REVIEW: Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte

A while ago I tried Avon eyeshadow for the first time, it was the 8 in 1 Eye Palette in 'The Nudes', full review here. I really liked the formula of the shadows as well as the colour range so I recently ordered their True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte. Although I love the other palette, it only contained 1 matte shade out of the total 8, so I was really pleased to see that this quad contained 2 matte shades.

The quad comes in a square compact that is a bit bulkier than I'd like, the 8 in 1 palette came in really sleek packaging, which was about the same size inspite of it containing double the amount of shadows. That said the quad does have a nice big mirror housed in the lid which is really handy. 

All of the shadows have a really soft formula, even the matte shades which often with cheaper brands can be a bit chalky. The pigmentation isn't the best I've come across but it's very buildable, especially if it's packed on with fingers. I find shadows with extremely high pigmentation can be difficult to blend out so these work really well for me. 

The 4 shadows are numbered from lightest to darkest to help remind you what order and where to apply them, but of course you can use them as you like to create lots of different looks. 

The first shade is a soft, light champagne colour with a shimmery finish which works really well under the brow bone as a highlight as well as in the inner corners of the eye.

Second is a completely matte, mid brown with cool, ashy undertones. It works amazingly well to fill in brows as well as in the crease for a very natural look.

The third is, of course, my favourite shade in the palette and the one I've been wearing almost non stop since I got it. It's a warmer version on the second colour but with a lovely shimmery finish. 

Unfortunately my photos and swatches don't quite do this shade justice, it really is stunning. I've been sweeping it all over the lid and finishing with a coat of mascara. 

The last shade is another matte, this time in a dark chocolate brown. It works really well in the outer corners paired with shade 3 for a more dramatic evening look, all over the lid or as a liner.

Have you tried any Avon eyeshadows? What did you think of them?

New In - Highend/Luxury

Nars Narsissist Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

Smashbox Full Exposer Palette

Benefit Lollitint

Clarins Multi Blush

By Terry Blush Glace

Tom Ford Lip Colour Sheer 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Yesterday I mentioned a few high street/drugstore new makeup launches so today I thought I'd talk about a few luxury ones that have caught my attention. I feel like the market is being flooded with nude eyeshadow palettes at the moment, there are just so many! They all look so lovely it's getting very difficult to choose! Have you tried any of them?

New In - Highstreet/Drugstore

Revlon ColourBurst Lacquer Balms & Matte Balms

Maybelline Big Eyes Eyeshadow

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara Black

Revlon Highlighting Palette

Tanya Burr Nail Polish

Bourjois Mega Liner Dark Black

Tanya Burr Lipgloss

I was wondering around boots the other day and saw so many great new launches! The Maybelline Big Eyes Palette in particular caught my attention because when I swatched them on the back of my hand I just couldn't believe how soft they were, and they come in 5 different colour ways! Have you tred any of these products yet? What do you think of them?

REVIEW: Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind

If your nerves are frazzled and you had a tendency to get easily stressed, the Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind is a great product to try, even for those not particularly into aromatherapy. 

It's a light cream/gel formula that has a wonderful scent that somehow manages to be relaxing and reviving at the same time. It's great to take around with you on the go if you often have long days out and about but my favourite way to use it is just before bed. I rub 1 pump of the product into wrists and temples and the scent helps me to wind down and get into sleep mode!  

REVIEW: Batiste Dry Shampoo Big & Bouncy XXL Volume

Being a curly girl with quite thick hair means that blow-drying and straightening can be quite the epic task, so naturally I want my hair to last as long as possible between washes. Dry shampoo is of course the most obvious choice of product to reach for and as Batiste are probably the best known and most loved dry shampoo brand on the market I thought I'd give one of their products a go. I went for their Dry Shampoo Big & Bouncy XXL Volume in an attempt to get some lift in the roots, two birds one stone and all.

I really had quite high hopes for this product but unfortunately I didn't like it at all. It sprays out leaving a white/grey powder on the hair that you're supposed to massage in and brush out, which is standard with most dry shampoos really but I found with this one the greyish tint never fully disappeared. If you have blonde or light brown hair you probably wouldn't even notice it but on my jet black roots it was really visible.

As well as this I felt like it left my hair with a horrible feeling all day, like it was full of product buildup and just generally a bit yucky! In fact after I used it my hair felt worse than it had before! When it comes to a good dry shampoo I think making your hair feel light and fresh is really important and this just didn't do it for me.

Have you tried this product? WHat did you think of it?

NOTD #18

In an attempt to give my nails a break from being constantly painted, I went the whole of January polish free, full post about that here. To be honest I don't think it made a huge difference to my nails so I'm glad we're now in February! 

I decided to ease myself in gently with a barely there old favourite, Models Own Nail Polish in Buff Pink. It's a really sheer pale pink which when applied very carefully doesn't streak. It looks really chic and put together without being to obvious, which I love, a great option for a job interview I think! 

REVIEW: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup

When I think of Benefit, their boxed blushers and quirky packaging come to mind. I've never really paid much attention to their base products. A while ago, I spent a long time at a counter, chatting away with a lovely sales assistant and walked away with a few purchases, a couple of which are are some of my absolute favourites. Seeing as I was buying so much, she very kindly gave me a few samples of the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup to try!

I first used this in the summer when I took it away with me on holiday. I used it a couple of times but didn't really get on with it very well, I found it looked a bit too dewy on me, almost sweaty! It was then stashed away and forgotten about until recently. 

My skin is completely different in the winter so I thought I'd give it another go, and I'm so glad I did! I now find I need the extra moisture and this foundation sits really well on my skin. It has a medium build able coverage that never cakes up or looks overdone. It's the only foundation I've been using for the last couple of months and I've only got through one little 5ml sample, so it lasts ages. Once I've used up the second one I'll definitely consider buying the full size as a 'winter foundation'. It even has an SPF of 25 which is an added bonus!

Have you tried this foundation?

REVIEW: The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defence

When it comes to good quality skincare with no added nasties on a budget, I think The Body Shop is one of the best. I particularly love their Vitamin E and Aloe ranges.

I thought it would be a good time to review their Aloe Eye Defence as it's been designed for sensitive skin and my eyes are feeling particularly sensitive at the moment, are you fed up of hearing about that yet?

It has a really light texture and the formula is the mildest I've ever found. A tiny dot of it patted into the eye are immediately cools, soothes and moisturises skin. It also contains prebiotics which are supposed to 'reinforce the skin's natural barrier', I'm not sue if it does this long term but I can definitely say that skin feels a bit more resilient while it's on.

All in all it's a great budget eye cream for sensitive skin, or any skin for that matter! It's light texture makes it sink in really quickly so it creates a great base for eye makeup, because I've been using it mainly in the day time, I find it's also a good shield against the elements. In the evenings I've been using Clarins 'Special' Eye Contour Balm (full review here) which much is richer and creamier. 

Do you use an eye cream?