It occurs to me that today’s post deals with 2 of my sweet spots: neutral eye shadow shades and lip balm – nothing groundbreaking, am I right? And yet, both the Matte ‘N Metal Eyeshadow Palette and Grayson Color Balm Lipstick have managed to capture my attention. Maybe it’s because I haven’t explored this brand in detail [yet], so I’m curious. Secondly, the shades in the palette are totally up my alley and the lip balm is definitely unique colour-wise. Lastly, I can’t resist anything with a Batman reference (Dick Grayson aka: Robin, Batman’s sidekick — who then went on to become Nightwing. Because I’m a sci-fi/supehero/comics nerd like that).
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Matte ‘N Metal Eye Shadow Palette (CAN $64.00) | Housed in a sturdy gold toned square plastic compact with a fun checkerboard pattern on the lid (which also has a large mirror on the inside, and no dinky brush which would only take up space), this palette contains 12 luxurious shades: 6 matte and 6 metallic. All are sized large enough that you can easily pick up the colour, regardless of brush size, and display minimal fall down during application. The mattes are richly pigmented and also make excellent transition shades, while the metallics have a shimmer that’s complex enough to make things interesting, but not to the point that they come off as blinding. The three lighter metallic hues (3rd row from the top) have a more subtle payoff than the deeper ones, making them versatile enough to be used either all over the eye or as inner corner highlight. Staying power over primer is quite good, staying put without fading throughout the wearing.
Matte:
- Vintage – pale pink nude
- Velvet – muted nude rose
- Feathered – nude
- Fringe – dusty rose
- Suede – soft plum
- Velour – tan
Metallic:
- Bohemian – deep oyster
- Retro – copper pink
- Sequin – champagne
- Smolder – dark bronze
- Sizzle – rust
- Flare – golden brown
Grayson Color Balm Lipstick (CAN $29) | I’m constantly on the hunt for effective lip balms and I have several I rotate through at any given time (there are probably 5 in my makeup bag right now). When I first opened this particular tube and saw the colour, I wasn’t sure what to make of it; grey hues have been trending for lips recently, but it’s the first time I come across a balm version in this shade. Surprise, surprise … it applies sheerly and what’s more, imparts a faint pearly sheen to lips, all while delivering a totally complementary cool-leaning colour behind. It also contains peppermint oil in the formula which lends a cooling sensation felt upon initial application, along with a fresh minty fragrance & taste. Finally, it feels very buttery and nourishing throughout the wearing and managed to leave lips feeling hydrated even after the slip has faded. Also available in 19 other shades.
So how many lip balms and neutral eyeshadow palettes does a girl really need? Well, if you’re anything like me, then the answer is embarrassingly high. What makes these 2 Stila products stand, is the fact that the eyeshadows are a good mix of both metallic and matte shades, providing plenty of options in one palette but the bottom line is that I really like the colours themselves. As to the lip balm, I prefer the convenience of a twist up tube (balm pots are not the most hygienic) and I really, really love this shade — not to mention how well it performs. So I’m thinking that I now need to explore more from this brand, no?
Available at Sephora
Media samples kindly provided, all opinions are my own