No 7 Shadow Sticks...A Dupe?

I have seen a lot of bloggers compare these to the By Terry Ombre Blackstars and as they are a fraction of the price I thought I would pick a few shades up. 

I'm just going to get this out of the way quick, I really don't think these are in any way a dupe- they are nowhere near as good and out of the four I have, there is only that I actually like. 

I have the shades Coffee Bean, Gunmetal Grey, Cool Mink and Deep Purple.

I will start off with the positive- Cool Mink is a nice cool taupe shade that adds some subtle interest to the eye.

I love that this can be quickly scribbled on in two seconds flat and it lasts all day.

L-R: Cool Mink, Deep Purple, Coffee Bean and Gunmetal Grey 

I bought Coffee Bean as it looked quite similar to By Terrys Brown Perfection and to be honest I wish I hadn't. I would have much rather put that £8 towards the By Terry offering.

It is quite a stiff formula, I would rather it was creamier so there was no dragging.

Once on and blended the colour seemed to dull down to a rather boring shade and most of the shimmers seemed to disappear. To add insult to injury it wasn't particularly long lasting and it did crease.

It's just really boring and fades to a grey brown.

I had similar issues (if not worse) with Deep Purple.
It worked fine when blended lightly on the lower lashline but all over the lid it skipped, dragged and moved like crazy.

Gunmetal wasn't as bad, it's not my colour so I don't really know why I bought it, so I think I am swayed by not liking the colour, but it does perform better than the others although it is hard to blend and sets that bit too quick making things look a little blocky.

In these pictures I am wearing Coffee Bean on the lid, Gunmetal Grey on the inner corners and Deep Purple on the lower lashline. 

See what I mean? The colours have dulled and there is creasing. 

L-R: Coffee Bean, Deep Purple, Gunmetal Grey and Cool Mink

 Bottom Line : The swatches make these shadow sticks look better than they are. I will definitely keep Cool Mink as an easy every day shade, but overall I am really unimpressed with these and I wont be picking up anymore. 

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By Terry Ombre Blackstar : Swatches and Review

The By Terry Ombre Blackstars do tend to polarize opinions.

I read far more favorable reviews than negative, but I feel like I sit in a weird no mans land because I do see their faults but I continue to love them anyway.

Does that make sense?

These cream eye shadows do not come cheap at £29- I only managed to justify them by redeeming by five quid off reward from SpaceNK.

I wish considering their price tag that they were perfect- I think for that amount of money a product should be flawless, but it is not.

I have two shades- Bronze Moon and Misty Rock.

Brown Perfection will be mine the moment I have enough Ndulge points. 

The consistency and texture of these sticks is divine- super creamy but not smeary, they apply like a dream- there is no dragging or scratching and the colours are my absolute favorites. 

L-R Bronze Moon and Misty Rock

Bronze Moon is as the name would suggest, a bronze shade with a lot of gleam to it- it almost looks wet on the eye. Such a easy shade to wear and perfect for when you are in a hurry.

I scribble on, blend through the crease and then apply a touch more over those pesky mascara smudges then BOOM. 

A wet look bronzey eye in 4 seconds.

The BM formula is the better of the two- I have far less issues with creasing and it lasts and lasts until I take it off.

The issue that I can face is that if I apply a bit too much/its a super hot day - creasing can happen. I don't really need a primer with this, but on a humid day, it is a must.

I love this so much and when it runs out, I will definitely repurchase, its so easy and such a unique bronze colour, but it is not perfect. 

Misty Rock is the more complex of the two. I love this shade big time- its a purple/taupe/silver- so unique and it just makes me feel so summery. 

Again, I would repurchase when it runs out without hesitation, but this CAN be quite difficult to work with.

I find if I prime my eyelids, and set with powder my problems do halve- but for £29 I think it's worth noting.

Every time I wear this people ask me what it is, it is easy and creamy to apply, it doesn't flake and it gives another beautiful wet look to the eye- but it can crease like a mofo. 

Exhibit A: 

See what I mean? It just seems to crack.

I don't have particularly oily lids but if you do I would either avoid or use a heavy duty primer.

Bronze Moon in action with a bit of Bobbi Browns Camel in the crease :

Here's just a little swatch to give you more of an idea of colour :

L-R: Bronze Moon and Misty Rock

Bottom Line : I will continue to use these around the clock- beautiful colours, super easy to apply, very travel friendly and long lasting. 

The con is obviously the creasing and normally that is a humongous no no from me, I can try to avoid it with primers and powders etc, but even if the cracks appear, I love these too much to be perturbed.

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Maybelline Colour Tattoos : The Good and Bad

You may have gathered by now, that I love cream eye shadows.

