Huda Beauty Liquid Lipsticks - Review and Swatches

Huda Beauty Liquid Lipsticks

I've wrote a blog post on Huda Beauty before (their textured shadow rose gold edition) so I thought it was only fair I would show you their liquid lipsticks as they are just as popular as their eye shadow palette. Number 6 on Cult Beautys' Top 10 list it is interesting to see how they compare to other brands I own. As they are very resonably priced at $18 I ordered three shades Bombshell, Trophy Wife and Famous as they are light, medium and dark shades so I can see how the formula does with the usual streakiness towards darker shades. I have obsessed with Huda Beautys' liquid lipsticks since I started following them on Instagram almost half a year ago, I love the variety of shades and how the lipstick looks on people (they share a lot of people using their lipsticks and videos to give you tips on using it) which is nice as I got to see what the shades will look like on my pale skin.

The packaging to start off with is really unique and cute, the lipstick in between the lips is something I've seen loads of people copy when they have their Huda Beauty lipsticks on. You get quite a lot in the tube which is nice considering how inexpensive it is compared to other brands I usually buy. The formula is really easy to apply and doesn't dry too quickly so you can get even coverage over the whole of your lips without having to layer it.

Trophy Wife (top shade), Bombshell (middle shade)
 and Famous (bottom shade) 

Not only is the smell really nice (like a chocolate scent) but I do find that if it hasn't fully dried down you can easily smudge it bi-accident. After wanting to buy these for so long and actually having them I can really tell what the hype is with them, not only is there 16 shades ranging from Video Star (a hot pink) to Venus (a almost light brown shade). Compared to other liquid lipsticks I own I find this one you can barely tell you're wearing, it feels comfortable on the lips and light, but passes the drinks and food test. To removed I used my Lush Sugar Plum Fairy lip scrub as it doesn't come off easily with a baby wipe as other liquid lipsticks.

I will definitely be buying more as I can tell they're already having a place in my make up collection. I'll keep you updated if I buy anymore shades on my Instagram and Twitter with swatches.

If you'd like to try them out then you can get them at Cult Beauty in the UK or the offical Huda Beauty website in America

http://www.shophudabeauty.com/?v=79cba1185463

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/top-10.html?ref=mm

From Black to Blonde Hair

Changing It Up

For the past 5 years I have been dying my hair from my natural blonde to black and I've finally decided to try and get back to blonde after so many years of battling with the bright roots. Looking online I didn't find many people who have been dying their hair for as long as I have and managed to change their hair without damaging it to almost straw like texture. Through this blog post I will let you know all the products I have used to get it back to blonde and keep it healthy. 

The First Attempt 

 Doing my research into other people trying to get any shade dark like mine, either black or a very dark brown, I came up with a few options but looking at reviews and YouTube videos I found this Garnier Olia Super Blondes Extreme B+++ which had the best reviews and even a hairdresser commented saying it is better for the hair than the products they use at the salon which really peaked my interest. Since I've had black hair for so long I brought 2 boxes on a 2 for $11 deal and got started with the help of a friend who has stripped her hair before so knew what to do with it as it is different from just dying your hair. Reading the intructions carefully we set to work mixing the bleaching powder and bleaching cream into the developing cream putting the multi-application conditioner to the side. Putting my fringe in a bun with most of my hair apart from the bottom layer she set to work covering my hair as close to the roots without getting it on the blonde then worked her way around my hair, this took up a bottle and almost half of the second one. We left it on for around half an hour even though it says to leave it for maximum of 25 minutes but as I have so much black in my hair I left it in for a little longer to get more of an effect. For the rest of my hair she used the rest of the second bottle until it was empty massaging it into the rest of my hair to make sure it was fully covered and into my roots as some parts started to go platinum blonde and I didn't want it to be so miss matched so all platinum is better than  patches of it. Overall we spent around an hour and a half developing with another half an hour minimum making sure it fully covered all of my hair. To wash it out we put warm water into a water bottle then poured as we massaged it out until it was out then added the conditioner before leaving that for 2 or 3 minutes before
using the shower to rinse it out fully.

Once I towel dried it enough I used my life saving Organic World Brazilian Keratin that has been making my hair healthier for the past month I have been using it. My hair didn't feel any different apart from being slightly dry afterwards but putting this on before using my hair dryer let the oil sink into my hair. As you can see at the roots it has gone platinum then went into orange with the rest of the hair being dark ginger with a black tinge so I will need use some more dye to even it out hopefully making it either the platinum blonde or the bright orange which I am totally loving! If you have been dying your hair or have hair damage then I would highly recommend using the hair oil and if you have been dying your hair and fancy a change without damaging it further then I would highly recommend the Garnier Olia brand as it doesn't damage it at all! Me and my friend were really surprised how well it took to my hair considering how long I have been dying it for and how nice my hair feels afterwards. I'm not sure how long I have to leave it before dying it again so I'm giving it a week before using another two boxes mainly focusing on the darkest point which didn't dye as well as the roots or close to the roots so we have already planned to put my hair in ponytails to avoid getting any more on the roots or close to it and stop the bleach going completely everywhere like it seemed to the first time.

