Monday, September 26, 2016

Sleek Limited edition On the Horizon Review and Tutorial


So I am rubbish and forgot to put this up when the video went up so I am sorry about that however today I have my final Sleek post for you. I think this has to be my favourite out of the three as it has the beautiful orange shades so without further ado lets get on with the review.
 


Bonfire - Shimmer
Oh this shade is just incredible. It's a beautiful orange shade with gold running through it. This is the kind of shade I've been reaching for on a regular basis at the moment and I really would recommend it.
 
Sugar Maple - Shimmer
This is one of those super pretty browny pink shades, it makes a really beautiful all over the lid colour as well as a very subtle highlight shade.
 
Beech - Matte
Beech is just a good all round transition shade, I feel like sometimes the sleek palettes can lack a good transition colour however I really like this one. It is a very pale cream however so it isn't going to work for all skin tones.
 
Moss - Shimmer
A really pretty khaki green shade with a metallic finish, I'm not sure how much I will use this one but it is beautiful.
 
Raindrop - Shimmer
A teal shade with lots of silver shimmer, this one looks stunning all over the lid with a darker blue in the crease.
 
Dawn - Shimmer
An almost navy royal blue with a very slight green undertone. This one looks incredible as a pop of colour under the eyes
 
 
Chestnut - Shimmer
A very dark rich chocolate brown with a silver shimmer. This is just a good bog standard crease shade.
 
Harvest Moon - Semi Matte
Warm coral orange with a slight shimmer, once on the eye however this looks completely matte.
 
Fawn - Shimmer
A light gold shade with lots of shimmer, this one does take quite a bit of building however the end result is stunning.
 
Willow - Semi Matte
Avery deep green shade with an almost completely matte finish this one pairs beautifully with a gold shade on the lid.
 
Dew drop - Shimmer
A pinky champagne shade, like sugar maple it looks beautiful as a highlight as well as a lid shade.
 
Pinecone - Shimmer
A pinky medium brown shade, this one looks beautiful in the crease of dew drop or sugar maple for a subtle shadow.
 






Friday, September 23, 2016

Sleek Limited edition Nordic skies Review and Tutorial

 
Not only is this a video I am super happy with anyway I am even more chuffed that it's a collab so don't forget to watch the video after reading this post. Today I have the second of my Sleek limited edition palettes for you, I'm going to be honest this was the one I thought I'd get the least wear out of as I felt like it was a little bit of a mismatch of shades. That being said the more I have used it the more I've realised that the shades do work well together even though they don't look like they would! So without further ado lets get on with today's review.
 


Eskimo kiss - Shimmer
This is a stunning white silver colour which not only makes the most incredible super intense highlight but also look beautiful all over the lid with Blue moon in the crease for a super frosty eye look.
 
Moonshine - Shimmer
The perfect basic white gold highlight, this one isn't as intense as Eskimo kiss so it's definitely more suited for an everyday basis.
 
Polar night - Matte
This is the darkest shade out of this palette, it's a matte quite cool brown which means it works beautifully paired with the blues and corals in this palette
 
Crystallised - Shimmer
The lighter of the two blues in the palette, this is a very frosted blue shade which makes a stunning lid shade with either the darker blue from this palette or a brighter blue.
 
First light  - Matte
I absolutely love this shade and I feel like it is exactly the shade that is missing from the Goodnight sweetheart palette. It's a stunning matte rosy pink which not only makes a brilliant transition shade for a pink eye look but also makes a beautiful crease shade when I use some of the lighter shades out of this palette.
 
Purple haze - Shimmer
I'm going to be honest i'm not really sure what to do with this shade but I also kind of love it, it's a very pale lilac with silver shimmer. I have tried it as a highlight which I like but I really do want to try and incorporate it into a proper look so if you have any suggestions leave them below.
 


Ocean mist - Shimmer
 Ocean mist is a stunning mint green with silver shimmer. I thought the coverage on the lid of this one might not have been great but infact it is actually really opaque.
 
Supernova - Shimmer
This one is another fab lid shade it is a really beautiful corally shade with a slightly metallic finish, this reminds me a lot of a more toned down version of NYX's Prismatic shadow in Golden peach.
 
