16th November, 2012
In a few days I’ll be celebrating my golden birthday! I’ll be 21 on 21 November. A very exciting day for me so I’m really looking forward. One of my best friends Emmie from the blog Just Tis Ems was so kind to send me a little present for my birthday! In the mail I received this beautiful Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette!
Little did she know I had been obsessing over this palette ever since it first came out! The first release was called “I <3 Matte” and was very popular amongst bloggers. Since it was so popular they decided to bring it back and changed the name to “Drinking A Glass Of Shine”. Sadly I cannot find Wet n Wild here so I’m really grateful Emmie picked this out for me! Thanks so much Ems!
The palette comes with eight shades. Four bright shades and four neutrals. It’s the perfect palette to throw in your make-up bag when you’re spending the night away from home. I really love matte shades but finding nice quality and pigmented matte eyeshadows, that are also affordable, isn’t that easy. That’s why this palette proved so popular. The pigmentation is awesome! I really love all the shades in this palette.
These are all the colours swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion. The fifth shade from the left looks less pigmented but that’s only because it’s very close to my skintone. Every single one of the 8 of the shades has awesome pigmentation! I’m also super happy with the white, finding a nice pigmented matte white eyeshadow is tricky at best.
A huge thanks again to the lovely Emmie for getting me this! Such an awesome present! She really knows what I love. 
She also reviewed this palette on her blog recently so make sure to check out her review. I believe you can find this palette in the US at Walgreens and other drugstores.
29th October, 2012
I’m back today with another post! Apologies for my -longer than usual- absence. I took some time off from blog work this weekend and enjoyed a super lazy weekend with the boyfriend. How was your weekend?
As some of you know I work at a second hand store a few days a week. I was sorting through the school supplies when I suddenly spotted this gem hidden beneath a pile of watercolour palettes. I almost screamed! It’s KRYOLAN!!! OMG! I’ve dreamt about owning Kryolan products for ages! I mostly blame Youtube Guru xsparkage for that. Kryolan is a famous make-up brand, used a lot in stage make-up, theatre, etc.
The one I got comes with 12 shades, it’s from the Aquacolor line and is called FP. Most shades were gently used apart from the black which sadly just hit pan. You can easily grab refills though. The previous owner didn’t treat this very kindly sadly, but I cleaned and sanitized it as best as I could. The shades are perfect as a base for your eye make up, or for painting the face or body. It’s super smudge-proof and easy to use.
You apply these shades by slightly wetting the pan or brush you will be using. You don’t need a lot of water, less is more! It dries very quickly and the pigmentation is just insane! Look how awesomely pigmented these shades are! Perfect for lovers of bright make-up.
And obviously bright make-up is exactly what I did with my Kryolan palette! I created a fun rainbow eyeliner look. Hope you like it!
Have you ever tried anything by Kryolan? Let me know in the comments below!
19th October, 2012
Today I’ll be showing you another palette by the brand Technic. Remember that bright palette I spoke about not too long ago? When I was browsing the web for more info on Technic, I stumbled upon the site Blush Cosmetics. They sell many great budget cosmetics as well as a few products from Technic. Since I loved that bright palette so much I was dying to try more from this brand. Blush Cosmetics kindly allowed me to try the 12 eyeshadows Fashionista palette!
It holds 12 neutral shades ranging from blue to purple to gunmetal and browns. It comes with two double sided foam applicators. I used these to swatch the shades on my arm.
I think the first thing that’s quite obvious about this palette is that it looks a lot like the Urban Decay Naked palette! This is why I made a handy side-by-side comparison for you. As you can see the Technic palette is slightly larger. The shadow pans are larger too, they hold 1.85g per pan, and the Naked palette holds 1.3g per pan. Much like the Naked Palette, the Technic palette is a mix of shimmers and mattes but the colours are somewhat different.
These are the swatches I made on my arm. As you can see all shades are nice and pigmented! I only had trouble with two shades, the light blue (second from the left) and nude shade (eighth from the left) were less pigmented but the others had great colour pay off. Especially the two last shades were nice and creamy.
This is the eye look I created with the shadows! I went with a very subtle and simple look I would wear during the day. I used the third and fourth colour from the left. The purple has an amazing shimmer to it, it has subtle hints of blue, orange and purple shimmer. Really stunning!
You can buy this palette from the Blush Cosmetics website for just £3.99 (about €5 and $6.40). I highly recommend you take a look at their site, they have an awesome range of products, all very budget friendly! Since they are based in the UK the shipping is very reasonable to Europe as well. They don’t just sell make-up, they also offer nail polishes, skin care, tanning products and more!
