Review | NYX Eyeshadow Trio TS10 Tropical/Yellow/Lime Green

This week, I had a major makeup clear-out which was much needed cos I really don't have anymore space to put all the products I have accumulated throughout the last few years. While going through my eyeshadow collection, I noticed I had a bunch of similar coloured ones (some of them were never even used) so I swatched them next to each other to keep the ones that were the most pigmented of the bunch.

 

When swatching the yellows, oranges and lime greens, this summery NYX trio made the cut. I have used this palette multiple times in summer in fact but not so much in winter when I tend to stick to neutrals mostly. This eyeshadow trio was actually part of a goodie bag that was given to me at the NYX Bloggers' Preview event in celebration of the brand's first store opening in Malta last August.

 

The packaging is very sleek and professional looking, reflecting the NYX brand status...professional makeup at affordable prices. The casing feels very sturdy and on the inside you get, a good sized mirror, a double ended sponge applicator and of course three eyeshadows.

 

The variant I have, TS10 has the colours Tropical, Yellow and Lime Green but of course there are other combinations you can choose from. Tropical is an orange based red with coral undertones; Yellow is a gorgeous lemon yellow while Lime Green is true to its name...dark lime green! I would say this combination of colours would suit brown, hazel and green eyes best.

 

 

All three shadows have a satin finish with excellent colour pay-off and all are easily buildable and blendable. Fallout is not really an issue with any of these shadows so that's another point in favour. 

As for staying power, I cannot really say how long they last on their own because I always use a primer underneath and that insures that the colours stay vibrant and in place all throughout the time of wear.

 

The whole range of the NYX Trio Eyeshadows is available at the NYX store in Tower Road Sliema. Check out their Facebook page for more info and to stay updated with the latest news from NYX world!

PR Sample

OOTD | Of Daisies and Glass Heels

After lots of trials and tribulations and countless minutes staring at my wardrobe wrecking my brains as to which outfit to pick for the Catrice PR Event last Thursday evening, this daisy print crop top I had bought from Boohoo a while back, magically popped in my mind. From then on, it was easy to pick the rest of the outfit and this is the result:

 



Blazer, Promod | Daisy print crop top, boohoo.com | Pencil skirt, Miss Miss
Heels, Marks & Spencer | Envelope clutch bag, New Look
Earrings, Orsay | Bracelets, Accessorize and Pimkie
Watch, Michael Kors



I don't know if it's just me but whenever I am going to an event, I like to wear something new and I knew I wanted to wear these new shoes I bought from M&S the other day so I planned my outfit around them and the afore mentioned daisy crop top which is long enough to be worn from underneath this high waisted pencil skirt. Since it is still quite chilly, I donned this orange blazer which adds a nice pop of colour and complements the heels. What do you think of this ensemble?

For those interested, this is a list of the makeup products I used:

Face

Inglot Under The Makeup Base

NYX Concealer in a Jar CJ12 Green

NYX HD Foundation HDF02 Soft Beige

Catrice Camouflage Cream 010 Ivory

Essence Stay Natural Concealer 01 Soft Beige

E.L.F. Mineral Booster

E.L.F. Studio Blush Peachy Keen

Eyes

Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil Milk

Pupa Milano Wet & Dry Eyeshadow Vamp! 200 True Gold

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour 010 Sunny, We Love You

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour 580 Carrots Of The Caribbean

Catrice Intensif'Eye Wet & Dry Shadow 010 Black or White Swan?!

MAC Fluidline Blacktrack

Essence Get Big Lashes Volume Boost Mascara Waterproof

Pupa Milano Made To Last Eyes Automatic Eye Pencil Waterproof 100 Black

 

Lips
Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick 190 The Nuder The Better
Pupa Milano Shiny Lip Fluid 001 Princess Nude
 

Monthly Favourites | February

Time for monthly favourites again ladies and this month I have quite a few products to show you, some of which are new discoveries. So let's jump right into it!

 

First up are some hair products starting with the Rainforest Balance Shampoo & Conditioner for Oily Hair from The Body Shop. I have been using these ever since I got them and my hair never felt this clean and refreshed! So much so that they have fast become firm favourites in my hair care routine.

 

 

The same can be said for John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray. I purchased this as I have finished the Straightening Potion, also from John Frieda and since I couldn't find it anywhere in stock I decided to try this instead. The results are practically the same except that my hair maintains a style better...definitely a favourite thing! 

 

In the lip department, nothing has changed really as I still favoured nude lips all throughout February and my go-to products for such a look have been Pupa Milano Shiny Lip Fluid in 001 Princess Nude, Essence Stay Matt Lip Cream in 01 Velvet Rose and Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 190 The Nuder The Better.
 

