Atomic Cherry- A Warm Bronze Summer Look

*PR Samples included

** This post contains affiliate links

 

I bought the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour in 'Atomic Cherry' when it was released last Summer but I hadn't opened it until this week. Mostly because when I bought it I was heavily pregnant and between that and the mask wearing mandate I figured I probably wouldn't be wearing red lipstick too much. I thought it would be better to wait and save it for when I would be able to wear it more. I'm so glad I did wait now because I really haven't been wearing too many bright shades on my lips over the past year. 

A couple of weeks ago on Instagram I mentioned that it was Judy Garland's 100th birthday. I wrote about how seeing The Wizard of Oz over and over as a child ignited my love of red lips. The closest shades I've found to the red that Dorothy wears in the film are Revlon 'Strawberry Suede' (now sadly discontinued not to mention Revlon going bankrupt) and Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge in 'Idôle'. You can see me wearing Strawberry Suede here and Idôle here. I would describe it as a creamy, muted, slightly warm red, verging on coral. If that makes any sense at all. 

My friend Celine mentioned that Atomic Cherry is very similar to this kind of red and she was spot on. This could most definitely be Dorothy's lipstick. I love the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour formula and I own several of them in various different shades. They are the ideal low maintenance lipstick with the perfect amount of pigment for when you don't want too much opacity. They feel so comfortable on my lips too. One of the most frequent comments I get from people when I post about red lipstick is how they are scared to try it. If you're someone who would love to try red lipstick but a full on opaque red is too much, this particular formula and shade would be a great way of easing yourself into the world of red lips. 

I wanted to try the Liquid Lurex in Diana with a red lipstick as it's a combination I hadn't tried before. It definitely could have been too intense but I think the semi-sheer nature of Atomic Cherry worked well with the bronze shimmery eyes. I applied the eyeshadow directly to my eyelids and blended it out with a Zoeva 228 Luxe Crease brush and then to create a gradiant look I applied some of the Hindash Eye Tone in Intra, a warm chocolate brown, along the lash line and blended out. I then applied a tiny amount of the Heroline Liquid Eyeliner just on the outer corner to give some fullness to the roots of my eyelashes. I added some of the Half Magic Beauty Light Trap Glow Powder between the edges of the eyeshadow and my brow bone to create a bronze into gold gradation. It's technically a highlighter powder but I've been using it on my eyes and it works beautifully. 

I felt like my cheeks needed some extra colour to bring some cohesion to the eyes and lips so I mixed the Enlivening Blush in Island Glow with Pink Soap to tone it down slightly and added some of the Elevated Glow Highlighter in Crystal Nebula to create a luminous liquid blush. I think this step really made the look come alive. I was worried it would be too much altogether but I think the textures and finishes of the products meant they all worked well together and the result is a bronze, glowing Summer look that I felt great wearing.

Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50+

*Lisa Eldridge The Foundation Seamless Skin (No. 5) Review Here

Fenty Beauty Match Stix (Amber)

Glossier Solar Paint (Flare)

Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)

Refy Brow Sculpt 

*Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Multi-Use Concealer (06 Neutralizer)

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Light 2 Vanilla)

Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow (Diana) Review Here

Half Magic Beauty Light Trap Glow Powder (Enter the Glow)

*Hindash Eye Tone (Intra)

Hindash Heroline Liquid Eyeliner 

Surratt Beauty Relevée Eyelash Curler 

*L'Oréal Air Volume Mascara 

*Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter (Crystal Nebula) Review Here

*Lisa Eldridge Enlivening Blush (Island Glow and Pink Soap) out of stock at the moment 

Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour (Atomic Cherry)

 

 

Is this a look you would wear? Are there any films your watched as a child that impacted your tastes for life? 

 

I'm currently working on a full review of Half Magic Beauty and the new Hindash products so keep an eye out for those. 

