Colourpop "Golden State of Mind" Eyeshadow Palette - Swatches and Review

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Purchased item at Sephora.

I never quite hopped on the Colourpop bandwagon. I liked the idea of on-trend, inexpensive makeup (who doesn't), but my first order from them left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. The packaging was flimsy, which I expected, and the Super Shock Eyeshadows were quite glittery, which I didn't. (And totally my own fault, for not carefully reading the actual copy on the website.) At least I wasn't charged customs and taxes, like a lot of Canadian orders are.

After that, I was tempted to re-order when they finally came out with their pressed eyeshadow palettes. When kept coming out with more, banking heavily on the FOMO inspired by constant stocking issues and the trend-driven, five-minute attention span of current consumerism, I was a little put off.

Then they announced they were developing a partnership with Sephora, for a limited series of items. Despite the initial head-scratcher of pairing a budget brand with a high-end powerhouse retailer, I was all for it. It would be good exposure for Colourpop, and it would serve as a gateway brand to bring in a younger and thriftier clientele to Sephora. From a customer perspective, it would also be a hassle-free purchasing experience, including the possibility of returns. 

With that said, I'd be really curious to see if the product returns put a dent in the sales for both companies. If this was my first experience with the brand, I don't know that I'd be a convert. (Aside from my first mediocre experience, I also have a couple of palettes I ordered from the CP website, so that'll give me a better overall feel for the brand.)

On to the actual item I ordered: the Golden State of Mind Eyeshadow Palette.

The packaging is adorable. I'm really entranced by nice exteriors, I'll admit, so that's actually a big factor for me. It's cardboard, yes, but it doesn't feel especially lightweight or cheap, and the design is really pretty. 

The eyeshadows themselves look gorgeous. They are very metallic, with a few odd duochromes. They all have glitter, some more than others. The texture varies between thick and crumbly (like the silver shade in the top row), and very smooth and creamy.

They are also absolutely useless applied dry. The fallout is laughably uncontrollable. I had to bust out my stickiest primer and a glycerine spray, and they were admittedly stunning applied like that: foiled, metallic, reflective beauties.

They unfortunately did not last on my eyes, creasing and fading within 5 or so hours. And there was STILL freaking glitter fallout at the end of it.

But they ARE some of the most beautiful eyeshadows I've ever used. These swatches were done after spraying with Smashbox Primer water, because that's honestly the only way I'd suggest wearing them.

Golden Egg: pinky beige with turquoise glitter

Pay the Piper: icy blue

GRLFRND: pink with violet glitter

Zero Clue: vibrant warm yellow

Watch Out: golden ivory with pink glitter

Drizzle: icy baby pink

Uptight: rose gold

Can't Stop: icy champagne ivory

Sparkler: silvery bronze

Unsupervised: pink champagne

Lust in Time: medium cool rose

Mind Tricks: icy blackened purple

Wing Woman: red brown with green and gold glitter

Heads or Tales: icy cranberry

Tinker Time: blackened antique gold with blue glitter

So would I recommend these? Sure, if you:

- Really, really love glitter. Like, you long for the 90s, when we would literally roll ourselves in glitter from a tube.
- You're willing to put some work into applying these.
- You're going out for a few hours and long wear isn't an issue.
- You're going somewhere where the lighting will flatter the dimensional shimmer on your eyelids (daylight isn't actually the best, flattening the sparkle).
- You don't mind paying 33$ CAD for all this.

Personally, I'm taking advantage of that Sephora return policy.

Specs: 15 x 0.98g for 26$ USD - 33$ CAD (compared to, say, the Yes Please palette, which is 12 x 0.85g for 16$ USD - 20$ CAD).
Availability: Sephora.com, and a few in-store locations in the US and Canada. Also now at www.colourpop.com.

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Eye & Cheek Palette - Classic Courage

Purchased from www.tartecosmetics.com.

Affiliate link used in this post.

Tarte has a huuuuuuuuge lineup of products, and as a Canadian, there was an entire subset of products I had no access to: the Double Duty line, which is so far exclusive to Ulta and www.tartecosmetics.com.

