Lorac Mega Pro 2 Palette Review & Swatches

Lorac Mega Pro 2 for Holiday 2015, Ulta Exclusive ($59)

For Holiday 2015, Lorac Cosmetics decided to give fans a second chance at purchasing a Mega Pro. No, they did not re-promote the same palette that was notoriously hard to purchase last year because of its very limited quantity - instead they compromised on making a second one. Behold, the Lorac Mega Pro 2 Palette is here! The good news is that it appears this palette has even more color range and is a nice mix of cool and warm-toned shades than last years. I give you the full scoop in my detailed review.

The palette costs $59 and is an ULTA exclusive. The packaging has that powdered cardboard feel (reminiscent of NARS, the powerhouse company that pioneered it) which is nice and sleek but can get dirty with fingerprints and stains. The palette has the same size as last year's (it's exactly twice the size of the Lorac Pro 1 or 2 palettes).

However, it is of note that Lorac reduced the quantity of eyeshadow housed in each pan to 2/3 of last year's palette! WOW that's a lot! You're getting 1/3rd less product for the same price ($59). The total net weight of product in the Mega Pro 1 palette was 0.62 OZ and for the Mega Pro 2 palette  it is 0.45 OZ. The pans must be more shallow because they *appear* to be the same size when placed side by side.

Now onto the shade selection:

Lorac Mega Pro 2 Shade Range

In good ol' Lorac fashion, we are getting half the palette as matte shades (16 eyeshadows) and the other half are a mixture of finishes including shimmer, metallic and some have just a slight sheen (16 eyeshadows).

The colors range from many versions of light colors (mostly yellow based and a couple of pinker tones), to a variety of transition shades (mostly browns), a couple of color accents (Purple, Tangerine, Goji). There are also a variety of smokier shades (namely Forest, Black Ivy, Ash, etc). You'll also find some very unique shades in this palette - such as Goji, Olivine, Prosecco, Forest, Ash which I can't easily find dupes for in my vast collection.

First Row L to R: Porcelain, Custard, Tawny, Burlap (double swatch!), Melon, Tangerine, Saddle, Forest
Second Row L to R: Bisque, Lavender, Purple, Sorbet, Goji, Cabernet, Ash, Black
Third Row L to R: Sugar, Chiffon, Prosecco, Soft Plum, Cinnamon, Sandstone, Gunmetal, Blue Quartz
Fourth Row L to R: Moonlight, Seashell, Peony, DK. Sienna, Penny, Olivine, Gold Leaf, Black Ivy

After swatching the colors, I was as usual very impressed with their smoothness and pigmentation. They pack a big punch and you only need to dab your brush in very lightly to pick  up plenty of product for your eye look. However, some have complained that they are crumbly - in my opinion this is more a review of Lorac Pro shadows in general rather than it being representative of just this palette. I have no problem working with any of the other Lorac Pro or Mega Pro palettes, and if you are the same, you won't have an issue with Lorac Mega Pro 2! I was almost afraid to purchase this due to the negative YouTube reviews on it - I'm here to tell you that it'll be just fine as long as you don't dig your brush into the colors or smash your palette around.

For reference, I've included some photos of the Lorac Mega Pro 1

Lorac Mega Pro 1 for Holiday 2014 (Amazon and Lorac exclusive)

Do you need this palette?

If you like some of the unique colors offered by the Lorac Mega Pro 2 and you know that you're already happy with the Lorac Pro eyeshadow formula, then I suggest you purchase it. If you're looking for something to create a wide variety of colorful looks, then this palette shouldn't even be a consideration because all of the shades will have a somewhat subdued look once applied and blended out on your eye. This is a very work-appropriate eyeshadow color range and you can give it some punch if you're going out for the night but it's not going to really do the trick for bold colors like Urban Decay or Kat Von D eyeshadow would.

If you have the Lorac Mega Pro 1 Palette from last year, like I do, then you should examine the shade range and decide if there is enough difference between the two palettes to justify the purchase. I personally did not find any dupes between the two Mega Pro palettes, although the lighter shades can be blended to look very similar.

I'm a collector of eyeshadow palettes but because I have so many, I pick and choose the ones which contain the formulas of eyeshadows I prefer working with. The Lorac Pro eyeshadows are ones I prefer over their regular formulation (as seen in the Unzipped palettes), I also gravitate towards Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadows (which have a similar powdery texture and lots of color payoff), and Kat Von D eyeshadows (again, similar texture). If you're like me and enjoy those products, then get this one as a holiday treat for yourself!