 

Emma x

Gunshot Glitter

I've been playing around with the Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad since I got it a few weeks ago and last weekend I tried the silver shade and came up with a kind of ombré glitter wing. I started with a black liquid liner and then built up the silver over it with an angled brush. I added a small bit of a cool toned metallic shade along my lower lash line for some definition.

Glitter is never subtle but I think a look like this is a more "wearable" way to wear it if you aren't into all over glitter. I kept everything else quite simple, I mixed Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm and Dusk on my cheeks and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in the shade Fenty Glow on my lips.

I've been using the new No7 HydraLuminous Moisturising Foundation since it was released a few months ago. I'm a big fan of No7 foundations so I bought it as soon as I saw it in store. As suggested by the name, it's a foundation that gives your skin hydration and radiance. It also contains vitamins A,C and E that treat your skin and grapeseed oil to hydrate so that it's actually helping your skin to look brighter and more moisturised after continued use. In recent years I've really gotten into base products that also have skincare benefits, like the IT Cosmetics CC Cream. I like to know that my foundation has ingredients that will benefit my skin as well as providing coverage and luminosity. I find this foundation quite similar to the IT Cosmetics one in texture and finish, however it only has SPF15 so I use SPF30/50 underneath (which I usually do anyway).

You can probably see from the before and after photos below that it's a medium coverage foundation and it really does give my skin a healthy glow. If you like a more radiant finish and you have dry or combination skin, I highly recommend getting a sample of this. I don't know how it would wear on oily skin, but I find it wears quite well on my oily t-zone throughout the day, I just make sure to use a little powder for longevity. I've said it before and I'll say it again, No7 are my favourite drugstore brand for foundations, they have something for every skin type, it's just a pity the shade range isn't more extensive. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
Clarins Re-Fresh Hydrating Beauty Mist
No7 HydraLuminous Moisturising Foundation (Porcelain)
L'Oréal Paris Unbelieva'Brow Long-Lasting Brow Gel (Dark Brunette) Review Here
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Anti-Aging)
bareMineral bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner (Black)
Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad (BluePearl)
Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara
Glossier Cloud Paint (Storm and Dusk)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish Airbrush Powder (Translucent)
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (Fenty Glow) Review Here

*Press Sample


Would you wear glitter like this? Have you tried any of these products?


Emma x

Because You're Worth It!

A couple of weeks ago I went along to an event with L'Oréal Paris to check out their new collection. I was intrigued to see what the products would be like mostly because it's been a while since I've bought anything from the brand. I don't think I could tell you what any of their releases from the last few years have been and a few of my fellow bloggers on the day felt the same way. I have used their True Match and Infallible Matte foundations before and really liked both of them. I also love their mascaras and eyeliners but other than that I haven't tried many of their products.

I was excited as soon as I walked into the room and saw little stations set up with an array of products for us to play with including base, brow and lip products. We were given a short presentation in which the marketing manager said that L'Oréal Paris were looking to go in a more edgy/modern direction with the brand and make it more relevant and appealing to the current market which you can clearly see in the new campaign imagery.

They have tried to take into account the big makeup trends at the moment, one of the biggest ones being skin looking like skin and not like it's covered in heavy makeup. Part of this latest launch is a newly formulated Infaillible 24hr Fresh Wear Foundation.  It's a long wearing, waterproof, lightweight formula with oxygen technology (I have no idea what that is but I'm guessing it's what makes the formula so light). It's also advised that a little goes a long way and I totally agree, especially as it is a more full coverage finish. The Infaillible More Than Concealer is the accompanying concealer to the Fresh Wear foundation and has all the same claims, full coverage and a lightweight, long wearing formula. It comes with an oversized doe foot applicator which makes this concealer perfect for using as both a concealer and as an all over or targeted base product which is a popular technique at the moment. 

They also created a new brow product, Unbelieva'Brow, as they realised that the brow market is still huge as well as their Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick range. I feel like a lot of brands have moved on from liquid lipsticks and particularly matte lips, however L'Oréal have created a new lightweight but highly pigmented and long wearing formula so at least they're trying to improve on what's already on the market. 