At least that's what I thought, until I realized that 1) the Tarte website ships to Canada, and 2) it does so for free, and with no extra fees or duties, with orders of 75$. Though I was tempted to go nuts, I restrained myself to those products that I couldn't get otherwise. (And also took advantage of a discount code.)

One of these items is the Double Duty Beauty Eye & Cheek Palette "Classic Courage" (36$CAD).

I was impressed right when I took it out of the packaging - it has a nice amount of heft, and looks and feels like I'm getting my money's worth. It has a magnetic closure to keep it tidy if you're traveling, as well as a decently sized mirror. While it does stay open, it teeters since both the top and bottom are equally weighted, so you'll still have to hold it or prop it up. It also smells very distinctly of vanilla, so be aware of that if you're sensitive to scents. For me, the smell doesn't linger on the face, but it is very noticeable every time I open the palette.

If you're a neutrals fanatic like I am, this palette is pure catnip. The website describes this as having "warm, neutral tones", but I think it might pull more more or less warm depending on your underlying tones. On me it's squarely neutral. There are five eyeshadows, two mattes and three shimmers, as well as a nearly full-size Amazonian Clay blush.

Rise and Shine, Rosy Outlook, Lucky Penny, Smile On, Trailblazer, Courage

Rise and Shine, Rosy Outlook, Lucky Penny, Smile On, Trailblazer, Courage

All of the eyeshadows kick up a fair bit of  powder when I dip my brushes into them, but I don't get any fallout during application.

Rise and Shine: an ivory-leaning beige matte, the texture is very smooth and silky, and it blends easily into the skin without looking chalky. The pigmentation is softer.

Rosy Outlook: a light rose shimmer, this has a more "wet" reflective quality than the other two shimmers, and looks more ethereal when applied. Slightly flaky when I dip my finger into the pan, but that doesn't translate into application. Very bendable, and can sheer out to a much paler version of itself, so it can work as both a lid color when packed on, or a highlight when used lightly.

Lucky Penny: a muted, rose-gold with strong taupe undertones. It's the smoothest and creamiest of all the shimmers, though only marginally more so than Smile On. It blends perfectly, and has lovely pigmentation.

Smile On: a neutral brown shimmer, with essentially the same texture and pigmentation qualities as Lucky Penny.

Trailblazer: a neutral chocolate brown matte, with a somewhat drier, slightly less silky texture than Rose and Shine. It blends out without a problem, with good pigmentation.

Courage: a pretty nude rose blush, very much in the same tonal family as Exposed. The powder is soft and smooth and silky, and it blends seamlessly into the skin, but the colour intensity is fairly muted, so I doubt it would show up very well on skin that's darker than medium.

One thing to note as well: the formula of the blush is not the same as the regular blushes, but seems more similar to that used in the holiday palettes. I have several of those holiday palettes and this seems comparable.

In terms of value, this contains five eyeshadows of 1 gram each - so 5 grams in total - and one blush at 5.4 grams, for a cost of 36$.  In comparison, one regular Amazonian Clay blush is 5.6 grams, and 35$. So basically for the approximate cost of one Tarte blush, you're getting a blush and five eyeshadows. I think that's a really decent price, for the performance and quality.

For the look below, I kept it simple: Lucky Penny on the lid and lower lash line, Smile On in the outer corner and on the outer third of lower lash line, Rosy Outlook in the inner corner, Trailblazer lightly through the crease, Rise & Shine on the brow bone and to blend out the the crease.

I also applied Courage blush to my cheeks. (It's a shade that could also be mixed lightly with Trailblazer for a softer transition.)

If you're curious about my experience as a Canadian ordering from the Tarte website, I offered a review and some general first impression in this video:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

Press sample.

Affiliate links.

Urban Decay tends to do color very well, but I've never been particularly drawn to their skin range. After trying out the Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealers, I will have to revisit my assumptions.

