Shiro Seven Kingdoms collection review

Shiro overload!  So a few months ago...actually probably less than 2 months ago, I ordered 4 of the Seven Kingdoms shadows from Shiro.  Once they arrived and I had a play around I pretty much ordered the rest of the collection immediately.  I'm a big A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones fan so these shadows are cool as each colour is inspired by one of the characters.  While you can get smaller size jars of the shades, full-size was the only conceivable option for me as the full-size feature drawings by Robert Hendrickson of the show's characters.

 I'm so obsessed with these shadows at the moment that I don't really want to use anything else right now and couldn't concentrate on other posts until this one was done.  The collection features mainly neutrals that wouldn't be out of place in the ASoIaF/GoT world but that doesn't mean they are boring.  Quite a few of them are duochromes and, as I've mentioned before, duochromes get me really excited!  

Shiro's shadows are loose ones, so if you aren't used to using them there can be a bit of a learning curve, especially when it comes bringing out the sparkle in them.  As well as doing a '5 Looks with the Seven Kingdoms collection' post soon, I also plan on writing a guide on using loose shadows so hopefully that will help anyone new to the world of loose shadows.

Read on for swatches of all 15 shades in the Seven Kingdoms collection!

Lit Glitter

Lit Glitters

 It's no secret, I'm a makeup magpie; I love anything shimmery and glittery.  I have quite a good collection of glitters and some of my favourite are from Lit Cosmetics.  They are a Canadian company with a massive choice of glitters...wait for it...over 200 glitters!  Not only do they have a huge selection of different colours but you can also get them in different sizes.  There are four sizes to choose from.  Size #1 is the smallest size of glitter, it would give a really dense concentration of the glitter colour but would only sparkle a little bit.  #4 is the large cut and would give the most glittery effect from a distance but you might feel the pieces on you more.  It really depends what effect you are going for.  I tend to favour a chunkier glitter as I want all of the sparkle!  Lit's glitters also come in different 'textures'; Solids are just one colour, Shimmers are transparent with a rainbow holographic reflect and Holographics are solid colour that reflects all primary colours.

Read on to see the Lit glitters that I have.

Shiro "Cheekbones" contouring powders

Shiro Cheekbones contouring powders

 Told you to expect more Shiro Cosmetics!  It's also yet another post related to contouring but it is a big thing right now and I'm enjoying it, so neh.  This contouring set is rather novel, as well as amazing; they are inspired by Benedict Cumberbatch's cheekbones, which are rather desirable after all!  The containers feature a picture by Amy Zen of Cumberbatch in his Sherlock role, and the names of each powder are references to the programme too.  I'm a huge Sherlock fun so this excited me no end, but also the collection actually caters to all skin tones and contains some of the most cool-toned (grey!!!) contouring products I've ever seen!  Remember, natural shadows = cool toned.

30 Day Blogging Challenge PLUS the highlights

You may have noticed I've been updating my blog a lot more frequently than normal the past 30 days.  This is due to me signing up for Sarah Arrow's 30 Day Blogging Challenge over on Sark e-Media.  I was googling some blog-related tips, can't remember exactly what, and a note popped up asking if I wanted to sign up for the challenge.  I thought it sounded interesting so entered my details and didn't really thing anything of it... until 6am the following morning when I had an email spurring me on for Day 1.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Polished Purple

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Polished Purple

Yes, I'm talking about another dark purple lip product.  No, I'm not sorry.  Purple lip products are my favourite and I love adding a colour unlike any other I have.  This is that.  Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Polished Purple is a really unique item in my collection.  

The Cream Lip Stains dry down to a matte.  Unlike similar products, it is a cream rather than a liquid so a bit easier to apply and doesn't run into the lines around your lips.

Melt Love Sick Stack w/ 2 simple looks

Melt cosmetics Love Sick stack

If you live on Instagram like I do, you will have seen Melt, they're everywhere.  Two friends and make up fanatics, Dana Bomar and Lora Arellano, set up Melt to make the products they wished they had.  First they released their lipsticks; super matte and super bold.  Then came these game-changers, their eye shadow stacks.  At the moment they only have two; this Love Sick stack and the Dark Matter stack, a more neutral set.  Four massive pans of eye shadows (honestly they're more blush-sized!) that stack together magnetically.  There's nothing quite like these on the market and I'm dreading the deluge of cheap copies that we'll probably see soon.

