Green Eyed

I was going through my make up drawer the other day, choosing which bits to take with me on my mini trip to Bournemouth, when I reached one of life's extremely challenging and completely life-altering dilemmas: which green eyeshadow(s) do I pack for eighteen hours away from home?

I know, absolutely important, nail-biting stuff, right?! How I made that decision, I will never know.

I hadn't quite realised just how much green eye make up I owned, so I collected every eyeshadow and every eye liner together and laid them out so that I could decide between them. I wasn't quite prepared to learn I had twenty-two different eye colours! 

Twenty-two! That was a surprise, even for me!

I mean, I knew I had quite a collection brooding in the make up shrine, due to a slight addiction to green eye make up that goes back at least a decade, but regardless, it still came as a shock. Twenty-two does sound rather excessive, doesn't it, but in my defence, no two shades are alike. Some I've had for several years, some were bought recently. Two were purchased last week for the festive season. And each one is loved and used.

Hello, my name is Louise and I'm addicted to green make up!

My favourite shadow of all time was a stunning light olive green called Beatrix (in the trinket pot) that was by a company called B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful. They were the sister company to Lush who sold the most beautiful vegan beauty products and cosmetics, but who sadly went in to administration a few years ago. That eyeshadow was the main reason I was heart broken when they closed their doors; I went through several pans in my early-mid twenties and I adored it. I still have a tiny bit left which I'm trying to make last as long as possible. 

I've been searching for a replacement ever since, but so far I've had zero luck finding a near-identical shadow. However, I purchased a similar, but slightly darker shade called Kush by Urban Decay last week (the silver pot), which is the closest match I've found. I've fallen in love with the colour, and it's so perfect in colour and performance that I think I've found a new favourite! I adore it already.

I also really love my Inglot shadows, and the liquid liners by Lush and Jemma Kidd.

I don't know what it is about green eye colours that I love exactly, but I've always liked the way they look with my pale, freckled skin, brown eyes, and dark, or, currently, red hair. I think green compliments those features perfectly, whether it's a bold lime, or a rich emerald. They bring out the brown of my eyes and are a great contrast against both red and brown hair colours, and most importantly, I feel good wearing them. Dare I say, green eye make up even gives me a little confidence boost every time I wear it- which is often! I wear green more than any other colour, and probably more than all the other colours combined.

I think that everybody should give green eye make up a chance, as it's the most beautiful, varied colour palette, and there's a shade out there to suit everybody. 

Have you got a particular make up colour or product that you can't stop collecting? Do you own more green eye make up than me?

New Additions to My Make Up Collection November 2013

Hey guys,

Last weekend, I seemed to run out of all of my essential beauty products at once, so I popped in to my local Sainsburys to pick up what I could. Hair dye, leave in conditioner, cotton wool pads, nail polish remover, and some make up all made it in to the basket, along with a few other bits. I thought I'd give you a little peek at the make up I bought before I review them properly at a later date.

So, what did I pick up?

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation in Light Porcelain.

Bourjois Paris Healthy Balance Unifying Powder in Vanilla.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in Glam Black.

Bourjois Paris Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick in Red Island.

Bourjois Paris Extrait de Fard Intense Eyeshadow in 05.

And also...

Benefit Hoola Lip Gloss 6.5ml. *Free with this month's Elle Magazine.

The only item from this bunch that I have used before is the mascara, which has been my favourite and regular for years now, and I can't rate highly enough. All the other products are new to me, even though I've shopped from all three brands- Maybelline, Bourjois and Benefit- since my teens. 

The eyeshadow and lipstick were impulse purchases; "ooh, pretty new colours to try!"  I swear I have a serious addiction to green eyeshadow! It's my staple make up colour, and I'm not even sorry. 

I did actually need the mascara, foundation and powder, though. Thankfully, I had some Nectar points stored up, and a voucher off my next shop from a previous food shop, so I barely parted with actual money for them all! Now that's shopping I like!

Want a closer look?

Here's a peek at the lip crayon. It's not as bold as it looks in the packaging, but it's a lovely soft red all the same.

The eyeshadow is the most gorgeous dark forest green shade and seems to be well pigmented. I've not worn it, yet, but if it's like other Bourjois eyeshadows, I know we're going to get along well. It would look amazing used for a smokey eye look as an alternative to black.

I gave the powder a quick wear yesterday, and I'm already impressed with it. It's a pretty good colour match for my pale-as-a-picket-fence skin, it feels so soft on my face, and it covers shine without caking in to pores. If it continues to perform this well, I may have found myself the perfect new face powder!

I've been looking to find a new foundation, since the two in my arsenal aren't quite right for my skin tone or type. I already liked the results from the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse blushers, so decided to give one of their foundations a go. There weren't testers of the shades in store, so I had to take a risk. I'm not sure if the shade I picked, the palest available, is too dark for me;  I need to see it on me in natural daylight to come to a conclusion. I hope I'm wrong because it is the softest foundation I've ever had on my skin and I like the light coverage.

