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Essence All About Greys, All About Nudes Palettes

I have been talking alot about affordable makeup of late and I am LOVING it! It’s so great budget friendly brands are stepping up to the plate and bringing out products that we we are excited to use and talk about all the time!

This blogpost is going to be all about two of the three palettes Essence brought out not too long ago.

The first one is the Essence ‘All About Greys’ palette.

I picked this up the same day I got the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette. It obviously doesn’t have as many shade choices but I just thought the colouring was similar so it could be a cheaper alternative.

So as you can see, there is eight shades in total. They are all cool toned and they all lend themselves to a dark and grey smoky eye just like the Naked Smoky.

They are all shimmery shades, except for the white on the top far left and the black on the top far right, so I do think if you are doing a look with this palette you do need some sort of matte transitional shade to help you along your way, even if you just use your bronzer. The shadows themselves are pigmented, they are soft to the touch, and they do blend, although it will take you a while to do it. Here they are swatched below:

Top Line

Bottom Line

So what about the Essence ‘All About Nudes’ version of the palette?

These shades are much warmer, and I think personally it’s generally a more wearable palette.

There’s more mattes within the eight shadows in this one, so you’re less likely to need another palette to help you along if you are creating a look with it.

Here they are swatched below:

Top Line

Overall, I think these palettes are pretty awesome for their €4.99 price tag. I will say if your lids are in any way oily, you’ll need a primer no doubt about it. I think the shadows do need to be worked with more than maybe some other ones on the market. Some of the shades (particularly the shimmers) actually go on so much nicer and vibrant with your finger or a damp brush, but I think this tip helps with alot of shadows we may own so I don’t hold that against Essence too much. There is fall out, so be weary of that too when applying.

I mix and match these palettes with others I have in my collection, but they do get used and I do reach for them.

There is another palette in this ‘All About’ range that is more bronzed and that looks really nice too, if you prefer a more bronzey look. After playing with these two, I would be more than happy to fork out a fiver for that one too!

As always thanks for reading and I hoped this helped if you were undecided 🙂

xxx

September 7, 2015/1 Comment/by Gem

Current Faves From Catrice Cosmetics

I picked up some bits not too long ago on a bit of a shopping spree from Catrice Cosmetics and I have been loving them and using them alot. I thought I would share some of them with you in case you are in the market for some afforable lovelies 🙂

First up is their All Matt Plus Shine Control Makeup.

I got the shade 015 Vanilla Beige which is a pretty good neutral match for my pink toned skin.

It has a light coverage and is shiny when you first apply but dulls down as it dried into your skin.

This is a good foundation, it lasts well (powdered) on my oily skin and doesn’t oxidise. It isn’t too drying or cakey and it blends really well. It is also buildable for us girls who like a more medium coverage.

Next up on my Catrice love fest is one of their Ultimate Shine Gel Colour Lipsticks.

This is in the shade 080 Russian Violette. These are like a hybrid lipstick lipgloss. They are not sticky and are really pigmented. They feel balmy on the lips so good for days when your lips are not in tip top condition. Also I am in love with this colour.

It’s a purpley pinky lipstick of loveliness and I have been picking it up so much over the past few weeks. It’s so easy to throw on and lasts really well.

My last two Catrice finds are two of their Liquid Metal Eyeshadows.

I threw these into my basket because they looked cool in the pan, I have to be honest. They have a cool wavy effect to them and I couldn’t say no :p

The first one is called 070 Gold Leaf Me and is a kind of pewter cool toned gold colour.

The second one is called 100 What Do You Sea? My description of this would be nearly a green toned blue, if this exists? It is blue but there’s an element of green in there too.

The name Liquid Metal, sums these shadows up quite well I think. They are opaque when built up but you can also just use them for a wash of colour on the lids too. I have used them wet aswell and it brings the metal element out in the colour even more. They are smooth and they blend too which is not always the case for cheaper shadows.

Catrice have really upped their game in the last couple of years. They have such a diverse range of products for all types of makeup users. Everything is reasonably priced, and they are constantly bringing out new collections and products to keep us wanting more. I know I do 🙂

xxx

March 9, 2015/2 Comments/by Gem

Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit

So this is the brand, Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit. Contouring has taken off so much in the mainstream world. It is not just a makeup artists secret weapon anymore. I have spoken about contouring before, but it is a much more expensive product, have a read here if you are a makeup junkie 🙂

At first glance, this looks very similar to a Nars palette or if you are familar with Elf, they do a product very similar looking too but again mimicking Nars.

The packaging is smooth to the touch and inside it boasts a large mirror..never a bad thing.

It contains two powders. A matte grey toned bronze and a pinkier toned lighter powder. A highlighter and contour duo.

The dark shade is on point for my light skin tone, the highlight shade is pretty much my skin tone so it won’t be doing much highlighting around these parts. As you can see below it’s barely even visible. With tan on and maybe a darker shade of foundation it may work though, I can use it as a setting powder on normal days.

The Seventeeen Define & Conquer is a good damn product. I think I would be so rash and say I like it better than some of it’s highstreet counterparts. The deep shade is the perfect tone for contouring. It’s a soft powder, it blends in really well and does a great job of defining your cheekbones without looking dirty or grubby, as well as your nose or temples depending on how much contouring you like to do.

Before application

Seventeen Define & Conquer Palette on skin

After application

I have a round face, so I need more than a bit of powder to give me definition but it does make things look better that’s for sure. I tend to use it under my chin too for a bit of shadow, I need all of the help I can get 🙂

As I am pretty oily, my skin tends to eat up makeup during the day. I found the Seventeen Define & Conquer powders lasted really well on me and I could still notice the contour in the evening when I was washing the day away.

If you are new to contouring and want something to learn with, this palette is perfect for you. It even gives you a little step by step guide to get you started.

This Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit is available in Boots and is €7.59 a bargain or what?

xxx

March 6, 2015/1 Comment/by Gem

Posts

I have been talking alot about affordable makeup of late and I am LOVING it! It’s so great budget friendly brands are stepping up to the plate and bringing out products that we we are excited to use and talk about all the time!

This blogpost is going to be all about two of the three palettes Essence brought out not too long ago.