Saturday's Swatches: Australis Pretty Pastels Palette

Saturday's Swatches have been off for a few weeks now.. Unfortunately, I've ran out of palettes and eyeshadows to swatch! I'll have to dig through my stash again, but meanwhile, please give a round of applause for our guest today -- Australis' Pretty Pastels Palette!

I've won this from Sandy's YouTube/Blog giveaway some time ago (thanks Sandy! ^_^!), but I believe you can still find the palette at Priceline for $9.95 (currently on sale for $7.96 at Priceline).

As expected, the lighweight palette is packaged in Australis' killer colours -- black and hot pink! I like that the palette itself is pretty thin and isn't too big, but still feels quite sturdy. The palette itself comes with 3 eyeshadow shades, a blusher shade, a bronzer shade, a fixed shade of pressed powder and a VERY clear and big "HD-quality" mirror.

As you can tell, all three shades are wearable neutral shades! I've decided to compare some of these shades to a selective fewer from Urban Decay's NAKED Palette:

• #1 -- This one swatches to be a bit chalky, but makes SUCH a pretty sheen over the lids. It reminds me of Urban Decay's Virgin the most, but this one by Australis has a shimmery finish rather than that pearly finish in comparison to Virgin.
• #2 -- This shade is like.. a grey-toned taupe colour. It swatches to be sheer on my arm, and also applies to be almost the same... I can't find a similar shade from UD's Naked for this particular shade.
• #3 -- Reminds me of Dark Horse, except that this Australis' shade is more neutral toned than Dark Horse. This particular shade is very pigmented, and also has alot of fall outs so please be careful!

Ok! Onto the blusher, bronzer and face powder...

• Blusher: Such a pretty dusty pink colour! It swatched to be a tad sheer, but actually applies to be quite pigmented! It also has a matte finish. I actually don't have anything similar to this colour in my stash, so this is a nice addition! 
• Bronzer: This bronzer shade has a shimmery finish, but when applied, it passes off as almost a luminous finish. It's much more ideal to use this to 'bronze' rather than to 'contour', not only because of the finish, but the colour is also a bit off. I can use this [and get away with it] at a lighter hand, but with a heavy hand, it tends to look a tad orange and pink-toned.. X_X
• Face Powder: I think this MAY be the same face powder from their Fresh and Flawless compacts... which I really like! It's smooth to apply, and also gives a flawless heavy-duty look! 

Overall, I like the soft-toned palette! It's a handy palette for those who prefer minimal make-up looks, or for those who are starting out with make-up even! It'd be better if they had these palettes available with different shades of pressed powders though.. Or perhaps replace the pressed powder with another universal face/eye product. A powder highlighter would be PERFECT for me!

That's all for today's Saturday's Swatches post! I'm trying to get back into a consistent blogging schedule, so sorry for the random updates! ^_^

On a brighter note, it's not rainy today, so I will be able to go to Sunday markets tomorrow! I haven't been there in 3 weeks or so! Eeep!

Catch you guys in 2 days~

Saturday's Swatches: L'Oreal Colour Riche Les Ombres in Disco Smoking

Taking a fresh breath from all the neutral palettes that I've previously featured, let's look into a slightly bolder palette this week -- L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Les Ombres in Disco Smoking, that is!

This quad was kindly sent to me by Priceline, and my first thoughts when I saw this quad was... "Ok. Black and purples can work.. but how the hell do you work in the mustard yellow shade?". Eek. I guess that's for you to figure, haha..........ha...ha. Ok. That wasn't really funny :(

The Les Ombres quad features 4 eyeshadows and contains a small sponged eyeshadow applicator, which has a round end and an angled end.

Let's go for a shade-y rundown:

• A true black with slight shimmers. When applied, the shimmers can hardly be seen, so it looks very much like a matte black. It's also a bit patchy when swatched.
• A shimmery plummy purple
• A shimmery red-violet. Looked like quite "bruise-y" when swatched.
• Yellow.. this one's like a cross-breed between mustard yellow and tumeric yellow. It has a very slight orange undertone and it is also of a shimmery finish.

The eyeshadows applies to be fairly pigmented and are best used over an eyeshadow base. There's also little fallout, so beware!

I was kidding when I said it's up to you to figure out how to coordinate the eyeshadows.. haha. There's actually a diagram on the back which gives you an idea of how to use it...

However, being the creative bean I am (jokes!).. I whipped up a look of my own :P Here it is!!!

And here are some MORE glamourous photos....

As you could see, this last photo may just be the most glamourous photo of all 5.

LOL. Just kidding!

But anyways, from the quad, the shade that stood out to me most is the yellow. It makes everything fun and poppy! When I looked at it, I just knew it HAD to be placed in the inner corners!

Have you tried L'Oreal's Les Ombres quads?

What do you think of the selected colours for this quad?

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Les Ombres, $AUD23.95, 8 different quads, at Priceline.

