Showing posts with label swatches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swatches. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Kylie Cosmetics Vacation Collection - Is It Worth The Hype?


One thing you can always count on with me, is that I'm a sucker for a new beauty launch.
As the years have gone on and I've tried more and more products, I'm so much pickier with what I deem as 'worth the hype'. At the end of the day, if you're spending your hard earned cash on these products, they've got to live up to expectations!

Kylie Cosmetics is a real pain in my bank balance, I can't resist her new launches, I can't resist those bundles!! There is a reason for it though, and it's because I'm consistently impressed with the quality and presentation of the products. However, this is the first launch I've got a hold of where there's a multitude of new product lines, so here's my thoughts!



I've been a huge fan of Kylies eyeshadows since the Bronze Palette launched, so I knew I'd love the quality of the 'Take Me On Vacation' palette, it was a case of whether the shades would be enough to my taste for day-to-day wear. I actually think this looks so much more beautiful in person, the colours seem a lot more vibrant. 


I purposely didn't do the classic 'hard swatch' that appears all over social media, although that is usually how I choose to swatch! As this is a review, I wanted you to see how each shadow appears with one swipe on my arm. 
As you can see, the shadows are overall nicely pigmented. There is definitely a chalky theme running through the very pale shades on the top row, but I've used these on the eyes and it doesn't seem to be an issue. The shimmers are creamy to the touch, and they apply to the eye very similar to how they swatch. If you want a more foiled finish, definitely use a wet brush!
Kylies mattes always blend really well for me, and the variety of colours in here can create so many looks that I usually opt for! You even have those pops of colour, which I personally would use on my lower lash-line.
You do get a brush with this palette, as we did with the Royal Peach Palette, both of which are very good quality, and I always add these to my main brush collection. 



I was very excited about these! I had never tried the 'velvet' formula before, and totally matte lips are starting to take a back-seat for me, (although I'll always love them!). The shades are the same in both sets, so essentially you would buy whichever formula you prefer, unless like me you got the bundle which means you receive both!


Shades/Formula L to R Velvets & Mattes - Naked, Birthday Suit, Commando & Bare

So as you can see in the swatches above, the colours are exactly the same, the only difference being the finish. Personally, I prefer the velvet formula as it's super creamy, but still has that 'matte' look. My only complaint is that you do get that ring of colour of the inside of your lips! If you've tried a Kylie Cosmetics matte, the matte formula in these ones is of course no different, they can get a little dry, but they're still comfortable to wear. 

I really wish there was a deeper nude in this collection, these shades are a little too pale for my medium skin-tone, so I wear a deeper lip liner with them. For those with fairer skin, I think Naked and Birthday Suit would be perfect classic nudes, with Commando and Bare being a gorgeous pink-toned nude. 
If you were to buy one set, I'd suggest the velvets, but make sure you know you'd get your use out of the shades as they're all of a very similar colour family.



My heart stopped when I saw these swatched during the reveal of the collection. Serious heart-eye emojis. 
As someone who's becoming a regular wearer of lip-gloss, (never thought I'd say that!), these were totally up my street as they're perfect to layer over lipsticks too!


Shades L to R - Glitz and Glamour

Look at those swatches, glitter heaven! They come in two gorgeous shades, Glitz and Glamour. Glitz is more of a soft peachy gold, with Glamour being the rich true glittering gold.  I like to layer these over a matte lipstick, and then blot them down so the glitter lasts all day on the lips. You can definitely feel the glitter in them, so if you don't like the feel of anything on your lips, you won't be a fan, but if you don't mind that then definitely grab one, (or both!). I really hope she brings out more of these, wouldn't some holographic ones be insane?! 



This colour is a real head-turner. It's a super bright almost neon purple. It's absolutely not a colour I usually opt for, but I LOVE it. It's so unusual, and with a tan it's just a knockout shade. I'm glad she chose this colour to be the stand-alone lip kit as it's definitely one you could do with having a matching lip liner to!


