Tom Ford Eye Quad in Cocoa Mirage

The next up in the Tom Ford overview is the Eye Color Quad in Cocoa Mirage.  This palette is part of the permanent line and is the only one of the Tom Ford palettes I own that doesn't contain any of the shimmer (glitter) shades.  This quad has two complete matte shades, one mostly-matte shade and one satin finish.

The top two shades are completely matte.  My experience with the Tom Ford mattes so far has been phenomenal.  The mattes are buttery soft with fantastic pigmentation (though I understand that in some of his other palettes, that isn't the case). 

Cocoa Mirage is fairly neutral in my opinion.  It leans ever so slightly warm, but I don't feel like it's so warm that someone cool toned couldn't wear it.

 As you can see from the swatches, the lightest shade is a very close match to my natural skintone.  The second matte shade is a mid tone slightly warm brown.  The third shade is a warm medium-dark brown and the only satin finish in the palette.  It has lovely pigmentation and texture.  The last shade is a dark brown that leans warm.  It is mostly matte, but there is the tiniest amount of gold glitter.

I swear I'm not a total Tom Ford fangirl.  There have been two palettes which I acquired (swapped for on MakeupAlley) and then promptly swapped away because I was not happy with them.  So when I say that Cocoa Mirage is a fantastic palette, I really mean it.

Overall:  10/10

Recent Korean Beauty Haul from RubyRubyShop

I just wanted to share a little Korean beauty haul that I did recently from the RubyRubyShop on ebay.

I picked up:

• SKINFOOD Avocado Rich Essence 1, $13.04
• TONYMOLY Hello Bunny Perfume Bar, #3 Dodo Rose, $9.44
• TONYMOLY Mini Berry Lip Balm SPF15 PA+ #01 Cherry, $8.39
• TONYMOLY Petite Bunny Gloss Bar, #3 Juicy Apple, #2 Juicy Grape, #7 Neon Orange $5.30 each
• THE FACE SHOP Lovely ME:EX Mini Pet Perfume Hand Cream in Baby Powder, $4.45
• It's SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Serum - 40ml, $16.19
• INNISFREE Green Tea Mineral Mist (Mist Spray) 120ml, $17.09
• TONYMOLY Clean Dew Apple Mint Cleansing Oil - 150ml, $12.59
• ETUDE HOUSE Ice Cream Nails, Blue Mint, Peach, Strawberry, $5.84 each

Most of the items were supposed to be stocking stuffers for my daughter, but unfortunately, they did not arrive in time.  I placed my order on Dec., 2013 and the items arrived on Jan. 3, 2014.  They arrived registered mail (my previous order didn't ship registered mail and arrived in 4 business days.)

If you want to see reviews on any of the items, let me know.  I absolutely love the Green Tea Mist and the Hyaluronic serum and have already ordered more.  And seriously, as for the non-skincare items, Korea has the cutest and most fun packaging you can find on this planet.  It's awesome.  Did you see the little ice cream cone nail polishes or the cherry lipbalm?

As far as my experience ordering from RubyRubyShop, it was good.  I did order at the height of the holiday rush so I really wasn't shocked that my item took a long time to arrive.  RubyRubyShop quotes 10 - 35 business days for shipping to the US.  I'm pretty sure they mean calendar days based on the shipping estimates I received.  

There is a consistent issue with the English not being particularly intelligible on the site.  Sometimes it's pure gibberish and at best it's awkward and ambiguous.  There is something on the site about standard shipping rates and how shipping cannot be discounted, even if you purchase multiple items.  I've ordered from them three times now and I have never paid any shipping on any of the items, even when the items shipped via registered mail.

All in all, I'm thrilled with RubyRubyShop.  It's extremely affordable (generally cheaper than SaSa).  Items arrived well packaged and they include some really nice extras.  The first time I ordered it arrived super quick, the second time it took a month, but it was in the middle of the holiday rush.  The only downside to the shop for me is that they don't currently carry Skin79 or My Beauty Diary (I still have to get those from SaSa.com).

Here is a copy of the current disclaimer on all of their products on ebay, though it is obviously subject to change.  It's pure fiction, but amusing.

Do you guys buy Korean beauty products?  If so, can you find them locally or do you have an etailer you like?  Let me know.

Thanks!

MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Autoerotique

I am a huge fan of the MAC Extra Dimension blush formula and when they debuted last Spring, I picked up all of them.  The Magnetic Nude collection that launched around the first of the year had two new blushes, Autoerotique and Pleasure Model.  I decided to pass on Pleasure Model, but I picked up Autoerotique.

Autoerotique is described by MAC as "dirty coral rose", which I guess works.  It's a medium warm pinky-tan that leans ever so slightly orange.  The blush has a satin finish and contains just a bit of shimmer by way of fine gold glitter.

The blush applies evenly and smoothly and sheers out easily.  I didn't think the glitter was particularly noticeable on the skin and I got great wear time out of it.  The formula on autoerotique is noticeably different from At Dusk.  I feel like At Dusk sort of melts into my skin and that isn't really what I get from Autoerotique.

Autoerotique contains 6.5 grams of product and is limited edition, but as of the writing of this review is still available from MAC and several other retailers who carry the line.  I purchased mine from Nordstrom for $25.

Overall:  8/10

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow in 204 Starlet

I received a couple of Sephora gift cards over the holidays, so I decided to pick up one of the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow palettes (OMG, that name *le sigh*).  Looking at the palettes in the store, the Lolita palette was definitely the most up my alley in terms of colors.  However, I've seen quite a few YouTube reviews of the Lolita palette and the reviews seemed really mixed.

After swatching the other palettes in the line, I decided to pick up the Starlet palette.  This palette is a bit outside my comfort zone, but the payoff of the shadows is absolutely phenomenal.  The three shadows on the left and then the far right shadow are definitely going to get a lot of love from me.  I can't say that the bright peach, or the straight up gold or silver shades are going to get much use, though I suppose only time will tell.

The far left purple-taupe shadow is actually what sold me on the palette.  It's just gorgeous.  I actually included swatches of it in my Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicate Hummingbird purple-taupe comparison swatches.

All of the shadows do have a metallic finish.  They are buttery soft with great color payoff.  They applied evenly and wore fantastically well, even on my hooded lids.

The Style Eye-Con No. 7 palettes contain 7 shades and 7 grams of product, so one gram of each product which is not a lot of product.  The wells are fairly small.  That may be a huge plus or a minus depending on what you're looking for.  On the whole, I tend to like quads with bigger wells and fewer colors.  But if you're looking out to try a lot of different colors, this is definitely a good bet.

The packaging isn't my favorite.  I feel like it's just an awkward shape.  It's a very slim, long plastic reflective packaging.  It feels fairly sturdy and snaps closed.  There is a spring in the mirror so that when you unsnap the palette, it does stay open.  Again, only time will tell, but I feel like this packaging could be a problem if either the snap closure or the spring break.  The palette also comes with a little canvas dustcover.

The Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Shadow palette in 204 Starlet is available exclusively at Sephora and retails for $59.

Overall:  8/10

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad 01 Golden Mink

Yes, so this is the third, count 'em, the third time I've reviewed this quad.  And not to beat a dead horse, but the review quality is steadily getting better.  I'm trying new lighting and I think these pictures come much closest I've managed to capturing how the product looks in real life.  Also, I've started posting YouTube videos again and this blog post was created to accompany the video.

The Tom Ford quad in Golden Mink contains 2 glitter shades and 2 satin shades.  

The two glitters are a pale non-metallic gold and a peach.  The glitters are more like a pressed pigment.  There is definitely some type of binding agent in the glitter that keeps it from ending up all over my face.  These are the most fantastic glitters I've ever seen.  They're beautiful and sparkly without being over the top.  You can see that they do have a good bit of color to them, they're not just shimmer.

The satin shades are incredibly pigmented and buttery soft.  They apply like a dream and are easy to blend.  I don't ever have any issue with them fading or with my hooded eyes "eating" the shadows.  They last a solid ten hours without problems.

 The first satin shade is a pretty neutral taupe with lots of dimension.  It is hands down one of my most loved eyeshadows and you can see the obvious dip in the picture below.  The second satin shade is a rich dark brown that complements the taupe shade perfectly.  

The quad is lovely, with high gloss brown and gold packaging.  It's sturdy and feels substantial.  The mirror is sizeable and the little sponge tip applicators are actually really useful in applying the glitter shades.  The compact has a magnetic closure that keeps it securely closed and it has a little pouch for storage.

