Well, happy 2016 my friends!  I hope this new year brings wonderful things to everyone!  Just a warning, there will be lots of pics!

So, we're going to get into a review I should have done ages ago.  Like September of 2015, if you can remember that far back.  When I first saw that Urban Decay was coming out with a new palette, it was pretty much a done deal that I would be buying this thing.  Urban Decay was the first non drug store makeup that I bought.  It was the 15th Anniversary Palette (included a link to remind people of that gorgeous case) and that lead into me buying the OG Naked, their Books of Shadows, and etc.

I was super excited to purchase it and jumped all over that.  The Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette (not to be confused with the Smoked Palette - which was a dud to me) is $54.00 and you get 12 .05 oz eye-shadows.  Many countries participated in the making of this product.  The brush was made in China, eye-shadows in USA, and it was assembled in the Dominican Republic.

Urban Decay is Leaping Bunny and PETA certified.  They use Vegan ingredients as much as possible and if a product is not Vegan, they reformulate when Vegan alternatives come available.  They have a campaign called Ultraviolet Edge that works with organizations that fight for the rights of women globally.

Smoked

The box was even pretty.  But with Urban Decay, it's pretty much a given there will be prettiness.

The actual palette is very similar to the outer box.  It is a translucent hard plastic with a smoke design.  The lettering is silver and raised.

Are you excited yet?

As you can see, we have a mostly cool toned palette with a double ended brush.  It has a strong magnetic closure and feels very sturdy.  Unlike previous incarnations of the Naked palettes, this didn't focus on a color family.  This focused on a type of look and you get a range of shades for that look.

The brush has the same smoked design as the packaging and is semi opaque.  The lettering is silver and will most likely vanish eventually.  The ferrules feel like a hard plastic and they are in a a color I can't really define, sort of a browned pewter.  It is light weight but not so light weight that you instantly say, "el cheapo."

There is a pointed blending side and a domed pencil side.  This is good if you don't have many brushes, but if you do own many, you probably won't use this brush a lot.  The brushes are densely packed and on the stiff side and aren't that great for blending smokey looks.  The blending side would be good for putting in a transition shade and the domed pencil for adding a little drama to the outer V, assuming you will then blend with a fluffy brush.

Left to Right: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, and Armor

The colors are arranged so that each four have a certain finish.  High, Dirtysweet, Radar, and Armor are shimmers.

High is a pink champagne shimmer with micro glitter.  It is a little on the dry side, but has a good color pay of and lasts about 8 hours with a base.  It is a little powdery, so make sure to tap your brush out before going crazy with this one.




Dirtysweet is a shimmering blushed bronze.  Normally bronzes look good with my eyes, but not so much with my skin.  But this color actually works on me.  I was surprised at how much I liked it.  It is also on the drier side with good pigmentation and a smooth feeling.



Radar is a medium brown shimmer.  It does lean warm but is definitely still wearable by cool toned skin.  It feels smooth and firm.  The micro glitter in here doesn't make it looks super glittery or anything, it more gives it a sheen.  The pigmentation on this one is decent.

Armor is a glittery silver taupe and has a gritty texture.  From the description alone, I thought this one would be my favorite, but it kind of disappointed me.  It loses a lot of that special shimmer in the brush, but can be packed on or used with a dampened brush to keep it.  It has decent pigmentation.  The glitter is chunky and there is some fallout.

Left to Right:Slanted, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder

 In this set of four we get a satin finish with the shades Slanted, Dagger, Black Market, and Smolder.

Slanted is a metallic grey with blue undertones.  I don't use this color very much because with my skin tone it goes more blue.  It has okay pigmentation and is more on the powdery side.  This is one of the weaker shades in the palette as far as lasting power.



Dagger is a cool toned medium charcoal satin with blue undertones.  Again, because of how blue it gets on me, I don't use it much.  The pigmentation on this one is rather patchy and while it lasts a little better than slanted, it lasts about 5 hours.  It is also kind of chalky.

