Clinique 16 Shades of Beige Collection - Limited Edition All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2

Clinique Limited Edition All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2* - £32 at clinique.co.uk

As you may not know, I recently left my job at Estee Lauder to become a member of their sister brand, Clinique! I'm really happy with my decision to change job and it was in no way a result of any problems with Lauder as a brand, I simply wanted to progress and wanted full-time hours which weren't available at the time at Estee Lauder. Enough about that, I'm really excited to share with you a new limited edition product from Clinique which will be launching in February as part of the 16 Shades of Beige Collection. 

Everyone loves a neutral palette, and this new offering from Clinique is gorgeous. I am such a massive fan of their eyeshadows anyway, they have the most soft, buttery texture and are so rich and pigmented.  

The Limited Edition All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2 is no different and contains a mixture of seven shimmer and one matte shade. The matte shade is the fourth shade in, which is labelled as 'light shade of day into date duo', a colour that is part of one of the permanent eyeshadow duo palettes. The palette, despite being branded as a limited edition product, contains all permanent shades that can be purchased either as a single or in their duo, trio or quad, depending how they come. The palette as a limited edition piece is fab, but if one or a few of the colours really float your boat then you can also re-purchase them afterwards when you've used them up - perfect! The most annoying thing in the world is falling in love with a limited edition product that once you've used up, you can never repurchase, right?

Neutral Territory 2 features colours that are really diverse and there are shades in the palette for everyone from light to deep skintones. The first four shades are lighter shade offerings, perfect for under the brow and for inner corner highlight, as well as all over the lid. The last four shades are perfect for a subtle smoke and are really wearable for every day.

L-R: Sugar Cane, light shade of Diamonds and Pearls Duo,
light shade of Neutral Territory Duo, light shade of Day Into Date Duo.

L-R: Brown shade of Polar Blue Quad, Hazy, Black Honey,
dark brown shade of Morning Java Quad.

I love Clinique's matte eyeshadow formulas as they aren't flat or chalky, they have an ever so subtle sheen to them which makes them so much more wearable in my opinion, shown by the above swatch of 'light shade of day into date duo'.

As well as the 8-pan eyeshadow palette, the collection will also consist of 8 Limited Edition 'A Different Nail Enamel' shades, all in beautiful beige hues. 

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Overall, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous palette and one that I can't wait to wear on counter. I highly recommend all Clinique eyeshadows and if you've never tried them before, then this palette is a great place to start. 

Clinique's Limited Edition All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2 will retail for £32 and is on counters in Feburary, however it is already available to purchase online at clinique.co.uk along with the nail colours aswell.

What do you think of the Neutral Territory 2 palette?

*I was gifted this palette as an employee and did not purchase it myself.

Hair Products I'm Currently Loving....

(From left to right) Toni&Guy Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray, Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Backcomb in a Bottle,
 Redken Extreme Conditioner, Redken Extreme Shampoo, Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil,
Redken Satinwear 02 Prepping Blow Dry Lotion, Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

 These are the hair products that I've been using and loving lately, they've all been helping my hair in one way or another wether it be with it's condition or with the way it looks. I've really gotten into my hair products lately, and have been branching out into some more professional type haircare brands such as Redken and Philip Kingsley as opposed to things you can pick up in the supermarket or Boots. I've been really pleased with the results from the higher end brands and will definitely continue to invest!

First up is the Toni&Guy Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray (£6.39) which I have heard lots of things about but decided to pick one up after I tried a friends and was seriously impressed! Before this I was using L'Oreal Elnett hairspray and was fairly happy with it's hold and it's ability to brush out into nothing. This Toni&Guy alternative is much more heavy duty but does also brush out quite nicely and doesn't leave my hair crispy. It's more obvious that I have something in my hair when it isn't brushed out, aka when I have my hair back in a pony and spray it to keep the strays down. It's definitely a much firmer hold than the Elnett and I have really been enjoying the results that it gives my hair. 

Second product is the Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a Bottle (£5.61) which I've been loving in the roots of second day hair when I need a bit more lift and texture. It's got a nice texture to it and just feels like you're spraying a hairspray in rather than a powdery spray. It disappears when ruffled up with fingers and works nicely with the hair dryer too.

