Ramblings of an Eyeshadow Junkie

Beauty Pet Peeves- A Chance for a Rant

2012-02-06T15:36:00.002+00:00

Given that I can’t get decent pictures at the moment, it’s a picture free posting today. So this is the perfect opportunity to rant about the stupid things that beauty companies do that make me want to come after them with sharp implements so they never do it again.

1) Conditioner sachets you can’t open without scissors.

This is one that seriously pisses me off. It particularly applies to the conditioners you get in hair dyes. See, when I’m in the shower and rinsing off my dye I don’t want to have to hunt out scissors. I’m wet, I‘m dripping red like Janet Leigh in Psycho, I’m already panicking because I’ve managed to turn my ear an unnatural colour and know my other half is going to shout at me because I’ve dripped dye onto the bathroom floor again… I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO HUNT OUT SCISSORS! It’s not hard to put a tearable notch in the sachet. It’s not hard to put it in a nice little bottle. Putting my conditioner in a sachet that I can’t even open with my teeth is almost criminal.

WORST OFFENDERS- Nice and Easy and Boots.

2) Foundation colour ranges

I know this is a common peeve but I have to add my tuppence to it as well. I am in Britain. We have a great share of pasty pale people, made even more so because of our lack of sunshine. We are a multi-cultural nation, with a spectrum of gorgeous skin shades. So why, I ask myself, are most high street foundations designed to suit the oompa loompa skin of the perma-fake tanned? Darker skins are ignored, yellow toned skins are ignored, and your palest shades will make me look like a woman-gerine. Not all of us fall into the Katie Price school of beauty, ok?

WORST OFFENDERS- Rimmel, Boots brands, Collection 2000, Max Factor

3) High street pricing as High-end

I’ve noticed this particularly with mascaras and foundations. I am not going to pay nearly £20 for something that is regularly available in every single Boots and Superdrug and I’m sure isn’t worth the money. I can pay just over £20 and get something from a high-end brand that is more likely to be fabulous and gives me that added bit of warmth when I take it out of my makeup bag. You’re pricing yourself out of the market. So stop the silly prices. If brands like Maybelline can keep their fantastic mascaras below the £10 mark, I’m sure you can too.

WORST OFFENDERS- Max Factor, No7,

4) Relaunching an old colour in new packaging every few months

Just because you’ve put a flower on the tube and given it a lovely thematic name, don’t expect me to buy it. I didn’t like it the first time- you can tell because I didn’t buy it. I’m not going to buy the same lipstick twice just to make sure I have the full collection. I’m not going to like your glitter bomb eyeshadow, no matter how many palettes you put it in. I’m not going to believe your foundation works any better because you’ve changed the name to something more scientific- I read your ingredients and I’m not stupid.

WORST OFFENDERS- MAC, Urban Decay, Revlon

5) Palettes with cream and powder products in the same case

Who told you this was a good idea, beauty companies? You see, powder sheds and it goes into the gloss/cream shadow and that makes it unusable and messy. I know it seems like a good idea; you get an all-round product. Sadly, it’s not practical. Do what companies like NYX do and have a little pull out drawer so they are kept separate. Cos you are losing money from people like me who refuse to buy something they know will turn into an ugly waste of money.

WORST OFFENDERS- Too Faced, No7, The Balm, Stila, Dior

I’ve stuck with only five to rant about because they are the things that make me violent. However, dishonourable mentions must go to sunscreen sprays that you can’t push down when you have greasy hands, ‘styled with lash inserts and enhanced in post-production’ adverts, product displays without testers and celebrity endorsed products that cost more even though the formulation in the same as the regular range (Kate Moss for Rimmel being a prime example).

I’m sure there are more but I’m all ranted out now. Anything you hate? Do you agree with me or am I raving away like a lunatic for no reason?

Never Too Much Sparkle Challenge- using Sleek palettes

2012-01-27T12:03:00.000+00:00

I’ve been in a neutral eyeshadow rut for months. Everything I’ve bought has been neutral, I’ve worn nothing but neutrals and my Project 10Pan is nearly all neutrals. Boring and lazy!