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Cream Shadow - Extreme Shimmer (Nude Eyes)

Physicians Formula has released their new line-up and it consists of some brand new goodies. I'm excited to show you these gel shimmer pots which have flashy new packaging and a different consistency. I'm so happy to see glitter and shimmer come back with a bang for Spring 2015. These are a little pricey, retailing for $14.99 at my local CVS, but you are getting 3 pots which makes them roughly $5.00 each.

The outer packaging is a rose gold shade with a glittery cap, which couldn't possibly appeal to me more than it does. At first glance the shade on the left and the one in the middle looked awfully similar, but under studio lighting I could tell that the nude shade in the middle was more pinkish and beige, with the leftmost one clearly being more of a highlighting shade.

The shades have names on the exterior product packaging but it is not printed anywhere on the gel shadow pots. The consistency of these Extreme Shimmer gels is almost like a cross between a gel and mousse but they don't "sink in" when you dip your finger in but they do seem to have some bounce.

For full opacity, I ran my fingers through the gel shadow pots and swirled them around about 3 times to get the most full coverage swatches. These are packed with shimmer (just as the packaging states) but it is in the way of a mostly metallic base and chunks of glitter throughout the product. The worst color payoff came from the lightest shade "Champagne" which was more predominantly glittery and the base shade didn't show through as well as the others.

I wouldn't suggest this product for those with oily eyelids as it is a gel product which makes them stay rather creamy and it can cause creasing and slippage. You can use a thicker eyeshadow primer to help increase the staying power and minimize the creasing of these.

My favorite way to use these Extreme Shimmer Gel Cream Shadows is by using regular powder eye shadows as my transition and crease shades and then accenting my eyelids with a pop of glitter by using 1 or 2 of the Extreme Shimmer Gel Cream Shadows.

ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Set (Holiday 2014) Review

I've been dying to try the Holiday 2014 ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Palette but was unable to find them in stock anywhere but at a local beauty supply retailer and they just happened to have BOGO on all holiday items, BONUS (so of course I just picked up 2 of these just in case I needed a backup, haha). It was such an amazing deal, for $5 you get this large-ish contour palette consisting of a highligher, blush and bronzer - and if that wasn't enough they even throw in an angled blush brush!

So of course, now I have it here for you for review.... for science!

ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Palette and Brush for Holiday 2014

The quantity of each product seems to be comparable to the full-sized blush singles from ELF, so it's quite a decent size. The packaging is sleek and simple and quite frankly, I love the clear window that lets me see the products inside (I have enough dark or opaque compacts to open as it is so it's nice to see the color of the powders clearly).

The bristles of the brush hair are a little too rough for my taste and they seem somewhat scratchy on the delicate skin of the face. I don't know about you guys but my skin is like paper so I can get red and irritated very quickly! I really would have bought this product without the brush, but I guess if you don't have that many brushes, this is a nice add-on bonus.

Close-up of ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Palette for Holiday 2014

Here's a close-up of the products, you can see that the bronzer is a matte, fairly light-toned shade (I don't think this would work well for darker skinned ladies, and I'm even skeptical about it working on medium gals). The blush is a shimmery peach - I know the finish is not everyone's cup of tea but I like it when my face looks like a happy disco ball! The highlighter is a pinkish hued satin finish with finely milled shimmer particles. 

Swatches of ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Palette for Holiday 2014

My photo above of the swatches came out very true to color and I think it's safe to assume that if you were to swatch these on your fingers, you would see the same results. Unfortunately, ELF did not come out with variations of this Contour Palette, which would have been very nice - so I really don't think this particular iteration is suitable for much more than fair to olive skin tones. 

I also want to point out that if you do not like your bronzer to lean orange even slightly, this set won't be for you. I happen to be very fair skinned (MAC NC15) and this trio just happened to work well but even for me the bronzer was a tad orange, especially paired with the tangerine-peach blush.

ELF Cheeky Glow Contour Palette for Holiday 2014 Applied to Face

The highlighter was noticeable but not too bright or overbearing so this is something I could see myself wearing on a regular basis but I might pair it up with another bronzer. As I mentioned before, I like the blush, it is almost a dupe for NARS Orgasm.

Don't mind my watery eyes in the photo, I was experiencing some allergies but still wanted to take a snapshot to show you what the product looked like on.

I hope ELF continues to make these more than just on a Limited Edition basis because the quality was definitely there but the shade selection could be expanded. I would love to see a taupe-leaning bronzer and a pink/red-based blush for a more natural flush.

Have you tried out this palette? What do you think?

