Review | Eva Garden Long Lasting Nail Polish no.696 Mirto

I don't normally review nail polishes but when I dedicate a whole post to review one, you know it's worth getting. A case in point is the Eva Garden Long Lasting Nail Polish no.696 Mirto.

 

This is my first Eva Garden nail polish and since the Italian make-up brand has earned itself an excellent reputation, I had high expectations about this polish and luckily it did not disappoint me!

 

Packaging is very minimalistic in design and it is basically a traditional nail polish bottle - a transparent glass square shaped bottle with a black cap bearing the Eva Garden logo on top. I like the size of the cap which provides a great grip and precision when applying the polish and it closes tightly, which is a plus for obvious reasons. At the back, you have the shade number, no name though, you have to look that up on their website.
 

 

The colour is a gorgeous dark mallard green with a metallic finish. I don't think the shade name, Mirto (Myrtle in English) is actually referring to the plant's flowers but more to the leaves; nonetheless, it is still a very beautiful dark colour which is trending right now.  While it is not a colour I would have reached for myself, I am glad that this was in my goodie bag from the Makeup Workshop at Biocare Academy and I was really looking forward to wear it.

 

 

I was even more surprised that I wore the colour for a whole week because I love how good it looks against my skin tone and I even got a lot of compliments while wearing it! Like I said it wears nicely and it is true to its name in being a long-lasting polish as I only started seeing minimal tip wear by day 4 and even when I took it off, it still looked good.

 

Being a dark polish, it can get a little messy to take off so I suggest you use the foil removal method for mess-free removal. The polish didn't stain my nails and I am very happy with that (I always wear a base coat but some polishes still manage to seep through and stain my nails. I'm glad this wasn't one of them!)

 

The formula is actually very nice to work with and the brush delivers just the right amount of colour effortlessly. I found that the polish dries fairly quickly to a glossy finish so it is perfect when you are in a hurry and don't have time to wait for polish to dry and apply a top coat. Being a nail tech, I always apply two coats of polish but you can easily get away with one coat with this polish just because it is so pigmented.

 

Eva Garden claim that their nail polishes are resistant to chipping and sea-water. It is formulated to be hypoallergenic and is dermatologically tested. They say it can be used by pregnant women and it is free from Camphor, DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde, all four of which are known to be harmful to our general health.

 

Eva Garden is found on sale only from authorised stockists and the nail polishes retail for €8.93 for 10mL of product. Take your pick from 28 gorgeous shades designed to complement your wardrobe and mood!

 

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Although it may look pricey, I can guarantee it is worth every cent!

 

Check out the Eva Garden Malta Facebook page for more information.

Event | Personal Make Up Workshop at Biocare Academy

Opening my mail inbox to beauty related event invites always makes my day! The day when I received an invite from the ever so sweet Roberta on behalf of Biocare Academy to attend a personal makeup workshop, was no exception. Yes, such things make me happy :)

 

I was really looking forward to this event because it is something different from the other events we are used to, plus a makeup workshop with the uber talented makeup artist and educator Jean Pillow is something I did not want to miss!

 

The staff at the academy are always a pleasure to meet and they always greet us with a smile (and tasty nibbles and a glass or two of Prosecco wine)! I'm in love with their premises and we got to spend an entire three hours in their 'makeup studio'! Marija from all things lady was Jean's volunteer for the night and I think my fellow bloggers will agree that the makes for a good model and Jean worked her magic perfectly! Here are pictures and some tips I picked up during the workshop, which in my opinion was highly educational while being fun at the same time...we even got to apply our makeup in the end! You will see by the end of the post that makeup doesn't have to be for special occasions only, all you need is an extra 30 minutes max in the morning to give yourself a more polished look!

 

- Always start with clean skin. Well-cared for skin will help makeup look better and last longer. Here Jean is using Eva Garden Makeup Removing Tissues to cleanse Marija's face.

- The best way to ensure that you do not have a lot of product on your face to use your hand as a palette and blend the product before actually applying it.

 

- Patting motions always work best to blend the product into the skin and build up coverage as needed. It will also help makeup last longer.

- A primer base is a must to fill superficial wrinkles and lines and to even out your skin. It will also help the makeup last longer.

 

- Applying concealer with a brush is your best bet to make sure you cover up dark circles and blemishes well.

 

- To effectively conceal dark circles, it is best to avoid a light concealer and go for a more orange based one instead. The reasoning behind this is that purple (the under tone for dark circles), is exactly opposite orange on the colour wheel, hence the latter will counteract dark circles more effectively. 

 

- A dirty green concealer is specifically targeted to counteract redness (same reasoning as above).

