Taupe Cream Eyeshadow and Crayon Comparison

Not content with collecting taupe powder eyeshadows, I seem to have branched out into collecting taupes in cream and crayon form. They suit my needs well as I find cream formulas tend to be speed friendly and they also make a good base for eyeshadows for when I have more time.

The ones pictured below are, from left to right, Julie Hewett Hue in Mystere, RBR Atlas Swallowtail, Topshop Mystical Crayon and Sephora Jumbo Crayon in Taupe.

I would say that the Julie Hewett Hue in Mystere (£13) is the darkest of the four and has quite a cool silvery tone to it. I've talked about Mystere before and mentioned that the fact that it does have quite a dry texture and I find it can crease. Despite this, I would say it is my favourite if want to wear a cream it on it's own as I love the colour.

My favourite to use as a base for powder eyeshadows is the Rouge Bunny Rouge Atlas Swallowtail cream (£24.50). It has quite a more golden tone compared to the others and I find it gives my favourite taupe eyeshadows an extra dimension. I apply straight from the doe-foot applicator and as it gives a subtle wash of colour, it requires minimal blending (I use my fingertips to blend rather than a brush).

Swatches L-R: Julie Hewett Mystere, RBR Atlas Swallowtail, Topshop Mystical and Sephora Taupe

The Sephora Taupe Crayon (€9.90) is a good multi-tasker. It's creamy and deposits colour easily with no dragging. It works well on its own or as a base and I find it delivers the long-wearing claims. When I use this, I don't feel the need to use a separate eyeshadow primer. It does have a metallic shimmer to it as you can see from the swatch. I would absolutely love it if Sephora made a non-shimmer finish version of this crayon too.

Unfortunately, it isn't obvious from my swatches (curse the winter lighting) but the Topshop Mystical crayon (£7.50) has the most spangly finish of the bunch, containing flecks of warm coppery glitter within the cream base. Mystical is still relatively new to my collection so I haven't used it as much as the others. I can't really offer a full run down of its pros or cons but one obvious advantage is the twist up pen format. Price wise, it's similar to the Sephora crayon but more accessible if you're in the UK.

I realised after I had edited all of the pictures that I made some omissions, namely Chanel Ombre d'Eau in Splash and Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes E105 (I've included links to previous posts). I would say that both of these are darker than the taupes I've mentioned here and, more importantly, they are both trickier to apply. The other taupe cream that I have often considered adding to my collection is the MUFE Aqua Cream in Taupe, however, I believe it is a little warmer than I usually go for.

Sephora Jumbo Crayon in Taupe with GOSH Truly Brown liner

Do you like cream eyeshadows or crayons? Have I missed any of your personal favourites here?

Currently

I'm sorry that posts are so erratic at the moment. Work has really limited my free time but yesterday was my last session for the exam season, so I'm hoping things will get back to normal now. Well, once I've fully recovered from the small people germies that is. In the meantime, here's a bit of a general ramble about what's been keeping me entertained and catching my eye.

Watching...Wallander. I watched the English version with Kenneth Brannagh first and was so taken with it, I had to watch all of the Swedish series too. I have two more episodes from Season 2 left to watch and I suspect I'm going to have to read some of the Henning Mankell books once I've finished. I have surprised myself by picking up quite a variety of Swedish words with all my recent viewing. I do have a habit of homing in on the swear words for some reason...

Buying...clothes. Clothes shopping is most definitely NOT my favourite pastime but I need to find an outfit for a baptism I'll be attending this weekend. I managed to find lots of lovely Lazy Lu cardigans and tops on sale which will be great for updating my wardrobe generally, but I still need to find a pair of smart trousers. I anticipate I will be tearing my hair out over trousers by tomorrow evening!

Pondering...what makeup to take with me for my weekend away. I feel fairly certain taupe will be involved but I've yet to decide which one.

Source

Lusting after...these beautiful gunmetal high tops from Ash. I blame Kat from Does my bum look 40 in this? for this current obsession. I live in my Converse trainers and these look so comfy. It's probably a good job they're sold out everywhere, as I'd be coming up with excuses to wear them in church for the baptism.

Celebrating...the fact that I've stuck to the Couch to 5k running programme and I'm about start the 9th (and final) week. Not feeling well has prevented me going out for the last couple of days but I've been regularly going out and jogging for 25+ minutes for the last few weeks. Although I still don't feel like a natural at running, I do get a real buzz from completing each session.

Looking forward to...the end of the month and therefore reaching the end of my eyeshadow and nail polish no-buy. I've toyed with the idea of extending my ban, as it has helped curb my spending but I honestly don't think I can face it. You can look forward to splurges on Burberry and Chantecaille in the near future.

Products I'm loving...Zelens skincare, NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturiser and Sephora Waterproof Jumbo Liner pencil in taupe. I'm poised to review the Zelens products* but I'm not sure if I'll get opportunity to write it before the weekend. I've been using the Radiance Cleanser, 3t Complex Face Cream and Triple Action Eye Cream and they all get a big thumbs up on texture and results. The NARS tinted moisturiser and Sephora pencil were surprise gifts from a very kind friend and I've been using both constantly since they arrived last week. The Sephora pencil in particular is a wonder. Waterproof taupe that you can use on its own or as a base? Genius!

What have you been up to recently?

* PR Samples

My Swap with Lipstick Rules

I recently took part in an international swap with the very lovely Michelle of Lipstick Rules. I love swaps and find it to be a great way to try new products and brands that aren't available in the UK. Also, exchanging products with someone you've got to know through blogging means that you tend to have a good insight into the sorts of products and colours they would like. When you see the eyeshadows and liners below you'll realise that Michelle has a very good sense of my taste. Do I spy taupe?!

