Tuesday 30 August 2016

Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit Review & Photos

Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit
If you haven't guessed already matte lip products are defiantly my favourite right now, so much so that I have been trying to find lots of different ones from a variety of brands to test out and compare to see which really is the best. Sleek's bestselling shade Birthday Suit was one I had been trying to get hold of for a while now, luckily I finally got my hands on it before it went again! So here's my thoughts.
Price
The Matte Me Matte Lip Creams retail for an affordable £4.99 for 6ml of product. The collection is made up of 12 wearable on trend shades including,
Velvet Slipper
Shabby Chic
Fired Up
Bittersweet
Old Hollywood
Vino Tinto
Birthday Suit
Fandango Purple
Petal
Brink Pink
Rioja Red
Party Pink
All shades are available directly from the Sleek Website here or Superdrug online and in stores.
Packaging
The packaging is very simple yet informative on what exactly these are, I also like the fact you can see the shade clearly through the tube too. The wand itself has a long, flat doe-foot applicator which helps you to apply the colour precisely, although I did find the wand a little stiff and ridged to work with.
Application
This colour is beautifully pigmented and super matte, it's also opaque within one swipe. The consistency is wonderfully creamy with a slight mousse like texture to it, which makes it glide onto the lips perfectly.
Birthday Suit has a brown base with a dusky pink undertone to it.
Longevity
This shade stayed really well throughout the day, it didn't transfer at all either, I did get a slight bit of wear in the inner part of my mouth from eating, but nothing to drastic which was great. The only thing I would say is I found this lipstick to be super drying on the lips and by the end of the day this did feel slightly uncomfortable, so I would advise applying this onto well moisturised lips.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I loved this shade as it was super flattering on the lips and totally wearable for everyday. Although the applicator was a little stiff, the colour did glide on beautifully and was opaque in one coat, which was great as these are such an affordable price point.
 
As I mentioned above the only thing that really let these down for me was just how uncomfortable they were to wear on the lips once the colour had dried matte, it just felt super drying which was a shame, but I do know most liquids lipstick are notorious for drying out the lips anyway and so super moisturised lips are the key to any matte lip look.
 
So if your after an affordable matte liquid lipstick with a great on trend colour selection that's pigmented in one swipe then I would say these are totally worth checking out, just don't forget your lip balm, to keep that dryness at bay!
 
I award the Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit Lip Cream 4.1 out of 5
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Monday 29 August 2016

Maybelline Master Contour Stick Review & Photos

Maybelline Master Contour Sticks
I think it's safe to say contouring is as normal as cleaning your teeth nowadays and back in March I reviewed the NYX Wonder Stick, which is perfect for anyone that's new to contouring. Maybelline have recently released their own version too called the Master Contour which is similar to the NYX version, so of course I had to put this to the test too and here's my thoughts.
Price
These retail for £6.99 each for 7g of product, they also come in two shades Light and Medium which is great as these are easily adaptable to most skin tones.
Packaging
These come in a retractable, easy to use pen format and the stick itself is double sided with the contour on one side and the highlight on the other.
Application
As I mentioned above the stick is double sided and super straightforward to use, it's also great for travel as it's so compact. Both the Light and Medium shades are richly pigmented and look lovely and natural looking on the skin, they also glide on like butter and are trouble-free to blend out with either a brush, sponge or your fingers, but because of the creamy consistency, I would recommend setting your contour with a powder too.
Longevity
These do last all day providing you blend everything well and set with powder.
Overall Thoughts
This is another great, easy to use contour stick from the drugstore which is not only affordable but perfect for travel too. The only thing I would say is because the stick is double-sided when it start's to wear down, it can be a bit difficult to use each side evenly, so I do think it would be more beneficial if the stick was double ended instead. But apart from that I love the fact that this glides on beautifully, blends out effortlessly and is super natural looking too. So if your a beginner to contouring and your after an affordable contour stick that's quick and easy to use, then I defiantly recommend trying this out.

I award the Maybelline Master Contour 4.7 out of 5
 
*This product was sent to me
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Saturday 27 August 2016

Revolution Large Oval Face Brush Review & Photos - Artis Brush Dupes

Makeup Revolution Pro Precision Large Oval Face Brush
With so many new products coming to the market monthly, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you guys some of the newest releases all in one monthly video. These video's will have according blog posts just like this one, so that you can see what I thought of each product individually as well. First up we have the brand new Revolution Precision Oval Brushes, which I am so excited about I could squeal! Make Revolution have pulled it out the bag again by releasing this affordable collection of Eight Rose Gold (yes, rose gold!) Oval Brushes. I was keen to try out the Large Oval Face Brush first, so here's my thoughts.
(Skip to 1.59 for the Makeup Revolution Large Oval Face Brush Review)
Price
There is eight brushes that make up the Precision Oval Brush Collection and all brushes can either be purchased separately, as a collection or in a three piece set. The Large Oval Face Brush that I picked up retails for £12, but here is a rundown of the other sets available.
Precision Brush Collection (8 piece) - £45
Precision Contour Set (3 piece) - £20
Precision Eye Set (3 piece) - £15
All brushes are available from the Tam Beauty Website here.
Packaging
The packaging for these brushes is STUNNING and if you love Rose Gold you will love these! The brush is actually a little heavier compared to a regular foundation brush, but I think this is probably down to the tightly packed dense amount of hairs that make up the brush. The hairs are super soft to the touch and feel beautiful on the skin.
Application
I used Revlon Colorstay Foundation as I thought a full coverage foundation was best suited with this brush, but you can also use the large oval with a setting powder or bronzer too.

Upon application I initially applied the foundation to my hand, I then dipped the brush into to it to apply, however I didn't feel this was covering as well compared to a damp sponge, so I ended up applying the foundation directly to the brush instead. Another way that I think would work better also, is to dot the foundation straight onto the face and then blend out with the brush to finish.

Because of the denseness and shape of this brush, I admit at first this took some time to get used to if like me you've never used anything quite like this, but after I had let everything sink in fully I could see how beautiful this made my foundation look. Overall this brush helps your foundation glide on easily, quickly, resulting in a brush stroke free seamless, velvety finish.
Overall Thoughts
As I mentioned above this is a weirdly shaped brush so if your not used to using anything quite like this, it may seem strange at first, but I can honestly say this is such a wonderful brush especially if your after something that applies your foundation quickly and efficiently. The large oval although a little heavy is comfortable to use and blends out product really easily to create a stunning, streak free finish. The packaging is beautiful and the quality of this brush for the price is amazing and if your after a affordable dupe for the tremendously expensive Artis brushes, then these are defiantly worth a look at!

I award the Revolution Large Oval Face Brush 4.8 out of 5
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Thursday 25 August 2016

NYX Liquid Suede Soft Spoken - Kat Von D Lolita Dupe

NYX Soft Spoken
Following on from my review on the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi, I did mentioned I would have another post on the Liquid Suede's, which are another one of NYX's iconic lip products. Now I know these have been out for a while now, but finally we are lucky enough to be able to access these beauties more easily here in the UK thanks to NYX finally taking the step to stock in most Boots stores nationwide.

I only picked up one shade to try in Soft Spoken before I made the decision on whether these do live up to their name, so here's my thoughts.
These retail for £6.50 and come in 12 fun and playful colours and as I mentioned above I picked up the shade Soft Spoken which is a great dupe for Kat Von D's Lolita. But if you haven't seen either of these, then this shade is a richly pigmented medium brown/nude for reference.
The packaging is relatively plain, with the shade of the lipstick doing all the talking. The wand has a fantastic long, flat doe foot applicator for ease of application. Upon application this lipstick glides on effortlessly in just one coat and has a beautiful semi matte finish.
This does transfer slightly but don't worry as this has the most impressive staying power! I wore this all day and I couldn't believe how well this stayed even whilst eating and drinking throughout the day!

Overall these are a fantastic liquid lipstick if your into bold lips and super staying power! The colour selection could be a little better for the UK compared to the 25 shades available in the US, but nevertheless these are affordable, accessible and amazing quality for a drugstore lip product.

I award the NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken 4.8 out 5
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Monday 22 August 2016

Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge Review & Photos

Real Techniques Bold Metals Miracle Diamond Sponge
Following on from my review on the new Real Techniques Ultimate Base Set, comes the brand new Miracle Diamond Sponge which is part of the premium Bold Metals Collection. This multi-tasking sponge has a very unique design, which defiantly makes it unlike anything I've ever used before, so here's my thoughts.
Price
This retails for £12 which is twice the price of the original Miracle Complexion Sponge, but as I mentioned above this is uniquely designed and it's also the newest member to the premium Bold Metals range.
Packaging
The packaging is stunning, totally on trend and the sponge is actually too nice to use! The box which the sponge comes in has lots of useful information, as well as some handy tips and tricks. I've also linked the Real Techniques video on how to use this sponge too. The sponge itself is shaped like a 900 carat diamond and has a beautiful and exclusive marble design, so no two sponges will ever be the same.
Application
This is a multi-tasking sponge that can be used wet or dry to apply, powders, creams, foundations, blusher or anything you like really. Each side can also be utilised in quite a few different ways to dab, spread or press products onto the skin. I actually used this sponge damp to press my foundation in the conventional way to create a flawless finish. I then used this to blend out my cream contour also.
This was relatively easy to use and I would say this sponge is a little bouncier than the Miracle Complexion Sponge. The pointy edge is great to get into the sides of the nose, but it's almost too pointy to blend in concealer around the eye area and so I would recommend using the top facets to dab in your concealer around the eye area.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I would say this does take a bit of getting used to, because of the uniquely defined edges on the sponge and I do think the pointy end maybe could be slightly rounded off to fit under the eyes more comfortably. But apart from that I do think this is a gorgeous looking, soft sponge, which is great to not only give you a flawless coverage, but to use with so many different products. This is also great if your travelling and you don't want to take as many brushes with you or your a busy mum who is short for time and you need to apply product quickly.

So if your after a sponge to apply foundation only, then you're probably better off using the original Miracle Complexion Sponge instead. But if you do want a sponge that can be used to multi-task or your a die-hard Real Techniques fan, who is partial to a bit of marble to add to your collection, then I would say go for it!

I award the Real Techniques Miracle Diamond Sponge 4.4 out of 5
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Saturday 20 August 2016

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter Diamond Edition Review & Photos

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter
I've recently become a massive fan of the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter after listening to the Beauty Talk Podcast Episode 9 all about Bodycare, I think these girls made me want to buy everything and anything Soap & Glory! Yes I know I think I am probably the last one to The Righteuos Butter party, but hey better late than never!

Now if you watched any of my videos you'll know my holy grail body butters are the ones from the Body Shop, but these seem to get more expensive by the minute and I was desperate to find something that performed the same that was better value for money. The Soap and Glory Body Butter's are a great alternative as you get a generous 300ml of product for £10 and the newest edition to the butter family is the exciting Diamond Edition! So here's an overview on this rather sparkly new butter.
This butter actually retails for only £8 at the moment for the same amount of product as the original. The packaging is everything, as it's covered in a holographic wrapping, which for me makes it twice as more appealing! You also have a chance to win a real diamond, £5,000 cash or some Soap & Glory products too, all you need to do is rub off the top label at the bottom of the pot and visit the Soap & Glory Diamond Link here to see what you have won.
Although this is hard to see in the tub, this butter has a gorgeous silver based fine sparkle to it, which once applied to the skin makes your skin dazzle, especially in the direct sunlight. This also sinks into the skin more or less straight away leaving your skin feeling super smooth and soft. So if your a sparkly magpie just like me, then you'll adore this diamond edition butter!
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Friday 19 August 2016

Seventeen WOW Concealer Review & Photos - YSL Touche Eclat Dupe

Seventeen Wow Concealer
Seventeen already stock a wonderful selection of concealers that cater for a variety of needs and one of the newest editions to the family is the WOW Concealer which is a highlighter and concealer in one. This actually caught my eye recently because not only does it have an eye catching name, I thought this looked identical to the YSL Touche Éclat Highlighter Pen! So of course I had to put this to the test to see if it really does perform as well as the YSL version and here's my thoughts.
Price
This retails for an affordable £4.99 compared to the YSL version which costs a whopping £25!! The concealer comes in Fair and Medium and contains 2.5ml of product.
Packaging
The packaging is beautiful and super lightweight which is perfect to pop in your bag for on the go touch ups. The concealer itself, just like the YSL one comes out of the small and precise brush tip when you click down on the button at the top of the pen.
Application
As I mentioned above the concealer comes out quickly and efficiently at the click of a button so that you can easily apply and blend this out with either the brush and the warmth of your ring finger or with a small fluffy brush like I did. The consistency is super lightweight, buildable and creamy, which makes it a dream to apply! I actually applied this to my under eyes, nose and chin area, but you could apply this anywhere you want to highlight.

Overall this is more of a highlighting product, especially if you opt for the lighter shade, but in addition to this, the concealer also erased my dark circles and redness in a flash which is always a bonus!
Longevity
I was really impressed with the longevity of this as it didn't budge at all throughout my very hot, humid day, it just stayed perfectly in place right up until I removed my make-up very late at night.
Overall Thoughts
Well this for me really does live up to it's name as the perfect highlighting WOW concealer! Back in the day I used to buy only the YSL Touche Éclat and nothing else, then came along a whole wealth of amazing drugstore concealers and I really never looked back. For me this Seventeen concealer speaks volumes over how we have come along way within the drugstore market as not only is this super affordable, it really is identical to YSL version, but without the silly price tag!

The shade selection isn't massive, but this is more of a highlighter with concealing properties, so I think the Fair and the Medium can adapt to most skin tones well. The consistency of the product is lightweight, buildable and an all round beauty for covering up those pesky dark circles and for that reason, I think this concealer is defiantly worth a look at if your after a good YSL dupe or your in need of some dark circle erasing!

I award the Seventeen WOW Concealer 4.7 out of 5
 
This product was sent to me.
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