LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints || Swatches and Review

 

A few weeks back I went for it and ordered from Beauty Bay, and the item I was most excited to try was the 'Glazed Lip Paints' from LA Girl, which at only £4 seemed like something to take a gamble on. Beauty Bay describes these as 'a decadent lip stain that combines the texture of a gloss with the colour-payoff of a liquid lipstick', so as a beauty blogger who hates the drying effect of a liquid lipstick, and loves the look of a gloss, this seemed like the perfect combo.

 

I only ever pick one shade when I try a product for the first time, just in case I hate the formula, so I looked at swatch videos on Youtube and chose the shade 'Elude', which is a beautiful pink nude. I was also tempted by 'Whisper', a light nude, but wimped out and went for the comfortable 'your lips but better' colour. I love the packaging of the product, I think its similar enough to the TooFaced Melted lipsticks to realise that this is a product of the same kind, but the font and overall shape is unique enough to make its own mark on the beauty industry. A lot of brands have tried to emulate the TooFaced product (ahem, Make Up Revolution Lip Lavas), and as they're one of my favourites, I'm always excited to try out similar lip formulas.

 

What I will say that I don't like too much is the design of the applicator - the plastic nozzle makes it a lot harder to control than a sponge applicator would, and often when you only want a little of the product, you're left with a massive glob to try and shift. It reminds me of the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer situation; too much product comes out in one go. I can look past this though, as it's only a minor design flaw and the actual product is stunning. 

 

 

As you can see from the swatch, Elude is a beautiful pink nude, that settles on the lips to a comfortable gloss/ liquid lipstick harmony. I'm all about soft pinks for everyday wear, and this is a perfect shade for that, and also to balance out a harsh smokey eye. I put the product to a test and wore it all day, and apart from a need for reapplication half way through, the lip glaze stood the test of time and wore well. I'm impressed that a product that can be bought so cheaply (less expensive than even most drugstore liquid lipsticks) can prove itself to be such a contender in the lip product world. The shade range within this collection is very varied, and some other shades I think are gorgeous are 'Blushing', which is a pink-plum, and 'Gleam', which is such a unique bronze shade. I'm 100% going to consider buying more of these from Beauty Bay, and for £4 you just can't go wrong.

 

 

Have you ever tried the Lip Glazes?

Some Seventeen Products To Try Out

 

I'm genuinely excited for this post to go live, since Seventeen sent me some make up items to try out and review for you guys, and so far I've been loving them. Seventeen is another brand that I worshipped in my early teens, but in previous years have drifted away from and over into luxury and high end beauty. I feel like the brand has had a major comeback within the past couple of years, with stunning products like the contour kit and the ranges of lipsticks. This blogger mail came just in time with my recent drugstore make up binge, and I've used these products enough times now to let you know what I think.  It's also nice to know that whilst I'm a poor university student I can rely on the cheaper brands to provide products that won't let me down. 

 

 

The first product I got sent was the 'Mega Matte' Lipsticks*, in the shades 'Lava you a lot' and 'Pinking out loud'. Lava you a lot is a gorgeous orange-red, a shade which I don't tend to wear a lot, but have done several times since receiving this lip product. I always got the impression that orange lipsticks make your teeth look less white, but this one doesn't and so opens a new horizon of lipstick shades. I'll always be loyal to my blue-reds, but I can definitely see myself using this one a lot in Summer and Autumn. Pinking out loud is a true pale bubblegum pink, the kind of colour I absolutely adore, just not usually on my lips. It's a beautiful shade, but until I'm brave enough to wear this and switch up my usual nude lipstick routine, my sister I'm sure will gladly wear it instead.

 

The formula of the lipsticks is to die for, I love a creamy matte that isn't drying, and actually has a bit of a satin sheen to it. The formula reminds me a lot actually of the MAC Satin finish; a blessing since matte lip products can often be uncomfortable to wear. For £4.49 these products are a steal, and I'm definitely going to be picking up a couple more shades ('Roses are red' seems like a beautiful nude pink that I can't wait to try.)

