MAC Whisper of Gilt is coming back! Third time lucky

Yes! For the third time now, MAC is re-releasing Whisper of Gilt. This will be its fourth outing to date and I do just wish it would be included in the permanent line-up, but for whatever reason, MAC has made it clear that it wants to hold onto the ethereal image of a lost-in-the-mists-of-time perfect highlighter. And adding a snowflake to it has just sealed that reputation. How beautiful???

The only thing is, it's 7.5g instead of 9g. But, one look at that cracked frozen ice packaging and embossed snowflake - all is forgiven. I sold my Whisper of Gilt, reasoning that Anastasia So Hollywood was a dupe. And reasoning that Guerlain Cruel Gardenia was a superior near-dupe. But the truth is, I've missed it ever since. The reason I loved Whisper of Gilt is that it's gold but it has a slight peach glint to it which makes it melt into the skin. The last incarnation, as part of the Nutcracker collection (and in a miserly segment as a duo) looked more gold than I remembered. I've taken @trendmood's picture and put it alongside the original and beloved, and for now, I can spot that same peachiness that made it so special. Of course, since the heady days of that initial Whisper of Gilt release, there have been so many wonderful highlights which include the same 'wet' finish, so it's a little late and perhaps a pyrrhic victory, but nonetheless, one of the champions is set to return - and I for one will have it in my sights. NB: Judging from the wintry theme it is likely to be the next Christmas/ holiday's collection.

The Poundshop Chronicles: Rimmel Kate waterproof gel eyeliner in Emerald

In the olden days, pound shops were a rarity and usually called themselves, rather frustratingly, "pound plus" shops; indeed Poundland (the current giant of pound shops in UK, fondly known as the pand shop) has its own share of £2, £3, £5 and even £10 offerings. However this post will refrain from a discourse on the evolution of pound shops and when a pound shop is no longer a pound shop. Because, here is a beauty product - and it is - in fact, just one shiny pound!

Previously this happily sold for £6.99, and having now tried it a few times, I honestly would have felt that even at full price it was a good purchase. It's a very Kate Moss colour so it doesn't feel like a cheap celeb cash-in. I've always adored Kate Moss' makeup and the way that she is not afraid of colour, she just wears it on her own terms. Her fashion and makeup choices always look like she is the one in control - all too often a wild colour or outfit can look self-conscious, or worse, like it's wearing you! But never with Kate Moss.

It's not a bright emerald but rather a smoked out and blackened emerald. Still, it has an unmistakable jewel tone to it and I love it for the summer to wear instead of a black. It's really hard-wearing and even in our current heatwave it has not smeared at all. I've only used it as a liner but I expect it would work well as a base to a smokey eye. (In the picture below you can see all my eyeshadow has pitifully smeared and creased but the liner has stayed as true as it was when first applied.) The brush included looks worthless and was tossed in the bin; I prefer using a Louise Young eyeliner brush. The other negatives are the plastic pot which, although very cute, is rather flimsy and may not keep the gel fresh, and also the fact that this does say "Made in China".

At the time of writing, my local Poundland had at least 5 still left on the shelf. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available online. If anyone has any trouble getting one or is overseas, perhaps I can do an extravagant giveaway contest... If I can get any more. Let me know in the comments if you've tried this, or what other finds there are for a pound?