FOTD: Neutral Smokey Eyes + Amethyst Lips

On the face:

~Ideal Flawless cream-to-powder foundation in Light Ivory
~Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencils in Light and Light/Medium
~Extra Lasting eyeshadow pencil in Shimmering Sand(as highlighter)
~Ideal Flawless translucent loose powder

On the eyes:

~eyeshadow primer in Light Beige
~True Color 8-in-1 eyeshadow palette in Not So Neutral
~matte beige through the crease, and along lower lash line
~dove grey across the lid
~matte plum-burgundy on outer third of lid, and outer third of lower lash line
~matte black on outer quarter of lid
~gold on inner corners
~kohl liner in True Black
~lash conditioner and primer
~Super Shock Max mascara in Black

On the cheeks:
~True Color eyeshadow quad in Mocha Latte(#2 & #4 blended together) for contour
~Glow Bronzer in Warm Glow
~Smooth Minerals blush in Blushing Mauve

On the lips:

True Color Matte lipstick in Matte Amethyst

New Avon True Color 8-in-1 Palettes! Swatch & Review

Avon recently launched 3 new 8-in-1 palettes in their True Color range. I picked up 2 of them, the neutral and the purpley palettes:-) All of the swatches below are over the Avon eyeshadow primer in Light beige.

This first one is the Not So Neutral palette:

Top Row: The first shadow is a matte vanilla. This one is a little powdery, but the pigmentation is pretty good. This will make a good base color all over the lid, and brow bone highlight shade. The second shade is a matte beige. Great pigmentation! This will make a good all over lid color, or crease/transition color. The third shade is a dove grey with a satin finish. There is a slight hint of warm golden-champagne sheen to this shadow that looks so much prettier on the lid than it does in the pan. The pigmentation of this is pretty good as well. The last color in the top row is a metallic light taupe. Again, pretty good pigmentation. This will make a really pretty all over the lid color as well. Bottom Row: The first color is a shimmery gold. I feel like the pigmentation of this shadow is just okay, and the application is a little patchy. It really has to be built up to get solid, even gold. The second shadow is a metallic bronze. This shadow has pretty good pigmentation and application. The third shadow is a matte plum-burgundy. This shadow has good pigmentation, and blends well. I was very happy to see this color in here instead of a dark brown. It keeps this palette from being your typical neutral palette! The last color in the palette is a matte black. When I initially swatched this without primer it was a soft black and not too intense. As soon as I put it over primer though, It was BLACK! A little goes a long way:-)

And here is the Plum Essentials palette:

Top Row: The first shadow is a vanilla with a satin finish. There are some really pretty lavender colored micro-fine shimmers throughout this shadow, but you really have to build the shadow up to get the full effect of them. The pigmentation of this shadow is just okay. The second shadow is a pale icy lavender with a shimmer finish. The pigmentation of this shadow is pretty light, but buildable. The third shadow is a soft golden-taupe with a metallic finish. Again, the pigmentation is a little lackluster. I can work with it, but it really needs a primer/base and needs to be built up. The last shadow in this row has the best pigmentation, but is the weirdest color? In the pan looks like a shimmery moss green. On the skin it is a deep muddy brown, with very fine brassy colored shimmer. Bottom Row: The first shadow is a matte pale pink. The pigmentation of this shadow is pretty good. The color is so light though that it hardly shows up on my skin. The second shade is a shimmery silver. The pigmentation is a lot like the gold from the Not so Neutral palette. A little patchy and needs to be built up. The third shadow is a matte rosey-taupe. This color was my favorite in the pan, unfortunately the pigmentation is so weak that I REALLY had to pack it on to get a ho-hum swatch. The last shadow is a pretty vibrant purple. In the right light you can see a hint of micro-fine blue-violet shimmers in this shadow, but they don't show up at all on the skin so I'm going to consider this a matte shadow. The pigmentation of this color is pretty good!

Overall, I definitely prefer the Not So Neutrals to the Plum Essentials palette. The pigmentation is pretty good across the board and there is a good mix of light, mid-tone, and dark shades, as well as mattes and shimmers. The Plum Essentials palette is really hit and miss. Some colors are good, while others require a lot of building and blending. There also isn't a great range of tones, all of the colors are either really pale or really dark. This one definitely lacks in mid-tones.

