Sleek Precious Metals Highlighting Palette Review

My original desire to buy this palette came from a review that Tati on Youtube posted on Sleek make up, unfortunately when I went to Boots to buy it I accidentally picked up the Precious metals palette instead of the Solstice palette. I had no idea until I got home and realised that three of the highlights in this palette are creams. Now as a girl with what may be the oiliest skin in the world, I was immediately convinced that I had wasted my money and that the formula would either cause them to slip off my face by noon or look cakey and gross due to the amount of powder I have to use on my face. Nevertheless, I gave them a fair go and was actually rather impressed!

The packaging of this palette is really nice, the palette is a bronze colour and quite sturdy, my only bug bear is that the plastic shows fingerprints and so will always look a bit grubby (Unless you polish it after every use but who has time for that?). Both top shades of this palette are creams (Platinum and Royal gold), along with the bottom shade on the left (Renaissance gold). 'Platinum' is a pale shade that leaves a sheen on the skin with tiny flecks of pink reflex, this would be the perfect highlight for super pale people with cool-toned skin. 'Royal gold' is my least favourite shade of the palette, when it is applied to the skin it leaves chunky flecks of glitter that are pretty noticeable. This shade might be good for something like a festival, but for everyday it is a bit disco-ballish for me. The next shade in the palette is my absolute favourite, 'Renaissance gold' is a super smooth gold that just looks amazing on the skin, it gives a beautiful healthy glow and doesn't contain any flecks of glitter or sparkle. The final shade is a powder highlight called 'Antique bronze', this shade has a lovely glow to it without having chunks of glitter, however it is quite pigmented. To wear 'Antique bronze I have to have a decent amount of bronzer on my cheeks, otherwise this translates as a sparkly orangy-bronze streak on my face, which isn't ideal.

Left to right: 'Platinum', 'Royal gold', 'Renaissance gold' and 'Antique bronze'

The formula of these highlighters is very nice, the creams are a nice slippery consistency which is easy to blend. Personally I applied the creams with the tips of my fingers onto my (non-existent) cheekbones and tapped to blend them in. I haven't tried applying them with a beauty blender or Real techniques miracle complexion sponge but I'm sure that would be an even faster way of blending them out. The powder shade is also easy to apply and blend, but also very pigmented, you have been warned!

Overall I think this is an amazing palette, I'm not usually one to try cream products but these stayed on and didn't appear cakey, even over powder. I may be converted. Let me know if you have tried this palette and how you liked it!

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

I bought this mascara a while back to try out from Boots because of its lash-boosting claims, This mascara is infused with a 'grow-lash complex' that 'stengthens, renews and nourishes lashes, promoting natural lash growth'. The idea is that you use your mascara everyday and after a month you will have Beyonce lashes, or at least notice a difference. I used this everyday to university for about 2 months and, personally, I didn't notice that my lashes were any longer or fuller than before I started using this. Saying that however, I do really like this mascara.

The narrow wand on this lets you get right down to the root and the formula is super lengthening. I especially love this for doing my lower lashes, with big chunky brushes I always end up dotting mascara under my eyes or accidentally poking myself in the eye. With this brush I can really get in there and build up product on the lower lashes, which is great for balancing out a smokey upper lid.

I would recommend this for ladies (or men!) who struggle with short lashes that are hard to build up product on to. The wand makes getting every lash much easier and the formula is amazing for lengthening. For those of you who prefer a volumising mascara, I would still recommend Maybelline's 'The falsies' mascara, you can find my review for that here.

Let me know if you have tried this mascara and if so, what you thought of it.

Soap and Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder

 This product isn't a new thing by any means, the Glow all out luminizing face powder by Soap and Glory (9g). I picked this up from Boots a few months back for £11 and have been using it a lot lately. The packaging of mine is a thick cardboard material with a magnetized closure and a decent sized mirror, however they have since changed the packaging into a sturdy plastic compact (which I much prefer). As with all Soap and Glory products, the title is a play on words.

The actual product is a smooth shimmery powder that is a light cool-toned pink shade. It provides a subtle shimmer over the cheekbones and really goes well with pale skin. If you are quite dark in skin tone however, this may not be the highlighter for you. As the powder is pinky and cool toned, I think it would look ashy on darker skin tones, a bronze highlighter tends to look better. If you have cool toned skin and are looking for an affordable highlighter, I would really recommend this. It gives the cheek bones a nice subtle shimmer and lasts really well throughout the day.

Have you tried this product?

