Smashbox Light It Up - Review, Products and Discount Code

Smashbox Light It Up

If you're like me and you don't like spending a lot of money on make up you're not sure you'll like then you probably go for the gift boxes to give everything a try before you purchase the larger version of it. Since I've heard such amazing things about the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and their glosses I decided to buy the Smashbox Light It Up gloss to go set and the face, eyes and lips set as the gloss to go set offers five different colour glosses and the face, eyes and lip set has the primer I have been dying to try in it with a creme highlighter, mascara and lipstick. The face, eyes and lips set cost £25 reduced to £16.67 and the gloss to go set cost £25 as well reduced to £15.78 (out of stock now) making them a steal considering how much you get in both the sets. Looking through the website they have amazing offers on their sets including a Primer Authority set I will be buying as I've fell in love with their primers!.

Gloss To Go Set

Since I haven't used glosses since I was in primary school it was weird at first to put the almost sticky liquid on my lips after wearing matte lipsticks for so long now. I found them refreshingly moisturising considering the fact that I've been using matte lipsticks for so long and how drying of the lips they are. They lasted about 3 hours with the first coat, having to top it up after eating and drinking as it sits on top of the lips not sinking in. They have high pigmentation, for a gloss, leaving your lips looking almost the same colour as it looks in the tubes. Overall for all of them together in the set with how cheap they are I find it a really valuable kit for your collection weather you like
glosses or not as for a few natural looking make up days and over matte lipsticks for a more dramatic look these are perfect!.

Face, Eyes and Lips

If you've heard of Smashbox before you've probably heard about their primers! and boy do they have a lot of them! with prices ranging from £12.50 for a travel size and £32 for a jumbo size. In the face, eyes and lips set you get a travel size of their most popular primer, the photo finish foundation primer, which leaves your face feeling as soft as a baby and your make up can last all night without anything apart from proper make up remover. This oil-free gel primer only needs a small amount and it goes a long way, I only use around a pea size amount for my whole face focusing the most of my t zone. I've not had any break outs from having this under my make up where others I've used have clogged my pours making a few break outs happen even when I exfoliate when I come back in for the day. This is 100% one I would buy again! 

The L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Colour (Hollywood and Highlight) in the set is small enough to carry around in your clutch on a night out and packs a glowing punch! If you're more
into light reflecting dazzling highlighter then this is perfect for you! Overall I'm not keen on creme highlighters so I've gave it to my sister as she hasn't really tried highlighter before and you can blend it out really well into your make up. This one isn't something I would purchase again but if you do then it costs £25 on their website.

The Be Legendary Cream Lipstick (in the shade Legendary) is a bright festive red perfect for the Holiday season, however I don't find that it lasts as long as other brands I've tried before and smudges quite easily. I always look for long wearing, almost smudge proof lipsticks and I know this isn't a liquid so won't last as long as one and I know every regular lipstick does smudge slightly and wears off over time but I only had this on for about an hour maybe two and it was gone only leaving a smudge where my lip has touched my chin while eating. It does leave a slight stain on the lips turning them slightly pinker which is a bonus. These cost £17.50 for the full size and do have a lot of nicer shades. 

The Full Exposure Mascara has got to be one of the nicest volume building mascaras I own now, the small size from the set makes it hard to use sometimes as its big, thick brush takes up most of the wand and I don't really like holding it so close to the actual wand. Over all it is nice but with the travel size of it from the kit and the face the wand is so big compared to where you hold it's not my most favourite but with the volume building it keeps a place in my make up collection. The full size version costs £19.50 

Discount Code

Get $10 off when you spend £40 on your order with discount code LIGHTITUP on www.smashbox.co.uk

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

Birchbox - Are they worth a go?

Birchbox

I've been looking at the Birchbox website for a few months now so when they had a promotion on Facebook for a free surprise box on your first Birchbox for a limited time only I finally had the push to order a one time only box. It took about a week or two for them to arrive but it has been worth the wait. As my surprise box I received the September box as well as the January box. The packaging is nice with them being draws so when you collect enough you can use them as storage and the designs on them are nice. In each box there are five items, when you order your box you fill out a basic questionnaire about the type of things you would like to receive in your box and about your skin type etc so they can put the right products in the box for you.

