My holiday haul

I can never go to France and not pop into Sephora while I'm there.  I didn't go too mad.  I had to pick up another Aqua Brow, as it's my go to brow product.  I'd heard great things about Sephora's Cream Lip Stains, and as I'm a sucker for anything sparkly I picked up a glittery pink eyeshadow, and another MUFE Lab Shine lip gloss.  I also popped into Yves Rocher for their Coconut eau de toilette .

I don't have an awful lot to say about the eyeshadow!  It's a proper girly pink, and it's soft, pigmented, and blendable.  The tester in store seemed to have more glitter than this one though.  I'm hoping it's more glittery further down.

This picture shows off the sparkle in the eyeshadow and lip gloss!

I chose Lab Shine gloss in Shimmering Beige and I'm in need of good nude lip products.  It's a pinked beige with golden shimmer.  It goes on fairly sheer, and I'm sure it'll look great with a smokey eye.  Lab Shine glosses smell really sweet, which I quite like.  They're tasteless, which means I don't have the desire to lick it all off as soon as I put it on!  They're non-sticky too.

After reading a few reviews I went in knowing that I wanted to get one of Sephora's Cream Lip Stains, and after much deliberation and swatching, I chose Strawberry Kissed.  The name is spot on as it's a bright pinked-red, just like fresh strawberries.  It goes on opaque in one swipe and dries down to a matte finish quickly.  Once it dries it feels like you're not wearing anything at all on your lips.  Staying power is amazing.  Once dry is totally transfer proof.  No leaving marks on glasses!  It holds up through a meal well, providing it's not oily food (oil removes pretty much all makeup).  I'm so impressed with the formula that I wish I could get my hands on more colours right now!  I've been on the hunt for years for a good transfer proof red lipstick for my kit for brides, and this is perfect.  I seriously recommend trying these out for yourself!

Review - Shiro Intertubes and custom lipgloss

Shiro did an offer at the beginning of May to celebrate their birthday where you got a free eyeshadow, May The Forth Be With You, and as my birthday is May 4th I just had to place an order!  I opted for 3 Intertubes which are being discontinued, and one custom gloss.

I have to say that I am so sad at the Intertubes disappearing, as they are so great to wear!  They're super comfortable and moisturising.  They're still available for the rest of this month, so I may place and order and stock up.

Rickrolled is described as a bright red-orange.  It definitely pulls more coral-orange on my lips.  I usually find oranges quite hard to pull off, but this one is really nice.  Super summery.  It's pretty opaque and applies smoothly.  It's got quite a strong ginger scent to it, which I found to be a little overwhelming to begin with.  The website says the ginger can have a tingly plumping effect, but I didn't notice this at all (which I'm glad off, I'm not a big fan of plumping lip products)

Rickrolled

Shoop Da Whoop is my favourite out of  the lot.  It's a bright, glossy, fresh red, that is almost opaque.  This one is unscented, and whilst the wear time is shorter than the others  I can see myself reaching for it a lot, as it's a nice day time red.

Shoop Da Whoop

Sad Keanu is a pinky purple, and the Intertube I had the most trouble with.  I think that the fact that it's darker is the reason behind my struggle to apply it evenly (as you can see from the pictures).  It's a pink toned purple, and it leaves a pink stain behind, which I actually really like!  This one is blackberry scented, although the scent isn't as strong as Rickrolled.  

 Sad Keanu

Sad Keanu stain

Sticking with the purples, I also ordered an opaque custom gloss using Team Rocket pigment.  It's a cool toned purple with blue shimmer throughout.  This isn't quite as opaque as the Ganondorf gloss (seen here), which meant I did have a little trouble getting it to apply smoothly.  I love the blush shimmer in it though, and it's certainly a more unique purple lip colour.  I chose to have it cherry pie scented.  It's a strong cherry scent, and whilst it's not horrible, I don't think I'd opt for that particular scent again.

Team Rocket opaque custom gloss

Overall I'm super happy with my order.  I need to hunt down a good purple lip liner as I think having a good base would mean that Sad Keanu and Team Rocket would apply more evenly.  I'm contemplating buying a back up of Shoop Da Whoop, as well as Why Not Zoidberg and Team Buffy before they disappear for good, as I can see myself getting a lot of use out of them this summer.

Shiro cosmetics haul part 2

For the first part of my review, and how my ordering experience was, check out part one here.

I have both the new and old shades from the Legends collection.  The older shades, which I'll mark, are still up for sale on the site under 'discontinued'. Availability is guaranteed through Feb.  I'm hoping that Deku will be available for the first couple of days in March, as if I do another order for colour of the month I want to pick up a full size version.

