Beauty Bargain // Too Faced Eyeshadow Duo in 'Beauty Mark'

Hello there internet!

Today I'm reviewing an eyeshadow duo from Too Faced, which I actually picked up from work (which is Debenhams, by the way) a couple of weeks ago but only just got round to blogging about. I was buying a birthday present for someone, and as I got to the cosmetics till I spotted some reduced Too Faced products. I had never tried the brand before, and the stuff was HEAVILY discounted so thought I'd give it a go. Most of it was glittery eyeliners and crazy colours, which I wasn't a fan of, so I went for the 'Beauty Mark' Eyeshadow Duo.

It was originally £14.50, and was reduced to a teeny £2.18! THEN I got my 20% staff discount, such a wonderful thing, so it was a real bargain!

After trying the product, I am seriously glad I didn't buy it at full price. I like the whimsical packaging but it is preeettty flimsy. The colours in the pan are gorgeous; a peachy rose-gold and dark purpley brown, but sadly the pigmentation in these is pretty poor. You have to push a load on your lids to get a good colour payoff, and they look really lovely on but only last a couple of hours at best and definitely not all day. An eye primer is essential, but I wouldn't advise using a cream eyeshadow as the Too Faced one then loses it's pigment when put over the top. It's such a shame, because I absolutely love the peachy colour! Booo.

In the look above I put the lighter colour all over the lid and into the corners of the eye, and used the darker colour all around the lash lines to create a smokey flick. The mascara I'm wearing is the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless.

I can't find Too Faced on the Debenhams website, and I think they may be being discontinued or we are not stocking them any more, however you can find it at Boots here and Look Fantastic here. 

I'm not wowed by this product, and though I can't complain, and am actually pretty pleased with it for the price I got it at, I definitely wouldn't have paid £14.50!

Have you tried Too Faced eyeshadow?

Is there any of their products you'd recommend?

(All images are my own, and must be credited if shared. Though I got this product at a discounted price, it was purchased by myself and reviewed honestly.)

Inspiration from Illamasqua: 'The Sacred Hour' Collection

Hello lovely people!

A little beauty inspiration for you all today. I recently Liked the Illamasqua Facebook page, and my newsfeed has since been filled with some beautiful images of incredible makeup, so I thought I'd share it! Today's post will be the Sacred Hour collection, and I might do another one on the Paranormal collection next week, because I am just loving Illamasqua at the moment! Shame I can't afford any of it... -skint student problems-

As the poem above suggests, this collection is dreamy, spiritual, ethereal, a fairytale; inspired by fantasy. Here's some images:

"I am the Dawn spirit..."

"I am the Dusk warrior..."

"I am the Magic..."

...and the promotional film for the collection:



I love the emphasis on brows, the metallic eyes, the dramatic contouring and dark, berry hued lips. This is basically my dream makeup in one collection!

Here's some of my favourite products from The Sacred Hour:

Reflection Palette £34
Four dreamy, creamy eyeshadows with a hint of shimmer. All such beautiful colours, perfect for creating a smokey eye!

Nail Varnish in 'Hemlock' £14.50
A gorgeous, iridescent pinky-greeny colour.

Lipstick in 'Shard' £16.50
A gothic red-violet with a matte finish. The lip colour for autumn/winter.

Check out the whole Sacred Hour collection here. Sadly I haven't tried any of these, so can't tell you how good they are! Let me know if you have though.

Will you be buying any pieces from this collection?

Have you tried Illamasqua makeup before? Anything you'd recommend?

(All images/videos from the Illamasqua website)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Venom

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Venom / £15

Hello everyone!

Another lipstick post, and this is seriously just the tip of the iceberg in terms of my collection guys.

But THIS lipstick is a wee bit more high end than I normally go for, so it's a big deal!

Urban Decay is renowned for its eyeshadows and other eye products, but until now has been lacking in the lips department. Enter, the Revolution Lipstick collections. 

I read about these lipsticks on a ton of beauty blogs, including What I Heart Today, Vivianna Does Makeup and The London Lipgloss, and it was Zoe's post that first introduced me to the shade that would appear in my dreams (no joke) until I purchased it, Venom. It looks a little lighter on me than her, but I think I just have generally pale lips.

Apologies again for the spotty face!

It's a gorgeous plum-purple-wine colour, perfect for achieving that vampy, just bitten look. I know dark purples like this are kinda daunting, but I think they just look incredible with smoky amber eyes or a slick of liquid eyeliner, especially seeing as A/W is on the way!

