Crabtree & Evelyn

I received two presents from Crabtree & Evelyn this Christmas. Now, I'm not really into skincare, I rarely find anything that my skin actually agrees with and so I just stick to a few products from Lush. However, getting a few products from Crabtree & Evelyn gave me the opportunity to try out a few new products (and a brand I'd never even gave a second glance). 

I got the Tarocco Organge, Eucalyptus and Sage hand cream and a Wysteria giftset, which features a shower gel, a body cream and a little hand cream. As I said, I've never been really into skincare, and I do not care for hand or body creams. They seem like a nice idea, but they never seem to absorb properly and often feel quite greasy. 

However, these little treats have wholly changed my mind. They smell heavenly (esp the Orange one), they absorb really quickly, and leave me feeling soft, instead of greasy and yuck. I absolutely adore them! I'm so happy I was given these, as I would have never thought to try out their products. I think I'll definitely be popping in to my local store to see what else they have in store though! 

<3

New treats~

Hey! I thought I'd share a few things I've picked up recently, sort of as a sneak peak into what I'll be reviewing in the next few weeks! :) 

I treated myself to the Naked 3 palette when it came out (no regrets: prettiest palette ever <3), and got the Naked Basics palette as a Christmas present! I also got a Debenhams gift card for Christmas, and so I bought three things I've wanted for ever: Illamasqua's Raindrop and Jo'Mina nail polishes, and MACs Snob lipstick! Ahh I've not even taken them out of their packaging yet, I'm so excited to see them :D I'll be reviewing these (and maybe a few more things) in the coming weeks, so I hope you'll stay tuned :) 

<3

I'm Back!

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the awfully long hiatus, but I'm back, and I'm gonna do my very best to stay back! I'll get some posts up in no time and hopefully you'll enjoy them! :)

<3

Purple lipsticks part two

As promised, here is the second part of my purple lipstick collection. In this post, I'll be talking about my deeper/darker purple shades. 

(from l-r) Miners Lip Colour (no shade/name on tube), Mac Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Goes and Goes, Mac Up The Amp, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet, Lord & Berry Intensity Mauvette, Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in 156, Vicious Violet.

Lord & Berry Intensity Lipstick in Mauvette

Mauvette is not necessarily a dark purple, more a muted blue toned mauve-pink colour. It is wonderfully creamy but it is very drying, and has little staying power. 

Mac Up The Amp

Up The Amp is a deep blue toned berry-purple , it is an amplified lipstick and thus is wonderfully creamy whilst maintaining an excellent pigmentation. It is long lasting (easily four hours +) and is quite staining as well. As with Mac lipsticks, it isn't at all drying, and is just over all a lovely lipstick. 

Mac Pro Longwear Lip Creme in Goes and Goes

Goes and Goes is a very dark blackberry/grape indigo. It is not the easiest colour to work with as it is very blue leaning, and extremely pigmented. It is incredibly longwearing (as its name would suggest) and would easily last all day, and surprisingly, despite this, it is not at all drying. Just another lovely lipstick from Mac!

Miners Lip Colour (purple shade)

I really wish that the name or shade number of this was on the case! Anyway, this lipstick is a lovely dark berry (like what you'd get if you squished blackberries) colour. Definitely one for the autumn/winter months! It's more wearable than Goes and Goes or Revlon's Va Va Violet, but it gives a lovely dark violet berry shade. It is very pigmented and thus tends to stain, which in turn means it is quite long lasting, and not at all drying. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet

Va Va Violet is a shade I picked up on a whim and in the 2 years I've had it, literally never worn. But it's a lovely colour (it is probably more suited to darker skin tones). It is a very dark violet that leans very close to black (perhaps a more user friendly alternative to black lipstick?) As with most revlon lipsticks, it has great pigmentation, and because it stains, I will assume it has good staying power.

Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Vicious Violet

Vicious Violet is a shade that leans closer to dark pink than purple, but there is still a definite note of violet in there. It applies lovely and has great staying power, and, as the name suggests, features a hint of moisture in there too!

(from L-R) Lord & Berry Mauvette, Mac Up The Amp, Mac Pro Goes and Goes, Barry M Vicious Violet, Miners 'Purple', Revlon Va Va Violet

I hope you enjoyed my collection post :) x

yet another haul post~

I am ridiculous, I bought plenty of makeupy treats last week, and yet today when I was about town, I just couldn't help myself! Oh dear, maybe I'll stop after this haul! (We all know I won't...)

Anyway, I got a few treats that I've been wanting for ages, Urban Decay's Smoked Palette, Gosh's infamous Holographic nail polish, and then I got L'oreal Feria's Extreme Platinum Power and Pastel Pink Panther, and a teal Miss Sporty polish!