The packaging here is of the "sleek, modern, California bronze" variety, as opposed to the "thwack someone over the head with it" bulk that UD can sometimes indulge in. Really attractive.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

The range of shades here is good: eleven in total, from very pale to deep, with a nice mix of cool and warm undertones. Even with that selection, you might find yourself needing to mix two, which is what I ended up doing, as the right depth didn't match up with the right undertone.  Definitely worth poking around with the testers and maybe getting some samples to try out.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

Texture-wise, these feel somewhat unusual. They have a very lightweight feel, almost like those dry-oil based foundations, yet they still feel creamy and somehow dense when applied. The end result is remarkably good coverage for an application that feels imperceptible. I didn't notice particular light-reflective qualities, but it was certainly flattering to the under-eye area.

They also set down rather quickly, and I personally had the best application when I went over with the point of a beauty blender, as it sometimes looked strangely streaky when applied with a brush, even over a relatively small area like the under-eye.

Oh, and proper skin prep is a must. These wear very well, with no unusual creasing and little fading away, but I found it could emphasize texture - so dryness, fine lines, healing acne marks. I personally prefer it for my undereye area, but I'm careful to not extend it into areas where fine lines are an issue. (I've also seen some reviews term this hydrating, and I just can't agree. This really wouldn't be my first pick if you really struggle with either texture or patches of dry skin.)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

I dragooned one of my best friends in for some swatches, to give you a comparison on my skin (which is light with olive/yellow undertones) and hers (which is medium-deep, with rosy/warm undertones).

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
Dark Neutral, Medium Dark Warm, Medium Neutral, Light Warm

All in all, I think this one lives up to the overlong but completely accurate name - it is indeed a very lightweight yet high coverage concealer, with a strong range of shade options, though you may end up having to mix anyway, just to get your perfect undertone and depth. Not the best for dry or textured skin, but excellent for the under-eye area.  

Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette

Purchased at Sephora.

Affiliate links.

I love seeing women succeed, and Kat Von D has been killing it these last few years. Her brand started out smelling of a vanity project, but she's really made it into a stand-out, with an aesthetic that is both authentic and distinctive.

I'm not much into contouring, so the first iteration of the Shade & Light palette passed me by. I was much more enthralled with the Eye Contour version - even though I already had the Viseart 01, the OG of matte neutral palettes.

The packaging strikes a great balance between practical sleekness and gothic whimsy and I very much appreciate the shades being named both on the exterior box and on the back of the palette itself.

Random aside - from some of the pictures Kat has posted on her Instagram, I got the feeling that she was into some version of the occult. Usually the name choices in her brand reference music, art and literature, but this palette is definitely magickal in tone.

(Specifically, some of the shade names are those of demons listed in the Ars Goetia, one of the books in the Lesser Key of Solomon , while others are the names of archangels in Talmudic lore. Very fitting for something named "shade and light", and Kat gets a fistbump for working in references to a freaking 17th century grimoire. )

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry C. Agrippa
The Key to Solomon's Key by Lon Milo DuQuette

The palette itself is laid out in a user-friendly manner, with three functional "quads" - one more neutral, one cooler, one warmer. Each has a larger pan of a light base shade, a medium contour (or transition) colour, a dark defining colour, and a pale highlight colour. 

You can mix and match across the board, but the way the shades are arranged makes the palette very accessible for a makeup newbie trying to build a cohesive eye look. 

They very nicely include a guide on how to do all that:

There's also a very convenient mirror in the lid, something that's sometimes lacking in cardboard-style slimline palettes, and a magnetic closure.

The shades are matte, with the three palest having an incredibly subtle satin finish, barely perceptible as a sheen once applied.

Mattes are some of the trickiest formulations to nail. Pigmentation aside, the real secret is getting the texture right. Too soft, and they can blend away too easily, or be hard to layer with other eyeshadows. Too firm, and they can be difficult to lay down and build up.

These strike a near-perfect balance between smooth and dense. I had no issues getting these eyeshadows to do what I wanted them to do. Haze out a soft transition? Easy. Build up a serious smokey eye? No problem. Deepen a crease with perfect accuracy, or soften the edge of a winged eyeliner? Done and done.

