The Details

If you prefer lighter golds, here’s a look at the top five, permanent soft gold eyeshadows I’ve come across!

1. Ardency Inn Sunday (A+)
2. ColourPop Fringe (A)
3. Gucci Antique Gold (A)
4. ColourPop High Tide (A)
5. Make Up For Ever ME512 (A)

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

Metallic/frosted copper eyeshadows are a dime a dozen! I went through all of the permanent versions of that medium, orange-based copper shade and here are the top five performers:

1. Ardency Inn Copper (A+)
2. Make Up For Ever ME700 (A+)
3. NYX Liquid Gold (A)
4. Urban Decay Half Baked (A)
5. MAC Amber Lights (A)

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

One of my favorite color combinations is a very “fall” eye with coppers and rich browns, and I love to add purple or burgundy to that mix for darkening and keeping the look from looking too warm-toned. Here are my favorites:

1. ARDENCY INN Rose Gold — a pinky-copper
2. MAC Amber Lights — copper
3. Make Up For Ever I824 — a rosy pink
4. Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear — a warm, medium-dark brown
5. Make Up For Ever ME828 — deepened burgundy

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

MODSTER Long Play Supercharged Lip Color (New, Permanent) ($25.00)

• Whisper Nude pink beige with warm undertones
• Kids in America Nude beige with slight pink undertone
• Sweet Nothing Muted coral with warm undertones
• Valentine Medium rosewood pink brown

MODSTER Smooth Ride Supercharged Eyeliner ($19.00)

• Lemon Bright matte yellow
• Grey Medium grey with slight red undertone
• True Blue Matte electric blue
• Jade Matte petrol green
• Gold Metallic gold with brown undertone

Availability: Now at Sephora

See more photos!

Ardency Inn Launches for Spring 2015

Ardency Inn Launches for Spring 2015

Ardency Inn Holiday 2014 MODSTER Eyeliner Trio ($29.00 for 0.12 oz.) includes three eyeliners. The formula is supposed to be long-wearing, richly pigmented, and “soft and creamy.” Only the gold shade is truly limited edition, as the black and blue shades are part of the permanent range (but will obviously run you more!). Each eyeliner in the set is the equivalent of a full-sized product, so the set is a value of $57. I liked them for how well and long they wore, and all three had decent or better color payoff. The Gold shade was the most unique to me, and at the price of $29 for three, it’s well-worth considering if you’re in need of eyeliners in these shades.

Gold is a medium-dark, yellow-toned brown with gold sparkle and shimmer. It had decent to good color payoff in a single stroke, and it was buildable to mostly opaque color. The consistency was creamy enough that it glided on and didn’t feel too waxy, so it went on evenly, but I could feel those sparkly bits slightly. The color wore well for nine hours before thinning. Sephora Collection Cappuccino (P, $9.00) is darker. Marc Jacobs Beauty Brown(out) (54) (P, $25.00) is darker. Sephora Collection Cookie Crunch (P, $9.00) is less sparkly but similar in color. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Black is an intense black with neutral undertones and a matte finish. It had really good pigmentation in a single pass, felt creamy but not too wet/slick, and lasted for nine hours on me. It is a basic shade, so there are plenty of similar shades out there–this is just another good one to keep in mind. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Dark Blue is a bold, brightened cobalt blue with a matte finish. It had only so-so color payoff in one stroke, but it was buildable to mostly opaque color coverage in two layers. It’s incredibly vibrant on the lash line, and it did seem to improve in creaminess after two sharpenings, though it never tugged. It wore well for almost nine hours on me. L’Oreal Cobalt Blue (250) (P, $8.99) is very similar. NARS Most Wanted (LE, $24.00) is lighter. Sephora Collection My Boyfriend’s Jeans (P, $9.00) is more shimmery, bluer. Urban Decay Chaos (P, $19.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Ardency Inn Holiday 2014 MODSTER Eyeliner Trio

Ardency Inn Holiday 2014 MODSTER Eyeliner Trio

Ardency Inn Holiday 2014 MODSTER Eyeliner Trio

Ardency Inn Holiday 2014 MODSTER Eyeliner Trio

Ardency Inn Gold Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Gold Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Gold Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Black Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Black Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Black Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Dark Blue Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Dark Blue Eyeliner

Ardency Inn Dark Blue Eyeliner

There are a few different types of gold–all fun and festive for the holiday season–and here are some of my recent favorites! I’d love to hear yours

1. Makeup Geek Gold Digger — a frosted, orange gold
2. Ulta Gold — a shimmery, yellow gold
3. Ardency Inn Sunday — a light-medium gold with a metallic finish
4. Make Up For Ever D416 Crystalline Yellow — a sparkly white gold
5. Ardency Inn Heaven — a metallic, antique gold

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

Here are the last four shades of Ardency Inn MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments ($21.00 for 0.06 oz.). You can see the full range here if you missed any past reviews! I’ve been incredibly impressed by the texture, color payoff, and wear with the majority of the shades.

