Neve Cosmetics Mistero Barocco eyeshadow palette

I have ten minutes to spare (I am a busy woman) and I miss regularly updating this blog. So here's a review of NC's Mistero Barocco eyeshadow palette. NC is seriously becoming my favourite brand.

This palette is no longer available on their website, but single eyeshadows are, and you could still find it in brick&mortar stores or other retailers.
The packaging is pretty awesome, white with the golden symbol, it's definitely going to rank high you your list of awesome packaging cosmetics.
It's not much different than a smaller regular palette (like the Duochrome, the Scurissimi and so on), it's in plastic and holds four shades: Crinoline (warm shimmery gold) Ember (pure matte red), Obscure (dark brown, matte with some really subtle shimmer) and Ornament (shimmery antique pink). No primer here, just swatched on bare skin.

Crinoline is very pretty, it's not just a warm gold, to me it has hints of orange and it's extremely beautiful. Highlight the inner corner of your eyes with this, or just use it as a regular eyeshadow. I know many gold eyeshadows but this one really is different.
Ember is a pure, simple matte red with cold/neutral undertones. I have used this as eyeshadow, eyeliner and blush. As blush I recommend caution because it's extremely pigmented. It doesn't look too much Heid-ish once you learn how to apply it.
Ornament is a personal favourite. Like, if you can only get one of these please get Ornament! It's not only a ridiculously beautiful eyeshadow (if you do neutrals this is your new best friend) but it's also a great blush! I used it more as a blush I believe, and it really looks wonderfully ... natural on me, the shimmer doesn't highlight the imperfections of my skin and it's extremely long lasting.
Obscure is a pretty beautiful brown, not that unique but still good and useful, you could use it in your brows as well if they're dark enough. NC suggested you to use it as bronzer as well, but it depends heavily on your skin color. On mine it would be way too dark, and would need a lot of work and blending. You can still use it as eyeshadow or eyeliner, the color is very pretty after all.

The pigmentation varies a bit, Obscure is much more buildable than the others, but that's a good thing in my eyes.
So, any of you got this or plan on getting it? Personally I am quite in love with it, it's extremely multitasking (you can do eyes, brows, face...)!

Christmas gift ideas (under 15 €)

Boy, do I love Christmas. But everytime I find myself struggling to find the perfect gifts, and I keep finding things I'd love to receive instead. So I made a little list for you of makeup-related gifts. No, I haven't tried these products - but I'd love to. More than a personal wishlist, it's a list of suggestions, but maybe it's useful for you!

Lip Scrub Set (Kiko) - 11,90 €

Available in Cinnamon&Orange, Red Berries and Candy Canes. I can't resist things that smell nice and I am pretty sure I am not the only one or Yankee Candles would be out of businnes by now. A lip scrub and a lip balm duo can be a pretty useful gift since it's winter, and the packaging looks pretty cool.
Get it in Kiko stores or online.

Dancing til Dusk eye and face palette (Sleek) - 12.90 €

Ah, Sleek palettes are always a pleasure. This one contains eyeshadows, blushes, and two brushes. It would be a good gift for a person always on the move, even for a makeup newbie, since the price is affordable and Sleek quality is usually good.
Get it at Sephora (and on their website).

Travel Brush Set 9,90 (Sephora)

I've never tried those, but hell, a bunch of travel brushes never goes amiss. Sephora brushes are usually good (I've got one) and the price/amount of brushes ratio is honest.
Get it at Sephora.

Duo Nail Kit (Pupa) 9,90 €

I was very tempted to get this with my 20% discount at Sephora. Two polishes and a beautiful pochette? Considering the usual price of Pupa polishes, it's a bargain. And it looks very pretty!
Get it in various makeup stores.

Neve Cosmetics Mistero Barocco palette

I haven't written the price because it has disappeared from the Neve Cosmetics website, being out of stock.  But you can still find it in brick and mortar stores and here, if you're inclined. (Also, check out that website, there's a lot of great stuff).
I actually own this (review soon), and I can tell you the quality is reaaaal good. That pink makes a great blush, it's an awesome multitasking palette and you can't go wrong with it.


