Wednesday 30 September 2015

My Autumn Berry Edit

Hi Guys,

It's officially Autumn and I have been desperate to get out the darker colours and berry shades for quite a while now. I really want to get into using other products this year other than just relying on my usual Rimmel Kate Moss 107.
Since last Autumn I've been drawn to picking up lots of darker shades of lipstick and branching out into berry tones for cheeks and eyes too. I have fallen into such a nude lip rut recently, that although I love it, I want colour! So I've put together the products I want to get lots of use out of this Autumn.
Starting with the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Ingrid, which I fell in love with ever since I saw Tanya Burr wearing it on her Instagram. However I think a lot of people fell in love with it too as it was a nightmare to find! I love the formulation of this lipstick, especially compared with the original Nars lipsticks, which I found a little on the drying side. The Audacious ones are beautifully creamy and amazingly pigmented, Ingrid is a really deep burgundy wine shade, perfect for Autumn. Plus the packaging for these is magnetic, which just adds to that bit of luxury!

A shade I have heard so much about and had to grab as soon as I spotted it at IMATS was the OCC Lip Tar in Black Dahlia. Another shade which doesn't like to be found too easily, but once you've got your hands on it, its completely worth it. Firstly the amount of product you actually need is such a tiny pea size amount, which means they seem to last forever! They've actually recently repackaged these to have a dofut applicator, also making it easier to apply. Black Dahlia is an intense matte blackened red, which I hardly ever have to reapply, it lasts phenomenally well on the lips. However it will start to get slightly drying just down to the matte finish. 

My last pick for the lips is the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Berry Picking's. Which couldn't be anymore polar opposite to the last two, although it does pack a colour, due to it being a gloss its lovely and sheer. Perfect for those days that I don't want a full on colour, I also really like these glosses due to their moisturising formulation and the fact I can still go outside in the wind and not have all my hair stuck to it. It's such an almost vinyl texture and in no way sticky, plus I cant really argue with the watermelon scent. 
The newest edition to my stash is the Nars Blusher in Sin, which I was extremely lucky to win from the lovely Karis at Beauty By Karis, which if you haven't already taken a peek at her blog you should! Sin has been on the wishlist for a while, theres something about the plummy berry shade with the gold glitter, which screams Autumn. As like with all Nars Blushers it's got such a great pigment and blends beautifully on the skin. I am definitely very excited to get really stuck into using this one!

I don't really own many berry shadows, probably because specifically the MAC Eye Shadow in Cranberry, has been sat very sorry for itself in my MAC Palette. I have set myself a challenge to get more use out of this one this year. As when paired with the right shadows it can create such a gorgeous eye look, especially if it's in the form of MAC Club.

I actually bought the Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Berber, specifically for a shoot I did over the summer. It's not exactly a product that I first looked at and thought of hundreds of ideas of what to do with it. As it is a lot redder in tone compared to other berry shadow shades, however it is so pretty with the golden shimmer that runs through it. When paired with a gold, you can get such a festive eye look from this. Plus you can really use it for anything, mix it up with a Sealing Gel to create an eyeliner or even as a liquid lipstick. Although it might be the scariest product out of them all, it's such a fantastic one to have.
(Swatches: Left to Right - Sin, Berber, Cranberry, Ingrid, Black Dahlia & Berry Picking's)
I almost feel like Im shopping my stash without the commitment of that specific idea. Though I couldn't be anymore excited to get into wearing these and MAC Cranberry will not be sitting alone by itself for much longer!