The Second Attempt

Another trip to Superdrug down and two more boxes of the Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach later we started on my hair again this time we covered my fringe, both sides then the back/top and left to develop for at least an hour. This time we could see white, pink, ginger, light brown and dark brown starting to form leaving the black behind! I actually love how my hair turned out! We did get the roots again so they are back to platinum and in one place white, but it all seems to blend now and is really less patchy than it was the first time!. Using the conditioner in my hair then leaving it for 3 minutes to settle helped it feel alive again as well as the Organic World Hair Treatment I use almost every time I wash my hair. There might be a gap in this blog post as I am getting the back of my neck tattooed so I have to wait for it to fully heal before doing anything to my hair so it doesn't get into the healing tattoo but as soon as I decide what I am doing I will add to the blog post! I really hope this helps you change your hair without killing it! I would say for best results to use this product all at once all over the hair (if you are wanting to bleach all of it of course) then leave for about an hour even though it says to leave for maximum of 45 minutes and to invest in the Organic World Brazilian Keratin as it is only a pound from Savers and has worked miracles on my hair!

The Third Attempt

I gave it a few weeks before trying it again, not only was I waiting for payday but I also wanted to give it time to settle before using bleach on again so I brought another two boxes of the same Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach and got to work. This time we wrapped the parts of the hair which needed to develop faster than the rest in tin foil as a person I work with who used to be a hair dresser told me it would help even the colour out around the whole of my head. We left it on for the same 45 minute time but didn't check on it as we didn't want to unwrap the tinfoil and have to put more on as it would be a waste. My hair still feels very soft, hasn't lost any shine and it is still a natural colour!. We could tell even from washing the bleach out that it had pulled a lot more colour out! The brown was completely gone and instead a really nice blonde/light ginger colour was there. It still isn't completely what I am hoping for but for now I am just going to try some shampoos to get rid of the brassiness and bring out some more blonde then I'll check in and let you know how it went!.

The Forth Attempt

It wasn't long before I headed back to Super Drug to see if they've restocked and to my luck they had another 2 boxes which I sold them out of again. This time my boyfriend wanted to do it so I put my trust in him, applying like usual leaving for around 40 minutes this time while we played a bit of Xbox. I noticed a difference as soon as I washed the bleach and the conditioner out with the slightly dark ginger going more and more bright and some more blonde peaking through. My hair still feels amazing and the bleach hasn't effected it at all! I am finding I need to wash my hair less and less (probably twice a week now) as it just doesn't seem to get oily/greasy! There were a few little bits he missed but I am hoping using the shampoo will make it at least blend a little more into the hair colour now. I think I am going to leave it for a little longer now, a few months as I want to see how the shampoo does to help lift some of the colour out and make my root go lighter as they grow. Wish me luck! I'll keep updating!.

Shampoo

Talking to a hairdresser I work with they were telling me to buy some shampoo to remove the brassiness from my hair and to help the blonde come through so I brought two John Frieda shampoos to try and help my hair along without using more bleach on it as Super Drug had a 2 for $11 deal on so it is worth a try. The first one I brought is the Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Shampoo which is meant to banish brass tones and orange as it cleanses and the second one I brought is the Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Shampoo which is meant to renew the hair's healthy appearance and touch without drying it out so I am feeling hopeful this will make a difference. I will use the renew shampoo on the orange parts of my hair then the go blonder on my roots where the blonde actually is and hope it makes a difference.

 I've used the purple shampoo around 3 times now and I have noticed a difference, not only does it make my hair look a long brighter but it completely blends now! (aside from the platinum roots but they seem to look good!). I have used the go blonder once but as I have been out and about quite a lot I tend to just take the purple shampoo with me instead as it is something I need a lot more. I will update with images when I start to notice a big difference and I'll let you know how many washes it took!

I've been using the shampoo for about a month now and it has changed slightly however it hasn't changed it much so I've decided to bleach it again.

The Fifth Attempt

What a difference! I was starting to loose hope with my hair as the past few times I've bleached it I didn't seem to budge the orange hair really and this time I chose to do it on my own as my roots were coming through really badly (damn the cooler tone to my natural blonde looking almost grey against the platinum). This time the colour seemed to really lift and brighten, the roots going an almost yellow shade instead of the white it went a few times before which looks a lot more natural. There is a little bit of a light orange colour left so I used the Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Colour Toner which was the only toner in my local Superdrug as a few people told me using a toner would really help so straight after bleaching I towel dried my hair then my friend came over to help just put the toner on the orange parts as the worst thing would be the rest of my newly natural hair turning silver! Looking at the instructions we followed them almost exactly as they say (we didn't have a plastic hood so improvised with a sandwich bag then didn't pile it on top of my head to stop the toner from going on the platinum parts). My friend used the hair drier until it had been the 5 minutes then we played a little xbox until it was time to wash it out. As it is such a thick purple you couldn't see any difference until you washed it out as it looked darker with it on. We didn't notice much of a change which is a shame, maybe if it was the whole head or if it was a darker orange it would of worked better, I'm not sure which one, but I won't be using it again. I think I'll stick to the shampoo still. I'm not sure if this will be the last time I will bleach it as there are still parts of it but for now I am happy with the colour, not only is most of it a light blonde but the orange parts look more like a strawberry blonde than anything else. 

