Wednesday 30 March 2016

Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish And Super Gel Top Coat - Is It Really A 14 Day "Gel" effect Polish?

Rimmel Kate Moss Super Gel Polish In Cocktail Passion And Super Gel Top Coat

Hello Lovelies

I'm pretty sure by now you know I am something of a nail polish addict, I love nail polish and trying new products so when I saw Rimmel had launched a new two step "gel" nail polish and top coat collection I had to try them. I love Rimmel polishes, the Rimmel 60 Second polishes are amongst my favourites so I had high hopes for the Super Gel polishes too. There are 20 shades to choose from but I chose the shade Cocktail Passion which is a coral shade and the Super Gel top coat, the products retail for £5.99 each but Boots had a 2 for £10.00 offer so I got a couple of pounds off.

Rimmel Kate Moss Super Gel Polish In Cocktail Passion And Super Gel Top Coat


What Rimmel Says About The Super Gel Polishes


Rimmels first ever 2- step Super Gel nail polish for superior colour and shine that lasts for up to 14 days.

 Easy to apply, it dries like a regular nail polish, no UV lamps needed.

Super Gel has a patented Gel Colour System that uses natural light curing technology to deliver high-shine nails in the comfort of your own home.

Apply two coats of brilliant Super Gel colour using the ultra-accurate precision brush for a streak-free, one-stroke application.

The built-in base coat means there’s no need to prep nails to achieve a salon-perfect finish.

Apply Super Gel Top Coat to on top of Super Gel Colour to activate the self-curing process - natural light does the rest.

Nails are given an incredible shine and a super-smooth durable gel finish that covers any nail imperfections.


My Thoughts

My first thought when I opened the polish was that I was pleased to see a nice wide brush, I prefer nail polishes that have a wide brush, I find they apply well.

Rimmel Kate Moss Super Gel Polish In Cocktail Passion And Super Gel Top Coat

The instructions are to apply 2 coats of polish and then 1 coat of top coat, I found the coats to be thin and quite streaky so I applied 3 coats of polish and 1 coat of top coat. I didn't like how the polish applied, it is thin and streaky and some nails looked ok but others didn't and I definitely needed 3 coats to achieve a nice opaque finish. I found the top coat ok to apply, it is just a standard top coat application really. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Super Gel Polish In Cocktail Passion And Super Gel Top Coat

I was pleased with the colour of the polish, the above photograph was taken as soon as the top coat was applied, I liked the colour and my nails were lovely and shiny. However, whilst my nails were drying the polish started to bubble and I was left with little bubbles on my nails which I absolutely hate, I always make sure I allow each coat of polish to dry fully before adding another coat as this prevents bubbling but my nails still bubbled badly. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Super Gel Polish In Cocktail Passion And Super Gel Top Coat
The bubbling on my nails

I hope you can see in the photograph above the bubbling to my nails, I did wonder if the polish bubbled because I had applied 3 coats of polish but I have used the polish since as has my eldest daughter, we both applied 2 coats and we both had bubbling with 2 coats of the polish and 1 of the top coat.

Unfortunately the negatives don't stop at the bubbling, my nails chipped within 3 days, Rimmel claims 14 days of wear with this polish so not only did they look awful, they chipped too and when I say chipped I don't mean just a little chip, they chipped badly and I had to remove the polish. I have to say the polish is one of the worst polishes I have used and has to be THE worst "gel" polish I have used, it doesn't look like a gel manicure, it bubbles, it's streaky and it chips badly and to be honest I have yet to read a good review of the polishes, it was absolutely appalling. I have tried to use the polish with my regular top coat and it is streaky and bubbles and I have also used the Super Gel topcoat over my other polishes and they still chip appallingly so the formula of them is in my opinion absolutely terrible.

I would not recommend you try the Rimmel Super Gel polishes but if you would like to, they are available in 20 shades on the Boots website HERE for £5.99 each and the Rimmel Super Gel top coat is also available on the Boots website HERE for £5.99. 

Have you tried the Rimmel Super Gel polishes and top coat? Chat with me in the comments to let me know what you think of them. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x











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Monday 28 March 2016

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara - As Good As The Hype?

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara | Review

Hello Lovelies

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know I have a bit of a huge struggle when it comes to buying mascara, I have really pathetic eyelashes which doesn't help and I also have a problem with mascara smudging or blobbing as I call it on my socket bone which is a real pain.

