After tons and tons and tons of mermaid looks, about three weeks ago or so I decided it was time to make a unicorn make up - just for a change XD Nothing too crazy or graphical, I wanted it to be a very simple look - yet colourful and sparkly. I used a lot of shades from the Freedomination Collection by NABLA Cosmetics (my overview posts are here: part 1 and part 2) and quite some glittersssss XD

Since unicorns are commonly associated with pastel colours, Freedomination came in really handy: New Heaven and Lotus are certainly two shades fit for an unicorn look! Also Eresia and Blue Velvet are perfect to add depth while still being colourful. 
I thought about adding an helix eyeliner or some 'horn-like' eyeliner - but I really wanted to keep it easy, so I opted for a small detail on the wing instead.
And lastly... Unicorns spell glitters, so I couldn't avoid adding a lot of sparkles on the lower lashline - in a way that mimics the gradient on the upper lid!

After priming my lids, I applied New Heaven on about the inner third  of the upper lid, then I applied Lotus on the center and Eresia right after it, on the outer third/outer  corner; lastly, I applied Blue Velvet on the outer corner, creating a V shape. I carefully blended each shade with the following one - which was so easy thanks to the 'Super Matte' texture of this eyeshadows, they almost blend by themselves! I applied the same shades in the same order on the lower lids - they will serve as guidelines for the glitters application.

I didn't add any specific crease shade, I just used Narciso to gently blend all the shadows. Then I applied eyeliner - Tattoo Liner in Trooper by Kat Von D Beauty - creating a plain winged line, nothing fancy. To represent the unicorn's horn, I applied Dazzle Liner in Purity by NABLA on the wing, in a triangular shape.
At this point I moved back to the lower lid: I applied 5 different shades of glitter that could somehow recreate the gradient. Starting from the inner part of the lid, I applied Minted and Twinkle mixed together (because I don't have matching glitters so I had to mix), Fairy, Chewee and, finally, Sonic. On the inner corner I applied a Foiled eyeshadow by Makeup Geek Cosmetics - Pegasus.
Lastly, I applied mascara and falsies to complete the look (no black eyepencil on the waterline this time). And that's it, told you it was easy!

Face

- MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Foundation NW15 (foundation)

Eyes

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

- Makeup Geek Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Pegasus" (inner corner)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "New Heaven"* (upper and lower lid)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Lotus"* (upper and lower lid)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Eresia"* (crease, outer corner, lower lid)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Blue Velvet"* (crease, outer corner, lower lid)

- GlitterTubes Pressed Glitters in "Minted" (lower lid)

- GlitterTubes Pressed Glitters in "Twinkle" (lower lid)

- GlitterTubes Pressed Glitters in "Fairy" (lower lid)

- GlitterTubes Pressed Glitters in "Chewee" (lower lid)

- GlitterTubes Pressed Glitters in "Sonic" (lower lid)

- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Narciso" (transition colour)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Antique White" (brow bone)

- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Nocturne" (lower lashline)
- NABLA Cosmetics Dazzle Liner in "Purity"*

- Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liner in "Trooper"

- MAC Cosmetics "Extended Play Gigablack Lash" Mascara

- Ardell Lashes Wispies Lashes
- DUO White Eyelash Adhesive

Eyebrows

- NABLA Cosmetics Brow Pot in "Mars"*

Brushes

- 239 ~ MAC Cosmetics

- 217 ~ MAC Cosmetics
- 213 ~ MAC Cosmetics
- 224 ~ MAC Cosmetics

- 2x Short Smudge (A13)* ~ Spectrum Collections (Marbleous Set*, BombShell Set*)
- 2x Fluffy Pencil (A12)* ~ Spectrum Collections (Marbleous Set*, BombShell Set*)

- Large Fluffy Shader (A06) ~ Spectrum Collections (Siren Set)

- Accent Brush ~ Real Techniques

- Precision Crease (A16) ~ Spectrum Collections

- 3x Lip Liner (A15)* ~ Spectrum Collections (Siren Set, Glam Clam, BombShell Set*)

Hope you like this look!

Are you team mermaids or team unicorns? ;D

Mermaid kisses and starfish wishes ♥

*Disclaimer: Starred products are press samples, sent by respective brands for me to test and review.

Sephora has teamed up with Moschino and created a bear-themed makeup collection. 

And I won't be buying.

If you didn't know, Moschino is a boutique brand where you can buy a sweatshirt for $400. And a lot of their stuff has a bear on it. 

The appeal of this collection, I think, is the same appeal makeup items from Chanel, Dior, and Tom Ford have in a lot of ways. I still remember the first thing I ever bought from Chanel—a black nail polish. I could not believe that there was something from Chanel that I could actually afford and then own. And I felt so fancy. So, my assumption is that there is a similar appeal with this collection. 

