Tag: Eyeshadow

My Look Fantastic Black Friday Must Haves & Gift Guide

You’re probably sick of hearing about Black Friday already and if I’m honest, I couldn’t think of anything worse than heading to the high street and getting caught up in the manic bustle that is Black Friday…However I have come to realise that this can actually be the perfect time to pick up a few of those Christmas gifts that you may be after and on the beauty side of things, there are lots of great offers to be had. That being said, regardless of the occasion, you know I like any shopping I do to be well thought out and so I have put together a little bit of Christmas gift guide, featuring a round up of 5 Lookfantastic Black Friday offers, that could make great gifts for some of the special ladies in your life this Christmas…

For Mum

Eve Lom has got to be one of my top luxury skincare brands. I’ve already gushed over their cleanser here on my blog in the past and now I’m excited to introduce these new masks into my routine. I say ‘into my routine’, more like ‘into my special occasion skincare routine’, because I must admit these are on the higher end of the price spectrum. However, if you’re someone/or know someone who loves to indulge in luxury skincare, then this could be just the perfect time to nab the Eve Lom White Brightening Mask on a Black Friday offer. I used my first one in preparation for a shoot the night before, and aide from finding the look of the sheet mask hilarious on first application (just google it if you don’t know what I mean), I actually loved how soft, supple and fresh it left my skin. I see this one being a great gift for the Mother or any special lady in your life who deserves an extra special pamper.

For Sis

You should already know/have guessed by now that I love skincare products and anything that can aid with helping/maintaining good skin, I’m all for. So it’s no surprise that I’m super excited about this little gadget, the Foreo Luna Mini. It works as a great bacteria free way to cleanse the skin, whilst the tiny pulsating rubber touch points help to remove dirt and oil and keep pores clean. There are no batteries required as it comes with a wire to charge it up and it has a long life span due to the fact that it’s all rubber and it requires no replacements bristles or anything like that. If you have a sister who is into her skincare, or maybe just needs a convenient way to simplify her routine, then this could be a great one for her!

For the Bestie

Two brands that I love for makeup brushes and tools are Real Techniques and Look Good Feel Better. I think two of my most used makeup tools are probably a beauty sponge and a contour brush. I’ve used a LGFB Sculpting Sponge for quite some time and it’s so convenient because not only does the sponge itself help effortlessly blend foundation onto the skin, leaving it looking even and natural, but the shape is also great for using on different parts of the face. And this sponge isn’t a one trick pony because once my foundation is applied, I like to use the curved tip for applying concealer under my eyes and then the pointed end for applying liquid highlighter. It’s also super easy to clean and once it’s dry it simply bounces back to it’s usual shape…And then there’s the contour brush and this isn’t just any contour brush, because just look how beautiful it is! Not only the perfect gift because Real Techniques are actually renowned for their great quality brushes (I’ve owned several) but also because this may be the prettiest brush I’ve seen…and who doesn’t like practical and pretty!

For You

Let’s face it, after shopping for all the main ladies in your life, it would be rude to not treat yourself to a little something too!…Illamasqua has long been one of my favourite makeup brands. There’s not a single night out when at least one Illamasqua product doesn’t make it onto my face. They know how to do strong pigments and fierce colours…speaking of fierce colours, can we please take a moment of appreciation for the gorgeous red shade in this eyeshadow palette! I’ve actually been on the look out for a shade like this for some time and I should have known that Illamasqua would be the brand to do it. These eyeshadows are perfect for creating smokey eye looks and whether it’s for a friend, or just for yourself, it’s certainly a perfect party palette.

So there you have it, a round up of some of my favourite Black Friday Lookfantastic Christmas Gift ideas! And one last thing, you can get a huge 20% off some of the Black Friday promotions over on Lookfantastic, using the code: LFBLACK.

Samio x

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.

November 25, 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
New Look Pure Colour Makeup Review

Once again, another clothes shop has lured me in with its new makeup selection. This time it’s New Look. I was greatly intruded when I spotted the smart packaging and wide selection of products and colours that the Pure Colour range from New Look had to offer.

Pure Colour Baked Eye Shadow

I was instantly drawn in by this shimmery eyeshadow. It’s a gorgeous neutral tone that looks stunning on the eyelids and the shimmery particles reflect the light brilliantly. At only £3.99, I’m super impressed with this one and it’s been a regular go to eyeshadow for me since I purchased it.

Pure Colour Eyeliner

It’s been a while since I went for a brown eyeliner. As this one was only £1.99, I thought I’d give it a try. It glides on easily and smoothly and makes a nice change from a bold black.

Pure Colour Lipliner

I love this lipliner. This shade of pink is exactly what I’d been looking for. Again like the eyeliner, it glides on easily and looks great on the lips.

Pure Colour Lipstick

The final product is this lipstick and the only product out of the bunch that I didn’t love. The scent is that of old makeup (in my opinion) and I just really don’t like it. It’s a shame because I absolutely love the colour but I’m quite funny with smells when it comes to makeup and as I can smell it when it’s on, I unfortunately just can’t wear it. Hopefully in the future they will improve the formula as the colour is perfect.

All in all I’m very impressed with New Look’s Pure Colour range. The packaging is smart and the prices are affordable. My favourite product (that I’ve tried) from the range is the eyeshadow and I’d definitely buy more of these in different shades.

Have you tried New Look’s Pure Colour Range?

Shop New Look’s Pure Colour makeup range here.

May 6, 2015
Makeup Revolution Review – The £9.50 Makeup Haul

I was browsing the aisles of Superdrug recently when I came across a makeup brand I’d never heard of before: Makeup Revolution . Intrigued, I deiced to take a closer look, as I’d spotted a few stand out lip colours and some shimmery gold shadows that had caught my eye. Before I knew it I was making my way to the till will an arm full of produfs.

Eyeshadow – Shade, Mountains of Gold

This stuff is amazing, it’s highly pigmented, long lasting, gives an amazing true gold shimmer to the eyelids and at only £1, what can I say, it’s an absolute bargain.

Bronzer – Shade, Ready to Go

I’d been torn between this shade and the one that had more golden tones (really I should have just purchased both) but after buying and trying I must say that I’m happy with this shade. I like to use it in the checks and it even looks nice on the eyelids. It has subtle coral tones and it adds a lovely highlight and shimmer when you apply it.

Blush – Shade, Wow!

Again, this was another £1 bargain. I’d been after a baby pink blusher for a while and this one is again highly pigmented and comes out easily, so I’m very happy with it.

Blush Lacquer – Shade, Lacquer Heart

This is probably my favourite purchase out of this collection of products. This cream blush glides on like a dream and adds a smooth and well blended colour to the cheeks. I’ve been using it a lot since I purchased it. I usually go for pink tones when it comes to my blusher but I’m loving this beautiful coral shade.

Lipstick – Purple – Shade, Depraved

Always a sucker for the boldest colours, I had to purchase this purple. It glides on easily and doesn’t dry out on the lips. The only thing I’d say is that you have to reapply it sometimes to make sure that the colour has full coverage. At only £1, it’s another great purchase.

Lipstick – shade, Rebel With Cause (similar in Lip Lacquer)

This lipstick actually seems to be a slightly different consistency than the other one and also it has a slightly different scent. Still, the colour comes out bold and again it doesn’t dry out on the lips. This one also has a slightly better coverage.

I’m super impressed with all these products, which collectively cost only £9.50.

Have you tried any of the Makeup Revolution profucts or do you know any great budget makeup brands?

Samio x

April 26, 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
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