Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo - Review and Swatches

I'm embarassed to admit how long I've had this product for and still never got around to reviewing it. I bought this in May last year, photographed it, swatched it, maybe even wore it, but never managed to write up a review. Not sure why. Anyway, I am doing it now, so never mind.

Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder is a split pan powder, one side being white gold, the other very light pink. When swatched, the pink side is slightly pinker, but to be honest, the difference is barely noticable. This is the description I copied from BeautyBay:

"Too Faced Candlelight Glow is a luxurious highlighting powder duo which warms and brightens the complexion for instant radiance. Inspired by Too Faced’s original Absolutely Invisible Powder Candlelight this new formula offers a more intense luminosity and a more ethereal glow. Photolite Technology filters, fractures and diffuses harsh lighting to create an enchanting, youthful glow and preventing skin from looking washed out or chalky. With a duo of multi-use shades the pressed powder formula is easy to apply for a quick all over glow. The sheer golden powder warms the skin tone whilst the gilded rose shade brightens and illuminates the complexion. Use each shade alone to target specific areas or swirl together for instant radiance."

It is different from the original Candlelight powder in that this seems to be a more pressed, creamier version (the original one kicks up a lot of dust when you swirl your brush in it). It's not a cream product, mind, it's still definitely powder, just a lot less powdery. Colourwise it's pretty much the same, like I said, I struggle to see the difference between the white gold and the pink halves. It is also very similar to Nars Albatross highlighter, so if you own that or the original Candlelight powder, I don't think you need this as well. I got it because it's so pretty and I'm a sucker for pretty powders. It does give a nice glow and it's certainly not shimmery, so if you're looking for a subtle highlighter, this may be for you.

You get 10 g of product and it costs £25. You can find it at Boots and BeautyBay, and other online retailers. I don't think this is a limited edition product since I bought it nearly a year ago.  

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Looks Featuring Urban Decay's Vice Palette and Ocho Loco 24/7 Eye Pencil Set - Part 2

Here's another look I did with my new Urban Decay Vice Palette and Ocho Loco 24/7 Eye Pencil Set. This time I used some of the neutral eyeshadows, which are actually really really nice. Again I felt this would've looked nicer with a more shimmery highlighter, but I wated to stick to the palette.

To create this look I used the following:

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Greed
Urban Decay Vice Palette Echo Beach eyeshadow in inner corner and above crease
Urban Decay Vice Palette Nevermind eyeshadow in outer corner
Urban Decay Vice Palette Muse eyeshadow in crease
Urban Decay Vice Palette Anonymus eyeshadow on browbone to highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Hustle on lower lashline and waterline
Cargo Lash Activator mascara (aren't my lashes looking great by the way?)
Mac Show Off Brow Set

Face:
Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream
Guerlain Voilettes Invisible Skin Fusion Loose Powder in 03 Beige Naturel
Mac Dollymix powder blush
Mac Perfect Topping mineralize skinfinish

Lips:
Nars 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil 
Urban Decay Stardust Sparkling lipgloss in Glitter Rock

See more pictures after the jump!

Looks Featuring Urban Decay's Vice Palette and Ocho Loco 24/7 Eye Pencil Set - Part 1

For the past week or so I've been playing with my new Urban Decay Vice Palette and Ocho Loco 24/7 Eye Pencil Set and this is one of the looks I did. I was quite happy with this, although I think it would've looked better with a shimmery highlighter, but since there isn't one included in the Vice Palette, I decided to just stick with what was available.

To create this look I used the following:

Eyes:
Too Faced Insurance Policy
Urban Decay Vice Palette Provocateur eyeshadow in inner corner
Urban Decay Vice Palette Rapture eyeshadow in outer corner
Urban Decay Vice Palette Vice eyeshadow in crease
Urban Decay Vice Palette Freebird eyeshadow above crease
Urban Decay Vice Palette Anonymus eyeshadow on browbone to highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Psychedelic Sister on lower lashline and waterline
Cargo Lash Activator mascara
Mac Show Off Brow Set

Face:
Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream
Guerlain Voilettes Invisible Skin Fusion Loose Powder in 03 Beige Naturel
Mac Conjure Up mineralize blush
Mac Pleasureflush mineralize skinfinish

Lips:
Nars 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

See more pictures after the jump!

Nars 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

I bought this Velvet Matte Lip Pencil from Nars's recent collection 413 BLKR (released in celebration of Fashion's Night Out). The lip pencil is a blue fuschia colour, it looks pretty bright, but it's actually very wearable.

