Beauty ¦ The good, the bad and the average - Drugstore lip lacquers

 

If you are a regular reader you will know my liquid lipstick obsession is a little out of hand at the moment. I've been wanting to do this post for ages however I wanted to try a couple more drugstore liquid lipsticks before I did it. These aren't the only liquid lipsticks you can get in the drugstore and because they are so popular new ones are being brought out all the time. If you have any liquid lipstick recommendations either High end or Drugstore let me know in the comments because I obviously need more!

Left to Right - Revlon Shanghai sizzle - Rimmel apocalyptic - Rimmel Big bang

 

So I thought I'd start off with the negatives and get them out of the way. Out of all the LL's (I'm going to abbreviate because lets face it I really don't want to type out Liquid lipsticks 20 times in the next hour.) there are very few that I have really disliked. Both of these products where so massively hyped and I just wasn't impressed with either.

 

Rimmel Apocalips - £6.49

 

These where literally the most hyped thing of 2013. Every blog review I read and youtube video I watched told me that I simply had to buy one. However I never got on with them. I felt like the shades bled so bad I simply couldn't wear them. I never heard anyone else complain abut bleeding however some days I would end up with my lipstick having bled to about halfway down my chin. I have tried everything to stop it from concealer barriers, to lip liners, to powdering and blotting and I just can't seem to get them to stay. I do really think it is a shame as the staying power and the formula is lovely, I feel as though I should ty a lighter shade however these have almost put me off the range.

 

Revlon Colourstay Moisture stains - £7.99

 

These where exactly the same as the Apocalips in terms of hype. I remember watching one of Fleur's videos and thinking yes I need one of those and I was just so disappointed. My first gripe with these was the smell, they absolutely reek like chemicals and the first time I applied it I really struggled to actually put it on my lips because of the smell. I also find the texture incredibly sticky and they go on very patchy. I find you have to work them so much into the lips that the colour ends up much sheerer than in the swatch. Overall if I had to pick a lest favourite LL it would definitely be these ones.

 



Left to Right - Ps... 10 - MUA Tranquillity - MUA Vivacity - MUA Reckless - MUA Kooky - MUR Keep lying to you - Essence Velvet rose - Essence Silky red.

 So moving onto the averages, these are the ones that I think if you are wanting to expand your collection then they are a good choice however if you are wanting to start a collection there are definitely better ones.

 

Ps... Lip Lacquer - £2.00

 

I actually wasn't expecting much from these however in the end I was fairly impressed. They aren't a matte LL however they don't feel sticky once they've dried down. They are very sticky on first application however but do not be put off by this. I was actually really impressed with this one as with it being from primark I wasn't expecting much.

MUA Luxe velvet lip lacquers - £3.00

I really like these. They are incredibly matte and long lasting however they ended up in the average section of this post as I do find that unless my lips are perfectly hydrated and super smooth these do make them look super dry. I'm also not the biggest fan of the scent as it's a super artificial watermelon scent and I really can't stand the smell of watermelon however I can imagine most people loving it.

Makeup Revolution Salvation lip lacquer - £3.00

I find this formula a little more moisturizing than the MUA formula however I do find that these break up and fade pretty unevenly. They are one of those products that you really need to keep checking and topping up to make sure they look nice. I also found that in my local Superdrug the colour selection was really limited and they only had about 4 shades however after doing a bit of googling I think the range is much larger. I would definitely like to try another shade to see if they all fade a bit strange like the shade I have now or if the different shades have slightly varying formulas.

Essence xxxl long lasting matte lipglosses - £2.30

These are another LL that I like however I don't reach for all the time. I actually find these to be a little sheer so I tend to pop on 1 layer let it dry for about 10 seconds then apply another layer to make sure the colour isn't patchy. I actually find that these never really dry down completely which makes them super comfortable to wear. However because they don't set down properly they don't last as long as some of the other products in this post. Despite this because they are so hydrating and nice to wear applying a couple of layers on top of each other isn't to bad therefore the fact that they fade isn't a problem.

 

Left to Right - Sleek Birthday suit - I heart makeup Firestorm - Bourjois Pink pong - Collection Fairy cake - Collection Cotton candy.

 

So finally we are moving on to the LL's that I love. These are the ones that I would say if you were starting a makeup or LL collection that I recommend you buy first.