 

 

 

The other product I was sent is the 'Brows That' Brow Kit*, which I was intrigued by since I love the Barry M Brow Kit so much. Usually I just go for the NYX Brow Pomade, but if  I want to be sure that my brows will stay put throughout the day, using kits like these is a good way to go. Fortunately, the shade of this is exactly the right dark brown colour that I need to not look a bit odd (tried the black brow thing, and let me tell that that doesn't look hot in the slightest with my pale skin.) The brilliant thing about this kit is that it comes with a pencil, powder and a wax, which is definitely more than enough to sort those brows out. The kit stands the test of time; I wore this for ten hours and my eyebrow make up just didn't budge. I will say that the mini brush that you get isn't my favourite, but its easy to switch it out with a brush that you prefer (the No7 lip brush in my case, however weird that sounds), without detracting from the overall product.

 

Thankyou so much to Seventeen for sending me these goodies; its always a nice surprise to get make up in the post to review, especially when they're as good as these ones.

 

Secret Scenta || The New Zoella Range

 

As a blogger, I absolutely love celebrating the achievements of people who started out the exact same way, and so when I saw the new ranges that Zoella is bringing out this Christmas, I knew I had to review it on my blog. I'm not the biggest fan of lotions and scrubs, but I tried the 'Let's Spritz' body mist last summer and was definitely excited to order the 'Secret Scenta' selection of mini body spritzes this time around. I love perfumes and anything slightly similar, and to have some now that are perfectly handbag size is ideal for taking on a night out, or just to freshen up during the day. I've seen a lot of negativity surrounding Zoe's new products, but I just can't get on board with it and I know that if I was ever offered the chance to create products like this, I wouldn't pass up the offer either. We're all just humans here people!

 

 

Obviously, the main feature of this set is the new fragrance, called 'Bake My Day'. I was extremely happy when the scent of the Christmas collection was announced; gingerbread is one of my all time favourite scents, and I bake it every Christmas mostly for the way it makes the whole house smell festive. The fragrance is described as having notes of ginger, vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon - doesn't that just sound like the most gorgeous combination? I was quite sceptical about actually wearing these scents, but it totally works, and I can't wait to cover myself in this during December. Plus, the bottle has mini gingerbread men on and I just think that's completely adorable.

 

The other recent addition to the fragrance line is 'Sweet Inspirations', which I was over the moon to hear about when it was released, as my favourite food is macarons and this smells exactly like the macaron shop in my village. Its very sweet, with almond, creamy vanilla and honey, but its not too sickly sweet that it becomes overpowering. This one is my second favourite out of the collection, and I do think I'm going to purchase the full size bottle later on this year. The whole design and look of the Sweet Inspirations collection is my favourite; it looks so pretty and mature that I can't help but fawn all over it.

 

 

'Let's Spritz' is my all time favourite, and just getting this bottle immediately transported me back to last summer, when I wore it every day and finished the full size within a couple of months. The notes in this are raspberry and cassis, and honestly I just find this scent the most wearable and delicate out of the range. It's my perfect body mist, and although I adore the macaron scent, this combination slightly beats it into the number one position. I do prefer the Sweet Inspirations packaging though, so not all is lost in terms of that collection. I can't actually remember whether you can get this fragrance separately anymore, but if you can then I think I might have to repurchase, since I've already used a fair bit of the mini size.

 

The last scent is 'Blissful Mistful', which was the fragrance that started it all. I have to say that although this one also smells lovely, it isn't my go-to; it has combinations of strawberry, jasmine, grapefruit, violet and gardenia (I think a lot of grapefruit comes through in this.) Perfume is such a personal thing however, that I can imagine that for a lot of people this would be a favourite, feminine everyday scent, but I just don't reach for this as much as the others.

 

 

The set costs £16, which I think is a reasonable price for four fragrances, and if you order on FeelUnique then its quite easy to find a code and get money off. This would make a gorgeous gift for a friend at Christmas, and I can't wait to see what else Zoe comes up with - I don't see how this collection could be topped!

