Avon Nail Art Design Strips in 1733 Winter Wonderland - Review

I recently busted out some Avon Nail Art Design Strips in Winter Wonderland that I have had kicking around, for dare I say it, a year or two...

Yes, most embarrassing. I was feeling extra festive last week so I decided to give them a shot. This was the first time that I had used nail strips so I knew this was going to be an education. I don't believe that Avon carries this design or colour anymore, but I could be wrong. I think I paid somewhere around $11.99 Canadian for these. I think for what it is, that is a bit steep. Other Avon Nail Art strips sell for $10 U.S. I believe. I just checked their website and they appear to currently be having a sale on what they have for $3.99 U.S. which I think is a very fair price. You get 18 strips in total.

To me, this was a very pro and con product. What I mean is that for every pro there was a con. As a result, I am still not 100% sure how I feel about them and likely I would think that I would feel the same about nail strips in general. Okay, let's talk about the pros first.

The first pro is that they are easy to apply. I am usually a dumb ass when it comes to things like this so that is part of the reason why I avoided trying them out for so long. I thought they would take forever to apply or that I would fudge them up. Basically, once you have selected one that reasonably fits your fingernail in question, you just centre it and fold the excess tip over the end of your nail. You can then either tear it off (not recommended) or file it off. The filing takes 2 seconds, literally. My original idea was to wear one of these on the 3rd finger of each hand and to paint the rest silver. I ran out of time between shopping, wrapping etc. so I decided to put all of these on once I realized how quick they are. In fact, I did a whole hand, in the car, on the way to a family function and it was not a long drive. I think I could easily have done all 10 fingers in under 10 minutes.

The second pro is that they look like nail polish at first glance. I got a number of compliments on my nails when I wore them and people were surprised that they were "stickers". The third pro is that they adhere quite well. I had serious concerns that these would be flying off or lifting but they didn't for the first couple of days. They even survived a couple of full showers and a couple sinks full of dishes and they didn't come off. Sleeping in them was no biggie. Fourth pro was that they are fun! I wouldn't get nail strips in a pale or solid colour though. I will get into that momentarily. Fifth pro is that there is no drying time. Instant manicure done and you don't have to be overly careful with your fingers I would say after about  10 minutes of having them on. Lastly, the final pro is that when I was tired of them, I was able to easily peel them off and there was hardly any, if any, residue from the "glue" left behind. They were off in under 2 minutes and my nails looked the same as when I put them on.

On to the cons. First con is that the base of the nails (part that you would place near your cuticle) is awfully square. Maybe my nails are weird, but mine are quite round. As a result, some of the nails overlapped onto my skin and that was not so attractive. Others that fit my cuticle bed area better were too small to cover the whole nail on the sides. Bizzare. The second con is the price - $11.99. I can get a whole bottle of OPI nail polish for that price or less and I would have how many applications??? Countless. So I guess you are paying for the convenience of it all, but for a one time use, it's pricey.

Although they felt good for the first couple of days, they really started to bug me after that time period. They started to feel like stickers on my finger nails. I think they started looking more like stickers too. That was the third con. The fourth con was that I noticed after a couple of days that the tips started to chip, tear and crack. The fifth con was, and I should have mentioned this earlier in the list, that after I applied them, I got a few creases in them that I couldn't flatten out and I think may have been unavoidable. Hence, my suggestion to avoid light colours in these strips or ones with no design. The design on these covered a number of application sins.

I have a Sally Hansen set of nail strips which I will have to try one of these days. I will give a full report when the time comes.

So what do you think? Do you like nail strips or hate them? I would love to hear what you think.

Packaging: 7/10

Pigmentation: 10/10 

Easy to Work With: 7/10 (points off for creases and shape of the nail strips)

Longevity: 6.5/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 6/10

Ingredients: N/A sort of

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 810

Would I buy this again? Not Sure

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser - Review

I have been using this cleanser off and on for a few months now. Until I tried this product, I had only tried one other First Aid Beauty product and I was quite impressed with it. I only had a sample of that product so a full review of it will have to wait until I purchase a regular sized jar of it. Anyway, I had high hopes for this cleanser. I purchased the 1.0 oz. size for I think $3.99 from Winners (a.k.a. Marshalls). Normally, there are four sizes for this product (1 oz., 2 oz., 5 oz. and 8 oz.) ranging from $7 Canadian to $32 Canadian or $5.50 U.S. to $26 U.S. I will start off by saying that I am glad I only got the 1 oz. and that I only paid $3.99 for it. You see where I am going with this...

