Cream Eyeshadow Convert

Recently there has been an influx of cream eyeshadows in both the high street shops and in higher end products. Lots of people are put off by creams as they stereotypically crease and slide all over the place. I personally love them, they are super quick to apply as brushes aren't necessary and they last all day on my eyelids even though they can get quite greasy. If I know I will be wearing the eyeshadow for more than around eight hours I  will however use the e.l.f. eyelid primer which is surprisingly good, especially as it is so cheap. Cream shadows can be either used by themselves or layered under a powder eyeshadow to increase its vibrancy or longevity.

Popular creams include the MAC paintpots (which I have yet to try) as well as the Laura Mercier Creme Eye Colours. If you want a cheaper option you could go with the MeMeMe Dew Pots or my personal favourites, the Maybelline Colour Tattoos. E.l.f. even do their own versions which are part of their studio line and priced at only £3.50.

The first product in the swatch above is the e.l.f. Cream Eyeshadow in the colour Dawn. I love the shimmer that it gives to the lids because it is so effortless but looks really put together once the rest of the make up is done. The middle shade is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in the colour  40 Permanent Taupe. It's a matte taupe shade which looks great under other eyeshadows. My favourite of the three is the last shade, another Colour Tattoo but in number 35 On and On Bronze. I wear this all over the lid with just a brown eyeliner and lashings of mascara to add some colour and definition. The Maybelline creams are smoother in texure than the e.l.f product which makes the application that little bit easier. They are all however great shades that I  switch between often. The only downfall of the Colour Tattoos are the shade range. The two colours I have are the only ones that to me, are wearable on a day to day basis and I wish we had some of the other neutral shades that came out in the States. I would have loved to see a champagne shade or even a peachy nude shade! Hopefully they will bring out new shades to the UK in the future.

Have you tired any of the products above? I would love any suggestions for any more neutral cream eyeshadows that are available in the UK.

Hayley xxx

April Favourites

Above are two of my favourite brushes for the month from Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. The top one is the Contour Brush which enables a really great, well blended contour and bronze. The one below is the Deluxe Crease Brush which for me, is the best brush for concealer because it's just like a mini buffing brush which blends concealer under my eyes seamlessly. In a few posts time there will be a review all about these brushes and others in the collection so keep your eyes peeled :)

I bought this Bourjous felt-tip eyeliner a while ago on a whim but never really used it because gel eyeliner had taken over. However, I have found that the pointed shape means that you can just place the pen on the outer corner of your eye and pull inward to create a perfect mini wing. I am not a fan of long winged liner but I feel just a little stubby one can really make your outside lashes look much fuller so I have been loving that look this month!

On an every day basis, teamed with the eyeliner I use the No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara because it gives me full, thick lashes but nothing too crazy for the day time. The actual brush itself is really unique and I tried to photograph it but it just came out as a black blob. One third of the wand length ways are shorter plastic bristles, the next third has long bristles for more length and then the last third has sort of small paddles which really add volume. The tip of the wand also has bristles coming out of it like a ball so its great for building up the outer lashes. It's pretty hard to explain so I guess you'll just have to do and take a look at Boots but I really love this mascara for both the wand and the consistency as you can layer it without it looking clumpy or spidery.

I know what you're thinking...'Why on earth would you wear bright pink eyeshadow?' I thought exactly the same thing when I received this sample of one of the No7 Stay Perfect eyeshadows in Antique Rose No#42. I thought it would have been more of a blush colour however when you swatch it, the pink hardly transfers which leaves a lovely neutral golden shade which is actually really subtle and nice for every day wear. I will include swatches at the end of my this post if you really don't believe me :P

Lastly, this is the Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream in the colour Cotton Candy. I bought this last month because of the really opaque colour but once I got home I was hugely reluctant to wear it because of  the smell. It's a really sweet, sickly, vanillery, strong smell which some people may love but I think it just smells too artificial. I do love this thought because of the colour and the consistency. It applies really creamy then once it drys it doesn't transfer like a lipstick which I really look for in lip products because I don't want to have to check my lips and teeth every few minutes for colour. I want to get more of these but at the moment they only do two other colours. Do you know of any other brands which do a similar product?

As i promised before, here are a few swatches of the products I mentioned. The first is the eyeshadow and as the photo shows it's a great all over lid, sheer wash of colour which I love. The next one is the felt tip liner and the last in the lip cream. As you can see, the colour is so opaque and rich!

I hope you have enjoyed my second ever monthly favourites!

Hayley xxx

My Current Wishlist #1

Top Left: Zara T-Bar Wedge Top Centre: MAC Harmony Blush Far Right: Zara Leather-Look Trousers Bottom Left: MAC Soft and Gentle MSF Middle: Naked Palette Middle Bottom: Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes

March Favourites

I know this is a little late but I thought it might be nice to show you my March Favourites. The Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake is my most recent purchase and has managed to wriggle its way into my favourites. I'm not going to bang about it for too long as I recently wrote a blog post all about it so go and check that out if you are interested.

                                     

Below is the No7 Translucent Pressed Powder and due to the warmer weather at the beginning of the month I have used this every day since. I have normal to dry skin so in the colder months I don't feel the need to powder however as it gets warmer I like to take it just through my T zone to take away any shine. This compact is brilliant for that and as you can see from the picture I have severely hit pan. I will be repurchasing this once it runs out after I've tried the Rimmel Pressed Powder as I have heard many good things.

My last make-up item is the Sleek Storm eyeshadow palette. For my brows nearly every day I use a tiny bit of black mixed with the lightest matte shade on the top row to create the perfect ashy colour. I dont wear eyeshadow on my eye lids day to day however on a night out I always use the browns and champagne colour to create a smokey eye. They are so easy to blend and are so pigmented which is why I love them!

For my brows and to add definition to my eyes I always use the e.l.f. small angled brush. It distributes exactly the right amount of product and because its not still like a lot of angled brushes, you are able to smudge eyeshadow across the lash line really easily. 

I think dry shampoo is the products that almost everyone owns. I used to wash my hair every day but felt it was getting too damaged so I tried the Tresemme instant refresh dry shampoo and I have never looked back! It gives loads of volume to the roots, smells great and doesn't leave white patches in your hair (*cough* Batiste).

Lastly, as I said before I have quite dry skin and I keep this Avon hand and nail cream in my bag/ on my desk/ wherever I go. I really like the smell because it isn't too strong and it's really moisturising as it contains glycerine. It sinks into your skin really well and makes your hands feel baby soft :)

 That's it for my March favs, I'd love to know products you've been loving this month  :)