Eden

Urban Decay 'Eden' Eyeshadow Primer Potion, £15 for 11ml.

Back when I used to work next to an Urban Decay counter the girls let me take a little sample of 'Eden' home with me, and I gotta say, it surpassed all expectations. I went out and bought the full size tube and it is now something I use on myself regularly (when I can be bothered to wear eyeshadow that is) and is a constant in my makeup kit.

It's creamy on first squirt, but as it is worked into the eyelid it dries down to a stiff, matte finish. While it clearly has amazing grip for eyeshadows, the super matte finish means you have to work quite fast when applying eye makeup, blending quickly as you go to ensure that eyeshadow doesn't get stuck where you didn't want it to be, because boy it is hard to budge if you don't blend in time.

It's very yellow, and while I'm sure this is purposeful in order to counteract any redness, so commonly found on eyelids, it is so visible on a pale, pink person such as me that I do have to wear colours that balance it out i.e. I cannot wear it simply as a colour correcter or tiny-vein-hider. When I use it, I can only use it if eyeshadow is actually going on top. The same goes for when I use it on a dark skinned model, I have to be so careful to only apply it where I know eyeshadow will be, or it is visible against them. You can be the one to judge whether you think this would be an issue for yourself or not.

It grips and holds onto every particle of eyeshadow that you put on top of it. There's no creasing after 8 hours and it definitely helps bright and deep colours alike 'pop' to their full potential, true to pan colour. The tiniest bit is needed to cover both eyes, but sometimes the squeezy tube can dispense more than is needed, a problem I find commong amongst all of the eyeshadow primers I have used. It's not a deal breaker, because I think it is fantastic value for money and something that I know will last me a long time, and something that I will definitely be buying again. Thumbs up from me!

Thanks for reading,

E.

Hype

A face of the day post for ya'll today. I recently caved to the Illamasqua summer sale and bought 'Hype' an acid yellow eyeshadow with a matte finish. I'm aiming to increase the colour range in my kit, but couldn't resist trying it out on myself first!

I used Benefit's 'Stay Don't Stray' eye primer, two brown shades from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, and Illamasqua 'Hype.' I smudged MAC Kohl in 'Smoulder' underneath my bottom lashes, and added some falsies, finishing off with a slick of black gel liner. Totally over the top, but it was fun, and I am surprised by how much I liked yellow!

Blogging is going to be a wee bit absent for the next week, as I don't have a day off now until next Sunday on which I am sure I will be gently rocking myself back and forth in a corner, in blankets, with my phone turned off, catching up on BINTM or some shizz. Then I am off to London for a few days but hope to get a couple of posts sorted for then. All the best til then.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Daniel Sandler: Tornado.

Daniel Sandler eyeshadow in 'Tornado', £9.21 from Hairtrade.com

Not to be put off by my slightly odd first experience dabbling in Daniel Sandler cosmetics I hopped straight back on that horse and have a powder eyeshadow review for you today.

Firstly I'll applaud that the online stock photo is a lot clearer and true to life than the longlasting waterproof eyeliner photos are. This eyeshadow is the colour and consistency as described- a mid brown with taupey grey/cool undertones, matte finish and powder texture. 2g of product is generous for it's £9.21 pricetag (in comparison to 1.5g for a MAC shadow at £12.50) however there's a slight discrepency where the website states it is 2.3g and the packaging I have here states 2g.

With eye primer (I've been using Urban Decay 'Eden' Primer Potion) this stayed put all day and into the night. There was minimal fall out when I was applying it, and it blended well too. There isn't one aspect of this product that is not satisfactory or that doesn't deliver- it's a very good eyeshadow and has reaffirmed my belief that Daniel Sandler cosmetics are of good quality. This colour in a palette with other high quality neutrals would definitely be something that I would purchase for both myself and as a gift. For now, this'll join my other single eyeshadows ready to be depotted into a Z Palette when I eventually get round to it! I can see that it'll be used a lot in the future as it is such an important, natural shade and the quality would encourage me to use it often.

Thanks for reading,

E.

