Brush Cleaner Showdown

Hello beauties, happy thursday! Today I want to talk about some of the brush cleaners that I have tried in the past and compare them so that you have a rough idea in case you are not sure which one to go for.

First up it's my all time favourite brush cleaner from MAC. It is a spot cleaner where you just pour a small amount on a kitchen towel and swirl your brushes a few time and that's it. It is great for makeup artist on the go as well as someone who doesn't have time to deep clean their brushes. I have featured this in my last empties blogpost so click here if you fancy giving it a read.

This MAC brush cleaner is the most effective spot cleanser I have ever tried. It comes in a plastic bottle of 235ml product and it costs around 12 euros. It just gets off every single bit of colour and dirt on the brush and it disinfects as well because of the alcohol content, but the only downside is that the bottle leaks sometimes so what I do is depot a little in a small bottle and if I need more I'll just add more in it.

Next up is a recent discovery. I ordered it from beautybay and it is ahh-amazing. It's the ever-so-famous Blendercleaner by Beautyblender, the solid version. 

I think everybody should have this. It is just so effective as far as deep cleaning makeup brushes as well as sponges, plus it smells incredible, kind of minty and herbal scented. It is easy to use as well, just wet your brush and swirl on the soap surface till the dirt and colours are all gone. It comes in this very compact plastic case which contains 1 oz of the product. Can you imagine how handy it would be if you travel with it?! It also comes with a drainer so that the soap doesn't mix with the water which is just genius. This is now my HG deep brush cleaner that I cannot live without. It just leaves my brushes so clean, soft and smells amazing. Highly highly recommend!

Moving on to another spot brush cleaner, and it's the Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner by Sephora. FYI this is the old bottle, the new one now is all black. I actually went through 2 of these and I can tell you that this is probably the worst in the bunch. It comes in a spray bottle which is cool but it doesn't clean my brushes well. It leaves colour residue and it smells nothing but alcohol and I just didn't care for it. It costs 8 euros for 60ml and for me it is just not worth the money, and let's be honest if I put another 4 euros I could get a bottle of MAC cleaner for more than triple the amount. Disappointing! So if you are thinking of getting a bottle of this, well DON'T!

Photo credit: Maniacmagazine 

Lastly I want to show you this spot brush cleaner by Make Up For Ever. I, for some reason, couldn't find this green bottle anymore they might have changed the packaging just FYI. Now I had thrown away the bottle so I can't show you mine unfortunately please excuse me for that. This is very comparable to the MAC one and they cost pretty much the same as well. It smells very pleasant sort of like cucumber. This comes in a spray bottle unlike the MAC one so if you are a fan of spray bottle then go for this of course but if you don't care then I would suggest the MAC one because it just cleanses a tad better. 

There you have it guys, so if you are thinking of getting a brush cleaner either deep clean or spot clean I hope this is somewhat helpful. Let me know if you like this kind of "showdown" blogpost where I compare products from different brands, and if you do then please let me know either commenting down below or tweeting/instagramming me @eflicciardello and I'll make sure to do it more often. Thank you so much for reading and see you soon! Muahh! 

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My Favourite MAC Eyeshadows

I am not a MAC girl I gotta admit. I probably have just a couple of things from MAC and that's about it. However there are a few things that I think are definitely worth checking out from MAC and these eyeshadows I'm going to show you today are certainly one of them. 

There we go. My MAC eyeshadow "palette". Lol! I only bought the duo palette because I know I don't really buy MAC eyeshadows but these 2 colours just really caught my eye and I certainly don't own anything like these not even similar so I'm very happy to have them in my eyeshadow collection. 

This is in the shade Coppering and it's a copper colour like the name. Very pretty and looks fantastic in the summer when I have a little tan going on. I like this kind of warm toned sort of bronzy coppery shade, just looks flattering on my skintone. It looks really good on its own, just a wash of this colour all over the lid and you are good to go, or you can spice it up for a more glamorous look, and that's when the "Club" shade comes in. 

