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Category Archives: Eyes
Clarins Ombre Minerale 4 Couleurs: Wet & Dry Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in 08 – Blue Sky
Last week I was thrilled to receive what I like to think of as a Dollface Care Pack – a selection of products from Clarins, which I’ve been having lots of fun trying out over the past few days!
Clarins has been one of my favourite skincare brands ever since my best friend introduced me to the brand when we were at university. I can’t afford to use the products all the time, but I do still return to it when I feel like indulging myself, and am never disappointed. For some reason, however, I hadn’t ever tried any of the makeup, so I instantly made a beeline for this mineral eye shadow quartet, which is called “Blue Sky”, but actually reminds me more of the sea, with its combination of green, blue and grey.
The packaging is almost as pretty as the colours themselves: these come in a satisfyingly heavy gold case, with a little gem clasp:
The four shadows all have a bit of shimmer to them, and can be used either dry, or applied with a damp brush, for a more intense colour. Although I’ve been wearing them dry on my eyes, the colours didn’t show up well on camera, so this swatch shows the “wet” version:
I really love these colours: as a pale-skinned redhead, I often find that the traditional “smoky eye” colours or black and silver are just too harsh for my complexion, and can leave me looking a bit more like one of The Undead than I normally do. When I do a smoky eye effect, then, I tend to go for either greens or browns, which are a little warmer, and look better with my skintone. The blue in this palette was a bit of a departure for me, and isn’t a colour I normally wear, but I applied it on the corner of the eye, with the sea green shade on the lid, the black in the corner and crease, and the white on the browbone, and really liked the effect: so much so that I’ve worn it a couple of times since I got it – quite unusual for me, because I normally just make do with eyeliner and mascara!
This palette is part of the Colour Breeze Spring collection, and there are seven other colour combinations to choose from:
L-R: Violet, Smokey Passion, Rosewood
L-R: Pastels, Nudes, Indigo
Graphites
Left to my own devices, I would actually have been most likely to pick the palette I was sent (good job, Clarins), but I also LOVE the ‘Pastels’ palette (I’m currently obsessed with pastels), and, surprisingly for me, the ‘Violet’, which contains four beautiful shades of purple.
Which would you choose?
Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette, £30: click here to buy
Dollface Reviews: MAC Fluidline Gel Liner
As you can probably see from the state of the box, this little tub of MAC Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel has seen better days. That’s because I use it a lot.
This wasn’t always the case, though. You see, this is actually the very first gel eyeliner I’ve ever owned (I know, shocking), and I’ve only had it for a few weeks. In that time, however, I’ve become converted, and this conversion has come as something of a surprise to me, because I really didn’t expect it. I mean, I’d found my holy grail eyeliner pencil , I’d even found a budget version I loved: there was just no need for gel eyeliner in my beauty box.
Or so I thought.
I bought this tub of Fluidline on impulse a few weeks ago, when I was ordering some new brushes from MAC. (You know that thing where you think, “Oh, what the hell, I may as well just add something else to my basket, make the total up to a nice, round number?” That’s just me, isn’t it?) It comes in a little glass tub, and has a thick, creamy consistency:
You will need a brush to apply this, and there isn’t one supplied with it. I have an Anastasia one which came free with something years ago, but any angle brush should do the trick.
To apply, you simply press your brush into the pot:
And then use the brush to draw a line on the eyelid.
The reason I like this so much is that it creates a really smooth, thick line which is perfect for cat’s eyes and flicks. I only use it on the top lid – if I was doing a smoky eye, say, and wanted a more smudged effect I would go back to my trusty pencil, but this is the perfect product for precise application, and the kind of dramatic flicks I like. (I did take some photos of it on my actual eyes, but… I deleted them from the camera by mistake. Whoops. I will try to remember to take some more soon!)
This costs £13.50, but I know a lot of people swear by the Maybelline version, which is supposed to be almost identical – I’ll have to give that a try, too.
If you want to try this, meanwhile, you can click here to buy it at MAC.
