Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow /Refill: Review, Swatches

It's been two weeks since I was in Sephora and it seems like a month. But this time there was little that got me excited. This time I chose to try something new - Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow. It's a mono shadow that you use a refill. Well, I don't have a  case where to put these eyeshadows and I really bought them because I liked the colours.
We have 2 colours: P Soft Blue 645 and ME Medium Blue 686.

Well, what can I say. Soft Blue 645 is cerulean colour shade with shimmers. It's light, tender and good for spring makeup.
Medium Blue 686 looks like a midnight pearl blue with purples undertone with shimmering effect, which is also insanely beautiful.


CONs:
the pigmentation of eyeshadows is not so good and leaves much to be desired
there was a little falling out, but it was not annoying
you don't have the same intensity of colours on the skin, that you have in the case
you should be careful with handling the package, as it's meant to be a refill product

Overall, I'd give Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadows 3 - 3.5 stars.

Flebote White Crystal Brightening Emulsion

Hello, beauties. I still can't get over the awesomeness of Face Shop skin care. Today it's going to be Flebote White Crystal Brightening Emulsion

So what is it?

You really can think about emulsion as a lighter lotion. Emulsion is based on water and oil and so it's very light and good for all types of skin. It says that this emulsion has white crystals and so it's designed to add glow to the skin, brighten and whiten it.

Flebote White Crystal Brightening Emulsion absorbs into skin well and quickly. This emulsion also has fragrance-like tender smell, which is not heavy or annoying at all. But because everyone feels differently about smells it can seem heavy for some people.

I usually apply it under the foundation and after taking a shower and cleansing my face.

What I didn't like about it is that the bottle is quite heavy and it will be rather inconvenient to take this emulsion in a bag. I think The Face Shop specifically puts its skin care line products in heavy bottles to make it seem more high-end and premium.

On the whole, Flebote White Crystal Brightening Emulsion is a working, effective skin care product that gives results, moisturizes skin and improves skin quality. Overall, I'd give Flebote White Crystal Brightening Emulsion 4.7 stars.

Flebote Hydra Soft Cleansing Foam

Flebote Hydra Soft Cleansing Foam

I can't express enough with words how much I adore this cleanser. First, it doesn't have a medicine smell, just a faint flowery aroma.

Next, you have a semi-thick mousse substance on your hands. But the most awesome thing is the instant effect. It feels like there is no oil under your skin at all. Of course, I to moisturize my skin immediately after this cleanser, cause otherwise it will get dry. But the thing is that it really takes all oil and dirt that are deep in your skin.

Quality product and good value. 5 stars definitely. 

Lancome My French Palette

After going through Sephora, Hudson's Bay and Holt and Renfrew and looking for spring collections of different makeup brands, my eyes landed on this beauty. How adorable and romantic Lancome My French Palette is ($68CAD)?

From the first look at it, I loved how compact it was. It is a great travel palette, as it takes little space and has wearable shades that are suitable  for every day.

Another thing about the palette that appealed to me was how aesthetically beautiful it was. The design of packaging is inspired by Parisian street style. We see a scene that looks like a street in a Paris park. In the inside of the palette we have an instructions of how to use the shades and are given two looks, for the day and the night.

Lancome My French Palette Shades

We have six neutral and three color shades in the palette: three soft pink matte shades and darker pink copper shimmer shades. Then, under the little door, we find three shimmer intense shades of blue-green range

The first one of the trio is an insanely beautiful shade of sea-green color and the one that struck me the first.

Then you have a shade that in the palette looks just dark blue, but on the skin is medium to dark greenish.

And the last color is something between black and grey and is perfect for the eyeliner.

It’s also evident that shades are of high quality as they apply very smooth and bend well. They are also rather pigmented which is a bonus.

Disadvantages:

Shades, especially the green ones don’t hold very long and after 3-4 hours they start fading, even with eyeshadow primer.

Overall, it’s great that there are some color shades that give more life and energy to the look .So, if you are tired from using only nudes and want to have a more spring and lively makeup, Lancome French Palette is a good addition.

MAC: Mineralized Eyeshadows and Lipgloss

Today I'd like to tell you guys about new MAC purchases. What actually caught my eyes was a duo Mineralize Eye Shadow , called Joy and Laughter and a lipglass called Love Alert.

The eyeshadow has two colors: pale pink in cool tone and metallic purple.

Both of them are pearly and not pigmented too much.

This is why when you apply them on your eyes, they create a light, romantic look, especially if you wear them with eyeliner.

Drawbacks:

·      They fall out a little bit, thats' why it's important to be more careful while applying these eyeshadows.

·      They don't hold for a long time and after some time the eyeshadows fade away, even with the eyeshadow primer.

The lipglass name, Love Alert($23), is from the new MAC collection Red Red Red. It is shiny, bright and shimmering respberry with pink undertone. It smells really sweet and adds volume and glamour to the lips.

I apply them on the lipstick, as the top coat. If you apply only the lipgalss, it's not very easy because its brush is quite hard. But, at the same time , because the brush is not smooth, you can apply it into all corners of your mouth.

