The Bourjois Palette Le Smoky and Les Nudes are the newest eyeshadow palette from French brand Bourjois.
Both of the palettes come in cool plastic packaging with a magnetic lid.
It is similar to the packaging on their Dèlice de Soleil Bronzer.
The lid contains a really good sized mirror which you can twist around 360 degrees.
They also come with a dual sponged tipped applicator. This doesn’t really float my boat if I’m honest though.
As you can of course tell from the names, one of the palettes is meant to be more suited to smoky eye looks. The other more suited to more neutral eye looks. Smoky I can get on board with, the Nudes, not so much. But, let me show you both in action 🙂
First up we have the Bourjois Palette Le Smoky:
It contains eight shades ranging from an ice white, silver, grey, blue, purple to black.
Then, we have the Bourjois Palette Les Nudes.
Again there are eight shades in this palette, ranging from white, silver, purple, gold and brown. To me, this palette isn’t really representative of nude/neutral eyeshadow shades at all. The last four shades, maybe, but the first four shades are icy cool toned colours that I don’t really associate with the term nude (in eyeshadow talk anyways 🙂 ).
Both of these palettes are full of shimmer and glitter. If you don’t like shimmer, you wont like them whatsoever! They both have one matte shade that is the darkest colour in both of the palettes. After giving both of them a whirl, I will say the shadows are ok. They feel soft to the touch and they definitely apply more opaque with your fingers. But, you can get pay off (not as much though) with a brush. I used a mixture of both of them here:
They aren’t the easiest to work with and there is fallout and it’s sparkly, so be prepared to have to clean that up. Also, the colour arrangements are a bit odd, I think. And there is a lack of transition colours, so you will probably have to incorporate some other shadows in if you creating more of a look with them. They do last well on the eyelids, well at least they did on mine with a primer underneath.
The Bourjois Palette Le Smoky and Les Nudes are available in Boots stores or online here now. They retail for €15.99 a piece. But, Bourjois have a 2 for €15 deal on at the minute. So if you like what you see you better work fast 🙂 I think that price point is much more suited to them personally.
https://i2.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Bourjois-Palette-Le-Smoky-Les-Nudes_4911.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=110671600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2016-10-16 13:18:552016-10-16 13:18:55Bourjois Palette Le Smoky and Les Nudes
I only went and spent some of my Boots points on the Nyx Highlight & Contour Pro Palette. I’ve wanted to try it for ages after seeing so many good things online about it. Using my Boots points made me feel less guilty about it because I definitely didn’t need another contour product, let alone a palette! 🙂
The description of the Nyx Highlight & Contour Pro Palette on the Boots website: ‘Define your features like a pro with our highlight and contour palette! Each set includes eight customizable highlighting and contouring shades perfect for emphasizing your favorite features’.
The packaging is a little more flimsy than I expected for the price. Each pan contains 2.7 grams of product.
Powder contour and highlight palettes are a pretty common occurrence in the makeup world nowadays. Alot of brands have tried their hand at variations of them. I have the Anastasia one and I have the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette that I reviewed here a while back.
In the palette there is eight powder shades.
The four lighter highlight shades are on the top and look a bit like this swatched on the skin.
Ice Queen/ Soft Light/ Cream/ Nectar
‘Ice Queen’ and ‘Nectar’ are a shimmery highlight. Then, ‘Soft Light’ and ‘Cream’ are matte.
Then, there is four contour shades to hopefully cover a multitude of different skin tones.
Tan/ Toffee/ Sculpt/ Hollow
We all probably wouldn’t get use out of all four, but I always end up using these as eye shadows too so that doesn’t really bother me personally. What I do notice about the contour shades though is that they have more of a satin finish rather than being completely matte.
The powders are soft to the touch and they do blend. However, they are powdery and the pigment is softer when you apply the powders with a brush onto the skin.
The Nyx Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is available from any good Nyx stockists. I bought mine from Boots with my points as I said, but you can get it in store or online here for €25. You can also buy refills for the palette here that are €4.75 each. I really like this idea. It means you can just buy the single shades you want, or you can refill the palette as you see fit.
