Is LORAC Underrated?
The LORAC PRO Palette Reviewed
I've always been curious about Lorac's eye shadows after becoming addicted to the Behind the Scenes primer. But, after I purchased this relatively affordable palette ($42) I wondered why there wasn't more hype on the beauty blogosphere. I see so much about UD's Naked palettes (which is not paraben, sulfate, GMO & petrochemical free - all VERY important things to me), but not much on this one. So... here goes!
The packaging is sleek and compact. It's great for tossing in a makeup bag. (I'm definitely no MUA, so I do have most of my products in a bag thanks to my small detested pedestal sink with zero room on it). Packaging is smooth but sturdy and tends to get dirty. You'll see in just a sec... And I've used mine for months, so this is after much use. I also LURV how it comes with a large mirror! A lot of times these sleek palettes lack one, so it's definitely a huge perk!
Here you can see the relatively large mirror.
I REALLY appreciate so much about this palette besides the packaging. Here are my favourite (& not so) things about it!
16 shades!! I mean... WT(glorious)F? I spent more on the Tarte Femme Naturale Eye Palette & only got 12. (Not to mention they're chalky & not as pigmented/long lasting. You don't know how much it hurts me to say that, as Tarte is probably my #1 (or #2) go-to brand @ Sephora).
See the dirty?
Thank You, Lorac! It has shimmer AND matte! PTL!! (If you don't know what that means, you didn't go to enough church camps... :)). CHAMPAGNE is the only shade I'm not thrilled about... It's the one "glittery" shadow in the palette, and it goes on more like loose glitter than the rest of the shimmers. I don't have time for all the pixie dust fallout on my face, so I don't hardly use it.
Let's be honest, sometimes using ONLY shimmery shadows can be annoying. I'd like to be taken more seriously at work (I manage 32 people at an institute of higher learning... come on now!) Soooo, the matte options are perfect! They ARE ultra pigmented and last ALL day (especially with the primer, which is one of my "library*" items).
{Side bar: I looooooove reading & books - hence "Bibliophile." You'll learn... So, if I say something's in my library, it's because I don't buy the full size or have a 2nd go until it's been tested & really impresses me. I'm not typically loyal to many products, but there are a few... I'll do a post on that in the future. Same goes w/ my books. If I say it's library-worthy, than you know it's d*mn good, and the only allowed copy is hard back copy.}
{Side bar: I looooooove reading & books - hence "Bibliophile." You'll learn... So, if I say something's in my library, it's because I don't buy the full size or have a 2nd go until it's been tested & really impresses me. I'm not typically loyal to many products, but there are a few... I'll do a post on that in the future. Same goes w/ my books. If I say it's library-worthy, than you know it's d*mn good, and the only allowed copy is hard back copy.}
Ok... 'nough of that. Let's continue:
I love (Xs 3) to use NUDE as a brow and inner eye highlighter. It goes on soooo creamy (as do all the colors) & pops! If I'm not in a shimmer mood I use WHITE for the same purpose. I started doing that after Essie @ Essie-Button raved about how much she loved her depotted (brand forgotten) white shadow.
For a while I didn't use TAUPE, but a life changing (ok.. exaggerating) video MaskCARA did here helped me see new ways to use it (as a contour along my nose and under my lip!) and almost the whole palette. If you're like me, you get stuck in a rut, using the same shades over and over, and I'm gad she shook it up for me! I love using GOLD as a liner & PEWTER is my favourite crease color. I layer it over Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe.
(Yes... I like Taupe. I also have the NYX blush in Taupe as a contour powder. When you're as albino pale and cool toned as me, you can't use normal bronzers to contour.)
Time for the dark end. I'm super pale, as I mentioned already, and I don't typically use dark shadows for anything. But this stuff is awesome as a liner; I never used to use shadows as liners, but Lorac converted me! I actually haven't used a real liner in weeks. And that's crazy talk.
I also didn't use GARNET once until watching MaskCARA's video. Now I do. I sometimes feel like having such pink undertones warm colors like garnet, coppers, etc don't work on me, but it does if done right! I also use SLATE all the time. LOVE it.
To wrap up - GET THIS PALETTE. It's creamy, pigmented, paraben free, affordable, has MANY colors, texture and function options and sets like super glue on the Behind the Scenes primer that comes along.
Any other palettes you gals love? Anyone converted to Lorac now? :)
***Edit on 12/30: Since posting this I had a wonderful recommendation come to me via @AimeeJAdore on twitter that I should try the CHAMPAGNE wet. I did just that, and it worked GREAT and stayed on all day long! No fall out and deep, rich pigment. Thanks, Aimee!***
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I also didn't use GARNET once until watching MaskCARA's video. Now I do. I sometimes feel like having such pink undertones warm colors like garnet, coppers, etc don't work on me, but it does if done right! I also use SLATE all the time. LOVE it.
To wrap up - GET THIS PALETTE. It's creamy, pigmented, paraben free, affordable, has MANY colors, texture and function options and sets like super glue on the Behind the Scenes primer that comes along.
Any other palettes you gals love? Anyone converted to Lorac now? :)
***Edit on 12/30: Since posting this I had a wonderful recommendation come to me via @AimeeJAdore on twitter that I should try the CHAMPAGNE wet. I did just that, and it worked GREAT and stayed on all day long! No fall out and deep, rich pigment. Thanks, Aimee!***
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