Anastasia Beverly Hills: Tamanna Palette Holiday 2014 (Review & Swatches)

If you saw my preview post on the Tamanna Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills right after its release, you'll know that I am such a huge fan of this international makeup artist series by the brand. I own all of the other palettes from this collection (Amrezy and Maya Mia) and I did a pretty in depth comparison of the colors in the Tamanna palette compared to the others (and even to the Lavish palette).

I couldn't help myself and purchased this on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website when I saw it had already sold out at ULTA and Sephora! That was pretty fast considering this is supposed to be the Holiday 2014 palette from the brand. The best part about this palette is that it is so inexpensive at only $29 with free shipping!! YOWZA!

The packaging on the palette was chosen by +DressYourFace aka Tamanna and she chose an Eastern-inspired print, which reminds me of a floral damask, it's really stunning, specifically in the gold and burgundy shades she chose. As a gift, this is absolutely precious and anyone would be thrilled to receive it! The packaging is the same size and shape as the Amrezy and Maya Mia palettes from this same set.

I must admit the colors that jumped out at me and the reasons that I purchased this palette were: Venezia, Gilded, Sangria and China Rose (obviously the most "colorful" and impactful in the pan. 

You also receive the same dual-ended eyeshadow brush that came with all the other palettes. One side is great for packing on eyeshadow (left) and the other side is good for fine detail crease work (right side). This brush is perfectly usable and great for applying makeup on the run.

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Tamanna Palette - Holiday 2014 - Top Row Swatches

After swatching the colors, I was less impressed by the intensity of Venezia, which actually required some building up and was a little bit less pigmented than Aqua from the Maya Mia Palette. Overall, the performance was good and consistent with other ABH eyeshadow palettes. I do think that their eyeshadow formula has improved over time and I was extremely impressed with Blush, Gilded and Custom. Custom was the standout shade and is a nice taupe shimmer, of which I cannot recall owning too many in my vast collection (bonus!).

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Tamanna Palette - Holiday 2014 - Bottom Row Swatches

The second row had two major performers, which were Bengal and China Rose. Bengal achieves full opacity very quickly and doesn't require building up whereas China Rose is a beautiful crease topper that provides just the right amount of sheen to any look. Sangria was a little less pigmented on the eye than it appears in the swatch but it performed well. Chocolate is a strong pigment that stains the skin a little so you have to be careful with placement or you can make your look appear muddy. Noir was the poorest performing shade because I found it a little bit too powdery and when applied in thicker layers it tended to fly off the eye a little (I'm a bigger fan of LBD from the Amrezy palette).

5 Get The Look Cards featuring Tamanna's eyeshadow creations with her palette

It's nice that the set includes five "Get The Look" cards, which is a trend ABH began doing with the Maya Mia palette. These are probably the most thorough look cards that any company produces with very precise instructions and detailed, high-res photographs! You get a nice variety of daytime to evening looks.

The backs of 5 Get The Look Cards from the ABH Tamanna palette

Here are the steps listed on the back of the cards to give you a good idea of the amount of detail that goes into each one.

I absolutely love this palette, it's great for a variety of holiday and even every day looks, I like that there's a nice variety of pops of color as well as basic neutrals mixed in. The palette also consists of various shades ranging from ultra matte to shimmer which allow for even more diversity when used. Overall there are 6 shimmer shades and 4 mattes in the palette.

Do you own this palette? Will you be purchasing it? Let me know your thoughts and if you have any questions about this wonderful holiday gift.

Too Faced Melted Longwear Lipstick in Melted Marshmallow

Too Faced Melted Longwear Lipstick in Melted Marshmallow

For a long time I have resisted getting on the hype train of the Melted Lipsticks from Too Faced because I had swatched them in Sephora and none of the colors were appealing to me. That all changed, however, when I came across Melted Marshmallow a couple of weeks ago. 

Melted Marshmallow is a beautiful blue-based pink shade but it does have some yellow tone to it as well (this may not be a great shade for you if you struggle with anything that makes your teeth appear more yellow). A similar shade of this lipstick is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan, they are even quite similar in consistency and the matte finish they leave on your lips. This lipstick is easy to wear, it is neither drying nor hydrating, but I didn't find that the wear time was quite as long as expected - obviously during drinking and eating, this will fade and disappear off your lips. If you're just going about your day without consuming any foods or playing with your lips too much, it will probably last a good 4-5 hours.

Too Faced Melted Longwear Lipstick in Melted Marshmallow

Can we talk about the packaging for a minute? It feels so luxurious, almost like if a high-end lipgloss and prestige lipstick had a baby. This is a very giftable item and I wouldn't be ashamed to re-apply it in public (not that you'll really have to do that much).