A mascara I have heard a lot about and one that is very hyped in the beauty world but also one I had never tried is the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara, so when it popped through my letterbox I was super excited to try it out and see if it would do anything for my ridiculously short stubby lashes, if it would smudge and most of all, if it lived up to it's hype. 

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara - As Good As The Hype?

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara | Review

The packaging is black with gold labelling and looks sleek and the wand is a rubber wand with quite short but densely packed bristles that go right to the end of the wand. 

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara | Review

What Max Factor Says About The Mascara

False Lash Effect's biggest brush ever doubles lash size appearance vs. bare lashes. 
  • Patented Liquid Lash™ formula coats lashes from root to tip.
  • No flaking or smudging gives lovely lash confidence.
  • Ophthalmologically tested.


My Thoughts

I was really eager to try the False Lash Effect mascara after hearing so many people say they love it and it gives them amazing results, I don't tend to purchase many mascaras at the risk of them smudging and recently I seem to have found my holy grail drugstore and high end mascaras so hadn't been looking at any other brands but I couldn't wait to try the False Lash Effect and see if it lived up to all the hype I'd read regarding it but unfortunately I wasn't blown away by it at all, it didn't smudge which is brilliant but my lashes didn't look outstanding either, they looked like I had mascara on but nothing groundbreaking whatsoever.

 I found the mascara easy to use and the wand coated my lashes well, and I could reach the lashes in the inner corner of my eyes with the wand. I used 2 coats of mascara and found it dried well and didn't clump at all but I just didn't find it gave me outstanding results and I was really disappointed. I do agree with Max Factors claims that the mascara doesn't smudge but I didn't have double the size lashes, I just looked like I'd used mascara and my lashes were coated and looked maybe a bit longer.  To be honest I've had better results with much cheaper mascaras, I felt really deflated after using it and it wasn't what I expected at all and with a £10.99 price tag I won't be purchasing it I'm afraid. 

My favourite drugstore or high street mascara is £3.00 cheaper than the Max Factor and gives me incredible lashes so I think as far as drugstore or high street mascaras go, I'll be sticking to my current favourite.  

If you love the False Lash Effect mascara and want to pick it up or if you'd like to try it, you can find it on the Tesco website HERE for £9.88 or the Boots website HERE for £10.99 (Max Factor products are currently on a 3 for 2 promotion) 

Is this your holy grail mascara? Or were you like me and not blown away by it? Let me know in the comments. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x


✿ Post contains PR Sample or Gifted item










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Sunday 27 March 2016

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat

Hello Lovelies

You may have seen in my January fashion and beauty haul post (see here if not) that I picked up the Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat, sheesh how long is that name? Now if you know me, you'll know I love nail products and I love a really shiny top coat, I have tried a few top coats from the high street/drugstore that claim they can give the effect of a gel manicure, I used to have regular salon gel manicures and love the shine they give so I am always on the look out for a super shiny top coat. My favourite top coat of all time is the Orly glosser, I have used it for years and years and love it but it is quite expensive at around £13.00 bearing in mind it does last me and my daughters a long time but still it's nice to try something else and if I can find an equally good top coat as the Orly glosser for less money then it's a bonus. 

I spotted the Maybelline 3D topcoat on the Boots website in January and thought I'd give it a whirl and since then I've used it every time I've painted my nails and today I'm going to let you know my thoughts. 

The first thing I noticed about the top coat was the brush, it has a wide brush which I like but it is curved and at first I thought I had a dodgy brush, but on googling images of the brush I found it is meant to be curved.

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat

I hate the brush, I cannot see why it needs to be curved, I have been painting my nails for years and years and so far have never had the need for a curved brush, I love wide brushes but the curve for me is just really unnecessary, I found it made the application more difficult and think it would be much better if the brush was wide without the curve. 

The consistency of the top coat is quite thick and I have noticed now I've been using it it has got thicker since my first use so I am hoping it isn't going to go gloopy since I have most of the bottle left. Aside from the curved brush the top coat wasn't an issue to apply, it gives a lovely shine to the nails and my polish lasts well when I use it, I don't get quite as long out of my polishes as I do with the Orly glosser top coat but that's ok, my polishes look lovely and have a great shine to them with the Maybelline and I do really like it.

