Friday 30 September 2016

The Glossybox Red Edit

Hi Guys,

This month the team at Glossybox UK have teamed up with the Beauty Editor from Red Magazine, Annabel Meggeson. To create the Glossybox Red Edit edition box. It's packed full of well known products and high end gems, it's by far one of the best boxes they've done for a while. 
The packaging itself screams Red Magazine, I love it. It's simple and very classic looking, it's one of those ones that I would happily have out displayed. As they really do make fantastic little storage boxes, especially for any beauty stashes. 
As well as having five specially selected products inside this months box, there were also two bonus products included in mine. One of which, I think has gone out to all of the boxes, the other to select few.

The MUA Heaven and Earth Palette has been included after a mistake with last months box. After being offered to choose which palette we would like in the August box, not everyone got the palette they had chosen, me included. So very kindly, Glossybox sent out the palette that was requested by each customer in this months box instead, which is fantastic.

Also included is a little bonus gift in the form of a sachet sample of one of the new Body Shop Face Masks. Which I have heard so much about, there are so many raves for the different masks that I'm so excited to get to give the Himalayan Charcoal Mask a go. Although I am already eyeing up that British Rose beauty too!
Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat - £7.99 for 11.7ml
The first product in the line up from the Red Edit is the Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat. I myself haven't used Revlon Polishes in quite a while and to be honest I really don't know why, as they are actually really good for the price. They last well, with very little chipping and usually require very few coats of polish. So I hope this Top Coat also lives up to expectations and gives me a gorgeous glossy long lasting manicure.

The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm - £12 for 7ml
Another full size product inside the box is a Antioxidant Lip Balm from The Organic Pharmacy. It's a brand I'm sure I've heard of, yet never tried and with the colder months approaching fast, a lip balm always comes in handy. It's bursting with ingredients such as rose hip, Shea butter and vitamin E, to keep the lips nourished and moisturised. 

Rodial Smokey Eye Pen - £17 for 1.2g
Rodial welcomed makeup into their popular foray of products a few years ago now, but as much as they're a brand I think of when  thinking of Skincare. They're not really a brand I've ever considered trying Makeup wise. However after trying this Smokey Eye Pen, I'm intrigued to try more. The quality of it is lovely, it doesn't lack pigment and it glides across the skin effortlessly due to its really soft gel like texture. Though it does have to be blended quickly, if you want to smudge it out, as it does tend to set quite quickly once on.

Vitamasques Hydro Face Mask - £7.99 Per Mask
Vitamasques is another brand I haven't heard of before, but sheet masks are becoming increasingly popular. The mask itself is inspired by Korean skincare technology and pretty bold states it gives the skin 120 hours worth of hydration. Which I have to admit I'm not sure about, if it can do that I may be willing to buy quite a few more. But sadly I'm a little bit dubious. 

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara - £19 for 8ml
Lastly included in the box, is the ever so popular Better than Sex Mascara from Too Faced. I recently got my hands on the exclusive purple version of this in the Power of Makeup Nikkie Tutorials x Too Faced colab. I was contemplating buying this after having again heard a huge amount of rave reviews and sadly purple isn't always too wearable. So I'm very pleased to have this little guy in this months box, hopefully volumised falsies like lashes are on the horizon. 
(Swatches: Left to Right - Rodial Smokey Eye Pen, Smokey Eye Pen Buffed)
I really love this month's box, I actually didnt think anything could beat it. However after finding out who the collaborator is for October; (Spoiler Alert! The wonderful blogger, Essie Button!) I think Glossybox is probably onto a winner already. 

Eloise x
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Monday 12 September 2016

Clutching to Summer with Limited Edition Barry M Nails

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to keep a firm hold on the last little bit of Summer we have, as much as I love Autumn. It would of been nicer to have a teeny weeny bit of a longer Summer, especially up here in Scotland. So to try and keep up the Summer spirit, I have the four limited edition Summer polishes from Barry M. 
For the past few years Barry M has always collaborated during this time of year with both Boots and Superdrug. As well as collaborating in the winter too, so there is more to come hopefully! Though this does mean that the Summer editions are disappearing and they're such gorgeous polishes that they're just too good to miss! 
There are always two shades released for each store and this year Boots has two beautiful nudes. Which live in the classic Barry M bottles, but both with textured rose gold caps, which definitely wins my heart. The polishes themselves have two different finishes to them, one with a creamy finish; Beachy Keen a warm rich brown. Then there is also Golden Sands; a shimmery champagne shade.

