Stila Precious Pearl Palette

THE RUNDOWN

• Stila Precious Pearl Palette @ Sephora.com
  
• Sale Price: $20
• Original Price: $40
• Value: $130
• Comes with 6 shimmery eyeshadows infused with genuine crushed pearl
• Has mirror on inside cover
  
• 10 g of product total; 1.67 g each
• Packaged in a metal case with 12 tiles of Mother-of-Pearl; not inlaid as I thought, but raised

Top view with flash

Top view in natural light (the prettiest palette I own)

Back label and box with ingredients
(Click to enlarge)

PROS

• Good value; you get six shadows of 1.67 g each (bigger than a MAC shadow)
• Gorgeous Mother-of-Pearl packaging; every palette is unique since the shells would be different on each
  
• Easy to open push-button closure
• Good quality shadows that are soft, silky and smooth in texture
• Hardly any fallout when using, if not any
• Shadows blend easily
• Shadows have an opalescent/iridescent shimmer
• Good pigmentation
• Has mirror
• Small, compact, travel-friendly size (11.8 cm x 3.4 cm)

CONS

• There's no dark brown shadow =( The blue will always have to be used to darken the outer corner
• May be too shimmery for some, but if you use a light hand, then it may work out for you
• No matte colors
  
• The edges of the raised Mother-of-Pearl may chip if you don't take care of the palette
• The light pink could have been replaced with another color
• If you wear mostly neutrals, these colors may not appeal to you
• To bring out the colors more, you must use an extra sticky base (i.e. shadestick, cream shadow, or paint pot) and not just TFSI or UDPP

Closeup of the shadows (Click to enlarge)

COLOR DESCRIPTIONS

• Pale creamy gold (a white-looking shadow that's misleading; it's really gold)- use a light hand when using as a highlight or you'll overdo it; just touch your brush to it
  
• Pale light pink- not as pigmented as the others, but it's meant to be light; this is the only color that could have been switched out with another, like a brown or gray
  
• Mid-tone pink- a nice lid color
• Deep navy blue- the outer-V color of the palette; turns purple over the pinks; looks black over the antique gold
  
• Bright grass green- the second least pigmented of the palette; goes on a little sheer
  
• Antique gold- a lovely mid-tone gold
  

Swatches (Click to enlarge)
(NOTE: The 7th swatch - the purple - is the mid-tone pink and blue mixed together)

One of the many looks. Here's a very wearable one.

SHADOWS USED

• Highlight & Inner-V: Pale gold (see how it's creamy yellow-gold and not white?)
  
• Lid (inner half): Pale light pink
• Lid (outer half) & Outer Lower Lashline: Mid-tone pink
• Crease: Antique gold
• Outer corner & Outer Lower Lashline: Deep navy blue (turned purple over the pink)

Another simple look
(click to enlarge to see the different colors of iridescent shimmer)

SHADOWS USED

• Lid & Lower Lashline: Antique gold
• Highlight & Inner Corner: Pale Gold
• Outer Corner: Deep navy blue

FINAL THOUGHTS

I paid half price for this palette but would have paid full price for it because of it's well-made packaging and high quality eyeshadows. You can't go wrong with Stila, anyway.

My New Handbag & Other Stuff

Here's my new baby: a Guess Lynx Satchel in Purple. I buy a new Guess handbag every year but I skipped last year, so it was time for a treat. I was looking for something smaller than my current black Osaka Guess purse - pictured in 3rd pic below - but I loved this design so much that I decided to snag it in purple, which is so unlike me because I don't really like purple. But, it's a very understated purple and when the light hits it, it will give you that flash of loveliness. Most of the time, it can look brown or even black at night. I figured I'd pass on the black and brown Lynx Satchels because the purple can go with black or brown shoes, right?

The Purple and Black Lynx has already sold out at Guess.com, but it's also available in White; dang, they went fast. Macys.com has 4 colors but it's not $10 off. Ooh, I like the Stone colored one, but cream purses get dirty! The Lynx Hobo is cute too, but I'm more of a satchel kind of girl.

I MISSED THE SALE

I was eyeing the black one for a few days online but thought the dimensions were too big (15" x 6.33" x 9.33") so I wanted to go to Macy's and see it in person before I purchased it. Plus, it was on promotion online for only $82.50, down from $110, so I had to see what it really looked like. The next day I went to Macy's and saw the purple one and immediately wanted it despite it's large size. I rushed home to buy it online only to find out that the promotion price was gone - it had gone up to $99, but was still $10 off. Bummer! Plus, shipping was an extra $7 or $8 so I was pissed that I had missed the promo price. If I had bought this online yesterday at the newer sale price, it would have cost me $117 with shipping and tax. But, I was in for a better deal.....

