Review | Clinique All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2

I'm a bit of an eyeshadow floozie. I can take or leave them, often going through phases with various palettes or singular shades, but 2014 was the year I upped my eyeshadow game. When Clinique launched their Neutral Territory 2 Palette last January, I was all over it. The eight pan beauty had a mixture of matte, satin and glittery numbers, sure to see you easily from day to night, but most importantly it had the shade Black Honey, a colour I'd been coveting for months but never got around to buying.

Since purchasing, this has been undoubtedly my go-to palette (the original Naked Palette following at a close second). It's extremely versatile - if I just want to perk up my everyday look, I swipe the fifth shade across my lid and add mascara before I'm ready to go. If I'm looking for something smokier, I use the three last shades, including Black Honey, which is a red toned bronze shade that really makes the blue in my eyes pop. The shadows themselves are highly pigmented and buttery soft in texture, blending easily and seamlessly onto the lid and into one another - not one is chalky or patchy once applied. When used in conjunction with my favourite NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, nothing budges for a good eight-ten hours. The packaging is also great, it's slim and compact making it perfect for travel as it really takes up no space at all in a make up bag.

At £32, this isn't the most expensive palette when you consider the quality and has been a worthwhile investment given how much I have used it in the past year. Do you have a favourite eyeshadow palette? 

The Combination | Dynamic Duo

There's something harmonious about a blush and lip combo that just works. This week I discovered the perfect everyday combo - Bobbi Brown Blush in Desert Rose and MAC Satin Lipstick in Brave. Together they compliment one another without making you look overly 'done'. 

Bobbi Brown's Blush in Desert Pink is a soft pink with a slight brown undertone, giving it a really natural tone that looks great on paler skin. It's a blush that I've had for a few years now and find myself leaning towards during the autumn and winter months, favouring the matte finish over my dewy creams in the warmer season. The powder blush is described as having a silky formula that glides onto skin easily, offering a long-lasting matte finish. The product is highly pigmented, needing only a slight tap of a blusher brush to pick up just enough product to sweep across cheek bones for a natural complexion boost. 

Hauled in my previous post is MAC's Satin Lipstick in Brave. It was love at first swipe with this pinky-mauve lipstick and since purchasing it's been the only product to grace my lips. The pigmented satin finish compliments the matte counterpart of the Bobbi Brown blusher - the formula leans more on the long-lasting matte side, with an added somethin' somethin' that stops lips from looking flat. 

I usually pair these two with a simple base, brows and mascara for a put together, office appropriate look, but it could also enhance a smokier eye look without looking too over the top. 

What's your favourite blush and lip combo?

Contour Magazine

It feels so good to be blogging after all this time, you may have noticed I took a small hiatus from posting (although I did try) as I was snowed under with my final major project for university.  I handed in yesterday and spent the rest of the day celebrating in the sun, drinking Pimms with my friends.  My final major project was to create a magazine and of course, I decided to make one solely about beauty. CONTOUR is a magazine with a focus on skincare, something I found lacking in beauty sections of publications.  It was designed for an iPad and I plan to make it downloadable on there soon, once I've recovered.  It was a lot of hard work but it all came together in the end and I really hope you all enjoy it (you don't have to read, but if you do that would be lovely).  Theres something for everyone, a body painting shoot, articles about thigh gaps, acne, being a skincare junkie (ahem, me) and so on.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Normal blogging will resume tomorrow!

How are you all?!

Beauty Roundup | NYFW

Happy LFW everyone! We're already a week into the Fashion Week period, with New York taking to the catwalks already.  My favourite thing to do over the Fashion Week period is to scour Style.com and peruse over the beauty write ups and images. There are already some great make up trends forming, here's my top three from NYFW.  

