Revlon Lips and Cheeks

Revlon is a brand I am just getting myself reacquainted with and not too long ago on this blog this post introduced some newly released eye makeup products.  Today is the turn of the lips and cheeks with some products I have really enjoyed using and if anyone ever mentioned lipstick, I am usually there quick as a flash.

Now I love a good highlighter and have used quite a few different ones over this past year. Revlon's Insta-Fix Highlighting Stick is available in two shades and has the following description:

Highlight instantly with this mistake-proof stick. In two gorgeous shades, perfect for highlighting on virtually any skin tone. Formula with light filtering technology delivers a professionally re-touched look. Use with PhotoReady Insta-Fix™ Makeup to get a mistake-proof contoured look.

I have shade Gold Light which gives a really lovely glow to the skin and it is so easy to use and blend. Both shades retail for £9.99.

When it comes to lipsticks, I never thought I would be the person who likes a Matte lip, but actually I really do and am yet to find a formula I dislike. The Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Colour (£8.99) is available in 12 shades (24 for America) and is described as follows:

Lightweight, high definition velvety matte color. Moisturizing, velvety feel. 100% wax-free, gel formula. Now Available in 24 high definition shades.

I have the shade Seduction which comes with a doe foot applicator and it has a really lightweight formula which is really easy to apply and when you do apply it, it looks like a gloss and takes a good few minutes to mattify. What I really like is how moisturising it is rather than drying on the lips and it really gives great coverage.  The shade Seduction is one I absolutely love and it is definitely a nude shade which I really like and it is perfect for everyday wear.  Once applied you get a good 3-4 hours wear from it before needing to re-apply.

Staying with lipsticks again, this time we have two of Revlon's Ultra HD Gel Lipsticks which retail for £7.99 each. Taking on the role of a slimline lipstick, these Gel Lipsticks and they come with the following description:

Get high-definition, lightweight color with NEW Ultra HD Gel Lipcolor. Intensely hydrating formula with hyaluronic acid. Available in 15 high-definition shades.

So the first thing to note is that they have a really glossy formula and if you like a glossy lipstick, then this definitely will tick the boxes for you. I have two of the twelve available shades which are Desert and Vineyard. Vineyard is an amazing berry shade whereas Desert is a pink nude. The lipstick itself is slanted making it easy to apply once it has been twisted up out of its stick and whilst they last a good few hours and need re-applying a few times a day, I am more than happy to do just that because I really like the formula.

The final product in my stash is the Revlon Photoready Insta blush in shade Berry Kiss £9.99. Described as follows:

Our sheer, blendable blush is mistake-proof. The luxurious, cream-to-powder formula creates a naturally flushed, beautiful kiss of color. Use on the apples of cheeks for the perfect finishing touch to a contoured or highlighted look— Anytime, Anywhere.

The Revlon PhotoReady Insta Blush Sticks are available in two shades Berry Kiss and Rose Gold Kiss. I have the shade Berry Kiss which is a beautiful berry shade and I am not usallu a fan of blushes and cream blushers wouldn't usually be my first choice, but I really love how easy this one is to use, you simply swipe it across the cheeses and then blend, again really easy to do, even with your fingertips.

Then with the swatches from Left to right we start with the HD Gel Lipsticks, Insta Fix highlighter stick, The PhotoReady Insta Blush Stick and finally the HD Matte liquid Lipstick. 

Again, Revlon had been off my radar for such a long time that this was a nice re-introduction to the brand and I absolutely adore the Gel Lipsticks and have already purchased another one from the range! If any of these grab your attention, if you are quick, Superdrug have Revlon on a 3 for 2 deal!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Inika Cosmetics - Gift with Purchase During September

Inika Cosmetics is an organic make-up brand which has won over 35 cosmetic awards and is a certified organic, vegan, halal, and cruelty-free brand.
This September, Inika is offering a complimentary Puff Pot Mineral Blusher with any Mineral Powder Foundation purchase.

It will come as no surprise that Inika use only the highest quality, natural and safe ingredients which are free of petrochemicals, synthetic substances, mineral oils, parabens, ingredients of animal origin and talc to name just a few from an impressive list which you can find here. INIKA uses the finest Australian botanicals and pure minerals to produce makeup that cares for your skin as well as performing brilliantly. INIKA ingredients feed the skin in a soothing manner, whilst being beneficial.

