Hourglass Visionnaire Eyeshadow Duo - Prism

Packaging gorgeousness at its best

Hourglass have the perfect swivel down!

Hourglass is a brand that I have slowly been getting into (I think my attentions at Zuneta have mainly been towards Rouge Bunny Rouge); so far I only have a couple of products but I would like to try more as I have been impressed with what I have at present.


I was very drawn to this particular palette when seeing swatches as I don't often come across interesting blue shades that are not bright, often blues done badly can look rather whishy-washy. This is not the case with Prism as the texture and pay-off is excellent, with a soft, buttery feel and great pigmentation that deposits a perfectly opaque level of colour with a sophisticated sheen.

L-R: Accessorize Platinum, Hourglass Prism duo

L-R: Accessorize Platinum, Hourglass Prism duo

Out of interest I swatched this next to Accessorize Platinum even though they are different just to see how the tones compare.


The blue side in Prism is a beautiful, soft gray blue that has a fine sheen-shimmer rather then frosty glitz. The black side is a well pigmented matt black shade with fine flecks of shimmer. This side is prone to a little fall-out so I usually apply my foundation after doing my eyes for this duo. The smooth texture on both sides allows the shadows to blend very well together.

The packaging is obviously gorgeous and unique with a fun rotating lid (that I don't really make much use of) that snaps shut in a satisfying way. The little brush provided inside is actually quite nice and soft so I have used it to apply the shadow.

Overall I am really loving this duo - the blue in particular is a shade that speaks to me (this is something I say a lot more with shoes!) and am going to experiment with more to see what colour combos look interesting.

*Purchased by me*

Accessorize Eyeshadows: Platinum, Molten & Chocolate Fondant Swatches

Top -Platinum, Left - Molten, Right - Chocolate Fondant

Accessorize eyeshadows are definitely amongst some of my favourites; the texture is smooth, pigmentation is great and I really like the slim compact packaging which makes it easier to store and flick through if I have them standing.
Here are a few more shades that I have accumulated:

Platinum

Molten

Chocolate Fondant

Platinum is an interesting mix of silver with bluey-green tones, not what I had envisioned by something named Platinum, but lovely all the same. The finish with this is slightly frosty/metallic.

Molten is a beautiful burgundy with interesting warmth to it that makes it appear it slightly browner in some lights. This one isn't frosty like Platinum, it has more of a sheen finish. Quite a pretty and versatile shade.

Chocolate Fondant is a rich, warm brown. The texture of this one is a bit more butter-crumble? What I mean is that it is buttery, but when taking some from pan to brush it seems to come off with slightly particle bits (kind of reminds me a little of MAC Solar bits). It doesn't really effect the pay-off, but it looks a bit more dimensional rather then flat chocolate and gives it an added slight metallic kind of effect.

Top-Bottom: Molten, Chocolate Fondant, Platinum

*Purchased by me*

YSL Waterproof Eye Pencil: The Perfect Black Pencil for a Not-So-Perfect Look & Black Eyeliner Comparison

YSL recently released their new waterproof eye pencils and despite some beautiful colours I went for black. Black eye pencils are not something I regularly wear - I tend to go for gel/liquid liners or for pencils dark blue (MAC Blooz was my first eye pencil), purple or dark brown shades, but with YSL, I think I will be reaching for black a lot more.

YSL Waterproof Eye Pencil is wonderful to use - it has so much glide (more so then UD) that you barely need to touch the skin to get an impressively pigmented black line. This has a smooth, almost gel liner consistency, but is not the best texture for sharper, precise lines (although I would use a normal pot gel liner or liquid liner for this purpose). It is great for an intense line and I find it easier to achieve that 'not so perfect' dark, slightly smudgey look. Even though the pencil is soft, it does have good hold and stays on very well and it is only if I rub it, it smudges a tiny bit (but not enough that it fades the look of the line as it still retains the darkness). I find the wear to be better then the other black liners I have swatched so I need an oil/balm to remove this.  

 

L-R: YSL, MAC Feline, MAC Black Russian, UD Zero

The YSL and MAC Feline are the blackest out of the swatches, I would say that Feline looks to be a more truer black - the YSL even though black, leans ever so slightly blue in tone which is something I really love about this because it is more evident on the eye (especially in certain light) and I feel that this tone gives slightly more of a contrast against my skintone and makes the colour stand out more. MAC feline was my go-to shade as it is an intense shade with a rich, kohl texture, great for smoky looks but I have been reaching only for the YSL since I got it. Both of these I don't use right in the inner corners as sometimes the colour can creep into the corner which is the only negative I have.

