First MAC Eyeshadows!!

      Exciting news: I've finally taken the leap and ordered my first MAC eyeshadows!... What?... I know everybody and their grandmother are way into/over the whole MAC thing, but for a drugstore makeup junkie like myself, this is exciting! (Hence all of the exclamation marks) I've been building a list for a while now, but the allure of free shipping made me pull the trigger. I do have a MAC store at the mall that I go to, however, since it's a 45 minute drive and I have two kids that make me fear going into any store geared towards anyone over the age of 8-years-old, online was really the only option. 
     I got the shades Kid (which looks like an amazing crease colour that also happens to be on it's way to discontinued), Ricepaper, Satin Taupe, and Sketch, along with the MAC palette. I don't have a Z palette, and the MAC one was only $10, so what the heck. I DID try to grab some MakeUp Geek shadows, but the site wasn't working on my phone, and I was NOT about to make the trip from the couch all the way across the room to the computer. It was 11pm, and I was comfy, so congratulations MAC. I almost bought a lipstick, but decided that would be too much of a gamble, given my pale skin and the fact that only 1 or 2 shades out of 20 actually compliment my skin tone. I'll find a babysitter and make the trek to the mall when the time comes to finally jump on that bandwagon. (I'm actually afraid to buy my first MAC lipstick. They're like a gateway lippie. It starts with one, then I'm elbow deep in Nicki Minaj- limited edition shades, and suddenly I'm exchanging sexual favours for the new NARS Audacious line... Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration I know. But seriously. Not much of a stretch.)  
     Now that I'm thinking about it, I might make that MakeUp Geek order in a couple of weeks. They are half the price, but shipping and exchange rates doesn't make it that different... Oh, great. There it is. I already need another hit. Look what I've started! 

Better Late Than Never?

Okay, finally, I feel like I have the chance to review the Julep 'Sweep Photogenic' palette. I'd been eyeing this palette since day 1; I am in love with Julep's polishes, and their makeup is just as beautiful. I have the first Sweep palette, which is a collection of 5 neutral shades. They have the softest texture, and pigmentation is really good. So when they came out with a palette with a wider colour range, I was all for it. Of course, I waited for a deal-- the palette is priced at $54 originally, but goes on sale from anywhere between $38 and $24. I got mine when it was $24 and used a discount code and got $7.50 off. Which made me love it even more!

Excuse the terrible quality; I only had a picture on my instagram, and THIS is how it copied. 

I was not disappointed. As soon as it arrived, I dove in; it's a cardboard package with a magnetic closure, and comes with a really well-made 2-sided brush. One end it a pointed shadow brush. I'm not actually too fond of this side; I feel like it comes to too sharp of a point. I wish they'd made it more like a flat shadow brush. But the other side is a great fluffy blending brush. I find myself using that side for most of my makeup, even when I'm not using this palette. 

     The shadows are very soft, super-blendable, and are a nice mix of satin shades and shimmers. There aren't any mattes, which is something I always like in a palette. But the shades in this are all pretty enough to make it work. 

 There had been complaints that the palette in the pictures on Julep's sites wasn't true to colour. I agree, the pictures made the shades look a little different, but I'm not disappointed at all. The shade Flash (satin) matches my skintone perfectly ( as you can tell by the apparent lack of a swatch. I assure you, it's there. I'm just really pale). It a great shadow to use all over the lid, to make everything blend together. the shades Focus (satin), Filter (satin), Sepia (satin), and Selfie (shimmer) are really nice crease shades.

Pose, which is a deep eggplant colour, and Icon, a chocolate brown, are both shimmers as well, and look really pretty on the outer V, blended into the crease. Debut and Star are what I think of as the 'colours' in the palette; a kelly green and dusty midtone blue. Fame is the star of the show, a really true deep black satin. Not a grey black, not a weak, navy black, but an actual BLACK shadow. (The picture doesn't do it any justice, my lighting is not the best.)

OVERALL An incredible palette. I couldn't be happier to have this in my collection. The fact that the colours and textures are just as great as the pigmentation makes it's place in my collection very welcome. I would suggest this palette to every makeup lover, and the fact that it's not crazy expensive makes it all the more worth it. I can't wait for Julep's 2015 lineup! :)

***Nik's Bits*** 

-I'm so happy the holidays are over. They were fun, not extremely stressful, and fun for the kids, but it seems as if there's never enough time for breathing. And also my kids are driving each other (and my husband and I) absolutely bonkers. My oldest goes back to school tomorrow! 

-I'm in the process of redesigning my bedroom. I have 8 paint swatches to choose from, and find myself constantly straining not to buy decor for the unfinished room. 

-2015 Goal: get healthy again. I've let myself go back to my old eating/not exercising habits. I'm breaking up with my gut.