I think I'm over my strong eyebrow phase. I currently prefer softer arches that make my face look less "done", if you know what I mean! I've given up my pens, creams, and even pencils to do my brows, instead relying on powder products to sculpt them to my liking. They're also quicker to work with and require less care when it comes to application.  

That said, my current favorite brow product is the Ellana Mineral Eyebrow/ Eyeshadow Quad (P350). This is technically pressed mineral eyeshadow, but the colors are intended to mix beautifully to create your perfect eyebrow match. Whether you're a brunette, blonde, or redhead, you can get brows close to your current hair color. Oh, and have a neutral everyday eyeshadow palette to boot!

Pigmentation and finish. The colors are pigmented when used as eyeshadow, but softer over eyebrows. Weird no? But it works! I use a large, bushy angled brush (from Ellana also) to apply this on my brows. Perhaps because the brush is synthetic, I'm not getting too much pigmentation from this palette. The finish is a creamy matte that looks totally natural. 

I'm baaaack! Just came from a Nivea press event all the way in El Nido, Lagen Island. The place was breathtakingly beautiful - think clear azure waters, 360-degree views of basaltic islands, and awesome locals. It was an experience that I will never forget! I'll blog about it later but first, I'd like to show you something interesting from Avon. It's the 8-in-1 Eye Palette in The Metallics (P349)!

I believe this came out over the holidays so I can't guarantee that it's still available. It's better to ask your Avon lady! Nonetheless, I think it's interesting how Avon is coming out with even more interesting products and color selections. I mean, just look at this! 

There are three versions of this palette - the one here is all about metallic colors. They aren't THAT metallic to me though; I'd say they look like normal eyeshadows with shimmer. Pigmentation is pretty good, texture is a little rough but workable, and staying power is okay as long as you use a base. 

This palette doesn't blow my mind away, honestly, but it does have one thing going for it: eight pretty colors for only 349 bucks. Observe!

Need to dash out to a meeting in like 30 minutes so this would be a very quick post! Haha. Anyway, you already saw the Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Color (P995) in action, which makes it easier for me to describe. This is a cream eyeshadow that comes in pro-looking silver tubes. Now I know you're thinking: buuuut it's metallic! How wearable could it be? I assure you that they're very nice on the lids, alone or mixed with other eyeshadows.  

These cream eyeshadows last around 3-4 hours without creasing if I'm not using primer. If I have primer though (which is normally the case), they pretty much stay on all day, with no creasing. Fingers could be used to apply them quickly, but I prefer to use my MAC 217 for a finer finish. I suggest you watch my video to see how I worked the product onto my lids. ;)

If you love applying eyeshadow, it's important to know how to do it correctly. Nothing pains me more than seeing a half-baked eyeshadow job - but then again, I've also been there. It's easy to watch tutorials and think we get it, but it's never that simple. Applying the same techniques to our own eye shape rarely gives us the same results. We need to practice and tweak those techniques until we get it right. Maybe you're not there yet but you will get there, like I eventually did!

Today I'd like to show you some palettes that I think would be perfect for eyeshadow newbies. The Beauty UK Posh Palette (P550 from Makeupholics) is affordable yet offers a nice selection of colors that are of fairly good quality, considering the price. I have here the three palettes: Eden, Masquerade, and Festival. You'll see the swatches later!

Quickly though, the Beauty UK Posh Palette has ten colors that are of varying pigmentation and smoothness. Some are really good while others can be patchy. In general though, most of the colors in Eden and Masquerade have great quality. Festival's matte brights are kinda uneven. This just means you need to wear a primer and to layer the colors carefully.

I highly recommend that you get Eden since it's the best out of the three in terms of quality, while Masquerade is also a good choice if you like silvery, dusky shades.

I like myself the least when I'm obsessing something. It starts slow and steady, a passing thought, a random craving. Then it slowly builds in intensity and irritates me endlessly unless I give in to it, or in this case, have it. Sigh. But whatever! Let's discuss another holiday collection, this time from Stila. ^_^

Stila has these awesome gift sets that are pretty good value for the price. Like this box of glosses - you get nine tubes for P1,750! That's basically P195 per lip gloss. Crazy. I love that they are also boxed in mini-sets so you can give two and keep one for yourself. Or the other way around. *medyo evil laugh*

I will review these glosses next time. For now though, I'd like to show you the Portrait Of A Perfect Eye Palette (P850), a neutral eyeshadow compact with gorgeous warm shades. Yes, I'm also surprised that it's only P850 for like six colors! This is precisely the reason you should keep track of holiday collections. Brands often sell some items for slightly cheaper than the average price. ;)

The Bobbi Brown holiday collection is always a treat to look forward to every season. This year, it didn't disappoint with a beautifully-edited selection of luxurious lip and eye palettes, lip glosses and brush sets for the beauty enthusiast who wants to get - or give - the gift of glam.

