New In Beauty: Creating My Perfect Colour Palette with Tropic

Hands up if you love the convenience of makeup palettes, but find that there's always at least one or two shades that you just never reach for? Say farewell to those unloved pans of product and build your own perfect makeup palette with the latest launch from Tropic.

There's no point denying it; there's a massive amount of waste in the beauty industry and as consumers, much of the problem lies directly with us and the frightening number of products that we throw away unused every year. Not only is this terrible for our bank balances, but it's not good for the Environment either, with many of our plastic toiletries and makeup bottles ending up in the oceans or adding to the landfill problem if they're not properly recycled. 

Customisable makeup palettes are nothing new, many brands have been offering them for years, but I think what has changed is the consumer mindset towards products that are more eco-friendly, sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free. For these reasons, there couldn't be a better time to streamline your makeup collection, and this is why Tropic's new Colour Palette has attracted so much attention recently.

With 50 product options and a mind-boggling 734 million combinations, Tropic has launched a refillable makeup system that allows you to create your bespoke dream palette - the one that you'll use every day and take everywhere with you. When you've used up a certain shade, you can simply recycle the aluminium pan and purchase a refill, or try a completely new product in its place. All of Tropic's makeup is proudly made in Britain, certified vegan and cruelty-free, and they are a carbon neutral and Good Shopping Guide Ethical Company to boot.

Where To Start?

First, pick your Tropic Colour Palette* (£16 or free if you purchase your makeup products at the same time). There are four different configurations of the palettes available, so have a good think about the products that you'll use the most often. I chose Combination C which features two small trays, two medium trays and one large tray, and this is perfect for me.

The palette itself is smaller than most smartphones these days (for reference, it's slightly smaller than an iPhone 7 and about the same width) which makes it compact for travelling, but still large enough to use on a daily basis. It's made from smooth white plastic with recyclable aluminium trays and a large mirror in the reverse of the lid. I think it's very chic!

Building My Perfect Colour Palette

Now comes the fun part! Once you've decided which combination of palette to go for, you can then choose all of the products to fill it with. For the small pans, there are two types of brow products (a pomade and a powder), and two eye products (pressed shadows and wax liners). The medium pan has a wider choice with a mix of creams and powders (concealers, blushers, bronzers, contours and highlighters), and finally, the large pan can hold cream blush or concealer, powder blush or bronzer, or a setting powder.

For my palette, I chose the following:-

[Small pan] Brow Boss Defining Powder in Carob* (1.5g, £8): Available in three shades, this pigmented powder makes it easy to define your brows and contains Coconut Oil to condition them. Also doubles up as an eyeliner and eyeshadow.

[Small pan] Eyes On You Pressed Shadow in Pebble* (1.5g, £8): With thirteen shade of eyeshadow to choose from, I ended up picking Pebble which is a beautiful light shimmery taupe with brown and purple undertones. 

[Medium pan] Way To Glow Pressed Highlighter in Rose Gold* (3g, £16): I knew that I wanted a blush shade in the palette, but when I saw Rose Gold from the Pressed Highlighters range, I decided to opt for the best of both worlds as this colour can be used to create such a pretty pinky, shimmery glow to the cheeks. I love it!

[Medium pan] Jet Set Pressed Bronzer in Bali Bronze* (3g, £16): No palette could be complete for me without a bronzer and there are three shades that Tropic offers. I picked Bali Bronze which looks like the lightest colour and it delivers a stunning sunkissed finish.

[Large pan] Make It Matte Setting Powder* (5g, £20): As I have a notoriously oily T-Zone, a matte setting powder was a must and I've been enjoying using this translucent finely milled pressed powder to keep my makeup looking its best for longer.

My Perfect Tropic Colour Palette

I'm absolutely smitten with my Tropic Colour Palette and love everything about it, from the high-performance results and colour payoff of the products themselves, to the beautiful design of the palette and how easy it fits into my handbag, it's just perfect! The magnetic pans make it super easy to mix and match products so that you can swap them in and out as often as you please. It's incredibly versatile and I know that I'll be still using this palette for many years to come!