I recently joined the Never Too Much Sparkle Facebook group and this week’s challenge is the Blix Remix- to recreate one of the amazing looks done on Glitter is My Crack. This was the perfect excuse to get my barely used Sleek Circus and Curacao palettes out so I chose one of Blix’s brightest looks.

Excuse my fringe- no idea what to do with it in FOTD pics

No Blix look is complete with false lashes so I used the ELF dramatic lash kit. I’m so out of practise with lashes, not helped by the fact that these things are awful. Lashes splayed everywhere and so blunt. Won’t be buying those again! They were so uncomfortable that I removed them within minutes.

Products Used

Collection 2000 Perfecting Minerals in Ivory

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Fair

W7 The Cheek of It Blush in Pink Champagne

Benefit Creaseless Cream in Sippin’ n Dippin’

Sleek Circus Palette (Orange and fuschia shades)

Sleek Curacao Palette (Tequila Sunrise, Martini, Singapore Sling, Blue Hawaiian, Purple Haze)

Collection 2000 Glam Crystals in Le Freak (5)

17 Liquid Liner

L’Oreal Lash Architect Mascara

MUA Eyeliner in Snow White

Barry M Eyeliner Pen in Aqua Green

MUA Eyeshadow in shade 19

Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Raspberry

Ciate Lipgloss in Ibiza

I loved trying this look. I’m not convinced it suits me but it was fun seeing how I look with my most feared colours- orange and pink. The pictures were taken with flash so the colour has washed out a bit unfortunately- it was much brighter in person. I'd have to having a very brave day to go out with this on.

Hope you liked my recreation of this intense FOTD. Let me know in the comments if you’ve taken part as I’d love to see your looks.

Ruby Hammer Recommends- Not sure if I do.

2012-01-19T17:55:00.000+00:00

I bought the Ruby Hammer Recommend Lip Gloss Collection in the Debenhams sale. It was reduced from £7 to £3.50, a good price for 5 lipglosses. I liked some of the Ruby and Millie range so I had high hopes for the lipglosses.

The outer packaging is fairly rubbish and disposable. I certainly wouldn’t put it on display. The writing states that you can be your own makeup artist with these products and that they represent Ruby’s own pro kit. Oooooooooooooh! Ruby Hammer- you big liar! Ok, you might carry a selection of glosses but I’m pretty damn sure you don’t use these on your clients. Tell the truth; you put your name to it for a big fat pay check (Allegedly).

The glosses also have fairly dismal packaging. The plastic tubes feel very cheap and flimsy- much more £1 MUA than £15 Lancôme. The only decoration is a simple ‘R’ and they haven’t even been given names. Annoyingly, the some of the applicators have a small ridge of plastic just above the hole which feels rough on the lips on application. However, at least the hole is the right size so the product can be nicely distributed on the lips.

Each lipgloss varies in quality and consistency. I wouldn’t call them moisturising but at least they don’t dry my lips out. They are all fairly smooth without any stickiness. Some are too runny for my taste but YMMV. They last about 1-2 hours on my lips without having to be reapplied, so fairly average in terms of wear on me. There is a very mild fruity taste and scent but it’s hardly detectable and inoffensive to the senses.

Lto R- Pink, Coral, Fuchsia, Baby Pink, Berry

Read more after the jump»

Project 10 Pan

2012-01-11T11:37:00.000+00:00

Hello! It’s been such a long time since I’ve blogged due to work, health and family commitments. So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and various other things I’ve overlooked during my hiatus. I’ve really missed blogging and I have an overflowing box of goodies to review (most of which are probably now discontinued because I’ve had them so long!)

Instead of doing a New Year resolution that I will inevitably fail miserably at, I’ve decided to complete a Project10 Pan. If you haven’t heard of this before, it means you commit to either hitting pan or using up 10 beauty items completely before buying anymore. Everyone seems to have their own little rules that go along with Project 10 Pan such as replacing as you go, being able to buy essentials and using any combination of hair, skin and makeup products.

MY RULES!