16th October, 2012
Today’s post will be more personal, featuring some of the recent Instagram pictures I took! If you’d like to follow me, my username is “veryemily”. Hope you’ll enjoy this post!
Ikat nails I did this week! Whenever I’m in need of a super quick manicure, I go for this design. I was going to take pictures for my blog but my mani chipped at work so this will have to do. I used a different colour scheme on each hand which I thought looked pretty fun. On my left hand I used OPI Mermaid’s Tears and China Glaze Peachy Keen, on my right I used OPI No Room For The Blues and OPI The “IT” Color. The black and white are my It’s So Easy Stripe Rites.
Behold, the amazingly awesome Kryolan palette I found at work. 
They are a professional make-up brand (yes these aren’t watercolor paints!) used in stage make-up. I’ve always dreamt of owning a palette by Kryolan but don’t have the budget for it, so I was pretty amazed to find this at work. I managed to snag it for under $1. SCORE! Review coming soon!
With the cold weather we’re having in Belgium, there’s nothing like some hot soup to warm you up! This is my favourite instant soup from Cup-A-Soup, Spicy Tomato. Of course I had to have some baguette slices with butter on the side. Yummy!
The awesome giveaway prize I won over at Elisa’s blog Memorable Days. A super kawaii Rilakkuma lens case, Mimi Apple Green lenses (review coming soon) and lashes! Thanks Eye Candy Lens and Elisa!!!
Our neighbours have a super silly kitten called Elmo who loves to climb in trees. He’s always dangling from the top branches, such a show off! I love him though, he’s so sweet and cuddly.
Glitter gradient on my mum’s nails! I used China Glaze Blonde Bombshell, It’s Alive and Some Like It Haute. I obviously used a peel off base coat.
New season of Merlin started recently! I seriously love this show! Are any of you fans?
And lastly, nail mail I received from my amazing friend Alex, aka Algae Veronica. She’s an amazing artist and seriously the sweetest person I know. She was kind enough to send me some halloween gifts! You can see both OPI’s in the top image as I used them for my ikat mani, and the China Glaze glitter called It’s Alive from the crackle set I used for my mum’s nails. Thank you Alex!
14th October, 2012
I have a very colourful review for you today! I’m featuring three eyeshadows by the brand Cuicu. I received these from KKCenterHK, a cosmetics supply store from Hong Kong. They offer products such as make-up, nail decoration, wigs, eyelashes and more. They have a massive range of products! You could honestly get lost on their site for hours, looking at all the amazing products!
These are the three eyeshadows I picked. The shadows are very large, the diameter of the pans is 4cm and they hold 4,2g – 0.15oz of product. Amazing right? For less than $5 per pan, you get amazing value for money! The packaging also looks very nice and sleek.
The three shades I chose are Violet, Coral Orange and Stone Green. How gorgeous are these? They are SO incredibly bright! The Coral Orange is slightly more coral in person, it’s such a beautiful shade. Violet is amazing too, it’s definitely an electric purple. Perfect for those who love bright shades!
They are so pigmented! Seriously! They are some of the most pigmented eyeshadows I’ve ever tried. And the quality is amazing too, the shadow doesn’t break down, it isn’t chalky at all. I barely noticed any fall-out and they were easy to blend. I’m hugely in love with them, honestly I have nothing bad to say about these eyeshadows. The packaging is great, the quality is great, the price is great. They are simply amazing products and I highly recommend them!
I decided to create three different looks with the Cuicu shadows. These are my three ways on how to wear bright shades on your eyes.
On the left a super simple smokey eye using just one eyeshadow, in this case Violet. It’s simple but very effective. You get a wonderful pop of colour on the eyes. On the right I created a winged eyeliner with black and the Stone Green eyeshadow. Also a more simple look but very fun and different.
And with the Coral Orange shade I created a more subtle look with a pop of color on the inner corner of the eyes. In the crease I used brown eyeshadows from my Sleek Oh So Special palette.
Overall I hugely recommend the Cuicu brand and eyeshadows. They are wonderfully pigmented, bright, and great value for money. I also had a really great experience with KKCenterHK. I hugely love their range of products, they offer so many amazing items. Definitely worth taking a look at their site! If you decide to place an order with them, they kindly gave me a coupon code for my readers, the code VERYEMILY will give you 10% off your order! Enjoy!