Eloise x
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Monday 28 September 2015

Topshop Makeup

Hi Guys,

I've noticed that Topshop Makeup in a way is a little unknown. Although it is popular, it can sometimes be tricky to know what to pick from the collection, so its sometimes left behind. For me it's gotten to the point now that whenever I have a trip to Topshop, I cant help but pick something new up. It doesn't really help that they fill up all the little baskets on the way to the till though...
Topshop has quite a few cult products and equally some great little gems. Unfortunately I was going to add a couple of other bits to this, but Topshop don't do them anymore, however I'm really hoping they bring them back! (If you ever find an eye shadow stick, grab it!) I've also tried to link to each individual shade, however the Topshop website doesn't stock everything it does in store sadly! 
One of the most popular ranges from Topshop is their Powder Blusher's, they're quite dry in texture but not chalky. The pigmentation from them is actually pretty fantastic for the price too. I  have the shade Let Her Go, which is one of the brightest of the bunch. But they do come in a variety of finishes, with some including a slight shimmer. I find they also last nicely on the skin and you can really vary how much you apply.

Possibly my favourite product from the entire collection is the Freckle Pencil in Forever Young. Although this won't be to everyone's taste and its not really something everyone does in the morning when they do their makeup. But this gives such realistic freckles, I've used it a few times for shoots and it melts into the skin so easily. It has two separate brown and almost grey shades marbled through it to give it a more natural look.

The two products that give the Freckle Pencil a run for its money, in my list of favourites are the Chameleon Glow Shadows in Wax + Wane and Shuffle the Cards. These two duo chrome shadows are really versatile, use them as a shadow alone or over the top of other shadows. You can even use Shuffle the Cards, a gold with a pink duo chrome, as a highlighter too. Wax + Wane also looks great over a brown shadow, as it really brings out the purple duo chrome. 

Topshop Nail Polishes are very well known and rightly so, they do some of the prettiest shades and offer so many different effects and finishes. I love their pastel colours with the shades Parma Violet, Chiffon and Boy Next Door being some of my favourites. But they also do some fantastic glitters, which you can usually get at Christmas time in baubles. As well as mattes and metallics too, the wear  time of these is fantastic, I find they last around three days before chipping, which is pretty amazing for me. You also don't need many coats at all, with most shades being opaque after only two! 

Lastly maybe the most famous part of the range are the Topshop Lipsticks, they are rumoured to be made with MAC. They do have some pretty great MAC dupes in the collection though, I personally love the colours Brighton Rock, Innocent and Beguiled. They do a wide range of shades and finishes, including metallic lipsticks, which aren't as scary as they sound. They're again well pigmented, yet not drying on the lips, however the scent may be a bit of a marmite one. However it doesn't last too long to be too much of a bother.
(Swatches: Left to Right - Beguiled, Brighton Rock, Innocent, Wax + Wane,  Shuffle the Cards, Let Her Go and Forever Young.)
If I could only ever have two products from the entire Topshop line, although it wouldn't be my ideal situation as I'm already planning what else to add haha! I would have to pick Shuffle the Cards and the Freckle Pencil. Also let me know if you have any Topshop recommendations because I'm always on the look out for new bits and pieces! 

Eloise x
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Friday 25 September 2015

Fleur De Force Cosmetics

Hi Guys,

Last week the lovely Fleur De Force launched her very first cosmetics line, exclusively with Feel Unique. Which goes perfectly alongside her new collaboration with Eylure for a range of False lashes and her very popular Glam Guide Book, which I have reviewed HERE if you'd like a peek! I have been lucky enough to meet Fleur a couple of times now and as well as always being a pleasure to meet, her makeup is always impeccable. So of course how could I not want to try out her brand new range!
The range is quite compact compared to others, wether it will be expanded or not I'm not entirely sure, but I hope so! To go along side the makeup side of things, there are also a couple of gorgeous accessories in the form of a Cosmetic Bag - £8.99 and Compact Mirror - £4.99. I only have the mirror at the moment, which was a complete surprise when I received it. As I have found with previous mirrors in this style they can be quite flimsy and not the best quality. However this one couldn't be further from the opposite, it has a lovely weight to it and is definitely not going to get ruined easily in your handbag. 

Both accessories have a really pretty design, that actually matches the Glam Guide cover too. It is made up of pastel watercolour and little rose gold stars, the actual makeup bag has rose gold hardware too! Finished off with the signature Fleur De Force logo, I really love the way these have been designed and how everything ties in together. 
The makeup range includes a set of six Lip Glosses, all with star related names, as does the whole line. Which I think is a really nice and clever touch, especially as Fleur is such a huge fan of stars, it just shows how much thought was put into the entire line.

