BATTLE: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original VS Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer

I know, it's been exactly two weeks but I didn't know that beauty blogging can be so tiring! Ok, let me get this out of the way so I can go on and watch my many backlogged episodes of The Vampire Diaries. :D

Today, we do a comparison of original/nude eyeshadow primers between...Urban Decay and Too Faced again! Woohoo!

Again, they're in their usual packaging - size and design of the tube, same comments as per my previous review here.

Swatch -

They're skin-colour so it's a default canvas for your eye makeup.

TFSI Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer: The name is such a mouthful. -__- Again, slippery texture but oh, I realised that if you don't shake well before use, a transparent liquid would seep out instead. I think that the emulsifier isn't working well? It blends easily over the eyelid and the chemical smell that the Candlelight has? It's even stronger here. :(

Urban Decay in Original: This has a thicker, tackier texture which dries quickly as well, but a little goes a long way. Has no smell. The colour's pretty similar in both once blended out.

The above shown with different lighting.

Left to right: No primer, TFSI Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer and UDPP in Original.

Top to bottom - L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Purple Obsession, Make Up Store Microshadow in Spice and NYX Eyeshadow in Gunmetal.

Can't believe I used to put on eyeshadows without primer - check out the pale, chalky, sad looking swatches without primer. The shimmer of Purple Obsession and Gunmetal don't even show! But see the difference when you prep with eye primer?

The intensity and colour pigmentation of the eyeshadow swatches on both the TFSI and UDPP are about the same.

Used TFSI Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer on my left eye and UDPP in Original on my right - applied UD's Fishnet generously over eyelids.

I don't know if it's obvious but on the right lid, the iridescent shimmer of Fishnet seemed to show better, while Fishnet just appeared to be an intense purple on my left lid.

Generally, I don't go out with THAT amount of purple smeared all over eyelids but I figured for the purpose of review and photo-taking, more is better.

After 11 hours, the purple eyeshadow seemed almost fresh! How can that be?! And I still look crazy with the eyeshadow just sitting on my lids like that.

Also amazed that the eyeliner I was using (MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved) didn't transfer at all on my right lid, while there was minimal transfer on the left lid.

So if you're looking for staying power, look no further than TFSI Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer. Well, unless you can't tolerate the smell, then UDPP in Original is the next best thing. :)

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Yay, The Vampire Diaries time!

BATTLE: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin VS Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight

I'm finally getting round to doing reviews for the numerous eyeshadow primers I have and to kick things off, here's a face-off between Urban Decay and Too Faced, two brands with highly-raved eyeshadow primers. However, I'm going to be reviewing their shimmery primer instead of the original (because I've not taken photos for that hahaha).

Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight was the very first eyeshadow primer I purchased (off ASOS) for an awesome sale price of GBP$9.95 (approximately S$21 while Sephora is selling it for S$30). Following that, I picked up Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eyeshadow Primer as well but it was GBP$16.50 and I have no idea why I bought it when I could have gotten it cheaper locally. -__-

I have loved them but along the way, my makeup collection grew and I added e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, NYX HD Eye Shadow Base and Etude House Proof 10 to my stash. But of course, I wanted to get my hands on Urban Decay's Primer Potion which has been much raved about on the world wide web.

I finally got my chance when my friend went back to the States for the holidays and he helped me purchase it off the Urban Decay's website and shipped the stuff to his place, which he then brought back to Singapore for me. I waited this long because I was a little hesitant about spending $33 at the local Sephora for a tube when I can't even go through all the eyeshadow primers I have at the moment. But as luck would have it, I managed to get TWO of these (one in Original, one in Sin) for just US$22, which makes out to US$11 each tube, which is about $19 cheaper than if I were to get a tube here. Hehe.

Both of these primers are in 11ml squeeze tubes even if the TFSI appears slimmer. I used to think it's super pricey for such a small tube but after much use, I'm hardly one-third into any of these! Gee, pretty soon, TFSI will have to be thrown out since it's been a while and pink eye is no fun (trust me, I've had it twice this year).

Packaging wise, Urban Decay's slightly fancier with a bulkier cap but what do I need that for? Both tubes are pretty easy to manage the amount of product you want - which is just a tiny little dot for an entire lid.

Swatches -

TFSI in Candelight: It has a wetter and more slippery texture which I actually like since it blends out easily over the eyelid and doesn't leave dry patches. The downside is there's a slight chemical smell to it which I'm not a fan of. It swatches a soft gold shimmer which isn't too overwhelming.

