Pink Paradise Beauty: Lip Balm

Sunday, 15 April 2018

Glossier Phase 1 Set Review and Photos - Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming Moisturizer and Balm Dotcom

Glossier Skincare

Today my skincare obsession continues with a closer look at the Glossier Phase 1 Set. I've been using this set since January 2018 and I finally feel like I can share with you my thoughts on another cult brand making a dent in the world of beauty. Also if you're interested in the Glossier You Perfume, then I have a review I have linked here for you guys too. So without further ado here are my thoughts on the Phase 1 Set.

Price
The Glossier Phase 1 Set consists of your skincare essentials. This includes the Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming Moisturizer and your choice of Balm Dotcom which retails for £35. All of the products can be purchased separately but if you're after a bit of a saving (£8 to be precise) then the kit is a great way to try out the brand if you're a newbie to Glossier as a whole. I've listed each item separately below if you want to know how much they retail for individually also.

Glossier Milky Gelly Cleanser* 177ml £15
Glossier Priming Moisturiser* 50ml £18
Glossier Balm Dotcom* 15ml £10 - This also comes in 6 different flavours including Orginal, Birthday, Mint, Cherry, Coconut and Rose. I picked this up in Birthday.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

Glossier Priming Moisturizer

Glossier Birthday Balm Dotcom

Packaging
Not only do the products look aesthetically pleasing but Glossier certainly have an eye for detail when it comes to their packaging...

If you're ordering online then your products will come in a pink-lined box, that you can actually turn inside out so that you can re-use it as a pink storage box, genius! The Phase 1 sets also come in its very own additional white box and everything comes wrapped in a pink bubblewrap wallet that can be re-used again and again. (These pink pouches are actually wonderful for travel). Then if that wasn't enough every order comes with its very own sheet of cute stickers so that you can customize your Glossier products to your heart's content!

Application
The Phase 1 Set includes a handy how-to guide so you can get to know how to use each product with ease. I actually like the fact that Glossier make everything simple and easy to use and actually if you navigate through their website you won't find masses of skincare to choose from, just the basics to help you unleash your best skin. Glossier is all about dewy and glowing skin.

Milky Jelly Cleanser - This has a pump dispenser and can be used both in the morning to cleanse and the evening to remove makeup. I've found that one pump is generally enough to gently cleanse my whole face and neck in the mornings.

Additionally, I have tried this out at night to remove makeup and as it implies this does help melt away my makeup like a dream, however, for me personally, I've been loving incorporating this into my morning routine... I massage one pump onto dry skin and then I add water to gently turn it into a milk, then to finish I go in with a damp flannel to wipe away the excess.

Priming Moisturizer - The Priming Moisturiser comes in a tube and can be used to hydrate the face before makeup application. Ingredients include Vitamin's A, C and E as well as Hyaluronic Acid and Anti-Redness Complex to help soothe, hydrate and reduce redness.

I have been using this as my daily moisturiser and I adore the lightweight texture and the fact it sinks into the skin quickly. The only thing I would say is as much as I like the tube, sometimes it's hard to control how much comes out and if you do accidentally squeeze too much out then there's no way of putting it back in the tube. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic moisturiser that works especially well with the Milky Jelly Cleanser.

If the Priming Moisturizer is not enough for you then there is also a Priming Moisturizer Rich which retails for £29 for a 50ml jar. This has all the benefits of the original but in a more nourishing formula with ingredients such as Lavender Oil, Red Algae and Murumuru Butter. The PM Rich is a wonderful power packed moisturiser suited to anyone who needs that extra hydration boost within their skincare routine. This is also a great one to use of an evening.

Glossier Birthday Balm Dotcom - The Balm Dotcom is a versatile balm that can be used not only on the lips but on the skin to hydrate and restore dry skin. All six of the balms smell divine and include Beeswax, Castor Seed Oil, Rice Bran and Rosemary Leaf Extract.

Just like the Priming Moisturizer, the Balm Dotcom does come in a tube, however, I don't mind this as much because the balm is easier to control when you squeeze it out of the tube.

As you know I picked up Birthday and all I can say is if you love the smell of vanilla birthday cake with a hint of subtle shimmer then you will love Birthday Balm!

Longevity and Overall Thoughts
Milky Jelly Cleanser - This for me is one of those dreamy cleansers! It's inoffensive, pleasant smelling, convenient and totally gentle on the skin. Plus I've been using this for three and half months and I'm only just halfway down the bottle! What more can I say other than this is a winner for me.

I award the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanse 4.9 out of 5

Priming Moisturizer - Again this is one of those wonderfully convenient products for during the day. I think actually the whole Phase 1 Set is such a great skincare starter kit for anyone who is new to Glossier or maybe someone who wants to take good care of their skin but they don't really have the time to be faffing about with endless steps and products within their skincare routine. This would make the perfect gift actually.

The Priming Moisturizer has not only a beautiful consistency, but it's a great base moisturiser as the name suggests to prepare your skin for makeup. Despite this being in a tube, I adore the power-packed line up of ingredients and the fact it works really well with the Milky Jelly Cleanser to give you soft, clean, refined and hydrated skin.

I award the Glossier Priming Moisturizer a 4.7 out of 5

Birthday Balm Dotcom - I adore this versatile balm as it lasts for ages, smells divine and it really does moisturise my lips a treat. I'm also addicted to the subtle shimmer that runs through the balm too. I now feel like I need all of the flavours in my life as they are perfect to keep anywhere and everywhere!

I award the Glossier Birthday Balm Dotcom a 4.9 out of 5

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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

elf Blush & Bronzing Powder - £5 8.4g

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

elf Gotta Glow Lip Tint Perfect Pink - £7.50 3.4g

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

The 10 Best Red Lip Products For The Party Season

Top 10 Red Lips Products

Whether you're after an affordable red lip shade for the festive period or for that up and coming New Years Eve Party, then I've got you covered with the ten best drugstore red lip products.