The Best Cream-Coloured Eyeshadow

If you have been following my blog for some time you know it's not the first time I mention Wet n Wild single eyeshadow in Brulee. I decided why not make a separate post on it since it has a special place in my makeup collection. As a matter of fact it's the only single eyeshadow that I have used up completely and as soon as I did I had to get a new one. If you want to find out why this little guy is so special then keep on reading!

Shortly Wet n Wild is an affordable cruelty-free brand. In my opinion they make one of the best eyeshadow pallets on the market which can easily rival some of the higher-end ones. One of my all-time favourites is the Comfort Zone palette which I have raved about earlier. Recently I have tried their Megalast Liquid Lip Color but more on that in another post. From their single eyeshadows I have used obviously Brulee, but also Nutty. Both are fantastic, but Brulee is a definite winner. 

Wet n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Brulee

Wet n Wild single eyeshadows come in simple plastic packaging, nothing fancy. I personally don't mind the design and think it's quite sturdy for what it is and pretty compact for travelling. You get 1,7g of product which is a good amount for an individual shadow. For comparison Makeup Geek single eyeshadows contain 1,8g of product. Brulee to me is a perfect creamy-nude colour. It's not too warm and it's not too cool. For example Makeup Geek's eyeshadow in Baby Face is more cool toned while Peach Smoothie is warmer/peachier. The texture is buttery smooth and you need a tiny bit of product to get full opacity. It can be slightly powdery, but I don't see it as a problem with such a light colour. Plus you can always tap your brush to get the excess product off. Now that I think about it, in terms of consistency it reminds me of the Urban Decay eyeshadows. When you apply Brulee on the lids it doesn't feel or look chalky and it doesn't leave any streaks or gaps. I use this colour every time I do my makeup. It works great as a base to help other colours blend easier or you can wear it on its own with a darker colour in a crease.

Wet n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Brulee

The only downside I can think of is when you hit pan on it big time, it can crumble/fall apart easily. To be fair I witnessed it happen to other powder products such as powders and blushes. Just don't take it with you on the go when it's in that state. Besides great quality this eyeshadow comes at an extremely affordable price point. Of course that varies depending on the location but I got mine from Bulgaria and it was around 1,99€. For my Finnish readers out there you can get Wet n Wild products from Pretty.fi or BeautyJoint (ships internationally). 

If you are looking for a staple to be added to your makeup collection I suggest you check Wet n Wild's Brulee out. It's a perfect cream-colour eyeshadow that can be used in multiple ways. Once you try it I guarantee you will never want to use any other skin-toned, neutral, cream-colour shadow. At least I haven't found anything better and I have tried a ton!

Let me know if you know of any other hidden gems out there that I should try!

Cheers,

Muffy

Murad Environmental Shield Jet Set Starter Kit

I am pretty new to Murad skincare. I heard a lot of good things about it but never really tried mainly due to the hefty price tag. Recently while browsing Feelunique I stumbled across Murad's Gifts & Sets section. I thought it would be wise to try a starter kit first before investing into a full size product that can potentially cause a breakout. I think Murad sets offer good value for money. You actually get a three step system which is all you need for a complete skincare routine. I settled for the Environmental Shield line so let's get right into the products, shall we!

Murad Environmental Shield Jet Set Starter Kit

The Environmental Shield line is aimed at targeting dull skin, fighting dark spots and wrinkles. I am up for anything that helps with dark spots and hyperpigmentation. To do so the key active ingredient is Vitamin C. I really like the fact that it's not the last ingredient on the list which is often the case with products that claim to be brightening and contain Vitamin C.

The Murad Environmental Shield Jet Set Starter Kit comes with three products. You get a Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Cleanser (45ml), Murad Environmental Shield Advanced Active Radiance Serum (10ml) and Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30/PA+++(21ml). You also get a cute polka dot makeup bag where you can put your brushes as well. Let's start with the Essential-C Cleanser. It comes in a squeeze tube which I like. The texture is gel-like with orange micro-beads that help to remove oil and cell build up. It doesn't foam and you don't really feel the micro-beads on the skin. It has a natural slightly orange citrus scent which I enjoy especially in the morning. This cleanser does not irritate or dry my skin out, which is a big plus in my books. I can't stand cleanser that makes my skin feel squeaky clean and tight. Then again that is a personal preference. In addition to Vitamin C it contains Vitamins A and E. This product is one of the standouts for me from this kit. Usually Vitamin C products irritate my skin but not this one. Once I finished it, I missed having it around. The 45ml tube lasted me for about 4-5 weeks. I used it every morning.

Advanced Active Radiance Serum,
Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30/PA+++,
 Essential-C Cleanser

Moving on to the Advanced Active Radiance Serum. As with the cleanser it comes in a tube. I do wish that it would have come in a bigger size. This serum has a light-feel consistency and absorbs quickly into the skin. It will not sit on your skin. This is great for mornings if you will be applying moisturiser or primer afterwards. It's recommend that you wait for 1 min until applying  the next step in your skincare routine. I did just that every time I used this product. It has a fresh orange citrus scent like the rest. Besides Vitamin C it contains Green Tea Extract and Indian Fig. I really liked the texture of this serum and used it consistently until I ran out. The 10ml tube lasted me for a good three weeks. I used it every morning. It did not break me out or caused any irritations. Even though I enjoyed using this product I did not notice any major difference or improvement in my dark spots or scarring. I think that you need to use this product for a longer period of time to see any changes. 

The last one is the Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30/PA+++. It comes in similar packaging as the other two. In terms of texture it's a white light-weight cream that can leave a subtle white cast on your face if not blended well. As with the other products it has that orange citrus scent but it's rather mild because it's overpowered by a traditional sunscreen scent. It's packed full of Antioxidants which I appreciate. Now, this is the product I was least impressed with. Mainly because to me it's no different to any other moisturiser with an SPF factor I have tried before. I expected it to deliver more considering how pricy the full size product is. Don't get me wrong it's not bad. It's a good moisturiser but that is that. I haven't finished it yet since I am trying other products that do the same job. Also for people with oily skin I would not recommend this particular product since it leaves a slightly dewy finish to your face. 

Overall, I am very content with this purchase. I think it's a fantastic way to try out a brand that you are not familiar with before committing to spending the money on the full price product. The top picks from this kit have to be the Essential-C Cleanser and Advanced Active Radiance Serum. If you have been curious about this range I say try this kit out. Currently Feelunique is running a 20% off promotion on Murad products, so this is the time to grab it if you want to save a few pennies. 

Let me know if you have tried any of the Murad products and which would you recommend!

Until next time,
Muffy

Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum

Let's be honest, it's hard to tell if an eye cream is doing anything unless your wrinkles disappear miraculously over night. On the other hand understanding if the eye cream is not working for you is way simpler. You can figure it out after several uses. I've had Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum for some time now and let me share my thoughts!

Kiehl's Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum

It promises to visibly lift, firm and restore youthful looking shape to eyes. You can use this eye cream underneath your eyes and for the lids. It contains 10% of Botanical Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate. It comes with a pretty standard amount of product for an eye cream - 15ml, but what's not so common, it has a pump. I think it's a big plus since you don't have to dip your finger into a pot (that can be pretty annoying if you have longish nails). The packaging is made out of a light weight material, my guess it's aluminium but don't quote me on that. This makes it fantastic for travelling as it's not prone to breakage as glass would be. You can also control how much product you squeeze, meaning you can press lightly and get a small amount or apply more pressure and pump a larger amount of product. 

Kiehl's Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum

When it comes to the actual product it has a relatively light weight texture. It's not heavy by any means. I haven't noticed any overpowering artificial scent to it. So far so good, right?  It absored pretty quickly when I tried it on my hand, but when I applied it on my lids it was a totally different story. It would just sit on the lids and under the eye area. After waiting a good amount of time for it to absorb (around 10-15 min) it still felt tacky. The best part was when I tried to put my eye-makeup and concealer on and it started to crumble. It was not a good look nor feel. Frankly speaking I was really disappointed. It's not cheap and I was hoping that it would at least help in the moisturization department, needless to say have eye-opening properties. I tried to work with it multiple times. I would stop using it and later come back to it and give it another shot. Every time I would do so, I would catch myself thinking that I know why I stopped using it on the first place. I actually started to wonder maybe I got a bad one and it's just a bad luck. My friend has tried a sample of this product and she experienced exactly the same problem with it crumbling off.

