The Fancy Face: 2015

Nov 23, 2015

SWATCHES & REVIEW | Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette

Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette

An eye shadow palette with 24 highly-bold shades, remixed from Kat Von D’s fan favorite Mi Vida Loca palette.

Go crazy for color with 24 new high-pigment eye shadows in a palette inspired by vintage vinyls. With a striking combination of technicolor brights and everyday neutrals, this palette proves that there’s no shade too bold or combination too daring. It features an inner wheel of seven nudes and neutrals surrounded by an outer wheel of 17 vivid brights. Discover how to rock three stand-out and insanely vibrant looks on the illustrated insert. Each is named for one of Kat’s cult favorite Studded Kiss Lipstick shades.

The name of this palette comes from one of Kat’s favorite tattoos, meaning “My Crazy Life” in Spanish. Like all Kat Von D Beauty products, the eye shadows in this palette were not tested on animals.

Kat asked her fans to name their all-time favorite Kat Von D palette. And the winner was….Mi Vida Loca. This holiday’s new hit, Mi Vida Loca Remix, features brand new shades inspired by the bold brights from Kat’s former bestselling palette. The packaging features original portrait drawn by Kat Von D herself.

Muse – lilac purple Rewind – aubergine

Echo – purple glitter Destroyer – bright strawberry

Dark Wave – deep navy Swoon – fuchsia

Synth – electric blue Löve – shimmery rose

Hyperballad – sea blue Anthem – purple

Lemmy – grass green Vox – chocolate brown

Misfit – kelly green Moulder – butter yellow

Vinyl – neon green Noble – nude

Legend – golden yellow Skulls – iridescent pearl

Fran – deep mustard yellow Black Metal – matte black

Analogue – burnt orange Lyric – white pearl

Harpsichord – metallic bronze Strutter – taupe

Size: 24 x 0.04 oz

Price: US $59.00

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The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette retails for $59 for 24 x 0.04 oz of product. For reference typical small eyeshadows on the market are 0.05 oz each - think MAC and Urban Decay eyeshadow pans.

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette is on the higher side of the price spectrum this holiday season....however, it also contains more eyeshadows (both in shades and size) than the typical eyeshadow palette. This palette is competitively priced alongside other mid-end brands on the market. Similar priced palettes contain a few less eyeshadows and overall amount of product so you are getting value here PLUS variety.

One thing to note, is that this palettes does not come with a bonus item such as an eyeshadow brush or deluxe primer sample, etc. Some more pricey palettes do include these add-ons which somewhat 'balance out' the price. There is, however, a look book which shows a few inspired looks with guides on how to achieve each look from the shades in the palette.

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette is currently available for purchase in store and online at the following location:

Exclusively at Sephora Stores and on the Sephora website

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette palette has a vinyl record themed design bringing to mind images of vintage record players and new age turntables! The palette itself is a two part hard cardboard design with a decorated sheath and a pull out insert where the eyeshadows are housed.

The outer sheath features a colorful drawing by Kat Von D herself and the usual tattoo designs and font that we have come to love from the edgier brand. On the back of this outer case is a picture of the eyeshadows and their names in the vinyl inspired layout.

The eyeshadows are arranged in 2 rings on a flat black background - a smaller one inside the other larger one. The outer circle features the colorful shades laid out in a rainbow or color wheel pattern with similar colors next to each other. In the center we have the neutral everyday shades. Each eyeshadow is labelled with it's name in signature Kat Von D silver font. It can get quite dizzying to follow the names around in a circle...try it!

While the palette design is artistic and quite beautiful, it is heavy and bulky and honestly quite cumbersome to use. The insert is large and inconvenient when compared to other palette designs that we are used to. There is no mirror, no lid, no bueno! I get it though....yes it's creative and artistic expression...but at the end of the day it needs to be usable! I certainly didn't just buy it to look at it right?

If you are a collector then you will find some beauty in the presentation. But for us regular makeup lovers and users, we kinda need it to be functional. It's gonna have to be a thumbs down for me on the packaging.

"With a striking combination of technicolor brights and everyday neutrals, this palette proves that there’s no shade too bold or combination too daring. It features an inner wheel of seven nudes and neutrals surrounded by an outer wheel of 17 vivid brights."

COLORS/SHADES

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette has a great variety of shades with a mix of neutrals in the center ring with a rainbow of shades in the outer ring - yellows, oranges, purples, reds, greens, blues. This is a well thought out selection of colors to please the color lover or a neutral babe venturing into the colorful world.

TEXTURE & FINISH

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette feature various finishes from matte to satin and shimmery frost shades. There are quite a few matte shades here which is not the norm for palettes much less holiday edition palettes. The shimmery shades are also more subtle in sheen rather than being high frost metallic shades. See the swatches for more....

PIGMENTATION

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette are overall nicely pigmented with/without a primer or eyeshadow base. We will talk more under the swatches and in the video.