I picked up the Clarins Instant Concealer after seeing so much positive feedback on it in the blogging community.
There may not be many of us around but I am definitely one of the few people who did not get the hype about the Nars Creamy Concealer. I found it hard to blend and kind of drying to be honest. So I did buy the Clarins Instant Concealer hesitantly as it seemed to be the next big thing in under eye concealers since the Nars offering.
I can report…I bloomin’ love it!! I picked up the shade 01, which was hard to get a hold of actually so there must be lots of pale gals like me throwing it into their baskets.
I find this a very good shade match for my skintone. The concealer itself I would describe as dense but very workable. You can slap it on both eyes and will have plenty of time to blend it in without worrying about it setting too quickly. It does set though, you are not left with shiny under eyes that need an abundance of powder.
The coverage of the Instant Concealer is really great. I can even bring it down around my nose and find it covers flaws and large pores. It has really great staying power too. This concealer highlights even paler skin like mine. As you can see below, it does brighten my under eye area as well as conceal.
Before Application
After Application
I know I don’t suffer with huge under circles, but I do have some darkness as well as pigmentation and freckles. A small amount of the Instant Concealer gets to grips with this very easily.
I am really impressed overall with this product. Clarins is not a brand I find myself reaching for much when I am in the market for new makeup, but I think I will be making more time for it in the future.
A 15ml tube of the Clarins Instant Concealer will set you back 25 euro in Brown Thomas, Boots or alot of leading pharmacies.
I could probably make a list like this at least once a year. I know Mac lippies are a bit expensive and other more afforable brands do brilliant alternatives that I have and love, but Mac lipsticks were the first ‘higher end’ makeup I ever owned. I love going into Mac full stop, but coming home with a sleek black bullet full of colour just gets me so excited and less face it they do great lipsticks. You can pick them up in Brown Thomas or in some BT2 and they are priced at 19.50 euro.
So I wanted to compile my top 5 for you. I thought 5 was a manageable number and I could get a good range of colours and finishes into the list, in case you are a Mac newbie or you are just looking for a new one to add to your collection 🙂 I will disclaim and say I am not really a nude lip gal. I have a couple of more nude options in my Mac collection like ‘Lovelorn’ and ‘Myth’ but they don’t really get a whole load of love. I wanted to be honest with my picks, so if you only wear nude lippies…I’m sorry 🙁
First up, I have probably the most wearable out of my 5 picks.
This is ‘Plumful’. This is a lustre finish lipstick. You can see from the bullet this is well loved by me.
It is a modest berry colour, that I think would suit a multitude of people. It has a lovely sheen to it with it being a lustre, so gloss does not have to be added if you like a glossy finish. It goes with any kind of makeup look and is so easy to wear, you can slap this on on the way out the door and you don’t need to worry about it. It last reasonably well too and will leave a hint of a stain behind when it starts to wear.
Next up I have Plumful’s more intense cousin 🙂
This is Rebel and this is a Satin finish lipstick.
I have blabbed about Rebel a good bit since I have added it to my collection. It’s a medium to dark berry toned shade depending on how intensely you apply it and is cool toned. With it being a Satin finish, it is not completely matte, it has a subtle shine to it which makes it comfortable to wear. I love Rebel for a dramatic night out with minimal makeup, it really makes a statement. If you like a dark lip Rebel is a good option to have in my opinion, I get alot of wear out of it. Again, it lasts really well and is easy to touch up throughout the night or day as the Satin formula doesn’t cling too much to the lips.
‘Girl About Town’ is one of my favourite lipsticks ever ever ever.
Growing up, I had crap teeth, so in my teens and early 20’s I didn’t experiment with lipstick alot because I didn’t want to bring attention to them. A few years ago I got Invisalign (best thing I ever did). After a few months my teeth were straight and my lipsticks stash started to grow and grow. Girl About Town was one of the first intense colours I ever bought and will always hold a special place in my heart.
It is an Amplified finish.
This means it packs a bold punch, a little goes a long way. It is a fuschia pink with blue undertones, hello whiter teeth! Although it is nearly a matte formula when on, it’s a creamy lipstick and glides onto the lips really well. I love this shade, it makes you look brighter whatever your skin tone. If you don’t have it, swatch it the next time you are in Mac, it is really worth the look.
