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!

Lorac Pro Brow Pencil in Light Brown: Not The End All Be All

Brows drive me crazy. I admit to being a bit of a novice at lining them/filling them/whatever.   I have tried Anastasia Brow Wiz and loved it, but I hated how fast it ran out and that the pencil sometimes broke. I currently use Anastasia Dip Brow and Benefit Gimme Brow.   However, I was intrigued by the new Lorac Pro Brow Pencil ($19).  

 At $2 less than the Anastasia version, I was really excited for this pencil.

 

One end is the pencil and the other end is a spoolie with a cap, which I also really loved as a feature. This comes in a range of colors: Blonde, Light Brown, Auburn, Brunette, Slate, and Dark Brown.

 This is a twist up pen and it twists very slowly, which I assume is to save product from being wasted. I chose the color Light Brown.

Because of the thin nature of the pen, you can make really precise hair-like strokes, but if you press even a bit too hard, product flakes off and makes little bumps (as you can see above)

Here is what Light Brown looks like on my eyebrows. I like the precision, but I hate the coloring for me. I am growing out my red now and most of my hair is light brown/blonde with some dark red at the ends but it is so unnoticeable. If I were still a red-head, this would be a great color, but it just doesn't work. Okay, I thought, maybe just try the blonde!

But here is why I do not like this product and won't be trying any other colors: Just pressing lightly to fill in one brow broke off a chunk of the product. I can't waste product like that for that much money, so this is going back. That was my same gripe with the Brow Wiz, but even that didn't break as easily.

Sorry Lorac Pro Brow Pencil, you weren't the one.

What are you using on your brows right now?

 

   

Lorac Alter Ego Lipsticks in Duchess, Show Girl, and Girl Next Door: Swatches and Review

I went a bit crazy for Lorac's new collection of Alter Ego lipsticks, which are their line of opaque matte lipsticks with ingredients like Acai Berry, Pomegranate extract, and Vitamins C & E. 

Three colors have found their way into my lipstick stash: Duchess, Show Girl, and Girl Next Door ($16 each). 

I swatched almost all of them at my Ulta and could have walked away with many, many more, but tried to pick some colors that I do not have many dupes for (basically forcing myself away from the gorgeous red). I ended up with a nude, a hot coral pink, and a light pink, all with names that made me smile and giggle. I love the idea of wearing a shade for what you want to embody for the day. So fun!

I like that the color is visible through the tube so there is no guesswork when you are looking through your purse or makeup bag and there is a subtle vanilla scent to all of these which I really enjoy. Almost MAC-like in nature.

These are very pigmented and opaque in one swipe of the tube, whether against skin (as shown here) or lips, and they will mask your natural lip color well. I have pigmented lips, so I found this a great benefit. These are not complete mattes (although stated to be). They are about 95% matte, but have a bit of creaminess to them. I would say MAC mattes are the most matte, and these fall right after. You do need to prep lips well before use (I did not and it is pitifully evident in the swatch photos below. Sorry!).

Duchess is a rosy nude with opaque coverage and a very creamy texture. It wore well for 4 hours but was completely gone shortly after. This emphasizes lip lines and any dryness, but not so much if you prep well and use over a balm, but really is easy to apply and an easy color to wear. I love this nude on my skin tone.

Show Girl is a bit more forgiving and wears slightly longer at 6 hours (fading nicely). It is a lovely watermelon shade that is punchy and perfect for summer. I think this is my favorite of the bunch!

Girl Next Door emphasized dryness the most and was the most matte on my lips. The Lorac website describes this as a coral, but it is a light pink with some nude and possibly coral undertones but it is not a true coral. This is a pretty shade, but the hardest to apply; I found it less creamy than the others.

Overall, I really love the wear time and feel of these on my lips. They are comfortable and have such a rich feel. I will definitely only be wearing them on days I have time to prep my lips well though! Even though they may look dry, they do not feel so on the lips, which I am thankful for!

Have you tried any of the Lorac Alter Ego lipsticks? What is your alter ego if you could describe it in one word??!!

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!

The Fair Foundation Files: Lorac Natural Performance Foundation in NP 1 Porcelain

Welcome to another installment of the 'Fair Foundation Files'.
I have been testing Lorac's Natural Performance Foundation in the lightest shade, NP 1 Porcelain. 

So, what does this contender have going for it?

• $36 for 6ml
• Fragrance Free/Oil Free/Paraben Free
• Premiere Olive Leaf Extract, Vitamin A, and Xyleine (An ingredient that includes active papaya and lemon extracts).
• Skin-like finish
• Great for sensitive skin
• Travel friendly pump, more on this later
• Medium-full buildable coverage

I was first drawn to this foundation because it had a neutral porcelain shade, which I needed. I also liked that it was fragrance free (and really is).

Let's talk about this pump. I normally am a little wary of pumps because they can break, dispense too much product, or just generally be annoying. This pump? Perfection. One pump dispenses what you see on my hand. I use about two and a half of these for almost full coverage, but really, it is a small amount. I like how it pumps out less and you can build instead of the opposite where you waste.

The other awesome this is that one twist to the right pops up the pump. One twist left sinks the pump back down into the cap creating a leak-free, travel friendly foundation. Awesome!

This is that pump above spread out lightly so you can get a feel for the consistency. It is light but creamy and very, very pale.

And here is that same amount blended in. My skin but better and slightly luminous. I would actually call this a demi-matte, as that is how it appears on my face.

Ready for the full-face swatch?

No other makeup besides the Lorac Natural Performance Foundation. Oh, and the debut of my new hair (although I didn't blow-dry it or anything today...those pictures will come later!)

I love how fresh and like skin this looks, and it matches my coloring perfectly!

How I apply:

• Fingers! These are your best bet. I just find that the texture, which is almost tinted moisturizer like, but obviously heavier coverage, just works well and smooths onto my skin easily with the heat of my fingers.
• Sponge (BB/Real Technique blender etc): Does an okay job, but sheers it out too much for my liking.
• Foundation brush (flat or round): Don't waste your time with this method. Pretty ineffective.

So, what's the verdict then?

Likes:

• Feels great/weightless on my skin.
• Does not oxidize on me, and keeps my oil relatively at bay.
• Looks like the texture of my skin.
• Wear time is all day (15+) hours with a primer...but still good wear (6/7 hours looking great) without.
• Great color match.
• Travels well!

Dislikes:

• Not the easiest to apply, mostly because I hate using my fingers.

Overall: This gives me stunning skin as long as I put in the effort. My sensitive skin does not flare up and I don't have to worry about itching or it feeling heavy. This has been a staple in my routine and will continue to be!

Will you be checking out Lorac Natural Performance Foundation?