Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - eldorado eyeshadow
Disco_Dancing 4/23/2008 6:48:00 PM
Let me start by saying that I am a PPP with dark blonde hair and warm black eyes (you know, that super-dark shade that only shows up as brown when in bright light), and more or less warm undertones.
Ordinarily, I adore Urban Decay eyeshadows. They are some of my very favorite - up there with Stila, Nars, Lancome and Dior - and when it comes to bright colours, they always take first place.
But not with this one. El Dorado is a bright, and I do emphasize bright, gold color with flecks of gold glitter shot through it. In the pan.
On my lids, however, El Dorado is nothing more than a sheer golden shimmer that sheds glitter all over my cheeks. (I docked a lippie for this - but as with all Urban Decay shadows, that dreaded falling-glitter effect can be avoided by using Primer Potion beforehand.) It's pretty, of course, and makes a great accent to nuetral shadows when I'm not feeling too daring, but it doesn't half half the pigment load I was looking for.
Also, this particular shadow seems grainy and chalky to me. I don't know, maybe I got a bad batch...
If you're looking for bright color, avoid this one. But if you're looking for a fun, sheer wash of gold, then go ahead and buy it. It's still pretty, after all, if not what I was originally looking for.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Too Faced - Box of Chocolates
Disco_Dancing 1/5/2006 5:35:00 PM
This is a large - and I do emphasize that, large - lipgloss box, and you get more than enough of each color.
Now, like most sets that include many colors, only about half of them look good on me. (In this case, the pale, frosty half.) However, the ones that do look good on me rock.
I won't give a color description for each lipgloss, since there are twenty of them, but suffice it to say that the Box of Pink Chocolates includes a rainbow of wearable shades in pinks, reds, and browns. Each gloss goes on fairly smoothly with the lip brush provided or whatever you might choose to apply with; and a little while after smoothing them onto my lips, I feel this weird sensation - kind of like I'm getting a deep moisturizing. It's strange, but enjoyable.
As the other reviewer pointed out, the smell does go away pretty quickly. Once the gloss leaves the box, even. I don't mind, though, because I don't really like the scent. It's kind of tangy, if that makes sense.
For only $30, this is a steal. I think I would repurchase if need be.
UPDATE: I've been using this for more than a year now, on and off again, and I just thought that I ought to add this little factoid: these glosses are intensely moisturizing. I've started using them in place of Chapstik, they're so good. My lips have never been softer.
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Palettes -Urban Decay - Shadow Box
Disco_Dancing 1/5/2006 2:21:00 PM
I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay eyeshadows, so when I saw this, I snapped it up immediately - especially considering that you payed only $4 a shadow, and you get a nice color selection. And the packaging was so cute!
Anyway, I was so excited about it that I wiped off the eye makeup that I was already wearing once I got home, grabbed a brush - one test on the back of my hand at the store showed that the applicators this comes with are total crap - and panned over my choices. I ended up merely doing a natural look because I was going to dinner with my family later, but I was very near swooning while I did it. (For those interested, I blended Chopper all over my eyelid, then used Twice Baked as a liner with a coat of brown-black mascara.)
Now I've had this thing for nearly a month - and if I didn't own so many more fantastic eyeshadows that I love to use, I swear I would use this every day. Each color is fantastic in its own way:
Cherry - Nice pale pink shade, good for daytime in the spring or summer, I think; very flattering on brown eyes, but the glitter falls* on my cheeks if I'm not careful.
Midnight Cowboy Rides Again - The only color in the palette I do not like, MCRA is almost the exact same shade as my lids, so when I apply it, all I get is glitter. (Good if you like the prostitute look, though.)
Grifter - Gorgeous pastel purple that isn't so great with my warm undertones, but looked fantastic on my cousin who is cool-toned. Sadly, the evil glitter was present in this, and it did go everywhere.
Vert - Most likely my favorite shade in the entire case, this is a brilliant emerald green shimmer (no glitter, thank God) that makes my brown eyes pop! Looks incredible with a brown liquid liner at the very base of the lashes - sort of neo Earth goddess.
