The Body Shop eyeshadows; the colourful

Hello my lovelies!

This is the Part 2 of my collection of the Body Shop eyeshadows.

Click here for part 1 with all the neutral colours ;)

All eyeshadows (except the matte purple shade) have the new velvety formulation.

Once again, click on the pictures if you wish to make them larger ;)

From left to right: #26- Shell Pink, #40- Baby Pink, #37- Pink Champagne, #22- Damson 

#26- Shell Pink: it's actually a shimmery light lilac. It's very pretty for the inner corners of the eyes, it brightens up nicely a look with neutral eyeshadows.

#40- Baby Pink: a shimmery light pink. I don't know why but somehow, I get compliments when I wear this eyeshadow- I use it as my main colour for the "innocent doll" look that guys like!

#37- Pink Champagne: a shimmery darker pink shade. I like the swatch of it but I can't work with it yet! Recommendations are welcome, as always ;)

#22- Damson: a matte dark violet, perfect for the crease area combined with the forementioned pink shades.

From left to right: #33- Aquamarine, #16- Sea Green, #31- Peacock Green, #42- Midnight Blue 

#33- Aquamarine: a matte light blue. I really don't know how to use it! Maybe I could team it over a sky blue eyeliner on the lower lashline?

#16- Sea Green: a dark shimmery silver with blue undertones. Among my favourites! My most worn eyeshadow combination for summer is Sea Green eyeshadow all over the lid and...

#31- Peacock Green: ...this dirty dark blue colour on the outer corner and top&lower lashline. I'm telling you, if you have brown eyes and want to make them POP, get them both! They look kind of dull when swatched but I swear to you, they bring out the golden hue of brown eyes like no other colours!

#42- Midnight Blue: the name says it all, I guess! A dark black-based blue. It looks at its best on top of a dark base, makes a gorgeous smokey eye- very hot this winter!

From left to right: #45- Star Silver, #38- Spearmint, #44- Golden Meadow, #43- Velvet Green 

#45- Star Silver: two words for this colour- liquid metal! The swatch doesn't do it justice, it's among the most pigmented metallic silver eyeshadows you'll ever come across!

#38- Spearmint: a pastel minty colour. I always think of Spring and Easter when I look at this shade!

#44- Golden Meadow: I like to view it as a "vintage" golden colour. I don't know, somehow it reminds me of the Art Deco atmosphere of the 1920s... I don't get a lot of green when swatched, that's ok though. I like to pair it with a dark red lipstick.

#43- Velvet Green: Yes, this is a gorgeous black-based dark green, it's among my favourites but... The powder broke after two weeks of purchase. And it's going to break on you too, if you purchase it. That simple :(

Phew! That's it with my review.

You can also look at my reviews for the Body Shop's Mineral eyeshadows, Eye Shimmers and Shimmer Cubes.

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

The Body Shop eyeshadows; the neutrals

Hello my lovelies!

This is the first post on the single eyeshadows from the Body Shop, where I'm reviewing all the neutral colours from the range. A second post is going to be uploaded today (hopefully) with all the greens, blues and purples!

Please click on the pictures to make them larger ;)

Before I start reviewing each colour seperately, I must mention that not all colours have the same consistency in pigment/finish/shimmer.

In general, most of the recent formulations fall into the "buttery smooth" category- and I appreciate it a lot when a brand sticks to a certain formula and makes a consistent line of products (in this case, eyeshadows).

However, many of my favourite shades are 5-6 years old (not the actual products I own but the date of their release) which makes me so sad because some of them have been or will be discontinued! Ooooh wicked Body Shop, I hate you for that...

 From left to right: #13-Vanilla Cream, #15- Pebble Grey, #29- Pink

#13- Vanilla Cream: a matte off-white, a colour essential for any make-up bag! I only use it on my brow bone to clean up any mess I've done with the blending of darker colours on the lid.

#15- Pebble Grey: a shimmery mushroom grey colour, perfect as an inner-corner highlight teamed with other cool-toned eyeshadows.

#29- Pink: a matte light pink colour. It's so easy to wear, perfect for daytime! Also looks great with a brown eyeshadow on the crease.

From left to right: #41- Golden Peach, #5- Burnished Brown, #8- Golden Paprika 

#41- Golden Peach: part of the new velvety formulation, the name says it all- a golden peach! It looks lovely when swatched but I haven't found yet a flattering way to wear it... To see a better view of the colour in the pan, please look at the first photo of this post :)

#5- Burnished Brown: a satin golden brown, probably similar to Mac's Woodwinked. Very pretty colour, looks at its best combined with lots of bronzer or a tanned face!