The Mineral Foundation Powder with SPF15 is available in 8 different shades and it works as a foundation, concealer and powder, all in one. INIKA foundations can be built up to offer amazing coverage which is especially great for those of us wanting to hide skin conditions such as acne, scarring, rosacea or pigmentation. As it contains no cheap fillers or harsh chemicals INIKA foundations won’t clog your pores or irritate your skin, making it perfect for anyone with sensitive skin.

I like this foundation powder quite a lot.  It is light on the skin but covers my imperfections, it is multi-use so I can if desired just carry this one powder around with me and it is buildable, so if you prefer a much heavier coverage than I do, then it will work really well.  The pot is also lightweight and you can, if desired, use your own make-up puff pad and store it within the lid.

The Mineral Blusher Puff Pot is available in two shades, Rosy Glow and Pink Punch and is designed to give you a warm, luscious healthy glow. As with the Mineral Foundation there are no nasty fillers, no parabens and no talc. 

This blusher pot comes with its very own puff pad to make the application easy and perfect for on the go, to use all you need to do is turn the pot upside down, tap on the bottom and the blusher appears in the puff pad, how clever!. Not only that, but the lid also houses a super handy mirror and it is really easy to apply and the colour is much more pigmented than I ever thought it would be, so you only need a small amount at any one time.

Inika products are widely available in stores such as Wholefoods, Lloyds Pharmacies, Planet Organic and online.  Together these products have a value of £46.50 so if you are wanting to try something new, cruelty free and get yourself a bargain, look out for this offer throughout the whole of September.

Have you tried Inika Cosmetics before?

NARS Sin Blusher

I only own one product from NARS, yes I know, but it is this amazing blush called Sin* and it is one I mentioned very briefly on my blog once.  I know NARS is an extremely popular brand with many bloggers and it is one I really have a long list of 'want to try' items.

When given the chance by Cosme-de to choose some items from their website, I chose Sin because it isn't the kind of product I would usually opt for, I would usually want to try light pinks and neutrals and Sin is not one of those at all.

As you can see, the packaging is very much what you expect it to be from NARS, with the sleek and luxurious black casing to keep the blush securely in is place and with the added inclusion of a mirror, one which is a decent size, it is a handy little compact to have. 

I know that NARS blushes are known for being very pigmented and that some are very OTT with the glitter which has always put me off wanting to pick one up, the thought I might end up looking like Edward Cullen as he shows Bella what he looks like in the daylight, is alittle too much for me.  Sin, on the otherhand whilst being very pigmented, is a stunning berry shade which has a slight gold shimmer to it.  When it arrived, I thoought I had made a huge mistake, especially as I have such pale skin, but it actually works really well, because the golden shimmer adds a bit of warmth to the colour to leave it looking less plum and quite similar to Orgasm, just a tad darker. As for the glitter, well thankfully it isn't over the top and it is an absolute delight to apply using my Real Techniques Blush Brush. Once it has been applied, what really does it for me is the lastability, it lasts all day, doesn't need a touch up or re-applying, it is a good solid 8-9 hours.

 

As a first NARS product, I am a big fan of this and it has definitely made me more determind to get my hands on more products from the range. The blushers are a lot more expensive than your Highstreet versions at around £20, though if you shop around, you can often find them much better priced, especially on sites like  Cosme-de.com who have amazing offers on all the time and are really quick to deliver to you.

Have you tried this blush? What did you think of it?

Maybelline Baby Skin

When I saw the new Maybelline Baby Skin primer in Boots a few months ago, I decided to bit the bullet and buy it.  I hadn't seen that many reviews on it and am almost out of Porefessional, so was hoping this would be the perfect dupe.

What they say:

"Maybelline Baby Skin provides a matte finish and leaves the skin fresh, soft and protected. The gel texture in Baby Skin instantly helps to vanish pores and makes the skin feel light. It avoids a shine on the skin and makes the skin feel soft".

So there is a bit of a claim there to instantly erase pores and leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. Well for me it does reduce the look of my pores every so slightly, but doesn't completely get rid of them completely, though if I am honest I really wasn't expecting it too. Obviously it will depend on how big or small your pores are in the first instance and I don't believe anything really helps make them vanish, just help to conceal them. I do, however, feel it lives up the second part of its claim in that it avoids shine on the skin and makes the skin feel soft to the touch.

