New: Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer

This is one of those products that really works but I'm still not particularly keen on it. I picked up the shade Celestial thinking it was one of the more subtle of the 8 colours available and expected it to look like a richly pigmented gloss but it actually goes on like paint. Not necessarily a bad thing but I just wanted to mention it so you know what to expect if you haven't tried these yet! 

It's intense, almost opaque on the lips and a tiny amount is enough to give complete coverage. Kinda seems like a blend of lipstick, gloss and stain as it's very pigmented, glossy and leaves a hint of colour on the lips even when the shiny finish has worn off

This is definitely not the kind of product that you can apply on the go as the colour is so strong the slightest mistake is really obvious. Probably not a good choice if you aren't great at colouring inside the lines! Thankfully the wand is well designed and tapers to a relatively fine point which makes it easier to get a precise, neat finish. And it sorta rules how you can use one this little product but look like you've spent an age lining your lips then applying a separate lipstick and gloss.

Unlike a lot of stains this transfers really easily - a combination of long hair and wind left me with some pink smears on my chin, not the most attractive makeup look I've come up with :)

The smell is pretty unpleasant and makes me think of chemicals and plastic but thankfully it doesn’t last long once this has been applied (either that or I just get used to it and don't notice after a while)

As someone who considers a simple lip liner and lipstick fairly high maintenance I can't see me wearing this often - I'll probably start an evening out wearing it but as soon as it's worn off I'll be too lazy to reapply and will revert back to good old lip butters or a Natural Collection lip gloss but if you're somone who likes to make a feature of your lips and are happy to reapply then this is pretty much guaranteed to get a few compliments

Other stuff :

Shades available : 8
Price : On offer in Boots for £4.99 but normal price is £5.99
Would I buy it again? : Nope, doubt I'll ever finish the tube I have

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

Good evening all :) Hope you're having an awesome week so far. I finished work at 12.30pm today and have spent the entire afternoon watching Bake with Anna Olson (I've never seen someone make such complicated pastry dishes look so simple!) and drinking tea; but it's been raining heavily pretty much all day so that's my excuse

Been meaning to do a post on the Urban Decay 24/7 liners for ages so now seems as good a time as any!

I love using colourful liners cos it's such an easy way to brighten up even the most simple eye look. I'll sometimes apply a fine layer of a nude shadow all over my lid and then finish it off with a really eye catching eye pencil or gel liner; a lovely look that takes no more than 2 minutes

At the minute I have 4 colourful shades and 3 of the black pencils but there are about a dozen colours available including an unbelievably gorgeous gold. It's so gorgeous, in fact, that I've gotten through 2 of them and haven't got round to buying a new one yet :)

One of my favourite things about these pencils is that the packaging doesn't lie - the colour you get matches the packaging exactly and these could genuinely be worn for a full 24 hours with no smudging or fading. Also, the texture is soft and creamy, almost a gel liner consistency, so you can draw the line without pulling or pressing too hard

From left to right : Woodstock, Ransom, Radium, Junkie and Perversion

Once a line has been drawn you get about 30 seconds play time before these set, at this point they'll be stuck fast and wont move till you get at them with some decent eye makeup remover

The only thing that I find slightly annoying about these is that the softer texture makes them more difficult to sharpen, I usually leave them till they're really blunt as I'm happy with a thicker line but if you like a super fine line and had to sharpen these all the time they probably wouldn't last too long!

My favourite Argan Oil hair product

I guess I should start with a brief description of my hair so you can see how this works for me and if it might be suitable for you. My hair is a nightmare. I'm letting it grow and it's currently just below my shoulder blades; It’s fine, flyaway, dry and prone to frizziness. I'm allergic to hair dye, which is probably for the best because I reckon dying it frequently might turn it from hair-that’s-not-in-top-condition into actual straw :)

Because I wash my hair most days I'll usually opt for a nourishing or hydrating shampoo/conditioner and then something that will (hopefully) control the frizz and help protect against split ends. Like a lot of people my first experience of a hair serum was John Fridas Frizz Ease and I still like it but it's a little heavy and doesn't actually improve the condition of my hair over time

With the sudden surge in Argan Oil products a few years ago I've been slightly obsessed with finding ones that really work. My mum, sister and I went to Morrocco last year and I was ridiculously excited about buying actual Argan Oil from actual Morrocco! It turned out to be a complete let down, it would seem that Argan Oil isn't half as good used neat as when used in a mixture of other hair-fixing ingredients.

For Christmas my sister got me the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, conditioner and serum and I absolutely loved them from the first use. The shampoo and conditioner get 8 outta 10 and that’s pretty much all I'm gonna say about them in this post as I want it to be solely about the serum which is a definite 10/10. I have to stress how little of this needs to be used for superb results - I have a tendency to think more is more when it comes to certain beauty products but any more than a pea-sized amount of this will leave my hair greasy. It's a 100ml bottle and I've used it at least 4 times a week since Christmas but there is still loads left so it's seriously economical

When it comes to brushing my hair after a shower Organix Argan Oil and a Tangle Teezer are an absolute must because it ensures my hair breaks as little as possible and gets rid of any tangles straight away. The serum ensures that when I blowdry my hair its smooth, silky and easier to manage - So much so that I think the reduced amount of time dragging a brush through it and straightening it into submission has left it healthier than it has been in ages!

I find this works best if I rub a pea-sized amount between my hands, apply it evenly to damp hair starting at the ends and then I work my way up so there's almost nothing left on my hands by the time I get to the roots. This way the ends are well coated and there's no risk of the roots looking greasy and flat when it's dry. The smell is light and inoffensive so there's little chance of it interfering with any perfumes or lotions I'm wearing.

Being a bit of a product junkie I will still be trying out other hair serums and oils cos the grass is always greener n all that but Boots have these in a 3 for 2 offer at the min and they're only £6.99 each. I think I'll have to pick up a few as 18 months worth of hair treatment for £14 is just too good to pass up!

3 of my most used eye palettes

The only product from the Accessorize line that I've ever bought and disliked was a lipstick, every other item has totally surpassed my expectations and best of all are the eyeshadows. Whether I'm using the singles, duos, trios or palettes I'm always impressed by the quality as they're better than a lot of premium shadows that I've paid 5 times as much for!

The 3 palettes below are probably more used than any others in my collection - including the NYX, Urban Decay and Stila ones - because there's such an array of colours I can create pretty much any look without digging through and looking for other shades that'll compliment the ones in the palettes.

Lovely Day - great selection of wearable shades and you can see how each vertical column of colours is like a little mini quad of complimentary shades that would create a full eye look - very nice touch I think!

They've become a bit of an everyday essential because no matter how early I get up I always end up rushing around like a headless chicken, (I have been known to brush my teeth, put my socks on and make tea all at once) leaving less time than I actually need to do my makeup. This morning was a perfect example as I wasn't due to leave the house until 7.30am so got up at 6am and still only had about 10 minutes to throw some cosmetics at my face and hope it turned out ok. Thanks to the blendability of the shadows in the Lovely Day palette I actually looked alright and not at all like I'd applied the shades whilst on a moving train (as would be the finished result with lesser quality shadows!)

 Exposed - a mix of neural shades 1/3 matte and 2/3 satin/shimmer

I reckon this is one of the most underrated brands on the highstreet. The shadows are fantastically pigmented; when you apply the the colours they are pretty much identical to what you see in the pan, even without a primer. They blend easily and are a great consistency - not crumbly enough to disintegrate when you dip your brush into them but not dense and compacted enough to mean you have to dig a hole in them and keep going back for more to build up any colour.

You Are Everything - Full of gorgeously vibrant colours that look as good on as they do in the pan

As a huge fan of highstreet shadow palettes I'm always on the lookout for something new to try but no matter what I get my hands on I always come back to these! 

Other stuff :

Availability : Sold in superdrug stores and online
Price : £8.95 for 32 colours (I know, right?!)

New L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash

   

I'm ridiculously fussy when it comes to lip products; they're always too glossy, greasy, thick, drying or just an overall disappointment but I've always been a huge fan of the Color Riche lipsticks so figured I'd give L'Oreals new gloss/stain a try. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice this is…

The packaging is super cute and different from all the other glosses available at the min so top marks there. The Applicator is a tear drop shape (same as the Glam Shine ones if you've tried those) and makes for fairly precise application as the point of the applicator can be used to line the lips with the product and the wider part of it is plenty big for filling the lips in quickly.

I really like the smell cos its so sweet and yummy it makes me wanna just lick this off the minute I apply it... Probably not a good thing for anyone who doesn't like scented products though!

As a general rule I'll always go for a natural pretty pink shade if I'm buying a new lip product. I know it's really safe and dull but it means I'm (almost) guaranteed to like the colour even if the actual products turns out to be a bit naff. This was no exception - I opted for Romy which is one of the most subtle and wearable colours of the 8 shades available.

