Lorac Pro 3 Review and Swatches

Lorac Pro 3

I am so excited about today’s post where I get to show you the brand new Lorac Pro 3 palette.  It’s no secret that I love Lorac shadows.  I have both the previous Lorac Pro palettes and the Mega Pro 2.  In fact, the Lorac Pro 2 is my all time favorite eyeshadow palette.  So, when I saw that Lorac had released another Pro palette, I had to get my hands on it.  The Lorac Pro 3 will be available online on Sunday 6/12 at ulta.com and in stores on 6/26.  Ulta did a pre-release for Platinum members, so I got my palette in the mail last Saturday.  I’ve been playing with it all week and have done several looks with it, so I am ready for a review.

Lorac Pro 3

The Lorac Pro 3 comes in similar packaging to the previous two Lorac Pro palettes.  I am not a fan of the fleshy greige color this time around, to be honest.  The black and the gray packaging was much more attractive than this one, in my opinion.  But, the palette is still sleek and easy to store, and comes with a full mirror.  All of the Lorac Pro palettes come with that NARS-like rubberized exterior, so they do tend to collect fingerprints and powder.  They wipe down easily enough, though, so if that bothers you it is an easy fix.

Lorac Pro 3

If you have the previous Lorac Pro palettes, then you know the drill here with the Lorac Pro 3.  There are 16 shadows total, the top row are all matte and the bottom row is all shimmer.  I really like the Lorac Pro formula.  The shadows are buttery and smooth, have great pigmentation, and blend like a dream.  The soft shadows do kick up a lot of powder, and that is a big complaint for some, but I don’t mind it.  As long as you don’t dig in with your brush and you tap off the excess you should have no problem.  I think the shadows in the Lorac Pro 3 live up to the quality that I expect from the brand with one huge disappointment.  The third shadow in on the bottom, Medallion, is a terrible shadow.  It is gritty with chunky glitter that gets everywhere.  When I tried to apply it the first time I could feel the fall out dropping on my cheek and I had glitter all over my face.  I don’t know what happened with that shadow, because I’ve never had that issue with any of the other Lorac Pro palettes, but it is a major dud.  Otherwise, if you loved the formula of previous Lorac Pro palettes, then you will love the Lorac Pro 3.  All of the Pro palettes are neutral, and the Lorac Pro 3 is the most neutral and natural palette of the bunch.  The first two Lorac Pro palettes had pops of color, but all 16 shades are neutral in the Pro 3.  The shades are lighter than the previous two, so if you thought that the original Pro and the Pro 2 were just too dark for you, then the Pro 3 will be perfect.  The shades are lovely, with a good mix of warm and cool tones.

Lorac Pro 3

• Blanc– Off-white matte with slightly yellow tones.
• Canvas– Light cool-toned beige, and a perfect shade to dust over the whole eye to give you a blank canvas.
• Cool Taupe– Medium-dark taupe brown.
• Pink Nude– Light beige with strong pink tones.
• Lt. Gold– Very light peachy gold with a pearl finish.
• Almond Pearl– Shimmery champagne with a touch of mauve undertones.
• Medallion– Warm bronze with chunky glitter.  As I said above, Medallion is gritty, and the worst shadow in the palette.
• Lt. Pewter– Light-medium shimmery taupe.

Lorac Pro 3

• Clay– Light mauvey-brown with red undertones.  This is a great transition shade.
• Terracotta– Medium brown with very strong orange tones.  This is a great transition shade if you have neutral or warm skin.
• Dk. Brown– Dark brown with neutral tones.
• Jet Black– Matte black.  This shade is in every Pro palette.
• Amethyst– Deep plum with a satin finish, a really beautiful shade.
• Rose Bronze– Aptly named rose toned medium bronze.
• Dk. Mocha– Deep, rich shimmery brown.
• Truffle– Deep blackened plum with subtle micro-glitter.

