A Look at the Studio Gear Cosmetics Holiday Smoky Eye Palette

**Get it here!  Use code SGHOLIDAY for 10% off!**

I was lucky enough to be chosen through BrandBacker to receive the new Studio Gear Cosmetics Holiday Smoky Eye Palette, just in time for the holiday season!  This palette is full of gorgeous shimmery shades to add a little sparkle to any holiday look.  

The first thing I noticed is that the packaging is lovely.  The outer sleeve is elegant and reminiscent of winter lights, and the actual product packaging is slim, sleek, and durable.  Beginners should also take note--this palette includes an instruction panel on the inside that teaches you how to achieve a perfect smoky eye for yourself!

The palette includes four eyeshadow shades and one blush shade.  The blush is a pretty and flattering peachy pink that will bring a natural flush of color to any face.  The four eyeshadow shades can be worn separately or combined together to create a stunning smoky look.  The palette’s frost shade is a sheer shimmery white (perfect for a snowy holiday look) that can be used all over the lid or as a highlighter.  The silver shade in the palette is the most pigmented, and probably my favorite of the bunch.  It is a sultry, shimmery shade that glides on effortlessly and will compliment every eye color.  The palette also includes a sheer gold shimmer that is beautiful as an accent color, and a smoky black with a hint of glitter for adding drama to the look.

Swatches of all palette colors without primer.  The Frost and Gold shades are pretty similar to my skin tone so they don't show up quite as well!

This is a quality palette that is versatile, easy to use, and perfect for the holidays!  With a major sale on the palette going on here (and with an additional 10% off with the code SGHOLIDAY), I see no reason to pick one up now as a gift for yourself or a friend!

Have you used this or other Studio Gear cosmetics before?  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments!

Note:  This post was sponsored by BrandBacker. The only compensation received was a free sample provided by Studio Gear Cosmetics.  

Review: Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow

OVERALL RATING: 6/10

PROS:  Easy to apply, nice color selection, stays on all day, very pigmented color

CONS:  Feels a bit gritty after a while, difficult to remove, hard to get it to look exactly right


As you can probably tell by some of my previous posts, I'm a little bit of a Maybelline addict.  I've been really happy with the new products that they've been coming out with lately, so it was only natural that I would try to go out and find their newest cosmetic item.  The Eye Studio® Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow (which is quite the mouth full) was out of stock for a while at my local drugstores, but on a recent shopping trip--which, if you're like me, is originally intended for food and other necessities, but ends up turning into a makeup haul--the display was fully stocked.  I couldn't resist, and grabbed some of the Color Tattoo shadow in Pomegranate Punk.  I went home and put it on right away.  Sadly, I have to say that this product didn't quite live up to the recent Maybelline hype.

Look: Golden Gradient with the Naked Palette

I'm still having a total blast playing around with my Naked Palette, and today I'm back with a look that I created the other day.  This is a pretty, subtle look which creates an ombre effect that will make your eyes look bigger and brighter.  It looks natural so it's perfect for everyday wear, and it's extremely easy and quick to do!

Golden Gradient

1. Prime the eyelid with an eyeshadow primer, liquid foundation, or concealer.
2. With a flat/c-shaped eyeshadow brush, apply Smog to the outer half of the lid.
3. With the same brush, apply Half-Baked to the inner half of the lid.
4. With the same brush, apply Darkhorse lightly to the outer corner of the lid.
5. With the same brush, apply Virgin to the inner corner of the lid.
6. With a domed/fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply Naked to the brow bone.
7. With the same brush in step 6, apply Virgin just under the eyebrow.
8. Starting about 2/3 of the way in on your eyelid, thinly line your upper lash line with a black liner, thickening the line just slightly at the outer corner of the lid (I used Maybelline Eye Studio® Lasting Drama™ Gel Eyeliner).
9. With the same liner (or a pencil, if you prefer), line your waterline.
10. Apply mascara (I used Covergirl's Lashblast Fusion), and you're finished!

That's all there is to it!  Since this is such a natural look, you can pair this eye with a slightly more colorful lip.  I've found that it looks beautiful with my NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine in Rivington Rose, which is a medium pink shade.

Feel free to share how this look works for you in the comments!  

Look: Subtle, Pretty "Green With Envy" Eye

The other day, I did a review on the Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow, and as promised, I'm back with a look I created with one of the shadow quads!  This look uses the "Green With Envy" quad, and is a subtle and pretty look.  This is a super quick and easy look, great for mornings when you don't feel like putting much effort in or want something you can do in under five minutes.  All of the colors were used dry here;  if the colors aren't intense enough for your tastes, just wet your brush a bit and you'll get all the pigmentation you need!

