NOTW | Pastels and Gold

Good morning lovelies :) With Spring in full bloom, I have finally got the chance to wear pastel nail polish again. I went for some subtle sponging nail art on my ring fingers and I feel this manicure has a vintage feel to it. Read on to see how it easy it is to re-create!

 

 

1. Prep nails with a base coat and allow to dry.

 

2. Start painting your nails in the colour palette of your choice. I have used E.L.F. Lilac on my pinky and index, Essence Colour & Go 110 Modern Romance on my middle, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 300 White On on my ring fingers and China Glaze Midnight Kiss on my thumbs. Allow to dry completely and follow with a second coat.

 

3. Apply a little gold nail polish on a makeup sponge and gently dab it on the ring fingers. Repeat for as many times as you like to obtain the opacity you want. Repeat this step with the lilac and peach polishes in random places on the nail. The aim is to merge the colours together yet each of them would still be distinguished.

 

4. Once dry, apply a top coat to preserve your design.

 

P.S. I have submitted this manicure as part of a blog contest on the Julep website. Julep is a beauty company, well known for their nail polishes which I have heard a great deal of good things about. Too bad they don't deliver to Malta :( Anyway, if you are interested in checking out their selection, you can do so through this link here: http://www.julep.com/shop/nail-polish.html

Review | E.L.F. Studio Tapered Brush

A few months ago I placed an order on the E.L.F. cosmetics website...something I didn't do in ages but they had some new stuff I wanted to try out, amongst which is this new addition to their Studio line brushes, the Small Tapered Brush.

Packaging is the same as for all the other Studio line brushes...a plastic sleeve with a card including product information and a plastic brush guard is also included. The brush itself is all black and I think it looks much more expensive than the €4.51 I paid for it.

 

 

The bristles are made out of Taklon which E.L.F. claim to be antibacterial and they feel really soft against the skin. Their tapered shape and overall size of the brush make it ideal for contouring and I'm glad I finally found a brush that fits the hollows of my cheeks perfectly.

 

 

I also like to use this brush to set under-eye concealer with translucent powder. Due to it being so small, I wouldn't recommend using this brush to apply liquid foundation and I personally prefer to keep it for use with powder products but mostly for contouring. 

I have washed this brush multiple times and till now it has not shed a hair and the ferrule feels quite sturdy so all in all I think this is a very good addition to any brush collection.

You can get the E.L.F. Studio Small Tapered Brush from the E.L.F. Cosmetics website and right now they have a 50% off and Free Shipping promotion going on if you feel like treating yourself!

Review | E.L.F. Essential Glitter Primer

Glitter is a girl's best friend especially during party season but we all know it can be a little messy to apply and stay where it is meant to without ending up all over the place. The solution? A glitter primer of course!

In my last E.L.F. Cosmetics haul, I got a tube of their new Glitter Primer as party season was approaching and I knew I would definitely wear glitter eyeshadows. As expected, I have used this primer countless times during December and now I am able to share my thoughts with you.

 

So, packaging is quite plain and consists of a frosty plastic tube with a silver screw cap and it comes in a blister type of pack. The primer comes out of a small hole in the slant shaped tip of the tube and has a very thick consistency compared to the usual eye primers. Despite the thick consistency, the primer feels very light on the delicate eye area and it is also infused with Shea Butter and Jojoba to nourish the skin in this sensitive area of the face. Although the primer is white in colour, it dries to a transparent finish.
 

 

 

A little goes a long way with this product and I have to admit the consistency feels like a tacky glue while drying. It takes time to dry so you can easily pack on the glitter but once dry, everything will stay put! Worthy to note is the fact that the glitter eyeshadow will not crease.

 

Removal is pretty easy; all it takes is just a cotton disc soaked in waterproof makeup remover and that should do the trick. I haven't experienced any irritation in my eye area when using this product and I think it does an amazingly good job. In fact, I dare say it is a very good budget alternative to the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue!

 

E.L.F. Glitter Primer retails for £2.50 from the E.L.F. Cosmetics website.

Monthly Favourites | November

This month I have finally managed to re-organize my wardrobe to reflect the sudden change in seasons and while I was at it, I even re-organized my makeup stash and consequently, I have re-discovered some old favourites. Here's what I was constantly reaching for this past month! 