There we go. This is my current go-to eyeshadow colour. It's a duo-chrome eyeshadow from MAC. Really really pretty because it has this gorgeous green mixed with a warm toned brown. It really looks good on anyone especially for those who have brown eyes. 

With Club all over the lids

Just Club on the lids, easy and pretty

For lazy days I just apply "Club" or "Coppering" all over the lid, blend a little and that's it. But if I really want a full on eye makeup then I would apply Coppering from the inner corner to the centre of my eyes, then apply Club on the outer half and blend inwards to make everything look seamlessly. Same on the lower lash lines: Coppering on the inner half and Club on the outer half. Et viola! A glamorous eye look which in my opinion looks good all year round. 

Left: with natural sun light Right: under artificial light

These eyeshadows are between satin and shimmery finish, pretty subtle yet pigmented with no fallout as far as I'm concerned. The lasting power is pretty normal I would say but definitely use a primer underneath. They are soft but not as soft as Urban Decay eyeshadows. If you like warm toned eyeshadows then these are definitely worth checking out. 

That's it guys. Short and sweet. I hope you have enjoyed my MAC eyeshadow "collection". Lol! If you have any MAC shadows that you really love please let me know by leaving comments down below or tweet/instagram me @eflicciardello. Thank you so much for your time and see you on Saturday! Bye! Muahh! 

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The Perfect "Nudes"

Happy Monday beauties! 

I love a good nude lipstick because it goes with different looks especially flattering if you pair with smokey eyes. You see what I am saying?!

You need to know your skintone when it comes to choose the perfect nude lipstick because sometimes the wrong nudes can wash you out and believe me that would not be pretty. 

I have a fair to medium (Mac NC 20) and slightly yellow undertoned skin, and now I will show you my all time favorite nude lipsticks that suit my skintone really well, and if you are someone that have the same or similar skintone then they would work for you as well. Hope this helps! 

First up, it's a recent purchase. It's the Rouge Dior Lipstick in the shade 169 Grège 1947. I love this colour, it suits me really well and I think it would look good on any skintone, well perhaps a tad too light on dark skintoned girls. This was the shade that Dior used on Natalie Portman when she shot for the Dior commercial. It looked beautiful on her and that's one of the reasons why I bought it, I am not gonna lie. But it turns out to be really lovely on me so good shot I guess. Hah! 

This lipstick is so lush! It's creamy, light and has a nice smell to it. It's a satin finish but quite glossy to be honest so you don't need a gloss over it. It's a peachy nude and with a slight beige to it. I mean you just can't go wrong with Dior lipsticks. They are expensive but well worth it.

I can't talk about nude lipsticks without talking about Mac nude lipsticks. I mean Mac has some really lovely lipsticks and their colour range is incredible. I guarantee you'll find the one you want from Mac let's just leave it like that. The shade I have here it's called Peach Blossom. 

It's a cream sheen which means it's moisturizing, has a nice sheer wash of colour but opaque enough, it feels very comfortable on the lips, and quite glossy. It has the signature vanilla scent like all Mac lipsticks do. It's a peach pinky nude and it is seriously gorgeous. 

I have featured both the Dior and the Mac ones in my Lip Product Addict Tag blogpost so make sure to check it out by clicking . 

Next up it's the Femme Nude Lip Stylo in No.5 Nude from Hourglass. This is rather different than the last 2 nudes I just mentioned. It is a matte finish and very opaque with some shimmers running through, but that being said it looks very natural on the lip. 

It's so light and creamy I just can't get over how good it feels on the lip. It does not have any smell which is ok. Would be perfect for someone who is sensitive to scents. The colour is a peachy goldeny colour, very warm toned. Lovely! I mentioned this lipstick in my Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks blogpost, I'll link it  for you. 

Last but certainly not least is the Avon Lipstick in Pout. Make sure to check with your Avon Rep because Avon does some really nice coloured lipsticks. 

