LORAC Unzipped Palette

Lorac Unzipped Palette was long on my wish list mainly because of the warm rose gold hue which is just my cup of tea. It seems like a good combination of matte and shimmers as well and the swatches online just all look so good and intense. But, my experience with the other much hyped Lorac Pro Palette was not really good, because I felt kind of underwhelmed by it, that's why I always resisted to get my hands on the Unzipped palette. Until recently, I saw it on a local blog sale for only €15. I thought I'd give it a try.

From left-right : Undercover - Unbelievable - Unattainable - Unconditional - Unbridled - Undiscovered - Unreal - Uncensored - Unspoken - Untamed

Undercover + Unconditional + Untamed 

Unspoken + Untamed 

Undercover + Unspoken

Despite of its preloved status, the palette came in a very good condition, it is almost new. The seller mentioned that she only used the palette 2-3 times, so I managed to snatch a very good deal. 

Lorac Unzipped Palette comes in a slim beige - gold cardboard packaging. I have nothing against cardboard packaging but for the original price ( US$42 ), I just think they could have invested more on sturdier case. It got a large built in mirror though, which is nice because when I travel, I don't need to carry extra mirror since the built in mirror is big enough.

The palette consists of 10 eye shadows ; 5 matte and 5 shimmers. It is a warm toned palette which suits my complexion really well. I can't really do cool toned / grayish eye shadows because they tend to wash out my complexion and make it looking ashy. Most of the shadows have no major issues. They all have good pigmentation, apply and blend very well. The shimmery shades are overall better compare to the matte ones. The shimmery ones are incredibly smooth and great in pigmentation whereas some of the matte shades could be a bit patchy. My favorites from this palette are Unbelievable , Unattainable, and Unconditional. I use them a lot on daily basis and the shimmers one are great solo performers, so it's good if you don't have a lot of time to combine some different shades for a look.

Speaking about staying power, I have no issue with the shadows. I don't usually apply primer due to my laziness xD but they stay on pretty well. I'd say they can go to 8 hour mark without primer with no problem, so with primer, they can stay even longer.

Overall, I like this palette better than the Pro palette. The shades are 'less boring' and more flattering for my skin tone. The price is high, but I think the quality justifies it well.

Have you tried Lorac eye shadow?
Love,
Pam

Beyond Cosmetics feat Alice in Wonderland and A'pieu feat Doraemon Holiday BB Cushions

There was a moment when I was crazy over cushion foundations. I found them very practical and good for on the go touch up. I have tried several cushion foundations from various brands but, my favorite remains the same which is Laneige BB Cushion. The other cushion foundations I have tried were either mediocre or broke me out or too greasy for my skin type. So after few experiments, my phase with cushion foundations was over. Until recently, I was enabled by @ryanroar 's post on Instagram and saw 2 limited edition releases from Beyond Cosmetics and A'pieu. The packaging is too cute to resist so I put an order, solely because of the packaging xD.

Beyond Cosmetics feat Alice in Wonderland Cushion Foundation #21 - Look at the packaging! How could one resist not to get it, right? The shade #21 is actually darker than I imagined. I am shade #21 on almost all asian brand cushion foundations, but this one from Beyond is a tad darker. It doesn't oxidize though, so I can still make it work. The formula is surprisingly a bit on the heavier side. It doesn't feel lightweight and is very pigmented. A little goes a loooong way which is not the usual case for korean base products. Due to its full coverage, it can appear dull and mask like. The shade also looks a bit ashy against my complexion. I can make it work if I apply it using damp beauty blender to sheer it down, but otherwise, it is just not the right formula for my preference and skin type.

A'Pieu feat Doraemon Cushion Foundation #21 - Unlike Beyond cushion foundation, the A'pieu one is a better shade match for my complexion. The texture is more lightweight and hence easier to apply. It provides a nice medium coverage and enough to cover imperfections, blemishes and redness arounf my cheeks. The finish is natural but very dewy. The dewy finish looks really nice though, but might not be the best for my combination skin. I usually set it with translucent powder to tone down the dewiness a little bit and prolong the wear of the foundation.

Overall, I like the A'pieu one way better than Beyond cosmetics. I still don't reach for it often enough though as I prefer liquid foundation for daily use. But I have been carrying the A'pieu one in my purse for on the go touch up whenever I have a long day ahead. As for the Beyond Cosmetics cushion foundation , I am still happy to have it because the case is definitely a collectible item xD.

Have you tried cushion foundation?
Love,
Pam

Tom Ford Cream Color For Eyes #Spice

There is something about the brand Tom Ford that is just very tempting and inviting you to get to know the products better ( read : buying them ) xD. When Tom Ford launched the new range of cream eye shadows this spring, I just knew I had to get at least 1 shade a try. After looking at swatches online, I decided to go with Spice. The new line has not yet arrived in Germany, but a friend of mine was traveling from the UK, so she helped me getting this particular product.

When I first saw the press release and checked the price of this cream shadow, I was kind of skeptical. I mean, €47 for a cream eye shadow is a lot. It must be extremely good to justify the crazy price tag. But I've been reading positive reviews and the more I saw the swatches, the more I got attracted to the products. Long story short, as mentioned before, I bought this eye shadow with the help of my friend xD.

The cream eye shadow comes in a nice glass jar packaging. The glass jar has the perfect size. I hate it when cream products have a very small jar that makes it difficult to pick up the product, esp with my giant size fingers, lol. There is a TF logo printed on the top of the lid.