The pigmentation is freaking amazing in these things, and lasts a good few hours on me. Thanks to the blend of oils, cocoa and shea butter in them, they are super creamy too, and feel really comfortable and moisturising. The packaging is also seriously cool, with a faceted gunmetal case with signature Urban Decay purple lining, it is dead on for a mid-range product. This will definitely be a staple for my beauty regime once autumn starts.

Will you be investing in one of the new Urban Decay Lipsticks?

Check out my eBay sale, Facebook page, and follow me on Bloglovin' if you have a minute!

(This product was purchased by myself and reviewed honestly)

Beauty Review // Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipsticks

I am most definitely, a lipstick girl. Reds, pinks, purples, nudes; just about anything you like, I've got them, and love wearing all kinds of colours on my lips. Today I thought I'd share one of my favourite lipstick ranges at the moment, the Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipsticks. 

As you might guess from the name, this is a range of eye-wateringly bright colours, which I love, though I know not everyone does. I have three from the range, and all of them have a creamy finish, are really moisturising on the lips and, for me personally, last aaaages. Like, all day. Especially, I've found, if you use a really nude product underneath them, for example Clinique's Chubby Stick in Curviest Caramel, then dab the Vivid lipstick on for a soft version of the colour, then do a full on swipe across the lips. I know that's three layers of stuff, but I swear, it lasts forever on me. 

Here's some shots of them on my lips. Now, I have really wonky, asymmetrical lips, and some horrific blemishes around my mouth that just will not go away, so taking photos was a bit of a nightmare. So try to ignore all that, and focus on the beautiful lipsticks. :)

I had been after a purple lipstick ever since seeing Mac's Heroine on LULUTRIXABELLE here, and I was hoping Hot Plum was the one; however, it wasn't quite what I was after. I definitely would not call it a plum, it's more of a bright pink with purpley-blue undertones. It's probably the least wearable of the three, but is a gorgeous colour nonetheless and one for when I'm feeling brave!

Shocking Coral is probably the most wearable of the three Vivids I've got; again, I would call it kind of a bright but rosy pink rather than a coral, but it is one of those colours that goes with everything and despite it still being really bright, you don't have to think too hard when putting it on. 

Electric Orange is probably the only shade that actually lives up to it's name: this is about as orange as it gets folks. It is seeeriously bright, and I'll be honest, not as blue-toned as I would like, but is still probably the shade I've worn the most. I do feel a wee bit 80's or something occasionally when putting it on, but it is a gorgeous summer colour, which I think looks amazing with a light layer of peachy gloss over the top (for example, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya) teamed with a metallic nude eye. Definitely my lipstick of the summer.

So there you go, some of my favourite lipsticks. Be warned, they are super bright, so not for the faint hearted, and the swatches online (and the names!) really don't represent the actual colour so I would recommend heading to a drugstore and swatching them for yourself before you buy.

What's your favourite lip colours at the moment?

Are you a fan of the bright lip?

If you like what you see, follow me on bloglovin' here to really make my day!

(All photos my own; all products purchased by myself and reviewed honestly)

Wishlist: & Other Stories

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you..."
-Maya Angelou


Tonight I thought I'd do a post on a fairly new brand from the team behind H&M, & Other Stories.

It's a slightly more costly brand than H&M, but still has the same minimal yet quirky style. There is currently only the flagship store in London's Regent Street (which I will get to one day!), but that doesn't matter, because the & Other Stories website is incredible.

As the name suggests, the collection is all about telling a story; 'In The Pink' or 'Sporty Chic' are all brought together in one click. The site looks stunning, with almost a mood board of both items on hangers and artistic fashion stories. 

The collection was built around the beauty section first, in which there is a huge variety of skincare, make up and bath products. The clothing is refreshingly simple and classic, and the price range varies but I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable some of it is!

Here's my favourite picks from the site:

Shirt with Detachable Collar in Cranberry   £65

I have an unnatural attachment to dark red, wine coloured clothing, and this is no exception... would definitely keep the cool androgynous collar on!

Abigail Lorick Oxfords in Indigo   £79

I have a ridiculous amount of brogue shoes but these are amazing, updated for summer with a transparent plastic upper. Also come in Ivory.

Platform Ankle Boots in Black   £95

I love the edgy zip detailing, and the nice chunky platform means even I should be able to manage walking in them!

Leopard Print Purse   £7 

(Yes! It's only 7 quid!)

I had to read this several times before the price sank in, what a bargain! Also fits in nicely with the monochrome trend, too good to be true?