I am not sure why I included Black Russian but thought it might be interesting to see anyway as it has a lovely gunmetal tone with fine shimmer where as the others are straight black. I used to think Urban Decay's Zero was pretty black, but up against the others it doesn't have nearly the same intensity and pigmentation I had once thought.

Natural light: Bottom-Top: YSL, MAC Feline, MAC Black Russian, UD Zero

Flash: Bottom-Top: YSL, MAC Feline, MAC Black Russian, UD Zero

I feel that I have sort of rediscovered a love of the black pencil with YSL, it is more of what I had been looking for in a black pencil (which sounds a bit dramatic but is true).

*All purchased by me*

Dior Vernis - 386 Pink Aristocrat

Please excuse the hideously dry hands, they need a bit of rescuing!

Pink Artistocrat is a classic lightish-medium pink that leans a minuscule fraction purple in tone depending on the light. It's not particularly exciting, but it is a pretty shade with a faint pearl finish that Dior does really well. Applies evenly with no streaks and 2 coats is plenty for good coverage.


I am looking forward to seeing the new Rock Your Nails collection as I have a bit of a weakness for Dior polishes, more so then Chanel as they usually come up with some interesting shades in quality formulas.

*Purchased by me. The black background is my TV screen..Oddly it represents the colour better then my other pics*

Priti NYC Nail Polish - Fairy Thimbles

natural light

with flash

When the Cult Beauty pop-up was in Selfridges several weeks back I purchased this polish by Priti NYC in Fairy Thimbles (love the name). I had been intrigued by this line for a while as they seemed to have some interesting shades from what I have seen from online pictures.

Fairy Thimbles is a light blue that leans a little grey depending on the light and has a very faint pearl finish rather then being a complete creme. It applies very well and 2 coats gives complete coverage. I had this on for 3 days and I am now getting a few chips but generally it a has held up rather well.

I also purchased Priti's soy nail polish remover as well although I have a little of my Zoya Remove+ left  before I give this a go. I know this gets off the Priti polishes as I tested it out at the pop-up but I want to see how it fairs with other brands, and more importantly - chunky glitter!

Priti NYC is available at cultbeauty.co.uk

Disclaimer: Purchased by me

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks: Ultra Darling & Can't Get Enough

Thursday I popped by my local MAC counter after work to see the new collections. I wasn't particularly taken with anything from Wonderwoman but I did test out the new Sheen Supreme lipsticks which are gorgeous as the texture is like if a Tendertone was made into a lipstick - so creamy, moisturising feel, lovely sheen and semi-sheer to medium level of colour. The MA on the counter said these are replacing the Slimshines so they are being made permanent but she wasn't sure if these new colours were going to be part of the permanent line.

There were several colours that I really liked the look of but I got Ultra Darling and Can't Get Enough.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick - Ultra Darling

Ultra Darling is a lovely pink grapefruit/fruit punch pink sort of shade that brightens the lips a little in a natural way but overall because of the semi-sheer texture is not too bright. It's a pretty spring/summer shade that I would imagine suits many skintones. This colour to me is a must-have and I hope it's one they make permanent.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick - Can't Get Enough

Can't Get Enough is a tan beige nude shade which is warm toned so it sits well against my skin. It is a bit paler then my natural lip colour so I have to make sure that my lips don't look dry as it can emphasise this a bit. Overall a great neutral shade to add to my other similar types of colours!

Natural light Top- Ultra Darling, Bottom - Can't Get Enough

Flash

Ultra Darling applied

Can't Get Enough applied

These are a great addition to MAC's lipstick lineup, the only slight negative is the scent - these don't have much of a scent (to my nose anyway), but there is a slight mild type of scent like a faint hint of their regular lipstick vanilla scent mixed with an old, gone off lipstick smell. It is very mild and not enough to put me off, but I do find it a bit strange, if only they smelled as good as the Tendertones did. Speaking of Tendertones, I wonder if MAC will bring these back anytime soon?

