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Winter Eyeshadow Favorites

March 14, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello! In just a few days, Spring will be here and before you know it, there will be more sunny days and lots of colorful blooms. Even though we are at a trying time nowadays, I hope for new seasons and new beginnings. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, please stay safe, stay healthy, stay strong, and be well. This too shall pass. So, before we end this season, I would like to share with you some of my top picks in eyeshadow palettes. These are the ones I’ve been enjoying since last Fall and also this Winter. These picks are not comprehensive since there are other palettes I also love but I prefer to feature them separately in my succeeding reviews.

In this collection, you will find a combination of high-end eyeshadow palettes, along with some drugstore palettes as well.

Take a look.

The Dior BACKSTAGE Eyeshadow Palette in Amber Neutrals is one of my top picks for this season’s eyeshadow look. I love how beautiful all the shades look and they are all saturated with very good pigments. Even the whole packaging of this eyeshadow is TDF and the type you would reluctantly use because it’s just so pretty. The shades in this palette are on the very warm coppery and bronzey side plus with an intense shade of matte red which is so perfect for Fall-Winter. There is also another Backstage Eyeshadow Palette released recently by Dior, and it’s the Rosewood Neutrals which looks so ethereal and so intriguing. I will investigate that palette soon.

For gorgeous well-curated matte eyeshadows, you can’t go wrong with the Chanel Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows in Candeur et Expérience, Clair Obscur, and Blurry Mauve. These are my go-tos for a quick, easy to apply, and wearable matte look. I love how these compacts complement my eye color and they look so natural and so pigmented as well. Also, these are easy to travel. See the swatch of Clair Obscur here, and the Blurry Mauve here. Also, if you haven’t seen the Spring-Summer releases of Chanel Beauty, see some of them here.

Pat McGrath Mothership V Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Seduction – This palette is still the mothership and the queen of all my eyeshadow palettes. There is a lot of love and attention to details in PMG’s Mothership eyeshadows, and this Bronze Seduction palette is still, in my opinion, the best eyeshadow palette PMG has ever created. This palette is the ultimate Fall-Winter eye makeup look vibe, and its packaging is so well-done. See the swatch here.

Lately, Tom Ford has released more shades of its iconic Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette and some of them are on my wishlist. However, out of all the TF Eye Color Quads, the Honeymoon quad is probably the prettiest, if not one of them. I feel like you can wear all of its shades at any season, but I can definitely see myself constantly reaching out for it during Fall-Winter. Take note that the bottom right shade may look purplish online or in some photos, but in reality, it actually looks more brown.

Drugstore

There are two e.l.f eyeshadows I’m loving this season and it’s the Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Sunset and the Mad for Matte Eyeshadow in Nude Mood. These affordable eyeshadows are so pigmented, buttery soft, and they have very very minimal fallouts. I can apply them without a lid primer and they still stay put throughout the day. I love that they don’t irritate my lids and the shades are reminiscent of Urban Decay’s Naked Heat and the original Naked palette.

Last but not the least is the very beautiful Nyx Love Lust Disco Shadow Palette in Rosé And Play. This palette is so stunning with its rose-gold pinkish tones that are not only perfect for Fall and Winter but are also perfect as transitional eyeshadow shades for this coming Spring and Summer. The compact itself looks very delightful, and each shade looks fun and unique. Unfortunately, Nyx discontinued this palette, but you can still find the golden version of this palette at Macy’s.

These are some of my top picks in Eyeshadow palettes since last Fall and also this Winter. I would also like to mention and add the latest palettes from Viseart in this roundup, but I will be doing a separate review of this brand soon. So, stay tuned guys.

Have you tried any of these eyeshadow palettes before? What are the drugstore palettes you’re loving this season?

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Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick Review & Swatches

February 25, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

There’s always something about a Pat McGrath Lipstick. Whether its the gorgeous luxurious casing design or the saturated long-wearing pigment, a lot of us have fallen in love with Pat McGrath’s lip products. If you’re a fan of her MatteTrance Lipsticks and a collector of such, then you’re going to love her Obsessive Opulence Collection (0.14 oz: 38 USD) released last holiday 2019. These lipsticks feature a few of Pat McGrath’s MatteTrance bestsellers but now encased in an updated ultra-gorgeous and elegant colorful baroque-style packaging. They still have that signature Pat McGrath golden lip bullet design and they’re still at the same price point.

The PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks are award-winning matte lipsticks known for their lightweight comfortable texture and high-impact colors that last for several hours. The shades are really well-saturated at one swipe and the consistency is not drying on the lips. There is no scent detectable on these lipsticks and they don’t bleed. They are pricey though, but once you find the right shade for you, then it’s worth investing in a few. I will be reviewing my favorite PMG MatteTrance lipstick shades soon, so stay tuned that. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the new packaging of Omi, Christy, and the gorgeous 1995 shade.

Christy – Matte beige nude. It seems more like a light coral nude to me. Hard to pull off on my light-medium skintone, but a gorgeous shade nevertheless.

