Makeup Geek Highlighters in Lit, Psychedelic, Midnight Sun, Daybreak, Luster, and Rekindle

American indie brand Makeup Geek came out with a range of individual highlighters last fall after the success of the highlighter palette they created in collaboration with Kathleen Lights (which is still available here). The range includes a total of 13 shades, with six of them coming in a duochrome finish and seven coming in their original luminous metallic finish. 12 of the shades are available in bundles of three, which are curated by skin tone. (I had gotten the Medium bundle for my birthday last year, and then I bought myself the Fair bundle for Christmas. Because you can never have too many highlighters. And yes, I am aware it took me well over six months to post about these. I kinda forgot that I had gotten them because so many new releases were out at the time, but I'm slowly making my way through my makeup stashes.) These highlighters are described as having a "super-smooth and incredibly pigmented formula [that] provides a reflective luminosity that ranges from subtle to extreme — use a light hand for a natural, lit-from-within glow or pack it on for an intense, strobed effect." They are housed in metallic gunmetal square mirrored compacts with the Makeup Geek logo engraved on the lid, and the actual powders are embossed with a chevron design. Each highlighter contains 7 grams of product, and retails for $20 USD. They are available online only at Makeup Geek and Beauty Bay.
Lit, Psychedelic, and Midnight Sun
In daylight: Lit, Psychedelic, and Midnight Sun
In direct sunlight: Lit, Psychedelic, and Midnight Sun

Lit is a light warm beige with a peachy-pink duochrome reflects in a luminous pearl finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more white than Makeup Geek Psychedelic, slightly more peach than Becca Pearl, and lighter and more beige than Anastasia Beverly Hills Eclipse (Aurora).

Psychedelic is a light warm peach with pink duochrome reflects in a luminous pearl finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more peach than Makeup Geek Lit, more peach than MAC Double-Gleam, and similar but slightly less metallic than Anastasia Beverly Hills Eclipse (Aurora).

Midnight Sun is a light warm golden champagne in a luminous metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less yellow than MAC Oh Darling, more yellow than Becca Champagne Pop, and slightly more peach than Becca Prosecco Pop.

Daybreak, Luster, and Rekindle
In daylight: Daybreak, Luster, and Rekindle
In direct sunlight: Daybreak, Luster, and Rekindle

Daybreak is a light-medium soft coppery peach in a luminous metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more peach than Makeup Geek Rekindle, darker and more peach than Makeup Geek Midnight Sun, and slightly lighter and more peach than MAC Global Glow.

Luster is a light-medium warm rosy beige in a luminous metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than Makeup Geek Starlight, slightly more pink than MAC Soft and Gentle, and lighter than MAC Superb.

Rekindle is a medium warm rose gold in a luminous metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than Makeup Geek Luster, more tan than Makeup Geek Starlight, and similar to MAC Superb.

It's really too bad that Makeup Geek's highlighters haven't gotten as much fanfare as very similar (but much more expensive) ones by Becca, Anastasia Beverly Hills, or MAC. It's probably due to Makeup Geek relying strictly on e-commerce and very little marketing outside of social media, but I've always maintained that the quality of their products is just as good, if not better, than many more expensive or prestige brands. (Their eyeshadow formula has always been one of my favourites.) These highlighting powders are super silky and finely-milled, apply smooth like butter, and are beautifully pigmented with fantastic colour pay-off. The duochrome finish ones are more sheer than the signature formula ones (and for good reason, because duochrome finishes can look ridiculous — almost alien-like? — if they're too pigmented on the face), but they all have a gorgeous pearlized, luminous, beaming finish. My only "complaint" with these is the shade overlap — for example, Rekindle and Starlight look almost identical, as does Ignite and Sunlight, and Lit and Psychedelic. The range is impressive and I really appreciate that they included shades for all skin tones, but you definitely won't need to buy all of these (honestly, they probably could have cut four to five shades from the final line-up). That having been said, any of them are totally worth getting, but you'll definitely be getting more bang for your buck with their bundle deals, which are $48 USD for three full-sized highlighters that are curated by skin tone.

Makeup Geek x Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette

Earlier this year, Makeup Geek collaborated with popular beauty vlogger and YouTuber, Kathleen Lights, to create a limited edition highlighter palette, and it was finally released on Makeup Geek's website last month. It includes "three exclusive shades created lovingly by Kathleen," who "wanted to create three wearable shades that suit every single skin tone in one place — a shade for fair skin, medium skin and deeper skin tones! So, no matter who you are, you can rock these highlights and be glowy and beautiful!" The highlighters are housed in a cardboard palette with a magnetic closure featuring a black and rose gold chevron pattern with Makeup Geek's logo on the lid. The powders are also engraved with the same chevron pattern. Each highlighter palette contains a total of 21 grams of product (7 grams of each shade), and retails for $39 USD.
Nightlight, Starlight, and SunlightNightlight, Starlight, and Sunlight

Nightlight is a light-medium warm champagne gold in a reflective luminous finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than Becca Prosecco Pop, darker and more gold than Becca Champagne Pop, similar to Anastasia Beverly Hills Dripping in Gold, and brighter and more gold than MAC Global Glow.