My final verdict, I would not recommend this product. If you want a good all-rounder that will absorb quickly, keep your dry eyelids at bay and one that would come with a pump, I say look in the direction of Biotherm Aquasource Biosensitive Fragile Eye Contour. This eye cream has not let me down and one of a few I can actually see working for me. If you are not concerned with dry eyelids and want something more potent for the area under the eyes that would also brighten I would suggest getting a sample of Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Youth Regenerating Eye Balm and see how you get along.

Let me know what is your all time favourite eye cream or have you found one!

Cheers,
Muffy

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes

Today I am bringing your way a truly exciting post. If you follow beauty blogs, instagram and other social media you know all the hype about liquid lipsticks. Pretty much every brand is coming up with their version. I am all about matte lips regardless of the trend or season, therefore I am the first to jump on the matte liquid lipsticks bandwagon. The ones I have tried come at a relatively high price point since they are not from a mass market. Imagine me going all bananas when I heard that finally a mass market brand was coming out with matte liquid lipsticks, I just could not resist. I am referring to the Milani's Limited Edition Amore Matte Lip Crèmes. If you want to know if you need to run out and get them, then stay tuned!

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes

Milani is an affordable USA brand. I haven't tried a lot of their products, just the Shadow Eyez, because it's not readily available where I live. I was very happy to discover that Milani has an actual European website, so there is no need to order directly from USA. Amore Matte Lip Crèmes come in 8 shades and they are limited edition. This means if you want to get your hands on these you need to be quick. They are cruelty-free and infused with Vitamins A & C for added hydration. I picked up two colours: Lust, a muted-pink and Crush, a brownish-red shade. I figured for me to make a proper review on these I need to try both lighter and darker shades. I honestly think these are the two stand out shades from the entire collection. 

L-R: Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes in Crush and Lust

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes in Lust and Crush

Now let's start with the packaging. I personally like it. It's sleek, non-bulky and doesn't feel cheap. You get 6g of product which is a standard amount. For comparison Sephora Cream Lip Stains contain around 5g of product, while Sleek Matte Me Lip Creams have 6g of product. Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes come with a flat doe foot applicator which I find easy to work with. You need just a tiny bit of product, therefore prior to application I suggest you wipe off the excess from both sides. The consistency is quite liquidy compared to some other formulas that are creamier or mousse-like. In my opinion it's most similar to La Splash Lip Couture's and Aromi Liquid Lipsticks textures. They have a sweet vanilla butter cup scent to them which I don't mind. I much prefer it to the La Splash chemical scent, which puts me off every time I use their products. 

When it comes to longevity they work really well. I have been wearing Lust for the whole day including drinking and eating. It did fade a little bit in the centre of the lips but nothing major. Since it's such a "my lips but better" colour you don't really notice the stark line as much. With Crush it's way more noticeable. In my opinion these are not as drying as for example the La Splash Lip Coutures and feel comfortable on the lips. Both colours applied beautifully with one coat and no streakiness was detected. I would say that you need to exfoliate your lips especially if you are planning on wearing darker colours. This is applicable to all liquid lipsticks brands. You will see why in the lip swatch below. 

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Crush

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Lust

Overall I am very content with these lippies. Would I recommend them? Hell, yes! I have been wearing Lust non-stop for the past few days and I just can't get enough. The formula is comfortable, cruelty-free, stays all day and is affordable. I wanted to get this post out as soon as possible so you could have a chance to try these out before they are gone. If you have been wanting to try liquid lipsticks but could not justify spending twenty euros and maybe not liking it at the end, give these ones a go. They retail for only 7,16€ and have a pretty good colour selection. If I had to recommend one, Lust would be it, as I think it's a universally flattering shade. If you want something more unique and bold, Crush fits right that bill. I would not suggest Flirt just because I read some negative reviews of it being streaky and hard to work with. I like these so much that I am contemplating of buying a backup of Lust and that's unlike me as I think there will always be something better.

Let me know if you have been converted to the liquid lipsticks and what are you favourites! 

Cheers,
Muffy

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