This is another peachy pink nude lipstick but more on the pinkier side (can you tell I like peachy nudes?) it's very pretty. It's quite opaque actually which I am very happy about. Smells lovely, very lightly scented and glossy. The only problem I have with this one is the texture. It's creamy yes but a little patchy in a way. It dries out my lips a little as well which I am not impressed. But it's very affordable so if you are looking for a cheap alternative to the first 3 lipsticks I mentioned above then the Avon Pout is the way to go.

That's it guys, those 4 are my preferred nude lipsticks and I hope I have helped you in a way in terms of choosing your "perfect" nude. Let me know your perfect nudes by leaving comments down below or tweet me

Thank you for reading I'll see you next time! Bye! Muahh! 

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Favorite Eye Brushes PART 1

Hi guys, I hope you have enjoyed my Favorite Face Brushes posts which I did a couple of days ago and if you haven't seen it I'll link it right . Make sure you check them out if you like brushes.

Today I am going to talk about some of my eye brushes that I absolutely love and hopefully you'll like them too. Let's crack on!

Mac 217:

You can't talk about favorite eye brushes without talking about the Mac 217. You just can't! Because this is hands down the best crease blending brush I have ever used. Everybody should own one. It just blends so well. It Is also a great brush for applying shadows all over the lids. If you think this brush is only good for eye shadows then your are wrong. It's perfect for blending concealers under the eyes as well as applying highlighters on the cheekbone. Can't recommend enough. If you are new to makeup or don't wanna spend tons of money on brushes then this is the one to go. One brush you can do your entire eye look. Yes that's right!

I got my Mac 217 on recommendation of Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup. I think I can save my breath on how amazing and talented she is. I got loads beauty products based on her reviews, so if you fancy reading her blogpost on the Mac 217 then click .

Sephora Rounded Crease 13:

Another favorite brush of mine for blending. It's super soft and blends eye shadows seamlessly. I also use it for applying highlighter on my cheekbone. It's affordable so if you can't afford the Mac 217 then this is the one to go for.

Zoeva Pencil Brush 230:

It's a dupe for Mac 219. A must have in my opinion for applying shadows on the lower lash line. Also great for smudging eyeliners if you are into that kinda look. Doesn't shed and easy to clean.

Sephora Double-ended Eye Shadow Brush:

I like this one for travel. One side is a basic shadow brush and the other side is good for either smudging liners or applying shadows on the lower lash line. Very convenient and also affordable. The only down side is that the shadow end brush sheds, but apart from that, it's all good.

Real Techniques Accent Brush:

It comes in a set of 5 different eye brushes, and this particular one is my favorite. It's good for smudging eyeliners, applying shadows on lower lash lines, and also good for precision spot concealing. Very dense but not scratchy. I use it everyday for smudging my liners. Can't live without it.

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Lip Product Addict TAG

Hey guys. I am SO excited about today's post. It's a TAG (video) which is created by the lovely Amelia Liana and Estée. I am obsessed with these 2 beautiful ladies that sometimes makes me wanna go and live in London so maybe I could bump into them on the street and meet them. Lol! Anyway as I was saying I love watching their videos and reading their blogposts. They have great tastes when it comes to makeup and skincare. I'll link their original video  so you can check it out if you haven't already. 

Well as I mentioned above this is a TAG VIDEO but since I don't do YouTube videos, I thought I could write a post about it because I love this TAG, it's right up my alley! So without further ado let's hop to it! 

1. Favorite balm/treatment?

I'm gonna cheat a little on this one because I have 2 and it's hard to choose just one to be honest so there we go. The first one is an oldie but a goodie. It's such a cult lip product. I mean everybody and their mother rave about it. It's the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm. It is so moisturizing. It locks in the moisture so that your lips never feel dry. It lasts absolute hours on the lip, and it's matte which means a great base before lipsticks. 

I have mentioned this lip balm in my morning skincare routine post so if you are interested just . 

My second lip balm/treatment is the Replenishing Lip Balm by Clarins. I love this I mean I can't even remember how many tubes I had gone through. Unlike the Nuxe one this is a shiny finish lip balm but not like Vaseline kinda feeling. I don't like Vaseline sorry. This lip balm is very moisturizing and I like to use it in the evening before bed, and when I wake up in the morning the lip balm is still there on my lips. So good! Ohh I have to mention that both lip balms smell lovely! 

2. Best eye-catching red?

This one I have to give it to my Rouge Dior Lipstick in the shade 999. Perfect red in my opinion, not too warm nor blue toned. Very eye-catching of course. Satin finish and so comfortable on the lip. And I love the packaging so simply yet elegant. I had raved all about it on my "Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks of All Time" blogpost  so make sure you check it out by clicking . I absolutely love it! It smells lovely too. 

3. Best luxury & best drugstore?

Best luxury has to be my Dior lipsticks, doesn't matter which one or which line, I mean they are all good. I love them all! Let's just put it like that! They are just so light and so comfortable on the lip. The most important factor for me is that Dior lipsticks don't create this nasty line in between my lips like others do. I don't know how to explain it but it's very important to me. 

Make sure you check out my "Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks of All Time" blogpost for reviews and swatches of some of my Dior lipsticks if you are interested. 

Best drugstore... ... Emm... ... To be honest with you I haven't found the "best" one yet. I am still in search. I have tried some but almost all of them are disappointing. I am not being snobby here I am just being honest. But if I have to choose one then it will be these Lipstick Pencils from Wjcon. Wjcon is an Italian drugstore cosmetic brand and it's the equivalent of KIKO. I know that a lot of you know KIKO, but they are pretty much the same in my opinion.

I have 2 of their lipstick pencils here, one is this orange color called Fluo Geranium 04 and the other one is this cherry red color called Passion Rose 09. They remind me of the Nars Satin Lip Pencils but obviously a lot cheaper. I mean they are pretty good for the price and really pretty colors, so if you are in Italy and want to try some affordable and pretty lipsticks then they are the one to go. 

4. Best Mac lipstick?

I am not a Mac girl. Yes Mac does some really nice lip colors but the texture is not my cup of tea. I like the smell of Mac lipsticks but that's about it. 

If I have to choose one then it has to be my Mac Beach Blossom. It's a cream sheen. It's pretty moisturizing but I found Mac lipsticks are quite waxy which I don't care for. This is actually my first ever Mac lipstick and I adore the color. It's the perfect peachy pink nude for my complexion. Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup went on about this lipstick so if you want to hear what she had to say then click right . 

5. The most disappointing?

When I tell you my disappointing lip product you will be shocked. Get ready! It's the Glossy Stain from YSL. That's right. I have to be honest here I really don't like it. I know that a lot of beauty gurus and beauty junkies love this product but it drys out my lips so bad I just can't wear it anymore. I do like the light texture and the bright orange color but drying out my lips is something I can't bear. I got it from my local makeup store and I have the shade #8.

6. Liner - yes or no?

No. Because lipsticks don't really feather on my lips even with the most intensive colors, so I feel it's unnecessary to line my lips. Also I can achieve a bigger fuller looking lip with just lipstick so why liner?! 

7. Best gloss?

I am not a gloss girl really. I don't buy lip glosses like ever. I used to wear a lot though when I was at school but now, nah. I just found them to be sticky and too shiny. And to be honest there are loads lipsticks in the market can achieve the same shiny and glossy result but not sticky. So sorry guys I can't answer this one. 

8. Something extra

I think I am gonna talk about this lip combo I have been loving lately. It's a combination of the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in the shade Empress and the Revolution Lipstick from Urban Decay in the shade Venom. 

Check out my "Top 5 favorite Lipsticks of All Time" blogpost for details of the Hourglass Opaque Rouge. This is hands down the best liquid lipstick/lip stain I have ever tried. It dries down to matte and lasts absolute hours, and it's not drying. So good. And this shade is so flattering for all skin tones I think. It's this deep purple, aubergine color, simply gorgeous and comfortable to wear. 

(Left: Hourglass right: Urban Decay) 

The Revolution Lipstick by Urban Decay is a recent purchase. I think I have had it probably for only a week and I am obsessed, I repeat, obsessed with it. It's so lovely, so comfortable and so beautiful. This color is in the same color family as the Hourglass one, but more berry toned. I paired them together for a night out and those 2 together lasted the whole night without touching up. Absolutely top notch! #inlove

(Layered together)

So there you have it. My version of the Lip Product Addict TAG. It is so fun to write this post and I am so glad Amelia and Estée came up with this fun TAG. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you have your own version of this TAG then please let me know so I can read all about it. Until next time bye. Muah! 

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My top 5 Cream Eyeshadow choices

Hey guys...

Who loves cream eyeshadows? I know I do! They are just so darn easy to apply, stay in place all day (if you choose the right ones), and good for lazy days when you just want some definition on your eyes without using brushes and all that blending work! Just blend with fingers and boommm done. Am I right?!

There we go... My most used cream eyeshadows. Let's get right into it, shall we?!

You can't go wrong with Mac Paint Pots. Loads people love them, and I am obviously one of those people. They last long on your eye balls, loads colours to choose from, creamy, easy to apply and easy to blend. I am not gonna ramble more about paint pots cuz I know for sure you beauty junkies out there already know why they are so popular. Let's just say they are good and worth checking out if you haven't already! This is called "Quite Natural", and it's a great base for a dark smokey-eye, or use it on its own to give some definitions on lazy days.  

There we go, another paint pot. The shade is called "Groundwork". It might not look appealing but trust me, it's a great base for all kinds of coloured eyeshadows. You can of course use it on its own for a subtle "no makeup" makeup look if you will. It's also a great shade for blending on the crease. I know in fact that some Mac makeup artists use this shade for crease work. You can purchase paint pots from all Mac counters near you or online of course. 

Next up, Wjcon Soft Mousse Eyeshadow in N10. It doesn't have a name unfortunately but it's a great cream eyeshadow by all means. This is an Italian drug store makeup brand. It's like KIKO but I personally prefer this brand. It's pretty affordable, only 6.90 euros. Unfortunately you can't get it anywhere else in the world apart from Italy. Sorry, but I know KIKO does something similar so... Anyway this stuff is seriously god send. It stays on all day, trust me I have the world oiliest eye lids and this wouldn't come off until I remove it with a makeup remover in the evening. It's very light in texture, kinda mousey, very pleasant. I love this shade, it's a bronzey neutral colour if you are into "neutrals" like I do. 

We are almost there I promise. The 4th one is by Benefit. It's their Ceaseless Cream Eyeshadow in the shade "Birthday Suit". I've just checked their website and I don't seem to find this shade. I don't know if it's discontinued or sold out, but do contact Benefit if you are interested. 

Another neutral shade I know, but what can I say I love my neutrals. It's a great shade to apply on its won and/or layer it with another colour. It stays pretty well throughout the day. I might have to check out other shades too. Mine dried out a little bit, I've had it since last year, but it works still. It's all good. 

Last but not least Avon Super shock Eyeliner in Flashy Brown. I know it says eyeliner but I use it as a cream eyeshadow. It works really well as a base and of course on its own. I love this colour. Very natural but with a bit more reddish brown in it. It is quite opaque so you don't need a lot. It's great for a neutral browny smokey eye. So make sure you get it from your Avon Rep cuz it is worth it in my opinion. 

So there you have it. My top 5 favourite cream eyeshadows. They are all pretty affordable so do check them out if you are interested it. 

As usual leave me comments if you wanna make me happy, tweet me @eflicciardello for daily updates. Take care guys! xoxo 

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