I have found a lot of products this year that I really love and can't imagine not having in my collection. I won't be limiting myself to products that came out this year as I don't purchase a lot of things before spending time thinking whether or not it would add value to my everyday life. So, this is a list of the best products I have tried this year.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance

I did a one month one palette using Modern Renaissance this autumn and I really came to love this palette. When I originally bought it I just want some pink and orange neutrals but this palette took me out of my comfort zone ever so slightly but still leant more on the neutral side so I see know why so many people love it so much. It has mainly mattes which is typically what I like in a palette as I have slightly hooded eyes so I use more matte shades than shimmers in my eyeshadow looks. It is very blendable and I have created some really nice looks using it. If you're still one of the few that hasn't tried it and you like the colour story, this is definitely worth the money!

Too Faced Glitter Glue

This product was one of the purchases that wasn't the most fun to make but has added so much to my collection. I know use more shimmer and glittery shadows without worrying too much about fallout (it still happens just a lot less than before). I think this is an excellent staple in anyones makeup collection as it really does make a difference in the staying power of more glittery eyeshadows.

Benefit Precisely My Brow in shade 2.5

I have struggles for a while to find a brow pencil that actually matches my hair. I don't think my hair and brow colour are that unique but for some reason, I kept on buying brow colours that were too warm or too dark, I could never quite find the right balance. This shade is pretty much perfect more me and I'm so glad I have it! It's also very easy to use as the pencil is so precise (hence the name) although it's not quite precise enough for me to feel like I have draw individual hairs, I'm still on the hunt for a brow product that allows me to do that. For now though I am enjoying this brow pencil (whilst at the same time trying to use up my Benefit Goof Proof pencil in shade 3 which is too dark).

Clionadh Cosmetics eyeshadows

I love these. I think if I had to pick an overall winner for this year it would be these shadows, I've never seen such an amazing collection and the quality is out of this world. If you want to see swatches and eye looks using these shadows I have 2 blogposts with a lot of pictures that show of the amazing colour shifts that these eyeshadows have.

Nars Exposed Blush Palette

This palette has become a staple in my everyday routine. It has a lovely arrange of colours so I can always find a shade that suits whatever look I am going for. The formula is sheer and buildable yet still has decent payoff and it has a very slight sheen in it which on the skin looks beautiful and doesn't emphasise texture. Also the packaging is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Thanks for reading and happy new year!

I thought I would show how I would wear these shades in my everyday life and show off how amazing these look on the eyes. However, please know that multichromes are very hard to photograph and these pictures won't show the full spectrum of colours they all contain and that they do look different depending on lighting situations so I won't be able to fully show how magical these shadows actually are. I took all of these pictures using natural lighting (in front of my window) so some colours did not pick up properly on camera. If you're curious to see the colour shifts, have a look at the swatches I did in part 1.

Clionadh Cosmetics: Chandelier

This picture really doesn't do this shadow justice. Chandelier shifts from a light buttery gold- pale green- light pink and has a clear base thats almost transparent on the skin from certain angles. Although this is a from the glitter formula it feels smooth and more like a shimmer rather than glitter. This is what I would consider an everyday multichrome.

This shadow retails for C$16 which is a bit more than the other glitter formula shadows in the collection but I would pay twice that amount for a colour as amazing as this. Also I am so happy I have two of these now!

Clionadh Cosmetics: Abrasion on the lid and Glow in the inner corner

Abrasion is one of the first shades I put on my list of shadows I wanted to order. This shade is a beautiful warm terracotta-violet base (like a grape colour?) with glitters that shift from baby blue-purple. It applies best over a glitter glue or adhesive, I use the Too Faced Glitter Glue (for a cheaper alternative I have heard great things about NYX's glitter glue) directly underneath this shadow. This shade does have some fallout but if you're concerned about that then start with your eyeshadow before doing your base. This is such an amazing and interesting shades and I am so happy I bought it! Abrasion retails for C$10.

Clionadh Cosmetics: Grisaille on the lid and Glow in the inner corner

Girsaille is another shade that went straight on my list of shadows I wanted to order from Clionadh. Grisaille has a terracotta-brown base with glitter that shifts from blue-purple-pink. Although somehow it has hints of green too and I have stared at this shadow for so long and not been able to figure out how it's green, my theory is that it's the combination of the warm brown base and cool toned glitter. This shadow is very similar to Urban Decay Solstice but it's so much better.

Top: Urban Decay Solstice, Bottom: Clionadh Costmetics Grisaille

Clionadh Cosmetics: Corrosion on the lid a little bit of Chandelier on the inner corner

I saw a picture of Gigi Hadid wearing a green-gold eyeshadow, so I bought a green-gold eyeshadow. If you didn't get that reference, you can't sit with us.

Anyway, I did actually see a picture of Gigi Hadid wearing a shadow (that I believe was from Pat McGrath?) that was a lime green- gold duochrome and I thought it was so pretty that I wanted to try it out on myself. Luckily Clionadh has Corrosion which was exactly what I was going for so I didn't feel the need to purchase a whole palette for one special shade. Corrosion has an antique gold base with glitter that shifts from lime green-pale blue. It was almost impossible to capture the shift on camera. For me this is a very wearable shade and I can imagine it would compliment all eye colours beautifully. This shade retails for C$10.

This was so frustrating to photograph because this shade has a transparent base with a blue-pink-purple shift (the blue glitter is most prominent) but in this photo it just looks like a silver glitter. It looks way more beautiful in real life! (Below is a swatch on my finger that more accurately shows how this looks in real life) This shadow works well on top of other shadows as it adds a lot of dimension to the eye so I will most likely use this shadow that way, or as a very blinding inner corner highlight.

The formula of this shadow is a lot like the glitter formula but I have heard that other shadows in the iridescent formula are less flakey and glittery as Glow, so just be aware of that. I used a glitter glue with all of these shadows but this one is definitely the one that needs it most! I wouldn't recommend using this without a glitter primer underneath it. This shadow retails for C$10.50.

Clionadh Cosmetics: Oculus

I have wanted a multichrome in these colours in particular for about a year now and wow. I picked a good formula. This shadow shifts from green-teal-blue-violet- deep pink and it's honestly everything I could ever have dreamed of. This is in the jewelled formula so it retails for C$25.00 so it's one of the most expensive ones but I would honestly have paid more for it. But please don't raise the price Clionadh. This shadow has a black base to it and shouldn't be blended out as all you'll end up seeing is the black base and the full glory of this shadow will disappear. I will probably mostly use this as an eyeliner (it does look gorgeous all over the lid too) for everyday purposes to add some fun into days that are boring.

Clionadh Cosmetics: Kiln

This picture is so bad because it was taken as it was starting to get dark (which is so early here so I don't have a lot of time to work with unfortunately) and it was the one that showed off the colour shift the best. Kiln shifts from a deep orange-magenta-red-purple and just like Oculus it retails for C$25.00. It also has a blackened base so it shouldn't be blended. I have mixed a bit of Inglot's Duraline before when using it as an eyeliner and that seems to make the application of it as eyeliner easier. This shadow also looks great all over the lid too!

So in conclusion, I love these eyeshadows and Clionadh as a brand. I will definitely be purchasing more once I have some money to burn! The quality is impeccable and these colours are all unique and breathtaking. There is a huge range of colours to choose from so you'll most likely to be able to find some that you love. I have also seen on Clionadh's social media that they are sneak-peeking new shades so there are more amazing colours coming! I 100% recommend this brand.

Also, I believe they will be having a sale between Christmas and New Year so if you want to save some money I would check out their website during that time. I don't know whether or not they will be restocking during that time too (a lot of popular shades are sold out) but even then you may be able to try some multichromes at an even better price.

Thanks for reading and merry Christmas!

Links for more swatches and looks:

https://nouw.com/lissiewallin/clionadh-cosmetics-stained-glass-collect-2--36979107

https://nouw.com/lissiewallin/clionadh-cosmetics-stained-glass-collect-36666489

Clionadh Cosmetics is a small indie-brand based in Canada and it's owned and ran by two sisters (I believe now they have one part-time employee now too). Their product range primarily includes eyeshadows, highlighters and blush toppers, although in their Stained Glass collection they have expanded into brushes, empty palettes and even earrings. They are a vegan and cruelty-free brand.

Clionadh Cosmetics has been a brand on my radar since I first saw their Archeo and Paleo palettes last year - I liked the look of their products but it wasn't enough for me to pull the trigger. This summer however, I saw their multichrome shadows and my heart stopped. The shadows I ordered from them are from the Stained Glass collection which contains over 50 different multichrome eyeshadows in 4 different finishes; glitter, pastel, iridescent and jewelled. I purchased from 3 of these categories, the only one I didn't pick up being the pastel formula.

Now you may at this point be wondering how much these shadows retail for and if they're worth the price and potential customs fee. The prices range from C$10-25 which personally I think is a great deal considering how special these shadows are. The most expensive ones are in the jewelled formula, I believe all of the shadows are C$25 and the other formulas do vary in pricing but again I feel the price is very reasonable considering the cost of the pigments in the shadows along with the general costs in manufacturing.

I ordered twice from the site, once on the day of the restock, literally about five minutes after the restock I had checked out with six shadows. I did regret not picking up the shade Chandelier so I ended up ordering that shadow the next day. (I will go into detail about this shadow in particular further down, as well as my customer service experience.)

Clionadh Cosmetics shadows applied onto bare skin

Shipping took around 3 1/2 weeks for my first order and 4 1/2 for the second order that I placed but I was expecting it to take around 2 months to arrive so I was pleasantly surprised by how fast the turnaround was. For my first order I did pay for tracked shipping seeing as I had spent a fair amount on the site and didn't want it to get lost, although I didn't do this for my second order.

Both boxes arrived really well packed, i.e. lots of paper and bubblewrap to protect the shadows. I did have issues with my second order as the shadow arrived broken. As can been seen in the photos below, Chandelier (bottom left) arrived shattered. I emailed Clionadh's customer service team and got a reply back within the hour by one of the owners (Maggie) and I was pleasantly surprised by how fast they replied. I originally asked if there was a way of repressing the shadow and Maggie gave me some instructions on how best to repress it and said she would send a replacement shadow which I was not expecting but very happy about because, of course, the more multichromes the better. As they are still a relatively small indie brand I would have completely understood them not sending me a new shadow but now I feel even more connected to this brand because they are genuinely nice people! Anyway, the shadow was able to be revived and now I have two of the same shade.

It's quite difficult to capture multichromes on camera so I have tried my best to show these shadows from different angles but I just want to say that these are in fact more beautiful in person! If you would like to view more in depth swatched of these shades and the others in the collection, the best swatch videos of this collection (in my opinion) are on Angelica Nyqvist's and Bad to the Brow's youtube channels. Angelica swatched the entire collection and showed them in different lighting situations and Bad to the Brow swatched a lot of the jewelled shadows on her eyes so it gives an idea of how the look on the eyes.

If you're interested in picking some up I would definitely recommend them. All of the shades are beautiful and fantastic quality and to be honest I might pick up some more just because the formula is so amazing.

The next post will contain pictures of looks I have created using these shadows as for some reason this site freezes up if I add too many pictures.

Link for more swatches and eye looks:

https://nouw.com/lissiewallin/clionadh-stained-glass-collection-part-2--36757459

https://nouw.com/lissiewallin/clionadh-cosmetics-stained-glass-collect-2--36979107