March – 2014 – Hellbent for Lipstick

Make-up

MUA “Pretty Edgy Eyeshadow Palette” – The Studded Palette Review

March 13, 2014

When Gem and I had heard MUA had launched a “studded” palette under their Luxe range, our imaginations ran wild with what many delights this could entail, and thankfully a lot of this ran true. As suspected, they had released a beautiful palette, covered in gold studs. What could be more heavy metal than that?

During the festive period, this was sold out everywhere, including direct from the MUA website, but luckily Gem had procured this for my birthday in February – adding to the many many spoils she had already purchased. I was literally overjoyed when I opened this and it looks so amazing with my other palettes.

This palette comes with ten beautifully dark yet neutral shades and rather than the usual circular pans, the shadows span the entirety of the palettes inside. It’s also blessed with a large mirror and the usual rubbish sponge applicator which I doubt will ever be used.

Usually MUA have a habit of giving their products numbers instead of names, so my insides danced a little with excitement when I saw they had named this set.

The top row, from left to right: Antique, Bow, Toile, Ruffle, Flounce and Envy are very shimmery shades and swatched beautifully.

The bottom row, from left to right: Sinful, Gothic, Wrath and Envy are more Matte shades and I was really surprised with how well the pigment came through.

Here are the individual swatches:

My favourites are – Antique a really shimmery pearlesque colour and Lace which has a subtle maroon undertone to it, I also really love Sinful, which is like a very light mauve – I’m really looking forward to experimenting with some of these colours as there is a definite purple hue to some of these, which is not something I’m generally brave enough to try or get away with.

Overall I am mega impressed with the swatches and colours. Honestly – I didn’t even want the palette for the colours when I first cast my eyes upon it, the magpie in me was completely drawn to the packaging and it could have been filled with “My First Corpsepaint” for all I cared so I’m really glad I have another palette that I am going to love and use adoringly.

If you want to get your hands on one of these superb palettes, you can buy them here from Superdrug for £8 – slightly more expensive than their normal palette range, but definitely worth every penny. Be warned though – they sell out fast!

What are your thoughts on the new Luxe range by MUA? We’d love to hear your thoughts down below.

Totally hellbent for heavy metal make-up

Pants

Make-up, News

MUA LUXE Velvet Lip Lacquer Review

March 12, 2014

I’ve seen a host of reviews on this product all talking about how amazing it is and with the temptation of the shade “Atomic” (you’ve guessed it, a bright red) being too much for me to resist, I ended up buying this a few weeks ago. Usually not being a fan of wand style lip applications, I was sceptical to begin with.

I tried it out the day I bought it and slapped it on quickly, whilst running late for a meal with friends. Wondering if I’d made the right decision to indulge in a red lip shortly before stuffing my face I can safely say it was probably -the- best choice I could have made. During application, I ended up with a rich, yet bright full bodied red with a matte finish. This dried in less than a minute and didn’t rub off onto my wine glass during the evening. I also remembered when getting home, that I had swatched this on my hand with a tester in Superdrug and it remained there even after scrubbing it in the shower – however this seemed to come off pretty easily at the end of the night with my trusty micellar water.

The next test was during our last gig – with more time to apply this evenly and with two coats – this remained absolutely perfect after a half hour set on a very hot stage and even survived further on into the night after Gem and I ditched the venue for a slightly stranger environment – a 90’s esque bar, for our friends birthday.

Here’s me rocking the new MUA Luxe Lip Lacquer in “Atomic” on stage last week. Photo Copyright our lovely live photographer Tony Gaskin at Stagedive Photography. (Sporting the mouth wide open and sweating like a mofo look)

I am absolutely over the moon with this purchase, I really hope MUA release some more neutral “everyday” shades since this red is going to be reserved for less ordinary days and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it. And if the product itself wasn’t enough – it comes with a purse friendly price tag of only £3.00 and you can find it here at Superdrug. My next purchase is definitely going to be “reckless” which is a much darker red.

Have you tried this out yet? What were your thoughts?

