Reviews and Other Stuff

Loving Right Now: Eyeshadow and Cheek Palettes

February 16, 2022 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Are you looking to update your eyeshadow and cheek palettes? There are some exciting palettes in town. Also, if you are looking for a perfect bronzer to get ready for the upcoming spring and summer, then keep on reading.

Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette – Words cannot describe how beautiful and otherworldly this palette is. The name serves its cosmic definition of making eye makeup look more like a Final Fantasy animation. Every shade in this palette is beautifully crafted, and the way the shades are organized is very well-thought-out. There are 18 shades in total, composed of cool and warm tones. It is very easy to create a subdued daily matte eyeshadow look with this, and it is also very easy to create a fairy-like unicorn look or a character from Guardians of the Galaxy. Overall, there are 9 matte shades, 2 sheer reflective shades, 6 creamy metallics, and 1 duo-chrome creamy glitter. I noted minimal fallouts when applying the reflective metallic shades, which makes them a bit tricky to apply. Even then, this palette is still a must-have, and it is currently on sale at Sephora.

Nars

High Profile Cheek Palette – Nars has been busy releasing some gorgeous palettes lately, especially this beautifully-packaged cheek palette. Released during the holiday and in a limited edition, this palette comes with velvety shades that are actually quite more matte than what Nars describes as shimmery. If there is any shimmer to each shade, it is actually a microshimmer. The shades are very pigmented, and each of the shades seems to cater to different skintones but can be combined to create a unique blend. With this palette, you will most likely have everything you need to make your cheeks pop.

Orgasm on the Beach Cheek Palette – Even though this palette was released months and months ago, I want to talk about this beauty for a bit. In all of Nars’ cheek palettes, this is probably my most preferred. That is because each shade’s texture is creamy and very easy to apply. Therefore, they blend easily on the skin, and the pigment is superb. This means you only need to dab a bit of product on the cheeks. Also, most of the shades are either duo-chrome or somewhat multidimensional, and they give a peachy coral tone. The bronzer in this palette is a true bronzer shade with no hint of red or gold. Overall, the application with this palette is very straightforward. The closest dupe of this palette that I could think of is the Natasha Denona Bloom Cheek Palette, reviewed HERE and HERE.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Primrose All In One Face & Eye Shadow Palette – I. AM. SO. WHIPPED. FOR. THIS. PALETTE. 🙂 That is true. Even being whipped is an understatement for what I feel and think about this beautiful palette. Every shade is my kind of shade, every texture is perfect, and every application is always a hit. This vintage rose-inspired palette has everything you need for an all-in-one face and eye palette compact. There are metallics, microshimmers, and matte shades in this palette, and all are very creamy, blendable, and pigmented. You can go from having a natural daytime makeup look with this and then transition to a glam nighttime look afterward. I highly recommend that you get this palette. Pronto.

Dior Forever Natural Powder Bronzer in shade #05 (Warm Bronze) – Dior has been updating their makeup packaging lately, and this bronzer is so stunning, both in packaging and quality. This pressed bronzer is a well-done bronzer that does not look overdone nor has red, gold, or shimmer hints. The texture is matte, and the pigment is ideal. I say that because some bronzers will make one look very baked or very warm. This does not. The coverage starts on the lighter side and can be blended for a warm look. Blending is easy because the texture is velvety, and it blends seamlessly, giving a warm natural glow.

Those are eyeshadow and cheek palettes I have been loving lately. What are the palettes or compacts you are enjoying now? DM me.

SHOP THIS POST

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Fragrance Wardrobe, Discovery Collection for Her, Review.

February 8, 2022 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Makeup and beauty aside, let’s talk about a very intriguing fragrance brand — The Maison Francis Kurkdjian brand of luxurious fragrances. In this review, I have a mini discovery collection set full of fragrance samplers recommended for women.

The Maison Francis Kurkdjian brand of luxe fragrances is full of exciting scents that cater to all gender and gender-neutral type. Because of that, many MFK fragrances are unique, blendable, and highly versatile.

This discovery set is geared towards women who want to discover the MFK scent or simply want to find their signature scents. Each scent in this set seems to have been carefully developed to provide a completely unforgettable olfactory experience.

Here is a quick run-through and my overall impression of the scents in this discovery set.

Aqua Universalis (Cologne forte) – This scent smells like very cool and clean water blended with pure cotton. Do water and cotton have a scent? Apparently, yes, it depends on the circumstances as to how they are washed 😊. This scent may come off as a bit masculine, but this is a very clean and pure scent that can work well with any woman’s body chemistry. This scent is meant to be woody, citrusy, and musky, yet somehow this scent seems like a very sophisticated blend of most water-inspired signature and cotton-like fragrances.

Aqua Celestia (Cologne forte) – Described as citrusy, floral, and musky. This scent will send your olfactory sense to a euphoric overload. What a unique blend of raspberry, citrus, and musk! This scent is SO good; you will need to purchase this in a large bottle. I can only describe the magical top note of this as sweet and floral. Not too heady and not too light. A perfect feminine scent.

Aqua Vitae (Cologne forte) – Sweet and floral. A light yet irresistible feminine scent that is somewhat similar to Aqua Celestia but has a bit of a woody note. This scent is also really good, but it tends to fade quickly, at least on my body chemistry. I recommend this if you are a fan of very light feminine fragrances or if your nose tends to react to strong scents.

