Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint Rich Russet

I'm a big, big fan of bronze eye shadows. Nothing's better at making my blue eyes really pop and they somehow manage to be both daytime and evening appropriate at the same time. So when there's a massively hyped up bronzey eye shadow....-ish product, what else am I to do other than go out and buy it?

There was quite a bit of a stir when these first came out, especially regarding this particular shade, "Rich Russet". The formula is creamy, but also quite liquid, so it's applied with a doe foot applicator rather than coming in a pot like most cream shadows. It feels quite wet on the eye lids for about half a minute, after which it dries down and doesn't really move anymore.

I must admit that I wasn't massively blown away by the pigmentation of this. If you blend it while it's still wet it is all too easy to blend away too much, leaving virtually no colour on the eye lids. But if you really pack it on it takes ages to dry and creasing becomes more likely.
Having said that I was pretty impressed by how well this stays put on the eye lids. Primer isn't really necessary and though you can add some powder shadow over the top to improve longevity, it does last most of the day without creasing.

Now, the colour is definitely something to write home about. The gold and silver shimmer in the brown base is so fine and dense that even after the shadow's dried down you get a foil like metallic effect. It makes for sparkly eyes that still look grown up and chic. It's just a shame that it's so difficult to build it up to the same intensity on the eye lids as you can see on the hand swatch. Otherwise it would literally be the perfect product.

But as it is, it's still a great eye shadow, which is easy to apply (you can just blend it out using your fingers if you're in a rush), lasts well all day and is budget friendly to boot.

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

Remember when these came out and where a huge thing in beauty-blogger-land? It feels like only yesterday, yet these pictures have been sitting on my laptop for months, and even then I was a little late to the party!
Maybelline Color Tattoos were originally hailed as the drugstore dupe for MAC's paint pots, which to this day are still my favourite way of priming my eye lids, making any shadow applied over the top last all day long.

The original colour range was very limited, but nowadays there are 17 shades to choose from (although I believe that 6 of those are currently unavailable in the UK), ranging from muted neutrals to shimmery brights. Even though it's been a while since their release, I still find a majority of colours are pretty much permanently sold out. (That, or perhaps my local drugstores are just really rubbish at restocking.)

One thing I really, really like about these is the packaging, which looks far more expensive than their £4.99 price tag. The glass jar presents itself very nicely and I like the writing at the bottom. The lid sits nice and secure and the product inside is easily accessible.

While I can see the similarities between Color Tattoos and MAC paint pots in the way they translate from cream to powder on the eye lids, I did find that the formula of these is a lot firmer and less creamy, making it a touch more difficult to blend out. Once they're on, however, they really do stay on. I'm not sure if they live up to their 24hr claim, as I don't wear make-up that long (does anyone?), but they certainly last all day on the lids and work even better if you blend a powder eye shadow over the top.

Another way in which these are inferior to their MAC counterparts is the way the colour goes on quite patchy, as you can see in the swatch above. From looking around other blogs I found that this seems to be an issue only with the matte shades, however, with Permanent Taupe being particularly bad. Overall, the colour looks a lot less flattering on the lids than I imagined. I'm sure there are lots of people who can really pull this one off well, but on me it just looks like the very wrong end of 90s heroin chic.

So while I'm not the biggest fan of this particular colour and insist that they're not quite as good as MAC Paint Pots, I still think that this is a great little product and I can definitely see myself picking up a different shade soon - the rose gold one in particular looks absolutely stunning!

Monthly Favourites: January 2014

1) Yes Nurse! Hand cream

There's not much to say about this hand cream that I haven't said before (check out my full review of this one here), but it's quite possibly the best hand cream I've ever used. No faffing about with greasy, slimy hands that won't let you touch anything without leaving a snail trail. This sinks in pretty much instantly and protects my hands from the harsh environment. Every winter my hands would get so dry that the skin would crack at the knuckles - now that's a thing of the past. The tube in the picture has been in my handbag for a while, so it's gone a bit manky and it's starting to run low as well, but I can definitely see myself repurchasing this.

2) MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush

I've had this product for ages and it's only recently, when rummaging through my stash, that I rediscovered it. I've not put it down ever since! It's got quite a hard, waxy cream texture, but I find that that makes it perfect for placing a strategic highlight on top of the cheekbones as well as above the lip on the cupid's bow. It works best when blended in with fingers, as I find that brushes struggle to pick up the pigment. I actually reviewed this product on my blog in May two years ago, back when I lived in Germany for a bit and wrote my posts in two languages! Click here for a blast from the past.

3) Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray

This mini thickening spray came as a freebie with a magazine sometime last autumn I think. The first time I used it I was a tad overzealous and as a result my hair went literally horizontal after blow drying. There's volume and there's too much volume. After that incident I've banished the spray to the back of my unwanted drawer, but something made me dig it out again at the start of the month and give it another go. Turns out, if you're not overgenerous with your application, this is actually a brilliant product that gives me just that little bit of lift to my hair without being at all sticky or drying on the hair. 

4) Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

Right before Christmas there was a 3 for 2 deal on all Rimmel products on at Boots, and as I was in the market for a new foundation and mascara anyway, I popped this into my basket as well, seeing as I'd heard so many good things about the Color Tattoos from various blogs. Turns out, I can completely understand the hype. The formula is simply brilliant. Nice and creamy and blendable to begin with, it eventually settles into a powder finish that does not budge all day. Permanent Taupe is a little less pigmented and more muted compared to the other shades on offer, but it works amazing with a winged eye liner. I can't wait to get my hands on some of the other colours, including On and On Bronze!

Love Me Beauty Box January 14

After last month's slight disappointment with my Love Me Beauty box and the options they had on offer, the first box of this year got me excited again with some lovely menus to choose from. Four out of five items are full sized products and there's a nice mix of make-up, haircare and skincare. All the menus featured the Anatomicals shower gel, the Pureology styling mousse, the Cosmetics a la Carte mascara and the NYX eye shadow, albeit in different shades depending on the menu. Lastly, you got to choose between a Weleda body oil sample, a Weleda hand cream sample or a full sized Arran Aromatics soap. The menu I went for was Menu 3, as I liked the eye shadow shade the most out of all of the options.

1) NYX Cosmetics | Single Eyeshadow in "Sahara"

Full size: £5.00

NYX Cosmetics Single Eyeshadow in Sahara swatch in day light

The first item in the box was a full sized eye shadow by NYX - a brand I used to see quite a lot of when I lived in Germany, but that's not overly prevalent over here in the UK. This eyeshadow is the only reason I chose this particular menu, as the other shades on offer were a bright orange which I wouldn't really know how to wear and a dark smoky grey which I have enough of in my collection already. Sahara translates as a light sparkly champagne onto the skin and admittedly I'm not overly impressed with the pigmentation. It might work quite well as a base colour, however, or for adding a bit of sparkle to an everyday make-up look.

2) Arran Aromatics | Apothecary Wheatgerm & Vitamin E Soap

Full size: £2.75

As I chose my box by eye shadow colour this is a product that I was sort of forced to pick. I would have preferred the Weleda body oil sample to be completely honest, as it's difficult to get excited over soap. However, it's something we all need and I have no doubt that I'll use it. I haven't unwrapped it yet, as I want to leave it fresh for when we move into our new home, so I can't really comment on the scent of this product.

3) Anatomicals | Rose & Jasmine Body Cleanser

Full size: £3.00

I know there's quite a few people who don't like getting body wash in their beauty boxes and while I understand completely where they're coming from, I personally don't mind at all, as long as it's not too frequent. Shower gel is something everyone needs, but I usually get mine from the Pound shop or on special offer from the supermarket, so it's nice to have something a tad more special from time to time. Having said that, this one only comes in at £3 anyway, so it's certainly not a splurge product anyway! I really like the smell of roses, so to me this scent is pure bliss. Not to mention I'm a huge fan of Anatomicals' packaging design and cheeky slogans!

