Tag: Makeup

Primark P.S. Love Eye Liner and Eye Brightener Review

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been one to spend much money on eye liners. So when I spotted these ones (along with the eye brighter pencil) in Primark recently, I didn’t even hesitate to make the purchases. Unlike many other makeup products, for me (going off past experience) most eye liners have been pretty much the same, especially when it comes to pencil eye liners. If it’s black and it comes out bold, then it’s fine by me. And with regards to liquid eyeliners, I’ve often found a firm wand, as opposed to a flexible one, works best for me when creating a cat eye flick.

Smudger Eye Liner

At one end this liner is a pencil and at the other end it has a small foam smudge stick, perfect for creating a quick and easy smoky eye look. It also comes with a sharpener in the lid, so you never have to worry about it going blunt when you’re on the go.

On the below image I applied my line using just this black eye liner and as you can see it came out bold and I was able to create a perfectly precise flick. (I didn’t apply mascara, just so that you can see how the eye liner looks alone.)

Next I used the smudge stick end of the eye liner to create a subtle smoky liner.

Then I went along the bottom of my eye with the pencil to create a more smoky eyed look.

Liquid Eye Liner

I always have to carry a liquid eye liner in my makeup bag, just because you never know when those bold cat flicks might need to come out!

The wand of this liquid eyeliner is firm and so works well at creating that perfect flick.

In the image below I simply drew over the smoky eye liner (from the images above) with the liquid eye liner to at first give a subtle smoky eye with a winged liner.

To create the look below, I then made the line thicker to create a dramatic cat eye look, again using the liquid eye liner.

Highlighter Crayon (Eye Brightener)

This is such a handy little highlighter crayon that you can keep in your bag when you’re on the go. It’s perfect for highlighting below your brow or on the waterline of your eye to make the whites of your eyes appear brighter and bigger. You can also you the pencil at the inner corners of your eye (as I have done below) to add a highlight and again brighten your eyes.

I’m super pleased with all three of these products, at only £1 each, how could I not be. I also on like the fact that these products come nicely packaged. It means that they would look good as part of a present. For Birthdays I often like to buy my friend’s lots of little gifts rather that one big thing and things like this make nice little inexpensive present fillers as part of a gift.

I seem to go through so many pencil and liquid eyeliners, so I will certainly be purchasing these ones again for myself. I’m also sure the highlighter crayon will often come in handy and will be a another item I repurchase once it’s finished too. Overall I give these products a big thumbs up!

Samio x

February 9, 2015
Illamasqua Multi Facet Palette Review

As much as I said I wasn’t going to shop in the sales, some things are just destined to make me fail. Like the Illamasqua sale for example. I’d noticed this delightful shiny Illamasqua Multi Facet Palette when it had first gone into the sale at £22 (if I remember correctly) down from £45. A whole week went by without me making the online purchase of this incredibly tempting item, until a few days ago when the price went down in the sale even further, to £13.50! So I have to admit, this time I didn’t even hesitate. Will power had gone out of the window and this gorgeous little palette had arrived before I knew it.

I have to say though, that this Multi Facet Palette certainly did not disappoint and I definitely got a bargain with this one…
Okay, so what’s inside. Well, the product contains eight different palettes including,a highlighter, blush, contour cream, three eye shadows, a solid brow powder and solid powder eye liner. Not forgetting the double ended brush that comes with it too.

I went for the palette in Semblance. I was a little worried at first that maybe the brow powder might be a little too pale for my eyebrows but it turned out to be the perfect match!

The highlighter is creamy and is really easy to apply. I used it to highlight my cheeks and below my brow. It’s nice and subtle too, so it gives a great shimmery glow without being to shiny and dramatic. So it’s definitely a good one if you’re a first timer at trying out a highlighter.

The eye shadows come in three gorgeous colours. The shimmery nude for the base, the pink for the lid and a pretty bronzed brown sort of colour which I used to define around the eye socket area. The three colours blended onto the eye together look splendid.

The blush is so vibrant, I love it. It’s a really nice shade of pink and it’s easy to blend in to give a nice rosy tint to your cheeks.

The eye liner was probably the product in the palette that I was unsure about as it is a powder and I’m used to using pencil or liquid eye liners. Anyway, I decided to give it a go and I can’t believe how much I loved it. It’s actually really easy to apply and using the angle edged end of the brush that comes in the palette, you can create a great slick line and flick.

The only thing in the palette that isn’t quite right for me is the contour cream as it’s not right for my skin tone. I gave it a go none the less and I’m wearing all of the products in the palette in the images below.

