LIME CRIME - SUPERFOILS

In 2016, Lime Crime released a unique eyeshadow dual pan known as Superfoils. Superfoils are a specialised eyeshadow that can either be applied dry, or can be applied wet for a foiled look. Needless to say, they are absolutely beautiful when they become foiled and the main reason why I purchased them. 

'New generation of eyeshadow is here!' - LIME CRIME

Packaging

Superfoils comes in cute round pink packaging, with a matching cardboard box, and feature  a split pan with two shadows and a mirror.

Each shadow can be identified by name on the back of the product and the back of the cardboard box.

'Superfoils can be worn wet or dry - to equally dope results. Wear it dry if you're in the mood to sparkle or activate with water to watch it transform into liquid foil' - LIME CRIME

Formula & Pigmentation

Good and bad news beauties; Lime Crime have officially pulled their Superfoils off of the market. There was a bit of drama and a few issues late last year about the formula and what looked like rust and bubbles forming in the product. Lime Crime have issued a statement denying that there has been any contamination however have pulled the product from the market to re-formulate it. You can read more on Lime Crimes statement here.

Affordability & Retailers

Superfoils are currently not available through any retailer due to being re-formulated.

Final Verdict

At this point in time, my Superfoils have virtually been rendered useless. Although I personally have had no issues with them, I'm still wary that there may be some issues with the formula that may impact on my skin and my overall health. 

If you do have your own Superfoils or are willing to try someone elses, I'd advise getting the product onto your brush before adding your Fix+ spray to the mixture as it is recommended not to add any liquids to the actual pan. By not adding liquid to the pan you may avoid any issues, as I have.

Stay Updated

Weekly product reviews are uploaded each Saturday. You can follow me on Instagram to keep updated on when new product reviews go live! instagram.com/beautyreporterb


- beautyreporterb

LIME CRIME - VENUS PALETTE

Years ago, Lime Crime released the beautiful Venus palette. Venus was a social media sensation and was everywhere you looked online; Instagram included!

The buzz has long since died down, but I thought I'd pull out this oldie and give it a review since it is still flying off of shelves and more often than not sold out everywhere. 

'In a sea of nude palettes, VENUS emerges with 8 game changing shades: rust red, brick brown, burgundy and unconventional neutrals' - LIME CRIME

Packaging

The Venus palette comes completes with beautiful packaging which features an except of Botticelli's classical painting, 'The Birth of Venus'.

The palette is made of cardboard and features a slip top with a full sized mirror for beauties on the go.

Shades & Finishes

The Venus palette contains eight shades, with a mixture of mattes and glows. The shades in this palette and their finishes include:

VENUS - the colour of bruised fruit (velvet matte)

SHELL - opalescent shell-pink (glow)

AURA - golden ivory (glow)

CREATION - rust brown (matte)

ICON - dirt brown (matte)

REBIRTH - the colour of an over-ripe nectarine (matte)

DIVINE - dusty stone (matte)

MUSE -deep burgundy red (matte)

Top Row: Venus, Shell, Aura, Creation
Bottom Row: Icon, Rebirth, Divine, Muse


'Create a wide range of grunge-meets-renaissance modern looks, from daytime wash of colour to night-on-the-town smokey eye' - LIME CRIME

Formula & Pigmentation

The formula for the eyeshadows in this palette is buttery smooth; they apply and blend out with ease. A little product goes a long way with these eyeshadows.

There is plenty of pigment in each shade, however I did experience some fallout during application. With this particular palette make sure you complete your eye look before completing your base.

'Recklessly pigmented eyeshadows can be worn alone or mesh flawlessly for a nu-grunge look with a soft, painterly finish' - LIME CRIME

Affordability & Retailers

You can purchase your own Venus palette directly from Lime Crime for $34.00 USD or from PepperMayo for $49.00 AUD

Final Verdict

In my humble opinion, the Venus palette is a luxury not a necessity.I find that the colours can be difficult to pair together and I'll often use another palette in to complete the look. 

Pale skinned beauties: beware that some of these colours can look very, very dark on us. I'm an NW10 for reference and I find colours such as Divine to give the illusion that I have a black eye.  

If you enjoy wearing red tones often then this is a palette for you, otherwise save your pretty pennies and purchase this one when there is a sale on. It's nice to play around with from time-to-time, but I don't reach for it often.

