The Summer Palette That Will Only Set You Back A Fiver

 

Hey Pandas!

Before I get into this review, I want to thank you all for the birthday wishes and support while I was in NYC recently! I am thankful for all of the positivity that Pretty Panda brings into my life and am glad to still be writing on this blog!

Now, enough of the mushy stuff. I know a lot of brands are releasing their summer palettes and shades right now and trust me...I want them all! But until you can afford one of those high-end ones, if you are on a budget like myself, tide yourself over with this little gem from Essence Cosmetics.

Essence has a line of palettes called 'All About...' and they retail for $4.99.  The one I have is called 'All About Paradise' and I found it in a summery Essence display at Ulta. There was also one called 'All About Sunrise', which had some neutrals and a pretty yellow, but of course I had to go with this one for all of the colors!

There are 6 pans in each palette. The top row contains a shimmery cream color, an orange/peach, and a hot pink. The bottom row contains a slightly greenish yellow, a teal, and a shimmery navy.

These are swatches over a thin layer of primer. Realistically, I never go without eye primer, so this is the intensity that will show up on my lids. I think for the price the quality is there. I love all the shades and they are easy to work with except for the navy, which pulls patchy and is a bit dry. It takes a bit of work to get right, but it won't stop me from using it.

Above are light swatches of the navy, cream, and teal without primer. Pigmentation without primer is only okay, as you can see, but there is potential to create a wash/watercolor effect if you choose not to wear primer. But pandas, you should be wearing primer! (I have my eye on the new UD Enigma for my next one!).

Here is a quick look I created with the peach shade in my inner corner, yellow in the middle of the eye, and the hot pink in the crease and slight outer corner. I blended everything with the cream shade. Wear time was 9 hours no creasing with primer and they were easy to blend. I do recommend a sticky or white base or at least a primer and a dense brush to really get vibrant results. I got tons of compliments!

For five bucks, you can't go wrong with Essence. They aren't the best eyeshadow formula ever, but they blow the water out of the NYX square shadows and Revlon, for sure! If you don't want to make a spendy commitment to bright colors, this is for you!

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer

So...when I was on my Thanksgiving mini-vacay in Las Vegas, I ran into a slip-up make up wise. I had been using NYX's HD concealer, but the packaging malfunctioned and the cap detached from the handle and was literally stuck...so needless to say my concealer was gone.

Since I have been using a new Clinique foundation (review coming!), I decided to try a new concealer and stick with Clinique for my face.

 

In the amazing Sephora at the Venetian, I picked up Clinique's All ABout Eyes concealer in 01 Light Neutral to match my foundation. For $16.50, I was pleased.

 

I really like the squeeze tube. It gives just the right amount of product and is hygienic. I also like that I am getting a form of eye cream in my concealer.

 

This claims to be long-wearing and moisturizing. It also claims to not crease or settle into lines.

 

I was slightly disappointed to see that the matching concealer for my foundation had yellow undertones, even though it claims to be neutral. This is only relevant on my hand swatch, on my eyes it works just fine, light enough but not too light.

 

The formula is creamy and you need SO little (seriously, the amount on my hand is disgusting). It does not settle if you use very little and pat with your ring finger. It lasted about 10 hours on my eyes, concealed my dark circles fairly well (and mine are DARK), and felt good on my skin. Winner!

Final Thoughts: Save a step and avoid expensive eye creams. For girls in their 20's this is a good solution. But if you are lacking moisture, use an additional product.

Price:  8/10

Staying Power:10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 9/10

Quality/Branding: 10/10

 

Total: 47/50 = A = Pandamonium!

 

I love Clinique because their products are always fragrance free and ophthalmologist tested!

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer

So...when I was on my Thanksgiving mini-vacay in Las Vegas, I ran into a slip-up make up wise. I had been using NYX's HD concealer, but the packaging malfunctioned and the cap detached from the handle and was literally stuck...so needless to say my concealer was gone.

Since I have been using a new Clinique foundation (review coming!), I decided to try a new concealer and stick with Clinique for my face.

 

In the amazing Sephora at the Venetian, I picked up Clinique's All ABout Eyes concealer in 01 Light Neutral to match my foundation. For $16.50, I was pleased.

 

I really like the squeeze tube. It gives just the right amount of product and is hygienic. I also like that I am getting a form of eye cream in my concealer.

 

This claims to be long-wearing and moisturizing. It also claims to not crease or settle into lines.

 

I was slightly disappointed to see that the matching concealer for my foundation had yellow undertones, even though it claims to be neutral. This is only relevant on my hand swatch, on my eyes it works just fine, light enough but not too light.

 

The formula is creamy and you need SO little (seriously, the amount on my hand is disgusting). It does not settle if you use very little and pat with your ring finger. It lasted about 10 hours on my eyes, concealed my dark circles fairly well (and mine are DARK), and felt good on my skin. Winner!

Final Thoughts: Save a step and avoid expensive eye creams. For girls in their 20's this is a good solution. But if you are lacking moisture, use an additional product.

Price:  8/10

Staying Power:10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 9/10

Quality/Branding: 10/10

 

Total: 47/50 = A = Pandamonium!

 

I love Clinique because their products are always fragrance free and ophthalmologist tested!

 

xoxo PrettyPanda