Holy Grail by Violet Voss

   Violet Voss was a brand I was familiar with but hadn't given a try until I saw a glimpse of their limited edition, summer staple - the Holy Grail palette - because it made my heart excited for fall (?!?!). It sold out during pre-orders on the Violet Voss website, but when I contacted the company curious about when it would restock, they had me head to the Ricky's NYC site because they had them in stock (and they were slightly less expensive)... I received my package in one week, between processing and shipping, and noticed that the palette was wrapped in bubble wrap inside the box packaging; odd, but super effective.

   The box packaging is identical to the palette itself, other than the box having a short paragraph on the back about Violet Voss. The palette is similar to the smooth texture of the Lorac Pro palettes, but less soft, and ten times more likely to look dirty... Oh my goodness, it has been bothering me so much, because I try to keep my palettes so clean and neat, but UGHHH... This palette is lucky I like it so much because that is legitimately grounds for me to return it in some instances (I'm that serious about keeping makeup clean and crisp - it'll drive me mad)... But keeping the plastic sheet that came covering the shades helps to prevent some of the internal smudging!
   I hadn't seen the colors swatched when I ordered this palette - just in pan, and on good word from some other bloggers who like the Violet Voss formulas... Want to know the only color that blew me away and I NEEDED to try, thus ordered the palette? Wine N Dine... One color was so beautiful I ordered a whole palette to be able to have it, but lucky for me, photos don't do justice to the other colors and there are several impressive and unique shades in the mix.

   The other predominant reason I ordered this palette is due to how large it is, and being full of warm tones and shimmer... I usually wear neutrals with some sort of winged liner, and I really want to broaden my eye makeup looks/confidence.
   Since I hadn't seen these colors swatched before, I was wonderfully surprised at the color payoff! These colors match their pans beautifully, and it was a lot of fun seeing so many unique colors for the first time. When I say unique, you may think I'm just fluffing this review, but I promise you that I'm not - this palette was honestly so full of surprises, and although it is a warm palette there are cool toned versions of warm colors (which I was ecstatic to see)... The formulas for the mattes, shimmers, and metallics in the Holy Grail palette are all very silky. I do want to caution that Wine N Dine is not as soft as the others and not to press too hard on the shimmers... I'm going to get a bit more descriptive with my favorite shades for this palette because without the swatch photos, its hard to really get a feel for these colors - like So Jelly is a gorgeous metallic, light baby pink with an iridescence to it so it looks different in one form of lighting to another in a very delicate way (yet in the photo above it just look like a sparkly, peachy pink).

• Wine N Dine - Although its the least smooth to the touch, it wears beautifully and honestly my dream berry-red shade of eyeshadow.
• Glamping - Its just the perfect warm brown for summer and fall, and blends like a dream.
• Cool Beans - A to-die-for cool toned gold, bordering rose gold, and looks gorgeous in direct sunlight... And most of you know how I'm much more into silver tones than gold tones (other than rose gold), so this is obviously a bomb af shade.
• Crystal/Ploof - The inner corner/hightlight shades of inner corner/highlight shades... I'm saying both because I mix them or use them in some sort of gradient, rather than alone.
• Teddy Bear - My dream brown shade come true with amazing staying power.

   So, is the Violet Voss Holy Grail palette a holy grail item for me? Not yet, because I'm still learning to use it to its potential and become comfortable with more color in my eye makeup, but it will be - I'm sure. I have been loving learning more about eye makeup lately and highly recommend this palette if you are looking to expand your makeup style and/or collection.
   I hope you all have enjoyed this Palette Week theme, and I promise to get the swatch photos taken/put up as soon as I am able to use makeup on my arms/hands again!

Note: The ingredients for this palette can be found HERE!

