MAC Satin Taupe Dupe?

Satin Taupe from MAC is one of their most popular eye shadows.  When I first started getting into makeup, this was the fist MAC eye shadow I bought.  This is a great color for all over the lid or to darken the crease and really great for a neutral look.  I'm always looking for good cheap dupes, especially for MAC eye shadows.  A lot of online forums and blogs that post dupes for MAC eye shadows say that Iced Mocha from NYX is a good dupe.  I originally bought this color without even realizing it was a dupe.  In the pan they do look quite similar, but when swatched, they're actually quite different.  Satin Taupe (left) is definitely warmer, while Iced Mocha (right) is cooler toned. 

Both are really nice, smooth and pigmented and last a long time with a primer.  Price-wise I'd say Iced Mocha, or any NYX eye shadows really, are a bargain for the quality you get.  Personally I prefer the MAC one over the NYX one, just because it's warmer toned.  But if you're looking for a nice alternative, NYX is a great choice too.

EOTD

Lately I've been so busy with school and work, I find myself wearing the same neutral look everyday. I've really been loving this look using Patina and Sketch from MAC. It's a nice look for fall (even if we don't have seasons here) with the burgandy and gold combination. It's really wearable and you can easily make it a night look by darkening up the outer corner.

Products Used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Soft Ocher Paint Pot
MAC Patina e/s all over the lid
MAC Satin Tapue (sometimes I use Espresso) in the crease
MAC Sketch in outer corner
Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner BK2

Swap Haul

This is a recent haul/review of things I've gotten over the past couple weeks through swapping.
ELF Palette: MAC Trax, Grain and Grape pressed pigment
Prestige eye shadow: Royale ($2 at Longs when it was 40% off)
Urban Decay Deluxe shadow in Ruthless
I didn't realize I had bought so many purple eye shadows recently, but I figured it was time I had some good purple shadows to work with.
I'm really loving all these shadows, but my least favorite is probably Trax. I've heard rave reviews about this color from MAC, and it is really pretty, but I can't stand the glitter in it. Granted, the fallout isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I'm not the biggest fan of glittery shadows. But I'll probably be keeping this because I really love the color.
The pressed Grape pigment from MAC is also really nice. It's different from a lot of other pigments I've used from MAC because it actually looks pretty matte in the pan, with some glitter here and there. The pigmentation is decent, although I think it would be a lot better lose than pressed. It's a true purple color while I've been looking for.
I'm also really liking the Prestige eye shadow in Royale. This had such good pigmentation and it's a nice purple with a strong blue undertone. This blends pretty nicely and overall it was a really good deal. I got this for 40% off and only paid $2, but at regular price, it's still really cheap. I would definitly check out more of their shadows in the future.
Lastly, I'm in love with the neutrals I got, Grain and Ruthless. These are really pretty for a wash of color on the lid. I've been using grain almost everyday and I think it's a nice alternative to Sahara by NYX, which is what I usually use. Ruthless is really nice, and although it looks brown in the pan, it goes on gray/taupe-ish which is really pretty. Both shadows are soft and go on nicely. These two are my favorite about of the bunch!

Swatches:
Taken in natural light, over Soft Ocher paint pot.Grape pigment, Grain, Trax
Royale, Ruthless

A haul and an update!

Hey guys! I haven't really blogged since I got to Japan, but I've been so busy at work! Things are really hectic since we had a presentation last week, and 3 in a row this week! This next month or so is going to be crazy busy...
Well on to my haul. This is stuff I've bought since I got to Japan...so in the past month or so.
I got the MAC lipstick in Beachbound from the To The Beach collection. It doesn't come out here until next month so I got this in s MUA swap. To be honest, I never wear lipstick, but this color is a really sheer and neutral peachy/golden color and it looks really natural. It gives my lips a shine and I really like it. I've been wearing it everyday to work. The only down side is that it emphasizes dry lips s I can only wear it when my lips look nice.
Swatch:

