NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadow Part III

I think I struck gold with this third and last batch of NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadows! I mean, several of these last ones are both intensely metallic and intensely pigmented! Also, these metallic ones did not dull either! They're basically the loose powder rival of the Majolica Majorca Shadow Customizes, only at a fraction of the price in addition to being readily available! You should definitely give some of these a try! And if I ever get around to it, I think I might press them to keep them from spilling. Such a waste!

Left picture taken in natural light without flash.

***Right picture from NYX Cosmetics.

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadow Part II

With this second batch of NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadows, I'm going to have to revise my previous comments a bit. I said in my last post that the metallic finishes dull after a while, ending up being only semi-metallic after half an hour or so. Apparently that does not happen with all the metallic shades! While swatching I encountered 2 shades, LP17 Yellow Gold and LP18 Orange, both with metallic finish that did not dull at all! They are also super pigmented!

Left picture taken in natural light without flash.

***Right picture from NYX Cosmetics.

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadow

One of my first foray into loose powder eye shadows are these NYX Ultra Peal Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadows. I actually started collecting these way before Aube Loose & Line Eyes (liner is okay, but otherwise utter crap), Kate Loose Eye Shadow (more like a loose sparkling top wash), as well as Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Luminous and Sparkling Shadows (actually decent!). In fact, the only loose colors I own before these NYX ones are the True Colors Original Loose Powder Mineral Makeup (these are lovely and I still have them, believe it or not)! 

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pearl Eye Shadow. Of all pictures in this post, some are taken indoor with flash and others in natural light without flash. I will note accordingly. The picture below was taken in natural light without flash.

Kate Metallic Eyes Limited Edition

So I went back and got the Kate Metallic Eyes Limited Editions despite being on the fence about them. The color scheme for BR-1 Gold Brown Variation and BR-2 Pink Brown Variation look too similar to the Lavshuca Star Decoration Eyes Limited Edition Sets. Then again, I figured I love the Lavshuca palettes and since those colors work so well for me, I shouldn't mind having more ^.^

BR-1 Gold Brown Variation and BR-2 Pink Brown Variation. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Majolica Majorca Shadow Customize

Another untouched part of my stash that I will start swatching, the Majolica Majorca Shadow Customize. I've been collecting these for a few years now, since I was introduced to the brand via the MJ Spices and the Cheek Customizes. There have been many colors released and then discontinued, making way for new ones. Obviously, I missed a bunch of them, but I do like the colors I have, and I adore their packaging. Not exactly easy to store, but very cute, like little pull-out drawers ^.^ I have 25 of these, so I'm only posting swatches for 10 for now. Others to follow.

Most of the pictures were taken indoor with flash, but I will note otherwise. These 2 were taken in natural light without flash.

Coffret D'Or Eye Color

Happy May!

I don't go out much these days, so instead of stalking drugstores for new items I started swatching my untouched stash. I have tons of stuff I bought since moving here that I haven't gotten to, one of which is these Coffret D'Or Eye Colors. I wasn't going to get these, but having seen them every time I visit the drugstores, and that's a lot of times, I gave in to the temptation and picked them up, just to see how they compare with my beloved T'estimo Color Eyes. 

There are only 16 colors available, and although these were released a couple of years ago, Coffret D'Or never came out with any new color since. This post contains the first half of the colors, and part 2 is to follow.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Lavshuca Pure Blossoming Eyes Limited Edition Set

So I'm a bit upset with the Japanese cosmetics makers. They say one thing, but they do something else. The release date for these Lavshuca Pure Blossoming Eyes Limited Edition Sets is just one example. This screen cap clearly says May 1, and prior to this, the new release on Lavshuca's website also said May 1. It makes you think that these items are going to be released, i.e. going on sale starting May 1, right? Wrong.

