New In / Glo & Ray

Today I’m going to talk about Glo & Ray – a new British make up brand, founded in London in 2012.

Their goal is to create a cosmetic line that enables women to express themselves, complimenting their feminine beauty and with professional quality.

The range includes products for the eyes, face and lips and - although pretty essential - it is only bound to grow with time.

First off, I love the satin black packaging!

The Glo & Ray Mirage Mousse Eye Shadow comes in a minimal, sleek and sexy matte black pot – there are 8 shades available in the collection, all extremely wearable - from burgundy to copper to brown.

Caramel Candy* is a slightly warm brown with gold shimmer that looks stunning on its own or can be used as a base/primer for your favorite eyeshadow.

This neutral colour will suit any skintone, it’s extremely versatile; it's really beautifying and effortless to use: the creamy texture  transforms into powder and blends easily. It lets you add layers that play with the light, adding luminosity with every move.

I have to say I was chuffed to try this brand that I hadn't heard much about before - the Nuage Solo Blush and La Amo Creamy Matte Lip Colour sound fab too - head over here to check out the range and you'll find some gift sets too for your Christmas treats!

Have you heard of this brand yet?

Review / Kiko Milano Daring Game Collection

The new Daring Game Collection* from Kiko Milano is a stunner!

The packaging is sleek and mysterious and perfectly encapsulates the theme of the collection; a sophisticated, daring woman and confident on her own beauty and femininity!  

The colours are perfect to create a sensual mood both for autumn and the upcoming holiday season.

Mystery Smoky Eye Pencil: I love the packaging! The long, metallic cap is unlikely to get loose and make a mess in your handbag or beauty bag… such a simple but ingenious idea – and looks beautiful too!

They are soft and easy to smudge and the shimmer add a touch of glamour to an effortless smoky eye.

13 Wily Bright Wood is a musky green with silver particles that complements brown and green eyes;

17 Heady Rock Brown is a blackened brown with red glitter - subtle but very very pretty!

Color-Up Long Lasting Eyeshadow: I’m a huge fan of crayon make up (blushes, eyeshadows, lip stains). I enjoy the practicality and  versatile creamy consistency. 

The formula of these is fantastic! The colour applies uniformly and it's easy to blend; BUT once they set, they don’t budge at all – extreme reliability without creasing!

29 Irresistible Teal is a forest green, whilst 31 Tasteful Indigo is a luminous blue - both with a metallic and contemporary finish.

Don’t be afraid of the colour, tho - They are still subtle enough to be used during the day or to create an intriguing eye look in the evening.

Ace of Diamond Lipstick: the lipstick range comes in a variety of shades, from a neutral pink to a classic red to complement a more daring eye look. The formula is creamy, easy buildable and weightless; the lips appear fuller and with a semi matte, velvety finish.

21 Distinct Golden Hibiscus is a warm berry shade, lightened by golden shimmer, that is sure to brighten any grey autumn morning. 

The Daring Game Face Brush has a unique heart shaped head that has been created to work in unison with the Golden Game Sculpting Bronzer, which has a split section with bronzer and highlighter in the same compact (but of course the brush works with any powder).

The bristles are synthetic and of high quality;  they feel soft on the skin and perfectly kiss the cheeks at a perfect angle to create a natural and defined look.

Btw, THAT bronzer!!! I definitely need to get my paws on it... after all it’s someone’s birthday soon *hint hint* ;)

So, what do you think of this collection? Better getting your picks now before it's too late!!!

Haul / Beauty Swap

Few weeks before Christmas, my sister came over to the UK, so we arranged for a beauty swap; they are basically items that we were not using anymore/didn't suit us so we donated them to the other one.