Ski Breeze - Matte
This shade is the most incredible pinky grey transition shade, I have definitely used this one the most as it also makes a beautiful crease shade on a super pale eye.
 
Rose glow - Shimmer
This is such a pretty pinky champagne shade which look gorgeous with Ski breeze in the crease. It just creates the most stunning really natural eye look.
 
Eclipse - Matte
This is the basic brown shade in the palette it's a medium warm slightly yellow toned brown. This is another really nice shade for a very natural eye look.
 
Blue moon - Shimmer
The final shade in the palette is a stunning silvery blue shade which looks stunning in the crease of Crystallised.
 

 
So that's it for today, don't forget to check out the video and come back on Sunday for another one!
 


Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Sleek Limited edition Goodnight sweetheart Review and Tutorial



So over the next week I thought I would show you the three new limited edition palettes from Sleek, not only am I going to be reviewing each palette with shade by shade rundown but I'm also going to be doing a video tutorial using each palette which will be at the bottom of the post. So without further ado lets get on and talk about the first of the three palettes.
 
Goodnight sweetheart is a very warm pinky toned palette which contains two matte shades and ten shimmer, as with all Sleek palettes the shadows are beautifully consistent in pigment and texture. I feel like this is the perfect winter palette and definitely the best out of the three for neutral lovers. For my tastes personally I do think this palette lacks a lighter matte transition shade and a lighter lid shade.
 


Follows swatches from left to right...
 
Seduction - Shimmer
 
A grey toned brown with a fair sprinkling of silver shimmer, I feel like this is the perfect shade for the base of a slightly different smokey eye. It does have a lot of shimmer which won't be to everyone's taste but personally I really love it.
 
Velvet wrap - Shimmer
 
I think this one is my favourite shade out of the whole palette, it is an absolutely stunning metallic pink shade It looks a lot more pink in the swatch as it looks more of a burgundy in the pan but I can't wait to use this one as a base for a pinky smokey eye.
 
Romance - Matte

This one is the first of the two mattes in the palette, it is a very dark purple which is incredibly creamy and blends so well for such a dark matte shade.
 
Lingerie - Shimmer

A champagne gold shimmer which makes the most stunning brow and inner corner highlight. The shimmer in the is so beautifully finely milled which is a massive problem I have with some highlights so it really hits the nail on the head.
 
Dusk - Shimmer

This one looks like your bog standard shimmery brown in the pan however when it's swatched it's much more of a pinky brown and I would definitely say it has a slight duo-chrome to it.
 
L.O.V.E - Shimmer

This shade is a fairly bright rosy pink shade with lots of silver shimmer which looks stunning all over the lid with one of the darker colours from the palette in the crease.
 
 

 
 
Again from left to right...
 
By the fireside - Shimmer
This is definitely the warmest shade in the palette, it's a beautiful warm pink shade which again has a fair amount of silver shimmer.
 
Hold me tight - Matte
A matte very cool toned brown with a very heavy grey undertone. This would look beautiful paired with another of the cooler toned browns however I do kind of wish it was a lighter pink transition shade somewhere along the lines of Makeup geek Cupcake.
 
Sweet dreams - Shimmer
Again this is another one that looks fairly boring in the pan however in the swatch it comes out as a beautiful cool toned purple/pink shade which can be really sheered out for a lid shade and really built up for a crease shade.
 
Love is in the air - Shimmer
This shade has much less pink in it than Sweet dreams, it is a medium purple shade which I am so in love with as I am loving purple shadows at the moment.
 
Snuggle - Shimmer
I was so confused by this shadow at first as I thought it was a green as that is what it looks like in the pan however once swatched it is a stunning blue brown shade and I am so in love with it. It's incredibly metallic and I am honestly obsessed.
 
Sleeping beauty - Semi-matte
 The final shade in this palette is another very cool toned shade, it is a grey taupe colour with a slight silver shimmer however once on the lid it is almost completely undetectable.
 

Overall I really like this palette, it's not one I'm going to reach for all the time as I am more of a fan of my warm toned shades however I will still get some use out of it. I really hope you enjoyed this and don't forget to check out the tutorial if you want to see me create a look with this!
 