The Tom Ford Eye Quads contain 10 grams of product and currently retail for $78 (though they were $75 when I picked mine up.)  Golden Mink is part of the permanent Tom Ford line and is available anywhere that carries the Tom Ford Cosmetics line.  I got mine at Neiman Marcus.

Overall:  10/10

Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in #11 Textured Cocoa

Several months ago, I picked up the Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in Textured Cocoa after hearing several YouTubers rave about it.

The quad contains four shadows.  One matte, one satin, one matte with glitter and one glitter.  All of the shades lean fairly warm, so if you're going for a warm chocolate or bronzy brown eye, this is a lovely palette.

All four shades had good payoff, even the glitter shade, which in my other Sonia Kashuk quads, tends to be just some clear sparkle.  Here, the glitter has a definite brown tone.  I found all of the shades to be well pigmented and nicely blendable.  The matte shade with the glitter does tend to lose all the glitter as you blend it, which is sort of to be expected.

If you're into bronzy brown eyes, this could definitely be the quad for you.  I find it a bit too one-note to be too usable for me.  I do really like the satin shade, but I have really similar shades in other quads that I find more well rounded.

The Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in #11 Textured Cocoa contains 5.2 grams of product and retails for $13.60 exclusively at Target.

Overall:  7/10

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I figured that since I mentioned the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette the other day in my review of the Kat Von D Ladybird palette that I might as well go ahead and post a review.  I've had the Naked Basics palette since last winter and I never, ever use it.

I think from the name, Naked Basics is a fantastic idea.  And the packaging is my favorite of all the Naked palettes.  It's super sleek and sturdy, all matte, doesn't collect dust or fingerprints.  The mirror is a really nice size.

The execution of the shadows, however, leaves a whole lot to be desired.  I picked it up because I am a huge fan of matte neutrals and I wear them often.  Problem is that of the 6 shades in the palette, only 5 of them are actually matte.  (Venus has shimmer).

The other big problem, as far as I'm concerned, is that out of 6 shades, 4 of them are incredibly light neutrals.  Just look at the swatches below.  Look.  The first 4 shades in the palette are barely discernible from my pasty pale skintone.  

As far as the texture on the shadows, they're fine.  I'm not blown away by any of them, but they're okay, especially for mattes.  I definitely don't feel like Urban Decay's matte formula is any better than other mid-range brands.  Inglot's matte formula is heaps better.

Overall, this Naked Basics palette is so incredibly basic, in the most derogatory sense of the word.  There is nothing special about this palette, there isn't even anything particularly useful (IMO) about his palette.  I know that lots of people love this palette as a complement to other palettes and I understand that, but I feel like a palette should be self contained.

The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette is part of UD's permanent range.  It contains 7.8 grams of product and retails for $27.  It is available wherever Urban Decay is sold.  I picked mine up at Sephora.

Overall:  5/10

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

Starting in Spring 2012, Urban Decay has made significant headway in reformulating most of their cosmetics line (for the better, from what I can tell).  Their eyeshadows were reformulated in Spring 2012 and in Summer 2013, they released their new line of Revolution lipsticks.  Urban Decay overhauled both the packaging and the formula of their lipsticks.

I will admit to being fairly oblivious to Urban Decay's previous line of lipsticks.  I didn't own any and I wasn't even remotely curious about them.  I didn't tend to hear anything about them, good or bad.   But when the reformulated lipstick line launched, the reviews tended to be solidly favorable across the board.

The packaging is nice, very slim and shiny.  The bullet is significantly taller than a MAC or drugstore bullet and the actual product is not very wide, which makes precise application easier.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to pick up the Revolution lipstick in Naked.  The color is described by Urban Decay as "nude-pink" and the revolution formula is supposed to be "insanely pigmented".  I don't know about that last part.  It took a couple of swipes to get opaque coverage, which really isn't a deal breaker for me.

(indirect natural light)

(daybulbs)

The lipstick definitely applied shiny at first, but after an hour or so, the shine was pretty much gone.  The lipstick wore for probably 3 - 4 hours before I needed to re-apply.  This color is very forgiving, so it wore off nicely. I can't speak to how the darker and more intense colors wear.  The formula is comfortable on the lips.  I don't know about Urban Decay's claims that it's nourishing.  It definitely didn't feel like a lip balm, but it wasn't drying either.