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil Review

It has only been a few months since I decided that I should probably start doing something with my eyebrows. Despite hearing so many people talk about how 'the eyebrows frame the face' and how important it was to define your eyebrows, I had never really paid mine much attention. However, when I was having a look around Boots after uni one day, I saw this eyebrow pencil for only £2.99 and decided I might as well give it a go. I picked up  'Hazel', since it was the lightest shade available and I have (quite dark) blonde hair. There are also 2 other shades available, 'Dark brown' and 'Black'.

The packaging of this is quite simple, a conventional wooden pencil with a core of product, however the lid has a handy little brush to comb through the brows with. I found that the brush works well to help distribute the product through the brows and tone down the colour if you have been a bit heavy handed. 

'Hazel'

The formula of the pencil is quite firm, making it long lasting and easy to apply without clumps breaking off into your brow hairs. However, since the colour of this is very warm toned, when brushed into the brow it becomes a rather striking shade of ginger. Unfortunately this rendered this particular pencil unwearable in my books, ginger brows really do not suit me. I really don't understand why so many brow products are this warm toned, especially those meant for lighter hair. 

Overall I think this pencil is a decent product, just not for anyone with a lighter hair colour. This might be an amazing product for brunettes or red heads, however. The formula is firm, easy to apply and lasts all day.

Have you tried this product? Did it work for you?
Also, if you have any review requests then leave them in the comments and I'll have a look!

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Maybelline New York BROWdrama Sculpting Brow Mascara Review

Like most women, I hate my brows. They are sparse, patchy and hard to manage in general. Not to mention the fact that, because I have blonde hair, it is impossible to find a brow product that doesn't make it look like I've filled them in with an orange crayon. For this reason, I am always sceptical when trying anything new for the brows, nothing ever seems to match right with my hair colour or look natural. 

This new brow mascara from Maybelline is said to be a highstreet/drugstore dupe for the popular Benefit 'Gimme brow' gel, which is a coloured gel fibre brow mascara priced at £17.50. The Maybelline version is coloured, however does not contain fibres to thicken the brows. 

The Maybelline brow mascara is available from Boots and Superdrug for £4.99 in the UK. If you do not live in the UK, Feel Unique stock Maybelline and ship worldwide. The Maybelline brow mascara comes in 3 shades, 'dark blonde', 'medium brown' and 'dark brown'.

The packaging of this is slightly lacking in my opinion, the tube isn't very sleek looking or sophisticated, however it isn't the worst packaging considering the price. The wand is topped with an odd, ball shaped applicator which I found quite difficult to manoeuvre through the brow. It is easy enough to comb through the front and middle section of the brow, however it is tricky to coat the hairs towards the end without getting product on the skin. Any mess is easily cleaned up with a cotton bud however, and I'm sure I will get more familiar with the brush after a few more uses. 

In terms of formula, I was very impressed. The colour isn't too warm toned and so looks natural in the brows. The formula is also very long lasting and doesn't leave the brow hairs crunchy (unless you really pile it on). I use this either in combination with brow powder to hold the brow in place and add a bit more colour (if I can be bothered), or on its own on 'natural make-up' days. The product can also be layered for a darker, fuller brow.

Overall I am very happy with the brow mascara, it creates a lovely natural looking brow, perfect for everyday. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who struggles with their brows, even just to use over brow powder or pencil. It holds the hairs in place all day and gives a subtle hint of colour to help frame the face.

Let me know if you've tried this product, did you get along with it? 
Also, don't hesitate to request any reviews you'd like to see!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick Review

I'm not usually one for bold lips, they look amazing on other people but always seem to wash me out or look clownish. Never the less I picked these two up in the hopes that this time it would be different and I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. These are one of Bourjois's new releases, a matte liquid lipstick that comes in 8 shades (mostly brights). You can get these from Boots or Superdrug for £8.99 in the UK, or from ASOS for $17.13 in the US. The packaging is elegant and practical, a plastic bullet with a doe foot applicator for easy application. The tops of these also match the colour within, so they are easy to distinguish in your make-up bag.

Olé Flamingo! 05

Frambourjoise 02

As soon as I applied these I knew that I would love them, the formula is extremely pigmented, smooth and velvety and dries down to a matte texture within a few minutes. The lipstick also lasts amazingly, staining the lips slightly so that the colour lasts all day. However what really shocked me, was how much I loved the colour. Both shades look amazing on the lips, they don't wash you out and look very bold and sophisticated. 

'Olé Flamingo 05' is a bright, cool toned pink ,which looks especially gorgeous on paler skin tones, and 'Frambourjoise' is a lovely plummy reddish colour. 'Frambourjoise' is now my favourite red, comfortable to wear, lasts the whole day and doesn't dry the lips out. These lipsticks have given me the confidence to wear bold lips, I would definitely recommend them. 

