Tartan Tale Update

Update! I was going to wait a couple more days to see if any more information was going to come in but I figured everyone would probably appreciate the information sooner rather than later. As you can see above, we've finally got a model picture for the collection and isn't she stunning?! I love her porcelain skin and flushed cheeks! I've got her make-up look breakdown for you so if you're interested you can wear it too.

• Black Mascara (Most likely Zoomlash)
• Neutral matte eyeshadow, one that matches your skin, or one a half shade darker- it shouldn't be noticable. I personally like Revlon Vintage Lace, Wet n' Wild Brule and Stila has a bunch of great matte skintone shades
• Golden Bronzer (applied first)
• Her Blooming Cheek Mac Blush (applied on top of the bronzer) (See last Tartan Tale post for other Mac blushes that are close to this shade you could easily switch and use instead)
• Lips are the most complicated of her look. She's wearing Beet lip liner, Full Fuschia Amplified Cream lipstick, and Soft Dazzle Dazzleglass Cream lip gloss (most likely on the centre of the lip only for highlight)

I love this shot, just because you can finally get an idea of what the colours actually are like! For example how dark of a taupe Style Clan nail polish is, and the wonder of the purple lippies! I tried to make this bigger but it's hard to manage without losing the quality of the image, sorry!

The Brush kits have been added, so if you want a brush set in a cute tartan bag for winter here are some interesting options (NOTE: All are animal hair brushes! Personally I only buy synthetic brushes, but these are part of the collection.)

All Kits are $49.50 USD (to see the shape of the brushes check out the Mac website, the numbers specify brush types and shapes)

Sweep Me Off My Feet:129SE
190SE
227SE
212SE
275SE

A Lady & Her Tricks:168SE
187SE
209SE
219SE
252SE

She's Got It All:194SE
204SE
224SE
266SE
275SE

Kids helping Kids Tags and Cards

A nice thing about Mac is they are pretty good at giving back, and this holiday season they're doing it again. They have a Viva Glam Tartan bag with Viva Glam V lipstick and lipgloss for $36 USD. The Viva Glam series goes to an AIDS foundation. They've also got Kids Helping Kids charity items, adorable tartan themed gift tags and cards. 6 cards and 12 tags are $8.00 USD. There is also Sir Teddy, an adorable tartan print teddy bear in two sizes (one of which has a key chain attachment). Large Sir Teddy is $15 USD and key chain Sir Teddy is $13 USD.

Sir Teddy Big and Small-> Source

The more I find out about this collection the more interested I get! Hopefully there will start being swatches next week, but I unfortunately can't promise anything, but stay tuned!

P.S. PLEASE vote in the poll in the bar on the right! I'm trying to improve this blog so it is more helpful to YOU and the more votes I get the easier a time I have on choosing which things I should focus on for posts. Also, if you want updates through either your facebook or google account become a follower. If there is an easier way you'd like updates, e-mail me and let me know and I'll add it. Have a great day!

Best Nail Polish Removal System

I know, I know, you're all looking at screen wondering if I'm crazy for putting a tub on here. You can't pour from a tub onto a pad easily, right? And you are correct, BUT this simple tub holds a wonder originally brought to us from the seas. Sponge.

The Life Brand (found in Shopper's Drug Marts here in Canada) has honestly gone up in respect for me by coming out with this product. It's simple, it generates less waste, it costs less overall and it makes removing all kinds of nail polish (even glitters!) a breeze. Here's how it works:

Above view of the screw top lid

1) Unscrew the easy open top and remove the plastic seal

2) Locate the centre opening in the nail-polish-remover-soaked sponge. It should be a cross or an x shape.

3) Place finger inside and gently rub back and forth against the sponge. The sponge will easily brush away the polish without the normal rubbing needed with a cotton pad.

4) Presto! Your done!

It takes a bit longer with glitter of course but it's still much faster than normal as the bubbles in the sponge often catch on the glitter particles and pull it off. You might get some sponge breakage from this but only small pieces usually.

All in all, ever since I discovered this, I'm never going back to removing my nail polish regularily on my fingers again. Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite the same with toes as toes are stubby and lack fine motor movements (i.e. your toe kicks out and the tub falls over spilling the polish remover inside- I haven't tried it but I can totally see myself doing this), thus making me use normal cotton pads soaked in remover for toe nail polish.

