Maybelline: the Colossal volum' express mascara & Kiss eyelash curlers (review and pictures)

 I had this Maybelline mascara before and really loved it, however it started to smell really strange so I decided it was time to buy a new one! So I was browsing in boots (as per usual..) and I noticed it there was a buy one get one free offer. I bought the Kiss perfect curl eyelash curlers and the Maybelline colossal volum' express mascara. When I first took these curlers out of the packet, I was a little skeptical. I didn't think the spring was going to be good as I'd never used a spring eyelash curler before, however it seems to give a lot of control and the shape of these fits my eye perfectly. I really love them!

The mascara has been a favourite of mine for quite some time. I'm not sure if I think it curls, lengthens or gives my lashes volume, but it just seems to make my eyelashes look so beautifully defined and really opens my eyes up. I think it's great on my top and bottom lashes as well. I always used to think that rubber mascara brushes were my favourite, but once I'd tried this mascara I realised I was wrong! The brush on this mascara is the best I've ever tried, its just perfect. Its more of a fiber brush but not a spiral type one if that makes any sense..

Love the packaging, very eye catching:)

The perfect brush haha

Before

After curling (with the kiss eyelash curlers)

After:)

Thank you for reading!xo

bareMinerals Balance & Boost duo (review)

So, I've been buying/trying a lot of bareMinerals at the moment as I love the company and their policies, oh and all the products are great haha. My most recent purchase from them is the limited edition Balance & Boost beauty duo. The set includes an apricot tinted mineral veil in a really nice little compact, with a mirror. The other part of this duo is the little buff and go brush. The mineral veil is supposed to brighten your complexion, due to the apricot tint. I don't really know if I agree with this though. I like the mineral veil to set my makeup and that's all I really use it for, but I know its great if you have more oily skin as your makeup will stay matte for a long time but as I have dry skin I don't use it to mattify my skin. I do think it kind of blurs my makeup together giving my skin a more flawless look. Also, this container is like nothing I've ever seen from bareMinerals. Instead of having the holes or the new click, lock and go sifter it has this strange metal flap type thing that opens when you close the lid. It's difficult to explain but basically once you re-open the container there is product on the flap.. This makes it way less messy than the regular containers so it's perfect for travelling or for having in your bag for during the day touch ups. And talking of touch ups, the buff and go retractable kabuki is great for applying the mineral veil. It's very soft! I don't think this would be good at applying the mineral foundation though as its synthetic, and I personally can find synthetic brushes apply products such as foundations very, very sheer. But for something like mineral veil, it is perfect:) the brush is also very travel friendly as its small and retractable. However I have to be honest, I still do prefer the original mineral veil rather than the tinted one! I think the original mineral veil seems to actually make more of a difference to my skin, the tinted one doesn't seem to do much but I still really like it as a final setting powder.

I bought this from boots for around £22, in bareMinerals boutique
its £29 so I recommend going to boots!

Sorry it's difficult to see the opening "mechanism" :(

This looks really orange when you actually see it, but the camera doesn't
really show the true colour.

6g of product, when usually its £20 for a regular pot of mineral veil
and its £19 for the buff & go brush on its own, so when buying this duo
(if you buy it at boots) you're saving around £17 by buying both!

I can't believe how compact this is..

To my surprise, this brush is pretty dense!

bareMinerals: Get Started eyes cheeks and lips (review and swatches)

Hi everyone, I know it's been a while since I last blogged but I'm back now and ready to blog! Hehe anyway I recently bought this kit from bareMinerals at Debenhams for £42. Whilst being a little pricey these loose pigments last ages as you only need a tiny amount to get a great amount of colour. The kit comes with 3 brushes; a blush brush, a double ended crease and flat eye shadow brush and an eyeliner brush. The only thing I hate about this set is the double ended brush, I hate double ended brushes as I like to stand to stand my brushes up in a pot, but I can't with a double ended brush as it may ruin the bristles and bend them. 

The complete "8 piece Custom Colour Collection".

Fair to Light complexion.

This is the blush brush, they call it the tapered blush brush
but I don't think it's very tapered, however I still love it!

       This is the crease side of the double ended brush

           its a very fluffy crease brush with long bristles,

              used to contour the socket or crease of the eye.