Urban Decay in Sin: This has a thicker, tackier texture which dries quickly so work your nimble fingers and blend fast! The shimmer is much more obvious - it even appears sort of as a metallic bronze and is definitely an intense base. There's no smell to this, but it makes my eye area seem dry. :(

The above shown with different lighting.

Left to right: No primer, TFSI in Candlight and UDPP in Sin.

Top to bottom - Urban Decay's Dashiki, Pow from Sleek Makeup i-Divine Ultra Matte V1 and Darkhorse from Urban Decay Naked Palette.

As you can tell, without the primer, the vibrant colours look washed out and slightly chalky. On both the primers, the colours are brighter and more intense.

TSFI in Candlight on left eye, UDPP in Sin on right eye.

I decided to experiment on the longevity of eyeshadows on these primers by wearing one on each lid.

Put on some of the white eyeshadow from my NYX palette to neutralise the obvious difference in shimmer and layered on Urban Decay's Dashiki.

If you can tell, the colour on the left eyelid (TFSI in Candlelight) seems more vibrant and pigmented.

But can the same be said after hours at work?

Got home 12 hours later and here's the conclusion...

Ignore the shine please.

Now it seems to be the reverse - Dashiki seems to have stayed longer on my right lid instead while some of the blue on my left lid has faded a little. I guess that makes UDPP the winner here since it has better staying power (even if I'm still not a fan of its texture)!

I'm currently in the midst of doing reviews for the rest of my eyeshadow primers but it's been quite a task. I keep forgetting to take photos of certain things and have to go back and forth. Keeping a blog sure isn't easy!

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Oh, look what else arrived!

What do you know, MORE MAKEUP! *cackles*

I am severely addicted. I also popped by Sephora yesterday and picked up the Urban Decay All-Nighter Spray in a travel-size (for my Europe trip in October - I can't do without this HG item now). And since there was a 20% discount for members, I just HAD to buy something and the item I really wanted (Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara) was out of stock so I bought the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder instead. -__- That was quite a splurge and I don't even need it since I'm currently using e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder and Skin79 All-Day Sun Powder and they haven't yet failed me. I swear, it's an obsession!

Review: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Evidence

Yay, new update! I've bought this Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Evidence for close to a month now and am finally getting round to doing a review about this!

Let me first tell you my adventure with this little pot of blue.

I received it in a sample card from Urban Decay when I made my online purchase last year - the card had Evidence and Half-Baked in these tiny little squares that could last you maybe one or two wears. I fell in love with Evidence, which is a lovely deep navy blue with a slight sheen. It isn't so much glittery that you risk looking like a disco ball, but it's more a subtle sheen that catches the light wonderfully.

I ventured to the local Sephora at the new wing of Plaza Singapura (during lunchtime) and asked this lady there about this eyeshadow. She knew nothing about it and insisted that it must be new and they are sometimes slower in receiving new items.

I hung back and after doing some more research, went back to the same Sephora after work and spoke to a different beauty consultant. This time, the guy was like, "Yes, we have that" and after rifling through the drawer quickly, managed to produce it. Moral of the story: a little persistence goes a long way. Or, eyeshadows make for a cray cray girl.

Look at that pretty blue! Anyways, I usually swatch with a very light hand (as I would on my eyelids) so if you would like a truer colour swatch, you could check out Temptalia's intense swatch.

The box's description on the range of eyeshadows:

Seductive. Velvety. And like no other. UD's groundbreakinig Pigment Infusion System(TM) delivers dimensional, blendable, long-lasting color. Our lust-worthy shades apply with unrivaled richness.

Don't you know that you use punctuation. With. Every. Other. Word. For. Emphasis?

Anyways, here's the checklist of all that the box promised. Seductive, check. Velvety, check. Dimensional, blendable, long-lasting, check. Richness, check. Oh Urban Decay, you can do no wrong with your gorgeous eyeshadows.

Sorry that I didn't close my eye fully again - I do have a problem fully closing my eyes.

But there you go, I used a lighter hand as mentioned so it's almost blue-grey. If you like deeper colours, just layer it on since this eyeshadow is so velvety and easy to blend as with most Urban Decay eyeshadows I have encountered. Loving this colour so much.