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can order this product by clicking here.

Daniel Sandler Waterproof Eyeliner Review

Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Purple Velvet', £9.24 for 0.35g here.

I was really looking forward to trying my first ever Daniel Sandler product. The makeup line is quite highly regarded and I've not read any negative reviews myself. I have been itching to try the Watercolour blush for years now and when my budget allows it, I know I'll be stocking up on a few.

'Purple Velvet' on the stock photo looked so vivid and beautiful. I had visions of a shock of purple blended into water and lashline, great for emphasising green eyes and something a bit different to what I am usually reach for. On first swatch I noticed that the purple is actually a deep aubergiene colour, perhaps a more sophisticated version of the electric purple I was expecting. It has fine silver glitter running through it and became opaque on my hand after three swipes.
The colour pay off is quite weak on my eyes in comparison to other pencils I own, I found I had to work quite hard for the colour to show up well, as the product seems more suitable for a slight wash of colour/liner rather than anything vivid or intense.  I had terrible trouble trying to apply this to my waterline, I got absolutely no colour pay-off after rubbing it on there several times before giving up. Slightly disappointing, but as this liner doesn't claim to be a 'kohl' I cannot be too disappointed and it shouldn't affect my review.

The liner can be quite easily smudged and softened, something quite unusual in a waterproof  product as they are normally a lot more stiff in consistency. This is an element to the liner that I really like. For me this works better as an eyeshadow crayon, something to be worked into a smokey eye or smudged to create a purple wash of shadow. Due to it's twist-up mechanism, the pencil can't be sharpened which I find also lends itself to being used as an eyeshadow crayon because it is hard to get a precise finish after it has been used a couple of times as there is no way to sharpen it.

In terms of it's waterproof claims, it performs quite well. I wore it on a 2k jog, which although isn't a long or gruelling run, definitely put it to the test. It remained intact with a little fade. Not bad!!

I had high expectations for this but it just doesn't deliver as an eyeliner in my opinion. I am glad however, that I have found a use for it. Due it it's soft crayon texture, and it's fantastic blendability, I will certainly be using it as an eyeshadow rather than a liner from now on. This slight disappointment hasn't put me off, I would definitely be interested in trying more Daniel Sandler products in the future. 

Thankyou for reading,

E.

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can order this product by clicking here.

Emerald, the colour of 2013?

Each year trends in both clothes and makeup are inevitably affected by the Pantone 'colour of the year'. After the Pantone View is published, fashion usually follows suit and the chosen colour is often reflected in areas ranging from interior design to floristry. I find this whole idea of a 'chosen' colour absolutely fascinating, I would love to own a Pantone brochure just so I could oggle at the beauty of colour all day. I think we definitely embraced last years Tango Orange, the colour was in all of the shops and seeing girls wearing a bold orange lip became more and more common, however I feel that this years choice of 'Emerald Green' will take a bit more adjusting.

In makeup, colour is often considered hard to embrace, and it absolutely is. I am a strong believer that it is deemed more socially acceptable to embrace colour through clothing than it is through makeup. Most of you probably wouldn't think twice seeing somebody use an emerald green clutch bag as a colour accent to an outfit, but in terms of wearing it on your face I imagine only a fair few would be comfortable doing. 

However, as this is a makeup blog it only makes sense that I document my embrace of the Pantone Colour of the Year 2013 in a makeup look, let me know what you think or how you would choose to wear the colour. My Emerald Green of choice is a powder eye shadow from Illamasqua called 'Fame'. Illamasqua are definitely my first go-to brand when searching for new pigments, they have it all. I paired it with a copper bronze eyeshadow in 'Bronx', lashings of mascara and a pair of falsies. If you're going to use a bold colour such as green on the eye, I do think lashes are a must, to make it a feature and complete the statement look.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: My favourite eye makeup brushes.

There are a few brushes that I cannot imagine being without now, so I thought I had better share them with you so that you don't miss out too!

Real Techniques eyeshadow brush; This is a great eyeshadow brush for packing on the product. It's not too big which I find so many others to be, it is just the perfect size for my eyelids! This is made of synthetic hair so can be used with creams or powders, but I especially love it with powders because I think it picks up product so well.