This is a swatch of the mini Benefit lipgloss 'Hoola', which was free with Elle Magazine this month. I've always wanted to try it, so I couldn't resist buying the magazine to get the mini sample. It's a subtle gloss with a hint of bronze and a delicate shimmer. There are two other Benefit lipglosses to collect with the magazine, and I'm keeping my eyes pealed for them both.

And, finally, the mascara with the wand which makes my eyelashes look fuller, darker, and longer than any other mascara ever has. Those little bristles don't miss a lash, and it's pretty much perfect.

I'll be reviewing these products properly once I've given them all some wear, but I hope you liked the little peek I gave you today.

Have you tried any of these cosmetics yet? 

Make Up Monday: Dainty Doll Eyeshadows Review

I'm no Girls Aloud fan, but ever since Nicola Roberts launched her own make up range for pale skinned folk a few years ago, I've been eager to try some of it out. However, due to the luxury price tags, I never got around to trying any of it.

So, when I heard Dainty Doll make up was available on discounted beauty site Fragrance Direct from just 99p, it didn't take me long to cease the opportunity to snap up a few products for myself.

Today I'm going to review the five eyeshadows I purchased, and show you a couple of make up looks I created using them.

I purchased three eyeshadows from Fragrance Direct.

And later picked up a further two colours via Amazon.

So, before I reveal all, I'm sure you'd like to know what the deal is with Dainty Doll:

"Dainty Doll is developed especially to enhance the beauty of fairer skin tones. Created using the finest quality, skin loving formulas to help cover, perfect, and care for your skin, The Dainty Doll range makes it much easier for those with pale skin tones to achieve the ideal shade every time."

 -Daintydoll.com

As a girl with extremely fair skin, this brand has always appealed to me as finding make up to flatter my skin tone can be tricky. I expected the range to focus on foundations, powders and concealers for the porcelain skinned; what I didn't know was that they also sell the most amazing vibrant eye shadows...

L-R: Copacabana, Jungle, Purple Hills, Lollipops and Roses, Kingston Town

Colour! Oh so much wonderful colour! If there's one thing I love almost as much as dresses it's colourful eye make up. It's such a big part of my style and something I feel sets me apart from a lot of people.

When I opened the three I initially ordered with Fragrance Direct, I honestly could not have been happier. I may have squealed a little bit in excitement at all that colour. I originally purchased Copacabana, Lollipops and Roses, and Kingston Town, and was so impressed with them I then went on to source Jungle and Purple Hills through Amazon. 

 The eyeshadows are displayed in round, slim-line matte black pots, with a mirror inside, and the brand simply printed in gold lettering on the outside. I think the packaging looks sleek and expensive. The outer packaging also has a professional appearance in matte black, with a long-legged fair-skinned red head, and the Dainty Doll logo on the cardboard.

I've given all of these eyeshadows numerous days of wear, and each time the make up lasted for at least eight hours without fading! The shadows are all so highly pigmented, and they remained bold throughout the day without the use of a primer. I'm so impressed with each of them! It's not often that I come across eye make up so hard-wearing. They're also incredibly soft in texture, and very little is required to create an even, vibrant cover because they're so pigmented.

My thoughts on each shadow and how I've been wearing each, starting with my least favourite.

#5 Copacabana: Probably my least favourite of the five, and the hardest colour to wear (I'm still tentative with wearing most blues as I worry I'll look like I've wandered out of the eighties), but it's still a great bold eyeshadow. It's a deep sky blue and looks great with Jungle. I've been using it as an eyeliner, rather than all over the lid to make it easier to wear.

#4 Purple Hills: The name of this eyeshadow has me thinking of the censored version of the Eminem and D12 song with the same title. But unlike the song, there's no reason for me to censor these words. Purple Hills is a gorgeous, deep violet purple, which looks fantastic when worn on it's own or with pink, yellow, green, and blue. The possibilities are endless!

#3 Kingston Town: This eyeshadow screams summer. It's a lovely sunny yellow, and it's so versatile. It works well with all of the other colours I purchased, but especially pink and purple. When blended with the pink it makes a lovely shimmering coral. I love this eye shadow!

#1 Jungle: This is my favourite of the five, tied with Lollipops and Roses. Jungle is a vibrant highly pigmented jade green, and I love the way it brings out the brown of my eyes. Green eye make up is my favourite to wear, and I wasn't disappointed with this one.

#1 Lollipops and Roses: This hot pink eyeshadow is not for the faint hearted or colour shy, but it looks amazing on pale skin, and sure makes a statement! It's much easier to wear than you'd think, though, and it makes a pretty, tropical look. I can't stop wearing it. I've mostly been pairing it with the yellow and purple.

Now for the swatches...

These are the swatches in natural light without a flash. I've not enhanced or altered the photo in any way, apart from white-washing the rest of the photo out.

And a few photos of me wearing these eye shadows...

In these two photos I am wearing Kingston Town and Lollipops and Roses blended together, with a purple Lush eye liner lining the top and bottom lids.

Here I am wearing Kingston Town, and Lollipops and Roses again, but this time with Purple hills as an eyeliner.

