Can you save dried up cream eyeshadows?

So recently I got the new lavender scented MAC Fix+ and I had been researching on ways to use it. I spotted online somewhere that it can be used on dried up cream eyeshadows to restore them, and I remembered about one of my faves from last year, which was the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in New Moon. God, I was obsessed with this thing but somehow it totally dried out despite me being so careful and always making sure the lid was on tight. So here is a little experiment to see if I can fix it!

So you can see that the shadow has shrunk from the edges of the pot…

In fact it has shrunk so much that it just falls out of the pot and looks like this little dried up disc.

So first I sprayed 2 sprays of MAC Fix+ into the pot, then I got a little spatula and just started mixing it together.

At this point it started flaking like crazy and I was so upset because I just thought I had ruined it completely!

Then I just started packing it down with my finger and it began to look a lot more smooth and almost normal again.

I was afraid that the Fix+ would water the shadow down and it wouldn't look the same as it used to, but  so far the formula was pretty much the same and the pigmentation seems unaffected, fingers crossed!

So the next part of the experiment was to actually use it on my eyes!

It felt very smooth and creamy, just like when I first got it and I applied it just using my fingertips like I normally did. I always loved this cream shadow because it was like nothing I had ever seen before. It's completely multi dimensional and has pink, purple, brown, even red tones in it. I think this shadow was limited edition too which was another reason why I was prepared to give it another lease of life! I had to take the below photos with a desk lamp shining on me so you can see how incredibly sparkly it is too! 

So there is hope if any of your cream eyeshadows have died on you! 

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow - Laurier Rose

 This is another new product I picked up on holidays. I was just randomly swatching things in Sephora and this one really took my breath away. All of the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadows looked lovely, but the Laurier Rose shade in particular just looked fantastic to me. It was €30 from what I remember, so not cheap but I knew I'd get plenty of use out of it.

I actually used to be really obsessed with pink shades on my eyes but I haven't worn eye looks like that in a long time.

Isn't that swatch just heavenly? It almost has a metallic quality to it. It's a really warm toned pink with a subtle sparkle. Actually Chanel describe the shadow as having "fresh and iridescent effects". I definitely get that, and the eyeshadow has a cooling effect too when applied to the eyelid. It's very creamy and glides across the eyelid with ease.

I have never actually used an eyeshadow in a pencil form before, but I literally just swipe it over my eyelids and blend out the edges for a simple everyday look. It just adds a little "something" to the eyes, but when I want something a little more eye-catching I deepen the crease using some shades from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, as below. 

I just adore this Stylo Eyeshadow so much, it's a fantastic product and I am so delighted how easily it applies. I actually would love a couple more shades so that I can play around and experiment and try out a whole entire look using the Stylos.
The wear time is really good, I got a good 8 hours wear time before it started to crease (I always wear it over my MAC Painterly Paint Pot).

I'm just so in love with this Stylo Eyeshadow. It's so incredibly easy to apply, and you can make it as simple or dramatic of a look as you like. It has definitely impressed me! Who doesn't love a bit of Chanel!

Summer Make Up Edit

I think I've made the complete transition to Summer make up. Actually my entire taste in make up has changed. I am  loving a light, glowy base, a clean eye, just keeping it more natural really. I've been wearing this exact make up on weekends or if I have somewhere to go. It just fits every occasion. Also I think it looks best if I have some tan on! Still loving my Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze in the tanning department.

I'll start off with my Clarins Instant Light Complexion Base, Chanel Vitalumiere foundation, Clarins Instant Concealer, Clarins Bronzing Compact, Clarins Blush Prodige and a tiny bit of Clarins Loose Mineral Powder. (wow, that's a lot of Clarins!)

For my eyes, I start off with MAC Paint Pot (Painterly) and I have been absolutely loving the Clarins The Essentials eyeshadow palette. I am learning to tight line my eyes using the Clarins Waterproof Eye Pencil, then finish off with the YSL Baby Doll mascara. Oh and for brows I use the Sleek Eyebrow Kit and a tiny bit of Maybelline Brow Drama.

My favourite Summery lip colour is the Clarins Jolie Rouge lipstick called "Coral Dahlia". It is such a beautiful colour and is such a silky, glossy lip product. Plus it smells amazing! Like strawberry sweeties!

Hope you like this make up look! I'm currently trying to find something to do with my hair that is a little less maintenance as well. I've been looking into getting a Loreal Steam Pod, it's a bit of an investment but they are absolutely amazing and I think would be a lot better for your hair overall. Anyway! enough rambling!  Thanks for reading!

Dry skin is a terrible affliction!