Thank you for reading through this long blog post on how I changed my hair, the thing that I most learnt was after years of trying to change how I look because I didn't feel confident with how I looked with my natural hair is that I have gained confidence through each session of bleaching my hair now. I know I could of chose a more harsh bleach or actually used proper bleach but considering I have used 10 boxes in total my hair feels like normal! No change at all in it! This is why I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about lightening their hair to bleaching it and it didn't work out that expensive. 

Drug Store Foundations For Pale Skin

Battle Of The Drug Store Foundations

Finding a decent foundation at a reasonable price is a struggle, hunting through Superdrug or any high street shop for a shade what will match your skin tone, type and the right coverage for you is a long process. I've had foundations which made me break out, made me tinged orange and made me as white as a sheet of paper. It's not easy wanting to save money and not spend in the $30s' for a bottle which will last around a two or more months at the maximum so this will be a review of the foundations I have found actually suit my pale skin for a reasonable price.

To start this off I'll go with the cheapest foundation then work my way to the most expensive out of the four favourites I've found out of my years of searching. 

E.L.F Flawless Foundation

I brought this foundation when I was doing the full face of make up for $20 blog post but I did notice this had amazing reviews and I can see why! The formula is creamy but lightweight with full coverage. It is a little yellow compared to the other shades I have found but if you use the Silisponge you can even it out with using less product and blending it in right. As I have oily skin I am careful about what foundations I buy as not only do I want the colour to be perfect but I want to fight off the a make up meltdown or making me look even more oily but this seems to fight it off. Not only does it last long and suit my skin but it also has SPF 15 Sunscreen so will be perfect for summer without having to mix sun cream in separately. This is only $7.50 on the website and hopefully they will have a stand in Superdrug soon!.

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Foundation

I brought this foundation when I was struggling with break outs and I wanted to find something to help with it and so I could wear foundation all the time without suffering. The shade is slightly orange but with blending it evens out to my skin tone. The lightest shade they have is Light Beige which is a shame, but luckily it is close enough to my shade. It says better looking skin in 3 weeks but you can tell the difference within the first day of applying it, if you use it every day then you will notice it does really help if you are struggling like I was at the point of using it. This amazing foundation only costs around $7-$8 at Superdrug.

L'Oreal Infallible 24H Foundation

Out of all of the foundations I have brought this has to be the most accurate to my shade, it is a little white but with a bit of bronzer you don't notice the difference. It is full coverage but light weight, doesn't oxidise at all throughout the day and stays really well. L'Oreal really did a good job with this foundation, it doesn't say anything to do with skin care but it doesn't break me out at all. It says on the tube it helps prevent meltdowns and I don't see any oil patches which is great. For only $10 as well it is very affordable whenever you run out. 

Revlon Colour Stay Foundation

Revlon was a brand I looked for when I was in the middle of my hunt and fell in love with but I did found it made me look the palest and as it has pink undertones I found it made my face look flushed all the time. But if you do have pink undertones on your skin then this would be perfect for you. It is lightweight, full coverage and a perfect one for summer as it leaves your skin feeling soft and has SPF 20 for the sunny days. This is the most expensive out of all of them but I can see why, the formula is rich and feels amazing and the coverage is amazing. You can easily find it at Superdrug for $12.99. 

If you've found any foundations you find suit pale skin or just love then let me know in the comments! I hope this helps you on your hunt for your perfect shade!

Battle Of The Primers - Benefit Porefessional Primer vs Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Battle Of The Primers

When it comes to primers there are tons to choose from, most brands have their own, but these are two of the most popular primers than I have found online. These cult classics have wormed their way into most make up collections and I want to see which one offers the longest wear and nicest feel on the skin. Both of these primers are oil-free, help to reduce the sights of pores and can be worn with or without foundation. The Benefit Porefessional it tinted unlike the Smashbox Photo Finish and feel different on the skin with the Porefessional laying more heavy on the skin than the Photo Finish. I love both of these primers with them both being oil-free and doesn't give me break outs like some other primers I have used before.

 I am going to start with the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer as this is the one that I use the less out of the two. You only need around a pea size of the primer as a little goes a long way with this one, it almost feels like silk when you rub it in with your fingers leaving a satin finish to the skin. It gives you a slight glow which looks natural and I'm not sure if it is because of the Vitamins inside the formula or the fact my pores looked almost blurred smaller than usual. It was strange putting foundation on over because of how nice my skin felt just wearing the primer on its own, normally I can't wait to put on my foundation on but with this I could happily just wear it knowing my skin has a natural glow and you can't see any of the pores you can normally see. The first time I wore it was New Years Eve and all of my foundation stayed put the whole night, even my eye shadow didn't budge when I put some on my lids before doing it. If you want an all purpose primer which makes your skin feel baby soft then this is defiantly for you! The travel size is only $12.50 but you can get a larger tube of it for $32.00 on their website now. 

