Urban Decay Mariposa Palette

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter and here in the Northeast it's starting to get cold. It seems like every day is dark and dreary and it's starting to get to me already. The dank and drenched weather not only makes it impossible to enjoy being outside but it brings in darkness at 6:00. You know the only way to spin this into a positive right? Yeah, because it's night time earlier you can bring out your night makeup before dinner.

Urban Decay always catches my eye with their palettes but the Mariposa Palette is beyond words. These colors are anything but dreary. Many of them are dark but they're not a collection of blackened colors, they are also bright. I think browns and grays are my favorite colors to wear on my eyes at night and this palette has lots of them, not to mention beautiful shades of pink-purple, smoky blue and plum. I could see this palette taking you all the way through the winter. Imagine the possibilities.

It's $39 for 10 shades of shadow and a travel brush all packed into an adorable tin case adorned with a butterfly. I could see myself keeping the tin on display in my living room but I'm a dork like that. Pick it up only at Sephora for a limited time.

Stila BCA Positive and Pretty Palette

Yesterday we talked about Stila's Empowered in Pink Palette and I didn't realize until hours after it had been posted that there is also the BCA Positive and Pretty Palette at Sephora. It is online only, still $14 (a $62 value) and proceeds go to breast cancer research. These colors may be more your style. Take a look....

The shades in this palette are decidedly more pink than yesterday's choice which was more of purple in tone. Since everyone and their mother (except me apparently) loves a light pink eye I think this one has broad appeal. Sephora says it comes with four shadows (got that), one blush (ditto) and a highlighter (huh?). I'm seeing more like another blush color than a highlighter but that might be because I'm Casper the Albino Ghost year round.

Again this palette is adorable and I think I like the girl's outfit better on this one. That would be a deciding factor for me if I had to choose between two palettes. Wouldn't it be for you? No? Don't lie to Jaime!

For $14 you're getting a great deal and this is a purse-tucker, a palette you'd never be without because you'd always have it stashed in your favorite bag.

Jesse's Girl Baked Eye Shadow Collection with Swatches

Take a look at this beautiful collection. I think baked eyeshadows are my favorite because of the subtle shimmer in them. MAC makes some pretty great ones but you don't have to shell out that kind of money to rock this look. This Jesse's Girl Baked Eye Shadow Collection is from Rite-Aid (also in New Hampshire) and cost me $6.99. Yeah, you heard that right. As you can see there are 9 beautiful colors to choose from and I think they are universally flattering for both cool and warm and light and dark skin. They're gorgeous. Here are some swatches so you can see for yourself.

The first shadow is a medium purple based blue. The good thing about baked shadows is that you can wear them as sheer or built up as you want to. This would look beautiful lightly applied or worn as a darker shade. The pale pink is a gorgeous color for all. I normally can't wear pinks but this one looks like it will look great without making me look like I'm suffering from pinkeye. The light green has a slight goldish tint. I'd wear this one as liner with a matte nude on the lids. Last in this picture is my favorite shade, a lavender that has the perfect intensity. It perfectly matches the shirt I'm wearing right now if I wanted to go the matchy-matchy route.

This orange shade is probably the least flattering for me but the light rust shade would look glorious with the last color in this picture for a sunrise eyeshadow. Second is similar to the first color in the image above but without the purple, this one is a clear blue. If you're looking for an instant eye brightener pick up the shimmery nude that's third in this picture. It really makes the eyes look alive and would work amazingly with a bolder lip. I swear it's not as coppery as it looks in the picture. If you're more into nude gloss try the black shade, it's perfect for a smoky eye, not too dark but deep enough to be flattering. Lastly is a gorgeous cranberry shade. Again, I know this shade is not the most flattering for my skintone but sheered out I could wear it as a wash or even a blush.

If you're still on the fence about baked shadows you should pick up this palette. If it doesn't work for you you're not out too much money and I'm sure someone would be willing to take it off your hands. Plus, it's beautiful to look at. If you want something more intense layer it over eyeshadow primer.

PS-I'm completely aware that my swatches went downhill. Shoot me! LOL.

Urban Decay 15-Year Anniversary Palette

By now you all know how much I adore Urban Decay. They are most definitely my current favorite makeup brand, plain and simple, I adore them! If I had the money I would own every single thing that came down their production line but I definitely could not afford it all.

The 15th Anniversary Palette makes my heart break just a little bit because I don't live close enough to check it out in person. I love UD palettes but I'm not digging the way this one looks. They usually have superior artistry and this one just looks plain and rather uninviting. As a whole I'm not a big fan of palettes outside of UD because I like to tote my makeup with me and palettes take up too much space. I never use lip or cheek products that come in a palette but that's another story altogether. Sure, the outside is gorgeous and you know I love purple but the little squares of color inside really aren't my thing. Then again, it's not the way it looks but the way it performs (that's what she said anyway)!