That's all for now!

Neve Cosmetics Bio Primer (Mattifying) review

I've always wanted to try a face primer, but the ingredients discouraged me a bit and I didn't want to put liquid plastic on my face. Plus, who cares if people can see my pores? I'm a human being! What is this, some robot uprising and we have to blend in with the androids?
A primer that promises to make your base more long lasting would've interested me more. When Neve Cosmetics came out with the primers (there's a brightening one too) I knew I had to try one. Since I have combinated skin I went for the mattifying one, after having tried both at a bio makeup store.
At first I was a bit worried. Because they're dark, and I'm super duper pale.

Luckily, however, it blends nicely and becomes invisible really easily. It does make my skin look more, well, matte, and since it adapts nicely to your skin color (more than some of those "adapting bbcreams") you can use it as a colored cream when you're not in the mood for foundation.
I love using it with my Manic Panic compact foundation, but it works nicely with a liquid foundation (Maybelline Fit Me) too.
I've noticed that it makes my face makeup last longer and it gives me a healthy look without looking like a doll. It truly has a mattifying effect. It feels nicely, it's fresh, and it doubles as an extra skin protection during winter.
Have you tried it? Because I'd definitely recommend it! Neve Cosmetics is quickly becoming my fave brand out there...

Enigma/Blue eye pencil by Neve Cosmetics

Look, guys, a post! I am still alive!
And today I want to show you Neve Cosmetics' new eye pencil in Enigma/Blue. Quite frankly I am in love with the idea of a sci-fi themed collection, and I sort of end up collecting matte blue eye colors, so hey, who was I not to give it a try. Especially since the good price, you know.
The color is a matte bright blue. I have a comparison image here:
From L to R: Sephora eye pencil in Azur Blue, Maybelline Master Drama Kohl in electric blue, Kiko eyeliner 107, and Neve Cosmetics Enigma.

The only one that is similar here is Sephora's eye pencil, but the color is less intense and slightly more indigo-ish, so they are not identical.
I have read many comments about this pencil (and the others of the set), and I don't agree with some of them. First, yes, they are soft. It's not a bad thing. UD eye pencils are soft too, and I haven't seen anybody criticize them.
Second, for this reason, they're impossible to work with and stain your eyelid. Duuude, no. With a good primer they last as a standard eye pencil (well, unless you rub your eyes), and I experienced minimal to no lid stain.
So, is it a good pencil? Yes, and I recommend it. At least try it for yourself if you can find a brick and mortar store that has NC.

Color Spotlight: Blue (pt 2)

Welcome to the next episode of Color Spotlight, this time we're reviewing more shades of blue.

Essence 03 Life is a Freeride, from the Snow Jam LE is a shimmery/metallic teal you can't go wrong with. But if you're not in for shimmer, and prefer a darker, more petrol-like shade of teal, go for Deborah 55 Blue Lagoon.
How could I not include the famous Cinderella by Sinful Colors? a light blue with a soft golden/pink shimmer so cute that will make you feel on a raibowy cloud while riding a winged unicorn.
Layla 66 is a simple creme, yes, but a nice shade of blue, almost a denim blue, with grey undertones. Would look awesome with a matte topcoat.
Nails Inc. Sweets Way may look like a mere glitter topper, but don't let looks deceive you. It has a light blue base and an intense concentration of glitters really reminiscent of a cupcake.

And here's the makeup. I am not really much a fan of light blue as an eye makeup color, because I've got light blue eyes and I don't think it compliments them well.
Neve Cosmetics Abracadabra from the Duochrome palette is a pretty light blue that shifts to a greenish/golden shade, it looks way better with other eyeshadows in a more complex makeup rather than alone. A Deborah teal mascara can't go wrong, and the old Pupa eyeshadow is, like Abracadabra, not so great alone on my eyelid. The pigmentation is good, especially with a wet brush.
On the left a Kiko cream eyeshadow from the Boulevard Rock LE, 107 Inspiration Emerald. Now, besides the fact that it's not emerald but teal, I have a few complaints about this. It acts weird, as in, it's not enough pigmented and you have to apply lots of it for a full eyelid coverage (using it as eyeliner would be even harder) and besides the 80s music video effect... when it dries it creates wrinkles. I am so sad because it's a really pretty color, and I've usually had god experiences with Kiko cream eyeshadows. I have to experiment with it, to find a way to still use it without side effects.

