Kat Von D Serpentina Eyeshadow Palette

So this is what an impulse buy looks like. Yep, a little while ago when I realised that this palette wasn't going to be around much longer I just HAD to have it, so 'Add to Cart' I did. I didn't need another eyeshadow palette, and I certainly didn't need one with such bright, rainbow shades that can't be used on a daily basis, but, even though I open this up and just stare at it longingly way more than I actually use it, I still don't regret buying it. It's an addiction!

The Kat Von D Serpentina palette contains 8 colourful shades plus a loose gold pigment that can be used alone or over the top of other shadows.

It comes in nice, solid cardboard packaging that closes with a satisfying magnetic catch. It also has a fairly decent size mirror on the inside of the lid.

It's definitely not one of the most practical eyeshadow palettes out there and I find I really have to plan specific looks to get any use out of it, but it's so pretty to look at so I can forgive it's shortcomings, which there are a few of unfortunately.

Firstly, it really needs a nude or lighter shade that can be used as a base and built upon. I find that I reach for one of my nude palettes first before using this one as some extra colour in the crease or as a highlight.

Some of the shades really are beautiful to use and are highly pigmented while others are a bit disappointing and don't show up very well at all.

(Kat Von D Serpentina Palette - L-R - Prophet, Bloodmilk, Medusa, Ankh, Queen, Hieroglyph, Nile, Scarab, Venom)

Here is a little breakdown of the shades:
* Bloodmilk - probably the most disappointing shade in the whole palette. Looks like it should be a spectacular matte red in the pan but ends up being so hard to swatch and get any pigment out of on the lid. Good for blending with other shades but not any good for using on it's own.
* Medusa - this one is a dark, antique gold that has good pigmentation and is nice to blend out. This one is probably as close to a base shade as you can get with this palette.
* Ankh - a dark brown/black with a golden shimmer mixed through. Very hard to blend and can look more dirty on the eye rather than smoky. Good to use to slightly darken the crease or to blend out edges but not much else.
* Queen - a dark burgundy that is nice to blend and has pretty good coverage.
* Hieroglyph - a coppery-orange shade that seems like it should be so much brighter when applied that when it really it.
* Nile - a gorgeous royal blue with a pretty sheen when applied. This one has nice, strong pigmentation and is one of the better shades in the palette.
* Scarab - a pretty, dark green that is definitely the best performing shade as far as pigmentation and blendability go. This one is my favourite.
* Venom - a medium purple with a matte finish. This is the second most disappointing shade. It's very sheer and almost impossible to build up or even out. Such a shame as it looks so pretty in the pan.
* Prophet loose pigment - a pretty, shimmery gold that works great as a highlight shade or for some extra oomph over the top of another on the lid. This one can be very easy to go overboard with though if you're not careful and accidentally pick too much up on your brush.

(L-R - Prophet, Bloodmilk, Medusa, Ankh)

(L-R - Queen, Hieroglyph, Nile, Scarab, Venom)

Overall, it's a palette that definitely has some hits and misses but if you are a Kat Von D fan or just like to have palettes that are more pretty on the eye rather than practical then this one is for you. I'm pretty sure you can still get them on E-bay right now if you feel like being impulsive like me.

What makeup product have you bought on a whim but ended up hardly using?

Have a great week everyone!

Michelle xx

The Balm 'Hot Mama!' Shadow/Blush

I bought this Hot Mama! shadow/blush at an online sale a little while ago because I have a bit of a soft spot for The Balm products. I just love their cute packaging and the funny names they use for their products and this blush looked like it was a really nice versatile shade.

It comes in the usual cardboard packaging that The Balm are known for and it has a nice sized mirror underneath the lid for when you might want to apply it on the go. I do like the quirky packaging that The Balm use, but sometimes I get a little annoyed by how dirty and marked the cardboard can actually get after a lot of use. It can also get a bit dented and knocked around in your handbag or cosmetic bag too so I don't tend to take their products out with me for this reason.

