Chanel Beaute Initiale Eye Gel

I like this, but I am also disappointed by this. You only need to apply a small amount and dab it lightly with your finger along the dark area of your eye and bags. It is a pleasant smelling light pink gel that feels very cooling on the eyes, it feels really nice especially if you are feeling tired as it is very refreshing. I found it also lightens the bags to a shade lighter, so instead of dark purple mine became more pinky red, and so once the gel had sank in I found it easier to conceal the bags. Chanel claims this gel gets rid of puffiness and dark circles, and although it refreshes and lightens the eye area slightly, I don't think it meets it's claims and therefore I don't believe it is worth the price. I also found that sometimes it is difficult to get the under eye concealer to blend in when I have used this, it wouldn't sink into my skin properly, so you have to leave it a fair while before you can apply anything on top. Overall, I wouldn't purchase this again.

Aromaleigh True Color mineral green concealer

The product came with a sifter, but it is easier to use without. It comes in quite a small pot, but it is packed full of product and you need to use so little that it will last for ages! I have a problem with redness due to bad circulation and a heart condition. This has always affected my confidence and so I have been looking for something that worked for me. I have been to the Benefit counter and they tried out their "You're bluffing" anti-redness products on my cheeks, however it made me look red and jaundiced! Yellow obviously was not the way to go to cover my redness. So when I came across this inexpensive green concealer I was dubious, but thought it was worth a shot since yellow obviously wouldn't work for me! All I can say is that this product worked wonders for me. Applying a light dusting over my cheeks really neutralised the redness, however it could get cakey if applied too much. This can be used with foundation or concealer as it just blends in to the colour of your skin tone or the product. Unfortunately, the company is closing down, so I will have to try ELFs.

Bobbi Brown Brow Shaper in Blonde

I am not sure whether this is discontinued or not, but I will review it anyway. This blonde matches my blonde eyebrows really well, and colours the outer part of my brows which are a little invisible. I like the natural look and don't like eyebrows that are obviously coloured or drawn in and this product can achieve that, however I find you need to use it sparingly. It has a brush a little like a mascara wand, and so you just need to brush it along the hairs, I find if you get it on the skin it can look a little fake and obvious, so try keeping it to the hair. When used correctly this product can make the eyebrows very natural looking, but more full, evenly coloured and shaped. I use an eyebrow pencil first to pencil in the shape I want my eyebrows, and I then put the gel over the line, keeping within a close proximity to it. The gel not only colours the hair and makes the brows look more natural since it isn't drawn on the skin, the hair is coloured, but it also keeps the brow hair in place and keeps it shaped. I find it works OK in colouring and shaping, however I wouldn't necessarily say that the effects were worth the amount of money I paid for it. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives, but the idea itself is a good one.

Barry M Liquid Liner - Green

This review will be similar to the one on the blue liquid liner. The colour is quite and beautiful, however because the colour is shimmery I find it a little harder to apply because the light reflects off it, it is hard to see whether it is applying properly. Also I wouldn't say the colour is as bright as the blue, but it still shows up well. It does apply smoothly and has great staying power (however it is not waterproof). The nib is very sturdy and pointed so it doesn't bend and so it is easy to create clean and straight lines, however it is soft on your eyelids, I think it might be made of foam. For the price in comparison to higher end brands, you really can't go wrong, and although this is a lovely colour, it would be nicer without the light reflecting shimmer as it makes application more difficult and it takes away from the colour. Plus the colour is completely different to what the packaging advertises.

Barry M Liquid Liner - Blue

This eyeliner is fantastic! The colour is very pigmented and beautiful, it applies smoothly and has great staying power (however it is not waterproof). The nib is very sturdy and pointed so it doesn't bend and so it is easy to create clean and straight lines, however it is soft on your eyelids, I think it might be made of foam. For the price in comparison to higher end brands, you really can't go wrong!

