Review: 17 Shine Control Pressed Powder

This is a scheduled post whilst I'm on holiday, so comments will be replied to when I get home (7th July!) Hope you like it!

 

What's life without a good face powder?! A bit more shiny if nothing else! This particular one isn't one that I had ever considered picking up, but a while ago I put my Boots card into the machine thing instore and it gave me a voucher for one of these. And I couldn't pass up a deal like that, and I'm pleased I didn't as I actually really like this product! It is available from Boots for £3.99. 

As always I've included a summary at the end :) 

The Basics 

This has some rather classy, but simple and practical black packaging, holding the pressed powder inside. It is also available in loose format, which costs a little more. The pressed version comes with a decent 10g amount of product, but also a little powder puff for application. It is a little flimsy though, so I only use it when I'm on the go. But it is great to pop in your bag for on the go as it has a mirror filling the lid! As for colour options it just comes in 'Neutral' which is on the paler side, but fairly sheer so will be usable on skin tones that are a reasonable amount darker than the powder. 

 

What did I think? 

I don't tend to have really oily skin, but I do get an afternoon sheen! Nowadays that has pretty much gone and all thanks to this little gem! It does work best pressed into the skin with a powder puff as opposed to brushing it on with a powder brush. As it sets it into the skin better. But I find that once I've applied this my skin stays nice and matte - even through a 6 hour kitchen shift, which I was super super impressed with! It didn't survive longer shifts in the kitchen, but that is taking it to the extremes really! But if you're super oily you may need to touch up! It also mattes out the skin, so if you like a glowing complexion, this may not be for you!

Below I'm wearing this powder over my foundation. 

Full FOTD here.

The Good - cheap, value, nice packaging, 10g product, includes a mirror, does what it says - keeps shine at bay!

The Not so Good - powder puff is a bit flimsy, may be too pale for those with a darker skintone.

Would I repurchase? Yes, definitely. It has really worked for me!

Who might like it? I can't speak for those with really oily skin as I don't have it. But for people like me that get some shine this should work - it did for me anyway!

The Bottom Line -  I really like this for my skin, but if your skins super oily you may not see effects as I did, but it should in theory make a difference. 

It was a first for me at Midnight Violets today, in the 18 months I've been blogging and reviewing I have never reviewed a face powder. Mainly because I didn't think it would be something you'd want to read, but this one impressed me so much that I had to share! Let me know if I was wrong and you would like reviews of powders I use. But I hope you enjoyed the post and I'll speak to you again soon, H :)  

Review: Palmers Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Lip Balm

This is a scheduled post whilst I'm on holiday, so comments will be replied to when I get home (7th July!) Hope you like it!

A girl can never have too many lip balms, and that is a fact! So that in mind I have yet another lip balm to review for you all! Palmers Cocoa Butter brand is something that I've seen in the shops for years and years. But it tended to be something that I just walked past, until I noticed my mum had some of their body lotion in her bathroom. So I tried it and loved the smell and feel of my skin afterwards. I have ridiculous amounts of body lotion already so decided to get this lip balm instead. I got mine from Asda for just £1 (on offer).

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

This is a very standard tube shaped twist up lip balm, but just a warning it twists at the top, not the bottom! Inside is 4g of product, which contains Vitamin E and an SPF15, so great for the summer - although you might want something with a higher SPF if you're going abroad! I would describe this as being a unisex product. It does have the classic cocoa vanilla scent that Palmers use in all the products I've smelled from the brand. 

 

 What did I think? 

On first use I wasn't too convinced as this is a balm that's on the harder side and slightly waxy. Which aren't things I generally like. But because the smell was so amazing I carried on using it. And learnt to not really be bothered by it's texture as it was still smooth and applies nicely. And also I've found that it makes my lips lovely and soft, which lasts a good few hours after it has worn off. As I said I do see this as a unisex product (my OH likes it!) as it has no sheen to it and is pretty much invisible on the lips as well as having plainish packaging. 

  

The Good - unisex, smells lovely, SPF15, makes my lips nice and soft, cheap, good value.

