Prime Time

One of the most annoying things after spending hours perfecting a smokey eye or creating amazing eyeliner, is to have it crease on you before you've even left the house. Creasing can look really beautiful if it's intentional. If not, it's bloody annoying. Like almost everyone obsessed with makeup, I've dabbled in many a primer; some have been awful, some amazing. After a little root through my make up collection, I've chosen the ones I use most regularly:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

The UDPP is probably the most widely known and used eye primer out there. Hailed as a "legendary' product, it promised more 'vibrant eyeshadow that lasts 24+ hours and NEVER CREASES'. While it is a great product that does increase the vibrancy of eyeshadows used after, something about its texture puts me off. To me, its greasy. Even a tiny amount of product patted onto the eye takes a while to sink in and for me, has never really done much to help the longevity of my eye make-up. My eyes will still crease after a few hours and its wand does nothing to help spread the product. While I have never finished a full bottle of UDPP, its packaging makes me slightly weary, even after a few uses the primer potion seems to dry up and nothing seems to be left. Although UD have changed the bottle, the fact that I have to cut open the bottle to seize over half the bottle irritates me. Especially when it doesn't work that well on me. Am I doing something wrong?

MAC Painterly Paintpot

While I've tried many of the paintpots in MAC's collection, it is Painterly that I always revert back to. Its matte texture and skin colour makes it the most wearable, and it is definitely more hard-wearing than UDPP. By taking the smallest amount on your ring finger, gently placing it on the eye, it creates a thicker layer than the UDPP and makes the colour more vibrant and last a lot longer. But again, for me it doesn't last all day. There is still some small creasing, hardly noticeable unless pointed out. To make the product last longer, I gently apply a light layer of translucent powder, which helps to set the primer.

NYX Concealer in a Pot

And finally comes the NYX Concealer in a pot. Lots of people swear by using a concealer on the eyes, followed by a dusting of powder to set it; while others claim this never, ever works. For me, it works in the same way as the others. It lasts a few hours, until slight creasing can be seen. But for those on a budget who don't want to invest in a specific eye primer, its a great way to ensure your eyeshadow lasts longer. 

Do you have a preference when it comes to eye primers, or are you bothered?

Happy Sunday! 

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Priorities Change

Recently, I've been obsessing over bright lips. Strange, I know. Colour isn't really my thing. Maybe its the fact that my eyes sting like hell from applying, taking off and re-applying make up on the course multiple times a day, but focussing on my lips has become more of a priority for me when I have free time, rather than whacking on a ton of eye make up.

Contrary to popular belief, well mine anyway, its not as hard as you'd think. Nope, they're not perfect. It's only recently that I've noticed just how out of proportion my face and lips are (a room surrounded by mirrors will do that to you). But perfection is a bit overrated, right?

♥

Illamasqua Lipliner 8J1

MAC Impassioned Lipstick

NYX Clear Lipgloss

I'll have a 'tutorial' of this up tomorrow on my channel , and hope you enjoy! Have you changed what make up you apply over the last while?

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Sight For Sore Eyes

My major obsession with Liz Earle Skincare was obviously further compounded when the lovely Andrea offered to send me the Eyebright Soothing Lotion to test out; I jumped at the chance. Liz Earle is a brand that suits my skin so perfectly that the chance to try out new products I normally wouldn't pick out is really lovely. Their products are gentle on the skin and are the possibly one of the only brands where almost all the products I've tried have suited me. As always with LE shipping, the bottle arrived in beautiful packaging, wrapped in lovely tissue and contained the Eyebright lotion, the Summer guide, product guide and price list. 

From the day I received this eye lotion, I have been using it everyday. It is marketed as a product that 'cleanses and revitalises the eye area'. Containing witch hazel, organic aloe vera and cornflower, it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and awake. Every morning I sweep this quickly across my eyes to wake them up and get them ready for any make up. In the evening, you can gently soak two cotton pads and place them over the eyes for five or ten minutes. It not only refreshes and cools the eye, but removes any eye make up that may still be lingering after cleansing. Mascara, be gone! For an extra treat, if you leave Eyebright in the fridge, it works really well to keep your eyes in tip-tip condition, having a lovely cooling effect. Since beginning my make up course two weeks ago, make up has been applied and removed from my face and eyes about three times a day. Painful. But since using this lotion everyday, they aren't as irritated as they were. 

The 150ml bottle costs £9.70/11.25euro and lasts ages. Have you tried this product and what did you think? 

