Sunday, September 26, 2010

Eyeshadow primers - Comparison

Some days... or weeks (what do I know, time flies!) ago, Hebriden Sprite requested a review for the eyeshadow base by Manhattan, which I hauled in August (check the haul out here).
So I put on my thinking cap and decided that instead of a simple review, I'd do a comparison.

The shadows are a deep purple/plum/wine shimmer one by Dior, and a grey matte one from BB's Denim and Rose Palette.

The primers I compared are the following:

Bobbi Brown - Creamy Concealer (yes, a concealer, I know)
Manhattan - Eyeshadow Base (in nr. 1, only think there is one number, though...)
None, just e/s on skin.
Benefit - Stay don't stray! eyeshadow/concealer primer

Below, you can see those. They are in the same order as above, starting with BB to the left.


Strongest colour
As you can probably see, BB's creamy concealer is the winner when it comes to colour. I really don't like it as a concealer, but here, it works so well! Works wonders on those e/s you regret buying because they look pretty in the pan, but don't give any colour. However, the concealer doesn't stay on for long, so I would recommend using another primer underneath the concealer.

How long did it last?
If "lasting" is your key word when it comes to e/s, then Manhattan's eyeshadow base is your best bet, of those I tried. It really took some tough washing to get the shadow off there! BB's concealer and the e/s on just skin went off very quickly, and Benefit's Stay don't stray! was the runner up.

Best for shimmery e/s
Definetely the Manhattan one, since it has a bit of shimmer to it. It even made the completely matte grey one, shimmery! So take care not to use it when going for a matte look.

Best for matte e/s
Of those, I'd say Benefit's Stay don't Stray! but it really works well for both shimmery and mattes, so it is a very good one to have. Only thing I don't like about it is the pump. It always gives me too much! I do, however, love the skin tone of it. When used as a concealer primer for the under-eye area, then you actually need a bit less concealer because of it.

So, judging from this, for really deep and intense colour that lasts all night, you should prime with Manhattan's base, then sweep on a layer of BB's Creamy Concealer. I haven't tried that yet, but will be doing soon.

Here is a little summary of those:

If you want intense, deep colour, go for... BB's Creamy Concealer in you skin tone.
If you want long lasting colour, go for... Manhattan's Eyeshadow Base
If you want a matte to be shimmery, go for... Manhattan's Eyeshadow Base
If you want a matte to be matte, go for... Benefit's Stay don't Stray!
If you want one product which does it all pretty well, go for... Benefit's Stay don't Stray!

And finally, a few words on Manhattan's Eyeshadow Base, since that is what this review what supposed to be about!

It is a very nice base. I quite like it. It lasts long, gives rather strong colours. I like the packaging, too, which is a pot. The consistency is nice, very creamy, but never greasy. Only downside (also a plus, though, just depends on what you want) could be that it makes all colours appear to be shimmery. So when going for a matte look, it can't be used. Also, it smells a bit weird. However, that cannot be detected once on lids.
Overall, this is a rather good primer and I would definetely repurchase.

Finally, I know this is getting super-long, but can you see the difference when wearing shadow with primer and then without it? Wow!

Hope you enjoyed this!
Yours,
MissDiorista

P.S. What is your fave e/s primer? I know a lot of people like UDPP... haven't tried it, UD isn't sold here... but I'd love to know your faves!

Haul from Germany (part 6) - MAC, Artdeco

Whew, we're on to part six of this... humongous haul :) In this part, we are focusing on MAC, but we also have one product by Artdeco. Read on and enjoy this part of the haul!

The only thing I got from Artdeco is to the left, the palette. I build it myself, they have a really cool system. You buy the palette, and you can get all kinds of palettes. There is this one, there is a smaller one, a bigger one, and even one which can hold a lipstick, too! They also sell applicators and brushes to fit in your palette (not great quality, but nice to have when traveling, I guess). The blushes/eyeshadows use a magnetic system to cling onto your palette, so you can turn it upside down without anything coming off. Also, when you're done with one shade, you can simply replace it. You can totally arrange your palette to be just what you want it to be - for example, the palette above can for example hold six e/s and no blush, or 8 e/s, then no applicator. Or two blushes and two e/s... all up to you!
The palette I built myself is though as a travel palette. All the colours are shimmery (though I might go and buy one non-shimmery highlight colour...). I love the blush, and all the shades are buttery, very pigmented and do not have fallouts. A total win!

Then on to the MAC products.
First, you see a Beautipowder. It is Summer Rose from their Liberty of London collection. I just got it because my Shell Pearl got stolen, and I wanted to own something with the same packaging. It is a nice blush colour, kind of has a lilac tone to it, while still being pink.

