Benefit Makeup I've Been Putting To The Test!

Hey beaut's!

Over the last month or so I've been working my way through all the gift sets I got for Christmas and one of them was a Benefit set complete with five products to put to the test, so today I thought I'd share which ones I've been loving so far and which ones don't really cut the mustard!

So lets kick things off with the Bad Girl Bang Mascara, this is Benefit's latest mascara launch and I was so excited to try it but truth be told I'm still on the fence about it! The things I love about the Bad Girl Bang mascara is that it creates lots of length, it's super black, it doesn't smudge or flake and it doesn't feel heavy on my lashes however.. when it creates that length it almost makes my lashes look spidery which is something I really don't like in a mascara, I also find it a little hard to apply because the mascara wand is very long and the brush itself is quite thin and bendy so I really have to be weary when I apply it! So yeah I'm still a bit unsure on this one beaut's!

I knew I was going to love the Hoola Bronzer because I already have one on the go that I've hit pan on so I'm happy to have a replacement on hand! If your yet to try this cult classic it's an amazing matte bronzer that's great for both contouring and bronzing up the skin because it's that in-between colour where it's not too warm or two cool making it so versatile! Moving onto Gimme Brow which is soooo good, it's a tinted eyebrow gel which contains tiny microfibers that adhere to your skin and brow hairs, it not only sets your brows in place all day but it creates natural-looking fullness and definition, it honestly makes my brows look so full a fluffy but not in a harsh way if that makes sense, and it doesn't dry hard or crispy either thank goodness!

The POREfessional Pearl Primer was another product I was really interested in trying, I've always felt the orginal POREfessional was good at filling in my pores but was quite drying on my skin so I was interested in seeing if the pearl formula was different, and it isn't! The Pearl Primer works in the exact same was as POREfessional does however it's meant to add a soft radiance to the skin and leave your skin looking brighter and to be honest I didn't notice a difference at all, and it was still quite drying on me. That being said it is really good at filling in pores so it's not all bad I guess!

I think one of my favourite products here has to be the They're Real! Double The Lip, I have to admit I really wasn't interested in these when they launched because I thought.. how is a lipstick with a built-in lip liner going to work and be precise but actually after trying it out I bloody love it! I have the shade Lusty Rose which is the perfect everyday shade, it feels quite balmy on the lips and is so comfortable to wear and the concept really works well giving me a perfect pout in seconds!

Have you tried any of these products beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

Feral Cosmetics x Arpi Limited Edition Collection

Hey beaut's!

If you've been reading my blog for a while now you might already know that I'm a huge Feral Cosmetics fan, if you haven't heard of Feral Cosmetics before their a US, cruelty free and vegan lip products brand which are sold here in the UK on the Beauty Chamber website. Beauty Chamber have recently added two new shades as part of their Feral Cosmetics x Arpi limited edition collection, one of which is a complete new formula for Feral and I couldn't wait to try the duo out on my pout!

The two new shades Feral have launched with American model, actress, singer and TV host Arpi Gabrielyan are simply named R.P and R.P2, R.P is a gorgeous peachy nude which is in Feral's AMAZING liquid lipstick formulation, and R.P2 is a clear gloss lip topper which is crammed full of beautiful gold and silver glitter that twinkles beautifully, perfect for a festive pout! I've always raved about the consistency and texture of Feral's liquid lippies as it's so lovely and I'd go as far as saying one of the best formula's I've tried in terms of liquid lipsticks and the shade R.P certainly follows suit! The product feels super thin and lightweight during the application process where as a lot of other liquid lipsticks I've tried are much thicker and heavier. Despite being thin in constancy R.P still packs a pigmented punch and is fully opaque in one quick swipe, you definitely don't need to build up the opacity that's for sure! Once dried down on the lips the formula still feels super lightweight and doesn't really feel that dry at all thank goodness, they do have an ever so slight tacky feeling when I rub my lips together to begin with but I'd much prefer that than dryness. The liquid lipstick also has a touch proof finish too, I literally pressed and rubbed my finger over my lips once the lippie had completely dried down and it never transferred onto my fingers, and the lasting power is phenomenal. Ohhh and did I mention they have a lovely light vanilla scent to them too, it's so yummy!

 The lip topper is a complete new formula for Feral and for me too and wow it's stunning, usually I'm not a gloss or lip topper kinda gal because of the fear of my hair being permanently stuck to my lips because of a sticky gloss but we need to praise the Feral makeup loving gods because this lip topper isn't sticky in the slightest, YASSSS!! I just cant stress enough how stunning this lip topper looks over liquid lipsticks and matte lipsticks, it's so pretty and twinkly and despite being such a sparkly gloss it doesn't feel gritty on the lips at all which is a bonus. 

Overall I really love this duo and cant recommend the Feral liquid lipsticks and now their new lip topper enough, the quality is just so so good and that's really saying something coming from me because I've always been a bit of a fuss pot when it comes to both liquid lipsticks and lip toppers, I'm always put off with the dry/tightness/cracking of liquid lippies but Feral Cosmetics are just so lightweight and lovely!

You can shop the Feral Cosmetics x Arpi Limited Edition Collection* on the Beauty Chamber website for £14.95 each HERE.



This post contains gifted press samples, all opinions are my own!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Lip Blush Review

Hey beaut's!

I've finally lost my MAKE UP FOR EVER virginity, I cant quite believe that the makeup addict within me hasn't owned a product by MAKE UP FOR EVER until now, shocking behaviour from miss sparkle over here he he! Never the less I finally have one of their lip blushes sitting pretty on my dresser and of course on my pout and I've gotta admit I love it!

The MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Lip Blushes* have the healthy rosiness and delicious powdery matte finish of a blush… but their for your lips? Um, hell to the yeahhh! The Lip Blushes are available exclusively to Escentual.com where you will find 10 gorgeous shades to choose from ranging from nudes, pinks, corals and reds all in warm and cool tones! I have the shade 100 Soft Tan which is right up my street, it's a soft pinky-nude that has that kind of 'your lips but better' feel to it. It's such a wearable shade for any occasion and if you was to go though all of my favourite lipsticks you will find they are pretty much just like this shade, I'm a pink toned nude girl through and through!

The formula of this little beauty is lovely, it's well pigmented and glides onto my lips with ease without dragging or tugging yet it has an almost suede feeling matte finish that you would expect to feel quite dry but it doesn't feel like that at all! The Lip Blush also has an extremely lightweight feel when it's on the lips, I literally forget I'm wearing it sometimes which usually never happens with a matte lip and it barley transfers at all once its on and set which is a bonus! Something else I love about this Lip Blush is that it doesn't reveal any flaws or dry texture on my lips, matte lipsticks are prone to literally exposing any texture you have on your lips but the addition of three oils, synthetic mica and silica within the formula really helps smooth and blur any dry patches you may! As you can see from my swatch below my pout looks full, healthy and rosy, I also took this picture in front of a window and it really picked up the glow from the sun too! 

As the MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Lip Blushes come like a jumbo crayon it makes them so easy to use and super lightweight to pop into your handbag for on the go, you literally twist up from the bottom  for more product (no need for sharpening,thank goodness) and because the product itself is shaped as a crayon too it makes it really easy to fill in your lip area precisely! I'm so glad I've finally got to try something from MAKE UP FOR EVER, I'm super impressed by the quality of these lip blushes and definitely have the shades Flushing Mauve and Blushing Rose on my wish list now!

You can find the MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Lip Blush Collection exclusively on the Escentual website HERE for £18.00 each!

June Beauty Favourites!

Hey beaut's!

June has been a bit of a poo month really, a close family member has been poorly and it's generally been crap, but on a brighter note I'm currently on holiday from work and the weather is bloody gorgeous so theres always that! A favourite I have to add in before we get down to beauty business is Love Island, oh how I'm addicted! I actually re-watched series 1 and 2 on Netflix before series 4 started (why oh why isn't series 3 on Netflix?) and I've been hooked to series 4 ever since it came on, I must admit it has been a slightly slow start but I feel like things are really heating up this week, I also detest Adam and Meghan, ewwww!

 Firstly this month I have been loving my Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara again, I'm doing that thing where I'm trying to use makeup within my makeup collection before going out and buying something new, and as I'd finished my Tanya Burr mascara I decided to whack this beauty back out and I've really been loving it! It volumizes and lengthens as it separates which is just what I like and it doesn't flake or smudge on me, hurrah! 

 Scent wise this month I've been obsessed with my Zoella Gelat'Eau Body Mist, in fact I've nearly finished my bottle now! The scent of this mist is so nice for this time of the year, think slightly floral, fresh and edible (but don't actually spray it in your mouth he he) it's lush!

 My lips have been having a real dry spell recently so out came the Clarins Lip Oil to the rescue, it leaves a shiny, non-sticky finish on the lips which is so nourishing and gives my lips that dose of moisture they crave! I have a feeling I'll be buying lots of this stuff during the colder months too, I really want to try one of the tinted, scented ones next!

 Leighton Denny's Street Dance has been my go to for the last couple of months really, it has a clear base but is jam packed with all different sizes, shapes and colours of glitter, and after a couple of coats it literally takes any coloured manicure to a whole new level, it's stunning! 

 I've only just recently been using my Joan Collins lippie in the shade Bella because I had totally forgotten about it 'silly me', but I had to include it within my favourites because it looks so bloody pretty! It's a delicate peachy nude and for me it's the easiest way to switch my lip colour up for the Summer without going too bold!

 My final favourite this month is from Zoella again, it's her Shower Sauce Body Wash from the same Gelato range as the body mist above! This stuff has the same gorgeous scent as the perfume, it's so summery and lingers on my skin for hours after use, for me it smells of all things Summer within a body wash!

What have you been loving this month beaut's? I'd love to know!

Feral Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lipstick Review

Hey beaut's!

Back in January I got my first taster of Feral Cosmetics, I tried three of their liquid lipsticks and was totally blown away by the gorgeous formula (review here). If you haven't heard of Feral Cosmetics before their a US based, cruelty free and vegan beauty brand which is sold here in the UK on the Beauty Chamber website. Feral Cosmetics currently have two lip product ranges available on Beauty Chamber - the Liquid Matte Lipsticks and the Ultra Satin Lipsticks which I've finally been able to try recently!

The Feral Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lipsticks* come packaged in sturdy silver aluminium casings and have handy magnetic lids which I love, theres nothing worse than when your lipstick lid becomes loose in your handbag is there, but you don't have to worry about that with these beauties! The Feral Cosmetics Lipsticks are available in five gorgeous shades that's can take you from day to night with ease and the formula is absolutely stunning, my all time favourite lipsticks are satin finishes so I kinda knew I would like these lippies to a certain degree but after trying them theres honestly nothing I would change about them! The pigmentation is so rich and opaque after one swipe and their so creamy and easy to apply without dragging or tugging on the lips. The satin finish is lovely and feels so comfortable to wear and doesn't dry my lips out at all and lasts a good 4-5 hours before I could use a refresh. I honestly love the satin formula of these as much as I love the formula of my MAC satin lippies and these are cheaper at just £12.95 a pop but still feel like high end quality!

The five shades are....
Euphoric - A pastel lilac shade fit for any unicorn lover he he.
Envy - This is the most beautiful classic red shade, it's one of my absolute favourites out of the five shades.
Rose By Goar - This is the most natural and some would say the most wearable out of the five shades, it's a pretty blush-pinky nude, I love it!
Rapture - I'm getting extreme 'Autumn' and 'night out' vibes from this beauty, it's a vampy dark red which I think would look gorgeous with a bronze smokey eye!
Fetish - A lovely pinky-coral shade that will be perfect for the Summer months.

(From left to right - Euphoric, Envy, Rose By Goar, Rapture, Fetish)
Overall I've really been loving these lippies and can see myself getting so much wear out of them because theres a shade for most seasons and occasions. Rose By Goar is my most worn shade at the moment because it's so versatile and perfect for work but I love them all so much, the formula is so nice too and if your after a bit of a MAC satin finish dupe these are super similar. At £12.95 a pop I really cant recommend them enough, theres super pigmented, long wearing, comfortable on the lips and apply like a dream, whats not to love!

You can find the Feral Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lipstick's for £12.95 each HERE.

Valentines Red Lips With Essence

Hey beaut's!

Valentines Day is just two days away so if you haven't already then it's definitely time to dig out those red lippies and get your inner Marilyn Monroe on he he! If you've left it late or cant find the right shade of red within your stash I have a couple of super affordable reds from Essence that will have your pout looking so kissable!

I love the Essence Ultra Last Instant Colour Lipsticks* and have a few within my collection already but this red has to be one of my favourites. The shade is called 'Head To Ma Toes' and is a gorgeous poppy red with a satin finish, the formula is so creamy and some what balmy in texture which leaves my lips so soft, smooth and moisturised. The pigmentation is good but can be build up for a super intense payoff, and I can get a good 2-3 hours wear out of this shade before I could use a top up, and considering this lippie is only a teeny tiny £2.30 I think that's pretty good going!

If you want to go for a matte liquid lippie this Valentines Day then the Vibrant Shock Lip Paint in Bloody Mary*  (£3.30) is where the parties at...It's a bold, intense dark raspberry red shade which is absolutely stunning, it does need two layers for it to become fully even but once it's set...wow! It does take 5-10 minutes or so to completely set and during that time it does feel quite sticky but once it's set that feeling goes away and it feels lightweight and stays put for hours!

The Shine Shine Shine Wet Look Lip gloss in Red Carpet Scarlet* has really impressed me, that's quite a bold statement for me when it comes to a gloss as I'm not a huge lip gloss lover mainly because I hate that tacky, sticky feeling most of them have however....This Essence gloss isn't sticky or tacky at all and it doesn't feel thick or gloopy on the lips either, hooray! Also can we just appreciate how opaque and pigmented this gloss is, literally one swipe and it's opaque, I don't think I own any other glosses like it! For just £2.00 I think this gloss is pretty epic, it would be the perfect topper for any red lip or can be worn alone with ease!

As you can see from the swatches their such stunning reds, and the quality for the price is seriously impressive! I definitely want to grab a few neutral colours in that gloss now as that was really good!

You can find these Essence lippies in Wilko stores or on the Wilko website HERE.

Joan Collins 'Autumnal' Divine Lips Lipsticks Reviewed

 Hey beaut's!

It's no secret that I'm a huge Joan Collins beauty fan, I've got quite a collection of her products now all of which I'm pretty obsessed with - especially her Divine Lips lippies, so when these two glamorous, autumnal beauties arrived I couldn't wait to try them out!

 Joan Collins Divine Lips Lipsticks come in a whopping 16 shades so theres certainly a shade or tone to suit everyone and this time around I've been giving the shades Alexis* and Helene* a whirl. Alexis is a stunning rich berry toned shade which is so autumnal and right up my street, and Helene is a gorgeous blue toned red which is not only classic looking and super glam but I think it's going to be perfect for Chirstmassy red lips too. Formula wise... these are both stunning and performed so well considering their such bold, vibrant shades, their really rich in pigmentation and completely opaque after one swipe, their super creamy and moisturising which is down to the added hyaluronic acid which really nourishes the lips, they didn't even dry my lips out as time went on either which is so good and perfect for the colder months. The lasting power is really good too considering they both have a cream formula and finish, they don't bleed outside my lips either which is such a pet hate of mine with bolder colours!

If your into your lippies or if your looking for some new shades to try for Autumn/Winter I cant recommend these two from Joan Collins Beauty enough, as expected their super pretty, have awesome pigmentation, their long lasting and they look a dream on my dressing table or when I pull them out of my handbag to use because of that  stunning gold packaging.

Have you tried any of Joan Collins Beauty range beaut's? What would you recommend I try next?

The Joan Collins Divine Lips Lipstick are £18.00 each and can be found HERE.

Tanya Burr Lipstick in Pink Cocoa Reviewed!

Hey beaut's!

I have been waiting soooooo long to try Tanya Burr's lippie in Pink Cocoa, it's forever out of stock online and my Superdrug never even stocked her lipsticks in-store, well that was until recently when they had a huge refurbishment and now stock all the makeup I could ever wish for, so when I saw they finally had Pink Cocoa in stock I snapped it up straight away.

Pink Cocoa is the most stunning shade, it's a pinky brown toned nude perfect for everyday wear but it's totally evening worthy too, it's also the kind of shade that's perfect for all seasons and would go with most makeup looks from the stripped back to the more dramatic. The formula of the lipstick itself is stunning, it has a super creamy texture which is enriched with Vitamin E and a satin finish which feels so lightweight and nourishing on the lips, perfect for anyone who has slightly drier lips like I always do, and the pigmentation is fully opaque after one swipe so theres no need to build up the intensity of colour. Staying power is pretty good too, once the lippie has been on for a good hour or so the creaminess does dry down to more of a semi matte finish but it still stays in place well without fading for a good 3 hours or so without clinging to any dry patches which is perfect for me.

Also can we just take a minute to appreciate how pretty the packaging of the lipstick is, it comes in gorgeous gold coloured metal case which feels very lux and I definitely get YSL vibes from it. It certainly looks stunning on my dressing table and when I pull it out of my makeup bag or handbag for top ups.

Overall I'm so happy I managed to pick the shade Pink Cocoa up and I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how much I love the formula, I had no idea what to expect from Tanya's lippies but the satin finish is my favourite, I'm so happy their super creamy and not drying in the slightest and the colour Pink Cocoa is absolutely stunning and something I reach for everyday! I'll definitely be treated myself to a couple of her other shades within the collection soon.

You can find Tanya's Burr's Lipstick in Pink Cocoa for £6.99 HERE.

Blogmas Day 16 - Festive Lip of the Day

Hey beaut's!

It's blogmas day sixteen, wowza these days are flying aren't they... Today I thought I'd do a cheeky little lip of the day post as I haven't done one of these for a while and this one has a Christmassy twist, yup this lip of the day is actually going to be my lip combo of choice for Christmas day!

For lipstick I've gone for MAC's Viva Glam I. Viva Glam I is a deep but bright vampy red shade and has a lovely matte finish. This is the red lip that I always crack out for the party season because it just looks so dramatic on me and is such a statement lip. It's such a beautiful shade though and definitely one to have stored away in your MAC lipstick collection for sure!

To line my lips I'm going for MUA's Lip Liner in Red Drama! Can you believe this lip liner is just a teeny tiny £1.00, I know what a beauty bargain! Red Drama is actually quite a bright red lip liner, definitely brighter than 'MAC's Viva Glam I' but somehow they work amazingly well together, I line and fill in my lips with Red Drama first then pop over MAC's Viva Glam I and blend the two with a lip brush, this creates such a long lasting, beautifully bold red lip, I love it! 

Whats your favourite lippie to rock over the festive season beaut's? I'd love to know!

Lip of the Day feat MAC and Barry M!

Hey beaut's!

It's been quite a while since I last done a lip of the day post so I thought I'd do one today with the lip combo I'm absolutely loving at the moment! I've actually worn this lip combo more or less everyday over last couple of weeks and have fallen in love with it all over again!

Firstly I lined my lips with the gorgeous Barry M lip liner in #15 Rose (£2.99). I picked up this shade because it's meant to be an exact dupe of MAC's Soar Lip Liner which I've been after for ages but it's always out of stock so Rose will have to do for the time being. As far as lip liners go I think Barry M done a bloody good job here, Rose is so velvety soft to apply whilst still being firm enough to create precise lines and the texture is stunning! I actually picked up another three Barry M lip liners after trying this one out because I was so impressed by the formulation!

The lipstick I went for to match up with the Barry M lip liner is another one of my favourites, Mac's Faux. Faux is a gorgeous muted mauve-pink with a satin finish which I find is the perfect shade for everyday wear and goes well with any makeup look, I love it! It matches perfectly with the Barry M lip liner and the two together are so long wearing, not to mention super pretty!

Whats your favourite lippie to rock at the moment beaut's? I'd love to know!