Starlight is a medium warm rose gold in a reflective luminous finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler and more pink than Anastasia Beverly Hills Hard Candy, darker and more pink than Anastasia Beverly Hills Crushed Pearl, darker than Becca Rose Quartz, and darker and warmer than Urban Decay Aura.

Sunlight is a medium-dark warm copper gold in a reflective luminous finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more gold than Anastasia Beverly Hills Bronzed, darker and more copper than Becca Topaz, lighter and more gold than MAC Cheeky Bronze, and lighter and more copper than MAC Gold Deposit.

It comes as no surprise that when Makeup Geek finally launched highlighting powders, they would be incredibly smooth, finely-milled, silky, and ultra-pigmented with rich colour pay-off. To me, they fall somewhere between Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors and Anastasia Beverly Hills' Glow Kits; they have the intense pigmentation and smooth, ultra-metallic finish of the former, but have the texture, consistency, and blendability of the latter. That having been said, the shades in this palette are geared towards medium to deep dark skintones — those who are very fair will find that these shades end up working better as blush toppers/finishers rather than true highlighters. However, I like that the three shades here are very different from each other, an issue I have with the ABH Glow Kits where at least two of the four shades included in each palette look too similar to be housed in the same kit. As it is, this is one of the most impressive highlighter formulas that I've come across recently, and that's really saying something as we live in a world where every single brand is coming out with multiple highlighting options. This palette acts sort of like a test-run for Makeup Geek's highlighters, as rumour has it that they will be coming out with single highlighters later on this year in the same formula. Whether or not you will make use of all three shades in this palette or you want to wait for the single shades to come out, if you like your highlighters bright, luminous, super-smooth, silky, and incredibly blendable, Makeup Geek's offerings are totally worth looking at.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Pegasus, Fantasy, Charmed, Fortune Teller, and Untamed

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Last winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" This summer, Makeup Geek added ten new shades to their Foiled Eyeshadow line-up, making a total of 20 shades available (in pan-form only). Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten expansion shades in a bundle package for $79 USD, or all 20 shades for $175 USD).

Clockwise from left: Pegasus, Fantasy, Charmed, Fortune Teller, and Untamed
Pegasus, Fantasy, Charmed, Fortune Teller, and Untamed

Pegasus is a medium brightened aqua teal in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more metallic than Makeup Geek Mermaid, brighter and more metallic than MAC Aquadisiac, and lighter and more muted than Make Up For Ever D236 Lagoon Blue.

Fantasy is a light silvered mint green in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler and more metallic than Makeup Geek Shimmermint, cooler and lighter than Makeup Geek Jester, and brighter and more metallic than Make Up For Ever S314 Nile Green.

Charmed is a light-medium khaki-pewter in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more metallic than MAC Patina, more olive and more sparkly than Ardency Inn Heaven, and darker and more grey than Make Up For Ever I542 Pinky Clay.

Fortune Teller is a medium bright true yellow gold in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter and more metallic than Makeup Geek Lemon Drop, darker and much brighter than MAC Gorgeous Gold, and darker and more metallic than Make Up For Ever ME400.

Untamed is a medium-dark vibrant golden copper in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more metallic than Makeup Geek Gold Digger, brighter and more orange than Ardency Inn Copper, and darker and brighter than MAC Amber Lights.

Though not as bold or jewel-toned as the originalten Foiled Eyeshadows, Makeup Geek's ten expansion shades are just as gorgeous (they remind me of unicorns and sprinkles and cotton candy). Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing, and this is what Makeup Geek recommends as well). Using a stickier eye base like Too Faced's Glitter Glue or MAC's 24-Hour Extend Eye Base will amp up the metallic finish so much that they'll look wet. Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments, Anastasia Beverly Hills' Titanium finish eyeshadows, or MAC's latest (but limited edition) Colourdrenched Pigments. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual foil on your lids.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Starry Eyed, Whimsical, High Wire, Daydreamer, and Masquerade

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Last winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" This summer, Makeup Geek added ten new shades to their Foiled Eyeshadow line-up, making a total of 20 shades available (in pan-form only). Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten expansion shades in a bundle package for $79 USD, or all 20 shades for $175 USD).