I can safely say that I use the Benefit Porefessional every day, it is tinted and a lot thicker than the Smashbox Photo Finish primer but for every day use it is amazing. I only use this on my t-zone and my chin instead of everywhere like the Photo Finish as it took a few days for my skin to get used to how thick this primer is. It covers dark circles under the eye really well as the tint to it seems to mask the purple and make them seem less big. I do occasionally use this as a base for my eye shadow if I have a few veins showing that day and it works well for keeping the eye shadow in place unlike concealer which sometimes lets it smudge. I do like Benefit and have always wanted to try this primer as I've heard and seen such good things about it but the more I use it the more I am slightly disappointed. It does require a lot of blending unlike the Smashbox where you gently rub into the face. The weight of it sometimes makes me want to exfoliated half way through the day even underneath light weight BB Cream or light weight foundation. This only comes in  one size for $24.50 on their website.

Over all both of the primers do their job and keep foundation in place all day and night without requiring a top up and look good if you just want to wear them on your own. If you have darker skin then I wouldn't recommend the Benefit Porefessional as it is a tinted primer and it is quite light, anything past Olive I think would be too dark for this primer. The prices are mostly the same, but Smashbox do offer a travel size one (for cheaper) so you can have a chance to try it out without having to spend the full amount for the larger tube. If you do not like heavier make up then I must say the Benefit one wouldn't be for you and personally I would save my money for the Smashbox. They are both amazing primers, made by amazing companies and I can see why they are cult classics now.

https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/the-porefessional-face-primer

http://www.smashbox.co.uk/product/6038/42523/face/primer/travel-size-photo-finish-foundation-primer-classic/travel-size/index.tmpl

Full Face Of Make Up For $20 - MUA

Full Face Of Make Up For $20

I know I don't use much drug store make up as by the time I've come to writing a beauty blog I have been using more high end make up for a few months so I review what I have. Now I find a few people asking about drug store or more budget make up so I thought I would do a blog on a full face of make up for $20 to see how much I can actually get for my money. There are tons of brands I could use for this as I walked through Superdrug I saw how many brands I have been missing as I've been so focused on the higher end products! If buying the Sleek Box Of Tricks has taught me anything it is that the drug store brands are defiantly worth another shot and can be 100% as good as high end brands if not better. If I get comments underneath telling me brands you would like me to do this challenge with as well then let me know and I'll try to make it a monthly thing! 'Full face of make up' to me means; foundation, highlighter, mascara, liquid eyeliner, eye shadow palette and liquid lipstick as this is what I would class as a full face on me. I was going to add contour but as most palettes are at least $10 it would cut my budget in half.


To kick start this challenge I have wrote a list of brands I originally thought I would be able to get my full face for $20 but was quick to add up and realise some were over $40! I came to find three brands I could find everything and one I didn't realise doesn't actually do mascara and eyeliner. To kit start I decided to go for a brand I haven't used before as I thought it would be interesting to try something new and I have heard good things about them! MUA. I have heard loads of things about their Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer and I am a huge fan of liquid lipsticks so I decided to buy an extra one with the money I had change from the $20 budget. On their site it says 'We know that looking good is important and so is saving you money, which is why our products are of the highest standard but at a super low cost' which is exactly how I think it should be.


To start off with I brought the Skin Define Hydro Foundation in Natural Ivory (the lightest shade they offer) which cost $3.00 (on sale originally $4.00). Then I chose my mascara picking the Curl Mascara as I liked the look of the wand as the shape looked like it would be able to cover root to tip of my lashes which cost $2.00. It was hard to choose an eye shadow palette as they have so many but eventually I chose the Hall Of Fame as it has build-able shades and a couple of blues to make it more of a striking look which only costs $4.00. I only really use liquid eyeliner and I don't like the felt applicators when I'm doing my eyeliner so I chose the Matte Liquid Eyeliner in black which only costs $2.00. They have several shades of highlighter sold singularly but I brought the shade 'Iridescent' as I prefer a glow with not much colour which only costs $3.00. To finish off the look I brought the Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer as I have been dying to try them! the shade I got for the look is 'Symphonic' (blue with a purple undertone) as it will go with the eye shadow palette perfectly then as I had $3.00 extra I also brought the shade 'Lacquer Poise' (a purple grey) then a Luxe Whipped Velvet Lip Lacquer in the shade 'Majestic' (a deep red) as it was on sale for $1.50 instead of the usual $3.00.
In total without the two extra lipsticks it all cost $17.00 in total which is really good considering how much you get! Now to review the products and show a finishing look...


The first item I'll be reviewing is the Skin Define Hydro Foundation in the shade 'Natural Ivory' (the palest shade they have in this foundation). Squeezing a bit onto the back of my hand it looks a bit dark for my skin tone but I should be able to blend it out to make it look like my shade. As this has Vitamin E and Jojoba in it I expect it will be like Maybelline Better Skin but more light weight than the Maybelline one. It feels more like a tinted moisteriser than a light weight foundation and has a very nice natural glowing finish. It is like a very nice BB cream as it makes the skin feel very moisterised and soft, the skin feels breathable without having too much on but like a BB cream it doesn't give the best coverage so using a concealer would be a good idea. In the summer this will be perfect! or on holiday where you don't want to wear much heavy make up more natural. I do find that even though this is the lightest shade they offer in foundation it is a little orange (I struggle with this quite a lot) but adding a little of my usual moisteriser it does seem to work a little better with the orange tinge. Next time I will definitely be buying the other foundation they have, Skin Define Matte Perfection Foundation as it offers a lot better coverage so I won't have to use concealer over the top and it will be a lot more like the foundations I usually use every day.


