Chanel Illusion D'Ombre #96 Utopia Review and Swatches

So as I've promised, I have a review of one of the new Chanel Illusion D'Ombres. This one is Utopia, a slightly frosty dusky purple shade.

I really like Chanel Illusion D'Ombres, they are one of my go-to eyeshadows when I only have time for a quick sweep of colour on the lids. They go on smoothly and blend very easily. I tend to use them over primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance is my favourite) and they stay without creasing all day.

The eyeshadows come with a small angled brush for application, but generally I think any dense brush is fine for that purpose and mine tend to sit untouched. They would be good for using the eyeshadows as liner though.

They don't come cheap at £25 for 4 g, but they do go a long way and I'm happy to report that none of my older ones are showing signs of drying out, so they are a good long-term investment.

There are 3 new shades in the Chanel summer collection and I have New Moon as well to show you at a later date.

For now, see more pictures of Utopia, including swatches, after the jump!

Mac Flamingo Lustre Lipstick Review and Swatches

Okay, I know I said I hardly ever buy lipsticks and yet, I'm here reviewing another one, BUT Mac Flamingo lipstick was always on my wishlist. I didn't buy it when it first come out in a limited edition collection and always regretted it, so when it was recently added to the permanent lipstick line, I decided to finally pick it up, especially as I had some House of Fraser vouchers burning a hole in my pocket!.

Mac describes Flamingo as "light milky bright coral", but it also has a lot of pink in it. I'd say it's one of those my lips but better shades. It's a lustre finish, so it's not very opaque, it takes a few goes to get a good colour payoff. It's very glossy, but also due to the lustre finish it wears off really quickly. I'm lucky if I get 2 hours of wear out of it, and that's without eating or drinking. It's not drying at all and feels very comfortable when on my lips.

So was it worth the wait? I can't honestly say it was for me, but if you are after a nice subtle lipstick, this is a good one to pick up. It's a great colour for the summer, but also all year round. I now prefer more pigmented, more opaque shades, so Flamingo sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

Flamingo lipstick costs £15.50 and you get 3 g for your money.

See more pictures, including swatches after the jump!

Lime Crime Opaque Lipstick in Geradium Swatches and Review

As I mentioned in my previous post I bought this beautiful summery lipstick from Lime Crime and couldn't wait to try it out. Geradium is a bright coral pink shade with a glossy finish. It is bright, but also wearable if you're not scared of a bit of brightness on your lips. The lipstick smells divine, it has the same vanilla scent as the Mac lipsticks, and feels lovely to wear.

It glides on really easily and feels very comfortable on the lips. Weartime is around 3 hours without eating, when I ate it wore off pretty quickly. The lipstick comes in a beautiful purple case with holographic print and a cute unicorn. This is my first Lime Crime lipstick, but may not be the last one. I already have my eye on another shade!

I bought it from Harlow & Co for CAD18, but I've also seen it for sale for £12.50 in UK webshops. I decided to buy from Harlow & Co as I was already ordering some nail polish from Katie. You get 3.5 g for your money which is the larger end of lipstick sizes.

See more pictures after the jump!

Mac Playland Collection Lipstick Swatches

Okay, so I realise this might be too little too late considering how quickly Mac limited edition collections sell out, but I thought I'd show you the 3 lipsticks I bought from the Playland collection anyway.

I got Toying Around, Red Balloon and Head In The Clouds (left to right). Toying Around is a bright coral pink lipstick, Red Balloon is a hot fuchsia colour and Head In The Clouds is a nice warm red with subtle shimmer. The first two are amplified creme finish and Head In The Clouds is frost finish, so not as creamy and less opaque. My swatches show just one swipe of each lipstick except for HITC which needed more to build up the colour. This isn't necessarily bad as some people may be afraid of too bright, strong colours and red can be a tricky one to wear. I like them all equally.

See more pictures after the jump!

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows Review and Swatches

When I heard about Urban Decay releasing some new, very sparkly eyeshadows, I of course had to check them out. They came out in 7 shades and I picked up 4 (for now?). I got Glitter Rock, Intergalactic, Stargazer and Zodiac.

This is the description on the Debenhams website: "Urban Decay launches Moondust Eyeshadow, a dazzling innovation in eyeshadow with a super-refined and incredibly sophisticated feel. Forget EVERYTHING you know about glitter eyeshadow. Moondust is like NO OTHER shadow. There's not a speck of chunky "teen glitter" be found in these babies. Microfine bits of iridescent sparkle collide with intense, dreamy hues and lush 3-D metallics - for an effect that's out of this world. And while some traditional sparkly shadows tend to look cheap, Moondust has a really luxe, upscale vibe and a gorgeous, diamond-like effect." These are definitely very sparkly. They are also pretty pigmented, so you actually get a lot of colour as well as a lot of sparkle. Initially they reminded me of the Stardust eyeshadows, but these are a lot more intense, both in colour and also in sparkle.

These eyeshadows are not only very sparkly, but they're also duochrome, some more than others, in particular Stargazer which has a gorgeous green duochrome to it. Zodiac is my favourite of the 4, it is amazingly intense and is full of green, blue and gold sparkles. I found Glitter Rock and Intergalactic quite similar on the eyes, although they swatched more differently, but Stargazer and Zodiac gave a great contrasting look.

Urban Decay recommends you apply these using your fingers, I swatched them with my fingers, but I prefer applying eyeshadows on my eyes with brushes for precision. These eyeshadows can be used dry or wet for more intensity. I haven't tried them wet yet. As for glitter fallout, there was surprisingly little, I mostly only had some during application and blending. Once I cleaned it up, I didn't notice much glitter fallout. I would say that if you didn't like glitter, you'd probably wouldn't want to go anywhere near these anyway since they are so sparkly. But they definitely didn't spread all over my face. I didn't notice any creasing either (I used them over Too Faced Shadows Insurance) and they looked vibrant all through the day. 

These eyeshadows come in the usual round Urban Decay eyeshadow compacts and by the looks of them can probably be depotted and put into their new palettes (which I don't like one bit, but anyway). You get 1.5 g of product for £14. Urban Decay is stocked in Debenhams and House of Fraser, and they are currently on sale at BeautyBay (£12.46 each), although Zodiac isn't in stock.


See more pictures including swatches and a look I did using Stargazer and Zodiac after the jump!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Blue Ribbon - Review and Swatches

I have another shade of Stila Smudge Stick to show you called Blue Ribbon. The name is a bit misleading because, well, it's not really blue. I'd say it's probably more of a steel blue, but definitely what I was expecting. Regardless, it's a nice colour.

Otherwise it's basically the same product as the other Smudge Sticks I have reviewed before (click here for my review). It is one of the more shimmery shades, but it's not glittery as such.

It has the same lovely, soft, easy to apply formula and it's long lasting, although I've never tested whether it's actually waterproof. It comes in the same twist up pen as the other Smudge Sticks and you still only get 0.28 g for £13.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

My Mac Art Of The Eye, Fashion Sets and Temperature Rising Collection Haul and Swatches

Okay, here's the last installment of my Mac haul posts. This one is actually a very small haul, despite Mac releasing so many collections in May. I was really only interested in the Extra Dimension products, but decided to pick up a few bits and bobs from other collections too.

I got Banafsaji eyeshadow from Art Of The Eye, Embrace Me eyeshadow from Fashion Sets and Caliente lipstick from Temperature Rising. I haven't actually worn the eyeshadows yet, but both swatched very nicely, they are both smooth and pigmented. I have worn Caliente lipstick and have included a lipswatch picture at the end of this post. Caliente is a dazzle lipstick (you might remember them from a few years ago), but it's actually not too gritty at all. Yes, it is sparkly and glittery, but the glitter particles are very small and the lipstick feels quite smooth on the lips. It's a lovely purpley bronze colour and I think it's great for summer.

All of these products are limited edition, but I think they are still available, if not online, check your counter (except for the Art Of The Eye collection which is a Mac website exclusive I believe). The eyeshadows cost £12 for 1.5 g and the lipstick is £15.50 for 3 g (which is £1.50 than usual because of the matte brown packaging - which is admittedly quite nice).

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

My Mac In Extra Dimension Haul and Swatches - Eyeshadows

Here's part 3 of my epic Mac In Extra Dimension haul, the eyeshadows. I only bought 4 out of 6 as the silver one really didn't interest me and I'm pretty sure I have a very similar one to the mauve one. These four, or in particular 3, are quite a different story.

Dimensional Blue is nice, but it doesn't have the same duochrome effect as the other three. Triple Impact has gorgeous purple sheen to it, Zestful has green and Opalesse has pink duochrome. They look stunning swatched on my arm. Admittedly they are quite sheer and don't show up half as well on the eyes, but they still give a soft, ethereal effect and I'm thinking they might really pop over a black base (haven't tried them yet though). They have a creamy, soft texture like that I would expect from these, so I'm happy with them.

You get a measly 2 g for £16.50. Although they are limited edition, they are all still available, so for once I could actually review/post about something from Mac that didn't sell out in 2 seconds.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

My Mac In Extra Dimension Haul and Swatches - Blushes

Another post about my Mac In Extra Dimension haul, this time it's the blushes. While I'm not doing an in depth review, I have included the swatches for you to see. All of these have now sold out on the Mac website, but are still available from Debenhams and House of Fraser among others.

Although I'm not doing a proper review, I have to add that I'm not too happy about these blushes, they swatched badly and don't seem to apply much better with a brush either. I haven't tried them all yet, but the ones I've tried hardly showed up on me and those were the brighter ones! They don't have that soft, cream-like texture as the skinfinishes, which I guess is good on one hand, especially if you don't like metallic looking cheeks, but also not that great on the other hand.

Anyway, these cost £19 for 6.5 g and are all limited edition.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

My Mac In Extra Dimension Haul and Swatches - Skinfinishes

Finally, the day had come when I could get my hands on the new Mac collection, In Extra Dimension. And here's what I got, first up the skinfinishes. I haven't used them yet, but I have swatched them, so I'll include the swatch pictures as well. I decided to do it this way in case they sell out quickly, at least you can see the swatches.

Midnight is "helping"

So I got all 3 skinfinishes, all of them have 2 shades in them, so technically 6 shades.You get 9 g for £21.50.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

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!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Periwinkle - Review and Swatches

I feel really bad now reviewing this eyeliner because I've just looked on the Stila website and it's sold out now, and I believe this was a limited edition. But I've taken the pictures, so I might as well write up the review, right?

This shade was part of the Stila spring collection, but it's basically the same product as the other Smudge Sticks I have reviewed before (click here for my review). The shade is called Periwinkle and that's exactly what it is, a periwinkle blue shade (it is more purple in real life, but my camera refuses to pick up purples properly). This one isn't shimmery/glittery like some of the other shades, so that may be a plus for those who don't like glittery eyeliners. I don't mind either way and it's a gorgeous colour, so I'm happy.

It has the same lovely, soft, easy to apply formula and it's long lasting, although I've never tested whether it's actually waterproof. It comes in the same twist up pen as the other Smudge Sticks and you still only get 0.28 g for £13.

As I said, this is a limited edition shade, but I have just checked an it's still in stock on the BeautyBay website and you may be able to find it from other retailers too. It's a lovely, springlike colour, so well worth picking up.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Laura Mercier Folklore Collection Illuminating Eye Colour in Sun Glow, Fire Glow and Earth Glow

I already told you about this collection and now I can show you the eyeshadows I got which is basically all 3 of them! They are called Illuminating Eye Colours and they are pretty much exactly the same thing as these eyeshadows that came out last winter. Probably best if you read my previous review by clicking on the link because they are very very similar to last year's release.

Colourwise these new shades are warmer, more bronzy, summery shades. I've compared them to last years' colours and found that Fire Glow was more coppery/orangey than Gilded Rosegold, Sun Glow is more orange than Gilded Moonlight and Earth Glow is a much warmer brown shade than Gilded Bronze. The new shades also seem less metallic than the previous ones, but they still have plenty of sheen to them. No glitter and no fallout, and the formula is just as lovely, smooth and long lasting as last year's ones.

I would love it if Laura Mercier released these eyeshadows in more colours (I'm thinking of blues, greens, purples, pinks) as so far they've only done more earthy, natural colours which are nice, but I also love bright colours! These new 3 shades are perfect for the summer though, I've paired them up with Urban Decay 24/7 eyeshadow pencil in Clash which is a crazy bright turquoise shade and really makes the look pop.

These eyeshadows cost £18.50 which is actually £1.50 less than last year's ones and you still get 2.5 g for your money. I bought mine from House of Fraser, but Space NK also stocks them and on their website last year's Gilded Moonlight is still available!

See more pictures including swatches and a look I did with these eyeshadows after the jump!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee in Heat Wave Review and Swatches

Finally, a product review! I bought this highlighter on my pre-birthday shopping trip during the school holiday, but only just got around to swatching it and wearing it. This highlighter is part of the Estee Lauder summer collection and is already out in House of Fraser, and will be coming to other retailers at the end of April.

Once again it's the new powder gelee formula and once again Estee Lauder got it so right. The formula is very similar to Mac's Extra Dimension Skinfinishes, very smooth and creamy with high frosty shine. Heat Wave is a gorgeous light gold colour, it gives a really nice sheen, but it's not glittery at all. Colourwise it is pretty much identical to Mac Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish. Swatched heavily there is a very slight difference, but once blended out, you really can't tell which is which. The powder comes with a sponge applicator, but I prefer to use a brush to apply and blend it with.

The powder costs £30 and you get 6 g which is 1.5 g more than previous colours of the same formula, but the compact is again the same as the regular Estee Lauder blush compact. It is smaller than Mac skinfinishes and more expensive, so if you bought Whisper of Gilt, you don't need this as well (unless you really want a back up). This is a limited edition product and these gelee powders sell out very quickly, so get yours while you can. Exclusively available at  House of Fraser until the end of April when it will be realeased nationwide at Debenhams, Boots and other retailers with Estee Lauder counters and online from all of the above plus the Estee Lauder website.

See more pictures after the jump!

Guerlain Rose Aux Joues Blush Duo 06 Red Hot Swatches and Review

This is the last one of the (not so) new Guerlain Blush Duos that I've finally managed to get my hands on. After reviewing all the other shades I didn't feel like paying full price for this, so waited until I could find it much cheaper on eBay. I have to say though I'm actually pretty happy with this shade.

Red Hot is made up of 2 shades, a reddish brown shade and a lighter coral-red. Both of them have a satin finish, no shimmer to speak of, but they do give a nice sheen. I have worn them separately as blushes, but you can also use the darker shade to contour and the lighter shade as a blush. The beauty of this is that you can do whatever you like.

Both of them have okay pigmentation, I find that they apply better than they swatch (I use my fingers to swatch usually). I didn't have to be too careful not to overdo them, but they can be layered, so they will work well for darker skintones.

These blushes cost £32.50 and you get 6 g of product which is not huge. I probably wouldn't pay full price for any of them, although they are nice, but I feel there are better blushes around for a lot less money.

If you have missed my reviews of the other shades, you can check them out here: Peach Boy, Over Rose, Pink Punk, Chic Pink and Golden High.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart - Review and Swatches

Okay, this is the last one I promise (for now anyway). Also, I want to apologise to my British readers in advance as this shade is actually not available in the UK. You can still get it from eBay, so if you like the look of it, read on to find out more.

The shade is called Cherry Tart and it's a shimmery pinky red colour. It's really gorgeous and definitely one of my favourite shades from the entire Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter line. It's semi opaque, but can be built up to a nice coverage. It lasts for the same amount of time as the other shades, usually around 2 hours. Again, the formula isn't as moisturising as you'd hope, but I find it comfortable to wear and it's definitely not drying.

I bought this on eBay from a UK seller for £6.95 (which is actually cheaper than the retail price of these over here) and free UK postage. I received it within a few days, so I can happily recommend the seller. You can find the listing here.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter New Shades Part 2 - Review and Swatches

The other day I showed you 3 of the new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter shades and today I have the other 3 to tell you about. As I said in my other post, I didn't buy Brown Sugar because I'm not a brown lipstick person, so I won't be showing you that one. The ones I have in this review are Pink Lemonade, Sugar Plum and Red Velvet.

I ordered these shades unseen because none of my local Boots seemed to stock them, and I was a bit worried about how Pink Lemonade would look on me as it is a very light pink shade. Turns out it's actually pretty okay, mainly because it's not very opaque, so it mostly just looks like a glossy light pink sheen on my lips. Brown Sugar is a nice, slightly sheer mauve colour and Red Velvet is a burgundy red. It isn't massively opaque, but as it's a darker colour, it is the most pigmented of them all. I don't need these lip butters to be very pigmented as I like to just throw them on when I'm exercising or just at home, instead of wearing lipstick or lipgloss.

As I've said before, I don't find these lip butters very moisturising, but they're comfortable to wear. They need reaaplying after 2 hours or so and don't last through eating at all. They are pretty much scent and taste free which I love.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots. 

See more pictures including swatches after the jump! 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter New Shades Part 1 - Review and Swatches

I'm supposed to be on a lipstick no buy, but I decided to make an exception to Revlon lip butters because I really like them and very often reach for them, especially on days when I'm not wearing full face make up but still want some colour on my lips.

Revlon have released 7 new shades this spring and I've bought 6. I passed on Brown Sugar because I'm not a brown lipstick person. In this post I've got Juicy Papaya, Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to show you. Juicy Papaya is a sheer orange-coral shade, Wild Watermelon is pinky red and Sorbet is bright pink. I find Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to be a lot more pigmented than Juicy Papaya, but I also really like it as it's such a lovely shade, so the sheerness doesn't bother me. All 3 shades last on me for 1-2 hours depending on whether I drink and what I do while wearing them.

While I don't find these lip butters terribly moisturising, they are very comfortable to wear. I often use them if I go running or to the pool as they don't look to full on, but still give my lips some colour. I also like using them at the weekend when I'm not wearing full face make up or not planning on leaving the house. I don't usually wear lipstick at home, but these are just the right products for me on these occasions.

I love it that Revlon lip butters don't have that hideous chemical smell some drugstore/high street lipsticks have (Maybelline I'm looking at you!), which is another reason why I make an exception for them.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots. 

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Chantecaille Save The Sharks Palette Review and Swatches

Here it is, the newest Chantecaille palette, this time it's in aid of sharks. Probably not the species we think of when we hear about endangered animals, but according to Chantecaille, up to 73 million sharks are killed every year for their fins. As with every special edition palette, Chantecaille donated a percentage of proceeds to the relevant charities. This time 5% of proceeds from the Save The Sharks Palette will be donated to the BLOOM Association to ban unregulated shark fin trade.

The palette features 3 eye colours and a cheek colour, all of them made up of two colours (there's no overspray here!). Great White, the highlighter is a sandy beige with a white fin in the middle, Grey Reef is a glistening sandy grey with a lighter brown fin in the middle and Black Tip is a deep ocean blue with a black fin in the middle. Also includes Sea Anemone Cheek Shade, a golden coral color that is universally flattering on all skin tones, inspired by the underwater gardens of the tropical seas.

Despite reading not very positive reviews about the palette, I'm actually very happy with it. The eyeshadows aren't particularly unique, but they are nice colours, and they are smooth as butter. I did have some blending issues with the darker colours, but nothing major. The blush is my absolute favourite of the whole palette, it's a gorgeous coral shade, very pigmented and easy to use. It also has a light pink highlighter fin in the middle, but it's too small to use alone with a blush brush so I just mix the two shades together usually. The highlighter could be used with an eyeshadow brush though.

The palette costs $83 (approx. £55) in the US and £75 in the UK (I'll never understand why Chantecaille is so much more expensive in the UK), but I luckily managed to get mine for £40 on eBay. I'm very happy with it at that price, but I'm not prepared to pay the full UK retail price for Chantecaille products. Available from Space NK, Harrods, Liberty, Harvey Nichols.

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

Sleek Make Up Aqua Collection Mirrored Pink Blush Review and Swatches

Gah, I've been so busy these past few days, I've hardly been home, so that's why I haven't been posting much. I'm gonna quickly write this post up and then go to bed, I'm knackered. I know this is just a hobby, but I feel bad about not being able to blog. Hopefully next week will be a bit calmer.

The other day I showed you the eyeshadow palette from the Sleek Make Up Aqua Collection and today I've got the blush called Mirrored Pink. The blush comes in the same style cardboard box as the palette, and the compact itself is the regular black Sleek compact with the full size mirror in the lid.

Mirrored Pink is a frosty, slightly cool blue pink shade with fine gold shimmer, can't actually think of what other blush to compare it to. It's really nicely pigmented and smooth, not too powdery, and it wears very well. It is a bit frosty and it's quite easy to overdo, but it is a lovely blush. I have been using it for the past few days and it's very easy to wear. I did enclose a picture at the end of this post, but I wasn't wearing much else in the way of make up as I'd been to the pool, so excuse my disshivelled look please!

My only niggle about this product, and this might just be my compact, but I find it very hard to open it, so instead of trying to force it open with my nails, I'm now using a pair of nail scissors to pop the lid open. Shouldn't be necessary, but it could be a one off. At least it closes securily!

The blush costs £4.49 and you get a whopping 8 g, so it's still a brilliant bargain and it is really lovely. It's limited edition and is available from Superdrug and the Sleek Make Up website.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!