Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Em by Michelle Phan Party Life Palette Sample Review (with Swatches)

I love Michelle Phan (along with millions of other people), so when she finally (FINALLY!) launched her makeup line EM by Michelle Phan, I was immediately intrigued. I have followed along with Michelle since she lived in Sarasota, FL back in 2007. (she lived about 2 blocks from me! *GASP*) Anywho, I think she is incredibly talented, sweet, and drop dead gorgeous, I mean come on have you seen her?!? I didn't want to invest in a life palette just yet because they are 75$, and because it is a new makeup company. I usually don't buy a new anything unless its from a brand I trust and have had a pleasant experience with in the past. A lot of people are complaining because her "life palette's" are so expensive. Well, you have to realize that you are getting 24 eyeshadows, 4 blushes, and 8 lip shades, so the price per item is only $2.08. Still, the initial price shock is hard for people to understand, which I totally get. I am a college student with no guaranteed income (another word for I don't have a job!) so, 75$ is a lot of money for me, especially if I don't know if the product is going to be worth it.

Last week, Michelle was doing an offer to try a sample size life palette of your choosing for 10$ shipping included. I decided that it would be my best opportunity to try it out, because a lot of the times I feel like reviews are biased, or paid for by the larger blogs (you won't get none of that here hunny!).

The shipping was super fast, which I love, because lets get real who wants to wait for your new stuff? Not me!
The Palette came in this cute little pamphlet

When you opened the pamphlet, this is what you saw

This sample contained 3 eyeshadows and one lipstick. The eyeshadows are the three on the bottom, and the lip is in the far right corner.
 SWATCHES
No primer from Left to Right: Medium semi-matte pink, Dark Purpley black with pink and silver glitter, Gunmetal silver with silver glitter, Purple lipgloss with multi flake glitter


With Primer (same colors as above)

Lip Gloss swatch

Used all three eyeshadows for this look with UD primer

Full face look using all products from the sample palette
IMPRESSION

The shadows all felt velvety when swatching them with my fingers, but the color payoff was not good at all, and I had expected a lot more. I only swiped my finger once through each color, and as you can see in the first swatch photo, the colors barely showed up. With primer, the eyeshadows did perform better, but at this price point, and the fact that its considered a luxury brand- the eyeshadows didn't hold up when compared to cheaper alternatives like Stila, Nyx, and even fellow luxury brand Urban Decay. 

During application I had to dig in quite a bit to get any color to show up, and although 2 of these shadows are dark, they actually apply quite softly (not sure if its because I didn't dig into them, or because they really do not have any pigmentation). I am wearing this look during the day, which is odd because this is the "Party life" palette. I expected a lot more vibrancy and POW, and quite frankly, more GLITTER. 

The lip gloss however is really nice. In the palette it is purple with multi colored glitter but it actually applies pretty sheer with just a hint of glitter. I've been wearing it for a few hours now and my lips still feel moisturized and look nice, so that is a plus.

Overall, I have watched and read about 100 different reviews on the life palettes, and it seems that I am the only one who doesn't see much of the hype behind it, which I find odd. 

I am really disappointed in this specific palette, and I cannot fathom spending 75$ for it, when I compare the color payoff to those really cheap Walmart makeup sets that come out around Christmas time and retail for $14.99 (OUCH!!!). The color payoff just isn't there, and the fact that these shadows come in small pans just makes me angry. As said above, I love Michelle, and I totally support her videos and her journey. She is my makeup idol, so this is like a double blow for me. To even write that I was really disappointed by this product really upsets me.

I am going to do some more research, but I don't see myself spending the money for this or any of the other palettes anytime soon. I will however, look into their lip products and palettes because as said before I am quite pleased with the lip gloss sample I received.

FINAL VERDICT: SAVE YOUR $$$$$$

Monday, September 16, 2013

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette (Swatches & Initial Impression)

I am obsessed with Urban Decay products. I have been buying/collecting makeup for only a few years now but I own almost every product that Urban Decay has come out with. When I heard that the Vice 2 Palette would be coming out for 2013's Holiday season, I immediately jumped for joy. I had missed last years palette, so I knew I just HAD to get this.