 

Sunday, September 18, 2016

What's in my travel makeup bag?

 
To go along with today's video I thought I would do a blog post as I love a good travel makeup bag post. I went away at the end of August for two weeks hence the huge amount of lipsticks that I took. So without further ado lets get on before this posts get's too rambly.
 
 
Base wise I took two options The body shop BB cream is the perfect lightweight summer base which just adds enough coverage to even out the skin without ending up looking super heavy on the skin, I also took my Urban decay Naked skin foundation which you all know I completely love, if you haven't heard me talk about it before it's a gorgeous medium coverage super lightweight base which is so lovely for a super dry skin. as it is very dewy and doesn't cling to any dry patches. I also took both shades of my Urban decay Naked skin concealer as much like the foundation it is incredibly comfortable and lightweight whilst still offering really fabulous coverage. I also took my Collection Sheer loose powder just in case I wanted to bake under my eyes.
 
For blush I took two options, the first being Milani's Baked blush in Luminoso which is just the perfect summery blush shade. It's a beautiful pinky peach with a golden glow which makes it look so beautiful with a tan however I love it just as much without one. The other blush I took was Illamasqua Cream blush in Dixie which is a gorgeous dark dusty pink shade which looks very natural on the cheeks. I love the Illamasqua cream blush formula and definitely need to give some more shades a go. Highlight wise I took my two most recent purchases, The Balm Mary-lou manizer is such a hyped product in the blogging community and I can really see why. It's  a beautiful champagne gold shade which adds such a stunning healthy glow on the cheeks.
 
I also took Laura Geller Gilded honey which is like the darker sister of Mary-lou, I actually thought it was going to be to dark however I completely love it. It gives the cheeks a slightly bronzey gold glow which can be built up depending on what level of tan I am. I also threw in my Urban decay Beached bronzer in Bronze which is my current go too bronzer and my old trusty Barry M Contour kit.
 
 
Dixie, Luminoso, Mary-Lou, Gilded honey, Bronzed.
 


Eye wise I decided to take my finished Makeup geek palette as it has such a huge variation of shades so I knew I would have a shade for any occasion. I of course took my trust Urban decay Eye primer which if you are a regular reader you will know I love. It is the best thing to keep eyeshadow on my super oily lids. I also threw in the H&M Global fusion eye pot in Aubergine sheen which is a really pretty rusty brown colour which is perfect for just throwing on and it lasts incredibly even in the heat. Then for brows I took my three new Benefit brow products to give them a proper test. Ka brow is a pomade but it is a lot firmer than a lot of the pomades I have tried which does mean it takes some time to get used too however I do really like it. I also took the Precisely my brow pencil which is a super fine pencil which is fab for a more natural brow. Finally I took my old trusty Gimme brow this is actually my second tube of this as I just love it. 
Precisely my brow, Ka-brow, Aubergine sheen  


 
Finally we have lip products which I took a lot of. I'm not going to go super in detail with these as it will make the post a billion years long but for nude liquid lipsticks I took Dose of colours Bare with me which is a beautiful pale peachy nude and NYX Soft spoken which is a much darker browny nude. For glossy nudes I took NYX tiramisu and YSL Beige blouse, and then for liners I packed Charlotte tilbury Pillow talk and No7 Nude. For reds I packed a liner which was the Catrice Prince cherry liner and then I also packed Clinique Poppy pop which is a very orangey red and Mac Lady Danger. Finally for brights I threw in Barry M 151 which is a beautiful orange shade and Gosh Yours forever which is a super bright raspberry pink.  
 

Pilow talk, Nude, Prince cherry, Tiramisu, Bare with me, Yours forever, Beige blouse, Lady Danger, 151, Poppy pop, Soft spoken.

 
So that's it for today guys I hope you enjoyed this post! 

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Beauty ¦ NYX and KIKO haul


I've been wanting some more bits from NYX for a while now however I really wanted to go and have a good swatch, as we went to Manchester a couple of weeks ago I picked up some bits to try. It also turns out we now have a KIKO so I decided to pick up a couple of their products too! I'm going to be doing some super quick first impressions of these products today however expect full reviews in the future.
 
NYX Wonder pencil - Light - £4.00
 
This is a flesh toned pencil which can be used as a eye brightener, reverse lip liner and a pin point concealer. I have heard so much good stuff about this and I know so many people use it as a brightener for in the waterline. I've tried this a couple of times now and I have to say I'm impressed it brightens the eyes beautifully without looking too obvious.
 
NYX Intense butter gloss - Toasted Marshmallow - £5.50
 
I absolutely love the original butter glosses so this seemed like a no brainer, I actually saw Charlotte from Love from Charlotte using this in a vlog and completely fell in love with the shade. This feels a little heavier than the usual butter glosses however so far I really do like it and I can definitely see me buying all the shades!
 
NYX HD Concealer - Porcelain - £5.50
 
I am a fan of this one so far, it's quite high coverage without being thick and cakey meaning that it works perfectly for my dry skin. Thus far I've found it sits really beautifully on the skin and I have to say I am impressed especially considering how affordable it is.
 
NYX Liquid suede's - Vintage and Stone fox - £6.50 Each
 
I already have one of these in the shade Soft spoken and I absolutely love it so I decided to pick up some more autumnal shades. So far I've worn Vintage which I am so in love with and am pretty much going to wear all autumn/winter however I've not quite plucked up the courage to wear Stone fox anywhere other than my bedroom yet. That being said I am in love with the colour I just need to stop being a wimp.
 
NYX Hot singles eyeshadow - Electroshock - £3.50
 
This is the second of these shadows I have picked up as the quality is insane for the price. I've been looking to build up the colours in my collection for ages and when I saw this shade I knew I had to have it. The plan for this one is to use it under my water line to add a pop of colour when I'm wearing a fairly minimal makeup look. I love these a they are super pigmented and I cannot wait to get some use out of it.
 
L to R - Wonder pencil, Toasted marshmallow, HD concealer, Vintage, Stone fox, Electroshock, Golden peach, Hot orange, Brow pencil, 800, 37
NYX Prismatic eyeshadow - Golden peach - £5.50
 
This again was another YouTube recommendation, I hear Jamie from Jamie page beauty talk about these all the time and I really loved the look of them. Golden peach is a stunning orangey peach with lots of gold shimmer, I have used this a couple of times and it just looks stunning swept all over the lid but also with a very warm brown or orange in the crease as a base for a warm smokey eye.
 
NYX Primal colours eyeshadow - Hot orange - £5.50
 
If you are a regular you will be aware of my current addiction to orange eyeshadow and when I saw this one I just knew I had to have it. These primal colours shades are incredibly vibrant and I cannot wait to use this in the crease to add a pop of colour to a basic brown eye look.
 
NYX Micro brow pencil - Brunette - £7.00
 
I was actually quite shocked when I saw the price of this, however as I've heard so much stuff about it I thought I would give it a go anyway. It is a very fine pencil which reminds me a lot of the Smashbox Brow tech matte and the Benefit Precisely my brow pencil. I find that with this I have a lot of control and due to it not being overly pigmented it leaves me with a very natural brow.
 
KIKO Smart liner - 800 - £2.50
 
I'm not going to lie I was 100% drawn to this because it was gold. On swatching this feels super creamy and I have worn it in the waterline once and I love the effect, it adds a little extra than a basic  nude would however it still really opens up the eyes. Also for me I find it definitely helps to make my eyes pop.
 
KIKO  Long lasting eyeshadow stick - 37 - £6.90
 
These are so hyped I knew they were one of the first things I wanted to try. This shade is a stunning pinky lilac with tonnes of gold shimmer in it and I am so in love. So far I've worn this once and it looked so pretty and lasted all day with no primer which for my lids is a pretty impressive thing for it to manage.


I'd love to know what you think I should try from NYX and KIKO next! 


Friday, September 09, 2016

Beauty ¦ Garnier Oil infused Micellar water



I was always a little wary of the Micellar water trend as I was very worried they would really dry out my already incredibly dry skin. However when I saw this in Boots I was very drawn to it, especially as it was on offer at only £3.99. This is one of those products which you have to shake to mix the oil with the water, it does separate so quickly compared to the likes of the Lancôme makeup remover. This removes makeup so effectively making little work of heavy eye makeup, liquid lipsticks and waterproof mascara.
 
I've found that this is working so well with my dry skin, it feels very hydrating whilst making the skin feel nice and clean. It does leave an oily residue on the skin however for me that is not a problem as I always use another cleanser after using a makeup remover like this. It is a quite highly scented product so if your skin is sensitive to scents i'd say perhaps give this one a miss. In terms of other types of sensitivity I find that a lot of products can either break me out or flare up my eczema and this does neither so it's 100% a winner for me.
 
Overall I really love this and if you are looking for a easy makeup remover this is definitely a good one! 

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Beauty ¦ Sleek Precious metals highlighting palette


If you read my blog a couple of months ago you will know that I was obsessed with the Solstice palette which I reviewed Here I was in fact so obsessed with it that I decided to pick up the other shade.
 
This one is like the more toned down version of the solstice palette. It contains three cream highlights and a powder shade. The cream shades are beautifully subtle and look incredible on the skin. They give the face a beautiful luminous glow and are perfect paired with lots of bronzer. They are all quite gold toned so if you are a fan of a more pinky highlight this probably isn't the palette for you. Some cream highlighters can sometimes be a little bit coarse however these are beautifully smooth. The powder shade is beautifully finely milled and doesn't have any massive chunks of shimmer in it. This works really lovely over the cream shades but also on it's own.
 
I think my favourite shade has definitely got to the top right hand shade it has a little more pink tone to it making it a little warmer as opposed to the slightly cooler tones of the other two cream shades. Overall I think if the Solstice palette was a little too intense for this may be a better option. I really do like this one as it is perfect for the days when I want something a little more subtle.


Sunday, September 04, 2016

Beauty ¦ MUA makeup tested

To coincide with my makeup testing videos over on my channel I have decided to write blog posts to follow up my first impression and let you guys still know if my opinions are the same or if they have changed completely. If you do want to watch the video and see if my opinions are still the same I will leave it at the bottom of the post.
 

Skin Define Foundation in Ivory - £4.00

I think out of everything this was the product I was most disappointed in, it was incredibly orange and very low coverage. It would perhaps work for someone who has better skin as I definitely liked the finish however for me the coverage isn't quite enough and the shade is just far too orange toned. I found this lasted quite well and was quite light on my skin however it's not one I will reach for again.

Cover and conceal Liquid concealer in Ivory - £1.50

I was worried to try this as it is in the same shade as the foundation however something I've realised with a lot of budget brands is that the lightest concealer in the range is always at least 2 shades lighter than the foundation so it actually matches me really nicely. This is a nice creamy concealer with a good amount of coverage, it does settle slightly under the eyes however for £1.50 you really can't complain and it's definitely one I'd recommend to anyone on a budget or just getting into makeup.

Blush in Bonbon - £1.00

I've had a lot of these £1.00 blushes in my collection over the years and I have to say i'm always really impressed. They are a little chalky however they do pack a massive pigment punch so I can deal with that. The packaging on them is ridiculously flimsy and is definitely not made for being battered about in a makeup bag however other than that I really have no complaints. Bonbon is a really lovely peachy pink shade which is one of those good all round shades which works with any look.

Skin Define Hydro powder - £2.00

I was super intrigued by this as I have honestly never heard a powder be described as hydrating. I am so glad I picked this one up it's perfect for my dry skin working really beautifully to set without taking away any glowiness or making my skin look cakey. The one bad thing about this is that this is the only shade it comes in and even though it's fairly translucent it would definitely leave a white cast on darker skins as on me it did a brilliant job of toning down the orangeness of the foundation.

Skin define foundation, Cover and conceal, Blush in Bon bon, Skin define powder.
 