Subtle,  Pretty "Green With Envy" Eye

1. Prime the eyelid with an eyeshadow primer, liquid foundation, or concealer.
2. **I skipped this step in the above photos, but if you'd like a slightly more dramatic look, take the darkest shade in the quad and apply it along the upper lash line, slightly thicker than you would apply eyeliner.**
3. With a flat/c-shaped eyeshadow brush, take the bright green (second from the right) color and pat it on to the outer half of the lid, bringing the color just a tiny bit past time middle of the lid.
4. With the same type of brush used in step three, take the darker golden (second from the left) color and pat it onto the inner half of the lid.  In the middle of the lid, where the two colors meet, blend the gold over/into the green in an outward sweeping motion.
5. Using a small precision brush, take the bright green color and apply it on the outer half of the lower lash line.
6. Using the same brush in step 5, take the deeper golden color and apply it to the inner half of the lower lash line, blending in the middle where it meets the green.
7. Using a flat/c-shaped OR domed/fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply the lightest color in the quad to the brow bone and the inner corners of the eyes.
8. Line the upper lash line with a liquid liner (I used the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner Pen in Black), and the waterline with a pencil/crayon liner (I used the Revlon Colorstay Crayon in Black).
9. Apply mascara (I used Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion), and you're done!

I hope you guys like this look as much as I do!  Leave a comment to let me know how it works for you!

Review: Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow

OVERALL RATING:  9/10

PROS:  Fantastic pigmentation, great color selection, well-coordinated colors, silky-soft shadows, great shimmer, easy to blend

CONS:  Poor packaging quality

Having green eyes means that there are a few certain color palettes that can really make your eyes pop, with shades of purple being one of the best selections.  I always try to keep some purple shadow in my makeup case for days when I want to really play up my eye color.  When I ran out of my last purple eyeshadow from L'oreal (which I really wasn't crazy about), I headed over to the drugstore to pick up some more.  I usually do well with Maybelline products, so I looked over their selection, and picked up their Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow in Virtually Violet (formerly known as "Purple Icon") on a whim.  When I tried it the next day, I was blown away.  I immediately went out and bought two more colors that same evening.

I had never used a drugstore-brand product that I was actually THRILLED about until I found this eyeshadow.  When I dipped my brush into the pan for the first time, I was shocked at how much shadow was immediately picked up--I didn't have to scrape and struggle to get it onto my brush!  When I swept the color onto my lids, I was even more excited.  The colors are so pigmented that they appear on my lids EXACTLY the same as they look in the pans.  The colors smooth on like butter.  The shadow is so soft, and glides effortlessly over the eyelid.  Blending them is a breeze--you can use the shadows to create a beautiful ombre effect on your lids.  I would go so far as to compare these shadows to the shadows from my Urban Decay Naked Palette;  Yeah, they're that good.

The Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow comes in a total of 12 different color combinations, each coordinated for a beautiful look with a variety of shades.  I personally own Virtually Violet, Green With Envy (which I happen to be wearing right now), and Mad for Mauve, and I definitely want to get more.  The shadows come in quads, and can easily be blended together or worn separately for a wide variety of looks.

All of the shadows in this collection are shimmery, so if you prefer matte shades, you probably want to look for something else.  The shimmer is certainly not overwhelming, but is definitely noticeable, and draws attention to your eyes.  

Here are some swatches from the sets I own.  Note that all of these were applied dry;  when wet, the colors become even more intense! 

Virtually Violet

Green With Envy

Mad for Mauve

The lightest shade in this set happens to be extremely close to my skin color.  It shows up much better than this on darker skin!

The bottom line is that these shadows are fantastic.  Before I got the Naked Palette for Christmas, these were the shadows I wore every day, and now I alternate between the two.  The major difference in quality between these shadows and the Naked Palette is found in the packaging.  The Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow packaging is made of really cheap plastic.  I have to handle it pretty gingerly because I feel it might crack or break apart at any second.  Really, though, this is a minor detail for such an awesome product.  I adore these shadows, and I HIGHLY recommend them for anyone who wants high-end quality on a drugstore budget.

These shadow sets retail for between $7 and $10, and you can find them at virtually any drugstore in the U.S. that sells makeup.  Visit Maybelline's website for more information or to buy!

I will definitely be posting looks/tutorials for the shadows I own in the near future, so stay tuned!  For any of you that own other colors of the Eye Studio® Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow, feel free to share your experiences or photos in the comments!

Look: Golden Smoky Eye with the Naked Palette

Since I got it a few days ago, I have been totally unable to keep my hands off of my Naked Palette.  Playing with the colors is a blast, and I love being able to create so many different neutral-toned looks.  I was able to create a nice-looking, simple smoky eye this morning, and I thought I would share!  It looks fairly similar to the look created in my Naked Palette review, but if you look closely, you can see that the this one is more shimmery and gold-toned.  Here's the look and how I did it:

Golden Smoky Eye

1. Prime the eyelid with an eyeshadow primer, liquid foundation, or concealer.
2. With a flat/c-shaped eyeshadow brush, pat Half-Baked all over the lid.
3. With a domed/fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply Smog to the crease and lower brow bone, blending upwards.
4. With the same brush, apply Darkhorse to the crease, then to the outer corner of the eye in a v-shape.
5. With the brush used in Step 2, lightly blend Half-Baked over the newly created dark crease.
6. Apply Sin just under the eyebrow and in the inner corner of the lid.
7. Use a black liner to line the upper lash line and the waterline.  With a small precision or eyeliner brush, use Darkhorse to go over the liner in small, upward-angled strokes.
8. Line the lower lash line with a dark brown eyeliner.  Use the same brush from Step 7 to smoke up the liner by running Darkhorse over it.
9. Apply a coat or two of mascara, and you're done!

