Red Eyes Sink... Yachts?!

Okay so 'Red Lips Sink Ships' definitely has a better ring to it. Leaving my awful post title aside I am going to introduce to you my three favorite red eyeshadows + tell you why I'm a fan of this seemingly unwearable eyeshadow color. I'll start off by saying red eyeshadow can be very wearable if you know how to apply it. I think that in general it is a lot easier to wear if it is not the closest color to your eye, so it is easier to wear if you're going for the liquid liner lewk as well. I also think if you're going for quite a bold pinky red, it can look nice on the outer v in the crease to make it look a little bit more subtle but still make your eye color pop. That really is the advantage of red eyeshadow, it makes any eye color stand out because it's an unexpected shadow color that contrasts massively with any eye color. Two of the shadows I'm going to mention are more bright, pinky reds + the other is a more muted browny red.

The first shade is L'Oréal Paris Infallible Shadow in 'Glistening Garnet' (in the pot, 1st swatch from left) - this shade is stunning + it blends beautifully because of the amazing formula. I'm a big fan of these L'Oréal Paris eyeshadows in general because they are so soft + blendable. I think 'Glistening Garnet' is a really pretty pinky red shade to wear with black liquid liner in the colder months. I do think this might be a US exclusive though. The next one (2nd swatch) is MAC Cranberry which was the first red eyeshadow I ever acquired. When I first got this I loved wearing it on the outer v of the crease over the Christmas period. It is a slightly darker, less pink + more muted version of the L'Oréal shadow but they are very comparable. The final shadow is MAC Antiqued which is probably better if you're one to shy away from the reds because it is a lot more brown. I like to wear this one all over the lid + along the bottom lash line without liquid liner but with a ton of black mascara. Although it is more muted, it does still have those red tones so it still makes any eye color pop.

Do you dare try red eyeshadow + if so, what are your favorites?

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Review: Clarisonic Mia

The bloggers' obsession with Clarisonic seems to have died down over the last year but as an avid Clarisonic user I thought I would give my two cents. I personally love the Clarisonic now as much as I did when I bought it at the end of 2013. I bought the pink Clarisonic Mia because I didn't feel the need to get any of the fancier versions + I am happy with that decision. I use chemical exfoliants as well as the Clarisonic because I honestly think that it tremendously improves the condition + texture of my skin. Some people find exfoliating to be too abrasive but I guess that depends on your particular skin type.

So why do I like the Clarisonic? Well first of all it feels like you are properly cleaning your skin instead of wiping off the makeup + grime but not really cleaning it. It makes your serums/oils/moisturizers work twice as hard because your skin isn't covered in yummy dead skin cells.

I like to use my Clarisonic two or three times a week after taking off my makeup. I use it with whatever face wash I am currently using, using circular motions all over my face but particularly concentrating on problem areas such as my chin. I then like to exfoliate/tone using the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads followed by the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This leaves my skin feeling so smooth + soft. I can't recommend it enough.

*linking the Mia 2 because I guess that replaced the original?

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London Loves

 

No - definitely not the best play on words but it's the best I could come up with at 10:46pm on a Wednesday night. (+ that isn't a very good excuse either because I'm unemployed at the moment + I've always been a bit nocturnal). So I moved to London just over a week ago + I've honestly just been catching up with friends + family getting chores done before I start properly applying for jobs etc. So that's what I've been up to + wifi connecsh has been a bit limited which is why I haven't been posting. If for some reason you want to keep a bit more up-to-date with my life etc you can follow me on instagram where I'm pretty obnoxious but a lot more present. Onto some favorites since I came to London...

I wrote about The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream recently(ish) so if you want to read more about that then click here for that post. I honestly think it is the best BB Cream I have tried because you can build up coverage but it still looks natural + the lightest shade is perf for pale gurlz like me. I don't think I've ever mentioned the following product aka the L'Oréal Paris Visible Lift Blur Concealer (I'm sorry but I don't think this is out in the UK?!) but if you haven't tried this I am telling you now that you need it. It doesn't crease under the eyes at all (it has a fairly thick but velvety consistency) + it is great for covering up any unwanted red zones without going into any weird face situations that you don't want to highlight. Next up is the Perricone M.D. No Bronzer Bronzer (I can't with the name) which is essentially the ideal bronzer for someone like me whose bronzer can look a bit patchy with my heavy hand. It's a liquid bronzer so you use the little pipette to dispense a tiny amount onto the palm of your hand, rub it in a bit + then just press onto the areas of your face where you want a bit of color. It barely needs any blending + (obviously) you can't see any powdery effects on your skin so it looks really natural. Winner. On my eyes I've been enjoying a bit of MAC Antiqued along my top + bottom lashlines - the warm reddy tones make any eye color pop + because it's dark it adds a nice bit of definition + just the right amount of smokiness for daytime wear. Last but certainly not least is the L'Oréal Paris Miss Manga Mascara which has actually become my favorite mascara over the last few months. What can I say? It gives length, volume, it's not clumpy but not too separatey either. It's everything I want in a mascara.

So that's it from me! I look forward to updating Nouveau Chique a bit more now that I'm more settled!

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