First Look| MAC Eyeshadow x15/Warm Neutral Palette (Limited Edition)

It's been three months since the release of MAC Limited Edition Warm and Cool Neutral Palettes ($100 each) but if you can get your hands on it in a MAC store you're one lucky gal. 

Though I had a mad love affair with collecting MAC lipsticks at one point, the single pan eyeshadows in their little bulky plastic hubs didn't entice me. Why buy single pans when I can get a Naked palette for 50 bucks? Curating my own collection with a palette, insert, and individual pro pans seemed like it would take too much time. There are so many beautiful colors and finishes that it would a) take 10 palettes to complete the collection I want and b) loads of money thrown at MAC. 

From left to right and top to bottom: Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance in the Dark, Brule Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle, Lemon Tart, Butterfudge, Creative Copper, Unwind and Divine Decadence.

 

  If you were to customize your own 15 pan it will run you $160, though you would have much more control over which colors make the cut. 

Thank god they did the guesswork for me and put all of the warm neutrals I would like into a limited edition palette, because I wouldn't have thought of these colors otherwise. Three Naked palettes and a whole lotta hoading later, it was time to come home to the iconic MAC for eyeshadows.

I swatched from the top right going down with no primer and one or two passes each. The patchiest color was the dark brown/black (ick) and a few of the lighter cream shadows. The rest of them were smooth (but not buttery soft) and pigmented.

Now, if you're new to MAC but good pals with Urban Decay and Lorac, you'll find that these have much less fall out but don't pack as vibrant of a punch as Urban Decay shadows usually do when it comes to shimmer and frost. It took some easy adjusting to get used to how these don't fly all over even when you swirl madly into the pan. 

However, they are also a tad less pigmented than I'm used to. When I wear these on the eyes I layer over MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre and still find that they don't have the same vibrancy/visual impact. In fact, I find them very similar to Too Faced shadows in that they are pigmented but not OTT. Now I understand why more mature lids don't enjoy UD.

This is the best picture I could take to capture the different finishes of the shadows while showcasing the true colors. I am obsessed with coppers, golds, rose golds, and warm browns and use them almost exclusively in my daily looks so this palette was a no-brainer for me.

 Below are closer swatches of each color. There are some slight overlaps so be aware.

Overall, the quality of these shadows are lovely with the exception of the darkest and lightest matte shades. I really enjoy the size of this palette even if the plastic gets scratched up easily and there's no mirror. I also see this being very useful for pro makeup artists so that they can take the warm and cool palette along and suit every skin tone.

If you're interested, give your closest MAC store (not counter!) a call and come pick it up asap. These palettes are limited edition and already sold out online. 

xo Be

First Look| Laura Mercier Artist Palette 2013

Okay, it isn't always fair when bloggers show limited edition and rare items, but I swear, Sephora has just conveniently "restocked" the Laura Mercier Artist Palette for Eyes ($48 retail.) When it sold out online (permanently...?), EBay prices shot up and my heart sank simultaneously. I swear, Sephora does this to entice consumers and make them buy things no one in their right mind would look at twice.

I showed up at South Coast Plaza and the sales assistant told me she had to unpack it from a few boxes, but it was really here. I picked it up immediately, because I had been wafflin' on about it for a few weeks. If you see it in stores, don't hesitate to pick it up! It is limited edition after all.

This is the size of the palette. It's almost like a wallet, with a nice faux-snakeskin cover and magnetic closure. I really enjoy it, because most of my palette are hard acrylic or cardboard. There is a quality heft to it without weighing it down. I don't know about traveling with this, since it doesn't "snap" shut, but it's great on my vanity. I also love the huge and clear mirror inside, but its tendency to want to close on its own annoys me.

Isn't it pretty? I'm not a huge fan of purples, but this one has a large variation of it so that I can go from neutral to glam with a swipe. These shadows are very soft, buttery, and pigmented. Sounds great right? However, you need a very gentle hand and calm restraint when using it. Do not overblend. 

In fact, your life would probably be easier if you only used one or two shades from this palette rather than trying to make a complicated look out of all 12 shades. Honestly, it makes a great beginner's palette, especially for those who like rocking only a wash of color or two.

This is the palette in natural, indirect sunlight. Looks pretty unimposing, but in person, Bamboo, African Violet, and Kir Royal are all ravishing shades with multi-dimensionality. Also, I laugh every time I use Vanilla Nuts as an inner corner highlight. There is a balance of matte and shimmers, though the shimmer is very sophisticated rather than chunky or glaringly obvious.

The wear time is a full day with no creasing, fall out, or general harassment. The quality is top notch, just a tad drier than LORAC but more finely milled than Urban Decay. 

Here are swatches of the entire palette on my arm, over the UD primer potion. Its drier texture also makes blending harder (which is want you want, trust me!) I wanted to include several different lighting situations. You can see that on my NC30 inner arm, the two lightest shades barely show up. As for the darker shades, they stained my arms even after wiping them down with a makeup remover wipe.

Indirect yellow light.

Direct yellow light.

Under sunlight.

Under dim fluorescent lighting.

Would I say that you're missing out on the palette of the Gods? Not really. Is it nice? Yes! With so many other palettes, gift offers, and holiday themed palettes at Sephora, it's easy to forego this one. Not to mention, Urban Decay is coming out with Naked 3 very soon within this next month. Of course I'm getting it. 

I'll do a few eye looks with this palette for those of you who picked it up during F&F or the VIB sale. 

In other great news, I finally got a job offer! *dances* After three months of looking, I feel relieved to heck. 

XO, Be