Like the Randomly Generated shadows I swatched yesterday, many of these shadows have a more complex shimmer to them than my camera picks up.

 Farore's Wind, Hero of Ages, Rupee (discontinued), Kokiri Emerald, Shield-eater (discontinued), Triforce

 Nayru's Love, Majora's Mask, Zora Sapphire, Ocarina (discontinued), Dark Sacrifice (discontinued)

 Death by Cucco (discontinued), Angry Cuccos, Din's Fire, Destiny's Princess, Zelda (discontinued)

 Octorok (discontinued), Kooloo-Limpah!, Deku (discontinued), Boomerang (discontinued), Small Key (discontinued), Smashing Pots

 Skull Kid, Epona, Master Sword, Temple of Time (discontinued), Victory Road (discontinued), Twilight Realm (discontinued)

 Hearts (discontinued), Heart Piece, Goron Ruby, Ganondorf

 Kaepora Gaebora, A Terrible Fate

 When The Trush Knocks (The Hobbit), Farewell Wherever You Fare (The Hobbit), War of Five Armies (The Hobbit), You Know Nothing (The Seven Kingdoms)

The second gloss I ordered was an opaque gloss using Ganondorf  pigment.  I was expecting a deep brown-red (I know, I know, another dark red?).  When it arrived I was pretty disappointed to find that it was just dark brown.  Very little red in it at all.  But I put it on, and actually didn't hate it!  It's definitely not like anything else I have in my collection.

Like the Moon Prism Power gloss, it's quite a dry, powdery gloss, and the glossiness wears off after an hour or so.  I decided to try it on top of a red lipstick (Dior Diorling), and it's stunning.  An absolutely perfect dark red shade.  The fact that it drys down only makes me like it more, as I don't have to worry so much about smudging it.  The only problem is that if you need to top your lip colour off, you have to take the whole lot off and start again, otherwise you'll just end up with the brown gloss.  I wouldn't wear it out for a meal because of that, but I'll definitely be wearing it the next time I go out for drinks with friends!  

Shiro Cosmetics haul part 1

I am not a loose eyeshadow fan.  But the immense geekery of the collections at Shiro Cosmetics drew me in, and I decided to put aside my dislike of loose shadows and order some.  Or should I say, order lots.  Sample sizes are so cheap that I decided to order the full Legends (Zelda) and Randomly Generated (Minecraft) collections.  I then threw into my basket a full size Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon (how could I not?), a full size We're up all night to get Loki, and a full size Cake from the Randomly Generated collection.  I got the full size Cake even though it was included in the sample collection I purchased as it comes in a special Minecraft pot, and it looked like a great highlight colour that I'd get a lot of use out of (that was the practical reason that I used to justify my purchase anyway!).

A couple of days after placing my order, Caitlin announced on the Facebook page that the Legends collection would be getting a re-vamp, with some shades disappearing, and some new ones being added.  So, of course, I needed those new shades too.  I messaged Caitlin and she said that she was happy to combine both orders into one package.  So I bought more.  As well as all the new Legends shades, I also picked up I Guess You're Okay from the LE Derps collection, and two custom lip glosses using Moon Prism Powder and Ganondorf.

The site said to allow up to two weeks for shipping, and mine shipped just before the two week mark.  The order took just over a week to get to me in the UK, which I thought was really good!  Caitlin also through in a few samples from other collections, and couple of chocolates, which awesome.

I'll be breaking the swatches into two sets.  Today I've just managed to get the Legends collection and the full size shadows done.  My order had over 50 shadows!  As with all loose shadows, you'll get the best effect either foiling them, or applying them over a base.  I've swatched mine over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk.  Many of these shades have beautiful, complex, shimmery, duo-chromes that my camera hasn't manged to do justice.

 The full Legends collection

 What's That Smelt?, You Dropped Your Rod, Diggy Diggy Hole, Getting Wood, Full of Craft

 Cake, That'ssss A Nice House, Punch Punch Pork, Steve O' Lantern, What's This Lever Do?

It's Mossy!, Steve., Diamonds, I'll Move That For You, Are You Shear You Wanna Enchant That?

 Full sized jars.  All but Cake come with sifters.

Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon, We're Up All Night To Get Loki, I Guess You're Ok, and Cake

Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon, We're Up All Night To Get Loki, I Guess You're Ok

The Nic Cage shadow looks so pants in that swatch.  It's a little sheer, but builds easily, and is a warm deep brown with gold and red shimmer.  I Guess You're Ok has bright green shimmer that really catches the light.  I've made a quick gif so that you can see how amazing they are in sunlight.  The one on the end is Cake, which I'm so glad I got a full size of.  It's white gold with a pink duo-chrome.  It looks amazing as a highlight, not too over the top either!

