Isadora palette

Earlier this week I did a review of one of the Isadora products that I bought a month or so ago - a nail polish in Loden Green, and I thought I would continue with a few other Isadora items I bought at the same time by doing a review of an eye shadow palette and a chubby stick for lips.

This has really been the season of the palettes. I don't think I have ever seen so many alluring and gorgeous little palettes in different color shades and I'm sure there are more to come with all the Christmas and festive specials just around the corner. For some reason I'm always drawn to palettes, and when I saw the Isadora Eye Shadow Palette in 59 Creamy Nudes I just had to try it. It's a sleek little plastic package with a great mirror and a sponge and brush applicator that contains five lovely matte eye shadows, and to be honest it was the shades that did it for me. We've seen a lot of gorgeous combinations of chocolate and neutral shades, but this combination was a little unusual with it's delicate pastels.  

Since the shades don't have individual names or no:s I'll describe them from left to right:

1. Elegant matte golden cream - perfect to use as a highlighter or as a neutral base for a "no make up" look.

2. Gentle matte powder pink - lovely to use as a base for either the lilac or the grey shades.

3. Cool matte lilac with a silvery undertone - also works great as a base for the grey shades.

4. Soft timberwolf gray with a warm undertone - mostly matte, but with very faint occasional shimmer, lovely as an accent color to the pinks.

5. Warm gunmetal gray - perfect for a smokey eye or as an eyeliner.

All the shades feel very creamy to use, particularly if you apply them using your fingers and they sit well on the eye without creasing and with no fall out even from the darker shades, so from that point of view they are fairly long lasting. However, as pretty as the shades are, the pigmentation isn't great, and you'll need to apply and blend out a couple of layers before you get a good payoff. In the photo below I've got three layers of blended shades, and still the pink and lilac eye shadows are quite faint. The lack of pigmentation is a bit of a disappointment, but it does make this palette great for days when you're going for a very subtle and natural wide eyed look. Since I quite like a heavy eye, the combination that I have used the most is the lilac and gunmetal shades, which together create a graceful and elegant look.

From left to right:

Eye shadow 1. Golden cream

Eye shadow 2. Powder pink

Eye shadow 3. Cool lilac

Eye shadow 4. Timberwolf gray

Eye shadow 5. Gunmetal gray

Twist Up Gloss Stick - 03 Sugar Crush

Another type of product that is all over make up counters everywhere is the "chubby stick" for lips, and almost every week we see a new gorgeous shade introduced. When I bought the Isadora Twist Up Gloss Stick I was looking for a delicate pink shade, and I honed in on Sugar Crush which is a warm, sheer and slightly shimmery salmon pink with a slight blue undertone. The formula is very moisturising, but it doesn't only hydrate the lips, it plumps them as well and it feels lovely and light to wear. Since it has a semi-transparent coverage it doesn't dry in that horrible way that some lip products do, and when it fades after about 2-3 hrs it does so in a natural way, all over your lips and you do need to retouch it throughout the day. I really enjoy the natural and glossy finish of the gloss stick and I will try to get some more shades brought over when my family visit for Christmas.

For me the gloss stick is the winner out of these two Isadora products because of the beautiful natural finish. But despite the lack of pigmentation I do enjoy using the eye shadow palette and there's also something very practical about having everything you need in one little box in your handbag, and I have a feeling it's not the last palette I'll be getting this season. Have you treated yourself to a nice palette or do you have on on your wishlist, if so I'd love to hear your recommendations?