The Smokey Eye

Who doesn't love a smokey eye? I felt like glamming it up a bit the other night and decided to do a graphite/charcoal themed smokey eye. I paired it with a nude gloss to keep the focus on the eyes and used a bronzing blush to sculpt my cheeks and not introduce too much colour. I love this look and will definitely be re-creating it at the weekend when I go out for a Christmas meal! 

I am so obsessed with eyeshadows and my collection is ever-growing. I wanted to delve into some more smokey/dark colours so I added the ones I used here to my collection recently. I usually wear browns, neutrals and bronzes but I am really getting into my red toned browns, greens and greys lately.

Here I used:

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Cashew

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW25

Estee Lauder Automatic Brow Pencil in Soft Brown

Benefit Speed Brow

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper

Clinique All About Shadow Eye Shadow in Graphite

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Black Crystals

Estee Lauder Double Wear Eye Pencil in Graphite

Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara in Black

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder

Benefit Dallas Box 'O Powder

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Tempting Tearose

Are you a fan of the smokey eye look?

Face of the Day - 28/05/13

Hello all!
The 28th was my last day off after a lovely and long Bank Holiday weekend. I went to see one of my best friends Michaela as it was her Birthday which was really nice and chilled. She has a lovely blog which you can visit here! My make-up was simple and features my new favourite blush Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink - it's gorgeous!

I'm still in love with my Double Wear foundation - you can read my ode to it here. He's been faithful so far and I think it might be getting serious....

What I wore:

Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 3W2 Cashew

Estée Lauder Double Wear Flawless Wear Concealer in Warm Medium

Estée Lauder Ideal Light Brush-On Illuminator in Medium

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent

Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink

Estée Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Tempting Mocha

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in Black

Estée Lauder Automatic Brow Pencil in Soft Brown

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer


So there you go! I hope you are enjoying my FOTD posts, I always enjoy looking at other people's!


What make-up are you wearing today?

'The Estée Lauder Face'

Just a quick snap of the make-up I did for my first day on Estée Lauder. I didn't have any Lauder blushes when I started, but have bought one since which will feature in one of my next posts! So the make-up here is pretty clean and simple and I applied blush once I got there before the store opened.

I was going for a clean and flawless look rather than a smokey eye or anything, as I think Lauder's image is quite sophisticated and understated. The eyeshadow I wore, Pure Color Eyeshadow in Tempting Mocha completely stole the show and I got so many compliments on it!

Double Wear Flawless Wear Concealer in
Warm Medium and Ideal Light Brush-On
Illuminator in Medium

For concealer I went for Double Wear Flawless Wear Concealer in Warm Medium to help conceal any redness. I then mixed this concealer with Advanced Night Repair Eye to create something hydrating enough for under the eye as the DW Concealer on it's own is quite drying for that area. At Lauder we call this the 'Fatigue Fighter' and it's used to help hydrate and conceal the eye to give a more flawless and awake look, hiding bags and dark circles.

I then used Ideal Light in Medium as it is a brush-on illuminator that reflects light and helps to brighten under the eye further. It's a correcting salmon type shade which is perfect for dark circles. The texture is great for the under-eye area as it is light and not drying. 

For brows I used my Automatic Brow Pencil in Soft Brown which has a dry/waxy texture which is great for natural looking brows that stay all day. I have used this non-stop since I got it - a great product.

Pure Color Eyeshadow in Tempting Mocha

Now for the hero - Pure Color Eyeshadow in Tempting Mocha, a shade that sometimes looks Taupe, sometimes looks Purple and sometimes looks Blue. Underwhelming in the pan, this shadow looks amazing on, and can be worn lightly swept on or more heavily with other darker shadows depending on what look you are going for. 

A slick of mascara and gloss and I was done. I used Sumptuous Extreme mascara and Pure Color Gloss in Rock Candy. 