Hot Mama! is marketed as an eye shadow or a blush but I really only mainly use it as a blush because I very rarely use single eye shadows anymore. When it is used as a shadow though it is a nice, warm peachy shade that wears really well and doesn't seem to crease too much, even after a few hours of wear.

(The Balm 'Hot Mama!' shadow/blush)

I definitely prefer to use Hot Mama! as a blush though and love the pretty, shimmery, peach shade it gives to my cheeks as it has an instant brightening effect. The powder blends out beautifully and there is usually no need to use a separate highlighter when I'm wearing this blush as it is quite shimmery on its own and I can feel a little too disco-ball if I also add highlighter on top.

I own quite a few The Balm products and am always impressed by their pigmentation and the way their powder products blend out and wear during the day.

I'd love to know what your favourite The Balm product is and why?

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

July 2016 Favourites

So, I'm a few days late with getting my July favourites out but I had a few items this month that I really enjoyed using and just had to share (lets just forget that I haven't done a favourites post in around a year or so shall we!)

So this month I had a little mix of things that I kept going back to again and again. These were:

1) Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - It took me a really long time to get on the Micellar water bandwagon as I was convinced that it was a lot of hype over nothing. But, since I decided to take the plunge and buy some of this at Priceline a few weeks ago I can now see why it is so popular. This product takes off any makeup product it's put up against and does it with very minimal effort. It's non-irritating, even when used for stubborn eye makeup and has no annoying scent or oily residue. My skin feels refreshed and totally clean after use so I will definitely be repurchasing this when it runs out.

2) L'Oreal Infallible Makeup in Creamy Natural - This would have to be hands down my most favourite foundation of all time. I have had this bottle for what seems like forever and I put it aside now and then to use other newer foundations I buy, but then I always go back to it and wonder why I change. It goes on flawlessly using a brush or a beauty blender and stays put all day long. It doesn't sink into my fine lines and gives me great medium to full coverage without looking like I'm wearing a huge amount of makeup. I just love it!

3) Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit - I was going to do a full review on this product but decided not to as I think it has been reviewed to death. This palette never leaves my makeup table and is my most reached for item at the moment. All of the highlighting powders are the perfect shade for my pale skin and the middle contouring shade is just great. These powders are so easy to blend out and seem to last for the whole work day. They also make good eyeshadows on those days when I'm in a rush and want a quick, neutral look. For the price this has to be one of the most economical palettes out there.

(Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit)

4) Elizabeth Arden Lipstick in Rose Petal - I have been living in this lipstick this past month as it is the perfect everyday winter shade for me. It is a gorgeous medium, rose-pink shade that is so creamy to apply and it lasts for hours, even through eating and drinking. This formula doesn't sink into lip lines at all and it keeps my lips feeling moisturised and soft all day. I have always been a huge fan of Elizabeth Arden lipsticks and have a few of them in my collection. I don't think they get anywhere near enough attention in the beauty world.

(Elizabeth Arden lipstick in Rose Petal)

5) Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum - I received this is the last Priceline beauty bag and am going to be running back to my nearest store to get more as soon as it is finished. This serum feels just gorgeous on my skin and makes it seem so soft and supple when applied. I absolutely adore the smell as well which is kind of sweet but floral at the same time (I suck at describing scents!) It's not sticky at all and absorbs into my skin straight away so it doesn't feel too heavy when I apply my day or night cream afterwards. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

6) Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eye Shadow Stick and Liner in Back to Blacks and Queens of the Bronzed Age ** - These shadow/liner sticks have been on my eyes almost every day for the past month. They make a subtle daytime smoky eye possible in literally under 2 minutes. My favourite way to apply these is to do a thick swipe of the black shadow along my upper lash line followed by another thick swipe of the bronze shadow on top of the first line. I then quickly grab my eyeshadow brush and then blend, blend, blend upwards until my whole eyelid is covered and I have an unbelievably fast and long-wearing smoky eye. I then like to use the golden liner end to line my lower lashes and highlight the inner corner of my eye. The trick to these is to blend them very quickly as they set fairly fast and then don't budge for the entire day, even on my badly hooded eyes. They are amazing!  

(Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eye Shadow/Liner sticks in Queens of the Bronzed Age and Back to Blacks)

So that's it for my favourites this past month!


Have a great week!

Michelle xx

** Product received for consideration but my thoughts are purely my own.

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Eyes, Cheeks and Brows Palette - I've Never Loved Going Nude So Much!

So a little while ago I decided to treat myself to a little gift. As I have mentioned previously I have been feeling a bit crappy lately due to having quite a few unexpected problems with my second pregnancy which has included having skin that has turned into the surface of the planet Mars.

Due to this I've toned down my use of bright makeup a lot and have been focusing more on covering my horrible skin as best as I can and keeping the rest of my look as polished and un-attention seeking as possible.

Hence my recent love for this wonderful palette!

I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Napoleon Perdis products and have never really been disappointed by any that I have tried. After seeing rave after rave of the Nude U Eyes, Cheeks and Brows Palette everywhere, I seriously could not resist getting my hands on one when I was browsing through my local David Jones one day.

Isn't it pretty??

This is seriously one versatile palette and using it has reduced my getting ready time substantially in the mornings.

I have become a bit obsessed with using a combination of the second shade on the top row as a base all over my eyelids, then using the shade on far right on the bottom row blended in the outer corner along with the darkest brown in my crease. I also love using the purple shade as a quick eyeliner to brighten the look ever so slightly.

I also love using the shade on the far right of the bottom row to fill in my brows as it matches them perfectly. The first shade on the top row makes such a lovely inner corner and cheekbone highlighter too and any of the browner shades would be great for contouring if you really wanted to make the most out of this great little palette!

Now, for some swatches:

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Palette - Top Row

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Palette - Bottom Row

One other thing I love about this palette is how soft and blendable the powders are. The shades are all buildable in their intensity and they blend like there's no tomorrow. I find that they last most of the work day without creasing too which is something that I have problems with quite often because of my stupid hooded eyes.

Have you tried this little gem of a palette yet? Is it just me or has Napoleon Perdis really stepped things up a level with their products lately?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx

MAC Stroke of Midnight Eye Palette - Cool

Ok, so I admit that I almost decided not to come back to the dear old blog. My life has taken a very unexpected hectic turn with my personal business getting very, very busy over the last couple of months. Trying to manage that growth along with my regular job as well as attempting to be a half decent mother to my almost three year old and keeping up with all my wifey duties on top of it all has pulled me in way too many directions lately and unfortunately I had to take a step back from some things for a little while.

But, the pull of blogging turned out to be too strong and I'm taking a big breath and attempting to juggle it all. Seriously, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had spare time these days anyway!!

So, as I promised weeks ago when I did this post, I am finally sharing my thoughts on the MAC Stroke of Midnight Eye Palette in Cool that my wonderful hubby bought for me when he had to go overseas for a week in November for work.

This pretty has not left my makeup table since it was opened. I cannot say enough how much I love all of the shades in this palette and how versatile and easy to use they are.

This palette comes with five eyeshadow shades, three of which are a little bit shimmery and the other two are quite matte. It also comes with a dual ended brush that can be used to blend the shadow as well as line the eyes if you wish.

The shades are as follows:

* Fair Sex
* Deception
* Romance me
* Frisco; and
*Shadowy Lady

 (Natural Light)

 (With flash)

This palette can be used for an everyday subtle eye look as well as making a pretty good smoky eye. The shadows all blend beautifully with one another and last for a good few hours on me before creasing. I don't really notice too much fallout when using these shadows either which is a nice bonus.