MAC 217; This is often sold out on the website so you may have already gathered that it is a popular brush. This is a great brush for blending and adding product into the crease of the eye.It's tapered head means that it accesses the crease well without spreading the product over the lid. It also blends powders really well.

Illamasqua Blending Brush 1; This is great for blending eye makeup seamlessly. I always keep it clean and do not use it to apply product with, just swirl it over a smokey eye to blend the colours and fade. Like all the brushes at Illamasqua, it is synthetic hairs which I generally prefer to use.

Laura Mercier Smudge Brush; This is an absolute must have for smudging any under eye colour to create a more smokey or blended finish. It's a great size- it is small enough to be precise but wide enough to remain firm which is an important quality in any smudger brush. Works great with powder and pencil/gel eyeliners.

MAC 210; I have already spoken about this a couple of times before, for me it is a must have for applying gel eyeliner, whether it be for a winged flick or onto the water line. The only downside is that it has frayed slightly and I haven't had it a year yet.

Illamasqua Angled Brush; This is the best angled brush I have ever used for several reasons. Firslty, the brush is made of synthetic hair which makes it both cruelty free and multipurpose in terms of being able to use it with liquids, creams and powders. The length is perfect- it's as if Illamasqua have taken a standard angled brush and cut it in half, making it short and wide, therefore a lot firmer (perfect for creating straight lines or sculpted brows with ease) and alllowing more control as it isn't as flimsy. My brows have improved ten fold since I have been using this brush, the size is just perfect. Worth every penny.

Building my Makeup Artist Kit.

I thought I'd write a post to show you some bits I have picked up for my makeup kit. Some of you may know that I have been working on makeup counters in department stores for a while but I have decided to branch out into freelance artistry on the side because it's the creative aspect of makeup that interests me, not so much the retail/sales. I have always been fairly creative, I used to paint a lot and I studied a degree in Art History. I kind of fell into makeup but it's something I have a huge passion and inherent interest in (hence this blog, too!) so it makes sense to persue it and hopefully forge a career out of it.

I am booked into a makeup artistry course run by Louise Constad in April, the course includes a basic makeup kit so there are only a few bits I need to get to 'complete' it!

I recently left my job working for the Estee Lauder companies and thought I had better take advantage of my discount and place one last order to supplement any gaps in my future kit. I think the generous staff discount is the only part of the job I will miss! I decided to just order MAC items this time as they are reasonably priced, of good quality and are a brand I am very familiar with.

I ordered two brushes- the 210 eyeliner brush which is a staple in my personal makeup routine. It's very fine and works great with gel eyeliner or for precise detailing but to be honest you could buy fine paintbrushes from your local arts store for cheaper! I ordered the 188 Duo Fibre brush but I expected the head to be a bit larger. I noticed that there isn't a duo fibre included in Louise's kit and as I am so used to using brushes like this I thought it would add to the brush collection well.

I bought a Fluidline in 'Dipdown'. Louise provides us with the Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' so I thought it would be useful to get a dark brown gel liner as I use both shades regularly.

I bought 6 eyeshadows ready to pop into a pro palette, so I got some extras in shades I know and love and think will be useful. I bought 'Coppering' and 'Cranberry'- two of my favourites. They're so warm and unique. I got 'All The Glitters' as it would be a useful frost colour. 'Cork' and 'Omega'- two matte, natural earthy browns. 'Omega' is also great for filling in blonde brows. Then I got 'Sumptuous Olive' thrown in for good measure- a wearable, moss green.

So that's it so far! I bought a pill box from Muji to decant some lipsticks in. Would you be interested to see a post on that once I have done it? 

Please let me know if you like me including makeup artist related posts. 

What would be your kit essentials?

New In! Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette.