And there you have it.  The Lorac Pro 3 is $44 and comes with a mini of the Behind the Scenes Eye Primer.  It may not be the most unique or inventive palette, but it is solid and can be used by almost anyone.  Do you already have these shades?  Possibly.  But it is a lovely palette and I am glad that I own it.  It has been compared to the UD Naked 3 and the Lorac Unzipped palettes.  I don’t have Unzipped, so I can’t really compare, but I do have Naked 3 and can say that they are not similar.  Though there are a couple rosy shades, Lorac Pro 3 is not a rose toned palette.  If you like lighter neutral shades that are appropriate for any occasion, then you will love this palette.  And of course, if you are a Lorac fan, you will probably feel the need to buy this palette to complete the set.  (Gotta catch ’em all!)  You can find the palette at Ulta later this month.  The Lorac Pro 3 is not limited edition, so don’t feel like you need to stalk the internet to be the first to get it.  They hype over LE palettes selling out has been crazy lately, but rest assured that Lorac Pro 3 is part of the permanent collection, so you can take your time.

LORAC Pro Palette 2- Review, Swatches, and Comparisons

LORAC Pro Palette 2

As requested, I finally have my review for the new LORAC Pro Palette 2.  As you know if you have been following my blog in the last year, I loved the Original LORAC Pro Palette.  It is so versatile and easy to work with, and it has everything you need for a ton of neutral looks.  But despite how great that palette is, LORAC was able to improve upon it with the Pro 2.  And I do think it is an improvement.  I feel that the Pro 2 is a better palette than the Original, and while I still love the first one, I recommend Pro 2 over the Original if you have to choose just one.  Read on to see why.

LORAC Pro Palette 2

The packaging of the Pro 2 is very similar to the Original.  Both come with a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer.  The palette itself is thin and sleek, with a magnetic closure.  It has a similar rubberized feel to NARS packaging.  Unfortunately that means it is a magnet for powder and fingerprints, and is difficult to keep clean.  The Pro 2 is a gray or charcoal color, whereas the Original is black.  The Pro 2 palette still has the same full-sized mirror that the Original has.  It is a sturdy palette to travel with, and is a great option on vacation.  I took my Original Pro Palette to Walt Disney World with me last year and it served me well.

LORAC Pro Palette 2

Just like the Original Pro Palette, LORAC Pro 2 has 16 shadows.  The shades are a good range of light to dark, and half of them are matte.  The entire top row of shadows are matte shades and the bottom row are satins and shimmers.  The quality of the shadows in the Pro 2 is just as good as the Original (if not better), meaning that the shadows have a silky smooth, buttery formulation.  All the shades have great pigmentation and blend very well with each other without getting muddy.  They are soft shadows, so that can kick up some powder, but simply tapping off your brush will do the trick to avoid fall-out.  I personally don’t need primer when I use LORAC shadows to get crease-free wear that lasts all day.  However, if you have oily eyelids or want to even out the color and texture of your lids, primer is always recommended.

You may have heard that the Pro 2 is the cool palette, like the Urban Decay naked 2, but that’s not entirely accurate.  There are definitely several cool toned shades, but I’d say that almost half the shades in the Pro 2 have a warm undertone.  It is a really great mix.  That versatility is one of the reasons that I think the Pro 2 is better.  I think the shadows will suit a wider variety of skin tones.  Though there were some cool-toned shades in the Original Pro palette, most of them were warm.  I also love that there are some great colors in the Pro 2.  The Plum, Navy, and Jade shadows pull your attention, and I am sure they are a big selling point for many people.  The pro 2 is a great neutral palette, but those pops of color are a welcome addition over the Original Pro palette which really only had one colorful shade.  (I don’t count Deep Purple because, although it looks purple in the pan, it applies so dark that it may as well be black.)  Check out my review to see the shades in the Original LORAC Pro Palette and compare them for yourself.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each shade.  I’ll start at the top with the matte shades.

Buff, Lt. Brown, Cool Gray, and Nectar

Buff, Lt. Brown, Cool Gray, and Nectar

• Buff: A matte cream shade with buttery yellow undertones.  I love that I don’t have to go outside the palette for a matte cream browbone highlight.
• Lt. Brown: Like the name suggests, this is a light brown matte shade with subtle warm undertones.  It is a great mid-tone transitioning color.
• Cool Gray: This cool-toned gray has definite brown undertones which pair wonderfully with taupe shadows for a smoked out look.
• Nectar: A warm-toned, matte peach with subtle pink and terra-cotta undertones.  This is such an essential shade, and one of the reasons that the Pro 2 is such a good palette.  Nectar is the perfect transitioning shade for both warm and cool-toned looks to keep them from going too stark.  It is so useful and versatile, and such a great addition.

