Lorac : Party Eye Shadow Palette {Ulta Exclusive}

Happy New Year, angels, and a Merry Tenth Day of Christmas, too!  If you're celebrating all the way up to Three King's Day on Tuesday, and are needing to elevate your holiday eye look, I might take a peek at Lorac's new Party Palette (released exclusively at Ulta on December 26). 

It Cosmetics *Naturally Pretty Celebration* limited edition eyeshadow palette - Holiday 2014

Hello Twinklings, and Happy Saturday!!  I've been playing around with the It Cosmetics *Naturally Pretty Celebration* palette lately, and just wanted to share some quick thoughts and a few ideas as to what you might do with it!

The dazzling aurora of holographic shimmers arcing across the palette's face are obviously what first captivated me (SHINY, NEED), and might seemingly suggest a more standard holiday palette: flamboyant, jewel-studded, brilliant, and bright.  However, It Cosmetics entertains a more subtle take on the season's delights with a cozy and comforting matte collection, plus a shimmer eyeshadow veil for creating lustrous "transformations", such as they are.  It's the cashmere sweater of holiday palettes, and despite the adorable, festive names, is equally cuddly and comfy as the seasons change.

Lorac *The Royal* holiday eye shadow palette set

Hello there, princesses!  Seeking some shimmering shadows for your next royal ball?   Well good, because PRINCESSES ONLY*; we're talking about *The Royal* Eye Shadow Palette Set, after all.  (*Princesses-at-heart absolutely do count.  Welcome to Tiny Twinklings, Your Highness.)

I think I'll let the pictures do the heavy lifting in this post, since there are quite a few of them, and also because I'm feeling lazy after all dis photographing :P  Several of you have asked for eyeshadow looks to go with your eyeshadow swatches in the past, so I've been having a go at it lately.  Has it been helpful for you?  If this kind of post is working for you, or if there is something you would like to see, pretty please let me know in the comments so that I can optimize these reviews for you.  Because hey, my readers really are royalty around here!  ♥

Crowns of Copenhagen

This set hasn't received much press at all, though by merit of its packaging alone one would think it should.  These crowns look exactly like the three kroner that stack in a spire over every old government building in Copenhagen, and the ones imprinted on the Danish krone coins.  The colors also remind me of the Rosenborg summer castle interior; I lived four blocks away from the slot during my time in the Danish capital so it is a fond place for me.  I often walked, picnicked, and sketched in the castle grounds; once we even did a zealous group workout on the lawns.  Just imagine, a whole bunch of us out there in front of a fairytale Renaissance castle, doing lunges and pushups and planks... in honor of the Queen, of course.  Anyways, these palettes are kind of nostalgic for me, so I was bound and determined to own this set, even if the colors aren't wildly unique or imaginative.  This regal collection full of precious metals is quite perfectly suited to holiday soirées and parties, or anytime you just need a little glamour in your life and on your lids.

Rosenborg Castle

♔ * ♥ * ♔

bareMinerals *Holiday 2014* The BIG TOP

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and step right up!  Prepare yourselves for splendor, wonderment, and a spectacle the likes of which you have never imagined!  I present, for your fascination and delight... it's the "20-piece blockbuster color collection" that will take your breath away, and it's brought to us for a limited time only by bareMinerals... it's the one... the only... *The Big Top*!!

The Body Shop: Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes in "Frosted Pastels" & "Dolly Pastels"

Everybody has been killing it on the holiday box, set, & palette packaging this year (and by "it" I mean me and my wallet), so I don't know if I can truthfully say that these are the CUTEST HOLIDAY PALETTES EVER, but darn if they don't come close!!  But then, I do love me a good snowflake sweater print.  ♥  The Body Shop is fairly new to cosmetics, but I thought these little four-pan eyeshadow palettes were a great effort!  Shimmery and bright, with their quaint cozy print, they're just the sweetest little snow bunny palettes.  Best for: bright white winter days spent sledding, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows (ahem marshmallows with cocoa), making snow angels, and cuddling.