Swatch of Too Faced Melted Longwear Lipstick in Melted Marshmallow

Instead of a doe-foot applicator, Too Faced opted for this puffy sponge tip which has four points through which you can squeeze out the formula. I actually really like this because it seems more hygenic to me than using a doe-foot applicator and then always putting the bacteria from the wand back into the product when you put it away.

This swatch was creating with one swipe, the formula is super opaque and you can easily get the desired amount of coverage, I really didn't feel the need to layer this product on.

Too Faced Melted Longwear Lipstick in Melted Marshmallow

You can see in the lip swatch that there was some settling in the fine lines of my lips and scars (don't judge me, I fell out of a toy truck when I was a baby...), which makes it pretty important that you apply it over moisturize lips (I doubt this particular shade and formula is very attractive on chapped lips). When this lipstick wears off, it does ball up a little bit but it's not something that becomes noticeable except you can feel the texture on your lips. This shade is out of my usual comfort zone of medium reds and plums, but I love it so much that I vow to wear it regularly!

Too Faced Melted Kisses Set

If you're looking for a holiday set to give someone who would absolutely love this product, check out the Too Faced Melted Kisses Set for Holiday 2014, which contains 4 deluxe-sized tubes (Nude, Peony, Berry, and Fuschia) from the permanent collection of the Melted Longwear Lipstick line and retails for just $25. As of the date and time of this post, this set is sold out at Sephora, ULTA, and on the Too Faced website, but you can find it at the link I posted through Amazon.

Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks (Review & Swatches)

The Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks are something I initially tried out this past summer and now every time I see a display, I know I've got to pick up a new color. I am featuring the shades Dare To Be Nude, Natural Beauty and Wear Berries (pictured bottom to top on the photo above).

These lipsticks are comfortable to wear, moisturizing in a pinch, and easy to apply for a very flattering look no matter which color you choose. It's not a stretch for me to say that these are my most-used and most-loved lipsticks especially since they're kind of a no-brainer to apply (you don't need to use a balm or exfoliate your lips before, or even wear a liner). I find that the darker colors even have staining properties and fade off very nicely throughout the day if I don't re-touch.

The best part is that these lipsticks are very affordable, retailing for only $2.99 each.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Dare To Be Nude

The Dare to Be Nude shade is a neutral nude shade which doesn't lean cool or warm. I really like the creamy smooth application of this lipstick as I've had other nudes which apply much more patchy and I just can't seem to convince myself to wear them. After having worn this lipstick on multiple occasions, this is my go-to nude and this is coming from a girl that really tends to be scared of them.

I've inserted a photo of a lip swatch from the other day so you can see what Dare To Be Nude looks like on my lips. I found it to be very creamy and comfortable to wear and it lasted 6 hours through eating and drinking.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Natural Beauty

 The first shade I picked up from this range is Natural Beauty and I think this is the perfect every day shade, especially for more fair-skinned girls, it gives me a "my lips but better" appearance. It's a medium blue-toned peachy red. I am really a huge fan of this shade, and if you don't pick any other color up from this product line, I highly recommend that you get this one. The consistency is buttery, the lasting power is great and I'm highly addicted to this shade, so much so that it is always in my purse!

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Wear Berries

The shade Wear Berries is a little more bold and perfect for the fall - I always lean more towards mauves/plums/berries and terracotta shades for the fall. Wear Berries is a light fuchsia violet shade, equally as comfortable to wear as the previous colors. 

Here's a lip swatch of me wearing Wear Berries recently and you can see how beautifully it reflects light and applies smoothly, looking almost like a second-skin rather than a layer of makeup. 

Swatches of Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks

Here are swatches of all of the shades in Natural and Ambient Light, the coverage is fully opaque with just one swipe and becomes even more intense in color with further swipes.

Colors of Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks

Here are all of the colors offered by Essence in the Long Lasting Lipstick product line. In Canada, you can purchase these at Shoppers Drug Mart in the dedicated Essence display. In the US, you can purchase these from ULTA.

Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Brush Set (only at Target) - Review & Photos

 

Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Sets are on sale now at Target, for approximately 40-50% off, depending on the location. I picked up the Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Brush Set and this is my first impression of the product as well as a review of how these brushes perform after having used them for about a week. This set normally retails for $39.99 but I picked mine up for $27 during the clearance sale.

The brush set comes with 15 brushes and features a wide array of brushes, I can't even think of any others which you may need to complete your beauty routine, this is an all-inclusive set. The purple bristles, golden ferrules, aubergine weighted handles, and golden cap bottoms make them look very elegant and high end.