I was also treated to some of Tropic's new makeup brushes which I highly recommend picking up:-

Tropic Eco Artist Precision Face Brush* (£18)

Dual-ended makeup brushes are fantastic for travelling with and they make the ideal accompaniments to a palette like this. The Eco Artist Precision Face Brush features a pointed head which can be used to apply contour and highlighter, and a rounded, domed head to blend foundation and base products. Both ends are made from silky soft, synthetic fibres that are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, and they can be used with any kind of cream, liquid and powder makeup.

Tropic Eco Artist 3-in-1 Eye Brush* (£16)

Staying with the overall theme of streamlining and travelling, Tropic also has a clever 3-in-1 Eye Brush up its sleeve! Made from the same soft synthetic fibres as the Precision Face Brush above, this multi-use brush boasts an angled end for applying eyeliner, a small and fluffy head for blending eyeshadow which you can them slip off to reveal a hidden inner spoolie for tidying up your brows. How neat is that?!

Would you like to make your own makeup palette like this?

Special thanks to Tropic for letting me create my perfect Colour Palette* with them! Create your own perfect makeup palette at tropicskincare.com

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Introducing: MoMineral - Loose Mineral Foundation and Mattifying Setting Powder review

Mineral foundation has been a staple in my makeup bag for many years now, and whilst I like to switch things up by using different formats and formulas, I often find myself going back to mineral foundations whenever my skin is feeling fussy, breaking out, or when the weather starts to get warmer and I want something lighter on my face.

Like any kind of foundation though, finding the right one for you takes some trial and error which is why I'm a big fan of makeup brands that offer a good sample service. In fact, I tend to query why a makeup brand doesn't offer foundation samples these days, and it's even more important to have this option available when you're shopping online.

A few weeks ago, a 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, British indie makeup company called MoMineral got in touch to ask if I'd like to review their Mineral Foundation. Instead of sending me any old shade like some brands automatically do, they asked me to try out a sample kit first.

MoMineral is committed to providing a foundation shade for everyone and they offer six different Mineral Foundation sample packs that you can test out. Each one contains a range of shades so that you can find the perfect match for your skin tone. I opted for the Light Neutral set which has five shades and I was really impressed by the variety included. 

I tend to fall into the mainstream 'Light Beige' category, however, sometimes foundation shades can be too orange or dark for me, so I find a good neutral toned one usually works very well for me as I have neither dominant cool or warm undertones in my skin. To understand the differences in undertones and with help finding the best foundation shade for you, I highly recommend watching Lisa Eldridge's video here and then you can choose your sample pack from MoMineral here.

MoMineral Loose Mineral Foundation in Ilu* (8g, £20, link)

The concept behind MoMineral is that they believe that makeup should even out your skin tone, provide nourishment and protection for the skin and enhance your natural beauty, which is certainly something that appeals to me! If you're a fan of 'makeup with skincare benefits', this is a brand for you.

The Loose Mineral Foundation has a smooth, silky and weightless texture which is easy to blend and buff into the skin. It gives a lovely matte finish that doesn't feel drying and offers some sunscreen protection which is a welcome bonus. I found it easy to build up the coverage from a light to a good medium level, so I just needed a few dabs of my regular concealer here and there to cover up some stubborn old acne/blemish marks. This foundation stayed put throughout the day when I used it in conjunction with the Setting Powder below, and it faired well on its own too, with only a minor touchup needed on my T-Zone area after 6/7 hours of wear.

After trying out the sample pack, I found that my perfect shade was called Ilu and it gives me a very natural and 'real' skin finish if that makes sense - very much like 'my skin but better!'. Formulated without any fragrance or glitter, it's suitable for sensitive and acne prone skin types, and with 24 shades to choose from, there's a foundation for everyone.

MoMineral Mattifying Setting Powder in Pure* (10g, £12, link)

A high-quality setting powder can make a big difference to the overall longevity of your makeup and as I have oily/combination skin, it's something of an essential in my makeup routine. MoMineral's Mattifying Setting Powder comes in two shades; Pure - a whiteish translucent shade for fair to light complexions and Safi - a warmer yellow translucent shade designed for tan to deep skin tones.

