Eyeshadow Collection

This post is all about my eyeshadow collection! As you can tell, I love eyeshadow, and I have learned that it is worth the few extra dollars to get a good product. In other words, no more CoverGirl or cheaper eyeshadows for me! I have broken my eyeshadows down into color, and I will go through what each color is and a description of that color if it is available from MAC. Most of my eyeshadows are still available, but I will put the ones that were discounted or limited edition in italics. I will also follow up the descriptions with what my favorite colors are from that section as well as ones I wish I hadn't gotten. I hope this will help you all, and I hope you don't look at this as bragging. I just like to look at my blog as a way to tell others good products as well as things to beware of...things I wish I had known, I guess. Enjoy! =)

My Makeup Collection...

Drawer One: Highlights and Neutrals
(If no brand is listed, then it is MAC)

Starting in upper right hand corner and going down:

• JANE-Intensity-A pigment-type e/s, good for going over dark e/s to add shimmer
• Grand Entrance
• Vellum
• Naked Lunch-Minimal pink with shimmer (frost)
  

Second column from right

• Smashbox-FIZZ
• Ricepaper-Peachy gold with shimmer (frost)
• All that Glitters-Beige with gold pearl (veluxe pearl)

Third column from right:

• Vanilla-Peachy-Ivory with reflects (velvet)

Fourth column from right:

• Gesso-Vivid White (matter)
• Crystal Avalanche-White with reflects (veluxe pearl)
• Dazzlelight-Neutral with shimmer (veluxe pearl)

There are several eyeshadows in this drawer that I love! My favorite highlight is dazzlelight. I think it just has enough shimmer to be pretty without making you look like a glitter ball-definitely a must for MAC-lovers! Another good highlight would be Vanilla, I use this one when I have a lot going on on my lid and don't want any shimmer to take away from that. Vellum is a very different highlight, it can create this interesting bluish tint when put on top of darker or purple colors. All that Glitters, Grand Entrance, and Naked Lunch are all good neutral eye lid colors, and I have mentioned them all in a previous post when talking about good, quick looks. Lastly, I would have to say that I love my Smashbox shadow. It is the only Smashbox shadow I have, but I love it, probably because it is so similar to All that Glitters or Naked Lunch.

As far as the bad ones, I don't have too many I don't like. After getting Dazzlelight, I wish now I hadn't bought Crystal Avalanche, just because it is more intense, and I get more use from Dazzlelight. Ricepaper and Gesso are two colors that I guess I'm glad I have, but I don't use them very much, so looking back I should have bought colors I knew I'd use more.

Drawer Two: Blacks/Greys

First right column, starting in upper right corner:

• JANE-Clubbing-A lot like MAC's Black Tied-black with glitter
• Contrast-Purplish-blue with blue pearl(velvet)
• Carbon-Intense Black (matte)

Second column from right:

• Electra-Silver with icy shimmer (frost)
• Plumage-Dusky peacock (matte)
• Typographic-Asphalt black (matte2)

Third column from right:

• Graphology-Blackened purple-grey (matte2)
• Knight Devine-Black with silver pearl (veluxe pearl)

I have four favorites in this drawer: Contrast, Carbon, Plumage, and Graphology. I love Contrast because I use it to do my "Kim Kardashian" look, which is super easy, but looks really good! Carbon is a great color because I can use it in the outer corner to deepen the color, or over eyeliner to smudge it out and look sexier =). Carbon is definitely the must have in this drawer for you MAC-lovers! Plumage is just this gorgeous, unique color that I like to use, especially with my mermaid-eye look. Graphology is a really pretty color as well, because it looks dark, but it has this purple tint to it, and as you will find out in a bit, I love purple eyeshadow!

I only have one eyeshadow in this drawer I regret buying, and that it Typographic. It is an okay color, but it looks way too much like Carbon!

