Hello hello! Just 5 more days to Christmas – are we all Christmas-gifted out yet? 😛 I didn’t do any gift guides this year (haven’t done so for the past couple of years because I’m disorganized that way hehe…) but I wanted to show you something I got for myself this year that I’m exceedingly happy about and if you like cream shadows, you may be too.
The Laura Mercier Shimmer Effects Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection (RM155)!! I happen to love the formula for the LM Caviar Sticks, even better than other similar cream stick eyeshadows and I had this insane idea of picking up more of the colours.
It was opportune therefore that for Christmas 2013, there is a set of 4 mini sized caviar stick shadows in 4 colours that I’d been wanting to get in a value priced set. Win? Win! 😀
To be honest, they aren’t all that mini. Each of the mini Caviar Stick Eyeshadows are about 1g while the full size version is about 1.64g so it is really quite a value packed set.
The 4 colours in this set are Rosegold, Pink Opal, Amethyst and Sugar Frost. 4 shimmer shades with Amethyst the deepest shade. They are all permanent colours so if you already have these colours then it’s not much of a set to consider. But if you don’t (like me) then it’s worth checking out. Is it any wonder it came home with me? 😀
Left-Right: Rose Gold, Sugar Frost, Amethyst, Pink Opal
Another item you may have seen me Instagram a video of, is the Colour-to-go Portable Palette for Eyes, Cheeks and Lips (RM189). If you didn’t see it or aren’t on Instagram or Facebook then here you go!
The Colour-to-Go Portable Palette comes in 2 shades – Natural Nudes and Smokey Violets and come in a handy-dandy compact palette with literally everything you need in it to do a face for night or day! The only thing lacking is brushes, which I’m sort of glad about, because if they had brushes it wouldn’t have been impressive anyway I’m sure. Few included brushes are.
Smokey Violets pictured here is a trio of 3 violet-purple toned eyeshadows, and a violet coloured cake eyeliner. You know, I thought it was 4 eyeshadows at first too. The first 3 from left swatch beautifully, with lovely fine milled shimmer in 2 of the shades and one matte shade to tie everything together. I’ve got the swatches below so you know what I mean.
However, that colour on the right feels very hard to the touch and barely showed up. I was ready to pan this when I realised that it was the famed Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner! They really DO have everything in this palette! To use the Cake Eyeliner, use an eyeliner brush, wet it and then dampen the product to pick up colour to draw your eyeliner or to tightline. I have one from a couple of years ago and I will tell you that it takes a bit of getting used to. But it never dries out unlike gel eyeliner, and gives a defined or natural finish, depending on how you use it. I’ll do you a review one of these days – someone please remind me if I forget 😀
On the bottom layer is a shimmer peachy bronzer-blush and a matte pink blush. The look ties together with a mini nude lip lacquer. The red one I have was a separate gift 🙂
Swatches of the Smokey Violets Portable Palette from left to right:-
- Bronzing Pressed Powder – Golden Bronze – shimmery medium toned bronzer
- Second Skin Cheek Colour – Barely Pink – Matte pink blush
- Eyeshadow – Shimmer light pink eyeshadow to use to accent or highlight
- Plum Smoke Eyeshadow – Matte purple-taupe eyeshadow as lid shade and to blend with the shimmer shades
- Violet Steel Eyeshadow – Shimmer deep violet for definition or to create a smokey eye look
- Tightline Cake Eyeliner Violet Asphalt- Didn’t swatch at all because I was silly and tried to use my fingers. Use a drop of water, use a thin eyeliner brush and use it to tightline
- Lip Glacé – After Hours – A peachy nude lip lacquer
- Lip Glacé – Poppy – A bright red lip lacquer
The Lip Glacé reminds me a lot of the Laque Rouge lip lacquer from last year with a similar thick pigmented, glossy colour and shine. Beautiful!
