Steel The Look

Last month I was scrolling through Instagram as you do and I spotted this look on Emma Stone by her makeup artist Rachel Goodwin. I completely fell for the colour combination of the cool silver eyes and deep berry lips. The look Rachel created was a proper glamorous red carpet look but I wanted to tone it down a notch for myself. She used a Serge Lutens eyeshadow palette that costs €130, but the eyeshadow I used was only €3.80. Surprisingly I didn't have any silver in my eyeshadow collection and seeing as it's not a shade I'll be wearing regularly, I didn't want to spend too much money on it. 

I decided to check out the offering in Penneys as I had a voucher from a recent press event. I didn't expect to find anything but as it turns out they had four different options. I opted for a Catrice eyeshadow which swatched nicely but ended up not being great on my eyelids, and this Essence Melted Chrome eyeshadow in the shade Steel the Look. The whole idea is that they have a melted metal effect. There are six shades altogether, I can't say how the others are but Steel the Look is highly pigmented and has a soft, buttery texture. I was so impressed considering how inexpensive it was. 

I wanted a very easy, pared back look so I applied a tiny bit of the Pür On Point eyeliner in black just lightly along my top and bottom lash line just to make it look more full. I applied Urban Decay Primer Potion and then the eyeshadow with a flat brush to give as much colour payoff as possible. I then decided to try it wet to see if it intensified the colour so I spritzed some of my Lancôme Fix It Forget It Setting Spray onto my brush and it amped up the metallic look of the eyeshadow some more, it doesn't work with every eyeshadow and I often forget to do it but when it works well it can make such a difference. I also went a bit more into my inner corner than I usually would as well as along my lower lash line.

The eyeshadow is such a statement by itself so all I did was blend it out and add the IT Cosmetics Superhero mascara. I've been using this mascara for a few months now and it packs a lot of punch. I loved it at first, then it started to smudge on me after a couple of weeks and now it's stopped and I love it again so I'm not sure what the problem was. You can get a lot of impact from just one coat which I really like, two coats will give you proper going out eyelashes. It's the mascara I go for when I want big eyelashes in a hurry. 

One of my all time favourite base products, the IT Cosmetics CC Cream has recently come back into my life (as a press sample) and I had forgotten how amazing it is. If you want to know more, you can read my full review here. I used the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer for a few weeks now and I didn't think I'd like it at all at first but after playing with it a few different ways I'm a big fan. It's quite similar to the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer in that it has a sticky texture. I find it best when you use a tiny amount and dampen a small complexion sponge and dab it onto your skin. It also stays in place all day. The less you use the better, you can always build it up if you need more. 

I kept my eyebrows fairly natural with just a small amount of the IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil and some Glossier Boy Brow. I've really been loving using the IT Cosmetics pencil. It's great for when I want to fill in my eyebrows quickly. It's universal shade however one of my fellow Irish bloggers has black brows and she said it's slightly too warm toned for her so I'd definitely try it out first if you're looking to buy it. I finished with a touch of Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk to give just a hint of colour on my cheeks, I didn't want anything too strong to take away from the eyes and lips. The closest lip shade I could find to the one Rachel Goodwin used (Surratt Beauty Lip Lustre in Très Chic) was Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Disturbed. It's one of their comfort mattes and I toyed with the idea of adding gloss as the Surratt Beauty shade has a high gloss finish but I preferred the look of the matte lipstick paired with the glittery eyeshadow on myself. 

I finished the look by adding a little bit of Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter to my cheekbones, the middle of my nose and cupids bow. I bought this back in September and I really didn't want to love it as much as I do. It's like no product I've ever tried before. I'd describe it as a multi-purpose liquid illuminator. You can use it under or over your base as a liquid highlighter, or you can mix it into your foundation for an all over glow. I've also been mixing mine with my Glossier Cloud Paints and it gives the most gorgeous sheen on my cheeks. This is definitely going to be repurchased once it's finished. 