Clockwise from left: Starry Eyed, Whimsical, High Wire, Daydreamer, and Masquerade
Starry Eyed, Whimsical, High Wire, Daydreamer, and Masquerade

Starry Eyed is a light warm pinked beige in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly lighter and more pink than Makeup Geek In the Spotlight, more pink than Ardency Inn Sunday, and more sparkly and more metallic than MAC Naked Lunch.

Whimsical is a pale silvered pink in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more sparkly and more metallic than MAC Phloof!, less pink than MAC Kitschmas Pigment, and more silvered and more metallic than Make Up For Ever I902 Quartz.

High Wire is a light brightened blue-toned silver in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more metallic than Makeup Geek Mercury, more blue-toned than MAC Silver Fog Pigment, and more pigmented and denser than Make Up For Ever D118 Platinum.

Daydreamer is a light silvered lavender in a sparkly, high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more purple than MAC Kitschmas Pigment, more metallic and more silvered than Urban Decay Tonic, and slightly lighter and more silvered than Make Up For Ever I918 Lavender.

Masquerade is a medium-dark vibrant magenta-purple in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and pinker than Makeup Geek Caitlin Rose, darker and more muted than Ardency Inn Orchid, and darker and more purple than Make Up For Ever ME912 Orchid.

Though not as bold or jewel-toned as the originalten Foiled Eyeshadows, Makeup Geek's ten expansion shades are just as gorgeous (they remind me of unicorns and sprinkles and cotton candy). Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing, and this is what Makeup Geek recommends as well). Using a stickier eye base like Too Faced's Glitter Glue or MAC's 24-Hour Extend Eye Base will amp up the metallic finish so much that they'll look wet. Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments, Anastasia Beverly Hills' Titanium finish eyeshadows, or MAC's latest (but limited edition) Colourdrenched Pigments. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual foil on your lids.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Over this past winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" There is a total of ten shades available right now, all in pan-form only. Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten in a bundle package for $89 USD).

Clockwise from left: Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester
Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester

Magic Act is a dark warm-toned plummy taupe-brown in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and more plum than Ardency Inn Hell, more plum than Make Up For Ever ME-614 Graphite Brown, and more taupe and more metallic than MAC Twinks.

Caitlin Rose is a medium brightened blue-toned violet purple in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and brighter than Makeup Geek Pop Culture, lighter and brighter than Ardency Inn Royal, and brighter and more blue than MAC Violet Pigment.

Center Stage is a medium-dark brightened cobalt-royal blue with purple undertones in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more purple than Makeup Geek Neptune, more purple than Make Up For Ever D-222 Night Blue, and lighter, brighter, and more metallic than MAC Contrast.

Houdini is a dark cool-toned teal-green in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more blue than Make Up For Ever ME-302 Peacock, cooler than Urban Decay Loaded, and brighter than MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment (PRO).

Jester is a light-medium vibrant golden chartreuse in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more golden than Makeup Geek Pixie Dust, more muted and more golden than Make Up For Ever ME-338 Acidic Green, and more golden than MAC Lucky Green.

Yes, yes, yes! These are everything I imagined them to be, and well worth the hype they've been getting. Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing). Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments and Make Up For Ever's most metallic Artist Shadows. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual metal sheets on your lids.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Over this past winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" There is a total of ten shades available right now, all in pan-form only. Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten in a bundle package for $89 USD).

Clockwise from left: Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime
Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime

Magic Act is a light warm-toned muted champagne gold in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to Ardency Inn Sunday, more yellow and more metallic than Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma, and more metallic than MAC Ricepaper.

In the Spotlight is a light warm-toned muted peachy pink in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more metallic than MAC Jest, more peach than MAC Naked Lunch, and brighter and more metallic than Make Up For Ever I-520 Pinky Sand.

Flame Thrower is a medium-dark brightened orange-toned copper in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter and more orange than Makeup Geek Goddess, more metallic and less red than MAC Coppering, and smoother and less sparkly than MAC Copper Sparkle Pigment.

Grandstand is a medium muted rose gold with brown undertones in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is less brown than Ardency Inn Rose Gold, brighter and more metallic than MAC All That Glitters, and lighter and warmer than Make Up For Ever ME-612 Silver Brown.

Showtime is a dark warm-toned rusty burgundy in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more metallic than Makeup Geek Burlesque, darker and more reddened than Makeup Geek Last Dance, and warmer and more orange-toned than MAC Heritage Rouge Pigment (PRO).