Pure Color Gloss in Rock Candy

It's going really well at Lauder, I have a lot to learn still but I am really enjoying it and getting to grips with it all as quick as I can :-) My favourite part has been doing the iMatch (foundation matching) and getting to grips with all the foundation shades and the application.

I am really missing my other make-up as it feels like I am only using my Lauder products *cries*, but it's nice to explore the brand and see what make-up they have to offer, as everything I've tried has been of amazing quality and I've really been enjoying using them. 

I will update again on how I'm getting on soon - feel free to ask me any questions that you may have, I'd love to read them!

Ta ta for now!

Mini MAC Haul

A very, very "mini" MAC haul of a couple of things I ordered online recently! I do love it when they do their free delivery periods and I only wanted to pick up some small things.

So I guess you're wondering why there is a picture of my beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear in this post? No, I don't love it so much that I feel the need to mention it everywhere (although I do), but the black pump is actually from MAC!

I had read online in loads of different places that the MAC foundation pumps that fit the Studio Fix Fluid also fit perfectly with the Double Wear bottle. I originally thought that I didn't mind having to pour the foundation out, but it's just so fiddly and I always poured too much, which is such a waste of product. I picked this one up from MAC for £3.50 and it works a treat! I now do a pump or two of foundation straight onto my Beauty Blender instead of pouring it out and getting in a flap. I really, really recommend this pump if you use Double Wear, I don't know if the pump would fit other bottles, but it's always worth a little research online! The pump has a great 'locking' feature which allows you to twist the bottle right and left to lock and unlock the pump, meaning no messiness in your make-up bag and no waste of product. 

The pumps working for both brands does make sense as MAC is owned by Estee Lauder, although they probably didn't mean for people to catch on! For anyone who has struggled with the 'DW no pump situation', I hope this helps! 

I also picked up another Pro Palette, but a 2-shadow one this time. I got Carbon eyeshadow to go in one pan and I am thinking about getting a neutral 'all over the lid' colour to pair with it. This will be such a handy little palette as the black shadow is great for adding definition to the lash line, adding over gel liner or creating a smokey eye. The neutral colour will be great for all over the lid and blending out shadow as a transition colour. The palette is lovely and small and has earned a place in my 'everyday make-up bag' as when I've added another colour, it will be a great 'basics' palette to have.

Carbon is nicely pigmented, not chalky and a great intense black shade. I think a black eyeshadow is essential for everyone as it's so versatile and handy to have!

So that's my little MAC haul - I have also recently ordered the large Pro Palette after it being out of stock since the beginning of time (no exaggeration) so I am looking forward to filling it with lots of lovely eyeshadows and maybe blushes! 

I'll do a review on the palette once I get it so you all know what it's like and how many eyeshadows I think it can hold.

-

The 2-shadow Pro Palette is £6.50 and the eyeshadow refill pans are £10.00.

Have you bought anything from MAC recently?

A few of my favourite things.....

Just wanted to share with you a few beauty bits that are my favourites! There are some very old favourites along with a few newer ones - enjoy! 

MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

I only used it on my bottom waterline in this photo, and I've been doing that a lot lately. The colour is so rich and smokey, it's a deep copper-brown that is metallic and is such a great alternative to black or brown liner. This is my absolute favourite eyeliner ever and it has been for some time now. I'm so happy that I found this shade - I hope it never gets discontinued!

MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5 and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Evasion

I have loved Face and Body for over a year now, it is the most fabulous product ever. It has the same ingredient in that they use in lip stains, which means it is like glue! It's waterproof and can be used all over the body - legs, arms, you name it! It would be great for a night out to give your legs that high-definition look. It has a beautiful glow to it and looks just as gorgeous when set with powder. This foundation is almost magic, just when you think it couldn't get any more amazing - when you buff it into the skin, it actually becomes more opaque and thick the more you buff, so great coverage can be obtained from it! A beautiful product that I will always, always repurchase.

