Becca Ombre Rouge Eye Palette

The Becca Ombre Rouge Eye Palette is a palette I have been reaching for a lot recently yet despite owning it for a while it seems to have gone under the radar in terms of blog posts. I haven’t mentioned this one much at all yet this simple but pretty palette is definitely one that deserves a second glance at in the beauty aisles.

From the first look at this palette, it is fairly simple with only five neutral shades. However the shades and performance of them make this a great staple to have in any eyeshadow collection. The shade range itself is neutral in tone but such a pretty selection of warm toned shades great for the upcoming season. The shades are arranged from the lightest to the darkest shade making it super easy to create a simple but defined eye look that can go from day to night. The shades vary with a selection of matte and satin finishes but across the board, the pigmentation is impressive with each shade having great colour pay-off. The formulas are also impressive in terms of longevity and last well on my oily eye lids even without primer which is quite a bonus!

The palette retails for £36 which is pricey for only five shades particularly when you can get a larger palette like the Urban Decay Naked palettes for around the same price however it does make a great everyday palette in my collection. The quality of the palette also makes this well worth the extra pennies! Definitely a palette that shouldn’t be overlooked!

Are you a fan of this palette?

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Current Beauty Wishlist

As a beauty obsessive, I have a wishlist much longer than my arm on a regular basis. Although instead of boring you all with a list the length of the yellow pages, I have rounded up some of my top picks that I have been lusting over!

There is quite a few eyeshadow products as I do love a good eye palette, I just can’t get enough really! I have two quads on my list from Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury. The first is from the new fall Chanel Le Rouge collection. The quad is basically autumn in a palette, a gorgeous trio of warm brown shades and a beautiful and slightly daring red shade. It is pricey but you can’t go wrong with a beautiful monochrome Chanel compact eh! The Charlotte Tilbury option is slightly different being a collection of gold-y neutral shades that looks very seasonally appropriate! Again I think this one is limited edition so hopefully I can snap up this one soon!

The last eyeshadow option is from Anastasia and their well hyped Modern Renaissance palette. What drew me to this palette, other than the fact that I’ve seen it everywhere is that the colour selection is beautifully unique. The warm shade selection looks well up my street and could even persuade me to experiment a bit with colour! The packaging looks super cute too!

I am also so incredibly hyped to see that Kat Von D makeup is finally coming to the UK. Hallelujah! I’ve been desperate to try the ever so popular liquid lipsticks so I can’t wait to finally get my hands on a couple. I am not particularly sure what shades yet, any recommendations?

Lastly, is the Sweethearts bronzer from Too Faced. I’ve not tried much from Too Faced but everything I have, I have really liked! This bronzer looks so pretty and that’s not just the packaging! The light and dark shade combination looks perfect for my skin tone and I’ve heard that the pigmentation is pretty good too! So hopefully I can nab this one quick!

What is on your wishlist?

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My Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Collection… so far

As soon as I heard Makeup Geek hit the UK I had to try out their well hyped eyeshadow range. I have heard nothing but raves about these affordable eyeshadows from all the US gals on Youtube/blogs etc including Jaclyn Hill who I can always trust for makeup recommendations! Over the last month, I have picked up 9 shadows from the range alongside a Z palette to fit them all into. For those in the UK, Makeup Geek is available via Beauty Bay and comes in at £4.95 per single shadow and £7.95 for foiled shadows which is pretty decent particularly compared to the price of Mac eyeshadows! So here is the start to my hopefully soon full Makeup Geek palette!

In order from first row to second (same with swatches..)

Shimma Shimma

This is the perfect inner corner highlight shade. A gorgeous champagne shade, this is also said to be a good dupe for Stila Kitten .

Peach Smoothie

Not a shade I would typically go for but when Jaclyn Hill raves you gotta go with it! A light, peachy shade which is gorgeous as a base colour and into the crease to really give a little warmth to your eyes. It also has a pretty amazing name!

Prom Night 

A gorgeous lilac grey shimmer shade that looks beautiful all over the lid as a sheer wash of colour or built up more intensely.

Homecoming

One of my favourite shades, an easy wearable light brown shimmer that is an essential in everyone’s eyeshadow collection

Taupe Notch

A medium brown taupe shade with slight shimmer running through it that looks gorgeous paired with Homecoming.

