Stars Makeup Haven eyeshadow Review, Photo, Swatches and EOTD!

I've had these eyeshadows for a couple of months now and I can honestly say that they're GREAT! I reach for them as often as my MAC shadows. I purchased them along with a few other things on love-makeup.co.uk. They are £4 each, so I figured I might as well trust the hype and buy a fair amount! I'm so glad I did!

Karlasugar has a very comprehensive post about these, including high-quality swatches. Check her review here.

They are sold in pan form, so I organized them in a MAC palette:

Onto the swatches (and my attempt at shade description):

Left to right:
- Over the Moon: dirty yellow gold (shimmery)
- Mimosa: pale yellow gold (shimmery)
- Pink Opal: white/pink duochrome (frosty)
- Creme d'Nude: flesh colour (which is why you probably can't see that on my arm... but it makes for a great transition colour on me, or a natural highlight on dark skintones. I use this one a lot) (matte)
- The White Shadow: plain white, MAC Gesso dupe (matte)

Left to right:
- Calypso: muted grey with strong blue undertones (very shimmery)
- 1492: electric blue with blue shimmer (shimmery)
- Evergreen: medium bluish-green (matte)
- Fresh: emerald green with light green/gold shimmer (shimmery)
- Fireflies: neon yellow (matte)

Left to right:
- Primal: dark brown with a metallic cool sheen (shimmery)
- Charade: chocolate brown (matte)
- Showstopper: medium reddish brown with purple undertones (matte)
- Breathless: taupe with purple undertones (shimmery)
- Chic: purple with subtle silver shimmer (shimmery)

PROs:
- great pigmentation
- soft, buttery, long-lasting eyeshadows
- wide range of colours, interesting shades
- shades have names (did you hear that, Inglot?)
- great value for money

CONs:
- can only buy online and therefore cannot see shades in person
- some shades have a little fallout (but I just tap the excess off my brush or foil them)

Finally, this is an eye look I realized a few days ago with one of the craziest shades I got, Fireflies:

Apparently, some yellows can work on fair skintones too!

Have you tried SMH eyeshadows yet? How do you feel about them? Say it in the comments!

STILA Backstage Palette: Review, Photo, Swatches

This review is for something I've had and played with for a few months already.

I got this tiny palette for a really good deal on eBay after reading the rave about it. I must say this product totally blew me away!

What you get is a tiny cardboard package that looks kind of like an organizer. It is very compact and I guess it would be ideal to just toss it in a pocket bag. It has a magnet that keeps it closed and no mirror inside, just an inspirational quote by a well-known make-up artist. You get six full-sized eyeshadows totalling 11 grams, which is not a bad amount for the money. 

Now, down to the product itself. The eyeshadows have amazing pigmentation and there’s a lovely balance between shimmery and satiny finishes (no matte shades though). What really gives full score for me however, is the colours that Stila decided to put inside this palette.

My attempt at describing the shades, left to right, top to bottom:

-       Chiffon: soft light peachy pink (shimmery)

-       Flamingo: medium fuchsia (satiny)

-       Pacific: medium blue (satiny)

-       Luster: golden mauvy brown (satiny)

-       Poetic: dusty pinkish taupe (shimmery)

-       Coal: deep teal (shimmery)

I really think that these colours are absolutely great all together in a palette. The ones on the bottom row are especially unique and in all likelihood my favourites. They are all very wearable in a variety of combinations.

This palette has the perfect balance between brights and neutrals, warm and cool colours, so I can see this working for either daytime and nighttime looks and on a variety of complexions. There is no complimentary accessory inside, no mirror or brush whatsoever, but what really counts is that this palette is truly adorable! Swatches below:

L-R: Chiffon, Flaming, Pacific, Luster, Poetic, Coal

Tried and tested, they do not crease (I do wear an eyeshadow primer though) and fallout is not a big deal either.