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments ($21.00 for 0.06 oz.) is described as a “bronze pearl with metallic gold.” It’s a rich, brightened copper with warm undertones and a frosted, metallic finish. The consistency was creamy, buttery, and smooth with intense color payoff. This shade still looked immacuate after ten hours of wear. This is an extremely dupable shade, though. Tarte Candlelit Dinner (LE) is less frosted. Make Up For Ever ME728 Copper Red (P, $21.00) is lighter. LORAC Nude #2 (LE) is lighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Siren #3 (LE) is less shimmery. Kat Von D Dog Roses (LE) is less shimmery. Tarina Tarantino Wonderful #3 (P) is lighter. Tarina Tarantino Amber (P) is yellower. MAC Exquisite Ego #2 (LE, $21.00) is brrighter. LORAC Gold (P) is similar. Maybelline Breaking Bronze (P, $6.99) is lighter. NARS Isolde #1 (P, $24.00) is less shimmery. MAC Amber Lights (P, $15.00) is similar. bareMinerals Louder (LE) is similar. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments ($21.00 for 0.06 oz.) is described as a “metallic rose with warm golden reflects.” It’s a warm-toned, golden plum with rose and mauve tones to it, and it has a soft, frosted finish. The color payoff was excellent, while the texture was so soft and blendable. The color lasted for ten hours before showing signs of fading. I think this shade is harder to dupe, because it’s not quite brown, but it’s not pink or mauve. bareMinerals Catch Me If (P) is much cooler-toned but has a similar finish. NARS Dolomites (Left) (LE, $24.00) is cooler-toned, pinker. MAC Pink Sensibilities #1 (LE, $21.00) is browner. Urban Decay Liar (P, $18.00) is brownre. Makeup Geek Twilight (P, $5.99) is pinker. MAC Smokeluxe #3 (P) is darker, browner. Disney by Sephora Chateau (LE) is darker, browner. theBalm Just This Once Jamie (P, $16.00) is cooler-toned, less golden. Giorgio Armani #7 (P, $33.00) is pinker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments ($21.00 for 0.06 oz.) is described as a “sparkly smoky grape with silver reflects.” It’s a muted, medium-dark warm-toned purple with a frosted sheen and silver sparkle. It had semi-opaque color coverage, and it had a creamier (almost wet-like) texture that was thinner than other shades in the range (but similar to Vintage Gold). It wore well for nine hours before fading slightly. MAC Plumluxe #3 (P) is lighter. NARS Jardin Perdu (Right) (LE, $24.00) is cooler-toned. Too Faced Nashville (P, $16.00) is lighter. MAC Pearled Earth (P, $15.00) is similar. Too Faced Candied Violet (P, $16.00) is warmer. Too Faced Bluff (LE, $16.00) is lighter. MAC Black Grape (P, $21.00) is more sparkly. theBalm Lavish Latoya (LE, $16.00) is brighter, lighter. Urban Decay Rapture (LE, $18.00) is similar. MAC Winterized (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery. MAC Frost at Midnight (LE, $21.00) is darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments ($21.00 for 0.06 oz.) is described as a “deep cool brown with extreme turquoise reflects.” It’s a reddish-brown base with a cool-toned, green-teal shimmer on top–it is a duochrome that we have seen often (pretty, though!). The quality is top notch with rich, intense pigmentation and a soft, buttery texture. It lasted for ten hours on me. Kat Von D On the Road (P, $16.00) is greener. NARS Malacca (P, $24.00) is less shimmery. Fyrinnae Boot Season (P, $6.80) is greener. Makeup Geek Insomnia (P, $6.99) is similar. MAC Woodsmoke (LE, $15.00) is darker, less shimmery. MAC I’ve Got a Crush on You (LE, $32.50) is similar. (Also, consider MAC Blue Brown pigment, Too Faced Label Whore, etc.) See comparison swatches / view dupes.

See more photos & swatches!

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Copper MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Rose Gold MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Disco MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Ardency Inn Peacock MODSTER Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments

Copper (inner lid), Rose Gold (middle of lid), Disco (outer lid),
Peacock (crease/lower lash line), Sephora Sun Tan Eyeliner

Copper (inner lid), Rose Gold (middle of lid), Disco (outer lid),
Peacock (crease/lower lash line), Sephora Sun Tan Eyeliner