A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Pow pow purple! Coming from Boots No7, I didn’t expect *quite* so much pigment in these little pans. The No7 Stay Perfect Quad Eyeshadow Palette (£10.50) delivers a real punch of colour from all four of its shades which blend effortlessly across the eyelid thanks to a soft, almost creamy texture.

If anything, the vibrant purple in the palette* does overshadow the more subtle shades contained, and on my hooded lids turned the taupe (that I’d placed in the crease) a lot more violet than I’d intended once I’d worn it in for an hour… but as a huge purple fan, I can live with this.  In the inner-corners, I used the pinky-violet shade and on the upper lashline, the deep purple powder (as an eyeliner).

I suppose if I take away my love for that single purple shade… the palette as a whole probably doesn’t work too well.  I’m here describing my placement of all four shades in the palette but the subtleties of them are completely bowled over by the gorgeous bottom left pan.  You need to find a way to either quieten that one shade down (I think I’d perhaps use it only along the lower lash line next time) or give it up to an all-out purple fest.

I completed the look with a sweep of Dainty Doll powder blush in 002 My Girl, and Urban Decay Iconic Lipstick in Naked (one of my favourite ever nudes, now sadly discontinued).

What’s your favourite purple eyeshadow?

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If, like me, you’ve been searching for clever ways to recession-proof your makeup bag without compromising too much on the quality, I’ve got a treat in store for you today.

Nestled along the “this is not just any eyeshadow, this is M&S eyeshadow” (no, they’re never getting away from that slogan) lurks a rather stunning, richly pigmented, smooth-applying taupe.

You know that I’m kinda crazy for my taupes and my purples.  If the world fell off its axis tomorrow and all other shades whizzed off into outer space, I wouldn’t give a shiny shit and neither should you.  Because, at the risk of sounding a little controversial here… taupes and purples suit EVERYONE.  You just need to find the right ones.

Despite what the box says, this ain’t no “gunmetal”, there’s too much dusty moth-brown goodness in there for this to be a simple gunmetal *scoffs*.  Why, this is a full-on grown-up, grenache-drinking, interest only mortgage-paying taupe.  And not only that, but it’s a rather nice one lacking in both the kind of uber-metallic sheeniness that crepes at forty paces, and chunky sparkle.

It comes complete with a mirror, and most shockingly… a not-too-useless eyeshadow applicator that actually makes a really decent job at smudging the powder along the lashlines if you just use the tip.

For your meagre monies, you get a generous amount (no weight listed) of BUAV (bunny) approved product.  And for those who find this important… it looks easily depottable also.  I doooo like a neat, square pan!

Interestingly, they also sell a “taupe”… don’t get them confused… that one’s a wimpy, slightly-sandy looking incarnation. Pff.

M&S Autograph Pure Colour Mono Eyeshadow in Gunmetal* is priced at £6.00, available instore and online at marksandspencer.com

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Wanna see some pretty swatches?  OF COURSE YOU DO.

The Body Shop have updated their colour collection with an impressively inclusive range of eyeshadows.  Their new Colour Crush Eyeshadow promises intensely pigmented, pearlescent or matt eyeshadow (dependant on colour) with a silky-soft texture .

I’m a huge fan of the “old” Body Shop eyeshadow range but have always disliked their “baked” (domed) eyeshadow releases.  The brand used to do some amazing taupes in the old silver-potted range and I was rather disappointed to see that this new incarnation of colour is rather lacking in that department.  I was pretty confident that the texture would still be as tasty as it always was (and it is) but I’m gonna need to see MOAR shades before I get super-excited over this new range I’m afraid!

Anyway, let’s get on with some swatches shall we?

All of the above shadows fall into their “pearlescent” finish, and each one is pretty well-pigmented, you wouldn’t need more instant payoff from an eyeshadow.  I can’t comment on the matte range as I haven’t tried.

Golden Girl is a must-have, not only because it makes a great lid-brightener for a neutral eye regardless of your colouring, but it’s also a pretty awesome NARS Albatross dupe for those on a budget.  Multi-functional eyeshadow FTW no?

I’ve worn a few of these over the past couple of weeks and my only caveat is that you do need to wear them with a primer.  The silky-texture is very forgiving on dry/mature eyelids but without primer, they migrate into the crease quite quickly.  The flipside to this is that you’d be hard-pressed to find easier blending from a high-street eyeshadow.

The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadows are priced at £7.00 each and available instore and online at www.thebodyshop.co.uk

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I remember the first time I visited the Bare Escentuals store in Covent Garden. It hadn’t been open very long and at the time, I think I referred to it as “the candy shop”.  You see, for a makeup lover, there’s something about being surrounded by so many mini pots of jewel-toned pigments that makes it quite easy to lose your sense of decorum.  I emerged from the store, so completely covered in swatches, it looked like I’d had my own private Holi festival.