As you can see I took photos in daylight, in artificial light and with a flash to try to capture just how gorgeous this eyeshadow is in reality. I don't think any of the photos do it justice, so if you're near an Essence stand, I'd encourage you to have a look at it in person. I took a little video which you can see below in the hopes that you can get a better idea of how sparkly it is. Obviously there's no great intricate technique to this look, its fairly easy to achieve but I think you'll agree it's such a statement. I was initially a bit wary of wearing it out of the house but I quickly reminded myself that it's only makeup and it's supposed to be a bit of fun. Take a look at the recent video Violette (the Creative Director for Estée Lauder) made using silver pigment, it should give you another option of how to wear silver on your eyes. I think it would be great for a Christmas/ New Year party. 

Would you wear this look? 

Emma x

Full Product List:

*IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Fair
*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil
Glossier Boy Brow in Brown
Urban Decay Primer Potion Original
*Essence Melted Chrome Eyeshadow in Steel the Look
*IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara
PÜR Cosmetics On Point Eyeliner in Black
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer in Light
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Setting Powder in Translucent
*Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in Shade 1 (Fair)
*Urban Decay Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick in Disturbed

*Products marked were gifted or bought with a press voucher
(All brands are Cruelty-Free except Lancôme)

Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Foundation Wand

For the past year or so I've been hearing about Surratt Beauty. For anyone who hasn't heard of it, the brand was founded in 2013 by US makeup artist Troy Surratt. After studying to become a fashion illustrator, he decided to use his artistic skill to become a makeup artist. Over the Years, Troy Surratt worked under the guidance of the legendary Kevyn Aucoin and has since become one of the most sought after and well respected make up artists in the industry. While visiting Japan, he discovered new and innovative materials, textures and products that inspired him to start his own brand. After years of research Surratt found that he wanted to manufacture his products in Japan where they had the best quality materials and attention to detail. 

So now that you know a little bit about the brand, let's talk about what I bought from Surratt Beauty in Sephora in New York. I actually only ended up buying the Surreal Skin Foundation Wand (although had I more time and money I would have bought a lot more, the eyelash curler is next on my list). I'd seen this foundation mentioned countless times by makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes who is a huge fan of the brand and particularly this foundation. I had also seen Lisa Eldridge using it in one of her videos, she also wrote some of her thoughts about it on her website which you can read here. So after being endorsed by two of my favourite makeup artists I had to check it out for myself in Sephora. I colour matched myself to shade 01 (the lightest shade, of course), I tried a little on my face but I didn't buy it that day because I wanted to think about it some more and see the colour in the daylight. On our last day in New York I was doing a dash around Sephora 15 minutes before they closed and I had a list from my sister and I didn't have much time to think about it so I ended up with this in my basket. The reason I was so hesitant to buy this is because it costs $65! Yes, that's right, $65! Not only does it cost that much, that's only for 15ml/0.5oz of product, so half the amount you would usually get from a bottle of foundation. 

I've been dying to write about this foundation for the past couple of months but I wanted to try it out properly and really put it through its paces because of how much it costs. I've never spent that much on a beauty product that I can think of except possibly perfume.

Let's begin with what this foundation is supposed to give you for your hard earned $65. It's medium to full coverage, oil free, long wearing and it comes in 15 shades. It has a built in angled, anti-bacterial brush to make application quick and easy and handy for topping up on the go. The brush apparently only needs to be washed once a month. It's supposed to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines and is self-setting. It's also formulated without sulphates or parabens. 

I completely agree that the formula is medium to full coverage. You can apply as much or as little of this as you desire by clicking the pen and dispensing the right amount onto the brush. You can see from the photos below that it has evened out my skin tone, and significantly reduced the appearance of my pores and any redness. That's with only one thing layer buffed out with the built in brush. It's easy enough to layer this up if you need more coverage, I don't find that it looks heavy on the skin.

