Natio Bloom Eyeshadow Palette (swatches and review)

Well, hello yet again!

 I'm back from my unannounced blogging holiday and *hangs head* this post was sitting in rough draft form for 2 long months. I was toying with what to do but as I'd promised it on Instagram all that time ago I decided to honour that promise so I've finished it and here it is...

My eye shadow palettes have been multiplying like mushrooms in my collection lately - let's face it, isn't every brand bringing out new palettes? Anyway, I wasn't planning on buying any more leading up to my recent trip to Japan.  Yes, I went there again but that's not what this post is about.  This post is about my palette addiction apparently.  Regardless of my good intentions of restraint when I saw the new limited edition Bloom palette from Australian brand Natio's Naturally You collection I got a little irrationally excited, especially because I had enough loyalty points saved up at my local drugstore to score it for free...

Had I bought it, it would have cost me all of $19.95 which is still extremely affordable for a 12-pan palette of eye shadows...and the Bloom palette is full of dusty rose shades that remind me of a palette - which shall remain nameless - which is just a little more expensive, if you know what I'm talking about? Yes I'm winking at Urban Decay right now! So I was easily able to justify this little "gift" to myself without too much agonizing at all.

Okay, so for a 20 dollar-ish palette this is a very pretty and sturdily packaged affair, in a clear but quite weighty plastic case that lets you see all the shades at a glance.  The double-ended applicator included in the palette is something that I'd only use in case of an emergency and there's no mirror - but it's just under $20 so I'd forgive those little things because it's ultimately all about the shadow itself for me.

Onto the swatches in a little bit where you'll see that the pigmentation varies according to the depth of the shades.  The lighter shades are the sheerest on the skin but the intensity of pigment builds up as the shades get to the deeper, plummier end of the palette.  I found there to be a good mix of mattes and shimmers throughout, with a single sparkly shade - a light pink which turned out to be my least favourite.  I tried using it as an eye shadow topper but it resulted in quite a bit of sparkly fallout on the tops of my cheeks.

Other than that one pesky shade, overall I've been enjoying this palette.  The shimmery shades have just enough shimmer to impart a bit of glow to the lids but aren't OTT crazy so they're all daytime appropriate.  The shadows all blend out well, compliment each other, and the range is broad enough to do everything from a pink pastel lid to a deep plum smokey eye.  Wear time is pretty good too as they last all day on my eyes without fading.

The shadows are swatched on the back of my hand:

Anyway I apologise for the extreme lateness of this review but if you're interested I have seen the Natio Bloom palette on sale for $14.96 at the Myer website here. Yes, you can still snap this up if you're quick!


Ingredients:
Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, 2-Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Phenoxyethanol / Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Tin Oxide. May contain: CI 77019, CI 77891, CI 77266, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492.

Cruelty Free: Yes 
Vegan: Yes
Certified Organic: Yes



Until next time!


(This product was purchased by me)

Review: Blinc Shadow Fusion

It wasn't so long ago that I was swatching blinc's Shadow Fusion palette instore at David Jones Melbourne city location and pondering whether I needed another eye shadow palette when the opportunity to review it came my way.  I'm becoming a little more selective in what I'll accept to review on my blog these days but I didn't bother hesitating this time because I was this close to buying it and took it as a sign I was supposed to own it! I was attracted to the mix of warm and cool neutrals, mattes and shimmers...

Before I share my thoughts let's begin with what blinc has to say about this palette which provides, "...nine benefits...one blend."

The palette is called Shadow "Fusion" as the shadows combine "..the best attributes of liquid, gel, powder and cream shadows into one..." to provide "...a luxurious shadow that glides on smooth, blends seamlessly and offers a velvety, highly pigmented finish that doesn’t fade, crease or smudge...anti-aging ingredients [that] treat the skin while filling in existing fine lines for silky smooth coverage...Only when you are ready, remove blinc shadow fusion with any gentle makeup remover."

My impressions:

The 10 pan palette is housed in a sturdy tin which looks like a supersized version of blinc's mascara packaging as all blinc mascaras come housed in metal canisters - I'm not going to buy into the obvious comparisons with another brand fond of metal palettes!  There is the obligatory mirror in the lid which is a great size to get a view of almost your entire face during makeup application and the lid itself is hinged with a magnetic closure which unfortunately doesn't prop up by itself too well - although maybe I'm being a tad fussy because not being able to position the lid at the angle I wanted made it an issue for photography.  Beauty blogger problems perhaps?

