Getting a little smokey up in here (feat. Illamasqua)

Illamasqua neutral palette

Illamasqua neutral palette swatches - Stealth, Vintage, Obsidian, Wolf

Wearing the Illamasqua neutral palette and Illamasqua Sangers lipstick

During the Illamasqua 50% off sale I picked up 2 things I had had my eye on for a while now, and one of them was the neutral palette... just too gorgeous to resist! A gold shimmery colour? I'm all over that.

This quad is the perfect size, and has all the colours you would need for a smokey eye! There's Stealth, the creamy matte off-white, which is good for a highlight or as a base. The shade is quite powdery and there was loads collected around it, but it doesn't look chalky. Vintage (my fave) is similar to Woodwinked but with less orange undertones, and one of the silkiest eyeshadows ever! Cannot fault the formula on this. This shade is amazing if you have blue eyes. There's also Obsidian, a matte red-toned brown which is excellent for the crease, and one of the most pigmented shades I've ever used. You literally need to dab the brush in and it's enough for both eyes! Lastly is Wolf, a matte black, and the worst in the palette. It's chalky and not especially pigmented, but good for adding a bit of extra definition. If you want a black black shadow though, this isn't it! 

These shadows all work well together, and this palette is definitely worth checking out if you like your neutrals and want to ramp it up a bit!

Beat the shine!

Following on from my skincare post yesterday, I thought I'd share some tips for battling the dreaded face shine! I always get a shiny nose, and whilst I'm all for a glowing complexion, a shiny one is not what I want! 

I think a good base all starts from the preparation, or the primer. A primer acts as a kind of sealant between your moisturiser and your base product. If you have oily skin and don't use a primer... why not?! ;) The best primer I have found to work for my oily t-zone is definitely the smashbox photo finish light, but the Collection primed and ready* is a good, cheaper alternative. A silicone heavy primer helps with wider pores and oil control... the silicones will leave your skin silky smooth and velvety. The Body shop tea tree pore minimiser is also excellent for controlling oil and is a silicone-free option! A word of warning - it does smell very strongly of tea-tree, but it does instantly mattify the skin. Oil-free formulas are obviously best for oilier skin, and a powder is probably essential. An old favourite is the Rimmel stay matte, which is cheap and better than loads of higher end powders. My favourite new discovery are the kleenex blotting sheets, which you basically press gently onto the oily spots on your face and it absorbs everything, leaving your skin feeling fresher. These are awesome for avoiding the dreaded cake-face! (too much powder on already oily skin)

What are your tips for oily skin?

Mint madness

Mint nail polishes

Nails Inc Royal botanical gardens, Bourjois Amande defile, OPI mermaid's tears, Maybelline mint for life, Essie Mint candy apple, Model's own apple pie, Rimmel peppermint, Topshop gone fishing

I love mint! I'm sure everyone loves a bit of pastel goodness now it's getting a bit warmer, but I love mint all the time. It's my second favourite colour, and seeing it on my fingertips all day just makes me happy. I recently revamped my nail polish storage & had a clear out/organising session. When I counted, I had 8 minty polishes, and here they are...

First up is Nails Inc Royal Botanical gardens, which is a slightly more blue toned shade, and my first (and only) Nails Inc shade. I like the formula, love the colour and can't wait for bluer skies to wear this even more! Next is my current favourite, Bourjois Amande defile, which means sugared almonds I think! This colour is pretty unique I think, and more green than mint, but also not at the same time... it basically looks like sugared almonds and little sweets on my fingers, a very cute shade! Next is OPI's Mermaid's tears, which I've had for ages but I still love. A slightly murky pastel green, very pretty. I think this shade would look awesome ombre-d over a mintier shade. Next is Maybelline's mint for life, which is a pretty true mint shade. Love the brush on this, it's really wide and covers the whole nail in one swipe. The Maybelline polishes are definitely worth checking out, under a fiver and a very nice formula. Next is the infamous Essie Mint candy apple, which is the shade that kick-started this whole mint obsession over a year ago. Love the colour, it's the best and this instantly makes me happy! I'm only got 1/3 of the bottle left and it's started to get a bit gloopy and hard to use, but I still loves it! Onto the next one, well done if you're still reading! Model's own Apple pie is a 'scented' polish, which is pretty gimicky and a bit rubbish really. This is a nice pale appley colour, but the formula is not the best... streaky and takes ages to dry between coats. Rimmel's peppermint is one my nails as I type this, and this is more of a tiffany blue colour, rather than a straight up mint. The formula is a nice two-coater on this, and it stays around 4-5 days on me without a chip. Success. Finally we have Topshop's gone fishing, which is more of a green hue but very nice nonetheless. Topshop polishes are some of my favourites, excellent formula and decent price! 

So there we have it, a mini essay all about mint polish! Do you like mint polish?