Be sure to let me know what you think of this look, and what looks you might like to see from me in the future!  Try it out for yourself, and let me know how it goes in the comments!

Review/Look: Urban Decay Naked Palette!

OVERALL RATING:  9.5/10


PROS:  Beautiful colors, sophisticated packaging, comes with UD Primer Potion and Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush, creates a multitude of looks, includes mattes, shimmers, and glitters, shadows are silky smooth, colors work for almost everyone.

CONS:  Shadows appear best when used with a primer; without a primer, shadows aren't very strong.


Like many other makeup addicts, the Urban Decay Naked Palette is something I've been lusting after for quite a while now.  My college student budget doesn't really allow for $50 makeup splurges, though, so I had to do without... Until, that is, this palette showed up on Christmas.  I had decided to add the original Naked Palette to my wish list this year, even though the Naked 2 had just been released.  The colors in the original palette looked better to me, and it seemed to include a bit more variety.  I think I made a good choice, although I would still love to get my hands on a Naked 2!

The first thing I noticed upon unwrapping my lovely gift was the packaging.  Urban Decay really knows how to make a product look and feel deluxe!  The palette came packed in a purple velvet tray, with the included primer potion next to it.  The palette case itself is also a soft velvet, with gold lettering.  As someone who is used to drugstore cosmetics (and therefore, drugstore packaging), it was a thrill to hold a makeup item in my hands that was clearly in a high-quality package.  The lid on the palette is magnetic, so it will snap closed, protecting the shadows while they're not in use.

The shadows themselves are gorgeous.  The palette ranges from a very light--almost white--color called Virgin, to the darkest grey and black shades, Gunmetal and Creep respectively.  The palette includes two matte shades, Naked and Buck, while the rest are more shimmery.  The range of shades allows for a multitude of looks, all with a beautiful neutral theme.  I wanted to swatch the colors for this post, but due to my extremely pale winter skin, about half of the shadows didn't even show up on my arm (although they show up beautifully on my lids!).  To see some great swatches, check out this blog.

The shadows can be picked up very easily with a brush;  a light sweep over the pan will pick up enough color to pat over the majority of the lid.  The colors are striking, especially when used with the included primer potion.  The UD Primer Potion is rather expensive, though, and there are other alternatives to this.  Foundation or concealer applied to the eyelid will produce a similar effect, and ELF makes an eyeshadow primer for only about $3 (see here).  Without a primer, the colors are much more sheer and don't show up quite as well.  With a primer to cling to, the shades really pop and provide incredible color, and they last all day with no problems.

The thing I love the most about these shadows is that they actually feel nice to wear.  They are silky and soft, and putting them on is quite the pleasant experience.

I'm no makeup artist, but I was pretty proud of the look I was able to accomplish the first time I used the Naked palette.  The pictures below were taken in the evening, after I wore the look for an entire day, which shows off the shadows' staying power.  I went for a lighter, smoky bronze look, and here are the results:

(My apologies for the shadow from my finger on the first photo!)

Here's how I created this look:

1. Prime the lid with UD Primer potion (or equivalent, see above).
2. With a flat/c-shaped eyeshadow brush, pat Toasted all over the lid.
3. With a domed/fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply Buck to the crease, and blend up onto the lower brow bone.
4. With the same brush, take Hustle and apply it directly into the crease and the outer corner of the lid.
5. With a smaller precision brush, apply Creep to the outer corner of the eyelid in a V-shape.  Blend it in with the brush used to apply Buck.
6. Apply Virgin just under the brow and to the inner corner of the eye.
7. Line the upper lash line with a black liner.  For a smokier look, go over the liner with Hustle, or Creep for a darker look, blending very slightly upwards.
8. Apply a black or black/brown liner to the lower lash line and waterline.  Smoke it up a bit by applying Hustle to over the liner under the lower lashes.
9. If the look turned out dark for your tastes, you can add a bit of a highlight by dabbing on Sin to the middle of the lid.
10. Mascara!

It may seem like a lot of steps, but it's really very simple, and creates a nice look for everyday wear that can easily transition into the evening.  

Overall, if you're a person who likes wearing neutral shades, I'd say this palette is a must-have.  You can create looks with it for all situations, and the looks will last all day.  This is a fantastic palette that is well worth the splurge!