Beauty Gifts I Got For Christmas - Swatch and Review

My Christmas Presents

I hope you all enjoyed the break and had a lovely holiday season.  Welcome to the new year!  I know it's a bit late but I wanted to share with you the beauty gifts I got for Christmas.  I usually don't get this many beauty items for Christmas as I'm so thankful and love them all!

Kat Von D Spellbinding Look Kit

Probably the present I was most excited about was the Kat Von D Spellbinding Look Kit.  Kat Vond D makeup is not sold in Australia and it's damn near impossible to buy online and have shipped to Australia.  This particular set was purchased from Tarazz here.

Spellbinding Look Kit Contains: 

☠ True Romance Eyeshadow Poetica Palette 

☠ Autograph Pencil Eyeliner in Puro Amor 

 ☠ Autograph Pencil Eyeliner in Immortal Love 

☠ Sin-Full Lash Mascara Puro Amor 

☠ Foiled Love Lipstick in F.T.W.

Kat Von D - True Romance Palette - Poetica

Can we just take a moment to enjoy the packaging?  There is cardboard envelope folds out to reveal the palette.  The palette exterior is metal and has an embossed damask design, beautiful!

Kat Von D - True Romance Palette - Poetica

 The palette contains eight buttery and highly pigmented shades.  All the shades are glittery or have a sheen to them, so if you only like matte shades this isn't for you.  I like a combination of both, shimmer/glitter on the lid and matte in the crease.   I love this palette but I would personally use some matte shades with it but I usually have to with all of my palettes.  I'm yet to find the perfect palette.

I took this palette away on holidays with me and I was delighted with the pigmentation and softness of the shadows.  I forgot my eye primer while away and just used concealer on my lids under these eyeshadows and the lasted until I took my makeup off.  They didn't seem to fade and remained rich to the end.  The shadows are formulated with Rose extract which is said to keep the eyelids soft and moisturised.  I didn't notice that but I'm sure it's better than a lot of ingredients in other eyeshadows.

Kat Von D Poetica Palette - First three colours

 ☠ Forgiveness (pearlized butter-cream) 

It can't really be seen in the photos but this shade contains fine flecks of pale gold glitter.  The fact that it is gold and glittery means that I would not use this shade as a brow bone highlighter but more over the lid, inner corner.

☠ Sand Timer (pearlized sand)

This shade is a soft beige/nude with a sheen.  Beautiful colour for all over the lid and I have used it as a blending out shade successfully. 

☠ Chandler (pearlized copper)

Chandler packs a punch! It's a very metallic copper and looks as though you've used a metallic pigment with a wet brush with one swipe, it's impressive.  (The name reminds me of Friends, I'm sure that wasn't the intention).  ;)

Kat Von D Poetica Palette - fourth and fifth colours

☠ Tijuana (brown and black with gold sparkle)

It pulls more black than brown and there is enough chunky glitter in this shade to show up on the eyes.  Lovely defining shade but tread lightly as it's very pigmented.

☠ Wonderland (burgundy with gold pearl)

Wonderland is a shade shifter.  It appears a deep purple with purple glitter, yet once applied is a burgundy shade with purple glitter flecks.  I'm not sure where the "gold pearl" description comes into it as I don't personally see any gold in the shade.

Kat Von D Poetica Palette - Last three colours

☠ Skiba (purple with gold pearl)

A light purple with gold flecks of glitter.  This shade is really crumbly and the least pigmented but still a pretty colour.

☠ Babe (lavender)

I love this colour!  It's a lavender with a light blue duo chrome effect and light blue glitter.  I cannot wait to play around with this colour.  Worn over black it would look amazing. 

☠ You Alone (matte vanilla)

I have to disagree again with this colour being a "matte".  It has about the same amount of sheen as Sand Timer, so I would call it a pearl.  I think it's too white and frosty for a brow bone highlight but would work for the inner corner. 

Kat Von D Autograph Pencil Eyeliners - Puro Amor & Immortal Love

Autograph Pencil Eyeliners - Puro Amor & Immortal Love 

The palette itself contains a mini Autograph Pencil Eyeliner in Puro Amor and the kit contains a full size Autograph Pencil Eyeliner in Immortal Love.  Both of the pencils are creamy, opaque and just from swatching I can tell you that they don't budge and they were hard to remove from my arm.

The full size eyeliner comes with a sharpener at the top and a smudger on the end.

