Chantecaille Shine Eyeshadow in Bois with a FOTD

I thought this might be a useful follow up to the Chantecaille Tiger in the Wild post, not least because this eyeshadow is permanent whereas I suspect the Tiger palette is much harder to find. A few people commented that the texture of the Chantecaille singles is different to those in the palette. Bois is the only single Chantecaille eyeshadow that I own (despite swatching and lusting after many more) but I would have to agree that it is much smoother and less dusty than any of the eyeshadows in the Tiger or Turtles palettes.

Bois is one of the Shine formulas and it offers sheer rather than opaque colour. The swatch above is a couple of passes over the skin. The colour is a light sandy brown with golden sheen and I feel it's too warm to be described as a taupe. As much as I love neutrals, I'm always slightly nervous about wearing golden hues as I'm not convinced they suit my colouring. In the pictures below I am wearing Bois on the mobile lid with Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird on the outer corner.

I chopped and changed my lipsticks as I was undecided about a complementary pairing. In the first picture I'm wearing my old favourite Guerlain Beige Nude and in the second picture, I'd applied Ellis Faas L303. I also started the day wearing BECCA gloss in Hummingbird but didn't get a photograph with it on. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on whether this eye look is a hit or miss and which, if any, of the lipsticks look ok.

The Chantecaille Shine eyeshadows cost £23 and are available from SpaceNK and Chantecaille counters. Bois was a gift from a very kind blogger who knows how much I love eyeshadows!

Current Favourites

I haven't done a proper favourites post in a very long time, probably because my favourites don't tend to change all that much. Both the RBR Murmurings lipstick and GOSH Truly Brown liner have been mentioned so many times on here, that I fear you may all get fed up with me banging on about them. At the moment I'm in a bit of a makeup funk and keep forgetting to put any on. I'm not entirely sure what's the matter with me, to (mis) quote an online friend, I think the cheese has fallen off my cracker somewhat. Whilst I've been having my little makeup moody, I've become quite reliant on the items below to put on a face without having to put any thought into it.

From top left, clockwise: RBR Gracilis blusher, NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, RBR Time Defying Foundation in Linen Cream, Lancome La Vie est Belle, Ellis Faas S202 concealer, GOSH Truly Brown eyeliner, RBR Murmurings, RBR Blusher Brush and NARS Smudge Brush (#15).

RBR Gracilis blusher* - this is a fairly recent addition to my collection but it's a colour I've been interested for a while. I worried that it might be too cool or pale for me based on swatch research but it's actually the perfect flush of pink. Although I tend to gravitate to more beige pinks, I find Gracilis is very good at instantly brightening my face and making me look less miserable! I have taken some comparison swatches which I will share in another post.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - I repurchased Too Faced Shadow Insurance several months ago and I'm not sure whether the formula has changed but I found the new tube just didn't work for me. The formula feels too wet and it didn't prevent creasing. I decided to give the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base a try based on both Visionary Beauty and Musing on Beauty's recommendation. Because I've not been wearing eyeshadow everyday, I haven't put it through it's paces sufficiently for a review but I have been very pleased with it so far.

RBR Time Defying Foundation in Linen Cream* - I'm close to finishing this sample pot of foundation and I have been reaching for it every time I do my face, instead of my usual tinted moisturisers. It has a heavier coverage than I normally wear but you can still my freckles so I wouldn't personally describe it as full coverage. Despite how it looks in the pot, this foundation is a touch lighter and pinker than the skin on my face but I think the depth of colour matches my neck better than my other bases. Particularly as my skin is at its palest at the moment.

I find the finish of this foundation is totally dependent on how my skin feels when I apply it. If I apply to primed or dry (i.e. not pre-moisturised) skin, it gives as semi-matte finish and has a satin-y feel to the touch. However, if I apply to skin that has a film of moisturiser, I find I get a more dewy finish and I do experience a bit of oil break-through on my T-zone later in the day. Unlike the Milk Aquarelle foundation, the Time Defying Foundation doesn't settle into my pores

Ellis Faas S202 concealer - I really like using this for concealing my undereye area and the redness around my nose and I find the coverage lasts quite well. Unlike some of the other Ellis Faas pens, it's not hard to prime. Asthetically speaking, the splaying of the brush bristles is rather annoying.

