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Posts tagged Lip
Primark PS Love Lip Gloss
1
7 years
by Naomi in Lips
Last weekend I bought this PS Love lip gloss from Primark, to replace the day-to-day gloss that I was using previously. At £1.50 I wasn’t expecting much, and was even slightly dubious about buying it as I thought it would be sticky like a lot of cheap glosses tend to be, but it’s actually a really lovely gloss.
The gloss comes in a squeezy tube, with a square applicator brush attached. To apply, you just squeeze the tube gently and a small amount of gloss oozes into the brush, which can then be applied to the lips. I actually prefer this method of application to the typical sponge wand, as the gloss seems to go on more evenly in a thinner layer.
The consistency of the gloss is also really nice. Rather than being sticky it’s light and moisturising, so doesn’t feel uncomfortable and drying on the lips. I’d even go as far to say I like it more than Illamasqua’s lip glosses in terms of consistency, as theirs tend to be quite gloopy! It also lasts a fair while compared to a lot of glosses I own, and stays put without fading for a good few hours before reapplication is needed.
There are a few different shades of this gloss available, including a red and a pale pink, but I settled for this purple toned fuchsia pink as I think it best suits my skin tone. I wasn’t expecting amazing pigmentation considering the price, but I was proven wrong. The colour is really pretty and perfect for spring, and it’s actually quite highly pigmented, so gives fairly bold coverage rather than sheer. It also tints the lips slightly, so even when it wears off, there is still a subtle hint of colour left behind.
Overall, the quality of this Primark lip gloss is impressively high, and at £1.50 it’s worth stocking up on.
Have you ever tried any Primark make up? What did you think of it?
Naomi x
Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in ‘Revenge’
3
7 years
by Naomi in Lips
After seeing a few reviews of Collection’s new Gothic Glam lipsticks popping up on other blogs, last weekend I decided to nip into Superdrug and pick one up so I could give it a try myself. I’ve always loved a dark lipstick, ever since my teenage Goth days, and the Gothic Glam range features three beautiful deep shades that are just my thing, so I had high hopes from the start.
The three shades are 1 Seduction, a lovely pinky red, 2 Scorned, a dark purple, and 3 Revenge, a deep berry red, which is the shade I went for, and they’re all perfect for Autumn/Winter. All three lipsticks have Collection’s signature black packaging, but rather than pink it is embellished with gold, which I think gives it a more luxe look.
The lipstick itself has a very creamy texture, so it glides on easily and evenly. It’s also quite moisturising, however, I would still recommend using a lip balm underneath, or exfoliating your lips before use, as after a while it tends to show up darker on any dry patches/creases. Not ideal in winter I must say!
‘Revenge’ is a stunning, vampy, almost maroon red, and is very highly pigmented, or as Collection says, ‘deeply intense’. The colour lasts well on the lips and it stays bold for several hours after application, but it does eventually start to wear off, and needs touching up every now and then. But I tend to expect that of dark shades anyway. I have noticed that it acts almost like a lip tint though, as even after I’ve removed it my lips look slightly stained with a hint of berry red.
Collection’s Gothic Glam lipsticks retail for £2.99 each, which is just so affordable, and for a budget product ‘Revenge’ is really quite impressive. The colour and staying power could even rival some of my more expensive lipsticks! It reminds me a little bit of Dainty Doll’s 001 Couture, which is another of my favourites. So, if you love dark shades and are willing to moisturise/exfoliate before applying lipstick, then Collection Gothic Glam Lipsticks could be for you. You can find them in Superdrug and Boots!
What are your thoughts on this range?
Naomi x
Dainty Doll Lipstick in 001 Couture
20
8 years
by Naomi in Lips
Last month I came across a great little website called Fragrance Direct, which sells beauty products from a wide range of well-known brands at bargain prices. There was a lot of hype on Twitter about the website as they were (and still are) selling Dainty Doll make up for just a couple of pounds each, and since I’d been eyeing the brand up for a while I took the plunge and ordered a few products. I posted about my Fragrance Direct haul at the time, and as promised here is my first review from the haul, featuring Dainty Doll lipstick in 001 Couture!
Dainty Doll is the make up brand of Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud, and was specially developed to suit those with fair skin tones. As a pale and proud girl myself, I am very pleased to have finally discovered a brand created to enhance my natural colouring, and the quality does not disappoint (I have also tried two blushers and a concealer, which I will review at a later date). All Dainty Doll products come packaged in distinctive black packaging with gold font, emblazoned with a sassy red-head, and the lipstick has a nice weight to it which makes it feel that little bit more expensive.
Couture is a dark berry red with a slight glossy finish, which has a real vintage feel to it. Berry shades were perhaps more suited to the Autumn/Winter 2012 look, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with pulling out a classic red at any time of the year! This has been my go-to colour for the last few weeks, and whether with jeans and a jumper or a pretty dress, it goes with anything.
The lipstick has a creamy consistency which makes for effortless application, and it feels delicately moisturising and not at all drying. However, I do find that it shows up any imperfections on dry lips, so it’s probably best to use a lip scrub or a lip balm before applying the lipstick. Other than that, I have had no issues with Couture, and it stays put without bleeding or smudging. It also lasts well, and tends to look exactly the same after lunch as it does in the morning, which is quite impressive! It does fade a little in the afternoon though and needs touching up, but it fades evenly so at least it doesn’t look ridiculous.
Overall, this is a fab little lipstick which is versatile, great quality and downright gorgeous. Dainty Doll lipsticks have an RRP of £12.50, but Couture cost me just £1.99 which is a brilliant saving by anyone’s standards! I would happily pay a lot more than £1.99 for this, so needless to say I am very happy with his little gem. You can view Fragrance Direct’s full range of Dainty Doll products here. Their website gets restocked every few days from what I can see, so it’s best to keep checking back to see what they have!
What do you think of this shade?
Naomi x
BeTrousse Glitz & Glamour Beauty Kit
1
8 years
by Naomi in Beauty Boxes
2013 has been a quiet year for BeTrousse so far, with only a sale to their name since December, but towards the end of March I received their first beauty kit of the year, the Glitz & Glamour box. I was beginning to worry that they had run out of ideas so I was pleased to receive another kit unexpectedly, especially as it’s a good one!
The Glitz & Glamour beauty kit contains five full-size products to help you ‘get gorgeous’, and so far they haven’t disappointed. Every item in the box is different this time, with no repeats from past boxes, and no similar products within the box!
From Left to Right:
Jason Rosewater & Chamomile Normalising Shampoo
Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
Fair Naturally Mango & Safflower Body Moisturiser
Make Believe Enhance Shimmer Lip Gloss
Tulecos Tonifying Oil
As usual, BeTrousse provide full-size products so you can get a real feel for each one before deciding whether to repurchase, so for now I will give my first thoughts on each product and review a few, if not all of them, at a later date.
Jason Rosewater & Chamomile Normalising Shampoo – 255ml – RRP £7.29
This is the first shampoo to appear in a BeTrousse box and I absolutely love it. It is delicately scented with rosewater and chamomile (no parabens!), which help to soothe and balance the scalp, as the natural ingredients remove dirt without stripping away moisture. As such, it leaves hair feeling incredibly soft and clean, and also adds volume. A definite winner!
Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser – 30ml – RRP £14.00
I haven’t yet tried this G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser, but it is 100% natural and claims to remove impurities from the skin. I’ve used a Benta Berry moisturiser in the past and it was quite pleasant, so if this is anything like its cousin I expect it will do its job well!
Fair Naturally Mango & Safflower Body Moisturiser – 200ml – RRP £3.99
Fair Naturally’s Mango & Safflower Body Lotion is the cheapest product in the box, but also my favourite. It smells absolutely delicious, like peach yoghurt, and has a rich, creamy texture which massages in well, leaving skin feeling soft but not greasy. It’s organic, fair trade and made in the UK too – three things I always look for in products. I will be repurchasing this one!
