Category Archives: Makeup

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows – Full Expansion Set (Review, Swatches & Giveaway)

June 8, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesMakeup GeekChelle

201506_makeupgeek_foiledshadows_expansionset1

I can fully accept it at this point – if Makeup Geek releases new shadows, I’m pretty much going to run out and buy them immediately. And that’s exactly what happened with the recently released expansion set for the foiled shadows. In fact, I got so excited I accidentally ordered TWO sets! So, while my bank account wasn’t too proud of my whoopsie, one of you guys is going to win a whole set of them!

The initial launch of Makeup Geek’s Foiled Shadows line included a full rainbow of colours. It was a great way to produce a product line that would appeal to everyone since it ranged from your everyday taupe shades to several vibrant fun colours. This time ’round, Makeup Geek was able to flesh out that lineup by offering more variety and nuance in their shade selection. There are still several brights, but there’s also quite a few paler shades that will appeal to the masses.

As I said in my original review, these shadows have a “soft, smooshy texture that’s supposed to give an effect similar to foiling your own eyeshadow onto your eyes” and these are only very minutely different. The pigmentation remains the same, but it feels like the shadows are packed harder into the pans. This was likely due to some breakage problems they were having during shipping, so they started compacting the shades a bit more. It doesn’t generally affect how you apply it to your lids, but you may find you need to wiggle your brush a bit more into the pans to get the amount of product you want.

In general, I find the latest additions to be quite geared towards pastel or pale shades with a lot of them being silver-toned. While the silvery/pastel shades are lovely, what really drew me in are the vibrant purple, orange and yellow shades. These colours are absolutely beautiful on the lids and are a joy to play with. You cannot beat these shadows for blendability and pigmentation – they really are the best on the market.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow Swatches – Expansion Set

Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow in Starry Eyed

Starry Eyed is the first shadow in the group that really made me go “jeebus, what am I going to do with a pale pink?” But it comes off really, REALLY pale – enough so that you can mostly rely on this shade to pair up nicely with any deeper outer corner colour. I’m surprised with how much I like it.

Whimsical is the rose champagne colour of the bunch. I know a lot of people out there are going to love this one since it makes a perfect lid colour.

Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow in Fortune Teller

Fortune Teller is one of my favourites out of the lot. It’s a bright yellow-gold with an orange tinge – just gorgeous. Works amazing for an inner corner highlight shade too.

I originally thought Untamed would be similar to Flamethrower, but this one is a lot more orange whereas Flamethrower is more copper. Orange is one my favourite shades to use, so this was essentially love at first swatch!

High Wire is a silver with a blue edge. If I’m honest, this is the shade I really don’t know what to do with. I overdid myself years ago with MAC’s Electra and I’ve never really gone back to silver shadows since then…

Fantasy is a pale, pastel grass green. Not had the opportunity to use this one yet in a look, but I can imagine putting this on the lid with a navy in the outer corner.

Pegasus as a shade is a light teal. Usually I find shades like this to be low in pigmentation, but there’s completely solid coverage with this one.

Daydreamer is another one of those silvery-toned shades. This is a pale lilac, making it an easy gateway colour for those looking to wear more colour in their looks.

Masquerade is what Caitlin Rose was not – this shade is more pigmented and more saturated. I also see a bit of a reddish edge to the purple which makes it even more amazing.

Charmed is a silver with a green edge. Slightly patina-like.

Here’s a few looks I’ve come up with in the last few weeks using some of these shades:

Wearing Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow in Fortune Teller, Untamed and Masquerade

Wearing Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow in Starry Eyed (inner half of the lid)

Wearing Makeup Geek Foiled Shadow in Untamed (inner half of the lid)

Giveaway

So, because I accidentally bought two sets of foiled shadows, I thought I’d give the second one away to a lucky reader! The winner will win all ten of the newly released Makeup Geek Foiled Shadows Expansion Set.

Details

Open internationally!
Giveaway runs for three weeks starting today until June 29, 2015.
One winner will receive all ten of the recentlyreleased Makeup Geek Foiled Shadows Expansion Set.
Please be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swatch Sunday: Wet n Wild Thrift Store Chic

June 7, 2015Makeup, SwatchesWet n WildChelle

201506_wetnwild_thriftstorechic1

We’re nearing the end of the palettes from the Wet n Wild Silverlake collection – I think I’ve got one left after this one! Today’s swatchfest is of Thrift Store Chic, a decidedly pink-toned palette.