Next is my shampoo and conditioner duo, the Redken Extreme (Shampoo £12.50, Conditioner £13.75) range for distressed hair. I love both of these products equally and they have given so much strength and shine to my hair. They are both packed with proteins and help to fortify damaged and weak hair. They smell like sweets (bonus!) and the conditioner doesn't weigh my hair down which it is prone to with certain conditioners. I'm really impressed by both of these and I definitely recommend them to anyone with hair in the above category!

I've also been enjoying using the Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil (£31.50) which is for the hair, nails and body. It's been really quenching my hair where it needs it most - the ends, and has overall given it softness and shine. I've been slathering it in and tying my hair up, leaving it in to soak for a good few hours if I'm doing bits at home. I am completely obsessed with the Elemis Body Exotics range at the moment, the oil is fantastic on damp skin after a shower too! 

The Redken Satinwear 02 Prepping Blow Dry Lotion (£15.30) is also something that I have been really, really impressed with. It makes blow drying my hair about 10x easier, and that is saying something as I have very thick, frizzy hair that is plentiful and is a complete chore to style/manage! This prepping lotion makes my hair dry quicker, it makes it softer and straighter (win!!) and is protecting my hair from heat damage at the same time. What's not to love? The lotion is very light and undetectable in the hair which is fab too. Highly, highly recommend!

The last product in my little line-up is the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (£27.00 for 150ml)  which has been my hair masque of choice for the last few months and I'm almost ready to repurchase it! Along with the Redken Extreme shampoo and conditioner, this masque has given my hair a lot of strength and it feels much more resilient against blowdrying and brushing. My hair is quite brittle and breaks fairly easily but I have definitely seen a huge improvement since changing my products. My hair looks and feels so much healthier and I've had a lot of comments on how shiny and healthy it looks -yay! I also like that it is a pre-shampoo treatment which means it's not just coating the hair shaft with silicones and things that make the hair feel in better condition when it actually isnt. A pricey but effective product!

What products have you been loving for your hair?

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?

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II Review

A little while ago I wrote a post which you can find here, all about the product that is Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II, the worlds first ever repair serum. For the purpose of this review, I will refer to said brown bottle of goodness as simply ANR, as that lengthy title is a pain in the ass! I said in that blog post that I would report back after using the product thoroughly and testing it out. I'm halfway through my second bottle, so I thought now was the perfect time to give you a little run down of my thoughts! (I would go back to that blog post and read it if you haven't already, as I explain the science behind the product and tell you about what it claims to do for the skin.)

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II - £48 - 30ml, £65 - 50ml.

Advanced Night Repair has become a firm staple in my skincare routine and has been for quite a while now. While I loved the previous formula also, the new formula is nothing short of fantastic.

I love it for it's ability to hydrate the skin, and it reminds me a lot of one of my favourite products Hydraluron. It's great at binding moisture to the skin, and I still wake up every morning after using it with plump, soft skin that glows, and I never had that constantly before using this. I think this product is so popular because it's so easy to use and incorporate into anyones skincare routine, it also is very gentle and lightweight so it's great for sensitive skins and under make-up. The gentle qualities of it also mean that it's nice to use when my skin is breaking out or if I have a blemish or two as it doesn't irritate the skin. It helps to nourish the blemish and keep the skin calm and hydrated due to the Hyaluronic Acid, natures moisture magnet. This hydration creates the perfect environment for healthy skin that can successfully repair itself, and that's why I really enjoy using this product and believe in the benefits that it provides for my skin.

ANR is also for anti-ageing as we all know, but considering I don't have much 'anti-ageing' to do, I simply love it for the insurance factor. By insurance I mean, starting early and looking after my skin, infusing it with hydration and keeping it in good shape. ANR helps get the skins circadian rhythm in sync which helps my skin cells to repair. I find that my skin doesn't scar as badly and for as long since I started using this, for example with blemishes, the marks tend to fade a lot quicker and a lot better. It also purifies the skin which means that Catabolysis takes place and cellular debris that causes ageing in the skin is removed. These two technologies together have been branded ChronoluxCB™ and make for a very powerful duo. 

As for evening out the skin tone, I'd say my skin was fairly even before I started using this product, however I hope that by using it, it will keep my skin even in the future also. Advanced Night Repair has really made a difference to the texture and suppleness of my skin, it keeps my skin looking plump and healthy and I love that it's working in ways that I can't see with my eyes, but know that it's keeping my skin in the best shape possible for the future. 