If, like me, you were just "meh" about the face contour palette, you might be pleased to know that Lazarus (the grey brown transition colour) is aces for shading out some faux cheekbones.

Laetus - looks more yellow cream in the pan, but actually applies as a bone colour. Probably has the firmest and driest texture in the palette, and one of the sheerer applications. It's great, however, for dusting all over the lid after a primer or cream base to given an even base, especially if you're of a similar colouring to me. If you're deeper, it'll probably be underwhelming.

Samael - a neutral brown mid-tone, a true workhorse shade.

Solas - a deeper version of Samuel, wonderful for sculpting out the crease and the outer corner.

Lucius - a beige-tone off-white, I especially like this for giving a bit of lift to the eyebrow arch without adding shimmer.

Lazarus - a greyed-out, pale brown. Another workhorse shade, which on lighter complexions works beautifully as a face contour.

Saleos - a deeper, cool-toned brown, excellent for sculpting in those shadows. If you have dark hair but have a hard time finding an ashy eyebrow powder, this might work for you as well.

Shax - it's, well...black. Nothing much to say, except that it's very easy to work with. I love it for going over my wing liner to lock it in and keep it matte, and unlike some black eyeshadows, the formula doesn't smudge or drop down debris.

Liberatus - ever so slightly off-white, no chalkiness. I'm pretty "meh" on these kind of colours, so I mostly just wish it was shimmery, but it does what it does.

Ludwin - a hybrid of soft terra-cotta and melon, this is a shade I didn't realize I was missing in my eyeshadow wardrobe. It's perfect for saving a smokey eye that has gone all drab and tired looking, and I like to use it as my softest, most hazed out transition colour to build up an eye look. (When I'm fancy like that.)

Succubus - a muted brick with a bit of burgundy, this shade is especially stunning with blue and green eyes. Like Ludwin, a little of this smudged in the crease perks up a neutral eye look.

Sutry - a deep chocolate brown, a rich and lovely alternative to black.

Latinus - a warm creamy white, this one has the most sheen visible, as well as the richest pigmentation of all the highlighter shades. It's my favourite for that purpose, though it also looks very nice as a base all over the lid, brightening without being stark.

All in all, a very practical and beautiful palette. If Michelangelo was a) alive, b) really into contour, he'd have a field day using this thing to sculpt some faces. If I were to tweak it for my own personal liking, I would have given the highlight shades just a touch more sheen, but YMMV.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer - Redness Correcting Primer, Radiant Primer Yellow, Smoothing Primer

Press samples.

GWP at Sephora.
Contains affiliate link.

My first experience with primer was the classic Smashbox formula, and it turned me off primers for a loooong time. The thick texture and super slippy silicone texture felt strangely creepy and medical-grade (the product equivalent of Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers *shudders*). Despite the way it disappeared once applied, my skin somehow still felt smothered. I've found others since then that I do love, and that are much more suited to my needs, but I'm still leery.

I also tried the old Make Up For Ever primers, and while they definitely had a more palatable texture - lotion-like rather than slippy - I can't remember being particularly blown away. I generally love MUFE as a brand, though, so I was hopeful about the recently relaunched version and jumped on the chance to test run a couple.

The major advantage and selling point for the Step 1 Skin Equalizer (43$ CAD) series is that the range addresses a variety of needs. Rather than billing one primer as a one-size-fits-all solution, MUFE has ten different options on the table - there's something here, theoretically, for every skin type, texture and tone. Better yet, they can be combined for optimal performance. (They suggest combining the redness correcting or radiance boosting primers before the mattifying or smoothing ones, and the  hydrating and smoothing before the correcting or radiance ones. My skin is a crazy topographical map right now, so I apply what I need in specific areas rather than layering them, but it's all up to you, which is the beauty of this concept.)

I've only tested three - the Redness Correcting Primer, Radiant Primer Yellow, and Smoothing Primer -  so I can't speak to how the texture of each primer varies, but these feel rather similar to each other.

