Almay Intense i-Color: 401 Smoky-i for Browns

AKA: my favorite eyeshadow trio EVARR

Description: 

Almay Intense i-Color Eyeshadow in 401 Smoky-i for Browns

Retails: $4.99 at Target, $6.57 at Amazon, $7.79 at CVS for 0.12 oz 

Left: satin, bronze/medium brown, warm/neutral

Middle: light lavender/purple with silver shimmer, cool/neutral 

Right: shimmer, champagne with gold shimmer, warm/neutral

Packaging: Clear plastic top with white base, snap closure, includes two sponge-tip applicators (not pictured because I lost them, oops). There's also a step-by-step tutorial on the back for an eye look (bronze shade all over lid, light purple shade in the crease, champagne shade on the brow bone). 

Quality: Although these aren't the most pigmented eyeshadows at the drugstore (the prize for that goes to Wet n Wild trios), they are definitely not the worst either. The bronze shade has the strongest pigmentation and is very smooth, the light purple and the champagne shade has a bit of glitter fall-out but it's not extreme. The champagne shade has the least pigmentation (it's mostly glitter) but it makes for a decent highlight. The light purple shade is fairly pigmented and has a gorgeous sheen to it. I also find that these shadows blend nicely and last very well on my lids with and without primer. Swatches are done with my phalanges, no primer. 

Thoughts: I love love love this eyeshadow trio! When I first swatched this I was put off by all that glitter in the top two shades, but when I wore it for the first time it. was. amazing. The bronze shade is the most perfect warm-but-not-too-warm bronze and the light purple shade is one of those Jekyll-and-Hyde shades; in some angles it's a pinky-purple, and in others it leans more blue-purple with a silver sheen. All three shades go beautifully together and make the trio extremely versatile. You can go fairly neutral with just the champagne and bronze shade or pair the light purple and bronze for a more glam look. The bronze shade can be used with a light hand or built up for a soft smoked-out eye, talk about MVP. The only qualm I have with this is that the eyeshadow pans taper at the end and make it kind of difficult to pick up eyeshadow. 

I really can't stop using this trio because it's just so easy and it looks good no matter what. I highly recommend it especially if there is some sort of deal going on. I think I basically paid 50 cents for mine at CVS using coupons and CVS extrabucks. 

P.S. Should I do some tutorials with this? I'm no makeup expert so it can be really beautiful or it can be a disaster...

LORAC The Skinny Palette in Nude (Limited Edition)

Description:

LORAC The Skinny Eyeshadow Palette in "Nude"

Fall 2014, Limited Edition

7 eye shadows (3 matte, 4 shimmer) 

Retails: $15 for 0.45 oz

Get it here

1. matte, off-white, cool

2. metallic, gold, warm 

3. matte, light brown, warm

4. matte medium brown, warm

5. metallic, orange copper, warm

6. shimmery/satin, brown/light olive, cool

7. matte dark brown with red/pink shimmers, cool

Packaging: Light yellow with a sheen, cardboard with a reptilian texture and magnetic closure, large mirror with LORAC printed on the top (the larger LORAC text in the picture is just apart of a clear cover sheet that you can discard). The palette is slim and about 2/3rds the width of a LORAC Pro palette.  

Quality: The shadows are very pigmented and smooth, although not as buttery soft (or as powdery) as the shadows in the LORAC Pro (which I kind of prefer). The most pigmented are the metallics (shades 2 & 5) and least are the mattes (1, 3, & 4) but even then they are stellar quality and blend nicely. Swatches above are done with my phalanges, no primer. 

Thoughts: This palette is perfect for the gold/copper/bronze goddess type of looks. Even though these shades are pretty standard and easily dupe-able, having them all together in one slim pretty package well makes up for the lack of creativity. I was disappointed that it doesn't include a shimmery champagne highlight and shades 6 and 7 aren't as green or purple as I had hoped (they are actually just different hues of brown). However, for only $15 for 0.45 oz it is a major steal considering the LORAC Pro palette retails for $42 with only 0.32 oz. LORAC even labels it as a "Value of $133" (but let's be real, they can say whatever they want, we will never know the true production cost). Lastly, this palette is limited edition (sadface) and is currently sold out on the LORAC website (even sadder face). But if you have to have it, you can snag one on eBay for ~$30, which is still a good deal in my opinion. 

P.S: I really wanted the Plum version of this palette (just look at it!!) but I can't find it anywhere :( I know it was supposed to be a Hautelook/Nordstromrack exclusive released in July (yes a Fall 2014 collection in July, what is summer) but I can't even find swatches of it. Does it even exist??