Tip! - If you don't know which shade to get, put a few swatches of these on your hand and hold it up to your face, this way you can see which shade will suit your skin tone.

Have you tried these yet? Let me know what you thought in the comments. Also, don't be afraid to request a review!

Boots Haul

I went shopping in town yesterday and thought I'd take a look around Boots for new make up releases, I ended up buying a few things so I thought I'd share with you what I got. 

What I bought

Barry M nail paint in 'Mermaid 413' (Aquarium collection)

Barry M nail paint in 'Nude 424'

Barry M nail paint in 'Bikini 423' (Limited edition)

Seventeen Instant Glow shimmer brick in 'Pink bronze'

Soap and Glory Lid stuff in the shades 'Vanilla, Pink T, Mudhoney and Aubersheen'

Soap and Glory Juicy multi-colour blush brick in 'Peach party'

Sleek Blush by 3 in 'Pink Lemonade'

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Frambourjoise 02'

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Olé flamingo 05'

Maybelline New York BROWdrama sculpting brow mascara in 'Dark Blond'

Maybelline New York Colour Show in 'Sugar Crystals 46'

Bourjois Paris Blusher in 'Love-struck rose 16'

Soap and Glory Glow All Out luminizing radiance face powder

I will be reviewing what I got in the next few weeks, if there is anything you'd like me to start with then let me know in the comments or email me.

NYX Butter Gloss Review

NYX is a brand that has only recently been available in the UK, so I was happy when I could get my hands on these. Usually sold in the US, you can now buy NYX products online here or find them in NEXT stores. Although NYX products are much cheaper in the US, the brand is still affordable in the UK and so I thought I'd make a small order and see how I liked them. I bought 2 butter glosses from Cherry Culture, along with some other NYX goodies, and when they arrived I fell in love at first swatch. I put another order in straight away for 3 more shades, but this time from www.nyxcosmetics.co.uk so that delivery would be quicker (yes, I was that keen). These butter glosses are available in the US for $5.00 and £5.00 in the UK. 

(L-R) Peaches and Cream, Maple Blondie, Creme Brulee, Vanilla Cream Pie, and Eclair

Peaches and Cream

Maple Blondie

Creme Brulee

Vanilla Cream Pie

Eclair

These glosses feel extremely smooth and buttery on the lips, not sticky at all. In terms of pigment I would liken them more to a medium to sheer lipstick than to a gloss, some shades have more pigment than others. They are also very moisturising so there is no need to wear a balm underneath. My favourite shade would have to be 'Peaches and Cream', a lovely bright pink shade which is perfect for summer. These would be ideal for girls who don't like the consistency of lipstick, but want a nice subtle pop of colour on the lips with a slight sheen. There are 22 shades available in the US, meaning a great variety of colours for all different skin tones. So far these are the best glosses I have found for highstreet/drugstore prices, amazing pigmentation, texture, shade selection and they last a decent few hours on the lips too. I would definitely recommend these and I can see why they are so popular.

Have you tried these yet? Let me know you're thoughts down in the comments and don't hesitate to make any requests!

Revlon Lip Butter Review

I'm not sure why I was so late on the band wagon with these ones but I'm glad I tried them in the end, these beauties by Revlon come in a whopping 21 shades and are available from Boots and Superdrug for £7.99.
The idea behind 'lip butters' is that they are a cross between a lip balm and a lipstick, so they are nourishing on the lips and provide a decent amount of pigment at the same time. I picked up 5 shades of these on a recent trip to Boots and thought I'd do a quick review.

Creme Brulee

Cotton Candy

Peach Parfait

Berry Smoothie

Lollipop

All 5 shades I bought are extremely pigmented for lip butters, in my opinion they could easily pass for a lipstick. The packaging of the line is very sleek and luxurious-looking with a conventional lipstick bullet covered by the chequered lid which matches the shade of the lip butter inside.

Creme Brulee

Cotton Candy

Peach Parfait

Berry Smoothie

Lollipop

I love all the shades of these, they are all very smooth and moisturising and stay a surprising amount of time on the lips. My personal favourite is 'Peach parfait', it is a lovely muted berry shade with some gold shimmer running through it. The only complaint you could make about these is that some of the shades are quite similar, for instance 'Peach parfait' and 'Berry smoothie' are almost identical shades however 'Berry smoothie' has much less shimmer. Even so, I would still recommend these and I am looking forward to buying more of the brighter shades for summer.

How did you get on with these? Let me know in the comments.

Also if you have any requests for future reviews do comment and I'll be happy to have a look.