Oil Slick - For me, this one is sort of a love-hate thing: on the one hand, I love black eyeshadow, as it can do virtually anything you want, and the lovely little sparkles keep it from looking too Goth when I want to wear it to school. On the other hand, those lovely little sparkles get all over my cheeks, making me look like a twelve-year-old who's just learned what makeup is.
Shattered - Absolutely beautiful turquoise shade, and I was very surprised that I could pull it off, even though it shouldn't go with my undertones at all. No glitter, just a sort of blue-green iridescence, which is a major plus.
Blunt - I've only used this twice, but it's a creamy beige-gold color that brings out gold flecks in my almost-black brown eyes. Very pretty for daytime, and could probably be used to complement a nighttime look, too.
Chopper - The best natural shade I have found yet, this lacks the harshness of some matte taupes I've used, yet isn't crammed with tacky glitter. I suppose the shimmer might be a bit much for a natural, but it makes my eyes look so big and open!
Twice Baked - Looks opaque in the compact, but appears to have golden micro-sparkles dispersed lightly in it. Great as a liner (I used it with Vert before I bought a liquid liner) for certain, but I've never actually used it as a main color. Very handy for brown-eyed girls.
Overall Analysis: MCRA is the only shade I truly don't like - and I will definitely purchase Vert, Chopper, Twice Baked, Oil Slick, and Shattered individually when I run out - and Grifter isn't so great with my warm undertones. However, I would definitely rebuy for a friend or for travel, since it's so compact.
*The falling-glitter effect can't really be stopped as far as I know, but to keep it at bay, use Primer Potion as a base, make sure you've already put on your foundation or powder or whatever you use, and just wipe the glitter off with a paper towl, or hold something under your eye. Lots of work, but worth it. ^^
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Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Lust Eyeshadow
Disco_Dancing 1/4/2006 6:25:00 PM
Well, even though so many other people have said it, I will too: I bought mine from Ebay (since it was discontinued), and when I first saw it, I was thinking, "No way in heck can I wear this."
Of course, I was wrong. Lust is beyond description, though I'll try to describe it, anyway. It's a deep medium/dark purple - but it's smoky with blue and pink colors that flash in the light, and it looks like it might have grayish-violet undertones to me. Lust is just such a complex color, it's tough to pinpoint exactly what it looks like.
For those of you afraid of the infamous Urban Decay falling-glitter effect, fear not; you won't get that with Lust, because it is an irridescent shimmer, not a glitter. Instead, it's velvety soft and silky on your eyelid - and, seven hours after I applied it, it might have been slightly lighter, but I'm not quite sure. I applied a bit more to one eye, and it still looked the same. Most likely, I had just gotten more used to the color. ^^
And there are many ways to apply Lust. So far, I've used it dry, with a brush, and gotten a sheer effect, perfect for outdoors during the day. You can use it with a sponge applicator, if you like, to get about the same color as in the pot, but a bit more sheer. Applied wet with a brush, this color extremely intense... but, amazingly, still wearable. (Also, you can strenghten the color for any of these methods with concealer or Primer Potion as a base.)
So, as stupid as this sounds, I think I've fallen in love with Lust.
**Update** I put a very thin line of Moshpit (the gold Heavy Metal glitter liner)at the base of my lashes over Lust, and it looks really hot! I know it sounds odd, but... well, if you've got Moshpit, try it and decide for yourself.
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Lip Gloss -Bon Bons - Lava Lip Gloss
Disco_Dancing 12/19/2005 6:27:00 PM
My friend bought this for me as part of a Secret Santa thing as a sort of joke - she knows that there are only about five lipglosses that I can wear, so she bought me one that I could just look at.
Actually, it wasn't a half-bad idea. I love looking at this! It's so swirly and it reminds me of lava lamps... kind of the point, I know, but still. And I love the pretty purple color. So cute. ^^
Now, I did try this on once, and it was incredibely shiny. Like "Dude-why-the-hell're-your-fifth-grader's-lips-reflective?!" shiny. Yeah. I guess it's an okay look if you're twelve, but past that, it's just tacky. Especially on my big lips - normally, I try to play them down, because I'm sick of people calling me "Angelina Jolie", but with this, I am literally all lip.
I will hang on to this, if only to look at, but I doubt I will ever wear it. And I will definitely not be repurchasing.