Next up is an MSF, By Candlelight. It is from the In the Groove collection. I really like this. It is a beige highlight colour, with a hint of pink. When I use this, I use a bit less of blush. It is not a blush colour for me, even though my skin is fair. However, it does add a bit of pink, so that is why I limit the blush used with this.

The blush you see is Springsheen. I love this one, been using it constantly since I got it! It has a beautiful golden sheen to it, really makes you glow. Buildable, too, so you can adjust the colour to what you want.

Finally, we have a concealer. It is a Select Moisturecover. I really like it. It covers my dark circles and doesn't crease a whole lot.

So that completes this part of my haul, I really hope you enjoyed it! Please leave any product reviews in the comments, I´d be happy to write some reviews of those!

Yours,
Miss Diorista

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Just sit, watch and enjoy...!

The last few days I've been kind of observing other ladies' makeup, and getting some good ideas... Especially from those who younger people sometimes regard to as "uninteresting"... And I found that these ladies are everything but untinteresting, they've been giving me some great ideas!

For example, one lady was wearing blue eyeliner. Not a subtle, navy blue one, we're talking bright blue here! The rest of her MU was subtle, so the eyeliner really made her eyes pop and added such a fun twist on things!

Then again, some of them play it safe, with a beautiful grey eyeshadow look. It is nice for everyday, but of course, seeing some fun things is more... well, fun.

In that area, one lady really stood out of the crowd with a beautiful purple eyeshadow. It was subtle and looked natural with her warm complexion, but so pretty. It had a bit of shimmer and the colour was just so gorgeous...

Of course, when observing MU, you also see things which you don´t really like... if I should name two things, it would be overuse of white liner with the younger ladies, and lack of blush with the more mature ones. Just a bit of blush makes my day!

So thanks for all of the great ideas, ladies! I will keep observing... And please, the next time you go out, make an effort to look at other people's makeup. It is fun, and greatly inspiring!

Yours,
Miss Diorista

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Haul from Germany (part 5) - Chanel, YSL, Maybelline, The Body Shop, Sisley

It is time for part 5 in this huge haul... and we still have a few parts left :)
This part will include products from Chanel, YSL, Maybelline, The Body Shop and Sisley. I had never heard of Sisley as a cosmetic brand before, and I only bought one product, but I really liked their makeup (I swatched a few things in the store). So check that out if you can, and enjoy this part of the haul!

1) First, you see a Chanel Joues Contraste. It is in shade 82, called Reflex. It has loads of shimmer and I really love it. However, I have to be careful with it, since it is very pigmented. It gives me a very "warm", meaning kind of tan, look, which is nice, when that is what I'm going for.

2) Below the blush, you see a YSL Rouge Volupté lippie! I had wanted one forever, and I love mine so much! It is extremely pigmented, mine is shade 29 called Opera Rose. It is a rather bright pink, no shimmer, but so beautiful. I love the packaging, too, and the little mirror on the end! (If you checked out Temptalia's review on this, then note that this colour is much, much brighter on me than her...)

3) Next you see an ExpertWear blush by Maybelline, in shade 58 called Brown. Yes, it might have slight brown tones to it, but mostly it is a golden tan colour for me. I don't find myself craving it very often, but it is nice to have. The brush is crap, by the way.
The lippie in the middle is a Maybelline ColorSensational, in 148 called Summer Rose. I love this one so much, it is HG for me! It is a bright pink with shimmer, and I wear it next to always!

4) The third blush is by The Body Shop, in the shade Vibrant Rose. I like the packaging a lot, you kind of stamp your blush on and then blend well. I actually have the other shade as well, called Golden Coral, and have to say that this one is much prettier. The lipstick to the right is a Delipscious by The Body Shop in Sheer Watermelon. I like it, but I have yet to get used to the shade!

5) The white eyeliner is by Sisley, the shade is Snow. It is a true white, with subtle shimmer (I actually just realized that it had shimmer a few days ago, when I had owned it for six weeks already!). The texture is very soft, and I like the fact that it has a smudger on the other side.

This is it for now, as you can see, we are now getting to the "fun" part!
If you want reviews for any of those products, please let me know in the comments!

Yours,
Miss Diorista

A fun, bright, purple eye!

I came up with this look a few days ago when my girlies and I were preparing for a "girl's night out". They really liked it and so did I, lol! It is even brighter in person than on the pictures, though you can of course control that a bit with the shadows you choose to use. This is an easy look to do, and does not take a whole lot of time.
The main trick is so fun... read on!