And that's all for today!

Tag: The Lip Product Addict

I took this from Drama, I haven't posted anything for a while so I decided to give you something about my lip products..

Favorite Balm/Treatment

As a night treatment, I sometimes use Neve Cosmetic's Lip Nectar (not pictured here), but the lime flavored Baby Lips is what I usually keep in my bag. It's not perfect as the overseas bloggers depicted it, but it's not that bad either, plus, I love the smell and the packaging is super cute.

Best Eye-Catching Red

I haven't worn a red in quite some time, but Catrice's It's a Matt World is the one that looks best on me. It's matte but not lip drying at all, and looks stunning.

Best Luxury / Best Drugstore (And Best Mac Lipstick)

My best luxury... is also my best Mac, since I don't have any other Mac lipstick, and it's the luxury-est one I own. It's Rebel, and it's definitely worth the price. Stays all day, eve after meals, looks fantastic on me, doesn't dry lips at all. I love berry/violet lipsticks and this one is probably the best one in the world.

For the same reason, I included as drugstore product a Maybelline liptint with a great scent and great color payoff. The other liptint is Catrice's Megan Fuchsia, another recommended product. The color may seem excessively flashy, but it's actually an office-friendly shade.

Most Disappointing

Nothing! No real disappointments in my lip purchases.

Liner Yay/Nay

I don't usually use a lipliner (except when I wear a black lipstick), but the Perfettina transparent/white lip pencil is useful if I want a flawless look. The two Neve Cosmetics Lip Pencils you see, well, I use them alone as lipsticks. They're pigmented and not too much lip drying, but it's better to prime and scrub the lips because they'll highlight any little flaw.

Best Gloss

I have no doubt that this is the best lipgloss on the planet. It's the lovechild of a lipstick and a lipgloss, and it's INSANELY pigmented. Like, capslock-worthy pigmented. More than certain lipsticks. See that wonderful shade of violet (called Underworld Amethyst)? Well, this is exactly what will appear on your lips. A lot of violet lip products turn pink or pink-ish on my lips, this doesn't. I can't recommend it enough.

Something Extra

Kiko's black lipstick and Shaka's matte white lipstick. I am really upset by the fact that they aren't the norm as nude and red lipsticks are, because they can be quite great. Plus, the black lipstick looks fantastic with my hair, and it very pretty. Those colors don't have to be weird or goth, they can be worn with class, depending on the rest of the makeup and the outfit.

Color spotlight: green

So, I know I have neglected this blog for a while (university, urgh), but now I have the first of what I hope will be a nice series of posts. I will focus on my favorite shades of green when it comes to makeup and nail polish. For nail polish, you can see Deborah Green Fluo 45 that I've been wearing lately. 

I tried to select my 5 favorite green polishes. Not easy!

Besides the Deborah one, I picked Kiko 441 Electron Green, Essence L.O.L, OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me and Essence Choose Me!

Green Fluo 45 is a nice neon green, that like all neons requires a white base. Topped with a shiny top coat it's really nice. Electron Green is a personal fave, annoying to remove for the glitter, but very pretty. I have a thing for lime green, so L.O.L. and Don't Talk Bach To Me (which leans more to pistachio, actually, but whatevs). Choose Me! is a wonderful dragon green (can I define it like that? ), packed with shimmer and awesomeness that got discontinued for no good reason, if you ask me. Essence, seriously, why?