GOSH Truly Brown Velvet Touch eyeliner and NARS Smudge Brush (#15) - I've put these two items together as my favourite thing to do at the moment is apply the liner in a heavy line and then smudge with the NARS brush. I really like the definition it gives to my lash line. The NARS brush is firm enough to smudge well but the hairs are soft enough not to irritate my sensitive eyes.

RBR Murmurings sheer lipstick - I've said plenty about this lipstick before so I won't repeat myself except to say that I love this lipstick for both the colour and the moisturising feel. It's perfect for this time of year.
 
Lancome La Vie est Belle Perfume* - I love the smell of this Lancome fragrance. It has a sweet, slightly gourmand note to it and wearing it always cheers me up.

Lanolips Lip Ointment in Rose - On days when I haven't bothered with any makeup, I wear Rose to keep my lips moisturised. It doesn't add any colour to my lips particularly but it does give them a nice sophisticated shine.

a design Flat Topped Foundation Brush* - Although I still frequently apply foundation and tinted moisturiser with my fingers, I find buffing in foundation with this brush makes for a speedy application. It also gives a polished finish. The only negative is washing it can be quite a chore.

Left to right: Ellis Faas S202, RBR TD Foundation in Linen Cream, GOSH Truly Brown, RBR Murmurings and RBR Gracilis

Here's how it all looks applied. I did add a touch of Burberry Rosewood eyeshadow to the mobile lid but the hooding of my lids has obscured this.

What products do you turn to when you're in a makeup funk?

* Press samples are indicated with an asterisk

FOTD and initial thoughts about the Clinique BB Cream

It seems like an age since I posted a face of the day. And after trying to take pictures yesterday I remembered why it had been so long. It's hard taking pictures at this time of year and especially difficult taking pictures of yourself that don't make you want to cry! So, I hope you will forgive me for the cropped picture with flash.

I used the new Clinique Age Defence BB cream as my base. I feel I ought to spend a little time talking about my initial thoughts about this new BB cream. I have avoided many of the BB releases simply because my expectations were that they were tinted moisturiser under a different name. I had high hopes for the Clinique BB cream as Clinique already have a good reputation for their skin care. Now this feels nice on the skin: it's not greasy and has an almost satin finish. The texture of my skin looks great but, like the Erborian that I tried last year, colourwise this isn't a good match for me. It's quite pale and gives my skin the same grey cast that I experienced with the Erborian. I take this to mean that a. the Clinique is fairly true to the original Asian BB creams and b. they just don't suit me! I still wonder if I'm doing something wrong and will continue to use it to investigate the skin care benefits. I consider myself to be fair skinned (not pale) so I do wonder how people with darker skin than mine fare with these creams. I'm not sure which shade I have but I assume it is shade 01. I will have to investigate shade 02 so that I can get a feel for how much darker that is.

Edward Bess Dusk and RBR Gracious Arasari are both unfairly neglected eyeshadows in my stash. Although Gracious Arasari doesn't look it in the pan, it's just a shade or two darker than my skin colour. It doesn't stand out particularly on it's own but it's good for adding a little sheen or making a look more polished. Dusk is quite a complex colour but I spoiled it a bit pairing it with the bronze eyeliner. I think a black with a hint of green or gold flecks would enhance the beauty of Dusk more. You can see how it looks paired with MAC Kohl Power in Mystery further down.

Face
Clinique BB cream (I think it's shade 01)
YSL Touche Eclat
Shu Uemura brow pencil in Seal Brown
Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour in Rose

Here's how it looked with MAC Kohl Power in Mystery instead

Eyes
TFSI
MAC Brule all over the lid
RBR Gracious Arasari on the mobile lid and up into the crease
Edward Bess Dusk in the crease
MAC Teddy eye kohl to line
RBR Seas of Tranquility as a brow highlight

Lips
NARS Sheer lipstick in Falbala


Disclosure: The Clinique BB Cream was a PR samples as were the Touche Eclat and small sample of RBR highlighter. The NARS Falbala and D&G Rose were gifts from very lovely friends.

Brush P*rn for Hump Day!

I swear everyday has felt like Monday this week. I've tried three or four times to write a post this evening, I just think I'm too tired and grumpy to write anything sensible. As I'm incapable of being totally silent I can't really call this Wordless Wednesday but here is a little something to get us over the hump.

I'm off to stroke my face with a few of them in the name of research. If I'm not back by Friday, send in a search party!