W7 Lightly Toasted Eyeshadow Palette Review

You would think the amount of eyeshadow palettes within my stash should deter me from adding more to my collection. Well, it has not and I am always attracted to Nude palettes that work well with my complexion. I am not sure when I started hearing about the brand W7 but I had seen a couple of reviews popping up. However, I just never got around to trying them. I popped into TK Maxx sometime this month and spotted this on the aisle and promptly picked it up. I have a love-hate relationship with TK Maxx when it comes to buying beauty products. I love that you can find some cool brands from the US that are difficult to track and the prices are reasonable. What I hate is the condition of some makeup items on the aisle. Some of them have been ripped open by silly customers and even swatched in a very disgusting manner. I was delighted that this palette was untouched and sealed. There were at least 3 others which had been opened and swatched; I have no idea why people do such disgusting things. Anyways, that’s beside the point here as we are talking about this lovely palette. I was drawn to this palette because I liked the colour of the eyeshadows. People have compared this to the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Although I don’t own any of the Naked palettes, I definitely think the quality of the Urban Decay eyeshadows are miles ahead of this (I have a few UD eyeshadows) but this is a good palette.

Packaging

I have to say I am super impressed with the packaging. It feels so sturdy but not heavy at all. It is made of tin/metal which makes it look quite pretty if you ask me. The inserts are made from some sort of rubberised foam hybrid which I like because it prevents the palette from getting dirty from fallouts. I wish it came with a mirror because it would have been the ideal travel palette but I don’t think that matters too much. It comes with a small eyeshadow brush which is surprisingly good quality. I have to say it is one of the few palette eyeshadow brushes that I find useful. I actually really like it and use it every now and then. I actually wish the Urban Decay Naked 1 Palette came with a tin packaging like this as I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Eyeshadows Shades in the Palette

The W7 Lightly Toasted Eyeshadow Palette contains 12 eyeshadows which are largely neutral colours and easy to work with. There is a good mix of shimmer, matte, satin and glittery shades which makes it a really versatile palette. The eyeshadows are individually named but you can only find their names behind the palette which is not very helpful but hey, it’s not the end of the world. The shades include: Teddy Bear, Wonderland, Cracker, Happy, Lady Luck, Twister, Di Di, Delilah, Magic, It’s a Dream, Smoke and Dawn. I think the names are pretty cool and they sound very whimsical. In this palette, you get various colours including metallic pinks, satin cream, glittery gold, metallic silvers, matte browns, satin deep browns, metallic green shimmer, deep copper tones and a nice black shade for smoking things out.

Texture/Pigmentation

I have to say the textures of the eyeshadows are not all consistent but this may be due to the different finishes. For the most part, they feel very buttery to touch and it is really easy to apply. The pigmentation is quite good especially when you swatch it with your finger. However, I think the pigmentation may appear better if you have a lighter complexion than mine. I have to reapply/layer  a couple of the shades particularly the lighter colours because they don’t show up on my complexion. However, most of the shades show up and appear well pigmented. The eyeshadows can be used wet or dry and I find that the pigmentation is amplified when I use it wet. It’s my favourite way of using it as it delivers better results for me.

Longevity/Fallouts

I never use eyeshadows without a primer so I can’t really comment on its natural longevity. However, it lasts relatively well on my eyes when I apply it. I noticed that its vibrancy diminishes towards the end of the day and this is why I always cherish my high end eyeshadows like MAC, etc. It has a considerable amount of fallouts particularly with some of the glittery/shimmer shades. This can be reduced by tapping any excesses off your eyeshadow brush. I have also noticed that using the eyeshadows wet seriously reduces the fallouts and I guess that’s another benefit to using this method.

Cost

This is where things get exciting as it is an incredibly cheap palette. I got mine for around £5; I can’t remember the actual figure but it was £4.69 or something odd like that. I don’t think anyone can complain about the price because it is such incredible value for money. The difficulty is you can’t really buy it in-store and I was lucky to find it in TK Maxx. It is majorly sold on line so it’s a risk to buy but seriously at under £5, you have little to lose. The easiest place to find it is on Amazon UK  for £5.29 or Amazon US for $10.59

Cons

1. You can’t buy it easily in-store so you have to rely on reviews or swatches.

2. It has some considerable amount of fallouts which can be annoying.

3. The pigmentation across the eyeshadows are not consistent; some eyeshadows may appear more pigmented than others.

Overall Thoughts

I really like this palette and I still reach for it every now and then. I am actually wearing it today and I love the soft neutral look it helped me create. I had to use a few other eyeshdaows from other palettes but I used majority from this palette. If you are looking for an affordable eyeshadow palette, this is a good one to try. That’s it folks!!  Have you tried any W7 Eyeshadow Palette?

