Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette | Review, Swatches and Tutorials

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

At the beginning of this year I bought my very first Too Faced eyeshadow palette. The original Chocolate Bar had been on my wish list for the longest time and I'm so thrilled that I bit the bullet and picked it up last January, it's now one of my all time favourite palettes! You can imagine how excited I was then to receive another eyeshadow palette in the series of chocolate inspired palettes by the brand. I had very high hopes for the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette due to how much I loved the original so let's see how I got on!

The Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette is the third eyeshadow palette of a series of chocolate inspired palettes by the brand. This palette follows the Chocolate Bar Palette as I have mentioned and the Semi Sweet Chocolate Palette which I am yet to try. This palette is similar to the original in the sense that there's a selection of neutral shades with pops of colour scattered throughout the palette along with the fact that the eyeshadows are infused with cocoa powder, hence the reasoning behind the name.

Unlike the other two palettes in the collection these eyeshadows are housed within a pink tin with a magnetic closure and there's a heart design on the front. Being that the shadows are enclosed within a tin you can be sure that the eyeshadows are well protected. The palette is very durable and ideal for travelling in my opinion. So now let's take a closer look at the shades!

Almond Truffle - Mauve toned eyeshadow with a matte finish

Satin Sheets - Pink toned highlight shade with a golden shimmer

Sprinkles - Light pink with gold shimmer, almost appears rose gold

Molasses Chip - Metallic copper/bronze shadow

Malted - Deep brown with red flecks, appears mostly matte on the skin

Cashew Chew - Light beige toned pink with a satin finish

Cotton Candy - Bubble gum pink with a frosty finish

Cafe au Lait - Golden taupe with a shimmer finish

Bordeaux - Matte red toned brown eyeshadow

Mocha - Warm toned medium brown

Blackcurrant - Deep plum/purple shade with pink and gold flecks. (A little on the chunky side but a nice shadow all the same)

Dark Truffle - Dark chocolate brown with shimmer finish

Pecan Praline - Matte light grey shade

Totally Fetch - Hot pink with shimmer finish

Earl Grey - Deep teal with shimmer. 

Divinity - Matte ivory eyeshadow

Swatches

L - R

(Almond Truffle, Satin Sheets, Sprinkles, Molasses Chip, Malted)

L - R

(Cashew Chew, Cotton Candy, Cafe au Lait, Bordeaux, Mocha, Blackcurrant)

L - R

(Dark Truffle, Pecan Praline, Totally Fetch, Earl Grey, Divinity)

There are sixteen eyeshadows included in this palette two of which are larger than the rest. Satin Sheets and Divinity work great as highlight shades and I love to use Divinity as a base all over my lid to give me a nice blank canvas to start out on. There's a nice range of colours to be found, the palette consists of a mix of cool and warm tones along with a variety of textures too, mattes, shimmers, and metallics all can be found in the palette. The eyeshadows are soft and buttery to the touch and they are very easy to blend. I really feel like Too Faced knock it out of the park when it comes to their eyeshadows, they are some of the best on the market.

I'm very pleased with this palette as a whole although I did note a couple of things about two eyeshadows in particular. Cashew Chew required a little more work than the other eyeshadows, the pigmentation just isn't great unless you apply layer upon layer. Earl Grey looks like a beautiful deep teal shade in the pan but it's a disappointing shadow for me because when applied to the lid it's more of a deep grey. Other than that though I've no issues with this palette, I think it's fantastic. I do prefer the original Chocolate Bar palette in terms of shade range but that's just personal preference :) 

I've linked two tutorials using the palette down below so feel free to check those out if you want to see the palette in action!

Tutorials

In terms of price and where to purchase, the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eyeshadow Palette retails at €47 and is available from Debenhams :)

Chat soon,

Eimear x

YSL Touche Éclat Slogan Edition Radiant Touch Pen | Review, Swatches, and Tutorial

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

The other day I tweeted asking would anyone be interested in a tutorial using the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pen. The reason being was that after trying it out for the first time myself recently, I came to the conclusion that it's probably one of the most misused products on the market. After getting fantastic feedback in relation to the tutorial I decided to create a detailed demo showing how the product should be used in order for it to be beneficial.