And this was a simple look with Jungle all over the lids, and Purple Hills very faintly lining both the top and bottom lids.

So, all in all, I'm completely in love with all of these eyeshadows, and I'm truly pleased and impressed with them. They're perfect for pale skin like my own, but I also think they'd look fantastic on darker skin tones, too. If you love bold eye make up, then I recommend that you check these out and give them a try! You won't regret it!

The RRP for these eye shadows is £11.50, which is a little pricey for one eyeshadow (although I'd happily pay it), but I spent less than £3 on each one, and about £12 in total which was an absolute bargain!  You can find them on Fragrance Direct and Amazon from just £1.99 at the moment!

Have you tried any Dainty Doll eyeshadows yet?

What is your favourite colour combination to wear on your eyes?

Fragrance Direct Haul / Dainty Doll Blushers Reviews

Hey guys,

I'm sorry for the lack of decent fashion and beauty posts here at the minute. I've been a bit out of action lately, and for that I'm sorry.

I'm also currently staying at my sister's and her company gives me less time to myself to blog, but I'm going to do my best to catch up over the next few days. I'll be staying here for the next ten days until my brother in law returns from a six-month detachment in The Falklands, and after that I'll be booted out and normal service will resume.

Over the last couple of months, I've picked up some lovely good quality make up for next to nothing through Fragrance Direct. Fragrance Direct is a website that sells cut price make up and beauty products, which they are able to do as a result of low overheads. The website appeals to me because it stocks products from big name brands I've always wanted to try- expensive brands- for as little as a mere pound coin... or even less!

I recently bought make up as presents, and ended up adding a few items to the orders for myself. Well, it would have been silly not to at those prices! I also had to keep a couple of products that I knew wouldn't be to my friends' tastes when colours were different than expected. It's a hard life!

So, I bought myself a couple of Sally Hansen nail polishes, a Jemma Kidd eyeliner, and a bunch of Dainty Doll products. I've always wanted to try Dainty Doll make up, as it's designed for pale skinned folk like myself, but I never had... until now. Today, I'm going to give you a peek at the blushers.

I really do like the outer packaging of Dainty Doll products. It has a sleek, sophisticated appearance, and looks like a typical high-end product one might find in a boutique.

I forgot to take a photo of the compact packaging, but they're sleek matte black in colour with the Dainty Doll logo written in gold script on the top. The packaging is slim, light-weight and elegant looking, and made from sturdy plastic. They all have a mirror on the inside, but no applicator.

These three blushers ended up in my make up collection when I realised they were probably too light or too dark for my friends' tastes and skin tones. No hard ship, as I personally like them all. They cost just £1.99 each through Fragrance Direct, but generally retail for £13.50 elsewhere!! They're an absolute bargain!

I have two powder blushers in You Are My Sunshine and Hippy Shake, and one cream blusher in Orange County Girl, and what can I say; they're beautiful!

This is the cream blusher, Orange County Girl, which is simply beautiful. It's a dark coral blush (perhaps with a hint of rose), which has a lovely golden orange shimmer. It may look dark in the compact, but when you apply the (incredibly soft) blusher to the skin, it's very subtle; although, it can be built up to create a more daring look. When I wore it a few days ago, I used it sparingly for a more natural look. The make up felt lovely and silky soft on my skin, and it stayed in place for nine hours without budging before I removed it! I was very impressed with how it handled, and all in all, I adore this blusher! This will be getting a lot of use this summer.

It's sold out on Fragrance Direct now, but it can be found on Amazon here, for just £3.95.

You Are My Sunshine is almost identical in colour to the Orange County Girl blusher, except this one is a powder blush, and the colour looks more intense on the skin. I would describe the colour as a dark fiery coral with a cheerful orange shimmer. It's highly pigmented, silky soft, and long-lasting on the skin, and I personally think this shade would look fantastic on tanned and darker skin tones, as well as the fair skinned folk it's been designed for. It would look stunning on sun kissed skin in the summer! I can't believe I picked up this beautiful make up product for a purse-friendly £1.99! I'd have happily paid full price.

Hippy Shake was a lot paler than I was expecting it to be from the tiny pink square next to the name on the website. It's a very light pink; lighter than it appears in the photo above. I knew this colour wouldn't be suitable for the person I'd bought it for, but being as fair skinned as I am, this colour gives me a subtle glow and hint of colour. It makes me look fresh-faced. It would look great worn with a darker pink blusher as a highlighter, and is perfect for creating soft, feminine, romantic looks. I think this would be a difficult shade for most skin tones to wear except the very fair like myself, although I'm not an expert on the subject! Like the other two blushers, it's a great quality product, that handles like a dream, feels soft, and lasts all day long.

Here are swatches of all three blushers which I took in natural day light, and haven't altered in any way. I'm sure you'll agree, they're all beautiful shades.

You can find Dainty Doll make up on Fragrance Direct here, and there's also many products not available on Fragrance Direct that can be found on Amazon cheaply, too, here. I really recommend this range of blushers, and I say snap them up while they're available so cheaply!

Have you tried Dainty Doll blushers yet?