When you know how much time, effort and dedication goes into creating a humble eyeshadow palette, the end result takes on a whole new meaning. Jane Cunningham, aka British Beauty Blogger, has been working on a collaboration with blogger favourite Makeup Revolution since 2015 - but only now, when it was absolutely perfect and up to her own meticulous standards, is it ready to hit stores and help many thousands of women experiment with colour. I've known about this forthcoming collaboration for quite some time and have been absolutely sworn to secrecy, but I'm so pleased to see the end result is absolutely everything I imagined and more. 'Fortune Favours The Brave' is a thirty piece collection that has been created to offer "the most versatile, every-age, every-tone palette yet." There really is every colour for every need, occasion, level of expertise and experimentation, taking you from day to night with absolute ease; it's basically BritishBeautyBlogger.com personified!
Within the portfolio of thirty shades there's a combination of matte, glimmer and sheen for an every which-way nude or smoky eye that really transcends generations. From the lightest of brightening base colours to the most daring shades of navy, black and bronze, this is all about having fun with makeup and pushing your own boundaries as much as possible. Jane has included some of the hottest shades from the catwalk too, including khaki and blood red, to ensure we can all have an on-trend look without having to spend more than a tenner. As always from Makeup Revolution, the pigment is pretty incredible for the price point, providing a rich colour that can be built up easily and blended to perfection; I personally like to apply the shadows a little wet, as it helps the colour pop and the metallic effect even stronger.
To find out a little more about the collaboration, I had a quick chat with Jane to find out where the idea came from, what's the story behind the name and what her personal highlights of the palette are...
To find out a little more about the collaboration, I had a quick chat with Jane to find out where the idea came from, what's the story behind the name and what her personal highlights of the palette are...
Why did you decide to collaborate with Makeup Revolution on this palette?
Because they're affordable and accessible to everyone. As a blogger you get to experience so many products that are so very expensive, it's refreshing to find somewhere that you can get all of the products you need at an affordable price - rather than feeling the pressure to pay for expensive brands that aren't necessary. I'm all about makeup for everyone. It's also really clear that Makeup Revolution have benefited from the support of the blogging community, but in turn they're very active socially and do tend to support bloggers back; they share, retweet and regram regularly. Social media is about having a conversation and they complete the circle by enabling conversations about beauty. That's something I want to celebrate.
What's the story behind the concept, name and shades?
I wanted to make a palette for every age. Older women tend to think that non-premium brands aren't for them, but I wanted to break down barriers and prove that affordable makeup is for everyone. Eveything can be worn in multiple different ways, so experimentation is at the heart of this. I called it 'Fortune Favours The Brave' because women can feel very lost in makeup, forgetting to be experimental and enjoy the pleasure of it, so it's about trying things you wouldn't have done otherwise; for a ten pound price you can afford to push the boundaries! I wanted the palette to look more premium, so the gold pack and symbol (which I chose because it's the Chinese symbol for good fortune, which in turn for me symbolises positivity) ensures it looks a little bit more grown up.
Can you tell us about the process and what it was like developing this?
When I first received the outer pack I thought it was busy, messy and too much was going on - but the more I looked at it, the more it started to make more sense. I did have to be talked into including as many colours as it now holds, but I thought I could group shades together and tell a story. I had problems getting the navy shade just right as I had a clear idea in my head about what we wanted, but the most frustrating thing was the length of time between changes. I would have liked to have a portfolio of colours to pick and choose from immediately, but it's just not feasible! It's hard conveying the exact shade into words to describe to someone else what you're after.
When I first received the outer pack I thought it was busy, messy and too much was going on - but the more I looked at it, the more it started to make more sense. I did have to be talked into including as many colours as it now holds, but I thought I could group shades together and tell a story. I had problems getting the navy shade just right as I had a clear idea in my head about what we wanted, but the most frustrating thing was the length of time between changes. I would have liked to have a portfolio of colours to pick and choose from immediately, but it's just not feasible! It's hard conveying the exact shade into words to describe to someone else what you're after.
Do you have personal favourite eyeshadows from the collection?
I keep going back to the bronzey-green khaki shade - it works for everyone and every eye colour. I also really like the dark red and black marble shadow as it's so unique; you just don't see that anywhere else. The whole palette is multi-ethnicity as the pigment is so strong the colours can be used from the palest to the darkest of skintones: that's what I love the most.
Although Makeup Revolution seem to be launching a new palette every other week at the moment, this is 100% the one that instantly grabbed and held my attention - and not just because it's been created by one of my blogger besties! I know Jane has been thoroughly involved from concept right through to the end product, so this is something that channels her heart and soul. Whether you're a fan of the brand, Jane's blog or just makeup in general - if you buy one thing this payday, make sure it's this. It's a purchase you definitely won't regret.
The 'Fortune Favours The Brave' palette is out now online via the Makeup Revolution store, priced £9.99, and will be in Superdrug stores nationwide from next week.
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