Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo | Review

I don't know about you guys but I hoard makeup, really badly, I just think it's nice having a range to chose from! There are so many different shades, brands and products to try... The possibilities are endless! But I admit, the makeup item that I hoard most is definitely eyeshadow. I've tried cutting down by selling palettes I don't like/use on Depop, but that just means more room and money to buy more... *cough* Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette *cough*

A few months back you might have seen me review Rimmel's Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks, where I was saying about how much I loved how creamy and blend-able they were compared to standard powder eyeshadow, which is why I've decided to *finally* try cream eyeshadows, and I couldn't think of a better start point than Maybelline's Color Tattoos.

When I was swatching in store I first decided to go with On and On Bronze (middle swatch), but then I really regretted getting only one and went back and bought Permanent Taupe (left swatch) and Creamy Beige (right swatch). There is such a range of colours to chose from, so if you don't like neutrals like me, worry not as there will definitely be something for you too. Another thing I noticed when I was swatching in store, the pigmentation is ahhhhh-mazing, I really had to scrub to get them off my hand!

Anyway, I had high hopes after seeing SO many people mention them in their blog posts (especially On and On Bronze) and I'm happy to report that these little pots of creamy goodness really do not disappoint! They last all day, are extremely blendable and work amazingly as an eyeshadow primer. Some days if I'm feeling lazy, I just quickly rub one of these all over my lids and compliment it with some eyeliner, other days when I'm doing my makeup properly I use them as a primer/base and work around them with some powder eyeshadow. Naked 1 and On and On Bronze really work a treat!

So that's ANOTHER eyeshadow product I've fallen in love with, will the madness ever end?! But this has made me want to try the MAC Paint Pots (I'm sorry bank account)

Emma xo

---

Follow
SHARE:

►

theBalm Nude 'Tude | Review

You know how I'm a sucker for adorable packaging on my make up? Well I fell into that trap again. But I have no regrets! I absolutely loved theBalm's Mary Lou Manizer, so when I found out they did nude eyeshadows, which featured naked ladies on them, I was all in! (In the least creepy way that sounds)

What I love most about this palette (excluding the packaging) is the colour range. Most nude palettes have either blatantly duped, or have been inspired by one of the 3 Naked Palettes by Urban Decay and as much as I love my Naked Palettes, it's a breath of fresh air to see a palette being more versatile. You've got Sassy, the most pigmented white shade I have EVER seen, Sexy a gorgeous burgundy red and Silly, a matte brown with red and gold glitter. Did you also notice how all the shades' names start with an S? I only just noticed that as I was writing this...

I was seriously so impressed at how pigmented all the shades were. Even in expensive eye shadow palettes you usually get that one shade that's a lot less pigmented than the others but not with this one! That makes the palette so easy to work with, along with how blend-able the shades are and the very little fall out they have. I have one too many times ruined my make up because of eye shadow falling on to my cheeks, it is literally the most frustrating thing EVER.

As much as I love this palette, I have one tiny complaint... The brush. I really don't like the brush. It isn't a issue as I have plenty of eye shadow brushes but I just find it's too stiff, and I end up flicking eye shadow down my face... It might just be a preference thing, but it doesn't ruin how much I like this palette at all!

Have you tried anything from theBalm?

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

Rimmel London: Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks Review

Lately I've been finding myself having even less time to do my makeup before I head off to University in the mornings. I've been having a little more time in bed and a little less time on my makeup... You know the drill, beauty sleep and all. But eye shadow is what I struggle with most when in a rush and I can't just skip it as it's a staple part of my makeup routine! So this is why I decided to try eyeshadow sticks...

Rose Gold, Trespassing Taupe, Bluffing, Bad Girl Bronze, Bulletproof Beige

To begin with I picked up two shades from my local Boots to experiment with as I had never used eye shadow sticks before, I played it safe and went with Bulletproof Beige and Bad Girl Bronze. I simply coloured the whole of my lid with 'bulletproof beige' which is a light beige shade - making it perfect for a base, then I used 'bad girl bronze' for my crease which is a dark brown shade and blended them both out with a brush (I tend to use 231 Luxe Petit Crease - Zoeva).

