Eye Makeup Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Palette

August 30, 2024

Natasha Denona has done it again. Just when I think she’s created the most beautiful palette, she creates yet another stunning launch even better than the last. Although I do think each palette is beautifully unique and different in their own way.

Natasha’s latest is the I Need a Warm Eyeshadow Palette ($69) and it has the most beautiful mix of neutral and neutral-warm tones. It’s absolutely stunning and perfect in every way. On my medium tan skin this pulls more neutral-warm but if you are fair this will probably pull more warm. Available now at Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

This palette has a beautiful mix of mattes and shimmers. She has a new formula for her mattes she calls “slip cream matte” and you have to touch the shadows in real life to understand how they’re powders but still creamy at the same time. Shimmers have a good range with smooth shimmers and then some more sparkly metallics.

There’s enough variation in this palette for me to create a full eye look from a soft base, soft crease shades, deeper shades for a soft liner and then a multitude of shimmers for different toppers or layering looks.

Swatches below:

I couldn’t get a good detail shot of the eye look but she has some great videos on her Instagram feed that really capture the details and variations of the shades in action. Here’s a look I did wearing: Mellow, Vim, Flashover, Fervor and Push. Also wearing:

Foundation: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation 7N
Powder: Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder 2 Neutral Light
Set: Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Setting Spray
Blush: YSL Make Me Blush Liquid Blush 37 Peachy Nude + 57 Coral Clash
Lips: Huda Beauty Faux Filler Gloss Honey (swatches here)
Mascara: CoverGirl 3D Enhancer Mascara
Nails: Olive and June Starfruit Shimmer Gloss Nail Polish

By popular request I did side by side swatches next to her I Need a Nude Palette (reviewed here) and her Golden Palette (also reviewed here). I think they’re all very different in beautiful ways. Each palette will look different on you depending on your skin tone and also undertone. Her I Need a Nude pulls more neutral-cool on me while her Golden pulls more like a neutral. This I Need a Warm is warmer, but more neutral-warm on my skin tone.

I Need a Warm versus I Need a Nude

I Need a Warm versus Golden

Bottom line 10/10. Textures and pigments are stunning, easy to blend, rich in pigment and long lasting. I think this is the best one she’s launched yet and I can’t wait to see her next creation.

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Available now at Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

Palette gifted for review.

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Eye Makeup

MAKE Beauty Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadows

February 8, 2024

MAKE Beauty is a beauty line I’ve been loving but haven’t written about on the blog yet and it’s a line I think is definitely worth checking out. The products MAKE has been creating remind me of the good old days of when there were innovative beauty launches. They have also launched some really beautiful staples, but with a unique twist whether it’s the packaging or formula.

Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadows

Their latest launch is the Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadow ($24 each). These are beautiful reflective shimmer eyeshadows that have a creamy feel but blend like a powder. They’re very metallic but the shimmer is unique in the sense that you will get a different shimmer effect depending on how much you apply. With a soft fluffy brush you get a soft luminous glow. If you apply with fingers or a dense brush you’ll see a more foiled metallic sheen.

Once on the lids there’s no fall-out (true to their description!). When I apply with a brush there is a little bit of fall out onto the cheeks but most of the product adheres to the lids. Lasting power is impressive – the texture is creamy which makes it adhere to the eyes for very long wear.

There are 12 shades available. The team sent 6 as press samples and I was so impressed with the formula I ordered a few more (and they shipped pretty quickly). These shadows look speckled with different pearly colors mixed in for a stunning finish.

Glaze* is a beautiful warm champagne pearly shimmer
Gleam is a beautiful pink mauve metallic shimmer
Quartz* is a cool-toned taupe shimmer, almost pulls purply on my skin
Dream Dust is a beautiful golden brassy shade
Blaze* is a warm coral shimmer
Stardust* is a stunning deep emerald
Purple Haze* is a luminous orchid plum
Onyx* is a gunmetal metallic

On me they pull more metallic than sparkly. Shimmer is more on the fine side vs chunky, so while they have very strong shimmer they aren’t like glitter toppers.

I did two looks below wearing three shades. You can wear them alone as one-and-done kind of shadows or mix/layer multiples.

