Tag: Eye Makeup

Estée Lauder Little Black Primer – Tint. Amplify. Set

I’ve never really previously understood Eyelash primers. I’ve tried a few out in my time but always found I got bored and would go back to using mascara on its own.

The Estée Lauder Little Black Primer is somewhat different to the previous eyelash primers I’ve tried, due to the fact that it’s black (as opposed to white or clear) and that on appearance, this one looks very much like an actual mascara to me. What I’ve discovered from simply trying out the primer, is that its formula is significantly more light weight and thinner than that of a mascara and so it separates the lashes and ever so slightly lengthens them without making them thicker or giving the appearance that a mascara has been applied.

This eyelash primer can be used in one of three ways; Alone ‘to tint them silky black and natural’, as a primer before mascara to add extra length, or after your mascara ‘to set, with a water resistant finish’. I personally prefer to use it in ways one and two (and am actually yet to try it on top of mascara).

Depending what you want out of this primer will depend on how well it works for you. If you have naturally ‘good’ lashes that you maybe wish to tint, then it actually does work well on bare lashes as a way to colour them black without looking like you have mascara on. It’s perfect for those no makeup days and if you want to set your lashes after curling them without applying mascara, then this product will do the trick.

In terms of using this product as a primer, I’m actually quite impressed with the results. It certainly has the best results I have seen from using an eyelash primer, and it really does help to lengthen my lashes along with applying my mascara.

Below, the first image shows me wearing the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer and the second image shows me wearing it under my W3ll People Mascara.

I’m rather impressed with the results from using the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer to prime my lashes as I think the results are significantly noticeable, compared to when I don’t prime them. I love how I’m able to use this primer to lengthen my lashes to make them a lot longer without making them look thick and clumpy. I don’t use this eyelash primer everyday, but for when I want more noticeable, super long lashes then this is the product I now reach for to help me achieve those results.

Have you tried out the Little Black Primer?

You can shop the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer here.

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

January 8, 2016
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette Review

This would have been one of the items at the top of my Christmas list, however I could not wait to get my hands on the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette. I am a big Gwen Stefani fan and have absolutely fell in love with Urban Decay this year and so when I found out that the two were collaborating, I got very excited!

Finally last week, I went in store and purchased the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette and it was everything I expected and more.

It comes is the most gorgeous Gwen Stefani-esque monochrome and gold casing. It has a large mirror in the inside of the lid and boasts an array of 15 fabulous eyeshadow shades. There are a stunning selection of neutral tones inside the palette, including matte browns and shimmery shades. It also has a few stand out shades, perfect for adding a pop of colour when it takes your fancy, not forgetting ‘Blackout’, the jet black shade, ideal for creating smoky eye looks.

As always with Urban Decay, the pigments are strong and the shades are stunning!

It didn’t take long before I got to work experimenting with my new palette and trying out different looks.

Here I used the shade Stark as a base, then worked in the shade Zone as a transition shade, with the deep brown shade, Punk to darken up the lid. I finished off with Harajuku in the middle of my eyelids and went in with the striking shade 1987 in the inner corners of my eyes.

I am in love with this palette if you can’t already tell. I can see I’ll be getting a lot of use out of these beautiful eye shadow shades and I am so happy with my latest makeup purchase.

What do you think about the new Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette?

Samio x

You can shop the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette here.

Check out my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette review here.

December 21, 2015
H&M Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

I seem to have gone a little bit eyeshadow obsessed lately, or maybe I’m just makeup obsessed in general, yeah, that’s probably it. Anyway it’s appears that now, I can’t walk in any store without checking out the makeup section, as limited as it may be. If it sells makeup, I’ll be browsing.

Whilst in H&M I spotted a few makeup goodies, including this nudes Eyeshadow pallet. It’s the size that intrigued me, as its the perfect size to fit in my gym bag for if I need to apply makeup after the gym. It was only £1.99, so I thought I’d give it a go.

Once I’d got home, I was happy to find that the shadows are actually pretty decent. Each one has a lovely shimmer and the colours come and bold. Everything you’d want for an on the go eyeshadow palette and not bad for less than two pound.

I’m pleased with my little bargain purchase. I’ll be tempted to try out some of the H&M lipsticks next time. How about you, have you tried any H&M makeup?

Samio x

March 31, 2015
Urban Decay – Naked On The Run Review

A couple of weeks ago I was shopping for makeup ‘essentials’, when I spotted this little beauty. I’d previously seen Urban Decay Naked On The Run online but hadn’t realised how beautiful this travel kit was until I saw it in store. Without a moments hesitation I had purchased it and I could not wait to get home to try out the pretty new shades and products.

The kit contains six new eye shadow shades, a bronzer, blush, full sized Naked lip gloss and travel size 24/7 eye pencil and Perversion mascara. The casing is stunning and inside the lid it holds a large sized mirror which is perfect for taking on your travels and using to do your full makeup in.

