Wednesday 28 June 2017

Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara Review

Maybelline Big Shot Mascara UK
The 'Big Shot' mascara is the latest to join the Maybelline Colossal family. The big shot not only has striking packaging but it also claims to be a voluminous mascara. As you know Maybelline is my number one brand for drugstore mascaras, so here are my thoughts on this latest edition...
Price 
This retails for £7.99 for 9.5ml of product. Big Shot is also available in Black and Black Waterproof. You can find the mascara available at, Superdrug, BootsUlta* and Walgreens*.
Packaging 
Well, what can I say, the packaging is everything! Plus the brush is a lovely medium sized, thick bristled brush.
Application
The brush made this easy to apply and I would say this definitely gives you volume and fullness, however, this doesn't give you loads of length and so I think this would work even better teamed with a lengthening mascara like the Maybelline Push Up Angel applied first.
Longevity 
This stays really well throughout the day without any smudging or flakiness.

Overall Thoughts
Personally, I do think this is better compared to some of the original Colossal formula's and I overall think this is a great mascara if you want to add volume and fullness. As I mentioned above if you're after a bit more lift and length, then the Falsies Push Up Angel Mascara would work perfectly with this also.

The packaging and the name of this mascara are on point and I continue to get excited to what Maybelline could ever think of next to rival what they already have and other brands. So if you're a fan of the Maybelline mascara's then this is definitely worth a look at if it meets your mascara criteria.

I award the Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara a  4.2 out of 5

Discover more of Maybelline newest launches here... 
- Maybelline vivid hot lacquer review
- Maybelline baby lip crayon review 
- Maybelline brow precise fiber filler 

Other Mascara posts you may like...
- Rimmel volume shake mascara review
- L'Oreal superstar x fiber mascara review
- Seventeen falsifeye HD mascara

* This mascara was sent to me but as always all opinions are my own.
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Sunday 25 June 2017

St Tropez Bronzing Face Sheet Mask Review & Photos

st tropez self tan express sheet mask 
The St Tropez sheet mask is the first I've ever seen in this format before. Now I'm already a big fan of the st tropez bronzing face lotion as it gives a great natural looking glow, that sinks in straight away, so when I heard that st tropez had released a face tanner in a sheet mask form, I had to give it a go! So here are my thoughts...
Price
This retails for £14.99 here in the UK, although prices vary from store to store. I have linked where this is available both in the UK and US.
- Boots £15 (on offer for £9.99 at the moment)
- Feel Unique£8
- Beauty Bay* £6.25 
- Sephora* $9
- Ulta* $9
Packaging
The mask is from the ever popular Self Tan Express Line and inside you'll find two sheet masks, conveniently sealed in separate packages. On the back of both the outer packaging and foil packaging, is easy to follow step by step instructions.
Application
Upon application, it is recommended you cleanse your face beforehand, then you can go ahead and apply the face mask for the desired time. The mask itself is protected with a plastic film as it is quite delicate to handle.

Here are some pointers and tips for ease of application,

1. Choose the desired time you want to leave the mask on for...
 - 5 mins is a Light Tan
- 10 Mins for a Medium Tan
- 15 Mins for a Dark result.

2. Smooth out the mask on the face ensuring you covered your whole face with the sheet.

3. Wash hands straight after application and set the timer.

4. Once the required time is up, remove the mask and blend in the serum, ensuring you go down the neck and chest, and up onto the hairline etc. (I made the mistake of not blending the product out into the hairline, which resulted in an attractive line around my forehead!)

5. Wash hands again immediately.

6. Leave for the recommended 8 hours for the tan to develop properly.

I've linked the complimenting video above if you would like to see a live step by step demo also.

Immediately after my skin did look more glowy and the product did sink in really quickly, which was good. The next day I woke up to a lovely medium tanned face, I really like the intensity of the colour, despite the hairline error!

I left this on for 10 minutes for a medium glow.
Longevity
I'm now on day 3 and my tan still looks as good as the day I put it on so, so far so good!
Overall Thoughts
I have to say I really loved the concept of this, however, they're not the best value for money compared to how much you get in a bottle, and how many times you can use a tube of St Tropez Bronzing Face Lotion. 

Time wise this is a little more time consuming and I would consider this more of a luxury, pamper face tanner if you have a bit more time to spend of an evening. Overall I loved the fact that this sunk straight into the skin, giving me a beautiful glow and a lovely tan the next day. (just remember to blend into that hairline and down the neck!)

I award the St Tropez Bronzing Face Sheet Mask a 4.7 out of 5

Other Sheet Mask related posts you may also like:




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Ruffles, Frills and Embroidery Summer's Must-have Trends - Style Diary #22

Boohoo ruffle top off the shoulder
This Summer I've been totally digging the bardot tops, especially ones with a little embroidery on too. This Boohoo Embroidered Bardot Top has been a go to for date nights and I actually wore this on our recent trip to Edinburgh where we had the most amazing and highly recomended tapas at Cafe Andaluz. I was definitly feeling all the Spanish vibes in this top that night!

I've linked the top below as it comes in not only black and white, but also a dress form also. What has been your go to top for Summer?
SHOP THE POST

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Tuesday 20 June 2017

elf Cosmetics UK Review & Launch

Elf Makeup UK
Yes finally, elf Make-up has launched here in the UK! And if you're not familiar with the brand, then here's a bit of background first...

ELF stands for Eyes, Lips, Face, which in my opinion is very simple yet genius! The company launched in 2004 and strives to inspire people, educate and deliver quality, all at affordable prices. The brand became a massive success within the US and in 2007 Elf was available in the UK online only. Now 2017 brings the release of the brand into Superdrug stores within the UK with a wide variety of makeup products, skincare and brushes to choose from, that are also cruelty-free, so here's my thoughts...
I picked up five products to test out for you guys including a couple of new launches and best sellers. I recommend watching the video also, so you can see a live demo of each.

Price
Ok let's start with price, everything is very affordable starting from £3 for a brow pencil, right up to the most expensive item coming in at £14.50. Either way you'll find most items hovering around the £5 mark, although having looked at the US website, it is still slightly cheaper to buy there overall.

Here's an example of a few best selling make-up items pricing compared to the US.
e.l.f Studio Baked Highlighter
UK £5 - US $4

e.l.f Eyeshadow Palette
UK £12.50 - US $10

e.l.f Studio High Definition Powder
UK £7.50 - US $6

e.l.f Studio Cream Eyeliner
UK £4.50 - US $3

Packaging 
The packaging is very simple and for me the thing that stands out the most is actually the name, however I do love how everything comes individually boxed, as it gives it more of a luxury feel.

Products
Here's a little overview and review on each of the products I picked up...
elf Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow Rose Gold
elf Molten Liquid Eyeshadow - £5 2.6g
The Molten Liquid eyeshadow's are from the new Aqua Beauty line. They come in 6 stunning shades including, Brushed Copper, Rose Gold, Molten Bronze, Liquid Gold, Cool Steel and Mocha Metal.

Upon application these claim to have a cooling effect which is certainly true, however I did experience a mild stinging sensation which did go away after a few minutes. I picked up rose gold, which was a lovely wearable shade, but for me this did crease when worn alone.

Overall I love the shade selection and the concept, but if you do have sensitive eyes, then these may not be for you. The best way to wear these is as a coloured eyeshadow base. I applied a similar eyeshadow shade on top and this lasted much longer without the worry of creasing.

I award the elf Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow a 3 out of 5
elf Cream Eyeliner
elf Cream Eyeliner - £4.50 4.7g
The cream eyeliner's come in four shades including, Black, Coffee, Teal Tease and Punk Purple. Each liner also comes with a handy travel-sized brush too. These claim to be both waterproof and smudge-proof.

Upon application I applied the black shade to my waterline first and then I used the brush included to draw a fine line onto my lash line. The colour was lovely and pigmented, but for my waterline I did have to build up the colour as it wasn't gripping as well as I had hoped. Overall I adored the brush as it was super fine and perfect for getting right into the lash line with ease.

This is a great affordable gel liner for the lash line, but compared to other drugstore gel liner's I've used, this isn't the best one I've tested.

I award the elf Cream Eyeliner a 3.9 out of 5
elf HD Lifting Concealer Light
elf HD Lifting Concealer - £4.50 6.5ml
The lifting concealer comes in four shades including, Fair, Light, Medium and Brightening. This concealer reminds me of the Nars Creamy Concealer to look at, however the packaging is a little deceiving as the concealer is a lot smaller compared to the Nars one.

This concealer is designed to minimise fine lines, hide imperfections and even out the skin tone. I picked this up in light, which actually turned out to be quite yellow, so if your after this for lightening under the eyes, then I would go for either the fair or brightening.

Upon application this has more of a thick consistency that blends out well to leave a flawless finish. I actually like the fact that this has a slight yellow undertone, as it covered my redness well. Overall these have pretty good staying power, despite a tiny bit of creasing.

I award the elf HD Lifting Concealer 4.2 out of 5
elf Blush & Bronzing Powder
The Blush & Bronzing duo's are another product that's very similar to the cult Nars palettes, except these come in at an insanely affordable £5 each! There is also three shades to choose from in this format including, Fiji (Matte), St Lucia. and Turks & Caicos.

If you only buy one thing from Elf, then I definitely recommend picking up one of these as you get a lovely big mirror as well as two decent sized pans. 

I grabbed this in Fiji which is the only matte palette of the three. Upon application both the bronzer and blush are pigmented, blendable and give you the most beautiful natural glow. Longevity wise both shades wore off towards the end of the night, however I did test them out again with a setting spray and this did the trick at locking them in for the day.

I award the elf Blush & Bronzing Powder a 4.5 out of 5
elf Gotta Glow Lip Tint
As soon as I saw this lip tint, I instantly thought 'Dior Lip Glow Dupe Alert!!' This pretty lip tint reacts with the lips to give you a personalised and unique colour match. I have the shade Perfect Pink, but there is two other colours including Perfect Peach and Perfect Berry. 

The lipstick itself is infused with moisturising properties and is essentially just like a lip balm, but with a unique twist. 

Application wise I can't vouch fairly for what shade of pink this will go on everyone else, but for me this turned a bright shade of fuchsia, which I use say I wasn't keen on to start with, however this did grow on me.

Longevity wise these last for a few hours, before re-application is needed. And by the end of the day all that was left was a subtle stain on my lips.  

Overall I do think these lip tints are slightly more expensive compared to some of the other products in the range, but nonetheless the pink one is a fantastic dupe for the Dior Lip Glow. 

I award the elf Gotta Glow Lip Tint a 4 out of 5
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