I must say it was the fastest I have ever done my eyeshadow... Ever! There's no fall out as they're quite similar to cream eyeshadows, being soft, creamy and extremely blend-able. Meaning I had no dust falling into unwanted areas, resulting with me messing up my foundation by wiping the dust away... So the first thing I did was go on my laptop and bought three more shades to play with, I'm a very neutral/nude kind of girl so the colours I chose don't vary greatly. I bought Rose Gold which is a metallic copper-y colour, Trespassing Taupe which is a light brown matte shade and Bluffing which is a metallic light brown-y shade.

I'm so glad I gave these a try and I will probably end up buying more! What is your go-to eyeshadow when you're in a rush?

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

Go check out these lovely ladies! Gemms Beauty, Bella La Moda  & Burning Blonde <3

►

Makeup Revolution: Iconic Pro 1 Palette

Don't we all love a good dupe? Here in the UK it's so hard to get your hands on the Lorac Pro Palette. But, hope is not lost as Makeup Revolution have brought out their new Iconic Pro 1 Palette*, which is so much easier to get your hands on and it costs a lot less. Win, win right?!

Top L-R: Ghost, Luna, Must, Enigma, Fade, Drama, Afflicted, Pitch

Bottom L-R: Need, Dawn, Getter, Breathe, Too Grey, Stage, Addicted, Player

If I'm honest, the very first thing I noticed about this palette is the packaging! I own quite a few Makeup Rev palettes and they are all black with gold writing and have a big mirror inside. But there's something different about this palette... It's a matte black instead of their usual glossy black, it's a very small and simple change but I adore it all the same! You cannot go wrong with matte (unless you spill foundation on it...). 

Another thing from this palette I'm genuinely really excited about is the new brush, I have never liked those stupid spongey foamy things in any drugstore eye shadow palettes. I have a hard time blending eye shadow as it is, why make it harder with weird spongey things? The brush has the same style as their other brushes, but this brush isn't sold separately, you can only get it from either of the Iconic Pro Palettes. They've name the brush "PRO 1989 Double-ended Eyeshadow Brush", like the name suggests it is a double ended eye shadow brush, with one side being quite flat, which is really useful for application then the other side is quite rounded and fluffy making it perfect for blending. I really hope they use this brush or something similar for future palettes, as I would happily say goodbye to those spongey brushes!

Anyway, on to the actual eye shadows (finally!) there are 8 stunning matte shades and 8 pretty shimmery shades to use. I own quite a few eye shadow palettes, it's borderline obsession... But this is one of the very few eye shadow palettes I own where I like and would happily use every single shade! My favourite shades have to be Fade, Need and Dawn, they're perfect for a cute everyday look. Also, the pigmentation of the palette is very build-able, so you can work a nice subtle everyday shimmer or go in for the more bolder colours and get creative with your eyes. I was also pleasantly surprised at all of the matte shades. I was a little scared they might be a bit chalky but Makeup Rev proved me wrong as they are so pigmented for matte shades - even the white! 

I think I may have to go get the Iconic Pro 2 now as well, as the shades in that palette are equally as stunning! Which palette do you prefer, Iconic Pro 1 or 2?

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

*PR gifted product.

Go check out these lovely ladies! Gemms Beauty, Yay or Nay Interiors, Professional Daydreamer & Bella La Moda <3

►

Review of: Barry M Natural Glow Palette 2

I've been eyeing up the new Barry M eye shadow palettes for months now as they all look so gorgeous! But I just never got round to actually buying myself any of them, so I changed that and bought myself this palette...

You get six gorgeous shades to use from this palette, three of which are matte, the other 3 are shimmery and there's also a primer. They're all neutral shades but are a little different from other natural palettes you can get - I was a bit weary of the reddish brown colour but it's actually really nice! My favourite shades in this palette are of course the three shimmery shades to the far right (once a shimmery person, always a shimmery person) I find that they have much better pigmentation than the matte shades, but I tend to find that with most of the palettes I've used.

The only issues I have with this palette is the primer, it's really quite crap and has a horrible texture - I noticed it on the testers in Boots but I just thought someone had just mucked around with them... And the brushes, why do all drugstore eye-shadows come with these spongy brushes? I used to try using them but it'd end up in some big mess with eye-shadow dust all down my face!