It contains ingredients that help make it anti-bacterial (Phenoxyethanol) which is great for the built in brush and vitamin E to condition the skin and act as an anti-oxidant (Tocopheryl). It also contains a silicone called Cyclopentasiloxane which makes it easy to blend and also can fill in lines to give the skin a temporary plumped look. This is something to bear in mind if you're not a fan of silicones, however I don't find it has that usual silicone feeling at all. 

bare, moisturised skin

foundation and concealer under my eyes

So what did I think of the most expensive foundation I'v ever tried? First off, the packaging is incredibly impressive. It's clear that a great amount of thought and time has gone into developing the packaging of this foundation. The matte into glossy/shimmery case is weighted and feels expensive (whatever that means) but not too heavy that your hand gets tired when you're blending it in. The duo fibre brush is soft but that's where my love of the brush ends. There aren't that many reviews on this foundation online, I watched a few videos and read a few reviews and the majority of them said exactly what I thought. The brush just doesn't do it for me. I love the idea in theory and if you have the time to spend blending and blending it actually gives an amazing full coverage finish but for my face, the brush is far too small. In fact it's marginally bigger than the brush I use for my concealer. I found that the first time I used this I ended up blending and blending and it really annoyed me. I couldn't believe I'd spent so much money on something that was adding so much time to my makeup routine. The first time I used it I applied too much by accident so obviously that added to the problem because it took longer to blend and then it didn't wear as well as I thought it would because there was just far too much foundation on my face. 

The second time I tried it I applied less and that definitely helped but I was still annoyed that it was taking me so long to blend it in and get rid of the streaks. I did like that it was angled as I felt that helped to blend around my nose. Like most of the other reviews I read I have now taken to using it with one of my own brushes. I click the pen and apply the foundation in patches around my face with the built in brush and then blend it out with my own Zoeva face brush which is about three times the size.

Other than the brush issue I've found that this makes my skin look amazing. I do have to powder it in the centre of my face because my t-zone gets quite oily throughout the day but if you have dry skin you could probably leave it without powering. It gives excellent coverage but I like that you can still see my skins texture and my freckles underneath it. It's very lightweight and doesn't feel like I have a full coverage foundation on at all. It wears very well and evenly and the good thing about the wand is that you could bring it out to top it up if necessary but I wouldn't ever do that really, I don't find I need to but if you have oilier skin than me you might want to top it up. 

You don't need to worry about cleaning the brush because it's made in such a way that no water or anything can get into the tube so you can wash away and it won't effect the product inside. They say it only needs to be washed once a month but personally I'd probably wash it more often than that just to make sure that the bristles don't get loaded with too much product and become less effective. 

My final thoughts are that I love the foundation and the packaging but for me, the brush is too small. If it was twice the size I'd be much happier with spending that much money on it. I also don't know what I'm supposed to do once the wand is empty, it would feel strange throwing away something so expensive, I could use the brush for something else after all, like blush or contouring or even concealer. I understand that the expensive price is probably mostly due to the innovative packaging and the brush but I'd really love if I could buy the foundation alone, pay less and use my own brush. Or if the brush came separately and could be reused again and again. I would find it strange if I did like the built in brush to finish the foundation, throw it away and then buy a new one. It would be such a waste. I'd love to know what your thoughts are. As much as I love the formula I just couldn't justify spending another $65 on this because I just don't get the use of the brush which is half the idea of it. I also think it's far too much money to spend on only 15ml of product. 

Surratt Beauty is available online from Sephora, Liberty London, Cult Beauty and Net-a-Porter.

Just to break it down for you price wise. In Sephora I paid $65 for this which ended up working out at around €56. If you buy it from Net-a-porter is costs $65 too, but if you convert the price to buy in Euro, their price is €74, which is significantly more than what it ended up working out at for me. You can buy from Cult Beauty and Liberty London if you're based in the UK and Ireland and it costs £62 on both sites. This works out at €69/$80. Obviously as Surratt Beauty is a US brand, the price is going to be higher for anyone buying from Europe because of the import charges involved. It's something to think about if you are interested in trying out this brand.