I got a custom made Moon Prism Powder lip gloss too, although I forgot to take a pic of just the tube.  It's a super pretty gloss, that's pinky-cream with lots of pale green shimmer.  I got this gloss as medium opacity, which means it'll work well for wearing on it's own, and layering.  The green shift it in really reminds me of MAC's Lollipop Lovin', which older MAC fans will know was really popular.  I'll have to try layering it over a pink-coral lipstick.  The gloss wears down after an hour or so, but the colour sticks around on lips for about 5 hours.  The texture of the gloss was quite dry and powdery, which I actually liked, as I'm not a fan of sticky glosses.  It was comfortable to wear, and wasn't drying, even after the gloss had gone.

And finally, here's a super quick look I did with a few of the colours.  I've started using Urban Decay's new loose powder,  applied with the large brush from the Real Techniques Duo Fibre set, and it photographs amazingly!

Face
YSL Touche Eclat foundation BR10
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift concealer White and Light 1
Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder Light
Illamasqua Rumour blush
MAC Alpha Girl beauty powder blush

Eyes
NARS smudge proof eyeshadow base
NYX jumbo pencil in Milk
Shiro Diamonds, What's That Smelt?, I'll Move That For You, and Cake
Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner in Teal
Urban Decay 24/7 pencils in Delinquent and Ether 
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara
Sleek brow set in Light

Lips
Shiro Moon Prism Powder medium gloss

Christmas beauty haul

I arrived home yesterday after spending Christmas with my parents in France.  I did quite well this year as far as beauty gifts go, and I thought I'd share some pics of my goodies with you all.  Some of these I was bought, others I purchased with money I was given. 

My first gift. Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Aragonite (151) was given to me by a friend.  Given my love of all things glittery at the moment, this gloss couldn't be more perfect.  It's packed full of golden white and pink glitter, that looks absolutely stunning when it catches the light.  This is the ultimate glitzy new years eve party gloss, and I'd highly recommend it to anybody wanting to add a little extra something  to their celebratory look. (Keep scrolling for swatches!)

My second beauty gift I received was from my brother.  He joked that my presents each year get smaller, but more expensive!  They also get prettier.  I'm sure I've mentioned my love of Armani's Lip Maestros before, as they're an incredible formula.  A liquid lipstick that drys down to a modern matte finish that last comfortably for hours.  Armani's Christmas collection this year looked more to me like a summer collection.  A collection filled with vibrant pinks and oranges.  I fell in love with the bright pink lipstick (505), and was super happy to find it wrapped up under the Christmas tree waiting for me.  The swatches below make it look more coral than it is, but I'm sure that I'll be showing it's true colour off in a look soon.

Next up are a couple of items that I bought using some money I received.  I'd had my eye on one of the lipsticks from Guerlain's Crazy Paris collection, and was hoping it would pop up in the post Christmas sales.  I was lucky and managed to nab the Rouge Automatique in Illusion for half price!  It's described as a 'subtle sparkling plum'.  It's a deep pink-fuchsia with pink sparkle.  It's sheerer than the Rouge G formula that I'm used to, but it was love at first sight with this shade.

I also spotted a the glosses from Guerlain's fall collection in the sale, and just had to have Madame Fascine, a deep purpley-plum.  Applied it's quite sheer, deepening my natural lip colour.  It's a really nice every day shade for the colder months, and I'm sure I'll be getting a lot of use out of it!

Here's some swatches of the above products.  As I said earlier, the Armani Lip Maestro is far pinker than the swatch here looks. 

Another product that I splashed out on was quite a find for me.  Back in October I read Temptalia's review of Guerlain's Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder.  I own one lot of meteorite pearls, which I love.  They're quite often the finishing touch that I apply to my makeup just before I head out of the door.  So when a pinkier, pressed version popped up, I knew I had to have it.  But do you think I could find them?  Most stores, whilst carrying the Crazy Paris collection, didn't stock the pressed meteorites.  The one store that did (I think it was either Harrods or Selfidges) sold out before I got there.  I then tried the French Sephora site, hoping I could get it sent to my parents.  No luck.  Then I scoured American websites, with the thought that my friend could forward it on.  All sold out.  So I gave up.  Then, whilst visiting the town of Agen with my parents, I dragged them into Sephora.  It was only as a passing thought before we left that I checked the Guerlain stand.  And there I found my meteorites!  I'm sure my parents and brother thought I was mad, but I knew that I'd kick myself if I didn't get them!  So now I am the proud owner of Guerlain's Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder.  And at less than half the price of the regular pressed meteorites, it's worth every penny.  I don't like the packaging as much, but having got my hands on it made my day!

