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7 Days 7 Mascara’s L’Oréal Infallible Unlimited Mascara

Ah I’ve made it to day 7, yes it’s taken two weeks but as the saying goes Rome wasn’t built in a day (or seven for that matter!).

Today’s mascara is a new kid on the block, L’Oréal’s new Infallible Unlimited Mascara has a unique bendable wand, making it easier to access you lashes. It also has what I call a ‘prickly’ brush, the good thing about these type of brushes is that you can get right to the root of the lashes, ensuring even the shortest of lashes gets a covering of mascara. The bendy wand is a really good idea, it means you can get right into all those hard to access areas and I find I don’t end up catching the side of my nose with it, as it’s a shorter wand you can be more precise.

The formula is creamy and not particularly clumpy, so it doesn’t give that spider leg look, it does separate the lashes beautifully, the brush has shorter bristles near the tip, so it’s good for catching all those tiny bottom lashes too.

I actually really like this mascara, it lengthens and volumises, it’s very easy to use and I think the bendy wand is really effective, not just another gimmick. I also like the packaging, a matte black teardrop shapes tube, it’s very edgy and has that urban cool aesthetic about it. It’s £10.99 at full price but L’Oréal is usually on offer in Boots or Superdrug.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · Drugstore makeup · first impressions · Lashes · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Mascara · mascara review · Revlon mega multiplier mascara

7 Days 7 Mascaras, Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara

So I’ve made it to day 6, and yes I know I’ve missed a couple of days here and there! Today’s offering, is from the drugstore. Revlon Mega Multiplier is a volumising and lengthening mascara, it contains fibres to plump and extend lashes, and has a unique ‘Mega Lash Brush’ designed to apply the product from the lash line to the tips.

Firstly, I quite like the brush, it’s a sort of cone shape which makes it easy to grab every lash. The formula is fairly volumising but I didn’t find it lengthens all that much. This is another mascara which fits into that ‘daytime’ category, so if you just need your mascara to just enhance your lashes but not give you ‘boom’ lashes, then you’ll probably like this. I think there are two types of mascara people, the ones who want just a little bit of length, volume and colour to achieve a fairly natural look, and those (like me) who want the most impactful, Volumising and lengthening product available.

I often find mascara which contains fibres will really start to irritate my eyes by the end of the day but I’m happy to report that this one didn’t cause any irritation. As you can see from the photo below, it gave quite natural looking results, not that my blue liner is particularly natural looking!

To summarise, this isn’t really a mascara that ticks all the boxes for me. I do like the brush, and it didn’t irritate my eyes so those are positives, but it just didn’t have the impact that I like. Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara costs £9.99 for 8.5ml.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · first impressions · Lashes · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Mascara · mascara review · Smashbox · Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

7 Days 7 Mascara’s, Smashbox Full Exposure

This is mini size mascara which I got in a gift set, but it’s a mascara I’ve always wanted to try as it’s a bit of a blogger fave! Smashbox is only available from Boots and their own website, and for me, it’s a brand which is famous for its primers but not much else.

This mascara has a pretty large brush, which I’m not a fan of because I find them difficult to use, and this was no exception, I ended up using it vertically because I find you can’t get a decent covering of product using the brush as it’s intended.

This mascara contains fibres, and it does volumise, the website claims it volumised lashes by 104% with every swipe. It contains olive oil to keep lashes soft, and I do feel that my lashes stayed fairly flexible. I had to apply good few swipes of product to get some intensity. It didn’t crumble or give me smudgey panda eyes, and it didn’t irritate my eyes (some brands of mascara make my eyes itch by the evening).

So to summarise, I quite like the formula of this mascara but I didn’t like the large brush, also I felt like I had to build it up a lot and to be honest, I’m someone who likes to apply a max of three swipes per eye (I have no time, don’t judge me!). Price wise it’s kind of in the middle at £20. I’m not sure I would buy the full size of this mascara, it’s alright but I know there’s better.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · Dior mascara · Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof · Lashes · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Mascara · mascara review

7 Days 7 Mascara’s, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara

Day 4 of this series features the most expensive mascara I own, the Dior Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara, which retails for £27. The packaging is very luxurious and exactly what you’d expect from a premium/designer makeup brand. I don’t usually go for waterproof mascara as it’s such a pain to remove, but this recent hot weather has me looking for products that won’t melt off!

The main feature of this mascara, is the brush, it has a unique ‘incurved’ brush, which is designed to deliver extreme curl, similar to the effect of using eyelash curlers. The formula has a ‘stretch effect’ to make lashes look long and full.

I used this with the Diorshow Maximiser 3D Triple Volume-Plumping Lash Primer, which is another type of product I rarely use, generally I just add more layers of mascara than use a lash primer. The lash primer is white so you can see where you’ve applied it, this has a really clever brush that that’s quite dense so it distributes the product evenly whilst separating the lashes. I really like the primer, the only problem with it is that I forget to use it! This is also on the expensive side at £27.

The Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara itself gave a good coating of very black mascara. I’m not a huge fan of the brush, it’s quite thick and I prefer the smaller, thinner brushes. I also found it didn’t keep my lashes separated, which I think you can see in the photo below, I have shown my lashes in their bare state so you can see how fine and pale they are. The mascara is waterproof, I didn’t have any issues with it straying or giving a panda eye effect, it was a pain to remove, but no more than any other waterproof product.

To summarise, this did lengthen my lashes, and it was very black, the lash primer really helped to volumise and thicken. For me, it’s just a bit on the pricey side for a Mascara, for that amount of money I want my lashes to look I’m wearing falsies! And as mascara is a product which I go through like water (I like a lotta lash!), it’s not one I’d get again.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · CYO Cosmetics · Drugstore makeup · first impressions · Lashes · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Mascara · mascara review

7 Days 7 Mascara’s, CYO The Thick Of It Mascara

Day 3 of this series features a Mascara from a relatively new brand. CYO is stocked exclusively in Boots, I believe it stands for Create Your Own but don’t quote me on that. It’s an inexpensive brand, this mascara costs £6 although it’s usually on some sort of offer. They make a few different formula’s but I like a volumising Mascara which is why I chose this one.

For a drugstore brand I thought the packaging was quite impressive, it comes in a box, which is a bit of a rarity for an inexpensive product (I’m easily pleased). The tube is plain matte black and feels quite sturdy.

On to the actual product, the brush is a little larger than I prefer, I feel these big brushes are hard to get into the base of the lashes, although lots of people seem to like them. It is a traditional style of brush, not one of those with the hard spikes instead of bristles. Although it is a volumising Mascara, I wasn’t particularly blown away by how full and thick it made my lashes, and it took quite a few swipes over my lashes to make any real impact, in fact the effect was pretty mediocre. On the plus side, it contains Panthenol to condition the lashes and is available in five shades (I still love coloured mascara!).

To summarise, this is an ok Mascara, if you just want a bit of volume and colour then it’s fine, it’s what I call a daytime mascara, you know, good for popping to the shops when you’ve only got minimal makeup on. To be honest I prefer a bit more drama than this mascara provided, but as you can see from the photo above, it looks very black and does make my lashes look more substantial. And yes I know my concealer has creased!

If you haven’t already, check this brand out, the bronzers are great and they’re only £4!

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · It Cosmetics · Lashes · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Mascara · mascara review

7 Days 7 Mascara’s, It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara

Day 2 in this series, and today I’m using the Superhero Mascara from It Cosmetics.

This is a premium brand so it’s on the more expensive side at £19. The product is packaged in a sleek black box, the tube inside is also plain black and has a flared shape, so it’s sort pleasing to hold (well that sounds a bit weird?!) also it’s quite substantial in its size and feels luxurious.

Now on to the formula, the great thing about It Cosmetics as a brand, is that every product is formulated to be skin loving, and indeed the mascara contains Collagen, Biotin and Peptides. Plus the brush is designed to lift, separate and curl the lashes. It’s buildable and has super black pigment, it’s volumising but doesn’t contain fibres, which for me, is great as so many mascara’s irritate my eyes, and often the volumising formula’s seem to crumble away throughout the day, leaving black particles under my eyes (not a good look!).

I absolutely adore this mascara, it’s the best one I’ve used for a while, and it really does make your lashes look longer and more volumised, plus it’s super black so although it can be layered, I haven’t found it necessary to heap lots of product on. This is definitely a new favourite for me, and it’s one I’ll repurchase.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Collection Cosmetics · Drugstore makeup · first impressions · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Mascara

7 Days 7 Mascaras, Collection Volumising Mascara

I’ve decided do to a week of using a different mascara each day, i have a number of new mascara’s to try and I like the challenge of doing a blog post a day.

So to kick us off, is a drugstore mascara which a lot of people seem to be raving about, Collection Volumising Mascara. Collection is an inexpensive drugstore brand available from Boots and Superdrug, their best known product is the Lasting Perfection Concealer which everyone (including myself) loves.

The Mascara is packaged in a pretty standard plastic tube, with a black and turquoise design. I have the non-waterproof version but they make a waterproof formula too. The brush (which for many people is the the dealbreaker) is actually a good shape, and is not too big, the shape reminds me of the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara brush, but that’s kind of where the similarities end.

This is a Volumising Mascara, and it does have quite a thick texture which makes it quite dry and it’s difficult to get a good coating on the lashes. I had to apply a good few strokes of the brush to get a really dense black coating on my lashes. Having said all that, it only costs £3.99 and it’s not the worst mascara out there, it’s just not the best either. I’ve done a before and after picture below, so you can see it’s effect, my natural, bare lashes are really fair and fine, so I generally like a very impactful mascara.

So this was my first instalment of 7 days 7 mascara’s, if you are loving a particular mascara, let me know in the comments so I can give it a whirl! Thanks for reading, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · Brow products · Brows · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup review · Makeup Revolution · maybelline · maybelline brow tint · Revolution Brow Tint

Battle of the Brow Tints

I thought I’d do a little comparison of the Maybelline Tattoo Brow Ling Lasting Tint and the Revolution Brow Tint, these are both the peel off products, which last about 3 days.

I’ve been using the Maybelline one for a while, the first time I tried it, I was so worried how it would turn out I only left it on for a couple of minutes! I’d heard mixed reviews about it, some people said it left their brows with a reddish tone to them, which I definitely didn’t want! However, I was drawn to trying it because my natural brow colour is very fair, and if I have no product on them, they look pretty invisible. The actual product does look quite dark and scary when you first apply it, it has a sticky treacle like texture. The brush in the tube applies the product fairly evenly, although I find it’s best to have a couple of cotton buds on hand, just so you can clean the edges and tidy up any mistakes. I generally leave it on for 20 minutes, so it’s completely dried, then you peel it off quite easily. I use the shade Light Brown, which is the fairest shade they do (there is also Medium Brown and Dark Brown). Now with this shade I haven’t found it leaves any red tones, it just gradually fades back to your original brow colour. It usually lasts about 3 days, and I find it’s much easier and quicker when you come to shape and fill your brows with pencils and pomades (or whatever you use), simply because there’s already a good base there, and I use a lot less pencil than I used to. I love this product and I’ve just bought my second tube! I think Maybelline could probably do with expanding the shade range though. £12.99 from Boots and Superdrug.