Next products I used is the Hall Of Fame palette making a really simple eyeshadow look as the foundation isn't that heavy and I was only going out shopping that day. In the swatches, starting from the top, the first shade is 'Shy' (a matte shades the same as my skin tone) then 'Rose Ash' (A rose tone shimmer) , 'Bare' (a champagne shimmer colour), 'Catacomb' (a nude with pink under tone shimmer shade), 'Lion' (a gold shimmering shade), 'Chino' (a dusty purple shade with blue undertone), 'Reveal' (silver shimmer shade), 'Hustle' (a plum shimmer shade), 'Tectonite' (a grey purple shimmer shade), 'Cool Grey' (a dark blue with green undertone shimmer shade), 'Hydra' (a almost pastel blue shimmering shade) then last of all 'Titan' (a blue, black shimmering shade). Out of all of them my favourites have got to be the shades 'Rose Ash' for the inner corner of my eye and a dash under my eyebrow then 'Chino' for the crease, a dash of 'Hustle' in the outer corner of my to really make it pop then move into the centre of my eye where I blend with the Rose Ash shade. The formula is really rich and creamy! considering it costs $4 for the palette it is a total bargain! There is a little bit of fall out, but I used some loose powder under my eyes so it won't effect the foundation I've already put on.

Since my eyeshadow blended really well I moved onto using the Lift& Curl Mascara. The wand is a really nice shape to be able to cover all of my lashes completely from root to tip. You do have to wipe off the extra product from the top of the applicator where it collects but apart from that one dip is enough for both eyes to give a nice natural look. As I didn't want any getting on my lid I used one of my old college IDs to keep it from going on my lid until it dried. It looks nice and makes them look long and natural but doesn't really give a dramatic look unless you put on a few more layers that I only did a few hours after the final photo was taken. At the end of the day there was slight smudging on the bottom of my eye from the mascara but nothing really noticeable so it lasted the day really well. I do think it is really good as more of a every day mascara or the first step to building up lashes to almost fake looking ones as it separates the lashes really well only giving a thin coat.





I found the eyeliner quite hard to work with as I'm not used to how thick the tip of the felt liner applicator. I did practice on my hand before I did it on my eyes so I could get used to the applicator, but still found it hard when it came to getting it thinner towards the inner corner of my eye. I did find that it can smudge really easily so I went over it with a little bit of black eyeshadow just to try keep it in place before going over it again with the eyeliner again. The colour is very pigmented and dries really quickly (within five seconds) which does make it a little harder when it comes to messing up as you don't have time to correct it. Once it is on it is on though! It doesn't budge and is completely smudge proof! When it rains it does loose a little colour and you do get green lines from where the rain hits it. This would be a great summer eyeliner as it doesn't fade and doesn't smudge very easily.

The second to last step was of course my highlighter! This is almost a white shade but when you look in the light it has a really yellow and gold shimmer to it making you look sun kissed and your cheeks really pop. One swipe of the highlighter is enough to use on both cheeks and to give a really subtle look. It is build-able without looking like a chunk as blending it is easy with a nice fan brush (I use my Zoeva 129) and it even works really well in the inner corner of my eyes and under my eyebrows. For how cheap it is it is as good as the expensive ones! The Jeffree Star highlighters are only a little better than MUAs ones. They have other shades as well, but as I was looking for something subtle this is perfect and it blends really well with my skin tone which I have problems with some other shades. The picture doesn't do it justice with how much it shines in the light! It looks like you've got a mix of glitter and shimmer on you. This is defiantly something I will be buying again, I might try out the other shades as well as there is only around 6 shades mostly looking like shimmering blusher than highlighter in general.

To finish off my look I used the shade Poise (top swatch shade) as it is a really nice nude shade, but as it is quite dark for me it gives it a nice look with all the rest of the make up. Symphonic (middle swatch shade) is really good for a dramatic look, if I was to use it I would use the Jeffree Star Beauty Killers as there are some really nice purple tones which would look perfect with this shade or I would use the MUA palette with the purple and blue shades for a night out look. Majestic (the last swatch shade) isn't like the other two lipsticks as it isn't a matte shade, it doesn't dry down fully either so it is easy to smudge. Out of all three my favourite has to be Symphonic as it isn't like any other shade I already have which is rare for me as I have so many. It is nice to be able to have something to go for a more daring look with instead of always sticking to red lipsticks when I get ready to go out. As they are so inexpensive as well it is a really good brand to try different colours you wouldn't usually buy and they have so many as well so you have a good range to choose from. They passed the eating and drinking test, I do find that you have to top it up after eating something greasy as it degrades it in the middle and if you get the whipped velvet then I would recommend wearing a lip liner underneath just to help keep it in place for longer and remember as it doesn't dry down fully it will go on anything your lips touch.

