Lazy, rainy Saturday's are the perfect time to practice some makeup so while I hear Maesin and her friend giggling before they start dolling up for prom, I thought I'd finally get around to reviewing Lime Crime's Venus I and Venus II palettes. (I'm also throwing in a "HD Powder Tip"
Let me first start off by apologizing about the grunge hair. It's a Saturday and I'm absolutely ready to get rid of this mop. It spends a lot of time pinned up. This is actually the longest my hair has been in decades. But we aren't here to bemoan that.
To preface the review, the entire eye shadow review is solely done with each respective palette. I wanted to show the versatility of this highly pigmented eye shadow.
As I've mentioned before, high pigment eye shadows are absolutely wonderful but I also want to mention that they can be extremely treacherous when just starting out. High pigment eye shadows are a beast. You have to carefully layer the colors and be gentle. If you pack a lot on right away, it is so hard to distribute. The payoff for layering and building is definitely worth your time to try and master them.
Let's begin with some pictures. Try to ignore the incredibly red skin because after the eyes I decided to go full on full coverage. I'll mention what I used as I go.
Here is the Venus I palette is a treasure trove of warm, rich colors. They definitely fall into the Reds and I love that. My favorite palette is Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette and it is for just this reason. For being a red head, surprisingly red tones in eye shadow play out beautifully. Here is the look:
Now let me remind you to please ignore the red skin with the broken capillaries around my nose. This entire look was created with just the Venus I Palette. I did not borrow any other colors and the only thing not from the palette is my mascara. (Unlike a lot of makeup enthusiasts...I'm not really into the false eyelashes. Maybe because I suck putting them on. Meh...maybe I'll start practicing or just saving up for lash extensions!)
Anyway...back to the eye shadow. I did a very high cat eye but it didn't turn out that well. The brown I used I didn't go bold enough and I am not always a fan of cat eye. I've learned to do it well with just about any media but it doesn't suit my face. I guess I'm just old school.
Next up on the other eye is the Venus II Palette
This one is a terrible picture. I went out of my comfort box and played around with the mustard yellow, the bright Robin egg blue and the very sparkly black. You'll be able to see it them both better here. One note...the black used for the eyeliner is more like a deep purplish black with a lot of sparkles. I love it!
There...now you can see the differences. This also features a full face makeup with contouring (not easily seen on this picture.) It is with Kat Von D's Lock-it Foundation (please see previous review). Younique's Scarlet concealer. (I think that is the color.) and LA Splash matte lip stains and two different colors of shimmer. I think all told I used 4 different lipstick products to get that gradient effect. I am also wearing a taupe eye shadow as a contour. Why? Because people with fair skin like mine often do far better with shades of grey and taupe as contours because anything else makes us look a bit orange. Mascara is one coat of Lights Camera Action by tarte. And Makeup Forever's HD Powder.
Shop here for the best Venus I and II deal You can get both palettes cheaper than buying them separately.
All told the whole effect is pretty good, I'd say. I do think I need to apply more of the stand out colors, like the blue, to really showcase how great these colors are. And next time I'll take more time when doing the whole look but as I said, rainy Saturday.
Oh...by the way. I haven't forgotten my bonus tip. None of these pictures have a filter. They have no enhancement besides makeup. But I do want you to see how a flash and lighting can change your look entirely. Have you ever seen a celebrity on the runway have a lot of white powder beneath their eyes? I see commentary from everyone when that occurs. It's almost a crime (ha! You get it...considering we have talked about Lime Crime.) Moving on.
HD powder is awesome but it can catch you unaware. I blended my powder, contouring and foundation very well. But I still missed taking some of the HD powder away after baking.
That is the effect with flash. You don't see the powder in the previous pictures because it is in different lighting and not using flash.
So beware! The cake and bake can catch you looking like your eyes are trying to do drugs. :)
I hope you have enjoyed our time together today. it has been fun for me and now the makeup has been washed away.
Lime Crime Venus I and Venus II Palette rating: Pardoned by the Judge with a slap on the wrist (4 out of 5)
Pigmentation: 5 piggies
Blending ability: Moderate blenders so 3 out of 5 blenders.
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