When it comes to make up, I can show you two brushes, one by Neve Cosmetics and the other one by Essence, both definitely good (the Essence one was surprisingly good), a waterproof eye pencil by Sephora that shows how clearly Sephora and me have different ideas of what waterproof means. It's not much resistant and it gets in my crease pretty quickly, it's a pity because it's a wonderful shimmery olive green.
UD eye pencil in Invasion needs no explanations, I believe.. a wonderful matte dark forest green.
For the eyeshadows, there's Concrete Minerals Toxic. I wish it were more on the limey side rather than a pastel green, but I honestly don't care because, like its blue brother, it's greatly pigmented and the quality is amazing.
I included the whole Neve Cosmetics Duochrome palette because all its greens are wonderful. All of them.

What do you think of this series of posts? Any idea for improvement and/or color you really want to see next?

Dramatag: my top 5 showcase products

As soon as I saw the last Dramatag I wondered "Do I have any product with super awesome packaging?"

The answer was yes!
I love, love the Naked Basics packaging. It's simple, yes, but I love how it feels at the touch, it's almost soft and smooth, and you can feel the embossed name with your fingers.
An old Kiko blush from the Fierce Spirit LE (Last summer's), with already a small scratch. Still, the "oriental" mood of the packaging is quite pretty and it looks nice on my makeup shelf. It's not much travel-friendly and it's huge, but I'm not going to complain on the size since it's my favourite blush, I don't want to think that one day I'll hit the pan.. sigh.
The Neve Cosmetics blush in Starlet from the 20's inspired LE was one of the products that, well, let's just say the packaging had quite a part on the purchase- that, and the fact that I didn't have a matte blush yet. I ended up with a very lovely blush, that can be easily blended and so it looks nice even on my skin tone.
The Essence highlighting pearls from the Me & My Ice Cream LE aren't so practical in their daily use, but their box is so lovely you'd expect to find candy in it!
The Kiko Loud Night Bronzer from the Dark Heroine LE has one of the most awesome packagings ever. The image on the cover reflects the Blade Runner atmosphere of the whole LE in the best way possible, and somehow the name Loud Night really fits. The cover makes me think of city lights seen when driving a car or running, due to their flashiness, but they could be the lights of a night club as well. See, when a product makes me think of stories, it's a good one. Ah, and it's a pretty great bronzer too!

Perfect Palette Tag

It took me an insane amount of reflection time to write this, because, to my shocking discovery, I don't even own that many palettes. And videogames are a distraction too, but let's ignore this and focus on the palettes, shall we?

1) Best Packaging
This is genuinely a hard question. I don't have palettes with pretty but practical packaging, so I really don't know how to answer this. Probably the Sleek ones would win on this, since they have room for a brush and a mirror too, despite being small.


2) Best Color Payoff

Neve Cosmetics Duochrome palette. One of the best palettes I've ever tried, the pigmentation of these shades is insanely high.


3) Most Versatile

I was tempted to answer "the Duochrome again!", because, really, you can create dozens of looks with that. However I've chosen this old Kiko palette, Sensuous Burgundy. Ok, it's not that old. The colors are greatly pigmented, especially the brown, and choosing to use, say, the pink instead of the gold on the lid will change you eye look greatly.

4) Best for Traveling

Look at me shamelessly recycling an old pic

Ok, this should be called "best for travelling in summer and spring", due to the colors. Last summer I've been away for a week carrying only a limited amount of makeup, and this was the only palette I had with me. It's not only great because it has a sturdy packaging and offer lots of shades in a small space, but you can create many different looks with this (even some evening looks).

5) Biggest Regret

This little lovely Catrice palette from the Thrilling Me Softly LE was a total regret. Surely, the shades are nice and go very well together. That is, they would if they were pigmented. The matte brown isn't pigmented at all and a wet brush didn't help. The two shimmery shades cause lots of fallout. Catrice, you're disappointing me!


6) Best Color Names

Ehm, the Duochrome by Neve. Again. Anyone who creates a wonderful green/yellow eyeshadow and calls it Acid Rain wins.