Before I get into what I think of the product, I am going to list below what Sephora's website says about it:

What it is: A face cleanser with a whipped texture that transforms into a rich cream when blended with water.

What it does:
This Face Cleanser gently cleanses the skin, removing surface oils, makeup, dirt, and grime—and its whipped texture transforms into a rich cream when blended with water. It is infused with a powerful botanical antioxidant blend that works hard to block damaging free radicals. It calms redness and is pH-balanced to maintain the natural acidity of the skin. Daily use will result in fewer flare ups and reduced skin reactivity.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is appropriate for all skin types, including the most sensitive skin. It has been allergy-tested, dermatologist-recommended, and contains FAB Antioxidant Booster (white tea, licorice root, and feverfew) to combat free radicals.

Okay, on to my thoughts. This product doesn't lather or foam. That's not a deal breaker for me, but I like to feel something is happening or working in some way. I don't see any "rich cream" happening. When I add water and rub this over my face, I feel like I am washing it with hand soap. A little of this product does not go far. I find myself needing more to cover my face - way over and above what the tube says I need. I don't feel like I am washing my face when I apply this. I just feel like I am smearing my face with some goo. After I wash it off, my face feels unwashed, unclean. Then my skin starts tightening and goes really dry. I have oily to combination skin so this must really be doing a number on my face. Even though my skin starts feeling parched, my skin still feels unwashed!

The bottom line, as you probably guessed, is that I don't like this product. I have nothing good to say about it which is a shame because I sure did like that moisturizer of theirs that I tried once. The reviews on this product on Sephora's website are mostly very positive. Maybe I missed something, but this product sure isn't for me.

Packaging: 2/10 (the colour of the tube is peels off in small chips and chunks)

Texture: 0/10

Price: 7/10 (if it worked)

Ingredients: 7.5/10

Easy to Work With: 2/10  

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Deep Cleans: 0/10

Moisturizing: 0/10

Comfortable/Softening: 0/10

Smell: 6/10 (almost no smell but it smells a little of old hand lotion)

Would I buy this again? HELL NO   

Overall Rating: 1/10 

**Update 09/26/2016: I received another tube of this cleanser in a set of First Aid Beauty (FAB) products that I bought. It is not as bad as I remembered. The packaging is slightly different and the packaging is no longer chipping or peeling. It is thicker and lathers better. My face feels cleaner this time around when I wash it. Do I love this cleanser now? No. But it is obvious to me that FAB has improved the formula and has really stepped up their game with this product.**

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Make-Up Removing Solution Sensitive Skin - Review

Merry Christmas everyone! It's Christmas Eve as I type this. A couple of my friends got me this gorgeous bouquet the other day when I hosted dinner. I decided to take a picture of it and then I decided to take a picture with the product I am reviewing today. Hey, why not?

This make-up remover by Bioderma is a cult favourite. It's won a bunch of beauty awards. I have been meaning to try it for years and finally took the plunge. It retails for $26.99 Canadian, however, I got mine on sale for $21.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart. My bottle is 500 ml which is a very decent size. I have also seen it in a smaller size which I wish I had bought first....You can also get it at Rexall. So what do I think about it? Well...

I don't love it. On the up side I like that it is not greasy and it is non-irritating. It seems to wipe clean and does not leave any residue from the product itself. It's super gentle. I actually like it more for removing makeup from my face than from my eyes. Of course, I bought it for eye make-up removal so that kind of defeats the purpose of the purchase and doesn't really meet my needs. I find it does a fine job of removing eyeshadow and eyeliner. It is horrible with mascara. I don't wear waterproof mascara and I have always found that my Klorane eye make-up remover does a fine, quick job with any mascara. No matter what mascara I am wearing, the Bioderma eye make-up remover is slow to take off mascara (numerous wipes needed) and it makes my mascara crumble. These "crumbs" stick all around my eyes and my cheeks. Getting them off of my face is a bitch. Don't even bother trying to get at them with more eye make-up remover. It just spreads them around and turns the "crumbs" into more tiny crumbs. Total nightmare. I go to bed thinking that I got all of the "crumbs" and my lashes are looking mascara free many nights. Then I get in the shower the next morning and I find more "crumbs" coming out of no where and they are sticking all over my face again!!! Ticks me off.

