Sephora Friends and Family Haul

I just received my package early last week of the stuff I ordered during Sephora's Friends and Family sale. I purchased four items. This was the most exciting out of all my Sephora purchases. Why you ask? Because I ordered from brand I have never tried before! I have heard nothing but good, no, GREAT things about these brands and finally got the guts to try them myself.

I will start with Benefit's Dandelion blush. The package says it is "Finely spun with delicate mauves and pinks, this exquisite brightening face powder leaves a petal like finish. This is my first real Benefit product. I received a sample of Girl Meets Pearl, but I have not tried that yet. I was looking for a very light sugary sweet pink blush and I found everything I wanted in this.

Next I picked up two products from NARS. I was initially looking to pick up Orgasm but when I was reading through reviews I decided to pick up Deep Throat instead. Someone had said it was a less shimmery version of Orgasm so I thought why not? I wasn't really in the market for anything too shimmery and I felt this would fill that spot. Deep Throat is peach with shimmer.

The other NARS product I picked up I totally just picked up on a whim. Honestly I mostly bought it because of the name, but I also think that this could be a totally wearable everyday shade for me. Drum roll please...I present to you...NARS BARBARELLA!!!  Barbarella is a sheer peach.

Last but not least I picked up a Makeup Forever eye shadow in none other than Purple 92. This color has been calling my name for months and I finally gave in. Who can say no to a matte bright purple!?

What did you end up picking up from the F+F sale? How was your first time trying a brand new brand?

BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 - Top Shelf

Today I am going to do a review of bareMinerals READY 2.0 in Top Shelf. When you open the box, you get the compact with the shadows and a small booklet which gives you some information about the product and ideas for a day and night look. The packaging of the duo is a compact made out of black rubberized plastic and says bareMinerals. The back has a sticker giving a preview of what is inside. When you open it you a greeted by a mirror, a sponge-tip applicator and the two shadows:

Mixologist- champagne sheen
Cognac- gilded bronze

Front

 Back

Inside

Mixologist - Cognac

Mixologist - Cognac

Mixologist is frosty slightly peach/nude ivory color. Cognac is frosty metallic bronze. I have not used these for anything other than swatches, but from what I can tell, these shadows are very silky and smooth. From just lightly swatching them a little goes a long way and the color pay off is great.

Have you picked up any of the bareMinerals READY eyeshadows? Are you thinking about it? What others would you suggest I pick up?

Kat Von D Tattoo Chronicles Candelabara Edition

Today I will be reviewing Kat Von D's Tattoo Chronicles Candelabra Edition. This palette was released for the holidays. It is designed to look like a book, just like the first Tattoo Chronicles. This time it is velvet with a red foil skull chandelier. Inside are a few pages of drawing and journal entries. After those the palette opens up to a full size mirror on one side and all the shadows on the other. This time instead of all the primers you receive a full size Sin-Full Lash Mascara in Puro Amor.

 Front

 Back

 Inside

 Inside

 Inside

 

 Mirror and Shadows

The colors in the palette are:

(There was no color description)

First Class - also in Metal Orchestra palette

Sunset Blvd

Precious

Downtown- also in Ludwig and Saint palettes

Camila

Galeano - also in Beethoven and Truth palettes

Blackhearts

WTF

Holy Bible - also in Sinner and Adora palette

Speed Blue - also in Metal Orchestra palette

Oddfellow- also in Adora palette

Blacksmith

Evil Monkey

Nerd

Night of the hunter

First Class is a warm silver. Sunset Blvd is a golden yellow. Precious is beige desert sand shimmer. Downtown is metallic pinky brown. Camila is a light lavender. Galeano is a sparkly sugar plum. Blackhearts is a deep reddish plum. WTF is bright cranberry red. Holy Bible is a bright white silver. Speed Blue is a metallic iridescent royal blue. Oddfellow is dark blue with multi-colored glitter. Helsinki is a sandy pearl. Evil Monkey is soft french beige. Nerd is a pearly forest green. Night of the hunter is matte hunter green.