The Retail price for the Vice 2 is $59.00 and includes 20 shadows/mirror & Shadow/Crease brush. The price is hefty, but if you break it down, you are getting each shadow for $2.95 (a STEAL).

PACKAGING: The packaging is absolutely gorgeous (like any other UD product). It is made of a hard plastic material, and features a really pretty mixture of purples. The UD logo is made out of  rhinestones, which gives it another special touch. ( I also read on their website, that each palette's design is different, which makes each one feel custom)

20 shadows & a Shadow/Crease brush make up the bottom half of the pallet, and the top half is a mirror

SWATCHES: One swipe from each color, NO Primer was used, and the photos were taken with an iPhone 4 in natural light

Row 1 from Left to Right: Smokeout, Lovesick, Shellshock, Coax, X-Rated

Smokout- Dark taupe mixed with black with a satin finish
Lovesick- Black matte with an iridescent micro glitter
Shellshock-Very bright metallic silver
Coax- Medium pink with golden iridescent micro glitter
X-Rated- Baby pink with a satin finish

Row 2 from Left to Right: Prank, Madness, Strike, Stash, Poison

Prank- Deep Navy matte with turquoise pearlized glitter
Madness- Bright metallic blue shimmer with blue micro glitter
Strike- Gold shimmer with silver micro glitter
Stash- Olive green shimmer with micro sparkle
Poison- Charcoal with micro sparkle and a satin finish

Row 3 from Left to Right: Radar, Damaged, Voodoo, Betrayal, Derailed

Radar- Metallic brown shimmer
Damaged- Metallic emerald shimmer
Voodoo- Metallic purple shimmer with purple micro glitter
Betrayal- Bright purple satin with blue shift
Derailed- Medium metallic shimmer brown

Row 4 from Left to Right: Dope, Toxic, Habit, Ambush, Rewind

Dope- Warm champagne colored satin
Toxic- Metallic coppery pinky shimmer
Habit- Nude matte
Ambush- Metallic brown satin
Rewind- Medium brown matte

FIRST IMPRESSION

When I first opened it, I giggled like a school girl because the colors are so vibrant. I love color, and sparkle so this is a perfect palette for me to own. I don't see it being a great choice for people who do not like shimmer eye shadows because out of the 20 shadows there are only 5 that are matte. While swatching the colors I will say that they are insanely pigmented! Urban Decay has a patented pigment infusion system that gives all of their shadows a velvety texture, which is apparent while swatching them. They all feel so silky and soft, even the ones that are chock full of glitter. The pigmentation system also promotes staying power and blendability, which is something that you have to have with darker colors, or colors with glitter to them. If you can't blend the shadows, the application is going to be awful. 

I also love UD because all of their products are cruelty free, so I can feel good knowing that none of their products are tested on animals.

I haven't worn any of these shadows on my eyes yet because I really haven't even worn makeup for a few days ( I am coming down with some sort of flu). But I will for sure be posting a full review, along with eye swatches within a month or so. I want to really experience the shadows on my eyes before I make any judgments on the colors. 

MY FAVORITES FROM THE SWATCH

Shellshock- This silver is INSANE!! It's so glittery and gorgeous, and a little goes a long way.
X-Rated- This is a gorgeous baby pink with a slight sparkle so it's perfect for daytime.
Strike- I'm a sucker for golds, they really make blue eyes pop
Voodoo- Besides the rad name I love this purple, and I don't have a color like it (which I love)
Betrayal- This is probably my favorite from the entire pallet (and I havent even put it on my eyes!) The color shifts between purple and blue and the finish is like velvet. So pretty!

Would I buy this again? In a heart beat!

Recommended for: People who like glitter and bold colors. There is a very limited selection of neutral or matte colors, so if you are more of a nude/matte girl, pick up one or both of the naked pallets.

GO GET IT!