Louise Young Essential Eye Palette: Review & Swatches

The other week I had ordered a couple of brushes from Lousie Young and was seriously impressed, they're really quite reasonable and their delivery is super quick - in that my package arrived the next day! Anyway, I decided to give her eyeshadows a whirl. I have so many shimmery eyeshadows that I really wanted something clean, sophisticated and matte. The palette is £30 for 5 full size shadows. The quality is unbelievable, they perform almost like a cream and I love that they can be used as liners and for brows too. I remember a tutorial that Nicola Chapman (one of the Pixiwoo sisters) had done solely using this palette and it was just beautiful. Click here to see it.

Swatches left to right: Ting, Maowi, Pom Pom, Black Bear, Sislet

The quality of the brush that comes with the palette is also good quality which is really refreshing from the normal sponge applicators you see everywhere! It has a long handle and it easy to use for detailed shadow placement and under the eye as well. Even the Tom Ford eyeshadows come with short brushes with sponge tips on one end! 

I'm really into matte colours at the moment - and with this palette its simple to create soft yet defined looks. Louise Young has a youtube channel as well where this palette is used multiple times so go and see it in action. There's also a helpful pamphlet that comes with the palette with step by step instruction to create 2 of her looks. 

All in all, I'm extremely happy. My favourite colour is Sislet - I'm obsessed with terracotta and this is almost an exact dupe for MAC's Brown Script which is more or less discontinued. The palette is available here. I think my next purchases from Louise Young are going to be some of her crease brushes!

What do you all think? What are your favourite matte colours?

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

xxx

Bare Minerals Soul - The Perfect Highlight Review & Swatches

I was introduced to this product by Imani (nudelips on Youtube - she has impeccable makeup skills and some really helpful tips/techniques and...she's STUNNING!) as she raved about it and said that it really opens up the eye, makes it look bigger and brighter. I have to say, it took me a while to purchase but she's completely right. One thing I love about 'Soul' is that it doesn't look fake when applied - it blends into your skin and delivers like a inner corner/brow bone highlight should. What's more is that it's matte - I can see a tiny and I mean very minute sheeny-ness too it but I think that helps as it doesn't look flat when applied. My colouring ranges from NC30/NC35 (sometimes NC37/40) in the summer and it works really well. In my opinion this should work on pretty much all skintones but as I don't have much experience with very deep skin tones I suggest you try it out at a counter first. Better safe than sorry! The colour itself is creamy sort of buttermilk colour with a hint of pale yellow.

Another plus about this product you don't need much at all - you get 0.57g of product, regular MAC shadow is 1.5g. If you can see how much is in the lid in the picture above - that's good for both eyes I would say! Nonetheless, it is a loose powder and I know that's a big no no for some people (I used to be one of them) but bear in mind it isn't a very daunting colour and therefore a lot easier to work with. If you have the time and research on how, you could always press it if you so wished!

'Soul' is available at Feel Unique for £11.90 with free delivery Debenhams for £14 and in the US it's around $13. (In any case search the internet, some websites have great deals on Bare Minerals items)

Do you have any favourites from Bare Minerals? I'm really interested in their new pressed 'Ready' line!

Let me know what shades you use to brighten up inner corners of the eye…

Lots of love!

xxx

Bourjois Touche Healthy Mix Concealer/Illuminator & Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer Review & Swatches

Ahhhh… another touche! YSL Touche Eclat, ByTerry Touche Veloute & Touch Expert… the list is endless. This is the era of the clicky pens and it's a wonder how far we go to get that perfectly concealed yet illuminated eye! A few weeks ago I was in SpaceNK (opposite my house… yes that's right - you can't really blame me for my cosmetic addiction) and was trying the Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation which by the way is magical when I put a little of ByTerry's Touch Expert in #3 under my eyes and was amazed by the results! Seriously it was a revelation. I had done a blog post that day so you can see the effect here. 