Diane Von Furstenburg

Jason Wu

Marc by Marc Jacobs and Thakoon

1.  The Colour Pop - This A/W is set to be brighter with designers favouring brighter colours, rather than the deep, berry tones we've come so accustomed too.  At Diane Von Furstenburg, MAC make up artist Karliados kept the eyes and base neutral and added a hit of neon pink to the lips using the MAC Chromographic Pencil in Process Magenta, mixed with a lip conditioner for a semi matte finish.  At Jason Wu, the colour inspiration came from the finale dress.  The base and lips were kept bare with a sweep of cobalt over the eyes.  Wu's make up artist, Diane Kendal used an inky blue pigment to begin, blending it out into the crease before adding a purple pigment to the centre of the lid for extra dimension.  Wu has created a make up line with Lancome, due out next season, and was off course featured in the make up look.  His Le Crayon Khol in Purple Dust was used on the lash line.  Other designers such as Marc by Marc Jacobs and Thakoon also sported the trend.  

Victoria Beckham

Alexander Wang

Calvin Klein Collection and Narciso Rodriguez

2.  Barely There - The 'no make up, make up' look has been around for a while, and next season is no exception.  At Victoria Beckham, make up was kept extremely stripped back; a soft base, nude lips, a no fuss eye and naked lashes.  There is a slight darkening around the crease, giving the eye more depth.  At Alexander Wang, Diane Kendal worked her magic to create a clean and polished look.  Colour was kept from the face, only using a NARS eyeshadow in Lhasa, a steel grey shade, across the lids.  With a light hand, the eyeshadow has a barely there look but finishes the look completely.  In contrast to Beckham's washed out look, gel eyeliner and mascara was used at Wang to create a thicker lash.  Calvin Klein Collection and Narciso Rodriguez also used a barely there look.  

3.1 Phillip Lim

Vera Wang

3.  Chocolate Chops and Black Forest Gateau - Dark lips are an A/W staple.  Some make up artists have been favouring the classic berry tones, whilst others have been mixing it up, creating chocolatey lips.  At 3.1 Phillip Lim, make up artist Francelle Daly created a blank canvas with the base, focussing the look on the lips.  NARS lip liner pencil in Kenya was used to line and fill the lips before applying a NARS eyeliner in Mambo on top creating a matte milk chocolate look.  Vera Wang kept it classic with a berry toned matte lip, fresh base and naked lashes.  

Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone and Anna Sui

Jason Wu, DVF and Alexander Wang

If you're a fan of a smokey eye or a cat eye, look to Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Donna Karan for intense inspiration.  If Twiggy is more your thing, take a leaf out of Rag & Bone's book and use eyeliner in the crease for the ultimate 60s look.  Natural, soft waves reigned supreme over Diane Von Furstenburg, Vera Wang and 3.1 Phillip Lim's catwalks, whilst slicked back up do's featured in Alexander Wang and Jason Wu's shows.  

Have you got a favourite look from NYFW?

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara in Black

A mascara I've wanted to try for over a year (no exaggeration) is the Organic Wear Jumbo mascara from Physicians Formula.  When I received my American parcel, this is what I was most excited to rip out of it's packaging.  After wearing this mascara for the past couple of weeks, I thought I'd give it a review and tell you what I think about it.  

Something Physicians Formula as a brand are proud of, is that they're eco friendly and make their cosmetics from 100% natural ingredients, 47% of which are organic.  This mascara contains no parabens, harsh chemicals or synthetic preservatives of any kind.  Physicians Formula claim that this mascara will give lashes 100% more glamour and volume and that it contains 'OrganiSoy', to help moisturise and nourish lashes.   The wand is made up from a recyclable plastic, meaning the bristles are sturdy, allowing you to really work the product into the lashes and to help separate them.  It's formula is rich in colour and has a lasting power of around six hours, although if you need it to last longer, a touch up after this time will definitely help.  

Lashes without mascara.

One coat of PF Organic Wear on left eye.  

One coat of mascara on both eyes.

Two coats of the PF Organic Wear Jumbo mascara.  

As you can see above, one coat of this mascara defines and lengthens lashes, giving slightly more drama.  After two coats you can see the difference, the lashes have doubled in intensity and look a lot longer and more voluminous.  I don't tend to put much mascara on my bottom lashes, as I'm not a fan of the spider legs look, but I find that one coat really defines and separates them.  As for the moisturising and nourishing benefits that this mascara claims to have - If I'm honest, I haven't noticed a difference but this isn't disappointing as I wanted the mascara for it's volumising benefits.  The only gripe I have with this mascara is that if your eyes water or perhaps you're watching a sad film and you shed a tear or two, boy does it make your eyes sting.  This has only happened twice towards the end of the evening, so it's not a major tragedy to have to whip it off but I'd rather it didn't do that at all.  