You will have to replace this every once in a while as the sponge will eventually start to disintegrate from the polish remover (and get quite grungy looking) but it will last you easily 6 months if when it becomes a little drier due to evaporation you add some more polish remover to the tub yourself. 

I got mine for under five Canadian dollars at my local Shopper's Drug Mart and this is my second tub. They come in four varieties: Apricot, Lemon, Regular, and Acetone-free. The one pictured is lemon, but I think I could stand the smell of Apricot a little more. They still smell strongly of nail-polish remover but  they have a slight fruit scent to slightly tone it down (or at least not demand total attention of your sense of smell at once!) If you think about it the pros out weigh the cons.

Pros:

• Less polish remover used as it's used again and again each time you remove polish in the tub. 
• The tub cuts down on evaporation of the remover you are using while attending to each nail
• No cotton pad waste
• About the cost of regular remover
• Quicker removal time

Cons:

• Sponge will disintegrate with use
• The sponge starts looking dirty quickly (its all the polish colours mixed together)
• Only available in Canada

Overall, I love these as it makes removal pretty much one-handed so I can type/scroll/click the remote with the other at the same time. If you get the chance I recommend giving one of these a try!

Rating: 9/10 Because the sponge does fall to pieces with time and use

Cargo Activating Primer- Review

I've got another primer review for you all from the hunt to find the perfect non-comedogenic primer for my skin. Introducing the Cargo blu_ray Activating Face Primer. 

This primer is fairly new on the market and retails for $32 CND (or $28 CND on theshoppingchannel.com, where I got it with free shipping. Yay free shipping!) Cargo claims that this primer helps with foundation application, blurs pores and imperfections and mattifies. It is oil, wax, talc, fragrance, paraben and silicone free and they also state that within 30 days it will reduce shine and refine pores too. They mention something about preventing pore calcification, but honestly since I've never even heard about calcification of pores before I can't judge on this factor.

In 30 days I'll be updating about how it worked on the longer term factors but onto the primers capabilities.

When I first got this I was surprised by how small it was. I've got small hands and as you can see it doesn't measure up to my hand in length (nor width either, it's only about two finger widths wide). Though it does hold a full ounce of product. The packaging looks nice and sleek with a shiny black squeeze tube that works wonderfully to dispense the exact amount of product you need. 

The product itself? It doesn't really mattify much. After a days wear I'm still just as oily at the end of the day, possibly even a bit oiler than normal. It also doesn't do much in the way of blurring imperfections and pores. Though it does sink into the skin well, and allows foundation to glide on like a dream, I don't see too much of a difference in the blurring of pores. It dries quickly and though I've applied multiple layers it doesn't seem to help too much. Though, because foundation goes on better, it looks smoother on which does help blur my pores a bit but I think that's more an asset of my foundation than the primer being unique in this aspect. Here's a before and after primer comparison.

Before Applying Cargo Activating Primer,

 After applying my Murad Acne treatment

After applying Cargo Activating Primer

As you can see my pores are still highly visible (especially scary up close like this!) and shine is maybe a little dampened (which may just be how the light hit my cheekbone at that moment). But it's better than nothing, and it really does help my foundation apply smoother as it's less likely to highlight drier spots and brush strokes. 

Here's another comparison on my hand before and after:

After

Before

I think the slight lines are a little more blurred here, but it's not enough to say a definite yes or no to- I may just be imagining it. Both sets of comparison shots were not touched up other than to make them a bit brighter and the lighting was the same (Or at least I tried to keep it the same natural light angle- the sun didn't exactly cooperate) for both before and after pictures. As you can see from the second picture the primer is a milky gel that goes transparent when spread out. 

I'll have an update in 30 days to see if the primer's other claims hold true. If it does that then the lack of blurring of pores and matting ability with the immediate application of the primer would be made up for. For now though if you only want a primer for it's help in foundation application and possible good skin effects this will work, but I don't recommend it. I think there are better primers out there, like the Nars Primer I reviewed before. Though this primer has no scent and the Nars one had a slight one, the Nars I thought blurred pores better and is a better value for money.

Overall Rating: 6/10 It does blur pores a very small amount and I've had no adverse reactions. It also allows foundation to apply particularly well but I'd like better oil control and more imperfection hiding capabilities.

EDIT: See the second half of this review HERE!