***Picture from Lavshuca.

Friday night was N.'s birthday party in Shibuya. So while hubby was in class up in Ikebukuro, I went around Yokohama shopping for a bday present for N. As usual, in trip include perusing my favorite drugstore stops and foreign food shops, just to resupply our Twinings and jams. Then lo-and-behold I spotted the display for these Pure Blossoming Eyes Limited Edition! I checked my cellphone, thinking I'd been a vampire for so long I'd lost track of my time and date. Nope, it was friday April 27. And yet these limited edition sets were already on sale. The worst part? The displayed were completely empty - they were already sold out! My next rational thought was that this particular drugstore is somehow "special" in that it gets "first dibs," which explains why it got the merchandise so early on in the process that it had time to sell out the items! I went on to check out my other usual drugstores, only to find that they too had the same freakin' exact same emptied out display! Garrhhh!!! What is this, a bizarrely warped reverse Asian time continuum in which instead of being 30 minutes late to the agreed time you're a week early?!?

Pure Blossoming Eyes Limited Edition Sets PK Pink Variation and PU Purple Variation. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Lavshuca Eye Jelly Part II

Finally had some time to swatch the rest of my Lavshuca Eye Jellies. I have 5 other colors I haven't touched, BU-1, GN-1, PK-1, PU-1, and SV-1, and I figured why not. Oh yeah, while at it I re-swatched the other colors too since the last swatches were crappy. Will update the original post with better swatches next.

BU-1, GN-1, PK-1, and SV-1 are all super sparkly and metallic. They also feel gritty due to all the shimmer particles, big and small. PU-1, on the other hand, is more similar to BE-1 in that it has finer shimmers and therefore not as sparkly. Over all, these are all light colors and make good base/highlighter colors. And as mentioned in the last post, they do not budge once dried and need eye makeup remover to be taken off completely. 

BU-1. These 6 pictures were taken indoor with flash.

GN-1 and PK-1

PU-1 and SV-1

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Explosion Luminizing Eyeshadow

I've read all the less than stellar reviews for these Maybelline Eye Studio Color Explosion Luminizing Eyeshadow and got curious, wanting to try them for myself. After all, they don't look half bad in the bad, and plus some of the negative reviews did say that at least the sparkly top wash (at top) was redeeming. Hey, if someone says a sparkly top is the redeeming point of an eye shadow palette, I'm getting it. Out of the 5 variations available, I picked 2 palettes, 05 Caffeine Rush and 25 Pink Punch. I haven't used these yet, so this is a preview post.

To be honest I actually had a hard time deciding which palette to get. I definitely wanted the 05 Caffeine Rush and 25 Pink Punch, but it wasn't cut and dry that I didn't like the other 3 either. In fact, the only color I didn't like in 10 Amethyst Ablaze is that bright peri wrinkle, for 15 Forest Fury it's that bright limy green, and for 20 Blue Blowout it's also the bright neon pool blue. But in the end I figured I better try out just two first and then go back for the others if I like them enough. 

05 Caffeine Rush and 25 Pink Punch. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Revlon Luxurious Color Diamond Lust Eye Shadow Part II

Back in February when mum in law sent me a care package, she so kindly threw in these Revlon Luxurious Color Diamond Lust Eye Shadow since she knows I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty sparkly things ^.^ So now I have the American version of 110 Starry Pink to compare with the Japanese release I bought back in late December. I haven't actually worn these, so this is a preview post.

- Left picture: top row, left to right, 100 Celestial Silver, 105 Plum Galaxy, bottom row, left to right: 110 Starry Pink, 115 Neptune Star, and 120 Night Sky, all are US drugstore releases.

- Right picture: 110 Starry Pink US version. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Lavshuca Dual Prism Eyes Part II

While using Kate Dual Carats earlier in the year, I got nostalgic and went to hunt down some more of these Lavshuca Dual Prism Eyes, if there were any left since they were discontinued a couple of years ago. There was a particular color, PU-2, that I was curious about, but things were a little chaotic with my living (or rather moving) situation back then so it wasn't exactly my top priority get a hold of it. Luckily, I found it, along with another color I don't have, BR-1. I couldn't wait to play with these, but I actually haven't use either of them, only swatched, so this is just a preview post. 

BR-1 and PU-1. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Canmake Powder Cheek Part II

I have been collecting these Canmake Powder Cheeks for a long time. I don't have all of the colors of course, but I have a lot of them. Unfortunately, they are also at home and the only ones I have are the 4 newest ones since I just bought them recently. I haven't used any of them yet, so this is just a preview post for PW25 Sugar Orange, PW26 Pink Holic, PW27 Baby Coral, and PW28 Sweet Coral. 

PW25 Sugar Orange and PW26 Pink Holic. All pictures taken in natural without flash.

PW27 Baby Coral and PW28 Sweet Coral

Mark Celestial Eyes Shimmery Cream Shadows

I think I should stop having any kind of expectations for a product, because it almost always pleasantly surprises me that way. The Jillian Dempsey for Avon Professional Multi-Pencils did, and now these Mark Celestial Eyes Shimmery Cream Shadows as well! Actually, I might be speaking too soon, because I've only swatched these and haven't actually worn them yet. Creams shadows are always tricky with my oily lids, and in my experience there are only a handful of cream shadows that didn't crease on me, Visee Aqua Shining Eyes, Lavshuca Eye Jelly, and Lancome Colour Dose, all three of which have been discontinued, and the only one still available now is Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour.

Grey Storm and Purple Halo. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Anyway, despite the risk of creasing, these Mark Celestial Eyes Shimmery Cream Shadows caught my eyes with their "artsy" pigment splatters and I bought them anyway. There are 4 variations available, Grey Storm, Purple Halo, Mint Sky, and Copper Dusk, and I thought they all looked kind of neat ^.^ I haven't seen a cream shadow like this before so I'll give props to Avon for going the creative route. But with that I have to say the packaging sucks. Think about it, it's a cream shadow, and when packaged like a powder shadow it's bound to dry out quickly, since that compact isn't air tight in anyway. But I guess very few cosmetics makers actually pay attention to the packaging of their cream shadows, and most put them in a pan or jar anyway. And I suppose Avon wouldn't be able to squeeze a dual color cream compact with pigment splatters into a tube ^.^

Mint Sky and Copper Dusk

Mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush Part II

Here are the rest of the Mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush I have. There are 4 colors available, Hush Baby, Chica, Love Rush, and Sandy, and I have already written about Hush Baby and Chica. Love Rush and Sandy took me longer to get to because Love Rush has no shimmers at all and is way more pigmented than the rest, and Sandy is a bronzer, which I don't really use at all. And even then I haven't used them, so this is only a preview post.

- Love Hush: the blush's matte-ness makes its color all the more opaque, as if it's not already pigmented. Just like the other Mosaic Blushes, here are 3 different colors in the pan, and they swirl together for a nice reddish coral flush with brown undertone.

Pictures taken indoor with flash.

Laura Mercier Gilded Garden Shimmer Bloc

I've been admiring this Laura Mercier Gilded Garden Shimmer Bloc for too long and it's time to, well, I don't want to say deflower but given how this compact powder looks I guess the word is somewhat appropriate ^.^ I fell for this Gilded Garden the moment I saw it, and I'm not even a fan of Laura Mercier's regular line up of the Shimmer Blocs! In fact, I usually don't even go for these pricey compacts, because honestly, their prices can get very repulsive and when they're that ridiculous, any beauty the compacts may have is quickly lost on me. I guess I have a rigid judgment of worth, and I have a strongly help opinion that while luxury brands can make very beautiful and quality items, a big percentage of that absurd pricing is to prop up their brand names and does not speak so much for the quality of the items. 

That is not to say this Gilden Garden compact is not pricey. It was, though not as pricey as a compact this pretty can get. Is this a bullshit excuse to cover my guilty conscience or what? :P 

All pictures taken indoor with flash, unless otherwise noted.

Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow

I got this Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow as a GWP a short while ago, but have only played with it recently. Even then, I didn't actually wear it out yet and have only test-ran it at home while lounging around. It reminds me very much of the long discontinued Victoria's Secret Silkwear Eye Shadow in Mystified. A little too much, actually.

This is a pressed powder eye shadow with smooth texture, though not as soft as it can get. Pigmentation is decent, but it feels a bit...thin. I can't really explain it very well, but some eye shadows feel very luxurious on, like Maquillage Eye Color and Eye Color N, some feel substantial and pigmented, like Kiss Kiss My Eyes Glamorize Shadows, and some just make you feel like you're wearing gorgeous powdered metals, like Etude House Orgel Light Eyes and The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes. And while this #13 Peach Beige also has a very pretty metallic finish, it just feels very thin in the skin, like there's silicone in it, although I checked its ingredients on Sephora and there isn't any. Weird.

#13 Peach Beige

Ettusais Cheek Color

Speaking of Plaza, I was there a few weeks ago looking for the newest addition to the Kiss Kiss My Eyes Glamorize Shadow line, palette 06 Pink Beige PK-2. Well, it wasn't out yet, but let's just say my trip wasn't wasted because I saw these adorable Ettusais Cheek Color on display and came home with them instead ^.^

These are my very first Ettusais blushes. I've seen their others blushes, but they all look kind of blah and they cost a little more than what I'd be willing to pay for a blah blush, 1,680yen each, so I never look their way. That is, until these Cheek Colors came along. They are the same price, yes, also I do think their packaging is kind of bulky being in a jar-like container, but I just couldn't resist the adorable heart swirls that reminds me of the cappuccino foam art. So yeah, I splurged a little ^.^ Thank goodness there were only 2 colors available, Orange and Pink, because I probably wouldn't be able to justify buying more of these, not even to myself.

Ettusais Cheek Color in Orange and Pink. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.


Orange


Pink

Marimekko for Avon Palettes

On this latest home visit, I had a chance to go through some of my things and re-discovered several things that were buried away in them. Among these are 2 brand new Marimekko for Avon palettes that I had totally forgotten about! So what do I do but bring them back to Japan with me?


Marimekko for Avon Poppy Bloom Eyeshadow Palette and Poppy Bouquet All-Over Face Palette. All pictures taken in door with flash, unless otherwise noted.

I actually have all 4 palettes, as each Poppy Bloom and Poppy Bouquet is actually a pair of Eyeshadow and All-over Face Palettes. However, I bought just the Poppy Bloom Eyeshadow and Poppy Bouquet All-Over Face Palettes first, found them rather pretty and so went chasing the other Poppy Bloom All-Over Face and Poppy Bouquet Eyeshadow Palettes after. Throw in the fact that I've been moving about for the past 7 years, first across the ocean and back, then across the country and back, then across the ocean again, the later 2 palettes were packed separately from these first 2, and I couldn't find them on this last visit. I don't think I lost them, I hope not at least, but they're somewhere in the mountain of boxes in Grandma's basement that will take me more than just a week to dig out. So yeah, just these 2 for now.

Poppy Bloom Eyeshadow Palette and Poppy Bouquet All-Over Face Palette.

Maybelline Mystery Lipsticks ^.^

Among the things Citrine sent to me are 2 Maybelline mystery lipsticks, and I call them mystery because the stickers at the bottom of the tube don't explain much other than giving the name of the color and number. I've only played with them so this is a preview post.

My swap with Citrine :) All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

I'm going to be honest so please don't laugh at me - these are my very first American drugstore lipsticks ^.^' I've used a few drugstore lip glosses, but have never bought or tried a drugstore lipstick before. Dead serious. I was never a lipstick person and it was only recently that I used lipsticks as stains. Of all the lipsticks I own, I actually purchased less than a third of them. The rest were freebie GWP, and even the ones I bought I paid deeply discounted prices for them. 

Maybelline mystery lipsticks in 825 Fruit Punch (left) and D104 Peach Colada (right)