 

 

- When it comes to finding the right foundation, everyone knows that your best bet is to try it on in white light or better yet, sunlight. However, did you know that it is best to check whether the shade matches your skin tone is to try the foundation on a protruding area of the face such as your cheekbones? This is so as such parts of our face catch more light and hence it easier to see how well a foundation matches your skin. You know it's a good match when you can't tell where the foundation starts and ends!

- Patting motions are your best to avoid looking cakey or putting on too much foundation. The trick is to use a latex sponge and make it act like a container for your foundation and gently press it against your face with your index finger (to bring the product out) while holding it with your thumb and middle fingers. This will also guarantee a perfect coverage while still looking natural. 

- There is no need to wet the sponge unless you are using a thick foundation such as the ones used for theatrical purposes.

- Setting cream products with powder ensures your makeup looks flawless, stays longer and gives your skin a matte finish.

 

- For eyes, start by contouring and shaping the eyes with a creamy eye pencil. Start by assessing your natural shape and decide if you want to extend your eyes or make them look smaller. The aim is to get your eyes to resemble an almond shape which is the 'perfect' shape for makeup.

 

- It is important to use a creamy eye pencil formula to allow easy blending with a stiff, small angled brush. Always blend towards the inner part of the eyes. and correct any mistakes with a cotton bud.

 

 

 

- To set the pencil, you can opt for a dark colour for a more intense look or else, go for another colour. During our lesson, green and red were used for a contrasting, fashionable look.

 

- When highlighting brows, avoid shimmery shadows if you have prominent brows as they will over take the whole eye look. Use a light matte shade instead.

 

 

Marija, happy with her makeup :)

We decided to skip the lipstick application and try the look ourselves with different colour combinations. Jean was there every step of the way to guide us and help us with any problems or queries. During the demonstration we even had the opportunity to try and feel the products to see which ones we like and think work best for us. We were even each given a face chart to jot down the products we used. Here are pictures of some products we used:



Eva Garden Extreme Loose Powder Transparent



Eva Garden Creamy Concealers 606, 607 and 608

 



As you can tell, the makeup used was all Eva Garden of which I was very impressed and I have already included some products in my wish list to get when I run out of the current products I am using. It is a very professional line with a wide range of products and prices are comparable to middle of the range brands.


All of their products are mineral based and hypoallergenic and I was really glad I didn't break out over night! Even the Makeup Remover Tissues felt nice and didn't cause any stinging.

Last but not least, every time we go to the Biocare premises, they never let use leave empty-handed! Jean chose a nice nail polish for each of us, each in dark colours to complement winter's darker colour palette. I was given shade 696 which is a beautiful metallic mallard green. I am thinking of some nail design to use the polish in for my next manicure!

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and I feel I learnt a lot of new tips and tricks for makeup application, so thank you Biocare Academy, Roberta and Jean for hosting us!
 

Review | Eva Garden Extreme Eye Pencil #95

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the Biocare Academy students' graduation ceremony along with some fellow bloggers (check out the full event post here) and we were each given a small goodie bag with products from various brands the company represents, amongst which was this Eva Garden Eye Pencil.

I have never tried anything from Eva Garden before and since all I heard about the brand are positive reviews, I was really excited to find this in my goodie bag. After testing it out thoroughly, here are my thoughts about it.

The pencil comes in a plastic sleeve bearing the Eva Garden logo while the pencil itself is sprayed silver and comes with a plastic cap. Ingredients and other product information are all printed on the pencil wood (Californian cedar to guarantee quality). The only thing that is missing is the product weight.

 

 

What distinguishes the Extreme Eye Pencils from the regular Eva Garden eye pencils are the shiny glitter pieces in the pencil lead that emphasise the eyes and give them a glamorous look throughout. The shade I have is actually a chocolate brown with purple undertones and gold glitter...the perfect match to my hazel/chestnut eyes!
 

Eva Garden Extreme Eye Pencil #95
(pic blurred on purpose to show the glitter)

 

Usually when it comes to glittery eye products, you don't really get a good payoff of glitter if any. This is certainly not the case with this pencil as the glitter beautifully transfers on the eyes along with a very good colour payoff for a nice, sparkly effect. Moreover, the texture is silky smooth and the pencil glides effortlessly, making it perfect to blend out for different eye looks.

Myself wearing the product.
Glitter doesn't really show in the picture but is quite visible in person

 

As for lasting power, I'd say it is quite long lasting and I'm glad to say it didn't irritate my eyes.

 

Overall I would recommend this eye pencil to anyone who loves a bit of sparkle and is willing to spend €9.56 on an eye pencil.

 

Eva Garden Extreme Eye Pencils are available from authorised stockists around Malta and Gozo and are available in two shades. For stockists and more information, contact Biocare Malta.