My pictures doesn't show how bright the shade is, but I can assure you it's not one for the faint hearted. Surprisingly, for such a bright shade, it doesn't apply patchy or uneven, so one coat is all thats needed for an even application. If you love your bright colours, and are looking for something unusual, this is worth checking out.



Since I was yet to try out one of Kylies 'Kylighters', I was really looking forward to trying this little duo to see how her face products perform. 


Before I share my thoughts, I just thought I'd point out that both swatches are built up on this occasion, particularly the bronzer as it's a very close match to my skin-tone, only more cool-toned. 
As the bronzer is so close in colour to my own skin, it really didn't show up very well on me. It's a shame because the formula was really nice and it was easy to blend. This would be perfect for fair skin, but wouldn't work on medium/deep skin unfortunately!
'Glow Up' highlighter is a beautiful light champagne gold, a classic shade that I usually wear.
If you like a softer, more natural glow then you would love this. I like it for day-to-day wear, when I'm not trying to take someones eye out with my highlight! Overall, I think the palette is limiting to who can use it because of the bronzer shade, however if it would work for you, it's a lovely set.



I was the most excited about these three products in the bundle! Besides the Wet Set, (which I didn't manage to get a hold of!), these were the most hyped up out of the entire bundle. I completely agree with the rave reviews, they're stunning!



Shades L to R - Santorini, Fiji & Tahiti

Aren't they beautiful?! Each 'Ultra Glow' comes in a small pot, and is in the form of a loose powder. I've never used a loose powder highlighter before, I'm not sure there's many out there! At least none that are accessible to me with ease. I'm always concerned I'll create a mess when I use these, but they actually apply so well, and incredibly smooth. These are definitely a 'blinding' highlighter, but they melt into the skin, yay for no harsh lines!!
Santorini is a classic pale white gold, ideal for fair skin tones. Fiji is a beautiful soft gold, my favourite out of the three! Tahiti is for those who love a pink glow, and a very rose-y gold.
I'm so into this product, if you can get a hold of it when it's back in stock, go for it! This is another one I hope she brings out in a huge range of shades!

So, is it worth the hype?!

Unless you're a make-up collector like me, the bundle isn't necessary. You do get a lot of products in it that are catered to lots of different skin-tones, meaning you'll have at least a few products that aren't 'perfect', and for the price you're paying, they should be!!
Luckily, you can buy the items individually, and there's quite a few stand-out products that you should jump at. The Ultra Glow powders are a must. I'd go as far to say pick up all three! For $14, it's so worth it. If you're in to glitter glosses, the Super Glitter Glosses are a beautiful new addition to Kylie Cosmetics. I love love love all of the products for the most part, but those two are my stand-out recommendations, and totally worth the hype!



SHARE:

Monday, April 25, 2016

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette


I'm quite surprised to be writing about this highly coveted product so soon, given the evident struggle to get a hold of it in the US. I was browsing the counters in Debenhams in the Trafford Centre when I spotted that unmissable bright peach packaging. I'll be honest, I nearly had a heart attack. Dramatic, I know.. but seriously! THE Too Faced Sweet Peach palette!! After resuscitating myself, I grabbed the palette and immediately hit the tills.. (well, after a lengthy discussion about makeup with a fellow beauty junkie!!).

Anyway, enough drama.. on to the palette!


The palette is built up of 18 stunning peachy and purple-y tones, a variety of mattes and shimmers. Oh, and by the way, it smells like the sweetest peach lemonade. It's so fragrant that it fills my room with that juicy scent. I'm not sure how long that'll last, but my Chocolate bar palettes are still going strong, so fingers crossed!


(Top row, from L to R).


(Second row, from L to R).


(Bottom row, from L to R).

As you can see from the swatches, they're super pigmented, some more than others however. I will forever compare eyeshadow performance to my Makeup Geek eyeshadows, and nothing has quite yet lived up to those expectations. I do highly rate Too Faced eyeshadows though!

A couple of the matte shades were a little patchy to build up a good swatch with, where some were full coverage in one swipe. It's not particularly consistent with quality, yet I still find the shadows a dream to use regardless. 