(I think I fall under the former category, because Bobbi Brown is too precious to just give away. Haha.)

Quick product details:

So that's what's up. I'll review the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Eye Palette in Sequin (P2,700), a gift I received from the brand. It's a 10-color palette full of earthy, frosty shades. It's a good mix of cool and warm tones. I know you're thinking though: frosty? What?

I don't understand why everybody's so hung up over the Urban Decay Naked palettes. Sure, UD makes smooth, pigmented eyeshadows and the colors look good, but these qualities are not really unique. There are tons of options out there, if you would only look beyond the "obvious" choice.

One palette that I've really, really been mooning over is the LORAC PRO Palette (P2,400 at Stuff In Style). This is another raved-about palette but it's slightly more low-key compared to Urban Decay.  

The LORAC PRO has 16 shades, half of which are matte while the rest is shimmery. It doesn't just feature daytime neutrals; it also has shades fit for a daring smoky eye. Other than the neutral shades you'll see flashes of bright garnet, dramatic purple, and sleek stony slate. I think these colors make the palette more interesting and opens up more possibilities!

Each color is highly pigmented with an ultra-smooth texture - yes, even the matte, cream-toned ones. They are also color true. You basically get whatever you see on the pan. I also love that I don't need a primer to achieve full opacity!

Okay fine enough rambling. :P Here are the swatches, plus a couple of looks I did with this palette.

When I was very young, I wanted to be a rock star. I'd spend most of my time learning to play the guitar and writing songs. I would dream about going on stage and rocking my heart out to the adulation of millions, wearing slashed tights and distressed leather jackets. It all sounded so awesome in my head. But like all of my adolescent aspirations, it went up in a cloud of smoky black eyeshadow. With a few glitters in it for good measure. :P

Anyhoo, today I want to show you the latest collection from Korean brand Too Cool For School. Glam Rock is inspired by the rock star culture, with emphasis on dramatic eyes and blanked out lips. I have a few items from TCFS here and a quick review of each. :) Let me know what you think!

I'll start with a lip color - the Glam Rock Smoky Nudy Lip Color in Satin Beige. This is a creamy lipstick that needs to be layered at least twice to get the same opacity as the swatch below. I don't mind, since most lipsticks need to be layered anyway and it doesn't take much effort. However, if you have pigmented lips then this won't cover everything. It can look a tad streaky since it only offers medium coverage.

Staying power is average, at three hours. I would recommend wearing a lip balm first since the matte texture can be drying.

Aside from having soft, translucent skin, the Japanese are champs at getting the perfect eye makeup. The best eyeliners and mascaras all originate from Japan! Well, at least my favorite ones are. I've also noticed that Japanese eyeshadows have this iridescence to them that are rarely found in Western brands. Try to compare your eyeshadows one time and you'll see what I mean. ;)

So! Today I will be reviewing two of the latest products from ZA Cosmetics: the Perfect Action Mascara (P495) and Impact-Full Eyes Gradation Palette (P525). These were released last September I believe! You can find ZA in Watsons outlets, so I hope you can visit them one of these days if you haven't yet.

Right, let's begin with the ZA Perfect Action Mascara (P495). This has a non-waterproof version (which I have) and a waterproof version, which has a blue cap. I love that the non-waterproof can be easily melted with warm water or a water-based makeup remover - that's probably one of the top things I look for in a daily mascara! And this is a daily mascara, definitely.

A neutral eyeshadow palette is a basic makeup must-have. It's the best way to enhance and contour your eyes for any occasion, be it in a job interview or a fancy event! 

Now, if you can afford to splash cash on Bobbi Brown, MAC, Urban Decay, or Shu Uemura, then just go for it. These brands make the best eyeshadows out there, and the price tag is definitely justified since it'll take forever to finish up one pan! Their eyeshadows are silky smooth and has this rich pigmentation that's hard to find in drugstore makeup. 

However, if you're on a budget (ain't we all) then there are a lot of great drugstore options out there. Here are five neutral eyeshadow palettes that are affordable yet offer good color combinations and pigmentation! Click the links for the full review, although I've posted swatches here so you can compare too.

Ready?

Clinique is probably not the first brand on our minds when it comes to eyeshadow, but it won't fail to surprise you in that department. Remember the Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes? Those are pretty good! Recently, the brand released an all-new, reformulated eyeshadow duo. Is it worth a look-see?