All of that being said I'd really love to try more from the brand. Have you tried Surratt Beauty yet? What do you think of this foundation wand?

Emma x

Lancôme Matte Shakers

Last year Lancôme released their Juicy Shaker lip glosses that quickly became a firm favourite of mine despite not usually being a lip gloss fan. The combination of nourishing oils and pigment encased in the most fun lip packaging ever, made for one of my favourite lip innovations of last year. Seriously, if you haven't tried them yet, I can't recommend it enough! Earlier this year I saw Lancôme were bringing out a matte version of the Juicy Shaker and I was very excited to see how the two would compare.

The Matte Shakers were released in May and come in seven gorgeous shades: Energy Peach (272), Beige Vintage (270), Yummy Pink (379), Kiss Me Chérie (374), Red'y in 5 (189), Pink Power (378), and Magic Orange (186).

The innovative Ultra Thin Film technology means that the emulsion is twice as fine and intense as a conventional lipstick to give a second skin texture on the lips with rich pigmentation for a bold colour payoff. The cushion applicator has been redesigned to give a more precise and easy application. Like the Juicy Shaker, you have to shake the bottle before application so that the cushion is coated with just enough product for one layer of colour.

I was sent all seven shades to try out (yes I'm aware how jammy that is!), I couldn't contain my excitement but I wanted to be thorough and take the time to try out each shade and wear them all properly before writing a review. As you may have noticed, I'm a bit of a lipstick fanatic and I think it's made me so much more critical of any lip products I try because if I don't love them, I just don't have room for them in my collection. 

Yummy Pink, Pink Power, Energy Peach, Beige Vintage, Kiss Me Chérie, Red'y in 5, Magic Orange

As I said I had been incredibly excited to try these out since I first heard about them. I was curious as  to how a matte formula was going to work in the Juicy Shaker packaging. When I saw they had the same cushion applicator I thought the application might be tricky, luckily I was wrong and the newly designed cushion has meant that applying it is so much easier than I thought it would be. 

The formula is so thin that you can apply one light layer if you don't want too much intensity but it's also easily buildable to allow for full opacity without feeling heavy. I was so impressed with how pigmented the formula is compared to how light in texture it is. It doesn't feel like you're wearing anything on your lips. 

Yummy Pink


Pink Power


Energy Peach


Beige Vintage


Kiss Me Chérie


Red'y in 5


Magic Orange

At first I wasn't sure about the colour range, I thought some of them were a bit too similar to each other. Although some of them look similar in the bottle, they actually are all very different. There is a shade for everyone here whether you like something subtle like Energy Peach or Beige Vintage or if you're a fan of bold shades, Yummy Pink and Magic Orange are so vibrant and perfect for Summer. The finish is more of a modern matte, it applies easily and then dries down a couple of minutes after application but doesn't look or feel too matte or drying.

I like that they've kept the range of shades small, usually with a lip collection there's at least one dud shade that I wouldn't wear but I think you'll agree every one of these colours is so beautiful. Another bonus to having such a light but highly pigmented formula is that the shades are easy to layer. The whole idea behind the Matte Shakers is that you can create easy lip combinations such as gradient and ombre lips and even duo lips with one shade on the bottom and one on the top. I've been wearing the Ombré look by applying a shade all over such as Red'y in 5 and then a lighter colour like Magic orange in the centre and blending it out for more dimension. This is a great and subtle way of making your lips look bigger than they are.

I'm so impressed by the lasting power of these. I don't use a lip liner with them but you can if you want to reshape your lips a bit first or to make them last even longer. I apply directly from the cushion and I'm amazed at how easy it is to get a precise line around the edge, I honestly thought it would be a lot more difficult and that I'd need lip liner every time. Sometimes I leave the edge with a slightly diffused look by running a cotton bud or my finger around the line of my lips to give a more undone and relaxed finish.

