Bobbi Brown

Since I love the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliners so much and have tried the Graphite Shimmer and Bronze Shimmer, I was excited to try this shade which is called Violet Ink, a gorgeous aubergine purple shade with subtle shimmer through it. You all know I love my flicked out liner but I like to have a bit of variation in the colour since I tend to apply it everyday. I have never used a purple liner before but I am already formulating looks to include this product. As you would expect, this gel liner has fantastic pigmentation, it's long lasting, easy to apply and generally brilliant to use, I like to apply it with my small smudge brush from ELF - not the obvious choice but it actually works a treat to create any look you want, a thin subtle line or a dramatic thick sixties look. The other thing I love about these is that they last for ages! Let's take a closer look at this gorgeous colour...

I can see myself collecting every gel liner Bobbi Brown has to offer because I just find them so easy to use. They never go thick or gloopy over time and they retain their perfect consistency, which is really what every gel liner should be like. I love these and I definitely prefer them to MAC Fluidlines.

I have wanted to try the Bobbi Brown Oil Free Even Finish Foundation for a long long time and I finally tried it out in the shade Warm Beige. It's alot thinner in consistency than I expected, I thought it would be more like Revlon Colourstay. However, the thinner formula does come with the advantage of feeling alot lighter on the skin.

Although alot of people have complained that they don't like foundation bottles with no pump applicator, it's really not something that bothers me since I use my fingers and not a brush. Although the foundation doesn't offer as much coverage as Revlon Colourstay, it's most definitely a lighter alternative for daytime and also when my skin is behaving itself and I have less blemishes to cover. It actually smells quite nice, it's hard to explain but it smells fresh. To give you a better idea of the consistency, here's a closer look at the foundation itself...

I decided to do a FOTD to demonstrate what the finish is like, which I would describe as natural, slightly matte with a light to medium coverage. It's not a foundation that I would wear for a night out as I definitely need for coverage for that but it's ideal for daytime use when you just want a 'second skin' effect. I think that you need a good powder to set the foundation to ensure that it stays in place and I used Korres Wild Rose powder in this case. Here's the look I went for today using the Bobbi Brown foundation and Indigo gel liner...
I just used a very subtle light purple eyeshadow to offset the liner and it turned out to be a really natural polished look that is very wearable and I love how the purple shade of the eyeliner gives the whole thing a softer edge.

As you can see from the pics, the foundation gave a really nice finish and it was pretty much undetectable when you look up close. There's no chalky finish or a sense that it's clogging up your skin, it's just very light to wear. So, you can actually fool people into believing you have perfect skin! I really do believe that you need different foundations for various reasons, be it that you want a dependable daytime one, a dewy one, a matte one or one that will last on a big night out. This foundation falls into the day wear category for me and I am really happy with the effect it gives.

Have you tried either of these products?If so, what did you think of them?

Sleek Luminous Powder Review

I know alot of you guys wanted me to do a review of this product sooner rather than later so here it is! Now on first impressions, I'm not quite sure why they include a flat sponge applicator because this kind of thing would be useless for this powder (or any other product for that matter!). Why do so many brands insist on providing tools that are of no use whatsoever? They could save alot of money but just skipping that. Most girls have their own set of brushes to apply products. Here's a close look at the powder itself...

You can see the flecks of shimmer in it and the one I was sent is a warm golden colour (no.2) that swatches like this...

The first thing I notcied when I touched the powder is that it isn't as smooth as it could be, it feels like t should have been milled more thoroughly. You can't see the particles but you can feel them. This powder is probably best used as a highlighter on the very tops of the outer section of the cheekbones to avoid that shiny cheek look. Because it has slight shimmer in it, applying it all over the face could result in a whole lot of shimmer, which you don't really want if you're going for the subtle glowy look. The powder applies quite well in this way, I'm just a little disappointed that it isn't finer. Don't get me wrong, it's great value for what it is, but when I have the likes of Nars Albatross at my disposal which is amazing, the Sleek powder pales in comparison. I really wanted this to be a great dupe of the famous Nars powder but it didn't really live up to my expectations. It's priced at £5.99 but I would say that Prestige Skin Loving Minerals powder in Pure Shimmer would be better value for money if we are talking powder highlighters.