Obviously, pigments and powders is where it all started with Bare Escentuals and when the brand announced a range of pressed-powder products, I was excited for the convenience that this brings, but also wary that the same kind of vibrancy and pigment quality wouldn’t, nay perhaps couldn’t translate itself so well from the confines of a pressed pan.

Well, I worried needlessly.

My first experience of the new(ish) BareMinerals READY Eyeshadows comes in the form of one of their quads: A List*.  On paper, it’s got my name written all over it, I’m a sucker for a purple-toned palette.  I’d heard about the “incredible” texture of the new READY eyeshadows and I had the highest of expectations as a result.

First thing to note about this particular eyeshadow quad is indeed, the texture which is truly buttery.  You can tell that this product comes from a brand who know their way around a pigment or two because the powders are so softly textured, they feel almost creamy.  There’s a hint of roughness to the purple shade (Swanky) but you have to expect that from the glitter particles.

You’d expect a buttery-textured eyeshadow would blend with ease, and in my opinion, they do.  Infact, above all else, I’d put weight on this being their best selling-point.  It’s not always easy to blend smooth gradients from shadow to shadow, getting that perfectly refined edge to soften to the point of invisibility is a well-honed skill, and anything that makes lighter work of it is a marvel.  On this score, the BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in A List, is, a marvel.

Where I think some of these palettes could do with a little work is with their combination of colours.  I feel that A List doesn’t quite give me the eye palette that I want to work with.  The highlighting shade (Icebreaker) is very pale, very shimmery, and very…. highlighter-y.  Unfortunately, I feel that the next shade up in the quad, the pink (Fashionably Late), is also playing the same role… albeit in a more vibrant way.

For definition, I need a solid crease colour, and unless I go black, my only option is the glittery Swanky.  The jump between Fashionably Late (on the lid) and Swanky (in the crease) is quite large and on my skintone at least, the palette is not quite there in terms of shade combining.  I would have liked to have seen these pink/violet hues without both extreme ends of the spectrum (white/black) incorporated in the 4-pan palette.  Perhaps something like The Dream Sequence is closer to what I’m looking for.

I had one other, minor, issue with the palette.  In the photo below, I’ve highlighted where one of the pans is raised above the level of the palette.  It’s not quite enough to cause any problems with the closure mechanism but… and perhaps I’m being a touch fussy… it’s not something I expect from a £29 (on counter) eyeshadow palette.  It looks untidy but is hopefully a one-off.  Really not interesting in a sponge-tipped applicator when I’m paying nearly £30 either.

These grumbles aside, I really can’t fault the colour payoff and texture of the included shades.  Black Tie Optional makes a great liner close to the lashline, or smoked out at the edges to deepen and intensify the overall look.  Both Icebreaker and Fashionably Late offer something a little more frosty but both will work as highlighters, although FL is a little saturated to blend too high up the browbone.  Swanky is a really nice purple that’s blue-enough not to deliver the bruised/consumptive look, the added sparkle is a nice touch.

BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in A List is available to buy online from beautybay.com, priced at a very reasonable £23.49

* press sample

** come back later today for a FOTD with the above palette

Sorry ladies, I got taup-ally happy with my Yves Rocher ordering didn’t I?  This is the last one… I promise (until the next time).

You’ll be pleased to hear that this one was also the cheapest, and I didn’t have much hopes for it… but I think it’s my favourite!

#71 Gris Taupe is a densely pigmented shade with a satin finish.  So many times, cheaper powder eyeshadows lack any creaminess and feel gritty or hard to the touch.  This one has all the textural qualities you’d expect from a product twice the price.  Packaging is horrible though, this one’s definitely a depotter, though I do like a neat square pan in a depotted palatte, so it’s all good!

You can see in the swatch photo that the taupe definitely leans to the grey and is fairly neutral in tone, the silver highlight is very pretty and gives a nice ethereal sheen to the eye area once applied. Longevity is average, and I prefer to apply this one with my finger for a gentler effect as it is quite deep in pigment otherwise.

Yves Rocher Taupe Gris is priced at £8 on a buy-one-get-one-free offer (YR seem to change their prices more often than I change my knickers).

You can buy Taupe Gris online here.

Sorry if I’m on a bit of an Yves Rocher bore train at the minute but I’m slowly working through the order I made last month and included in my naughtiness were a few taupe eyeshadows that had caught my eye in Prague.  This is one of them…

Taupe Bruyere is in their range of single eyeshadows and has a soft sheen, gentle (but not too sheer) pigment and for a powder… a nice, creamy texture wearing well throughout the day.  If you’re looking to see if you’ve already got something simillar in your collection (of course you have), I’d pitch it as closest to a slightly-more-violet version of NARS Lhasa or a less glittery (much less) version of Chanel Illusoire.  I can’t find an exact dupe in the bits that I’ve already unpacked.

