Audrey Dao » HE Palette

Stila The Purrfect Cat Eye The Talking Kitten Palette Review, Photos, and Swatches

Audrey Dao — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:41:01 +0000

Stila The Purrfect Cat Eye The Talking Kitten Palette ($39.99) Stila’s revolutionary talking palettes let you take a pro makeup artist with you wherever you go. This four-pan talking palette features everything you need to create the perfect cat eye – including Black Cat eye shadow! Who knew beauty could be so simple? Bonus! The palette also includes a mini slanted eye liner brush and Liquid Eyeliner in Black. All Stila eye shadows can be used wet or dry. Apply shadow with a damp bush to intensify the color.

My Thoughts:

The Stila Purrfect Cat Eye the Talking Kitten Palette includes a talking palette with 4 shadows, a mini eyeliner brush, liquid eye liner, and an instruction booklet.

Mini Eyeliner Brush – Love the mini eyeliner brush! It’s an angled brush that is the about the same length as my index finger. The short handle allows me to get up close to a mirror without having to worry about the handle banging into the mirror with each stroke. It doesn’t give you the thinnest line, but I think it’s great for creating a cat eye.

Eyeshadow Palette – I really like the eyeshadows that are included in the palette. There are 4 shadows in the palette: a base, lid, crease, and liner shadow, and they are labeled so you know which shade is for what. All the shades are pigmented and go on so silky, smooth. I didn’t need a lot for the color to show up. They are all blendable and buildable with decent staying power. I want to stay these shadows are the same size as the individual shadows. However, you cannot take them out of the palette without ruining the palette. Now onto the fun part of the palette: it talks to you! When you push the play button, you hear a woman’s voice explaining to you how and when to apply each shade to get the “purrfect” cat eye. The only downside of the talking palette is that there is no pause button for you to push after each step. I don’t know about you, but I can’t apply makeup as quickly as the the woman speaks. So after you finish one step, you have to push play again to hear the recording all over again to get the next step. It was quite annoying.

Liquid Eyeliner – The liquid liner isn’t the best, but it’s fairly decent. Just remember to shake well before each use to get a solid black color. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a faded black. The long felt tip makes for easy application. The dark black color doesn’t last throughout the the whole. I noticed it faded at the end of the day.

Check out more photos and swatches of the Stila The Purrfect Cat Eye The Talking Kitten Palette! *picture heavy*

Inglot 5 Round Freedom Palette Review, Photos, and Swatches

Audrey Dao — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:10:33 +0000

Inglot 5 Round Freedom Palette ($25)

My Thoughts:

The Inglot Round Freedom Palette allows you to build your own custom palette. The price for each palette depends on the size and shape (all circle or all square or combination of both) of the Freedom Palette you choose. Palette sizes range from 2 product to 10 product slots. Product wise, you can choose from concealers, lip colors, and eye shadows. It’s your own custom palette so you can include whatever products you would like. The palette comes packaged in a box. The cost of each palette includes the cost of the products and the palette. I decided to make a 5 all round eyeshadow palette for $25.

The palette itself is quite heavy and very sturdy. It’s all magnetized so to open the palette, you have to slide the lid off. The magnets in each of the corners are too strong for you to lift the lid. I had no trouble placing each of the shadows into the slots. I feel once the product is in the palette, you can’t get it out because there is no wiggle room for you to slip your nail or something slim in between the palette and the product. I gauged one of the shadows trying. *tear* At least I can’t get my shadows out of the slots. Maybe there is a way, and I don’t know about it.

The products for the Freedom Palette all come individually packaged and wrapped. They don’t have names. Instead, they are numbered. I don’t like the numbering system because it’s more difficult to remember the name of each product. The eyeshadow themselves are pretty good. The finishes are either matte or shimmery. There were a few that were a bit chalky, but for the most part, they are true to color. They all go on very smoothly and last quite awhile. The size of the eye shadows for the Freedom Palette is very similar to the size of MAC shadows. Note: you can’t place Inglot shadows into MAC palettes. I tried. The Inglot shadows won’t magnetize to the MAC Palettes. One tiny complaint I have about the Inglot eye shadows is the fallout. Besides the fallout complaint, overall Inglot shadows are very good. The price is great too! 5 products and palette for $25.

If you have an Inglot near you, you should check them out. Besides eye shadows, concealers, and lip colors, they sell other products too; full-size and palette size. Their products are reasonably priced and good quality too. Click here for a list of Inglot locations.