On the up side, I do like the warmth it brings to the cheeks, it's a nice colour and it does have a slightly illuminating effect. I think you could make it work as a subtle contouring powder as well (although I would only do that for a nightime look due to the shimmer).

All in all, the product is ok, but I think they could have worked a bit harder on the formula of the powder to make it feel smoother and more blendable, after all, that's what creates the 'flawless' look that a luminous powder such as this is trying to create.

If you have also tried this powder, let me know your thoughts!

Drama and Hourglass Goodies

Hi guys, hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was...eventful, shall we say. In short, I was in Edinburgh to celebrate a friend's birthday. I woke up on Saturday with an insect bite on my top lip but thought nothing of it. I started to feel awful during the day and went to bed early to sleep it off. But I woke up at 3am and my face felt tight and just weird and when I touched my cheek I knew something was wrong. I got up and looked in the bathroom mirror and my face was extremely swollen and red on one side (the side where I was bitten!). It was awful and really sore. I must have had an allergic reaction or something. Of course, me being me, I got all upset and freaked out. I held cold damp towels to my face and luckily it went down a bit. I took an anti-histamine on Sunday morning and that seemed to work wonders. My face went down alot so now it's just my top lip on one side that's swollen. It just looks like I've been punched in the face!ha ha. I have never ever had anything like this happen to me before so it was a bit of a shock. So that's my drama for the week.

Anyways, my fat lip aside, let's get down to business...

This is going to be a post on some Hourglass products, namely the Extreme Sheen Lipgloss, Superficial Lash Mascara and Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner. First up is the lipgloss...

This shade is called Ignite and it's a nude beige with slight gold shimmer. This is a very wearable shade and it's actually warmer toned than I thought it would be. The shimmer particles aren't too overbearing and it didn't feel gritty at all on my lips. The website describes it as a "water-resistant lip gloss that comes in a range of pretty shades. It has a brush applicator, ensuring it glides on smoothly and evenly. It smells delicious, as lip glosses should". Here's a swatch...

The formulation is very good and it lasts a long time without having to re-apply. It doesn't feel overly sticky or gloopy like some long lasting glosses can. Although it's hard for any gloss to stay put through eating and drinking. All in all, this is a nice lipgloss but I wouldn't say it blew me away. The packaging is pretty slick however it costs £21 which I think is too pricey for a product that's just 'nice'. I would probably much prefer to get a MAC Lipglass which would be cheaper and also you have the choice of a greater range of shades.

Next up is the Superficial Lash Mascara...

The wand looks pretty much exactly the same as the one for Estee Lauder Sumptuous which can only be a good thing as the tapered end makes it easier to grab the little lashes in the inner corners without poking your eye out. The website describes it as "Lash-defining and color-rich, Superficial Lash is a hydrating formula that coats lashes in weightless volume and sheen. Eyes are instantly highlighted as lashes visibly increase in volume, length, and height".

This mascara definitely lengthens and curls but I wouldn't say that it added any volume to my lashes. It didn't clump on application and it lasted pretty well over the day with no flaking or smudging. I would say this mascara gives the lashes a natural look and to be honest that's just not what I'm interested in. I want dramatic lashes or at least the option to have a buildable formula. This mascara just doesn't have the wow factor for me.

Lastly is the Calligraphy Liquidliner in Ebony (Black)...

The website describes this liner as a "refined felt-tip precision eye liner, infused with botanical extracts and pearl protein, creates striking, definitive eyes without tugging or skipping. The longwearing formula quickly dries to prevent smear and transfer. The formula contains antioxidant-rich rosemary, perilla, chamomile, and aloe extracts to soothe and moisturise the eyes. This product is waterproof, but comes off easily with all eye make-up removers".

