Review & Swatcheroonies: VIVO Cosmetics 'Graphite Glamour' Trio Eyeshadow Palette

Now, I love an expensive lipstick just as much as the next gal but sometimes the quality just doesn't match the hefty price tag and I've found that budget can sometimes be better. Ever since MUA hit Superdrug stores last year and with everything in their range costing £1, I think people have been paying more attention than ever to other brands that are readily available on the High Street as opposed to what you would buy in a department store. To be honest, a lot of my makeup bits and bobs are from Boots or Superdrug because it is just a little too hard to say no to special offers and with High Street brands churning out some fantastic products, there isn't a lot of need to splash out as much as I used to.

VIVO Cosmetics has been on the lips of bloggers for about a month now after the lovely Zoe of The London Lipgloss unveiled all to us in her lengthy and informative blog post (click HERE and HERE) in which she gave us a run down of the products to expect from the brand. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say how impressed I was with the eyeshadow photos on Zoe's blog because the pigmentation is pretty damn amazing. The brand is going to be available exclusively in Tesco so I imagine that a lot of people might start shunning Sainsburys and the likes to find an excuse to pop in to Tesco to browse the goodies.

I was sent a couple of bits from the collection to play with and while I think they are nice, this definitely stood out for me and I can't wait to get my brushes in there to create some sultry evening looks.

This is the VIVO Cosmetics Graphite Glamour Eyeshadow Trio Palette...

The packaging is sleek and simple with a matte black front and transparent windows to see the eyeshadows whereas the back has a very handy 'How To...' guide on where to place the colours and how to get the best use from them. I'm not sure if I would use the shades in that particular order but I will try it and see how well it turns out compared to how I would have freestyled.


The Eyeshadows:

Aren't they just super pretty?!? They appear to be very similar to MAC Veluxe Pearl eyeshadows which are quite soft to touch and have a nice metallic-like finish to them which I absolutely love. The palette also comes with a dual ended sponge applicator but that will just end up in the bin... I've never quite grasped the technique on how to use them because they're pretty rubbish.


Swatcheroonies:

The shades aren't given names except for (L-R) Shade 1, Shade 2 and Shade 3 but if I had the chance to name them I would go with Marble, Steel and Graphite.

These swatched so easily and didn't take a lot of blending to give such a strong colour payoff, these are actually only swipe of the finger so I'm impressed with how well they applied on my arm considering there is no primer underneath either. I can imagine these being so easy to work with and a lot more intense in colour when layered on top of an eye shadow primer. When swiping my finger across the shadows there was no fall out of product and even blending the product out on my arm was easy peasy because the shadows soft so I think you could get a nice smoky look with these by using your fingers as opposed to brushes!

I can't wait to put an EOTD-esque post together using this palette because the shadows have seriously impressed me (I know, I've said 'impressed' at least 3 times already but I don't know how else to put it!)

The colours are easy to blend, super soft and for the cheap as chips price of £2.50, you just can't go wrong.

The VIVO Cosmetics products will include single eyeshadows for £1.50 each, foundations, primers, highlighters, powders, eye lashes and all sorts from this month at Tesco stores nationwide.

Let me know if any of you grab anything else from the range because I'm planning on doing a pretty major haul as soon as the products are in my local Tesco... I mean, it would be wrong not to ;-)

Until next time...

Keep swivelling those hips in your

*PR SAMPLE*