Winter Favourite: Emerald Green Smokey Eye

While I normally do not stray from my trusty brown and grey smokey eyes, there is something about the winter chill that makes me want to add a bit of colour and drama to my daily eye look. On one daring Tuesday morning I rummaged through my kit to look for all of the rustic emerald greens and shimmery khakis I could find and this is what I created.

Emerald Green Smokey Eye

To achieve this look, it involved quite a lot of layering and blending - despite it looking like just a swipe of green eyeshadow! These were the products used:

Products Used

1. I began by dipping my flat eyeshadow brush in the black eyeshadow once, then straight into the matte emerald green and then proceeding to dab this all over my lid. I repeated this process 3-4 times to get the right amount of depth and saturation.
2. I then lined my lower lashline with this colour combination.
3. Next I used a lighter khaki green and a fluffy blending brush to blend into the outer corner and crease to give the colour some more depth and also blend out the harsh edges.
4. I continued blending with a lighter khaki shade and took this up a little higher into my crease and brow bone. as well as blending under the lower lashline as well.
5. Using a light, skin toned colour I highlighted under my brown and the tear duct.
6. I used a black gel liner to line both the top and bottom lashlines to give some added definition.

As you can see, quite a lot of technique and layering goes into what looks like quite a basic look. I find that if you skip the step of combining the black and the emerald green, the colour payoff is not as strong and ends up looking quite sheer.

Product Review: Beauty Essentials - "Be Warm" 9 Colour Eyeshadow Palette

I am a firm believer in having a make up collection that boasts both high and low end products. My general rule is: if it is designed to sink into your skin, do not skimp! For instance, moisturiser, serum, foundation and concealer are items that you want to ensure are of high quality and are good for your skin. I think this is where the difference in quality is most notable (not in all cases, I am sure). For everything else, I like to trial various brands to look for great value products.

As with any other Australian beauty fanatic, I have a slight (read: very serious) addiction to Priceline. I go there often; it is alongside the MYER/David Jones beauty department as being my "happy place". I think the thing that excites me about Priceline is the possibilities. There is a variety of Australian and international brands offering great products that do not get the advertising capacity that higher end brands do. I get a kick out of trying a lesser known brand that surprises me with excellent, less expensive products.

During one of my recent Priceline adventures, I spotted these Beauty Essentials (which is a Priceline-owned brand) eyeshadow palettes and I was drawn to the Be Warm palette because of the lovely mix of taupe, chocolate, golden and pink colours. It has a delicate blend of colours that compliment each other well and can easily be layered and blended together to create unique looks. Ok, it was also $5.99, so it was basically begging me to trial it!

Beauty Essentials - Be Warm 9 Colour Eyeshadow Palette ($5.99)

In all honestly, I was not expecting much from this. I thought maybe I would get one or two well-pigmented colours. So I was very happily surprised when I swatched all colours and realised that it is actually very decent. Some colours definitely come out better than others, but on the whole every colours is usable, layerable and well-pigmented. Cue astonishment!

Swatches from Left to Right, Top to Bottom.

I am particularly smitten with Row 1, Colour 2 (the golden/bronze); Row 2, Colour 2 (the chocolate brown); and Row 3, Colour 1 (shimmery pale pink). They go on beautifully and are a very intense pigment.

I created a couple of looks using this palette, and on both occasions I was pleasantly surprised with how well these shadows applied, even in comparison to other, more expensive alternatives.

Look #1:

Shadows used, and where they were applied.

For this look I used the taupe/grey shades to provide a subtle shadow in the crease. I use this technique regularly, as I think it compliments a bold lip really well. A slick of eyeliner provides definition, but on the whole it is more subtle, daytime look.

Look #2:

Shadows used, and where they were applied.

This look is a smokey eye, using the brown shades. The golden/bronze colour on the lip really popped against the chocolate brown. The rose pink colour was used very subtly just to blend out the edges of the brown.

My final two cents: great, cost-friendly eyeshadow. Obviously, it is no Chanel, but if you want to add some lovely neutral colours to your collection, you cannot go wrong with this palette.

What are your favourite inexpensive make up alternatives? Have you tried any Beauty Essential products?

Exploring Australis

Australis has undergone a makeover (zzzzing!), revamping its packaging and stepping up its game by offering quality products, gorgeous packaging and an irresistible pricepoint as part of its latest range. I gave the "Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Eyeshadow" a try, which consists of five shades per compact for only $15.95. That's less than the price of lunch, really.

The brown palette (Snap Attack) has a lovely selection of darker shades and lighter base colours. I found that the shadow went on well, with only a little bit of product going quite a long way. The pigment is also fantastic, giving a really rich colour immediately and allowing for plenty of blending.

{Australis' new pink-on-black packaging is chic and looks gorgeous when pulling it out of the handbag for a touch-up}

{I created a smokey eye using the dark brown shade on the outer lid, crease and lower lash line, champagne shade on the lid, cream shade on the inner v and lower lash line, and the light brown shade to blend out the darker brown}

 {the key is to always open your eye to check how high up to bring the smokey colour}

{voila!}