First time I wore this was to work on an 8-4 shift. I applied the gloss at about 7am and it felt fairly nice; a very thin layer gave a subtle colour to the lips and it was surprisingly shiny without looking thick and tacky (my pet peeve when it comes to lip gloss) After about half an hour the texture became slightly sticky, though not uncomfortably so. I had a cup of tea and a few grapes at about 9am and after that my lips started to feel pretty dry. I assumed they would look cracked and "patchy" but when I looked in the mirror they were actually still shiny and moist looking - surprising considering it felt as if the gloss effect had worn off!

I've worn this every day since and I just like it more n more so I'm gonna pick up a few more shades

The stain remains on the lips for hours but it would need to be topped up with another coat or a lip balm as it definitely feels dry and tight after a while. This reminds me a little of the old 2 step long lasting lip glosses where you'd paint the colour on and then use the clear balm throughout the day to keep your lips from feeling like dry, cracked clay (which they always did in the end) But this is far more comfortable and definitely in my list of top long-wearing glosses! ♥

Revlon does it again - Nearly Naked foundation/powder

Good evening all, hope you've had an awesome weekend :) The weather here in Belfast was ridiculously lovely today - really crisp, bright and sunny - it's got me all excited about Spring!

I've been looking forward to doing a post on the new(ish) Revlon Nearly Naked foundation because I absolutely love it!...

Initially the name put me off trying this because my skin is far from perfect so I usually opt for a medium or full coverage foundation and I figured this would be more of a tinted moisturiser but I'm happy to admit that I was completely wrong. I find the coverage to be medium and definitely not as light as I was expecting - it evens out my skin tone whilst looking totally natural and although it doesn't do a good job hiding any spots or dark circles that's what my awesome Revlon Photoready concealer is for :)

The texture is amazing because it's creamy and light as air so actually feels more like a moisturiser than a foundation. It's very similar to Healthy Mix by Bourjois which is a long-time  favourite of mine so if you like that then chances are pretty good that you'll like this

One of my main concerns about light textured foundations is that they'll wear off after a couple of hours and I'll be left with practically no coverage or, even worse,  horrible faded patches on my face! Every time I've worn this I've finished off with the Nearly Naked powder and it looks fab for about 6 hours, at which point I'll usually add another dusting of powder to my t-zone as it tends to get a bit shiny throughout the day

As for the Nearly Naked powder... It's nice but not exceptionally so. The texture is very fine and light so it's great if you want something that's buildable but still natural and non-chalky. It definitely adds a little extra coverage when dusted over the foundation and it's handy to carry around in your bag because it comes with a mirror and puff applicator. These days I think almost every drugstore brand has at least one or two great powders in their range so if you already have a powder you love I wouldn't suggest buying this just to go with the foundation because it's nothing to write home about

Hope this was helpful if you're thinking about trying this. If you've already got it let me know what you think! ♥

Other stuff : 

Size : Foundation - 30mls, powder - just over 8g
Shades available : Foundation - 16, powder - 6 
Price : Foundation - £8.99, powder - £7.99

NYX Pore Filler

Evening all :) So I was just thinking back to when I was a teenager and the only makeup I wore was a dusting of Rimmels Clear Complexion powder and a dab of lip balm... Perhaps a gloss when I was going all out. How things have changed!

I don't exactly cake it on with a trowel or anything but I've definitely noticed more n more steps being added to my routine over the years, it doesn't seem that long ago that I first learned about things like primers and highlighters

For me to consider adding yet another product to my "steps that can't be missed" list it has to be pretty fantastic  The NYX Pore Filler was one of those spare of the moment online buys; I was won over by the claim on the tube which says "magical agent that minimizes the look of pores to create a smooth, porcelain doll-like finish to your face" So, yeah, my expectations were pretty high!

First things first; the texture is a cross between a cream and a liquid and is unbelievably silky but it's super thin so doesn't feel heavy and uncomfortable on my face (a problem I've found with a lot of other silicone based products) It really evens out the surface of my skin and does a great job of filling in any obvious pores so they appear to shrink even before I've applied my foundation. Generally they're small and well behaved but sometimes the pores on my cheeks and nose seem large enough to be used as storage when I'm only carrying a tiny clutch bag and although this doesn't get rid of them entirely it makes a gigantic difference

There is a very light tint to the cream but this barely shows up, even on my ghostly pale skin. I've found my makeup looks fab when applied over this but it doesn't work in the same way as a primer because it doesn't seem to actually extend the wear of my foundation at all. Hardly a major issue considering that's not what it was designed for but it'd be a lovely little bonus!

Here in Belfast I haven't found any stores that actually stock NYX products so I get most of mine from Amazon, though the majority of places online seem to be selling this for about a tenner. I reckon that's good for 20mls cos I only use the teensiest amount and I can see this lasting me months

Right, I'm off to make some brinner, hope you have a great weekend ♥