ABH x Alyssa Edwards Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches: On Deep Set Eyes, Tan Skin

ABH x Alyssa Edwards Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches: On Deep Set Eyes, Tan Skin

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, July 11, 2019

After Modern Renaissance - reviewed here - no Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette wowed me enough to make me buy it. Not Subculture, not Prism, not Soft Glam, not Norvina, nor Riviera.
Until the Alyssa Edwards palette.
Let me confess - I wasn't familiar with RuPaul's Drag Race until recently. And, when I first heard about this collab, I expected the shades to be even brighter than Riviera. This was, after all, a Summer palette. I expected neons. Electric hues.
But when I saw the colours, I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from a bright yellow, the rest weren't scary at all! Okay, there is a PURE white in there, but I can live with it (or even ignore it). The rest? Wearable. Fun to play with. Easy to subdue.
I call it my favourite non-drugstore palette of 2019 SO FAR. Why? You'll find out.

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Alyssa Edwards eyeshadow palette, and multiple looks on deep-set eyes.

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Revolution x Carmi Make Magic Palette Review, Swatches, Duochrome Makeup Tutorial

Revolution x Carmi Make Magic Palette Review, Swatches, Duochrome Makeup Tutorial

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, June 04, 2019

Are you ready for this? Duochrome eyeshadows! Magical blending! Easy-to-do EOTDs with depth and dimension!
Meet the Revolution x Carmi Make Magic Eyeshadow Palette, launched by Revolution Beauty in collaboration with beauty YouTuber Carmi MUA. This is Makeup Revolution's second collab with Carmi.
The Carmi Make Magic Palette is very different from the Tammi Tropical Carnival Palette, that I reviewed here - that was a lot bolder, more summery - this one isn't seasonal, you can use it at any time. 
The palette costs just £10, and contains 20 eyeshadows, of which six are a bit larger, and include duochromes, foils, metallics, glitters, and shimmers. The rest are matte or pearly/shimmery, no glitters. The colour scheme includes something for everyone. There are perfectly work-friendly neutrals, including the ideal base shades for those who are tan/warm/medium/olive hued. There are pops of colour that will see you through Summer. There are rich, smoky shades. There are ice-queen pales. Best of all, there are warm and cool eyeshadows in here. In short, I think this is one of the most universal palettes I've seen in a long while.

Scroll down for my review and swatches of the Revolution x Carmi Make Magic Palette, and a duochrome eye makeup tutorial.

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GRWM: Summer Night Makeup Look With Givenchy

GRWM: Summer Night Makeup Look With Givenchy

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, June 13, 2018

It has been a while since I did a full-face makeup look or tutorial. A bad breakout - as usual - was the reason. Now that things are slowly clearing up, I've been playing with makeup again.
My YouTube and Instagram followers may have seen my first haul of the year, from Sephora, a couple of months ago. I bought quite a bit of Givenchy makeup, including my first cream eyeshadow - a gorgeous purpley black affair. These are the products I used for my makeup look.
This is a purpley-black smoky eye makeup look for Summer nights out.

Scroll down for a Summer night out makeup tutorial with Givenchy products.

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Revolution Pro Full Cover Camouflage Foundation Review, Demo, Test, Swatches

Revolution Pro Full Cover Camouflage Foundation Review, Demo, Test, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, June 02, 2018

Revolution Pro's Full Cover Camouflage Foundation promises to cover blemishes, scars, and even tattoos. It is a vegan, cruelty-free foundation that costs just £7 for 25ml, and comes in 18 shades, just like other foundations and concealers from the Revolution Beauty range of products.
There is also a Full Cover Camouflage Concealer available, in 18 shades as well - review of that to follow soon. I call this one the best drugstore foundation of 2018, and the best drugstore full-coverage foundation.
I've live-tested it on VERY severe cystic acne and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation - as you will see further below. For reference, I have very oily, acne-prone skin.

Scroll down for the review, live demo, and swatches of the Revolution Pro Full Cover Camouflage Foundation.

