My Blues, Greens and Reds

The weather is so miserable outside that I felt inspired to do another colour grouping post. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not great at experimenting with colours but I wondered what a hunt for blues, greens and reds would uncover. I suspect that I'm repeatedly drawn to a single shade from a colour family rather than collecting a range from across the spectrum. So, no pretty rainbow of colours here.

Greens

Eyeshadows: MAC Club, Rouge Bunny Rouge Olive Violeteare, Green eyeshadow from Le Metier de Beaute Penelope Kaleidoscope, Green from the Chantecaille Sea Turtles palette, Lancôme Erika F, NARS Dogon and Rajasthan.
Eye Pencils: Annabelle Smoothliner in Jade, No.7 Metallic Eyes in Green, Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier in Bangalore and MAC Kohl Power Pencil in Mystery
Nail Polish: Barry M Racing Green, YSL in Wintergreen, Le Metier de Beaute Dionysus and Athena, L'Oreal Innocent Green, Nails Inc freebie in an unnamed Teal colour

Blues

Eyeshadows: YSL Pure Chromatics in shade #3, Sephora eyeshadow in Preppy Look (#41) and  L'Oreal Infallible Colour in Innocent Turquoise.
Eye Pencils: MAC Pearlglide liner in Petrol Blue and Annabelle Smoothie Crayon in Blubomb
Nail Polish: Joe nail varnish in Persian Blue, YSL Moonlight Blue, Lancôme Vernis in Love in Bleu de Flore (573B), China Glaze in Tempest, Orly Star of Bombay, Butter London Victoriana, L'Oreal French Riviera.

Reds

Nail Polish: Butter London Knees Up, Orly Glam, Lancôme Vernis in Love in Miss Coquelicot (154M) and Lancôme Rouge Saint Honoré (22)
Lip Liners: MAC Cherry and Le Metier de Beaute Rose
Lip Products: Tom Ford lipstick in Smoke Red, Ilia Crimson & Clover, Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in Ruby Tuesday, Lancôme lipsticks in Rouge Faubourg and Rouge in Love (159B), Revlon Colourburst in Raspberry, Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Lipstick in Aquarouge, Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Fume and Ellis Faas in L303
Cheek Colour: W3LL People Universalist Stick #5

I thought I'd add this final picture, so you can see exactly why all the images are so dark. I know we really need the rain but, seriously, enough already!! Hopefully I will get opportunity to take some of these again when the sun finally reappears.

Disclosure: The items shown here are a mixture of things that I have purchased myself, been gifted to me and PR samples. If you want to check the origin of any particular item, do feel free to ask.

A Little Jubilee Makeup Silliness

I accompanied Small Person #2 to the school Diamond Jubilee party this afternoon. I'd had a glimpse of the bunting earlier in the day and couldn't resist going with a little red, white and blue theme. Well I guess it was more red, cream and blue unless you count my white hairs! Anyway...

I wouldn't normally go out of the house with shimmery blue eyeliner and red lips but no one batted an eyelid. Some of the children had full union jacks painted on their faces, so I figured I'd have to be going some to raise eyebrows. On my fingers, I went for alternating blue and red. I'm obviously not on trend as I don't own any white nail polish.

Here are my reds and blues. The red nail polish is Lancôme Miss Coquelicot* from the Vernis in Love collection and the blue is YSL Moonlight Blue. The eyeliner is MAC Petrol Blue Pearlglide  liner and the lipstick is Ellis Faas Glazed Lips in L303.

There are no proper close ups of my nails as they were done quickly before I went out and anyone with children knows that wet nails are an open invite to a series of calamitous polish smudging events. It also reminded me that I need another fast drying top coat.

Are you planning any Jubilee celebrations over the weekend?

*PR Sample

My Week in Makeup

I woke up this morning, rejoiced because I have a day off and then duly set my mind to what to write today. Unfortunately, my mind was a total blank. This isn't especially unusual for me as I'm not really a morning person and my mind has been similarly blank as I've been getting ready each day this week. Makeup wise, I've relied on tried and tested items that I know will make me look human and prevent me from frightening the already anxious students.