Have you tried any of the Barry M eye-shadow palettes? Definitely got my eye on getting another!

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

Urban Decay Naked 2 Real vs. Fake

As some of you will know the first time I purchased a Naked 2 palette I'd received a broken fake... (see post here) so I thought I would do this post to help prevent anyone else from also purchasing a fake by showing the differences between the two!

1. The Colour Difference

The real Naked has a very warm brown background where as the fake is almost a grey colour and the writing is really prominent. 

Real above, fake below.

2. The "Urban Decay" Written on the Back

When placed down on a flat surface the real Naked's "Urban Decay" writing is upside down, whereas on the fake it is the correct way up. 

Fake above, real below.

3. Back of the Palette

The writing on the back of the real Naked's palette is really small and remains similar sizes throughout, whereas the fake has random bold bits such as the 12 x 1.3g.

Fake on the left, real on the right.

4. The Shadows Names

Although they have copied the names exactly, the print on the fake is no where near as clear and readable as on the real where it is really easy and simple to see.

Fake on the left, real on the right.

5. The Brushes

Last but not least, the brushes. The quality of the fakes brush is awful as you can probably tell from the photos. Even the print on the brush is lacking in quality plus the real brush is a slightly lighter colour than the fake. 

I hope this helps and that none of you accidentally buy a fake! Always safest to buy it off a trusted website.

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram


*EDIT: It's come to my attention that the fake I received actually replicates the original Naked 2s packaging when they first came out, I however only bought my palette recently so the information given is correct for newer palettes - so if you have recently bought one from a non-trusted seller (such as a eBay listing) and it looks like my fake it most likely is BUT if you bought your palette from a trusted seller (like Debanhams or Feel Unique) when it first came out and it looks like my fake - that's fine :)

►

Review of: Urban Decay Naked 2

I finally got my Naked 2 palette after months of pining over the palette, receiving a damaged fake off Ebay and even buying numerous dupes to fill the Naked shaped hole in my life.

When I first discovered the Urban Decay Naked palettes like many others I was instantly stunned by how gorgeous the shades were, however at that point I wasn't really an eyeshadow person so I was very wary of purchasing a palette due to the price. However my interest in them never died down, I ended up buying cheap dupe versions that I had discovered and honestly they really helped me make my mind up about purchasing the real thing.

After buying my first dupe palette I wore various different shades from the palette almost everyday, the colours are so wearable and gorgeous, you can get away with wearing them for a simple everyday look and I found I actually really liked the eyeshadow on myself (which I never thought I would!) which is then why I purchased the real thing.

Now I have the real palette I won't be looking back, you honestly get your moneys worth out of this product. The shades are so amazingly pigmented, the packaging is sturdy and you get the most amazing brush for applying the eye shadow with! Plus it's super easy to blend.

If you're like me and was unsure about getting a Naked Palette I very highly recommend buying a dupe first to see if you like the shades on yourself because if you don't you will have only lost £4 not £37!

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

BEWARE OF DODGY EBAY SELLERS!!!

Ebay can be great, you can get some amazing bargins and save a lot of money but very rarely you do unfortunately get the horror story product on there. This is one of those stories, I've had a very bad experience with Ebay this week... Can you guess what product this is meant to be?

I bought myself the Naked 2 palette off Ebay for about £8 cheaper due to it apparently "not including primer" so when I saw the listing I thought result! As I already have an Urban Decay primer so  I would be saving myself a bit of money and getting the palette I've been lusting over for so long!

I got home from work yesterday all excited knowing it had been delivered and I opened it to be covered with black dust (which went everywhere!) the palette had broken in the post due to the awful way they'd posted it, it was just simply wrapped in an A4 bit of paper! No wonder the eye shadow broke. I was very upset.

I messaged the seller letting them know it had broken in the post to see if I could get my money back then I proceeded to clean up the palette... which is when I then noticed that it is of course a fake as well. Brilliant. I was absolutely pissed off. 

The Urban Decay on the back should be upside down...