 

I can finally wear deep berry shades on my lips again and I have found a new combination of products which I thoroughly enjoyed wearing. Enter Liptini Lip Liqueur in Pink Lady and Marks and Spencer Limited Collection Lipgloss in Wine. They give me an intense berry lip that lasts for hours on end and doesn't dry out my lips.
 

I also enjoyed wearing Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in 020 Wood of Roses for a more subtle take on the berry lip as well as E.L.F. Studio Glossy Gloss in Berry Blush for that natural, subtle lip.

 

To sport dark lips, it is essential to have your smackers in tip top condition. I kept mine smooth all month long thanks to E.L.F. Studio Lip Exfoliator and Cicaplast Levres from La Roche Posay which is a new discovery for me and I'm so glad I got to test out the product. You can read my full review here.
 

 

Also from La Roche Posay's Cicaplast range, is this barrier repairing hand cream that worked a treat for my hands especially while at work since I am constantly wearing gloves and rubbing my hands with alcohol. It is absorbed really quickly so I could go on with my work and it moisturises my skin thoroughly while repairing the more needy areas. Read the full review post here.

 

The Sleek Vintage Romance palette has been my go-to eyeshadow palette this month. All shadows are insanely pigmented and I am in love with their names and packaging. Watch out for the full review coming up soon!

My last favourite for this month is actually another new discovery, the E.L.F. Studio Small Tapered Brush. With its slant cut and tapered point, it is excellent for contouring and highlighting and the bristles are oh so soft! A steal at just £3.75 and I totally recommend you get it!

Which products did you favour most during November?

Makeup Haul | Essence, E.L.F. & Sleek

Good afternoon everyone :) Today I have a makeup haul for you guys featuring products from three budget friendly brands, Essence, E.L.F. and Sleek. I was waiting till I received the E.L.F. package to do this haul and since I got it over the weekend, I thought I'd share the haul today so maybe you find something you like or want to try out and beat the Monday blues, the online retail therapy way ;)

 

I am going to start with what is probably my favourite purchase from this haul, the Sleek Vintage Romance Collection! I was reading Nina's post and as soon as I saw the swatches, I knew I had to get this palette and blush to go with it! I know Sleek Makeup produce wonderful i-Divine palettes and I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed with this one. The packaged arrived a mere two days after I received the dispatch email and both products were in excellent condition. My only 'disappointment' is that I would have liked the palette to come in the same box as the blush not the usual packaging for the rest of the i-divine palettes.

 

I will review both products in a separate post but here is a rundown of what I think about the palette as I haven't used the blush yet. The palette costs €9.99 (very good value for money) and features 12 beautiful autumn appropriate shades. I have already used some of them and their staying power is amazing! They are all shimmery/glittery with the exception of Propose in Prague and I think this palette will make a very good gift for every occasion but especially now that party season will soon be upon us. The blush is also a good value for money find at €5.49 for 8g of product and I think it will suit all skin tones. It has a ton of shimmer in it so steer clear if you don't like shimmery blushes.

 

Next up is my E.L.F. 50% off haul package. I took the opportunity to try out some new products from E.L.F. while they were having a 50% off code running and I got the following items to try. This time, the order took well over a week to arrive and to be honest I was getting a little worried but now it's here and everything came in one whole piece :)

I have only used the Studio Small Tapered Brush (£3.75) and I can confirm it is excellent for contouring and highlighting! I'm so glad I finally got it!

The Glitter Primer (£2.50 full price) is good to have on hand come Christmas to avoid any glitter eyeshadow fallout. I will have to get back to you on its performance though because I haven't used it yet. Speaking of glitter, I also got two Glitter Mascaras in Silver and Gold (£2.50 each full price) to complement my party looks and I must admit I was drawn to buying these because of their unusual applicator, but more on that in a separate review.
 

As for the Studio Glossy Gloss (£3.38) and Mineral Eyeshadows (£3.00) I already have other variations of each and I expect them to be as good as them. The shades I got are Ballet Slippers for the gloss and Golden and Celebrity for eyeshadows.

