Sleek lip product review + lip swatches

A few months ago, I received a birthday present from my friend Phoebe – thank you ever so much! As a fan of orange toned lip products the gift was perfect and shows the great quality of sleek products. The gift in question was the Sleek MakeUp Lip 4 Lipstick in the shade siren The first red colour is the most intense, all the colours apply with ridiculous pigmentation a little goes a VERY long way!

This after one coat, it is bold and almost glossy but if blotted creates a nice matte, intense stain. It is a very glam colour and does require a lip brush to apply as with most red lipsticks it is very annoying having to tidy up a red lip that has smeared across your foundation! This is the easiest to apply, it glides over dry patches and sits on the lips comfortably. It doesn’t dry and collect in fine lines and remains very intense for a long time. It is worth the £8.99 just for this red.

The bright orange is a surprisingly wearable shade for everyday. It brightens up the face and sits nicely on the lips it is long lasting and can be made more intense. It dries matte but doesn’t dry out the lips. The product does sometime need a bit of warming up first otherwise application at first, this is the same for every shade except for the red.

This shade is my least favourite partly because I don’t get along with nude lip shade. This shade sits the heaviest on the lips and if your lips are dry will emphasise it but if you apply a balm underneath or a gloss over the top it is very long lasting and is a fun lip colour for experimenting with 60s makes up looks.

The pink shade is almost identical to the orange shade with how it sits and lasts on the lips. It is a fun pop of colour that will suit many skin tones and adds a nice burst of colour taking your make up look into the spring.

Overall it is a great quality palette wit fun shades which last on the lips. The shades will never get old and you won’t be hitting pan on any of them anytime soon as they are so incredibly pigmented! Sleek have a whole range of colour isn’t your thing I highly recommend browsing and swatching some of their other lip quads.
Thanks for reading

Brand review: Topshop make up

As I said in my last blog post, I am a big topshop make up fan, I think all the products are good quality, I am glad that the collection is expanding and everything is at a very reasonable price. The packaging is simple yet effective making every product seem unique yet practical.

The topshop glow is a really beautiful product, it gives the perfect glow to the top of the cheeks and on the Cupid’s bow, it looks good in any make up look and is to me a summer staple!

I have two of there eyeshadow’s, this pretty, very 60s blue and silver is a very nice no offensive blue, the eye shadows are buttery, pigmented and blend really nicely into the the eye lids. The eye shadow is in the shade Done and dusted and is £6.00, the other eye shadow, a navy and almost charcoal mixed with silver in the shade backstage whisper

I also like to use this as a liner.

Topshop blushes are well reviewed this blush is Flushed is a pretty cream blush which looks good with any thing and is very easy to apply it is £7.00.

I am a big fan of Topshop lipsticks and as you can see by the state of the packaging, mine are well loved. This is the shade Nevada, the constituency is nice and the staying power is good the only thing is the shade doesn’t always suit my complexion but lightly dabbed on or mixed with a pinker shade it is very wearable.

this is the shade Beguiled it is a beautiful vampy red with a bit of glitter running through, making it look very glamorous, if you are reading this Beth thank you very much!! The lipsticks are £8.00. Over all I really enjoy topshop make up, I may do a part 2 in the future, there products are consistent and very affordable the the packaging makes it feel more expensive! I would strongly recommend all the topshop make up products I own. Thanks for reading 🙂

Kat Von D Esperanza Palette: review and swatches.

This palette was a present bought back from the USA by my lovely friend Pao.

The packaging is really really pretty. It’s sturdy cardboard with a sizable mirror (yes!) which is always a plus. (as you can see in the photo my mirror is smeary and gross but that’s just life for you.) The funky sugar skull design makes me happy.

It has eight colours which you can sorta pair up for lid and crease- I like to do Galore + Dog Roses, South + Placebo or Archangel and Santeria.

Here are the colours:

The pans are really big, so you’re getting quite a decent amount of product.

And herrrrre are my arm swatches:

The most flattering and easy to wear combo is definitely Galore + Dog Roses, they’re soft and buttery and gold and just light up your face.

Archangel also has a really nice dreamy texture and is heavily pigmented, but is a slightly harder colour to pull off.