ILNP "Black Orchid" // Lorac - The Elegant Orchid Collection swatches

Hello, dolls!  It's ORCHID DAY here on *Tiny Twinklings*, or at least, I have a few orchid things to show you!  ILNP "Black Orchid" and the Lorac Elegant Orchid Collection are not at all affiliated, but I was wearing "Black Orchid" when I found the Lorac box at Kohl's yesterday and I was like, well THIS is happening.  I adore orchids, so I've been loving all of the Radiant Orchid-ness inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year.  I was an orchid mommy once, but although I loved my orchid baby very much it was much too delicate for my hapless, erratic plant mothering :(  I'm probably better off with orchid lips and tips (or rather, the orchids are better off that way).
 

my erstwhile Phalaenopsis orchid <3

Essence Cosmetics : Dark Romance Collection

Calling all vampires!!  Essence's Dark Romance Collection is all about thrilling trysts in Gothic castles, and forbidden love in haunted ruins... Jane Austen's wide-eyed heroine Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey would be all about this, what with her naive fascination with Gothic novels bordering on hallucinatory obsession.  The Brontë sisters would undoubtedly approve as well.  But do be sure to accessorize properly with a shadowy gloss and unearthly lacquer when you curl up with Wuthering Heights, or maybe Jane Eyre, for a good October thrill... ;)  A spiced tea will be in order as well.  Purrrrr...

As Essence is a German company, the Dark Romance Collection was actually released as early as January 2014 in various parts of Europe (definitely Poland and Romania), but only just debuted in the United States.  According to the Essence website it was supposed to be a September limited edition release, but it only hit my local Fred Meyers on October 2 so it would seem that schedule has been pushed back a month.  I immediately pounced on every item Fred Meyer is carrying (except for the tattoos, they were a bit too biker chick for my taste) though the full collection also has one more each of the eyeshadow quad, lipstick ("Painted Love"), and nail polish (a gray), as I recall.  Ah well, I'll take whatever I can get!  I LOVE Essence's Limited Edition collections (though I rarely get to avail myself of them, seeing as they are available so sparingly in the U.S.); they do them monthly, and yet they are always consummately imaginative and original.  The themes are quite wide-ranging and the packaging is always adorable.  Not only that, the products generally quite excellent (at minimum, they are above average for a drugstore line), and are amazingly inexpensive!!  So much love for this brand, I has.

Oh, you demand to see this stupendously seductive collection, do you?  Well, okay.

 ...

Butter London : Top of the Pops box swatches [[ La Moss, Toff, & Earl Grey winks and lacquers and lippies, oh my ]]

Hey there, gorgeous!  Today I have for you an awesome limited edition box from Butter London that is currently on sale for $19 at Ulta.  I don't imagine that it will be around for much longer so if you like any of the colors I wouldn't wait to snap this one up.  Any University of Montana Griz fans in the house?!?  You're going to looovvve this box, with its chic shades of silver and maroon that really are great (GRRrreat, that is) for any occasion but are especially perfect for game day.  Go Griz!!!  <3

The Top of the Pops *Greatest Hits* box includes a Lippy liquid lipstick in "Toff" ($18), nail lacquer in "La Moss" ($15), a Scrubber 2-in-2 Prep & Remover Wipe ($1), Wink cream eye shadow in "Earl Grey" ($18), and a Wink eye pencil, also in "Earl Grey" ($18).  So you can see, this is truly a fabulous deal!

Butter London : Top of the Pops box

Clinique : Party Pretty Box {shadow palette, chubby stick for lips, mascara, quickliner for eyes, nail enamel, eye cream}

Happy weekend, goddesses!  If you haven't already, it's about time that you heard about Clinique's Limited Edition box for Fall 2014, Party Pretty.  I couldn't believe what an amazing deal this is, and was delighted that it includes some favorites of mine.