Totally hellbent for lipstick that stays put until the end of a very sweaty night!

-Pants

Make-up

Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette Au Naturel Review & Swatches

March 11, 2014

I’ve been tempted by Au Naturel for the longest time, but couldn’t really justify it when I already have so many neutral palettes. Luckily for me I spotted this in the Superdrug reduced basket for only £3.50 and absolutely jumped on it! The only damage was to a chip of plastic in the upper right corner and the eye-shadow Taupe beneath, and even so there’s plenty left in the pan.

Au Naturel contains twelve colours, eight mattes and four shimmers, all unsurprisingly in neutral tones. There’s some definite similarities to a certain cult Urban Decay palette, but as I don’t own any of the Naked sets I can’t comment on how close other than the theme and shade choices!

All the colours have good pigmentation and a dreamily smooth and creamy texture that blends amazingly. There’s fallout with every shade but not enough to risk contaminating the other colours so it’s not really a bother.

The shimmers are of course my favourites, but really I can see myself making use of every single shade. The surprise hit for me though was Noir, the matte black – it is SO heavily pigmented yet blends so easily. Conker and Mineral Earth come very close seconds for favourite, both have a gorgeous rich texture and shimmer but are very wearable.

Taupe and Nougat both make excellent highlights, I really like that they included both a matte and shimmer in suitable colours, it makes the palette so versatile that you really could pop this in your make-up bag and not need anything else in a neutral shade at all.

The packaging is very sturdy and stylish with a matte finish, and I love the huge mirror that fills the whole of the lid. As with most palettes it comes with a dual ended sponge applicator that will do in a pinch (but really if I’m ever caught without my brushes I’d rather use my fingers than those rubbish things!)

Onto the swatches!

I’m definitely going to get a lot of use from Au Naturel and can’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for a natural palette at a reasonable price!

Have you tried out any Sleek palettes? I definitely think I might add a few more to the collection on the basis of this one!

Available for £7.99 from Boots.com.

Totally hellbent for going au naturel!

– Gem

Make-up

MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter

March 10, 2014

I’ve been trying to get my hands on one of these for absolutely ages and now suddenly they are everywhere!

When it comes to highlighter I am a firm fan of Benefit Highbeam, so much so I’ve barely tried any powder highlighters – this might be the one to change my mind though!

The Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter has a gorgeous peachy colour with a -lot- of shimmer, I really wasn’t expecting so much pigment but really I would be happy with the pay-off from this on a much higher priced product. The fact this costs only £3 makes it all the more sweeter.

With a very light hand you can achieve a subtle day-time friendly look that isn’t loaded with glittery shimmer, but it’s very build-able for those times when you want a little more of a dazzle to your cheeks. The powder is easy to pick up with a brush and has surprisingly little fall-out, so I expect it will last a really long time considering how little you need to make a even a more striking look.

The packaging is as simple and plain as most of the MUA range but the actual pan is a gorgeous swirly design that might just be inspired (borrowed shamelessly!) from some of MAC’s much higher end powder products! It gives it the sort of elegance that makes you proud to pull it out of your make-up bag in public though, and you don’t often get that with budget drugstore brands, so props to MUA for giving a little bit of class!

Overall you really really can’t go wrong with a product this beautiful for only £3.00!

Available from Superdrug.com

Totally hellbent for gorgeous design on budget products

– Gem

Lifestyle, Vegetarian

The Vegan Kind March Box

March 8, 2014

The Vegan Kind is a new monthly Vegan lifestyle box. It promises to deliver between 5-8 products each month that are all cruelty free and Vegan – they also donate 10p of each box to the chosen Charity for the month. This is my second Vegan Kind box and I’d almost forgotten about it’s arrival until it turned up yesterday morning. The first thing I did when I eventually got into the box, was read the info sheet that came with it. This month 10p will be donated to www.catcuddles.org.uk which I am over the moon with! One thing I like about this box, is the simplicity. Cutting back on unnecessary packaging and leaflets (as much as I love both my Birchbox and Glossybox mags) I really don’t feel guilty for indulging in this simply pleasure and discovery new, ethical products.