 

I have been reaching for this Catrice Defining Blush in the shade 060 Rosewood Forest everyday this month. I love the subtle rosy tint it gives to my cheeks and it lasts for a long time too. Having a gazillion mascaras in your stash can sometimes leads to trying out new ones and forgetting other ones. While looking for an opened and never finished mascara in my stash, this Essence Get Big Lashes Waterproof Volume Boost Mascara caught my eyes. When I first got it, I had mixed feelings about this mascara but I have grown to love it this month. It gives the lashes a full appearance and it is true to its name as to being waterproof. A must-have in my opinion!

 

Lastly, I have another two new products which were actually a gift from a friend. The first of which is this Chanel quad 208 Tisse Gabrielle which is the same quad used in their Dallas Metiers D'Art show. I love the colours in the palette and they last really long. Also, it's Chanel!

 

The last product I have to show you was also a gift and it is the J'Adore L'Eau Cologne Floreale by Dior. I own the original J'Adore too so I knew I would like this one and I ended up using this almost everyday just because I like it so much and it is not overpowering for everyday use.

And that concludes my February favourites! Which products did you love most this month?

Review | Essence Stay Matt Lip Creams

Lately, in my monthly favourites posts, I have shared the Essence Stay Matt Lip Cream 01 Velvet Rose as one of my go to colours at the moment. However, I feel that they deserve a full review so I will be sharing my thoughts on the two shades I own from the core range of four as well as a limited edition shade.

 

I had a love-hate relationship with matt lip colours up to a few months ago until I tried one of the matt lip creams from Essence's Guerilla Gardening Trend Editon earlier last year. I loved it so much I couldn't wait for the local distributors to get the Stay Matt Lip Creams and when they finally made it to our shores, I went in and got the shades 01 Velvet Rose and 02 Smooth Berry.

 

 

The packaging is very simple and I like that the bottom part is transparent so I can see the colour. Also, the cap closes tightly and the doe foot applicator makes for a precise application of the product.

All three shades are very pigmented with a buttery soft texture and a sweet vanilla scent. The first time I tried these, I expected the colour to dry but it does not. It just stays creamy, a bit like lipstick and it feels very moisturising on the lips. In fact, my lips never dry out when wearing these matt lip creams. As for lasting power, I'd say they last for 2 or 3 hours on me so you definitely need to touch up during the day; however, I find that the darker shades tend to stain the lips so they appear to last longer.

Now onto the swatches.

01 Velvet Rose is a nude pink crème that is slightly darker in person than in the picture.

 

02 Smooth Berry is a raspberry pink crème 

 

02 Floral Glam (limited edition shade from the Guerilla Gardening Trend Edition) is an orange base red crème 

 

I really like these matt lip creams especially because they don't dry out the lips, which is not the standard with matt lip products.

 

Essence Stay Matt Lip Creams retail for €2.10 for 4ml of product and can be found from various pharmacies around Malta & Gozo.

 

To keep up to date with Essence news, like their Facebook page!

Event | Catrice Cosmetics PR Event

Last Thursday saw me getting ready for a highly anticipated event in my calendar: the launch of new products from cosmetics brand Catrice. I always get excited whenever I'm invited to an event by PharmaMT because they are always professionally organised in lavish surroundings and this time was no exception.

 

It all took place at Level 22, Portomaso. Too bad I couldn't take any pictures of the view beneath us...Portomaso marina with all the luxurious yachts and part of the Hilton Hotel grounds...absolutely breath-taking!

So, back to the actual event. We were greeted with champagne at the entrance and tasty canapés were served throughout the night. Not only that, but there was a nice selection of the new releases on the tables in front of us waiting to be sampled and subsequently oohed and aahed at.

 

There was also a full-sized stand stocked with all the range of products and I cannot wait to get my hands on some of those beautiful nail polishes and the Made To Stay Smoothing Lip Polishes.

 

The Eve In Bloom and Celtica Trend Editions also have some intriguing products which I really want to try.

 

Mr. Dennis Bornmann from Cosnova, the mother company of Catrice and Essence delivered an excellent presentation about the brand after which we continued to catch up with each other, take pictures and swatch every product we liked!

Once again I would like to thank the people from PharmaMT for inviting us to the event and also for the generous goodie bag we were given at the end of the do. I really look forward to try all the products! Don't forget to like the Catrice Malta Facebook page to stay updated!

 

Now please excuse me while I swatch the products and compile a wishlist of what to get ;P