/ Beauty

Hi, lovelies! If you have read my recent posts, you will know that I have gone on a bit of a Foundation buying spree. I recently bought the L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation which was so good it made it into my March favourites. With the success of that foundation, I thought I would give the L’Oreal Infallible Longwear Shaping stick foundation a try. My skin has been very dry recently, so when buying foundations at the moment I have been looking for more of a dewy finish, a hydrating formula, and one that doesn’t cling to my dry patches. Is this the foundation for me?

The packaging

So if you haven’t guessed from the picture, the L’Oreal Infallible Longwear is a stick foundation. I used to absolutely hate stick foundations but after loving the Primark hydrating foundation, I am converted. This stick is all black with simple white lettering but with a hint of silver detail. Like the Primark foundation stick, the lid is clear but with some black detail so you can see which shade you are reaching for. This is handy, as the shaping sticks can also be used for contouring and highlighting, so you know exactly which shade to pick up. The packaging feels quite light and not very luxurious, but would be very handy for travelling and on the go makeup!

The foundation:

Although this foundation stick is considerably larger than the Primark one, there is actually 2g less product, with 9g in total. The foundation costs £8.99, not terrible, but definitely not the cheapest out there. There are 12 shades to choose from to find your perfect match! I decided to choose the shade Ivory (100) as I am pale as hell. I pretty much always go for one of the lightest shades. I didn’t realise this when I purchased it but this foundation is matte, so you oily girls will love this.

The foundation claims:

  • A highly pigmented, creamy formula that melts into the skin
  • blendable and buildable
  • lasts for 24 hours

Does it live up to the claims?

So as I said this foundation is matte. That is not what I wanted. When I initially swiped this across my face, I definitely thought it was creamy. It glided beautifully without tugging at my skin, a lot easier than the Primark dupe. This is a matte foundation but it felt really comfortable on the skin. It didn’t cling to any of my dry patches and I found that over the day it did melt more into my skin and felt more velvety. I would totally agree that this foundation is highly pigmented, as you don’t need much to get a decent level of coverage. I tried this L’Oreal Infallible stick with both a brush and a sponge and it blended out so easily with both tools. After much deliberation, I decided that applying with a sponge is the way to go for me as it makes it slightly more dewy for my dry skin. You can definitely build this up to full coverage without getting cake face – a plus! Now, I can’t say I have worn this foundation for 24 hours but I have gotten close. I put this foundation on before work at around 6 am and probably take it off at around 8 pm. After that long, there are some dry, flaky patches (tends to happen to most of my foundations) but as a whole, it looks pretty good!

Final thoughts

Overall I really enjoy this foundation, and since buying it I have used it a lot. For a matte foundation, I didn’t think I would like it as much as I do, and I know that in the summer (when my skin gets more oily) it will be perfect. If you want a quick and easy foundation that looks fab all day – definitely try it out!

Have you tried this foundation? Or any of the L’Oreal foundations? They are my absolute favourites at the minute.

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

 

/ Beauty

So if you follow me on Twitter you will know that I recently purchased the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette! I was super excited to try this palette as, believe it or not, I haven’t tried any of their palettes before (Gasps in horror). I always wanted to try Modern Renaissance but just never got round to buying it, and so when this palette was released I just had to have it. So I ordered my palette from the ABH website but you can also purchase it now on Beauty Bay. I have been testing it for the past 5 days so I thought I would give you the rundown of my thoughts. Is it worth the money?

Cost

The Soft Glam palette retails for £43, the same as all of the other ones from ABH. This may seem quite pricey, but for 14 eyeshadows it works out at only £3 each, far cheaper than some single shadows. I tend to compare all of my high-end palettes to Urban Decay Naked palettes as I think they are the standard high-end price. This palette is £5 more expensive than the UD ones, however, with 2 extra eyeshadows, I think it balances out. This palette also comes with a double -ended brush which I think is a nice extra touch. I am always willing to pay a little bit more for good quality shadows and so I don’t think this palette is that bad.

Packaging

I think every man and his dog has seen this palette floating around the internet so I haven’t inserted a picture of the packaging (but it is not hard to find on google). I actually love this packaging. Like… a lot. Like all the Anastasia Beverly Hills Palettes, it is a suede material. I do understand the issue that some bloggers have with this, as I am sure it will get so grubby so quickly. But I don’t care. I think it is so unique and I don’t have any other palette with this type of packaging. I also love the feel of it, so soft! The goldy-beige colour makes it look so luxurious and sophisticated and it isn’t chunky like some of my other palettes. Like most palettes, it has a magnetic clasp so eyeshadow won’t go everywhere when you travel and it feels really well made.

