FOTD using new Illamasqua products

I was asked to do a FOTD with my new Illamasqua products I bought so here goes...(excuse the hair, I didn't have time to do anything with it)

Face: MAC Strobe Liquid, Revlon Colourstay in True Beige, Korres Wild Rose Concealer in WRC2, MAC MSF Natural in Medium, Korres Monoi Oil Bronzer in Sun Glow, Bare Escentuals All Over Colour in Faux Tan to contour, Illamasqua Powdered Metal in Thalia on tops of cheeknones.

Eyes: MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, Korres Shimmering Eyeshadow in Light Purple all over lid, Illamasqua Pigment in Static over that, MAC Print eyeshadow in outer corners and in crease, GOSH Extreme Art Liner in 25 (Steel Grey), Korres Eyeliner pencil in 12 along waterline, Bourjois eyeshadow in Blanc Diaphane in tearducts, Revlon Fantasy Lengths false eyelashes in Natural, Loreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black.

Lips: Barry M Lip Paint in 100, Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Electrify.

I absolutely love the gorgeous sheen the Illamasqua powdered metal gives to the cheekbones. I would only wear this at night time for a more dramatic look though. I persevered with the falsies and finally got them to work...the Revlon self adhesive ones are really easy to use. If a falsie dunce like me can apply them, then anyone can! I am glad I managed to pick up the lilac/pink iridescence of the Static pigment on the close up pic...it's stunning!

Illamasqua Splurge

I decided to have a little Friday splurge last week and I had seen a few Illamasqua products that have been raved about and had caught my magpie eye.Here's what I thought of each product...

1) Thalia Powdered Metal - I had seen Belle Du Jour raving about this product a while ago. Anything that's multi purpose, creates a glow and is metallic - I'm there in a flash! This gorgeous glistening powder didn't disappoint me at all. It would be amazing on the cheekbones as a bronzey highlight or even used wet as an eyeshadow. It's so smooth to apply and has an amazing sheen to it. The packaging means it is a bit messy to work with and I kinda wish they had adopted the same packaging for this as they did for the pigments (which features a stopper in the lid...genius). 2) Static Pigment - I saw Tali's rave about this on YouTube and also her post on her blog. As she had said, it's really hard to pick up the gorgeous iridescence of this product on camera but I did my best. It has hints of lilac and pink and has so many facets when the light hits it...it could be dusted over another eyeshadow to create a unique effect or applied wet to the lid for an intense effect that changes colour as you move. I love this and can't wait to play with it! Illamasqua have come up with a really different product here and that's what defines the brand.

3) Sheer Lipgloss in Soul - I have wanted to try this lipgloss for ages ever since it was released in the Illamasqua Sirens collection. I finally got my hands on it and I really love the colour, which is a really nice sheer gold. This put together with the Korres Golden Bronze eyeshadow in my last post would be a match made in heaven! I did find the applicator gets a bit messy but I can forgive that for such a nice gloss. It's thick enough to stay put but not too sticky.

4) Sheer Lipgloss in Electrify - This gloss looks pretty bright in the tube but when applied it comes out as a really nice bubblegum pink with a slight metallic sheen to it. As before the formula is good and stays put for a reasonable amount of time. I tried it over YSL Rouge Volupte in Lingerie Pink and it looked so pretty!

5) Intense Lipgloss in Galactic - Now this is the one that has been a bit controversial in the blog world...I think you either love it or hate it to be honest. And I can say that I...LOVE IT! It looks really weird and scary in the tube coz let's be honest, it's like liquid foil. But when you apply it in a light layer over lipstick, it transforms the colour by giving it a metallic effect. I know it's not for everyone but I personally love this...it's what makes Illamasqua more daring than other makeup brands and you have to salute them for that. They should have named it Ga Ga after the lady herself coz it reminds me of her.

I plan on buying some more products come payday so keep your eyes peeled for that.

I have done a swatch below of the Electrify and Galactic glosses mixed together...see, not scary at all.

Have you tried any of these products?

Korres Blushes and Shimmering Eyeshadows

Hi Girlies! I was so so so excited to receive some Korres goodies in the post yesterday! They have kindly sent me two of their blushes and 4 of their shimmering eyeshadows. As you know, I have been involved in a passionate love affair with Korres ever since I bought their Monoi Oil Bronzer a few weeks ago. I love thier products and I love the fact that they are all natural. As much as I like elaborate, colourful packaging, I really like that Korres have kept it simple and practical. The product inside these compacts doesn't need any kind of fancy packaging because the products speak for themselves.

Look at these amazing blushes! I was sent Pink and Peach and as you will see from the pics above, the Pink one has a matte look to it, whereas the Peach has a slight shimmer. Note that there isn't even a tiny sign of 'glitter'...just the finest of shimmer...love it! I had seen Tali talking about Korres blushes and I can see why she loved them so much.