Now, in my mind, £23.00 for a liquid liner is somewhat ridiculous bearing in mind that my HG waterproof liquid liner is Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero SmudgeLiquid Liner and is priced as £17.00. Yes this Hourglass liner is goof proof and has a long lasting formula that doesn't budge BUT why would I spend £6.00 more on a product when I can get the same results at a cheaper price. I don't mind spending a bit more money if I think the product is well worth the splurge (Hello Rouge Bunny Rouge!) but this brand has just got their pricings all wrong. I think they have overpriced their products completely and if you don't have the substance to back up the price tag, then customers won't be impressed at the end of the day.

So overall, I'm not that enamoured with the brand to be honest, all of the products I tried were nice with practical sleek packaging but that certainly doesn't warrant the prices.

Have you tried these products?

Sleek Luminous Powder

I received an illuminating powder today from Sleek to try out called 'Luminous'. Basically, it's a powder designed to be used to set foundation and gives a radiant finish. It's infused with light reflective mica pigments to give a dewy look to the skin. From what I can tell, it's in the same arena as Benefit One Hot Minute Powder which I have spoken about before (although this product is not rose gold). I think you would use it in the same way. I'm not a fan of shimmery products all over my face but I will test this product out all the same as it may not give a shimmery effect. If it does, I can always try it out as a highlighter instead. I will take pics when I do a review on Monday and will include swatches but here's a high res pic to give you a better idea of what the powder looks like (shade no.1 shown below)...
The shade I received is no.2 which is a lovely pale golden colour and on first impressions, it doesn't look overly shimmery in the pan. Apparently, the powder minimises skin imperfections however I have found in the past that any kind of shimmer HIGHLIGHTS imperfections rather than the opposite. However, I am going to remain impartial until I have tried it out over the weekend. The powder is said to absord excess oils, has SPF15 and contains jojoba to give a light velvety powder. It's available in four shades to suit all skin tones (I haven't seen all four shades so I can't comment on whether it would actually suit all skin tones). I am interested to see whether it could be a dupe of something like Nars Albatross. It will be priced at £5.99 and will be available in Superdrug stores later this month.

I will post a review of this product on Monday so stay tuned!

RMK Blush in Holographic Coral

I have been getting more into blushes lately and this one is probably the best powder one I now have in my collection (my favourite cream blush being the Jemma Kidd one in Paw Paw). It's an RMK one in the shade 'holographic coral', but I would say it looks more like a soft pale peach. Although I'm not sure what's holographic about it because it's not shimmery or glittery at all (thank goodness!). I love the sleek silver packaging although I do think that they could have ditched the small brush and had more product in a bigger pan. The brush isn't very useful and I prefer to use one of my own blush brushes to apply it to the apples of my cheeks. The colour is so perfect for me...

It's very subtle, matte/stain finish and just gives my cheeks the right amount of colour. I tend to find that when I'm more tanned, peachy shades are more flattering on me. When I'm a bit paler, I can revert back to pale pinks. This blush is just gorgeous, doesn't look powdery or chalky and lasts really well throughout the day. I am not really into bright blushes and I often find that with them, it's too easy to overdo it (you don't wanna be looking like Coco the Clown!).

What's your favourite Blusher at the moment?

Too Faced Palettes

Ever since seeing these palettes on Tali's blog (a.k.a The Gloss Goss), I have wanted to try them out. I LOVE the packaging with all the glittery bits on it, its so pretty! This kind of thing is totally up my street. First up, is the French & Fabulous Palette... The palette has 6 eyeshadows in it and two bronzers so it would be extremely handy for travelling and has a mirror for touch-ups. All the shadows are very wearable (you would be surprised how wearable the hot pink shade is when you pair it with one of the neutral ones). I adore the animal print look to the top bronzer, it's a unique twist on a powder...

