DIOR GARDEN PARTY: GARDEN PASTELS REVIEW

Despite the release of a spring collection in January being somewhat cruel and taunting, the romantic pastel shades in Dior’s new Garden Party collection were just the pick-me-up I needed. Upon opening any of the pieces from the launch, I feel like I’m suddenly enclosed in a lush rose garden. I can almost feel the warmth of the sun and smell the sweet floral-scented air.  (Too bad it’s actually a cold snowy evening.) One of my favorite products from the collection is the Garden Pastels (#441) eyeshadow quint. The colors are pigmented, long-wearing and work together beautifully.  In short, it is the total opposite of the holiday Couture Golds dud.

In natural light. No flash.

PACKAGING: Garden Pastels comes in Dior’s traditional navy blue lacquered eyeshadow case that is about the size of the palm of my hand. When opened, the palette contains a full mirror, 5 rose-embossed eyeshadows, and 2 double-ended sponge applicators. Everything comes housed inside a navy blue velvet pouch.

PRICE: $59 for 5 eyeshadows (0.16 ounces of product) and 2 doubled-ended sponge tip applicators.

EYESHADOWS: I was a little apprehensive about buying another Dior palette after my disastrous encounter with the holiday Couture Golds quint, but I’m so glad I picked up Garden Pastels! Even without a primer, the eyeshadows are buttery smooth and pigmented; however, I find the color is most intense when I use the applicators.  When I use a brush, the eyeshadows apply slightly more sheerly, but they layer nicely and blend beautifully into each other. If you want to create a really dramatic look, I suggest using a colored base and layering the Dior eyeshadows on top because although pigmented, the colors are on the lighter side. Each eyeshadow is impressive in terms of texture, wear and color payoff – there are no duds here!

In full sun. No flash.

The shades included in this selection are quite shimmery and colorful, so they’re not for the faint of heart. That being said, I think they can be muted so that even neutrals-lovers will feel comfortable using this palette. I have blue eyes and think this looks nice on me, but I imagine these colors will look especially gorgeous on people with brown eyes. The colors in this palette remind me of the Giorgio Armani Spring Luce d'Oro Eye quad in #1, although I haven't seen the Armani palette in person to be able to say for sure.

            Spring Green: Shimmery spring green. Despite the shimmer, it doesn’t feel gritty.

            White: Shimmery white with a hint of green iridescent sheen. Smooth texture and good
            color payoff. (This reminds me of Mac's Vanilla pigment.)

            Pale Yellow: Shimmery buttercup yellow. Good color payoff and grit-free.

            Teal: Shimmery teal with hints of gold. Quite pigmented with a smooth texture.

            Pale Pink: Shimmery pale petal pink. Smooth texture, and decent pigmentation. (It’s  
            somewhat sheer compared to the other shades, but it still builds well.)

SWATCHES:

In full sun. No flash.
Green, White, Pale Yellow, Teal, Pale Pink

APPLICATORS: Although sponge tip applicators usually have a bad reputation for being flimsy and useless, I actually love the ones that Dior produces. Garden Pastels has two double-ended applicators, each with an eyeshadow and eyeliner side. The thicker end is useful for packing on color to the lid, crease or brow. The longer, thinner end is excellent for lining the upper and lower lashes.

OVERALL VERDICT: At $59, Garden Pastels is definitely an investment; however, I think it is money well-spent. The colors work well with each other (which isn’t always the case with small palettes) and blend exquisitely.  Every eyeshadow has a smooth texture with good color payoff. They apply best with the applicators, but can be layered to the desired intensity with brushes. This is how a designer palette should perform!

URBAN DECAY NAKED 2 PALETTE VIDEO REVIEW

This is my YouTube video review of Urban Decay's new Naked 2 palette (You can check out my channel here). I also have a written review if you'd prefer to read about the palette instead. To quickly sum up my feelings for Naked 2, I'd have to say I love it. Why? Watch this video to find out!

