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.

Midweek Post: A Pop Of Colour

I must have been feeling a bit fruity last week when I decided that orange and blue in the same makeup look was going to be a good idea. In the end, I really liked the outcome and wearing a pop of colour during these dark winter (I am not a big fan of post- Christmas winter) days is a quick and an easy way to brighten up my mood. Orange and blue are complimentary colours and a couple of people made nice comments about my makeup that day, which is always nice isn't it?

I used the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette on my eyelids to create a natural brown look and then put Illamasqua's medium pencil in 'Debonair' under my waterline. I blended it with one of my Laura Mercier brushes and added a bit of brown from the UD palette in the outer corners to tie in the overall look. Granted, the medium pencil needed to be touched up throughout the day which was a bit of annoyance. On my lips I used a true vivid orange lipstick also from Illamasqua called 'Flare'. The formula is a little stiff but it is ultra matte and so was the perfect choice on a windy day! Nothing worse than hair getting stuck in lipgloss! 

I enjoyed wearing something a bit different and have been trying out different looks recently, I'll try and document a few of them for this ere blog :-)

P,S, Can you tell I still can't use my camera properly? ;-D

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?

M.A.C. Review #5 Matte Lipstick & Daphne Guinness Collection

M.A.C. Lipstick in Pink Plaid, £13.50 for 3g

I was browing the M.A.C. website for the perfect matte pink lipstick, my Illamasqua one (here) is gorgeous but more neon than I was expecting, and I will continue my search until I find the perfect pink. Don't you worry now, you'll all be informed when I do.

Left; With Flash. Right; Without

Pink Plaid is a stunning colour, it's pretty rose pink, Pink Plaid leans toward blue undertones, and it appealed to me because it was subtle yet noticeable, and a shade that I can see me wearing for a long time- something to suit all ages.

This is certainly a versatile colour, one that will look gorgeous no matter what the season! It's pink so will work gorgeously in spring/summer but because of it's dusky blue tones it can be worn in the colder months too. On the lip it is quite bright, I've had a few compliments when I've worn it. It seems to stand out most with a smokey eye that incorporate greys and black hues, it can look 'too much' when worn with pinky pink blusher, or with warm toned browns on the eye.

The matte formula glides on smoothly, and of course lasts a good amount of time!

Overall I am really happy with this lipstick, it's not the most exciting of shades but one that will always be used and always be useable.  

Do you own Pink Plaid? Will you be buying this?

Also, what do you think of the Daphne Guinness for MAC collection? At first I thought it was a strange collaboration because she was the face for the NARS Autumn campaign a couple of years ago, but I like it, it makes a sophisticated change to that hideous Glitter and Ice collection anyway! Has anyone bought from this yet?

I adore the cool toned, well thought out colour palette. I'm confident it's a very wearable collection, but also have suspicions that the colours may only appeal to the makeup addicts amongst us!
The collection is already famed for having several 'inspiration' points, pigeon blood, butterflies, Titian paintings and outer space to name a few.  She is quite a character, isn't she!
I think I'll be treating myself to the lilac lipstick, one of the blushers (undecided yet!) and I'm actually completely tempted to buy one of the lipglasses, despite their poor reputation.

Images courtesy maccosmetics.co.uk

The collection has been available since Boxing Day and will be discontinued in the first week of February.