My first foray into illamasqua! (picture heavy)

Eeek, I made my first illamasqua order! When they had their crazy sale I thought I would take my first dive into the world of Illamasqua, and I returned with a lipgloss (never thought I would be buying one of them!) and a lipstick, named Belladonna and Magnetism respectively.  

First up is the lipstick, Magnetism. Housed in sleek, black packaging with a satisfying 'click' when closed this lipstick does feel pretty classy. In terms of the formula it seems a bit harder than other lipsticks that I have used, but still really soft, this allows me to get a very precise finish without  a lip-liner. It also feels quite 'waxy' on the lips, which makes it seem like it is going to be quite long lasting. Plus, it glided over my dry patches like a dream! The colour is quite a deep berry-fuchsia, perfect for this time of year.

Then we come to Belladonna, and lets get one thing straight, this is not a lipgoss, it is a seriously pigmented liquid lipstick type deal. However, sheered out it could be lipgloss-like. I have applied it straight from the tube in all its glory in these photos which gives a very opaque but glossy finish. It feels moisurising, non-sticky and once again glides over dry patches, it reminds me a bit of the Apocolips lip lacquers or my topshop lip paint! I do have one gripe though, the brush was hard and had some random sticky-out bits, which made application very difficult. Though I reckon I just got a dud.

Probably the best thing about these products though is the price. Magnetism came my way for £7.50 whilst Belladonna was a mere £5, that's what I spend on a  bottle of wine (which lasts a night or two at best, oops!) Did you pick up any bargains in the Illamasqua sale?

Free pick 'n' mix of Clarins goodies

If you are reading this I suggest you head to your nearest Clarins' counter at Boots, because you will leave with a bag-full of goodies to try after having a skin care consultation! Here is a little peek at what I was given after explaining my skin woes and concerns;

Cream tea by the sea...

A while ago I was lucky enough to win a holiday for 2 for a week in Cornwall, I took my mum and have just arrived back home today. Despite the weather not being the greatest we ventured outside every day and discovered some gorgeous beaches and picturesque towns. Here are a few pictures from my week!

First impressions; L'Oreal infallible eyeshadow

I have heard nothing but good things about these eye shadows, even seeing them touted as a dupe for Georgio Armani eye's to kill shadows. So when I saw them for a mere £1.50 on Fragrance direct, when their RRP is £6.99, I knew I had to try them. I chose the shades, Pepsy coral, Endless chocolat and Forever pink, the lovely packaged 3.5g pots came pretty quickly and I was so excited to play with them.

These eye shadows are like nothing I have used before, they are like a not-too-tightly-packed pressed pigment. They come with a second little lid to keep the product compressed and are super pigmented, and very soft. As you can see these products have such a lovely sheen to them which I think will look completely stunning on the eye. As this is a first impressions post I haven't had the chance to try any looks with them or test their longevity, but judging from their texture and I reckon they are going to be amazing, keep your an eye out for some looks with them soon!

Rapidbrow Eyebrow enhancing serum review, with pictures!

I have wanted to change my short, paltry eyebrows for a while, I longed for the power brow of the Cara Delevingne era but had no idea how to achieve it. So when I got the chance to tryRapidLash's  RapidBrow eyebrow enhancing serum I was overjoyed. RapidBrow is basically a growth serum that you apply to your brows morning and night for 8 weeks to see results. I have to admit, there were a few slip-ups. Especially towards the end of the trial, when late nights and tiredness got the better of me, and I omitted sweeping this on. However, sat next to my mirror it was fairly easy to remember to use it. I guess I will just let the pictures do the talking and we will see about that Cara Delevingne claim eh?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I think it is safe to say, this stuff definitely works. I know I look a bit caveman-ish but I didn't want to do too much plucking whilst I was trying this product out (kind of defeats the purpose). However, even in their slightly rogue state, they look so lovely and full when they are filled in and defined, the kind of brows I have wanted for ages! If eyebrow growth is something you struggle with then I would definitely recommend giving this product a shot. Cara Delevingne... eat your heart out!

Dare to be different

The main message of this post today is, go against the grain, have the unpopular opinion, dare to be different! Now although this does apply to life in general, I am focusing more on in the beauty-product world. Just because every well-known blogger, and the whole of your bloglovin' dashboard, bow down at the feet of a 'miracle product' doesn't mean you have to like it! Sometimes we (including myself) get far to swayed by what other people think. Everybody's face/skin/body/hair is different, so what works for one person may not work for you, and that is ok! So, in the spirit of today I am going to do a little overview of products that everyone seems to love, but me. 

Estee Lauder Doublewear: Absolutely everyone (including my house mate) loves this full coverage, non-budging high end foundation. However, I do not. It doesn't sit nicely on my skin at all, it leaves me with a strange white cast and feels far to heavy on my face. I have tried it on a few occasions to make sure it wasn't just a one off but it definitely does not work for me. It is an extra shame as this is the first 'high end' foundation I splurged on, so I am a little bit wary now.That being said, if it works for you I have a nearly full bottle in Ivory Nude for sale!

Maybelline baby lips: I found one of the plain baby lips in the clearance section of Superdrug for £1 because the packaging was damaged. I was super excited as I had heard nothing but good things since these sticks crossed the pond, but alas, they were not for me. Far from the 8-hour hydration they claim the formula sat on my lips for an hour or 2 before needing to be re-applied. They aren't shockingly bad by any means and would be useful to have in your handbag, but for hype I felt quite let down. However, for the £1 I paid I am perfectly happy, as the smell is divine.

Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof kajal in 005 nude: Everyone loved a nude pencil in the waterline to open up tired eyes, and so do I. Particularly everyone seems to love this one, however I find that it doesn't seem to work for me as well as it does everyone else. The colour seems a little bit off and the overall effect not great. I much prefer to use my Chella highlighter which I received in my Birchbox, the brighter and lighter colour is a lot more flattering on me and the product is very soft and gentle. I do like the Rimmel offering but it doesn't hold the same place in my heart as it seems to in everyone elses.

Dr Lipps nipple balm for lips: Another cult lip-product that just doesn't do much for me. I find this to be like a concentrated version of vaseline (which I don't get on with either) it just kinda sits on my lips and doesn't do anything except make them feel sticky. I also find the formula really thick and hard to work with, I need some elbow grease to apply it to my lips!

Bioderma crealine h20: This is a bit of an odd one, as I do love Bioderma for taking off my make up, it does it quickly and efficiently with minimal fuss. However, I cannot use this on my eyes, a quick sweep with a very slightly damp cotton pad to remove the top layer is about as far as it goes, because this stuff stings. 

Benefit's they're real! mascara: This is another odd one, for me I only have a small window when I can love this mascara. The right time is when it has dried up a little bit, as otherwise I find the formula too wet, but it will quite quickly dry up too much. In that respect the price of it, for the amount of time I actually enjoy using it, doesn't cut it for me. 

And that is it for my negative-nelly post! I hope you didn't think it was too much of a downer. Are there any products that you have been in a similar situation with? I would love to know. 

An affordable flutter

Fluttery, big, voluminous lashes, everything a girl wants. Unfortunately it usually comes with a high end price tag. However, I have found an offering that comes in under a fiver! I kid you not, the mascara in question is Collection's Big Fake Ultimate mascara. I love this mascara when I am in a rush, as I do not need to faff around with using 2 mascaras to add length, volume and separate, I just sweep this baby on. In the close up of the wand it looks like it has fibres, which would explain why it nicely lengthens my stubby lases, yet this isn't mentioned anywhere on the packaging so it may just all be in my head. It took me a few goes to get this product right, as the wand head is a lot bigger than I am used too, but once I had used it a few times all was fine. I have included a quick snap of the mascara on my lashes so you can see the end result, it is easy to layer to mascara if you wanted a more dramatic look too. For less than £5 I would definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a go!