*new* Clarins "Ladylike" Autumn 2014 Collection!

Is anyone else as excited about Autumn as I am? It is my favourite season of the entire year! I was really taken aback by the sheer beauty of the new collection from Clarins - it just screams Autumn! Beautiful natural, earthy shades, perfect for the new season.

I am very lucky that the lovely folks at Clarins sent me a few pieces from the new collection to try, and trust me they are even more beautiful in real life.

First up, we have the Ombre Matte Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadows! Aren't they beautiful? I absolutely love cream eyeshadows, but I think the name is misleading here…. they are most definitely powder shadows but they are quite dense and the texture is so smooth, like a cream.

Swatches left to right: Nude Pink, Taupe, Earth

As you can see they are extremely pigmented! You could absolutely apply these to your eyes using just your fingers. I prefer to use a brush though. Nude Pink is a wonderful blending shade as it is almost exactly the colour of my skin tone. Taupe and Earth are absolutely beautiful, and I have been alternating wearing them each day, blending out the edges with Nude Pink!

 Earth

Taupe 

What I love about these shadows is how super easy they are to apply. I love the intensity of them, the beautiful colours and the elegant packaging. They would be great for travel as one shade worn alone looks stunning.

What disappointed me a little is how, after about an hour or two of wear they start creasing. I have tried a couple of different primers (even my trusty ArtDeco eyeshadow base) to no avail. I can only put it down to the sheer density of the powder. I really do love these eyeshadows but I do wish they had better longevity!

I was also sent the Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base! This is a very light yet creamy product. I guess it would be similar to Urban Decay primer but a bit more creamier. I loved how this applied, it really smoothed out over my eyelids and created almost a blank canvas. The actual colour of the base is a good all-around shade but it may be a little dark for super-pale folks. If you are applying eyeshadow over it then it won't be an issue.

The Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base couldn't stop the Ombre Mattes from creasing though..in fact I tried it out with other eyeshadows (Urban Decay and MAC) and it held them in place for a good 6 hours before I noticed creasing. I think the only primer which will serve all day and not crease up is the tacky, almost sticky kind. While I think that this is  a beautiful product, I don't think it is the best for prolonging the wear of eyeshadows. It's great for really smoothing the eyelids and it does have a brightening effect though. On my little or no makeup days I do apply this alone to make myself look a little more awake!

I think this collection is absolutely beautiful, though the products I have tried are not without their flaws. I am still playing around with them, it is a matter of trial and error on how best to wear them. I have especially been enjoying the eyeshadows, I am quite fond of my shimmery shadows so it has been a different experience for me playing around with mattes! I must say that I am converted! I love them for an Autumnal look.

The Clarins "Ladylike" Collection is available now!

MAC Prep & Prime Face Protect Protection SPF 50

Recently I got kind of freaked out about my skin and sun exposure. Now, I do not particularly like to be in the sun but many people do not actually realise the amount of sun damage to your skin from just going about your day-to-day life. A quick search led me to this product with a massive SPF 50. How could you go wrong with that?

This product cost me £22.00 from Debenhams. It seems quite expensive but it will last me a good few months. I did not really know what to expect from this product, I don't think it is as much of a primer as it is for protection only, but that doesn't matter to me. You could use your own primer over this.

It's a squeeze tube so I was careful not to squirt out too much. I love the packaging, it was hard to photograph but it's black with green glitter! (Reminds me of "Wicked").  Anyway, pumped out you can see it just looks like a regular moisturising product. But I felt it was more oily than a regular moisturiser. Still, I applied it onto my face and it absorbed pretty much instantly. There is no greasy feel and it is completely invisible.

This is an oil absorbing primer (I can't really comment as I do not have oily skin though) and my make up lasts pretty much all day with this. If you like more silicone-y primers then you can use one after using this, as the instructions suggest to use more Prep & Prime products in addition to this. I would like to know how this product alone holds my makeup in hotter weather.

This is a hard product to review as I bought it purely for the SPF 50. I wouldn't tell you all to rush out and buy it, it's great - but it is the highest SPF I have ever came across, and now even if I am not going to wear makeup, I would stick a bit of this on in the morning. I am becoming oh so vigilant now with regard to sun protection! Don't want wrinkles!

EDIT - Well after the recent heatwave in Ireland I can now confirm that this product is simply incredible! Not only did it preserve my makeup throughout the day (and the heat), it was great knowing you had that extra protection on your face too. I have now made a pact that I will never be without this product, especially during summer months!

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows

These have been in my make up bag for a little more than a year, and I adore them so much! Before, I wasn't really into cream eyeshadows but these have completely changed my opinion and now I couldn't live without them (well, not literally).

 I love the bird design on the lids!

 L-R - Get Figgy, Tattle Tale, RSVP

They come in a nice, sturdy glass pot with a plastic screw on lid. You get 4.5g of product, and you will see that even after more than a year of me owning them, there is still plenty left.

 Get Figgy

 Tattle Tale

RSVP

They have a subtle scent which reminds me of cookie dough or cake mix! It's strange but very pleasant. They are lovely and smooth and I just apply them using my finger all over my eyelid. My favourite, everyday shade is RSVP. I use Tattle Tale as a highlighter, it's a really nice, creamy white shade. Get Figgy is an absolutely beautiful purple, I just wear this one on it's own. 

They absolutely do not crease, they still look perfect at the end of every day (or night). They do not budge, and that is why I love them. I do not own an eye primer, but I do use these, under any eyeshadow. They do the exact same job, and also add a little more depth to your eyeshadows. 

They cost £14.00 each and I really think they are worth every penny. I couldn't recommend them enough! I have tried other brands of cream eyeshadows but I haven't found any good dupes for these at all. I believe that Benefit may have changed the packaging slightly, I am not sure how true that is but at least all the shades will still be available. Check them out if you can!

Product Review - Catrice Prime and Fine

I picked this up in Pennys for €5 I think. The "invisible pores and lines" tagline attracted me, because I am noticing lines around my eyes which I am not happy about. Wearing concealer only makes them more obvious. The worst part is I am only 24 years old!

It is so difficult to describe the texture of this product. It is silky smooth, yet it feels almost rubbery too. There is a slight scent off this product. My skin immediately looked a lot smoother when I applied it! I put plenty under my eyes, and applied my foundation as normal. My fine lines looked nowhere near as visible as they were. Amazing result! However after a few hours my skin looked normal again.

So on a fresh application, I can definitely see an amazing result even though it is not long wearing. For €5 I think this is brilliant value and I will definitely be repurchasing.