The Not so Good - slightly waxy and hard - nothing awful though.

Would I repurchase? Probably yes, I'm considering getting the boyfriend his own too so mine stays mine haha!

Who might like it? Those that like a simple, fuss free, invisible balm that works. 

The Bottom Line - Nothing particularly exciting, but still a nice everyday product, but something I can see myself using a fair amount. 

I really wish I have delved into Palmer's products earlier as they smell seriously amazing and actually work well at softening in my experience too! I don't actually own any of their body lotions, but I really really want too! I'm making myself use up some of the ones I already own first though! But anyway enough of my rambling, I really hope you enjoyed todays post, H :) 

A Very Quick Announcement!

Hello everyone, this is a very quick post as I need to go to bed, but I wanted to quickly let you know that from very early tomorrow morning until 7th July I will be on holiday so won't be able to reply to comments until then. I have however written some scheduled posts for you all, so lets hope blogger publishes them! But for now goodbye and have fun with your make-up! H :)

The £20 Make-Up Challenge!

At the moment on Youtube there's something called the £20 Make-Up Challenge doing the rounds. In theory it is pretty simple, you have to create a look with products and brushes etc costing less than £20. But in practice it did require some thinking! But anyway I decided to do this as I'm a lover of all things cheap and wanted to see what I could come up with, I hope you enjoy!

EDIT: After posting this one of my lovely followers on twitter pointed out that this actually adds upto a smidge more than £20 - fail on my part with the maths! It was never my strong point. But if you skip the blush brush then we're all good. I might do another version with different products and actually under £20!

PRODUCTS USED

Face 

NYC All Day Long Foundation - Classic Ivory (£3.99, Superdrug)

NYC Cover Stick - Light (~£1.50, Superdrug) 

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks - Rosey Glow (£1.99)

ELF Blush Brush (£3.75, ELF's Website)  

Eyes 

ELF Duo Eyeshadow Cream - Mocha Swirl (£1.50, ELF's Website)

ELF Brightening Eye Colour - Day 2 Night (£1.50, ELF's Website)

Collection (2000) Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner (£2.99, Superdrug) 

NYC Show Time Volumizing Mascara (£1.99, Superdrug) 

MakeUp Academy Eyebrow Pencil - Blonde (£1, Superdrug)   

Lips  

Primark Lip Stain Pen - no shade name (£1.50, Primark) 

That challenge was actually pretty fun to do, something a little different from the usual! And a lot less products too, but I think the overall look didn't turn out too bad, I hope anyway :)  

But if you wanted to do the challenge then go for it and leave me a link. I'm a massive lover of cheap products and I'm sure you all know of some gems I've overlooked! But most of all thanks for stopping by and I'll speak to you again soon, H :)  

Review + Swatches: MakeUp Academy (MUA) Undressed Palette

You may have seen my comparison of this super cheap palette to the not so cheap Urban Decay Naked Palette last week. But if not, my verdict was that they were dupes. For this reason I haven't gone into shade descriptions as I already did this in my comparison post and thought you'd find it boring to read the same thing twice, but if you wanted to read it, then head on over to the other post! This is available from MUA's Website and some Superdrugs for £4! 

As always I've included a summary at the end :) 

 

The Basics 

This is a new palette from MUA including 12 shades of beautiful everyday shades including a mix of shimmer and matte finishes. Although the colours are dupable for the Naked Palette, the packaging is on the cheaper side - with a handy clear lid (this isn't a moan!). In total there is 9.6g of eyeshadow, which works out as 0.8g per shade. This is on the smaller side, but again I have no complaints due to the phenomenal quality and value! In total you can get these palettes in 9 different varities, which is awesome! 

 

The Formula 

These have a really great formula considering the price, the colours are mostly well pigmented, with the mattes not being so great in swatches, but they do translate better to the eye. They also apply and blend nicely and just work really nicely for a variety of pretty looks. On me I find that these last a good 9-10 hours before creasing, but like a lot of cheaper eyeshadows there is some fading, but you'll still be able to see there's colour on your eyes! This is all over my trusty Too Faced Shadow Insurance. 