Clinique Party Pretty

 

Nyx : Simply Vamp Lip Cream : "Enamored" & "Temptress"

I've always been fascinated by plum lips.  It's totally not me, really; my usual lip look is peachy, rosy, and buoyant.  But you know what, there are times when you just need to let your bad self reign.  And when it comes to sultry and seductive, there really is no better time than autumn.  Bring on the vamp.

Nyx "Enamored", "Temptress" // Essie "Sable Collar" // Essence "Time for Romance"

Nyx "Enamored", "Temptress" // Essie "Sable Collar" // Essence "Time for Romance"

Stila: Eyes Are The Window "Spirit" [eyeshadow palette]

Happy weekend!!  Today is one of those idyllic early autumn days, with a most perfectly pure periwinkle sky saturating the blushing landscape with sunshine and contentment.  It's a treasure of a day.  And speaking of treasures...

Stila: Eyes Are The Window "Spirit"

...witness Stila "Spirit", a mystical eyeshadow palette sheathed in an luxe metallic compact of romantic rose gold and opulent white gold.  Something about this particular palette has the feel of prophecies and mysterious magic to me, like fate parting the mist before you.  Wistful and ethereal, this Eyes Are The Window installment so elegantly illustrates the element of spirit in shimmering mists, roses, and precious metals.

Stila: Eyes Are The Window "Spirit"

Butter London: Brick Lane Collection "Dubs" & "Twigged" ( & "Marrow", for good measure )

I obviously would like to be a princess, but I have to admit: living with royalty is exhausting.  I know this because I live with my dog May, and May is quite confident that she is queen.  Like the other day, I had just returned from a run and was serenely doing pigeon stretch when all of a sudden I feel this furry flop on my leg, and there's May stubbornly nesting down in the most ungainly fashion possible.  I kind of huffed at her incredulously, and she just looked at me like, "quiet, fool, I am napping now".  The pups get sassy when they do not feel that they have gotten enough pettings, though to judge by the state of my leggings that clearly can not be the case.  May is queen and she'll flop where she wants, and that's that, humans.

May: "You're on my spot."

Among polish, however, it's Butter London that's queen.  Butters have been a special favorite of mine since the dawn of my polish obsession.  Butter London's "Brick Lane" Collection for Fall 2014 brings together a healthy mix of existing favorites and brand-new beauties.  Returning Butters are "British Racing Green" from the Fashionista's Favorites Fall/Winter 2009 collection, and "Ladybird" from this February's New York Fashion Week and also Summer 2014's Lolly Brights collection, along with "Ladybird" Liquid Lipstick and "Twigged" Wink Cream Eyeshadow from the Boho Rock Spring 2014 collection.  New Butters in a range of harvest hues are "Cor Blimey", "Bric-A-Brac", "Brick Lane", and of course, "Dubs", plus a multitude of mascaras, lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadow creams, eyeliners, cheek tints, etc.

Butter London "Dubs" & "Twigged"

Stila: "In The Light" vs. Eyes Are The Window "Soul" {eyeshadow palette comparison}

Do you think there are fairies in the desert?  Whenever I think of faerie folk, I generally envision them as feisty and frolicking in a verdant forest setting, where magic could masquerade all around and one might never know.  Somehow a stark desert expanse, simmering under a relentless sun, seems much too exposed for the shy elfin peoples.  And yet... can't you kind of imagine sand fairies with wispy mirage wings that fluff about in the sandstorms and create those mesmerizing ripples across the dunes??  Maybe?

Stila "Soul" [top] vs. "In The Light" [bottom]

Well anyways, these palettes reminded me of sun-drenched sands and bronzed beaches, and they are also fairly magical.  One of the lovely ladies at my local Ulta warned me that I wasn't going to be able to resist the packaging of Stila's 20th Anniversary collection, and she was right, I was not.   The new compacts are positively transcendent; exquisite and elemental with a mirrored metallic finish of rose, white, and yellow golds.  I can't even.  Just take my money.