GLOSSYBOX: STARS AND STRIPES

Hi beauties and Happy Sunday. How amazing has the weather been? A little erratic I know, but then in the UK that's normal. Today I have my first impressions of this month's American themed 'Stars and Stripes' GlossyBox for you.

BELLAPIERRE COSMETICS LTD MINERAL LIPSTICK

This cult American favourite is formulated with natural waxes, mineral pigments and antioxidants, providing moisturising long lasting colour and protection against the sun.

I have the shade Ruby shown in the swatch above. This to me is a real American girl shade. This blue based red is stunning and highly pigmented. It feels very smooth and glided onto my hand beautifully. It appears to be quite moisturising in texture and I think this shade in particular will last quite well, but I of course will need to test this out when I wear it. The quilted packaging design of the lipstick tube really appeals to me. There are 5 other shades within this range which I would love to try.

ABSOLUTE NEW YORK PERFECTING EYESHADOW PRIMER

An oil and fragrance free lightweight, moisturising formula to even out the skin tone, reducing redness and brightening the eyes while keeping eyeshadow crease-free and colour-true for a lasting look.

Apply this creamy formula with the doe foot applicator to the lids and blend with fingers.

It looks very similar to the E.L.F. eyelid primer. It has a skin tone shade that blends away sheer. I am looking forward to seeing how well my eye shadows last when using this product.

CARMEX LIP BALM

Loved by celebrities and make-up artists this staple product is designed to soothe, relieve and moisturise dry, chapped lips.

I have tried this on my lips today. The balm does feel very nourishing and softening. There is a slight tingling from the menthol, but it is not uncomfortable on the lips. I am not overly keen on the scent as I don't really enjoy beeswax products. I don't really like dipping my fingers into products like this either, but I will use it anyway as it does appear on my first application to have a nourishing formula. These are currently on a 3 for 2 offer in the link above.

COLOR CLUB NAIL POLISH

This is a non-toxic, cruelty free nail polish.

The shade Glossy Seal that I have has been especially formulated for the July GlossyBox so I don't think you will be able to get your hands on it, sorry. However there are some really gorgeous shades within the collection, including some fantastic duo chromes so check out the link above. I have not tried this brand of nail polish before so I hope it applies well and lasts well too.

JUICE BEAUTY GREEN APPLE SPF15 MOISTURISER

This is a lightweight daily moisturiser that offers sun protection as well as revitalising, brightening and age-defying benefits. For normal, mature, blemish, oily and combination skin types. Apply to a cleansed face and neck.

This has a seal on it so I won't open it yet. This is another new brand to me so I will let you know how I find this product to work on my skin.

The stand out product for me in this box so far is the lipstick. It's such an impact shade that will instantly make you look like you have put a lot of effort into your make-up whether you have or not.

What were your favourite GlossyBox products this month? Let me know your thoughts on these products if you have used them before also in the comments below.

For more information on the UK GlossyBox click here and for the US GlossyBox click here.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

Make-Up For The Eyes 2013 Favourites

Hi there cherubs. How are you doing today? I am sure bored of this rain now, but hey ho there are worse things than bad weather right? I have the second part of my 2013 make-up favourites for you today. This post is focused on eye make-up.

E.L.F. Eyelid Primer

I have used the E.L.F. sheer eye primer for so long because it works so well as a base for eyeshadow to cling to and last longer on the eyes. It works as good as if not better in my opinion than the Urban Decay Primer Potion. I have linked here an E.L.F. haul including swatches where I purchased both of these E.L.F. primers. The thinner tube is the regular sheer which is a bargain at just £1.50. It also comes in shades of Champagne, Pearl & Golden. The thicker tube shown in this photo and also linked in my E.L.F. haul I purchased at the time as part of a trio including Nude, Pearl & Champagne. My nude tube however says sheer? To me they work the same and I will just continue to buy the sheer thinner tube. To view my comparison post testing out the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer in sheer alongside the Urban Decay Primer Potion please see this link!

DreamWeave Lash Construct Mascara Black

For a full review on this mascara please check out this post! This is the mascara I am currently using. The formula still works fantastically. It lengthens, separates, volumises and adds a very black pigment to my lashes.

E.L.F. Mineral Eye Liner Black

This eyeliner is the first I always go to for a simple kohl liner look. This is a twist up pen that is rounded rather than pointed at the end so unless you are using in the waterline this will give you a smudgy rather than precise liner look. The pigmentation is very black, but the more it is smudged out it gives a slightly less harsh appearance. For a quick no fuss defined eye I recommend this product. I sometimes just add a little on the outer corners of my eyes to make them look more wing shaped. This is also a bargain at £3.00.

Primark Eye Liner Pen Black

In this November Outfit Post you can see my make-up close up where I have used this pen. This is so black and has a great pointed nib for easy of control. A great tool for precision eye liner looks. This was £1.50 so great value for money.

E.L.F. Studio Mascara Primer

This product does make a difference to my mascara. It definitely acts as a base for the mascara to cling to and thickens the lashes before my regular mascara is applied. The formula is white and almost creamy, but covers easily when regular mascara is applied over the top. I will repurchase this when this one runs out. At £3.75 you can't go wrong.

Emite Make Up Eyelash Curler

I received these curlers in my August GlossyBox. I was hesitant to include these in this post because I am not sure that they are that easy to get hold of. They do make such a difference to my lashes though so I have to tell you why. These are really easy to hold and I have never pinched my eyes with them. That being said I am very careful and take my time when using them as I don't fancy ripping any lashes or layers of skin off. I squeeze my lashes in them them a few times at the lash root, then move up half way and do the same and finally the same near the end of the lashes. I coat my lashes with my mascara primer, then regular mascara and I am left with wide open eyes that are long, thick, separated, curled and very black. Perfect!

So that's today's post. I have another post on my favourite eye palettes coming up so keep an eye out for that. Let me know what have been your favourite eye products in 2013 in the comments below.

Love to you all

Halloween Look: Lethal Leopard

Hi Everyone. Have you all been okay? I have been having some fun with my make-up today trying to get in the spirit of Halloween and here is what I came up with.

Products used for this 'Lethal Leopard' look are:

E.L.F. Studio Complete Coverage Concealer Palettes (Light & Medium)

Sleek MakeUP I-Divine The Primer Palette

NYX Eyeshadow Base (White)

Barry M Kohl Pencil (Black) ~ From The Sun's Buzz Magazine Offer

NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencil (Black Brown)

Wilko Fangs

Primark Headband

I had fun creating this look. Leave me alone in the house and this is what happens, ha ha. Have you created any Halloween looks this year? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

FOTD/Sleek MakeUP Pout Paints

Well hello lovelies. I enjoy writing all of my posts, but I really had fun with this one. I have been meaning to try out my Sleek MakeUP Pout Paints for quite some time. I will show you which ones I picked up and what the results were.

 

Left-Right: Cloud 9, Peek-A-Bloo, Pin Up, Lava & Port. These all retail at £4.99 each from Superdrug and sleekmakeup.com

 

Left: Peek-A-Bloo, Right: Cloud 9 

Although all of the Pout Paints can be mixed together these two paints are what I would call the mixers. The Peek-A-Bloo will add depth and warmth whereas the Cloud 9 will lighten a colour.

 Lava

Pin Up

Port

Now on to the mixing :)

1/2 Lava, 1/2 Cloud 9

I had to keep blotting this as I found this peachy shade to look a bit streaky, but once I did this it was fine.

Equal parts Lava, Cloud 9 & Port

1/2 Pin Up, 1/2 Cloud 9

 Equal parts Pin Up & Cloud 9. Then added 1/2 the amount of 1 equal part Peek-A-Bloo

1/2 Pin Up, 1/2 Peek-A-Bloo

1/2 Port, 1/2 Peek-A-Bloo

I then added a little Cloud 9 straight onto the lips from the centre outwards, but not to the edges of the lips.

The other products I used in this Face Of The Day are:

• Clarins Beauty Flash Balm ~ all over the face.

• Clinique Repairwear Anti-Aging Makeup SPF 15 (I assume it's this one as I was given a sample at the Clinique counter and told it would be discontinued. The other Repairwear called Laser Focus All-Smooth Makeup SPF 15 says it's new) ~ all over the face and down the neck.

• Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 02 ~ on any blemishes.

• Primark Ta Ta For Now Magic Undereye Concealer in Light ~ under the eyes, down the nose and on the cupids bow.

• E.L.F. High Definition Powder ~ all over the face.

• Urban Decay Primer Potion ~ all over the eyes.

• MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 2 - Pearl ~ on the brow bone and on the inner tear ducts.

• NYX Eyeshadow in Root Beer ~ all over the eyelid and through the eyebrows.

• NYX Eyeshadow in Black ~ in the eye creases and on the outer v.

• 17 Clear Definition Mascara ~ on the eyebrows.

• MUA Eye Liner in Snow White ~ in the waterline.

• Jane Iredale Purelash Extender & Conditioner ~ on the eyelashes prior to mascara application.

• Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black ~ on the eyelashes.

• E.L.F. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder ~ the bronzer was applied under the cheekbones and up to the hairline, as well as on the temples and under the jawline in an E 3 motion. The blush was applied to the apples of the cheeks.

• E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set ~ all over the face.

This is not a look I would normally go for, but I love it. I could have gone on forever creating new colours with these paints. It is so much fun and I think for the price they are so worth it as you only need the tiniest amount on a lip brush to apply them. My only negative is that I did get some transfer onto my teeth.

Have you tried any of these Pout Paints? What are your favourites? What combinations have you come up with? How did you solve the teeth transfer issue?

Love to you all

E.L.F. 50% Off Haul

Hello there my little sweeties. The weekend is here, yippee :) I can't wait to show you everything that I recently purchased in E.L.F.'s (eyeslipsface.co.uk) 50% off sale. I will get straight into it as there is lots to show you. I will start with the lip products.

Studio Matte Lip Color's in (Top To Bottom): Coral, Praline & Natural

 

Swatches As Above

These are quite creamy for matte lipsticks. I think they are all lovely colours, but I am particularly excited to use Coral. I really wish I had ordered Tea Rose as well now as they really do have a great texture. These are £3.50 each.

A great thing about these are that they also come with a sharpener at the end of the pencil

I will be really interested to see if this product works. This is the is the Studio Lip Lock Pencil for £3.50 which is translucent. You are meant to run this around your lip line in order to prevent your lip products feathering. I thought this may be useful for when I use my Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars as they tend to feather. My only concern is will it alter the foundation around my lip line in any way? I will give it a go. Now on to the eye products.

To the left is the Sheer Eyelid Primer which I have been using for at least 6 months and love. To the right is the 3 Piece Eyelid Primer Set in L-R: Nude, Pearl & Champagne. These retail at £1.50 for the Sheer Eyelid Primer and £3.50 for the set of 3.

L-R: Sheer, Nude, Pearl & Champagne

As Above Blended Out

The sheer I would recommend to anyone and everyone to use under any eye shadow. It definitely helps to prevent creasing. I actually prefer it to Urban Decay's Primer Potion. It doesn't look sheer here, but it blends out nicely and is undetectable. The Nude and Pearl appear to have quite a thick consistency compared to the Sheer. These pictures really do not do justice to the Champagne colour which I love. The Nude, Pearl & Champagne can be worn alone or with eye shadow to prevent creasing.

Mineral Eye Liners In Top To Bottom: Midnight, Ash & Black

Swatches As Above

These have a very smooth formula to them. I was very surprised. I really want the Coffee shade now. I didn't expect such good quality for only £3.00 each. Now on to the face products.

Studio Blushers In Left: Peachy Keen & Right: Gotta Glow

Swatches As Above

This Peachy Keen shade is lovely. It's a really nice warm, but fresh colour. I purchased Gotta Glow as I was looking for a powder highlight to use as an alternative to the cream highlighters that I already have. I really like the sleek packaging for these which include handy little mirrors. They are a perfect size for just about any handbag too. These are £3.50 each.

 

Studio Blush And Bronzer Compact

Swatches As Above

I love the peachy/pink shade of this blush. I think the bronzer is quite a universal shade. The packaging of this duo is very similar to that of the Studio Blushers. This compact is £3.50.

Studio High Definition Powder

This product claims to give skin a "soft focus" effect. I have been thinking about trying a powder for a while in an attempt to hopefully make my foundation last longer. I hope it will also make my foundation a appear little more flawless. This product is £6.00. My only concern is that I have very, very dry skin and wonder if this will make my skin look very cakey? I really hope not.

Studio Translucent Matte Powder

This is the last product in my haul. I wanted to see whether a loose or a pressed powder might work better to set my make-up which is why I also purchased this. It's another little handy compact again which is great for touch ups.

Overall I think this was a very successful haul. At 50% off all products I am very happy. Please note that all prices stated in this post are the full prices as the 50% off sale is no longer on!

However I do have discount codes for those wishing to purchase something from eyeslipsface.co.uk 

Free shipping on all orders over £10/€12 until 10am UK time Monday 15th August 2011.

STARUK (UK customers)

STAREU (European customers)

STARIT (Italian customers)

Italian customers click here 

Did you take part in this 50% off sale? Have you tried any of the products from this haul? If so, do you like them?

Love to you all

Into The Blues: Eye Primer Comparison

Hi my lovelies. This post today was meant to originally be two separate posts, but I think they kind of work together. I have been using my E.L.F. Eyelid Primer for some time now, but before I buy some more I thought I would use the sample size Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion that I got when I bought my Naked Palette.

 

E.L.F. Eyelid Primer

Available at eyeslipsface.co.uk 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 

Available at Debenhams & House Of Fraser 

All looks in this post have been set with E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set

Available at eyeslipsface.co.uk

I think this product does help in making all of my make-up last longer, but there are two cons I have to say about it. I spray it as far away as I think I can to not soak my face, but it does make my make-up very moist when I first spray it. I sometimes have to touch up my bottom lash mascara as it transfers onto my face. The other thing is that it smells awful when you first spray it. I'm sorry to say it, but to me it smells like sick. This does pass within a few seconds though otherwise I wouldn't use it.

I thought it would be a good idea to show you the results of using both Eye Primers along with a couple of other products. All looks were worn for approximately 11 hours as the photos were taken before and after work.

Firstly I would like to show you how the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer tested out while using these products:

I wear this whenever I can't decide what to do with my eyes or just below the brow bone. As you can see I have hit pan on this one so I use it a lot.

MUA Shade 1 - Pearl

MUA products are available at Superdrug and superdrug.com

Primark Coloured Mascara - Navy (no actual colour name/number on tube)

These photos are on Day 1 AM. I did like the navy mascara as it separated my eye lashes quite nicely. The colour is not too obvious either if you fancy a change from the usual black or brown that most of us go for.

This was on Day 1 PM. I think the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer lasts really well, but I think you really notice just how well with matte eye shadows which I will show you later in this post. The Primark Navy Mascara did not flake or rub under my eyes, but it is of very light consistency. No clumping with this one.

Next up I used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion with the same MUA eye shadow and this mascara:

Primark Opia Lash Lengthening Mascara - Blue

These photos were taken on Day 2 AM. I adore this mascara. I think the colour is amazing. It is thicker than the Navy Mascara, but I love the boldness of the colour.

These photos were taken on Day 2 PM. This mascara again did not flake or smudge. The mascara did last well all day. I can honestly say that I did not notice the difference between the two primers. 

TOP ROW (L-R):  E.L.F. Eyelid Primer, Primark Coloured Mascara - Navy, E.L.F. Eyelid Primer with MUA Shade 1 - Pearl eye shadow on top

BOTTOM ROW (L-R): Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Primark Opia Lash Lengthening Mascara - Blue, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion with MUA Shade 1 - Pearl eye shadow on top

These were also sprayed with the E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set to show you how wet it can make your make-up before it dries

As these two days were tested with a solo shimmer eye shadow I have these other looks to show you below to see the difference:

TOP ROW, 1ST FROM LEFT: Inner Corner Of Eyes & Below Brow bone

BOTTOM ROW, 2ND FROM LEFT: All Over Eye Lid, 3RD FROM LEFT: Outer Corner, Into Crease & Under Bottom Lashes

LEFT: Inner Corner Of Eyes & Below Brow bone

MIDDLE: All Over Eye Lid

RIGHT: Outer Corner, Into Crease & Under Bottom Lashes

For this look I used the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer along with this Beauty UK Eye Shadow Collection in No 5

Available at Superdrug and superdrug.com

This was on Day 3 AM. These are kind of bluey-purple colours. They have really good pigmentation. 

Now this was on Day 3 PM. I hope you can get a better idea from these more matte eye shadows how well this E.L.F. primer works. The eye colours are pretty much what they were in the morning.

On Day 4 I used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion with this palette:

LEFT: White On Inner Corner & Under Brow Bone

MIDDLE: Lighter Blue All Over Eye Lid

RIGHT: Darker Blue On Outer Corner, Into Crease & Under Lower Lashes

This is the 17 Starry Eyes eye shadow trio in Moondust

Available at Boots and boots.com

These photos were taken on Day 4 AM. The colours are quite similar to the Beauty UK Palette, but with a bit more shimmer.

This was on Day 4 PM. To be honest I actually think that the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer holds onto eye shadows a lot better than the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. 

The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion has a much more creamy consistency than the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer. I have to say I prefer the consistency, wear and price of the E.L.F. Eyelid Primer.

The E.L.F. Eyelid Primer costs a mere £1.50 from eyeslipsface.co.uk

The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion retails at £14.50 for a fill size tube (no longer comes as a bottle) at urbandecay.co.uk

I'm sorry that this was such a long post. If you made it till the end thanks for taking the time. Have you got a preferred eye primer? What are you favourite eye shadow palettes?