Foundation - I used Max Factor Second Skin foundation* this week. It offers a bit more coverage than my usual Rouge Bunny Rouge tinted moisturiser but it's still quite a light foundation.

Concealers - BECCA Compact Concealer* in praline on blemishes and redness. YSL Touche Eclat* on the undereye area.

Cheek Products - NARS Laguna bronzer, BECCA Turkish Rose, Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata and Laura Mercier in Petal Pink. I used various combinations of these depending on how drained I looked. My favourite combination at the moment is Delicata all over the cheek area with a tiny sweep of the Laura Mercier on the apples.

Brown Liners - I've used both the GOSH Truly Brown and Ben Nye liner in Espresso this week. I prefer the GOSH, I have to admit, as it is easier to apply and lasts longer without smudging.

Eyeshadows - I'm sure you won't be surprised by this taupe fest! I used Solstice Halcyon, Gracious Arasari, the mid brown from Guerlain Les Bois de Rose and various colours from Les Fumes. I also used the highlighter from the Dior Smoky Nude palette on a couple of occasions.

Yesterday I went for a bit of a smoky eye layering the darker colours from Les Fumes over MAC Dirty Greasepaint stick at the lash line then blending out using the pinky tan shade. I was really pleased with the end result and it still felt work appropriate.

Shu Uemura H9 Seal Brown brow pencil and Too Faced Shadow Insurance are both daily staples.

Mascara - No.7 Lash Adapt mascara*. I rather like this for everyday but the formula is a little on the dry side so I think that there's a limit to the number of layers you can apply.

Lipsticks - I wore Rouge Bunny Rouge Murmurings and Ilia Arabian Knights interchangeably almost everyday. Arabian Knights stays at home and whilst Murmurings lives in my handbag. I wore my old favourite Rouge Bunny Rouge Irreverence with the smoky eye yesterday.

Hopefully next week I can get myself organised and pack a makeup bag that I can grab for the early morning starts. I'm hoping to fit Edward Bess Dusk and Olive Violeteare in there for some more work appropriate smoky eyes.

Do you have a selection of products that you know won't let you down? Are you quite adventurous with your makeup at work or do you favour neutrals day-to-day?

* Items labelled with an asterisk were received as PR samples. 

The hunt for a dupe: Guerlain Beige Nude Lipstick

A reader got in touch recently to ask about a dupe for one of my favourite lipsticks: Guerlain Kiss Kiss lipstick in Beige Nude #550. She was unable to find this particular shade but keen to know if I considered something else to be a good alternative. I was actually quite dismayed when I realised the reason she wasn't able to find it was because it seems to have been discontinued. As you can see, I don't have much left myself so the hunt for a dupe seems even more pressing......

.....well, until I pulled out half a dozen very similar looking colours from my stash. Ooops! Oh well, I've said before how much I'm drawn to such shades. This is probably a good moment to point out that this isn't a nude in this way that most people consider nudes. This applies as a beige-y rose on my lips: a touch more brown toned than a 'My Lips But Better' kind of shade.

The lipsticks pictured below are Rouge Bunny Rouge Irreverence and YSL Rouge Volupte in Spicy Pink #20 on the top row and Revlon Colorburst in Blush, Armani Shine lipstick in #5, Guerlain Kiss Kiss in Beige Nude, YSL Rouge Volupte in Ultimate Beige #3 and MAC Cosmo from left to right on the bottom row.

I realise it's a little tricky to make the comparison from the product photographs as so much of the lipstick bullet has gone but hopefully the swatches are more illuminating.

Swatches left to right: Revlon Blush, Armani #5, Guerlain Beige Nude, YSL Rouge Volupte #3, MAC Cosmo, YSL Spicy Pink, RBR Irreverence

with flash

Although most normal people would not require so many rosy nude shades, I have to say that none of these colours are an exact dupe for Guerlain Beige Nude. YSL Ultimate Beige is about the same depth of colour but more beige toned, Revlon Blush is very sheer in comparison and both YSL Spicy Pink and MAC Cosmo are darker than Beige Nude. From the swatches, I would say that Rouge Bunny Rouge Irreverence and Beige Nude look most similar but on my lips Irreverence looks more pink toned. On my lips, the closest in appearance is the Armani Shine lipstick in #5 and of all the lipsticks I would say this has the most comparable texture.