The last two on this Mac lipstick journey are matte formula lipsticks.
First up is ‘Lady Danger’.
Lady Danger is one of the coolest lipsticks I own ever, full stop!
It is bold, it is rich, it is orangey red and it has warm undertones, so not for the faint hearted. I think it is alot more orange than red, but I suppose it depends on who is wearing it that determines that. On me (Mac NC20) it is more orange. Lady Danger lasts a really long time on the lips. Although it’s matte its not the most drying lipstick I have ever used, it doesn’t cling too badly if your lips are not in tip top condition. Not for everyone I know, but I just love it 🙂
My last choice is a no brainer. Mac do red lipsticks and they do them well, so one had to creep it’s way into my top 5.
This is their Retro-Matte lipstick in ‘Riri Woo’.
This is the red that they collaborated with Rihanna on, but ‘Ruby Woo’ from the permanent collection is pretty much the same when applied, the packaging just pulled me in on this one.
Riri Woo is the perfect cool toned matte red lipstick. It is pigmented beyond belief but it is one of the most drying lipsicks you will ever use. You need to be prepared for that. It lasts for ages too and will stain the lips as it wears but if your lips begin to dry or flake you will feel it and notice it and it won’t be pretty, so you do have to keep an eye on your lips throughout the day or night. It is best applied with a lip brush for precise application as it can drag the lips a bit.
I sound a bit negative saying all of that, but it is so worth it for the lip colour you get in return, just prepare in advance for it!
There you have it. My top 5 Mac lipsticks. I am always in the market for more favourites, so be sure to tell me yours.
https://i0.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Beautynoom-Top-5-Mac-Lipsticks-25-1.jpg?fit=1600%2C1069&ssl=110691600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2015-03-24 15:13:552016-01-25 19:22:32My Top 5 Mac Lipsticks
As you may have read in my post about what I got for Christmas here, I picked up the Chanel Vitalumiere Loose Powder Foundation in Brown Thomas with a voucher I got off my brother (thanks bro)!
With a price tag of €65.00 I did not want to like this product, but alas I fell in love from the get go, I apologise in advance 🙂
First off I will quickly mention the mini kabuki brush the foundation comes with.
This is the softest little synthetic brush I have ever come across, oh my god, it’s like rubbing a kitten on your face. Dramatic maybe, but it does a fab job at applying the product. It is the perfect density for it and it is very pretty, so a lovely addition to my makeup brushes. I have never owned a Chanel brush before and I feel very fancy indeed using and owning this one 🙂
The sifter on the pot is made of a textile/mesh material rather than plastic which is rather refreshing as you can just bounce the brush of it to get the product onto it. You do have to be careful, the brush can pick up alot, so be sure to tap before you dab onto your face.
Onto the main event, the foundation. I have used a few different powdered foundations in the past, and have always ended up just using them as setting powders as I never really got my desired coverage out of them.
This stuff has changed my mind. I feel comfortable wearing this as just my foundation with some concealer underneath (I have crap skin!), hallelujah!
The Vitalumiere Powder Foundation has an SPF of 15. It is finely milled and blends in very well. It does a good job at covering light imperfections, veins and redness and gives a lovely velvety finish to the skin. You definitely need something more heavy duty underneath for proper breakouts or under eye circles.
I have oily skin so for me this is the perfect kind of product for me. I think if you have dry skin or dry patches this foundation might cling and enhance them, so air on the side of caution and test it out at the counter.
I find this powder lasts really well on me, and looks natural and satin like. It does not oxidise which is brilliant too.
Overall, for such a lightweight powder it ticks so many positive boxes for me. I am nearly sad at this because lets face it, 65 quid is a pretty hefty amount of money to splurge. I suppose it is nice for a treat now and then though. When I enjoy a product like this I add it to my present list, so when family members are thinking of something to buy me, there is always a few reliable things on the list that I will be delighted with. How thoughtful am I? :p
Tell me, have you any favourite mineral foundations?