I already own a dupe for this- Iced Latte from the L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible line, but I find that it is very sheer. We shall see.

3. Continuing on the trend of cult favorites, for $4.62 I bought NYC Bronzer in Sunny. I own two bronzers already (Butter Bronzer by PF and Shiseido Oil-Free Bronzer), and though I like both, I thought that Sunny looked really pretty.

4. I also bought this brush. It had really good ratings on Amazon, and I do want a ridiculously poofy powder brush.

Milani Eyeshadow Palette: Eyes on Metallics, Swatches and Review!

Today I am very excited to present to you a review on one of Milani's latest additions to their Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection. I got word on the two new palettes: Matte Basics and Must Have Metallics a couple of days ago, and did not hear/read anything about their quality.

The eyeshadow collection overall is highly rated, and when I saw the official pictures of the Must Have Metallics palette, I knew immediately I needed to try it:

I was most taken with what appeared to be a purple-like color, the fourth long shade, and I knew that because I was leaving for Boston in a couple of days, I needed a sturdy travel palette, so I bought it.

Swatches here:

All shades are swatched over primer. The metallic shades were swatched with a finger, while the matte black was swatched with the brush provided. The brush itself is a small dual-ended blending and shading brush, with stiff yet soft fibers. I wouldn't use the brush apply the foiled shades, though. 

I will go over each shadow from left to right, from the swatches above.

1.) A cream metallic shade that looks satin in comparison to the other metallic shades. It is in a wider pan, and would also make a suitable highlight for the face. The swatch was one light swipe with the finger. 

2.) A bright gold shade. The metallics in this palette literally outshine my higher-end shadows. They are intense. This shade's formula is identical to two others: the copper and bronze.

3.) A bright copper. I hope I don't overuse the word "bright" in my review, but I think I probably will. I know I have dupes for this in my collection, but the quality of this shadow makes it worth it. 

4.) A metallic red. This shade does not have the foiled effect of the other shadows, but it is not an obvious difference. I will note that while the other metallic shades only needed one light swipe of the finger to demonstrate full intensity, the red needed two. I will also note that while this shade looked purple almost in the pan, swatched it is quite obvious that this a burgundy-leaning red metallic. I am not disappointed, however. 

5.) A bronze foiled shadow, my favorite shade. 

6.) A matte black of good quality and pigmentation. I do use black on the outer corner mixed with a brown matte, and I do sort of wish that a dark brown matte was there instead of black. I am not sure what the logic is- perhaps it would work as a liner. 

When using this palette, it is quite obvious that this is not  a stand-alone palette. If you want to incorporate matte shades, you will need to reach for other products. 

Additionally, primer/a good sticky base is necessary to prevent creasing and transfer. These are highly foiled shades, and some of the flecks can travel. 

Be sure to prime your eyes! I myself alternate between Too Faced Glitter Insurance and Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy, but Milani's own eyeshadow primer should do the trick. 

When using more than one shade on the eye, do note that the shadows mix very easily with each other. The effect is not displeasing, but be aware that some more complex looks may be affected by that. For me, I probably will just use one shimmer on the lid at a time. A little of each shade goes a long way, and they are all pretty long-lasting and pigmented. 

Overall, I think this is a very impressive palette. For me, I don't anticipate anything extra that I have to do to make this work, but  please note the above caveats. Still, when I travel, I will just be bringing this and one additional all-matte palette, and I will be set. I even purchased another palette for my mother, at her request! 

My final grade for this palette is ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 out of five stars. 

Eyeshadow Palette Updates

Last weekend I paid a visit to Nordstrom Rack and picked up the Meet Matt(e) Nude palette, an all-matte palette I have been interested in for some quite some time. With some birthday funds, I snatched it immediately, for the discounted price of $15.00. I think that it is an excellent matte palette, and I love it because of that subtle use of color and tone. In terms of all-matte palettes, to me this seems much more interesting than others, like the Shade and Light Palette from KvD.  The colors are darker in the pan than in the lid, which is something important to note, and makes (for me) the palette more useful, because I don't really use up a ton of dark matte colors.

Also, in my stash I found I had the L'Oreal La Nudes Palette 1, which I have been using this weekend for easy looks. I have to say, this was a palette I had overlooked, but it is really useful to have, and I plan on travelling with it next weekend. One shade in particular works really well as a highlight, in terms of formulation and color. 

Working with both palettes have made me realize that pigmentation does not necessarily make a quality eyeshadow. This summer I have been more interested in more muted looks. 

That being said, when I head that Milani came out two additions to their Everyday Eyes palette line,  Matte Basics, and Must Have Metallics, I did something rare and ordered directly from the company. I purchased Must Have Metallics for $11, as well as a liquid eyeliner (as I feel I am running out of my Physician's Formula Eye Booster Liner).

These are what the two new Milani palettes look like:

Matte Basics on left, Must Have Metallics on Right. 

These just came out, so I have not seen any swatches of either palette, so it's a bit of a blind buy. I am hoping for the best, and I know that the other palettes in the collection were rated highly, so here's hoping. 

Of course, I will follow up with a review. I have a feeling I have many dupes for those metallic shadows, but I am hoping it will be perfect for travel, so I don't have to fuss with bringing my z-palette with me. 

Edit:

I forgot to mention that I did declutter one palette that I simply was not inspired by/not using. I was surprised at myself but also relieved. It was the Floriculture palette by Tarina Tarantino:

I really like the matte called Hollyhock, color-wise, but it would not look flattering in the crease. Maybe the palette is just getting on in age, but the shades are too muted and the formula for Nighthopper is too loose for my liking. 

