Pages

Monday, 13 March 2017

MY FAVOURITE MAKEUP GEEK EYESHADOWS


Makeup Geek is my all time favourite brand when it comes to Eyeshadows, I purchase my collection from Beauty Bay, and as they retail at such a affordable price, I can not resist. Perfect for beginners and for the pro's, so here are some of my absolute favourites.



Peach Smoothie - Makeup Geek descirbe this shade as a light peach beige with a soft matte finish. This is the perfect shade for makeup beginners and those who wish to experiment with eyeshadow more without it becoming a daunting thing. This is the most blendable colour for almost any look. The perfect all over the lid shade or a great transition shade. This is most definitely a must-have shade for all.

Crème Brulee - A medium sand colour with a soft matte finish. Another must-have within my collection, I use it that much that I've almost hit the pan for the second time in about 7 months. A perfect universal transitional colour and a shade that can provide subtle warmth to any crease.

Chickadee - I am obsessed with this shadow, although I must state that the pigment isn't the most buttery of shadows compared to the others that I own, although once on the lid, I find it easily blendable. I would describe Chickadee as a little daunting within the pan, but honestly, Summer is written all over this and once blended out, the colour payoff is gorgeous. Described as a tangerine orange with yellow undertones.



 
Cocoa Bear -
OKAY GIRLS, ALERT ALERT, YOU NEED THIS SHADOW.  This is one of my eyeshadow staples. I would describe Cocoa Bear as a matte red toned brown. A similar shade to Bitten, another unique crease colour. This is one of the most universal browns I have ever used on my lids and although it's very intense, as you can see from the swatch, once blended out, it's beautiful.

CosmopolitanThis is one of my ultimate favourite eyeshadows of all time. Makeup Geek describe this shadow as a rose gold with gold flecks and a shimmery finish and one of their best sellers may I just add, so if you don't own this within your collection yet, you need too! I would imagine Cosmopolitan to be the perfect all over lid colour for summer, with a tan, this would honestly look insane.

Glamorous -   A shimmery bronze gold. This is one of my newest eyeshadows from Makeup Geek and although, I haven't used this shade very much as of yet, I can already tell it's going to become a quick favourite of mine. Think, golden goddess vibes. Perfect to add a little something extra to a warm, brown smokey eye. 




Grandstand - I sill can't believe this is my very first foiled eyeshadow, I need to get more.Grandstand  is the most beautiful medium rose gold shade with slight taupe undertone. The intense pigmentation combined with an metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. It applies just like butter and no primer is required. INCREDIBLE.

Shimma Shimma - A metallic champagne shimmer. The intense pigmentation makes it the perfect inner corner and brow bone highlight. Just a little FYI, this is also a great dupe of the famous eyeshadow 'Kitten' from Stila.
 

What are your favourite eyeshadows? Any recommendations?

Talk soon babes XO
PR/Enquiries – exohsoph@gmail.com












SHARE:

Friday, 3 March 2017

L'OREAL PURE CLAY GLOW MASK | REVIEW

Face masks really are the only skincare products that claim to produce instant noticeable effects and I think this is why they have blown up so much over recent years as the emphasis on skincare has increased tenfold over the last decade. My sensitive skin most definitely steers me away from wanting to try out new products, especially when it comes to my face. The last time I tested a facial mask, the outcome was certainly not a pretty sight and ever since I have avoided facial masks all together. As a social media obsessive I can not help but want to jump on every beauty bandwagon going and after seeing the L'oreal Clay Masks dotted about everywhere, I could not resist but to go and get my hands on one.


I was a little apprehensive about this mask and how it would settle with my sensitive skin, although the collection does state that the masks are suitable for all skin types so my hopes were high. I suffer from a dull complexion at the best of times as I am sad to admit that I do not take as good care of my skin as I should, so I was really hoping that this mask would leave me with even the slightest glow as I was not expecting instant results. What struck me the most was the unusual hue of the mask, it looks like crushed brick which is certainly unique. You get 50ml of product in a nice weighty glass jar, at least it feels like glass. Personally, I use my fingers to apply the mask to my face, although for future reference, I shall most definitely be using a brush for a more clean, hygienic and even application.

