Primark PS CustomEyes - Build Your Own Palette

Building my own eyeshadow palette is something I find a lot of fun to do and I have done it on many occasions using different brands.  A quick trip into Primark a few weeks ago, I saw that they now had, in their ever-expanding line of cosmetics, an option to build your own eyeshadow palette and well you know what happened next.

The palettes I had to choose from had either 4 or 9 slots in them and are priced at £2 and £3 respectively.  I opted for a 4 slot version, which fits nicely into the palm of my hand and slides into my makeup bag really easily.  Then choosing the eyeshadow singles to go into this palette was much harder than I had expected.  Whether you like brights, mattes, shimmers or even glitters then there is something for you right there and that isn't all.  The range of colours is quite incredible and whether it is blue, purple, green, nude, white, yellow and even red again you will find it and best of all they are just 60p each! 

So as ever, I managed to choose more shades than I had slots, but given there was so much to choose from, I could have easily filled more than one palette, but I wanted to know whether or not it was worth spending, even more, money and instead limited myself.  

The shades I chose are:

So yes naturally I have chosen neutral shades because you never can have enough and they were the ones which stood out to me.

• Espresso - This is an incredible deep brown shade which is more pigmented than I had expected and with very little fall out.
• Stone - A really light gold shade, nothing that amazing to write home about, but it does make a great base shade.
• Earth - A nondescript muted earthy brown shade and it has a matte finish.
• Ice - A white shimmer, not quite a glitter or a foil but there is a hint of sparkle. Definitely the weakest shade and not one to be worn alone, but okay for adding some sparkle.
• Hot Coco - I love this shade. It is a mixture of being brown but with a copper tone to it. It shimmers in the light and isn't too dramatic with the sparkle
• Stripped - I had high hopes for Stripped with all of it pinky peach loveliness and whilst it is quite muted, it is one which stands out.

For me these shades are great value for money at 60p, they obviously are never going to rival the high-end shades that everyone loves, but they are good value for money.  I have worn these shades for the past week and I use an eyeshadow primer from Urban Decay and the lastability once applied is as expected a good 4-5 hours wear time.

I thought it would be a good idea to show the swatches in both natural daylight (top swatch) and then as the sun came out (bottom swatch).  I haven't edited either swatch or added any filters as I wanted to show them as they are.  I have used my index finger to swipe onto my wrist and from bottom to top you can see Stone, Stripped, Hot Coco, Earth, Espresso and then Ice at the top.

So there you have an eyeshadow palette that cost just over £5 and a far as I am concerned was great value for money and I will definitely be looking at other the other available shades.



*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Burt's Bees Limited Edition Peppermint Lip Balm

I do love my Burt's Bees lip balms and they have featured on this blog many times (here, here and here) and this Winter Burt's Bees have released a Limited Edition festive Peppermint Lip Balm.

I use a lot of lip balm, I always have one or two in my handbag, one on my bedside table, on my desk and in my drawer at work and I use them constantly.  What I love about Burt's Bees Lip Balms is how incredible they feel on the lips.

This Limited Edition Lip Balm is infused with peppermint oil and beeswax which not only moisturises and softens the lips but also nourishes and leaves your lips feeling incredibly hydrated.  There is also the inclusion of Coconut Oil, Vitamin E and Community Sourced Beeswax which you can read more about here.

Packaged inside some red festive packaging which is adorned with candy canes, it retails for £3.99 and you can find it right here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Lookfantastic X Omorovicza Limited Edition Beauty Box

Often when two brands come together it either works or it leaves scratching your head wondering who an earth thought of it.  When I saw that one of my absolute favourite brands Omorovicza had collaborated with Lookfantastic to create a limited edition box (here), I knew it would be amazing and it is it.

Image Credit - Lookfantastic

Worth a staggering £209 this box is on offer for just £79 and if you have friends or relatives who, like me, like their skincare then this would make an amazing gift. 

Omorovicza who have featured on my blog countless times, most recently here, is pronounced Oh - more - o - veet - za as the kind lady at the Liberty counter taught me how to say. Inspired by tradition, guided by nature and spearheading the concept of Mineral Cosmetology, the Omorovicza skincare range has a rich, romantic heritage. It was founded by a young couple, Stephen and Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza, who met in Budapest. 

Inside the box you will find some of my favourites from the brand such as the Queen of Hungary Mist and it is a full sized mist which takes its inspiration from a perfume first created in the 14th Century for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, alongside the mist is:

• Reviving Eye Cream (15ml full-size)
• Mineral Touch Beige (7.5g full-size)
• Intensive Hydra-Lifting Cream (5ml deluxe sample size)
• Thermal Cleansing Balm (5ml deluxe sample size)
• Firming Neck Cream (15ml deluxe sample size)

So all of those products in one box which again has a total worth value of over £209 for just £79 - plus if you’re an existing lookfantastic Beauty Box subscriber, you’ll have an email discount code to receive an extra £20 discount and you can find it and more information right here.

Are you a fan of Omorovicza?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Him

Are you fed up of buying him what you thought was the perfect gift, only to find it tucked away untouched in a drawer a year later? That jumper that you thought he would look great in still hasn’t made it out of his wardrobe and for some reason he wasn’t that thankful for his new toolbox! If you want some new ideas to try and impress him this year then we have pulled some together for you:

Experience days – If he loves high performance cars then you could treat him to an experience day where he will get to drive his ultimate car. Let him unleash his inner Lewis Hamilton with a day out that he won’t forget in a hurry. Or if he is an outdoor adventure kind of guy, how about vouchers for a day at Go Ape or something similar?

Image Credit - Shutterstock

Designer accessories – Treat him to some cool cufflinks, maybe get some with his football’s team’s badge on or an item that you know is close to his heart. Or how about a nice tie clip to stop his tie from landing in his lunch? Both are the perfect gifts for businessmen who like to look smart and stand out a little bit.

Smartwatch – If he hasn’t got a smartwatch then this could be a real hit. If he spends ages playing with his phone then he probably loves his gadgets and smartwatches are becoming a very popular gift choice. Apple smartwatches allow you to answer calls and send messages without the need of carrying your phone around. Perfect for busy people and sporty people who don’t always want to carry their phone around with them.

Sports gear – Is he a keen golfer, a football season ticket holder or loves to go to the pub to watch his favourite rugby team in action? If so, you could have some really easy shopping ahead of you this year. Golfers are always in need of new golf balls, so check out which make he plays with and buy him a box of balls. Other good golfing gifts include towels, ball markers and tees – all great for stocking filler type presents. Most sports shops stock all of these.

Image Credit

For the football/rugby fans, head onto the club’s official website to see their range of clothing and accessories. Maybe he would like the latest home shirt or how about a retro jacket? There are so many different designs to choose from for the guy who loves to show his allegiance to his club. Scarves, woolly hats, mugs and key rings all are great for smaller gift ideas.

Video games – If he is a gamer then the way to his heart is without a doubt, a new game for his video console. You might not like how much time he spends playing it but it will make him happy, at least. You might have to act like you are interested in which games he plays to make sure that you get the right one though. Check out his collection of games to see what kind of genres he likes i.e. is a FIFA fan or a Call of Duty fan? See what is coming up for release and surprise him with a present that will keep him quiet for some time, leaving you to relax with your favourite soaps or this week’s episode of Strictly in peace.

Men can be hard to buy for but there are loads of ideas here to give you a bit of inspiration. If all else fails, just ask him what he likes and you cannot get the wrong thing then!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.