August Favourites

 

It's been a good while since I posted a lil round up of my monthly favourites, but August has definitely been a month of trying out new products and seeing what works for me. Oddly and out of the blue, I seem to have got my mojo back with drugstore products, so I've been using a lot of those - I didn't include any Bourjois items in this bunch of faves because I already posted about them this week, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they have been my stars of the month alongside these pals.

 

I've loved reaching for my custom single eye shadow palette this month, but the particular shadow to constantly catch my eye has to be 'Homecoming' by Makeup Geek, which is a gorgeous shimmery brown that is extremely pigmented and goes perfectly with my other favourite MUG shadow, Barcelona Beach (everyday crease brown come at me.) I am blown away by the quality of the shadows that you can pick up for £4.95; I need to invest in more shades because honestly, I can't see myself buying single shadows from any other company anymore.

 

 

Since Summer calls for light lip colours and sheer formulas, I've been leaning towards a lustre finish rather than matte in terms of MAC lippies, and my favourite has been Patisserie, which I've talked about before on my blog, but is the prettiest neutral pink. Although a dark lip will always be a winner for me, I do like lipsticks which, if I'm in a hurry I can apply without a mirror. This shade is one of those, the 'quick, I need to doll up my lips' shade that I turn to time and time again.

 

During the past few months I've heard a lot of chat about W7, a make up brand that always seems to create dupes for the high end. The retail store I've worked in for two years always has some of their products in stock, but nothing has ever grabbed me as much as this Absolute Lashes Mascara, which looks uncannily similar to 'They're Real' by Benefit. I was talking to a lady at the till, who swore that this mascara was just as good, and for £3 I decided to try it - whoa. This is a serious dupe. Don't knock it till you've tried it; W7 are a serious dark horse in this beauty business. I'm desperate to get my hands on their dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury contour kit, and if I ever see it in person I won't be able to resist picking it up.

 

 

Tame and Frame by NYX has been my everyday brow product for months now, and only in August did I finally accept that this particular brow pomade is worth a mention. The packaging doesn't thrill me, which is possibly why I haven't featured it until now, but I can't ignore how good this stuff is. If you want an easy option to fill in your brows, with a brilliant colour selection, then this will be up your alley. I've fallen in love.

 

Lastly, and an unusual addition to my normal beauty stash, is a hair care product. I've gone through a dry shampoo evolution over the years and remained loyal to my favourites - the early teen years were an ode to Batiste, the past couple a diary of Urban Fudge, and now I've got a bottle of Philip Kingsley 'One more day' in my sights, I'm not sure I'll look back until the next chapter of my dry shampoo life walks in. I am obsessed with the fresh (slightly perfumed) scent to this, and the clean texture of my roots afterward. The ultimate test is whether it looks like you've dumped a bottle of talc on your head, and I'm happy to report no white hair with this one. 10/10.

Snapdragon

 

Isn't this the most beautiful liquid lipstick that you've ever laid eyes on? When I saw a Cult Beauty advert on Facebook advertising the new fall collection from Jouer, I knew I had to get my hands on Snapdragon, a totally unique colour to anything I'd usually go for. I'm a magpie, I really am - if it sparkles, it has my attention. And I haven't taken my attention off this lipstick since it arrived at my door.

 

I've never tried any products from Jouer before, but I have to say that after trying Snapdragon out (hella cute name by the way), I'm definitely on board with the brand. I like that the shades of these lipsticks are different to any that I've seen before; this particular shade is described as a 'metallic cool frosty plum', which does sound like the loveliest shade for a winter party, and I know that I'll never find another shade quite like it. As you can see from the photos, the lipstick looks very glittery in the bottle, but once you apply it to your lips it just has the most gorgeous metallic effect that looks bold, especially with a softer eye look. The colour looks extremely similar in the tube and on the lips, which is always a bonus when you order online and can't swatch the product in store. 

 

 

For £15, I think you get what you pay for - I can't believe that a product as luxurious as this costs less than a MAC lipstick, because the packaging makes the Jouer products look way more expensive than they're actually priced at. Plus, when I ordered from Cult Beauty I managed to find a code online to give me free delivery, so I skipped delivery charges (always a bonus, paying delivery is literally the bane of my existence.) I wasn't aware of this before I ordered it, but the lipstick bottles can actually slot together, to keep all your Jouer liquid lipsticks in the same place. Nifty trick right there. 

 

 

As for the actual formula, I'm completely in love. I always tend to put a thin layer of lip balm underneath any lip product, just as a safety net for dry lips, although with this product I'm not sue that the safety net is needed. Its a more comfortable liquid lipstick, and believe me when I say that the colour will not budge unless you want it to. The pigmentation is lovely; I did end up putting two layers on for this lip swatch, just so you could really see the colour, whereas in reality I would probably just stick to one. All in all I think this product is absolutely dreamy, and Jouer have hit it out of the park with their shade range - loads of unique shades that you couldn't find anywhere else. Their new fall collection also has a peachy nude, a brick red and a dusty mauve, but if I purchased again I'd go for 'Citronade Rose' from their original collection, described as a 'metallic ballet pink'. *sighs*

 

 

Have you ever tried a Jouer lip cream, and do you like the look of their fall collection?

Why Bourjois Is My Favourite Drugstore Brand

 

When I go to Boots to pick up a few beauty treats, I always find myself wandering over to the Bourjois stand. As a 14 year old discovering make up for the first time, I used to gravitate to Maybelline or Rimmel, and on the odd occasion I still do, but four years later and I find that the brand that provides the most luxurious packaging and quality will forever be Bourjois. I managed to pick up some things about three weeks ago that have been on my wish list since I don't know when (the cult favourites always seem to be out of stock in my shade), and it didn't surprise me when they all lived far beyond my expectations.

 

The thing about Bourjois that constantly draws me in is the chic packaging; none of those whacky neon colours, just soft and classy products that are perfect for a girls girl like me. One item that I've had my eye on for months is the Radiance Reveal Concealer in the shade 'Ivory', because if I'm a magpie for sparkly packaging, I'm also one for some frosted glass. This concealer looks like it's just been dolled up by Cinderella's fairy godmother, and I for one was totally bought by the outside. The inside however, is just as brilliant. The shade is exactly the right amount of pale for me; often the UK version of a pale concealer shade is a slightly lighter shade of orange, but this one is stunning and brightens up my face just like it says on the tin. I've been using this every day and I can already see the difference in my skin when I look at photos that I'm in, and I can't wait to continue using this product for years to come. Holy flipping grail.

 









 

 

If you've ever read this blog before, you'll know that I would never pass up the opportunity to try a Bourjois mascara (Push Up Glamour you fallen angel). The Volume Reveal mascara doesn't have as sturdy of a wand as my other beloved Bourjois mascara, but it does pack on the volume, and the mirrored packaging makes it so easy to take travelling. I think the mascaras are so underrated when compared to other brands such as Maybelline, but if I had to choose one drugstore brand to cover this base, it would definitely be Bourjois.

 

Okay, I have to mention the smell of the products. Did you ever imagine that a concealer could smell good? Because it can. My particular favourite at the moment is the Mat Illusion Bronzing Powder, which smells so sweet and delicate that I literally sigh every time I bring it out of my make up drawer. Its a nosegasm, it really is. I've been using this one a lot lately too, mixed with my MAC Harmony blush to create my favourite contour shade. I haven't heard much talk about this bronzer, because its usually all about the Chocolate Bronze, but I much prefer this addition to the collection (less orange if you ask me.) You know a brand is doing well when it makes not only my favourite drugstore mascara and concealer, but also my favourite bronzer as well. Don't get me wrong, the brand has products that don't work for me, but I could easily buy most of my everyday make up routine from Bourjois.

