Review- POP Bright Up Your Life in Naturally Bare

I had good intentions. I really did. But when I went to Ulta, this palette was calling my name. And since I am severely lacking neutral eyeshadows (muffled snort) it came home with me. What can I say? I am weak.

That all being said, I don't regret for a second buying the POP Beauty palette in Naturally Bare. Why? Perhaps you need some pictures.

First, the packaging is adorable. Flimsy, yes. But adorable, so it's forgiven. The shadows come in standard round pots. The bottom is rubber, that NARS-esque rubber that traps dirt and makeup like you wouldn't believe. Luckily, it's the bottom. Now, on to the shadows. All are swatched without primer.

The first color is a shimmery white. To me, it's reminiscent of UD's Venus, perhaps less warm. A nice shimmery highlight. It's pigmented and applies smoothly.

Next is a light pink shimmer. It has a very light look, less pigmented but seemingly purposefully. Again, applies smoothly.

Third (and my personal favorite) we have this gorgeous shade. At first seeming a light taupe-y shimmer, a brilliant gold duochrome comes out at the right angles. Plus, it goes on like buttah.

The fourth color is less a shimmer than satin. It's a warm medium brown color that's great for the crease on minimal makeup days.

 Rounding out the top row is this salmon shimmer. It's lovely for all over the lid. It's very soft, and very pigmented.

Starting in with the darker colors is this cool toned shimmery brown. Reminds me of the middle shade from a Wet n Wild Trio... Sweet as Candy. These darker shimmers all have beautiful formulas.

This is the most warm-toned color you'll get in the palette. It's a dark peach that looks nice dusted on the lower lashline, or paired with gold. No problems.

Like I said, the dark shimmers all have impeccable formulas. This one leans warmer and more golden than the previous.

The final shimmer shade, and second to last overall, this is a dark bronze. Lovely.

The only shade with any formula issues, the final dusty brown is nearly matte (probably lending itself to the issue). It suffers from patchiness, and features holographic glitter. Perfectly workable, but not up to the standards set by the rest of the palette.

Consensus: You need this palette. Lovely colors, near perfect formulas, and easier on the wallet than any other full price high-end palette you'll find. Oh, I didn't mention it was only 26 dollars, did I :)  You might not want it if you don't like shimmer, but perhaps you'll find something more your speed with the other two palettes in the collection. I know I've got my eye on both, especially the brights.


- Elizabeth Rose

My Top Ten Summer Eyeshadows

I love eyeshadow. Did you know that? I have quite the collection, but these are a few of my favorites for summer. As usual, they're swatched over an eyeshadow base, this is Essence I Love Stage, which I've been testing out.

L'Oreal Infalliable Eyeshadow in Golden Emerald. This is the only one I own, but I've been majorly lusting after the rest of the line. Smooth, incredibly pigmented, and such unique colors with depth. Iced Latte is next on my list. Hm. Maybe I should do a lust list sorta thing.

Ulta Eyeshadow in Calla Lily. My new favorite wash of color, it's a gorgeous pinky white color that's shimmery but not glittery, perfect for everyday. It has great pigmentation and you get a lot for the price- $2 if you can snag it on sale, like right now.

L'Oreal Eyeshadow #1 from Stacked Heels Quad. This shadow is not as pigmented as the rest of these, but it's such a lovely sheer purple with an iridescent flash, I just had to put it in.

NYX Shadow #2 from Shangri-La trio. It's a super pigmented demi-matte orange that definitely takes some guts to pull off, but looks perfect with blue eyes (unfortunately, I'm a brown eyed German). I believe this trio is discontinued, so if you can find it, buy it!

Rimmel darkest shadow from Sun Safari quad. It's a nice shimmery taupe for all of you taupe lovers out there, but since it's warm toned it's great for summer. I love the rest of the quad as well.

Revlon blue from Inspired quad. A sparkly blue that makes me think of ocean water, it's almost iridescent at the right angles. The pigmentation is decent.

Revlon green from Inspired quad. I don't suppose you can tell how much I like this quad, can you? It's another sheer color, but it's so glowy and glittery and fun.

Urban Decay's Venus, from Naked Basics palette. This shadow probably needs no introduction, but I'll rehash what you already know. It's a subdued shimmery white, perfect for highlighting or as an all over lid color.

Covergirl Flamed Out Eyeshadow in Melted Gold. It's a pigmented sparkly gold that goes on smoothly. Gold is probably my favorite eyeshadow color, and this one doesn't disappoint. I like to put it over Flower Beauty's Creme Shadow in Good as Mari-Gold.

And my only cream eyeshadow, Maybelline's Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo. A rich cream shadow with wicked payoff and a lovely shimmer, it works great as an eyeshadow, base, or an eyeliner.


Thanks for reading, and have a great summer!