Sparkled Beauty

It was sunny on Saturday (the only day we got to see the sun till now), so you bet I was swatching like mad. I have for you today swatches of the items I bought from the Annabelle Jungle Belle collection.

Look at my "precious" lol:
- Zebra Trio Eyeshadows in Exotic Escape, Savanna Sun and Tropic Thunder.

Each eyeshadow is a combination of 3 shades, with a glittery silver zebra-printed layer on top which does not last long after the first swipe or two of a brush. The shade in the middle have less amount of product compared to the other 2. The width of it can fit a medium eyeshadow brush, so I managed not smearing it to the other colours.

Also from the collection is the Gloss Crayon for Lips, I only found Fauvish.

If you see these on a display, which one(s) would you reach for first? How about let's look at my swatches then decide?

First eyeshadow trio, Exotic Escape - a combination of a plum, a darker pink and a forest green. This first pic is taken with flash, the swatches on my hand are in the same order as the colours in the pan.

You'll have to get through the silver spray-on before you can see the true colours of the eyeshadows. Can't deny that the silver adds beautiful sheen on the surface but you don't always want a glittery look on your lids. So the temporary spray might be a good thing.

The only bad thing of this is that after first use, the eyeshadow won't look as pretty anymore :)

Here's the swatches with the first two gentle swipes, just to show you how much of the silver get picked up and the real colours don't show up very well underneath it. They all look quite similar on the lids in this case.

So note that, unless you only want a sheen of pastel colours on your lids, swipe your brushes a few times to get to the colours. Also using a damp brush helps the colours show up more vibrant.

This is the same eyeshadows, just with a heavier hand, at about the fourth swipe.

Among the 3 shades, the plum is the most pigmented. Another proof that Annabelle makes awesome purples - remember my favorite quad from the 4Show eyeshadows I reviewed last time?

I had high hope for the green by the way it looked pre swatch, but I had to build it up a bit for pigmentation. This shade is best to be a wash of lid colour.

The pink shows up more pastel while in the pan, it looks darker, leaning toward coral.

Moving on to Savanna Sun. I think this one screams summer the most, as it has a bronzy brown, a burgundy and an orange. Colours associated with the sun, right?

And it is pretty! If my swatches don't do it justice, just take my words for it :)

I am loving this trio a lot. Maybe because all 3 shades look good on my Asian skin tone, or maybe I just needed more warm colours in my life. I have been doing a lot of green/ blue looks lately and neglecting my warm colours.

Here they are, close up. The middle shade needs some building up as well, but the three accommodate each other quite well.

I can just wear the shade on the left by itself on the lids and call it a (lazy) day or use the other two as accents. If I were going on vacation this summer, this would be the eyeshadow I bring. Wish I am.

For those of you who enjoy wearing neutrals, don't be scared away from this trio. They are just one step up from your regular browns. With a light hand, you won't be too far off from your comfort zone. Trust me and try it out, see how a bit of colours could change up your daily work-safe looks.

Last one, Tropic Thunder. Are your eyes just like mine being drawn to the very first shade of the trio?

It is one of the most beautiful aqua colours I have seen. Period. It is bright, it is pigmented and it takes my breath away. If you don't like Savanna Sun with all warm shades, get Tropic Thunder, for cool colours, or just for this aqua shade :)

By saying this, I didn't mean that the other two shades in the pan aren't nice. I like the navy blue too, for the crease. The olive green is lost under the silver sheen as I didn't swatch it heavily enough. I apologize.

A different shot, and I still stare at the aqua lol. Enough said right?

Wear wise, the eyeshadows last through my work days with a primer underneath. They blend easily, no noticeable fallout.

Looking back at all 3 eyeshadow trios, I think Annabelle covers good grounds for different colour tastes of its customers. Pigmentation is exceptional with certain colours, and is more sheer with some others. Guess that is what testers on the display are for, as you can swatch and find what you are looking for.

But a note to Annabelle, I still need a pigmented yellow in the mix of an eyeshadow collection, in pressed form, not loose pigment. Also, please make some pretties that are permanent, not LE like these. Pretty please! :)

Moving on to lips, the only Gloss Crayon in the Jungle Belle collection I found is Fauvish.

It is a beautiful and sheer peach colour, and the fact that it comes in a pencil form makes my life a lot easier. Exactly how it is named, this is a gloss product in stick form. It feels like gloss on the lips but is in solid form, less messy application, easier to use.

I have nothing to complain about this product - the wear is reasonable (a few hours with eating and drinking), the feel is soft and glossy, especially not sticky, and not drying. Just don't expect it to be opaque, as it is not.

As always, my dark pigmentation on the lips makes Fauvish look less peachy compared to the swatch on my hand, but I like it anyway :) I don't have many lip products that look like this on my lips. Glad I have it.

The other shade of Lip Crayon is called Florish, but I don't have it to swatch. If it has the same consistency, it doesn't hurt to own both.

So, did your favorite in first glance ends up to be your favorite in full glance after my swatches? Although not all shades turn out the way I hope they do, I don't regret buying them all. The collection has been out for a while now, so I would suggest picking the items you want sooner than later.

The eyeshadows retail around CAD10.95 each, and the Lip Crayons are CAD8.95 each at selected Shoppers, Rexall, Lawtons.