Shu Uemura x Takashi Murakami 6 Princess Holiday 2013 collection - featuring Enchanted Black Parallel palette

The Shu Uemura  Enchanted black parallel palette is by far the most enticing holiday palette for 2013, a close second being the slightly more 'shy' Heart- full pink parallel palette from the same collection.
Something has to be said for the utterly beautiful textures of these japanese eyeshadows and one cheek colour (funnily enough it states 'made in Korea' on the back). The next feature of this palette is the simple genius mix of colours. I can be a goth, punk, on trend, elfish, pretty or dark princess with just a few choice swipes from this colour spectrum. What a joy!

The palette itself is slim and light. The  cutest 'manga' characters adorn the front of the case by artist Takashi Murakami - who has been dubbed as the "Japanese Andy Warhol" by many, but is his work is firmly steeped in Japanese culture and is famous in his own right.

Shade descriptions :
Top L - R
Metallic True Gold with subtle gold sparkle
Metallic True Silver subtle silver sparkle
Satin dense black with multi colour sparkle
Middle L-R
Soft tulle pink with subtle tulle pink sparkle
Satin lilac
Pearlescent Grape with subtle grape sparkle
Bottom L- R
Blackened green in a soft metallic finish with subtle green sparkle
Cheek colour - Rose pink with a soft pearlescent finish to add a lustre to skin

Indoor with Flash

Natural Lighting Outdoors

Natural Lighting Outdoors

All swatches were with one swipe of the finger. I now know what the true meaning of buttery is. My fingers in the pans are meet with such a soft touch. All shades in this palette are of the most exceptional quality. The smaller three shadows seems to be that fraction more dense and even more silky. Pigmentation, blendability, wear time are all there. All my boxes have been ticked. The enclosed double ended sponge applicators are good in a fix. The double ended brushes (hair unknown) are flexible and soft. I am quite happy with the exclusion of a lip shade, as I find these messy and "how do I touch up after the initial application?". Holiday palettes should have that dash of sparkle- this palette is perfect!


What has been your favourite Holiday collection released so far?

Charlotte Tilbury The Glamour Muse Luxury Palette

Today I am showing you my third Charlotte Tilbury luxury palette in The Glamour Muse. This was my first pick, when I initially saw all the palettes, as I loved the POP shade. This palette has two 'frostier' shades, one more satin and than a metallic glitter shade, so a fairly good mix of texture.

•  The Prime shade is a pale pink with a pearlescent texture
•  The Enhance shade is a rose toned taupe with a pearlescent texture
•  The Smoke shade is a satin warm grey with a hint of purple
•  The POP shade has a red purple metallic base with matching glitter

Prime, Enhance, Smoke, POP

All shades are beautiful in colour. They apply smoothly and blend well on the most part . The POP shade is slightly different from the Charlotte Tilbury glitter shades that I have. This purple swatches an amazing shade, but for some reason it makes my lids look a bit crepey- mmmmm, pity. I am trying my hardest to get this to work, but it applies patchy, but I will keep at it!

What I do love about this palette, is that when using the first three colours an elegant and office appropriate look can be achieved. When the purple is added into the mix, it changes completely in it an on trend colour look. The POP shade is a 'fly in the ointment', but I have been more than happy with my other palettes.  I have The Rock Chick on my radar!

UPDATE: I have been trying to get the best out of the POP colour. I have used it on over a primer, and a light sweep of MAC Pure White Paintstick. I have captured it it in the picture below. A lovely hue of purple has been achieved, with the glitter barely visible. I have worked the enhance colour into the crease for extra dimension and loads of mascara. The colour does show up quite well, with the shade needing to be built up with finger patting and layering a few times. It does still accentuate any lines on the lids but does look very pretty. You decide.

Jo Loves......A shot of Thai Lime over Mango and Pink Vetiver

Jo Malone has just opened her new fragrance boutique in London. I purchased my two Jo Loves fragrances online. The service was impeccable from advise to shipping. I have always loved Jo Malone's distinct fragrances that are unique and refined.

My two fragrances came packaged in these beautiful, plush boxes, with Jo Loves branded ribbons. With this gorgeous packaging I just knew that this was a special product . Fragrance is very subjective, but lovers of Jo Malone clean yet subtly complex scents will not be disappointed.

• A shot of Thai Lime over Mango - this cheeky little name is just as tart and flirty as the scent it is named after. This fruity scent has a masculine quality as the Thai lime, Mango, Black pepper, Freesia, Mint Leaves and vetiver and White Thyme Absolute all mix to gives it a fun twist. Every time I smell it I get the sensation you get when you suck on a lime itself. A strong summer fragrance that can take you into fall. This forms part of her Mango collection of 3 fragrances.
• Pink Vetiver - this is quite a masculine scent and categorised as Woody/Spicy, but is dripping in sexy. I can smell a lot of pink peppercorns which gives it that very come hither scent. Definitely woody.

Both fragrances have a 'light hand' - both last softly on my skin, but I am not one for strong scents that cling. I prefer a lingering quality to my fragrances so these suit me well. I can imagine how delightful it must be to pop into the Jo Loves store and smell all her wonderful creations. A few more fragrances have been added to her range that sound full of whimsy like :-  A shot full of Fresh sweet peas and No 42 A Flower Shop  (Her new shop is on the same site as the flower shop she worked in as a teenager - how poetic).

Classic bottles with classics in the making!

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Sophisticate

The Sophisticate is my second palette I am showing you from my little Tilbury collection. I had always wanted Tom Ford's Cocoa Mirage, so I chose this quad of four similar complimentary neutral matte shades. These run cooler than the TF quad. These matte shades need only one swipe for full intense colour. These are the antithesis of chalky 'blah' mattes than many other brands just cannot master.

