August Favourites

August Favourites

Hourglass - Ambient in Ethereal Light (Cool Translucent)

This powder looks great on the skin - It is such a fine luminous powder that subtly diffuses fine lines/open pores whilst giving your skin a silky natural beautiful glow. If you want coverage, this powder wont give it to you as it acts more like a setting powder. However the benefit of being a light weight powder is that you use it to touch up several times during the day without creating that cakey look or feel. 

Hourglass - Veil Mineral Primer

This primer is great if you have oily skin or an oily T-zone as it is not just an oil free but it also has the ability to absorb up excess oil. Perfect for a long shift as you'll come back home with no oily residue on your skin at all. It also smoothes out open pores and fine lines and makes your skin feel so velvety smooth. If you're like me and have combination skin, you can just use it on your t-zone.

YSL - Glossy Stain in 15 Rose Vinyl

I recently got introduced to this product from my friend Elena at Lulu & Char. This lip stain is amazing! Not only does the colour stay on all day, but the glossiness doesn't seem to wear off either. There are heaps of lip stains around these days and most of them tend to dry out your lips but because YSL's Glossy Stain is like a lip gloss, your lips will feel nice and hydrated throughout the day. Best thing about this is that it doesn't feel sticky like other lip glosses.

LHS: Away from natural light

RHS: Towards natural light

Lancome - Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof

This mascara gives volume and length without being clumpy. Because of it's more separating acting, you can achieve a more natural, fluttery and 'doll-eyed' effect. I got the waterproof version as my eyelashes tend to droop very easily if I use non-waterproof mascara's. 

Image Above: Wearing Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes

By Terry - Touche Veloutee #2 Cream

I have never heard of an eye brightener and blemish cover up in one until I discovered By Terry's Touche Veloutee! For those of you who don't know By Terry, she is the maker of YSL's renowned Touche Eclat. A few years later, she came out with her own line which houses luxurious makeup products that have skincare benefits in them too. This highlighting brush is not only a light reflecting brightener that can be used underneath the eyes to cover dark circles but it is also a smooth and creamy concealer that can cover up any imperfections such as blemishes, dark spots, redness, fine lines and wrinkles. And because this product contains hydra-plumping hyaloronic acid microspeheres which hydrates and smoothes away fine lines, it is less prone to creasing into your lines. Great for dry under eyes or dry skin in general!

April Favourites

Eve Lom Hand Cream

$48 AUD at Mecca Cosmetica

- Attractive, clean, and simple packaging.

- Contains natural exfoliators (salicylic acid and kokum butter) smooth and brighten skin and Jojoba oil and beeswax seal in moisture.

- Rich in antioxidants, edelweiss extract, shea butter, and has SPF 10 which all guard against environmental damages and premature ageing. (You know what they say about aging - your hands give away your age). 

- Consistency is not too rich or too watery - it's just perfect.

- Soaks into the skin well.

- Non-greasy and doesn't leave a sticky residue.

- Hands feel velvety smooth and soft after applying.

- Appealing smell; smells like orange blossom.

Soap & Glory Glad Pits Deodorant

$9.95 AUD at Kit Cosmetics

- The main thing I love about this is the fragrance (in fact, most of soap & glory products are fantastically fragranced).

- Provides 24 hours of anti-persperant.

- Has a low whitening formula so it doesn't leave streaks.

- Contains Aloe Vera which is good for soothing sensitive armpits.

Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover

$35 AUD at David Jones

- Takes off eye makeup and lip makeup effortlessly (no need for constant rubbing)

- Love the fact that it also takes of lip makeup.

- If you wear waterproof eye makeup like me, you'll know how hard it is to take it off at the end of the day (especially mascara). This eye makeup remover is the best one I've tried in terms of how well it takes off my waterproof mascara (second best & cheaper option would be the Neutragena eye makeup remover - $10.90 AUD at Priceline)

- This is oil based so if you don't like oil-based products, I suggest you try the Neutragena one I mentioned above. Although I find that being oil-based, it takes off my eye makeup more easily.

Ciate Speed Coat

$24 AUD Kit Cosmetics

- Fast drying (only takes 60 seconds).

- Leaves a high gloss finish to your nails.

- Extends wear of nail polish as it locks in the colour.

- It's Formaldehyde-free (most nail polishes out there contain formaldehyde which has been linked to many health problems).