While the Smokey Violets Portable Palette is a compact palette, the size of each item is fairly large, it is portable and lives up to its name and the quality of the powders are pigmented and smooth. I’d definitely say that this is a palette to consider. You will need your own brushes of course but then you probably have those anyway 🙂
Here are a couple more items in the Laura Mercier Christmas 2013 collection that I spotted at the counter. There is a new Laura Mercier counter at Empire Shopping Gallery, so if you live in or around the Subang/Sunway/USJ area that might be your nearest counter 🙂
This is the very popular Laura Mercier Artist Eyeshadow Palette which has received rave reviews worldwide. The texture of the shadows are very impressive, being smooth and pigmented although I’ve read they may be prone to have some flyaways. I was very keen to check this out but when I saw it, I knew I would pass because although this palette is supposed to be a cool and warm toned palette – the top row is cool while the bottom row is warm – I found the colours in general too warm for my liking, and also too purple toned. However, if you have a warm skintone or golden skintone then these colours would look beautiful on you! With all the raves everywhere, it was hard for me to walk away but I did 😀
The other palette I wanted to show you is something a little more unique and special.
This is Le Petit Bon Bons by Laura Mercier which retail at a jaw dropping RM790/ US RRP $250! It comes in a fairly large beautifully crafted wooden case and looks just like a box of bon bons (sweets) doesn’t it? There are 30 baked eyeshadow colours of different textures ranging from matte to high shimmer and can be used wet or dry. Definitely one to gawk at and if you break it down, it works out to an affordable RM26 per shadow. Isn’t it fun how math helps put things in perspective? 😀
Did you get yourself anything from Laura Mercier this year? Are you done with your Christmas shopping (if you are gift-shopping)?
I’m terribly pleased with the mini caviar sticks so I’m very happy I got it. I started my gift shopping late being quite disorganized this year, so I found myself doubling back and forth to pick up items I’d forgotten. Goodness, you’d think I’d be a little more organized won’t you? 😛
Paris B
liyeun says
December 20, 2013 at 9:50 amOmg….. *faintness* so many, I mean too many goodies to NOT miss!!!! It is 5 days before xmas and I thought I had it enough…. goodness, paris why do u keep doing this….pls dont show me new goodies until 2014 begins….^^
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 2:55 pmHahhaa not many more new goodies left to show to be honest – can breathe now! 😀
Tracy@Beauty Reflections says
December 20, 2013 at 9:53 amThose baked eyeshadows!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOWZA!!! I likey! It’s a good thing it’s so expensive LOL! Keeps me away from it haha!
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 2:56 pmLOL! I know right? I was quite taken by it but when I heard the price I was quick to dismiss it – am not that much of a fan to spring for it 😉
Victoria says
December 20, 2013 at 9:57 amThe collection is really beautiful and I especially like the Laura Mercier Artist Eyeshadow Palette. I am not really an eyeshadow person but it would be nice to have a good palette around. The caviar sticks perhaps?
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 2:58 pmYes I do think so, Victoria. The Artist palette is definitely a good one to have and IMO looks even better than that Naked 3 palette 🙂 I can’t wear it but I can imagine most people will look good with it! As for the Caviar Sticks, they’re great but if you’re looking to start a collection, my advice is to get one deeper shade like Khaki because it can work as a base while also working as a shadow. The one in the set is a bit light 🙂
Joyce (bronzerbunny) says
December 20, 2013 at 10:45 ami got the artist’s palette and the mini caviar sticks 🙂
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 2:59 pmYay for the mini caviar sticks! I can imagine the Artist Palette will look really nice you, Joyce. Wish I could wear it but I’ll wait for another I guess 😀
Effa Haniza says
December 20, 2013 at 12:10 pmI did bought the colour-to-go palette in Natural Nudes 😛 (Thanks to you!) and I would’ve gotten the Caviar sticks too!! But I don’t see it in Saks and Nordstrom 🙁 *gna check other sites now*
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 2:59 pmHaha you got Natural Nudes! That’s a nice neutral palette Effa – good buy! 😀
Coco says
December 20, 2013 at 12:23 pmLovely! Laura Mercier never disappoints xx
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:00 pmAbsolutely right Coco! I’m slowly discovering more from the brand recently and am quite impressed!
Hani Lutfi says
December 20, 2013 at 7:28 pmI just went shopping yesterday and I passed by the Laura Mercier counter a couple of times because I was trying to decide whether I should pick a few things up! 4 mini eyeshadow sticks for RM150 is such a good deal! But would my dad give me more money? I doubt so but I’ll try lol.
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:01 pmLOL Did you end up getting anything Hani? 😀 The Artist Palette is another good one to pick up – 12 shades for just RM180! LOL 😀
gio says
December 20, 2013 at 8:01 pmI love the Le Petit Bon Bons! Those eyeshadows look so pretty!