What I'm wearing:
-Eyes: Mac Nubile Paint Pot; Urban Decay Suspect, Tease, Foxy and Bootycall (from Naked 2); Urban Decay Uzi 24/7 eyeliner; Sephora Advanced Lash Booster Black Mascara
-Cheeks: Mac Pink Cult Blush, Benefit High Beam Highlighter
-Lips: Mac Red Dwarf Prolongwear Lipstick
-Face: Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Light, Mac Select Cover-up in NW 20, Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller, Mac Blot Powder in Light
-Nails: Sephora by O.P.I. Break a Leg-Warmer!
-Sweater: Cynthia Rowley

URBAN DECAY NAKED 2 PALETTE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Like many other makeup fans, I had been anxiously awaiting the debut of Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette. I adore their eyeshadows.  9 times out of 10, the texture is rich and smooth with intense color payoff (which in some respects makes UD a bargain because I use very little at a time). So when Urban Decay originally announced in 2010 that they were producing a neutrals-only palette, I knew I had to have it. And, seriously, the record-breaking Naked 1 blew my mind.

Fast forward a year-and-a-half to the arrival of the Naked 2 palette. I can’t tell if there’s less demand for the sequel compared to the original or if Urban Decay is just better prepared for the mad rush this time around. Either way, you can get your own at Sephora.com or Urbandecay.com (although it’s out of stock at the moment). It will be in stores at the end of the month.

PACKAGING: Naked 2 comes in a sleek taupe metal case that snaps shut. I need to put a little muscle into opening it, but that’s a nice feature for people who travel often. Inside, there is a full-sized mirror, 12 eyeshadows and a double-ended brush. Naked 2 is a fairly heavy palette, but it’s still light enough to toss in a purse when on-the-go and it's easy to clean. Overall, I prefer the original Naked palette’s packaging, but I’ll get into that another time.

PRICE: $50 for 12 full-size eyeshadows, a double-ended brush and mini lipgloss. If purchased separately, that’s $234 worth of product. Not a bad deal!

BRUSH: Included in the kit is a Good Karma double-ended brush with synthetic bristles. One side is a flat shader with a thin tip for packing on color or lining the eyes, while the other is a crease brush for applying (and blending) color. Although I like the idea of a 2-in-1 brush, I’m not the biggest fan of this particular one.

Flat Shader: The bristles are too stiff to work with such soft eyeshadows; I actually prefer using this brush with cream products. The brush head is too thin for my taste and I find it takes me longer to do my makeup than usual because the brush is so small. In comparison to my trusty Mac 239 (my favorite flat shader), the bristles are also noticeably longer. The bristles gradually form a blunt tip that is nice for trying to line the eyes or create a dramatic edge, but I keep accidentally jabbing the eyeshadows and creating little ruts.  Overall, I don’t like to use this end with the Naked 2 palette.

Flat shader brush

Mac 239 (top) compared to the Urban Decay flat shader (bottom).

Crease: This reminds me a lot of the Mac 222, but slightly thinner. The bristles are a bit stiffer than I find ideal; however, the brush’s size is perfect for applying shadow into the crease and outer-v. I would prefer if the bristles were a bit fluffier so that I could use the brush to blend more. Overall, though, it’s an excellent crease brush and I definitely prefer this end to the flat shader.

Crease brush

EYESHADOWS: I have developed high expectations for Urban Decay’s eye products over the past few years and I’m pleased to report that Naked 2 meets them. Unlike the original palette, this one has a mix of warm and cool-toned eyeshadows and a matte highlighter. Naked 2 will be more flattering on individuals with cooler skin tones than the original, but it will also work on those with warmer skin.

Foxy: Smooth matte yellowed cream.  It swatches somewhat sheer, but is more pigmented when applied with a fluffy brush. It disappears on my fair skin, but it still does the brightening job of a highlighter.           

Half Baked: Shimmery bronzey gold. This color has outstanding texture and color payoff, but I can’t remotely understand why this is included because it was also featured in the original Naked palette. For $50, none of the colors should be repeated! This small feature bothers me enough that it makes the overall grade of Naked 2 drop a bit. This shade is permanent.

Bootycall: Shimmery ivory with smooth texture and good pigmentation. This is extremely similar to Virgin from the first palette, although it’s a tad more peach-toned.

Chopper: Orangey copper with silver microglitter. This has excellent color payoff, although the glitter is prone to fallout. This is a permanent shade.

Tease: Matte mauve-tinged-brown. It’s stiff and dry with average pigmentation. It applies best with my fluffy Mac 217, but it can be tough to blend. Despite this, it’s my favorite color for the crease.

Snakebite: Shimmery dark bronze with brown tones. Buttery smooth and pigmented. Smog (from the first palette) is similar, but has more orange tones.

Suspect: Deep shimmering champagne. Good color payoff with a slightly dry texture, although it blends easily.

Pistol: Shimmery cool-toned sooty grey that has a slight brown cast when on the skin. Buttery smooth with excellent color intensity. This is another one of my favorites.