For that is the other part of the problem: Beige Nude is a favourite not simply because of the colour, it also has a lovely formula. It's creamy, very opaque and non-drying. The YSL Rouge Voluptes are similarly opaque but I dislike how they dry my lips so soon after application, so these are not a good dupe texture wise. At some point I should investigate the Guerlain Rouge Automatique range to see if I can find a comparable colour to Beige Nude.

Left - Guerlain Beige Nude, Right - Kevyn Aucoin ThelmaDora

As I was putting away the lipsticks, I spotted another similar colour that I'd missed in my first forage. Above you can see Kevyn Aucoin Expert Lip Tint in ThelmaDora (right) compared to Beige Nude (left). The colours are quite similar but the Kevyn Aucoin has some shimmer and isn't quite as creamy or opaque as the Guerlain.

Although I don't think I really possess a proper dupe for Beige Nude, I do think that I would recommend the Armani Shine lipstick in #5 as a good alternative. I reach for this lipstick often and couldn't bring myself to part with it, even after the toddler-eating-lipstick disaster. However, I'm not sure that this is easily available either so, the hunt continues! If you have any suggestions for an alternative, please let me know.

Today's (very minimal) Makeup

I went for very minimal makeup today. I didn't really feel in the mood for a full face plus I knew that I was likely to be spending the day reading between chores and child things. I might not have been successful with all of my resolutions but catching up on my reading and getting the house in order has gone very well so far.

My apologies for the lack of face, the light had completely gone by the time I took the pictures and minimal makeup never seems to show up very well with flash photography.

The products I wore today were:
W3LL People Narcissist Foundation & Concealer shade #1
W3LL People Universalist #2 Highlighter*
Ilia Lip Conditioner in Blossom Lady*
YSL Long Lasting Waterproof Liner in #5 (Shimmering Burgundy) 
Illamasqua Masquara

The W3LL People Narcissist stick is a newish purchase and I used this as a concealer under my eyes and on areas of redness around my nose and chin. I've always been nervous of stick foundations but I really like the texture and it's great if you just need coverage on specific areas. The Ilia Lip Conditioner was the perfect choice for today as my lips were feeling a bit chapped and in need of TLC. It looks more polished than must a balm but feels just as good. Both W3LL People and Ilia Beauty are available from www.beingcontent.com and www.misebeauty.com.

I've re-ignited my passion for purple these last couple of weeks and I've been picking out this YSL liner quite a bit. Yesterday I paired it with RBR Delicate Hummingbird but today I didn't have time to add any eyeshadow. My favourite thing about this liner is how fast it is to apply (it's very creamy) for such a long wearing eyeliner.

I bought the Illamasqua Masquara a while ago but only recently started to use it. Whilst the Smashbox Bionic mascara that I wrote about yesterday gave me quite a natural look, the Masquara is probably a little too dramatic for me. It can make my lashes look a bit spidery but I thought it was a good choice today with such minimal eye makeup.

Because I was going mostly bare-faced, I thought it would be a good moment to try the Dr. Lewinn's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster*. It made my skin look a little more polished and seemed to tone down the redness in my face. The combination of this and the W3LL People highlighter gave my skin a glow that it certainly didn't have naturally at 6 o'clock this morning!

I have been using my Aveeno Hand Cream constantly for the last week or so. The downside to being the perfect housekeeper is that it leaves my hands in a terrible mess. The drop in temperature has to take some of the blame too. The Aveeno remains my favourite cream for soothing as well as repairing chapped hands.

My scent choice today was Lancôme Trésor and I've been wearing it more and more lately. It has always been a fragrance that I liked on other people but I found it too overpowering on me. I'm not sure what has changed, whether it's me or the perfume I can't tell but I can wear this now without fear of it causing a headache.

What have you been wearing today? Do you ever have days when you don't wear much makeup?