Click to enlarge

GETTING DISCOUNTS AT DEPARTMENT STORES

Don't be afraid to point out flaws to the salesperson at any department store, low-end or high-end, because they will almost always give you a 10%-15% discount, which saves a good amount of money on higher priced items. This is coming from someone like me who is embarrassed to haggle for a lower price when i go to flea markets or swap meets. But it's not haggling or bargaining at department stores. It's simply pointing out scratches on the metal hardware on a purse, or something that isn't sewn correctly.

Do you see the bottom right corner in the picture below? There's a thread that isn't sewn properly and I pointed out to the salesperson that I was a little worried about that piece of thread, so she offered me a 10% discount, so I got $11 off from $110. The total with tax was $107.91: Score! That's cheaper than what I would have paid if I bought it on sale today online and I didn't have to wait for it to ship. So, I'm still happy. =) The only thing is that there isn't a pocket on the outside of the purse for my keys. =/

Click to enlarge
Top Left: Size Comparison
Lower Left: Looks brown in that lighting & one of my other Guess purses
Lower Right: Thread sticking out = 10% discount

On to the other stuff...Here's a couple tops I bought. I've been into ruffles lately.

I have too many posts to do... o _ O

I'm wearing the elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer and after a few hours, no creasing. Impressive!

While I'm at it, here's my other purse, a Coach Signature Tote circa 2005. It looks so tiny in the pic but it's about as big as my new Guess. I'll just rotate between these 3 purses: the purple Guess Lynx, the black Guess Osaka, and the Coach. I honestly hate changing purses because of all the stuff I have to remove. Don't you?

NOTD: Jamaica Me Crazy & Mini Top Coat Review

These pictures are definitely NOT doing this color justice, even if I took a shot in the sunlight, which looks the same as the flash pic. It's Jamaic-ing me crazy!

IRL, this Pure Ice polish (yes, yet another one because I love them) is a darker purple that shines bluish-purple, but it has a fuchsia base. It's crazy beautiful in person but the pink shows more in the pictures. Trust me, it's more purple.

This is one of my favorite names for a nail polish and now a favorite color, and I don't even really like purple. The formula for this particular color is smooth and easy to apply. There's nothing wrong with a $2 polish, as long as it's good quality, and this is one of them. Just don't get any Pure Ice metallic/chrome finishes because they apply weirdly. Stay away from colors like First Time and Outrageous, even if they look nice.

Mini Top Coat Review
Seche Vite & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

I applied two coats of Jamaica Me Crazy with one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat, which I'm liking now. When I first tried it with my Leopard print nails, it didn't do so well, but with solid colors, it's been doing a better job. I've noticed it helps with peeling but my nail polish will eventually chip a little after 2 or 3 days. And it's not because I'm wearing "cheap" nail polish, either. I've tried more expensive brands but they still chip and peel. So for me, Seche Vite is not a miracle worker, but it's the best I've tried so far.

The downside about it is that it's a bit expensive ($8), but if you have a Sally's card then it's around $5. I've actually seen it at Target but there wasn't a price tag so I don't know how much it was over there. Another con is it's strong, chemical smell - maybe the Toluene.

SECHE VITE

• PROS: Dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds), helps prevent peeling (I know it helps prevent chipping on a lot of other people but for me, my manicure will still chip)
• CONS: Contains Toluene; has a strong chemical odor; somewhat expensive and not readily available everywhere
• INGREDIENTS: Butyl Acetate, Toluene, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Benzophenone-1
• MY RATING: 4 out of 5

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SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI

• PROS: Also dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds); no strong, offensive odor like Seche Vite (mind you, it still smells like nail polish, though); easy to find anywhere; has a flat-type brush that makes application easier; does not contain Toluene; a bit glossier than Seche Vite; ~$5
• CONS: Bottle is semi-circular in shape and may tip over easily; comes with 0.45 oz of product rather than your usual 0.5 oz (but that's ok, I guess); did not help with peeling or chipping (on me, my manicure will chip or peel after 1 day)
• INGREDIENTS: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, SD Alcohol 40-B, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Nitrocellulose, Acrylates Copolymer, Sucrose Benzoate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Etocrylene, Benzophenone-1, Dimethicone, PPG-2 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Saccharide Isomerate, Algae Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Violet 2
• MY RATING: 3 out of 5

That's my review but remember, Your Mileage May Vary...
Have a good day!

