Sunday 29 August 2010

Sisley Fall Winter 2010: Phyto Star Eye palette in Sparkling Rhapsody

I couldn't help but notice the sparkling smokey palette set with an eye catching aqua from the Sisley fall winter 2010 collection.
The darkened silver mirrored palette (£54.50) contains a shimmery white, sparkling deep grey/charcoal, clean bright aqua and sparkly grey.

The colours are a lot more pigmented than the palette they brought out last year. I can either go for quite a vivid intense eye or a soft smokey look. The shadows are smooth (even the two sparkly ones) I get no fall out and they blend well.
Sisley have managed to bring out something that I think is quite different from the other fall ranges and its a shame this brand's makeup doesn't get more noticed as I think this is a real gem.

Saturday 28 August 2010

Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer Nighttime Conditioning Treatment

My lashes have never been my strong point, they are sparse, thin and not very long. I was intrigued when I read about the Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer Nighttime Conditioning Treatment.
Although I am usually skeptical about these types of products I don't think of TM as a gimmicky brand and I think that Trish truly believes that every product she puts out there not only works, but is the best.

My interest was further piqued when I was given the opportunity to try the product for free, I really don't think that the brand would send out a product of this price (£89) if they thought it was going to get a bad review, I've noticed it featured on some other blogs so to my mind I think they must be confident that this product delivers results.

The product uses the " highest possible concentration of potent SymPeptides™ and an abundance of powerful proteins, vitamins, and moisturizing ingredients". Its meant to help "condition, hydrate, strengthen, and nourish lashes"
The product comes in a tube, similar to mascara size and has a long thin pointy tip.
All you do its apply it to the root of your top lashes every night. The claim is that in just "2 weeks of daily use, you can experience as much as a 25% increase in volume". An extra bonus is that you can also apply it on sparse areas of your brow to promote fullness.

I used this last night and it took seconds to apply and I didn't feel like I had anything on and when I touched the area I didn't feel like there was any stickiness. I didn't get any irritation either.

Here's just a picture of my sad lashes before treatment;
In two weeks times I'll post some detailed comparison pictures and we can see if this works.

Disclaimer: This was sent to me for free.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Yves Saint Laurent : Rock & Baroque Fall collection

The strong colour combinations of the fall Rock & Baroque collection caught my eye. Unfortunately the nail polish duo's, which seem to be the focus of the collection, weren't in stock but I did pick up some of the other items.

The eyeshadow duo (£27) in #31 Midnight Blue-Solar Gold contains a sheer shimmery old gold and a matte dusky blue/purple, not a straight up blue as per the name. I know it looks blue in my photo but honestly I do think it leans more purple than blue in real life.
I've not been overly impressed with YSL shadows in the past, however although these are not the smoothest in texture, I really love the colour combination.
The Peche L'Eclat Collector Palette (£35) is marketed as "barely-there shades" however as soon as I swatched it I knew it would have enough pigment for me to use as a blusher. The combination of a very sheer pink and peach beige create a warm flush of healthy colour. The only issue I have with this is that the shimmer/micro glitter that I had thought was an over spray is still there after 4 days of use, I can't say if it will go all the way down but I'll update this post if it does disappear.
Swatches L-R: pink,peach/beige, both shades combined.
I also bought two of the volupte perles which I'll show you soon. I am still tempted by the nail duos but I've not tried YSL varnish before so wonder what the quality is like ?

Saturday 21 August 2010

Chanel fall 2010: Khaki Vert and Chintz

Part of the 2010 fall collection, Khaki Vert (£19.50) is a beautiful shimmered golden olive green in the pan.

However applied I get a murky more browned toned colour.
The shadow is very pigmented but the texture is not like my other Chanel shadows, there is not much give in it, it feels more like a liner shade and applies a bit patchy so careful blending is required.
I had previously bought two of the Rouge Coco lipsticks and wasn't overly impressed as I found them a bit drying. I picked up the fall shade Chintz (£21.50) as the peach with a subtle hint of pink seemed a shade I was missing.
This doesn't seem as drying but I still don't find it moisturising. The colour gives a nice pop of colour and pairs well with a smokey eye.
The Chanel fall collection was mostly a miss for me, ultimately the eye colours looked better in the pan than when applied.

