Iggy Azalea inspired; Tuxedo Eyeliner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zR6ROjoOX0

Thought I'd try out 'Tuxedo Eyeliner' after spotting it on the video of one of my favourite songs this year so far- Iggy Azalea Work. It has been non stop in our household, let me tell you that. Though did anyone else hear her interview on Radio 1 last Sunday? Talk about bland.

To create this look, it is quite straight forward but does take a bit of time and does need a steady hand. I chose a soft smokey eye as a base, main colours used were my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette (couldn't be without it) and Daniel Sandler eyeshadow in 'Tornado' (review to come on that one soon.) I first lined and winged my eyes, following the eyeline using MAC 'Blacktrack' gel liner and a thin brush. Secondly I followed the line on top using Illamasqua's liquid eyeliner in 'Scribe'- a pure white. A bit watery at first, this does need two coats to be opaque. After that had dried, I re-lined the black line, to correct any bleeds and to deepen the colour. 
Followed with lashings of mascara and my base makeup as usual, the look was done. Probably not the most wearable, everyday looks but I haven't done anything for just a bit of fun in a while. I've been so bogged down with bridal trials and wedding days (not that I'm complaining, I love what I do) that I was itching to try something a bit creative!!

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading,

E.

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: 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!

A Valentines Day Look #FOTD

Valentines Day Inspired FOTD

I wanted to try creating my own Valentines day-esque makeup look using colours we tend to associate with love and romance; pinks and purples! I missed out red because I didn't want to go too overboard!! 

I also wanted to try out Illamasqua's pure pigment in 'Static'- it's a loose glitter powder, similar in consistency and grain size to Barry M glitter pots. It's pure white glitter that sparkles lilac, blue and pink when the light hits it. It glimmers like freshly fallen snow, which I suppose is appropriate considering the current weather conditions accross the country!

I was feeling creative, so let me know what you think.

Eyes;

Overall look;

17 Photo Flawless primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Coverage Foundation in 'Very Light'

Bare Minerals Matte Foundation powder in 'Fair'

M.A.C. Bronzer in 'Matte Bronze'

Benefit Hervana blusher

Benefit Stay Don't Stray eyelid primer

Illamasqua blusher in 'Lover'

Vivo eyeshadow in 'Purple Passion'

Illamasqua blusher in 'Thrust'

Laura Mercier eyeshadow in 'Fig'

Illamasqua pure pigment in 'Static'

Benefit 'High Brow'

Benefit 'High Beam'

Rimmel London liquid eyeliner

Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Black Eye Pencil

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

Eyelure false lashes no.151

Illamasqua lipstick in 'Plunge'

Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss in no.45

Will you be creating your own Valentines inspired look?

Vogue Makeup Spring 2012 FOTD

I love reading Vogue Beauty online and their recent article depicting the makeup trends for the coming season using looks from the runways really interested me. I love reading about makeup trends, what's hot and what not, whether I choose to apply it to my face in day to day life is another story but it definitely inspires me

Look 01; Doll- like Prettiness

Vogue.co.uk

This look if from Louis Vuitton and the theme was also found in Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana amongst others!

The look is youthful, freshfaced and simple.
There's emphasis on dewy skin, luscious lashes and a pink nude lip- very easy to translate into daily makeup, and probably one a lot of us adopt! The eyebrows are brushed upwards to appear bushy and natural which contribute to the overall youthful finish.
I really enjoyed recreating the look, I used a minimal amount of products, no brushes (does a mascara wand count?!) and kept techniques simple. I took a simple approach to application, and used versatile products that could be used in more than one way to keep it basic.


FOTD;

 

Estee Lauder B.B. Cream in 'Light' mixed with Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in '02'. (Review)

M.A.C. Cream Colour Base in 'Pearl' (Frost) (Review) as a soft highlight on cheekbones, and down the centre of the nose.

M.A.C. Cremeblend Blush in 'Something Special' on cheeks and lips

Benefit 'Instant Brow' Pencil and 'Speed Brow' Gel

Rimmel London Soft Kohl Pencil in '071 Pure White' on the inner corners of my eyes, blended onto the top lid, along the waterline, and above my lip to gently highlight my cupids bow.

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

Eyelure False Lashes no. 151

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in 'Nude Lilac'.

Thanks for reading!

A Laura Mercier Look....#EOTD

Laura Mercier Limited Edition (Holiday Collection 2011) Luxe Eye Portfolio.

Now, I'm not normally one for palettes of any kind. They remind me of the makeup sets you'd get when you're a young teen, full of colours you'll never wear and bad quality pearl finish lipsticks. However I saw this Laura Mercier Luxe Eye Palette in the christmas collection on the website I couldn't resist popping it on the old list. Luckily, my boyfriend bought it for me christmas and I still can't stop opening it up and going 'ooohhh' 'aaahhh'.

This palette reminds me more of an organiser, the snakeskin cover and the flap to secure it don't look like your average palette..

and wait till you look inside.. 

Containing a ponytail brush, a crease brush and a smudge brush these aren't the standard 'throw away as soon as you open' sh*t brushes, these are good quality, sturdy brushes that I'm chuffed to own.

12 gorgeous, wearable eyeshadow shades that include matte, sequin and sateen finishes.

Some are more pigmented than others, sparkling night, black coffee and fig are my favourites, they do not disappoint. Mica is a good dupe for M.A.C.'s Forgery, but I find there's more fall out. All in all, an excellent palette..I may be changing my ways!

EOTD; Simple day look.

Benefit Stay Don't Stray eyelid primer

Laura Mercier Morning Dew

Laura Mercier Royal Gold

Laura Mercier Fig

Laura Mercier Black Coffee (used as subtle eye liner on upper lid and beneath water line)

Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Black Eye Pencil

Benefit They're Real Mascara

 

An MUA Look...#EOTD

MUA single eyeshadow in shade 09, £1 for 2g. (Available in Superdrug)

Why I am attracted to anything and everything purple pigmented at the moment baffles me, as I usually cannot stand the colour, and am guilty of deeming it as 'nothingy' in the past. But now I'm choosing lipglosses, lipsticks, blushers and eyeshadows that are purple, lilac and violet in colour. I think it's the time of year, I don't tend to be reaching for the soft pinks and corals, opting for deeper and more intense shades instead.

I picked up this MUA eyeshadow and thought I'd create a look, as at first it could seem as quite a scary colour. But as we all know, bold colours are here to stay in terms of makeup trends so we may aswell embrace it!

The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is strong and has a pearl finish as described on the back of the casing. MUA split their singular eyeshadows into either pearl or matte finishes.
It's a fine, strong pigmented deep violet with a blue shimmer. In terms of it's £1 pricetag, the quality is phenomenal, and the shades they are available in are pretty exciting for such a cheap brand. I wouldn't call this a safe colour by any means!

EOTD; 

Benefit Stay Don't Stray eyelid primer

M.A.C Frost eyeshadow in Forgery (white- silver glitter)

Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Sparkling Night (deep navy satin finish)

Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Black Coffee (matte black)

MUA eyeshadow in shade 9

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Gel Liner

Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Black Eye Pencil

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Eyelure False Lashes (101)

Will you be buying this MUA eyeshadow?