Written Reviews

A large part of why I wanted the Emerald Pretty palette was because of this unique and stunning colour - a green-y old gold shade that is beautiful and also excellent quality. I finally broke down and bought this palette on sale when Sephora was discontinuing Tarina Tarantino. I'm so glad I made the decision to get the palette - all the shadows in it are great but Dandy Lion is so wonderful that it would have been a worthwhile purchase even if the other shadows weren't very good (but they are great too).

I am so glad that MAC made many of the Extra Dimension shadows permanent. I was finally able to get the shades I missed in the Alluring Aquatic collection (of which Silver Sun was part) as well as a few other shades. Silver Sun "almost" completes my collection and I was waiting eagerly for it to be back in stock. This is a wonderful silvery green shade. I thought it would be similar to Vex so, before getting it, I swatched both side by side at the MAC counter and this is so much darker and greener while still retaining a silvery aspect to it. As it's the Extra Dimension formula, it performs beautifully when applied with a damp brush, delivering a more deep and intense shading. I don't think I have anything at all like this in my eyeshadow collection and I'm so happy to have it. It's an interesting shade in that, applied dry and used all on its own, it's perfect for hot summer days since it looks so cool and fresh (not unlike the left side of Nars Habanera, though it's darker green than that shadow) but the ability to apply this more heavily or damp for a darker application makes it perfect for autumn, especially paired with a brown or dark grey/brown (like Copperplate or Coquette) shadow.

I was so happy finally to get Gilded Envy to add to my collection of taupe/pewter type shadows. This shade has never been released in Canada but I found it easily at the Walmart in Buffalo when we went over the border a few days ago. It's a beautifuly neutral pewter shade that's a bit more metallic than I'd ideally like but not so much that I'm not delighted with it. It wears very well without creasing and so it also works great as a base under other shadows (I like using it under MAC's Caviar Dreams shadow, which is one of those problematic Lustre finishes; using Gilded Envy enhances how it looks once applied). Great inexpensive shadow.

I am so loving this wonderful shadow and so happy it was repromoted as I was entirely unaware of it when it first was released. While Christine categorizes it as "warm", I find it to be a lovely, silvery taupe brown that leans more cool. It's a wonderfully versatile shade.

I've loved Go Lightly for years but never bought it because it's so similar to the brown side of MAC's Illusionary/Burning Ambition MES from years back. But I purchased the Spirit Eyes Are the Windows palette recently and it contains this shadow and I am so happy. It is a lovely shade of brown that is warm and somewhat golden but not too warm or red toned. I have a weakness for these sorts of brown shades so I'm delighted with this. I like to apply it in the outer V with something like Stila Wheat, Bubbly or Chinois on the inner part of the lid. It's a nice all over shade as well.

I really debated about whether or not to get this shadow. I already have Loaded, Damaged, Fiction and several other "dupes" for this shade and to be perfectly honest, my "need" for this sort of colour (greenish and dark) is pretty limited. But I knew I'd regret not buying it and it is such a gorgeous and complex shade. The "Extra Dimension" formulation makes this colour quite wearable, since it's easy to get a lighter application that is still smooth and even but just not super dark or "in your face". I wear this to work quite often - that's how wearable and versatile it is. Glad MAC made this permanent so more people can purchase (Alluring Aquatics sold out SO fast that I wasn't even able to purchase this).

I was so happy that quite a few of these shadows from the various collections have been made permanent. Silver Dawn is a beautiful, easy to wear silvery mauve-taupe shade that isn't too dark and looks great even in the day time. Applying with a damp brush ups the depth of colour and pigmentation for a more dramatic look and the same colour, used dry on the inner half of the lid and then damp on the outer lid gives a somewhat more complex look while still using just the one shadow.