Because otherwise, this is just a giant bear-shaped eyeshadow palette with typical warm neutral shadows and "pops" of colors. 

And for a reality check, this is just a giant bear-shaped eyeshadow palette with typical warm neutral shadows and "pops" of colors. 

And if you're after this collection for the packaging (I'm assuming that is the core appeal for people), then that's one thing. But in terms of the makeup, this feels like a very unnecessary purchase. 

Let's talk about the packaging for a moment, because in these anti-haul posts, I typically talk about how buying something just for the packing isn't usually the best reason to make a purchase. If there is a product from Too Faced or Urban Decay or Estee Lauder or Benefit that has "cute" packaging that you really like, and you decide to spend upwards of $50 on it, trying to convince yourself that you will use the product inside even though you really know you won't, then, yeah, I would say you should probably resist the temptation to buy. But for this product—and entire collection—it seems as though the packaging is what makes it Moschino and what makes people who are fans of the brand want it. And I can't really argue with that. 

But here's what I will say: I just don't get it. I don't get why someone who is after packaging of something that has nothing to do with makeup wants to have it as a makeup item. If I was a fan of this brand, I would just want the giant bear for a decoration on my desk. I wouldn't want it to be an eyeshadow palette. Because as an eyeshadow palette, it is so impractical. 

And I guess I can understand the argument of wanting these "special packagings" because it combines two things people like: the brand or movie or whatever and makeup. But I'm having a really hard time imagining that people are going to be using the makeup in this collection, specifically the eyeshadow palette:

When I look at this product, I can't help but be reminded of those giant gummy bears:

And I just can't unseen that resemblance. 

As far as I can tell, this collection also includes a blush/highlighter duo, brushes, and lip products that include a bear-shaped lipstick holder necklace. 

I'm just gonna say it: This collection is about the gimmick/brand, and I don't think the best fit for it is makeup. Everything about this collection, except maybe the blush/highlighter duo and the lip products (outside of the necklace) feels like it is for display more than actual use, which, for me, begs the question: why makeup?

It's honestly hard for me to imagine people pulling out that giant gold bear in the mornings to apply their eyeshadow. That's not to say that people won't, but it feels very unlikely to me. 

Let's look at the colors:

When I first saw the colors in this palette, my immediate reaction is that it looks incredibly similar to the Jaclyn Hill X Morphe palette:

It also looks like Urban Decay After Dark:

And Juvia's Place Masquerade:

From my own collection, it looks like Viseart Bijoux Royal:

I'll just be blunt. There is absolutely nothing unique or innovative or exciting about the actual makeup in this collection. We have seen everything before several times over. The reason I paid more attention to the eyeshadow palette than the other items in the collection is because I think it is likely the item most people are interested in buying, and it's the item, I think, with the most "personality" in terms of the actual shade range. 

But, let's be honest. The people who are just wanting an eyeshadow with this color scheme are not going to see one in a giant gold bear and say, "That's the palette I've been looking for!" They are much more likely to buy the Jaclyn Hill or Juvia's Place palette. This item is specifically for people who want the Moschino bear. 

So, my anti-haul can pretty much end there. I would instead like to talk about the release and reception of this collection. 

At the time that I am writing this post, this collection has yet to become available to purchase. And its release date was supposed to be yesterday. No "official" swatches of anything have been made available, there haven't been many (I only know of one) reviews that talk about the quality and performance of the product, and the prices have all been raised from what they were originally advertised. All that easily makes this a collection that I personally would not want to purchase from. 

There was no announcement that the launch was delayed, and I have read many accounts of people being up all night refreshing the Sephora website in the hopes that they will snag some items in this collection. And, I don't know. This is a tough one for me. Typically I would write about how absurd, frankly, that kind of behavior is to snag an eyeshadow palette that looks like several on the market or a blush and highlighter that look like hundreds of others. But I don't know how to write about that kind of behavior when trying to snag a giant gold bear from a boutique brand. 

And I suppose what I can do is to appeal to what the product is: makeup. At the end of the day, it's an eyeshadow palette. Or makeup brushes. Or lip products. Or a blush/highlighter duo. If you are refreshing Sephora's website every five minutes, you very likely already have several of all of these items, and you probably have some that are your absolute favorites. 