Dream Dust Look

Also wearing:

Foundation – Chanel No 1 de Chanel Foundation BD41 (reviewed here)
Powder – MAKE Diffusion Set Powder Translucent Light/Med*
Bronzer – MAKE Skin Mimetic Microsuede Bronzer in Aura*
Blush – MAKE Skin Mimetic Microsuede Blush in Cosmic*
Eyeshadow – Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadow in Dream Dust
Eyeliner – Continuum Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Eclipse* (I really love these, they’re creamy, high in pigment and come with a built-in
sharper and blending brush at the end)
Mascara – Victoria Beckham Vast Lash Tubing Mascara (reviewed in this post here)
Brows – Too Faced Super Fine Brow Detailer Medium Brown
Lipstick – MAKE Cream Supreme High Impact Lipstick Equilibrium*
Nail Polish – Chanel Le Vernis Glaciale (reviewed here)

Glaze + Blaze Look

Wearing the same items above, but with Glaze and Blaze layered together.

New Eyeshadow Brushes

They launched two brushes with the eyeshadow and I think they’re very well made. The All Over Eyeshadow Brush ($24) is a very soft medium-sized brush. The Precision Eye Smudger ($24) is a small domed brush, also very soft and dense. The handles feel a weighted which gives it a luxurious feel. So far I only have one other brush the Powder Brush ($30) and I use it all the time. I really hope they expand the brush line and consider making a travel brush set because they are well designed, well made and really nice to use.

Overall lots to love. I think the eyeshadows are beautiful and the formula is very unique. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but my top 3 are Glaze, Gleam and Dream Dust.

I have a pretty substantial brush collection and think the new eyeshadow brushes they launched are worth splurging on.

You can find these available now at Makebeauty.com.

Press samples have a * next to them. All other items purchased by me.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Byzance

September 17, 2023

Chanel Beauty launched 4 new eyeshadow palettes in the Les 4 Ombres Byzance Collection ($70 each). The palettes have a beautiful gold surface in the compact to mimic Gabrielle Chanel’s jewelry and it adds a really special touch to these.

All four performed very well – pigment is very good, finely milled, application is smooth and easy to layer. Each quad has 3 regular eyeshadows and 1 sparkly iridescent topper.

Out of the four palettes there are two lighter neutral variations that are wearable for everyday. The remaining two are more on the trendy side with reds and greens – both of these were too trendy for me to pull off.

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Cristal

Les 4 Ombres Byzance 328 Parure Cristal is really beautiful. It has two soft pink shimmers, a satiny cool brown and a sparkling pale blue topper. Overall it pulls very soft on the eyes but I love the softwash effect.

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Venitienne

The other lighter variation Les 4 Ombres Byzance 318 Parure Venitienne is also really beautiful (my favorite of the four). It has a warm shimmery gold, soft warm peach shimmer, warm brown and a ultra pale aqua shimmer topper. The colors show up a lot more in person, on camera it’s really hard to pick up the nuances and color on the eyes.

Look wearing:

Foundation – Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD41
Powder – (new formula) Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in B30
Blush – Chanel Joues Contraste in 80 Jersey
Eyeshadow – Les 4 Ombres Byzance in 318 Parure Venitienne
Eyeliner – Stylo Yeux Waterproof in 20 Espresso
Lips – Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue in Light Rose + Rouge Coco Gloss in 728 Rose Pulpe on top

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Imperiale

The reddish quad 308 Parure Imperiale is very warm and pulls very pink on my skin tone. It has a yellow gold shimmer, warm coral red, deeper red and champagne silver glitter/shimmer. On my skin tone it was too red for my taste. I rarely wear reds on the eyes but can pull off the Les 4 Rouges Yeux et Joues in Tendresse or Les 4 Ombres in Candeur Et Experience. This new one however did not work for my complexion.

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Baroque

Les 4 Ombres Byzance in 338 Parure Baroque is the most trendy one of all with colors that have a decorated Christmas Tree vibe. Colors include a burnished brassy gold, red, shimmery smoky green and silver glitter. The mix of colors did not work for me but I did see some really pretty looks on the @welovecoco Instagram account with the green shade applied.

For some reason this color configuration seemed like an odd mix for Chanel as I didn’t think they usually launched anything with this particular shade of green. A quick search though proved me wrong and it appears they’ve actually had quite a few bright greens in singles and palettes in the past.

Overall beautiful pigment, texture and shimmers. I’m not sure they will be for everyone, although I really love the Parure Venitienne color scheme with Parure Cristal in close second. I can’t see myself wearing the other two, but I do think they will appeal to those who want something different and bold.

All four quads are limited-edition. Available at Chanel.com while supplies last.