If you are wanting to try one of these palettes, I would say go with the Not So Neutral. You won't be disappointed!

FOTD: Blue-Green Smokey Eyes for Summer

Here's what I used~

On the face:
Graftobian HD creme foundations in Ingenue and Vixen(50/50 mix)
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer in Ivory
Avon Ideal Flawless concealer in Light/Medium
Nars light reflecting loose powder in Crystal

On the eyes:
Coastal Scents 252 eyeshadow palette
Avon Always On Point eyeliner in Black
Avon Super Shock Max mascara in Black

On the cheeks:
Sephora Micro Smooth bronzer in Spicy Heat
Avon Ideal Luminous blush in Classic Aura

On the lips:
Avon Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Tickled Pink

FOTD: Simple Sparkling Mauves

Products Used(all from Avon):
On the face:
Ideal Flawless tinted moisturizer in Light
Ideal Flawless CC color correcting pencils in Light and Light/Medium
Ideal Flawless loose powder in Translucent
Glow bronzer in Warm Glow

On the eyes:
Extra Lasting eyeshadow pencil in Amethyst
True Color eyeshadow quad in Barely There(shade #3)
True Color eyeshadow quad in Romantic Mauves(shades 1, 3, and 4)
Eye Dimensions eyeshadow in Sweetheart Plum(the middle shade)
Ultra Luxury eyeliner in Dark Brown
Super Shock Max mascara in Black

On the cheeks:
Glow bronzer in Warm Glow
Smooth Minerals blush in Copper Glow

On the lips:
Glimmersticks lip liner in Simply Spice
Ultra Color lipstick in Apricot Spice
Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Crystal Lilac

FOTD: Blue Lashes + Coral Lips

On the face:
~Avon Ideal Flawless tinted moisturizer in Light
~Avon Ideal Flawless CC color corrector pencils in Light and Light/Medium
~Avon Ideal Flawless translucent loose powder

On the eyes:
~Avon Extra Lasting eyeshadow ink in Endless Purple
~Avon True Color eyeshadow quad in Purple Pop
~mark. No Place to Run eyeliner in Ultra Violet
~Avon Super Shock Brights mascara in Royal Shock

On the cheeks:
~Avon Glow bronzer in Warm Glow
~Avon Ideal Luminous blush in Antique Rose

On the lips:
~mark. All Butter Now lip treat in Coraltini

Swatch and Review: New Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quads

Recently, Avon launched four new True Color eyeshadow quads. All four quads are neutral and beautiful, and designed to be the perfect nude palettes for various skin tones. I will say right off the top that I am loving all of these new quads, and I really love that Avon has incorporated some color in with the neutrals as well!

The first quad is Naked Truth. This is the palest of the new quads and designed for light skin tones. Color #1 is Shimmering Beige and is a shimmering cream color with really good pigmentation. This color makes a really brow bone and inner corner color. Color #2 is Peach Sparkle, which is a pale peach with a satin finish and not much sparkle. This color is the least pigmented of the quad, but it's still pretty decent. Depending on the look you're going for it could make a good lid color or a blending/transition color for the crease. Color #3 is Glimmering Sand. This shade is a warm shimmering beige with a tiny hint of micro-fine champagne glitters in it. I like to use this color all over the lid if I'm doing a quick neutral look, and in the crease as a transition color for smokey eyes. Color #4 is Coffee, and is a gorgeous medium neutral shimmering brown.

The next quad is Barely There. This one was designed for light/medium skin tones. Color #1 is Soft Vanilla, and is a matte vanilla shadow with really good pigmentation. This one makes is a nice brow bone highlight color. Color #2 is Rose. This a matte, neutral pink shade. I love this color in the crease as a transitional color. Color #3 is Satin Taupe, which is a neutral taupe with some shimmer to it. This is a great all over lid color. Color #4 is Cool Coccoa, and is a dark neutral brown with a satin finish. The pigmentation of all four shades in this palette is really good.