As you can see in the picture below the shade names are all conveniently printed on the palette itself  rather than on a pesky plastic insert - yeah inserts can annoy me too, especially the ones that aren't attached - and there's a double-ended "shade & blend" brush included.  I took the brush for a test run and it picks up and blends out the shadows nicely so if I needed to grab and go without packing extra brushes I very easily could.

The shades are a good mix of shimmers, mattes, cool and warm neutrals, arranged in the palette with 6 smaller 1.1g shades in the centre, bookended by 4 larger 1.6g shades.  The rationale behind the choice of the shades for the larger pans is not just the typical brow bone or base shades, but mostly a mix of deeper satiny accents and lid shades. I'm not sure what my opinion is on that right now because I've only just started using this palette so time will tell if I do find myself using the larger pans more than the others. Stay tuned I guess...

What has really impressed me with these eye shadows is how creamy they all feel - and that goes for the mattes too.  These are not chalky or powdery in the slightest and are well pigmented so a tap of the brush into the pan is all that's needed to pick up enough colour for application.  The colours apply smoothly and blend out for a natural effect - I can't tell you yet if they've been treating the fine lines on my lids though!  The shadows do stay put all day without any fading or creasing so they live up to the blinc promise of being "Life Proof" as they stand up to the rigours of daily activity and long hours. 

Now for some arm swatches.  These have been swatched on umprimed skin, and due to poor lighting - sorry! - I don't think my swatches do justice to the shadows so I've also included pictures of a quick natural eye look I've done just so you can see some of them in action.

Centre shades from lightest to darkest (sort of):

Gypsum, Citrine, Moonstone, Terra, Graphite, Obsidian

Outer shades from left to right (as arranged in the palette):

Hyaline, Cinnabar, Sienna, Amber

I'm curious as to whether this Shadow Fusion palette specifically being called 'neutral' suggests the possibility of other colour combinations in future.  Given how prettily these translate on the lids I'd be happy to consider more, if only I could make the space...

Finally, for those who are ethical in their beauty choices - as I am becoming increasingly these days - blinc's Shadow Fusion palette is vegan.  The shadows are also gluten free.

Click here for your nearest blinc stockist.

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

NARSissist Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette - a little review and a lot of swatches!

In the midst of the endless sea of limited releases I try to ignore there is always something that catches my eye and starts my heart a-fluttering...

This time it was the NARSissist Dual-Intensity palette and after ignoring the single Dual-Intensity shadows for as long as I could, I got caught up in the hype.  I watched some very persuasive YouTube videos, which aside from some incredible swatches, reasoned the better deal of getting 8 x 1 gram shades for just under the price of 3 full sized shades (which retail at $38AUD each down here) so I made up my mind then and there.  Granted this set me back a whopping $98AUD but then again that's less than a Tom Ford quad right? *winks*

The mirrored palette comprises 7 shades from the permanent range of individual shadows plus an exclusive shade Ursa Major, which is a satin finish, deep grey-toned brown.  While some of you may have been disappointed at the lack of limited edition shades I was pleased because I want to have the option of purchasing full sizes if I happen to fall in love with any shade in particular. On the other hand, if you were lusting after the palette and can't get your hands on it you still have the consolation of the majority of shades being available.

Looking at the range of colours I could be really picky and point out this palette lacks a matte transition shade but the positives outweigh that little negative.  The arrangement of shadows in two tonal rows - one warm, one cool - makes it easy for me to create looks without straining the old brain and then again I like having the option to experiment across the colour families when I'm feeling adventurous.

The shadows feel quite buttery to the touch and are a mix of soft shimmers, metallics and satins with a sole almost-matte: the black Sycorax.  Worn dry I've been able to get a pretty decent daytime smokey eye as these are easy to build and reasonably easy to blend (cue that need for a transition shade).  Of course these are dual-intensity and they are something else when applied wet.  Now for the dry and wet swatches as applied to unprimed skin.

Top row dry swatched left to right:
Europa, Himalia, Ursa Major (LE shade), Subra

Swatched wet in the same order:

Bottom row dry swatched left to right:
Andromeda, Lysithea, Giove, Sycorax...