7th October, 2012
I’ll be brutally honest with you and admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with high end beauty products. I simply do not have the budget for it. This is why it is pretty special for me to be able to talk about some Estee Lauder make-up products today! I was able to try these after my collaboration with them on the Vogue FNO nail look which you can see here.
This is one of the Estee Lauder Pure Color eyeshadow palettes. How beautiful is this packaging? So luxurious! The outside is gold with matte gold lettering.
The Pure Color palette I received is called Film Noir and features five gorgeous smokey shades. The palette comes with a large mirror and two eyeshadow applicators. I don’t tend to use these for applying eyeshadow to the lid, but the pointy applicator and brush end are very useful for the inner corner and below the browbone.
Estee Lauder monogram pressed into the black shadow! Isn’t it gorgeous? 
*swoon*
Here’s my swatches! I used tape to mark the edges which is a fun trick I saw at the blog Bows and Curtseys. I still need to practice though! I am not sure these eyeshadows have names but the back of the palette does indicate finishes. From left to right: Shimmer, Satin, Shimmer, Metallic and Matte.
I created an eyeshadow look using the palette. Pictured above are the products I used for my look. The Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette, the Sumptuous Waterproof Mascara, Estee Lauder Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliner in Blackened Cocoa and the Estee Lauder blending eyeshadow brush which I absolutely adore. That brush is utter perfection. I find blending brushes often on the large side for my eyes but this one is the perfect size and works amazingly.
I created a simple smokey eye with the palette using all five shades. When applying, there was barely any fall-out which is a huge plus and really shows the quality of these shadows. They were easy to blend and apply and the colour pay off was great. I’m in love!
Have you tried any Estee Lauder products? Which are your favourites? Are you a high-end or drugstore kind-of-girl? Let me know in the comments!
27th September, 2012
Today I’ll be introducing you to Femme Fatale Cosmetics. It’s a fairly new brand on the market as they only started about a year ago. They are an Australian-based indie company that specialize in hand blended mineral cosmetics (and they recently delved into the world of indie polishes!). Owner Sophie formulates, tests and produces everything. I briefly talked to her about how she got started with the company. It was clear to see that she is extremely passionate about her business and has an eye for detail.
I received 6 eyeshadow pigment samples from Sophie to test and try out. The colours she sent me are absolutely stunning! I was so excited to see pastels, mint greens, purples and even a duochrome pigment. The baggies come with a sticker that provides you with ingredients and additional information, which I found very useful. The labels tell you the name of the colour, whether it’s vegan friendly and whether it’s safe to use on your lips or not.
She also included the Femme Fatale business card which has the most stunning artwork on the front. You can find a variation of the artwork on the website. Isn’t it gorgeous?
- Hallowed Ground: A matte asparagus green with pink shimmer running through it. I know I’m contradicting myself saying it’s matte but also has shimmer. You can sort of see what I mean if you scroll down to see the swatch. This shade is really beautiful, it’s unique (as are all the Femme Fatale shades to be honest!) and nicely pigmented.
- Spark Of Life: Super shimmery pistachio/mint green. I love this shade! I guess that’s no surprise seeing as it’s mint green. I’ve not come across many pigmented mint green eyeshadows so I hugely love this one.
- Poison: Again a matte shade with shimmer running through. This time a vivid yellowish green with subtle golden shimmer. This shade is just… wow! It’s so intense! Seriously beautiful.
- Phantasm: A pastel matte purple with pink shimmer running through. This is bright! Like really bright. It blows my mind how it’s so pigmented for a pastel shade. It looks amazing on the skin!
- Efflorescence: Gorgeous purple/green duochrome! The duochrome effect in this eyeshadow is really strong. It’s simply beautiful. Highly recommend this shade! It’s really different, I don’t own anything even remotely like this in my eyeshadow collection.
- Divinity: A shimmery pale pink. Leans towards peach/coral because of the orange shimmer. It’s very beautiful and great as an inner corner shade. It’s also safe to use on your lips!
Here you can see the eyeshadow swatches on my inner arm. I swatched all of these over an eyeshadow base. It was a bit tricky to capture the depth of the shades but I hope this gives you an idea of their beauty! They are swatched in the same order as the images above.
These are two eyeshadow looks I created with the six shades. I used the green/teal colours for the left eyeshadow look and the pink/purple shades for the right look.
Overall I was very impressed with Femme Fatale Cosmetics. I highly recommend purchasing with them, the quality of the products are amazing and the thought and detail put into the brand are what makes them stand out. Their prices are also very affordable, especially considering they are based in Australia were cosmetics are usually a lot more expensive. The eyeshadow samples are priced at $1.10, the mini size is $3 and the full size is $5.75 a piece. The samples are shipped free worldwide! She also sells beautiful glitter nail polishes, but they are currently only available for purchase inside of Australia so keep that in mind.