 Black Market brings the satins up.  It is a black satin, I can almost see ruddy undertones, but I may be hallucinating. It is very creamy and has good pigmentation but can be a little tough to blend, especially if you don't use a primer.  It has a good lasting time.  This was a good black for the palette.



Smolder is a blackened plum satin, it has a creamy texture.  If you look at this in the pan and go "Yay!  Purple!" you will be disappointed.  If you look at it and see a blackened purple, it's actually a gorgeous color and a nice alternative to black.  This has good pigmentation, but like Black Market it can be a little tough to blend.

From Left to Right: Password, Whiskey, Combust, and Thirteen

Password, Whiskey, Combust, and Thirteen are the last four shades and they are the matte shades in the palette.

Password is a matte medium taupe with purple undertones.  This is another one of my favorite shades in the palette.  This may not be a favorite for those with warm skin tone though.  It looks lovely mixed with Whiskey and is one of my favorite ways to use this.  It has decent pigmentation and is a little dry.  You can easily over blend this shade and have it go sheer on you.

 Whiskey is a chocolate matte brown.  Like many of the colors in the palette it is a little dry but has decent pigmentation.  It blends better than many of the other colors in the palette.




Combust is a matte pinky/peach beige.This is an excellent transition color for fair to even medium skin tones.  It has good pigmentation and blends well.  It might not appear to be much, but this one is very useful.  It can be a bit powdery, so brush tapping is a good idea here as well.  It's probably a good idea with all the shadows.

Thirteen is another surprising favorite.  It's another bit of nothing, just a matte soft white beige.  The formula almost heads to satin, but retains its hold on matte.  I find myself reaching for this color even when I'm not using this palette.




I have mixed feeling about this palette.  In some ways, I love it.  In other ways, I compare it to other UD palettes or other eye-shadows I have and these aren't up to the usual standard.  In general, these shadows seem more firm, powdery, dry, and less pigmented.  The quality just isn't quite what I expect from UD.

If I didn't compare it to previous palettes, I would like it.  Some of the pigmentation leads it to be build-able and while there are issues blending, it isn't as bad as the Smoked palette where every color seemed to go muddy.

Overall, I would say that it's a decent palette, but it's not  quite as good as I expected it to be.  So, it may be my fault for such high expectations.  You shouldn't be afraid of this palette if you don't do smokey eyes.  There are many beautiful looks you can do with it without being over done.  Such as this toned down smokey look by Desi, this grungy smokey eye by Melrae Segal, this rock look by Madeyewlook Twice.  If you want more dramatic there is this halo look by Beautyybird or like me, you can use this palette to create a similar look to this dramatic bombshell look by Jaclyn Hill.

* I bought this palette on my own.  I used Ebates to get get cash back at Sephora.  If you want you can use my referral link.

Tis the season for the dark lips to make their mark on the world.  Because of that and my sister looking for a brownish red, I decided that I should probably pick up another ColourPop lippie.  I make such sacrifices for those I love.

Lady

ColourPop's Lady Lippie Stix has a matching pencil.  It was part of a holiday collection, but due to the love of fans, they released it as a permanent color that you can buy all by itself.  They sell for $5.00 each, they are made in the USA, vegan, and they don't test on animals.

The shape of the lipstick allows for it to stay in a pointed shape that allows for easy application.  The pencil does have to be sharpened.  The best way to sharpen is to have a good sharpener or pop this in the freezer wrapped up and sharpen when the pencil is hardened.

Lady swatches

Lady is cool toned and I think it hits that brownish red mark that Sara was looking for.  Colourpop lists it as "cool toned dirty burgundy."  It definitely fits with the Marsala trend as well.  It is a matte.  Personally, I'm a big fan of the Colourpop matte lippies.  They're comfortable and long lasting, Lady is no exception.  There is a little feathering if it's worn without a lip liner, so I do advise purchasing the liner as well.

Looking like a lady

 Lady is a darker color but it is very wearable.  It also works with skin colors from glow in the dark like me to dark, so bonus points there.

I love this color.  I think it's great for the season.  It's a nice dark color that isn't at all scary and would be a good color for those looking to break out of the nudes.

