The Perfect Neutral Eyeshadow Palette - Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow 5 Color Palette (03 Provocative Petal)

Calling all Neutral Eyeshadow Lovers!!! Meet the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette that does it all: Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow 5 Color Palette (03 Provocative Petal). 

If you Follow me on Instagram you'd know that I picked this baby up while I was on holiday a month ago. I just really needed an matte eyeshadow palette that I can use on a daily basis, and this is it and more. It has all the colours I need for an subtle everyday eye look but if I go out in the evening or attend any special events I can definitely intensify the eyes and just smoke it all out. 

It has this sleek black packaging with gold edges. It shuts very nicely as it is magnetic. It comes with 2 sponge applicators which I don't ever use but I tried the pointed sides and they are actually pretty nice for applying shadows along my lash lines as the sponge tips are in fact quite firm. I don't really know which collection this is from if I'm honest but it is permanent that I'm sure. 

This palette has 5 neutral toned colours: 1. Reflect which is this shimmery pale silver that is the least favourite of mine in the palette as it hardly has any colour pay-off, it just doesn't transfer on my lids at all and the shimmers fall down on my face like nobody else's business, but that being said it is a lovely shade for inner corner highlight - if you could get any colour on your eyes of course. 2. Is a Matte pale cream colour that is the perfect base for any eyeshadow you might use on top. 3. Is probably my favourite shade of all. It has a Satin finish and the peachy/champagney colour is just so darn pretty and perfect for an everyday look. 4. Is a dark warm brown that is Matte and very opaque. It applies beautifully on my eyes, I mean you just can't do wrong with a nice dark brown in a palette, and I love the warm tone in this shade which looks very flattering on my skin tone. 5. Is another Matte shade (a cool taupe) which I wasn't too keen on when I purchased this palette as I prefer warm toned colours, but it turns out to be one of my favourites and it actually looks pretty good on me.

(used the champagne, taupe and the dark brown)

(my go-to everyday look, without mascara by the way)

All the colours except the shimmery one are soft and smooth with nice colour pay-off. They are easy to blend and have zero fall-out. This baby is without a doubt the perfect neutral palette that would work on all skin tones and all age groups. It is sleek and compact which makes it easy to travel with. I highly recommend this palette and in case you haven't noticed already I'm obsessed!!!

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Spring Makeup Edit

I love changing my makeup looks from time to time according to the weather and there's one look that I have enjoyed wearing for the past month and I think it's really pretty for this time of the year, incredibly easy to achieve as well, and in my opinion would look good on everyone so without further ado, here's the look and the products I use for this lovely spring makeup. 

Let's start with base. Now there are quite a few products involved for the face as a flawless base is the most important step in my makeup routine not just for spring but all year round cuz ain't nobody likes a cakey face am I right?!
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1. I normally use my Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating Primer first as I love a glowy skin and this product really helps to achieve that without making me look like a disco ball. Now it is not shown in the photo cuz I forgot as usual so sorry about that but do click the link I provide for deets. 
2. The foundation I've been loving comes no surprise to you. I am completely and utterly obsessed about it, just done the review, yes it's the No Foundation Foundation Serum by Perricone MD. It is the most skin-like foundation I've ever tried, so thin, so light and couldn't be a better choice for spring when you just want something light to even out the skin-tone, and look fresh as a flower. 
3. RMS "Un" Cover-Up (shade 22) is my concealer choice for spring as it is light, it's hydrating, just smooth it under the eyes and it instantly brightens and no brush needed. 
4. To set everything in place and add an extra glow I use my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. This just makes me look radiant plus it never gets cakey. 
5. To give a nice bronzy glow and just a light contour I use my beloved Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel which I'm not gonna show you today as it is almost gone and the brush I use with it sheds all over the product, it just ain't pretty, but it is the perfect bronzer for spring and summer as it is creamy, feels nothing on the skin and the glow it gives is just beautiful. 
6. Oh my lord, look at those 2 blushers, a vibrant coral (Clarins Cream blush in 03) topped with a nice rosy pink (Chanel Camelia Rose)... Screams out spring and together they last all day long as well.

Moving on to eyes which couldn't be simpler, I just apply this rosy toned bronze shimmery cream eyeshadow by Wjcon (shade 10) all over the lids, smudge a dark brown eyeshadow along both upper and lower lash lines for some definition but just on the outer half. You can leave it like this or apply a shimmery white eyeshadow on the inner corner just to brighten up the eyes. Fill in my brows of course with my favourite brow pencil by KIKO in the shade 02. My everyday makeup routine doesn't involve mascaras as I like to leave my lashes natural plus I just couldn't be bothered if I'm honest but use your favourite mascara by all means to finish the eye look. 