Brow Pencil in Brunette - £1.00
 
I full on hated this product, I'm talking like despised it. It literally made me look ridiculous. The pencil is very waxy and creamy meaning it just kind of did it's own thing and smudged wherever it wanted too. With it being so creamy it was impossible to work lightly with making the fact the colour was slightly too dark a massive problem. It gave me sharpie brows and I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
 
Brow Define brow mascara in Deep - £2.00
 
I really liked this brow gel, it's one of the things that I've used since doing the video. It's a really good ashy brown colour which works really nicely to set the brows in place whilst adding just a slight hint of colour. The brush is quite large compared to the likes of Benefit Gimme brow however as I have super thick brows that doesn't bother me but it's something to note if your brows are a little thinner.
 
Pro Base eyeshadow primer - £2.50
 
I didn't dislike this one but I didn't love it either. I found it neutralised any discolouration on my lid really well and didn't make the shadows go on patchy however I'm not sure it actually did anything to increase the longevity of the colour on my lids. I still found that it creased however if your lids aren't super oily I can see this being a nice one.
 
 
Single shadows in Champagne and Bronze - £1.00 each
 
I really love the MUA single shades they are incredibly pigmented and creamy and are consistent throughout the range. I find a lot of super budget brands have some incredible and some disappointing whereas I have loved every MUA one I have tried. There is also a really lovely versatile shad range so I'd definitely recommend these for anyone!
 
Matte Liquid Liner - £2.00
 
If you watch the video you will see I'm not the best at liquid liner however I really fancied giving this one a go. I found it easier to work with than some of the liners I have tried. The brush is quite firm meaning it's a little easier to control. I also found it didn't flake which is something I often have a problem. They also do a glossy version of this and I'm definitely going to pick it up.
 
Volume Mascara - £2.00
 
This is definitely out of everything the product I was most impressed with. This mascara is so incredible for only £2. I don't usually go for volumising mascaras however this was all they had in stock o I just grabbed it and I'm so glad I did. This is not a volumising mascara however if you want length and curl this is definitely one to give a try. It makes my lashes look super long and actually helps them hold the curl. I am honestly so impressed with this one and would urge everyone to give it a try.
 
Eyeshadow in champagne, Eyeshadow in Bronze, Brow pencil, Brow gel, Eye base, Matte liner.
Lipstick in Shade 11 - £1.00
 
I had so many of these lipsticks in my collection when I first started getting into makeup however I haven't bought on for years so I really wasn't sure what to expect. This was a nice lipstick for the price I wouldn't go shouting about it however I would definitely reach for it again. The colour is a really pretty dark pinky nude and the formula is lovely and glossy. I'd definitely say if you want some cheap lipsticks give these a go as they are really nice.
 
 
Lip liner in Caramel Nougat - £1.00
 
I've used this one a couple of times and I have to say I do find it a little drying. It tends to drag on the lips as they aren't quite creamy enough. I feel like if you have really lovely plump perfect not at all dry lips this one might work for you however if you have dry lips I'd definitely give it a miss.
 


Lipstick in shade 11, Lip liner in Caramel nougat.


So that's it for todays post, I realty hope you enjoyed it and the video!
 
C xx
 


Friday, September 02, 2016

Beauty ¦ Smashbox Brow tech matte pencil


I can't believe that it has taken me this long to review this product, I spoke about the benefit brow range last week and it reminded me to get this product reviewed. The Smashbox brow tech matte pencil is not only the longest named brow pencil I own but also my favourite, the Benefit precisely my brow pencil coming in at a close second in both those category's.
 
What I love about this pencil is that the nib is so small, from pictures it is very similar the Anastasia brow wiz which I definitely need to get around to trying. The super thin nib means that it is very easy to get a super precise brow and it also makes it fab for drawing in little hairs in sparser areas.
 
The reason that this one just beats the Benefit on is the shade. It's just slightly cooler than the Benefit one meaning it matches my hair better. In terms of pigment this is just perfect it isn't so pigmented that you end up with sharpie brows however it's just pigmented enough that you only have to press lightly. This means you get much more control over how dark the brows are which I love. Texture wise it's that perfect mix of waxy and creamy meaning that it doesn't smudge all over the face but also meaning that it isn't really difficult to work with.
 
Overall if you're on the look out for a new brow pencil I would definitely recommend this one!
 


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