Moving on, I have a some new products from Essence!!  I have finally had to chance to get to OVS at Pavi Shopping Complex in Qormi to see the new back-to-back stand that has been installed a few weeks ago. I was keeping my fingers crossed that the stand would be full and luckily, my prayers were answered!!!! There was Daniela from PharmaMT stocking up the stand! I was in makeup heaven and I couldn't contain my excitement! Check out Dyna's post over here to see what the new stand is all about!

Half of the stand is almost entirely dedicated to nail art and the newest products from the brand while the other half houses some more new products and the older products. Here is what I got (I still have to go some other time to get some more products though ;)

These are all the nail related stuff I got, namely:

Colour & Go 154 Pink & Proud - lilac/pink foil (€1.70)
Colour & Go 163 Hey, Nude! - different sized silver glitter in a sheer pink base. Dries to a textured finish, the brand markets as Sparkle Sand Effect (€1.70)
Nail Art Twins Reloaded Glitter Topper 01 Bella - a mix of holographic silver and purple glitter and navy blue square glitter in a clear base (€1.60)
Colour & Go 165 Here's My Number - different sized holographic silver glitter in a dark grey base (€1.70)
Colour & Go 102 Sparkling Water Lily - iridescent sheer white (€1.70)

Freestyle & Tip Painter 14 Glitter Crush - predominantly pink glitter mixed with multi-coloured glitter in a clear base (€1.60)
Freestyle & Tip Painter 13 Marry Berry - dark purple glitter with gold reflects in a dark purple base (€1.60)

Moving on, these are the products I am most excited about and the ones I wanted to try as soon as I learnt of their launch! First up are the Stay Matt Lip Creams and I got two out of the four available shades, namely 01 Velvet Rose and 02 Smooth Berry. The nude one was a little too dark for me while I already have a similar shade to the red from the Guerilla Gardening Trend Edition. I paid €2.10 for each of them.

I also bought two of the new Long Lasting Lipsticks and I have to say I am impressed with the pigmentation and the quality of the packaging over the other lipsticks they have in their permanent line. These cost €2.30 and I got shades 04 On The Catwalk! and 07 Natural Beauty.

To finish off, I got myself a backup of the 2-in-1 Profi File which costs €2 and I also paid a mere €1.40 for the Colour Arts Multitasker which is basically a silicon applicator for glitters and pigments.

I have also received the backup for Wet 'n' Wild Brulee last week and I figured I can feature it in this makeup haul post as well :) If I'm not mistaken, this cost me a little over €5.

That's it for this makeup haul ladies :) Any products you want swatches/reviews of?
 

Best Of 2012: Face

For the penultimate post in this series, I will show you what my favourite face products have been throughout the year, starting with Catrice Ultimate Moisture Fresh Skin Make-up in 010 Light Beige*. Whenever I need a little extra coverage during the day, I opt for this foundation which has a light and very natural coverage. The colour is an exact match to my skin-tone and stays put all day. 

Another face product that I use everyday is E.L.F. Studio Translucent Mattifying Powder which I use both alone and to set foundation and the result is excellent each time! I cannot not mention my all time favourite concealer from Essence which is the Stay Natural Concealer in 01 Soft Beige. It conceals zits and dark circles beautifully even though it offers light coverage...perfect for both day and night! To make sure my make-up stays put all throughout the day/night, I have been loving E.L.F. Studio Make-Up Mist & Set* as a fixer.

This year I have become more acquainted with different shades of blush and consequently my favourites are E.L.F. Studio Blush in Candid Coral, Essence Marble Mania Trend Edition Blush in 01 Swirlpool* and Catrice Defining Blush in 060 Rosewood Forest*. They all offer excellent pigmentation and a healthy, flushed look to the cheeks :)

The last face product that will make this list is a recently discovered gem...Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette*. It has three components, a highlight, a blush and a bronzer and I am especially fond of the matte bronzer that is not too dark for me; on the contrary, it is the perfect bronzer! All three components are very pigmented albeit a little powdery.

 

Check back tomorrow for the last instalment in the series, dealing with eye products.

Part 1: Nails

Part 2: Skin Care

Part 3: Lips

Products marked with * were either gifted to me or else sent by the respective companies' PR for review purposes.

Best Of 2012: Lips

Next up in the Best Of 2012 series are lip products. Most of you know that I was in a love-hate relationship with lipsticks and favoured lipgloss more. Well, I am pleased to say that has changed! I am now the proud owner of a beautiful lipstick collection and I can't wait to share my favourites with you! However, I will start with other lip products and save the best for last!

First up are two products that proved to be lip saviours...literally! I forgot to pack a lip balm for my trip to Paris and the first thing on arriving was pop into a pharmacy and I got Bioderma Atoderm Levres. It soothed my lips in an instant and left them feeling smooth and supple. Definitely a repurchase if I can find a Bioderma stockist here. Product number two is E.L.F. Studio Lip Exfoliator, a product I had been waiting for ages to be available on the UK website and I purchased straight away as soon as it was uploaded! I was so glad I bought it and I have been using it every other day to keep my lips smooth and it also improved the staying power of lip products on me.  I will need a replacement soon! I have also been able to try out Essence Kiss Care Love Lip balms* which provide the moisture and care of a regular lip balm with a sheer, pearly tint and I can confirm they work excellently!

My favourite lip liner this year has been Revlon ColorStay Lip Liner in Nude. It matches my lips perfectly and is great for use with any lip colour.  This year I have also discovered lip stains and my favourites have been Liptini Lip Liqueur in 4013 Pink Lady*, and Catrice Liquid Lip Tint in 010 Red My Lips*.

As for lipglosses, my favourites were E.L.F. Studio Glossy Gloss in Berry Blush & Merry Cherry, E.L.F. Studio Glitter Gloss in Sparkling Wine and Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in 020 Wood Of Roses*.

As previously said, I left the best for last! Here are my top lipsticks for 2012! Chanel Rouge Coco in 16 Taffetas Rose, Givenchy Rouge Interdit in 20 Illicit Raspberry*, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Naked Paris, Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipsticks in 030 Ginger & Fred and 190 The Nuder The Better.  All these lipsticks have excellent pigmentation and staying power and I am also very pleased to say that I have found the perfect nude in the latter Catrice lipstick.

Moving on, these lipsticks have sheer to high coverage and although the staying power is not as good as the ones above, they still cut it for my 2012 favourites because of their moisturizing formulas. Here are Catrice Ultimate Lip Glow in One Shade Fits All*, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 206 Nude Pink, Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick (matte) in 107 and Essence Lipsticks in 02 Sparkling Romance, 62 Rockin' Red*.

What were your favourite lip products during the past year?

Part 1: Nails
Part 2: Skin Care

Products marked with * were either gifted to me or sent by the respective companies' PR for review purposes

Monthly Favourites: January 2012

And January is out, so that means that it is time for me to show you the products I have been loving most.  The majority are lip products as I have been experimenting with bold and bright lips alike but I also have some other products so let me get started!

My most favourite product, even though I didn't use it a lot so as not to waste it, is without any doubt my Givenchy Rouge Interdit in Illicit Raspberry. I love everything about this lipstick: the packaging (oh so luxurious), the shade, how long it stays, etc...

Next, up are two new purchases from e.l.f. cosmetics, namely Sociable lipstick from their essential range and the Studio Glitter Gloss in Ruby Raspberry.  I have been enjoying wearing both together because the shades complement each other so well and although I am not a fan of the lipstick packaging, I really love the shade as well as the smell of the lipgloss!

The last lip products, I have, I think you have seen them a million times over over but I just can't seem to put them down! They are Max Factor lipstick in Midnight Plum, M&S lipgloss in Dark Pink, Maybelline Water Shine Lipstick in Beige Glace, e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural and Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm.  I have also rediscovered this Caboodles twist-up lipgloss of which I really like the chocolatey-honey smell!

As far as make-up products and tools go, I have another four new purchases from e.l.f. that I have been liking this month, namely, Studio Translucent Matifying Powder, Contour Brush, Mechanical Eyelash Curler and Cream Eyeliner in Black.

I have also been liking these Joico Shampoo & Conditioner which have greatly improved the moisture levels in my hair without weighing it down.  With regards body products, I have been using this Body Shop Cocoa Butter scrub and this White Peach & Almond Hand Cream from M&S religiously to combat dry skin hand and hands respectively.   I have also been treating my skin to a deep cleanse once a week with this Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser.

So that's it for my monthly favourites ladies! What products were you enjoying during the first month of the year?