My foundation is also Illamasqua. If you’d like to find out more about that one you can read the review I previously did on that here. Also my lipstick is shade Growl from Illamasaqua, it’s one I’ve had for a while but I think that one is currently in the sale at the moment too.

Overall I’m absolutely delighted with this palette. It’s actually so handy and the large mirror that sits in the inside lid of the palette stands up itself so that you can place it down anywhere and do your makeup. It’s such a perfect travel size palette and I only wish I had had it last weekend when I went to stay in Liverpool for a night out with my best girlfriends. It would have saved me bringing a few different products that’s for sure.

I give this palette a big thumbs up and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a travel sized multi purpose makeup palette. But I’d say to be quick if you are wanting to purchase this one as it is limited edition and apparently the sale ends on Monday! You can shop the Illamasqua sale and their other products at Illamasqua online.

Samio x

January 30, 2015
P.S. Love: Primark Lip Liner Review

There’s nothing like a good lip liner to keep your lipstick looking on point. However, as much as I love spending money on new and colourful lipsticks I often feel slightly short changed when it comes round to buying lip liners. Although I do see them as almost a necessity when applying my lipstick, I still don’t love the idea of forking out much cash on them, especially when you’ve already purchased a pricey lipstick.

Many times I’ve gone for the more budget buys when it comes to lip liners and still been satisfied but when I came across these P.S Love lip liners from Primark’s makeup range, at such a low price, I wasn’t sure how good they would be. At only £1 per liner, I thought I may as well give them a try and after purchasing all three colours available, I couldn’t wait to get home and try them out.

This is a review that needs very little words so I’ll let the lips do the talking. A few things I will say about these lip liners though, are that they glide on easily and are strongly pigmented. They are scentless and long lasting on the lips.

Nude

I’ve been looking for a reasonably priced nude liner for ages and I’m so glad I’ve finally found one!

Pink

I already own so many pale pink lip liners, it was good to get my hands on a bright one at last.

Red

I get through so many red lip liners. I love this one, so at this price I best stock up.

I would certainly recommend these lip liners, especially if it’s your first time trying out lip liners and you want to buy a few products that aren’t going to break the bank. Also, if you’re like me and often enjoy a red lip, I’d definitely say to try out the red lip liner. I go through so many red lip liners and the cost quickly adds up but from now on I know where I’ll be continuing to purchase mine from. I only hope they start adding more colours to the range! I give these lip liners a big thumbs up!

Samio x

January 29, 2015
Godmorgon – Organising My Makeup

What if I told you that I decided to throw away all of my makeup? Okay silly question, of course you wouldn’t believe me but do believe me when I say I had a huge clear out and when I say I threw the majority of my makeup away, it’s not even an over exaggeration. No I’ve not decided that an everyday bare face is the way forward for me, nor did I just have a moment of madness, I simply had a much needed, long overdue clear out. Now the majority of my makeup resides in this perfectly organised Perspex container with the rest fitting neatly into one medium sized makeup bag.

I had known a makeup overhaul had been needed for quite some time but the arduous task of sifting through never ending piles of mostly unwanted makeup was rarely high up on my to do list. Eventually last week, I got round to the task and I didn’t go lightly on myself when it came to throwing many products away. I’m sure many of us have been guilty of hoarding products we no longer use, using the excuse ‘I might need it one day’. In order to make my clear out successful, I gave myself a few rules; If I’ve not used it in several months, bin it. If it looks old, bin it. If it smells gross, definitely bin it. If it has no place in my daily or night out makeup routine, bin it… You get the gist and with that my makeup clear out was well on it’s way.

The main thing I have to thank for my newly organised makeup, is this fabulous see through plastic organising container from Ikea, called Godmorgon. This is actually an item Ikea have sold for years and I’ve had my eye on it for a while but last time I was in store it was out of stock. Finally, last week I was able to get my hands on it and I’m so happy I did. Never before has my makeup looked so tidy.

After a good while of sorting out and cleaning up my products I was left with a modest amount of makeup in my collection and I have to say I feel so much better for it. No more sifting through a never ending bag of lipsticks or carefully rummaging through a bag of eye and lip liners in fear one of the lids would fall off.

One thing I love about this container is that it has an upper tray at the front which is perfect for keeping makeup brushes and as you see here I’ve used it for my favourite foundation and BB cream too. The top front tray is on a a pivot so that you can pull it up in order to get at the tray below and you can also remove it if you need to.

