the Lorac PRO

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Lorac PRO palette, Nars Pro Prime, Elf C eyeshadow brush, Paula Dorf shader, MAC 217

I finally picked up the much praised Lorac PRO palette in the holiday sales, after no small debate between several palettes I’ve had my eye on. This just edged out the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, which I’m afraid I still kind of want, but not due to any disappointment with the Lorac PRO. Garnet, Sable, Mauve, and Pewter are the standout shades for me here, and this just my kind of palette: essentially warm neutrals but with a few jewel shades to spice things up. I like that I consider using some shades I normally wouldn’t reach for, like Slate, just because they are there – palettes can be good for meandering outside your usual colorways.

These are excellent quality, creamy and smooth, very little dust/fallout for me. A nice price point for the quantity and quality, too, especially if you find it on sale.

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Lots of beautiful combinations here.

autumn palettes

There are two eyeshadow palettes I’m particularly looking forward to using for autumn, I think you’ll immediately see why.

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The Sleek Sunset palette has those warm, rusty tones I’ve been banging on about for ages, and a great Mediterranean blue (if you want to try that bold pop of blue under the eyes à la the Marc Jacobs show, which I definitely do*). Nicely priced, too. The Dior Earth Tones palette (discontinued now but there are similar ones) is a lovely example of those muddy olive and burgundy tones I like so predictably every time I come across them. Rather staggeringly priced. Beautiful in application, though, quite a sumptuous formulation, and I’m feeling no pangs about it.

I never get tired of browsing great masses of colors, individually or in combination, and deciding which I like best, which I am drawn to the most. I think I will not disclose how long I spent trying to find the Dior palette once it had been chosen. Or once it chose me, as it so often seems.

*Experimentation is salutary.

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If you’re curious, I’ll likely apply them with one or more of these favorite eye brushes.

IMG_7421Top to bottom: Sigma tapered blending brush, MAC 217, bamboo bdellium 785 (best value blender here, and so soft, though the Sigma brushes are well priced, too), Paula Dorf sheer crease brush (current favorite), Sigma E20, essence of Beauty crease brush (from the little drugstore crease duo), e.l.f. contour brush, e.l.f. eye shadow “C” brush (this is such an incredible value*, I think the blush brush is fantastic, too).

*essentially I believe in spending over $10 for a good blending brush (once you use a good one you understand that you aren’t going back to whatever you did before…however you don’t need this many. Only one. Or, for convenience, two, where one stays largely clean throughout the process for additional blending while the other deposits the color. Oh, just go watch Lisa Eldridge, OK?), but not for a flat shading brush.

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All kitted out like this, you’d think I’d wear eyeshadow more often.

I intend to work on that.

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