Drawer Three: Purples

Starting in upper right corner and going down:

• Creme de Violet-Pink-violet with gold pearl (frost)
• Nocturnelle-Pinked up chrome purple (frost)
• Poison Pen

Second column from right:

• Shale-Mauve-plum with subtle shimmer (satin)
• Sketch-Burgundy with red shimmer (velvet)
• Beauty Marked-Black-red with sparkle pearl (velvet)

Third column from right:

• Purple Haze-Intense purple (matte)
• Trax-Burgundy plum with shimmer (velvet)
• Hepcat-Jazzy little deep blue-wine (frost)

Fourth column from right:

• Beautiful Iris-Lavender with sheen (veluxe pearl)
• Stars 'n' Rockets-Purple with pink pearl (veluxe pearl)
• Parfait Amour-Blue-violet with shimmer (frost)

As you can probably tell, I love purple eyeshadow! Honestly, there isn't one of these colors I regret buying, and I can tell you in the new Style Warrior Collection, I am going to be getting Vibrant Grape to add to my purple obsession =). I do have a few absolute favorites from this drawer though: Nocturnelle, Sketch, Trax, Hepcat, and Stars 'n' Rockets are my faves for sure! If you're looking for a good deep purple get sketch, it works great as an outer "v" color to add depth, and Trax is a really pretty all over lid color. I bought Trax after seeing MakeupByTiffanyD's Audrina look, it was just a very simple, but classy look that I find myself doing often.

Drawer Four: Miscellaneous

First column on the right, starting at top:

• Newly Minted-Rich sea green (matte2)
• Steamy-Bluish-green with gold pearl (veluxe pearl)

Second column from right:

• Aquavert-Soft mint with white pearl (veluxe pearl)
• Aquadisiac-Deep sea turquoise (lustre)

Third column from right:

• Chrome Yellow-Vivid bright yellow (matte)

Fourth column from right:

• Coppering-Orange copper (veluxe pearl)
• Fab & Flashy

So this drawer is another one that I don't really have any that I regret. Sometimes I like to do different, colorful looks, so I had to get these brighter colors. Once again, I couldn't pink one favorite, I have 4 that really stand out to me: steamy, aquadisiac, chrome yellow, and coppering. Steamy is a gorgeous color, and over different bases, it just seems to get more beautiful. My favorite base to use the the turquoise cream liner from Coastal Scents, then add Plumage to the outer crease and Mutiny in the inner corner, and it creates a very pretty mermaid look. Aquadisiac was my first MAC shadow, so it will always be special to me, and it looks great with purple, too! Yellow is my all time favorite color, so of course I had to have a yellow shadow. With Coppering, I didn't think I would like it since I don't really like orange, but honestly, it is such a gorgeous color. I bought it after seeing MakeupGeek's Christina Aguilera look, and it creates a very beautiful smokey eye especially in the fall. All of these colors are gorgeous in this drawer, and it depends on what colors you like to wear as to which one you should get, but I would definitely suggest either Steamy or Aquadisiac since they seem to be so versatile.

Drawer Five: Browns

Upper right corner, going down:

• Satin Taupe-Taupe with silver shimmer (frost)
• Mulch-Red-brown with bronze pearl (velvet)
• Antiqued-Ash brown with bronze (veluxe pearl)

Second column from right:

• Bronze-Gold brown with gold bronze shimmer (frost)
• Texture-Peachy-brown with light shimmer (velvet)
• Embark-Intense reddish brown (matte)

Third column from right:

• Swiss Chocolate-Muted reddish brown (matte)

Fourth column from right:

• Soft Brown-Soft golden peachy brown (matte)
• Signed Sealed
• Brun-Muted blackish brown (satin)

Browns are another color group that I like. It seems like I'll either to a fun purple look, or a more neutral look with browns. I'll be honest, I haven't used all of these shades yet, but I feel like that are all different, and I look forward to playing with them all. I do have 3 top favorites in the brown family though: Antiqued, Swiss Chocolate, and Soft Brown. If you've read previous posts, then you know one of my favorite neutral eye looks include Antiqued, since I've gotten it, I've used it several times a week with All that Glitters. Swiss Chocolate is a gorgeous mid-brown, and I know it sounds weird, but if you pair it with a bright purple, it looks amazing! Soft Brown will be your best friend if you get it, haha. I picked it up after seeing Tiffany (MakeupByTiffanyD) use it in like ALL of her videos to help blend your lid color and create a shadow on your brow bone, and let me tell you, that trick works! It just seems to finish the look. So, as far as definite buys, I would suggest Soft Brown (or a color just like a shade darker than your skin tone) and Antiqued.

