Rimmel London Influenster Vox Box

Hi everyone, first beauty related post in a long time.

So this was something really exciting for me when I got sent my first Influenster vox box last month.

This was a total surprise for me when it arrived as I never saw the email I got telling me the box was being sent out. I picked it up from the post office and was so confused as I couldn’t remember buying anything. However when I got home and opened it, it was the best surprise.

In this box I got 5 full sized products which I thought was just amazing! Three lipsticks, a foundation and concealer.

The concealer ended up being the most used product out of them all as I just ran out of mine before this box came. The concealer didn’t really work with my skin if I’m honest. I didn’t find it very full coverage and it had a yellow/orange tint to it which didn’t match my skin well. It was fine under foundation but I wouldn’t rush out to buy it because of the yellow tones and formula to it.

The foundation matched my skin perfectly. It was a nice medium coverage foundation that blends well and sits on the skin nicely. It doesn’t feel heavy at all and looks nice and fresh all day which is a huge bonus.

Matte lipsticks are my all time favourite make up product so I was immediately drawn to these. I experimented with these products straight away and immediately realised what colours worked and what didn’t.

In the first photo I am using the pink shade ‘be my baby’, I found this shade the most wearable and best suited to my completion. It is fairly similar to my pink every day lipstick I wear from Too Faced which is a nice bonus. It’s good to know there is a drug store dupe for if I am ever running out and don’t have time / can’t afford the Too Faced one.

In the second photo I am wearing the shade ‘plunge’, this is a darker brown that I really like as well. I wouldn’t wear this every day as it is edgier than my normal lip stick choice. I feel like I need to wear eye make up so it doesn’t look out of place on my face if that makes sense? This is perfect for a night out or if I’m feeling bold with my make up.

The third shade ‘stripped’ did not agree with me at all. When swatching it on my skin the lipstick looked very peachy and nice to wear everyday but when applied to my lips it just looked like a weird shade of concealer. It didn’t have the same nice formula as the other two lipsticks either which is weird. It was disappointing that this didn’t turn out like I thought it would but the other four products worked well.

I am also wearing the Rimmel Match Perfect foundation in the photos below so you can see what the product looks like on my skin too.

These products were sent to my complimentary for the purpose of testing from Influenster. It feels amazing to be one of the people selected for this as I feel like hard work is paying off.

I am spending so much time on the Influenster app because it’s fun to me to read about the upcoming new beauty products and read other peoples reviews.

There has been a lot of pictures of my face for this post which I don’t normally do. However, I thought since this box was sent out to me for testing it was best if I actually take photos so you can all see for yourselves what the products are like.

I hope you enjoyed this post, if anyone else got this box let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the products!

Siobhan x

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The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Facemask Review

Hi everyone, this has been one of the posts I’ve been meaning to write for so long. It’s super exciting getting back into writing about beauty. I have so many planned posts for the next couple months that I’m excited about writing.

It’s a big shock that I’m writing about stuff from The Body Shop, I know it is a really rare occasion that I end up shopping here. I have had this mask pretty much since it first came out so I’ve been using it a long time so I can give a totally honest review on it’s effects on my skin.

This Matcha Tea mask is described as a pollution clearing mask because of the matcha green tea and dandelion extract which apparently help remove pollutants and impurities. The mask is enriched with matcha green tea from Kakegawa, Japan, as well as  dandelion extract and soothing Community Trade aloe vera from Mexico.

Whenever I open this tub it just smells of pure freshness, kind of grassy which is probably from the dandelion extract but I personally like this smell. It has a thick, easy to apply, creamy consistency with small loofa particles in for exfoliation. These parts don’t feel harsh or sore when exfoliating with the mask on in any way.

 

The main thing I noticed after using this mask was how clean and refreshed my skin felt. ‘Pollution clearing’ is in the name but I was still pleasantly surprised and my skin felt nice for days after as well.

I have combination skin so sometimes (most of the time)  my skin is super oily but in parts my skin is dry on my face and this mask doesn’t irritate it at all. I occasionally suffer from the odd break out and this mask is perfect for putting using as well. I’ve noticed blemishes are really reduced after using this mask.

I live in Glasgow now where there is really high levels of pollution so I really try to use this at least once a fortnight.

I feel like with this mask impurities within the skin aren’t drawn out like the Himalayan Charcoal mask does but this is more of a deep cleaning mask. This is a very nourishing mask designed to leave skin feeling soft, clean and radiant.

This mask can be a bit tingly when you’re applying it or when it is on but that’s just it getting the dirt out. The tingling feeling is quite a cooling sensation rather than an irritation feeling. The mask really sinks into your skin as you use it and it is noticeable when you go to take it off the longer you leave it on. I have a very bad habit of getting lazy with face masks and leave them on far longer than I’m supposed too.

I would recommend this mask to anyone as it is totally worth it. I get that £17 is a lot to splash on a face mask and I wouldn’t spend that kinda money either if I didn’t know it would be good. I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried this mask or any others from The Body Shop!

Hope you enjoyed reading,

Siobhan x

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette Review

Hey everyone, it feels like forever since I have written a beauty post. To be honest, I haven’t really been buying that much make up lately. This palette is a wee gem that I Finley bought me a few months ago and I have been putting off using it until my old contour palette was almost done. I’ve been using this palette non stop for the past two weeks and I can’t wait to share my opinion with you all.

This palette is super cute. The product comes in a sturdy cardboard box, it’s quite a thick box but it would be ideal for travelling as the product wont get damaged. The palette looks so luxurious with the gold bow and border around it.

I LOVE the fact that this palette comes with a decent sized mirror and a good brush. I hate when brands include brushes in their palettes that are pretty crap, like what is even the point? Also, another pet hate is when palettes come with no mirrors. However, this one has both so rant over.

There are four shades in this palette, two matte contour shades and two highlighting powers – one matte, one shimmery. This palette is actually really, really powdery which is a bit annoying when using it. I’m forever getting bits of the darker contour shades mixed in with the highlighting shades. If you aren’t familiar with other Too Faced products, you may be surprised to hear this palette actually smells like chocolate. It adds such a nice touch to the palette, but not so nice when you’re doing your make up first thing in the morning and start craving chocolate.

Light cocoa – a light, yellowed beige with a satin finish. This is a very subtle highlighting shade. The texture is a little powdery but it is silky smooth to apply.

Medium cocoa – a medium, matte brown contouring shade. This is a very natural looking shade but still a bit on the powdery side.

Dark cocoa – a medium-dark matte brown contour shade with warm undertones and a matte finish. As this is more of a warm toned shade, for pale people like me it needs to be applied very subtly or it looks like a bronzer. This shade would be perfect for people who are a bit more tanned than myself.

Pop of light – a light peachy, highlighter with a gold sparkle. When applied it isn’t as intense or shimmery as it looks in the pan, so for people who like a really subtle highlight, you will enjoy this. However I prefer a much bolder and sparklier highlight so I don’t use this that much.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned in other blog posts but I was always an Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette loyalist until I tried this.

The powders are so silky smooth to apply and blend very evenly and easily into the skin. The brush included in the palette is actually good as well. This palette is easily suitable for many different skin tones. Inside the box it actually comes with a guide on how to contour, telling you where to apply what colour etc if you are new to it which would be very handy.

Overall, I’m totally loving this palette. Being so pale it’s sometimes hard to find the right shade to contour with but I can’t even stress how good a shade medium cocoa is. I’ve used this every single day since I opened it. Also, this product is completely vegan which is a huge positive.

Hope you enjoyed reading this review, I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this in the comments.

Siobhan x

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette Review

The Zoeva Cocoa Blend eyeshadow palette has been a staple product in my eyeshadow collection for about 18 months now and I still adore it. This palette features 10 warm toned shades ranging from beige to plum to copper. There is 5 matte finishes and 5 shimmer finishes in this palette which makes it create for creating different looks with different finishes. Zoeva is also a cruelty free brand and the shades in this eyeshadow palette are enriched with vitamin E and is 100% free of parabens, mineral oils, perfume and phthalates.

The Cocoa Blend palette is obviously chocolate inspired which makes it all the more alluring for chocolate lovers and make up lovers alike. The packaging of the palette is styled to look like a luxurious chocolate box with the brown and golden themed pattern. On the inside of the palette it reads, “with superb ingredients selected with love for the taste of temptation”. The Zoeva website states the palette is “Inspired by warm truffle colors, delicate nougat shades and shimmery marzipan tones for a seductive glamour makeup look.”

