Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Take It or Leave It?

I haven't tried anything from Maybelline in a while, but I got pretty intrigued when I saw they were coming out with The Nudes Palette. Who doesn't like a good neutral palette, right? I have been playing around with it and have formulated quite a solid opinion. If you want to find out what I think about this palette just keep on reading!

Maybelline The Nudes Palette comes with 12 shades. The packaging is nothing special. To me it does feel a little bit cheap and flimsy, but I am willing to overlook it as long as the product is good. You also get a dual-ended eyeshadow application sponge, which I honestly never use. I think the concept behind this palette is pretty neat as you get both shimmery and matte shades which is perfect for creating any look, be it an everyday simple no-makeup makeup or a smokey eye. At the back of the palette you get instruction as to how you can pair various shades together. For beginners or people who struggle with eye makeup this is pretty handy. It says you can get 13 different looks using this palette. 

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

When it comes to the actual product inside I am not a fan and I'll tell you why. First of all the texture of these eyeshadows is chalky, especially with the matte shades. I think the shimmery ones are creamier but still nothing to be impressed with. In terms of pigmentation it's also hit or miss. The matte shades are not too pigmented while some of the shimmery shades do surprise. For example my favourite of the bunch is the 4th shade on the top row - a bronzy-gold, while my least favourite is the sparkly white shade which is the first one at the top row. These blend out poorly. Due to their chalky consistency you don't get an even colour distribution but a rather patchy one. The lighter matte shades you need to seriously build up in order to get any colour payoff in your crease. I do like the actual colours they chose to include in this palette, but I wish they would perform much better.
  

Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Top Row

Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Botton Row

Overall I say skip this one. Even though it's visually appealing and you feel like you get more bang for your buck, don't give in. If you want an affordable and good quality neutral palette I highly recommend Wet n Wild's Comfort Zone Palette. I have a separate review on it here. Plus if you are concerned with animal welfare Maybelline is not cruelty-free, while Wet n Wild is. Another alternative would be Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette which is a bit more pricey but frequently on offer at Feeluinque. I hope this post was helpful in case you could not make up your mind whether to take it or leave it!

Let me know what's your go-to neutral palette!

Cheers,
Muffy

Body Shop Honey Bronzers

Bronzers are in, especially at this time of year. Summer is finally here and you want to look more healthy and sun-kissed. But like with foundations it is onerous to find a perfect one. Bronzers come in a variety of finishes and undertones. Some are more red-toned, others have more orange in them and occasionally you come across a bronzer with neutral undertones. In terms of finishes there are completely matte ones, others have a sheen or you can find those that are on a glittery side of things. I personally prefer matte bronzers as they are incredibly versatile. You can use them naturally as a bronzer, as an eyeshadow to define and warm up your crease, or you can combine them with a highlighter to add a bronzy glow to your cheeks. For the past year, I have been favouring the Body Shop's Honey Bronzer's, and here is why.

Body Shop Honey Bronzers

Body Shop is among the pioneering makers of cruelty free products. Despite being acquired by L'Oréal they continue to be strong advocates of animal rights and supporters of community fair trade. I have always been a fan of Body Shop products, especially their Body Butters and Camomile Cleansing Oil. I always overlooked their makeup range until I saw these in stores a year or so ago. Currently Body Shop Honey Bronzers come in three shades: 03 Medium Matte, 04 Deep Matte and 05 Dark Golden Matte. A year ago you could also find the shade 02 Fair Matte (but not 05). This is at least the situation in Finland; the assortment of shades may vary depending on the country. 

These bronzers are completely matte. They don't have a single hint of shimmer in them. The texture is very smooth and they apply beautifully on the skin. There is no fragrance to them. The colour payoff is very good: it is enough to slightly swirl your brush in the bronzing powder. However, if you want you can build up the colour and get a more defined look. When it comes to ingredients, this product contains Talc. If you are allergic or sensitive be aware of that. I have two shades 02 and 03. I originally picked up 02 used it all up and when I went to re-purchse, this shade was discontinued. As a result I picked up 03. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to randomly stumble across the Body Shop counter in Stockholm where they had the shade 02 on sale! Without hesitation I grabbed it. They are also discontinuing it in Sweden, big big shame! You can see the colour comparison in the pictures below.

Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 02

Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 03

L-R: Body Shop Honey Bronzer 02 and 03

As you can see there is a slight difference in colour. 02 is quite neutral, while 03 has more warmth to it. These bronzers retail for 17,30€ and you can find them at your nearest Body Shop store or online. I would recommend getting the Body Shop membership card so you will be on top of their offers and discounts. They frequently run promo deals such as buy 3 for 2 or get 15% off the entire makeup selection. 

If you want to rock a sun-kissed look but not sure where to start, I highly suggest checking out Body Shop Honey Bronzers. They are easy to blend, reasonably priced - especially if you can get them at a discount - and are cruelty free. The only downside is the colour range. I feel like after they discontinued the 02 shade, they pretty much left no options for ladies and gents with fair to light complexions.

I would love to hear your suggestions for matte bronzers with neutral undertones!

Cheers,
Muffy

Top 5 Mac Lipsticks

Let me present to you my top 5 Mac lipsticks and the only Mac lipsticks I own. Luckily they weren't difficult to narrow down. I have only a few vivid shades as on the everyday basis I like to stick with more neutral colours.

L-R: Viva Glam III, Heroine, Cream in your Coffee, Faux, Velvet Teddy

Mac lipsticks are one of my favourite. I like the simple but yet chic packaging, formula and scent. They smell like vanilla. These lipsticks come in a variety of finishes: matte, cremesheen, amplified, satin and lustre. In my collection I have matte and cremesheen finishes, so I can't say much about the rest. They retail for 20,50€ in Finland. You can find Mac counters at central Stockmann in Helsinki and Tampere. They also started carrying Mac products at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport duty free store and the selling price is 17,50€.

I have the following shades in my collection: 

Heroine - bold purple (matte)
Viva Glam III - brick red (matte)
Creme in your coffee - dark dusty mauve (chremecheen)
Faux - darker pinkish nude (matte)
Velvet Teddy - darker beige nude (matte)

L-R: Heroine, Viva Glam III, Creme in Your Coffee, Faux, Velvet Teddy

As you could have guessed my preferred Mac lipsticks are matte. They last forever on the lips and are non-drying. I am not particularly in love with the cremesheen formula, as it can be too creamy and your lipstick can slide outside your lips' contours. I would recommend using a lipliner in this case.

Mac lipsticks are far from being perfect and contain colorants, fragrances, synthetically derived ingredients, etc. I can't help it, I like the formula and immense colour selection. However, for those of you that have been thinking what ingredients to avoid, if you are looking for more natural choices, see the list below.

- methylparaben (toxic and may increase risk of cancer) 
- retinyl palmitate (may increase risk of cancer can and be harmful to pregnant women) 
- tocopheryl acetate (can cause itching, burning, hives)
- synthetic fragrances (among the top 5 allergens)

Overall, I can't fault Mac lipsticks, they do everything I want a lipstick to do. That being said, if you are searching for a lipstick with natural ingredients and safe synthetics, I would skip Mac and look into Lush. I will be surely testing out some Lush lipsticks, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Cheers,
Muffy.