Sleek Garden of Eden palette and brow kit review

It's been almost a week since I updated this blog.  I've been working hard, moving house, and being terribly ill, all at the same time.  Not a good week.  You can tell how crappy I've been feeling.  I picked up Sleek's new Garden of Eden palette on Tuesday (thank you Boots points!), but I haven't played with it until today!

Like all of Sleek's palettes, Garden of Eden contains 12 eyeshadows, housed in a black case with a mirror, and a double ended sponge applicator (which I don't think I've ever used).  This offering is a mixture of muted purples, greens, and browns.  I always love the mix of colours that Sleek come up with, and this is no exception, although I would like it if they included a decent highlight colour.

The palette is quite frost heavy, with over half the shades being a frost finish.  That's not a bad thing, as that's where Sleek's strength lies, but if you're more of a matte person, you may be disappointed.  

Top:  Gates of Eden, Eve's Kiss, Paradise on Earth, Python, Forbidden, Flora

Bottom:  Entwined, Adam's Apple, Fig, Evergreen, Fauna, Tree of Life

Upon first swatching these, I was a little disappointed.  Forbidden, in particular, had very weak colour pay off.  Entwined and Adam's Apple were also dry and sheer.  Even some of the frosts like Fig and Evergreen were pretty sheer.  But I remembered that I felt the same when I first got my hands on the Celestial palette, so I decided to try the shadows over a base before giving up.

Applying the shadows over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk yielded far better results.  Part of me resents having to use a base to get this sort of colour pay off.  But then again, I almost always use a base when applying my eyeshadows anyway.  If you don't usually use a base in your looks this could be a deal breaker for you. 

Whilst in Boots I also picked up their brow palette.  I love my MUFE Aqua Brow, but I find it can be a little OTT when I'm wearing a softer 'no makeup' look.  I'm a massive fan of Benefit's Brow-zings, but my budget didn't quite stretch that far this month, so I decided to give Sleek's offering a go.

Just like Benefit's Brow-zings, Sleek's brow palette contains a brow wax, a brow powder, two brushes, and a small pair of tweezers.  You apply the wax first, and then set with the powder.  I used my usual Sephora angled brush to apply the wax, which had better pigmentation than I was expecting.  I then used the flat brush to apply the powder to set the wax.   I was really happy with the results!  Staying power isn't as good as Brow-zings, but with the Sleek palette coming in at almost 1/3 of the price, I can't complain too much.  I'll also add that the tweezers included are really good too!  I'm not sure that it'll replace Aqua Brow for me, but it's definitely nice to have a softer option.

I had a quick play around with both the eyeshadow, and the brow palette.  I'm happy with the way the eyeshadow palette performed, and I'm sure I'll be spending some more time doing some better looks soon!

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
Sleek Garden of Eden palette -
  Inner lid - Eve's Kiss
  Outer lid - Paradise on Earth
  Crease -  Adam's Apple, Fig, and Tree of Life
  Tear duct -  Gates of Eden
  Lower lash line - Forbidden
MAC eyeshadow in Nylon 
Miss Sporty Metallic Liner in Purple Hit
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Mildew 
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara
Sleek Brow Palette in Light

Eyebrows

For me, eyebrows are the thing that really finish a look off.  Defining eyebrows is one of my favourite things to do on clients, as people are so shocked by the difference it can make.

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Shaping your brows.

Before you start applying products, you'll want to take a look at your brow shape.  Some people just like to tweeze any stray hairs, leaving their brows to take their natural shape.  Other people like a more defined brow look, usually thicker at the start, tapering out after the arch to a thin point.  If you're not confident shaping your own brows to start with, I'd really recommend see a professional and getting them either threaded or waxed.  Once they've been shaped, you'll then find it easier to keep them that shape, getting rid of hairs when they go through.


 If you do choose to shape them yourself, here's a hand guide:

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Use the corner of your nose as the starting point.  Use a pencil if you need to as guidence.
A - The start of your brow should be straight above the corner of your nose
B - Place your pencil at the corner of your nose, and line the other end up with the corner of your eye.  Your brow should end on this line.
C - Your arch should be above the center of your eye
D - The bottom of the start and end of your brow should line up.

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Products

There are numerous products that can be used on eyebrows to help tidy them up and add definition.  Some are easier to use than others, so I'll be listing these products in order of ease of use, starting with the easiest first. 

Brow Gel

Brow gel works great for taming unruly brows.  It comes in a tube with a mascara wand-like applicator.  You simply comb it through your brows, making sure that the hairs all lie in the correct direction.  They come in both clear and coloured, and both a quite subtle, but create some definition.  You can also use these on top of other eyebrow products, as not all brow products actually tame the hairs.  Clear mascara also works quite well as a brow gel.

Recommendations

MAC Brow Gel - This comes in clear, and two different shades of brown.  It holds hairs in place well, doesn't flake, and doesn't turn brows crispy.

Bobbi Brown  Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up - The Bobbi Brown gel comes in more colours than the MAC version (Auburn is great for red heads who have problems finding brow products), and boasts all the same benefits.

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Brow Powder

You can either buy specific brow powders, or you can just use a matte eyeshadow.  Using an angled brush, use short strokes to define the brows, filling in any gaps.  The powder gives a soft, natural look. 

Recommendations

Benefit Brow-zing - This was my favourite product to sell when I worked for Benefit, and I still recommend it today.  A soft powder to fill in brows, and then a wax to set it all in place.  Perfectly defined brows every time.

Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake - This comes in a good selection of colours, and can either be used dry for soft definition, or dampened and used with Illamasqua Mixing Medium for more defined, waterproof brows.

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Brow Pencils

These create an even more defined brow.  I tend to stay away from really soft pencils, as you won't be able to draw such fine detail, and they can smudge.  You'll want to make sure your pencil is really sharp, as you want the lines to look like hairs, rather than thick lines.

Recommendations

MAC Eye Brows - This is my all time favourite brow pencil (to the point where I don't recommend anything else!).  This twist up pencil is so thin, and just the right texture to be able to really draw the hairs in.

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Cream Products

For a really defined brow, opt for a cream product.  These tend to be quite highly pigmented, and therefore allow you the least room for errors.  Again, and angled brush works best here.  I like to fill in the whole brow area for a really sharp look. 

Recommendations

MakeUp ForEver Aqua Brow -This is my current brow love (and has been for over a year).  It's creamy and opaque, an goes on evenly whilst holding my brows in place.  And once it's on, it stays put.

MAC Fluidline - For super dramatic, defined brows, try this gel eyeliner.  It glides through brows, and lasts all day.

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The colour of your brows

If you are using a coloured brow product, try to match it with the colour of your natural brows.  If you want your brows to be a little more dramatic (or maybe you dye your hair), you can opt for a colour one or two shades darker than your natural brows.