The next quad is Go Natural, and is designed for medium skin tones. Color #1 is Shimmering Beige. This is the same color as the lightest shadow in the Naked Truth quad. Color #2 is Shimmering Stone. This shadow is a warm shimmering brown with golden undertones to it. I feel like this shadow is the least pigmented in this quad, but it's easily built up. Color #3 is Radiant Orange. This is a vibrant reddish-orange with a hint of shimmer to it. Very pigmented! This is one of my favorite colors from all of these new quads. Color #4 is Burnt Brown, and is a matte deep brown with plum undertones.

The last quad is Grin and Bare It. This one is designed for deeper skin tones. Color #1 is Bronzed. This shade is a golden bronze with a metallic finish. REALLY pretty all over lid color! Color #2 is Burnished Copper. This is a medium reddish brown with a satin finish. Color #3 is Patina, which is kind of an antique brass with greenish undertones and golden shimmer to it. Color #4 is Sahara Sunset, a deep cool brown with a satin finish and fine golden glitters here and there. This color is the least pigmented from this palette. I feel like this palette as a whole is a tiny bit less pigmented than the other quads, but all of the colors are easy to build up and blend.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the new additions to the True Color quad range. Though they were designed with certain skin tones in mind I think that most people would be able to use all of the colors in some way. Definitely give these new shadows from Avon a try if you are looking for some new neutrals!

Swatch and Review: Avon Eye Dimensions Eyeshadow Pt.2!

So, I loved the first two Eye Dimensions palettes that I picked up so much that over the last month I have picked up the other four! Here they are:

*side note: all swatches are dry, over bare skin

Sultry Smoke is a great neutral trio for doing a shimmering smokey eye. The top shade is a metallic silvery white with very fine silver glitters throughout. This shadow is pretty well pigmented and blends very easily. The middle shade is a shimmery taupe with tons of fine silver glitter throughout. The pigmentation of this shade is very good, and it blends really well. The bottom shadow is a matte black. It does seem like there is a tiny bit of shimmer to it, but that blends out on the skin leaving a matte finish. The pigmentation is decent, and it builds up and blends very easily.

Neutral Haze is also a gorgeous neutral palette for anyone that loves their brown shadows. The top shade is the same as the top shade from the Sultry Smoke trio, that shimmering, sparkly, silvery white. The middle shade is a beautiful metallic soft mauve. Excellent pigmentation and blendability! The bottom shade is a deep shimmering chocolate brown with fine bronze glitters throughout. Again, excellent pigmentation and blendability.

Bronze Star is such a fun palette! The top shade is a shimmery soft golden yellow with tons of fine golden glitters throughout. The pigmentation of this one is a little light but it almost suits it to not be heavily pigmented, it gives it a slightly ethereal feel:-) It builds and blends well. The middle shade is a metallic golden fern green. Excellent pigmentation and blends well. The bottom shade is metallic golden bronze. Again, excellent pigmentation and blends really well.

Diamante Purple is the only one of these palettes that I was not terribly impressed with. The top shade was impossible for me to pick up accurately with my camera. In the palette it looks like a shimmery white base shadow with a ton of fine silver and holographic glitters in it(only the silver glitter would pick up with my camera, so you will just have to imagine the swatch above having twice as much shimmer!). The texture of the shadow is drier than the rest of the shadows from this collection, and somehow it actually applies transparent? It's hard to see in the pic above but virtually none of the white from the base shadow shows up, so you just end up with a lot of sparkle and no actual color. I think this shadow will work great as one of those new sparkle overlay/topcoat type shadows that I've been seeing popping up all over the place, but if you are looking for that white base to translate to the eye it's not going to happen. The middle shade is this amazing shimmery medium violet with a slight pink shift in the pan. Unfortunately, this shadow is a little on the dry side too. It does show up true to color on the skin, but you really have to build it up to get the intensity you see in the pan. The bottom is a deeper shimmering violet with tons of fine purple sparkle throughout. Again, a little on the dry side so it has to be blended and built up a bit to get that same pan intensity. Even though this is my least favorite of the six, I did get an idea while swatching this for an easy sparkly purple smokey eye tutorial. So keep an eye out for that!:-)

All in all, I really love the colors in these Eye Dimensions palettes. The metallic shades are a dream to work with, buttery smooth and great pigmentation!