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Makeup Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick Review, Demo On Oily Skin

Makeup Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick Review, Demo On Oily Skin

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, May 02, 2018

Makeup Revolution's Fast Base Foundation Stick costs just £5, and is a buildable medium-to-full coverage foundation that blends out like a dream.
Let me get this straight. I dislike stick foundations. I've noticed that they go on streaky, are hard to blend out, and don't stay on very well on my freakishly oily skin.
This one is the exception. And, I can't get over the cost! It is cheaper than The Ordinary's foundations. There are 18 shades, with more being added soon. You can take it along while travelling; nothing happens when you drop it - been there, done that - and, while I require some mattifying powder over lunch, it does perform quite well on my skin. As well as the average high-end foundation does.

Scroll down for my review and demo of the Makeup Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick.

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Fresh-Faced Makeup Look: Fresh Start For 2018

Fresh-Faced Makeup Look: Fresh Start For 2018

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, January 14, 2018

I had a very good first-half of 2017. Then, halfway through, Dad got bitten by a snake, and I was hospitalised with a severe case of anaphylaxis. Dad's doing better now, but then Gramps fell ill. I have allergy tests scheduled for next week.
So I hope 2018 is a lot better. To signify a fresh start for this year, I decided to do a fresh-faced makeup look. Dewy and soft, with very sheer foundation. Some mild peripheral warmth - no great contour. Soft neutral daytime-smoky eyes, and a gorgeously dusty-rose lipstick with coral undertones.

Scroll down for a wearable, fresh-faced makeup look tutorial, to make a fresh start for 2018! 

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Add Subtle Warmth and Glow To Your Face With By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powder

Add Subtle Warmth and Glow To Your Face With By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powder

Reviews Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, December 15, 2017

Anyone else here who cannot get the hang of Instagram contouring? I fail to master the sharp-sculpted-cheekbones-look at all levels. So in a rather clever display of "sour-grapes", I vote for a subtler look, a softer glow.
By Terry's Compact Expert Dual Powder offers just that; it comes in a demurely-packaged compact of two finely-milled powders. There are eight shades in the range, so you can choose from a blush-bronzer combination, a blush-highlighter combination, or a bronzer-highlighter combination. I prefer the last one.
This means that you only have TWO differently coloured powders to grapple with; just the two shades to figure out what goes where. Those multi-pan face palettes give me the heebie-jeebies, no matter how many face charts and instruction manuals the brands include. This one is a lot less daunting.

Scroll down for a review and demo of the By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powder.

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GRWM: Easy Rose Gold Daytime Makeup Tutorial With Foil Eyeshadow

GRWM: Easy Rose Gold Daytime Makeup Tutorial With Foil Eyeshadow

Rose Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, December 09, 2017

I did this quick and easy rose gold eye makeup look with foil eyeshadow - this was the first time I played with foil eyeshadows, and boy, AM I impressed! They are so creamy, glide on so well, and are easily blendable. Not to mention how opaque they are, and how they last even without primer. The only problem is that you may have to use your fingertips to pat or glide them on, rather than a brush. Or maybe a very stiff-bristle brush could do the job; since I've gone out of my way to buy only soft-bristle brushes, I cannot prove this theory.
You can wear this look to daytime parties over the Holiday season; it's just about subtle enough!
Enough of that, though - the tutorial is right ahead.

Scroll for an easy-peasy rose gold makeup look with foil eyeshadow. 

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How To Fill Your Brows With Sigma Brow Expert Kit Tutorial

How To Fill Your Brows With Sigma Brow Expert Kit Tutorial

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Discovering tweezer-magic in my late teens, I've ended up with overplucked eyebrows as an adult. Worse, they are asymmetric and flat, and try as I may, I cannot achieve an arched brow. Plus, I have sparse lashes. So I'm huge on filling my brows to frame my face - but without making them look weird and unnatural.
The Sigma Brow Expert Kit contains seven products to help achieve the perfect eyebrows. I have a demo for you further below.