If you want a product that keeps the skin hydrated and supple, helps to repair the skin and remove the gunk that causes skin to age while also keeping the skin protected from environmental damage, then this is a truly perfect product.

Have you tried the new formula of Advanced Night Repair?

Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Glosses - Rootbeer and Apricot

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Rootbeer and Apricot - £16.00 each here.

I'm gonna come right out and say it, I'm Chloe and I'm a lipgloss junkie. Just send me straight to Lipgloss-aholics Anonymous as I have a serious issue! My newest gloss obsession are these Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing lip glosses, tinted versions of their original Superbalm lip balm/treatment.

I was intrigued by these as they are meant to be a treatment as well as make-up, they keep the lips hydrated as well as giving a hint of colour and incredible shine, perfect for the winter months. I am loving both of these shades, Apricot being a natural peachy nude and quite clear on the lips, whilst Rootbeer is a bit of a deeper shade, but on me it is still very nude which I love. The reason I love these is because they just give fantastic gloss, super high gloss. They make the lips look full and juicy (the point of why I wear gloss, as I wish I had bigger lips!) and they are so easy to throw on out and about every day for a polished, glossy look. 

Swatches with flash (top to bottom) - Rootbeer, Apricot

These little tubes have been in my handbag ever since I got them and they are the perfect, hydrating, non-sticky glosses. I've not tried much Clinique make-up, but what I have tried has been very impressive. I just got a bunch of their new All About Shadow eyeshadow singles as well and have a post coming up soon!

Do you wear lipgloss? What's your favourite?

Estee Lauder Zodiac Powder Compact - Pisces

Estee Lauder Zodiac Powder Compact - Pisces - £65 here.

As we enter the month of Christmas, I thought I'd share an early Christmas present that I received from Estee Lauder, the brand that I work for. All Beauty Advisors were gifted a Zodiac Powder Compact in their star sign and a gorgeous Aspinal of London bracelet. I probably prefer the compact out of the two but that is just typical me!

The compact is quite small and thin, it features two fish and my birthstone which is Aquamarine. It comes in a velvet pouch, which I like because it protects the outside from scratching and gives it a really luxury feel. The powder inside is Lucidity, a gorgeous finely milled pressed powder in 06 Translucent. The compact being small makes it handy for touch-ups during the day as it fits snugly in my make-up bag, the texture of the powder is perfect for multiple touch-ups as it is so light that it will never get cakey.

The compact is beautifully made and I was so chuffed to receive such a personal gift as an employee.

This powder comes everywhere with me and I have really been enjoying using it!

Probably the best thing about the compact is that it is refillable so I can keep using the gorgeous casing forever!

What do you think of the Estee Lauder Zodiac Compacts?

My new best friend! Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover

Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - £17 here.

 I posted this pic on Instagram (username: cocomykel - follow me!) the other day of my new favourite thing - the Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover for waterproof and heavy make-up. I nabbed this the other day as I was getting a bit fed up of melting my eye make-up off with my cleansing balm at night (I use the Clinique Take The Day Off one to take my make-up off). The balm is effective in taking it off, but it always takes a little extra rubbing of my eyes than I'd prefer, and as the eye area is quite sensitive and I'm conscious of losing lashes, I thought I'd give the Clarins a go!

It's one of those dual-phase make-up removers which requires you to shake it (which is secretly quite fun!), the girl on Clarins told me when I bought it that you have to "shake it to wake it!" and she seemed rather amused!

After shaking well so both blue and clear liquids are mixed, I pop some on a cotton pad and hold over my eye before carefully wiping it around my eye area and removing all eyeshadow and mascara, before I go into my proper cleanse at the sink. This stuff feels great on the eyes and is not irritating to me whatsoever. It feels a tad oily compared to say Bioderma, but I think that's why it's so effective. It leaves my eye area feeling smooth and I cleanse afterwards anyway so the remainder of it is always being removed.

I haven't tried this bad boy with waterproof mascara as I don't tend to wear it, but it's designed to do so and I'm sure it works a treat. I highly recommend this eye make-up remover if you wear a lot of eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara like I tend to and want something that whips it off easily and effectively.

What's your favourite way to remove your eye make-up?