As for the lipstick, it's my absolute favourite of all time. It is the most beautiful pink shade that is quite nude and quite close to the colour of my own lips, so it's definitely a 'my lips but better' kind of colour. It's lovely and sheer, really moisturising and leaves lips with a slight sheen and wash of colour. I love it because I can apply it without a mirror and always know it will look good. I highly, highly recommend!

My custom MAC Pro Palette - (Shades clockwise from top left): Satin Taupe, Naked Lunch, Espresso, Soba 

I love my MAC quad, and it comes with me whenever I'm travelling or staying away, it's always in my everyday make-up bag. Naked Lunch was the first eyeshadow I ever bought from MAC! Ahhh memories. This is a really nice neutral palette that is really versatile - the Satin Taupe is great used as a taupe liner, Espresso is great for my brows and as a crease colour, Soba can be whacked all over the lid on it's own and look fab, and Naked Lunch is really brightening and looks great on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye. 

Nude, round nails!

I am loving my current nails - rounded shape with a nude gel polish. I don't know the name of the shade (sorry!) but it's Calgel, which I have spoken about in my nail post here.

Estee Lauder Double Wear a.k.a the Mothership

Needs no introduction - me and Double Wear are in a very intense relationship right now. Review here!

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50

A great exfoliating toner with tons of tingly ingredients including Horseradish (the smell is....interesting to say the least!) and Glycolic Acid. At £49.00 a bottle, this stuff isn't cheap, but it has improved the texture of my skin so much and will be so good for my skin in the long run, in terms of lines and ageing etc.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

A staple of mine! It's always in my bag, possibly the best no-fuss lipgloss ever! Looks great over any lipstick and oh so nourishing. I wear this on it's own a lot, and it's great for spots too! A firm fave.

Bioderma Crealine H2O

 A cult beauty product in the beauty world - and rightly so. I wouldn't use anything else to remove my make-up, although sometimes an oil based product is needed if I have heavy make-up on my eyes etc. The giant 500ml bottle lasts me for ages and is 100% worth the money. I order mine off of eBay from monseiurgeorgew.

The Original Tangle Teezer and Tangle Teezer Compact Styler

I love love love my Tangle Teezers! They are perfect for my hair as it's very thick and I end up pulling out chunks with normal hairbrushes and hurting myself in the process! These are so gentle and get rid of all my tangles without being painful or difficult in the slightest! Perfect for Afro-Caribbean hair that is weak and prone to breakage. The pink one is the compact version that I keep in my handbag at all times!!

Classic Beauty Blender

My sponge companion for make-up application on a daily basis - I love this lil pink guy! Makes all make-up look flawless and airbrushed, brushes just don't do it the same for me after this! I have reviewed it here!

Just a few of my faves ;-) 

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in Cashew 3W2 (New Shade) - Review

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup SPF 10 in 3W2 Cashew - £27.50

I usually like to try out my foundations for at least a month or two to test them properly and work out if I do really like them or not and if they work for my skin. It's been just under two weeks and I am itching to write this review! So here it is, possibly the most surprising foundation I've ever tried.

I've heard so many great things about Estee Lauder Double Wear for absolutely years, and I don't know why but I had lots of negative preconceptions before I'd even tried it. I've always liked a medium or even light coverage foundation, being a lover of Mac Face and Body and Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat as well as other lighter options. I always thought that Double Wear was a heavy, cakey foundation that I didn't need as I don't have bad skin and don't like foundations feeling heavy. I couldn't have been more wrong. I also thought this foundation would be really full coverage, which it can be, but only if you build it. 

To me, Double Wear is a medium to full coverage foundation depending on how many layers you want, which is why it's so versatile. You can use more or less depending on how much you need and in which areas as it layers so well - I always work thinly to keep things natural and just build. I couldn't have been more wrong about the cakey-ness or heavy-ness. I personally can't feel it on my skin and the texture doesn't feel thick at all, it's quite liquid-y actually which means it blends like a dream (I use my Beauty Blender). I did do some research regarding the new shades and the formula (there are now a whopping 30 shades!) as a very popular shade 'Shell 1C1' has been discontinued, but is apparently being brought back after much uproar. I can't comment on the old formula as I have only tried this new one, but it doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with it at all, and lives up to it's 'Double Wear' title incredibly. As for my shade match, it's perfect. I use 'Cashew 3W2' and it's very much yellow enough for my skin which I love. It looks quite orange when poured out and when I was first applying I thought 'yikes!', but it's a really great match for me - probably the best match I own as I can even slap it on in a hurry and it blends with my own skin colour. 