Yves Rocher Taupe Bruyere is available to buy online, priced at £12.00 – the price fluctuates in the sales though and I paid half that only a few weeks ago…

Want it?

I’m very slowly building up steam and finally have more than just my fish-eye lens in situ at the new place, time for some swatches!  Clarins have released an entire rainbow of new mineral (pressed) eyeshadows that are designed to be used both wet and dry.  I was sent a selection to take a look at and they’re classically Clarins, both in appearance and in application.

I’ll go through the shades, one by one.

White Sparkle (01) makes for a great tear duct highlighter, it has that sheer luminosity thing going on without too much of a metallic edge.  I can see this shade also working very well to introduce a bit of sparkle as a layering shadow. Like all of the shades I’ve tried, it’s sheer but build-able and of course, can be applied with a wet brush to create a more intense effect.

Auburn (07) is a warm-toned brown with a light shimmer.  Some skin-tones may struggle with the red hues in this shade but if you’ve got green eyes and pale skin, you’re onto a winner with this one!  Used wet, it also makes for a pretty variation on your usual eyeliner.

Aubergine (12) was a slight disappointment, I found this satin shade applied with more patchiness than I’d like and also had a harder texture in the pan than the others.  Nevertheless, a very pretty shade for brown-eyed girls in particular.

Platinum (14) is a steel grey with a hint of sparkle, there’s a slight colour shift in there that reminds me more of something that you’d find in one of my violet-toned taupes than a silver/grey!  It’s a pretty shade that’s deceptively complex when compared to how it looks in the pan.

Vibrant Violet (16) is the classic violet satin with a distinctive blue flash – this was another which felt slightly more firmly-textured but still imparted an impressive streak of colour to my lids.

As with all Clarins’ releases, the packaging is satisfyingly luxurious and touchable.  The large mirror is generous and actually pretty usable in a real-life situation.  Formulas were a little variable in the batch that I swatched but were, as you’d expect, generally sheer but build-able.  This is something that I’ve come to appreciate Clarins do very well – gone are the days that I want instant and deep pigmentation (unless it’s a black!), these are all infinitely layer-able but ultimately won’t disappoint you when it comes to colour payoff either.  If your heart does desire va-va-voom style pigmentation, you could apply these with a wet brush – or go seek out a Sleek counter.

Longevity was good, I don’t apply an eye primer every morning nowadays (pure laziness) and these easily stayed put for the working day, around 7/8 hours before fading – there was no slidey migration into the socket crease at all.

The new range of Clarins Mineral Eyeshadows are available to purchase in a total of 16 shades, available now on counter or online, priced at £16 each.  Alternatively, head to the lovely Escentual.com who are always more than competitive on the Clarins range, where you’ll find them priced at an extremely palatable £12.80 a-piece.

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Despite the fact that I’ve hardly scraped the surface of my previous Chanel Illusion d’Ombre purchase (Mirifique), I was back at the counter barely a month later to pick up Illusoire – a smoky, mauve shade which contains the most perfect amount of glimmer for an understated sparkle.

These are simply my favourite shades – cool, mauvey taupes will always bring a pitter-patter to my heart.  The texture of the Chanel Illusion d’Ombres are like a solid mousse with a little bit of bounce when you brush your finger over the surface.  They feel cooling as you apply them to your eyelids and last well throughout the day.

Pigmentation is medium but the depth of colour builds quickly with a second sweep over the eyelid – the formula blends nicely, more like a powder than a cream or mousse – blendable even after it’s been sat for a little while.

The above swatch shows two swipes on bare skin done with my fingertip.  Are you loving the Chanel Illusion d’Ombres?

Chanel Illusion d’Ombre #83 Illusoire is priced at £22.50 and available instore online from Debenhams and Selfridges.

I’ve had a ‘thing’ for this Kjaer Weis eyeshadow in Wisdom ever since reading Jane’s post about it over a year ago.  I already knew that the brand produced quality items (albeit at a price) and a few months ago I decided that I could stand it no longer and took the plunge.

Wisdom is a taupe with a difference… a subtle difference for sure, but it has a beautiful, ghostly sheen that intrigues me and catches the light at certain angles.  To most, it would mean nothing but to taupe fans, it’s enough to give it that ‘get in my basket’ factor.  The cool taupe is nicely, though not densely pigmented and blends like a dream, lasting through the day with or without primer.