Plum, Navy, Charcoal, Black

Plum, Navy, Charcoal, Black

 

• Plum: A medium-dark, neutral plum shade.  I am so glad that Plum isn’t too dark.  That was sort of an issue with the Original Pro palette- there were a couple extremely dark shades that pulled almost black when applied.  Great pigmentation.
• Navy: Can you believe that intense pigment!  Navy is a gorgeous blue that pacts a huge punch.  I love it as an eyeliner.
• Charcoal: Charcoal is a straight up, dark gray.  Again, it is true to color, and not so dark that it looks black.  It is great for smoking out a look.
• Black:  The black in the Pro 2 is a soft black shade, which I personally find easier to work with than stark blacks.  Black makes a great shadow liner.

 

Snow, Beige, Rosé, Mocha

Snow, Beige, Rosé, Mocha

• Snow: An Icy white shimmer shade.  I personally don’t get a lot of use out of white shadows, but if you like a shimmery browbone highlight this is a good choice.  It is also a good option for an inner corner highlight.
• Beige: This is a very light, warm-toned beige with a satin finish.  It really brightens the eyes.
• Rosé: An absolutely gorgeous warm rose-gold metallic shade.  It is one of the best shades in the palette.
• Mocha: This is a warm bronze shade with a metallic finish.  Beige, Rosé, and Mocha look amazing together.

Chrome, Silver, Jade, Cocoa

Chrome, Silver, Jade, Cocoa

• Chrome: Chrome is a taupe gray satin-shimmer, with a subtle brown tint.  It is a unique shade in that it can look almost cool gray or more brown depending on what it is paired with.
• Silver: This is straight up foiled silver shimmer.  It has great pigmentation for a true silver shadow.
• Jade: This is a dark olive green with yellow and brown undertones.  My one complaint about the Pro 2 is that Jade is a little too dark.  If you are not careful, it can start to lose the green tones and get muddy.  It is a gorgeous shade, but it can be a little finicky to get the true to pan color.
• Cocoa: This is a deep chocolate brown with subtle gold shimmer.

The LORAC Pro 2 is a great neutral palette with added colorful shades to mix it up.  While I think the Original Pro Palette is still a wonderful choice, I personally like the Pro 2 more.  Basically it comes down to your skin tone and you personal color preferences.  If you look best in warm-toned shades and want a palette that is almost exclusively neutrals, then stick with the Original.  But, if you want more variety with warm and cool shades and some fun colors to boot, go for the Pro 2.  It is totally worth the cost.  Speaking of which, the LORAC Pro Palette 2 is $42.  While not entirely budget friendly at first glance,  $42 divided by 16 shadows is only $2.63 per shadow.  Granted, they are not large pans, but it is still a good value in my mind.

Have you gotten your hands on the LORAC Pro Palette 2?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Let me know in the comments below.

Lorac Pro Palette 2 releases June 15th

Lorac Pro Palette 2

The Lorac Pro Palette 2 is on it’s way!  I am very excited about this release because I really like the original Lorac Pro Palette.  Lorac Pro 2 releases at Ulta.com on June 15th, and in Ulta stores June 29th.  Sephora doesn’t carry Lorac anymore, as far as I know.  The Lorac Pro 2 will have the same basic format as the original Lorac Pro Palette with eight matte shades and eight shimmer shades.  Lorac claims that the sixteen shades are all different from the original except for the matte black.  The Lorac Pro 2 will contain cooler tones than the original Lorac Pro Palette.  Here is the announcement video that Lorac put up today on their Youtube page.

I am excited.  To see my review and swatches of the original Lorac Pro Palette, click here.  If Lorac Pro 2 is like the first one, it will retail for $42 and come with a deluxe sample of Behind the Scenes Eye Primer.  But don’t quote me on that because no announcements have been made on those details.  I can’t wait to see the palette in person.  The Navy, Jade, and Plum shades are jumping out at me, calling for my attention.  I certainly don’t need another palette, but I love the original Lorac Pro, and the Lorac Pro 2 looks very tempting.