Products used:
Tape
Eyeshadow base
Blue eyeshadow (shimmery)
Dark blue eyeshadow (shimmery or matte)
Light purple eyeshadow (shimmery)
Pink eyeshadow (shimmery)
Glitter eyeliner (preferably purple)
Black eyeliner
Mascara

A brush for packing colour (not necessary)
A fluffy, angled brush

(I don't mention any product names, since most of the makeup I used was not mine, so I don't remember which brand they were, sorry!)

1) Prime your lids. You don't have to go to all the way up to your brow, but do prime at the end of your eyebrow (see the pictures).

2) Now, take your tape and cut about 4 cm off. Lay it beside your eye, so that it goes from the outher corner of your eye, up to your brow (look at the picture, the wing is formed by the tape). Take your time when doing this, because this will completely alter your look.

3) Taking an eyeshadow brush (or your clean finger), pack on the (lighter) blue colour on your inner one third of your eyes. Try not to go above your crease.

4) Now, switch to a fluffy brush, preferably a slightly angled one (I would not use my finger for the rest of the look). Pick up the purple colour, and place on the outer two thirds of your eye. Don't spread it out, and don't go above your crease.

5) Using the same brush, pick up your pink colour, and, very carefully, start forming your wing. The tape takes care of the lower wingline, but you have to take care of the upper line yourself. Blend the pink colour slightly into your crease.

6) Again, with the same brush, pick up your purple colour and darken the wing a bit. When your wing is the way you want it to be, pick up a tiny bit of the darker blue colour, and carefully deepen the lower wingline (I hope you understand, if not, study the picture. You should be able to see that the wing is pink on the upper line, then it goes purple, and is a bit blue on the lower line).

7) Blend your eyeshadow. Take care not to blend up, and don't overblend.
8) Now you should have your shadow ready, so it is time for some lining! Use the glitter eyeliner on your upper lashline, but take real good care not to get any glitter in your eye! Then, use your regular eyeliner on your lower waterline. I chose to only go about half way in, so I wouldn't take the attention away from the shadows.
'
9) Curl your lashes, and apply mascara. You're done!
'
So, do you like it? Let me know, and please try it out if you have the chance!
'
Yours,
Miss Diorista

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Basketweave Cake!

A few days ago, one of my lovely and amazing aunts had her birthday! Of course, I made her a birthday cake. She is really in to knitting and all things you make with your hands, so I thought I'd do something connected to that. Last year I made her a regular cake, but with small balls of yarn as well as knitted sweaters, all made of marzipan, as cake toppers. It was kind of cute :)
But this year, I went for a simple but delicious chocolate cake. However, instead of the usual chocolate buttercream that I do most of the time, I made a vanilla buttercream and coloured it pink... then I made it into a basketweave! I was very pleased with the results and I really like the look of not covering the sides with buttercream. (Pictures from my aunt, thanks so much for them, I forgot my camera at home!)
'

And I should probably tell you that my aunt really liked the cake too... It took her about ten minutes to decide whether or not to even slice it, lol!


And a shoutout to my aunt, since I know that she reads my blog: Knús, knús, knús! (kind of a cuddly way of saying "hugs").
'
Yours,
Miss Diorista
'
P.S. Would you maybe like to see a tutorial on basketweave? Let me know!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Back to School - Cute School Supplies!

School is important - but there is no reason that "important" has to mean "boring"! I love cute school supplies, and I don't really buy anything for school unless I really like it. Just remember to look at your bright and preppy stuff when you're down about some tough math, and you'll be singing in the rain once again! Talking about preppy! This pencase is so cute! It has every bright colour I can imagine!
I use up pencils really fast (I write... a lot!), so buying cute pencils would be expensive since I would have to buy so many, lol. When I saw this amazingly cute troll pencil topper, I immediately thought that I wanted one! That way, my pencils would stay as cute as I am, all day long... :)

Staying organized is a big part of staying on top of things in school. But while staying organized, stay cute! This irresistable organizer is for 2011 to 2012.



Obviously, a back pack is a necessity for school. This polka dot one seems like a pretty good bet to me... Of course, if you carry very heavy books around (I feel your pain...) you might want thicker and bigger straps than this one has, and maybe you would also need a bigger one (I know I do!). But other than that, this back pack is right up my alley.



We are all pretty and perfect, but still, we all make occasional mistakes... very occasional... like once in a blue moon... And for those very occasional, once in a blue moon-mistakes, you will need an eraser. Pick a cute one! I love those Hello Kitty ones! Not going to promise that they erase perfectly (sadly, cute erasers are sometimes crap...), but they will look so cute in your preppy pencil case!
That completes it. I decided to only include items from http://www.amazon.com/, so that if you like anything, you can go there and find it. I do not profit in any way from the sales.
So do you like this kind of cute stuff? What is your "school supplies"-style? Tell me in the comments below!
Yours,
Miss Diorista
P.S. An eye shadow look coming up, stay tuned!