I was on the search for the perfect teal nail polish that had a more blue than green tone and I just came across this in the most unlikely place! I've never really paid any attention to Miss Sporty, but this is such a lovely colour. Unfortunately, it doesn't say what shade it is on the bottle, and I can't remember, but I'm sure it's easy enough to find in store :)

(Miss Sporty nail polishes retail in Superdrug and Boots for £1.99)

Gosh's wonderful Holographic polish! I've wanted this forever, but I never got round to actually buying it, but I'm so happy I did! I don't think this picture gives it justice, but it is such a lovely polish, properly holographic (so cool :D). However, it is really quite streaky, even with 3 layers, so it might be an idea to layer it over a silvery polish to get a better coverage? Also, it dries to a semi-matte finish, which I was surprised at. Overall, the formula isn't the greatest, but it's forgivable considering how wonderful the actual colour is :)

(Gosh nail polishes retail in Superdrug for £4.99)

I bleach my naturally dark blonde hair, and I ususally use Jerome Russel, but I didn't feel like it gave me the lift I require (I like my hair to be white blonde as a clean slate to put pastel toned colour in!) and I noticed that L'oreal Feria's Extreme Platinum Power claims to lighten hair up to 8 levels, which, if true, would definitely bring my hair up to white, so hopefully it works! What I like about the colourant is that it comes with a purple toning conditioner, which bleach/blonde hair kits really lack. 

The Pastel Pink Panther toner is, well, a pastel pink toner! I can imagine it is just like a pink hair dye mixed down to a light pink, and I've heard good things about it, so I thought I'd check it up. Once I get round to trying these out, I'll try and show you the results! 

(L'oreal Feria colourants retail in Boots and Superdrug at £5.79)

Last, but definitely not least, is Urban Decay's Smoked Palette. I had wanted this palette for ages, for two reasons, UD's eyeshadow primer, and a beautiful eyeshadow; Mushroom. I've been admiring Mushroom for months, but it took me until today to actually buy the palette! Smoked has ten eyeshadows, five of which are exclusive to the palette, a travel sized eyeshadow primer, and a full sized 24/7 eye pencil in Perversion, pretty good for £35! 

(Urban Decay products retail in Debenhams!)

Haul and Reviews!

I swear, I only went in to boots to get cotton buds!! Of course, I couldn't help but notice that there is currently a 3-4-2 offer across all cosmetics, so of course, I had to indulge (twice over...)

I got two of Collections Cream Puffs in Cotton Candy (01) and Fairy Cakes (03). I'd wanted these for ages, as I wanted some more muted lip colours, but I rarely get along with Nude / muted lipsticks for some reason. On the tube, they are described as "Velvety soft, matt finish lip creme" (and also that they are a moisturising lip creme). I have since used both and can say that they are quite long lasting (3-4 hours), but not at all moisturising! The description of being velvety soft is accurate at the time of application, but after a few hours of wear, they become sort of sticky and horribly drying!  Another issue is that they are described as matte, but they have a slight shimmer or sheen to them, so they're a little off matte! 

Cotton Candy is a muted rose pink 

and Fairy Cakes is an orange-leaning coral.

Cremepuffs retail in Boots and Superdrug for about £2.99


Next in my haul was Barry M's Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Vicious Violet (156). Barry M's website claims that the Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint is "enriched with hydrating and lip nourishing Cocoa Butter for a soft and saturated finish" I have the Black Cherry (160) shade, and I definitely agree that the new lip paints are moisturising, but they also feel quite heavy after a few hours of wearing them. They are highly pigmented, definitely stain, and so last a very long time (over 6 hours at least!) They also have quite a shiny finish to them initially, but eventually dry to quite a matte finish (which is puzzling, as I would not associate matte finishes with moisturisation!) Overall, they are a nice addition to Barry M's already lovely selection of Lip Paints, and I'd definitely recommend checking them out! Vicious Violet is a deep, blue based berry shade, and feels a lot lighter than the Black Cherry shade, so if you don't have a colour like it, it's a definitely one to check out. (Barry M Lip Paints retail in Boots and Superdrug (and some Semi Chems) for £4.49!)

Next in my haul is a Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks blush in Pink Cloud. I never gave Natural Collection any attention until recently, when I discovered they held a modest collection of lovely pink based nude lipsticks (stay tuned for swatches and reviews!). I liked the look of this pinky-coral toned blush and thought I'd pick it up. The formula seems lovely, very smooth and not at all chalky.Natural Collections Blushed Cheeks range retails at £1.99 in Boots.