The pen in my possession is one of the limited edition slogan pens that launched here in Ireland on March 27th. There are three slogans to choose from:

• All Lights On Me
• I Am Not a Morning Person
• No Need To Sleep

The only difference between this pen and the original pen, aside from the packaging is that the slogan edition pens are available in only two shades where as there are twelve to choose from in the original line.

The product comes in click pen form and as a result is very easy to apply. 

( I Am Not a Morning Person Shade 2 )

To put it simply the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pen is a highlighter not a concealer. This product will not hide dark circles or cover up spots. The aim of the Touche Éclat Pen is to draw light to the face, therefore if placed over dark circles or spots it will in fact emphasis them not conceal them.

This is a really nice product for highlighting, the formula is quite lightweight and it gives a nice radiant glow to the skin. In saying that though I do feel it has been overhyped in the beauty community and a bit overpriced at €35 for the original pen. The slogan edition pens are priced at €45 and I don't think it's worth shelling out an extra tenner just for the packaging alone, even though pretty packaging is my weakness!

For a full demo on how to use the Radiant Touch Pen just click on the play button below! I hope you enjoy the tutorial and find it helpful, I tried to jam pack as much information into the video as I possibly could while trying to keep it under the 5 minute mark haha!

If you are interested in checking out the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pens, they are available from Debenhams and can be viewed here.

Chat soon,

Eimear x

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette | Review, Swatches and Tutorials

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I'm reviewing an eyeshadow palette that I have not been able to put down since the start of this year. I knew after the first couple of times I used it that it was love but I was holding off reviewing the palette until I had uploaded a couple of tutorials using it first. That way you would be able to really get a feel for how the palette performs! The Two Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette is not new to the market I think it launched in 2013 but if you don't have it already and are a fan of neutrals it is well worth checking out!

There are 16 shadows included in the palette and all are made with real cocoa powder hence the sweet smell of chocolate that wafts from the shadows...yum! Not only do the shadows smell good apparently they also have anti ageing properties due to the fact that cocoa powder is jam packed full of antioxidants. I don't know about that claim now but check back in with me in about ten years and i'll update you on that one haha!

The packaging is shaped like a chocolate bar and not only is it fun but it's very sturdy too. After I filmed my first tutorial using this palette my subscribers brought to my attention that I in fact had the new version of the Chocolate Bar palette. Initially the names of the eyeshadows were listed on a plastic overlay opposed to printed on the palette itself, which is the case with the one in my possession. I actually wasn't aware that there had been a slight change to the packaging but I'm delighted there was. A plastic overlay is a bit inconvenient and I'd most likely have lost it within a week!

There is a nice array of colours and textures in this palette including neutrals, some pops of colour, mattes and shimmers! I'm a big fan of the quality of the eyeshadows in general. They are buttery, very easy to work with and last well on the eyes. I thought the pink and purple eyeshadows were random colours to add to the mix being that the rest of the shades gel really well together. The palette could have done without the pink shade 'Strawberry Bon Bon' and to be completely honest I wouldn't miss 'Candied Violet' either. These were the only eyeshadows in the palette that I felt were duds, they just simply lacked pigmentation. I had to swipe my finger in the pink shade numerous times in order for it to show up on my skin whereas the purple shade looked fantastic in a swatch but the colour payoff didn't transfer onto the eyes. Aside from those two eyeshadows in my eyes the palette is perfect. The pigmentation of the rest of the eyeshadows is phenomenal! 

Two shadows in the palette are larger than the rest which I also thought was a little bit peculiar, but I've found them to be multi purpose products so I won't complain! Along with using 'White Chocolate' and 'Champagne Truffle' on the eyes, I find they work well on the face also. I like to use Champagne Truffle along the cheekbones to add a glow to the skin and because I'm very pale I can get away with using White Chocolate as a matte highlight too.