There's not really much point in me posting swatches of this, as those who know meteorites will know how subtle the effect is, and how difficult it is to catch on camera.  The effect is a healthy glow from within, a radiance which looks natural, rather than achieved by makeup.  For someone like me who suffers from a chronic illness (or two!), and therefore has a tendency to have tired looking skin, this is a luxuary that's well worth having.

My final piece to show you isn't so much makeup related, but continues on the Guerlain theme.  I'm not one for perfume, but a year ago I fell in love with Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire Eu De Parfum.  With notes of black rose, black cherry, and patchoucli, fading down to reveal vanilla and licorice scents.  It's sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and it wears well on my skin.  So when I unwrapped a bottle of La Petite Robe Noir shower gel, it was guaranteed to be a hit.  I would never spend such a large amount of shower gel for myself, so it was a wonderful present to receive.  The smell alone makes it feel so luxurious to use, as it's a far more complicated scent (especially compared the the Original Source shower gel I'm used to!).  You don't need a lot for a thick lather, which means it will last me for many washes, and the smell remains on my skin for a good few hours afterwards.

I feel so incredibly lucky this year to have gotten my mitts on so many wonderful beauty items.  There certainly was a Guerlain theme!  I also received a Remmington Pearl Curling Wand, which I may review once I've had a proper play with it.

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and that you all have a happy new year!

Review - Illamasqua Pristine lipstick and Violate lipgloss

Once again I was unable to resist an Illamasqua sale.  When they reduce loads of items to just £5, what do you expect?!

In the autumn and winter I, like many others are drawn to darker, vampier colours.  But why stop at deep reds and purples?  Illamasqua's sheer gloss in Violate is a deep shimmering green, and I think it's perfect for a lip colour that's a little different.  I've always found darker unusual colours easier to wear than bright ones (as much as I love Apocalips lipstick, it's not the easiest of colours to pull off!).

Wear time is pretty good for Illamasqua's glosses.  I can get a good 4 hours out of darker colours before they need a touch up (dark glosses are notoriously high maintanence).  It's also worth noting that their glosses have a sweet vanilla smell.  I love it, but it might not be to some people's taste.  You can't smell it once the gloss is applied, and it didn't have any sort of taste either.

Whilst Violate is more pigmented than most of Illamasqua's sheer lip glossed, it does fall victim to a problem which is common among darker glosses.  Applied normally, it can look patchy and uneven.  I found myself adding more gloss to try and even it out, and just ending up with way too much on!  Luckily this gloss isn't very sticky, so it didn't feel too bad.  But when you're wearing a dark gloss the more you put on, the more likely you are to end up with it smudging (all too often I have had a single hair blow onto my lip and ended up with a stripe of lip gloss on my cheek!). 

Fortunately, I also picked up Pristine lipstick, a matte black.  I have to admit, I've never been a massive fan of Illamasqua#s lipsticks.  The majority of them are a matte formula which I've always found far too drying.  However, Pristine lipstick applied smoothly, and whilst it's not hydrating, it's not as uncomfortable as I remembered their lipsticks being.  I think the key to wearing Illamasqua lipsticks (or any other matte lipstick) is preparation.  I exfoliated my lips the night before, and made sure to apply my No.7 Protect and Perfect Lip Care before bed.  I also applied it just before applying Pristine, as the balm sinks in really quickly.  

The picture below is without a lip liner.  It could probably do with one (when worn both with and without a gloss).  I'll probably just use my Illamasqua Sophie pencil.

The best thing about a dark matte lip is that the colour tends to stick around longer than most lipsticks; about 5-6 hours for me if I wasn't eating on drinking.  But if you are going out for a meal or drinks, you'll probably find that the center of your lips wears off a lot faster.  I may now be an Illamasqua lipstick convert.  I already have my eye on ESP (vivid violet), Kontrol (blue violet) and Disciple (deep navy).

As strange as it may sound, I think a black lipstick is kind of a staple piece.  In the picture below I applied Violate over Pristine, and you can just see how much better it looks!

I also tried Pristine out under Lime Crime's Loop de Loop gloss.  The effect it had on the gloss was similar.  It's a darker colour than worn alone, but I didn't feel the need to pile on the layers to make the colour even.

And last but not least I popped Violate on top of Apocalips lipstick.  It turns a deeper teal shade, and is really pretty.  

Unfortunately my Apocalips has definitely passed it's sell by date now.  I guess I should add that to my lipstick wish list too.....