Sephora Promotions

Today is double ebates day at Sephora, meaning if you order you can get 10% back. There are also (as seen in the picture above) great gifts with purchase if you are a VIB and spend $50. These include a mini NARS lipgloss and Laguna Bronzer or, Too Faced Primer kit (Shadow Insurance, Primed and Poreless, Lip primer), Benefit kit (animal tested brand).

Codes at checkout
mychoice -> lets you choose between one of 6 deluxe size samples
spectrum -> Hourglass mascara Film Noir
NUDE4STEP -> four nude skin care samples (USA only)
BOSCIAMASK -> black peel off luminizing mask by Boscia

Many more at www.retailmenot.com (enter Sephora in the search box)

Mac A Tartan Tale Colour Descriptions and more pics!

My family Tartan (Green Hunting)- Image from TartanRegister.co.uk

As you can see above, I'm Scottish and proud of it, so when I found out about the Mac A Tartan Tale collection I went a little nutty. My first post here gives some swatches and a peak at some pictures of the collection, but today (after impatiently waiting for months!) I've got descriptions of the entire collection for you! (As well as couple comparison pictures)

Firstly here's the Mac descriptions of the items. From what I know, the holiday collection will be released in two parts, with the individual items being released late October and the sets (excluding the 5 nail/gloss/pigment/glitter) in November. All items in the holiday collections are the same quality as the regular line, except for the brushes, which are machine made instead of hand-made. I've added * next to the items I'm really looking forward to, just for interests sake :D Much thanks to purplerinne on Specktra for all the colour information! I've now got colour info on the lipgloss, pigment and nail polish mini sets! (as of 2:05 pm EST Sept. 28th) Thanks to erine1881 on Specktra for information!
Here we go! (single items first)

Lipstick- will cost $14.50 USD each
Cut a Caper- Mid-tone peachy pink (Lustre finish)
The Faerie Glen- Pale neutral pink (Lustre finish)*
Deepest Wish- Deep creamy reddish brown (Amplified Cream finish)
Full Fuchsia- Bright blue-based fuchsia (Amplified Cream finish) (Permanent at Mac Pro)
Courting Lilac- Sheer lilac-mauve with soft gold pearl (Glaze finish)*

Dazzleglass Cream- will cost 18.00 USD each
Radiant Jewels- Dark Sparkly Magenta
Soft Dazzle- Mid-tone peach-pink with gold pearl (Repromote)
Passing Fancy- Bright orange-coral with soft pearl
Lightly Prancing- Light peach with gold pearl
Romancin- Mid-tone lavender with multi-dimensional pearl

Eyeshadow- will cost $19.50 USD each- Size of Mineral Eyeshadows of the past
Golden Crown- Light gold with bronze tartan striping print*
A Wish Come True- Dirty mauve with bubblegum pink tartan striping print
Follow Your Fantasy- Mid-tone peach with chocolate brown tartan striping print
Enviably Fun- Grass green with dark green tartan striping*
Semi-Precious- Aubergine with chocolate brown tartan striping*
Glamora Castle- Dark grey with teal tartan striping*

Pigment- will cost $19.50 USD each
Later- Black with transforming purple pearl (Repromote)
Moonlight Night- Blackened teal with teal pearl
The Family Crest- Blackened bronze with bronze pearl*

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner- will cost $14.50 USD each
Petrol Blue- Deep navy with pearl (Repromote)
Black Line- Black with gold pearl (Repromote)
Undercurrent- Teal with pearl (Repromote)
Black Swan- Black with pearl
Lord it Up- Bronze with pearl*

Powder Blush- will cost $18.50 each
Her Blooming Cheek- Bright iridescent blue pink (frost finish)
My Highland Honey- Bright coral with soft gold pearl (frost finish)*

Nail Lacquer- will cost $13 USD each
Sly as a Fox- Creamy mid-tone russet/burnt red (Cream)*
Style Clan- Dark Taupe with red pearl (Cream)*

Eyeshadow Palettes- $36 USD each
6 Dashing Lassies
Bronze- Copper penny coloured (frost finish)
Buckwheat- Frosty medium-brown (frost finish) (Repromote)
A Dashing Lassie- Metallic milk (Ivory maybe?) (frost finish)
Magical Mist- Metallic taupe (Lustre finish)
Showstopper- Dark brown (matte finish) (Repromote)
(One shadow is missing here- info still unknown sorry!)