I always had pretty normal skin but this past Winter I have had the driest, flakiest skin ever! I was totally not prepared for this, but since I have discovered some problems which have really helped me. I still have the dry skin, and it's a constant battle to keep on top of it. I'm hoping when the better weather comes in my skin will improve. Here is what I have been using.

I use the La Roche Posay Ultra Fine Scrub once or twice a week to try and get rid of the old flakey patches! This one is nice because it's not too irritating or abrasive and it's perfect to use on sensitive skin.

I also like to use a face mask at least once a week too, and my favourite is the La Roche Posay Hydraphase. My skin literally eats this up. I put on a nice layer of this on my face and neck and leave it for as long as I can. You will notice the mask will sink it quicker on the driest parts of your face. I then take the excess off with a hot flannel and my face feels really nice and hydrated after use.

When my skin was at it's driest, my favourite moisturiser to use was the La Roche Posay Nutric Intense Riche, an incredibly thick and nourishing cream. This was really helpful at combatting dry skin, particularly across my nose and cheek areas. I have since moved on to La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Riche (I love the packaging of this one too, would be great for travel!) which I really like and I have a little mini Nuxe Creme Fraiche which I use in the day time.

I use the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse as a treatment oil every now and then. I noticed that over-use of this oil really triggered dry skin, so I try to only use it a couple of times a week. It does really help with the dry patches when I use it sparingly. Plus it smells amazing!

For make up, I think the Clarins Extra Comfort foundation and Chanel Vitalumiere (as I reviewed below) have been working the best for me. My usual every day foundation (MAC Face & Body) only aggravated my dry skin and made it look even worse than it was. The Clarins & Chanel foundations really comfort the skin and are designed for dryness. So I have been relying on them a lot to try and conceal the horrible dryness!


Are there any other products I should be looking at to try and help with dry skin? Any help would be much appreciated!

My new make up love! Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation

I was getting a little bored of the foundations I have in my collection. That is partly down to my skin being so dry lately, and none of my foundations were really working for me. I heard that Chanel foundations work quite well with dry skin, and a couple of weeks ago I was passing a Chanel counter so I thought I would check it out.

I was recommended the Vitalumiere foundation, and I got the shade 10 Limpide which I believe is the lightest shade available, however it is a little darker than I would normally wear, but I got this purposefully so as I could wear in the Summer months when I will be tanned.

This foundation is extremely lightweight, as you can see from my swatch above it was running down my hand! Surprisingly the fluid texture works really well on me. The Vitalumiere foundation actually contains moisturiser so it really is perfect for my dry skin! It has a lovely satin finish which completely brightens up my complexion and I don't feel like I am wearing a mask of make up, it looks completely natural!

It has a wonderful scent! It smells so fresh and just reminds me of Summer! I am trying not to use this foundation too much so I can save it for the Summer months and my holidays, but it is hard! I'm just so impressed by this product and have used it non stop.

It cost £36 which is quite expensive for a foundation. Honestly though, it is a seriously good product and as I've been suffering so much with dry skin lately, I have to admit that this foundation is the only one that has not emphasised it in the slightest. It works incredibly well and provides a fresh and radiant finish. I am completely in love with it!

Fresh Spring Make Up!

Spring is definitely well on the way and as such, I always  feel the need to change up my make up slightly. Winter is a time for heavier make up and I like to go a bit "lighter" when Spring comes along. I have some new products to play with today, and decided to show you what I am using.
Just yesterday I treated myself to a new foundation, I got Chanel Vitalumiere. I heard it is quite good for dry skin and so far today it looks great and has lasted a good few hours without emphasising any dry patches! MAC Cinderella is also making an appearance, as is the Clarins The Essentials palette which I won in the amazing Make Up Monster's blog giveaway! Thank so you much again!

Here are the products I used with shade names:

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation - 10 Limpide

Sleek Eyebrow Kit - Light

Clarins Instant Concealer - 01

MAC Paint Pot - Painterly

Clarins The Essentials Eyeshadow Palette

Lancome Grandiose Mascara

YSL Babydoll  Kiss & Blush - 10 Nude Insolent

MAC Cinderella Iridescent Powder - Coup d'Chic

Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick - Coral Dahlia

I decided to go quite light on the eyes and I have ditched the eyeliner, instead I am favouring just using a dark eyeshadow and blending it up from my lash line. The Chanel foundation is lovely and so lightweight, I am really happy with it so far. Maybe I will do a full review of the foundation when I get to grips with it.
The MAC Cinderella powder I use as a highlight. It is way too sheer to use as a blush and it just adds a little luminosity to the face. It is lovely to use, perhaps not the best highlighting product out there, but it looks cute!

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Festive Make Up!

It's that time of year again! Christmas parties will soon be coming up and I happened to take some photos one day when I was playing around with make up, and I thought it might be an appropriate look for a Christmas do.