Maybelline 'The Falsies' vs 'The Rocket' comparison and review

After reading multiple rave reviews about these two products I thought it was about time I tried them out, two mascaras from Maybelline that are said to be the best the highstreet has to offer. 'The Rocket Volum' Express' is available at both Boots and Superdrug for £7.99, 'The Falsies Volum' Express' is available at Superdrug for the same price. Both are said to create luscious voluminous lashes, but which is better?

The first notable difference in these mascaras are the brush shapes, 'The Rocket' has a big fat wand with stubby plastic bristles for separating the lashes, where as 'The Falsies' has a more conventional bristle brush which is slightly curved to 'scoop' the lashes and create a subtle curl. 

The effect the different brush shapes have is quite surprising, 'The Rocket' mascara (on the left) creates straighter lashes and a more 'fanned out' effect. This mascara would be perfect for those whose lashes tend to clump up and stick together, the stubby bristles really grip the lashes and separate them brilliantly. 'The Falsies', on the other hand, creates more length along with a nice curl. I prefer the effect that 'The Falsies' gives since I'm a sucker for dramatic lashes and it definitely provides a more striking look.

The deciding factor for me has to be the wear and 'The Falsies' wins hands down. 'The Rocket' looks amazing when it is first applied but within a few hours it is smudged both above and below my eyes. 'The Falsies' however has great staying power, no smudging or flaking at all.

Overall they are both great affordable mascaras but 'The Falsies' wins for me, maybe 'The Rocket' in the waterproof formula would be better, however I prefer non-waterproof formulas as they are easily removed.

Let me know if you have tried either and, if so, which did you prefer?

Tanya Burr Lip glosses Review

I love a good lip gloss for everyday wear and so I couldn't contain my excitement when I heard that, one of my favourite YouTubers and make-up artists, Tanya Burr was coming out with her own line of glosses (I think I may have actually squealed!). Tanya has paired up with eye candy to produce her line of lip glosses and nail varnishes, which are available from Superdrug for £6.99 each. There are a total of 12 lip gloss shades, each with a cute personalised name from Tanya herself. Tanya is said to have named each shade after her favourite things, I picked up 4 shades, from top to bottom I have 'Chic', 'Smile Dream Sparkle', 'Aurora' and 'Champagne toast'.  I prefer nudes and muted pinks on my lips and so got a few of the more wearable colours.

The glosses themselves are extremely pigmented, buttery and smooth on the lips. The shades above from left to right are 'Champagne Toast', 'Chic', 'Aurora' and 'Smile Dream Sparkle'. All of the glosses have a lovely sweet scent when applied, however the scent does not linger or cause headaches like some other glosses. The staying power of the glosses is also great, they will stay put for a couple of hours no bother and also moisturise your lips at the same time. My personal favourite shade is 'Champagne Toast', which is a lovely sparkly nude shade. This is great for daytime and also looks beautiful at night with a strong eye make-up. 'Champagne Toast' looks similar to 'Chic' on the lips however 'Chic' does not have any shimmer (Can you tell how I justified having to buy both shades to myself?). Overall these glosses are amazing and I would definitely recommend them, you will struggle trying to find a better quality gloss for under £7 and I have no doubt that a few more shades will soon be joining my collection.

Let me know if you have tried these and what your favourite shades are.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder Review

A good highstreet powder can be quite hard to find but I think I've struck gold with this one, this powder is available at Boots and Superdrug for £3.99 and comes in 6 shades (although all shades are quite fair, so may not be great for darker skin tones). The packaging is decent with a clear plastic lid to cover the powder, although this allows you to see the shade of the powder and so is quite useful, I would rather the lid was opaque and contained a mirror. However for the price you can't complain.

As for the actual product, I have the shade 'Transparent' and, although the powder looks like it has some colour in the pan, it doesn't add any colour to the face when applied. This is perfect for me as I have to pack on quite a lot of powder as my skin is very oily and some coloured powders can show up orange on my pale skin (thank you English weather!). This powder is great for the price, it applies beautifully and keeps me matte for much longer. I apply it with a large powder brush, once I have buffed in my foundation, to set my make-up and get rid of any shine on my T-zone. If you have a very heavy hand with this product it can look a bit powdery but this can be fixed with a nice make-up setting spray, alternatively you can leave it and after an hour or so natural oils from your face will be absorbed by the powder and the powdery look will go away. For the price, this powder is amazing. It keeps your face matte for the whole day, doesn't add unnecessary colour to your face and is cheap as chips. What more could you ask for? 

Let me know what you thought of this powder, do you like it as much as I do?