Emergency Eye Liner Update!

    There comes a time in every girl (or boy)'s life when you need to figure out what kind of eye liner you're going to settle down with.  For some it's the soft embrace of pencil, for others the bold but versatile look of liquid but either way there's an endless array of choice in terms of finish and colour thanks to companies like Urban Decay and Stila not to mention more affordable brands like Rimmel and Bourjois who've been seriously stepping up their eye liner game recently!
    For some though, those true devotees who care nothing for time or ease of application, only the immovable, dependable lasting power of a gel formula will do and in that arena the choice is severely lacking.   There are numerous shades of black, blackest black and carbon black to choose from, or brown or even purple if you're feeling fruity (thanks Maybelline!) but as a girl who likes to play the field (careful now), it's really hard to find nice, colourful gel liners.
    Enter the Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Liner Palette: a neat little palette with plenty of colour choices that retails for around €30, the liners are creamy, vibrant and last as long as you'd expect without being hell to remove.

    I picked up mine around Christmas in the shade Metallic; the alternative, inexplicably named Proof, was far more neutral and that's just not how I roll! This thing is gorgeous and about as big as a bank card making it perfect if you're travelling or want something to play around with for special occasions. Don't get me wrong, there are 10 shades and not enough of any one colour to make it a staple but it's great if you fancy a walk on the wild side with some really nice, unusual colour choices.

 In shade.

In bright sunlight.

    The only catch is: Smashbox don't seem to have it on the website at all any more. I checked around and it does still seem to be available at Boots and some of the reviews on the company website are pretty recent so I don't think it's entirely gone, but if you fancy getting your hands on it you might want to do it fast!

Caveat: when I first got my paws on this I made the mistake of using the included brush, which is the least useful thing I have ever come across, and judging it by the results. I only recently fell in love with this after using it with my EcoTools angled eye liner brush, which by the way is really excellent should you ever feel the need!

Tweet Pin It Now!

Young Blood Haul and Review Courtesy of Model Advice

    A fair while ago I was lucky enough to win Model Advice's make up tip competition and was sent a care package full of delicious mineral make up courtesy of Young Blood. I fully intended to post a review but then exams happened and after the exams, celebration happened. So here, FINALLY, is a full review with pictures and swatches!
    At first glance Young Blood look like a pretty nifty mineral make up company, they're products claim to be paraben, talc, mineral oil and petroleum free and the over all focus seems to be on good natural ingredients. I'm not too familiar with mineral make up but I like the cut of their jib so far.
   I was lucky enough to be sent their Minerals in the Mist spray in Relax, Mineral Rice Setting Powder in Medium, Incredible Wear Gel Liner in Lagoon,  Lipstick in Debalicious, Lipgloss in Champage Ice and two Mighty Shiny Lip Gels in Stripped and Displayed.

    The gel liner is probably my favourite and the one I've used most. The colour is just gorgeous and the bright teal colour stays opaque and true on the lash line. It goes on easy with a creamy texture and seems to have pretty good staying power so far! Plus it looks as good on my pale and pasty skin as well as with a hint of a tan, bonus!

    The Might Shiny Lip Gels seem to be a big deal for Young Blood. I'm not sure what the difference is between these and their lip glosses but they're very nice either way. Stripped is a completely clear gloss with beautiful flecks of micro-glitter that add a bit of dazzle without any nasty grainy feeling. Displayed looks to be a bright, orangey red but in reality it goes on almost completely sheer. They're both pretty sticky which is a no no for me but they leave your lips feeling quite moisturised and certainly live up to their title. They're fairly pricy at £23 a pop but you get 7g of vanilla scented, high shine gloss, which might be enough to sway shine lovers!

Mighty Shiny Lip Gel in Displayed: so sheer it almost doesn't exist.

    I'm a fan of translucent setting powder myself but I enjoyed the opportunity to try out the more pigmented variety. This is in the shade medium which is a little dark for my complexion but actually just made me look a little more outdoorsy than I am, which is a pleasant change! The texture is nice and light though a tiny bit drying and though this isn't the product's fault, I'm a little too clumsy for loose powder and when it falls this thing gets EVERYWHERE and isn't easily budged. Good for your face, BAD for your clothes when you're rushing out the door. But I do like this, so I'll be using it now and then during the summer, with very great care.
 

    The website says these are designed to hydrate and protect the skin and advises using them after cleansing and again after applying make up to help it set. I'm not really in to setting sprays but this particular scent is beautiful. The lavender and vanilla has a warm soothing tone to it and I have started to add this as a final step to my make up routine, especially on warm day, but I have to admit that is mostly cause it smells nice.

    This is far more opaque then it's Mighty Shiny counterparts and a bit less sticky too which I appreciate, though it continues to deliver on the soft lips front! However I'm really not a fan of frosted finish lip products or neutral lip products for that matter, but over all the shade choice seems far more varied than the lip gels and at £17 for 4.5g of product they're a weency bit more pocket friendly.