Melt cosmetics Love Sick stack: Promiscuous, Lovesick, Amelie, Fixated

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush

Max Factor Creme Puff blush in 15 Seductive Pink

 Recently Max Factor released a new line of blushes, the Creme Puff blushes.  These marbled blushes are available in 6 colours.  I've only bought one, 15 Seductive Pink.  It's a deep mauvey rose with some lighter pink swirled into it.  While it looks super shimmery in the pan, on skin it looks luminous.  No glittery cheeks here!

I like to apply this blush with my MAC 187 brush.  Because the duo-fibre bristles on this brush aren't very dense it means the hairs don't pick up too much product.  My brush is quite old and has completely lost its shape but that also helps.  It's quite a deep colour so a diffused application is best; these two products work so well together.  The Real Techniques Stippling Brush is a bit smaller but may do the job nicely as well. 

Read on for a close up and how it looks on.

3 Shiro Cosmetics High Scores

Moon Prism Powder, Yzma's Essence of Llama, Tardis

 You'll probably see a lot of Shiro Cosmetics over the next few weeks.  They're my most recently purchased items but also when you find a new brand you love it's similar to finding a new band that you click with straight away; stuck on repeat. 

Rather than bombard you with all of the loose eye shadows at once I thought I'd break them down into categories.  Today I'm showing you three from the High Scores collection.  Each month there is a Color of the Month and the High Scores are the most popular of these.

Urban Decay Revolution lipstick swatch-fest

Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks

I've been planning on making this post for so long.  Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks are probably my favourite lipsticks, formula and colour-wise.  There are at least 20 permanent shades (the US site has a few extra), plus some that have been limited.  There are quite a few brights and there's definitely a neutral for everyone.  They were released summer 2013 and since then I've had the chance to collect a few of them, including the Full Frontal Stash of minis that was released last autumn.  I highly recommend these lipsticks as they are really comfortable on and there's such a wide choice.  

I am going to show a lip swatch of each colour I have so that you can see them all for yourselves.  I'm not wearing a liner with any of these so that you can see the true colour and the pay-off.

What I take in my wedding bag

I've been to a friend's wedding today so this is just a short post to show what essentials I took in my bag.

I used to use a studded Zara bag for weddings but it got wet and the studs turned green, boo.  I'm not really into bags and didn't have any alternatives.  I had bought this Illamasqua makeup bag in their January sale for, I think, about £6.  It's the perfect size for my phone and a few bits and bobs.

Shopping my stash

I'm going to London IMATS again this summer for the third time.  It's April so the saving has begun. I'm on a no-spend this month which is always fun :-[ not!  To make the month more interesting for myself makeup-wise I am once again 'shopping my stash'.  It basically means that I went through all my drawers looking for makeup that I haven't used for ages.  I'll endeavour to use these items as much as possible in the coming month.

Read on to see what I've picked out.

What difference does foundation make?

What difference does foundation make?

Foundation is a big deal.  The chances are if someone only ever wears one or two make up products they'll be mascara and/or foundation.  Foundation can come in various formulas with varying degrees of coverage.  Coverage ranges from sheer/light to full/heavy.  You may never ever need medium to full, or maybe you'll just want to use it at certain times of the month.  Foundations can also be luminous and dewy, satin or matte finish.  

I tend to go for medium to full coverage as I have blemishes and scarring and also get flushed really easily.  Sometime I will opt for sheer foundation with a full-coverage concealer if there are only a few spots to hide.  I also prefer matte finishes to my foundation as I'm naturally oily and a dewy base would make me an oil-slick by lunchtime.

There's no right or wrong coverage or finish for you; it all depends what you feel most comfortable in and what you feel makes you look your best.  The most important thing to get right is the shade.  Two tips: swipe a few shades of foundation vertically down your jaw line as this is usually the most true-to-colour part of your face; and always check how the foundation looks in day-light rather than just indoors.

Read on to see the differences between light coverage, full coverage plus doubling up.

Sparkly lip glosses

Top to bottom: MUFE D18, Illamasqua Opulent, Revlon Crystal Water, MAC Rags to Riches and Funtabulous, OCC Dune

In general I hate glittery, sparkly, girlie things; I always think they're tacky.  But when it comes to make up I'm a total magpie.  Give me more!  I love glitter; glittery lips, glittery eye shadows, highlighter and plain ole' glitter.  Just see my face today here for more proof.

I thought I'd show you my favourite sparkly lip glosses as they are definitely one of the easiest, and least messy, ways to incorporate glitter into your look.