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Peachy Keen

After a recent trip to my local MAC, something The Mother has been saying for years finally struck a chord. Not only do I buy too much make up, but I repeatedly buy the same sorts of products. I was looking at the mass amount of blushes available, and was slightly overwhelmed until one of the artists came up and recommended Springsheen. Although I was initially looking for something more bronze, I instantly fell in love with its peachy tones. Money handed over, thank you ma'am.

Only to get home and discover that I had three other almost identical blushes. Doh! At the beginning I was a little miffed, having spent over twenty euro on such a similar product. But then rationalised that its a colour that suits me and as long as I don't buy another one (hopefully) equally similar life is peachy. Yeaah?

So the moral of this story? I should probably invest in a variety of products, but hey, I probably won't need to repurchase for a while!

Do you hoard similar make up? Don't even get me started on eyeshadows..

Nars Orgasm - A peachy pink with shimmer, but not glitter. Believe me, I am not a glitter person; so its fab.

Sleek Rose Gold - Sleek's dupe of Nars Orgasm and they are almost identical. If you have one, you really don't need the other. Oops.

Nars Orgasm Multiple - Ditto. Double Oops.

MAC Springsheen - Although very similar to both the Nars and Sleek blushes, its slightly more of a peach. Again, its probably not a necessity. Triple Oops.

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Kiehl's Skincare Routine: Thoughts and Review

Hello lovelies!

I’ve been waiting a long time to post about this, and while I will be making a video about it very soon, that will be more of an overview of my entire skincare routine. So, I’ll take this opportunity to be especially rambly and detailed! Lucky you!

So first of all, let me tell you about my skin. If you watch my videos, which I’m assuming most of you do, you’ll know that my skin is incredibly acne-prone and sensitive. So many skincare and makeup products have broken me out or irritated my skin in one way or another. In terms of oiliness, my skin is combination-oily, but tends to get really flaky dry patches during the winter. In the summer, I’m a sweater, so I’m usually quite shiny... and blackheads are always a gross issue. 

So back in February, I decided that I needed a new skincare regimen. My Clean and Clear Continuous Control Acne Wash had done its job, but was starting to really dry out my skin and irritate it. So, I popped into a Kiehl’s boutique and asked them for help!

I came out of there with two new products: their Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser for combination or oily skin type, and their Blemish Control Daily Skin Clearing Cream Treatment. 

For 250 ml, this cost roughly $30 CDN

This cost around $35 CDN, but a little goes a long way!

So the cleanser is a liquid consistency, reminiscent of hand soap. I squeeze a dime-sized amount onto my Shiseido face brush and scrub gently for at least a minute. It foams up a little bit, but the amount of lather isn’t really something that makes or breaks a product for me- it often has little to do with how effective it actually is! 

The consistency of the cleanser

So 4 months later, I’m happy to report that my skin has ceased in its flaky ways, and is doing pretty well. A few other factors have caused breakouts, as is often the case with acne-prone and sensitive skin, such as changes in the weather/humidity, stress (final university semester = loads of it!), hormones, the wrong foundation, etc.

Small sidebar… One thing to mention is that this cleanser does contain parabens, specifically methylparaben and ethylparaben. Parabens seem to be the hot topic lately, so I thought I'd cover it a bit for those of you who are interested. There’s tons of research and information out there about parabens, so if you need to brush up on your chemistry, the information is readily available online. I’ll just say that parabens are very far down on the list of ingredients for this cleanser. It’s on my skin for about 60 seconds, then rinsed off, so, in my totally non-expert opinion, if I’m going to be using something with parabens in it, it makes sense to me that a cleanser is probably one of the best options, rather than a moisturizer that is sitting on my skin all day. Again, totally a non-expert, but I’m basing this off of quite a bit of Googling. And I think I'm a darn good Googler...

…Which brings me to the other product I bought, the spot treatment/skin healer. While I really do like this, it’s more of an all-over treatment rather than a spot treatment. It only has 1.5% salicylic acid. To be honest, it doesn’t have enough power to take down the kind of zits I get (painful, cystic acne. Yuck.), so I use it nightly on my t-zone, which is my most acne-prone area. For spots, I swear by Murad’s spot treatment, which uses sulfur and salicylic acid as its main active ingredients. 

The thing that I really like about Kiehl’s blemish control product is that it does actually help to heal the skin, as advertised. Previous treatments I’ve tried have made my skin feel very tight, and did nothing to heal the broken skin around the pimples. I find this product to be soothing, mild, and effective. Win!

So for my first foray into Kiehl’s skincare, I think I did pretty well! Two products that work for me, and don’t break me out. What are the odds?! Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket or something...

xox Chloe

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Soap & Glory The Fab Pore 15 minute facial peel

Hi Girls!!