The Urban Decay revolution lipsticks contain 2.55 grams of product, which is less than a standard drugstore lipstick, and retail for $22.  I don't feel like this formula is significantly better than what I could find at the drugstore, so I won't be buying anymore of these.  The Urban Decay revolution lipsticks are available directly from Urban Decay, at Ulta or Sephora.  I bought mine at Sephora.

Overall:  7/10

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in #17 Plumrose

Yet again, I saw another Milani lipstick in one of Cora from Vintage or Tacky's videos and I had to have it.  And yet again, the Milani lipstick did not disappoint.  This time it was Milani's #17, Plumrose, from their Color Statement line.

Plumrose is a deep warm pink with a cream finish.  This is a lovely lipstick.  It's a lovely formula that applies evenly and opaquely.  It is moisturizing and super easy to wear.  Honestly, the finish on this lipstick really reminds me of a Tom Ford lipstick, though at 1/10th of the cost.

I wear Plumrose both as a full on lipstick, or just gently patted in as a stain.  It wears fantastically well in both applications.

Milani describes the Color Statement line as "The lightweight creamy formula contains Vitamins A, C, & E to moisturize and nourish lips."  I don't know that I'd call it lightweight, but it is lovely.  It is also paraben free.  It contains 3.97 grams and retails for $5.49 wherever Milani is sold.

Overall:  10/10

NARS Shimmer Eyeshadow in Lhasa

I've been on a taupe eyeshadow kick lately (well, more than usual).  And in general, I've been gravitating toward cooler toners.  Despite being a very pinky person, I often wear really warm tones.  I know that's sacrilege to some people, but we're all just going to have to deal.  

However, this fall and winter, I've really been going for cool purple, plummy tones.

I came across some swatches of NARS Lhasa eyeshadow and it seemed perfect for my current beauty proclivities.  NARS describes the shade as "lavender gray", but the swatches I'd seen online put it firmly in the cool toned taupe category.  The shade was released as part of NARS Spring 2012 collection, but has since been made permanent.

(daybulb)

(indirect natural light)

Some of the reviews I saw mentioned it being a tad bit sheer, but all the swatches were absolutely gorgeous.  I know, there's always a bit of YMMV with cosmetics, but seriously.  Look at those swatches above.  This shadow is sheer.  Very sheer.  Very uncomplicated.  And very disappointing to me.  

Maybe it's a difference in quality control between the initial run of the product and subsequent runs.  All I know is that the NARS Lhasa I have is not the rich taupe I've seen swatched in the interwebs.  It's not complicated.  It's not complex.  It's very straightforward and one dimensional.  My NARS Lhasa is a sheer purple gray.  *sob*

The only upside to this story is that Sephora had a promo where you could get '$20 off a $50 purchase'.  In reality, it was just a $20 gift card code with no minimum purchase.  So after all was said and done, I paid $4 for this eyeshadow and got free shipping and samples from Sephora.  That doesn't make up for the disappointing quality of this eyeshadow, but it does take most of the sting out of a disappointing purchase.

NARS Lhasa eyeshadow is part of the NARS cosmetics permanent range.  It contains 2.2 grams of product and retails for $24.

Overall:  4/10

Essential Tools Hi-Def Angled Blush Brush

I have a lot of makeup brushes at all sorts of price points, but one of my favorite brushes is the Essential Tools Hi-Def Angles blush brush.  I use this for powder blush and bronzer just about every day.  I probably have 5 of these brushes.

 

This is a soft, dense natural hair brush.  It's tapered and definitely thin enough to be used for contouring.  

I buy these brushes at Wal-Mart.  I have no idea if the brand is exclusive to Wal-Mart.  I don't think I've ever seen the line at any other drugstores.  This line of brushes is incredibly affordable.  The Hi-Def Angled Blush Brush retails for $5.97.

The quality of the bristles is great, but the ferrules on these brushes leave quite a bit to be desired and often come loose, especially with regular washing.  At this price point, that isn't a deal breaker for me, but it definitely does drag down what is otherwise a fantastic brush.  None of my brushes have come completely apart yet, but there are several where the ferrules are very loose.

Have any of you tried the Essential Tools line?  Which brushes are your favorites?

Overall:  8/10