Have you tried this Stila palette yet? Are you loving it or leaving it? Say it in the comments!

NARS Habanera: EOTD, Review, Photo, Swatches

NARS Habanera e/s duo is amazing! Maybe a tiny little bit too glittery/shimmery for my liking, I have to take extra care when applying to avoid fallout. But it brings out ANY eye colour, believe me, not just blue eyes.  It comes in a nice sleek black packaging (NARS signature) with a mirror. Overall, the packaging is great, very sturdy and practical. Inside you have two shimmery eyeshadows: a light blue/mint with a silvery sheen and a deep aubergine colour. The latter is also rather glittery, as i mentioned.  

  They are super pigmented, soft and buttery and I would say the best feature of this duo is the blendability. They literally melt into each other with just a few brush swipes.  

  The price is in line with NARS products, therefore expensive. I purchased it at Selfridges for £23.50 for a self-treat! I'd love to try more of this duos but I don't see that happening in the near future since NARS is not available in Italy at the moment, and having it shipped would come out quite expensive.  This is my preferred way of wearing Habanera (by the way, don't you just love the name?)   

Product breakdown
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
NARS e/s duo in Habanera
MAC e/s Blanc Type (browbone)
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Avon Supershock gel liner
MAC Brows in Fling (brows)
Ardell lashes 110

Gold eyeshadow craze!

Today's mini haul inspired me to write a post about gold eyeshadow! 


It's being my favourite eyeshadow colour at the moment, it's incredibly versatile and makes for a great daytime neutral with an edge. 


These are the golds I currently own:

Left to right: E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow in Caffeinated, MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot, MAC Liquidlast Liner in Molten Sol, Urban Decay Half Baked, MAC Patina, MAC Woodwinked, Kiko Colour Sphere Eyeshadow n. 3, Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Antique Gold

Caffeinated is an intense dark gold, leaning towards brown. It is very shimmery with loads of glitter too.

Rubenesque is a cream eyeshadow that can be worn alone or as a base. It's a pink-gold duochrome, very flattering on blue/green eyes even on itself.

Molten Sol is an amber gold liquid eyeliner. I don't find myself reaching for this one so often because it really is a pain to take off, even with an oil-based cleanser. I don't like being forced to choose between removing my make-up or reading a good book at night. Apart from that, it's a great eyeliner. 

Half Baked came in the Naked Palette, it is a true yellow gold with a shimmery finish and no glitter. I like this a lot but it's very yellow so you need to find specific pairings for this one. 

Patina is arguably one of my favourite MAC eyeshadows. It is a muted taupe-gold with almost undetectable pinkish reflects. It's an awesome lid colour for neutral eyes and great paired with brights too. 

Woodwinked is described by MAC as "warm antique gold" and that would be pretty accurate if you looked at the colour in the pan. Unfortunately it doesn't transfer quite like that on my lids: instead, it turns into a bright goldy orange, almost like Mythology. I still like it in the crease with Patina on lids, for example. 

Colour Sphere n.3 looks almost the same as Half Baked in the picture above, but it's actually much more on the rosy side, while Half Baked is definitely yellow. 

Antique Gold is not exactly gold per se, but rather a taupy grey base with loads of golden shimmer in it. The shimmer is very soft and the overall finish is indeed Metallic as the name suggests. This one is really one of a kind.

The ones I love more are the duochromes, they are definitely more vibrant and versatile than the regular flat golds.

How do you guys like to wear your golds?

April Mini Haul + Swatches

So today I have a few new products to share with you that I'm totally excited about!!


I got two new MAC powder blushes in the mail, they were a great bargain on eBay, I think they were €13 each! I had to wait almost one month to receive them because they shipped from the UK with standard airmail, but hey, that's a small price to pay for these lovely babies!!

