Flormar Tropical Splash Limited Edition Collection

Summer is all about bright colours and Flormar is definitely on the right track with the brand's summer collection proposition for 2017 - Tropical Splash.

The collection boasts a vast array of products: 4 nail enamels, 6 lipsticks and 6 matching lip glosses, 8 eyeshadows, a mascara, 2 highlighters, 4 bronzers, 2 perfumes and 4 body mists - that's a mouthful isn't it?!

With all the bright colours available in this collection and the super stunning packaging, I was already taking note of which products to get from this collection when, much to my delight, I arrived home after a long day at work to a lovely surprise - I was sent some products from this collection to try out. I took them with me to a weekend getaway in Gozo to try them out and haven't let go of them since!

The packaging has summer written all over it with the ombre boxes reminding me of the perfect summer landscape - clear skies, cool blue waters and warm golden sands! The same ombre effect is translated onto some of the products too such as the lipsticks, whereas other products such as the mascara and bronzer have a monochromatic packaging.

Tropical Sun Bronzing Powder BR01 Maldives | Dramatic Volume Mascara Black
Tropical Lipstick 04 Orange Sunrise | Summer Metallics Eyeshadow 07 Emerald

Of course the product that caught my eyes first was the lipstick. I was sent the shade 04 Orange Sunrise which is an orange-based red. I have to admit that I am not particularly drawn to such shades because I am quite pale, however, I was surprised at how much this shade suited me! I like the buttery-soft formula on this lipstick, not to mention the awesome pigmentation and a smell that reminds me of watermelons - it can't get more summery than that!. I put this lipstick to the test for dinner and I am happy to say that it lasted all throughout. Naturally, it did fade away a little but for a regular lipstick that doesn't have a matte finish, I honestly didn't expect it to last that long!

As much as I prefer to wear bright colours on my lips, I just had to somehow incorporate this gorgeous emerald shade for a dinner date with my better half as it happened to match the dress I was going to wear. I used the eyeshadow to line my bottom lashes for a hint of colour though I wouldn't rule out the possibility to wear it as a full colour on my lids. Pigmentation is ok - not too strong but just enough for the colour to show up nicely. Green is one of my favourite colours and I think it complements my eye colour; even my boyfriend commented on how good it looked on so that's a big plus ;)

Next, I have one of the best mascaras I have ever owned. I have a couple more Flormar mascaras which I find to be of very good quality and they really give my lashes a nice, fanned out look but this Dramatic Volume Mascara outdid them all hands down! The wow factor lacking in the packaging is made up for with the exceptional performance of this mascara - it has the perfect brush to achieve a full fanned-out look which gives the illusion of wearing false lashes. It has a nice, deep black colour which coats the lashes in an even, non-clumpy manner. The only 'issue' I have with this mascara is that I would have liked it better to be waterproof since we are talking about a summer makeup collection but other than that, this gets a 10/10 from me.

Lastly, I have the ubiquitous product in every summer collection - bronzer. Compact bronzers are my favourite as you can build up the colour to your preferred intensity. I am really enjoying this one at the moment as it has a matte sort of finish that makes the product very versatile - you can use it for contouring, instead of a blush, or even to give you an overall tanned appearance. The compact even comes with a mirror inside and the bronze packaging had me in awe as soon as I took it out of the box, this is most definitely a go-to product! Moreover, the colour, BR01 Maldives is the perfect match for my light complexion.

Overall, I think you got the gist that I really like this collection, so thank you Flormar for sending these products over! Flormar has stores in Paola and St. Julian's which are worth checking out for some fabulous products at very affordable prices!

PR Samples

Top Red Lipstick Picks

I do love a red lip and I have always believed that red lipstick gives you a confidence boost - as long as you're wearing the right shade of course! If I have an important meeting or a big night out, more often than not, you will see me sporting a red lip for sure.

Of course, being a lipstick junkie and a beauty blogger, translates to being constantly on the hunt for more lipsticks to home. At this precise moment in time, I own 22 red lipsticks. There was a time not too far away when I owned way more but I had to clear out my stash for lack of space mainly.

Without further ado, here are my top pricier red lipsticks, their drugstore dupes and matching lip liners ;)

You probably already guessed the first one up...it's MAC Ruby Woo. The cult favourite matte pillar box red needs no introduction as it suits a variety of skin tones. A dupe for it would be Catrice Matt Lip Artist 6hr in 050 Fashion Reditorial. It provides the same matte finish and the colour is pretty close. To seal the deal with these two, Make Up Store Lip Liner in Burlesque has a matte finish and is an exact match.

Next is one that I've had in my stash for a few years now and it is still one of my most used lipsticks. My parents had gotten me the Givenchy Rouge Interdit 20 Illicit Raspberry one Christmas, making it the first high-end lipstick in my collection. A less costly alternative is Max Factor Marilyn Lipstick, 4 Marilyn Cabernet. The perfect matching lipliner for this pair is Essence Lipliner 08 Red Blush.

Next is another MAC matte lipstick - D For Danger. This is one of the darkest reds I own and I love how such reds look paired with a classic smokey eye. The dupe? No other than Flormar Extreme Matte Lipstick 07 Haute Burgundy while for lipliner, I would recommend Flormar Waterproof Liner in No. 205.

