Sleek I-Divine Au Naturel Palette

L-R: Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe,

Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir

It's only within the last year or so that I've really got back into wearing makeup, after several years of giving eyeshadow a miss during the day in favour of a more natural look. Truth be told, I had never really taken the time to learn how to create pretty daytime looks, reserving a more dramatic eye for nights out and special occasions, but ever since I picked up the MUA Undressed palette last year, I've been hooked on a neutral eye and rarely leave the house without one (...or two!).

I recently made my first dalliance into the world of Sleek makeup, and along with some gorgeous blushes and a face kit, I decided to give the I-Divine Au Naturel Palette a go, as I was feeling the need to spread my wings a bit and branch out in terms of the shades I've been using. What caught my eye about this palette was the fact that while it does contain a lot of neutral options, they are completely different from my usual variations of taupe, brown, gold and bronze, which I hoped would force me out of my comfort zone a bit and encourage me to be a bit more experimental. I also liked the fact that there is a good selection of matte finishes, as I find them much more wearable when it comes to pared down, every-day looks - I do like a bit of shimmer, but I feel that if I were to go for a full-blown, glam makeup look all the time then I wouldn't have anything to add to make me feel that bit more special for a big event.

The palette contains a total of eight matte shades: Nougat (cream), Nubuck (what I would call a 'greige'), Cappuccino (light, milky brown), Honeycomb (creamy vanilla), Toast (light orange cream), Bark (dark brown), Regal (deep, dirty plum) and Noir (black). In addition, there are also four shimmery shades: Taupe (champagne), Conker (bronzey-brown), Moss (khaki green) and Mineral Earth (dirty brown).

All the shades are highly pigmented and blend well, and they come encased in a smooth black compact with a big mirror which is great for application on the go. The set also includes a double-ended applicator, but as usual in my case, this is completely redundant as I just don't use them, favouring brushes all the way. What I love about the packaging is the fact that it looks quite expensive and luxurious - you'd never guess that this was such an affordable high-street brand if you didn't know any better.

One thing I did find about this palette is that often, when I flip it open, I am at a loss as to which colours to use together. A couple of the shades - namely Honeycomb and Toast, are definitely not ones I would usually go for, and as yet I have neglected to use them. Another thing is that I tend to prefer lighter browns for day, whereas the nicest shades here, for me, are the darker, richer hues. More often than not, I've found myself combining shades from the Au Naturel palette with some of my old trusties from the Undressed palette, so it would be fair to say that things haven't really gone according to plan when it comes to getting creative!

I am, however, looking forward to creating an evening look using the gorgeous plums and bronzes, so look out for a FOTN post whenever that one comes to fruition.

All in all, a nice palette, but it won't be ousting Undressed from the top-spot in my routine any time soon.

The Sleek I-Divine Au Naturel Palette is available from Superdrug, priced at £7.99.

What are your favourite eyeshadow palettes?

Have you tried anything from Sleek?

xx

Summer Blushin'

L-R: Topshop Cream Blush in Flush, Sleek blush in Life's a Peach, Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachykeen

Topshop Cream Blush in 'Flush'

                                                    

                                                                                          Sleek Blush in 'Life's a Peach'

       Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in 'Peachykeen'

There's nothing like a bright pop of colour on the cheeks to brighten up the dullest dud of a 'Summer's' day, and now that the UK is actually basking in sunshine for a change, a vibrant blush fits the bill more than ever before (well, at least this year).

I am very much a corals and peaches girl, and will use any excuse to crack them out when the warmer months begin to roll round. In fact, you'll often catch me trying to sneak them out in the cooler months too, especially in terms of blushes. I just find that they are so flattering, even on a paler skin tone, and really add a bit of extra oomph when I'm looking a bit washed out or lacklustre.

Today I thought I'd share with you my three most reached-for blushes for Summer 2013, and I can honestly say that since about March time, nothing but these beauties has graced my cheeks - that's how much I love them!

First up is the Topshop Cream Blush in Flush, which I reviewed within the last couple of weeks (for that post, click here). I think we all love a good cream blush at this time of year, and this one is no exception. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this bad boy is my favourite specimen of all time, and I have been loving the pinched effect I get by dotting this onto my cheeks and then blending it lightly with my Real Techniques stippling brush. In terms of the shade, it's absolute perfection - a bright coral pink that is highly pigmented but also buildable. I have been wearing and wearing this, and particularly love teaming it with Mac's Cremesheen lipstick in Coral Bliss. Love.

Next up is the newest addition to my blush collection (it finally arrived last week), a Sleek powder formulation in the shade Life's a  Peach. This is a really gorgeous peachy-apricot, and is a slightly different hue to the others I've got squirreled away in my arsenal of cheek products. My only gripe with it is that it's a little bit backwards in coming forward when it comes to swatching, but that said, it does seem to pick up reasonably well on a nice soft Eco Tools brush and blends out to give a lovely wash of colour that's bright without being too much. 

And last but by no means least is my Mac Sheertone Shimmer blush in Peachykeen (full review and swatch here). This is definitely a darker, dirtier peach, and contains a beautifully subtle hint of shimmer that I find provides a gorgeously luminous, healthy glow. While there is a hint of glitter in he pan if you look closely, it won't translate onto the cheeks, so no risk of the glitter ball effect here. I'd say that of the three, this is the best option for day to day, as it won't clash with any other bright makeup choices on the eyes or lips. When it comes to the other two, they really do do all the talking, and become the main feature of the look.

Are there any blushes you've found yourself reaching for over and over this season?

What are your favourite formulations for Summer?

xx

Review: Mac Blush in Peachy Keen

As we all know very well, a girl can never have too many Mac blushes, and you might remember seeing in last month's beauty haul video that on my last trip to my closest shop, I picked up a new Sheertone Shimmer blush in the shade Peachykeen.

Sheertone Shimmer blushes are, as you would expect, quite sheer, but can be built up to achieve a bright pop of colour if that's the look you prefer. They also contain hint of shimmer, and while tiny flecks of glitter are detectable in the pan, they don't transfer onto the face at all, appearing only as a beautifully subtle golden sheen. 

 Peachykeen is described by Mac as a 'very baby peach', and I have to say, it looks nothing like the swatch on their website, which is more of a reddish plum shade. It's a good job we have beauty blogs to help us out with things like this! Personally, I'd describe Peachykeen as a dark pinky-peach - it's not a soft pastel peach, and there is definitely something a bit earthier about it.

I had actually had no intention of taking home a blush when I popped into the Mac shop, but the assistant there kindly swiped some onto my cheeks to complement a couple of other products I was trying out, which I purchased, satisfied, and left. But for the rest of the day, which I was spending doing a bit of clothes shopping, whenever I caught sight of myself in the mirror I was impressed with the healthy glow I seemed to be exuding. Of course, I had the blush to thank for this, and by the end of the day I had swiftly popped back and snapped it up. It's now become my most-used powder blush, as it's such a flattering, wearable shade, and the subtle, radiant glow it provides is enough to perk up any tired, run-down or lacklustre face. Although it's sheer, it's also highly pigmented, so a light hand is recommended when applying it. It wears well too, and is still going fairly strong by the time I get home after a day at work. For me, this was my first Sheertone Shimmer blush, and after it's success I have now got my eye on Springsheen and Peachtwist.

What's your favourite Mac blush formulation?

Have you tried any of the Sheertone Shimmer shades?

xx