* I got all ladylike on my own.  I didn't receive Lady for free nor was I asked to review it.

The latest creative play at Makeup Geek has been their duo-chrome eye-shadows.  They come in two forms, pan and loose pigment.  The Makeup Geek Duo-chrome eye-shadow that we're going to talk about today is in pan form and it's the color Phantom.

Makeup Geek

The 1.8 gram pan comes in a rose gold and black sleeve.  As usual, Makeup Geek is made in the USA and cruelty-free.  It is $6.00 and part of the permanent collection.

On the back is the ingredient list and proof that this color is indeed Phantom.  In case, it was doubted or something.  That is the back of the pan and it is useful for when you stick it in your Zpalette, so you remember what color you have.

Phantom

Phantom in the pan looks like an off-white and pale lavender.  It definitely leans cooler toned.  It has decent pigmentation that is semi sheer on its own but the color is stronger with a base.

Swatch of Phantom

It can look a little pink in some lights and is a fun all over the lid or high light color.  It may be a little on the chalky side.  It is a good color for someone who wants a little something extra in their look but don't want a crazy color.  It lasts roughly 7 hours, depending on base used and your lids.  I didn't notice creasing.  I also didn't notice very much of a duo-chrome effect.  It just kinda looks like a pink/violet iridescent shade.

Over-all, it is a good value shade.  It's fun, pretty, and wearable for most people.  As it has purple tones it will look pretty with any eye colors.  I don't think it deserves a ton of hype, but it's a decent shadow.

* I bought my own Phantom.  It didn't come with music of the night.

Black box of joy

As always this is an exciting time of the month.  I mean who doesn't love a big box of presents every month?  Boxycharm is one of the more exciting boxes or if you want, this is my referral link.  When you refer a friend you receive 500 pts.  You also receive points just for getting a box delivered!

For $21.00 a month you get four to five full size products. The points earned take off money in the store.  The store isn't as extensive as Birchbox, but it's still pretty good.  1000 pts will take off $10.00, 2000 takes off $20.00, and so on.

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This month's theme was Pop, Fizz, Clink.  It had a 1920's look and was fun and I can tell you I was pretty excited, even though I was so sick I didn't even care about looking for spoilers.  That should tell you how sick I was!  Like Birchbox, Boxycharm is good about putting in a card that tells you how much the full sized items were and gives you information on them.

Ofra

I first heard about Ofra in my Boxycharm boxes and I do like their products.  I was excited to receive a liquid lipstick, but this would not be a good color on me.  I didn't swatch it because I knew I would give it away.  Anyways, it's the Ofra color in Americano, which is ruddy brown and sells for $19.90.  I have heard very good things about this liquid lipstick and I'm sad that I couldn't try it, but the person who got this in their Secret Santa present will look amazing in it, so that makes me happy.

Bellápierre

I also received a Bellápierre gel lip liner in the color Cinnamon and it is full size, selling for $18.00.  I had a sneaking feeling that this matched the Ofra lipstick (YouTube videos verified this) and even though the Ofra product didn't need a lipliner, I just couldn't help add it to the Secret Santa gift (it doesn't count to the price if you get it as part of a box, right? That's my logic and I'm sticking to it).  It's a warm brown shade and very creamy.  I've heard some people have a hard time sharpening it, in which case, get a good sharpener.  My Makeup Forever sharpener has a tungsten blade and was $10.00 when I bought it and it sharpens everything beautifully.

Tatcha

Also in the box were Tatcha Blotting Papers.  There are 30 sheets in the pack and they sell for $12.00.  They have a good thickness and have gold flecks on the paper.  They aren't powdered and do a great job absorbing excess oil.  I'm saving these for a long night out or for the summer!

Jelly Pong Pong

I have been receiving a lot of the Jelly Pong Pong products in my boxes lately.  So, this one went into a Christmas gift as well.  This was the Jelly Pong Pong All Over Glow and it's a full size for $15.95.  They don't test on animals.  The packaging is adorable and apparently it smells good.  My sister kept wondering what smelled so good in her Christmas present and it ended up being this.  It has jasmine extract and is oil free.  This would be wonderful to highlight with or to mix into foundation for a nice glow.