Review: essence Lash Princess Mascara

June 5, 2015Makeup, ReviewsessenceChelle

201506_essence_lashprincessmascara1

At the beginning of May, I was at the ridiculously gorgeous Happily Ever Essence Event at Casa Loma to launch essence‘s Spring/Summer 2015 lineup. We were gifted a generous bag of goodies from that lineup and one of the most intriguing items was the Lash Princess mascara.

It’s hard to resist when something is new and different! And at this stage in the game, it’s fairly hard to get creative with mascaras while still being functional. Lash Princess‘ tube is designed to look like a princess’ dress. The corseting down the back is ridiculously adorable, but it’s actually functional! The whole “dress” is upraised and grippy, which makes it easier to hold the wand while applying it to your lashes. It’s a simple little touch, but a neat one.

The wand is also interesting. The press release describes it as being “cobra-shaped”, and I see it, but I wouldn’t have thought of that unless they’d told me! On first impression, it was just… weird. Interesting, but weird. While the wand may seem oddly shaped, it did hug the curves of my lashes unbelievably well.

Here’s how it looks on my lashes:

Impressive right??! Lash Princess mascara retails for around $4-5 and it totally, and completely, does the job. It built up my lashes, extended them and thickened them. I experience very, VERY minimal flaking throughout an entire day which is excellent since I am very much prone to mascara flakeage.

I’m usually a one coat mascara type woman, but the shot above is with two coats to illustrate what it would look like since the average person does apply two coats of mascara. This is the point where I start to feel it’s more thick than defined, but it’s certainly not causing massive chunks of lashes to stick together which is highly appreciated. (You know… the “I’ve got four whole eyelashes” look?)

And here it is on a fully done up eye. I have blonde lashes, so this is mighty impressive that I even managed to get the roots so dark.

Final Verdict

Lash Princess mascara by essence is a total win. For a four dollar drugstore mascara, you cannot go wrong with this one. It gave me great volume and darkness to my otherwise blonde and rather transparent lashes. Flaking was minimal and the formula holds up throughout the entire day (I’ve worn this over 16 hours without issue). It’s also more of a wet formula, which is also to my liking.

The only slight downside for me is that it’s not a completely soft texture once it’s applied to your lashes – it *will* feel a bit crunchy, but that’s really only if you’re in the habit of touching your eyelashes throughout the day! Aside from that though, this is absolutely worth the pocket change it’ll cost you to pick it up!

The product featured in this review was provided by PR for consideration.

Review: Burberry Lip & Cheek Bloom

June 4, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesBurberryChelle

201506_burberry_lipcheekbloom_poppy1

If there’s a company out there that knows how to lure me in purely by their packaging, it’s Burberry. I’ve been lusting over Burberry products for far too long, only recently taking the plunge by picking up their Lip & Cheek Bloom in Poppy.

The Lip & Cheek Blooms are new to Burberry‘s lineup of products I believe. Encased in a solid square jar, these pots comes with 3.5 grams of product that can be used on your lips or cheeks. I bought this with the express purposes of using it as a cream blush, but I’ve discovered it works out well on the lips as well.

First off, I need to mention the packaging, because that’s ultimately what drew me into Burberry‘s beauty line. It has that solid, chunky feel to it while still appearing elegant. The weight of the product lets you know that it means business (and that it wasn’t cheap either) and it definitely won’t break if you happen to drop it (which I actually did – oops!). The simple Burberry pattern, a typical gun-metal grey speaks to elegance and beauty.

So in the name of elegance and all things beauty, I went out and bought… the brightest shade they had available at the counter. Burberry‘s Lip & Cheek Bloom in Poppy (No. 09)drew me in by the sheer power of its colour. I mean look at it! That is one hell of a stunner.

Burberry Lip & Cheek Bloom in Poppy – Swatch

I know most people shy away from vivid colours because they’re worried it’ll be overpowering on their face, but I’m here to urge you to not be scared! The soft, velvet-like texture of the cream lends itself to being blended out without causing any harsh lines. On my cheeks, this will last an entire workday and still keep on ticking. You also don’t need a lot of product so I have little doubt that this product will last me an eternity before I even make a dent in it.

Burberry Lip & Cheek Bloom in Poopy – on my lips and cheeks

Here’s how it looks on me. I’m not wearing any bronzer or highlighter, so you can really see how the product comes across on the skin. On the cheeks, this is two thin layers of product applied with a small stippling brush. You can really get an impact of colour that way (which is how I like it), or you could opt for one layer and make it more of a lighter flush.

While I prefer it on the cheeks, it does also work on the lips. It reacts more like a matte stain when applied to my lips. It’s not something I would wear frequently on my lips, but it’ll do if I want to pat on some colour quickly. As a bonus, this product has zero scent that I can detect!