I then went on to leave bad feedback (which is obvs what you do when you're pissed off with an Ebay seller) I thought this may limit any chances I have of getting my money back but I couldn't exactly care at that moment in time.

However this horror story turned good when I received this email this morning.. Even though this ended well I have really learnt my lesson to be cautious with Ebay, especially with things that can easily be faked.

Just please don't make the same mistake I did. I've bought the real Naked 2 off Feel Unique now like I should have the first time around now, I would just hate if this happened to anyone else as well and it possibly not ending the same way for them as it did for me!

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

Makeup Revolution Iconic Palettes a.k.a Urban Decay Naked 1, 2 & 3 Dupes!?

So last time I brought you a dupe of just Naked 2, however after doing some shopping around I have stumbled across these beauties in Superdrug at just £4 each! They're the Makeup Revolution Iconic palettes - which seem to be the most popular products by them as I only just managed to pinch myself all three of the palettes!

There is Iconic 1... which is a dupe for the Naked 1 Palette.

Then there is Iconic 2... which is a dupe for the Naked 2 Palette.

Then last of all there's the Iconic 3... which you probably will have guessed is a dupe for the Naked 3 Palette.

Again I can't believe how similar these colours are to the actual Naked palettes! How do make up companies get away with doing stuff like that? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to get a bargain but it literally stuns me how clear of a dupe these palettes are (excluding the very few off shades) and that there happens to just be 3 Iconic palettes just like there is just 3 Naked palettes.

Either way I was pleasantly surprised at how pigmented these palettes were! Even the matte shades were well pigmented, or at least better than the W7 which I reviewed last time. With some cheap eye shadows it can be a nightmare to use, but these have very little dust left over. The metallic shades are very pigmented and you don't need to use a lot to really make them stand out. I've also tried and tested these eyeshadows, not just swatched them. I've used a mixture of different shades from each palettes and each time I wore them they were still visable at the end of a long day at uni without having used any primer... Result!

Iconic 1 at the top, Iconic 2 in the middle
and Iconic 3 at the end.

Now there's only 2 things I dislike about these palettes, but it's the exact same issue I had with the W7 palette, the packaging is a bit naff and the brush that comes with the palettes is just as equally naff... Stick to higher quality brushes, they are your best friend especially with eye shadow.

Have you tried Makeup Revolution yet? They seem to be the best bargain brand about! I definitely recommend you check them out in your local Superdrug!

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

Review of: W7 - In The Buff Palette (Urban Decay Naked 2 Dupe!)

Today I'm bringing you a rather thrifty post! Unless you've been living under a rock you will most likely have stumbled across the gorgeous Urban Decay Naked Palettes. But if you're like me you probably don't want to spend £40 for the palette to just end up at the bottom of your make-up bag, or you just simply want to save your pennies... But fear not as there are some affordable alternatives, one of them being W7 In The Buff!

Looking at the two palettes next to each other, I really can't believe just how much of a dupe palette In The Buff clearly is!! Are they even allowed to copy the shades so closely!? They're even in the same order! Haha. Both palettes offer very similar neutral shades - 3 being matte shades and 9 metallic shades... The only very big difference here is that Naked 2 costs £37 and W7 is only £5.49, meaning that Naked 2 costs nearly 7 times as much as In The Buff!

 Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust, Chocolate, Topaz, Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder & Onyx.

I must say I was very impressed with how pigmented the eye shadows are. I honestly didn't have very high expectations for this palettes quality because of the price but I was pleasantly surprised! Particularly more with the metallic, shimmery shades in the palette - I absolutely love the metallic shades!! The matte shades seem a bit chalky in comparison.

One massive benefit with this palette is that you can get away with wearing the eye shadows daily as they're all very neutral colours which are perfect now the fall is upon us - definitely going to be using the palette a lot over autumn and winter.

I absolutely adore the palette! This is definitely a really good purchase if you're unsure about purchasing a Naked 2 Palette or even as a "starter kit" perhaps if you're new to eye shadow as it's really good quality for the price. For me it has definitely confirmed that a Naked palette wouldn't go to waste! 

