Warm Neutral Eyes with Born Pretty

Warm Neutral Eyes with Born Pretty

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Like most people in the beauty world, I am an obsessive freak when it comes to palettes - I just can't get enough of them! Without question, I will continue to hoard them for the rest of my life, despite owning ever shade of browns and coppers under the sun. 

Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the most affordable, yet incredible, neutral toned eye shadow palette from 'Born Pretty'. Born Pretty is an online company that sells pretty much anything under the sun, you name it... Watches, Garden Decor, Clothing, Tablets! However, I am, like every beauty fanatic, instantly drawn to the makeup section and couldn't believe the prices. This palette retails for the equivalent of £5 in the UK - how insane is that?!

Encased in a sleek compact, this 15 matte shade colour palette is the perfect product for any of you makeup beginners. Matte shades are perfect for those just starting with eyeshadow; they are usually easier to blend/work with and give a gentle subtlety to a look. Also, warm tones work so well and a popular favourite all over the beauty world - I don't know a single person who doesn't love a taupes and brown hues on the lid or in the crease. 

On swatching the eyeshadows, I couldn't quite believe the intensity of the pigmentation in each and every shade. With a single swipe, my finger was covered in rich colour - something you can't find with most drugstore/affordable shadow palettes. If any of you would like to see these shades swatched, then don't forget to comment below and I will be sure to upload some swatches onto my social medias (twitter, instagram & facebook >>>).

If you would love to purchase one of these fabby palettes or some other cheap makeup that's up for grabs, you can use this coupon code (giving you 10% off your overall order) MTH10.

Lots of love

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

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When admiring my new dressing table and makeup collection the other day, I suddenly acknowledged the ridiculous amount of palettes I've gathered throughout my years of makeup hoarding. Thus, I've brought a post to you today dedicated to my beloved compacts and why they are such an important part of my makeup-revolved world...

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

High end up eyeshadow palettes have invaded my entire makeup collection over the past two year, and has been ever-growing since. Through experience, I have personally found Urban Decay to hold the best high end shadows - great pigmentation, incredible colour range, multiple palettes, fab lasting power and overall look. I cannot get enough of UD's shadows and will continue to repurchase. 

Nars Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette, Makeup Revolution Blushes & Urban Decay Naked Flushed (STREAK)

Post-eyeshadow-palette-craziness, I became introduced to the wondrous face/blush palettes in both the drugstore and highend brands. I'm in love with my Nars Steven Klein palette - the contour shade is an absolute DREAAAAAM to blend and the multiple blush shades are perfect for travelling. I also love the affordable palettes - e.g. Makeup Revolution have some fab palettes you should try if you haven't already. Their blushes are super pretty but insanely pigmented - so watch out when applying!!

Dior Sundeck , Bobbi Brown Pink Opal and L'Oreal Marron Glace

The smaller compact must no go a-miss. I love the little eyeshadow palettes you can get, both luxury and affordable. These three lil palettes completely summarise my eyeshadow go-to's; I'm a sucker for bronze/browns all year round, pinks in the spring/summer and orange tones in the winter. 

Why do I love all these palettes so much, do you ask? Well, they are simply four main reasons. 1 - I adore how versatile they are, they can hold an endless array of colours perfect for any occasion. 2 - If you are indecisive, like myself, you can just take 12423423 blushes with you in case you can't decide spontaneously. 3 - Cosmetic palettes inspire me to change my daily makeup routine - the variety of shades you can get in one palette allows me to alternate my looks on a regular basis so I'm getting full use of my makeup collection. 4 - Like the majority of beauty lovers, compacts are travel friendly so you can't have enough. They can really save so much space in your bag, a definite beauty need.

What's your favourite beauty palette? 

Lots of love

Naked Smoky Palette | Review

Naked Smoky Palette | Review

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Urban Decay, I must say, have the most stunning eye shadow palettes and shades - more than any other brand I know of. One of their new releases is the new Smoky palette from the infamously -loved Naked range. I've tried the second and third Naked palettes as well as the Basics 2; Urban Decay never failing to impress me. 

It came as much a surprise to me when my best friend Megan invested in this beauty for my birthday; I couldn't thank her enough! Getting my hands on some more of their highly pigmented, cool-toned and fun named shadows made my birthday extra special.

 Let's take a look at the product in closer detail - shall we?

Encased in a golden, gunmetal embossed palette with a marble and brown smoke effect on top, there are 12 sultry, cool-toned shades (9 of which are new and exclusive to this palette!) to create the perfect smoky eye, as well as the cooler undertones being ideal for the Winter months. Throughout my makeup hoarding time, I've never really had the right colours to even attempt an in-depth smoky eye so now I have this, I can't wait to get stuck in and spend my days working on new looks that I could potentially upload as tutorials later on.

