A Few of My Favorite Things -- Jan/Feb 2018

I haven't done a monthly favorites post in a good long while -- there are always so many new makeup products to talk about that sometimes it's easy to lose track of older products that can still seriously get the job done.

I really want to stop doing that -- I won't commit to doing monthly favorites, but I really want to try to mention the things that are really rocking my world whether they're new or not.

So here's what I've been loving in January/February:

Product Review -- Urban Decay Distortion Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay always seems to be coming out with a new eyeshadow palette.

I'm a fan, so I pick up many of them -- and I don't ever really find fault with the shadow formula. Urban Decay makes some pretty great matte, shimmer, glitter, and satin shadows, and I feel like the brand is often trying to do something new and different.

The Distortion Eyeshadow Palette definitely falls into that category.

It contains 10 regular eyeshadows and five "transformer" shades that are meant for layering over the other shadows to change their look.

Product Review -- Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner

I haven't used a toner with any regularity since I was in my early twenties.

That's because in my experience, toners are generally a better fit for oily skin -- and even when my skin was an oil slick, most toners were seriously drying.

Even when they didn't dehydrate my skin like mad, they certainly weren't what you would call hydrating.

Now that my skin is normal to dry, I couldn't really imagine any reason to use a toner.

But then I read about the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner in a blurb on the Allure website, and I was more than a little intrigued.

A deeply moisturizing toner that cleanses and soothes at the same time?

Sounds like the perfect thing for dehydrated, winter-irritated skin.

Product 411: ColourPop x Kathleen Lights Dream St. Collection, Give It To Straight Shadow Palette, and In-Nude-Endo Pressed Highlighter Palette

At this point, I'm pretty much powerless to ColourPop new releases.

They introduce a new product, and I order it a minute later.

I just can't help myself.

The fact that I'm always seriously impressed with everything I pick up definitely doesn't help.

I recently bought the ColourPop X Kathleen Lights Dream St. Shadow Palette and lippies, the Give It To Me Straight Shadow Palette, and the In-Nude-Endo Pressed Highlighter Palette, and they're all pretty fantastic.

Product Review -- Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow 10 Pan Palette

I am a big Wet n Wild fan -- I think they provide pretty impressive quality for such a budget-friendly price on a consistent basis -- so I'm always excited when they come out with new products.

I'm not as excited when they decide to reformulate products that are pretty terrific as is, though -- basically, if it ain't broke, why try to fix it?

That's essentially what's happened with their Color Icon Eyeshadow 10 Pan Palettes -- they've reformulated the entire line, adding some new shade selections too, despite the fact that the old palettes were pretty great already.

The whole thing is a bit of a head-scratcher for me (though I obviously don't have access to WnW's sales numbers, so maybe they know something I don't about how well the old palettes were performing), but of course, that didn't stop me from buying all four of the new palettes to try out.

They're only $4.99 -- how could I resist?

Product Review -- Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eye Shadow Palette

At this point, I'm not really sure that the world really needs another Chocolate Bar from Too Faced.

They've pretty much covered all the bases in this vein, haven't they?

And yet, every time they come out with a new palette in the line, I want it.

Which is why the Chocolate Gold Eye Shadow Palette wound up on my holiday wish list.

If nothing else, Too Faced definitely knocked it out of the park with the packaging for this palette.

Like the other Chocolate Bar Palettes, the compact is long and rectangular and features quilted to resemble a chocolate bar. However, there's a cool dripping gold design on half of the palette, which really makes it a standout.