DIVYA THOMPSON: Makeup

Monday, 6 July 2015

Nars Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette

I seem to have turned into a real eyeshadow palette hoarder, a recent-ish addition to my collection is the Nars Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette. To me it's definitely not an everyday palette, it's more something I get out when I want more of a 'statement eye'. In all honesty, I've only worn it a handful of times in the past couple of months that I've owned it and as you can see in the picture above, a few of the shades are still untouched. This always seems to happen when I get two new eyeshadow palettes around the same time! (The other is the Marc Jacobs Palette which I reviewed here, I've been wearing that one constantly!)

All of that said, I'm still glad I got it! It's just such a unique palette. Used dry the shadows are really pretty but nothing massively out of the ordinary, but used wet they really come into their own. They turn into what I can only describe as liquid metal and deposit a level of pigment that I've never achieved with other shadows. The finish really is beautiful too, super high shine that leaves lids with a 'wet look'. Now you know why I haven't been whipping it out everyday!

Unfortunately I found it really difficult to capture any good wet/dry swatches on camera, it just wasn't doing them any justice so I'm planning on using them in a video soon so keep your eyes peeled if you want to see it in action!

What do you think of this eyeshadow palette?

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Lightweight Summer Base

I've been switching up my base products a lot more recently, with lightweight, tinted moisturisers coming into the rotation a bit more in favour of my usual foundations. It's as a result of two things, the weather, which has finally warmed up properly, meaning the last thing I want is a face caked in foundation. Secondly, my skin has been looking a lot better recently (fingers crossed it stays that way!) I haven't had a breakout in quite a while and the pigmentation I have from old ones are fading rapidly thanks to my arsenal of skincare products.

I mentioned the Laura Mercier Radiance Primer in my Everyday Spring Makeup Video but since then I've switched to their Radiance Bronze version, which is a much better fit for my skintone as well as giving me a sun kissed summery glow. I've been applying it all over with my fingers and then following with the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Annapurna which gives a decent amount of coverage, enough to even out the skin. It does still leave the darker pigmentation marks and the dark circles under my eyes visible so to conceal those I go in with the MAC Select Cover Up in NC45 which looks very natural and skin-like. Not the highest coverage concealer in town but it definitely packs enough pigment to cover my everyday needs!

What base products have you been using recently?

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Laura Mercier Face Illuminator - Indiscretion

Considering how much I love highlighters, I really don't have that many. I struggle to find ones that work well on my skintone, they're often too pink, too light or both. So on the rare occasion that I do spot one I like the look of, I snap it up at record speed.

That's exactly what happened with the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Indiscretion, which is by far the stand out product from their limited edition summer collection. It's warm and golden in tone and is just pigmented enough to give a sheer wash of glow to the skin. The shimmer particles are very fine, not at all chunky and glittery, which is another box ticked of my highlighter criteria checklist!

I already foresee this becoming a summer makeup favourite! I'm currently working on a FOTD post so make sure you check back next week if you want to see it in action!

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Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con Palette - The Starlet

So if you watched my recent haul video (see here) you'll know that I bought the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con Palette in 'The Starlet', it wasn't the cheapest of items but I really am glad I got it. The shades are unlike any other in my collection, the pigmentation and quality of the shadows is excellent and don't even get me started on the packaging!

As I said in the video, I went into Sephora expecting the come out with 'The Lolita' palette but when I saw and swatched it I felt that I already had all of the shades in my collection, it was also a bit cool toned for my liking so I went for this one instead. That warm toned coppery shade is what drew my eye to the palette, but I quickly realised I loved all of the shades.

My favourites from the palette are the copper, the slightly green toned gold, the dark brown and the dark grey. The formulas are really buttery, have amazing colour payoff and best of all they don't fall down onto your face! A real pet hate of mine as I always forget to start with my eyes when using darker shades.

My one criticism of the palette would be that there aren't individual shade names, not that that's particularly important, I guess it would just be helpful for the sake of blogging/youtube! I put together a few of my favourite looks from the palette to show you what they look like on but of course the possibilities are endless. Please excuse my rather frizzy looking hair!

Champagne shade - on the brow bone and in the inner corners.

Copper shade - all over the lid

Dark brown shade - Outer corners, in the crease and on the lower lash line

Champagne shade - on the brow bone and in the inner corners

Green/Gold - all over the lid

Champagne shade - on the brow bone and in the inner corners

Dark grey shade - all over the lid

Dark brown - In the outer corners, in the crease and along the lower lash line.

What do you think of these looks? Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

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Everyday Spring Makeup

All products mentioned are listed in the description box on youtube. Thank you for watching!

