GILDED// Favorite Gold Eyeshadows

Its the holiday season which means the onslaught of one of my favorite beauty trends, gold. eyeshadow. 
I love wearing gold eyeshadow year-round, its just one of those colors that I naturally gravitate towards. However, during the holiday season the color gold gets a lot of attention  due to its wide variety of glamour during holiday parties, out and about, depending on the shade of gold you use gold is perfect for the holiday/winter season. It adds a bit of warmth to these gloomy winter days and a glittering sparkle for the nights. 

Marc Jacobs " The Dreamer" Palette

This palette is a little on the pricey side but it comes with two gorgeous gold shades! One is a pale champagne gold which can be used as a wash all over the lid or a highlight. The other gold shade featured in this palette is a more yellow gold which can take centerstage on the lids or make a sneak peak for some added glamour. I think that all the other colors that come in this palette would complement a gold look and the quality of these shadows are amazing. So soft, pigmented and easily blended. 

MAC Amber Lights 

This gold is very deep and almost has a hint of bronze to it. It is also just stunning to look at as a color. Again, this shade looks great as a standout but I also think this color could make a gorgeous golden smoky eye paired with a medium and darker brown color. 

NARS Dual Intensity Himalaya 

This color is described as "shimmering topaz". Translate that to a medium golden bronze with a frosty sheen. Technically its not a true gold, but when I look at it and wear it, it complements so well with other gold shades and also bronze tones. I would classify this as a lovely addition of my "gilded" gold eyeshadow collection 

LORAC PRO Palette "Gold" 

Ah, my beloved Lorac Pro Palette. There is no mistaking what shade name I am about to feature here, Gold, no creative naming here! This shade is a deep gold and when swatched it actually does have a slight hint of bronze. If you have heard anything about these Lorac Pro Palettes you know that these shadows really pack a punch when it comes to pigmentation. I like using this color as a standout center shade, pairing it with a lighter "goldish" shade in this palette called Lt. Bronze in the inner part of the eye and placing darker or midtone browns in the crease. 

Naked Palette Half Baked 

 The ship for this palette set sail eons ago however I had seen it pop up and mentioned on a couple of my favorite blogs recently, took the bait and finally picked up the original Naked Palette. I am not reviewing the whole palette here, ( although, it is gorgeous and I don't know why I have not picked this up sooner). I am featuring specifically the shade dubbed ,"Half Baked" which is a pale gold shade. Not only does it coordinate well with all the rest of the shades in the palette but also with other eyeshadows that I have. I particularly loved pairing this shade with MAC's Cranberry eyeshadow for something really festive and pretty. (Side Note: I have been reaching for this shadow the most these past few weeks. I am really loving it!) 

Makeup Forever Artist Shadows I-662 Amber Brown 

This color may be named "amber brown" but essentially its a darker "antiqued" gold color and works rather well in the outer corners of the eye. These shadows are very smooth and very easy to blend. 


I love gold eyeshadows for the holiday and winter months. I feel it helps bring back a little bit of warmth back in contrast to the cold color scheme of the outdoors. What color eyeshadow do you like to wear during the holidays? Let me know in the comments below! 

I hope you all are having a great week so far! Christmas is this week! Very exciting! and then we will be saying farewell to 2014 and hello to 2015 (crazy)! See you all then! 

xoxo
- A 

SHOP//

Marc Jacobs " The Dreamer" Palette 

MAC Amber Lights 

NARS Dual Intensity Himalaya 

LORAC Pro Palette 

Naked I Palette 

Makeup Forever Artist Shadow I-662 Amber Brown

WED//What I've Picked Up Recently

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! You might have heard through the grapevine that Sephora had a 20% sale for VIB and VIB Rouge Members just this past weekend, their friends and family sale a couple weeks ago and also a full blown event party for Rouges last Wednesday. And I took advantage of all and came away with some pretty makeup goodies to share with you. Now, even though I have this draw to buying makeup whenever I shop I seem to be very restrained and buy very minimally. However, working right across from Sephora ( my metaphorical candy store essentially) I collect things often.. That is how my collection grows. ( brick by brick...lipstick by lipstick) So this "haul" or a show and tell as I like to think of it is a collective of beauty items that I have gotten between these sales. 

Alright, lets look at the damage.

