The Birthday Palette: Lorac Pro

Hey pandas!
What? I'm back? You all thought I had fallen off the face of the planet now didn't you? Well...I sort of did. The last month has really been crazy. I am gearing up to take my first international trip next week, finishing grad school finals, working a ton to save for said trip, and enjoying festivities such as Easter and my birthday. I hope you all have been having a good last few weeks. I have missed you guys!
Speaking of my birthday, remember when I asked you guys for an opinion on a palette to get? Well, I finally made up my mind and it is Lorac Pro!

It was a tough decision and you guys gave me so many choices and good ones, at that! It came down to a few things--a mix of matte and shimmer and easy to travel with. 
I have had some time since my birthday to play with it and I am loving it so far! 

I love the thin, sleek look of the Lorac Pro Palette ($42), the fact that it comes with a small Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, and the range of neutral colors. The buttery soft feel of them, lack of fallout, and ease of blending make this my new favorite palette!

The left side of the palette has a range of sheerer creams, whites, beiges, taupes, and golds...as the names suggest.

Above is the matte top row from left to right. These are very light swatches (just one quick dip of my finger into the pan and then onto skin and no primer) so yes they are light, but I am fine with the opacity here.

Some shades really stand out, like the gold, and others make for great subtle highlighting and blending shades. The above photo is the shimmer (bottom) row on the left side of the palette.

To contrast the lighter half of the palette is a row of mattes and shimmers in darker colors, including a great brown and black that can be used in so many ways (liners, brows..)

The mattes are a bit patchy in swatching but blend just fine on my eye. I really, really love the espresso!

The shimmers in this section of the palette are so gorgeous! The garnet is definitely a favorite of mine to use in the crease!

I know this palette has been reviewed and loved by so many, but I wanted to show you guys my thoughts and swatches. I created a simple eye look from it below...

For this easy, literally one minute look, I patted Light Bronze all over my eyelid and blended Taupe into the crease. I highlighted with Cream.

Glad to be back you guys! If you have the Pro Palette, tell me your favorite combinations!