Perfect Palette Tag

I was tagged by Zoë to do this Perfect Palette Tag I've seen floating around lately (thanks for including me, Zoë!). I am absolutely palette crazy as you may have deduced from my latest wishlist, so I've thoroughly enjoyed reading and watching responses to this tag on blogs and YouTube. There's a certain irresistible quality to a beautifully executed palette, whether it be a standout shade or two that makes the whole thing a must-have, or how the different colours and finishes promise a world of possibilities and creative potential.

1. Best Packaging

Hands down, Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Odyssey (09). I mean, just look at it. I think I like it better than the more masculine, architectural packaging of Tom Ford, which would've been second in the running. This is just one incredibly good-looking palette. The intricate pattern at the front, the gold case and interior, the classic neutral eyeshadows housed within, that to-die-for gold leaf shade. So much eye candy.

2. Best Colour Payoff

I'm giving this one to the LORAC Pro Palette. The metallic shades are uniformly vibrant and pigmented, but what sets the Pro Palette apart from other comparable palettes is the inclusion of the matte shades. The darker mattes in particular (Sable, Espresso) are some of the most impressively pigmented eyeshadows I have in my whole collection.

3. Most Versatile

Laura Mercier Lingerie Eye & Cheek Palette. We have light shades, dark shades, satin finish, mattes, a glitter/near duochrome and two blushes. If that's not versatile, I don't know what is. You can come up with anything from a barely there, daytime appropriate look (any combination of Buff Pearl, Tawny Apricot or Pale Pink), something with a bit more pizzazz (African Violet) or a smokey eye (Rich Cocoa or Black Plum). The two darker colours could easily double up as eyeliner. Buff Pearl is your standard inner corner/browbone highlighting shade. Pale Pink could be a transition/blending shade depending on your skin tone. The light and medium shades could be used on the lid alone, or the darker colours incorporated for added depth. And that's just the eyeshadows — wear the blushes separately or mixed together. The list goes on.

4. Best for Travel

When travelling, I have only one requirement. Small. What I bring needs to take up as little space as possible. At the back of my mind, it also has to be something I'm willing to lose (you never know with misplaced luggage, forgetful packing and any number of potential mishaps while on the go). In my last Shop My Stash, I unearthed this Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eyeshadow quad which I decided to bring along with me during my Europe trip. Along with Essence Eye Soufflé in Pas des Copper, it served me well.

5. Biggest Regret

Too Faced Naked Eye. The shades swatched so beautifully but the majority are complete fails on my lids. The three larger pans and Pillow Talk barely show up. Lap Dance and Unmentionables are too dark and cool for my colouring to sport all over the lid for the daytime. Satin Sheets is pretty, but what would I do with it? The matte black Stiletto is unremarkable. That leaves only Like A Virgin, which I do enjoy, but only with a shimmery purplish base like the one from Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow in Wild Orchids. For the same amount of money, I could've taken home Stila In the Light which I'm sure I'd be infinitely happier with.

6. Best Colour Names

This one was tricky for me to answer since I'm ridiculously hard to please when it comes to names. I find the majority of shade names to be dull and unimaginative, or cringe-inducing (e.g. the whole of theBalm ShadyLady Vol. 2 — I mean, Just This Once Jamie, really?). I prefer shade names that don't try to incorporate the literal colour in the name, but rather, evoke certain images or moods that tie in with the colour and paint an overall picture of the palette. I picked the Urban Decay Naked palettes for that reason. The names suggest to me a kind of dangerous, on-the-edge, racy, femme fatale, outlaw vibe which I suppose is meant to emphasize how seductive and daring a suite of neutrals can be.

7. Least Used

This one was easy. Sleek i-Divine eyeshadow palette in Bad Girl. I never use this thing. I regret buying it as it just sits in my makeup drawer untouched. The colours are just way too dark, green and blue to be used on a regular basis. And by regular basis, I mean ever.

8. Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island

NARS And God Created the Woman. I am so glad the makeup fanatic in me latched onto the idea of procuring this palette and didn't let go. No other palette has captured my affections the way this one has, with the possible exception of Urban Decay Naked2 (though the original Naked still holds a place in my heart as well). I was contemplating forking out an insane amount of money for the limited edition Chanel Ombres Matelassées palette in Charming, but talked myself out of it by focusing on how much superior And God Created the Woman is in every single way. Most palettes contain a bit of filler in the form of certain shades that you rarely touch or that simply don't appeal to you. I can say with confidence I love and use every single colour in And God Created the Woman. It also has the left shade in the Kalahari duo, one of the most stunning eyeshadows I've come across. I easily see myself using this palette for the rest of my makeup-loving life.

Under the Tree Treats

There's nothing like Christmas to inspire a whole 'nother level of consumer frenzy. The material temptations around this time of year are vast and unrelenting. In an effort to filter through the excess, I've picked out a select few items that are top of my festive wishlist. These are all fairly luxe in nature (blame it on escalating "tastes"), so I'm not planning on a crazed spending spree any time soon, but one can always dream.

1. Chanel Charming Ombres Matelassées Eyeshadow Palette
Until about 3 months ago, there wasn't a single Chanel item in my makeup collection. While I now have one of their Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks in Évasion, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder and their Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer, I've never tried any eyeshadow offering from the brand. This 5-shade limited edition neutral palette seems to be the perfect opportunity to change all that. Yes, it's hideously expensive at $98, but it's not too far off American ($80) and UK prices (£48), certainly less marked up than something like the Bobbi Brown Smokey Warm Eye Palette which retails for $48.50 in the US but $80 here. We can lay the blame firmly on Lisa Eldridge for raving about the Charming palette in her videos and Instagram, no doubt setting off pangs of want deep in the hearts of beauty fanatics worldwide.

2. Urban Decay Naked3
Do I really need the third installment of Urban Decay's Naked eyeshadow palette series? Probably. This time around there's a focus on "rose-hued neutrals" (read: pink), and while I'm not entirely convinced with the first half of the palette (too light, too pink), most of the shades in the second half are calling my name. Urban Decay rarely disappoint when it comes to eyeshadow and on a cost-per-shade basis their Naked palettes are excellent value for money. I'm holding off for now while the hysteria surrounding this new release dies down, but totally see myself welcoming this palette into my Naked family somewhere down the track.

3. Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque
This mask has been on my radar for quite a while now and is one of the more achievable acquisitions on this list. I was prepared to buy it while holidaying in London, but discovered it's actually cheaper at home ($39 vs. £27 or about $48). I'm trying to use up my existing clay mask first, the super affordable Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask Orange + Bergamot which I purchased earlier in the year to qualify for Priceline's massive skin care goodie bag, but the Aesop is more desirable in every way. The lower half of my face tends to easily breakout, so I'm naturally drawn to a mask that claims to purify the skin and unclog pores.

4. Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille
I'm at a stage where I'm tentatively exploring slightly more "niche" brands when it comes to perfume, moving away from celebrity or designer fragrances. I bought my first Jo Malone and diptyque perfumes while on vacation in Europe, but have yet to add a bottle of Serge Lutens to my collection. Their popular Fleurs d'Oranger reminds me so much of Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia which I already have, but I don't own anything like Un Bois Vanille. I haven't traditionally been drawn to vanilla scents, previously dismissing them as uninspired, generic and too food-like for my tastes (geddit?), but I'm increasingly beginning to see the simple genius in a vanilla scent done right. Alluring, feminine and plain delectable.

5. Wayne Goss The Collection
Seeing this gorgeously soft limited edition Christmas brush on Wayne Goss's Instagram reminded me how much I wanted to try the brushes from his collection. If you watch his YouTube videos, it's easy to conclude the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to brushes. I'd always thought that gossmakeupartist was a "guru" that genuinely valued integrity, honesty and independence, and it sounds like crafting this brush line was a completely hands-on labour of love for him. While the whole 8-piece set is certainly steep (£140), I'm inclined to believe you're paying for the quality of the craftsmanship and materials involved.

6. Charlotte Tilbury Colour-Coded Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita
When Charlotte Tilbury first launched her cosmetics line, I could hardly contain my excitement. I remember stalking a test site that essentially replicated her relaunched website before it officially opened, and watching all the embedded, then-private YouTube videos that she had made to showcase each individual product in the range. The amount of work that Charlotte put into each of the videos is phenomenal and she's a natural, persuasive salesperson. I was eager to check out the line in person while in London in September, but I managed to resist purchasing anything when I came across her counter at Selfridges. If money were no object, this Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette would be mine. I adore the packaging and the warm, reddish, bronzey, chocolatey shades are right up my alley.