Marc Jacobs "The Dreamer" Eyeshadow Palette

Yup, I went for a pretty big ticket item here there is no denying that. More and more I have been fascinated into more luxury brands ( dangerous territory. I know I am aware, my wallet is aware too.) to see what they have to offer. Plus pretty packaging is just as alluring to me as a moth to a flame. Now, does pretty packaging and the famous name brand justify this product? In this case I think it does. The Dreamer Palette drew me in with its warm neutral shades ( If you were able to ask anyone that knows me and my makeup tastes recently they would simply respond: warm. toned. neutral. eyeshadows.) I am in love with the selection of colors and I also really love the quality of these shadows. They are really nicely pigmented and beautiful on the lids. I especially love that peachy color, I think its pretty unique in my opinion. 

Beauty Blender Original

With so much hype surrounding this egg shaped pink little sponge I decided to take the leap and give it a go. Just fill this little guy up with water, watch him expand magically, squeeze out the excess water and then *bounce your choice of foundation on your face for a seamless application. I am pleased with the results this sponge gives. No need for tireless blending and streaky lines a brush can sometimes give. However, like most sponges they get filthy. Very quickly in fact. I have the special solid "blender cleanser" that I got many moons ago that works effectively but once that sponge is used it will never look perfectly clean. Not that is any major issue but something that is a given with any sponge applicator. 

NARS Holiday Blush in "Almeria"

I would love to do a full review on this because this blush is so beautiful. From their "Laced with Edge" Holiday Collection NARS has done it again by bringing out a fantastically designed and formulated blush color. The design on the top appeals to their ultra chic modern aesthetic that I have spoken about before, but also you can gather that this could be a holiday blush because the design is reminiscent of frost. But the real ticket is the color, NARS's blushes have gathered a real cult following over the years but I had yet to try one other than swatching on the back of my hand. I don't own a ton of blush in my makeup collection but I think this addition is a star. It is described as a "tan rose" color with deep warm tones, its fully pigmented and matte and when I apply this with an angled blush brush it gives a beautiful flush to the cheeks. Plus, I am not the only one that thought this blush made a difference in my makeup, upon coming downstairs after first use of it both of my parents complimented me on my makeup ( which does not happen too often.) I think this one is going to be a firm favorite and I suspect I will be talking about it again in the future. 

Sephora Collection Classic Multitasker Blush Brush #54

During the VIB Rouge event last Wednesday I went to their little station where the associates instructed how to contour. I knew how to contour a little bit by being constantly attached to the computer learning about makeup however I thought I would immerse myself in the whole experience and really enjoyed myself! After successfully sculpting my cheekbones I realized I did not have an angled brush with which I could apply my newly acquired contouring knowledge. I strolled over to Sephora's extensive collection of brushes and picked this one ( there is another pro angled brush that was prettier looking, but this one was also cheaper) This brush is super, ultra soft and applies contour and that new Almeria blush very well and effectively. 

NARS Dual Intensity Eye Shadows- Himalaya & Andromeda

It's from NARS, its eye shadow, its an instant draw I just can't help it. These single eyeshadows are very soft to the touch the duality of these shadows come off as a duo-chrome ( there is more than meets the eye), but also the versatility of applying these shadows wet or dry for dramatically different looks is a very appealing aspect. The two colors I picked were  Himalaya which is described as a shimmering topaz and Andromeda which is just described as a alabaster shade. I think these colors would complement any neutral look or used just on their own. (Himalaya washed all over the lids and Andromeda popped on the inner corner and brow bone.) 

GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment( not pictured) 

Last month I was dealing with a bout of pretty terrible behaved skin. Despite my care for it, I had a flare up with painful acne and then after that a bout of regular acne appearing along my chin. I was looking for some reprieve and when I went to Sephora for the friends and family sale one of my favorite associates, Meghan ( Hello Meghan if you are reading!) recommended I try the Glamglow Clearing Treatment Mask, regaling me her success story upon using this product. There is a lot of hype surrounding these pricey little devils so with the sale and the great recommendation I decided to take the plunge. I have used this mask a couple times, especially when I have had a hard day. What I like about this mask so far is that I don't need to use very much. I only cover my troubled areas which is mainly my chin and my cheeks. This means I can enjoy this mask for a pretty long time. What I have noticed in my skin after using this mask so far is a smoothness that I don't normally feel, any painful cysts I may be dealing with feel much less agitated and any other acne is significantly diminished in size. 

I am pretty impressed with this stuff, I gotta say. Though I will continue to test it out and gather more thoughts on it. 

That wraps up all that I got from the recent Sephora sales. Did some pretty good damage but I love everything that I got.

Are there any beauty buys that you picked up recently? 

 I hope you all are enjoying your week thus far. I have been working pretty hard trying to get content written up ahead of time please let me know if there is anything you would like to see from me I am very open to new ideas. 

See you all next time! 

- A