*This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own.*

xoxo Elle

Lorac Pro 3

   The Pro palettes by Lorac are a staple for many people in their makeup collection, and the Lorac Pro 3 palette lives up to expectations... And surpasses them, if you ask me.
   If you would like me to be upfront and honest, this is not only my favorite Pro palette of the series but it is my favorite "essentials/neutrals" palette - beating out all of the Urban Decay Naked palettes.
   With the Pro 3 palette comes a sample size of the Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, just like the Lorac Pro 1 and 2 palettes, and to be brief about my feelings on it... It is a decent eyeshadow primer, I just prefer ones that color correct and mattify a bit more. I do know people who swear by this primer, so definitely utilize the sample given with these palettes! I used mine for swatching this palette, but as you all know by now, the swatch photos magically disappeared and now that my skin is flaring up a bit I have to wait to retake the photos (and I'm not sure when my skin will calm down)... I'm sorry.

    Onto the actual palette itself! Thanks to the wonderful perks of Ulta Platinum Rewards, I was able to purchase this palette just shy of a month early. I first saw the original sneak peak on Tati's YouTube video via GlamLifeGuru, and knew I needed to get it early. The packaging for the Pro 3 is soft/smooth to the touch and pleasing to the eye in a minimalistic way, and the size is great compared to most non-travel size palettes. Keeping on the travel topic, the magnetic close for the lid is ideal because it is secure enough for storing in a multitude of bag sizes, which combined with the size is lovely since it takes up barely any space at all... The mirrors in these palettes are nice, but I do always wish they were slightly larger, and it did come with a protective seal stuck onto it... As far as the box, it looks exactly like the palette but a bit lighter in color with a preview of the colors on the back of the box.

   The color selection is from my neutral-loving dreams, and I think this palette is a lot more versatile for all skin tones as a whole than most nude/neutral palettes... As usual with better quality palettes, there was a plastic sheet over the eyeshadows to protect them. The color payoff for most of the colors is identical to what you see in the pan - Terracotta, Truffle, and Medallion are a bit lighter, but they are still buildable. All of the formulas are a breeze to apply, but each a tad different in consistency. The mattes are some of my favorites because they aren't chalky in the slightest and still have a more creamy feel, whereas the metallics/shimmers are like butter and I am honestly so impressed with them. I'm not sure if its just my palette, but Medallion is a bit chunky when picking up on a brush or finger, but it evens out as you layer - just be mindful to tap excess product off your brush... The only colors I'm not crazy about are Terracotta, Medallion, and Light Gold (though its nice as a highlight) but this is only due to my personal style preference. My favorite shades are Almond Pearl, Canvas, Amethyst, and Rose Bronze and I catch myself using one or more of these colors on a daily basis.

   Just in case you missed my two previous Palette Week posts, I do not rate eyeshadow palettes... But the Lorac Pro 3 palette is officially on my holy grail list from now on. If you haven't tried any of the Lorac Pro palettes, I recommend investing in this one - its my favorite of the four I picked up between late May-early June.
   Which Lorac palette is your favorite? How do you feel about their other products? I can't wait to hear on here or over on Instagram!

Note: You can find ingredients for this heavenly palette by clicking HERE!

*This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own.*

xoxo Elle

Modern Renaissance by ABH

    When I saw the sneak peak photo of the Modern Renaissance palette on the Anastasia Beverly Hills' Instagram my heart fluttered... It was so gorgeous and pleasing to the eye that I knew I had to get it. Then I saw that it was inspired by the renaissance art era and would be ABH's first permanent palette, plus being someone who has admired their limited edition palettes, so I made up my mind that I would order it the moment it was released online... And I did, with it arriving just about a week after being shipped, safe and sound.

   Now, this isn't a blow to the company as a whole, but I do have a bit of frustration with ABH's customer service center - as far as how they handled talking to me about my order. The day I expected my order to ship out, I received an email that my order was canceled and I would be refunded my money... I called the customer service number to investigate what the issue was, since the email didn't specify, and was told my bank canceled the order seconds after the representative pulled up the order. I panicked, because I work so hard to keep track of all my finances and knew I had the funds to make this purchase, but clearly something was wrong. Right?
   I call my bank and express my concern with what had happened, asking why they canceled the order. I was then told that they did not cancel the order and was emailed a screen shot of the representatives screen, showing how the funds had gone through and on their end everything was 100% approved. They advised I call Anastasia Beverly Hills back and find out the true reason, and to contact the bank again with any information that may concern them/my account... I called ABH back and explained to them what the previous representative had told me and also that the bank did not cancel the funds. Basically, I was bounced around from one person to another with everyone blaming other representatives for the false information that I was given about my funds, my order, and the time frames I was given... Why I'm mentioning this, and what really bothered me, was that no one would take responsibility and was mad at me for being told the wrong information... ?!?!... I was being as sweet as humanly possible to the representatives... ?!?!... In the end, I reordered my palette over the phone and the money cancel itself out on my card a week later.