I only used two coats of polish when applying these, however I did find that Golden Sands was much sheerer when applied. It's still a very pretty polish when left sheer, but I would maybe apply three coats to build it up to more of an opaque finish. 
The Superdrug selection is a little bit more mixed colour wise, compared to Boots. There is either Carnival Couture, which is a cool taupe with a subtle silver shimmer. Then there is also Festival Fever, a brighter pink again with a subtle gold shimmer running through it.

Just like with the Boot's polishes, I only used two coats of polish to apply both of these and it gives a really nice finish. I love that all four are like the original Barry M formulation, that will always be my favourite formulation from them and I have to admit I really miss it now that they've really cut down the range. 
(Swatches: Left to Right - Carnival Couture, Festival Fever, Golden Sands and Beachy Keen)
Currently both of the Superdrug shades are on offer, when you buy two selected Barry M products. Both polishes are included, you then get one purchase for half the price! Boot's also have a separate offer running at the moment too, where when you spend £6 on Barry M, you get a limited edition polish for free! All four polishes usually retail for £3.99 in both stores. 

Eloise x
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Friday 9 September 2016

Nikkie Tutorials x Too Faced: The Power of Makeup

Hi Guys,

As soon as Nikkie Tutorials announced her collaboration with Too Faced, I knew it was one of those collections this year that just couldn't be missed. I've watched Nikkie for as long as I can remember and to see how far she's come over the years is lovely. If you haven't seen any of her videos, I recommend checking her channel out. Her halloween and bright coloured tutorials are incredible, as they all are actually.
Nikkie actually made a video last year called The Power of Makeup and it's safe to say it became quite a bit of an internet hit. Nikki has been a makeup artist herself for around six years now, so when she recommends a product or in this case creates a product, I trust that she'll do a fantastic job of it.

I haven't actually tried much from Too Faced at all, apart from their Glitter Glue. Which I really do love. I also love that The Power of Makeup, is not only just a palette, but a collection of lots of Nikkie's favourite and Too Faced's best selling products.
 The palette is made up of multiple products, eye shadows with various finishes, two blushers and a bronzer and highlighter too. The eyeshadows have all been named and chosen by Nikkie, with some being named after her favourite things, like her dog Ivy. There are four shades in the palette with a shimmer finish and four with a matte finish. The shades include;

Ivy - A pale matte cream, a great shade to use all over the lid on a pale skin, or as a highlight. 
Sugar Coated - A subtle shimmering pink. 
Frosted Yum - A traditional silver shimmer.
Irresistible - A shimmering true gold, as it's quite hard to chose between a gold or a silver.
Painkiller - A matte pale brown, which was chosen as the perfect colour to use as a transitional shade. 
Makeup & Chill - A rich matte chocolate brown, which is perfect to deepen the crease. 
Mystic Hour - A cool shimmering turquoise.
Wham Bam - A gorgeous blue toned purple shimmer.
Wanted - A matte black.

I love that there is a mixture of shades here, you can create an everyday neutral eye, a classic eye look, add a bit of shimmer and go glamorous, or if you love colour like me then there's the mesmerising purple and turquoise too. Nikkie really has thought about everything with this one.
The two blushers come from the Love Flush Long Lasting Blush range from Too Faced. Justify My Love, the candy pink shade is an existing shade. But as it's one of Nikkie's favourites from the range, of course it had to be included, it gives such a healthy flush to the skin, it really brightens the face. However if you're more of a coral blush fan, there is also I Will Always Love You, a peachy matte shade.

The Bronzer is also one of Nikkie's favourites; The Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. It smells as good as it sounds and if it was edible, I probably would of eaten it by now. The shade is more of a medium to deep bronzer, although I don't find it too dark for my pale skin. It's also matte, so if you wanted to contour with it you can and you don't need to worry about any pesky shimmer. 

Champagne Truffle is Nikkie's choice of highlight, although its not originally a Too Faced Highlighter. It is in fact an eye shadow from the Chocolate Bar Palette, however it does make the most gorgeous highlighter. It's pinky shimmer brightens the face, it's also so intensely pigmented you only need the teeniest little bit too. 
Also included in the pack are a mixture of exclusives and adorable little mini's. Plus you get a full size Sketch Marker in Deep Black, Too Faced's liquid liner pen. It has a really flexible tip, making it easier to work with, as well as being very highly pigmented so you don't need to build it up to get a true colour, unlike some other liquid liners.

For the mini's there is a Shadow Insurance Primer, to prep the eye, boost the pigmentation and wear time of the shadows placed on top. There is also a limited edition Better Than Sex Mascara in Purple, Nikkie's favourite colour! Gorgeous on the lower lashes or even used as a lash topper shade too.