Made with a blend of Rice and Cornstarch powders, it expertly absorbs any excess sebum/oil from the skin, to create a smooth, flawless and mattified finish, which also helps to minimise the appearance of pores and subtly brightens up the complexion at the same time. I love using this all over to set everything into place and it's great to use underneath the eye area if you're a fan of the 'baking' makeup trend. As with all mineral powder products, this 10g jar will last a long time!

Shop the full range of mineral makeup at MoMineral.co.uk

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Budget Beauty: Trying Out Perfect Shade Disco Makeup - Review & Swatches

Every now and then, there's a makeup range that I come across which literally grabs my attention because the packaging is so awesome, and Perfect Shade is that current brand. I mean how cool does this new Disco line look?!

Perfect Shade is an online-only makeup brand, and if you're a savvy beauty shopper, you may have heard of them before as they're the same people who are behind the comparison website, myperfectshade.com. Having a wealth of experience in the beauty industry, they've decided to launch their own makeup range named Disco which features a core collection of 8 products and over 75 different colours, so there are shades to suit and flatter everyone's skin tone.

This inclusive brand has such a fun vibe to it and I was immediately drawn in by the colourful disco-themed packaging, as well as the fact that everything from Perfect Shade is cruelty-free and suitable for vegans. Best of all though, their makeup is super affordable with prices starting from just £6!

I was kindly sent some products from Perfect Shade to have a play with, and I'm thrilled to say that the performance of this makeup is just as good as the packaging. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Perfect Shade Disco Solo Of Sugarcoat Blusher in Hollywood* (10g, £7, link)

The Solo Of Sugarcoat Blusher in Hollywood is a bit of a strange product because, on first inspection, all of those glimmering metallic hues bring to mind a glow-tastic highlighter, but if you blend all of the waves of colours together and miss out the silver part at the top, you'll actually get a very pretty, albeit very shimmery, peachy blush tone as you can see in the swatch below. Clever huh? The powder compact formula is very soft and blends nicely for a quick and easy way to add a warm glow to your complexion. Very pretty!

Perfect Shade Disco Ice Cream Tide Pressed Powder in Cover Page* (12g, £6, link)

As far as Pressed Powders go, this Ice Cream version looks the most interesting in my whole makeup collection. With a cute Ice Cream imprint in the pan, this silky soft powder has a little shimmer to it, but once blended into the skin, it provides the perfect finishing touch to your look. It absorbs excess oil and helps to keep your makeup in place for longer, as well as making sure your T-zone looks shine-free for the rest of the day or night. I was quite surprised by this as I usually have to reach into my bag for a cheeky touch up after a few hours, but this lasted considerably longer than some other much more expensive brands and it didn't dry my skin out either.

 Perfect Shade Disco Playful Musician Liquid Lipstick in Plum* (8ml, £9, link)

Liquid Lipsticks are often best when they're richly pigmented and have a matte or semi-matte finish and the Playful Musician range from Perfect Shade ticks all the right boxes. There are currently 24 shades to choose from and it's a particularly good one to look into if you're looking for a vampy red or darker colour for Autumn and Winter. The shade above Plum is a stunning deep red-berry that dries down to a matte finish, and it looks amazing paired with a simple clean eye and perhaps a little flick of black eyeliner, to allow the lips to do all the talking. These liquid lipsticks are seriously long-lasting too and remind me of the Kat Von D and Bite Beauty formulas.

Perfect Shade Disco Swinging Lipstick in Psychopath* (4.5g, £9, link)

Ensuring that those who prefer traditional lipstick formats aren't left out, the Swinging Lipstick range boasts 24 shades and they have everything from nudes, darks, everyday pinks and even some interesting vivid purples. Like the rest of the Perfect Shade Disco range, the lipsticks have really cool packaging that stands out in your makeup bag - I've had so many questions and compliments from friends who have seen this recently! The semi-matte formula is also brilliant with a smooth and creamy application that makes it easy to get an opaque block of colour in just one or two swipes. I was expecting this shade Psychopath to be more of a brick red shade from what it looks like in the bullet, but on my lips and in the swatch it definitely leans a lot pinker, but it's still a gorgeous lippie nonetheless.

 Perfect Shade Disco Rocking Eyelashes Mascara in Pitch Black* (8ml, £9, link)

The last product that I tried out from this range is the Rocking Eyelashes Mascara which comes in both brown and black options. It features an interesting curved bristle brush wand which grabs onto the lashes easily and coats them evenly, without any clumping issues. I'd say that this mascara is better for volumising than it is for lengthening, so if you already have long lashes but just want a fuller look, it's certainly one that I'd recommend trying. It provides a smudge-proof formula that doesn't flake, and is nice and inky black for extra definition. 

Swatches! From top to bottom: Perfect Shade Disco Playful Musician Liquid Lipstick in Plum, Swinging Lipstick in Psychopatch, Solo Of Sugarcoat Blusher in Hollywood and Perfect Shade Disco Ice Cream Tide Pressed Powder in Cover Page.

Discover the full range at perfectshadebeauty.co.uk

Have you tried anything from Perfect Shade before?

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Budget Beauty: GOSH AW17 Collection - Review & Swatches

If you're suffering from the Back-To-Life blues this week, why not treat yourself to some new makeup? And don't worry, this new range from GOSH is (mostly) friendly on the purse strings!

GOSH are one of my favourite budget-friendly makeup brands and you can find them easily in your local Superdrug with lots of great offers on throughout the range. As well as being gentle on your bank balance, their products are also cruelty-free and suitable for vegans - win win! I was kindly sent some products from their latest AW17 collection to share with you all and I've been testing them out for the past few weeks. 

Here's what's new from GOSH:-

 GOSH Primer Plus Skin Adaptor Anti-Pollution Primer in Chameleon* (30ml, £14.99, link)

Anti-pollution formulas have been a big thing in many new skincare products, so it's great to see a brand like GOSH developing an affordable makeup primer which has this element in it. This Primer Plus Skin Adaptor features their Cityguard+ complex which is based on marine origin ingredients to help protect the skin from everyday pollution such as car exhausts and cigarette smoke. In addition to these properties, it also has a tint to it to even out your skin tone and gives you a healthy looking glow, plus it creates a lovely smooth surface for applying makeup. If you're in the market for a new multi-benefits primer, this is well worth checking out.

GOSH Mix & Fix Blender Brush* (£9.99, link)

GOSH's makeup brushes are seriously underrated IMO, so if you're new to them, I'd recommend trying out their Mix & Fix Blender Brush if you're after a new base brush to play with. The sleek matte black handle makes this brush easy to hold and control, and the flat kabuki style head has a circular indent which is similar to the bareMinerals Perfecting Face Brush, but smaller, and I think it actually works better as you end up using a lot less product and get a much smoother and even finish! Great for buffing any liquid foundation into the skin and the bristles are nice and soft (synthetic and vegan-friendly too!).  

GOSH My Favourite Mascara* (10ml, £9.99, link)

Calling your mascara 'My Favourite Mascara' is a pretty bold claim, and unfortunately, GOSH hasn't won me over with this one. Specially formulated to be the perfect 'everyday mascara' it gives you natural looking lashes without the drama, which is perhaps why I'm not so keen on it as I generally prefer a more volumised lash look. But let's look at the positives; the rubberised bristle brush separates lashes like a dream, it's perfume and paraben free, and it can be removed with just warm water. Personally, though, I like more drama and volume from my mascaras, but it's certainly not a bad choice if you prefer a very natural looking mascara for every day.

GOSH Prime 'N' Set Primer & Mattifying Banana Setting Powder* (7g, £9.99, link) 

Banana powders have moved from the hands of makeup artists to the experimental beauty consumer, so I wasn't surprised to see GOSH bringing out their own version of this now-cult classic. If you haven't used a banana powder before, it's basically a yellow-toned setting powder which helps to colour correct any redness and also helps to neutralise and banish dark under eye circles. The best thing about them is that they're easy to use - just swap your regular setting powder for a banana powder and say hello to brighter skin! I like using this mainly underneath my eyes to set my concealer with as it definitely helps to brighten things up under there, but it's also great as an all over setting powder when I want a more matte finish; just use less of it than you might think.

GOSH 9 Shades Eyeshadow Palette - To Party In London* (£11.99, link)

I love a new eyeshadow palette (who doesn't?!) and this one is such a beauty! The new 'To Party In London' palette contains nine gorgeous shimmery metallic eye shadows, ranging from softer neutral pinks and browns, to more intense darker bronzes, midnight blues and coppers. Each shade is buttery soft, easy to blend and work with, and highly pigmented to boot. The packaging is glossy black, nice and compact, and features a large mirror which makes this palette great for travelling with. I really love the mix of shades and I think it's fantastic value for money!

GOSH 9 Shades Eyeshadow Palette - To Party In London swatches!

GOSH Eye Shadow Primer* (1.4g, £8.99, link), GOSH Growth Serum Brows (6ml, £16.99, link) and GOSH Brow Shape & Fill* (0.5g, £8.99, link)

I was excited to try the new GOSH Eye Shadow Primer as I've been on the hunt for a budget-friendly alternative to replace my beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion. This one comes packaged in a chunky stick format and features a sponge tip applicator at the other end. The sponge tip is much too hard and stiff to work with, but the primer stick itself is really not bad at all and it's easy to blend it over the lids with just the warmth of your finger. It's great for creating a base for eyeshadow and helps to even out any discolouration, but I found that my eyeshadow began to crease after 5-6 hours, so it's OK for a night out, but not ideal for all day wear if you have oily lids like I do.

For brows, GOSH has a new Growth Serum which aims to give you thicker and fuller brows with daily use. It's not the kind of product that I need for my own brows, but if want yours to be thicker, this might be worth a try.

What I have been impressed with though is GOSH's Brow Shape & Fill which is an incredibly useful 2-in-1 pencil and powder product. One end has a brilliant skinny brow pencil for defining and drawing in tiny hairs, and the other end has a soft powder for filling in any gaps. I have the shade Grey Brown which is a perfect match for my brows and it gives a really natural looking finish. Love it!

GOSH Brow Shape & Fill in Grey Brown 002

GOSH Lumi Drops in 012 Rosegold* (15ml, £7.99, link) 

I've sung the praises of GOSH's Lumi Drops in the past, so I was pleased to see that they've released two brand new shades in this popular range. Lumi Drops are basically liquid highlighters, blushers and bronzers, depending on what shade you pick up. I have one of the new ones in Rosegold which is a beautiful peachy-rose liquid blusher with a gold shimmer which is very pretty and glowy on the cheeks - a drop or two is all you need to use!

GOSH Lift & Highlight in 001 Nude* (2.9g, £9.99, link)

This clever Lift & Highlight duo-pencil is a makeup bag must-have and can be used in various ways to lift, define and highlight different areas of the face. It features a matte nude coloured pencil on one end, and a shimmery light-reflective pencil on the other. Use the matte end under the brow bones to lift, or if it matches your skin-tone, it can also double up as a concealer. The shimmery end can then be used to highlight and brighten the inner eye corner and the cupid's bow for a quick and easy finishing touch.

GOSH Strobe 'N' Glow Kit in 001 Highlight* (20g, £12.99, link)

As far as highlighting palettes go, this newbie from GOSH is one of the best budget makeup buys that I've come across all year. In the Strobe 'N' Glow Kit you get four huge pans of different highlighter shades (a whopping 20g of product in total!), and the quality is amazing. Featuring three gorgeous golden light-to-bronze shades, the kit also has an interesting pink based holographic highlighter colour for something different to play with. Each shade feels silky soft with a light creamy texture, and they all blend beautifully. This kit is a fantastic way to try out a bunch of new highlighters, all in one handy palette, and these really do pop on the skin!

GOSH Strobe 'N' Glow Kit in 001 Highlight and GOSH Lift & Highlight in 001 Nude - swatches!

GOSH AW17 Collection now available exclusively at Superdrug, in stores nationwide and online at superdrug.com.

Have you tried any of the new GOSH A/W Collection?

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Beauty Box: Love Me Beauty - August 2017 review + 20% Discount Code

Moving on from the changes that Love Me Beauty introduced last month (check out my previous review here for all the info on those), I was really pleased to see them add a whole bunch of new products to their online shop for this month's picks.

If you're new to Love Me Beauty, they're a beauty subscription service which lets you choose the products that you want to receive every month, so if you've been disappointed by the 'surprise' element of other boxes in the past, this one should be much more your thing! 

In exchange for the monthly fee, you'll receive 60 credits to spend on whatever products you want from Love Me Beauty's online shop and there are lots to choose from. If you spot extra products that you want, you have the option of purchasing additional add-on credits so you can really go to town treat yourself! In addition to the products that you pick, you'll also receive a free makeup bag with your order every month instead of a traditional box, which is a nice little extra.

Here's what I got in August's Love Me Beauty bag to give you an idea of the products that are currently available. These are all focused on luxury makeup and fragrance minis, but there are also makeup brushes, skincare, bodycare and nail polishes to choose from as well.

 Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly (1.5ml deluxe mini - 15 credits)

Buxom are one of those make-up brands that I've been wanting to try out for a while now, but for some reason, I just never got around to picking up any of their products. Needless to say, I was very happy when I saw that Love Me Beauty had added some of their items to the online shop and I just had to try some! This Full-On Lip Polish in the shade Dolly is one of the brand's bestsellers and features their unique plumping formula to give you a big sexy pout. It subtly tingles and feels cooling when you apply it, and guess what - it works! Dolly is a sheer, shimmery lip gloss in a light mauve shade - very pretty and it doesn't feel overly sticky - I love it!

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly

 Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Cathedral (1.2g deluxe mini - 20 credits)

Is there anything cuter than a miniature lipstick?! I absolutely adore these Studded Kiss Lipsticks from Kat Von D and I'm thrilled to add a new shade to my growing collection. The formula is truly amazing; they're richly pigmented, go on so smoothly, feel moisturising and they stay put for hours. This shade Cathedral is definitely a new favourite of mine - a stunning medium pink with a subtle touch of a brown undertone to it.

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Cathedral

 Kat Von D Lock It Translucent Setting Powder (1.4g - 20 credits)

I've heard a lot of great things about this Kat Von D Lock It Translucent Setting Powder and it has a lovely silky feel to it. It features a clever kind of 'micro-blurring' technology which helps to give a flawlessly diffused finish to the skin so that you're 'selfie-ready' at all times. I've used it twice so far and I'm seriously impressed it. This powder works amazingly well for setting concealer underneath the eyes, and it helps makeup stay looking fresh for longer when applied all over the face.

 Buxom Lash Mascara in Black (6ml deluxe travel size - 15 credits)

If you're in the market for a new mascara, why not try out this one from Buxom? For just 15 credits, you get a deluxe travel size of their bestselling Lash Masacara which adds intense volume, whilst separating and defining the lashes for a super glam, wide awake, fluttery finish. The curved rubber bristle brush really manages to grab every single lash without clumping - brilliant stuff!

Kat Von D Eau de Parfum in Saint (4.5ml travel size - 10 credits)

Perfume fans can pick up travel-sizes of Kat Von D's hugely popular Saint and Sinner Eau de Parfums for just 10 credits each. I have Saint which is a sweet, floral blend of Jasmine, Vanilla, Musk, Mandarin, Caramel and Plum. It's a lovely Summer fragrance and perfect for everyday wear.

Love Me Beauty* is £10 plus £3.95 P&P per month - lovemebeauty.com

Special reader offer: Use my discount code beautywolfgirl20 to get 20% off your first box!

Do you subscribe to Love Me Beauty? 

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