With a mix of both glittery and matte, light and dark, options, I believe this palette to be one of the most versatile, universal products I've owned in a while. The contrast in finishes and tone envelope a uniqueness too - further making it a NEED for every single beauty blogger in the planet! Also, another difference spotted from the other NAKED palettes, is the new brush style. The two-sided eye crease brush is darker in colour with fluffier bristles; one end a blending brush and the other a more pointed for precision. In my opinion, I prefer this than the ones in the previous NAKED palettes.

HIGH -  A champagne, pink-toned highlight shades with a slightly pearlescent coating. One of the few warm tones in the palette; holds a frosted, metallic sheen on the eye.

DIRTYSWEET - Yellow under-toned metallic gold shade; one perfect for all-over-the-lid.

RADAR - A chestnut, warm brown with small glitters running throughout; idyllic transition shade.

ARMOR - A cool, taupe/grey glitter shade that would add sparkle to your smoky eye.

SLANTED - A pale blue,grey shimmer with a muted metallic essence.

DAGGER - Very dark grey with intense blue tones; a deep matte that would work great creating a dramatic eye.

BLACK MARKET - A navy, jet blue satin shade with a thin, easy-to-blend formula.

SMOLDER - A mix between a plum purple and taupe with an iridescent shine.

PASSWORD - A light matte grey.

WHISKEY - A rich matte brown (I cannot wait to use this in my crease; fab eye contour shade)

COMBUST - A soft, blush pink that will look gorgeous on the inner lid.

THIRTEEN - A pure, beige satin shade; matte but good for brightening, nonetheless!

Overall, I'm phenomenally impressed with each and every aspect of this palette. I couldn't fault any of the colour choices; each shade is wearable and 100% will use! Everything from the gorgeous packaging to the densely bristled brush is an absolute bonus. I just can't wait to try out some new looks!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE : I'm about 40 followers away from 1000 on Bloglovin!!! When I reach 1000, I hope to hold a giveaway and would love to know what you would like to see in it?! Make sure to comment below what you would like to win!

Lots of love

Charlotte Xx

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

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Are you ever in a rush to do your makeup? Are you ever stuck trying to create that perfect smoky eye in 2 minutes flat? I know I certainly can relate. That's why today's post is here to give you the lowdown on what to do when stuck in these dilemmas - use cream eyeshadows!

On school days or mornings where I have to wake up early, I just NEVER have time to apply my makeup the way I want it to look. Being only semi-okay at eyeshadow, I always find it best to stay clear of dramatic/smoky looks on these types of mornings. The product I will forever turn to are cream shadows; they sit comfortably on the lid, create a wonderful sheen/colour on the lids and are super easy! Majority of the time, I blend in the shadows with my fingers, as I believe it to be the simplest way to apply but using a brush would work just the same.

Below are a few of my favourite brands that have wonderful ranges of cream formulated and pretty eyeshadows :

Starting on the drugstore end of the spectrum, I'd like to give a hand over to possibly the most talked about eyeshadows from the lower side of the market - Maybelline Colour Tattoos. From the moment I started wearing ON AND ON BRONZE two years ago, I fell in love and have always labelled it as a holy grail makeup product. This particular shade is perfect for day and night occasions and make a perfect base for a warm, brown autumn eye look.

Moving on to a recent favourite of mine - the Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks. I can't get enough of the pigmentation, even the most gentlest swipe on the hand and you're left with a beam of colour. The shade I got is a mix between champagne/taupe; a great addition to any smoky eye look. Can't wait to be wearing more of this throughout the cooler months.

Another cult favourite of both mine and other makeup fanatics are the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. I have 3 shades; milk (white), Yoghurt (pink) and French Fries (bronze). Milk is absolutely incredible for a base or to brighten the eye. If you want to read an in depth review about these just click HERE. Personally, I'm a big fan of the stick-shaped cream shadows as they are less messy and simple to apply.

Sliding smoothly onto the more expensive cream shadows, we have the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows. I've been wearing RSVP for a year now and it is the ONE to wear on a 'no-makeup, makeup day'. It gives a glowing, awakened look to the eye as well as creating a pretty pink/champagne sheen on the lid. Oh, and the packaging is to die for!!!

Finally, here come my favourite of all - MAC PAINT POTS. I'm sure you've heard a lot about these are it is constantly talked about all over the blogger community. The easy-to-blend formula makes these cream shadows a dream to apply, not to mention the extensive colour range Mac has to offer. The shades I have are bare study - a classic champagne/cream colour which works fabulous as a base or primer, and rubenesque - an orange, metallic shade that is very autumn appropriate (the various colours it shares when it reflects is beyond gorgeous!)

ARE YOU A FAN OF CREAM EYESHADOWS? WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE EYESHADOW CLASSICS?

Love

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

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First off, I'd like to let you all know that today's post is part of a collab with Molly Smith from mollyisabelsmith.blogspot.co.uk. Alternatively, she has created a daytime and more natural look - the complete opposite of my intense eye makeup and bold lips. You can also find Molly on @mollyisabels on both twitter and instagram. It has been lovely working with her and I would be so grateful, as would she, if you went over to her blog and checked out her post.