Inside the box: Flavour Magic Harrisa Powder (RRP £3.00) Another favourite about this box, is the recipe card you receive, pre hole punched and after a few boxes, The Vegan Kind will send you a little ring binder to store them in. The first product out of the box was this packet of Harissa blend. Packed with lots of spices – cumin, chill, coriander, garlic, mint, caraway, cayenne pepper and salt – this is sure to fit in right at home amongst my kitchen spices. This months recipe is a Lentil Burger and Sweet Potato Fries which also features the Harissa powder, which I think is a really nice touch and gives me something to try this out with. A generous 70g packet will also go a long way! Onthepulse Hot Chick – Spicy Roasted Chickpeas (RRP £1.00) This cute little packet is crammed full of chickpeas spiced in Jamaican Jerk. With 213 calories and 10.7grams of fat it ranks pretty highly on the foods I wouldn’t normally go for, but the 45 gram serving is quite large, and I reckon for the purpose of snacking, a handful here and there couldn’t hurt, especially since it’s high in fibre and 100% natural with no nasty ingredients in. I do enjoy chickpeas so I’m definitely intrigued and can’t wait to crack these open for some snacking of the natural kind! Greenfrog Natural Washing Up Liquid (RRP £1.69) This is an enormous 500ml bottle – and though I have to admit I’m a bit of a Fairy Washing Up Liquid snob, I’m really excited to try out a plant based, bio-degradable and eco-friendly alternative. Infused with essential oils such as Lemon, which contains a natural anti-bacterial – I’m also guessing that this is going to be much kinder to my skin. I also really like the smell – not too lemony but just enough to smell fresh. Perhaps now I won’t let the dishes pile up as much! Pulsin Raw Choc Brownie (RRP £1.91) Allegedly the most chocolate-y brownie using 100% natural ingredients. Wha’ts not to like about this? And actually, looking at the ingredients, I can’t really see anything that would argue this. 50 grams contains 195 calories, 8.7 grams of fat and 27.1 grams of carbohydrates. Not too bad considering the ingredients which include: Dates, Raisins, Cashew Butter, Almonds, Raw Cacao, Brown Rice Powder, Brown Rice Malt, Cacao Butter, Sea Salt and Green Tea Extract are definitely a far cry from the usual sugary contents that most snacks contain. Oh did I also mention it’s dairy free, no added sugar, gluten free and no trans fats? Another -almost- guilt free pleasure. SAF Express Raw Coconut Cookies (RRP £4.29)

I know for some people, it’s a bit of a love it or hate it thing, but I definitely -love- coconut. Seeing these, made my face light up and I have no idea how I’ve resisted the urge to nibble on them. Four fairly decent sized cookies – mint, mixed berry and plain. No nutritional details on this packet, but the ingredients look fab – Coconut flakes, Agave, Almond nibbed, Raspberry, Blackberry, Grated Lemon, Himalaya salt, Water, Mint oil and Spirulina. I do enjoy trying new things, especially if they are natural and not processed so this is yet another snack to enjoy without feeling too bad.

Overall, I’m really happy with this month’s box. Although it’s quite snack heavy, I really don’t mind. I’m always on the look out for healthier alternatives to boost me through the day and I can’t wait to start cooking with the Harissa spice mix. I was still quite undecided at the last box and I think a lot of this is due to my masses of beauty boxes I receive, so it was a little different to that and I really had to remind myself of this. But I’m definitely enjoying having my eyes opened to all the Vegan products available out there!

To get your hands on The Vegan Kind action for just £10 per month and £2.95 p&p, visit their site here.

Totally hellbent for cruelty free living and guilt free snacking

-Pants

Skincare

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

March 6, 2014

Micellar water has quickly become one of my absolute skincare staples, so when I spotted a new player in town I couldn’t resist giving it a go!