January Favourites

It's favourites time again, but for the first time ever, I'm going to talk you through them in a video. I'm so excited to now be doing my favourites posts as videos so I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I enjoyed filming them! You can also check out my last video, my Morning Skincare Routine, here and don't forget to subscribe to my channel over on YouTube!

Products mentioned:

Nars Narssist Palette

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Stay on Shadow Paint in Chained

MAC Select Cover Up in NC45

Nars Multiple in South Beach

By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur in 3. Cherry Bomb and 4.Bloom Berry

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

Soap & Glory Archery Pencil in Hot Chocolate

Aurelia Miracle Cleanser

Time Bomb Youth Juice Secret Oil

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling

Another Little Haul

Another haul, I know, shoot me. It's been barely a week since my last one and here we are again. I really wanted the Nars Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret when it came out and as usual I dilly-dallied and they quickly sold out. Story of my life. Luckily they came back into stock and I quickly snapped one up. (As I write this they're still in stock online). I'm so glad I got it as I just love all of the shades, there isn't a single dud.

When I'm in Boots, the Essie stand always manages to draw me in, their polishes are so pretty and I'm a sucker for anything arranged in colour order. I decided to go for a barely there pinky nude called Not Just A Pretty Face, which made it onto my nails in record time. I'm already certain this is going to become a long term favourite.

The last thing I got was the Nars Multiple in South Beach which is just a ridiculously beautiful colour. It looks really orange in the bullet but doesn't transfer that way, it applies as a sheer coraly-bronze that does wonders to warm up dull skin. I've been using it as a blusher/highlighter hybrid and I love it.

Have you bought any new makeup recently?

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Mini Beauty Haul

I've not been buying a huge amount lately in an attempt to use and make the most out of things I already have. One product aside, I've bought products to replace the ones I've used up recently.

Fushi Organic Sweet Almond Oil

I've always used Coconut Oil for a multitude of beauty tasks, mainly as a hair mask. I've become slightly bored of it so decided to have a bit of a change and give sweet almond oil a go. Fushi make a good selection of organic, cold pressed oils which I'm planning on trying more of in the future. I love the fact that I won't have to melt this oil everytime I want to use it as a hair mask!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme

I tried a sample of the original Elasticizer a while ago and thought it was brilliant, when I decided to buy a full pot I went for the extreme version instead as it's designed for thick, coarse hair that's quite damaged. I'm desperately trying to get my hair back to a good condition and I hear this is the stuff for the job!

Soap & Glory Archery

I usually fill in any gaps in my brows with powder and an angled brush, it gives the best finish but it's definitely not the quickest method. I also unfortunately lost my spoolie between a crack in the floorboards so an eyebrow pencil with a spoolie on the end was a necessary purchase! I really love this one, the pencil is very thin and so looks very natural it also has a wind up mechanism so it does't need to be sharpened.

Soap & Glory Supercat

I've been wearing winged liner a lot lately so when my Avon SuperExtend liner ran out I needed another one pronto. I had read good reviews on this one and I'm really glad I got it, the pigment it super black, the point stays sharp and the formula stays put.

Nars And God Created the Woman Palette

Late to the party, I know. I finally caved and bought this palette after lusting after it for the longest time. I'm so glad I did because I absolutely love it and have been getting a lot of use out of it. I know it will be my go-to palette for traveling as it's a great edited down selection of every colour I need.

Have you tried any of these products?

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Favourite Eyeshadow Brushes

I promised an edit of my favourite eyeshadow brushes here on the blog a while ago but for some reason it was a post that I kept putting off. I think I felt I should wait until I had all the brushes I wanted but then I realised that I'm actually quite happy with the ones I've got. You'll probably be quite surprised to see that this edit does not feature a MAC 217! I know, shocker! I just never got round to getting it as I have a few quite similar brushes that work well for me. That said, I'm sure I'll end up picking it up at some point! Anyway, here are my favourites and what I use them for!

(Clockwise from top left)

1. Real Techniques Accent Brush (available as part of the Eye Starter Kit)

This brush is great for precision application. I use it mainly for an inner corner highlight or to apply shadow under the lash line for when I want a bit of subtle definition.

2. Nars #40 Eye Shadow Brush

This brush has had a makeover since I got my hands on it but the newer version is essentially the same brush with a nicer handle. It's the biggest eye brush I have and I think it's great at blending and softening out edges. I never actually ever put any eyeshadow on it! I just use it clean to make sure there are no harsh lines and everything looks well blended out.

3. Space Nk Eyeshadow Brush

This flat number is great for packing on colour, particularly high shimmer shadows, pigments and even cream shadows.

