Lorac Croc Palette

Lorac makes some of the best coordinated makeup palettes that take the guessing out of creating a polished, put together look. I've been using the Snake Charmer for several years now (even though the blush is too bright for me nowadays). It's my go-to item for a shimmery evening look (and it slides easily into the slimmest clutch), but it's a bit bold for daytime. I don't remember why I never paid more attention to the understated Croc palette, but I recently rediscovered how great it is.

The muted rose blush is Soul, one of my current favorites. Three of the eye shadows have delicate shimmer that is daytime appropriate, and the fourth is a suede brown that creates depth. It's not dark enough to use as a liner, but it definitely works well in the crease. The shadows have a delicate smooth texture and they blend together seamlessly. The pigment, like every Lorac product I've ever tested, is rich and the color payoff is great and very true to what you see in the pan. I like playing and creating lighter and darker variations, according to the mood, but I mostly blend the highlighter with one of the darker colors for an effortless, polished but almost bare look. Used over a primer, the eye shadows hold for 14 hours easily with no creasing and minimum fading.

Clarins Barocco Eyeshadow Trio

Every season there's one makeup collection that stands out among all the other pretties. It's always a combination of gorgeous packaging, unique colors and impeccable quality. It's no big secret that I've been feeling a bit "meh" about many of the holiday collections this year, but finally there's something truly exciting: Clarins Barocco collection.

The packaging alone is outstanding- golden compacts and tubes with a beautiful black floral decoration. They're very gift-worthy and would look impressive on every dresser. The colors themselves are lovely and have a broad appeal, especially this eye shadow trio.

Clarins Barocco palette includes three colors. Two are sparkly with a metallic finish- a medium gold and the balck/gold marbled eye shadow that changes with the light. It looks like anything from khaki to brass and is one of the prettiest shades in my current rotation. the black is a soft matte and makes a beautiful liner that can be easily smoked or deepened. Used together, it's a glorious evening/holiday look, but I've been playing with just the liner and the tiniest amount of the marbled shadow and successfully brought it down to an acceptable daytime level- just a hint of shine on the lid blended into a beige base.

The texture of the Barocco eye shadows is soft and luxurious. I've tested them with a variety of primers and brushes- so far everything works. I'm fully enamored with this trio because it's as nice to use as it is to look at it. Taking the photos was also fun, except for the ridiculously bad lighting we've had for days. What you see was photographed in artificial light, mostly without flash, which accounts for the sub-par swatches. Karen from Makeup & Beauty Blog has a far better swatch of this one and also the rest of Clarins Barocco collection, so I recommend some drooling on her page.

Bottom Line: Festive in the best sense of the word.

Clarins Barocco Eyeshadow Trio ($40) is available from Nordstrom, online and in store. The press sample was sent by the company for my consideration.

All photos are mine with the help of Sophie.

Dolce & Gabbana Stromboli 110 Eye Shadow Duo

Stromboli #110 Smooth Eye Colour Duo from Dolce & Gabbana's makeup line is an excellent option for a quick but dramatic evening look. The concept is pretty close to NARS Tzarine, but both the execution and the colors are better.

This Dolce & Gabbana duo offers a golden pink champagne color and a contrasting smoky black that looks more glittery in the pan and in the swatch than the way it applies on lid. It's still full of silvery sparkle, but the final result is more sophisticated than what I had initially expected, as long as used sparingly.

The light side is especially great when applied over a cream shadow- it's not necessary by any mean, but I like the extra depth and velvety appearance it gives. The color itself is not really a highlighter on me, so if I'm after more drama I add something under the brow and in the corner (Edward Bess highlighter or NARS chubby pencil in Goddess). Blending the dark shadow right above the lash line and in the outer corner (go lightly. This is a very pigmented eye shadow) completes an evening look. Even if I do some enhancing, the entire process takes only a minute and a very good brush (Edward Bess eye brush is perfect).

Bottom Line: (almost) instant glam.

Dolce & Gabbana Stromboli #110 Smooth Eye Colour Duo ($36) is a Saks exclusive. Online and in select locations.

All photos are mine.

Sue Devitt Victoria Falls Eye Intensifier Pencil

The chubby Eye Intensifier pencils from Sue Devitt have been part of my makeup arsenal long before starting this blog. They are wickedly efficient multitaskers that require very little skill or effort to give one a pretty look. They work both as an eyeliner (medium to thick line) and an eye shadow, can be smudged, sheered and create the perfect smoky eye. The Eye Intensifier pencils are also my go-to item for a simple casual look (aka "just dropping at the dry cleaners/post office/corner store before getting back into jammies and slippers") that still gives my eyes depth and definition. So, yes, Sue Devitt has earned her place in my shortlist with this one.