4) Pureology | Colour Stylist Silk Bodifier

Full size: £15.00 for 250ml / Sample value: £4.88

Well, admittedly it's been quite a while since I've used mousse on my hair and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this sample. Memories of sticky, crispy hair come to mind, but perhaps mousse formulas have improved over the years and I'll fall in love with this product. I've heard a lot of beauty bloggers rave about Pureology and their sulfate-free products, so it's nice to try something from the brand for myself. This mousse in particular is also made for colour-treated hair, so should be perfect for my bleached tresses.

5) Cosmetics a la Carte | Divine Lash Mascara in "Black"

Full size: £23.00

Even after browsing their website, I can't quite fathom where I've heard of this brand before, but the name does certainly ring a bell. Hailed as this month's star product, I'm certainly excited to try this mascara. Which girl doesn't love mascara after all? This one has quite spiky looking long synthetic bristles - a bit like a hybrid between a traditional mascara wand and a lash comb. I can't wait to give this a trial run on my lashes and see how it performs!

Total value: £38.63

It feels like Love Me Beauty have certainly kicked off the New Year by returning back to form. Out of the five products I received this month, I can say with certainty that I will use each and every single one. I like the nice mix of product types and high-end vs. budget brands featured. Even though two brands have been in boxes before (Arran Aromatics and Anatomicals), they're completely different types of products, so I don't mind like I did with last month's Lord & Berry scenario. Now I can't wait to see what's going to be in next month's box!

Are you subscribed to Love Me Beauty? If so, what did you think of this month's boxes?

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Review

I've owned this palette for quite some time now, but somehow haven't got round to reviewing it yet. There are literally tons upon tons of reviews and swatch posts on the web, but surely it can't hurt to add my own two cents, eh?

This palette is my first Urban Decay product ever and it took some massive hyping up for me to part with £36 for what is effectively a box full of brown eye shadows.

The Naked 2 palette comes in a sturdy metal tin with a large mirror in the lid and a double sided brush. Also enclosed is a small lipgloss sample, which I find a little random and have barely touched to be completely honest with you.

The shades range from a pale skin tone beige up to a matte black, with a variety of neutral shimmers in between. The one thing this palette offers that sets it above the rest is an awful lot of room to play with simple daytime or dramatic evening looks. It's amazing for holidays or even short weekends away. Chuck it into your luggage and that's your eye make up sorted.

The shadows are all very soft to the touch but haven't crumbled or cracked once ever since I've had the palette. The shimmery shades offer far more pigmentation than the mattes, though there is also quite a significant amount of fallout with those shades.

As for lasting power I'd say these perform about average - about 4 hours without a primer on my oily lids and pretty much all day with a good primer.

To be completely homest with you these are a little bit too much on the golden shimmery side for me and I could have done with a little less shimmer on some of the shadows. However, there are just so many looks you can play with and so many combinations to try out that you'd never get bored of this. Every single colour will go well with any other colour in the palette.

I'm a little unsure on whether or not this is worth the hype surrounding it after all or not. For me, it was a £36 well spent, but I think that was mainly due to the fact that I didn't own a lot of neutrals before that. For someone who already has an extensive collection of neutral eye shadows I believe you could quite happily give it a miss.

Top l-r: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper / Bottom l-r: Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

L-r: Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Do you own any of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes? What do you think about yours?

Monthly Favourites: January 13

I haven't been very good with posting monthly favourites so far - mainly because I just don't get through enough products to think of any month after month! But I will try to be better about it this year, as I've found loads of fantastic products just from reading these posts on other people's blogs and I hope I can do the same for you!

1) Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I have to admit I was a bit weary about the hype surrounding both the Naked Palettes. In all honesty, how good can a bunch of brown eye shadows be? However, I found myself talking about it so much, that eventually I got it as a present (wooooo!) and even though it was no revelation of awesomeness at first, I realised that I've put pretty much all of my other eye shadows aside and now I'm only using this! It's just a really great selection of colours which will allow you to create a multitude of looks, the shadows are soft, very pigmented and last all day with a good primer. What's not to love?

2) Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

My hair has now been through a grand total of three bleaching sessions and unfortunately they have all taken their toll on my tresses. Trust Aussie to bring my hair back from almost certain death. It moisturises, repairs and just seems to undo all the damage I have caused through dying and heat styling. I cannot recommend this enough for anybody who has dry, brittle and/or damaged hair. I've already repurchased it twice and once this bottle is empty I'm getting another one. I'll write a full review on it soon.

3) Makebelieve Enhance Sunbeam Bronzer*

I've been reaching for this loads in the past few weeks, as my winter complexion is even ghostlier than usual. This bronzer gives a beautiful flush of colour and as it's not too shimmery it's the perfect contouring powder - I swear it makes my cheekbones as sharp as razorblades. What I love the most, however, is that it just settles to such a marvellously natural finish on my skin - no obvious bronzer or contour marks there at all. You can read a full review on this one here.

4) Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Wipes

I can't believe I never wrote a blog post on these wipes. I think I may have mentioned them once in a Youtube video (haha, yeah....), but that's about it. Truth be told, I don't even remember how many times I've repurchased these. Let's be honest, sometimes you just haven't got the time or the energy (or you're just really, really drunk) to do a full skincare routine before bed, but the least you can do is take off your make-up. Nobody likes messy pillows and crusty eye lashes. I've tried a few other wipes from time to time, but none come close to these. They stay soft and moist forever, get all the crap off my face without being drying and most of all make sure I don't get breakouts caused by my laziness.

*PR Sample

What are your favourites for the month?

September Favourites

Apologies for missing last month's favourites post, but this month's products haven't really changed at all, so it's like a joint August and September favourites post. With me and my boyfriend moving into our first own flat money's tight at the moment and beauty purchases have to be kept to a minimum in favour of living essentials, so there's not a whole lot of new products.
Anyway, on to the actual fun part.

TIGI Catwalk hair spray
For a long time I stayed far, far away from hair spray. Artificial scents and crispy hair are the two main things that deterred me and whenever I saw an ad or heard somebody gush about a hairspray that didn't feature either of those nasty side effects I just shrugged it off in disbelief. So when I got this for Christmas last year it went unused for ages and ages - so long actually, that TIGI has rebranded the series and this one is no longer available. This is particularly gutting as I've just discovered my love for this formula. It doesn't take an awful lot but will keep hair in place and prevent frizz all day long. Then, at the end of the night it can just as easily be brushed out again. I'm a convert. Now I just need to hope that this can will last as long as possible!

Omorovicza Complexion Perfector SPF 20
I got this one to try at my old job back in Germany. I feel it is important to state that, as I would have never ever spent £80 on a BB cream myself. However, I have to say I'm beginning to think it might be worth its extortionate price tag. I've been using this cream pretty much daily instead of foundation and I just love the way it evens out my skin tone but still lets my natural complexion shine through. Even though it applies quite thick and patchy at first, once it's sunk in it wears like a dream and easily lasts all day long. Not to mention the frosted glass bottle looks extravagant and classy on my (non-existant) dresser. I'll be gutted once this runs out!

Kryolan Satin Powder in SP555
I've already reviewed this product here, so no need to waffle on and repeat myself. This was a product I received in a German Glossybox and one I'm definitely looking out to repurchase in a few more shades whenever I can. The shimmer in it is absolutely gorgeous and I swear that with primer it stays on the lids forever (or until you take it off with make-up remover).

Biotherm Biosource Eau Auto Moussante
Deja-vu, anyone? Yes, this one's already been in a monthly favourites post and it's also had its own review here, but I'm still adamant that it's one of the best cleansers I've ever used. Probably on par with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, only that it lasts about 2-3 times as long. As you can see I'm running quite low on this one now and even though I've now bought a back-up cleanser it's not the same one, as  it's quite difficult to get hold of this one in the UK and I wanted to try something a little different. The woes of being a beauty blogger, eh?