The texture, which is most definitely gel-like, is really easy to apply and I use my fingers to apply it all over my face (obviously before any make-up) and for me this is where it is great value for money because once applied, it helps keep my make-up in place all day, which for me is around 6-7 hours and I didn't feel the need to have to re-apply everything before going out in an evening, the only thing I touched up my lipstick and blusher which is something I do anyway.

For me this is a great high street primer and whilst I accept it is not as good as Porefessional, it does do a good job and given the difference in price, I would verge towards Maybelline because it does what I want it too and I am saving over £15 and both products are the same size at 22ml.

Have you tried Maybelline Baby Primer?  Do you like it?

Bellapierre cosmetics

Bellapierre cosmetics is a mineral brand of make-up and I don’t know about everyone else but it seems Mineral based cosmetics are the upcoming thing to try and to use.  I was recently sent a lovely gift package of products to try and I have no previous experience with any of them nor the brand itself, so it was something I was really looking forward to and something I have really enjoyed.

Here is a very brief introduction to Bellapierre cosmetics and you can read more about them and their products HERE:

So In my lovely gift bag, which in itself is stunning, I find myself with:

• HD Makeup Primer
• 5 eye shadow palette
• Compact Mineral Foundation in Ultra and it has a 15 SPF
• Compact Mineral Blush in Desert Rose
• Compact Mineral Blush in Peony
• Three make-up brushes - an angled blusher brush, a foundation brush and an eye-shadow brush

The HD make-up primer comes in a beautiful jar, is paraben free and it has been developed to treat dryness, fine lines, excess oil,enlarged pores and is suitable for all skin types.  When you apply it to your face it simply glides on and makes your skin feel really lovely and smooth to touch and it is really easy to apply.  All you need is a small amount of primer on your fingertips and then you gently rub it into the skin paying particular attention to your T zone, fine lines and wrinkles. Then simply wait for 1 – 3 minutes before applying your foundation.

The Bellapierre 5-in-1 mineral foundation has the same properties as concealer, SPF, finishing powder and setting powder, so you no longer need a different product for each job; this does it all.  It comes in 10 different shades and I have got the lightest shade there is because I am quite pale skinned. It suits my skin perfectly and on the Bellapierre website is that you can look at all of the shades and choose the one that closely fits your own skin tone.

When it comes to using this foundation, the use of the brush is brilliant, you only need the smallest amount of powder  and as you apply to your face using circular movements of the brush you get a really great coverage, so much better than some of the high street brands that I have tried in the past.

The compact mineral blush in Desert Rose is talc free and it comes in this really pretty compact case with a mirror and a puff.  I love the fact it has a push button to open the compact and that the puff has its own little compartment.  The colour itself is simply stunning, it gives such a lovely colour to your face and it doesn’t fade at all through the day, it remains on your face as though you have just applied it.  Application is really simple and straight forward too, using the angled brush, you swirl it into the compact to collect the blusher and apply it to your cheeks and t-zone as you would do with any other blusher you might have and use.  This blusher is available in four different shades.

The body and face bronzer comes in the same compact to the blusher, again with a mirror and a puff.  It also contains Jojoba which in itself helps to soften and soothe the skin.  Again using the angled brush you complete the exact same actions with this product as you did with the blusher and you apply a small amount of the bronzer powder onto your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. This product is also available in four different shades.

The 5 eye shadow palette is really something special, I love the palette and all of the colours, it is a sleek design which fits so easy into my make-up bag, it combines a mirror and application brush.  As you can see from the photo, there are 5 different shades in this palette and they are:

• 001 Snow Flake, 
• 003 Champagne, 
• 009 Bronze: Go Natural
• 008 Lava, 
• 055 Diligence

All of these shades are stunning as you can see from the swatches and they really pick up the light when you are wearing them.  There are a further five palettes in this range.