Opening up the draws you get to see the products for the first time. I've got a range of things from hair to skin care to make up in both of my boxes (the September box on the left and the January on the right). I'll start with the products from the September box then move onto the January box.

 In the September box I've received Whish Almond Body Butter (the left in the draw) the formula does three things; moisturizes with shea butter, raspberry butter and aloe, firms skin with seaweed extract then purifies with rice bran oil. I've got to say that it smells fantastic! It sinks into the skin almost instantly feeling cool and soothing with no trace of it still on the skin. The original cost of this product is £14.50. The next product in the draw (next to the body butter) is the NUXE Paris scented shower oil with golden shimmer, it looks almost like a liquid highlighter with plenty of shining flecks inside. After the first use my skin aready feels slightly softer and makes me feel like I've been pampered. Luckily non of the shimmers really stayed on my body which has happened before with shower gel with shimmer in it. This retails at £10. The next product I received is the ModelCo Creme Rouge cheek and lips in Just Peachy. It is a really light blusher which works well for the slightly pinched cheeks look and is very moisturising for the lips however I don't think it'll be something I'll be buying again as I prefer to buy proper lipstick and powder blusher (if I use any). This retails at £14. The next product is a Bioderma Hydrabio Micellaire Solution for; cleansing, taking off make up and hydrating the skin. The formula is light weight and removes even tough mascara easily without as much effort at usual baby wipes. This retails at £10.50. The last piece in the September box is Batiste Oomph My Locks Volume Spray. My sister loves the Batiste dry shampoo and this spray so I was glad to receive it in the draw knowing I wouldn't use the larger sizes and this is perfect for my make up bag for when I get ready for going out. It fades nicely in my black hair (it was a worry for me) and doesn't weigh it down like some styling products do in my hair. This retails at £4.29. Over all out of all the products in this Birchbox I would probably only buy the NUXE Paris shower oil again as it was so luxurious for once in a while kind of thing. Maybe the Bastiste Volume Spray but I think this smaller size can will last a while.

 In the January box I've got quite a lot of nice cold weather products to keep away dry skin and leave me with a slight glow. The first product is the Rituals Hammam Body Mud. Now this is a tough one for me to review as every time I use this product I'm not sure if I like it or not. I don't really have much dry skin only in the corners of my hands and considering this is for dry skin this is probably why I'm not sure on it. I have used it on my face as a mask before and found it was good at unclogging pores so I don't completely dislike it as I've found a purpose for it. This retails at £14. The next product I love! It's the Merci Handy New Wave Love & Hand Cream. Considering it's winter I haven't actually got any carry size lotions to top up my hands when the weather drops which is why I'm delighted to have this. The smell is fantastic and it doesn't leave any residue on my hands like some of the heavier weight lotions do. It retails at £4.90 which is very reasonable for it! The next product is another NUXE Paris, this one is a multi-purpose dry oil face, body and hair. This gives a very natural glow to your face when you put it underneath foundation, but doesn't make it last as long as it normally would. If you're having a minimal make up day then a few drops of this rubbed into your face makes it almost glow. This retails at £21. The second to last product is a Lord & Berry Conceal - It Crayon in Beige. I like the coverage with this concealer but as I have very pales since (porcelain) having a concealer in Beige wasn't what I would of hoped for, it is nicer but because it's a few shades too dark I think it makes my blemishes a bit more noticeable. This retails at £12. The last product in the January box is Beauty Protector, Protect & Detangle. This has many purposes; instant detangler, thermal protector, UV protector, Seals cuticle, smoothes hair, locks in colour, adds shine, weightless, non-greasy and conditions. It is very much an every day product, if you have thick hard to control hair then this is perfect for you, but if you also like to give your hair a little treat every now and then then it certainly does that. My hair hasn't felt so pampered since I don't normally do much for it, but a spray or two of this and it feels like I've had it in a mask. This retails at £18.50. Overall out of all the products I would defiantly buy the Merci Handy cream as my hands have never felt softer before and the winter weather hasn't phased through this hand cream. I think the only thing out of this box I wouldn't buy again would be the Lord & Berry Conceal-It Crayon as I did like it, but I found that I much prefer the liquid concealer.

If you like to try new things without committing to the full price of the product then I think Birchbox is worth a go, every month there will be different products with give aways you could win and the questionnaire makes such that you get things suited for you mostly. The one thing I would rate the highest has got to be the Merci Handy. It is worth every penny!.


