Review: Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" Palette - The Yellows & Oranges

I took a break from reviewing the Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca Palette", because I really wanted to get the Sonia Kashuk brush review up since it's on clearance! I also have been really busy at work, so my posts have been a little sparse. My company is going through many changes and we constantly have inspections. I work in retail, so November and December may be bleak for me around here, but I'm going to try my hardest!

Anyway! I'm moving onto reviewing the Yellow and Orange shades in the palette. I have tackled the blues, reds, and an overall review with swatches. The Mi Vida Loca palette can be picked up exclusively at Sephora stores and their website for $59. It is currently still available.

***Feel free to scroll down to the very bottom for an overall summary and to skip the fine detail.

[wearing: Legend, Fran, Analogue, Noble, Moulder]

The look I created is a pretty common look for those who wear bright colors. Typically known as a "sunset" and with this colorful palette it is very easy to create!

Rundown:

• Legend - inner eye corner
• Fran - inner part of the eyelid, extending to the middle of the eyelid
• Analogue - from the middle part of the eyelid, extending to the outer part of the lid
• Noble - crease
• Moulder - brow line

Application

I used primer before applying all of these. So far, these are definitely the best for application. I did not have any problems with fallout and they apply very nicely. 

At first I was a bit scared that Fran was not pigmented, but really it's just a yellow shade that needs a few layers and it blends into my skin tone. 

Legend applied beautifully and looks great! Absolutely no complaints here from this shade and as I've said before- the shimmers are the best performing shades in the palette.

Analogue does need taping off of the excess before applying, but if that is done then there will be no fallout on the face. It is very pigmented and a couple of applications will give beautiful color!

I've talked about Noble before. It is a great color for me, as it blends into my skin tone and it really helped me smooth out any issues with my eyeshadow. It's an easy shade to work with.

Moulder worked well for highlighting the brow line and it blended down into Noble well. No complaints. It is a typical neutral shade.

Performance

I wore these for about 6 hours and experienced no fading or creasing, but I did use a primer. 

Final Verdict

I'm really surprised at how all of these shades performed! They are amazingly pigmented and blend well. They wear well, also. A little tapping of the excess is needed before applying to the face for the brighter shades, but they still give great color payoff!

I'm about half way done with reviewing the shades from the palette! If you're enjoying these Mi Vida Loca reviews, please let me know! Any comments or questions can be left below!

Other Products Used:

It Cosmetics "Celebration Foundation" - foundation

Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" - eye primer

It Cosmetics "Hello Lashes" - mascara

Tarte "Tarlette Palette" - brows

Tarte "Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush" - blush

MAC "Margherita" - lipstick

Tarte "Lights, Camera, Lashes Closeup Lash Liner" - bottom eyeliner

Buxom "Lash Liner" - eyeliner

Review: Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" Palette - The Blues

Today, I'm going to review the blue shades in the Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" palette. I have already reviewed the red shades in my previous post. I also have already completed a swatch review. These current posts and future posts are reviewing the application and wear of these shadows.

Info: The Mi Vida Loca palette is by Kat Von D and is exclusively at Sephora stores and on their website. It costs $59 US and is said to be valued at $210. It includes 24 shades that are brand new and is limited edition for the holidays. It currently is still in stock on the website, but Sephora is on their first restock on the palette. No telling if they will get anymore after this. Call your local Sephora to find out if they are still in stock there.

[wearing: Synth, Hyperballad, Dark Wave, Lyric, Strutter]

I tested the blue shades next, because it matched the shirt I decided to wear for the day. Yup. It was that simple.

Run down:

• Synth - all over the lid
• Hyperballad - in the crease & outer corner of the eye
• Dark Wave - lower lash line
• Lyric - inner eye corner
• Strutter - space between brows and crease, and blended into the crease

Application

I use a primer before applying these shadows. There were slightly more problems with these shadows then with the red ones. Even with tapping the excess off the brush before applying, I still had some difficulties. The good news is that the pigmentation in these colors happen to be great and they really show when applying them. These shadows did not fail in providing color.

Synth was applied all over the lid first. I did not have any fallout problem with this shade, but I warn that anyone going to use this one should make sure to tap off the access first. The pigmentation is great and there was no fading when applying the colors.