 I picked up the Lipgloss in Seeing Stars - £6.99, a summery coral, it does look like quite a bright orange in the tube. But you can sheer these out or really build them up and make them as bright and as bold as you like. The actual formulation is almost like a hybrid between a liquid lipstick and a gloss. They're not at all sticky, but last well on the lips. They have a great pigmentation to them, but don't dry the lips out either. As well as having a scent that reminds me of chocolate. Plus of course the packaging is a winner too, while still being simple, but has the running star theme.

I also grabbed the Eye Shadow Quad in Lunar Rose - £7.99, there are two quads in the range. This one is more based on the Rose Gold side of things, while there is also a bronze option too. The packaging of this one is another one that surprised me, its quite weighty and feels more expensive than it actually is. Plus the little added brush that I would usually throw away, its pretty good! I would definitely keep it in there for emergencies.

The shadow's themselves are pigmented and easy to apply, they blend well as they are still quite soft, especially the two slightly more shimmery shades. I think the shade selection works really well together and you could get quite a few different combinations from this palette. The first shade is a satin pale pink, which would be great for a everyday eye. Then possibly my favourite shade in the palette is the beautiful shimmer rose gold, which is a dream to blend, as well as the shimmery pale pink. Lastly there is also the warm toned dark purple, with what is almost like a gold glitter and I love this shade as it doesn't fall all over the place and create a huge mess, unlike similar products. 
Lastly I also hunted down a pair of the Eylure Lashes in Fleur Loves - £5.25, these have been extremely popular. I had to go to six different stockists before I found this pair, which were actually the last on the shelf too. I can see exactly why they've been so popular though, they're a perfect everyday lash for a bit of added glamour. The wispy look to them adds volume to the lash line, but are still a lightweight lash. As I am not a massive wearer of false lashes, even I find these comfortable to wear. I think the 3/4 length to them is also a great feature to have, you can position them comfortably.
(Swatches: Left to Right - Lunar Rose Quad from Clockwise & Seeing Stars)

I will definitely be adding the Cosmic Bronze Palette to my collection as well as already drawing up a list of a few colours of the Lip Glosses to add to my next order too. I really recommend giving this range a go, especially for the price range, these products are quite the bargain!

Eloise x
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Monday 21 September 2015

Glossybox: The Style Edition

Hi Guys,

The Glossybox Style Edition has arrived just in time with London Fashion Week coming to a close, it seems like the perfect little link. As well as it promising to deliver five full size products this month, I am extremely excited to get stuck into them all. There's also a great collaboration with Best Kept Secret, which is a great little extra to add.
 All the products inside the box have been chosen to go alongside the trends of Autumn/Winter 2015. I really think they've nailed the trends on the head for this one and to go with the products. They have also done a series of key looks to get inspiration for how to use the new goodies online, to get into the swing of all things Autumn.
I am also just a little bit obsessed with the packaging of this months box, not only does it include two of my favourite colours in mint and bright pink. But the illustration on the front in watercolour makes this box, one of the, if not the prettiest Glossybox's I've ever had. It's one for display thats for sure!
Nails Inc Polish in Battersea Park - £11 for 10ml
Nails Inc polishes are always a winner in my eyes, so its fantastic to see one in this month's box. At first glance for some reason I thought it was a grey tone, but its actually Khaki. I really want to get into moving away from my traditional berry nails this Autumn, so this has definitely arrived at the right time. 

Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder in Whesek - £12.99 for 2.35g
"Griege" is a huge trend this Autumn and especially anything with very earthy tones. So this loose shadow is the perfect shade to start incorporating into my makeup routine. I think the metallic grey sheen to this would look beautiful over a really dark smokey eye, as well as just on it's own.