Urban Decay 'Naked Basics' Palette, £20 for 6 x 1.3g (7.8g) 

I knew I had to have this as soon as I saw it advertised (I think in a magazine?) so I placed an order for it the day it was made available. How keen is that? 
The palette is an online exclusive at Debenhams and luckily for me it was during megaweek so there was 10% off too aswell as free delivery.
I don't own the Naked or Naked2 palette, while they always tempted me I always thought that shimmery shadows from Urban Decay always created a bit too much fallout for my liking, but I was confident this wouldn't be the case with a palette of 6 matte shadows.

The packaging:
It's smaller and more compact than I thought it would be, which makes it perfect for travel. I don't think the presentation is particularly good- the pans never look very secure and you might be able to see on shade 'Faint' that it looks a bit faulty as if it could pop out any minute. I like the mirror inside which covers the entire lid and I like that it doesn't come with any brushes, as they are wasted on me (but would perhaps be helpful for others.) It is made of hard plastic which is fairly protective with a click-shut mechanism.

The shades:
Four of the shades in this are exclusive to the palette, which is nice, eh? Urban Decay describe them as 'must own' and I am inclined to agree. Neutral shade eyeshadows are a must have in any girls basic makeup collection. I'm also a firm believer that eveyone needs a good, matte black and this one contains it.

Left to right:

Venus: This one is more of a satin finish rather than matte, it's slightly frosted and is a good highlighter or used on the inner corners of the eyes to widen and brighten.

Foxy: A wearable, buttermilk shade which is good at neutralising discolouration on tired eyes. A good base for any day-to-day look.

Walk Of Shame: I am in love with this colour, a creamy pale pink, but when I say pink, I mean the faintest most delicate shade of pink. This will look great if any of you like a vintage look, as there's something quite fabulous and retro about it.

Naked2: A light brown that is very buildable, great used all over the eye for a grungry gothic look or used in the crease to define and shade.

Faint: A stunning taupey brown, can be used in a similar way to Naked2 but for a deeper, more dramatic effect.

Crave: A matte black, that is pretty black. Nothing more disappointing than a watery black, which are so common in palettes. Great to line with, define, or deepen the browns. This one is very buildable too, I've been able to get it quite intense.

Formula:
All of the shades are so silky to touch and really pigmented. They're not a bit chalky which is something some companies struggle with when creating matte eyeshadows. Worn with eye primer, the eyeshadows lasted a whole day and I experienced no creasing and minimum fade. This palette gets a thumbs up from me, I haven't put it down since it arrived.

Do you own any Urban Decay Palettes? Would a palette solely dedicated to matte shadows appeal to you?

Silver & Smokey.

Sometimes breaking out of your comfort zone is an absolute disaster, but sometimes it results in a new favourite. I've mentioned before that I flock like a magpie to brown and bronze eyeshadows and really neglect the other colours for fear that I can't pull them off.

I decided to try a silver eyeshadow, and created a smokey silver eye that I wanted to show you all- I think these colours are perfect for this time of year as they are cooler and seasonal, they're not colours I can see myself choosing in hotter weather.

Products used:

Maybelline 24 hr Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow in 'Cyber Silver' (LE)

MAC 'Coppering' Eyeshadow

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in 'Rich Sienna'

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in 'Black Coffee'

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in '2 Sepia Ink' 

YSL 'Shocking' Mascara.

I was really pleased with how much I liked silver eyeshadow on me, what colours do you love to use on your eyes? What shades should I experiment with next?

My MUA eyeshadows.

MUA eyeshadows in shades 8, 2, 30 & 9 £1 each for 2g.

8-This shade is a teal colour that becomes a brighter turquoise when blended into an eye look, the reason I picked this up is because it's a colour I wouldn't normally touch but for £1 there wasn't much to lose if it really wasn't for me. I'd noticed this shade had been popular on last seasons catwalks applied on the bottom lash line and paired with a gold eye, I thought it looked like a wearable trend. I've worn it a few times to work to mix up my look, and actually recieved a few compliments when I wore it. Not a favourite for me, though (but perfect pigmentation and very blendable).

