Black on Black on Black Make-up Kits

May be I'm going through a dark phase?! I love these new make-up finds, and black does go with everything. 

From top left to right

BURBERRY BEAUTY: 'Effortless' Kohl Pencil in ‘Oxblood’ and ‘Poppy Black’. It also comes in ‘Stone’, which is a light cream colour that can be used as a highlighter for the waterline or under the brow bone. These pencils are quite small in comparison to other brands, but it is described as highly pigmented so I guess less is more. On most websites the colour ‘Oxblood’ is grouped with the other two colours which are for eyes, but I feel Oxblood is definitely for lips not for eyes (I shutter to imagine that colour on eyes). Colour swatches of these pencils can we found on ‘gummyvision’ and ‘indigo-kir-royale’. Final thought – these pencils are compact and versatile and they would be great for travel or in your handbag for touch-ups on the go.

GIVENCHY: ROUGE INTERDIT Magic Lipstick is a scarily black looking lipstick on first impression but when it’s applied, the ‘Magic’ happens, transforming the colour into a sheer berry-pink stain. The ‘Magic’ of the lipstick is descried as a color-enhancer with reactive pigments that changes colour with skin’s own pH, so it looks different on every person. I feel the texture and colour of this lipstick is more like a sheer lip-gloss so I wish it was a bit darker, but this is still one of the best lipsticks I have ever tried and I would buy it again and again.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY: The Conceal Full Cover Correcting Brush No. 14, The Face II -Sculpting Foundation Brush No. 2, The Face I - Liquid Foundation Brush No. 1 and The Bronze - Bronzer Brush No. 12.

These brushes are made with 100% synthetic (animal free) hair and metal weighted brush handles. What sets these brushes apart from other high-end brushes are the ridiculously big and fluffy domed shaped brush heads. Especially the Bronzer brush, it has an extra-wide egg-shape dome, which is great for applying natural smooth looking tan.

The Sculpting Foundation Brush and The Conceal Full Cover Correcting Brush also has an ingeniously half-moon shaped dome which is great for stippling foundation or concealer onto the skin and working into the hard to reach or problem areas such as corners of the eyes and blending around nose etc.

Final thought: I love them so much I really wish Marc Jacobs made eye shadow and other makeup brushes in addition to these fabulous face brushes to satisfy my brush OCD (because I like to have all my brushes matching).

GIVENCHY Poudre Première Mat & Translucent-Finish Loose Powder is a “universal, transparent loose finishing powder for the face that imparts radiant complexion throughout the day”. I prefer translucent powders to set make-up as it avoids the makeup looking too chalky and heavy. There are lots of tranlslucent powders out there but this Givenchy powder is super fine in comparison and the packaging looks great on the dressing table.

Giorgio Armani 'Eyes to Kill' Intense Silk Eyeshadow is described as an ‘innovative hybrid texture eye shadow’ that is not a powder, nor a cream. “It acts like a smooth, lasting colour film” on application. “Each shade is intensified with a second pigment for a multidimensional effect. In just one swoop, create a wet, shimmering smoky eye. Base colour covers eyelid, and second pigment adds drama to the contour.” LUST RED is a Shimmering black eyes shadow with shimmery red flecks. It works great as a liner or smudged for a smoky eye effect.

CHANEL PERFECTION LUMIÈRE VELVET SMOOTH EFFECT MAKEUP SPF 15 is the newest edition to Chanel’s make-up line-up. It is specially formulated for those with normal to oily skin. This foundation has a lightweight, oil-free fluid texture with a long-lasting matte-velvet finish. According to Chanel it is formulated with soft-focus pigments creating smooth and perfect the skin for a flawless look that lasts all day. I have been a big fan of Chanel’s VITALUMIÈRE AQUA ULTRA-LIGHT SKIN PERFECTING MAKEUP SPF 15, the new VELVET SMOOTH looks like it’s close cousin, having extremely oily skin I love the matt-velvet finish of this foundation.

NARS AndGod Created The Woman Eye Kit was created for Spring 2013, it contains 6 eye shadows, a travel sized Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (2.8g), and an Eye Shader Brush.

As far as the eye shadows goes, it is great all-rounder palette, the selected colours are well balanced and complementary, ranges from creamy base shade all the way to dark liner shade, from matte to shimmery. The colours are: Alhambra - golden champagne, Bellisima - matte taupe, Kalahari - metallic coppery gold shade, Galapagos - warm chocolate with tiny flecks of gold glitter (favorite), Coconut Grove - flat, matte deep reddish brown, and Night Clubbing - midnight black with tiny flecks of olive glitter

The only downside to the palette is the size; it is tiny compared to what my ideal size of a 6 pan eye-shadow palette should be, it is barely bigger than the NARS eye shadow duo palette.  I suppose the positive side to it being small is that the compact size would make it great for travel.

Now to the extras, the eye shadow base and Eyeshader brush; these extras definitely make up for the small pans size of the palette. 

The Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is white not skin-coloured like many others on the market. There are lots of reviews on the web about this and they all rave about this product. I am not a user of eye primers, but after trying this I am a converter. It does make a visible difference on the eyeshadow application creating a smooth base as well as making the colour bolder. I’m keeping this one for special occasions.

The Eyeshader brush is small in size but don’t be fooled to think it is less in quality, the brush head is very fluffy and soft, and the bristles are surprisingly dense compared with other palette brushes. It will not do everything you want but it is a great back up for those times where you just want to do a quick application.

Overall, this is a great kit with a selection of versatile, wearable shades and the primer and brush are both fantastic.

ANYA HINDMARCH - Make Up smallpatent leather-trimmed cosmetics case. This does come with a hefty price tag, it’s sold for £150 at Net-a-porter (which is $221 AU and $250 US). Why I love it? It has two zip-fastening compartments - one for your makeup, and the other for your brushes and I lover having my make-up organized and clean. The bag itself is nylon and very well made and the size is just perfect for my make-up essentials when I’m travelling. It also comes in a range of sizes to tailor for any journey.