Les 4 Ombres Byzance gifted by Chanel for review.

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Cle de Peau Beaute Eye Makeup

Cle De Peau Eye Color Quads – New Launch

September 8, 2023

Cle de Peau revamped their Eye Color Quads with twelve new shades ($110 each). They are refillable and the compacts are sold separately ($75 for the eye quad and $35 for the mirrored compacts). They sold out very quickly online at Cle de Peau but you can still find them at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. (Some shades appear to be exclusive to the Cle de Peau site.)

I ordered four of the shades and the Cle de Peau team kindly sent a few others for me to try. There are quite a few stunning neutrals and while a number of you have mentioned all the neutrals look the same from the compact. Side by side a lot of them look really similar, but I can assure you there are noticeable variations in the swatches.

These Eye Color Quads have a super smooth texture that feels like silk. They have an almost bouncy texture to them. Each quad has a primer shade in the bottom left corner that feels a little thicker/creamy.

Pigment varies by quad but overall I would say colors run on the softer side but are buildable. I wouldn’t call the softness “sheer” since the pigment is pretty good, but some of the shades do take some building. I swatched these with a pretty heavy hand on top of the Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer. On the eyes the shimmer isn’t as intense as in my arm swatches.

Beach Pebbles 2 is the most natural/neutral palette with a beautiful mix of tan, brown and pale ivory shimmer.

Starlight 7 is probably my favorite with the best mix of peachy pink champagne, tan brown, neutral cream primer and a soft but deep brown.

Warm Ocean Sunset 8 has the prettiest mix of softer pink/peach tones. The brown/plum is on the softer side when layered on top of the other powders, but it applies with more pigment on bare lids or with a damp brush.

Look wearing:

Foundation – Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation O40
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless in Medium
Blush – Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder Blush Shade 03
Eyeshadow – Cle de Peau Warm Ocean Sunset
Eyeliner – Natasha Denona My Dream Palette (matte black and brown shades)
Mascara – Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Lips – Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Easy + Flushed

Caviar Pearls 6 is a purple lovers dream come true with that stunning lavender purple, taupe and deeper cool brown.

Ocean Sunrise 4 is a cool-toned mix of tan and brown.

Coral Reef 5 is the most natural on my skin as the tones match my skin tone the closest. The shades pull more satiny matte than the other quads.

If you want a staple eyeshadow palette you can wear easily without a lot of effort there are lots of great options with the new Cle De Peau eyeshadow launch. Quality is great, color range is stunning, lots to love here. However if you want colors with high impact and ultra-rich pigment, I will say that I think these might be too sheer for you.

Quick note if neutral eyeshadows aren’t your thing there are some fun combinations with green, lilac, purple, pink and blue too.

The biggest downside for me is the price. I don’t know that I can call these worth the splurge at $110+ each (even though I splurged on 4). For the price and similar pigment the Dior 5 Couleurs, NARS Palettes or Charlotte Tilbury are a better buy.

Overall love the quality and colors. There seems to be a growing trend for refillable makeup whether it’s eyeshadow, foundation, lipstick etc. Having the refillable option isn’t really a big selling point to me. If these quads (compact and eyeshadow) were priced at the refill price I would be more inclined to give them a more glowing positive review. The price almost makes me feel like the Natasha Denona or Pat McGrath Palettes are a steal.

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Palettes + refills have sold out a lot of places but quickly restocked so you may have to shop around to find the colors you want. Available at Cle de Peau, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Bobbi Brown By Terry Eye Makeup Hourglass Cosmetics

New Cream Shadows from Hourglass, Bobbi Brown and Victoria Beckham Beauty

April 28, 2023

There are some new cream shadows that have launched from a few brands I really love and I have a quick roundup review. There are new shades from Bobbi Brown and new formulas from Hourglass and Victoria Beckham Beauty.

New Bobbi Brown Shades

I’ve been a long-time lover of the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks in the shimmer and matte formulas. The pigment is great, easy to layer and once they set and dry they are pretty much budge-proof. I saw some new limited-edition shades pop up online in Sun Pearl, Bronze, Soft Bronze and Sunlight Gold and ordered two.

Bronze is more of a neutral taupe shimmer while Soft Bronze is a slightly lighter neutral (both listed on-sale at Bobbibrowncosmetics.com). Both shades are really pretty and slightly different variations of their Golden Bronze (which isn’t really golden or bronze on me but still stunning).

