Weekly Looks: Natasha Denona, Viseart, Urban Decay, BH Cosmetics, Kat Von D, and more

This was a pivotal week for me where I made some important life decisions. As always when you make those decisions, it was challenging and emotional. The beauty community also erupted with much-needed discourse on the lack of inclusivity in the industry, which has been very powerful.

In terms of makeup, I was drawn to my duped Modern Renaissance palette this week as well as some colorful looks, and it has been nice to get use out of some of these previously neglected products while also still getting use out of newer ones.

Here are four looks I did this week.

Look 1: Natasha Denona Glam Green and Viseart Dark Matte

Lid: Natasha Denona Glam Green

Transition: Dark Matte 12

Crease: Dark Matte 11

Brow Bone: Viseart white

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Look 2: BH Cosmetics Zodiac

Lid: Aries shimmer

Transition: Aquarius matte

Crease: Cancer matte

Deepen crease: Leo matte

Brown bone: highlight 

Inner corner: highlight 

Look 3: Duped Modern Renaissance 

Lid: Urban Decay Chase

Transition: Makeup Geek Créme Brulee 

Crease: Makeup Geek Desert Sands

Outer corner: Inglot 335 matte

Brow bone: Viseart white

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Look 4: Kat Von D Metal Matte

Inner lid: Watt

Outer lid: Volt and Twinkle

Transition: Fringe and Silk

Crease: Ribbon and Velvet

Brow bone: Linen

Inner corner: Twinkle

Lower lash line: Volt

Look 1: Natasha Denona Glam Green and Viseart Dark Matte

I don't believe I have used this Natasha Denona shadow often, but, man, it is really pretty. My natural inclination with all of these shadows is to throw a brown in the crease, but because I was so into the green look I did last week with Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix, I wanted to see how a darker, smokier green would look. And I have to say that I really loved this look. These were also some of my less-used shadows from Viseart Dark Matte, so it was nice to get some use out of them in a way that I think made them both look really pretty and a little subtle (for olive and forrest greens). 

Look 2: BH Cosmetics Zodiac

I loved how this look turned out. Maybe it's all the 80s movies I've been watching, but I was really feeling some shimmery blue with purple in the crease. And this look totally lived up to my expectations. I loved wearing this, and I am constantly impressed by this palette. These shadows pack so much pigment without needing to be layered, including the baked shimmers. And that is just so surprising to me considering the price of this palette compared to others of the same performance and size. 

Look 3: Duped Modern Renaissance 

So this look is what my own personal Modern Renaissance dreams are made of. I haven't worn a traditional "neutral" look in a very long time, and I have liked it that way. I think this look is really beautiful and complements my eyes well, but it's never going to be a look that I feel really inspired by. This is more of a go-to pretty look for me, and it is something I would have wanted to achieve with the actual Modern Renaissance but never could because the neutral shadows lacked the depth I wanted. Urban Decay Chase is such an underrated gold, and it is easily one of my favorite upgrades I made this this duped palette. Same goes with Makeup Geek Desert Sands. Although I don't like it quite as much as Bobbi Brown Camel, I still think it's a great mustard brown that is just that much more interesting than a standard warm brown. As neutral as it is, I really loved this look and it made me appreciate the duped palette I built. 

Look 4: Kat Von D Metal Matte

I feel bad saying this since this palette was a gift, but I am finding it really challenging to use, even more than the Saint and Sinner palette. I feel like my options are either very dark, neutral, or pastel (and therefore too light). This was easily my least favorite look of the week, and you can see in the photo that the shimmer shadows quickly transferred into my crease. I also found that there was not much distinction between Ribbon and Velvet, and when blended together on my lid, it looked a bit like a bruise. With Saint and Sinner, it took me a while to really get the hang of the color scheme, and maybe that's what is happening here. I'm still willing to use it and try to figure it out, but it's not the easiest palette to work with. 

On a separate, more serious note, today is the Women's March. Due to the surgeries I had last summer, I am not able to march this year, but last year, I drove down to Washington, DC, and marched on Washington. It was a humbling and empowering feeling to be surrounding by hundreds of thousands of people marching and fighting for equal and civil rights. 

I snapped the below photo at that march and felt like sharing it today: