Wednesday 27 May 2015

Review // Real Techniques Collector's Edition Sculpting Set.



Hi all -


I had planned this post out weeks ago but found myself being lazy with uploading the photos for it,forgive me for it's slowness! I realize this isn't as new and exciting now though I still love these brushes to death!

Personally,I'm a massive fan of Real Techniques as a brand,every brush I have from the Pixiwoo Sisters' brand is both unique and well-balanced. This Collectors Edition is no different. I'm in love with the metallic pink handles,and the comfort of having the black silicone on the end of each brush (Also a great help in preventing scratches on the bottom of the handles). All three brushes feel weighted but not too heavy on the hand. 









There are three different 'styles' of brush in this pack
  • Sculpting Brush
  • Fan Brush
  • Setting Brush


The brushes all feature similar bristles to the original synthetic line,which are soft,and easy to wash and dry. 


The Fan Brush is more likened to the Duo-Fiber collection bristles,that RT released a few years back. This makes it perfect for powder applications of all types. I'd say it was definitely better for highlighter and face powder than blush or contour,since it lacks preciseness due to the way the bristles sit. The Sculpting brush was better for contour and blush,contrary to it's sister brush,and was also excellent for liquid and powder foundation. The Setting Brush is a match made it heaven for under-eye powder and accurate blush application (with a darker shade,for example). It's easy to get colour exactly where you want it. 


As a whole,I'm loving this Collectors Edition of brushes from Real Techniques. I believe they're still readily available from most beauty retailers (Superdrug,Boots etc). I bought mine for around £20.99.

Do you have this set? Do you love it?


x ~ x



Thursday 19 February 2015

What should I keep in my make-up kit?

A friend of mine messaged me this morning,enquiring as to what she should keep in her standard make-up kit. Raring for the challenge of compiling a list (don't judge,I love making lists. Just me? Thought so.) I narrowed my basics down to a simple,easy to follow list with no specific brands involved. I decided I may as well share it here too!

I chose not to include brands here because quite frankly,nothing works for everyone universally. If you find something that works for you,please do share in a comment!

Here goes. My basic kit list. 



Makeup
-Foundation in your tone,a darker one aswell if you tan.
-Concealer ( as above)
-Powder,translucent or your tone but no lighter or darker
-Eyeshadow palettes of your choosing,include shades to compliment your eye colour (see the colour wheel for complimentary shades)
-Brow wax and powder OR pencil,& spoolie for shaping them
-Eyeshadow and face primers (I find silicone based the best)
-Liquid liner in black. -Mascaras in black & brown,volumising OR lengthening dependant on your lashes. -Kohl liner in black & brown,can include fun shades for a pop of colour.
-Matte vanilla highlight pigment/powder & shimmery white/pearl highlight pigment/powder (multi-use)

-Bronzer to suit your tone,if desired.
-Lipsticks in a range of shades. -Lip liners,if desired,in a range of shades. -Lip gloss - as above.
-Blushes in a range of colours,one bright pink and medium peach tone at least.
-Lip balms to suit preference and lip condition. 


Brushes & Other Tools

-Foundation buffing brush/sponge applicator (ie: 'Beauty Blender' type product)
-Concealer brush with a dome tip/sponge applicator.
-Fluffy blending brushes. -Dense,packed flat eyeshadow brush. (for shadow and pigment application) -Short smudging brush. -Pencil brush. -Angled liner brushes.
-Tapered powder/blush brush. -Rounded blush brush.
-Fine lip brush. -Fine liner brush.
-Eyelash curlers. -Good quality tweezers.




Hopefully this list is easy enough for anyone to follow. I wanted to make it simple and tangible,but most of all,realistic. Not everyone has the budget for expensive finishing powders or crazy pigment stacks so I left those out of this list. There's plenty of room for improvements and additional products here as well.


Stick by this list though,and it won't do you much wrong!


Sayonara,chums! :)


Saturday 22 November 2014

Review : Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Crayons.

Hullo
Me again,back with a short review of some exciting beauty finds from the drugstore. 




Although I'm not best familiar with the entire line of Maybelline lip products,something drew me to the sleek packaging of these crayon-shaped lip pencils. I picked up three shades in the range - 


Berry Much : A typical 'berry' shade with intense pigment.
Keep It Classy : A warm antique pink.
Essential Red : A basic and clean cherry red.
All three shades dry down to a satin finish with sheen.


Now,don't get me wrong,I love the packaging,but it can make application a tad bit messy and uncontrolled. I find touching up with a lip brush to be the best option. I like that Maybelline opted to put colour codes on the outer pencil as well,which helps a lot when choosing a shade.




For some reason,my instant reaction was thus : 'Surely they'll wear down in no time at all!'. It seems I was wrong - I've worn 'Berry Much' around 3-4 times now and the tip doesn't seem to show many signs of wear at all,minus a little bit of 'smoothing' around the edges. Hopefully this means I won't have to bust out the mega sharpener any time soon!

I love the finish and the wear time of these lip crayons,which last until I take them off at the end of the day. I find I have to touch up,lightly,after eating. Drinking only seems to take off a tiny amount of product too. 


L-R
Berry Much,Red Essential,Keep It Classy


I would strongly recommend a pre-exfoliation and lip balming before applying these as they can be slightly unforgiving. Regardless,if your lips are of the 'normal' variety (no significant dehydration or chapping troubles),you should fare just fine. These are great for layering too,I used Dior's Vie d'Enfer fluidstick over Red Essential and used it to create the most beautiful glossy red lip.



Each pencil cost a neat £4.99 on Superdrug right now - will you be picking any up?

x ~ x


Friday 7 November 2014

{Strictly Swatches} L'Oréal Paris La Palette Nude - Rosé

L'Oreal Paris are often recognized for their luxury products,and this palette is no exception. For a neat £14.99,this palette offers a mash-up of the beauty world's most up to date and trending colour schemes. Roses,taupes and warm matte shades make it a definite must-have. Wear time is good (8-9 hours),all shadows are smooth and blendable. 

Wouldn't this fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking?








x ~ x

Sunday 2 November 2014

Review : Benefit Cosmetics Sweet Shoppe 'Cheeky Sweet Spot' Holiday Blush Palette.


Okay guys,this may just be the cutest make-up item that I now own - just look at that packaging!

 I must confess that upon learning about this products existence I was thrilled and I think I may have cried a little. It was emotional. How could it be that Benefit Cosmetics had actually released a full palette of every single Box'O'Powder they've made?! It sounds too good to be true,and for the price,even I had to pinch myself a bit (Y'know,just to be sure I wasn't dreaming!)

But here it is,possibly one of Benefit's best ever Holiday sets,the 'Cheeky Sweet Spot' Blush palette.

Within this palette you will receive -

Dandelion - Pale candy pink.
Bella Bamba - Shimmering medium pink.
Sugarbomb - Frosted light peach. (Swirled together)
Hoola - Milk chocolate bronze shade.
Coralista - Light coral with shimmer.
Rockateur - Satin finish dark rose gold.

1.5g sample of Watts Up! cream highlighter.





Each blush comes in a range of servings (from roughly 4.0-6.0g per blush.),which works out to be an actual steal,and good news for bank accounts everywhere when you consider it's £29.50 price tag!

What I love about this first off,other than the packaging,is how each blush/bronzer harkens back to it's original scent. There's nothing worse than receiving a make-up item with an awful smell to it. The palette has that same sweet Box'O Powder fragrance,subtle enough to refrain from being offensive. 

I love the layout of the blush pans and since the box itself is durable tin,I'm pleased that they didn't go overboard with extra packaging just to make it look pretty. The embossed feature on the tin is a very nice touch also. 



L-R
Dandelion,Bella Bamba,Coralista,Hoola,Sugarbomb,Rockateur.


I can't vouch for them all being exactly the same as their individual counterparts,but I really love how each blush swatches and looks on the skin. I'm especially excited for Dandelion,which seems like it does a pretty good job of brightening my pale cheeks. Each blush is smooth in texture and blends well on the skin. Wear time between 5-8 hours depending on the blush. 