My favourite shades are of course the warm peachy shades, 'Candied Peach' and 'Summer Yum' are a great crease combo! I love how there's deeper plum shades incorporated into this palette too, making it versatile from day to night. 


Overall, I highly recommend picking up this palette. It's such a wonderful addition to my collection. I'm a lot more picky now with what palettes I add to my ridiculously large collection, so you can guarantee whichever ones make the cut are going to be damn good! 

I can't find a link to it as of yet as it seems to be exclusive to the store I visited, but keep checking out the Debenhams website, or your local store for the palette!

post signature

SHARE:

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Zoeva Rose Golden Blush Palette


I'm sure you've all seen, and fallen in love with the 'rose gold' trend that's been circulating the scene for quite a while, and doesn't seem to be shooting off anytime soon, (luckily!). Brands are pulling at our heart-strings, (and purse strings), by launching products coated in rose gold left right and centre. Zoeva is a brand that does the trend particularly well, previously launching brush lines with rose gold finishes and matching metallic pouches. Now they're back with 'Rose Golden Volume 3', which consists of a luxurious rose gold brush set, (with the killer price tag of £75!!), and a more purse-friendly blush palette! 


The palette contains a rose-gold blusher, or blush topper, a stunning white highlighter with gold reflects, and a classic cool-toned taupe contour shade. 


From the swatch, and from the initial look at the pan, the blusher didn't look like something I would use on my cheeks, as glittery cheek products tend to emphasise flaws I'd rather not draw attention to! However, after thinking 'why the hell not!', I tried it out and was absolutely stunned! For something that is incredibly glittery to swatch, it comes off on the cheeks as a gorgeous sheen, and no glitter chunks at all! The shade on my skin tone is a very warm, deep peach shade.

The highlighter is so so pigmented. Literally, I just dab my brush into the pan and sweep it along the top of my cheekbones and I'm good to go! Although it looks a flat white in the pan, it has a stunning iridescence to it, and has warm gold reflects, complimenting the coolness of the white beautifully.

As for the contour shade, in the pan, it looks like my dream shade, and it really is on the skin too! However, it's slightly tougher to grab the product onto your brush. I'm not sure why, but it's very gritty to begin with, and I feel like I have to scrub at the pan to really get it going. Once applied, it does look beautiful, and creates the most natural shadow. Surprisingly, this hasn't put me off and I still adore this palette, contour shade included. 


You can purchase this palette from www.beautybay.com for £13! I personally think that's an amazing price, especially for such a quality product.. (Plus the packaging is pretty fabulous too!). 





SHARE:

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Gerard Cosmetics Lipsticks: Review



If you're like me and spend every waking moment trawling through beauty pages on Instagram, you'll be no stranger to Gerard Cosmetics and their huge selection of gold bullets.. (and by that, I mean lipsticks!).
I began my collection with cult favourites, '1995' & 'Underground', and evidently, I haven't looked back since! With the help of the copious amounts of discount codes flying around, these lipsticks become incredibly affordable, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. 
I own a mixture of 'matte', 'cream' and 'satin' finishes, all of which are incredibly moisturising, long lasting and super pigmented. 


(From L to R) - Mystic Moon (satin), 1995 (matte), Underground (satin), Cherry Cordial (matte), London Fog (satin), Berry Smoothie (cream), Rodeo Drive (satin), Enchanté (cream), French Toast (cream).

Mystic Moon - This is a very 'on-trend' greige shade, the shade you've probably seen all over the beauty world! I find this to be a little too grey on me, and unfortunately it washes me out a little bit, but the formula is excellent and moisturising on the lips.

1995 - This is possibly my favourite lipstick from Gerard Cosmetics, from the formula to the shade. It reminds me so much of MAC's Whirl, which is my favourite MAC lipstick. It's the perfect warm brown on my skin-tone. Even with the matte finish, it locks in moisture on the lips.

Underground - A close second, if not joint first with '1995'. This lipstick is supposed to be a satin finish, but I find the formula comparable with Gerard's other matte lipsticks. This is definitely my perfect 'grey-toned' lipstick and it has the slightest pink undertone to it.