Eyshadows

Okay so lets get to the nitty gritty – the stuff you are actually here for. As I said before this palette comes with 14 eyeshadows that are arranged in squares. Each eyeshadow is 0.7g and so is quite a bit smaller than the Naked palettes (1.3g) but as I will explain later, a little goes a long way! As a whole the palette is quite warm with the occasional cool toned shade thrown in. I am a warm tone gal so this palette is perfect for me, but with cool shades also I think this palette could cater for everyone. There are 9 mattes and 5 shimmers and so you can create a variety of looks, for both day and night! I love the versatility of this palette.

The shades:

  • Tempera – a light beige matte- perfect for highlighting the brow bone and as a transition shade
  • Glistening – A pale gold shimmer with a hint of pink  – looks fab in the inner corner and as a highlighter (Two jobs in one)
  • Orange soda – A peachy matte shade – great as a transition shade in the crease
  • Rose pink – Rose gold shimmer – beautiful all over the lid
  • Sultry – warm chocolately brown shimmer – great if you want a smokey look
  • Bronze – A bright gold shimmer – great to pack on the lid
  • Mulberry – Matte berry shade – great for adding definition to the crease
  • Dusty rose – matte cool toned pink-lilac shade – awesome for a more cool look
  • Fairy – A light gold shimmer – great for the inner portion of the eye
  • Burnt orange – Deep orange matte – great to build up definition in the crease
  • Sienna – matte brown for a smokier look
  • Rustic – matte cinamon – perfect for a more subtle matte look
  • Cyrpus umber – very dark matte brown – a good way to get a smokey look without going for the black! Looks great with gold
  • Noir – as the name says – a matte black – great for added smoke or as a liner

PS. I am sorry that there is no eye look picture in this post, I struggled to get a decent picture of my eye haha! Seriously though… if anyone has any tips on taking pictures of eyshadow, please let me know in the comments. The struggle is real.

I was concerned that I would have trouble with kickback that I saw lots of people had with the Subculture palette. I will admit there was more than I was expecting with this palette, so don’t tap too heavily in the pan. But it is not as big a deal as I thought it would be. A little goes a very long way with these shadows as they are soooo pigmented. I didn’t need to use a setting spray with the shimmers like I often like to do, they look great on their own. Despite the kickback, there was little fallout and all of the shadows blended seamlessly with very minimal effort. I was very dubious when I saw the kickback but once I saw these shades on my eye, It doesn’t bother me, a light hand is all that is needed!

All in all, an absolutely gorgeous palette and I can tell that it is going to become  staple item very quickly! Let me know in the comments your thoughts on this palette! Have you already bought it – did it live up to your expectations? Are you dying to buy it and give it a try?

Thanks for reading, as always!

Chlo x

/ Beauty

Hi lovelies, I am back again! So recently I took a trip to Primark (like I always do) and noticed that they had really expanded their makeup selection. I have never tried Primark makeup before so I thought I would pick out a few items. Do let me know in the comments if you want a testing Primark makeup series! One of the first things to catch my eye was the Primark PS amber palette… it has serious Naked Heat vibes going on. I had to try it out to see if it is as good as my trusty Urban Decay palette. Is this a cheaper dupe of the high-end favourite?

Packaging

The packaging of the PS Amber palette is very similar to the Naked Heat with lots of vibrant fiery reds, and stunning, simple gold writing. I do really like the packaging design of the Amber palette, it’s simple and to the point but clearly shows what type of colours you will find inside. I also really love that it has the shade names of all of the shadows on the back, which is a nice extra little touch that I didn’t expect to find on a Primark palette. One thing I will say is that the cardboard packaging is quite flimsy and so may not hold up well for travel but it does snap shut with a magnet which I think is great! The £4 Makeup Revolution palettes are considerably more sturdy than this one, but for £4 who can complain!

Shadows

Okay, so let’s dive into the bit I know you’re actually interested in reading… are the shadows actually any good?! The PS Amber palette includes 5 mattes and 5 shimmers, all of which are fiery red-orange-purple tones. Perfect for this time of year! I can definitely see why the palette is called ‘Amber’ it reminds me exactly of Bonfire night. There is 10 x 2g worth of product in this palette which is pretty good considering the Naked Heat has 12 x 1.3g. You are getting a considerable amount of product for such a small price point. Total bargain.

