Monday, 10 October 2016

Wishlist Purchases #4 ft. Kat Von D

Kat Von D Shade and Light eye and contour palette review

When Debenhams announced they were going to be stocking Kat Von D, I for one was very excited! Having lusted over both the Shade + Light contour and eye palettes for years but unwilling to pay shipping/customs from America, I allowed myself a splurge when they were finally released online in September! I’ve been using both for the last few weeks now and to cut a long story short, I’m obsessed!

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour palette swatches
Swatches l-r: Lucid, Lyric, Levitation, Sombre, Shadowplay, Subconcious


First up, the cult favourite Shade + Light contour palette! I have a love/hate relationship with contour and over the summer have been missing the step in favour of bronzing. With the introduction of this palette into my collection I have been enjoying introducing it back into my routine! Sombre (bottom left) is the most gorgeous cool toned contour shade and I have been using it every day since I got the palette. All the powders do kick up quite a bit of dust when I dip my brush in but are so easily blended they never look harsh on the skin. I've been using the top middle banana shade (Lyric) quite a bit too and it’s great for setting under the eyes. I’ve also been using Lucid (top left) to set down the centre of my face after using my usual mattifying powder and it’s nicely brightening too.

I have been using those three shades the most so definitely need to look at ways to use the other contour powders – Shadowplay (bottom centre) is a little warm for me and Subconcious (bottom right) is a little too dark for me at the minute! Levitation (top right) is a lovely peach powder but again I haven’t used it much. Overall, all six shades have the most beautiful smooth formulation and like I mentioned, though they do kick up some powder, they blend so easily and are really high quality!

Kat Von D Shade and Light eye contour palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light eye contour palette swatches
Swatches l-r: Laetus (top), Samael, Solas, Lucius, Lazarus (top), Saleos, Shax, Liberatus, Ludwin (top), Succubus, Sytry, Latinus


Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette (£36)
Next up, the Shade + Light Eye Contour palette! This is a twelve pan palette made up of three quads with neutral, cool and warm toned shades. Neutral matte eyeshadow lover that I am, I knew I had to get my hands on this and like the contour palette, it has not disappointed me! As a fan of cool toned neutrals in particular, it’s been the middle section that I have been drawn to most but I’ve now used all the shadows included and they are among some of the best matte formulation that I’ve tried! There isn’t a dud shade in there and although they are split into quads, they are obviously easily mixed and matched. My favourite combination at the minute is Lucius in my inner corner, Lazarus over most of my lid with Saleos in my crease and Shax as a liner!

Like the contour palette, the eyeshadows are quite powdery but again they blend so easily and the pigmentation is amazing! I use an eyeshadow primer and I've only noticed very minimal fading on my oily lids from a full days wear but they look basically the same in the evening as when I've just applied them in the morning!

So there we have it, a rave review after lasts weeks’ mixed bag of products! I’m so impressed with the quality of both these palettes and I definitely want to try more from Kat Von D’s line now! I was really happy with the pricing of the products too, I had expected the palette to be more £38 or above in line with Urban Decay so £36 was surprisingly under that. The cardboard packaging feels sturdy and I’d definitely recommend getting these if you don’t already have them and are a fan of contouring or neutral matte eyeshadows, these are most certainly worth the hype!

Have you tried either of these palettes? What did you think? Let me know your Kat Von D recommendations in the comments!

See my last wishlist purchases posts here:

See my wishlists here:

Danielle xx


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Monday, 3 October 2016

Wishlist Purchases #3 ft. Urban Decay, NARS, Huda Beauty, Pixi and Beauty Blender

wishlist purchases nars urban decay pixi stila beauty blender huda beauty review

Is it really bad that this is the first of three wishlist purchase posts I have coming up in the next few weeks? I have definitely been feeling a bit spendy over the last few weeks in particular but as you will see, all the products have been in my wishlist for quite a while and what can I say, I like to treat myself! 

There are two bases here so I’ll give you a little context about my skin for reference first – it’s scarred from acne when I was younger and I still get a few hormonal breakouts, it’s extremely oily around my nose, forehead and chin but also dehydrated and my nose eats foundation for a living! I always look for full coverage, oil free foundation and to be honest I’m not sure why I still try bother buying new ones to try because nothing ever matches up to my beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear!