Maybelline Superstay 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat
My nails after using the Maybelline 3D top coat

I like the Maybelline 3D top coat, is it going to replace my beloved Orly glosser? No unfortunately not but for the price it's not a bad top coat at all and gives a lovely shine to my nails and my polish lasted well, I don't think it necessarily has a "gel effect" but it gives a lovely shine, my polishes look nice and for the price I think it's worth a try if you're looking for a new top coat to try.

If you would like to try the Maybelline 3D Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat, you can find it on the Superdrug website HERE for £4.99. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x






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Saturday 26 March 2016

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

Hello Lovelies

Too Faced is a brand that many of my friends love and talk about but until receiving some items for Christmas I hadn't ever tried, I'd always wanted to try them but hadn't ever purchased anything then for Christmas one of my friends kindly bought me an eyeshadow palette (see blog post about that   ) and my daughters kindly bought me 2 of the Love Flush blushes

I adore anything heart shaped and also love blush so the Love Flush blushes were something I loved as soon as I saw them and I was so pleased when I received 2 of them for Christmas. 

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

I have the shades Love Hangover (left) and Justify My Love (right) both of which are perfect shades for me, pink and coral are my favourite blush shades and ones I wear all the time.

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

The packaging is absolutely stunning, I adore heart shaped things anyway so was bound to love them but I think the packaging would be appealing to lots of people, the packaging is plastic with the too faced logo on the front in gold and although the packaging is plastic it feels sturdy and looks lovely and not cheap at all, there is a mirror inside which is really handy and great for travel. 

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes
L - Love Hangover & R - Justify My Love

Inside the packaging the blush is stunning and embossed with the Too Faced logo and rabbits with leaves/flowers around the edge and dots, it is so pretty and even after several uses the pattern is still clearly visible. 

Love Hangover

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

Love Hangover is a stunning peach/coral shade, I adore coral blush and especially for the spring and summer months, I do wear it all year round but more so in the spring and summer months. Love Hangover has what I would say is a satin finish, it does have some shimmer to it but not too much at all, it isn't going to give you disco ball esque cheeks but there is some shimmer to it, I do still wear highlight with it and it doesn't look out of place (I am wearing highlight in the photograph below) The blush looks quite dark in the pan but it transfers onto the skin as a beautiful peach/coral shade, a light hand is definitely needed when applying the blush as it is extremely pigmented, it adds a beautiful flush of colour to the cheeks and is absolutely stunning. If you like peach/coral blush shades, definitely give this a try, you won't be disappointed. 

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes
Wearing Love Hangover (I am also wearing highlight)

Justify My Love

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

Justify My Love is a cool toned pink shade and is beautiful, I adore pink blush and wear it all year round, as with coral shades I do wear pink blush more over the spring and summer but Justify My Love is a beautiful pink that can be worn all year round, it looks amazing and compliments so many different make up looks. As with Love Hangover it looks quite dark in the pan but transfers onto the skin as a lovely pink flush, it is extremely pigmented so I use a light hand but you can use more if you like a more striking blush look. The blush does contain shimmer but isn't overly shimmery and highlight can still be worn without looking OTT on the shimmer front ( I am wearing highlight in the photograph below) If pink blush is something you wear, you'll love Justify My Love, it really is a beautiful blush.

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes
Wearing Justify My Love (I am also wearing highlight)

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes


Overall Thoughts

I absolutely adore both blushes, they apply effortlessly and blend beautifully onto the skin and the wear time is incredible, Too Faced states 16 hour wear, unfortunately I don't wear my make up for 16 hours but have worn both blushes for around 11/12 hours and both looked exactly as they did when applied so I would say they have excellent wear time. The pigmentation of both is incredible and they both feel and look lovely on the skin, they both have a satin finish with just the right amount of shimmer and neither accentuated my pores, I would highly recommend both shades and the Love Flush blushes in general, they do come in 6 shades so if the shades I have aren't for you, there are other shades available. Too Faced also sell a Love Flush Blush Wardrobe which is a palette containing all 6 shades and is a great way of trying all the shades available. 

You can purchase the Love Flush blushes online at the Debenhams website HERE for £25.00 or on the Too Faced website (which does ship to the UK) HERE for £20.00 and the Love Flush Blush Wardrobe is available on the Too Faced website HERE for £27.00. 

