So we all know that I have issues with Urban Decay at the moment… No, we don't? Okay, basically in a nutshell, Urban Decay create these beautiful, high pigmented eyeshadows in lots of yummy, scrummy colors that make me drool… but then they decide to put flakes of glitter into them… just why? The glitter is far too big a flake to even warrant being in an eyeshadow!
Now, do not get me wrong - I Love glitter! Anything glittery has me pulled over by a gravity force and going all googly-eyed and much like those cute little aliens from Toy Story. Heck, give me a quick-dry glitter eyeliner and I'm all over that like Spanish Buzz over Jessie!
But this glitter is actualy pointless! I've tried using primer, sponge applicators, stiff brushes, fluffy brushes, angled brushes and every time I use these gorgeous shades with the flakes of glitter, the glitter flakes just fall out!!! Seriously not cool!!!
However, as I wander through House of Frazier or Debenhams, usually the latter as I wander over after class to kill time as I wait for Neverland Nails to finish work, I still find myself at the counter. Damn the pretty colors and the glitter!!! But I was recently over on a mission - I had loaned my sample Primer Potion to a work collegue and it came to my attention that there wasn't much left in it. So I purchased the Primer Potion - just the original formula, I find the 'Sin' formula leaves all shadows with a hint of shimmer and if I wanted a satin or matt finish… yeah, you get me?
Now, again, I have issues with the presentation of the packaging… really? A velvet lined blister-pack? How very poncey of you…
Now, why would I buy this if all I do is complain about it? Simple. This is, without a doubt, the best primer I have ever used. It's not silicone based, and pretty much keeps your shadows as crease proof as humanly possible. Plus, because its an Urban Decay one, all the pigments in your shadow stick and really show up with it.
I have tried other primers - I sampled the new M.A.C Prep and Primer eye primer, but it uses a pump and too much product squirted out, and I bought the LemonAid by Benefit. This is an eye brightening one, and it does wonders around my eyes as a color correcting aid. However, when I applied it on my lids, I felt that it did nothing for keeping eyeshadow cliffs at bay. And by eyeshadow cliffs, I mean the buildup of product due to creasing.
So it was my birthday at the end of May, and I made plans to go out on the Saturday night after the actual birthday. Now, I saw a xSparkage tutorial on an Easy Rainbow Eyes look and in this, she states that she uses a cream shadow base. Now, where would I get a cream shadow - the Illamasqua counter in Debenhams. So off I scamper to Illamasqua.
I had received the Liquid Metal Palette No. 1 for christmas from Neverland Nails. Now, if you are not acquainted with Illamasqua's Liquid Metal range, let me introduce you. It's a creamy, high pigmented metallic range that when used in a concentrated method i.e eyeliner, it looks like you had brushed metal onto your skin. It also can be lightly dabbed onto skin for a slightly colored, metallic shimmer.
Palette No. 1 has been out of stock at the Illamasqua counter since October 2010 due to a product restriction. The first few batches came out okay, but I think that the formula was changed because of a discontinued ingredient and the supplier to Illamasqua have said that they are not 100% happy with the formula and are working on the problem. So I am very much the cat that got the cream in regards to this.
Palette No 1. consists of a silver, bronze, gold and pewter quad. It is designed like a compact and has a mirror but no brush. I absolutely love the colors that they swatch and would highly recommend that people should get these for in their kit. Not necessarily the Illamasqua ones, but the colors go with every shadow color and can just give the right 'pop' to a look when needed.
So I began to browse, and I got approached by a makeup artist. Now, I'm always intimidated by these people because they look flawless, and I usually am wearing no makeup when I browse and therefore am treated like an absolute moron. Again, Urban Decay did a makeover for me, and the artist used the wrong color (I had my eyes shut otherwise I would have pointed this out before she had finished the look), didn't contour or add depth and then used the bloody glitter eyeliners that take an absolute age to half dry out! Benefit also gave me a makeover to sample the LemonAid and when I informed the artist that I used very bright colors, she proceeded to give me a very neutral eye, tried to sell me the Bad Gal Lash mascara that I told her I already owned and filled my eyebrows with crap to redefine them. Just why?
So it was very refreshing to talk to an artist that listened to my query, and showed me the cream pigments that I was after. She also talked me through different options that I could have used, and even opened a brand new cream pigment for me to swatch. So I was looking at a cream pigment and a medium eye pencil, and when I asked her for an honest opinion of which was the better option, she talked me through the pros and cons and gave me a rounded answer of the eye pencil, which was also cheaper than the pigment. So here was a makeup artist who actually listened to me, took the time to talk with me and actually sold me the cheaper product because it was better than the dearer product for its intended use. So we talked and she wrote down a lot of cosmetology schools for me to look at, and I asked for her name for if I wanted my makeup done for an event. It was, overall, a good half to three quarters of an hour for each of us.
Now, when I got home, I was whisked out by my father to do some messages so by the time I got home, I just wanted to play with the Primer Potion, the Medium Eye pencil and the Barry M pigments I had purchased. And during this, I discovered the best eyeshadow base/primer combination in the world.
Layer the pencil underneath the Primer Potion for unmoveable color. Seriously. I swatched some pigment with just pencil, just Primer Potion, and then with both on the back of my hand. Now, I forgot about it and went to bed. The part that was swatched with the combination was still on when I woke up in the morning.
Now, I never got to show this off because of work and not having enough time to do the rainbow eyes, but watch this blog!
Until next time GlitterFlakes :)
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