The Radiant Primer Yellow and Redness Correcting have an identical texture: lightweight and a bit creamy, but with that disappears-into-the-skin finish that is the hallmark of a sophisticated silicone formulation. The Smoothing Primer feels a bit thicker, and reminds me of the Benefit Professional - which makes sense, since it needs to have a bit more weight to smooth down those pores and rough edges. It does a similar disappearing act, however, and bypasses that gross, overly slippy feel of the Smashbox type primers.

I would say the colour correcting is fairly subtle. (It's primer, not concealer.) The Redness Correcting does indeed tone down the redness, as does the Radiant Primer Yellow, to some degree. I do prefer the latter, however, as it also boosts the warmth in my skin, whereas the green tinge of the former emphasizes the olive tones. With foundation overtop, it's not a huge deal, and if you really prefer to negate the redness and aren't prone to looking sallow, the Redness Correcting Primer will probably be your pick.

The Smoothing Primer does reduce the appearance of my pores, and helps to minimize the texture of skin around blemishes. It's not quite photoshop, but it definitely helps to create a more even base for my foundation. It also mattifies slightly, though it doesn't control oil much better than any other primer I've tried.

What I especially like about all these primers is how smooth and soft my skin feels after applying them - not tight or flaky, like some primers can leave it feeling. All of them are excellent for getting foundation to apply super evenly, and it nudges up the time-frame for flake-free, shine-free wear.

Smoothing Primer, Radiant Primer Yellow, Redness Correcting Primer

And since it's hard to talk about the effects of a primer without showing some results, here's the stuff, on my face.

On the left, my bare skin, with some moisturizer that was applied about 45 minutes before the picture. I've been having some kind of skin reaction to skincare samples I was testing (waaaaayyyyy too many at once, hence The Red Spot of Rage).

In the middle, I have the Smoothing Primer applied to my nose, forehead and my inner cheek area. You can see the mattifying effect, and the way the pores are less obvious. The slight texture in my undereye area is also softened. I used the Radiant Primer Yellow on my cheeks, jaw and chin, and some of the redness is attenuated.

On the right, I've applied one layer of foundation (MUFE Mat Velvet, with a tiny drop of Ellis Faas to cut through the matte finish somewhat), with a bit more dabbed over the TRSoR. As you can see, the application is really smooth and even.

And the full makeup...

Are any of you trying these new primers out? What do you think? I'm quite tempted to give the Mattifying and Hydrating ones a go, down the line. In case you're thinking about making a Sephora order soon, you can choose between four deluxe sized samples with the code MUFESKIN (with a 35$ CAD minimum purchase, I believe).

(Items provided by the brand, aside from the GWP sample from a Sephora order. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick - Sheer Ladyflower and Sheer Obsessed

Press samples.
Affiliate link.

The Sheer Revolution Lipstick (26$ CAD) range from Urban Decay has been out for a little while, but I just recently got to try a few shades: Sheer Ladyflower and Sheer Obsessed. I've been pretty obsessed with either straight up balms or more opaque cream finish lipsticks, so these weren't high up on my radar. I'd heard good things, and I was probably going to snag a few, but I wasn't storming the gates for them. 

The more fool I.

The packaging is similar to the regular Revolution Lipstick, with a fluid and relatively weighty metallic bullet casing, this time in a violet chrome as opposed to pewter.

Unlike the bulky packaging that UD tends towards when it comes to their palettes, this is all sleek and chic, but still totally modern and cool. I feel cool carrying this in my purse. :P

Sheer Obsessed and Sheer Ladyflower

Sheer Ladyflower and Sheer Obsessed

The formula is exactly as the name indicates, a sheerer version of the Revolution lipstick. Where those are creamy, rich and fairly pigmented, these are slicker, lighter and more translucent. In terms of thickness of texture, they fall somewhere between the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Shine and the Lancôme Shine Lover lipsticks. They're super comfortable to wear, and though they have that slippy texture, I don't feel like they slide around on the lip. They actually have a bit of drag when applied, which surprised me. It doesn't make them difficult to apply, though, and actually helps keep to the contours of the lip without smearing around.