So needless to say, this will not be a repurchase. I am spoilt rotten with my beloved Klorane Soothing Make-Up Remover lotion with the pump dispenser. Some of the other Klorane eye makeup removers are not as good. Here is the link to my blog post on the one I love:

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/02/klorane-soothing-make-up-remover-lotion.html

Packaging: 9/10

Texture: 10/10  

Price: 7/10

Ingredients: 7/10

Smell: 10/10 (not much of a smell which is nice)

Easy to Work With: 1/10  

Works Well: 0/10

Travel Worthy: 0/10 (not unless you packed some in a separate leak proof container) 

Moisturizing: 10/10

Comfortable/Softening: 10/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 5/10

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask - Review

This may very well be my new favourite cleanser. I have been using it for the last couple of months and so far, it is really impressing me. I have a few small tubes of this, mostly from gift with purchase bags, and for longest time, I didn't give them a second thought. Maybe it's just me, but I have never found that companies that specialize in makeup and perfume make the best cleansers. In this case, I was dead wrong. I love most Estee Lauder products, so why I failed to give this one a try for so long is beyond me.

You only need a little of this. If you add a generous amount of water and rub it between your hands and then apply it to your face, you will have a wonderful, refreshing lather. I like to use this product with my Clarisonic Mia 2. My face has never felt cleaner or more refreshed when I use this product. My face is literally squeaky clean afterwards. Another plus is that my face doesn't get dried out after using this. It cleans deep down and gets my makeup off. I have found that I have a lot fewer blemishes too since I started with this product.

I have not yet used it as a mask, put I plan on giving that a go. The only thing I don't like about this product is that is it somewhat pearlized. Call me crazy, but that bugs me. It seems unnatural. You get 5 oz. for $25 U.S. Will check on the price in Canadian funds and report back. This product is geared towards normal or combination skin. It sounds like they have changed the formula recently and I think I may have one of each? I will be buying the regular sized version of this soon, which will likely be the new formula. I will update this post when the time comes. For now, I am in love.

Packaging: 9/10

Texture: 10/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: ????? 

Easy to Work With: 10/10  

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Deep Cleans: 10/10

Moisturizing: 8/10

Comfortable/Softening: 8/10

Smell: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes!!!    

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 

My Top Holiday 2014 Gift Sets and Palettes for the Makeup or Beauty Lover

I have swatched my little heart out, contrasted, compared and crunched the numbers. Here are my Top 6 picks for Holiday 2014 Gift Sets and Palettes. Overall, I have to say that I was little disappointed by the choices that were put out this year by makeup companies. I felt that there were too many similarities for some of the sets that were put out this year when compared to the Holiday 2013 Sets that were put out by the same companies last year. For example, Too Faced's Everything Nice and Sugar & Spice palettes left me wanting. They reminded me too much of their A Few of My Favorite Things palette from last year, which I love by the way, but it's just too much of the same for me. In general though, I felt that not a lot of thought was put into this year's sets. They all seemed to be released early and I got the impression many of them were rushed through production.

Okay, let's get to it. I have listed my picks from most expensive to least expensive.

Tarte Bon Voyage Collector's Set and Travel Bag
I am a sucker for a Holiday Set with a nice makeup bag. This set fits the bill. It is $71 Canadian and $59 U.S.

This set contains:
- 20 x 0.07 oz Amazonian clay eye shadows in Palace Of Versaille, Moulin Rouge, I Think I Cannes, My Own Cotes De Rhone, Boudoir Noir, Fall In Louvre, Provence Upon A Time, Eiffel For You, Too Haute To Handle, Bastille In The Night, Chantilly Lace, Merci You Later, No Champagne, No Gain, Take On Bordeaux, French Riviera, C’est La Vie, Marseille The Word, Play Nice, On A Good Notre Dame, Le Cordon Bleu
- 0.13 oz Deluxe lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara
- 0.17 oz Limited-edition deluxe cheek stain in Muse (soft nude)
- 0.27 oz LipSurgence lip gloss in Visionary (apricot)
- 0.06 oz LipSurgence lip tint in Romantic (peachy nude)
- 0.23 oz Deluxe maracuja oil
- 0.07 oz Deluxe smooth operator Amazonian clay finishing powder
- Limited-edition collector’s travel bag