I used some old favourites as well as new products - I was really dying to try out the Tanya Burr eyelashes and I got a gold Stargazer glitter too that I wanted to play around with!

Firstly I put Half Baked from the Naked palette all over the lid with a bit of Darkhorse in the crease.

I added some of the glitter on top of the eyeshadow and some lashes - I am a fake lash novice so I only put on a couple of individuals on the outside of my lashes.

I used the Clarins Extra Comfort foundation (I love this foundation!) subtle contouring with the Chanel bronzer and golden highlight with the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick (Apricot). Clarins Soft Peach blush and a Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Sweet Cherry - I didn't want too much lip action since the eyes are so glittery!

It's a lot more make up than I would usually wear but I thought I would try something different! I had been wanting to experiment with glitters for a while and the festive season is the perfect time to do so!

Hope you liked this look! Tell me what make up you like to wear around Christmas!

Autumn Weekend Makeup (and playing with new products)

 I love weekends because I have a lot more time to sit and do a proper face of makeup. During the week for work I only really wear foundation, mascara and blush. So it's nice to really play around, especially with eyeshadows!

Yesterday I treated myself to 2 new Clarins products - Extra Comfort Foundation and Blush Prodige (02 Soft Peach). I absolutely adore them both and thought they would be great products for Autumn and Winter especially.

So for the base I used Clarins Extra Comfort  (103 Ivory), I contoured a tiny bit with the Chanel Soleil de Tan, and used the Clarins blush on the apples of my cheeks. I also used a bit of Touche Eclat under my eyes.

For the eyes, I started by using the new Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base with my old reliable Naked palette eyeshadows of course! A flick of Lancome Grandiose mascara, and I brushed this Maybelline Brow Drama through my brows (I still don't know what to make of this product!)

And to finish off I used my favourite lip product from the summer which is the Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Creamy Pink.

 I shall do a full review of both my new Clarins foundation and blush once I have used and worn them for a good couple of weeks, but so far so good I love them!

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour - "Mirabella"

Everyone loves an orange polish, right? I know I certainly do, and have amassed quite a collection of them! When I saw "Mirabella" at the Chanel counter i knew that I couldn't leave without it!
This is the first ever Chanel polish that I own. They are, in my opinion, incredibly expensive. The outer packaging is stunning though. Does the product hold it's own?
First thing's first - it has a long, skinny brush. I hate them!! I cannot apply nail polish properly with long skinny brushes. I end up with streaks and then a huge blob of nail polish will just travel down that brush and onto my nail after I've applied it half decently :(
The actually formula of the nail polish is very nice and glossy. It's the perfect consistency and has great colour payoff. I always apply 2 coats of polish just to be on the safe side, though.

My nails aren't in the greatest condition at the moment - I had a gel manicure for going on holidays and my nails don't take too kindly to getting them removed! So I found it hard to get the nail polish to "look" smooth. I have no doubt that this polish will look phenomenal on, when my nails are back to normal.
The colour is just stunning. As I said, I have a few orange polishes already but not one like this. It is a really bright, true orange! Just what I love!

Isn't orange the perfect colour for a summer manicure?

Chanel - Illusion d'Ombre - "New Moon"

I have been obsessed with this ever since I got it! I spotted it in duty free before my holiday (at 4.30am…) and I knew i couldn't leave without it. I tested nearly all the Illusion d'Ombre eyeshadows but "New Moon" stole my heart the moment I laid eyes on it!

The colour is just phenomenal. How can I even describe it! It's like a purpley cranberry, and wow, that shimmer! I cannot get over how sparkly it is. I could look at it all day!

I used to be quite fond of cream eyeshadows, particularly the Benefit Creaseless Cream eyeshadows. But New Moon is not like them in any way. In the pot, it has a mousse / spongey texture. There is a tiny little brush supplied but I prefer to pick it up on my fingertip and tap it onto my eyelid.

I wore this every single day on my holiday and loved it. I wore it on it's own, no primer, and it held up throughout a good portion of the day, despite the intense hot weather. In the evening time I would notice it creasing ever so slightly, but by that time of the night I didn't really care!

Now that I'm back home, I've been trying different ways to use it. I still like to wear it alone with just a flick of eyeliner and mascara, but now I do put a bit of primer underneath (my trusty ArtDeco eyeshadow base) just to give it a bit more intensity and longevity.

But after playing around with it a bit, I think I have found my favourite way to wear it. It requires the help of my old faithful Naked palette!

I used the shade "Toasted" all over the lid, and "Hustle" in the crease. Then with my ring finger I tapped a bit of "New Moon" over it to give it that lovely shimmer. I love how this looks!

Have a great day everyone!