The finished full face actually looked really nice and I was presently surprised. The eye shadow is really buttery and doesn't budge after you put it on. I didn't use any other products apart from the Kyliner in Black on my brows. The eyeliner was a little harder to use than when I tested it out before I did the entire face so they did go a little uneven but nothing a little make up remover on a cotton bud didn't fix. This was a much more simple look and if you want to see a full face going out look using this brand then let me know in the comments! I hope you liked the blog post and I'll let you know on my social medias when the next full face for $20 post will go up with the new brand!

http://www.superdrug.com/brandshop/mua

Too Faced Melted Matte - Swatches and Review

 Too Faced Melted Matte

 To do a review of this product I ordered 12 colours from them ranging from a nice set of nearly 6 nudes (with different undertones) and another 6 of various shades I wouldn't usually use but I want to try something new. This is a brand that I haven't tried before so I was really excited to see the parcel from Debenhams arrive knowing what it was. I've seen high reviews on YouTubers channels and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them to see how they compare to my other lipsticks (being a fan of liquid lipsticks). I really like that it says on the side of the packaging that the 'formula glides over lips like a gloss but dries to an ultra-matte opaque finish' and is 'infused with a no-sting plumping filler' and can't wait to see if it is true! I love the packaging with this product as the shape of the tube makes it easy to stand up on its own in my make up organiser on my dresser and with the lid having the 'tf' shown on the top it makes it easy to pick out from the other lipsticks. So onto reviewing the actual product...

For the first set I tried I used the nude colours to swatch together before the more adventurous shades. These are much more every day shades you can use for a more natural look or a little adventurous with the dark nude (the brown). As you can see from the swatch they are all very nice nudes with different undertones. From the top swatch down it goes; Queen B, Child Star, Sell Out, Bend & Snap!, Miso Pretty and last of all Naughty By Night. 

Queen B

The first shade I used on my lips from the collection was Queen B, this is one of my favourite nudes out of the collection as it matches my lips perfectly for a pink undertone shade when it normally looks too strong. This looks a lot different on the lips compared to on your arm (looks streaky on my arm but all one nice shade on my lips). Putting it on is easy, it's not as fast drying as other brands I own making it easy to adjust and get even coverage without having to layer up. I only had to use one dip of the lipstick to get full even coverage for my lips. The colour is very pigmented and doesn't have a need for a liner underneath as it goes on smoothly by itself. I love the formula of this, it's a little drying however that's expected from a liquid lipstick in general anyway. After wearing it for 20 minutes and deciding I liked it I used a make up wipe to take it off which was pretty easy. It doesn't sit in the lines of your lips even when dry like some other brands and I could barely tell it was on. When I had a sip of drink there wasn't any smudging or trace I was wearing lipstick which is a huge bonus.

Child Star

The second shade I used was Child Star, this one I find not to be the right shade for my lips as you can see in the photograph it almost blends in with my skin tone making it look more like I was wearing concealer on my lips rather than a lipstick on. It wasn't streaky and the colour was even with only one dip of the liquid lipstick. I did find it made my lips look a little smaller with the colour but I think if I didn't have such pale skin it would suit me a lot better. The formula is still really nice and there wasn't any residue of me wearing lipstick while I was having a drink. After wearing for 20 minutes like the other one I took it off using a make up wipe which was easy and let no mark of the lipstick being on. 

Sell Out

Next I used Sell Out which has a really nice peachy undertone. This one is much better than the last one, Child Star, as the undertone made it a lot more suited to my skin tone. It made my lips look a lot more fuller than the last shade as well because the peachy undertone gave it a lot more of a healthy look. This is definitely one I will be using on my casual days as it is a lot more natural and perfect for the days where you want a 'no make up' day. Just like the others I have managed to get full coverage and colour with only one dip of the product. The wand is a good fit for my lips as well and is a little thin so it was easy to get into the corner of my lips. As I was taking this one off after 20 minutes I did notice my lips started to look slightly fuller than before I started to swatch the lipsticks. Maybe they actually do what it says on the side of the box it comes in or doing lip swatches not that far apart with taking it off with make up wipes. When I use one of these lipsticks for a full day I will write at the bottom if it was just swatching my lips so much or if it actually is the formula. 

Bend & Snap!

The Bend & Snap! shade is a little brighter than what I would usually wear but is still is a nice shade. Buying these shades has already made me realise that I need to get more shades I wouldn't normally buy as they actually look really nice! The bright pink isn't as full on as It's Happening! but not as much of a nude as the other shades I've swatched. This is like a Barbie style shade so if you're struggling to find a pink colour similar to Barbie shade then this is the perfect one! This is only one dip of the colour as well and look how bright it has gone! It makes your teeth really white as well which is a good bonus. After being four colours in to swatching on my lips they're starting to feel a bit dry so I applied a bit of Vaseline to make sure they don't dry out too much. This would been a really nice summer shade and once it's on it's not going to flake or smudge or move yet is easy to take off with a baby wipe. As I carry on swatching my lips do start to carry on getting fuller the more I carried on and keep getting drier. 