They do fade as the day goes on unless you reapply, however the fade is quite natural and the pigment remains so it's not that noticeable. They definitely stain your lips, I've found the pigment in the brighter shades difficult to remove if I've been wearing them all day. You'll need an oil based makeup remover if you want to remove all trace of colour. It doesn't bother me at all, but it's something to consider if you don't like products that stain your lips.

Between the Juicy Shakers and revamped L'Absolu Rouge collection last year and now these Matte Shakers, Lancôme have really been dominating the lip product market for me recently. I credit a lot of the success and innovation to Lancôme's makeup Creative Director Lisa Eldridge who obviously has such a passion and talent for creating new and exciting products.

If I hadn't been sent these I definitely would have been buying at least one of the shades because I'm such a big fan of Lancôme at the moment and I'm always interested in trying something that's new and exciting for the lips. I honestly don't know if I could choose which shade is my favourite, they're all so beautiful.

As usual, you can buy the Matte Shakers from Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Boots for €22.50.

Have you tried the Matte Shakers yet? Which shade would you like to try most?

Emma x

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks

This is my first review of the products I bought in Sephora when I was in New York. I didn't actually buy a lot in Sephora, after my splurge in the Glossier Showroom (read about my experience here) I just went with a select few products that I had wanted to try for a long time and aren't available to buy in Ireland. 

Bite Beauty is a Toronto based company founded in 2011 by Susanne Langmuir that solely creates lip products. The products are cruelty free, all natural, made with food grade ingredients and are apparently edible (although I haven't nibbled on either of my lipsticks just yet).

I had heard about Bite Beauty throughout the years from various bloggers and Youtubers and it caught my interest being a brand that focus on just creating lip products. The Bite products include lipsticks, liners, a primer, glosses, scrubs, a mask and lip wipes. I had originally wanted to go to the Bite Beauty Lip Lab in Soho to create my own lipstick shade, I even went in when we were on our way to get lunch to ask about it but they had no spaces that day so I researched it a bit more that evening. I read a lot of reviews and they were so mixed that it put me off. I didn't want to risk spending the money on something that didn't have glowing reviews so I opted to check out the collection in Sephora instead. 

When I visited Sephora I knew I wanted to buy something from Bite, I browsed the miniatures section at the checkout first and spotted The Perfect Pair Amuse Bouche Lipstick Sets both of which included two shades of mini lipsticks for $15. One of the sets had the shades Rhubarb and Thistle, the other which is the one I ended up getting contains Fig and Meringue. I went for that set because I wasn't mad about the shade Thistle in the other set. I wanted to buy the Agave Lip Scrub and maybe a full size lipstick but I thought it would be better to go for some miniatures because it's a good way to try out a brand without spending too much money. The 2 mini lipsticks are 1.55g of product each, the full size Amuse Bouche lipsticks are 4.35g for $26, so it's good value and I played it safe with shades I knew I would wear a lot. 

Fig


L-R Fig, Meringue

Meringue

There are 34 shades in the Amuse Bouche collection. They're made from 12 edible oils to keep your lips hydrated and nourished and triple milled pigments with added nutrients, vitamins and omega oils in a citrus scent from fresh pressed fruit. Fig is a rose toned nude and Meringue is a peach toned nude, both of which are very wearable and flattering shades.

When I first tried them I was so impressed with the pigmentation and texture, they're so easy to apply and feel creamy and hydrating. I actually really like the scent, it's citrusy but not overpowering at all. Despite the formula being "edible" I wouldn't be licking it off my lips, but it's good to know I'm putting quality ingredients on my lips that actually give nourishment as well as excellent colour payoff. I'd love to try one of the brighter shades to see what the pigmentation is like. I also love the packaging which is a bit different than the usual lipstick packaging. It has a matte finish in a charcoal grey and the little bite taken out of the lid is a cute detail.

