Eyeing up the latest and best palette launches
I adore eye makeup and there is some incredible new launches coming, or have already landed, on counters that are worth a mention. It’s no secret, that in order to create a lovely eye look, you need quality brushes, liners and lashes to complete the look. I love autumn because it is traditionally a time for warmer tones and leads into Christmas which is the season of the smoky eye.
Michelle Fox X Fuschia (€35) launched about three weeks ago and was one of my favourite Irish launches. It’s always quite exciting when a makeup artist collaborates with a brand primarily because, as make up artists, they really understand the need for blendability and wearability.
There are some beautiful shades with eight matte shadows, four shimmers, one fab contour/bronzer, one dreamy highlight and one poppy peachy blush.
My favourite colour is the shimmer Beige Breeze which Fuschia also retails as a pigment.
The highlighter Milo is the perfect shade for day or night and really suits all skin tones. Crème Brulee and Salted Caramel are buttery and blendable.
Excitingly, the brand also launched a collection which contains the highly pigmented palette as well as a lipstick which was created especially for Michelle Fox, a creamy-dreamy lip gloss and the style of lashes that she loves to wear (so they created them!)
I don’t think I have ever really met an Urban Decay palette that I didn’t like but the new Naked Honey palette (€49) is just sublime. The 12 exclusive shades are perfect for creating a swarm of looks, from bright and sunny to dangerously seductive.
As we have come to expect from the Naked Collection, there is the perfect mix or matte and shimmer. From daytime matte to sultry metallic looks, blending your best look is easy, since the Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette comes with a vegan and cruelty-free double-ended brush.
One end is a smudge brush, which is short and densely packed to apply shadow along the lower lash line or to smudge and blend. The other end is a tapered crease brush, perfect for defining the crease and blending shades. The Sting shade is the perfect smoke colour, and if you just wanted a quick fix to sweep over your lid for a gilded look, try Honey. It is available from the end of the month with the wait list now open with stockists.
Obviously with all these purchases you are going to need a set of brushes to blend, smudge and line your way through the month. Rebeluna is an Irish brand I am shouting about. The best value is the set which retails at €60. They work so well and the R02 is a densely packed brush that is perfect for foundation application. The synthetic hairs are suitable for use with cream, powder and liquid products. The tightly packed hairs ensure a flawless finish. It works well patting the product into the skin too so no visible pores.
The domed buffer (R08) is great for blending out concealer to give a flawless streak free finish. It’s also great for blending cream contour and highlight products. I used it a lot with my eyeshadow primer too as its soft and perfect on eyelids.
The R04 is a soft fluffy multi-purpose brush that has so many uses. It’s great for applying powder to small sections of the face and perfect for bronzer application. It’s also great for soft contouring, blush and subtle highlight application - a great all-round brush. I prefer to use this one with powder products as it’s super light.
The R20 is the ultimate eye shadow blending brush. Made with the highest quality hair, this brush is luxuriously soft and dense to ensure seamless blending. It really helps with smokey eyes, I feel.
The R22 is an essential in any makeup bag. This brush lays product onto the lid perfectly, reducing fall out. It is especially great with pigments and glitter.
My most raved about liners are by Clarins. Soft and easy to glide along the waterline or upper lash line, the new Waterproof Eye Pencils (€20) require no sharpening. They come in a variety of colours with my absolute favourites being Black and Fig.
Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D (€26) will help you get long and defined lashes with just two sweeps of the wand. It doesn’t smudge and the brush is great at getting the tiny fine ones.