Over ELF Eyelid Primer

 

The Colours 

As I already said this is an Urban Decay Naked Palette dupe, so it has a range of finishes - 2 mattes and 10 more shimmery shades. The colours are mainly nudey shades, with varying gold/bronze/champagne tones. With some darker shades as well which work well in the crease or for a more smoky look. All in all a great variety. I have full colour descriptions of the shades and a comparison to the Naked Palette here.

The Good - cheap, value, pigmented, a Naked palette dupe, practical packaging, lasts well on the eyes.

The Not so Good - Not available in that many Superdrugs, does fade a little, mattes could be better.

Would I repurchase? Absolutely, over and over!

Who might like it?  Those that have been eyeing up the Naked palette but don't want to spend the money on it. Also anyone that likes more natural colours.

The Bottom Line - The best Naked Palette dupe I've seen, with amazing value and quality for the price! 

How many times can I say dupe in one post! Hopefully you got the point anyway! But all in all I LOVE this palette - very awesome! But if you have any questions then do let me know and I'll speak to you again soon. Thanks for stopping by, H :)

FOTD: Earth Mother

That was a pretty rubbish name, but I felt this look had a very earthy feel to it with the natural greens, browns and golds. And that was the best I could come up with! This was a request from one of my lovely followers Rachael to use the Accessorize Silk Baked Eyeshadow in Chloe that I reviewed the other day! So I hope you enjoy it :)

PRODUCTS USED 

Face 

Primer - Collection 2000 Primed & Ready Primer 

Foundation - Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation - 51 Light Vanilla 

Concealer - Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Fair 

Blush - Accessorize Bronzing Block - Shade 4

Highlight -  BarryM Dazzle Dust - 3 

Eyes 

Primer -  Urban Decay Primer Potion - Eden 

Lid - Accessorize Silk Baked Eyeshadow - Chloe

Crease -  MUA Undressed Palette - Shade 5

Deepen Crease - ELF Brightening Eye Colour - Brownstone (deepest shade) 

Upper Lashline - ELF Cream Eyeliner - Metallic Olive 

Lower Lashline - The Body Shop Eye Definer - Rich Brown 

Inner Corner -  Topshop crayon - Equinox 

Browbone - Marks & Spencers Eye Palette - Safari (palest shade in middle) 

Mascara - 17 Va Va Voom Mascara 

Brows - MakeUp Academy Eyebrow Pencil - Blonde

Lips  

Stain - 17 Berry Crush Lip Stain - Blushin 

A simple look from me today! I seem to have been leaning towards the more natural shades recently, I need to get my colour back seeing as it's summer! I even went out in flip-flops today! Those things are seriously hard to walk in! But anyway I hope the look wasn't too boring and you're having a great day, H :)

Review + Swatches: Superdrug BB Cream - Light

I've been putting off writing this review for weeks now, but just couldn't get out of it any longer as it's turning into old news now! I haven't heard any reviews on this yet, so hopefully it will be helpful to my fellow make-up lovers here in the UK. But you may have gathered from the procrastinating with this review that I'm not so much of a fan! But it is available from Superdrug (obviously!), currently for £6.99, normally £8.99. 

As always I've included a summary at the end :) 

 

The Basics 

This comes in a standard squeezy tube, with a larger than average 50ml of product. It is also vegan, cruelty free and paraben free - so ticks some boxes for a lot of people! It claims to be a 5in1 cream, acting as a moisturiser, primer and foundation and concealer - yes that is four, I can't find the 5th thing? But to be honest I don't really agree with many of the claims it makes... Well I agree with the SPF15 protecting from sun damage, which is something I really like to see in a product - so bonus points for that! 

What did I think? 

On first application I find this to be greasy looking and will take a small while to sink into the skin. I don't personally find that this colour is a good match for me at all, it is very warm/orange toned. But as it's so sheer once on the skin I could vaguely get away with it if I make sure to blend it out really well (it needs it) to avoid orange patches. For me this isn't something I'd wear alone (except for testing) as it doesn't really give any coverage, just a warm tint to the skin. But I have worn it under foundation a few times for some added moisture. I see this product as more of a tinted moisturizer than a BB Cream. 

The Good - lots of product, moisturizing, paraben free, vegan, SPF15.  

The Not so Good - very warm/orange and needs blending in well, doesn't have much coverage at all, can be a little 'shiny'

Would I repurchase? I can't see it happening, sorry Superdrug - love their Hot Cloth Cleanser though!

Who might like it? Oompa Loompas? But seriously those that have a warm tone to their skin and want a sheer covering (don't worry this isn't actually as extreme as an oompa loompa!).

The Bottom Line - This isn't a product for me, as I prefer more coverage. Also the colours not a match for me (no testers in store).     

Sorry about the negative review today, but I really like to give you my honest opinions. If I wasn't honest I don't think you would read my posts really! But everyone is going to have some varying opinions on products, so if you like this then that's fine :) But thank you for stopping by, and I'll speak to you again tomorrow - hopefully with something a little more positive! H :)  

What was in my Glossybox - June 2012!

A couple of weeks ago I put in an order for my very first Glossybox! And as you may have seen if you follow me on Youtube I did a video on it yesterday. Today I've been very busy pre writing posts in preparation for my holiday next week (excited!) so didn't want to write a whole post about it. But I still wanted to share the video with you on what I got in mine! If you haven't heard of glossybox then their website is here. But it's basically a monthly sample subscription box, for £10 (+p&p). 

That's a very attractive thumbnail isn't it! I know I sounded a little bit disappointed with the conditioner in the video, but I've got over it know and just needed to remember that the surprise is the main part of the fun! And I am LOVING the tweezers! 

So overall I was reasonably satisfied with my first Glossybox and will be going back for more at some point (not for a couple of months though). Thanks for stopping by, H :)

My First Ever NOTD! Accessorize Nail Polish - Truffle

So last night was my last shift in my kitchen job, which means my nails are now mine and can be painted to my hearts content! So this morning I did some housework (fun!) and then picked out my first nail polish for my finger nails. The one I picked out was Accessorize's Truffle! I got this from Superdrug on offer for £1.95 (normally £4) 

Darker IRL

What did I think? 

Love the colour, it's a bit funky, without being too bright. It's a taupe, but has a lot more grey than brown in it and has a cream finish. As you can see from the pictures it isn't too dark, but still leans more towards that side. This has a nice shiny finish, which really complements the colour! As for application I found that the polish was on the thicker side, which didn't prove too much of a problem, and had a pretty standard brush. This picture is taken with three coats - but I did add a fourth afterwards. 

What do you think of the colour? I love it! Apologies for the not so great condition of my hands, heat, hand washing and salt water (my other job) kill the hands! But I hope you enjoyed my very first NOTD! How often did you want to see them? Every time I wear a new polsih? Let me know! And thank you for stopping by, I'll speak to you soon, H :)  

Tutorial: The Many Uses of Barry M Dazzle Dusts (& other loose eyeshadows)

Last week I swatched my Dazzle Dust collection and one of my lovely followers said on twitter she'd like to see a tutorial on how to use these Dazzle Dusts, so I've made a video! I've shown you a lot of different ways of using them, although I skipped on the blush as none of the shades I have would have worked for the look, but they can most definitely be used for that too! All the methods will be show in the video with this post acting as more of an  information point for products and pictures. Hope this is helpful! 

On the Eyes 

As well as the standard using it as eyeshadow, you can use it as a liner as well. Using something such as the ELF Make-Up Lock & Seal to get a more intense colour. To get a better colour on the lid it's great to use a sticky base, I personally prefer the Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, but cream shadows will work well as well. You can also use them on the lower lashline with a small pencil brush for a more subtle liner. 

 

On the Face

As I said in the intro you can use these as a blush, but I don't really have a shade that would have suited this look. If doing this it would be handy to have some kind of clean dish to swirl a small amount of product onto your blush brush with as the pots are very small! Also try to go for the less shimmery shades - unless you want to be glitterific! But what I have done is to use a subtle pinky gold one (3) and applied it lightly as a highlight.

On the Lips

Barry M's website says that these can be used on eyes, lips and face. But if using a different powder product you might want to check that they are lip safe first. For this look I just used the same shade I used to highlight with on the centre of my lips. You can also mix some into lipgloss for a more pigmented look, but I haven't used this technique in the video! 

PRODUCTS USED

Face 

Primer - NYC Smooth Skin Perfection Primer 

Foundation - Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation - 51 Light Beige

Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Fair 

Blush - Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks - Rosey Glow 

Highlight - Barry M Dazzle Dust - 3

 

Eyes 

Primer - Too Faced Shadow Insurance 

Base - Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy 

Lid - Barry M Fine Glitter Dust - 24 

Crease - Barry M Dazzle Dust - 11

Upper Lashline - Barry M Dazzle Dust - 11 & ELF MakeUP Lock & Seal 

Lower Lashline - Barry M Dazzle Dust - 99

Waterline - Topshop Kajal Pencil - Crushed Charcoal 

Mascara - 17 Va Va Voom! 

Brows - MakeUp Academy Brow Pencil - Blonde 

 

Lips 

Lipstick - MakeUp Academy Lip Boom - OMG 

Gloss - Accessorize Lip Gloss - Celebrity

Highlight - Barry M Dazzle Dust - 3

How many times can I write Dazzle Dust in one post?! But in all reality you can use these ideas with any loose powder eyeshadow, not necessarily the Barry M ones, that's just what I've used here - they are beautiful though! I really hope this video was helpful, let me know if there's anything else you wanted to see! 

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I hope you have a great day, H :) 

Review + Swatches: Accessorize Silk Baked Eyeshadow - Chloe

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a love hate relationship with baked eyeshadows, surely? On the plus side they usually come in really pretty colours and are more versatile as you can use then wet or dry - plus you usually get more product. But I also tend to find that they have less pigmentation to them. But I gave this new Accessorize product a chance and swatched it. And needless to say I was impressed as I picked one up! I can't remember the exact price, but it was definitely less than £3, available online from Accessorize - link. 

As always I've included a summary at the end :) 

The Basics 

These new eyeshadows haven't made it to the online world as I'm writing this. But you should be able to find them at your local Superdrugs Accessorize stand. If I remember correctly there were a fair few colour choices, not loads though & all fairly subtle colours except for a pretty mintish green. They all have girls names to them as well, this one is Chloe. I can't really tell you how much product you get as it's not written anywhere - I've been getting this a lot lately, I'm wondering if some rules on it changed? But the original Accessorize Baked shadows had 3g product and the new ones are slightly smaller but with the same clear packaging. 

 

The Formula 

They say Silk Baked and true to form they are silky soft in texture, with outstanding blending abilities. Seriously impressive! The colour actually applies super evenly and pigmented (although paler than in pan) and will blend as much as you want it too. They're also really well lasting, I had very minimal (as in pretty much unnoticeable) after about 9/10 hours, there is a small amount of fading too, but that's standard for me! This is all over the Too Faced Shadow Insurance - swatches as well. 

 

The Colour 

Baked products tend to have nice pearly finishes that sometimes lean a little shimmery. And this one is no different! The colour here is actually something pretty unique in my collection and actually on the more complex side. Which is really nice to see! It is essentially an olive shade and has the most beautiful golden sheen to it, with brownish tones going on in there as well. This is one of those shades that can be worn all by itself and still look amazing, as the picture below hopefully shows! 

 

The Good - pigmented, cheap, really nice colour, soft soft soft, clear packaging, can be used wet or dry, lasts and blends awesomely.

The Not so Good - not so many bright colours available, swatch not entirely true to pan.

Would I repurchase? I really like the formula, but don't remember seeing any other colours that appealed to me. I will be looking though!