Face Primer: Pop Beauty Face Magnet

Foundation: MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation

Eyeshadow Primer: UDPP in Sin

Lid: UD Evidence

Outer V: Darkhorse (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)

Eyeliner: Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner in Black 

Inner Eye: Holika Holika Jewel Light Waterproof Eyeliner in Pink Topaz

Lower Lashline: MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved set with Blackout (from Urban Decay Naked Palette 2)

Mascara: Christian Dior Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara

Blusher: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy
Highlight: Bobbi Brown Pink Oyster Shimmer Brick

Lipstick: Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart

I finished the look off with UD's All-Nighter Spray and the makeup stayed all night! Go get yourself some of those miracle spray if you haven't already!

Valentine's Day 2013

This year, I celebrated Valentine's Day as part of a wedded couple which is new to me. ;) We have no idea how married couples celebrate Valentine's Day so we headed out to one of our favourite restaurants for a nice dinner. Unfortunately, my stomach wasn't behaving but I was determined to make the trip worth it. Hence, I ate, threw up, ate, threw up, ate. All within 2 hours at the restaurant. Didn't let a little stomach discomfort stop me from having some of my favourite food ever!

But I'm not here to talk about that!

Here's my look for Valentine's Day.

For some reason, I love taking photos in the car!

Let's have a closer look at the eye makeup, since that's essential in shaking things up a little. Changing a lipstick colour just isn't the same as using 5 different colours on the eyelids. ;)

Why was the lighting so saturated?

Eyeshadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

Lid: Buck (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)

Countour: Naked (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)

Outer V: Darkhorse (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)

Middle: Half Baked (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)

Eyeliner: L'Oreal 24Hr Super Liner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner (applied with Sigma E05)

Mascara: Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara

I basically used one palette to create this look. It isn't fantastic but I like the depth that Darkhorse on the Outer V gives me, and dabbing a little Half Baked in the middle of the lids brighten up the eyes.

I would also like to go off on a tangent and rave about Sigma E05 - this is an amazing eyeliner brush that gives me control over how thin/thick I would like my eyeliner to be and even though I usually fail badly at winging the ends, at least using the Sigma E05 doesn't give me the thick square ends I usually end up with.

The L'Oreal 24Hr Super Liner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner is also pretty impressive. I've had this for a while now and it doesn't smudge or transfer once it sets. And this stuff doesn't seem to dry out! Amazing.

Eh, now the lighting is washed out. I give up.

This is 3 hours later. Makeup still perfectly intact with the eyeshadow colours and eyeliner looking fresh. However, the mascara is looking kind of clumpy. Boo.

Here's a picture of le grumpy hubby and I at dinner. Heh.

Ta!

Review: Urban Decay Vintage Eyeshadow in Dashiki

Hi! So I thought I'll pick up where I left off with my Urban Decay haul 2 months back. I really need to get updating more regularly. Believe me, I've got images catalogued in folders and a list in my phone with the different products used for different days but I just haven't gotten around to blogging.

So! Dashiki, from UD Vintage Eyeshadows collection cost an amazing US$6 on the website during the sale. Picked it up because the colour is gorgeous on screen. It's a bright blue, akin to pool water, with a shimmer/sheen.

I was a little hesitant initially because whenever I use stronger eyeshadow colours, I always end up looking like I'm headed to a getai (for those not in the know, a getai is a live stage performance performed in Singapore during the Hungry Ghost Festival, and the performers are usually dressed really loudly, with as much glitter and colours as possible). But the price and the prettiness of the colour just gave me that little push towards the 'Add to Cart' button. I have no will.

Cute little packaging that looks like a Coke bottle cap.

Check out the gorgeous shimmer.

Swatched it with just one light swipe.

Again, UD doesn't fail. The consistency is again rich and creamy, with great colour pay-off. One swipe gets you a decent colour, a few more swipes and you'll look like you coloured in your eyelids with crayons.

Blending is a dream, so I did this.

Not too much - they can't go over the lids or I may get locked up. :(

Just a subtle tinge of Dashiki.

Here's my look - primed with Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original. Didn't use a base to get the best test effect from Dashiki. Topped it off with Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Eyeliner in Golden Black and coated my lashes with Silkygirl Big Eye Collagen Waterproof Mascara.

For some reason, my husband hated my outfit. :(

Here's an image I posted on Instagram - the sunlight made Dashiki stand out more.

Here's how it looks after 11 hours.

The blue wasn't as vibrant anymore so there was that bit of fading, very slight creasing and that ugly messy eyeshadow was actually a result of Clio eyeliner transferring all over my monolids. Sigh. However, for all its vibrant colour, slight fading and creasing was something I expected. It held up better than I thought it would so good on UD.