The pigmentation is perfect for my skin colouring. The Peach is just stunning with teeny tiny gold reflects that give a gleam to the skin. The Pink on the other hand gives a more subtle matte effect to achieve a healthy glow. I am just starting to get really into Blush as a product and these shades are perfect for what I want to achieve...a subtle hint of fresh colour on my cheeks.

I was sent their shimmering eyeshadows in Gold, Light Purple, Golden Bronze and White and here's what I thought:

1) Gold - the palest gold shade with gorgeous super fine shimmer that would be absolutely perfect as an all over lid colour, a highlight on the browbone or as an amazing highlight on the cheekbones!

2) Light Purple - This is the most subtle of all the colours I was sent. I have been looking for a very cool toned light lilac for ages as this shade is brilliant for opening and brightening the eyes...I think I may have now found my HG for that category!

3) Golden Bronze - I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I saw this colour...it's truly amazing and soooo mega pigmented...I can't explain how gorgeous it is!If you love bronze eyeshadows then you HAVE to get this. It's super smooth, super shimmery and metallic and blends like a dream...just look at the swatch below to see what I mean...
4)White - This eyeshadow despite the name, isn't white, it's a very pale silver and I love it. It is also highly pigmented and just plain gorgeous. I can imagine using it everywhere, from a light dusting on the cheekbones for a lovely gleam, to a base or highlight to a smokey eye...

I never would have looked to a natural brand for amazing eyeshadows but Korres has just blown me away. My favourite of the eyeshadows has to be the Golden Bronze one...Tali, you would LOVE this if you don't already have it! In fact, you would love all of them. Everyone needs these kind of quality eyeshadows that are soft, smooth and shimmery as hell. The camera doesn't even do these justice...you have to see them with your own eyes.

Search for HG undereye concealer...

Hey girls!

I just wanted to do a post on undereye concealers and take a poll on which one gets your vote? My current favourite concealer to cover up my dark circles is the Korres one I have talked loads about recently. Although this product does an amazing job of concealing, it doesn't COMPLETELY erase the darkness under my eyes that I inherited from my mum. I have deep set eyes, which is good in the regard that I don't have to do alot of shading and contouring in the eye area to create intense looks as the shadows are already there naturally. However, it's bad in the regard that I can't wear eyeliner on my lower lashline or I look like I haven't slept for weeks! This kind of limits what looks I can experiment with.

I am waiting for a package from Michelle a.k.a LipstickRules that contains MUFE and Lise Watier concealers that I am hoping will end my search. I'm always curious to hear what you guys think of the likes of Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier concealers though as alot of people rave about these. I've almost bought the Laura Mercier one a few times but the price put me off (says she who buys lipsticks for £20!!ha ha).

Also, I wanted to know whether you all apply concealer before or after your foundation? Everyone seems to do it differently. I personally like to apply it after foundation as otherwise I feel like I'm wiping away my hard work when I apply something over the concealer. I am open to any other techniques you use.

I learnt a neat trick from Kandee The Makeup Artist where you basically apply your concealer in a triangle shape (the tip pointing down towards the cheek) to draw the eye downwards and therefore take the focus away from your dark circles. I know alot of people apply salmon coloured corrective concealer under their eyes too to counteract the blue/purple colour. This is basically the bain of my life and I won't rest until I find a solution!

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation

I wanted to do a review on this foundation that I sent by Illamasqua. I am so so fussy about my foundation and unless it's perfect then I just can't use it. I always think that if your skin looks good then chances are the rest of your makeup will look great too so it's important to get a good base.

Everyone has different priorities and preferences when it comes to foundation so I wanted to let you know what mine are so you have all the information whilst reading my review. I like my foundation to have medium/medium to high coverage, I prefer liquid formulas, I like it to feel light on my skin and last at least 8 or 9 hours. I also like my foundations to be oil free and non-transfer.

The Illamasqua website says this foundation will "Lock away your inhibitions and bring your confidence to the fore. Loved by professional make-up artists, Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation provides maximum, long-lasting coverage without feeling or looking heavy. It blends easily and hides problem areas perfectly. Create your canvas, then paint your work of art".

When I squirted the foundation out onto my finger (I always apply it with my fingers), I noticed how thick the formulation was. I mean it's thicker than Revlon Colourstay and that tends to be too thick for some people. When I applied it, I would say that it's slightly easier to blend than Revlon Colourstay though and it blended in pretty well. I did kinda feel that it was a bit heavy though but I think I used a little bit too much, a little goes a LONG way with this product! It creates a flawless finish and given that it's a maximum coverage product, you would expect that anyway. It gave so much coverage that I didn't have to use any concealer at all. The shade I was sent was a little bit too light in colour for me so it paled me out a bit. It did last the whole day (I would say a good 12 hours) and didn't need to be touched up at all.