Seven Sins of Makeup Tag!

Hello! I saw this video tag on YouTube today, so I thought it would be fun to write my thoughts about each category. Let's begin:

Greed: Least and Most Expensive Products.

I try to avoid paying full price for products as much as I can. Either this means waiting for something to be discounted, or on sale, etc. With that in mind, the product that costs the most per ounce (even though my Modern Renaissance palette was $42), was the single eyeshadow from Ardency Inn, from the Modster Manuka honey infused pigment in Rose Gold. For a little more than an ounce and a half, this was $22.

In terms of least expensive product, I have an Elf blending brush that cost $1.00, as well as a Wet n' Wild single shadow in Brulee that was on sale for $0.75.

Wrath: A product that I have a love/hate relationship is my Bite Beauty Pearl Creme Lipgloss in Oyster. I love how pigmented, long-lasting, and interesting it is. But I'm growing annoyed with how slightly gritty it is, and how it is not a good summer color, so I really have no desire to continue testing it out at this point. I feel I have to wait for it to get colder.

Gluttony: My most "delicious" product would have to be Palmer's Cocoa Butter. If I could eat it I would. Runner up is Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer. Even though it has an artificial tang to it, that stuff smells delicious and is addictive.

Sloth: I try to declutter products that I don't use due to laziness, and/or only purchase products that require minimal effort. That being said, many times I don't bother using a makeup blending sponge because that would mean I would have to get up and use the bathroom sink to dampen in, in the middle of my routine. When I am feeling this way I just use my fingers or a brush instead.

Pride: A product that gives me the most confidence.....At this point I can't pin down one product. Setting spray gives me confidence because it prevents me from becoming oily, but it's only helpful if I am already wearing makeup. Having a spot of blush and bronzer, an interesting eye look, some highlighter, etc., all give me confidence in some way.


Lust: As the source of this article idea, ebbilovesmakeup, revised this category to mean most lusted-after products, I will do the same. The original criteria was most attractive quality, but to me it's a little OT. That being said, humor and wit (and hair!) are weaknesses for me. And for as lusted-after products go, I try to keep the hype at bay for as long as I can. But when the Queen of Hearts palette came out, I really really wanted it. Now, though, it is simply single-shadows from reputable indie brands I am most interested in.

Envy: A product I would most want to receive as a gift. Something ridiculous. Like a Marc Jacobs holiday palette or one of his coconut products. Or an eyeshadow palette from Storybook Cosmetics.

Brands I Want to Try and Brands I Don't Need To

Today's rambling simply consists of brands I would like to try, but for one reason or another, have not had the opportunity to do so. I also decided to add a section on brands I have NO interest in trying.  Please read on if interested!

1.) Kiko Milano: As of now, there is a 50% sale going on, and I am very tempted to purchase their Water Eyeshadow:

However, even with the 50% sale, everything seems a tad expensive. Because I have not heard a whole lot about this brand, it's difficult for me to gauge what is reasonable and what is not.  As of now, I am curious, but content enough with my collection to hold off for now. 

2.) MAC

I have never purchased a MAC product, though I did come close! I was going to buy an eyeshadow single from the Star Trek collection, which went on sale, but I cancelled the order and was refunded promptly. I did not just want to buy something because of novelty, especially because I was not amazed by the swatches. I do regret the beautiful swirled face powders, though. Anyway, I know the quality of the products the brand puts out is inconsistent, but because MAC seems like such a staple I would feel remiss if I did not at least try a lipstick from them. Now that MAC is at Ulta, it is definitely on my list.

3.) Storybook Cosmetics

I know, I know.  Their business practices are a little too disconcerting for me. But. I like their ideas, especially a Willy Wonka palette, and wouldn't mind trying them out, if I had money to spare. 

4.) Becca

Though I know I don't need any more highlighters or primers at the moment, I do want to see what Becca has to offer in those specific departments. I feel like I have tons of dupes for Champagne Pop, but I would love to check out the color-shifting highlighters. Those seem very interesting to me. 

5.) Make-Up Atelier- I found this brand on Beautylish, and one YouTuber was raving about their eyeshadow palettes the other day. They have 29 5-pan palettes, for $35, that actually appear well-organized. I don't know how much variety a person can get out of a palette alone, and I myself have too many colors to purchase a palette right now, but one of these days I would love to try one, especially "Spicy Tones" or "Honey Brown Tones":

And now, brands that do not interest me at all! 

1.) Lorac- It's official. I have never tried this brand at all, nor do I want to. Their last two Disney releases were both boring and uninspired, and poor quality (esp. the eyeshadow palettes). I also feel like, after watching innumerable videos and reading tons of articles, very familiar with the palettes, to the point where I know I don't need them. 

2.) Morphe- I have so many shimmers from Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics, and I know they all have very similar ingredients. There is nothing special about Morphe. I don't need giant palettes, and I don't need to pay OTT shipping. 

3.) Guerlain/Dior/etc. etc. or such incredibly expensive products, they have terrible quality. This speaks for itself. I don't need it. 

4.) Viseart- this may be a controversial choice, since so many people agree that Viseart palettes are next-level. And surely, the $80.00 price tag perhaps reflects that. However, I don't think an average consumer should feel pressure to purchase these. I think that's unfair. 

5.) Instagram/Problem Brands: J*, Farsali, Violet Voss, etc. etc. I avoid these because I believe there's a lot of puffery involved, and for a lot of them, I do not want to support the people behind them.