Make Believe Enhance Shimmer Lip Gloss – 15ml – RRP £10.00
Make Believe are known best for their tanning products, and this lip gloss is supposed to enhance your tan. It is very sheer, but has a slight pink colour to it and a beautiful shimmer. It smells a bit like watermelon, but the scent soon turns a bit plasticky which isn’t great. I’m not usually a fan of tube glosses as they tend to be quite sticky, but this one feels lovely on the lips – almost like a lip balm.
Tulecos Tonifying Oil – 50ml – £33.00
I wasn’t familiar with Tulecos before receiving this box, but I have since learnt that they are an organic French brand who use essential oils to create luxury products. This tonifying oil contains peppermint oil, and is for use on the feet. It feels silky soft on the skin, has a relaxing, cooling effect, and softens any rough bits almost instantly. A fab little addition!
BeTrousse’s Glitz & Glamour beauty kit is available online and costs £10, which is well worth it considering you get five full-size products with a total RRP of £70, especially as with most beauty boxes you’re lucky if you get one full-size product for the same price! The box is full of unfamiliar brands and everything in it is great quality, so if you want to try something new for less then this is the box for you.
Naomi x
*This BeTrousse Glitz & Glamour Beauty Kit was sent to me by BeTrousse for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Lipstick Queen Lipsticks and Lip Liner
9
8 years
by Naomi in Lips
Last week I received a very exciting goody bag from the lovely folks at Beauty Expert, containing not one, not two, but THREE Lipstick Queen products. Lipstick Queen was created by Poppy King, who has spent twenty years developing beautiful lipsticks with perfect textures and shades, and is a brand I have heard a lot of good things about. Two of Lipstick Queen’s most popular ranges are Saint, which features a wide range of sheer shades, and Sinner, which features the same shades but in bold, opaque hues. I was lucky enough to receive two lipsticks – one Saint and one Sinner, as well as a genius product that I wish I’d invented myself – the Invisible Lip Liner.
Clockwise from Top Left:
– Saint Sheer Lipstick in ‘Bright Natural’ – Sinner Opaque Lipstick in ‘Bright Rose’ – Invisible Lip Liner –
Over the past ten days I have been putting all three products through their paces, and the results have exceeded my expectations. Here are my thoughts on each little treat…
Invisible Lip Liner
There are two things that usually put me off using lip liner – my inability to draw a neat line, and the difficulty in finding a colour match for my lipsticks. Lipstick Queen’s Invisible Lip Liner tackles both of these problems, and is a product I’ve always longed for but never knew actually existed. The liner itself looks white, but applies to the lips clear, and it isn’t shiny so cannot be seen. This means you don’t have to worry about having a steady hand as it doesn’t really matter if you slip! The liner is also firm, but it has a smooth, moisturising consistency and glides on without tugging at your skin.
Perhaps most importantly, the liner does its job, and it does it well. It provides a neat barrier between your skin and the edge of your lips, and whilst wearing it I have never experienced any bleeding from my lipstick. It enables the appearance of a flawless pout without the worry of having to find a liner shade to match every lipstick you own. It literally goes well with any lipstick, and is as such the most versatile lip liner I have ever come across! Just see the swatch photographs below for proof.
Lipstick Queen Invisible Lip Liner retails for £17.00, which is a little on the pricey side, but if you’re looking for a high quality liner with a difference then this is worth every penny.
Saint Sheer Lipstick in ‘Bright Natural’
Lipstick Queen’s Saint lipsticks all have a sheer finish with a hint of light colour, and are perfect for everyday wear whilst still adding a touch of glamour to every outfit. ‘Bright Natural’ is an extremely pretty shade, with an overtone of pink which highlights your natural lip colour – ideal for days when you want to work the natural look!
The lipstick has an impressively light consistency, and is, in all honesty, the most moisturising lipstick I have ever had the pleasure of wearing (other than Sinner, of course)! It covers the lips in a layer of tinted shine which feels like a nourishing lip balm, and remains creamy and airy for as long as you wear it. I even forgot I was wearing lipstick when I had it on the other day. There is no chance of suffering any dryness with this, and it’s actually made my dry winter lips feel a whole lot better. This lipstick lasts too, and for a very long time at that! After wearing it earlier this week, a few hours, numerous drinks and a snack later it still looked as gorgeous as ever, and stayed that way until I removed it myself.
‘Bright Natural’, and all the other Saint Lipsticks, cost £18.00 each on Beauty Expert. Given their AMAZING formula they are a worthy investment, and you also get 4 grams of product, which is a whole 1 gram more than a lot of high-end lipsticks.
Sinner Opaque Lipstick in ‘Bright Rose’
The Sinner range of lipsticks from Lipstick Queen features a collection of intense, highly pigmented opaque shades which are guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd. ‘Bright Rose’ is a sexy shade of vibrant red which is brighter than I’ve ever gone before, and I love it. It looks gorgeous teamed with sleek black eyeliner for a day look (which is how I’ve been wearing it this week), or for the evening it would go hand in hand with dramatic smokey eyes. It has great, long-lasting shine too, but no added shimmer so doesn’t look over the top.
Like Saint, Sinner is soft and moisturising as it is formulated with shea butter, so actively protects and heals the delicate skin of your lips whilst making you look fantastic. When I first wore this I was slightly worried that it wouldn’t last as well as ‘Bright Natural’, as every time I took a sip of water it left a big red smudge on the glass. However, much to my surprise, ‘Bright Rose’ lasts just as long, and despite the marks on the glass retains its striking appearance for hours upon end. It even survived my homemade pizza feast earlier this week!
Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipsticks, including ‘Bright Rose’, also contain 4 grams of high-quality product and also sell for £18.00 each.
Here is a swatch of all three products together, and yes, the Invisible Lip Liner has been swatched between both lipsticks – you just can’t see it!
The full range of Lipstick Queen Saint and Sinner lipsticks, as well as the Invisible Lip Liner, are available to buy on Beauty Expert along with a variety of other Lipstick Queen goodies, including coloured lip liners, Butterfly Ball Shimmer lipsticks and Big Bang Illusion glosses. Just click here to view everything! Beauty Expert offer FREE Standard UK and International Delivery too, which is an extra little bonus.
Naomi x
*These Lipstick Queen products were sent to me by Beauty Expert/The Hut Group for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
My Budget Beauty Swap Parcel
9
Early last month I launched my Budget Beauty Blogger Swap. The budget for the swap was £10/€12/$16, and the aim was to buy your swap partner as many beauty products as you could within the budget – quite a challenge, but not impossible! So far, I have already seen quite a few posts from bloggers sharing their swap parcels, and everything sent and received has been brilliant.
Today it was my turn to receive my parcel all the way from Beverly Hills in LA. My swap partner was the lovely India, a US beauty blogger who runs beautynthbrains. I answered the door to the postman this morning to see him holding a box with the US postal logo on it, and I knew what it was straight away. As I’m sure you can imagine, I was really excited to see what was inside the parcel so I opened it in a hurry, and was met by this pretty pink, spiralled package, packed full of amazing products.
When I saw this little haul I was over the moon! Everything India sent is exactly my colour, and I was really happy to receive products from so many brands that we don’t have in the UK. I will be reviewing each of the products separately in the coming weeks once I’ve had a chance to use them properly, but here are my first thoughts on everything…
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Shimmer The Night Away
I was incredibly happy to receive a Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette, as I have heard a lot of good things about them and they are highly sought after in the UK. The palette I received is Shimmer The Night Away, which features eight shimmery shades – four suitable for a smoky eye look, and four pinks and purples which are my go-to colours – perfect.
Everyday Minerals Stay Cool Matte Eyes Eyeshadow
Everyday Minerals isn’t a brand that I’m familiar with, and I don’t own many mineral eyeshadows, so I’m really looking forward to experimenting with this. The colour is a deep grey with a lovely violet undertone, which will incorporate well into my usual colour palette.
Sephora Nano Eye Pencil in Midnight Black
India and I told each other a few items that we had been lusting after, and Sephora Nano Eyeliner was one of mine. I adore bold, black eyeliner looks so this is ideal for me. I’ve swatched the liner on my hand and, as the Sephora website says, it is highly pigmented and glides on easily as it’s enriched with shea butter.
Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink
Sephora’s Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink was another of my requests, and it hasn’t disappointed. I wore this today and it applies smoothly and lasts a very long time. The bright pink shade is absolutely stunning, and the micro-glitter finish gives incredibly shine. I think it’s reminiscent of Barry M’s Lip Lacquer Crayon in Party Pink. Gorgeous!
Sephora Pencil Sharpener
I’ve been meaning to buy a new pencil sharpener for ages now as my old one is on its way out, so this was a great little accessory to find in my swap parcel. India must have read my mind!
Model Co Lip Gloss
Model Co is another brand that I’ve never used before. The gloss doesn’t have a name or colour labelled on it, but it’s a bright shimmery pinky red with a sheer finish. I didn’t find the gloss overly sticky when I tried it on earlier, and it has an intense strawberry scent and flavour which I love. The mirror on the tube is so handy too. I’ll definitely be using this gloss on a regular basis.
Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipes
India also sent me four cosmetic sanitizer wipes which are for cleaning cosmetics before or after use. Another nice little addition which will be carried in my make up bag for cleansing on the go.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with what I received in my swap parcel. I imagine India went over the budget with her buys, so thank you India for being so generous and sending me so many fantastic treats. I feel well and truly spoilt today! Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph everything I sent, but hopefully India will share everything in a post of her own when her parcel arrives. I posted almost two weeks ago so fingers crossed it will reach the US soon!
I plan on linking to everyone’s swap parcel posts in a blog post very soon, so if you’ve received your parcel and have blogged about it please let me know!
Naomi x
Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care Lip Love Balm
3As I’m sure many of you will have found out the hard way, the cold, harsh winter weather can cause damage to your skin, especially your lips, leaving them sore and dry. As such, I find it is essential to use a good lip balm regularly to combat this damage, and I have found the ideal balm in Tropic Skin Care’s Lip Love Balm, as it is not only great for your lips, but can be used to protect other areas of dry skin too.
Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care was launched in 2007, and has three main principles – their products are Pure, their pricing is Honest, and they are also Effective. Everything in the Tropic range is vegan, which is great news for veggies like me, and it’s all made from completely natural plant extracts, so is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. The company is also keen to reduce its carbon footprint so they use recyclable, sustainable packaging materials wherever possible. Tropic’s ethical image really appeals to me as my aim for 2013 is to go completely cruelty free, and to top it all off their products are wonderful too. Here’s what I thought of their Lip Love Balm…
Tropic’s Lip Love Balm comes in a dainty 10ml pot, which is the perfect size to carry with you in your pocket or bag. The packaging is simple, but the orange metallic lid makes it stand out, giving it a more luxurious look than the average lip balm. The lid is also a screw top, a minor detail which is actually quite important, as it won’t fall off in your bag like press on lids sometimes do!
As you can see from the photo above, every single ingredient in the lip balm is natural, and comfortingly recognisable, meaning you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals damaging the delicate skin of your lips. Rather, each natural plant extract combines to form a beautiful, versatile lip balm. Believe me, once you’ve tried it you’ll be a convert!
In the pot the balm looks a stunning sunset orange colour, and it gives your lips a gorgeous golden tint. The balm isn’t strongly scented, but it has a sweet, subtle aroma of lemon, orange and peppermint, which is really quite refreshing as the peppermint adds a slight cooling effect.
Lip Love Balm has a soft, creamy texture and is easily applied with a fingertip. Thanks to the nourishing Shea and Cocoa butters, it feels intensely moisturising on the lips and forms a long-lasting protective layer which helps heal dry and cracked skin – perfect for this time of year! I’ve been using this for about a week now, and I have already noticed a big difference. My lips have shed their winter dryness so look a lot healthier, and feel a lot softer, which I’m very happy about. The balm isn’t greasy either, yet it makes your lips look incredibly shiny, and works really well over matte lipstick – it keeps it in place for a lot longer than usual and gives it a lovely glossy sheen.