I’ve decided to only use makeup items in my Project. I’m fairly good at using up skin and haircare products before I rebuy and I’m starting to run out of space for eye shadows. As I’m using up products that I’m already most of the way through, I’m going to completely finish them. I am going to be on a complete makeup no-buy UNLESS Sleek bring out a new eyeshadow palette. Yes, so I’m cheating a little bit on my no-buy but I love Sleek palettes. This is what I’m going to be using up:

1. Collection 2000 Perfecting Minerals in Ivory- It’s supposedly a mineral foundation but it’s full of talc, so really I’d just consider it a heavy powder. I never got on with the faff of powder foundation so it has languished in my stash. I’ve just bought the Boots 17 BB cream, so hopefully this will give me some extra coverage and help to mattify.

2. Boots 17 Instant Glow Bronzer in Light- This used to be my go-to contouring powder before I discovered ELF’s cool bronzer but I threw it into a box and forgot about it nearly a year ago. It has a small amount of shimmer and pulls slightly orange on me, which is why I prefer the ELF bronzer. I’ve got so little of it left that hopefully I’ll be finished it soon and be able to go back to my beloved ELF.

Read more after the jump»

Review and FOTD- MUA Glitter Ball Eyeshadow palette

2011-10-29T13:05:00.001+01:00

Something has been playing on my mind for a while now. At the risk of being ostracised from the makeup blogger community, I’ve got to admit it. I’m not a huge fan of the MUA palettes. I love a lot of the singles and I agree that the palettes are cheap as chips but while everyone else was gushing about how marvellous these were, I was decidedly less impressed. I bought Glitter Ball a few months ago, so I’ve given it a good go.

I can see lots of good with the Glitter Ball palette, apart from the low price of £4 for 12 shadows. The colour family is good; all the shades can be worn together and they are all very wearable. It’s a great mix of neutral with bright. The packaging is not bad; it’s nicely compact and sturdy enough to carry around. I love the concept of the mix of glittery shades. There are a few colours that I think are amazing. However, there are more than a few negatives.

Read more after the jump»

Mini Haul- Boots No7, 17 and Benefit

2011-10-21T12:46:00.001+01:00

I’ve not bought much makeup recently. Christmas is coming and my family are demanding presents. Selfish! These are the few bits and pieces I’ve picked up since my last haul.

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Varnishes in Violetta and Oyster

Oyster and Violetta

Now I know I said after my last nail haul that wasn’t going to buy any more nail varnishes… But I lied. I had Boots £5 vouchers burning a hole in my pocket. These shades are Oyster and Violetta. As with all No7 Stay Perfect polishes, they are easy to apply and last reasonably well on me with OPI Rapidry. Violetta covers in only two coats and is a dark blue/purple cream; this used to be a Speed Dry shade and have zero lasting power but they've improved it. Oyster takes three and is a neutral pink with a little shimmer. They aren’t worth £7 but definitely worth using your £5 vouchers on.

17 Wild Metallic Eyes Cream Eye Shadow in Wild Nude

17 Wild Nude

Read more after the jump»

Review- Max Factor Ageless Elixir

2011-10-20T18:42:00.002+01:00

Let me begin by giving you a disclaimer; I did not buy this- I was sent it by Super Savvy Me for the purposes of trial and marketing. The fact that I have received this for free has not influenced my opinion at all.

Max Factor describes Ageless Elixir as a 2 in 1 foundation and serum, with the aim of protecting the skin from aging. It contains SPF15 which they claim will reduce melanin exposure thus reducing further age spots and wrinkles caused by UV damage. Max Factor also claims that this helps care for your skin with anti-oxidants and moisturisers. The foundation is supposed to help even the skin tone without clogging in fine lines and wrinkles and diffusing their appearance with light reflecting particles.

Read more after the jump»

FOTD and Review- Sleek Oh So Special Palette

2011-10-04T12:02:00.006+01:00


Shades L to R from top: Bow, Organza, Ribbon, Gift Basket, Glitz, Celebrate, Pamper, Gateau, The Mail, Boxed, Wrapped Up, Noir

I’ve bought a few of the new Sleek palettes in the past week. I managed to get hold of one of the last Oh So Special palettes from the website. There are loads of swatches out there, so I’m not going to pollute Google images with my inferior swatch photography. I’m just going to tell you what I think.

Read more after the jump»

NOTD and Review- Pink and orange with 17 Crackle Top Coat

2011-10-03T11:20:00.000+01:00

Natural Light

A few months ago I promised Eyelining Obsessions (check her page- she’s one of my favourite beauty bloggers) that I would show how I use Boots 17 crackle polish. My nails are a mess at the moment due to cutting down conifers and digging up weeds but here you go, pink and orange with gold crackly divide.