This specific eyeshadow palette is $48. As I mentioned, I saw one review of sorts on the collection, but it was more focused on the packaging than on the products. The reviewer did not provide live swatches, so I don't know the manner in which they were applied (if it was over primer, with a brush or finger, or applied in several layers, etc.), but the swatches looked a little patchy. Now, I have said before that swatches are not absolute in showcasing how a palette will perform (look at ABH Subculture, for example), and since that was the only example of swatches I have seen, I honestly don't have a grasp on if I personally think the palette will perform well. 

But my guess is that because of how overpriced expensive everything from this brand is; and the fact that prices of these products were recently raised; and because in collaborations, since both parties need to be paid, costs of production are usually cut, my guess is that the quality of these products is not likely to be incredible. I could be wrong, since I haven't actually tried the products myself, but that is my educated guess. 

Going back to that Chanel polish I mentioned at the top of this post, the first "luxury" anything I ever bought, the item that made me feel so fancy, after the shine of owning something from Chanel wore off, I realized it was just a really expensive black nail polish. There was absolutely nothing unique about it. And a year or so later, the polish was essentially unusable, completely expired. I had spent upwards of $30 on a black nail polish that was no more special than one from OPI or Essie for $10. I had spent three times as much just to be able to say that I bought something from Chanel. I had a similar experience with the first Chanel eyeshadow quad I ever bought, my first Dior highlighter, and my first Tom Ford quad. (It took me a while to fully learn this lesson.) And of all of these "first" products, I have decluttered all of them. I have since purchased two different Tom Ford quads, and I have to admit that I truly love them, but that first one I bought was absolutely nothing special. 

So I suppose my thought is that no makeup item is worth losing sleep in favor of refreshing your browser. This is consumerism at its finest. People are literally buying (or wanting to buy) things they absolutely don't need because of the gimmick behind it. Because when people wear the products from this collection, there is not a single person who will know it is Moschino. Just like no one knew my nail polish was Chanel. 

I don't want anything from this collection. I don't care if Moschino is a fancy and expensive brand. I've seen a tee shirt riddles with holes for $4,000. You can slap any amount of money onto something, but it doesn't mean anything. While I think the colors in the Moschino eyeshadow palette look pretty, I have very well performing eyeshadows in all of those colors already. And, frankly, I don't like the giant gold bear. This collection is the epitome of consumerism, and I don't want any part of it. So I won't be buying. 

Hello! last blog post was dated around May, my apologies for being too lazy these days. I actually have tons of makeups to blog, just there sitting in my vanity cabinet. I'll try to post more before nearing my due date, coz when the baby comes, surely there will be no time for primping and blogging.

Now here's another long overdue post about my three new pocket friendly liquid lippies. They've been sitting in my DIY organizer for so long I already gave the other one to my friend and partner hmua Ate Janis. Still I've kept some photos and I dunno why in the world was I too lazy to even transfer it to my laptop. Now my story's about to start.

A month ago I received my product payment as a guest makeup artist from MAC Cosmetics and I've picked so many lippies in different shade and finish, including one Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick. As much as I want to use them everyday or whenever I feel like using it heaven knows it's too costly, and too much for strutting around the room wearing the infamous Velvet Teddy then just slumber off.
For my favorite everyday MLBB (my lips but better shade) I go for Velvet Teddy, Runway Hit or Lady be good, so the fancy me is looking for cheaper alternative, a lippie that is still way cheaper than my fave Sleek Birthday Suit or BYS Bare Beauty.

One time I was alone at the mall and the itch to buy one lippie attacked. I don't want to shell out 500 bucks and up so I challenged myself to just look for a "good" (sorry my standard for a lippie's pretty high) liquid lipstick that's only 250 bucks or below. I'd be lucky enough if I find one.

These are limited edition hence there's LTD written on the tube.

Since I'm preggy I couldn't walk much further, blame my weak hips, so I ended up at Watson's (exciting right?) and all I can do is look for hidden treasures from those available local brands. To be honest I'm a fan of local brands. I've been using some of them for a decade and they've improved their formulations and packaging that can definitely compete now with international or rather luxury brands.

The new display of liquid lipsticks at Ever Bilena caught my attention seems the packaging is somewhat identical to Etude House Lip Tints and Maybelline Vivid Mattes. The caps matched the shade of each lippies but their real color depends on your skintone and layering. Honestly I wasn't a fan of their first glossy liquid lippies, the one with a white cap.

Trying out several shades I go for my favorite nudes or those that are close to my natural lip color. I ended up swatching Private Beach, Skinny Dip, Hotel Heiress and Cashmere Blush. They didn't dry out that quickly on my hands when it was already been an hour so I wasn't that sure if I'll go for it or not. I'm a sucker for matte finish, highly pigmented ones that dries instantly. I tried strolling around for a few more mins and decided to get "Skinny Dip". They're only 180 pesos so I don't think it's a total waste of money if I didn't get it. I wore and tested it on my lips as soon as I get to the restroom (coz there's no way you should apply testers directly on your lips) and I was shocked with the formulation, texture, color pay off and staying power. It dries instantly as soon as I applied it on my lips. A few weeks later, I bought Cashmere Blush and Private Beach.

