Review: Urban Decay - Glinda Palette

I was eyeing this palette for a really long time before I caved in and purchased it. I must've gone into Sephora and swatched it like at least 5 times. So when the VIB Chic Week code came around, I jumped at a chance to get this Urban Decay Oz the Great and Powerful Glinda Palette ($49). Now I warn you because I know this is going to be quite a long post. I'm going to be reviewing the entire set, meaning the shadows, the liner and the lip gloss pencil. So be ready for a lot of writing.

Review: Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadows

I own way more palettes than is necessary for one human being but that didn't stop me from purchasing an Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow Palette ($10 + $6/eyeshadow) when I went to IMATS. The palette was discounted to $8 and the eyeshadows were discounted to $5 each, so with prices like that I figured how could you go wrong?

I made a mental note in my head that I wasn't going to buy any neutral shades since I already own the Naked, Naked 2 and Nude'Tude palettes. I figured purple would be a safe alternative to my usual browns and taupes since I don't typically wear colorful shadows.

Packaging: The palette is very well made and certainly impressive. The top and bottom are held together by four strong magnets in each corner of the palette. These magnets are so strong in fact, that I actually find myself having trouble opening the palette at times. It can get pretty annoying to have it snap shut and to have to struggle to open it but I'd trust traveling with this palette as I don't see it easily opening up or getting damaged in my bag.
As for the shadows, since I bought them individually all they came in was the pan. They popped easily into the palette and are held in place using a magnet. It's quite a tight fit however, so it's hard to take the shadow out after you put it in (trust me, I attempted to and ruined one of my shadows shortly after taking these photos).
Formula: The shadows are soft, smooth and highly pigmented. They're not all true to color though; for example, 74 looks like a true purple in the pan but when applied it shows up as more of a berry shade.

Application: All these shadows glide on very easily and show up highly pigmented on the eyes. They blend very easily and the shades I chose definitely work well together.
Longevity: The intensity of these colors last for around 4-5 hours and then they start to soften and become more muted. You can still see the color on your eyes but it just doesn't have the kind of vibrancy it had right after you applied it.
In conclusion, I really like the idea behind the freedom palette because it allows for more flexibility and creativity in your palette. You can choose the colors you want and create the palette of your dreams. It's also a great affordable alternative to MAC palettes as it costs $54 for a four shadow palette and then $12 a shadow at MAC. Looking at it that way, even without the discount I got at IMATS I still would've saved a bundle!
♥
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Review: The Balm Nude'tude Palette

I'm sure you've all heard of the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes but a lesser known amazing neutrals palette is The Balm's Nude'tude ($36). I've had this palette for a while now but since I've been reaching for it a lot lately, I was inspired to write a review of it on my blog. This way I can give you all an option other than a UD palette if you want something with neutrals.

The packaging of this product is very simple, sleek and compact; making it easy to travel with. There's two versions of this palette, naughty and nice. I have the naughty version that has naked girls on the inside with the shadows covering their lovely lady parts, whereas the nice version is just a room in the background.

The palette comes with 12 different eyeshadows all in the neutral range of colors. Unlike the Naked and Naked 2, Nude'tude comes with more "colorful" neutral shades. For example, Sexy is a rich brownish red and Stubborn and Stand-offish are pretty pinks; shades you can't really find in either UD palette.

The shadows are all highly pigmented and have a buttery texture. You can swipe your brush once against any of these shades and you'll get a good amount of color in your application. The colors stay put once they're applied and you don't have to worry about any fallout.

Sassy is white with a satin finish that can be used in the inner corners to brighten up the eyes. Snobby is a yellow gold with a satin finish that can also be used in the inner corners or on the bottom lash line. Stubborn is a toasted pink with a satin finish that can be used lightly as a highlight or all over the eyes, it reminds me a little bit of Sin from the Naked palette. Stand-offish is a light pink with silver glitter that can be used all over the eyes.

Selfish is a mid-tone brown with a satin finish that I like to use either all over the lids or in my imaginary crease. Sultry is a light brown with a matte finish that I like to use all over the lids. Sophisticated is a dark brown with silver glitter that I like to use mostly in my imaginary crease. Seductive is a golden brown with silver glitter that I like to use either all over the lids or in my crease.

Sexy is a brownish red with a matte finish that I like to use all over the eyes or in my crease. Silly is a reddish brown with silver-red glitter that I like to use in my crease. Serious is a matte black that I use as liner, I haven't dared to do a smokey eye yet. Lastly, Sleek is a matte dark brown that I use either as liner or in my crease.

I think what really sets this palette apart from the Naked and Naked 2 is its color range. Naked's shades are almost all in the brown family and Naked 2's is almost all in the taupe family. Nude'tude mixes it up with the pinks and the reddish browns. I also really like how they have a white and gold highlight shade because those are great for accenting an eye look and making it more fun. If you're interested in purchasing this palette, you can buy it off the Balm website or Amazon, unfortunately it is not sold in Sephora. But, if you can wait I would highly suggest purchasing it when it goes on sale on Hautelook. The Balm products go on sale almost once a month on Hautelook and the Nude'tude palette is typically on there. You can get it for up to 40% off there!