You can see the ethereal sheen in the swatch above, it’s like a ghostly flash of pretty that really gives it a softer look once on the eye.  Yeah, I like this one a lot.  Refills are priced at £13 each, if you want it in the original Zamac packaging – you’ll be looking at parting with £32 for the pleasure.

Kjaer Weis used to be available in the UK from SpaceNK but I’ve just been on their website and everything appears to be out of stock.  Never a good sign.  Anyone know what’s happening with the brand’s availability in the UK?

Phew, what a mouthful!

Clarins Ombre Minerale 4 Couleurs Eye Quartet in Rosewood is a new release from the French brand and comprises one palette from the new 6-piece eye collection for Autumn/Winter.

The packaging includes a face chart displaying some useful positioning tips for makeup newbies.

Four mineral shades that can be used wet or dry.  Two satin shades, a darker eye shadow liner and an iridescent highlighter.  The highlighter is very sheer and provides a sophisticated sparkle rather than any real colour.

Swatched dry without base or primer.  Around two/three swipes each.

The Rosewood palette contains four very wearable, neutral shades that would suit most skintones.  It’s a sheer but buildable palette – something that I’ve come to expect from Clarins.  If you want immediate, intense pigmentation – you’re looking in the wrong place.  If you want something that you can wear to work without fear of overcooking it, this could be just what you need.

You can see from this (rather goofy) FOTD that the palette provides a delicate iridescence.  I think it would really suit anyone who feels they might be a bit too mature for sparkle or metallics but aren’t quite ready to go down the all matte route just yet.  I found the shades to be exceptionally long-lasting though the darkest (and most matte) was not quite as smooth as I would have liked.

Clarins Ombre Minerale 4 Couleurs Eye Quartet in Rosewood is available to buy on counter or online at Clarins.com, priced at £30.00

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The second piece from this year’s Lancome Fall collection that I wanted to show you was the new eyeshadow palette, Les Oeillades in Blondette Fatale, featuring an array of wearable neutrals and multi-tasking eyeliner/brow shades.

This beautifully designed brown and taupe palette can be used to create a beautiful smoky eye effect.  It can also be used for subtle shading and for softer, more natural definition, you can use the metallic shades to illuminate the lids and the matte shades to define and sculpt the eye area.

Shown top left, is the dark liner/brow shade which is an ash-toned dark brown matte with a firm texture.  Next along is a mid-toned brown matte shade which leans slightly warm and can also be used for filling in fair brows.  The two bottom spaces are taken up by a pair of metallic shadows, one cool and one warm.  The bottom left works beautifully toward the inner corner to inject a hint of light without being ‘highlighter-y’.  The bronzier shade (bottom right) is nice to wear dabbed over the base in the centre of the lid.

Aaron de Mey, Lancome’s Global Make-Up Director suggests…

The eye shadow can also be used wet with a small brush on the eye area if you wish a more intense result or dry with small soft brushes to shade and sculpt, always remembering that darkness makes areas recede and lighter shades bring features ‘forward’.

The pigmentation on these is nicely build-able, with the mattes requiring a couple of swipes to achieve the payoff shown above.  The metallics are, as usual, the most strongly pigmented in the palette.  The colour-combination and texture shows this palette to be a more grown-up version of a neutral work palette.  The build-ability ensures that Les Oeillades in Blondette Fatale can be put to use in both day and night-time situations depending on the intensity required.

I tend to wear these higher-end shadows without primer and these held up very well indeed.  I’m sure using the mattes as a base increases the longevity of the shimmers successfully.  I also want to mention the little ‘tools’ included with the palette which I would usually either ignore (at best) or ridicule.  The ones included with this palette are actually brilliant for travel.  A completely useable angled brush for brows, the usual application sponge (ignore that one) and a pointy, thin sponge that works brilliantly to line the eyes.  Colour me impressed.

Overall, I would describe Les Oeillades in Blondette Fatale as an incredibly versatile palette.  It may well be that you, like me, already have 101 neutrals in your collection in which case, I’d say this is great for travel thanks to the inclusion of genuinely useful brow/liners shades and tools but is otherwise a non-essential.

Lancome’s Les Oeillades in Blondette Fatale is priced at £33.00 and available at Lancome counters nationwide from 1st September 2011

* press sample

As I write this, the webshop for Fyrinnae is open.  It won’t be for long… that’s about as certain as death, taxes and all that other stuff.  From a convenience and CS point of view, they’re not my favourite company to deal with but it’s undeniable that they make some very, very pretty shadows indeed.

Here are some of my favourites:

Yep, it’s all about the neutrals and purples as far as I’m concerned!

If I had to narrow it down to my three most used Fyrinnae shades?  I’d say: Knickers in a Twist, Forbidden Lover and Beholder.

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Do you love Fyrinnae?  What is your most used Fyrinnae shade?