What made me liked it instantly is that it isn't sticky as I expected it to be. It happened to be mousse-type that reminds me of Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams with better staying power. Transfer proof, Kiss proof and rub proof but as soon as you start eating and drinking more it rubs off at the center part. It's fine with me, for 180 pesos I don't expect much, it just saves me from reapplying many times a day as long as I don't eat much. But with my growing belly who cares if I had nothing on after. I gotta feed.

L-R: Private Beach. Cashmere Blush, Skinny Dip

Private Beach is a nude beige shade. Pale as soon as I apply it, but the color develops more after a few mins, and turns into nude brown on me with a slight tinge of peach. To make it more wearable I apply it under Mac's Spice Lip Liner.

Cashmere Blush appears to be bright peachy pink upon swatching, but turns out Barbie pink on my lips. though the tube seems just a bit darker to Skinny Dip, the real color of it is somewhat different and I'm a bit disappointed. Maybe it's not that flattering on me since I'm not into bright lips these days, but it's perfect for bridal makeups and for bridesmaids. I gave this one out to my friend Ate Janis and it's perfect on her, not too bright and striking unlike how it turned out on my lips.

Skinny Dip can be described as a dusty rose shade, exactly how I expected my Kylie Lip Kit in Posie K to turn out on my lips but it didn't. In terms of shade I dig Skinny Dip more, and one of my go to fave and my current MLBB lippie.

Definitely raving this one, and I carry it almost everyday and anywhere.

Here's me with my Ate Janis wearing Skinny Dip.
We're at Mac Cosmetics Mall of Asia to claim something wonderful!

Here it is! The event's gonna be tomorrow so surely I'll be sharing what happened
with you asap!

Thank you for reading lovelies. My liquid lippie collection's continuously growing, and the shades were always identical with each other. I'm sorry if I couldn't help it. As you can see, I have more to blog about... If I won't be lazy within the week then my reviews for Kylie Lip Kits, Mac Retromattes, Nyx Lingerie and more will follow. 

Thanks for reading! Ciao!

-XOXO-

This is a different kind of post for me, and I'm not entirely sure how to best approach the subject matter. While I typically make posts each week on the eye looks I have done and the products I used, I haven't written much on why I have decided to make purchases. And there are a few reasons for that. The spirit behind my blog is to lower the hype on makeup items, to be a smarter shopper, and to use and enjoy products already in one's collection. 

Although I really enjoy watching "project pan" videos, which are videos dedicated to using up products entirely, I would not say that I am a part of the "panning" community or that I am a "project panner." Or maybe I am, and I'm just not as intense as the people in that community that I watch. A common mentality that I see among people in that community is that before they will allow themselves to let a new product into their collection, they must first finish another. And while I can certainly understand the mentality, and I apply it to certain areas of my collection (like perfume, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, etc.), it would be very unrealistic for my life to apply that to eyeshadow. 

I also know that a number of people interested in the panning mindset read my blog, specifically for the anti-haul posts. And I have received some comments from people saying that they don't like it when I talk about what I have purchased because it tempts them into wanting to purchase it. 

I try to keep a pretty level head when I decide to purchase things, and I try to apply that approach in all areas of my blog, including the products that I own and declutter. And while I do think that some products are more interesting than others or suit my collection better, I don't really think that many products are so special that they can't be duplicated in some way. The only exception for this (at least in eyeshadow) are a few select indie singles I have. 

And the other reason I'm not entirely sure how to best approach this post is because I'm talking about the Sephora Pro Editorial palette:

And I am caught between really loving parts of this palette and really disliking others. And if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I am not terribly comfortable having items in my collection that I don't totally love. 

In terms of why I bought it, in the most basic sense, it is because I absolutely loved the color scheme. I liked that I could technically create a neutral look with it, but that it would be almost difficult to do so. Here were the neutral looks I did with it:

I was really impressed with the quality of this palette when I used if for all of these looks. And I could not wait to break into some of the more comfortable shades. Specifically, I really wanted to use the colors in the third row as there are several that I haven't seen elsewhere. 

Now, for full disclosure, as of the time that I am writing this post, I have not used the third row. And that's why the post is more about my decision to buy this palette than an actual "review" of the palette. The reason I haven't used those shadows isn't because I haven't wanted to or haven't made time, it's that I had surgery a couple weeks after getting this palette, can't really wear those shadows to work, and haven't worn any makeup whatsoever since my surgery. 

And, yes, I realize that if this post was a true review of the palette, this "review" would be pretty bad considering that I haven't used an entire row. But I don't know how long I will be in recovery from surgery—I suspect for a while still—and it was requested a few times that I write about my decision to buy this palette. So, I didn't want to wait over a month to write this post. 

At $68, this is one of the most expensive palettes in my collection. And when I think about the fact that it is a Sephora palette, it is kind of hard for me to believe. The only palettes I have that are more expensive are from Viseart as well as quads from Tom Ford. 

When I first saw images of all the new Sephora Pro palettes, I was immediately not interested in the warm or cool varieties, but as I said, I was drawn to this color scheme. I appreciated the vivid oranges, pinks, and purples, and loved that it was paired with turquoise, aqua, lime and teal. (And it's these kind of color schemes that make me wholly uninterested in something like Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture.) Added to that, the top row had several duochrome shades, and since I love Illamasqua Cascade and Urban Decay Roadstripe as inner corner highlights, I was interested in having pink, green, and yellow ones as well. Finally, the bottom row had some interesting and pretty-looking shimmers. I was intrigued by the gold, orange, antique olive, and rose gold, and was just excited and inspired by the collection of colors together. 

I waited for swatches, keeping in mind that they are incredibly deceptive and not always a useful tool. But, I was still surprised to see the amount of pigment in swatches and that the colors seemed much brighter in use than in the pan. And so while I have muted versions of a few of these colors in my collection, the brightness of them made them completely different colors. For example, I would feel very comfortable wearing some of my muted shadows to work, but I would not feel comfortable wearing the same colors in the Editorial palette to work. 

But, as we have seen most prominently in the ABH Subculture release, just because something packs pigment and looks good in swatches does not mean it is a great eyeshadow that will blend, stay vibrant, and perform well on the eye. 

Typically, I try to wait for reviews to come in before I decide to buy, but unless something is a total flop, I've found that a lot of reviews aren't terribly helpful for me. A lot of people just talk about the color selection, swatch the colors on their arm (sometimes with a finger, sometimes with a brush, sometimes over bare skin, sometimes over primer; most of the time the method is not disclosed), and then show one look that they did with the palette. I find people also use the same key words: pigmentation, blendability, soft, creamy, buttery, blends like a dream, etc. And after a while, it seems almost like there is a formula for an eyeshadow palette review, and I've found that it doesn't really give me the information that's useful to me. (In an attempt to combat this, I've started looking for reviews from people who show several looks they've created with the palette and show themselves applying the shadows on camera.) I also find in general that people don't want to be "negative" or controversial, and so a lot of "honest" reviews are watered down to sound somewhat favorable. And I don't want to know what someone thinks who is trying to stay on PR lists or get invited on launch trips. I want to know what someone who spent their money on the palette and doesn't have an entire career out of talking about makeup thinks about it. 

Because of all this, in a somewhat uncharacteristic move, I decided to buy this palette before many reviews had come out and without having gone to Sephora to swatch it myself. (I was recovering from the first surgery at the time and wasn't able to really leave the house. Plus, I don't think any Sephora locations near me had this palette in stock for a while.)

And for all of the reasons I decided to buy this palette (keeping in mind that I haven't used the third row), I am incredibly pleased with my purchase. 

However, considering there are 28 pre-selected shadows in this palette, it makes sense that there are some shadows that I won't like. And it's not so much certain colors in this palette that I dislike, but a formula or finish—finish that's filled with chunky glitter. The left two shadows of the first row have this formula, as do the first and fourth shadows of the bottom row. I originally said that I "dislike" these shadows, but the truth is that I "loathe" these shadows. They are essentially useless shadows. I cannot apply them with a natural hair brush, synthetic hair brush, or even with my fingers. There is just no color payoff. And the texture is just terrible. It is so gritty. To make these shadows even worse, the one on the top left just fell out of the palette in a solid chunk the third time I used the palette. And this wasn't after the palette was dropped—it was just from light use. And because of its weird texture, I was able to just press the entire shadow back in with my fingers. But, I don't trust this as a secure way to repress it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it falls out again soon. 

When I tried to use one of these shadows all over the lid—the fourth on the bottom row—I found that the shadow essentially ruined my eye look. Despite everything I tried, I could not make it work, until I took it off and applied MAC Coppering all over the lid instead and finished the look with other shadows from the palette:

And I loved the way this look came out. I just wished it could have been accomplished by the entire palette. With that said, these shadows with the awful finish are the least interesting colors in the palette (in my opinion) and colors that I have better duplicates of throughout my collection. And the main colors I bought this palette for have very much lived up to and exceeded my expectations. 

But, it's not a perfect palette. If I had it my way, I would make the palette less colors for less money. It's hard for me to say if that price is worth it, because there are several shadows that are unusable. But I do really enjoy the shadows that are. 

Now, did I need to buy this palette? Of course not. No one "needs" any palette, and I have more shadow that any one person (even a makeup artist) could ever "need." But, I also ask myself: Does this palette complement my collection? Yes, it does. And: Is it unique to my collection? Yes, it is. And: Does it duplicate something in my collection? No, it doesn't.

So while I did not need this palette, I consider it a good purchase. And that's what I'm looking for with all of my purchases. In the oversaturated sea of warm-toned neutral palettes, this one excited me as doing something interesting and different. It inspires me and makes me excited to use it. It sucks that there are some dud shades, but I enjoy the rest of the palette enough to not return or declutter it because of the duds.

Happy mermaid Monday everyone! :D

Today's mermaid look is quite unique and definitely showy! I've seen something similar by two artists on Instagram (@makeupbyjanedoe and @azraelia) and, as usual, I decided to give this look a try! It was a great occasion to use some shadows from the new Freedomination Collection by NABLA Cosmetics which, as I've already said many times, gives mermaid vibes. (Here are my overview posts - part 1 and part 2 - about this beautiful collection!)

The thing I love the most is the original fin design - that feels partly mermaid, partly dragon, but also looks like its flowing weightlessly in the water *__* Like some of those fishes which have these huge, thin, ethereal, flow-y fins ♥

I'm not going to lie - this was an extremely challenging look. As you can guess, the most difficult part was the fin(s) design, because I had to go back and forth between the liners and the shadows until it looked decent. I took waaay more time than I anticipated XD

I did my best to create my very own version of this look, adding my own touches here and there - and I'm really happy about it! One thing I forgot to apply, though, were some glitters on the lower lid - sadly I realized that when I had already taken the pictures ._."

After priming my lids I applied a black eyepencil as base on the outer corner of my upper lids: I blended it both outwards and inwards. Thanks to this little trick, when I applied Virgin Island by NABLA all over my lid, it basically looks like I used two different shade - when it's actually just one and the black base beneath it. And that's basically it for the upper lids ( apart eyeliner), then I moved to the outer corner. First of all I applied Blue Velvet by NABLA on the crease and outer corner, blending it out as smoothly and gently as I could. After this preliminary step, I used Dazzle Liners in Crystal and Purity by NABLA to start drawing the fin design. I did that before completing the shadows applications because I needed to actually see the design before proceeding.
I used Crystal to outline the crease and the 'boning', while I used Purity for the - how can I say? - complete the fin design.
Once I did that, I went on with the eyeshadows application: I applied New Heaven by NABLA after Blue Velvet, blending the two shades together (quite tricky, I had to use the tiniest brushes I own). I also applied a little bit of Shore Thing eyeshadow by Makeup Geek Cosmetics after New Heaven, to improve the blending. 

When I was done (and as I said it took me quite some time) I moved back to the upper lid: I applied Crystal as winged liner, but I stopped mid-lid. From that point I applied Tattoo Liner in Trooper by Kat Von D Beauty. I combined the two liner, as I wanted them to look like overlapping, almost interlaced with each other.
On the lower lid I applied New Heaven diffusely, then I applied Blue Velvet closer to the lashline; I defined the lashline using Nocturne (as I always do). On the inner corner I applied Pegasus foiled eyeshadow by Makeup Geek Cosmetics.
I completed this look by applying a black eyepencil on my waterline, false lashes and mascara.

Eyes

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

- Makeup Geek Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Pegasus" (inner corner)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Virgin Island"* (upper lid)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Blue Velvet"* (crease, outer corner, lower lid)

- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "New Heaven"* (outer corner, lower lid)
- Makeup Geek Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Shore Thing" (transition colour)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Antique White" (brow bone)
- NABLA Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "Nocturne" (lower lashline)
- NABLA Cosmetics Dazzle Liner in "Purity"*
- NABLA Cosmetics Dazzle Liner in "Crystal"*

- Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liner in "Trooper"

- MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in "Feline" 

- MAC Cosmetics "Extended Play Gigablack Lash" Mascara

- Ardell Lashes Wispies Lashes
- DUO White Eyelash Adhesive

Eyebrows

- NABLA Cosmetics Brow Pot in "Mars"*

Brushes

- 239 ~ MAC Cosmetics

- 217 ~ MAC Cosmetics
- 213 ~ MAC Cosmetics
- 224 ~ MAC Cosmetics

- 2x Short Smudge (A13)* ~ Spectrum Collections (Marbleous Set*, BombShell Set*)
- 2x Fluffy Pencil (A12)* ~ Spectrum Collections (Marbleous Set*, BombShell Set*)