Here's a closer look at the products inside...

I am in love with Totally Toasted Beige and Totally Toasted Brown as a subtle neutral combination for daytime. This can also be vamped up with the Ooh & Aah Black if you wanted to take the look into nightime. I thought the glitter particles in the black shade would create alot of fallout but as you will see from the swatch below the glitter doesn't show up as much as I thought it would which suits me fine as that can get messy...

I have just done the swatches in the order of the pans in the palette. The only shade I was disappointed with was the Poodle Puff Pink which wasn't as pigmented as I would like but the other eyeshadows more than make up for that! Poodle Puff Raisin is unlike any other eyeshadow I own, it's a purple toned brown but it's so easy to wear, it really surprised me that a shade like that could suit me but it does.

Here are the swatches of the bronzers...

These bronzers are fantastic quality for a palette, generally you find that when creating this type of palette, alot of brnads tend to overlook blushers or bronzers. They usually look and feel cheap but these bronzers are finely milled, smooth and buttery and very impressive. The animal print one (shown on the bottom) would actually be amazing as an eyeshadow as well. It's alot more shimmery than the top one and I would probably use this more as a highlighter than an all over face colour. The darker shade is perfect on my skin and creates a really natural golden glow without making you look orange or streaky. It isn't shimmery so it's more suitable for daytime use without looking too over the top.

Next up is the Glamour To Go III palette which is teensy weensy and so cute, this would easily fot in your pocket because it's so compact...

This palette would be great for those times when you want to take a few products on a night out to touch up your makeup but you only have a tiny bag. This palette has a top compartment with 8 gorgeous mini eyeshadow pans...

But it also has a bottom slide-out drawer with a blush and 4 lipglosses...

Once again the eyeshadows are just lovely (there are a couple of shades that look very similar if not the same as the last palette). I was alot more impressed with the pink shade in this palette as the pigmentation has alot better. The green shade on the top left is actually very flattering. I am also loving the taupe shade on the top right, this would be amazing paired with the pink! The camera really didn't do these colours justice...

Here's what the glosses look like as swatches (I will try and incorporate these into a FOTD so you can see what they look like on the lips)...

There's a pink toned lipgloss, a beige one with a metallic like finish, a red toned one and a sheer peachy natural one. Pretty much everything you need really.

LOVING the blush in this palette...such a gorgeous peach colour with a really luminous glowy effect. It just gives a natural flush to the cheeks without making you look shiny or shimmery. I always prefer satin or matte finish blushers for the daytime as they more suitable if you want to fake glowy cheeks!

I am really impressed with palettes, from the design of them to the quality of the products inside them. I love how practical and compact they are. I will be playing with loads of colour combinations this week and hope to post something else on them to show what looks I have come up with. Have any of you guys tried these yet?

Everyone should have this eyeshadow...

This product HAS to be THE most wearable eyeshadow I've ever seen before...it's Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Ruthless. I mean, maybe this is a bold statement to make but I reckon this colour would suit everyone either as a single wash on the eye or as a base colour to build on. Firstly, I love the cute cartooney packaging.... Unfortunately, the pan got shattered when I dropped it (yes, I did quietly sob and then kicked myself hard!ha ha) but nevermind, I can still use the eyeshadow all the same. Even though I do like more adventurous shades and like to experiment, I also love a neutral colour that you can just slap on in a hurry and you don't have to be precise with. Some days, I'm so tired in the morning, I just want something quick, reliable and easy to apply. This is where this gorgeous slightly frosty goldy beige comes in...(ignore the ugly condition of the pan!boo hoo)...

Some people may think that Beige equals boring but in this case, this buttery smooth, blendable eyeshadow is anything but dull! The shade is so delicate and flattering. It would be the perfect base colour for so many looks.

Here's a swatch...

I can see this becoming a firm favourite and something I will end up applying day after day.

What do you think?