Surely enough over time my makeup collection will grow again but this time I plan on keeping it organised. If I keep my makeup in a tidy format which makes it easy to see, it should stop me from buying products which I later forget about and also help me to keep track of what I’m using. No doubt soon enough I’ll be buying another one of these and for anyone else wanting to tidy up their makeup collection, I would certainly recommend getting one too.

Samio x

January 21, 2015
Bobbi Brown BB Cream and Corrector for Dark Circles

I love finding products that I love, rather obvious I know but although I’m forever accumulating new makeup and products, it takes a lot for me to find something different that I regularly like putting all over my face. This is where this Bobbi Brown BB Cream comes in. I’ve mentioned before that I discovered this product on a shoot when a makeup artist used it on me and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I’ve used BB creams (referred to as ‘blemish/beauty balms’) in the past but I think due to me trying out some of the budget ones I wasn’t overly impressed and soon reverted back to my trusted foundations.

It wasn’t long after trying out Bobbi Brown’s BB cream that it was added to my makeup collection and now it’s my new favourite thing to use on my face day to day. As I’m slightly obsessed with skin protection (I’m the girl who wears factor 50 during the summer), I absolutely love the fact that this BB cream contains SPF 35, as I feel it’s important to try and protect the skin as much as possible.

This BB cream feels light on the skin and gives a dewy fresh look which I really like. Although the BB cream claims to include a moisturiser, I still like to apply a moisturiser to my face beforehand, just so that my skin feels fully hydrated. At home I use my regular day moisturiser. However when I went to purchase my BB cream, the woman in store applied a base of Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream first, which I have to say felt great on the skin and seemed to work really well with the BB cream also.

This BB cream isn’t the cheapest but for me I found a perfect match with shade, Natural. I love how it evens out my complexion and gives that natural ‘no makeup’ look, whilst feeling light on the skin and blending perfectly with my own skin tone.

Whilst purchasing the Bobbi Brown BB Cream I thought I’d give some of their other products a go and so I got to try out this Bobbi Brown Corrector. It’s made to neutralise dark under eyes and is meant to be applied before a concealer. The shade light to medium peach was the corrector that matched my tone and I could instantly see the difference it made to brightening my under eyes. As I don’t suffer from major dark circles, I’ve found I’ve been able to use the product without applying concealer over the top. The corrector shade I purchased already blends well with my skin tone whilst adding brightness under the eyes so I’ve felt the need to add concealer unnecessary for the time being.

The only warning I can give about this product is that it’s rather thick, as of course it is meant to help correct the darkest of under eye circles. So I would just to say be careful when applying it and be sure not to cake it on, as after hours of wearing it, creases can appear and that will end up looking rather bad. So be sure to apply this product sparingly and after using your concealer, apply a light powder over the top which will reduce any shine and help set the makeup.

(It doesn’t actually look as orangey in real life as in this picture)

Overall I really like both of these products from Bobbi Brown. The packaging is simple yet smart and the products themselves do exactly what they say on the labels. Obviously the BB cream is my favourite and shall be a reoccurring makeup purchase for me from now on. If you suffer from dark circles and want something to help even out the tone of your under eyes, then I would definitely recommend the Bobbi Brown corrector and say it’s worth going in store to find your match. I give both of these products a big thumbs up and definitely recommend them.

Below I’m wearing the Bobbi Brown BB Cream and Bobbi Brown Corrector without any added concealer or face powder, to show the results of using these two products.

Samio x

January 9, 2015
Collection Cotton Candy Cream Puff Lip Cream Review

Finding that perfectly subtle pink lip colour that I love, is often an arduous task. Too pale, too bright, I seem to have been through them all and lets face it, any excuse to buy more lip colours right? Anyway, this Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream in Cotton Candy is a shade I’ve been using on and off for a few months now (when it takes my fancy). I’ve been rather fond of these lip cream type products as of late and when I spotted this one at such a bargain price I obviously had to add it to my collection.

The Cream Puff lip cream glides easily and smoothly onto the lips and has the most delicious candy smell. Like with most lip creams I’ve found, if applied alone it can dry out the lips after a while. To resolve this I like to apply the tiniest dab of Vaseline to the lips before putting on the lip cream. That way your lips stay moisturised and prevent them from drying out.

So as I’ve said this lip cream is a bargain. It looks good on, smells great and it’s also available in three other neutral and beige tones (which I’ll definitely have to try), so for all you lip cream lovers it’s certainly worth a try.

Samio x

January 6, 2015
The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette for Brown Smokey Eyes

I was lucky enough to be treated with many of the presents on my Christmas wish list this year, including this gorgeous Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette. This is an eyeshadow palette I’ve had my eyes on for quite some time (no pun intended). If I’m honest I was torn between all three of the Naked palettes (they also do a 1 and 3) so didn’t really mind which one I got but I was truly delighted when I received this one as a gift on Christmas Day.