* PR Samples

YSL Touche Éclat: An Oldie but a Goldie?

I seem to recall that I was using YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch concealer when I first started writing this blog and it was probably one of my early project 10 pan items. Since then, I have tried a variety of different highlighter concealers including Lancôme Teint Miracle, By Terry Touche Veloutee, RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer (you can see a comparison here) and Healthspan Nuture Illuminating Touch Concealer. The RMK Super Basic Concealer has been become a firm favourite because it's more opaque and the yellow undertone seems to work well for me. Having used a more opaque undereye concealer for a while, I wondered how old faithful would fare. EDIT The shade shown here is #1.

Left - Touche Éclat #1, Right - RMK Super Basic Liquid #01

In bright sunlight, well as bright as it gets in January! RMK at the top, Touch Éclat at the bottom.

Touche Éclat has quite a thin, fluid formula and the colour is very different to the RMK. It's quite pink based however, I don't think the pink tone is as obvious when applied to the undereye area as it is in my swatch. I apply quite liberally but only to the areas of discolouration, so the arc under the tear duct and also at the very outer corner. To blend it in I pat the colour into the skin with my ring finger (you can just make out a finger print in my after picture!).

My undereye discolouration looks particularly shocking at the moment due to minimal sleep, overindulging and the general Christmas drain. I have some redness as well as the usual dark circles. I had my reservations about the Touch Éclat being enough to cover it but to my surprise it worked really well. It knocks down the dark circles and really brightens the undereye area. The bonus of it being a light forumla is that it isn't as prone to creasing or settling into fine lines as a more opaque concealer, although it obviously doesn't offer the same level of coverage. I do find that I have to reapply during the day if I want to remain looking fresh but I find this to be true of all highlighter concealers.

This YSL Touche Éclat was sent to me by CheapSmells.com where it available for £17.95 instead of the usual £24.50. I'm sure you're already familiar with the website but in case you're not, they're an e-tailer offering many perfumes brands and beauty products at discounted prices. They seem to have had added some new brands recently. I realised from their newsletter that they now stock a number of NARS items, including NARS Albatross and three shades of the NARS Multiples. It's well worth a browse if you after a post-Christmas pick me up!


Disclosure: PR Sample

Couleur Infallible FOTD

Here are some pictures of my new L'Oreal Coleur Infallible colours applied. My apologies in advance for both the overly serious face (it was the best picture despite the expression) and the lack of blending. I slapped this on in a bit of a rush!

Sahara Treasure is more gold than I was expecting. Although it looks a little taupe-y in the pot, on my lid it's quite a bright gold. Fortunately it's not too yellow based. Time Resist White is quite stark and I wouldn't wear it like this to go out. I'll have to play with it a little more to work out how best to use it. Hopefully this will give you a better idea of how the colours look 'in action'.

I have included a breakdown of the rest of the makeup I used below.

Face
Primed with Alaya Radiance Face oil*
Max Factor Second Skin*
YSL Touche Eclat* (review to come)
Shu Uemura brow pencil
NARS Laguna

Eyes
L'Oreal Couleur Infallible Sahara Treasure over the mobile lid
RBR Caress of Mink on the outer corner and into the crease
L'Oreal Couleur Infallible Time Resist White on the inner corner of the lid
RBR Raven Glaze Laquer Liner
MUFE Smoky Lash mascara

Lips
RBR Sweet Excess Glassy Gloss in Trifle Rich


*PR Samples. The links are provided for information only.

My Eyeshadow Palette Collection

I've had the pictures for this post for what seems like ages. I took them back when it was still light at 4pm and warm enough to be outside without hat and gloves. Somehow the idea of sitting down to write about this collection seemed a little daunting, hence my delay. I've included links whenever possible to previous review posts.

I seem to have come full circle with my palette buying. In my 'not quite as obsessed' makeup days, palettes were always the biggest draw. Especially around this time of year. Then as I became more interested in makeup buying I decided that buying single eyeshadows was preferable that way I wouldn't end up with shades I wouldn't use. The MAC palettes are from this era. In the last year or so I have returned to buying and loving palettes. These days I tend to avoid the palettes with mixed products. I know it's very rare for me to use the lip products from a palette plus it can get messy when powder transfers to lipgloss and lipsticks pans. It doesn't stop me fancying the beautiful Edward Bess palettes of course!

