The Latest from MUFE

Its been hard to keep up with Make Up For Ever! They've been rapidly firing out products! I'm already behind but I love this brand so I wanted to share my thoughts on the latest.

The One I Had to Get: Etude House Juice Bar Palette

It is now increasingly rare that a product will jump out as a "must-get-now". Items come in the mail and I have the fortune of trying them out before ads appear to give me that "have-to-buy-it" feeling. A lipstick or a blush can still earn OOOOs from my lips but things in my space makes me less inclined to drop money for even more things. When I saw the Etude House Juice Bar Palette though, I had to have it. 

Question: What is Your Favorite Eyeshadow Finish/Formula?

In this post, I was slightly surprised by the number of comments where people said they weren't interested in matte shadows. I didn't realize there would be any real preference against them! Mattes seem like just another finish and isn't one that I especially "do not prefer". Actually, they seem necessary to have in your beauty arsenal.

So that got me thinking, what is your favorite eyeshadow finish and why?

I tend to stick with the shimmers or iridescent shadows. Nothing glittery, nothing frosty, but a good satin or slight shimmer finish. I gravitate towards those easily. The appreciation and use of mattes came relatively recently in my beauty practice. Dull at first, I began to see their place for blending, then as transition shades and finally as the star of my lid show. I especially like a nude, skin color matte look with black liner and a bold solid lip color. Maybe the distaste for mattes is in the same vein of people who can't buy yet another neutral. I don't know. What do you think?

On Repeat: Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Redemption Palette*

Budget beauty brands. Sometimes I'm skeptical about them but nothing surprised me more than the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Redemption Palette* (what a mouthful!) which retails for the extremely palatable (har har) price of $16CDN. 

Three Primer Battle

I've been switching back and forth between three primers lately, a good mix of low to mid-range in price. Is it wrong to think that $33 is 'mid-range'? I'm sure it seems on the higher side for many people. Anyways, partly out of laziness and curiosity, I've kept dabbling in all three just to see which I would gravitate towards.

Kat Von D Shade and Light* Decision Making

Since the Kat von D's Mi Vida Loca Remix palette and Metal Shadows, I've been paying more attention to her eyeshadows. The latest are the Shade and Light palettes ($34CDN, 4 shades each) (Instagram teasers are coming out for a Serpentina palette and Too Faced collabs but I have no idea when those will launch) and I was instantly drawn to Sage* and Plum*.

MUFE Artist Palette 3 - Florals*

I've been avoiding the MUFE Artist Palettes* because collecting any more of these shadows would be (more) excessive. But when given an opportunity, how could I refuse? The latest palette (Florals, $52CDN) is a mix of springy light shades with a few darker options for versatility but I have to admit that my feelings are undecided about this one.

The Latest 5 Minute Face

I've been doing a 5 minute face a lot lately and its honestly because of the Burberry Eye Color Contour* stick in Dusty Mauve ($32CDN, 1.5g). Easy to use and incredibly flattering, even I, who must use at least two shadows,  can happily apply just Dusty Mauve smoked out on the lids.

Worth Checking Out: Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows*

While the Dior's Summer 5 Color Palette options didn't quite hit the mark for me, the latest colors and formulation of the Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows* ($36 CDN, 1.98g) have got me more excited. 

The new collection of Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows comes with 10 shades (9 are available in Canada) and are available in department stores (not Sephora). There are four finishes: matte, satin, glittery and intense lamé (its as intense as it sounds). Long-wearing and buildable, these can be soft, subtle, smoldering or dramatic. 

Looks with Dior's Polka Dot Eyeshadow Palettes - Escapade and Bain de Mer*

When a new collection launches, what do you look at first? My eyes always go towards the eyeshadows. After seeing a few promo photos of the Dior Summer collection, Escapade, an orange and pink option seemed right up my alley, while Bain de Mer made me curious. 

Burberry Eye Color Cream in Nude Gold*

I love dramatic looking products and the Burberry Eye Color Creams* are pretty dramatic. A hefty looking block of domed squishy shadow with a gun metal (but sadly plastic) Burberry pattered lid. It looks lux on the vanity and the shade Nude Gold is a great 'topper' addition to your eyeshadow wardrobe. But get it fast because its LE for Spring/Summer 2016.

