All posts in Swatches

Top 10 Drugstore Nude Lipsticks!

May 26, 2012

I have been meaning to do a Drugstore Favourites Series for a while now. I thought I would get the ball rolling with a video on my favourite nude lipsticks! Swatches below :)

httpvh://youtu.be/gtAl0jKemdw

Products Mentioned (swatches below)

NYX Circe
NYX Honey
Rimmel Spotlight Beige
Boots Natural Collection Appleblossom
e.l.f Nicely Nude
Barry M 101 Marshamallow
Revlon Nude Attitude (matte)
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Bare Necessity
Revlon Smooth Nude
Victoria Secret Scrumptuous
Bourjois Rose Romanesque

Swatches

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Make Up For Ever Smoky Palette Swatches & Review

February 29, 2012

Love, love, love!

Make Up For Ever Smoky palette is going to be a favourite of mine for a long, long time.

When I first saw the palette I thought it looked quite small but upon opening I oohed and aahed like nobody’s business. There is no filler in this palette, just poor beauty. There are 8 shades, a highlight, a peach, brown, rust, blue, green, purple and a very intense black.

Here are some swatches…

I was expecting the browns to be a little boring after seeing how gorgeous the rich toned shadows were. I couldn’t have been more wrong. They are unique, pigmented and have a gorgeous satin finish. As mentioned, the black is extremely intense – any smoky eye fans will adore it.

There are no shimmery, glittery shades. This palette is pure business. Most of the shadows are between a satin and a matte. They are easy to work with, intensely pigmented. The best thing for me is the combination possibilities – any one shade in the palette works in harmony or contrasts with any of the others. For these reasons it’s money well spent. It’s €45 which isn’t bad for 8 Make Up For Ever shadows. This is an investment in my opinion. Something I will have for years and will come back to again and again.

The palette also comes with two brushes. Usually the brushes in kits are a bit crappy but these are professional quality. My only criticism is that both brushes are flat shaders, although they’re both different sizes. A fluffy brush would have been useful since it’s a smoky eye kit and blending is key.

I know Make Up For Ever can be hard to get a hold of in the UK but luckily for us we have a MUFE shop on Clarendon Street in Dublin. Of course it’s widely available in Sephora across the US – when can we have a Sephora? Seriously.

Video tutorial to follow me thinks :)

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A MAC haul to start off the New Year…

January 1, 2012

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the festivities over the past few weeks. Like most of I’m sure, my house is still chocker with boxes of sweets and yummies. Mine will be swiftly dealt out amongst my family before I savage through them. Santa treated me to a few new make-up bits so I’ll post about them over the next few days. I am also thinking about my beauty resolutions so when I have committed I’ll share. Anyone get any new make-up?

Back to business…what better way to start a new year of blogging than with a MAC haul :) I haven’t been in MAC for quite a while so I was expecting to feel overcome with greed. Instead I left underwhelmed but with a bag containing a few items that had been on my list for a while.

Clockwise from top left – Trax, Rice Paper, Well Dressed Blush, Fillament, Shale.

Well Dressed Blush - it’s predecessor smashed into a million pieces. I popped all the remnants I could salvage back into the pan and attempted to use it as normal. I ended up with blobs of pink all over my face. This is a smooth true soft pink. It is just beautiful. If you’re after a natural soft pink flush, buy it. It’s perfect.

Rubenesque Paint Pot – Golden Peach with gold pearl. This one has been on my list for ages. I use Painterly Paint Pot almost every day but wanted one that is pretty enough to be worn alone. This is it! Pure class.

Shale Eyeshadow -Satin finish. Mauve-plum with subtle shimmer.This is a beautiful looking shade of plum with greyish tones. It’s not as pigmented as many of MAC’s other satin finish shadows. I applied it in the crease over a pink. The result was amazing unfortunately it made my eyes look sore. This is one for brown, green or hazel eyes – would make a great alternative smokey eye shade.

Trax Eyeshadow – Velvet Finish. Burgundy plum with gold shimmer. So far, quite a bit of fallout, even over primer and it’s not that pigmented. There is no intensity to this shade despite it’s beauty in the pan. However it does reflect nicely in the light. Once again, made for green eyes. I regret this one.