Back to School - Fresh Makeup for Younger Girls

Hi there!

So finally I am getting back to completing my series of "back to school" posts - I've done one so far, on makeup for high school, go check it out :)
This post is a simple but very pretty makeup look for younger girls, that is, maybe thirteen to fifteen, or so. Of course, it can be worn by anyone, for example, I often wear something similar to this. Sorry for the lack of pics in this post, but since I'm not including any eye shadow in this look, there wasn't really a lot to photograph.

But let's get started! You have four, easy steps, and this can be done in under five or six minutes, so go ahead!

1. When you are young, your skin usually glows with freshness, so be careful not to overload your face with something heavy, like foundation. You could use a tinted moisturizer, if you think you need it, but a sweep of mattifying powder will most likely do the trick. I'm using Benefit's Hello Flawless in "Gee I'm swell, SHELL" (pick your correct shade, and don't be afraid to ask for help in the shop. Getting your correct shade is key!). This will also help keep any oilyness in check, since that is often a concern when you are this age.

2. Pick a nice blush that you like, many girls like pink shades, but personally, I am really into peach blushes. Here I'm using Springsheen by MAC, which also gives you a bit of a healthy glow. This is a beautiful peach shade, with golden shimmer. The shimmer is subtle and the colour is buildable, but be careful not to put too much on, or you'll end up looking like a clown!

3. If you want to wear mascara, pick one that is easy to apply and doesn't clump up on your lashes. I really like Maybelline's Colossal Volume in Glam Black. It separates my lashes beautifully, gives me a nice black colour and a bit of healthy shine to my eyelashes. Also, the brush is easy and quick to use, which can come in handy if you're just getting into makeup, or if you're in a hurry on your way to school.
If you have a fair complexion, consider using a brown mascara. It could look more natural on you.

4. Finally, use a lipgloss. You can pick a colour that matches your blush, if you like. Today I'm using GOSH's 0058. It is beautiful rosy shade, with a bit of shimmer (check out my swatch in my June Favourites post).

This completes your look! You are now even more gorgeous than you were when you woke up, and you didn't even think that was possible, did you? :)

Remember that less is more. You don't want to create some kind of a face which is not yours. You want to be able to see your own beauty through your makeup. Also, it is very very important to use a good makeup remover before you go to sleep. If you have acne problems, use something to treat that (see a dermatologist for advice). Not removing your makeup can result in tired-looking skin and more breakouts, and not removing your mascara can make them prone to breaking... ugh, not nice! Taking good care of your skin now will pay off later :)

Yours,
Miss Diorista

Friday, September 3, 2010

Haul from Germany (part 4) - Brushes, tools and mascaras

We are slowly making our way through this huge haul, and now we are coming to the fun part! This part of the haul is all about brushes, tools and mascaras. Enjoy!


Starting from the left:
1) The first brush is simply HG! It is amazing! I had been looking for a good brush for contouring for so long, and was really going to buy the MAC one. Then, I stumbled upon this little sweetie, by a company called Fabiani. And you have no idea how nice this brush is! It is really soft and does not scratch my face, it has a comfy handle, it picks up product easily but not too easily... it is my new fave!
'
2) The second brush is your basic foundation brush. It is nice and I really do like it and use it a lot, but it does not come close to the Fabiani one!
'
3) The sponges are by Fabiani, and so is the eyelash curler. I'll start with the curler. I don't curl my eyelashes every day, but when I do, I like them to be perfectly curled. This curler does the job nicely. The thing I like the most about it, is that it came with two or three extra "pads", so even if they get dirty, you don't have to throw the curler away (even so, remember that it is really bad for your lashes to curl them after applying mascara. They can break or fall out. Try to curl before mascara ;)
I have not used the sponges yet, but I'm hoping that they will allow a sheer but nice coverage when used damp... I also really like the fact that they come in a sturdy box (nice for travelers).
'
4) We'll go through the mascaras, starting from the left. First up is L'Oréal's Volume Million Lashes. It is a rather new one, and has a "wiper", which is supposed to stop the mascara from clumping. I do like this mascara, but somehow I would not use it for every day.
In the middle is quite possibly my HG mascara... it is the L'Oréal's Voluminous. I had heard such good things about this one, that I just had to buy it. And yes, it is very nice! Adds volume and length, and is one of the blackest mascaras I've ever tried! This is supposed to be a dupe for YSL's Faux Cils, but I haven't tried that one, so I can't tell you:)
The last mascara is Helena Rubinstein's Lash Queen. I have only used this one two or three times, so I have to wait and tell you more when I know more!
'
If you want any product reviews on those, let me know in the comments!
'
Yours,
Miss Diorista
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...