The Prime shade (This is Tilbury talk for all over base shade), is a cool smooth cream which evens out my lids. I am feeling more sophisticated already. The Enhance shade is a soft camel colour, which should be nestled in the outer corner to lay down the colour then swept across the crease. This will add definition to that area. The Smoke shade is a deep warm grey donkey colour, that is good to thicken the lash area, with a wash of this shade or worked into the outer V and along the lower lash line for a more dramatic effect. The POP shade in this palette has no glitter, but is a warm brown with a slight red undertone. All shades are beautiful.

Prime, Enhance, POP, Smoke

Silky matte

Sometimes a polished look is quite nice even for my sometimes outlandish makeup tastes (Glitter Freak). This is lovely with a bright pout and a simple contoured cheek. I am thrilled with my purchase and if you are looking for a neutral palette that is versatile from a light fresh look to a Penelope Cruz deep sexy eye (yes and sophisticated) this is it.

Team Tilbury all the way!

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita -

I am excited to be sharing with you the first of my four Charlotte Tilbury eye palettes-The Dolce Vita.

I was a bit worried as a few if the initial reviews were ambivalent or negative. I had already ordered mine so I waited eagerly for them to arrive in order to judge for myself if these were going to be as dreamy and amazing as I had hoped them to be. I should not have even doubted them, as my previous Charlotte  Tilbury purchases were excellent and on par if not better than other luxury brands (I have previously reviewed here eyeliners here and The Retoucher concealer here).
The ripping of my Selfridges yellow spotted tissue paper was audible as I just wanted to dip my fingers into these unmarked buttery pans. Eureka!! -I had hit gold. My fingers were immediately stained with smooth, creamy pigments - I breathed a sigh of relief !-Yes they were everything I had hoped for!

Prime, Enhance, Smoke and POP

The packages, yes, is similar in colour and look of Tom Ford. It does not have the heft of a Tom Ford eye quad- but in my mind this makes them more portable. Each pan is smaller than a Tom Ford one. The back of the packaging has Charlotte's diagram of how to use the palette, which works well with her Youtube videos on the corresponding looks. So if you are a beginner in makeup application, or willing to learn more from Charlotte herself, pop over to her tutorials. I just love her nonchalant manner and cool Brit chic.

This is a warm palette! Similar to Tom Ford Cognac Sable, one of my all-time favourites. You could choose between the two, but they are as they say 'The same but different."

• The Prime shade - A brightening satin champagne
• The Enhance shade - Red Brown clay satin
• The POP shade - Warm copper base with matching glitter
• The Smoke shade -  Dark brown matte/satin hybrid ??

All shades are highly pigmented, creamy (yes I said creamy again) and smooth to apply. The glitter shades is best patted on to minimise fallout and to get maximum impact. This palette  a day to night to perfection.

On my first day of wearing two compliments only goes to show how nice this palette is.

Charlotte, you are winning such a place in my heart!

Charlotte Tilbury liners 3 ways : The Feline Flick, Rock 'n Kohl and The Classic eye pencil

Charlotte Tilbury's new collection I think quite cleverly incorporates 3 types of eye liners, which works well with her ethos of recreating different looks for all your alter - ego's - as her main page on her website asks "Who will you be." Since I like to morph my looks from day to day I had to indulge in all 3 varieties. 

• Feline Flick - This comes in one shade Panther, a matte warm black. Just enough flexability in the nib, the liner is aptly name as it give the most beautiful feline flick. "Quick fine line shodo pen" is how it is described and  this is perfect. Shodo is the art of calligraphy originating in china then migrating to Japan. These delicate and bold 'illustrations' are know for their nuances and beauty. So this 'shodo' eyeliner is used to create a precise feline flick. Ultra thin lines can be created for the inner corner of the eye to extend the look of the feline eye. The pressure you apply and the angle you hold the liner will change the thickness of the line you create. It has a grip, just like a calligraphy type pen. The matte black shade is good for both day and night as it is intense, but not harsh. I get full colour with one stroke of the pen. It lasts all day, yet comes of easily with my Bioderma eye makeup remover. I have managed to master a pretty good feline flick, and if you have ever attempted these they are not easy.
• The Classic eye powder pencil. This pencil come in two shades - Audrey and Sophia. I bought the darker brown shade in Audrey. With the trend on long wearing liners, this type of eye pencil has been discontinued by many big brands. Such a pity, as a soft effect is achieved with this pencil. Once layered over my shadow and worked into the eyelash line, this pencil lasts most of the day. It adds definition to the upper lash line and gives my lashes a denser appearance. This can be thickened up for day to night transition. It does loose it's colour a few hours in when I use it on my lower lash line and waterline, but that's pretty normal on my oily skin. I suggest a dusting of setting powder just below to avoid such migration. This is a close sister of Tom Ford's Espresso liner.
• Rock 'n Kohl is what I think of, when I think of Charlotte Tilbury. This long-wear, dense, waxy liner comes in two shades. Barbarella Brown and Bedroom Black. I bought the brown shade as I already have the Giorgio Armani and Urban Decay equivalents. I will probably also get the Bedroom Black in time as the other two make my eyes itch when I put them in my waterline. The brown is a dark warm black brown that reads almost black. This liner can be used as a sharp line or smudged to within an inch of itself to created a gorgeous smokiness. As near to prefect as these types of liners go.

T-B The Classic Eye powder pencil, The Feline Flick, Rock'n Kohl

L-R Feline Flick, Rock 'n Kohl, The Classic

Here they are after intense rubbing

I hope this review has been helpful to anyone considering the Charlotte Tilbury eye liners.

What are you go to liners?