Hyperballad was where I had the issues of fallout. Even after tapping off the excess shadow, I still had fallout. In the end, I had to clean up teal shadow all under my eyes. The pigmentation is great. The color is a little stiff to work with and not the best at blending, but it's not impossible to work with and if one needs that a color like that there is no reason not to use it.

Dark Wave was applied only on the lower lash line and it worked well for that. It is a bit patchy and I imagine that if it were used all over the lid it would need a lot of layers.

Lyric and Strutter worked well for accenting the eye look. I had no issues with these as far as application. Strutter is a little more chalky than Noble and so basically it applies a little more dusty. It also turned out that Strutter is not as great of a blending color for me as Noble was when I actually went to use it, so I suppose I should take back what I original said during the swatch test and say that there is a good reason to have both colors in the palette.

Performance

I wore these shadows for about 5 hours. I did not experience any fading or creasing. All performed well and no real issues. Other than the fallout with Hyperballad, I feel these are all well performing shades and quite worth it, especially for someone who wants to experiment with color.

I'm not sure what colors I'll be doing next, but stay tuned! If you're enjoying these Mi Vida Loca blog posts, please let me know!

Other Products Used:

• Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" - eye primer
• It Cosmetics "No. 50 Serum Anti-Aging Collagen Veil Primer" - face primer
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation - foundation
• Buxom "Lash Liner" - eyeliner
• Tarte "Lights, Camera, Lashes Closeup Lash Liner" - bottom eyeliner
• MAC "Zoom Fast Black Lash" - mascara
• Benefit Cosmetics "They're Real" - mascara
• Tarte "Tarlette Palette" - brows
• MAC "Oxblood" - lipstick
• Tarte Amazonian Clay "12-Hour Blush" - blush

Review: Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" Palette - The Reds

As stated in my swatch review of the "Mi Vida Loca" palette by Kat Von D, I did actually use the shadows in the palette and played around with it a bit. I tested these eyeshadows out personally to see if they hold up when actually wearing them. 

***If you'd like to see a more detailed review and swatches of the palette, then please check out the swatch review. This post only contains certain shades and information about the application and wear of the featured shadows. 

Info: The Mi Vida Loca palette is by Kat Von D and is exclusively at Sephora stores and on their website. It costs $59 US and is said to be valued at $210. It includes 24 shades that are brand new and is limited edition for the holidays. It currently is still in stock on the website, but Sephora is on their first restock on the palette. No telling if they will get anymore after this. Call your local Sephora to find out if they are still in stock there.

[wearing: Swoon, Destroyer, Rewind, Live, Noble]

First, I tested out the red shades. Not sure why.......maybe it's the emergence of fall. Anyway, a quick rundown:

• Live - inner eye corner
• Swoon - all over lid
• Destroyer - outer corner of lid and into the outer corner of the crease
• Rewind - crease color
• Noble - space between brows and crease, and blended into the crease

Application

I applied primer on my lids first before applying any of these shadows. I did not experience fallout on my face from any of these shadows, but I made sure to tap off my brush before applying. Destroyer and Swoon were the biggest culprits with fallout, but just make sure to tap off the brush before applying to the eyelid and I don't feel there will be any problems. The pigmentation is there, because tapping of the access did not take away from the pigment or color being applied.

Live was very easy to apply. Went on smooth and I felt it looked great from the first swipe of the brush. Just in in swatch review, it is a nice shadow.

Swoon was nicely pigmented. It did take a few times of going back into the color with the brush to get opaque coverage, but it was not as bad as when I swatched it. I did not experience patchiness. It definitely applied much better than expected.

Destroyer was exactly how the swatch review stated; it was patchy when applying and took a bit of work to get even coverage and look nice. Even after I was done applying it, I still felt like there was a spot that was not that well covered, but I could only tell if I looked at my lid really closely.

Rewind was another surprising color. It applied nicely and I did not experience the patchiness I felt I had with the swatch review. It was much more pigmented and smoother and it definitely deepened the over look on my phone. It actually helped even out Destroyer a bit.

Noble is a neutral shade and blends into my skin tone. It is really not noticeable that I'm wearing it when I put it on, which is why I use it just to even out my overall eye look. It really helped blend the colors together and smooth out any sharp or ridged lines. I had no issues with it, but I did not use it as an overall color or to make it solid.