Lily Lolo Foundation: Butterscotch, Warm Honey and Cookie Swatches

I love a good mineral foundation; I don't feel the need to worry if my foundation is clogging my pores and they are quite amazing in the way they blend naturally into the skin. I am still sorely tempted by liquid foundations and the majority in my collection are liquid, but I do love the mineral variety and usually alternate between the two.

Before Christmas I bought some sample size pots of foundation from Lily Lolo in which you get a generous amount that lasts a few weeks of use.
I bought the shades Butterscotch, Warm Honey and Cookie.

My skin has yellow undertones (in MAC I vary between NC40-42) and also because of my acne scarring/spots I have marks that are quite red in colour, I like to get a good base shade that counteracts this redness.

Butterscotch

natural light

with flash

Butterscotch appears to be the lightest shade of the three and has the strongest yellow tones (the yellow leans ever so slightly cooler). I actually prefer using this shade more towards the centre of my face (cheeks, middle of forehead) rather then all over as these areas tend to have slightly more redness then the rest of my face, and this shade is good for counteracting that. Overall it is a little bit light for me but I can still use up this sample as it blends well into the skin. 

Warm Honey

natural light

with flash

Warm Honey is a slightly more warmer toned beige which still has yellow tones that are not as strong as those of Butterscotch. In terms of light and dark, I think it appears slightly darker then Butterscotch only because it leans a tiny bit warmer in tone. Warm Honey is a better match for my skintone and blends well on all areas of my face, and also matches well into my neck area which is a little lighter then my face (sometimes if I try to use something that matches my face, it ends up looking darker then my neck area and therefore a bit odd).

Cookie

Cookie is a little bit darker then Warm Honey, and is the more warmer toned beige. Even though it is ever so slightly darker I think I can get away with it as it blends well although I think I would prefer this shade for the summer.

Heavily swatched L-R Butterscotch, Warm Honey, Cookie

Blended out

Heavily swatched they look so obviously light on my hand but when blended they look natural and the differences between the shades are very subtle, although Cookie seems to be the one that matches my hand, but when I apply them onto my face Warm Honey is the best match.
 
The foundation itself has fairly good coverage (semi-sheer to medium) so I do still need concealer, and is excellent for evening out the skin.  I can be a bit more heavy handed with it and it still looks natural and not powdery/cakey. Another reason this is becoming a favourite is that it lasts longer on me then other mineral foundations I have used in the past - I still need to powder my t-zone but generally it wears well throughout the day without becoming greasy or turning orange. 

I have just ordered the full-size of Warm Honey as my little sample has almost run out and I have enjoyed using this. It is definitely one of the better mineral foundations I have tried.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Silk Aether Cream Eyeshadow Batiste Grayling

I had been meaning to do this post sooner as I purchased this quite recently from Zuneta, but I have been away a few days (and been internet free and rather oblivious to any online happenings) and have left a lot till I got back. Anyway, back to beauty and the new Rouge Bunny Rouge Silk Aether Long-Lasting Cream Eyeshadow in Batiste Grayling.

When I first heard that RBR were releasing a cream shadow, I had envisioned a pot formed shadow maybe a bit like Benefit's creaseless cream shadows with their beautiful illustrations on the lid. In reality the packaging is just as beautiful as the rest of RBR's range as it comes in a compact tube form with a sponge tip applicator. Although I think if I were to have a few of these it would be tricky to tell the colours apart quickly as the tube is not see-through and the label at the bottom is small.

When I read the descriptions of the shades, Batiste Grayling was the one I was drawn to as I really like grey eyeshadows, I think they are very flattering to brown eyes and I quite like the contrast between a cool toned colour and my skintone.

Left - Heavy swatch, Right - blended out

Batiste Grayling is a mid-grey shade with no noticeable shimmer, more of a silky natural matt finish. It is a light cream texture that gives enough time to blend but it does dry in place without actually feeling drying on the skin.  It works well both in lighter and heavier applications - if I use it lightly the colour blends quite naturally into my darker lids so I get a more subtle grey shade but used more intensely the colour does go quite opaque. The staying power of this is good - on my very oily lids it lasted fairly well, a little creasing towards late afternoon, but no greasiness. I have also tried this as a base and it does make eyeshadows last a little longer, but I think I still prefer my anti-crease combo (ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer and Bloom Eye Paint) as a base.

Overall I am really happy with this, as it is versatile and comfortable to wear - which is something I appreciate with many of Rouge Bunny Rouge's products.

Purchased by me