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►

Brand Focus: Rimmel London

Don't get me wrong, I want many, many high-end make up products as much as the next girl but at the end of the day I live in drugstores! I have stated in so many of my past posts about how much I loveee Rimmel London, the brands image is so patriotic and for me living on a student budget they are absolutely perfect in both price and quality. Here's the Rimmel products you will find in my make up bag...

What I have:
Clear Complexion Powder (Transparent)

This is a really bad one to start on, I bought this on a whim as there was a 3 for 2 on Rimmel so I grabbed it as I already had 2 other things but it had already broke in the bag before I'd gotten home so I've never had the chance to use it properly, in all honesty I've kept it purely for a back up if I ever run out of my other powders!

(made a bit of a mess, whoops!)

Stay Matte Powder (Transparent)

This powder however, has been dropped, chucked into my bag (you name it) and it hasn't even slightly broke, it still remains intact! It gives you a lovely matte finish reducing any shine without leaving you with a caked face! Perfect.

Stay Matte Foundation (Ivory)

I'm not a massive fan of this foundation, the slogan is "Cake No More" but I personally feel it does give me a very cakey finish. The foundation is really thick on the skin and just looks so unrealistic in a way, you really can't use this without contouring your face as you will just look like the moon out of The Might Boosh. But this is the only Rimmel product I've come across that I don't like to date!

Wake Me Up Foundation (Ivory)

I'm going to be repeating myself here as I've written so much about this in past posts! But my favorite thing about this foundation is the very subtle shimmer! It's so gorgeous, not too in your face and leaves you feeling all fabulous and if make-up doesn't make you feel fabulous, then it's not doing it's job properly!

Eyebrow Pencil (Black Brown)

This is my go to product for my eyebrows - you can tell I use them a lot by how grubby they are, haha! It's so cheap at only £2.99 RRP and it lasts all day long - without your eyebrows looking sharpied on or melted off! I have probably about 4 or 5 pencils of these pencils floating about, I honestly cannot get enough of these.

Scandaleyes Rockin Curves Mascara
I bought this mascara when it first came out as it was on a special deal, I didn't really know what to expect as it'd only just come out and I hadn't really pined over it so I was trying this with a complete blank mind on the product. I must say I do really like this  Mascara, it eliminates needing to put hundreds of applications on to get to the desired thick eyelashes look as you would with a smaller brush. The packing is also pretty cool, in a snake skin esque with it actually going bumpy like an actual snake skin.

Glam'Eyes Quad Eye Shadow (002 Smokey Brun)

This is a fabulous little quad palette, the colours are all very neutral making them perfect for creating a stunning subtle smokey eye which you can rock day to day. It blends effortlessly together, making application very simple! If you want an effortless smokey eye on a budget this is definitely the product for you!

Keep Calm Lip Balm (010 Clear - Keep Calm and Shop)

These lip balms are pretty much Rimmel's take on Maybelline's Baby Lips, you can even purchase them at the exact same price! The only difference I can really pick up on is the packaging and the shape. Rimmel has gone for different variations of the "Keep Calm" slogans and is shaped in the standard lipstick shape making them easier to use. I purchased the clear one, it smells so nice and makes my lips feel amazing!

Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte Lipsticks

If I am honest, I am not a very big lipstick person and these are actually the only lipsticks I have ever owned to date. I feel that my lips are too small to rock colours such as a nice deep shade of red (which I think is absolutely gorgeous) so I haven't braved trying bolder colours, but I definitely hope to do so in future.  With these series of lipsticks from Rimmel being matte, I feel you need to have perfectly smooth lips to begin with or the lipstick actually enhightens how cracked your lips may be, so I apply some lip balm before putting on the colour. 

113

This is a pale nude shade which is perfect for if you have small lips like me! I absolutely love this colour on my self it's not too in-your-face.

101
This is a soft pink colour. I am not too hot on the colour just on it's self so when I decide to have pinker lips I apply 101 as the base then top it off with 113 to reduce the pinkiness into a more neutral shade of pink. 

Rita Ora Nail Varnishes

These nail varnishes I have spoke about before in my first ever blog post here. You don't even need to like Rita Ora to like the nail varnishes, besides they (sort of) dry in 60 seconds, they come in such great colours and they all have sex related names... WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?

Emma xo

Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram

►