Cherry Cordial - This was a purchase inspired by Huda Beauty as I've spotted her wearing it sooo many times. It looks so beautiful and rich on her. It's the perfect deep burgundy shade, and as always, the formula of the mattes is excellent.

London Fog - So this is unfortunately my least favourite. It's a beautiful shade on other people, but it's waaay too blue toned on me, it almost looks like a blue-grey lipstick on my lips. I've seen it on other people and it looks amazing, but on me, nope! No problems with the formula, but I definitely recommend checking out swatches on a variety of skin tones.

Berry Smoothie - This is quite a nice light raspberry shade on my lips. A very easy lipstick to just swipe on and be done! This is the kind of shade that will look completely different on each person, so definitely check out swatches. I love the cream finish, it's not glossy, but it adds a little bit of dimension to the lips.

Rodeo Drive - I find this to be slightly deceiving in the tube. It looks like a brown-berry shade, but on my lips it looks very similar to 'Berry Smoothie'. Not that that's a problem, but they're very similar shades on me. I probably prefer this one to 'Berry Smoothie', but they are quite alike!

Enchanté - This is a collaboration with the 'Dupe That' girls, who I absolutely love! It's incredibly similar to MAC's Up The Amp, and it tastes like candy floss!! I wouldn't say it's an 'everyday' shade, but it's a beautiful dark lilac-y shade. 

French Toast - I've wanted this lipstick for so ages, I don't know why it took me so long to pick it up! It's the perfect orange-toned brown. That sounds quite bad, but it looks beautiful on the lips, particularly with an overall warm make-up look. This has shot up into my top 3!


Overall, I 100% recommend these lipsticks. The mattes and satin shades last longer on the lips than the creams, but that's typical with any brand. I obviously couldn't leave out the packaging.. who doesn't love a gold bullet, eh??

On that note! If you'd like me to do a similar review on the 'Hydra-Matte' liquid lipsticks, please let me know! 

You can purchase them via the Gerard Cosmetics website here, (be sure to check out their Instagram for amazing discounts!), or via Beauty Bay here!
post signature

SHARE:

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

New in Beauty: Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette




Hello!
As I'm sure most of you are, I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay, and I can't help but immediately get my hands on any new products they release.
Urban Decay was the brand that really got me into experimenting with colour, and the first 'pricier' coloured palette I ever picked up was last years Vice 3! Well here we are, hundreds of palettes later, and we're now at the Vice 4 palette.
The minute I spotted that stunning packaging, I wasn't bothered what was on the inside, I just had to have it. Luckily for me, it's jam-packed with beautiful, brand new shades.


(Top row, left to right).


(Second row, left to right).


(Third row, left to right).


(Bottom row, left to right).

How beautiful are those shades?! That's all with one swipe. I'm so impressed. 

There's a large amount of shimmers, some being glittery, some shimmery and a few duochromes. There is a few mattes too, making it a little more wearable if you're not digging a vibrant look, or if you simply need a crease shade! 

The texture of the shadows does vary, with the ones with larger chunks of glitter being slightly 'drier', however they're just as pigmented as the softer shadows, so it's nothing to worry about.
I'm very pleasantly surprised with how much I love the blue/green row! I fancy creating a mermaid look with those.

The palette is limited edition, so I highly recommend picking it up ASAP if you're considering it! You can purchase it here.


Will you be picking this up? Which is your favourite row of shades?!
post signature



SHARE:

Friday, November 6, 2015

New in Beauty: Freedom Makeup Pro Melts Liquid Lipsticks


Hello! I'm so excited to be writing about these little beauties today!! 
Here we have eight NEW shades of the Freedom Makeup Pro Melts liquid lipsticks, plus one cheeky extra I picked up from the older shade range!
I've wrote a blog post on some Freedom Makeup products before, and I'm so excited to share more about this budget-friendly brand with you! Previous post linked here.

As I'm sure you all know, liquid lipsticks have been hot on the market for a while now, and there's no signs of them disappearing in the near future, (nor do I want them too!). Fortunately for us lot, it means drugstore brands are fast jumping on the bandwagon, and are bringing us our favourite lip products for a fraction of the price!
Freedom Makeup has sold these liquid lipsticks since the start of their brand, and have recently launched eight new shades. 


