Category Archives: Swatches

Charlotte Tilbury – Quick ‘N’ Easy – The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution

December 5, 2016Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesCharlotte TilburyChelle

201612_charlottetilbury_quickneasy_5minutemakeuprevolution_naturalflowinglook2

~~Coming soon (seriously, I cannot find any launch information to save my life),~~ Coming December 28, 2016, Charlotte Tilbury‘s pre-packaged sets to help you get out the door looking poised and polished in five minutes!

Charlotte Tilbury Quick 'N' Easy - The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution — Charlotte Tilbury Quick ‘N’ Easy – The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution

And who doesn’t need a little help to get out the door just that much quicker?? (Heck knows I do since I’m eternally late for everything in my life!) I’ve got one of the four Quick ‘N’ Easy Makeup – The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution sets to walk you through today – the Natural Glowing Look.

Jam packed with some of Charlotte Tilbury‘s best selling products, you’ll find these Quick ‘N’ Easy sets are complete no-brainers when it comes to doing your makeup. The Natural Glowing Look kit comes with:

Wonderglow (mini – 15 ml)
Legendary Lashes (mini – 4 ml)
Beach Stick in Moon Beach (full size – 6.5 g)
Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria (full size – 3.5 g)
Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze (full size – 1.6 g)
A plastic Charlotte Tilbury makeup bag

Charlotte Tilbury Quick 'N' Easy - The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution - Naturally Glowing — Charlotte Tilbury Quick ‘N’ Easy – The 5 Minute Makeup Revolution – Naturally Glowing

The products come perfectly matched so you know they’re going to suit each other!

I’ve previously reviewed Charlotte Tilbury‘s Wonderglow (so you can read a full review here), and I use this on and off as foundation primer. In this review, in sticking with the five minute makeup theme, I opted to use this without foundation and found that it gave my face a very, very subtle sheen. Do not expect to get a discoball face with this one!

Charlotte Tilbury - Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze, Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria and Beach Stick in Moon Beach - swatches — Charlotte Tilbury – Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze, Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria and Beach Stick in Moon Beach – swatches

In swatching the other products, I was especially delighted to find that the Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze was incredibly smooth and pigmented. No need to worry about having to drag this colour across your lids to get pigmentation!

The Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victory was also a lot more pink than I was expecting from the bullet (which I’m VERY pleased about!). I also found it slightly more emollient than the rest of the Matte Revolution lipsticks I’ve tried (Lost Cherry here and Miranda May here). No difference in wearability – just that it felt a bit smoother gliding onto my lips.

And lastly, the Beach Stick in Moon Beach. This product can be used on your cheeks and lips, but I always prefer to stick to just one kind of usage and stuck to applying it on my cheeks. It’s easy to blend on to my cheeks, but I did find a needed a few layers to really build up the colour. It’s gorgeous though!

The Natural Glowing Look

And here’s how it all played out on my face! On the left I’m wearing absolutely nothing but a smile. On the right, I’ve got the whole Naturally Glowing Look on plus my eyebrows cuz… well I wasn’t going to leave that out now was I?

Wearing Charlotte Tilbury's Naturally Glowing 5 Minute Face — Wearing Charlotte Tilbury’s Naturally Glowing 5 Minute Face

Although I’ve not been one to rave about Wonderglow before, I do feel like it works with this particular makeup look to bring some life into my skin. I feel like it works especially well with the Beach Stick to get that little extra oomph of colour onto my cheeks.

I already knew I loved the Matte Revolution lipstick formula as it’s such a comfortable matte formula to wear, but I wasn’t sure what to think of Very Victoria when I saw it in the bullet. It seemed kinda… brown. On the lips it was such a different story – it’s a pinky-brown that is incredibly easy for me to wear with a wide variety of eye looks (I’m looking forward to pairing it with bright eyeshadow!).

The one thing I really, REALLY have to rave about is the Legendary Lashes mascara. It is SUPER black, slightly wet and it deposits the perfect amount of product onto my eyelashes. This stuff is fan-freaking-tastic! I’ve also noticed no flaking which is really unheard of on me. Two enormous thumbs up for this item!

The Colour Chameleon was an absolute dream to blend. I’m not usually a fan of eyehadow pencils because I find them difficult to blend out with a brush and they often do not set the way I want them to. This one gave me enough time to blend it with a brush (and honestly, it was effortless), but it set shortly after I was done. It also layered well! I was able to add a layer, blend it with my brush, and then add another layer on to my lid to up the intensity. You can also see how it looks deeper in my outer corner? Yeah, I didn’t add any extra product – that’s just the Colour Chameleon proving how much of a one-and-done shade it is!

