Product Reviews

Checking In: M2U NYC Eye Primer, Sugar Rush Eyeliner, Beauty Advice From Mom and Cute Hair Accessories

October 15th, 2021 by Karen 8 Comments

If you’re going to keep a tube of lipstick on your desk so you can touch up before video calls, then you should probably also remember to check your teeth for lipstick before you start said video call! — and that, my friend, is your daily makeup advice from the virtual beauty-loving sister you never wanted but ended up with anyway, ha ha ha! 😹

bowl of lipsticks — Bold lips will save us all

The other day at work, we were talking about makeup, and one of my coworkers mentioned that when she was growing up her mom was always dressed to the nines before she left the house, even if she was just going to the grocery store. She said her mom would always drop these nuggets of beauty advice, like “Never go outside with your curlers on,” and “Always put on lipstick before you leave the house.” This, of course, blew my mind, because when I was a tween and teen, I got all my advice from “Seventeen” magazine… I think when I was about eight my mom told me to put some lotion on my legs before I went outside to play, and that was the extent of my beauty education at home.

What sort of beauty advice do you remember your mom giving you?

Speaking of makeup, I tried a couple more things that are new to me from the Ipsy box — an affordable $8 (!) eye makeup primer from an indie, cruelty-free brand called M2U NYC. The brand is similar to e.l.f. in pricing and style.

The primer has the same texture and finish as Urban Decay’s eye primer, and while I like how light it feels on my lids and how it blends into my skin, I’m not blown away by it. I do see a little bit of creasing toward the end of the day when I wear it with the Vizart Petite Pro Un Palette.

I also tried an eyeliner from the Sugar Rush Line, which is Tarte’s new-ish sister line. Easy on the Eyes is a twist-up gel pencil with a built-in sharpener on the other end. I like the rich black color and how quickly it dries (less than a minute!), but I find that the tip isn’t thin enough to really reach near the base of my lashes.

sugar rush easy on the eyes — Sugar Rush Easy on the Eyes liner in Black

Before I head out, one last thing (it’s hair related): I keep seeing these cute scrunchies with what appears to be a long scarf attached to them, so when you put your hair up, it looks like you tied a scarf in it… I really want this one!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Product Spotlight: Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway

September 22nd, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

ilia runaway — Seriously, one of the best “throw it on and go” lip colors!

If you have any plans to start your holiday shopping early, girlfriend, I’m going to support that 100%! I’m currently on a kick where I do things hella early, as in waaaay before they’re due, and I flat-out love it (more on this in a few).

Going back to the holiday shopping… May I suggest you start with this lovely little number from Ilia for your friends and fellow makeup lovers? I love it so much I’ve given it as a birthday present twice, and I already intend to put it in a Christmas stocking or two.

Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway ($28) is a neutral rosy nude with a creamy finish and subtle shine. It’s more pigmented than most lip balms but less intense than a typical lipstick, and you know what? It’s absolutely fabulous and just so easy to wear. I’ve worn it in pretty much all of my work meetings over the last couple days… Have there been four? Or was it five? Seriously, I’ve lost count. I forgot that working with other people means a whole lotta meetings. Thankfully, this lip balm looks great on camera and in real life, and I’ve been wearing it a ton!

It’s lightweight yet moisturizing, so my lips feel good when I’m wearing it, and I also like the light vanilla flavor and scent. The whole vibe is very comfy, like stretchy pants, except for…your lips.

And the color? Now, this might sound gross, but for some reason I really like lip colors that are the same color as my gums! Weird, I know, but “gummy pinks” light up my face. It’s very my-lips-but-better, and I suspect that this particular shade will work across a wide range of skin tones.

Fittingly, it’s called a lip balm, which I think makes it sound a little less intimidating and more approachable than a full-on lipstick. Sure, it’s less intense than something full-coverage like Stila Beso, but when all I want is a quick touchup, I’ll grab Runaway over Beso any day of the week because it requires less precision.

I purchased Runaway at Sephora because I wanted the option to return it, but next time I think I’ll go to the Ilia website instead. I heard they had a Black Friday Sale last year with 20% off everything. If they do that again, I’ll be there.