Swatches

L - R

(Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge)

L - R 

(Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto)

L - R

(Hazelnut, Crème Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, Champagne Truffle)

Tutorials

The first look I created using the palette was this gorgeous golden brown smokey eye. To see how I achieved the look just click on the play button below!

The final look I created was a burgundy smokey eye..my weakness! Again, if you would like to see how I achieved that look just click on the play button below.

The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette retails for €47 and despite the two dud eyeshadows in the palette I still think it is well worth the money. I haven't put it down since I purchased it! Too Faced products are available from Debenhams and if you are interested in picking up the palette you can do so here.

Until next time!
Eimear x

Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick Swatches and Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Wet n Wild is one of those brands that I go back to time and time again. Budget beauty products are my favourite and Wet n Wild are a brand that stock just that. They have a fantastic selection of products in their range and all items are priced between €1.99 and €6.49. Out of their entire collection of products the lipsticks are by far my favourite and at €2.99 a pop, you really can't go wrong!

Wet n Wild recently sent me out some products to try out, some of which were the Megalast lipsticks. I was sent out four shades from the range and I actually happened to have those four particular shades in my collection already along with another one that I had purchased recently.

Usually, when I purchase a product I won't use it until it has been photographed for the blog encase I decide I want to review it. At the time I bought my lipsticks I was stuck in a bit of a rut with the blog and I wasn't reviewing items. Sometimes I can get away with using a lipstick a couple of times and then photographing it, particularly if the bullet is shaped like the Megalast ones because the usage isn't noticeable. However, there was no salvaging the Wet n Wild lipsticks in my collection. They looked God awful and i'll explain why in a moment!

  

L - R

(Red Velvet, Vamp it Up, Mauve Outta Here, Spiked with Rum, Cherry Bomb)

As I have said these lipsticks are very cheap and the packaging reflects that. I don't mind how the packaging looks what bothers me is the way the lipsticks are stored. These lipsticks don't wind down fully into the tube like pretty much all other lipsticks I have tried. I can't think of any other brand that has released a lipstick packaged in this way. The reason my lipsticks are not presentable is because they are quite badly chipped. I've hit the lid off the side of the lipsticks numerous times while trying to put the lid on which is quite annoying. Due to the fact that the lipstick will always be sticking out of the tube you need to carefully place the lid back on without touching the bullet. I feel like I'm playing a game of operation each time I want to put away a lipstick haha! Also, the inner lid of the lipstick dirties easily because you can't wind the lipstick down fully but honestly for the quality and the price of the product I can get over the blip that is the packaging.

L - R

(Spiked with Rum, Vamp it Up, Red Velvet, Mauve Outta Here, Cherry Bomb)

Red Velvet

Vamp it Up

Mauve Outta Here

Spiked with Rum

Cherry Bomb

The Megalast lipsticks are marketed as a matte lipstick and because of this I expected the products to be quite drying on the lips. My lips are dry all year round so I always expected the lipstick to emphasise my dry patches but that wasn't the case. The only time I found my dry spots noticeable was when wearing one of the lighter shades 'Mauve Outta Here' but at that it wasn't anything major. 

When I first tried out a lipstick from the range I was surprised by the consistency. All of the lipsticks that I have tried are creamy in texture, some more than others but none are completely matte. I would say the Megalast lipsticks leave more of a semi matte finish to the lips. The five lip colours that I have tried so far are very comfortable to wear and they don't dry my lips out further throughout the day. 

In terms of longevity each of the lipsticks lasted well pretty much up until the 5 hour mark and then I felt I needed to top up the colour. I trialled the lipsticks without lipliner to see how well they lasted on their own but I prefer applying a lip liner and having that as a base for the lipsticks first. I find they last even longer that way and the shade 'Vamp it Up' actually applies nicer over a base. On it's own 'Vamp it Up' can be hard to apply evenly, it can be a small bit patchy but with a lip liner underneath it, it looks phenomenal.

The only shade in the range that I wasn't keen on was 'Mauve Outta Here' purely because its completely out of my comfort zone and it's not a colour I would reach for.