Performance

After the shadows set, Destroyer did not look bad at all. I wore these shadows for approximately 7 hours. For the most part, they held up well. After about 5 hours, I noticed that Live was a little faded and not as bright as it once was. At the end of the 7 hours I felt the shadows still looked nice, but Destroyer was disappearing. The eye look didn't look too bad, since it was blended into the other shadows though. I do have really oily skin, so the fading is also due impart to having the oil fade the make-up.

Final Verdict

All the shadows were nice to work with and looked great, except Destroyer. If you have a shade that is similar to Destroyer and performs better, I would see no reason to ever use this shadow. Destroyer is nice for someone who doesn't mind putting in some work and who may not use this color often. Overall, I'm very happy with the application, performance, and wear of these shadows. 

Stay tuned for the next set of colors! Any questions or comment, leave them below! I would love to see if any of you out there have created any looks with these shadows, so leave your link below!

Other Make-Up Used

• Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" - eye primer
• It Cosmetics "No. 50 Serum Anti-Aging Collagen Veil Primer" - face primer
• It Cosmetics "Celebration Foundation" - foundation
• Julep "Fluid Eye Glider" - upper eyeliner 
• Tarte "Lights, Camera, Lashes Closeup Lash Liner" - bottom eyeliner
• Tarte "Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara" - mascara
• Tarte "Tarlette Palette" - brows
• MAC "Forbidden Sunrise" - lipstick

Swatches: Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" Palette - Holiday 2015

[Kat Von D - Mi Vida Loca Palette]

I recently was gifted the Kat Von D "Mi Vida Loca" palette! I have been waiting, wanting, and hoping to get this palette since the previews released this summer! I suppose I should be thankful for an early release and that I didn't have to wait for it any longer, but it still feels a bit early to consider this a holiday palette. -With that being said, let's take a look at this palette! I haven't actually tested out the shadows by wearing them, so all my reviews of the colors are simply from the swatches.

For an overall review and to skip the fine detail, scroll all the way to the bottom of this post!

Info: Mi Vida Loca is only available at Sephora, as Kat Von D beauty is exclusive to Sephora and limited edition. It is $59 US and is said to be valued at $210. As of right now the palette is still available on the site and in stores. However, the website did sell out of it's initial stock and has since been restocked. No telling if they'll receive anymore once it sells out again. Many stores still have them, but stores often do not get restocked on limited edition items.

The palette came in a sturdy plastic cover. It was not anything fancy, so need to show this; it was clear and plastic........ The palette slides out of the cover like a record and reveals a wheel of colors. Aside from this palette being released way before the holidays, it doesn't give a very holiday feel and perhaps that's just another reason why it might as well have an early release. The palette is entitled, "Mi Vida Loca", which is Spanish for "My Crazy Life" and the colors remind me of the MAC counter with all the bright colors and hues -not that it's a bad thing though. It all around screams the colorful vibrations of the Hispanic culture in Kat Von D's edgy style. Like I said before, the palette slides out like a vinyl record and it's almost as big as one! The palette itself is quite large and this will a problem for those who want to travel with it. Not only is it not travel friendly, but I have read other reviews in which people say it is extremely hard to depot these shadows and it takes a lot of effort to do so. The packaging is still beautiful and eye catching though and deserves an A+ for that. It's been a while since I have bought or just simply saw a palette that had packaging this artistic. It probably helps that Kat Von D is an artist.

[the back of the Mi Vida Loca palette]

Even the back of the palette follows the theme and is beautiful! It's obvious that Kat Von D really put a lot of thought into every detail of this palette!

The palette was released on October-3 and I immediately wanted to buy it. However, I have never owned a Kat Von D eyeshadow or eye palette in my life and I decided to wait for more reviews. My personal feelings would be that Kat Von D's cosmetic line has a group of followers and they're die hard for the products, but sometimes fanaticism can be blinding. The reviews I read were mostly favorable, but I saw a lot of complaints about the colors not being as vibrant as they appear on the palette and the performance not living up to the hype. Of course, there was also the unfriendly travel complaint too. However, as I said at the beginning of all of this, I was gifted this palette! So, now all that is left is for me to share my views and opinions!