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint
I bought this back before the summer as part of the Modern Minimalist box Space NK do and I managed to snag it with £15 off when they had an offer on. I definitely got swept up a little in the hype with this one and after reading a lot of positive reviews and being impressed with how the coverage looked in YouTube videos I took the plunge. I was really happy with the contents of the box as I had also wanted to try out the Orgasm blush and Rikugien lip pencil for ages too. 

I do have to say that for a tint this really does have impressive coverage. It’s a creamy liquid that blends in well on my skin (I like using a Beauty Blender with it) and it has SPF 30 so I loved having it on holiday with me in the summer when I was going out during the day and wanted some coverage and extra sun protection. In terms of lasting power, it’s not the best base I've ever had and I tend to need to powder it around lunchtime and by about 3 it starts to look patchy round my nose (nothing new there) and steadily wears off after that. It has quite a strong sort of SPF scent when you first apply it but I don’t mind it and the shade Finland is a good match for me. Overall, while I won’t be buying this again I can see myself finishing the tube and am looking forward to taking it on a mini sun break in November but it’s definitely one for short days when I don’t need my base to last all day.
 
Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation
Urban Decay is probably my favourite make up brand and being a huge fan of their eye shadows and lipsticks I was really excited to see they were adding a full coverage foundation to their lineup! Well not anymore haha, this has been the biggest makeup disappointment for me this year and I absolutely hate it! I got matched to shade 2.0 and while yes it does oxidise slightly it doesn’t go orange and the shade works well for me. The formula however is a different story! I have no idea what I’m doing wrong with this foundation – I’ve tried different primers, different application methods and it still looks like shite on my skin! 

It’s such a weird one for me because I wanted to love this foundation; it claims to be everything I look for when I try a new base – long lasting, oil free, matte, I could go on. I don’t find the pigmentation that impressive, it goes patchy and separates so quickly on my skin, and not just on my nose, we’re talking all over my face here. I will say that the matte claim is true, as awful as my skin looks with it on at least it’s not shining like a beacon like with other foundations I've tried but that and the pretty packaging are really the only positive things I can say about this. Do let me know if you have found a way to make it work, I thought I’d made it work better by using more silicone based primers but it’s still wearing off too easily! I made an account on Depop a few weeks ago (I’m @daniellebeautyblog on there) and this will definitely be going up once I’ve sorted out packaging etc.! Think I’ll just stick to the eye shadows and lipsticks from UD from now on!

nars velvet matte tint finland urban decay all nighter foundation 2.0
Swatches l-r: NARS Velvet Matte Tint in Finland, Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation in 2.0
Beauty Blender Liner.Designer
This is a totally unnecessary product but one I was intrigued by after seeing it on Cult Beauty! I have hooded eyes so eyeliner is always a problem for me and while I have used the tape trick in the past, I prefer doing my eyes after my base so it always took some makeup off or didn’t stick properly because I took too much tackiness off! To be honest I've only played about with this and tried it before taking my makeup off but it does what it says on the box and gives you three edges to use as a guide when doing your eyeliner. It’s really thin silicone and comes in a handy little plastic box to keep it safe, will be helpful next time I attempt liner but definitely not an essential item for most!  

stila perfect me perfect hue palette light medium

Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue palette in Light/Medium
I already have a post on this here but in short it’s a really handy little palette that includes five eye shadows and two blushes. The palette itself comes in four shades and I have light/medium which has a nice mix of bronze/brown eye shades and a bright and more muted blush. The blushers last well on my skin and are very pigmented but I would say the eye shadows wear off quicker and do tend to fade a little on me but I love the shades included in this palette and do reach for it often!