RED ALERT: 75% Off elf Studio! Code Required

This is what I get for staying online when I know I shouldn't - I made another order. There is a 75% off discount code on elf Studio products. Yes, 75% off, meaning that most elf Studio makeup and brushes ($3) will only cost you 75 cents! Oh great, just when I made an order last week too. Damn! =/

Now for the important code: WWYB75S

UPDATE: I believe the code is limited to only $10 worth of stuff now.

I just tried the code tonight and it worked. I ordered $50 dollars worth of stuff and got $37.50 off. I wasn't charged tax but the shipping was almost $7 dollars. Total damage: $19.45 for 16 items.

I don't know the expiration date and have no idea about international customers. Let me know if it worked for you. Also, they wouldn't ship to my PO Box - as they usually do - so I had to use my home address, which I hate because of potential thieves stealing boxes outside the house.

Ok, I guess that means I'm not buying the MAC Photo Realism quad that I've been wanting to get because now I won't have any more room left in my storage. LoL. But don't quote me on that.

RELATED LINKS:

• elf Studio Haul and Review: Bronzers, Blush, Eyeshadows, Brow Kit, Kabuki and Blush Brush
• elf Studio Brushes and Various Makeup Review
  

I'll be sure to do a post after I get this new haul...

REVIEW: Cargo PlantLove Palette & Urban Decay Lipstick Sample

I received my Sephora order and I'm very happy since it was only $25 plus tax. I needed to add $5 more to my cart to get free shipping, so this is how I ended up with CARGO's PlantLove palette. Yes, it was only $5.

THE RUNDOWN

• CARGO PlantLove, an eco-friendly line for the "green" girl
• Contains natural and organic ingredients; free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, or fragrances
• Packaged in a cardboard book-type palette with hidden magnetic closure
• Measures about 3 1/₄" x 3 1/₄"
• Comes with 4 eyeshadows, 2.5 g each (total 10 g)
  
• Price: $5
  

The front and inside covers

PROS

• Very inexpensive
• Made with all natural and organic ingredients for those with a "green" conscience
• Large amount of product
• Two colors, Iris (purple) and Ginger (orange bronze) have a better texture than the other two and have pretty good color pay-off when used over a good base (see swatches below)
• For $5, the purple color by itself is worth it
• Good to add in your cart if you need $5 more to get free shipping at Sephora.com

CONS

• If you sniff the shadows, they smell like cooking oil, but I don't notice that odor when wearing it
• Other two shadows, Zinnea (golden orange) and Thyme (light sage) have a gritty, flaky, rough texture (kind of like a MAC lustre) and aren't as pigmented as the other two
• Zinnea and Thyme are a little hard to blend
• Must use a good base - like a shadestick, paintpot, or cream eyeshadow - to get good color payoff
• No practical highlight color

Note: a MAC depotted shadow would fit into the first inner circle

Ingredients (click to ENLARGE)
They include: Karanja Oil, Argan Oil, Grape Seed Oil & Sunflower Seed Oil

COLOR DESCRIPTIONS

• IRIS: deep violet shimmer (frost finish)
• THYME: light sage shimmer (lustre finish)
• GINGER: warm orange bronze shimmer (frost finish)
• ZINNEA: golden orange shimmer (lustre finish)

Swatched over Scandalous Eyeshadow Magnet

IRL, the purple looks better than in this eye pic; it looks quite sheer here even if it wasn't. I can't seem to take a good eye pic...go figure. Plus I didn't use a dark base but IRL, the purple is really pretty. (Excuse the unfilled brow)

Base: TFSI & Physicians Formula ColorEyes shadestick in Champagne (discontinued)
Lid & lower lashline: Iris
Crease: Ginger
Inner corner: Zinnea
Hightlight: None

Base: Same as above
Lid & lower lashline: Ginger
Crease & inner corner: Zinnea
Outer corner: Iris
Highlight: None

Playing with my swatch

FINAL THOUGHTS
It was only $5 and I'm not complaining.

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SEPHORA SAMPLES

• Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation (haven't tried yet)
• Bare Minerals Foundation Primer (haven't tried yet)
• Urban Decay Lipstick in Sellout (Love!)

