Impulse Cosmetics Review and Swatches

Okay. First of all, I would like to say that Indie cosmetics, in my experience, have been AWESOME, but there has been some drama surrounding certain companies (and former companies) due to customer service issues and repackaging of TKB micas as eyeshadows. This is just something to be aware of, because independant cosmetic companies are often comprised of one or two women working out of their homes, and some are more legit than others. Before buying from an indie company, it is always a good idea to do a bit of research to decide if you want to support them or not. You can also find some different photos of swatches to give you a better idea of what products look like, because it can be a bit hard to tell from their webstore exactly what you're getting.

(Photo from Impulse Cosmetics Facebook page)

I have been very fortunate (thanks to Google searching heehee!) to have had NOTHING BUT GOOD EXPERIENCES FROM INDIE COSMETIC BRANDS. This is because I avoid companies that have scary customer reviews. While I generally believe in giving the benefit of the doubt, I don't want to waste my money. Some of you will understand why LimeCrime, for example, will never see a cent from me, despite how interesting some of their lipstick shades are.

We don't need LimeCrime anyway! Have you seen what companies like My Beauty Addiction,
Sweet Pea and Fay, Impulse Cosmetics, and Fyrinnae have created?!

Ahh, Impulse Cosmetics....

First of all, they have to most amazing, unique, long-wearing, awesome lip colours I've ever ever ever ever used EVER.
Another thing I'd like to say is that paying shipping sucks. This is why I got a couple of friends who wanted to order from Impulse purchase with me: so we could divide the shipping three ways. So no, sadly, this is not all mine.

THESE are mine!

Glam Glue is an eye base with Shea and Cocoa butters, which makes me happy. I only use a tiny but because too much makes the shadows crease. It helps to use UDPP underneath it. The foamy stuff you see on the surface is probably because it was made in a kitchen, emulsified at high heat with an immersion blender, so bubbles formed while the product was still hot. I guessed this because I make my own lotions and soaps and stuff and the same thing happens to me if I don't let the product cool to 100 degrees F before pouring it into the jars.
Cost: 5.50 USD

Bellatrix is a raspberry red with a craaazy blue and pink shift. I've never seen anything quite like it before.
Cost: 3.99 USD

 Ghoul's Night Out is a warm violet with lots of red and bronze in it, and a flash of cold shimmer. Yum!
Cost: 3.99 USD

 The Huntsman is a deep bronzy cold with green, yellow, and aqua sparkle....zomg.
Cost: 3.99 USD

Bombshell is a watermelon red/pink, with a touch of orange tone. It is MATTE. This thing just did not want to get off of my lips. In the swatch down below, I didn't use my usual UDPP on my lips first, it was just to see how the colour looked on me. I actually love it. It did settle a little in the tiny cracks in my lips, but I've found that happens a lot less if you apply less product. These are super pigmented, and you don't need to layer it on over and over like a drugstore brand lipstick, which are cut with tons of silicone, glycerine, and probably whale fat, too. It's easiest to apply with a brush because they come in classic lipbalm casing (which probably helps keep cost down). I really wish I picked up more lipsticks. Needless to say, I'll be ordering from Impulse again!
Cost: 6.99 USD

Swatcherinos :)

 The eyeshadows are in loose form with a sifter, and I was SHOCKED to find that I could use them as pigments (applied wet) and as regular shadow without much fallout!! I tried them on my eyes with the Glam Glue from Impulse (and UDPP as awlays) and they stuck to it like spitballs on a geek. *Shudder from middle school memories*

Drool....

I used a bit of cherry red lipliner with Bombshell and I am now in love.

Overall, I am very impressed with the eyeshadows and the lipsticks. We placed a fairly big order while they were having a sale, and it still got to my door in under two weeks. This is one happy customer who will return!!!!

Sephora Brush Set!

For Christmas, my mom got me this travel brush kit from Sephora...

Merry Christmas Lizzie!