7) Least Used

This greatly pigmented, long lasting eyeshadow palette by Pupa would be great, if it weren't for the typical, evening "social life" colors. I don't have a social life that involves partying, night clubs and such, so I can't use it as much as I would. I used it last year in Lucca Comics and it proved itself to be insanely long lasting, my eye makeup was still perfect even when I came back in the evening and gave me that "yeah I might be exhausted but I still look fabulous" feeling.


8) Most Used, Most Loved (aka the one to bring on a desert island)

This little gem is an E.L.F. mini palette called Luxe, paid less than 2 euros and it contains the only eyeshadow where I've actually hit the pan. The highlighter shade is a perfect My Lid But Better, and combined with the brown and the taupe it creates a gorgeous, shimmery-but-not-too-shimmery daily friendly nude-ish look. The dark taupe is an unique shade of which I've never found dupes, if you look at it very closely it has small warm and green hues. Hard to describe, wonderful to use, recommended if you place an E.L.F. order.

A small announcement & getting ready for Lucca Comics

I had a couple of mani ideas for this week. However, they won a ticket to the "To Do Land", because I have injured my right hand's thumb. It sounds less heroic when you learn I got this wide, annoying painful cut while washing the dishes. I took a cracked glass from the water, it broke, and now I'm here with a C-shaped cut covered in hospital bandages and the inability to use my right hand for two weeks. Well, i can use my other fingers but not too much, and try grabbing things without your thumb. It's still quite painful, but hey, I can still apply nail polish. More complex nail art experiments are impossible for me now.
This is why you'll mostly see swatches of polishes in the next weeks.

The good news is, I'm definitely going to Lucca Comics! And for the first time, I'll bring a cosplay. I'll be Alyx Vance from the videogame Half-Life 2. She wears no make up in the game, even if in some stills it seems she's wearing black eye pencil, I doubt she'd be wearing anything, since the game is set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world. I will go for a no-makeup look.

The Maybelline Fit Me foundation is the best foundation in the world, everyone else go home. I use the lightes shade, 105, and it's just perfect. I apply it only with my fingers, and it sets in perfectly, lasts all day and is just the right shade for me. You know those people that make you wonder under how many cm of foundation is their face buried? Well, you only need a thing layer of this to have a nice, even skin color. I rarely even use concealer anymore.If I need it, I brought the Essence eye primer, you know, just in case (it's quite a good concealer).
The Complexion Perfection by E.L.F. is, as you can guess from the hole, a product I've used a lot. Even if it didn't have such an awesome name (it's like a videogame weapon name), it would be a great setting powder.
The Essence Lashes go Wild mascara is pretty good, it really gives me long and impressive lashes, which is why I'm still not certain wheter I'll use it or not.
The character I cosplay has darker hair than me, so I'll have to get darker eyebrows as well. This Max Factor eyebrow pencil will do the trick, even if it's not too dark.
But what about the Neve Cosmetics lip nectar and the single eyeshadow in Watermelon? Their moment of glory has come. I'll mix them in a small Essence jar and use the final product...as hair mascara.
Alyx Vance has red strands of hair, and this will do the trick. I've already tried and it works perfectly!


And that is all for now! I'm leaving for Lucca Comics & Games on thursday, and won't be able to post anything until monday (probably). Have a nice Halloween and/or a nice weekend!

Make Up Moments: My latest...

Just when I wanted to do another post about make up, I found this lovely post and decided it would have been fun, so, here it is!

 But first... the rule says to open the post with the image of an owl. So here's your owl!

 01) Latest foundation (bought or received)?

Essence 2 in 1 make up powder.  I bought it months ago and it has become my summer essential: it's my color, it has a nice coverage and it's cheap!

02) Latest compact powder?

Essence Mineral Compact Powder. I found it in a OVS store just once, then I never found them again in other stores that keep Essence products. It's supposed to be a new product... 

03) Latest concealer?

My sister gave me this Kiko concealer. I'm not exactly enthusiastic, the packaging is a pain in the neck, usually a lot of product comes out, far more than I'd need it. I'm still faithful to my E.L.F. concealer.

04) Latest bronzer?

I don't use any, nor I intend to.

05) Latest blush?