The Revolution Brow Tint works in the same way, and looks fairly similar, a dark sticky gel. I have the shade Taupe, as that’s the shade that I usually choose when I buy brow products. Application wise, it’s again a little brush which works fine. I found that this gel didn’t seem to dry down in the same way, I left it on for 20 minutes but when I came to peel it off it was really messy and although it felt dry to the touch it didn’t peel off neatly, I had this black sticky goo on my fingernails and in the end I had to wipe the last of it off with a damp cloth. The finished shade was nice, it was darker than the Maybelline one though, which I didn’t mind, but in some lights it had a really red undertone to it, not a golden auburn type of shade, it was a weird almost pinky red. This, combined with the it being more messy to remove has put me off it, even if it is a lot cheaper. The Revolution Brow Tint also only has 3 shades, Taupe, Medium Brown and Dark Brown, and is £5 from Superdrug.

Although the Maybelline Brow Tattoo is more expensive, personally I think it’s the better product. I’ve been using the Tint a couple of times a week and it makes doing my brows so much quicker, plus if I’m having a ‘no makeup’ day, at least I look like I have brows. I still remove my makeup in the same way, I use Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Cleansing Oil, and the Tint will still last three days, I’ve been asked before if it washes off easily, I haven’t found this to be an issue with either brand. The top part of the photo below just shows what the Brow Tint looks like when it’s first applied, the middle is when it’s first peeled off, and the bottom is when I’ve sculpted them with my NYX Professional Makeup Precision Brow Pencil, and obviously I have al my other makeup on, the power of makeup eh?! I usually just give my brows a quick wipe over with a damp cloth just to remove any last traces. Hope this helps if you fancy trying one of these type of brow tints.

Thanks for reading, Mo x

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May Review, a month in makeup!

I know I’m really late with this blog post being as we’re over half way through June. There’s been a lot of new launches and I have a whole heap of products to get through, so let’s crack on!

BASE

First up, a new primer in the shape of NYX Professional Makeup’s Hydra Touch. I’m a bit of creature of habit as far as primers go, I find one I like then stick with it, and it’s rare for me to change. However, Hydra Touch has been a game changer, it doesn’t have that slippery silicone feel to it, in fact it absorbs quickly into the skin and hydrates without any residue. It contains a whole host of skin loving ingredients including extracts of liquorice, mushroom, rosemary and ginger ginseng root. I have combination skin and I use it everywhere except my nose (that grease slick doesn’t need hydrating!), and it gives a lovely base to apply your foundation. Did I mention it smells fabulous too? £11 for 30ml.

Two new loose powders this month, the Marc Jacobs Finish Line Perfecting Coconut Setting Powder and the Hourglass Veil Powder.

If you follow my insta you’ll know I adore Marc Jacobs, so when this came out with the new Coconut summer collection, I knew I had to have it. The packaging is white, smooth and sleek like the rest of the coconut collection, inside the pot it has a mesh powder dispenser, which works really well. I tend to apply loose powder with my damp beauty blender (weird I know), l lightly press the sponge in to the mesh and a good amount of powder is left on the sponge, I’m not sure how it works, but it does. The powder itself is very lightweight and good coverage for powder, it has a slightly heavier texture than some, and you don’t get a poof of powder when you open it for instance, like some of the very lightweight ones. I really like this powder it’s a lovely product, it contains Coconut Polysaccharides to condition and has a Coconut derived scent. £32 for 8g.

On to the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. When I saw they were launching a loose powder, I wanted to try it as I really like the brand, I have two of the highlighter palettes but I do think it’s all a bit on the expensive side. The powder has a unique sifter to dispense the powder, the idea is that it gives you just the right amount, but I like to use a lot of powder and as I don’t use a brush to apply it the golden sifter is a bit annoying. The actual powder is lovely, it doesn’t contain Talc, it’s infused with diamond powder to give light refraction without flashback, and blurs pores and fine lines. This powder costs £36 for 10.5g so you get slightly more product than the Marc Jacobs one, again it’s a lovely powder but I’m not sure I would repurchase it, I still think the best loose powder is the Makeup Forever one.

