Holiday Beauty Buys

Even though I don't need any more opportunities to buy more beauty bits, I cannot go on holiday without getting something so when I was away for a couple of weeks recently in Canada and the US, there were a few things on my wishlist to get.

I had my eye on the MAC 286 brush for some time, it seemed like the perfect brush for blending undereye concealer and that's exactly what I've been using it for. It has a good firmness so it doesn't flop about but still is soft and workable. The duo fibres lend themselves well to getting diffused and naturally blended edges.

Walgreens was right across the street from the hotel we were staying at in Las Vegas so it turned into a midnight trip (as they are open 24hrs). Even though there is an incredible selection of drugstore lines, I only bought Maybelline's Color Tattoo Shimmering Seas (115) which is a limited edition shade in a beautiful golden beige with aqua shimmer to it. I already have a few of these eyeshadows and love the formula so I know this will get a lot of use. I now wish I'd picked up the other LE shade as well as this swatches much nicer than how it looks from outside.

Maybelline's Color Elixir gloss in Celestial Coral (010) is a beautiful medium coral pink semi-sheer gloss. As there are no testers I chose a 'safe' colour that I know I will use.

Even though Sephora now ship to the UK there is nothing like seeing the products in person and the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Honeymoon Honey has been on my list since testing it in Toronto on holiday last year. It is quite a unique formula that feels light, hydrating and cooling, with a natural flush of colour.

Another item I tested last year and have had on my mind since then is TokyoMilk's Tainted Love Shea Butter Handcreme. It's really the scent that took me in with his hand cream as it is fragranced with Dark Vanilla Bean, Orchid, White Tea and Sandalwood so it's a slightly more deeper and sensual scent that I love. The formula itself is quite light and silky and absorbs easily into the skin.

Makeup Forever Smoky Lash and Anastasia Brow Wiz are products I've wanted to try for ages and Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray is a product Liana Beauty mentioned on her blog that had me curious as it's meant to be completely invisible. I haven't yet found a dry shampoo I've been completely happy with so have high hopes for this.

I was holding out on buying the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes until my holiday as I had tested them previously and Diffused Heat was the one I was immediately drawn to as it's a lovely radiant brightening shade with good payoff.

I hadn't intended to get anything from Bath and Body Works but my sister was eager to get these Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels so naturally curiosity got the better of me and I also picked up several of these cute little bursts of scent for on the go use.

Some last minute duty-free buys were a cosmetic bag and and fragrance mist from Victoria's Secret. I really like the choice of toiletry bags they have and this one is such a lovely tropical print and has two handy clear zip compartments. Bombshells in Bloom Fragrance Mist is a nice, sweet floral fruity scent that's perfect for my bag.

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

I'll leave you with one of my favourite things in Las Vegas. Day or night, these fountains are stunning.

Dark Taupe-Brown Eyeshadow Comparison

I have several eyeshadow shades that I know are very similar and it's only after I've bought them I've thought to myself 'I hope I haven't ended up with the same eyeshadow', so I've done a comparison to see.

These are all in the dark taupey brown category - my instant go-to for smoky eyes/outer corner and crease blends.

From top left clockwise: Burberry Taupe Brown, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Une Sfumato Eyes S11

Bottom-Top: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

L-R: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

L-R: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

The Rouge Bunny Rouge and Burberry are the most pigmented shades and the ones that look very similar, but on closer inspection the Burberry Taupe Brown (07) is a touch warmer (maybe a tiny bit green) toned where as the Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay (045) looks a very tiny bit darker and more neutral than warm.

I adore the quality of both of these shades and the texture is equally as smooth and impressive in one swipe although the RBR is just that tiny bit smoother, although I don't think there is much in it. Blackpepper Jay I haven't had as long where as the Burberry is the first one I bought from the four shades so I have used this much more and it is one of my favourite eyeshadows.

The Une Sfumato S11 is one of Une's better pigmented shades although not quite as pigmented as RBR or Burberry. It looks to be a lighter and more warmer brown-toned version of Blackpepper Jay. Even though matte, it has a subtle sheen to it whereas RBR and Burberry are very much matte.

The Une I have had to make a few passes to get a bit more intensity but I think the sheerer texture works well for layering and when I don't want as strong a look.

I've already recently reviewed the Revlon CustomEyes palette here, but thought I'd see how the darkest shade looks in comparison. This is more pigmented than the Une and has a similar warm tone like the Burberry but with a subtle sheen that is visible when the light hits it.

I like all of these shades and even though some are more similar than others, they are not exact dupes so I don't feel too bad owning them all!

Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette Review

I went to check out the new Revlon lip butters but my eyes were also drawn to this palette with my favourite colour combo of browns. I think this is new as I don't remember seeing it previously.