Last but not least is my favourite part of this makeup look - lips. I use Too faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in Melted Violet as a base as it lasts well throughout the day and I just really like the fun purple colour. I will be picking up more shades from the Melted range as they are so comfortable on the lip, great colour pay-off, doesn't feel dry at all and love the sponge tip applicator which makes a world difference when it comes to application. Love it! 

To add a springy pop and some shine/moisture to my lips I use the Tarte Butter Lipstick in Pink Poinsettia. These 2 colours together is just another story. I mean they are individually beautiful but together they create this stunning and vibrant pinky coral that to me screams out spring and would suit for a lot of skin tones. 

There you have it beauties. This is my current everyday makeup look that I think looks pretty and girly for spring and summer so have a go and let me know how you like it or tweet/instagram me (@eflicciardello) a photo if you like. Have a lovely weekend and see you all next Tuesday! Muahh! 

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NUDE Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly

Yep I bought another cleanser! I'm all about "the cleanse" if you haven't noticed already. Make sense though cuz cleansing is the most important step in our skincare routines and if you don't cleanse well no amount of serums or creams would penetrate well into the skin, no matter how expensive or effective they are.

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You guys all know that I love balm cleansers but balms are just a tad "heavy" for the morning use and I really needed something lighter and refreshing like Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel which was sadly finished so I got this NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly which is basically the same thing but with different ingredients. 

It comes with a giant squeezable tube (100ml for $38). I think this will last me for a while as you only need a penny size amount for the whole face. The trick is that the more you massage it in, the smoother the product becomes, so you really don't need a lot although you might think you do as the product is very hard to spread at the beginning which is rather "confusing" as it is a jelly, but as I said you just need massage a bit more which is totally fine by me as massaging is so good for the skin. 

I can tell you right now that I dig this baby big time. It is light in texture, scent, very refreshing which is ideal for morning use. It also has great ingredients such as sunflower seed oil which is rich in omega 6 & 9, great for nourishing and protecting the skin; bitter orange which helps to sooth, calm and tone our skin; annatto seed extract which is the perfect ingredient for strengthening and protecting the skin from daily stress; and great burdock root which balances out the skin: moisturises the dry areas and purifies the oily areas. 

You use it as you would with the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, just apply it on dry skin then either add water to turn it into a milky textured lotion or remove it with a damp cloth. It doesn't leave any residue and my skin feels comfortable afterwards. 

I really appreciate the fact that this cleanser is all natural and formulated without all those nasty chemicals and preservatives. And if I have to choose between this or the Oskia gel I would totally go for this one as the Oskia cleansing gel actually stings my eyes slightly maybe because of the natural exfoliating ingredients in it, plus I think this would really last me a long time unlike the Oskia gel which finishes way too fast. 

All in all I give it a 5 out of 5, I mean what's there not to like? It cleanses well although I would recommend use it as second cleanse if you prefer to use it in the evening because you really want all those beneficial ingredients to penetrate into your skin rather than use it as a makeup remover. It smells nice, has a lovely light gel texture that turns into an oil which moisturises the skin very well, does what it says and just feels lush on the skin. I highly recommend it and if you are not sure which to purchase between this NUDE cleansing jelly and the Oskia Cleansing gel, I'd say give this a shot as they are, in my opinion, pretty much the same but the NUDE one works out a little cheaper. 

That's it, enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you on Friday! Muahh! 

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Current Foundation Obsession: Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum

Perricone MD skincare is by all means effective and very famous in the beauty world but because of the high price tag I never bought or tried anything from his skincare range but as soon as this No Foundation Foundation Serum ($55) came out I knew I had to get my paws on it. I just thought it would be a great foundation to use during spring and summer.
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As the weather gets warmer I really need a foundation that is light in texture with a good SPF protection that looks like skin plus I really want something that has good skincare ingredients that not only looks good but also treats my skin while I'm wearing it, and this little gem does exactly what I just said and more. Hear me out:

• It is as light as a foundation could ever gets. I mean I literally cannot feel nothing on my face. 
• It is very liquidy but you do get a good light to slightly medium coverage which is exactly what I'm looking for in the summer. It's buildable as well but you won't get more than a medium coverage if that.
• It protects the skin with a broad spectrum, non-chemical, mineral based SPF 30 while helping to correct skin under-tones. 
• It feels so good on the skin and looks flawless. It never gets cakey.
• This foundation lasts very well throughout the day, and sets pretty quickly into a semi matte finish. Honestly I don't even need powder which is insane.
• It has no scent which is great for sensitive skin. 
• It is formulated with anti-aging treatment benefits to improve the appearance of firmness, wrinkles and pores. 