Have you tried the Love Flush blushes? Or do you have any recommendations from Too Faced? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x





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Friday 25 March 2016

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Collection

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Collection

Hello Lovelies

You may have seen in my recent beauty haul post here, that I purchased all the products from the new L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay collection, today I am sharing my thoughts on those products. 

I suffer from really oily hair so am always on the lookout for products to both combat the oiliness and because of my health problems,  products that mean my hair can be washed less. Over the years I have tried an abundance of different shampoos to combat oily hair and have become a bit of a connoisseur of such products, so when placing an online Boots order I saw the new Extraordinary Clay range and thought I'd give it a try, I picked up all 4 products in the range and have been using them since purchasing them around 4 weeks ago. 

What L'Oreal Say About The Range

The Science of Oily Roots and Dry Ends 

Oil produced from the scalp can build up causing the roots to become visibly greasy, weighing down the hair. Over-washing to combat this problem can strip the fibre leaving it dry. This results in a vicious cycle of washing. What if you could have hair that was cared for at both ends? 

The Secret of Clay for 72 Hours of Pure Roots and Hydrated Ends. 

For the first time, L'Oréal Paris Laboratories have combined 3 Refined Clays to create its first re-balancing range revealing perfectly balanced, beautiful hair. 

  • Scalp feels deeply purified for 72 hours with freshness and light, lifted root. 

  • Dry hair feels hydrated right to the ends for fluid, free-flowing lengths.

  • Revitalises the hair with softness, shine and bounce. 

A delicate Clay texture for hair purity, hydration and beauty.


L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Masque Pre Shampoo Treatment



The pre shampoo treatment mask contains 30% pure clay which helps to absorb oil and impurities and cleanse the scalp. I was surprised the mask was blue, I thought it would be grey to coincide with the clay ingredients, not that that's important but I was a little surprised, the mask scoops out of the tub with ease and applied well, Simon applied it for me and looked like a smurf afterwards, his hands were so blue, it did wash off easily with soap and water though so all is good.  Simon applied the mask to my scalp and the roots of my dry hair, ensuring he covered my whole head. I left the mask on for 5 to 10 minutes and then rinsed it off, the mask didn't irritate my sensitive scalp, it felt quite refreshing and smells lovely.  

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Shampoo & Conditioner

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Collection

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Collection

The shampoo and conditioner have the same lovely scent as the mask, if you have used other L'Oreal Elvive products you will be familiar with the scent, it's lovely and not over powering.  The shampoo lathers up well and rinses out with ease, it doesn't contain any silicones which is great, I like to use shampoo without silicones as they better for my hair.  The conditioner was applied to the ends of my hair only,  having oily hair I never use conditioner on the roots and only ever on the ends of my hair as I find it helps with the oil control. The conditioner applied well and rinsed out with ease, my hair was left feeling lovely and soft and silky and was shiny too which is a rare thing for me with having blonde hair. 

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Dry Shampoo

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Collection

The dry shampoo has a lovely scent and is clear in colour when applied to my hair, it doesn't have any kind of powdery or chalky colour to it like most dry shampoos I've used, it is completely clear and can't be seen in the hair at all. The dry shampoo was sprayed onto my hair and left for a couple of minutes before brushing it out. 

Overall Thoughts

I liked all 3 products in the Extraordinary Clay range, they smell lovely and apply well and the mask, shampoo and conditioner all rinsed out well too, I like that the shampoo doesn't contain silicones and it lathered up nicely. My hair feels lovely and soft and silky when I use the products and is nice and shiny too but unfortunately I am unable able to go 72 hours without washing my hair after using the products, if I use the products in a morning, the morning after I have to use the dry shampoo and then have my hair washed the day after, so I can go every other day without washing my hair which for me is good. I think because my hair is so oily the products didn't work for me as well and if you are someone who only has slightly oily hair and dry ends the range should be perfect for you. All 4 products are lovely and I was able to skip a day without washing my hair and I do put that down purely to my hair being extremely oily, my hair really is terribly oily and if I wash my hair with a shampoo for normal hair it in the morning, my hair would be oily the morning after and maybe even that night, it really is very oily and that is why I think I couldn't go 72 hours without washing my hair, the products are lovely and I think if you are someone who doesn't suffer massively with oily hair the products will be great for you but for me they didn't give me those extra couple of days without washing unfortunately.