Also, I stopped by KIKO this morning and finally gave in and purchased one of the Colour Sphere Eyeshadows that I had been eyeing for a while. Yesterday I watched a great tutorial that featured MAC Pigment in Gold Mode which looked lovely. Sadly, it was LE so I thought that it would be cool to find a dupe somewhere. So, earlier this morning I randomly swatched this baked shadow in the shop and it seems to be a close dupe for Gold Mode (please correct me if I'm wrong)!!! Talk about killing two birds with one stone. The Colour Sphere Eyeshadows are €5,90 each.


Pix:

Left to right, clockwise: KIKO Colour Sphere n.3, MAC Margin, MAC Mineralize Dainty

Left to right: Kiko n. 3, MAC Margin, MAC Dainty

MAC Margin is part of the permanent collection. It's a frosty bronze colour with hints of pink and brown. I'm sure it would suit most complexions and I can really see this working for an everyday sunkissed glow. It's also very pigmented and you get 6 grams of product, which takes forever to hit pan on. 

I'm already in love with MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty! It has everything I was looking for in a coral blush for spring: it's a pinkish coral with a soft velvety finish and and almost invisible golden sheen to it. It's quite sheer, in fact I had to swatch it several times to get the colour you can see in the picture below, which means that it can be layered for a bold pop of colour or just applied with a light sweep for those who shy away from statement cheeks. 


KIKO Colour Sphere Eyeshadow n.3 is a gorgeous, gorgeous soft warm gold that is not too yellow not too green, but rather leans towards rosy tones. In the picture below I swatched it dry and wet. When you keep it dry it really shows a lot of glitter, which might lead to heavy fallout (will update when I review it), so probably the best use for it would be wet, and as you can see the colour comes out much more vibrant and opaque.

Left to right: Margin, Dainty, Colour Sphere n.3 dry and wet

Margin and Dainty

Colour Sphere n.3 dry and wet

I can't wait to try these!! I will probably post a review in a few weeks because I really want to give them an appropriate amount of testing time.

Have you tried these products yet? Leave a comment!

How to wear MAC eyeshadow in Fig.1

I recently purchased MAC eyeshadow in Fig. 1 to fit in my 4-pan palette along with Woodwinked and Mythology. 

Fig. 1 is a great versatile colour that would work on a variety of skintones and eye colours! MAC describes it as "eggplant purple" and I would say it's pretty accurate. It's definitely on the warmer side of purples. It belongs to the group of shadows called "Matte²", which are richly pigmented and obviously have a matte finish. Compared to the regular MAC matte eyeshadows, these are superior in quality and blendability, and generally have more vibrant colours. Forget dull, flat matte shades.


Here I'm suggesting three possible combinations to wear it.

Eyeshadows swatched on my NW15 arm, over E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer.

The first combo would be great for a soft, warm, everyday look. Fig.1 goes in the crease to give dimension, while on the lid I put a rosy-golden shade, possibly with some shimmer/metallic finish to contrast the other one. In this swatch I used Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eyeshadow in Rose Gold, which has a really beautiful rosy base with a golden duochrome effect. It's a cream eyeshadow but it lasts throughout the day.

Left: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eyeshadow, Right: MAC Fig. 1

Left: NYX grey eyeshadow, Right: MAC Fig.1

The second option would be to wear a shimmery, light grey/silver shade on the lid, and Fig. 1 again in the crease. In this combo the pop is given by the contrast between a very cool colour (grey) with the warmth and softness of Fig.1. In this picture I used an eyeshadow from NYX Caribbean Palette in I Dream Of Saint John, namely the second shade from the left. Another option would be to use an even bolder lid shade, such as a metallic cream silver shadow like Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #3, which looks like foil once applied and won't crease or smudge.
This colour pairing reminds me of the new NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Melusine, which you can see here.

Finally, Fig. 1 could be used on the lid for a bold, nighttime look, with a deep black in the crease. For this swatch I used KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow n.20, a creamy true black, which is a great alternative to MAC Shadesticks (basically the same type of product for a fraction of the price). For added drama, apply some golden glitter over Fig.1 (KIKO Electric Lights Loose Pearl no.03), to achieve a sort of duochrome effect. This combo would make for a perfect classy, sexy smokey eye.