The full-size Urban Decay lipstick in Sellout goes for $22 but it's so worth it! It's well-pigmented, creamy, dreamy, moist and glossy: perfection. I would definitely blow $22 on one lipstick plus the packaging is gorgeous. Sellout is not really my color - a medium/dark raspberry creme - but the texture blows me away. I have to say it's better than a MAC Cremesheen and the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty lipsticks are coming to mind right now. (I'm tellin' ya, those Sally Hansen lippies are good.) I was on the verge of buying UD's lipstick in Naked, but I promised myself I wouldn't buy any lip products until I used something up. Be aware of the color descriptions because some are labeled as sheer or semi-sheer coverage. Sellout is a full-coverage lipstick so it comes out opaque.

See how glossy it is? Skip the lipgloss when wearing these!

UPCOMING POST
I got my Stila palette (@ 50% off, $20!) and, ay Dios mio, it's so pretty in person. A review with swatches coming soon cuz I'm still playing with it....

Thanks for stopping by! =) You'll be seeing more eyeshadow review posts and some mineral foundation reviews this month.

UPDATED Corner Storage and GoTo Palette

The picture above shows the storage on the top of my desk (it's actually two square tables put together because you can never find a table this long and wide unless it's a ridiculous price). I bought a new three-drawer unit from Walmart for $4 a couple days ago to put on top of my 6-drawer unit on the right side. I lined the drawers with paper towels and non-slip pads and put a few thing inside them already. I abandoned my old "Daily Train Case" idea and put all the makeup I reach for the most into these drawers and reserved my train cases for extra things.

I also reorganized many things on the black shelf too, but I've never shown that before. My laptop is under the blue sheet and my closet is to the right. I have shelves under the table where I keep my train cases (see picture below). I think I may do a video next month about my collection and storage. Shoot, it's only been almost a year since I uploaded my last YT vid. =P

Then I updated my GoTo Palette because I bought two MAC eyeshadows that I've been wanting. Can you see the difference? I switched out MAC Bold & Brazen and Wet n Wild Naked with MAC's Ricepaper (third in first row) and Texture (fifth in first row).

Click here for my orignal GoTo Palette post with all swatches.

I've been wanting Ricepaper (a frost) since the year 2000...no lie! I finally got it. Ahaha! I think it's now my favorite shimmery highlight.

And then I got Texture (a velvet), which is the perfect above the crease color. I don't buy MAC too often but these two colors are must-haves.

TOP: with flash (true colors), BOTTOM: natural light

*~*DUPE ALERT*~*

NYX's Sahara looks almost exactly like Ricepaper. What do you think? Even though the texture of Ricepaper is a little better, Sahara is still a very good eyeshadow - and still a favorite.

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EXTRA TIDBIT: Oooh lookie! Elf Studio now has eyeshadow singles and new blushes. Yup, I'm gonna have to try a couple of the eyeshadows because I'm too much of an eyeshadow junkie. I'm currently not buying any more lip products until I finish a tube of lipstick or gloss, but I'm still allowing myself eyeshadow. =)

Amethyst e/s & Candid Coral Blush

New Mineral Eyeshadow Primer


Compare the ingredients...

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Glyceryl Triethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Trihydroxystearin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Isopropyl Lanolate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).


Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer Ingredients:

This gentle and completely sheer Eyeshadow Primer has key vitamins A, C and E to help prevent aging and moisturizes the skin. The formula glides on easily and disappears instantly to create longer-lasting, crease-proof eyeshadow. The Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is designed to be used with your favorite mineral eyeshadow to provide ultimate staying power for beautiful and vibrant color that lasts. 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes. Apply a small amount to the eyelid and blend in. Use as a base prior to applying eyeshadow. Isododecane, Cylopentasiloxane, Octyl Palmitate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Triacontanyl PVP, Propylene Carbonate, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163).

*~*UPDATE*~*

Becky asked if NYX Brown was a good dupe for MAC Texture. So I busted out with my Brown single and the depotted one from the trio but I don't think they look alike. Both browns are matte while Texture has a little bit of shimmer and has terracotta/orange undertones. What do you think? But, NYX Brown (single) is still a good above the crease color and for blending up colors on the lid.

And a while back, Stephanie pointed out if NYX Champagne and MAC All That Glitters were dupes. To me, I say that they're close enough. Although on a white base NYX Champange looks more beige-champagne and MAC All That Glitters looks more peach-champagne, on a shimmery beige base, there's not much difference. Both are very pretty lid colors but I think NYX Champagne is good enough.

Hope this helps! =)