Pure BB Cream, Shadows & Pretty Naked II

I don't know how the usual April showers somehow shifted to May, but it's making it quite difficult to get some good photos around here. After many days of consecutive rain, I lucked out to have enough sunshine on Friday to snap some makeup swatch pics (it was our only dry day last week, so we also took a walk on the the local boardwalk and beach).

Now, I will admit that these aren't my best swatch photos (that's probably why I thought it would be fun to jazz them up with some frames), so I hope my descriptions will help you visualize these latest 100 Percent Pure eye shadows a little better, starting with the three Fruit Pigmented Shadows swatched above.

On the far left is Petal Tip, which is a soft mauve. Just ignore the container beneath the swatch, as it somehow appears darker and brighter in this photo than in person. I was mainly focusing on the color of the swatch itself. As you can see, it doesn't show up very well on my warm/neutral skin tone. I'm not surprised, because most of the reviewers who love this color seem to have fair/slightly more pink skin tones. I happen to like it when used in the crease. Since it is matte, it's very flattering on mature skin and is perfect for creating more natural looks.

The center color really takes center stage, as it gives a gorgeous golden glow to my lids, especially near my tear ducts. It's Gilded, a shimmery yellow gold. Both the eyeshadow container and swatch are quite accurate in this pic. It truly is a stunning warm gold that brightens my eyes and brings a smile to my face.

To the right is Sugared; the bronze companion to that gold Gilded. It's a shimmery hazelnut color that works well as a neutral. I bet it would be amazing with a tan. There is a glare on the container in the photo, but the swatch is accurate when applied heavy (this is a buildable color). I would wear this everyday. Btw, it also lasts all day.

The next three colors are hard to see on my skin. It's also a tad difficult to distinguish one shade from the other. However, I'm still drawn to them. They are three new 100 Percent Pure Satin Eye Shadows, from left to right (or bottom to top): Java, Caribbean and Jeju. They are soft, silky, shimmery, and so easy to apply with your fingertips. They are like subtle little highlighters for perking up those tired eyes.

Java is the closest to my skin color and looks very natural on me. I guess that's why it blends so well in the photo. The color reminds me of the RMS Beauty Master Mixer, if you are familiar with that product. It's nearly an exact dupe, except for the consistency.

Caribbean is slightly pinker and brighter than Java. It also has a nice shimmer. Again, I think it works well as a highlighter.

Jeju is more of a peachy ballerina nude (if you ever took ballet, you might know what I'm talking about; my ballet shoes always seemed to be various tones of pinks and peach). It provides a soft sunlit glow to your eye area.

If you're looking for more color, you'll be really excited about this 100 Percent Pure Pretty Naked II Palette (although I don't currently see it on the website). It's more dramatic than the original Pretty Naked Palette, while still sticking to more neutral tones. Inside, you'll find (from left to right) the Illume Luminizer, Afterglow Blush, and Beam, Splendor and Vivid Eye Shadow.

Illume is so pretty. This photo doesn't do it justice. It's like a white light illuminating your skin. I recommend applying it lighter than I did it the above pic, as I was just trying to get it to show up better (I also think I smeared a little Splendor next to it. Oops!).

Afterglow blends so well on my cheeks for a soft blushed look. It shows up much better on my skin tone than the Pretty Naked Blush from the original Pretty Naked Palette. Honestly, I've been known to use the Pretty Naked Blush on my eyes instead of my cheeks, because I preferred it that way.

The eye shadows in the Pretty Naked II Palette are a bit more intense than their predecessors, without being overwhelming. Again, I layered them on heavy for the swatches, but they can be worn much more subtly.

The lightest shade, Beam, is closer in color to the medium shade (which is Toffee) from the original palette. It's a light golden gray or a bit of a taupe color. I think it's lovely on it's on or paired with just Splendor for a softer look. Splendor is slightly darker with a little less shimmer. It works well in the crease.

For added drama, there's Vivid, a deep purple with a rose gold shimmer. It almost appears like a charcoal color in my swatch photo, but trust me, it's purple or blackberry, like the blackberry mascara or eyeliner. I tend to smudge it into my eyelash line to create a smokey eye. It's flattering on most eye colors, as it makes blue, green, hazel and brown eyes pop. If you are lucky enough to have Elizabeth Taylor's purple peepers, it will just blend with the gorgeous color you've already got.

A good base for all this color is 100 Percent Pure's BB Cream, which I have in 30 Radiance (it comes it three shades; the other two are 10 Luminous and 20 Aglow). It's a bit of a makeup hybrid, acting as your primer, SPF, soothing treatment, concealer and foundation in one. Since it's packed with so many benefits, it comes out of the tube a bit thick and tacky, but don't worry; if you prep and apply it correctly (I use a good moisturizer first and apply it with a damp makeup sponge/beauty blender), it blends smoothly and leaves a flawless finish. Even the color seems to adjust to a variety of skin tones, as I thought this would be too dark for me until I applied a thin layer to my face (however, I am concerned this doesn't come in enough colors to suit the needs of those with skin tones much darker than my own).

I'm a big fan of 100 Percent Pure's Tinted Moisturizer in Peach Bisque, so you can get an idea of my coloring (although the website recommends 20 Aglow for my color). This BB Cream provides more coverage than the Tinted Moisturizer, but might be lighter than the foundation, which I have yet to try. It is buildable, if you need more coverage than I prefer. In that case, I would recommend using a lighter shade (at least in my case).

The best part about this BB Cream is the light reflective pigments that provide an incandescent glow. I've been especially loving it during this raining season, as it brightens my skin even when the sun can't shine on it.

Have you tried any of these 100 Percent Pure products? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter at @Rawdorable and/or Instagram (also @Rawdorable).

* As a 100 Percent Pure Approved Blogger, I was provided with these products for review. All opinions are my own :)