This year's bag is not as nice as the one that Tarte had last year, but the eyeshadows are better quality this year. Frankly, this set is huge and well worth the $71. It is supposedly over a $500 value. I do make it a habit to pick up most of the Tarte Holiday Sets just because they are always phenomenal bang for your buck. It also allows you to try a number of their products for a reasonable price.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
I feel like this trio needs no introduction. Hourglass blushes are pricey at $41 Canadian each. To get 3 of them for $67 Canadian or $58 U.S. is fantastic. The three blushes are Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure. This would be an amazing gift to receive. The packaging is A1 as usual.

Too Faced La Belle Carousel
The concept of this is beyond adorable. Yes, this is going on top of my makeup drawers for the next little while. In this set you get a Better than Sex mascara. You get twelve gorgeous eyeshadows in Frost, Tin Soldier, Christmas Tree, Santa's Boots, Tufted Suede, Angel Hair, Haute Chocolate, Yule Log, Nutcracker, Nude Beach, Boxes & Bows and Sugar Plum Fairy. I cannot rave about these eyeshadows enough.  The two blushes are Luminous Peach and Who's Your Poppy blush. If that weren't enough, you also get 2 fantastic bronzers in Chocolate Soleil and Sun Bunny Dark. It's also a decoration as I mentioned. It is $59 Canadian or $49 U.S. Great gift! I would be thrilled if someone picked this up for me. Of course, I already bought it for myself...

bareMinerals The Magic Act
This palette is $49 Canadian or $39 U.S. It has a Houndstooth cover. I love Houndstooth!

This set contains:
- 6 x 0.04 oz bareMinerals READY Eye shadow in Celebrate, Fortune, Shazam, A-ha, Pumped, Foreshadow
- 0.1 oz bareMinerals READY blush in The Close Call (bronze taupe), The Natural High (golden petal peach), The Indecent Proposal (dusty palm)
- 0.09 oz bareMinerals READY Luminizer in The Premiere

The formula for all of these is amazing. It's sleek, compact and perfect for travel. If that wasn't enough, there are pictures inside showing you a couple of looks. I love that, especially for the days when you are not feeling so inspired in the a.m. I think this is the neatest palette that I have seen this holiday season. I think it's a great value for your money too.

it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Celebration Palette
I got this on sale from The Shopping Channel for about $36 Canadian. There are 15 eyeshadows in here, 14 are matte. These are really nice matte eyeshadows, especially the darker colours. The ingredients are very good. I think $36 for this type of quality is close to unheard of. A solid gift for anyone that loves palettes or matte shades.

Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil Set
Last, but certainly not least is the Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil Set that came out this year. The cute tin contains the shades Pomegranate, Rhubarb, Sable and Winterberry. It's $29 Canadian and I think around $25 U.S. This is a no brainer, can't go wrong gift for anyone that likes lipstick or makeup in general.

If you are looking for some stocking stuffer ideas or more budget friendly beauty gifts, please check out my last blog post:

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/12/my-picks-for-great-stocking-stuffer.html

There are a couple other Holiday 2014 palettes that I feel I should mention. The Kat Von D Star Studded Eyeshadow Book looked fabulous at first glance. When I swatched the shadows, some were not very impressive. I was actually quite disappointed considering her eyeshadows are normally very good quality. Even though there were 24 eyeshadows, at $55 U.S. and I think around $64 Canadian, it didn't seem as up to snuff as its competitors so I passed on it. I briefly saw it go on sale on Sephora.com for $36 Canadian a week or so ago. It was gone within the hour I saw it. I think $36 is a decent price for it, despite it flaws, so if you can get it in store for that price, hey, why not.

Make Up Forever Studio Case was $59.50 U.S. or $68 Canadian and is now on sale as I type for $39 U.S. or $45 Canadian on Sephora's website. I think this is a good quality set and I am tempted to get it but I think I will show some restraint. I have bought enough this holiday season. If you can get it for the sale price, I would totally pounce. The eyeshadows are quite small so for full price, the value you are getting is questionable. This set contains: - 12 x 0.024 oz Artist Shadows in Natural (M-530, S-516, I-544), Smoky (M-122, ME-108, M-100), Bold (D-236, D-926, I-218), Chic (I-524, D-826, ME-828) - 0.01 oz Artist Liner in Matte Black (M-10) - Step-by-step guide. If you know someone getting into makeup that doesn't have a lot of eyeshadows, you need to look no further than this set.