Marsk Pro Eyeshadow Brush - £16.70
I love when Glossybox include makeup brushes in their boxes, as from past experiences they've always been great and usually from brands I wouldn't usually of tried. This shadow brush from Marsk is no exception, great to pack on shadow with its flat domed shape. As well as being brilliant to apply concealer too as its quite large. 

Maria Nila Luminous Colour Hair Masque - £18.95 for 250ml
I had seen this was included in their sneak peek preview. Which at first I cant say I was very sold on as Im quite picky when it comes to hair masks. However this has changed my mind, it has a delicious raspberry scent to it to start. But its also really thick in constancy and promises to enhance the colour of your hair, while it gives it a good nourish. 

Invisibobble Traceless Hair Ring - £4 for three
I can never sleep with my hair down, it just drives me nuts. But if I tie my hair up, I always end up with that horrible kink in my hair, which is a huge pain when it comes to only having a very limited time frame to get ready in the morning. I had heard a lot about these bobbles and I've never tried them, so I'm very glad to have them sat in my stash now, especially as it saves me having to straighten my hair now!

I love this months box, its amazing to have five full size products, especially ones that I'm actually going to use. Plus the fact the overall price of the box is £63.64 too. Glossybox are really getting on a roll recently.

Eloise x
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Friday 18 September 2015

A Guide To: Contour & Highlight

Hi Guys,

To say contouring is a huge deal still just now is an understatement, usually trends seem to last for a while and slowly disappear. Contouring is not one of them, as well as its almost new counter part, Strobing, I say almost new as I am not overly fussed over the new name I will admit. It is basically just highlighting without the contour, but we will go with it! I thought I'd add this in my A Guide To Series, as although its so popular still, its not exactly as easy as it looks. 
There's a lot that goes into contouring, wether it's studying your face shape, no one is going to have the exact same contour. What works for Kim K isn't going to translate onto everyone. Theres also the tones, the finishes and a whole array of methods to chose from. With more and more appearing, it can become a little overwhelming.  But with the right products for you, you've already won half the battle, the more and more you practice with them, the easier product placement will become. So these are my personal favourites to contour and highlight in different finishes.
Powder contouring is one of the easiest to achieve, especially if you want it to be photographed a lot. This is because its actually easier to blend, so when photographed, it won't appear as a solid block of colour, unlike a cream which can look harsh if not completely blended. You also want to make sure you pick up a contour shade that has no shimmer, the shimmer will reflect the light, which won't create the shadow you're wanting to achieve with contouring. 

If you're pale like me, NYX Powder Blusher in Taupe is fantastic, as it has a grey undertone to it. The last thing you want is to look orange and muddy, so picking a grey toned product creates a more natural shadow. But you can also use a bronzer, as long as its matte. It will not only contour but add warmth to the skin too, Nars Bronzer in Laguna is a great one for pale to medium skin tones.
If you do want a more dramatic contour, then a cream is the way to go. As long as you take your time blending the edges, you can get a fantastic full coverage contour and really melts into the skin. A very popular product to do it with is Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow, this actually has a waxy consistency, so if you layer anything over the top of this it won't move, slip or slide. It's also got the grey undertone to it, giving it a brilliant shadow, as well as having more of a matte finish too.

Probably the newest formulation around is gel. Gel is one of the easiest to work with, as its still sheer,  but gives the most beautiful natural definition. My go to for this is the Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette, it works on practically every skin tone, as its so sheer, it mimics the natural shadow but still shows the skin underneath. If you're new to contouring, this is a wonder product, it makes it so easy to do and gives amazing results every single time. 
Once you've added your depth to the face with contour, you want to enhance the higher points of the face with a highlight. Or just leave the contour and highlight, for the "Strobed" effect. There are so many types of product on the market now, to give you that perfect glow. 

A mistake that can often be made about these pen like highlighters, like the YSL Touche Eclat is that its actually a concealer. The E.L.F Radiance Enhancer in Sunrise is kinda less hard to be mistaken for, but they're fantastic as a quick highlight. As they're a pen form, you can just sweep it over the tops of your cheek bones, cupids bow and down the nose, for a subtle highlight, once blended in.