...and swatched wet in the same order:

Yes, this was expensive and it's not perfect but I don't regret it  -  I've always been a fan of shimmer and I like having the options of doing a soft shimmery daytime look or a liquid metal look for nighttime drama. It's all about the options with this palette.

Oh, and maybe a little about the sleek packaging too - even if it's a fingerprint magnet...

Have you been tempted by NARS Dual-Intensity?

REVIEW: SCOUT Mineral Eye Shadow and Mineral Eye Liner Pencil

I was introduced to Australian cosmetic brand SCOUT very recently when I was given the offer to review some of their mineral eye makeup products (with a nail polish thrown in for good measure swatched here). 

I literally, embarrassingly, had very little knowledge of this local brand so I did some research to see what SCOUT's point of difference is.  I'm starting this post with some background info to bring everyone else up to speed if you're like me and new to SCOUT Cosmetics too.

Pursuing her lifelong interest in natural therapies Sylvie Hutchings started the SCOUT Cosmetics brand in 2008 to create a natural cosmetics line which did not sacrifice performance or style to offer "...colour, style, luxury and effectiveness of great cosmetics and skincare without being exposed to potentially harmful or unnecessary ingredient compounds of which the long term effects are unclear."  Therefore SCOUT mineral cosmetics are:

• Formulated, tested and manufactured to meet all Australian and international standards
• A proud signatory to the campaign for safe cosmetics
• 100% Australian made
• Not tested on animals
• Certified vegan
• Water resistant and can be worn while playing sport
• Made from only pharmaceutical grade, naturally derived Australian minerals or organic botanicals
• Rated SPF 15 as a natural sunscreen
• Lightweight, non-comedogenic - allowing your skin to breathe
• Free of bismuth oxychloride
• Free of parabens, synthetic FD & C classified dyes, clays, mineral oil or petroleum derived ingredients
• Free of lanolin, beeswax or any other generic fillers



Got all that? Okay, so let's talk about some products!

 

Mineral Eye Shadow

 Clockwise from Left to Right:
Run Baby Run (matte mineral eye shadow), Sunday Girl (shimmery mineral eye shadow), Vegan shadow and brow brush

"Modern - Elegant - Colours have been created to give you a versatile palette for day or evening..."

My impressions:
The 22 mineral eye shadows are available in matte or shimmery finishes so I chose one of each finish in complementary shades.  Run Baby Run is a matte medium brown and my idea of an everyday crease shade.  I've worn Run Baby Run a few times now and I really love the colour on me so it's likely to creep into my Monday to Friday routine.  More importantly I really enjoy the ease of working with it - considering this is a loose powder shadow (and I'm a klutz!) fallout is minimal, it applies smoothly, blends out beautifully, and it lasts all day without fading or creasing.   My other choice, Sunday Girl is not as high a shimmer as I'm used to when I think of shimmers but this soft peachy gold works well as a subtle lid shade or highlight and apart from a little more fallout overall performs as well as the matte shadow.  These shadows can be worn dry as I've worn so far (and swatched later in this post) or wet for more drama.

The double ended vegan shadow and brow brush (my bad for only showing half the brush above!) does a great job of picking up and packing the shadow on the lid and placing colour into the crease although I did find I needed a crease brush (say MAC 217) to really blend out the crease and soften it the way I prefer.

Mineral Eye Shadow Ingredients:
Mica (CI 77019) may contain (+/-) Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499) Chromium Oxide Green (CI 77288) Ultramarines (CI 77007) Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289) Pigment Violet (77742)

Mineral Eye Liner Pencil

Mineral Eye Liner Pencil (Grey)

"Glides on effortlessly to outline and define your eyes.  Soft and creamy formula will not drag the skin as you apply."

My impressions:
I always think of eye liner pencils as sleek skinny pencils, so these pencils are more like jumbo crayons to me and confused me at first.  Obviously they're not going to be your thing if you're into precision lining! I've tried Grey on my upper lash line and it gives a nice soft-focus definition along the lashes which is something a little different for me but different in a flattering way - no smudging required.  The pencil doesn't drag at all because of the oils and waxes in the formula - even over powder shadow - although because it is so soft I'd suggest setting it with matching shadow if using it on the lower lash line to keep it in place.  Sharpening keeps the tip tapered for lining. 