Moving onto the swatches! Keep in mind: All swatches are without a primer! Although I do always use a primer on my eyes with my eyeshadow, I wanted to see how well these shadows did on their own after reading the complaints. Also, remember that I have not tested these on my eyelids yet! That will come later. All swatches are in natural light. I have medium skin color and it's a bit tan from the California sun.

[Left to Right: Synth, Dark Wave, Echo, Muse, Anthem, Live]

• Synth - It's a bright turquoise matte blue. It's swatched 2x's on my arm. I experienced a lot of fallout with Synth, but it is pigmented and that's a big plus! When I originally saw the palette my eye went straight to this color and I'm glad to see that it's pigmentation seems to hold up to the vibrancy on the palette.
• Dark Wave - This is a dark jean blue satin. It's swatched 3x's on my arm. It does not have the best pigmentation, but it is buildable. I imagine this would best be used in conjunction with other colors, particularly darker colors that could help deepen its depth. I did have a little fallout with this one too.
• Echo - This shadow is barely visible on my arm, but it is there! Because of the natural light it is hard see the sparkle too, but there's plenty of it. This is swatched 3x's and it is a dark purple with pink and blue glitter in it. The glitter is quite chunky for a shadow. It is very sheer, as it barely shows up on my arm, but I experienced no fallout and that's a plus for a glittery shadow! I feel this shadow would best be used as an glittery topper to an eye look or just to add some deep sparkle. It's obviously not a shadow to be used on it's own.
• Muse - This is a matte muted lilac and swatched 2x's. There was very little fallout with it and it is sheer. I feel this color would best be used as a highlight color or to brighten other colors.
• Anthem - This is an orchid purple and it's swatched x3's. It's chalky and there was a lot of fallout. It's also quite sheer. This is definitely a disappointing shadow from my testing experience. My advice would be to use it as a base color for other shadows or for a sheer wash of color.
• Live - This is a shimmery reddish pastel pink. I swatched it 2x's. There was very little fallout. I was quite pleased with this shadow and it applied nicely. 

[Left to Right: Hyperballad, Lemmy, Misfit, Vinyl, Legend, Fran]

• Hyperballad - This is a darkened teal matte. It's swatched 2x's on my arm. I found this shade to be very pigmented and only a tiny bit of fallout. I feel like this will perform very well on the eyes.
• Lemmy - This shade really surprised me. On the palette is appears to be a shimmery green that leans towards the mossy side, but once swatched it is more of a olive green with blue undertones and a lot of shimmer! It's not sparkly, but there is a lot of shimmer to it. I only had to swatch it 2x's and I had no fallout. It is very pigmented. It feels very nice and was easy to swatch with a smooth performance.
• Misfit - A grassy green that's matte and swatched 2x's on my arm. It is actually quite pigmented and very buildable. I had only a little fallout. This shade really shut down the complaints that I saw about the colors being chalky and unusable, because Misfit is a matte that is a bit stiff, but the color and performance are there!
• Vinyl - A neon green satin. I swatched it 3x's. It's sheer, but I had no fallout and it is buildable. I feel this shade would do well over other shadows that could help empower it or as a highlight color.
• Legend - A buttery yellow shimmer. I swatched it 2x's. It's sheer, but buildable. I hardly noticed the fallout. I don't personally feel this is a disappointing color though. It would work great as a highlight color or over other colors to brighten them up and/or add shimmer.
• Fran - This is an orange-ish yellow that reminds me of pollen. I swatched it 3x's here. There was fallout with this shadow and at first it was very patchy. It is buildable and does smooth itself out. With a primer or something to help it adhere, I feel this color could be successful.

[Left to Right: Black Metal, Swoon, Destroyer, Rewind, Harpsichord, Analogue]

• Black Metal - What you see is what you get with this shade; it is a matte black. I swatched it 3x's. There's fallout and this shadow is chalky. It is a bit sheer, but was buildable. I feel this shadow would be great for a smokey eye, rather than an all over the lid shade. I feel it would take a bit to get this shadow opaque over the entire lid.
• Swoon - A reddish pink satin color. Swatched 3x's on my arm . It's a buildable color, but a little patchy and a little chalky. Not the best performing shade in the palette. I would definitely recommend using this with other shadows and primer.
• Destroyer -  A red satin. I had to swatch this 4x's! There was fallout and it was a bit chalky. It's sheer, but buildable. This is another shade that I feel is meant to be used in conjunction with other shadows. It would help out other shadows and be a good overlay, but I can't see using this alone.
• Rewind - This is a reddish burgundy shimmer. Swatched 3x's here. There was fallout and it was patchy, but it is buildable and smooths itself out. 
• Harpsichord - This is an orange copper shimmer. I only had to swatch it 2x's and there was no fallout! It is very smooth and silky! I can't wait to work more with this color!
• Analogue - This is an orange satin with pink undertones. The pigmentation in this shadow is good and I only swatched it 2x's. However, there was a lot of fallout and it was a little chalky.