Thanks to Michelle I have already tried a couple of things from Annabelle and Lise Watier and really like the brands. I'm very excited to try the chunky Annabelle eye pencils as the Annabelle smoothliner that I've posted about previously is of an excellent quality. Joe Fresh is a totally new brand to me but I am thrilled with the bits I have. The eyeshadows have already been cracked open and I can't wait to try both of the blushers. Something of the packaging reminds me a little of the Topshop cosmetics line. I have yet to try any of the Topshop cosmetics but always here great things about their cream blushers.

I couldn't resist including an extra look at that Tokidoki blusher brush. My little girls eyes lit up when she spotted it and I'm pretty sure she has decided this is hers!

Missing from the main picture is one item I was extremely excited to try. So excited in fact that I broke my 'no touching pre-photos' rule. What can I say, with a name like Sludge, I wanted in! Michelle posted about the Annabelle Smudge paints here and they are a really interesting formula. Somewhere between a cream eyeshadow and a gel liner, these will function as both. You can use all over the lid smudged out, as a base for eyeshadow or just as a liner. The packaging is interesting too. There's a brush hidden inside the lid for convenient application. Sludge is a great colour and darker than it appears through the glass pot. I've used it quite a few times already and I think it makes an excellent quick smudgy eye look. I especially like layering taupe eyeshadows over the top.

Many thanks to Michelle for all the lovely items. I anticipate hours of fun playing with all of these new things! Have you tried any of these Canadian brands? Which brands do you wish you had access to where you live?

French Pharmacy and Sephora Haul

I mentioned in my return home post that I had managed to do a bit of beauty shopping on holiday. I was actually a little surprised when I put altogether at how much I'd managed to pick up! Browsing pharmacies in France is an enjoyable pastime for any beauty junkie as there are so many fantastic brands available. Well known french brands such as La Roche Posay, Lierac, Caudalie and Nuxe are readily available although the prices are similar to the UK. I find I go a bit 'product blind' when faced with so much choice so I compiled a little shopping list. What I bought really is a mixture of items that I have wanted for ages and products that I discovered when researching french pharmacy must haves.

Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentré
This was actually quite tricky to find. A makeup artists favourite; I didn't want to leave France without it. It's only available in certain pharmacies, so it's worth checking their website for stockists if you're paying a visit. I bought this in the pharmacy within the large Carrefour Supermarché at Cité Europe and it cost €10.65 for 75ml.

Gemey Cils Demasq
This was a bit of a random purchase whilst food shopping. Gemey are Maybelline by another name and I seem to think I've read good reviews about this eye makeup remover in the past. Time will tell if my memory has failed me.

B Com Bio Organic Intense Triple Action Eye Contour
I was actually looking for a serum from this brand that I had seen mentioned in a blog post. It was nowhere to be found that and I was keen to give this line a try. I hope this will encourage me to use an eye cream on a regular basis as I'm still shockingly lax in this department. B Com Bio Organic had a large range of products and seems to be a really nice brand and I wish I had picked up a couple of other things to try.

Sanoflore 24H Sans Concession Deodorant
This is another product I came across through online research. I routinely use Lady Mitchum and I thought this would make an interesting alternative with the promise of 24H No Compromise! It's alcohol, paraben and aluminium salt free and carries the ECOCERT label. I've used it a few times now and I really like it. It has a nice, delicate fragrance and, although I don't think it's as powerful as Lady Mitchum, it is pretty effective.


MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara
I was so excited when I spotted Sephora and the MUFE stand. I've had my eye on various MUFE items for such a long time. I only had a few minutes in which to shop though so I opted for Smoky Lash as it didn't require a shade decision. If I'd had more time I would have chosen one of the HD blushes or the cream eyeshadows. I'm pleased I know about the Sephora at Cite Europe now, I feel a future day trip in the making!

Avibon Vitamin A Pommade
Avibon is an ointment meant for the treatment of skin irritations. It contains Vitamin A (Retinol) hence it's appeal as an anti-ageing treatment. It's a greasy ointment (lanolin, vaseline) so I have yet to smear it on my face but I'm intrigued. This is usually stocked behind the counter so you will need to ask for it but there's no prescription required. I'm not sure yet whether it actually contains sufficient Vitamin A to be an effective wrinkle treatment.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
I've never tried Klorane before and I saw this particular dry shampoo recommended on a couple of blogs. I'm really looking forward to giving this a try to see how it measures up to Batiste. In particular, I'm hoping for less of a synthetic scent.

Mavala Nail Polish Remover
This was another Sephora purchase. I'm always on the look out for nail varnish removers that don't strip the nail of moisture and I've read some encouraging reviews. I had hoped to find a stand with their nail colours whilst I was in France but strangely I didn't spot any.  

Bioderma Crealine H2O Cleansing Solution (150ml)
This is actually something I picked up for someone else but I couldn't resist showing you the bottle as it's so cute! I've never seen the travel bottle before and it was a harder to find than the 250ml and 500ml sizes which you find in every pharmacy. Again, I found this at the big Carrefour pharmacy at Cité Europe. If you're heading to France, it's certainly worth picking up a bottle of this cult favourite.

Some essential reference material!

I came home only to realise I'd missed the opportunity to get both a Helena Rubinstein mascara and the new Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara. Having said that, my husband is taking a trip to Spain next week, so my thoughts are already turning to what I can add to his shopping list. If you know of any Spanish beauty must-haves, feel free to make suggestions! Do you have any favourite finds from holidays abroad?