APPLICATION & WEAR

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette are nice palettes with good color payoff and are blendable without being overly patchy. The mattes performed well without being dry or too powdery. They are not the smoothest, most creamy shades but they work well and show up well on the eyes. The shimmer shades performed well but a few needed layering for full pigmentation. I do suggest using an eyeshadow primer for the best results.

We will talk more under the swatches.

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette is a good makeup palette for the holidays with a great selection of colors and a neutral section to help with blending and accenting eyeshadow looks. The palette is a pricey one but you do get quite a bit of product here. The palette design, while artistic and beautiful, is impractical for everyday use and traveling....it is more of a display piece that a functional one. I had to subtract kudos and knock the grade down for the palette packaging....

GRADE: B+

Have you tried this palette? Interested?

Aug 20, 2015

SWATCHES | Stila Cosmetics Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes - Body, Mind, Spirit and Soul

Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes

Eyes are the window to the body, mind, spirit and soul.
This year, Stila celebrates 20 years of infinite style. Create endless looks with our new Eyes Are The Window™ shadow palettes. Inspired by the spiritual notion that true beauty is revealed from within, each palette is curated with 12 luxurious eye shadows to illuminate your inner beauty. Encased in exquisite, jewelry-inspired compacts-a precious mix of rose, yellow and white golds-the shadows will inspire intrigue and delight.

Each palette comes with a look book curated by Sarah Lucero, Stila’s Global Executive Director of Creative Artistry.

Size: 12 x 0.051 oz

Price: US $49.00

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The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes retail for $49 for 12 x 0.051 oz of product. Keep in mind that typical small eyeshadows on the market are 0.05 oz each - think MAC and Urban Decay eyeshadow pans.

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes fall middle of the road when it comes to price point and has a competitive price tag when compared to other mid-end makeup brands. They also contain the average amount of product for eyeshadow palettes with 12 eyeshadows at the same size as a full sized MAC or Urban Decay eyeshadow.

One thing to note, is that these palettes do not come with a bonus item such as an eyeshadow brush or deluxe primer sample, etc. Some more pricey palettes do include these add-ons which somewhat 'balance out' the price. There is, however, a look book in each box which shows a variety of inspired looks with guides on how to achieve each look from the shades in the palettes.

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes are currently available for purchase in store and online at the following locations:

Select Sephora Stores and on the Sephora website
Select Ulta Stores and on the Ulta website
On the Stila website
Any other location that sells Stila Cosmetics

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes come in beautiful metallic rose and yellow gold themed hard plastic palettes. Each palette is color coded with a different shade of gold or rose gold lid which makes it easier to differentiate among the 4 palettes.

Mind - white gold

Body - rose gold

Soul - yellow gold

Spirit - pale rose gold

Inside each palette is a full sized mirror (in the lid) and the eyeshadows (in the base) are housed in a gold grid of 4 rows and 3 columns. The lid itself opens via a hinge which pivots at a 120º angle rather a full 180º. This comes in handy when you use the mirror in palettes for makeup application.

The eyeshadows are not individually labeled with names inside the palette. However, there is a label on the back with all the eyeshadow names in the grid layout. Be careful not to flip the names (I only mention this because I did)....the names read as if your were looking at the eyeshadows from the top rather than matching them from the bottom....that may not confuse anyone else but myself :(

Another thing of note - the eyeshadow pans are embedded a bit deeper than the divider grid which actually helps to keep the extra powder from mixing into neighboring shades as you use the palette. Or maybe it's just me that can appreciate the separation? Yes? No? :)

While the palettes are gorgeous on display, they will hold on to fingerprints due to the metallic finish of the palettes. Some people may find this bothersome....but they are quite easy to wipe clean so I have no worries.

Oh yea....there's a clear protective plastic sheet inside each palette with a quote from a renaissance or modern scientist/engineer/philosopher/artist...'cause you know beauty and science and stuff *wink* ;)

Overall I think the jewel themed compacts were beautifully done and are solid without being bulky. There is a feel of luxury without the overly expensive price tag.

"Each palette inculdes 12 luxe eye shadows that range from calming, soft shades to smoky hues that can be mixed and matched and worn wet or dry."

COLORS/SHADES

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes come in 4 different color themes ranging from brights to neutrals. Overall the palettes tend to lean toward more wearable everyday shades rather than in your face brights.

Body: A colorful collection of 12 bright and neutral shades

Mind: A well-edited assortment of 12 matte eye shadows

Spirit: A stunning palette of 12 of Stila’s most iconic shades

Soul: A luxurious palette of 12 sumptuous, everyday eye shadows

TEXTURE & FINISH

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes feature various finishes from matte to satin to frost and glittery shades. The Mind palette is, however, an ALL matte palette.

PIGMENTATION

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes are overall nicely pigmented with/without a primer or eyeshadow base. The shimmer shades have the best color payoff with the matte/glitter hybrids being the least pigmented. We will talk more under the swatches.