Check out swatches of the shadows I chose and more photos! [Picture heavy]

I know fallout occurs when you apply the eyeshadow, but I couldn’t get a good enough picture so I had to settle for the fallout on the shadows themselves.

Too Faced Naked Eye Soft and Sexy Eye Shadow Collection Review

Audrey Dao — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:34:38 +0000

Too Faced Naked Eye Soft and Sexy Eye Shadow Collection ($35) A gorgeous collection of 9 essential matte neutrals and soft shimmer eyeshadows, complete with 3 Get-The-Look cards and an applicator tool.

Looking like you rolled out of bed flawless and fabulous is a celebrity secret, and one that careers have been built on! Now, you too can look like you were “born perfect” with this gorgeous collection of naturally nude shadows that will have you looking super neutral yet drop-dead-gorgeous for any occasion. Shhh! Nobody needs to know you didn’t wake up that way.

The collection contains everything you need for a range of on-the-go eye looks in one easy-to-pack palette. The pure-pigment shadows provide a range of essential matte neutrals and soft shimmers for the perfect balance and variety. Plus, Jerrod’s three easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction cards show you how to create the perfect naked eye look for any occasion. This is a kit that will work for shadow novices and makeup addicts alike!

My Thoughts:

I am such a sucker for palettes. I also love palettes that help you match up colors for a beautiful look. This Too Faced palette comes with instruction cards that help you create 3 easy looks. This palette is very similar to the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit. The differences between the 2 palettes are that this palette is more darker than the Natural Eye Kit and features more cooler colors. The shadows in the Naked Eye palette are also more matte than shimmery. I love both kits dearly. If I had to choose between the 2 kits, I would choose the Naked Eye over the Natural Eye. I feel you can create more diverse looks with the Naked Eye than the Natural Eye. The shadows are all long lasting and pigmented. You get what you pay for.

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows Review

Audrey Dao — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:33:16 +0000

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows ($52) Open the palette to reveal a pop-up scene of Alice in the mushroom forest. Her “drink me” bottle discarded, she staggers past towering mushrooms, only to cross paths with a very peculiar, hookah-smoking caterpillar. A large mirror rests behind the scene – you feel as if you are transported into the film itself.

Hidden inside a secret drawer are 16 best-selling Eyeshadows, given topsy-turvy names like White Rabbit, Jabberwocky and Oraculum. Alongside them lie travel sizes of Eyeshadow Primer Potion and two 24/7 Eye Pencils. From smoky neutral eyes to flashes of hallucinogenic green and purple, the looks you can create are as endless as the rabbit hole itself. Anyone who loves Urban Decay, Tim Burton, Disney, or Alice in Wonderland absolutely MUST have this palette. Even the Mad Hatter would say this Book of Shadows delivers it all.

My Thoughts:

I own practically all the shades already so there was really no reason for me to purchase the book of shadows, but I couldn’t resist! I told myself no too! The shades are not new. They were just renamed to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme. If you own the any of the previous book of shadows, Ammo palette, and/or the Sustainable palette, you would already own the majority of the colors in this palette. Here is a chart displaying the real names of the shadows and the ones used in the Alice in Wonderland Palette.

As usual, all the shadows are great quality and perform exceptionally well. The majority of the shades are a bit shimmery, glittery. There are not many matte or semi-matte colors. It’s a great value if you don’t own the colors yet or want to try out Urban Decay eyeshadows. I wish they made new shades or limited edition shades instead of re-naming the ones that already existed.

Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box Review

Audrey Dao — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:29:50 +0000

Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box ($30) Artsy hipsters and makeup junkies rejoice! Urban Decay chose Kime Buzzelli, darling of the LA art scene, to illustrate this amazing Shadow Box inside and out. Kime’s paintings feature wickedly fashionable women… often with brightly colored makeup running down their cheeks. Inspired by these characters, we’ve filled our palette with 6 shadows… all totally wearable, and 2 exclusive to this set: Snatch (peachy-pink with glitter) and Painkiller (turquoise shimmer).

You’ll love the versatility of this set: pick from bright, fashion-forward shades, or go neutral with “9 to 5”-friendly shadows that still give a ton of personality to your look.

Rounding out the set is a travel-sized 24/7 Eye Pencil in never-fail Zero (black), a mini genie bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion (so your makeup won’t run down YOUR cheeks), and a big mirror. This shadow box will make you beautiful AND do wonders for your street cred. Thanks, Kime.

My Thoughts:

I was a bit hesitant to get this palette because the art design on the shadow box scared me. I changed my mind because you can never go wrong with Urban Decay eye shadows. All the shadows perform so well! They’re long-lasting, blendable, and gorgeously smooth. All their shadows are really pigmented. The colors are true to color. What you see is what you get. Do be careful when using Snatch. It is quite glittery. If you’re not used to sparkly glitter, use a light hand. Painkiller (turquoise) and Flash (purple) are very vibrant colors. Mildew (my favorite) is a gorgeous deep green. Toasted (copper) and Smog (dark brown) are great neutrals. Be sure to check out my reviews for the 24/7 eyeliner and Primer Potion.

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief Eye Shadow Palette Reviews

Audrey Dao — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:31:28 +0000

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief 6 Sorceress Eye Shadow Palette ($36) Say “open sesame” and enjoy six bewitching new Eye Shadows: Magnetized, Altered State, White Rabbit, Edge of Dark, Hold My Gaze and Hypnotizing. The sleek, square silvery-pewter compact decorated with a whimsical pattern of coloured dots on the lid, each one representing a shade from the compact’s palette. Limited edition.

My Thoughts:

This palette was love at first sight. I mean look at the colors! It’s even more gorgeous in person. Yes, it’s small, but the colors are so pretty! The range of colors are awesome. The shadows perform just as well as MAC individual shadows: vibrant, pigmented, and lasting. I also love the packaging. Look at it! How cute, right? It’s sleek and a bit heavy, but eye catching. This is my favorite MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief eyeshadow palette.

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief 6 Smoke and Mirrors Eye Shadow Palette ($36) Create illusion with six new shades of Eye Shadow: Fire in Her Eyes, Black Magique, Spell No. 9, Wide-eyed Wonder, Smoke & Mirrors, and Deception. The sleek, square silvery-pewter compact decorated with a whimsical pattern of coloured dots on the lid, each one representing a shade from the compact’s palette. Limited edition.

My Thoughts:

I know. I know. How many smoky eye palettes can you have? Isn’t one enough? The answer? One is never enough! This is perfect to create the perfect warm smoky eye for the holiday season coming up. It won’t be as dramatic as black, but more softer and neutral. I can already tell this will be pretty popular with holiday weddings or weddings in general. The shadows are all pigmented and long lasting. A total must have.

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief 6 Mystic Cool Eye Shadow Palette ($36) Six mystical new shades of Eye Shadow cast their spell: Cool Incantation, Shhh, Don’t Tell, Blue Enchantment, Rose Potion, Deep Secret and Violet Vow. The sleek, square silvery-pewter compact decorated with a whimsical pattern of coloured dots on the lid, each one representing a shade from the compact’s palette. Limited edition.

My Thoughts:

I admit what attracted to me the Mystic Cool Eye Shadow Palette was “Deep Secret” (dark navy/indigo) shadow. It’s gorgeous! Perfect for a smoky eye. Can you tell I’m a tad obsessed with smoky eyes? I’m predicting I will be reaching for this a lot when attending holiday parties. The color will be a lot of pop to your eyes. Again, the shadows are all pigmented and long lasting. Something you can totally depend on.

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief 6 Devil May Dare Warm Eye Shadow Palette ($36) To reflect the devil in you, six new daring, warm-toned shades: Dare Ya, Devilishly Dark, Oh My Darling, Prankster, Sorcery and Gold Tease. The sleek, square silvery-pewter compact decorated with a whimsical pattern of coloured dots on the lid, each one representing a shade from the compact’s palette. Limited edition.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit I was hesitant to get this, because I have quite a number of shadows and palettes that are warm colors. I got it anyways, because I figured I have the others so might as well complete the set or it will nag/bother me. The colors didn’t really jump out at me, but that doesn’t mean the palette isn’t good. It is just as great as the other palettes in the collection. For me, this will be more of a day-at-the-office palette for the fall and winter seasons.

(Photos from Makeup For Life)

Tarte Eye Couture Day To Night Eyeshadow Palette Review

Audrey Dao — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:35:30 +0000

Tarte Eye Couture Day To Night Eyeshadow Palette ($44) Glamorize your eyes with this luxe palette that holds everything you need to go from a soft, simple daytime look to smoldering, smoky eyes for night.

A rich purple quilted palette adorned with a gold lock and key houses 10 eyeshadows (5 in the bronze family and 5 in the charcoal family), a double-ended brush with greatness eyeshadow brush and a double-ended brown and charcoal eyeliner.

My Thoughts:

How adorable is this palette?! I admit what caught my eye was the purple quilted pattern and the gold lock and keys. Not only does it come with 10 eyeshadows (5 in the bronze family and 5 in the charcoal family), a double-ended brush with a great eyeshadow brush and a double-ended brown and charcoal eyeliner, it also comes with how-to insturctions! So, if you need a little help with achieving a look, the helpful instructions are there for you. You can achieve so many looks with this palette. Anything from natural and light to sexy and sultry and everything in between. The shadows themselves are wonderful. They go on smooth and are of great quality. I love how this palette didn’t come with your typical sponge brush, but instead, actual shadow brushes with bristles. Let’s not forget the eyeliner that comes with the palette also. The eyeliner is great! It goes on so smooth and easily. No tugging. Even though the palette is $44, it’s a great investment. It comes with everything you need and is great for traveling.

Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box Plus Primer Set Review

Audrey Dao — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:05:59 +0000

Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box Plus Primer Set ($39) Urban Decay’s 10 best-selling shades, packed into a case that’s a tactile experience on its own. Covered in touchable, matte black paper, the compact features a mesmerizing assortment of UD elements, gently wafting from a pistol in overlapping textures of violet metallic foil and rich velvety flocking. Inside, 10 best-selling shadows are arranged as five sets of coordinating duos, running the gamut from subtle to sexy. The slim case is complete with a perfectly sized mirror, applicators, and a magnetic closure, so it’s sure to stay closed in your handbag.

And any time you use Eyeshadow, you MUST prep your lids with Eyeshadow Primer Potion – unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! Apply Primer Potion to lids before shadow application for eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing. It dries down almost instantly (and invisibly), creating smooth lids that are super-powered eyeshadow magnets.

My Thoughts:

I really love this shadow box. I love it even more, because I was able to find this shadow box with the primer! The Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box normally costs $36. It was a bit of a no brainer for me to shell out the extra $3 and get the full size Urban Decay Primer Potion (orig. price $17) with the shadow box. If you read my review about the Urban Decay Eyeshadows, you will know how much I love them. So to find 10 of the best selling shades in a shadow box was a dream find for me. I use these shadows for a night out because they contain shimmer. I don’t like to shimmer during the daytime.

Too Faced Smoky Eye Palette Review

Audrey Dao — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 07:29:56 +0000

Too Faced Smoky Eye Palette ($34) From superstar celebrity clients to soccer moms and sorority girls, it seems like everyone wants smoky eyes and yet no one knows how to create them! So, Too Faced (Jerrod) has come to the rescue with this professional quality, smoky eye kit that contains everything you need to create sexy, sizzling lids for any occasion and for any age. Included are three, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction cards that allow you to smoke it up for looks to take you from the office or school, straight to the red carpet or runway in a flash. Not to mention the fact that it’s super, duper fun!

My Thoughts:

What a great palette! It comes with 3 easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction cards that make creating the perfect smoky eye quick and simple. The one thing I didn’t like about this palette is that the shadows are not labeled. You don’t know the name of each shadow. The eyeshadows have great pigment to them. I don’t use the green and blue. I’m a little scared of color. It’s not as good as the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit, but it’s still good.

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit Review

Audrey Dao — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:56:25 +0000

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit ($34) The Natural Eye Kit contains everything you need to create the pretty, soft, and slightly sexy “natural eyes” you’ve seen on super models and celebrities and have always wanted to perfect for yourself. The three easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction cards lead you through every fun step to insure a professional looking application every time!

My Thoughts:

I have been bugging the 2 Sephora stores by my house for the past couple of months about when they would receive the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit in stores. Finally, I have been able to get my hands on this palette! Was it worth the wait? Oh, yes! I love the colors! Perfect for the day and nighttime. There are both matte and shimmery shadows. What I love about these shadows is the shimmery shadows don’t contain glitter. They actually shimmer. I don’t use the sponge tip brush that comes with it. I find it useless. When I used these shadows with an eyeshadow primer, it lasted all day and night. Even through these past several humid, summer days. The collection also comes with 3 step-by-step cards that help you create different looks with the shadows! This is now my new everyday-go-to shadows.

Warning: just because this is a natural eyeshadow pallete it doesn’t mean the colors go on light and natural. It’s actually quite pigmented.