Stay Updated

New product reviews are uploaded each Saturday, and ProTips are uploaded on the first Sunday of each month. 

Follow me on Instagram to get access to new product reviews the moment that they're uploaded

- beautyreporterb

URBAN DECAY - NAKED PALETTE

This is the holy grail of all eyeshadow palettes. I love this product. The Naked Palette is perfect for all eye colours and every skin tone as the colours in this palette are neutral tones. Neutral and earthy tones are an absolute must as they allow the wearer to create looks that range from the "no make-up" makeup look, which has become extremely popular, to smokey evening looks.

'Introducing the palette that revolutionised neutrals forever. Encased in a decadent velvet-topped case, this carefully crafted selection of bronze-hue eyeshadows allows you to create endless seductive eye looks' - MECCA

Packaging

All Naked Palettes come in similar cardboard packaging, with bold gold lettering an swatches of the shadows in the palette. Each of the Naked Palettes have all of the colours available in that palette displayed and named on the back of the cardboard packaging.

Did I mention that this palette also included a double-ended brush? Amazing! This brush is absolutely brilliant. It's a double ended shadow and blending brush, which can be used to apply shadows with one end and blend them out with the other. The quality of this brush is brilliant and cannot be disputed, so you won't be disappointed. What I really like about this packaging is that it has itss own spot in the palette for your brush, which is perfect for when you're travelling or on the go.

Bonus, you also get four samples of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potions, which contains a weeks worth of primer, when you purchase a Naked Palette.

'It's the palette that revolutionised neutrals forever, Loaded with twelve bronze-hue shadows in an insane range of textures only UD could dream up. Naked proves that neutral is anything but boring' - MECCA

Shades & Finishes

The Naked Palette comes with twelve neutral coloured shadows, set out from lightest to darkest in the palette. Urban Decay have been brilliant enough to include four amazing textures: matte, satin, shimmer & sparkle. Shades and textures in this palette include:

From L - R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, toasted, Hustle, Creep & Gunmetal.

VIRGIN - cool pale beige satin

SIN - champagne shimmer

NAKED - nude matte

SIDECAR - beige shimmer with silver micro-glitter

BUCK - fawn brown matte

HALF BAKED - golden brown shimmer

SMOG - deep coppery bronze

DARKHORSE - deep mocha shimmer

TOASTED - antique copper penny shimmer

HUSTLE - plum-brown satin

CREEP - onyx shimmer with gold sparkle

GUNMETAL - dark metallic grey shimmer with silver micro-glitter

I am a huge fan of the shimmers in this palette. Sin, Sidecar and Half-Baked are my go to shimmers, with Naked and Buck being my favourite lid and transition colours. I'm a NW10 girl, so shades ranging from Virgin to Half-Baked are perfect for me.

Formula & Pigmentation

Its Urban Decay, so the formula is pretty spot-on. I've  had no issues with fallour from this palette and all of the colours have applied smoothly and evenly. 

Pigmentation is also brilliant with each colour. Shades are very easy to build up or blends out to suit your look. Building and blending is one of the biggest things, other than the range of colours, that I look at when selecting a new palette.

Overall, the formula and pigmentation is to die for!

Longevity

When I use high end products, I always use an eyeshadow primer. I'm currently using the Original Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and have had absolutely zero issues. My Naked eyeshadow lasts all day long, which is brilliant for long days a work or nights out with the girls. I figure for the amount of money spent on a high end product you need to invest in a good eyeshadow primer which will allow you to get the most out of your products.

Affordability & Retailers

The Naked Palette was the first high end palette that I ever purchased. I've owned it for almost two years now and find that it's become my go-to palette. It's pricey, currently retailing at $82.00 AUD, but it is an absolute must in every girls collection. You can purchase your own Naked Palette from Mecca.

'From the palest champagne to the grittiest gunmetal, it's all here. Whether you're going for a laid-back, beachy vibe or black-tie drama, you'll definitely look better Naked' - MECCA

Final Verdict

I can't express just how much I love this palette. It suits every look and ever occcassion. I've travelled with it, I've moved interstate with it, I vouch for it. It's a staple for so many people and an absolute must for me.

I completely recommend this to anyone who may be wanting an everyday natural eye look or people who are still developing their confidence with eyeshadow and makeup in general. This is a great palette to start out and experiment with.

Stay Updated

New product reviews are posted every Saturday, and during the lead up to Christmas there will be a new product review everyday to help you out with those last minute wishlists and gift inspo.