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:02 pmI thought they looked like a box of sweets! So pretty right?
Anne says
December 20, 2013 at 9:01 pmI got the mini cream eyeshadow set too at sephora. Can’t wait for them to release more! Uts simply too good and easy to use. Not to mention value for money too 😉
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:02 pmAbsolutely right, Anne! They actually also had a set of full sized Caviar Sticks but it was more expensive so I opted for the mini ones. Would be really nice if they released a set of mini deeper colours 😀
kuri says
December 20, 2013 at 9:43 pmaah, I passed up the mini caviar stick set – stop making me want it!
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:04 pmHahaha! Ok for consolation Kuri, the shades are quite light… but they’re nice. Oops sorry 😉
Sunny says
December 20, 2013 at 9:49 pmI’m pretty much done with my Christmas shopping! I still have to get a plant, but that can wait until next week (I can’t guarantee I won’t accidentally kill it somehow, or that the whiskered inhabitants in this house won’t).
I saw the little Caviar Stick set, but the shades lean too light (and a bit frosty?) for me. I did see another kit with 6 full-size Caviar Sticks on SpaceNK (it’s sold out already and I can see why) that I like more, but as it is I already own 2 or 3 out of the 6 shades, so I passed as well 🙂
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:06 pmHahaha I hope you got your plant and that it’s still alive 😀 The caviar sticks are a bit light but I was hoping to get the light shades anyway to blend with the deeper shades I have so it was a good time to get. I was told about the full size set too at the LM counter but I opted not to get it coz it was a bit more than I was willing to spend at the time. It would have been a great set to own though!
Sze Ling says
December 21, 2013 at 3:11 amHow did I miss that caviar stick set? It totally went under my radar. Like I didn’t even know it existed until I saw this post. Such a great deal, and not to mention variety too.
And now it’s out of stock on the LM site. Sob… Next year, I guess. 🙂
Ting says
December 24, 2013 at 10:07 amHello Sze Ling, it’s still available at Pavillion counter. I asked my cousin to get it yesterday. She said only a few set left. 😛
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:19 pmI think many LM sets were underrated. I didn’t see a lot of news on them this year, which is a pity! I think we still have some here but not where you are. Next year, I’ll try to post up the info earlier >.<
Lily says
December 21, 2013 at 11:09 amI nearly bought the caviar stick set, but I already have Amethyst and the rest are a little frosty for me. That baked eye shadow palette looks good enough to eat. I really don’t pay LM enough attention. It does have some great stuff 🙂
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:23 pmThey’re light it’s true but I thought it would be a nice foil to my deeper shades 🙂 I am slowly discovering some of their stuff and it’s been educational! I still am not much a fan of their eyeshadows because I had a poor experience with their palettes once but the other items look promising 🙂
Parita says
December 21, 2013 at 8:38 pmI have been eyeing the Artist Palette ever since it launched…heard so much about it on YT..also the caviar stick set is fantastic! might request hubby to pick it up once he is back in KL 🙂
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:27 pmOh, I actually think the Artist Palette will look really nice on you Parita 🙂 I’m not so sure about the Caviar Stick minis because the colours are a bit light so if the Artist Palette is still around, it might be a nice one to pick up 😉
Giada says
December 22, 2013 at 8:59 pmThese sets seem both amazing, they could be the perfect Christmas gift for a makeup lover, seriously. I would be more than happy to receive that caviar sticks set as Christmas present, always wanted to try some of them!
x
Paris B says
December 24, 2013 at 3:35 pmHi Giada, I hope you find the caviar sticks under your tree this year 🙂 You’re right, for makeup lovers, these sets are very nice for a polished look.
Verona says
January 22, 2014 at 8:22 pmHi Paris,
Been reading your blog for awhile now and I bought this exact set because of your review and it’s awesome! I just wanted to share with you a another bargain to return the favour, just bought a luxe caviar stick eye colour collection for rm369 from Laura mercier (6 full size caviar sticks! And all the best selling colours 😉 best new year bargain!
Paris B says
January 28, 2014 at 3:23 pmHi Verona, Thanks for sharing your love for these caviar sticks! I did see the luxe one too but decided not to get it in the end. Damn, I wonder if I should have >.<