Today I am here to review a Soap & Glory facial peel.

What the brand says: "Rub a grape-sized dollop of 'The Fab Pore' into your face and massage in circles until the green beads have all dissolved. Leave on for 5 mins for a quick refresher, or fifteen for a real deep-cleansing do-it-yourself kind of 'facial'". 

What I say: well, this is not really a facial peel, as it does not dry to a peel, you have to wach it off with warm water, but for me it does not matter, as I love this 'facial peel' it leaves my skin feeling so clean, without feeling tight, it kind of feels like glass, everytime I use this, my skin feels the cleanest, I always use once a week for 15 mins, and then twice a week for 5 mins, and I just love how my skin feels and looks very clean. I would reccommend it to everyone that has not found the perfect cleaning facial peel, because it also makes my pores look smaller. I also love the smell, it has a fresh smell of mint. The packaging is also good.

So overal I give it 5/5

Olá Meninas!!

Já há algum tempo que não vinha aqui, eu sei que tenho andado desaparecida, mas voltei, e tou de ferias finalmente, acabaram as aulas, por isso esperem novos posts quase todos os dias.

Hoje venho fazer uma review de um produto que é o Soap & Glory 15 minute facial peel.

O que é que a marca diz: "Massagear na cara um bocadinho do produto do tamanho de uma uva, em circulos, ate as bolinhas verdes se dissolverem. Deixar por 5 minutos refrescar a pele, ou 15 minutos para uma limpesa mais profunda".

O que eu digo: Isto não é mesmo uma mascara facial, porque não seca de maneira a que possa ser tirada sem agua, tenho de a tirar sempre com água morna, mas para mim isso não importa muito, porque bem, isto limpa mesmo a pele, deixa a minha pele com uma sensação mesmo limpa, sem ter aquele efeito ressequido, a minha pele parece vidro, cada vez que uso isto, sinto a minha pele profundamente limpa e nota se que está limpa. Eu uso-o sempre três vezes por semana, uma vez deixo por 15 minutos e as outras duas vezes deixo ficar na pele só por 5 minutos. Eu recomendo isto a toda a gente, porque não só limpa a pele, mas tambem me reduz o tamanho dos poros, e cheira mesmo bem a menta.

.

A nota final para este produto é 5/5

XOXO

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The Big Switch?

As an avid Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish fan, I was torn when after reviewing the Elave moisturiser, they kindly offered to send me a few products as a thank you and the Elave cleanser was shoved through the door. The Elave Moisturiser is one I've used for years as I have very dry/sensitive skin that reacts to every change in weather and cannot take a lot of chemicals. Medical packaging aside, if you have sensitive skin, all Elave products are free from harsh chemicals, alcholols, dyes and colours. After testing it out over the last few weeks, I've found both positives and negatives to the product.

Positives

By gently massaging the cleanser into the face, it does get rid of all the makeup present; without causing any irritation. I always cleanse my face twice, once to get rid of makeup and another to cleanse my skin. This is a technique that works brilliantly for this product, and your skin does feel fresh and clean after cleansing, with no tight feeling.

While the information at the back of the tube suggests using damp cotton pads to remove the cleanser, I only did this for the first cleanse, using a muslin cloth for the second.

Athough it is not a thick cream like the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, it is not greasy and breaks down the dirt on the skin very well.

At 8euro/£7 for 250mls, its just over half the price of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which is 15euro/£13 for 100mls.

Negatives

While it does successfully remove eye makeup, I was surprised that when I got it in my eye by mistake, it did sting slighty. This sensation did, however, disappear when I washed the cleanser off with a damp cotton pad.

The packaging. Shallow, I know. All the Elave packaging looks very 'medical', and while it is clinically proven they could make it look a bit nicer, agree?

Would I switch to this cleanser full-time?

If I couldn't afford to buy the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, I would definitely move to this one. It does almost the same job (minus the slight eye-stinging, of course), but doesn't look or smell as nice!

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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Review

So I had discovered this one website (www.allcosmeticswholesale.com) about 2 months ago. This website sells all Authentic make-up from brands like: Lime Crime, MAC, Benefit, Dior, etc. at discounted prices! I have ordered some products previously, but did not do a blog post because I forgot. haha.

(If you spend $40.00 or more, you receive a free gift!)

So this time I ordered 3 Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tars.

(Left - Right): Cha Cha - Divine - Grandma

(Left - Right): Cha Cha - Divine - Grandma

Here are some swatches...

They are very vibrant in color, smell like peppermint and are a little sticky.

