That Blush Sensation with In2It

I love bringing home wearable memento's from trips overseas, and a few years back when Mister and I were in Thailand I picked up this In2It 'Sensation' blush and promptly forgot all about it. I pulled it out last year and have been pairing it with my Maybelline Blush Stick 'Just-Pinched Pink' and my NYX 'Peach' and have loved the effect and the colour, so thought it time for a full post about it.

 

The colour is a gorgeous neutral pink that has enough of a brown edge to make it fit into my 'nude blush' obsession that is still going strong. I started off using it as a mixer blush but lately I've been popping it on by itself and it has made me appreciate just how pigmented this drugstore blush is - much better than other affordable powder blushes I've tried! I use my usual NP Set blush brush and the powder is soft enough to work with while still being firm enough to keep the pretty pattern intact. I find that there is still some colour left on my cheeks come end of the day too, which is quite impressive for a blush that I had low expectations for. The delicate and pretty embossing doesn't hurt things either, does it?

a screenshot of the In2It website

I also wore 'Sensation' in this 'What's On My Face' post if you'd like another look at it. I'm really impressed with this blush - the packaging is lightweight and cute, the small pan means I get to use it up in this lifetime and the colour is right up my alley. My only wish is that this brand was more readily available in Australia so I could pick myself up another shade - oh well, I guess a trip back to Thailand is on the cards then ;)

-Emma

Models Prefer Sweet Kisses Tin Palette - Photos, Swatches, Review

So it seems that Models Prefer are well and truly stepping up their game in terms of product releases - some very cute stocking stuffer-esque packs and the famous Sweet Shadows ($15 AUD) tin. The larger version of the tin palette comes in the form of Sweet Kisses, which is multi-layered and filled with much brighter shades than the smaller palette. You also get some face products with this one, so lets have a look and swatch this baby!

Some nice and wearable chocolate and neutral shades for the safe-Sally's, and some interesting colours mixed in like blue, green and a pretty purple shade. I have to say that this offering is quite varied in terms of colour choice, and those who (like me) wear bright eye shadows regularly will appreciate this aspect of the Models Prefer Sweet Kisses palette.

Using the ribbon to lift up the padded cardboard layer of eye shadows, you reveal an eyeshadow primer, duo shadow brush, mascara/brow gel combo as well as some face products. Cinnamon Spice is a slightly darker bronzer than I am used to, and has a bit of shimmer in it as well which is something to keep in mind. At first I thought Macaron was an all-over face powder, but it is actually more like a highlighter and quite a dark one at that. I think this may work for darker skin tones than mine, because it sort of looks silly on me.

My favourite part of the lower tray is definitely the Peach Parfait blush, which is red-toned and simply stunning! I've been wearing it quite a lot lately, and I am elated to have another red blush in my stash despite it being tucked away inside a tin. The Marshmallow blush also looks lovely, but I've just been so distracted by it's team mate that it hasn't garnered much love from me at all! Let's be honest, I bought this for the shadows + cute tin, so the Peach Parfait blush was a great bonus and the rest were just tacked on for me...

Now for swatches:
Row for row, here we go!

Butter Cream, Almond Nougat, Cherry Ripe, Honey Crunch

Toffee, Cocoa, Strawberry Cream, Caramel

Chocolate Whip, Pistachio, Black Forest, Praline

Truffle, Mint Slice, Maple Fudge, Dark Cluster

Now for the face products:

Cinnamon Spice, Macaron, Marshmallow, Peach Parfait

The texture of most of the shadows are decent albeit soft, with some duds that are still workable. My personal favourites so far are Mint Slice, Pistachio, Black Forest and Butter Cream. Overall, I am impressed with this palette and think it is worth the $25 price tag for the shade range and Peach Parfait alone!

 

 

I will have a makeup look using this palette up on the blog tomorrow!

What shades do you like best from this palette?

Are you a fan of mixed palettes like this, or do they overwhelm you?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Australis Neutrals & Neons

Most of my readers know that I am a sucker for a pretty palette, and when I heard that Australis had released a palette mixing neutrals with neons for less than a tenner, I was all on that like a hound dog!

 

The shadows were surprisingly smooth to swatch and apply, though as expected they are not as silky as brands like Urban Decay and less pigmented also. I was pleased with how wearable the neutrals in this palette were, and I feel like Australis have made an exciting step with the nicely executed neon shades while still making the palette marketable to those who primarily wear ‘safe’ eye shades.