As usual Urban Decay impresses me with their shades, they definitely have the shade range thing on lock, much better than MAC in my honest opinion. Here's what's included in the 15th Anniversary Palette.

Midnight Rodeo~Metallic Brown with Glitter
Tainted~Light Purple Shimmer
Deeper~Medium Brown Shimmer
Midnight 15~Light Taupe with Shimmer
Junkshow~Bright Fuchsia
M.I.A.~Shimmery Dark Brown
Vanilla~(exactly as it sounds)
Omen~Dark Blue Purple Metallic
Ace~Gunmetal Shimmer
Flow~Light Peach Shimmer
Evidence~Dark Metallic Blue
Blackout~Dark Black
Half Truth~Shimmery Dark Blue Purple
Deep End~Teal Shimmer (my fave)
Chase~Metallic Bronze

At $55 I'm a little iffy on spending the money but there are a lot of shades I would wear. I'm certainly a fan of Deep End, Omen and Chase but I can honestly not see a use for Blackout or Junkshow.

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Palettes

With all the love I'm giving to palettes you'd think I love the things but truthfully, I usually pass on them. It's not because they aren't beautiful (that's why I usually cave and buy the ones I do *ahem Enchanted Glamourland*) it's just that usually I know I'm not going to be able to use all the colors and I don't want to waste my money. One trip around the blogosphere and I realize I'm probably the only girl out there that feels that way so I'm going to share the love when a palette strikes my fancy. Enter Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Palettes!

Take a look at these....

Four coordinating shadows, a cheek color and three lippies. I have to admit, Bobbi Brown knows what girls like and these are it. The eye shades are all very wearable, the blushes great on a range of skintones and the there's something for everyone to love with the lips. These would be great if you travel a lot, particularly business travel as these shades are very work appropriate. Also, who doesn't love the convenience of having all your products in one place, just pop this in your makeup bag with a little foundation, concealer and mascara and go.

Bobbi Brown Brights Mini Palette

Oooh, I think I'm in love. Bobbi Brown is not really known for her bright shadows but when she does them, girl goes all out. All of these colors are gorgeous and have me lusting over the palette.

Equally gorgeous is the outside of the packaging. I'm a sucker for a cute package but it doesn't work for me if the items themselves are not gorgeous. I think you'll find you won't have a problem with any of Bobbi's items. The woman is a genius and knows what women want.

If you haven't already you really need to pick up one of her books, I guarantee you will not put it down, they are that good. Whether you know your makeup or you don't, Bobbi can give you some advice to elevate your game.

Now, I want to mention that upon reading reviews for this item many people were disappointed by the size. These shadows are small but that's what makes them perfect if you're experimenting with colors you wouldn't normally wear, you don't have to feel guilty if you choose not to use a color as anything other than a liner once in a while. There are 20 colors to choose from and this gorgeous palette retails for $70 on Bobbibrown.com and at Bobbi counters nationwide.

Urban Decay Deluxe Shadows

Note: Picture shows Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow in Shag
One of the first brands I really got into when I started collecting big-girl makeup, as I like to call it, was Urban Decay. I love the name of the company and the names of the items, but we all know the name means nothing when the product is crap. Luckily for all of us, Urban Decay is the real deal.

The deluxe shadows from the brand are fabulous. They come in adorable flip-top containers and, though I've had slight functional problems with them, it's nothing to complain about, so I won't.

Urban Decay's regular shadows usually (though not always) have glitter and as much as I love glitter, I can't always deal with it in my eyeshadow. The deluxe shadows are like a grown-up version, think shimmer not glitter.

Every single one of these colors is wearable and the collectible containers make me want to have them all. Currently in my collection are Scratch (light pinky peach with silver shimmer), Ransom (vibrant iridescent purple), Fishnet (bright purply fuchsia), Graffiti (bright green), Peace (turquoise) and Adore (bright blue). I don't see Adore on Sephora.com, I wonder if they discontinued it. I've also had Honey but found the shimmery gold too yellow for my taste and passed it on to someone who would find it more flattering with their skintone.

As usual, all of the shadows I own are cooler in tone, although Scratch is a little warmer than I normally wear. Used over Urban Decay Primer Potion (even without), these last for hours with no smudging or creasing. The Primer Potion really brings out the color and results in an exact match between your eyelids and the pan color. Now that, I love! I'd highly recommend these for special occasion wear like prom or a wedding.

They retail for $18 and the deluxe size is really generous. Honestly, I don't see me ever wearing one of these until the package is empty. Next time you're in Sephora or Ulta, check them out and let me know what you think.

If you'd like to try them out but don't need a full size product many of the shades are available in Urban Decays Palettes and, since I own a few of those, I can attest to how wonderful the palettes themselves are as well. Who out there owns UD palettes and which ones? I have the Skull palette and Shadow Pony set and I couldn't love them more if I tried.