The Eyeshadows, Broner and Blush

The eyeshadows in this kit are stunning. My favourite is the deep shimmery bronzed brown. It’s highly pigmented and looks so pretty on, as they all do. The bronzer and the blush are great too and I really like the pretty rose pink shade of the blush. You can also blend the bronzer and the blush together to create a gorgeous coral shade.

Perversion Mascara

Let’s talk about this mascara. Well, let me say have I been converted. I feel like this entire post will be me bigging up every single product in this kit. But in all honesty I’ve never discovered so many new products that I love, all in one go. So back to this mascara, it separates, lengthens and defines my lashes really well. It’s jet black, glides on easily and has a wand that I love. I’ll actually go as far as saying that this is the best mascara I’ve used. I’m so converted on this one, I will most certainly be buying this in full size in future.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

The eye liner pencil does what it says and it glides on easily and stays in place. I can’t say if it lives up to its 24/7 claim though, because lets face it, who really wears eye liner 24/7. It’s passed the under eye test however and it’s managed to not smudge and to stay in place after a full day of wearing it.

Naked Lip Gloss

I am absolutely loving this lip gloss. I went off lip glosses for such a long time but now more and more seem to be working their way back into my makeup collection and this one is currently holding the place as my favourite. The lip gloss itself is a winner but I also really like it’s fancy container too – Any excuse to reapply in public.

The lip gloss shade is called Sesso (which I do believe is a unique shade to this kit). The colour is a subtle rose pink with a slight glittery sheen through it. I like how you can build this lip gloss up to create more of an intense colour if you like. It feels nourishing on the lips and the shine and colour give your lips a great looking pout. I think I’ll be repurchasing this one in a similar shade when it runs out.

All in all, I’m absolutely delighted with Naked On The Run. I think for the products that you get, that it is great value for money as each product individually easily adds up to a lot more than buying the kit together. I’m really impressed with these products, especially the mascara and lip gloss, not to mention the glittery eye shadows which I adore. This would make a gorgeous gift for someone and even a perfect treat for yourself to take on your travels. I give this kit a huge thumbs up and definitely recommend it.

Shop Naked On The Run – Here.

Samio x

February 28, 2015
Primark P.S. Love Eye Liner and Eye Brightener Review

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been one to spend much money on eye liners. So when I spotted these ones (along with the eye brighter pencil) in Primark recently, I didn’t even hesitate to make the purchases. Unlike many other makeup products, for me (going off past experience) most eye liners have been pretty much the same, especially when it comes to pencil eye liners. If it’s black and it comes out bold, then it’s fine by me. And with regards to liquid eyeliners, I’ve often found a firm wand, as opposed to a flexible one, works best for me when creating a cat eye flick.

Smudger Eye Liner

At one end this liner is a pencil and at the other end it has a small foam smudge stick, perfect for creating a quick and easy smoky eye look. It also comes with a sharpener in the lid, so you never have to worry about it going blunt when you’re on the go.

On the below image I applied my line using just this black eye liner and as you can see it came out bold and I was able to create a perfectly precise flick. (I didn’t apply mascara, just so that you can see how the eye liner looks alone.)

Next I used the smudge stick end of the eye liner to create a subtle smoky liner.

Then I went along the bottom of my eye with the pencil to create a more smoky eyed look.

Liquid Eye Liner

I always have to carry a liquid eye liner in my makeup bag, just because you never know when those bold cat flicks might need to come out!

The wand of this liquid eyeliner is firm and so works well at creating that perfect flick.

In the image below I simply drew over the smoky eye liner (from the images above) with the liquid eye liner to at first give a subtle smoky eye with a winged liner.

To create the look below, I then made the line thicker to create a dramatic cat eye look, again using the liquid eye liner.

Highlighter Crayon (Eye Brightener)

This is such a handy little highlighter crayon that you can keep in your bag when you’re on the go. It’s perfect for highlighting below your brow or on the waterline of your eye to make the whites of your eyes appear brighter and bigger. You can also you the pencil at the inner corners of your eye (as I have done below) to add a highlight and again brighten your eyes.

I’m super pleased with all three of these products, at only £1 each, how could I not be. I also on like the fact that these products come nicely packaged. It means that they would look good as part of a present. For Birthdays I often like to buy my friend’s lots of little gifts rather that one big thing and things like this make nice little inexpensive present fillers as part of a gift.

I seem to go through so many pencil and liquid eyeliners, so I will certainly be purchasing these ones again for myself. I’m also sure the highlighter crayon will often come in handy and will be a another item I repurchase once it’s finished too. Overall I give these products a big thumbs up!