The applicator brush is really easy to use, though I only tend to use it to touch up my eye make-up rather than carry the eye brush around with me which came as part of this gift set.  The description given of these brushes is as follows:

Bellapierre Professional makeup brushes are essential for flawless makeup application! Whether you use pressed or loose mineral makeup, we have an extensive collection of professional quality brushes to choose from! We have a variety of different types of makeup brushes for all different types of makeup applications, such as for blush, concealer, powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, and other brush sets with multiple brushes. Quality brushes allow you to apply your makeup easier, faster, and also make the experience more comfortable since they are made in specific shapes and sizes for whatever job is at hand.

Bellapierre have their own make-up brush and accessory range and I absolutely love the three that I have.  The foundation brush which is housed inside a plastic holder is made from 100% Natural hair and is a tapered brush head making it ideal for applying foundation to the nose and eye area.  As you can see the black handle really does add a nice finish to this brush and its rounded shape makes it very easy to grip onto.

The angled Blush Brush which again is a similar style and made from 100% natural hair,is great for contouring and all over cheek application.

The final product is the eye shadow brush which is brilliant, it makes applying eye make-up a simple and easy process.  As with the other two brushes, it is made from natural hair which creates a silky soft tapered brush head.

Finally, if you do go look on the official website, one of the best sections is the Tips and Advice section which you can see HERE the smoky eye part is exceptionally helpful!

Have you ever tried anything from this range? 

What do you think to it?

April Glossybox - Spring Fever

So I have just taken delivery of the much anticipated April Glossybox, which we all know has been designed by Pearl Lowe and her love of all things floral.  Before getting to the contents of my box, I have to say that I really do love the design on the box, it is so pretty and this is one box that I am definitely going to be using for other things:

So here you have the very pretty box, one of the prettiest ones I have seen from Glossy box.  Now for the content:

Opening the box, I kind of hoped that the ribbon would have matched the peach colour of the outer box, but never mind, it is still nicely wrapped and once inside, my Postie has clearly been bouncing the box around because the contents were all over the place.  However, once I sorted them out, this is what I found:

Nip+Fab dry skin fix body butter in mango

I've have never used any product from Nip+Fab so I am chuffed that I have one in my Glossy Box to try.  It is described as being an indulgent, whipped body butter to repair dry and dehydrated skin with aquaxyl – a 24 hour moisture boosting ingredient.

A full sized sample of this product is £9.95 for 200ml so this size is worth around £2.50

Essie Nail Polish in Canyon Coral

I have fallen a little bit in love with Essie Nail Polishes at the minute and from previous posts you might have seen my haul HERE and HERE.

This polish is a full sized sample retailing at £7.99 and it is a really lovely bright almost reddish colour, so cannot wait to try that.

Sleek Blusher – Suede

This is another full sized product retailing at £4.49 and I got Suede for my shade, I have seen other boxes with Flushed and Pixie Pink and in mine is this lovely natural looking colour.  I am yet to catch onto the Sleek loving, so maybe this will hook me in.

As an added bonus to Glossybox subscribers there is a 20% off offer on purchases – expires on 13^th May

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple

Again, perfumes have been on my radar quite a bit recently as you can see HERE and HERE. I am a huge fan of perfumes and I quite like getting decent sized samples.  This one is a 5ml sample which I guess is worth around £5 and It is described as being an ‘intoxicating and magnetic fragrance’.

I havent been able to resist smelling it and I really quite like it, quite fruity though when you first put it onto your skin it is a really strong scent and it takes a while to settle.

A full size bottle of 50ml will cost you  £44 and once again this product comes with an offering of £5 any order over £35 plus free postage, on any product from Yves Rocher.

Sunsense Daily Face SPF

This cream, which is described as being a light, soft cream tinted with a sheer matte finish and has an SPF of 50 which is quite impressive and it is an oil-free formula making it ideal for most skin types, even my own combination/oily. 

This is a full sized sample and is worth £18.50 for the 75ml and also has an offer of 25% off your next purchase, ending 31^st June (I am sure they mean 30^th June however).

I must also remember that included as normal is the Glossy Magazine:

And inside the magazine is an intrview with Pearl Lowe herself by Kate Cornell and an introductory message from Pearl herself on the love of all things vintage and floral.  Inside the magazine is more information on each of the products included within the box, which opens up to be almost A3 in size.

So there you have it, my Glossybox, one that I am really chuffed with this month.  What are your thoughts?