Yes, yes, yes! These are everything I imagined them to be, and well worth the hype they've been getting. Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing). Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments and Make Up For Ever's most metallic Artist Shadows. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual metal sheets on your lids.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: September 2014

Get a snack and a drink and get comfortable, 'cause this month's haul post is a long one. I'd taken on a few extra wedding jobs over the past month so I found myself with an influx of cash, and proceeded to do copious amounts of shopping. It all started when I went to the Estée Lauder warehouse sale at the beginning of September with my friend Steph.
Darphin Hydraskin Light Gel Crème and Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Origins A Perfect World Highly Hydrating Body Lotion with White Tea (x 2)
Michael Kors Holiday Nail Lacquer Set: Runway Star, Rock Star, and Superstar
MAC Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty, Lipstick in Embrace Me, and Nail Lacquer in Coffee Break
This is the first time I'd seen Darphin being carried at the warehouse sale (I didn't even know they were owned by Lauder). Darphin is a brand that I've always wanted to try but their products are just a little too expensive for me to justify at retail price. But when I saw their moisturizers being sold at 50% off, I didn't even hesitate; I ended up getting the Hydraskin Light Cream Gel for $40 from $80. And I also got a bottle of my favourite Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (the old formula, not the new one that I haven't tried yet) for $50 (!) from $97. Other purchases include two tubes of Origins A Perfect World Body Lotion for $18 each from $32.50, a Michael Kors nail polish set for $25 from $50, and a MAC charity grab bag for $5 (that included Bred for Beauty blush and Embrace Me lipstick). The free gift was a MAC Nail Lacquer in Coffee Break.
MAC #262, #130, #132, and #127 Brushes
MAC Lipsticks in Siss and Yash, Matchmaster Concealer in 2 and 3, and Studio Sculpt Defining Powder in Light Plus
MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist
Several days later, I made a trip to a MAC Store to get all The Simpsons collection goodies (which I reviewed earlier this month here, here, here, and here), during which I also bought some new brushes, two new lipsticks in Siss and Yash (permanent at MAC Stores, re-promoted in the Artificially Wild collection), two shades in the new Matchmaster Concealer (amazingly weightless, medium buildable coverage, natural satin finish in a super-convenient stick), the new Studio Sculpt Defining Powder in Light Plus for more natural highlighting, and three new bottles of Fix+ (now in fancy new packaging that mimics frosted glass).
Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum
Clinique Gift with Purchase: Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent, All About Shadow Duo and Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher Palette, Chubby Stick Baby Tint in Flowering Freesia, and High Impact Mascara
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Colour Lipshine in 46 Liberté and 89 Satisfaction
I went to The Bay to pick up the Clinique Smart Serum that I had pre-ordered with my friend for their Gift with Purchase event. I had been really curious about this serum since its launch (the fact that it sounded so much like Lauder's Advanced Night Repair is actually what sold me on it) and was going to buy it regardless of whether or not there was a gift, but I decided to support them during their event since I know their targets are crazy high. My friend added a tube of Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream to my gift 'cause she's awesome like that. While I was at The Bay, I stopped by the Chanel counter for a peruse and somehow ended up not with one, but two new Chanel Rouge Coco Shines. As none of the new limited edition shades appealed to me, I got two permanent shades instead (Satisfaction is the perfect everyday MLBB-meets-nude shade that I wanted Boy to be, and Liberté is the closest shade I've found to replace my beloved Rivage). I had enough points on my rewards card to redeem $20, though, so at least I didn't have to pay full price.

NYX Blushes in Summer Peach, Peach, and Pinky
NYX Round Lipsticks in Pumpkin Pie, Tea Rose, and Doll
I went to the doctor's a couple of weeks ago to get a new prescription for my eczema, and made my way to my local Rexall to pick up my new ointment. Not only did I not realize I lived so close to a Rexall, but I also discovered that they carry a huge selection of NYX products there! That wasn't completely ravaged by barbarians (ahem, Target)! So, killing two birds with one stone, I picked out a bunch of NYX goodies while waiting for the pharmacy to prepare my prescription. They didn't have any of those Butter Glosses that everyone's been raving about, but I did end up with three new blushes and three new lipsticks.