Nelson J Beverly Hills

Next up was the Nelson J Beverly Hills Moisture Healing Mask in the Coconut Scent.  It smells wonderful.  It wasn't as thick as I thought it would be, it's actually very runny, so use care when opening it.  It's also a full size 3.4 oz for $23.00.  It has argan oil and jojoba butter and I really liked it as a pre-shampoo treatment, but you can use it as a short mask or a long mask as well.

NCLA

My last item was the NCLA Treatments in So Rich Dark Almond.  If you've been cruising the reviews, you might have noticed that people got different colored ones of these in their boxes.  I got the bright yellow which was almond scented.  I've also seen purple, which is rose petals and pink, which is peach vanilla.  I am happy with the scent I got, but I think I would have been happy with any of them.  It is a vitamin E and sunflower oil infused cuticle oil.  I've been using it since it came and it really has made the skin around my nails look a lot better.  It has a nice little dropper that makes it easy to use and control.  This was also full sized and sells for $24.00 for .5 fl oz.

Okay, now time to put on our math hats and add up the value of the box.  I'm sure there is a drum rolling somewhere.  The full value of my box was $112.85.  I paid $21.00.  I think I got my money's worth and I'm very happy with this box.

* I buy my own Boxycharm.  Boxycharm doesn't care that I blog.

This month the theme for Ipsy was With <3 From Ipsy.  Ipsy is a $10.00 per month subscription service.  You get points for referring friends.  However, the points system isn't that great.  Most things require 1000 points and if it's less than they're usually sold out.

Oooh red plastic.

They come with a bag, some bags are super cute, some like this one are eh.  I mean it's not like a 1980's couch or something, but for the holidays, I think I just expect some glammed out gorgeousness.

Crown Brush

I love getting brushes and I suppose if I didn't already have three brow brushes I would be happy to get this.  I think I could never have enough blending brushes, but brow brushes...I'm good.  This was the Crown Brush C413 and it sells for $3.28.  It's double ended with a thicker brush side for brows and a spoolie end for brows or lashes.

Clark's Botanicals

Next up was a mask and you know I love getting masks.  This was Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask.  It's something I'm pretty excited to try as I've been super sick and have dry areas around my nose right now.  Lovely, right?  It doesn't have much of a scent, but again, I've been sick lol.  They do not test on animals, it doesn't contain gluten, parabens, or sulfates.  The full size is 1.7 oz and is $72.00.  Well.  I hope I don't fall in love with this.  You can use it as a mask or moisturizer.

Then I got the Pacifica Power of Love Lipstick in Nudie Red.  As it is Pacifica, they don't test on animals and they use Vegan ingredients and made in the USA.  It's made with coconut oil.  The cool thing about this is that every one of these you buy, they donate another one to a woman in need. There have some very sad times in my life where even something small like a new lipstick would bring me a little confidence so that's pretty great.  You can purchase these at Target in the US and they are $9.49.  What would be cool is to buy some of these and donate to a women's shelter and double up on the giving :)  It's not really my color, a sheer peachy red.

Formula X

 This color is so pretty!  It's Formula X and it's in the color Revved Up.  It's a rose gold metallic and sells for $10.50 for the full size .4 oz bottle.  It is supposed to be 3 free (which means it does not contain formaldehyde, DBP, or toluene).  It does list that it contains formaldehyde in the ingredients, so I couldn't give it to my sister like I wanted to, as I already have it and she has a formaldehyde allergy.  It may be the case where they have the basic lists for ingredients and it's not accurate to what it actually contains, but I couldn't take the chance.  I really like her for some reason :)

Befine

I have totally busted into this cleanser and I love it.  It's the Befine Exfoliating Cleanser.  It is one of those sugar cleansers that foams up.  It's similar to the Suki cleanser that was $32.95 for 4 oz, although the Suki smelled like lemon sugar.  This one is $24.00 for 4 oz.  It has brown sugar, ginger extract, sweet almond oil, eucalyptus oil, orange oil, and oat protein.  It smells good, but not like bam perfume.  Again, I am getting over a cold so you might not want to fully trust my nose.  It has helped my blah sick skin look much better and it doesn't feel stripping or harsh.