I do really like the products and have continued to use them because they are great products, I use the mask once a week but have been using the shampoo and conditioner every time my hair is washed and I use the dry shampoo in-between, I have also been having the dry shampoo sprayed into my hair at night and then having my hair tied up and going to bed and then having it brushed out in the morning and I find it works really well, I saw the tip on the lovely Laura's blog, so thank you Laura. I was disappointed that I couldn't go 72 hours without having my hair washed but I could skip a day which is good for me and for me to go 72 hours without washing my hair is unheard of so I really wouldn't let my experience put you off trying the products. 

If you would like to give the L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay range a try, you can find the full range on the Boots website HERE or on the Superdrug website HERE, products are currently half price on the Superdrug website. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x










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Wednesday 23 March 2016

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

Hello Lovelies

One of the brands I am often asked my opinion on is Charlotte Tilbury, I have quite a few products from the brand and thought it might be helpful if I wrote a post on my hits and misses from Charlotte Tilbury and let you know my opinion on the products I have, giving you a review of the product (I will link to a full review if I have one) and letting you know if I would re purchase the products or not, bearing in mind I don't own every product from Charlotte Tilbury but I do own quite a lot and have also tried a couple of other products too.  

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

Foundation

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

I have the Light Wonder foundation and I really like it, it has a light to medium coverage and a nice dewy finish, it is nice for my very dry and dehydrated skin, it blends nicely and gives a nice even base. I like that there is 40ml in the foundation rather than 30ml as in most foundations and the packaging is nice and easy to use, I have a full review of the Light Wonder foundation here on my blog if you'd like to take a look. I have also tried a weeks sample of the Magic foundation from Charlotte Tilbury but it wasn't right for my skin type at all, however my youngest daughter tried it too and she liked it and said she would buy it so I wanted to mention that too because it is a very talked about product and I am often asked if I've tried it, out of the 2 for me the Light Wonder is perfect, I have very dry and dehydrated skin and it is lovely for my skin but Lissy has normal skin and loved the Magic foundation so it was obviously not suited to my skin type. You can purchase the Light Wonder foundation HERE for £32.00 for 40ml of product.

Concealer

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

The Charlotte Tilbury Retoucher is a product that I have never written a blog post on but have been meaning to for over 12 months, silly me! The Re Toucher is described on the CT website as a "conceal and treat stick" and it also says "everyone has those days where you wake up and wish you had a magic re-touch pen to erase imperfections and start again, well now you can" the Re Toucher has a hydrating complex which keeps the skin plumped up and moisturised for a natural, luminous finish. I like the Re Toucher, I apply it by using the brush to apply it to my under eye area and then using my beauty blender to blend it in, it applies well and blends in nicely and doesn't crease or settle into my fine lines at all, it is a nice product and suits my skin type well and I do like it but I like my MAC Select Moisturecover concealer more, and the Re Toucher is £25.00 for 3.5ml of product and the MAC Select Moisturecover concealer is £15.50 for 5ml of product, so I am getting 1.5ml of product for £9.50 less and I prefer the MAC concealer, it conceals and highlights my under eye area perfectly and doesn't settle in my fine lines either and I find it a better product. So for me personally I would say the Re Toucher is nice and does do what it says it will but I can get better results for less money with my MAC concealer and I think you could find a better concealer for less money, they packaging might not be as nice but I can live with that. You can purchase the Re Toucher HERE for £25.00 for 3.5ml of product.  

Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

The airbrush flawless finish powder is a lovely powder, it applies well and gives a lovely finish to my skin, it doesn't settle into my fine lines and sets my foundation nicely without looking cakey, I do have a full blog post on the Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless finish powder on my blog, which you can read here if you would like to. The packaging is lovely and the product is lovely but I do have a negative and that is that the powder just doesn't last very long, in the photograph above I had been using the powder 3 times a week for around 3 months and as you can see I have used almost half the powder so assuming I used the powder daily it would probably last me around 3 months. For me £33 for 3 months is a lot of money and that is the only reason I personally wouldn't re purchase the powder, it is a lovely product and if it's within your budget and you don't mind re purchasing every few months then I would say yes go for it but if you are on a budget and use your face powder daily, this might not be for you. The airbrush flawless finish powder is available on the Selfridges website HERE for £33.00 for 8g of product.