6 Reelers & Rockers
Carbon- Black (matte finish)
White Rabbit- shimmery white (pearl finish) (Repromote)
Melt My Heart- Metallic Silver (Veluxe Pearl finish)
Gaelic Gold- Metallic Gold (Veluxe Pearl finish)
Crown & Sceptre- Metallic copper (Veluxe Pearl finish)
Family Treasure- Metallic Bronze (Veluxe Pearl finish)

6 Twists of Tartan*
Vainglorious- Metallic maroon (frost finish) (Repromote)
Rolled Gold- Gold (lustre finish)
Lady's Prance- Clay (matte finish)
High Spirits- Shimmery Avocado (frost finish)
Bows & Curtseys- Metallic hunter green (Satin finish)
Set to Dance- Dark royal blue (matte finish)

6 Beauties Play It Cool*
Heather Belles- Dark charcoal/black (Satin finish)
To the Ball- Dusty lavender (Satin finish)
Hold my Gaze- Medium grey (Frost finish) (Repromote)
Magic Moor- Purple grape (Veluxe Pearl finish) (Repromote)
Altered State- Blackened plum (Veluxe Pearl finish)
Silverwear- Metallic lavender (Frost finish) (Repromote)

Lip Kits- $22.50 USD each
Happily Ever After Lip Kit
Cheers All Around- Bright candy pink (frost finish lipstick)
To Joy- Medium pink (frost finish lipstick)
Endless Fun- Sheer frosty pink (lipgloss)

A Fabulous Fantasy Lip Kit
Storybook Ending- Raisin (Lustre finish lipstick)
Imagine This- Pinky-beige (Amplified cream lipstick)
Heroic Tale- Sparkling flesh tone (lipgloss)

Face Kits- $38 USD each


A Triumphant Blush Face Kit
Melba- Soft coral-peach blush (Permanent)
Peachtwist- Golden peach blush
Smooth Harmony- Neutral mid-tan bronzer (Repromote)

Hark the Heraldry Face Kit
Dame- Sophisticate blue based pink blush (Permanent)
Plum Foolery- Faint dusty plum blush (Permanent)
Oh So Fair- Pale pink blush (Repromote)

Lip Bags- $36 USD each
Vain & Glorious Lip Bag
Mellow Mood- Sheer pink lipstick (lustre finish) (Repromote)
Baby Sparks- Sparkly baby pink Dazzleglass lipgloss (Permanent)
In-Synch- Light pink Promo lip pencil (Repromote)

Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag
Baron's Rose- Medium rose lipstick (Creamsheen finish)
Moth to Flame- Sheer neutral beige Dazzleglass lipgloss (Permanent)
Draw Me Close- Dusty rose Promo lip pencil

Eye Bags- $36 USD each
Noble Knights Lash & Line Kit
Blitz & Glitz- Black with sparkle fluidline gel eyeliner (Permanent)
Teal- Bright metallic teal pigment (Permanent)
Zoomlash Mascara- Black (Permanent)
209SE Eyeliner brush

Violet My Love Lash & Line Kit
Macroviolet- Dark grape fluidline gel eyeliner (Permanent)
Violet- Bright metallic purple pigment (Permanent)
Zoomlash Mascara- Black (Permanent)
209SE Eyeliner brush


Mineralize Kits- $49.50 USD each
The Swinging Violets Mineralize Kit
Icescape Lipglass- Sheer pale pink with pink pearl (Repromote)
Earthly Riches Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo- Deep Plum and Deep Grey with rose veining (Repromote)
Bare Study Paint pot (pink undertone-flesh coloured) (Permanent)
Promo Zoomlash Mascara (Permanent)

MAC Glamorous Mineralize Kit- Nordstrom/The Bay Exclusive
Blessedly Rich lipglass
Engaging Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo- Pinky beige and yellow gold with rose veining (Frost finish) (Pepromote)
Indianwood Paint pot- Metallic antique bronze (Permanent)
Promo Zoomlash Mascara (Permanent)

My Scottish Fling Mineralize Kit- Nordstrom/The Bay Exclusive
Budding Romance lipglass
Pink Split Mineralize Eyeshadow (Dirty rose with bronze and pale blue veining/ pink with gold pearl (Permanent)
Fresco Rose paint pot (frosty rose coloured) (Permanent)
Promo Zoom Lash Mascara (Permanent)