SCOUT Mineral Eye Liner Pencils are available in 6 shades (black, brown, grey, violet, green, and white).

Ingredients:
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil* Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax Tocopherol Mica (CI 77019) Zinc Oxide Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract may contain (+/-) Tin Oxide (CI 778161) Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499) Chromium Dioxide Green (CI 77288) Ultramarines (CI 77007) Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289) Pigment Violet (77742)

 

 Swatched dry on the back of my hand. Left to Right:
Mineral Eye Shadows (Sunday Girl, Run Baby Run), Mineral Eye Liner Pencil (Grey)

 

And in action for a daytime look: 

Overall I think this range is a good quality choice for women who have sensitive skin, or want to stick with a natural mineral product and still want to play with colour on their eyes. 

 SCOUT Mineral Eye products can be purchased from their online store here.


(Products were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

YSL Spring Collection 2014 picks

So my first makeup purchase of 2014 was driven by a rapidly building obsession for orange lipstick.  My second, and third - both featured here - were driven by a longer held obsession, acquired from the moment I first eyed YSL's Spring 2014 collection at the start of the year.  I have a well shared weakness for pretty things and the YSL Flower Crush collection seduced me instantly with its combination of floral embossed gilt packaging, pretty spring colours and the promise of...

 

 "Whorls of petals. A rush of roses and peonies.

A whirlwind of a thousand flowers envelops the Saint Laurent woman in a soft, feverishly sensual cloud. Flower crush..."

 

I gritted my teeth, saved my money and held out for the Australian release, ready to literally swoop on that counter. As it happens I didn't do the swooping but my partner in YouTube crime did - thank you Ling for performing my personal shopper duties yet again!  I was initially deciding between the 5 colour eye palette, Pivoine Crush or the Rosy Blush and in the end decided on both.  Call me indecisive but I think I was very decisive when I made that choice.

Pivoine Crush Ombrés 5 Lumières Eye Palette

 

 

 

The YSL website describes this palette as:
 "A collector eye palette with 5 vibrant eye shadow shades inspired by the perfect spring flower storm..."

 

Indeed the palette design itself has a highly collectable appeal. The bowerbird in me attracted to pretty shiny things was powerless to resist it based on that alone! The bright colours within are a bit of a departure from my usual choices of purples and taupes and in the palette they actually look a little too bright for comfort - I don't want to look theatrical (or as though I have an eye inflammation!) but swatching quickly put any concerns to rest.  The mostly warm shades are all surprisingly soft, even when applied over primer.  Some of the shades have a subtle sparkle but there's nothing over the top in the selection.  If you're after a very bright or shimmery look then this may disappoint but for someone like me who likes to dabble in colour in a subtle everyday way it's going to be perfect and I look forward to experimenting: 

 

 

 

 

Rosy Blush Duo Collector Face Palette

 

 

YSL refers to this beauty as:

"...a creamy powder that sculpts and illuminates the complexion. A collector face creamy powder palette that displays a graphic motif to unveil 2 marble pink shades that swirl and unravel an arty rose petal motif."

 

The blush is a duo of non-shimmery soft pastel pink blush swirled with a golden pink highlight shade in a ridiculously pretty, rather organic looking design in the pan.  YSL recommends the matte pink shade be used for sculpting the cheeks, then applying the golden highlight on the cheekbones however I've been swirling both shades together for a subtle pink glow on my cheeks - maybe because I'm fair skinned I find this works beautifully for a daytime look and I just love it because I get a healthy pink glow without anything too obvious.  Yes, there is a bit of sparkle but not too otherworldly for me so I am 100% in love with this!

 

  I can see that if you have medium to darker skin this won't do much for you as a blush, although it could probably still work as a highlight.  I've also read it can be layered over other blush to add a subtle glow.

 

Swirled and swatched on my arm:

 

These pretty things were both very much an indulgence for me but I don't regret them at all - like I said I'm a sucker for pretty and these are undeniably pretty and, importantly, wearable too. If you like pink then this might just be your thing. Both of these items are limited edition so you need to be quick to snap them up!

 

Until next time.



