Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips

I love makeup palettes. They seem to be a great way to get a bunch of colors all at once. The problem is that a lot of the palettes I seem to love are a little bit too pricey for me to buy all the time. So, when I saw these for only $11.99 (from Ulta.com, who also had a buy one get one half off sale at the time) I couldn't help but order 2 of them. 

Now, since I ordered them online instead of in store I didn't realize just how small they were. They are significantly smaller than the palettes that I usually buy. 

I picked the classic nude and warm nude. The colors in them really aren't all that different. They're a lot more alike than I had realized, which is my own fault. I probably could have done with just one of them. 

When you look at them the colors really are similar, which I guess makes sense since they are both nude palettes, and nude colors are nude colors. 

The colors in the classic palette were set up a little strange to be since they didn't range from light to dark. They all swatched nicely, and I liked them.

The warm nude palette also swatched nicely. The colors seemed great.

It wasn't until I went to use the palettes that I started to have problems. The little brush that came with the palettes was extremely hard to use. It made applying the product difficult. Also, due to the small size of the palette its hard to use just one of the colors. I tried using my normal brushes but they all proved to be problematic as well. The small colors were too small. 

The shadows also weren't as pigmented when I went to put them on as they had appeared to be when watched. I had to use a large amount of product to get a decent amount of color.

The formula was creamy but seemed to flake a good deal when I tried to use it, and then after all of the work to get it to look right (since they weren't very blendable) the color didn't even last all day. I tried both with and without an eyeshadow primer, and yet the shadow still wore off by mid day. 

I had such high hopes for these palettes and ended up extremely disappointed in both of them. This is one product that you get less than what you pay for. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone, and I won't be purchasing them again.

Until Next Time,

Sara

Kat Von D Monarch Palette Review and Swatches

I recently purchased the Monarch Eyeshadow Palette by Kat Von D from Sephora ($46). I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, and this one definitely caught my eye. Its just so pretty.

The palette itself feels very sturdy. Its not flimsy at all, which is a good thing. I feel like I could drop it and it would hold up pretty well. I dont have to worry about it getting bumped around if I put it in a drawer, because its solid and wouldnt end up broken. 

See how pretty it is? Its just eye catching. 

The back of the box that the palette came in has the names of the eye shadows listed. I do wish that the names were also printed on the inside of the palette, since I know that I wont keep the box. 

The inside of the palette has a mirror, in case you need to fix your makeup on the go, which is a nice feature. I rarely seem to use the mirrors that come on my makeup products, but its nice to have the option in case I need it. 

The shadows are all richly pigmented, and have a nice creamy formula. When I applied them they went on with ease. It didnt take more than a swipe to get a solid amount of color. They also blended with ease. 

From top to bottom: Entomology (matte), Telepathy (super shimmer), Tiny Death (slight sparkle)

These three colors are extremely light base colors. They were intended to be used as bases, and they work great for that.

Top to bottom: Wrath, Papilio, Summerfly, Killing Jar, Delaney

These five shades are all shimmer shadows. They're light, but easily layered if you want a more intense look. 

Top to bottom: Vanish, Disintegration, Shadow Box, Deadhead

These shadows are all matte, except disintegration which has a slight shimmer to it. They're more pigmented than the shimmer shadows. 

Overall I love this palette. It has some great colors, and they all go well together. I love that they seem to stay on pretty well, and they are easy to blend. They also dont seem to flake the way other shadows do. 

Until Next Time, 

Sara