Victoria Falls is a gorgeous rich almost navy blue. It's one of the colors I find most flattering on me, both for my skin tone and eye color. It's not too bright and doesn't look age inappropriate (I keep everything else nude/neutral), but definitely noticeable in a very good way. I've been playing with Victoria Falls in several combinations and looks- top lashes, bottom lashes, paired with nothing but a black mascara or smoked out with some Chanel Bois Bleu eye shadow. The pencil always works and looks much more sophisticated that the 30 seconds per eye it actually takes.

I use a primer, of course, and the Eye Intensifier stays put without creasing or fading for about 8-10 hours (depending on weather and activity). Topping the pencil with an eye shadow cements it in place until I bring on the makeup remover. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is using this product on the waterline. Not that it's meant for that in the first place- the Eye Intensifier is many things but it's not a kohl, as I've learned the hard way- it made my eyes water and sting when I tried. It was my fault, though, so I now keep it on the outer side of my lashes and all is well.

Bottom Line: highly recommended.

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil ($22) is available from Barneys, Bloomigdale's and Ulta, as well as through the company's website (suedevittbeauty.com), which right now offers a 20% discount for the holiday weekend (no code needed).

All photos are mine.

Lancome Erika F Ombre Absolue Eyeshadow G40

Or: In Which I Tackle A Legend

I was never sure how much of the Erika F hype was because this specific Lancome formula is not available in the US (due to an ingredient that wasn't approved for use here), and how much was the product itself. A few months ago my beautiful sister got me the real thing overseas and I've been playing with it since.

My sister, by the way, was quite indifferent when she saw it. In her opinion this line doesn't compare to Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo, and I guess she's right. Quality-wise there are many better eye shadows out there. From texture to tenacity (and pigment integrity), Lancome Ombre Absolue is nice but far from perfect. Still, there is something about Erika F that makes it, indeed, very special.

Many a blogger has written about Erika F and found the color hard to describe. It tends to look a bit different in almost every picture and the swatches vary greatly between skin tones and the lights used. I also find a difference between the way it appears on my lids and the swatch. The skin in my area is darker, making Erika F appear somewhat sheer, depending on the brush I use. My perception is that the color is a khaki-based silver with just a little taupe that prevents it from being too cool/silvery. I'm very careful with silver eye shadows, but I find this one very wearable. As long as we're talking evening and night out makeup, that is.

I apologize to everyone who wears Erika F to the office/PTA meetings/vet appointments, but I don't know how you do it. It's so shimmery with visible glitter particles and attracts so much attention, I just can't see myself wearing it before sunset and without being dressed to kill. It's gorgeous, it catches the light and makes brown eyes really stand out, it can be applied on the lid and in the crease or even just along the lash line above a jet black eyeliner. It just isn't an everyday item.

Then there's also the issue of shimmer fallout and it drives me crazy. Using the best primer money can buy (Kanebo Sensai) helps a little, but I still end up the night with glittery cheeks. Then again, if one expects a flawless application it's better to stick out with Le Metier de Beaute and Edward Bess.

To read more and see pictures, swatches and comparisons to other sort-of-similar colors, please check these posts from The Beauty Look Book,  Pink Sith, Cafe Makeup and Blogdorf Goodman.

Lancome Erika F (#133) Ombre Absolue Eye Shadow G40 is available in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Prices vary by location and this is such a bestseller counters tend to sell out more quickly then they can restock, some patience and legwork might be needed if you or your loved ones are on a quest to find it.

All photos are mine.

Sue Devitt Nordland Silky Sheen Eye Shadow

I'm a fan of Sue Devitt makeup and have several Silky Sheen eye shadows in my regular rotation.  I was thrilled to get Nordland as a GWP recently, since it's been on my "to buy" list for a while now. The color is a smoky brown based purple that goes very taupish mauve on my skin (wrist and lid alike). It's as neutral as it is pigmented, and the silky texture makes applying and blending a breeze.

You will notice that the finish of Nordland is a little different than that of the three colors I showed in my older post. It's less metallic and looks like a light shimmer over a matte base. That's how it appears on the lid, though I'm pretty sure I used a different base in the previous post. I get more sheen when I use the Sue Devitt shadows over Kanebo Sensai eye base than over the one from Urban Decay.

Bottom Line: Very pretty.

