Revlon Lip Butter: Sweet Tart

The Revlon Lip Butters have been around for a while now and I'm sure most of you are sick to death of reading about them but I'm so in love with this shade that I had to blog about it. I bought my lip butters when they were on promotion in Boots - 3 for 2, and Sweet Tart was a sort of random choice as I didn't really know what to choose for my 3rd pick and I was more excited about Lollipop and Raspberry Pie. That said, I favour Sweet Tart so much more and I rarely wear the other two! The majority of the lip butters aren't very pigmented but this one is opaque in several swipes. My top lip is a deeper shade than the bottom but it covers them evenly and it's a joy to apply. It's a cross between a lipstick and a lip balm, veering more towards the lipstick side and the finish is slightly glossy. It's very forgiving on a dry lip (thankfully) but as it's a "lip butter" it does wear off easily.

It's my go to shade at the moment, I can't get enough! If you're on the look out for a new pink lipstick maybe give this one a go? I think it's the type of pink that's universally flattering. Most of the other shades are too sheer for me but I also like the look of Berry Smoothie and Candy Apple. Do you own any lip butters? I'm also looking forward to the Just Bitten Balm Stains which I hope will land in the UK soon.

No7 lipstick in Bare. A good nude for WOC?

I've been looking for a nude lipstick for a long time and it's been a bit difficult as most nudes that are marketed are for women who are about 10 shades lighter than me! I've already made the mistake of buying a few which look completely ridiculous. I guess the trick is not to buy a milky beige/pink colour but a warm brown with pink undertones.

Like this swatch of Bare!

I think this is the perfect nude lipstick for me. It erases my natural lip colour without washing me out and I feel really comfortable wearing it. A great everyday colour.

I have to say that I'm not really impressed with No7 as a brand itself. I bought this with my £5 off voucher but the original RRP is £10. I feel like this is a complete rip off and that No7 makeup is grossly overpriced for what it is. The quality of this is on par with a £1 MUA lipstick I bought a while back. The lipstick goes on thinly and smells waxy and cheap, whilst the packaging is plasticy and really dated.

I wouldn't buy this again, I just hope that I can find the same colour in another brand. Anyone know of anything similar?

MAC Teddy Kohl swatches

So as promised, here is a swatch of MAC's Teddy eye pencil which I used to create the simple smokey eye I posted last month. A lovely dark bronze with golden shimmer running through it. It's really soft and blends easily but as a kohl pencil it will smudge and it will crease/fade. I keep this in my bag and use it to transform my basic everyday work makeup (black eyeliner & mascara) into something a bit more sparkly. I'd love to find something like this colour in a long lasting or waterproof eye pencil.

Sleek True Colour Lipsticks

These new lipsticks from Sleek were released last week and I just couldn't stay away. There are 20 beautiful colours to choose from and I ended up buying 6 as they're currently on offer at Superdrug - 2 for £6 as opposed to £3.99 each.

The lipsticks are matte or sheen but there are discrepancies depending on the colour. For example, Bare All is a matte which is very dry and slightly chalky whereas Amped, also a matte is smooth and has more moisture. Also the Sheen lipsticks aren't as sheer as I thought they would be. Barely There is quite pigmented, as you can see from the swatch. In fact the best thing about these lipsticks is how highly pigmented they are - one swipe is all you need.

These are what they look like on:

Hate the nude colours, they look awful on me and make me look ill. They were also my least favourite to apply - my lips are naturally dark and I found it hard to get even coverage. This may be something to consider if you've also got pigmented lips. The bright colours however? Love them! Especially Heartbreaker and Amped.

As I've mentioned before, I haven't worn them out so I don't know how well they last and the only other thing to note is that the darker colours do stain your lips.

In short, these lipsticks would be great for summer and with the wide range of colours, there's something for everyone. Are there any colours that catch your fancy?

Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick in 'Tell No One'

Oh yes, another item of makeup which is coral - I just can't get enough! I only bought it last week but I'm already in love.

Tacky and cheap packaging aside, Rimmel come out with some great colour lipsticks and highly affordable too. I've wanted an orangey/coral lipcolour for a while but didn't want to splash out on something from MAC incase it didn't suit me and I was stuck with it.

It is described as "velvety matte" aka semi matte. It isn't as drying as some matte lipsticks can be but it still highlights any lip imperfections, especially dry bits (damnit). However the pigmentation is really good and it's opaque with one swipe, plus it has a yummy watermelon scent.

Doing my best "Deer caught in the headlights" impression. Sorry I don't think I will ever master the art of taking a decent self portrait!

I was surprised to find such a good coral as most high street lipstick ranges are made up of reds, pinks and browns with a few nude colours thrown in. This is exactly the shade I was looking for - the perfect balance between pink and orange and very wearable. I don't feel self concious at all when I have this on.

Longevity isn't brilliant, especially after eating/drinking but for £6.29 I'm happy enough and don't mind the reapplication.

What's your favourite lipcolour at the moment?

NOTD: American Apparel in Rouge

Remember when I said I went on a nail polish spree? Well these are American Apparel polishes I came home with. I know they've been around for a while but I forgot they existed until Becky from Style and the City posted about one colour in particular.




The colour I'm wearing today is Rouge, a dark and dusky rose which is very Autumnal. This is (a messy) two coats but I actually prefer one coat as it looks lighter and prettier in my opinion.

They're £7 each or three for £17 and I could have easily bought 10 bottles. There are so many nice colours and it was really hard to choose just three. Temptalia has swatches of pretty much the whole collection here and here. I defy anyone to have a look and not want at least two or three!

Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil

...aka the best pigmented black pencil eyeliner out at the moment (well I think so anyway!).

I wear lenses so my eyes are very watery and anything I wear on my waterline just gets washed away. For years Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil liner in Zero was my go to waterproof eyeliner of choice but even that ended up smudging into nothing by the end of the day. At £11.50 it wasn't brilliant or pocket friendly, so I tried Gosh's waterproof velvet touch eyeliner which was £5. It had good staying power but the colour was dull and faded.

However this Avon one is AMAZINGand fulfils all my eyeliner needs

Look how black it is! I have not edited this photo in any way whatsoever.

It's very soft and creamy, similar to a kohl but it does not fade or smudge. The second photo is after I rubbed hard with wet fingers but I stupidly took this photo first so I had to reapply liner over the top which is why the first lines are thicker.

If you love very pigmented black eyeliner pencils then you should definitely get this. It's only £6 and you will not be dissatisfied! I couldn't find the exact one on the Avon website but they have a silver and a black shimmer colour. I don't know if they're rebranding or if it's just out of stock? It's also worth signing up to their newsletter if you do decide to make an order because they sometimes have discount codes for first time buyers.

To be honest, I always thought that Avon makeup was a bit "mumsy" (for lack of a better word) but this eyeliner has totally changed my view and I'm now wondering if they have any other makeup gems out there?

MAC Mehr lipstick

I try my best to steer clear of Temptalia because I always give into temptation. When I saw the lipstick swatches from the Mickey Contractor collection, I fell for Mehr big time.

It sold out very quickly online and I went to three different MAC stores before I found it. Even then, it was by chance as the sales assistant happened to find one lurking in the backroom.

It is a neutral shade of pink which I find very flattering and easy to wear. It probably would suit all skin tones. It's creamy and easy to apply but I wish it wasn't matte as it shows every dry patch/flaw. Lots of carmex is needed because I need all the help I can get when it comes to chapped lips - see photo below :(

Did you get anything from the Mickey Contractor collection? If I had the money, I probably would have bought all the lippies!

E.L.F Mineral Blush in Plum

"Create a subtle color definition to your cheeks that will add radiance and a glow, for a healthy look you can see. All our blushes are 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes"

Although I have about 15 blushes, I couldn't resist adding this to my basket when I was buying some new brushes. There were only 7 colours to choose from so I opted for "Plum". I had recently swatched a Bobbi Brown shimmer blush in "Plum Wine" and fell in love but at £16.50 I talked myself out of it. I was hoping this E.L.F one might be a cheaper alternative.

It turned out to be nothing alike but I really like it. To be honest it's a bit of a faff applying it. You have to tap out the loose powder in the lid, swirl your brush in and apply - not something you can really do on the go. I wouldn't carry this in my makeup bag anyway. I just know it would come loose and end up everywhere!

Looks more pink than mauve but nevertheless a lovely and flattering colour.

Sorry my camera is pants, can't see much of the colour here but it's matte and you don't need to apply much. I find that it doesn't last long but maybe it's because I apply it straight onto my skin (no base)? At £3.50 for 3.4g, this is great value and next time I'm getting the shimmery "Peachy".

Have you tried any E.L.F mineral blushes?

Mac Plumful lipstick

Hallelujah! An internet connection at last, so I can finally post about my first Mac lipstick.

It's also the very first lip colour I can wear without thinking, "Does this look okay? Can I pull it off?". As the name would suggest it's a plum but with pink tones so I find it more wearable.

The lustre finish means it goes on sheer, which I prefer as I can build up the colour. This also means it doesn't last very long but I don't mind this because I love reapplying due to it's yummy scent. It also makes me feel lady like (ha).

It's heavily swatched in my previous photo so you can get a better idea of the colour. However because my lips are very pigmented, it shows up darker on me. If I really wanted to, I could blank out my lips with concealer beforehand but it's too much effort!

I'm still new to the world of lipstick so don't think I will be buying another Mac one too soon. For now I'm going to stick with this but look forward to the day I feel confident enough to rock a deep red. I'm looking at you Russian Red.

Urban Decay Naked Palette + Swatches

I was so excited when I first read about the neutral palette that Urban Decay was bringing out, that I rushed to buy it when it was released here in September. The eyeshadows are gorgeous and every colour is wearable, no matter what your skintone.







If you can't tell from my swatches, they're soft and very pigmented which I have found to be the usual case with UD shadows. However unlike my chunky Box of Shadows vol.II this palette is slim and easy to carry/store away.

I bought mine from House of Fraser for £27 which I think is well worth the price for 12 shadows, 2 mini eyeliners and a mini primer potion.

Debenhams have a 15% online discount code (enter PD9P at the checkout) until the 12 November but annoyingly this palette is out of stock. However they still seem to have the limited edition NYC Book of Shadows if you also fancy that.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Excite"

I've been coveting some Illamasqua blushes for quite a while, but at £16 each I was a bit hesistant. I'm glad I bided my time, as I managed to get this from the lovely Karleigh in a recent blog sale.



Described as "vivid apricot", this matte colour looks really orange and scary in the pan but the trick (as with any highly pigmented product) is to build up the colour in layers.



On my skin it's not as loud and far more muted. In terms of longevity I don't think it's superior to any other brand (high end or otherwise)- every blush I wear disappears after a few hours on me anyway. However I do adore this, especially the packaging which is a bit chunky but swish! I can't seem to get enough of colours such as Excite.

Do you have any Illamasqua blushes you can reccommend? Although I think I want them all!

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer (NC42)

This is most probably the last post about Mac products for quite a while as my makeup funds are running low after my last haul. I wasn't even aware of the Pro Longwear collection until I was instore and decided that I obviously needed to buy this as concealer is my life (not really but you know...)



I was also tempted by its sleek good looks and pump dispenser which looks very "pro". In reality it's not that great as I always end up pumping out more product that I need. However it really does last for ages so that more than makes up for it. As much as I love my Select Moisture cover, I find it wears away easily, especially since I tend to rub my eyes a lot.



On the left is Pro Longwear with Select Moisturecover to the right. Both are in NC42 but Pro Longwear is lighter for some strange reason. However when blended (in the photo below) it's still a perfect match.



So how does it really compare with Select Moisturecover? SMC is really smooth and creamy whilst this is more of a liquid consistency that sets with a matte finish. I usually apply concealer with my ring finger but because this sets so quickly I definitely need a brush because it's hard to blend into the thin skin under my eyes.

I don't think it's amazing but it works well. Would I buy it again? Maybe....

Did you buy anything from the Pro Longwear collection?

Mac Fabulous Felines: Utterly Game Mineralize Blush

I don't really get carried away with new Mac collections but after seeing this on Temptalia it had to be mine. It's a beautiful peach/coral colour and I think my photos speak for themselves. I can't see myself tiring of this anytime soon.

 

Update: Inglot AMC Face Blush

Not too long ago I bought two blushes from Inglot, one being the AMC Face Blush. As I mentioned in my post, I wasn't at all impressed  with the formulation nor the pigmentation. However I thought I would trial it before coming to a final conclusion. I thought that with use, it would oxidize and would perhaps thicken, making  it easier to use. How wrong was I?

As you can see from my photos, what has happened is that it has separated. It is just as rubbish as before because whether I use my fingers or a stippling brush, it applies patchily and NEVER sets. If I were to accidently brush my face, it would come off in one swipe.

If anyone else has this and knows how to make it work, please let me know. Otherwise this is destined for the bin . What an utter waste of money.

Benefit Coralista and some pondering

My sister recently went to an in store Benefit event and to my delight, came home with a little bag of purchases. Finally, a chance to steal and play with her makeup as she does to me!

I was really keen to try the much talked about Coralista and began swatching and applying away. And what did I think? Not worth the hype and slightly disappointing. It took a few layers to get it to show up on my cheeks and even though I love coral blushes, this one is just "meh". The colour looks alright but it isn't anything special.

The sheer colour and the amount of shimmer reminded me of Nars Orgasm which is pinkier but much preferred. Even in terms of quality you can see that Coralista is slightly chalky. The packaging may be cute but it's impractical - the dinky box would take up half of my makeup bag. And at £23.50? Pah, I would rather spend £19.50 on a sleek, and highly pigmented Nars blush (which has a mirror and would slot neatly into my bag!).

Moving onto Dr Feelgood - "a velvety comlexion balm". Apparently it is an "invisible refiner, blended with Vitamin C to smooth away the appearance of fine lines while leaving skin feeling and looking more silky, flawless and matte to the touch. It is a colourless, weightless miracle worker".

It came with a smooth sponge puff which I used to apply to my skin but I didn't see any change. It just seems like a gimmick. Looking at the ingredients, the main one is modified corn starch along with wax, parfum and other complicated sounding ingredients that need to be googled. Why not just buy some loose/blotting powder? I don't get it.

This made me think about Benefit cosmetics in general so I compiled a list and my thoughts on all the products I've tried:

• Erase Paste - Loved this at first but then I discovered Mac select moisturecover which rendered this obsolete. I don't like the way it looks so obvious and it has been rotting in my makeup drawer for the past year.
• Posietint - Doesn't really show up on my skintone and there are many other cheaper dupes.
• Highbeam - Really liked the trial version but I wouldn't buy the full sized product. Especially after realising the iridescent white eyeshadow from my Ben Nye palette was better.
• PowderPop trio - Colours are okay but I never reach for it.
• Badgal Lash Mascara - This mascara was too natural for me and didn't enhance my lashes in any way.
• The Glamour Freebies - Badgal eyeliner pencil was absolute rubbish. Not pigmented at all so it made lining my eyes difficult. Rubbed off so easily as well. Eye Bright didn't do anything and I have no idea why I bought the It concealer stick which was aout 4 shades too light.
• Big Beautiful Eyes kit - Already did a review about how it did not work for me.

With the exception of their creaseless cream eye shadows, I don't rate any of their products at all and feel that they don't work for me and my skin tone (or any darker skintones). I think it's really overpriced and that I'm actually paying for the cute, retro and sometimes impractical packaging (which suckered me in, in the first place!). Obviously this is my own personal opinion based on my own personal experiences with the brand. I know there are many others who swear by many of the products I disliked. I just wanted to share my thoughts.