Part of me wishes I'd gone to the Lip Lab, it seems like such a unique experience, you get to choose your custom shade, finish and scent which is a lipstick lovers dream. It's $150 for 2 lipsticks of your signature shade or $55 if you just want to choose from the Bite shade library and then choose your finish and scent.

Bite Beauty is exclusively available at Sephora which means it's difficult for us Europeans to get hold of, but I was informed by fellow Irish blogger Siobhan from BeautyLymin of a service called My Mall Box that allows you to shop online with US websites, consolidate your orders and they have them shipped over to Ireland. I feel like I'll definitely be using the service in the near future after discovering so many great brands in New York.

Has anyone else tried Bite Beauty? What do you think about the Lip Lab experience, would you try it?

Emma x

YSL Volupté Tint-in-Balm

YSL Beauty released their latest lip innovation, the Volupté Tint-in-Balm earlier this month. They come in 12 shades, ranging from nude, coral and pink all the way to deep berry. The lip shaped core offers a sheer tint of colour and the surrounding bullet is a balm that gives the lips nourishing care. Every time you reapply, your lips are hydrated even more and the tint of colour intensifies. 

I was given a sample of shade number 12, Try Me Berry which is a raspberry pink colour with a lighter pink core. When I first opened it I was struck by the packaging which let's be honest is incredibly pretty. This is my first YSL lipstick (although I suppose technically it's a lip balm). I wrote about some shades from the Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream collection last year which are gorgeous. I think YSL really excel at innovative lip products and I love that they have so many different kinds of lip products. 

If I'm completely honest, lip balm type products don't really excite me. I find them all very much the same, especially the tinted ones. I like strong, bright, pigmented lip products so tinted balms just don't do it for me. That being said, one way to get a girl excited about a lip balm is to give it this glorious packaging and already being a fan of YSL lip products I was interested to see how this was going to differ from your standard drugstore tinted lip balm. 

The first thing I noticed when I applied it is the gorgeous mango scent, so if you're not a fan of fruity scents, straight off this won't be for you. I love it and it makes it so much more addictive to reapply. It feels soft, smooth and buttery on my lips but not thick. That's something I like about a balm in bullet form is it's obviously going to be more hygienic but also I don't end up putting too much on (which I always end up doing from a pot) and having to keep rubbing my lips together until it sinks in a bit. 

You can see in the photos that it gives a light shine and a hint of colour. This was just one application but I do find the colour intensifies the more you apply it, which you definitely will because like I said it's so addictive to reapply. I wear this a lot in work because it's so quick and easy to apply and doesn't even require a mirror. I find that some lipsticks can feel drying on my lips throughout the day and when you work somewhere with air conditioning it can effect your skin and lips. I love how nourished my lips feel after a day of wearing this. 

There are plenty of lip balms that will nourish your lips like my favourite NUXE Rêve de miel, but I've never come across any with packaging as gorgeous as this. They are definitely more of a lip colour that a balm to hydrate your lips, I don't think anyone is going apply this before bed at night. The colours are all sheer enough that you can't really go wrong when choosing a shade. If you like fuss free lip products that you can apply on the go without worrying about getting on your teeth or feathering or if you suffer from dry lips and like them to feel hydrated all day, this is definitely a product for you.

They are priced at €33, it's YSL so you know it's not going to be cheap but I think they would make a lovely gift because you don't have to worry about the shade selection too much. Would I repurchase this once I run out? Yes I would, mostly because I don't actually have too many products like this (or any actually) I'm an absolute sucker for the packaging, I love the lips shaped core too, I think that's such a nice touch. If I'm going to be wearing a lip balm all day I do like it to have a bit of colour and I like how this colour builds up throughout the day. Also it's just such a pleasure to apply, after I put some on I keep pouting my lips to smell the mango scent (I know I'm not the only one!)

You can find them at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Debenhams and any other YSL Beauty stockist. 

What do you think? Have you tried this or any other YSL lip products?

Emma x