Review: Gosh Smokey Eye Palette in Plum

You know there are some brands that you just never get around to trying for some reason or another and then one day, you try one of their products and wonder why it took you so long?!  Well Gosh is one of those brands!

A little while ago, I won a giveaway from the lovely Joanne at Beautylicious Love of my choice of Gosh Smokey Eye Palette.  Gosh have released three palettes: black, brown and plum so there should be a palette to suit everyone.  As I already have a wide assortment of neutrals and greys in my stash, I decided to plump for the plum and I’m very glad I did!

The palette contains four individual generously proportioned shadows, encased in a square palette.  The packing is very clean and minimalistic, nothing fancy but it does the job and with the transparent lid, you can easily see what shades it contains.  The only slight issue I have is that the metallic closure seems a little flimsy but it hasn’t yet burst open in my make up bag and I’ve been toting it around with me for over a week. There is also no applicator included, which to be honest, I am quite glad about as I usually just fling these to one side instantly as they are hopeless for applying shadow and they only take up space in palettes.  Why brands like Chanel persist with them I have no idea as it just cheapens the product, but that rant is for another day!

 

With Flash



Included with the palette is a plastic insert which gives handy hints for where to place all of the shadows.  Perhaps not overly necessary but it’s a nice touch.  The four shades included are:

• A pale, cool toned lilac which doubles as a highlight shade
• A light, murky purple shade with sparkle which has an iridescent look about it.  It reminds me of a lighter Mac Club.
• A darker dirty taupe / purple which is fabulous for smoking out at the outer corners
• An darker purple with sparkle which is great to use for lining.



Natural Light



Out of the four shades, the stand out for me is the second one as it seems to shimmer and sparkle in the light and looks different depending on how you view it.  All shades contain an element of sparkle, with the dark purple liner shade containing the most sparkle and the highlight being the most subtle.  One good thing to note about the element of sparkle is that it doesn’t migrate and once applied, it generally tends to stick.    

 



Natural light L to R: Liner, highlight, second shade, third shade



I’ve been wearing this palette in a number of ways.  On some days, I just apply the second shade all over the lid with a  little smudgy grey kohl and on others, I go the whole hog and apply all of the shades in the way indicated on the insert!  The shadows last around 5 hours on me without primer and about 7 hours with primer which I find to be pretty good going on my oily lids.  The shadows blend well and didn’t seem at all chalky, indeed they were fairly highly pigmented.  One note of caution I would say is that you don’t use the purple liner shade too close to your waterline as the sparkle did tend to irritate my eyes a little but that is always the case with my sensitive eyes. 

 

Direct Sunlight L to R: Liner, highlight, second shade, third shade

Verdict

I really enjoy discovering new brands and it is even better when they are so affordable.  Whilst not really breaking new ground with these shades, this palette is very good quality and the shades are very easy to wear and can be built up in intensity where required.  You will not get a dark sultry super smokey look from this Gosh palette but you will get an eminently wearable, pretty soft focus look.  This is definitely worth a look!

4/5

 

Price - £7.99
Where to Buy - Superdrug

Review: Mac Interior Life Eyeshadow Quad

The Mac Daphne Guinness collection was launched in stores a couple of months ago and I picked up this quad, Interior Life after being drawn to its subtle grey and purple shades, in the hope of creating a neutral, soft smokey look.

It is well-known that Mac’s limited-edition quads have been lacking in pigmentation lately, but these shades looked so pretty in the pan, I couldn’t resist!  The shades included are:

• Stratus – a very pale pink which was very difficult to swatch.  I have been using this mostly as a highlight shade or as a base for other colours.
• Bruised Sky – a mauve / purple tone that I have been using as a subtle wash of colour on my lids for an almost neutral look.
• Interior Life – a medium grey.  This was my favourite of the four shadows as it was very easy to apply and blend.  I have been using it a lot with my Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Illusionoire, and blending it out a little.  It also works well in the crease with Bruised Sky.
• Heather Belles – a charcoal black which you will probably have similar versions of in your collection.  I use this either to line the eyes or blended in the outer v for a smokier eye. 