Onto the mask itself, the "powerful three clays" are: Kaolin which absorbs impurities and excess sebum; Montmorillonite which helps eliminate imperfections and Ghassoul more commonly known as Rhassoul (so I don't know why L'Oreal have chosen to call it Ghassoul, maybe to make it look like it is completely new?) which helps clarify the complexion because it is a clay rich in minerals.



To Use: Simply apply the mask with your preferred tool (for me it's my fingers) onto dry, cleansed skin. I applied an even layer all over my face and neck, avoiding my eyes and lips. I left it on much longer than the recommended 5-10 minutes. Considering that my skin is very sensitive this mask didn't bother me at all, it tingled slightly at first but that disappeared quickly, although my face appeared slightly reddened afterwards, which for me, was expected. There is a scent to it but for me it was very faint and not lingering. In total, it must have remained on my face for about 20 minutes before I washed it off in warm water.

The mask doesn't dry down on the skin entirely and you can visibly see the slightly gritty texture which when you rinse it off works to exfoliate the skin. After removing it my skin felt noticeably softer, smoother and overall looked healthier. I wouldn't say it was glowing but perhaps if I did use it multiple times a week as suggested then the results would show more.  The jar it comes in is meant for 10 uses only, so if you did use the mask 3 times a week as implied you would whiz through this fast. I would recommend buying in bulk if you think this mask is for you. Most stores, Superdrug and Boots for instance, more often than not have an offer on like 3 for 2 so that would be an ideal opportunity to snap up as many of these as you can. I see myself repurchasing for sure. I wish it was bigger so one jar would last months rather than weeks but very decent for the price.

Any face masks you are enjoying at the moment? Let me know below.

I love all your feedback and always appreciate your comments. If you have any queries or requests posts etc. please contact me.
Talk soon babes XO

PR/Enquiries – exohsoph@gmail.com
SHARE:

Friday, 27 January 2017

HIGH STREET CONCEALERS | FIRST IMPRESSIONS

There's nothing more I love than experimenting with makeup, whether that be high end or drugstore, I buzz off finding new products that grow to become my must have. This past week I've been testing out a few different concealers, to conceal (obviously) or to brighten, dependant on the shade. I think it's safe to say, I put each concealer through it's paces, testing each one through a full 12 hour working day, in hope that they wouldn't fail to impress. So here are my first impressions. A little disclaimer *My skin is oily and I have a very fair complexion, so please bare this in mind if you are considering making a purchase*.

 




NYX HD 'Studio Photogenic' Concealer (01)

I've been using this concealer as a skin brightening product for a couple of months now and does the job decently.  Priced at such a cheap price point, retailing at only £5.50, you really can not complain. I tend to highlight the centre of my nose, my cupids bow and brow bone with this concealer and then pack on a powdered highlighter on top. It blends like a dream and considering my face is so oily, I do find that the product lasts well throughout the day. With regards to creasing, I am unsure of the products durability as I do not use it under my eyes or where product can tend to crease. For a brightening concealer on a budget, I would definitely recommend.


Maybelline 'Fit Me!' Concealer (10)

Everyone and their mums have the Fit Me! concealer so my hopes were high for this product. I'm a sucker for trying hyped up products so I was keen to give this a go. I attempted to use this concealer to conceal my imperfections, any spots or redness. I'm pretty sure I picked this up in the lightest shade yet it was still way too dark for my corpse-like complexion. *sigh. Although, I did find that it blends beautifully and sits well on the skin. However, I find that the product does crack and separate throughout the day but may be good for shorter wear.

Maybelline 'The Eraser Eye' Concealer (Light)

 This concealer was honestly SO difficult to get my hands on, it was sold out for the longest time. Once again, another product Youtube made me buy. I am often well known for my panda eyes due to early mornings for work, so I had my fingers crossed that this product would do it self justice and provide me with the coverage I need. First things first, I'd say this concealer does mask my dark circles quite well, although does not brighten by any means. Sometimes I find that my eyes still appear tired and dull, adding to the problem rather than resolving it, I think his may be due to the shade being darker than my skin tone. Maybelline, you need more of a shade range, just a little pointer.                                 

Maybelline 'Super stay 24 hour' Concealer (Light)

This is a oldie but goodie product within my collection and one that I must say I forgot about. Out of all the Maybelline concealers, this one is the best shade match by a mile. I use this concealer to conceal any imperfections and it provides me with a medium coverage. I wouldn't say that this product provides me with coverage for 24 hours but I find that it doesn't crease or fade with ease and does last for a good while. Overall, I actually really enjoy this concealer and for the price point, I would definitely repuchase and test out a little further.