Liquid highlights are very popular too, they give a beautiful sheen, are easy to blend into the skin and can be mixed with your foundation or moisturiser as well as used as a stand alone highlight. I love the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal for its pretty peachy glow. You can also now get a primer, that's also a brilliant multi-use product, in the form of the new Illamasqua Radiance Veil, I did a full review on it here, If you'd like a full run down!

There is also the cream version, which is usually a little thicker and again will give a incredible sheen. Especially if its the Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora, as it warms to the skin, you can really buff it in and as it melts, it leaves a sensational glow. It's an instant product and can really be built up to give the most dramatic glow.  
Another thing you might want to think about is if you want to have a matte or shimmer highlight, most on the market are shimmer. But matte can make an incredible highlight, as it doesn't add a shine, it just adds a lit from within look to the skin. 

A very popular highlighter to add a sheen is the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle, the Skin Finishes come in an array of shades. Soft and Gentle is the champagne pink of the family, which suits pink toned complexions really well, its a very strong highlight as its so finely milled it does really pack that punch, a little bit goes a long way.

Then on the other hand, the matte highlight also does the same. Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Intrigue, even though a more subtle highlight, needs to be used with a sparingly hand, as it is so pigmented. You don't really want to be left with white patches dotted around your face. It is probably one of my favourite highlights, just as it is so natural, its perfect for everyday use and if you have an oilier skin, you can highlight without having to worry about if you look overly shiny.
Finally you can get some fantastic contour palettes out there now, due to their array of shades you can mix and match to find your perfect custom shade. I love the Illamasqua Sculpting Palette as it contains multiple shades, to cover aspects such as a more natural grey shadow, but still has the warmth of the orange, which is fantastic for darker skin tones. Plus you get your two different highlight shades too, I've also reviewed this palette here, if you'd like to see more about it.

You can also get the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette, which I have actually misplaced, otherwise I would include it in the pictures. If you'd like to see it though, theres a full review here. But its a fantastic palette for the price, even including a yellow toned satin shade to highlight, which can be a brilliant equivalent to Intrigue for a darker skin tone.

If I could recommend one brand to you for contouring and highlighting ultimately, it would be Illamasqua just for their sheer versatility within their range. As well as the fact that they're amazing quality too. But again its all down to finding the best product that works for you, I hope this has helped to narrow down the vast contour and highlight world! 

Eloise x
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Wednesday 16 September 2015

Illamasqua Radiance Veil

Hi Guys,

The Illamasqua Skin Trinity just got more options, introducing a whole new trinity of veils. To go alongside their extremely popular primers Hydra-Veil and Matte-Veil, the new member of the Illamasqua team is Radiance Veil.
The veils were designed to be a in-between step, not quite skincare but then not quite makeup too. They make lovely primers and work especially well with Skin Base foundation. Radiance Veil is all about giving the face that beautiful natural glow, which it certainly does. It floods the skin with light and is such a multipurpose product to use. Its a hybrid between a primer and illuminator, so not only can you use it on its own, but also as a highlight or even mix with foundation. If you want a full on glow just go ahead and do all three!
The actual formulation is a lot like the Matte Veil, creamy and almost velvet in finish. Its a peachy pink like shade in the jar, but once blended into the skin it has a golden shimmer, or really a glow, as its no where near to any chunky shimmery primer. The shimmer also helps to smooth out the face, as it bounces the light. It is also jam packed full of different vitamins, to not only get your skin looking great instantly, but also nourishing the skin over time. That's one thing I absolutely adore about the veils, they're the best of both worlds. 

Its moisturising on the skin, but also not oily, you really don't have to worry about looking shiny instead of glowy with this either. Another great design feature of the veils is actually the packaging, not only do the little black tubs look beautiful and sleek. They keep your product fresh and lovely inside, with their suctioned flip lid and teeny little spatula built in on top. So you can then decant just the right amount of product that you need, minimising waste!
(Swatches: Left to Right - Radiance Veil, Radiance Veil blended, Skin Base, Skin Base mixed with Radiance Veil.)