BRONZER, CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHTER

I a bit of a creature of habit when it comes to bronzer, I use a Michael Kors Bronzer, which has sadly been discontinued or the Makeup Forever Probronze Fusion, but I decided to try a new one. Urban Decays Beached Bronzer in the shade Bronzed was my product of choice, I love the packaging, the palm tree compact! The product itself applied smoothly and streak-free as it is very finely milled, and it does give a sunkissed glow although I only really use bronzer to warm up my contour and soften it a little. I’m really impressed with this bronzer, it’s a good shade if you want more of a bronze colour than a terracotta, if that makes sense. £23 for 9g.

This month I bought some mini size products from brands I haven’t tried before. Firstly, from Natasha Denona, a little Blush & Glow duo. I’m not really into blush but I think this is because I’ve never really found a shade I like (apart from The Balm’s Hot Mama, I actually panned that blusher!). This blush is a sort of coral-pink, it’s very pretty on and has a ever so slight shimmer to it. The Glow shade, is a fairly tame highlighter, it gives a subtle sheen but it’s probably not one for those looking for a hardcore light beam! This product is exclusive to Selfridges, £16.50.

I also bought a Kevyn Aucoin Contour Duo, again this is another mini size product. I love that Selfridges are stocking all these brands, finally making them more accessible! The contour shade in this duo was a bit on the grey side for my liking, I know contour is supposed to be cool toned, but this shade looked really strange on my skin tone. The powder applied well and blended nicely, it was just the wrong shade. The highlighter is the Candlelight Celestial Powder, which as with Natasha Denona highlighter, is going to give you a nice healthy glow but not set the world on fire. I got this from Selfridges website too, but I can’t find it on there anymore, I think it was from when they were trialling some different brands.

The Kat Von D 10th Anniversary Metal Crush Extreme Highlighter was really the only part of that collection which appealed to me. Obviously because I love highlighters and also because it’s very beautiful. Now this is a highlighter which will give you that beam of light! This one really isn’t for the faint hearted, it’s a full on ‘visible from space’ type of glow, it is quite a glittery formula, so if you prefer more of a sheen or a metallic finish this might not be for you. 4.8g for £25 from Debenhams.

EYES

A few new palettes this month, although they’re all on a similar theme I feel. If like me, you’re obsessed with warm tones, oranges, reds and yellows for summertime, then the Huda Beauty Coral Obsession’s Palette will be right up your street! This collection of nine eyeshadows is perfect for sunset eye looks! The eyeshadows are very pigmented, creamy and blend beautifully. There’s some stunning metallic pop shades as well,in fact it’s everything you’d expect from Huda! This is probably my star product of the month because I’ve used it so much, perfection in a palette! £25 from Cult Beauty.

I’m not really sure why I bought Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat Palette as I already have the full size version, although the Petite one has different shades in it. The palette is all matte, and the shades are all good quality, and probably if I hadn’t got her Huda palette, it would be my new favourite! As it doesn’t have any metallic ‘pop’ shades I always have to get another palette out to finish my looks, which is a minor gripe, but for me, a valid one. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s a decent palette but slightly underwhelming. £26 Urban Decay.

I had been waiting for the L’Oreal Cherry My Cheri palette to launch after seeing it so much on social media, again this is a very ‘me’ palette, full of warmth and a very pretty Coral! This palette has everything you need for a complete eye look, base, transition, crease, pop and smoke shades. It’s a good alrounder, with some gorgeous metallic shades! A more purse friendly palette, if you’re looking for a summer update. I think the drugstore has been producing some awesome products recently! £14.99 from Boots.

The Marc Jacobs Eye-conic Palette in the shade Fantascene, is stunning, and as I’ve already reviewed this in a previous post I won’t say too much more about it. I will say however, that all of the palettes I’ve mentioned above are pretty similar, and to be honest, you really don’t need all of them, if I had to pick one it would still be the Huda Coral Obsessions purely because it has all my favourite colours in it, but if you are just looking to update your makeup bag I’d go for the Cherry My Cheri Palette.