- Apparently this formula has also won many nail industry awards including U Magazines Best Top Coat Award.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pen - Soft Brunette

$48 AUD at Mecca Maxima

- The angle on the brow pencil makes it easy to achieve a nice smooth arch on the brow.

- Achieves full natural looking brows.

- Has a convenient brow wand at the end which helps comb through the eyebrows to make them look more clean and defined.

- Has all 3 brow properties - pencil, powder, and wax. It's applied like a pencil, goes on as a powder and sets to a wax.

- Stays on all day so it doesn't need to be touched up (Doesn't wear off like most eyebrow pencils do)

- Formula is not too soft or not too hard so you won't get artificial looking brows.

Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner - Onyx (Black)

$28.95 AUD at Kit Cosmetics

- Creamy formula allows it to glide on so easily.

- Colour is extremely pigmented.

- The main thing I love about this is that it's waterproof. I've been looking for a good waterproof pencil eyeliner for ages.. mainly to tight-line my top lash line (this creates fuller looking lashes). 

- Colour lasts all day however if you put it on the top waterline like I do, it may smudge a tiny little bit towards the end of the day (as it claims it won't smudge/budge for 8 hours).

- Has a convenient sharpener attached the the lid.

- Contains Vitamin E & Jojoba oil to moisturise and protect.

x

March Favourites

MARCH FAVOURITES

 

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting 'ADJUST' Primer

($54.95 AUD at Mecca)

This primer does indeed reduce redness especially around the cheek area, sides of the nose and on red blemish areas. Although using the primer by itself (without foundation on top) did subtly neutralise my redness and even out my skin tone, I didn't see a major difference until I applied foundation over it. When I applied foundation over the side of my face where I put the Smashbox Color Correcting Adjust Primer on, I found that:

1. The foundation glided more easily on to the skin
2. The colour of the foundation came out better 
3. The foundation had more coverage (even though i used the same amount of foundation on both sides) 
4. I used less foundation 
5. My pink undertone didn't come out as much
6. My open pores and fine lines were smoothed out

 Overall I found that using this primer gave me a more flawless and even finish. So if you have a bit of pink undertone, redness, rosacea or even just get flushed easily, then this product is for you.
 This primer doesn't moisturise/hydrate the skin so make sure that you treat your skin first with an exfoliator, serum or moisturiser to avoid dry patches (especially if you have dry/dehydrated skin). You can even wear the primer by itself to neutralise the redness however you won't see the real effect until you put foundation over it. 

Nars The Multiple in 'Maldives'
($64 AUD at Mecca)

This colour is perfect for anyone who wants that dewy, healthy, luminous flush and glow to their skin or even those who don't like the fuss of going through the whole procedure of putting on bronzer, blush, and highlighter. 
Maldives is a bronzy sort of rose colour without having too much bronze or rose tones overpowering it. It's also like 3 in 1 bronzer, blush, and highlighter in one (or can even be use as an eyeshadow, lip colour, or body highlighter) hence the name 'The Multiple'. So you can put it on hollows of your cheeks as a bronzer, apples of your cheek as a blush, or just on top of your cheek bone as a highlighter. The reason why I personally love this product is because I find the colour to be especially suitable for those who have fair skin so I actually just use it as a bronzer and blush in one. It's even good for those who have dull skin who just want to brighten up their complexion a little bit to get that sun-kissed look. Actually, whenever I wear this product, I get comments from people that my skin has a nice healthy glow. Well I guess my secrets out - it's not really my skin.. Its probably the Nars Multiple stick in Maldives that gives the illusion of healthy glowing skin.

Nars Powder Blush in 'Sex Appeal' 
($45 AUD at Mecca) 

Again, this is another perfect cheek colour for those who have light coloured skin. Having relatively fair skin, I find it hard to find a matte blush that won't go on without looking too harsh or pigmented. Not that there is anything wrong with high pigmented blushes (I actually love blushes with good pigments because thats when you can tell if it's a good quality or not) but I always have to be extremely careful when applying matte coloured blushes on my cheeks as one misplacement or a little too much blush can so easily make me look too flushed or like a clown hence why I always tend to steer away from matte blushes and go for shimmery ones instead.

Nars 'Sex Appeal' is one of the first good quality, pigmented and matte blush's I've tried that hasn't given me that fake pink flush or baby doll look. It gives me a rather peachy-nude natural hint of colour - perfect for those who have fair skin and just want that natural flush on their face. Those who have darker skin can also use this if they want a natural cheek colour too although it may not appear as pigmented as it would on light coloured skin. With this colour, you can also afford to make a little slip here and there as even though its a good quality pigmented blush, the colour is quite light and subtle. 

Too Faced Lip Insurance 

($28.95 AUD at Mecca)

 In the past, I've tried many too faced products and fell in love with their eye shadow primer, Eye Insurance. Now I have fallen in love again with their lip primer. It's a product that I've been longing for for ages but I just didn't know it existed until now. Too Faced Lip Insurance literally does the same job as their eye primer in the sense where

1. It ensures that the makeup stays on all day 

2. and allows the pigment of the product to come out better (therefore using less product) 

The only difference is:

3. the lip primer also prevents feathering of your lipstick

4. and prevents chapping of the lips throughout the day

 If you're bright coloured lipstick kinda girl, then you know how difficult it is to prevent feathering of bright lipstick around the lips (even if you use a lip liner). You probably also know how annoying it is to wear a lipstick and have your lips start drying out or chapping in your lip creases not long after wearing your lipstick. 

So whether you're makeup artist, a bright lipstick wearer or an occasionally lipstick wearer, I highly recommend this product for you. It's such a good investment to make because it really does stop the feathering/chapping of your lipstick throughout the day, provided you apply a lip conditioner on underneath.

Ideal way to use Too Faced Lip Insurance

- If you have a lip exfoliator, apply that on first so you can scrub away the dry/chapped skin on the lips.

- Wash off your exfoliator and apply your preferred lip treatment/conditioner/balm

- Leave that on the lips to absorb whilst doing the rest of your makeup

- Then at the very end after you've done your makeup, apply Too Faced Lip Insurance on the lips

- And while the lip primer is still wet, apply your favourite lipstick colour on straight away

Give it go, you should have perfect long lasting lipstick for the rest of the day - without feathering, without dryness, without reapplying. 

 

Koji Eye Talk 

($11.50 AUD ebay.com.au)

This is actually a double eye lid glue for mono lids but I actually use this as an eyelash glue and it works perfectly. Unlike normal eyelash glues, it doesn't smell, it's very easy to apply on as I just use the brush handle directly on to the fake lashes, and it doesn't create any mess (with normal eyelash glue, sometimes you can accidentally squeeze out too much product and it can stick everywhere and is incredibly hard to remove). It also adheres to the lashes just as well as normal eyelash glue. 

Tangle Teezer

($12.90 AUD from Beautybay.com)

 This is a great hair brush for those who have long, knotted and tangled hair. My hair is quite long and it's been permed and coloured so many times so as you can probably imagine, my hair is quite unhealthy and gets tangled very easily. After using this brush, I can't go back to using a normal hair brush anymore. I spend half the amount of time that I would normally using a normal brush to brush my hair using the Tangle Teezer. It combs through my knots and tangles so quick and effortlessly. Can't live without it now.

La Prairie Cellular Treatment Loose Powder in 'Translucent 1'

($130 AUD at David Jones)

At $130 AUD, this powder is not considered cheap but it is definitely very good quality; both the packaging and the powder itself. 

As shown in the picture above, you receive two powder cases when you purchase it - one extremely large 56 gram powder and one travel size 10 gram powder to put in your bag. 

At first when I got this, I thought it was really just the packaging that made it so luxurious but actually after trying the powder several times, I realised how good the powder itself actually was. The powder is so velvety smooth and fine which makes it glide on the skin very easily without being cakey or crusty (like some translucent powders out there). It also gives a natural radiance to your skin and is buildable in coverage. So depending on how much powder you use or what tool you use to apply the powder.. the coverage is adjustable. So for a light coverage, use a fan brush. For a medium coverage, use a large powder brush. And for a fuller coverage, use a sponge or the powder puff provided for you.

The packaging is another thing to rave on about (thats probably why you pay so much for a powder like this). As captured in the above pictures, you can see that both the powder containers have a twisty open and close thing. This is really handy especially if you want to take your powder around with you in your bag because it prevents the powder from spilling and making a big mess like most translucent powders tend to do. Both containers also come with a luxurious powder puff and the larger packaging also comes with a spatula which you can click onto the lid - So if you want to transfer some powder to the smaller container, you can easily do so (sort of like a refill container). 

Though this powder is quite pricey, you get:

a) A very large 56 gram powder that contains a spatula and powder puff

b) A beautiful travel size 10 gram powder that contains a mirror and powder puff

c) Good quality, luxurious, silky smooth and ultra fine translucent powder

You may be able to get another powder similar to this but the packaging is quite rare for me to see. That's probably why I was so drawn to this product. Ofcourse, whether you think it's worth it or not depends on your own unique values. 

x

February Favourites

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES

Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin AB+C 

Bath & Shower

Purchased from David Jones $39 AUD

The scent of this is very similar to their very famous Naran Ji hand wash and lotion (used in many 5-star hotels and restaurants). Just like the Naran ji, the smell is very citrus based and infused with the sweet smell of orange oil and grapefruit-seed extract - a very uplifting and luxurious aroma. This body wash is rich in vitamins A, B, and C so it strengthens, softens and re-energises the skin, mind and body. It's such a gentle cleanser and a little bit goes a long way as it foams up very easily. After cleansing with this, you'll find that the smell is very subtle but will last for hours. No wonder it got voted 2009 Allure Best of Beauty Awards and runner-up in the Australian 2012 Beauty Awards!

Molton Brown Ultrasmooth Coco de Mer 

Bath & Shower 

Purchased from David Jones $39 AUD

Molton Brown Ultrasmooth Coco de Mer 

Body Lotion

Purchased from David Jones $39 AUD

I absolutely love the smell of the Coco de Mer - It has a light and refreshing scent of coconut fruit extract, honey and vanilla like scent. Just like all Molton brown shower gels and lotions, a little bit goes a long way. You'll find that the smallest amount will leave your skin feeling moisturised, soft and supple without that heavy feeling of having a thick lotion/gel on you. The smell is also very subtle but will last for hours. 

Kate Goldish Eyes 

Ebay.com $17.45 AUD

I'm a big fan of Kate eyeshadow palettes. I find them all very suitable for asian eyes as it has the ability to enhance asian eyes/deeply contour them by using a blend of different textured eyeshadows together (e.g. light/neutral colours, warm toned colours, deep monotone colours, soft sheen/shimmer colours). All Kate eyeshadow palettes contain colours that compliment each other very well which can be used for a subtle day look or heavier night time look. I particular love this gold palette as I find these colours can suit almost anyone.

Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch

Purchased from David Jones $54 AUD

This is such a light weight concealer/brightener that provides very decent coverage and adds radiance to the skin. Although it doesn't give the heaviest coverage you can build it up without it settling into fine lines and looking cakey. I only use this for under the eyes or any dark areas I would want to brighten such as the sides of my nose/lips as it contains light reflecting pearls which diffuse light for radiant skin (so don't use this for pimples as it will draw light and attention to those areas). It did cover my dark circles and because of it's moisturising formula, it glides on smoothly without creasing throughout the day (just make sure you have a good base/eye cream underneath). The best thing about this is that the tiniest amount will go a long way. Ive been using the famous YSL touché éclat for years already and honestly, I think Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch beats it as it doesn't just brighten but it gives coverage too.   

Sigma Dry'n Shape

Purchased from Sigma.com $31 AUD

This is a great product for drying your brushes! One of the reasons I hate washing my brushes (apart from being lazy) is that when I wash them, they usually don't dry until 2 days time so I'm pretty much brushless for the next day or so which sucks because sometimes I need to use them to get ready for work, school or etc. So when I first bought this Sigma Dry n Shape, I was quite skeptical with whether it would dry my brushes within 4-6 hours (as they claimed it would). To my surprise, not only did it dry my brushes completely but it shaped my brushes perfectly back to their original shape. I only wish Sigma would come out with a dry n shape for the smaller sized eyeshadow brushes.

Top Lip Treatments

Why is it important to moisturise your lips?

Lip treatment is very important if you want to maintain soft/subtle lips; especially if you're using lipstick all the time (which can often dry out your lips). 

The skin on your lips is very thin and just like your eye area, it doesn't contain any oil glands so the they are very susceptible to become dry, dehydrated and chapped. 

A good lip treatment should provide a protective layer to seal in hydration as well as replace any natural oils that have been lost from all the drying environmental conditions.  

Ive always been a quick spender when it comes to cosmetic products and I find this habit especially so when it comes to lip balms. 

Lip balms are usually the quick to grab add on product, one of the most affordable beauty products in the market, and the one cosmetic product that people often waste their money on. You can even say that buying them is almost like an addiction. You know that feeling when you're just browsing around the shops and wanting buy something but theres no luck of finding anything good? Well in my case, this is where the quick to grab lip balm comes in handy - to ease that retail therapy itch. 