Sue Devitt Silky Eye Shadows ($18) are available from select department stores and suedevittbeauty.com.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Platinum and Storm Pressed Individual Eyeshadow

Storm:

 Platinum:

The classic dark smoky eye doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Now that everyone is in a holiday makeup mood there are even more kits and palettes promising that you won't get it wrong if you use them, which might or might not be true. But most of us know by now that the secrets for a wearable smoky eye that doesn't make one look like Taylor Momsen is a couple of good brushes, serious blending and most important- not overdoing it.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics offers a couple of good options in the smoky eye department. Their eye shadows have a great texture- smooth but dense in pigment- that makes it easy and pleasant to work with them. They blend seamlessly and require little effort. While these kind of colors are not my favorites (I usually prefer a softer look with just a pop of color) both Platinum (silver with an almost metallic finish) and Storm (mostly matte charcoal with some shimmer particles) are very pretty and wearable. Used together they give a very rock star smoky eye that can be easily tailored and balanced. They also work well with other colors to create simpler looks and I even like using Platinum as a silver liner- it can be applied with a damp brush for some extra sheen.

Both Storm and Platinum can also be found as part of Youngblood's Starlet Eyeshadow Quad. The palette includes an almost white highlighter and a matte black which fully complete the smoky eye look.

Bottom Line: Very very good.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Pressed Individual Eyeshadow ($19 each) are available at Henri Bendel in NYC and from ybskin.com. I received both Storm and Platinum from the company's PR department.

All photos are mine.

Benefit RSVP Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner

In the world of cream eye shadows, staying power is a very rare commodity. Even the best eye primers succumb to creasing, making one swear she's never buying a non-powder eye shadow again (until the next shiny thing comes along). But even in this sad state of things, there is a handful of cream products that actually perform.

I reviewed Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner a couple of years ago and loved them dearly. They keep every promise, stay on all day looking perfect, and are quite versatile in the way you can use them- alone, combined with other eye shadows and as an eyeliner. The thing is that after about 18 months the cream dries out and crumble. It shouldn't be a problem for those who use the same items almost every day, but if you have a large collection you'll never hit the bottom of the jar before it spoils. Which explains why I has to toss my Benefit Creaseless Creams last year.

A recent Sephora GWP reunited me with the cream shadow in RSVP. It's a light neutral with a metallic finish, very wearable, blendable and pairable. And the best part? The GWP is considerably smaller than the full size (by approx. one third). I wish Benefit would add the mini jars to their permanent line.

Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners ($19) are available from Sephora, Ulta and the company's website.

All photos are mine.

Burberry Taupe Brown (07) Sheer Eyeshadow

Somehow the makeup posts this week seem to be all about eyes. Maybe I'll keep it up with an eye makeup brush tomorrow. We'll see. In the meantime, here is Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Taupe Brown, which is quite dark and very pigmented for a "sheer" eye shadow. I use it along the lash line and in the outer corner before blending upward, and it works very well with Porcelain as a base/under the brow color. I find that I like to also have a medium shade for blending in the crease- those of you who bought Rosewood can try that. I've been using several matte Bobbi Brown colors like Grey and Stone. They work beautifully together.

Just like the other Burberry eye shadow, Taupe Brown has a luxurious texture, making it a joy to apply, blend and wear. Those of you who are pale and blonde can also try it as a liner- it's dark enough to give a soft smoky look.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Taupe Brown and other colors ($29 each) is a Nordstrom exclusive- in store and online.

All photos are mine.

Cle de Peau Malachite (201) Eye Color Quad

The problem with the beautiful new eye shadow quad from Cle de Peau is sparkle. And lots of it. Lots and lots and lots of sparkle, which is probably not what one wants from an ultra high-end brand.

I couldn't resist Malachite (#201). The coordinated quad of rich green, taupe and other neutrals is gorgeous, the texture silky smooth and they blend together effortlessly. A couple of strategic brush strokes and I have an elegant look with just a hint of eye popping green. It's lovely, really. Except for the sparkle/micro-glitter/whatever  fallout which takes longer to clean up than it takes to apply three or four colors from the palette. And then there are the particles that are left on the skin, which I'm not sure are entirely office-friendly. I'm pretty sure if I would have kept the quad for after-hours  if I were still teaching fifth grade math.

Which is really a shame. Such a beautiful palette (even if the pattern you see in the photos is just an over-spray and disappears the first time you swipe a brush over it) should get a lot more use. And I shouldn't have to frantically scrub my cheekbones to get rid of glitter before leaving the house.

The funny thing is that when swatching the colors at Saks and at home- both for the photos and when I showed the quad to a young cousin- the glitter barely showed. Yes, it's shimmery but you only get the full effect when applied on your eye lids.

Bottom Line: pretty but cranky is not a good look.

Cle de Peau eye color quad ($55, the refillable case is sold separately for $25) in Malachite and four other colors can be found at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

All photos are mine.