Infaillible 24hr Fresh Wear Foundation (Porcelain), Infaillible More Than Concealer (Ivory), Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick (I Represent and I Achieve), Unbelieva'Brow (Dark Brunette). 

Bare Skin

Foundation, Concealer and Brows done

Close up of the foundation on my skin

Having tried the products for the past couple of weeks I'm so suprised by how much I like everything. The powder is what you'd expect, a good setting powder that I'll definitely keep using but nothing mind-blowing (I don't know any powder that is). The collection also came with the Infaillible Magic Essence Drops which contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate, anti-oxidants and light diffusing technology to brighten dull looking skin. I only tried this briefly at the event so I can't attest to how well it works but it's definitely something I'm interested in buying myself. 

I've been using the foundation and concealer on an almost daily basis since I got them which I haven't said about a "drugstore" brand for a long time apart from No7. If your skin is on the dry side I'd definitely make sure it's sufficiently hydrated before applying these as long wearing products have a tendency to be a bit more drying. On my combination skin I find they last really well and don't end up sitting on top of my skin after a long day which some much more expensive foundations can do. In the photo below I had been wearing both of them for 9 hours and they still look pretty much perfect. Obviously my skin is quite good at the moment and I haven't had any blemishes to cover thankfully so I can't say how these products would work if you're having any issues with your skin. As always  with foundations and concealers, try them in store or get a sample before you buy. There are 26 shades of the foundation and 25 shades of the concealer so not the most inclusive but not the worst either, sadly most drugstore brands are the same. 

I was really interested in the brow gel as I'd never seen any product like it. It comes with a small doe foot applicator and a double ended brush, one end with a spoolie and the other with small and thin angled brush. I've found the best way to use this for me is to brush my brows first and then use the angled brush end to take product directly from the doe foot applicator and apply it a little bit at a time so that you don't overdo it and end up with Groucho brows unless that's what you're going for. Then I brush it through just to make sure it's properly coating my brows so that they stay in place. 

I'm so impressed with the lipsticks too. It's definitely a liquid lipstick formula unlike any I've tried. It's the most lightweight formula and the pigmentation is amazing. They don't sit on your lips like other liquid lipsticks can. Instead they're buildable so you can apply a light layer for more of a stain (and they do stain, let me tell you!) or add more layers for more opacity and longevity. I've worn them all day in work and I do find my lips feel dry by the end of the day and I want to put lip balm on top. The great thing is they last so well, I don't need to top it up the entire day. I've worn them as a stain with lip balm on top, as a full on matte lipstick and with gloss on top, so they're a lot more versatile than you'd think for a liquid lipstick. There's a great shade selection too, from neutrals to pinks, reds and dark shades.

Full list of products used for the look above:

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30

*My Clarins Re-Fresh Hydrating Beauty Mist
*L'Oréal Infaillible 24hr Fresh Wear Foundation (15 Porcelain)
*L'Oréal Infaillible More Than Concealer (322 Ivory)
*L'Oréal Unbelieva'brow Longwear Brow Gel (108 Dark Brunette) 6 shades
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Duo Stick (02 Golden Peach)
Keyvn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner (Black)
Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette (jet)

Bourjois Volume Clubbing Ultra Black Mascara

*Glossier Cloud Paint (Storm)
Glossier Haloscope (Moonstone)

*L'Oréal Infaillible Magic Loose Powder
Mac Prep + Prime Lip
*L'Oréal Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick (114 I Represent)

For this second look I used mostly the same products as the first look above but I've listed any additional or alternate products below:

*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
*Glossier Cloud Paint (Haze)
*Soap and Glory Supercat Liquid Eyeliner Pen
Kiko Milano Glamorous Eye Pencil (401-discontinued. Similar here)
Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette (Accelerate, Ignite, Stranded)
Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Powder (Translucent)
*L'Oréal Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick (112 I Achieve)

*Press Sample


What do you think of this collection, is there anything you'd like to try? Are there any L'Oréal products you love?

Emma x