7. diptyque Feu de Bois Candle
A recent discovery while casually browsing Mecca Cosmetica on Friday. I'd never thought I'd be drawn to a scent like Feu de Bois, but there was something unique, comforting and refined about it. Described as "the warm, familiar, sophisticated accord of rare woods throughout the long winter days", I can see myself thoroughly enjoying burning this at night in my room. While I've tried a couple of other candles after my purchase of diptyque Roses, I've decided they simply don't compare. Yes, they're expensive, but I personally find them worth it. Diptyque estimate their standard candle (190g) burns for 50-60 hours, which even if the lower end was optimistically stated, is about 20-25 sessions of 2 hours burn time. Say you light your candle two times a week, that's roughly 3 months of diptyque goodness for $78, and in the end, you get a gorgeous jar that doubles up as a container for makeup brushes, cotton pads, Q-tips or lip crayons. I've read complaints that the jar can get sooty but I always trim the wick before relighting and haven't experienced any issues. The only problem I have with my Roses candle is how unevenly it's burned. Lesson learnt for next time.

Jangle All the Way

Purplish-greys are one of my favourite nail polish colours to wear (see Sportsgirl Storm, Sportsgirl Smoke), so Essie Bangle Jangle (770) from the Winter 2011 Collection seemed an ideal addition to my collection. I was tossing up between Bangle Jangle and Cocktail Bling, which appeared in swatches to be slightly darker and less purple, but thought Cocktail Bling might be too grey-leaning and desaturated for my liking (didn't want another Sally Hansen Wet Cement). When I first tried on Bangle Jangle, it seemed very similar to Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish polish in Lively Lilac (170), so having both was a bit of a letdown. I thought I'd jazz things up by attempting a glitter gradient with a complementary colour, the coppery Face of Australia Studio 54 from their Glitterati Collection (a 100% dupe for Sportsgirl Rose Gold — seriously, it's the same polish).

I really liked the combination of Essie Bangle Jangle and Face of Australia Studio 54. Somehow, the flourish of glitter manages to rescue an otherwise ordinary creme. Studio 54 would've been blinding and excessive on its own, but paired with a hazy, dusty purplish grey, it adds just the right amount of pizzazz. The glitter "gradient" was surprisingly easy to do, with one layer of Studio 54 painted to around the middle of the nail, and a second layer more concentrated around the base of the nail only. I attempted this kind of mani once before and was pleased with the results, so I enjoyed revisiting it again. From experience, a glitter like Face of Australia Studio 54 (with a mix of small hexagonal glitter and ordinary glitter dots in a clear base) works better for a gradient effect than a more dense glitter made up of larger glitter pieces of the same size.

November Favourites

November found me surprisingly enjoying quite a few products. I experienced something of a renaissance in my interest in eyeshadows (not that I ever lost it, just I could never be bothered), sparked by finally getting off my ass and washing my eye brushes en masse. Clean brushes suddenly opened up a new world of aiming to wear a different eyeshadow each day, rather than resorting to my automatic, lazy, go-to picks (Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, I'm looking at you). I also made a conscious effort to use up some of my existing products, particularly skin care. Adhering to a regular routine saw my skin reaping the benefits, and I've enjoyed a relatively blemish-free complexion this month (knock on wood).

Antipodes Organic Lime Leaf & Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
This free inclusion in the Daily Moisturise Kit I bought in January seemed like an afterthought, but when I misplaced my Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol and couldn't be bothered to retrieve it, I decided then was the best time to crack open my untouched Antipodes lip balm. I didn't have any expectations of it, but found myself pleasantly surprised. While I rarely use up any lipsticks or lip glosses, I regularly finish lip balms, and this one is no exception. I've been consistently reaching for it this month, especially before bed, and sadly it's almost empty. I'm a fan of the fresh, lemony scent and how the somewhat dry, hard texture just melts when in contact with the lips, providing welcome hydration and nourishment.