Miso Pretty

The Miso Pretty shade is a lot like Kylie Cosmetics Exposed shade with less of a orange undertone. This makes my lips literally blend right into the rest of my skin only showing because my lips have become more fuller with all the swatching. I don't think I'd buy it again but I would like to try it again to see if it would like nicer with a lip liner underneath it to give it an actual undertone. The formula is still really nice compared to other brands I've used and it does seem to be giving my lips a more fuller look even when I've used my baby wipe to take it off but I still have to add a thin layer of Vaseline in between coats of  lipstick. As this was second to last in the nudes I started with I took a small break inbetween switching shades so my lips had a little time to feel moisturised again as I'm finding them quite drying. They are still consistently pigmented and whatever the formula is it is one of my favourites for liquid lipsticks as it doesn't budge at all compared to others I have used. 

Naughty By Night

The last shade in the nude collection of these lipsticks I have the Naughty By Night shade which is much more of a striking brown than I first thought. Swatching it on my arm I thought it was just a brown like True Brown K (Kylie Cosmetics) but it is much more of a redder brown and less of just a pure brown that I prefer more. I haven't really tried a brown before but I do actually like it, I'll have to try it over again to see if it does actually suit me but it is looking promising with the Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar' eyeshadow palette. I did have to find that I had to put on a little more product with this shade as it is slightly darker and was slightly streaky but apart from that it was just like the others. Even as this is a little darker I did expect it to have a little fall out or smudging but I still didn't get any! I'm hoping the darker shades will be like this as well!. 

Moving onto the last six shades I found myself 

liking the different shades I've got to try when I brought these lipsticks. The formula is nice (but I wouldn't recommend swatching twelve in one day like I have!) and provides even coverage even with the darker and lighter tones! From the top swatch the shades are; Mrs. Roper, 1998, It's Happening, Feelin' Myself, Lady Balls then Unicorn last. 

Mrs. Roper

 For the first shade I tried the Mrs. Roper, this is much more of an orange undertone red than what I first thought it was going to be like. It looks almost like a summer red compared to the striking reds or dark reds I usually go for. This would look good in summer time but at the moment it is way too bright for this time of year, maybe would of been a good Christmas day shade. I have found with these lipsticks they do look a lot different from the arm swatch then they do on the lips and they were a lot harder to get off from the arm swatch than the lips! They do leave you a little bit dry but the liquid doesn't go into the lines of your lips which is nice compared to other brands like I've said when it came to the nudes. The formula is consistent considering the variety of shades and there still isn't any smudging or flaking or look of it disappearing when eating or drinking.

1998

The next shade is 1998, now with this one it isn't my type of shade at all, I'm definitely not a pink kind of lady however this shade is quite nice. I mean I wouldn't wear it every day, it's more of a every once in a while kind of lipstick to go with minimal make up. This would look nice for Valentines day if you want a bold pink instead of a red to wear. It is obviously the same formula as the other lipsticks so it has a nice finish to it and doesn't sink into the lips. It does take a little longer to get off of the lips than the other ones I've tried as it slightly stains the lips but not noticeable. 

It's Happening!

The next shade was the It's Happening! which is quite similar to the last shade (1998) in it is a quite bright pink. It does have a slightly darker undertone however but is still quite a strong bold colour. It passed the eating test as it was lunch time and held up against soup with no smudging on the spoon like I have had with other brands before. This one did fade slightly in the middle from eating as you can see in the photograph but that was the only part which faded at all. I used two dips of the lipstick for this one as it was starting to become a little less even compared to the others but it didn't effect how it dried or how it looked at the end.

Feelin' Myself

 The next shade is slightly a nude however is did look a lot more like a darker shade when it was in the tube, Feelin' Myself is a very peachy shade. I like this one as it does make my lips look really healthy but I did find that the corners of my lips went slightly orange compared to the rest of the lip colour. It is much like an every day lipstick that I found a little disappointing compared to the rest of the shades but I will still use it. Since I am on my tenth shade my lips have got a lot bigger! I'm still not sure if it is to do with the lipstick or all the swatches on my lips but I like it!.

Lady Balls

The second to last shade is Lady Balls, a really nice red quite similar to Kylie Cosmetics Holiday 'Merry' lip kit. If you're looking for a cheaper dupe of the Kylie Cosmetics lip kits then I have found they are quite similar shades! I'll do a blog post with dupes for the Kylie Cosmetics. This one I had to use two dips of the lipstick as the first dip was still quite light and not the complete shade it was meant to be. I did find this a little harder to use the applicator maybe because of the shade? but I would recommend using a liner for this one just to make sure it doesn't bleed outside of the lips. It did stay in place for the whole 20 minutes and it did slightly leave a stain on the lips from it.

Unicorn

This last shade has to be the boldest lipstick I now own, I've never used a purple before so I am pleasantly surprised by how nice it looks on my lips! It makes them look a lot bigger than they are naturally and I have to say that I didn't take it off for a good 3 hours before I wanted to take it off to put Vaseline on. I had a lot of control with this considering how dark it is and it did actually make my lips a bit bigger than they are naturally which is really nice. I have to say that I have been impressed with most of the shades that I brought and there are a few I will definitely be buying again when this tube runs out.






My favourite out of all of the shades have to be Queen B as it is a perfect nude colour for my skin tone that I normally struggle with, Naughty By Night was a nice change and it was the most surprising out of all of them with it having red mixed in! then of course Unicorn as I haven't tried purple before and I am really surprised with how much it actually suits me. Over all I think these are definitely worth a buy, they are a little bit expensive but they really are worth it, the formula is amazing and the bonus of it slightly plumping your lips as you're wearing it makes it 100% worth every penny. Hopefully now you've seen the shades swatched on my arm and my lips you'll be able to find your perfect shade! Each lipstick costs $19.00 from Debenhams.

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_154614113899_-1

Birchbox February Box - Review and Items

Birchbox February Box

In February's Birchbox they really out did themselves, not only is the draw beautifully decorated by Papier but all five items are things I will actually use. It is going to be difficult to pick a favourite out of these products as they are all things I really like.


So to start off with I will talk about

the POP eye shadow trio and the Spectrum C06 eye contour brush. Since I have been always doing the more dramatic looks with eye shadow it was nice to get three shades which will be perfect for a simple smoky eye with a really nice shimmer running over it. The eye shadows are high pigmented with a almost buttery feel to them. They stay on all day as well even when I go to work. I use my usual Benefit Porefessional primer on my lid before using a then lightest shade over the top, Working on the crease I used the next darker shade blending it with the first then finished it off with a dash of the darkest shade in the outer corner of my eye then blended towards the middle of my eye. I only used the Spectrum brush for all of this and it was incredible soft on my eyes and blended it seamlessly. I will definitely be buying more from POP beauty and some more Spectrum brushes. This single brush costs $4.99 and the full size POP eye shadow (12) costs $15.50 which is very reasonable.


To remove my make up at the end of the day I used Marcelles make up remover on a cotton pad and it just dissolved away. I have quite sensitive skin so I was happy to see it didn't irritate my skin at all and I didn't have to scrub to get my make up off. It was a little difficult in getting my usual Clinique Mascara off as I had two layers on and it didn't come off with a couple of swipes so I did have to add a little more product on a new cotton pad to get it off but it didn't irritate my eyes at all. The sample size is very large so I will have a good few weeks to use it to make sure I like it before I buy it again. To use is simple you just need to give it a good shake then take the cap off and put a few drops of it onto a cotton pad. After you've removed all your make up then it advises to wash with water, but as I only really take my make up off at the end of the day before I start my face routine I wash with my Origins Cleanser which does the trick. I was a little worried I would get a few spots as I have oily skin and I was worried as this feels like oil that it would make my skin even worse but it hasn't at all, if anything it has made it better since I've started using it.

As I dye my hair every month I try to do as much as I can to repair it like using Gardnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo in 'The marvellous transformer' so receiving Beaver Hydro Nutritive Repairing Conditioner was a really nice treat! I used it for a week straight to see the full effect of it and found that it made my hair shine more than usual and my split ends didn't look as bad as they had at the start of the week. It doesn't have much of a smell to it which is nice as I like the smell of my shampoo so I wouldn't want to loose that smell with an over powering conditioner. I left it in for a few minutes before I washed it out but I could tell the difference! My hair hasn't felt lighter and it feels a lot softer than it has for the past 2 or so years! I think I'm going to stick to using this every day I remember to to see how good it gets and will leave a comment down below to update you on how long this product lasts for and how much it repairs my hair. Hopefully in time I'll get less split ends! This costs $12 on the website and when you buy through Birchbox you'll get points back to spend on whatever you want when you've collected enough. Their reward system is 100 points = $10 and you can also collect points reviewing the products on the website when you've brought them or get them through a Birchbox subscription.

The last product I used was a really fun one to use actually! The Keeome Hydration Therapy Mask comes in a single packet but can be brought at a bundle for $29.00 for a packet of 6. Now to start off with I used my regular Origins Frothy Face Wash to cleanse my face before taking the mask out of the packet. As I wanted it to fully go into my pores I used it in the bath to make sure my pores were open (plus it is very relaxing to use this in the bath!). Taking it out, there is a lot of product in the packet (I would recommend doing it over the sink as it does drip a bit) but the whole sheet is in a template mask form so easy to put over the face. It says to leave on for around 25 minutes so all of the serum goes into the face which I think I left on for around 30 minutes before peeling it off. Rinsing with clean warm water from the sink I have to say my face has never felt so pampered, it left my skin feeling smooth and soft and there wasn't any irritation like I was worried about. It is a nice product to use every now and then (maybe once a month) as using it weekly would become quite expensive but it is worth trying!

This has got to be one of my favourite boxes so far from Birchbox as every product I was really looking forward to using! My favourite would have to be the Keeome Hydration Therapy Mask as it just left my skin feeling so soft and hydrated! But for every day use I have been using the Spectrum brush non stop!

If you would like to start your subscription with Birchbox then use the link below to get $5 off your first box!

https://www.birchbox.co.uk/invite/61mnl