Disclaimer: This product was provided for review consideration by a PR presentative. I was not obligated to review, mention or post about this product. All opinions/comments featured within this post belongs to myself and remains unbiased and uninfluenced.

Saturday's Swatches: Chi Chi NUDES vs. Urban Decay NAKED

NEUTRALS, NEUTRALS, NEUTRALS! There are never too many neutral palettes for one, especially one that looks like it could possibly be a dupe to the famous Naked eyeshadow palette by Urban Decay (swatches here).

After seeing Chi Chi's NUDES Eyeshadow Palette featured by many other bloggers, I've been meaning to hoard it home just to swatch and see if it really does compare to Naked 1. But the problem is... I've figured that since I'm not an eyeshadow user, it'd be such a waste of moola to whip out $19.95 for a palette that I'll swatch once and won't ever look at again.

Well... GUESS WHAT?

I've got the palette anyways -- and it was at a flea market where a lovely lady was selling it for only $2! Brand NEW, still in box with everything else! Actually, there wasn't anything else really, besides the palette. Ha.

I've had it in the stash for a few weeks now and I've been meaning to put up this swatch post sooner, but some of the more exciting products kept coming so I've prioritized those first -- such as Australis' Pout Pastes. For this week's swatch post, I was actually tossing between this palette (again!) and Australis' Go Long Longwear Lipsticks. Eep! But I've figured that I better give my readers a "break" from features of Australis. Therefore, I will stop posting about Australis............................. until my next post. LOL. Mad break, yes?

Anyways, enough talking about Australis in a post that's supposed to exclude Australis. Oops. I think I've just did it again :P

OK. Back to this Chi Chi NUDES Palette for real! As you can tell, today's post is just a comparative swatch post so there will only be fewer words and more photos!

Here are photos of the two palettes side by side with the Chi Chi NUDES palette on top and the UD NAKED palette on the bottom:

At first glance, the shades from both palettes surely do look similar, but at a closer look, you can definitely see the slight variations between the shades.

 Chi Chi NUDES swatches (slightly wet swatches)

(top-bottom) Chi Chi NUDES, Urban Decay NAKED (slightly wet swatches)

I've also got close-up swatches to share with you, but I'm super sorry because the lighting is quite inconsistent! I'll have to blame this on the sun for heading to snooze too quick..

NOTE: These swatches were swatched with a heavy hand AND slightly wet too. Chi Chi's swatches are on the left, Urban Decay swatches are on the right.

READY?!?!?!?!?! ^_^

1. Chi Chi #1 vs. Virgin -- Virgin is a bit more peachy/beige whereas Chi Chi is more of a "pure" white.

2. Chi Chi #2 vs. Sin -- Chi Chi's #2 is also a bit off here, but its finish is soooooooo pearly, just like Sin! It seems to have more shimmers than UD's Sin, actually.

3. Chi Chi #3 vs. Naked -- Chi Chi #3 is a bit more satin in terms of finish whereas Naked is matte. The colour is also a bit off, and its tone is also lighter!

4. Chi Chi #4 vs. Sidecar -- Chi Chi #4 is more gold-toned with a high pearl shine, UD's Sidecar is more bronze with shimmers.

5. Chi Chi #5 vs. Buck -- Very visible difference here! Chi Chi #5 is more puce-toned where as UD's Buck is more tanned with yellow undertones.

6. Chi Chi #6 vs. Half Baked -- #5 here, is more orange-toned.. looks bronzey whereas Half Baked is just gold.

7. Chi Chi #7 vs. Smog -- is the most identical of the bunch!

8. Chi Chi #8 vs. Darkhorse -- #8 looks a bit more paler and the pigmentation is nowhere comparable to Darkhorse.

9. Chi Chi #9 vs. Toasted -- Chi Chi's dupe for Toasted is almost identical, but at a closer look, it's more warm-toned than 'Toasted'.

10. Chi Chi #10 vs. Hustle -- Another dupe of the palette here. #10 is almost identical or may even be identical. I need a few more pair of eyes please.

11. Chi Chi #11 vs. Creep -- Creep is darker here with more visible shimmers. Chi Chi's *attempted* dupe is lighter in terms of colour and has a visible metallic sheen.

12. Chi Chi #8 vs. Gunmetal -- There's a noticeable different here too! Chi Chi's shade is more grey-toned, whereas Gunmetal is a slate-grey with a slight blue undertone.

That's it! I've used this palette once on my Mum and to be honest... even with a primer, the pigmentation of Chi Chi's NUDES doesn't compare to Urban Decay's NAKED -- this applies to the darker shades too. However, the eyeshadows still remains to be smooth and silky when swatched, so nevertheless, Chi Chi's NUDES is definitely an eyeshadow palette to look at if you're in the mood for a NAKED dupe. Most shades aren't spot on, but it's still a nice palette to add to the neutral collection.