Nonetheless, it is pricey (£28.50) and with so many clicky pens on the market I was sure that there was something else that was more reasonable. Bourjois' version in 'Rose' (£7.49 - or with a 3 for 2 offer - didn't find many shades offered though - especially in store) seemed like a really great peachy tone that would counteract bluey tones under the eye. However, the problem with it is its consistency - it's too thin to cover anything - if you have very slight darkness it would work but I had to layer it over MAC Studio Sculpt and set with Bare Minerals Well Rested. For me it works as an illuminator and I will probably use it around my mouth or to brighten over neutral toned concealers.

Bourjois Touche Healthy Mix Concealer 'Rose'

Under the eyes: MAC Studio Sculpt NC30, Bourjois Touche, Bare Minerals Well Rested

Eyeshadow: Bourjois Little Pot Intense Eyeshadow #8 Brun Sienne lightly (LOVE this colour!) 

Brow and inner corner highlight: Bare Minerals Soul

Liner: MAC Coffee upper lash line, MAC Teddy Lower lash line and water line

Macara: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill 

Just to fill you all in if you don't already know that YSL Touche Eclat formula has changed and Terry de Gunzburg who developed it has left YSL and opened her own line: ByTerry. The new formulation is much thinner and doesn't behave like the formula that made the clicky pen rise to the top. Anyway, if you were looking into a highstreet/drugstore version I think the Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer (£6.49) would be best. It comes in a range of colours to suit all skin tones and has the the thickness but not heaviness where it can conceal as well as brighten. I use #3 which is a light peach colour.

Swatches left to right: LO3, LO2

Have no clue why my hand is so red!  

Apologies for not have shown you their usage on their own but basically the Bourjois doesn't do much except brighten a little and Sleek's is much better, I only set it with Bare Minerals Well Rested and get a teeniest bit more natural finish than the picture above where I layered MAC Studio Sculpt concealer but it's really close!

All in all, I still think ByTerry is the best and will probably purchase that after I finish my existing ones. I really would like to try Jane Iredale's pen (around £19) as well but it's pretty difficult to find in the UK - I know LisaLisaD1 of youtube really likes it. I really enjoy concealer's in this medium as I feel it's quick and easy and convenient to take with you if one needs to reapply.

Do like these types of pens or prefer different types of concealers? Would love to know your experiences and your favourite products for underneath the eye!

Available here:
                           Sleek Luminaire (£6.49)
                           Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (£7.49)
                           ByTerry Touch Expert (£28.50)

Take care and as always thanks for stopping by!

xxx

Nars Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo Review & Swatches

This is becoming quite funny actually, slowly but surely it looks like I'm amassing more and more of the Nars Spring Summer 2012 collection. Anyway, while I was perusing Youtube the other day, I came across Tanya Burr's (Pixi2woo) new video if you don't know who she is, go over to Youtube and watch her videos. She is fabulous, professional and stunning - click here to see it, the way she puts colours together is really innovative and all her looks just tend to work. I loved her look so much - I just had to buy this duo. I don't have many greeny eyeshadows, (MAC's Humid and Greensmoke) so I thought with this and the ones I have I'm set on the green eyeshadow front. 

Nonetheless, this is way more than just green - its sort of a golden olive duo, I've tried to capture the quality of Nars' shimmer glisten through the colours. 

The colours are bright yet subtle and perfect for Summer if you want to incorporate brights into your makeup but not go too overboard. I love this for daytime looks if I'm bored of neutrals.

I'm on the hunt for some summer type looks - got any ideas?

Have a great start to the week!

xxx

FOTD - Nars Habanera

Ok guys, so I know I'm posing/pouting but haven't yet figured out my 'blog' face yet so please bear with me. Anyway, I wore this look out to a lunch, I absolutely love this duo! (somehow i look paler in the first photo thanks to my lighting skills - I'm a little more tan as you can see from the eye close ups!)

Face: Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation #5.5

No concealer! I completely forgot as foundation has pretty great coverage

Guerlain Metorites Pressed Powder Rose Frais 

Nars Casino (very slight contouring)

Nars Luster Blush

Eyes: Nars Habanera Duo 

(Light aqua all over lid blended into slight wing shape, Purply taupe colour in outer V)

Avon Supershock 

(Upper and lower lash line in smudgy way and in waterline - The BEST eyeliner)

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara 

Lips: Nars Tzigane Lipstick

So this was my sort of lived in Summer look. It's not perfect and that's what I like. 

