First Impressions|Revlon Colorburst Matte & Lacquer Balms

So I’ve been dying to try these out for weeks. Finally I have two. There wasn’t a massive selection at my local store only 4 Lacquer and 4 Matte shades, which is fine because I chose very similar colours in each.

I am a pink kind-of-girl I just love it, it suits my pale skin unlike other bright colours, like orange or purple which were all in this new collection. I decided on sticking to what works for me and chose two colours which were both suitable for day and night wear.

I am a huge fan of these chubby pencils! They’re big enough that you won’t lose them in your bag, but not so big that they won’t fit in a pocket should you need to. And you never have to sharpen them. Just twist the base.

I bought these two pinky shades: Elusive (MATTE – left) and Demure (LACQUER – right)

Demure is a pretty pale pink that suits an everyday look down to a T. A definite winner for me, and I’m sure for many others as it’s just so lovely and easy to wear! Whilst they are said to contain large particles of shimmer, I wouldn’t say this was obvious in the slightest, especially with this shade.

Elusive is a cool-toned light to medium pink that if you want a pop of colour also suits an everyday look. Really easy to wear and it has that nude feel to it, even if it is bright. With all matte formulas you should prep your lips with a scrub before applying, but the moisturising complex means you don’t need to prep with a lip balm as well.

And here are the swatches, which are important, because these colours look very different on.

For a product that costs less than eight pounds, I am extremely impressed. Fans of the Kissable Balm Stains will recognise the slightly pepperminty smell however it is definitely not as strongly scented as the older formula. (I wasn’t a fan of the Kissable Balms, I found them rather drying on the lips and when you have relatively dry lips all the time this is not good – however these are fab!)

I love both the formulas of these balms. The colour goes on smoothly and richly, and feels very soft and comfortable on the lips. That is pretty amazing, and sadly quite rare, for matte finishes. But I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of these matte/lacquer combos.

I know I picked similar colours but both really suit me and its great to find products with a similar beautiful effect for different purposes, I can see myself using these over and over – and possibly going back to find more shades.

What do you think of the colours I have chosen? Have I missed one of your favourites?

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Pretty In Pink: Valentines Day

We’re surrounded by all things chocolate and heart-shaped, Cupid’s back and love is most definitely in the air! This holiday always has red and pink at its centre but this season pink seems to be a winner. It symbolises love it’s much softer than the passion that red brings to mind. Even if you hate this holiday it’s hard to stay away from the rosy shades. So here are a few of my pink favourites to help you look pretty in pink for Valentines, whether thats with your other half or a night on the town with your best friends. From bold to barely-there, these lip colours will cover whatever look you want. Looking for a sheer, stays-on-all-day shade? Autograph’s Very Pink lip colour from M&S is a comfortable pick. Create a natural, luminous flush with a glide of No 7’s Sheer Temptation lipstick in (40) Lovely. This is one of my repeat buys, it can give you so many different looks, and it glides on for the perfect kissable lips. Looking to go bold then the Clinique Chubby Stick in Plushest Punch is defiantly up your alley, although you can create a number of looks with this product. The form will stain your lips when applied in thin layers; blot in between swipes!. Finally my current favourite is the MAC Cream Sheen in How Darling! it is the lightest pink tone, delicate and perfect.

Natural flushed cheeks the Benefit Poise Tint can help with that feeling of the’ first look of love’ MAC beauty Powder in the colour ‘Formal’ is beautifully smooth and is very pigmented. The colour on my cheeks is a warm, it’s a very versatile colour, so use it for fun and flirty beautiful blushing cheeks.

If you don’t want pink on your face, why not your nails? ‘Love’ from 17 is bright making a clear statement, but if you want something a little more subtle and natural then I would recommend ‘Glacier’ from Mavala.

I hope you all look beautiful and Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.

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Review| BareMinerals Original Foundation

Today’s review is on the bareMinerals Original SPF Foundation, I have the shade ‘fairly light’. I brought this product for the first time a couple of years ago and it is currently the only mineral foundation I use.

This is the first product I tried from bareminerals, it’s lovely, it never clings to dry patches or blemishes like so many other foundations do. It covers up bad acne and, luckily for me, dark circles with very little product or effort.

Application is really simple, I used the tap, swirl and buff technique and it gives a flawless finish. It is so quick and easy to apply you can do it without even looking in the mirror.

It gives good coverage and it feels so lightweight you don’t even know you are wearing foundation. The coverage is build-able, however I tend to just use one ‘coat’ of the foundation I find this is enough. I have never found it to look powdery or cakey on my skin.

In this picture the foundation is applied lightly to my face. I find that it takes away most of the skins natural shine without being at all drying.

However I do find that you need to carry around a powder with you as you do get a shine to your face throughout the day, and just apply it when needed. This could be avoided however by buying there oil-control mineral foundation instead, but I haven’t tried this one yet.

This product retails between £20-25 depending on where you buying it, I like to do this when a sale or offer is on, to save a bit of money.

It’s available in a large variety of shades for all skin tones which means it looks completely natural. Even though this foundation is definitely a splurge, it’s worth it if you’re looking for flawless, natural coverage. (It also has SPF15 which is also a plus).

Are you in to mineral foundation or do you prefer a liquid one? Which mineral foundation is your favourite?

Revlon| Lip Butter Peach Parfait

Today I wanted to post about the Revlon lip butters, which I only discovered in the last few months. They are of course seem to be quite big in the blogsphere. So I brought this one in the shade 25 Peach Parfait. But don’t let the name fool you.

It comes in a nice and chic looking packaging in the same colour of the product inside. It’s sturdy and a pretty addition to every purse or make-up bag.

I love this, it’s a pinky, nude colour with a dash of golden glitter through it, even though that’s not really the colour you expect when the shade is PEACH PARFAIT but there you go. There’s no strong scent, and it applies smoothly. One thing I don’t like however is that you can feel a slight grainy texture when you apply it, I assume from the glitter, which isn’t that appealing.

It doesn’t really show up very well on my lips (since mine are quite pigmented), but gives them a nice sheen and makes them look quite pretty. This one is a nice natural colour, and just adds a little bit of shine but not at all over the top. It goes on fairly sheer, but is buildable.

I too suffer with very dry lips so although a lip butter, its not quite moisturising enough me, but put a bit of lip balm underneath and your good to go. It lasts quite well but you’ll need to reapply when you eat or drink.

What shades do you have?

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Face of the Day 2

*

Clarins Beauty Balm
Clinique CC Cream
Stila Convertible Colour: Gerbera
Maybelline Colour Tattoo: On & On Bronze
Barry M Eyeliner: No 2
Clinique High Lenghth Mascara
Clinique Chubby Stick: Plushest Punch

*Sorry for the poor quality photos it was a dark day when I took these and the usual quality of the photos was rubbish.

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Clinique| Chubby Stick Intense

Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm is the newest addition of the lip crayon craze by Clinique. It comes in 8 other rich bold colours but I have the shade Plushest Punch.

There is no smell to it whatsoever unlike the Revlon ones which are quite minty in scent. But the colour and consistency is the same as previously renowned sticks.

It provides you with full coverage and has a subtle sheen to it. The pencil has a great consistency, just creamy enough to apply evenly and smoothly but not thick. I do find though that a lip brush comes in handy for when you want an intense lip as the crayon doesn’t seem to get in all the corners and needs some smoothing out occasionally.

I found it to be neither moisturizing nor drying when I put it on. But I would not recommend this for people with dry lips issue as this does not provide adequate moisturisation. But if you are keen to try it out then you would need to layer it on top of a lip balm, just on its own it might not work for you.

The colour is beautiful deep reddish pink shade and it does not contain any glitter or shimmer in it. Sometimes I found the colour to be too intense for me, as it is almost like a red lipstick in the intensity of the colour.

But the shades can be built anyway you like but just adding a hint of colour to the lips. Here are three looks I created, I started of buy blending a tiny amount on the lips just for a hint of colour and slowly added more and more layers.

This is the final look and most intense of the looks on me below, just to show you what it looks like with a full set of makeup. I quite like it. It can be brilliant for a night out when you want to dress yourself up more or blended for a more natural daytime look.

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Birthday Week| Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Next in the Birthday week series is my current favourite foundation from Bourjois, the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. I have shade 52 Vanilla.

First thing you notice when using the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation is the smell its fresh and fruity and very prominent. However, the scent disappears instantly on applying it to your face, so don’t let that scare you off giving it ago.

Another thing thats great about this product is the pump it pushes the product up and then out so in my opinion that causes less waste of the product.

The foundation is very light and almost watery in texture. Which is lovely to apply on the face and not cakey or heavy. My skin is currently darker than the shade I have which is due to some after summer tan which I’m sure will fade soon enough with the colder days now in full swing.

The Healthy Mix Serum like other products in this range is great at evening out the complexion and neutralising redness as you can see in my before and after photos. I’d say the coverage is light to medium and I like that the finish isn’t too dewy but not completely matte either.

The coverage is really good, it covered the blemishes and gave a lovely luminosity to the skin. It also feels really hydrating and minimises pores very well. I like the natural skin effect of dewy foundations, but they soon look too oily on me, so this is my preferred finish.

I definitely like the finished result, I think this will be a very good foundation for winter because of its light texture and hydrating finish which is something you need during the colder months.

I find that this foundation lasts quite well through the day on me but needs a touch up of powder after about 5 or so hours.

Have you tried any of the Bourjois Foundations or products? Which is your favourite?

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Birthday Week| Makeup Tutorial

Coming up this week I will be celebrating my 24th birthday. I’m not a huge celebrator for events like this but I do like to dress up and go out with a couple of friends. In my family our birthday lasts a week incase of delayed cards and seeing friends that may be working on your actual birthday.

Anyho this week I’ve decided to do something a little different and post up a tutorial to a look I created for my birthday. I’m no makeup artist and all products used you can get from your local drug store (no high end products in this vid). The lighting was a little bright so the makeup doesn’t come off as intense but it still looks quite pretty. Not over the top at all, thats not really me, so quite simple.

I’ve never done a video like this so I was kind of winging it with what products I wanted to use. Either way I hope you like it and tell me what you think.

 

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Review| Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I know this palette caused major fuss when it came out in the new year and I have to be honest, I jumped on the bad wagon too. The more well known larger palettes Naked 1 & 2 I loved the look of but I refused to pay that much for an eye shadow palette.

This little palette offers 5 matte and 1 satin finish eyeshadows that are perfect for creating that everyday look. A concept I very much enjoy (I like to get my moneys worth) and the packaging is small enough to put in your handbag or to take travelling with you.

Venus – an off-white satin finish shadow which is perfect for highlighting.
Foxy – a creamy biscuit matte finish shadow which is a lovely lid colour.
Walk Of Shame (WOS) – a very light nude/ brown matte finish shadow which again, is a great lid colour.

Naked 2 – a taupe matte finish shadow which can be use in the crease for day time or as a lid colour for a night time look.
Faint – a warm, dusty brown matte finish shadow which is great for the outer corner or crease.
Crave – a deep, dark brown/ black matte finish shadow which is perfect for the outer corner.

All of the shadows are soft, pigmented and so easy to blend. I do find Crave to be chalkier than the rest, but it is still very easy to work with. With an eye primer, these shadows last me all day. I’ve worn them with It’s About Prime by Soap and Glory (review here).

All of these shadows are really wearable and you can mix and match between the palette and still end up with a pretty eye look.

As for the packaging, Urban Decay definitely stuck to the “Basics” theme and kept it as simple as possible. The outer packaging is slightly rubbery and is a lovely bronze colour. It also comes with a large mirror which takes up the whole lid of the palette, so is perfect to use on the go! Unlike the other two Naked palettes, this one doesn’t come with a brush or a mini freebie. Personally this doesn’t bother me as it’s much cheaper than the other palettes and contains the 4 new eye shadows.

Overall I think this is a great palette that I now use in my everyday makeup routine as I find the shades very natural and wearable. If you’re into creating neutral eye looks with matte shadows or just want to expand your eyeshadow collection, this palette would be great for you!

This is me at my nan’s 80th birthday party, where I used the Basic Palette on my eyes.

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First Impressions| Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon

I went out for a little makeup shop today and look what I brought… Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons £7.99 

Lip crayon balms are absolutely everywhere at the moment. Clinique were first with the Chubby Stick, then came Revlon swiftly being followed by a number of other make up brands promoting their take on the new craze.

I like the Revlon’s ‘Just Bitten Kissable Balm’ minty scent and texture but found them to be too drying on my lips and a little too heavy sometimes.

After seeing a lot of love online for Bourjois’ lip crayons and having a number of their products by them already I decided to get a couple to try out, I got them on Buy 2 and get 1 half price. Out of the four shades I chose; 04 Peach on the Beach and 01 Red Sunrise.

Red Sunrise is a pinky red shade that is very pigmented considering it’s just a balm stain and Peach On The Beach is a beautiful peachy pink shade that gives a tint of colour to the lips and is perfect for everyday.

Peach on the Beach 04

Red Sunrise 01

The Bourjois lip crayons come in 4 different shades: Peach On The Beach, Orange Punch, Fuschia Libre and Red Sunrise. All of these shades are perfect for the summer and are great for adding a hint of colour to a makeup look.

 

 

The formula is light, creamy and a lot more moisturising on the lips than other brands I’ve tried. They aren’t matte, but give a glossy pop of colour. It’s between a lipstick, lip stain and lipgloss all in one. I also love the fact that that these have SPF15 in them, making them ideal for holidays adding an extra something to your look this summer.

The colour also claims to be waterproof, and I have to admit I’ve only had the Peach on the Beach colour on for a few hours now but so far it has withstood eating and drinking a lot more than any other of my lipsticks.

It’s only just started to fade but in a great way, unlike the Revlon balm stains which I find cling to the outline of my lips for a long time – not a good look, these have left an even colour over my lips, I just need to reapply to get the POP back. So for me they have lasted about three to four hours before I needed a full re-application.

Overall I am so impressed with these lip crayons! In fact, I’ve been rather impressed with a lot of recent my Bourjois’ products and I would also love to try their chocolate looking bronzer – it looks amazing!

I would highly recommend you trying out the Color Boost Lip Crayons, especially if you’re after a wearable product for the summer.

Have you tried the Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons?
Which is your favourite shade?

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