Christmas Haul 2020

This year, with a baby on the way, I knew I wanted to add some key items to my Christmas list as I probably won’t be buying a ton in the new year. As you may know, I am a huge fan of ColourPop and there are some newer releases that I have not picked up. I do collect the 9-pan plastic palettes but besides that, I tend to save other releases for birthday and holiday wishlists.

This year, I was lucky enough to receive four palettes and a Sephora gift card. I don’t know what I am going to use the gift card for yet but I am thinking of saving it for a sale as I have a knack for not realizing that there is a sale coming up and buying things about a week or two before the sale and then I regret not waiting.

The first ColourPop palette that I got was a bit of an older one. I am so excited to say that I have added the So Jaded palette to my collection! This is the first of their 30-pan palettes that was released in collaboration with the wonderful Kathleen Lights. This is a beautiful jewel-toned rainbow palette and while it does have two pressed glitters (which aren’t my favorites), as a whole, it is just stunning and I am looking forward to testing it out and creating some beautiful looks with it.

Next was the Stone Cold Fox palette. This is a bit more recent of a release but also a 30-pan palette. I am not normally a huge fan of larger palettes but this and the above mentioned palette are both ones I am willing to make exceptions for. This one is a beautiful range of cool tones, which I prefer when it comes to neutrals. This is a stunning palette and I also am very excited to create some cool looks with this beauty! I also plan on using this as a companion palette. That may seem weird, but personally I find that larger palettes are harder to use primarily because I run into choice paralysis. However, when I use a larger palette in conjunction with another, much smaller palette, it can change a typical look into something unique and it makes it much easier because I am only initially looking for a shade or two.

The next palette that I got was the At Forest Sight. This is another ColourPop collaboration, this time with RawBeautyKristi. This stunning palette is so unique in my collection! It is so grungy and sultry but still a rainbow palette and I have just never seen a palette like this one. I will be honest, this is going to push me out of my comfort zone but I am really looking forward to using it and creating some looks that I can’t do with any other palette.

Lastly, I was surprised with a palette that I did not add to my wishlist but upon receiving it, I might be most excited about this one and that is the Nude Mood. I think I am most excited about this one because it is a 9-pan palette, which is my preferred size, but also it is full of neutral shades (which is not more normal interests) that are just stunning! It’s perfect for an everyday look, a one and done look, or even a sexy cat eye look. It’s one of those palettes that is great to use when practicing new techniques because no matter what, all of the shades meld together great and it is very hard to create a look with this palette that doesn’t look good.

If you celebrate a holiday during this time, then I hope you had or will have a wonderful celebration! If you received or picked anything up, I would love to know what your got and what you are looking forward to playing with. Drop a comment down below and let me know if there is anything I need to add to my wishlist!

Meet My Stash: Revolution x Soph Palette

Today, we are going to be talking about my most used eyeshadow palette, the Revolution x Soph eyeshadow palette. As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of this palette. This palette was so popular at the time of its release, Revolution and Soph created a second palette but that’s for another day. Today we are talking about the original collaboration.

This palette has a wide variety of shades ranging from neutral to colorful. With 24 pans, there are colors to create the perfect everyday look or spice it up with some depth or even color. While this is by no means a rainbow or overly colorful palette, for a color lover, like myself, there are some great shades that help to add the desired pop of color but still be wearable. This palette has another pro in that it includes a white and a black. As most makeup lovers like to comment on, with those two colors in the palette, the possible looks you can create are endless.

The formula in this palette is one of my favorites. It’s forgiving, allowing new makeup users the flexibility to practice their blending. While these eyeshadows are on the buildable side, they never seem to look patchy on the eye.

Honestly, Revolution as a brand can be a bit hit or miss with their eyeshadow formula, but you won’t regret this purchase. This palette is the one I reach for time and time again. I love all the looks I create with this palette and it’s the one I will continue to use, knowing it won’t fail me.

Haul Update: Natasha Denona Mini Palettes

Today, we are coming back to my haul that I did back in March. At the time, I picked up three mini Natasha Denona palettes: the Mini Star Palette, the Mini Tropic Palette, and the Mini Lila Palette. Each retails for $25 and can be found on the Sephora site or Natasha Denona’s site (with the exception of the Mini Lila Palette which has been discontinued).

To start with, my least favorite of the three was the Mini Star Palette. While the palette is beautiful and performs very well, the colors that come in this five pan palette do not lend themselves to a variety of different looks. The pigmentation of the shadows is impressive, but I have a hard time feeling as inspired by these colors as I hoped to. This palette is great for an on the go, everyday look or to vamp up a day time look for a date night. As I did still enjoy this palette, I would recommend it to people who enjoy doing the same look everyday and enjoy neutral looks, or if this color scheme inspires you.

My second place palette is the Mini Lila Palette (discontinued). As a color lover, this purple palette called my name. For the most part, the shadows in this palette perform beautifully. As you will see in the swatch pictures, one of the shadows can be a little patchy and this was the case on the eye as well. The solution to this problem is to pack that shadow on. The other shades were buttery and blended beautifully in the eyes. This palette does have a bit more range in the looks that can be made with it, but it’s still only five shadows and mostly purple. I was not disappointed by this palette and feel that unlike others opinions, I didn’t struggle with this palette.

My top mini palette pick actually surprised me. It’s the Mini Tropic Palette, which when you first look at it, seems like a palette full of shades that might look nice together but what will you use as a transition? This palette doesn’t actually need a transition shade from my experience. The colors blend so smoothly together and with good blending, you can create a transition shade out of any of the matte shades in the palette. The palette has been the easiest to work with and I’ve created some of my favorite looks with this palette. I highly recommend this palette!

e.l.f. Bite Size Quad in Pumpkin Pie

Coming in at 5th place is the quad in Pumpkin Pie. The formula in this quad is still amazing, like the other bite-sized quads! The shadows wear for a long time on the eyes and blend beautifully. This quad has two matte shades, a shimmer shade and a foil shade. This warm-toned quad is in varying shades of browns and coppers. The two matte shades are a warm-toned brown, and a neutral brown. The shimmer is a copper and the foil shade is also a variant of the copper color.

While I love this palette for a known look, this palette comes in at 5th place because there is not enough variation in the shades for me. You can get multiple looks out of this quad, but they will all mostly look very similar on the eye. The foil is a slightly more metallic look than the shimmer but on the eye, they look nearly identical. The two matte browns are different which will allow you to have a fully warm-toned eye or a more neutral eye but again, both looks are very similar. There is no deepening shade in this palette and no means of doing a liner. If these are your colors, then this palette is going to be great for you.

My go-to look with this palette is a brown in the crease (either one), and the foil on the lid. I then take the shimmer on the lower lash line. I do really enjoy this palette because I know exactly the kind of look I am going to have and that makes it an easy pick for everyday.

Check out my previously ranked quad here!