My Favorite Solo Shadows

This was one of my favorite videos to film because I love my solo shadows! Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe! 

From bottom to top: MAC Woodwinked, Eyes to Kill #6, Charlotte Tilbury Marie Antoinette, Tom Ford Platinum, Chantecaille Seashell, Stila Kitten and Armani Eye Tint in #9

From bottom to top: Clinique Willow Pop, NARS Pasiphae, Dior Cosmopolite, Gucci Starlight, Gucci Oxydus, Burberry Shell and Burberry Pale Barley

Here are the shadows mentioned in the video:

Tom Ford Cream Shadow in Platinum 

Armani Eye Tint in #9 

Charlotte Tilbury Cream Shadow in Marie Antoinette 

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten 

Chantecaille Shadow in Seashell 

Armani Eyes to Kill in Shade 6 

MAC Shadow in Woodwinked 

Burberry Shadow in Pale Barley 

Burberry Shadow in Shell 

Dior Mono Shadow in Cosmopolite 

NARS Dual Intensity in Pasiphae 

Clinique Lid Pop in Willow Pop 

Gucci Solo Shadow in Oxydus 

Gucci Solo Shadow in Starlight 

Spring Neutrals

I wish I could say that the weather is moving towards spring, but sadly it's not. That being said, the makeup collections are and the neutral tones are out in full force. Here is a look at some great options to wear this spring. Or right now - is there ever a bad time to wear neutrals? I think not. 

1. Sisley Phyto 4 Ombres in Dream - It took me a few minutes to even begin using this quad when I first took it out of the box. It is quite a stunner. The shape, the texture, the colors - it's all screams decadence and luxury. As you can see from the below swatches, the texture is incredibly pigmented, smooth and applies very evenly. I didn't even have to build those up, just one swipe was able to show the color adequately. There is a strong frost to this formula, so I prefer to pair it with my matte shades for a bit of dimension. But for those who are thinking about trying this out, it gets two thumbs up from me.

2. Cle de Peau Beaute eyeshadow quad in 309 - I've already professed my love for Cle de Peau Beaute quads before (read post here), so it should come as no surprise that I loved this one as well. The three beige shades seem quite pale but to be honest, they show up really well as lid colors for me. They give me a gorgeous glistening wash of color on the lids that I love to pair with bold or dark lips. The purple shade is a bit of a wild card, but surprisingly I love to wear it as a liner just by wetting an angle brush and dotting it along the lash line.

3. NARS Nude Scene duo eye shadow in St Paul de Vence - There were many strong opinions on NARS' spring collection, mainly because it was so devoid of bold or bright color. I, for one, happened to love it. The duo is a bit on the bronzy side with an orange undertone, so I like to use both colors more in the crease than on the lid. The pigment is the same as most other NARS duo eye shadows and would be a welcome addition to anyone's collection and will look good on almost any skin tone.

4. NARS Nude Scene solo eye shadow in Valhalla - This shade was a bit more of a surprise to me because of how sheer it swatched. I really had to dig into the shadow to get it to show up on my arm, so this is definitely a color I will need to wear with a primer or cream eye shadow underneath. The color, however, is a beautiful rose gold that looks great worn alone but even better when applied right in the center of the lid for a bit of brightness with a smokey eye look.  

5. Cle de Peau Beaute Extra Rich Lipstick Silk in 211 - This is my first CDP lipstick and I can say that it won't certainly won't be my last. The feeling is so incredibly creamy and soft, but the true unique aspect of it was the shape of the lipstick. It's a square shape that surprisingly fits well on the lips making it easy to apply. And of course I can't forget to talk about the color - it's the most beautiful nude shade with just a hint of peach. 

6. Bareminerals Lipsticks Marvelous Moxie Lipsticks in Express Yourself, Dream Big and Fall in Love - While the Cle de Peau Beaute and Rouge Bunny Rouge lipsticks gave good coverage, these lipsticks from Bareminerals were complete full coverage. They give a strong opaque finish and I find are worn best when my lips are hydrated and exfoliated. The texture is a bit dry so I prefer to wear them underneath a lip gloss or lip oil, but the formula is very long wearing and the colors are the perfect complement to a bronzy neutral eye (which of course is my favorite kind of eye look to wear).

7. Rouge Bunny Rouge Color Burst Lipsticks in Watch Out! Eve and Whim of Mine - I think the surprise winner of this entire post had to be these Rouge Bunny Rouge lipsticks. I didn't quite think anything of them when I first looked at them, and frankly felt they were just another nude lipstick. Until I put them on. I love when I try a product and it gives you that immediate "wow" moment. The texture of these are feel a gel-cream, and they glide on effortlessly. There is a slight sheen to them but the kind that helps make your lips look smoother and more hydrated, rather than glittery. I can already see these making the rounds in my makeup bag this spring. 

As a neutral lover, the spring collections are right up my alley and ones that I feel I will get a ton of use out of.

*pr samples included

What are some of  your favorite spring makeup collections? Leave me a comment below!

New Bareminerals "The Neutrals" Eyeshadow Palettes

Bareminerals is a new line to me, but one that is quickly gaining shelf space in my makeup collection. I've recently tried a bunch of their products and have definitely had a few standouts that made their mark on me almost immediately. Their new Complexion Rescue was one of them (which I reviewed yesterday - watch that video here), their Marvelous Moxie lipsticks (review coming next week) and these new "The Neutrals" eyeshadow palettes. At this point, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I gravitated towards these palettes almost immediately. What really drew me in at first glance was how small and compact they were in size - absolutely perfect for travel. So many of my palettes (and I have a lot - eek!) are big and bulky making them suitable for use at home but not when I am away. There were three palettes that differed in color but all fell in the "neutrals" category and can be worn every day. 

1. The Power Neutrals - I was instantly excited to try this palette simply because almost the entire thing is matte. MATTE! Yay! There is one shimmer shadow and one pale glittery shade (the first one to the far left on my arm - it's hard to see because it blends in to my skin). The texture of the shadows are powdery with a medium pay-off. I know so many people are quick to run to heavily pigmented palettes and eyeshadows, but for me I actually like formulas that are a bit more sheer because it makes them easy to work with in the morning when I am getting ready. No need to blend out for 10 minutes because the first swipe is too intense - these shadows are almost foolproof they are so easy to apply.

2. The Sexy Neutrals - After using this palette a few times, I quickly nicknamed it my "one swipe" palette, because most of the colors can be used by themselves for a quick wash of color. I was really drawn to the shimmer in this palette because it's understated and appropriate for daytime use. It's that grown up shimmer that gives the lids a fresh glow rather than a glittery disco ball fall out situation (not fun).

3. The Posh Neutrals - This palette has more cool tones in its mix and blends both shimmer and matte shades together. The colors seem to be a bit more sheer than the other two so a primer is a must when using this palette. I like that it has more plums, grays and purples to its assortment which forces me to get out of my brown shadow monotony. Ha! Out of all three, this palette has the most number of shades that blended right into my skin tone which makes them perfect lid or highlight colors when I am building a more dramatic eye.

*pr samples included

Which palette was your favorite of the three? What are some of your favorite Bareminerals products? Leave me a comment below!

Shop some other neutral eyeshadow palettes:

Creating My Own Custom Chantecaille Palette

I've said time and time again that Chantecaille eye shadows are some of my favorite shadows. They never have too much or too little pigment and blend beautifully. And so many of the colors are perfect for daily use that I find myself reaching for them regularly. There are a good selection of both matte and shimmer shades, though I will say the shimmer is never too glittery. It's a refined shimmer that is perfect for any occasion day or night and any age. Often older women shy away from shimmer because it can look unflattering and make lids look crepe-y or very textured. However, Chantecaille shadows are soft enough that the shimmer blends seamlessly on the skin and never emphasizes imperfections. They have the option to let you create your own palette with 3 or 8 shades (both eye shadow and blush), and I have both a 3 and 8 sized palette but only have the 8 sized palette filled at this time. You can buy the eye shadows individually but you will need to buy a case to house the shadow, so it's a better option to simply buy the palette.

I've accumulated quite a few great neutral shades that work well together or separately. I like to have a selection of shades which I can just throw in my bag if need be that will create any look I may need. I have a good mixture of both matte and shimmer shades that are in neutral brown, plum, green and beige tones. Below are swatches of the entire palette I have created. The top row swatches are on the left side of my arm and the bottom row swatches are towards the right side of my arm.

1. Granite -This is the a beautiful brownish-gray shade that I love to wear in my crease. When I pair this with Opal, it creates a perfect eye look for every day.

2. Olivier - I'm making a concentrated effort to seek out other colors that are suitable for the office and every day but are not part of the brown family. This olive shade is a great alternative and looks beautiful as a liner, lid or crease color.

3. Patchouli - One of my favorite shades to wear in my crease is a deep plum, and this is exactly the color I've been looking for. It creates a smokey eye in two seconds when added to the corner of my crease and looks great with almost any lid color.

4. Ginger - In the summer, I love wearing this matte peach shade on the lid with bronzer and a coral lip. In the winter, it looks lovely paired with a natural flushed cheek (love this By Terry blush shade), a few coats of mascara (this is my current favorite) and a bold red lip (love this shade).

5. Opal - This is by far one of my favorite lid color of all time. When built up, it can give a bold opaque look, but can also be dusted on for a sheer wash of color. Everyone needs one of these lid color shades that they can pull out any time to build an entire eye look around.

6. Coriander - Somewhat similar in tone to Patchouli, this is a bit lighter and not as pigmented which makes it great for an everyday crease color. I can apply this right above my lid through the crease and it gives my look some depth and dimension with creating a look that is too dark. Every makeup collection needs one of these crease colors that serve as the backbone of creating any eye look.

7. Bois - I call this my bronzed goddess shade, because it the perfect golden brown for my lids. It doesn't skew too orange, too yellow or too brown and is an easy wash of color that looks good worn alone or paired with a darker brown.

8. Sel - This shade is very similar to Granite, but has a bit more silver in it so I prefer this on the lid alone as a subtle, daytime smokey eye.

Chantecaille shadows are available at Space NK, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

Review And Comparisons: Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette vs The Chocolate Bar Palette With Swatches

After loving the first Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (review here), I had a sneaking suspicion I would adore the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette. And I was right. I absolutely do. But I do see a few differences so I figured I would do a blog post to help compare one palette to the other. For those of you who may be on the fence about which one to get, hopefully this will help you make your decision, or completely confuse you - whoops, sorry!  Here is a look first at the two palettes next to one another.

1. Pigmentation - As far as pigmentation, intensity and pay-off, I find that they are both very similar.  

2. Matte vs shimmer shadows - The Semi-Sweet palette has 7 matte shadows whereas the original Chocolate Bar palette has 6. For those of us that love matte shadows, that extra one could really be the deciding factor.

3. Wearability - Sorry to say for those of you looking for a major difference here - there is little to no difference. They both blend beautifully and wear all day long with little to no creasing (with an eye primer - I currently use this one). 

4. Color comparison - Many people have been saying that the new Semi-Sweet is much warmer than the original, but I actually find it to be slightly the opposite. There are definitely more cool and gray-toned shades in the Semi-Sweet palette that balance out nicely with the warmer shades. Obviously there is a wild card shade in each palette - the Chocolate Bar's is the sparkly purple and the Semi-Sweet's is the vibrant teal. I find that the purple is more wearable and easier to incorporate into different looks, but I prefer the finish/texture of the teal. So it's a draw for me on that point! Another major difference is the inky, rich black shade in the Semi-Sweet palette that may or may not be a major draw for some people. It definitely is quite pigmented and wears well as a liner or addition to a smokey eye, but for some people it may just be too much. I am neutral on the matter - I could take or leave it. I do love the matte beige better in the Chocolate Bar palette, but prefer the browns in the Semi-Sweet palette. Trust me, there are a million of these distinctions I could make for either palette, so it will ultimately come down to your personal taste.

5. Smell - Surprisingly I found that the original Chocolate Bar palette had a stronger initial chocolate scent than the Semi-Sweet. I don't particularly mind it one way or another, but if the chocolate aroma really pulled you in, then just know that the Semi-Sweet scent is much less powerful.

6. Case/packaging - They both have a magnetic closure, but the original chocolate bar definitely has a stronger magnet. I found that the Semi-Sweet's magnet was just a tad weaker. That being said, I did an upside down test on both and found that they both stayed shut, so that sort of negates the difference but I felt it was worth pointing out. I did also notice that the Chocolate Bar palette seems to be a touch heavier in weight than the Semi-Sweet. It may not register heavier on a scale per se, but when I hold both of them, that's what jumps out at me first.

It's a really tough decision, because I honestly adore them both so much, but if I had to choose just one - it would be the new Semi-Sweet palette. The addition of more matte shades and cool toned colors really appeals to me and helps make it a balanced assortment of shades. But many of you may just splurge for both, and I can't fault you for that - they are such a draw and I guarantee you will be happy with either.

*pr samples included

Have you tried the new Semi-Sweet palette? Which one is your favorite?

Shop other neutral palettes:

Golden Shadows That Give A Sheer Wash Of Color

Happy Thanksgiving!!! As much as I love wearing a full face every day, time may not always permit for a look with all the fixins'. Being able to find those eye shadow shades that you can just swipe over the lid and blend quickly (with either a brush or fingers) is paramount to keeping a morning routine manageable. Beige-y and golden tones are often the easiest to apply, go on without too much fuss and are great for both day or night. Here are 5 of my easy breezy gold shimmer shadows that I love to throw on and dash out the door.

1. mark. All Time Eye Hook Up Longwear Shadow in Tender Love - I rarely use liquid eye shadows since I find they can be too heavy looking on the lids, but was pleasantly surprised when I tried this one from mark.girl.  I swatched it quite heavily on my arm so you could see the full pay-off, but when blended down on the lids it's a gorgeous mix of both beige and gray. For those with non-oily lids, this may be one to wear alone but I still need a primer as a base (this one and this one are my two in constant rotation).

2. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold - If you use any of the Laura Mercier caviar sticks, you will know why I included it in my round up. They are super easy to use, blend and last forever on the lids. This one is absolutely the most beautiful champagne color that looks great with both nude and bold lips. One of my favorite ways to wear this is with tons of mascara, a flushed cheek and a spicy red lipstick (currently loving Iconic Red from Gucci).

3. Almay Shadow Softies in Creme Brulee - I know the swatches above see somewhat measly and non-existent, but the daylight was really washing out the color. The texture of this shadow is a mix between cream and powder (and has almost a bouncy feel to it - it's so cool), and is the perfect weekend, off-duty look. This on the lids, bronzer on the cheeks and gloss on the lips and I'm ready in under 5 minutes. Everyone needs one of those shadows in their collection, right?

4. Sisley Phyto-Ombre Glow Shadow in Pearl - These Sisley shadows are a bit bolder in both pigmentation and shine so this may only be an evening option for many of you, but I personally like to mix this with a slightly more matte base underneath. I apply a matte nude shade first and then dust the Sisley shadow over top concentrating on the center of the eye for a bit of an eye-popping glow that really helps to give the eye a super wide-awake look.

5. Sisley Phyto-Ombre Glow Shadow in Amber -The darker of the two Sisley shades is absolutely perfect for smudging at the lash line for a sultry bronzy effect  that could work for either day or evening, depending on how heavy it is applied. I forgot to mention in the above review, but as you can see from the swatches, these are pigmented and super buttery for a powder shadow and if blended well enough can look as flawless as a cream shadow. In fact, they are so soft that I found applying them with my finger was one of my favorite ways to blend them evenly. The warmth of my finger really melted the color right into the skin creating almost a liquid metal finish. Super sass approved.

*pr samples included

One Can Never Have Too Many Neutral Eye Palettes

I know - that title is a little bit of an exaggeration, but all my fellow beauty addicts can relate I'm sure. *wink* Both palettes were new brands to me, as I have not tried much from either Lorac or Mark. but I can say that I certainly will try more in the future. Though these palettes may seem similar to each other to an average person (i.e. my husband who said to me "those look identical, why are you going to put them both in a post?" Ugh, mind your business), but to our trained beauty-loving eye, we can all see how different they are from one another. One palette is a bit more warm and rosy, while the other features more gray and taupe based shadows. See? Validation for needing both.

1. Lorac Unzipped Palette - Calling all rosy-neutral fans!! This is for you. I can't say I always gravitate towards a pinky based gold or brown, but I was surprised how well these wore on my skin tone. I was afraid they would come out too orange, but I was happy to see more of a bronzed-golden look to most of the shadows when worn. Most have shimmer except for the palest and deepest shades, but the kind of shimmer that you want to wear. No disco ball eyelids here. The texture is creamier than I anticipated and I felt the colors blended beautifully. I found that the first 6 shades of the collection wore well as lid colors while the last 4 (top two and bottom two on the right of the palette) were better for crease and liner colors. And the best part? It comes with a mini eye primer sample which was just what I needed when I travel.

2. Mark. On The Dot Neutral Eye Color Compact -  First things first - how cute is this palette??!!! MEEP! The shape and size of the shadows remind me of those candy dots and candy makes me happy, ergo this palette makes me happy. The minute I unboxed this after Mark. sent it over, I rushed to the bathroom to play with it. The colors are simply perfect! The taupes, gray-browns and plums are just the sort of shades I prefer to wear most days. The pigmentation strikes that happy balance between not too rich and not too sheer, which to be honest is my ideal shadow formulation. While my initial reaction with super pigmented shadows is always "WOW!", I then realize I find myself working harder to blend them down so I can wear them during the day. Here it was easy to apply my desired amount of color with only a few strokes and little to no blending. And the fact that this palette fits in the palm of my hand makes it a no-brainer for travel, overnight trips and makeup bag status. I just received this a few weeks ago and I'm already making predictions that I will hit pan on it. And is there any greater honor for a makeup product? I think not.

*pr samples included

What are some of your favorite neutral eye palettes?