Follow me on Instagram! instagram.com/beautyreporterb

- beautyreporterb

PRO TIP: COLOUR THEORY AND CHOOSING THE PERFECT EYESHADOW

Do you ever find yourself looking at eyeshadow palettes and eye-hadow pans and feeling overwhelmed by the colour choices?  Do you ever look at a beautiful shade that you're drawn to but that little voice in your head tells you that its "too bold' or that it "won't suit me". Unless you're the adventurous type, you've probably had these thoughts many times in your life. I know I have. Make-up can be overwhelming if you don't have a basic understanding or you're not flush with cash. And trust me, once you're addicted you're going to need lots of cash.

So to save you from sending money on products that run the risk of not suiting you, we're going to look at colour theory and how we can use this to determine what colours are going to make your eyes POP and save you from spending loads of money on products that may not work for you.

Complimentary Colours

Everything that we need to know about eyeshadows can be determined by the use of the colour wheel picture below. 

Complementary Colours are colours that are opposite to one another on the colour wheel. They create a beautiful visual contrast and bring out the inner strength of each other. The complimentary colour theory is guaranteed to make your eyes sparkle and pop.

Colour Wheel
In this example, purple and yellow are complimentary colours to one another.

For example: green or hazel eyes look great when they are accessorised with mauve and purple eye-shadows.

Urban Decay - Wende's Contraband.

'Deep End' and 'Fleek' and placed next to one another as they compliment each other and draw the consumers eye towards the palette and each other.

Analogous Colours

Analogous colours are those that are adjacent from each other on the colour wheel, These colours are often grouped into threes or more, as it assist with colour blending and transitioning. 

Colour Wheel
In this example the four blue colours selected (blue/violet, blue, green/blue, and green) are similar tones across two colours (blue & green).

The analogous colour theory is for those who are wanting to play it safe, and choose a colour palette similar to their eye-colour or the shades that they are already comfortable using. Using similar shades allows for themed looks.

You'll often find themed palettes, such as the Too Faced PB&J palette from a previous blog entry, use analogous colours to compliment one another an create a range of looks using similar shades.

 Too Faced - Peanut Butter & Jelly 

Pro Tip

Still confused? That's alright, it can be a little confusing at first so I've added a little bit of a basic guide below. 

Hazel ladies, do not worry! Depending on what colour is most prominent, you could use the colours for either green eyes or brown eyes. Some of you may even be lucky enough to use both!

Bonus Pro Tip

Still confused? Not to worry. For you, and everyone on the planet, I recommend the Urban Decay Naked Palette. It contains neutral shades to compliment every eye-colour, with plenty of transition shades. This is my everyday go to palette and you cannot go wrong with it! My review with all of the deetes will be up next Saturday. However if you have to have it now and can't wait, you can purchase your own UD - Naked Palette here.

Now you know everything that you need to know about choosing the perfect eye-shadow for you. Best of luck beauties!

- B xo

YOUNIQUE - SPLURGE CREAM SHADOW OMBRE CREME

Stop everything that you are doing and buy this product immediately.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me introduce the Younique Splurge Cream Shadow Ombre Creme. I know that the name is a bit of a mouthful, but this product has a lot of punch to it.

Younique - Splurge Cream Shadow Ombre Creme in 'Dainty'

'For extravagant lids that glisten, look no further than Splurge-luxurious, long-wearing cream shadow fit for a queen'.

Packaging

The packaging for the Splurge Cream is simplistic, but beautiful. The colour is clearly labelled on the bottom of the jar, and product name boldly presented on the lid. Did I mention that I'm also a huge fan of the frosted packaging? Loving it!

Shade & Texture

'Dainty' is a beautiful silvery-lilac shade which I am totally in love with! It's silky smooth and applies like a dream.

Did I mention that there is absolutely no creasing and that the product last all day? Winning! Bonus, it took me a few days to get all of the shimmer off of my eyelids because it's longevity is that good!

Close up of 'Dainty'

Best part? This seasons trend is all about shimmery, metallic and duo-chrome eye-shadows. This eye-shadow fits in perfectly with the current trends!

'With this elite eyeshadow and it's velvety opulence, you'll turn heads wherever life takes you, from a night out in your best dress to running errands in your favourite jeans'.