Omi – Matte mid-tone rose. The perfect rosy mauve shade for my lips, and the one that fits my lip shade the most out of all the PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks.

1995 – Matte warm light-nude. This has a slight brownish undertone that works as an everyday nude color for my light-medium skintone. Befitting to its name, this is a shade that will take you back in time, yet it’s still hitting trends nowadays. If you’re a 90’s kid, then you’re going to love this beautiful nostalgic shade. Think TLC, Spice Girls, and All Saints vibe. 🙂

These gorgeous Pat McGrath Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipsticks are definitely a must-try and a must-have if you don’t own one yet. The updated gorgeous bullets make for a nice decor in your vanity and the quality of these lipsticks do not disappoint.

Are you a fan of Pat McGrath lip products? Which matte lipstick brands do you prefer?

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Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow Review + Swatches

March 13, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello guys, Happy Almost Spring! I can’t believe Winter’s almost over, however, it’s still cold from where I’m at and I’m still rocking my dark outfits along with my smokey eyeshadows. Speaking of eyeshadows, there’s one I’ve been playing with lately and it’s the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow (10 shades: $125). For a long time, I’ve been wanting to have at least one PMG eyeshadow because the shades are just so unique and so stunning to look at, not to mention the glowing reviews. PMG Labs seem to be equated with high-quality makeup along with outstanding ingredients and superb pigments. Out of all the PMG eye palettes, I had my eyes set on the Bronze Seduction eyeshadow because, for me, the colors in this palette seem to be the most cohesive. However, I keep skipping it because it’s really pricey.

When this Bronze Seduction eyeshadow kept getting sold out for quite some time, I decided, it’s time to pull the trigger and find out how will this eye palette perform on me and does it really live up to the hype? or at least, are the Pat McGrath eyeshadows really worth it?

The PMG Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow has 10 ultra-pigmented shades which are composed of 3 finishes: matte (3), shimmer (3), and glitter (4). At first glance, it gives you the impression that it’s mostly full of bronzey and coppery shades. Upon closer look and initial swatch test, it’s actually full of a pretty versatile group of colors because it can create a neutral daytime look and it can also take you to a date night ultra-glam occasion.

Skin Show Divine Glow – shimmery golden champagne

Entrapment – mid-terracotta matte

Blaze Bronze – glittery golden bronze

Rose Gold 005 – glittery rose gold

VR Fire Opal – glittery color shifting chartreuse

Xtreme Aubergine – darkened matte violet

Gilty Pleasure – shimmery bronze-taupe

Disobedient – matte mahogany

Blitz Flame – shimmery metallic crimson

Astral Luna Gold – glittery white gold

Let’s take a moment to admire the packaging of this eyeshadow palette. It is SO beautiful! and so well-thought-out. This probably has the most beautiful presentation for an eye makeup palette that I’ve ever seen. But we all know that PMG cosmetics, in general, puts emphasis on the aesthetics of their packaging.

I find the matte shades to be buttery soft and very easy to blend. They’re so pigmented that I have to be really light-handed when applying them and I have to use a very soft blending brush like the ones from Ulta (seen HERE) in order not to overdo my eye makeup game.

The shimmery ones are also quite pigmented but they do have a nice soft shimmery effect, but it’s not like they don’t go unnoticed. They’re softly dramatic and they complement the matte shades very well, especially if you don’t wanna go all shining, shimmering, splendid during the day. When it comes to the glittery colors, I find them to be very unique, especially the VR Fire Opal and the Astral Luna Gold. These two shades are kinda out of this world and they shine bright like a diamond, LOL. I love how they transform the lid into this all-out dramatic look-at-me type of eye makeup. These glittery shades are definitely commanding yet they feel soft and not scratchy on the lids. I did see a few subtle fallouts but it’s nothing serious. I love that I could layer the glitter from just a hint of it to a super blinding one if I want to.

Dupe-wise, I could think of Urban Decay Naked Heat (reviewed HERE), Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5 in #4 (swatched HERE), and some shades of the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk (HERE) and Rose Gold Palette. Although, I think quality-wise, this PMG Bronze Seduction eye palette feels a bit of a step up among all those palettes mentioned. As for the quality of its glittery shades, they definitely reminded me of the glittery ones from Tom Ford Cream + Powder Eye Color (seen HERE).

Overall, I highly recommend this Pat McGrath Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow Palette. I think out of all the PMG eye palettes out there, this is probably the best one in terms of color coherence and each shade is truly beautiful and universally wearable, apart from looking very unique. My eye makeup looks stunning whenever I wear this and this lasts the whole day without smudging. However, I still recommend that you use a lid primer when using this palette so as to make sure that your eye makeup stays put no matter what the situation calls for. If you’re going to have just one Pat McGrath eyeshadow in your life, this has got to be the one since this will bring out the best in your eyes.

The Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow is currently available at Sephora and Bergdorf Goodman

What’s your favorite PMG Eyeshadow palette?