Spice is a warm golden bronze shade. It's a very easy - foolproof shade to wear. It looks beautiful solo or with combination with other eye shadows. I am usually just being lazy and wear it solo on the lids. Spice has a nice iridescent -sheen finish. It is not shimmery, nor matte but it gives enough dimension to the lids and doesn't look flat or dull.

Texture wise, it is a dream. The texture is lightweight,creamy and airy. It is crazily pigmented, so you only need the slightest touch. This jar will definitely last me a long time. The formula is excellent. It blends seamlessly on the lids. I usually apply it with my fingers then blend the edges using blending brush. 

Talking about the staying power, this cream eye shadow once again nailed it. It doesn't crease, smear or smudge at all. It stays on whole day long even without eye shadow primer. I have tried quite a few cream eye shadows from drugstore to high end range and I must say this one is definitely one of the best I've tried. I know the price tag is crazy, but after using it for few weeks almost on daily basis, I don't find it difficult to justify the price xD.

Have you tried the cream eye shadow from Tom Ford?

Love

Pam

Trend It Up Ultra Matte Lipstick

One of my new year's resolutions is to buy less and pay more attention to quality instead of quantity. But some drugstore products are sometimes really good and more than just another cheap thrills. These new lipsticks from Trend It Up are good examples.

Trend it Up is an in house brand from DM , a drugstore chain in Germany. The brand focused on lip products ( lip liners, lipsticks, lip glosses, liquid lipsticks ) and nail polishes. The display is small but well packed and simply- sleek decorated. I had never really paid attention to the brands, but  a friend of mine told me they have great matte lipsticks, so on one day where I needed to visit DM for household supply, I was being naughty and did few swatches that led to a purchase xD.

Trend it Up matte lipsticks are housed in a sleek black case. There is nothing fancy about the packaging, but it's weighty and functions really well. The case also doesn't feel flimsy or cheap.

I opted for 2 shades ; #020 and #090. They look kind of similar on the hand swatches above, but IRL they're very different. #020 is a medium rose-y pink shade that resemblances Tom Ford Pussycat a lot, only #020 is warmer and less mauve-y. #090 is a deep reddish pink that looks pink under sun light and looks red under dim light ( I know, it's crazy right? lol ). The lipsticks don't have any names, only number which is slightly annoying and harder to remember.

I didn't have a lot of expectations for these lipsticks but they really surprised me in a positive way. The texture is creamy - a bit waxy but still glides on smoothly and effortlessly. The finish is velvet matte, not über dry matte which I prefer because I just can't be friend with this ultra matte liquid lipstick trend. They just don't look good on me and make my lips looking like they haven't had any contact with lip balm for years xD. I like that these Trend It Up matte lipsticks don't accentuate my lip lines and are very comfortable on the lips. I usually can only wear matte lipstick for a few hours but these are so comfortable and hydrating that I sometimes forget I am having matte lipstick on.

My favorite matte lipstick ever is so far the Tom Ford matte lipsticks, but they are unfortunately not very friendly for the wallet, so I am glad that I found a very good alternative for the Tom Ford ones for a fraction of the price.

#020

#090

I am very happy with the discovery and will definitely look at the other available shades. It's always nice to find hidden gems in the drugstore. 

Trend It Up matte lipstick retails for €2,50

Love,

Pam

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

This foundation was everywhere lately, and has been receiving mixed reviews. As a foundation junkie, I just couldn't resist so I put an order from Sephora and chose the shade based on swatches I found online. My review is going to be a bit mixed too on this one though.

Born This Way Foundation is the latest foundation launch from Too Faced. There are a lot of decent  full range swatches online so it was not difficult for me to choose my shade. I opted for Vanilla which is a good match for my complexion and has a yellow undertone ( before I found out that it oxidised -___-, but it was still a good match, just not on point ).

Born This Way foundation is housed in a nice glass bottle with pump spender. The packaging is good, functional and appropriate for the price range. 

This is how they described it on Too Faced's website :

"Born This Way is an oil-free foundation that masterfully diffuses the line between makeup and skin. For coverage so undetectable, you can’t see the makeup and you can’t see imperfections—all that’s left is naturally radiant skin that looks like you were Born This Way."

The foundation has thick liquid consistency. It applies and blends nicely.  It provides medium to full coverage and creates a flawless creamy finish. A lot of people mentioned how the foundation looked matte on their skin. Upon application, it just looks 'creamy' and a bit wet on me though. It sets into a satin finish after setting powder. Another thing, I don't find that it layers well. A little goes a long way with this foundation, because too much of product will make my face looking cakey and mask-like. So I usually apply a thin layer of foundation and blend it using damp beauty blender to achieve a solid medium coverage but still looking natural finish. 

Based on the texture, finish and how it performs, it reminds me a lot of NARS Sheer Glow foundation. But I have to say that Born This Way-despite of the claim to be oil free, doesn't have impressive oil control. My T-zone gets oily within few hours so a constant blot is needed. 

On a good note, Too Faced Born This Way foundation is a good solid foundation with decent coverage and nice finish. It looks great on picture and would suit almost all skin types ( for the exception of extremely oily skin ). The staying power is great too ( I got a solid 8-9 hour with a good setting powder and occasional blotting ). The shade range is wide, from very pale to very deep, so I think Too Faced did a good job on those aspects. 

However, there are some aspects that do not really please me such as ; oxidation and lack of oil control despite of the oil free claim. 

Overall, a good mediocre foundation. It's not bad, but it's not groundbreaking. I am happy to have it in my collection though.

Have you tried this new Born This Way Foundation?

Love,

Pam