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this palette in all the years I've owned it. When it first came out, I nearly bought it simply to get the shade Mushroom (which, at the time, wasn't available as a single shadow) but when I looked at this, I realized it was silly to purchase it for just that one shade, especially since I already had Rockstar and Gunmetal and perhaps Money). But then my daughter received it as an Xmas gift (she'd really wanted the original Naked palette!) and liked it but wasn't thrilled. So I bought Naked for her and she gave me this. I really like it. It is actually a pretty good travel palette - small and with a range of versatile colours from light to darker and from neutral to "less neutral". I would never use Infamous - I simply don't wear colours like that on my eyes - but every other shade in here is great and it's in this palette that I discovered Wreckage, which is a fabulous mid-toned brown that doesn't lean red. And Mushroom is a staple taupe-grey and one of those shades you can always rely on when you want a nice eye but don't want to have to think or do a lot of work. The only downside is the case....it's actually not that difficult to open once you know the "trick" of sort of pushing just on one side rather than trying to pull it open with even pressure all around but until you figure out the best way, it can be fiddly (and even when you've got it sussed, it can still be tricky!).

In some ways, Kitten seems to be MAC's equivalent to Carbon, not in colour (no, not at all) but in their insistence in putting it in just about every palette they release, as well as making it available on its own. I must have at least 3 of these and I very much like it. Mine look quite different from the photo, though - I'm thinking that the versions in In the Light and the Spirit Eyes are the Window palettes are somewhat different. It's very similar to MAC's Naked Lunch and it's a very pretty eye brightening shade, whether used on the inner third of the lower lid or all over the "mobile lid" with a subtle matte shade (like Puppy) for defining the crease and finishing the look. I like it. The same shade is available in other shadows that I do like somewhat better but I still use Kitten and I'm happy with it.

Total 5 stars for this. It ticks all the boxes - highly pigmented, buttery, blendable, long-wearing, easy to use, great value (9 shadows for $49 CDN) and beautifully put together for travel. I purchased 2 MUFE shadows when they first came out and one of them - Taupe Grey - is in this palette but still I purchased it and have no regrets. I have a lot of neutral palettes that I do really like but I think this one is the best of them all. Beautiful shadows; even the light ones show up and are pigmented; the more glittery ones have no fall-out issues. Just a wonderful palette.

Hard to fill in the categories asked for here - "Colour", "Finish" and "Undertone" are all "varied" since this is a palette. Anyway, I was quite nervous about purchasing this palette as I know the Soul palette got a pretty poor review here and I set great store by Christine's reviews. But I'm glad I chanced it and bought Spirit as it is a great palette and I've found every shadow in it works really well. I was planning on buying 2 of the shades already in the palette (Wheat and Golightly) so it seemed to make more sense to get this palette and have 12 shadows for only a bit more than the 2 full sized individual ones. And it goes without saying that 12 smaller shadows in a palette is just plain practical for every day use and especially for travel. My only "kvetch" - ENOUGH ALREADY with Kitten in EVERY single palette, it seems. Most of us who use Stila shadows already have at least one (and often more than one) iteration of Kitten somewhere. I was actually contemplating buying the Soul palette despite its poor-ish rating because there were 2 or 3 shades in it that I absolutely love and what really prevented me was that there was another KITTEN eyeshadow in that one too!

I had to go to several SDMs to find one of these - the other shades from this LE release are pretty plentiful but Black Orchid seemed to be sold out everywhere (one store had one left but someone had opened it and stuck their finger in it - NO THANK YOU!). I am so glad I found this as it's one of those perfect taupe shades (leans a bit purple on me, which is fine) that works wonderfully as a long-wearing, non-creasing base for other shadows or as a lovely eyeshadow all on its own. So beautiful on the lid paired with MAC Keep Your Cool in the crease.

I love Cherry Tart. It is such a pretty, bright red that is still very wearable because the sheerness keeps it from being too overpowering. However, for a sheer, gloss type product, it has wonderful pigmentation and colour saturation. I think this would be flattering on just about everyone.