My Picks for Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas for a Makeup or Beauty Lover

I feel like I haven't done a blog in ages! I am so very sorry for being away. It has been an insane last week and a half for me. I had to write this big exam, work has been crazy, had a couple of migraines, my computer wasn't working for a little bit and I had a couple of Christmas parties to fit in. Somehow, I survived and now I am back to blogging. Hooray!

I was planning to do a blog on my favourite holiday palettes and sets that were released this year, but I think I will leave that until tomorrow.

I am personally struggling with coming up with stocking stuffer ideas (mostly for the hubby) this year so I thought I should do a little post on some things that I have picked up lately that I think would be a good choice for the makeup or beauty lover in your life. The best part? They are all reasonably priced. Okay, so here we go in no particular order:

1. Hard Candy Fierce Effects High Intensity Eye Shadow in 896 Soft & Sultry - This is a great, cure little duo and for $6 U.S., hey, you can't go wrong. They are also fun and very wearable. I got mine at Wal-Mart. They come in other colours too!

2. Bite Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo in Scarlet and Poppy - There are a few different colour options for these duos. I have 3 of them...The Bite formula is unsurpassed. I don't know anyone that doesn't love these lipsticks. The fact that you get two lipsticks (albeit smaller sized) for $12 U.S. or $15 Canadian is a fantastic deal. You can even use this as an ornament for your tree. Got mine at Sephora.

3. Burt's Bees A Bit of Burt's Bees Set with Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil - I think I paid $4.49 U.S. for this. I am not giving it away. I love both of these products and they are natural. I bought it at Ulta in the U.S. but I have seen them at Target too for the same price. The lip balm alone retails for this price! Every year a go-to stuffing stuffer for moi is anything by Burt's Bees. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

4. L'Occitane En Provence Shea Travel Treats - This set, that doubles as a tree ornament, has a 1 oz. Shea Butter Hand Cream and a 1 oz. Shea Butter Foot Cream. Both products are two of my faves. The travel size is so handy for your purse or a week away. This is the priciest item on my list but I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't love and appreciate this dynamic duo. It's $20 U.S. or $24 Canadian. I bought this at Sephora.

5. Sephora VIP Pass Eyeshadow Palette - I am not the biggest fan of Sephora brand cosmetics, but when I saw this, it was a no brainer. I considered giving it away, but I am keeping it for myself. I am a selfish bitch, I know. This is a slim, compact eyeshadow palette that is perfect for your purse or for travel. It contains 8 eyeshadows. These 8 eyeshadows all are you need to create a sophisticated neutral or brown look, and also everything you need to create a smokey eye for night. The colours look  incredible and the browns are stunning. Full review coming soon. It's $12 by the way. Yes, only $12.....the price sealed the deal for me.

6. Korres 6 Body Butters in Papaya Mango, Guava, Jasmine, Vanilla Guava, Cassis Fig and Basil Lemon - I bought two sets of these. One for me and one for a friend. The sticker says $25 Canadian but Shoppers Drug Mart is currently selling them for $19.99. I have tried only 1 Korres product before, but had heard good things about their body butters. They care about their ingredients too so that is a major plus in my book. Let me tell you that these body butters are super luxurious. My skin sings when I apply them and I don't have to reapply until I shower. I thought I would not like some of the scents but so far I like them all! I know what you are thinking. You are wondering why I am showing you this big set as it is clearly not a stocking stuffer. Well my friends, I have an indecent proposal. Split them up and you have 6 stocking stuffers for just over $3 each. You won't find a better bargain for a quality product this Christmas my friends. They are each sealed inside the cap too so go crazy and break the set up!

I hope you found this blog post helpful! I will be back tomorrow with more gift giving ideas!

November 2014 Empties!

I had feared that I would have little to nothing to show for myself for November empties. Luckily, I ended up with 6 products which is something, but it's still sad. Let's get into it:

1. Origins Plantscription - I have gone through countless tubes of this. One of my favourite products. Helps keep the fine line and wrinkles at bay or helps them to disappear. I can't believe I still haven't done a full review on this product yet. Already repurchased.