It's a lovely compact size with a pretty selection of natural shades with good pigmentation. I really like the embossing on the powder which gives it a little bit more interest and is a detail that grabbed my attention initially. The texture is smooth and fairly buttery although the first shade on the left and the middle paler shade are a little powdery than the others.

Shade 1 is a dark, almost black brown which is more matte than the other shades. Shade 2 is a deep, warm brown,  Shade 3 in the middle is a pale creamy beige sort of colour,  Shade 4 is a rich, chocolately slightly red-toned brown and the last shade is a pretty golden brown.

I always get good use from these kind of colours and they are ones I reach for instinctively in my collection, especially when I'm in a hurry.

There are 2 other colour variants I saw - one of which was more blue based and another that I was also tempted by which had a beautiful deep green and purple.

The palette is £7.99 which I think is rather good for the quality and range of colours.

I purchased this from Boots.

Smoky MAC Hyperviolet FOTD

Today I've gone for quite a simple eye look with MAC's Hyperviolet Paint Pot which is a gorgeous bruised plum type shade. I'm really enjoying these deep red-purple shades for autumn and this eye combination is one I rather liked and thought I'd share.

I've started off with a base of Bloom's Eye Paint in Chocolate which is a staple (review here) that I reach for almost everyday. These past few months I've noticed my eyelids are not as oily as before so I don't use my ELF eyeshadow primer so much underneath the Bloom eye paint.

On 3/4 of the lid and slightly on lower lash line I've applied MAC Paint Pot in Hyperviolet with a concealer brush then blended out the edges with a MAC 217. On the inner corner I've used Illamasqua's Fat Pencil in Fickle which is another favourite as the gold is on a slightly darker, duller side which seems to blend into my skintone and texture more nicely for a more softer golden look.

I've used MAC Feline pencil on the upper lash line and a little on the outer lower lash line then used a eye smudge brush to soften the line. The mascara is a sample of Chanel's Inimitable Intense which I got with a purchase a while back. I wasn't overly keen on the original Inimitable but I really like this Intense version as the formula is light and slightly creamy but not wet and really gives a dark lash look with good volume and separation.

Complete look:

Products used:

W3LL People Narcissist foundation stick No.5 (review here) all over face set with a little MUFE HD powder.
MAC Sculpt & Shape Powder in Accentuate/Sculpt - I've used the highlighter side on the tops of my cheeks.
Nouba Earth Powder 51 - As blush/bronzer. This deserves it's own post as it's another firm favourite of mine.
Chanel Glossimer in Giggle on lips
Chanel Crayon Sourcil in 60 Noir Cendre to fill in brows

L-R: Chanel Giggle Glossimer, Illamasqua Fat Pencil Fickle, Chanel Crayon Sourcil 60 Noir Cendre, MAC Feline pencil, MAC Hyperviolet Paint Pot

MAC Me Over Purchases & FOTD

It's been a while since I've purchased anything new from MAC as not really anything from recent collections has grabbed me but I did check out the new collections on Thursday and bought a few bits.

My favourite thing is probably the Fluidlines from the MAC Me Over collection as the colours are so deep and gorgeous. I also purchased an eyeshadow and a Pro Longwear lip pencil from the Style Driven collection which I am also very impressed with.

L-R: Pro Long Wear Lip Pencil -Absolutely It, Dark Diversion Fluidline, Midnight Blues Fluidline, Carbonized eyeshadow

Pro Long Wear Lip Pencil -Absolutely It

This is a very pretty medium pink with a slight warmth of brown to it that makes a great 'my lips but better' shade. It has a subtle silky metallic sheen that adds a little dimension and brightness to the shade. I think that these do have a good pigmentation and hold on the lips so they last longer then their standard lip pencils. I do use a lipbalm underneath as they feel a little drying. Despite this I would like some of the other colours as I like using their lip pencils instead of matte lipstick.

Dark Diversion Fluidline
A deep, dark burgundy shade that is not overly warm or cool. A really great shade for autumn/winter and feels very rich.

Midnight Blues Fluidline
This looks a little brighter in my pic but this is a deep blue with a bit of a green tone.

Carbonized eyeshadow
A deep brown with a slight golden sheen - a great neutral shade that I know I will get lots of use from. 

I used the Dark Diversion Fluidline today and I really love this look as it makes a lovely change from standard black liner.

Rest of products on eyes:

Hourglass Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo in Suede (lighter shade inner corner, darker shade all over lid), MAC Chromagraphic Pencil NW25/NC30 on waterline, Maxfactor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara*, Korres Brow Pencil 01.

