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?

Follow me on bloglovin' for more posts! 

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!

Follow me on bloglovin' for more posts!

Nars Narsissist Palette

I think it's safe to say I'm late to the party on this one, the Nars Narsissist Palette came out around this time last year and I knew I instantly wanted it. I'm ummed and ahhed over wether to buy it as it was so expensive and of course being limited edition it quickly sold out. I instantly regretted not buying it and felt a little sad every time I saw it pop up on a blog with rave reviews. Sad, I know. But all was not lost as I was lucky enough to receive it for my birthday in december. Obviously, I was over the moon even though it wasn't a surprise and I've been using it non stop ever since. If you missed out on it too I'd recommend keeping your eye open on ASOS and Urban Retreat, the come back in stock every now and then only to disappear again at the blink of an eye. 

If you're a keen reader of beauty blogs, as most people who read my blog seem to be, you've probably already read multiple lists of the shades names and seen multiple arms covered in swatches so I won't make you sit through it again. Instead I thought I'd give a shout out to a couple of my favourite shades/combination of shades.

1. First up is Fez (top row, middle), my absolute favourite of the palette. I love this one simply washed all over the lid with nothing but a few coats of mascara. It looks simple, understated but like you've put in a bit of an effort. 

2. Fez on the lid, Mekong (middle row, right) on the outer corners and a little bit under the lower lash line with a touch of All About Eve (top left) under the brow bone and in the inner corners.

3. Mekong all over the lid with Coconut Grove (top row, right) in the crease is my go-to combo for a dark, smoky evening look. It's a great way of glaming up my makeup really quickly.

4. Bali (top row, 2nd from right) and Coconut Grove work really well for me as brow shades and of course Pandora (bottom right) is great as an eyeliner.

I've only used the other shades a couple of times so far so I'm still experimenting with them. I'm thinking of putting together a post with a few pictures of me wearing my favourite looks but I thought I needed a bit more time to experiment first! It is in the works though so keep your eyes peeled!

Do you have the Nars Narsissist Palette? What is your favourite shade or combination?

Follow me on bloglovin' for more posts!

FOTD #2

I've decided to try and do a few more makeup posts here on the blog, I hope you like this one, it's a look I'd probably reserve for evenings as the eyeshadow really is quite glittery, although it doesn't seem to look like it in the picture! I used my Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In the Dark which I did a full review of here. It's a palette I'm trying to use a bit more as it's been left unloved for a while! 

For base I went for MAC Studio Fix Fluid, another usually unloved product. I tend to reach for lighter bases over this one most days but I was having a bit of a 'bad skin day' so I thought I could do with a bit of extra coverage! I applied it with a Buffing Brush and then tapped on a bit of Bobbi Brown Corrector under my eyes to cover dark circles. I then used all the shades from my Sleek Face Form Palette in Light, the contour shade to define, a tiny bit of blush to add some colour and the highlighter to add a bit of a glow back into an otherwise quite matte finish. 

For the eyes I started with the shade Gold (top row, second from right) all over the lid, then added a tiny amount of Nude (top row, second from left) into the inner corners and under the brow bone. Next I went for the shade Deep Brown (bottom row, second from left) and packed that into the outer corner. I then blended everything out with a fluffy brush so it all looked a bit softer. To finish up I used the shade Glitter Black (bottom row, middle) as an eyeliner using a small angled brush and Avon Aero Volume Mascara which I don't love but am trying to finish up!

For lips I kept things super simple and just went for my favourite, wear with everything gloss, Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 56 Imaginaire. I hope you like the look!

Follow me on bloglovin' for daily posts!

MUA Undressed Palette

I've had the MUA Undressed Palette for a really long time but it was left neglected for a long time. In all honesty, I forgot I had it. When I rediscovered it a few weeks ago I put it with my everyday makeup as a reminder to use it and I've barely used any other palettes since. It has a great range of neutral shades and the quality of the shadows is excellent. They're very pigmented, soft and buttery and don't fall down onto your face as you're applying them. In fact I even think they're better quality than some of my high end shadows! 

Top row - Shade 1 - 6

Bottom Row - Shade 7 - 12

Shades 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9

Shades 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12

Shades 1-3

Shades 4-6

Shades 7-9

Shades 10-12

As you can see the palette contains some great shades, shades 6 and 7 are by far my favourite. Although I would have liked to see a few more mattes in the palette (there are only 2), I think it's a great buy overall, especially since it's only £4! You can use it to create everything from a really simple everyday look to a full on smoky eye! 