Final Verdict

At $36, Burberry‘s Lip & Cheek Bloom is undoubtedly a pricey product. It doubles as a lip and cheek product, so for those who are interested in more bang for your buck, this is a viable option. However, I was most interested in trying out what Burberry Beauty had to offer – regardless of the price tag – and this product definitely delivered. I’ve applied this many times before work and come home to find it still solidly intact on my cheeks. The lasting power is on parr with what I would expect from a price point like this which is very encouraging. I’m not sure if I’ll go out and purchase another one of these shades (although I also noticed a *stunning* tangerine colour…), but it has definitely piqued my interest in Burberry makeup as a whole and I’m eager to try out more from the line. I think I’ll give the eyeshadows a try next…

What’s On My Face – Volume 38

June 3, 2015Makeup, TutorialsBoots No7, essence, Hard Candy, Hourglass, Lise Watier, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Makeup Geek, Marc Jacobs, Naked Cosmetics, NYX, Revlon, Rimmel, Sephora, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Wet n WildChelle

My makeup’s been getting more and more vibrant as we’re getting into the warmer months – there isn’t neutral look in this whole post! Enjoy. 🙂

201506_womf38_look3-1

Um yes. So much yes. Not dissimilar to another look I’ve done recently (also using Makeup Geek shadows) but I love the extra pop of reddish orange shadow through the crease.

201506_womf38_look3-2

Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)

Untamed on inner half of the lid.
Masquerade on the outer half of the lid.
Poppy through the crease.
Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.
Rapunzel on the inner corner.

I tightlined my upper and lower lashlines with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner, created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretchmascara to my lashes.

Rest of the Face

Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
Blush: I have no idea, I didn’t write it down 🙁 At a guess… maybe Tarte’s Charisma because I’m not sure what else I’d try to pair with this look.
Lips: Revlon Papaya gloss

201506_womf38_look1-1

Playing around with one of Wet n Wild‘s Silverlake palettes. I’m not a massive fan of frosty blue-green shades, but this turned out decently enough.

201506_womf38_look1-2

Eyes
(all Wet n Wild shades from the Vegan Culture palette)

Light green on the inner half of the lid.
Bright teal shade on the center of the lid.
Dark green through the crease.
Frosty white shade (lightly!) on the brow bone.

I used the silver shade to line the lower lash line. I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrackfluidline and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.

Rest of the Face

Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
Blush: MAC Ripe Peach
Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
Lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse

201506_womf38_look5-1

Holy CRAP. I wasn’t expecting this Lise Watier Aurora shadow in Violet to come out this intensely. I’m not sure the photographs show it, but there’s a slight reddish tinge to the shade too which adds a lovely dimension. 201506_womf38_look5-2

Eyes
I first covered my lid in NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Black Bean, blended it out, then applied:

Lise Watier Aurora shadow in Violet over the entire lid and blended through the crease. I first applied it dry, then dunked my brush in water and applied it wet on top.
MAC Dazzlelight on the browbone.
Naked Cosmetics IV-03 on the inner corner.

I used Marc Jacobs‘ Highliner gel crayon in Blaquer to tightline my upper waterline. On my lashes is Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch.

Rest of the Face

Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
Highlighter: Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1
Lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial

201506_womf38_look2-1

Another Wet n Wild Silverlake palette! I wasn’t expecting this one to cause such a bang on my lids. It looks like such a soft, innocuous palette but I really managed to make it pop!

201506_womf38_look2-2

Eyes
(all Wet n Wild Thrift Store Chic palette)

Hot pink shade all over the lid.
Burgundy/pink shade in the outer corner and crease.
Pale cream shade on the browbone.
Sparkly beige-pink shade on the inner corner.

I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and applied essence Lash Princessmascara to my lashes.

Rest of the Face

Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
Blush: once again… forgot to write it down… what the hell
Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
Lips: Wet n Wild Cherry Picking

201506_womf38_look4-1

I’ve found myself drawn back to my MAC shadows lately… probably because I feel like I’ve been neglecting them (I blame Makeup Geek).

201506_womf38_look4-2

Eyes

MAC Vellum all over the lid.
MAC Dame’s Desire on the outer corner and through the crease.
MAC Blackberry on the outer corner to deepen it up.
Wet n Wild Brule on the browbone.

On my lashes is Sephora‘s Purple mascara.

Rest of the Face

Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
Cheeks: It’s like I totally forgot about writing down my blush all week… 😐
Lips: Too Faced Melted Fig