OK, so, back to doing stuff and showing up early…it’s my new favorite thing in the whole wide world! Lately, I’ve been showing up to appointments 15-20 minutes early — from dropping Connor off at school, to going to meetings, to arriving to school-related events — and my world is forever changed. Parking has been easier, I’m not stressed out about showing up late, and it just feels great being one of the first to arrive. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if I’m there early, I’m a happy camper! 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy first day of fall! 🍂

Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

September 17th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

ilia the necessary eyeshadow palette cool nude — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

I wonder… At what point in history did the word “cool” turn into a way to say that you liked something?

“Keanu Reeves asked you to marry him? That’s cool.”

“Wait, you adopted a fifth cat? SO COOL!”

“How cool is that Ilia eyeshadow palette?”

Cue segue into today’s review! 😂

The Ilia Cool Nudes palette is pretty cool — both in terms of color temp and how cool it is to use — and it’s all about easygoing eyes.

It comes with six moderately pigmented powder shadows. You get:

A matte nude beige
A shimmering bronze-taupe
A matte lavender gray
A matte cool brown
A matte burgundy
A shimmery dark golden violet

Ilia wrapped everything up in a very sleek but simple, modern-looking white case with a mirror.

ilia cool palette swatches — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude swatched on my skin (I’m an NC42 in MAC)

First, these shadows blend like they mean it! No harsh lines here. I do a few swishes with a tapered blending brush, and I’m good to go.

Next, there’s barely any fallout from them, and the wear time is quite good. After a long day, I’ll see only slight creasing on my lids. My lids are dry, by the way, so I usually skip primer.

It’s a more natural look and perfectly in line with Ilia’s laid-back aesthetic. I’m guessing that Ilia purposefully designed the pigments to be only moderately punchy, which I appreciate when I only want a little something on my lids, and I don’t plan on taking pics (more on this in a second).

If you enjoy wearing color but prefer eye looks that define and highlight your lids without screaming “I’m obvious,” you’ll probably like it too. I think fans of the Clinique quads — which have a very similar vibe — will be into it. It’s a total errands-work-everyday piece.

With all that said, however, I’m not a fan of the way this palette photographs. The shadows simply don’t pop in pics like Honest Beauty’s Get It Together Palette does (my current go-to).

I took a few pictures of the eyeshadows the other day, and while I could see them in real life, I looked like I was barely wearing any eye makeup at all in the pics. On their own, the shadows mustn’t be vibrant enough to handle flash photography on my skin unless I do trickery to amplify the pigments, like by layering a base primer underneath them and using a wet eyeshadow brush.

Bottom line? I like it. This palette is lovely for casual makeup and everyday eye looks, but IMHO it’s not really for special occasions. Mind you, I think it’s purposefully designed that way, so I say go for it if wearable, everyday eyeshadow is your thing.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

September 16th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

mac mineralize skinfinish natural — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan and a Chanel travel0size face brush

I’ve been wearing the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powders for years, and hands down, they’re one of my favorite things about the line.

MAC has a looot of face powders, and I think many of them are rock solid performers (see: MAC Blot and Careblends Pressed), but if you and I were at a counter at this very moment, and you asked me, “What’s your favorite, best-of-the-best, most natural-looking, comfortable MAC face powder available now?” I’d say one thing: the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Naturals.

Depending on which color you choose, you can use the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural line of baked pressed mineral powders for a number of different things, like cutting down on shine, evening out your skin tone, blurring pores, bronzing, and setting your foundation and/or concealer.

They have a semi-matte finish and a moderate amount of pigment, but they can be sheered down. They’re available in the permanent line in 15 shades for $32 each.

In MAC parlance, I’m an NC42, and I have combination skin that ventures between oily and dry. I wear the color Medium Tan as my face setting powder daily, and I also use Give Me Sun sometimes as a bronzer.

mac mineralize skinfinish medium tan — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan on my NC42 skin

I love so many things about this powder! — but I’m going to try to keep this short (yeah right, Karen), because otherwise we’d be here ’til next Tuesday. 🙂

The gist of it is this: in powder-land, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is my current favorite powder across the board — not just from MAC — for casual, dewy, natural-looking skin.

