Battle of the Nudes: MUA vs Chi Chi vs Stila

I have three nude eye shadow palettes for you today.  The MUA Undressed palette.  The Chi Chi Nudes palette.  The Stila In the Light palette.  These palettes have some similarities to the Urban Decay Naked palette.  Unfortunately, I do not own that so I can't compare these palettes to it directly.  With that said, now owning these three, I don't really feel the desire to buy it anymore :)

The MUA Undressed palette can be purchased online through their site.  It retails for: £4

It's packaging is simple and sleek.  The case is very secure, perhaps too secure.  Sometimes I have trouble opening it.  It comes with a double ended foam applicator.

As you can see the colours are very similar to the Naked palette (if you're familiar with it).  These really are very versatile colours and are great for every day looks.  All the shimmer shades are quite smooth and pigmented; however, the mattes are pretty crappy.  In the swatches below, shades 3 and 5 are matte and they took a lot of effort to get the swatch.  Several of the colours in this palette have a pinker tone when compared to the other palettes.  This shades in this palette don't have names, but my favourites are 6, 7 and 12.  These are particularly creamy and pigmented.

Next up, Chi Chi.  This can be purchased at Myer and retails for $19.95AUD.

The Chi Chi Nudes palette looks a bit more like its 'idol' the Naked palette with the pans being in similar shapes and in the same layout.  I really like its clear lid.  It comes with two double ended foam applicators.

Again, similar colours; however, there are subtle differences between this palette and the others.  A big difference between this one and the MUA is that these mattes are better.  They're softer, but they still lack some pigment in comparison to the Stila palette up next.  The latter of the palette tended to be quite sheer, which was a bit disappointing.  My favourite shades in this palette are 2, 4, 6 and 7.

Finally, Stila.  I'd heard so many great things about this palette and decided to get it.  I purchased mine from Beauty Bay during their Black Friday sale for $29AUD.

The packaging of the Stila In the Light palette is quite beautiful; however, it is cardboard, which isn't the most sturdiest of containers.  It does have magnets in the lid to keep it closed.  I love that there is a quote on the lid ('believe in the beauty of the future').  Plus, it comes with a smudge stick in damsel. 

This palette only has 10 shades (6 shimmer, 4 mattes) whereas the other two have 12.  The formula of these eye shadows was far superior than the others.  They are all buttery and creamy and wonderful, even the mattes.  My favourites in this palette were kitten (shade 2), sunset (shade 4), champagne (shade 6) and luster (shade 8).  I actually like most of them.

Here are swatches of these three different palettes. 

These shades were all pretty close.  Shade 1 didn't register on my skin very well, but they're quite pretty.   

Stila was quite different in shade 4 (sunset) and 5 (sandstone).  

Again, some close matches.  Please note, shade 9 and 10 have been numbered differently for these swatches only.  What is labelled as 'shade 9' is actually shades 11 from MUA and Chi Chi and ebony from Stila.  The labelled 'shade 10' is shades 12 from MUA and Chi Chi and night sky from Stila.  I did not include shade 9 and 10 from MUA and Chi Chi because there was no match from Stila, but again they're similar differing mainly in tone.

Wow, this has become quite a long post.  To conclude, I think the Stila palette is the best.  It's quality is far better than the other two and it comes with the smudge stick.  However, the other palettes are still pretty good.  If I were to choose between the Chi Chi and MUA palettes, I would choose the Chi Chi.

I hope this has been an enjoyable, albeit lengthy read!  Which palette do you prefer?

My Love for Femme Fatale

After being introduced to Femme Fatale through Kat's blog (check it out here, it's fantastic), I knew I had to order a few of their nail polishes. They also have samples of their other mineral products you can purchase. I highly recommend doing this before committing to a full size product.

I ordered three nail polishes: Winter Hyacinth, A Tisket, A Tasket and Star's Lament. I decided to get the smaller sizes in case I didn't end up loving them. I have only tried Winter Hyacinth so far and I loved it so much, I have already ordered the full size (however, it is horrid to remove). The other two are wrapped under the tree.

The formula is very sheer and this is four coats. You may choose to use a base coat to reduce these. With that said, I do love the layering effect you get when you continue adding layers. This nail polish has a beautiful combination of teal and fuchsia. The fuchsia and red glitter is awesome, but my favourite part is the inclusion of white diamonds and hexes.

In addition to the nail polishes, I also wanted to try their blush and eye shadow. I ordered samples of Archangel and Starcaller (both eye shadows) and Fire Bloom and Velvet Cupcake (both blushes). There were also surprise samples of Amber Eyes and Enchanted (both eye shadows). The samples come in plastic bags which can get a bit messy; however, there is a fair amount of product included.

I will start with the blushes, because I am far more obsessed with them than I am with eye shadow.  Femme Fatale has 12 different blushes to choose from and are quite unique in comparison to the blushes I currently possess.  In their descriptions, it gives recommendations for which skin types (i.e. fair, olive, dark, etc) the blush is best suited for.

L: Fire Bloom, Right: Velvet Cupcake

Fire Bloom:  This is a beautiful rose and coral blush.  It is buildable, which allows for versatility when wearing it.  It can look like a modest glow to a pretty dynamic look.  It has a lot of gold shimmer in it, so if you're not a fan of shimmer, this probably isn't for you.  

Velvet Cupcake:  I love this blush!  It's extremely different from anything I own and it is super fun!  It looks like it will be candy-like than it actually is.  It shows up as a bright pink on the cheeks.  I wore it to the Nicki Minaj concert (see here) because I thought it really fit the mood. :)  It doesn't have any noticeable shimmer, which I think it good considering its vibrancy.  I will be picking this up once my sample runs out.

Femme Fatale has a large range of eye shadows.  They have around 90 different shades available on their website.  I was quite surprised by their eye shadows. I ended up liking the free colours better than the ones I had chosen, which only reinforces the need to sample!

Indirect Sunlight: L to R: Archangel, Amber Eyes, Starcaller, Enchanted

Archangel:  Browsing the website, this was my favourite shade.  I love champagne-looking colours, but this one fell a bit flat.  It didn't look great on my skin and I think that is partly due to its translucent nature.  However, in direct sunlight, you can see the violet shimmer it has, which is pretty sweet.  In the end, I'm still undecided about this one.

Amber Eyes:  I didn't really give this one too much thought, but I am so happy that I received it!  It is my favourite of the four colours and reads peachy.  In direct sunlight, you can see some green and pink shimmer.  The green surprised me and I may purchase this when I run out of the sample.  I love how complex each of these eye shadows is.

Direct Sunlight: L to R: Archangel, Amber Eyes, Starcaller, Enchanted

Starcaller:  This one didn't do it for me.  I didn't look nice on my skin and I just wasn't impressed with it (perhaps, because I liked all the others better).  In sunlight, you can see some subtle pink shimmer, but it didn't do enough for me to like it.

Enchanted: Again, I hadn't really looked at this colour when I was placing my order, but wow!  I like it.  This is a dusky pink with a red/coral duochrome.  I'm not sure how often I would use this colour, but I'm definitely considering purchasing this one. 

Femme Fatale is an Australian small business. I love supporting local brands, especially those who are also Eco-friendly. On each sample it says if the products are vegan or not. Being a strict vegetarian (cheese is the only animal product in my diet. I am too selfish to give it up), this is very comforting. Definitely give them a try!

Check them out here: http://femmefatalecosmetics.com.au/ 

Natio Blushers Review

It seems like ages ago that I purchased these blushers. I bought them to receive a GWP (as you do).  I really enjoy Natio products; their skin care smells so good.

The first one is the Blushing Rose Palette. It is made up of four different blushers in quite distinct shades (though two are a bit similar). They have a smooth, creamy texture and look great on your skin. They are very buildable to meet your intensity needs. My favourite is the third, purple-y colour.  It's really different to the other blushes that I own.

The second one is a single blusher in Rosewood. The formula for this one isn't as creamy as the palette, but the colour is stunning. It felt a bit dry as I was trying to swatch it today, but I don't recall it being that way before.

Swatches: L to R-- Blusher Palette and Rosewood

I really like the packaging of both of these products.  The exterior of the palette looks amazing.  (I adore stars.)  The large mirror on the palette is awesome and a pleasant surprise as you open it. I highly recommend the palette.

Have you tried any Natio blushers?

Bellabox November Edition

This is a bit late, but this week has been so full out.

So, I really like my Bellabox this month. I think I got the better of the two main boxes circulating. I did not want the glitter eye liner and I didn't receive it, yay!!

Anywho, this was what I received. Since I have had the box for a few days, I have been able to test out some of the products.

1. Bioderma Sebium H2O Cleansing Water- I haven't tried this yet, but I am super keen to (just haven't worn any makeup yet).

