Vivo

Keeping it Neutral

- Vicki 10 Comments

I have a fair few neutral palettes in my collection and although they all get used quite a lot, I thought I would share four of them with you.

Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes

VIVO Colour Block Palette in Unprotected – This palette has 12 shadows and you get a lovely range of neutral colours and finishes. There are 3 matte colours and the rest have an almost frost / pearl finish to them, they’re really pretty. I found they blended well if you take your time. The darker shades are more pigmented & the lighter ones are more powdery but nothing you can’t tap off. There is no mirror inside but you get great value for money, it’s a great high street palette. 8.4g for £3.99

I bought this palette in Tesco a couple of years ago but from what I can tell they no longer sell VIVO, but you can buy their range online at www.vivocosmetics.co.uk

L’Oreal La Palette Nude in Rose – I was drawn to this in Boots & couldn’t resist it despite it being quite pricey. The packaging feels luxurious and its nice and slim with a go0d sized mirror in, so perfect for for travel & popping in your makeup bag. You get 6 shimmers & 4 matte shadows. As with most drugstore palettes the matte shades aren’t great, I found them to be hard to blend and you don’t get that much colour pay off. You can make them work by building them up if you have time. The other 6 shades are beautiful and more than makeup for the disappointing mattes. Much to my surprise I really like the darkest plum colour & think its the most beautiful Autumn / Winter colour. 10g for £14.99

What I like most about this palette is that none of the shadows are overly shimmery but instead more metallic and very long wearing.

Catrice Absolute Nude – I bought this whilst in Amsterdam it has 6 neutral shadows but none of them are matte. So this is for people that like a bit of shimmer. I know thats not to everyones taste. This isn’t the best budget friendly palette out there and this is the one palette out of the four that I would say you need to use a primer as the lighter colours crease and aren’t that pigmented. I tend to use the last darkest brown shade the most, its pretty and pigmented.

The packaging is sturdy and quite sleek, it doesn’t have a mirror and the brush that comes with it is pretty useless (aren’t they always).

Makeup Revolution Disappear Till Tomorrow – This palette is so slim and travel friendly although it does feel quite cheap, inside you get fourteen eyeshadows and two brow powders. Two of the shadows are matte and the rest are a mixture of pearl and shimmer finishes. If like me you are addicted to a neutral smokey eye then you will love this palette. Even the two matte shades are good quality. I must admit I don’t use the brow colours so can’t comment on them but it is nice to see a high street brand including them in a palette. You get fourteen pigmented eyeshadows and thats a lot for £4.00. I know Makeup Revolution have a huge selection of palettes, let me know if you have tried any & what you would recommend. 5.7g for £4.00.

If I had to pick my two favourite palettes they would be the Vivo Colour Block and the L’Oreal La Palette Nude. I would say don’t buy the Catrice one its not great value for money & Essence do a much better neutral palette.

Four Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes

My Favourite Neutral Palettes

- Vicki 20 Comments

As much as I try to step outside of my comfort zone and try wearing some colourful eyeshadows I just feel a little 80’s. I don’t posses the skills needed to make fun eyeshadows work, they end up looking like a mess. So I always retreat back to my beloved neutral shadows where I am comfortable. I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite Neutral Palettes.

Neutral Palettes

So first up is the Vivo Colour Block Unprotected Palette – This has 12 shades and has a good mix of matte & more shimmery shades. You will need to wear a primer with these shadows for them to last throughout the day. I have worn every shade in this palette but I especially like the 2nd row, that has seen alot of love. This Vivo palette is a bargain and you can pick it up for £3.99 in their online store

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette $4.99 – This is one amazing palette. The shadows are very pigmented and soft, they are easy to apply and blend. There are no matte shades in this palette but it does have pretty metallic and shimmery colours. You get eight shades in this palette and once again every shade is wearable. I haven’t used the light green as much as the other shades but I have worn them all at some point. The left hand side shades get the most wear & in particular the 2nd shade from the top I wear all over the lid on days I want to wear as little makeup as possible. It’s like a rose gold shade and is very pretty. This is an American Brand, but often you can find it on Amazon or eBay.

Naked 1 Palette – Since my collection has grown this old faithful doesn’t get as much love as it used to. Its such a trusty palette and you can achieve so many looks with it. You get 12 shades and I love all of them apart from Creep, which I never seem to wear. I love Smog & Toasted the most out of the twelve shades. You get two good matte shades a few metallics and some shimmer so a little something for everyone. Now I’ve blogged about it I’m going to use it a little more and fall back in love with it.

5 Neutral Palettes

BarryM Natural Glow Shadow & Blush Palette £6.49 – This is the newest addition to my palette collection and although it says it has a blush in, the blush is not good at all and I never use it. It is chalky and has very little colour pay off. The shadows on the other hand are nice. You get six eyeshadows and there are two good matte shades. There is a little fallout but nothing you can’t work around. I just wish the blush wasn’t in this palette.