Full Face:

 

Rest of products used:

Lily Lolo Foundation - Warm Honey
Guerlain Terracotta Touch 02 - under eyes
MAC Blush - Breath of Plum
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil - Absolutely It - all over lips

*PR Sample

My Favourite Highlighting & Glowy Eyeshadows

I have quite a few eyeshadows that I like to reach for when highlighting and creating more glowy makeup looks so thought I'd share some of my favourites.

From left to right:

1st row: K by Beverley Knight 04, Barry M Dazzle Dust 39 Tan, Barry M Dazzle Dust 8 Silver Iridescent.
2nd row: Illamasqua Furore, MAC All That Glitters, MAC Shadestick Butternutty.
3rd row: NARS Nepal, NYX Champagne, Everyday Minerals On the Phone.
4th row: Rouge Bunny Rouge Firetailed Sunbird, Urban Decay Virgin & Sin from the Naked Palette, NYX Sahara.

K by Beverley Knight Eyeshadow - 04

Unfortunately this range is no longer available (although I have spotted a few bits reduced online).

This is a lovely peach shade that has a very smooth and nicely pigmented texture (unfortunately my pic doesn't quite do it justice). It has a satiny/slight shimmer sheen to the finish. A versatile shade that definitely gives a glowy feel to the lids.

Barry M Dazzle Dust - 39 Tan

A beautiful warm tan shade full of shimmer. I am a fan of the Dazzle Dusts and even though many of them are quite full-on, as the texture/shimmer pigment is fine I can blend them out or use with other shades for more wearable looks. I like using Tan mostly on the inner corner to add a nice glowy highlight or a sheer wash all over the lid.

Barry M Dazzle Dust - 8 Silver Iridescent

A silvery white shimmer shade that initially I thought would look a bit disco ball but I only use a very small amount on the inner corner and it adds a very pretty hint of pale shimmer. As this is not too densely packed I can get away with a sheer wash of colour.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment - Furore

I think this is one of Illamasqua's must-have pigments. In real life it looks similar to Barry M Tan but this is lighter and has a bit of depth that gives it quite a rich feel. Texture is very fine and wonderfully pigmented. Again this one looks more amazing in real life then in my swatch pic.

MAC Eyeshadow - All That Glitters

One of my favourite shadows by MAC. It's a warm and frosty golden tan shade that has a good level of pigment.

MAC Shadestick - Butternutty

This was a limited edition shade but I think this is being repromoted in one of the upcoming collections. This is a pale golden shade that I like to use to line the waterline and also in the inner corner.

NARS Eyeshadow - Nepal

This was my first NARS eyeshadow and is my favourite of theirs. It is an unusual warm tan with a slight dusky pink tone. If I'm in a hurry and not sure what to use, this is one I can quickly use all over the lid and it just adds a soft, natural glow to the lid. On my NC40/42ish colouring, and as my lids are a little bit darker then my face, this works as a subtle highlight on the inner corner. 

NYX Eyeshadow - Champagne

When I want something a little more refined then All That Glitters, I like reaching for this as it has a decent level of pigment and still gives a nice golden sheen to the lids. 

Everyday Minerals Eyeshadow - On the Phone

An unusual pale, dusky, mauvey sort of colour that has very fine shimmer that looks quite subtle when applied. I like the shimmer in mineral eyeshadows as they have a wonderful depth that is not glittery.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Long Lasting Eyeshadow - Fire-tailed Sunbird

I have reviewed this shade before here. It is one of the slightly more unique shades as it has an interesting and very pretty mix of pink and peach. As with all RBR's eyeshadows, it's beautifully soft and well pigmented.

Urban Decay Virgin & Sin from the Naked Palette

Virgin is quite a pale, cool toned shade that has a very subtle iridescent sheen to it. This one I use slightly on the inner corner or layered on top of other shades as I think it is a bit pale on it's own for my colouring. Sin is a slightly frosty pale pinky toned champagne sort of shade that is richly pigmented and smooth.

NYX Eyeshadow - Sahara

Sahara is a warm, creamy shade that has a satin matte finish. This is one I like to as a inner corner highlight.

L-R:

1- NYX Sahara, 2- NYX Champagne, 3- Everyday Minerals On the Phone, 4- MAC Butternutty, 5- RBR Firetailed Sunbird, 6- MAC All That Glitters, 7- Illamasqua Furore, 8- Barry M Tan, 9- Barry M Silver Iridescent, 10- UD Virgin, 11- UD Sin, 12- Beverley Knight 04.

Apologies for the long post, I couldn't quite narrow down the selection as I love them all!