Filmstar Bronze & Glow


My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

This is an absolutely stunning product, the bronzer/contour is a lovely shade that gives a subtle contour or bronzer and lasts really well on my skin, it applies well and feels lovely. The highlight is a beautiful highlight with a golden shimmer that isn't overly shimmery and won't give you a glitter ball face but does provide a lovely highlight, both together look lovely and both also make lovely eyeshadow shades too. I have a full review of the filmstar bronze and glow on my blog here if you'd like to see photographs of me wearing the filmstar bronze and glow or see swatches of it. I love the bronze and glow it is a stunning product and one I am pleased to have in my collection, it is what I class as a luxury product but it is stunning and I love both the bronze and highlight shades, they feel very luxurious and look lovely. I have used both the bronzer and the highlight numerous times but haven't even rubbed the print off yet, you don't need a lot of product at all so it should last a long time. It is an expensive product but a lovely one too, the packaging is stunning and the products are lovely, I received mine as a birthday gift and I do think this makes a lovely gift for any make up lover or as a lovely treat to yourself, although it is expensive it is lovely and I would say if you have been wanting it for a while, go for it, it's lovely. I personally wouldn't re purchase but that is purely a budget based decision, I adore this product and if it were half the price I would definitely re purchase, I would be extremely happy to receive a replacement as a gift but I personally cannot justify the cost of the product, however a little goes a very long way so it will last me a long time, if you are not on a budget I would say yes buy it, it's beautiful. The filmstar bronze and glow is available from the Selfridges website HERE for £49.00.

The Sophisticate Eyeshadow Palette


My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

I have the Sophisticate eyeshadow palette, there are 8 different palettes to choose from all with 4 shadows in and they are colour coded shadows and designed so you use each colour to create an eye look and in Charlotte's words it is "fail safe" to follow. The shadows apply nicely and blend well and all the shadows in the Sophisticate palette are matte. I like this palette but I don't think it's anything groundbreaking, I have matte shadows from other brands I use more and to be honest I don't reach for this palette that often, it's nice but nothing spectacular if that makes sense, I think if there's a particular palette in the range you really want then I'd say go for it and buy it but if you're just wanting to try something from the CT range then maybe I'd choose something else, there's nothing wrong with the shadows, they're nice and they blend well and don't crease (bear in mind I always need a primer with all shadows) and they do all go nicely together but they're not something I couldn't find elsewhere and for that reason, I wouldn't re purchase it. The Sophisticate palette is available from Selfridges HERE for £38.00 the palette is 5.2grammes making each shadow 1.3grammes. 

K.I.S.S.I.N.G Coachella Coral Lipstick

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

I love coral lip products, they are one of my favourite shades to wear over the spring and summer months so when I received Coachella Coral I was so pleased, it is a darker coral shade and one that can be worn all year round. The lipstick feels hydrating and very moisturising and CT claims the formula although hydrating will "not bleed outside the lip line" but it does, it bleeds like nothing on earth, I have to wear a transparent liner with it or I can't wear it, it lasts around 2 hours, the shade is nice but the bleeding is awful. I do have a full review on my blog including swatches and photographs of me wearing the lipstick here if you would like to read a more in depth review. I was really not blown away at all by this lipstick and it put me off trying any of the other shades because at £23.00 if I am disappointed it's a huge waste of money, I have seen some shades lately that look lovely but won't buy them and wouldn't re purchase because of bleeding and wear time of this one puts me off massively. My daughter has tried one of the matte lipsticks and she was very disappointed too because it just didn't last, she said it lasts around 2 hours tops and she was very disappointed too. You can find the K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Coachella Coral HERE for £23.00.

Lip Cheat Lip Pencil In Pillow Talk


My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

I bought the Lip Cheat when there was 10% off, I had tried it first on counter and really liked it, it is a lovely pink toned nude pencil and can be worn alone all over the lip or under another lipstick, I like to wear it with MAC Brave, it looks lovely, I do have a post on the Lip Cheat with MAC Brave here if you would like to see photographs and read a more in depth review of both products. I love pink toned nudes and do wear Pillow Talk alone all over the lip, it isn't drying at all and has great wear time, I am often complimented when I wear it, it also looks lovely with Brave over the top and I have a couple of other lipsticks I think might look nice with it, I'll keep you posted if they do. I really like the lip cheat pencil, it's lovely and applies well, it doesn't drag, feels comfortable on my lips and looks lovely but the sharpening after every use and it wearing down really disappoints me, I have MAC lip liners and Essence ones for that matter that have lasted for so much longer and that I don't ever sharpen after every use, I do love the product, it is a stunning shade and I love the effect of it but I hate that it wears down so fast so it leaves me in a dilemma of "should I re purchase?" if I couldn't find a liner I liked as much as Pillow Talk then yes I would but if I can find something that lasts longer and is a similar shade and creates the same look then no I wouldn't but purely because of the having to sharpen all the time that is the only thing that lets this product down. You can find the Lip Cheat pencil in Pillow Talk HERE for £16.00. 

Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencils

My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses

I have the Colour Chameleon eyeshadow pencils in the shades (L) Champage Diamonds and (R) Dark Pearl, both are absolutely stunning shades, champagne diamonds is a gold/champagne shade with glitter particles and dark pearl is a dark bronze/brown shimmery shade, both are beautiful. The pencils apply well and are so easy to use, you need to work quickly with them as they do set but once they do, they don't move. I need to wear a primer with them as they do crease on me, but everything creases on me so don't let that put you off. They are so easy to use and great for an easy make up look, dark pearl looks lovely blended all over the lid and under the lower lash line for a super easy one colour look and together they look beautiful. I do have a post showing me wearing the pencils here. The pencils come in a variety of different shades so there is something for everyone and they really are stunning but as with the lip liner they need sharpening after every use and wear down very quickly which is disappointing because they are absolutely stunning and I love wearing them but I have to say it would be a "maybe re purchase" and again this is purely based on the need for re sharpening after each use and the pencils wearing down quickly for their price, I adore both pencils, the shades, application, wear etc but I don't use them as often as I'd like because of the need for sharpening and the fact they're wearing down fast, it's so disappointing and something I have spoken to a sales assistant who works for Charlotte Tilbury about and she said that a lot of people have issues with the CT pencil products wearing down quickly whether it be a lip pencil or eye liner or the eyeshadow pencils she said lots of people mention it, so I'm glad it's not just me who feels that way. I love the shades and would maybe re purchase if it was a shade I wasn't going to use a lot or if I find I can't manage without them in my collection once they've run out. You can find the Colour Chameleon eyeshadow pencils on the Charlotte Tilbury website in Champagne Diamonds HERE and Dark Pearl HERE for £19.00. 

Double Pencil Sharpener


My Charlotte Tilbury Hits And Misses


A bit of a random one but I bought this sharpener to sharpen my colour chameleon eyeshadow pencils and I love it, it was £5.00 and as you can see is a double sharpener meaning I can sharpen both sized pencils, maybe £5.00 is a little pricey but I really like it and get a lot of use out of it too, the lid comes off for emptying so there's no mess when using it, it's a great little product and one I would recommend you pick up if you're looking for a new sharpener, I would definitely re purchase the sharpener, it's a great product. You can find the sharpener on the Charlotte Tilbury website HERE for £5.00. 

Magic Cream

I don't have an image of the Magic Cream because I had a sample of it which lasted me for 2 weeks, I thought 2 weeks use was a fair test and enough time for me to review the product and I do have a full review of the Magic Cream here on my blog if you would like to read it. I loved the Magic Cream, it was perfect for my skin type and my skin felt incredible after using it, it really is lovely but the price is a huge negative for me, I wouldn't ever spend £70 on a moisturiser, if it were £20 then yes I would buy it or if it made me look 20 years younger maybe but I just cannot afford nor justify that sort of money for a moisturiser, the packaging is lovely and it's a lovely product but just too pricey for me I'm afraid, however if you're not on a budget and it suits your skin type then I'd say go for it, it's a lovely product but not something I would purchase purely based on price. You can find the Magic Cream on the Charlotte Tilbury website HERE for £70.00 for 50ml of product. 

I hope this post has been helpful for some of you, I am asked so much for my opinion on Charlotte Tilbury products and have been asked a lot if I can write a post on my thoughts on the brand and to give my opinion on what I think is worth buying, so I hope this post covered everything those of you who have asked for the post wanted. I do think there has been a lot of hype around the brand as a whole and it's easy to be sucked into that hype, I'm glad I have the products that I have and as I said I adore some of them but there are disappointments too and I wouldn't be being honest with you if I didn't tell you my negative opinions of products I talk about on my blog as well as the positives so if I find a negative, I'll always let you know. 