4. Nars #43 Wide Contour Eyeshadow Brush

A recent purchase that is very quickly becoming my favourite and most used. It's just so easy to use, works with so many different eye shapes and makes eyeshadow application unbelievably quick. In my opinion this is a seriously underrated brush! I use it to apply shadow all over the lid and the outer corner, it hugs the eye contour really well and does all the work for you.

5. Kiko 207 Blending and Contouring Brush

I don't use this one quite as often as the others but I love it all the same. It's great for applying lots of shadow under the lower lash line for a grungy, smoky look or for getting really precise definition in the crease. Both looks I love but don't wear that often.

6. Sephora Pro Blending Brush #27

I love sephora makeup brushes, I think they're great quality for their price range. This one is a great all rounder, at a push I can do my entire eye make up with just this, for that reason it's usually the one that makes the cut when I'm travelling. It's similar to the MAC 217 but a bit bigger and fluffier, the hairs aren't as tightly packed. I use it to apply shadow to the lid, in the crease, blend out and to add a brow bone highlight. As I said, it does a bit of everything.

7. Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush (available as part of the Eye Started Kit)

Another great does-a-bit-of-everything brush. Similar to the sephora one but smaller and more densely packed. I tend to use this one if I want to build up more pigment and it's probably my favourite for blending shadow into the crease or for creating a smoky eye.

With these brushes I pretty much have all my eyeshadow needs covered, I hope this post was useful to you if you're on the hunt for some new brushes. What is your favourite eyeshadow brush?

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Christmas Gift Guide - Under £100

1. Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette £56

These blusher/highlighter hybrids leave cheeks with a natural looking flush that never looks overdone. These's also a great selection of shades and the packaging is beautiful. Almost to pretty to use!

2. Monica Vinader Siren Gold Plated Moonstone Ring £70

I love rings with delicate bands, they look so flattering when worn. This one would work equally well with a jeans and tee as it would with an evening dress.

3. Whistles Corinne Mohair Knit £94

A plain black jumper is a staple in everyone's wardrobe but why not get someone a really nice quality one that will last. This cozy mohair one from whistles is really well made and feels a little bit more luxe.

4. Monica Vinader Baja Gold Plated Agate Necklace £83.25

What would a p&p gift guide be without a delicate gold necklace? This one has a pretty rectangular agate and would make a great addition to anyone's jewellery collection.

5. Jo Malone Cologne Collection £68

Jo Malone fragrances are such a luxury, and when combined the possibilities are endless. I think a lot of people would love the idea of being able to wear their own unique scent, this mini cologne set would be a great way to do that. It's also a great way of trying a few of their scents before investing in a full sized bottle.

6. Anya Hindmarch Girlie Stuff Cosmetics Case £95

I love the bright royal blue shade of this little bag, perfect for stuffing with makeup and 'girlie stuff' and throwing into your handbag.

7. Dior Multi Use Palette £58.65

This is definitely a palette that any beauty addict will swoon over, it has a selection of 6 eyeshadows, a lipstick, a lip gloss, a blusher and a face powder all in a beautiful zip up wallet.

8. N.Peal Cashmere Cable Knit Scarf £90.35

Cosy winter warmers always go down well at christmas and this cashmere snood would be a real treat. The neutral knit and colour means it will be worn and loved for many winters to come.

9. Omorovicza Essentials Collection £75

This skincare set is definitely one for someone who already loves high end skincare but wants to try something even more special. It has a great range of their most popular products and is a great way to try them all before investing in the (very expensive) full sized versions!

10. Neom Organics + Jenny Packham Happiness Candle £80

This beautiful, limited edition candle has notes of white neroli, mimosa and lemon as well as freshly cut grass. Perhaps not the most seasonally appropriate but the ceramic vessel and 18k gold guilding designed by Jenny Packham is just to good too pass up!

I hope you liked this gift guide, if you fancy seeing my under £50 and under £25 edits you can see them here and here. Have any of these items made their way onto your wish list?

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Christmas Gift Guide - Under £50

1. Nars Digital World Lip Coffret £32

This brilliant little lip crayon set contains 2 velvet matte lip pencils and 3 satin lip pencils, both have excellent formulas and lasting power. There's a great mix of shades that any makeup lover would be very happy with. Alternatively you could always split the set up and use the individual pencils as stocking fillers/mini presents, a great budget option as if you buy the set they work out to just £6.40 each!

2. Kate Spade Le Pavilion Laptop Sleeve £40

Kate Spade do lovely accessories and this laptop sleeve is no exception. To me the white polka dots on a black background strike the perfect balance between chic and sophisticated and cute and girly! Just make sure it's the right size for the recipient's laptop!

3. John Lewis Lace Print Pyjama Set £35

It's always nice to receive a good pair of pyjamas, especially when they feel a bit luxe. These ones are 100% cotton, feel super soft and have such a beautiful lace print that's right up my street. Make sure you click though so you can have a look at the print close up, this picture really doesn't do them justice!