Grandstand

A newer addition to my collection but a easily a stand-out! This is from the foiled range, a gorgeous rose gold which has very impressive pigmentation.

Burlesque

I am forever in love with berry/burgundy eyeshadows despite the challenge they present in trying to make them wearable. Nevertheless I had to add a couple to this palette, Burlesque is a gorgeous shimmery burgundy shade. This shade can be built up to be more pigmented or used as a sheer wash over the lid which makes it a lot more wearable and a little different but still simple enough for everyday wear.

Showtime

Showtime is very similar to Burlesque although this shade is a foiled shadow and the colour is slighty more brown-y red toned. It goes really nicely with Burlesque in the crease and this over the lid for a more shimmery look.

Steampunk

Finally, my last shadow is the darkest one from the bunch and one of the duo-chrome shades. Being duo-chrome, it has a pretty interesting colour, it is descibred as having a ‘black base with copper reflects’ which is pretty accurate as it appears pretty dark on me but there is a slight shimmer running through it. It’s not one I’ve used much so I will definitely need to work with this one a little more!

Overall, these shadows are all super pigmented and so buttery and smooth to blend and work with. The lasting power is one of the best things though as I have very oily eyelids and always suffer from creased and faded shadows before the day is even over but these are so long lasting on me! Definitely a hit and for the price they are so worth it! Any recommendations of what to add to my palette next!?

Are you a fan of Makeup Geek eyeshadows?

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Nars Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette

Whenever ASOS have a 20% off event it is basically a rule that I have to purchase something. With brands like Nars, Stila and Illamasqua I simply couldn’t say no. Being a huge lover of Nars I had always wanted to try their Dual-Intensity eyeshadow range. After working out the cost of buying single shades it actually worked out much better value buying the palette and who am I to turn down another eyeshadow palette in my collection!? After trialling it out for a while I thought I would rundown my thoughts on this beauty of an eyeshadow palette.

When it comes to eyeshadow I always like to keep things neutral and warm toned so this palette stretches a little out of my comfort zone. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by the wear-ability of all the shades. The palette includes a couple of light shades suitable for a base colour or the inner corner, a couple of brown toned shades and the addition of some cooler toned blue shades. Also, a deep purple-y shade and a dark black colour. My favourite shade is probably Himalia, a golden-y bronze-y brown shade that I actually considered buying as a single. It is a super wearable everyday shade that looks gorgeous on it’s own. I was also really surprised by the two blue toned shades; Lysithea and Giove which together create a really nice cool toned look which is completely different to my usual go-to.

You may be able to tell from the name ‘Dual-Intensity’ that these shadows work in two ways; wet or dry. Whilst the shadows apply much more intense wet they still offer impressive pigmentation applied dry. Although if there is one thing I struggled with in this palette, it was the application. From flat shader brushes to fluffy brushes it was a little tricky finding the right way to apply these shades. Some applied much more evenly than others particularly the lighter shades. I also did find it easier working with the shadows dry rather than wet but I guess that’s something I have still gotta work on. With good lasting power and super wearable shades, it’s definitely a thumbs up for me although the application is still something that I need to continue testing out.

Are you a fan of the Nars Dual-Intensity eyeshadows? 

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Birthday Beauty Wishlist

So while August may mark the month of going back to school, the ending of summer it also marks something else special (for me anyway). August is my birthday month *celebration dance* So of course that means lots of cake and the perfect opportunity to have a little splurge on some of my wish list goodies. Like all us beauty junkies, the beauty wishlist is never ending but I thought I would share with you all some of the products at the top of my list that hopefully I will pick up during the month as a little birthday treat!

First up is a new lipstick from Charlotte Tilbury cause you can’t have a wishlist without CT and if you’re gonna treat yourself this is the definition of treat yo’ self. Now I do have a couple of CT lipsticks that I would love to get my hands on but Miss Kensington, a gorgeous nude pink makes top of the list as it is a limited edition release… even more reason to purchase! The formula of these are amazing and this colour is so up my street!

Now I constantly hear about how amazing Mac eyeshadows are yet I haven’t purchased a single one. I am so desperate to start my own palette and I want to make a little quad first. Two eyeshadows I would like to get my hands on are Blackberry and Cork which both look super pretty! What Mac eyeshadows do you recommend?