What about you?  Are you excited about the Lorac Pro 2 release?  Are you going to buy it online on the 15th, or wait until it lands in stores on the 29th?  Or are you thinking of skipping it entirely?  Let me know in the comments below.

10 Best of 2013

It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to do my favorites of 2013 post.  If I listed all of the products I loved this year it would be the longest post ever.  So, after mulling it over and narrowing down, I finally decided to do a top 10.  There are plenty more products that I love, but I can’t include everything, so these are the best.  While many of these products were released in 2013, that wasn’t a requirement.  These are the products that I personally loved this year, no matter when they came out.  Most of these products are drugstore, but there are two higher end items because they truly are favorites.  If you have been following this blog, you probably will recognize every item on this list because if they didn’t get full reviews, they were at least mentioned in Monthly Favorites posts.  So, let’s get started.

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

Probably the best product to come out all year was the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation.  I was really surprised because I don’t usually like CoverGirl foundations, but this one rocks.  This foundation is really great and unique because it works equally well for those with oily or dry skin.  Very few products truly are for all skin types, but this foundation really is.  CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous is mattifying, without drying out your skin.  It has solid medium coverage, but is still lightweight and not cakey.  The best part is that it lasts all day long.  I have worn this foundation for 16 hours in 90 degree Florida humidity and it did not budge, sweat and all.  If you are looking for a good liquid foundation, this is the one you should try next.  The only downside is that the 3-in-1 claims are bogus.  I still need a primer because I have ginormous pores and it will settle in if I don’t prime first.  You will also need a concealer if you have major issues like dark acne scars or really dark circles.  CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous is a great foundation, despite the over the top advertising.  Try it, you’ll probably like it.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation

The other foundation that I have loved in 2013 came out in 2012, but is still a winner.  The Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation, like CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous, is good for all skin types.  (This jar is still in it’s packaging because I recently ran out of my last jar and this is my replacement.)  Revlon Whipped Creme is a full coverage foundation with an odd pudding like texture.  It blends like a dream and will last all day long.  This is a serious foundation, and may be a little much for every day use for some of you (not me), but it’s awesome for nights out or special occasions.  I usually turn to Revlon Whipped Creme when I know I’m going to have pictures taken because I love the look it gives me.  Despite the thicker texture, I don’t feel that it lays heavy on the skin.  I really like Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation and it has definitely been raved about all over the internet.  If you haven’t tried it, take a chance.

Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder

My final favorite face product of the year was definitely Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder.  Though the Nearly Naked Foundation that was released at the same time didn’t do it for me, the Nearly Naked Powder has been fantastic.  I love how light it is, and the soft focus effect it gives to my skin is lovely.  It blurs the imperfections and makes me look younger.  I tossed the ridiculous little pillow sponge it came with and apply it with my e.l.f. Powder Brush.  Revlon Nearly Naked is, in my opinion, the best powder in the drugstore.

Lorac Pro Palette

Moving to eyes, the Lorac Pro Palette launched Fall 2012, but I didn’t get in until Spring 2013.  Though it rivals the Naked 2 palette for my favorite, I think that the Lorac Pro is more versatile and universal, so it is a better overall product than the Naked palettes.  For more details and pictures check out my review.  The Lorac Pro is a fantastic palette and could conceivable be all you need if you aren’t a makeup addict like me.  The entire top row are matte shadows in a range of light to dark.  The bottom row of shadows are a variety of shimmer and metallic shades.  Not only can you achieve lovely neutral eye looks, but there are copper and purple shades to add some variety.  The dark matte brown and black are great liner shades.  The only thing I don’t like about the palette is the rubberized packaging that picks up everything and constantly looks dirty, no matter what.  Oh, well, we can’t have everything.  If you could only get one higher end palette, the Lorac Pro is an excellent choice and one of my favorite products in 2013.

Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil

If CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation isn’t the best release of 2013, then the Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencils definitely are.  Long-time readers know of my obsession with NYX Slide On, Glide On, blah-blah-blah liners that were my number one favorites until these Jordana beauties came out.  Now, I am completely obsessed with these.  The Jordana 12 Hr Made to last Liquid Eyeliner Pencils are the best pencil liners on the market (IMO) and they are only around $3.  These pencils are designed to give you the same intense color as a liquid liner.  They have a creamy formula that glides onto the lid with ease.  Even on the waterline, there is no tugging or pulling needed to get the color to show up.  They take a minute to set, so you do have some time to smudge them out and work with them.  Once set, these babies don’t budge at all despite sweat, tears, rain, you name it.  You need this.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Taupe

Another 2013 liner that I’ve loved is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Taupe.  This is such a great shade for the lower lash line for some definition that is appropriate for the daytime.  Rimmel is extremely affordable and the Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajals have a great formula.  Taupe is my favorite of the bunch because it is a unique shade to my collection and a really versatile liner.  In a sea of blacks and browns that can be a little much for some people, Taupe is easy and comfortable- a great choice.  Rimmel also offers a Nude version of the Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajals, which is a unique shade for the drugstore and the creamy, yet long wearing formula makes it a wonderful choice for brightening the waterline.  Both Taupe and Nude definitely deserve a look.

Maybelline Volume Express the Rocket Mascara

The best mascara of 2013, hands down, is Maybelline Volume Express the Rocket Mascara.  I love this.  It has unseated CoverGirl Lashblast as my favorite drugstore mascara.  Though Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes is my all-time favorite Holy Grail mascara, the Rocket is a close second.  The Rocket has a large rubber brush and a slightly dryer formula, similar to Lashblast.  Something about the Rocket makes my puny lashes really shine.  I have tried a lot of mascaras this past year, but none have done as much for my lashes as The Rocket.  This product deserves all of the rave reviews.

Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment

Though I’ve only mentioned it a few times on this blog, I have been consistently loving Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment all throughout 2013.  I originally got a sample tube through Birchbox and discovered how great it is.  This is my second full-sized tube.  I use the Jouer Lip Enhancer as a night time lip treatment and it works wonders on my dry lips.  When I apply it at night, I wake up with soft, smooth, healthy-feeling lips.  I can definitely feel the difference when I don’t use it.  The Jouer Lip Enhancer is a little pricey, but not too bad and the tubes last forever.  I bought two tubes last January and I just busted out this second tube a couple months ago.  A little goes a very long way.  I don’t want to ever be without the Jouer Lip Enhancer, it’s that good.

Maybelline Color Whisper in Made-it-Mauve

I’m sure it’s no surprise that my favorite lip product of 2013 is the Maybelline Color Whisper in Made-it-Mauve.  This was made for me.  I love the Color Whisper formula.  It’s so creamy and moisturizing, and the Color Whispers have completely unseated the Revlon Lip Butters in my collection.  They are fantastic.  Made-it-Mauve is such a good color for me.  I love those pinky-brown my lips but better shades, and Made-it-Mauve is in that family but with a bit more rose.  I could wear this shade every day and not get tired of it.  If you haven’t tried the Maybelline Color Whispers, you must.  They are so comfortable and there are a ton of shades.

2013 Favorite hair products

I am a dirty cheater, and am counting my favorite hair products of 2013 as one thing.  I know, I know, so sue me.  First, Batiste Dry Shampoo is the best hair product ever.  What rock was I living under that I took so long to try dry shampoo?   My hair gets oily super fast, and Batiste has become my new best friend.  I tried a few other brands, but Batiste is by far the best in the drugstore.  I like the Hint of Colour Dark & Deep Brown version because it doesn’t leave a white cast and it has very mild scent.  Some of those dry shampoos are like spraying perfume in my hair, which isn’t my favorite thing.  If you haven’t found a dry shampoo that you like, I highly recommend Batiste.  My favorite hairspray (for years now) is the Tresemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray.  It works the best for my hair for solid hold without making it crunchy or sticky.  It’s also really inexpensive and easy to find.  Finally, for shampoo and conditioner, I am partial to John Frieda.  I really like the Luxurious Volume Thickening line, but the Full Repair line is probably the best.  I have pretty healthy hair to begin with, but I do color it, so this shampoo and conditioner keep my hair healthy.  You should definitely try it if you need good hair care on a budget.