The Maybelline Color Tattoo Addition (ft. the Concentrated Crayons*)

Need I say that I enjoy the Maybelline Color Tattoos? Well, these lately have gotten a face lift and becoming more portable and potentially easier to use. Concentrated Crayons* ($11CDN, 3g) are a twist up eyeshadow stick that are supposed to glide on and last all day. If they're anything like the potted Color Tattoos then I will probably be in love but as you know, I always tend to forget about my stick shadows. 

PSA: How to Wear Colorful Eyeshadows (ft. Kat Von D Metal Crush Shadows*)

I was in high school. I had never used eyeshadow before. I chose blue to spend my money on. 

No surprise, it never got used, but don't be like me! Use that color! I know it secretly makes you happy (while also causing heart palpitations from fear when you even think about using it).

All you closeted color lovers out, embrace that inner bright pigmented yearning and say "Dash it, all! I'm wearing ORANGE (insert other bright color here) today.....very sneakily in a corner of the eyes so no one but I will know the extent to which I can dare". Color can be scary and using highly pigmented, outrageously gorgeous and bright colors like the Kat Von D Metal Crush Shadows* ($25CDN, 0.10oz ) is even more frightening. But once you've swatched these babies, only an an-hedonist could resist.

Those MAC Shadows (Favorite Eyeshadows from MAC)

Learning that MAC has dropped the prices for their shadow pans (From $12CDN to $8CDN) had me browsing the online aisles for the rest of the shadows I had always wanted. Half my mind was on the fact, that actually...MAC isn't my favorite and yet the brand has such a stronghold on what I think of as "good quality" that it is hard to remember that I reach for other options more often. In comparison to my MUFE shadows, MAC doesn't always compared and yet makeup is so synonymous with MAC that it's hard not to covet their items.

Hard Candy Look Pro! Tin Palettes in Natural Eyes*

*Press Sample

Everyone always buys a neutral eyeshadow palette first. Actually I recind that statement. The first palette I bought contained blues from MAC; Electric Eel (matte bright azure), Shimmermoss (bright, light aqua), Brill (light aqua) and Contrast (dark navy blue). I was crazy. What was I going to do with all that blue? Nothing, was what. Those colors stayed in my drawers for many years and the next palette I bought was the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette which got immediate and plenty of use.

But the Too Faced choice was a hard one. At that time, I wasn't sure whether laying down $40+ was going to be worth it for someone just getting into makeup. Now, you can get a full range of neutral shadows for so much less and the Hard Candy Look Pro! Tin in Natural Eyes* ($8.98CDN, 9 shades) is one option.  

A Creaseless Cream/Liquid Shadow (ft. Pur Eye Polish in Cashmere*)

*Press Sample

Pur Minerals Eye Polish in Cashmere* ($32CDN, 8ml) is a pure pigment eye primer and top coat which promises crease-proof long wearing eye shadow with a luminous metallic sheen. It comes with a smudge resistant silicone applicator and is supposed to build up with ease. It washes easily off under water.

Burberry Complete Eye Palette Dark Spice*

*Press Sample

I absolutely love the Burberry single shadows and have showcased them on the blog before. If one shadow is good, then four in one palette would be at least four times as awesome. Carrying over from last Autumn, I'm still loving burgundies and oranges so the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Dark Spice* ($64CDN) is the perfect palette for me right now.

My Crazy Life (ft. Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette)*

My life, is crazy.

When I think about all the events that lead up to today, I know that there were pivotal events. A few years ago, running a blog was the furthest thing from my mind. Blogs didn't even exist in my frame of reference of feasible activities. A few years ago, the opportunity to partner with brands and to test out products would have sounded unreal, and yet that's what I do, for fun, multiple times a week. The course of my life has been unexpected and my life is crazy.

Leaning Cool - Dior Eternal Gold*

*Press sample

Warm eyeshadows draw me in much more often than cool toned shadows but Dior's Holiday Palette in Eternal Gold ($70CDN) has been a change from my regular choices and its partly due to the shadow's performance.

Burberry Khaki Green

It's interesting that my tastes still change over time in leaps and bounds and not just by degrees. Maybe because I became comfortable using the more cool toned Dior holiday palette (review to come) or maybe for some other reason, but I'm liking the cooler tone of Burberry's Khaki Green ($33CDN, 0.09oz) eyeshadow even though I've traditionally favoured warmer shades.