Lush Karma Bubble Bar
This one's got its own picture, as by the time I'd grouped together my monthly favourites it had unfortunately long gone. The odd thing is, I'm not entirely sure what made me buy this bubble bar. I'm assuming it must have been the name or the pretty swirly colours. It contains patchouli, which is something I usually steer clear from and also seems to have quite the musky smell.
I was still on the fence when I crumbled this into my bath, but once I got into my heavenly tub of warm bubbles I instantly fell in love. I can almost certainly say that I have never felt so relaxed in my life (and I'd had a really horrible day before that!). Something about the scent just made me switch off from the world around me and drift off into a beautiful dream land. Absolutely gorgeous and I will have to repurchase one or two to keep handy for a nice bath at the end of a gruelling, horrible day.

Kryolan Satin Powder Review

I don't even remember how long I've wanted to write this review for! Life has a tendency to throw lots of unexpected things at you just when you're beginning to figure out which direction it might take you. On top of that I've had no internet at home and on my phone for the past week, which was an incredibly painful experience! Anyway, enough of the whinging and on to the review!

I got this little pot of eye shadow in one of my German Glossyboxes and it was one of the products I got really excited about. I'd never normally buy a loose eye shadow due to my tendency to - errr, make mess appear.... - so I'm incredibly glad that I received this in my box. After all, that's what beauty boxes are all about: Pushing you out of your comfort zone and making you discover new products you love but would've never picked up for yourself.

I was also really intrigued by the brand, as I'd only heard of them, but never seen a stand or tried them myself. As Kryolan is a professional make-up brand used in theatre and television my hopes were very high to begin with.

The packaging I'm quite content with - it's not ultraglamorous or particularly pretty, but you wouldn't expect that from a backstage make-up brand anyway. It's light, however, and very functional. As long as you make sure that the lid is on properly before packing it away it won't spill or transfer anyway. The little hole in the lid is also the right size to get out the perfect amount of product for each eye. Even my clumsy self has managed to avoid powdery disasters with this.

Kryolan Satin Powder SP555 swatch in daylight

Kryolan Satin Powder SP555 swatch with flash

The shade I received is called SP555 - not a particularly creative or exciting name, which only confirms that this brand is all about product performance.
The colour itself is actually quite tricky to describe. I think I'd settle for rose-gold with peachy undertones. Again, something I would have never picked up for myself, as the rosy undertones are very much noticeable and I would have been afraid of it making my eyes look red and swollen. To my surprise, this wasn't the case at all. The golden shimmer really made my blue eyes pop, but I feel that due to the peachy as well as pink undertones it would be equally (if not even more) flattering on green and brown eyes.

I used a Sigma E70 brush to apply this and found it worked absolutely perfectly. As with any loose product there was a bit of fallout, but I was surprised at how little of it dropped down. The pigmentation is absolutely stunning and unfortunately the above pictures don't quite convey how beautifully shimmery this eye shadow is - not in a terrible teenage-glitter-overload way, just really fascinating to look at.

It didn't disappoint when it comes to lasting power, either. Without a primer it stayed on my eye lids for about eight hours, though the shimmer began to disappear after about four hours and judging from my stinging and burning eyes it must have disintegrated into my eye balls. So I'd definitely recommend wearing it with a primer: Even after 14 hours, when I had to take my make-up off because I was going to bed, it was still going strong without any shimmer in my eye disasters.

It's a bit of a shame that Kryolan is so hard to get hold of in the UK, seeing as I'm back here now and completely fell in love with this product. When I was working in Cologne there was actually a whole Kryolan shop I passed once and now I really regret not going in! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Satin Powders and if I get a chance I'm pretty sure I'll pick up some more. Just make sure to wear with a primer to avoid burning eyes.

You can however get it from a website called Dauphines for £5.80.