First Off - Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eye shadow primer is probably the most important step in your eye makeup routine. It will keep your colour bright and bold and in place all day. I've only have sampled Too Faced Shadow Insurance but one application doesn't always give you a real idea of how the product works and how you react to it. So I was excited to get to try it properly.

That said... I hate it. It irritates my eyes and then they water and my makeup gets wiped away. I recently applied eyeshadow and it did not retain any of the colour. This might not be the fault of the primer, but it was not something I had noticed with my other primer. When it isn't irritating my eyes, it does keep my shadow in place. It doesn't crease. It just bothers my eyes. Otherwise it's good.

I know that this is one of the biggest seller of eyeshadow primer, and I am going to keep giving it a chance. But I think I would use it when I fill my brows in different colours, instead of on my eyelids.

First Off - Keihl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

I feel like my journey of dry eyes has been well documented. But, in case you are new here, the skin around my eyes gets super dry and itchy. Especially when I am wearing eyeshadow on a regular basis. 

For years now, my Holy Grail eye cream has been Benefit's It's Potent. When I finished my last jar, I thought it might be time to try something else. My eyes were really dry and watering, and it was messing up my makeup. I was hoping that if the skin was better moisturized, it would stop happening. And so the hunt began.

It was not a long hunt. I wasn't looking for anything that would stop puffiness (my eyes don't get puffy.) If it would reduce dark circles, that would be great. But mostly, I just needed something super hydrating. I had heard wonderful things about the Keihl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado and the reviews were pretty good for it. 

The reviews were pretty spot on. A little bit goes a long way. Although, I usually put a heavier layer on at bedtime than in the morning. But it's creamy, fast-absorbing and doesn't leave the skin feeling oily. I put it on first, before moisturizing, and by the time I am ready to start applying eyeshadow, it has absorbed. 

It has definitely kept my eyes moisturized and soft. And it wasn't too expensive either! (I will never understand why eye creams are so expensive.) If you just need an eye cream to keep everything soft, I would really recommend this one.

First Off - Marc Jacobs Birthday Gift

Every year Sephora gives out a birthday gift to the VIB members. And this year there was a choice. I can't remember what the other choice was. It might have bee some sort of skincare thing? Anyway, I chose the Marc Jacobs set. 

The set contains a mini Le Marc Crème Lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and a mini Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Blacquer.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a cream rose colour. One swipe is super pigmented. It feels creamy and wears pretty well. It's held it's own against my coffee while I was writing this. And the colour is just gorgeous! It is going directly into my purse for adult type situations. 

And the eyeliner is amazing. It wears really well and doesn't smear throughout the day. Mini eyeliners are my favourite because they are small enough to fit in my pocket for touch ups. But with this one, I don't need to touch it up. It comes in an entire rainbow of colours that I will be checking out. 

If you are able to pick a birthday gift from Sephora, I really suggest this one.

This Moment's Obsession - Disney Storylook Jasmine Collection

This is not anything new. I may have posted about this ages ago when it first came out, but I've recently re-discovered it. And I've become re-obsessed.

Ages ago, Disney released three Storylook colletctions. Cinderella was pretty but I didn't buy it. And then I got them email about the Jasmine collection and I freaked out. I may have squealed and ran to the bathroom at work to order it immediately. (Actually, that's exactly what happened.) And they finished up the trilogy with Ariel. (Stay tuned for that.)

I believe each collection had a compact mirror, a lip gloss set, a scent and the eyeshadow palette. Clearly, I bought the eyeshadows, and I also got the perfume. 

The packaging is adorable. The box is about the size of a book, as are Cinderella and Ariel. So you can have a little book collection on your desk. The box features a silhouette of Jasmine being her sassy self. The palette features the tagline "You're only in trouble if you get caught". The box that holds the eyeshadows is a purple satin and has a little tassel to pull it out of the sleeve. And the eyeshadows lift out of the box. So when you have finished the shadows, you can use it as a jewellery box. 

Unlike the other two palettes, which were all eyeshadows, Jasmine came with 15 eyeshadows, a blush and a bronzer. I am as pale as they come, so both of these were far too dark for me. So I have used them as eyeshadows. 

The eyeshadows themselves are gorgeous. The color payoff is phenomenal. There are a lot of neutrals to choose from and mix with a little pop of color. 

I also bought the perfume. The design matches the palette, except this one is more gold. And the tagline is "make your own magic". It smells amazing. But my only dislike is that it is an oil and doesn't come out of the rollerball very well. 

I've been told that there is going to be a Minnie Mouse collection coming out this spring. And with all the live-action remakes, I am hoping these make a comeback. I would really love more of these.

First Off - NYX Liquid Black Liner

I was on the hunt for a specific NYX eyeliner, and could not find it. So I bought this one instead. 

I am torn about this. It like it but I don't. The brush is very thin and I find it hard to apply in the thickness that I want, on both eyes. Thus far I have ended up with it far thicker than I wanted. And I have made it work.

The other thing that makes me not love it is the fact that it is not a matte formula. I was not aware that I had a preference for my eyeliner finish. But this has a shine to it. And when I am out and about in my day, and glance in a mirror to double check that my makeup has not melted, the finish often makes me thing that I am missing eyeliner on a spot on my eye. This leads to me quickly brushing on another coat of it, and then building it up to the point where it is drying an annoying.

Verdict: Other than the two concerns I listed, I like this product. It wears all day and isn't uncomfortable. It's not my favourite eyeliner, but I have tried worse ones. 

Holy Grail - Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette

It's baaaaaaack!