Scroll down to know how to achieve the perfect eyebrows with the Sigma Brow Expert Kit.

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Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall 2017

Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall 2017

Wycon Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 17, 2017

My favourite eye makeup for this time of the year involves orange, and ruddy hues. And, we've seen a plethora of palettes with those shades recently. To the extent where you might as well label burnt orange the eyeshadow colour of the year.
I've picked my favourite cruelty-free eyeshadow palettes in terms of pigmentation, performance, and shade choices, and have swatches and eye makeup looks for each palette - do watch this video, give me a thumbs-up, and subscribe to my channel. 


There are older releases in here, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance, and newer launches such as TheBalm's Nude Beach, reviewed here. All palettes mentioned in this video are cruelty-free.

I prefer the burnt-orange/ruddy palette to the beige and brown based neutrals that were in vogue not so long ago. The former adds a bit of interest to my skintone, while remaining subtle enough for day-wear.

Which is your favourite palette for Fall 2017? Tell me in the comment box below.

SHOP THE BEST FALL 2017 EYESHADOW PALETTES:

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TheBalm Nude Beach Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches, FOTD

TheBalm Nude Beach Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches, FOTD

TheBalm Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Every time TheBalm releases an eyeshadow palette, my heart beats faster. I love their palettes so much, not only for the packaging, but also for the quality. That said, I was a bit meh after all the endless Balm Voyage and the Meet Matt(e) launches.
This time, TheBalm has launched the third installment of their famous neutral palette series - meet the Nude Beach Eyeshadow Palette. It follows the Nude'Tude and the Nude'Dude eye palettes, both of which are much-loved in my routine.
Yes, all three are sufficiently different from each other, as well as from other brands' neutral palettes. More details, including packaging, pigmentation, and performance, below.

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of TheBalm Nude Beach Eyeshadow Palette.

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks Review, Swatches

Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Estee Lauder's Pure Color Love Lipsticks came out earlier this year. Despite having "Pure Color" in the name, the packaging and look seemed to be a departure from the Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks - see review here and here. I picked up three after falling in love with the shades in-store.
There are different sets in this range - Matte, Pearl, Chrome/Foil, and Creme. I only picked the creme ones; you get enough matte from liquid lipsticks, and I like my bullets lippies to be hydrating when I touch-up.
There are 30 shades in the range, and there's something for everyone, from the subtlest of neutrals to the vampiest and boldest lippies. 

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of the Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks.

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Soft Neutral Makeup Look With Duochrome Eyeshadow

Soft Neutral Makeup Look With Duochrome Eyeshadow

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, April 27, 2017

Some days ago, I had showed you a makeup look featuring the Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadow in the shade Ritzy - see here. Here is another FOTD, with the shade Havoc. I cannot get enough of the Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadows. I want them all! I have also discovered a fondness for Chantecaille - I picked up a couple of their lipsticks on last year's Boxing Day sales, and cannot get enough of them.
This look was done soon after I underwent my second round of subcision for scar-revision, so you can see a bunch of needle-entry points on my cheeks, especially the right cheek. Because of the procedure, I only used a CC cream and not a full-coverage foundation - also, the snail mucin in the CC cream helps my ravaged skin heal faster.

Scroll down for a soft-glowy makeup look I did using Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadows, Chantecaille lipstick, By Terry Sun Designer Palette, and more. 

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Makeup Video With HQHair Lust List

Makeup Video With HQHair Lust List

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, March 01, 2017

I did a dusky-neutral eye makeup look with a mauvey-pink lip, using the products on my HQHair Lust List, which I showed you yesterday here. This time, I have actually shared the step-by-step look on video as well.

Scroll down for a full-face makeup look featuring theBalm Appetit Eyeshadow Palette and Laura Geller Spackle Primer.