#8- Golden Paprika: a warm, shimmery bronze. Would look absolutely fantastic on blue eyes, sadly it doesn't work on me- although it looks ok when I apply it only on the lower lashline. Last year I dropped the pan and the powder smashed in pieces- I made an attempt to press it myself, see how I did it here ;)

From left to right: #4- Granite, #7- Conker, #32- Chocolate, #39- Soft Black 

#4- Granite: my absolute FAVOURITE of all the Body Shop eyeshadows!!! It is a matte mid-tone brown; I wear it alone on the lid, as a crease colour or on the lower lashline as it makes a beautiful "natural shadow" effect. But it has been discontinued, damn it!!! Could the Body Shop AT LEAST give to us customers a last-minute warning on the products that are going to be discontinued? Please???

#7- Conker: a part metallic, part duo-chrome red-toned light brown. Very wearable, would complement all eye colours. I mostly combine it with lilacs and purples.

#32- Chocolate: another favourite of mine, it's a dark cool-toned brown with silver shimmer and the new velvety formulation. It looks so pretty over a black base, it's my go-to choice for a brown smokey eye!

#39- Soft Black: as the title suggests, it is a matte black colour- not the blackest in the market but still good for beginners.

Oh, one more thing I almost forgot: all eyeshadows from the Body Shop fit into Mac palettes (they're actually 0.5 or 1 mm thinner in diameter) and the pans are very easily removed from the plastic container.

Watch out for part 2- I'm writing is asap ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Some eyeshadow palettes

Hello my lovelies!

I know, I know- I've been absent from blogger during the last ten days; once again, I was out of Athens with no Internet service.

I didn't want to write a post of me leaving town as it must be boring for you- so from now on, if I post nothing for more than 5 days or I don't reply to your comments within 24 hours, then it's because I'm out of town. I'm not ignoring you in any way!

Back to what the title suggests; lately I've been wanting to get a couple of eyeshadow palettes- one with lots of colour choices like those generic you get from ebay, and the other with a magnetic pan to hold my single eyeshadows.

The first eyeshadow palette I got is from H&M, it holds 36 colours (including some matte shades!) and it cost me 6.95 euros.

Which yes, it is a steal- but not all shades are pigmented or blendable; nevertheless, seeing all those pretty colours packed neatly in a small palette made me so-so happy! Candy for my eyes, for sure ;)

The second palette I bought is from Art Deco. Oh, I've longed for it for so long!!!

It has a magnetic pan that fits perfectly 12 single Art Deco eyeshadows; it also has a big mirror which is quite handy. Measures 12 x 7.5 cm and it costs around 14-15 euros.

I'm on a mission to fill this up with some neutral colours... It will be fantastic for travel!

In conclusion, I'd like to read your thoughts on cheap eyeshadow palettes like this one from H&M or those generic with 120 colours you get from ebay: would you wear these products on your eyes, knowing that they're made in China and perhaps their ingredients are not tested for their compatibility with the eye area?

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Mac Prep+Prime Eye Review

Hello my lovelies!

I've been meaning to post a full review on Mac's Prep+Prime Eye a long time now, but I would always find time to procrastinate- and there's a reason for it.

A month ago, I popped into Mac @Ermou str. with the purpose of getting this particular product.

Out of the three shades Prep+Prime Eye comes in, the lady at the store (who had a fabulous makeup on with glittery paws on her chest, due to the release of "Fabulous Felines") gave me the Medium. For the record, the Light shade was sold out...

Onto the product...

Pros:

- The packaging is wisely designed- the pot is plastic, with short height and a wide bottom, which works great if you're using your fingertips to apply it and your nails are longer.

- It has a luxurious, creamy texture.

- Beautiful colour- my shade, spot on! Makes my eyes look "rested" and healthy.

- Great coverage that takes minimum product. Looks almost indetectable on my eyelids, a very natural effect.


Cons:

- Well, there's only one: it doesn't prevent eyeshadows from creasing! I tried to play with it and use it in other ways to see if it's any better (alone on the eyelid, after an astringent toner, topped with powder), nada. After 10 minutes, I could see a crease line.