Barry M Dazzle Dusts

These are available in selected superdrug stores normally for around £4.99. There is a whole load of selection in terms of colours, and the quality for the price is fantastic. The powders are either glittery or shimmery, they are very pigmented, and very smooth to apply. You could compare them to MAC pigments but just in smaller jars, as the colours really do come through strong. These are very good quality, and I would advise them to anyone :]

MAC Love That Look Style Snob Eyeshadow

The finish of this eyeshadow is a "starflash" which was a limited edition texture. It isn't as pigmented as a veluxe pearl finish, however it is just as soft. It goes on the lid a whole lot lighter then it appears in the pan. Instead of a medium brown it goes on more taupe. This is a neutral shadow with a bit of glitz. It doesn't show up very much on my lid, so it could only really be used as a neutral eye look, however the bit of glitter in it adds a little shimmer to otherwise a very simple neutral shade. I don't normally like glittery shades, however this is doesn't have all that much fall out and the glitter isn't overbearing. Overall it is subtle, not tremendously pigmented, but has a little bit of a glitz to make it different.

MAC Venomous Villains De-Vil Eyeshadow

This was a surprise for me, I never expected it to be my favourite shadow from the collection, but it has really wowed me! It is a beautiful and vibrant copper with the great benefits of a veluxe pearl; shimmer, great pigmentation, soft application. I didn't need many applications for this to reach the optimal colour, and it just glided on so easily. It looks more orange in the swatch I provided then it actually is, it looks more copper then orange in real life! This is now one of my favourite eyeshadows, it really warms up my eyes and brings out the blue, plus it was so easy to apply and the pay off is fantastic. It is a really good quality shadow and a diamond of the collection!

MAC Venomous Villains Sweetjoy Eyeshadow

This is a light yellow, cream coloured frost shadow. It has a bit of shimmer but for me this is too light for my skin tone as it only just about shows up. Having said that, it could be really good for a neutral eye look. It is very smooth and pigmented, but because it is so light I found it quite difficult to see of I had applied it evenly as it is very similar in colour to my base (soft ochre paint pot). It went a little chalky at one point, but not sure if it was just the colour or how I applied it, but it did go quite powdery. It is a bit of a hit and a miss with me.

MAC Venomous Villains Vainglorious Eyeshadow

This colour reminds me a little of Urban Decay's rockstar. It is a deep and blackened plum colour and it very pigmented and rich, however goes on the lid a lot more blackened then it appears in the pan. This is a frost finish and so it doesn't go on as smoothly as a veluxe pearl finish in my opinion. It is a beautiful colour, and one of the nicest from the venomous villains collection. This really brought out my blue eyes and so I can see myself using it frequently.

MAC Pigment; Antique Green

This is one of my favourite colours. It is such a unique and deep green however isn't in your face. It is shimmery but isn't glittery. It has a little brown tinge to it, which I guess is where the "antique" bit comes in. It is like a lighter and less dramatic Humid. If you are a fan of green eyeshadow then this should be in your collection, because it is a very flattering and understated shade. I didn't experience much/if any fallout with this pigment, which I find very rare in terms of pigments.

MAC Pigment; Cornflower

This is a very glittery pigment, and it has a lot of fallout. It was described as a sky blue on the website, however it is more like a darker purpley blue, it isn't really a pure blue at all. That being said it is a beautiful and unique colour, especially if you like glittery eyeshadows, and because it isn't pure blue even blue eyeshadow phobics might like it! :] If you press the pigment the fallout probably won't be as bad, however I am not a massive fan of glittery shadows, and so I am a little out off by this colour due to all the glitter.

MAC Nail Trend F/W '10 Earthly Harmony

I have provided two pictures of this nail varnish & swatches, and this is because in sunlight it looks a completely different colour then artificial light. This colour can appear a lot more greyish/greige in darker light (the second pic done with a flash), then in sunlight where it looks more light brown. Either way the beautiful copper shimmer shines through, and it compliments the lacquer colour a lot. It reminds me of a lighter and more shimmery Chanel Particulière, and that is one of my favourite nail colours, so this was bound to be a hit with me! It may also explain why this colour was the first colour to sell out on the MAC UK website, it's just damn gorgeous! And at £8.50 cheaper then it's less shimmery Chanel cousin I reckon it is hands down a good investment! When applying the varnish I found it was more cream in texture then frost, as it was quite thick and wasn't as quick as frosts in drying, however on the nail it isn't as soft as a cream would be, but it still has the shine. It's limited edition for the Nail Trend F/W 10 trend collection, so get it while you can :]

Natural light;


Flash;

MAC Venomous Villains Formidable! Nail Lacquer

The swatch is a little bit messy, I was in a rush, I apologise. This was the only one out of the collection that looks on the nail as it does in the bottle. It is a deep purple with green and blue shimmer, so another duochrome. The pearl formula is definitely in my opinion MACs best so far as it didn't take long to dry at all. This is a beautiful purple that you don't see all that often, especially considering it can appear more blue/green in other lights! So I would say it is a good investment if you can get your hands on it. Maleficent herself would love this one!