 

Sleek Matte me - £4.99

 

These are absolutely lovely. They set down to a matte finish but they are still movable and don't feel tacky on the lips like some lacquers can. They don't feel overly drying on the lips and they don't cling to every little dry patch there is. These are super long lasting and they don't fade weirdly. You do get the little circle around the inside of your lips if you eat anything oily though so that's something to consider if you are going out for a meal.

 

I heart makeup Lip lava - £2.99

 

I definitely need to pick up some more shades of these. They go on glossy but not sticky and once the initial glossy layer ha gone they leave behind a really lovely stain. Out of my four favourites this is the one I tend to reach for when my lips are feeling a bit dry as due to them being glossy they don't cling to any of the dry patches. I would recommend these for wearing when you go out to eat as once the stain is on your lips it isn't going anywhere.

 

Bourjois Rouge edition velvet - £8.99

 

I think if I had to pick a favourite out of all of these products it would be these ones which is typical as they are the most expensive ones. These are just incredible, longlasting, non drying and insanely pigmented they really are the full LL package. I actually don't think I have anything bad to say about these. All I know is that I definitely need more shades.

 

Collection cream puff - £2.99

 

Finally for this post we have the product that started the obsession. I think I've had two of each of these shades I love them that much. These never quite set down completely matte however they are in no way a glossy product. They lasting an average amount of time they aren't incredible however they don't only last for 2 hours.

 

So if you made it to the end of this post go you! I hope you enjoyed, don't forget to leave me you lip lacquer recommendations in the comments.



Fashion ¦ Something a little different this christmas.

We’ve all got that one person who is an absolute nightmare to buy for around this time of year whether it’s the woman who has everything or the man who says he wants nothing. Buying a Christmas gift that really means something is a difficult task. I always like to look for really individual brands which offer something a little different than what you can buy on the high street.  Few days ago I received a press release about a Spanish brand and that’s where Unode50 women jewellery come in. UnoDe50 offers a stunning range of both men’s and women’s jewellery. UnoDe50 was set up in the 90’s to create a style of jewellery that was a little different to everything else. All their jewellery is 100% handcrafted in Spain and they pride themselves on their creativity, unique style and bold spirt.

Each of the pieces of Unde50 women’s and men’s jewellery are crafted from Silver plated metal alloys with silver, thread, resin or stone. Giving each piece a little touch of individuality. All of the pieces are made from the same cast made of wax which is hand carved. I love the fact that they really do offer a little bit of everything. You can get incredibly dainty pieces like this fashion necklace or you can get something super chunky like their bracelets.

My favourite bits from the brand have to be the Fashion Necklaces. I think the fact that they offer such a wonderful variety and they are all so individual. I feel like the pieces of UnoDe50 women’s jewellery are something that people would ask about and when you’re as socially awkward as me any conversation starter is a good one so while not do it whist wearing fab accessories. I could also imagine buying a couple of the rings to wear stacked.

My favourite thing about the brand is the way that they incorporate the stones, crystals and pearls so beautifully so that they don’t get lost but they don’t take the attention away from the other little details in the pieces. If you are looking for something to buy someone special I’d definitely suggest having a look. The prices are mid-range but in my opinion for bespoke handcrafted jewellery they are pretty reasonable. I think these pieces would also be perfect for if you are buying for a special birthday or perhaps a wedding anniversary.

 

Check out here to see last years Christmas posts

Overall I think the pieces are super versatile and so many people would absolutely love to open one of them on Christmas day.

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Beauty ¦ Mani monday #10 - Barry M plum and L'oreal Black diamond

 

Welcome to the 10th Mani Monday post. I'm actually really impressed with myself I don't think I've ever made it 10 posts into a series so go me!

 

Today I'm showing you a polish I have worn a lot since September but I keep forgetting to blog about it. Today I actually decided to pair it with some glitter to add a little bit of sparkle. You will know if you are a regular over here that I love the Barry M gelly polishes. This one is pretty much opaque in one coat however I always do two coats to make sure that it isn't patchy. The L'Oreal glitter is one of those glitters that dries down to that strange concrete-y finish that's sort of matte and it feels rough. It's one of those shades that I always forget about but every time I use it I remember how much I love it.