Those are my top 10 (or so) products of 2013.  There are so many more products that I could have mentioned.  (Like the Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse foundation, Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains, Michael Todd skincare products, Sigma brushes, Sleek Makeup and so much more.)  But, I couldn’t name everything.  I’m curious as to what products made your list of favorites for 2013.  Let me know in the comments below what you loved the most in the last year.

Perfect Palette Tag

I have something fun for today.  I’ve been seeing the Perfect Palette tag going around youtube for a while now, and I really wanted to do it here on the blog.  It’s a short, 8 question tag that focuses on palettes, and who doesn’t love palettes?  I decided to set some rules for myself that the palettes have to be pre-arranged (as in no Inglot or Mac (etc.) palettes with shades that I choose myself).  Also, as it worked out, these are all non-drugstore brands.  If you want me to do something like this with drugstore, let me know.  So, now let the fun begin.

Tarte Gorgeous Getaways Palette

Best Packaging: I could have gone many ways with this category, and almost went with my Balm Jovi Palette because it’s adorable, but instead I chose the Tarte Gorgeous Getaways Palette.  Although it is a little bulky, I just love that it has the travel palette so you can take each quad of shadows and a blush with you.  The packaging really sold me on this palette, and I am so glad that I got it.  This one was limited edition for the holidays, so I don’t think that you can still get it (but I could be wrong).  Sorry about that.  I promise that this is the only palette in this post that you can’t get your hands on.

Urban Decay Dangerous palette

Best Color Payoff: I chose the Urban Decay Dangerous palette for this category, but really any UD palette would have done.  I went ahead and swatched the shadows so that you could see them.  This is done with no primer and with me just swiping the color once on my hand.  They are all crazy-pigmented and totally gorgeous.  Look at those jewel tones.  Urban Decay has some of the most pigmented shadows on the market, in my opinion.  Even though this came out a long time ago, the Dangerous palette is currently $16 on UD’s website (which is how I got it).

Lorac Pro palette

Most Versatile:  I had to go with Lorac Pro for the most versatile palette.  It has an entire row of matte and an entire row of shimmer and metallics.  There are many neutral shades, but there are also some color shades to add some variety.  You can accomplish so many looks with this palette and the shadows work really well with each other.  Lorac Pro is one of my favorites and is totally worth the money.

Urban Decay Shattered Face Case

Best for Traveling: I love my Urban Decay Shattered Face Case for traveling.  It’s so compact, but fits an entire face worth of makeup inside (minus foundation and mascara).  The packaging is sturdy, so I don’t worry about it opening or breaking in my bag.  I took the Shattered Face Case to Orlando with me, and I had no problems with it.  It was handy and a good addition.  Urban Decay Shattered Face Case is an Ulta exclusive, and is currently on sale at ulta.com.

TheBalm Shady Lady palettes

Biggest Regret:  So, here’s the deal with TheBalm Shady Lady palettes.  I got these on super sale.  They retail for $39.50 each on thebalm’s website, but I got all three for around $30.  It was a great deal, and they are really good palettes, but I never reach for them because I have other palettes that I like better.  Even though the sale was amazing and theBalm has really good eyeshadow, I shouldn’t have gotten them because I never use them.

the Balm Jovi palette

Best Color Names: For me, a music lover, hands down the best shade names are in the Balm Jovi palette by theBalm.  I love everything about this palette, and the packaging is so freakin’ cute.  The shade names just kill me.  Alice Copper, Lead Zeppelin, Third Eye Blinded… I mean come on!  And the classical section is great too.  I had to get this palette as soon as I saw it.

TheBalm Nude Tude

Least Used:  I do not regret getting TheBalm Nude Tude palette because it is really great, but I do not use it as much as I should.  As good as it is, I prefer the Naked 2 and the Lorac Pro for neutral eyes.  I pretty much stopped using Nude Tude as soon as I got Lorac Pro.  I really should go back to it because it’s so pretty and the shadows are really good.