Who might like it? Those that like more interesting, but not in your face shades. Also great if you just want to use one eyeshadow.

The Bottom Line -  I was very impressed with this eyeshadow, much better than I expected! 

I went through a patch of loving Accessorize things last year and then sort of forgot about the brand, whoops! But I went shopping with my mum the other day and noticed they had lots of new pretty things! So needless to say I have a few other Accessorize reviews coming up! But thank you everyone for stopping by and I'll speak to you again soon, H :)  

Is the MUA Undressed Palette an Urban Decay Naked Palette Dupe?

A couple of weeks ago MakeUp Academy (MUA) released a new palette called Undressed. And on first glance it really reminded me of the Urban Decay Naked Palette (original). And on swatching I was super impressed with the similarities. And wanted to share themwith you all as there's a HUGE price difference with the MUA Palette coming in at £4 and the Urban Decay £36. Bare in mind this is just an eyeshadow comparison and full review will be coming soon! 

The Numbers are MUA colours (left) and the Names are the Urban Decay colours (right). 

Shade 1 V. Virgin

Super similar champagne ivory shades with MUA's (shade 1) being slightly cooler toned. And it's pearl finish being a smidge more intense.

Shade 2 V. Sin

Almost identical rosey champagne shades, again with MUA's (shade 2) being ever so slightly cooler. But virtually identical. 

 

Shade 3 V. Naked

These are two that aren't really dupe worthy, although still similar. The Urban Decay one (Naked) is a lot warmer and has some slight terracotta tones to it. Both are matte, with MUA's lacking some pigmentation.

Shade 4 V. Sidecar

In the pan shade 4 (MUA) looks a fair amount deeper, but swatches very similar. You can only really notice if you study them that they're different. Much like a lot of these shades really! Also MUA's doesn't have the annoying silver glitter that just falls out anyway! 

 

Shade 5 V. Buck

This time around MUA's shade is warmer. With both shades being darker than the other matte counterpart in their respective palettes. Again MUA's matte shade lacks pigmentation - the shimmer shades are very very well pigmented though. 

 

Shade 6 V. Half Baked

Again these shades are very similar, although I wouldn't say they are exact dupes. MUA's shade 6 has slight more orange tones, with Half Baked a more yellowy gold. 

Shade 7 V. Smog

These are the two most different in the palettes, Shade 7 from MUA is a lot lighter and has more gold tones, with Urban Decays Smog being a fair amount deeper and more bronze. 

Shade 8 V. Darkhorse

I always thought I wouldn't find anything similar to Darkhorse as it's pretty unique. But actually the MUA shade comes pretty close. Darkhorse is a tiny bit darker and it's sheen is slightly more bronze (as opposed to the more golden one of shade 8). But essentially super similar and I'd say dupes!

Shade 9 V. Toasted

Again very very similar, but shade 9's sheen is slightly more pinky than the rose gold of Toasted's. But essentially pretty similar. And lets be honest you're not really going to see these subtle differences so much once they're on the eyes - same with the other colours. 

 

Shade 10 V. Hustle

I'm getting repetitive here, but again very very similar with Hustle being slightly warmer!  

 

Shade 11 V. Creep

These are identical (well almost) charcoal shades with subtle silver shimmer in them. And believe it or not the MUA version is more pigmented! 

Shade 12 V.  Gunmetal

These are two gunmetal coloured eyeshadows. Great for smokey eyes making both palettes really versatile. The MUA one (shade 12) has more blue tones to it with Urban Decays Gunmetal being more black based. 

And the verdict is... They are dupes! And actually you may be surprised but the MUA Palette has a great formula and pigmentation too, I haven't got a review of it up yet but you can check out my review of another of their palettes 'Heaven and Earth' if you wanted to know more about the formula etc.

But anyway I really hope this post was helpful and saves some of you a bit of your hard earned money - I was going to say Cash, but I never really pay for anything in cash these day, or is it just me?! Thanks for stopping by, H :)