Chat with me in the comments and let me know your thoughts and if you have any stand out CT products you would recommend to both me and my readers, it would be great to know your thoughts and opinions too :) 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x








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Monday 21 March 2016

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review

Hi Lovelies, 

I received both the Beauty Blender and the Micro Mini Beauty Blenders for Christmas and fell in love with them immediately, they have both become must have products for me and ones I couldn't live without, I do have a couple of blog posts on the Beauty Blenders I use which you can read here and here if you would like to. 

As I said I love both my Beauty Blender and the Micro Mini's but when it came to cleaning them I couldn't ever get either of them completely clean and free from product no matter what I used to clean them, I have used washing up liquid, shampoo and IPA but nothing gets either of them completely clean and they still have staining from my foundation and concealer on them. 

For my birthday I received the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser which is as the name suggests, a cleanser for the Beauty Blenders but can also be used to cleanse make up brushes too. 

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review


The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review

The Beauty Blender solid cleanser comes in a white round plastic pot with colourful writing, I really like the packaging, it's bright and fun looking. Inside there is the solid cleanser which is white and on top of that and the first thing you see is a bright neon pink silicone pad with a butterfly print embossed onto it which can be used to deep clean the Beauty Blenders or make up brushes or can be used as a stand to dry the Beauty Blenders after washing.  

The first time I used the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser I took pictures of both my Beauty Blender and the Micro Mini Beauty Blender before washing, both had been used twice and were full of foundation, concealer and corrector. 

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review
My Beauty Blenders before cleaning

I removed the lid and took out the pink silicone pad and put it on the side of the sink, I took my Beauty Blender and wet it under the tap and then dabbed it into the cleanser, I squeezed the Beauty Blender to lather up the cleanser and then rinsed it under the tap, I was absolutely amazed at how clean the Beauty Blender was after just one wash, I gave it another wash and set it to dry and then did exactly the same thing with my Micro Mini Beauty Blender and again was amazed at how clean it was after just one wash. Both my Beauty Blender and Micro Mini Beauty Blender were completely clean with absolutely no traces of foundation or concealer at all, they both looked brand new again.   

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review
The Beauty Blender after cleaning with the solid cleanser

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser - Review
My Micro Mini Beauty Blender after cleaning with the solid cleanser

I was absolutely blown away by the results of cleaning my Beauty Blenders for the first time with the solid cleanser, they were completely clean as you can see from the photographs above, the solid cleanser is so easy to use and it takes no time at all to get the Beauty Blenders completely clean. I couldn't believe how clean they came after using the solid cleanser, it's an incredible product and I would 100% recommend it, it is incredible and not only can you use it to clean Beauty Blenders or any brand of make up sponge, you can also clean make up brushes with it too. The solid cleanser is free from parabens, sulphates and phthalates and has a lavender scent to it, I personally don't like the scent but only because lavender is one of my least favourite scents, I really don't like lavender but that is the only reason I don't like it, it isn't an overpowering scent and didn't bother me at all. 

I didn't use the pink silicone pad the first time I cleaned my Beauty Blenders but I have since used it and it works really well, I dab my Beauty Blenders onto the solid cleanser and then bounce them onto the silicone pad and then rinse them under the tap and they come completely clean. I have also used both the solid cleanser and the silicone pad with my make up brushes and they always come immaculately clean and I haven't experienced any shedding from my brushes after using the solid cleanser. 

I cannot recommend the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser enough, even if you don't have a Beauty Blender or make up sponge it is amazing for brush cleaning too but if you do use a Beauty Blender or any other make up sponge it really is amazing, nothing else I have used has ever got my Beauty Blenders completely clean but now I know that no matter how dirty they get they will be completely clean once I've used the solid cleanser, it really is a fantastic product. 

If you would like to try the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, you can find it online on the Beauty Blender website for £14.00 HERE (including free shipping) on the Selfridges website for £13.00 HERE (excluding shipping) and on the Beauty Bay website for £14.00 HERE (excluding shipping)

Currently on the Beauty Blender website you receive a free mini solid cleanser with every purchase and UK delivery is free, so if you wanted to try a Beauty Blender and the solid cleanser it would be a great time to purchase, you can find their website HERE.

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x









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