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Burberry sheer eye shadow in Pearl grey, Porcelain and Pearl blue

I told you I'd be buying more Burberry eye shadows and I'm not one who likes to disappoint, so here are three more.
I bought Pearl grey 17 (medium steel grey), Porcelain 03 (gently shimmered slightly peach cream) and Pearl blue 16 (baby blue with a touch of blue shimmer).
These aren't necessarily the most unique shades out there, however the quality of the product is worth it for me. They apply so smoothly,blend beautifully and last well. Judging by all the other Burberry reviews I have seen, the eye shadows definitely seem to be the most raved about items.
A comment had been left asking for the eye shadow ingredients but since deleted by the author, I'd thought I post them just incase you are still interested! Sorry for the slightly messy box but I had to get it out of the recycling!
I bought these from Harrods, they cost £22 each.

Sunday 15 August 2010

Chanel Fall 2010 Enigma Quad

Part of Chanel’s Fall 2010 collection, the Enigma quad (£35) contains neutral-cool tones perfect for a smokey look.
It contains a very sheer pink with peach and gold shimmer; cool brown with a touch of olive (contains micro glitter), deep cool dusty slightly sparkly plum and a slightly mauve grey ( contains micro glitter)
Although the shadows apply smooth and blend well I do find them quite powdery. As a result of this once I have blended,the micro glitter is barely visible and the colours less vibrant/complex so I have to press the shadows on if I want them to appear like they do in the pan. I felt that the grey and brown didn't show up as distinctly different colours once applied and kind of meld into one another. I do really like the finished look but have to work with it, nice to have but not one of my must haves.

Friday 13 August 2010

Burberry Lip Cover: Prune

For my third Burberry lipstick I decided to go for a deeper colour. I opted for Prune No.14 (£22) and immediately thought I have gone too dark when it arrived. It’s a semi-matte deep red/raisin. The finish is full coverage, my swatch below is one swipe.
This colour is out of my comfort zone, so I have to blot it down to make it wearable. When I do this I get a beautiful strong deep red lip, perfect for the impending Autumn/Winter months.
The formulation provides great pigmentation and smooth application however they can't compare to the moisturising abilities of my Rouge Bunny Rouge Lipsticks. Although I am tempted by a few more shades.

I bought this from Harrods, I got some more of the eye shadows and the foundation which I'll tell you about soon. I did want to buy a blush but can't find the ingredients anywhere, so if you happen to know them I'd really appreciate if you could let me know.

These lipsticks are scented.

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Illamasqua Angled Eye Liner Brush

I have quite a lot of the Illamasqua brushes so was eager to buy their new Angled Eye Liner Brush (£15). Its quite a bit smaller than their brow brush, although the brush textures are very similar. The brush is very firm but does not feel harsh against the skin. Compared to the MAC 266 (which I used as my main angled liner brush) there is a lot less give in the Illamasqua one, and it keeps its shape, whereas the MAC one frays out a bit. The angle of the MAC one is steeper. In terms of performance I find that the illamasqua one gives a more precise line, but I can get closer to the lash line with the MAC one.
Pictures of the three to compare (angled one on top).
Its a nice addition to my ever increasing brush collection, I really like Illamasqua brushes, my stand outs are still their powder brush and blush brush 1 though.

Sunday 8 August 2010

Edward Bess lipstick in Pure Impulse

Pure Impulse in my second EB lipstick. The shade is a natural beige with a slight peach tone and a hint of pink. Although it does not have a shimmer finish there is a slight glossiness to it.

This is a really good shade to use when you cant decide what to put on as it seems to go with everything
EB lipsticks are quite creamy (although not the most moisturising I have), very pigmented and last well. They are scented quite strongly with fig, which I really like.
I still think that the majority of the EB lipstick line is more suitable for those who are not overly cool toned (I was very tempted by the lip wardrobe but had to concede that the bulk of the lipsticks probably would be too warm for me) but I do think this shade is wearable for those cool or warm toned.

I bought this from Zuneta.com

Friday 6 August 2010

Lush: Colour Supplement & 9 to 5 Cleanser

When I first heard of the supplement I thought what a good idea it was. A formula you can mix with your own moisturiser to act as a tinted moisturiser, or as a concealer, or a foundation, allowing you to create your own perfect coverage.
I also saw the newly released liquid Cleanser called 9 to 5; my skincare tends to be on the expensive side so I am always happy to seek out cheaper substitutes.
I have had these products for quite a while as I needed to be sure before I gave you my review.
The 9-5 liquid cleanser (£7.95) is marketed for sensitive skin, it was meant to soothe irritated skin and clean the skin thoroughly.
For me this removed makeup extremely well, however I felt like I had residue left on the skin and yet my skin felt dehydrated afterwards.