Verve: Shimmering icy-gray champagne with a hint of pink. That description sounds contradictory, but Verve is a very interesting shade. Great texture and pigmentation.

YDK: Pigmented cool-toned bronze with a metallic finish. Very faint microglitter, but it’s a smooth shadow and isn’t prone to as much fallout as Chopper. This is a permanent shade.

Busted: Frosty dark brown with a hint of red. It’s very similar to Hustle (from the first palette) in terms of shade and pigmentation, but it has a much better texture.

Blackout: Matte true black. I was apprehensive to see this featured because I didn’t love it in the 15^th Anniversary palette; however, I think it has been improved since its initial release. This has excellent color payoff and is buildable to a very intense depth, but it can be a bit powdery.

BONUS GLOSS: The included Naked Lip Junkie Lipgloss is a miniature size. Naked is a peppermint-infused (yum!) neutral pink, although it appears slightly brown on my naturally pale lips. Naked has a hint of shimmer, yet it still appears natural. UrbanDecay claims it plumps the lips, but I didn't notice that effect. The gloss has a refreshing minty taste, isn’t sticky and comes in a squeeze tube for easy application.

SWATCHES:

Natural light: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper

Natural light: Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

Natural light: Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Flash: Naked lipgloss

OVERALL VERDICT: Naked 2 is not necessarily a must-have if you already own the first Naked palette, although it is more flattering on cooler skin tones and the very fair (like yours truly). I personally prefer the second palette because the colors suit me better. The mattes in Naked 2 are not as smooth as in the original palette, which is disappointing because Urban Decay can make some stellar matte eyeshadows; however, they're still pretty good. I'm extremely irritated that Half Baked was included in both palettes, but I like the rest of the palette enough to let it slide. $50 may seem expensive initially, but if you don’t own the first and like neutral colors, then I’d definitely go for it!

DIOR GARDEN PARTY HAUL PREVIEW

Dear Readers,

I hope you're all having a pleasant weekend! I've had a lovely, lazy Saturday. My boyfriend, Ed, is visiting his family for the weekend, so I've been delighting in activities that take a back seat when he's home. I slept until 8:15, did some yoga, went to the mall and bought some makeup, filmed a video  – okay, I was somewhat productive today – did some crossword puzzles while drinking green tea, knit a few rows in the hat I'm making for my nephew and watched The Help.

Tonight, I'm putting my cell phone on the silent setting and taking a Lush-ious bath until I'm pleasantly pruney. (Yes, I know it's a Saturday night and I'm taking a bath instead of going out. I couldn't look forward to my evening more, but perhaps this is a sign I'm getting old.) I'm thinking of cocktailing the Big Blue bath bomb with the Floating Island bath melt and either the Sea Vegetable or Figs & Leaves soap. Aaaahh, I feel relaxed already!

Before I slip into a blissful soak, I want to tease you with my purchase from Dior's new Garden Party spring collection. The colors look so beautiful, albeit predictable for this time of year; however, I never tire of romantic, delicate shades. They just scream "ladylike" to me. Please excuse the poor lighting and dark stains at the bottom of the photos. I spilled a jar of brown pigment on my makeup drawers and need to wipe down the top again.

Items featured are the Milly Garden clutch, Garden Pastels quint, Garden Roses quint, Tulip Pink lipstick, Corolle Pink lipstick, Waterlily nail polish and Pretty Rose lipgloss.

In the waning hours of daylight -- no flash.

Waning daylight -- flash.

More information coming soon. I have a feeling it's going to take me a few days to swatch these because I don't want to ruin the pretty floral designs. I guess that's what happens when makeup and art collide!

Until next time,

-BeachBlondeBeauty

WET N WILD/E.L.F. HAUL AND REVIEW

For those of you have seen my YouTube channel, this post may be redundant; however, I want to try something new and see how it works. I've stumbled across some bloggers who link their YouTube pages in posts and I like the idea. Despite the fact that most of my hits so far are from my YouTube subscribers, I've decided to link my most recent video and list my makeup, nails, hair, etc. underneath.  If this experiment is an epic fail, I'll definitely stop (lol)!

Many of my recent videos have been about designer makeup, which can be very expensive. My anorexic wallet would agree, especially after my most recent shopping endeavor. I know that shelling out $28.50 on a single eyeshadow (I'm looking at you, Chanel) is a lot, even if you aren't on a budget. And if you are, that seems like an absurd expense. Fortunately, there are some quality products out there that won't break the bank. Today, I'm going to focus on Wet n Wild and E.L.F.

