EOTD - Olive Garden

 So I've been given the opportunity to play with a ridiculously fancy camera for this upcoming holidays, and it is incredible. My camera, whilst it's pretty good for how much it cost, absolutely sucks when it comes to taking nice swatches and pictures of eyeshadow. Now that I've got a couple of months with this incredible camera I am going to make the most of it and do some eyeshadow tutorials, starting with a super simple look!

Because I have hazel eyes, I like to compliment them with olive green shadow however it can be a bit frightening to have green shadow all over the lid so I only use a tiny bit to really bring out my eyes. Combined with the shimmery brown shades and champagne in the inner corner, I think this is a beautiful flattering look that would suit just about anyone!




































Step 1: Use a shimmery mid toned brown cream eyeshadow as a base
Step 2: Intensify the crease with a darker matte brown shade. Lighten the inner corner with a shimmery champagne shade.
Step 3: Use a liquid liner to create a thin line on the upper lashes. Create a slight wing on the outer corner of the eye.
Step 4: Smudge an olive green shade into the lower lash line extending from the very inner corner of the eye to the outer corner, joining with the liquid liner.
Step 5: Line the waterline with a black pencil liner and apply one or two coats of mascara


What I used:

- Essence Eye Souffle in Pas Des Copper
- Essence Quattro Eyeshadow in To Die For
- Bloom Collecta Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Waikiki
- Face of Australia Liquid Liner in Black
- Maybelline One By One Mascara in Black Brown
- Models Prefer Pencil Liner in Black

It is a bit scary to post eyeshadow tutorials because I'm just a kid who has no idea what they're doing, but I think it looks pretty and isn't too over the top and could be worn by anyone!

I hope you liked this EOTD - if you did please let me know because I'll come up with some more creative ones too!

My go-to eyeshadow look

Lately I have been super lazy with my eyeshadow looks, preferring to stick to a set 'look' that I have found works really well for me.

I begin covering my entire lid with the golden shade from the Bloom eyeshadow duo in Waikiki. This has been my staple 'base' shade since I first bought it and I will be devastated when it runs out!

Next is the third and fourth shade from my Maybelline quad in Autumn Spirit placed on the outer corner of my eye and in the crease. These shadows blend in beautifully, and it means that I can create this look in no time at all with very little effort.

I then use my Inglot Shadows. I use number 07 in the inner corner as a highlight, and shade 406 on my lower lashline in the outer two thirds.

Lastly I brush on a coat of mascara. Lately I have been trying to use up Estee Lauder's Sumptuous Bold Volume lifting mascara. This isn't one of my favourite mascaras but I don't want to waste it so I am trying to use it up.

It's pretty simple and nothing too crazy but I love how it compliments my eyes and works with every outfit. Paired with a baby pink lip or bright red, it looks beautiful, and it is so easy to do.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here!

Updated "How much is your face worth?" TAG

Back on October 26th 2011 I completed this highly enjoyable yet somewhat shocking tag and since the products I use on a regular basis have changed drastically, I thought it would be interesting to see how much the results have changed. I don't use any of the products featured in that last post on a regular basis... except perhaps the BYS blush and the Maybelline Baby Lips. Oh how I have changed!

I know for a fact that I use more products of a significantly more expensive nature, though a lot of them have been given to me either as gifts or to complete reviews on for my blog, so I don't feel too bad for what I believe will end up being a ridiculously expensive face!

I will also admit that I don't use these products everyday (this is more makeup than I would wear on a normal day) but I would wear this if I was going shopping or out for lunch or an occasion like that. Of course, my lip products and eyeshadows are forever changing too because I have so many to play around with.

Face:
Alina Professional Primer - $39
Garnier BB Cream - $15
Maybelline Superstay 24 hour foundation - $22
Catalina Geo Concealer - $40
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer - $18
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - $19
Nude by Nature Illuminator - $23
Bourjois Blush - $20

Eyes:
- Inglot Eyeshadow Palette - $31
- Bloom eyeshadow duo - $10
- Urban Decay Ink for eyes eyeliner - $20
- Covergirl Lash blast length waterproof mascara - $18
- Essence Clear Brow Gel - $3.50

Lips:
- Maybelline Baby lips - $4
- Revlon lip butter - $22

Total: $304.50

I am not really surprised at the grand total because makeup in Australia is crazy. Thank goodness all the products that I purchased myself I managed to get on sale!

It is a bit strange to think that I could have made it so much more expensive though, with a $65 dollar blush from Bellapierre, Primer potion from Urban Decay and a $50 foundation from Arbonne, the addition of a bronzer, lipgloss and more expensive lipstick.

Have you ever counted up how much your face is worth? Do you think it would be a bit too much for comfort?

Most Worn Things for Summer TAG

I saw this TAG on Cherie's blog and whilst I was reading it decided I had to do it too. I worked out well then, when I saw that she had tagged me! Thank you Cherie!

Basically it is a collection of your most worn things for the summer (which I am terribly sad has come to an end).

1. Nail polish
Though I don't wear nail polish a whole lot, I think my most worn nail polish for this summer was any of my favourite reds, like my polishes from Essence, Innoxa or Ulta.

2. Hair Product
Though I am painfully lazy when it comes to my hair (and unfortunately I am finally starting to see the results) I do use at least one product on my hair - the Salon Confidential Repair Ends Mender, which prevents and heals split ends.

3. Bag

This was so easy as I use the same bag all the time, just my regular, boring, brown 'satchel' style bag with buckles. I also loved my $15 purse, the greatest buy I have had in a long time!

4. Shoes
Though they look a little wintery, my most worn shoes would have to be my black flats from Rubi shoes, with the little bows on them. I wore them so much that the soles fell off but I had a backup anyway!

5. Clothing item
This is a tricky one, but I guess it would have to go to denim shorts in general, which I wore to death!

6. Accessory
I don't wear a lot of jewellery - not because I don't want to but because by the time I have figured out my clothes and makeup I just forget to put on jewellery! I do, however, always remember to put on my favourite ring.

7. Foundation
In summer I like BB creams and tinted moisturisers more than foundations. Subsequently, my most used foundation was the Garnier BB cream. I don't love it (I find it really quite greasy) but it does the job.

8. Bronzer/Blush
I used blush more than I did bronzer (strangely) and I continually turned to my Bourjois Blush in Rose Frisson.

9. Lip product
As lip products are my absolute favourite, I use so many. It was really tough to pick my most used lip product but in the end I realised that my most travelled was my Nivea Fruity Lip Balm in Guava. Gorgeous!

10. Mascara
Unlike my most used lip product, this was a no brainer - my Covergirl Lashblast Length Mascara in waterproof was my one and only choice. Occasionally I would change it up with my Avon daring curves one, but because it was not waterproof it didn't tick all the boxes for me.

11. Eyeshadow
I stuck to neutrals all summer (of course) but I changed which palette they were from. I explored an Essence quad, Australis palette, Maybelline Quad and Essence eye souffle but in the end it was a Bloom eyeshadow duo that I used most, though only the bone/champagne shade.

12. Fragrance
Of course, my Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh. Incredible.

Bloom Collecta Colour Eyeshadow duo - Waikiki

Bloom was one of those brands that I had seen around the place, oogled the products and then never really set my heart on anything in particular. I had no urge to purchase anything, which is quite unlike my usual response to discovering a new brand.

I saw this eyeshadow due on sale in Target for $5 quite a while ago and absolutely fell in love with the gorgeous champagne/bone shade. At the time the olive green shade didn't really do much for me, but now I can safely say that both of these shadows are absolutely beautiful. I am in love.

When I first started playing around with this gorgeous duo I used the champagne colour on the left all over the lid or as a highlight. It is absolutely beautiful, shimmery and gorgeous in every way. It is not too obvious and not too subtle, just the perfect balance of in between. It can be used alone as an all over the lid colour or as part of a more elaborate eyeshadow look. I personally find a way to find this into my look everyday.

I use the olive green shade in several ways. Initially I just used it on my lower lash line with the champagne colour on my lid. It gave the perfect hint of colour that perfectly complemented my hazel eyes. This is still my favourite way to wear it, but I have also tried using it with the champagne over the lid and the olive green on the outer half of my eyelid. Surprisingly, this looks lovely too.

Prior to picking up this duo, olive green is not at all a colour I would have taken an interest in, but I have really taken to it and found myself reaching for it on a regular basis.

The packaging is something that I haven't yet decided whether I like it or not...The hard plastic is very sturdy and the black print is very aesthetically pleasing. Along the edges can be seen a leafy print (which I was unable to photograph) which too is rather nice. I find the way in which the eyeshadow lid twists out quite annoying, though I'm not sure why. It isn't impractical and there isn't anything noticeably wrong about such mechanism, it just annoys me.

I find the eyeshadow very long lasting, although it does crease by the end of a long day. This creasing isn't too noticeable with the champagne but with the olive green it isn't the greatest of looks.

The shadows are, in my opinion, nicely pigmented, as can be seen in the photos. I love the level of shimmer in them.

I really can't find fault in this product, although I would love a trio with these two shades and a shimmery golden, coppery colour like the Essence Pas Des Copper eye souffle. If such trio existed I don't think I would ever use any other eyeshadow again.

I would absolutely recommend picking this up if you see it around the place. I haven't any idea of how much it costs full priced as I picked it up so cheaply, but I think I would pay a decent amount for it.

I give this product 9 out of 10.