Makeup Geek Blushes
(Top: Love Affair, Hanky Panky, and Head Over Heels
Bottom: Rendezvous, Secret Admirer, and Honeymoon)
Makeup Geek Blushes(Top: Summer Fling, Bliss, and SmittenBottom: Infatuation, Spell Bound, and Romance)
Makeup Geek Eyeshadows(Top: Lemon Drop, Pixie Dust, Shimmermint, Poison Ivy, and EnvyMiddle: Appletini, Sea Mist, Shark Bait, Poolside, and MermaidBottom: Peacock, Ocean Breeze, Nautica, Neptune, and Duchess)
Then, online shopping happened. A lot of it. A bit too much, really. Some might even call it going overboard. I found out that Makeup Geek had re-stocked all their blush pans, so I got the other eight shades that I wasn't able to get last time I ordered from them. I've also been using their eyeshadows quite frequently and have been incredibly impressed with their quality and execution, so I decided to get 15 more eyeshadows in the green and blue families (I got mostly neutrals and warm shades last time). I did not need them at all because, really, how often do I use these types of colour? But the collector/hoarder in me is just like, "More, more, more!" and at $5.99 a pop, I can't really resist... And then I bought new MAC palettes to put them in because I decided I like the look of the new palettes way better than the old palettes I had put them in.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Gold and Rose Gold
Becca Mineral Blushes (clockwise from left): Flowerchild, Damselfly, Songbird, and Wild Honey
Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Just Dance and Harlem Nocturne
I was watching a YouTube video that featured Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold and was like, "Oooooh, so pretty!" Which obviously led me to check it out on Sephora's website, where I saw that they also had a new shade called Champagne Gold. I was adding them to my wishlist thinking I'd wait until the next VIB sale to get them... but visions of gorgeous shimmery skin kept dancing in my head and I was like, "Fuck it, I'm getting them." So I added the two shades to my basket... and as I looked through my wishlist, I remembered that Becca's Mineral Blushes had been on my to-buy list for months. I think I would've waited to purchase them if Becca was available in any of the Sephora locations remotely close to me, but as it's not, I allowed myself to get two. And then I couldn't decide on which two to get because four of the shades were on my wishlist. I was debating over these shades for over half an hour before I was like, "Oh, fuck it. I'll just get all four." Clearly, my self-control is non-existent. Another case in point: I went into Sephora last week looking for Ardency Inn (which they didn't carry) and came out with two new Deborah Lippmann nail polishes instead. 
Cirque Nail Lacquer in Magic Hour, Lullaby, Xochitl, Planet Caravan, and Baptisia
Cirque Nail Lacquer in French Roast, Lichen, Lonesome George, Bejeweled, and Tibetan Nights
Speaking of nail polish and online shopping... I put in a massive order of Cirque polishes at Nail Polish Canada. I've noticed that I'll go one month without being intrigued by nail polishes at all and almost being positively bored by all the offerings, and then the next month, without fail, I will want every single shade I come across. I remember going on that site for months and almost all of the Cirque shades that I wanted were never in stock, so when I saw that they had most of the ones I wanted available again, I just binged. I got ten shades total from five separate collections, but I think Lichen is that one that I'd been lemming for nearly a year now. 
Soap & Paper Factory Ultra Moisturizing Shea Butter Hand Cream in Green Tea and Marine
Soap & Paper Factory Shea Butter Soap in Marine and Green Tea
Soap & Paper Factory Lip Butter in Blood Orange and Limoncello
I was ordering some new books on Indigo last weekend when I noticed two things: a) they carry Soap & Paper Factory and b) a lot of it was on sale. I have been interested in Soap & Paper Factory's products from when I first saw them featured in an issue of Lucky magazine six of seven years ago. At the time, however, no stores were carrying their products here and they wouldn't ship to Canada from their website (and even if they did, it would probably have cost an arm and a leg). So I never got to try them out. But Indigo has their shea butter hand creams and bar soaps on sale for 50% off right now, so I bought two of each in Green Tea and Marine scents (I've been using bar soap almost exclusively at home because I've discovered that a lot of liquid hand soaps irritate my hands). I also got a coupon code for an extra 15% off gift items, so I added two of their lip butters in Blood Orange and Limoncello, too. 
 Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candles in Wasabi Apple and Bourbon Butterscotch
Bath & Body Works Mason Jar Candles in Pumpkin Caramel Latte, Caramel Pumpkin Swirl, and Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
And then I went back on my word and ended up buying more candles. Because Bath & Body Works always has these ridiculous, irresistible sales and an extra coupon on top of the sales, and you end up buying all the things. They were having a 2 for $25.50 sale for their 3-wick candles, and I had a coupon for an extra 20% off, so I bought Wasabi Apple and Bourbon Butterscotch. Then, literally a week later, they were having a 3 for $25 sale for their mason jar candles. So I got three pumpkin scents (I don't like them in the 3-wicks because they're way too strong and way too sweet, but they give off just the right amount of scent in the mason jars), and had another coupon for 20% off that I got through e-mail. But it's over now, guys. I'm done. No more. Really. I swear. (Let's see how long this lasts.)

What did you get this month? Any sales you just couldn't resist?