- Large Fluffy Shader (A06) ~ Spectrum Collections (Siren Set)

- 2x Lip Liner (A15)* ~ Spectrum Collections (BombShell Set*, Siren Set)
- Precision Crease (A16) ~ Spectrum Collections
- Accent Brush ~ Real Techniques

Hope you enjoyed this fancy mermaid look! ;D

Mermaid kisses and starfish wishes ♥

*Disclaimer: Starred products are press samples, sent by respective brands for me to test and review.

At the end of the month, as a part of its "Peaches and Cream Collection" Too Faced is releasing the Just Peachy Mattes palette, a 12-pan all-matte palette filed with neutral shades and riding what seems to be the never-ending coattails of the Sweet Peach palette. 

And I won't be buying. 

(Sigh.)

It's been a while, I feel, since I have talked about Too Faced, but that's not for lack of new product releases or the brand giving "sneak peaks" way too far in advance. It's simply because I am so tired of Too Faced that I am even tired of writing about why I am not going to buy their newest whatever. 

And this upcoming release just really annoys me. But, I feel it is worth an anti-haul post in the hope that I can help someone out who maybe wants to buy this palette but knows they probably shouldn't. 

The reason it annoys me so much is because when I first saw pictures of this palette, my immediate, gut reaction was, "Oo, I want that." And I had that reaction despite Too Faced's deplorable track record, obvious marketing ploys, and the utter unnecessary nature of this release. Because, unlike their Sweet Peach palette, this palette gives the appearance of being somewhat more peach-toned. And I like these colors. 

So I totally get why people are tempted by this and why they are hoping (slightly irrationally) that Too Faced might improve their quality to something almost worth the price tag for this. (Which is $45.) But, even in a perfect world where Too Faced would grant consumers that one pretty basic expectation, I still don't think the vast majority of people who want this palette need it, myself absolutely included. 

First, I'll start with an obvious draw people have to this palette:

Yep. The packaging. This almost feels like "classic" Too Faced to me, before they started going so overboard with the cuteness. This looks to be a nice plastic/metal packaging with gold accents and a glossy finish. This also looks like it might have some weight to it, which inherently makes it feel a little more sophisticated. 

Unlike some of the other peach-theme products, this does not have a childish happy face peach:

And it has a pretty peach/pink ombre. The Just Peachy Mattes packaging seems perfect for people who really love cute packaging (and maybe prefer it over sleek, sophisticated packaging) but who don't like the saccharine packaging Too Faced has been putting out for the last couple years. 

And for people who buy products solely for the packaging, I imagine you don't need to read an anti-haul post on this product. You have very likely already made up your mind on if you like the packaging enough to spend $45 on it. And if that makes you happy, you do you. 

But for everyone else, let's look at the main attraction of this palette: the shadows:

If we could rewind time before I became so grossed out with the rampant consumerism, marketing tactics, and hype surrounding the beauty community, before I became a conscious shopper, and before Too Faced launched the Sweet Peach palette, had this palette been the teased Sweet Peach palette, I would have absolutely purchased—if I could have easily gotten my hands on it. 

I mentioned this in a post recently, but there was only one time that I have ever been a part of a huge makeup release/restock and been on the website at the time the product launched. And that was recently for the first restock of the Colourpop Yes, Please! palette. I did not plan my day around that restock. I saw what time it would be happening, and I put it in the back of my head. As it turned out, I had some free time at the time the palette was restocked, so I went on the website, purchased the palette, and that was that. There was no craziness for me; the website did not crash. It was just a normal transaction. I later read that the palette sold out within minutes and most people who wanted to get it couldn't, and it made me feel bad. I just don't understand why brands do that. 

So given the hysteria that Too Faced created for the Sweet Peach palette, if Just Peachy Mattes had the same low stock/website crashing issues, no. I would not have gone through that to try and buy it. As I've said before, it doesn't make me feel better than others knowing that I was able to get something that other people wanted and couldn't get. And I have heard people say that this is something they enjoy, and, to be frank, I don't find that to be an attractive quality in someone. 

I think if people are really honest with themselves, when they look at Just Peachy Mattes, they will know that this palette is filled with very common shades that are in so many palettes that most people already own several times over. 