Urban Decay Naked 2

Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island:  I have to say that my most loved palette is my Urban Decay Naked 2.  I’ve used it so much and it hardly looks like I’ve put a dent in it.  I really love taupe eyeshadow, and the Naked 2 palette is perfect for me.  I like the packaging, and Urban Decay shadows are fantastic.  I had a hard time deciding between this and the Lorac Pro, but I just really really love Naked 2, so it eventually won out.

I hope that you enjoyed this tag.  I had fun putting it together.  I have a ton of palettes because I am addicted to eyeshadow and love palettes so much.  I didn’t realize how many theBalm palettes I have.  I also have quite a bit of Urban Decay.  I definitely need to pull out some of my less loved palettes and show them some attention.  I think I’m pretty set on eyeshadow for a while.  😉

Lorac Pro Palette, Totally Worth It

Lorac Pro Palette

Today I wanted to show you the Lorac Pro Palette.  When I first got the palette a few month ago, I took pictures before using the palette like any dutiful beauty blogger would, but I honestly didn’t expect to use them. This blog is focused on budget beauty items, and Lorac isn’t the most budget friendly brand out there.  I’ve got to say, though, that the Lorac Pro Palette is totally worth getting.

Lorac Pro Palette

I got my Lorac Pro Palette from Ulta when they were having a 20% off your entire order offer for Platinum Reward members.  I’m not sure if all Pro palettes come with a bonus Behind the Scenes Eye Primer mini, but mine did.  The palette itself is sleek, with a similar feel to NARS packaging.  Unfortunately that means it is a magnet for dust and fingerprints, and is almost impossible to keep clean.  The inside is heavy-duty cardboard and feels pretty sturdy.  The palette has a full-sized mirror.

Lorac Pro Palette

Matte shadows are very popular right now and the Lorac Pro Palette delivers in that department.  The main selling point for me was that, of the 16 shadows in the Pro Palette, half of them are matte.  I was asked around the holidays if I was  going to get the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette of matte shadows when it came out, but I felt that the shades in that palette were too similar to each other.  There wasn’t enough variety.  The Lorac Pro Palette, on the other hand, contains similar shades as the UD Naked Basics palette, but offers so much more.  The entire top row are matte shadows in a range of light to dark.  The bottom eight shadows are a variety of shimmer and metallic shades.  Not only can you achieve lovely neutral eye looks, but there are copper and purple shades to add some variety.  This is a complete palette, where I thought that UD Naked Basics was lacking.

Lorac Pro Palette lighter shades

The left side of the Pro palette contains all of the lighter shades.  There are several flesh-toned options in both matte and shimmer for lighter lid shades or highlights.  Taupe and Cream are essential, and I love how Nude and Champagne brighten my eyes.  And, of course, that molten Gold shade is just beautiful.  The swatch below is on bare skin, no primer.  I took shots in the sun so that you could see the lighter shades a little better.

Lorac Pro Palette lighter shades

The Lorac shadows aren’t quite as creamy as Urban Decay shadows.  The matte shades, especially, can be a little powdery, but that only means that you have to tap off your brush to avoid fall-out.  The shadows apply smoothly and evenly, so don’t take me to mean that I think they are chalky or patchy, because they aren’t.  As long as you tap off, you should be fine.

Lorac Pro Palette darker shades

The right side of the palette holds all of the darker shades and they are really lovely.  I have gotten some really good  use out of Mauve and Garnet, both very versatile shades.  Pewter is absolutely gorgeous for a pop of color.  Deep purple creates a gorgeous smoky eye, and Espresso and Black are great liners.

Lorac Pro Palette darker shades

I am definitely glad that I got the Lorac Pro Palette.  It is so versatile and has everything you need for countless looks.  At $42.00 full price, it is a little steep.  Like I said, I got mine at Ulta with a discount and cashed in some rewards points.  But if you think about it, $42 for 16 shadows is only $2.63 per shadow, so it’s not that expensive when you look at it that way.  Only you know what your beauty budget is, but I fully recommend the Lorac Pro Palette.  It’s totally worth it, in my opinion.