On Mac's defence, I looked at their website and it nowhere says that this product is meant to hold the eye make-up in place or to prevent creasing, rather that it "...primes the lids. Smooths textures, neutralizes lid colour".

But to me, a primer is meant to make your make-up stay longer on the skin, whether it is a face or an eyelid primer. This is not the case for this product.

In conclusion, if you don't have oily eyelids and you'd like a product to even out the lids' colour/texture, Mac's Prep+Prime Eye is an excellent choice (although a touch of foundation/concealer would do the same job, so there's no need to buy another product for it).

However, if you're looking for a product to make your eye make-up stay on, skip this product and don't waste your money.

My next purchase is definitely going to be a Paintpot by Mac. Painterly or Soft Ochre.
Share your thoughts and preferences, please ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Pink fever

Hello my lovelies!

Just so you know, I'm not a pink-lover kind of gal. At all.

In fact, I don't own a single piece of clothing/shoes/bag/accessory in pink! To put it nicely, it's between the last colours that feel closer to my style.

But lately I've been incorporating pink in my everyday makeup routine and I love it! Bronzers and corals are out for me this season, cool-toned pink blushes and Barbie-pink lips are my go-to choice.

1. The Body Shop Lip&Cheek Stain in #01-Rose Pink

My beloved!!! Look at how little I got :(

I guess that shows how much I love it- a HG product!

As you can see, it gives a nice pinky flush, just like the colour the cheeks get after exercise... Very pretty, looks natural and healthy, stays on ALL day... I would totally recommend it ;)

2. Manhattan Mousse Rouge Blush in Apricot

The more I use this mousse blush, the more I like it!

When at the store, I swatched some mousse blushes from Maybelline. Apart from the fact that they had shimmer (which I'm avoiding because it accentuates my pores), they gave me a bad reaction- almost an eczema rash! So that's why I picked up this blush, and I'm so happy I did!

See? It gives a beautiful rosey colour- more coraly and warm than the Body Shop Stain, but still very pretty!

3. Korres Jasmine Lip Butter (worn over Mac lipsticks)

Ok, so I've mentioned before that I loathe the Korres lip butters in the pot, purely because of the packaging- it's not so hygienic to dip your fingertips in a product, no matter if you've washed your hands before, IMO.

However, I repurchased the Jasmine lip butter because the colour is sooo versatile! I use it on its own or, most often, on top of Mac's Angel- which I find a bit drying on the lips. A favourite combination ;)

4. Seventeen nail polish #210

Yep, I'm wearing pink on my nails!

I'll always be a lover of dark and vampy nail polishes, but I desperately needed a "safer" and more sophisticated colour for emergencies like important meetings, etc... This is a more "muted" version of pink going towards grey/taupe, so it made perfect sense when I bought it.

So ok, the above might not be all that adventurous and exciting- but to me (a "neutral-makeup-colours" junkie) it's a small revelation ;)

FYI, I've also been using use some lovely pink eyeshadows as well, not shown in this post. I'm actually planning to do a full review and swatches of ALL eyeshadows from the Body Shop. Yay ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Current Wishlist

Hello my lovelies!


How you've been?
Me, I've been extremely busy/ lacking Internet service, hence the lack of posts during past week :(


So here's a lazy wish-list of products I want to try out during October-November:


The Body Shop Nutriganics range



Apivita Express face mask sachets- recommendations are welcome ;)



L'Oreal Lash Serum- let me know if you tried it!





The Body Shop Metallic Eye Definer. All shades, preferably!


A hot pink lip liner, like hers. I wouldn't mind wearing this makeup all winter!


Lastly, I want a green nail colour. Ok, maybe two... I love green!


Please do share your current wishlists, I'd love to read them ;)

Hint hint hint: If you are Greek and you love Mac, click here and report back your thoughts.

Excited? Bored? Anticipating more material?



Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everone!

CBSG5861

Tag: 10 things I love

Hello my lovelies!


I was tagged by Stavroula to do this tag. Hi, girl!


So, CBSG5861 loves:

1. Make-up! (Duh...)

I love the whole ritual of putting on make-up; deciding what to wear, combining textures and colours to find the perfect combination every time...

2. Lip balms!

I'm a big, big fan of lipbalms! They're my go-to choice for an everyday lip- chapped lips that have been slapped on with lipstick is one of my worst nightmares... My favourites are the Korres Mandarin Lip Butters; the grey tube makes a soft nude lip and the peach version looks so pretty with mascara and rosey cheeks!