APPLICATION & WEAR

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes are nice palettes with good color payoff and are blendable without being overly patchy. I did not have issues with fading or creasing when I used these palettes.

The glitter shades will undoubtedly have fall out so be careful when using these shades. The matte shades can be on the drier side so they do kick up some powder and can cause fall out as well.

The shimmer shades are the best performers and they are really creamy with excellent pigmentation. They are not highly frosted shades which is a plus for all ages, skin tones and tastes.

We will talk more under the swatches.

The Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palettes are some great palettes that don't get enough recognition. But alas in the ADHD world that is makeup what can we do? They are nicely pigmented and easy to work with. And they come in a good selection of wearable shades with a decent price point. I enjoy them a lot and I do recommend them....except maybe the Body palette.

Have you tried these palettes? Interested?

Aug 13, 2015

REVIEW & SWATCHES 💋 NEW SHADES Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick 💋

A long-wear, full-coverage liquid lipstick with a smooth, matte finish.

Drench lips in Kat’s extreme-pigment potion that redefines serious staying power. The full-coverage, long-lasting formula glides over lips like a gloss, but dries to a velvety, matte finish. Infused with nourishing vitamins A, C and E for added comfort, it won’t dry out or feather like other matte lipsticks. Go bold with daredevil brights, bare it all in neutral nudes or experiment with two-tone and ombré for undying expression.

Now with 16 additional, bold shades of Everlasting Liquid Lipstick for all-night wear, this innovative formula gives lips long-lasting wear and high-pigment color. Its creamy, color-rich formula glides over lips like a gloss but dries to a true matte finish. It’s infused with natural comfort-enhancing ingredients, including vitamin E and sunflower seed so you can flaunt lasting matte color that leaves lips feeling comfortable.

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Size: 0.22 fl. oz

Price: $20

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The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks retail for $20 each for 0.22 fl. oz.

There are quite a few liquid lipstick options on the market these days - from indie brands, mid/high-end brands and even some popping up at the drugstore! The Kat Von D Liquid Lipsticks have stayed at the same price as the original launch and is one of the formulae that offer the most bang for your buck at 0.22 fl. oz. each. Most other brands of liquid lipsticks come in at half the size for a similar price.

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are currently available for purchase in store and online exclusively:

Sephora Stores and on the Sephora website

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks come packaged in long, slender see-through tubes with Kat Von D's signature tattoo designs in black and silver and a solid black cap. On the bottom of each tube is label with product details and shade name.

The applicator is the typical medium sized doe foot type. Some may find the length of the applicator awkward for applying the lip color so a lip brush will come in handy. Personally, I have no issues with the length of the applicator and the doe foot tip is small enough to give decent precision.

Also, I have no issues with product overflow and leakage from the tube. The packaging is sleek and fun but you may have problems with storage if you prefer to store your lip products upright in a drawer. These are best stored flat in a drawer or upright in jar or pencil holder.

"The full-coverage, long-lasting formula glides over lips like a gloss, but dries to a velvety, matte finish. Infused with nourishing vitamins A, C and E for added comfort, it won’t dry out or feather like other matte lipsticks."

COLORS/SHADES

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks now come in a pretty large range of colors - 28 shades!

There are a good selection nude shades, reds, pinks, berries, purples, orange, and vampy shades. Most (all but two) of the shades are wearable colors - of course depending on your skin tone. There are two more "expressive" shades of blue and black in the mix. But no yellow, green, etc. or more "artsy" shades.

TEXTURE & FINISH

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are creamy liquid lipsticks that cry down to a flat (chalkboard) matte. They are not overly watery or mousse-y - they are the perfect medium for liquid lipsticks.

PIGMENTATION

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are nicely pigmented across the board. However, the lighter shades (as well as Echo) require 2 or more layers for full color payoff.

APPLICATION & WEAR

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks have a great formula which applies well, layers without any issues and wears beautifully for at least 6 hours.

These shades wear comfortably on my lips without tightening or drying out my lips. However, after about 6 hours of wear and through normal movement of the lips (talking and eating) there will be fading on the inner part of the mouth.

Also, these won't survive a very oily meal as the oils will break down the formula. I typically will take these lip colors along with me for quick re-application after eating. I did not have any issues reapplying over existing product but you can always remove and start from scratch.

I do not recommend using a lip balm before applying these lipsticks but a lip primer will definitely help with wear and application. Anastasia Beverly Hills has a good lip primer, so does MAC and ColourPop.

And nothing beats a good exfoliated lip for lip products...but for matte and liquid lipsticks in particular. A simple at-home sugar scrub and washcloth does the trick!

The Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are still my favorite liquid lipstick formula to date. I really enjoy this formula and the new shades that have been added to the range. There are colors here to suit any skin tone and preference.

Have you tried these liquid lipsticks? Interested?