As I mentioned earlier, Tropic’s Love Balm is also great for hydrating other areas of skin. Their website states that it can be used on your nails, cuticles, elbows and heels, but I’ve also been using it on my knuckles as they’re quite dry, and it’s been working wonders. My favourite alternative use, however, is as a cuticle cream. My cuticles have taken a bit of a battering over the past few months, what with all the nail varnish I’ve been using, and again because of the cold weather, and as a result haven’t been looking their best. Impressively, I found that within a few days of using the balm on my cuticles every morning, they were a lot neater and more supple. Carrot oil, avocado, rosehip and macadamia are known for their skin renewing properties, and for improving skin elasticity, and their concentrated levels in this balm really help it to work its magic very quickly.
Tropic Skin Care Lip Love Balm costs just £5.00, and considering the small amount you need to feel the benefits and make a difference, it really is worth every penny. If you’re looking for a high quality, multipurpose balm to take you through winter and into spring then this is definitely it – choosing natural products really does pay off! If you’d like to try this for yourself, now is your chance as Tropic Skin Care are currently offering FREE UK P&P on all orders placed before midnight on the 31st of January. Just enter the code ‘TROPICTREATS‘ at the checkout.
You can view the full Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care range here – they have such a wide range of products, from Cloth Cleansers to Body Butters to Body Oil, and its all affordable! Which Tropic product would you most like to try?
Naomi x
*I was sent this Lip Love Balm by Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.*
Sally Hansen Diamond 12 Hr Lip Treatment in ‘Fancy’
11
8 years
by Naomi in Lips
A couple of months ago, during one of my bargain beauty binges, I picked up this tube of Sally Hansen Diamond 12 Hr Lip Treatment from the pound shop for, you guessed it, £1. However, as happens to quite a lot of the make up that I buy on impulse, I put it in my make up drawer and forgot about it. Until recently, that is.
What first drew me to this gloss was the fact that it was from Sally Hansen, as I love Sally’s nail products so thought I’d give her make up a go too. The tube doesn’t actually say what the Diamond 12 Hr Lip Treatment is supposed to do, but according to the internet it is intended to condition and moisturise the lips for up to 12 hours, and give them diamond-like shine!
The gloss comes in a fairly large tube, with a sparkly polka dot lid, which is cute. The applicator inside the tube is very different to what I was expecting, however. Instead of the typical sponge applicator, it comes with a tapered bristle brush. The brush is quite fine which I thought would make precise application a lot easier, but it is actually quite difficult to use. The bristles tend to fan out rather a lot, which makes a bit of a mess, and the gloss itself is horribly thick and gloopy, so it doesn’t smooth out very well. Having said that, the gloss does smell lovely, almost like cinnamon bubblegum, so I will give it that.
The colour I chose from the several available was ‘Fancy’, which in the light of the shop looked like a deep shimmery red, perfect for Autumn’s berry trend. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed with the colour when I first tried it, as it is a lot more orange in reality than it looks in the tube, and I’m not a fan of orange make up. The shade is slowly growing on me though, and the gloss does have incredible shine, and the diamond-like shimmer throughout it is really pretty.
On the lips, the gloss looks nice. The colour is strong and the shine is brilliant, but it’s not breathtaking. It’s just… nice. It’s not a comfortable gloss to wear either. As I said before, the formula is very thick, so it feels heavy and sticky on the lips, and though it feels quite moisturising, I always end up rubbing the gloss off within an hour, so I have no idea whether it actually lasts for 12 hours or not! It does make your lips tingle slightly though, which is fairly pleasant.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite gloss in my collection, and I don’t think I’d buy another one like it from the Sally Hansen range, even at only £1. I noticed that the Diamond 12 Hr Lip Treatment glosses are no longer listed on the Sally Hansen website, so hopefully they’ve done the right thing and discontinued it, and replaced it with a better gloss. I think I’ll stick to Sally’s nail products from now on!