Radiance Veil is £32 for 30ml and is available in freestanding store's and online at Illamasqua or Selfridges. It will also soon be launching in Debenhams on the 24th!

Eloise x
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Monday 14 September 2015

My MAC Palette

Hi Guys,

I feel like its almost a blogger tradition to build a MAC Palette, of course its not necessary, but oh so tempting to do. I fell for the temptation and started to build my own MAC Palette a few years ago. Now again of course these can be built as quickly or as slowly as you like, it did take me quite a few years to finally fill my 15 Pan Palette, I just loved the idea of getting a new shadow as a little treat while shopping. 
I do always feel a little overwhelmed looking at the shade range that MAC carries as it is so vast. I found looking through other posts and videos really helped me pick the shades I added to my collection. Recently I've found myself reaching for it that bit more, as its getting into autumn and I'm starting to put down the brighter shades, I think this is my perfect Autumn neutral palette.

It's not exactly the cheapest feat at creating a palette, but I justified it as the Pro Pans are that bit cheaper than the single shadows. Plus its perfect to travel with, hence why mine is battered and bruised. 
Top Row 
Vanilla - The trusty velvet highlight shade, loved by many, including me. Although if you want a really strong highlight I recommend the loose pigment version of this. Vanilla subtly highlights with its light cream colour, I especially like it as a brow bone highlight.
Omega - Omega was my go to for my brows back before Illamasqua Brow Cake, its matte finish makes it perfect for this. Especially for blondes as it defines naturally and not too strongly, which is probably why I fell out of using it for my brows... haha
Patina - This frost almost khaki, but I guess you would probably just class it as a really cool brown. Basically its a difficult one to describe haha, It's the perfect all over the eye, everyday shadow. It's not too dark and suits every eye colour. 
Mulch - I always think that Mulch is a bronze that's not quite bronze (if that makes any sense at all!), it has more of a nice looking dirty brown colour to it, yet its got that shimmer to it too. If I want a quick all over the eye smoky bronze look, then I will always usually reach for this.
Cranberry - Cranberry is the shade I wish I used more of and every single year I say I will and never do. However I think if I was to pick up Club from MAC, I would use it more due to the duo chrome olive tones that pair so well with the frosty berry shade.

Middle Row
Shale - Shale is a satin and a strange one to describe colour wise, although it looks purple in the pan, it actually swatches like a grey with a lilac tone. Again its another one that's lovely just over the lid.
Expensive Pink - I went through a bit of a pink shadow phase when Expensive Pink was bought, it is probably one of my least used shades now, but I just have a new love of purple instead. If you’re looking for a more rosy rose gold, then this is it. It’s from the Veluxe Pearl range from MAC too so it’s quite a shiny one.

Sable - Sable is my go to if I want the eye look that I can get with Mulch, but this time a more true bronze with that bit more shimmer due to the frostiness of it.
Woodwinked - I will never ever get sick of this shade, it is the prettiest gold I have ever seen. Which also looks amazing all over the lid and buffed into the crease, due to it going slightly orange in tone, creating an amazing pulled together eye look. Yet it's only been created with the one shade. 
Naked Lunch - This is a particular favourite of mine and the only MAC shadow I've ever had to re-buy (They last forever!). Part of the frost family, this pretty pale champagne pink is beautiful all over the lid.