Fillament Eyeshadow – Lustre finish. This is described as a platinum silver, I don’t think that is an accurate description. It’s gorgeous in the pan! It’s even gorgeous when you swatch it under the store lights. Unfortunately, the fall-out is ridiculous. There is also very little colour pay-off and far too much shimmer chunks! If you’re looking for silver check out Silver Ring or Electra.

Rice Paper Eyeshadow – Frost finish. This is a peachy gold with shimmer. I Love it! This shadow is almost buttery and very blendable. Much better than a stark white for highlighting the inner eye.

Here are a few swatches I took in natural light…

Left to Right: Fillament, Rice Paper, Shale, Trax, Well Dressed.

Rubenesque Paint Pot

Thoughts on any of these? Combinations?

Dying to know if anyone got a any new make-up!! Off to work on my beauty resolutions. Catch you ladies later.

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My MAC Neutral Palette… (Video, Review, Swatches, Favourites, Combos)

December 22, 2011

I promised a video on my my mac neutral palette months ago. I’m only just getting around to it now. I know, I’m a disgrace.

I’ll start with some swatches and leave the video at the bottom of the post….

Row 1: Phloof, Shroom, All That Glitters, Omega Patina, Mythology

Row 2: Woodwinked, Tempting, Mulch, Sable, Satin Taupe, Tempting

Row 3: Antiqued, Beautyburst, Coppering, Fashion Groupie, Twinks, Embark, 100 Strokes

Row 4: Coppering, Sketch, Beautymarked, Cemetry, Club

Left to Right: Phloof, Shroom, All That Glitters, Omega Patina, Mythology

Left to Right: Woodwinked, Tempting, Mulch, Sable, Satin Taupe, Tempting

Left to Right: Antiqued, Beautyburst, Coppering, Fashion Groupie, Twinks, Embark, 100 Strokes

Left to Right: Coppering, Sketch, Beautymarked, Mystery, Club

And for the video….

httpvh://youtu.be/9MhYBRgDg7Q

http://youtu.be/9MhYBRgDg7Q

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A Red Lipstick sort of a Day…

November 29, 2011

I felt like donning a red lipstick today. Don’t ask me why, it just felt right :) I haven’t worn red in a really long time. I tend to apply it and then change my mind. Not today.

I opted for Lancome’s new collaboration with Kate Winslet – Rouge L’Absolu Rouge BX in 132 Caprice.

Here’s a rough application to give you an idea of the colour…

And a full face shot – beware there is very little other make-up left on my face…

This is such an old-time glamour shade, but with a more modern finish. Although it’s intense, it’s very wearable and works very well on fair skin. It also smells lovely, in an old-school way. This shade makes me want to don a vintage dress and paint the town red.

The finish is satiny. It’s very easy to apply, in fact the shape of the lipstick means you could by-pass the liner entirely (although I always wear one with red). It also lasted well on my lips, hours in fact and it’s not drying at all.

I love the packaging – sleek. The magnetic closure is a god send, I wish all lippies came with one.

This collection was created with Kate Winslet in aid of the Golden Hat Foundation. I blogged about the collection recently if you haven’t seen it. (Link)

Do you have a favourite red?

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Video – Review of Benefit Cha Cha Tint

August 27, 2011

My go-to blusher of choice for the past month has been Benefit Cha Cha Tint. It was high time for a video review.

httpvh://youtu.be/6OeHSx-8L5Y

Have you tried it? What do you think?

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Loving NYX Lipglosses

June 16, 2011

You all know how much of a lip gloss junkie I am. But I am by no means a lipgloss snob, I have a mix of high end and budget friendly tubes in my collection – I enjoy them all.

I’ve been enjoying NYX lip glosses for the past few weeks. They’re cheap and pretty.

Whipped, Kiss, Pink, Baby Pink

And some swatches…

Whipped, Kiss, Pink, Baby Pink

All in all, I like the NYX lip glosses that I have tried. Bear in mind that they’re sheer rather than creamy consistency, although not as sheer as I expected. They aren’t sticky either, of course that means they don’t last very long on the lips. No matter how much I spend on a lip gloss I tend to reapply it regularly anyway.

I have been wearing Pink over MAC’s Creme de Nude lipstick all week. It’s quite a bright gloss, much more pigmented than you would expect. I also like wearing Baby Pink over lipsticks. It’s very pretty over Creme Cup and Angel.

I got my glosses from Beauty Fragrances, it’s a British site but they ship to Ireland.

What are your thoughts on NYX’s lipglosses? Have you a favourite?