Naomi x
Unboxing my First Illamasqua Order
11Illamasqua are a brand that have intrigued me for a long time. They’re British and known for being cruelty-free, and being a British vegetarian myself I am all for local, ethical businesses. Their website states that they are dedicated to ‘self-expression through make up art’ whilst ‘challenging the conventions of the make-up industry’. I have never been one for sticking to conventions, so I was really drawn to their wide range of unusual colours and cosmetics when I discovered them many moons ago. The brand have been around since 2008, but despite my long term obsession with their make up, I received my first ever Illamasqua order today. I know I’m a bit late to the Illamasqua party, but better late than never! I don’t usually do unboxing posts as they can be a bit boring and I did only order two items from the sale that I’d been eyeing up for a while, but I thought I’d give you a sneak peek of what I’ll be reviewing in the coming days/weeks 
From what I’ve seen on other blogs, all Illamasqua orders come packaged in a black cardboard box like this:
Not terribly exciting to look at, but that ‘beauty box’ element makes it feel a little bit more luxurious than receiving your items in a plain ol’ jiffy bag.
Upon opening the box, I was greeted with my receipt and a flyer about their Skin Base Foundation.
Underneath the flyer were two little freebie items. When I placed my order I was given the opportunity to add one, both or neither of the freebies to my order, so obviously I went for both of them! I was sent a 1.5ml sample of Illamasqua’s new fragrance ‘Freak’, and a booklet of their Human Fundamentalism collection which I’m really looking forward to browsing. It has some great pictures inside of different and unusual make up looks which I’m sure I can draw some inspiration from!
I tried the perfume out earlier and though it isn’t as sweet as the perfume I would normally choose, I have really taken to it. It’s also lasted a long time on my skin and smells as strong as it did when I first put it on a few hours ago.
And now, onto what I actually bought… Sheer Lipgloss in ‘Tantrum’ for £7.50 (RRP £13.00) and Nail Varnish in ‘Snap’ for £5 (RRP £13.50). I must point out that I absolutely love Illamasqua’s classy black packaging!
I’ve already swatched both products and they seem promising! ‘Tantrum’ is a gorgeous pinky purple shade, described as a ‘deep berry pink’ on their website, and ‘Snap’ is ‘rich pewter’ with a ‘shimmer finish’. But that’s all I’ll say for now! Keep an eye out for my review posts of everything, including the ‘Freak’ sample, which I’ll be doing soon
Have you tried any Illamasqua make up?
Naomi x
Avon Glow Lip Gloss in ‘Ultra Violet’
2
8 years
by Naomi in Lips
For a while now I have been looking for a decent but affordable summer gloss, and whilst browsing the last Avon brochure I came across this one – Avon Glow. The gloss comes in four shades; Pink Sunset, Ultra Violet (the one I went for), Coral Oasis and Sunskissed Nude, and has an SPF of 15 to give protection from the sun.
As you can see, the packaging is very basic, but sometimes simple is better and I think the gold detail and little sun logo are quite nice and summery. In the tube and on the brush, the gloss looks quite highly pigmented in a bold pink with purple undertones, but this doesn’t translate onto the lips!
The picture above shows two layers of gloss. The colour isn’t very strong at all, but it does have a delicate tint to it and a lot of shine, which gives it the ‘glow’ that the name suggests. I think it’s quite pretty, really. The Avon brochure says that this gloss ‘gives lips luscious moisture without the stickiness’, but I found it to be quite a bit stickier than a lot of other Avon glosses. It felt quite thick after two coats, but with one it was just about bearable. Having said that, it is definitely moisturising and the moisture lasts a long time.
I really like how subtle this gloss is… It may not be bold, but it is perfect if you want to create a fresh, girly, neutral look. I wore it on saturday to my friend’s wedding. If you want to see the look I went for, I posted it about it here. Though I wouldn’t say this is my ultimate summer gloss, I am very happy with it and would probably repurchase. All four shades are currently on offer for just £2.99 – turn to page 12 of my personal online brochure to see the offer!
Naomi x
PS. Here is a bonus photo of my kitty, Moth! She was being nosy whilst I was taking the above photos so I took some of her too She looks a bit bedraggled because we had storms all day and she was prancing about in the rain haha.
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