Still, I can see these being some reasons people try to give to justify the purchase to themselves:

• It will be so handy to have an all-matte palette!
• It will be so handy to have a compact all-matt palette!
• I could use this to travel!
• I know I have other matte palettes, but the shades in this one are closer to my skin tone and it has all these great transition shades!
• It will be nice to have all these shades together because it is just so time-consuming and awful to reach for more than one palette, and that two seconds of time saved is so worth $45!

And, I'm sure you know this already, but all of those reasons are just complete BS.

Even if Just Peachy Mattes was of incredible quality (the jury is still out on quality, but based on every other Too Faced release of the past two years, it is more likely that the quality will be bad than good), it doesn't take away the fact that there is absolutely nothing special about this palette other than the hype, theme, and packaging.

In addition to the obvious (Sweet Peach):

This palette looks like ABH Modern Renaissance:

And Viseart Neutral Matte:

And Morphe 35O:

And Viseart Warm Matte:

And Urban Decay Naked Heat:

For an incredibly similar option, there's Zoeva Matte: 

From my own collection, I have Colourpop Yes, Please!

And my custom Inglot palette:

And just normal matte singles:

And my strong suspicion is that most people have at least one of the above palettes or their own collection of single shadows that duplicate the shadows in Just Peachy Mattes several times over. 

And, here's the thing with Just Peachy Mattes: there is absolutely no innovation in this release. So while people are excited that the packaging isn't incredibly tacky and hoping this means Too Faced is reverting back to what made them popular in the first place, this is still a boring, tired color scheme. When Colourpop released Yes, Please!, people were really excited because it was something that we really hadn't seen before at such a low price point. Sure, it looks very similar to the Natasha Denona Sunset palette, but those shadows are so overpriced that it's laughable. The color scheme played off of what was trendy (warm naturals), but brought something new to the table. 

Too Faced is not bringing anything new with this palette. They are relying on the fact that they will send out cute PR packages or take influencers on a trip or something like that to get influencers in a place where they feel they need to gush over this palette in order to keep getting PR and sent on the trips, and then impressionable people will want to feel "cool" like the influencers they watch and will feel a need to buy whatever is being talked about at this moment. (If you would like to read more about my thoughts on this topic, I recommend reading a recent post on ABH Subculture). That is really the only appeal I can see in this palette unless you don't already have all of these shades. 

And if you don't already have the shades in this palette and are truly drawn to the color scheme, I would really recommend instead checking out the Zoeva Matte palette. The color schemes are very similar, but Zoeva has truly fantastic matte shadows, and even with international shipping, the cost is still lower. 

To dispel the justifications I mentioned earlier:

• It will be so handy to have an all-matte palette!

You probably already have at least one all-matte neutral palette. You don't need another. 

• It will be so handy to have a compact all-matt palette!

See above note. 

• I could use this to travel!

Most people do not travel enough to really warrant buying a palette with the main purpose of traveling. 

• I know I have other matte palettes, but the shades in this one are closer to my skin tone and it has all these great transition shades!

If you are a makeup lover and are that concerned with having an entire palette of transition shades, you very likely already have plenty of transition shades. 

• It will be nice to have all these shades together because it is just so time-consuming and awful to reach for more than one palette, and that two seconds of time saved is so worth $45!

If you are willing to spend upwards of $50 to save a few seconds in order to not reach for another shadow (in the few weeks this palette will be popular and in regular use in your collection), I guess go for it. But we both know that is silly. 

Finally, I think it is important—always—to weigh the cost of a hyped makeup item against the amount of time that product is really relevant. I really love all the products in my makeup collection, and for the exception of Colourpop Yes, Please!, none of the items I have are ever really talked about. And I don't care. I bought them and use them because I love them. Not because they are popular and people talking about them makes me feel cool. But I know this is not the case with everyone. I belong to too many makeup forums where I read people saying that they don't care if they already have something exactly like it or if the quality is bad—they truly cannot stand not having the cool new thing everyone is talking about. And if I am being completely honest, that mindset makes me sad. Because those are the people these companies are quite literally banking on. And having the newest makeup item should not give someone self-worth. 

Too Faced products are essentially disposable. They are made to catch your eye and make you want to buy it, but they are not meant to be classic products. That's why Too Faced has more limited edition products than most brands. And because this is just a basic matte palette, there isn't a whole lot to really talk about with it. It's got the same amount of peach shades that Sweet Peach had, which is not many. So, despite the name, this palette is just your average matte palette. Hell, the same color scheme at Zoeva is just called "Matte Palette." Despite the nicer than average packaging, this product is just nothing special. I can see what Too Faced is doing with this palette and collection, which is the same thing they always try to do: suck the consumer in with gimmicks. But those gimmicks stopped working on me a long time ago. I have so many matte neutral shades in my collection that I absolutely don't need to add another palette. So I won't.