As always thanks for reading and I love reading your comments! What are your picks for summer eyeshadow looks?

xxx

Sleek Blush Collection Review & Swatches + Z Palette Pro = Depotting Nightmare

I mentioned in my last post that I love Sleek, and particularly their blushers/blushes/blush… what is the plural of blush?! Anyway..presumably you all get the point. In my opinion, they are very comparable to NARS, I mean 8g of product (NARS gives you around 4.8g) for £4.30, amazingly pigmented and the packaging doesn't get dirty and is…well.. sleek. I have to admit, some can be a little powdery but I'm willing to look past that factor.

Top row left to right: Aruba, Rose Gold, Sunrise                 Swatches l-r: Aruba, Rose Gold, Sunrise,

Bottom row l to r: Fenberry, Pomegranate, Pixie Pink                 Fenberry, Pomegranate, Pixie Pink

So my dilemma was, I felt like none of them were getting proper use, and I believe if you can see your makeup more easily then you're more likely to use it!… ENTER: Z Palette. 

I chose to buy the Pro version, as it was slightly bigger - but I was really expecting it to be a lot larger than what it was, not sure how I feel about that. Anyway, it cost me £19.99. I think that's expensive for a funky cardboard box to be honest. It does come with very useful magnets to stick to products if need be but still…

When I got over my issues with the price, and said to myself, 'Kunoor, you're going to buy it anyway so just click purchase and be done with it', I tried to search for other people who had depotted their Sleek blushes but only found a few, depotting eyeshadows yes, but not blushes. If you guys can't already tell, I like packaging, I mean why not - you're paying a certain price, your product should look a certain way - Sleek outdoes themselves concerning this and I ended up having trouble parting with the sturdy little compacts.  I know that Sleek just came out with their 'Blush by 3' palettes and although lovely and a little NARS Danmari-esque I just thought nothing jumped out and said 'Buy me' since I had quite a few already. 

All lined up ready for the mission: who will survive?….

The depotting method I used was that of Wayne Goss AKA GossMakeupArtist on Youtube - here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcX3BNfO2_A 

The cool thing I found with this method, is that if you keep an eye on the oven then, the compact doesn't melt at all and therefore you can keep it, but I found I had to keep the blush in the oven for around 10mins to ensure they don't crack. Still, 4 out 6 blushes cracked, so I repressed them quickly with alcohol. Then I remembered you can't repress matte pigments with just alcohol. Lo and behold the pigmentation was nothing after they dried. The shimmery ones were fine but I felt like I had to say goodbye to the matte ones. Then came my search to save them, saw one video were this woman represses the broken matte eyeshadow with coconut oil. So, I tried it and that was the end of Pixie Pink.

Cleaning the glue of the pan by rubbing it against a cloth soaked with alcohol

Then on a particular forum I read that a girl repressed her matte blush with MAC Fix+. I smashed up Aruba in a bowl, sprayed MAC Fix+, created a sort of dry paste (so much product goes to waste by the way, but I just thought I'm never going to finish it anyway so why buy another one) and pressed it back into the pan, put it in the oven to dry at 100C, turned it off after 25mins and let it to dry overnight. Again, that didn't work and my hands were stained orange. I actually wanted to break something at this point, just because this had taken up so much time! Anyway, I ended up scraping the top of Fenberry off and thankfully that did work. So I lost 2 out of the 6 blushes which I have now repurchased and will be extra extra careful depotting those - I'll probably just melt the whole compact over a flame! I've depotted things before but this packaging was just new to me. 

Even though the palettes aren't cheap, it does help storage and it's useful that everything is in one place. So I'm probably going create a couple more, with MAC eyeshadows as well as other random ones, more blush etc. Let me know if you'd like to see them when I'm done!

Overall, I thought this would be an easier, shorter process, but practice makes perfect I guess. Just for reference, 9 blushes can fit in the Pro palette, click the link to see what other size pans fit. http://www.zpalette.com/info-center/tips/

Excuse the little rant I've had in this post, I just needed to vent. Anyway I was thinking of depotting my NARS blushes as well but after this fiasco I might just wait on that DIY project.