Will you be adding this palette to your collection?

Follow me on bloglovin' for daily posts!

Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette

I picked up the Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In The Dark while I was on holiday last year and if I'm totally honest, I haven't used it much since. It's a lovely palette but it's just not the easiest to use. It has a good range of shades, mostly neutrals, a couple of purples and an eye catching cobalt blue. All the shades are very shimmery, bordering on glittery, they don't appear so in the palette but they do when worn. I don't tend to use it in the day in fear of looking like a day time disco ball! The shades do look great as part of a more 'evening' look.

The shadows don't have great colour pay off, they deposit more glitter than colour but they are very buildable so it's definitely still possible to achieve a bold look, it just takes a bit of time and layering. I find the best way to apply them is to pack on the colour with your finger and then just blend out any edges with a fluffy brush.   

Top row: Lavender, Nude, White Gold, Gold, Platinum

Bottom Row: Black Purple, Deep Brown, Glitter Black, Black Gold, Cobalt Blue

In spite of not using this palette very often, I'm still glad I own it as I can create some really great looks with it. A good one to add to your collection if you're a fan of glittery shadows but probably one to give a miss if you like your products quick and easy to use!

Available from Sephora

Follow me on bloglovin' for daily posts!

REVIEW: Natural Collection Eye Lines Eyeliner

When it comes to eyeliners, I love those buttery soft ones which glide on really easily, but if you want quite a thin, crisp line they often aren't much good. Their butteriness means as soon as you sharpen them to a point and use them, they become quite blunt and wide again. Great for a smudged out, smoky look. 

Though I'm not much of an eyeliner wearer, when I do reach for it I often want a thin and crisp line. The Natural Collection Eye Lines Eyeliner is great for that, it's soft enough to not drag the skin as you're drawing it on but still hard enough to give you that neat look. Plus it's really pigmented so one swipe will do, there's no need to go over the line again and again to get the line really black. Did I mention it's only £1.99? I think I might need to go back for a few more colours!

Winter Makeup Bag

If ever there's a time to go a bit crazy with your makeup, the lead up to Christmas and New Years Eve is definitely it, it's definitely not the time for minimalism! I definitely like to take a more is more approach, especially when it comes to sparkle! Here's what I'll be stashing in my makeup bag!

I'll be using my Clinique Even Better Concealer in Honeycomb and Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Nude to brighten up the eye area as well as disguise any seasonally induced under eye circles. 

I find a good contour is essential with heavy eye makeup or a bold lip and Nars Bronzer Multiple in Malaysia is super easy to use, just swipe on and blend in. For highlighter I'll be upping the ante with my Sephora Illuminating Highlighting Powder in Golden, which is definitely one for the evenings.

For eyes I've dug out my Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In the Dark which I picked up in America over the summer. It's full of shimmer packed shades that build up really well, the mix of darks, lights and brights means all outfits will be covered. I also couldn't resist the temptation to throw in L'Oreal Colour Infaillible Eyeshadow in Goldmine, purely for being the most shimmery gold shadow ever to have been created.

Everyone needs a red lipstick over christmas and mine is an ever so slightly darker than pillarbox red. It's Avon Colour Lipstick in Chilli which I'll be sporting with a slick of black gel eyeliner. 

What makeup will you be wearing this winter?

Jen's Sleepover Makeup

There's nothing more fun on a girly sleepover than having a nose through your friend's makeup bag and giving makeovers, apart from  eating an extensive amount of chocolate and watching terrible movies of course!

To start with I smoothed Benefit Porefessional Primer all over Jen's skin with my fingers to create an even base and make the makeup last well (even though we weren't going anywhere) I then worked in MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC15 with my trusty Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which left her skin looking absolutely flawless! We skipped concealer and went straight onto the fun bits, colour!

Using a Real Techniques Contour Brush I used the contour shade from the Sleek Contour Kit in Light to lightly accentuate Jen's cheekbones. This is such a great palette, we both own and love it, amazing really as we have such different skintones! Of course I had to be much more handed with it on Jen than myself. I then used a Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply Revlon Photoready Cream Blusher in Flushed to the apples of cheeks and Benefit Highbeam to the tops of cheekbones, down the centre of the nose and above the cupid's bow. The light pink, pearlescent tones in this highlighter complemented Jen's skin perfectly! 