Bottom Row
Sketch - This dark purple/berry satin shade is the best for a coloured liner in the Autumn. It's one of the most beautiful berry shades that MAC does and as its a satin, it looks lovely in the crease, unlike a shade such as cranberry which would just reflect.
Charcoal Brown - I love Charcoal Brown for its versatility, it's really just a standard warm toned matte brown. But it pairs fantastically with Omega for more detention on a blonde brow, can be used alone for a brunette brow and defines the crease of the eye easily.
Carbon - I'm going to admit straight away, Carbon is probably my biggest regret of the entire palette. I  just wanted a matte black shade, although I wanted one with actual pigment to it, it does take a lot of building up to get a strong colour. So unless I want a really soft smudge, I tend to go else where.
Trax - Trax is a beautiful velvet shade, which I am yet to give a home as I'm still yet to buy another palette. The downside to only having 15 slots, once you've completed it you just want more. I love the plum shade to this with the subtle gold sparkle, its very pretty on blue and green eyes especially.
Haux - I will admit to only buying Haux because Tanya Burr mentioned that she uses it over the By Terry Ombré Blackstar in Misty Rock, it was one of the prettiest simple eye looks I had ever seen. The slight purple satin tone also looks really nice on its own, or especially with Naked Lunch.
Orb - Finally Orb is just a fantastic satin pale pink, lovely for all over the eye for a no makeup, makeup look.
(Swatches: Left to Right - Carbon, Trax, Haux, Orb, Vanilla, Omega, Patina, Mulch, Cranberry, Shale, Expensive Pink, Sable, Woodwinked, Naked Lunch, Sketch & Charcoal Brown)

There are a couple that I'd maybe miss out if I was to rebuild it, (Carbon I'm looking at you!) but thats just trial and error and through finding other similar shades, from other brands. But if you're looking at creating a fully customizable palette, especially a neutral one, I always find myself reaching for mine.

Eloise x
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Friday 11 September 2015

Illamasqua Earth

Hi Guys,

Autumn days are fast approaching, which means so are all the brand new makeup releases too. Including the brand new Illamasqua Earth Collection, inspired by the true earthy tones, including jewel like shades and lots of light and warmth. This six piece collection is like nothing else out on the market just now and it compliments it so well.
 I think the "Griege" trend is really in at the moment, but I think it can also be difficult to know what to pair that with, without going grey overboard. I love the Illamasqua Earth Collection for this, although it includes Grey, it has so much colour and they're very unique, especially the Pure Pigments. It really is all about adding the warmth into your autumn makeup, but also reflection too.
The Nomadic Palette - £34, is the earthy palette of dreams. Maybe they're not entirely the first shades that pop into your mind, but these four work amazingly to create a subtle neutral eye to a alternative smoky one. The shades include Loam; a matte forest green, Terra; a matte dark burnt orange, Solitude; a dark matte grey and Gravity; a shimmery gunmetal grey. The warmth of Terra blends out the cooler tones of the other three beautifully. Each shade may look scary together at first, but they compliment each other beautifully. All four shades also blend easily and are just as pigmented as the rest of the Illamasqua range.
The two Pure Pigments in Ara & Draco - £17, may be the highlight of the collection for me. I have always been a huge fan of these pots of sparkly goodness and these two new shades are no different. Again they can both be so perfectly subtle or add that little bit of extra drama to your look. Ara is a silver that almost changes in the light, sometimes I think it appears almost lilac. Draco is a pretty golden toned khaki, I find it so fascinating at how both of these can change so slightly into different tones, under different lights. They're also so versatile, from eyeshadow to mixing it with sealing gel and creating a liner, to even just being used as a highlight too.

The last piece I picked up was the Glamore Lipstick in Kin - £19.50, which is the perfect red for Autumn. To me I see It as almost a rusty jewel toned red, Illamasqua describe it as burnished, which is actually probably a much nicer word for it haha. As its the Glamore formulation it glides onto the lip effortlessly and is fantastically pigmented, yet won't dry out your lips like a matte finish. I love this formation for the ease, its perfect as I can usually get away with wearing them for a good portion of the day without having to reapply, which is rare! 
(Swatches: Left to Right - Loam, Terra, Solitude, Gravity, Ara, Draco and Kin)
There are also two other pieces in the collection, in the form of Nail Polish in Element - £14.50, a metallic gunmetal grey. As well as the Slick Stick for Eyes in Iron - £18.50, which is a long lasting waterproof dark silver. These literally do not budge, once set, but yet are beautifully creamy to apply.

The Collection has launched online and in Selfridges stores now.

Eloise x
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