My standalone eyeshadow picks

**This post was inspired by the YouTube video and associated blog post by the talented  emilynoel83**



It's always nice to know there are standalone eyeshadow options available for those "I'm in a hurry!!" times or the "I can't be bothered..." times.  Most days I will wear two or maybe three shades carefully (Ha!) blended on my eyes but I definitely have those moments when I don't want to have to bother too much but I still want some brightness or colour to accentuate my eyes. Voila! This is where these colours in my collection come into their own.  They're here to save me from any confusion or decisions when I really don't have the time or the inclination.  On those days I'm all about using the KISS principle:  Keep It Simple Stupid Sister!

Just to let you know I spent a week wearing these different shades to prove to myself they are true wear alones.

 

Taupe
The practical, workhorse eye shadow favourite loved by many including me because it is a true neutral and can be worn with anything.  Taupe adds easy depth to the eye with one sweep over the lid, blended out along the crease.  These are my go-to taupes for an all over the lid look.
 

Clockwise from top:
 

Annabelle (Moka Mirage)

The newest taupe in my collection courtesy of the Beauty Reductionista and the warmest variant in my taupe trio.  I have tried this as a base under powder shadow but I prefer it as a standalone and apply it either by drawing directly onto the lid or drawing it heavily onto my fingertip first to apply with my fingers like a cream. I like the satiny finish it gives to my lids.

  

Maybelline (Silken Taupe)

I've had this one for an age.  I periodically bring it out, then forget about it again. I don't know why because it's truly wonderful and I was happy to rediscover it when looking for shadows to showcase in this post! It looks very soft in the hand swatch below but is pigmented and silky enough on my pale lids to add dimension to my eyes.  Silken Taupe is truly the most neutral shade and sits nicely on the fence between pale brown and grey. 

 

Rimmel (Backstage)

This is a glitzy, high shimmer taupe - the glam one - Backstage is the perfect name for it.  It's a one step shade for getting my eyes noticed and I wore it for an evening look!

 

 Swatched Left - Right:

Silken Taupe, Moka Mirage, Backstage

 

 

Purple
My number one choice when I want a pop of colour to offset my green eyes. Generally I use purple as a crease shade when I'm using a few colours on my eyes (my favourite everyday choice for the crease is MAC's Shale) but these two shadows work perfectly well swept all over the lids.
 

 

 

 Left to Right:

 

MAC (Satellite Dreams)

This is a semi-vibrant medium purple with a hint of blue pearl shimmer.  It looks like a weird bruised shade when swatched on the back of my tanned hand (just goes to show that the hand is not always the best place to test colours!) but on my eyes it's a different, definitely more flattering story! It appears rather lighter and brighter and gives my eyes that pop I'm looking for.  Trust me, the colour definitely appears truer purple on my eyes. 

 

Laura Mercier (African Violet)

I've seen this beautiful shimmery golden violet raved on about in many blogs so it's no surprise I love it!  It looks like shot silk as the colour either appears more violet or more gold as the light hits it at different angles - definitely a beautiful shade to add dimension to my eyes and make it look like I've made a real effort.  Haha! I just love it!

 

Swatched as above:

Satellite Dreams, African Violet 

 

 

 

Beige

Beige is the perfect no-fuss weekend shade for me because it brightens my eyes and I don't feel I need anything else because I suddenly look more awake! It's my dash out the door, casual choice of colour.  The two I have here are both definitely, emphatically favourites because they are both repurchases!

 

 

Left to Right:

 

Essence (Cappuccino, Please!)

I've raved and raved about this little drugstore beauty because it does such a lovely satiny job of brightening my eyes and it's a close dupe to one of my favourite MAC shades, Shroom.  It's probably my number one everyday all over shade.  If I ever want a pop of colour it's a simple matter of adding any coloured liner I wish!

 

MAC (Vex)

Another pretty duo-chrome.  It's actually a very soft green eyeshadow shot with pale pink pearl but pale and neutral enough for me to consider it a beige.  Again it brightens my eyes beautifully - I love combining this with a soft coral or pink lip for an easy weekend look.



 

Swatched as above:

Cappuccino, Please!, Vex

 

 

This is not an exhaustive list - I'm sure I'll dig out more as I experiment!  I haven't touched green, or brown or grey or...

 

What are your favourite standalone eye shadows?

 



In neutral...