I use South a lot since as you can see it is literally the exact same colour as my skin, which is useful for a base lid colour. It would also be a good highlight on darker skin tones.

Santeria was the biggest disappointment, in the pan it looks like this glorious greeny mermaid colour but on your skin it just looks kinda murky.

Dayglow is MAGIC. In my photos it looks like a chalky white but it’s really a duochrome. It’s so cool that I can’t even describe what colour it is! It’s definitely very glowy. It’s a kind of silvery golden greenish alien angel colour. You can see it SLIGHTLY better in this eye swatch I did but it can’t capture the fact that this looks BEAUTIFUL under light.

I am normally a strictly neutrals-only brown smokey eye kind of girl, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are the same. It’s a perfect way to start experimenting with colour if you want to play with brights but are not quite ready for UD’s Electric! The colours are all non-threatening and flattering on most skintones. If you’re already comfortable with colour, I think this would make a great everyday handbag palette, since there are a lot of combinations and you could easily use it for both day and night looks.

I do have to admit that I find myself using Galore + Dog Roses the most; clearly I’m not very adventurous with my eyeshadow! You can see a FOTD using these colours here.

Budget Brand MakeupRevolution HAUL

I’ve been interested in buying from new affordable makeup range MakeupRevolution ever since I found out that they offer a white foundation for mixing, since I’m very pale and have loads of foundations that are just too dark. (see more on this here)

I took the plunge and ordered a few bits, including some of their pastel bright lipsticks- at only £1 each it doesn’t matter if I’m to chicken to wear them out!

The Blushes

Vivid Blush Lacquer in Desire and Heat

My first thought when I saw these was ‘oh, they’re quite small’.

That was before I opened them and started mucking about. They are SOOO pigmented. Imagine the smallest possible amount of blush you could squeeze out of a tube. Now divide it by 10. This is how much you need to get a bold blush look. I don’t think I could use up one of these bad boys if I lived to be 100. Pretty solid investment for £3.

Cream Blush in Peach Cream

I’m already a huge fan of cream blushes, but this colour is super flattering and has a nice matte finish. It’s actually somewhat similar to my Etude House Cream Blush but I freaking love the colour so that’s okay.

TOP TIP: I apply liquid or cream blushes by tapping them in with my finger or using a beauty blender!

The Lipsticks

I’m impressed with the quality of the lipsticks themselves, they’re not very patchy and have decent longevity. However the packaging leaves a little to be desired; although it looks chic it feels flimsy and the lids keep falling off.

The crazy colours are actually surprisingly wearable: Felony in particular is actually quite flattering and would look particularly good as part of an ombre look.

(The reason that Immoral looks so scubby already is because I used it to turn my boyfriend into Bluebeard, which I strongly regret not photographing.)

Finally, I also ordered one of the Amazing Care lipsticks in Love a Hug.

This is a bit weirdie, it’s a shot of colour encased in a clear jelly stuff. I love the idea of it but in practice the middle bit’s worn down and applying it is a bit of a pain. It’s moisturizing and gives a nice sheer look, however. I’ve used this a lot!

The Foundation

I got The One Foundation in Shade 1, which is literally white.

Okay now this IS small. I was a little disappointed with the teensy size of this; you’re getting maybe a quarter of the volume of a normal foundation. But then again, it is £4! This is a very watery liquidy foundation; it will drip off of your hand. So I was surprised when I put it on my face and it had quite respectable coverage.

This would actually almost work as a normal foundation for me; that is how pale I am.

It is a true white-white, but because it is thin and sheer it doesn’t make your face white-white since your skin colour shows through underneath, if you see what I mean.

I haven’t used this as a mixer yet (boo) because I’m scared! I don’t know if it will blend in with my foundations because it is so runny.

What I have tried is using a layer underneath foundation, this is really good for eliminating redness and and hyperpigmentation. If you suffer from rosacea or are even just sunburnt this could be a solution for you.

It has a matte finish and lasts quite a long time (I haven’t tried it with a primer yet)

Overall I would say that MakeupRevolution by far exceeded my expectations; for a budget range you’re really getting decent quality products. I would recommend them if you’re in need of branching out your collection!