 

Life ¦ Go customized phone case

Go customized I phone 5 case*

 

Phone cases are never something I invest in so when I had an email from the people over at go customized I snapped up the chance to give on of their phone cases a go. I took me ages to choose just one picture so in the end I went for a little collage. One thing I will say is that if you are going to have a collage on yours make sure that the photos have a little extra on each side as mine ended up with my brothers head being cut off. I was really impressed with the quality once the case arrived. I expected it to be a little bit flimsy however it's super sturdy and it feels as though it's really protecting my phone.

 

Overall I would definitely recommend giving a personalized phone case from go customized at under £15 you really can't complain!

You can make you own I phone 5 case here along with lots of other models and brands.
 

*This product was sent to me for review purposes however all opinions are still my own. 

Fashion ¦ The wardrobe overhaul VDM style

If you read my lifestyle posts you will more than likely be aware of the fact that I started college this year. Along with the excitement of finishing my GCSE'S I realised that the fact that I wear about 5% of my wardrobe and that I'm not going to have the safety net of my uniform it was time I cleared out my wardrobe. After watching Vivianna does makeup's latest wardrobe related video I decided that it was time I got my bum in gear and did it.

 

 

I started off by having a massive clear out which just made me realise how many of my clothes didn't actually fit me anymore. I was pretty harsh and anything I've not worn in the past couple of months went in a big pile for charity. I also cleared out my shoes while I was at it throwing away any that were uncomfortable or I hadn't worn in the past couple of months.

 

I then went through everything that was left and I made a list of things I felt my wardrobe was missing. Most of it was pretty basic like jeans and a pair of flat boots but I also thought about looks that I've seen floating around the blogosphere that I loved (the white shirt trend and dungarees)

 

Obviously I haven't bought everything off my list yet. I actually really enjoyed this process and I would seriously suggest that if you fancy a wardrobe clear out you do it in this way as it stops you buying things that you will never wear to replace the things you've just taken out.

 

If you want to watch Anna's video it's //Here//

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Beauty ¦ Mani monday #9 - L'oreal Rouge pin up

It feels like months since I've written one of these Mani Monday posts. Today I thought I'd get a little festive after all it is November. I love a good red polish however it isn't a shade I wear very often. I love these little L'oreal polishes as they are perfect for chucking in your bag as they are so tiny and I mean you never know when the mood will strike to paint your nails. This shade is a very true red despite the fact that the first coat does look very pink once the second coat is added you get a very true shade. I find this shade super festive as it's that Santa's suit red shade. The formula of these isn't the best I find they do chip quite easily however if you are looking for a fast drying festive shade I would recommend it. You can always stop chipping with a top coat.

 



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Beauty ¦ Bargain palettes from Collection

 

When I first saw these palettes surface I knew that I had to try them. I love the eyes uncovered palettes from collection as they are such amazing quality for a bargain price and I was really hoping these also lived up to that and I'm very pleased to report they do.

 

 

I picked up two out of the three new palettes. The blush and glow palette contains a highlight, two blush shades and what they call a contour shade however on my skin it's far to orange t contour with so I've been using it as a bronzer. What I love about these is the fact they aren't overly pigmented. On an everyday basis I want a blush that is easy that I can just stick on without worrying about how pigmented it is. The contour makes a really lovely bronzer on me to just add a slight wash of colour however if I do try and contour with it I look a lot like an uompa lompa (I have no idea how to spell that)  from Charlie and the chocolate factory. The highlight is a really pretty subtle everyday highlight which I really love. I've also been using it for my inner corner highlight and on my brow bone as it lightens but without adding to much colour.

 

 Bronzer, highlight, left blush, right blush.

 



The your style your mood palette contains two eye looks. The swatches above are the left hand side look and the swatches below are the right hand side look. These shadows are exactly the same formula as the eyes uncovered palettes and I love them. They are pigmented, blendable and creamy. They remind me a lot of the urban decay formula however they aren't quite as lovely. I love the way that this palette has the looks set out for you as it's super easy to reach for when traveling as you know you hae two full looks and you wont need to reach for anything else. It's also brilliant for if I'm in a rush as I can just grab it without having to root through my stash for three different shades in three different palettes. Both of the lightest shades are matte and then the other eight shades are shimmers so if you aren't a big fan of shimmer shadows this probably isn't for you however if you love shimmery shadows then I would highly recommend this palette!

 



 

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Beauty ¦ October favourites

So October is over and it's basically Christmas. Today's it's time for my October favourites. This month I've been turning to some old favourites as I didn't buy much at the start of the month.

 

Starting of with the only non-beauty product in this months favourites I have the Muji Berry tart candle. This smells so beautiful, it's sweet however it isn't over powering and sickly. I've also found that it has burnt so cleanly (candles that burn unevenly are one of my pet hates) For £3.50 I didn't expect the quality and I really wished I'd picked up more scents.

I really love Revlon as a brand in general and the Primer, shadow and sparkle palette in the shade Metropolitan is no exception. The lid shade reminds me a lot of Mac patina shadow and the glitter is absolutely stunning. The shades in here are all well pigmented and blendable and have a good 6 hours wear without primer and a good 9 with primer.

 

Gosh's CC cream is something I can only use when I'm tanned as I have it in a pretty dark shade. Every time I wear it I absolutely love it. The formula is incredibly hydrating so it doesn't cling to any dry patches. It leaves the skin looking glowing and healthy as well as natural without compromising on coverage. On a good skin day I can easily wear this with no concealer.

 

 

I wasn't expecting much from the Ps love lip liner in 09 however I'm so impressed. It's a stunning mauvey browny pink shade which works nicely under nude lipsticks to darken them a little. It isn't a chalky liner and although it's not moisturizing it doesn't feel like it is drying my lips out either. For £1 I definitely need to go and pick up more shades.

 

Soap and glory thick and fast is a very different mascara for me. If you read my blog regularly you will know that I am a huge fan of Benefit They're real which offers pretty dramatic lashes. In comparison this mascara is a lot mor natural however I've been really enjoying wearing it on a day to day basis. The formula is also pretty nice and leaves the lashes nicely separated and lengthened, however just a side note it is definitely not cry proof!

 

Finally for my October favourites I have the Perricone MD Chia serum. This is something I would have never purchased myself as it's so god damn expensive however I have fallen in love with it. It's helped clear up the dry sin on my face and bar larger breakouts around that time of the month my spots have cleared u considerably. I've also found it's really helped combat my oily nose. A little side note despite the fact that it's expensive I've been using this bottle for about two months and I'm not even a quarter of the way down yet so a little definitely goes a long way.

 

 

 



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Beauty ¦ The Makeup collection - Lipsticks and Lip liners + Swatches

 

So I thought it was about time that I updated my makeup collection. This time I've decided that I'm going to be super in depth and I'm going to spread my collection out over 7 days. I just want to add a little disclaimer that I am in no way shape or form bragging I love makeup collection posts and videos and I wish that more people did super in depth ones. If you would like to know my opinions on any of the products in this post let me know in the comments and I can either link you to my review or give you a quick opinion in the comments.

 

 

If you missed them here are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6. 

 

 

So I'm just going to get straight into this one as I feel as though it needs little explanation!

 

Lipstick Draw 1

 

 Essence oh so matt, Bourjois Beige shooting, Charlotte Tilbury Bitch perfect, Essence Natural beauty

 

 Mac Crème cup, Seventeen Beehive, Topshop Swirl, Sleek Papaya punch

 

 Barry M 151, Maybelline shocking coral, Topshop Lolly, Look Rock candy

 

 Gosh Yours forever, Topshop Rio Rio, Essence on the Catwalk, Mac Brick O la

 

 Essence All you need is red, L'oreal Scarlett crème, Topshop Hazard, Look Beauty Cherry bomb (Lipstick)

 

 Mac Up the amp, Mac Rebel, Seventeen Deep secret

 

Topshop Beguiled, Collection Revenge

 

Lipstick Draw 2

 

 Natural collection Rose bud, Miss sporty Pearl nude, P2 Union square, Natural collection Raspberry

 

 Rimmel 02, Rival de loop 107, NYC Blue rose, Miss sporty Sapphire pink

 

 Rimmel 110, Miss sporty Orange topaz, Rimmel In love with ginger, Miss Sporty Ruby red

 

Rimmel 01, Rimmel 107, Rimmel Glam plum Fulham, Rimmel 04

 

Lip Liners

 

 Essence transparent, Essence In the Nude, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow talk, Catrice What rose wood do

 

 Rimmel East end snob, Primark 09, Essence Cute pink, P2 Raspberry

 

P2 Chilli, Look Beauty Cherry bomb (liner), Catrice Prince cherry, Essence Red blush

 

So that's it for my makeup collection posts! If you enjoyed these posts please let me know and if you managed all of them congrats!