Finally there is a little pot of Glitter, as it couldn't really be a Nikkie Tutorials collaboration without glitter. The pot houses the Glamour Dust in Blue Angel, a very pretty finely milled silver glitter dust. When paired with the Glitter Glue it really makes an impact on the eye.

The Power of Makeup is £48 and currently only available from Too Faced directly.

Eloise x
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Friday 2 September 2016

Illamasqua Extinct

Hi Guys,

The extinct collection from Illamasqua is not only packed full of gorgeous products, perfect for the upcoming autumnal months. But it also comes with a message, a collection that pushes the boundaries, not just in the form of products and colours. But in a way that challenges society. Illamasqua have always been a brand that stands out and stands up for creativity and championing self expression.  
There really is no other brand out there quite like Illamasqua and I feel with this collection, they've really gone back to the beginning. The imagery for the collection reminds me slightly of the Theatre of the Nameless and The Art of Darkness, which are still two of my favourite campaigns. 

The launch of Extinct however coincides with Illamasqua's campaign with PETA and their new Green Policy. Illamasqua have over three hundred vegan products and have always been a cruelty free brand, they're striving to make more products vegan and it's making a stand with this campaign. As Extinct stands for the challenges the environment we now live in brings and stands up for the diversity in the beauty industry as a whole. To express yourself however you may please and to celebrate the anniversary of the spirit of punk. 
Demise Palette - £34
The Demise Palette screams autumn to me, split between gorgeous warm and rich red tones, to cool and inviting blues and golds. It's a mixture of cream, which Illamasqua haven't done in a while when it comes down to their quads, as well as matte and soft shimmering tones. The four colours include; Wilt; reddened gold, Gimp; a black blue, Lost; white gold and Interitus; a burgundy. The powders I find are pigmented and easy to work with, you need the littlest bit when it comes to Illamasqua shadows, they go such a long way. Wilt, the cream shade however, I found you could either build it up or keep it really sheer, I actually think I prefer it sheer and as a wash of colour, a really pretty inner corner highlight. 
Pure Pigment - £17.50
The Pure Pigments from Illamasqua, have to be one of my favourite products they do. They're such versatile little pots of pigment, you can use them on the eyes, as a highlighter. Mix with Sealing Gel and create liquid liners, or even create liquid lipsticks. Plus you can put them on your nails and mix them with body lotions to turn them into shimmery greatness. The newest shade Axolotl is a blue holographic pigment, which looks fantastic layered over the black Gel Liner or even over Quixotic, the new Gel Liner in the collection. 

Powder Eye Shadow - £16.50
As well as the eye shadow quad, the collection also includes two eye shadows in single pan form. One of which is actually from the To Be Alive Collection, the shade Cascade; a frosty blue white, was part of the limited edition Spirit Palette. It may just look like a white shadow, but once swatched it has such a mesmerising blue tone that catches the light beautifully. Then there is also Jubilance; a pale rosy copper, which for me, may be the star of the show. The glitz and glamour of this shadow wowed me, its soft and creamy to work with and sparkles like there is no tomorrow! 
Precision Gel Liner - £20
Also included in the collection is a brand new shade of Gel Liner. The Illamasqua Gel Liner is heavenly to work with, so it's very exciting to see a new shade added to the line up. The emerald green; Quixotic is perfect for autumn winter, its a subtle way to inject that jewel toned shade into your makeup. It also makes a brilliant eye shadow base, especially for a smoky eye. Layer a little bit of the pure pigment on top and you have a sparkly green toned smoky eye in no time. 

Matte Lip Liquid - £18.50
For the lips, the collection includes one of the Matte Lip Liquids. These are always limited edition shades, which I do personally find quite sad as they are exceptional products. Dare I say it, they may even be my favourite Matte Liquid Lipsticks I have ever tried. Exoskeleton is a dark deep plum, a lovely vampy shade. It's comfortable to wear, I don't find them to dry out my lips and the wear time is fantastic. I don't have to worry about topping these products up as much, compared to other liquid lipsticks. 
(Swatches: Left to Right - Quixotic, Jubilance, Cascade, Interitus, Lost, Gimp, Wilt Sheered Out, Exoskeleton and Axotol.)
Nail Varnish - £14.50
Also available are two very pretty jewel like nail polishes, which I don't have to show unfortunately. But they're real gems, they are Remains; purple glitter and Quagga; a duo chrome green. Illamasqua's promotional imagery for them, actually have the two layered together, which is definitely a nail look I'm up for trying. They look like sacred stones on the nails, but individually they are eye catching too.

You can read more about the Illamasqua Green Policy HERE and they also have a big list of the Vegan Product's available HERE too. 

Eloise x
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