So through many years of my occasional  or rather compulsive lip balm purchases, I have tried many different types and brands of lip treatments; from the primary school Lip Smackers, to the high school Strawberry Chapstick/Lucas Pawpaw Ointment, and to the now luxurious spends on Dior and La Prairie. After years of experimenting, I have finally found my top picks for lip treatments.

I've got to admit.. In the past I have wasted a lot of time and money on buying beauty products purely based on their packaging, but these favourites that I'm going to mention in detail below are majorly based on how they work in terms of hydrating and conditioning the lips (which really should be what lip balms are for anyway). 

TOP LIP TREATMENTS

Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm

($32 AUD David Jones)

PROS

- extremely nourishing

- lips feel instantly hydrated

- works on super dry and chapped lips

- melts into lips (feels very silky and comfortable on)

- slight rose scent

- my HG lip balm (the one lip balm I have almost finished)

- SPF 15 helps protect the lips from the ageing effects of UV rays

- even when it wears off lips feel nourished and protected

CONS

- none

Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment

($57 AUD David Jones)

PROS

- plumps up the lips

- improves your lip contour

- not too glossy/shiny when applied (almost looks like you don't have lip balm on giving you a natural moisturised look on your lips)

- not so waxy therefore can use it underneath as a base or on top of lipstick

- long wear/lasts on lips for hours

- doesn't have that thick gooey feeling on your lips

- hydrating without being too oily on the lips

- increases collagen levels (plumps up existing lines/wrinkles and prevents new ones from forming) 

- even when it wears off lips feel nourished and protected

CONS

- a bit pricey

Lip treatments with a bit of colour and tint

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 02

($26 AUD David Jones)

PROS

- mixture between gloss and lip balm

- slight sheer tint of peachy pink (very nice neutral colour)

- softly textured lip gel

- deliciously sweet scent (smells like vanilla cake)

- gives a sheer and soft colour on lips

- leaves lips feeling smoothed, silky, and moisturised

CONS

- doesn't work that well for extremely chapped lips

- not much colour pay off

- not as moisturising as the original Clarins moisture replenishing lip balm

Dior Lip Glow

 ($48 AUD David Jones)

PROS

- cute packaging

- applicator makes it easy to apply on lips 

- can use it just like a lipstick

- enhances your natural lip colour with a beautiful berry pink glow

- can use it by itself without a lipstick for a more natural youthful look 

- SPF 15 to prevent any aging/discolouration on lips

- pleasant minty vanilla scent

- nourishing and moisturising

- can use it as a base before lipstick as it isn't very waxy/slippery

CONS

- doesn't last on the lips for a long time 

Lip conditioner and exfoliator

La Prairie Cellular Lip Renewal Concentrate

($140 AUD David Jones)

PROS

- continuously hydrates without that thick rich layer on top of lips

- lightweight formula

- feels watery but soaks into the skin after a couple minutes and leaves a nice matte appearance

- rebuilds lips natural moisture barrier

- lips feel firmed and smoother after using it 

- smoothes out any fine lines and cracked skin on lips

- AHA based formula (fruit acids that deeply exfoliate away dry skin on lips)

- lips appear more plump and pink after using it

- pleasant citrusy scent

- quite a large bottle

- a little bit of the product goes a long way

CONS

- the pump bottle can disperse too much product sometimes

- quite pricey 

January Favourites

January Favourites

Molton Brown - Naran Ji liquid hand wash 

$39 AUD purchased from David Jones

A gentle pH balanced soapless cleanser that disinfects (contains natural bactericides) whilst protects the hands from dryness and irritation at the same time. The first time I tried this at work, I was in love with the smell! Later on I was told that the Molton Brown Naran Ji range is very well known in the hospitality industry around the world and is particularly favoured by celebrity chefs, chef hat restaurants, and many five-star hotels and spas. No wonder it smelt so luxurious! The scent is citrus based and infused with the sweet smell of orange oil and grapefruit-seed extract. Not only does this hand wash smell divine, but it also gets rid of any stubborn stains and cooking/eating smells on your hand. It's also very conditioning.

Molton Brown - Naran Ji hand lotion

 $39 AUD purchased from David Jones

Apart from the pleasant luxurious scent, I love how the hand lotion is non-greasy and has a light-weight formula that is easily absorbed and very hydrating at the same time. When absorbed, it leaves your hands feeling velvety soft and expictbly smooth. Although this hand lotion is a bit pricey, I find that a little bit goes a long way - all you really need is one small pump for each use and it's enough for both of your hands.  