Natural Light

I got Max Factor Nailfinity Disco Pink a few years ago as a GWP and I love it. It’s a creamy hot pink and it lasts for ages on fingers and toes. It applies without streaking or drag and is opaque within 2 coats on a normal nail. Using it this way, it covers over the orange in a single coat. I heartily recommend buying it.

Natural Light

I bought the orange Mememe Laura polish from Poundland. You’ve got to love those Famous Brands bags although I feel a bit of a cheapskate rifling through the rickety and dishevelled displays. Mememe’s Laura isn’t available anymore, as the brand has recently gone through a rebranding. This is a bright tangerine orange cream, very vibrant. I can’t say I’m overly impressed beyond loving the colour. It stains, even with a basecoat. It also chips and peels within 24 hours. However, the colour is lovely and it perfectly complements the hot pink. I hope the Mememe rebranding has including improving their polishes.

Flash

17 Nail Xtras Crackle Polish is a gorgeous colour- a pale cool toned shimmery champagne gold. However, that is where the good stops. For a start, it doesn’t crackle as much as other brands and tends to obscure the base colour. It seems to cling to the wide brush so it’s hard to get a thin coat. Because of this it tends to wrinkle when the top coat is applied. I can only get it to work as a colour partition as the amount it crackles matters less and it doesn’t seem to wrinkle with a small amount on the nail. I much prefer the MUA Nail Quake and the W7 crackle polishes but it looks very pretty here. If you are having trouble finding ways to use your crackle polishes, try it this way!

Max Factor Nailfinity Disco Pink costs from £2 if you shop around.

Mememe Laura costs £1 from Poundland (if you can bear to hunt through plastic packets)

17 Nail Xtras Crackle costs £3.99 from Boots

Nail Decorations cost £1 from Poundland

Bargain Nail Haul

2011-09-23T12:25:00.000+01:00

As I said on my last post, you evil nasty bloggers have been forcing me, yes FORCING me! to buy more nail varnishes! So here are some more swatches and mini reviews of what I have bought over the past month from bargain shops.

Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine in Glow: This has quickly become one of my favourite polishes. It is a shimmery bright green, almost lime, with a metallic gold shine to it when it catches the light. The photos do not do this polish justice. It lasts for 3 days without chipping or peeling, which is almost miraculous on my nails with the amount of gardening I’ve been doing. The skinny brush doesn’t leave streaks and it dries quickly. It takes 3 coats to become fully opaque, although you can get away with 2. You can pick this up from Ebay for around £2-£3. I urge you to (and don’t confuse it with the Hard as Nail’s product also called Glow, which is an insipid pink). I got it for £2 from The Factory Warehouse in Stourport-on-Severn.

Revlon Nail Enamel in Strawberry Electric: This is a bright, almost metallic pink. It’s what Barbie would wear in the future. The shimmer is intense. It has a thin brush and sometimes streaks slightly. It also can take a long time to dry. However, the wear is fairly good and the colour is amazing. You can buy this from Ebay for around £3. I got mine from Savers for £1.50-ish.

W7 Nail Polish in Purple Paradise: W7 Nail Crackle is amazing, so I decided to try the regular polishes. This, I do not love. It is a shimmery plum purple. The wear is terrible, it streaks, the drying time is ludicrously long and the gold iridescence that the bottle shows (which the camera couldn’t pick up properly) doesn’t transfer to the nails. It’s not the worst polish I’ve tried but it’s put me off the regular polishes by W7. Disappointing nail polish can be yours for £2 from Amazon. I got this for £1 from The Factory Warehouse.

Read more after the jump»

OPI Irre-swiss-ables Swatches and Review

2011-09-22T14:35:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since I last did a post. However, just because I haven't been writing about makeup it doesn't mean I haven't been buying any. Thanks to all you lovely makeup bloggers, I have started buying nail varnish in such quantities, I could paint my house with them. Naughty bloggers! No more enabling my new addiction!