I’ve worn it for everyday makeup looks, big events, pictures, HD video, daytime work meetings, dinner dates and taking Rosie out for her walks, and I think it looks just as good on camera as it does in real life. Unlike many pressed powder formulas, the Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals look more like loose powders than pressed powders when they’re sitting on the skin.

After having taken a zillion pictures over the years, I think that loose powders generally look better than pressed powders in person and in pics — softer, I guess. Less like makeup and more like real skin. But MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural bucks that trend. When I wear it, my skin looks even toned, smooth, and it doesn’t look shiny (nor does it look severely matte). The powder also doesn’t look super obvious.

The effect reminds me of Chanel’s Loose Powder, which is absolutely beautiful, but Chanel’s powder is also 1) much more expensive ($52 vs. $32 for this), 2) available in fewer shades.

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Get Glowing With 5 Products From Honest Beauty

August 25th, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

honest beauty glowing skin august 2021 — Saying yes to all the things!

You’d think logic would dictate that a makeup look with a minimal base would equal minimal products on your face, but if you love beauty products as much I do, you know that’s not always the case.

It’s a little something I like to call “the project junkie’s curse” — when you willingly and happily slather on every lotion and potion in the pursuit of an allegedly minimal look.

The curse hit me hard this morning. I was getting ready to meet my friend Judy for coffee and only had 10 minutes before I had to get out door, and, so, of course, I applied all the skin care products. Then, I applied some more and then even more after that. I know you feel me! 😊

For glowing, healthy-looking skin, I used five hydrating products from cruelty-free brand Honest Beauty.

Oh, by the way, you might’ve noticed that some Honest Beauty products look a little different than they used to. The brand recently changed their packaging to make it more sustainable and recyclable, so if one of your favorites is on this list, and it looks different; that’s why!

1. Elevated Hydration Mist

Oh, is today spa day? Because whenever I spray this lavender-scented face mist, it certainly smells like I’m cocooned in a candlelit room with a soundtrack of gentle whale sounds. The ultra-fine spray showers skin with delicate droplets and, not one, but two types of hyaluronic acid level-up your mug’s moisture. Made for all skin types. J’adore! $17.99.

2. Everything Primer Glow + 2HA

Hyaluronic acid and fruit extracts moisturize thirsty skin! If you love a glowing fresh face, this primer is for you. I wear it on minimal makeup days along with mascara and brow pencil, because it smooths out pores and imparts a barely-there pearly sheen. Of course, you could layer it underneath your favorite tinted moisturizer or foundation for an extra-smooth canvas, too. $22.99.

3. Depuff +C Eye Cream

There’s all kinds of stuff in this lightweight eye cream, like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid — two kinds, sodium acetylated hyaluronate and sodium hyaluronate — and a host of botanicals, including sunflower seed oil, daisy extract, hieracium pilosella (commonly known as mouse-ear hawkweed) extract and shea butter. When I pat-pat-pat this cream on my eyes, I swear it feels like my skin is tightening up a little, and, dare I say, I look a teensy less tired. It could be wishful thinking, but I do love how my skin feels, so I keep using it. $23.99.

4. Calm & Porefect Serum

Made for all skin types, even the most sensitive skin (it has even the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance), this serum moisturizers and exfoliates. I feel like a fancy lady when I hold the glass bottle, which, FYI, is recyclable. Just be sure to completely rinse out all of the product before chucking it in the recycling bin. $29.99.

5. Hydrogel Cream

Jojoba, squalane and hyaluronic acid nourish thirsty skin in this lightweight but moisturizing face cream. Its dewy finish is key to the whole fresh-faced aesthetic, which is why I love it. $19.99.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Yummy Things: The New Briogeo Superfoods Mango + Cherry Oil Control & Balancing Shampoo, and a Quick and Easy Healthy Lunch Idea

July 13th, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

briogeo superfoods mango and cherry — (Almost) good enough to eat

OK, how good does this summer fruit trio sound — mango with cherry and papaya? Yum, right! I would totally smash that in a triple fruit smoothie, which is why it’s funny there’s a line on the Briogeo website for their new mango-cherry-papaya shampoo and conditioner that states, “External use only. Do not eat.” HA HA HA! Gotta make sure the hungry people don’t go eating their hair care products. ?

