Product Review -- Urban Decay Afterdark Palette

I usually enjoy Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes because they often contains shades that are at least a little bit outside my comfort zone.

That's always a good way to ensure that I don't wind up in a makeup rut.

So while I'm always interested in new Urban Decay releases, I was particularly excited by the Afterdark Palette.

It's an entire palette full of rich jewel tone shadows in metallic and shimmery finishes. 

What's not to love?

Product Review -- Too Faced White Chocolate Chip Eye Shadow Palette

I put the Too Faced White Chocolate Chip Eye Shadow Palette on my holiday wish list as soon as I saw the first promo images of it.

I love the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palettes and the shades looked like they were right up my alley, so it seemed like a no-brainer.

Of course, about a minute after that, I started to see some pretty awful reviews of the White Chocolate Chip Palette, and I started to rethink my need for it.

But I'd already told some friends and family members who were looking for gift ideas for me, so I just decided to let it be.

That's a long way of saying that when I wound up with White Chocolate Chip Palette, I didn't exactly have high hopes for it.

Maybe that's why I have a more favorable opinion of it than most of the reviews I've seen.

Product Review -- Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette

It's always really cool when a makeup company can come out with a product that works in multiple ways.

You really feel like you're getting your money's worth that way.

Still, when I first saw the Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette, I assumed I would be using it strictly for highlighting.

I've been pleasantly surprised by the fact that the palette is just as versatile as advertised.

Product Review -- Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow Palette

The older that I get, the savvier I try to be about my makeup purchases.

That mainly means ignoring the hype for products that I know I really have no use for.

For example, I think the new Kat Von D Pastel Goth Palette looks absolutely beautiful, but those just aren't colors that I'd personally get any kind of regular use out of  -- so I'm not giving into temptation despite all the pretty positive reviews I've seen.

In a perfect world, I'd have the space and money to buy any and all makeup items that just looked nice, but that's not my reality so I have to be a little smarter about the things I pick up.

So I was pretty determined not to give in and buy the Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow Palette.