Review: Maybelline Colour 24hr Tattoo in Eternal Gold

Does anyone else think that tattoo is a bit of an icky name for an eye shadow? I keep getting a mental image of someone sticking a needle in my eye!!

I purchased the Maybelline Colour 24hr Tattoo in Eternal Gold a while ago after being particularly enamoured with the same product in taupe (review here).  This shadow differs from the taupe in that it is shimmering rather than matte, although I found the general consistency of the cream shadow similar.

One slight difference is that if found it to apply slightly patchily on my lids and it was certainly not as opaque. It is a gorgeous yellow gold shade which I could imagine would look amazing on tanned or darker skintones.   The shadow dries fast, so you will need to apply and blend quickly.  I have been applying this with my Mac 239 brush and blending it out to soften it at the edges a little with a fluffy brush. 

Direct Sunlight

I found Eternal Gold to have slightly less lasting power on my oily lids than the taupe but I suspect in some part this is due to the fact that it is more of a shimmer formula. I still found it lasted up to around six hours before showing signs of wear when used in conjunction with a primer, although bear in mind I have super oily lids!

Indirect Sunlight

Verdict

Whilst not quite up to the same high standard as the taupe shadow in the range, this is still very good quality for a cheaper brand. It does require a little more effort in application than simply swiping and going but it provides a very pretty, simple look for summer. One aspect of application I have yet to try is blending it with other shadows. I'd be interested to know if others have blended these products with other cream or powder shadows and how they fared.

3/5 

Price - £4.99

Where to Buy - Boots, Superdrug

Loved but Overlooked

I was dithering over what to call this post as I wanted to encapsulate the idea of products that I love, that other bloggers either seem to overlook or dislike.  Here are a few of them:

Bobbi Brown Cream Shadows

I adore these little pots of cream shadow from Bobbi Brown.  I seem to hear so much about Benefits Creaseless Cream Shadows but there never seems to be much love for Bobbi Brown's versions.  Perhaps it is because Bobbi Brown tends to produce 'safe' neutral colours or perhaps it is just because people don't know enough about them, but I love these and wouldn't be without my small, but ever growing, collection.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shines

I own two of these to date and love them both dearly.  I adore their super light hydrating formula which provides a sheer wash of colour to the lips.  General consensus seems to be that these are too sheer, especially for the price, but I find them to be perfect for giving a subtle, neutral look without much effort, especially during the Summer months.  

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base

Estee Lauder is another brand that is not written about to a great extent within the blogsphere, probably because it had a reputation for being rather mumsy at one point.  One of their staples that I have been using for several years now is their eye primer.  It comes in a small pot but it lasts for ever and helps my shadows stay put all day.  I would recommend their face primer too.

Cowshed Bath Oils

Cowshed are very well known but I never really see much posted about them.  Yes, they are pretty pricey but their products are priced similar to other luxe bathing brands such as Neom and Aromatherapy Associates and I believe they are just as good too.  My favourite items are the bath oils (I love a Lazy Cow!) but I have tried pretty much everything from them at one time or another.

Bomb Cosmetics Bath Bombs and Melts

I've posted about my love for Bomb Cosmetics previously and it shows no sign of wavering.  For  me, these are the more grown up versions for Lush's bath products and I find them infinitely more moisturising.  The presentation of the bath melts are gorgeous too with some disguised as mini cup cakes!

Are there any products that you love that you feel don't get enough attention from the blogsphere?  

Maybelline Color Eye Tattoo in Taupe

I'm jumping on the band-waggon rather late with the Maybelline Color Tattoos, but with the warm weather finally making an appearance, I've been looking to simpler make up and the Maybelline Eye Tattoos are certainly simple, even for impatient people like me!

Direct sunlight

First of all, I have to mention the packaging, a weighty glass pot, which gives the illusion of the product being far more luxurious and expensive than it really is.  One thing I will mention is that, similar to other cream eyeshadows, you will need to ensure you screw the lid on tightly when not in use as I would imagine it may dry out quickly if left without its lid.

Indirect sunlight

The colour is a almost a cement grey with a touch of brown to warm it up, and it is a shade I would describe as a true matte taupe.  From the limited release of Eye Tattoos we received here in the UK, I think this may be the only matte shade, as all of the others seem to be shimmers.  I wouldn't usually be drawn to matte shades but this looked like an interesting, wearable everyday shade and I didn't have a similar one in my collection.  

Direct Sunlight

When swatched, it applies easily and evenly, giving an opaque matte finish.  The shadow dries fast, so you will need to apply and blend quickly.  I have been applying this with my Mac 239 brush and blending it out to soften it at the edges a little with a fluffy brush.  

Indirect Sunlight

I found this eyeshadow easily buildable and whilst I haven't worn it for 24 hours (who on earth would?!), I did find that it lasted easily throughout a whole working day when used in conjunction with a primer.  On my oily lids, I found that without a primer, I still managed around five hours before it started to show signs of creasing.