Sassy Pink Lassies lipglass setSassy Lassy- Bright pink fuschia
Fab Fun- Pale crystal pink
Frozen Dream- Medium pink rose
Electro Lush- Medium mauve (Repromote)
The Wee Coquette- Naked neutral pink

Sassy Coral Lassies lipglass set
Tad Saucy- Pale muted pink
Jest for Fun- Peachy blossom pink
Pretty, Quick!- Bright coral
Mimmy- Bright pinky coral
Hearts-a-beatin'- pale raisin

Sassy Neutral Lassies lipglass set
Scottish Lilt- peachy beige
Spirits a' flying- pale gold (Repromote)
Girls at Play- plummy brown
Stealing Kisse -glossy spice
Bright & Perky- classic bronze

Warm Thrillseekers pigments/glitters set
Reflects Bronze
Most Darling- medium brown shimmer
Gift o' glamour- pale metallic pink
Gold mode
Gilded green

Cool Thrillseekers pigments/glitters set
Reflects Pearl
Silver Fog
Cheers my dear!-pale violet
Softwash Grey
Mauvement

Smokey Thrillseekers pigments/glitters set
Reflects Blackened Red
Naked
Jigs & Jives- naked taupe
Blue Brown
Dark Soul

Naughty Little Vices nail lacquer set
Nocturnelle
Asiatique (Repromote)
Beyond Jealous (Repromote)
Vintage Vamp
Vice is Nice- classic metallic gold

(Thanks to Temptalia for info on whether things are Permanent, Limited Edition, or Repromotes)
Phew! Now onto the pictures!

Blush comparison shot (thanks to Specktra member Visi)(Original Source)
(Note: HBC= Her Blooming Cheek blush from this coming collection)

Comparison shot (thanks to Specktra member Visi)(Original Source)

Comparison Shot (HBC right, Florida left) (thanks to Specktra member Visi)(Original Source)

Moonlight Night Pigment (thanks to Specktra member Visi)(Original Source)

Moonlight Night pigment (middle) comparison to Deep Blue Green pigment and Teal pigment
(thanks to Specktra member Visi) (Original Source)

Macroviolet Fluidline eyeliner, left (Grape coloured)
 and ________(unknown) fluidline eyeliner, right (A dark sage colour)
(Thanks to HerGreyness on Specktra for the photo)

Fluidline swatches, Macroviolet left, Dark Sage right
(Thanks to HerGreyness on Specktra for the photo)

The Tartan eyeshadows!
Top (left to right): Golden Crown, A Wish Come True, Follow Your Fantasy
Bottom (left to right): Enviably Fun, Semi-Precious, Glamora Castle
(Thanks purplerinnie on Spectra for the photo!)

That's it for now, I may have another update in a couple days though so stay tuned!

Silk'n SensEpil Hair Removal System

A dream of mine is to have hairless legs, underarms and bikini line. No matter if I shave consistently, I never can seem to shave close enough and well enough to get every hair- let alone seeing the dark hair beneath my pale skin. I also have a major problem with ingrown hairs which cause me to end up with red sore bumps.

I've had professional laser hair removal before on my bikini line, but not only was this extremely expensive, it hurt. A lot. Like stabbing needles to my bikini line. So after I ran out of pre-paid sessions I didn't go back for more, as though there was a significant decrease in hair growth it still wasn't done enough for me to feel comfortable in a bathing suit without shaving. Which leads to red sore ingrown hair bumps and so on. So, in an effort to save money, and get more control I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Silk'n Home Pulsed Light system from Sephora.

There are very few reviews on this system itself that are not company funded I've found, but I figured it was worth the risk as a similar product the Boots IPL has quite a few reviews over in the united Kingdom and has had good results. So, this is the beginning of my journey to not being asked if someone can borrow my furry leg warmers. (Yes, I was asked this. I figured no one would care in Africa that I didn't shave my thighs seeing as I didn't want the irritation on the sensitive skin there in a place with all kinds of bacteria my body has no immunity to. And naturally I'm a dark blonde so I didn't think it was that dark. Turns out I figured wrong.)

The idea behind these home light hair removal systems bases in how light exposure works. For those of you who don't know basically light is absorbed by dark colours and reflected by light colours, the most ideal being of course black and white respectively. The light from the system is attracted to the dark coloured hair. The light then travels along the hair shaft to the base of the follicle beneath the skin and hits the hair follicle (the cell which the hair grows from) essentially frying it. This makes it so the follicle either can't make more hair or impedes hair growth because it's damaged. Because of this it is important to note that skin colour and hair colour are important factors for the system to work. This method has been tested by the FDA as safe if you use it as directed.