 

 



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Beauty ¦ The Makeup collection - Lips laquers and crayons + swatches

So I thought it was about time that I updated my makeup collection. This time I've decided that I'm going to be super in depth and I'm going to spread my collection out over 7 days. I just want to add a little disclaimer that I am in no way shape or form bragging I love makeup collection posts and videos and I wish that more people did super in depth ones. If you would like to know my opinions on any of the products in this post let me know in the comments and I can either link you to my review or give you a quick opinion in the comments.

 

If you missed them here are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

 

 

So Today I'm sharing my favourite bit of my collection. I've actually decided to split this into two posts as I didn't want it to be overly long. Today I'm going to be showing you my lip lacquers, glosses and chubby lip crayons.

 

Lip glosses and Lip Lacquers

 

 Temple spa Magnifique, Catrice Cake pop, Clarins 01 and Maybelline Glorious grapefruit.

 

 Maybelline Electric orange, Essence velvet rose, PS... love Nude, Soap and glory Charm offensive.

 

 Collection Cotton candy, Collection Fairy Cake, Catrice Strawberry dream, Revlon Shanghai sizzle

 

 Catrice Jen and Berry's, Rimmel apocaliptic, Bourjois Ping pong, Essence Silky red.

 

Topshop Blood orange, Rimmel Big bang, MUA Reckless, OCC NSFW.

 

Lip Crayons

 

 

Collection Vintage rose, Revlon Elusive, Bourjois Peach on the Beach, Bourjois Orange punch.


MUA Justify, Revlon Unapologetic, Collection Popping pink, Revlon Vivacious.

Miss sporty Bubble pop, Miss sporty Candy plum, Revlon showy, Clinique plushest punch.



P2 Forever Cherry, Miss sporty Plum twist.

 

That's it for the first half of my lip collection  keep your eyes peeled for tomorrows final instalment of my makeup collection series.

Beauty ¦ The Makeup collection - Eyes and brows

So I thought it was about time that I updated my makeup collection. This time I've decided that I'm going to be super in depth and I'm going to spread my collection out over 7 days. I just want to add a little disclaimer that I am in no way shape or form bragging I love makeup collection posts and videos and I wish that more people did super in depth ones. If you would like to know my opinions on any of the products in this post let me know in the comments and I can either link you to my review or give you a quick opinion in the comments.

 

If you missed them here are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4  

 

So after showing you my powder shadows yesterday today I'm talking about everything else eye related. Starting off with cream shadows I have my pots all lined on their sides so that I can see the shades. I have a lot of the Maybelline colour tattoo's as I think they are incredible. The formula is brilliant and they are super easy. I also have a Mac Bare study paint pot and a P2 forever intense eyeshadow cream.

 

 

I also really love a good eyeshadow crayon. My favourite shadow crayons are the Rimmel scandal eyes crayons which have all the qualities that I want in a cream shadow. The Topshop crayon is wonderful however I do think it is discontinued which sucks as it is a really brilliant formula as well as being a stunning shade.

 

 

 Two products I'm not 100% sure about are the Gosh Forever shadow pencil and the Miss sporty fabulous eyes pencils. The gosh has a lovely formula however it isn't in a shade I would ever wear (I won it in a giveaway) therefore I don't reach for it. The Miss sporty glossy pencils where sent to me and were something I really wanted to like as there are some stunning colours in the range however I find for me they are far to wet as I already have oily eyelids therefore they just settle and crease really badly.

This bit of my collection has a bit of everything from eyelash glue to mascara to brow gel. I have lots of liner pencils despite the fact I never use them and I also have my eye primer which I cannot live without. (Urban Decay Primer potion if you where wondering)

 



Some favourites out of this section include Duo lash glue, Soap and glory thick and fast mascara which is my current favourite mascara however if I had to pick an all time favourite mascara I would have to go for Benefit's they're real, Benefit instant brow pencil, Collection fast stroke liner which is by far the best liquid liner I have ever tried and the Maybelline brow drama pencil.

 



Finally I have a little section with my eyelash curlers, back up/brightly coloured mascaras and some false lashes. These Eylure pro lash individuals are my favourites as they are a million times easier than strip lashes.

 

So that's it for today! I hope you enjoyed