I hope this was useful! Feel free to leave a comment!

The importance of being primed

An eyeshadow primer is a must-have, whether you have just started experimenting with make-up or you are a pro already. 
Before running out and getting one, read this basic info and have a look at my swatches to understand why they are so important!

What is it?

An eyeshadow primer is meant to be a base for your eyeshadow. You have to apply this after your moisturizer and before any eye make-up. They usually come in a liquid, creamy or compact formula and are mostly silicon-based (just like face primers), because silicon smooths out any imperfection or messy texture you may have on your eyelids to prep them for eyeshadow application. 

How should I use it?

Wait a few seconds after you have moisturized and gently pat the primer all over your lid, crease and browbone. Let it stay for a few minutes before doing your eye make-up, so the primer will set properly on your skin. 

What difference does it make?

The first time you'll use an eyeshadow primer you will probably notice how different your shadow will look. It will be easier to apply and blend it, the colour will be more vibrant and true-to-pan, and it will also last longer! You will also experience less fallout and fading throughout the day. 

I have tried three different primers so far, probably the most popular ones (E.L.F., Too Faced and Urban Decay). In the picture below you can see the same eyeshadow (MAC in Fig. 1) swatched on my bare arm with and without primers. *

Left to right: 1) no base, 2) over E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, 3) over Urban Decay Primer Potion, and 4) over Too Faced Shadow Insurance:

The swatch with no base looks definitely duller than the other three. There is probably no noticeable difference between the three swatches with primer on, except maybe that swatches 3 and 4 have a more intense colour compared to swatch 2. 


Staying power is something that can be really boosted with the right eyeshadow primer. Therefore I put my swatches to test and rubbed a clean tissue over them several times.

As you can see, the eyeshadow with no base faded away quite easily and the colour is barely noticeable. The other three performed better, Too Faced Shadow Insurance (4) being the most resistent one. To my surprise, Urban Decay Primer Potion (3) came off more easily than E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (2)! 

*Swatches in natural light, no flash


There are some final budget considerations. If you've never owned an eyeshadow primer before, you might want to start off with something relatively simple and cheap, such as the E.L.F. one, which retails for about €3.50 or €4 (depending on discounts) on their website. This is a really good product for the price, and probably one of my favourite items from the whole E.L.F. line. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion is no doubt the most popular eyeshadow primer out there. Urban Decay is not currently available in Italy, except for one Sephora store in Milan. I have a sample size of the Primer Potion which came with the Naked Palette I bought back in the UK. You can buy this online from some UK websites or on Amazon.com for about £12. Personally I'm not a fan of the packaging: although it looks kinda cute it gets really difficult to get the product at the bottom, and the sponged wand doesn't help. 

Packaging wise, Too Faced Shadow Insurance is a much better choice. It comes in a small clean tube which makes it definitely easier to squirt out the right amount of product you want to use. It's also easier to find in Italy, you can buy this at any Sephora store for €14.
This one is a total winner for me and the one I reach for most of the times. 

I'd love to hear your experience about eyeshadow primers! Have you used others I did not list in this post? Leave a comment!

Warm eyeshadow for blue eyes: copper tutorial

Here we go with warm eyeshadow for blue eyes, second take! 

This time I used three different colours in the range of reds and coppers plus one highlighting shade. If you have blue eyes, bear in mind that copper, gold, orange and red will make them pop and stand out more than any other shade. 

How did I achieve this look? 

1. I combed and filled in my eyebrows with E.L.F. Brow Kit in Ash using a small angled brush.

2. I primed my entire eye area with Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Make sure you are using a silicon-based primer because it will keep your eyeshadow from creasing and smudging. 

