AitU♔

Kat Von D's newest palette release is a stunning selection of jewel tones inspired by Egypt. It's a beautiful modern interpretation of ancient beauty; glittering gold, jade green, blood red, and more. Not only is the palette of amazing quality, but is also cruelty free and vegan. Kat's palettes are always highly anticipated and treasured, and this one is no exception.


The packaging is a unique shape; both longer and taller than any other palettes I have, giving it a hefty (and yes, a bit coffin-like) feel. It's the standard pressed cardboard with a strong magnetic closure and a sizeable mirror. The loose shade, Prophet, can be pulled out with a little muscle, is not glued in or attached, and is a regular circular plastic jar with a sifter insert. The shadow pans seem to be the same size as the Mi Vida Loca palette pans. Adding a brush would have made everything too big and bulky, and considering KVD has a line of brushes, isn't needed.


The box design and palette design is pretty much identical, showing the shades on the back.



All of the shades are types of metallics, other than Bloodmilk and Venom. On my eyes, Bloodmilk was a little chalky at first but was fine with some blending. I haven't used Venom yet as of the moment but it was fairly difficult to swatch. Every other shade was very easy to use. Their textures vary; Ankh has thicker glitter chunks in a more so matte base, and Nile feels more velvety and less metallic than the others. Scarab has a bit of a two-tone reflect. Hieroglyph is a little thinner of a texture, but still buttery and pigmented. Prophet is a "thick" sort of loose shadow, and swatched very pigmented and soft, a more yellow-gold than Medusa. It was very interesting to feel the slight texture differences among metallics.

This is a beautiful, quality palette whether you already enjoy non-neutral colors or are fairly new to them. The jewel tones aren't too bright or unnatural, making them great for day to day wear as well as use in every season, and especially stunning for holidays. Medusa, Ankh, and Prophet are the palette's neutral shades; they could be worn alone or together for a natural look, or paired with one or two jewel tones.


Worth The Hype?

Absolutely! The quality is even beyond previous KVD palettes, and the range of colors is tasteful and clever. At $45 it isn't on the cheap side of palettes, but I feel it is definitely worth it for eight excellent pressed shadows and a loose shadow. The palette is limited edition, so if you are interested in it, definitely grab it up during Sephora's next restock.


xx,
       Charity

I don't watch either of the shows, but I couldn't pass up the gorgeous packaging and colors!
Strobe Cosmetics is an indie cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand, as well as talc-free and gluten-free. They have a range of glitters and pressed shadows, as well as currently two palettes inspired by American Horror Story.









xx,
          Charity

There they were--those cute pink and white tubes, minimal design, and intriguing name. I had seen the products splayed out in flatlays or sitting in bathroom cabinet "shelfies", but I had never really researched into what the actual brand was. I saw that a trusted blogger I follow really enjoyed their Milky Jelly Cleanser, so that sent me on a hunt--it didn't hurt that I was also armed with her 20% discount link! Before I knew it, I'd ordered their Phase 2 makeup set in my preferred colors, along with the Cleanser, and the interesting Balm Dotcom. The prices are pretty great and I'm a sucker for simple designs and natural-as-possible ingredients.

It's not often I purchase from brands not sold at Sephora, but when I do, it's because I really believe the products will be up to par and worth the venture.

Inglot is a brand started over 30 years ago (!!) in Poland, and they expanded internationally in 2006. Their products are used backstage at anything from fashion shows to broadway musicals, boasting the most extensive collection of colors I have ever seen in a makeup brand. Their eyeshadow options are endless and a bit intimidating. Numbered naming may be efficient, but is a bit of a challenge to us lesser beings. I placed a small order to give them a try and dip in my toes. The single one-color shadows are currently $7 USD each. You can also order them with palettes of varying sizes, but I went for just the singles.

Urban Decay's nod to the newest Alice film is a hypnotic whirlwind of pattern and fun. It has all the whimsy of Wonderland, from the bright colors of the Queen of Hearts, to the beautiful blues and shimmers of the White Queen, to the Hatter's mix of neon and old antique neutrals. Beautiful packaging holds an eclectic collection of colors and textures.

I love jars. Maybe it's being Southern, maybe it's being an OCD makeup hoarder. I keep pretty much all of the boxes and containers from high end (and extra pretty low-end) makeup. There's several reasons:

1. They're gorgeous! You're paying for high-end, so might as well find a use for those gold YSL boxes and Kat Von D's hand-drawn designs.

2. In case I need to return something. I keep all the boxes and baubles in jars or an old Sephora shipping box, and the receipts all in one little Sephora bag.

3. In cause I decide to resell something after the 90 day Sephora limit has passed. I find that things sell quickly and customers are super happy when the original boxes are included and have been kept intact.


This is super easy, fun, and inexpensive. I got the massive jar at Wal Mart for about $11. The cylinder was from Michael's and was a bit more. I'm up to four jars from different places.

Time to get out those boxes and flex your Tetris skills.



It's a matter of choosing which boxes you want to be visible, and which ones you want to stuff in the center to keep everything in place. Start at the first row at the base; work between stacking and placing your outer boxes while also bracing them from the center so nothing falls over. Keep going, checking every angle to make sure you like how everything's going. You'll find you can get really crafty with finding boxes to fit in gaps!

I have these two on a shelf in my home office, and another two in my bedroom. They would look great on a vanity or in a makeup room!





xx,
       Charity

I'll be the first to admit that I'm definitely a bit picky when it comes to products. Rather than just having a massive collection of makeup, I like to have quality products I actually use and that work for me. I'm not going to keep around a palette or lipstick that doesn't make me feel confident when I wear it--whether it's patchy shadows, a cakey foundation, or sticky lipgloss. I hate having to return things to the store, but my rule is if it's over $15, I most likely will if I don't like it. And if I don't, I'll probably resell it on an app later. Here are some of the products I have or have had and just couldn't keep.