Let's start by reviewing everybody's favorites: the eye brushes. From right to left, the set contains: a large blending brush, a medium crease blending brush, a small crease brush and a flat eyeshadow brush. The flat eyeshadow brush is ideal for packing color onto the lid. The medium crease blending brush is great for applying a crease transition shade and the small crease brush is wonderful for targeted application of a crease shade.The large blending brush is for feathering out your shadows after application to achieve a seamless look. All of these brushes perform as well as any higher end brushes I own.

You also receive, from left to right, an eyebrow spoolie, a flat lipliner/eyebrow/small shadow brush, an angled liner/eyebrow brush, and a pointed shadow liner brush. I like to use the flat lipliner/eyebrow/small shadow brush (not its technical name) to apply powder to my eyebrows, and the angled brush is ideal for applying gel eyeliner. The pointed shadow liner brush is great for getting color just under the lower lashline, this has been my primary use for it. 

These are two very conventional brushes, one is a larger powder brush and the other is a blush brush, I use them as the names suggest and am very pleased with the results. The blush brush is the ideal size to cover the apples of my cheeks and up to my temples.

The dense brushes in this set are a an angled foundation/powder brush and a buffing brush. I use the angled brush to apply my foundation, but it does not provide the smoothest of finishes, so I go back over my liquid foundation with the buffing brush to make it seamlessly blend into my skin. Both of these brushes also perform very well with powders.

This contour brush is worth the purchase of this whole set, it is a dupe of the NARS Ita brush (which is a single brush that costs $55!) - I can tell you that it is varied from it in the sense that it is more densely packed, has a larger thickness and has slightly shorter bristles. I use this brush to deepen my contour after using a larger brush to apply a contour transition shade.

These are the liquid/cream brushes which are best used as a foundation brush and small concealer brush. I like using these with thick products because they provide a very precise application while not letting product drip all over my face. Ideally I find that these apply concealer well under my eyes and on spots. 

Overall, I think this purchase is a great buy, the brushes don't bleed when you wash them although I do suspect that they will start to fade a little bit after multiple washes. There is also no hair fall-out from these brushes, they are dense and stay that way through continued usage - so they are nice quality overall, especially for their value (they were less than $2 each for what I paid!).

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Terra Crave

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Terra Crave

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, then you'll know that I love the formula of the Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains. For my money, these are the least expensive and best quality chubby stick balm stains on the market. I think the quality far surpasses that of the NYC or Wet 'N Wild equivalent. These chubby sticks are long-wearing, deeply moisturizing and provide a nice amount of pigmentation without being too overwhelming. These are the perfect combination of color and moisture.

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Terra Crave

Terra Crave is a beautiful terracotta medium red shade with a slight tings of orange. In the entire shade range, this stands out to me as a very autumnal shade which is akin to the color of turning leaves. This is a very multi-purpose terracotta color which can be worn day or night for a "your lips but better" look while adding a little bit of a tint to your natural lip shade.

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Terra Crave  - Lip Swatch

You can tell from the application on my lips that the formula is somewhat glossy, but not sparkly, and this is probably due to the fact that it is an intensely moisturizing formula. The color is build-able so you can intensify it if you feel the need or wear it more muted.

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains

I wanted to compare Terra Crave to the other shades of Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains that I own so you can see the difference.

Swatches of Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains

Tropical Frenzy is a medium bright pink, Candied Coral is an intense neon coral, Cranberry Crush is a berry purple rose shade, and Terra Crave is a terracotta reddish brown. The moisturizing shiny finish is consistent throughout the range and all of these apply equally smoothly.

Terracotta Lip Crayon/Balm Stain Comparison

I also wanted to show you how the Terra Crave shade compares to other similarly colored products on the market. The L'Oreal Glossy Balm and the Urban Decay Super-Saturated Lip Color have a similar finish to the Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains.

Terracotta Lip Crayon/Balm Stain Comparison Swatches

The swatches reveal that the Annabelle Twist Up Lipstick Crayon in Romance is by far the most pink-toned of these shades, while the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Brooklyn is the darkest spice brown shade. 

The Urban Decay Super-Saturated Lip Color in Glinda is the most sheer, being closely duped by the L'Oreal Glossy Balm in Lovely Mocha. 

The Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain in Terra Crave is halfway between the shades of the L'Oreal Glossy Balm and the Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Creme in Thoughtful.

If you're interested in drying spice or terracotta shades for the fall season, I highly recommend the Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain in Terra Crave... the price commitment is so low (at only $2.99 each) and I'm sure you will be impressed by the overall formula of this product line by Jordana. I have tons of Chubby Balm Stains and I reach for these above all of my others on a regular basis! They even have a sweet, candy scent to them which I find extremely pleasant.