eyeshadow – Mackenzie Billington

Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette Review

December 5, 2016 by Mackenzie

eyeshadow

Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Modern Renaissance’ Palette

A few weeks ago, I made the realization that I hadn’t couldn’t remember the last time I purchased a new eyeshadow palette for myself. The thought never really crossed my mind all summer as I opted for a ‘no makeup’ look pretty much the entire course of May, June, July and August. Every winter, I find myself reaching for the glitter, false lashes, and, of course, vampy lip shades. On a quest to find a new eyeshadow palette for winter, I watched what felt like hundred a Youtube videos to get some recommendations. The number one most raved about palette was definitely the Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Modern Renaissance’ palette. I figured most of the reviews on YouTube were biased, sponsored reviews, so I headed to the Sephora website to see what other opinions I could find about the palette. The reviews were stellar and the palette was currently number one on the ‘most popular’ products on the site. My mind was made up. I headed to my local Ulta, only to discover it was completely sold out! Luckily I was able to get my hands on the palette at Sephora. After showing this palette on my snapchat, I had several of y’all reach out and request a review. I have lots of thoughts about this palette, so I hope that you can find my opinions helpful if you are considering this eyeshadow palette.

ABH palette

I have now been trying out the ‘Modern Renaissance’ palette for a week or two now, and even in that short amount of time, I can honestly say that I am obsessed. What drew me in was the beautiful variety of warm shades. I love how there are a ton of everyday neutrals, but there are also a handful of fun colors that are still incredibly wearable & on trend. I also find that this eyeshadow palette looks beautiful on all eye colors and all skin tones. The Modern Renaissance palette has definitely re-sparked my love for makeup, and it’s really encouraged me to be a little creative. I can’t imagine myself getting bored of this palette, and I am constantly discovering new color combinations. It has shades like tempera and golden ochre that are perfect for a daily basis. However, with shades like venetian red and love letter, you can totally make some really unique, glam looks for night. Lately I’ve been loving how the berry tones compliment my favorite single eyeshadow, ‘Solstice’ by Urban Decay, perfectly.

Here are a few of my favorite shadow combos with this palette:

golden ochre in the crease + primavera on the lid

burnt orange in the crease + antique bronze in the outer corner + tempera on brow bone

realgar in the crease + primavera in the center of the lid

venetian red all of the lid + Urban Decay ‘Solstice’ in the center

[ps: If you want to see some amazing swatches of these shadows, definitely check out Temptalia’s post!]

ABH palette

This is definitely a palette I would repurchase in the future. My sister, who does not wear a lot of makeup on a weekly basis, was stealing this palette from me almost daily last week. It looked gorgeous with her green eyes. However, I also feel like it compliments my blue eyes very nicely as well! The shadows are very pigmented, smooth, and easy to apply and blend. This was my first time trying any Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadows (I usually opt for Urban Decay or Too Faced), but I have to admit I am a huge fan now. I would definitely consider purchasing another ABH palette in the future! An additional thing I really like about this ABH palette is the brush that comes in the palette. In the past, I have hated every single brush that was included in an eyeshadow palette. Most of the time, they tend to be cheap and unusable. However, I actually really love the brush that comes with the palette, and I’ve been using it every single time! Though I absolutely love this palette, there are a few cons for me. One con is definitely the price. This palette retails at $42, which isn’t awful, but it is on the pricy side. Another con is the packaging. Though the palette packaging is a beautiful pale pink and quite sturdy, it does get incredibly dirty due to the material on the front of the palette. I have had mine for less than two full weeks, and it already is getting dirty. Lastly, another con is that this palette kicks up a little dust. I heard this mentioned on several Youtube reviews, and now that I own the palette myself, I can definitely agree with that. This personally doesn’t bother me much and isn’t a ‘deal breaker’ by any means, but it is something to note!

Pros: great variety of shades with everyday neutrals and wearable pops of color, very on trend, flattering for every eye color, great pigmentation, easy to blend, not limited edition

Cons: packaging gets very dirty, on the pricy side, shadows kick up a little dust

In summary, I love this palette! I think it would make a great Christmas gift to a friend, sister, mom, or yourself (treat yo self). This is a palette I would 100% recommend, especially if you are looking for a unique palette that has a variety of versatile nudes and wearable pops of color. It’s by far my favorite makeup purchase this semester!

If you’ve tried the Modern Renaissance palette, let me know what you thought about it. Also, let me know your favorite eyeshadow palettes at the moment! I hope you are having a fantastic week.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

November Favorites

December 5, 2015 by Mackenzie

one. over the knee boots | two. duo chrome eyeshadow | three. little velvet dress | four. luxie makeup brushes | five. whispy false eyelashes (out of stock- but here is a similar pair)

Hello, hello! Sorry I have been a little behind on posting. We are currently having final exams, and I’ve been swamped with studying. I decided to take a little study break from Accounting to share a few of my favorite things from the month of november. November was such a fantastic month because I got to enjoy some much needed time with my family. It was great to finally have a week at home after six long months away, and Thanksgiving break was such a huge blessing.