What have been your experiences with depotting, do you know how to fix matte blushes/eyeshadow because that would really help! What's your favourite highstreet/drugstore blush?

xxx

Update..

Hey all, so I just wanted to let you guys know, I changed the name of my beauty blog from 'Here, there, everywhere to 'Round Cheeks', just because that's the web address and my Twitter account so I thought it would be better for things to match!..

Hope that's not confusing and enjoy your weekend!

xxx

Guerlain Terracotta Summer 2012: Sun in the City & Spicy Coral Review & Swatches

I remember when I was younger I used to play with my Mom's Guerlain makeup. There's something about luxury makeup - I mean I love brands like Sleek, Bourjois, Avon, Loreal - the list goes on and on. Nonetheless, I feel different when I use certain brands and Guerlain is definitely one of them! 

So, when this collection hit stores, Debenhams in particular - I went to check it out. Now the thing about me, I love highlighting products so I tend to go a little nuts with them. But please, guys, look at it just look at it!

'Sun in the City' is embossed with the most beautiful, intricate, opulent (more adjectives?!) design ever. The compact itself is huge - 15g of product! I don't think I'll ever get through that and thankfully so because I don't think I could buy another. In the UK it retails for £43 (try Duty Free and save a little). Insane yes, but if you're having trouble accepting that - try see its value over time and the fact that it's never going to run out, unless you're bathing in it. 

Swatch: Sun in the City - Top: Blended, Bottom: One swipe

The colour of the product is like liquid yellow gold and you can control its intensity quite easily even though it is highly pigmented. I skipped on Cruel Gardinia from the Spring collection (stunning as well) as I felt it was too pink toned for me, and in my opinion this is more suited to warmer skin tones. I'm really looking forward to use this, on its own and over matte blushes! Does anybody see a trend with all the cool looking embossed shimmer powders coming up….? Nonetheless, the colour isn't all that unique and is quite easily dupable - check out Topshop's Sunbeam £8, or Benefit's Sunbeam that is coming to the UK soon, another gold toned highlight) - but it's lovely as a collectors piece or if you love gold illuminators!

My next pick from the collection was the liquid blush in #03 Spicy Coral (15ml, £28, Guerlain recommends this for brunettes). The is another shade, Sunny Pink (recommended for blondes)  that is a pinky coral with gold shimmer through it and it reminds me so much of Nars Orgasm so I passed on that, and plus I though that I could just layer Sun in the City over a pinky blush and get the same effect. Moving on to the blush I bought, what can I say I'm a sucker for anything orange/tangerine. The camera doesn't pick up the golden shimmer in it, but yes it does have a fair amount - I love it, and against a tan I think it would be heaven. Does it compare to Nars Taj Mahal or Gina? Taj Mahal is more of a burnt orange, and Gina is a matte much lighter tangerine. 

Swatch top to bottom: blended, full on colour 

Edit: Keep in mind, both products have the typical floral/perfumey Guerlain scent so it might bother/irritate some of you.

I'm really enjoying both these items! What are your favourite highlighters? 

xxx

MAC Lipstick Giveaway!! (CLOSED)

Hey everyone! I just wanted to thank you all as I've just reached a thousand views and it means so much to me and I appreciate the support immensely!

So to thank you, I'm giving away a MAC lipstick of your choice to 2 lucky winners!

RULES:

• UK and EIRE only
• Must follow/subscribed to this blog 
• Comment on this post with the name of the lipstick you would like! (From the permanent collection - includes Sheen Supreme Lipsticks)
• This giveaway is open until 12am GMT 31st March. I will announce the winners the next day and send the lipsticks out ASAP (send me your address immediately because I leave the country the following week!)

Good Luck, it's a great chance to get that summer colour you have your eye on!

Note: I will be using random.org 

xxx

Review & Swatches: Chanel Blush de Horizon

My first blush from Chanel, and my my my…. it's a looker. (Sorry if I sounded a bit too 50's there.) But that how I feel when I use this blush, like I'm in old Hollywood. That kind of glamour is a rare sight nowadays.