Included in the set is a miniature Watts Up! highlighter sample and a mini blush brush (usually supplied in every Benefit box powder,in a slightly larger size). The quality of the brush isn't amazing but I'd rather use one of my own brushes anyway. For those lacking other tools,you could certainly give the brush a go! The mini highlighter is a lovely addition to the palette and really rounds off the whole set.

Overall,this set is great quality and plenty of bang for your buck. I cannot recommend it more highly for the upcoming season. I think this would be an awesome holiday gift for any beauty junkie!


Will you be picking up Benefit's Cheeky Sweet Spot Palette this Christmas?

x ~ x



Tuesday 2 September 2014

Review | Lime Crime Clueless Witch Velvetines - Wicked & Salem.


Lime Crime has once again come up with a winning,budge-proof formula for their latest collection. Both shades that I own (there are three in the collection) of their Clueless Witch Velvetines are resistant to water,wear well and require very little maintenance throughout the day. These last until they are removed and dry down to a matte finish. Neither are particularly dehydrating nor hydrating,though I would recommend using a lip balm before application.





'Salem' is a chocolate brown shade upon application which fades to a more neutral toned brown as the velvetine 'sets' on the lips.











'Wicked' is a rich berry red (much darker in tone than 'Red Velvet' from the same Velvetine line.)
which harkens to an oxblood undertone. 






The Velvetines in this particular collection sport much smaller doe-foot applicators,which aids precision.




        Salem                                                                                                                     Wicked                  

                                   
Price-wise,these are no more expensive than the regular line of Velvetines from Lime Crime. I would argue that the packaging (the introduction of the new doe-foot applicator and colour change to the tube) have improved the line. With this in mind,Velvetines have had a place in my heart ever since Red Velvet was first released. I cannot praise them more highly and applaud LC on their improvements!


I bought mine from Love-Makeup priced at £13.50 each.
                   

x ~ x

Sunday 20 July 2014

Review - Eylure Shape&Sculpt Brow Trio (Dark)

Hey all!

I was browsing (as you do) in Superdrug about a week ago and stumbled upon a new Eylure shelf/display. The display seemed to be primarily brow-taming products. The very first thing that popped out to me was this : The Shape & Sculpt Brow Trio. After swatching the sample palette,I decided on the darkest trio (you can choose from three;light,medium and dark) to match my hair colour. 

It may be worth bearing in mind throughout this review that I don't have any particular brow ailments or scars,so I can't comment on the product's effectiveness in that way.


The packaging design of this product is simple and effective,a classic hinged compact with three square pans,a space for a dual-ended applicator and finally,a mirror in the top. I enjoy the sleek,basic feel of the trio and I like that it doesn't feel cheap,despite being made of plastic. 

The applicator they've provided could be used on the go,though I personally wouldn't be inclined to use it. I find the bristles of the angled end far too rigid,which means it cuts into the wax rather than picking up product. The sponge works fine with the highlight though. If you were truly in a fix,you could use the sponge for all three pans.





L - R
Wax,Powder,Highlight.



The product in the pans work very nicely for their intended purposes,although they do not appear to swatch as well. The wax is fairly emollient once it's been warmed up with fingertips but the dark powder can seem slightly dry. I'm quite impressed with the powder highlighter they've provided though,which,though still a dryer formula,really brightens up the arch of the brow when applied. The 'lack of' pigment lends itself to anyone with a heavy hand,making it easier to prevent over-the-top application! In order to test this,I took photos (before and after) of my first time using the product -


* First Attempt *

Before.

After.
I applied the wax first and filled in with the powder,with highlighter underneath the arch as instructed on the packaging. My brows were set in place all day and did not move until I removed the wax and powders.


~



Overall I'm happy with this palette,it's easy to use,travel friendly and suits my personal needs. I have a feeling this product will get knocked for it's dry texture in places but for me,this isn't much of an issue. The palette can be found in Superdrug and online at around £9.00.


 Let me know what you think of this palette in a comment below! 
x ~ x