My favourite look is using the pale cream shade all over the lid with some of the matte pink shade on the outer half of the lid with the dark purple shade blended into the crease or as a liner along the top lashes.

This is my first experience with using any MAC eyeshadows and I have to say it's definitely made me want to try some more.

Has anyone else tried this palette as well?

Have a great weekend!

Michelle xx

Arbonne Cosmetics Review

I can't tell you how excited I was when I was offered the opportunity to try some products from the Arbonne Cosmetics range a few weeks ago. I'd been seeing them around the internet a lot lately and absolutely loved the look of everything I saw.

If you haven't yet heard of this great brand, here is a little bit of background information for you:

Arbonne Cosmetics is a premium range of products with botanical ingredients in a host of colours and free from sodium lauryl sulphate, talc, gluten, parabens and phthalates. Additionally they are Vegan friendly and are not tested on animals. They also have an exclusive Optilight Technology which diffuses light to create a soft-focus effect and blurs imperfections so that skin looks flawless from virtually every angle.

I was lucky enough to be sent three products to try out. A Lipstick in the shade Scarlet, an Eyeshadow in the shade Divine Plum and a Blush in the shade Blossom.

Here is a little bit about each of these pretties:

·         Arbonne Lipstick in Scarlet

Packed with Vitamins A, C and E as well as Pomegranate Extract, the formula intensely hydrates and conditions lips with a rich colour and beautiful scent that glides on smoothly for buildable coverage.
Scarlet is a gorgeous deep burgundy/red which I have been wearing almost exclusively over the past couple of weeks now the weather is cooling down. It is a shade that literally goes with everything and can be worn quite sheer or built up to a much deeper colour if that is what you wish. I've found this lipstick extremely hydrating and it amazingly lasts for around 4-5 hours on me before wearing off to a sheer stain.

·         Arbonne Eye Shadow in Divine Plum

Arbonne’s mineral-infused range of catwalk-inspired Eye Shadows leads the way in rich natural and botanical tones, working to highlight and define the eyes with colour whilst providing health benefits for the skin.
Each powder shadow is infused with Vitamins A, C and E as well as Polypeptides which help to maintain the skins moisture and support the skin’s natural structure.
Divine Plum is a really pretty purple shade that looks quite dark in the container but actually applies very sheer with a slight shimmer to it. It's easy to build the colour up though if you want a bit of a darker look and this shadow blends like an absolute dream without any fallout at all. I found this shadow lasted practically the entire work day on me without creasing which is a miracle on my hooded lids. 

·         Arbonne Blush in Blossom

Arbonne’s mineral-infused range of catwalk-inspired Eye Shadows leads the way in rich natural and botanical tones, working to highlight and define the eyes with colour whilst providing health benefits for the skin. Each powder shadow is infused with Vitamins A, C and E as well as Polypeptides which help to maintain the skins moisture and support the skin’s natural structure.
Blossom has become my holy grail of blush. I have been searching for a shade like this for a very long time that complements my porcelain (but covered in freckles!) skintone. This peachy shade of blush looks so natural and blends perfectly and has been my blush of choice when I want to look polished but not overdone. It lasts a good workday on me as well which is just great.

(Lipstick in Scarlet, Eyeshadow in Divine Plum, Blush in Blossom)

(Lipstick in Scarlet, Eyeshadow in Divine Plum, Blush in Blossom - with flash)

 

(Wearing the Lipstick in Scarlet sheered out over some lip balm)

The packaging of these products is a very elegant looking black plastic that seems to be quite sturdy and very handbag friendly.

Arbonne Cosmetics can be purchased from their website here and I definitely encourage you to take a look. I, on the other hand should have stayed away from their site because I am now eyeing off another couple of lipsticks and maybe another blush or two :-)

Has anyone else tried anything from this range yet?

Hope you all are having a lovely week so far :-)

Michelle xx

*** Products were provided for consideration but this has not influenced my opinion in any way. Honesty always!***