2-I was hoping this would be the perfect base or highlight shade I could document for girls on a budget. While it does shine with a reflective, luminous glow, the formulation is a little chalky and hard to work with. As a base colour it doesn't work too well either- it's a little too white, which boarders on looking a bit chavvy rather than the subtle pearl wash I hoped it would be.

30-This is my favourite and most used colour of the four, and one of my most used colours out of all my eyeshadows. My go-to look is a bronze eye as I think it suits my complexion and compliments my green eyes. It's buttery soft and very pigmented, and contains glitter shimmer but not too much that I feel overdone wearing it during the day. I used it once with Illamasqua's Sealing Gel and as soon as it was wet it created this fabulous foil-like finish that lasted all day.

Shade 9 is a strong violet, and I loved this colour last winter for a smokey eye with a difference- a pop of colour! It shimmer an irridescent blue when it catches the light and I feel the overall finish and look of this appears more high end than it actually is. Similarly to the bronze shade, it's so soft and blendable yet not powdery or chalky. For a pound you just can't go wrong! See my purple smokey eye here.

While I have found the formulas to be hit and miss (though 3/4 I own have impressed me)- I think it's worth spending a few pounds on trying these as the quality overall is fantastic. Do you own any MUA eyeshadows? What's your favourite shade from the above?

Midweek post: A product I do not regret buying!

Although I love reading monthly favourites and reviews, I'm always so interested to know what makeup products some people continually choose to use and go back to. For example, until about 9 months ago I'd only used L'Oreal Telescopic mascara for about 5 years. The term 'why fix it if it ain't broke?' comes to mind. However since then I've tried YSL Shocking, Benefit 'They're Real', numerous other L'oreal mascaras as well as a few testers of Clinique and Estee Lauder's offerings (post coming up about those!) and I still go back to Telescopic as my favourite.

While looking through my makeup collection (and yes I view it as a collection!) I noticed that there's one product I specifically return to time after time, and believe it or not it was an impulse buy when I was Christmas shopping in MAC a couple of years ago.

Behold the 'Dashing Lassie' palette from the 'A Tartan Tale' collection, 2010!

Please excuse it's now tatty state but one things for sure- it's well loved!

At the time it was a lot to pay (I was a skint post-grad) but something about the palette spoke to me and I got it without a second thought. For me it was the perfect palette of browns, and it certainly hasn't disappointed! Below are swatches of each colour so you can see, but rather than an actual product review this is just more of a chat, as I'm curious to know which products you go back to time and time again, Limited Edition or not I think it's nice to see such a used palette, especially from a makeup blogger who loves nothing more than a fresh pan of colour!

Dashing Lassie: Thinking this may be the most used, the colour pigmentation is the most disappointing. It applies a sheer wash of 'frost', there's no other way to really describe it! It barely shows in the photo above and unfortunately barely shows on eyelids either.

Once Upon A Time: A much loved colour! A neutral colour with shimmer, lovely worn on it's own or as a base, as you can see I don't get to wear this anymore, it ran out long ago and I struggled to get enough product to swatch.

Magical Mist: Looks silver in the pan but applies a dirty, metallic taupe colour.Really stunning and understated, looks lovely against green eyes!

Bronze: A beautiful metallic copper bronze shade, great for adding warmth as a contrast to the other shades in the palette. It's super pigmented and can be used to create a really striking bronze eye- one of my favourite looks.

Buckwheat: A deep brown with red and golden undertones. Buttery soft and gorgeously metallic, everyone needs a colour like this.

Showstopper: This will have featured in several of my recent FOTD's as it's a colour I favour to fill in my eyebrows at the moment. A deep matte brown with fabulous pay off. Also great for adding depth to neutral eye looks or adding natural definition under the eye.

It's sad to know that all of these shades were Limited Edition, because I think they'd be popular permanent lines. However, I know I'll use each section until it looks as worn as 'Once Upon A Time'!

Did you buy this palette when it was released? What is your most used makeup purchase?

Midweek post: Teddy Bear.

Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow quad in 'Teddy Bear', £25 for 4.8g

When we move into the summer months, our makeup preferences inevitably change and I often think what makeup I choose to use is weather dependant.