They're so easy to work with, look like you tried harder than you have and they tend to have good longevity.

However, not all formulas are created equal.

It seems pretty obvious that across different brands, there will be different formulas, but I have also found that even within brands and within the exact same range, there can be vast difference.

Enter the Maybelline Colour Tattoos. 

Some of these are fantastic, some, not so much.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I feel it's a good idea to give a brief overview.

One of the great things about these little pots is that they are incredibly affordable ; about £4.99 depending on where you buy them and they are often on offer- so it's very easy to end up taking a few home. 

They are (in the UK anyway) very easy to find on the high street, in Boots, Superdrug, Asda etc.

It started off with the original formula that was predominately metallic and in the last year or so they have introduced the 'Leather Effect' which tends to be more matte.

There is a great shade selection from turquoise to navy and garnet red to matte grey.

The creams are quite dense but when you put your finger on it, it becomes almost liquid and very easy to work with. 

Onto the swatches: 

From L-R we have:

Metallic Pomegranate: This is a true cranberry shade with silver glitter.

I don't wear this shade that much as I don't really think it suits me, but I have seen it look gorgeous on others and especially if you have blue/green eyes it will look lovely on you.

Even though I don't often reach for it, I cannot fault this formula, it is smooth, creamy, opaque and even.

A brilliant cream eye shadow.

On and on Bronze : This is hands down my favorite shade and as you can probably see from above, I have made quite the dent in this.

Regardless of this being affordable, you need this in your stash as it performs just as well as creams that are 5 times the price.

It is a lovely light golden bronze colour.

I especially enjoy using this when I am tired as it catches the light so nicely that it really perks up my face.

This performs just as well as Metallic Pomegranate, if not better.

I will always have this in my collection. 

Chocolate Suede : This is part of the leather collection, however there is a it of shimmer to it.

This is, as the name would suggest a chocolate brown, but I don't love it. I don't reach for this as often as the formula (although not bad) isn't as creamy as the ones above and when applied I just find it a little underwhelming,..the interesting shimmers don't really stand out and it just ends up looking a bit...bla.

Creamy Beige : This is also part of the leather collection but I adore this one and I use it almost as much as On and on bronze.

It is very natural on the lid and I enjoy using it when I am wearing a bold lip and I want some definition on the eye but nothing that is going to distract.

The formula of this is smooth and fairly opaque but it does need a bit of building up but as the colour is quite similar to my skin tone, it never looks super obvious on me, and I love that about it. 

I didn't even realize until removing the swatches that there is teeny tiny shimmer particles in it- this doesn't translate to the eye.

I guess you could call it a Satin finish. 

Vintage Plum : This is also part of the leather range, and I was drawn to it as I don't own anything quite like it...in the pot it's an interesting lilac/grey that's quite subdued and matte.

Alas, this is the bad one of the bunch. 

It is hard to get a proper opaque swatch, it took a couple of dips to achieve this:

And the moment you start blending, this happens:

It literally disappears into the skin as you blend in, it's so odd.

I don't mean sheers out a little, no, it literally blends into nothing. Like it somehow rubs itself off.

This a total dud and I have tried with and without primer and I just can't get this to work for me. 

Bottom Line : I really rate Metallic Pomegranate, On and on bronze and Creamy beige and I think they will be a welcome addition to any ones stash.

The formulas of those three are fantastic, and it is an added bonus that they wont break the bank.

It is very hard to find pigmented, long lasting cream eye shadows on the high street, so these are well worth a look into.

Chocolate Suede is nice but just not my cup of tea, and I would definitely advise walking past Vintage Plum. 

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Clarins Does Summer : Aquatic Treasures

Here we have the new Clarins Ombre Iridescent Aquatic Cream to Powder Shadows in Aquatic Rose and Aquatic Grey.

These are brand new and limited edition, so if you like the look of these- you need to pick them up sooner rather than later!

I have seen a third shade online called Aquatic Green- but I didn't see it in boots and as I have the new Charlotte Tilbury cream shadow in Cleopatra I don't feel I have missed out too much!

These two little pots are gorgeous and due to their cream to powder texture, they are unlike the creams I already have and also very easy to work with. 

A finger or a flat shader brush (like a Mac 239) will both perform the same job well. 

First, we have Aquatic Rose :

This is so not normally something I would be interested in, its undeniably pretty, but I tend to go for slightly deeper, warmer colours, but it was love at first swatch.

It is a beautiful pale rose gold and it's just so fresh and clean looking. 

I wore this all over the lid, but it also looks lovely on the inner corners.

Here it is all over the lid:

I only have a touch on here, but you can see it can be worn as a sheer wash of colour that's very day time appropriate. 

