Aqualillies for tarte Amazonian clay waterproof eye and cheek palette Review

WHOA WHAT A LONG NAME! This was created with the USA's synchronized swimming team the Aqualillies in order to create a palette worthy of the spring and summer months! Apparently all the shades are waterproof, which should make it ideal for the pool. I saw it on the Sephora website and was coveting it until I saw it in store while I was in Vegas!

The palette offers six eyeshadows, a champaign-coloured highlighter, a bronzer and a unique blush only available in this palette. Pretty damn good for the price ($46 CAD) when one of their blushes costs $31 CAD! Two of the six shadows are a brown matte, which is always nice. I hate it when the palette is all shimmery! The lighter shades work well as highlights without being glittery, although sadly the only unique colour (the blue/teal) doesn't show up as vibrantly as it does in the pan. That was a bit disappointing really...

The blush is what you would expect from tarte's amazing Amazonian clay blushes. Pigmented, gorgeous, wearable colour that lasts a long time! The highlighter is a typical champagne colour, but it works well with my fair skin to give me a nice glow. The bronzer was a new experience for me, as I typically stay away from them with my pale skin. When slowly built up, I think it can work as a good contour colour.

When I compare the formula to my other palettes, Urban Decay NAKED is still a lot more buttery smooth, but the tarte Aqualillies palette does well to give me a smooth application. I'd say the shades are a little smoother than my Lorac Pro palette but give around the same payoff with some of the matte shades.

The overall aesthetic of the palette is very retro and all-in-all just pretty. I love the packaging and the large mirror. Sadly it doesn't come with an eyeshadow brush but these shades are easy to apply with my fingers. The compact is large and easy to hold in one hand. It's also very travel friendly as it has all your essentials in one area. More space for your luggage!

Whether they are waterproof or not I cannot say for sure. The shadows rub off throughout the day though.

In all I really like this palette! It's pretty standard for colours, but it's handy to have everything in one cute package. I've been using this everyday for work!

Urban Decay NAKED Palette Review + Swatches

Hello everyone! Today I have an overdue palette review for you:

Urban Decay's NAKED palette

I've had this for a while now (since last May), so I've gotten quite a bit of use out of it already! I do not lie when I say that I use this everyday. I work full time in an office setting during the summer, so looking polished everyday is highly important. These could be my future employers so everyday counts. Especially if you're still a student, you want your coworkers to see you not as a young and irresponsible girl, but a refined and respectable young woman.

With this, I fully believe a good neutral palette is a must!

UD's NAKED definitely fits the bill, with 15 shades (13 I'd deem office appropriate) that boast high quality pigments and long wear when paired with the included Urban Decay Primer Potion. This palette also has a (small but great) built-in mirror and a cruelty free eyeshadow brush.

While the NAKED 2 palette has cooler shades, this one clearly features some warm shades. If you have blue eyes like me, you'll love the palette as every colour here will make your eyes pop day or night! The variety is wide - from highlights to shimmers to sparkles, light or dark. Another plus is that each shadow is UD's full size, so you're not getting chinced just because it's a palette! If you do the math, you're saving quite a bit of money as well on shades that will last you a really long time and are suitable for everyday!

Left to right: VIRGIN, SIN, NAKED, SIDECAR, BUCK

Left to Right: HALF BAKED, SMOG, DARKHORSE, TOASTED

Left to Right: CREEP, GUNMETAL

 I'm afraid the case gets very messy, but I've had no troubles travelling with it so far as there are magnets that keep the lid in place. The mirror could be larger, however it's a good quality mirror. If you want to take a different brush with you, just swap the one that comes with the kit! The brush that UD has supplied is pretty meh in my opinion.

Swatches left to right match the order of the palette. Over Urban Decay's Primer Potion

 The shadows themselves are really soft, blendable and semi long-wearing when paired with their primer potion. I find that without the potion though, sometimes there are shades that slide in the crease.. but nothing too bad.

The potion bottle is cute! The wand that comes with it is nice and easy to get the product on your lids. If you apply too much though, I find the eyelids may start to get oily? It's a weird feeling. Definitely makes a difference in the eyeshadows though, I find the colours are bolder when you use this underneath!

Overall I adore this palette and I'm so happy I splurged on this! It will last me a really long time and is perfect for even my cosplays that require bolder makeup. If you're looking for a tried and true palette I would recommend this one!