Final Thoughts

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m more than a little bit smitten by this selection of products. The Charlotte Tilbury Quick ‘N’ Easy makeup set is not only foolproof, but it’s also a phenomenal way to try out a bunch of Charlotte Tilbury products all at once.

~~I’m sad to say that I do not currently have pricing or a release date, but as soon as I do, I’ll update this post with the information.~~ The release date for these sets is December 28, 2016 and they’ll set you back $85 CAD. Thankfully, each item in this bag is a permanent product by the brand, so you needn’t worry about missing out on a particular shade!

Charlotte Tilbury products can be purchased on charlottetilbury.com and you can shop from a variety of countries in your own currency!

The products featured in this post were sent to me for review.

Swatch Sunday: MAKE UP FOR EVER Artistic Palette

December 4, 2016Makeup, SwatchesMake Up For EverChelle

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artistic Palette

MAKE UP FOR EVER has thrown their offering into the holiday palette mix: the limited edition Artistic Palette!

The palette comes encased in tin packaging which is entirely reusable. The shadows are embedded in a foam core which can be removed whenever you want and the tin reused for something else! For handiness, I’d recommend removing the shadows and sticking them in a Z-palette!

For those curious, there are three new shades in this palette: ME912 (orchid), D712 (copper) and ME614 (graphite brown).

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artistic Palette Swatches

MAKE UP FOR EVER - S-102 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – S-102

MAKE UP FOR EVER - D-552 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – D-552

MAKE UP FOR EVER - I-220 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – I-220

MAKE UP FOR EVER - ME-302 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – ME-302

MAKE UP FOR EVER - ME-122 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – ME-122

MAKE UP FOR EVER - ME-108 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – ME-108

MAKE UP FOR EVER - ME-614 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – ME-614

MAKE UP FOR EVER - D-712 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – D-712

MAKE UP FOR EVER - ME-912 — MAKE UP FOR EVER – ME-912

The MAKE UP FOR EVER Artistic Palette is a limited edition item for the holidays and can be purchased on sephora.ca for $58 CAD or on sephora.com for $49 USD. (As I’m writing this post, it’s currently on sale for about $10 cheaper!)

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration.

NYX Liquid Suedes (Review & Swatches)

November 28, 2016Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesNYXChelle

NYX Liquid Suedes

The fact that NYX continues to put out amazing, unique products in shades that challenge society continues to boggle my mind. It’s mindboggling because they’re pretty much the first brand to do it (remember the Macaron lipsticks? I swear those were the first most commercially available oddball colours), but also because people have accepted it with open arms which means they can keep producing out of this world colours for us!

The NYX Liquid Suedes are a cream lipstick with an elongated doefoot applicator. They glide on like a thicker liquid lipstick, but set to a slightly tacky matte finish. They’re not sticky, but there is a slightly tackiness to it which, for me, helps them feel more comfortable on the lips. Less like a liquid lipstick that feels like it might crack off your lipsticks, more like a solid cream that bends and gives with the shape of your lips as you talk. They are not completely transferproof when you start wearing them, but as they sink in and set over the first hour after application, they will become less and less transferable.

While the Liquid Suedes do come in a wide variety of “normal” colours (although they all pack a significant punch of colour), they also come in some truly unique/off the wall colours that I can appreciate.

NYX Liquid Suedes in Alien, Foul Mouth, Little Denim Dress and Respect The Pink - swatches — NYX Liquid Suedes in Alien, Foul Mouth, Little Denim Dress and Respect The Pink – swatches

See what I mean? A black! A super deep eggplant purple! A SHOCKING BLUE!

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a colour I feel the least comfortable in, it’s this shade of pink! Respect The Pink is a light pink with a lavender edge. It’s a beautiful colour if it’s a shade you’re drawn to, but for me I can’t help buy laugh at myself in it!

I may feel awkward in a light pink, but I’m more than happy to sport a blue lipstick! Little Denim Dress is a beautiful shade, but you will need to wear a similarly coloured lip liner (or eyeliner!) underneath it because out of all the shades I tried, this was definitely the patchiest.

Foul Mouth is a really deep eggplant colour that sometimes looks kind of navy on me depending on the lighting. Completely opaque in one layer!

Could Alien be the be all, end all of black lipsticks?? I mean, it’s completely opaque in one swipe, there’s no patchiness and it’s comfortable to wear. Seriously… if you need a black lipstick for something – don’t go anywhere else – grab this one!