The Briogeo Superfoods Mango + Cherry Oil Control & Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner are the latest dynamic duo to join the Briogeo Superfoods collection, which is their line of shampoos and conditioners made with yummy-sounding ingredients — apple, banana, coconut, avocado and kale (yes, some people like kale). Like all Briogeo hair products, it’s silicone-free, cruelty-free and vegan, and antioxidants are front and center:

This sulfate-free and silicone-free shampoo and conditioner duo harnesses the power of papaya enzymes to help balance oil production on hair and scalp. The formula also contains antioxidant-rich fruits, vitamins, and nutrients to support healthy-looking hair. The shampoo is formulated with 93% naturally derived ingredients, and the conditioner is formulated with 96% naturally derived ingredients.

— briogeo.com

If you often find yourself with greasy roots (it happens to the best of us), this set could be your jam. I’ve been using both the shampoo and conditioner after super sweaty workouts, and when we’ve had very hot days (of which we’ve had a few lately), and I like them a lot.

The shampoo lathers up into luxurious, creamy bubbles, and my hair feels clean but not stripped after I rinse the product out. The conditioner’s lovely too. It makes my hair feel silky, yet light and bouncy at the same time, and not weighed down.

Oh, and the scent! It smells refreshing, delicious and unironically like a fresh smoothie made from cherries and mango…but I don’t pick up on any papaya notes.

For me, this set is as a once-or-twice a week clarifying treatment, rather than a daily sort of thing. If I use it for too many days back-to-back, my ends start feeling a little dry. But if your roots and scalp tend to build up oil very quickly, you might like using it every day, or every other day.

Briogeo Superfoods™ Mango + Cherry Balancing Shampoo
Water/Aqua/Eau, Cocamidopropyl Betaine*, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate*, Glycerin*, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Lauramidopropyl Betaine*, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Cerasus (Bitter Cherry) Fruit Extract*, Papain*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil*, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside*, Citric Acid*, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract*, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Juice*, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil*, Panthenol, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract*, Sodium Benzoate, Punica Granatum Bark Extract*, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate*, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract*, Glyceryl Caprylate*, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate*, Sodium Surfactin*, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Beta-Carotene CI 40800*

Briogeo Superfoods™ Mango + Cherry Balancing Conditioner
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin*, Cetearyl Alcohol*, Behentrimonium Chloride*, Isopropyl Palmitate*, Brassica Alcohol*, Cetyl Esters*, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Cerasus (Bitter Cherry) Fruit Extract*, Papain*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil*, Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate*, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Behentrimonium Methosulfate*, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract*, Cetrimonium Chloride, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Juice*, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil*, Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract*, Citric Acid*, Panthenol*, Punica Granatum Bark Extract*, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Fragrance (Parfum), Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Beta-Carotene CI 40800*
*Coconut, vegetable, or plant derived

The shampoo and conditioner are $28 each for an 12.5-oz. bottle, which breaks down to $2.24 per ounce. You can purchase the two as a set for $49 and save a little bit of money ($1.96 per ounce).

Speaking of yummy things…I made a delicious lunch yesterday, if I do say so myself, and it took less than five minutes. Caribbean-style brown rice with black beans, pan-fried halloumi cheese made with avocado oil, and sauteed spinach.

I apologize for the severe lack of food styling, LOL! I was ravenous, and I also now have the bad habit of eating while still standing up in the kitchen. I don’t even bother to find a seat anymore. #momlife

I’ve been eating meatless meals lately, and this one was fast and filling. First, I warmed up a pre-made packet of Caribbean-style brown rice with black beans in the microwave. FYI, it’s not too spicy (I’m a wimp), and you can find it at Target by Good & Gather. Good & Gather also makes a ton of different pre-made microwaveable rice and grains side dishes in packets, and they’re all pretty good IMO.

Then, I sautéed a few big handfuls of fresh spinach coated with avocado oil spray in a nonstick pan. When the spinach wilted, I took it out, topped it with lemon pepper, and reused the same pan to fry the halloumi cheese. The spinach, avocado oil spray and halloumi cheese are all from Trader Joe’s.