Formula & Pigmentation

Firstly, this is a cream eye-shadow, as the name implies, and it feels amazing. Younique have developed an absolutely amazing formula. The Splurge Cream Shadow is silky smooth to touch and apply. Honestly, this is the best cream formula that I have ever used.

You only need the tiniest amount of product as a little of this goes a long way. I used some of the excess product off of the lid and was able to cover both eyelids with it. This is a great product to consider adding to your eye-shadow collection in regard to value for money.

The colour pay-off is amazing! The colour is rich and bold, with lots of shimmer. No opaque applications here! If you're not a fan of purple eyeshadow, Younique also offer eleven other shades to cater to your colour preferences.

'Go ahead. Treat yourself like royalty each day, every month. You deserve to Splurge!'.

Affordability & Retailers

Youniques Splurge Creme currently retails for $34.00, and orders can be placed here with Kirsty.

Final Verdict

Still not convinced? You should be. I'll be adding more colours from this collection to my own stash. Place your orders

- B xo

URBAN DECAY X GWEN STEFANI - EYESHADOW PALETTE

If there is one thing that I have learnt about Gwen through the release of her UDXGWEN products it is that she ain't no Hollaback Girl.

I have been pretty pleased with the UDXGWEN collection as per my previous reviews. So today we'll be taking a look at the limited edition eye-shadow palette, which will finish up my reviews of the UDXGWEN collection.

'We partnered with Gwen to create her ultimate eyeshadow

collection. From her fifteen can't-live-whtout shades to the

 super-luxe case, Gwen designed and developed her perfect

palette.

Packaging

Like the rest of the collection, the cardboard packing is divine and has that beautiful white and gold 1920's art deco vibe.

Personally, I find the cardboard packaging breath-taking!

Each of the fifteen shades is displayed on the back of the cardboard packaging for all potential buyers to see. I really like how they've provided a little blurb about the palette. You can tell that a lot of thought and effort from both Urban Decay and Gwen went into this one.

Ugh, check out those nudes!

'Encased in a bespoke palette designed with black and while

 graphic prints and gold accents designed by Gwen'.

And that was just the slip! Onto the actual palette!

The palette carries on with that beautiful white and gold theme, also incorporating a splash of black and the Urban Decay labelling. It should be noted that this palette is really well made! This packaging is really sturdy and has some weight to it.

'Achieve Gwen's most iconic looks with this palette of neutrals and jewel toned shadows'.

Shades & Finishes

FIRST ROW, L-R: Blonde, Bathwater, Skimp, Steady, Punk
SECOND ROW, L-R: Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Zone, Serious
THIRD ROW, L-R: Pop, Harahuku, Danger, 1987, Blackout

The palette offers matte, sparkle and iridescent shades with a variety of nudes and pops of colour. Very much like Gwen's look. Here's the actual breakdown:

BLONDE - pale beige with irridescent shift

BATHWATER - pale beige with gold pearl

SKIMP - pale nude satin

STEADY - medium rose tone with metallic gold shift

PUNK - reddish brown matte

BABY - cool metallic rose

ANAHEIM - light taupe-brown matte

STARK - nude-pink sparkle 

ZONE - medium brown matte

SERIOUS - smoky grey with iridescent floating pearl

POP - pale cprral with iridescent sparkle

HARAJUKU - metallic blue-pink with iridescent micro-shimmer

DANGER - deep metallic royal blue with blue micro sparkle

1987 - bright metallic yellow-gold

BLACKOUT - blackest black matte

My absolute favourites, that I can't live without now that I've had them in my life, include: Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Pop, Steady, & Punk. Punk is this amazing earth red colour that blends so well. Punk, where have you been all my life? x

'Each eyeshadow in this palette feautures our Pigment 

Infusion System, the propietary blend of ingredients that

 gives each shades its velvety texture, rich colour, serious

 staying power and blendability'.

Formula & Pigmentation

Like all Urban Decay palettes, the colours are amazing and apply as smooth as butter. You can build the shades to be as light or dark as you wish, and they are great for blending. Honestly, this palette is my second favourite palette (Urban Decays Naked Palette being Number One, of course). I love a good nude palette, and this one was more than I could have dreamed of.

Affordability & Retailers

This palette was released at the end of 2015, and is currently still for sale as a limited edition piece. You can order yours here. The palette is a bit pricey, retailing at $95.00 AUD. However, Mecca do offer free postage for all orders over $75.00 AUD so I feel that that is a bit of a win. Honestly, I was at first unsure if I wanted to buy the palette, especially with it being so expensive, however my amazing boyfriend decided to buy it for me and told me to be "more impulsive". Ha! I bet he regrets saying that now.