Products shown:
-Wet n Wild Sweet as Candy
-Wet n Wild Cool as a Cucumber
-Wet n Wild Silent Treatment
-Wet n Wild I'm Feeling Retro
-E.L.F. Holiday Nail Polish Set with Golden Goddess, Royal Purple, Mod Mauve, Red Velvet and Metal Madness

What I'm wearing:
-Eyes: Wet n Wild Sweet as Candy trio, Urban Decay Uzi 24/7 liner, Sephora Advanced Lash Booster mascara
-Cheeks: E.L.F. Tickled Pink blush
-Lips: E.L.F. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Pink Lemonade
-Face: Garnier Anti-dark-circle roller, Mac Select Cover-Up concealer and Mac Blot Powder
-Nails: Chanel Particuliere
-Sweater: from Target

DIOR COUTURE GOLDS EYESHADOW PALETTE REVIEW (LES ROUGES OR HOLIDAY COLLECTION)

I’ve always admired Dior’s eyeshadow palettes. Whenever I would walk by one in a store, I would stop, swatch, and drool (away from the tester, of course). Then I would promptly sigh and walk away, all the while wishing I could bring myself to spend so much money on makeup. Most recently, I was attracted to the Les Rouges Or Holiday 2011 display.

The shadows seemed right up my alley – tinged with gold, but still fairly neutral. While in the store, 4 of the 5 shadows swatched like a dream on my fingertips. Thus, after years of pining, I finally caved and bought my first Dior eye palette: the 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in (554) Couture Golds.

After driving 90 miles per hour and nearly causing several traffic accidents (I kid, I kid.) I arrived home and excitedly opened my new treasure. The palette comes in Dior’s standard packaging: tucked inside a black velvet pouch is a navy blue lacquered case with “Dior” embossed in silver atop a pearly blue “CD” holograph. It contains 6 grams/0.21 ounces of shadow and cost $59.

Despite having a beautiful mix of colors, this palette was an utter disappointment. As I mentioned, most of the shadows seemed very pigmented and silky on my fingertips. It wasn’t until I tried creating a few looks with brushes that I realized I had been deceived.

Colors breakdown (from top left to right, center is last):

• Shimmery white with a hint of champagne. Buttery smooth and extremely pigmented.  Excellent for highlighting the inner tear duct and brow bone (although it did emphasize my need for a good tweezing). Blended easily.
• Shimmery bronzed gold. Buttery smooth and seemed pigmented when swatched, but poor color payoff when applied on the lid. Required multiple layers to have the shadow show up as expected.
• Matte espresso with gold and red microglitter. It appeared to have real depth and dimension in the pan, but was nothing special on the eye. Very chalky and applied unevenly.  Sheer and required multiple layers to create tolerable color intensity. Difficult to blend.
• Shimmery antiqued gold. Buttery smooth with excellent color payoff.  Blended easily. This was my favorite color of the palette, but it was a bit too similar to my skin tone (NW20 in MAC) to show up as intensely as I would have liked.
• Pale gold with gold microglitter. Extremely sheer and difficult to build. When applied, the gold is very faint and all that jumps out is glitter.  Prone to a lot of fall-out. Reminiscent of Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again … for grown-ups.

Regular color intensity. White, bronze, espresso, antiqued gold, pale gold. (Yes, the pale gold is there. It's that sheer.)

Concentrated color intensity. White, bronze, espresso, antiqued gold, pale gold.

The looks that I have put together at home took so long and required extra work to make the shadows behave the way I wanted them to.  I don’t know too many women who have the time or patience to spend over 10 minutes on what should be a 5-minute eye.

And because all of the shadows looked pretty much the same on my lid (with the exception of the dark brown), the colors appeared muddy even without blending. Blending required an extremely light hand or else most of the color intensity disappeared, especially with the dark brown.  Also, even worn over a primer, I found that the colors faded over the course of a few hours. Christine from Temptalia rated this palette a B+, but I have to respectfully disagree. Perhaps this is more flattering on warmer skin tones because it brings out the golden nuances of the shadows? Regardless, this was an expensive mess on me.

Overall verdict: Beautiful in the pan, not so beautiful on the eyes.  For the damage done to my wallet, this palette should be of a much higher quality. Instead, it was a complete disappointment and will be returned.