1. KANEBO KATE BR-4 PALETTE

2. BECCA ENIGMA PALETTE*

3. MAC SMOKING EYES QUAD

4. GUERLAIN RUE DE PASSY

5. ARTDECO CUSTOM PALETTE

6. BECCA LOST WEEKEND PALETTE*

7. LANCOME BLONDETTE FATAL PALETTE*

8. CHANEL TOPKAPI QUADRA

In the neutrals palettes above, I don't think I have a single dud colour. Most of them contain a mixture of finishes which I think is important for a palette to work as a complete look. Of the two BECCA palettes, I think Enigma is still my favourite. I love how you can create a sultry look form just these three colours. It took me a while to warm to the charms of Rue de Passy. I think I expected more of it because of the high price but I wouldn't be without it now. I think one of the newer quads contains some quite similar colours. Both the Chanel and Lancôme palettes are lovely, Chanel is more bling to Lancôme's more versatile but I reach for both often.

1. INGLOT FREEDOM PALETTE

2. CHANTECAILLE SEA TURTLES PALETTE

3. YSL CHROMATICS #3 PALETTE

4. GUERLAIN RUE DE RIVOLI

5. SUQQU EX-07 LILAC ALLURE PALETTE

Here are my not-so-neutral palettes. I suppose with the exception of the Inglot palette they are still mostly neutral. The Chantecaille Sea Turtles palette contains that dark green shade for a bit of interest. If I'm honest my most favourite colour in the Turtles palette is the blusher and I use this often whilst ignoring the slightly too warm for me neutrals. YSL Chromatics #3 contains two 'safe' colours, the gorgeous dark blue liner and then that icy blue that I studiously ignore. It doesn't make me as nervous as the fuchsia colour in Rue de Rivoli though! I stand by my original comment about Rivoli that I get most use from this palette using the individual shades rather than as combined look. The Suqqu is a lovely palette. The colours don't apply quite as you would expect from the pans but they are delicate and layer very well.

1. LE CIRQUE, 2. SILK ROAD*, 3. PENELOPE*

Talking of layering, here are my Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscopes. They've increased in number by one since I took this photo. Le Cirque was my first Kaleidoscope and probably still remains my favourite. Silk Road and Penelope were both PR samples and I'm not sure I would have picked them out myself if I had seen them at a counter. However, as I often find with Le Métier combination, the 'Couches de Couleur' technique creates something that is even more beautiful than the sum of it's parts. I would say these are probably the most daring items in my collection.

I'd struggle to pick a single favourite from my eyeshadow palettes. It's probably clear that I'm a fan of neutrals. There is a noticeable omission for a beauty blogger of course; I don't own the Urban Decay Naked palette nor am I likely to buy Naked 2 when it comes out next year. I can't quite put my finger on why I've taken against Naked: it may the number of warm shades, the fear of glitter fallout or possibly because I already own enough neutrals to paint the whole of my town taupe. Who knows?! What I am looking forward to next year is the release of Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow palettes. Custom palettes, eyeshadow refills and new shades are all like music to my ears. As a lover of palettes AND Rouge Bunny Rouge that's my birthday present ideas for next year sorted!

Are you a fan of eyeshadow palettes or a lover of singles?


*PR Samples

Current Favourites

I find it increasingly hard to think of monthly favourites these days. With make-up, I try and wear different things everyday and if I'm testing skin care products, I use the same thing for at least 28 days. However, there are always a couple of things that tend to stand out. Sometimes they're staples that I use everyday no matter what and sometimes they're simply colours that I pick out again and again.

Konjac Sponge and Naked Truth Age Resistant Cleanser
I shall do a proper review of the Konjac Sponge soon but the combination of the sponge and the AHA face wash has given me with noticeably smoother skin. I have used them separately and also together once or twice. I know I was a bit sceptical about the Naked Truth products to start with but I keep on using this cleanser which I think speaks volumes. I do still think it's expensive but it's lasted well. I've still not made much of a dent in it despite using it daily.