Final Verdict

If you're after a nude palette with bright pops of colour, then this is for you! I'm currently building up the confidence to use Harajuku and Danger and use this palette to its full potential. This palette is so Gwen, and I love it. The nudes pair perfectly with her lipsticks and blushes. Honestly, I feel that anything is possible with this collection and the looks are endless. I feel that the pops of colour can be used to make a bold statements against all of the nudes.

I know it's pricey, but if you have the spare change then be "more impulsive" and treat yourself to this stunner. You won't regret it.


- B xo

TOO FACED - PB&J PALETTE

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

This is the newest palette from Too Faced, and I'm in love. I've been eyeing this one off on Instagram for months, and knew from the moment that I first saw it that I had to have it. I'll admit, this one was a little bit of an impulse buy, and a wee bit because of how cute this pallet is! 

'Inspired by the social media sensation that is Peanut Butter from our bestselling Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Collection, we created this limited edition peanut butter palette of nine gorgeous matte and shimmer shades feature antioxidant-rich cocoa powder with a creamy peanut butter twist!'.

Packaging

Just check out how adorable this packaging is!

Too Faced have gone the extra mile with this palette and created stunning packaging that resembles a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Genius! 

The palette packaging is metal, with a magnetic clasp which we're loving. There is a mirror provided inside for beauties on the go. Did I mention that it has a beautiful chocolate-peanut butter smell to it? Too Faced, you are making my sensory dreams come true!

Check out that cardboard packaging! Ugh, I'm in love!

Shades & Finishes

The PB&J palette is by far the cutest palette that I have ever encountered! Inside there are nine beautiful shades, offering mattes and shimmers. Here's the breakdown:

SPREAD THE LOVE - Medium Peach with Gold Sparkle

PEANUT BUTTER - Matte Medium Orange Brown

PEANUT BUTTER CUP - Metallic Golden Bronze with Gold Sparkle

BANANAS - Soft Peachy Gold with fine Gold Shimmer

PEANUT BRITTLE - Metallic Burnt Orange

JAMMIN' - Dark Chocolate with Golden Sparkle

EXTRA CREAMY - Matte creamy Beige

JELLY - Vibrant Orchid

NUTS ABOUT U - Matte Brown with Red

TOP ROW, FROM L-R: Spread the Love, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Cup
SECOND ROW, FROM L - R: Bananas, Peanut Brittle, Jammin'
THIRD ROW, FROM L-R: Extra Creamy, Jelly, Nuts About U

'Includes our signature Glamour Guide with three looks to get you started'.

Formula & Pigmentation

During my obsessive instagraming PB&J phase, I initially thought that this palette was comprised of beautiful browns and awesome purples. BIG NOPE. As I found out today, this palette is comprised of orange and purple shades. Oh well. No time like the present to begin experimenting with orange shadows.

The shadows are all highly pigmented and have a great pay off, however I did find them difficult to build up and blend which is disappointing considering the rave reviews that Too Faced palettes receive. 

Too Faced were even sweet enough to include a booklet with the palette which demonstrates three different looks to try out using the PB&J palette

Here's another picture, just because I'm obsessed with how cute PB&J is!

Press a pretty pop of Jelly in the inner corners of the eye for a colourful, unexpected twist!'

Affordability & Retailers

Priced at $58.00 AUD, this palette includes nine eye-shadow colours representing a PB&J sandwich and smells just like PB&J. How cute! Unfortunately this cutie is a Limited Edition release and sold out within two days of being launched in Australia! At this stage Mecca are unsure if there will be a restock, but keep your eyes peeled by checking here!

Final Verdict

I primarily brought this pallet just because of how cute it is, and because I wanted a travel size palette to be able to take with me when I'm travelling Because let's be honest, the UD Naked Palette isn't exactly small and travel friendly. I think PB&J has a lot of potential, and I'll need to leave my comfort zone to fully reap the benefits of all of the beautiful colours in this palette. If there is a re-release, I would recommend that it be snapped up if you're comfortable playing around with oranges and purples. Not browns.

I would recommend to anyone who wants to have a bit of fun with their look, whilst enjoying the amazing smell and cuteness that is PB&J.

- B xo