Amyris (Femme) – Hmmm, at first spritz, I can already tell that there is so much drama going on in this scent. This scent is for complicated, mature, and elegant women because of the heavy woody iris scent. There is supposed to be something fruity in this scent, but all I could sense is the rich deep floral note, which can be heady, at least for me. The top notes of this scent remind me of Angel by Mugler or Black Opium by YSL. Overall, I think this will make for a captivating indelicate scent.

Gentle Fluidity – There is nothing quite gentle at this scent at all. I find this musky oriental scent to be somewhat masculine and heavy in alcohol. The top notes can be vanilla sweet, but there is musk and amber, making it very intense. On the contrary, the base note settles into a light powdery scent, somewhat reminiscent of the Byredo Treehouse fragrance.

Oud (Satin Mood) – Violet, Damascena Rose, Amber Vanilla, Cinnamon, Oud, and Violet make for this very sensual and provocative orient scent. This is a very intense scent. So intense that the liquid is blue-tinged. I find this scent to be intensely sweet and floral, which is not exactly my thing, but for some, this scent can be a perfect signature scent because it is so unique. It is nothing quite like I have tried before. The dry-down is a different story because it dissipates into something light and somewhat familiar, like the Byredo Bibliotheque fragrance.

Baccarat Rouge 540 (Eau de Parfum) – Ah! The famous Baccarat Rouge 540! What an interesting and mysterious scent this is. For some, this scent is an identity, a symbol, a status. For me, this scent is so intriguing. Will this be my new signature scent? The answer is probably not. While I like this scent a lot, I think this scent is not for me since this does not seem to blend well with my body chemistry. I do not know how to classify this scent. I guess that is why this scent is complicated. I sense a very faint fruity-floral note, which is a delicate blend of lemon and jasmine. There is also cedar, sage, and a saffron derivative to it, which add to the woodiness of the scent. For some reason, my nose is telling me that this scent is a familiar blend of two or three fascinating fragrances — My Burberry Blush + Viktor & Rolf Liquid Diamonds + Angel by Thierry Mugler.

Baccarat Rouge 540 (Extrait de Parfum) – This the intense version of the Baccarat Rouge 540. Personally, I kind of prefer this concentration because this is intense at first spritz, and does not fade away immediately. The complexity of the Rouge Baccarat 540 is more pronounced in this type of fragrance concentration than the Eau de parfum, even though this has a somewhat masculine note. I guess, after all, my preferences in fragrances gear towards the androgynous type.

All the scents in this mini Maison Francis Kurkdjian Discovery Collection for Her are captivating and unique in their own notes. Despite some similarities of a few scents with some known brand fragrances, still, the scents stood out on their own, giving a distinct olfactory experience that almost determines which type of personality will match each scent. As for me, my top three preferred scents in this sampler are: 1) Aqua Celestia, 2) Aqua Vitae, and 3) Amyris (femme).

Are you a fan of Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances? What is your favorite fragrance of all time?

SHOP THIS POST

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX Eyeshadow Palette: Huetopian Dream Review + Swatches

February 2, 2022 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Here is an eyeshadow palette that deserves its own review. The Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX Eyeshadow Palette in Huetopian Dream is an out-of-this-world cosmic and ethereal palette that captivates you all the time. From the moment I saw and tested the palette, I noticed that there is a lot of thought and care put into it. Each shade is beautiful, and each shade’s texture feels very good to the touch. There are some creamy shades in the palette, and they are so soft and buttery. Even the shimmery shades feel very smooth and soft that they do not scratch the lid at all. Also, the shimmery and glittery shades adhere well to the lid without the need for any eyeshadow primer. There are also no fallouts noted upon testing and wearing the palette.

There are ten shades in the PMG Huetopian Dream palette, and they are all very pigmented and can be worn as is. Also, three shades in the palette are matte finish, while the rest are on the shimmery and metallic sides. On top of that, one shade is a duo-chrome, and another one is a tri-chrome. Both are really stunning shades. Moreover, two shades in this palette are very spectacular and are my top favorites. They are the last two shades on the farthest right. The lilac shade on the farthest right is very beautiful, and it gives a unicorn look on the lids. It also has a pink tone to it.

The shades do not bleed nor crease, and they never caused any irritation on my lids. Per Sephora, the PMG Huetopian palette is paraben-free, phthalates-free, and sulfate SLS and SLES-free.

The packaging of the palette is very impressive, like most PMG palettes — big, heavy, and feels very robust. Even the box that encases the palette is beautiful and very spring-like. Speaking of spring, I believe most of the shades can be worn in any season, but the PMG Huetopian palette might be suited best for Spring and Summer.

This palette has no brush, but it is expected with most PMG Mothership palettes, where quality is more emphasized than palette freebies. I still wish this palette comes with a brush, like the palettes we see from Urban Decay. However, I believe each PMG palette is created for luxury and superb performance in makeup, and this palette does not disappoint. I still love my other PMG palettes, especially the Mothership V Bronze Seduction palette (reviewed HERE). This Huetopian palette is an excellent addition to my collection of PMG palettes.

Overall, if you are looking for a great palette after this Winter, you have to try this otherworldly palette and see how the unique shades blend and complement your lids. This palette is worth your time and dime.

SHOP THIS POST and MORE PAT McGRATH MAKEUP below