Stila Perfect Me Perfect Hue palette review eyeshadow swatches

Stila Perfect Me Perfect Hue palette review blush swatches

Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell
I was on a bit of a lip liner kick recently after getting on so well with Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk that when I heard how amazing these supposedly were I thought I would try one for myself! It is so pigmented, easy to apply and doesn’t drag the lips at all but I would say that the shade I picked for myself looks a little off on me. It’s quite red/orange toned on me and I was hoping for something a little more muted and pinker (basically another Pillowtalk lol). It really is a beautiful formulation though and I’m sure once I find a lipstick I like for over the top of it I’ll love it as much as Pillowtalk!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk
Every time I was at an Urban Decay counter having a swatch of the new lipsticks, Backtalk would be the one I picked out first so when Feel Unique did one of their 10% off deals I took the opportunity to pick it up! Backtalk is in the cream formula and it is beautiful! The shade is a gorgeous mauvey pink and the formula is of course creamy and very comfortable to wear as well as being quite long lasting. As a serial lip balm applier, I don’t feel the need to put anything over the top of this for a good four hours which is usually unheard of for me! I also picked up a sheer shade in Wrong Number and can see myself getting a few more of these at some stage!

urban decay vice backtalk huda beauty lip contour bombshell
Swatches l-r: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk, Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser
I have been wanting to get my hands on this for absolutely ages but it was always out of stock! I was excited to finally get my hands on it and see what all the hype was about a few weeks ago when I got it on Cult Beauty! It’s a huge bottle and you only need a tiny amount of product, I usually use it as a second cleanse at night so will wet my face then massage it into my skin for 30 seconds avoiding the eye area. My skin instantly feels cleaner and smoother, looks clearer and it’s so gentle, I’m loving it already!

Congratulations if you made it through that and apologies in advance for what will probably be haul spam over the next few weeks but I did buy the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour and Eye Contour palettes and the Naked Ultimate Basics Palette so will have reviews and swatches of those coming up! Previous posts are linked below and if you want to see the Kat Von D and Urban Decay ones I have coming up don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin! 

See my last wishlist purchases posts here:
 
See my wishlists here:
 
Danielle xx
 
  

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Monday, 26 September 2016

A Working Week in Lipstick #2


workign week in lipstick mac charlotte tilbury urban decay rimmel nyx

Good evening everyone, hope you’ve had a nice start to the week! I thought I’d put together another working week in lipstick post after my first one here, so this is what I wore last week!

Monday
I was in a bit of a rush this morning and needed something quick and easy so went for Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Wrong Number (Sheer). This is pretty new to me and you might have seen it crop up on my Instagram here! Generally, sheer lipsticks are a big favourite of mine and this is no different! It’s a lovely medium pink shade with a nice gloss and although it’s not the longest lasting (which is to be expected) it’s so easy to apply and I know I’ll get lots of wear out of it!

Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Bitch Perfect lipstick

Tuesday
I went for what it probably my favourite lip combo at the moment today and chose Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk and Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Bitch Perfect. Pillowtalk is the most perfect shade in the world in my opinion and I am completely obsessed with it! Its creamy, doesn’t drag on the lips, it’s long lasting and I just love the neutral dusty pink colour! I put Bitch Perfect over the top and love how they look together! Bitch Perfect on its own isn’t my favourite shade and it does have little glitter particles in it which I wasn’t expecting but I love how it looks over Pillowtalk and it lasts well on me!

urban decay vice wrong number charlotte tilbury pillowtalk bitch perfect swatches
Swatches l-r: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Wrong Number, Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk and Bitch Perfect 
Wednesday
Since buying Pillowtalk, I have a newfound love for lip liners and Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pink Venus was next on my list. It’s a lot more of a true pink shade on my lips but looks a little peachy in the swatch but I guess it depends on the pigmentation of your lips! It has the same gorgeous formula as Pillowtalk and I also sometimes pair it with Bitch Perfect but today I went for Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 38. I finally jumped on the bandwagon with this one and I’m so glad I did! It’s meant to be a dupe for Bitch Perfect but I find it a little lighter in tone and not as long lasting! Still a gorgeous shade with a bit more of a shine to it and it’s really comfortable to wear and a lot more affordable that the CT!

Thursday
My lipsticks are stored in a few different places and some tend to be neglected if I can’t see them as easily as others and this is what happened NYX High Voltage Lipstick in Flutter Kiss unfortunately! Not anymore though because I forgot how much I love this lipstick! It has a very lightweight balm feel to it but has really good colour payoff and the shade is beautiful! I love lipsticks with a thin nib like this too as I find them so easy to apply! Definitely need to show this one some more love!