Drawer Six: Pinks

Upper right corner, going down:

• Angelcake
• Girlie-Rosy pink with subtle shimmer (satin)

Second column from right:

• Swish-Bright pink with icy shimmer (frost)
• Passionate-Real mid-tone red (matte)

Third column from right:

• Post Haste
• Sweet Lust-Pinky rose (lustre)

Fourth column from right:

• Cranberry (in white pot)-Red-plum with pink shimmer (frost)
• Sushi Flower-Pinky coral with pink shimmer (satin)

I have to admit, I don't use too many pinks, but I wanted to have a few to use, especially in the summer when I get more color. I think I have done well in picking very different pinks, except for Post Haste. I wanted this color so badly, but after buying it, I really think it is too similar to Passionate. If I could have seen it before, I don't think I would have bought it. Angelacke and Girlie are two that I haven't even used yet, so I'm not sure about them either. From this color group there are two pinks I really like: Passionate and Cranberry. Although it is described as a red, Passionate is a very gorgeous hot pink color. Cranberry is a pretty deep wine color that I like to use to create a different kind of smokey eye.

~*~*~*~

So, that's all my eyeshadows! In conclusion, I would like to tell those of you that want to start your MAC collection, to make sure you spend the money on colors you know you'll use a lot, like a good highlighter (Dazzlelight or Vanilla), a black that can double as liner or outer crease color (Carbon), 2 more neutral colors that you'll be able to use everyday (Antiqued and All that Glitters), as well as one WOW color that you can put on when you're feeling adventurous or when you need a pick up (like a purple, green, blue, or pink).

You may also wander why I haven't depotted any of my shadows. I just think it would be a long, hard process, as well as, when I see people's palettes they look dirty for some reason to me, where the shadow has gotten everywhere. Also, I think leaving them in their pots makes it easier to throw in your makeup bag when travelling, so you don't have to take like 6 palettes.

I know this post has been FOREVER long, but hopefully it was helpful. Next, I'll do my pigments or brushes, not sure yet. =)

LATER!

TARYN

Some Pictures...

I've been thinking I've needed to put up some pictures of things I've been talking about, so I took a couple tonight. More to come =)

So here are the drawers from Walmart I was talking about. They come in 3 or 5 drawers and range from $4-$7. I even stack them on top of each other so I can store more without taking up more counter space. Since I don't depot my MAC e/s, I have them put into drawers based on the color group. I love these things, haha!

Here are a couple pictures of the samples I got from the Best Bath Store, too. The jars are about as big as a quarter, and are completely full (except for the Intensive Eye Cream, so be warned!)!

This is a picture of the empty jars you can get at Walmart 2 for 97 cents. They are great to put anything in and they are slightly bigger in diameter than a quarter. They come in pink, yellow, and purple (as shown).

This is a picture of some more storage containers I got at Walmart. They have these long ones as well as ones that are bigger in width all 3 for $1. They work great in your drawers to keep things organized.

Above is my favorite brush I've gotten from Coastal Scents. It's short, but still slightly pointed so it's perfect for my crease! I use it all the time. I believe it is the one they say is comparable to MAC's 226. I don't own that brush yet so I can't say if it does, but it is a great brush for those of us on a budget!

These are pictures of paint pot samples I've got from All Beauty. As you can tell the samples are about the size or a quarter, and have a lot in them (But they are NOT completely full)! I've used this one like about three times and there is still a lot in there!! I apply it with a brush and just make sure there is a nice even, thin coat all over my lid. I think having these samples are a great way to see which ones you want to own as well as not wasting a lot of money on things you might only use every once in a while.

Well, that's all my pictures for now. I hope this was somewhat helpful...More to come of course! Including more reviews and hopefully my haul from CCO this weekend!!

Later Gators!

TARYN

Another Haul...

Okay, so today in the mail I received a few more things. I had placed an order with Coastal Scents and Best Bath Store, so I wanted to share what I had purchased.

First, from Coastal Scents (CS). CS was having a sale on their gel liners: buy 3 get one free, so I HAD to order some since I think they are such good bases! I also ordered 2 brushes, since I love their brushes so much and they're so cheap!

1. Shade and Sahdow Brush-This is one of their new brushes that they are only going to have for a short time. To be honest, it's really small, but I think it still might be good to use to pack on color on the lid or even use as a highlight, I'll have to use it though to really know if it's good.

2. Sable Contour Brush-I was really excited to get this one, because I thought I could use it my crease. However, it's kinda short to do that, but I'll still try it out. They were out of the brush I really wanted for the crease, but oh well, it's nice to try new things.