To summarise:

Pro's

• Affordable (only €2.99)
• Widely Available
• Fantastic Range of Shades
• Long Lasting
• Highly Pigmented
• Not Drying on the Lips

Con's

• Poorly Packaged

I would highly recommend checking out the Megalast range if you haven't already. If there are any shades that you have tried that you think I might like let me know :)

Until next time!

Eimear x

Lancome Christmas Collection 2015 | La Palette 29 Faubourg Saint Honore Review

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

It is finally December my favourite month of the year and I'm nothing short of over the moon. I could go on and on about why I love this time of year. My birthday is in December, I adore the lights, and the festivities in general. Also in the months of November and December two of my loves combine in the form of makeup Christmas Collections, which is what I'm talking to you about today.

At the beginning of November Lancome launched their Christmas Collection for 2015 and I was drooling over the range. In the collection there are some nail varnishes, a lipstick, a mascara, and a face powder but what really grabbed my attention was the eye and lip palette.

Prior to this palette I had never tried any makeup from Lancome so I suppose the range intrigued me in itself but I was very curious about the way in which the lip colours in the palette were stored. I'm yet to come across a single eye/lip combo palette that I have enjoyed. I just find they generally don't work. When you pick up a little eyeshadow on your brush 90% of the time you will have excess product in the pan. The problem then is having a cream product next to the eyeshadows, it usually ends with the two textures mixing which can be extremely inconvenient. Not to mention the aspect of cross-contamination!

However, that won't be the case with this palette as there is a swing lid which adds a layer of protection for the lip products. Such a simple concept but extremely effective!

For the price I had expected the palette to have been a little larger, I was slightly surprised when it arrived to be completely honest. 

The palette houses six eyeshadows, a hydrating lip base and two matte lip colours. There is a dual ended eye and lip brush contained in the palette and also a decent sized mirror. Stuck onto the mirror there is a step by step guide showing you how to create a day and night time look using the palette. The shadows and steps are numbered so it is very easy to follow, a great guide for beginners. Being that the palette is small and contains a brush and a mirror it is handy for on the go, especially if you need to top up the lipstick.

As you can see the eyeshadows are contained to the left hand side of the palette while the lip colours are towards the right.

Eyeshadow 1: Matte cream coloured shade

Eyeshadow 2: A shimmery golden coloured eyeshadow

Eyeshadow 3: A bronze shimmery eyeshadow

Eyeshadow 4: Slightly grey toned pink with a shimmer finish

Eyeshadow 5: Medium plum toned shade with a pearlescent finish

Eyeshadow 6: Dark purple eyeshadow with flecks of glitter running throughout

Lip A: Hydrating lip base

Lip B: Cherry red lipstick

Lip C: Burgundy lipstick

I rarely use the brushes that come with eyeshadow palettes because a lot of them generally aren't great. The limited edition Lancome palette comes with a dual ended eye and lip brush and it's pretty good! I love the angled eyeshadow brush it's great quality, nice and dense and packs eyeshadow onto the eye really well. It's also great for blending the edges of the eyeshadow to ensure no harsh lines.

The lip brush is also good, its not revolutionary but it gets the job done.

The only thing I feel that is missing from the palette is a dark matte shade to add depth to the eyes. I found the dark purple with the glitter in it a little too chunky and not ideal for creating depth. I just found the look too shimmery then overall. I would have preferred a matte black or brown eyeshadow in place of the hydrating lip base as I can't see myself using that too much.

Other than that its a really nice palette for creating a glamorous smokey eye. The lip colours in the palette compliment the eyeshadows nicely and when worn together I think they create a nice party ready look for the festive season...or for any season for that matter!

I've filmed a step by step tutorial showing you how to use the palette which includes all products in the palette! If you would like to see how I created the look then just click on the play button below :)

The Lancome Christmas Collection 2015 is available now at select counters in Debenhams and the La Palette 29 Faubourg Saint Honore will set you back €55. The range is limited edition for Christmas so if you see anything you like snap it up quickly!

Until next time :)

Eimear x

w7 Absolute Lashes Mascara VS Benefit They're Real Mascara. Save or Splurge?