The main focus of the look was the eyes, we went for a soft neutral smoky look. I started by filling in Jen's brows with the Benefit Brows a go go kit and then adding the lightest shade (top left hand corner) from the MUA Undressed Palette under the brow bones and in the inner corners of the eyes. I then added the colour next to it all over the lid and blended out the edges with a Sephora Pro Blending Brush 27, next I used the bronze shade (bottom left) and worked that into the crease using the same brush, continuing to blend to make sure there were no harsh lines. I then added a really thin line of Clinique Quickliner for eyes in Black and smudged it across the top and bottom lash line for a softer look. Lashes were then curled and a generous amount of YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara was layered on, leaving Jen's already amazingly long and curly lashes look seriously stunning. This mascara is amazing, It's now been firmly placed onto my wish list!


To finish off the look we went for Clinique Almost Lipstick in Luscious Honey, it complemented the eyes perfectly while still being really subtle. Perfect! 

Avon True Colour 8-in-1 Eye Palette - In The Nudes

Avon have just brought out a new eyeshadow palette and it's a good one! It's the True Colour 8-in-1 Eye Palette, which I bought in 'In The Nudes'. It's a super compact palette, I checked, It's exactly the same size as my iPhone, so great for travelling and quick on the go makeup changes. 

The formula is soft and blendable, and the pigmentation packs a punch. What more could you want for an eyeshadow? The colour range is pretty good too, 1 matte and 7 shimmers. Although I would have liked to see a couple more matte shades in there I'd still quite happily wear all the shades, so no complaints from me! 

As you can see here in the swatches the colours apply nice and smoothly and the finishes are really pretty. They are swatched in the same order that they appear in the palette. 

If you have your eyes on the Urban Decay Naked Palettes or the new Bobbi Brown Chocolates Palette this is a great budget alternative! You can get it online here, or from your local Avon representative. It's £12.00 but currently half price so just £6.00!

My Avon Eyeliner Collection

I knew that I had a few Avon eyeliners, but it wasn't till I got them all out to photograph that I realised quite how many! They have two main ranges of eyeliners, the Super Shock range and the Glimmerstick range.

My favourites are from the Super Shock range, they are a buttery soft gel formula in a pencil form that set when they dry, and just do not budge! They look really good blended out with a cotton bud (Q-tip) but make sure you work quickly as they dry quite fast. They also look great as a clean neat line and the colour range is brilliant with more limited edition shades coming out every now and then.

The colours I have are, (from left) Aqua Pop, a rich, vibrant peacock blue that adds a great little pop of colour to a simple look. The next one along, Flash, I bought thinking it was a plain matte nude eyeliner like the Rimmel Scandaleyes one but in fact it's a champagney pink shimmery shade that looks lovely in the inner corner as well as in the waterline. In the middle is Blackberry, a limited edition shade from last year, it's a lovely deep, shimmery, purple-brown that is my most used shade of the bunch, I'm really hoping they bring this one back before I've used mine up! The next one along is Khaki, the shade is true to it's name with a very shimmery finish, I haven't quite found a way to make this one work for me yet but I'll keep experimenting with it! The last one is Steel, a dark grey with a full on metallic finish that looks great smudged out along the top lash line, it's a great alternative for when you feel that black 'might be a bit much'. 

The other range that I want to talk about are the Glimmerstick eyeliners, they are more of a waxy, traditional eyeliner formula that come in a super convenient twist up pencil, no sharpening required. The colour range is also more traditional with shades of browns and blacks and a few very dark jewel tones. First up is night star, which is part of the 'chromes' range, as you would imagine, all the colours in this range have a chrome finish! This one is a deep, dark blue that seems to make eyes look brighter. 

The next one down is from their 'diamonds' range, in the shade Brown Glow and is the  newest edition to my collection, it's a perfect shimmery bronze. Just shimmery enough and just dark enough, it works amazingly well scribbled messily along the upper and lower lash lines and softly blended out with a finger, it adds just a hint of definition to the eyes and somehow brings a lovely warmth to the face. It also works brilliantly with a just a bold lip and a swipe of mascara. 

Ok, so the next one down isn't actually an eyeliner, it's an eyebrow pencil but as it sits within the Glimmersticks range, I thought I'd throw it in! I have the shade Soft Black, which is in fact more of a dark brown, but a very dark brown, so only go for this one if you have naturally very dark hair (unless of course your going for the Scouse-brow look!) 

