Dolce & Gabbana Fortune Eyeshadow Duo

I recently purchased a few items from Dolce & Gabbana. Here is a look at the shadow duo "Fortune." My local Saks does not carry D&G cosmetics so I rely on web swatches online which, as we all know are not always true to life, unfortunately! I really love the texture, pigmentation and blendability of the Dolce & Gabbana's eye shadows that I've tried. I was a little disappointed that light ivory-gold seems identical to the light golds contained in some of the other quads I own, so this shade is not a new one for me. It is a really great, sheer gold though, with a lovely texture and looks prettier on than my swatches can convey. I had hoped the brownish/eggplant shade would be more vibrant and shimmery. It definitely works better when used with a base to bring out the color. This duo should come in handy for a super-quick everyday eye, by using the lighter shade all over the eye, the darker shade to line the upper lashline, and some dark eyeliner (dark brown, plum, or black) to complete the look.

photo taken with flash

Stila's Smudge Pot in Kitten on inner half of lid, D&G Fortune duo's eggplant shade on outer half of lid, with the white-gold shade on the rest of the eye.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream

Last week I sampled some of the new MUFE Aqua Creams. This is a cream product that can be used for eyes and cheeks. There are also some shades that are to be used only for lips and cheeks. I would love to try out some of the other shades, but for now I chose just one: #2, which is a pewter shade (can't really see using this particular shade on the cheeks, though!). Visit karlasugar for some great swatches of the many other vibrant shades offered. This product sets quite quickly, so requires speedy blending. It can be sheered-out for a soft look, or applied heavily to achieve an opaque, metallic look. There are similar products on the market and I do have a few products in my stash that are almost identical to this shade, but I would say this product is superior to all except perhaps Bobbi Brown's Galaxy. There is also a more generous amount of product in the MUFE container than the others:

• Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream $22 for 0.21 oz
• Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow $22 for 0.12 oz
• Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner $19 for 0.16 oz
• Prescriptives Colorscope Creamy Eye Color 0.17 oz (discontinued)

From left to right: Prescriptives: Smoking Gun, Benefit Skinny Jeans, Bobbi Brown Galaxy, Make Up For Ever #2.

Trish McEvoy Glaze Eyeshadow: Gilded Taupe & Gilded Lily

Here's a look at two new eyeshadows from Trish McEvoy that are included in the Naturally Irresistible value set ($95) offered for Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. These shades are also sold in individual pans on the Trish McEvoy website for $16 each (the magnetic case is sold separately).

Gilded Taupe is a pretty basic, semi-sheer, silvery-mushroom-beigey taupe and Gilded Lily is a sheer, shimmery ivory with the slightest touch of green. It makes a nice brightening highlighter.

The Nordstrom anniversary set includes a faux-snakeskin petite planner with the following items:

• Petite Page with Warming Brightening Quad, Glaze Eyeshadows in Gilded Taupe, Gilded Lily, and eyeshadows in Lily and Suede 
• Travel-size Classic Eye Pencil in Black 
• Irresistible Lip Gloss in Nude Shimmer 

Some taupey comparisons and swatches (apologies in advance for the not-so-great swatches):

Aveda Nourish-Mint Lipstick

I have long been a fan of Aveda's lipsticks. I love that they are long lasting, and have a great minty scent and cooling effect on the lips when first applied. One of the cons is that they can be kind of dry and matte on the lips, but that's one of the reasons they last so long. All of the colors I've tried are well-pigmented. With the darker shades of these lipsticks, a little goes a long way! The price is fairly reasonable, at $15. My long-time favorites have been "Sun" (not pictured) and "Lychee Splash." Aveda products are available at many spas and salons, but I've found that while my local salons have a lot of the hair styling products, they don't restock the cosmetics, so I ordered a couple of items from the Aveda website. I had a lot of trouble finding swatches and photos online, so decided to post the shades I purchased in case anyone is interested in trying these.

Fossil is a wearable, neutral brownish-plummy/pink with a hint of gold shimmer.

Lychee Splash is a brighter pink with lots of gold shimmer - very pretty!

Kashmir Brown is a neutral, brownish-mauve with a subtle glow. Depending on your skin tone, this one might give a bit of a washed out effect, but looks great topped with a shimmery light pink lipgloss. It reminds me a bit of MAC's Eden Rocks lipstick (see comparison photos below), but is a little bit darker and warmer.

Foxglove is a pink lip pencil that looks a little bright, but is suprisingly versatile and pretty on. It's a perfect match with Lychee Splash, but works well with Fossil, too.

Left to right: Fossil, Lychee Splash, Kashmir Brown

Happy Sunday everyone! Enjoy :)