At £11.99 it's at the top of the high street price points but I think it's worth it.  If you're looking to add some more drama and volume to your lashes, with an added lengthening bonus, this could be the mascara for you.  

Have you tried this mascara or do you swear by another high street product?

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Peach Satin

I was really excited when my order of American goodies arrived on my doorstep and since then I've used the majority of them everyday.  One of the products I picked up was the Maybelline Dream Bouncy blusher in shade Peach Satin.  It's a gorgeous peachy coral colour, which brightens the skin and gives a healthy looking flush of colour.  These blushers were released in America last year and caused quite a storm but they've yet to surface on Maybelline stands in the UK.  

Firstly, lets talk texture.  Although it's in the name, I still found myself surprised at the fact that the blush   is a bit like memory foam when you apply pressure.  Play time over, the bouncy texture helps give a great colour pay off.  The blush is pretty pigmented after a few swipes and applies to the skin well.  It's comparable to a cream blush in touch, as it's not a milled powder but it still applies like a regular powder blush.  I've been wearing it everyday since it arrived and I think it goes well with a peachy lip colour, like Rimmel's Apocalips in Luna or a nude such as MAC's Hue.  It's definitely more of a spring/summer blush and one I'll get more wear out of in the warmer months.  

The packaging is simple and does the job.  If I were to drop the product, I can't see it smashing (although I wont try to guarantee) thanks to it's memory foam like texture.  At £6.99 it doesn't break the bank, it's just a shame that Maybelline haven't launched these in the UK yet - luckily, they are available with shipping to the UK here.  If you're looking for a high street or drugstore blush that is highly pigmented and has good staying power, this could be the one for you.  

Have you tried the Dream Bouncy blush?

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in #54 Boy

I'm having a lip moment right now, what with Rimmel launching their fantastic Apocalips line but I wanted something moisturising and nude for those days when I don't have time to perfect a bright lip.  Enter Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine in shade #54 Boy.  I'd been eyeing this lipstick up for a while, having heard good things about the products formula.  Boy is a brown-pink shade perfect for day wear.  It comes in the classic Chanel packaging, with black and gold hardware and those all important double C's.  

The formula is somewhat like a lip balm, you're even able to pick up a clear version of this product.  It's moisturising on the lips, leaves a gorgeous shine and a subtle tint, which finishes off any make up look nicely.  For a tinted lip balm, it lasts a reasonable amount of time, depending on what you're doing - if you're eating, you will definitely need to top up after.  One of the best things about this product is that it's so easy to apply, because the colour isn't so strong, you can get away with no mirror if you have to.  

At £24.00 a pop, these are arguably overpriced lip balms, but if you're looking to treat yourself to a no muss, no fuss luxury lip product then this could be the product for you.  

Do you own any Chanel lipsticks?

Disappointing Products #2 | Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Quite often I find myself enabled by the beauty blogosphere, especially when a product is harped on about for a long time.  Usually, I fall in love with the products and I hardly ever regret purchasing them, but sometimes there's a runt in the litter.  I picked up the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (I swear product names are getting longer) after hearing the likes of FleurDeForce and MissGlamorazzi raving about it.  I bought the lightest shade Ivory, as I'm quite fair and the lightest shades are usually perfect.  After the first use I was left totally disappointed. 

This product is supposed to be a bit like the much loved YSL Touche Eclat in that it's a highlighting concealer.  When I first applied the product I noticed that the brush was extremely hard and dragged on the skin, not ideal around the delicate eye area.  The sound thing I noticed was the colour.  The concealer is very yellow and left my under eye area looking slightly jaundiced, instead of bright and healthy looking.  I also found that it didn't have a lot of highlight to it, unlike the Touche Eclat or Collection's Illuminating Touch Concealer.  

Overall I was left thoroughly disappointed with this product.  The only upside is that it's only £6.99, so it hasn't exactly left me majorly out of pocket.  I know that so many of you love this concealer but for me it just didn't do anything.  Perhaps I picked up a duff tube, who knows! 