In my 9 to 5, or more accurately, 8 to 4 working life I'm expected to present in a reasonably conservative (boring but not too boring) way. This means nothing obviously over the top in makeup.  Of course I like wearing makeup - as you know -  and I feel like a little emphasis around the eyes is a good way to make me look more awake and sharp (even when I'm not feeling it!).  Depending on what clothes or lip colour I'm wearing I'll go for either a warm or cool neutral look and I have the eye colour combinations down pat to avoid wasting any precious minutes in the morning fixing up disastrous experiments. Guilty confession:  I do my eye makeup on autopilot when I'm getting ready for work! Anyway, just in case you're curious here are the neutral shades I reach for regularly through the week. 

Warm neutrals

Clockwise from left:

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking on Eggshells) - Three neutral colours but so versatile! I can wear any one of these slightly shimmery shades alone all over the lid but I particularly like wearing either the beige browbone shade (left) or the warm peachy pink (right) on the lid with the coppery brown (centre) as an outer crease accent.  These are very softly textured so I pat the colour gently in the pan with my brush to avoid any fallout.  They blend ridiculously easily when applying to my lids so this little palette really is an easy choice for a warm neutral eye.

Revlon Wet/Dry Eyeshadow (Not Quite White) - This matte ivory-beige eyeshadow is literally a dinosaur in my collection and long discontinued so don't go looking for it (Let's face it, it's old and crumbling anyway)! The point is the colour and finish itself. I use this matte shade to soften the crease edge and naturally highlight the brow bone.  Shimmer shades are too aging for me so a soft matte ivory brightens the brow area in a subtle and fresh way.

L'Oreal Color Infaillible (002 Hourglass Beige) - This is quite shimmery so I have to be in the mood for it. However if I want to look really awake then nothing brightens the inner corners of my eyes better than this! Alternatively I'll wear it across the entire lid paired with a deeper matte shade in the crease to really brighten the eyes. I also use this to snappily transition my makeup look from day to evening simply by patting it into the inner corners over my existing eye makeup before I head out after dark.

MAC Matte Eyeshadow (Wedge) - This is a fairly recent addition to my MAC collection and I originally bought it as a lazy option for shading the entire lid however I've discovered the pleasures of wearing this as an easy and natural crease shade.  Wedge is a warm taupe which pairs very easily to accent any of my warm beiges and pinks.

Now for the swatches and yes, my cat-scratched arms!

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
 MAC - Wedge,
Wet n Wild - Brow Bone, Crease, Lid,
L'Oreal - Hourglass Beige,
 Revlon - Not Quite White

Cool neutrals

Left to Right:

Maybelline Stylish Smokes Quad (Charcoal Smokes) - This quad was sitting unloved in my stash for a while but I've rediscovered it for a cool neutral daytime eye or a cool smokey evening eye.  I favour using the lid shade (top left) for a subtle daytime crease worn with Revlon's Not Quite White on the lid and using the darker crease shade (top right) the emphasize the outer corner.  This palette comes into its own in the evening for me and I'll make use of all four shades, although I use the shimmery silver brow bone shade (bottom left) on my inner lids instead of the brow bone area, and I'll use the charcoal black outer corner shade (bottom right) over black liner to help soften and smoke out the line.  Three out of the four shades are quite well pigmented with the surprising exception being the black which takes a few swipes to build up the intensity.  Still, I'm a bit fearful of blackest-black eyeshadow so this palette is good enough for my needs.

MAC Satin Eyeshadow (Shale) - This grey-toned purple has popped up in many of my posts and it's not at all surprising because it's a wonderful neutral purple crease shade.  The purple makes my green eyes pop but it doesn't at all scream purple. I won't get into it in detail again - just know that I love it and consider it the perfect cool neutral eye accent.

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
MAC - Shale,
 Maybelline - Brow bone, Lid, Crease, Outer Corner

What are your no-fail neutral favourites?

Budget beauty: a BYS makeup look

Have you ever tried a one-brand face?  I usually use a combination of brands when doing my makeup but when I realized I had a full face's worth of BYS products to try - by a combination of my own purchases and products received for review - I thought I'd go all out and try a single-brand makeup look.  I'm already a fan of BYS nail colours and matte lippies (see my full matte lipstick review here) so I was curious to try out and do a mini review of some more of their range.  

I've included the Australian prices for local readers (Products marked * were received for review).

