I really wanted the Cargo Holiday Nights ($25) kit to BRING IT. First, there’s that sexy satin box (love it!); then, there’s the dreamy, deep midnight blue eyeshadow (LOVE IT!).
But, alas, it looks like the products in this seven-piece eye and cheek kit were designed to heat up someone else’s holiday parties (*tears*). The silver, blue, charcoal and pink colors that grace the set are just too cool for my skin tone.
No matter how I combined the four eyeshadow colors (and lawd knows I tried to MAKE IT WORK, Tim Gunn style), the results looked chalky. Beyond the shadows, even the pink blush is too light for my brown skin.
Swatches from left to right: Face and Body Glitter, Boogie Nights Eyeliner in Silver, matte pink blush, shimmery white eyeshadow, shimmery silver eyeshadow, shimmery midnight blue eyeshadow, shimmery charcoal eyeshadow
Still, this set is hot, priced affordably and should really burn brightly on gals with lighter skin tone. All four of the eyeshadows and the blush possess rich color payoffs. Because of the lightness of these particular hues, the kit doesn’t work for every audience, but, irrespective of my inability to pull off some of the colors, the products themselves are top notch.
The Silver Boogie Nights eyeliner and silver Face and Body sparkle dole out fun touches of glitter without looking garish. My cool-toned hotties and pale beauties should be able to rock this set harder than I could!
Cargo Holiday Nights
Price: $25
Use: Four eyeshadows, a blush, eyeliner and face and body glitter in cool toned shades of pink, gray, beige, blue, pink and silver.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
Speaking of Cargo…
I was thinking about Cargo’s Blu Ray Powder yesterday, a pressed powder first designed for use by actors on high-definition TV and film.
I was watching my first ever movie on Blu-Ray disc, Hancock, and was blown away by the amount of detail in the picture. It’s kinda voyeuristic and just plain FASCINATING! Every pimple, pore and wrinkle sticks out on high definition film, and you can really gauge the quality of the makeup being used.
The higher detail takes movie makeup to a whole new level. There’s a scene in Hancock when Mary, played by Charlize Theron (love her), appears on screen wearing a glossy, bronze smokey eye look, and it was like looking at the glossy pages in a makeup look book! I couldn’t believe the detail, textures and shading.
Thank goodness I don’t have a Blu-Ray player at home because if I did I’d never leave the house, LOL! I’d be watching movies purely for the makeup, and that’s a level of makeup geekiness I don’t really need to reach! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Merry Christmas Eve, girls. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, I hope you’re doing well. Happy holidays!
Gloria says
I really like the blue, but I think I’m too warm for the Cargo Holiday set too. But wow, $25?!? That’s a really good price.
As for Blu-Ray, I can’t really see all the details. Maybe my eyes are getting worse. hM
Gloria´s last blog post..Holiday Day Look – 2008
Indian Girl says
Oooo …I could really use that silver eyeliner pencil for a look I’m gonna try tonit 😉 I agree, it looks so pretty but it kinda cool for my skin tone as well 🙁 But that midnight blue shadow looks like it might just work….
Vampy Varnish says
Hi Karen,
Those colors do look awesome but I have been spending way too much on makeup lately so I am going to have to hold off! We got a Blu-Ray player at home a couple months ago and it really is amazing. And when I first got HD TV I would watch anything, I didn’t even care what, as long as it was in HD because it’s so freakin awesome!
katee says
I love the print on that satin box! Very Pucci-esque
Dao says
I saw it online and really wanted to buy it but got myself a perfume instead. Thank gawd for your review, now I know I didn’t miss anything. Blu Ray and pores, now that’s scary!
Dao´s last blog post..Day to Night: FOTD and FOTN
Eva says
Karen, you are making my mouth water with this palette..
Too bad Cargo isn´t sold anywhere in Germany. :o(
“Hancock” is a fun movie, isn´t it? I didn´t like the serious turn it took towards the end, but Will Smith is sure fun to watch.
And Charlize Theron is looking sooo gorgeous.
Merry christmas to you and yours!
Rae says
Lovely!
I’ve been holding myself back but I might have to get it – the swatches are gorgeous and I actually think this would work quite well with my NC15 skin! The blues look fabulous (not to mention, blues are my favourite e/s colour – they really make my eyes pop!) and I’m loving that silver pencil.
Not to mention, the case is HOT.
Thanks for the review, doll. Happy Christmas!
Rae´s last blog post..How does this MUA swap thing work?
Glosslizard says
This set looked great on my cool/pale skin tone, but since I had already splurged on the Dior Twilight quint (which has made all my silver and blue dreams eyeshadow dreams come true <3) I passed. ‘Tis pretty though!
Also excellent for cool tones is my unexpected fave from MAC’s Chill collection, Winter Sky! A lovely mauve-y pink (shiny, but in my favorite MAC shadow texture, veluxe pearl) it is the perfect pink to pair with grays or silvers!
Karen says
Hi Gloria,
I know! It’s a total steal for all those products. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Indian Girl,
Yah, I’ll be using that blue for eyeliner!
What look are you doing?
Karen says
Hi Vampy Varnish,
Blu-Ray is really amazing. It’s kind of shocking to see actors look like real people, huh?
Karen says
Hi Katee,
Me too!
Karen says
Hi Dao,
Oh yah… it’s so detailed you can practically count the pores.
What perfume did you end up getting?
Karen says
Hi Eva,
Awww, bummer that it isn’t available in Germany!
Hancock was a nice surprise. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Karen says
Hi Rae,
You’re welcome! Have a merry Christmas!
Karen says
Hi Glosslizard,
Yeah, that’s a good one. I swatched Winter Sky a few weeks ago before the collection came out and I was immediately drawn to it.
Erin says
OMG I am obsessed with that make-up look from Hancock… it is soooooo hot! I tried to recreate it after seeing the movie. It came out good, but I think I need to be more tan to get the full effect!
veronica says
Hey Karen!
I use a good amount of the Cargo Blu-ray line, and I really love it. I do HD video at work, and the mattifier and pressed powder do a great job.
HOWEVER, the powder isn’t great for shine — you have to reapply pretty constantly under hot lights. The mattifier does help a bit with this issue, but after a few hours you do get a bit of “pancake face,” as I like to call it (all battered up with makeup).
Love the blog, I use your makeups tips a ton! Happy holidays!