So, a few weeks ago, I discovered this online beauty store called Safe and Chic. Dangerous does not begin to describe this website 🙂
One of the brands of which I took particular notice was Cate McNabb, a line of “natural cosmetics, paraben-free & cruelty-free”. Further investigation was immediately required.
I was intrigued by a number of the products so I thought a cost effective way of trying out several at once would be to get one of the palettes in the Windy City Pretty Collection. I was drawn to Magnificent Mistress for its smoky, earthy burgundies and purples. Right. Up. My. Alley.
The palette comes with the following products (clockwise from top):
- Kimball Bronzer: also available in the North Shore Natural Palette
- Shiraz Eyeshadow: also sold individually
- Slate Eyeshadow: also sold individually
- First Kiss Pink Lipstick: sold individually and in both lip palettes
- Dark Lady Lipstick: appears to only be available in this palette
- Mother of Pearl Illuminizer: also sold individually
There are some fabulous attributes, and a couple of things to look out for.
I spent a week trying out the products, and have worn all of them, in one look or another, to work. One day, I paired Slate Shadow with a vampy, Dark Lady lip. The next, it was a smokey eye using Shiraz, with a nude First Kiss Pink Lip. Both looks worked equally well with the bronzer and highlight in the palette.
All the products are very nicely pigmented, with lovely color payoff.
Regarding the powder products, additional pros include:
- The bronzer is definitely a win for me. I don’t usually like bronzers, they tend to go very orange on me. But this one is a nice terracotta color, which can do not only double, but triple duty, as a bronzer (for those so inclined), a blush, and a great crease/transition shade in eye looks using either or both of the shadows in the palette.
- Both shadows wore nicely throughout the day and make great 1-shadow wonder shades! I did, as always, use a primer and there was virtually no creasing with Slate. There was a bit with Shiraz, but I think I hadn’t used enough primer that day.
- The highlight is subtle and pretty, with just enough sheen. Similarly to the bronzer, it also doubles nicely on the eye.
Regarding the lip products, pros include:
- Both wear evenly throughout the day; they’re not sticky and neither has a discernable scent or taste.
- I particularly liked Dark Lady, not only for the color, but also because it wore almost like a lip stain.
My main complaint, for lack of a better word, is the packaging. It’s sturdy, and comes with a nicely sized mirror. However. It’s always dicey to put cream products in the same palette with powder products if you don’t include some sort of barrier between them. You know what I mean, the little doors over the cream products. These eyeshadows and bronzer in particular kick up a fair bit of powder, and literally every time I open the palette, I have to wipe excess powder off of the lip products before I apply them. So, that means I have to have a sanitary wipe handy each time I use the palette. Plus, it means I’m wasting some of my lipstick! The other problem with the lipsticks not being protected by a barrier is that every time you open the palette the mirror has smudges on it to which any excess powder is sure to cling.
In sum, I’m glad I tried this palette. It provides a nice sampling of the products and formulas in the line, and I can certainly see myself purchasing more from this brand, particularly since so many of these are sold separately.
Hope this was helpful, have a great weekend 🙂
*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer. I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional. There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.
**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.
Beauty, for good. 