Friday 31 January 2014

Sleek Blush-By-3 Cream Blush Palette - Californ.I.A.


Sleek's offering of a cream blush palette is innovative and extremely travel friendly. Each pan contains an emollient cream blush,which are thin and buttery in consistency and last for around 6 hours on a combination skin. These would be perfect spring shades for 2014 but may compliment fairer skin tones the best. 



              L-R : OC, The Surf, Newport Peach.




L-R : OC, The Surf, Newport Peach.

Swatched without a base.



x ~ x

Tuesday 28 January 2014

My Favourite Eyeshadow Highlight | models own Powder Eyeshadow in White Pearl.


I can't believe I've never spoken about this before,but it must have slipped under my radar. This beautiful little drugstore gem has been a firm favourite of mine for almost 3 years now and I know what you're thinking,it looks barely touched. That's because you need so little to get such a great payoff!




White Pearl is a shade I received when I visited The Clothes Show live in 2011. It came in a package of other products,y'know - one of those goody bag type things? 


It's a true pure white pearl colour with micro shimmer and absolutely no glitter chunks.It's smooth,easy to blend and compliments a universal range of eyeshadow looks. A definite staple in even the most basic of make-up kits!

I generally apply this to the inner corners of my eyes to draw light and brighten up the look. This colour also tends to make the whites of the eyes look even whiter,which is always a bonus.


Swatched without a primer.

If you can get your hands on it,go ahead and grab it! From what I have researched though,it may be difficult to find. I wish you the best of beauty luck in any hunt you may pursue.

x ~ x

Sunday 19 January 2014

The Makeup Shake Up | Trying New Things.



When I started out the new year,I vowed to myself that I would begin branching out in makeup. The horribly honest truth of it is,that I simply forget to do so. But I must admit that I'm rather tired of being stuck in the same old rut of using the same things every day! Anyone else guilty too? 

To try and remedy this problem,I've decided to start a personal challenge to use more of the makeup that I already own (Sort of a 'shop my stash' kind of deal),as well as different brands,shades and textures of up and coming products that I may choose to purchase. 

So to begin,I've set up a 'swapping out' station on my desk,where I change up my everyday products each week. Here's a few of the first contenders -





Benefit Erase Paste - 01 Fair. ~ £19.50 

I've been on a slight concealer kick recently and have been meaning to pick this one up for absolutely ages. I haven't tested it out as extensively as I'd like,since I only purchased it around a week ago but from what I can tell,this one is creamy and blends very nicely indeed! The shade is much more pink than I imagined though that works to my advantage.


Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser. ~ £7.99

I have had an addiction to the Nivea Daily Essentials primer for far too long! I thought it was about time I tried some new primers. When this one came to market,I knew it would generate buzz since it's rival is so much more expensive (Benefit Pore-Fessional,anyone?). Though it is similar in it's smooth texture to Benefit's offering,I find it to be a much lighter formula on the skin. My foundation seems to apply more evenly over it too. 


Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick - 'Beehive'. ~ £4.79

Though I stand by my claim of this lipstick being overpriced for what it is,I still like it a lot. The sheer lipstick offers me only a hint of colour but I must admit that I'm becoming more accustomed to wearing these types of products. Even if the hydration isn't out of this world - when I want a fresh makeup look,this will be a great lip product to go to! 



Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick - 'Tantalizing Taupe'. ~ £6.99

Nude lipsticks are a scary place for me. Having naturally very pigmented lips can be both a blessing and a curse when choosing lipstick shades and nudes are the worst! I tend to go for very sheer nudes if any but this one is much more opaque than I'd normally pick up. I intend to use a gloss over the top to tame the look of concealer lips. Wish me luck,people of the internet - this is brand new territory for me,after all.



Topshop Eyeshadow Trio Palette - 'Orion'. ~ £12.00

Before I bought this palette,I had no idea that Topshop even made well pigmented eyeshadows. I'd seen a few blog posts about their four pan palettes and wanted to swatch them but alas,I was sucked in by the beauty of these shades. Each eyeshadow is rich and smooth whilst blending beautifully on the lids! What's more,I've never come across a taupey-brown shade quite like the one in this trio.



I hope that I'll get on well with all of these little beauties - let me know which new products you'll be introducing to your makeup routine!

x ~ x

Wednesday 15 January 2014

{Strictly Swatches} Natural Collection Eyeshadows - Heather & Milk Chocolate.


The Natural Collection by Boots' eyeshadows are soft to touch and blend well on the eyes but can be slightly sheer in pigment. They last well though,and are fairly inexpensive.


Heather - A soft,darker mauve with a satin finish. Great all over lid shade with a satin sheen finish.

Milk Chocolate - A true milk chocolate colour which can appear matte with the tiniest hint of shimmer.






                  Heather                                                                                         Milk Chocolate.

Swatched without a primer.
   L - R : Heather,Milk Chocolate.

x ~ x

Thursday 2 January 2014

{Strictly Swatches} NARS Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo.

The NARS Kalahari duo is a well matched,classic eyeshadow pair which features two warm toned shades that easily compliment a range of skin tones. The formula is smooth,giving off an almost creamy texture to touch. Both shades blend fabulously and are great neutral colours to have in any collection.


 


Swatches without a primer.

x ~ x