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Review | Born Pretty Store Gel Cube Rhinestone Picker

Hello guys I hope everyone is doing well :) Today I have a Born Pretty Store review for you, so, nail art lovers, rejoice!


The product I have here today is the Gel Cube Rhinestone Picker which as the name implies, is meant to help you pick up your rhinestones and place them on your nails to complete your nail art designs. I have never used any kind of rhinestone picker before as I always used a dotting tool dipped in some clear polish but I was curious to see how this will fare out.

Basically, the pink cube comes in a little plastic wrapper and has a piece of protective backing on both sticky sides. The cube is meant to be cut into smaller pieces so it will last you for a long time. 

To use, cut out a small piece of the gel cube and remove the protective backing from both sides. Next, use an orange stick like you would a rolling pin and roll out the gel to thin it and make it more pliable, then wrap the gel around the orange stick to have your rhinestone picker ready for use. Here is a little step-by-step tutorial:


I found that the gel cube works better at picking up rhinestones and placing them on your nails than my usual method of using a clear polish. It is great for picking up any size or shape of rhinestones and you really will not need anything else! The best thing about this gel cube though is that you can change to a new bit once it isn't sticky any more. I do store mine in a small plastic bag to avoid it getting dirty and help it last longer though.

Buy the gel cube rhinestone picker from Born Pretty Store for only $1.63 and quote my discount code EBABK31 at checkout for 10% off your order.



PR Sample

November Collective Haul

November just flew by me in a whiff and so it is time for the mandatory end-of month collective haul. This month it was more about cosmetics and just a few clothing items so it will be quite a short post. Enjoy :)

First up is the Essence Merry Berry limited edition collection on which I have got quite a few pieces and you check them all out here including swatches. This Christmas collection is one of the most anticipated this year and I really urge you to go out and get it!


I had to make a separate trip to get two more products out of this collection after seeing more reviews about them and I managed to find both the highlighter and the nail polish in the shade 02 Purple With A Purpose. The highlighter was €3.50 and the polish was €2.10. I also bought some of the stuff from their permanent line including a gel eye pencil in the shade 05 Gunmetal for €2.30, a nail art designer set for €2.10, an express dry nail spray for €2.60, a light reflecting top coat for €2.10 and a black nail polish for €1.70.



Also from Essence I got the Liquid Ink eyeliner and another gel eyeliner in 01 Black Blaze. They cost €2.40 each. From Roseberry, I got a backup of the NYX HD Concealer which is my favourite concealer ever for my under eye area and it cost €9.99. I also bought the 2015 limited edition i-Divine in Enchanted Forest for €13.99 and you can check out all swatches here.


As for clothing, I placed an order on the River Island website where I got this tassel fol-over bag (€26), a khaki patchwork wallet (€22) and these black tassel front loafers (€35) which I cannot wait to wear. 


Lastly, from Orsay I got this black top and green faux leather skirt which were €19.49 each (with a discount) and I also got this denim skirt from Stradivarius for €22.95 which has been on my wishlist since the Pink Fashion Show.



Review | Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette

A few weeks ago I had posted a review on the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette which I purchased as I was on the lookout for a good contour palette and the said palette has met my requirements; yet, I still needed a cream contour palette for they are easier to blend.



Thus when Makeup Revolution announced the arrival of a new cream contour palette I went ahead and bought it straight away! I am a big fan of the packaging of these palettes including the outer box with the rose gold lettering and the actual palette with its glossy black casing and again, rose gold lettering - all so sleek!



The Ultra Cream Contour Palette comes with 8 pans of cream products, 4 of which are contour shades and the other 4 are highlighters. They can also be used as cream concealers! The palette also comes with a mirror. The shades in this palette correspond to the ones in the Ultra Contour Palette in which all shades are in powder form. I personally think this is a great idea because you can set your cream product with the corresponding powder to render it longer lasting.



All 8 shades in the palette have very good pigmentation and I would recommend this palette to makeup artists especially because you have every shade you could possibly need to achieve a perfectly contoured look on just about anyone! The consistency of all the creams in this palette is perfect for blending into the skin to avoid any harsh lines.

My favourite ones are the first and second ones on the bottom left row and the third one from left in the top row. I feel that this palette does a better job at contouring as you can really blend the product for a more natural finish. That being said, I like the powder palette to set the cream products and give a more defined look.

   Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette (top) vs
Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette (bottom)

The Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette retails for €11.18 from the Makeup Revolution website.

Event | Essence & Catrice Cosmetics Fall/Winter Products Launch

If there is a company for whose events I am always excited for, that is PharmaMT, the company behind Essence, Catrice and Lierac in Malta. Last week, it was time for the launch of the fall/winter products from sister cosmetics brands Essence and Catrice. And what better way than to spend a sunny November afternoon with a High Tea served at the elegant Hilton Quarterdeck Bar?


photos by Mark Pace

Brand manager Daniela guided us through the new launches and we were able to sample most of the products on the spot whilst enjoying herbal tea, coffee, water and array of delicious sandwiches, sweet treats and cakes, melted chocolate, clotted cream and jam. We were also given a goodie bag each and whatever products that were on display that we liked, we were able to take home with us.


Expect some exciting new product reviews! Follow Essence & Catrice on Facebook to keep updated with new product launches!

All of us bloggers with Brand Manager Daniela
photo by Mark Pace

Review | Sleek Makeup iDivine Eyeshadow Palette Enchanted Forest

Sleek Makeup have added a new palette to their i-Divine range, the Enchanted Forest palette and I got mine locally from Roseberry for €13.99 for 12 eyeshadows.


I expected Sleek to go the extra mile with the box as there is nothing creative about it. The palette comes in their signature sleek, black case with a mirror and 12 eyeshadow pans with 1.1g of product each and a transparent film with the eyeshadow names on it. The palette also comes with the usual double ended sponge applicator.


Sleek i-Divine Enchanted Forest in natural light (left) and with flash (right)

The palette was inspired by an enchanted forest and the names of the shadows really do reflect that, as they are named after symbolic items and characters from the popular fairy tale, Cinderella. The proposed colour palette is also very reminiscent of a forest with deep, dark hues spanning all throughout the palette with the exception of a couple of shades and of course, since the palette is inspired by Cinderella, there are a couple of blue shades as well.




Below are the swatches of the eyeshadows in the palette with flash and no primer:


left to right:
Glass Slipper - matte light beige, almost white
Beatrice - matte magenta
Perla - pearlescent periwinkle with lavender and grey undertones
Fairy Godmother - pearlescent champagne with peachy/pink undertones
Grand Duke - shimmery dark blue with strong purple undertones
Drizella - pearlescent dark olive green with brown undertones



left to right:
Pumpkin - pearlescent gold
Prince Charming - matte dark teal
Happily Ever After - pearlescent grey with bluish undertones
Anastasia - matte aubergine
Daphne - pearlescent dark green with dark grey undertones
Lady Tremaine - shimmery blackened aubergine with reddish purple reflects

Pigmentation is excellent for all twelve shades and my favourites are Perla, Drizella and Daphne. There is a good mix of shimmer and matte shades which is something I usually look for in a palette and I love that there are a lot of unique shades in there. The texture is buttery smooth for all formulations and the colours are very blendable and not powdery at all.

If you don't like colourful eyeshadow this palette is not for you but if you do like to experiment, do go ahead and get this!