Korean Cosmetics part 1: Etude House. Review and swatches!

Today I’ll be discussing makeup from popular Korean brand Etude House- I strongly recommend buying Korean brands if you’re considering branching out from western makeup.

If you like sheer, bright colours and cute girlie packaging, this is your stuff.

The products are:

Etude House Cupcake All Over Colour in Orange Choux Cake (OR201)

Etude House Etoinette Crystal Lip Shine in Sip of Wine (PRD302)

Etude House Etoinette Crystal Lip Shine in Larney Party (POR201)

Here are my swatches:

Cupcake All Over Colour

I’m a sucker for cute packaging.

It’s been squidged a bit…

I bought this on a whim, but I actually use it so often, it’s one of my favourite products. You can supposedly use it on your eyes, lips and cheeks, but I mostly use it as a cream blush. It just gives such a beautiful peachy summer glow to your cheeks, and is one of the few cream blushes I’ve tried that gives a matte effect

I do love the colour on my lips but the formula leaves a little to be desired. Despite looking like a lipbalm, do not be decieved! It is somewhat drying and may go patchy if you are prone to dry lips. The finish is gorgeously matte and surprisingly long lasting though. Also I don’t normally like matte colour on me, but something about this is just really nice and seasonal.

You can sorta see the patches here, but also I don’t care.

Etoinette Crystal Shine Lipsticks

The packaging of these is SOOO nice and satisfying. It doesn’t feel cheap and tacky (well, okay, maybe a little tacky). They remind me a lot of the princess toy things that are aimed at little girls. This is not a bad thing. Unless you’re really into minimalism and hate the pre-revolutionary French monarchy (that’s actually what the designers based these on).

The formula for both is sheer and glossy. This means the wear time is fairly short, but they’re also very moisturizing.

Sip Of Wine

This is a good beginner’s red. It’s a universally flattering shade: a neutral, balanced red, neither warm nor cool. It’s glossy and lightweight which makes it less intimidating if you’re timid of a bold lip. It’s got little bits of gold sparkle in, but they’re much less noticeable on lip than in the tube.

Larney Party

This is a pale, pinky-coral colour that’s very summer-appropriate. I slap this on for work or college so often, it wears easily and freshens and brightens your face somehow. Light nude lipsticks can be really hard to wear as a pale person, because it just makes me look drowned, but this has enough warmth in it to bypass this unfortunate look completely. I can’t recommend it enough. It does not contain glitter.

This is the lipstick- somewhat well loved but you can still see the gorgeous ‘E’ embossment.

Finally, I attempted a gradient lip look that’s popular in Korea using the two shades:

Okay it doesn’t really look like a gradient. You’ll have to take my word that the lipsticks blended beautifully and easily for this look. Which they did!

Anyone living in the UK who wishes to try Korean beauty products can do so at this lovely site:

koreankosmetics.com

My MAC lipsticks

Posted by Grace

I own 3 MAC lipsticks and I must say I do love them! All of them were gifts and as sentimental and cheesy as it may sound each one has a memory attached!

This is my newest MAC lipstick it is called Saigon Summer and is a crenels sheen the colour is a goldy orange tangerine shade which is quite sheer so perfect for every day but very buildable. The formula is smooth and creamy and doesn’t dry my lips out. It is a great summer staple! I am such an ib student trying to focus on the lipstick using a copy of my George Orwell essays!!!

This is the shade hibiscus, I got given this by my god father who got it free when he worked for the magazine Esquire, the colour is a pinky coral and wears well on the lips it is very versatile. Because the colour was limited edition the closest dupe I have found I the Rimmel lasting finish by Kate Moss in the colour 110

The MAC one is on the left and the Rimmel lipstick on the right. They are different in texture as the Rimmel lipstick is matte but they very similar in colour.

Morange is my brightest MAC lipstick, it is an amplified, it is very long lasting and a great alternative for people who don’t like reds or want a bright staple for summer and festivals. The texture is quite thick but very moisturising on the lips it is my most pigmented lipstick as well just make sure you haven’t got any on your teeth!

This is the second part of a series on MAC lipsticks

MAC lipstick reviews and swatches: Retro, Mocha, Russian Red, Ruby Woo, Chili, Spice It Up

Post by Juliette

Here’s the gang:

With flash

And without

And here are my arm swatches:

I’ve done on-lip swatches for each of these colours, but sadly I had to make the best out of some pretty funky lighting

MAC Retro, Satin finish

Dark vintage pink: think roses and tea. Beautiful wearable colours, suits those with English Rose complexion (Grace) really well. I’d recommend it as a wearable day colour if you’re sick of nudes everywhere. I find it slightly drying.

MAC Mocha, Satin finish

I wear this so often; it’s great for when I can’t be bothered but want a little something on my lips. It would be a good MLBB shade for those with darker skintones and/or more pigmented lips. Photos can’t really do the warm, brownish pink colour justice, it’s truly surprisingly flattering.

MAC Russian Red, Matte finish

This is your proper classic 20th century red. It’s a coolish, blue-toned red and it doesn’t mess around. It’s quite a harsh colour and it tends to bring out imperfections in the skin, but don’t be put off. It’s not a ‘newbie red’ as it’s a little harder to pull off than a softer muted red, but it looks gorgeous for a wintry, Snow White look. The name is very appropriate. All MAC Mattes are a little drying, but nothing undefeatable with a bit of lipbalm.

MAC Ruby Woo, Matte finish

(This was edited: I tried messing around with the saturation to better capture the bright colour)

I would call this Russian Red’s younger sister. Which is why I bought my younger sister her very own tube. It’s brighter, poppier, summery-er and louder than Russian Red. The finish is pleasantly surprising: it goes on ultramatte but isn’t drying at all. The colour is beautiful and vibrant.

Mac Chili, Matte finish

This is my favourite favourite red. It’s got strong orangey-terracotta undertones but is still definitely a red lippie.This genuinely suits everyone, even if you are intimidated by orange! Slightly drying, but with a looooong wear-time.

MAC Spice It Up, Lustre finish

This finish is VERY different to the Mattes and Satins, it’s moisturizing but you really aren’t sacrificing wear-time. It stays a remarkably long time and the colour is another good everyday shade if you prefer your slightly darker lips. Looks like rose petals.

 

Retro

Mocha

Russian Red

Ruby Woo

Chili

Spice It Up

 

MAC longevity really isn’t messing around. These lipsticks will STAY on your face. They’re incredibly intensely pigmented. If you don’t believe me:

After being blasted with the tap for 60 seconds:

Yeah.

(This is the second part of a series on MAC lipsticks)

Gracie will be posting swatches of MAC’s best oranges later, so hold tight ❤

MAC new release hype!

Posted by Juliette

Beauty giant MAC is releasing two new collections with unique and gorgeous packaging:

The Alluring Aquatics collection, international store release May 2014

The Disney Maleficent collection, international release June 2014

The beauty blog Temptalia, an excellent source for reviews and swatches, has already posted swatches of the lipsticks, which you can see here. They’re limited edition and I’ve definitely got my eye on Mystical and Enchanted One; they are priced at £16.50 so only a marginal increase from their normal lipstick range. Enchanted One in particular is a beautiful rich day rose in Cremesheen, which is MAC’s most easygoing and wearable formula, it could easily be incorporated into a lazy daily look! There are also a couple of shimmer bronzers, which I’ll have to take a look at before I commit myself to Too-Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil.

More information about the Aquatics UK can be found here and here.

There’s always huge demand for MAC’s Limited Editions (especially the Disney ones!) so if you see anything you like you’ll want to hit the shops early 😉

(This is the first part of a series on MAC lipsticks)

Foundation adventures- Ultra Pale

Posted by Juliette~

My skin: very pale, normal/combination, sensitive

Foundations for the very pale-skinned and the very dark-skinned are hard to come by. Most affordable brands will only offer a limited shade range, and it’s very frustrating to buy a foundation that looks good in a shop, only to come home and realise it looks completely orange! I have done this MANY times but luckily I’m posting photos to hopefully save other pale-skinned girls a bit of hassle.