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I have a slightly different type of post for you all today, its a sort of "battle of the brands" if you will! Bargain beauty buys are great but whats even more fantastic is when you find a budget product that performs more or less the same as a high end product. I'm sure everyone has heard of the Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! mascara, its the number one best selling mascara in the world. It caused quite a stir among the beauty community when it was released a few years ago with everyone and their mother singing its praises. Well, word on the street is that budget brand w7 released a mascara that is a dupe for They're Real!. I love a good old bargain buy so I decided to put the two to the test today on the blog to see if the budget brand could compare to the highly hyped They're Real!.

I am a fan of Benefit Mascara. Bad Gal is glorious, Roller Lash is a firm favourite of mine but Benefits best selling mascara They're Real!...not my cup of tea. I didn't let that get in the way of this post though, I was still genuinely curious to see how the w7 brand mascara would compare. So on we go!

First things first, the packaging. The tubes are very similar, they are the same size and both have that metallic reflective finish to them. The colour of the packaging differs slightly with one being a gunmetal grey and the other leaning towards more of a silver. Even the font is much the same. So we can all agree that the packaging is pretty similar but are there any other similarities?

For me a wand can make or break a mascara. I just find that it doesn't matter how amazing the formula is, if the mascara doesn't have a decent wand it doesn't perform well over all. With these two mascaras, I like the wands on both. From a distance the wands look identical but on closer inspection you will find that there are some subtle differences.

Benefit They're Real Mascara 

w7 Absolute Lashes Mascara 

Both of the mascara wands have a spiked tip on the top which I find great for coating the lashes on the very outer portion of my eyes. The wands are the same size in terms of height however the Benefit wand is thinner and has less spikes where as the w7 wand is thicker and is coated in more spikes. Now onto the good part..the application!

Lashes Before - No Product

w7 Absolute Mascara - One Coat

Benefit They're Real Mascara - One Coat

Lashes After One Coat of Mascara

While the products may have initially been very similar after application the difference begin to show. The Benefit They're Real! Mascara is noticeably darker than the w7 version. Benefits formula is more wet while the w7 mascara is on the drier side which is my preference. I find a mascara that is ever so slightly dry performs better than one that is very wet. The w7 Absolute Lashes Mascara separates the lashes really well and lengthens them but not as much as Benefits They're Real!. On the other hand, the Benefit mascara does a better job at thickening the lashes. You can see from the above photo that the roots of the lashes on my right eye are darker giving the appearance of fuller lashes. 

w7 Absolute Lashes Mascara - Two Coats

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - Two Coats

Lashes After Two Coats of Mascara

On applying a second coat the Benefit mascara further lengthens and deepens the colour of the lashes but this comes at a cost. Unfortunately that cost is clumping. Some people like the appearance of clumpy, spider like lashes but it isn't my preference. The second coat of the w7 mascara adds further volume but the lashes are still noticeably separated. It gives the effect of full fluttery lashes which I really enjoy.

In terms of longevity both mascaras lasted almost equally as well throughout the day. However, with the Benefit mascara the product did flake down onto my cheeks on occasion.

The removal process is extremely easy in regard to the w7 Absolute Lashes mascara, a little bit of Garnier Michellar Water does the job. The Benefit They're Real mascara is much more tricky to remove and is one of the reasons why I just don't like the product. To remove the Benefit mascara you will need an oil based makeup remover. 

The w7 Absolute Lashes mascara is known to be a dupe for the Benefit They're Real! mascara but I would have to disagree. The w7 mascara is by no means a dupe for they're real!, they are two completely different mascaras. You can tell from the pictures above that based on the formulation and such, that in terms of performance they are not similar at all. I actually way prefer the w7 mascara for so many reasons in relation to the way in which the mascara works. Also, the Benefit They're Real! mascara retails at €26 while the w7 Absolute Lashes mascara retails at just €3.50. That speaks for itself really!

I hope you enjoyed this style of blog post, it was really fun to make!

Chat soon :)

Eimear x