Last up, back to eyeliners, of course everyone needs a true black and this one's mine. It's the shade Blackest Black from the regular Glimmerstick range and it's completely matte and very pigmented, a classic really, what more can I say?

Overall I would have to say my favourite range is definitely Super Shock, as the gel formulas are just amazing, super creamy, no drag, incredible pigment, blend well, dry and stay put! That combined with an amazing shade range. What more could you want from an eyeliner? Since trying them I definitely don't think I'll be buying any high end eyeliners anytime soon, these ones outperform all the ones that I've tried and are a fraction of the price. They are all £6.00 but are currently half price so only £3.00!

Which is your favourite of the lot?  

Autumn Makeup Bag

When the seasons change I like to switch it up a little, it's so easy to get stuck in a makeup rut and doing this makes me remember forgotten products that I love! Throughout most of the summer I've been going for pinks and peaches on the lips and cheeks, a swipe of mascara and dewy skin, so for autumn I thought I'd step it up a notch! Eyeshadows in warm neutrals and golds for day and deep chocolate browns for the evenings.  

First up is MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette, this is my favourite budget buy, 12 amazing colours in fantastically pigmented soft formulas for just 4.00! I love all the colours from this palette so this will be my autumn go to.

When I want something super shimmery and luxurious  I'll be reaching for my Yves Saint Laurent Ombres 5 Lumieres (5 Colour Harmony For Eyes) in Shade 3 Tawny. I've had this palette for a really long time and I love it, but because it lives at the back of my makeup stash it often gets forgotten, well not any more! The rusty-gold colour (bottom left) is great for the day time, very autumnal indeed, and the deep brown (top right) creates a perfect smoky eye on its own.

Dallas from Benefit is a lovely 'dusty sunset plum powder' that is perfect for the colder months, it's a suits-all shade that looks particularly good on darker skin tones. Think of it as a cross between bronzer and blusher, I apply it just a bit lower than where I would apply a normal blusher, in the hollows of the cheekbones and a bit above. It contours and brightens up the face and makes you look like you've just come back from a brisk walk through the fallen autumn leaves (If you actually have then even better!)

For lips I'll be going for warm reds and berry hues. Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Candy Apple is a favourite that works well all year round but especially well in between seasons.

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is one I discovered by accident, this is a smaller sized version which came in a gift set of 4 last christmas. I much prefer the packaging on these compared to the regular full sized ones which are just plain silver rather than the colour of the product. It's a balm stain type product, it leaves the lips feeling moisturised and comfortable with just a subtle hint of colour. I promise you it's not as scary as it looks in the bullet!

Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss in Bella Bamba is super glossy with the tiniest touch of colour. If you're looking for full on colour then this isn't for you but I find it works really well with a smoky eye. It's super sheer and a nice alternative to the nude/peachy lip I'd usually pair it with. 

I tend to forgo eyeliner in the summer so this is a nice one to ease me back in gently! It's Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eyeliner in Brown Glow, a soft, warm brown with coppery undertones that lasts really well and doesn't smudge. 

Swatches: From left, Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eyeliner in Brown Glow, Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss in Bella Bamba, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey and Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Candy Apple.

What are your favourite products for autumn?

American Beauty Haul

When I went to America I, (naturally) did a bit of beauty shopping. In an attempt to not go too crazy I only bought things that aren't available over here, or are significantly cheaper (more on those ones later) 

I did most of said shopping in Sephora, but I did also pop into Walmart for a few high street/drugstore bits.

The first thing I got was the Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In the Dark, they have a few of these palettes in different shades but I went for this one because the blue looks amazing. I've tried this palette out a few times now and so far I love it! 

Make Up For Ever is a brand I've heard a lot about, but I've only tried one of their products. An eyeshadow crayon which I love. I was planning on getting a HD Microfinish Blush, but the store I went to only had 4 colours, none of which appealed to me. I then spotted their Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream concealer and picked up the shade 14 Fawn. This concealer is super heavy coverage and waterproof, it served me well mixed with my facial sunscreen poolside in Vegas. 

While browsing the high street (drugstore) makeup brands in Walmart, I spotted the ELF HD Blush, which you can get hold of online in the UK. It's a fairly obvious copy of the Make Up For Ever version  but much, much cheaper. I got the shade Superstar, but all the shades look really nice.  

Oh, and another thing about Sephora, they always throw a few free samples in the bag! I got a primer and an eye cream.

What are your favourite holiday beauty buys?