Verdict

For a budget cream shadow, this is certainly one of the best I have tried and is easily comparable with Bobbi Brown's cream shadows, but less than a third of the price!  The matte shade is very versatile and work-friendly and gives a fantastic polished look that I have been teaming with both light pink glosses and vibrant red lips.  I can see myself turning to this shadow throughout most of the Summer and into Autumn, and I suspect it would suit most skintones, due to its buildability and easy-to-wear neutral tones.  

4.5/5

Price - £4.99

Where to Buy - Boots, Superdrug

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of my giveaway to win all of the above items has been chosen via Random.org and it is.....  Scarlett of Scarlett Hearts!

Congratulations! An email is on its way to you!

Thank you to everyone who entered and I'm hoping to have another giveaway soon.

Victoria 

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Chanel Illusion d' Ombre in Mirifique

When they were initially launched, I purchased three of Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres in quick succession (review here). I was also very tempted by the black shimmer shade, Mirifique, but due to funds, I decided to hold off for a while.

Recently I caved in and bought it and here it is!

The packaging for the Illusion d’Ombres is standard Chanel – luxurious, heavy glass pots which look very ascetically pleasing. The eyeshadow comes with a small brush for application, but I tend to use my fingers to apply and only use the brush for lining.

As you can see from the swatch, the shadow initially looks very pigmented, however it can easily be sheered out to provide a less bold look. The shimmer is what I would term a ‘grown-up shimmer’, not so sparkly that it leaves you looking like you have dived into a bucket of glitter, but subtle enough to provide extra interest and dimension to your look.

I’ve covered the consistency of the product in my previous review – its very soft and is essentially a cream shadow, which blends quickly and easily to help you achieve your desired look. You do have to work quite fast when blending as it sets very quickly and once set, it is budge-proof for the remainder of the day!

I find lasting time with the Illusion d’Ombres is generally very good. When used with primer, Mirifique easily lasts through an eight-hour day, although without primer, I only get around half this time, but I have exceptionally oily lids. When used as a liner, the shadows last all day without migrating or fading. My favourite way to wear Mirifique is probably as a liner, smudged along my bottom lash line, although I have been experimenting recently with pairing it with dark grey shadows and using it to smoke out at the outer corner.

Verdict

Like the other shades amongst the Illusions d’Ombres, this doesn’t really have any particular faults. It is pigmented and easy to apply, staying put throughout a whole day without migrating, fading or creasing. The only downsides to Mirifique would be the price, which is pretty high, although in line with other products from Chanel’s range, and the fact that you need to ensure you screw the lid on VERY tightly to ensure the shadow does not dry up. This is common with all cream shadows but it especially seems to be the case with Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres. All in all, a recommended buy if you enjoy perfecting a smoky eye look or if you fancy adding a sophisticated edge to your everyday liner.

4/5

Price – £22.50

Where to Buy – Boots, Selfridges, House of Fraser, Debenhams

Desires and Deals #3

Happy Mother's Day!  I hope you have had a lovely weekend.  I live a few hours from my mum so unfortunately will not get to see her this weekend.  I did however send her a card and some gifts and am looking forward to catching up with her in two weeks time when my dad and her are coming to visit.

This week, the buzz in the blogsphere has been all about the release of the Revlon Lip Butters so I have chosen some other new releases to highlight - although I am also planning on picking up some of the lip butters over the next couple of weeks too!!

Desires

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Eye Shadow, £4.99, Boots, Superdrug

I really enjoy wearing cream eyeshadows these days and these new shadows from Maybelline are supposed to be very similar to the more expensive Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Shadows.  I don't think I would be wearing them for 24 hours but I am always on the lookout for hard-wearing cream shadows and I will certainly be taking a look at them.  They are currently out of stock on the Boots website but they should be available in store.  Superdrug should also have them available, and all Maybelline products are on 3 for 2 there at the moment.

Max Factor Flipstick Colour Effect, £8.49, Superdrug

These new offerings from Max Factor feature a double-ended product with one rich creamy colour and one iridescent shade.  This allows you to wear each colour separately, blended together or to wear the stronger colour underneath with the iridescent shade just blended into the centre.  I like the idea of this but I will need to take a closer look at them before purchasing.  There are six shades currently available from light pinks to bright red.  I particularly like the look of Gipsy Red (yes it is spelled this way, not Gypsy!).  They currently have £2 off in Superdrug and are £6.49.  I can't yet see them on the Boots website but I'm sure they will turn up soon.

Etat Pur Skincare

I love the sound of this new skincare range which promises to work in tandem with your skin to provide 'pure and active solutions'.  There are no amazing promises of looking 10 years younger whilst using it (who really believes all that advertising blurb anyway), just the belief that you will be taking care of your skin and not pumping it full of chemicals.  By filling in an online questionnaire, they suggest the best products for your skin type and the great thing is that none of the products are overly pricey either!  I'm certainly going to be investigating these as my skin has been going through a stressed, tired period recently with numerous breakouts, so going back to basics will hopefully help it.