My holy grail, all-time favourite eye shadow palette is back and better than ever! I impulse bought the original Mi Vida Loca palette and it quickly became my favourite. I only got into neutral make up since the release of Naked 3. But bright colors? My weakness!

The original palette contains your basic bright colors. But the remix takes it to a whole new level!

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The palette contains 24 eyeshadows in all the shades you could possibly need. It expands on the colors included in the original palette, as well as a collection of neutrals. 

At first glance, Anthem, Destroyer and Hyperballad all caught my eye. After swatching them, Lemmy, Synth and Analogue also have my attention.

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The outer colors are... Muse is lilac purple, Echo is purple glitter, Dark Wave is deep navy, Synth is an electric blue, Hyperballad is a sea blue, Lemmy is grass green, Misfit is kelly green, Vinyl is neon green, Legend is golden yellow, Fran is deep mustard yellow, Analogue is a burnt orange, Harpsichord is a metallic bronze, Rewind is an aubergine, Destroyer is a bright strawberry, Swoon is fuchsia, Love is a shimmery rose, Anthem is purple.

And the inner colors are... Vox is chocolate brown, Moulder is butter yellow, Noble is nude, Skulls is iridescent pearl, Black Metal is your standard matte black, Lyric is white pearl, Strutter is taupe  

The packaging is gorgeous and the colors are exactly what you expect from Kat Von D. Long wearing and super pigmented. You can build up the intensity or blend them together. The look options are endless. So far the looks I have created are in the same color family. But I have plans for some looks, so stay tuned.  

It's my holy grail. It's $71 but that is a pretty good deal for 24 eyeshadows. 

First Off - Tarte Tarteist Clay Paint Liner

My black eyeliner of choice was running on low and it was discontinued. (Story of my life.) My sister bought this a while back and has not shut up about it. At her recommendation, I had to pick it up. 

This is a waterproof, cream eyeliner. It takes a little getting used to because of the packaging. You have to squeeze out a tiny little bit and take it with the brush. It could be easy to waste a lot of product. Once you master it, it is really easy to use. It is pretty easy to wing out your liner too. 

However, it doesn't last. The liner I put on my eyelid lasts. But the wing rubs off. But that is really the only complaint I have about it.

I really like that it includes the brush in the package. It makes the price a little easier to swallow. And you really only do need a little bit of product. So it will last for a long time. I just hope it won't dry up before I finish it. 

Holy Grail - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo

I currently have this in Soft Brown. But I recently went super bright blonde and I needed a lighter option for my brows. And, as my duo was running on empty, I decided to go with Taupe. 

I love these. I have tried a few different brow options and loved them. Except that they don't really last that long. Where as these brow powder duos last quite a while. I think I have had my previous one for about a year or more. 

These are the best. And they look super natural looking. I love these and definitely think you need to check them out. 

First Off - Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

It is here! And it is gorgeous! 

I first got really into the Naked line when Naked 3 was announced. I then picked up the first two to see if they really did live up to the hype. (Spoiler: They did.)

I have been excited about this palette since it was announced. Dark, smoky eyes are some of my favourites to do. They are a lot more fun to play around with and I love palettes that are designed specifically for that. 

And without further ado... Here are the swatches!

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(First of all, I do greatly apologize for my awful swatches. I will do better next time.)

The colors are as follows...

• High is a champagne micro-glitter.
• Dirtysweet is a shimmery bronze.
• Radar is a bronzey brown with micro-glitter.
• Armor is a silver taupe with micro-glitter.
• Slanter is a shimmery grey.
• Dagger is a dark grey with a little bit of micro-glitter.
• Black Market is a black satin.
• Smolder is a dark purple taupe.
• Password is a cool taupe matte.
• Whiskey is a milk chocolate brown
• Combust is a soft peachy beige 
• Thirteen is a white satin.

Another things to note is the packaging. For the last two Naked palettes, the packaging was more or less the same. But for this one, they changed it up. The case for this is a semi-transparent plastic case decorated with a smoky pattern and has a magnetic close.

I love magnetic closes and the packaging suits the theme of the product. However, in person, the case gives me a kind of old lady vibe. But don't judge a book by it's cover. The eyeshadows are stunning and Urban Decay's product quality never fails to impress.

This palette also includes a dual ended brush. I love Urban Decay's brushes! And I love that they include actual, quality brushes in with their palettes. It's another thing that makes the seemingly high price point absolutely worth it.

If smoky looks are your thing, I would definitely check this guy out. But if you are more into the lighter side of Naked, any of the previous palettes are probably more up your alley. I, for one, am really excited to get to play around with this and share some looks with you!

First Off - Kat Von D Innerstellar Palette

You should know my by now. Kat Von D palettes are the way to my heart. I bought this the second it was available. I love the colors. 

The colors are gorgeous! They are...

• Gravitron is  a iridescent pink.
• Night Crawler is a matte dark beige.
• Dios is an iridescent grey.
• Lunacy is a pearlized royal purple.
• Vast is a pearlized taupe.
• Astrological is an iridescent lilac.
• Darkstar is a dark purple with lots of microglitter.
• Orion is a matte chocolate brown.
• Lycan is a matte soft yellow.
• 3am is a sparkly brown.
• Moonshine is a sparkly silver.
• Killing Moon is a matte black.

I love the colors but they do seem to be different finishes of the same colors. The mattes are super creamy. But the color pay off isn't as vibrant as other Kat Von D eyeshadows. And it seems to have a lot of fall out.

Verdict: It's not my favourite. I could have probably done without it, sadly. Here's hoping the next one is better.