Bioderma Crealine H₂O
I know I'm very late to this party but I finally remembered to ask my Mum to pick some up whilst she was in France. I don't especially like it for taking all of my makeup off (I tried it when I had the lash extensions on) but it's a marvel for cleaning up mascara blobs and other eye make-up blobs. I just use a cotton bud and gently wipe away any mistakes. It's good for cleaning up any drift on hot days too.


Haus of Gloi Who Needs Love Pumpkin Butter
I'm sorry to mention something that's not available any more but it really is one of my favourites. This scent came out with the Valentine's collection and I love it! It has a sweet and quite fizzy, sherberty scent. It reminds me a lot of Refresher Sweets. I appreciate that it's maybe not a fragrance that will appeal to everyone. I use a night cream that is scented with Frankincense and I'm not a fan of Frankincense at all. I'll often apply this to my arms after using the face cream to mask the smell! I wish I had a larger pot of this and really hope that it will be released again next year.

Tinted Moisturisers with SPF
I've been using tinted moisturisers a lot over the past couple of months. I've just bought my first BB cream in a blog sale and will give you my thoughts on that soon but I've been reaching for BECCA Luminous Skin and LMdB Peau Vierge all the time, especially because of the sun protection they offer. The BECCA has an SPF of 25 and the LMdB has an SPF of 20. I also like tinted moisturisers in the summer months as they don't feel heavy on the skin in the warmer weather.

Shu Uemura Hard 9 Brow Pencil in Seal Brown
The Shu Uemura brow pencil is my brow constant. I feel slightly unfinished if I forget to fill in my brows as they're quite fair at the tail end. The hard formula means that it doesn't transfer in the same way as many pencils, this makes it easier for me to control the depth of colour and shape. It's not a red based brown either which I really like.

Hourglass Film Noir Mascara
After the lash extensions fell, I'm even more painfully aware of how puny and fair my natural lashes are. Film Noir makes them look so much better, it's the trifecta of length, volume and curl without looking over the top that I especially appreciate. I really like the Max Factor mascara but Film Noir remains my true love!


Rouge Bunny Rouge Cream Eyeshadow in Atlas Swallowtail
I've mention before how much I like this for speedy makeup. Even without eyeliner, this makes my eyes look more polished. It's an easy formula to apply and lasts very well. You can see from the swatches that the colour changes according to the light. I suspect it's this quality that makes it suitable to wear on it's own without looking boring.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Creme Blusher in Soft Copper
Another one that I have already mentioned; Soft Copper is a colour I reach for often. If I hadn't been introduced to it by someone else, I'm not sure I'd have given it a second glance. It's not a colour that instantly says blusher to me but it really works. 


Guerlain lipstick in Beige Nude
I love this lipstick, I think I might have mentioned that before....just four or five times maybe? I'm not a nude girl particularly and certainly beige isn't a name I look for in a lipstick but this is a dark beigey-pink. It's not quite MLBB but it's in the same vicinity. The lipstick formula is really easy to wear too, it's creamy, pigmented and last well without drying my lips.

YSL Long Lasting Waterproof Liner in #5
A more recent acquisition. This eyeliner is the perfect combination of long wearing and easy to apply. It glides on like butter but very quickly sets and lasts all day without moving or fading. I still haven't bought this in another shade but I really ought to. I quite often use this paired with Atlas Swallowtail and it practically became my signature eye look on the days that I was working!

Rouge Bunny Rouge Lipgloss in Coy
Coy is a really pretty colour especially for summer weather. I'm not really a big lipgloss wearer but I like the Rouge Bunny Rouge formula as it feels quite grow up. I know that some of the Glossybox subscribers were lucky enough to get an RBR lipgloss in their box last month. I was really sad to see some pop up on Ebay within days. This was an excellent choice as an introduction to lovely niche brand, it's a shame some didn't keep it long enough to give it a try. Anyway, their loss is my gain as I was more than happy to re-home an unwanted lipgloss!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Last but not least is Shadow Insurance. I've never tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion but the tube packaging of TFSI appealed to me more. I only ever use a tiny amount so I've not had to replace it after more than a year of use. Without this primer, my eyeshadow will almost certainly crease in the warmer weather. I don't think I really appreciated that my lids were prone to oiliness until I started using this. Now, I just use it as a matter of course and really notice if I forget.