MAC Lipstick Haul (Twig and Chatterbox)

MAC Lipsticks will always be one of my favourite lipsticks. There is always something for everyone and I am slowly building up my MAC Lipstick Collection (review here). I only collect shades I know I will definitely get a lot of use from. I made a little trip to Debenhams some time last month to get my MAC Lipstick Fix. I had my 6 empty Back to MAC packaging and I also had a £5 off voucher to spend. I only had to pay £10.50 for both lipsticks; well, one of them was free. I think it is definitely the cheapest I have paid on any MAC Haul and it felt so good!! I went in with my friend and I asked her to help me pick. She knows me so well and she actually picked shades I already have like Hug Me, Love Lorn and Girl About Town. We both sighted Twig and we almost made a grab for it at the same time. She said this was so me and she is absolutely right. The next shade I picked was ChatterBox because I wanted something a little bit brighter than Love Lorn which is my favourite MAC pink lipstick at the moment.

MAC Twig//Satin Finish//£15.50//Link

MAC Twig is my go-to lipstick when I don't want to make too much of an effort. It is a perfect neutral brown shade with warm tones of pink/ brick red. It is very difficult to describe this colour because it appear different on various skin tones which is why I love its versatility. I can wear this comfortably to work because it appears nude but with hints or shades of a mauve/brick red/warm pink tones in it. I absolutely love it! It can be used as substitute for the infamous  Kylie Jenner Lip if that's what you like. It's also one of those lipsticks that I can almost get away without wearing a lip liner although I still use one. It goes on so smoothly as it is a Satin finish and it is incredibly pigmented as expected from any MAC Lipstick. I particularly think its lasting power is really outstanding compared to some other MAC nude lippies I have tried in the past. It's still on my lips by mid day even when I have eaten or drank coffee. It's definitely one of my most worn lipsticks ever since I got it. I actually got it free via the Back to MAC. I always wonder why they always take the outer packaging away from you and leave you with just the lipstick!!

MAC Chatter Box/Amplified Creme//£15.50//Link

I have to be honest; I have not been wearing this lipstick as much as I thought I would. I guess I may whip it out more now that we are well into Spring and slowly approaching Summer. It is described as a barbie-inspired pink lipstick; almost the same shade as a bubblegum pink with very slight coral hints to it depending on your skin tone. It is quite a cool toned shade of pink but somehow it works well with my skin tone. It is a really pretty colour but you have to learn to work with it well to suit your skin tone. I always have to line my lips with a brown lip liner first to make this lipstick wearable. It is so easy to apply and glides on effortlessly on my lips. That's one of the reasons I love Amplified Creme finishes as they are never a hassle to apply. Once it sets, it has an almost matte finish but without looking or feeling dry. Sometimes, I apply a lip gloss depending on what look I am after and other times, I leave it as it is. It's not one of the shades I wear often to work but it definitely comes to play during the weekend. Its lasting power is also good but not as impressive as Twig so it needs some reapplication during the course of the day. I paid only £10.50 for it because I had my £5 voucher from Debenhams so I felt very chuffed.

Overall Thoughts

I am very pleased with my two purchases even though I did not really do an intensive research like I normally do before buying any MAC Lipstick (Oh yeah I do!!). I knew I would definitely wanted to try Twig but I even forgot all about it until I and my friend sighted it in-store. One thing with MAC Lipsticks is you are never satisfied with just one lipstick as you always want to go back for more. I think I need to buy another pink lipstick similar to Love Lorn which is on its last legs. I also want to repurchase Hug Me which is still one of my favourite lipsticks. I have popped Crosswires, Jubilee, Freckletone, Diva and Viva Glam V on my wishlist. I know they would suit my complexion really well but a girl can only dream!! What's your favourite MAC Lipstick?...xx

*Affiliate links used in this post, read my disclaimer here

Weekend Post: April Favourites (video), ChitChat and Blogger Events

It’s been a minute since I wrote a little update post but that’s mainly because nothing exciting has been happening per say. First off, can we have a resounding hallelujah for the lovely Sun that has been gracing London (and UK in general) with an exception to this weekend? When I lived back in Nigeria, I always took the lovely weather, sun and free vitamin D for granted. Now, it’s somewhat of a luxury and I always rejoice when the sun is out. Of course, the sun being out means two things; taking blog photos and taking walks around my area. Although the weather is very sunny, it is still windy and a little bit nippy especially in the morning and evenings.