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue (pic heavy)

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue

Jumping on the Eyes To Kill bandwagon, I recently purchased shade 1 which is Blast of Blue (don't know why the name isn't mentioned on the actual packaging).

These shadows are in their own league as from testing these on counter they are simply stunning and have an unusual, almost creamy metallic powder consistency. There is such depth and interesting mix of tones that it is difficult to pick just one as some others that I immediately liked were Pulp Fiction (4) and Purpura (3).  I would love to own them all but the £24.50 price tag is the highest I've ever paid for a single eyeshadow.

Flash: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue Swatch

Natural light: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow: 1 Blast of Blue Swatch

Blast of Blue is a mid silvery blue combined with gold to create an interesting mix that in some lights takes on a subtle aqua tone.
What really impressed me about this shade was how well the colour translated from the jar to my eyelids as it remained pretty true to how swatches. Some eyeshadows that have a duo tone don't really show up when applied whereas this is so rich that I get equal amounts of blue and gold shining through.

I have done a simple eye look with this all over the lid and halfway in on lower lash line then a little Mary Quant eyeshadow blended in outer corner and outer lower lash line (I think the shade is B-06, but not 100% sure as this is a custom palette and I threw the single pan packaging away).

Mary Quant Eyeshadow B-06 (top middle pan)

Top: Mary Quant B-06, Bottom GA

I have lined the upper lash line slightly with YSL waterproof eye pencil in black, the waterline with MAC Shadestick in Butternutty and the mascara is GA Eyes to Kill Excess.

Natural light, no flash

Natural light, no flash

With flash

Complete look

Other products used:
Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer in NSA on blemishes
MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW35 on undereyes
Lily Lolo foundation in Warm Honey
Illamasqua Powdered Metal in Erzule
MAC Lipglass in Style Warrior

I bought Blast of Blue from the Giorgio Armani counter in House of Fraser Westfield.

No7 Sunset Metallic Eye Palette FOTD

When it came to spending my No7 £5 off voucher there was one product that I already had my eye on from testing instore beforehand, so that is what I ended up getting:

The Sunset Metallic Eye Palette is part of No7's summer collection and consists of 4 metallic/shimmer type shades.

No7 Sunset Metallic Eye Palette - Flash

No7 Sunset Metallic Eye Palette - no flash

No7 Sunset Metallic Eye Palette Swatches

L-R: Dark, blackened green shade with hints of golden shimmer, the next is a golden tan shade, then a pale gold shade with frosty shimmer and lastly a golden olive green with a golden sheen finish.

The dark black/green and the olive green shades are more smoother and better pigmented with a slightly more pearl sheen shimmer then the two golden shades which have less refined shimmer particles and need to be built up a bit more to get a good payoff. I think these work better when layered over the darker shades.

The two green shades are more unique then the golds and are what drew me to this palette, overall I really like the colours and they are quite easy to blend and work with.

I have used the light gold in the inner corner and inner half of lower lash line, then the golden olive shade all over the lid, the darker black/green on the outer corner and lining lower lash line and then the tan golden shade blended on top in the centre and crease. When blended together the colours sort of remind me of Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird eyeshadow although that is much more metallic looking.

I have lined the upper lash line with Rouge Bunny Rouge Anthracite Essence liner and the mascara is Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Excess (this is a sample I got with a purchase).

Rest of products used:
MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NW35 - undereyes
Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer pencil in NSA - on blemishes
Lily Lolo Mineral foundation in Warm Honey
Beauty UK Baked Blush in Baked Peach
Rouge Bunny Rouge Gleaming Temptations Lipgloss - No Strings Attached

Bright Purple EOTD (well, yesterday:)

I fancied something brighter yesterday so my mind went straight to my Barry M Dazzle Dusts!
I have a matte purple shade (LED 2) that is one of my favourites as it is well pigmented and really livens up the eyes. Unfortunately, I think this was a limited edition colour and am not sure if you can still get it (sorry!)

The lighter purple has faded a bit on the centre of lid (this is at end of day)

 

I think that it does look a little brighter in real life but generally I do like the way the purple really stands out, using the Barry M pigment first then working the other colours on top intensifies this well.

Products used:

Bloom Eye Paint - Chocolate - as a base
Barry M Dazzle Dust - LED 2 - used middle of lid to inner corner and lining upper and lower lash line
Barry M Dazzle Dust 34 Cherry - mid to outer lid
Myface Blingtone - Purple Haze - centre of lid
Everyday Minerals Pearl Beige concealer - as inner corner highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner - Lust - to line upper and lower lash line
Rouge Bunny Rouge Quartz Eyeliner Anthracite Essence to finely line upper lash line
Boots 17 Photo Flawless Mascara - Top lashes and a bit on bottom lashes.