 

Considering this palette only retails for $9.95 AUD I was really impressed not only with the quality of the shadows but the sturdy black & pink palette packaging and the beautifully designed box in which it was housed. I was talking with my sisters about how much Australis has changed since they were my age (16 years ago!) and it really has kept up with the times and seem to be pushing the envelope with new exciting releases all the time. I am lucky enough to sometimes get sent products to try from the brand, but I don’t hesitate to recommend their products to everyone I know and hand over my hard earned cash for their products a little too frequently, so believe me when I say they are one of my very favourite brands!

 

My favourite neutral shade is second from the left in the palette, I think it looks beautiful all over the lid or as a crease colour when paired with the first shade next to it. I think the mix is quite a good one, with the shades being pretty versatile and quite pigmented for the price.

As a neon and bright eyeshadow wearer, I’m elated to see how well these swatch and apply on the eye. I will have no problem integrating the green into my routine as I often wear similar shades, but I am most excited to try the silky smooth and pigmented pink which has my heart racing!

 

For less than $10 I think you would be crazy not to pick this up, even if the thought of crazy neon shadows scares you senseless! Sometimes you need a few ‘out there’ shades to play around with when you’re bored, and these will definitely entertain. I have a makeup look coming up tomorrow using this palette, so do keep an eye out and then let me know which shadows you’d like me to use for my next look!

*I paid for this myself! Honesty, always.

Clarins Odyssey Eye Quartet Mineral Palette

 

I am a major fan of Clarins collections, and as soon as the Odyssey collection hit counters I snatched up the Eyeshadow Palette with gusto. The neutral shades are something I know I will wear, and the gold leaf style shade within it was perfect for the festive season, and terribly pretty on the eye. I love the solid compact that the Clarins palettes are housed in, and the pattern atop the lid is just the icing on a very pretty cake.

 

 

The shadows are mineral based and smooth to apply, though the gold shade is very unique to my collection. It feels as though it lies between a cream and pressed gold leaf style of shadow, but I experience minimal fallout each time I use it on the eye. The other three shades are on the sheer side, which makes this palette a wearable choice for those in corporate workplaces or who prefer a light eye look. I tend to go for intense and pigmented shadows, but these still satisfy my shadow needs and I use them quite frequently.

 

 

 

The sponge tip applicators are something I don’t use, but for the eye look below I did use them to pack on the golden shade to the inner portion of my lid. I have only worn the gold packed on, but have seen other reviews of this palette where the gold has been blended out to produce a metallic golden sheen to the eye, which is something I’m interested in trying.

 

 

photo taken in direct sunlight

 

photo taken in direct sunlight

 

I decided to try out the suggested eye look that accompanies this palette, to show you how it would look. Since then, I’ve tried out more neutral looks forgoing the gold shade, but this is definitely the most striking for photographs.

 

The Clarins Odyssey Eye Quartet retails around the $50 AUD mark and though I haven’t seen it at the smaller Clarins counters, it is still out at the Melbourne Myer on Bourke Street.

What do you think of the Clarins Odyssey Eyeshadow palette? Do you gravitate towards neutral palettes like this?

 

 

*I personally purchased this palette. Honesty, always.

Illamasqua Neutral Palette

Illamasqua have been bringing out some amazing collections, and the Human Fundamentalism collection was no different. They seem to be taking on new challenges, with this collection and the new Naked Strangers collection managing to make everyday wearable shades exciting again!

This is my first quad from Illamasqua, I have a few of their single shadows but I love the portability of having these complimentary shades sitting side by side.

I like the Illamasqua packaging overall, though I think that I sometimes risk chipping a nail when opening their clasps.

I am elated that Illamasqua named the individual shades within the palette, there is nothing worse than trying to rave about a shade that has no name, or is identified by numbers (Inglot, I'm looking at you ><)

As you can see the colours in this make for a terrific smoky eye, but I have been wearing them toned down and they have fared well for me.

The colours are nicely pigmented, and though I had to swipe over Obsidian twice I find it hard to work with super-pigmented black shades, so I am a happy that this is a shade this blogger can work with.

Full sunlight so you can see the beautiful texture of Vintage.

I love these shades *sigh*

So far my favourite look with the Illamasqua Neutral palette has been to lay Vintage as a shimmery wash over the lid with Wolf in the outer V and along the lower lashline, with Stealth to blend out and highlight. Obsidian is something I like having in my collection for a night out, as I have a distinct lack of nice black shadows in my collection.

A heads up for my fellow Australian readers, this palette is on sale at the moment at Myer instore and online here, it usually retails for $78 AUD and is now $62.40!

Do you wear these sorts of neutrals?

Which shade is your favourite from this palette?

*This product was provided for consideration, which does not change my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.