 It contains 5 brushes.

1,2,3,4,5, everybody in the car so come on let's ride!

 Closeups!

Powder Brush

Powder Brush handle

The powder brush is about the same size as the average blush brush. The reason I really like this size for a powder brush rather than the usual jumbo brush is because I can easily apply any kind of powder to crevices of my face; particularly around my nose. The fact that it is flat enables me to gently pat the powder on then blend, rather than brush it all over my face and potentially smear my foundation at the same time... The bristles are very soft.

Eyeshadow Brush

Eyeshadow Brush handle

I have a similar brush like this from Sephora, but with a red handle. The bristles are very soft, and I LOVE it for packing on colour. I specifically use it for pigments because it helps disperse the product smoothly onto the skin, and for super bright colours. It also helps blend out the edges so nicely. I honestly wish I had 10 of these.

My mom says "Waddya need so many brushes for! You only have two eyes!"

Smudge brush

Handle

 This smudgie brush works very well for smudging out creamy eyeliners on the upper and lower lashes. It is also useful for applying darker or coloured eyeshadows to those areas. This one is not itchy like many smudge brushes are.

AWESOME FLUFFY CREASE BRUSH

... and handle

 This might be my favorite brush of the set. It is fluffy, soft, yet firm. This is the best brush I have for blending out eyeshadow in my crease. I can also apply medium-dark colours to my outer corners. Blending is an extremely important part of eyeshadow application, and a good brush is just as important. I actually LOVE it.

Angled liner brush

handle

 This brush is pretty versatile in terms of detailed application product. It is great for lining the eyes with gel or liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow, and for filling in the brows. I also like it for creating a cut-crease or double-winged eyeliner. The bristles are smooth and firm.

 This retails for 42$, though my mom says she paid much more than that. Sephora says it is an 88$ value. Overall, I think around 50-ish is reasonable for 5 brushes. The handles are fairly long for travel-size. It is a really nice kit for beginners.

Please send any requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca

MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

I was on a mission.
...and then I got sidetracked by this awesome colour.

After years of seeing it used in makeup tutorials, I finally decided to purchase satin taupe eyeshadow from MAC.

MAC satin taupe eyeshadow

I expected a taupe-grey colour similar to Urban Decay's mushroom, and while they look different in the pan, they apply similarly. Satin taupe has more of a mauve kind of undertone to it, and its finish is satin-shimmer. Mushroom is darker, more grey, and much more shimmery, so it looks lighter when applied.

Here it is!

Colour payoff is really nice, but I generally don't reach for my MAC shadows as much as some of my other favourites. That may change now.

Swatch with flash

Swatch without flash

The only thing I had trouble with was that this colour faded a bit by the end of the day. I sometimes have this problem with certain MAC shadows. And yes I used primer!

Overall, this colour is very pretty and would suit practically any skin tone, depending on how you use it.
I got the refill pan at MAC for 13.50$.

Urban Decay Primer Potion VS. Too Faced Shadow Insurance

My very first eyeshadow primer was Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It was shortly after I had seen my first makeup tutorial on YouTube by MissJessicaHarlow. It was a gorgeous green smokey eye look, and I was completely hooked. I've been obsessed by everything related to makeup ever since.

Similar in length

In the video, she used Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Every time I window shopped at Sephora I would stare at TFSI with drool on my mouth. Alas, it made my wallet fearful. So one day, I picked up UDPP on a whim instead because at the time, it was less expensive. I had never even heard of it until after I bought it.

I must say, I fell in love!!! It was my first experience wearing eyeshadow that lasted for any length of time. On one new years eve, I had done my makeup for a family party, and I was booked for a flight to Cuba at 6 am on the 1st. I didn't bother going to sleep that night, and when we finally landed in Cuba that afternoon, my mom asked me when I had done my makeup. When I replied "yesterday", she couldn't believe how flawlessly it had lasted! Neither could I. I have oily eyelids yet my makeup did not crease at all. It never has any other time I used it.