Blush de Horizon's design is definitely one of the reasons people have wanted to but this (so much for 'don't judge a book by its cover eh?). And surprisingly the brush that it comes with is soft and and extremely usable. It's also diverse, you can adjust it too be more peach or more pink, swirl it around or sweep across and get all the different shades separately. It's a bit softer and peachier than Benefit's Bella Bamba but close enough when applied. Please don't scare away from this if you have mature skin, the sheen is not strong enough to emphasise any pores/wrinkles you may have.

Swatches Top to Bottom: Benefit's Bella Bamba, Chanel Blush de Horizon swirled together

It's also 15g of product so that might make you feel more at ease as the price tag is around £48 but head over to Buyapowa as they've re-listed it and you'll save around £8 or get it for free if you refer enough people. Tip: Look out for Saturday morning co-buys because thats when they host some of the most popular items and by the time they notify you its gone so if you want something check back at the site regularly.

The blush is a decadent soft texture and has a lovely sheen to it, it's not overly pigmented and therefore easy to work with. The effect: soft glowy, not sparkly sculpted cheekbones that can be used with a variety of looks. Nonetheless, it is expensive and you are able to get the same glow from other blushes but it's still a nice piece to have.

Let me know what you think!

xxx

Review & Swatches: Nars Lhasa Eyeshadow

After ogling the Nars counter at Space NK, where I'm about to set up camp in - I decided to just get one thing as the 'Do you REALLY need that?' notion I'm trying to follow these days replayed in my mind. Plus I wanted to venture out into brands I haven't tried and with new Kevyn Aucoin counter it seems like the perfect time. But for some reason I panic at Limited Edition collections and I've come to the conclusion that I hate them. Brands should be more like Illamasqua where new collections just meld into their permanent line.

Finally, I decided upon Lhasa eyeshadow. Boring in pan? Yes. Magic on eyes? Elegantly, I think so. It's not as shimmery as something like MAC Hypnotising (similar sort of undertone) but not flat and because of that I can see this becoming a staple in peoples everyday makeup looks. And if you want that shimmery look with this, just layer a silvery/gold eyeshadow with it and voila! It does lean towards the taupe side but because of lavender tones it isn't quite a true one.

Let's see what I've dug up similar in my collection…

Swatches Left to Right: MAC 'Daylight' (Naturally Collection), Nars Lhasa, Inglot #402

Eye Makeup: Nars Lhasa patted on lid, Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara - 1 coat, By Terry Touche Expert #3 - excuse messy eyebrows, I'm growing them out a little

Have you picked it up? Have something similar?

xxx

Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty!

Products pictured: Makeup Forever HD Primer (Green), Too Faced Primed and Poreless, Tom Ford Lipsticks: Warm Sable, Pink Dusk, True Coral, Avon Supershock Liner, Chanel Kohl, YSL Rouge Volupte 29, Carmex, Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque

Questions..

• Greed: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

Most inexpensive: Carmex Mint Lip Balm: The best lip balm I've ever used and it makes your lips tingle!

Most expensive: Tom Ford Lipsticks! (Not counting my Clarisonic)

At around £36 a pop, these definitely are the most expensive. Sad thing is, I waited until they were discontinued to track them down because I loved the white packaging so much more than the new dark mahogany so I haven't had the heart to use them yet. Plus I thought a lot of the discontinued colours were lovely like Pure Pink and Ginger Fawn but have never found them. I do have my eye on Violet Fatale which is a stunning, STUNNING purply pink colour that I'm saving up for! I definitely have to start using the ones I have, and probably will give my Mom Warm Sable if she likes it! Shhh..

• Wrath: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

Love/Hate relationship: Red lipstick. Love it once I first put it on, go somewhere and then feel like I'm on show so take it off. Just need to find the right makeup combination to set it off elegantly. 

Hardest to get: Estee Lauder Modern Mercury. Waiting for it to come out in India so can ask my Mom to snap it up!

• Gluttony: What are your most delicious beauty products? 