You don't need much to get the color you want. A little goes a long way!

Hope you enjoyed :)

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Lime Crime Lipstick Review!

A few posts ago I did a review on my Lime Crime order. I did buy a lip stick and I loved it. So of course, I had to purchase some more. This time I went with the pinks, because pink and I are BEST FRIENDS!

The Packaging!

Contessa Fluorescent - Great Pink Planet - Centrifuchsia

The texture is so smooth! And as I have mentioned before, the smell actually resembles MAC lip sticks. A very subtle, pretty smell.

Here are the swatches....

www.limecrimemakeup.com

If you're interested!

Until next time.......

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Techie?

When Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo announced she was creating a line of makeup brushes with Real Techniques, I knew they were something I just had to have. Her assurance that they would be affordable for all was a bonus, and to be honest had they been high-end brushes with high-end prices I wouldn't have objected.

After they arrived on Friday, I have spent the last two days obsessing over them and testing them out. While its too early to formulate my thoughts on them just yet, I'm pretty impressed by them. If you would like a review on them, let me know! Using synthetic taklon bristles in each brush means that they are 100% cruelty free. And they're "soft fibers help create a flawless, high-definition finish in any type of light – from sunlight to harsh indoor lighting". While the prices were slightly more than the American prices, they are very affordable at £18.99/22euro for a set.

Core Collection



L-R - Contour brush, Pointed Foundation brush, Detailer brush, Buffing brush

Contour brush - delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft-focus.

Pointed Foundation brush - use with liquid to build custom coverage

Detailer Foundation brush - precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or use with lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition

Buffing brush - ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation

Eye Definition Starter Set

L-R - Brow brush, Deluxe crease brush, Pixel-point eyeliner brush, Accent brush, Base shadow brush

Brow brush - distinctive shape easily defines brows

Deluxe Crease brush - soft, oversized design for effortless contouring

Pixel-Point Eyeliner brush - tapered cut is ideal for dense or fine eyeliner application

Accent brush - designed for precision detailing, spotlighting, highlighting and smudging

Base shadow brush - applies a smooth, flawless foundation colour

Sam's collection for Real Techniques can be bought here.

Have you bought/ are thinking of buying these brushes? What do you think of Sam's efforts?

Happy Monday x

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Lime Crime Review

This is my first ever Lime Crime review.

And I am QUITE impressed with their products.

One unique thing I liked is that they have their own boxes.

Most companies just mail their product to you in a generic mailer, which is fine, but I just think that this is a step beyond :)

The packaging got even cuter!

I ordered three eyeshadows and one lipstick.

These were the eyeshadows I chose...

Troubadour, Lime Criminal, Abracadabra

Swatches...

(Without primer)

I am very impressed with the quality of the eyeshadows. They have a silky soft feel to them and are very vibrant in color. You get 2grams of eyeshadow in each container. I am looking forward to creating some looks with these!

And the lipstick I chose...

Retrofuturist

Here are a few swatches...

First of all i LOVE the tube itself. It's purple with a glittery unicorn on it. So cute!

The lipstick goes on very smooth and the smell reminds me of MAC lipsticks. Subtle and pretty.

All products can be purchased at www.limecrimemakeup.com

(I was not paid to do this review, I purchased on my own!)

Hope you enjoyed :)







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Mega Haul, New Vid, and I'm BACK!

Hello lovely lovely people!

In short... I'm back! Still trying to sort out some lighting/location/filming issues, but I am indeed back to making videos, and I've come back with a monster 25 minute long video (which I'll post here once it's uploaded).

To accompany this video, I've posted below this post a series of swatches/product photos for some of the things I show in the video... swatching during videos is far too messy! So be sure to scroll down and check out Part 1: Lipsticks, Part 2: Lip glosses, and Part 3: Eyeshadows!

Full shot of new goodies!

xoxo

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Haul Part 3: Eyeshadows

Final installment of my monster haul/swatch extravaganza!

Eyeshadows!

First up, from MAC's mega metal shadow collection:

MAC Spectacle of Yourself (sideways?)

MAC Spectacle of Yourself

While I like this eyeshadow, it comes across a little bit too orange for it to be an everyday neutral. I kind of wish I had gone for one of the purples in the collection instead, but oh well!

Next... NARS Cordura duo.

Cordura

Cordura

LOVE this. The only downside really is that the dark shade (my fav!) has a bit of fallout if you're not careful. So I just do my eyes before foundation when I'm using this, so it's no big deal! Smooth texture, beautiful colours that go amazingly well together... fab fab fab!

xox

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