 

 

I'm the first one to point out that yes, Emily, you are extremely late on the Rouge Edition Velvet bandwagon. I've wanted to try this product for a good year now, but constantly chickened out due to the £9 price tag, so treated myself on results day to the shade 08, which is a gorgeous deep red matte lip that I've worn on two nights out and so far, so good. I like that this is a comfortable liquid lip, compared to other ones I've tried, although it does need to be reapplied after eating. I can't say these liquid lipsticks are up to scratch with some of my favourite high end versions, but they are 100% the best I've bought from high street brands, and the colour range has such a lovely spectrum.

 

As you can see from these mini reviews, I think of Bourjois quite highly, and constantly peer into the stand at Boots to see if there's anything new to pick up. 10/10 for packaging and scent over the Bourjois collection, which, aside from the quality of the products themselves (which is also top notch the majority of the time), are the two most important aspects. In a post over the next month I will be mentioning a product that didn't go quite as well for me in terms of working well with my skin type, but I'll forgive the brand that minor hiccup and still crown it the 'Best in Boots' award (or Superdrug, whatever floats your boat.)

 

Which drugstore brand do you gravitate to?

 



Berlin || The End Of A Travel Triad

 

Here marks the end of my travel diaries from my European adventure this Summer, with a few photos and memories of Berlin. Berlin was definitely the city that surprised me most; I imagined something quite dull and historic, but the city is one of the most vibrant and alive (and modernised) that I've visited. It reminds me a lot of London, with the hustle and bustle and the fast paced environments, and some areas reminded me of Camden, with the mish mash of characters and colours. If you want a city with plenty to learn about and lots to do, then Berlin might just interest you.

 

The major sights were a must-see for me when I visited; the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building are particularly close to each other and are well worth a look. We went to the top of the Reichstag and saw the whole of Berlin from above, which was a free attraction and also pretty darn cool, and then (you might see a theme with these travel diaries, I'm just obsessed with picnics really) there is plenty of green space to relax and grab a bite to eat. The food in Berlin was probably the least to my taste - I'd much rather grab a trdelnik in Prague than tuck into a frankfurter over in Germany, but if that's up your alley then German cuisine is going to be your thing. We found ourselves wandering over to rustic Italian restaurants, since you can never go wrong with a big bowl of pasta, but I tend to do that regardless of what city I'm in anyway *fussy eater alert*.



 

 

 

The Berlin Wall itself is another site that provides a lot of material to think about; I personally didn't know a lot about Germany's history before travelling there, but I'm glad that after visiting the remaining fragments of the wall I can say I've learnt significantly more. I would warn that a few of the destinations in Berlin known as historic sites, have become quite touristy and therefore were (I felt) less likely to leave an impression. I would also suggest a walk through the Holocaust Memorial, to me its important to recognise the history of any city that I travel to, but this one in particular has a lot to see and reflect on. The memorial itself is so haunting and thought provoking that you leave Berlin feeling a little bit heavier, but in a way that I think we should encourage so that people are aware that we can never ever let history repeat itself.



 

 

 

I think what's evident when you go to Berlin is the progress that's been made since the war; areas that were completely destroyed have been rebuilt to such amazing design and quality that I think the city shows the resilience of humanity, and how times change. I loved that the city has its own characteristic qualities (it always interests me how similar cities manage to make their mark and individualise the sprawling architecture and typical city layout) - there's a lot of street art located around that gives such a unique vibe to Berlin.

 

All in all, and most likely the reason why I was less eager to write about this city than Prague or Vienna, this was my least favourite city that I travelled to. I think that was probably down to the slight anxiety that flares up in my mind when I go to a big urban city like this one where everything is so fast paced, and not actually anything to do with the city itself. I would be willing to bet that Berlin might not be high up on a travel bucket list for a lot of people, but believe me when I say that the city will surprise you in the best way possible. If you're willing to get stuck in, learn as much as you can, and enter with an open mind, Berlin is a great city to start your adventure.

 

Have you ever been to Berlin? What's the next city on your travel bucket list?