Review | MUA Lip Boom in It's A Situation & LMK (Let Me Know)

The main products that lured me into trying MUA make-up are the Lip Booms which they launched earlier last year in collaboration with Alexandra Burke. I don't know what put me off buying them before, maybe the fact that I own way too much lip products but when I placed my first ever order, I just couldn't resist any more and got two shades, namely, It's A Situation and LMK (Let Me Know). 

The concept is basically a lipstick and highlight gloss in one to create the illusion of fuller lips. With 8 shades to choose from, there is really something for everyone. Each Lip Boom is supplied in a small carton with a picture of Alexandra Burke and a product description as well as tips on how to use the product and ingredients.

On one end of the actual product is 3.5ml of gloss while at the other end is 2.5g of lipstick.  On the latter side, there is a sticker with the shade name on the bottom and a small detachable pot of lipstick which will sure come in handy when you are running low and it also serves to help you pick the colour you want quickly. To be honest, first impressions weren't really good as the packaging is quite flimsy on the lipstick side; in fact they come with a small piece of tape to hold everything in place...not very professional I'm afraid.

However, that soon changed when I swatched the lipsticks...both are very pigmented and glide on smoothly, not to mention the sweet smell! I was a bit disappointed with the gloss though as it contains very chunky silver glitter but I do like the doe-foot applicator and the strawberry cream scent...I just can't get enough of it! Despite the glitter being chunky, it doesn't feel gritty at all on the lips.

Now on to performance. Both lipsticks are extremely well pigmented and the gloss is not sticky at all. They last around 4 hours which I think is average for a lipstick. The product is easily removed with some make-up remover and you don't have to worry about the glitter ending up all over your face if you wipe it away carefully.

As for the shades, I would describe It's A Situation as a warm Italian pink while LMK (Let Me Know) is more of a plum, vampy shade. I have to say that both colours turn up lighter when applied. Although matte, they feel very moisturizing on the lips. Here are some swatches:

Highlighter only - notice how chunky the glitter is

LMK (Let Me Know) matte - left & with highlighter - right

It's A Situation matte - left & with highlighter - right

MUA suggest four ways which you can wear your Lip Booms | 1. Lipstick alone for a matte finish | 2. Lipgloss alone for a sheer pearl finish | 3. Lipstick with highlighter just at the centre of the lips for an illusion of fuller lips | 4. Lipstick with highlighter all over for a super glossy look. I prefer to wear the lipstick alone simply because of the chunky silver glitter.

I do like the concept MUA introduced with these but you can re-create the same thing with products you already have in your collection. Having said that, I am really impressed with the pigmentation of the lipsticks and hence I think I will buy more MUA lipsticks, just not Lip Booms though.

MUA Lip Booms can be bought from the MUA online store for just £3.00.

Have you tried any of these? What do you think of them?

Review | The Body Shop Face & Body Brush

One of the gifts I received last Christmas from my brother is The Body Shop Face & Body Brush that had been on my wishlist for a few months after I applied make-up for a friend and she brought this brush along with her. 

I was instantly in love with how soft the synthetic hairs were and the size of the brush intrigued me too. To cut a long story short, I was very pleased to see this brush in my stocking!

The brush looks and feels very sturdy with a silver ferrule and a wide-based black handle on which the company logo and brush name are printed in white capital letters. In fact it is heavier than any of the other brushes that I own but it is still very nice to use.

As I already pointed out, the bristles are synthetic (The Body Shop is a cruelty-free company) and they are arranged in a dome-shape. They are remarkably soft and they never bleed or come lose when I wash the brush. No wonder it is a best-seller! I like that they are the right degree of 'fluffy' as the product is evenly applied.

The size of this brush makes it ideal to apply shimmer powders, bronzer, loose powder, blush or even pressed powder to the face and neck areas and I really like the airbrushed finish each time I use this brush.

The only thing which I don't like about this brush is that it is only supplied with a flimsy plastic sleeve instead of a brush guard or a stronger pocket.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this brush to pretty much anyone and I am convinced it will last a life-time! 

The Body Shop Face & Body Brush retails for €11.00 from The Body Shop outlets across the island.

Review | MUA Pro Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit

Filling my brows is something I wouldn't have considered up to a few months back simply because I have dark, already thickish brows. So basically, eyebrow care for me, has always been down to waxing, shaping and keeping brow hairs in place with some brow gel.

Having said that, I have been looking at tutorials explaining different techniques and products to use to shape and better define your brows for quite some time and I have the odd brow pencil in my collection 'just in case'.  Personally, I have never overlooked the importance of having perfectly taken-care-of brows as they really do frame the face and now, budget make-up brand Makeup Academy (MUA) have made my first foray into eyebrow shaping easier with their new Pro Brow Ultiamte Eyebrow Kit.

Let's have a look at the packaging and contents first. The kit is very professionally presented in a sleek black case that belies the product's £3.50 price tag. The case's lid is glossy and bears the MUA logo and product name  while the sides and back are matte.

Inside you get a nice-sized mirror, two matte brown shades (a dark brown and a lighter brown), a highlighter and clear wax. The kit also comes complete with a pair of mini slant tweezers and a small, double-sided angle brush...truly everything you need for perfectly defined brows!

All three powders are quite silky smooth and very pigmented, especially the brow shades. The wax on the other hand is the right consistency and doesn't feel sticky but does a great job at keeping brow hairs in check. The tweezers come in handy for on-the-go touch-ups but otherwise, I prefer using a full-sized pair. As for the brush, I really can't complain on this one! You know how usually the brushes that come with kits are total rubbish? This one proves to be quite good at the job it is intended for as the angle is just perfect and the bristles do not retain the product.

Now, how I use the kit. I am quite obsessed with having clean brows that I try to pluck away any strays everyday (unless I am due for an appointment). Then, I mix the darker shades to obtain the shade closest to my natural brow colour and using the brush and gentle strokes, I apply the product to my brows to define them. Finally, I just use the wax to keep everything in place and apply the lightest shade to the brow bone to lift my brows.

Quite noticeable difference between the left brow (enhanced with the kit)
and right brow (left bare)

I find that results last until I take my make-up off at the end of the day and while I like that brow hairs stay in place longer with the wax than with brow gel, I'm still not entirely convinced with the glossy look.

Overall, I'm glad I bought the kit though as it is very easy to use and delivers great results even if like me you have never tried eyebrow defining before.

Buy yours from the Makeup Academy website for only £3.50 for 5.9g of product.

Monthly Favourites | February

This month, it was mostly about hair care. I have cut my hair shorter and from past experience, I know it (ironically) requires more maintenance so I have been trying and buying some new styling stuff to see what works best for my hair type and new style. These are the products I enjoyed using the most to style and care for my hair during the month of February...

First up is Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Treatment which I apply to my hair instead of conditioner every three washes. It restores my hair its shine and makes it more manageable. A little goes a long way and I really like the instant results.  Another product that is new for me is the John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straightening Potion which I spray onto my damp hair before blow-drying/straightening to keep frizz at bay and also offers protection against heat styling. I also bought a pair of larger straighteners this month and I like the fact that it comes with 7 temperature settings (I always use the lowest) and a display + it delivers optimum results every time.  

Moving on to the skin care department, this month I have been using the St.Ives Apricot Scrub as I couldn't find a back-up for the Nivea one that I usually use. The former has larger granules but it didn't irritate my skin and it is a better value-for-money product. My skin is left smooth and refined after every use and I never experienced any breakouts when using this product.

As for cosmetics, I haven't been experimenting much this past month but I re-discovered some old favourites from my collection, namely E.L.F. Studio Blushes in Candid Coral and Peachy Keen which offer winter skin a warm glow. Another old favourite is the Catrice Lashes to kill Waterproof mascara (I think this has been discontinued) which proved to be very handy on the rainy days we were getting lately. It provides lashes with volume and doesn't clump. More from Catrice, the Long Lasting Eyeliner Pen in 070 Puddle Of Mudd which has been a staple in my everyday make-up routine to define my eyes for the whole day without smudging or budging.

In the lip department, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Naked Paris was my favourite this month. I love the smell, I love the staying power, the finish, pretty much everything about this lipstick is perfect! What's more? It reminds me of Paris (name and where I actually bought it from)!

Lastly, two new discoveries... MUA Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit and The Body Shop Face & Body Brush. This month, has seen my first foray into eyebrow filling and this kit has proved to be a must-have in my collection. It comes complete with tweezers, a clear wax and two shades of brown matte powder. The brush was actually a gift from my brother for Christmas. It is oh so soft and I have washed it a couple of times and it hasn't shed a hair. I use it to apply powder products to my face and for a smooth finish.

Those are my favourites for this month ladies! What are yours?

February Collective Haul

Contrary to last month, my credit card has really been abused during the last 4 weeks and the pretty Spring clothes and accessories are to blame! I still have to invest in some monochrome pieces so be sure to look out for them in next month's haul (hopefully).

I will start with what my boyfriend got me for Valentine's Day, starting with these two gorgeous pieces from Stradivarius.  I have really been wanting some nice shirts and he got me this cute blue one with rose gold buttons along with this comfy pink sweater.  Then on Valentine's Day we went to Valletta and he bought me some roses while I popped into The Body Shop to get some bath lillies (shown later on) and from Orsay, he suprised me with this cute set of earrings...pearls, shoes and the Eiffel Tower...all total winners with me! Thanks a bunch hun :) xx

Moving on to more clothes, I bought an army green shirt similar to the blue one above as well as a light-wash denim shirt from Stradivarius. They were €25.95 each but I got them at €24.70 each with a discount card. The same applies for the neon pink jumper in the second picture. I also got this flower applique' (3D florals are set to be huge this spring) top from Orsay for just €17.95 and the coral boat shoes were a steal at only €6.15 in the Peacocks sale.

It's been a long time since I last made a purchase from Mango but their latest collection has rekindled my love for the store and I bought this red shirt dress for €29.95. It also came with a belt and I can see myself wearing it a lot!

The last clothing purchases for the month come from Promod. I just love that store and I bought this beautiful orange cotton blazer for €39.95 and this leather fringe bag. The latter was a bit pricey at €39.95 but I just couldn't resist and it was the last one available.

As for skin care and cosmetics, I bought some stuff from Essence as well as a new facial scrub as I couldn't find the usual Nivea one that I use. The Essence concealer and brow gel (€2.19 each) don't need any introduction on this blog but I also bought a Colour & Go Nail Polish in the shade 139 Walk On The Wild Side (€1.70), a lipstick (€2.50) and nail polish (€2.00) from the Home Sweet Home Trend Edition, both of which carry the name Berry Me Home and a brow pencil (€1.60) as I have finally started experimenting with filling in my brows. The St.Ives Facial Scrub has bigger granules but it didn't irritate my skin. I paid €6.99 for it. The bath lillies are from The Body Shop and they cost €2.30 each.

I also picked up three Montagne Jeunesse masks from New Look at €1.25 each.

Since I have finished the L'Oreal Elnett Hair Spray this month, I bought another one but I opted for the Pro-Keratin one this time. I just love the L'Oreal Elnett range albeit a bit on the expensive side (€7.25) but they do the job well and the spray doesn't leave any flakes whatsoever.  I also bought my first bottle of John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straightening Potion (€9.00) and so far I like the results. It doesn't weigh down my hair and gives it a beautiful shine and offers thermo-protection for use with heat styling equipment.  Speaking of heat-styling hair equipment, I bought a pair of ionic straightening ions from Lidl for €18.99 and an ionic hair dryer for €10.99.  I have already used both of them multiple times and they yield excellent results each time!