Anyway, one of the things I bought recently was the OPI. Irre-swissables mini polishes. The set was released last August and I was lucky enough to find it at my local Sally's Beauty Supplies in Kidderminster for £6. The marketing for the set sums it up quite nicely. Supposedly OPI took inspiration 'from a backdrop of snow-peaked mountains, lush glacial valleys, and glittering lakes'. Fancy! My nails are having a winter holiday.

In the set you get four 3.75ml bottles, all of which seem to be part of the permanent collection. To some it may seem better to buy the larger bottles if the shades aren't limited edition but I love mini sets to try out new shades. You get Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous (pewter), Yodel Me On My Cell (dark teal blue), So Hot It Burns (red) and the OPI RapiDry Top Coat (clear).

Read more after the jump»

Return of the Smurfette

2011-09-05T21:21:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd better let the blogging world know I'm still alive as I've been neglectful due to being on holiday. So today, instead of pretty makeup and my ramblings, I give you a picture of Bonnie the bonkers black lab and her first trip to the seaside.

Mmmmm, sand is so tasty when you're sitting in a hole you've just dug!

I'll be posting again soon with a look from the Sleek Carribbean palette, swatches and review of Collection 2000's smoky eye palette and possibly some NOTD from my recent hauling (if my nails have recovered from playing on the beach and falling over in the sea).

FOTD- Barry M Tan and Plum

2011-08-16T12:40:00.000+01:00

For a few years Barry M makeup was being hyped all over the net. It seems to have been slightly forgotten recently, by me also. I regularly used to buy the Dazzle Dust pigments and used them almost every day. I realised a few days ago that I haven’t bought one for ages and hadn’t used them for quite a while, so it was time to show them some love.

Read more after the jump»

Haul and 1st Impressions- Boots, Collection 2000, MUA and W7

2011-08-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

Ah, bargain shopping and the wonder that is the Boots No7 vouchers! I went to see Mr Popper’s Penguin’s yesterday and went for a wander around the shops afterwards. Of course I couldn’t resist dropping into Boots- the hypnotic allure of £5 off vouchers cannot be denied. Also, my local TJ Hughes is closing down so I picked up some W7 makeup, one of my favourite budget brands.

Thanks to vouchers and special offers I spent the grand total of… £7.67! So what did I buy?

Read more after the jump»

FOTD- Shimmery Pastels

2011-08-08T12:29:00.000+01:00

First of all, let me just say a big helllooooo to my new followers. I really appreciate knowing that people are reading and that my ramblings might have a point (for once in my life!)

I keep trying to make pastels work for me and, after trying numerous combinations, I’m coming to the conclusion that they never will. Anyway, after a few tries with various shades I decided to stick with this look for the day, paring it with the bright pink Ciate Ibiza gloss. I think this EOTD would look great on someone with a better tan than mine (what tan, right?), lighter hair and a less hooded eye. Mine need more contouring than pastel shades seem to provide.

Read more after the jump»

July favourites

2011-08-04T12:21:00.000+01:00

It is a few days late, but here are my favourites from July. There are a few new buys and a few that are long time loves.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Diva- This refreshes my summer wilted hair, giving me amazing volume. It smells divine and perfectly complements the oriental perfumes I like. I used to stick to the Original but fancied a change and this is now my staple dry shampoo.

Head and Shoulders Itchy Scalp Care- One of my hayfever symptoms is itching. I’ve been ripping my skin apart including my scalp. I don’t suffer from dandruff so can’t comment on how well it works for that, but this helps me to stop ravaging my skin. I was worried that the menthol would be overpowering but it was just enough to calm my skin. Yes, this has dried my hair out at the ends and stripped the colour but it’s worth it for the blessed relief.

Boots Soltan SPF25- Lasts well, moisturising, avoids sunburn, doesn’t stink. What else is there to say? (I know the picture is SPF15- I couldn't find the SPF25 so had to use my winter suncream bottle)

Buff Revlon Colorstay - An old favourite making a return for summer as the yellowness works with my ever so slightly warmed skin.

Witch Primer Anti Blemish Skin Clearing Primer- I’m planning to do a proper review of this, as it has very quickly become a holy grail item.

ELF Cool Bronzer- The perfect matte bronzer for contouring and adding a light amount of colour to my pasty skin. Another holy grail item that I use every day.

Maybelline Falsies Black Drama- Gives me the over the top lash look that I love.