My final purchase from Boots was Barry M's Nail Paint in Cappuccino. In the bottle, Cappuccino looks like a browny-taupe colour, and it was one that I had my eye on for quite a while. On the nail, it looks different under different lights. Sometimes, it looks like a not-so-nice muddy brown colour, and in others, it looks like a gorgeous taupey-grey. Confusing! Barry M Nail Paints retail in Boots and Superdrug (and some Semi Chems) for £2.99 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

I thought I'd share my opinion on Revlon's most recent (but not really that recent at all ><) lip product, the drugstore answer to Cliniques Chubby Sticks; the Just Bitten Balm Stain.

I own three shades, Crush, Honey and Darling, and I think they're all fantastic. They are the only lip product labelled as 'moisturising' that I have tried that I would consider to be actually moisturising and not just a tagline to entice buyers. The pigmentation is predictably inconsistent throughout the range as the darker shades are a lot stronger than the lighter shades, which apply quite sheer. Another thing about the balm stains (that I have heard many people complain about) is that they have a lovely minty smell, which I think is lovely. They leave a shiny, but not glossy sheen to the lips. The stains are light, not sticky and they complement rather than cover your lips natural colour, and so I feel they're really quite versatile! They also come in a range of 7 colours (I think there are a few more in the US though), from dark red to bright pink to light lilac so there's definitely a shade to suit everyone.

Crush is a dark red stain with a slight hint of brown. It has a tendency to apply relatively sheer, but can easily be built up to a strong base. Due to its colour, it stains very easily, and thus can last a good 4-5 hours.

Honey is a muted rose pink, which I think is a perfect everyday colour. It requires a few layers to get a good coverage, and it doesn't seem to last as long or stain as much as Crush (maybe 3-4 hours without eating)

Finally, my favourite (just because it's purple :3) is Darling. Darling is a blue based lilac-pink, which reminds me of Barry M's Palest Lavender and (from swatches alone) MACs Lavender Whip. Being the lightest of the three shades I own, it is predictably the least pigmented, leaves only the slightest stain, but still has a good life span of maybe 3-4 hours. 

Finally, swatches!

L-R

Darling, Honey and Crush

Revlon Balm Stains retail in Boots and Superdrug for £7.99

Have you tried the balm stains? What did you think of them? 

bloglovin!

So I just read that Google reader is ceasing to exist by the 1st July, so I thought I would move over to bloglovin :o

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5413501/?claim=anqdjyxwgt2">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick: Really Red & Pink Storm

Hi! :) I was in boots today, desperately searching for a perfect red lipstick, as I actually have none! (I have a formal to go to tomorrow and no other lipstick suits my dress than red.) I can't stand the colour red, and avoid it at all costs, but I was still surprised to find a lipstick hoarder like me to be lacking a red lipstick! Oh well. I found a perfect red in the form of Revlon's Really Red, and seeing as it was buy one get one half price, I couldn't resist buying a second lipstick hehe :3







Both Really Red and Pink Storm are Matte shades, and I find Revlon's matte shades to be a really lovely formula. Non drying, highly pigmented, long lasting and easy to apply! What more could you ask for? (Except maybe a wider range of shades...)
One niggle I have with this range of lipsticks, (one that is, admittey, completely benign) is that I really dislike the packaging. The black and gold/brass just don't mix well with me. As Revlon is quite a high end 'drugstore' brand, I feel they would look a lot nicer if they were silver or chrome instead of the brassy colour. (Though really, it doesn't matter at all. They're wonderful products)











Thanks for reading <3

Ps, sorry for the current low quality photos. I'm using a terrible camera at the moment :(

Cruelty Free Makeup for All!

So, as you might know, yesterday (11th March 2013) marked the day from which it is illegal to sell cosmetics that have been tested on animals in the European Union.

~ f i n a l l y ~

I have never felt comfortable using products I knew had been tested on animals, and up until now, I have done my best to stick with brands I know never test; Urban Decay, Barry M, and Revlon. However, I would see new releases from different brands and was always a little peeved that they were out of bounds. No Longer! I am looking forward to being able to try out new releases from brands such as Maybelline, L'oreal and Rimmel, as their products always look really lovely. 

Are you happy the bill has been passed? (how could you not be!) To celebrate, here's some fuzzy bunnies (who will no longer ever have the misfortune of being a poor make-up tester)

Purple lipsticks (part 1)

Hey! I thought I'd share my no.1 beauty vice: purple lipsticks. I've so many, I had to split up this into two sections! In part one, I will be sharing and swatching my 'light purple' lipsticks :)



(Ps. They are in no particular order)

No.1: Barry M lip paint in 127 (palest lavender

This is a milky lavender that has quite a sheer coverage, which is quite unlike the rest of Barry M's lip paints. Anyway, I have a review of this earlier on in my posts Here!