Friday
It’s finally Friday and to celebrate the proper start of Autumn I went with a darker shade for today! MAC Lipstick in Plumful (Lustre) is the only MAC lipstick I have and it’s a really lovely, easy to wear shade! It’s not the longest lasting due to the lustre finish but it wears off evenly and I sometimes pat it in after I’ve applied to stain my lips a bit more! I’ll definitely be getting a lot of wear of this throughout the next few months!  

charlotte tilbury pink venus rimmel 38 nyx flutter kiss mac plumful swatches
Swatches l-r: Charlotte Tilbury Pink Venus, Rimmel 38, NYX Flutter Kiss, MAC Plumful 
So that’s the latest instalment of my working week in lipstick! As I mentioned, you can see my first one here and I also did a working week in blush here! Do you own any of these lipsticks? What do you think of them?

Danielle xx




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Monday, 19 September 2016

Best Beauty Box Finds #1

best beauty box finds latest in beauty cohorted origins moa aurelia the balm vita liberata

Beauty boxes are probably my favourite way of trying out new products without having to commit to a full size or spend a lot of money on a product I don’t know will like. My favourite boxes are the kind that show you exactly what you are getting so although there are a few subscription boxes here, I don’t subscribe every month to a beauty box. I go for ones that show you what you are getting or at least give a spoiler of one of the products!

When I got the email about this collaboration in July I hit buy then and there! I love the Origins masks I already have so was excited to try more and I have become obsessed with this one in particular! It’s a pink clay formulation with jojoba beads that dries in quickly and when I rinse it off I am left with much smoother, clearer looking skin! I have problems with texture on my skin anyway as it is scarred from acne when I was younger and though my skin is mainly oily I get dry patches too so this is the most perfect all-rounder and one I will definitely be repurchasing a full size of!

This bronzer and kabuki brush were included is last year’s summer edit with Glamour magazine and despite the bronzer being one of the messiest makeup products I own because it’s a loose powder, it gives a gorgeous warmth to my face when I use it! The tan is meant to last for up to five days which I can’t say I agree with but I do use some form of chemical exfoliant on my face every day so maybe that’s why? The sample size has lasted me ages but although I really like the shade of this and am happy I got the chance to try it because of a beauty box, I wouldn’t repurchase it as it is so messy and the full size is £35.

vita liberata trystal minerals bronzer

MOA Aphrodite Oil from the Blogger Beauty Box
I was so happy to see this included the first time I bought the Blogger Beauty Box as I absolutely love my MOA The Green Balm, rosehip oil and it’s a full size product! I love applying this at night before I go to bed and my skin always feels so hydrated and nourished and always looks better the next morning! This is just as good as the Trilogy and Pai rosehip oils and perfect for those with acne scarring too! The Blogger Beauty Box is run by blogger Vix Meldrew and is only £10 a month!

When I saw The Balm Nude Tude palette was the spoiler for the March box I subscribed to the Cohorted box (then unsubscribed before I forgot and got charged for the next month’s box) as I had seen it included the year before and was gutted to miss it! Now I’m the first to admit I have a lot of eyeshadow palettes and because of this and my love for mattes, the Nude Tude palette doesn’t get as much love as it should from me. The matching primer however gets used every other day on rotation with the NARS Smudgeproof primer and works great at mattifying my eyelids and making my eyeshadow last longer! The tube looks small but this will last forever because you only need a tiny bit for each eyelid!

Another pick from Latest in Beauty - can you tell they do my favourite boxes! I've had a few of these mini Aurelia cleansers now and they are always a selling point for me when I see them in beauty boxes! It’s a cream cleanser with eucalyptus, chamomile, bergamot and rosemary and very similar to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I apply to dry skin and buff it off with a muslin cloth and it does a brilliant job of removing my makeup and leaving my skin feeling refreshed and super soft. The mini is perfect for taking a bit of luxury with you on holiday too! The full size is quite expensive so I can’t justify buying it as I do have quite a lot of cleansers to get through but it would be such a gorgeous treat for someone!

So that is part one of my favourite beauty box finds! I buy beauty boxes quite regularly so I can imagine this might become a new series for me! I've linked the products on their own as the beauty boxes I've mentioned are sold out now but I’ve also linked the websites so you can see what’s included in their latest beauty box if they have one!

Do you like beauty boxes? What’s been your favourite product you’ve received in one?

Danielle xx





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