  • Marshmellow – Icy white shimmer.
  • Cream – Champagne coloured shimmer.
  • Mirage – Stunning vibrant gold shimmer
  • Saffron – Matte pinky-orange shade
  • Tuscany – Bright pink matte
  • Burnt amber – Bright orange matte
  • Tan – cool toned taupe matte
  • Persian Rose – Berry toned shimmer
  • Spice – Deep purple shimmer
  • Rust – Warm brown matte

This palette is very warm toned with the exception of ‘Tan’ and so if you are cool toned gal, this isn’t the palette for you. So let’s just say this palette is a mixed bag. Some of the shadows are insane… others not so much. As you can see from the swatches some of the shadows are more pigmented than others. In particular ‘Cream’, ‘Mirage’ and ‘Spice’ are sooooooo pigmented I was so impressed. I squealed when I saw how rich in pigment spice was – its stunning. Many of the mattes were also pretty pigmented but Tuscony had like zero pigment whatsoever. All of the shadows blended really nicely and with minimal fall out so all in all not too shabby!


Eyeshadow look

As you can see in the picture below, I did a quick and simple look using only this palette and I am pretty happy with it. I used Tan in the crease as a sort of transition colour with rust on top to add some warmth and definition to the crease. Then I put Mirage all over the lid with a small bit of cream to brighten it up. I then put a mixture of Marshmellow and Cream as a brow bone and inner corner highlight. I do like the way the look turned out but I do think it needed a darker brown or black to give a bit more definition in the outer corner of my eye. The look took only a few minutes and looks like something I would achieve with a more expensive palette. Ps. Please excuse the dodgy brows and lashes!

Is it a dupe of Naked Heat?

As you can see from the swatch comparisons I wouldn’t say this palette is an exact dupe of the Urban Decay palette but it is very similar. Anyone who is familiar with the Naked Heat palette would see the Amber palette and know instantly what it is trying to be like. The shades are slightly different with the Primark Amber palette being more orange based and the Naked Heat palette being red-purple. They are both very similar in that they are fiery earthy tones. The most similar shades are Scorched from Naked Heat and Spice from PS Amber. From a price-point perspective, the PS Amber palette is ~£34 cheaper than the Urban Decay so if you are wanting to try these types of shades definitely try this palette first.

Overall 

Overall I would say this palette is pretty decent. You get some beautiful shades for the price point that could transform any look. I do think some of the shadows are not as pigmented as others and there is some patchiness eg Burnt Amber. I would still reach for this palette for a quick and simple look but would have to use other palettes to add a bit of depth and definition.

Do you have this palette, what are your thoughts? Are you thinking of trying it out for yourself? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

/ Beauty

Hi lovlies, I’m back again! This week I asked people on Twitter whether they would like a skincare routine post and lots of you said yes! I have been going back and forth about doing this post for a while… but it is finally time! I would like to say that my skincare routine changes quite a lot but these are the products that are working for me right now. My skin is normally combination, but recently my skin has been so dry. I hope this post gives you some skincare inspo, but we all have different skin types so take it with a pinch of salt!

Makeup Removal

So we all know how important it is to take off your makeup before bed… and it really is! But I think we can all agree it is such a chore. I’m gonna come right out and say it, I sometimes forget to take off my makeup (I know its terrible), but I’m only human. I like taking off my makeup to be as quick and easy as possible so here is what I have been using recently!

My favourite way to take off my makeup is by using micellar water. I find them so much more gentle on the skin and take off my makeup beautifully. I don’t have a particular favourite but the one that I use the most often is the Simple micellar water. It takes very little time and every bit of my makeup is removed, especially that pesky mascara. I normally load some up on cotton wool pads (you can get them anywhere, even Primark) and just swipe it over my skin. Bob’s your uncle, your makeup’s off! If I’m ever travelling I much prefer to use makeup wipes as they are so much more convenient. Again, I choose the Simple makeup wipes as they don’t irritate my skin and get the job done. I like to incorporate a more thorough cleanse into my skincare routine and so around 3-4 times a week I use the Liz Earle Cleanse and polish cleanser. This product is a miracle worker, it seriously cleanses your skin. After I use this product, my skin feels so beautifully clean, soft and so much brighter!

Exfoliation

So as I said my skin has gotten so dry recently that it is making my foundation look terrible, all flaky and gross (TMI? yeah). I have had to up my exfoliating game, and if you read my Feb Faves post you will know that the L’Oreal Pure Clay Glow Scrub is my new favourite. I won’t go into too much detail, all you need to know is that this exfoliator is INSANE. I love it. A lot. Its really gentle and so doesn’t feel like sandpaper on my skin but really does get rid of all the flakiness happening recently. It is also bright orange on the skin (the clay does that) and so you know exactly where you have put it. It also cleanses at the same time, so you get a double whammy for your money! Whenever I want to mix up my skincare, I also use the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit scrub. It smells delicious. It exfoliates, cleanses and prevents spots…what more could you want?!