What's you're favourite highlighting concealer?

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer

'Big Bang'

'Celestial' 

'Galaxy'

Rimmel's latest offering to the beauty market are their lip laquers, also known as the Apocalips.  They were launched in shops last Wednesday (23rd Jan) and were on 3 for 2 in Boots, so of course I obliged.   Rimmel claim that these have the same intense, rich colour of a lipstick but with the shine of a gloss.  Some might argue these are their answer to the YSL Glossy Stains and although I haven't tried those for myself, I can see some comparisons.  

The colour range is great, boasting eight different colours, ranging from nudes to bright pinks and fire engine reds.  I picked up 'Big Bang', a gorgeous red, 'Celestial', a light rosey pink, similar to Topshop's Innocent lipstick and 'Galaxy', a purple toned pink.  I initially wanted to pick up 'Nude Eclipse' as from swatches on blogs, it seems like the perfect nude, but it must be the most popular of the bunch as it's nowhere to be seen!  

The pigmentation of these lip products is fantastic.  The doe foot applicator has a small pocket in the middle which holds colour, allowing the perfect distribution of product on the lips.  Although they have a high shine finish, they aren't at all sticky and if you prefer a matte lip, blotting with paper keeps the intensity of colour but takes the shine away.  They last for 3-4 of hours before needing a top up and can feel a bit drying on the lips after a while, but once you've reapplied that feeling goes away.  My favourite of the bunch is Galaxy as it's a slightly more subtle berry colour.  At £5.99 a pop you can't grumble.  They have great colour pay off, a decent amount of staying power and a whole lot of punch.  I'll definitely be picking up some more from the range! 

Have you tried the Apocalips?

Liz Earle Signature Foundation in #01 Porcelain

Signature Foundation in Shade #01 Porcelain*

It's no secret that I'm pretty fair skinned.  There's nothing worse than going to a make up counter or stand and the lightest shade they do would still make you look orange.  It's a problem I've had to contend with for years - having to add extra bronzer down my neck just to match up to my face, but I think I've found the light (literally).  Liz Earle released their first foundation, Signature Foundation, after the success of their Sheer Skin Tint.  I went for the lightest shade, as I always do with foundation and if I'm honest, I was skeptical about whether it would match or not.  I shouldn't have worried, when it arrived, I immediately swatched and found it blended into my skin perfectly.  

It comes in a frosted glass bottle with a pump for easy product distribution.  As for the foundation itself, it's a medium coverage which melts into the skin, leaving a flawless, comfortable matte finish. If you're into more of a dewy finish, I find that using a moisturiser rather than a primer helps.  It's extremely long lasting, although if you have oily skin, you may need to touch up with powder during the day.  For the best finish, I used my Sephora Mineral Powder Brush and work a pea sized amount into my skin.  I'm really impressed with the colour match, but if it wasn't right, Liz Earle say that you can return it via post or in store for free - no questions asked.  In America it's customary that you can return products if you don't like them or they aren't right, which I think is a policy we need in the UK.  

At £21, it's in the middle for foundation price points, but knowing that it suits my skin down to a tee makes it priceless. Dare I say I've found my holy grail foundation?

Benefit's The POREfessional

I love a product that claims to pro-long the length of time make up stays on your face.  After all the effort us girls put in, in the morning to look acceptable, a long wearing primer is a blessing.  I used to use MAC's Prep and Prime everyday and loved the silky smooth texture and how it kept my make up in place, but I have large pores on my cheeks and so when Benefit first launched The POREfessional, I wanted to give it a go.  I love Benefit cosmetics and I find myself using at least one or more of their products everyday. There's been a lot of hit and miss reviews on this product, but so far for me, it's been a hit. 

 Just like my MAC favourite, this primer is silky on the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and ready for my base.  It is a browny colour when you first squeeze it out of the bottle, which was daunting to begin with but it sinks into the skin clear.  I tend to use a pea size amount, which is more than enough to cover my face generously.  It does help with my pores, it doesn't completely eradicate them, but then again the product doesn't claim to do so.  