Medium to Dark skin (whether tanned or natural) cannot use this system, because the light won't be able to find the dark spot (the dark hair) and will absorb everywhere, potentially causing bad burns in your skin. On the other hand, people with red, blonde, and white/grey hair have the opposite problem as the light is reflected everywhere, not able to find the hair here either, so is unable to fry the follicle too.

The Silk'n is easy to use, just plug it in, turn it on and wait for the fan to start going. When it's ready you place the window where the light comes out over the skin and a sensor on the side detects whether the skin you are planning to use it on is light enough for safe use. If it is it allows you to press the button on the top and the light flashes if it is safely pressed down on the skin. It's quite bright so be sure to either close your eyes or look away when you press. It won't damage your eyes if you do accidently look (which I did) but you will get light spots for a bit which is uncomfortable. It takes three seconds for the lamp to recharge for the next pulse which is fast enough because it takes about that long to move to the adjacent spot. I worked in rows so I didn't miss a spot (which I'm sure I did anyways). A thing to note is that those of us with freckles should invest in a white eyeliner pencil. I got this from the Boots system as they recommend it. It's the same idea as with the dark skin, to fix this and use the machine over the freckle or pigmentation spot be sure to cover it completely in white eyeliner so it reflects the light back and you won't get burned there.

It's also important to remember that you need to shave before using this (a sad fact I know). This is so as the hair takes in the heat it doesn't burn your skin as it lays against it. Plus the blunt cut end of the hair makes a larger "dark spot" for the light to target so hopefully it works better.

When you start the system only lets you start on the lowest energy level (there are multiple) so it doesn't have a chance of hurting your skin. After a while it lets you increase the level. I did my first treatment at level one and some at level two and I barely felt anything. It was slightly warm but not hot and not painful (unlike laser hair removal!) and I'll probably increase the level for my next treatment in 2 weeks. It's recommended to wait two weeks between treatments as hair grows in cycles with some cells dormant and others active at different times over a full six week period. By doing it every two weeks you're hoping to get all the cells when they're active.

The Silk'n system comes with:

• The charging base unit
• handle
• one lamp cartridge
• Instructional DVD
• Instructional Booklet
• Cord to connect base unit to handle
• Cord to connect base unit to outlet
• One year Warranty confirmation slip

So I'll update in a couple weeks with my hair growth and what the increased energy levels were like. If you have any questions or would like further info on something send me an e-mail, leave a comment or check out the Silk'n Sensepil website here. Or you can look at the Sephora listing here. Is hair removal something you're interested in? Do you think it's a neat idea or a silly one? Let me know!

Josie Maran Argan Eye Love You Palette: Swatches and Impressions

As some of you know, I popped into my Sephora this weekend and with many wary looks for other customers I decided to swatch the Josie Maran Argan Eye Love You eyeshadow palette made with Argan Oil. This certified organic and natural brand is known for it's Argan oil use, as this ingredient is known for it's anti-aging and moisturizing benefits. All the Argan Oil they use is from Morocco and helps support local women- here's how Josie Maran's website describes it:

  "In 2002, the Moroccan government helped establish female cooperatives to manufacture Argan Oil. These programs provide women of rural Morocco with a steady income, a fair wage, good working conditions, as well as literacy and other education classes. Perhaps most importantly, the co-ops give women a keen sense of empowerment in this traditionally male-dominated society. These programs also help protect the Argan forests’ limited supply of trees. The co-ops are dedicated to responsible harvesting practices and reforestation projects, which - along with environmental protection policies - aid in the preservation of the Argan forests and women’s jobs." 

On top of that all the packaging is recyclable and at least partly recycled. Some are even biodegradable in your compost, because it's made from corn! (Biodegradable plastic packaging includes the single eyeshadows, the blush, the bronzing powder, pressed powder, cream blush, and finger paints)

But lets get on to the products themselves shall we?

Sephora's Image of the palette

My photo of the outside box (with the cute hearts and type-face!)