[Left to Right: Skulls, Lyric, Moulder, Strutter, Noble, Vox]

The last 6 swatches are the neutrals from the inner part of the palette. Neutrals are always the trickiest shades, because they usually appear vastly different on each skin tone. A reminder- my skin is a medium tone and is tanned from the sun.

• Skulls - This is a pinkish cream color with a shimmery finish. I swatched it 3x's. The shimmer is very noticeable and it's a buildable color. I had no fallout with this shade. I feel this will perform well on the eyes and work great as a highlight color.
• Lyric - A peach cream color with a shimmery finish. I swatched this 2x's. There was very little fallout, but it's a bit sheer. I feel this color was meant to be made sheer though. It will blend will with light to medium skin tones, so it'll work well to brighten up the eye area.
• Moulder - This is a light tan matte shade that looks a lot lighter on my tan skin than it will for those who have fairer skin. I swatched this 3x's. It's a bit powdery, but only had a tiny bit of fallout. It is a little chalky too, but not unworkable.
• Strutter - This is a light cafe brown satin. It almost blends into my natural skin, or the untanned part of my skin. So for me, this will be a good blending color. I swatched it x2's. There was fallout and it's chalky, but still usable.
• Noble - A light peach colored brown with a satin finish. This is another shade that blends pretty well into my natural skin tone. There is not too much difference between this shade and Strutter, so it almost seems redundant in the the palette. I swatched it 3x's. There was fallout and it's a little chalky, but it's a buildable color.
• Vox - A deep brown shade with a matte finish. I had to swatch this 4x's, as it was a sheer color for a shade that looks pigmented on the palette. It is buildable, but there was fallout. This shade performed similar to Black Metal and will probably work great for a smokey eye, but would take a lot of work to get a solid brown lid; both look very pigmented at first sight, but perform more sheer.

Final Verdict

This is a nice palette. It's not the most solid performing palette out there, but it's far from the worst. There's a nice mix of brights, neutrals, and dark shades. It is also a good mix of mattes, satins, and shimmers. I feel this palette would be great for those who want to use unique colors once in a while, but do not want to pay for them individually since that would be expensive and of course there would be the neutrals that one could use all the time. There is fallout with most colors and a little more then I would like. The shadows are not stiff, but some of them are chalky. The shimmer shadows seem to be the best performing shades and while there are a few disappointments, the pigmented colors do seem to live up to their hype with the exception of the neutral dark colors. The palette is not travel friendly and the shadows will be a challenge to depot, but it is beautiful and the details of the packaging are definitely eye catching! If you're a Kat Von D beauty fan or a make-up collector, this is a must! If you're not a fan of bright colors or shimmers, save your money, because you can purchase neutral palettes or lighter colors without having to spend $59 on a palette full of other colors you'll never touch. I would not recommend this palette to a beginner or someone who does not have a lot of experience with different types of eyeshadow formulas. Remember that not every eyeshadow made in the world is meant to be an opaque solid color and that's why I feel people need to give these shadows in this palette a break. However, there are a few shadows in this palette that will require work and the knowledge on how to get them to perform well. 

Personal eye looks coming soon! Let me know if you bought this palette and what your thoughts! Or tell me what you think from the review if you're not bought it! I would also love to read others reviews, so please leave your link below!

Sephora Beauty Shake-Up

[photo credit: Sephora promotional email]

Subscribers to the Sephora email list will receive an email that looks like this starting today! It is the Beauty Shake-Up. You simply click the link where it says "play now" and shake your phone for a prize! Beauty Insiders can win: 10% off, deluxe samples, extra points, or 3x's the points on a purchase of $25 or more. The great part is that this is a daily prize and you can play every day from now until October-22, 2015. The prizes do not expire until October-31, 2015.