Kat Von D Sin-Full Lash Mascara Puro Amor

Sin-Full Lash Mascara - Puro Amor

I haven't opened it as yet as I have a whole heap of mascaras to get through and I don't want to open it and have it expire prematurely.  From what I've seen online, it looks like a traditional wand that it tapered at the end.  I'm excited to try it once I make my way through the mound of mascaras in my draw!

Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in F.T.W.

Foiled Love Lipstick in F.T.W.

Again the packaging is so pretty, the etched on roses are throughout the set, on the mascara, pencils and lipstick.  This lipstick is gorgeous, it's a deep plum with a metallic sheen.

I love this set and I've used the eyeshadows already, I can't wait to play with everything else.  I would highly recommend this set especially if you're wanting to try out the Kat Von D makeup line, you won't be disappointed.

Nars Blush - Deep Throat

Nars Blush - Deep Throat

This year I got my first ever Nars product, Nars blush in Deep Throat. (Hee hee.)  I was so excited to get my hands on one.  It is smaller than I expected (at first I thought it was a mini), being 4.8g (Mac blushes are 6g) but I think it's just deceptive packaging.   I love the velvety feel of the packaging.  

Available at Mecca Cosmetica here

Nars Blush - Deep Throat - Swatched on fair skin

Nars describes Deep Throat as a flirty sheer peach, I don't know about the flirty, but I definitely agree with the sheer peach.  It also has fine flecks of gold glitter but it's not too much and doesn't make you look like a disco ball.  I was expecting it to be really pigmented so I gently placed my brush in the pan but it is sheer so it can be built up and you don't have to be so careful with it, which I like.  Because it's sheer it's also perfect for fair skinned girls like me.  I have worn this blush several times and I'm in love.  It's soft, blends well and last a long time.

Soap & Glory Girligo

Soap & Glory Girligo - Body Moisturising Mist

It's no surprise that a Soap and Glory item made it's way into my Christmas gifts, I'm a little obsessed.  Girligo is scented with my favourite S&G scent, Original Pink.  This is perfect for me as I get a little lazy with body moisturisers, so with Girligo you just spray it on and rub it in, done! 

Available at Mecca Cosmetica here

Sally Hansen - Nail Treatment Pack

Sally Hansen - 4 Step Nail Treatment Pack

This set includes: 

Salon Manicure Cuticle Eraser + Balm 

Salon Manicure Ultra-Wear Top Coat

Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat

Dry & Go Drops

I have several Sally Hansen products that I love and use so I'm excited to try this set out, especially the Dry & Go Drops.

Stila In The Garden Palette

Stila In The Garden Eyeshadow Palette

Last but not least is the Stila In The Garden eyeshadow palette.  I have the Stila In The Light palette, which I love, so I was happy to receive this one. 

Stila In The Garden Palette

The Stila "in the" palettes are made from hard cardboard and each contain a look book and an exclusive Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in a complementary shade.  The palette is quite small and compact so it is great for travel, however, there is no mirror.

Stila In The Garden Palette

A nice mixture of ten pigmented shades that are matte, shimmer, neutral and pops of colour.   The mattes are the highlight and a neutral blending out shade which means it doesn't necessarily need to be mixed with other palettes.  If you only wear matte eyeshadows, the Stila In The Know palette is purely matte.

Top first two colours

Chinois - matte creamy white 

Breeze - shimmery beige

Top third and forth colours

Bark - shimmery taupe

Freesia - shimmery violet blue

Top fifth colour and bottom fifth colour

Rosette - metallic pink violet

Juniper - deep shimmery forest green

Bottom first two colours

Nectar - matte creamy beige

Honey - metallic bronze gold

Bottom third and fourth colours

Sage - shimmery translucent green

Moss - dark olive green with shimmer

Stila Smudge Waterproof Eye Liner - Starfish (Exclusive Palette Shade)

Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Starfish (black with gold and green pearl)

These are creamy, opaque and have great longevity.

Each eyeliner included in the palettes are exclusive to that palette and I think compliment the colours of the palette beautifully.  A lot of thought has gone into the colours and looks you can create with each palette and I can't wait to use this, I can't wait to use all my presents! 

I know I got a lot of gifts and I'm extremely grateful.  

I would love to know what you got for Christmas or what is on your beauty wishlist.

All the best for the new year, Mel xxoxx