Annick Goutal - Petite Cherie Eau de Parfum Spray 

100ml - $250 AUD purchased from David Jones

Love the unique packaging and scent. To describe the scent - beautiful, lightly floral, peachy, pear, fresh, clean, soapy aroma, subtle sweetness, feminine, refreshing, sophisticated, girly, innocent. Perfect for day time wear. 

Sigma Synthetic Precision Kit - 5 Brushes 

$65 AUD purchased from sigma.com

I was really impressed with all these brushes.

All of these brushes are:

- super handy (they all have really good use/very multifunctional)

- good quality (no shedding of brush hairs and maintains good shape)

- dense (making it easy to control and allowing precise application)

- saves product (doesn't absorb so much of your product)

- works especially well for concealing

According to Sigma, these brushes were developed to mimic your fingertips when applying on makeup on the most sensitive and precise areas of your face. They're also made up of special fibres that are designed to apply powder, cream, and liquid products without absorption into the bristles. 

P82 - Precision Round

This round brush is meant to replicate your fingertips so it works wonderfully when applying eye primer or concealing the more rounded areas of your face such as your brow bone, under eye area, or sides of your nose. 

P88- Precision Flat Angled

The flat angle allows precise application for the harder to reach areas on the face such as the eyes or nose areas. I always use this brush for concealing under my eye area. Works perfectly!

P80 - Precision Flat

This one has to be one of my favourites. It is such a good brush for stippling concealer on the any area, especially on stubborn acne marks or dark spots. I find it extremely effective for covering pimples. It makes such a big difference in terms of covering pimples compared to using your fingers or any other brushes/sponges. 

P84 - Precision Angled

This brush works great for concealing underneath the eyes, hollows of the cheek, and sides of the nose. However I use this brush mainly for contouring, especially when applying contour colour on the sides of my nose. 

P86 - Precision Tapered

Perfect shape for applying concealer around the mouth to create more defined lips. Also really good for applying concealer under the eyes (right underneath the lash line) or on the bottom/sides of the nose. 

Kate Eyebrow Pencil BR-4

($6.25 AUD sasa.com)

This superfine 1.5mm eyebrow pencil is not too soft/pigmented in colour (but rather hard) which allows precise application and less room for mistakes. You can create softer more natural looking brows by using light-medium pressure or more defined and darker looking eyebrows by applying a little bit more pressure. It is really so easy to control!

Kate Eyeshadow Palette - Real Create Eyes BR-1

($19.70 AUD ebay.com.au)

For those of you that haven't heard of Kate, Kate is a very well known budget cosmetic brand in Japan available in Japanese drugstores. Kate eyeshadow palettes are well known for their ability to enhance asian eyes and deeply contour them by using a blend of different textured eyeshadows (e.g. light/neutral colours, warm toned colours, deep monotone colours, soft sheen/shimmer colours) together.  

The palette I got is a 5-shade eyeshadow palette and when used correctly, will subtlely make the eyes pop/give more definition (the concept: using the different textures together will create deeper/more contoured eyes). 

These colours compliment each other very well and are quite pigmented but I would still say you have to use an eye primer underneath. You can use it for a subtle every day look or you can build it up for a night time more glamourised look. Overall, I'm very happy with this eyeshadow palette and currently using it every day for work. 

Swatches of Kate eyeshadow palette

left: natural lighting 

right: with flash

Below is a everyday look tutorial using this palette

Quick Everyday Eyes Tutorial using the Kate Eyeshadow Palette:

1) Using a small angular brush, apply the white gel shadow on the top and bottom inner corner of the eye (and rub in with fingers).

2) Using a small fluffy brush, apply the light brown colour from the middle to the outer corner of the eyelid. 

3) Using a small tapered brush, apply the darker brown (very well pigmented dark brown colour) on the very outer corner of the eye, creating a side ways 'V' shape. Apply to bottom of eyes too. 

4) Using the same small fluffy eyeshadow brush before, apply the champagne brown all over the middle of the eyelid.

5) Using the same small angled brush before, apply the light beige colour on the inner corners of the eye (top and bottom). 

6) Using a medium sized fluffy brush, blend the eyeshadows to your liking (sweeping back and forth). 

7) Apply gel liner to the top and bottom of eyes. 

8) Curl your lashes and apply mascara. Finished!