[photo credit: Sephora promotional email]

Today my reward as a deluxe sample of Josie Maran's facial cleanser. Of course, in order to redeem the code they sent me I have to spend $25. Sephora does send an email after you "shake" with a reminder of your reward and the reward code, so there is no need to write down the code or anything since it will be emailed.

***You do not have to play on your phone! The game can be played on any laptop or PC. All you have to do is click the link and instead of "shaking" your device it will just have click a link. You also do not have to be a Beauty Insider to play; all you have to do is provide an email. However, in order to redeem the prize you must be a Beauty Insider! Being a Beauty Insider is free!

Let me know if you play and what you get in the Beauty Shake-Up! Remember to play daily!

Review: Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

Today I'm reviewing the Urban Decay Vice 2 palette that was released this past holiday season (2013 holiday). It was available nationwide at Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, Urban Decay's website & counters, and pretty much anywhere that sold Urban Decay. It's very hard to get your hands on now unless you go to the actual Urban Decay website. - Above is the packaging/box that the palette comes in.

One good tip for people out there- Check your Sephora inside JcPenney's! When all of my Sephora's around me were sold out and Sephora online was sold out, I found it at Sephora inside JcPenney! This tip has helped me more than once! I know this option is not available for everyone. When I lived in Tennessee there were no Sephora's inside any JcPenney round me, but if you do happen to have 1 check them out! I have found exceptional service from them, better than some actual Sephora locations.

The back of the package lists all of the colors and names that come in the palette so you can see before you buy, but almost every place I went had the palette on display for you to test and try. The ingredients are listed on the very bottom. On the top, the package reads:

If eyeshadow is your vice, here's the ultimate fix: 20 BRAND-NEW shades, plus a double-ended Good Karma Brush. Experiment with insanely cool brights, not-your-average neutrals and sexy hits of smoke, all in our decadent, revamped formula. Even the presentation is luxe, with the touch of a button, the jewel-inlaid case opens slowly, seductively, to unveil all that gorgeous eye candy. Ah, sweet addiction. 

Urban Decay made a beautiful purple marble case and put a 3D crystal-like logo in the center -you can't help but be impressed! The case is made of plastic and as you can see it is on the thick side. The large size of the palette and the thickness makes it heavy, which a lot of you might not like, but the dimensions also make it very sturdy. Personally, I like palettes that are on the thicker side, because of the durability. To me, durable palettes means less of a chance for damage of the actual product inside, especially when traveling. I do travel quite a bit and especially when I fly, go long distances in a car, and are away from home for quite some time then I find that damage in some way will be done and the best protection are cases that are hardy. Alas, I know most people out there do not like toting around heavy beauty products and for everyday use I can see that, but for real traveling it's not one's best friend. 

As for the button, which is the black rectangle you see in the middle of the bottom; I wouldn't say that it's "slow" opening, but it doesn't spring open either. 

Here's what the inside of the palette looks like. Beautiful shades and all nicely displayed. -This was before it was touched. 

I'm not a fan of double-ended brushes, but you take what you get and I do think Urban Decay's brushes are well made, durable, and apply nicely. This brush is no exception!

Now for the swatches! I did my best to capture the true color with my camera, but I personally feel it's never 100%. All swatches are with no primer on my bare skin.

Top Row / Left to Right (On the palette this is from the bottom left and going to the right and up.)

• Dupe: A pink nude shade with shimmer. I find myself using this a lot has a highlight color and in the inner corner of my eye. Not the most notable shade, as I feel there are similar colors out there from UD and other companies, but still a nice one.
• Toxic: A pink bronze color with shimmer. Very nice, but again very similar to what it out on the market right now, especially with this Rose Gold trend. Performs nicely though.
• Habit: I did my absolute best to try to capture this color! Depending on the screen you have, you may not even be able to see it, but it almost blends right into my skin. I actually layered this one several times, but could not get it to show up. I use this has an all over color and a blending color. One of my favorites.
• Ambush: This is a brown shimmer. Nice color, but nothing too unique.
• Rewind: A matte brown. Another color I use a lot for shading and blending. It's very smooth and applies beautifully!
• Radar: This is a dark brown shimmer. This has a lot of glitter/sparkle to it. If you're not a fan of glitter then I would ignore this color.
• Damaged: A dark green shimmer color. This has a black base with a dark green shimmer tint. I like this color and it's pretty unique. This was 1 of the colors that originally made me want the palette.
• Voodoo: A deep purple glittery color. Again, this has a lot of sparkle to it, so if you don't like sparkle you won't like this color. I think it's pretty neat and has flecks of bright purple in it.
• Betrayal: An iridescent purple. I love this color! Another color that made me want to buy the palette. 
• Derailed: A cool-toned brown with shimmer. It has the typical smooth, easy application from a UD shadow, but nothing too unique.