The lipglass is also very sticky and holds on the lips for many hours. So, if you are OK with stickiness, it's not going to be a drawback.

I apply it on the red lipstick and it makes my lips look glamorous. While wearing it over pink lipstick, it accentuates lips, make them stand out.

Drawbacks:

·      The lipglass is sticky

·      The brush is not soft at all, which makes it difficult to put on only lipglass

New brand discovery: The Face Shop

The Face Shop is a new brand for me and I have been walking around it for some time. In terms of the shopping experience I can say that:

• ·      the store itself quite small
• ·      store assistants can be a little bit pushy
• ·      The products are generally cheaper than in other skincare and cosmetics stores
• ·      There's a significant emphasis and the variety of choices of the skin care items

Now let's talk about the purchases. This time I decided to focus on makeup items, instead of skincare. The product that I loved the most and what I noticed the first in The Face Shop is the blush – Pink Cushion Blusher

I completely fell in love with these blushes. What is there not to love: the packaging is super cute, small and convenient if you want to put it in your bag. The color I picked is a matte  pale pink, it adds healthy natural look to my skin in a subtle way.

However, there were brighter pink tones, an orange blush, blushes with shimmering effect. I'd give this blush 5 stars.

I also got Shimmering BB Cream. Now this product is a tricky one. It says that it contains Crystal Modeling Powder which offers radiant, luminous complexion. And it is true. The skin really shimmers and radiates glow. The shimmers also stay on the skin throughout all day. And this is also the reason why it can be a drawback for people with oily skin. The foundation that is supposed to cover skin imperfections disappears after some time, leaving only shimmers. That's why I use it as a highlighter and apply it only on my cheeks. Overall, I give this BB Cream only 3.5 stars.

Jurlique Beloved Bestsellers Kit

Winter is a risky time for our skin, as it easily gets dry and dehydrated. That's why when I was in Sephora the last time, I was looking for some skin care products that would moisturize and nourish my skin. I ended up buying Jurlique Beloved Bestsellers Kit for $ 43. The set consists of three products:

Rosewater Balancing Mist – 1 oz
Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum - 0.5 oz
Skin Balancing Face Oil - 0.33 oz

 

Rosewater Balancing Mist  is a spray-formed fluid that has a beautiful rose scent. The mist really softened and moisturized my skin. Usually I used it in the morning, as a way to wake up my skin and prepare it for the day. At the same time, I think that it can also be used as a toner before applying your makeup.

Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum looks like white gel and it also has a tender rose scent. Unlike other serum products, I didn't have a feeling that there was something heavy on my skin. The serum smoothed and hydrated my skin. It also got absorbed easily into the skin and felt lightweight.

Skin Balancing Face Oil was my favorite in the set. It's not greasy and it doesn't leave any greasy feeling on your hands after you apply it. This Oil made my face skin soft, velvety and improved my face texture. Another thing that I liked in this Oil is that it helped with my oily skin and after using it, my T-zone felt refreshed and clean.

What I also enjoyed about the set is that the bottles are small and when you're done with it, you can try another brand.
Anyway, I think Jurlique Beloved Bestsellers Kit was a good deal and was worth its money. For $43 you get three effective products that work and improve your face texture. I would give this set 5 stars.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar ($59) is the latest eyeshadow palette from Too Faced and it is a new version of its original famous Chocolate Bar palette. The palette consists of 16 eyeshadow, matte and shimmer. The colors vary from gold to different shades of chocolate.

In terms of application and quality the eyeshadows are quite long-wearing, if you apply them on the eyeshadow primer. In my case, I applied them in the morning and they stayed on until the evening, when I had to remove my makeup.

What also catches the eye is the packaging. The palette is presented in the form of a real chocolate bar and appeals to aesthetic sense. Also each eyeshadow is given a name, which is written in the palette near each eyeshadow. The eyeshadows are given such names as licorice, caramel and mousse, and other, deeply associated with sweets and desert. In addition to that, the palette smells really sweet.

Now, taking a closer look to each eyeshadow I can say that most of the colours are medium to high pigmented and, in my case, while I applied eyeshadow they didn't fall out and blended well together. Another great  thing here is different shades of chocolate colors so that those who want to create a natural look not with grey dull but with deeper chocolate, it will be a great palette.

On the negative side, there were two colors that didn't meet my expectations: Pink Sugar and Blueberry Swirl.

Pink Sugar looks like a light pink eyeshadow with shimmering effect. However, applied on the skin, it is not pigmented at all as there's no actual pink color, but only glitters. Personally, I didn't see the point in adding  this glitter eyeshadow in such natural look palette as it seemed to be out of the place.

In case of Blueberry swirl, in the palette it looks like a deep blueberry color, while in the eyes it becomes darker blue and it loses its shimmering effect. That's why it can be a disappointment for those who were attracted to this product because of this shade.

Overall, I would give the palette 4,5 stars because of few disappointing colors, but still, it is a gorgeous palette for everyday natural look.