Satchel Bag in Warm Ivory   £45

Claret and cream is a really big colour combo this season, and this preppy satchel bags encompasses it perfectly.

Multi-ring Bracelet in Gold   £10

The jewellery collection is really sleek and minimal, with simple chains, shapes and studs: right up my street!

Lip Colour in Prunella Pink   £12

The range of lipstick and eyeshadow colours is huge, and although £12 is more than I would normally pay for a lipstick, I might have to scrape the funds together for this gorgeously gothic purple.

I would encourage everyone to check out & Other Stories, it's simple and refreshing and effortlessly stylish, and there's something for everyone. I can't wait to hopefully order something soon!

Have you tried anything from & Other Stories?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie.

Review: Soap & Glory's 'Hocus Focus'

Hello people!

Today I thought I'd review a product I bought a fair few weeks ago whilst at the Metro Centre; Soap & Glory's Hocus Focus.

Me and my friend were aimlessly browsing in Boots, when my friend Morag tried out some of this product, and the result was instant. She just applied Hocus Focus over her foundation and the difference was remarkable, her pores seemed to disappear and her skin looked dewy and flawless. This completely wowed us all and caused 3 of us to each buy a pot of Hocus Focus without a seconds thought!

The jar says it can be used with a moisturiser, blended with foundation or on its own as a highlighter. I tend to use it after moisturiser all over, and then, after applying foundation, more heavily along my cheekbones and nose as a highlighter.

I must admit, it doesn't seem to have the magical effect on me that first made me buy it, but whenever I see Morag wearing it she looks amazing so maybe it's just my face! Haha.

Nonetheless this is still a brilliant product; the packaging, as with all Soap & Glory, is really cool and retro, and the cream itself has an amazing metallic sheen to it, making my skin more luminous. It does cost £13, more than I'd normally pay; I originally got it on the 3 for 2 offer, but after using it, would definitely shell out the full price! Check it out on the Boots website here. 

I'd give Hocus Focus a 9/10.

Here's a picture with me wearing it (as I do every day); you can't really see it properly though as the lighting in my room is terrible!

Have you tried any Soap & Glory products?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie.

(this product was purchased by me; all my reviews are honest and my own opinion)

Rimmel Makeup Review

Hello lovely people!

I was on a shopping trip last week with my Mum and spotted a great 3 for 2 offer on cosmetics in Superdrugs, so took the chance to get some Rimmel goodies I'd been after!

Here are my thoughts on them.
(Images are at the bottom of the post, my laptop is pretty much broken so am blogging from my phone!)

Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Stellar:

Having tried out a tester of the new Apocalips a few weeks ago and seeing how amazing they were, I was desperate to own one after payday!
It's a lacquer, so is gorgeous and thick on your lips, not to mention the colour is eyewateringly bright (which I love) and comes in several summery pink shades.
The colour also stays puts really well, lasting ages but does need reapplying to maintain it's maximum effect.
Despite it's gooey thickness, it doesn't feel too heavy and clumpy on your lips as you might expect.
I wore this to work and got several compliments so it mustn't look that bad!
I would definitely recommend this lip lacquer, and am in fact going to buy some more shades myself!

9/10

Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara:

I was previously using the original Lash Accelerator Mascara, which is my favourite, but after reading a great review on my friend Megan's brilliant beauty blog Thumbelina Lillie, I decided to give the Endless version a go.
It work pretty similarly to the original in terms of lengthening and separating your lashes really well. The brush is nice and thin too (I can't stand or use big huge mascara brushes) but seems a bit more flimsy than the original and applying it is a more delicate task, not good if you're always in a rush like me!
Overall I like the mascara, but think I prefer the original Rimmel Lash Accelerator.

7/10

And lastly...

Glam'Eyes Trio Eye Shadow in 750 Tempting:

I'll be honest, I just picked this set to make up my 3 for 2 offer haha!
I actually have an eyeshadow duo pencil from Avon in similar shades, but thought I'd give this a try.
The back of the container says suits brown eyes, and though I have blue I like using green around my eyes to bring a bit of colour rather than browns and blacks all the time.
The shadows come with a nice little brush, though I wish it had a mirror! It has three different shades, and has some cool instructions on the back for how to build up different looks.
It stays on all day really well, but the colours aren't quite as brightly pigmented as I wanted them to be, especially the lighter colours; the darker green is definitely my favourite.
A good choice if you just want some subtle colour.

6/10

Have you tried any of these products?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie.

(all products purchased by myself, my reviews are all my own honest opinion)