Creating a bolder, intense makeup look is one of my ultimate past times; I love indulging in deeper lip colours and throwing dark shades onto my eyes. I just so happen to enter my own little bubble of serenity when I alter my makeup to something more dramatic than the regular day time face. Starting with the face, something I don't drastically transform, I opt for a full-coverage foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC15). This works well when faking a flawless complexion as well as lasting the entire evening, whether you be going out to a fancy restaurant or partying all night long, this foundation will stay put. The only other change in my face makeup is contouring. Personally, I like to contour my face A LOT when I'm wearing evening makeup. I apply my Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in the hollows of my cheeks, my temples, under my jaw and sometimes on the tip of my nose; contouring is a great way to dramatise your makeup from day to night. In the look above, I also used Mac's Soft&Gentle to highlight, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer to eliminate appearance of under eye cirles/highlight my T-Zone and Mac's Fleur Power for a subtle hint of blush. 

The primary focal point of the look comes down to the eyes. Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Eternal Gold was perfect for creating a base on the eyelid. This helps to avoid creasing and maintain the eyeshadow applied on top. Next, I turned to my trusty Naked 2 palette and applied SNAKEBITE through the crease until fully blended. If you aren't comfortable using black eyeshadow, then skip the next step - I decided to increase the intensity by defining my outer corner. This was easily done by adding the darkest, opaque shade in the Naked 2 palette - blackout. Little by little, I tapped this onto my outer corner and blended thoroughly to ensure no harsh lines were present. To finish the eye look, I added some golden liquid glitter from Essence and painted on some winged liner. My lashes were lengthened and volumized using Smashbox's mascara; I also went under my eye with snakebite to define my eye shape.

Deciding on a lip colour was the final challenge. Owning many a dark lip, it was a difficult decision but in the end I chose Maybelline's Colour Drama Lip Pencil in Berry Much. Rich purples look undeniably fabulous with dramatic eyes and definitely a go-to of mine. Also, I think a ruby red lip would look equally as gorgeous with this eye makeup - gold and red are a great combo!

Thank you for reading and don't forget to check out Molly's post!

Lots of love

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils // Review

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils // Review

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Hey there everybody!

I hope you are all well this Saturday evening. Tonight I have a review on one of my favourite eye products ever...the phenomenal and infamous NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. Seeing as they were so popular, I decided to buy a few colours to try over the past few months in my local Next and when I went on holiday to Ireland, as they fortunately had a stand there.
Carry on reading if you wish to find out more about these little gems, even if you've seen 343243 beauty bloggers already post and rave about them.

I decided to buy three contrasting colours so that I was able to incorporate each of them into various looks. The three colours are:

Milk - A pure white. You have probably seen every beauty guru, youtuber and blogger talk about  using this eye pencil as a blank canvas before the use of eye shadow. This helps to ensure the colours you use on top 'pop' and increases the vibrancy and pigmentation of the shadow - it honestly does! This is a staple for your makeup collection; milk is suuuper long-lasting, works well on the waterline as well as the lid and a great eye opener in the inner corner. My favourite out of the three by far!

Yogurt - A subtle, yet flattering pink. Although it looks very metallic in the swatch and when first applied, you can really blend it out to great a beautiful champagne sheen, perfect for the lid. I would totally recommend this shade to those who love natural makeup/don't like to wear a lot. I tend to wear this during the day with lighter makeup; it looks amazing on its own with a thin sweep of eyeliner.

French Fries - A brown with gold/olive undertones. Despite having used this the least of the three, I really love the colour pay off and turn out. The olive/gold/brown tones really reflect off the eyelid and create the prettiest dark smokey eye - the colour when intensely applied really reminds me of Mac's melon pigment. I am sure to be wearing this a lot more now we have entered the cooler months, as I opt more for warmer, darker colours on the eye.

Packaging wise, I think they are pretty simplistic - a white pencil shaped product with a transparent plastic lid, handy when you want to find the colour you want fast. The only issue is that the writing comes off fairly easily, but this isn't much of a problem as the colours can be easily seen.

When looking at pigmentation, these babies have got it all. The swatches above say it all really - one swipe and BAM - an intense, bold colour, exactly the same as it looks in the pencil. The creamy formula is always a plus for me too because they are incredibly easy to blend, whether you want it all over the lid or in the crease. I also love how these don't tug on your eye lids, as some products similar to this tend to do.
Overall, 10/10 for these amazing little pencils, and for such an affordable value. I bought each of these for just £5.00 each in the UK and Ireland - soooo worth the money. I intend to purchase lots of these in the future and might even sneak a few onto my Christmas list..hehe! I recommend this to all those who love a good ol' cream shadow, an amazing bargain and all those that are eye shadow fans in general.

Any further questions on the product that you didn't think I covered, please comment below at the end of this post.

Love you all lots x