When we were in the US, I made a point to go to Ulta and have a wander around. Ulta carries some brands I can’t easily get a hold of here, and lets admit I have a little bit of a makeup addiction I need to indulge in from time to time. My intention was to buy the Lorac Pro Palette but when I was swatching the shades in that palette, this one actually ended up catching my eye. It’s not what I thought I was going to pick up, but I’m really happy I was a little impulsive and went for this little beauty. The Lorac Unzipped Gold Palette has 10 shadows, all of which are stunning. 

I love that there is a mix of mattes and shimmers and the palette. All of the shades are so beautiful, and I knew instantly that I would be able to get lots of use out of these colours. It also comes with a mini Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, which is always nice to have included in a palette. I really like the formula of this primer, it keeps my shadow on fairly well on my oily lids, but I still have too much love for NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. The formula of the matte shadows definitely outshines the gorgeous shimmers because they blend amazingly and are so pigmented. They are a little powdery, but as long as I tap my brush before I apply, it’s totally fine. The shimmers are absolutely stunning, but there is a lot of fall out (as I expected) so I do my base last when I use these shadows. Simple fix, but it a little bit of an annoyance.

I love that I can use this palette to make so many different kinds of neutral looks. I used 6 shades to create this look (Unwind & Unedited in the crease, Unleased on the lid, Unlocked as an inner corner highlight and Unafraid on the lower lash line). I like that a combination of Unwind and Unedited are perfect for filling in my brows, which I’ve done in this look also.

Do you own this palette or are you going to pick it up? Let me know your thoughts on it!

I’ve been wearing this tonal makeup look a lot over the last couple months. Although all the products used are in the same colour family, this makeup doesn’t seem matchy. It’s very simple to do, works well for everyday but feels more adventurous than my usual neutral eyes.

The star of the show is definitely Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in M600, a matte cool pink-brown shadow. I like to layer my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded on the lid and inner corner before applying the shadow. It is a creamy pale beige with a hint of pink and I find using this before shadow allows a bit of shimmer to peak through. The rest of the face is matte, so this step brings some focus to the eyes.

I warm up my complexion with some of The Body Shop Bronzing Powder in 01 which adds a natural glow to the face without being orange or containing any shimmer. This is hardly even detectable on the cheeks but it does pair really nicely with Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed. This nude pink blush pairs so well with any look because it appears to be a natural flush. I can’t stop wearing this blush, and it pairs so wonderfully with this eyeshadow because it’s the exact tone, only a few shades lighter.

Lastly, a swipe of a tinted balm is my lip product of choice. I recently picked up NYX Butter Lip Balm in Brownie and think I’ve worn it everyday over the last 3 weeks. It smells delicious and offers a slight colour payoff, but keeps my lips feeling hydrated in this cold weather. It also happens to perfectly match this lip and eye combo!

Do you ever wear tonal makeup? How do you feel about these nude pink shades?

If I had to choose only one beauty product to use for the rest of my life (but please don’t make me) , I can confidently say that would be mascara. Longer, more defined lashes make a massive difference to my eyes. It’s one of the first makeup products I started using and I pretty much wear it daily. Unfortunately, I can’t stick to just one formula or brand. I typically opt for dramatic formulas offering both volume and length though. Even still, there are far too many to choose from! I always have a few mascaras on rotation, and so today I thought I’d share my current staples with you:

Essence I Love Extreme is a very dramatic, extra dark formula that costs only a couple dollars. In the warmer months I did find it to transfer quite a bit, but as I’m no longer oily it’s great (I also think because I’ve let it dry out I prefer it now). Alternatively, Covergirl Clump Crusher (Water Resistant) is a much more natural looking lash as the wand separates and lengthens without looking over the top. I do tend to use this on an every day basis because I know it will work with just about anything I have going on. It really doesn’t budge and can be layered up to create more drama. L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga is the most dramatic of the mascaras I have right now. When I want my eyes to be very defined but can’t be bothered with shadows or liner, I opt for this because it goes on thick in just one swipe. For the sample sizes, I’ve been using Urban Decay Perversion a lot, it’s a good formula, but to be honest I don’t entirely love it. I always layer the Covergirl Clump Crusher overtop to make sure it doesn’t melt off. And lastly, Smashbox Full Exposure has become my newest love. It defines and yet has a fluttery look that I can’t quite describe. Once this mini runs out, I will probably have to purchase, however I would love a great drugstore alternative.

What mascara are you using at the moment?

Thought I would do something a little different today and show you step-by-step how I achieved this green and silver smokey eye look. I think it would be perfect for any holiday event into the New Year. It’s not too dramatic, but does have a soft-grungy feeling while being a little bit glamorous. I’ve paired it with a hot pink flush and a light pink gloss here, but it would also work well with much more dramatic lips and contoured cheeks. It’s quite versatile, yet unlike most holiday looks I’ve seen recently. If I can do this kind of a look, literally anyone can. It’s not meant to be perfect, but blending is the key! Feel free to try it with different colour combinations, I just thought these were festive. 
Begin with a metallic grey base (Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in Midnight Flame) create a v shape on the outer third of the lid and up into the crease. This will be a guide for the shape of the entire eye look, but it doesn’t have to be too neat. Then smudge it out with your finger to get rid of any messy or sharp lines. 
Use a deep, cool brown (shade 3 in L’Oreal Smokey Eyes Back Pump Palette) in the crease all the way in toward the nose and extending out toward the brow. I think of it as being this shape ” ~ ” if that helps to clarify. The shade doesn’t have to be entirely matte, but no harsh shimmer should be visible. As this is such a dark, dramatic contour, be sure to blend, blend, blend! Also bring this shade down on the lower lashline and blend some more!
Use your finger to pack on any light green shadow (Eyelid shade from the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette). Using your finger helps to get the most colour intensity.  Concentrate this colour on the inner two thirds of the lid space, fading into the silver base.
 Highlight the inner corner and the inner half of the bottom lashline with a champagne or beige colour (Browbone shade from the same Wet N Wild palette). Bring that highlight right up to the crease colour and in toward the nose. This will bring a lot more light to an otherwise heavy look. 
I always like a wing when going for something glam, but opted for a cool brown liner (Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Dark Brown). I lined the entire lashline quite thin and finished it off with a subtle wing. 
Add tons of mascara (L’Oreal Miss Manga in Blackest Black) or even flash lashes. I think this pairs best with dark, defined brows (MAC Eyebrows Pencil in Spiked and The Body Shop Color Crush in Chocolate Linger) 
My unfortunate eye shape makes for photographing a tutorial quite complicated.. If you like this kind of post, I would love to know! I could do a more classic holiday look in the near future. Or anything else if you have any requests!
Will you be wearing a look like this over the holiday season?

You may have seen that at the beginning of this week I had Davina from Sparkle and Fade write a guest post where she shared the contents of her makeup bag. Well, you may not have realized I did the same over on her blog. I shared all the things I’ve been using most days, and I thought I’d do a FOTD post so you could see the kind of look I’ve been going for lately using those products.

Not only are these all my go-to products, but it’s a pretty simple look, which makes it really wearable for everyday. In this look I’m using all of the contents, but there are times when I use only a couple products. I must say I’m very happy with the versatility of my makeup bag at the moment!

Be sure to head over to my post on Davina’s blog to see what products I’ve used!

What products are in your makeup bag?