What are your current favourites? Do you find your favourites change a lot according to the season?





Disclosure: The products mentioned are a mix of items I've been sent for review and items I purchased myself. They're all things that I would gladly re-purchase as really rate them. As ever, there are no affiliate links in this post.

YSL Long Lasting Waterproof Liner #5

I bought this after reading some excellent reviews of these pencils. I actually swatched the wrong set of pencils to start with and fell for a beautiful forest green colour. The green in the waterproof formula wasn't quite as dark and had a frost finish so instead, I opted for the colour Shimmering Burgundy (#5).

The pencil is very creamy and transfers colour with the lightest touch, so it's extremely easy to apply. There is a window of time in which you can smudge the line after which it sets. Although it sets it doesn't lose the creamy, rich appearance which I really like. This liner truly is long lasting, I find it's still there at the end of the day without any fading and I need to use a good waterproof eye makeup remover to take it off. As it's waterproof, I also don't have to worry about my watery eyes spoiling the line.

I'm really pleased with the colour, it's a cooler purple than the word Burgundy would suggest. The 'shimmering' finish gives it a rich appearance. I have used this to add colour to a neutral eye look but I'm also keen to try it as a base to purple eyeshadow like I did in this previous post.

The pencil comes in about six different colours: #1 Black Ink, #2 Patent Leather (brown), #3 Ultramarine (see The Non-Blonde's post), #5 Shimmering Burgundy, #6 Amazon Green and the special edition #7 Absinthe. I suspect I'm missing #4 but I can't find mention of it anywhere online and I forgot to check all the colours whilst at the counter. I am quite tempted to get the brown as it's such a good eyeliner formula. These pencils cost £18 but you may wish to take advantage of Debenhams current 10% off on all beauty products. They come packaged with their own sharpener.

YSL Pure Chromatics #3

The new YSL Pure Chromatics eyeshadow palettes include four eyeshadows which can be used both wet and dry. There are a total of six palettes and I hesitated between #3 and #6. Part of my indecision was due to the 'scary' colour lurking in each palette. I went for #3 in the end, which you will not be surprised to hear contains a taupe-y colour. It also contains an icy blue (scary), chocolate brown and rich dark blue. All of the colours are very sparkly but the the appearance of the sparkle is different depending on whether the eyeshadows are applied wet or dry.

In the swatch picture I have applied the colours both dry (left) and wet (right) side by side so that you can see the difference in finish and intensity. All of the colours were swatched over a base of Too Face Shadow Insurance. I used the eye primer as a base as I found the colour didn't seem to swatch well when I was at the counter. The dry colours are quite sparkly, I have experienced glitter fallout when using these on the eye. The 'wet' colour is very intense and they have an almost metallic cream finish. The finish actually reminds me of Prance Mega Metal eyeshadow from Peacocky. I would say that my preference is definitely for the colour used wet.

In the pictures below I have applied the taupe colour all over the mobile lid, the brown at the outer corner and into the crease (both used dry) and I used the dark blue wet as a liner. The colours didn't fade or budge during the day. I really love the dark blue colour and think I will use this colour most of all.

I have used the taupe and brown wet too and they apply well. I'm looking forward to trying the dark brown as a liner. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like the colours worn altogether. I wouldn't normally wear this many shimmery eyeshadows in an eye look without breaking them up with other matte or satin finishes. I don't know if it's because of the colours but I feel it looks ok and as long as I don't wear anything shimmery or iridescent elsewhere, I don't think it looks over the top. I haven't used the icy blue yet and I'm not sure whether I will ever dare, we'll see. I may give it a try on the inner corners of my eye. Don't be surprised if that never makes it on here!

These palettes usually cost £37 but I bought mine from Debenhams where they're currently £33.50 with the 10% off event.