The Barry M Glitter Bomb is a liquid eyeshadow with a lot of glitter! I have two shades, Bling Bling which is pretty much just glitter, similar to the Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow, so you can apply it on top of your eyeshadow, I love this shade and I’ve used it a lot! The other shade I got is Girl Bye, which is a dark pink shimmer eyeshadow with silver glitter, it’s still pretty but I much prefer the gold. £4.99 from Superdrug, 5 shades.

LIPS

I’m going to start with a product which has blown me away, Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. This stuff stays put no matter what you do, it literally doesn’t move! I have three shades, Driver which is a proper nude, Seductress a much deeper, more punk toned nude and Poet which is a deeper more orange toned nude. If you want your lipstick to last all day then try these, they have a slightly tacky texture as they dry down but once they’re on, THEY ARE ON! £9.99 from Superdrug and Boots, but they’re usually on offer.

Thank for reading this very late blogpost, Mo x

Beauty · Beauty blog · Bronzer · coconut setting powder · Eyeshadow · Eyeshadow Palette · first impressions · Highlight · Highlighter · liquid highlighter · Makeup · Makeup blogger · Makeup haul · Makeup review · Marc Jacobs · marc jacobs beauty · Marc jacobs coconut collection · Powder · Skincare

Marc Jacobs Rose Gold Coconut Collection

If you follow my Instagram you’ll know that although I love all things makeup, my favourite premium brand is Marc Jacobs, so I couldn’t resist the new Rose Gold Coconut Collection! This collection consists of an eyeshadow palette, Rose Gold liquid gel highlighter and bronzer. There is also a loose setting powder, a new edition to the core collection.

The Eye-conic Eyeshadow Palette, in the shade Fantascene, contains Eyeshadows in four different finishes:- velvet, satin, silk and lame. There are seven shades in the palette, each pan contains 0.85g of product, so they are quite small. The shades themselves are very consistent, all the shades are evenly pigmented and smooth when applied. They blend very well, and because the pigmentation is good you don’t need to use a huge amount of each eyeshadow. I think the range of shades in the palette is pretty good, there is a base shade, some transition and crease shades, and good ‘pop’ shades. It’s perfect for doing summer/sunset eyes! The packaging is gorgeous, it feels very sturdy and is very pleasing to touch, it’s smooth and luxurious. I think that white with rose gold writing looks very chic. £39 from Net-a-Porter.

The Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter in the shade Fantasy, is fabulous. It has the same coconut scent as original Dew You shade, and feels the same texture wise. As with the original version, this highlighter can be used under, over or mixed with foundation, I prefer it on top, applied with a damp beauty blender, it gives a proper glowy sheen, no glitter here! It’s also perfect for the shoulders and anywhere you want a gorgeous glow! It’s a good size 24ml, and the bottle has a pump dispenser, £32.

I didn’t get the O’Mega bronzer, I already have it from last year and literally the only difference is that this years has rose gold writing and clasp.

I did get the new Finish Line Perfecting Coconut Setting Powder, my that big ol title! The shade is 34 Invisible, I think this is the only shade this comes in though. The container is again, a smooth luxurious pot, inside there is a mesh area which powder is dispensed through. The powder is very silky, suitable for all skin types, is infused with refreshing electrolytes and coconut polysaccharides, and it has a gorgeous coconut derived scent! £32 for 8g.

I love all of the coconut collection, including last years primer, setting spray, bronzer and eye primer, there’s something incredibly luxurious about all that white packaging, and the coconut scent is reminiscent of tropical islands. It’s all so beautiful that you almost don’t want to use it! I feel it’s very sad news that Marc Jacobs are pulling out of the U.K., I managed to get this new collection from Net-a-Porter, as far as I can tell once John Lewis sell through their remaining stock they will no longer stock the brand, so best stock up now!

Thanks for reading, Mo x