I'm falling head over heels with this little gem and I think I just found my HG foundation. It is for all skin types but I feel that combo to oily skin girls will really enjoy this foundation as it does dry to pretty matte I would say but I have normal to dry skin and I love it, just make sure to use a moisturiser or a hydrating primer beforehands so that your skin doesn't feel dry if you do suffer from dry skin. 

(top: YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation in B30 which is my shade, and bottom: Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum)

(blended in... as you can see the YSL one is the perfect match for my skin-tone, but the Perricone one looks a lot darker on my hands)

The only down side is that there's only one shade which is designed for light to medium skin tones, but Dr. Perricone came out with a No Bronzer Bronzer which is to mix in with this foundation if you have deeper skin tones. Funny thing about this foundation is that it looks a lot darker on my hands as you can see above but somehow manages to match and even out my skin-tone on my face. 

(natural day light)

(directly under the sun)

A little trick I discovered with this foundation is that do use your finger tips to apply as it just looks better with fingers and you don't end up using a lot of product with brushes or sponges. Use circular motion to massage it into the skin if you like a light coverage but if you prefer a bit more coverage then I suggest pat and press it onto the skin. One thing to remember is that do shake well before each use because of the unique weightless suspension technology so that it re-disperses minerals and pigments. 

(with only this foundation on)

It says use 3 to 4 drops but I normal go for 6 maybe 7 just because I do have a lot of redness on my cheeks and I like to pat on a little more on those areas. Remember it is light in coverage so if you prefer full coverage foundations then this is not the one for you. 

That's it guys, honestly I can't say enough good things about this foundation, seriously try it! I'm obsessed and haven't been able to put it down ever since I got it as it just looks like skin, so natural and healthy looking. And if I haven't said it enough I love it, love it, and love it!

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Duty-Free Haul

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Hello again beauties, hope everyone has had a great weekend. I know I just had a Sephora Haul like 3 days ago but for a beauty junkie like myself I just couldn't control my excitement when I saw all those lovely beauty products at the airport when I was on holiday 2 weeks ago so I gave in and bought some stuff, they are not all from the airport, some are from the duty-free shops on the cruise ship that I was on so without further ado let me show you what I bought. A little disclaimer before I start: this is by no means showing off, it's just sharing with my fellow beauty addicts the things that excite us the most so I hope you enjoy!

Ahh the most talked about and used shower product in the beauty world, when I saw this Almond Shower Oil at the Rome airport I just had to have it because I don't have a L'Occitane store in my area and the fact that I have to pay almost 10 euros for shipping if I order online is just a little too much so happy that I finally got this little gem. I bought the 250ml bottle (18.50 euros) because there were no bigger sizes but I shall see how it goes and I like the fact that you can even shave your legs with it so can't wait to try it!

I had a little sample of this L'EAU De Chloe (around $50 for 1.7 Oz) a while back and really liked it so when I saw this at the duty-free shop on the cruise ship I just had to buy it. So happy that I got this, I might give it to my mum as her birthday gift, I think she'll love it. It smells fresh, kinda citrusy and a little sweet I would say. Really like it!

I've also picked up a couple of Estée Lauder makeup. I don't have a lot of Estée Lauder makeup in my stash so I'm happy that I got these. One is the Pure Color Blush ($30) in Sensuous Rose, and the other is this gorgeous Pure Color Envy Eyeshadow Palette ($45) in 03 Provocative Petal. I will do an in-depth review on both of these because they are freaking amazing. 

After seeing everyone and their dogs are raving about the Mac Lipstick in Plumful (19 euros) I just had to see what the fuss was all about. I guess you guys are right, it is right up my alley, so darn pretty and it in fact was not what I thought it was gonna be. It's rather sheer and perfect for everyday use if you prefer some colour on your lips but not in your face bold and bright. Gorgeous mauve/berry-ish colour, perfect my lips-but-better and slightly darker kinda lipstick. I love it! 