Personally, unless I'm going out in the evening, I prefer to wear minimal eye makeup in the warmer months, and I prefer the colour I use on my eyelids, if I choose to, to be a matte or satin finish. Highlighted, dewy skin and bright lips are perfect this time of year and I believe that added sparkle and shimmer from eyeshadows can make the overall look a little bit too much. In comes Teddy Bear from Clinique, an eyeshadow quad of wearable neutrals and browns, all with a matte finish.

I have begun to reach for this a lot of the time, there's something about it's simplicity that seems so fuss free and straightforward. The colours can be used inidividually to achieve a simple day look or combined together to create a more dramatic eye if desired.

The consistency of the eye shadows are quite powdery, but very fine and blendable. I found with the lighter shades that it was hard to really build them up without using a lot of product, however they're perfect for that 'wash of colour' look.

Clinique aptly describe the shades as 'classic ivory', 'golden tan beige','taupey milk chocolate' and a 'deep brown.' I'd say they're very wearable shades for most people, especially perfect for low-key day looks.

Overall, I like this palette and would recommend it to those who perhaps want a simple palette of neutrals as I believe the colours would suit almost everyone who has Fair- Medium skin (any deeper and the shades may not show up well.)
It's also great for beginners as it comes with a plastic slip that shows where you could use each of the colours for an eye look and the deep brown colour could potentially be used to fill in eyebrows (who doesn't love a multi-use product?!)

I do think the pricetag for this is a little steep, but I do like that all four colours are very blendable; a characteristic not too common amongst matte eyeshadows.

What neutral palettes do you reach for? What other matte shadows can you recommend to me?

MUA Lovehearts Lip Balm & Single Eyeshadow Review & EOTD.

MUA Lip Balm in 'Sweet Kiss' £2 for 10g

MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade 30 £1 for 2g

(Available in Superdrug)

I'm not usually attracted to gimicky or girly packaging as I always want to concentrate on the product inside, but something about these lipbalms with Lovehearts designs on the lids made me really want one! I think they're really cute and fun, and will stand out at the bottom of a makeup bag/box, and with it being Valentines week a review of one of them seemed fitting! I bought the shade 'Sweet Kiss' because I'm like a magpie to pretty coral pinks, particularly when in such a sheer form such as lip balm. This lip balm has impressed me with it's quality for the price, the formula is really smooth and glides onto the lips well, it isn't sticky at all but is slippery on the lips with a faint vanilla scent that doesn't linger for long. It adds minimal colour, just a wash of pretty pink over the lips and I really like the outcome.

So far the only downside I can find is also with the packaging, it is what I call a 'dippy pot', I've always found them totally off putting. I absolutely despise Vaseline with a passion and as long as I can remember I've always cringed at the sight of people prodding their fingers around vaseline pots and smearing the stuff around their lips. It literally turns my stomach. We'll see if I can get to grips with this dippy pot and enjoy using this lip balm, or if it will be a short affair.

I love anything copper, metallic or gold, particularly when it comes to eye makeup, so I picked this up. Similarly to my first MUA eyeshadow (EOTD Here) this is a pearl finish thats strong pigmentation is a joy to use and work with. It has quite fine glitter particles in it which makes it a bit more sparkly and jazzy than some of the other pearl finishes. It blends very well and I experienced no fall out, which really surprised me actually. To me, the pay off and the finish on the eye looks more high end than high street, so again MUA have impressed me here and I'll continue to buy their eyeshadows. The packaging seems sturdy enough, and 2g of product is generous considering it's £1!

Below is a FOTD using these two new products so that you can see how I've worn them, let me know what you think.

Eyes;

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eyelid Primer

MUA Eyeshadow Shade 30 (all over lid and brought underneath)

M.A.C. Eyeshadow in 'Showstopper' (in crease and underneath)

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 001 Dark Brown on the waterline

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara 

Lips;

MUA Lip Balm in 'Sweet Kiss'

If you want to know any of the other products used on my FOTD then pop a comment below or tweet me @emilydimplesxo and I'll reply back to you straight away!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!