MOR Tonka Bean Musk Body Butter
I've always considered body moisturisation to be a bit of a chore, but it's certainly made more tolerable depending on the product used. Enter this perfumed body butter from MOR. I pounced on the opportunity to pick this up from David Jones earlier in the year when it was on sale for $10 (down from $29.95) after loving my first experience with a MOR body butter (won from Sue's giveaway), Hibiscus Bloom. Tonka Bean Musk smells unlike anything I've tried and it's kind of addictive. It's powdery and floral but I also detect a little cocoa, vanilla and musk. It has a warmth, spiciness and creaminess. The official notes are bergamot, jasmine, lily of the valley, tonka bean and musk. The body butter is thick, rich and very moisturising, though it doesn't sink completely into the skin the way my Grown Mandarin and Rosemary Leaf Body Cream does.

Prestige My Blackest Lashes Intense Black Volume Mascara in Blackest Black (MLB-01)
This mascara has been the only one I've used this month after chucking out my CoverGirl LashBlast Volume and mini Benefit They're Real. At first, I found it to be too wet and a little smudgy, but I persevered and it dried up to become more manageable. It tends to smear on my lower lashes (which I prefer coating with Max Factor Masterpiece Max), but the fattish, many-bristled wand of the Prestige encourages what volume and length can be coaxed out of my measly upper lashes, while avoiding clumps.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Smokey Quartz (030)
Though this month involved two very luxe eyeshadow purchases, I was most satisfied with this affordable neutral option from Rimmel which I picked up during Priceline's second 40% off all cosmetics sale this year. I've debated whether to purchase Smokey Quartz for a while now given how utterly superfluous it seems (because, you know, I'm severely lacking any eyeshadows like it). But once I tried it on my lids, my questionable decision to buy it was vindicated. This is nice. Freakin' nice. It's the exact kind of purply, taupeish, browny satin shade I go for, laced with a silvery shimmer that's relatively fine and not overly metallic. Not too warm, not too cool. Mid-tone, making it an ideal all-over lid colour for the daytime, though you could definitely smoke it up for a more evening flavour. I had no issues with pigmentation or fallout and found the texture to be smooth and soft, if a touch powdery and crumbly, but nothing major.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely perfume
A perfume rediscovery this month which I thoroughly enjoyed spritzing on myself in the mornings before work. Celebrity fragrances can get a bad rap but this first effort from Sarah Jessica Parker has been reviewed well by critics. It's not hard to see why. Lovely is frequently described as a lighter, more polite version of Narciso Rodriguez For Her and the comparison is apt. I have both and I definitely prefer Lovely for the daytime as it's not as pungent and strong as For Her, which is more potent and sharp. I particularly like Lovely for more chilly, overcast weather as I find that's when the fragrance really shines on the skin. This is an elegant, quiet, clean and enveloping scent that's more refined and grown up than your usual candied, tropical juice "fruity-floral". Lasting power is better than average as well.

Pixi Glow Tonic Beauty Elixir
It's a little incredible to me I managed to pack this in my luggage from London after trekking around Europe for 3 weeks (there was some leakage on the surrounding tissue paper it was wrapped in, but nothing disastrous). The effort was well worth it. I have to say I wasn't brimming with enthusiasm the first few sporadic occasions I used it, but I discovered this is an exfoliating toner that shows results with regular, continued use over a prolonged period of time. Don't expect an overnight transformation as you might with something much stronger, like Alpha-H Liquid Gold. Using 3 pumps of Glow Tonic on a cotton puff all over my face after cleansing in the shower removes all last traces of makeup, and balances and softly polishes my skin without stripping or drying it. It preps the skin perfectly for moisturisers and serums that follow.

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
I had lukewarm feelings about this when I first purchased it, but after using it consistently at night after my Pixi Glow Tonic, I've officially come around. Yes, this is pricey stuff, but I can't help but love having and using it. The packaging is to die for and the orange blossom, spa-like scent is mild and refreshing. I spritz 3 pumps into my hand and press my palms onto my face after toning with Glow Tonic. The two together make my skin appear plump and hydrated, scrubbed and radiant, even before creams. My skin's texture looks to have improved — it's clearer, smoother and the spots have been kept at bay despite appalling, pimple-triggering lifestyle habits. Foundation seems to sit better on my skin as well, with less dry patches and cakiness.