Sin-full Lash Mascara -Puro Amor

Row one: First Class, Sunset Blvd, Precious, Downtown

Row two: Holy Bible, Speed Blue, Oddfellow, Blacksmith

Row three: Camila, Galeano, Blackhearts, WTF

Row four: Helsinki, Evil monkey, Nerd, Night of the hunter

 First Class, Sunset Blvd, Precious, Downtown

Camila, Galeano, Blackhearts, WTF

Holy Bible, Speed Blue, Oddfellow, Blacksmith

Helsinki, Evil monkey, Nerd, Night of the hunter

Swatches 

  First Class, Sunset Blvd, Precious, Downtown

 

 Camila, Galeano, Blackhearts, WTF

 Holy Bible, Speed Blue, Oddfellow, Blacksmith

Helsinki, Evil monkey, Nerd, Night of the hunter  

All were swatched over bare skin -no primer or base.

Sin-Full Lash Mascara in Puro Amor

My favorite colors in the palette are: Blackhearts, WTF, and Evil Monkey.

Six of these shades can be found in other palettes. That means that half of this palette is new and half is old. The new colors are nice but not spectacular. The shadows are smooth and pigmented, but the shades just are not as amazing as they could be. Half I already own, and out of the new ones, I am not sure how much use they will actually get. The shadows that are new, are either really dark or really light. As of right now, I would say skip this palette. I just can't get excited about this one.

You can pick this up for $49 at Sephora.

Kat Von D Art Of Elysium - Kimberly Palette

Today I will be reviewing Kat Von D's Art Of Elysium Palette in Kimberly. This palette is the same size as the small palette that you could have received as a 500 points perk at Sephora. The palette is white rubberized plastic like most of the other palettes. It has a drawing of eyes on the front in black.

What is so nice about this palette, and probably one of the best  reasons to buy (because some of the colors are not new) is because of this:

Kat Von D designed this gorgeous palette in collaboration with the Art of Elysium, a charity that provides creative inspiration to children battling serious medical conditions. For the pallette's cover, Kat and a teenage girl from named Kimberly took turns drawing the other's portrait. On the left you'll find Evelyn's portrayal of Kat's eye and on the right you'll find Kat's portrayal of Evelyn's eye. 

Ten percent of the purchase of this palette will benefit The Art of Elysium programs.

From the Sephora site

Front

 Back

Inside

The colors in the palette are:

Believer- Pearlized pink

Shakespeare- Pearlized taupe

Rad- Matte purple black with purple glitter

Dorian Gray- Pearlized charcoal gray (also found in Sinner Palette)

Believer is sugary cotton candy pink. Shakespeare is a pearly cranberry shade. Rad is a matte dark blueish purple with glitter. Dorian Gray is a dark pearly gunmetal gray.

 Top: Believer, Shakespeare

Bottom: Rad, Dorian Gray

Top: Shakespeare, Dorian Gray

Bottom: Believer, Rad

All were swatched over bare skin -no primer or base.

My favorite colors in the palette are: Shakespeare and Rad.

These colors all swatched beautifully and I would recommend this palette to anyone who is looking for a small palette to make a nice purple smoky eye.

You can pick this palette up for $20 at Sephora.

Kat Von D Art Of Elysium - Evelyn Palette

Today I will be reviewing Kat Von D's Art Of Elysium Palette in Evelyn. This palette is the same size as the small palette that you could have received as a 500 points perk at Sephora. The palette is white rubberized plastic like most of the other palettes. It has red flowers on the front.

What is so nice about this palette, and probably the only real reason to buy (because every single color is a repeat) is because of this:

Kat Von D designed this gorgeous palette in collaboration with the Art of Elysium, a charity that provides creative inspiration to children battling serious medical conditions. For the palette's cover, Kat and a teenage girl from named Evelyn created this unique floral design. In the center you'll find Evelyn's flower with the surrounding artwork by Kat. 