Overall, I like this bag.  My favorites were the cleanser, the nail polish, and the mask.  I wasn't wild about the brush and the lipstick, although I did like the idea of it.

I am behind in my box game, but we were tied 4 to 4.  This one was very very close but I think Birchbox wins it due to the Benefit item and the coconut oil (I've been using that like crazy).  That brings us to Birchbox 5 and Ipsy 4.

* I pay for my own Ipsy.  No one sends me stuff to review, asks that I review them, or has stopped me from reviewing them yet.

Yay subscription box time!  As usual, we'll start with Birchbox.  It's a $10.00 a month subscription box.  I love their points system.  You can refer friends for 50 points and if you ever want to use my link it's here. The sample choices allowed you to pick which color of eye-shadow you wanted and you'll see below which ones I picked.  Next month's picks are up here and they're pretty good, although I thought the Eyeko pencil was something that was supposed to be added to all boxes before it was locked away in customs a while back.

Love this month's box

This month's box was white and silver with a winter sweater look and chartreuse base box with blue paper.  They all include a list of what you received and how much the full size was.

Festive

 They told us to keep our boxes last year, so I have, but I still don't know why.  Maybe it's just a continuity error or something.

Harvey Prince

Can I tell you how excited that I got more Harvey Prince?  Blech.  I don't really like their fragrances and I really wish we wouldn't get them all the time.  This was Harvey Prince Sincerely and retails for between $23.00 for the roller ball and $57.00 for the 1.7 oz size.  It's supposed to smell like tuberose, cyclamen, and mandarin.  Leading me to believe I might like this perfume.  Nope.

Soap and Paper Factory

My next item was a hand lotion, which I enjoy getting, especially since winter is upon us and my skin starts getting thirsty.  This was from the Soap and Paper Factory and is the Green Tea scent.  The Soap and Paper Company is out of New York and doesn't contain parabens, phthalates, or petroleum.  They don't test on animals and try to make their stuff friendly to the world around us. Like reusable glass in their containers and recycled cardboard. You don't need much of this lotion to go the distance and it can be a little greasy but nothing too bad.  It is green tea, basil, and anise and is $18.00 for the full 2.3 oz product.

Next up was the Coastal Scents duo.  I picked the two colors from the Social Eyes palette which is part of the Style Eyes collection.  There is a pretty metallic grey that didn't turn blue on my skin, which is nice, although it seems to have quite a bit of fall out and the pigmentation seems decent.  The black has flecks of glitter and has okay pigmentation.  The palette is only $12.00 for eight shadows and I think it is probably the right price for the product.

Kopari

Next up was the Kopari Coconut Sheer Oil and I really liked it.  Kopari uses coconut sourced from the Philippines, doesn't have parabens, silicones, sulfates.  It doesn't say anything about not testing on animals though, which may be a deciding factor in ordering a full size.  The full size is $38.00 for 1.7 oz.  It has a nice scent, not so much coconut though, which could be good or bad, depending on your thoughts on coconut scent.  It absorbs well and has enough coconut oil that it will solidify under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Last up was the Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer in the color mink.  The brush is really good and doesn't clump up.  The mink color is good if you have pale lashes and want something subtle.  I would like this in black and would like to try it head to head (or eye to eye) against my Little Black Primer.  Which is really one of my most used items.  This is supposed to be water resistant and have B Vitamins to help condition your lashes.  It is $28.00 for .3 oz.

Overall, I think I got a pretty good box.  My favorites would be the sheer coconut oil, the lotion and the primer.  My least favorite item was the perfume.

Did you get a good box?

Let's see who wins this month, Birchbox or Ipsy?

* As per usual no one sends me stuff to review.  I paid in full for my own Birchbox and reviewed it without anyone asking me to.