The Perfect Affordable Holiday Gift

So I know my timing is bad, but I still wanted to share this gem just in case you ran out of ideas of what to buy next after Christmas. You know, planning ahead for any possible gift cards you might have received.

Can I just say this was the worst [best] Christmas ever? Mostly because I feel all cosmetics companies are stepping up their game! That could just be me though. These holidays kill me. I want to buy everything that gets released but I get scolded for ruining the chance for anyone to get me those things as gifts. BUT then I take a risk of not getting it and it selling out. :( Wow. I sound like Veruca Salt. "But I want you to get me an Oompa Loompa RIGHT away!"

Did I ever mention I dressed as an Oompa Loompa my junior year in high school for my International Thespian Society initiation? Probably not, but I did. Orange face, white eyebrows, green hair, and all. I might have a photo somewhere. I dunno. MOVING ON.

I mentioned in my last post my trip to California which included  a visit to the World's FIRST NYX Cosmetics store. That was an experience and a half. It was amazing. NYX is a staple in my makeup collection so being in the presence of thousands of products was overwhelmingly exciting. I honestly can't wait to see what they come up with next in 2016. This particular palette caught my eye when my friend mentioned their highlighters. I had already played with the shadows a bit and was very impressed. Needless to say, I needed it. But working on a very strict budget while on vacation I decided to take a photo of it for future reference knowing there is always coupons and sales with NYX products.

See, my thing with NYX is that I can't swatch 90% of their products. My Ulta is very limited to what they carry and there are often products I can't swatch. The NYX store had all the palettes on display to swatch, the "Butt Naked" palettes, that is. The three to choose from were the Turn the Other Cheek, Eyes, and, last but not least, the Underneath it All palette. That is the one I fell in love with. Not only were the highlighters the best of the 9, but the blushes were the most flattering and the shadows were the most everyday wearable. And for $25? It was a steal.

The box comes in three tiers. The bottom being the highlighter and blush pan and the top being three rows of five shadows. Shall we begin with the highlighters?

Left to right you have a soft pearl shade, a pale golden shade, and a peachy pink shade. All three are very pigmented and blend so well. The highlighters are what sold me on the palette, they aren't too powdery and don't fade quickly. Last Monday I used the entire palette on my face and was soooooo satisfied. I thought I had a selfie to share, but apparently I wasn't "feeling myself" enough to have kept it. I did post a couple to my Snapchat story (Punkrosette) but deleted them after about ten minutes.

Next you see the blushes. 

Left to right you have a pale pink, a soft coral, a peachy pink, and a very pale peach. All but one are matte. I combined the coral and pale peach on my cheeks for the perfect peach glow.

Finally we have the shadows. I swatched each row from the bottom up. My one complaint is they didn't feel as pigmented on the lid, but after a primer I was content. They blended wonderfully and didn't move or fade through the day. The more I think about it the more frustrated I am with myself for not keeping a photo of myself from that Monday.

Row 1 we have some of the more neutral shades which definitely speak to me. That third shade from the bottom? Heart. Eyes. For. Days. Unfortunately, this palette doesn't have any names so we'll just go with burnt red. Great transition shade, amirite? The top shade also works for an all over lid base color while the second from the bottom is a great brow bone highlight shade which makes this row most appealing to me! 

Moving on to the second row. This one also has so many gorgeous shades that I lovvvvvvvvve. That top shade? Ugh. Yes. Please. PERFECT. And so pigmented. If you don't already know, then you need to know any pigmented shimmers or glitter shades pretty much call my name and speak to me. Would you agree they does the same to you? Bottom three shades.... Yes. Just yes. Especially the second and third up. The center shade is similar to the last in the first row, but more pigmented with just a tad more grey to it. I like it a bit more. 

Last row. My favorite shade from the entire palette is the bottom (left). It reminds me of a deeper version of Morphe's Bridesmaid. I'll be honest, the second from the top (right) was one of the shades I wore last Monday and it didn't wear well without a primer. Maybe it's because I have such high expectations from my shimmers that I was slightly disappointed, but all was well with a little primer. The top (right) shade was suprsingly very pigmented and I really can't wait to play with it. 

Would I recommend this? YES. I really think it's highly underrated and I haven't seen many posts about it so I thought I'd share! You can find it at Ulta here and the NYX website here. First time users on NYX website can use the code "welcome25" for 25% off bringing this palette down to $18.75 OR you can take advantage of the $3.50 off $10 or more at Ulta. Personally, I'd take the 25% off. ;) 

Pigmentation I'd give 8 out of 10 mostly because of the few that require primer. 

Affordability is definitely 10/10 because the highlights alone I'd give a value of $25. 

Bendability I'd give a 9/10 with the right brush. Don't be fooled, the right brush makes a world of difference. 

So that's it for now! I'm really excited for my next post because it'll be my first for 2016. I have so many ideas and I received so many goodies for Christmas I'm DYING to share. Don't believe me? Here's a sneak peak below.