Beauty Buys

I find I buy beauty products on quite a regular basis. so, I thought I would keep you updated on my beauty picks. This way you get to see what I'm trying out, what colours look like via swatches and perhaps what I may be reviewing later on. (Sneak peeks!) Not all the products I show with be reviewed on this blog, but if there is something in particular that you would like to see more of, leave me a comment below.
On to the beauty buys.

Click to Enlarge

Barry M - Flawless Matte Finish Foundation.
I picked up two shades, Ivory and Nude, I tend to pick up one that matches my skin tone in the Winter months and one that will match me in the Summer months, when I get a little bit of a tan.
Matte finish, med/ full coverage, blends easily and seamlessly. Thumbs up on the hand swatch, fingers crossed for the same on face application.

Philosophy - Divine Satin Finish Illuminating Powder.
I chose the shade deep, as I thought this would perhaps make a brilliant bronzer. I loved the packaging, esp the mirror - which includes a 'Philosophy' Statement. Too cute! It comes in a lovely compact with a brush included, handy for on the move.

MUA Luxe - Velvet Lip Lacquer.
I picked up the shade Reckless, which is a deep ruby red. It's very pigmented, one swipe and opaque loveliness occurs. The gloss is quite dense and thick, not sure on lasting power as of yet but does have a great finish, it's between a matte and a gloss, I personally enjoy the finish.

Click to Enlarge

 Maybelline - Colour Tattoo, Cream Eyeshadow.
I opted for 65 - Pink Gold.
A light pink shadow with gold flecks running through it, I loved the colour as it reminded me of one of my favourite MAC eyeshadows. It's a lovely creamy texture, very pigmented and easily blendable.

Click to Enlarge

 NARS - Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil.
In the shade - Baroque.
Having not tried the Velvet Gloss pencil before, I thought I would pick one up and have a little test. A beautiful colour, a great finish. Not the most opaque but the colour is buildable. Easy to apply, soft and no drying out on the lips (Brownie points for soft, nourished lips).

Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara.
I get this in Blackest Black, I have this in both my kit and personal makeup stash. I use this everyday on the bottom lashes. The wand is the perfect tiny size to reach all those hard angles and teeny lashes that tend to hide. Just brilliant.

Superdrug - B. Rich Lipstick.
I was so impressed with the last one I featured on 'Beauty Buys' that I went back for another, this time in the shade 'Carmen'. A deeper red than the Marilyn.
They have brilliant staying power, you can blot and sheer these out to a natural stain effect or pop on the rich, creamy opaque lipstick for a bold and beautiful look.
Perfect for all day or night. Thumbs up for these, and affordable too.

Barry M - Silk Nail Paint.
This is in the shade - Pearl.
A soft, velvety pearl white colour in two thin coats. Easy to apply, give a beautiful finish and last for a good week, with a top coat applied. (For the silk effect with no top coat it lasts 4 days). I really liked this polish on swatch and I did go back and purchase another two shades.

Collection - Naturally Matt Foundation.
In the shade - 3 Beige.
I was told this stays matte all day long until removal and I was curious. Not as easy to blend out, limited colour range - will form a true opinion once I have tested this fully. Who knows this could be a wonder product?

I hope you enjoyed 'beauty buys', if you would a full review of an item or would like to see more of this type of blog post comment below and I will keep you updated with purchases I make and full product reviews!

Beauty Buys

I find I buy beauty products on quite a regular basis. so, I thought I would keep you updated on my beauty picks. This way you get to see what I'm trying out, what colours look like via swatches and perhaps what I may be reviewing later on. (Sneak peeks!) Not all the products I show with be reviewed on this blog, but if there is something in particular that you would like to see more of, leave me a comment below.
On to the beauty buys.

Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge.
I've seen a few bloggers review this little guy, all of the reviews said how comparable it was to the Beauty Blender, and at a fraction of the price. I was sold from that mere sentence, I go through a few of the beauty blenders a year, if I can find another just like it at a snip of the original then I will be a happy bunny!
I've very excited to try this for myself; but trying not to expect anything from it, so that I won't get disappointed if it fails to do what I need it to. (Making people dazzlingly beautiful)
Fingers crossed, it will become a new favourite!

The Body Shop - Colour Crush Lipstick. 
(I bought the shade - 101)
I adore red lipstick. Red suits any one, any skin tone, any age, any lip shape! It's the one colour that I cannot live without. The majority of my lipsticks are reds, with other colours scattered amidst them randomly.
I saw this while I was in The Body Shop and I could never forgive myself if I had of walked out without it. (A strange fact about me - If I see a red lipstick, I have to buy it.)

This is what I like to call 'a day time' red, a lighter red with a cooler undertone. A colour that would look amazing in summer with some matte black sunnies. Great buy!

B. Rich Intense Colour Lipstick.
(I bought the shade - 194 Marilyn)
This brand as far as I am aware are exclusive to Superdrug. They are a company with beautiful ethics, all the B. range is cruelty free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is also very fairly priced.
Again a red lipstick, I know - I know, it's an addiction! However, this one I planned to buy as it was compared to a high end brand. I love seeing if they are good dupes, I find it rather fun.
So far the packaging has won me over, it's so cute. To open the lipstick you press the bottom and it unlocks with a click and extended down so you can pull it out like a regular lipstick.
No more ruined lipsticks in my handbag because the lid popped off. Genius design!

Barry M - Natural Glow, Shadow & Blush Palette.
I had originally gone in to pick up some of the new 'Silk' Nail Paint collection that had been released, I came home with a few more items than a nail polish; this being one of them.
There was three different palettes, as I love neutrals I went for the natural glow. I've never tried Barry M cosmetic's before, I have only ever tried the nail paints. (Another fact about me - Barry M are my favourite polishes) I was interested to see what the cosmetics were like. They were all beautiful when swatched, the last three eyeshadow shades are on trend this spring (Metallic Eyeshadows) thumbs up Barry M, it has a nice amount of matte and shimmer shadows, which I really liked and the blush is amazing. The picture really does it no justice at all. In person wow! It was really inexpensive too.

Revlon - Colourburst, Matte Balm.
(I bought the shade - 205 Elusive Insaisissable)
I have been seeing adverts for these in every magazine, reviewed by many, many bbloggers and have been seeing it pop up in my twitter feed for days. I cracked and ran to buy one too. I absolutely love the colour, I'm not really sure if I can restrain myself from buying all of the shades.

Rimmel - Stay Matte Primer.
I have oily skin, so I am always on the look out for anything that will keep my skin mattified. I saw this and thought it was worth picking up as the cost was low.
Not really sure how this will hold up; who knows it could amaze me and change my mind about lower priced primers?
The texture is a gel/cream, a combination of the two in my experience with primers. Feels rather wet for a mattifying primer, the colour is white from the tube and blends to transparent on the skin. No scent to it, which is always a bonus. Fingers crossed this product will not make me break out.

Rouge Bunny Rouge - Lip Potion.
(I bought the shade - Devilish Nectar)
This is my second tube of this amazing lip potion. It's become my secret weapon for plump, voluminous lips.
I have a normal lower lip but the tiniest top lip, it seems to disappear every time I smile. This is incredible for making it appear I have a fuller, more plump top lip. If this sounds like something you want or need, I have a full review: HERE for you to check out the product in full detail.

Lancome - Hypnose Mascara.
(I bought the shade - Black)
My favourite mascara. I have repurchased this countless times over the year's. I have my own and I also have this in my kit. The formula doesn't dry out too fast, it's buildable without clumping and creates many looks with how many layers you apply; from natural to dramatic.

Collection - Lasting Perfection Foundation.
(I bought the shade - Porcelain)
Again this was a purchase because I had heard good things about it. So far it seems easily blendable, matte, has great staying power and the shades almost adapt personally to your skin tone. I really like this swatched, I'm hoping that this is the same after a few hours of wear on my face.

I hope you enjoyed 'beauty buys', if you would like to see more of this type of blog post comment below and I will keep you updated with purchases I make!

E.L.F - Essential Lipstick

£1.50 each /3.5g each
www.eyeslipsface.co.uk
Tailored for all skin tones.
Available in 12 different shades.

E.l.f (Eyes Lips Face), do a whole range of different lip products at different prices. The cheapest version is the Essential range.

The shades I chose were: Charming - A dusky rose, Flirtatious - A soft baby pink, Fearless - A classic pillar box red and Seductive - A mauve.

The formula is smooth and creamy, making it easy to apply and leaves lips feeling silky soft, hydrated, and supple. They all have a glossy finish.

They are highly pigmented, so a couple of swipes and you have a nice opaque colour. The lipstick has an even wear and doesn't dry out on the lips. However, the colours only lasted for a couple of hours before a reapplication was necessary, shorter if you have been eating/ drinking.

The packaging does have some problems and this is my only complaint about the lipsticks; the lids tend to fall off in your purse and the twist body is fairly flimsy. For the price I can look past these small flaws though. You get a product that is brilliant value for money, hydrating on the lips, has a good opaque colour and you get a good selection of colours to choose from.

I would highly recommend these to younger people who are perhaps just starting out with cosmetics, who have little money but want to try a selection of colours to see what suits them the best.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

£7.49/ 4.2g                     www.revlon.com
Made in the USA.
Suitable for vegetarians.
Tailored for all skin types and skin tones. 

Revlon create fantastic lip products, in a huge range of colours and finishes. The 'Super Lustrous' range has 33 shades that I personally know about.
The shade I love is 'Cherry Blossom', it is a beautiful red with blue undertones; so it shows up on photographs as you see it in the bullet. 

The stay true colour wears evenly, lasts for hours, never dries out on the lip, and tends not to feather. 
It glides on the lip effortlessly and is a pleasure to wear.

It's LiquiSilk formula contains mega-moisturisers, vitamins, Avocado oil, and Vitamin E to condition, soften and ensures lips stay looking fabulous all day long.

The formula leaves no tackiness; it has a silky smooth, creamy texture and contains an SPF 15.

For a low price tag you get a high price tag product, which I really enjoy. The quality is high and the packaging is clean and sturdy. It has a clip top so there is no chance of the lid coming loose whilst in your purse and the lipstick being spoiled. 

I would recommend the 'Super Lustrous' lip colours to anyone looking for hydration, opaque one swipe colour, a large range of different shades, and long staying power.
This probably encompasses everyone, they are a great lipstick for all skin tones and all ages.

 I have added a swatch of '028 - Cherry Blossom', my skin tone is very pale with pink undertones. The colour as you can see is a classic red that is opaque in one layer.

I will repurchase more colours and I would recommend trying some of the shades out for yourself.

What's your favourite shade, let me know?

Collection - Deluxe Lipsticks and Swatches

£3.99/ 5g       www.collectioncosmetics.co.uk
Made in China
Tailored for all skin types and skin tones.

5 Shades of retro inspired lipstick. Prohibition, Talullah, Charleston, Speakeasy and Silent Movie.
Enriched with a 70% blend of lip conditioners, antioxidants and hydrating ingredients including Shea Butter, Avocado Oil and Vitamin E for a lip of luxuary.
A range of creamy lipsticks for a luxury feel with velvety textures and a sumptuous finish. Encased in a decadent metalized pack

The colours I chose were a pink (Speakeasy) and a deep red (Prohibition). See pictures above for swatches.

Hydrating, non-drying, true colours that did not bleed too badly; lasting power was very impressive and best of all very good value for money. Limited on colour range but at the same time they have a nude, red, pink, a wine colour and a brown so a colour for any taste. I enjoyed the products and I would recommend and repurchase.