I think I got some pretty good items here:

Helena Rubinstein Color Clone Subli-Mat Foundation in 22 Rose' Apricot - I've been wanting to try this foundation for a while and it didn't disappoint! It feels like silk on the skin and it transforms into powder, once blended; I think this is perfect for warmer countries (I will definitely invest in a bottle to use when I'm in Italy), because it does stay matte and perfect for many hours and it has an SPF12, too. It's such a shame that Helena Rubinstein is discontinued in UK, I think it's amazing quality make up and often snubbed when people do holiday hauls; I heartily recommend to check this brand, next time you're in Sephora - the mascaras and velvet lipsticks are my favourites.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in 10 Airy Jade - She has 3/4 of these and she let me choose one; I picked this frosty silver with blue undertones because I don't have anything similar in my collection; the consistency is dreamy and I've been looking forward to try one of these for a while. It's also beautiful just in the inner corner, paired with a deeper blue.

Shiseido Hydro Powder Eye Shadow in H13 Clover Dew - The prettiest mint colour for eyes. I think it can look really nice as a simple wash of colour in Spring, without looking outdated. The formula feels very creamy to the touch but transforms into powder, on application; I'm impressed! I was definitely expecting more creasing but they are actually true to their claim.

L'Oreal Color Infallible in 026 Golden Mahogany -  I was so excited about this colour! I'm not sure if this was ever released in UK, but I've been looking for this shade since I saw it on a Canadian youtube channel, over a year ago; then, my sister spotted it at a jumbo sale and got it for me! :)

Kiko Fierce Spirit Sun Bronzing Blush in 103 Mariachi Pink - This blusher is perfection! You get a blush, highlighter and bronzer in one and the 3 colours combined are the most stunning and flattering shade. I'd actually been 'borrowing' it during the summer, so she finally gave it to me since I love it so much… awww… :) 

If you get the chance to try any Pupa Make Up, definitely invest in these Multiplay Triple-Purpose Eye Pencil. They come in every possible colour of the rainbow, they are super soft to work with and long lasting. I have no. 22 (Silver) and no. 24 (Green), which I've been in love with forever; I like to use them on the lower lashline to brighten up the eyes.

Kiko Eye Pencil in 102 is another pretty lilac shade - not as soft as the Pupa pencils but still a decent eye product, especially for the price. 

Finally, you may have already spotted the Essence Happy Holidays Nail Sweets in action, here & here. I had fun using them and they are quick to apply too; they come with glue - similar to false lashes - and I have to say that they lasted longer than expected on the nails. 

Any particular product that caught your eye? :)

Urban Decay Summer 2013 Collection - part 2

Hello again!

In yesterday's post, I introduced the new eyeshadows and palette from the Urban Decay Summer 2013 Collection - Today, I'm gonna talk about the best sellers and much loved 24/7 eyeliners...

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are the best long lasting eyeliners on the market; they won't budge - you can be sure of that - and there are now 13 brand new shades and 15 re-releases (previously only available in sets), making a total of 40 colours for every taste. 

What makes them a world apart is the creamy and soft formula, easy to blend that becomes waterproof once it's set.They are also very moisturizing thanks to jojoba oil, vitamin E and cottonseed oil.

You can choose from tropical bright shades, metallic hues, matte neutrals and the colour saturation is always fantastic.

The brand new shades include Smoke* - a dark matte gray - Desperation* - another matte medium taupe with cool gray udertone - and Goldmine* - a warm gold with shimmer; Delinquent* - a cool dark aubergine with purple shimmer - is a previously exclusive shade instead.

top-bottom: smoke, desperation, goldmine, delinquent

Finally, there are also 2 NEW shades of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils: Mushroom - a cool toned taupe with shimmer - and Noise - a bright fuchsia with silver glitter.

These chubby pencils have the same creamy consistency as the liners and perform with the same longevity and reliability; you can use them as eyeshadows all over the lid (they don't crease), as base colours like a primer or as an eyeliners too, of course.

Noise* is the perfect colour for me! I've preferred pinks and purples all my life - probably because they complement my eye colour - and only started approaching neutrals in the last few years.

So, it's a no-brainer that I'm gonna experiment and get full use from it. 

I wore it at work, the other day. I'm a fan of a superfast mono shadow look effortlessly blended on the lid, especially at 7 am. It's demure enough for everyday but still fun, if you wanna give a Spring update to your make up routine.

Noise & Delinquent are easily my perfect combo. :)
So that's all folks! Another deserving and fantastic collection from Urban Decay... what caught your eyes?
xxx