Bottom Row / Left to Right (On the palette this is continuing from on up from the bottom, going left to the right and then up.)

• Prank: This is a deep, dark blue with iridescent sparkle. I feel in love with this color first when I tested out the display at the Urban Decay counter. If you don't like sparkle this is another shade you won't like, but I do love this! 
• Madness: This looks a lot different in the palette then when it is applied. It actually doesn't even look the same in the picture as it does in real life. This is a blue-grey color with green and iridescent sparkle that applies a bit darker then you'd think. This is the 2nd color I fell in love with and was my deciding factor in buying this palette. I've used this quite a bit. Very unique to me.
• Strike: This is a light gold shimmer that really shimmers in the light. I like it a lot.
• Stash: A brown gold shimmer with sparkle. I don't find myself using this color, but it is kind of unique to me compared to what is out on the market now.
• Poison: A charcoal color with a lot sparkle. I think this is nice for a night out, but definitely not for those who are anti-glitter/sparkle.
• Smokeout: Deep brown shimmer. This is 1 color that is a little bit more difficult to blend then most of the colors. It's not horrible, but just isn't as smooth as most of the shades in this palette.
• Lovesick: Black with a lot of glitter. This color is really not that different from Poison. It's a bit darker, but layer on Poison a bit and you have Lovesick. I personally feel that both of these colors were not necessary to put in the same palette, so you can't help but be disappointed by 1 of them. Poison is a little more on the powdery side. Lovesick applies a little lighter at first. So if you're looking for more glitter and less color, I'd go with Lovesick. If you're look for equal amounts of color and glitter I'd go with Poison.
• Shellshock: This is a silver shimmer and is very opaque. This is the smoothest and creamiest powder shadow I own! Very nice and applies like a dream! Great for those special occasions!
• Coax: Dark pink with shimmer. I use this color a lot too. Very pretty and also goes with the Rose Gold trend.
• X-Rate: Another color I use a lot. This is a matte pink. A little on the powdery side, but nothing that one can't work with.

Overall, I truly like this palette. I give it 5/5 rating and I think they did an outstanding job on presentation and performance of the product. If you don't like sparkle or glitter, stay away though. Most of these shades are heavy in the sparkle or shimmer at least.

Hope you enjoyed this review! Leave any questions or comments below. If you have your review or looks with this palette leave links to your blog!

A Christmas Tale: "A Girl and A Few of Her Favorite Things"

In the spirit of the holidays, I would like to share a story about a girl and her quest to get her hands on "A Few of My Favorite Things".

With all of the holiday palettes, sets, and limited edition items that cosmetic companies come out with this time of the year it can be hard to choose what to get and what you'll pass on. -At least for me it is.

I narrowed down what I wanted pretty fast and when I finally decided exactly what I was going to get with the money my mom gave me to specifically spend on a treat for myself (thanks, Mom), I found that Sephora was sold out online with the Too Faced limited edition palette entitled "A Few of My Favorite Things", which is an exclusive to Sephora only. Bummed out for days, I finally decided that I would go to Sephora after work, last Friday. While I was sitting on break I thought to myself- What if they don't have it and you waste that time going there? And since there were multiple Sephora locations around, I could end up driving all over just to try to find it. Then that genius-part of me finally came through and said, "Kaitie, call the stores to see if they have it in stock." So, I called the Sephora location closest to me and not only did they say they had it, but they would hold it for me! (Apparently, this holding thing is common at Sephora, but I had no idea they would do that.) So, now you can imagine how excited I was for the rest of the day!

After work, I drove down to the mall and walked into Sephora. I walked up to the counter and when the girl asked what I wanted, I told her that they were holding a Too Faced palette entitled "A Few of My Favorite Things" and she started looking for it. 