L to R: Stratus, Bruised Sky, Interior Life, Heather Belles

The shadows all appear to be of a matte consistency when swatched and applied to the lids, (so there’s nothing here for shimmer addicts!) although only Stratus is actually named as a matte. Bruised Sky and Heather Belles are named as satins, and Interior Life is a veluxe.  They do take a little more effort to use as they are on the whole, very sheer, but when layered and combined, they work well for an understated, polished look.  As with other Mac eyeshadows, these have an excellent wear time and last throughout a full working day for me, without creasing or fading, when used in conjunction with a primer. 

Verdict

For those of you who prefer more pigmented shadows with a good colour payoff, this quad probably will not be suited to you.  However, if you want a subdued look which would go perfectly with a light rose lip, this quad could work well.  It will especially suit those with fairer or cooler skintones and I always find Mac’s quads useful for helping to formulate a complete look for your eyes.  It would also be very useful if you want to branch out into matte shadows as these are all neutral colours which can be adapted for a variety of looks.

3.5/5

Price – £35

Where to Buy – This is now sold out online but I found it at House of Fraser last week so there is definitely still stock available. 

Review: Chanel Smoky Eye Palette (Les 4 Ombres, 83)

One of my first introductions to high-end makeup was to Chanel, over ten years ago when I first travelled to Paris with my mum.  It was the first time I had ever seen a Sephora and I remember being completely overawed by the giant store on the Champs Elysees and its vast array of products from almost every brand I could imagine.  It was a revelation to be able to be able to look at luxury brands such as Chanel and Givenchy, which were all just laid out on shelves rather than the more traditional counters in department stores I had seen previously.

My mum and I enjoyed a happy spree for a couple of hours in the store, oohing and ahhing over all the pretty products, and I recall that one of the purchases I made was a Chanel eye palette in various shades of grey and silver.  This palette has stayed with me throughout the past ten years and I am now on to my third repurchase!  It is by no means the best smoky eye palette ever - I know there are many who detest the European Chanel palette formulas, as they tend to be baked shadows and less pigmented than their North American counterparts - but it has worked for me over the years and has become almost like an old friend!
Lets take a closer look.

The palette contains four shades: A shimmery pale white highlight, a soft, pale grey / silver with shimmer, a darker, deeper shimmering grey and a matte black.

As you can see from the swatches below, they do not look terribly pigmented.  However this is with one swatch with my finger and the most attractive property of these shadows for me is that they are so easy to build up and intensify, so it is easy to go from a  sheer wash of colour to a bolder, full on smoky eye.  The shimmer in these shades is carried out in the elegant way that Chanel is so adept at.  It is a very grown up shimmer, which catches the light perfectly and doesn't make you look like you are ready to go out all night partying when you are just heading to the office!  

The shadows blend easily and last for a full eight hours for me without creasing.  When used with a primer, I would expect an additional couple of hours wear. When they wear off, they do fade slightly but the glitter also fades with them, meaning that you are not left with only glitter and no colour, sparkling on your lids.

I wear this palette in a multitude of ways.  The lightest shade is often used on the browbone as a highlight or occasionally as a base colour for the lid.  The lighter grey is sometimes used as a wash of colour for days when I just fancy something neutral and easy or if I am in a rush, and the darker grey is often used in the crease to add definition or in the outer V, when paired with the lighter grey shade.  The matte black is an excellent liner shade and stays put for hours.

Verdict
I love this palette, although I accept that for some it may have its flaws.  If you prefer super-pigmented products, this is not the palette for you, but if you enjoy easy to use, blendable shadows with a hint of sparkle, or are just a fan of Chanel's eye palettes in general, this is a must have staple buy.  I'm really hoping they don't discontinue this palette as I'd be lost without it! 
4.5/5

Price - £37 , pricey but this is to be expected with Chanel. I actually made my latest repurchase from Buyapowa for almost £10 less!
Where to Buy - Boots, House of Fraser, Debenhams