Now that it is December, I decided it would be fun to share my monthly favorites this past month. I have shown most of these on my public snapchat, which you can follow at @mackenzieken. Without further ado, friends, here are some things I have been loving this past month:

When you’re 5’0 tall, it can be hard to pull off every single fashion trend. I’ve always loved sky-high suede boots, but I have been hesitant on trying them out because of my height and short legs. Over the break, I went shopping with my mom and sister in Nordstrom at North Park Mall in Dallas. I walked by these gorgeous, suede over-the-knee boots and decided to try them on just for fun. As I walked across the store to find a mirror, two different strangers approached me and told me how much they loved the boots. These boots actually were surprisingly flattering- and super comfortable. I would definitely say they fit true to size if you nervous about deciding on a size to order. I love that they are higher in the front, and that they have subtle stud embellishments. I couldn’t resist buying myself a little early Christmas present as shows are definitely my guilty pleasure. I am so obsessed with these suede boots, and I get compliments every single time that I wear them. If you are looking for the perfect pair of over-the-knee boots, especially if you are petite like me, you have to check these out!

I mentioned these stunning Moondust eyeshadows in my mini sephora haul (which you can see here). These mega-shimmery shadows have had my heart these past few weeks, and I just ordered a few more to give as gifts! There is something so special and unique about them, and I absolutely love the shade selection as well. I definitely plan on buying this little ‘build your own palette’ so I easily take my Urban Decay shadows on the go!

I had a formal a few weeks ago and was struggling finding the perfect dress. My sister found this velvet bodycon dress online for me, and I ordered it nervously. I usually opt for fit-and-flare style dresses, so bodycon dresses tend to be a little out of my comfort zone. When the dress arrived in the mail, I was so excited that it was actually flattering and the right size. I decided to order an XS, and I definitely think it does run pretty true to size. I like that it has a bodycon fit and a fun cutout at the top, but it is still a little conservative with the high neckline and long sleeves. This little velvet dress a great mix between sexy and classy, making it the perfect go-to piece for a multitude of versatile occasions. I would recommend using fashion tape if you have a larger chest because it does tend to gape open a little in the front. I enjoyed the velvet dress so much in royal blue, that I ended up purchasing it on Cyber Monday in the burgundy color (because it was half off). I wore the burgundy one last night for another Christmas formal, and I was very glad I ordered it in another color! When I really love a specific clothing piece, I always purchase it in more than one color. I really love both the royal blue and the burgundy versions of the dress, and it also comes in black too!

Luxie Beauty, a paraben and cruelty free company, reached out to me over a month ago about trying out a few of their new makeup brushes. I do get sent productions to try out pretty frequently, but I only mention the ones that I actually do really, really love. I always give y’all an honest opinion on what I think about each product. Luxie sent me five different brushes from their new Luxury collection called ‘Onyx Noir’. In addition, they did send me a few eyeshadows, but I did not love them as much as I do the other eyeshadows in my collection. I’ve been trying out these Onyx Noir brushes for several weeks now, and I can honestly say that I really enjoy them (and prefer them over my MAC brushes). My very favorite brush is the Tapered Highlighter Face Brush. I love to apply my MAC ‘Soft & Gentle’ highlighter with it! I also really enjoy the Tapered Face Makeup Brush. I use it to apply setting powder and blush. It reminds me a lot of my MAC 150 brush. I actually prefer the Luxie Tapered Face brush over the MAC 150 because the Luxie brush doesn’t shed whatsoever. The MAC 150 sheds like crazy, and I find myself never reaching for it anymore. Also, the Luxie brush is cheaper as well! If you’re looking for a new makeup brush brand to check out (that’s also cruelty free), definitely check out LuxieBeauty. (P.S. You can use the code ‘mackenzieken’ to get a discount on these fabulous Onyx Noir brushes).

I was unfortunately not blessed with dark, long, or voluminous lashes. But I can definitely fake it with the help of some glam false eyelashes. False eyelashes can be intimating at first, but it definitely helps to watch youtube tutorials and practice. You’ll get the hang of applying them before you know it! I find that they make any makeup look pop and really open up the eyes. After trying tons of different styles and brands, I’ve really fallen in love with the whispy stye of false lashes. I’ve been obsessed with these affordable whispy eyelashes from Walmart. I picked them up on a whim when I saw them labeled with a sticker that said ‘blogger favorite’. They are reusable too, which is great because you can get tons of uses of out them. They are currently sold out online, but they are available in Walmart stores. In addition, I love Ardell ‘Whispies’. You can get them at any drugstore or Ulta, and they look so glamorous, but still natural. I recommend applying false eyelashes with Duo glue. It’s my very favorite, and I find that works very well (while still being very affordable)! If you love false lashes, let me know what your specific favorites are!