I picked up this Too Faced Melted Lipstick (21.50 euros) in Melted Violet from the Sephora in Naples. I've always wanted to try one of these Melted Liquid Lipsticks and I can tell you right now that more colours need to be purchased because the formula is amazing, I actually prefer these than my Hourglass Opaque Rouge ones, yep I said it. 

Last but certainly not least is this beautiful pair of Antica Murrina earrings that I bought in Venice Airport. Apparently every pair is different depends on on the stones. They are very famous and special to Venice people so happy that I got those. They are just so cute! 

That's it beauties, It's safe to say that I won't be buying anymore beauty products for a while after those 2 hauls. I think I won't although there are still quite a lot of items are on my list. Story of my life, story of my life. Anyways I hope you have enjoyed my hauls and as always follow me on Twitter/Instagram @eflicciardello as well as Elaine's beauty reviews for blogposts update. Until next time... Muahh! 

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US Sephora Haul

New Makeup New Look 

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Hello friends, I'm back from my holiday. It feels so good to be blogging again and share awesome beauty finds with you guys. I have a rather large Sephora haul for y'all today. My husband travels to America from time to time for work and I always order something from Sephora's website there, send to him and he brings back to me so I feel very lucky and a massive thank you to my bae! I love ya for not just bringing beauty goodies obviously... A.N.Y.W.A.Y... ... I haven't tried any of these products yet but I will report back of course after trying them out for sometime so just bear with me for now. 

Let's start with skincare. I got the NUDE Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly ($38) because I have a thing with oil based cleansers as you probably all know, and of course Amelia Liana talked about it so I had to try it myself. I've also got a couple of REN products because I'm very impressed with the Lift and Firm Eye Cream that I got maybe a month ago. I like the fact that REN is an all natural skincare brand so I bought the Resurfacing AHA Concentrate ($45) and Bio Retinoid Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate Oil ($60). I was gonna get the Luna Oil by Sunday Riley, the new Retinoid oil that is blue colured, but that one costs $105 and the blue gorgeousness is actually synthetic dye so no thank you. Last skincare item that I desperately wanted to try is this Powdermud Dualcleanse Treatment by GlamGlow ($19). I got the miniature one and I can't wait to try it as I love GlamGlow masks. 

Moving on to makeup... I've never tried Perricone MD products before but I was very intrigued on trying this No Foundation Foundation Serum ($55). It sounds promising and I really needed a foundation that is light for the summer, also has lovely skincare ingredients so I'll report back. You guys know how much I love my Hourglass Opaque Rouge liquid lipstick in Empress so I went ahead got the miniature version of the red shade which is called Icon ($10). I just love how dinky it is, perfect for travel and you know how I feel about red lippies right?! 

I've only got one hair product which is this Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment (travel size) by Living Proof ($15). It is not yet available here in Europe and Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup raves about this little gem so I have to see what the fuss is all about plus I adore Living Proof hair products so it's meant to happen. 

Now because it is my birthday month Sephora kindly threw in a present for me and it couldn't be a better gift because it is a pack of 2 Nars Lip Pencils that I always wanted. I've never tried any of the Nars lip products before but I know that they are pretty darn amazing so happy that I got that. Sephora had a promo going on the time I ordered so I get to try some of the best selling skincare minis. I got the Clinique Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream, REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask which is so highly raved in the beauty world, and a little bottle of the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum unfortunately it broke so that's that. And of course I get to choose 3 free samples which are the NARS all day Luminous Weightless Foundation, Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intense Exfoliating Treatment and lastly GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser. Can't wait to try them!

There we go, those are the things that I picked up from US Sephora and I hope you've liked this haul. Please comment down below which one you want me to review and I'll see you next Tuesday for my holiday haul. Yep! There's another haul on your way! #feelingspendy indeed... 

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March Favourites

Time for a roundup of things I've been loving in March...

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I do have a lot of favourite beauty bits this month but some of them are just old favourites and I don't want to repeat myself and bore you guys so I'm gonna show you 3 new beauty items plus 2 old favourites that I have been obsessed in March hope you like it.

First up is the Multi-Blush in 03 Grenadine by Clarins and I won't go into details because you guys have seen me raving it on Instagram many times and I do also have a full blogpost on this bae so click  for deets and swatch. This is by far the best cream blush I've ever tried and I'm just falling head over heels with this beauty. You guys, seriously, try it and you'll know what I'm on about.

