UPDATED WITH SWATCHES!! LORAC Pro Palette

So, I ordered this Lorac palette from Sephora last week, and got it in the mail last night.  It's called the Pro Palette, but you can order it from Sephora online.  The reviews have all been good, and the palette is a bit more versatile than the Naked palettes in that it offers neutral shades, but there are also some colored shades which pair will with the other shades in the palette.  It comes with a free mini size Lorac eye primer as well.  The palette is super pretty and black, and the inside boasts a mirror as well.  The packaging is similar to the original Naked palette but it features 16 shades!!!

The shades are super pretty, and I will update this post with more and with swatches when I get home tonight.  In the meantime, check out the pics below.

UPDATE!! SWATCHES BELOW!! The colors are swatched using only the shadow and my finger--no primer or base underneath.  The colors left to right are as follows:
Row 1: White, Cream, Taupe, Lt. Pink, Mauve, Sable
Row 2: Espresso, Black, Nude, Champagne, Gold
Row 3: Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

The lighter swatches are very very pale/sheer.  The darker colors swatched fine, the purple and slate are gorgeousssss.  Keep in mind I am only using my fingers and no base or primer.  I will hold off on a final review or opinion of the palette until I've used it on my eyes a few times. I also threw in a pic of the palette with my free samples from Sephora!!! And my birthday is this month, only two weeks away, so I got my Sephora bday gift, which is a Benefit sample pack of the "They're Real" mascara and "Watts up!" highlighter.  I'm super excited to try these two out.  Plus, with the coupon code I got a free deluxe sample of Too Faced's "Better Than _ _ _" Mascara, which promises super dramatic eyelashes.  Can't wait to try these mascaras out!!

How to Make Your Eyeshadow "POP"!

No matter what brand or quality eyeshadow you use, you always get ome that are either too sheer, don't wear long, or are just dull and blend into the other colors on your eye. Or you get the ones that are super pretty, but just don't show up well.  And we all know that caking on more eyeshadow just to get it to show only winds up making a mess...on your eye and your face. 

The best things that I've found if you have those shadows is to use an eyeshadow is to use an eyeshadow base (which is NOT the same as an eyelid primer) or to apply the shadow wet.  Actually, you can use a base or apply eyeshadow wet all the time if you choose...for me, some days I prefer the muted colors lol.  No need to always be bright.  Anywho, for an eyeshadow base you can actually use other eyeshadows, like pale colored cream shadows, but the most popular bases are eye shadow sticks (like NYX) or paint pots (like MAC).  These help your color stay longer and appear more vibrant.  Everyone has a preference, and you have to try them out to find which you like.  The only problem is that sometimes this causes an increased likelihood of eyeshadows creasing, but that can often be reversed by being sure to use an eyelid primer and even application of your eyeshadow base. 

For an example of how the shadows appear different and last longer, I've got some swatches below.  The colors and names of the eyeshadows aren't super important.  I just chose a few different colors as an example.  The colors I used came from Urban Decay (the limited edition 15th anniversary palette--the first four shades) and Wet N Wild's Color Icon Palette 333-I've Got Good Jeans (the last two blue shadows).

The last picture shows my arm after I rubbed it with a warm soapy towel.  As you can tell, the eyeshadows that were applied wet or with a base remained, but for the most part the shadows applied alone rubbed right off.  Notably, the shadows applied with the base lasted longer.  For my base I used NYX's eyeshadow base in White (it's available at Ulta for $6.99).  

I patted the base on my arm and then applied the eyeshadow on top.  For wet eyeshadow, I dipped my brush gently and lightly into water.  There are all types of techniques on wet application, and everyone has their own preference.  I know a lot of people like to spray the brush with water in a spray bottle.  

Check out the pics below! 

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