Smashbox On the Rocks: 3 Looks and Review

Hi everyone!

I have been having so much fun playing with the Smashbox On the Rocks palette. My previous post has swatches and shadow descriptions, if you are interested!

The palette is limited edition and available at Ulta for $42 for 28 shadows.

The Review: 

This palette is excellent! The shadows are pigmented and easy to blend. There is a variety of finishes and colors. If you don't have a palette with a nice variety and options. I would definitely get this one. If you have a complete collection this might not add much. I don't see too many unique shades in here but there are some beautiful taupes and lavender/purple shades. They are powdery so if you hate that, this won't be for you. On the other hand, they are not so powdery that it's a turnoff for me. I would actually compare them to the Lorac shadows, though these might not be quite so powdery.

The looks: 

Look 1

I wore this look to work, so I kept it natural looking but made it interesting by using the lavender :) 

What I used: 

Marzipan all other my lid on top of MAC's paint pot in painterly

Totally Nude on my crease

Sable in the outer corner 

Lavender on the lid

Snow as a browbone highlight 

A bit of Moonlight on the inner corner 

Look 2 

This was my fun weekend look and my favorite look with this palette, so far

What I used:

A mix on Marzipan and Totally Nude on my crease

Mink all over my lid 

Cabernet on the outer corner and taken into the crease just a bit

Snow as a browbone highlight  

I love everything about this look, but Cabernet is probably the standout shade :)

Look 3 

This was my colorful look!

What I used: 

Marzipan all over the lid on top of MAC's paint pot in painterly 

A mix of Totally Nude and Sable on my crease

Peacock on the lid 

Navy on the outer corner and taken into the crease a bit 

Snow as a browbone highlight 

Moonlight in the inner corner 

The standout from this look was Navy, which is a beautiful navy blue :) It blended well and I think looks stunning. 

I am very happy with the palette and the looks that I can make with it. Let me know if you would like to see more looks with it. I will also try to answer any questions you might have!

xoxo,
Cynthia

Smashbox On the Rocks palette: Swatches and First Impressions

Hi everyone,

I love the Holiday season! Yes, I love getting together with family and friends, eating good food and having a great time, but the best part is the holiday palettes!

Today I have swatches and first impressions of Smashbox' On the Rocks Palette.

It is limited edition, $42 and available exclusively at Ulta

I did get last year's palette and while I like it, it does get overshadowed (no pun intended) by other palettes. I was not planning on getting this one but then I saw good reviews and decided to take a second look. Then came the Ulta 20% off coupon and I had to place the order.

The palette: 

I love the packaging: it is foamy, and catches the light beautifully though a bit too thick. 

It does not have cutesy names, and the silly plastic is annoying. I would much prefer when they are printed so that I can throw away the plastic. 

 It's so pretty

It comes with a look book!

The swatches: 

I will take them one square at at time from top left to right. 

Top Left: 

(from bottom to top)

Marzipan: a matte skin color 

Totally Nude: a matte brown with mauve tones 

Sumatra: a matte deep brown 

Ambient: a shimmer golden bronze  

Fizz: a shimmer champagne 

Top middle: 

(from bottom to top)

Sable: a matte mid-tone brown  

Cream: a shimmery crem color  

Midas: a shimmery/satin taupe  

Roast: a glittery brown, the glitter is gold and fine (not chunky) 

Zoom: a shimmery lime green with gold glitter   

Top Right: 

(from bottom to top)

Juniper: a satin brown taupe 

Peacock: a complex satin blue-green (though this description doesn't do it justice) 

Lavender: a satin lavender  

Sapphires: a satin vibrant blue  

Purple Mist: a satin purple taupe  

Bottom Left: 

(from bottom to top)

Navy: a matte dark blue 

Pastel: a mate light mauve 

Lilac: a satin purple 

Babycakes: a pink with silver glitter  

Royal: a dark burgundy that swatches matte but might have micro glitter 

Bottom Middle: 

(from bottom to top)

Mink: a shimmer lavender/gray taupe  

Moonlight: a glittery silver   

Snow: a matte white  

Framboise: a satin fuschia 

Asteroid: a deep shimmer gray  

Bottom Right: 

(from bottom to top)

Cabernet: a satin burgundy  

Smoke: a deep matte gray  

Gypsy: a shimmery green/gray   

First Impressions: 

I have not yet tried every single shadow but  so far I have really been loving these shadows! They are easy to blend and while a bit powdery not overly. There is a good variety of matte, satin, and glittery shades and there is a large variety of looks possible. 