4. River Island Black Split Front Bowler Bag £40

When it comes to handbags, I like mine black, minimal, boxy and with gold hardware. This one fits the bill exactly and would be liked by most people as it's such a classic design that would go with any outfit. A particularly good choice for a professional or anyone who likes to look smart.

5. Urban Decay Naked Palette £37

This is a product that every beauty lover either already has and loves or really wants. It's a classic for a reason, it's most people's favourite eyeshadow palette! Also a great option for someone who's just getting into makeup.

6. Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath & Shower Collection £35

These bath oils are wonderful for anyone who loves a bath, they're just so incredibly potent. You only need a few drops and the entire bathroom is filled with the wonderful scent. The bottles may look small but you actually get quite a few uses out of them. This set is a great way to try lots of their fragrances rather than having to chose just one.

7. REN Sensitive Gift Set £32

I love these skincare trial sets that brands bring out at christmas, they're such a great way to try out lots of high end skincare without having to part with lots of cash. This set would be great for anyone but particularly those with sensitivity. I've previously had full sizes of 3 out of the 4 products and thought they were fantastic.

8. Ottoman Hands Rose Quartz Delicate Necklace £40

Have I mentioned I like delicate, understated jewellery? Maybe a few (hundred) times! This piece is particularly beautiful, it's a great choice if you want to give something that can be kept and treasured forever but don't have a massive budget. It's a great price considering it's gold plated and has a semi precious stone.

9. Liberty London Black Leather Notebook £45

This would definitely be the ultimate gift for a stationary lover. The notebook is beautifully bound in leather embossed with an elegant Art Nouveau Liberty design. It also comes in lots of other colours and designs.

10. Diptyque Epice Candle £45

I love scented candles at this time of the year, particularly with the christmas tree up, a hot drink in one hand and a good book in the other. This is one of Diptyque's limited edition christmas offerings and it smells of candied plums, cinnamon and nutmeg, absolute perfection! Of course any Diptyque candle would make an exceptional gift but I think this one looks extra special in the festive red and gold jar.

I hope you liked my gift selection, if you want to see my under £25 guide you can see that here. Will anything from this guide be making it's way onto your wish list?

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Christmas Gift Guide - Under £25

1. Ren Grab & Go Kit £25

I couldn't believe the value of this set when I spotted it! It contains a selection of 8 Ren products in mini form. Great if you want to introduce someone to the brand but don't want to just give them one product.

2. The White Company Winter Candle £20

This beautifully scented candle contains notes of cinnamon, clove and orange and comes in a beautifully chic and minimal glass jar.

3. ASOS Oversized Scarf £18

This oversized scarf looks so warm and cozy, perfect for this bitingly cold weather. Plus the dark oxblood shade is one that anyone would love.

4. ASOS Open Square Necklace £6

It's always nice to gift jewellery as it's not always something that people like to buy for themselves. This gold square necklace is so understated and simple it would work with almost any outfit.

5. L'Occitane Grasse Collection Gift Set £19

Fragrance seems to be such a popular gift at christmas time, surprisingly as most people are very sure of what they do and don't like. This set would be a good option as it gives them a chance to try a few, there's nothing worse than receiving a massive bottle of perfume that you don't really like, especially since they don't come cheap! It's also something a little different to the perfumes you usually see around the highstreet at christmas time.

6. L'Oreal La Palette Nude £14.99

Every beauty lover loves a good neutral eyeshadow palette and this is definitely the best one on the high street. A great option, both for someone who is just getting into makeup or someone who is a complete palette hoarder!

7. Soap & Glory The Soapremes Gift Set £20

Soap & Glory do brilliant bath and body products and there isn't a single dud in this set. It contains lots of my previously used and loved products and is excellent value for money.

8. Essie Baby It's Cold Outside Quad Box £24.99

In my opinion, you just can't beat Essie polishes. They have the best colour range, brush and formula hands down. This set contains best selling shades Mademoiselle and Chinchilly as well as a couple of sparkly festive numbers.

9. Elemental Herbology Moisture Replenish Starter Kit £22

Skincare can be an expensive thing to invest in, it's always nice to be able to try before you buy. This set has everything you need for a good starter routine. Great for someone just getting into high end skincare or wanting to try a few bits from the brand.

10. ASOS Diamond Shape Necklace £8

Another pretty, minimal, gold necklace. I struggled to choose between the two! This one would look great with just a plain black T-shirt and jeans.

I hope you liked this gift guide! Will any of these item's be making their way onto your list? Look out for my under £50 gift guide coming next!

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