As for make up staying power, I definitely see a difference when I use this primer.  My foundation is less likely to oxidise or become patchy when I have this layer between my skin and base.  It hasn't broken me out and the formula isn't at all oily which makes it a great product for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin. Although the tube looks small, you get 30ml of product which is the standard amount for foundations.  I've been using the product since January and I've got about one or two applications left.  At £23.50, this is an expensive primer but for me it works.  

Have you tried Benefit's The POREfessional or do you have an alternative that you love?

Make Up Forever HD Foundation

(Face: MUFE HD Foundation, YSL Touche Eclat, Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush in #16, Benefit They're Real Mascara and Topshop Innocent Lipstick)

When I went on holiday in June, I knew the first thing I'd buy in Sephora would be some Make Up Forever products - the first being their HD Foundation.  I'd been wanting to try it for over a year, but as it's so hard to get hold of in the UK, I had to keep wanting on.  

I was matched up to shade 117 and I also bought the HD Primer in shade 1 (the green one) to go with. The foundation is medium coverage and is definitely buildable, depending on how you like your finish.  I usually use 1-2 pumps all over my face and then sometimes add an extra half pump on areas need that need a little extra coverage.  It's very lightweight in feel, I like how it doesn't sit or cake on my face and it's also very easy to work into the skin. It's also oil-free which is handy for those with oilier skins.  When applying, I use my Sigma F80, which gives a flawless finish. 

I prefer to use this foundation when I'm going out for special occasions where there might be flash photography. There is no SPF in the product, so it's definitely a no no when it comes to going out in the sun, unless you apply a little SPF beforehand but I feel that deters away from the products purpose.  After wearing this all day it doesn't oxidise but may need a touch up with powder, especially on my T-Zone.  For me it fits the bill, light but enough coverage to even out my skin tone.  

This product isn't the cheapest, retailing at £29.95 and can also be a pain to get your hands on. Aside from eBay, there's only one official UK stockist of MUFE which is Precious About Makeup (aka PAM). 

Have you tried this foundation?

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow vs. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

In my recent monthly favourites post (which you can read here) I mentioned that I had been loving two foundations in particular.  Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow and Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua have had me singing 'eenie meenie miney mo' most mornings, but what is the real difference between the two? 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B10 - £31.00

Chanel's make up always seems to have a lovely, fresh scent to it, which makes application all that luxurious. Vitalumiere Aqua's packaging is different to most of the Chanel foundations, in that it has a twist off lid and you need to squeeze the bottle to get the product out.  It's a light coverage foundation which is buildable depending on the look you're going for, or if you're like me, how you're skin looks that day.  It gives the face a healthy glow and a flawless finish.  The foundation only comes in seven shades which is quite limiting and I even find my B10 to be slightly too dark.  This will change in the summer when I tan but isn't ideal during winter.  The shades are yellow in tone, so great if you have red undertones or hyper pigmentation.  I find that, personally, this foundation doesn't have great lasting power and can go patchy during a long day, even with primer. I love the finish too much not to use it.  

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in 'I'm Pure 4 Sure' - £24.50

Benefit's long awaited, first liquid foundation had received a lot of hype and greatly deserved I think.  The packaging embodies Benefit's aesthetic, feminine and fun.  The foundation has a pump which makes life a lot easier when it comes to how much you need.  I usually use between 1-2 pumps, again depending on how much skin is looking that day.  Another light coverage foundation with buildability, HFOW (it's A LOT to type out...) comes in nine shades, catering for both yellow and pink undertones.  It claims to be brightening which I agree with, I feel I get a much more dewy finish with this base, compared to Vitalumiere Aqua.  Compared to the Chanel foundation, I feel this stays on my skin a lot longer and I now find myself reaching for it when I have a long day at work or uni ahead of me.  

Both foundations have pro's and con's and are great for different things.  If you're looking for a foundation for an event or occasion that's lightweight and gives your skin that sought after healthy glow - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is perfect.  If you're looking for a light coverage foundation to wear to work that brightens your skin to give you a more awake appearence then Benefit HFOW is the choice for you.  Both products contain 30ml of foundation.  If I had to choose between the two right now I would go for Benefit over Chanel - but that could always change!

Do you have either of these foundations? Let me know in the comments below what you think.