Black Elf Cream Liner- Lasts even through the worst hayfever days.

Urban Decay Toasted Eye shadow- A shimmery metallic copper eye shadow. I’ve used this so much this month as it’s versatile enough to go with neutral and bright looks. I use it in the crease, as a lid shade, as an eyeliner- it’s superb. I tend to neglect this over the winter, as it’s too warm for my skintone when the sun doesn’t shine.

ELF Super Glossy Lipshine in Watermelon- lovely bright shade for the summer that works with almost any summer look. The SPF 15 it contains is a real bonus. It’s also proof that you can make an affordable lipgloss that works (I’m looking at you Malibu Babes LipSlick!)

W7 Crackle Polish- The best crackle polish I have used so far. See my review

What are your summer favourites?

Review: Malibu Babes Lip Slick in Succulent Strawberry SPF20

2011-08-03T11:40:00.000+01:00

I’ve been trying a lot of cheap products from Poundland recently. I’ve found some great bargains but I’ve also had some disappointments. Malibu Babes Lip Slicks is one of these. I was attracted to this because I’d used a Malibu Babes sunblock stick in the past and was happy with it as a budget handbag item. Also, the weird British summer we are having (lots of sunshine!) made the SPF level very appealing. I was hoping for a product similar to ELF’s Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15, which I love.

I’m going to come out and say it immediately- I hate this. It’s a detestable waste of money. I don’t care if it’s only £1. I resent Malibu Babes Lip Slick’s very existence!

Read more after the jump»

FOTD- Bronze, Green and Browns

2011-08-01T13:30:00.000+01:00

Okay, perhaps this isn't a proper Face of the Day and more of an Eyes of the Day but I'm still summoning the courage to inflict my entire face upon the blogging world.

Read more after the jump»

NOTD and Review- NYC East Village with W7 Crackle

2011-07-25T12:20:00.000+01:00

This wasn't the nails of the day that I thought I would be sharing today. I'd promised an orange and gold crackle but I had to blog about this combination because I am so impressed. NYC and W7 aren't exactly what you would describe as high end products. In fact, it would be much fairer to say they are amongst the cheapest and most rubbishy of products. However, I am prepared to eat some humble pie because this combination has lasted on my nails for an incredible 4 days without chipping or showing tip wear. This may not seem remarkable to some but my nail varnish is usually chipped, peeling and chewed off within 24 hours of application. Even brands like OPI are ruined within a couple of days.
Read more after the jump»

Review and Swatches- Boots No7 Metallic Eye Pencils

2011-07-01T12:14:00.000+01:00

I bought the No7 Metallic Eye Pencil Set in Smoky Jewels a few weeks ago from Boots in Merry Hill for the bargainous sum of £13.50. I've tried a couple of the No7 metallic pencils before and while I thought they were ok, I wasn't blown away. These have blown me away like a Kansas girl in a hurricane.

So why are they so good?

Read more after the jump»

E.L.F. Haul from 50% off sale

2011-06-30T00:07:00.000+01:00

Having gone back to a bit of guest blogging, I have yet again ignored my own. I've got tons of reviews to write up- which means a load of products are sitting around cluttering the house. Just because I haven't been writing, it doesn't mean I haven't been buying and my most recent haul was another huge purchase from ELF. So what did I get and what are my first impressions?

Read more after the jump»

ELF Haul from 20% sale

2011-03-01T21:18:00.000+00:00

Wow, it's taken me so long to actually get on and write something for this blog. I promise (even if only to myself) that I will post regularly.

Anyway, I recently ordered a fair few things from ELF. I've had a couple of their products before and not been overly impressed. This time I decided to do my research and see what other bloggers thought. In most cases this has worked but not in all... 32 Basic Palette, I'm looking at you. I'm just going to list what I bought with my first impressions and later I'll do a more detailed posting of various items with swatches.

Read more after the jump»

Welcome!

2010-11-18T04:05:00.000+00:00

Well, it's my first post on this blog. I've guest blogged before but I've decided it's time I started my own now I've got time on my hands after finishing university.

As soon as my most recent haul arrives I'll be posting more. However, the disaster of the Sleek Cosmetics 50% off sale means this has been delayed. Looking forward to posting soon!