2. Skimiso Pore Beauty Nose Pack- I enjoy using pore strips though I don't think that they too much, so we'll see how these go.

3. Dr LeWinn's Facial Polishing Gel- I used this last night and I really liked it. It's quite gentle, but smells really nice and feels good on the skin.

4. Dr LeWinn's Skin Perfect Primer and Dr LeWinn's Skin Perfect Foundation- I haven't heard too much about this, but I will definitely give it a try.

5. 4me Nail Polish Remover Pads- I used these and really like them. They will be fantastic for travelling and I would definitely consider purchasing them again.

6. Swisse Hand Cream- This smells fantastic. The formula seems a bit thick, but it soaks in nicely.

7. Palmolive Mango Body Butter Wash- yuck, mango. I will be sending this to my mom.

8. B by Bloom Colour Cheek Tint in barossa valley. I don't mind this. I am not a big fan of cream blushes. However this colour is pretty sweet and it blends in well.

What did you think of this month's box?

NOTD: Mirenesse Bullet Proof Nail Laquer

As most of you are aware, Mirenesse had teamed with Woman's Day to bring us some sweet GWPs. I picked up some nail polish in Blood Red (after failing to find the silver one).

I used it a few days ago and it is holding up quite well. The formula is really smooth and two coats was all I needed. I would pick up a couple more if they weren't that expensive.

I paired it with an OPI 'I have a herring problem' accent nail.

For those of you who have tried the Mirenesse nail polish, what did you think?

GA-DE Lipstick in English Rose

A couple of weeks ago Oz Sale had a lot of different beauty brands for sale (Revlon, Almay, China Glaze, Zana, Bellapierre, and GA-DE).  As usual, there were some pretty good deals, which I took advantage of.  As a result, I am on a spending ban for the rest of year.

Friday, I received my first parcel from Oz Sale and it contained the GA-DE lipstick I ordered.  I had never heard of GA-DE, but their packaging was really appealing.  From what I have gathered, GA-DE is a really popular cosmetic company based in Israel.

I ordered a lipstick in English Rose:

Beautiful Packaging

The packaging is really cool.  To open the lipstick, you push the bottom up, then it pops out.  I don't have any lipsticks with packaging like this.  

Closed: You can see the bottom is flush with the container

Open

The colour is a really nice pink with glitter in it.  The formula is a tad bit gritty due to the glitter.  It is definitely not creamy, but still not unpleasant.

Swatch

Artificial light/ No Flash

Although, there were some negatives to this product, I believe it was definitely worth the $9 I paid.  If you see GA-DE on Oz Sale, definitely check them out.

Have you tried any GA-DE Cosmetic products?

Rave: Benefit She's So Jetset

A couple of weeks ago I received my She's So Jetset from my Benefit haul (found here).  I love it!  I have asked for more Benefit products for Christmas; I really think they are worth the price.  The American price that is, totally not the Australian price.

1. POREfessional  I love this product!  I included it in my October Favourites (found here).  It leaves your skin really soft and makes it look way smoother.  Here are some before and after shots:

Before

After

2. Eye Shadow Palette These are fantastic eye shadows.  They have a creamy texture, great colour and shimmer.  I am a sucker for nudes and these certainly impress me. 

Colours: Champagne Please, Gold Card, Pretty in Mink and Elegant Expresso

L to R: Champagne Please, Gold Card, Pretty in Mink and Elegant Expresso

 Champagne Please and Pretty in Mink are my top picks of the four, but I use all of them.

3. First-Class Face Powder  The box doesn't provide any information as to the names of these two shades.  They are quite subtle and create a peachy look on skin.  They have a pleasant smell and texture, but I would prefer a bit more pigmentation.  With that said, you can just layer the blush to create a more vibrant look.

The brush is pretty nice for one coming with a kit. 

L to R:  Colours blended, Lighter (L) and Pinker (R)

 4.  Life on the A List Lip Gloss   To start with, I must say I prefer lipstick to lip gloss; however, the formula of this one is quite pleasant.  It's thick, but not sticky and feels nice on your lips.  The colour is very sheer, light pink.  It adds gloss, but that is about it.  If you're looking something with more body, this isn't your colour.  Yet, it still may be nice to have in your collection.

As you can see, very sheer.

 5.  They're Real Mascara  This was also listed in my October Favourites.  See here for photos and review.  This is a must have mascara.

I would definitely recommend this kit!  It's fantastic for value ($34 from the Benefit website).  The packaging is really cute and I will definitely be taking it with me on trips!