It's matte, but unlike a lot of other mattes, it's a lovely formula, not drying at all. It's not as long lasting as I thought, probably got through around 3 hours without eating and drinking, but it did disappear more quickly if I ate. I like the jumbo pencil, it's so easy to use, just outline your lips and fill in. All in all, I like this a lot.

You get 2.4 g which is quite a bit less than usual lipsticks size (3-3.5 g) and it costs £17.50. So it's not cheap, especially considering how much you get, but it's a lovely shade and nice formula, so if you don't mind the price, it's well worth checking out. I believe it is exclusive to Nars, so might not be available at counters, however, the Nars website offers free delivery every so often, so it's worth signing up to their mailing list if you're interested.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!  

Nars Outlaw Blush Review and Swatches

Nars Outlaw blush was a new addition to the line this autumn/fall and it is just perfect for this time of the year. Nars describes it as "soft rose tone with golden shimmer" which is about right, I also think golden raspberry pink when I look at it.

It's a little bit scary in the pan, but isn't actually overly pigmented, so can be used lightly and sheered out. It has very fine gold shimmer that gives it a gorgeous gold sheen, it's not glittery like Super Orgasm or Angelika for example. There are a few flecks of very very fine glitter, but it's definitely more of a sheen. It is such a gorgeous shade and actually quite unique, I can't think of another blush that's similar. It is soft, but not powdery and applies very nicely.

As with all Nars blushes you get 4.8 g of product in their standard black compact with a full size mirror in the lid. The outside of the compact is rubbery matte black with NARS written on it in white letters. My problem with the packaging is that unless you look at the bottom of the compact, you have no idea which shade is which. I like having a little window, like the Laura Geller blushes to see what colour it is.

Nars blushes cost £21 and are available from a variety of retailers, including Nars online, Space NK, House of Fraser and Selfridges.

See more pictures including swatches and a look I did with this blush after the jump!

Nars Foreplay Blush Palette Review and Swatches

One of Nars's new offerings is this gorgeous blush palette featuring their (in)famous Orgasm blush (peachy pink with golden shimmer), 2 matte blushes (pink and peach) and a yellow gold highlighter. I already owned Orgasm blush, but really liked the look of this and wanted to try it.

You get a good size Orgasm, and 3 small blushes/highlighters. I'm not too sure if the Orgasm is full size, it doesn't day on the packaging, but the regular blush is 4.8 g and you get 10 g of blush altogether in this palette (Orgasm being the biggest), so it seems about right. The other blushes and the highlighters are rather small and it's not easy to get your brush in to pick up the colours, but at least they're not too close to each other. You just have to be a bit careful.

The blushes are nicely pigmented and are soft. I like them both very much. They are both matte and it's nice too have some Nars blushes without glitter, although Orgasm isn't too bad at all, it's just a bit shimmery/frosty. I think it would be nice to see these matte shades in single form as well. The only product I don't like in this palette is the yellow gold highlighter. To me it's just too yellow. I much prefer Nars Albatross as a highlighter instead. However, I guess it could make a nice eyeshadow.

All in all, it's a nice little palette. What I especially like about it is that between the 3 blushes you are pretty much covered and if you only took this with you on holiday (for your blusher needs, obviously), that would be just fine. It's quite small and easily portable and you get a mirror in the lid.

You get 10 g for £39.50 so that makes it cheaper than buying 10 g of other Nars blushes (they cost £21 for 4.8 g). It's still not cheap, but if you're looking for a portable blush palette with a good variety of shades, this might be the answer for you. Plus it is just so pretty.

In the UK this is exclusive to Nars (online) and Space NK. I actually bought mine from Sephora France. 

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

FOTD: Estee Lauder Violet Underground

I promised you this look ages ago, sorry I've only just got around to posting it. Life has been hectic, even more so than usual. Anyway, here it is finally.

To create this look I used the following products:

Eyes:
Too Faced Insurance Policy
Estee Lauder Violet Underground Eyeshadow Palette pinky beige colour in the inner corner of the lid and on the browbone to highlight
Estee Lauder Violet Underground Eyeshadow Palette magenta colour in the middle of the lid
Estee Lauder Violet Underground Eyeshadow Palette navy blue colour in the outer corner of the lid and the crease
Estee Lauder Violet Underground Eyeshadow Palette black colour used wet as eyeliner above the upper lashline
L'Oreal HIP Violet Volt eyeliner on lower lashline
Guerlain Noir G Mascara in Black
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Face:
Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream
Guerlain Voilettes Invisible Skin Fusion Loose Powder in 03 Beige Naturel
Nars Foreplay palette matte pink blush (review coming up)

Lips:
Estee Lauder Wild Violet lipstick

Let me know what you think in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

My London Make Up Haul Video

I went to London yesterday and decided to make a quick video about my findings. Enjoy!

My Recent London Make Up Haul Video

Just a quick video to show you what I bought in London yesterday.

Accessorize Bronzing Block Shade 3 Review and Swatches

I have been meaning to review this for ages, but only just got around to taking some comparison pictures. This product is well worth reviewing though because it is really good. It is described as a bronzing block, but in reality it's actually a blush, and a really lovely one as well. I don't know why it's called bronzing block, but then Bobbi Brown uses the name bronzing powder for some of her blushes.

The bronzing block/blush comes in a pretty flowery box, with Accessorize written on it. The box is slightly bigger than Benefit blushes, but similar style, although the new Bella Bamba now has a flip top, but the old ones have lids that come off. No mirror in the lid, but you do get a small brush. I don't use it, instead I use my normal blush brush. The blush itself is a gorgeous pinky coral colour, really pretty and great for summer. It has a little sheen, but it's not shimmery or glittery at all. Very pigmented, a little goes a long way. It's a decent size at 5.7g and it's really very affordable at £7 (although I think when I bought it, there was a £2 off deal at Superdrug).

I have compared it to some of my coral blushes including Nars Orgasm and Mac Stereo Rose, I think it's possibly closest to Sleek Rose Gold blush, but that one has a lot more sheen to it. You can see the comparison swatches at the end of this post.

Overall I would highly recommend this blush to everyone who likes coral cheeks and good quality blushes at affordable prices. Once again Accessorize did not disappoint.

See more pictures and swatches after the jump!

Swatching My Stash: My Nars Blushes and Highlighter

I thought I'd show you my small collection of Nars blushes today. I've just received my new Lustre blush and you might remember I pucrhased Deep Throat while in the US, so now I actually have quite a good variety. I find Nars blushes quite hit and miss, there are some lovely ones, but some of them are very very glittery (Super Orgasm I'm looking at you). Orgasm is a very popular shade and it is nice, but it does have a lot of glitter, so I've actually found a better and cheaper dupe from Sleek (Rose Gold, you can check it out here and here). I do love Albatross as a highlighter, Deep Throat is absolutely gorgeous and Lustre is a very nice shade too, no glitter in sight. Despite my better judgement, I have just ordered New Order highlighting blush from ASOS, which is extremely glittery, but is also a gorgeous light pink colour. I wasn't going to get it, but it was 20% off and I couldn't resist. Oh dear...

Top row: Angelika, Orgasm, Super Orgasm
Middle row: Lustre, Sin, Deep Throat
Bottom row: Albatross

Do you own any Nars blushes? Which ones are your favourites?

See swatches of my Nars blushes after the jump!

My amazing US haul

Hello! I'm back! In case you didn't guess from my post a week or so ago, I was in Orlando with my family. We did loads of fun stuff, Disney's Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Sea World, Aquatica... and some shopping! There are some amazing outlets in Orlando as well as the massive Florida mall, so I ended up buying a LOT of stuff. I was also interested in checking out some drugstore brands we don't get in the UK like Physicians Formula, and finally managed to buy myself the lovely Revlon lipgloss I'd been eyeing up for weeks - for much less as well! I know I went a bit crazy. I haven't actually added up how much I've spent, but you can tell it was a lot.

My entire beauty haul

However, I did find some amazing buys, including 3 Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliators (there were actually a lot more in one of the CCOs, but I couldn't really pick up more), the Tom Ford Black Orchid set, and there was an excellent freebie offer at Lancome with 6 free samples and a gorgeous make up bag, so I couldn't resist.

Details will follow shortly. For now, here are some more pictures of my haul. Let me know if there are any particular brands or products you'd like me to show you in details.

Face of the day 17/01/2011

I did this look the other day and really liked it, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's nothing amazing, just soft grey smokey eyes and coral cheeks, but I think it's pretty nice and very wearable. I actually find that grey works really well for me and I like coral blushes a lot.

Here's what I used to create this look:

Eyes

Barbara Daly eyeshadow primer

Mac Silverthorn eyeshadow on inner and middle lid

Nars Tzarine eyeshadow duo grey shade in outer corner and crease

Mac Electra eyeshadow above crease and inner corner

Nars Tzarine eyeshadow duo lighter shade below browbone to highlight

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Gunmetal on lower lashline 

Diorshow Extase mascara in black

Mac Brow Set in Show Off on eyebrows

Face

No idea about primer and foundation, sorry

Mac Natural MSF in Medium

Nars Orgasm blush on cheeks

Nars Albatross highlighter on top of cheekbones

Lips

New CID cosmetics i-gloss in Honey Pot

See more pictures after the jump!