For those not in the know, micellar waters are a sort of none-rinse make-up remover and cleanser in one. They can be used on the face, lips and eyes (and any other body part should you need it!) and are a dream for sensitive skin as they are soap, and usually fragrance, free.

I’ve tried two others in the past, the cult staple Bioderma Sensibio H2O and the L’Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution. I liked both, but the huge price difference between the two (Bioderma is £10-£15 for 250ml, L’Oreal £4.99 for 200ml) had me leaning firmly towards the latter. Now comes along a new contender in the UK market, the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, at a massively purse friendly £4.99 for 400ml!

Considering how little product it actually takes to remove a whole face of make-up, the outlay for Bioderma is totally worth it, but if there is something that delivers the same results at a fraction of the price (and is much easier to get hold of!) then I’ll definitely go for it!

In honestly I can see little difference at all between the three products, all remove eye, lip and face make-up quickly and effectively without making my skin tight or causing it to flare up. It’s the gentleness of this product that I really love, and there’s no need to scrub away at all as it feels like the make-up simply melts off. Even waterproof mascara can be shifted by holding a pad over each eye a few moments and gently wiping the rest away.

When I come off stage sweating under a layer of thick make-up for an hour, the first thing I want to do is get the slap off and let my skin breathe. I wear a -lot- of make-up on stage, and the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water gets the whole lot off in record time earning it’s permanent place in my “gig essentials” list. I should probably do a blog about that at some point!

Currently available from Superdrug.com for only £3.32 (full price £4.99!)

Totally hellbent for twice the product at half the price!

– Gem

Make-up

Real Techniques Brush Collection

March 4, 2014

Ever since Gem has discovered how beautiful these brushes are, I too unfortunately sucumbed to their spell and have been pulled into the Real Techniques obsession. Luckily for me, Gemma started my collection off by purchasing not one set, but three of these bad boys for my birthday.

Core Collection Kit

This set comes with a contour brush, pointed foundation brush, detailer brush and buffing brush.

From Left to Right:

Contour Brush – The first thing I noticed about this brush, is that it’s slightly domed towards the tip and I’ve been using this for contouring ever since getting my hands on this set. This brush is perfect for defining my cheeks with bronzer, the sides of my nose and also my jawline, although I don’t use this for highlight or blush. Although this is slightly domed, the brush itself is quite fluffy which is great for blending, ensuring I don’t end up looking like I’ve drawn a few brown lines from each ear to the corner of my mouth.

Pointed Foundation Brush – I’ve used quite a few foundation brushes in my time, but this one is so soft, and having used it a few times now, it isn’t congealed with foundation and is pretty easy to clean. I was worried at first that the brush wasn’t big enough for my face, but actually because it is pointed, it ensures an even coverage by getting into the hard to reach places (namely around piercings). Definitely not an every day brush, but I am favouring this over all my other foundation brushes.

Detailer Brush – This is mainly for “problem areas” or lipstick – I’ve been using it to apply my concealer and it seems to be working quite well. My only major issue with this brush is it’s not as fluffy as the others, but this is Okay because the last brush makes up for it! It didn’t wow me as much as the others but I’m still finding it hard to pick out any flaws.

Buffing Brush – Why haven’t I had the pleasure of using this before? This can be used to apply loose powder or mineral powder but I’ve been using it after my foundation and concealer to blend and buff my base to perfection. It’s such a simple thing but honestly, it’s done wonders for me.

Real Techniques Core Collection Kit – £20.99 from Feel Unique

Starter Set

This is by far my favourite set of the three. Predominantly for eyes, this literally has all the brushes a girl could ever need to perfect the simplest to the most dramatic eyes. With an amazing 5 brushes, it’s well worth the money to start any brush collection.

From Left to Right:

Deluxe Crease Brush – Although designed to fit in the crease of your eye socket, I’ve actually been using this as a base and blending brush. My eyes are quite little, but unfortunately if I blend my darker shadow too much, I end up looking like a drag queen – I just can’t pull it off! In my opinion, this definitely works better for applying my base colour, because it’s fluffier and bigger too, it blends like a dream.