'Cashew 3W2' swatched on my hand

I have always found it really hard to get a foundation to stay put on my skin, which is something that is really important to me, especially if I know I'll be having a long day or want to look flawless without having to worry about touching up or powdering. My other foundations do okay, by the end of the day they are still there but not like Double Wear, no where near. I mentioned in my review of the Dior Skin Nude Foundation (here) that it lasted well and looked pretty much the same when I got home depending on what my skin was doing that day, but that was with having set my whole face with powder and touching up during the day. After using this foundation, I've realised how much foundations change throughout the day, they wear in certain places, oxidise, disintegrate from oil production, but Double Wear doesn't seem to do any of those things.

The above photos were taken after a LONG day at work. I applied Estee Lauder Double Wear just before 9am and took these photos after 7pm that evening. A dusting of powder through my t-zone and for my concealer on application and thats it. No powdering during the day, no touch ups or re-application - nothing. You can see a slight breakthrough of shine from the flash, but after 10+ hours of wearing this foundation, I am so impressed. I've never had a foundation stay this perfect on my skin, I looked close up in the mirror numerous times that day and my skin was still matte, no redness had broken through (something I have a real problem with), no shine or fading and no patchiness.

Heres me wearing the foundation on it's own, no powder or anything else. Surprisingly, when applied in layers, this is the most natural looking foundation I own. I expected the finish to be super matte but it's not. It's more of a semi-matte finish, it definitely mattifies but just looks like natural, perfect skin. I asked my boyfriend if he thought I was wearing make-up in this photo and he said no (result!) - I can't help but agree as it looks so natural. Not mask like and not cakey.

Me with just Double Wear on 

Rest of make-up done!

As for the famous Double Wear 'ghost face' due to the SPF, it can slightly look lighter in the occasional photo like the one above, but in the other photos my face looks true to life. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I wouldn't wear this foundation if I knew I was being photographed, as it hasn't proven to be a problem yet and sometimes the flash can just wash you out anyway. I like that it has an SPF of 10 as it's great for everyday protection. This foundation doesn't accentuate pores and one of the most important qualities of this foundation is that it looks great close-up. I can shove my nose up against the mirror (not literally) and it looks just as flawless as it does from far away - this is a big thing for me as I'm quite fanatical about how make-up looks close up. It's all well and good being nicely made up, but it needs to look natural, not like you've applied bags of foundation that's just sitting on the surface - gross!

I use a dusting of Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder through my t-zone and under my eyes for my concealer but it's not essential as the foundation lasts amazingly on it's own. I've always had to set every foundation I've tried for fear of looking like an oil slick by lunchtime, but this one stays put without. 

As for the packaging, I think the bottle is beautiful, it looks and feels very expensive. It's quite weighty to hold because of the frosted glass, but it's nice and small so it's fine to travel with. The lack of pump doesn't bother me too much as it encourages me to be careful with how much I pour out. I rarely ever finish foundations as I buy so many, but I have a feeling that this may be the first one to be re-purchased. I'll keep you all updated on how I go with this and if my opinion of it changes, but as of now it is up there as my favourite foundation so far. It's just flawless. It seems I am an Estee Lauder girl at heart, and I am excited to be working on the counter in just over a months time, so I'll definitely be posting about my experience and the products I will discover!

You can get iMatched at any Estee Lauder counter (which I highly recommend) and Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup is available at any Lauder counter and online here. With 30 shades, I'm sure you'll find your perfect match!

Have you tried this foundation?