From left to right - 'Debut', 'Kisses Waiting', 'Masterpiece', 'Applause', 'Sold Out', 'Steal The Show', 'Drama', 'No Heroes', and 'Just Do It'

Firstly, I'd just like to point out, that besides the whitened background, these images haven't been enhanced in anyway, my skin is just looking extra saturated for some reason, haha! 
Anyway! These are the swatches of the eight new shades, plus the 'Just Do It' on the end which I'd picked up last week!

As you can see, they're super vibrant and I'd say all but 'Just Do It' are incredibly pigmented. On first impression, I'd anticipated these to be a little 'tacky' feeling on the lips as they're such a thick consistency, but they do actually dry down to a matte finish, and that thickness seems to make the lipstick more comfortable to wear. 

My favourites from the range are 'Sold Out', 'Drama', 'No Heroes' and 'Debut', (for an ombre lip).

These retail at only £3 each, and with Freedom Makeup's long list of discounts and offers, you're almost sure to pick it up cheaper than that! Head over to Freedom Makeup now to have a browse, or pick up some bargains yourself!

PS!! Stay tuned for some further Freedom posts! (Yes, I've been doing a lot of shopping!).




post signature
SHARE:

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

New In Beauty: Makeup Revolution Matte Blushers


Hello! 

I've been building up a bunch of products I want to review recently, and here's the first of them!

Now, I know I titled this as 'new', but these Makeup Revolution blushers have been out for a little while now, however they are new to my collection! 
I had wanted these as soon as they were released as I'm a sucker for a matte blusher, and I finally took the plunge and ordered the entire range! Yeah, I don't do things by halves. My bank balance, (or lack of), can vouch for that.

They retail at £3 each, so you really can't go wrong. Even with the one shade that I can't get to work for me as a blush, I've managed to work it as an eyeshadow!
They're incredibly pigmented, and I mean.. incredibly pigmented. Particularly the more vibrant shades, but they all require a very light hand for application. 
I don't find them to be chalky at all, and upon swatching, they're very buttery to touch.


(From L to R) - Divine & Dare



As you can see, these two are super vibrant shades. I find Divine to be slightly more wearable for me as I love a cool-toned pink blush. Dare is a more intense take on Divine, and is almost neon. This would look stunning applied with an extra light hand. I also think this would work beautifully when working with pink eyeshadows, and would be a great addition to the crease to tie a look together.


(From L to R) - Beloved & New Rules


 Okay, as much as my brain is telling me to go from left to right, I need to address the elephant on the screen. That red though?! This is called 'New Rules', and goodness me, this is intense. I did try it on the cheeks, but no matter how lightly I applied the product, and no matter how much I blended it out, it still looked a little clownish on me. HOWEVER, and that is a big however, I got a little creative, and I was putting together an autumnal red-toned eyeshadow look, and popped this directly into the crease and it was magic. I would purchase this with the intention of using it as an eyeshadow alone, and if it works as a blush for you, then great! It's actually one of my favourites for that reason!
Beloved is your classic peach shade. It has the slightest pink tone to it, but it's definitely more of a peach. This is gorgeous, especially for this time of year and while it's a matte shade, it adds a little brightness to the skin with those pink undertones.


 (From L to R) - Nude & Fusion


So Nude is my favourite shade out of the entire collection. It's essentially a classic, nude blush. It does have a peach tone running through it, but it's such a wearable shade. I've been wearing this almost every day since it arrived, and it's such an easy shade to pop on the cheeks and be done! I highly recommend this one as a starting point if you want to give this formula a go!
Fusion caught my eye on the website, but is slightly more peach toned in person. The swatch looks kind of scary and very red, but it's just a really pretty peach shade!

So there we have it! All 6 shades. I'm a huge fan of Makeup Revolution, and they're products just keep getting better!

Which is your favourite shade? Have you tried any of these blushers out?




post signature
SHARE:
© my beauty space. All rights reserved.
Blogger Template by pipdig