Base Shadow Brush – This brush I’ve been using too add my middle colour and blending it into my darkest. It’s nice and fluffy but not as big as the crease brush, which means its perfect for my little eyes and means I don’t go overkill on the darker shadows. The best thing about this brush is that even if I only throw on some eye shadow in a few minutes before going out, it looks absolutely amazing!

Accent Brush – This definitely completes the look along with the two above. I’ve been using this mostly to add my darker colour to my crease, and the base shadow brush to then blend my darker shades together. It’s absolutely perfect and the best thing about it has got to be being able to use it under my eye to create a smoky look, since the brush is small and flat.

Pixel Point Eye-liner Brush – I haven’t actually used this brush yet, when applying gel eye-liner, I tend to use my Loreal Brush and I haven’t found anything that beats it yet. Having said that, I may give this one a go and see if it lives up to the other brushes in this set. If it doesn’t, it’s a perfect shape and feel for applying lipstick.

Brow Brush – I didn’t think I was going to use this brush. For my eyebrows, I use an old Gel eye-liner brush which has short and stiff bristles, perfect for defining my outline, and a smaller brush similar to an eye-liner brush to blend my brows. I tried this one just so I knew how it applied and since doing so, this has now replaced one of my other brushes and I’ve used it every day. It’s just the right shape to fill in my brows and blend the harsher outline to make them look more natural and is also brilliant for applying my clear gel top coat to keep my brows from straying here there and everywhere.

Real Techniques Starter Set – £20.99 from Feel Unique

Travel Essentials Kit

After watching some of the video reviews available on the Real Techniques website, apparently you can take this anywhere and not need any other brushes. I’m inclined to believe this and if I ended up stranded with no other tools except these, I could definitely get by with just these three.

From Left to Right:

Essential Foundation Brush – I love this brush for full face foundation coverage – the speed in which I can apply is brilliant with this brush and it doesn’t hold too much product either. It does mean that I can cover my face before my foundation begins to dry, teamed with the pointed foundation brush and it’s a match made in heaven.

Domed Shadow Brush – I have also been using this as a blending brush and it’s so so soft! This is also a brush I’ve been taking out with me to keep my eyeshadow in check or turn day makeup to almost stage ready makeup.

Multi-task Brush – Another firm favourite of mine – Kabuki brush move aside because you have been well and truly replaced. I absolutely thrive off using this to apply my powder – the bristles are far enough apart for them not to hold too much product and coverage is even and beautifully flawless. I’m not even sure I would go back to my Kabuki now that I’ve been using this.

Real Techniques Travel Essentials Kit – £20.99 from Feel Unique

It’s safe to say that I am absolutely smitten with these brushes – but one of the best things about all three is that they come in a case that also serves as a stand, whether you are applying make-up in a service station (as Gem and I often indulge in on the way to gigs) or just want them displaying nicely on your dressing table, they are a great extra. The cases also have space for additional brushes, although I fear I will never fit all of mine in them when I take them out and about! I honestly do not need any more brushes after finding these – although I’m sure I will find a way of talking myself into buying others down the line!

These are absolutely brilliant sets, perfect for those who want to invest in some brushes but arn’t sure what to buy and also not too pricey considering how wonderful they all are – not to mention the fact that the Real Techniques website has lots of tips and tricks for you to try out with your new brushes here.

Have you tried any of the Real Techniques brushes? If so I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can also view Gemma’s review of her Limited Edition Duo Fibre set here.

Totally hellbent for a purely effortless face thanks to brushes.

Pants

Beauty Boxes

Latest In Beauty – Glamour Beauty Edit 3 – 2014

March 4, 2014

I tried so hard to resist this box, I really did, but last week I caved and I am SO glad I did!

Welcome to the third Glamour Beauty Edit box by Latest in Beauty! I missed out of the first, but absolutely loved the second (reviewed here!) so really my resistance was futile.

The box contains seven products worth £45 which is a little less bang for your buck than the previous boxes, but certainly nothing to turn your nose up at!

Invisibobble

Initially I was very sceptical about these hair ties – I mean they look like those 90’s extendible keyring things – and was convinced they would get tangled in my hair but of course I was absolutely wrong! They held my long thick hair up in a pony with only one twist and slid out without any tangles whatsoever leaving absolutely no marks on my hair at all.

I think this will be an absolute godsend on tour when I have to straighten my hair in the morning and hope it will last throughout the day, usually I end up with a mark where my bobble has held my hair back whilst we are in transit and setting up, but with the Invisibobble I wont expect even the slightest kink!

Bonus marks for the colour!

Full size (box of three)

€4.95 from invisibobble.com

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

I’m a big lip balm fan as I, like most people, suffer with unbearable dry lips in the colder months. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while but never got round to trying it! Made from 100% natural ingredients with a lovely tingly peppermint scent, I can see why there is so much hype about this product! It was instantly soothing on my chapped lips and has lasted out a good few hours so far. I also like how it adds moisture without feeling greasy, in fact the info card suggests using it for lipstick preparation!

Full Size

£3.69 from Burtsbees.co.uk

Cheeky Chat Me Up Nail Paint in Tongue ‘n’ Cheek

Well! I have to say this could be a contender for my new favourite nail polish brand! The pics above make it look a lot more red than it is, but in natural light it’s a very red-hued pink that is very glossy! It applied so smoothly (like I genuinely can’t express how easily this applies!), dried quickly and was completely opaque in one coat. This is a winning dream formula and frankly I can’t wait to try out some more polishes from Cheeky!

Full size

£7 from Urcheeky.com

Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Aqua Velvet

Well, this is certainly in my colour! I can’t say I’ve ever worn this shade as an eyeliner since having turquoise hair, but I will be giving it a try now! This is a bespoke shade created exclusively for the Glamour Beauty Edit, and it is BRIGHT! As you can see in the swatch it was a little uneven in application, so might take more than one sweep to get a solid line, however once it’s in place it’s really not going anywhere! It took a decent amount of micellar water to shift this off the back of my hand, so I expect it to last a damn long time on the lids!

Full Size

£9.25 from Danielsandler.com

Percy & Reed Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse

I’m not really a mousse person, I find it makes my naturally greasy hair slick up (yuk!) and never seems to be strong enough to hold it up. This is probably the only product in the box I wont get much use from. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried it out, but really I couldn’t see that it did anything to volumise my locks even when following exact instructions. I think my hair is just too thick and long and heavy, or maybe I’ve just never really gotten the hang of using mousse? Either way it’s not for me and will be finding a loving home with my mum (who absolutely swears by the stuff!)

50ml Sample

200ml for £12 from Percyandreed.com

Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation

Product names are definitely getting longer, but I digress, this is the surprise hit of the box for me! I wasn’t expecting to be excited about a shower gel but I can tell already this will be absolutely amazing! It smells divine and the texture is so light and foamy! I love that it’s so compact, so will probably throw this in my gym bag rather than lug around a bigger bottle that could spill!

Full size

£4 from uk.rituals.com

L’Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara

I struggle to get hyped about mascara but I’ll admit I was curious about this one, in fact it was probably the deciding factor that pushed me over the edge into buying this box! I’m glad to say Miss Manga is an amazing mascara that gives longer thicker lashes and a hell of a curl! I think it’s down to the wand which is tapered at the tip making it perfect for lower lashes as well as upper! Miss Manga has won my heart and will be going straight into my everyday make-up bag!

Full Size

£8.99 from Superdrug.com

I also received a free Dermalogica Starter Kit, but as this offer has ended I’ll be reviewing that separately!

Overall I’m really glad I decided to buy this box as it has some great products at a massive saving and I’ve discovered some absolute treasures!

These boxes are limited edition and have been available for a while so if you do fancy one I’d suggest heading over to Latestinbeauty.com to pick on up sharpish for a bargain price of £14.95 (+3.95 p&p).

Totally hellbent for should I? shouldn’t I? OF COURSE I SHOULD!

– Gem