If you want to start a subscription but are worried about the cost then use :

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

to get $5 off your first box!

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes vs Clinique High Impact Mascara

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes vs Clinique High Impact Mascara

In the hunt for the perfect long voluminous lashes you have to try a lot of different mascaras to see which one works best for you. So when Younique brought out the 3D Fiber Lashes they were a hit! In this I will be comparing them to my favourite mascara I've found gives me long lashes. In this first part I will be talking about the Younique mascara then I will talk about the comparison to the Clinique mascara. 

 The first thing you see when the box arrives is how nice the packaging is! There are two sets of instructions one on the box and a handy carry along set for when you want to keep the pouch with you. For applying to this mascara I've found it is easier to control the lashes and make sure they don't stick together if you already have a thin layer of regular mascara on else your natural lashes do then to clump together. The transplanting gel is a jet black colour and you do need to act fast between putting the first coat of the transplanting gel on and using the other wand with the actual 3D fibers on else it will dry and I would advise the first layer of the fibres to be a thin one else you can end up with too much on making them thick. After you've got your fibers on you lock them in and make the lashes look smooth by using the transplanting gel over the top again. If you want to make them look even bigger you can layer up by repeating the process until you're happy. I only used one layer as I did use two before and they were too clumpy for my liking (I prefer the more sleek natural yet longer lashes). I do find that the fiber brush always is packed with them and I have seen my sister using it before and some of the fibers actually dropping in her eyes! (ouch) so you can brush some of them off beforehand onto a cotton pad and always use the brush to collect them back again to use.

Taking them off is a bit of a challenge so I would recommend making sure you use actual make up remover and a cotton pad and be gentle! I've lost a few of my natural lashes being too rough trying to get this off! Baby wipes don't seem to do much against this mascara and I have had a shower and not removed them coming out they hadn't smudged at all! If you forget to take it off before bed you wake up looking like you've just put some fresh mascara on (I wouldn't recommend doing this but you forget occasionally). This is a bit of a tricky mascara to use with the chance of fibers falling in your eyes but when you do it a few times then you start to get the hang of it! I normally use the transplanting gel and have the fiber brush in my other hand ready to use straight away to make sure it will stick to the gel and the gel will still be wet. If you're looking for something new to try then I would defiantly recommend using this! It does take longer than regular mascara but if you're getting ready for a night out then this would be a perfect edition to add to your going out routine!. This is $29 per set but is worth the money.

Clinique High Impact Mascara is one of my favourite every day mascaras that I can also build on for a great going out look! It is a nice gel black and the wand (standard) is easy to use to separate lashes and it drys quickly. You can get a little smudges under your eye from this mascara if it is damp outside or it rains but apart from that it stays put. I like how big it makes my lashes look and how they stay separate all day. If you want a good lengthening and voluminous mascara then I would highly recommend this. It comes off easy with baby wipes or general make up remover. I got two of these in a set with make up remover at duty free on the way back from Spain June 2016 and this is currently the second one I have gone through. You can see how much I use it from how faded the writing has started to go on the tube. The mascara on its own cost $17.50.

Compared to the 3D fiber lashes it is defiantly a tough one. I love both of them, Clinique being my every day and bottom coat for the Younique one and the Younique one being more of a going out or heavy eye make up day. I can say that since I've brought the Younique one I haven't brought any fake eyelashes to wear for going out as I use this instead! It does have a good finish as well just like the Clinique one but it does last a lot longer and is a lot harder to get off! I can't say that one is better than the others but I will let you decide from the photograph instead. 

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1606/5416/makeup/mascara/high-impacttm-mascara?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-ShoppingFeed-_-Makeup-_-Mascara&gclid=Cj0KEQiA5vXEBRChycOl36LPn5EBEiQAJV2-bNgX5BH10WfHfuBFC_TZMhA9JXdb1xS4pmYjKxlYbmQaAppd8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CNG8iP3uhdICFaSL7QodTwcNFw#/shade/Black

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/LisaDSmith/products/view/US-11101-03?gclid=Cj0KEQiA5vXEBRChycOl36LPn5EBEiQAJV2-bIiIay7euwslrvtBZamL_wqHI0V85--VWgMLpqpFVMcaAovQ8P8HAQ#.WJ3gx2-LTIV

Clinique on the left and Younique on the right.

Lime Crime Velvetines - Review and Swatches

Lime Crime Velvetines 

These matte liquid lipsticks are different to other ones I own, they seem to have an almost moosey texture to them before they dry down to matte. I have a little trouble making sure these aren't streaky as they dry quite quickly and you can feel them on your lips even after they've fully dried. The first set I brought of them was the blue set at the top. In this set there are the shades Cashmere (the shades closest to my palm), Shroom (in the middle) and Bleached (the shaded closest to my shirt). Cashmere is a light purple colour, Shroom is close to the colour of True Brown K in the Kylie Cosmetics range and Bleached is almost a really bright light pinky orange shade. Both these sets cost $60 originally but reduced to $44 when I purchased them. 

The second set I brought was the True Love set with the shades Saint (top shade), True Love (in the middle) and Cupid (bottom shade). All three of them would be perfect for a Valentines day look matched with the cranberry eye shadow and eyeliner. My favourite out of the shades has to be Saint as it's the darker shade out of the three as a brown purple colour. True Love is more of a bright vibrent almost neon pink mixed a bit with orange and Cupid being the most natural out of all of them. If you're looking for a lipstick to go perfectly for Valentines day without going for a red then this is the perfect set for you! The formula must be slightly different with this set as it wasn't as thick as last time but still has the almost moose like texture. I don't think I am going to buy any more from them, they do have some nice colours but I'm not keen on the formula they use. 

If you want to buy any from the website I'll link it below.

https://www.limecrime.com/en-us/categories/sets-bundles 

Intro

Make up is something I've never really been interested in...it might be to do with the fact that growing up there wasn't a female present to teach me which products do what and how to apply them. My dad tried his hardest, bless him, but being a single father was hard enough and growing up he did his best in the make up department when school discos were coming up and other social events we wanted to wear make up for. Moving from primary school to secondary school you learn a bit on your own from new friends and observation. But apart from foundation (a few shades too dark), mascara (applied too thick, like spider legs) and eyeliner (thick with wings heading to your eyebrows) you don't learn much. Already I felt behind compared to other girls my age; their eyebrows plucked to a neat controlled shape, bronzer defined their cheeks, lipstick skillfully applied with lip liner and eyeshadow  blended with presision. Anything different from the little bits of make up I used seemed alien... eventually you learn a bit more but then another trend takes over and you try hard to catch up but suddenly everything in your make up bag is out of trend and your five trends back from the current. The make up world is ever growing and quick, you have your basics; foundation, mascara and eyeliner then you have the trends; contouring, highlighter, glitter everywhere and of course different applicators like the new silisponge by Molly Cosmetics. In this blog I'm going to be honestly reviewing different brands, trends and trying to keep up with is crazy world. I hope you'd like to take the ride with me and maybe learn something new yourself.

~ From A

Sleek Box of Tricks - Reviews Of Products Inside The Box and Which I'd Buy Again

Sleek Box Of Tricks

Christmas is a wonderful time for buying new make up, with the gift sets and exclusive products. Scrolling through Facebook is normally annoying with the adverts, but this time Sleek popped up with an offer too good to scroll past... They offered Sleek Box Of Tricks, was £45, reduced to £25 in Boots while stocks last. Another thing with Christmas is always the random gift vouchers you receive from family, this year my brother gave me a Boots voucher for £10. It's like he knew! Heading straight to Boots as soon as I could I, luckily, managed to pick the box up knowing it was too good to pass up! The rest of the shopping day I picked up a few other pieces but couldn't wait to get home to open it and try all the products out!.

On the outside of the box it lists items contained in the box; Vintage Romance I-Divine Eyeshadow Palette, Face Contour Kit In Medium, Lip VIP Lipstick In Guestlist, Twist Up Midnight, Eyebrow Stylist In Medium, Solstice Highlighting Palette, Matte Me In Shabby Chic, Full Fat Lash Mascara, Blush By 3 In Lace. Opening it up you can see all the beautiful packaging (bravo for Sleek) and opening all of those up you can see all the festive colours perfect for the holiday parties and Christmas day photographs.

First product I used was the Lip VIP Lipstick on Christmas Eve, what I didn't know at that point was the bottom of the lipstick is actually a lip liner, by twisting the lipstick up fully so you can pull up the top up to use the liner with a thin brush to create a longer lashing lipstick. This is a great idea for Sleek to have and very useful! I prefer lip liners as a pencil though as you get a sharper point and is easier to use rather than using a brush and hoping for the best. I would definitely buy these style of lipsticks again considering they're only £5.50 they are high pigmented very long lasting and with the bonus of the lip liner as well they're amazing for the price! It's a very nice formula with almost moisturising qualities which is nice after wearing liquid lipsticks for so long.
 

The second product I tried out from the set was unfortunately not the right shade for me. The Eyebrow Stylist in Medium is obviously not black like my eyebrows, but I have gave it to my sister which it suits perfectly! I can't give a review for this as it isn't the right shade so I can't use it. They do have other shades so I am thinking of buying the black as they're only £6.49.

The third product I used was the Twist Up Midnight (eyeliner). If you want a eyeliner in the style of almost lip liner style (not pencil) then this would be perfect for you. What ever is in the formula makes it stay on your lids through out the night and only has a little bit of smudging throughout the whole night. However I didn't use an eye primer so it could of had no smudging at all. It's a really nice pigmented black which comes out sold. Sold on its own it costs  £4.99 (but it's on sale for £3.49) which makes it a steal!

The forth product I went for was the Full Fat Lash Mascara, this is now part of my make up bag every time I go any where!, the wand has an almost ball on the end which makes it easier to grab the little lashes and still have even coverage everywhere. I've never used a mascara with this type of wand so I was surprised at how easy it was to get used to after just using regular wands. It is definitely a clump free mascara with even coverage and also seems to make lashes look longer and fuller. This costs £7 on their website and I would definitely buy it again when it runs out.

As I love liquid lipsticks (if you can't tell already) I couldn't wait to try the Matte Me liquid lipstick inside the Box of Tricks. The shade is almost a purple with a pink undertone with a regular doufer applicator. It gives a nice matte finish drying down completely within two minutes and doesn't leave any reside as some of the other brands I've tried have. Eating and drinking you can't even tell it's on as there are no lip stains and it lasts all night only needing slightly topping up in the middle of the lip which goes faster. These cost £4.99 on the website.

Since I have used the W7 contour kit since contouring became a thing it is refreshing to be able to have a choice between using the darker Sleek contour or the lighter W7 shade. As I have quite pale skin using the W7 always made my contour really dark and it was hard to blend without the colour becoming too strong or pretty much being non existent. With the Sleek contour kit you can easily blend in and still have the colour left. I haven't used the highlighter which comes in the same packaging because I fell in love with the Solstice Highlighting palette. The Solstice Highlighting palette has one creme highlighter and three power all in the gold packaging. All of them give off an amazing shine, adding one swipe of a brush gives a casual glow and around 3 swipes gives you light reflecting dazzle. Since I've got this highlighting palette I don't use any other highlighter apart from occasionally using my Strobe Stick made by Smashbox on more natural looking make up days. The contouring kit costs £7 and the highlighting palette costs £10. Both of these I will definitely be buying again when they run out.

The Vintage Romance I-Divine eyeshadow palette has a lot of beautiful colours in it, at the moment I am obsessed with the cranberry and silver smoky eye so I use the berry colours out of this palette and the silver to create the look. They all have this almost creamy texture and do not smudge when you're wearing them! All of them stay put even without primer, I only use a dab of concealer which I do even when I'm not doing an eye look just to cover veins. This seems by far the best palette they have out as it has a lot more natural colours which can be used in every day looks and going out looks. These are only £8.99 which is a really good price for the quality of the palettes!.

 The only product I haven't used is the Blush By 3 as when I did a swatch of them it doesn't look like they are going to suit my skin tone and I tend to stay away from blushers now to avoid having clown face. They do have different shades,but as I said I don't tend to use blusher anymore. They are a good price being £10 for three shades of blusher.

Overall this is well worth the money! Adding up everything included in the box from the original prices (£64.96) means you save £39.96 from the deal they had at Boots and £19.96 from the original price of the gift set! Hopefully they'll do more sets like this for next Christmas! But until then I've got plenty to use!. http://www.sleekmakeup.com/uk