Lorac Alter Ego Heartbreaker Palette

 

You can be pretty in pink (and blues) this summer with the Lorac Alter Ego HeartBreaker palette ($24). This is a Ulta exclusive, which I know many of you don't have Ulta's close, but there is one called Dreamgirl on the Lorac site which looks amazing as well. These palettes correspond the the Alter Ego lipsticks and glosses (the latter of which are brand new!). 

Okay, so I will admit, a large factor in why I purchased this palette is because it is neon pink. The casing is a bit rubberized (think NARS packaging) so it will collect fingerprints, but the inside is a chic pink plastic with a mirror and ten gorgeous shadows.

None of the shadows have names, but they are sectioned into 'looks', which I feel are warm (on the left) and cool (on the right), although I think they are fine for any skin tone to wear. The size of the pans are generous, especially for the highlighting shades.

The warm side includes a satin matte medium brown, a satin matte shell pink, a shimmery berry, a shimmery reddish brown, and a true matte cream.

All swatched with Lorac primer. I felt they were creamy and easy to work with. Some fallout with the shell pink, but nothing crazy. They blend very well and are of better quality than I expected for the price. Almost akin to the pro palettes, but maybe a touch less pigmented.

The cool side isn't a completely cool look, especially when you add in the shimmery brown. It includes a shimmery royal blue, a shimmery silver, a satin matte light blue, a nearly metallic golden dark brown, and a shimmery white.

 

This side of the palette was more impressive with pigmentation. These aren't the most unique colors and you may already have dupes in your stash, but I think the size and price make it a great travel palette. I was absolutely drawn to the blue and I am glad it performed well!

Here is a very quick daytime eye look I did with the warm side of the palette. The shell pink and berry are blended on the lid to make a coral and the light brown is in the crease.

Here is a mix of the silver and the baby blue from the cool side of the palette! So easy to blend! I felt like an 80's Barbie and I loved it!

What do you think of this palette? I think it has a good mix of neutrals and pops of color!

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette: Swatches, Review, and Looks

Hey Pandas!   I finally caved and bought something I have been eying since the press releases. I have a thing for snakes. I really like what they stand for in regards to change and rebirth...and I think of myself as a Slytherin at heart, so naturally the packaging alone intrigued me.

The palette is circular and made to look like wood with a gold, curled-up snake embossed on the top with a purple jewel. The embossed snake was already slightly scratched, which dissapointed me, but all of the ones in store (I bought this at Ulta) were slightly scratched in some way.

The box itself is rather pretty and embossed with a snakeskin pattern. The palette retails for $38 and comes with a blush, bronzer, highlighter, and six eyeshadows, all in Tarte's signature colored clay formula.

 There is a large mirror, bit it has a bit of trouble staying up at some angles by itself, but that isn't a big issue for me. Overall, the packaging is sturdy.

This palette is purples, plums, golds, and browns, making it a great fall palette. For swatches, keep reading!