Have you ever tried halloumi cheese? It’s a semi-firm cheese made from a mix of goat’s and sheep’s milk (occasionally, cow’s milk is also up in the mix) that hails from Cyprus, and it’s a favorite in Greek cooking. It’s similar to mozzarella in texture but has a high melting point, so you can fry or grill it without it turning into mushy goo. It’s great for getting some protein into a meatless meal, so if you see it at TJ’s or someplace else, grab it!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Purple Lids With the UD Prince Let’s Go Crazy Palette | Twist by Ouidad, a New Curly Hair Line at Target | Nail Salon Shenanigans

May 27th, 2021 by Karen 15 Comments

I wonder if somewhere doves are crying because they really wanted to love the purple palette from the new UD Prince collection but instead were disappointed by it. ?️?

Speaking of birds…on a completely unrelated note, I was harassed by a goose while we were camping last weekend! Please note the sandals with the socks, ha ha ha!

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A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb)

Anyway, hi. ? I took the Let’s Go Crazy palette out for a spin yesterday hoping that it would impress me on some level, but I’m still not crazy about it. If you’re going to do a palette from this launch, pick up the one with the black packaging instead (U Got The Look). It’s so much better on every level.

I used three shades from the purple palette — light pink Alphabet Street and two of the purples, Baby I’m a Star and Delirious — and it took a long time to build up the purple on my lids. There was some serious fallout, too… Oh, OK, well I just lifted the palette up to look at it, and half of the pan of Disco Nights (the really soft blue glitter) fell out and into my lap.

Hmm… OFFICIALLY, NOT MY FAVORITE.

*insert doves crying*

There are some other items of note, though, that I wanna call out. Like, I’m wearing the liquid luminizer and the pressed powder as my base… Yup, that’s it. The luminizer has a very soft pearl that doesn’t draw attention to pores, so it just adds a lovely subtle glow, especially when worn all over the face. I added a tiny touch of the powder in the center of my forehead to dial down the pearl a bit, and the overall effect is really natural and beautiful.

Oh! — I’m also wearing the black pencil liner on my waterline and upper lash line, and, FYI, this formula moves around quite a lot, at least on me, and ends up smudging pretty intensely on my lower lash line. I’m constantly cleaning it up, but hey, if you’re into the whole grungy rockstar thing, this pencil definitely sets you up for success in the smudging department.

If you noticed that my hair looks a little different today, then THANK YA KINDLY! I’m wearing it wavy today because I’m trying out a new curly hair line called Twist by Ouidad. It’s available at Target, and every item in the line is an affordable $9.99 (MSRP). The products are made for all types of textured hair — wavy, curly, coiled, you name it — and their main purpose is to give curly haired guys and gals a customized level of moisture. The idea is to maximize your type of curl pattern with the exact level moisture your hair needs.

Now, I have naturally wavy hair, and it’s very, very, VERY thirsty, probably even thirstier now that I’ve grown out my grays, so getting enough hydration all up in my strands is a constant struggle. To find out what products would work best for me, I took their handy-dandy hair quiz. Three items that were recommended were Big, Rich & Dreamy Ultra Hydrating Co-Wash, Hype It Up Weightless Refreshing Spray and Rally The Curls Weightless Curl-Defining Primer.

I used the co-wash the other night and loved it. My hair felt clean but didn’t feel stripped. Definitely going to keep this one in the rotation! When I got out of the shower, I worked in the spray and the primer from roots to ends, then gave my curls a good scrunch before air drying overnight. In the morning, I refreshed the curls with more spray and scrunched again.

The good: I really like the volume and that my curls feel soft and not crunchy. I also like the light definition of my waves.

The not-so-great: I don’t know yet if I like the scent… The products are intensely scented, LIKE, SO, SO STRONG. I mean, the scent is nice, like an expensive Byredo pefume, but it’s all up in my business and everybody else’s business, too. Yesterday morning at dropoff I was standing a few feet away from Connor’s preschool teacher, and the first thing she said to me was, “You smell really good! What perfume are you wearing?”

Nope, not perfume. ‘Twas my mane!