3. Deep Plum Gel liner-This is a gorgeous deep purple color. Like I said, I really like to use these gel liners as a base, but in this case it might look good as a liner, too!

4. Sexy Pink Gel liner-To be honest, I don't really know why I chose this one, but I thought I MIGHT wear a pink look, so I might need it, haha.

5. Silk White Gel liner-I know some people might think I'm crazy for getting a white one, BUT it's nice to have a white base to help brighten your eye lid especially for brighter colors in the summer and spring. I have a NYX jumbo pencil in milk, but I thought I might like using the gel liner better.

6. Truffle Gel Liner-This a nice brown liner. Like the deep plum, I thought this would be nice to use as a base or liner, and I didn't have a good brown liner as of yet.

The order I placed with Best Bath Store was for all samples. I got to pick out 5 samples for free and only had to pay the shipping which was $7. I know that might seem like a lot, but these samples are actually really good sized!! They also included a 15% off coupon on my next order from them.

So, I had heard about this place through AllthatGlitters21, and when she said you could get free samples I knew I had to try it. Here are the samples I got:

1. Acne Treatment Gel-I used this tonight for the first time, so of course I can't give a good review on it just yet, but I will say it does stink. HOWEVER, if it works, I'll look past the smell =). I have a few breakouts right now, since it is almost "that time", so we'll see if it helps clear it up at all.

2. Dead Sea Foot Scrub-I am always looking for really good foot products that will make my feet smooth and pretty, especially since it's flip flop season. I'll have to use it maybe this upcoming week and report back on it if does anything.

3. Pore Refining Facial Toner-Once again, this product kind of stinks-think old man cologne, haha. However, like with the gel, if it works and makes my skin look good, I can overlook the smell.

4. Dead Sea Facial Scrub-Elle (Allthatglitters21) had said something about this one, so I thought I wouldtry it. I'll try to use it this week, too. Elle said the smell wasn't too bad on this one, so I'll have to see.

5. Acne Facial Bar-This one doesn't stink as bad as the toner, but it does have an odd smell. Hopefully it'll work though. =)

So there is all of what I got in the mail today. I'll try to keep up on the reviews for my new products and we'll see how good everything is =). Now it's off to work on school stuff...yeah.

Later =)

TARYN

Randomness about things I've discovered =)

Okay, so recently I've realized I have actually had a couple people read my blog. I've also decided that I have found out some tips and stuff that I should pass along...especially to those that are as into make-up as me =)

1. They sell these little empty containers at Walmart, 2 for like 97 cents! I use these for EVERYTHING! I put moisturizer in them, foundation, my UDPP after I de-bottled it, they are great! And the best thing is that they come in cute colors like yellow (my fav), pink, blue, etc. You can find them in the beauty side near the travel stuff.

2. This is one I'm sure EVERYONE knows about, but I just found it...specktra.net. This website is great! What I love is how they tell you about all the upcoming collections! They don't have swatches it seems, but they give a description. You can go under the collection tab or under forums. Forums is where they will tell collections like through the summer, it's a great thing for MAC lovers like me =).

3. For anyone who doesn't know about MAC pigment samples, it's a great way to get LE pigments or try ones before paying $20 for one!! I get mine from shopallbeauty.com and thebodyneeds2.com. Both are GREAT websites, but let me tell you about each one. All Beauty is great because they have different size pigments as well as other products like foundation, UDPP, TFSI, face products, etc. However, it may take up to a couple of weeks to get your order. The body needs is quicker shipping, but all they have is pigments and glitter. Also, the samples only come in one size, and with some you can only get one sample.

4. Ok, now for one post NOT so great...Spell Cosmetics. So, I've watched people on YouTube and they ALL talk up Spell, so I ordered some stuff. Two e/s and lip glosses, AND...they sucked. The eyeshadow were not very pigmented, and I really had to load a lot on my eyes. The lipglosses, I really liked one of the colors, but they dried out my lips, not very glossy in my opinion. So, I won't be ordering anymore from Spell. Too expensive for the crappy products I got!

5. On to a good website...coastalscents.com. This place rocks!!! I've ordered some of their brushes, AMAZING quality. I also got some of their gel liners which I love to use as colored bases. Needless to say I will order from them again, and in fact I have an order coming to me soon of more gel liners since they were on sale.

That's really all for now, I guess. I know I don't have too many people reading these, but I like writing anyway, it gives me a type of release, haha.

Later!

Taryn