Here are the ingredients for the cleanser:
I bought the supplement (£7.50) in the shade light pink. It felt quite oily on the skin but this was to be expected (it contains soya and rice bran oils). The texture is very rich and creamy. The colour is too dark, however even used neat this has little pigmentation. There is no way this provided enough coverage for my undereye area or facial discoloration. Furthermore it oxidizes as the day goes on and does not last long at all.
Here are the ingredients for the Supplement:
Fresh Rose Petal Infusion (Rosa damascena), Soya Oil (Glycine soja), Rice Bran Oil (Oryza sativa), Titanium Dioxide, Stearic Acid, Talc, Glycerine, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Colour 77491, Colour 77499, Colour 77492, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Swatches: On the right I have blended it in as much as possible
Before I go any further, for those who aren’t regular readers, I have to state that my skin is dry, sensitive and extremely reactive and acne prone (I am on medication to keep the acne under control as I suffered from severe adult acne for over 5 years). Due to this I am extremely limited in what skincare does not cause me problems.
Bearing this is mind I can say that these really did not agree with my skin, the supplements effects on my skin were obvious after every use and the cleanser I got down to ¾ of a bottle before I was able to ascertain it was causing my skin problems.

So where am I now, well when you skin is in a mess its always best to pair down completely and stick with what you know, however because I have no sense, instead of sticking to my cleaner that I know works for me (Snowberry) I got side tracked and bought from a brand I have never tried before (Nubo) so you can expect those reviews soon (of course I did not just buy a cleanser, you know I can’t just buy one thing when I try a new brand)

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Edward Bess Platinum Concealer

This comes houses in a chubby compact lipstick style tube, sleek and minimalist.
Although the consistency is smooth and creamy it’s not at all oily and does not crease or cake. It feels really lightweight on and wears extremely well, even without powder.
It terms of coverage I’d say its medium. It’s perfect for facial discolouration, but not quite heavy duty enough for my very dark circles.
I bought the lightest shade, Ivory Nude (£30). Its very pigmented and slightly yellow toned and although the colour is very blendable it is slightly too dark for me.
Swatched below: On the left its one swipe, on the right its blended in as much as possible.
Here are the ingredients:
Apart from it not being an exact colour match, I really am impressed with the texture and wear and it’s easily one of the best concealers I have ever used.
I bought this from zuneta.com who stock EB exclusively for those in the UK (they also ship worldwide).

Sunday 1 August 2010

Bobbi Brown Denim & Rose Face Palette

It didn’t start too well, the SA was confused as to why I would need to know and very reluctant to show me the ingredients of the blusher. To be honest I came very close to walking away but didn’t want to appear rude. I wish more brands would just put their ingredients on their web sites to save all this unwanted hassle.
I have to admit that the majority of my BB products I have given to my mother, its not really a brand that I have found a stand out product from as yet, so you maybe wondering why I decided to buy this palette.
I’ve been on the look out for a travel compact that contains lip, cheek and enough eye shades for a whole look, with my priority being that I wanted it as small as possible.
This does deliver, the zipped up denim palette (£45) is sturdy and very compact measuring 3.5" x 3.75"
I’m not a fan of having lip products and powders in the same palette, as there is always the inevitable spreading of dust, however because I wanted a lot of products in a small amount of space this was the only way to go.
The palette includes the following:
Eye shadows in: Navajo (very sheer matte cream with a hint of pink). Gray Denim (matte grey), Pink Granite (very sheer pink champagne sparkle). Dark Rinse (deep navy blue with blue sparkle).
Swatches L-R:Navajo, Gray Denim ,Pink Granite, Dark Rinse
It also contains Pink Rose blush (matte medium rose pink). Two creamy lip colours, Cool Rose (sheer neutral pink with a slight sparkle) Indie Rose (medium rose/raspberry).
Lastly there are two very liquidity glosses in Iced Lilac (clear base with subtle lilac/silver glitter) Hot Rose (sheer fuchsia pink) both glosses are somewhat tacky/sticky.
Swatches L-R: Pink Rose,Cool Rose,Indie Rose,Iced Lilac,Hot Rose.

Ingredients (please click to enlarge)
I have one problem with this palette, Gray Denim eye shadow. It applies really uneven and is very difficult to blend, I think where it not for my Edward Bess eye brush, which can blend anything, this would not be wearable for me.
Overall I am not disappointed I bought this as I can use it as I intended (for travel) it’s just the quality of the Gray Denim shadow is a major let down.
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