I popped over to Scotland a few weeks ago and it’s one of my favourite places to go to. I love going to Scotland for many reasons but the top on my list is seeing the BF (of course) and going through Duty Free. I always treat myself to one beauty item (usually from MAC). The last time I got myself the MAC 217 Blending Brush//Review here (the Queen of all Blending Brushes) and this time I got myself MAC’s Fluid Eyeliner Gel in Dip Down. It has seriously changed my eyebrow game and now I waste less time in the morning doing my brows. I freaking love it and I am inspired to now try the Anastasia Brow Gel soon.

I have been getting a few invites to attend some blogger events but I have sadly had to turn them down because of work commitments. It’s not like I can’t take time off work but I do have some tight deadlines to meet so that would be counter productive. Besides, my blog is still my hobby (and baby) and my work/career comes first so I have to give both of these passions as much energy/passion as I can. Anyway, I was pleased to attend a Rakuten Symposium held in London where I met other lovely bloggers and brands. I was lucky to have lunch with the lovely ladies from Molton Brown alongside other amazing bloggers.


I was kindly gifted with some luxe Molton Brown goodies from their Pomegranate and Ginger range*, Delicious Rhubarb and Rose range* as well as their Ginger Lily range*. I will be reviewing and sharing my thoughts on these products once I've had a chance to use them all. There were also other brands in the event such as Reiss, FarFetch, MyTheresa, Clinique, etc. I got other lovely products in the goodie bags  but the one that stood out to me was this lovely leather plaited choker/necklace from Reiss. It really captures the 90's vibe amazingly well.



It's really lovely attending bloggers' events because you get to meet other bloggers who understand what blogging entails. I would make an effort to attend more when I can. I have one or two lined up in May which is exciting. I decided to finally make a business card for my blog because I always get asked for one when I go to blogging events. I made mine via Moo.com which was pretty inexpensive (I think £15 for 50 including delivery) and I do like the quality. It's such an easy service to use and delivery was very fast which I was pleased with. Most importantly, it came with this nice card holder/box which is such a neat way to store your cards and other cards you have because it has a little separator inside. They currently have 25% off all their designs till April 29th here and I feel incredibly jealous that it was not available when I placed my order.





What else? Ohhhh, I have been trying so many new products lately so expect a nice long haul. Most of the items are drug store brands who, by the way, are really doing it for me. I would be posting a few Spring Themed blog posts and some series including the photography series which continues tomorrow.  I went in to Superdrug and Boots to see what Spring launches had arrived  and I was very impressed with a few brands like Barry M and Collection. I would leave you with my April Favourites here. There is a direct link to the video here and you can watch it below. You can subscribe to my channel here so you don't miss a video as I sometimes forget to post on here.

That's pretty much all! I hope you have enjoyed this little update/chitchat and I would see you in my next post as always. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and don't forget to enter the La Roche Posay Giveaway over here if you have not entered...xx
*Affiliate links used above, see my full disclaimer here 

ELF Haul

It has been almost four years since I had an ELF Haul. Can you believe that?!! I know!! ELF is like one of the cheapest sites where you can buy affordable and good quality makeup products.  I remember clearly in 2011, it was all everyone was talking about on YouTube and I decided to make my first order. I ordered a couple of things including my first proper makeup brush set and I eagerly awaited my order.When they arrived, I absolutely loved them and I still have a couple of brushes left as they are good quality (not the bets but good enough).  I think I made a few subsequent orders that year and that was all. I am not sure why I never purchased anything from the site but it was always at the back of my mind. Fast forward to 2015, I can't remember where I read that ELF were closing down. I was like Oh No!! I clicked into the site to make a last order and of course, all the lovely items were gone/sold out. However, I still managed to snag a few things. They were all massively discounted since they were closing down. I picked up five items and the total cost was £4.90. Can you beat that? Sadly, most of the items I picked are sold out but I guess you may still get some of them if you live in the States, etc.





ELF Flawless Finish Foundaton (Oil Free)//Almond//£1.50
I have no idea why I have been taking gambles these days buying foundation online which is always a huge no-no for me especially if I have not swatched it. The funny thing is the shade Almond was the only shade available at the time so I took that as a sign (just kidding!). The good thing is the colour that comes up on the site is not too far off from what it looks like in person. I did check images/swatches via Google and I knew it would be a close match. It is the tiniest shade darker than my skin in fact, I guess it would be unnoticeable as soon as Spring/Summer set in, in full swing. I particularly love the packaging of this foundation and that was actually what drew me to it. It has a lovely pump which can be screwed on and off and this means that I can always use this bottle for other pumpless foundations. It has a smell (not particularly bad) but I am not a fan at all but thankfully it disappears within a few seconds. The coverage is surprisingly good especially when paired with the Stick Concealer/Tone Correcting Concealer. I really like it and I was not expecting to feel this way at all. The oil free formula makes it an amazing choice for people with combination oily skin. The finish is also surprisingly amazing as it's neither matte nor dewy but sits nicely on the skin as a demi-matte/velvet finish. I always set my foundations with powders anyway and this was not an exception. It takes well to powder and it does not get shiny as quickly although I noticed a slight shine towards the close of play. I was not too bothered with that as I just mattified with my touch up powder. It applies really well on the skin and it's also easy to blend using a variety of tools. It is so lovely that I greedily went back to order a back up but alas! it was sold out *weeps*.



ELF Eyeshadow Stick//Like a Boss// £0.90
I don't know what it is about blue eyeshadows but I love them. I don't even think they suit me to a T but I have been drawn to them lately and I have no idea why. Ever since I tried the Bourjois Color Bands Eyeshadow Sticks, I have been a little obsessed. When I saw this Jumbo Pencil for £0.90 online, I knew it had to be mine. I was very pleased to see that it was true to colour/shade as it was online. The pencil itself is really chunky and can be rolled up and down which is something I sincerely wish Bourjois and NARS could do with their eyeshadow sticks. The colour is a deep navy blue which looks very gorgeous and it is a nice colour for Spring once you learn how to incorporate it with the right lip colour. The pigmentation is seriously incredibly and it glides on well. It could feel like it drags a little bit in the eyelids so it is always best to moisturise and use a good eye primer. On application, it goes on smooth but you have to try and blend it out quickly before it sets. I am so pleased with the lasting power and it literally does not budge all day. I love it!!




ELF Tone Correcting Concealer//Toffee//£0.50
I knew I took a gamble with this shade as anything Toffee usually looks very dark on me. It was only 50p so I figured I could use it to lightly contour my face if it was ridiculously dark. My guess was correct as it was dark. I used it recently to colour correct and the results were really amazing. It comes in a little tube with a doe foot applicator which makes it super easy to apply. I really wish I ordered more than one because it is really lovely. I am wearing it today under my foundation and my face looks super smooth all thanks to this tone correcting concealer. I feel really sad that it is no longer in stock so I may search the US ELF site or maybe Ebay or Amazon. If you have dark blemishes that you wish to colour correct/conceal, this is a lovely little concealer to try if you can find it. I am not sure how it would work as a contour but it looks good for contouring the nose. It does look a little too dark a shade to contour my nose but if you are slightly darker than me, it would work well and it's very easy to blend.




ELF Concealer Stick//Tan//£1.00
I knew deep down this shade would suit me when I saw it online and I was right. First off, the packaging remind me so much of the NARS Concealer Stick although this is slightly smaller in size. It can be rolled up and down and I can see this lasting for a good while. I have tried a few concealer sticks and some of them feel super heavy on my skin which is why I avoid them. However, this feels very light and I am pleased with it. I can't say the lasting power is as fantastic as some high end brands I have tried but it is very impressive.It gives really good coverage and hides my pesky blemishes easily. It can be used to highlight and conceal depending on what you want it for. I mainly use it on blemishes and it works really well. I tried using it as an under eye concealer and I was surprised at how lovely it was. I guess this was due to its light creamy texture. It also blends like a dream and it is definitely one I would repurchase if I had a chance. I heard some concealer sticks break people out because they are thought to block the pores but I have not had any bad experiences with this concealer stick. It is already my favourite and possibly my favourite product from this haul.



ELF Lipgloss Wands//12 pieces//£1.00
I don't think these need any elaborate explanation as they are easy to use. I decided to purchase them because I recently started doing makeup on friends. I am definitely no pro but I enjoy doing it. Although I wash my brushes before I use them on other people, I find that applying lip glosses on other people can be difficult without using separate wands. I decided to get these wands because it makes things much more hygienic. They are like regular lipgloss wands but they are good quality and I like them.



Overall Thoughts
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this haul. I love everything I purchased and the total cost was very cheap; I mean £5 for all items is a little insane. I paid just under £3 for shipping which brought everything to a total cost of  under £8 which is still very good. However, I feel really sad that I am unable to repurchase any of these products easily as ELF is closing down. I am not sure if they have other things in stock in terms of a new company but I guess we have to wait and see. There are still a few items left on the ELF site but you have to hurry!! Have you tried any products from ELF? TGIF...xx