The Clinique All About Shadow Duo (P1,250) comes in a luxe silver case just like the brand's powder foundation. I'm really liking this direction; silver is a much more updated color than Clinique's minty green! Remember when their duos came in green plastic? Haha. This time, thick acrylic case looks more expensive and sturdy.

Do tell me, after all the persuasion I've thrown your way, that you have one or two cream eyeshadows already in your possession. Please. No? Bah! If you can trust this blog on ten things, one of them would be the fact that you MUST have at least one basic cream eyeshadow for quick looks. You're missing out if you haven't tried it yet!

I think some girls are scared that cream eyeshadow would just slide right off their oily lids, but with new formulas like the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows (P320 at Bon Marche), you never have to worry about silly things like staying power. Or brushes. Or eyeshadow primers!

This Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows have received a lot of raves because they are practically waterproof, smudge-proof, and crease-proof. It's true! You can run a marathon and these things would most likely still be on your lids. 

The product comes in a sturdy glass jar, and a cap that seals completely

They are easy to apply with just fingers although I prefer to use my MAC 217 to blend them properly.

A lot of girls seem to be intimidated by smoky eyes - I can't blame them, it is a tough look to pull off if you're just starting to play with makeup. I had to practice A LOT to get the blending and the shape juuuust right; it helped to finally acquire the right brushes for the job, too. But it was a rewarding adventure. I'm gonna call it an adventure because I can recall with horror how my early smoky eyes looked like. Hehe.

Still, I hope I'm not totally scaring you off this dramatic eye look. It can elongate and widen your eyes, perfect for evening engagements or instances where you'll get photographed! Now one drugstore palette that I really like to use for smoky eyes is the BYS Eyeshadow Palette in Guilty Pleasures (P499). This has a nice selection of colors with good pigmentation - not bad for the price!

This caught my eye while I was shopping at Watsons (only place where you can find BYS since they're exclusive)!Anyway, I like the payoff of the colors, especially the darkest ones; you'll really get an opaque olive or black if you layer it properly. You'd still need an eyeshadow base to make the light and medium colors to show up, but I use a base with almost all my eyeshadows so no biggie.

The texture is smooth albeit chalky. As long as you tap the brush before applying the color, you'd be okay. ;) Check out the swatches and my FOTD wearing it after the cut!

Have you tried Avon eyeshadows before? I have, but they were woefully unimpressive last year. The texture and pigmentation needed a lot of work, and the sponge they came with? Useless. I have good news though! Avon has finally refomulated their quads, and I tell you, they are pretty good! 

I've been using them quite often since I got them, so I thought I'd start Eyeshadow Week at Project Vanity with the new Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quads (P449).

The new formula is a lot smoother and more pigmented than before. I also love the sophisticated color selection, and how well each color in the quad goes together. You can get a nice day look by mixing just two colors or a dramatic evening look by combining all four. The darkest shade in each quad is a deep matte that's pigmented enough to be used as eyeliner (wet or dry works!).

Chocolate Sensation is a lovely smoky neutral palette. I love ALL the colors, and I think they'd look good across most skintones!

I wish I planned my purchases while I was in Hong Kong. If I spared a thought on what I needed versus what looked interesting at that time, I would have grabbed all the available shades of the L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow! No dice about it - this is an awesome creamy eyeshadow that is worth. Every. Single Cent.

Thankfully, Bon Marche Page sells this locally for only P280. It's about the same price in HK! 

So what makes these eyeshadows awesome? Wow, let me count the ways! They are intensely pigmented, they're smooth and creamy, a  dream to blend, and they stay on ALL day with barely any creasing - WITHOUT the use of primer. Yes I need to capitalize those words. These L'Oreal Infalliable pots are everthing bold eyeshadow should be. 

And they're cheap.

These look and feel like cream eyeshadows but they are technically packed powder pigments with a bit of binder thrown in. You can use your fingers for a quick swipe of color but if you want a more refined finish, these shadows work perfectly well with both animal or synthetic brushes.

Bobbi Brown palettes are often too beautiful to use, but hey, someone's gotta do it! How else would I be able to review them for you? Haha. Seriously though, the new Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye Palette (P3,200) is a sight to behold. It comes in a chic silver case that has a mirror-like surface, housing six silky eyeshadows and two small brushes.

The layout of the palette is different from the usual, as is the size (it's bigger). I wouldn't be using the brushes since I find them too small and unwieldy. And the eyeshadows? Well, they have good pigmentation, this gorgeous sheen and ultra-smooth texture - quality typical of all Bobbi eye colors. The six eyeshadows also come in different finishes, from matte, metallic, shimmer, and sparkle!