Last up is the MUA Undress Me Too Palette £4 – This has 12 shades in and has been compared to the Naked 2 Palette, I don’t own that palette so can’t say if it holds up as a dupe but I love this palette. The packaging might feel a little cheap and plastic but it is thin and easy to travel with. I have never used the black shade but it is SO pigmented (it scares me). You get some good mattes and a mix of metallic finishes and shimmers. A primer is well worth using as these shadows are not the longest wearing and would benefit from a little help. Everytime I use this palette I can’t believe how little it cost. For £4 everyone should own this palette.

So they’re my 5 most used neutral palettes – I’d love to know if you have any favourites.

Favourite Products of December 2012

- Vicki 6 Comments

We’re already a week into January 2013 but I still wanted to let you know what I had been loving in December 2012. I had a low-key December and I think my products reflect that. So before I start rambling I will get right into it.

December 2012 Favourites

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer – I use this to cover really unsightly blemishes and ones that are super red. I find this quite heavy and so only use it when nothing else will work and this stuff doesn’t budge. Covergirl lashblast 24hr Waterproof Mascara – this is a great mascara for giving quite dramatic lashes especially if you’ve really curled your eyelashes. It’s so black i love my mascara to be uber black and again it doesn’t budge.

Vivo Colour Block Palette in Unprotected. This is a palette I reach for over and over again. The colours are all lovely and I am a neutral eyeshadow girl so this has  everything I need. It’s also the palette I take away on holiday without fail. I’ve done a more in depth post on this palette with swatches – here if you want to have a read. Chanel Eyeshadow in Safari 45 – this is the prettiest taupe with a hint of shimmer. It’s so soft and blends like a dream.

MUA Pink Shimmer Kisses Blusher – This has been in my makeup bag since I bought it a couple of months ago. I have worn it so much. You can make it a light wash of colour or go for a more intense colour. It’s so versatile. MUA have done it again. Top marks for this. I’ve done a blog post about this here. YSL Perfect Touch Radiance Foundation – I have used this foundation for about 3 years now and it is my old faithful. It give a really beautiful coverage which I would say was medium and it gets better throughout the day. It settles down to look flawless and gives your skin a really healthy glow. I will always have a tube of this. It makes my skin look younger and so healthy.

December Favourites 2012

Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser –  spf 20 in the shade nude. This is a really lovely lightweight tinted moisturiser. It feels so nice on the skin, it’s quite a sheer coverage but that’s perfect for days when you’re not wanting to apply a full face of makeup. It really has some staying power too. It applies smoothly on the face and gives you such a fresh-faced look and I love it. Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll-on Medium – This is great to add a little flash of colour under the eye and look more awake. It’s not the best coverage and it’s a little watery but I tap it in and it gives you a more awake look. I’ve blogged about this here with swatches.

No7 Lash and Brow Perfector – This just works. It tames my unruly brows. What more could I want? The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm – This smells so festive and has a shimmer to it. So it was perfect for December. It’s not very moisturising but it does give your lips a hint of colour and also shimmer. So very festive.

Murad Exfoliating blemish Treatment Gel – this has really calmed my breakouts and it helps reduce the redness and size of blemishes. I use it morning and night when I have a breakout. Mac Sheer Pressed Powder – I’ve been using this to set my foundation. I have been a little more greasy than normal and I have found a light dusting of this across my forehead and chin makes my foundation stay put.

So they were my December favourites. If you’ve blogged about your December favourites leave me a link in the comments.

 

 

Vivo Eyeshadow Palette

- Vicki 30 Comments

Vivo Unprotected Palette

Whilst I was in Tesco, super late at night picking up paper I saw the new Vivo stand with quite a few new products on and I was drawn to this palette. It was £3.00 and you get 12 shadows. I need another neutral palette like I need a hole in the head. But I thought this would be great for travelling as its compact and really slim.

The colours are really intense and pigmented. Not what you would expect for the price. They are a little powdery but nothing you cant tap off. As you can see from the back of the palette all the shades are named which is nice as often lesser expensive brands tend to number their colours and I don’t like that. I like them to have names.

Vivo Cosmetics Palette in Unprotected 

For £3.00 you get a lovely range of colours and finishes. There are 3 matte colours and the rest have an almost frost finish to them, they’re really pretty. I found they blended well if you take your time and work them – but you get a lovely finish and many of these shades can create a smokey eye. As I said the colours are really pigmented.

Top row, Middle row and Bottom row

I think my favourite colours from this Unprotected Palette are Engage and Adore – but they are all nice. Its great to see a Drugstore palette with matte shades. I’m really impressed with the quality of the shadows. They are quite creamy and rich, you get 8.4g of product for £3 which is really great value.

Vivo have a really good range of products int their collection, I already love using their Brow palette and their baked blushes. Their range is available in larger Tesco Stores and online at vivocosmetics.co.uk if you have’t already you should check them out they are always doing great deals.