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Eyeliner -Caboodles - Eyecatcher Glitter Liner 
Disco_Dancing 12/19/2005 6:17:00 PM
I know I'm in the minority here - what, the second reviewer who didn't like it? - but I gotta say, I really hated this eyeliner. And I've tried two of them, just to make sure I didn't get a bad batch, or a bad color. I didn't.
First of all, while they're wet, they itch. Really bad. Not a problem for you? Well, when they dry, they still itch, just as badly. Not only that, but if you dare to scratch your eyes - naughty you - they come off in a heartbeat. (And after using UD eyeliners, this problem becomes much more evident, because those don't come off no matter how I scratch it.)
Secondly, the color is inconsistent. With the purple-y one, I had spots where the eyeliner was really dark, and spots where it didn't show up at all. And the glitter... well, let's not even go there. I mean, I suspected that it would clump, but not that badly!
And, last of all, do you remember those peel-it-off nail polishes your grandma bought for you when you were five? Oh, you know, the ones with the Disney princesses on the bottles? Well, think of those - but in eyeliner form. Because within an hour or so, you will have eyeliner hanging off your lid. Yes, hanging off.
But if none of these things bother you, or you can't afford anything much pricier (Hey, don't feel bad! My mom used to only give me $10 a week, too!), then by all means, go for it, 'cause this is really the product for you.
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Lip Gloss -Revlon - Super Lustrous - Shine That Pink
Disco_Dancing 12/18/2005 3:09:00 PM
A friend got this for me about a year or so ago, and at first I thought it was pretty cute; I liked the reddish pink color, and the shimmer was nice. But I just tried it on again the other day, and I have to say I kind of hate it now.
First of all, it's way too shiny. And not in a good way. I mean, I've used shiny lipglosses before - that's kind of the point, no? - but this was just over the top. I was wearing dark liquid eyeliner at the time, so I figured a nice red would look nice with it. But this took all the focus off of my eyes, and made me look like I was literally all mouth. Also, the shimmer became annoying (it looked kind of tacky) and the color wasn't consistent, no matter how carefully I applied it. And it made my lips chapped. I spent that entire day with a Chapstik in my pocket, my lips were chapped so bad.
But if you like shimmer, ridiculous amounts of shine, and inconsistent color, this is definitely the lipgloss for you. And it comes all wrapped up in a nice little knockoff container to boot! Now, aren't you lucky?
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Palettes -Hard Candy - Jewel Box Eye and Lip Palette
Disco_Dancing 12/18/2005 3:00:00 PM
I used to really love this palette, but now I don't use it much.
While this makeup is certainly better than most of what you'd find at a drugstore, it's nothing amazing. The eyeshadows are seriously lacking in pigment (if you want fun, glimmery colors that actually show up, try Urban Decay or Too Faced instead) and the glosses are tacky and dry out my lips. Although, you get so little lip gloss in this, you probably won't get the chance to notice that tackiness before you run out...
That said, it is an adorable little palette, and the colors are well chosen. I have found that the brown shades are actually more pigmented than their more colorful counterparts, and the matte taupe has been a re-discovered staple of mine for a week now. And, well, sheer eyeshadows can be a good thing, sometimes, if that's the look you're going for.
So, if you've already been seduced by the cute packaging and lovely color palette, go for it. It's a fairly universal selection, and if you have found satisfaction with any Hard Candy product, you'll probably like this. Even now, I find myself reaching for it from time to time; plus, it fits so nicely in my purse!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Palladio - Herbal Eyeshadow
Disco_Dancing 12/15/2005 2:52:00 PM
I bought mine at Sally Beauty for about $5, I think, and I like it. The color is called "Chamagne" - a very pale, shimmery pinkish beige color. It's not too pigmented, so it goes on pretty sheer, but when I apply it wet with an eyeshadow brush, it goes on much more intensely. The staying power is good, too. I put it on before school, and when I came home, it looked the same as that morning - though a bit of shimmer had streaked below my eye.
The packaging is also nice. The eyeshadow is a decent size, placed in a small silver-toned circular plastic container, and closed with a simple clear hinged lid. I've dropped mine many times, and it's never opened, so I'd say the packaging is pretty decent. ^^
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