Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eye Palette

 I haven't bought Bobbi Brown cosmetics for a while, but I used to be absolutely obsessed with the brand when I was first hitting the high-end beauty counters. I think that was because Bobbi Brown make-up appeals to all ages; I first used the brand when I was around thirteen. I used to be able to just see pieces I could add to my make-up bag like a volumising mascara or a black eyeliner pencil. I liked the little treat of spending more money that I on the average kohl pencil from a pharmacy make-up brand.

I received this for Christmas and overall I really like it. The colour selection is certainly Old Hollywood with the shimmery golds and the dusty grey and beige. It feels very Gatsby-esque and glamorous.

Retailing at £59 this does look like it lives up to its price tag with the golden edges of the palette and the sleek black and gold exterior. It contains 9 shades each labelled individually in the photo above, five of which are shimmery and 4 which are matte. My three favourite shades out of the nine in this palette are ivory, golden pink and opal.

I use ivory as a base shadow and blend golden pink into the crease. Opal is better as a highlighter in my opinion but it does have some shimmer particles that can cause some fallout from the brush.
The same thing can be said for the majority of the colours with a glitzy shimmer - if the brush I am using is harsh or has some abrasive bristles (I'm thinking of the Real Techniques Duo Fibre eyeshadow brush here) it means that picking up a decent amount of pigment can be difficult. I prefer to use the regular Real Techniques eyeshadow brushes for these shadows. Using the softer brushes is definitely a better option for applying these shadows as it allows the brush to blend the shades together on my eyelid without being harsh or flicking specs of the shadow onto the rest of my face.
I think this is the perfect palette for a Hollywood smokey eye if you used ivory, opal, fog and eclipse. If I'd been going out on New Year's Eve I would have reached straight for this palette.

You can buy this palette from a number of retailers for £59 - click here for the Bobbi Brown website to buy it directly.

// //////

In October I loved....

Lipsy Coat, Clarins Daily Energizer Cream, Mac 123 Brush, Pink With A Splash by Victoria's Secret in Sweet & Flirty, 

Ted Baker iPad Case, Diorskin Nude in 020, No7 Lift & Luminate in Porcelain 03, Bobbi Brown Face Blender, 

HD Brows Palette in Vamp, Benefit Dallas Bronzer and my Hello Kitty hot water bottle ♡

Since we're in the first week of November now I'm running a little late, but I wanted to do my first "things I loved" post! These are my favourite bits and pieces from October....

1. My Lipsy coat. It's so snuggly warm and paired with a scarf it keeps me covered from the cold on my walk to uni. 

2. Clarins moisturiser from their Daily Energizer range. I use the face wash and the toner a couple of times a week but the moisturiser was perfect for every day before applying my make-up. It was called a cream but did have a slightly gel-like consistency. I was recommended it by the lady on the counter in my local Debenhams over the actual moisturising gel alternative because my skin isn't dry or greasy, a nice inbetween. It's quite thick and a little definitely goes a long way but it was perfect for me! The pot is sadly empty now but I'll be buying a new one asap!

3. Mac brush 123. I use this as a bronzer or blusher brush as it's smaller than my Bobbi Brown brush so I only cover the area I'm aiming for without getting it everywhere! It does malt a little though which is a pain.

4. Pink With A Splash by Victoria's Secret in Sweet & Flirty. I first bought this body mist in Miami 2010 in a smaller bottle and it lasted me almost a full year! When I went back to Florida this summer I knew I had to buy another bottle. I think it was $15 and it is DEFINITELY worth the money!

5. My beloved Ted Baker iPad case. I'm a sucker for the laquer-finish Ted Baker accessories! I have a purse that's brown leather with a black pvc strip in the middle that is my one love. This case is perfect for my iPad2 as a) it stops scratches or marks ruining the aluminium when it's in my bag and b) if I need to carry it in my hands I don't look like i'm trying to show off with it! It's discreet but very aesthetically pleasing with the small lettering and the little black bow. 

6 & 7. Two foundations last month! I stopped using my Diorskin foundation before summer as I was beginning to look tangoed every day. I used to get quite worried that I looked like the love child of an oompa-loompa and a wotsit so I switched to my back-up No7 Lift & Luminate. I apply these with a Mac 190 brush by either blending them on the back of my hand or putting a small blob of each on the tip of the brush.

8. Bobbi Brown face blender brush. Perfect for brushing over my face to even out the colour or blend my bronzer and blusher so they're not as full-on. It's also handy for applying my bronzer with the very edge of the brush along my cheek bone. 

9. The winning product from my September Glossybox - the HD Brows palette in Vamp. I adore this and use it every day! A little goes a long way and it's very easy to over-do my eyebrows but with a magnifying mirror and a bit of patience it usually works out okay. 

10. Benefit Dallas Bronzer. I LOVE this bronzer. I used to use it all the time when I was about 16/17 and I recently found a half full pot. It's now almost empty so it's one for the Christmas list!! It's got enough shimmer to give my cheeks a "glow" and doesn't look like I've rolled round in a pot of glitter!

11. Finally, my lovely hot water bottle. My boyfriend bought me this last Christmas and since moving into my second year university house I've used it almost every night. It's always cold in this house because the gas is so expensive and none of us know how to set the heating timer properly. It stays warm till around 4am which is perfect!

So, how was this for my first "things I loved" post?? 

I'd love any comments you have for me and I'll reply to them all.

Kisses, xo xo