So, yeah, if you see this line at Target, you might want to slyly open a bottle and give it a sniff to make sure you like the scent. Oh, and don’t even pretend you don’t ever open up the shampoo and conditioner bottles to smell them when you’re browsing, either. ? I always catch people doing it, and then I give them the “What’s up” nod because I do it all the time. HA HA HA!

One last thing: I saw this on a friend’s feed last night and just about died laughing. I do my own nails, but I would totally go to this salon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The UD Prince Collection Swatches, First Impressions and a Face of the Day

May 26th, 2021 by Karen 15 Comments

ud prince u got the look palette fotd — I wonder what The Purple One would think…

The closest I ever got to Prince — I mean, beyond this new Urban Decay collection — is the selfie I took with the lead singer of a Prince cover band during a raging New Year’s Eve party, and the following “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” moment…

See, I met a driver who chauffeured The Purple One around the Bay Area years back, and they both breathed the same air! Anywho, the driver took Prince to a bunch of secret shows where he played under a pseudonym, and, according to the driver, Prince was kind of a weird dude, which I’m inclined to believe. There just had to be a certain degree of crazy to his genius, ya know?

I wonder if Prince would have dug having his own makeup collection with Urban Decay… I can imagine him being either mildly irritated but secretly thrilled about it, or just being hella cranky about the whole thing.

The new seven-piece UD Prince LE collection drops on May 27, and there are eyeshadow palettes (side note: are we tired of eyeshadow palettes yet?), two eye pencils, a brush, a toasty tan liquid highlighter and a waterproof pressed powder. There is also, of course, lots and lots of purple.

ud prince u got the look lets go crazy eyeshadow palette — From the top: U Got the Look Eyeshadow Palette ($55), Kajal Eye Pencil in So Dark ($28), Let’s Go Crazy Eyeshadow Plaette ($55) and Kajal Eye Pencil in When Doves Cry ($28)

Let’s start with the purple-est of them all, the Let’s Go Crazy Palette ($55), because how could one have a Prince-themed makeup collection without featuring his signature color? Granted, most of the purple shadows in this palette look very much alike on my skin, so I’m having a hard time “going crazy” (ha-ha-ha) over them.

By the way, there’s a shadow in this palette named after one of my all-time favorite Prince jams, Raspberry Beret. The color is more of a reddish bronze than the bright and juicy raspberry I was hoping for, but I’ll take it, since it’s the most exciting thing in the palette IMO.

The other surprise is the glittery dark blue on the lower right called Disco Nights. It’s unusually soft… I accidentally made a significant dent in it with my finger while swatching, whoops! So be gentle with it. All of the other pans feel like standard-issue Urban Decay and are soft and pliable.

About the palette, my initial reaction was…eh, it’s OK. I think I was hoping for punchier jewel-toned purples that’d be visible from a mile away.

ud prince liquid highlighter all nighter powder — Clockwise from the upper left: Liquid Highlighter ($32), Multitasker Brush ($28), All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder ($34)

The palette I’m more into is the one with the black cover, U Got the Look ($55), because, WHOA, PIGMENT! Yes, UD is known for their intense color, but the shadows in this palette seem more intense than usual…almost like stage makeup! I can actually picture The Purple One being really into it.

Perhaps before one of his secret shows, he’d sketch out a dark plummy wing before buffing some golden shimmer on the inner corner, then top it off with a messy smudge of black on his lower lash line, but I digress… I’m wearing this palette today, and I’m a little shocked by how wearable it is. I cannot WAIT to push it further.

ur prince eyeshadow palettes — U Got the Look and Let’s Go Crazy Eyeshadow Palettes, $55 each

If you’re a MAC Strobe Cream girl, then the Liquid Highlighter ($32) might be worth a closer look. It’s a toasty tan with a subtle pearly finish, and I mixed it into my liquid foundation for these pics. I’m wearing Clinique Even Better Clinical in Toasted Wheat, and together they added a soft glow to my skin. I like it!

I topped it off with the All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder ($34), which also surprised me in a good way because it’s so tan. If you’re an NC42 or up, I think you could totally rock it, no problem. Might be a little dark, though, if you’re on the lighter end of the spectrum.

Last, but not least, the pencils… They’re soft and smudgy, and I like the black one because it grabs my waterlines and smokes out quite nicely on my lower lash line.