Have you tried any Benefit products?

Lust Have It Eco Edition

Here is my Lust Have It Eco Box.  While I was doing some research as to which beauty box to subscribe to, I read a lot of criticisms of LHI.  I cannot vouch for their monthly boxes, but this inaugural Eco Box is fantastic.  I am hoping the quality level will last for the next quarter.

Got to love opening these boxes

The products were placed in this....

The items!

Lady Lya Eye Liner, $20
This is a bright blue liner and I love it!  I prefer blue eye liners when it comes to the coloured ones.  I am very glad I received an eye liner rather than the lip liner.  I don't feel any need for the latter.

Avado Exfoliant, 100mL $14.99
 I haven't had a chance to use this yet, but I like that it has avocado in it.  Plus, it's made in Tassie.  I enjoy exfoliants because you can feel the cleansing.

Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Treatment, 110mL $19.95
Today was the first day I tried this.  First impression was that it really did smooth my hair.  I suffer from frizz and this legitimately seemed to control them.  It definitely does not take a lot.

Burts Bee Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb, $12.95
 I'm American.  I have loved Burts Bee for as long as I can remember.  I'm glad to finally have some here in Aus.  The colour is really flattering and the smell delicious.

Sranrom Body Lotion, 200mL $30
I have a fair bit of respect from my recently, brief encounters with this brand.  My partner received some body wash in his Men's Bellabox and now I have some lotion to play with.  The smell is really pleasing, though I cannot pin point what the smell is.  I'm not a big lotion fan, but it does feel light and refreshing on the skin.

Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost, 20mL $39.95
I was skeptical putting this on my skin.  I have combination/oily skin already and putting oil on it seemed counter-intuitive.  However, I gave it a chance.  It was okay for a first go.  Initially, I did not like the feel on my skin.  After it set in, it did feel better.  I think the next go I have, I will put even less drops on so it will fully sink into my skin.

Wicked Wix Organix Baby Jar Candle, 340g $34.95
I love candles.  I love how they make a home feel lived in.  This candle is amazing.  It's Sandalwood and Lime scented, which is such a wonderful combination.  I don't want to burn it, it smells that good.

This was my first Eco Box and I would say it was a success.  I am certainly looking forward to my next one in a couple months' time.

Have you tried any of these products? 

Bellabox October 2012 and Lust Have It Eco Box

This past Wednesday, I received my first Bellabox and LHI Eco Box!  Two beauty boxes on the same day!  Talk about a great way to start a Wednesday and what an amazing entrance into the world of beauty samples delivered to your door!

I'll start with Bellabox since that was the first box I subscribe to.  The theme was 'Pretty in Pink Party' in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Without further ado, here is what was in the box beneath the black paper....

Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Instant Action Lift Treatment, 30mL $100
I am excited to try Estee Lauder; however, I'm not sure that I need any lifting and firming for my 20s skin.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Extra Radiance Renewer, 30mL $74
I'm really looking forward to trying this.  I love Clinique products, especially their moisturising gel.  The description provided says it promotes cell maturation, turnover and removal without causing the slightest irritation to your skin.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colour in Petal Pusher, 9.17mL $13.95
This colour will be interesting.  I love it in the bottle, but I am not a big fan of light, flesh coloured nail polish on my fingers.

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm--Sheer Pink Tint, 2g $8.99
This is fantastic!  I love it on my lips.  The pink tint is subtle and looks more like your lips, just a bit better.  I will enjoy using this.

DKNY Fresh Blossom Eau So Intense, 100mL $135
I am very critical of fragrances.  I am a brand loyalist and I tend to stick with what I like for quite some time.  For several years, I have been a Burberry Beat lover.  With that said, I really do like this fragrance.  Who knows, maybe I'll allow another fragrance to join my crew.

Klorane Shampoo with Oat Milk, 200mL $9.95
I have heard of good things about this brand.  I haven't tried this or the conditioner included, but I will certainly give you some feedback once I get a chance to do so.

Klorane Conditioning Cream with Pomegranate, 150mL $9.95
The rose colour of this conditioner is so great.  A nice addition to this 'pink' box.

Bourjois Smoky Pencil 72 Dark Purple, 0.89g $20
I'm not a big fan of purple; however, recently it has been growing on me.  I do love Bourjois, so I will definitely try this pencil out soon.

Since this post is already so long, I will share my Lust Eco Box in a separate post.

How did you fare this month with your beauty boxes?  Any products you love or hate?