Final Thoughts

I’m really proud that an inexpensive brand like NYX continues to put out quality products in challenging colours for an incredibly reasonable price point (these’ll set you back about $10 CAD or so). I’m also really happy that these are a relatively comfortable liquid matte lipstick. There’s some give to the product while it’s on your lips that just isn’t there in the ultra dry formulas also out on the market (Colour Pop and KVD come to mind). I can press and lightly rub my lips together and not be worried about causing that HORRID sandpaper feeling!

I think the Liquid Suedes are a huge win – ESPECIALLY if you’re looking for a random, “weird” colour for a particular reason!

You can pick up the NYX Liquid Suedes on nyxcosmetics.ca for $10 CAD each or on ulta.com for $6.99 USD each.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.

Swatch Sunday: Urban Decay Full Spectrum

November 27, 2016Makeup, SwatchesUrban DecayChelle

Urban Decay Full Spectrum

If there was ONE palette I knew I was getting from all of the holiday releases, it was going to be this one!

I mean how could I resist Urban Decay‘s Full Spectrum palette? It’s a full on rainbow palette! And after my disappointment with last year’s Vice 4 palette, this was a welcome change up to their holiday lineup!

I’ve not actually had the opportunity to play with it yet (still working away on my Metal Matte palette), but there will be a video tutorial coming as well as a Challenge Week with five different looks!

On with the swatches of this beauty!

Urban Decay Full Spectrum Swatches

Urban Decay - Alchemy — Urban Decay – Alchemy

Urban Decay - Warning — Urban Decay – Warning

Urban Decay - Midnight Blaze — Urban Decay – Midnight Blaze

Urban Decay - Delirious — Urban Decay – Delirious

Urban Decay - Platonic — Urban Decay – Platonic

Urban Decay - Gossip — Urban Decay – Gossip

Urban Decay - Seize — Urban Decay – Seize

Urban Decay - Calavera — Urban Decay – Calavera

Urban Decay - Hatter — Urban Decay – Hatter

Urban Decay - Blindsided — Urban Decay – Blindsided

Urban Decay - Sketch — Urban Decay – Sketch

Urban Decay - Paranoia — Urban Decay – Paranoia

Urban Decay - Jones — Urban Decay – Jones

Urban Decay - Goldmine — Urban Decay – Goldmine

Urban Decay - Metamorphosis — Urban Decay – Metamorphosis

Urban Decay - Faded — Urban Decay – Faded

The Urban Decay Full Spectrum limited edition palette can be purchased on sephora.ca for $80 CAD or on sephora.com for $55 USD.

Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil (Review & Swatches)

November 23, 2016Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesMaybellineChelle

Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil

I am always happy to see more and more micro brow pencils being put out on the market. And I’m even happier when it’s a drugstore brand because it makes it far more accessible to everyone! The Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil is here to elbow its way into the crowd of all the other brow pencils before it!

And it actually delivers right up front:

The suggested retail price in USD in $2 cheaper than the NYX Micro Brow.
It also contains 0.005 ounces of product compared to the NYX Micro Brow which has 0.003 ounces (as does the ABH Brow Wiz, but that’s nowhere near the same price point).
And it’s got a spoolie on the other side (but I’d say that’s pretty expected now!).

AND, amazingly enough, Maybelline has actually labelled this “Blonde” and, FOR ONCE, it’s a shade that’s actually appropriate for blondes. (Everyone else seems to go with “Taupe” and then they can’t get blamed when it’s not a colour match for your mane of hair). I also find it’s a better colour match than their BrowSatin Define + Fill Duo which I reviewed over a year ago.

Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil - Swatch — Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil – Swatch

As you can see from the swatch, the colour is blissfully cooler than it is warm. Nothing matches blondes worse than a warm brow colour (unless you’re actually strawberry blonde!).

Left - naked brow, Right - Wearing Brow Precise in Blonde — Left – naked brow, Right – Wearing Brow Precise in Blonde

On the brows, this plays out like every other micro brow pencil: beautifully! It can shape my brow and give it the chunkiness that it’s otherwise missing. The Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil applied a bit softer than the NYX Micro Brow and ABH Brow Wiz, but a bit more firm than the QUO Precision Brow Pencil (which is super soft).

The only downside I’ve noticed to this pencil is that the tip has broken off on me three times now. Just a very small amount, but it’d made me realize I need to use it a bit more softly. Aside from that, I love how it applies and I think the colour tone is perfect for my hair. I kind of wonder if I’m going to end up switching to this over the NYX Micro Brow. We’ll see once I’ve finished it how I feel, but if this one is definitely cheaper than the NYX one in Canada retailers then I don’t see why I wouldn’t change over!

The Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil can be purchased on ulta.com for $7.99 USD.

The product featured in this review was sent to me for consideration.