One Swipe Wonders

One swipe eye product wonders are a running late girl's bff! Or a girl, like myself, who enjoys a few extra minutes of sleep whenever I can sneak them in. I have a few products that I know I can turn to that will be quick, fuss-free and look like I've put in a lot more effort than I had the time for.

For this kind of purpose, a cream product is often going to be your go-to because these can be applied with your fingers, usually blend out easily and if they set well or you prime your lids, they should stay put and crease-free for the whole day.

Starting off with the Maybelline Colour Tattoos which I don't think anyone won't have heard of- these come in a multitude of colours, both neutral and bold brights as well as some limited edition shades and formulas. I have a range of these and they're just foolproof; they blend beautifully with either your finger or a brush and look great on their own and work well as a base for powder shadows.

Higher end of the spectrum are the Aqua Cream shadows from Make Up For Ever. I saw this beautiful burgundy shade in Sephora and I just couldn't walk away, plus I think I was also going through a bit of a cranberry, burnt red phase. These stay like no other, you need to work quickly because once these have set they will not budge.

Eyeshadow sticks- namely Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet and the Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow stick in Bad Girl Bronze. I've done a comparison of these two on my instagram and although when swatched they look quite different, once applied on the eye they're really quite similar. So if you've been eyeing off the Charlotte Tilbury version but have been hesitant to spend or just can't get your hands on them, hit up Rimmel! I just scribble these (light-handedly) over my lid and blend them in with again, my ring finger or a brush. Both have a shimmer to them that makes them look more dimensional and are beautiful on the lids.

Another stick of sorts is the By Terry Ombre Blackstar cream eyeshadow in Misty Rock; a YouTube endorsed purchase, these are stu-uh-nning. Again, they have a shimmer to them that gives dimension to the eye without having that chunky glitter shimmer look. Misty Rock is a beautiful metallic lilac-pink that I think is especially flattering on green eyes. I like to use this over powder eyeshadow and on its own.

Onto the powder options, in this case they are the weaker team as I think generally you need a couple of shadows to blend together to create dimension and depth. However (!) there are a couple in my collection that I've found are an exception to the rule.

The L'Oreal Infallible Shadows are one product that I'm always checking to see if they've brought out new colours. They're just beautiful! Super pigmented, rich colours that are creamy to apply with either your finger or a brush. You don't need a setting spray or a fixing medium to use them because they're more of a pressed pigment so pack onto the lid really easily.

Another gem from L'Oreal are their more recent, Mono Eyeshadows. I've done a full post on these so I won't say much but this shade especially, 201- Cafe Saint Germain is a great one swipe wonder.

Last but not least is my tried and true, MAC Woodwinked eyeshadow. This is just my go-to gal for those days that I want a brown, bronzey eye that I can rely on, regardless of time. I've actually had people ask how many shadows I've been wearing when I've slapped this on solo and run out the door. Something about it, when blended out looks like you have put a whole lot more effort in and is lovely.

So there we have a few of my bffs for those days that I've slept in a little too long, am feeling uninspired or other. Super simple swipe and out the door!

Easy on the Eye(s)

Eye crayons and jumbo pencils seem to be emerging more and more on makeup shelves and counters from various brands- both more affordable and highend. One of the favourites which I'm sure no beauty blogger is unfamiliar with are the NYX jumbo eye pencils; they come in a huge range of shades from neutrals to brights. I think NYX were one of the first companies to really make this type of product so popular and since more and more companies are taking a page from their book. Eye crayons and jumbo pencils have been increasingly sneaking into a lot of my makeup and eye looks of late so I thought a blog post was in order! Plus on a recent peruse of priceline's website, I saw some new releases of even more eye crayons! Heavens!

May as well start with NYX as I've already mentioned them and I'm sure most people would have one of these in ther collection or are at least aware of them. I have two shades- the cult classic Milk as well as Iced Mocha, which I may or may not have purchased on two occasions because I didn't know the name and thought it looked right up my alley online. Well duh woman, that's why you bought it the first time! (Please tell me I'm not alone here..) Anyway these pencils are great as a base for powder shadows or just on their own as an all over wash of colour. They blend easily, are pigmented and don't crease on me. Plus as I mentioned before, the shade range of these is huge and because they're affordable, they're great for dress up occasions or if you are feeling adventurous and colourful!

Also from NYX are their Glam Shadow Sticks- a bit less creamy and not so much a base product but these sticks look great swiped over a bare lid or over a bit of matte or shimmer shadow to add some extra pizazz. I bought one of these when Target had NYX on offer and really like it. If you want subtle shimmer, this is not for you because it is more than apparent. They don't glide so easily over the lid as the Jumbo Pencils and definitely don't have the same creamy texture but nonetheless they're super easy to work with.

Next up we have Rimmel's offering; now Rimmel know what they're doing when it comes to eye pencils if you ask me. Their Scandaleyes range is fantastic- the pencils are creamy, super long lasting and are pretty good on the smudge proof front. When they brought out the jumbo Scandaleyes eyeshadow pencils I was on board. At the moment I only have one shade Bad Girl Bronze but that one shade gets a lotta love! Surprise surprise is a brown but it has some slight shimmer through it, I absolutely love it for a super quick, fuss-free smokey eye! Slap a bit on all over the lid, as messy as you want blend it out with your finger or a fluffy brush, do the same to your lower lash line and you're in business! As quick as that. Again with these, they're long lasting, creamy, pigmented and don't crease on me but I am always wearing eye primer or concealer as a base just to be sure. 

A few random extras to tag on the end- in my stash I've accumulated an eyeshadow stick from Sephora's own line which again, is a great base but sadly often neglected. Same goes for the Bloom Smokey shadow stick which has a brush on the other end that is really quite useless for this product. However it and the Sephora pencil are great for an evening smokey eye more due to the shades but they're not disappointing products. Lastly we have a Barry M pencil which I undoubtedly put in my ASOS shopping bag when I was wanting a bit of beauty therapy. Not a waste though, this pencil is similar to that of the Rimmel Scandaleyes and of course, standard me, it's a neutral bronzey colour. Perfect for everyday quick swipe eyes or darkened up for the evening!

Do you use eyeshadow pencils or crayons in your daily routine? Do you have some in your stash that you turn to? I'm seeing more and more brands launch their own Eyeshadow sticks/pencils so they must be catering to someone!