I added a swatch of Smoky Topaz (cooler taupe shimmer) to compare. Also had to give Peach Mimosa a shoutout because when it launched last year it was a bit hard to find but it’s back in stock at Nordstrom and Ulta Beauty.

They also added some new variations of the Dual-Ended Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick at Sephora and I have one in Cashew/Pink Copper which I’ve been really loving. I hope they make Pink Copper in the full size eventually.

Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick

Top to bottom: Equinox, Prism, Phoenix and Solstice

So many of you expressed interest in the new Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow sticks and the shades looked so beautiful I had high hopes. After testing these for a few weeks now I feel I am among the very few that did not like these.

I found the color payoff and formula very disappointing. They swatch beautifully on the hand. The colors, shimmer and texture are just beautiful. However, on the eyes the color does not show up. The formula feels dry so if I pack it on to get the color payoff I want it looks very creased and caked.

A few things to note: I have dry eyelids and I think these were formulated for more oily lids. Also I think I may just be the skintone that the shades blend in – if you have lighter skin or deeper skin the colors may contrast more and show up better. Last – I’ve received a number of messages from new followers who found my account and like to wear foundation/blush but don’t wear a lot of eye makeup and have asked for a recommendation on a light eyeshadow they can swipe on without a lot of effort.

If you’re one who wants a more minimalist wash of color I think these will be right up your alley. I found these missed the mark and still 100% prefer the Scattered Light Eyeshadows.

Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and all other Hourglass retailers.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wear

Last is a look at two of the new Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wear Cream Shadow ($34 each) and these are pure love. I think the formula is really nice for a cream shadow. I wish there were more shades to pick from in the initial launch but I’m happy with both.

Formula is creamy but long-wearing, easy to blend and work with. I like layering on Pecan (matte brown) first as a base and blending it out they adding Caramel (shimmery bronze) on top. I can’t wait to see more colors in this formula.

Available at Victoria Beckham Beauty and Violet Grey.

I swatched some other browns I own including her Lid Lustre in Mink. Also included the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Chocolate Brown, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadows in Cinnamon and Espresso, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Cocoa, the creams from the Patrick Ta Major Dimension Palette and By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon.

Overall my favorite cream shadow stick formulas are still Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier. They’re easy to work with, they have the right amount of color payoff for me, they set well and they have a good range of colors + finishes to work with.

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Have you tried these new colors or formulas? What did you think?

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Eye Makeup Sephora

Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette

November 20, 2022

I’m thrilled to see more neutral eyeshadow colors out this year and I love the new Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette ($68, available at Sephora and Makeup By Mario). It has 12 new shades with a mix of mattes, sparkly toppers and one finely milled shimmer.

I like a good sparkle topper and think the sparkles work well when applied with fingers in a patting motion. I did experience a lot of sparkle fall out when applying it but it’s easy to clean up and throughout the day I didn’t have much fall out after.

The mattes are super smooth, easy to blend, pigmented and I love every single color. There’s one shimmer shade which is a dark brown with silver and brown toned shimmers. I think it makes for a nice soft smokey eye. All that said I don’t think this palette is for everyone. The shimmers are pretty sparkly. If you’re more into the finely milled shimmer vs micro sparkle, definitely opt for the Natasha Denona Glam Palette instead (reviewed here).

Mattes include a soft creamy shade, soft warm beige, matte brown, matte grey, matte rose, soft cool brown and a deeper brown. Sparkles include a glittery champagne, a soft silvery rose sparkle, a glitzy pale gold, a sparkling taupe. The smooth shimmer is a deep brown taupe.

A close up of the eye look below and I also have a quick demo on Reels @beautylookbook.

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A post shared by Sabrina | beautylookbook (@beautylookbook)

I also wanted to include a look at all of the MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serums I have. I’ve accumulated nearly all of the shades since I’m a lip balm lover. These have a subtle plumping effect and a cooling sensation. There’s no tingle on me. I already have full lips and didn’t notice added plumpness from these like I do with the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump or Dior Addict Lip Maximizers.

Pigment is medium on most of these shades. They have a really soft texture – they almost feel like they’ve melted when you apply them on the lips. A lot of times they feel so soft I have to use a lip brush to apply and blend – but it’s not a deal breaker for me.

