Although I don't own Maybelline Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, I'm aware of how popular it is, and I think that's the reason this burgundy version jumped out at me when I spotted it on the Boots website a little while back. I believe it was launched last Autumn, and given the blogosphere's love for all things burgundy at that time of year, I'm a little surprised that I haven't seen more of it on Instagram over the past few months - although, that said, who knows what treasures the algorithm is hiding from us these days! From the outset, this seemed to tick so many boxes - pretty as a picture, full of on trend, warm toned shadows and super affordable at just £11.99. I felt it was nothing less than my duty as a blogger to buy it and review it for you. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on Maybelline The Burgundy Bar Eyeshadow Palette. You can thank me later.

Packaging

While not as luxe as higher end offerings, the plastic packaging is lightweight and practical and still sturdy enough to hold everything together in transit, with a nice secure closure. It comes with a dual ended applicator which has a sponge on one end and a brush on the other. It's always handy to have these in an emergency, though I think that most people will probably prefer to use their own eyeshadow brushes. (I found that both ends of the applicator produced a bit of powdery fallout from the shadows, which wasn't the case when I used my own brushes.)

Shades

The palette contains a beautiful combination of warm gold, copper and of course, burgundy shades. As I mentioned, a lot of people will probably love this in the Autumn, but I think these colours are very wearable all year round, and in fact I can imagine them looking really beautiful on a balmy summer evening (she says, as the snow falls steadily outside the window). The shades aren't named, but are carefully arranged so that each quad, trio and duo that sit next to each other will go together perfectly. All are shimmers, apart from the two browns at the far right hand side, which are mattes. The selection is actually quite versatile, enabling you to create everything from a simple nude look to a full on deep copper and red showstopper for a night out.

Formula

For a drugstore palette, I think the quality of the shadows is very impressive. All of them have that pleasant, buttery soft formula that makes them easy to blend and work with, and pigmentation is great across the entire colour spectrum - the swatches in my photo are without primer underneath, so that gives you a good indication of just how strongly pigmented they are.

Verdict

In my opinion, this is an excellent budget buy. The quality is great, the shades are beautiful and the palette as a whole offers the potential to create many different looks. I have a lot of neutrals in my eyeshadow collection, so this was a great addition as it gives me something that little bit different while still being very wearable. If you're a fan of warm shadows then I think you would love this.

Do you have any favourite drugstore palettes in your collection?

Some links may be affiliate links. This poses no extra cost to you, the customer. All opinions, as always, are my own.

So how was September for you? Did you blink and miss it? Mine has been pretty busy. These days I'm juggling the family business, freelance writing and my blog, and sometimes it feels like a pretty tall order to do all three as well as I would like. I'm not going to complain though - it's good to be busy!

I did also find time for one or two interesting events this month. I went to the John Rocha takeover at the swanky Cheval Three Quays apartments with Debenhams - think gorgeous homeware with stunning views of London.


Closer to home, and totally non blog related, I got the opportunity to see a presentation by Ben Parkinson, a British soldier who was so badly injured by a mine in Afghanistan that doctors didn't believe he would survive. Not only did he survive, but despite losing both legs, breaking his back and suffering brain damage, he has gone on to undertake all kinds of challenges to raise money for other injured soldiers, including kayaking 250 miles down the Yukon River in Canada. It was both moving and inspiring to learn more about him. I didn't get any photos of the event - it wasn't really appropriate - so apologies if it seems a bit random to throw it in here. I just wanted to mention it because it made an impression on me, and I thought some of you might be interested too. If you want to learn more about him you can do so here.

So onto my monthly favourites. As usual, it's a random mix of fashion bits, makeup and skincare.

1. Topshop Mules - Yep, it's those mustard mules again. As seen here as well as all over my Instagram. I apologise to anyone who's sick of the sight of them! I absolutely love these. They're on trend, eye catching and comfortable to wear, and I've been getting as much use out of them as I can this month, before it gets too cold to wear them other than in a "car to bar" situation. And I think I ought to mention that I can't get the burgundy ones out of my head either. Topshop, what are you doing to me?!

2. Barry M Molten Metal Nail Paint in Copper Mine - I bought this specifically to go with the dress I wore in this post, but I've found myself turning to it quite a lot since. Shimmery metallic nails are always fun, and there's something nicely autumnal about this rich copper shade. I thought I'd keep it for special occasions, but I've actually been enjoying it as an everyday nail polish too.

3. Topshop Necklace (similar here) - I've been loving the unusual style of this delicate gold necklace. It looks like a lariat necklace, but actually fastens with a clasp at the back. I've worn it over plain tops (you might just be able to make it out in the mirror selfie above) or peeping out underneath a shirt collar. It looks great both ways - feminine and pretty and a little bit different.

4. Topshop Choker - Maybe it's the nostalgia, but I'm enjoying chokers even more this time around than I did back in the nineties. There are so many gorgeous variations on offer - studded, all lace, thin leather ties - but I still really love the classic black velvet band. Looks fabulous with dresses, jeans and a white shirt or just about anything really.

5. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Butter - For years I've loved The Body Shop's body butters, and I still do, but seeing this post on Fashion Mumblr - one of my favourite blogs - persuaded me to give this a try instead. I really love it! It's as rich and moisturising as my old favourites, and has the added bonus of containing firming ingredients such as Vitamin E, collagen, elastin and shea butter - and yes, my skin really does look and feel firmer after using this. It's got that gorgeous cocoa butter scent to it, and is a lot cheaper than The Body Shop body butters - just £5.24. Even the fact that I managed to pick up a bottle with a dud dispenser and have to unscrew the whole bloody thing every time I use it hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for this product. This one's going to be a favourite for a long time to come.

6. Ekia Eyelid Lifting Serum* - I'm sticking with the firming theme for this one. This was in the goody bag I picked up at the Pegasus Healthy Beauty Showcase earlier this year and I've only just started using it. I would probably never have bought something like this myself - in fact, I don't think I knew there was such a thing as eyelid lifting serum! But it's really good. Those of you in your thirties like me may have noticed the skin on your eyelids becoming slightly less firm - maybe it pulls a little more than it used to when you apply eyeshadow? This has made a noticeable difference for me in that area and I will definitely keep on using it.

7. Maybelline Super Stay Nail Polish in Deep Red - I featured one of these nail polishes in my August Favourites, so I think it's safe to say I'm hooked! The formula is fantastic, application is easy and the finish is glossy - in the photo above, I'm wearing two coats of the nail polish and no top coat. This shade is the perfect red and I'm sure I'll be wearing it to death throughout autumn and winter.

What have you been loving this month?

Kate x

*PR sample. All opinions, as always, are my own.