Toning

Okay, I’m gonna be real with you… I never really tone. It is just an extra step in my skincare routine that I occasionally throw in, I just find it a lot of effort. If I ever use a toner, I use the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic. It does make my skin feel lovely, and I do like it, I just very rarely tone. If you think I am making a terrible life choice by not regularly toning, let me know in the comments!

Moisturiser

There is one recent moisturizer that I have been loving. I love it a lot.  My go to is now the Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser. It feels soooo thick and luxurious, it feels like such a treat to put it on my skin. It is so hydrating, my skin literally laps it up at the minute, literally a moisturise boost! One thing I don’t like is the smell, I find it quite strange but the miracles it works on my skin is worth it!

What is your skincare routine right now? Are there any holy grail products that I NEED to try?

Thanks for reading,

Chlo x

/ Beauty

One thing that you should know about me is that I love eyeshadow palettes… it’s a bit of a problem really! I prefer them so much over eyeshadow singles as they are so convenient to create lots of looks very easily and great for travel. However, I do buy too many and I’m trying to limit how many I buy! I think I have a quite a large palette collection but nowhere near as big as other bloggers I have seen! So I have narrowed them down to my 5 Favourite eyeshadow palettes, let me know if they’re your faves too.

1. Morphe Jaclyn Hill palette

If you read my 2017 favourites you will know that this is an amazing palette! It is extremely pigmented and blends like a dream. I normally don’t really buy beauty collabs because I think they tend to be overpriced for what you get but this has been my exception. There is such a wide colour range so a variety of looks can be created. Despite this, I am still too scared to use the bright colours, but they’re so stunning that I hope to be brave enough to use them soon. Love this palette!

2. Urban Decay – Naked Heat palette

I recently did a post on 5 high-end products worth the splurge and the Naked Heat palette made the cut! If you love fiery warm tones then this is the palette for you. Every man, woman and child have raved about this palette and for good reason. Obviously, Urban Decay is known for great quality, and this palette is no exception. You can create looks for both day and night with mattes and shimmers to choose from. The shimmer shades are great all over the lid, and the mattes are stunning in the crease to create definition. An overall sound palette.

3. Morphe 35F Fall into Frost palette

This palette was on my 2017 Christmas wishlist as I had heard so many amazing things about the product. I was NOT disappointed! If beautiful shimmery shades are your thing, you absolutely need this palette. Like seriously, you need it. They are incredibly pigmented and so a little goes a long way. The clue is in the name with this palette, it is perfect for the fall time, but, with a wide range of colours, I think it is great for all year round. It is such great value for money, 35 eyeshadows for a little over £20 on Beauty bay bargain of the century.

4. Urban Decay – Naked original

An oldy but a goldy… it’s as simple as that. The original naked palette has been around for years now, and still remains a cult favourite for most beauty lovers. With lots of new palettes obviously been released since then, I neglected this palette a little bit. But recently I thought I would give it another try, and I have fallen in love with it all over again. Gold eyeshadows are my thing. They are so easy to wear and I think they look great no matter what time of year it is. This palette is a gold lovers heaven, they are probably the most pigmented eyeshadows I own and last incredibly all day long. Some people think these palettes are overpriced but considering how long I have had it, and I have used it to death, I haven’t hit pan. That’s insane.

5. Morphe 15D Day slayer palette. 

I did a review a few weeks ago of this palette, you can check it out here. In such a short space of time, it has become one of my all-time favourites. This is 100% a warm-toned palette, so if you are more of a cool toned kind of gal, I would avoid this palette like the plague. But if you’re like me and love warm oranges, browns and golds, you need this palette in your life. For 15 eyeshadows it is only £15 – yes you read that correctly. £1 per eyeshadow. And they are bloody brilliant. It has a mirror unlike the other Morphe Palettes and so it is perfect for travelling, I always take it with me when I stay at my friend’s house now. It is such a bargain, how can you turn it down!?

Reading back through this post, I have realised that Morphe and Urban Decay are my favourite palettes ahha! Oh well, stick to what you know! I hope you enjoyed this post and it gave you palette inspo! Let me know in the comments your faves and any recommendations that I should try out!

Chlo x