I hope you enjoyed my review! If so, make sure to take a look at the Femme Fatale Cosmetics website, as Sophie offers an amazing range of colours. You can find Femme Fatale Cosmetics on Facebook as well as Twitter. They are also currently hosting a giveaway to celebrate their 1 year existence. It closes in three days so make sure to enter now!
21st September, 2012
Today I’ll be reviewing the bright eyeliner pencils from Born Pretty Store! They are my go-to nail art supply but lately I’ve been really loving their beauty products. They have so much great stuff!
The eyeliners come in packs of six pencils, there are two different sets available. The set I received has black, purple, red, orange, green and white. They come with a clear blue cap to protect the pencils.
The eyeliners have a subtle shimmery finish and they are really pigmented! I’m very pleased with the quality. They are soft and easy to use and the pigment is great. I love using them for a pop of colour underneath the lower lashline! The red shade could even double as a lip liner, or any of the other shades depending how adventurous you are.
As you can see from my swatch they all have a really nice pigmentation and subtle shimmer. The orange/copper shade is the most pigmented out of all of them. You can find these eyeliners pencils at Born Pretty Store‘s website for $5.99. Don’t forget to use my coupon code EMILYW21 to get a 10% discount on your order! Have you ever purchased beauty products from Born Pretty Store?
19th September, 2012
Today I’ll be reviewing these gorgeous lashes! They’re by the UK brand Eylure, and the lashes are the Naturalites Intense 140′s. I must say, the shy girl in me took a deep breath when I first saw these. My first thoughts were “how on earth am I going to pull these off?”.
The lashes came with a small tube of Lashfix adhesive. It smells and looks very similar to Duo lash glue which can only be good. The glue is great quality and easy to use with the small applicator that’s inside the tube.
As you can see the lashes have a dark lash band. In my experience, usually lashes with a band like these are more uncomfortable but these were very lightweight and comfortable to wear. I could hardly feel I was wearing false lashes! I also didn’t need to trim them, they were the perfect length and size to fit my eyes.
Here’s the final look I created with the lashes! I used my Zoeva eyeshadow base, Sleek Storm Palette, Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Curl mascara, Too Faced Perfect Eyes eyeliner and of course the Eylure Naturalites 140 lashes.
I was very intimidated by the lashes at first but the end result looks really great. Perfect for a night out on the town! These lashes won’t give you a natural effect but if you want to glam it up, these are perfect. I was really impressed by the quality of the Eylure lashes, if you treat them carefully you can reuse them multiple times.
You can find Eylure products at Ulta in the US, Superdrug and Boots (and many other retailers) in the UK, and at Kruidvat and Di in Belgium and the Netherlands.
15th September, 2012
I have a really cool review for you today! An eyeshadow palette with amazing pigmentation, 12 shades AND priced under $4. Impossible you say? Meet the Technic Electric Beauty eyeshadow palette!
I actually spotted this palette on several Dutch beauty blogs. I read the words “Sleek dupe”, “amazing pigmentation” and “super cheap”. I simply had to get my hands on it! I sent my boyfriend to Bart Smit stores and he grabbed it for me. Thanks man! Seriously that guy deserves the boyfriend-of-the-year award
Bart Smit stores aren’t the only place that carry these. I had a quick look around and you can actually find this on a few online stores as well as a few UK retailers. Amazon carried it at one point but it seems to be out of stock at this time. In any case you should be able to find this if you are not located in Belgium or The Netherlands.
This is what they look like swatched! Pretty amazing right? I swatched these over my Zoeva Eyeshadow Base. The formula is on the creamier side but they break down a little when you pat your brush inside the pan. Not chalky, but not perfect either. But for under $4, who could complain really?
Here’s the eyeshadow look I created with this palette! I used the yellow on the inner corners, then the teal, blue, and purple blended in the crease. I really love how this looks! I never used to be very adventurous with colourful or bright make-up but my friend Emmie has been constantly inspiring me to go for colour. I have to say I really love it now! I was also quite impressed with the wear, I wore this eye make-up all day and it still looked stunning in the evening.
Overall this palette is a steal for just $4 / €2.99 and I could honestly recommend it to anyone that loves make-up and colour. You could even use these as eyeliners if you used them wet, something I definitely plan on wearing!
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