Review | Lancome Absolu Voyage Complete Make-Up Palette

Lancome Absolu Voyage Complete Make-Up Palette - Heathrow T5,  - £42.20  

Make up palettes from high end lines have much improved - I remember when they used to be filled with wacky shades and questionable quality products, and while they were neat and cute to look at, I didn't see myself seriously using one.  

Guerlain's Terracotta Make Up Palette which I reviewed here really switched me onto how versatile and practical they can be, as well as beautiful to use.  Once you have your base sorted whether that's tinted moisturiser, BB cream, foundation or just bare skin if you're lucky enough this Lancome palette gives you a fully polished look in a few minutes.  I just can't get over the dinkyness for everything it contains!

It includes:

• 6 neutral eyeshadows, the strip on the left side are stunning, but there's also a dark purple to take a look into the evening 
• Concealer
• Blush
• Three lipsticks
• Face powder - this is very dinky to get your whole face covered with the little pad, but it does the job of sorting out oily patches on your T zone.  Of course it's in quite a light shade, so wouldn't be great for deeper skin tones.
• Mini Lancome Hypnose mascara (a Holy Grail beauty)
• Black Kohl eyeliner
• Lip pencil   

The only things you'd miss are a dusting of bronzer and dab of highlighter. 

The brushes and applicators supplied with many compacts are still questionable, but the little brush in this Lancome palette made a valiant effort at applying just the right amount of blush for an understated glow, and wasn't scratchy.  The eyeshadow brush was surprisingly good, as was the lip brush.  The Hypnose Mascara mini is just as amazing as a full size as the brush head is the regular size.

The packaging is very cute and saves space by having a little pull-out drawer.  It comes in a velvet pouch which make it feel that bit more special and also prevents the items tipping out in your bag if the latch become undone.  The mirror in the lid is a great size.  All in all it's the perfect little compact to keep stashed in your desk at work for touch ups or last minute nights out.  I've even brought it on a couple of weekends away as it's such a great space and weight saver.

The bad news is that it seems to only be available at airport duty free shops - so keep a look out next time you're going away.

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Eye Make Up Removers Overview - Bourjois, Botanics, No7 + Lancome

I shudder to think of all the years I spent scrubbing heavy eye make up off with sub-standard eye make up removers - that poor delicate eye skin!  I'm pretty sure that's why I have a few more lines around my eyes than I should ¬_¬

Two-phase cleansers which need to be shaken to blend the parts are a revelation and the only formulation which effectively removes even waterproof mascara without too much scrubbing.

The latest one I've tried is Bourjois Express Eye Make Up Remover for £4.99 at Boots.

You get a massive 200mls which will last you at least 2-3 months of everyday use.  While I do like it, and have seen others compare it to Chanel's offering (made by the same company after all), I do feel it's not as effective as my beloved No7.  You really need to drench the cotton wool pad to avoid having to rub the eye area a lot.  However it is described as 'non oily' which the No7 definitely is.  I don't mind a bit of oiliness if I'm only going to bed right after, but if you need to remove make up with the intention of reapplying right away, you may prefer this Bourjois one.

Although you get a lot for your money with this one, as long as the No7 £5-off vouchers keep coming, I'll be sticking with old faithful.

I've lost count of the number of bottles of this No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make Up Remover I've gone through, but it's definitely double figures.

Although you only get 100mls for £7.75, you need less of the product that the Bourjois one, so it lasts about 1 - 2 months, and if you have the aforementioned quids off voucher you get it for only £2.75.  I always stock up and have never paid full price for it.

I can't say enough good things about this product - it is firmly one of my holy grails.  

It demolishes waterproof mascara and Illamasqua's stubborn Precision Ink no problem.  If my make up is very heavy I soak a cotton pad and hold it over my eyes, gently pressing for about 5-10 seconds, then wiggly a bit and repeat until my eyes are clean.

I always find a small residue beneath my eyes in the morning so I just take another cotton pad, dot a little bit of remover onto it and wipe off.

I buy Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover whenever I'm out of No7 and I'm waiting for the next voucher round and it does a pretty decent job, but it's not as oily or nourishing.

It's £3.05 for 150mls from Boots, which is fabulous value, but I think the packaging really lets it down.  It's so fiddly to remove the cap (remembering of course to shake it first) and I always spill out more than I need, leading to wastage.  For this reason I always hang onto an empty No7 container and dispense the Botanics one into it for ease of use.

Last but not least is the mother of all two-phase eye make up removers...Lancome's Bi-Facil (125mls for £20 at Boots)  

While I've never bought a full size of this one, I've had many a travel-size sample which convinced me about the fabulousness of the two-phasers.  For £20 it of course works fantastically, tackling waterproof mascara without a blink (see what I did there?!) but I honestly can't detect much of a difference between this and the No7 one - they're the exact same shade of blue even!  The only reason you'd pay almost 10 times more is to have a nice bottle and brand name in your bathroom, and of course, this is a good enough reason for many!

All in all, I urge you to try the No7 eye make up remover if you haven't already!

What's your favourite eye make up remover? Have I missed any vital ones?

***Enter my Calvin Klein & Stila eyeshadow palettes giveaway HERE***

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EOTN: Double-Winged Eye Liner

Here's my first stab at double-winged liner.  It actually looked a lot better in real life than it photographed, as both eyes don't really match!

I used L'oreal Lineur Intense to line my top lid and then moved onto the Sleek Ink Pot eye liner as the applicator is stiffer and therefore gave me more control over the 'flick'.  I have an ancient Rimmel white kohl pencil which I attempted to use in between the black lines but it really didn't come off so good!

I'll definitely try this look out again in better lighting and closer to a mirror (this attempt was made when I was in Rhodes and the hotel didn't have the best set-up for make up application) as it really makes your eyes stand out.

The eyeshadow is a mix of shades from the UD Naked Palette - Half Baked on lid, Dark Horse in crease and Sin for highlight.  Lancome Hypnose for mascara.

June Favourites

I can't believe June is over already! Only two months of summer left :( This month has been Vampire month for me, with the new True Blood novel release and of course, the Eclipse soundtrack :) But let's get down to the beauty products!

I got this a while ago with one of those Boots £5 off vouchers and started using it properly when the days became sunnier. I absolutely love it! Even though it's SPF 30 it's light and sinks into the skin quickly, acting as a moisturiser, primer and sun block in one. It has a slightly cream/beige colour rather than being the usual stark white that SPF creams can be, but does have a faint sun-block scent. It's my summer essential and I won't leave the house without it on!

i.d bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light

This mineral foundation featured in my May favourites too, but I have to mention it again because I have practically used it every day. In the hot weather it's great for setting liquid foundation in place and I've also been using it alone in the day. With the right brush it gives good coverage - I like to use a pore-filling primer underneath for a smoothest finish. This powder really came through for me when I realised to my horror that it was the only foundation I'd packed for my mini cruise last week! (usually I bring a heavy coverage liquid like MAC Studio Fix as it needs to last from 6pm to 4/5am) However I packed on loads with my Inglot kabuki brush and my skin glowed and was almost flawless. One of the best things about mineral foundation is the lack of tide marks around your jawline/neck - a serious issue for me and my pale skin! The shade 'Fairly Light' is one shade darker than their lightest (Fair) which suits me better, but I got this in a set, and in the summer I can make it work for me.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Light Flush

This MSF was part of the MAC Pinkzapoppin! set released around Christmas time. I use it as a bronzer and it gives a very light and flattering colour. It's very iridescent and has a pinkish undertone, which suits pale skin much better than your typical orangey brown bronzers. I've used it a lot and barely made a dent in it - definitely good value!

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in 004 Champagne

When I got this foundation for the first time about five years ago I didn't get on with it at all. But after experimenting with different ways of application and the release of an even lighter shade this really works for me when I want to put on a fast, good coverage and oil absorbing foundation on rushed mornings. Of course it's not the greatest for tide marks, but it is easier to blend these away with the mousse formulation than with a thick liquid. Lately I've been applying it with a duo fibre brush and blending any problem areas with a makeup sponge and this method gives a lighter, smoother finish.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

I've had this mascara longer than is probably hygienic, but it's still going strong and hasn't dried out. The brush looks pretty standard but it is a holy grail mascara. Pure black, separates lashes, lengthens and holds the curl well (although the waterproof version would do this better). I paid about £19.50 for it at the time, but it's worth it as I've bought countless lower end brand mascaras since which could never match up. This mascara makes me excited about my lashes!

St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse

I started using this last year following Lollipop26's recommendation. St. Tropez always seems too orange and expensive for me to bother, but I paid £2.99 for this rip-off on Amazon Marketplace, and it's been one of my discoveries of the year. I no longer have to look like the living dead with my pale, almost blue skin. I only apply it on special occasions or when I'm feeling particularly fat! I've had it on for the most of June. It's best applied with with a tan mitt for no streaking and non-freaky hands. It barely streaks, the colour is natural on me, and it fades quite evenly. However this bottle is about a year old (I did a massive bulk order when I saw how great it was) and I think it must have gone off a bit as it looks darker than normal - time for a new one! The only drawback is that it is drying, but I've found this an issue with all the fake tans I've tried.

I know it's not beauty related, but it's been a big favourite this month!

I got a bit obsessive and read all the previous novels, along with watching the TV series'.  I'm halfway through the latest book and glad to see that Charlaine's writing skills have become slightly more sophisticated.  Don't get me wrong, I love the fictional world she's created, set in the American South and I've been vampire mad ever since Buffy, but as a writer I find her repetitive.  I wish someone more imaginative had the idea for this series.  (And I want more Eric action!)  I feel the same way about Twilight, again I love this series, but wish a less 'cringey' writer had that famous meadow dream.

I really hoped this would be a new favourite, but I'm just not getting into it :(

Continuing with the vampire theme I picked up this album on Monday and have given it a couple of listens.   It won't be replacing the Twilight or New Moon soundtracks on my iPod any time soon.  Not even one song grabs me.  I really expected to love it at first listen.  However I'm reserving final judgement until I've seen the film...

What's your favourite June product?