The palette is thin but sturdy and made out of cardboard. It probably isn’t the most durable packaging for an eyeshadow palette, so you would need to be careful if you would be taking it out and about. The palette did come with a protective card cover that slides on and off with the same pattern as the palette itself, however since I have had this product well over a year I got rid of that a long time ago.

Bitter Start – a light beige with warm undertones and a matte finish. Soft and creamy texture, good for a base eyeshadow.

Sweeter End – a soft, shimmering lilac with gold undertones and a metallic finish. This is my favourite shade in the whole palette. The texture is so creamy and so pigmented.

Warm Notes – a rich, bright cranberry red with gold and copper undertones and a metallic finish. Another one of my favourite shades in this palette. The texture is so so creamy and pigmented with amazing colour pay off.

Subtle Blend – a medium dark brown with a golden bronze shimmer and yellow undertones. Intensely pigmented shade with a buttery consistency making it easy to blend out on the lid.

Beans Are White – a blackened brown with a matte finish. This shade is quite chalky with not good colour pay off.

Pure Ganache –  a light-medium, golden copper with orange undertones and a metallic sheen. Great colour pay off with a buttery texture making it easy to apply and blend on the eye lid.

Substitute For Love –  a medium, orange brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. Soft and silky texture, this is one of my most used shades in the palette

Freshly Toasted – a rich, deep, reddish brown with warm orange undertones and a matte finish. This shade was a little bit powdery but still had a soft, silky texture and good colour pay off.

Infusion – a blackened brown with red undertones and a gold satin  finish. A little on the chalky side but still blends well when applied on the lid

Delicate Acidity – a medium mauve with warm undertones and a pearly sheen to it. Good colour pay off.

Overall, the shimmer shades were so much more pigmented than the matte shades. The colour pay off for Warm Notes, Subtle Blend and Pure Ganache are amazing whereas with Bitter Start, Beans Are White and Infusion the formula just isn’t as good. One of my favourite things about this palette, and Zoeva palettes alike are the circle pans for the eyeshadow. It’s great you get a little bit more space to swirl your brush around compared to the thinner and more narrow rectangle shaped pans other brands go for.

This is definitely one of my favourite warm toned palettes as I don’t think any other brand has managed to capture the shades like Zoeva have. Don’t get me wrong, I still have tonnes of warm toned palettes but for shade range, quality and price Zoeva are the winners here. This is my most used palette out of the three Zoeva palettes I own (Rodeo Belle and Blanc Fusion are the other two).

I got this palette for £18 from Beauty Bay and as you can tell from this review I love this palette. I completely recommend this to anyone. The price is one of the main things that attract me to Zoeva eyeshadow palettes as it is more than half the price of the eye shadow palettes from the likes of Urban Decay and Too Faced for a product that is similar in quality.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this review.  Let me know in the comments what you think of this palette or if there are any other products from Zoeva you think I should try.

Siobhan x

July Favourites

Hi everyone, hope you are all well.

I can’t believe it is time to write another favourites post. There is only 4 months of the year left which is crazy as I remember New Year as if it was yesterday. However, we are now slowly moving towards Autumn which is undoubtedly the best time of the year.

I’ve tried quite a lot of new products and have acquired some new habits with beauty products this month which I am excited to talk about. I haven’t been buying loads of new products as I desperately need to save money so it was a month of raiding the cupboards trying new, unopened items.

Faith In Nature Coconut Hand Cream 

I am starting the post by talking about this as it is my favourite product in this post. My hands have been getting so dry and irritated from constantly being in and out of hot water in work and constantly wrapping up cutlery in cheap napkins. This product was a total saviour. My hands could also have been a bit drier since it is summer, but I do live in the Highlands in Scotland so even though the weather has been a bit nicer than normal I would still use the term summer lightly. This hand cream is so light and hydrating, it sinks into your skin almost immediately so there is no greasy hands after applying like there is with some moisturisers. The bottle is small and travel sized so it is perfect to take everywhere. As you can see in the photo there is the leaping bunny and vegan sign so this product is cruelty free.

Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick in Queen B 

My love for these lipsticks is not a secret but this is the newest shade I have purchased and I am OBSESSED. I don’t normally suit darker shades of lipstick as I am so pale because I just look washed out but this is a deep purple/mauve with a pink tone through it and I love how it looks when I apply it. The formula is so smooth and easy to apply. When I get up for work at 7am and apply this lipstick it is still on almost perfectly when I return home at 9pm at night. It stays on perfectly through meals as well, whatever shade of this lipstick I use of this range I am never disappointed.

Simple Moisturising Face Wash

I use this every day either at night or in the morning to wash my face and I am so happy with the results. This is a product I have had for so long but only properly got into the habit of using it this month. My skin feels so soft and clean after using this. I have never used a foaming wash before and love the way it feels as I rub it into my skin. This tube will last for so long because you don’t need to use a lot of product, only a pea sized amount. I have a really bad habit of squeezing too much out and instead of wasting it just washing my face 2 or 3 times.

The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream

This is another product from The Body Shop which didn’t disappoint. This is a soap free shower cream designed to cleanse your skin as well as clean it too. This is the second coconut scented item on this list so you can probably tell I love coconut. This is so strong and sweet smelling I wish I had a perfume that had a scent like this too. After using this my skin really does feel softer and more hydrated. If I use this in the shower then I tend to finish off and moisturise with my coconut body butter from The Body Shop as well in the hopes I smell of a tropical coconut queen for as long as possible.

The Body Shop All In One BB Cream

I’ve mentioned in previous posts about foundation not always looking right on my skin so now I have switched to using BB cream more or less every day instead of foundation. My skin has majorly thanked me for this as it looks so much better on my skin. It is so much lighter than foundation so it doesn’t clog up my pores at all which is nice. This BB cream is skin adapting too which is nice as you don’t need to worry about is being too light or too dark. When using this my skin has a more natural glow to it which makes me look much more refreshed too. There is also aloe vera infused into the cream which makes it all the more soothing too.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Promade 

Not even exaggerating or anything when I say this but this product has transformed the way I do my eyebrows. I LOVE this stuff. It is the easiest make up to apply that I have ever used. A little goes a long way with this product so you don’t need to use masses of product so even though it is just a wee tub you get it is most likely to last for months. There is a nice consistency to this promade, I really like filling in my eyebrows with it as it doesn’t try straight away so you aren’t struggling with it. It applies so smoothly leaving your brows looking Instagram perfect.

So that is all of my favourite products from July, I hope you all enjoyed to read this post. Every item on this list is cruelty free so I am keeping up my promise to only endorse cruelty free brands now. I would love to hear your thoughts on this post and whether or not you have tried any of the products I have spoken about, let me know in the comments.

Siobhan x

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box First Impressions

Hi there everyone, hope you’re all well. 

I have recently purchased The Body Shop Spring/Summer 2017 Feel Good box. This is a box of carefully selected mini products from The Body Shop designed to enhance your summer glow. 

Inside this box there is the British Rose scented instant glow body butter, himilayan charcoal face mask, oils of life sleeping cream, drops of youth facial concentrate and the sweetenia perfume. Most of the products in this box are sample sized except the lipstick. 

I was so excited about this box and all the products I couldn’t wait to write about it. Since there is so many mini products this is perfect as a gift or for someone who is knew to buying from The Body Shop. Let’s get into a bit more detail about these products. 

British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter 

I have had so many body butters from The Body Shop over the years and loved every one. I was excited to try this one and love the idea of smelling like a rose all the time. This moisturiser is super effective practically sinking into the skin straight away with no residual stickiness on the skin. 

Himilayan Charcoal Facemask

I already own the full sized version of this product and have already discussed this on here but in case anyone missed it. This is one of the best face masks I’ve used. My skin is so noticeably soft after use and my pores are reduced. This has a very cooling and detoxing effect on my skin. 

Drops of Youth Facial Concentrate 

This is the second product I own from the Drops of Youth range and I couldn’t wait to try this. This is designed to soothe skin and leave it looking fresher and healthier. I don’t particularly need to be investing in anti aging products just yet but the appearance of my skin does look softer after using this. 

Oils of Life Night Cream 

I have never had a night cream before so I was excited to try the sample of this. This is designed to sink in and nourish skin whilst you sleep and leave yourself looking more revitalised. This feels a little bit tingly when applying to my skin at first but I think that just means you really feel it working. The cream is super light and non greasy so is the perfect moisturiser for before bed. 

Matte Lipstick 

I haven’t tried this shade of the lipstick yet but I have another one from this range. If I’m honest I’m not sure if this colour will suit me so I’ve just tried to put off using it. However the matte lipsticks are the most perfect consistency ever – matte but hydrating instead of drying. 

Sweetenia Perfume 

I have never used a fragrance product from The Body Shop before so I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest. This is the floral scent of crisp Mahogany flower combined with a breeze of orange flower and bigarade leaf for ultimate freshness. I find this perfume very strong scented and to be long lasting. 

So that’s all the products in this box. I find this to be of extremely good value considering it is only £12. This is a great way to be testing some of the more premium products from The Body Shop.

Hope you all enjoyed this post, 

Siobhan

Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glowkit Review

Hi there everyone, hope you are all well today.

This is a very exciting post for me to write because I have been dying for an ABH glowkit since I first saw them. The one I had major heart eyes for and was pining after was not the Aurora glowkit, but the Moonchild glowkit. The Aurora Glowkit is kind of like the sister to the Moonchild Glowkit.  However, when this was released on Cult Beauty I couldn’t help myself and just knew I had to buy it. Since I am so pale I tend to stick to icy highlighters as that is what compliments my skin and make up best.

Let’s talk about the packaging – the glowkit is made out of thick and hard cardboard but has a slim and sturdy feel to it making it seem quite durable. The palette has a protective outer sleeve that slides off, the outer sleeve and palette have the same pattern. The colour scheme is gorgeous with the light purple/blue fading into a nice peach.

The palette has a magnetic close to it like many others which allows it to stay closed. One downside is that there is no mirror on the inside of the palette. This doesn’t bother me that much as I always do my make up in front of a larger mirror anyway. Even if I was travelling without a mirror I would be using other products like eyeshadow palettes which will have a mirror, so that is not a deal breaker only something a little disappointing.  There is also a holographic element to the packaging which gives it an even more luxurious feel to it.

The glowkit consists of 6 icy, metallic highlighters designed to give a metallic finish and “intense luminosity”. I’m not gonna lie, some of these shades look very intimidating. When I purchased this I didn’t really think through whether or not I was going to use most of the shades or not, I was just like OMG GLOWKIT MUST BUY. That might not have been the most sensible idea but upon trying and testing the colours I have fallen in love.

Eclipse – pink champagne with peach reflect

Luna – pearl shade with icy orchid reflect

Spectra – sparkling lilic with an iridescent blue-green reflect

Helia – yellow gold with turquoise reflect

Orion – pale blue with golden reflect

Lyra – rose gold champagne with orchid reflect

 

The shades look far more intimidating in the palette than they do when they are swatched. Spectra and Orion might still be a little bit out there for me personally but I’m sure it would be easy enough to incorporate them into an eyeshadow look if nothing else.

The texture is SO creamy and soft, it is so easy to apply and blend. This palette is so highly pigmented, I feel like I hardly use any product and I look like a glowing princess. There is a glitter throughout highlighters and that is something that I absolutely love, but I know not everyone is a huge fan of that. The glitter through it is so subtle so don’t let this put you off, it’s not chunky and when blended well the glitter catches the light and looks beautiful.

My favourite shades in this palette are Luna and Eclipse, I love icy highlighters as they suit me best and these two are no exception. There is something about Helia that I adore as well, it looks quite green in the palette but as you can see in the swatches it applies without a hint of green.

Here’s my make up from a yesterday where I was playing about with this palette, I used a mix of Luna and Eclipse to highlight all around my face. You can see in the photo just how glowy the highlighter is and how nice the glitter catches the light.

This has become my new favourite highlighting product right now and I am utterly obsessed. The quality and colours are amazing and ABH have outdone themselves with another hit glowkit. Although, as much as I love this I think if I had a glowkit before this I would not have felt the urge to purchase this one as much. I still recommend this product to anyone who loves highlighters, but if you have another 2,3 glowkits this one isn’t necessarily a must have for you.

Have any of you tried this glowkit, or any other ABH glowkits? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Hope you all enjoyed reading this post,

Siobhan x

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette Review

Hiiii everyone, hope you are all well. This post is about my newest Too Faced palette which my lovely boyfriend kindly bought for me a few weeks ago. I think this palette is so cute as it is heart shaped, when he offered to buy me make up I couldn’t not pick this one.

The  palette is encased in a baby pink, thin metal compact patterned with hearts. Too Faced went all out with hearts in this palette as the shadows on the inside fit the same heart shaped pattern as the lid. This uber pink palette is a total dream for girly girls and make up lovers alike, I was sold on this palette already by packaging. Inside the palette there is a decent sized mirror too which is good. Upon opening the palette you are met with the delectable smell of chocolate as the shadow formula is infused with anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder.

I absolutely loved my original Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette so was delighted to get this one. This palette is dominated by nude, neutral shades with an overall pink theme. There are a few pops of colour bright shades in this palette too. I really like the pink tone to this palette. The shadowsdo seem a bit out of place at first as they are so bright and pink however they are so easy to incorporate into looks. Let’s look at some swatches and go into better detail about each individual eyeshadow shade.

 

Almond Truffle – muted, muave toned taupe with cool undertones and a matte finish. This shade is ideal for a transition shade in the crease. This is smooth to apply and easy to blend.

Satin Sheets – pale, creamy pink with a strong golden shimmer and a frosted finish. This shade isn’t original to the Bon Bons palette and has popped up in Too Faced palettes before. It’s perfect for an inner corner and brow bone highlight.

Sprinkles – light-medium pink with yellow undertones and a soft golden shimmer finish. It’s a much darker pink than Satin Sheets with a less metallic and shimmery finish. The texture was a little on the powdery side but still had good colour pay-off.

Molasses Chip – rich copper/bronze shade with a metallic bronze sheen. This shade is very pigmented and a buttery texture when applied. This is one of the most wearable and best performing shades in the palette.

Malted – deep chocolate brown with warm, yellow undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade has good colour pay off and a smooth, buttery texture.

Cashew Chew – a muted, light pinky beige with warm undertones. This is one of my favourite shades in the palette, it’s good as a base shadow.

Cotton Candy – lightly brighted, light-medium pink with cool blue and silver undertones throughout. It has good pigmentation and a soft, blendable texture which didn’t kick up too much powder.

Cafe Au Lait – bright, light brown with a silver to golden shimmer. It applies smooth, the texture is buttery and creamy with little to no colour kick up.

Bordeaux – deep, dark reddish-brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. This shade has a silky smooth texture. This shade is ideal for deepening up colours in a look or to put lightly into the crease.

Mocha – medium brown with warm orange undertones and a matte finish. This is already one of my most used shades in this palette and one of my favourites. This shade has excellent colour pay-off.

Blackcurrant – dark, plum-purple shade with a golden shimmer throughout and a frosted finish. This shade is a lot lighter on skin than in the pan however when applied on top of other shadows it shows up really well.

Dark Truffle – deep, dark brown with warm undertones and a golden shimmer throughout. This shade is highly pigmented with an intense colour pay-off.

Pecan Praline – light brown taupe with subtle warm undertones and a matte finish. Similar shade to Cashew Chew but this is more cool toned. This is a good base shade or also good used when blending out a shadow.

Totally Fetch – a bright, deep fuchsia pink with cool undertones and a shimmery finish. This is the most out there colour in the palette and it’s fitting that the brightest pink would have to be named with a Mean Girls reference.

Earl Grey – deep teal shade with a silver shimmer. I’m not a huge fan on blue eyeshadow so this isn’t a shade I would wear, but it could create a good teal smokey eye. This shade is a little dusty.

Divinity – very light beige with slight warm undertones and a matte finish. One of the most pigmented shades in the palette. This is another good base shadow.

Overall, Too Faced created another very high quality eye shadow palette and I am very happy to add this one to my collection. The colour scheme of this palette is a bit iffy for me. I have mentioned I do enjoy the pink theme but it’s just not for me, so there is at least three maybe four shades I won’t wear which is a shame. However, if you enjoy incorporating bright pinks into your looks then this is a great palette for you. If you’re like me and not 100% there on the bright pinks, then it’s great that there is still so many looks to create using this without them.

The main question is whether this palette is worth buying, the answer is yes. The Too Faced palettes combine two of many peoples favourite things, chocolate and make up. What’s better? My favourite shades are Molasses Chip, Cashew Chew, Cafe Au Lait and Blackcurrant.

I hope you all enjoyed reading my review on this palette, I would love to hear feedback in the comments. If you’ve tried this palette or interested in buying it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

Siobhan x

 

The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation Review

Hi everyone, there is no secret about how much I love The Body Shop. I am obsessed with their skin care ranges and always buying new products from them to try out. I’ve been using this foundation for more or less one year now so I am really excited to share my thoughts on it with you.

The Body Shop foundation claims to leave skin feeling “beautifully fresh and comfortable all day” which is exactly what you are hoping for in a foundation. This product promises a hydrating formula which is great for me because sometimes foundation can dry out my skin making it look patchy in places. There is nothing more annoying than looking in the mirror and seeing my foundation looking terrible on my face, and the only thing to make it look better would be to take it all off.

I was expecting this foundation to be a little on the watery side from the description but it has a creamy texture. The formula is enriched with English rose water and 100% aloe vera to hydrate and moisturise the skin. This foundation definitely sticks to their name of being “fresh” as the foundation is so lightweight it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing any. It gives a very natural look, I normally use about two layers of this foundation to build up a more medium level of coverage. I love that there is SPF 15 in the foundation as it protects your skin from damaging sun rays, although I live in the Highlands of Scotland so getting sun burnt isn’t normally a concern for me.

As I mentioned I normally apply two layers of this foundation to create a more medium coverage, one layer does suffice if you are after a more natural look. It’s just my personal preference as I have freckles and dark circles under my eyes I like to cover up a bit more. I still have to use concealer if there are any spots on my face as the foundation does’t quite conceal them enough. A third layer of this foundation just looks cakey and is a waste of product.

The main thing I love about this foundation is that it actually perfectly matches my pale skin. Any other brand of foundation will name their palest shade ivory or something indicating a really pale shade yet on my skin it looks orange. I could honestly go on for ages about how impressed I am to find a foundation that perfectly matches my skin tone and doesn’t break the bank either. I used to spend anything from £26-30 on foundation, whereas this one is only £15.

For me, this foundation lasts all day from 9am when I normally put on my make up to 10pm when I normally take it off. I have read some mixed reviews saying that other people need to top up their foundation after wearing it for around 7 hours, but personally I have never had this problem. I always set my foundation with powder as well to increase wear time.

Overall, I love this foundation and I don’t have any negative things to say about it however this foundation wouldn’t be for everyone. It’s very hydrating and light so would be good for people who tend to have dry skin, but it might not be ideal for people with oily skin. I’ve used foundations from Bare Minerals, Benefit and Clinique and none of them to me are as good as this one. I mentioned before it’s £15, which I think is a bargain as one bottle lasts for a long time.

I hope you enjoyed this post on my favourite foundation, I would love to know if any of you had considered buying this or have tried it and what your thoughts are!

Siobhan x

 

Urban Decay Ultimate Basics Palette Review

Hey everyone, today’s post is going to be on reviewing the UD Ultimate Basics palette as the title suggests. I am currently forcing myself to write this as I am so exhausted from working the entire weekend, but I need to be productive. When I first started buying pricey, good quality make up Urban Decay was always my go-to brand. It was always exciting getting to spend my wages from my part-time job on a naked palette, so naturally I was very excited to get this one.

Let’s talk about the packaging first. I LOVE this compact, it is a rose gold compact with a bursting design centring around Urban Decay’s logo. The compact is actually super light  but also durable too which is handy if you are carrying it around or travelling with it. Inside the palette there is a large mirror, a brush and 12 eyeshadows. I have to be honest and say I am not a huge fan of the brush in this palette, I don’t find it the easiest to work with so I just stick to my Morphe brushes.

I find with some shades in all the Naked palettes that the shades are either really pigmented with high colour pay-off orrrr the opposite where the shades are chalky and much less pigmented. This palette was pretty in between where some shades are beautiful and pigmented and others, not so much. However, I still love Urban Decay and love neutral and matte eyeshadows so from the get go I knew I would be purchasing this product.

It is a very rare thing to be able to look at a palette and know that I would use every single colour in there but I 100% will here. It has the perfect range of shades to create basic, nude every day looks but has shades for going out, heavier and smokey looks too. Instinct and Lethal are my two absolute faves from this palette, they match so well with my Too Faced lipstick and I am so into that look right now. The layout of this palette is much better than the other Naked palettes. I totally prefer the 2 x 6 layout compared to the long line of shadows and the smaller mirror. Back to the fact that I would use every shade in this palette, I love that UD filled this palette with completely usable colours. Nothing annoys me more than when you buy a neutral palette and there is just one over the top, bright colour that doesn’t fit into the colour scheme at all.

Here are some photos of the swatches I did. I can FINALLY say I am getting better at that as they actually resemble a straight-ish line on my arm instead of slowly sliding round the front of it like they used too. Let’s discuss the colours in a wee bit of depth now.

Blow – a peachy light beige with warm undertones and a pearly shimmer. Perfect for a wee bit of highlighting round the eye. This is the only non-matte eyeshadow in the whole palette. This shade has good pigmentation with a soft and blendable texture.

Nudie – a light-medium peachy-beiege with warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture is a bit softer and thinner so doesn’t apply so well with the first layer. I normally use this shade as a base shadow.

Commando –  a muted, medium-dark brown with subtle warm undertones and a matte finish. It felt very soft and smooth which helped it blend out nicely on the skin.

Tempted – a medium-dark taupe brown with a hint of rosiness and warmer undertones paired with a matte finish. This shadow can be pulled off in a warm or cool look depending on what shadows you pair it with.

Instinct – a muted, dusty, rosy muave with neutral to cool undertones with a matte finish. My favourite shade in the palette can be a lil bit sheerer than the other shades but when applying  a few layers to your eyes it is fine. This lasts all day and has survived on my eyelids through many 9 hour waitressing shifts.

Lethal – a deep plum with a matte finish. The consistency of this shade is quite thin but it still applies nicely on the eye and blends out evenly. It doesn’t look as plummy on the eyelids as it does in the pan which is a shame, but I still love this paired with instinct.

Pre-game – this is a sort of buttery, yellow shade with warm undertones and a matte finish. It has good colour pay-off and blends well. However, I hate this shade. It is definitely my least favourite shade in the whole palette.

Extra Bitter – a medium-dark, earthy copper brown with red undertones and a matte finish. This shade is SO pigmented and is one of the best performing eyeshadows in the palette. The texture was so smooth and so blendable.

Faith – a soft medium brown with yellow undertones and a matte finish. This has a soft, smooth and silky consistency which makes it easy to work with on your skin as it provides rich coverage and blends well.

Lockout – a dark brown with subtle warm undertones and a matte finish. It is a wee bit darker than Faith with less yellow undertones. Personally, I think this and Faith are far too similar to be in the same palette nevermind the shade next to the other one. However, the texture was soft and easily blendable. This is one of the easier shades in the palette to work with.

Magnet – a muted, dark grey with hints of purple undertones and a matte finish. The formula for this is rather thin but easily blendable. I thought this shade applied quite chalky as well and wasn’t the best to work with.

Blackjack – a deep black with a matte finish. The texture was so soft with a little excess being picked up in the pan but it is a fairly blendable eyeshadow. However it isn’t the best black eyeshadow and is used best to apply in sheerer layers to avoid unevenness or just to add a smoky touch to your eye make-up.

My overall comments on this are that at first glance I love this palette and I think the range of shades are amazing as they are so usable. The first row is definitely my favourite as I use them every day but the second row is full of heavier colours I would lean more towards using for a night-out or a day I had something special planned.  The shadows look a lot lighter in the pan than when they are actually applied – all shades apply slightly darker than what they appear. Most of the shadows in this palette are a little but thin but still apply smoothly but don’t have the creamy or buttery texture I really like eyeshadows to have. Mostly I am so impressed with this palette, and despite the small criticisms I have made I am still going to use this every day.

Have any of you tried this palette? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Hope you all enjoyed reading this,

Siobhan x