She couldn't find it. -Trying not to get worried.

A second girl approaches and the first girl explains what she's looking for, and then they're both looking and cannot find it. -I'm worried now.

They ask me if I came to the correct location, which I knew I did, and even asked to see the # on my phone to confirm it is their store, which it was. -Ladies, please! I know who I called!

They get a third girl involved now and she can't find it either! -Now I'm just upset. Feeling like I wasted time and I'd been standing there for a good 15 minutes or so and no progress is being made.

Finally, a fourth girl comes over and they all explain what is going on and this new girl says, "Are you sure you have the right palette, because we've been sold out of it since last week." -Now, I'm raging inside, because I feel like I've wasted 20+ minutes and I called ahead, and all my happy feeling was being stabbed and shredded.

So, the first girl then says she will call other Sephoras to see if they have it. -I do not want to drive all over after this nonsense. 

She calls the Sephora inside JcPenney at the same mall they are located in and they assure her they have it and will hold it for me with my name on it. So, I dash out of that Sephora and make my way down to JcPenney.

As soon as I arrive inside JcPenney they ask me if they can help me. (Of course they can!) I tell them I am here to pick up the Too Faced palette on hold for me. The girl goes into this big draw where all of these products with names on them are in AND........she can't find it. -WHAT?!

She looks in another draw with items on hold. Can't find it. -ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

She double checks both draws and takes everything out, and cannot find it. -OMG! WHY ME?!

And then she looks around the register and cannot find it there. -Heart sinking.

She looks in the draw where all the back stock of Too Faced is kept. It's not there. -They're sold out too.

She then asks me if I'm at the right location. -Not this again.

A manager came over and asked what was going on, and after explaining everything she walked over to the registers, pulled up some papers and said she had left it there. -RELIEF!

I not only walked out of the store with the palette, but also with a goodie bag that the girl put together for me. I don't know if she just felt sorry for me or what, but I'll take it! The bag was just one of those reusable bags that you usually buy for groceries, but it is a little better made than most (the ones I have gotten from the Disney Store & Bath and Bodyworks are not near as sturdy as this one).

The Sephora bag came with a Snowglobe from Disney that features Mickey Mouse with "2013" printed on it; Lorac's "TANtalizer" sample; and a plastic pouch of goodies.

Most of the samples in the pouch were repeats. I received foundation, primer, and perfume samples. I'm not complaining. It was all free and I'll take what I get.

The packaging features a very eye-catching chevron print and as you can see in the background- it comes with a make-up bag that holds everything, including the palette; a deluxe size of their "Better Than Sex" mascara; and their Lip Injection Color Bomb in "Bee Sting", which is an exclusive color to Sephora.

The set contains 20 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, and 2 bronzers, along with what I already mentioned.

And when you open it up, you are just simply taken with it! Even though it took me about an hour to get my hands on it, it was well worth it. I will be posting looks that I do with this palette soon enough, as I plan to use it on some upcoming events I am attending. If you would like swatches I suggest checking out these blogs:

• xsparkage
• Dulce Candy
• Makeup Geek

With all these blogs out there who have already swatched these, I feel like there's really no need for me to do so. The 3 blogs I listed did a great job and swatching and explaining the colors, and there are many more out there!

I hope you enjoyed my story and if you're still trying to get your hands on one then I suggest trying the Sephora inside of a JcPenney's if you're lucky enough to live near one. I know when I was living in Tennessee there was no Sephora inside any JcPenney around me, so it's not an option for everyone else. Otherwise, your only choice is Amazon or eBay where these babies are going for an average of $100, which the initial price is $56. 

***Don't forget: If you're a Sephora Insider you have $15 to use by SUNDAY. They expire after that!

Sephora on Groupon!

Check your emails! If you are subscribed to Groupon, chances are you received an email this morning (or should get 1 sometime today) that tells you that you get to "cut the line" and purchase a $10 certificate to Sephora for only $5 -that's 50% off. Already 120+ have been purchased. While I'm sure the cap on the availability is high, I would get on this of you want it. I once decided to wait until the end of the day to purchase a Starbucks one, thinking it would around and it ended up selling out before I could get to it.

(This is from my phone, so I apologize if there are a ton of errors.)