Samio x

February 9, 2015
The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette for Brown Smokey Eyes

I was lucky enough to be treated with many of the presents on my Christmas wish list this year, including this gorgeous Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette. This is an eyeshadow palette I’ve had my eyes on for quite some time (no pun intended). If I’m honest I was torn between all three of the Naked palettes (they also do a 1 and 3) so didn’t really mind which one I got but I was truly delighted when I received this one as a gift on Christmas Day.

What’s so good about it? I hear you say. Well I’m sure many of you may have heard of the famous Naked palettes but for those of you who haven’t, aside for the fact that the product and packaging itself looks gorgeous, the eyeshadow shades inside are stunning too. The palette comprises of twelve fabulous neutral, beige and deep brown shades in a mixture of shimmery and matte. There is also one black eyeshadow which is perfect for completing that smokey eye look. The palette also includes a double ended brush and large mirror, making it perfect for your travels too.

I’d say if you were going to own only one eyeshadow palette, then make it this. It literally has every shade you would need to create day and night looks in neutral and brown tones.

I also think this palette is a great one for on holiday or during the summer months, as it has those gorgeous shimmery golden shades which look great with a tan.

Inside my Naked 2 palette also came this sample of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. You can use it to prep the eyelids before applying your eyeshadow so that it stays on and lasts longer. So far I’ve been trying out the original primer potion and I really like it. You only need to use a small amount at a time, so I reckon if you were to buy the regular sized tube that it would last for quite a while. It seems to do a good job of setting the eyeshadow too and keeping it on for longer.

What else can I say, I’m certainly a fan and so glad that this palette is now added to my every growing makeup collection. It definitely receives a big thumbs up from me.

Samio x

January 3, 2015
Festive Christmas Day Makeup Tutorial

I’ve said it about ten times already but I’m feeling super festive! I always love getting into the Christmas spirit but this year I feel even more Christmassy than ever.

The run up to Christmas Day seems to have gone so fast that I’ve barely had time to do any proper planning. Luckily though, all my presents are purchased, the fridge is full and now I just have two more restless sleeps until I can have my much anticipated Gothic Christmas! Yes that’s right, our family is doing a themed Christmas this year and I can’t wait.

I came up with the idea of a themed Christmas last month when I was in a period of loving black. I just loved the idea of having an Adams Family/The Munsters style family Christmas Dinner. I was surprised to hear my family were well up for the idea and even ended up planned and purchasing outfits before I did! I even spent a large chunk of last night making a luxurious Vampire cape for my boyfriend, which turned out quite fabulous I must say.

With everyone else sorted I’d almost forgot to pick out an outfit for myself. Luckily, with me owning an array of ‘Gothic attire’, I was able to pull something out of my wardrobe last minute. Strangely enough the planning of a Gothic Christmas has made me feel more festive than ever and I am more than giddy for Christmas Day.

Anyway, despite the fact that I’m getting ready to release my inner Goth, as it’s Christmas Eve, Eve, I thought I’d do a Christmas Day makeup blog post. So for those of you who are looking for some festive makeup inspiration and won’t be going for smokey eyes and dark lips like me, then maybe this step by step tutorial can come in handy for you.

The Eyes

Step 1:
Prep the eyelids with your regular foundation and fill in your eyebrows as usual.
With a light shimmer, go over the lid of your eye. Here I’ve used Front Cover’s eye shadow shade, Biscuit.

Step 2:
Using a light shimmery brown eye shadow, shadow in just above the eyelid crease and then blend. I used shade Hazel from Front Cover’s Rainbow Eyes Pallet.

Step 3:
Draw on some winged liner using a black eyeliner pencil.

Step 4:
Using a glitter gel liner, draw a winged line above the black pencil line.
For this I used Collection’s Glam Crystal Dazzling Gel Liner in Funk, which is a gold shade.

Step 5:
Once the gold glitter liner has dried, go over the black pencil eyeliner with a black liquid eyeliner in order to create a more solid line. (Go over the glitter eyeliner again afterwards if needed)
Apply black mascara to the top lashes only.

Step 6:
Using a gold eyeliner pencil, liner the bottom of your eye. I used Model’s Own Golden Girl Glitter Eye Pencil.

Step 7:
Add black mascara to your bottom lashes for the end result.

The Lips

Step 1:
Lightly liner the lips using a brown to light brown to nude lip liner pencil, depending on your skin tone. For this I used a pencil in shade Cinnamon from Boots Natural Collection.

Step 2:
Again, finding a shade to suit your skin tone, fill the lips in with a nude to brown shade of lipstick. I used NYC’s Expert Lip Last in shade, Creamy Caramel 440.

Step 3:
Appling to the centre of the lips, add some gold shimmery lip gloss and carefully pat outwards with your finger to blend. The perfect gloss to use for this effect is Illamasqua’s Intense Lipgloss in shade, Stranger, as used here.

The Finished Look

A great variation to this look is to use a different colour glitter eyeliner. Here I’ve used Collection’s Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Eyeliner in Pizzazz, which is a super festive green shade.

Samio x

December 23, 2013