Overall, I do like the quality and the colour, but I still don't think I'm adventurous enough to wear this often. Also, I do feel that UD Deluxe Eyeshadows are a mite better than the Vintage Eyeshadows in terms of staying power and quality. It could just be a trick of mind though.

So what do you think?

Review: Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadows in Fishnet and Ransom

I'll be doing a review of Urban Decay eyeshadows in Fishnet and Ransom today - going to put them both in one entry since they belong to the colour group of purple.

They're both from the Deluxe Eyeshadow range, with an awesome price tag of US$6 from their website and not available at local Sephora stores, apparently. The packaging is gorgeous - every colour has a different design and they're all very pop art-ish/graffiti.

The packaging - Fishnet (L) and Ransom (R).

Once you popped one open by pressing the little button in front, you'll see that the lid is fitted with a mirror. Personally, I don't use these mirrors since I do all my makeup in front of a large mirror but it's always a nice to have.

Inside - Fishnet (L) and Ransom (R).

Both eyeshadows are 2.5 grams. According to UD's website, they 'flash two different colours', don't contain glitter but have a luminous sheen. Fishnet is described as 'iridescent purple', while Ransom is described as 'vibrant purple'.

To me, Fishnet has a little bit of warm pink, while Ransom has more of a cool-blue tone.

Anyways, I was wondering if I should be doing swatches and decided to go ahead with them, since most people would like to see how the colours look on the skin. Pardon my images though - my camera isn't the best and the lighting in my room is horrendous. The husband loves tungsten lighting so our room is always basked in a warm, orange light which is kind of dim and don't make for fantastic photos. :( There's also no sunlight in the room because the two tiny windows in our room are blocked by our giant wardrobe. Eventually, we'll move to our own place so I hope to have more sunlight in our future room to allow better photos.

Swatches of Fishnet (L) and Ransom (R) without primer.

The quality of UD eyeshadows is amazing. They're not chalky, have a slightly creamy texture but aren't overly creamy (I hate cream eyeshadows since they all crease badly on me), and have great colour payoff. Two swipes got me this shade.

Other shades of purple that I have similar to the pink-ish tone of Fishnet are: Rosette from Stila In the Garden Palette, and Anna Sui Ombre A Paupieres (201).

Warm purples - Rosette (L), Fishnet (C) and Ombre A Paupieres (R).

They look more similar in their pans than the actual swatches.

Swatches - Rosette (L), Fishnet (C) and Ombre A Paupieres (R) without primer.

Stila Rosette is more of a metallic pink violet but has lower colour payoff, while Anna Sui Ombre A Paupieres is just a disappointing chalky soft purple, that has poor colour payoff. Without a doubt, Fishnet is the clear winner out of these 3 warm purples.

As for the cooler Ransom, I will compare it to L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Purple Obsession, but that's stretching it a little since Purple Obsession looks nothing like Ransom in the pan.

Cool purples - Ransom (L) and Purple Obsession (R).

Swatches - Ransom (L) and Purple Obsession (R).

They look nothing like each other swatched either. Ransom, though cool is warmer than Purple Obsession. Purple Obsession is more of a deep purple that has blue and pink flecks, and has a pearly finish. I love Purple Obsession as well but it's for a darker, more dramatic look.

So I wore both the UD eyeshadows to see how long they last, starting with Fishnet.

This is my look - primed lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original, Fishnet all over (no base for better results), MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved and Dejavu Fiberwig Paint-On False Lashes Extra Long Mascara.

Below is 12 hours later...

Oh no, I can't close my eyes properly. Am I creeping you out yet?

It had slight fading, no creasing and the mess you see was from a slight transfer from the eyeliner. Almost all eyeliners transfer for me since I have monolids/hidden crease. :(

Here's the look for Ransom!

Again, lids primed with UDPP, Ransom all over, UD 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Empire and finished off with Maybelline Lashionista Mascara. Boo, you can see Empire almost immediately transferred to crease even though I let it set.

12 hours later...

Again, very slight fading. Weird that the eyeliner didn't seem to have made as much of a mess as I thought it would - seems like it only had the transfer from the application in the morning. Huh.

Overall, I love both UD eyeshadows for their superior quality and for the price I paid, they're definitely worth every cent! In fact, the sale price I paid is even cheaper than the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows! You don't need much product for a good colour payoff either, and the lasting power is amazing with slight fading and virtually no creasing at all.

If UD eyeshadows are priced reasonably in the local stores, I will definitely purchase every colour!

Wow, this has been one long pictures-laden post. I'll be going on a short getaway for the next few days but there will be more reviews when I am back! :)

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!