Back of the palette with eyeshadow names: Radiance, Crown, Cinnamon, Cabernet, Feather, Adorn, Royal and Cloak

Top to bottom: Cabernet, Cinnamon (almost invisible) , Crown, and Radiance

The first three of this palette were honestly disappointing. I'm near the fairest of the fair and if it has trouble showing pigmentation on me then there is issues. Although all three were soft, I had to do multiple swipes to even get the bare colour I've got here. Cabernet on the other hand had decent pigmentation, not amazing but still very workable.

Radiance is a soft ivory shimmer

Crown is a matte soft dove grey

Cinnamon is a beige shimmer

Cabernet is a cool to neutral medium brown

Here's another shot in slightly warmer lighting

Cooler indoor lighting

Very warm indoor lighting (I am not that orange! I swear I have no Oompa Loompa ancestors!)

The last four shadows in this however were amazing! All were richly pigmented, super luxe, and soft feeling. From left to right 

Feather is a peach shimmer
Adorn is a medium to dark purple/berry
Royal is a stunning satin royal blue (by far the winner of the palette!)
Cloak is a silver glitter infused matte black

Ingredients list (back of palette) Click to see bigger

After I had finished swatching these shadows I noticed immediately that my finger tips were smoother and softer! I was amazed as I honestly didn't believe that I'd see a difference because of the Argan oil being in the shadows. I was wrong! This palette is lovely, and I think it would be particularly awesome for people with darker skin tones as the dark rich colours are great for fall but the light ones with less pigment can be used as subtle highlights too. Plus the brand is so eco-friendly, it kind of makes you feel good to have something from it that is cute to look at as well!

Rating: 7/10 - because pigmentation was lacking in 3 shades, but other than that was buttery soft and easily blend-able with rich colour!

EXTRA! (We aren't done yet lol)

While I was there and feeling my super soft finger tips I became interested in seeing what the other single eyeshadows were like in the regular line. Here's the two I swatched:

Left: Bali, Right: Chianti

Both shades pictured are as smooth as the good shades from the Argan Eye Love You palette. They both also had a slight shimmer throughout and were richly pigmented. I'd love to look at a few more the next time I pop into Sephora because these look lovely!

Here is the swatches on my fingertips
(of course I wasn't paying attention to which finger had which
 shadow and here is the flipped result- *shakes head at self*)

To me this is a great look at a brand I've not looked at before, especially such a eco-friendly one! What about everyone else any interest generated?

In The Coming Week...

Hello, all! I just got back home and I'm going to be busy busy this weekend! I've got a list that seems to be getting longer all the time but I have included make-up on the list, so I've not forgotten you!
I've just received my Cargo Activating Primer so I'll had an initial impressions up about it late next week and I'm also going to be stopping by Sephora to pick up some samples of things to try out and review for this blog. I'll also be packing and bringing more of my cosmetics with me so you'll get some new FOTDs. And with my new Glow Magazine hopefully I'll be inspired! I've got of course another Just Because It's Pretty coming soon, a NOTD that embodies the spirit of Halloween and hopefully I'll be able to swatch some things at Sephora, in particular the Josie Maran Argan I Love You palette. So though this weekend might be barren, try to stick it out with me as I get through readings I've been putting off, an allergic reaction thats lasted all week, various everyday activities like doing laundry and grocery shopping and hopefully I'll have some great posts for you soon!
- Love, Hebridean Sprite

P.S. If you do like my blog please let me know by leaving a comment, or becoming a follower. Your support really matters to me! Also please vote in the poll! It's there to make Hebridean Sprite Beauty better and it only takes 2 seconds. Thanks, have an awesome weekend!

NOTD: Wet n' Wild Black Fog

Black Fog-> From the Halloween Insomnia Collection

I got this yesterday in my Wet n' Wild haul, and so far I love it. Completely unique in my collection this is a dark almost black smokey navy cream. In fact in most light on my nails this does indeed look black but in some light you get this neat hint of blue. This highly pigmented polish only required one coat for most of my nails (some did need two) and has an awesome smooth shiny finish when dry. The bottle holds 0.29 fluid ounces or 8.5 milliliters and only costs $2.99 CND, and I am so glad I got it. A twist on basic black this one keeps drawing my eyes back to it, wondering which colour it appears right then. It's limited edition though with the Insomnia collection so be sure to pick one up!

Blue-blackish

In sunlight

Appears pretty much black here.

What do you think? Dark dark colors for you, or are you going to pass this trend by? Tell me how you feel in the comments or by e-mail!