It can be built up more, it is pigmented but it's never going to be in your face.

I know I will get a lot of use out of this and the texture is smooth and dreamy.

Aquatic Grey : 

This is a iridescent grey shade with a blue tinge.

I also love this shade, but what I love most about these two shades is that they are different to what one tends to expect to see from summer collections.

It becomes the norm to expect a lot of bronzey/gold/warm shades, which I do enjoy but it all gets a bit samey, I really welcome the inclusion of these cooler shades.

I wore the rose shade all over the lid and the grey blended out into the crease and it looked so fresh and young whilst managing to still look summery!

Having warmer bronzed skin and cooler eyes is such a beautiful combination.

These blend very well together and due to their cream to powder formula, you don't have that worry of furiously blending out the shadow in the fear it will set too fast and look blotchy. 

Bottom Line : I really like these. 

If you are interested in getting a couple of bits from the summer collection, I would definitely give these a swatch and see what you think.

They blend very well and I do think it is an interesting combination that is rarely seen this time of year.

Something about the combo just works...I wore the grey all over the lid as well without the rose and I did like it, but I prefer adding the rose. It's just more unique.

When I added the grey to my lower lash line it did add a nice faint glimmer of blue and it's so pretty!

I have mostly normal lids but I always wear an eye primer and I did have good wear out of these.
These are very long lasting- they didn't fade on me at all, but by the 8 hour mark there was minor, minor creasing.

If you like the look of these- they are limited edition so get them before they're gone!

They are £19 each, get them here 

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Face Of The Day

Here's a look at whats on my face today!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua : This is one of my favorite foundations of all time. I use the shade B20 and it matches me perfectly, giving me a light/medium coverage that looks natural and glowy.

This is totally day time appropriate although I have worn it at night as well.

You have to give it a good shake as its a very watery foundation, but it just blends into nothing on the skin.

I sometimes use a brush with this, but as of late I have been loving just massaging it in with fingers.

If you love natural, glowy bases- check this one out.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush : I feel quite harsh talking about this beautiful palette as it was a limited edition, but the shade on the far left (Luminous Flush) and far right (Mood Exposure) are both permenant.

The middle shade Incandescent Electra was initially a palette exclusive, but I saw on Temptalia that Hourglass will soon be releasing this as a single, permanent shade!

I'm so glad because I adore this shade, everyone should have the chance to own it.

I love all of these blushes as a whole, baked products are my obsession at the moment as they look so natural.

These blushes look glowy and genuinely achieve that lit from within look. I love these- I highly recommend.

Also they are pigmented, but they blend in seamlessly so you don't get that harsh block of blush on your face.

Incandescent Electra is my go to whenever I'm tired as it perks up my face without being obvious and due to the subtle shimmer, it negates the need for highlighter.

Incandescent Electra

I don't know if that swatch helps at all! But it is a lovely peachy pink.

By Terry Ombre Black Star in Bronze Moon : I love this, if you weren't sure which shade to get, go for this one. The formula is exceptional, fairs better without primer (which is basically unheard of in my books) its appropriate for all occasions and its so damn easy to work with.

Just a note though, I also have the shade 'Misty Rock' and I think the Bronze Moon formula is better, as its just that bit smoother and doesn't crease at all. MR doesn't, but at the end of the day, I can see a few lines starting to appear and it looks ever so slightly patchy.

I love both of them, but if you're going to spend £29 on one eyeshadow, you want it to be perfect, and for me BM just takes the lead here.

I sweep this over my eyelid, the formula just glides across, and then I blend through the crease.

A gorgeous, sheeny bronze eye in no time. You will look polished with zero effort.

Perfect on days like today, when you just can't be bothered.

                                             

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sexy Sienna : This is still my number one at the moment, read a full review here.

Benefit Gimme Brow : I love this stuff so much I've nearly run out. I have the shade medium/dark which is a perfect match, it's nice and ashy, none of that warm red undertone creeping through...I made that mistake in my teens. It didn't suit me.

If I am having a good brow day- if they have just been threaded, I only really need to use this on its own. When the brows are unruly, I tend to use my Benefit Browzing, but always with this after, to set and add texture.

I have sparse eyebrows, which annoys me as I have dark hair and dark eyes, yet not much in the way of eyebrows.

I'm not bothered about having Cara Delevinge brows, I just want my brows to look groomed, fuller and natural. Gimme brow does this by darkening the eyebrows that I do have, and adding volume making it look like I have more hairs than I do.

Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers : I have to curl my lashes everyday and these do a lovely job at grabbing the lashes and giving them a good lift. Some curlers can pinch the lid (which is as unpleasant as it sounds) but I rarely run into that problem here.