Ten percent of the purchase of this palette will benefit The Art of Elysium programs.
from the sephora website

 Front

 Back

Inside

The colors in the palette are:

Enjoy the Silence- Pearlized butter-cream (also found in Saint Palette)

Sand Timer- Pearlized sand (also found in Poetica Palette)

Leather- Matte dark brown (also found in Angeles, Beethoven, and Ludwig Plalettes)

Tijuana- Brown black with gold sparkle (also found in Tattoo Chronicles Vol I and Poetica Palettes)

Enjoy the Silence is the Silence is a shimmery vanilla. Sand Timer is pinky champagne sand. Leather is matte chocolate brown. Tijuana is a blackened brown with gold sparkle.

 Top: Enjoy the Silence, Sand Timer

Bottom: Leather, Tijuana

 Top: Enjoy the Silence, Sand Timer

Bottom: Leather, Tijuana

Top: Enjoy the Silence, Sand Timer

Bottom: Leather, Tijuana 

All were swatched over bare skin -no primer or base.

 

My favorite color in the palette is: Tijuana -love that glitter

All of the colors in this palette are winners. They are perfect for a neutral eye and I could see this being really nice to travel with. Much more travel friendly than the UD Naked palette. Also because there are only four shadows in this, it would make doing makeup on vacation a snap because they all go together and there are no unnecessary colors to try to work with.

You can pick this palette up for $20 at Sephora.

Kat Von D Tattoo Chronicles Vol I

Today I will be reviewing Kat Von D's Tattoo Chronicles Vol. I palette. This palette was released for the holidays last year. It is designed to look like a vintage book. There are a few pages with drawings and some journal entries. Once you get past all of these pages, the palette opens up to show you a full mirror on the left and the shadows on the right. Along with the 12 shadows you also receive three primers and a pair of false eyelashes. The eye shadows pull out to reveal a hidden compartment. Inside the compartment is a sample of the Sinner and Saint scents.

Front

 Front again

 

Side

 Back

  

Inside

 

 Inside 

  

 Inside 

 Mirror and Shadows

Close up of Shadows, Primers and Lashes

 

  

Open Compartment

 

 Secret compartment with fragrance

  Secret compartment with fragrance

 Inside after you take out the fragrance and paper it is attached too

 

The colors in the palette are:

(There was no color description)

Tijuana - also seen in Poetica and Evelyn

Taxidermy

Hollywood

Peanut- also seen in True Love

Redemption

Solitude

Heartkiller

Baudelaire

Monastary

Poe Blue

Nite Owl

Lemmy

Primers:

Skin

Stellar

Smoky

Tijuana- Brown black with gold sparkle. Taxidermy is a rich chocolate teddy bear brown. Hollywood is a golden mustard brown. Peanut is a vanilla cream color. Redemption is matte purple mountains majesty. Solitude is soft lilac. Heartkiller is a soft candy pink with gold and pink glitter. Baudelaire is a light silver blue. Monastary is black with red, blue and silver glitter. Poe Blue is navy blue with blue shimmer. Nite Owl is a shimmery forest green. Lemmy is bright lime green.

Skin is a yellowish skin tone color. Stellar is a shimmery light pink. Smoky is a dark charcoal gray.

 False Eyelashes

 Row one: Tijuana, Taxidermy, Hollywood, Peanut

Skin primer

Row two: Redemption, Solitude, Heartkiller, Baudelaire

Stellar primer

Row three: Monastary, Poe Blue, Nite Owl, Lemmy

Smoky primer

 False Eyelashes

 Tijuana, Taxidermy, Hollywood, Peanut

Skin primer

 Redemption, Solitude, Heartkiller, Baudelaire

Stellar primer 

Monastary, Poe Blue, Nite Owl, Lemmy

Smoky primer

Skin

Stellar

Smoky

Swatches

 Tijuana, Taxidermy, Hollywood, Peanut

 Redemption, Solitude, Heartkiller, Baudelaire

 Monastary, Poe Blue, Nite Owl, Lemmy

Skin, Stellar, Smoky

All were swatched over bare skin -no primer or base.

My favorite colors in the palette are: Taxidermy, Hollywood and Heartkiller.

Two of the colors in this palette are repeats. Overall the selection of colors and quality makes this palette a must have in my book. I actually have two! I love the packaging and the hidden compartment is a nice touch.