    Lets talk about this lovely packaging! Perfectly pastel, velvety pink covers the entire palette - other than the ingredients label on the back. The lid is magnetized nicely, and inside there was a plastic slip covering the brush and eyeshadows while the mirror had a plastic protective film stuck to it. I'm not a fan of the duel ended brush because it is more like two fluffy brushes and the "packing" side is hard to pack on color without a good bit of fallout, not to mention the hairs fall out on the blending side with ease. I expected more from a brush made by ABH, but I know many palette brushes tend to be of less quality. Also, the mirror is really nice, but I do wish it was a tad bit bigger... Is what it is because I still use both when on the go.

   The eyeshadows in this palette are beautiful, with a variety of velvet-like textures - fitting the palette thus far - with the only exception being Love Letter. I am not sure if the pigment being so intense causes this less-smooth texture, or if it somehow reacted to the spritz of alcohol I spray over all my new palettes while sanitizing them. I would also like to note that I have read some people that are more pale have experienced minor skin tinting from the highly pigmented shades in this palette, but it did fade away shortly after; this is why I always recommend a primer or some sort of base between shadows and skin... The colors when worn are identical to the shades in the pan, which adds to how universally flattering these eyeshadow colors are. Very easy for both natural and bold looks!
   Also, there won't be any swatches during my ~palette week~ since the swatch photos disappeared and now my skin is acting up... I'm sorry.

   As you know, I do not rate eyeshadow palettes... But I love the Modern Renaissance palette and am fully enjoying trying new looks with shades that I haven't really believed I could pull-off until now! I'm so thrilled to have this palette in my collection, especially with colors like Buon Fresco, Vermeer, Venetian Red, Antique Bronze, Love Letter, Warm Taupe, and Cyprus Umber - so, half the dang palette, but these shades in particular are my absolute favorites... I really recommend looking up the works of art that helped to inspire Anastasia Beverly Hills to create this palette - you might be surprised how much you recognize, even if you aren't into art at all!

Note: Ingredients for this palette can be found HERE!

*This post is in no way sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

xoxo Elle

Swamp Queen #BunnyXTarte

    Shout-out to Tarte Cosmetics for not only having faith in a YouTuber, but for the fact it is our beloved Bunny (aka Grav3yardGirl), to collaborate with and create two Lip Paints and an eyeshadow palette! When I caught on to the hush-hush about the launch of the limited edition Swamp Queen collection, I text several friends in excitement who I know also consider themselves to be part of the Swamp Family... I missed the pre-launch, but snagged this dream-come-true on the first online launch via Tarte's website and it arrived safe and sound a few days later.   Another shout-out to Tarte for shipping next day even with the site crashing. I think you handled the launch the best you could and I am just grateful to have been a part of it!
   I do want to address that, even now that the single day launches of the collection on the Tarte, Ulta, and Sephora websites have come and gone, I still see a lot of people saying that the Swamp Queen palette doesn't resemble Bunny... The moment I saw the collection (colors, packaging, names, etc), it reminded me of the Swamp Family and who Bunny/Grav3yardGirl is - past, present, and even future - especially after her swatch video where she took the time to talk to all of us about the entire process (from her end)... Maybe the people complaining tend to not pay much attention to her as a person, or rather beyond her themed videos, but whatever it is... We should all be proud of and excited for Bunny.