    Next to the gel liner this lipstick in the shade Debalicious is probably my favourite of the products I was sent. I find really pale lipsticks often wash me out but this pretty peachy pink bad boy works a charm. the formula reminds me of a less creamy version of MAC's Cremesheen lipsticks (as much as that's a bit of an oxymoron), it's nice and opaque without being at all drying or matte and has decent staying power, though I like to re-apply lipstick quite often at the best of times. I'm really enjoying this colour for summer, particular with the Laguna liner for something pretty simple but still striking. On a side note the formula is also lanolin free for those of you with allergies or who don't like using animal products!

 Debalicious with Mighty Shiny Lip Gel in Stripped over the top:

    I'd never used Young Blood before but I quite like the brand so far. Everything they do is also cruelty free which goes easy on the conscience. I'm not sure I'd have purchased these myself given the pretty hefty price tag for products that haven't totally blown my mind but I can't find too much fault with anything either.I've really enjoyed playing with these products and thanks again to Model Advice for sending them to me! I'm hoping to do a look with all  of them sometime in the next few days so you can see for yourself how they wear! Have you ever tried anything from Young Blood?

Tweet Pin It Now!

Old Tag, New Intro

I found this while I was creeping round some of Zoella's really old posts and figured I might as well give it a go seeing as how I've never done a tag before, here goes nothing!

What’s your favourite eye shadow colour to wear? Hmm this is difficult but at the moment I'd have to saaaaay Last Call from Urban Decay is right up there.

What’s the one product you wouldn’t leave your house without? Lipstick/gloss/balm, always have at least 5.

What’s your favourite makeup look ? A combo of bright summery colours or a sultry pink toned romantic look.

Which feature do you play up the most? Probably my eyes or lips depending on the day, can't say no to a red lip!

Which feature do you try to downplay/cover up? Em...the area round my nose maybe?

Your favourite makeup brand, if you could pick only ONE to exist? Mac for lipstick, Urban Decay for eyeshadow or maybe Inglot cause they do everything well!

Which product have you re-purchased OVER and OVER again? NO.7 Exceptional Definition mascara, it's an absolute beast, loads of length, no clumping and it can be natural or not depending on what you do with it. So much love <3

Which product would you NEVER repurchase again and why? I try to research before I buy but I was really disappointed in Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Everyone raves about it but I found it really oily and a bit useless!

One beauty treatment you would always PAY to have done? A good old fashioned Dermalogica facial.

One beauty treatment you would NEVER pay to have done? A manicure/pedicure. My nails are often pretty stubby from biting, I don't want to be judged :P

One beauty trick you can share with everyone? I'm really fair skinned and I find using different coloured concealers (yellow, salmon, green) works wonders for evening the whole thing out!

Best advice you've ever been given regarding beauty and makeup? Buy the best (not necessarily most expensive) skin care and make up you can afford, you and your face are worth it!

I guess I tag anyone who wants to have a go!

Tweet Pin It Now!

Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara Review

    The first mascara I ever bought was from Bourjois. I was 12, hopelessly new to the world of make up and militantly planning my look for the graduation party my primary school was having. That mascara was eventually ruined by a well meaning cousin of mine and has long since been discontinued but my soft spot for Bourjois has remained.

    So when I was in the market for a new mascara and came across the eye catching streak of violet that was their new (not so new now) Fan-tastic Volume Mascara, promising thick fans of inky lashes, I didn't really think about it.

   Now for context, my taste in mascara is certifiably weird. I may be one of the only people in the world who actively dislikes Benefit's stand out offering They're Real. I have quite long curly lashes and to be honest They're Real just turns my eyes into a mess of spidery looking clumps, big no no! I don't for a second think it's a bad mascara, but it couldn't be less suited to me if it tried! I'm willing to admit that Bourjois's Fan-tastic Volume may also come under this heading, if grudgingly, for my disappointment lingers still.

   I find it binds my lashes together in awful thick clumps with bits of the formula still clinging to them in tiny lumps; all the while creating the opposite of a fanned effect. There's every likelihood it won't do this for you, so I wouldn't worry too much!

    On the other hand though, the supposedly easy to use fan shaped comb/brush attached to it does require an awful lot of manoeuvring to get the majority of lashes coated in one go and so if you're the kind of person who doesn't like overly fussy products I'd give it a bit of a think before investing!

   I have a hunch this is a more of a difficult mascara than an objectively bad one and I reckon it's the kind that's better suited to someone with straighter, thicker lashes than mine. Have you ever had similar problems with supposedly holy grail mascaras?

P.S I sent this mascara off to a better home where first reports labelled it a great success. Seems like it just didn't get on with my lashes!

Tweet Pin It Now!