Obviously, I don't eat my makeup but terms of smell, my most delicious has to be - and a lot of people have agreed - YSL lip products! I used to have some glosses and they were divine but the one I have now is Rouge Volupte #29 - a gorgeous mid tone pink. Smells of watermelons.. I'm really interested in their new glossy stains for the summer, maybe a pinky coral shade? Let me know if any of you have bought them :)

• Sloth: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

Primer - I don't think I've found the right one - I have dry skin so I'm looking into Illamasqua's satin primer or a Laura Mercier hydrating one but for the moment the ones I have aren't doing much for me, let me know if you've had luck with any. Still, I find that since I started using Egyptian Magic balm as my moisturiser it preps my skin well enough. 

• Pride: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Eyeliner. I'm never without my Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner, and before I discovered it I repurchased Chanel's Kohl Pencil multiple times. Nonetheless, Avon's is much better, doesn't transfer and 1/4th the price. I actually just ordered 3 more! I just feel that I look a bit more put together, and since my lashes are dark anyway it doesn't look weird with just eyeliner, if you were wondering I use the pencil for my upper, lower lash lines as well as my waterline.

• Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Nothing to do with beauty but will answer anyway. For me the person needs to be kind, have a good heart and if we're talking physical attributes then I like dark hair, tallish (doesn't really matter since I'm quite short hehe) and nice eyes. Typical, but true.

• Envy: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

TOM FORD! I love and have been lusting over the Shade and Illuminate thingy and its corresponding brush for quite a while now but they're both £55 and I just don't have the heart to buy it at the moment. I also love the lipstick in Violet Fatale but that just might be a gift from myself soon!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I started watching this tag on youtube a couple of months ago and loved it so please go ahead and do it if you already haven't and if you have then link it in the comments!

xxx

MAC Haul & Viva Glam Nicki Review

Today, my friend and I went to a spa and indulged in manicures/pedicures and Shiatsu massages. Deeply relaxed we wandered off into MAC to inspect the numerous collections that came out a couple of days ago. Firstly, I think it's bizarre at the number of collections MAC comes out with, I mean I love the products but we're all going broke! Anyway we picked up lots of lip products and anything else that caught my eye I'll get off the website in a couple of weeks if still in stock.

So as I said, I was going to get some more kissable lip colours because I just love their creamy formula, and I did.

Swatches Left to to Right: Scandelicious (my friend bought), So Vain

Temptalia has a great post with some possible dupes for all of kissable lip colours so if you don't feel like getting any now you could always wait and choose something from the permanent line.

Temptalia links: http://www.temptalia.com/mac-peacocky-kissable-lipcolour-dupes-comparisons-part-1

                           http://www.temptalia.com/mac-peacocky-kissable-lipcolour-dupes-comparisons-part-2

Plus it seems that Vegas Volt and So Vain are pretty close, with Vegas Volt being brighter having more orange in it. 

Swatches: Vegas Volt, So Vain

Next, are the lipsticks that I've been wanting for a while...

Left to Right: Vegas Volt, Girl About Town, Viva Glam Nicki, Mac Red

Note: Swatches came out a little light because I had just applied hand cream before, apologies - will keep in mind next time. 

Left to right: Vegas Volt, Girl About Town, Viva Glam Nicki, Mac Red

Viva Glam Nicki is a warm yellow based pink perfect for summer months. It is though very bright/almost neon (good for the whole neon trends this spring/summer) so unless you are very brave you might want to apply lip balm before hand or pat it on to your lips. It's a Satin finish so it applied very pigmented, it's long lasting. Whether if it's drying or not depends on the texture of your lips, I find it a lovely formula but some disagree. Remember, this lipstick is out for a whole year so I don't think there's any hurry to buy it as soon as it hits stores, anyway the money goes towards a good cause so it's a win/win purchase  

I've heard from many people that Tom Ford's discontinued Pure Pink Lipstick is similar to Girl About Town and 3 times cheaper - so happy because even though I have a couple of Tom Ford lipsticks I don't want to be paying extortionate prices for it. I really love this lipstick, and it does become a lovely deep fuchsia with a couple layers.

I first saw Vegas Volt on my sister-in-law on holiday and loved it ever since. It's sort of a creamy orange, and if you don't know already I LOVE orange lips, especially in summer. Tan skin + Orange lips = Heaven

My friend bought MAC Red which is very flattering on people who have a warm undertone. 

These lip colours are definitely among my favourite from MAC, let me know what yours are! 

xxx