Sleek Nude Collection Swatches

Today I have the new Sleek Collection to show you, it's something I'm been waiting a long time for, so I'm very excited to show you! It's released today, so I made sure I was up and ready to head down to Superdrug to get my hands on it. The collection includes the standard three items, Au Natural Palette (£6.49), Suede Blush (£4.29) and Bare Minimum Pout Polish (£4.29). I'm sure or not if it's limited edition, I've heard conflicting information, but with the Oh So Special Palette being recently added to the collection it would be strange to see this entering the regular liner, we shall see!

Reviews will follow, these are just the initial swatches :)

•  Bare Minimum Pout Polish review.  
• Au Naturel Palette review.
• Suede Blush review. 

The Pout Polish and Blush both have the abstract flower pictures printed on the actual packaging, the palette is plain black inside with the image only being on the cardboard sleeve. I thought this idea looked a bit tacky at first but now I have a fair few Sleek blushes and pout polishes it's great for telling them apart at a glance. 

Incase you can't read my not so great picture... 

Top Row L-R: Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe. 

Bottom Row L-R: Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir.

In total there are 4 shimmer shades (Taupe, Conker, Moss and Mineral Earth) with the other 8 being matte shades. 

Top Row of shadows.

Shadows in reading order - Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe.

These are all fairly pale colours which is why they aren't showing up so well on my skin, but the pigmentation is there. Depending on your skintone there is a great range of highlight and lid shades. Also the shade Taupe, I really wouldn't say was what I'd call Taupe, it's more of a champagne.

Bottom Row of Shadows

Shadows in reading order - Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir.

These are the darker shades, the range is great, with a matte black, varying shades of brown and a muted purple - more details in the full review, to follow. I can imagine making a great smokey eye with these shades, I'll have to try it this evening! 

Bare Minimum Pout Polish

I've actually had Bare Minimum for a few weeks now, my Superdrug had it out early, so I can tell you what I think of the product fully, not just 'ooo pretty!'. In a nutshell, this is effectively clear on the lips but gives good moisturization and has an SPF15 in it. It also smells good and is smooth, but I know some aren't a fan of the Pout Polish smell. 

If you want more details, I've talked more in the full review, a link can be found at the top of the post. 

Suede Blush

And finally onto the Blush, called Suede. It's a muted browny orange colour - less brown and more orange than my picture shows though, sorry! It's not like anything else I have, so I'm excited to try it out. Although being quite orange I'm a little apprehensive of how it's going to look on my super pale skin, only time will tell! But for those more tanned I can see this making a great nude blush. 

L-R: Suede Blush, Bare Minimum Pout Polish.

First Impressions are good, the quality I'm come to expect from Sleek seems to be there and the colours, I'm hoping will work for daytime make-up looks - I'm starting  a proper job soon, so I'll neede to get back in the swing of work friendly make-up, eek!

Thanks for reading my post, I hope you found the swatches useful, do you plan on picking anything up from this collection? Or is it a bit plain for you, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Don't want to miss my full reviews? Subscribe using the options to the right, I'd really appreciate it, Thanks again, H :)

Stila Stila Stila!

Heya everyone, this is a very quick post from me. I know I don't usually write posts like this, but this is something that excites me so I wanted to share it with you all. I was browsing the Boots (UK) website - as you do when your beauty obsessed! And came across some Stila products! They finally made their return :) There are a few products I've had my eye on from blogs for a while now and thought I'd share them with you. I'll be waiting to see if they get the new fall/winter bits before I make an order though!

The ones that have caught my eye are... 

• Stila Travel Palette - Stunning in Sayulita (£10)
• Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner (£14)
• Stila Prime Pot Waterproof Eye Shadow Primer (£13)

No photos I'm afraid, I don't like to take them from other websites! But if I ever get around to ordering you'll be the first to know! This was basically just a lusting post :)

Thanks for reading my very short post! I'd love to hear what you guys love from Stila, so I can investigate further. Theres no such thing as too much make-up right? Thanks again, H :)

No7 Autumn Limited Edition Lip and Cheek Tint Review and Swatches

It's that time of the year again for all the autumn collections to start coming out. And if I'm honest there's not much thats caught my eye. This and the lip and eye pencil set from Topshops most recent Smoke and Mirrors Collection are the only bits I've picked up. The No7 Lip and Cheek is a similar idea to the NARS Multiples, but I've never tried them so I can't really comment on how they compare, except this is cheaper, being £12 from Boots. But if you get it in the next few days the No7 £5 vouchers are still valid. 

As always I have included a summary at the end. 

The Basics 

For £12 you get 8g of product in a tube, with a securely fitting lid. The cream based product is in stick form, which twists up. The product is limited edition and part of the No7 Autumn Collection. In total there are two shades available, Pink and Bronze. The one I have to share with you today is the pink one.  

 

The Formula 

As already mentioned this is a cream based product, that stays slightly tacky.  It means it's best used set with a powder, which it's my favourite way to apply. This way I find that it literally lasts all day, a first for me. My dad even commented on it when I went to visit him and he's not a make-up person! The powders I like to set it with are, Collection 2000's Bashful Blush and ELF's Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow. I'm not so much of a fan of this on my lips as it feels waxy? Strange anyway, but it's fine if I have nothing else to hand. 

Swatched

Blended

Colour and Pigmentation

Although the name suggests this would be a pink, I really wouldn't describe it as a pink. Although this does have some pink in it, it also has some orange in it making it more corally. It has a slight sheen to it and has some good pigmentation. It's not overlly pigmented though, but in this case thats a good thing as it's buildable and a lot easier to work with. You may need to apply a couple of coats to get the intensity you want.

 

Bare Lips

No7 Cheek and Lip Tint - Pink

Best Uses

I personally prefer this on my cheeks as a kind of base, using powder blushes over the top to set it. This way it makes my blush last a lot longer. A face powder can also work, but I find blushes work better. I'm not so much of a fan of it on my lips, where it lasts around an hour and a half, but it's a pretty natural shade there. As for when and where this is best used, it's a great travel product or something to throw in your bag on your way out because of it's multiple uses. 

On lips and Cheeks

The Good - multiple uses, makes blush last all day when set with a powder, pretty colour, 8g product, packaging, 

The Not so Good - stays sticky if not set with a powder, might not be suited to oily skin (I've haven't got it so can't say for sure), not the cheapest, limited edition, not the easiest to blend.

Would I buy this again? I would if they had colours other than a Bronze and the one I have. I was even tempted to get a back-up as this is the only thing I've tried so far that makes my blush last all day. 

Who would this be suited to? People like me that have problems with their blush staying on all day - but if it's because of oily skin I can't say how it will work as my cheeks aren't oily. Great for travel as it has more than one use. 

The Bottom Line - I love this as a sticky base for my blush, but don't like it on it's own or on my lips as much. 

Thanks for reading my post, I hope it was helpful, but if you have any unanswered questions don't hesitate to ask. Has anything for the Autumn collections caught your eye yet? I'd love to hear from you. Thanks again, H :)     

Rock down to Electric Avenue...

My plans for the blog today failed a little when I managed to loose the photographs on my computer. Fail! It was a product I really didn't enjoy so I'm not sure I'll get around to taking the photographs and wearing the shadows to show you again. But if anybody really wanted to hear about it, just ask. Oh and it might help if I actually tell you what it was... it's the ELF Beauty Eye Manual - Bright Eye Edition.  But as I said I'll be more than happy to put the review up if anyone wanted, it's mostly written anyway :)

But to get back to why you clicked onto this post! As I had some time on my hands I wanted to have a play with my make-up and came up with this purple smokey look with some dramatic lashes and detail. I had a lot of fun creating it, so I hope you enjoy! 

Why are my eyes different shapes?!

PRODUCTS USED

Face

• Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer 
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - 53 Dark Radiance
• The Body Shop Oil Free Balancing Foundation - 01
• Barbara Daly Velvet Blush - English Rose

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Topshop Kajal Pencil - Crushed Charcoal (bottom lashes)
• Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen - Black (top lashes)
• Accessorize Volumising Mascara    
• ELF Diamond Black Lashes
• The Body Shop Eyeshadow - Minimalist White (inner corner)
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Flash (outside bottom lashes)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust - 99 Bright Indigo (crease + face)
• Sleek Bad Girl Palette - Blade (lid)
• Sleek Bad Girl Palette - Abyss + Noir (deep crease)
• Sleek Acid Palette - Neon Pink + matte purple (face)
• Sleek Paraguaya - Sandstone (highlight)

Lips

• BeautyUK Lip Lust - Sweet Sixteen. 

I've been wearing the Lip Lusts a lot recently, theres some really pretty colours with a completly non sticky finish. If you haven't had a look at them you really should. And they're a bargain as well! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the look. If you have any questions or wanted reviews/swatches of anything mentioned just ask :) Also if you've stumbled across me and liked what you found, subscribe to not miss out on my upcoming posts! Thanks :) 

ELF Matte Lip Colour in Natural - Review and Swatches

Today I'm a little excited as we've just got some new pets in the household, a couple of Degu's (a bit like gerbils). They're so cute and fun to watch, their still settling in at the moment, but they do have names - Buffy and Willow. Names picked by the boyfriend (they are actually his pets!).

But back to todays schedule! When ELF came out with these, I had to give them a try as I've loved their lip products in the past. I decided to just pick up one shade and went for Natural, as I was looking for something work friendly. This cost me £3.50 from the ELF website.

As always I have included a summary at the end. 

The Basics 

The ELF Studio Matte Lip Colours come in four different shades - Natural, Tea Rose, Coral and Praline all of which appear to be fairly natural shades - no brights or reds anyway! Each one has 1.8g of product, which is considerably less than a standard lipstick, but this has a very different packaging style. These are dispensed in a larger pencil form that twists up. Which I actually like, the packaging is sleek and cute - but the writings rubbed off on mine already. 

 

The Formula 

This does feel a little waxy on the lips, but not excessively. Apart from that I find it doesn't feel sticky or 'bitty' on my lips. Once applied it lasts around 4 hours with a bit of drinking/eating on me. But if you have a full blown meal - or are out on the town drinking a lot, it won't last through this. Matte lip colours generally are slightly infamous for drying the lips out but these aren't so bad. They contain Vitamins A, C and E which I find doesn't moisturize my lips, but does prevent the drying effect, mostly. 

 

Is it fully matte? 

Pretty much yes. There is a very and I mean very subtle sheen to it, but for the purpose of this it is matte. This doesn't mean you can't use a gloss or balm with it to give a shine if you like the colour. But if you do use it alone it will show up any dryness you have much more than a glossy finish. 

ELF Matte Lip Colour - Natural

Colour and Pigmentation

The pigmentation is definitely there, one swipe on the lips gives the colour in the pencil. Which is great, as it means this will last longer. The colour itself is a dusky nude pink, which for me is on the margin of being too pale for my colouring, it's just about alright though. But if your concious of wearing pale colours you might want to pick on of the other shades. 

Bare Lips

ELF Matte Lip Colour - Natural

The Good - Is matte like it says, not as drying as some matte lip products, easy to use, packaging, cheap, can last around 4 hours on me, unscented, doesn't bleed over the lip line.

The Not so Good -  1.8g product is less than most lip products, writing has rubbed of packaging already, being matte it shows up dryness in the lips more, have to buy online in UK, sinks into creases a little.

Would I buy again? I'm not sure, I like it and will probably pick it up from time to time, but I don't really see it as anything special. I'm also not convinced on the colour - but a gloss over the top can solve that one!

Who would this be suited to? Anyone looking for a cheap matte lip product, in a paler natural colour. People looking for something in a work suitable shade, without excessive shine to it. 

Bottom Line - I probably will pick this up again, but will more than likely use a darker/pink gloss over the gloss to make me look less dead when wearing it. The product as a whole - it's alright but I probably won't be buying another unless they bring out some brighter colours. 

Thanks for reading my post, I hope it was helpful, but if you have any further questions just ask :) What do you guys think of matte lipsticks? Thanks again for stopping by, H :)    

My Fyrinnae Eyeshadow Collection Swatches

Fyrinnae is a brand I have a lot of time for, I've only ever ordered once, but I've been meaning to do another order for about a year now! I'd heard rumblings that they were shutting recently and with their webpage being down I was beginning to think there could be some truth in it. But I checked back today and the website is back up with a message to say they're closed and will be returning soon. So I thought it was about time I posted these swatches, I hope you enjoy :) 

In total I have eight shades - all of sample size. From the regular line I have Fyre & Ice, Biker Chic, Japan, Oberon, Soot, Choco-Cake Mix and Kurisumasu! I also have one shade from the Arcane Magic Line - Warrior Mage. For a sample from the Arcane Magic Line it costs $2 for 1/4 tsp and the regular line samples are $2 for 1/3 tsp in a jar.

Clockwise from TL: Fyre & Ice, Biker Chic, Warrior Mage, Japan

Clockwise from TL: Choco-Cake Mix, Kurisumasu!, Soot, Oberon.

These may look fairly plain in the jars (they don't come with sifters), but once applied they are stunningly beautiful. These swatches really do these colour no justice, so as usual I will do my best to describe these shades. All of the swatches were done over Pixie Epoxy - also sold from Fyrinnae. It's a product I really recommend for using under loose eyeshadows to make them more intense and the glitter to stick. Just make sure you only use a small amount and a primer though. If anyone wants a proper review, just ask :) 

L-R: Kurisumasu!, Choco-Cake Mix, Soot, Oberon.

L-R: Kurisumasu!, Choco-Cake Mix, Soot, Oberon.

I have included a couple of photos for each swatch to try and show these colours a little better. It is better than one, but I'm still not satisfied with how these shades are showing. They're so hard to photograph! 

Kurisumasu! -  This is a rose tinted beige which looks like a very pale copper. This personally is my least favourite shade as I find it a little to warm toned for me. This has a shimmery, non glittery finish. 

Choco-Cake Mix - This is a great little brown for brushing into the crease. The finish is almost matte, with a very slight sheen to it. It is fairly dark and leans ever so slightly taupe. 

Soot -  This is a charcoal grey with a slight shimmery silver to it, this contains no glitter. Perfect for a subtle smokey eye. 

Oberon - This is a black based bright purple. Meaning if blended a lot this will become darker and blacker. This is very beautiful with a slight shimmer to it, but again no glitter. 

L-R: Warrior Mage, Japan, Biker Chic, Fyre and Ice.

L-R: Warrior Mage, Japan, Biker Chic, Fyre and Ice.

As already said, the colours are more intense and prettier in real life as I'm sure you've heard before, they're a pain to photograph. The colour descriptions try to make up for this. 

Warrior Mage -  This is an olive green, as you can see in the swatch, there is also a slight goldness to it. What you can't see is this has beautiful cornflower blue glitter running through it. Very unique - but it works well. This is my favourite of the bunch. 

Japan -  This I'd describe as a petrol colour - imagine if gunmetal turned teal, then you have Japan. For me this works great foiled to the lashline and has a shimmery non glittery finish. 

Biker Chic -  This a matte black that has so much medium blue microglitter running through it that it pretty much has a blue duotone to it. Also great foiled as a liner.

Fyre & Ice -  This is a matte black with blue based purple and pink micro glitter running through it. It doesn't quite have the same duotone effect as Biker Chic though. Again a great liner shade. 

Warrior Mage, Japan and Soot.

Final Words

These are great little eyeshadows, with so many unique and stunning shades and finishes. The pigmentation is there, especially when patted onto the lid. My only fault is that they have to be ordered online and there is usually a wait. But the current waiting time is always listed on the front page.

 

Warrior Mage, Japan and Soot.

Thanks for reading my post, has anyone else fallen in love with Fyrinnae? I haven't tried any of their other products, so that may have to be my next step with them, we'll have to see, Thanks again, H :)

Complete BeautyUK Pearl Eyeliner Swatches with Mini Review.

Heya guys, I don't usually do pure swatching posts, I tend to go more down the reviewing route. But today as I've already reviewed one of these eyeliners already I thought I'd show you some swatches of all the other pretty shades. I couldn't resist buying the set as there was an offer on a few weeks ago, and I'd loved the one I had so much. They really do deserve to be showcased, in all their beauty and so today is the day!

For my full review of these liners click here.

L-R: 1 - Stardust, 2 - Sphinx, 3 - Oceania, 4 - Blue Lagoon, 5 - Rich Mahogany, 6 - Purple haze, 7 - Sorceress, 8 - Eclipse. 

What do I think of the liners? 

For £3.49 I think these a great deal, they're easy to use (as far as liquid liners go anyway) with a good applicator. The product itself is a little watery - so takes a little longer to dry and some shades need a couple of coats to get the opacity I'd like (Oceania and Purple Haze particularly). But the thing I love about them most is once they have dried down they last till I take them off. Removal isn't to much of a hassle either, they 'peel' off with my usual make-up remover. 

L-R: 2 - Sphinx, 1 - Stardust, 5 - Rich Mahogany, 8 - Eclipse.

 

2 - Sphinx - This is a yellow gold, with a pearlised finish.

1 - Stardust - This is your bog standard silver liner, but it's a good one at that. Very pretty.

5 - Rich Mahogany - This is more bronze than mahogany, but still a great colour, great for everyday wear.

8 - Eclipse - This one has a special place, being the first one that I bought. This is a dark blued gunmetal, with a definite blackness to it. Very pretty and again good for everyday. 

L-R: 3 - Oceania, 4 - Blue Lagoon, 6 - Purple Haze, 7 - Sorceress.

3 - Oceania -  This to me is just a teal, but it leans a lot more green, like the whole set this has a pearlised finish. This is not as pigmented as some of the other shades.

4 - Blue Lagoon -  Wow! This is the brightest blue eyeliner I've seen, the picture really does this no justice. Definitely one for the bright colour lovers out there. 

6 - Purple Haze - Of the two purples this is the lighter one and is fairly blue based. This is not as pigmented as some of the other shades.

7 - Sorceress -  This is much more suited to everyday wear than Purple Haze as it is deeper, having a slight black undertone. 

In the shade

In direct sunlight.

As you can see the pearlised finish on these is really pretty and when put under sunlight they're even better. I've had a lot of fun using these and have found them not too hard to apply - I'm not that good with liquid liner! 

4 - Blue Lagoon

My favourites

I do like all of them - although I'm not sure when I'll wear Sphinx (Gold) very much. My personal favourites are Rich Mahogany and Eclipse for there suitability to everyday wear. And I can't not mention Blue Lagoon here as it's just so bright, beautiful and out there! 

I have included a few photographs of me wearing these liners, I know they're not the best, but I just wanted to help visualize how they look on the eye. I'll get a FOTD up at some point wearing these properly, to show them in their true limelight. 

Eclipse and Stardust

Rich Mahogany and Sphinx

Sorceress (darker) and Purple Haze (lighter)

Blue Lagoon and Oceania

These cost £3.49 and are available from the BeautyUK website, Superdrug and a UK clothes shop that I can;t for the life of me remember the name of, sorry! But if anyone knows, feel free to remind me in the comments below :) 

I'd love to see a lime green from this range and even a black would be great...

Thanks for reading my post, I hope you found the swatches useful, if not pretty to look at. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, Thanks again, H :)