‘Kitty’ false eyelashes by The Vintage Cosmetic Company
A few weeks ago, The Vintage Cosmetic Company very kindly sent me some of their false eyelashes to review. I’ve been really slow in getting round to trying them out, but I’m planning to road test some of the styles this month, and I’m starting off with the ‘Kitty’ lashes shown above which, like all of this brand’s products, come in a cute, vintage-themed package.
Here’s what they look like out of the box:
Very long, and very fluttery, and I must admit that when I first held them up against my lashes, I was a little alarmed, because these are longer than I normally wear, and I was a bit worried they’d be a little OTT. I needn’t have worried, though, because while they do deliver plenty of drama, they were actually more wearable than they expected:
These come in a range of different styles, and, as I said, I’ll be trying out some more of them soon: for now, you can click here for a list of stockists.
Dollface Reviews: HD Brows eye and brow palette
This HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette came as part of the Glossybox I was sent last month, and although it’s taken me a while to get round to reviewing it, I’ve used it every single day since it arrived, which I guess tells you everything you need to know about how much I like it!
The palette was created by the company behind the HD Brows brow-shaping salon treatment, which is getting a lot of press attention at the moment (and which I’m desperate to try!). It contains two shadows, and two brow powders:
You can see the shadows, in “nude” and “carbon” at the top of the palette, while the powders are “warm brown” and “ash brown”, at the bottom. I initially assumed the “warm brown” shade would be the best match for me, but it’s actually the “ash brown” I’ve been using – it’s a little more of a “taupe”, while the other shade is slightly redder.
Here are all of the shades swatched on my arm:
L-R: Ash Brown, Warm Brown, Nude, Carbon
Basically, this contains everything you’d need for a really quick, simple eye: the two powders fill in the brows (and, unusually for me, I’ve been using the brush that comes with the palette, rather than one of my own, because it’s the perfect shape to create a smooth, strong brow), the nude shadow for the lid and up to the brow bone, and a little dab of the darker shadow in the socket: simple, easy, but really effective.
This is £19.95 and you can click here to buy it.
Revisited: Eyelure Naturalities Evening Wear False Eyelashes
Oh, hi!
Is it creepy, having me staring at you like this? Do you feel like I’m looking RIGHT AT YOU, OMG? Sorry. I’m just trying to show you my false eyelashes, which are Eyelure’s Naturalities Range in ‘Evening Wear‘.
Now, I’m just going to admit it: I’m an idiot. I found a pack of these in my “to be reviewed” drawer, and had worn them all day, photographed them AND edited the images before I realised that I’ve actually reviewed these lashes before. D’oh. Last time, however, I only managed to get one photo, so rather than let them go to waste, I guess you can consider these photos as added extras. Here’s what the lashes look like on:
Here’s also what a really shiny t-zone looks like on. It’s mostly the effect of the flash, though: it’s not quite as shiny in real life, I promise!
So, as you can see, these are long, but not unweareably so, and they have a nice, fluttery effect, which I liked. I’m not sure I’d agree with the “ultra glam” assessment on the package: these are actually pretty tame compared to some of the lashes on the market, but pretty good for someone like me, who wants to add a bit of length and volume without it looking too OTT.
As far as wearing them goes, these were much the same as any other lashes: easy to apply, comfortable to wear, and the glue supplied with them held them in place all day, but came off fairly easy with the use of some eye-makeup remover when it was time to take them off.
These are £5.09 per set: click here to buy them from Superdrug.
Dollface Reviews: Rimmel Soft Khol Kajal Eye Pencil
Although I’ve already found my Holy Grail eyeliner (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil), the fact that it’s just a little bit pricier than I’d ideally like means that I still have a tendency to pick up cheaper pencils every now and then, to see how they work out. The latest of these is Rimmel’s Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in jet black, which is definitely cheap, at just £2.99 per pencil, and which also comes in brown, grey and a gorgeous shade of teal.
How does it measure up to the Holy Grail, though?
Pretty well, actually. In fact, I’ve been using this as my day-to-day eyeliner ever since I got it, and saving the Urban Decay for more “special” occasions, or when I’m going to be out of the house for long periods of time, and want to be totally sure my liner won’t budge. The Rimmel product isn’t quite as long-lasting as UD – it will start to wear off at the corners faster – but it still lasts much longer than most other brands I’ve used, which is something I wasn’t really expecting for the price.
What I like most about this, however, is the fact that, as the name suggests, it’s a really soft kohl, which means that it glides on very smoothly, and is excellent for creating thick lines, or that kind of slightly-smudged look for a smoky eye.
This shade is called ‘Jet Black’ and, well, the name really speaks for itself there.
Overall: I’ve been really impressed with this, and will definitely re-purchase it when this one is gone. While my regular Urban Decay liner still has the edge on it in terms of longevity and depth of colour, this is a fantastic budget buy for everyday use.
Click here to buy it from Boots.
Swatched: Technic Eye Shimmer Powder in Sapphire
Brightly coloured eye shadows and I have never been the best of friends, so this is a quick swatch post only: trust me, you do NOT want to see what I’d look like if I tried to actually WEAR this. (Or maybe you do, but only for the laughs…)
This is Technic’s Eye Shimmer in blue, and as you can see, it comes in a long tube with a sponge applicator:
It’s a really lovely shade of bright blue, which has quite a high glitter content:
Although bright, this isn’t actually very highly pigmented (well, you wouldn’t really expect it to be for the budget price of £1.99, would you?), and while you can layer it up, as I did here, don’t expect a very deep colour: it’s actually more subtle than it probably looks here – if glittery blue eyeshadow can ever be described as “subtle” – and the glitter gives it a soft shimmer rather than all-out drama.
Because I haven’t tried wearing this on my eyes, I can’t tell you how well it lasts: again, I think the price probably speaks for itself there, but if you’re looking for a cheap way to add some gorgeous colour to your life/eyes, it’s not going to cost a whole lot to find out, and there are 11 other colours to try, too.
Click here to buy it.
Dollface Reviews: Eyelure Naturalities False Eyelashes in 101
Over the holiday period, I tend to develop a bit on an over-reliance on false eyelashes. Well, I mean, if you can’t have totally ridiculous lashes at Christmas time, when can you?
These are my current favourites: they’re from Eyelure’s ‘Naturalities’ range, they’re number 101, and actually, the reason I like them so much is that while they’re still very obviously false lashes, they don’t look SO ridiculous that you feel like a drag queen in them.
I stupidly used my last set before taking a photo of them, but this is what they look like in the packet:
They’re traditional strip lashes, easy to apply with the glue provided, easy to remove with cotton wool and a bit of hot water. The best thing about them, though? You can buy them as a multipack – three sets of lashes for £13.74 at Boots. Click here to get ‘em…
Smashbox Brow Tech To Go Waterproof Brow System
I got a sample of Smashbox’s Brow Tech palette at Sephora a couple of years ago, and was really impressed with it, but of course, the sample size didn’t last for long, so I’m even more impressed to find this waterproof pen version available at QVC.
This actually looks a little better than the original to me: the retractable pencil is double ended, with one side housing the brown pencil, and the other holding a clear gel which will both condition the hair and hold it in place. Perfect for those of you who, like me, have “problem” brows (to put it mildly), which constantly need to be put in their place, this is £23.76 – click here to buy it.
Lancome Hypnose Drama Shimmering Mascara Topcoat
Having adopted Lancome’s Hypnose Drama as my Holy Grail Mascara earlier this year, I naturally find myself drawn to anything bearing the Hypnose Drama name, and that includes this shimmering topcoat, which is designed to give your lashes a bit of sparkle.
This doesn’t have to be used with a Lancome mascara – it’ll work over anything – and while I’ve no idea what it’ll look like when it’s on, or just how glittery it’ll be, I’d be tempted to at least take a look at it if I happened to be passing a Lancome counter, which I’m pretty sure I will be, sooner or later. (For me, ALL roads eventually lead to a Lancome counter…)
If you’d like to just buy it online, meanwhile, you can do so by clicking here.