I do have to say that I'm not 100% satisfied with the crease shades. Marxipan, Pastel, and Totally Nude work with certain looks but I might have to mix Totally Nude and Sable to for my perfect shade. For reference I am NC 42 in Mac shadows and usually Tan in Tarte and It Cosmetics. If you are either lighter or darker I don't think you will have a problem finding a good crease shade. So far my favorite color is Cabernet but I am excited to play with the blues and golds. 

I definitely think that this palette is worth it! Is it better than the other holiday palettes... this is in my top three. The top three being: Too Faced Everything Nice, Tarte's Away Oui Go and Smathbox On the Rocks. On the Rocks has more variety than Away Oui Go, and the shadows are more buttery than the Everything Nice. However, the butteriness also means that they are more powdery. The powderiness, I would say is comparable to Lorac shadows. 

I hope this helps as you decide, what palette to get! My next post will be looks I have done with this palette. So far I have loved every look.

Have a great weekend!
xoxo Cynthia

Makeup Empties

I started getting into makeup seriously a little over a year ago and since then I have had a hard time using up products. I've just been trying a lot of things, which means that things don't get used on a daily basis enough, there are just too many things on rotation.

But alas, I have a few empties to share!

It cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara (mini) 

NYX Le Frou Frou mascara

Smashbox High Definition Healthy Foundation 

• The It cosmetics mascara has a dryer formula and while I liked it the ball that's part of the brush want fell in the tube... so yeah not going to purchase the full size. 
• The NYX mascara is a really watery formula, that often transferred all over my face. I was able to use it up by layering it with the It cosmetics Hello Lashes but once again I will not be repurchasing it.
• The Smashbox high-definition has been discontinued but this was one of my first high end foundations and a perfect color match, so I will miss it. 
• Bonus: the post it is also almost empty, used here to prevent the foundation from rolling away :) 

Almost empty: A Stila foundation that I bought at the same time as the smashbox. I have maybe a day or two left out of it so I will make a separate post for it but spoiler alert I will not be repurchasing. 

Current project: 

I am currently trying to get through products that I know I won't repurchase. They are not bad, it's often just that I have found something better and just need to get these out of the way. So I have the Stile foundation, a Revlon Just Bitten Bissable balm stain in Honey Douce, and a No7 black eyeliner. What are you trying to finish up? And how awesome is that feeling of having used up an entire beauty products, pretty great! 

Let's use our ipsy bag items!

There is no point in having beautiful things if we're not going to use them so I set out to use as many of my ipsy items as possible. Actually I could have used all of them but today was a stay at home day and I did not want to use the lashes quite yet. I also thought a purple lip would look better so the Cailyn balm will wait. (Plus it's quite drying on me)

Here is the look I came up with!

                

Products used: 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 

City Color Mousse eyeshadow in White Gold as a base 

Smashbox Wondervision Mega Palette (limited edition): 

I used mint all over the lid, almond and fawn in the crease. Chocolate in the outer corner, maize in the inner corner and into the inner lower lashline and tourquoise on the rest of the lower lashline. 

Urban Decay 24/7 velvet glide -on pencil in black velvet (just a thin line)

Benefit lollitint in the cheeks 

MAC's Heroine on my lips 

It Cosmetic's Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil 

The Wondervision Mega palette is great but you can just as easily find browns in other palettes (ex. the Naked palette), the mint color is a lime green that not everyone might have in their collection, so here are some alternatives: 

L'Oréal Infallible  Eyeshadow in Golden Emerald, Golden Sage or Endless Sea 

Nyx Primal Colors Pressed Pigments in Hot Green

Nyx Baked Eyeshadow in Rebel  

Bonus picture:  

How cool is my t-shirt! Just saying...

Parting thoughts: 

- Let me know what y'all have been doing with your ipsy goodies! 

- There will always be stress in out lives, so let's not forget to take care of ourselves and enjoy our friends and loves ones.