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Sugarpill Cosmetics – MUFE alternatives?

May 24, 2011

I got my hands on some Sugarpill Cosmetics from Cocktail Cosmetics. So far, I’m very impressed. Thought you might like a gander :)

I got two single pressed eye shadows and one gorgeous palette.

How fabulous is the packaging!

Addicted to Pretty Eye Palette – Sweet Heart…

Sweet Heart has four shades -Tako (Matte white), Dollypop (Matte fuchsia), Midori (frosty grass green) and Afterparty (Frosty blue with a hint of aqua).

All of the shadows are very pigmented and easy to apply. They can be worn alone or layered together. To get the full effect I like to pack on the colour with a flay shader brush, fluffy is just messy when you’re dealing with brights.

The palette itself is very strong and durable, much more so than a mac palette. Very professional in presentation. The pans are also magnetic and can be moved around or added into a larger palette.

Pressed Eye Shadows in Poisen Plum and Buttercup…

These are pretty similar to Make Up For Ever shadows in my opinion! They are just as pigmented, they’re the same size but they’re cheaper. Remember of course that I can only speak for the shadows I have tried.

I also really love the packaging – sturdy and urban. I’m on board.

And now to the swatches (taken in natural light) Here is the quad…

And the single shadows…..

Very pigmented and vibrant I think you’ll agree. I know many of shy away from brights but one bright accent shade with neutrals can look amazing without being over the top. My favourite way to wear bright eye shadow is to go neutral on the lid and smudge a more colourful shade into my lower lash line. Occasionally I might brave a bright colour on the lid and blend it out by applying a matte taupe to the crease of my eye. That’s probably the best way to ease yourself into colour.

They are all available from Cocktail Cosmetics. The individual shadows cost €9.06 / £7.95 and the palette is €26.15 / £22.95.

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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

May 7, 2011

A few goodies arrived from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I have never tried the brand before but have heard quite a few YouTube guru’s raving about them so I was delighted to explore.

Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tars

Left to right – Vintage, Vapid, Grandma, Anima

And here are some swatches (taken in natural light)….

Left to right – Vintage, Vapid, Anima, Grandma,

Ok so the lip tars aren’t for the feint hearted. They are intensely pigmented and super tacky, definitely made for professional use. That being said they could be enjoyed by those of you who like to have fun with your make-up.

The tars are top quality and are a great addition to my make-up kit. Now whether I would have the guts to wear them is another story, think I’ll dip a toe in my trying Grandma first :)

Each lip tar costs €10.20 / £8.95

OCC Colour Concentrate Pigments

Left to right – Ginger, Lafayette, Flicker

And some more swatches (also taken in natural light)….

Left to right – Ginger, Flicker, Lafayette

These cost €9.06 / £7.95 each. They’re another great addition to a make-up artists kit or if you’re a make-up lover who enjoys working with pigments. They are easy to work with, and last ages. I particularly love Ginger, perfect for blue eyes.

I’m really impressed by the quality of these products. They are not from a comercial, main stream brand and that’s clear. The quality and pigmentation is excellent. Worth a look.

You can find Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics at Cocktail Cosmetics.

Have you tried this brand?

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Some lovely pigments – Medusa’s Make Up at Cocktail Cosmetics

April 25, 2011

I’m liking these pigments by Medusa’s Make Up. They are great for anyone building a make-up artist kit or anyone who enjoys working with pigments for fun. I have three shades…

All three shades are shimmery, not glittery, and have a satiny feel to them. The colours are all vibrant, easy to blend and best of all, long lasting. They are essentially pure good quality pigment that can be mixed together to make unique colours.

Here are a few swatches (taken in natural light)…

The dusts are also natural and vegan friendly and are a great alternative to MAC or Shu Uemura pigments.They’re also much cheaper at €4.50 / £3.95 a pot.

I think you’re either a pigment lover or your not. The little sifting grates really bother some people. I tend to use pigments more when I have time to experiment, they can be messy to use in a rush.

I always apply pigments over an eye base for extra longevity and to help them stick. This also adds to the vibrancy of the shades. At the moment I’m using NYX eye base in skin colour or MAC Painterly Paintpot – I like both.

I have heard plenty of make-up lovers in the US talking about these dusts but they are actually available over this side of the world…woo hoo. Mine are from Cocktail Cosmetics.

Do you like using pigments?

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