I haven't been around much lately, but that's for a very good reason: I found a full time job! Now I can start shopping for real again! I have made a few purchases in the past weeks, and I'll try to review them soon. First, let's start with 2 MAC eyeshadows from the Year of the Snake collection, Once Upon A Time, described as a metallic vanilla, and Aztec Brick, a frosted copper.
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Both are larger than regular MAC shadows, come in a pretty LE box (I wish the snake pattern was on the compact!) and retail for $21 each. I bought Once Upon A Time to use it as an everyday, work-friendly highlighting shade, and Aztec Brick because I didn't have anything similar in my (large) stash.
Although both have a Veluxe Pearl finish, their texture seems pretty different to me: Aztec Brick feels softer, more pigmented, more buttery than Once Upon A Time, which I find a little stiffer and drier.
You can see on the swatches that Aztec Brick looks bold and dense while I had to rub Once Upon A Time several times to have it show up. This is also partly due to the fact that the it's pretty close to the skin color on my arm, so it does show up more on my eyelids. Still, I'm slightly disappointed at the quality and texture here: I think it could have been softer and less sheer. As for the color, I really don't see a metallic vanilla here, but more of a shimmery pale champagne with peach undertones.
Aztec Brick, on the other hand, is a makeup lover's dream! Intensely pigmented, it looks true to pan on your eyelid without any effort. It's a gorgeous copper, shiny like a brand new penny (definitely more metallic than frosted). Like most metallic shadows, it does tend to emphasize fine lines or dryness on the lids, but it's the shade is so breathtaking than I don't mind it. As beautiful a it is, I wasn't sure I could wear it, since bright copper is kind of out of my comfort zone on the eyes, but it totally works with a warm brown in the outer corner and Once Upon A Time in the inner corner. Bold, but it make my green eyes pop!
The wear time is good, though not impressive. Without a base, I had creasing after about 6 hours of wear.
Overall: I think you could pass on Once Upon A Time, and find a similar, cheaper shade. Aztec Brick, however, is a beauty you should consider.
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