Beauty Blender Sponge is the best invention in the beauty world no doubt as it just takes foundations and even powders application into another level but the price for a little sponge is something that I could never get around. Fortunately beautybay makes a killer sponge that not only looks exactly the same as the original Beauty Blender but also functions the same, and costs a fraction of the price. It applies all of my foundations seamlessly and my skin never looks more flawless, and for 3.50 euros you just can't go wrong.

The Skin House Collagen Free Spot Wrinkle Firming & Toning Serum. What a long name but it's all worth it because it feels so smooth on my skin and the glow it gives is unspeakable. It's very light in texture as well as the scent, such a pleasant serum to use wherever you have fine lines and wrinkles or all over the face if you prefer. This is from a Korean Skincare brand and I got it from my Collagen Memebox. If I can get my hands on this product I will definitely pick up a back-up, ohh and have I mentioned it is all natural?

Moving on to my all time favourite blemish-control mask by Aesop, you guys have all seen this before if you have been following me for a while. It is hands down the best mask for wiping away red spots, drying exiting blemishes and making the skin look and feel as smooth and clean as possible. I can't live without this product and a back-up is much needed. 

Last but not least is this beautiful gunmetal eyeshadow from Urban Decay that I have enjoyed using in the whole month of March. I just apply along both upper and lower lash lines and blend out, easiest smokey eye and so pretty. I blend a lot lower on my bottom lash lines as it makes my eyes look much bigger and I love the sort of grungy-ish makeup look. Nothing bad to say about UD eyeshadows, they are as soft as eyeshadows could get and the colour pay-off is insane. Highly recommend checking this one out. It is from the Smoked Palette and the shade is called Asphalt. 

Anything you have been enjoying this month? Share please... 

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New Cream Blush Obsession: Clarins Multi-Blush in 03 Grenadine

First of all, where have I been all this time? I can't believe I've only discovered this beautiful cream blush by Clarins a couple of weeks ago. I can tell you right now that this is the perfect blush for me and I might even call it my Holy Grail blush. Big statement ehh?!! This just completely changed my opinion on cream blushes because I used to hate them as they don't last on me at all and they make my face look greasy but this one is a completely different story. I'm falling head over heels with it and this is all I have been using on my cheeks ever since I bought it. I just love it!

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I'm gonna be completed honest here and jump straight into the PROs:

• It is the perfect colour for my light to medium with slight yellow under toned skin. It's not too pink nor too peach, the best coral I've ever seen in blushes. 
• It is not completely matte nor too shimmery, it just has the right amount of iridescence to it that is not even detectable on the skin but somehow manages to illuminate my cheeks the best way possible. You guys all know that I love my Nars Orgasm Blush because the colour is simply beautiful but the golden shimmers are just way too much and sometimes I just don't care for it. 
• This cream blusher has a nice cream to powder texture that just glides on my cheeks either with a stippling brush or my fingers tips. Cream to the touch but quickly set to powder once blended on to the skin. It lasts a good 6 hours on my normal to combo skin but if I layer it with a powder blush on top it does last the whole day. 
• It is scentless which is a big thumbs up for me.
• It is so cute and dinky which means perfect for travel, and may I just say how beautiful is the gold packaging!
• It contains 4g (0.1 Oz) of product and retails for 23.50 euros here in Italy which in my opinion is not bad for a highend-ish blush. 
• It doesn't contain parabens from what I can tell on the ingredients list.

If I say there are no CONs on this Multi-Blush by Clarins would you believe me? Well to me it is the perfect blush and I would repurchase over and over again. It is, in my opinion, worth every single penny and I just can't get over how good it looks on my cheeks. Seriously guys if you love cream blushers give this a try, and if you love coral blushes then definitely give 03 Grenadine a try!

(heavy swatch, it might look red because of the lighting but it is a true coral I would say)

I believe it also comes in other 3 colours, 01 peach which is like the name a peachy shade, 02 candy which is a nice candy pink and 04 rosewood is a nice neutral pinky mauve that would look gorgeous on every skin tone. 

(with Clarins Multi-Blush in 03 on, no highlighters)

Ahhh I can't tell enough how happy I am with this blusher to the point that I feel like I need to pick up a back-up. I think you can tell how much I love this blusher and I highly recommend if you haven't tried already. Let me know in the comments below what other cream blushers you think I should try next and as always connect with me on twitter and instagram @eflicciardello and definitely follow Elaine's beauty reviews for future blogposts. Have a lovely weekend beauties and see you next week! Muahh!!!

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