You can see where the bottle chipped :(

I bought it in the original packaging which was similar to a lip gloss tube. This was not ideal because the wand could not reach all of the product on the inside edges of the tube. I ended up wasting a lot of product also because the tube itself was made of a softer plastic and little pieces shipped off. Lots of primer dried up.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Close-up

Eventually, after watching hundreds of xsparkage videos, I decided to try TFSI out. I liked it more than I thought I would. It was more moisturizing than UDPP, and I felt like it was a bit smoother, too. Maybe even easier to apply and blend it into the skin, and the eyeshadow too. However, it is much thinner than UDPP, and I feel like its barrier between my skin and my eye makeup is not as strong. The oils in my skin wore through it after a few hours, but once it started to crease even a little, that was as bad as it got.

New packaging of Urban Decay Primer Potion

More product...hopefully not to be wasted

So I bore minor creasing for around a year. This is my first tube, and it still has about half the product left in it.

Then, Urban Decay did a Wonderful thing... They redesigned their packaging!!! *APPLAUSE*

Hello!

It is similar to the TFSI tube, but fatter. The hole is larger in the UDPP, so I have to be careful not to squeeze out too much product.
UDPP contains 0.37 oz and retails for 19$. That means 0.01947 oz per dollar.
TFSI contains 0.35 oz and retails for 18$. That means 0.01944 oz per dollar. Urban Decay gives you (hardly) more for your money.
 I have read on Musings of a Muse's blog that the product may dry up faster in the new packaging because air is being pumped into it. Somehow, I think this is more true for a lip gloss-styled tube. Only time will tell which is true. So far, the squeeze tube is very convenient and I already love the product itself.

Victory is yours, UDPP!

Overall, I think Urban Decay wins on this one. My eyeshadow lasts for an obscene amount of time when I use it, and that is really all I need my primer to do. I may continue to use my TFSI in the winter and on other people because it is more moist, but for heavy-duty wear, UDPP is the best for me. For dryer and more mature skin, TFSI might work better.
UDPP is available on Urban Decay's website for 19$.
TFSI is available on the Too Faced website for 18$.

MAC Dazzlesphere! Berry Ornament Review

I love shimmer. Everyone who knows me and knows I love makeup recognizes this fundamental need I have. It can sometimes turn into a problem because makeup, like everything else in life, costs money.

And I am cheap.

Sometimes, to torture myself, I wander into MAC or Sephora or Inglot and play with the gorgeous colours I find in there. I'd been dreaming about these fantastically pretty pigments for a while, waiting for a makeup artist friend of mine to come to MAC with me so I could get a discount. Sadly it never happened, so I took it upon myself to purchase them on a whim.
The whole "limited edition" thing really did give me a sense of urgency and I felt like I would be losing something if I left them there.

I hate how the cosmetic industry has that hold on me.

Awesomely shiny spherical packaging

Hello, Dazzlesphere Berry Ornament!!!                           

Here is what MAC has to say about this product:

DAZZLESHPERE! BERRY ORNAMENT X 4: Adding spice to our couture-future ornament: two shades of Roasted Chestnut and Spicy Smoke. Add Pearl and Rose Light to this mini-set of four stackable Crush Metals and see how brilliant your looks can be. Gift yourself! Limited edition.

To start off, these are extremely well pigmented. The shimmer itself is more prominent than the undertone of each colour itself, but applied wet, these look almost like glitter and the colour becomes more vibrant.

Urban Decay’s primer potion is my go-to primer, but I knew that these would need something more binding to stick to because they are very loose and sparkles just flew everywhere. I tried using my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil inStrawberry Milk on top of UDPP to get the product to stick, but it caked up when I brushed it on because my skin would fold ever so slightly, and this created gaps in the application. It looked better when I packed it on, but foiling the pigment worked best for a smoother texture on my lids.

 I love the colours in this pigment stack! They are warm-toned berry shades, hence the name, and I find them versatile.