This is a large flat shading brush, used to pat shadow

                                onto to the eyelid.

This is an eyeliner brush it looks quite thick, but it can createa thick or thin line depending on what you want to create.

 My camera does not show up the shimmer in the blush or liner.

Mini Buxom lips lipgloss ~ in Dolly 2ml.

Also, this smells like a caramel pudding but somehow tastes of mint..

 Liner eye shadow ~ Nurture 0.28g

Eye shadow ~ Smoke 0.28g

Glimpse ~ Winter White 0.28g

Blush ~ Kiss 0.57g
The Colours

Dolly lip gloss, is  a plumping gloss that is dusty mauve rose like colour with tiny flecks of golden glitter.

Nurture is liner that can be used wet or dry. When used wet, it becomes a really intense dark line, however when used dry it gives a sheer smokey look. Its a plum brown with a reddish shimmer. Can also be used as a shadow.

Smoke eye shadow is a matte grey, slate colour that's perfect for blending colour out or used as a crease colour.

Winter White glimpse eye shadow is a great brightening base colour that is a light, white colour with golden shimmer.

Kiss blush is a very shimmery pretty pinkish rose with a lot of silver shimmer.

Sleek: Idivine Eyeshadow Palette in Storm (review and swatches)

 About 2 years ago I purchased one of these palettes from sleek (I had bought the "original" palettes) so when I noticed saw the "storm" palette, I decided to buy it! It has 12 eye shadows, 3 are matte and the rest are satin shimmer, the top row of colours are light and more neutral that are good for everyday eye looks- the bottom row has darker, deeper colours which are perfect for smoky eyes that are more dramatic. The shadows are really soft and blendable! I love some of these colours, the jade green satin colour is gorgeous! The only colour I don't like is the matte black colour, it doesn't show up at all, as you can see in the swatches its a terrible colour. No matter how hard I press my brush in the black colour, but I still don't seem to get any colour. It comes with a sponge tip applicator as well. This palette is great for the price and I recommend to anyone!

Very, sleek packaging!;)

Neutral on top, more dramatic on the bottom!

Daylight.

Sunlight. 

Daylight again.

Close ups.

Storm Palette.

Thank you for reading!xo

Too Faced: Natural Eye Shadow Kit (review and swatches)

This is a kit of 9 shadows, each very soft in texture but still very pigmented. This kit is very popular, and I've hardly ever heard someone complain about it. It also contains 3 cards showing you how to create each look as well as a little pull-out drawer which holds a double ended applicator, one end a sponge, the other a slanted eyeliner brush. This kit has 6 shimmer eye shadows, and 3 matte eye shadows. They're each divided into different looks that you can create: "day", "classic" and "fashion". I think Too Faced have made a really good job of making it so simple to re-create a natural eye shadow look. I use these with Too Faced shadow insurance, and they stay on from morning til night when I remove my makeup. The colour "sexpresso" could also be used as eyebrow shadow if you have darker eyebrows. I do really like these shadows, and plan to buy more of Too Faced shadow box/kits! :)

Personally, I love the packaging, I've never really seen a box like this before, however some people think its too bulky.

It opens with a tab, and closes shut tightly magnetically. 

These are the help cards, these are good if you're starting out with eye shadows and don't really know what to put where, but after a while I think most people stop using the cards.

Just some close ups of the colours, as you can see, very neutral!

I love all these colours, but I must say, heaven is extremely sheer, and doesn't really show up (as you can see in the swatches). There is only one colour however, that I really don't like, and its "nude beach", Its so glittery and the glitter is very chunky I think other people would probably like it but I think maybe its just not for me! 

Sorry the swatches aren't very good..

Heaven- Sheer matte creamy white colour.
Velvet Revolver- Matte milky coffee base colour.
Sexpresso- Deep matte chocolate brown.
Silk Teddy- Shimmery, cream coloured iridescent pink.
Push up- Shimmery brown, slightly coppery.
Erotica- Deep ashy brown with golden shimmer.
Nude Beach- Very light pink coloured glittery shimmer.
Honeypot- Rich golden shimmer shadow.
Cocoa puff- Deep red brown, with golden shimmer.


I defiantly recommend this kit if you like shimmery neutral shadows! 
Thank you for reading!:) xo