2. Bb Straight (Bumble and Bumble) - This particular product has been discontinued much to my dismay. The replacement product that they have right now is terrible. I have had to move other to another product line for my straightening needs. This product really worked and was easy to use. I will miss it.

3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light - I use Intensity 2.0. This is one of my usual monthly empties. Love this stuff, can't find much else that compares to it. A definite staple of my makeup regime. Already repurchased.

4. Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm - This was very moisturizing but it did zip for my dark under eye circles. It's not cheap either, but this was a large sample that I got from Sephora. It last me a couple of months or so. Will not purchase. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/10/algenist-complete-eye-renewal-balm.html

5. fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment - Got this as a free sample from Sephora. This was I think my third tube. I have purchased the regular full-sized tube in the past and loved it. The only thing I hate about it is the price. Would consider repurchasing. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/01/fresh-sugar-advanced-therapy-lip.html

6. Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Pillow Talk - I liked this gloss but I would have preferred another colour. I got this as part of a Too Faced set awhile back. It is minty though and smells like off custard. I don't hate the smell though. Would consider repurchasing. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2013/12/too-faced-glamour-gloss-in-pillow-talk.html

it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette - Review and Swatches

Okay everyone, I am going to go ahead and jump right into today's palette review. This is the it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette. I bought it on the Shopping Channel (QVC in the U.S. basically) over a month ago for just under $40 Canadian. I got it during a promotion and there was a discount etc. This palette has 15 eyeshadows -  14 matte colours and one supposed shimmer called Transforming Pearl. The packaging is nice and sleek and the array of colour options is quite nice and extensive. This would be a good palette for travel with one exception dealing with the lighter colours that I will get into in a minute. I must say that I am not a big fan though of the baby pink felt cover. It's a bit too Mary Kay and granny for me. It will show up any fluff or dirt easily and I imagine it will look pretty mangy in no time.

To me this palette is a little bit different. I really like the sunset type colours and the purples. I think all of the medium to dark eyeshadows in this palette are great. They are very pigmented, blend easily and work well together. I have no love for the lighter shades though. Specifically, I am really not digging Sheer Joy, Soft Light, Warmth and Love. I find these colours to be chalky and they do not have staying power even with an eye primer and an eyeshadow base. They don't brighten your eye area and I think that is important. If you are going to wear these shades I would seriously recommend using a light coloured, very opague eyeshadow base such as NYX Milk or Sigma's Awake. They really need something heavy duty and bright under them.

It's funny because I have an it Cosmetics eyeshadow trio palette and my complaint about the lightest shade in there is the same as I feel about the light shades in this palette. Personally, I would pair most of this palette with a satin or shimmer shade from another eyeshadow brand for the light eyeshadow colours. I really don't like them. On top of this, I detest the Transforming Pearl. I don't find anything shimmery about it. It's like applying straight up talc powder to my eyes as far as I am concerned. It makes you look old and powdery and it's so thick! I would just skip that colour altogether. I have used it several times and can't get it to do anything for me. I think the idea of the Transforming Pearl is neat and genius, but the execution of the product was terrible. If any of you have this palette and have had a different experience with Transforming Pearl, please let me know!

Despite my grumbling, I really like 10 of the 15 eyeshadows a lot. I think that's pretty good, no? I don't regret buying this palette and I think $40 for all of this eyeshadow (which has good ingredients!) is a worthy purchase.

Swatch time!

From left to right we have Sheer Joy, Soft Light, Warmth, Soulful, Mocha and Violet. See! The lighter shades are a tad sad.

Did I mention that this palette can be propped up and used that way? I think that is a handy option. Okay, totally side tracked there. Back to the swatches!

So here is Midnight, Noir, Love, Sunrise, Sunset and All Heart. Very pretty I think.

The last three below are Java, Iconic and Transforming Pearl.

Packaging: 8/10 (minus 2 for pink felt)   

Pigmentation: 8/10 (minus 2 for the lighter colours)
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 7.5/10
Colour Stays True: 8/10
Texture: 7/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 10/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 8/10 (minus 2 for the lighter shades)
Would I buy this again? Maybe 
Overall Rating:  8/10