Mac: Viva Glam Nicki 2
This is an amplified finish mac lipstick, and as such has wonderful pigmentation, however, probably as it is such a light colour, it does not last as long as most amplified's would. It is a very pale blue toned lavender. It definitely needs reapplied ever few hours, as it is so pale (yet so striking) when it bleeds, it doesn't look so great!




Revlon Just Bitten Balmstain: Darling

I adore this! It actually transfers onto my lips quite pink, but it's just the perfect low maintenance lip product. I know a lot of people have been put off by the smell, but I adore it, it smells lovely and minty fresh. The stain element is not as noticable as other balm stains, but it still lasts a good few hours - Nearly all day!




Lime Crime: Airborne Unicorn

This is very similar to a Mac Amplified lipstick in duration and pigmentation (and smell?) and while I love it, and the name, and the packaging (unicorns 4 life <3 data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-and="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-colour="" data-blogger-escaped-different="" data-blogger-escaped-hand="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-is="" data-blogger-escaped-it="" data-blogger-escaped-lights="" data-blogger-escaped-lips="" data-blogger-escaped-looks="" data-blogger-escaped-my="" data-blogger-escaped-not="" data-blogger-escaped-onto="" data-blogger-escaped-or="" data-blogger-escaped-s="" data-blogger-escaped-strange="" data-blogger-escaped-the="" data-blogger-escaped-totally="" data-blogger-escaped-transfers="" data-blogger-escaped-tube="" data-blogger-escaped-under="" data-blogger-escaped-what="">


Mac Sheen Supreme: Asian Flower

This, along with Relvon's darling, is my perfect every day lip product. It is quite a pinky purple, and so it's not too striking yet it is really nicely pigmented. It lasts 3-4 hours of normal wear (without eating or drinking) and it has a lovely scent (typical Mac vanilla smell) what's not to love!






Swatches: (l-r) Barry M 127, Viva Glam Nicki 2, Revlon Darling, Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn, Mac Asian Flower.

I hope you enjoyed my post, stay tuned for my 'dark purple' post soon :)

Thanks for reading <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">

Percy & Reed hair freebies with Glamour

With April's issue of Glamour magazine, they are giving away lovely Percy & Reed freebies; a colour and shine shampoo and conditioner set, a finishing polish, and a no oil-oil volumiser.
I've tried the finishing polish before and was really impressed, so I'm really looking forward to trying the other 3!




Has anyone tried the products before?


Thanks for reading <3

GOSH x-ceptional wear foundation

I'm going to review what is, for me, the ultimate foundation for pale skin: GOSH x-ceptional wear in porcelain.




I'm sure anyone reading who has pale skin will sympathise with me that it's next to impossible to find a foundation that is suitable for pale skin that doesn't leave your skin with a orange tinge.
I've tried mixing white foundation to tone down normal foundations, I've tried expensive brands, I've tried cheap brands. It took me seven years to find something that suited my skin tone.
For reference, I'm about NW10 or maybe a little paler.

I came across GOSH's x-ceptional wear in porcelain whilst just browsing through superdrug, and was pleasantly surprised when I swatched it on my hand - it was almost a perfect match for my skin! Leaning a little on the pink side, I wasn't phased, anything was better than that dreadful orange tinge. So I picked up a bottle two years ago and haven't found a foundation that betters it yet.

It has a light to medium coverage, smoothing out skin tone and gives your face a lovely smooth and porcelain look to it. However, it won't cover blemishes or dark circles, so you'll definitely need a good concealer to team it with.




Although it looks quite orangey here,


It blends out into a lovely pale tone that matches and smooths out my skin tone lovely.

It is available in most superdrugs for a measly £8~ so it's definitely worth checking out :)

Thanks for reading <3

MAC NW10 Studio Fix Foundation Powder

Hi! :) so, as I promised, I've got a review and swatches of MACs nw10 studio fix powder.
The product is a foundation powder, which would be ideal for oily skin. Personally, I have combination (but mostly dry) skin, and I will use the powder to bus coverage over my primer/foundation, which only offer a light to medium coverage.
It comes in MACs standard packaging, which I think is lovely, very minimalist and distinctive. The compact has a mirror and a space underneath with a sponge.








The powder is really blendable, smooth and offers a really good coverage for a powder, I'm actually quite surprised at how good the coverage is (and I've tried powder foundations before!) so kudos to MAC for making a great product.
As for the shade, in indoor light, it looks like the perfect shade. I always wanted to try MAC but even NW15 was too dark for me. So hopefully going 5 points lighter will leave me with the perfect pale powder!
It really smoothed out my skin, and it seems to have light reflecting qualities as I look quite... Illuminated (sparkly? :p) while wearing the powder.
As for staying power, I would say it would last a good few hours, but it would definitely need reapplied a few times a day.




Thanks for reading <3