I finally got to go shopping yesterday. I caught the train to a mall nearby (Emiful), which ia apparently the largest mall in Shikoku. And yes, it is huge! I wish I would've taken a picture, but I got lost several times there and by the end of the day my feet hurt really bad :( but I managed to get some things on sale and it was a good opportunity for me to relax on the weekend for once! I bought a couple things at Uniqlo and some cosmetics:

The uniqlo clothes came out to just under 2500-yen and I bought these things mainly to wear at work. From the cosmetics lot, L-R:
Maybelline Hello Kitty Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara
Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamor Volume On Mascara
Sunkiller Prefect Strong BB Sunscreen
Heroine Make Essence in BB Cream
I wll probably try to do a review on the BB creams when I get around to testing them out. Those two were pretty cheap, under 1000-yen. I saw Kanebo also has one that's reasonable. Maybelline has a mineral BB cream and Revlon also has a moisture BB cream so I might check those out too, but they're around 2000-yen each, which is a little pricey.
I should also mention I saw Sex and the City 2 a couple weeks ago. It was my first time seeing a movie in Japan. We went on Ladies Day so it was only 1000-yen, when the regular price is close to 2000-yen. I thought it was interesting that they has assigned seats (apparently it's typical in asia, even in Korea according to my coworker) and they even served beer there (though apparently it's uncommon in Japan). It was weird to be the only people in the theater laughing at all the jokes (the Japanese subs were really weird), and overall I thought it was better than the first one, although it was really long (140-ish minutes).
Anyway, hope everyone is doing well! Sorry I've been so MIA and I'll try to update more often.

EOTD: Teal eyes

I'm really loving this pigment from Facefront so I decided to do another EOTD with it. The colors look more vibrant irl. I guess I have to find better lighting in my house to take pictures.

Products Used:
Facefront Survival Paint as primer
Facefront Aqua Marina all over lid (love this color!)
MAC Blue Storm pigment in outter corner
MAC Moonflower in crease
NYX Sahara to blend edges
Almay Eyeliner in Brown-black

MAC Pressed Pigments

So I finally received some MAC pressed pigments I bought in the mail today. I got these from a seller on Makeuptalk forums, 3 pressed pigments (not full pans) for $7. I also got another pressed pigment through a swap on MUA so I've included that one too.
I put all the pans in an ELF quad. The four pigments are: Goldstroke, Gold Mode, Your Ladyship and Tea Time. I have the tea time lose pigment and the color is gorgeous! But I rarely use it because I don't like the fallout from it. I really like all the colors and they're really neutral. I like the pressed pigments better than lose. I think they go on much easier and they're less messy when pressed into pans.

Swatches
Your Ladyship, Goldstroke, Gold Mode, Tea Time

EOTD: Blue/Gold using Facefront Cosmetics

I did a blue and gold look today. I tried to adjust the contrast in photoshop, but for some reason the colors don't show up as vibrant in the photo as they do on me. Anyway I'm still trying to figure out how to take good pictures lol.

Products Used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance/Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow: Recess as a base
Facefront Cosmetics Glazed Pear on inner half of lid
Facefront Cosmetics Aqua Marina on outter half
MAC Moonflower in outter corner
Kanebo KATE Super Sharp Liquid Liner winged out
Moonflower, Aqua Marina and Glazed Pear repeated on lower lash line

EOTD: Neutral look

Here is my first EOTD! I'm still trying to figure out how to take better pictures of the look. The lighting is always too bright or too dark and I can never get it just right. Anyone have any suggestions?
Anyway, I did a neutral eye with browns and grey. I usually wear this on the weekends when I want something natural.
Here's the look:

Close up:


Products used:
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot as a base
NYX Sahara + Facefront Cosmetics Beijing Beat all over the lid
MAC Coquette in the crease
MAC Espresso in the outer corner and under lower lashline
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil: Zero on upper lashline and smudged out