These are similar to the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balms & Juicy Plump (in my opinion). Colors are really flattering in both lines. Formula is nice and glossy. I think the Tarte ones stay put on the lips slightly longer because the texture isn’t as soft. I have a slight preference for the Tarte balms because of the packaging and slim applicator style. The Tarte balms blend better without a brush. But both are still very good.

Swatches of all the colors I own:

Bare Glow is a neutral peachy pink with subtle shimmer
Apricot Glow is a warm soft peach with shimmer
Rose Glow (my favorite) is a flattering soft pink with shimmer
Bronze Glow is a neutral warm brown with a bit of shimmer
Mauve Glow is a neutral mauve pink brown with shimmer
Plum Glow is a plum with silver shimmer
Nude Glow is a sheer pale beige
Rosewood Glow is a medium neutral-cool rose mauve
Petal Glow is a pale muted pink
Blush Glow is a slightly deeper/warmer version of Petal Glow
Honey Glow is a honey brown
Cinnamon Glow is a deeper pink brown cinnamon color

I swatched a few on the lips for you, out of all the colors I’d say my favorites are Rosewood Glow and Rose Glow.

Overall I love the new palette. I think I’ll get a lot of wear and use out of this one. As much as I love neutrals, I’ve found this year I actually prefer neutral-warm tones like the Patrick Ta Major Dimension Palette, Too Faced Natural Nudes and Too Faced Sunset Strip palettes.

That being said I’m happy to see more variation in eye palette tones. Have you checked this one out? What did you think about the shimmers? Right up your alley? Or too much? Would love to hear your thoughts!

I’ve linked the other makeup I’m wearing below too:

You can find these available at available at Sephora and Makeup By Mario.

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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford White Suede Eye and Cheek Palette

September 25, 2022

There’s a new palette from Tom Ford Beauty called the White Suede Eye and Cheek Palette ($150) which is quite the splurge available at Bloomingdale’s for their 150th Anniversary and also at Tom Ford. The colors looked beautiful and very wearable so I ordered it sight unseen.

The texture is similar to the Bitter Peach Eyeshadow Quad and Sheer Cheek Duo so I had high hopes the new palette would be just as amazing. Unfortunately this palette was a miss for me. I posted an Instagram Reel with the palette in action and a mini review for those curious.

Texture for the cheek colors and eyeshadows is very stiff just like the Sheer Cheek Duo, however the pigment was lacking and very difficult to layer.

The blush and highlighter shades actually performed well, the colors include a soft dusty rose and pale pink. The two on the skin just aren’t as exciting to me as some other shades. Definitely not unique enough to justify the steep price.

3 of the 4 eye shades applied very sheer. The color story is just beautiful but the pigment and color payoff were lacking. Shades include a matte pale pink bone, a copper rose shimmer, a soft rose brown tan and a deeper chocolate brown. The only shade that applied seamlessly was the copper rose color (which is SO beautiful).

If you watch my video you can see how much I have to dig the brush into the pans to pick up any color. On the arm colors swatched ok with a dense brush. The eye area is more delicate and mine can’t really handle the level of packing and layering required for the colors to show up. The shadows kind of drag on the skin.

In the look below I pulled some older favorites to play with:

Foundation – Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation in Shade 6 Natural
Concealer – Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Concealer in 3W0 Latte
Powder – Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
Brow – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel
Eyeliner – Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Eyeliner
Mascara – NARS Climax Extreme Mascara
Lips – Tom Ford Lip Color in Indian Rose

Overall not worth the splurge and if I’m brutally honest this palette I don’t think it would be worth it even it were reasonably priced. Bottom line: save your money, splurge on something that performs well and doesn’t require lots of layering or extra work to make work.

I’ve still found some recent Tom Ford loves in the beauty lineup so I do think there’s lots to love from the line. This palette is just not one of them.

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If you’ve been curious about this palette (like I was) I hope you found this review helpful!

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Older Posts

Eye Makeup

Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Palette

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MAKE Beauty Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadows

Multi-Chromatic Metal-Reflecting Eyeshadows

Dream Dust Look

Glaze + Blaze Look

New Eyeshadow Brushes

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Byzance

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Cristal

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Venitienne

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Imperiale

Les 4 Ombres Byzance Parure Baroque

Cle De Peau Eye Color Quads – New Launch

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New Cream Shadows from Hourglass, Bobbi Brown and Victoria Beckham Beauty

New Bobbi Brown Shades

Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick

Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wear

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Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette

Tom Ford White Suede Eye and Cheek Palette

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