I wouldn't say they're particularly hydrating, but again, comfortable feeling. They're quite shiny, almost juicy initially, but that settles. Wear time is minimal, however. I don't think I've gone longer than an hour and half without needing a touch up, so be warned that you may be going through that tube pretty fast.

These didn't settle into lines or emphasize dry patches, and had the nice effect of smoothing out the lip slightly, either due to the shine or the more balmy texture.

Top to bottom: Sheer Obsessed and Sheer Ladyflower

Sheer Obsessed is described as a candy pink, and it's definitely a light, cool toned pink with a milky/pastel tone. I don't think I would have ever thought to pick up a shade like this, as I would have assumed it would look too light or chalky. I think the translucency keeps it from looking stark. It almost has a bit of a lilac tone to it against my skintone, and it's just an awesome shade for spring.

Sheer Obsessed

Sheer Ladyflower (LOVE the name, makes me think of that Medieval-set movie with Michelle Pfeiffer - Ladyhawke?), on the other hand, is exactly the kind of shade I would have picked. It's a cool-toned rosy pink, and again, super flattering.

Sheer Ladyflower

Have you tried anything from the Revolution range, either the original or the Sheer version? Are there any other sheer type lipsticks that you're currently crushing on?

(Items provided by the brand. This post is not sponsored or otherwise compensated.)

Burberry Kisses Lipstick - #77 Blush

Press sample.

What's better than one makeup miracle? TWO makeup miracles. In this case, Burberry is finally available to Canadian buyers via the (relatively) accessible Hudson's Bay website (and presumably certain retail locations), and, almost more importantly for many people, the newest addition to their makeup line is completely fragrance free. (Even if you're not personally that bothered with scented makeup, it's definitely a know skin irritant so kudos to them for removing that issue. Here's hoping they continue with the trend.)

But onto the actual product.

The Burberry Kisses Hydrating Lip Colour (36$ CAD) claims to feature a weightless gel texture, with a buildable formula and 6 hours of wear and hydration. I think it hits most of those marks square on.

There's some fancy ingredient chatter in the copy as well, regarding "shiny polymers" and "tea, lavender, and rosehip", which all sounds very nice, but won't mean much if they don't nail the actual performance piece of the formulation.

In terms of the weightless and buildable claim, Burberry aces it. The gel formula delivers on an extremely lightweight feeling on the lips, and the lipstick just glides without getting stuck in lip wrinkles. It doesn't have the smoothing or plumping qualities of its more buttery brethren, but it sits so light and seamless on the lips that it truly feels like you're wearing nothing at all. With one swipe, the pigment is even but slightly translucent, and deeper on the second swipe. It doesn't have the full-on opacity of a rich matte, but it's definitely buildable coverage. The finish is a soft satin shine that looks natural and pretty, without being overly glossy or goopy.

Hydration claims for lipsticks tend to be a bit overwrought, and I would say it's no different here. I don't get balm-level hydration, that's for sure, but this is a comfortable lipstick to wear. I can't test the 6-hour claim adequately, since I'm not likely to pass up eating for that long, but I didn't notice any significant fading or weird wearing away from application to my next meal. It just kind of settles on the lips and hangs out, doing its thing, until you realize a few hours later that your lipstick still look nice, if less shiny.

I don't know if this is a truly unique formula, but to be honest I don't think I've come across anything with this kind of gel texture that wears this well. If you're looking for something easy to wear for the summer (and the buttery-type lipsticks feel too heavy or goopy) but that still looks polished, this may be worth checking out.

And the packing is, as always, Burberry perfection. Elegant and weighty, with those little details (Burberry checks, magnetic closure) that make the price tag a little less outrageous.

I was able to try the shade #77 Blush, which is a perfectly polished, office-appropriate, but still totally pretty, rose.

For a better look at how this lipstick looks IRL, I'm wearing it in the Ardency Inn review post.

So are you guys excited about Burberry finally being available at Hudson's Bay? I am, but I'm even more hopeful that this means HB is FINALLY going to step up their beauty department and online shopping experience to be competitive with Nordstrom and Saks.

(This item was provided by the brand. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)