Hi folks! I apologize for missing a M.A.C post yesterday as I was busier than usual. Anyway, we're back on track just in time for the last day! I'll *try* to post my top five favorite M.A.C products later just to show what I always use in my collection. It's that kind of brand where you can get a lot of cool, memorable things that you won't really wear that often because they're too, well, striking. 

So! Today I'll be showing you my updated 15-pan M.A.C palette. I only have two empty spaces left (yay), and my plan is to get one bright purple and possibly a bright green or Carbon. It took me a couple of years to fill it up because I didn't want to blow P15,000+ asap on one palette. I mean, I can but I won't because that's too much for a simple hobbyist like me. Thankfully, I get M.A.C eyeshadows as gifts every once in a while. :P

One of the more common questions I get is, "which M.A.C eyeshadows should I start with?" If you have Asian skin like mine, yellow-toned and possibly medium going on morena, I highly recommend the following: 

Ricepaper (for highlighting the browbone), All That Glitters (a warm champagne which is great as a lid wash), Wedge (a matte neutral, light brown, perfect for crease contouring), and Espresso (a neutral brown which creates a great smoky brown eye and perfectly shaded eyebrows). Those would be four great eyeshadows to start with, for in the future you'll be able to mix and match them with various other shades.

How are you spending your mid-week Independence Day holiday? ^_^ Mine shall be terribly busy because I have to finish my work for tomorrow. I'll be out all day attending meetings and events so, whew, I need to get a lot of stuff out of the way first. Anyway! Today I'll be talking about an interesting palette from Beauty Bar.

The Smashbox Heat Wave Palette (price to be updated) was designed to create smoldering summer looks, but in my opinion these colors would look good in any season. The top row has five warm shades while the bottom row has cool, smoky shades, just perfect for matching and blending with each other! You can go as light or as sultry as you want. I love that the colors are not overly common; they're not the sort you'd find easily in more affordable palettes.

My first Smashbox palette (bought about four years ago) was a disappointment. It was expensive and pretty to look at but it was also practically useless due to the pathetic pigmentation. However, the brand's eyeshadows have come a long way since then. This new palette in particular is so pigmented that you won't even need to use an eyeshadow base to make them opaque!

The texture is smooth and creamy to the touch, which makes it easy to blend on the lids - bare or primed.

Hi Ms. Liz and fellow fans of Prject Vanity. I have a problem with eyeshadow colors. I wear glasses and I recently bought the Urban Decay Basics palette thinking It was noob-proof and safe. However I ended up looking bruised or ashen. I know I applied the colors right because Ive been watching Youtube tutorials using the palette. I guess I cant pull off the colors like gray or taupe. Maybe because of my skin's undertones or the glasses? I really dont know.

Can you recommend a good eye brightening e/s palette for beginners? Probably those which already have complementary colors. Would you recommend peach-y and pink e/s for everyday wear? Thank you in advance and looking forward to your answers! - Aubrey

Hey Aubrey! This is an excellent question. Like you, I have noticed that cool eyeshadows do not flatter my warm Asian skin. Instead of looking wistful and slightly smoky, my eyes end up looking like they were punched. Not quite the effect I set out to achieve but over time I've learned to work around it (will talk more about that later). Allow me to discuss cool and warm eyeshadows, and how to pick according to your skintone.

Warm what? When it comes to cosmetics, "warm" means colors with yellow, red, or golden tones. If your skin looks yellowish or reddish against a white shirt then you're warm. If gold jewelry looks better on you than silver, yup, you're warm. 

Martha of The Beauty Junkee is warm

There's a host of eyeshadow colors from black, green, blue, pink to beige, so how do you know when a color is actually warm?

People pay so much attention to their eyebags, forgetting that the skin on the eyelids darken too. If the lids are dark and uneven then you'd still look tired even if you concealed your bags perfectly. So always use a brightening cream (or for that matter, powder) eyeshadow whenever you can.

Yes you can also use concealer on the upper lids but IMHO, your eyes naman would look too blanked out and one-dimensional, if you know what I mean. So I recommend using an eyeshadow in a flattering shade - it doesn't have to be neutral, it could be something smoky or colorful.

Cream is a great formula for quick eye looks, so today I'm gonna talk about something new, the Clinique Chubby Stick For Eyes (P920)!

I must admit that I was quite skeptical when I first heard about this. I've tried a Clinique cream eyeshadow before and it was sadly disappointing. However, I am pleased to report that the Chubby Stick For Eyes is worthy of being part of the popular franchise! This stick eyeshadow is pigmented and stays on the lids for hours even without primer.