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Duochrome Eye Makeup Look With Makeup Geek

Duochrome Eye Makeup Look With Makeup Geek

Makeup Geek Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, February 09, 2017

I did a date night makeup look where everything else was no-makeup makeup except for the eyes, which sported a duochrome eyeshadow from Makeup Geek - I love that you can use the duochrome eyeshadows all by themselves. Most of the other products used in this FOTD came from my 2017 Beautylish Lucky Bag, reviewed here.
Scroll down for the look. 

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Light Red Makeup Look With Coloured Raine Cosmetics

Light Red Makeup Look With Coloured Raine Cosmetics

Makeup Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Last week, I did a bold-for-me makeup look with Coloured Raine Cosmetics' Queen of Hearts eyeshadow palette, and Matte Lip Paint in 24 Seven. The latter is a light red lipstick, and I used the red eyeshadows in the palette, to come up with a very 1940s look, combined with my shorter hair - I look rather like an Auxiliary Territorial Service Member from WWII. 
Anyway, scroll down and take a look!

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Makeup Look With 2016 Favourites

Makeup Look With 2016 Favourites

Palette Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, December 05, 2016

It has been a while since I did an FOTD post; I have been taking photos of several makeup looks, though I haven't got around to sharing them. This one features some of my favourite makeup products discovered in 2016.
My favourite makeup discovery is Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer. I bought it on Norah Salazar's recommendation, as a concealer. However, in this look, I ended up "taking out" too much product, and have had to use it all over, as a foundation.

Scroll down to view my FOTD with Kevyn Aucoin SSE, Lancome Auda[City] in London, and By Terry Terrybly Velvet Rouge.

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Baking Makeup Technique: What, How To, and FOTD

Baking Makeup Technique: What, How To, and FOTD

Zelens Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Just when I thought I had the hang of strobing and highlighting, the trend changes to "baking". What next, the stir-fried makeup look? Or the parboiled one?
So what is the baking makeup trend? No, you don't stick your head in the oven. There are different ways of "baking" or cooking your makeup out there, but the majority of the beautysphere, particularly on Reddit, follows these steps:
1. After makeup, you apply a tonne of powder. Some recommend baby powder, but you can also use any old pressed or loose powder, or setting powder in your own shade.
2. Then, you proceed to dunk your face in a basin of water. Some do this by liberally spraying on a face-mist, but I find that leaves most of the powder on the face and actually combines with the powder "to create a sort of blancmange".
3. Post-dunk, pat your face dry - gently, please.
Fans of the trend claim your makeup will be set, matte and long-lasting. Let's see what happened when I "baked" my mug.

Scroll down for the lowdown on the baking makeup trend, and for a "baked" FOTD using the Lorac Pro 3 Palette and more. 

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Autumn Makeup Look With Bourjois Cosmetics

Autumn Makeup Look With Bourjois Cosmetics

Makeup Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, September 12, 2016

Bourjois has always been my favourite drugstore makeup brand. The quality of their foundations, eyeliners, blushes, bronzers, lipsticks and mascaras is as good as department store brands. The only thing I don't love about Bourjois is their eyeshadows - the pigmentation isn't awesome, and they don't have the kind of large palettes I prefer anyway.
Feelunique has 3-for-2 on Bourjois right now, and they ship worldwide, so I've just been Bourjois-hauling!
With all the Bourjois love going on, I decided to do a Fall makeup look with six Bourjois makeup products - and other brands as well. Warning: This isn't my usual look; I'm wearing dark lipstick!

Scroll down for an Autumn makeup look with six products from Bourjois Cosmetics.

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FOTD: Wycon Olive Green Eyeshadow, Korean Cosmetics

FOTD: Wycon Olive Green Eyeshadow, Korean Cosmetics

Wycon Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, August 15, 2016

A few days ago, I received a fun Korean beauty box, which I will show you later this week. I have been playing with the contents of the box ever since. This is a makeup look I did with some of the products, supplementing whatever the box lacked with other cosmetics from my own stash.

Scroll down for a full-face makeup look using olive green eyeshadow, Etude House BB Cream and other Korean cosmetics.

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