I will warn you now that if you don't like the consistency of Revlon Colourstay or the likes of MAC Studio Fix then you will hate this. This product is for people who really want a whole lot of coverage for whatever reason. I can see why they say that makeup artists like this foundation as it would be perfect for a photoshoot or music video when you need someone's skin to be completely flawless for hours on end. I would say that it's much too heavy for daytime and the only time I would consider using it would be if I was going out dancing or something. I like foundation to give a slightly matte effect but this was opaque matte. I didn't hate the foundation but I didn't love it either. It just felt too heavy for me. We all know that the HG foundation would be one that gives enough coverage whilst feeling light as a feather. My search continues...

Front Cover True Colours Perfect Nude Palette

As promised, here's a full detailed review on the Front Cover True Colours Perfect Nude Palette. This is a brand that I hadn't heard much about before trying this product but as soon as the palette arrived in the post, I was blown away by the packaging idea. Basically the brand fuses fashion and makeup together (a match made in heaven!) and the palette has been designed to look like the front cover of a magazine which I think is a brilliant design concept. The thing that really makes it stand out is the lid, which is holographic! When you tilt the palette the image on the lid changes e.g. the model's eyes close and the text on the palette changes) . I have taken two photos of the lid to try and demonstrate what I mean...it's just the coolest thing ever!When you first pick up the palette, you notice that it weighs a ton compared to other palettes on the market, but then again, you are getting alot of product for your money. The palette contains two sections, the top one contains 8 eyeshadows and the bottom drawer contains 8 lipglosses.Some of the eyeshadow pans have a gorgeous embossed motif on them...I almost didn't want to disturb it coz it was so prettty! These had a texture that I am unfamiliar with but I loved the effect they gave. The only thing I can liken it to is a suede effect, they are velvety smooth and give a subtle matte finish. The eyeshadow pans without a motif offered more of a subtle shimmer that wasn't too over the top for daytime. I love the colours of the eyeshadows...from beige/brown/taupe/slate, all the shadows work together really well to create a natural look (as seen in my previous post). The applicator supplied is also of really good quality (natural bristles) and I used that to apply it for the FOTD. The swatches don't really do the colours any justice as the one that looks green in the top row is more of a grey in real life. You really have to see this palette to appreciate how gorgeous it is.The lipglosses were all shades that I would happily wear, bar one (the red shade on the far right, top row). The first 2 shades on the top row are very irridescent and a bit blah. My interest was more in the bottom row as those lipglosses all have tiny gold flecks in them and are all variations of nudes...I especially love the baby pink colour on the right! They are all gorgeous neutral shades that work really well over most lipsticks.These are swatches of the top row of glosses...I think the red shade is pretty wearable My favourites...look how gorgeous they are!

The palette is available from 1st October in larger Boots stores and I was amazed to find out that it's only £15! I think it's really good value for money as you could take this with you if you were going away for a weekend and it would contain half of your makeup you would need. The palette even has makeup artist tips on the back detailing how to apply the products. The only downside to this palette (and this is a very small point) is that I wish the pans had names as it would make it easier to make reference to them when doing FOTD's with it. I also think that giving the colours names just draws people in more and I know that personally, I would prefer to use something with a name like 'Smoke Cloud' than something boring like 'Grey'. They could even have named the shades with a fashion twist like 'Stiletto' or 'Catwalk'.

Let me know what you think of the palette

FOTD using Front Cover palette

This FOTD was to try out a Front Cover palette that I was sent and also to try out the Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation I received.

It's a really neutral look and I used brown liquid eyeliner for a slightly more subtle look, complete with my trademark flicks!...I can't help myself, it's a staple look for me.
Here's what I used:

1) Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation (the shade was too light for me and I think it makes me look a bit pale!)

2) Benefit Erase Paste in no.2

3) MAC MSF Natural in Medium

4) Prestige SLM in Rich Bronze (all over face)

5) Bare Escentuals All Over Colour in Faux Tan (to contour)

6) Benefit High Beam

7) MAC Paint Pot In Bare Study (used as a base)

8) MAC eyeshadow in All That Glitters (used in inner corners of eyes)

9) ELF Liquid Eyeliner in Coffee

10) Clarins Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde

11) Lancome Cils Booster

12) Loreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

I used a mixture of the eyeshadows from the Front Cover palette Here's the Front Cover eyeshadow/lipgloss palette that I will be swatching and reviewing in my next post...

I will also do a post on the Illamasqua foundation that I used for this look.
The eyeshadows don't have names so bear with me...I used the white shade above all over the lid up to the browbone, then the beige shade next to that on top (only on lid), the light grey shade next to that in the outer corners and in the crease then I used the darkest shade on the bottom row right to darken the outer edges

I used a mixture of the bottom far left lipgloss with the shade third from the left.

I will go into this palette in more detail in my next post though.