Now time for the ultimate lust worthy product. The gorgeous Tartelette palette. Now I have heard so much regarding the Tarte brand but I’ve still not made a purchase since its pretty tricky to get a hold of in the UK. Luckily though QVC are a UK stockist of Tarte and one item I am desperate to get a hold of is this gorgeous all matte palette. I was never much of a matte eyeshadow fan with my heart more towards shimmery finishes although the look of this palette completely changed my mind. I just need matte in my life. Annoyingly though this is now out of stock, please QVC I need this palette, its my birthday!

Of course I couldn’t just stick with one CT product! One product I’ve been dying to try for so long is of course the well hyped Pillow Talk lip liner. The formula of these are meant to be spot on and the colour looks gorgeous so why not! Also I love the look of her Colour Chameleon eyeshadow sticks! The shades are supposed work with your eye colour and make your eyes pop. Since I have blue eyes I would love to try Champagne Diamonds which is a beautiful champagne pearly shade that would lovely for both during the day and at night.

What’s on your beauty wishlist?

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The Bargain Eyeshadow Palette: Zoeva Cocoa Blend

I mentioned it briefly in my July favourites but now it’s time to give you the full lowdown on Zoeva’s bargain palette. I had always lusted after Zoeva’s brushes which are hugely popular but their makeup line never got much attention and to be honest I was never really interested. Of course until I seen the beauty that is the Cocoa Blend palette. A eyeshadow palette inspired by warm chocolate-y shades at an affordable price, one that just had to be mine.

The packaging of course is intended to resemble a chocolate bar. It is super sleek and slim and would be pretty good for traveling. The packaging is cardboard but it does feel pretty sturdy and it all looks pretty neat too! Now of course as I keep mentioning the term ‘bargain’ you may want to know the price point of this little beauty. On Beauty Bay it retails for a fab £15.50 with free delivery which I find is just amazing. On the Zoeva website, it is a little cheaper but you are dealing with a pretty hefty delivery charge (UK anyway).

Now back to the eyeshadows. The palette contains 10 shades with a mix of matte/shimmer/metallic finishes. The great thing about this palette is that it contains all wearable colours and there really isn’t any bad shades in sight. The palette includes some rich and warm brown shades as well as a gorgeous shimmery bronze and metallic gold. Warm notes, a stunning cranberry shade stole the show for me and really was a big influence in buying this. The berry shade is something I never really had in my collection and it’s such a beautiful colour. The shade also reminds me of Mac Cranberry, I don’t own it but it looks pretty similar. There is also some stunning light shades with a nude matte perfect for highlighting and Sweeter end, a shimmery champagne toned shade. Substitute for Love and Freshly Toasted both warm brown tones make great crease colours. Overall, a collection of wearable warm shades.

The quality of these shadows are also great especially for the price. The shadows are super easy to work with and blend really well. It is a really great eyeshadow palette for beginners especially with a great formula and wearable colours as well as the great price it also comes with. This is definitely a palette I recommend to anyone looking for a new palette or just a beauty lover in general. Zoeva also have a pretty fab lineup of palettes and I am already dreaming of the Rose Golden one… for that price why not!?

Have you tried Zoeva’s makeup line?

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The Spring Edit 2015

Looking out the window just now, it’s safe to say Winter is far behind us. Enter Spring, warm(er) weather, cherry blossom, excuses for ice cream and lighter nights. When it comes to beauty, its all about the light glowy radiant look with gleaming highlighters, fresh radiant bases and coral cheeks. In other words here is the bulky spring edit for 2015.

Starting with the base, I have a newbie in my hands! If you read my blog regularly you may recall me lusting after the Nars Sheer Glow foundation for far too long well as you can see now I have finally picked it up! While BB/CC creams and tinted moisturisers are all the rage for spring for the fresh light coverage look, my skin needs a little more cover. This foundation has pretty darn good coverage but still offers a radiant look perfect for spring. To add that extra light and glowy feel, a swipe of the iconic YSL Touche Eclat under the eyes is great for brighting any dark circles.