3. I applied Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half Baked all over my lid. This is a gorgeous yellow gold that goes on like butter. I used a large shading brush to get an even application and lightly blended out the edges.

4. As the second darkest shade I chose MAC eyeshadow in Mythology, a classic orangey colour for blue-eyed ladies. I packed the colour on a tapered brush and tapped off the excess to prevent fallout. Then I put the colour in my crease in layers to achieve contrast with the golden shade on the lid. Then again, blended the edges with the same brush.

5. I picked up MAC Pigment in Vanilla to use as a highlighter on my browbone and inner corners of my eyes, using a fluffy angled brush with natural bristles. I made sure I blended the highlighter with the other colours to make harsh edges disappear.

6. With the same small tapered brush I applied the darkest shade, KIKO Highly-Pigmented Eyeshadow n. 30, in the outer corner of my eyes, forming a V-shape, and on the lower lashline for about two thirds of its length. This colour can be described as a deep, pearly, burgundy. In this tutorial I mostly used shimmery eyeshadows but you can play up with textures as well by using a mix of matte, satiny, and shimmery eyeshadows, it's really up to you. 

7. I finished off with a defined black eyeliner (L'Oreal Lineur Intense), winging it out a little bit, and three generous coats of mascara (Rimmel Extra Super Lash). On my lower lash line I also applied some black pencil liner (Estee Lauder Double Wear Eyeliner in Onyx) with a light hand and smudged it out with its own sponge applicator.

This makes for a pretty bold eye, so if you need something more wearable during office hours, I would recommend using the two medium shades only, that is the yellowish gold on the lid and the orangey shade in the crease. You want to use some black liner and mascara anyways, otherwise you might look like you just got punched in the eyes, and that's not quite the purpose of this make-up. As I said in my previous post, make sure you use black or cool-toned eyeshadow in between the reddish shades and your eyes, to tone down the redness and make the most out of this contrast.

Do you like this look? Have you tried it yet? Tell me in the comments!

Warm eyeshadow for blue eyes: combo and tutorial

Until a while ago I was unhappily convinced that only cool colours would look good on girls with blue eyes, fair skin and blonde hair (read: me). Thanks to YouTube and some beauty bloggers I learnt that the best colour combinations for blue eyes often include many, many warm colours. In fact, if you haven't, you should have a look at the classic colour wheel that you can find here.

Colour theory is really very important when choosing which eyeshadows you want to apply when doing your make-up. The goal would be to make your eyes pop, and that is achieved by using the shades that are opposite to your eye colour on the wheel. In my case, blue is directly opposite to oranges, yellows and reds. What?! Orange eyeshadow on my eyelids?!

Yes sir. There are a few tricks to bear in mind when picking these shades, but by using them carefully you can achieve a really stunning gaze. Here's what I'm talking about:

(excuse the poor photography)

How did I achieve this look?

1. I filled my eyebrows with E.L.F. Brow Kit in Ash and primed the entire eye area with Urban Decay Primer Potion, from the inner corner of the eyes up to the browbone. Always remember to apply your primer in every area you are planning to apply eyeshadow. 

2. To highlight I used a small amount of MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna and gently patted it along the browbone and tearduct area. 

3. On my eyelid I packed on MAC Woodwinked, a gorgeous, shimmery, slightly dirty gold.

4. Applied MAC Deep Truth in the crease and outer corner of my eye. Deep Truth is a deep blue with an uber metallic finish, which in this picture does not quite show up.

5. I blended the two colours together, then lined my eyes with black liquid eyeliner (L'Oreal Lineur Intense) and finished off with three coats of black mascara (Max Factor 2000 Calorie).

One of the keys to make warm eyeshadows work with blue eyes, IMHO, is to put them in contrast with cooler shades (e.g. blue, purple, etc.) and/or a deep black eyeliner. This way your complexion too won't look too washed off if you're very pale like me.

The next post will be about another great warm eyeshadow combo for blue eyes... Keep reading!