3. Bars of soap. Lots of them

For the sake of this post I've included a pic from the Cleopatra soap bar that i used to love when I was a kid! Have you tried it? Post below ;)

4. Athens!

I love everything about my city, even its filth...

5. European films

I take great pleasure when watching good European films; I do enjoy some American block-busters, but only when I'm in a more relaxed mood. The picture above is from my favourite "Wings of Desire" by Wim Wenders.

***By the way, ET1 channel is showing an old film by R.Polanski with Catherine Deneuve. today at midnight. Don't miss it!***

Which brings me to...

6. Marcelo Mastroianni!

What a man, what a man... I recently saw a film in which he was starring with Sophia Lauren; all the time I couldn't get over how handsome he was! Sigh, the Mediterranean genes!

7. Sunday newspapers

They're the best company for my lazy Sunday morning cup of coffee ;)

8. Pretty little chocolate bites!

Even the smallest box of chocolates makes me so, so happy! I'm drooling by looking at this picture...

9. My two little dogs!

Don't they look cute? There's Cookie on the left and Rocky on the right... I love them to death!

And last but not least, I love...

10. My boyfriend

This picture was taken during last winter; despite the cold rainy weather we decided to go on a small fish tavern close to the sea... Weirdos!!!

K., if you're reading this and you're not comfortable with your picture uploaded on my blog, I'll take it down ;)

I'm tagging:

Blushing Loves

Dreamville

Efi's corner

La pazza ragazza e le fragole

Las ninas y los ninos

Meraldia

Pasiphae

Shopping&beauty blog

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

September favourites!

Hello my lovelies!

This is my first "monthly favourites" post, hope you enjoy!

...Family pic  =D

First off, during September I started layering my blushes and I love it! I found that the end result is more interesting than a swipe of one colour on the cheeks.

Favourite combination:

a matte coral as a base (Biotherm blush, left),

with a topping of a coral/gold shimmer (Seventeen blush in Coral, center- see my review here),

or a pinky/icy shimmer powder (The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in 02- Blush, right- see my review here).

My favourite makeup look that I wore during September was the easiest and quickest to do:

A little foundation and concealer,

eye primer and mascara,

a rosey cream blush (Manhattan Mousse Rouge in Apricot, left),

and a darker pink lipstick (Biotherm lipstick, discontinued).

I look pretty and polished in 5 minutes' time!

 

I also discovered a way to do the perfect smokey eye with brown eyeshadow!

You see, if you have brown eyes like me, you soon find out two things:

One, that you have to stay away from warm-toned eyeshadows, and

Two, that a smokey eye with brown eyeshadows doesn't really make brown eyes pop :(

But with a little experiment, I dished both of the above rules.

So, this is my improved version for a brown smokey eye:

a dark base on the lid (smudged black pencil, cream eyeliner, anything),

a cool-toned brown on top (The Body Shop eyeshadow in Chocolate, left),

a warm-toned medium brown in the crease (The Body Shop mineral eyeshadow in Bronzed Amber, right)

black eyeliner, mascara... and you're done!

See, I made a ridiculous demonstration on the back of my hand...

Seriously, it looks like a prehistoric creature living in the deep seas, lol!

Anyways, moving on:

During September I bought the Body Shop's blender brush (see my review here),

and Carbon eye pencil- the softest I've found, although not the blackest...

Nevertheless, love them both!

I also found a new use for my Korres lip butter stick:

wearing it on top the Erre Due Silky lip pencil in #61.

See? A nice sheer brown-nude shade, perfect for daytime.

Skincare-wise, my favourite product of the month has to be the Apivita exfoliating cream with olive and lavender. Its granules are from crushed olive stones and give a deep exfoliation, just how I like a proper face scrub to be!

It also contains Menthol -which gives a "cooling" feel on the skin- and Salicylic Acid -a big surprise, thumbs up Apivita!

Last but not least, the lovely fellow greek blogger Stella sent me this beautiful ring by Mark Jacobs from an older giveaway that I won. Thank you so much, girl!!!

 

Needless to say, I wear it every-single-day since I got it!

 

On the diameter of the ring it's inscribed the Latin phrase "Veritas Inlustrat", which probably means "Shining Truth". I'm not sure though, I've never had a Latin class!

I'd love to read you favourites of the month,
please share them below or post a link to your September favourites post ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861