Onto the cheeks. I couldn’t resist mentioning this one again, Benefit Majorette Blush. This cream-to-powder coral blush is the perfect boost of colour for the cheeks in Spring. For a bronzed look, a sweep of Nars Laguna round the face and in the hollows of the cheeks for a subtle contour. To top it off, a light sweep of the irresistible Nars Copacabana illuminator on the cheekbones to achieve that extra glow.

For eyes, I have been loving rosy and lilac shades on my lids. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold (swatch here) is the perfect soft pink and has such a beautiful creamy formula. In addition, L’oreal Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow 601 is such a pretty shimmery blue-toned lilac shade. To finish, Benefit Bad Gal Lash gives the most prettiest natural fluttery lashes.

For the lips, my first ever MAC lipstick is back out to play. MAC Shy Girl is such a gorgeous nude peach shade which looks even prettier with a coat of clear gloss on top for a natural soft look. To finish, Chanel Tenderly (which I reviewed here) on the nails for that perfect spring look or a pastel shade from my Nails Spring Edit will do the job!

How have you changed your beauty routine for Spring? 

 

 

Spring Wishlist

Forever making wish-lists… Yup its time for another! With Spring just around the corner and the nights getting lighter and the sun appearing *shocked face* its time to rock the fresh glowy faced look with touch of coral (ah dreamy <3). Anyway as usual when it comes to wishlists (well mine anyway) its full of expensive guilt-worthy high end products I don’t really need but hey they would be nice 🙂 Now on to the list…

Nars Sheer Glow – I apologize if I keep batting on about how much I want this one in my life. I think its probably been in every wishlist I’ve created and I’ve still not bought it *oops!*. Anyway this one will officially be ticked off this season as I have a SpaceNK voucher and I need this so it makes sense, right!?

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir – Ahh beautiful! I am forever hearing about the beauty that is Jo Malone fragrances. I went to the Jo Malone counter not too long ago to have a little sniff around and spotted this popular but beautifully scented gem. Its not the most spring-y scent but I like it and I want it, nuff said.

Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow – Can you tell I am forever a suck up to blogger hype!? I keep seeing this beauty everywhere and it looks ever so beautiful. Its always described as the ‘one wash wonder’ eyeshadow which seems great for me on my morning rush. Its a pricey one but its Burberry and its damn beautiful!

Benefit Majorette Blush – Another one I’ve had on the wishlist for too long! This was released last year and I am still hearing good things about it. It really is the perfect spring blush; coral with a cream-to-powder finish, perfection it seems!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Diffused Heat – I have yet to take the plunge into anything Hourglass yet mostly because they are quite far out of my budget but c’mon! These blushes truly are gorgeous as well as pretty much every other Hourglass product! Again this glowy blush looks perfect for Spring and a great intro to the Hourglass brand!

So what is on your spring wishlist?

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Review/Swatches

Now you may recall seeing the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette in my Christmas wish-list and I’m sure by now looking at this post you can tell that Santa was very good to me this year. This now means that I have completed my collection of the Urban Decay Naked palettes, how exciting! This palette has mainly taupe shades with silvers and greys and like the other two palettes it has a selection of both matte and shimmer shadows. Quite similar to the Naked 3, this palette comes in hard casing packaging and features a full sized mirror along with the usual double ended brush. Again like the other two palettes this retails for £37 but there is always plenty of deals on so keep a look out if you are after one of these beauties.

Like the other palettes, the quality of these shadows is up there *stretches arm as high as possible*, they are so incredibly pigmented and so easy to work with. The shades are perfect and so versatile so this palette is great for going from day to night. The taupe shades are the perfect addition to my collection as I don’t have anything similar and they can work for anyone. Being a shimmer gal, I have swayed my heart towards the sparkly shadows with Verve, Pistol and YDK being just a few favourites. Of course I also have to mention Half Baked which also appears in the original palette and has to be one of my favourite ever eye shadows so having another is pretty beneficial in my eyes!

In comparison to the other palettes, the first one is probably my overall fave just because the colour selection is varied and spot on. I do love this palette and the Naked 3 though and can see myself reaching for this one a lot!

You can check out my previous Naked palette reviews here:

Naked 1 review/swatches

Naked 3 review/swatches

Are you a fan of the Urban Decay Naked palettes?