MAC Venomous Villains Mean & Green Nail Lacquer

In the bottle this look red, yellow with a hint of green, it kind of reminds me of when you see petrol on the floor and it has sort of a rainbow going through it. And since it looked predominantly more red, and very similar to Bad Fairy in the bottle, it made me wonder why the name was Mean & Green. However on the nail the predominant colour is definitely green, with some purpley red and yellow shot through it depending on where the light hits. The pearl formula is yet again a hit for me, it dries quickly and isn't thick and gloopy. You definitely need at least two coats to make it opaque though. A very unique colour and a very lovely formula, I'd say another hit from the Venomous Villains Nail collection!

MAC Nail Trend F/W '10

Today I got 3 of my faves from the Nail Trend collection, it's a lovely selection this year.

The ethos of this collection as stated on the MAC website; "Mistress of the art of the sophisticated nail, Jin Soon was inspired this season by the sensual pleasures of Imperial China. A collection of hues in exotic and ravishing combinations, opaque and rich with pearl essences for a subtle dimension." The colours really are unique and beautiful, however Rain of Flowers (described as as a blackened violet) appears more a black with a blue tinge when bright lights hit it, however it can just look black, and Jade Dragon (described as just an Emerald Green) appears more blackened then vibrant. Concubine is a lovely red, but I already have something similar, so for now I have skipped those colours. The other colours I couldn't miss out on.

Earthly Harmony - MAC describes this as a muted taupe with sophisticated copper shimmer. It is definitely a taupe, it even looks a little Greige. The shimmer really compliments the colour of the varnish. Overall this is possibly my favourite from the collection, it is a really unique colour especially for autumn. This is also the varnish used on the promo image, and it was the first one to sell out on the MAC UK website.

Ming Blue - MAC describes this as a cobalt blue, and I'd say that was a pretty accurate description. This is a very bright, and rich deep blue, it also appears to have some shimmer in it.

Imperial Flower - MAC describes this as a bright reddish orange with gold. I'd say this is more of a bright orange with shimmer. It is a really beautiful colour, however quite bright for a fall/winter collection, but I suppose it could brighten you up on the cold dull days :]

I will review and provide swatches for each varnish as I wear them. So what varnishes did you buy from the collection? Which are your favourites, and what do you think of the collection? :]

I have returned to Blogger!

OK, so I let the ball drop in terms of this blog, and I do apologise! I focussed too much on Luuux and abandoned this site, which I used to love updating!

So, it is my mission to transfer all my Luuux posts here!

My Luuux is here! Or click the button below to see what it is all about!

Get ready for a lot of posts in the coming weeks!!

Review; MAC Venomous Villains Her Alter Image

This is a lovely lilac colour. I find it doesn't go on as dark as it appears in the pan, it goes on a lot lighter, which is unusual seeing as it is a veluxe pearl finish and they are normally very pigmented and deep in colour.

It is still lovely in shade and smooth in application, but the colour pay off is a little disappointing.

I'd say if you have Digit or Crazy Cool you don't really need this shade.

Laura's look book! Teal-icious

I messed up the liner on this look, but the colours were just too lovely to skip it!



Products Used;

MAC Teal pigment
MAC Steamy

This look I love, it is a light teal that is blended into the outer corner and crease with a darker teal. A very simple look, but with some lovely colours! I love greens, so these are two of my favourites to use. What looks would you do with them?? :]

Review; MAC Venomous Villains Bad Fairy Nail Lacquer

This is a red and orange/yellow duochrome. On the nail it looks a bronzy colour, very red based, however when the light hit it at a certain angle it appears more orangey gold. It is such a unique colour, and I have been complimented on it a lot already. It is no wonder this was a popular item from the venomous villains collection.

The formula is really good. I am so glad this isn't a cream formula as they are too thick and soft. This is a pearl and it is smooth, quick in drying, and pigmented. If it was a frost it most likely wouldn't have been a lot less pigmented, so the MAC pearl formula is a hit with me.

Price-wise, I'd say this is very good value, £8 is cheaper then OPI and around the same pricing as China Glaze, so it won't break the bank to get a unique and good quality lacquer!