Here things get complicated: I recently bought the single eyeshadow Watermelon by Neve Cosmetics that can be used also as blush, lipstick, everything. The latest blushes of the family were Lolita and Creamy, always by Neve. A bit too glittery but with some powder over it they're fine and long lasting. Did I already mentioned how much I love Neve products?

06) Latest highlighter?

Catrice multicolor highlighter "Vanilla Love" of the Candy Shock LE. It would probably look better on warmer, darker skintones. On me it's barely visible. The upside of this: it's a perfect everyday product, as promised on the website it gives a subtle glow. Probably I'm the only one who can see that glow, but I don't really care, hah.

07) Latest lipgloss?

 Essence marble mania lipgloss in Mix'n Mauve. There was an old LE called Marble Mania so I was afraid that the product I had found was just really old, but apparently it's not: Essence is launching those new lipglosses, and they can be found in the english Essence website. I love this lipgloss a lot: nicely pigmented, not sticky at all, and even when it fades a bit it leaves a nice stain covering the whole lips ( a regular stain, not like those products that leave those weird signs on lips). The final effect is that your lips look is if that shade was their natural color, and I really like it.

08) Latest lipstick?

Deborah lipstick in 13, months ago. I don't use lipsticks in the summer that much so I haven't used it in a while, but it's nice, a classic color. And it was on sale, how could I resist it?

09) Latest pencil?
Eye pencil: Sephora nano eye pencil in azur blue. Super pigmented and long lasting: it's so long lasting that if I wear it at 8 am, leave the house to have an exam at the uni and come back at 7 pm, it's still there. Surely, the primer helps, but it's a really good product.
Lip pencil: Neve Cosmetics lip pastels. The contouring lip pencil seems something you'd never use but trust me, when you have it you appreciate it. The other one is a nice salmon shade.

10) Latest eyeshadow?

The aforementioned Watermelon by Neve Cosmetics. I love using it as eyeliner mostly, it has a nice cyberpunk effect.
 
11) Latest eyeliner?

 Essence I love punk jumbo eyeliner pen. I usually go for pencils, but I decided to try this so maybe I could learn how to apply eyeliner nicely and not just use the pencils to intensify the eye make up. It would be a much greater product if it were more pigmented... I mean, you can apply it, wait until it dries and apply it once again to intensify the color, but since it's meant as an eyeliner for dummies, that way you kinda miss the point.

12) Latest mascara? 

Bought: NYC Sky Rise mascara. For being a cheap product, the quality is definitely good, it really has a beautiful effect on lashes.
Received: Deborah Mascara full color in 02 costa smeralda sea. The color is actually a bit greener irl.
What can I do, I love colored mascaras...

13) Latest eyebrow product?

 I actually don't used anything... I tried but I don't like the effect.

14) Latest primer?

 Essence I Love Stage eye primer. It's really good and effective, especially if you have oily eyelids.

15) Latest face care product?

 Garnier Crème Bienfaisante for normal/combinated skin.Works nicely and feels fresh on the skin, i like the formula. I also tried the "sorbet" cream for oily skins and found it... oily O_O I don't know, this kind of stuff depends a lot on your skin type I guess.

16) Latest body care product?

 Helan Rosa-Rosae silky moisturizing cream. Eeeh, I love this one. I was given a sample, tried it and fell in love with it. It really gives your skin a pleasant silky effect and the subtle rose smell lasts for a couple of days...

17) Latest hair care product?

I only use standard shampoos and such, no particular care products... I don't really need anything special, I have really short hair, no split ends, etc.

18) Latest accessory (brushes, false lashes...)?

 The Sephora empty eyeshadow palette, when it still costed 50 cents. I'm really glad I bought it.

19) Latest nail polish?

 Coming soon on this blog, Deborah 45 Green Fluo. Can't wait to try it!

20) Latest perfume?

I don't used perfume, I only have a old Lush solid perfume. It's supposed to be expired but it still smells deliciously. I am awfully tempted by Shaka solid perfumes, however.


 Whoa, I exceeded the blogspot tags limit. I tagged the products but not all brands.