I have several shades of Lip Butters and really like them, Wild Watermelon (my latest addition - it was on sale so I bought several) is a pinky coral shade that I find very pretty for spring and summer. I can't generally wear coral shades but this one is pink/red enough (rather than orange-y) so it's very wearable for me. I love the texture of Revlon's Lip Butters and I really like the fact that I can swipe one on without having to have a mirror. I carry one of these in my school bag so I can smooth some on quickly and easily whenever I feel my lips are dry or that my lipstick has worn off.

I think this is my favourite shade of all the shadows in the Narsissist palette. Sadly, it's only available in the palette but I really hope they decide to release this as a single shadow. It's a beautiful, rich warm brown that is more deep than it is red (really red-toned browns don't look good on me). Used dry, it's rich but subtle and easy to blend. Used damp, it has a rich sheen but, to be honest, I find using it dry suits my needs much better. In finish and colour, I find it very similar to MAC Havana (LE), which I also really like. I LOVE this shadow

I've had Evidence since it came out in the 15th Anniversary Palette but I often forget about this palette and it's been tucked away, ignored, for some months. I just got it out today to use before going out for drinks with my son and a few of his friends and since I was going to be with a young crowd, I figured "what the heck". Evidence looks so amazing against brown eyes!!! While I wouldn't have gone quite so heavy or extreme in my daily life, I am so pleased with how this looks applied all around my eyes as a smoked out liner. Truly a stunning colour!

I got a mini of F-Bomb with some purchase at Sephora (or maybe with VIB points). Despite my objection to the name (I lament this "trend" toward making vulgar names "mainstream" as it is just so lacking in real class), I LOVE this lipstick. It lights up my whole face and while the colour is just a hair more orange-leaning than I'd like ideally, I cannot believe how long and how well this formula lasts! After putting this aside for a while, I've worn it for the last few days and even with no time to touch up through the day, I still have colour left on my lips by 4 pm (after applying at 6 am) and while it has faded, it has faded evenly and nicely. What's equally amazing is that this lipstick doesn't seem to dry out my lips at all. I will definitely be purchasing a few more of this formula in slightly cooler tones. I just can't believe what a great lipstick formula this is (now, if they'd just do something about the childish "I know some dirty words and I'm determined to use them" names!)

In a quad where every shadow is wonderful, this one is probably the one I use most. It works beautifully as a "one and done" shade because it is so easy to blend out to "nothingness" so you can use this one shade for a quick and attractive look.

There's lots to love in this palette. Not everything in it is first rate (and the brushes are a joke; it would have been better to leave them out entirely and include something else instead - maybe a lip product or two). I absolutely adore most of the eyeshadows, especially Secret Lovers, Be You, Don't Settle, Shiny Happy and Fawned of You. And while I personally would never wear a shade like Totally Fetch on my eyes, it doubles nicely as a blush or works fine mixed with a clear gloss! I already have several of the shadows in other TF palettes but that doesn't lessen the great value of this beauty. For extended travel, this palette is a real treasure since it's got everything from neutral day looks that are business meeting appropriate to great night out/party looks that you might want on vacation.

I wanted this palette from the moment I saw it here. What a great way to get to try many of the shades in this line (plus one "exclusive") at a much better price than buying 7 singles (or 8, if you count Ursa Major). This is hardly a bargain purchase (it's $90 in Canada) but the individual shadows are $35 each and, to be honest, I don't need the full sized shadows as I haven't hit pan on an eyeshadow in years. I purchased this palette knowing full well that the formulation of Nars's new shadows isn't perfect but the colours themselves are so beautiful that I don't mind having to work at them a bit and I'm even willing to use them with a damp brush for more intense pigmentation. With some of the more vibrant colours, I actually prefer them being a bit less pigmented/more sheer because it makes it easier to avoid ending up with a look that is too intense for daytime or for 80% of my "lifestyle" (situations where a really dramatic look isn't appropriate).