Base

Minerals Naturale Compact Foundation (Sand Beige) - $9.95

I prefer applying powder foundation over creams and liquids because it's foolproof and offers easily buildable coverage.  The Minerals Naturale foundation appears a little rough in the pan but I was surprised at how fine and almost creamy it feels when swatched with fingers so I was prepared to invest my $10 and try it.  This foundation is formulated with 100% minerals and when worn over bare skin it delivers very natural and quite sheer coverage so it would be great for younger girls on a budget who want a no-make up look.  I personally do need a little help to cover some localized redness and pigmentation so I prefer to apply this powder foundation over a little primer or add some concealer for greater coverage and a longer lasting finish.  What I do like is the ease and portability of this compact so it's now living in my makeup purse for a quick dusting during the day.

Blush Duo (03 Miss Pink) - $6.95

Oh man, this bright powder blush compact instantly appealed to the young girl somewhere inside me so I had to buy this as soon as I saw it!  These blush shades are 100% matte and provide surprisingly heavy colour pay-off.  So heavy that a quick tap of the blush brush, particularly into the darker pink shade, is enough to get the right amount of colour onto your cheeks.  Because of my fair colouring (and fear of red streaks on my cheeks) I prefer to either use the pale pink shade alone as I've done at the end of this post, or very gently blend the two shades together on the back of my hand before applying to my cheek apples.  I'm not quite up to dolly cheeks!

Eyes

Metallics 8-pan Eyeshadow Palette (Browns) - $4.95*

These eyeshadows aren't as finely milled as some of the high-end brand metallics out there but they do feel nice and creamy rather than powdery and crumbly between the fingers and the colours pack a highly-pigmented punch and metallic sheen on the lids.  I did experience some fallout when applying so a lighter touch is definitely recommended rather than my packing it on - I admit I can be a bit heavy-handed with eyeshadow when I'm not expecting a good colour payoff so I think this eyeshadow palette took me by surprise.  Using three shades (bottom right on the inner lid, bottom left on the outer crease, and top second-from-right for the outer lid and inner crease) I created an accented daytime eye without the need for any eyeliner.  The shades actually lasted all day on my lids too without fading or creasing - for the grand price of $4.95 that, quite frankly, is just ridiculous! The dead giveaway of course is the packaging but the product inside is surprisingly good. 

Lash Fibre & Lash Extend Mascara (black) - $9.95*

These sorts of products make me nervous. Very nervous. Scared actually. I've seen unfortunate bloggers modelling bloodshot, teary eyes after lash fibres floated into their eyes - yikes! Okay, I was understandably nervous trying this product then.  What did I do? I read the package instructions and followed them TO.THE.LETTER.  The Lash Extend mascara is the pre-coat as well as the finishing mascara. This means the pesky little lash fibres have something to stick to rather than flying off and into unsuspecting eyes! I applied a quick coat of Lash Extend, then quickly and carefully applied a coat of the Lash Fibre to my still wet lashes.  I removed any noticeable white clumps before adding a single, final coat of Lash Extend.  I like the fuller, non clumpy lash look and it's about as close as I get to false lashes in my everyday life.  I was still a little nervous of any fallout or flaking during the course of the day but the mascara stayed put.  I know I wouldn't bother doing a two-step lash every day but I really like the idea of wearing extra fluttery lashes for a special occasion or an evening eye without having to glue on falsies. 

Lips

Matte lipstick (Tango) - $3.95*
I have three shades from this line of matte lipsticks now and love them all because they are not drying at all and the colour payoff is intense. Tango is a vibrant blue-based red.

Diamond Shine Lip Gloss (05 Ruby Red) - $3.95*
I wasn't expecting much from this cheap little lip gloss but this really has a lot of saturated colour, with just a little bit of understated sparkle. Sparkly shades can feel a bit grainy on the lips too but this had no noticeable graininess. There was no stickiness either and I liked the subtle cherry scent.  I applied this over Tango and it added shine and and vibrancy to my lips for a more orange-red juicy lip. Did it bleed? No.

The swatches

Left to Right:
 Blush Duo -  (03 Miss Pink - soft pink shade)
Metallics Eyeshadow (Browns as worn on lid, inner crease, outer crease)
Matte Lipstick (Tango) 
Diamond Shine Lip Gloss (05 Ruby Red)
 

The face 

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Total cost:  $39.70

All of these products are available online at Fashion Addict or in-store at the following Australian locations:  KMart, Gloss or Cosmetics Plus.

(Some of these products have been provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)