What’s so good about it? I hear you say. Well I’m sure many of you may have heard of the famous Naked palettes but for those of you who haven’t, aside for the fact that the product and packaging itself looks gorgeous, the eyeshadow shades inside are stunning too. The palette comprises of twelve fabulous neutral, beige and deep brown shades in a mixture of shimmery and matte. There is also one black eyeshadow which is perfect for completing that smokey eye look. The palette also includes a double ended brush and large mirror, making it perfect for your travels too.

I’d say if you were going to own only one eyeshadow palette, then make it this. It literally has every shade you would need to create day and night looks in neutral and brown tones.

I also think this palette is a great one for on holiday or during the summer months, as it has those gorgeous shimmery golden shades which look great with a tan.

Inside my Naked 2 palette also came this sample of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. You can use it to prep the eyelids before applying your eyeshadow so that it stays on and lasts longer. So far I’ve been trying out the original primer potion and I really like it. You only need to use a small amount at a time, so I reckon if you were to buy the regular sized tube that it would last for quite a while. It seems to do a good job of setting the eyeshadow too and keeping it on for longer.

What else can I say, I’m certainly a fan and so glad that this palette is now added to my every growing makeup collection. It definitely receives a big thumbs up from me.

Samio x

January 3, 2015
Lip Lines – The Perfect Lip Colour

Im sure I’m not the first person to find the perfect colour lip liner to then find it would make the perfect colour lipstick too! That’s exactly what happened when I started using this Natural Collection Lip Liner in Shade Espresso. It’s a lip liner I’ve purchased frequently for the past couple of years and originally bought it as a liner to go with one of my favourite brown lipsticks from No7 (now unfortunately discontinued). After my beloved favourite brown lipstick was no longer available, I was on the look out for a replacement. It was in a moment of desperation that I decided to use the Natural Collection Lip Liner to cover my entire lips and so since then it is a shade I’ve worn often.

Obviously as liners are meant for the edge of the lip line and not all over, they are of course slightly dryer on the lips than lipstick. Therefore when applying the liner as a full colour I use a small amount of Vaseline or lip balm as a base on the lips before applying the pencil. This way the pencil glides onto my lips easier and also prevents them from drying out.

I have have a number of these lip liners from The Natural Collection and as they are a great price, I definitely recommend them as a bargain beauty buy!

Samio x

November 4, 2014
Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick in Lasting Chestnut

One of my most recent lip colour purchases is this Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick by Maybelline NewYork. It wasn’t the fact that it claimed to last for up to 14 hours that attracted me to this one (because let’s face it, how often do we wear lipstick for 14 hours anyway). It was the colour that made me buy this particular lipstick and the fact that I’m a sucker for a shiny new makeup product. To be honest, I already had multiple brown lipsticks but as usual I convinced myself that it was a slightly different shade to one I already owned.

I love the shade of this lipstick, it actually is different to the many other brown tones I own, as this one is a lot more subtle and also has a slight sheen. It’s a rather moisture rich lipstick, so it feels nice of the lips and doesn’t dry out.

In terms of longevity, I wouldn’t say it’s the best lipstick for staying on and would maybe say that it’s claim to staying on for up to 14 hour is probably a slight overstatement. However, like I said, this lipstick doesn’t dry out the lips and so you can reapply it, without it making the lips look or feel funny. It also has a delicious candy scent, which I absolutely love.

Samio x

October 12, 2014
MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer

I was in Superdrug a few weeks ago doing one of my regular makeup hauls, when this MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer caught my eye. First of all the packaging stood out to me as it looked fancier than the other MUA lip products and second was the price. At only £3 I had to buy it and try it.

The Luxe Lip Lacquer comes in a selection of appealing colours, including a bright red and nude, as well as others. I went for this gorgeous pink shade called Funk. I thought I’d buy just one of these lip lacquers to try it for the first time and I have to say I’ll definitely be purchasing more.

It glides on smoothly as a liquid and then quickly dries to form a matte smudge proof finish on the lips. The colour is intense and long lasting. This product is excellent value for money. The packaging is great and as it comes boxed it makes the product look a lot more expensive than. It would make a great little stocking filler for someone (yes I am mentioning Christmas already), it’s never to early to start collecting gifts.

I give this product a big thumbs up and for all you lipstick lovers out there I’d say this product is a bargain buy must have!

Samio x

October 11, 2014