I decided to narrow down my favorites to five for the month of November. Some other things I loved this month included the Soapy South Wash House ‘Charcoal Facial Detox Soap‘ and ‘Shave Soap Tablet‘, Neutrogena Triple Age Repair Moisture with SPF 25, Milani Lipgloss in the shade ‘Nude Touch‘, and Chi Silk Infusion. I thought all of these products were awesome and are all things I would definitely repurchase in the future!

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend so far! Let me know what your favorite things were during the month of November!

Mini Sephora Haul

November 30, 2015 by Mackenzie

Moondust Eyeshadow (in ‘Solstice’) | Better Than Sex Mascara | Revolution Lipstick (in ‘Rush‘)

Sephora is my happy place. It would be probably be impossible for me to leave that store without my hands covered in hundreds of swatches. When I was shopping with my sister this weekend, it was too hard to pass by Sephora without trying out a few new things (and picking up an old favorite).

I absolutely love Urban Decay, and their eyeshadows are probably my very favorite out of all the brands I have tried. Even though I am an avid collector of the Naked palettes, I have never once purchased any of their individual shadows (mostly because they are around $20 a piece!). However, after swatching all of the Moondust Eyeshadows in my local Sephora, I just couldn’t say resist picking one up for myself. They are so incredibly unique and gorgeous, making them worth the $21 price tag, in my opinion. I decided to go with Solstice, a gorgeous duo chrome. I love this shade because I’ve never seen anything just like it before. From one angle it looks like a berry, burgundy tone, and from the other angle it appears to be a bold turquoise/teal. This eyeshadow totally makes a statement, and I plan on wearing it packed into the center of my eyelid. In the pictures above, I just did one light swatch on the back of my hand. If you apply the eyeshadow with water or MAC Fix+, it creates a stunning, ‘wet-like’ effect that is incredibly pigmented. This eyeshadow can also be worn as an eyeliner, which I think would be super fun on the upper lash line. My sister decided to pick up one of these Moondust Eyeshadows as well, and she was torn between Zodiac and Ether. She decided to opt for Ether, which is another duo chrome shadow. We decided the light purple 3D glitter in Ether would make her green eyes really pop. We both plan on purchasing Zodiac next!

The name of this mascara may be a little ‘out there’, but this mascara totally rocks. One of my best friends raved about this mascara to me for months. I eventually gave in and tried it out for myself not too long ago. It was love at first swipe. Unfortunately I was not blessed with naturally thick and beautiful eyelashes, but this mascara really makes the world of difference for my lashes. It adds tons of volume, drama, and length without any clumpiness whatsoever. I love the formula because it isn’t too wet, but it isn’t too dry either. Mascaras that are too wet can end up in a clumpy mess and all over your eyelids. Mascaras that are too dry, on the other hand, can flake throughought the day, also leaving a huge mess. The Better Than Sex Mascara has such an awesome formula that honestly looks great for hours and hours. It is very rare for me to repurchase a product, especially a mascara, because I love trying out new things. However, this mascara is a product I will constantly repurchase.

Over the past year or so, I have become something of a lipstick addict. Lipsticks can totally change up your entire look and are fun to add to your makeup collection. I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect everyday, neutral lipstick- something not too nude, but not too bright. After swatching probably thirty lipstick shades on the back of my hand, I decided to go for the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in ‘Rush’. ‘Rush’ is pretty much a ‘your lips, but better’ kind of shade. It has a pinkish-mauivish tone that pairs perfectly for day or night. I think it’s especially great for winter because it has a very cool undertone which goes great with any cool toned eye look. I absolutely love the formula of this lipstick. It is very pigmented, but also very comfortable to wear. It goes on smoothly and lasts on the lips for several hours. I also find it to be very moisturizing, which is always a huge factor for me with finding the perfect lipstick. The Revolution Lipsticks also have a nice sheen to them, making them very flattering on the lips. They also don’t have any scent whatsoever, which is something a lot of people prefer. I also love the price of these luxurious lipsticks. They are not drugstore price by any means, but they are a lot more affordable than a lot of other lipsticks at Sephora (Dior & YSL, I’m looking at you). I would definitely purchase another one of the Revolution Lipsticks in the future. There is such a great shade selection, and the formula is just awesome.

Let me know if have been trying out/loving any new products lately! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend & a great Thanksgiving.

P.S. – who else is excited for Cyber Monday in just a few hours?!