I cannot not mention the Christian Louboutin Lipstick in Rouge Louboutin. Of course the price of this one may not be what everyone is willing to spend on a lipstick but I'm going to justify it by saying it is one of the most beautiful pieces in my collection and that the colour lasts throughout the whole time I wear it. A very affordable dupe come from Italian makeup brand KIKO - Glossy Dream Sheer Lipstick 206. Of course you will need to build up the colour to achieve the intensity of the Louboutin lipstick but they are a pretty close match. To achieve the look with a little less effort, applying Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil Waterproof 130 Prince Cherry all over the lips underneath the KIKO lipstick will definitely help!

Those were the top red lipstick picks from my collection. Are there any more red lipstick fans out there? 

Event | Flormar Store Opening and New Limited Edition Collections Launch

These next few weeks are brimming with beauty and fashion events and I'm not in the least complaining! I love discovering new brands and products, all the while meeting fellow bloggers ;)

Last Wednesday evening, it was Flormar's turn to showcase three new collections as well as the new St.Julian's store which is where the event took place. This is the second store for the brand in Malta (the other store is located in Paola and opened it's doors in December 2015, while the St. Julain's store opened in August this year). New products are received from France every fortnight so you really don't have to wait that long for your favourite products to become available again!

The three new collections launched yesterday are the Super Brow, Matte Effect (limited edition) and Back To School (limited edition). The Super Brow collection has everything you need for perfect brows - powders, pencils, brushes, fixator mascara and even eyebrow design kits. Matte Effect consists of 8 blushes and 16 lipsticks, all with a matte finish. Lastly, Back To School is more focused on skin care with products ranging from a face wash and toner to BB Creams and lip balms.

Of course, we also had the opportunity to swatch everything we liked and nibble on exquisite food washed down with some wine or prosecco. What strikes me the most with Flormar is the price vis a vis the quality of the products - the brand is the definition of affordable, yet high quality.

Do pay Flormar a visit for some colourful, affordable makeup. My absolute recommendations are their nail polishes, the Rotating mascara and the Mat Touch Foundation. I'm sure my favourites from this brand will expand to many more products, I just need to figure out which to use first from the very generous goodie bag they gave us! Oh, and I'm absolutely head over heels in love with the I AM necklace too!

Flormar is located in Luqa Road Paola and St. Julian's opposite Baystreet.

Flormar and I AM are brought to Malta by Square Deal Ltd.

Flormar Cosmetics | Haul & First Impressions

A couple of weeks ago, I finally found some time to visit the recently opened Flormar store in Paola along with my makeup partner in crime, Marija.

The shop is very centrally located and we didn't have any difficulties finding it at all. I really liked the store setup - all sleek and very professional looking and the colourful products really stand out against an all black background. Having said that, lighting in the shop is very good even if you want to try, say, a foundation shade. After ohhing and ahhing over all the beautiful products, I settled on a few picks to try out the brand.

I have used most of these products already and thus I can share a few first impressions. Starting with the nail polishes, so far I have used three out of the four nail products that I got and two of them fit this year's choice of Pantone Colours of the Year, Serenity and Rose Quartz. I think I nailed the shades with Italian Travertine (pink) and Cookie Monster (blue) which were just €2.95 each. I have also been loving the Calcium Gel Base Coat (€4.50) as my nails have really improved in strength now that I have switched to it. Now I look forward to see how the CC polish performs. The latter was one of the products that really stimulated my curiosity and I was happy to see it comes in different shades of nude to match every skin tone. I have the shade 004 Pure Beige and again this was €4.50.

I also got the much hyped about MatTouch Foundation and I could immediately see what the hype is all about as soon as I tried it in the store. I got the lightest shade, M308 Fair Ivory which is still a tad too dark for me but I made it work with some lightening drops. The foundation offers high coverage so I do recommend a light hand with it as it can look cakey. Building up coverage is key with this foundation so do take your time blending it in. I'm a big fan of the frosted glass bottle too as I think it adds a touch of sophistication, also the pump dispenser makes for easier control over the amount of product you pump out. This foundation costs €12.95.

Next, I have the Twist Up Lipstick in the shade Raspberry (€7.95) and this is probably my favourite product from the whole haul. I like the concept and colour as well as the colourful packaging though I would have preferred if the lipstick went all the way down so as not to damage it when replacing the cap. This lipstick lasts for a good number of hours and it has the same vanilla smell as MAC lipsticks.

Another exciting product is the High Performance Rotating Volume Mascara. As the name implies, the mascara starts rotating at the push of a button to give you more volumised lashes. I really like the novelty of it and I admit I am always excited to use it!  I like the results with this mascara and even though it is not waterproof, it does last me throughout the day. At €15.95, it is the most expensive item in this haul.

Lastly, I have a limited edition (?) Dazzling Eye Shadow (€9.95) from the Fatal Attraction collection. I got the shade 05 Action which is a sort of metallic brown with burgundy undertones. I really like the outer packaging of this eyeshadow with the felt design and the houndstooth embossed motif in the eyeshadow pan itself. I'm not keen on the actual packaging though cos it looks a little cheap. The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is insane! The same can be said for the lasting power so I am really happy with it.

Overall, I have formed a very good fist impression of Flormar and will be returning there soon as I already have my eyes on a few more pieces. If you haven't already, I encourage you to go pay the store a visit and I can assure you you won't be disappointed. The staff are really helpful and that completes a fantastic store experience!

Flormar is located right opposite Sunlab in Paola, next to Eurosport in Antoine de Paule Square. Also, don't forget to like their Facebook page to keep updated :)