I am also wearing Benefits 'They're Real' mascara - a full review is on its way!

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Charlotte Tilbury: Eyes To Mesmerise: Review and Swatches

Charlotte Tilbury has done it again.

I have been itching to get my hands on these ever since I saw sneak peeks online, just hoping that they were actually as beautiful and pigmented as they seemed.

I am very pleased to report that they are.

CT has released 6 new cream eye shadows called the 'Eyes to Mesmerise : Long-lasting Easy Cream Eyeshadow'. They promise highly pigmented, long wearing, glossy eyes with minimal effort but high impact. I think they have achieved this.

L-R: Veruschka and Cleopatra

Out of the 6 shades, there were 5 I was desperate to get my hands on, but I didn't want to order them all at once in case I didn't like the formula. At £22 each, I needed them to be good.

So I ordered 2, in the shades Veruschka and Cleopatra.

Lets start with Veruschka.

Veruschka is described as a 'minky-mossy golden grey-green', it seems like a long winded description but I do agree with this as it is full of complex shimmers, so the base often appears golden with green flecks, but then khaki with golden flecks.

I love it.

Veruschka

I think the swatch will show the colour more accurately, but its a lovely way to wear a golden/green shade that still remains in the neutral territory. it is in no way intimidating and very day time appropriate.

I will say that these fair better with a primer underneath (I use my Urban Decay Primer Potion), which for me isn't a problem at all as I never go without eye primers, but without the colour didn't show as vibrantly and did need more building up. I think if you have oily lids, a primer will be very important as I think these need a clean, matte texture to lie on.

On my left eye (your right) I didn't use a primer and I don't think it looks as even as the right.

These are easy to apply sheer, I dot a bit on with my finger, then gently blend with a buffing brush. For more impact, shown above, I added a couple more layers.

They don't crease on me, and when you touch your eyelids you can't feel anything. I find most cream eye shadows that contain a lot of shimmer often feel dry and crispy (nice). Not here.

Cleopatra is described as a 'Vibrant Peacock'

Cleopatra

Please excuse my lack of blending is this picture, I was more concerned about getting the colour on- trust me when I say these do blend very easily with a brush!

This is my absolute favorite. Just look at that colour, it is utterly stunning.

 I'm wearing it as I write this, I have had it on for about 12 hours now and it is STILL as glossy and vibrant as the picture above.

The moment I saw this swatch online I knew I had to have it.

This colour is obviously a step away from the neutrals, and I love that about it.

I have a few of Charlotte's 'Colour Chameleon Crayons', and although they're lovely, I was really hoping for something more bluey/green and more out there. I'm totally obsessed with this colour.

Charlotte suggests pairing this with the Marlene Midnight eye kohl, which I put on my waterline and it's lovely. You can see a swatch of that pencil here

If you have dark eyes/skin/hair- this will look incredible on you.

Even if this colour scares you, try it on your lower lashline, or put some of Macs 'Texture' in the crease to warm it up. This shade is wearable and not garish.

L-R: Veruschka and Cleopatra

Bottom Line: If you've haven't gathered by now, I love these and they are a very welcome addition to my make up collection. I enjoy their moussey, smooth texture and the fact that they actually last.

A primer will help and 2/3 layers will give you full impact.

I only dipped my finger into the pot once to achieve the swatches above, so these are pigmented, it's just if you blend they will sheer out a bit, so I added a bit more onto my mobile lid.

You can add as much as you want as this forgiving texture is so creamy it never looks cakey or uneven.

The three shades I need to save up for are Bette (amber gold), Mona Lisa (chocolate bronze) and Marie Antoinette (oyster gold), so I can add some warmer shades to the party. 

I love a good cream eye shadow and I own a few from By Terry to Trish Mcevoy to Maybelline and these are quickly becoming a favorite.

These cost £22 and you can buy them here

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Mini Charlotte Tilbury Haul and Sneak Peek....

Charlotte Tilbury HQ really have it down when it comes to wrapping up their goods.
Everything is burgundy and gold. I can't deal.

That aside,  I wanted to show you my new purchases.
Two items are new to the line, and one not so new.
I have coveted the Matte Lipstick in 'Sexy Sienna' for quite some time and I thought as the new 'Eyes to Mesmerise' have just been released, it was a good time for a little spending spree.

I will have swatches up in the next few days so check in if you're interested.
So far I have managed to abstain from playing with them until my camera has charged, but its been difficult.
I'm really hoping these creams are as pigmented and metallic as they promise to be.
I know CT had a hand in creating the Tom Ford make up line and everyone goes nuts for his cream shadows, so I'm hoping not to be disappointed here....

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