What do YOU think of Chi Chi's version of the NAKED palette?

Will you be looking into this palette?

The only eyeshadows I use from the NAKED palette are: Virgin, Sin and Half Baked -- so I'm actually not looking for a NAKED dupe. I'm ony after dupes of those 3 eyeshadows and Chi Chi's dupes to those three are pretty well done in terms of finishes. The colours are a tad off, but not THAT noticeabe when applied :P


Chi Chi NUDES Palette, $19.95 @ Myer, Target, GLOSS stores.


Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me.

Saturday's Swatches: Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Eyeshadow in Totally Busted

Yay! After rolling round in other brands, today we are back with my very favourite brand -- Australis! As you know.. I'm a big Australis gal! I was actually looking through my blogposts the other day and I'm pretty sure Australis is the most featured on Beauty With The Beautifool, no joke!

This week's Saturday's Swatch-a-day stars 'Totally Busted' from Australis' Paparazzi Perfect HD range! This eyeshadow has actually sat in my stash for a loooooong time.. had no idea what to do with it as I'm not an eyeshadow user.. Meep!

This palette comes with 5 shades with that criss crossed design (as shown on the back of the packaging). Although it looks pretty, it's actually isn't practical at all. I had a hard time swatching these myself because the shades sat so closely to each other in the palette and the criss cross design certainly didn't help so I can imagine all the pains and struggles of using a brush when trying to get into the inner corners of the shades.. Meep!

As for the eyeshadows themselves, they're smooth, non-chalky and packed with pigments. Not as top as the eyshads from my Urban Decay NAKED palette, but seems fair for its price.

All 5 shades of the palette are shimmery, shimmery and shimmery. With pearly sheens.

LOL, yes guys! I've tanned...... alot.

They're not overly shimmery on the eyes, but I'd still prefer at least 1 matte eyeshadow in it. It'd be so much more handy for on-the-go's and so much more versatile.

Here's my created look with all 5 shades:

Don't ask me how I did it. I do not know...... :P

Have you tried Australis' Paparazzi Perfect Eyeshadows?
How did you go?

Australis PP HD Eyeshadow Compacts are $15.95, available in 4 shades, at Priceline, Big W, Target and other Australis' stockists.

Disclaimer: Product was provided for review consideration only. All opinions expressed within this post remains uninfluenced and unbiased. Please refer to this blog's disclaimer policy. 

Saturday's Swatches: Urban Decay NAKED Palette

First of all, don't mind me for calling this a 'Saturday' post. It was suppose to be up yesterday, but somehow didn't publish as scheduled! Anyways, we all know that this NAKED post itself is pretty late to the party..

By now, you should have already known of the famous NAKED Palette by Urban Decay. It's one of the most well known neutral-eye palette in the beauty world, consisting of 12 wonderful formulated eyeshadows!

In my experience, the eyeshadows are highly pigmented, smooth, soft, silky and non-chalky. Unfortunately, I am not a regular eyeshadow user [at all] so I haven't worn these eyeshadows enough to give you a detailed review of how long-wearing it is..... despite having this in my collection for more than a year already.

On a daily basis, I do reach out for this palette for err.. two shades in particular.

One of them is Virgin (a light ivory with a slight frosty sheen) which I use for highlighting the brow bones, cupid's bow and my nose! Sometimes on my cheekbones too because I just love that very slight frostiness it has which stands out to look like an 'intense highlighter', but isn't [at all] overly shimmery.

Next up is Half Baked is my favourite from the bunch! It's a beautiful metallic coppery gold which I use alone as a sweep over my eyelids to brighten up my eye area... works every time! My eye area instantly looks brighter, less dull and warmer. Brings my eyes back to life... if that doesn't sound too dramatic.

Besides those two, I don't use any other shades from this palette... which, to be honest.. is a waste of a wonderful neutral palette!

I know that some people call this is their perfect neutral palette with the perfect combination of colours and finishes, whereas some say that this palette doesn't have enough mattes for their personal liking.. I can see why though! It only has two matte shades: Naked and Buck. I'm keen to hear your opinion on this!

OH. And and! This palette used to come with a 24/7 Glide-On Eye Liner, but UD decided to change it up back in 2011 so it now comes with a small-sized Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer which makes me wonder...

Do you prefer the NAKED Palette with the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Liner or the UDPP?

Which are your favourite NAKED shades?

I personally prefer the NAKED Palette with their 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner only because I don't wear eyeshadows so eyeshadow primers are unnecessary for me! However, it's quite hard to find affordable eyeshadow primers here in Australia, so with the mini-sized UDPP, it's definitely a bonus for those with oilier eyelids (or struggles with their eyeshadows creasing) and not to mention that a good eyeshadow primer will keep any eyeliner in place!


If you're a keen bean for the Naked Palette, Beauty Bay has it for $AUD55 with free shipping.