Make Up For Ever Studio Case ($59.50)The intimidation factor with Make Up For Ever’s Studio Case ($59.50) is high…
If I were unable to tell the difference between a domed brush and a shader brush, or the words “lid” and “crease” made me immediately think of mason jars and those ubiquitous pressed khaki pants worn by tech dudes, I may have just cruised right by the sleek black Studio Case and thought, “That is some scary sh*t.”
But not “scary” as in The Taking of Deborah Logan, which scared the living bejeezus out of me, but scary as in daunting as all hell ? as in, you can only be allowed in its presence if you wear a brush belt around your hips at work.
So professional-looking, yo!The question is, does one require an advanced certificate from the Tabs the Cat School of Makeup Artistry (est. 2007) to beat major face with this kit?
No, I don’t think so… Not after seeing it up close.
In fact, the products in the case are surprisingly user-friendly, thanks, in part, to the way MUFE organized the 12 shadows (you can also pop the palette out of the case if you want).
Natural, Bold, Smoky or Chic… Take your your pick!The colors are arranged by recommended look into four columns ? Natural, Bold, Smoky and Chic. On top of that, MUFE includes a look booklet with clear, detailed instructions.
The booklet with all the looksTo hold your hand through the process and make it even easier, MUFE included a book with clear, detailed instructions on how to get each of the looks.
12 x 0.024-oz. Artist Shadows in Natural (M-530, S-516, I-544), Smoky (M-122, ME-108, M-100), Bold (D-236, D-926, I-218), and Chic (I-524, D-826, ME-828) A 0.01-oz. Artist Liner in Matte Black (M-10) Step-by-step guide
As someone who occasionally needs a few hits from her asthma inhaler when faced with too many eyeshadow options (PANIC! TOO MANY COLORS!), palettes like these, with around 12 or so colors, are right in my sweet spot. There are enough colors for an almost limitless number of looks, but not so many colors that I short circuit trying to figure out what to do.
Swatches of the Natural shades on the far left, the liner in the middle, and the Smoky shades on the far rightThe standouts here for me are the Smoky, Chic and Bold eyeshadow shades, which, I’m tellin’ ya, winter in Pigment City. For attention-getting holiday looks, look no further than these shades, and the step-by-step booklet, which I think is better than most, shows you exactly where to put each one.
The Bold shades on the far left and the Chic shades on the far rightAs for the three eyeshadows in the “Natural” column, I haz trubs. Once I get them on my lids and start blending, the colors pretty much look the same. Gals and guys with medium and deeper skin tones may feel the same way (I’ve ended up primarily using these shades as boring ol’ highlighters, bah).
Wearing the shades from the “Chic” rowAlso, prepare yourself for fallout. But it’s not too bad. It’s not a torrential downpour of fallout. Just a light drizzle.
Incidentally, yes, it’s still raining here. 
The Make Up For Ever Studio Case won’t be around forever, but it is available online now and at Make Up For Ever counters.
PRICE: $59.50
AVAILABILITY: Limited edition, available now at Make Up For Ever counters and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-
I have come to the conclusion that the HomeGoods chain of house/home stores is basically my nirvana.
One recently opened nearby in San Rafael, and I’m already a regular there! My latest discount acquisitions: a jar of fancy fish seasoning, a set of fall plates, a farm house key-shaped decoration for the kitchen that doubles as a bottle opener, a kitchen utensil holder with a chevron pattern, and a cute Christmas bird.
And the prices are GOOD (like Marshall’s).
The biggest bummer I’ve found is if you see something you like, you can’t dilly-dally and go home to think about it, because the store’s inventory changes all the time. If you see something you want, you gotta move!
Do you ever go to HomeGoods? It’s kind of amazeballs, right?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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