Deals

Dolly Leo - 45% off 

Dolly Leo is unfortunately closing down, and as part of their closing down sale they are offering 45% off everything until 25th March.  There are items from brands such as Pixi, Suqqu, Becca and Nude. The code is dollyleoforever. 

Escentual - 1/3 off all French Skincare Brands until 31st March

Escentual is offering 1/3 off brands such as Vichy, Avene and La Roche-Possay until the end of March.  The discount will automatically be taken off at the checkout. 

Jimmy Choo EDT and EDP - Cheap Smells

Both the EDT and EDP are being sold at up to 35% off this weekend on Cheap Smells.  I've only had a quick spray of this in Debenhams and I liked it a lot. I found it quite fruity but not overpoweringly so.  I have to say I'm very tempted by it!

I hope you had a lovely weekend, whether you were with your Mum,  being pampered as a mum yourself, or even just out enjoying the sunshine.

Have a good week.

Victoria

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Review: Bobbi Brown Goldstone Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow

 

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eyeshadows are in my opinion, some of the most overlooked cream eyeshadows around.  I reviewed one of the regular shades, Shore, here previously and today I am going to look at one of the metallic shades, Goldstone.  

 

Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Cream eyeliners are contained within glass pots with screw top lids.  Unlike some other cream eyeshadows I have tried, these do not dry up and indeed I have had this one for almost two years and it is still moist and going strong.

Under indoor light

The swatch above was taken with my finger and I tend to use either my finger or a Mac 239 to apply.  The colour is a gorgeous metallic ,shimmery gold which almost looks like a dirty, blackened gold when applied.  Despite the presence of glitter, there is no fallout and the glitter is suspended in the shadow.  I also found that unlike some other glitter shadows I have used, the actual colour doesn't wear off and leave you with a multitude of glitter on your lids - the metallic finish stays throughout the whole day.

Natural Light

I found it difficult to capture the true nature of this colour, as it looks almost silver in the swatch above.  It is very much a gold though, although not  particularly a yellow gold, and therefore it could be worn by those with warm or cool skintones.  I often wear this with a black or grey smudged kohl along my waterline and lashings of black mascara and I find it gives a little extra interest to a fairly neutral polished look.

Verdict

Bobbi Brown's Metallic Long-Wear Eyeshadow in Goldstone is a rare find in that it sparkles without a ton of glitter and does not produce any fallout.  On my oily lids, it stays put for around 6 hours ,and lasted longer when used in conjunction with a primer.  It gives a subtle sparkle to a daytime look and can be combined with a grey shadow for a spin on the traditional smokey eye.  The only negative I can think of is that the pot can be quite heavy to travel with, and if you use your fingers for application, it can be quite difficult to get to the product due to the small opening at the neck of the jar.  However, i fyou haven't yet had a look at some of Bobbi's Metallic Long-Wear eyeshadows, they are certainly worth a look.

5/5

Price - £17

Where to Buy -  Bobbi Brown, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Selfridges

Review: Bobbi Brown, Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Shore

debenhams.co.uk

Bobbi Brown has many superb basics in her collection which are often overlooked by many people in the quest for more vibrant, interesting colours and the latest limited edition products. Shore is one of those staple products that I use most days and would now be lost without!

Bobbi’s Long Wear Cream shadows are some of the best cream shadows available in my opinion. They come in cute, small glass pots in both matte and metallic / shimmer formula and seem to last forever. I have had Shore for almost 2 years and I have still not hit pan and there is no sign of it drying out as some cream formula are susceptible to doing.

Shore is a pale, biscuit-coloured neutral, which doesn’t look particularly interesting on first appearances, but a cream neutral shadow is something that should be a staple of your make-up bag. The picture above makes it look darker than it is but I found it very difficult to get an accurate photo of the product colour in the jar.

It applies to my lids easily and goes on as a creamy, natural shade which I tend to use to even out my skintone or as a neutral base or primer for other shadows.  The swatch picture above is an accurate representation of the shade.  It applies as a matte, neutral beige which is perfect for giving you a polished look and I often wear it all over the lid with a slick of Bourjois Pinceau Eyeliner in Or Neo Classique  and a bright lip.

As these shadows come in small pots with fairly narrow openings, I do find it quite difficult to apply them with my fingers, as I do with many other cream shadows. I use a Mac 239 which I find picks up the product easily and helps to distribute it evenly, without absorbing too much. It lasts for about 6 hours on me before creasing which I feel is quite good considering I have rather oily lids, however if you use it with a primer, you should be able to achieve an even longer wear time

Verdict

Although not terribly exciting, a neutral cream shadow is an essential basic and Bobbi Brown’s Shore ticks all the right boxes in that it applies like a dream and is fairly long lasting. I prefer these original (matte) long wear shadows to the metallic ones, purely because they are more highly pigmented, and I tend to think Bobbi does better in general with matte eyeshadow shades rather than sparkle ones which tend to produce some fallout. If you haven’t yet tried any of the Long Wear Shadows, I urge you to give them a try

5/5

Price- £17

Where to Buy - Bobbi Brown, Debenhams, Selfridges, House of Fraser, Harrods