Pearl on top, Rose Light on the bottom

blah blah blah 6 grams

Pearl

Rose Light

Spicy Smoke on top, Roasted Chestnut on the bottom

yadda yadda crushed metallic pigment

Spicy Smoke is redder and not as dark in real life

Roasted Chestnut is more bronze in real life

 Here are some swatches:

Pearl, Rose Light swatched dry

Spicy Smoke, Roasted Chestnut swatched dry

 

Crooked lid

The packaging does not feel very sturdy. Like my Lise Watier pigment in Folie Blanche, the clear plastic feels brittle, like it might crack easily. Folie Blanche certainly did. Also, it is not exactly easy to screw the lid back on without pigment spilling out. I had to unscrew and re-screw it on very gently and precisely to it didn’t have a gap for potential spillage. Folie Blanche also has this problem.
I’m also not sure how I feel about the top jar acting as a lid for the bottom jar. Being extremely clumsy, I tend to drop lids as I unscrew them because I often do my makeup in a hurry. It is obviously not good for the “lid” to fall if it contains 6 grams of product I paid around 40$ for.

I know it seems like I have a lot more complaints than compliments about this product, but I must remember to focus on qualities that are more important to me. In a loose eyeshadow, I mainly look for great pigmentation and a decent amount of product for my money. I bought these for 38$ and some change, plus tax. Divided by 4 pigments, they cost me less than 10$ each, which is more than I can say for my Sugarpill Chromalusts, which retail for 12$ each for only 4grams of shadow.
Plus shipping.

So overall, I do really like these. It just takes a teensy bit of experimenting to make them work, and I’m sure it would be different for everybody. Wetting my brush happened to work best for me when using it. Plus, the shimmer is sooooo pretty!!!!! They also sell a blue-themed stack, a purple one, and various lip products in spheres.

I like you

These retail for 32.50 on MAC’s website and in MAC stores, but I paid around 38.50 plus tax because I live in Canada.
Please send all requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca

Urban Decay Naked Palette

It was boxing day.
There was no sale.
I was probably the last human being on Earth who did not possess this divine creation.

But NO LONGER!

Is it not beautiful?

Yes. The Naked palette from Urban Decay.
This thing came out a loooong time ago, I know, but being forbidden to purchase any makeup, I could not get it until now. Sorry, mom.
Of course, now would be the time or Urban Decay to come out with the Naked 2 palette.

On the back of the box

I must admit that I do have many neutral shades in my collection. I got the Alice in Wonderland palette from Urban Decay when it came out, and Sin came with it, so I now have 2 of those.
Generally, though, I am very happy with the colour palette because there really is something for everyone. Should come in handy when doing other peoples' makeup!


12 beautiful shades

 And  now for some closeups...



Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar




Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse



Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

 I shall swatch soon.
Here is what Urban Decay has to say about the palette:

Everybody wants to look good NAKED! Far from a group of boring beige shadows, Naked Palette's long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals, including FIVE NEW shades, and includes our pro-quality Good Karma Shadow Brush.

 

I know Virgin, Darkhorse, Buck and Naked are exclusive to the palette but I'm not sure about the other one. I got the one with the synthetic brush, not the duo Whiskey-Zero eyeliner. It also came with a mini-UDPP, which I LOVE! The mirror also makes it very convenient for travel.

Shadow Brush

Nice, soft bristles

Oooh, intimidating!

My only problem with this palette is the packaging... It is velvety and beautiful, but I can see it getting filthy quickly. At least it isn't terribly heavy like their Book of Shadows palettes.

 

Overall, I like it! I happily welcome this product to my kit. I can see it coming in handy in some great emergency. The shades are well pigmented, which is not unusual for Urban Decay, and I really like the wide range of neutrals in the palette.

This is available in Sephora locations and online for 48$. Being in Canada, I payed 58$ for it. :( I will cherish it!

Please send any requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca