beauty | Sephora lip cream in 'Strawberry Kissed'

The one and only thing I bought when I was away in New York. Yep, I didn't even treat myself to a keyring or 'I Love NY' t-shirt. But you can't complain with a Sephora lip cream can you?!

I've heard a lot of good things about the Sephora cream lip stain - mainly from Lily Pebbles. So as soon as I touched down in America, I knew I wanted to head to Sephora to pick one up. As soon as I got to the counter I knew I'd have a problem choosing which shade to get - there's currently 16 shades to choose from so it was always going to be a struggle. In the end, I went for 'Strawberry Kissed', a deep-but-bright pink/red shade that's nothing like anything in my collection. This is matte, but there's also a selection of satins in the range too.

The product is described as 'high-coverage', 'long-lasting' and 'feels soft and comfortable' and I completely agree with each statement. You need the smallest amount to cover the lips, so you have to be careful as you apply it with the doe-foot applicator. It also lasts an incredibly long time - and you can easily eat and drink without it moving around. Once the product dries after a few seconds, it won't budge - so much so, you might find you have a problem taking it off! Finally, it's so comfortable on the lips. It dries to a matte consistency but isn't drying at all on the lips - mainly due to the avocado oil in the formula. I actually forget I'm wearing it and don't worry about it smudging, which rarely happens for me with a lip product!

As you can see from lip swatch above, the product settles into fine lines but doesn't cake up or clump - it simply just looks like natural lips with a little colour. It also doesn't settle around the inside of the mouth and leave that horrible line around the edges. It applies as a cream formula and then dries in a couple of seconds to become completely matte. The colour itself is flattering - you can either dab a small amount on for a pretty, deep pink or layer it up like I've done above to get a real punchy pink.

I'm blown away by this cream lip stain - I'm a huge fan of lip products that you can't feel on the lips and don't have to constantly worry about throughout the day. I'm definitely going to help myself to more shades from the range next time I'm near a Sephora or do an online shop - it'll just be difficult to choose which colour to get next!

The cream lip stains can be bought from Sephora here - some of them are actually currently half price at $7 each - excuse me whilst I try to restrain myself from buying the entire collection...

Have you tried these lip stains? I'd love to hear you what think!

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beauty | FOTD

The Body Shop all-in-one BB cream in 01

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Transparent

Soap & Glory Archery brow pencil in Brownie Points

Urban Decay Naked palette in Sin and Naked

Soap & Glory Supercat eyeliner in Black

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless mascara in Black

Revlon Colourburst Matte lip colour in Audacious

Super quick and simple make up look today - with all the attention on the lips. 

For my skin I used my new BB cream, which is colour adapting so very cool indeed. It goes on white and then blends out to the right colour for your skintone. So far I'm liking using it and hopefully a review will be up soon! Then I finished it off with my standard under eye concealer and powder.

I'm never one to wear eyeshadow during the day but I decided to wear Sin from the Naked palette over the lids and blended it out with Naked. Just a slick of eyeliner and a few coats of a new mascara I'm trying out - so far I'm impressed but I'll give it a little longer to really test it out!

And then with the lips I went for Revlon's matte lip colour for a pop - I'm wearing a monotone outfit so wanted a colour pop to brighten it all up. I love this colour but I find it seeping into dry spots if you don't prep with lip balm first!

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beauty | eyeko skinny liquid liner 'navy'

Last week in Glamour, I received this free liquid liner from Eyeko. I've heard so many good things about the brand so was expecting a pretty good product. I'm a huge fan of liquid liner and wear it religiously every day. However, I must admit that I've been left pretty disappointed in this eyeliner.

I decided to get the shade 'navy' after a recent blog post written by Essie Button (Estee) caught my eye. She had started using her navy eyeliner from Stila and it got me in the mood for some navy liner myself!

The Eyeko liner comes in a thin silver felt tip, which I always find the easiest to apply. I think the packaging is really slick and definitely caught my eye. The nib of the pen itself is long and comes to a thin point which I thought would be perfect to nail cateye flicks and to create a really solid line.

When testing it on my hand, the colour pay off was so-so. I liked that you could tell straight away that the pen was navy, but I was a little worried that it wasn't as pigmented and wet as it should be. The first few swipes were really pale and it took quite a few attempts to make a solid and noticeable line.

When applying to my eyelid, I had to go over the same space several times to create anything even close to a line, and as you can see from the pictures below it made the final effect look undefined and almost like i had just used a pencil rather than liquid. I was shocked at how dry the pen was - especially as I had only used it previously on the back of my hand - and can't see it having a very long payoff. 

But the colour really is lovely, and is very noticeable in real life. It's something a little different and mixes up basic eyeliner. I'm hoping that if I leave the liner alone for a while it will re-wet (?!?) itself and become a little more easy to manage. 

This pen costs £12  when buying from the Eyeko website and I think that's crazy if the pen is in fact as dry as it seemed for me. I'd rather just stick to my trusty £6 drugstore eyeliner, which works amazingly well is and crazy pigmented.

If I'd bought this with my own money I would be so disappointed so I'm really glad I just got it free with a magazine.

Have you tried this product? What did you think? Is mine just from a bad batch?

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beauty | Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2-in-1 makeup remover

We all have those products that we would happily repurchase again and again and can't see ourselves  replacing. For me, that's the Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2-in-1 makeup remover. A ridiculously long title for such a simple product but we can overlook that because of how good this makeup remover is.

I don't wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis but I do wear waterproof mascara every day (sensitive eyes = my eyes cry at EVERYTHING) so I am always in need of a heavy duty remover to get rid of it all. However, with my dry/normal skin I also need my remover to be sensitive on my skin as well. Step in Garnier. I've loved Garnier for years and use their products daily (micellar water, moisturiser, BB cream) so can always trust them with my skin.

The Soothing makeup remover has two different liquids that need to be shaken together to activate the product. These are a makeup removing oil (blue) and cleansing water (clear). These two products work together on the skin to remove all traces of makeup, but in a really soothing and sensitive way. I simply hold a cotton pad soaked in the remover on each eye for 10 seconds or so and carefully wipe it away, and all of my mascara is removed. Then for the rest of my face I use circular movements and it is all swiped away easily. It also doesn't cause irritation to my eyes - I have sometimes accidentally gotten a little of the product into my eyes but it has never hurt or made them water which is a definite bonus for me. 

However, there is a residue left over from the product - obviously due to the oil - which means that I wash my face after using the remover just to make sure there is none left. On the few occasions where I haven't washed my face, my skin hasn't broken out though so it shows that the oil doesn't result in spotty skin!

I'm so impressed with this makeup remover and this is now my third bottle of the product. It lasts for months at a time and really does remove makeup quickly and easily. I'd highly recommend this if you're on the lookout for a cheap and cheerful - yet totally worth every penny - makeup remover as it really does wonders!

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The Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2-in-1 makeup remover can be bought for £3 for 200ml at ASDA. 

beauty | lipstick collection

Just a quick post from me today, featuring my pretty tiny collection of lip products. I'm a huge fan of colour and lipsticks on other people, but feel that most of the time I can't pull it off or really just can't be bothered with it (too many touch ups/lipstick on teeth moments). 

Although my collection is pretty damn tiny every lipstick is well loved and used pretty regularly though so I can't complain!

LIPSTICKS

L-R: The Body Shop '66' | Collection 'Pink Shock' | Rimmel/Kate Moss '101' | Collection 'Valentine'
Rimmel/Kate Moss '107' | Topshop 'Macaroon' | Rimmel Moisture Renew 'In Love With Ginger'

LIP PRODUCTS

L-R: Rimmel Apocolips 'Luna' | Benefit 'Benetint' | Revlon Colourburst 'Audacious'

I've reviewed quite a few of these lip products separately so check out the links below for individual reviews!

Rimmel/Kate Moss: '101'

Collection: 'Valentine'

Revlon Colourburst: 'Audacious'

Topshop: 'Macaroon'

Rimmel Moisture Renew: 'In Love With Ginger'

How big is your lipstick collection? Do you have any recommendations for me?!

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beauty | Revlon colourburst matte balm in 'audacious'

I've seen so many reviews of the Revlon Colourburst crayons in both matte and glossy, and I'm always shocked at how different the colours look on each individual person. I've currently only got one of the balms in my make up stash, and it's a matte balm in the shade 'audacious'. 

First off, the packaging. I personally love the idea of lip bullets, just because they are so sleek and portable. You can also twist the silver part at the bottom to twist the bullet up when you're running low on product. 

The product itself smells absolutely amazing, really minty and spot on for summertime. It basically smells like a polo! It's not noticeable once on the lips though so if fragranced products aren't really your thaaang then these are still ok for you!

Onto the application. I usually just whack this on from the bullet, as the point helps to fill in the cupids bow and keep everything neat and tidy. The texture is really soft and it would definitely melt if you left it out in the sun for a little while, so be careful of that! 

When applying to my lips, I notice that it settles into dry patches and crack straight away so once applied I always have to blot it in with a finger to blur these lines. I find this can happen throughout the day when I'm wearing it too so not the best in terms of wear on dryer lips! My lips are quite dry most of the time though, so most people probably won't have this problem. I don't find the product itself drying on my lips once it is applied though - it almost has a velvet finish which is barely noticeable.

On me, the colour comes out much more pink-toned, which I think personally suits me a lot more than orange and coral thankfully! Such a stunning colour. 

Overall I do really like this product and reach for it whenever the sun is out, but I just wish it didn't settle so easily into my dry patches! I'm definitely contemplating trying out one of the glossier balms as I think they'll work much better with my dry lips.

Have you tried any of the Colourburst lip balms? What did you think?

Revlon Colourburst matte balms can be purchased from Boots for £7.99 here.

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beauty | soap and glory 'archery' for brows

Brows is the one part of my make up routine that has never changed - until now. I've always used an angled brush and powder just because I loved how soft the look was it created, but on a recent trip to Boots flipped this amazing product into my life.

Soap and Glory have been a brand I've been a little bit in love with - I've reviewed their Supercat eyeliner in the past and still use it everyday - so when I saw this brow product I didn't even think about it before throwing it into my basket.

The Archery brow tint and precision shaping pencil is double-ended with a waxy brown pencil on one side and a fine-nibbed brow tint on the other. I generally go through with the pencil side first to add colour and shape to my brows before going around the edges with the brow tint to create realistic hairs around the edges and front of my brow.

As you can see from the swatches, neither of the sides of the pen are highly pigmented - but they offer just the right amount and you can't go overboard with this product at all. The product comes in two shades - 'Love is Blonde' and 'Brownie Points' - mine is the latter. My favourite side is definitely the brow tint - it creates brow flicks which are so realistic that they look like real hairs.

This product really does blow my mind - and it has really good lasting time as well. I'n not surprised by how impressed I am just because all of the Soap and Glory products are so good. 

What do you think?

The Soap and Glory Archery brow pencil comes in two shades and can be bought from Boots here for £10.00.

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beauty | lips and tips

OPI 'Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!' review

L'Oreal Confetti Topcoat review

Topshop Macaroon Lipstick review

Recently I've been seeing the retro trend of matching your lips to your nails going around, and wanted to put my own spin on it. Usually the trend includes the classic red lips and nails, but I've decided to up the amp and do it with a bright pink instead.

These are all products that have appeared on my blog at some point already (reviews above!) but it was only the other day that I realised how well they go together. I absolutely adore my lipstick from Topshop in 'macaroon' and the OPI nail polish from the euro centrale giftset.

I also added the confetti topcoat as I haven't used it in so long and always forget about it. I think it adds a really lovely touch and makes the look a lot more modern. Sadly though, my confetti topcoat is beginning to get a little gloopy so I found it pretty hard to get an even cover!

What do you think of my matchy-matchy look?

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beauty | Benefit realness of concealness

Today I'm coming at you with a concealing and highlighting kit from Benefit. I've been a huge fan of Benefit for years now and they are definitely one of my favourite high-end brands. I love the kitsch packaging and the quality of their products always lives up to the hype.

This 'mini "fake-it" kit' was a gift from my aunt and uncle for Christmas (they know me so well!) and contains five sample-size products to hide any blemishes you might be suffering from. 

Firstly, the packaging is so lovely. It's a small brown polka-dot case with a magnetic opening and a mirror in the lid. It's perfect for travelling with as it easily fits in the palm of my hand.

Then inside, there are three small vials of liquid products - each containing 2.5g of product - and then two trays of cream product which range from 1g-1.2g.

From left to right we have lip plump; ooh la lift; high beam; lemon aid and then boi-ing concealer in shade 02.

I'm not too keen on how Benefit package their cream products in their giftsets - I prefer having the option to take just a concealer with me rather than having to take the entire set with me - but at least this one is a smaller set.

On the other hand I really love the vials of liquid product as they can easily be taken singley, plus they have a doefoot applicator which i prefer compared to the brushes you sometimes get in the full-size products.

Now onto swatches;

lip plump: described as a neutral toned primer for the lips, it helps to 'smooth and fill in lines while building the lip contour'. This sounds like a wonder product that helps to make lipstick last longer and fill in any lines. Sadly, I've had really dry and chapped lips for the past couple of weeks so haven't been able to properly road-test this product. I did try it on a better day though and found it really emphasised all my dry patches so you really need lips in tip-top condition for this one!

high beam: Benefit's famous highlighter also features, and this satin-pink one can be used anywhere you want to draw attention to - cheekbone, browbone, cupid's bow etc. - and I've been a fan of this for a while. It adds just the right amount of sheen without being too much like a glitterball.

ooh la lift: this product has extracts of raspberry and chamomile in it, and you pat it under the eye to 'help de-puff and firm'. I absolutely love this product - I wear it under my under-eye concealer and I think it really helps on those days where I haven't had any sleep (and look haggard!) as it brightens everything up.

lemon aid: this is a yellow-coloured correcting cream that you apply to the upper lid to cancel out veins and any discolouration. I've never really had a problem with veiny eyelids but this works as a good base for eyeshadows as it gives them something to cling to. Not a product that I find myself reaching for often.

boi-ing (shade 02): I've had this concealer before in previous sets and have found it to be pretty good at hiding blemishes and anything else on my face. However, from the swatch you can easily see that this is way to dark for my current skin tone so I prefer to use '01' over winter and '02' in the summer months when I have a tan. I can get away with wearing this shade now - as long as I take time to make sure it's well blended.

Overall I'm really happy with this kit - I've been able to try a variety of new products that I wouldn't have bought full-size and been able to use a few old favourites. I'm definitely contemplating buying the full-size version of ooh la lift once this one runs out as it's becoming a daily staple for me!

What do you think of this kit and Benefit?

Benefit's realness of concealness retails for £23.50 and can be bought from Boots here. 

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