WARNING: The process of applying and scrubbing off my foundation meant my skin was getting rapidly more irritable. If I do this again I will definitely wait longer between applications since the progressing red-blotchiness affected the way the foundation looked. I do NOT recommend doing this ever if your skin is sensitive. I really hope mine forgives me.

Arm Swatches

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

This was my favourite foundation for a long time, but now that my skin’s improved I find the coverage a bit too heavy. It’s a beautiful finish: neither matte nor shiny, truly natural. It does oxidise a lot though so I would definitely go a shade paler if in doubt. The colour range is probably the biggest in UK stores.

NW13

This works okay for me in summer, but in winter I find it too dark, especially after it oxidises it tends to look very orange.

 NW10

This is the palest foundation in the UK that isn’t from a specialist range. It’s really white. After oxidising it’s perfect on me but be warned: this is a foundation for the truly ghostly among us. If every foundation is miles too orange for you, this is your one.

Smashbox Liquid Foundation in Shade 1 Natural Vanilla

 

This is far too dark and orange for me; it has REALLY warm undertones. It’s also too shiny for my liking. Not a massive fan. Thank God it’s only a sample.

(Skin is not happy here!)

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No.13

If you are a person of any colour who is interested in BB creams, I strongly recommend buying an Asian one. Western BB creams are basically just tinted moisturizers and they usually have really orange undertones. This was recommended to me as the palest one, and I can’t describe how much I love it, it’s light and non-shiny with impressive coverage. Other good Asian brands include Etude House and Holika Holika.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair

I actually really like this one, despite it being too dark and yellow for my skin. I can just about get away with it in summer; if they made a shade 50 I would definitely buy it. It really gives your skin a healthy lively glow; I relied on this at work after a night out. It’s a little shiny though, and the smell is yummy but also quite strong.

(Skin getting worse…)

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in 0 Porcelain

This is a new purchase and a new favourite. This comes in a good range of colours, and the palest is very very pale. It has neutral undertones and a really gorgeous glowy skinlike finish. The coverage is actually better than I expected for such a lightweight foundation, but you will need a primer as the wear time is shortish. It has some wizardry in it that just makes your skin look super healthy and glowing because every time I wear this I get compliments, even if I’ve shovelled it on top of breakouts and nasty redness.

No7 Beautifully Matte in Calico

This was my daily foundation for a long time, but when I was reapplying it for the photo I was shocked with how wrong it was for me! The foundation is THICK and goes on heavy; it’s very strong coverage. This would work for someone with very oily skin that needs absolute maximum coverage, but otherwise it will just drown your face. The colour is totally wrong. I can’t believe I wore this for months.

(Skin reached critical: had to take an aloe vera break before continuing)

 This photo shows the colour more true-to-life:

Who let me leave the house like this?

Lancôme Teint Idole in 005 Beige Ivoire

This is a totally lovely foundation. The colour would be a little too dark for me in winter, but in summer it’s perfect. The finish is very natural and beautiful; the formula is light and does not sit on the skin. It’s a little on the pink side, so you may need the next shade up if you are very cool toned. If you are thinking about buying this I can’t recommend it enough.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB in Light

I can’t pretend to be a huge fan of UK BB creams. This was the palest one I could find in any drugstore and it’s still too dark. It oxidises BADLY and goes very orange. I also find it makes my pores look huge, and the finish is too shiny for me. Buuuut my sister absolutely adores it, so there you go.

Chanel Perfection Lumiére in 10 Beige

Unfortunately this is a sample, and I didn’t have enough to do a full face! However, I was unimpressed with this; I found it tricky to blend and it left streaks on my face. It was also too dark for me. Smelled amazing though!

Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia

I’ve heard a lot about this being very yellow, and it does look pretty yellow swatched on my arm. However, I was surprised at how good this looked on my face, but then I do prefer a yellow to counteract my rosacea. If you are very pale but warm-toned you might have struggled finding a foundation; this is your new Holy Grail (it’s also available in Matte). If you are cool-toned you may find it too yellow. It is however, still very pale. And the finish is really beautiful, it glides onto the skin. I need to thank Paola from picking this up for me from Sephora New York! ❤