    Other than the wonderful mirror, I think my absolute favorite part of this palette is the woodgrain texture packaging (box and palette itself). The font and alligator inset into the top of the packaging really ties the theme together, and the photograph and bio for Bunny on the back of the box are perfect for those that aren't familiar with who she is - absolutely love the photo choice. Inside the box, along with the palette, is a small insert with a "day and night" eye look using the palette... The Swamp Queen palette is the perfect weight and magnet strength (for the lid to stay closed but not be impossible to open), and the size is very convenient in my opinion. There is a clear, plastic insert protecting the products (a bronzer, blush, highlight, and nine eyeshadows) and brush; the brush that came with this palette is my all time favorite from any other palette brush I've ever used - props to Tarte, because it is good for packing, shaping, AND blending.

   In every photo/video I have seen of the swatches for this palette, the colors look different... I'm a horrible blogger and do not have swatches for you all because the photos I did take magically disappeared from my phone and the flashdrive I had them saved on. I have since returned this palette (we will discuss why in a moment), so I have no way of posting swatches for you until I have time to run to Ulta and swatch the display palette...   I'm sorry...   But back to the actual product!

   Before I even swatched any of the colors, the (much) strong(er than I expected) scent of sweet milk chocolate filled the air when I opened the lid and started to admire the colors, but the scent faded to a much more pleasant level after a few moments of airing out. The eyeshadows swatched beautifully with a brush and with my finger - consistent, pigmented to heaven, and smooth - whereas the blush and bronzer were patchy, in my opinion, when swatched with my finger and after some wear (when applied with a brush) they became patchy on my face... I'm not big into bronzer because I tan extremely well and just don't feel the need for it, and thanks to this I am very selective with what bronzers I recommend. It is a similar case with blush, since the broken blood vessels on my cheeks make it look like I'm wearing blush (when I wear foundation) on most days, I don't feel the need to wear it often (even though I love it)... These two just weren't my cup of tea.
   I do love seeing people of all different colors wearing looks from this palette and seeing how brilliantly versatile it is!
   Now when it comes to the highlighter, I am totally in love - it is beautiful and the highlight (pun intended) of this palette... I usually don't go for much gold, or any glitter, in my highlight but I would buy this if it was sold individually in a heartbeat! It is great for both subtle and bold looks, and I honestly believe it is a great formula/color for people wanting to highlight for the first time to try... The eyeshadows are ~predominantly~ a breath of fresh air, since most of the shades stray from what seems to be in every single palette launched thus far in 2016. I knew there would be quite a bit of glitter in this palette but it is honestly too much for me - I felt it affected the blendability of colors more than expected from a Tarte eyeshadow... Personal preference, for the most part... My favorite shades in the Swamp Queen palette are #SFS, Haunting, and Uncommon and hope to find the perfect dupes for them soon!
   Okay, so earlier I mentioned that I returned this palette... I'm not sure if its due to there being so much glitter that it caused some sort of irritation and/or my condition being its usual sensitive self, but I had a poor reaction to the eyeshadows. I tried the palette for a few looks for review purposes, and the fact it was designed by Grav3yardGirl and Tarte Cosmetics (two of my lifetime favs), but between not being as blown away as I expected to be and the odd reaction I was having - I returned the palette a few days before this post went live.

   As I have stated in the past, I don't rate palettes because I find them to be so subjective (plus the fact many are manufactured differently and yours can be quite different than mine in one way or another) but I really am happy about the Swamp Queen palette... I am happy for Bunny, Tarte Cosmetics, the Swamp Family, and that I got to play with this palette and try out some fun, and genuinely unique, colors. Would I have kept it if I didn't have a reaction? Not sure. I would like to think so, even for collecting purposes! Even though I am probably the only person who wasn't 100% satisfied with this palette, but I can live with that.
   Are you loving this collaboration, straight from the swamp? Were you able to get your hands on the Swamp Family Lip Paint? (Yes, I will be talking about the Texas Toast shade - I didn't pick up the coveted red shade because I have SO MANY RED LIPSTICKS and I needed to be a smart shopper.)   Tell me all about your feels in the comments or on Instagram!

Note: The ingredients to this vegan friendly palette can be found HERE.

*This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own.*

xoxo Elle