NEW CID : I GEL : SWATCHES + FIRST IMPRESSION

i - gel LONG WEAR GEL EYELINER TRIO WITH BRUSH

BRONZE | COPPER | STONE

2803

BOX . INCLUDED BRUSH

COPPER, BRONZE, STONE . SWATCHES SMUDGED

COLOUR ME IMPRESSED. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF THIS PRODUCT IS AMAZING. THE LINERS ARE VERY PIGMENTED AND DRY TO A SATINY SHEEN WITH HINTS OF GLIMMER.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE SECOND SWATCH PICTURE STONE IS THE MOST BUDGE PROOF, BUT THE AMOUNT OF FORCE IT TOOK TO MOVE THE GELS AT ALL WAS QUITE INTENSE. THIS ALL POINTS TO GREAT LASTING POWER WHICH I WILL TEST.

THE BRUSH ON FIRST GLANCE I THOUGHT WOULD BE TOO WIDE AND NOT MUCH USE FOR A SHARP PRECISE LINE, BUT ONCE DAMPENED IN THE GEL IT CAN BE MOULDED TO THE THINNEST TIP.

£4.99 [RRP £22] . AVAILABLE TKMAXX

CCO AEGEAN GEL POLISH : 082 : REVIEW + SWATCHES

AEGEAN IS BILLED AS A NEW RANGE FROM CCO, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO CCO BRANDING ON THE BOTTLE AT ALL.

I DECIDED TO GO FOR 082 - A MID GREY WITH BLUE AND MAGENTA FINE GLITTER.

NATURAL LIGHT  .  WITH FLASH

         

THE TEXTURE OF THIS POLISH IS LOVELY, NOT TOO RUNY OR THICK. 

APPLICATION IS EASY, ALTHOUGH ON MY PINKY FINGER I FIND THE BRUSH IS ALMOST AS WIDE AS MY NAIL SO I AM EXTRA CAUTIOUS NOT TO TOUCH THE SKIN.

THE FIRST LAYER APPLIES SHEER BUT EVEN, 3 THIN COATS AND THE POLISH WAS OPAQUE.

SO FAR THIS POLISH IS BRILLIANT, BUT I WILL UPDATE WITH HOW IT LASTS.

* JUST A SMALL UPDATE. THE NAILS LASTED AROUND 5 DAYS WITH MORE CHIPS TO MY RIGHT HAND AND STARTED TO LIFT AT THE EDGES*

JUST A NOTE ON THE SELLER ON EBAY. THE POLISH WAS DISPATCHED SAME DAY AND DELIVERED THE NEXT. UNFORTUNATELY THOUGH IT SEEMS MOST COLOURS ARE OUT OF STOCK AT THE MOMENT.

AVAILABLE FROM EBAY  .  £2.89

THE BEST POWDER BRUSH IN THE WORLD* : BEAUTY STROKES MINERAL OPTICS

* THAT I HAVE TRIED SO FAR

BUT REALLY, THIS BRUSH IS AMAZING. IT SETS MY FOUNDATION SO WELL, JUST THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF POWDER TO KEEP IT IN PLACE WITHOUT LOOKING CAKEY.

SINCE I HAVE STARTED USING THIS BRUSH TO POWDER WITH MY FOUNDATION HAS BEEN LASTING LONGER AND LOOKS FAR MORE POLISHED.

THE BRUSH ITSELF IS LARGE, BUT NOT ROUNDED, ITS WIDE AND FLAT.

MADE OF DUAL FIBRE BRISTLES, IVE TRIED THIS TO BRONZE AS WELL AND ITS GREAT. I PICKED UP THE SMALLER FACE BRUSH TOO FOR CHEEKS.

ALL THIS FOR LESS THAN £5.

AVAILABLE TKMAXX IN STORE ONLY . £4.99

KISS GEL NAIL POLISH : ONYX : REVIEW + SWATCHES

I KNOW MY EXPERIENCE OF GEL NAIL POLISH IS EXTREMELY NOVICE BUT I KNOW WHEN A PRODUCT GOES HORRIBLY WRONG.

THIS GEL POLISH WAS DREADFUL IN EVERY WAY.

WHEN APPLYING TO THE NAILS IT SEPARATED AND LEFT AREAS COMPLETELY FREE OF POLISH AT ALL. WHAT DID APPLY WAS UNEVEN AND POORLY PIGMENTED. AFTER 5, YES 5 COATS, IT DID FINALLY BUILD UP TO BE OPAQUE - BUT STILL PATCHY.

AFTER LESS THAN 24 HOURS MY THUMB NAIL CHIPPED, AND THE REST FOLLOWED. AFTER TWO DAYS I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE POLISH COMPLETELY. IT WAS JUST NOT WORTH IT.

AS FOR VALUE, THIS POLISH RETAILS FOR £13, I BOUGHT IT IN ASDA FOR £6.50 AND I THANK MY LUCKY STARS I DID NOT PAY FULL PRICE!

YOU CAN SEE ON THE THUMB THE SHEER SPOTS

AVAILABLE ASDA  .  £6.50 (£13)

LOREAL TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION : REVIEW + SWATCHES

I PICKED THIS UP ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND I'VE BEEN WEARING IT EVER SINCE. ITS TRULY AMAZING! IT STAYS ON MY OILY COMBO SKIN AS WELL AS MY STUDIO FIX BUT HAS A MUCH MORE NATURAL AND LUMINIOUS FINISH WHILST BEING HIGH COVERAGE. IT LAYERS REALLY WELL WITHOUT BECOMING CAKEY.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE NEVER TRIED THIS FOUNDATION BEFORE.

LOREAL TRUE MATCH SHADE : C2 ROSE VANILLA

    

SWATCH AND BLENDED OUT

FACE BEFORE AND AFTER

AND FINALLY A FULL FACE AFTER POWDERING.

I SET THIS FOUNDATION WITH MAC MINERALIZE SKINFINISH TO KEEP THE GLOW.

AVAILABLE BOOTS  .  £9.99

MS KEIKO GEL NAIL VARNISH : 266 : SWATCHES

JUST A LITTLE POST ABOUT GEL NAIL POLISH. I HAVE INVESTED IN A GEL NAIL POLISH KIT [LACKPERM] CONTAINING A LED LIGHT, TOP/BASE COAT, FINISHER AND REMOVER TO GET ME STARTED INTO THE WORLD OF NAILS.

IM NOT GREAT AT NAILS, I CAN NEVER GET THE APPLICATION SPOT ON AND LOATH HAVING TO WAIT FOR NAILS TO DRY - HENCE THE GEL!

WORKING IN RETAIL MY NAILS TAKE A LOT OF BATTERING SO I AM EAGER TO SEE HOW WELL THIS MS KEIKO NAIL POLISH HOLDS UP.

THIS NAIL POLISH COST ME £1.50 FOR 7ML - WHICH IS TINY, BUT GREAT FOR TESTING COLOURS.

IT TOOK AROUND 14 DAYS TO ARRIVE.

THE COLOUR DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME AS ON THE WEBSITE APPLYING MORE OF A VERY LIGHT PEACH TONED PINK HOWEVER APPLICATION WAS VERY SMOOTH.

THE SWATCH ABOVE IS AFTER TWO COATS WITH BASE AND TOP COAT.

£1.50 / MS KEIKO EBAY PAGE

MAX FACTOR 2000 CALORIE MASCARA : REVIEW

MAX FACTOR MASCARAS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVOURITES, FALSE LASH EFFECT WAS MY HOLY GRAIL - BUT I LOVE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW [WELL NEW TO ME!]

KNOWING HOW MUCH I LOVED FALSE LASH, 2000 CALORIE HAD A LOT TO LIVE UP TO AND IM HAPPY TO SAY I LOVE THIS ONE TOO.

IT MAKES MY LASHES A LOVELY INKY BLACK, ADDS VOLUME AND KEEPS MY CURL SET IN PLACE. AS IT IS A DENSE AND WET FORMULA YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO USE TO MUCH. LIGHT COATS WORK BEST OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET CLUMPED*, SPIDERY LASHES RATHER THAN BEAUTIFULLY FANNED WINKERS.

*I HAVE TO ADMIT I DID RUSH THE APPLICATION FOR THE PHOTOS, HENCE BEING MORE CLUMPY THAN USUAL.

£7.99 / AVAILABLE IN BOOTS

BOTANICS MATTIFYING DAY CREAM AND HYDRATING NIGHT CREAM : DAY 1 REVIEW

INVESTING IN SKIN CARE IS ALWAYS TRICKY, SO MANY BRANDS, SO MANY CLAIMS. MY SKIN IS COMBINATION - OILY IN THE T-ZONE, DRY ON THE CHEEKS. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HARD BALANCING ACT AND I TEND TO SHY AWAY FROM HARSH EXFOLIANTS IN FAVOUR OF CREAMS.

THESE MOISTURISERS ARE CURRENTLY ON OFFER IN BOOTS FOR £3.32 EACH (NORMALLY £4.99).

MY PLAN IS TO USE THE MATTIFYING DAY CREAM UNDER MAKEUP EACH DAY TO KEEP EXCESS OILS AT BAY AND LIGHTLY MOISTURISE MY CHEEKS.

AT NIGHT THE HYALURONIC FORMULATION OF THE HYDRATING NIGHT CREAM SHOULD BOOST MY MOISTURISATION AND HELP KEEP EXFOLIATION AT BAY, AS BOTANICS CLAIMS -

"Formulated with hyaluronic acid, proven to immediately boost moisture levels, the nourishing formula leaves skin ready to face the day"

DAY 1 : MATTIFYING

THE CREAM IS EASY TO APPLY AND BLEND, I USED ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT ALL OVER THE FACE. IT SETS TO A LIGHT SATIN FINISH FILM ON THE SKIN.

MY SKIN FEELS TAUGHT AND MATTE, IF A LITTLE DRY ON THE CHEEKS.

AFTER A FEW HOURS A SMALL AMOUNT OF SHINE HAS STARTED TO BREAK THROUGH ON THE T-ZONE. 

MY MAKEUP APPLIED BEAUTIFULLY OVER THE MOISTURISER AND AT THE END OF THE DAY I DID NOTICE LESS OIL AND SHINE THAN I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE.

NIGHT 1 : HYDRATING

I PUT A GENEROUS AMOUNT ON AN BLENDED IN THEN HIT THE HAY.

THE NEXT MORNING MY SKIN FELT PLUMPED AND REFRESHED. I ALSO NOTICED A LACK OF DRY PATCHES AND FLAKY SKIN.

SO FAR THESE HAVE BOTH WORKED WONDERS INITIALLY BUT THE PROOF IS IN THE LASTING SO I WILL UPDATE AFTER A WEEK OR SO OF DAILY USE.

BOTANICS . AVAILABLE FROM BOOTS.COM . £3.32

LILY LOLO NATURAL LIPSTICK - DEMURE

LILY LOLO NATURAL LIPSTICK IN DEMURE IS A LOVELY NUDE SHADE WITH A HINT OF PEACH. ITS A LOVELY CREAMY TEXTURE WITH A SATIN FINISH. VERY GENTLE TO APPLY IT IS NOT DRYING. THE LIPSTICK IS NOT THE MOST LONG WEARING AND DOES BEGIN TO FADE IN A FEW HOURS HOWEVER IT WEARS EVENLY NOT LEAVING ANY PATCHES BEHIND.

I BOUGHT THIS IN TKMAXX WHERE THEY CURRENTLY HAVE VARIOUS SHADES IN THE OLD LILY LOLO PACKAGING FOR ONLY £4.99 AGAINST THE £8.99 RRP.

TKMAXX IN STORE ONLY  .  £4.99  .  LILYLOLO.CO.UK

LILY LOLO PRESSED MINERAL EYESHADOW QUAD - MOLTEN BRONZE

CURERNTLY AVAILABLE IN TKMAXX FOR £6.99 RRP IS £18.99, THEY ALSO HAVE THE SMOKEY ROSE VARIATION AS WELL AS SHIMMER STRIPS AND SOME PRESSED MINERAL DUO EYESHADOWS & LIPSTICKS.

AS I DO LOVE A BARGAIN AND HAD BEEN WANTING TO TRY SOME LILY LOLO PRESSED MINERALS I JUST HAD TO BUY.

THE PINK ALTHOUGH SHEER GIVES A FANTASTIC HI-LIGHTING EFFECT AND IS GREAT AS A WASH ON THE LID. BOTH THE BROWN AND BROZE ARE WELL PIGMENTED AND SMOOTH. THE BLACK HOWEVER IS NOT INTENSE OR AS PIGMENTED AND TAKES A FEW LAYERS TO BE BUILT AS SEEN IN THE SWATCH, GOOD FOR A MORE NATURAL LOOK IN THE CREASE OR ON THE LASH LINE.

AVAILABLE NOW . TKMAXX . IN-STORE ONLY

* JUST AS A QUICK SIDE NOTE, I DO LOVE LILY LOLO FOUNDATION. BUT I JUST CANT SEEM TO JUSTIFY SPENDING £1.99 SHIPPING ON A SAMPLE THAT COSTS £1.49. SIGH.

MAC EYE SHADOW X15: COOL NEUTRAL PALETTE SWATCHES

BLACKBERRY[M]

BRUN[M]

BLACK TIED[V]

AFTERDUSK[VXP]

DECEPTION[F]

PEARLED EARTH[VXP]

SUN TWEAKED[F]

CRUSHED CLOVE[F]

CUMULUS[F]

SWEET ALLURE[S]

COZY GREY[M]

FRENCH CLAY[F]

FLOUNCE[M]

PICK ME UP[M]

SILVER FOG[L]