What are your favourite concealers?

I love all your feedback and always appreciate your comments. If you have any queries or requests posts etc. please contact me.
Talk soon babes XO

PR/Enquiries – exohsoph@gmail.com
SHARE:

Friday, 20 January 2017

WHAT'S NEW IN MY MAKEUP BAG #1

"Makeup is a way a woman to look and feel herself
only prettier and more confident" - Bobbi Brown


Okay, so I'm a little late jumping on the bandwagon with this and you've all probably read a million  reviews already, but one extra wont hurt, will it? Being so fair skinned is a struggle when it comes to finding a bronzer that doesn't make me resemble an oompa-lumpa although, considering every blogger, vlogger and their mum has this, I had high hopes. Packaging wise, I find HOOLA poor and appear cheap, for a higher end brand and the price point being higher than drugstore, I would expect more. The box gets grubby very quickly, not very 'Instagrammble' shall we say. The brush that is included is pretty much unusable, it applies the bronzer pigment very patchy and does not know how to blend, so I tend to use my Real Techniques Contour brush instead. However, the actual product is decent. Once blended out, the pigment appears natural on my ghoul-like complexion and the colour consistency is good. Am I in love with HOOLA? Not quite. Some products do tend to grow on me so I shall keep you updated on my thoughts.

Price point:2/5
 Appearance: 1/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
Re-purchase? UNDECIDED


By no means am I a professional when it comes to a winged liner, although products that make the job a little easier are always welcome. I really enjoy using this liner, day to day or for evening glam, the pigment is great, the blackest of black and I find that it does not transfer onto my upper lid. I would however state, that it does tend to fade slightly, nothing major but who wants a faded wing? Not me! For the price point, I LOVE this product and would definitely recommend, especially for beginners to makeup, as I find it one of the easier types of liner to apply compared to a gel liner, for example.

Price point:4/5
 Appearance: 3/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Re-purchase?DEFINITELY



As a girl with an oily complexion, powder is literally my best friend. A full face of makeup and a twelve hour working day, with a mix of oily, do not end well, I REPEAT...do not end well. I firstly must admit, that I am yet to experiment with many compressed powders, although, this one seems to be doing the job pretty well. As the day goes on, my face is anything but mattified, I appear shiny as anything, you can see me a mile off. I purchase the translucent version and although, I was concerned about whether if would leave a powder residue cast across my face, I have found that it isn't too noticeable. Obviously, retailing at below a fiver, I wasn't expecting miracles and I'm sure there is better alternatives available, however, saying that it does help to mattify my skin and reduce my oily complexion by a fair bit.

Price point:3/5
 Appearance: 3/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
Re-purchase?DEFINITELY

LIQUID SUEDE (NYX) KITTEN HEELS

Now, I am all about liquid lipsticks, I'm building up quite the collection and a deep red shade will always be one of my favourites. The pigment is to DIE for and although, I'm still yet to wear this on a night out or for a long period of time, I found that it does last well on the lips but I do advise you to drink through a straw. It glides on to the lips well and drys to what I would call a semi-matte finish (A slight sheen). However, it bleeds like no mans business. For the price point, I really enjoy their shade range and their pigment, although, their are better liquid lipsticks out there.

Price point:4/5
 Appearance: 4/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
Re-purchase?YES

LASH SENSATIONAL (MAYBELLINE)

When it comes to mascaras, nothing seems to wow me, I feel as though you could spend three pounds or thirty three pounds and they would still give off the same effect. Lash Sensational is a mascara everyone seems to praise and I really wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I'm sorry to say it, it still failed to impress. Okay, okay, so it wasn't all that bad, it manages to lenghten my lashes decently and the pigmentation is very good. However, although it is not as clumpy as previously used mascaras, I do find that I need to take my time with the applicator in order to avoid too much product transferring onto my lashes, making them look like spiders legs. C'mon girls, you know what I'm on about. Overall, I would say it's an average mascara, good for someone on a budget, although, my endless love affair with false lashes shall continue.

Price point:3/5
 Appearance: 3/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
Re-purchase? UNDECIDED


 RETRACTABLE LIP LINER (NYX) RED





SHARE:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig